Movies Today

Known for his charm, driving luxurious cars, and the ability to escape every life-threatening trap, James Bond is one of Hollywood’s most legendary characters. From 1962 till 2002, James Bond has been played by five different actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. However, after a four year break, 2006 saw the release of a new generation of Bond films. Starring Daniel Craig as Bond, Casino Royale takes viewers back to the beginning of James Bond. . . just with a modern day context.In order to defeat the villain Le Chiffre, Bond has to enter the Montenegro casino tournament. If he wins, he’ll leave the criminal with nothing, and MI6 will protect Chiffre in exchange for what he knows. However, Bond is young and reckless, often disobeying M’s (Judi Dench) orders and landing himself in life threatening situations. Even though he has the help of Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the movie keeps you guessing: will Bond’s uncontrollable behavior ruin his first mission as a 00 agent or will he pull through in the end? (more…)

Starting with the phenomenal acting, and carrying through to the dark storyline, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight has the edge on the original Batman film. It’s not that easy of a statement to make. Tim Burton (Corpse Bride) does bring an element of darkness into the story, and Jack Nicholson brings out the Joker’s quirky, clownish nature. However, the 1989 cast portrays the Batman characters with a literal interpretation, whereas Nolan’s cast takes the literal portrait, and goes deeper.Following Batman Begins, The Dark Knight shows Batman feeling the weight of his role. With Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as the new District Attorney, Bruce considers giving Batman a rest; that is, until the Joker comes along. The definition of psychotic, he turns the city upside down, and it’s up to Batman to stop him. The storyline truly is dark, placing characters in, what Roger Ebert describes, as ethical dilemmas that don’t have an easy solution (Rogerebert.com). (more…)

Since 1984, Freddy Krueger has haunted audiences’ dreams. The biggest reason for Nightmare’s success comes from Robert Englund, the actor who played Freddy in all seven films, as well as the 2003 Freddy vs. Jason. With the release of the 2010 version of A Nightmare on Elm Street, viewers were curious as to how Jackie Haley would compare.Alongside a new Freddy, the film has a new director. Samuel Bayer, a director of music videos till now, took on the role of reinventing Freddy. And when it surfaced that Michael Bay, the man responsible for Transformers and Pearl Harbor, was the new producer, excitement flared.The plot was relatively the same as the previous Nightmare films. Freddy is seeking revenge against the families that took his life. The killer accomplishes this goal by slipping into the dreams of those who got him in trouble and killing them. The character’s names are different from the original, except for Nancy that is. With nothing but a new last name, her character is almost identical to Nancy Thompson. (more…)

While 3D technology has been present for years, it has grown in popularity. Few movies, whether it is A Christmas Carol or Resident Evil: Afterlife remain untouched by 3D moviemaking. Now with the combination of Tim Burton’s (Beetle Juice) eerie touch and 3D technology, Alice in Wonderland brings the bizarre world of Wonderland to life.Unlike the 1951 animated movie, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is an adventure seeking, unconventional teenager. While she doesn’t remember her fall down the rabbit hole, the teen constantly dreams of the journey. However, after spotting the White Rabbit, Alice falls again, finding herself immersed in Wonderland once more. Things have changed since her last visit, and it is up to Alice to take this kooky land out of misery and darkness.While the original Disney film captures Alice’s curious and chatty personality, her friends appear crazy, but vastly subdued. Through Tim Burton’s retelling, the insanity and complexity of the Wonderland characters are revealed. (more…)