Superman Returns is a 2006 film, about Superman/Clark Kent returning to earth after being gone for several years. Where did he go? He went to look for his home planet of Krypton after scientists had said that they might have found a remnant of it floating in space.

After returning to Earth both Superman and Clark are welcome by the people of the planet and the folks at the Daily Planet. Soon though, they’ll all discover that Superman’s arch enemy has again been up to no good. He’s plotting to change the face of the planet by sinking the continents and replacing them with his own kryptonite laced land masses.

Superman soon discovers the plot, that Louis Lane and her son have been kidnapped, and that the people of earth are doomed if he can’t stop Lex Luther. After battling Luther’s gang and barely surviving, Superman again returns, only this time he’ll attack the problem – the mass itself. Using his laser eyes, he burrows into the planets crust, and picks up the land mass and flies off into to space with it saving everyone.

Soon after, he discovers that the son of Louis Lane is also his son.

Overall, a great film with great special effects. There are some hardcore comic book fans out there that didn’t respond well to the film, but the vast majority of people liked it.

Budget: $209 million
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring:
Brandon Routh
Kate Bosworth
Kevin Spacey
James Marsden
Parker Posey
Frank Langella
Sam Huntington
Eva Marie Saint
Marlon Brando
Kal Penn

Back in 2006, when this film was in theaters, people were buzzing about it like crazy. I remember asking someone who went to see it, if it was any good and what was so good about it. His answer “it’s the best man’s man film I’ve ever seen.” I was busy and didn’t think too much about it at the time – hell, I hadn’t even seen a trailer. But when I finally saw it in the stores on sale, I took the chance and bought it.

What a great man’s man movie. To this day, this Frank Miller film is awesome. Of course the women that watch it too seemed to get something from it as well. But for me, this film has yet to get old, boring, been there, done that. It’s still a great film, even four years later.

You can buy it a lot cheaper today, so if the chance arrives, cease it.

“This is Sparta!!!!!”

Budget: $65 million
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring:
Gerard Butler
Lena Headey
Dominic West
David Wenham
Vincent Regan
Michael Fassbender
Tom Wisdom
Rodrigo Santoro

Like all films, whether successful or not – it started with an idea. That idea was SAW, not necessarily a franchise, but if it comes about, who’s going to say ‘no.’

That idea was started by two guys; James Wan & Leigh Whannell. They met each other during film school. James wanted to be a director and Leigh was a screenwriter; a perfect combination.

The two got together and hashed out the idea for SAW, in 2003, they created a short film around the concept and began pitching it.

Lionsgate picked up the film in 2004 for financing and once produced, it was featured at the Sundance Film Festival. The following October, like all the Octobers after that, they released the film theatrically. The film and the sequels have been very successful. So successful, year after year, the budget grew, and another film was produced.

With less than an estimated $50 million dollars spent on production of all the films, the SAW franchise has gone on to make over three quarters of a billion dollars in revenue. Not a bad investment on Liongate’s part.

Below are some of the posters and characters from each of the films.

In all 6 films have been released, with a 7th planned for production February 2010.

Total Budgets: $61.5 million
Gross (all films): $603 million
Directors:
James Wan
Darren Lynn Bousman
Kevin Greutert
David Hackl
Starring:
Leigh Whannell
Cary Elwes
Danny Glover
Shawnee Smith
Donnie Wahlberg
Tobin Bell
Beverley Mitchell
Dina Meyer
Costas Mandylor
Bahar Soomekh
Julie Benz

Trivia:

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 horror/thriller film starring Carol Kane and Charles Durning, directed by Fred Walton. The original music score is composed by Dana Kaproff.It is followed by the 1993 made-for-television sequel When a Stranger Calls Back. Tagline: Every babysitter’s nightmare becomes real…

I wonder how Roger Ebert (my idol movie critic) would react to his own review of Cars after the film went on garnering awards. He said Cars was the least beautiful of John Lasseter’s earlier works, Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. I tend to disagree since there are lots of factors that make this movie beautiful. First, the computer filmmakers excruciatingly put the once-glorious Route 66 into detail. To make the movie a comic relief, they cast Owen Wilson. Also, this is the very first movie that I saw which featured cars in lieu of animals as a fable. Even cows were replaced by tractors. Also, I like Paul Newman’s voice performance in this movie. He had really perfected his role as Doc Hudson, the old wise racing car.

Monster House is an experiment to merge children’s animation with horror. And it succeeds. This actually is Robert Zemeckis’s follow up to Polar Express, Zemeckis having fallen in love himself to children’s animation, big thanks to the influence of Steven Spielberg. There is one memorable scene in this movie – the liplock between Jenny and DJ who are both still in their preteens. I have seen a preteen girl kissed a preteen boy in a movie (Great Expectations) but that was for a mature audience. This one, however, is a kids’ movie. I think I have some reservations on that. But anyhow, it is your choice as a parent whether you want them to see this movie or not. After all, this is also available in 3D so you may just want to make it a hell of a ride.

It’s kinda abnormal for animals to possess intelligence as humans but that’s the fun in fables where humans are involved, right? And so it is in this movie. The actors are so engrossed with their animal characters that even Nick Nolte had to research his role just as his voice would be that of a bear. But to be “fair” to the animals too, in this movie, they just want to get back at the humans for pursuing a development project in the wilds and creating a hedge between them.

Full riot from start to finish. Fun fun fun, kids will be delighted to watch, grown-ups as well.

 Trivia:

The art department went to a bowling alley to sketch the design of the ‘perfect’ vending machine. They went to various supermarkets to sketch chip bags and bottles. They eventually got kicked out of a Safeway because the manager felt uncomfortable with them being there for such an extended amount of time.

 

I must admit, even if this universal remote thingy is far from happening in real life, I can truly say that this movie makes so much sense, and that there is a very valuable lesson towards the end. You will realize what really matters most in life. It’s definitely a good watch, I’d rate it a 10.