Marvel’s second superpowered film this year is out, and I’m here to tell you if it’s worth the price of admission.  Matthew Vaughn, the director of films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Kick-Ass, takes on his second comic book movie, exploring the roots of the X-men.  This story takes place mostly in the 1960’s, with some flashbacks from the 1940’s, but also takes a nod to history by placing it during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The plot starts out with the young Erik Lensherr, later to be known as Magneto, as we are shown (yet again) the traumatic events that lead to the discovery of his powers over magnetism.  When the Nazis witness this power, of course, they try to harness it for themselves, using Erik’s mother as a tool to unlock the power.  This is a good way to start off Erik’s character, which I’ll discuss later in this review.  Elsewhere, a young Charles Xavier runs into an intruder in the form of Raven, or Mystique (taking the form of Charles’ mother), as he welcomes her to his home and allows her to live with him.  It is a bit unusual to see these two meet this way and it raises a few questions, but it works well for the plot. 

Fast forward about twenty years and Erik (now played by Michael Fassbender) is using his powers for revenge, trying to find the men who wronged him during the Holocaust.  At the same time, a female CIA agent, Moira MacTaggert (portrayed by Rose Byrne), goes undercover to spy on a U.S. Army Colonel, under the suspicion that he is working with Communists.  This introduces us to the Hellfire Club, the main antagonists of the film, lead by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon).  She witnesses the powers of Riptide (Alex Gonzalez), Emma Frost (January Jones), and Azazel (Jason Flemyng), relaying her story to the CIA, of course not believing her story.  She then seeks out an expert on the subject of genetics and mutation, which leads her to England where she meets with the now Professor Charles Xavier (played by James McAvoy).  Eventually, this leads to the CIA and Charles working together to track down the Hellfire Club, which as fate would have it, is the same goal as our friend Erik.  In a failed attempt to take the life of Sebastian Shaw, who we now know is a mutant capable of absorbing energy, Charles and Erik meet for the first time and create an alliance, which begins a great story of friendship between two very strong performances.

The interaction between these two make for some of the best scenes.

Even though much of this film focuses on Charles and Erik, there is also a strong focus on the character of Raven (now played by Jennifer Lawrence).  Her mutation is obviously not very discreet and we get a bit of an explanation as to her choices in life and why she feels the way she does in later films.  “Mutant and proud” is a reoccuring phrase that she often speaks, but it isn’t until she meets with Erik that she truly believes the phrase.  She struggles in life because she has to hide her true appearance from the regular people, even trying to get acceptance from Charles, who tries his hardest to avoid her advances toward him.  She eventually develops a light romance with Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), who would later transform in a freak accident trying to find a cure for her appearance, as well as his own.  The romance is nice here because it isn’t shoved down our throat and it’s between two characters that have a bit of common ground.  Hank meets with the crew and introduces Charles to Cerebro, which allows them to track down several mutants to try and recruit, leading them to Angel Salvadore (played by daughter of Lenny Kravitz, Zoë Kravitz),  Armando Munoz (Edi Gathegi), Alex Summers (Lucas Till),  Sean Cassidy(Caleb Landry Jones), as well as a nice little cameo role.

Pretty good looking for a bunch of mutants don’t you think?

As these characters are introduced, the recruits are all given codenames and we’re introduced to their powers.  Some of the most hilarious moments of the film take place during the recuritment phase and how these characters are introduced, and though these are all interesting characters pulled from all over the X-Men universe, it raises the question as to why these specific mutants were chosen for this team considering their powers.  Of course, it eventually works out for the plot where each mutant (for the most part) has a vital role, but it still raises the question.  Another thing that the introduction of these characters brings is the convulution to the story.  What was once a focus on the friendship between two of the most notable characters of the franchise, now becomes a mix of stories and a blend of character development that creates a bit of a mess, yet it is still handled well.

Not going to spoil too much more of the plot for all of you, so I’ll leave the rest of the review about other aspects of the film.  There’s a lot of nods to fans of the films and comics alike, from cameo appearances to takes on character origins and their development.  A lot of humor was also placed in the film, though this is by no means a comedy.  It’s a very light touch of humor thats enough to gain a few laughs but still place this film as a fun action flick thats more focused on the relationships between the characters.  As I said before, one of the strongest relationships is the one between Erik and Charles, who have opposing views on their goals.  Erik wants a world where mutants don’t have to hide and can live in peace without the fear of humans rising against them.  Charles on the other hand wants a world in peace with the humans, wanting to gain their support as well as their acceptance.  This is a strong dynamic for which the whole series is based and it’s these two contradictory views that create such an interesting friendship.  Charles is able to channel an emotional level of feelings from Erik by reading his mind and accessing his most cherished memories.  The feelings during these scenes is very powerful and it almost makes you wish there were more, though this is a film focused on a team, and therefore these characters lost a bit of the spotlight.  It’s still a spectacle though to watch this friendship evolve and grow stronger, only to mutate and fall apart as their views collide.

The action and special effects of the film are great eye candy and enjoyable to view.  I couldn’t complain about any of the special effects for the most part, with the only real complaint being Emma Frost and her “diamond skin”, which wasn’t bad looking, but as someone that has studied 3D modeling, I could tell that they only had one model for her special power.  Her hair will always be the same in her protective state, despite it being in different styles outside of it.  A minor complaint but it was something I noticed right away.  Other than that, the effects were all good and plenty of action to keep you watching.  The final battle against the seemingly unstoppable Sebastian Shaw is a good example, as final battles should be a spectacle of action sequences.  Speaking of Sebastian Shaw, for a villain, he doesn’t get a lot of screentime, but Kevin Bacon does a good job in the role.

There are a lot of scantily clad women in this movie.

The movie is a bit on the long, being  just over two hours long, but the plot is well done and has good pacing so it won’t feel long unless you realize that something you know will happen hasn’t happened yet.  The film does a good job developing its characters and there really isn’t a bad actor in the film, as every performance is pulled off well and in no way feels forced.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are the ones that easily steal the show with their performances, as you can see the two really made the roles their own, giving the audience a clear view of their character’s ideals.  I may even go as far to say they rival Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan as far as their acting goes.  The costume design is appropriately cheesy and it feels right for the time period given how costumes looked on characters around the time, but it’s still modernized in a way that works for the silver screen.

The Master of Magnet(ism).

As far as summer flicks go, X-Men: First Class is definitely among the best so far, and there’s a lot of big names coming this summer.  The film does create a few discrepancies with the other films in the series, mostly due to the appearance of certain characters at contradictory ages, or events that contradict scenes in other films, but all those aside, I can see this turning into a great new X-men trilogy, and I would be happy to see more from Matthew Vaughn.  The newest X-men film gets a solid 8 out of 10.

Marvel’s got quite the project on their hands right now.  The Avengers movie has just started filming, starring a large cast of heroes that the mainstream audience hasn’t become very familiar with yet.  Marvel plans to change that before the superhero team-up comes out next year.  Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk are all set for the stage, but now it’s Thor’s turn, the mighty Asgardian, the God of Thunder. 

The film stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular hero and for the most part, his performance is what makes the movie.  He stars alongside Tom Hiddleston, playing his brother Loki, the God of Mischief, as well as Anthony Hopkins, who does a fairly interesting performance as Odin, King of Asgard.    The family ties between these characters make an interesting drama, though its at it’s best when all three characters are in the mix.  There are scenes where you only have Loki and Odin, and those scenes tend to be a little lacking. 

The family’s all here.

Anyway, as for the story, the film starts with a bit of a present day introduction in New Mexico, only to go back to a random flashback, taking place in 965 A.D. Norway.  It introduces us to the Frost Giants, who tormented humans of Earth to try and conquer their realm.  With this conflict, the Asgardians arrive and fight a war, to which the Asgardians eventually win.  A treaty is formed to keep peace between the two races, while the Asgardians keep a Frost Giant relic, the Casket of Ancient Winters.  Fast forward, and Thor celebrates the day he would ascend to the throne.  As Odin is about to pass the crown to his son, his sentence is cut short by a small group of attacking Frost Giants, attempting to steal back the Casket.  This is when Thor feels like his home of Asgard is threatened, and he expresses his wish to wage war yet again.  Odin doesn’t like the idea and decides not to give Thor the right to the throne.

In anger, Thor throws a tantrum and his brother Loki manages to convince him and four other warriors to travel to Jotunheim, the home of the Frost Giants.  Not long after arriving, a large battle ensues and Odin arrives just in time to save the group of warriors.  It is this moment that Odin strips Thor of his powers and mighty hammer, and exiles him to Earth, as well as sending the hammer to Earth, waiting for one worthy to hold the power of Thor.  This is when we return to New Mexico in the present day and our story really begins.

The time Thor spends on earth is very brief, but much of it is surprisingly hilarious.  Thor’s customs don’t translate well on Earth, and the results create for quite a few laughs.  I almost wish that the film was less action and more comedy, but then it wouldn’t be much of a Superhero flick.  While on earth, he becomes involved in a lightly romantic relationship with young scientist, Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman).  This relationship seems a bit shoe-horned in, and it even feels like the role could’ve been given to any actress, not to say Natalie Portman was bad.  Her character just wasn’t important enough to make the romance seem vital to the film.  It’s bearable, but its highly cliche, and there doesn’t seem to be any chemistry between her character and Thor to even bring about the love interest.

If only this was as far as it went…

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a very involved group in the Marvel universe, and their involvement is fairly large in the Thor movie.  The moment Thor’s hammer falls to earth, nobody can lift it and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are there to find out more about the strange object.  Many references to Tony Stark (Iron Man) are made, and even a short cameo of another “would-be Avenger”.  S.H.I.E.L.D.  adds an interesting plot piece of the film, and even has a good amount of action with Thor, who attempts to take back his hammer Mjolnir only to find he is not worthy of his powers.

The film often bounces back and forth between Earth and Asgard, as another conflict arises on Asgard where Odin enters the “Odinsleep” to recuperate.  Thor not being there, Loki ascends to the throne and makes many changes and reveals his true nature of being the films real antagonist, showing that his jealousy of his brother has made him quite spiteful.  The film is full of quite a few plot twists that newcomers will not see coming, and thats something its got going as it’s rare these days when a film can carry a good plot twist.

As time goes on during his stay on Earth, Thor miraculously realizes his faults just in time to make a noble sacrifice, earning his powers back and working towards a climactic ending.  It seems like he learned his lesson a bit quickly, but the film was pretty long so it’s probably a good thing that his time on Earth was short.  During the battle between Thor and Loki, we have a very action packed fight scene, though this is where Tom Hiddleston’s acting disappointed me the most.  He overacted and it was really noticeable, making me wish that he just didn’t talk during the fight.

The film has a variety of special effects, some of which are great while some others are a bit weak looking (the Frost Giants being a good example).  Another thing I found interesting was that while Thor was being exiled, Odin stripped him of his Asgardian armor and what was underneath?  Some clothes that looked like they were picked up at an Abercromie & Fitch.  Or even at one point when Loki visits earth in a dress shirt and tie.  It takes away from the film’s believability and just makes you feel like the filmmakers didn’t pay enough attention to detail.

All and all, the film was enjoyable, and humorous in many parts, even in some parts that were unintentional.  There’s a lot of action to like and even some good family drama.  It’s a good way to make a movie for a character that doesn’t have a typical origin story like the rest of the Marvel cast of heroes, a hero that is based on myths.  It’s the perfect way to introduce the character to moviegoers excited for The Avengers next year.  Speaking of that, make sure to stick around after the credits, you’ll be glad you did (if not a bit confused).  I give Thor a 7.5 out of 10.

If you believe the infernal buzzing of the media flies, you might think Jonah Hex is just another Megan Fox flick. In actuality, it’s the big-screen adaptation of a DC comic book of the same name. Of course, in true comic book movie fashion, we can expect Hollywood to take more than their fair share of liberties with the story…

In the comic book: Jonah Hex’s father sold him to the Apaches as a slave. After proving himself by rescuing the tribe’s chief from a puma, Jonah was adopted by the chief himself. The chief’s biological son didn’t take too kindly to this, and eventually he challenged Jonah to a sacred Tomahawk duel. Before the fight, the chief’s son sabotaged Jonah’s weapon, so Jonah was forced to use his knife to defend himself - a violation of the tribe’s sacred rules. The Apaches burned Jonah’s face with a hot Tomahawk before banishing his cheating ass from the tribe, forever.

In the movie: Jonah’s face was scarred by his arch-nemesis, Quentin Turnbull, whom Jonah spends the remainder of the film tracking down to exact his revenge. Aw, how neat and tidy that is! Stupid comic books with all their complex origins and intricate storytelling - who needs ya! Huh? Not us. We like to keep things simple so folks can follow along… in their sleep.

Let’s take a look at the trailer:

Well, the trailer is only about 50% Megan Fox, which is a lot, considering she’s barely in this movie. Hard to believe, given the press’s overabundance of attention to her “bad acting,” but I think Fox actually had less opportunity to show her acting chops in this than she did in Transformers.

But, enough about Foxy. Let’s get on to the meat of the subject. This is a western (of sorts), so I think I’ll break this up into three categories familiar to western fans. First…

THE GOOD: The visual effects for Jonah Hex’s supernatural powers were outstanding. The scenes in which Hex is reanimating, conversing and even fighting with the dead are the highlights of the film. I would have liked to see more of that. As for acting, Josh Brolin is good, Megan Fox is hot, and John Malkovich is… well, John Malkovich.

THE BAD: The story and character development are sorely lacking. When the movie starts out, it feels like you’re just tuning in to the middle. Some movies do this, then flashback to the events leading up to the incident, but this movie decides to jump forward instead. For reasons unknown, the bad guy who moments ago was our primary focus is now assumed to be dead, Jonah Hex has moved on with his life, and nobody has been given a chance to care about any of it. Add to that the lack of any real motivation for the villain other than just being a jerk, and you’re left with nothing more to look forward to than some flashy visual effects, a few gratuitous shots of Megan Fox in a corset, and the credits.

THE UGLY: For some unexplained reason, the realistic, rustic Western backdrops are periodically swapped for blatant, over-saturated ‘green screen’ images. Not that I was into the story much to begin with, but if I had been, these shocking distractions would have most certainly taken me out of it. To put it into perspective for our gamer friends out there: One moment you’re cruising through the old west a la Red Dead Redemption, the next you’re dropped into Mortal Kombat. No offense to MK intended, just trying to paint a picture of the difference between the two settings.

In the end, Jonah Hex is, sadly, just another Hollywood comic book movie. All things considered, I’m forced to give it an unimpressive D+.

‘Defy the Future?’ …I think we might need to ‘defy a bit of the past’ first.

Since the dawning of man, video games and movies have been like dill pickles and peanut butter. Independently delicious, but combined they make for one nasty stomach ache.

Remember Super Mario Bros. the Movie? …Horrendous.

Street Fighter the Movie? …Despicable.

Anything directed by Uwe Boll? …Please, shoot me first.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that Disney’s latest fray into the cross-genre scene is destined to be a disaster, yes? Well, let’s take a look:

Like what you see in the trailer? …I did. Despite my own horrific past with video game films (and an equally rocky relationship with bait-and-switch movie trailers in general), I actually allowed myself to be excited by this one. Still, my wiser self was skeptical. I mean, there’s not a chance in hell the flick would be as good as the trailer… right?

Wrong. This is one time when the product is exactly as advertised… if not better.

The visual effects of PoP:SoT are dazzling. The stunt work is phenomenal. (I can’t believe I’m saying this about a video game movie, but…) even the story was good!

I can honestly attest that this is, hands-down, the best interpretation of a video game to the silver screen. Ever.

Director Mike Newell captured the pace and feel of Ubisoft’s classic franchise with impeccable acuity. BIG PROPS to Jake Gyllenhaal for taking the initiative to suggest adding more moves from the game (i.e. wall run) to the action, making the interpretation that much more authentic.

Swear, there were times during the heat of a chase when I found myself subconsciously wiggling my thumbs, as if I were actually playing a hyper-realistic, next-next-gen version of Prince of Persia, starring real actors on a big-ass screen! (One day, when I’m filthy rich and my nano-tech-nerve-manipulation research is complete, this fantasy will become real… but more on this later, once it is too late for you insolent fools to stop me… Muahaha!!)

In the complaints department, my only real qualms with this movie are that it felt a little long. At just shy of 2 hours, there are times when the story gets a tad stagnant… there may be one or two scenes which could have been trimmed a bit to keep things moving. In the end though, the length only lends more to the authenticity of the game-to-film transfer, as gamers know well that any game beaten in under 2 hours is often a game not worth playing.

One other gripe may be a slight lack of character development. The characters’ stories are definitely told, but at times they seemed just a tad brushed over, at least for my tastes.

All things considered though, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time is all that and a bag of sand: time-shifting, magic-of-the-gods type sand. By comparison, anything else from the genre, thus far, is just plain dirt.

I give Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time a solid A-.

Now, let’s get crackin’ on Assassin’s Creed!

To Trek or not to Trek, to some that is the question. Seeing how so many people over the 43 years of “Star Trek” have become Trekkies (both willingly and sometimes unwillingly), I thought it be prudent to look at this movie from both perspectives. So when I asked myself and some close friends, “Is this a ‘Star Trek’ for all fans?”. I was not surprised to hear both a resounding “Yes” and “No”. There is no doubt that the even number Star Trek movies have always been better. The exception to the rule is “Star Trek: Nemesis”, being a total rip off of both “Star Trek: Wrath of Kahn”, and “Star Trek: Search for Spock” (both sub-plots to Nemesis but still annoying rip off’s). With this being said, how can this movie be any good being number 11?

From a fan’s perspective this could be seen as a good movie, but still lacking some of the great things that have always been at the center of the Star Trek universe. The great Star Trek movies, and episodes, have always had a combination between both science and mystery. While this movie has a thrill ride lasting all 2 hours and 7 minutes, it takes its own mystery out of its story. Every fan has accepted that Spock will always know what is going on, but we’re still going to hate it when he tells us all the tricks without giving us a chance to figure it out without him. Spock is and always will be the fail safe for the crew, and even the fans when it comes to difficult story lines. The best part about Spock is that his enlightened knowledge of the situation only comes after we have given up hope trying to figure it out ourselves. In this movie just as we’re about to get it ourselves, Spock comes along and gives it all away. Kinda annoying.

Now, as someone that has not been a fan of every episode, of every season, of very series, this is both a great action and a great sci-fi. Personally, I thought that the story itself was intriguing and exciting. The story does eventually hand itself over to you, but before that it allows you to get to know the newly invented characters and story. The story is great in the fashion of the old Star Trek classics. It uses old story arch’s and even small roles to supplement this one. With many old jokes finding new life, and new jokes finding old characters reinvented. Spock, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, and most importantly Kirk, in this story find new life based on a trick to the story that allows them to act differently but still be our favorite characters of old.

I have refused to give to much away in this review, this being said this review is worth revisiting after you’ve seen the movie to see what I really felt about the movie. The movie is a fun and adventrous romp through sci-fi land ending with a whole new cast to love and enjoy til the next star date.

Maybe, for those of you Trekkies that couldn’t see the fun in the new story, there is always episode twelve right around the corner (even numbers are always better than odd in Star Trek).

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, directed by Gavin Hood and starring the original X-Man Hugh Jackman, is the story of how Wolverine got his claws.

The story begins with young James Howlett (Wolvie’s birth name): A sickly kid whose mom got knocked up by the Howletts’ neighbor. In this film (and only in this film), the neighbor also just happens to be Zebadiah Creed, father of Victor Creed, a.k.a. Sabretooth! What a wonderfully unnecessary Hollywood-esque twist! ..Oh, how did those silly comic books last so many years without such serendipitous occasions as these to spoon-feed us the intrigue? The world may never know.

Anyway, some plot stuff that I don’t want to spoil happens and before you know it, James and his brother Victor are swept into the wild world of martial manicures and sibling rivalry! Weeee!!

First things first, the action is a plenty. Is this a good thing? Well… yes and no. I mean, some of the choreography is decent: the Jackman / Schreiber bouts in particular were surprisingly good. Heck, even some of the over-the-top physics-defying stuff was passable (e.g. Zero’s backflip bullet barrage)… The rest, unfortunately, sucked mutant DNA through a straw.

Chinese wirework is in full effect, as costumed goofballs bob and lilt through the air, defying physics and bending the laws of gravity and sensibility at every turn. What’s more, the fights don’t even have continuity: there’s one scene where Gambit and Wolverine are duking it out - Wolverine is distracted when he sees Sabretooth down the street - next thing you know, Gambit is skipping across rooftops on his merry way, towards Wolverine and Sabretooth! Uh, What!? Didn’t he just come from there? ..To make matters worse, “the cajun” later uses his staff as a helicopter, slowing his descent as he falls like some corny 80’s cartoon! Ridiculous.

Speaking of Gambit, yes, the #1 missed character from the X-Men movies finally makes an appearance… Kind of. At least he kinda looks like Gambit… Unfortunately, his trademark cajun accent is conspicuously absent, then later it’s so conspicuous you’ll wish it was absent! If you wait to watch this one on DVD (probably a good idea), I suggest you either press Mute, or change the dialogue settings to French, ‘cuz that’s the only way this joka is gonna sound even marginally like Remy LeBeau.

Unfortunately, “Gambit” isn’t the only character to leap from the printed page onto the silly screen. A few other classic characters make their debut, as well: Ryan Reynolds stars as Wade Wilson (good, but extremely short-lived), Kevin Durand stars as Fred Dukes, a.k.a. The Blob (not bad), Daniel Henney (Asian actor) appears as Agent Zero (German mercenary), Lynn Collins as Silver Fox (several discrepancies/plot holes surround this chick, but I don’t want to drop any spoilers), and more…

In the end, this flick is a cluster@#&% of inaccurate and unnecessary comic book cameos, loosely stitched together with a pointedly on-the-nose plot which can’t help but announce each character’s name as they enter the screen like they’re walking down the ramp at Wrestlemania.

Combine all that with some unforgivably horrendous plot elements like William Stryker’s “adamantium bullets” (yes, they actually went there), and Wade Wilson’s use of two katanas to deflect ten assault rifles’ worth of fully automatic fire, and what you’re left with is a marginally interesting but severely flawed film.

In the end, I’m afraid I must give X-Men Origins: Wolverine a back-to-the-bad-old-days-of-comic-book-movies C+ (probably being generous because I like comic book movies, too).

Here’s the trailer:

Finally! The Rock HAS COME BACK… to Disney! Uh… Bah. Whatever.

Race to Witch Mountain is only the latest in a run of family-friendly flicks to feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Apparently this one-time WWE champion has officially thrown in the towel on more adult-oriented action and adventure, opting instead to become this generation’s version of a post-prime Eddie Murphy… Good decision? Well, let’s see…

In this one, The Rock plays Jack Bruno: a performance-drug-enhanced cab driver with an outstanding debt to a local mafia loanshark. On a day like any other, Jack picks up a couple of kids with about $15k in cash on ‘em, and agrees to drive ‘em to the middle of the desert. The kids speak like Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, predict events before they occur, and control Jack’s car using their powers of telekinesis, yet somehow, Jack is completely oblivious to the fact that these “kids” may be extraordinary until almost thirty minutes into the film!

Of course Dwayne Johnson is corny, as is to be expected, proving time and again there’s no problem The Rock can’t punch. Luckily for him, female costar Carla Gugino (Watchmen) delivers a performance so utterly and completely corn-coated, she actually manages to make The Rock’s corny moments seem almost normal by comparison! An impressive feat, to say the least.

Despite the best efforts of these two, though, the film is for the most part entertaining. Obviously, it has its share of plot holes, such as when a beat-up cab outruns a warp-capable spaceship, or when Carla Gugino convinces a team of NASA scientists that she’s their boss just by donning a lab coat, but if you can get past these flaws, I think you’ll find that the nice visual effects and a decent story make it a fun little adrenaline boost for kids, while the decently-choreographed chase sequences and quirky plot make it tolerable for the older crowd, too.

All things considered, both good and bad, I give Race to Witch Mountain an above average B+.

Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot), is the story of a creepy little girl who has an amazing gift. In 1959, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, young Lucinda Embry is asked to draw a picture to be stored in a time capsule. The voices whispering in this cute little nutjob’s head have different ideas, though, as they tell her to make a seemingly innocuous list of numbers, instead. …Fun!

50 years later, the story continues… A college professor’s son is given Lucinda’s work of “art” and he takes it home. That night, curiosity fueled by bourbon and a gross lack of good internet porn, Professor John Koestler (Cage) studies the list and finds that the numbers are not random at all - in fact they’re prophetic!

The events which follow are the stuff of legend, as one catastrophe after the next reinforces Koestler’s theory, pushing him ever harder to find a way to prevent future deaths.

All in all, this film plays out a lot like a sequel to The Number 23. On the plus side, though, more crazy @#!% happens in this one. The CG effects for the disasters are impressive, as well, which helps to drive the point home nicely. My only complaint in this department is that Cage at times fails to react to the CG environments, thereby shattering the realism of the event itself. There are times when ol’ Nicky sticks his whole arm directly into fire, without so much as a flinch! Would somebody please tell this guy his days as Ghost Rider are over (thank goodness)?

Other than that relatively minor complaint, I’d say the flick is worth the watch. It’s got action, adventure, sci-fi, heck it’s even got a couple of suspense-type horror elements sprinkled in there nicely.

All things considered, I give Knowing a solid A-.

I Love You, Man, surprisingly NOT written or directed by Knocked Up’s Judd Apatow, is the story of Peter Klaven: a man buried so deep in his fiance’s poontang he doesn’t have a single male friend to call his Best Man at the wedding!

We all know this guy: he lily-pad hops from one long-term relationship to the next; if he’s not with someone, he’s looking for someone to be with. He’s a cool friend to have around if you can catch him in the off season, but once this guy finds a woman he’s locked up tighter than Akon in handcuffs!

Of course, this chivalrous nature does make ol’ Petey a prize catch for his fiance - which is great, only problem is he sets the bar too damned high for the rest of us! I personally caught this junk with my wife in a female-packed house, and let me tell you: Peter’s girlfriendly antics had the ladies droppin’ more “aaaaw”s than a plastic bag full of puppies!

Soft and squishy complaints aside though, I Love You, Man is really a fun pic. Paul Rudd holds his own in the star position - although he doesn’t have a ton of punch lines, he gives up a solid performance as the ’straight man’ to Jason Segal’s wilder character. Interestingly - speaking of Jason Segal and a ’straight man’ - neither of these shows up ’til about half way through the film… Yup, for the first 40 minutes this flick is as gay as the title suggests, as Paul Rudd goes on one ‘man date’ after the next, trying to find a friend. Things get pretty awkward until Segal shows up, at which point the movie finally starts to resemble the one in the trailers.

In the end, there’s really not a whole lot of story here, just lighthearted antics and a couple of good chuckles, and of course, Lou Ferrigno, who’s always good for both.

All things considered, I think this one did what it came to do, and it did it well. I give I Love You, Man a solid A-.