“Guardians of the Galaxy” Movie Review

Where to begin with this dazzling movie? It was released on August 1st, 2014 and has since grossed over $400 million at the box-office and still going. Arguably Marvel’s funniest film to date, it’s also worth noting that the casting choices were near-perfect. My favorite was Bradley Cooper as Rocket (yes, Bradley Cooper voices a talking raccoon). The plot manages to stay faithful to the comics with adding something new. It revolves around five different aliens who try to stop a mysterious figure from destroying a planet. Each of the aliens come from their own troubled background, so they’re bound to get along well. We got to see a cameo of Thanos, who appeared during the credits of “The Avengers.” Speaking of cameos, there was a completely ridiculous cameo by a C.G.I. Howard the Duck, who’s rumored to be getting a reboot. Nostalgia aside, this film is able to work well with what it’s got. I can’t wait ’til I watch it again.

 

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Movie Review

Giving audiences a fresh spin on the popular franchise, this film was released on July 14th and has held up well at the worldwide box office. Andy Serkis returns in his astonishing performance as Caesar, an intelligent ape who must lead his own kind. This time, he has a two sons and a wife who don’t have much screen-time sadly. Jason Clarke replaces James Franco as Malcolm, the man trying to make peace between apes and humans.  As Caesar begins to trust Malcolm, the other apes start to lose faith in Caesar’s leading abilities, especially his lieutenant Koba. While A-Lister Gary Oldman plays on the side he doesn’t give a noteworthy performance. The fast-paced music by Michael Giacchino is well-placed during the suspenseful action sequences. This a sequel that manages to outdo its predecessor with emotional depth, clever writing, and stellar visual effects. And one that I wouldn’t mind watching again.