So yeah...it's been awhile...

I've been kinda busy this summer. Like, really busy. Like, I didn't expect a few things that have happened to happen this summer busy. But, that's life I suppose. I really wanted to try and keep up with posts on this blog. I had a lot of really cool ideas when I started it, but it's just fallen by the wayside as the weeks and months have gone on. I'm writing this as a sort of charge for myself, a way to try and get myself back on track. I haven't seen that many movies up to this point as I would have liked, and have written about them even less. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I was able to catch an advanced screening of Bad Teacher last week, and my hope was to have a review up before it was released wide on Friday. Obviously that never panned out. What I'm trying to say is, I'm hoping to get back on track here. To start, I'm going to give quick reviews of the movies I've seen recently, along with my grades for each. Enjoy.

Bridesmaids - Paul Feig

Being called "The Hangover for chicks" is a far misstatement, I feel. This is a film that is appealing to both genders, while being smart and funny all at once. Although a few of the laughs fall flat, and one scene in particular left me confused at its inclusion in the final cut, this is a great comedy, and one of the best so far this year. B+

Thor - Kenneth Branagh

Branagh may be, at first, a confusing choice to helm a summer blockbuster, but Thor's graphic novel back story relates all to well to Branagh's film career choices. Surprisingly fun (I at first thought the film was going to be a major dud), Thor kicks off a summer full of superhero flicks, and does a good job at standing out among some fairly decent flicks lately. B

Fast Five - Justin Lin

My first foray into the Fast & Furious series was a mostly enjoyable one. It's obvious these films never go for the realistic approach, but it's a decent action flick that, from what I've been told, exceeds the last few installments by far. B-

The Hangover Part II - Todd Phillips

Yep, it's pretty much the same as the first one, except the tiger/baby Carlos is now a monkey, the tooth is a tattoo, and the groom is the groom's brother-in-law to be. There are a few laughs to be had, sure, but there is nothing here that makes it stand out from the original, which was such a breath of fresh air to the R-rated comedy. C

Kill The Irishman - Jonathan Hensleigh

The movie automatically gets a few "cool" points for being set in my hometown of Cleveland, and even a few more for having the main characters have a few family ties (no comment on that), but it loses a few with its at times lackluster script and poor cinematography. However, this is a fascinating (and very true) story about the man who basically helped bring down the mob. B

Green Lantern - Martin Campbell

Campbell, known mostly for his work on two terrific Bond films, has another decent action flick here. Although Lantern can't compete with Batman or the X-Men on a popularity scale, he still makes for interesting film material. The film itself has some amazing CGI, and sets up nicely for subsequent (and inevitable) sequels, and does a good job of introducing us to this world, despite lacking in some character development. B-

Super 8 - J.J. Abrams

Abrams film was one of my most anticipated not just for the summer, but for 2011 on a whole. Sadly, it failed to live up to the expectations its terrific trailer set. The film, I think, loses a lot of its appeal when it introduces "The Monster" as a major factor. I was much more intrigued by the characters and their interactions with each other and their quaint little town. The final few minutes of the film brought it down even lower. C+

X-Men: First Class - Matthew Vaughn

Working as both a prequel and reboot, Vaughn's film proves there is still life in this franchise that started this whole comic book movie frenzy back in 2000. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as young Professor X and Magneto, respectively, are terrific casting and embrace their characters full force. The film suffers in its final sequences, but still is a terrific start to what is going to undoubtedly be another trilogy. B+

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

Allen is such a fascinating director. He is so set on continually working so as to ensure that he doesn't die as soon as he could (no, seriously. He thinks that by always working on another film he'll prolong his life), it guarantees that many of his films will be flops. However, Midnight stands out, and is one of his best films in quite some time. This is a film best seen without any knowledge of its plot or characters; it makes it that much more enjoyable. A-

Bad Teacher - Jake Kasdan

It's hard to call this a movie, because there's no real plot here at all, which may work sometimes in modern comedies (see: Anchorman), but here it simply doesn't. The film plays like a bunch of SNL skits mashed together with the same characters, and none of them are even remotely funny. C-