Happy 1 year Anniversary! (A day late, I know, but oh well!)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Finally! A prequel done right! Rise of the Planet of the Apes was great, but this is better than it in every way! The great thing about this movie is that it's not very clear who's good and who's bad. Both sides have good people and apes and bad people and apes. The documentary feel of this movie also helps instill emotions that would have otherwise not have been had this been filmed in a traditional way. See this is 3D if you can because the depth and detail make you feel you are right there with the humans fighting the war against the apes, and once you see the apes' side you feel as of you are right there quietly observing. When a human looks down the sight of his rifle, you feel you are that human about to shoot the ape. The great thing is that even if you haven't seen the previous installment "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," you can still understand this perfectly. The first 20 minutes are apes doing sign language with subtitles on the bottom of the screen but you can still understand even without them. This film conveys human emotion really well, and the score is breathtaking. If the Academy doesn't nominate this for best score I will never forgive them. Listen to it on a surround sound system, and just let it sweep over you. 

Grade: A  10/10 5/5 stars

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Dreamworks has done the impossible! They've officially beaten Pixar as the best computer animation studio. Sure they've had some duds, but so has Pixar. (I'm referring to Brave) This is one of the best, if not the best, of all the films they've put out. Don't expect this to wrap everything up though, because just like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, this isn't a sequel, but rather act 2 of a 3 act story that you have to watch in order. Fans of the book series may be dissapointed to learn however, that just like the first film, its completely different from the books. This is also not the same formula that Dreamworks has used for "Shrek" and "Madagascar." Unlike those films this has a darker, more serious tone and is definitely anything but cookie cutter. I'm optimistic that "Dragons 3" will not be Dreamworks milking a dead cow, but rather making a fresh cut of prime rib out of it.  

Grade: A+ 10/10 5/5 stars

X-Men: Days of Future Past

If you're looking for a movie that has twists and turns and a plot that you have to pay attention to the movie to follow, this is it. I can easily say this is the best film in the X-Men franchise. It's got humor, heart, and a greatly satisfying ending. This is the ultimate geek movie. I mean what other movie has Jean Luc Packard and Gandalf in the same movie. (The actors of course, not the characters. That movie is too awesome to exist. This film is X-traordinary. There are too many boring parts though. But when it comes to action, this film delivers. This is why it's one of the best movies in the summer 2014 movie season.

Grade: A, 8/10, 4/5 stars

Godzilla

While the first 2/3 are boring and spend too much time "developing the story" it picks up  by the 3rd act.
Last year's Pacific Rim was a fun entertaining experience, and this is no different. Something very rare happened at my screening. Everyone was cheering. The only other time that's happened was at the "Doctor Who" 50th anniversary movie. The beginning is slow, but by the end of the film, so much awesome stuff has happened that it's forgivable. This film is not cheesy like the originals. It's incredibly well done and I wouldn't be surprised if we got a Pacific Rim/Godzilla crossover. (Make it happen Warner Brothers!) This is a very exciting, fun movie. There are a couple of jump scares however, so if that's not your thing, rent it. For the rest of you however, I highly recommend seeing it in the theater. Just like Pacific Rim, it's a BIG movie, that you have to see on a giant screen. The acting in the movie is somewhat flat, but if you're in it for the monster mayhem, it's easy to forget about the average acting. There are a few unneccessary conversations that drag the plot out, but by the time Godzilla appears, all is forgiven. It's a big monster showdown movie that's incredibly awesome. In summary, Godzilla is a fun time at the movies.
Grade: A-   9/10, 4/5 stars

The Amazing Spider-man 2

The summer movie season is off to an "amazing" start. (Pardon the pun) This is to the Spider-man franchise, what "The Dark Knight" was to the Batman franchise. It's that good! As always, Spider-man's witty banter with the villains is clever. There's also foreshadowing very early in the film that pays off at the end of the film. This movie proves that the people on IMDB have no idea what they're talking about. I really don't understand all the hate against this movie. I know that I always put the "One does not simply leave a Marvel movie before the end of the credits" meme, but this is an exception. All that's there is a clip from X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is pointless, since people are just going to see that clip with the actual film anyway. This movie is a fun thrill ride for all ages. 

Grade: A+ 10/10 5/5 stars

Walking with Dinosaurs

Remember in 2000 when Disney released that fun movie "Dinosaur." Well if Netflix had been around during that time this movie would have been streaming as the knock-off version of it. If you've seen "Dinosaur," you've seen this. Replace whatever dinosaur Aladar was with a Triceratops and this is what you get. The whole movie was an excuse for a bunch of "in-your-face" 3D gimmicks, which are pointless if, like me, you did not watch it in 3D. The plot is thin and the film does not stay true to the TV show. If you're looking for facts about dinosaurs, look somewhere else. This is a watered-down film that insults everyone's intelligence. No idea why this was made. 

Grade: D   4/10  1/5 stars.