July at a Glance

So July is here, for all purposes I care about, and we've got a strong line-up of movies to talk about.

Starting the month off is Hancock... the NC-17 to PG-13 rated flick that's torn so much from its story to achieve summer action/comedy status that if an Unrated cut were to ever be released you'd be in for a truly jaw dropping experience. Now I've ranted about what's been removed in the past (the underaged sex scene, boozing-up a kid, super hero splooge) and acknowledged the fact that it doesn't impact the movie too much, but still slaps around the theme they were shooting for. The movie was written as a dark action/comedy... worthy of the R rating for content. Whatever though. The reviews are already pouring in that its a bust and they should have just taken their chances with the R release. Nothing else needs to be said here.

Next we have Hellboy II. If you haven't seen the first, do yourself a favor and check it out. Its not the best movie ever but its pretty fun and entertaining to an extent. Now the reason I'm advising that you see a mildly entertaining movie that barely made its budget back at all is because, behind this flick, you have a Firefly-like force of a fanbase that's pushed to have this movie delivered... and the genius that is Guillermo Del Toro has delivered what is being considered a new age "Star Wars". The movie shoots high and hits its mark. This movie... along with one I'll mention shortly, is being paraded as what happens with you give the right director the right script with the right cast and the right vision... basically that once in a lifetime moment where stars align and you're presented something quite brilliant.

Journey to the Center of the Earth... I'll just skip over this. Not much to say, really.

Next is "The Dark Knight". The verdicts are in and the movie not only lives up to its immense hype, but it surpasses. It captivating, moving, and thrilling to the end. The film is a perfect example of modern movie art, a new Godfather II or Empire Strikes Back for the new millennium. The movie presents a "genre-altering event" for the industry, a new standard by which to design to. Nolan (the director) is making this movie knowing what his fans expect, knowing that he needs near perfection to satisfy, knowing in post and editing that he also has the death of a star riding on his film... and he pulls off the inconceivable.

Lastly, we've got the new X-Files movie. I haven't heard anything about it other than it's a tribute to the fans... so that being said, probably worth checking out.

Oh, right, and then there's Step Brothers... It'll probably be amusing as fuck. A refreshing return to a real comedy for Will Ferrell and John C Reily.