"X-Men: Days of Future Past" (Excuse Me While I Geek Out)

Deep breath......I must have been living under a rock for the past few weeks. Thankfully, the teaser at the end of The Wolverine brought me up to speed on the upcoming X-Men film that is scheduled to open next summer. I knew that a sequel to X-Men: First Class was coming, but I did not know that the film would feature characters from the previous X-Men franchise as well as those from First Class. X-Men: Days of Future Past is based on an X-Men comic book story from the early 1980s by the phenomenal Chris Claremont and John Byrne and will serve as a sequel to both X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: First Class. The film will be directed by Bryan Singer, who has not helmed an X-Men movie since X2 in 2003.

I consider the upcoming film to be the best of both worlds because it features many of my favorite actors who will be reprising their roles from previous films. For instance:

James McAvoy (as the young Professor X)- The underrated and underemployed actor has built a stunning resume that includes outstanding performances in the award winning films The Last King of Scotland and Atonement.

Ian McKellen (as the older Magneto) - Fanboys love him for his work in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as the previous X-Men films. I appreciate his work is all of those projects, but his finest performance was his turn as the late director James Whale (Frankenstein) in Gods and Monsters, which is one of my all-time favorite films that I watch at least a couple of times each year.

Nicholas Hoult (as Hank McCoy/Beast) - One of the best young actors in the movie industry today, Hoult initially won me over as Tony Stonem in the British television series Skins and then went on to deliver strong work in the films A Single Man and Warm Bodies.

Patrick Stewart (as the older Professor X) - Stewart is probably best remembered for his work as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he showed considerable range in the 1995 comedy Jeffrey as a gay man who was a member of the "Pink Panthers." Of course, Stewart was born to play Professor X  - his resemblance to the character is striking.

Jennifer Lawrence - The superbly talented young Oscar winner continues to amaze and delight. From her turn in Winter's Bone to Katniss in The Hunger Games to her incredible work in Silver Linings Playbook, Lawrence has already cemented herself in movie history and seems to get better with each performance.

Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake/Iceman) - The Following actor gets another well deserved movie role, which will hopefully translate to more projects in the future.

Evan Peters (Quicksilver) - Peters has delivered impressive work in the first two seasons of American Horror Story and has earned the chance to showcase his talents on the big screen.

In addition, X-Men: Days of Future Past will feature Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Storm), Anna Paquin (Rogue) and Michael Fassbender (young Magneto), as well as Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), Peter Dinklage (Bolivar Trask) and Adam Canto (Sunspot), who appeared with Shawn Ashmore in The Following.

Needless to say, I cannot wait to see X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Hugh Jackman is "The Wolverine"

Hugh Jackman has portrayed Wolverine on screen six times over the past 13 years and is still believable, especially from a physical standpoint, as the tough as nails mutant. Jackman is, without question, the most popular actor to emerge from the X-Men films and if he can maintain his physical prowess, he could portray Logan/Wolverine for many years to come. Jackman headlines his second film as the titular character in the recently released The Wolverine, which is based on the 1982 Wolverine limited series by comic book legends Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.

The Wolverine finds Logan struggling with the loss of Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen), his former lover who he had to kill in X-Men: The Last Stand. He has isolated himself in the Yukon, but is tracked down by a young mutant, Yukio (Rila Fukushima), who possesses the ability to foresee other people's deaths. Yukio came in search of Logan on behalf of Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), Logan's old friend who is dying (Logan and Yashida's backstory is told via flashbacks throughout the film). Logan reluctantly agrees to accompany the young woman to Japan.

Yashida feels indebted to Logan and offers him the chance to become mortal once again in exchange for his mutant powers, which will be transferred into Yashida's body in an attempt to save his life. Logan refuses, but struggles with wanting to be "normal" again, and the old man dies shortly thereafter. His death eventually sets up a power struggle within the family between Yashida's son, Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada), and his granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto). Soon thereafter, the Japanese mob, Yakuza, attempt to kidnap Mariko, who is saved by Logan and an inevitable romance begins to blossom between them. However, after being shot, Logan realizes that his healing power is not working as quickly as it should. As a result, he understands that what he thought was a dream featuring Yashida's doctor actually occurred and the young woman, known as the mutant Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), placed something inside Logan's body which is now inhibiting his powers.

In addition to Logan's reduced mutant abilities, he continues to be burdened by nightmares of Jean and finds himself in the middle of a family feud, which results in mistrust. Furthermore, the Yakuza are not far away and a large electromagnetic suit of Japanese armor, known as the Silver Samurai, is being built to do battle with Wolverine. With the odds stacked against him and not knowing who to trust, Logan is challenged like never before.

I generally like the talkative sequences in superhero films more than the action sequences and the first part of The Wolverine features many such scenes. So, I should have been pleased, but I was not. The low key tone of the majority of the first half of the film felt boring and was, at times, poorly edited. However, the action sequence aboard the bullet train was terrific. In addition, the second half of the film is an improvement over the first half and is loaded with action, especially during the extended final act. Jackman delivers another solid performances as the beloved Wolverine, complete with a ruthless demeanor towards his enemies which is juxtaposed with just the right amount of sarcastic humor.

The Wolverine is a better film than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but it still does not live up to the potential of the iconic character or the talent of Hugh Jackman, who has proven himself to be one of the most versatile actors in the movie industry. The source material is rich, but does not translate as well on screen for some reason. Perhaps the behind the scenes changes with screenwriters and directors are to blame, with the lack of cohesion serving to diminish the overall product. In any event, I would bet on another feature film starring Wolverine, with Hugh Jackman leading the way. Maybe the third time will be the charm.

For those who have not yet seen The Wolverine, make sure you stay for the credits, which feature a great teaser for X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Director: James Mangold
Screenplay: Mark Bomback and Scott Frank

Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne Shine in "Les Misérables"

Musicals are my least favorite movie genre and since I had never seen the Broadway production of Les Misérables, my interest in seeing the movie adaptation was minimal. However, after the film was nominated for countless awards, I had to see what all the fuss was about. While Les Misérables has not changed my mind about musicals, the film is well worth seeing, if only for the performances by talented cast, including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne.

The principal story is set in early nineteenth century France and centers around Jean Valjean (Jackman) a good natured man who spent many years in prison for a petty theft. After receiving parole, he starts a new life with a new identity, but the demons from his past, one in the form of prison guard Jarvert (Russell Crowe), continue to haunt him. Since his parole, Valjean has become a successful businessman and is a model citizen. He cannot bear to see injustice prevail and, as a result, he becomes involved in the life of a former employee, Fantine (Hathway), who is trying to earn enough money to support her illegitimate daughter, Cosette, who is being cared for by a dubious couple. Valjean promises to help Fantine and Cosette, but a serious illness soon takes Fantine's life. Undeterred, the wealthy Valjean finds Cosette and becomes a father figure throughout her life and provides for her every need.

The forever vigilant Valjean runs into Javert on several occasions, thus forcing him and Cosette to move from place to place to maintain their freedom. As the young woman becomes an adult, love beckons in the form of an idealistic student, Marius Pontmercy (Eddie Redmayne), but the road to love and happiness is a long and difficult one. Making matters more troubling is the beginning of a revolt against the French government, which finds Marius heavily involved with the violent uprising. However, Valjean intervenes once again to do what is best for Cosette because he understands that the two youngsters are very much in love and have been needlessly kept apart. His continued sacrifice is admirable and he is determined to keep his promise to Fantine. 

Director Tom Hooper has assembled a terrific cast and elicits strong performances from many of them. While Anne Hathaway has received a great deal of attention for her work as the doomed Fantine, Hugh Jackman and Eddie Redmayne are also spectacular. I was aware of Jackman's acting range, but he managed to surprise me anyway with his aching, believable and physically impressive portrayal of Jean Valjean, which may be his best work to date. In addition, Eddie Redmayne, who has toiled in Independent films for some time, may finally break out with his emotionally layered performance as Marius. Redmayne possesses strong vocal skills and displays solid chemistry with Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). Of course, it is Hathaway who belts out "I Dreamed a Dream" and she also makes the most of the small amount of screen time that she is given. Her performance is deeply moving, tragic and unforgettable.The very serious and often depressing subject matter is, thankfully, offset when Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen appear as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier, respectively. Their thin veneers cannot hide the fact that they are scoundrels who only look out for themselves, but the comic relief they provide is necessary and appreciated.

Of course, it is the music that is the center of film's success and, for the most part, it works wonderfully. I suppose I was not prepared for how much singing was involved throughout the film, but it did not take long to adjust. To his credit, Tom Hooper keeps the film moving along, but I did feel that it ran a bit long. For instance, the scenes featuring Javert and Valjean felt all too familiar after a while, with the same general outcome, until late in the film, when two events change the course of Javert's life forever. On the other hand, Hooper's attention to detail with the technical aspects of the film, including costume design, set design and make-up, is sensational. 

I largely credit Hugh Jackman with my overall positive opinion of Les Misérables. He is simply outstanding from start to finish by delivering a multi-layered performance and showcasing his considerable and varied talents. I doubt that there is anything Jackman cannot do well and if he is regularly cast in movie musicals I may be more inclined to see them in the future. The thing that surprised me the most about Les Misérables is the hopeful, even positive vibe that I felt as it concluded. With subject matter this dark, I am not sure how it is possible not to feel depressed or sad, but I did not. I guess that is the magic of film making.

New in Theaters: "Rise of the Guardians" Will Make You Believe

Photo Credit: DreamWorks

Like the Josh Groban song from The Polar Express, anything is possible if you just Believe. Indeed, belief is the key to the story in the new animated film Rise of the Guardians, which features Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, Jack Frost and even the Boogeyman! As children, we may or may not have believed in the aforementioned and well known legends, many of whom are known as the Guardians in the new film, which is based on William Joyce's book The Guardians of Childhood. Even though the Guardians are alive and well, a renewed threat from the an old nemesis, Pitch Black (the Boogeyman), threatens their existence.

Pitch Black (Jude Law) wants to stop children from believing in their childhood idols and hopes to snuff out all belief on Earth, which is displayed on Santa's huge globe. Pitch begins by dispatching the Sandman, also known as Sandy, who does not speak, but wields immense power. Once Sandy is gone, it is up to Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy to avenge him and halt the plan hatched by Pitch Black. With help from the Man in the Moon, the Guardians suspect that young Jack Frost may be able to join their ranks, but Jack is not so sure. He is frustrated that no one believes in him and that he cannot be seen by others when he wants to play and have a good time. Jack enjoys starting snowball fights between children and also saves them from injury from time to time, but he never gets any credit. On the other hand, the Guardians can be seen because children believe in them, but their time may be ending if Pitch Black's plan comes to fruition.

Jack is unable to remember his early life, but Pitch Black apparently does. He also understands that Jack may be powerful enough to be a Guardian, so he lures him away from the others by kidnapping one of the Tooth Fairy's little helpers. Pitch tricks Jack and then proceeds to break his staff, which is the source of his power. Having defeated two Guardians, Pitch's plan is set in motion.

Rise of the Guardians features unconventional representations of the aforementioned characters. For instance, Santa Claus (Alex Baldwin) displays a Russian accent, a kick-ass attitude and is a wild sleigh rider. In addition, the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), sports an Australian accent and is also a no-nonsense tough guy, but does not possess the diplomacy of Santa, who appears to be the group leader. Then there is the lovable and beguiling Sandy, who uses images made out of sand to communicate with the others. He is, perhaps, the most powerful Guardian, but since he falls asleep on the job, he is not the best choice to be the leader.

I always imagined the Tooth Fairy to be a male, but the female version depicted here works well, thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of Isla Fisher. Tooth appears to be constantly happy and proves to be a good caretaker for her mini-fairies, who are threatened by Pitch. Rounding out the Guardians is, of course, their potential newest member, Jack Frost (Chris Pine), whose youth seems out of character, but his back story explains a great deal. Jack's journey is the centerpiece of the film and conveys the message that it is amazing what someone can do when he/she is surrounded by people who believe in him/her.

The adapted screenplay, by David Lindsay-Abaire, is targeted to the younger demographic, although the sometimes dark subject matter and the limited violence may be too disturbing for some children. Of course, older viewers are likely to be familiar with all of the Guardians from their own childhood, in one form or another. In addition, the animation is beautifully presented and the 3D technology does add some enjoyment to the film, but is not essential to fully appreciate the effort put forth here.

I was surprised that the film is set during springtime, since Santa Claus and Jack Frost may remind viewers of the winter months and the holiday season is now upon us. Perhaps the filmmakers, including director Peter Ramsey, wanted to shine a light on the underrated Easter Bunny, whose land of mini-eggs is showcased and will surely make viewers smile. In any event, Rise of the Guardians is a wonderful family film that has cross generational appeal and may make choosing a holiday movie that everyone can enjoy a little easier this year.