"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.

Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012)

Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for another trilogy based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, starting with An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of The Hobbit. Like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I have not read the original source material, so I went into the screening with no real expectations and without feeling the urge to compare the book with the movie, which I think is an advantage. While I admit that I have not watched The Lord of the Rings films since their theatrical debuts, I found The Hobbit to be more enjoyable overall.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens with an older Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) putting pen to paper in an effort to share a great adventure with his nephew, Frodo (Elijah Wood). The film then time travels back six decades, where the younger Bilbo (a perfectly cast Martin Freeman) is visited by Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen), who tricks Bilbo into hosting a dinner for thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin (Richard Armitage). The ever persistent and, yes, manipulative Gandalf sees something in Bilbo that leads him to believe that he can help the Dwarves succeed in their mission to take back their former home, Lonely Mountain, which was usurped by Smaug the dragon.

Although initially reluctant, Bilbo agrees to aid the Dwarves, but is soon faced with unimaginable threats from a variety of nefarious foes, including Trolls, Orcs, Goblins and Stone Giants. Each encounter seems more harrowing than the last and tests the mettle of the group who bond in unexpected ways. Even though Bilbo was sought out for this mission, he must prove himself to Thorin, who believes that Bilbo is a weak link and will cut and run when the journey becomes too difficult. To his credit, Bilbo hangs tough with the Dwarves and soon discovers that he may possess abilities that were unknown to him until now. Indeed, he may serve a higher purpose in life than he originally imagined.

Bilbo is repeatedly challenged and almost loses his life in the Misty Mountains when the Stone Giants collide. Soon thereafter, the group is captured by Goblins, but Bilbo manages to get away, only to encounter Gollum (Andy Serkis). Bilbo is frightened by the little creature, but uses his intellect in a guessing game that he hopes will save his life. Bilbo also finds a mysterious ring that Gollum loses while moving his prey, which soon becomes essential to his survival. Later, when the Orcs catch up with the Dwarves, Bilbo appears in time to be tested once again, as Thorin and Orc leader Azog, who are old and bitter enemies, have a brutal encounter, which places everyone in danger and leads into the pulse pounding final act. 

The New Zealand scenery once again provides an ethereal and appropriate backdrop for Middle Earth and the breathtaking cinematography provides an essential element to the success of this film. The special effects are also outstanding, as the various creatures come to life in realistic fashion throughout the epic film, which boasts a run time bordering on three hours. Peter Jackson, who serves as director and co-writer, has done a great job in assembling a terrific cast, many of whom reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings films. In addition to the aforementioned Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen, other returning cast members include Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Hugo Weaving (Elrond) and Christopher Lee (Saruman the White), who all add an essential element of continuity to the film. Among the newcomers, I was most impressed with the performance by Richard Armitage, as Thorin, and I was pleased to see Aidan Turner, who did exceptional work on the British television series Being Human, as Kili, a member of the Dwarves.
Finally, the outstanding score, by Howard Shore, has a Celtic and sometimes otherworldly feel to it and singer Neil Finn's "Song of the Lonely Mountain," is appropriate and heartfelt.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was an epic achievement in filmmaking and received much critical acclaim and won countless awards. I am now eager to watch those films again. However, I became more attached to the characters in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and I found the editing to be better than I remember from the previous trilogy. Perhaps most important is my great anticipation for the next installment, The Desolation of Smaug, which will be released later this year. Overall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a thoroughly entertaining and exceptional effort.