300 by Zack Snyder, 2007 (R)

300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. In a conflict pitting the ancient Greeks against the Persians in 480 B.C., Spartan King Leonidas leads his small band of 300 soldiers against an army of more than 1 million during the Battle of Thermopylae.

A little later than Sin City, they came up with this very cool epic movie, in color this time, but that would precede a whole series of stylized film, with amazing choreography, special effect, cinematography, in a very comic book style. Of course, most of it is completely surreal, but Gerard Butler holds it so it keeps the story going, as the action unfolds. 

with Gerard Butler (Playing for keeps, How to train your dragon), Lena Headey (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, The man with rain in his shoes, Game of Thrones), Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, Trance, Prometheus, Haywire, A Dangerous Method, Shame, X-Men: First Class, Fish Tank), Tom Wisdom, Andrew Pleavin, Andrew Tiernan, Rodrigo Santoro (I Love You Phillip Morris, Love Actually), Stephen McHattie (Immortals), Alex Ivanovici
From the director of Man of Steel followed by 300: Rise of an Empire

watch trailer:

X-Men: First Class by Matthew Vaughn, 2011 (PG-13)

with James McAvoy (The Conspirator), Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, Haywire, A Dangerous Method, Shame), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook), Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), January Jones (Bandits), Jason Flemyng (Hanna), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man, About a Boy), Kevin Bacon (Crazy Stupid Love), Zoë Kravitz

In this exciting prequel to the X-Men series, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr -- the future Professor X and Magneto -- are best friends dedicated to harnessing their powers and promoting the education of fellow mutants during the turbulent 1960s.

I am a big fan of X-men, I remember reading them (the original Marvel slim booklets) back in the 90's (yes I am young, would have read them before if it were a matter of being born earlier), I actually remember very well, we were at this summer camp, we just finished watching Hitchcock's "The Birds" in a room with the shutters closed, went outside and kind of freaked out about all the birds flying around. To change my mind, I started reading the comic books that one of the youth leader had brought. Anyway, I really enjoyed the movie trilogy that came out in the 2000's, and was curious about the "beginning" of the x-men. The casting is really impressive, the story ok, it gives some explanations on why professor Xavier is in a wheelchair and his best friend his enemy, a look at the young Raven/Mystique, the transformation of Beast. Nothing too inspiring, but fun to watch...

watch trailer:

Captain America: The First Avenger by Joe Johnston, 2011 (R)

with Chris Evans (Avengers, Puncture), Hugo Weaving (Cloud Atlas, The Matrix), Natalie Dormer (Casanova), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games, Captain America: The First Avenger, Julie and Julia, Margin Call), Dominic Cooper (An Education), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln, Hope Springs, Men In Black 1, 2, 3), Hayley Atwell, Richard Armitage, Sebastian Stan

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes -- and his sidekick, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) -- Steve battles the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Ok the summary is not very elaborated, but perhaps because it is as simplistic as that. The story is very straight forward, starting with a good weak guy who is transformed into a very powerful handsome guy who doesn't forget his values. He falls in love with a strong woman, but will never get to be with her. He fight with a lot of friends, because he is the good guy that everyone wants to follow, and against the big bad guy who happens to have the same powers as him. They incorporated some Norwegian myth of the tree of life and the Casket of Ancient Winters, which are probably only there to give depth to a flat story. The only fun thing is the cinematography, portraying New York and America of the 40's.

Watch Trailer:

Constantine by Francis Lawrence, 2005 (R)

With Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, The Matrix Revolutions), Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea, The Whisleblower, The Bourne Legacy, 360, Dream House, Agora), Shia LaBeouf (Nymphomaniac, Lawless, The Company You Keep), Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Simone, Beautiful Creatures), Gavin Rossdale, Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Michael Clayton, I am Love), Peter Stormare (Chocolat)

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night -- an unconventional quirk that makes him somewhat of an eccentric personality in a world ruled largely by logic. When a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide, she wants definitive proof of the cause of death. But the answers might only come with blind faith.

Another theory about how good and evil function and play with us on earth. Funnily the two movies, "Constantine" and the one reviewed previously "Sin Noticias De Dios", are very close in some aspect, such as the connection on earth through messengers on the paradise and hell, and the invasion of earth by any of the party. I like the inventiveness that the movie has on how they manifest. Also, I believe I watched this movie because I was curious on Keanu Reeves new role after the Matrix, and discovered (fell in love with) Rachel Weisz. The relationship between the two is funny and at the same time really works. I believe that after that, Rachel Weisz always had this roles of women charmful and a little nuts somehow, powerful and with beautiful souls. Ok, my mistake, I probably saw this movie after About a boy and was already madly in love with her... Anyway, its a good movie, and the intervention of Tilda Swinton at the end is making it an apotheosis.

watch trailer: