The Dark Knight Trilogy

They finally got it right. As a lifelong fan of the Batman comic books, I was excited when I heard indie director Christopher Nolan (the fantastic “Memento”) and indie actor (at the time) Christian Bale were teaming up to bring the Caped Crusader back to the big screen. My high expectations were fully met with the taut, intense and hypnotic Batman Begins – the re-boot Gotham needed and deserved. They even stepped it up a notch with the second act, The Dark Knight – which ranks up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back and Jaws as one of the all-time best of the summer blockbusters. Sure, the trilogy stumbled a bit towards the end… but they still went out with a bang (literally). Thanks for taking the nipples off the bat suit and giving back some dignity to The Dark Knight. 

Batman Begins: 3.5

The Dark Knight: 4

The Dark Knight Rises:3

"The Wolverine" 2 (out of 4)

The Wolverine is certainly an improvement over the horrible Origins train wreck. But I still wasn’t blown away by it. Plot holes – is he healing or not? What about the wounds on his hands when the claws come out? It was made pretty clear that these claws come from under his skin - and cause him a great deal of pain whenever they come out, as he tells Rogue in the first movie. Hugh Jackman is fantastic as always… even though he’s a full foot taller than the character in the comic book. And kudos for following the Frank Miller Japan story! 

The Wolverine: 2.0

X-men: First Class: 3.0

X-men Origins: Wolverine: 1

X-men 3: The Last Stand: 1

X2: X-men United: 3.5 (this one really stands out as the gem of the series)

X-men: 3.0

"Man of Steel": 2.5 (out of 4)

A father from the heavens sends his only son to Earth to save us all. Hmm... where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, Superman. "Man of Steel" - Dizzying with plot holes so big you could fly General Zod's ship though them. And minus the whimsy of the Reeve flicks (the first two, at least). But who cares? It's still good to see Supes back on the big screen, where he belongs. Let's hope the sequel is better! Hear that, Affleck? Kevin's review: 2.5 (out of 4)

"The World's End": 3 (out of 4)

It's always a pleasure seeing Simon Pegg and Nick Frost hamming it up together, even if they’ve lost a step since “Shaun of the Dead”. Bad way to deal with the very serious subject of alcoholism, especially when being drunk and belligerent is what ultimately saves the world: 3 (out of 4)

Rounding out the “Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy” (even though I missed the cornetto in this one):

 “Hot Fuzz” 3.5

“Shaun of the Dead”: 4  (movies simply don't get any better)