Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America has his time in the spotlight in this latest "Avengers" set-up movie. While not as good as "Thor" (the other "Avengers" prequel to come out this year) this World War II era superhero flick has its compelling elements. The overall look of the film has kind of a dream-like haze to it that makes it feel old and authentic and the special effects (especially those making the title character look sickly thin at the beginning of the movie) are very impressive. Ultimately, however, "Captain America" dosen't offer anything particularly special in terms of story and will probably be largely forgotten in the annals of superhero movie history.

Bryce **1/2
Chase **1/2
Landon **1/2
Logan ***

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Now this is how you do a reboot. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" revamps the classic movie franchise with equal parts brain, brawn, and heart. Andy Serkis again shows why he's the king of motion capture acting with a performance that rivals his turn as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" films. His character Caesar is what really takes this movie to the next level. He's quite possibly the most believable and compelling CGI character ever created (that includes "Avatar") and he really steels the show. The movie can be a bit campy at times, but the overall picture is pretty stellar. This is a thoroughly enjoyable summer blockbuster.

Bryce ***1/2

Chase ***1/2

Landon ***1/2

Logan ***1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Rango

It really is no secret at this point: critics tend to overrate animated movies. It's incomprehensible that they feel the need to give the likes of "Despicable Me" and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" a pass for their shortcomings but they do. "Rango" is just the latest in this long line of mediocre and critically overrated animated fare. Despite it's incredible visuals, "Rango" starts off slow and never really gets into a rhythm. The characters are bizarre and difficult to embrace and the dialoge isn't nearly as clever as the filmmakers think it is. You're better off spending your time and money elsewhere.

Bryce **
Chase **
Landon **
Logan **

BANGERANG SCORE: **

Source Code

The previews for "Source Code" made the premise of the movie look extremely far-fetched. The question is, was the actual film able to make its ridiculous concept believable. The short answer: it didn't. That's not to say this is a bad movie. It's really not. The actors here do a fine job and some of the special effects are incredible. However, the film ultimately can't escape from or adequately explain away its premise. I also felt that the backstory of the main character could've used a heck of a lot more focus. You could do worse, but this definitely isn't on par with some of the more thought-provoking films in the action/sci-fi genre.

Bryce **1/2
Chase **1/2
Landon **1/2 

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Kung Fu Panda 2

Unlike the first "Kung Fu Panda," this second installment has some high expectations behind coming on the heals of the tremendously funny original. This is essentially a repeat of the "Shrek" franchise - the original was fresh and effortlessly funny while the sequel tries too hard to mimic the first and only works some of the time. When it does work it is really good and much better than the majority of family comedies out there. The added depth to Po's backstory is a welcome addition but doesn't quite elevate the film to the original's lofty standards. Comparison to the first movie aside, this is a very good animated film and gets a recommendation.

Bryce **1/2
Chase ***
Landon ***
Logan ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Best of 2010

It's that time again. The year that was 2010 has come and gone which leaves us here at Bangerang Movies with the unenviable task of identifying the year's best. This was a much better year overall than 2009 and we're excited to count down our favorites. We've decided to combine our lists and add some slick trailers to spice it up a bit. Enjoy!


5. How to Train Your Dragon


While most of the love in the animated realm went to "Toy Story 3" this year, "How to Train Your Dragon" was pretty darn close to beating it.  The visuals are jaw-dropping, it has a good sense of humor, and the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is as moving as any you'll ever see.  The guys at Dreamworks have given Pixar a run for their money.

4. Toy Story 3


Leave it to Pixar to up the ante.  The first two "Toy Story" movies were some of the best in the history of animation and "Toy Story 3" is right there with them.  It's just as funny and clever as the previous installments but this final chapter has a deeper emotional core.  This is the best animated movie of the year.

3. Inception

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors in the business and his excellence is on display in "Inception."  Apart from the amazing special effects and thrilling action scenes, what really makes his latest effort shine is it's engaging screenplay, which will surely spark discussion among film fans for years to come.  Nolan has outdone himself.

2. The King's Speech


This movie is a huge contender in many circles when it comes to the best picture of the year, and it is not hard to see why.  "The King's Speech" is a flat-out fantastic movie from beginning to end.  It's humorous, compelling, and features characters that really draw you into the story.  Putting this near the top of our list was a no-brainer.

1. The Social Network

Surprised?  Neither are we.  "The Social Network" is a complete work of art.  When you combine incredible performances (especially from Eisenberg and Garfield), an excellent screenplay, surprisingly stellar music, and a compelling business story about the rise of one of the biggest companies in the world, you get what we chose as the best movie of 2010.  Amazing stuff.

True Grit

The Dude takes over for the Duke in this remake of the John Wayne classic of the same name. The Coen brothers bring their usual razor sharp wit to this classic story about an old marshal who sets out to help a young girl find her father's killer. The performances are fantastic (especially by Bridges as the iconic Rooster Cogburn) and really sell the sometimes dizzying dialogue. This is a welcome foray into the style and feel of the classic westerns Hollywood used to make. The disappointingly brief ending is the only thing keeping this from "classic" status.

Bryce ***
Chase ***
Landon ***
Logan ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The King's Speech

After an all-time great summer of terrific movies, "The King's Speech" closes out the movie year that is 2010 in compelling fashion. Colin Firth is incredible as a man with a speech impediment who unexpectedly finds himself on the throne of Britain in the face of World War II. With the help of his speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush in an underrated performance) he must find a way to overcome his stammering in order to rally the country and become a strong leader. This is an entertaining and insightful film that absolutely deserves all the praise it has received. "The King's Speech" is a great film.

Bryce ***1/2
Chase ***1/2
Landon ****
Logan ****

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Unstoppable

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine star in Tony Scott's latest movie based on a real life incident of a runaway freight train and two men attempting to stop it.  It seems to hit the technical chords just right.  It's shot with some great cinematography and cool special effects.  Needless to say, the film looks very impressive and is very entertaining.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said about our lead characters.  Washington and Pine are extremely talented actors, but the script focuses too much on the train and not enough on these characters that need to be developed for the audience to care about the situation.  The stakes would've been much higher and would've made the viewing experience much more engaging.  As it is though, it's entertaining movie with a cool premise that ultimately could have been more.

Bryce **1/2
Chase ***
Landon **1/2
Logan ***

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Tron Legacy

For anyone who has seen the previews for this long-awaited sequel, know this little nugget of truth going into this film - the trailers are about as good as the actual movie. That's good in a way. The teasers sport incredible visual effects and a pulse-pounding score that ooze creativity and intrigue. Unfortunately, the actual movie does those amazing aesthetics a disservice with flat characters and even flatter dialogue. The fact that the final score of the finished product is as high as it is really speaks to how cool the bells and whistles actually are. "Tron Legacy" is worth catching on TV late at night, but is worth little more.

Bryce **

BANGERANG SCORE: **

The Social Network

Wow. Who would've thought that a movie about something as trivial as Facebook could be so totally engrossing and unforgettable? Yet here we are. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin have delivered a compelling entrepreneurial story that digs deep into the mind of Facebook's founder and the controversy surrounding the site's climb to global dominance. It has great performances all around and some of the smartest, snappiest dialogue you'll ever find. The story and characters grab you from the very first scene and completely own your attention until the credits roll. That is a very difficult feat for any film to accomplish but "The Social Network" accomplishes it effortlessly. It unfortunately has a few unnecessarily graphic scenes of partying and promiscuity, but if you can get past that, it's awesome. This is the best film of the year so far and an instant classic.

Bryce ****
Chase ****
Landon ****
Logan ****

BANGERANG SCORE: ****