The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Much of what made "The Amazing Spider-Man" a little underwhelming (retelling Spidey's origin story) is now out of the way with this sequel from director Marc Webb.  Andrew Garfield is the best Spider-Man we've seen, nailing all of the web-slinger's mannerisms along with his signature sarcasm.  His chemistry with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey is even more endearing and believable this time around which makes it easy to invest in their characters and relationship.  Unfortunately, the script is over-stuffed with characters and subplots which bog down the narrative flow of the film and distract from the really compelling elements.  Regardless, this is a funny, exciting, and at times heart-breaking take on the Spider-Man mythos and is worth a look.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

In 2011, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" rose from among the endless sea of reboots and retreads to deliver a fresh take on the source material and became one of our favorite films of that year.  Does this sequel live up to the lofty standard set by its predecessor?  Yes!  So much yes!  "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" gives us yet another fascinating look into the story of Caesar and his role as the leader of a highly intelligent group of apes, this time after disease has obliterated the majority of the world's human population.  Andy Serkis is incredible again in the lead role, turning in another spell-binding motion-capture performance and should yet again receive Oscar buzz for his ground-breaking work.  The story takes some refreshingly unexpected turns and asks some pretty profound questions about tolerance and leadership, all with some of the most impressive CGI ever created.  This is one of the finest films of the year.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Hiccup and Toothless are back in this sequel to the spectacular "How to Train Your Dragon."  While not quite as good or fresh, it retains almost every element that made the original so good.  The protagonists are still as great as ever, the animation is jaw-dropping and there are some legitimately emotional moments.  However, this follow-up suffers from some of the same problems that the other Dreamworks sequels have had in the past.  The filmmakers tend to work harder for laughs by overworking the same jokes that aren't very funny in the first place.  If you get past that, you'll find a worthy sequel that's highly entertaining and fairly engrossing.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Lego Movie

"The Lego Movie" is one of those experiences that is tailor-made for a certain demographic.  In this case, pre-teen boys with very short attention spans.  The pace and dialogue in this movie are so erratic it'll make your head spin.  That's not entirely a bad thing however.  The jokes may be rapid-fire, but more than a few of them stick.  The animation is phenomenal, convincingly selling the illusion that all of the effects were done with actual legos.  This is a sometimes really funny, sometimes really annoying and always visually impressive animated film that may be worth a look if you can handle it's zany style.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer is back in the director's chair in this latest entry in the "X-Men" series which acts as a sequel to both 2011's "First Class" and the original films.  The series definitely took a down-turn when Singer left the franchise and he certainly does not disappoint in his return.  "X-Men: Days of Future Past" just might be the best film of the bunch.  This mutant saga has always been one of the most thought-provoking superhero properties out there and this film carries on that tradition in fine form.  Relatable characters and real-life parallels are woven throughout this unique story, this time with a time-travel element thrown in the mix.  The returning actors are all fantastic in their signature roles and really take the story and the drama to the next level.  If you're a fan of the franchise or the genre at all, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

Godzilla

Much like last year's "Man of Steel," the latest iteration of the "Godzilla" franchise is high on beautiful and haunting imagery and low on story and character development.  Director Gareth Edwards definitely knows how to stage an epic city-stomping sequence.  His vision of the famous Japanese monster is exciting and, at times, awe-inspiring.  Unfortunately, the humans in the film are as dull as any you'll see in the genre.  The film hits its emotional high point in the first scene and steadily goes down hill from there.  Despite the convincing nature of the visuals, the people never really act like real people would if giant monsters were terrorizing humanity, and therefore take the edge off the whole experience.  This is possibly worthy of a look for the visuals alone, just don't expect much beyond that.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America makes a triumphant return in his second stand-alone title, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."  Unlike the first film which felt like little more than a lead up to "The Avengers," this sequel does a much better job of standing on its own two feet.  Steve Rodgers is as likable as ever and the plot is surprisingly interesting and, for the most part, works rather well.  But it's the action sequences that really steal the show.  Each fight is well choreographed and incredibly fun to watch.  However, at this point in the game, it's apparent that Marvel is lurking in dangerous waters by releasing seemingly countless "Avengers" tie-ins.  They're going to have to change their strategy fast if they want to keep their audience interested and grounded.  But in the meantime, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a worthy and entertaining addition to their superhero saga.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***