Frenetic Insanity On Full Display In MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Director: George Miller

Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman, Zoe Kravitz.

Rated R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images.

Guarantee: you won't find a more insane thrill ride at the movies this year. Maybe I'm being presumptuous, but I feel comfortable in my declaration. Director George Miller returns to the action franchise that put him on the map more than 30 years ago, and what he delivers is a pure adrenaline rush with chaotic stunts and thrilling visuals.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Delivers The Expected Marvel Fun.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Director: Joss Whedon

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, and James Spader. 

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments.

The highly anticipated followup to the enormously successful Avengers is finally in theaters. Marvel is known for delivering an enormous amount of fun with its cinematic universe films, and I'm happy to report that Avengers: Age of Ultron is no exception to that standard, even if it may not match the first Avengers.

Top 10 Things I'm Excited For In STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Teaser 2

So the nerd world was rocked yesterday when director J.J. Abrams revealed the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To kick off Star Wars Celebration yesterday in Anaheim, CA, J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy presented a panel in which they discussed the new film, answered fan questions, and brought out both new and returning actors to the franchise, including Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Then the moment every Star Wars fan was waiting for finally happened: a brand new teaser trailer. The first teaser had a sense of urgency with an ominous voice-over from an unidentified character played by Andy Serkis. This new teaser showed even more footage while still maintaining the plot's secrecy, and it's everything you could want from a Star Wars film. Here are 10 reasons why I am beyond excited for this new entry from my favorite franchise:

FURIOUS 7 Is Beyond Ridiculous, But In The Most Awesome Way.

FURIOUS 7

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, and Kurt Russell.

Rated PG-13 for prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem, suggestive content, and brief strong language. 

The first film in this never-ending series was pretty much a carbon copy of Point Break, but with cars. No one could have ever predicted that these films would get a face lift with its fourth installment, and then brace a whole new identity with its fifth and sixth films. Now, the Fast & Furious franchise knows that its strengths lie in its ability to provide over-the-top thrills, and Furious 7 takes this identity to all new heights of absurdity and pure entertainment. 

CINDERELLA Relies On Disney Magic And Makes You Believe.

Cinderella
Review by Todd Ortiz

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, and Helena Bonham Carter. 
Rated PG for mild thematic elements. 

Cinderella is a tale that has been around long before Disney popularized it with its 1950 animated feature. Since then, the story has been told many times over, and now Disney has decided to retell its animated version with a live-action interpretation. In my opinion, Disney has struggled with its live-action versions of animated classics, such as Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent, but this is one that they got right, relying on the magic on which Disney has built its reputation.

Movie Review: "Chappie" Tries To Say A Lot, But Ends Up Saying Very Little.

Chappie

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser, Sigourney Weaver, and Hugh Jackman.

Rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity. 

There are two guarantees with a Neill Blomkamp film: great sci-fi visuals and a consistently outstanding Sharlto Copley. With District 9, Blomkamp gave us these two qualities as well as a unique sci-fi story with ample social commentary. Elysium tried to do the same, but did not have the same emotional weight. Luckily, Sharlto was wildly hypnotic as the film's villainous Agent Kruger. With Chappie we have a spread of horribly developed characters telling a story that otherwise should have had a stronger impact.

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

Here we are yet again. Another year of film has come and gone. There were plenty of big hits and plenty of surprises, as there are every year. Most Top Ten lists have already been published or posted, but there were so many films that were technically "released" in 2014 (in NY and LA) that I was not able to see until these past few weeks when they got a wider release across the country. You may find a film or two on this list that just arrived in local theaters in 2015, but each film on this list is officially a 2014 film; some just had a limited release in 2014. I would also like to clarify that despite what some of you may think, I do not see every movie, and that goes for supposedly great films that I never got around to. I do have a job, a wife, other responsibilities, and sometimes just a lack of funds that prevent me from seeing anything and everything. That being said, I always make a strong effort to see major award contenders, high profile projects, fan favorites, as well as smaller critical darlings.