Film Arcade.net recently got ahold of teaser trailer of one of the most anticipated films of the summer, "X- Men First Class" courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

Plot Synopsis:

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.

"X-Men: First Class" hits theaters on June 3rd.

"X-Men: First Class": Teaser Trailer

Lionsgate recently send us over the second official trailer for "Kick-Ass" which nit theaters next month.

Kick-Ass tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), and forges a friendship with another fledgling superhero, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But thanks to the scheming of a local mob boss Frank DAmico (Mark Strong), that new alliance will be put to the test. "Kick-Ass" hits theaters on April 16th.

"Kick-Ass": Official Trailer #2

It is not that often that I get to go to the summer theater of my youth. The single screen Uptown theater in Washington, D.C. is where I saw "Ghostbusters," "E.T.," and "Back to the Future."* So I was more than a little excited to get to see a summer movie at the Uptown with my family. The dark red curtains lining the walls and the magnificent curved cinemascope screen always make me a bit weak in the knees and giddy with excitement. So as I walked through those creaky old doors, I was more than ready to enjoy the movie.

I suppose it is an incredible bit of unhappy luck for "Hancock" that prior to its release, the wonderful "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" were released earlier this year. Those movies were unexpectedly good, which was a pleasant surprise to moviegoers but an unfortunate turn of events for "Hancock." This is because on a basic level, "Hancock" is not that bad a movie. A lot of the dialogue is funny and Will Smith and Jason Bateman are as likeable as always. Though the idea of a slovenly, destructive superhero is fairly unique, the plot did not seem to have any special, unique spark to it. That is not say that the movie is not any good. On the contrary, "Hancock" is fun. It is not the most memorable movie, but you do not regret the cost of admission either. It is a light, enjoyable summer flick. It is just difficult to review since "Iron Man" and "Hulk" raised the bar so high for superhero movies so recently.

Forgetting about what hit theatres earlier this year and speaking strictly on the merits of "Hancock," I would have to say it stands out pretty well. I could easily nitpick this movie to death, but honestly I did not go to this movie expecting anything truly special. I simply went to have a little fun, and this movie delivered on that for me. There is nothing especially memorable, but you are left satisfied thanks to some unexpectedly humorous moments. In fact, this movie was a lot funnier than the trailer led me to believe. I did not quite understand the dynamics of Bateman's family or Hancock's place in it (or his backstory for that matter), but for me, the movie was less about plot than character. I really liked the main character, and even though the story underwhelmed me, I found the time spent watching the movie worthwhile. This was partially because of the great venue, but I have to give a lot of credit to this movie, which is a total delight.

It is not the kind of Will Smith blockbuster that makes you stand up and cheer, but it does make you smile a bit. And really, you could not ask for more from the glut of action movies you normally sit through on any give summer movie year. I think as moviegoers we've been pretty lucky so far this season, and "Hancock" gives me the hope that there is still some more quality yet to come. After all, it doesn't get much better than sitting in the Uptown and hearing the theme from "Sanford & Son" blasted out in Stereo. Oh no it doesn't.

(*Fun and embarassing fact about America: the #10 grossing movie in 1985, the year of "Back to the Future," was "Spies Like Us." Yeah. That happened.)

DIRECTED BY
Jon Favreau

STARRING
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence Howard - Jim Rhodes
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Leslie Bibb - Christine Everhart
Paul Bettany - Jarvis (voice)
Shaun Toub - Yinsen

Year - 2008

Score - 4 Howls Outta 4


Let me make something perfectly clear: I'm a huge Marvel comics geek. It's been almost 10 years since I bought a comic, but I still catch up on my favorite characters through graphic novels every time I go to a Barnes and Nobles and take the time to read it through. One of my favorite heroes has always been Shell-Head himself, The Invincible Iron Man. Not only is the armor suit cool and can do really awesome things, but the man underneath that suit [Tony Stark] is very human with his faults and addictions. Though sometimes you would shake your head at the choices Iron Man tended to make, you never stopped rooting for him, hoping he'd find the way to make things right for himself and the world around him.

So upon hearing that an IRON MAN film was being made, I was kind of apprehensive. Can you blame me? Ever since SPIDER-MAN 2, Marvel films have been going down the hill. Remember ELEKTRA? GHOST RIDER? Those silly FANTASTIC FOUR films? What about the disappointing X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and SPIDER-MAN 3? Yeah, it hasn't been a great few years for Marvel comic fans. But hearing that Jon Favreau, a devoted comic book fan, was directing and bringing along Robert Downey, Jr. to play Tony Stark sold me on the get-go. And watching those trailers got me pumped up more, hoping those weren't the best scenes in the film. And to my relief, they aren't and the film is probably the first one to start off the summer movie blockbuster scene right. Make Mine Marvel!

PLOT
Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), alcoholic and ladies man, is a billionaire from making weapons for other industries and countries. He goes to Afghanistan to showcase his newest weapon that happens to be some massive missile deployment system that he deems Jericho. His travel is cut off by an attack on his convoy, which happens to cause him to be injured by one of his own missiles. He's taken prisoner by an organization called the Ten Rings, who want him to build their own Jericho along with another prisoner named Yinsen (Shaun Toub). Almost fatally wounded and now having to live with a pacemaker for his heart that Yinsen constructed, Stark reflects on his last hours before the trip. We see where his priorities had lied, as he would rather have sex with women and drink than maintain friendly contact with his best friend Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), his mentor and business partner Obidiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), and long-time assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

This flashback gives him the motivation to do something right for a change. Instead of making Jericho II, Stark and Yinsen get parts together to create a metal suit. Stark manages to escape captivity and return home, where he sees the error of his ways and decides that his true purpose in life is to protect those he cares about. While trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and the public, Stark decides to improve on the suit to destroy the weapons he's made that have fallen in the wrong hands. However, Stane is totally against that, stealing the original Iron Man prototype to create a Iron Monger of his own...

REVIEW
Summer 2008 at the movies has officially started and IRON MAN was the perfect choice to start the season. This film was so heavily buzzed that I was feeling that I was gonna be disappointed at how Tony Stark and company would be translated onto the big screen. I've never been so glad to be wrong. IRON MAN is an awesome AWESOME film with a terrific cast, excellent direction and CGI, and a fantastic story that will not only please comic book fans, but bring in new fans who have never took an interest in Iron Man before.

What makes IRON MAN work so damn well is how the story is presented. Most superhero films try to force the whole "I got superpowers so now I have to fight crime and be this good guy for society [even though I'm an asshole] while making sure evil people don't succeed in their manical schemes". IRON MAN doesn't work that way. Tony Stark is believably transformed from a man who revels in screwing as many women as he can and drinking as much alcohol as possible to a man who really believes in his heart that what he does is the right thing, no matter the consequences. This level of touch and class that allows our hero to become more responsble for his actions and attempt to make up for his past sins while still being an alcoholic and a prick is extremely realistic. He doesn't change personalities at the snap of a finger and become Dudley Do Right. He's always flawed, and that's not a superhero story. That's a human story of a man who wants to be good but is never really sure what that "good" is. Whether he gets there is up to him, but it's great watching him.

I also appreciated the humor in the story, especially by Downey's Stark. As with most comic book films, humor is planted inside the script for fans who know inside jokes and for the children and teenagers need to be entertained when things aren't blowing up. Sometimes this works, like in SPIDER-MAN. But recently, in films like GHOST RIDER and the FANTASTIC FOUR films, the humor has done more harm than good by not adding much to the plot. While the film has large amounts of humor, due to Downey's improvized ad-libs, it never feels forced or cheesy. It's totally natural and we can buy this billionaire to be such a smartass. I thought it gave the character a ton of personality, which makes me care alot about him and increases my want for him to succeed in his goal.

The CGI was also incredible, to the point where sometimes I would question whether certain effects were natural or not. The suit was made to perfection, as the right kind of light and shadow dawned on it and the way it moved was fantastic. The Iron Monger also looked great for the same reasons. The explosions and the array of weapons from the Iron Man suit were right on. I have no complaints about the CGI. That's a first because I usually have something to complain about these comic book films. But this one pleased me like no other.

I personally hope Jon Favreau directs every other Marvel Studios film from now on. Better known as an actor, Favreau took what he did right with ELF years ago and exceeded everybody's expectations. For a two hour film, the origin story never feels rushed or forced. The pacing is very strong and full of energy from beginning to end. The action was well shot and focused [loved that last scene, though it could have been a bit longer but I'm okay with that]. The film is also very balanced and is visually stunning in its telling. Favreau did a phenomenal job bringing this baby to the big screen. Perfectly directed in my opinion, and since he's doing the sequels, it should only get better.

The acting was great here. Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony Stark. They're pretty much one and the same. He looks like the character. He shares the same demons with the character. He brought humor to the character that was refreshing and real. Even in the suit, Downey gave Iron Man a lot of personality. The man has been through hell and back due to his addictions, but with every fall, he's always stood back up bigger and better each time. He's a fantastic actor and I'm glad he's finally gotten the recognition that he deserves because of this film. The best superhero in a long time, in my opinion. He owns Iron Man from the start and I can't wait to see what else he'll bring to the table in the sequels and spinoff.

The other actors did well with what they were given. Jeff Bridges was delightfully evil as Obidiah Stane a.k.a. the original Iron Monger. With a bald head and that evil goatee, he definitely looked villainous. He could have been more fleshed out, but it didn't really bother me or take away from the film. You knew the moment you saw him that he was bad news and that's enough for me. Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow were very good as Jim Rhodes and Pepper Potts respectively. I'm sure Howard will get a juicier role in the sequels when the War Machine arc pops up. And Paltrow, who I never found hot in my life, changed my mind as she looked F-I-N-E wearing a red wig and walking in those tight business suits and high heels. Plus she was a feisty little thing and I like that in my women. Growl.

There are also cameos by Favreau himself as Happy Hogan, Stark's driver. We also get another one after the end credits by Samuel L. Jackson. If you went home during the end credits, you really didn't miss much. Just something about the Avenger Initiative and...well, I'll S.H.I.E.L.D. you from the rest. Nothing to see here. Just move along and assemble.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE WATCHING IRON MAN

- Nothing to write here. I was too busy getting my geek on to be thinking of a list to write here. But I will say this: Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is still a kick ass song after all these years. Ozzy is one rich bastard.

THE FINAL HOWL
IRON MAN is the best film I've seen all year. And it's definitely the best Marvel Comics film since SPIDER-MAN 2 in 2004. It exceeded my expectations and can not wait for the sequel in 2010 and the proposed THE AVENGERS flick that's being worked out with Downey protraying Iron Man in that film as well. Favreau is also attached to that project as well, giving me a lot of hope for Marvel Studios. Rank IRON MAN as one of the greatest comic book films ever made. Who knew? The summer has started with a bang and if you're not one of the $200 million worldwide who hasn't seen this film yet, please do so. Now.

21

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant M.I.T. student who – needing to pay school tuition – finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they've cracked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).

Run Fatboy Run

Five years ago Dennis (Simon Pegg) was at the altar about to marry Libby (Thandie Newton), his pregnant fiancée. He got cold feet and ran for the hills and he's been going in circles ever since. When Dennis discovers Libby's hooked up with high-flying-go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), he realizes it's now or never. He enters a marathon to show he's more than a quitter but then finds out just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to run for 26 miles. Nobody gives him a chance but Dennis knows this is his only hope to more than a running joke.



Stop-Loss

Decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. Brandon tries to resume the life he left behind with the help and support of his family and his best friend, Steve Shriver, who served with him in Iraq. Alongside their war-time buddies, Brandon and Steve try to make peace with civilian life. Then, against Brandon's will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq. This upends Brandon's entire world. The conflict into which he is thrown tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love, and the value of honor.

Superhero

Meet Rick Riker. He's young, he's cool and he's got superpowers. Now, if he only knew how to use them... but the world is in danger and no one is safe.