The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I really enjoyed the first Amazing Spider-Man film, so I was really excited to see the sequel even though it was getting mediocre reviews. My friends and I decided to see it as our one last fun thing before our finals week began. We even decided to go see it in 3D because it looked like a cool movie to see in 3D in comparison to other movies that have been released in the summer so far.

Though I happened to enjoy the first movie, I found the majority of this movie to be lacking in comparison. The biggest issue I had with this movie is that there were way to many villains for just one film. Though they did give an adequate enough background on each villain in the movie, it still felt like there was too much going on, and sometimes felt like there was a lot of remembering of what did Peter do to this guy again? Even though there was a lot of villainy going on, Dane Dehaan, who plays Harry Osborn, plays his character with complexity and emotion, that you really see and understand his transition into the person he becomes later in the movie.

What I did enjoy about this movie was the chemistry between Peter Parker (played by Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone). They really bounce jokes off of each other and help to keep the film grounded at points when the movie tends to drift towards lots of action.The 3D was also utilized better than other films that I had recently seen in 3D. Sometimes the 3D can be a little dizzying during the heavy action scenes but I enjoyed the use of it overall.

All in all, while I did enjoy this movie but I was also disappointed in the same way. This movie, in comparison to the first, felt like more of a set-up for the upcoming third movie than being able to stand alone in this franchise. While the acting was pretty much well-done across the board, the plot could have used some work to make it an easier transition between movies yet make it stand alone as it's own movie. While most of the villains had decently ironed out backstories, there were too many villains for just this one movie. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in seeing the sequel to the first Amazing Spider-Man movie and anyone who enjoys superhero movies.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbp3Ra3Yp74

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

After seeing this movie I have to say that I liked this one a lot more that the first (Captain America: The First Avenger). It had a much more detailed and entertaining plot and the characters that were returning really grew and new characters were well-developed.

While the first Captain America film was mostly a set up for The Avengers, this sequel really aimed to show Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) more transitioned into modern society. What I also enjoyed about this movie was how the plot focused on a much more realistic idea: government corruption and paranoia, which are things we all fear and read about in our modern society. Instead of having one major big bad villain, it's a bit more complicated, which is something you don't see a lot in superhero movies today and was something I really enjoyed in watching this movie.

What I will say is that I recommend watching the first Captain America film before watching this one. There are a lot of plot points and other references that are made that watching the first film will help make more sense of. The other thing I would say is that I saw this movie in 3D, and the 3D didn't really do anything or add anything special to to film. I know that this movie is now out of theaters, but I would say that I wouldn't waste money on the 3D version.

Overall, I definitely think this Captain America film is a real step up from the first one and may be one of the best movies that has been put out by Marvel in recent years. I would really recommend watching it if you get the chance, it has a great amount of action that is equally equated with a well-developed set of characters and plot. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good action movie or someone who really enjoys superhero movies.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

I really enjoyed the first film (see my review below, or click the "Cloudy" tag at the bottom of this review to see both reviews), so I was pretty excited to see the sequel. This film basically picks off right where the first one ended, but it does back up a little so that way you can quickly catch up to what is going on.

While I did enjoy this film, I will say that the first film is better. The sequel does use the same humor that was found in the first one, and this film really takes creativity to the max. The effort that was made to create all of the food hybrids really add a fun vibe to the movie. Kids will definitely enjoy this movie because of all the cute animal hybrids, the silly characters, and the pretty simple villain.

Overall, while I did enjoy this movie, the first one is definitely better. I liked how the plot of the sequel easily transitioned from the first and developed from there. I think that those who liked the first will like the second, but not as much. I would definitely recommend watching the first one because while this movie does do a quick backtrack of what happened in the first movie, the first film gives you an idea of what humor is used and what the characters are like. This will allow you to decide whether or not you want to watch the sequel. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a kids movie to watch and anyone who enjoyed the first film.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw6dECrl-BE

The Mummy Returns

Since I just recently watched The Mummy (see my review below), I figured I might as well watch the sequel. While I did enjoy it, it is not as good as the first movie. In this movie, there are a couple elements in the movie that aren't really explained and just seem a little random appearing in only the sequel. What I really like is that the entire cast of the first movie appears in this one, and it does kind of have a seamless transition from the first to the second movie (this movie takes place 10 years later). I would recommend watching the first movie before this one because it will explain the origins and purposes of the characters in the sequel. I would recommend this movie to those who are interested in seeing the sequel to the first one and those who are looking for an action movie to watch.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yXjs7BUKYc

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

I just recently went with two good friends of mine to see this in theaters. All three of us are big fans of the books, so we were hoping that it would be a lot better than the first one. Based on being a reader of the books, this movie had the majority of the plot points in the book, they were just rearranged or partially changed to fit the story. This movie also introduces the main villain, Kronos, in this movie, and unlike the first movie, it follows the storyline of the danger of Kronos being able to rise and possibly destroy the world. There were changes made to fit the movie better, such as the prophecy being changed from 16 to 20, which makes sense because the actors playing the main characters are all around 20. Other changes were disappointing, but most of those have to do with the climax of the movie, so I won't ruin it. But based on just seeing this movie and not comparing it to the book, the movie is just an average sequel. Personally, they made it too much of a "feel-good" sort of movie. On the plus side, most of the characters were well-acted. As a fan of the books, the characters of Clarisse and Mr. D were particularly good. Overall, I found this movie pretty so-so, so I would wait until it comes out on dvd to check it out. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a much better adaptation of the Percy Jackson series than the first movie and anyone who is looking for a movie to watch with kids (though there are some scary parts, but not too bad) and anyone into fantasy movies.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6aYjbpBm-E

Despicable Me 2

I went a couple days ago with my sister and one of her friends to see this sequel, and we weren't disappointed. It is pretty entertaining, but I say it's pretty much even with the original. If you have not seen the first one, I would recommend watching it before you go see the sequel. While the characters are the most important part of the plot, a lot of the movie is also dedicated to the minions. Though there is that small bit of separation between the minions and the main characters, the minions are still very entertaining. I would recommend this movie if you liked the original as well as if you want something that can appeal to both children and adults.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwXbtZXjbVE