Red Tails tells the true story of The Tuskegee Airmen, a highly decorated unit of African American fighter pilots who flew combat missions over Germany in World War II. The “negro” pilots were thought to be inferior to white pilots because of a 1925 War College study that said “blacks were mentally inferior to the white man”. Red Tails tells the story of the squadron of African American pilots whose achievements were a moving force in the desegregation of the U.S. military. It’s a story which almost didn’t make it to the big screen.

Executive producer George Lucas had the project in development for several years but he found that movie studios were reluctant to “green light” the funds for a “blockbuster film” with an all African American cast. So, the Star Wars producer used his own money to finance the film and enlisted a first time African American director to tell the story. The making of the movie sounds like the plot of a movie in its own right.

Red Tails is beautifully directed by Anthony Hemingway, who directed the award winning TV series The Wire on HBO. Terrance Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. lead the ensemble cast in the telling of a historic story who’s telling has been long overdue. It’s an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles and about courage. The ironic part of the Tuskegee Airmen’s story was their loyalty and patriotism to a country which would still deny them equal rights once they got back home.

Red Tails is a movie about the American military’s belief that people of color could not do something that their white counter parts in the military could do; fight combat missions. I find it ironic that today, in 2012, its still a story about what America thinks people of color cannot do; support an “expensive film” (a blockbuster) with an all African American cast. I’d like to urge you to pack the theaters this weekend and prove them wrong, once agai

Universal has debuted the official trailer for Contraband, a new action-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg that yes, is actually a remake of another foreign film, from Iceland, called Reykjavik-Rotterdam. The cast includes Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas and J.K. Simmons. It’s one of those crime movies about a former criminal-turned-good who has to do one more job to save his brother, who botched up another job. Of course, everything goes wrong and it all gets crazy, but the last half of the trailer actually looks pretty cool.

In the film, Chris Farrady is a legendary smuggler who has gone legit for his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons. But when his wife’s brother screws up a drug smuggle and ends up in debt to a crazy local gang leader (Giovanni Ribisi), Farrady must go to Panama for one last big score to save everything he loves. Contraband is directed by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, an actor and director of films including 101 Reykjavík, The Sea, A Little Trip to Heaven, Jay City, Brúðguminn and Inhale previously. This is a remake of the 2008 film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, which Baltasar Kormákur also appeared in, featuring a new screenplay adaptation by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners). Working Title & Universal will release Contraband in theaters everywhere starting on January 13th, 2012.

The film also earns points for its procedural-style approach to smuggling, a less-cliched option for crime movies. While smuggling is probably much more involved than portrayed here, the screenwriters did seem to have a suspicious working knowledge of the craft, which lends an entertaining authenticity to the action. Wahlberg pulls of Farraday’s nice-tough-guy just as well as he has in countless other movies, but maybe with an extra scene or two of convincing fear and vulnerability. He is surrounded by strong performances in roles that usually get short shrift in similar action pics, including Diego Luna‘s insecure gang leader, David O’Hara as a sympathetic mob boss, and J.K. Simmons‘ blustery corrupt captain. Ribisi is maniacally wheedling and over-the-top in the kind of performance that is either loved or hated, and Ben Foster is great and understated as always.

The movie starts with Ethan Hunt’s new team breaking him out of a Russian prison. The explosions get louder and the action gets more intense from that point on. For the rest of the movie his team goes rouge while they chase an arms dealer all over the world to prevent him from launching a nuclear attack on the U.S.

Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol is rated PG-13 for action and violence. This movie has everything you’d want in a big blockbuster movie; Car chases, exciting fight scenes, exotic locations, daring stunts and plenty of explosions! Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird. His previous directing experience has been primarily with animated movies (Ratatouille and The Incredibles). He’s an excellent choice for an action adventure movie. The action has the feel of an animated film and it makes you constantly say to yourself, “How did they do that?” this is a Great Movie hope you go out to see it.

The Descendants
George Clooney seems to pop up about as often as Punxsutawney Phil but instead of predicting the weather, Clooney comes out with movies every year that are Oscar contenders. “The Descendants” is his latest offering. In “The Descendants” Clooney plays Matt, a hard working husband who considers himself “the back-up plan” for raising his two daughters. While he was busy with his law practice his wife was busy having an affair and making plans to leave him. It seems everyone knew about the situation, including his two daughters, except him. He discovers the truth while his wife is laying in a coma after a boating accident. Oh yeah, by the way, this movie is a comedy.

It’s hard to believe that anyone could find laughter in such a tragic situation but Clooney plays the entire movie for the yucks! Considering the tragic subject matter there are also some sad and serious moments in the film. “The Descendents” is brilliantly balanced with tragedy and comedy to make it the prefect “dramady” and a sure Oscar contender for best movie.

As a side plot Matt (Clooney) is also the executor for a large partial of land in Hawaii which the family has up for bid to developers. There’s a real irony to how the multi-million land deal works out and it involves the characters that are involved in the personal tragedy he and his family are experiencing. “The Descendants” is a real emotional rollercoaster but it all comes together very nicely in the end. This is a great movie for the whole family.

In J. Edgar, Hoover was a ruthless and cruel FBI director with little regard for the civil rights of the people he classified as “subversive” or “criminal”. He was also a man with some real “momma issues” which conflicted with his latent homosexuality. Oh, he was a complicated man!

Judi Dench plays Hoover’s mother in the film. Her performance reminded me of some of the characters Betty Davis often played in some of the horror movies late in her career. Naomi Watts is Hoovers’ loyal secretary and Armie Hammer plays Clyde Tolson his loyal aid and lifelong “companion”. All of the performances are excellent and a slew of Oscars will be coming their way at Academy Award time.

My only issue with the film was it didn’t have enough balance. Hoover was a racist who waged a one man war on Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders during the civil rights movement of the 60’s. The movie gives him a free pass on that. But, I understand the movie depicts J. Edgar from his character’s perspective.This movie really answers alot of unanswered questions about Hoover.

Tower Heist would be well received at any “Occupy Event” currently happening in NYC or anywhere else in the country. It’s a caper film about working folks who are bilked in a ponzi scheme by a Wall Street investor (Alan Alda). The working class clients, who are robbed of all their life savings, plot a scheme of their own to get back the money that was stolen from them.

Ben Stiller plays Josh Kovacks, the manager of the opulent hotel tower housing the Bernie Madoff wanna be. Eddie Murphy is Slide, a petty thief who trains Josh’s team to “storm the castle” and rob the impenetrable penthouse apartment. Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick and Michael Pena round out the rest of Josh’s crew. All turn in fine supporting roles that keep the movie rolling. Gabby Sidibe (“Precious”) is also part of the ensemble cast. She plays a Jamaican maid who joins the team when they need a specialist to assist with the robbery.

The Chemistry between the cast is terrific. Especially the teaming of Stiller with Murphy. The movie is directed by Brett Ratner who directed the “Rush Hour” series. There is definitely a “Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker vibe” between the two lead actors.

Tower Heist is outrageously funny. Eddie Murphy’s character could be Reggie Hammond (‘82’s movie-48 Hours) 30 years later and all grown up. It is a fun movie with plenty of action and non-stop laughing. This movie is rated PG-13 for some foul language.Tower Heist is a must see so go check it out.

Real Steel is a hodge podge of many different movies. You’ll recognize the obvious comparison to ALL the Rocky movies, you’ll see a bit of “Transformers” in there and, with the driving Eminem music during the pivotal scenes, you’ll see a bit of “8 Mile” in there too. The good news is “Real Steel” took all of the best parts of those movies to make a really good one! It’s like a mix-tape movie.

“Real Steel” is set in the not too distant future where robot fighting has replaced boxing and MMA as “the next big thing”. Hugh Jackman is Charlie, a former boxer, who now hustles small time “bot boxing” events at dives and county fairs all over the country.

When the movie starts he’s a real low life. It takes an 11 year old boy, his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo), to turn his life around. Together, after they dig up an old sparing bot from the junk yard, they go on a journey to make robot fighting history and in the process they build the father and son relationship that hadn’t existed before. It’s a sweet movie.

The best parts of “Real Steel” are the robot fight scenes. Director Shawn Levy borrows heavily from Michael Bay’s (Transformers) animated robot fight scenes, but hey why not “sample” something that works. Clanking steel and smashing bots make for a fun filled couple of hours of movie watching.

There is nothing original about “Real Steel”, but it’s a “stand on your feet and cheer, feel good movie” (I sampled that line from a previous movie trailer). With plenty of action and romance “Real Steel” is the perfect date movie.

The hunger games Katniss is a 16-year-old living in the post-apocalyptic country of Panem. Every year, one girl and one boy is chosen from each of Panem’s 12 districts to fight each other to the  death. The Hunger Games is written and directed by Oscar nominated filmmaker Gary Ross, director of Seabiscuit, but also writer of Big, Mr. Baseball, Dave, Lassie, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit. This mpvie was adapted from Suzanne Collins’ popular series of novels, first published back in 2008. Lionsgate is bringing The Hunger Games to theaters everywhere starting March 23rd, 2012 I think it will be a good movie?

Ryan Reynolds is the Green Lantern and Martin Campbell, who directed the James Bond movies Golden Eye and Casino Royale, is in charge of this huge special effects budget film. Director Campbell throws every dollar up there on the screen and the special effects are amazing. As a matter of fact the effects ARE the film. They are so heavy handed they overpower the story.

The summer of comic book movies continues with the release of the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern on the big screen. People really get caught up in this comic book stuff. I guess it’s because of their fond childhood memories of following their favorite superhero in the pages of a comic book. They know all of the background info on their guy and things like the oath he has to take to become Green Lantern (“In Brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight”). It’s a trip!

I fall on the other end of the spectrum. Sure, I’d heard of Green Lantern, but I wasn’t aware that the Green Lanterns were a brotherhood of defenders who covered each part of the universe looking for evil (did you?) or that they had their own planet. I just remembered that he was in The Justice League with Superman, The Flash and Aqua Man and them on Saturday morning cartoons. But, even with my limited knowledge, I was still able to follow the movie. So, that is good news for you if you fall into my limited knowledge category.

It’s fitting that this fourth instalment of the mega booty-hauling franchise revolves around a quest for the fountain of youth. Here’s a property that would give its right arm for some rejuvenation, having worn out its welcome last time round, way back in 2007. And having already paid an arm and a leg to persuade Johnny Depp to reprise his Jack Sparrow role, you wouldn’t imagine it had many more limbs to spare.

But the logic seems to be, if you’re splashing out on your star, you’d better make a splash with the rest of the movie. This splashes so much, its stranger tides almost drown it. It’s a succession of ever-escalating action sequences and grand settings. At first they’re stunning, then they’re routine, then they’re wearying. There is at least some new blood to power this rejuvenation exercise.

Depp is his usual mincing self but Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley have walked the plank when aboard clambers Penélope Cruz, as a duplicitous old flame of Jack’s. Being Cruz, she’s Spanish and feisty, and that’s about it. And fitting right in as the new villain of the piece is Ian McShane’s Blackbeard – a mystically powered captain whose orange, leathery complexion suggests he’s spent long years trapped in a tanning salon.

Throw in Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa (now with a peg leg), and the British and Spanish navies, and you’ve got something close to a piratical wacky races. Everyone’s racing to get to the fountain of youth, negotiating perilous terrain and fantastical episodes and stitching each other up. The freshest new monsters are some vicious but seductive mermaids, which are rather cruelly hunted, slaughtered and tortured along the way. That could traumatise a few younger viewers but being just about the only other women in the movie apart from Cruz, it also suggests something more worrying beneath the light-hearted mateyness. Worse still, everyone else is so scheming and self-centred and double-crossing, it’s not always clear who to root for, who’s in cahoots with whom, or what anyone’s going to do if/when they actually find the sacred fountain.