Before I went to High School Musical 3: Senior Year, I read a review in Rolling Stone by Peter Travers that called it a “nonthreatening sexual marshmallow.” I wasn’t expecting too much from this movie. After seeing HSM3, I saw plenty of marshmallow, but it ended up being part of its charm. Without the fluff and circumstance, it would never be what its fans expect.

The music in the third installment of HSM was by far the best and the dance sequences were better than anyone could have expected. Everything is bigger and better – Disney on steroids. Two of the songs that demonstrate this gargantuan endeavor are “The Boys are Back” and “I Want It All.” While both songs were completely unnecessary to the advancement of the plot, both were larger than life and included a huge array of cast members and dance routines. The visual stimulation was great and the characters were as lovable as ever.

One of the new character twists introduced to give this movie a semblance of a fresh take is a hint of romance between Ryan and Kelsi. Apparently, he was only waiting for Kelsi to pick up on his hidden yearnings.

Disney was also smart enough to introduce some new characters to the scene. The first is “Rocket Man,” a newbie to the Wildcat basketball squad and all around stalker of Troy. He is always the fall back boy, on the court and on the stage. He has his own side-kick Donny and together they make an eerie duo that we may or may not have seen before in the movies.

The other new Wildcat of note is Tiara, a diva-to-be waiting to fill Sharpay’s bedazzled stilettos the moment the opportunity arises. These new characters were set up to continue the series should Disney ever choose to keep milking the cash cow they’ve created. The prelude to the extended Disney series was a bit overdone and too similar to the plot of the original.

The characters the audience has become familiar with like Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor were the same as always. They haven’t changed a bit and no one bothered to add any depth to them for the big screen; their problems are still the same and the plot is no different, just set one year later.

Overall, the movie was light on content but big on fun and show-stopping musical numbers. This closet High School Musical fan gives it a B, but that might be a little high for what it actually is. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a catchy tune and that there are plenty in this cotton candy film!

Popularity: 15% [?]

When Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke hit bookshelves in June of 2002, it quickly became a National Bestseller. It was no surprise when an adaptation of the book was made into a movie, just like Fight Club. The movie’s director and screenwriter Clark Gregg stays as true to the book as I have seen in any movie in a long time. While Fight Club was close, the ending, although exciting and tastefully written, was a disappointing stray from the book, and do not even get me started on Breakfast at Tiffany’s (don’t get me wrong; it is a wonderfully romantic movie, but if you actually enjoyed the book, I’m sure you felt severely gypped like I did).

Choke is the story of Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). He is an ordinary guy, with more flaws than scratches on your oldest CD, but, like most, he is barely scraping by. Things have been extra tough since he dropped out of medical school. Victor works at a historical colony theme park with his best friend Denny (Brad William Henke, Must Love Dogs), where they spend their work days trying not to be banished by the colonial council for any illegal acts that would have been inaccurate to the reenactment of eighteenth century America. Victor’s other source of income comes from people he scams into loving him. If you were wondering where the title “choke” comes from, here it is: Victor has a habit of going to restaurants and pretends he is choking on his food so someone will save him. It sounds sick, but his rationale seems slightly logical and benefits both parties. He is able to create an instant and lifelong friendship, and, in turn, the rescuer feels proud and heroic. Oh yeah, not to mention that Victor tells pity stories for money and receives cards on the choking / life saving anniversary. All of the money that Victor acquires goes to pay his mother’s hospital bill. Ida Mancini (Anjelica Huston, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) has been a thorn in Victor’s side all of his life, but she is the only one that has loved him his entire life. Ida spent her life teaching Victor how to turn order into chaos and all sorts of other revolutionary ideas. Now she is in a deteriorated state and never quite sure who she is talking to. Victor tries to hold onto his mother long enough to get her secret out about where he comes from, but gets side tracked by her doctor, Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men). As a sex addict stuck on recovery step four, Victor usually uses women for only one purpose, but cannot bring himself to have his usual relations with Paige. The intertwining issues of wanting to know who he really is, his growing feelings for Paige and being stuck in the same place as Denny progresses begins to tax Victor within an inch of his own sanity.

To find out all the juicy details and how it ends, you will have to see the movie, or maybe read the book — whichever you have the time for. If you already read the book, I think you will like the ghastly similarities, and unless you are anal like me you might not even notice every minute detail left out. So if we are looking up or getting Biblical, I will give this movie four and a half out of five stars.

Popularity: 14% [?]

There are times I go to movies expecting them to be bad. Some, like last summer’s Transformers, leave me pleasantly surprised. Others, like Let’s Go To Prison leave me wondering how my friends talked me into going. Superhero Movie leans more towards being a pleasant surprise, but be warned: not everyone will find this movie funny.

Superhero Movie belongs to the deadpan comedy genre created by Airplane! in 1980. The same sense of controlled chaos felt in Airplane! runs through the veins of Superhero Movie, and for good reason: David Zucker is one of the producers. This translates into plenty of fart gags, zany references to current events, and superhero spoofs.  In short, this is the kind of movie that appeals to the 12 year old boy in all of us.

Rick Ricker starts out as a typical high school nerd a la Peter Parker, when during a school field trip he is unexpectedly bitten by a genetically enhanced dragonfly. He soon discovers that he is nearly invincible, can climb walls and has super strength. About the same time, scientist Lou Landers, in an attempt to cure himself of what the movie terms a “terminal illness,” accidently turns himself into a parasite. He needs to drain the life from people to survive. Eventually, he hatches a plan that will grant him immortality by sacrificing the lives of thousands of people. Rick, now the super-powered Dragonfly, vows to stop him and after a number of fights, does.

Along the way, the audience is invited to see Rick make a costume, learn about his powers from Professor Xavier, and have run-ins with other superheroes including the Human Torch. The trip is typically an enjoyable one; although some of the gags leave the audience wondering when the joke will end.

The actors, for the most part, play the roles well. Drake Bell plays the idealistic Dragonfly and pulls off a pretty good Tobey Maguire impression. The only complaint against him is he has the same shocked look locked onto his face at least 10 times during the movie. It is funny at first, but around the seventh time, you start to wonder if he is capable of any other facial expressions. Leslie Nielson, still refusing to show his age, steals the scene every time he is on camera. Not that this is a bad thing, but he is sadly missing from much of the movie. This mistake was probably realized by the director, as most of his later appearances felt contrived and made up on the spot. The rest of the cast does a good job of supporting and uplifting these two characters.

I will not lie; this movie is far from revolutionary. However, if you have ever been a sucker for superhero movies, you will find yourself enjoying this movie. It definitely could have held true to its name and included more superhero cameos. As it is, it largely stays focused with spoofing Spiderman. The highlights of the film come when other superheroes are included, but unfortunately these scenes feel like they take up less than five minutes of film.

With great material comes a great responsibility to make the joke. Superhero Movie accomplishes this in a lukewarm manner. It has a few jokes not seen in the commercials, though the jokes seen on TV are some of the better gags in the film. However, for anyone who has ever thought about what it would be like to put on a pair of tights and be a hero, this movie is worth seeing at least once.

Overall verdict: 2.5/5 (Average)

Popularity: 24% [?]

It is that time of year again. As Halloween approaches once more, people are inextricably drawn to horror movies. Seeing as how it is psychologically healthy to watch movies that shock, terrorize and desensitize us, I have come up with my own list of movies to watch this Halloween.

“Dracula”

The original movie staring Bela Lugosi is truly terrifying. I especially like how every time Dracula is about to grab someone’s neck with his teeth the movie fades to black and does not show the actual act! Give it up for horror movies made during the end of the Victorian era! Want to be really scared? Know that this movie probably offended people when it was made.

“Van Helsing”

Given the increasingly short attention spans of American audiences, Universal Studio executives decided to make a movie with not just one or two monsters, but as many as they could fit in. I am sure this decision had nothing to do with the re-release of those classic Universal monster movies such as “The Wolfman,” “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” “Van Helsing” goes above and beyond with both its rich character development and realistic special effects. Seriously.

“Underworld 1 and 2”

Question: How can you improve upon a movie about vampires at war with werewolves?Answer: By adding Kate Beckinsale and lots of political intrigue.

The low budget original was followed by a bigger sequel with more violence and a pretty good “final death” sequence for the lead bad guy.

“Alien”

Some people call this movie the scariest of all time Having seen it a number of times I think it is safe to say it is pretty tame by today’s standards. However, given the fact that every other science fiction or horror movie shamelessly rips off what it originally did, maybe there is something to that title.

The “Saw” Movies

Ah yes, the slasher movies. Seriously who would not want to watch a movie about a sick character that goes around kidnapping people and forcing them to dismember themselves? There is even a new one coming out on October 26. However, you may just want to wait until the unrated version comes out on DVD.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Even with a student discount at the AMC, it’s pretty expensive to see a movie in the theater these days. And frankly, many movies aren’t worth the $8. But every once in awhile, an excellent film makes up for all of that wasted cash and time, earning its spot on Facebook fanatics’ favorite movies lists everywhere. Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins) has created such a masterpiece, The Prestige, which is based on a book by Christopher Priest. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) share a common dream of becoming the best magician in 19th century London. At first, they work together under the guidance of Cutter (Michael Caine), a veteran in the field who manages and trains aspiring magicians. But a bitter rivalry is spawned when Angier’s wife (Piper Perabo), a beautiful magician’s assistant, dies tragically performing a trick, and Angier holds Borden responsible. A cut-throat, manipulative rivalry ensues between the two magicians who are engaged in an obsessive competition to “one-up” the other.

Borden is a competent magician but lacks the mesmerizing stage presence that Angier possesses. Angier, though he can command the audience, is perpetually attempting to unravel Borden’s tricks, the most captivating being Borden’s innovative “Transported Man.” Consumed by his desire to steal the limelight, Angier travels to the end of the earth (well, Colorado) to consult with world-renowned and historically based inventor and engineer, Nikolai Tesla (David Bowie). Also mixed up in the devastating cycle are Borden’s wife, played by Rebecca Hall, and his beautiful assistant, Olivia, played by none other than the ever-seductive Scarlett Johanssen.

Here’s the marvelous thing about this movie: it’s perfect for everyone. For the moviegoer seeking a film involving obsession, sabotage, revenge and competition, The Prestige will satisfy every adventurous whim. For the audience member who doesn’t enjoy the actual plot, there’s an abundance of handsomeness: Batman and Wolverine in the same movie. Also, the supporting cast adds additional flavor to the film. Caine, as usual, commands the screen in all of his scenes. Johanssen embodies her role, albeit a role similar to many of her others, and adds tension to the plot. Although the sci-fi component isn’t the film’s strongest element, Bowie fits the role of the enigmatic and strange scientist, Tesla, quite well. Movies about magic are a new trend but not yet overdone. Actually, the movie offers quite an interesting look at the trials and tribulations of being a professional trickster.

Viewers must pay careful attention from the first line of the film – “Are you watching closely?” – to its unexpected finale. For every twist realized by the audience, Nolan provides another, keeping viewers always on their toes. He directs the film as if it were, in itself, a magic trick, giving it the three parts that each trick possesses: “The Pledge,” which captivates the audience, “The Turn,” in which something ordinary becomes something extraordinary and “The Prestige,” the magnificent revelation in which viewers are left in disbelief and awe. This story could have been told in a straightforward chronological manner, methodically alternating between Borden and Angier, but Nolan has indeed made The Prestige a deceptive and intricate tale. He possesses both the fundamentals and the artistic touch, a balance coveted by magicians and film makers alike. This film is worth $7, 135 minutes and a sore rear-end, leaving viewers longing to see it again and eager to find out what other tricks Nolan has up his sleeve.

Popularity: 19% [?]

As a Rent fan, I was extremely excited to know that the Jonathan Larson’s 1996 award-winning Broadway musical was coming to the big screen. Initially, I was tentative, fearing the cuts of certain songs or how scenes would be adapted to film. Both my hopes and my fears came true in this movie. Fans of the performance will appreciate hearing their favorite songs, but may be disappointed with the development of the story.

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Popularity: 3% [?]