UPDATE: Disney and Marvel have chosen July 26, 2013 as the release date for “Thor 2.”Deadline now reports that the film will be scripted by Don Payne (“Thor,” “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”). When it comes to a new Marvel superhero making it to the big screen, once audiences see the finished […]

I called “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” a 2.5-hour exhibition of a hurricane in a hardware store. There should have been nothing exciting, therefore, about the prospect of a second 2.5-hour exhibition — this time of hunks of scrap metal perpetually raining over Chicago — filmed entirely in 3D. Yet with the added assurance of […]

Fourth of July weekend always means an early Weekend Movie Preview here at Movie Muse. Last year it was brought to us courtesy “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” but this year for the third time in five years, it belongs to Michael Bay, Shia LaBeouf and Optimus Prime. The third film in the “Transformers” series, “Transformers: […]

The name of the game this first (official) weekend of summer is alternative programming. Sort of. At first glance, a family film and an R-rated comedy seem like welcome new releases with the first three weekends of the month focusing primarily on superhero and action movies. “Cars 2,” however, seems to be a definite summer […]

It’s not easy being green, nor is it easy making green. This week, Trailer Wednesday features the Jason Segel-led revitalization of “The Muppets” and the story of how Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane challenged the baseball system with a low-cost strategy.

The challenge of making a “Green Lantern” film was always going to be bringing it down to Earth. Not necessarily in a planetary sense, but sifting through and boiling down all the intergalactic mythology. Everything from the planet Oa to bird-fish aliens named Tomar-Re to a far-fetched concept of harnessing “will” to defend the universe […]

The best science fiction is often the kind that doesn’t feel like science fiction at all. Almost always, the genre’s most lauded stories and films earn that praise for never losing their human qualities in the face of elaborate story structure, futuristic props and set pieces and stylish action. That’s why Hollywood so often returns […]

What’s with all the dang penguins? We’ve known that for decades that Hollywood has a habit of supplying vocal chords or curiously anthropomorphic abilities to all living creatures in the animal kingdom. From animated features to “Dr. Doolittle,” we’ve consistently fantasized about what would happen if our furry, scaly or feathered friends could talk, sing or interact […]

How are you holding so far? The summer to this point has been fun but it’s been week after week of major blockbuster release with no relief in sight. This weekend, audiences will have to decide if fatigue will impact their interest in the third superhero film of the summer already, Warner Bros.’ “Green Lantern.” […]

Nostalgia. Now that’s a word not uncommon around a Woody Allen picture. His films have always oozed of it, and now that his filmmaking legacy spans more than 40 years, to some people, an Allen film equates to it. “Midnight in Paris” falls under both categories. Remarkably, only Woody has been able to riff on […]

Created by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. That phrase says a lot. As more and more clues were revealed as to Abrams second secret film project, the mere presence of these two respected names began to connect dots in the minds of film fans. The first teaser — made before the film even […]

A small but existent segment of the American population believes that any and all combinations of cars, guns and naked women make for the perfect care-free cinematic cocktail. But like any cocktail, there’s a perfect blend required, not simply throwing them in a blend-er. Behold the difference between the “Fast and Furious” franchise and “Drive […]

Now a month and a half into the summer season, you should be feeling the heat now. The demand for box-office dinero has increased tremendously and now the mystery of all mysteries, J.J. Abrams’ “Super 8,” looks for its piece of the pie. With all the major franchise offerings these past few weekends, will “Super 8” […]

Superhero movies have been thriving in both Hollywood and public consciousness for almost 10 years now, and one of the biggest reasons has been the origin story. “Spider-Man” in 2002 revealed how the emotional power of a superhero’s motivation can humanize even those characters with the most extraordinary powers. “X-Men: First Class” provides this oh […]

  Anticipated novel adaptations comprise today’s Trailer Wednesday. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1” will mark the second movie of 2011 to be one of a two-parter based on the last chapter of a book series after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2” next month. Also, David Fincher’s Hollywood adaptation of the […]