Battleship

Release Date: May 18, 2012 

Runtime: 2 hr. 11 min. 

Director: Peter Berg 

Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Liam Neeson, Brooklyn Decker.

Every summer, there are the conventional movie bombs. Some, more expected than others, due to poor conception, meager acting, or negative word-of-mouth. Unsurprisingly, "Battleship" is culpable of all three, and sinks rapidly before it even begins. Based on the board game of the same name, it's everything you'd expect from a subpar origin. Explosions and special effects overhaul a baseless script, along with dialogue that's C-level at best. While it has the inner workings of a Roland Emmerich film, and the visual juxtaposition of Michael Bay, it is neither here nor there in terms of entertainment value. Despite a runtime of over 2 hours, "Battleship" doesn't really live up to its name until the end, during which time the actual interaction of the game is introduced. It's those brief 10 minutes or so that the film redeems itself, but only by way of familiarity. The cast fairs no better, combining the absent talents of newcomer Rihanna with the usually dependable Liam Neeson, who hardly has any part in the action whatsoever. But then again, if it were up to him, he would have taken out the aliens with his own special skill set, and there would be no movie to begin with. Sadly, that isn't the case, and Rihanna's still acting. One can just hope that there will be no sequels on the horizon.

Rating: 1½ stars

Marvel's The Avengers

Release Date: May 04, 2012  

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min. 

Director: Joss Whedon 

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård.

It's never an easy task to create a great superhero movie: one that expresses a story and builds the character, while set in a world acclimated to reality. Yet it's a whole other feat altogether to assemble, not two, but four separate character arcs and make it consistent; let alone coherent and manageable. But if there's one person up to the challenge, it's Joss Whedon, and he pulls off the unthinkable in this summer's first major blockbuster. Already familiarized with the supernatural elements (Buffy, Firefly) — and a master storyteller at that (Cabin in the Woods) — Whedon delivers what should rightfully be called the 'superhero' of all comicbook movies. Bringing together an enormous cast of Marvel favorites that include Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, just to name a few, he manages to carry a narrative that's both smart and well-crafted. From the distinct character details, to the more subtle musical inclusions, the film integrates everything seamlessly for an epic adventure that took years to surmount. Brimmed with endless action sequences and witty dialogue, no individual is left unaccounted for — main, or supporting. What's more is the evolution, or revelation, of the green hero formerly known as The Hulk. Having been resuscitated for far too long, it seems as though third time's the charm with the casting of Mark Ruffalo. More humanized in every way, Ruffalo breathes new life into the troubled character, making it the best part of every scene, as well as the movie in its entirety. With all said and done, "The Avengers" is about as good as it gets...save for "The Dark Knight," of course. But fear not, there's plenty more to come from the Marvel universe. Til then, all hail Joss Whedon.

Rating: 4.5 stars