The Three Musketeers (2011)

RATING:*** (3 stars)

The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.

Despite what you're hearing from a lot of critics out there, The Three Musketeers is actually an enjoyable movie. The twist this time around is that we are taking the characters we are familiar with and adding a touch of steampunk to the world--most notably in the form of airships.

Expect to see a number of familiar faces as some amazingly well choreographed action scenes, but don't go in expecting a textbook adaptation of Dumas' original story and don't expect a story that will make the short list at the Oscars in February. This film is a fun ride that will entertain you--whether you catch it in theaters or wait for it to hit DVD is a purely personal choice on this one.

Trailer

The Thing (2011)

RATING:**** (4 stars)

At a research site in Antarctica, a team of scientists are elated at the finding of both an alien craft and a specimen frozen in the ice... until it wakes up and they realize that one of them may be the creature in disguise.

If the title didn't already give it away, the plot should indicate a strong similarity to John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)--and rightly so as this film is being billed as the prequel to the 1982 classic. I can also proudly say that if you enjoyed John Carpenter's adaptation of the short story "Who Goes There?", then you'll love this prequel as well.

Similar to what I would call the best horror films out there, more emphasis is put on suspense than on actual violence. Which isn't to say that you won't see the alien in about a half dozen different shapes and forms as it lays waste to Norwegians and Americans in equal measure, but you have to give props to Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
for a great job of directing and for the amazing sound crew. Not much for recognizeable faces among the actors, with the notable exception of Joel Edgerton who was most recently in Warrior. Fellow cinephiles should also recognize Mary Elizabeth Winstead from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World last year. Both give solid performances, but nothing you'll hear tale of at the Academy Awards.

All-in-all you're looking at a great film that remains true to the spirit of its predecessor and one that shouldn't disappoint.

Trailer