2011

This offbeat character driven comedy went under the radar, and it's least likely to be remembered in years to come. That's a shame, considering it's a pretty good movie in the vein of the Coen brothers, without the violence or the murder. Ed Helms breaks into leading man territory as a naive insurance agent sent to represent his company on a business conference, which proves to a much needed eye opener. It's the casting that's the true savior of the film, as each actor bounces off each other in ways that don't steal one's thunder. John C. Reilly makes a wonderful douchebag with a heart of gold while Isiah Whitlock plays the offbeat straight man and Anne Heche is the solid voice of reason.

Superhero movies have reached a low ebb in the mid-2000's, as Hollywood had comic book fever and turned virtually any viable superhero property into a heartless blockbuster that no one will remember 15 minutes after watching it. But First Class is part of a new renaissance with film studios giving a more adult voice to the genre. Hence, we're given films like Iron Man, The Dark Knight and this 2011 blockbuster. This rebooted prequel focuses on the early years of Magneto and Professor X as they found a school dedicated to their kind, and dealing with a menacing threat by a sinister mastermind. The casting is wise with James McAvoy as Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and for me, Kevin Bacon as the villainous Sebastian Shaw.

It's difficult to make a solid black comedy work, and work well. But Horrible Bosses does it with aplomb. The casting of the three leads works, thanks to three comically sharp actors (Bateman, Sudeikis and Day) as they contend with their bosses: a psycho (Spacey), a douche (Farrell) and a maneater (Aniston). But Horrible Bosses lays out a solid blueprint of making a story function well, without degrading into goofy slapstick.

There's a LOT of story in this contemporary adaptation of the iconic Marvel character and unlike it's 1990 predecessor, this movie takes itself seriously with a dash of camp. As the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with "Iron Man", "The First Avenger" is about Captain America's origins from a 90 pound weakling into a hulking icon of Americana as he fights his way through the Red Skull-dominated Nazi regime in WWII. The film's supporting cast is what really elevates it into being a good film, most notably Hugo "Agent Smith" Weaving as head villain Red Skull.

Despite sluggish pacing, this soon to be Oscar nominated drama focuses on the exploits of Billy Beane (Pitt), general manager for the fledgling Oakland A's baseball team.