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Adam McKay may not be the best director or a household name just yet but hardcore movie fans like myself know when he does films with comedian Will Ferrell, it’s a hit and it JUST WORKS OUT. Now this former director Adam McKay was once a writer for Saturday Night Live and went onto directing two Will Ferrell movie’s, Anchorman and Talladega Nights with huge box office success. It’s also written in Will Ferrell’s resume that whenever he’s done a film without Adam McKay directing it, his movies have failed miserably in films such as Land of the Lost and Semi-Pro. As both the director and the co-writer of the film “The Other Guys”, Adam McKay does a wonderful job in bringing out the best in their main stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell and of course the rest of the acting crew. The best thing about this movie is that it complements both the action and comedy aspect than any other comedic film I’ve seen in a while.

In this film we get to see a whole new perspective on what detectives and cops actually do in the police department as far as work is concerned and hardly ever get the chance to fight crime out of their cubicles. For instance, we see it all of the time in shows like Law & Order and action movies whereas the detectives will chase down the criminals in the usual cops and robbers shenanigans and or games and this movie’s very different in that perspective. We see these cops staying at their cubicles performing their usual police reports which is certainly a whole new side we haven’t ever seen in other movies before. Will Ferrell plays Allen Gamble, a cop that enjoys working at his office filing police reports instead of working in the field whereas his partner Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) is a whole new story, he’s the go getter of the two with his forceful nature and a whole lot more ambitious.

What made this movie work really well was the last 40 percent of it. The one thing that made this movie that much more interesting is that they didn’t give Will Ferrell’s character all of the jokes, a mistake that all buddy cop movies make like the recent Cop Out remake starring both Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. Mark Wahlberg was as good as he always is in playing the more intense character like he does in every movie he’s in, he also had plenty of laugh out jokes in the film and does it beautifully with a straight face it’s just epic! I especially loved his joke about wanting to fly like a peacock because it may just make it’s way into AFI’s Most Memorable Movie Quotes and when he shoots Derek Jeter by mistaking him for a criminal it sent the whole movie theatre into a laughing uproar!

The twenty percent of the film that was absolutely hilarious was even more funny as the movie and story progressed. Many buddy cop movies of past and present make their biggest mistake in showing their villains very early on, which happens all of the time in comic book superheroes. The great thing about this film is that it gets you involved into figuring out the mystery along with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg and the many twists and turns that get you into questioning who the actual culprit is behind the massive ponzi scheme. However the movie The Other Guys isn’t just any movie it’s the “movie”. Some of the jokes were a little out of place, and even the annoying police chief’s (Michael Keaton) motive in keeping Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg into solving the ponzi scheme mystery did interfere with the film quite a bit. The Other Guys had a fabulous story line, everyone was just hilarious and in the year 2010 this movie lives up to all of the hype and so much more. I truly appreciate the individuals that have taken time out of their day to read this review and I’m certainly thankful for that.

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Iron Man appeals to me as one of the best superhero movies even to this very date. What’s there not to love about this movie it has it all, the casting, the story line, and the humor that makes it that much more wildly entertaining. I also love how many lines Robert Downey Jr’s character Tony Stark had, they all had tons of sarcasm but yet they were mildly entertaining. I also found it quite interesting that they had a very small but serious subtext to the movie’s story line and it happens in the opening minutes of the movie, already the movie gets interesting and fun and it wasn’t in the middle of the movie before it got to this point like all the other movies. The playboy smooth talking jerk, alcoholic, rich weapons creator that is his character Tony Stark, flies to Afghanistan to discuss Stark Industries’ (his own company) brand new weapon with the military. Many things happen rather quickly and sees just what his weapons or inventions do to people.

Iron Man has all of the elements that make this film great but it’s truly the acting cast that makes up for the success of this movie. Robert Downey Jr. not only brings his real life persona to his role but presents us with a stunning and funny aura of his character Tony Stark but resembles him down to the touch. Jeff Bridges does a wonderful job acting in this movie that he complements Robert Downey Jr. quite well, he also plays a decent villain that’s quite versatile in the sense that he’s not just this broad one dimensional character like all the other movies. Terrence Howard does a decent job in his role as a military specialist and Tony Stark’s former college buddy and best friend. Gwyneth Paltrow does a wonderful job in her role as well and only adds to the already stellar cast. She fits her role as John Stark’s sexy and wise assistant so wonderfully and has met her match in the man they call “Tony Stark.” All of the interactions and or relationships mesh so well that it’s the real highlights of the movie altogether. If this movie’s cast wasn’t what it is right now than this movie for sure would be deemed a terrible movie and it might have been a box office disaster.

The writing was absolutely superb, they stayed true to the story line throughout movie and didn’t make any adjustments or revisions to the script, this usually never happens with movies. I found it quite fun and entertaining that Tony Stark goes through a transformation from his business oriented mind to an individual looking to save the world from chaos while sticking to his personality which is his bravado, humor, and his integrity. All of John Stark’s dialogues or one liners were dead on, clever and comedic. The Iron Man movie serves as an introduction and the life of Robert Downey Jr’s character Tony Stark from a man to superhero. There were more than a fair share of action scenes that made this movie an enjoyable experience.

Jon Favreau has certainly convinced to everyone that he is here to stay and direct movie’s through his great filmography, as an actor and as a director he’s shown that he can be versatile. Filming a movie like Iron Man is certainly no easy task, Jon Favreau rises above and beyond in directing this movie with such brilliance. I liked how their gave the viewers a look as to how much detail was given to building Iron Man’s suit. Overall I loved this movie it really surprised me to say the least and that I can’t wait for the release of Iron Man 2. This movie is indeed a must watch movie, it gets two thumbs up by me for the movies shear genius. I truly appreciate the individuals that have taken time out of their day to read this review I am certainly thankful for that.

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Some monsters never die. Some of them keep on burrowing ever deeper into the collective unconscious until they are rooted there for all time. Here we’ll take a look at ten of the film industry’s most unforgettable creatures. There is no real order to this list, as they are all fine examples of celluloid terror (and opinion, after all, is subjective. Nowhere moreso than with film fans), but the big names speak for themselves. We’ll also take a look at some of the licensed merchandise that these creatures inspired, which has thrilled fans for decades.

Chucky:

The possessed doll first hit the screens in the 1988 horror classic ‘Child’s Play’. Following that came four sequels, and with each one his appeal was diminished as each film became more and more of a spoof of what came before. Chucky is also to be getting the remake treatment, but in the new version he will still be played by veteran movie villain Brad Dourif.

Pinhead:

Famously portrayed by Doug Bradley in eight feature films, Pinhead is one of the most striking images to have come to cinema. With his fetishistic outfit and hideous mutilated visage, he leads his Cenobite minions across realities to ensnare twisted individuals who crave the next big fix. The character is to come to the big screen again with the forthcoming remake of the first Hellraiser.

Jason Voorhees

The mutated hick from Crystal Lake has terrorized audiences for decades, and to date has appeared in eleven feature films including the 9 Friday the 13th movies, Jason X and Freddy Vs Jason. A remake of Friday the 13th is soon to be released and kick off the series all over again. With his distinctive Hockey mask and bloodied machete, Jason is an unforgettable movie monster.

Predator:

First shredding flesh in the 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Predator quickly became an iconic movie monster despite only starring in two films until the AVP franchise came along. With its distinctive features and abilities, the Predator grabbed ever more fans due to it being such a relentless adversary for the films’ heroes. The Predator has gone on to become one of the most sought-after collectable items in history.

Ghostface

Surprisingly, the masked killers from the SCREAM trilogy always rank very highly with horro movie buffs. While not strictly monsters, the image of the masked, robed murderers is one that permeated all of the horror industry for a time in the lkate 90s, spawning a whole generation of lesser imitators who wanted to get in on the teen slasher reinvention bandwagon.

Freddy Krueger:

The legendary dream demon, Freddy Krueger, brought terror to our screens in seven movies of his own, as well as a short-lived TV series, countless books and comics, and the lacklustre Freddy Vs Jason feature film. Played by Robert Englund in all of the above, Freddy was (and is) an intense and memorable character. He worked best in the first and third films of his own franchise, when he was at his darkest. The first of his films, A Nightmare on Elm Street, is currently being remade, with Krueger now played by Billy Bob Thornton.

Alien:

Originally designed by legendary artist HR Giger, the eponymous creature in the ALIEN films (and indeed AVP and AVP: Requiem) is an instantly recognizable movie monster. Its very form thrills and terrifies in equal measure, proven by its longevity as a driving force in the film industry. To this day the first two Alien films stand up as masterpieces of the genre and cinema as a whole, and while later films and the Alien Vs Predator spinoffs may have been lesser products, they did nothing to diminish the power of the creature’s presence when glimpsed onscreen.

STAY PUFT MASHMALLOW MAN

Mr Stay Puft only appeared in one film, namely the all-time classic first Ghostbusters movie from 1984, but that brief appearence was enough to cement the character in film fans’ hearts and minds forever more thanks to his frankly insane visage. Who could forget the sight of a giant man made of sweets, standing 112.5 feet tall (according to Harold Ramis), attacking New York before being destroyed by four eccentric men in overalls and proton packs? He went on to become an icon in comics, cartoons and toys

King Kong:

Back in 1933, the world gasped in awe at the sight of the original King Kong movie and all of its legendary stop-motion animation. The ingenious technique brought to life one of the most incredible beasts ever known, and a genre was born. Spawning various spinoffs, sequels and remakes, including Peter Jackson’s impressive 2005 effort, there are few other onscreen beasts that can lay claim to the crown of most influential movie monster of all time. Incredibly influential in every sense, the original film, and indeed the titular giant ape, have become synonymous with the creation of the monster movie genre. Nobody will ever forget that climactic and iconic battle atop the Empire State building.

Godzilla

The 1998 American remake may well have been a critical and commercial failure but it couldn’t change the fact that the famous Japanese monster, Godzilla, is the most recognizable and revered of all monsters that have appeared on film. Notching up over 50 film appearances, he has fought off all manner of weird attackers, spawned cartoon shows, spin-off franchises and a massive merchandising industry. The image and idea of Godzilla has proven to be remarkably enduring, and even though the character was supposed to be laid to rest with the incredible Godzilla: Final Wars a few years ago, the legend continues with yet more giant monster projects. I swear, Tokyo must have been rebuilt more times than I’ve seen Star Wars. No, really. The giant monster action may well have been a bunch of guys in big rubber suits, but it has nevertheless thrilled audiences ever since the 1950s. Long may Godzilla reign as the king of all beasts.

So there you have ten of the greatest movie monsters of all time. But what of the merchandising industry they spawned?

There has long since been an insatiable appetite for licensed movie monster memorabilia from fans the world over. Thankfully, there are some fantastic companies out there who are creating some truly incredible work in this area, and fans are eager to get their hands on the latest items. Let’s take a look at some of the big names currently proving the world with high quality licensed merchandise.

In the past decade, the licensed collectibles market has been dominated by a select few companies, who have earned their status as the best in the world through years of dedication and the quality of their work. The leaders in the field of official movie merchandise are companies such as Mcfarlane, NECA, Sideshow Collectibles and Gentle Giant. Mcfarlane cornered the market in action figure versions of the most famous movie monsters at the end of the 90s with their legendary Movie maniacs range, bringing quality articulated figures of such characters as Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees and suchlike into the realms of affordable merchandise. Their box sets, such as the much missed Alien Queen set or their equally popular Jaws set, were of such a high standard that they remained hot sellers for half a decade. Mcfarlane’s attention to detail and giving the fans what they wanted was noticed by several other companies who tried to get in on the bandwagon, but Mcfarlane are yet to be bettered.

Other collectibles companies looked to different avenues of licensed items to make their mark. NECA were hot on the heels of Mcfarlane and brought fans some of the best large scale figures and music based action figures the world market had ever seen, whereas creators such as Sideshow and Gentle Giant directed their energies towards making extremely high quality items. In the case of the amazing Sideshow Collectibles, many of these items are deemed to be of museum quality, such is the craftsmanship that goes into each of their stunning pieces. Where some would be content to create simple articulated figures, Sideshow go for the grand, the huge, the massive pieces, and employ the finest artists and sculptors in order to bring legendary creatures and characters to life as collectible statues, dioramas, replicas and figures. The appetite for movie monster merchandise has seen the growth of an international industry. As long as monsters tear up cities and terrorise whole worlds, there will be fans who want one of their own.

Really though, the appetite for monsters, creatures, demons, beasts, aliensa dn all those other fantastic creations shows no signs of fading away. While the popularity of the films may have waned a little, and the genre begins to be reinvented (Cloverfield, for example), we stand on the brink of a whole new breed of terrors ready to smash and destroy in the name of cinematic chaos. Long may they reign.