COOP COOPER is an independently syndicated film critic with a split personality. His “Southern Side” prints mainstream reviews that appear in various print publications across the mid-south. His “Dark Side” from Los Angeles befouls the site with reviews of horror and grindhouse flicks. Welcome to the site where COOP’s two halves (and his contributors) review and debate the latest film/DVD releases…

by Coop Cooper

As educational institutions gear down for their summer sabbatical, Hollywood gears up to release their highest-budgeted films. This tradition seems to arrive earlier each year, but the first of these mega-budget projects usually arrive in May. The May blockbusters are strategically placed in this month, often under the assumption the studio heads feel the films are weak, risky or may not compete against the reliable mid-summer releases. Sometimes the reason is simply beating other films to the punch and audiences occasionally find some some pleasant May surprises. Here’s what’s coming next month: CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE AT THE CLARKSDALE PRESS REGISTER WEBSITE

Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):

THE CRAZIES (2010): Great first half, effective scares (pitchfork!) but ignored much of what worked in the original. 3 stars

[REC]2: Creative continuity/action/camerawork, but “Exorcist” twist undermines the mythology of original. 2&1/2 stars

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE: Travolta = over the top and action scenes = outrageous, a must see for action fans. 3&1/2 stars

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: Better than AVATAR in story and intent. Total pleasant surprise. Take kids now. 4&1/2 stars

SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE: Sub-par comedy. Baruchel unlikably insecure. Cop-out ending. Title ironically true. 2 stars.

NINJA ASSASSIN: Good gore. Bad CGI shurikens. Rain = ok. Lead actress sucks. Sho Kosugi rocks. Lame plot. 2 stars.

LEGION: Amazing concept. Angels + weapons = BOOM. Weak execution. All characters unlikable. Wings clipped. 2&1/2 stars.

The most highly anticipated film of the year, “Avatar” marks director James Cameron’s first feature film since 1997’s “Titanic.” The notoriously meticulous filmmaker has painstakingly prepared this film, utilizing the largest motion picture budget to date. An estimated $300 million went into the making of this science fiction epic which boasts revolutionary 3-D imagery and supposedly “photo-real” special effects. Given Cameron’s exceptional track record for delivering some of the most successful mega-budget blockbusters of all time, “Avatar” has a lot to live up to…

Nope, it’s not movie news per se, BUT I’m trying to ease back into the horror scene after a long, pre-Halloween slumber. I’m kicking in the movie scene by reviewing Pandorum in the next day or two, but when a bunch of cartoon characters from “Adult Swim” can singlehandedly resurrect the flagging “death metal” scene, that’s news for the ages. Dethalbum II, by the fictional band Dethklok, hit iTunes last night at midnight and I downloaded it immediately. Why? Because Dethalbum I was so popular and completely owned the genre it satirizes…

Not since The Empire Strikes Back have I anticipated a movie so eagerly. Tron was one of the biggest cinematic staples of my childhood. I can’t imagine a world without it. Finally, we are about to get a sequel. Tron Legacy (formerly Tron 2.0 and TR2N) has been a twinkle on the horizon for many years now. Four years ago or so, Jeff Bridges did an interview wearing his old Flynn helmet which sparked speculation that something was on stove. Rumors emerged…

It’s an origin story, yet test pilot Hal Jordan becomes Green Lantern by the 3 min 30 sec mark. Despite the hasty introduction, this animated, direct to DVD Green Lantern movie contains a lot of what fans have been waiting for. Massive outer space battles, grumpy Kilowog, a non-wimpy Sinestro, giant green flyswatters. Surely a live-action version couldn’t support the FX that First Flight boasts, and… What? Yes, I said giant green flyswatters. Yeah, that pisses me off too.

I declare this one a must-see. Some dude named Joe Nicolosi apparently asked an air-headed friend (girlfriend, maybe) Amanda to explain the original “Star Wars” trilogy even though she has NEVER SEEN any of the films. Correction: She’s seen bits and pieces and knows the characters’ names, but Joe tapes the entire explanation and adds animation for comedic effect. The result: A hilarious work of genius…

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one, but know that it’s not just for kids. “Up” strikes exactly the right balance between kid-friendly and adult-friendly. It manages to entertain on all levels and it does it all in 3-D. I was amazed how it could wrench at your heart one minute, then get you laughing again in the next. I might even go so far as to say…

Yeah, so I got a silly hair in me today. Feel free to sing along to the 2nd verse of this one. I remember standing up and saluting the first time I saw this…

Formerly titled “Terra,” this 3-D animated film hasn’t gotten a lot of press or as big of a release as I would have expected. It’s independent and lower-budgeted than those movies produced by Pixar and Dreamworks, but don’t let that fool you. “Battle for Terra” packs an emotional punch with a solid, sci-fi morality tale usually reserved for a more mature vehicle. Alas, the cheapness shows and the film suffers a bit, but that should in no way discourage…

I’m eagerly awaiting this one. The animation looks fantastic and the post-apocalyptic story seems original and mysterious. From what I can tell from the trailer and clips, it takes place in a world where humans are long gone. Robotic rag-dolls with numbers instead of names have emerged to fight and defeat the evil machine creatures that have taken over the planet. Created by humans, these dolls hold the key to…

Did this “complete my ‘Watchmen’ experience” like the commercial said it would?
No, it didn’t.
It’s told out of context, making it extremely difficult to find the relevancy to the feature “Watchmen” (my review here) film, even for the discerning fan. In fact, anyone not familiar with the graphic novel who picks this up simply won’t understand [...]

Hideous freaks of science become Earth’s only hope against a threat from outer space. It’s a fantastic idea for an animated film and DreamWorks has invested a lot of time, money and innovation into “Monsters vs. Aliens.” It could’ve been a strong contender against Pixar’s “The Incredibles” as a high-concept idea turned into a shining [...]

I miss the wacky, grim comedies from the 80’s. Movies like “Beetle Juice,” “The ‘Burbs” and “Gremlins,” had a spooky, Halloween-like undertone mixed with jokes and laughter. They pushed the limits of their PG ratings, yet maintained enough heart and soul to counterbalance the scary images and grisly subject matter. “Coraline” on the other hand [...]

Ever notice when a studio puts out a high concept film and another studio releases a similarly-plotted, high concept movie both in the same year (Ex- “Volcano” and “Dante’s Peak,” “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact,” “A Bug’s Life” and “Antz,” etc…)?
Looks like it’s happening again with these two animated films in which humans invade alien homeworlds.
“Planet [...]

I remember watching the cartoon network mini-episodes of the clone wars and wishing for more. Well it seems I got my wish, but not without a few catches. George Lucas’ newest installment in his ultra-popular franchise delivers very well most of the time, but there are definitely some big problems with this film.
I doubt that [...]

I love martial arts films. Doesn’t matter if you do, you’ll still like this one. It’s got fuzzy animals talking. Jack Black plays a panda and Angelina Jolie, a tiger. Tigress, rather.
I don’t have to convince most of you to see this one. If you have kids, you’re already locked in. It’s an animated film, [...]

As a kid, one film that I fondly remember seeing was “Clash of the Titans” back in 1981. I remembered wondering how they made those scary-looking monsters look alive. It was years before I leaned it was a technique called “claymation”, the art of moving a clay figure a fraction for every film frame in [...]