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Haywire was a much different movie than I was expecting. In a good way. Not to say there aren't weaknesses: the plot is contrived and the elevator-like music during the otherwise thrilling action sequences is absurd. Those give way to the tension in the chases followed by the brutal hand to hand combat sequences. Newcomer and retired MMA fighter Gina Carano more than holds her own in a cast littered with talent. She gets to kick some all star ass in a very convincing manner. The way she throws punches and kicks is different than the way a typical actor would. There are cool moves here and there, yet, it's not at all stylized.

The movie centers on Mallory Kane, a contract black ops agent who suddenly finds herself hunted by everyone she comes across – seemingly like all thrillers of this sort. Unlike others in this genre, Mallory hasn't seemingly done anything to deserve this. We're never led to believe she knows too much or was too nosy. Many reviewers have called this an inferior version of the Bourne movies. I think it's better than all but the original Bourne, largely thanks to A-list director Steven Soderbergh. The comparisons beyond that are moot.

In many ways Haywire is a nonstop action film. There's terrific tension at all times because we know right from the beginning that Mallory is being hunted. There's nothing new about the "show me the middle of the movie first" structure, but it's hardly this well utilized. From her first uneasy meeting with Aaron (Channing Tatum in his best acting turn yet), we're in her shoes. We don't trust anyone. There is a particular long chase scene where Mallory is simply trying to get away from the scene by walking down the street. Her glances spot her tail across the way. She doesn't just start running. She continues walking and waits until she turns a corner and has the upper hand to break into a sprint. She's also not dumb enough to look back until she thinks she's in the clear.

That's what seems to separate Mallory and the rest of Haywire from lesser action thrillers. Mallory is smart. She knows when to snoop. She knows when to walk. She knows when she's in over her head and is more than willing to run instead of fight. Perhaps this is her first separation from her male protagonists that typically dominate the genre. She's patient, calculating. Is she a bad ass capable of taking out two swat officers at the same time? Sure, but she'll wait until she really has the advantage to do it.

In terms of more raw action, there are a few one-on-one fights with men where we never question if she can hold her own. None of the fights are the same. She faces adversaries that are either young and athletic, polished and professional, or more comfortable behind a desk. Thank God for once the desk job guy doesn't have some secret fighting ability that he's been hiding the entire time for some reason. Her friends and foes are played by the likes of Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Fassbender. That's as well rounded a cast as you'll ever see in a movie like this.

The not-so-subtle name Mallory has an etymology meaning "bad," which is ironic as Mallory isn't a contract killer. She carries out jobs requiring a high level of military skill. She believes the work she is doing is good. The first job we follow her on is a hostage rescue. The next is to be eye candy with an MI6 agent. Of course, neither turns out to be as it seems at first, but that's what they are in her eyes.

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The Dark Knight Rises is a monumental film capping off the best film trilogy ever made. More Batman Begins than The Dark Knight, the film isn't at a constant climax. Nolan invokes some short flashbacks from the first film, but aside from mentions of Harvey Dent there's very little from TDK. There is a deliberate pacing that takes us from a peaceful, boring Gotham with a retired Batman to the greatest city in the world on the brink of annihilation.

Unlike the first film in the trilogy, TDKR isn't quite as centered around Bruce Wayne or Batman. The screen is shared by a flurry of characters. Bane, Catwoman, Miranda Tate, Luscious Fox, Detective Blake, and the always welcome Alfred all get a considerable portion of screen time. Lesser important characters who should have been scrapped also push the running length to 164 minutes, though it never feels like it. The film centers around the masked terrorist Bane's plans to bring Gotham to its knees much like Ra's Al Ghul's plans in the first film. Bane's antics force both Bruce Wayne and Batman out of retirement to try to save his beloved city.

Let's just get this out of the way: there's no Joker or equivalent thereof here. There's no performance like Heath Ledger's, but TDKR is a much better film than TDK. It doesn't connect the complex plot points as masterfully as its predecessor. What it does masterfully is inject some much needed emotion into the fight for Gotham. We gladly trade our jaws dropping in a "cool! how'd they do that?" moment for our eyes watering wondering "does Batman love his city so much he'll actually die for it?".

Don't get me wrong, the action scenes are phenomenal. Between the Bat, essentially the new flying Batmobile, and a Bat Pod that shows off even more features, there's no shortage of cool technology. Bruce Wayne even has a little remote to make sure the paparazzi don't get in his way.

Even with the new gadgets, the fist fights are greatly improved from the first two films. Bane is physically superior to Batman and on par mentally. Tom Hardy has bulked up for this role. There's no six pack on Bane, he's got some flab, but it just adds to his mass. This guy is huge and terrifying. Throw in Hardy's incredibly expressive eyes and you've got a true force of evil. Hardy also seems to have a unique ability to act during his fight sequences. We can see the speed of his punches and feel his punches when he pummels Batman.

While he's the least interesting of the three major villains, TDKR spices things up with some much needed estrogen with Catwoman and Miranda Tate. Anne Hathaway is exceptional, gracefully pouncing around Gotham and dealing some punishment in some very tall heels. Catwoman has always been a good guy/bad guy who lives by her own moral code, and Nolan's version stays true to the heart of the character in the comics. Miranda is a beautiful, strong millionaire who is drawn to Bruce through his philanthropy. She comes to his aid and rescues Wayne Enterprises after one of Bane's terrorist acts at the stock exchange.

I've heard some complaints about how Bane's antics are too reminiscent of the times, playing much to the Occupy crowd. I think that's ludicrous and anyone that has seen the other two films will certainly agree. Bane's antics at the stock exchange hearken back to Batman Begins where The League of Shadows admitted to using economics to send Gotham spiraling out of control. Beyond that event the death toll in Gotham is catastrophic. Bane blows the city half to hell and releases prison inmates immediately after breaking the morale of Harvey Dent's supporters. It's anarchy as the rich are ripped from their homes, the police are trapped, and no one is safe anywhere.

The second half of the film comes to an unforgettable climax that is the most enthralling cinema in a long time. The significant amount of IMAX footage makes the action scenes as epic as can be and Nolan's refusal to use 3D means we get to see it in a proper high resolution format whether you're in an IMAX setting or not. TDKR isn't without it's faults. The music blares inappropriately quite often. There's some pretty poor exposition in the script at times (a little puzzling why backstory wasn't worked in better in this long a movie with such exceptional writers). And, the plot twists are quite predictable for those loyal to the comics. Even despite all that, TDKR is the movie everyone wanted and then some. It doesn't have the innocence and humor that made Batman Begins the best of the trilogy, but it does up the ante in terms of scale and emotion. It is easily the best movie this year so far and perhaps the best conclusion a trilogy has ever had.

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There's quite a bit about Brave that has marked it as a departure from Pixar's typical fare. The most memorable trailer was one of the best scenes from the movie, with Merida protesting her marriage by shooting for her own hand. That scene alone showcases the detail and quality of animation we've come to expect from Pixar. No other studio has managed to come near what they do. The motion of the characters is natural. Merida's gorgeous curly red hair is distracting in its details only at the perfect times. And, most impressively, when Merida holds her breath to shoot her last arrow the audience holds its collective breath as we watch her arrow shoot away in slow motion and in a beautiful use of depth of field that reminds us why 2D is still highly preferred to 3D.

That's not to say Brave is quite as visually astonishing as Sully's fur in Monsters Inc., the magical underwater world of Finding Nemo, or a landfill laden Earth in Wall-E. But, in some ways, it's not meant to be. We're dealing with a primarily human cast for once, and ones meant to look very different than the ones in Up.

Beyond the animation, the story is somewhat flat. The trailers do an excellent job of concealing the twists, but the twists are all easy to see well ahead of time. The story revolves around Princess Merida who is continually at odds with her Mother, Elinor. At the center of their arguments: marriage. Merida is to be married to the first born of one of the leaders of the other three clans. She'll have none of it as she'd much rather ride off on her own and perfect her archery skills than sit at home and be a proper Princess. In her more childish qualities, she's like her father: an overgrown warrior child who also happens to be King. It's not a bad story, but it's certainly a little too basic. Most people will most likely find the lack of creativity in the script's details the biggest disappointment in Brave. There's no moments where we marvel "how did these guys come up with this?"

It's a pity because Merida is one of the best protagonists Pixar has been blessed with. She's likable and hate-able in all the right ways. She has quite a bit of bratty teenager in her - as evidenced by the lack of morality she displays in trying to change her mother's mind about her upcoming betrothal - and yet heaps of bravery - as she shows when confronted with what she's done to her Mother. The best part about Merida and the story is that she's the one continually driving it forward and making the choices. That proves vital as the film doesn't really have a villain. This isn't a good vs. evil battle like all their other movies not named Finding Nemo.

Brave falls somewhere in the middle for Pixar. It's great that it's original (especially with Pixar selling out and giving us Monster's Inc. 2 and Toy Story 4 shortly), it's great the protagonist is female and so well rounded, and it's great the animation is somewhat subdued for once. I can't help but feel that Brave lacks some of the magic and creativity that really separate the upper echelon of Pixar's best work from the rest of it. Of course, that'll still probably be enough to make it the best animated movie of the year.

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