action movies

In Now You See Me, four magicians (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco) use their skills to rob banks and wealthy bank accounts — and their magic touch leaves a detective (Mark Ruffalo) on their trail and just trying to keep up. The heist movie may not be on your radar as a must-see yet, but it should be — the action flick is a cool-looking, highly entertaining adventure. Here are the reasons why you shouldn't miss Now You See Me.

The Twists
The plot seems pretty straightforward from the trailer, but there are twists galore. To say much more might take away some of the fun, so suffice it to say that there is a lot going on — and plenty of surprises you won't see coming. Sure, at the end you may notice some plot holes, but you'll have had too much fun to care.

The Spellbinding Ensemble Cast
Fisher, Eisenberg, Franco, and Harrelson have good chemistry as the Four Horsemen, the stage name of their troupe. It may be an action thriller, but Now You See Me is still light, thanks to the cast's subtle humor and the script's wit. While the Horsemen often have the spotlight, it's Ruffalo's character who we spend the most time with as he tries to figure out how the magicians are tricking the world. While Ruffalo's character is much more straight-laced than we're used to seeing him, he still brings that signature charm, even when he's frustrated and being left in the dust.

Get the other two reasons after the jump.

Will Smith and son Jaden team up for After Earth, a formulaic sci-fi film infused with some tender father-son moments. Though loaded with impressive special effects, the main draw to the film is seeing both Smiths on screen together, but that time is limited. Commander Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns from a mission to find that his ambitious son Kitai (Jaden Smith) has become withdrawn, frustrated that he's failed to earn a spot in their planet's soldier forces. Struggling to find common ground, the stoic Cypher invites Kitai on a routine training trip, but when their ship crash-lands on Earth, they must depend on each other (as the only survivors) to get back home. It's a little too convenient a premise, but that's only one of the film's elements that lacks originality.

So, what's wrong with Earth? It's been 1,000 years since the human race was forced to abandon the planet, which had begun deteriorating due to extreme pollution. Now, everything from the animals to the plants to the weather has adapted to kill humans. With Cypher wounded, Kitai must travel alone to retrieve a rescue beacon, but the video-game-like obstacles that stack up in his path are way too contrived to be taken seriously. Examples: he must carefully moderate his specialized oxygen capsules, the ground freezes at night, so he needs to make it to certain hot spots before nightfall, and, oh right, there's a monster on the loose that can literally smell fear. These are all the elements of a successful action movie, yet the film lacks heart and feels more like the introduction to a series (a sequel is already rumored to be in the works) rather than a stand-alone film. To find out more of what I thought of After Earth, just read more.

I know you've been secretly awaiting a peek at Machete Kills, the sequel to 2010's violent campfest Machete, so here it is! Danny Trejo returns as the terrifying ex-Federale along with Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba, only this time, they have company. Amber Heard, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Charlie "Carlos Estevez" Sheen have all joined up. This time, Machete is battling a dangerous arms dealer who wants to launch a weapon into space. If you think it can't get much campier than that plot, wait until you see Vergara's wardrobe.

This actually seems more like a fever dream that Charlie Sheen is having than a real movie, but I'll go with it. The trailer doesn't go much into plot description, but it does offer a mélange of cast members. I genuinely can't tell if this looks like the most hilarious movie ever, or the worst. Thoughts? Check out the trailer for Machete Kills, out Sept. 13, after the jump.

It's been four years since Hugh Jackman flexed his claws for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and a few months since we got the first trailer of him in this year's follow-up, The Wolverine. We already know this movie takes place after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, when Logan flees to Japan. In this new installment, a man whose life he once saved offers to give him the gift of mortality, but that doesn't mean he gets to lead a peaceful life. People are still after him, and this time Logan's not exactly equipped to fight. The second trailer has dropped, and even if you've already seen the first one, there are some key differences.

• Jean Grey is back. OK, so she's just back in dream form, but the late Jean (Famke Janssen) makes an appearance in this trailer. It seems poor Logan is being tormented by the memory of his former lover — is this some kind of foreshadowing? Will he ever be able to move on and find someone new?
• It's not as cryptic as the first trailer. While the first trailer devotes precious time to catching up with Wolverine (he's hiding out in remote bars, Skyfall-style), this one gets right down to the point. He agrees to undergo some type of experimental treatment that will make him slightly more human, and in the midst of his sessions, he gets attacked. Speaking of . . .
• More action! There's extended footage of a crazy fight on top of trains, but even more exciting? There's some kind of giant robot-ninja — ninja-robot? I'll be curious to see how the transitioning Wolverine can handle such an opponent.

The Wolverine opens July 26, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.