The Avengers: B+

In the summer of superhero movies, “The Avengers” hit theaters first. For those not familiar with the iconic comic book lineup, the Avengers are a league of Marvel superheroes that include Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).  When out-of-this-world villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) threatens Earth, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of an international peace keeping organization, calls on the Avengers for help.

Although there is a plot that can be followed, saving the day in New York City has been done before, and thus the story line is secondary to the action scenes. The script, however, was very witty, adding some humor to the action movie. The movie, of course, had an ample amount of explosions and epic battles to keep fans entertained throughout the entire film.

Snow White and the Huntsman: C-

In a dark twist on the Disney classic, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is the prisoner of her beautiful, yet evil, stepmother Ravenna (Charlize Theron), the queen who took over Snow White’s parents’ kingdom. When Ravenna learns from her magic mirror that Snow White’s heart is her key to being young and beautiful forever, she orders her brother to get Snow White from the tower so she can tear out her heart. Before she can be slain by her stepmother, Snow White escapes into the woods, and Ravenna sends the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to retrieve her. Things, however, do not go according to the evil queen’s plan when Snow White befriends the Huntsman. Now, it is only Snow White who can save her parents’ dying kingdom from the rein of Ravenna.

While the dramatic visuals for the movie are excellent, it is not enough to make up for the lack of depth to Snow White. Her underdeveloped and emotionless character made the movie feel boring. Also be wary of the fact that this recreation of the fairy tale is much darker than the Disney version most are familiar with. Although Theron’s adaptation of the evil queen was excellent, it went above and beyond what would have been expected of her and parts of the movie were quite twisted.

The Dark Knight Rises: A-

Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy ended this summer with “The Dark Knight Rises.” It has been eight years since the events of “The Dark Knight,” and the criminalized Batman (Christian Bale) has not been seen since he took the blame for the late Harvey Dent/Two Face, and neither has his other identity, Bruce Wayne. However, Batman is forced to return when Gotham City is threatened by Bane of the League of Shadows.

With Batman’s return comes the return of the loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine), bat-gadget-supplier Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Police Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman). There is also the introduction of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), billionaire philanthropist Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and young detective John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), all of whom audiences will learn play a much different role than the first hour of the movie suggests.

“The Dark Knight Rises” provides a good ratio of plot and action to keep audiences from getting bored without sacrificing a great story, unlike most superhero movies that sacrifice story for action. Christian Bale is able to show a very human side to Batman/Bruce Wayne while giving a very real performance. A twist at the end keeps audiences wishing this was not the end of the series.

Magic Mike: B-

Channing Tatum enjoyed a brief career as a male stripper before his acting career took off, and in his most recent movie he showed off some of the skills he had acquired from his former position. Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) is a male stripper enjoying a life of hard partying in Tampa, Fla. The film follows Mike as he shows a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) the art of stripping and making money. While Mike enjoys his easy lifestyle of girls and money, he longs for more, making him question his choices.

While this film has been labeled as being for women only, some men have found this enjoyable. One male viewer commented that “Magic Mike” was not as much of a chick flick as he thought it would be. Overlooking the male stripping, “Magic Mike” has a decent story line of overcoming the challenges of life that guys can relate to, and it can be enjoyed by diverse audiences.

Ted: B+

John Bennet (Mark Wahlberg) is a typical man-child living in Boston with his equally immature best friend, Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), who just happens to be a childhood teddy bear that came to life. Ted proves looks can be deceiving, as the adorable teddy bear is a pot-smoking, crude-joke-cracking stuffed animal with a thing for strippers. Also living with the pair is John’s super hot and much more motivated girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). While Lori is pushing for John to get his life together (and for a ring), his friendship with Ted is keeping him from ever growing up, and Lori is torn between staying with the man she loves and leaving a little boy with a teddy bear.

Coming from the creator of “Family Guy” “Ted” has a lot of Family Guy-esque humor that is further emphasized by the man who voices Peter Griffin doing the same for Ted. However, underneath the crude humor lies a sugary sweet story line that, in a creepy way, is very heartwarming.

The Campaign: B-

North Carolinia Congressman Cam Brady’s (Will Ferrell) political career is in jeopardy when it is discovered that the politician had an affair with one of his supporters. To make matters worse, he is up for reelection, and he finds himself in a campaign war against Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), who has been prompted to run for Congress by his corrupt brothers, who hope to use his political power for their own good. From there, the movie pokes fun at the American campaign process, from political ads to debates. While this movie may not take home any Oscar nominations, it serves its purpose as an entertaining flick. Keep in mind, however, that this movie will not be enjoyable to those who are not fans of Will Ferrell’s past movies.In honor of the election year, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star in a satire of U.S. politics. Just as one would expect from a film staring Will Ferrell, the movie is vastly comprised of goofy humor that some may find offensive without hosting a real story.