Movie: Wonder Woman

Just a quick post today. The wife and I watched the "Wonder Woman" animated feature on television last night. (Teletoon has been playing the DC animated movies on Sunday evenings as of late), and I wanted to drop a quick review.

It was good.

We both liked the movie, and I found that they did a good job of making Wonder Woman a character that was both approachable and tough, interesting and well-rounded. They then took this character and placed her in a plot that had good action, a few cool fights, and some humour to balance things out.

Wonder Woman is a character that is difficult to get right, (many have tried and failed) so I was interested in seeing how this movie would work. They stuck to canon as much as they could (though they did cut out Hippolyta's time with the Justice Society), and told a pretty good origin story for Diana. They also used Steve Trevor (WW's boyfriend from the golden age of comics) which was interesting, since no one knows about Steve Trevor, at least not in a Lois Lane/Mary Jane Watson kind of way.

Lastly, there was an odd amount of sexual humour and cheesecake in the movie. The wife and I both laughed at it, so it was actually funny, but I suppose the fact that it was there at all was strange and amusing.

In the end, the flick was fun action with a good grasp of the character. Watch it.

Movie: The Woman In Black

I don't often get excited for horror movies, and especially not lately, but I caught the trailer for "The Woman in Black" on television the other day, and it looked pretty damned awesome.

This is the trailer:



I'm not a fan of the "torture porn" horror that has dominated the last decade or so. I like tha Saw movies, but stuff like Hostel just leaves me cold. This flick looks full on creepy with a few bits of action and jumps.

Then, I saw this faux-vintage poster:
It only serves to make me more excited for this film. Dan Radcliffe seems like a good call for this part, and turn of the 20th century settings just add to the awesomeness. I am looking forward to this one, which is coming out on February the 3rd.

First Look at Cavill as Supermann

Courtosy of CBR, here's the first shot of Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel.


Not too shabby.

Judge Dredd

FirstShowing.net has a bunch of photos up from the upcoming "Judge Dredd" movie, starring Karl Urban.

"I Yam Duh Luh!" indeed.

It's slated for release later this year.


I'm okay with more post-apocalyptic fare at the cinema, and Urban hasn't been bad in anything I've seen, so, I'm for it.

TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Comics Alliance has a nice little article up about the upcoming movie, as well as a flashy new trailer.

Looks fun.

Movies: Thor

I finally went to see "Thor" this weekend, kicking off another big summer of comic book movies (next up is X-Men: First Class, with Green Lantern and Captain America to follow).

The quick review; Thor was fun. Be warned, for from here on in, spoilers will follow.

The movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh, the actor who does have some directorial experience, but mostly for Shakespearean adaptations (As you Like It, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing) and not for huge summer blockbusters.

(Two things here; the Branagh version of "Much Ado About Nothing" is one of my all time favorite movies, and if you are at all amused by sarcasm and whip-crack verbal exchanges, I highly recommend it. Secondly, on the topic of blockbusters, the Blockbuster video store in my neighborhood is going out of business. I worked there for 4 years when I was in college, and both of my sisters worked there after me, two years a pop. Internet/Netflix, this is on your shoulders, and while I do not mourn the late fees and the dusty shelves, there is something valuable in having a wisened clerk tell you that your choice is in fact an awful movie.)

Back to Branagh, he did a good job mixing the glories of Asgard with the humble American New Mexico, while at the same time, borrowing from "Iron Man" actor-turned-director Jon Favreau, and making the movie a light hearted action romp. Thematically, it is very close to the 2008 "Iron Man", in that a bad boy learns a valuable lesson about responsibility and mans up in time to save the day. (Also, SHIELD shows up to meddle a little bit.)

I'm amazed that the writing made as much sense as it did, considering this is the writing crew:

Writing credits

Ashley Miller (screenplay) (as Ashley Edward Miller) &
Zack Stentz (screenplay) and
Don Payne (screenplay)

J. Michael Straczynski (story) and
Mark Protosevich (story)

Stan Lee (comic book) &
Larry Lieber (comic book) &
Jack Kirby (comic book)

That is a lot of cooks for one broth, but they did okay. The movie also borrowed a bit from the great Walt Simonson run in the 80's, (like the Casket of Ancient Winters, amongst other things), so he should get a nod, too.

On to the casting. Chris Hemsworth as Thor was a far better pick than a)I expected, and b)the actor that played Thor in his first appearance in film. He does a good job of being both fierce and war-happy, and then softening up both to turn into a well rounded hero. He does a good job. Nathalie Portman plays Jane Foster, no longer a nurse, but now an astro-physicist. She's very good at playing a cute love interest, but it's not her finest role, and she plays it a little bit softer than she could have.

The star of the movie, for me at least, was Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who does an excellent job of playing the god of thunder's less-loved brother. He's very expressive on screen, often wearing an expression of pained resignation mixed in with just enough insincerity that makes you almost feel for him while at the same time knowing that you shouldn't and he's just faking you out. It's very subtle and it works wonderfully. Loki is the choice role of this film, and my favorite part of the script is that while Loki possesses the powers of an Asgardian and the skill of a wizard, he is at his most destructive when he is simply lying to people. The script is written so even the viewer is not certain when he's telling the truth or not, and that makes his inevitable betrayals even more devious, as the view now has to hate him for fooling him as well. It is really quite fun to watch.

The rest of Asgard is filled with great characters, and seeing Heimdall, Sif, the Warriors Three and Odin is really a treat for the fans of the comic, and shows you how a comic movie can be full of character without having them get in the way (I'm looking at you, Spider-Man 3).

All in all, "Thor" was good times, lived up to the trailer, and was worth seeing in the theaters.

Quick Links: May 17th

"Beast Wars" was often hit or miss for me. But when it was good, it was great.
Shout is offering the complete series for 50$. That's some good value for robots fighting. Ah Dinobot, you were so brave.
-
Comics Alliance has the new Tin Tin live action movie posters.


I am oddly enthused to see this movie.
-
Spinoff Online (and many other places) are reporting that the Wonder Woman pilot wasn't picked up. They submit that TV might be giving up on geeks (as Smallville also just wrapped up for good). I would prefer to think that Wonder Woman just wasn't that good a pilot, especially since the superhero movies have set the bar so high in terms of production value.
-
"Thor" seems to be doing well. I should get out to go see it, I guess.

Thor and Captain America Trailers

Ah the Superbowl. The best commercials that you can't see in Canada because you only get the CTV feed.

But, as they say, the internet heals all wounds.

So check out the trailer for Captain America:

And in case you haven't seen it yet, here's the Thor trailer:

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Casting

Casting news just came out for the third Chris Nolan Batman movie, as it was announced that Anne Hathaway will play Catwoman in the next movie.


Here's the official report, from Deadline.com:

"BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.” In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.” Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. “The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company."

Tom Hardy as Bane is awesome news. Bane is generally a cool character, unless Joel Schumacher get's his teeth into him, and Tom Hardy is a great choice.

Anne Hathaway, though. I dunno. I mean, I'll give Nolan the benefit of the doubt after the magic he pulled with Heath Ledger, but Hathaway wouldn't have been my first choice.

Costumes: Cap and Spidey

Entertainment Weekly delivers today.

Wanna see what Chris Evans looks like in the Captain America costume?

Here ya go:

That helmet is pretty rough looking. I'm so-so on it. I do like the red straps as stripes along the midsection though, that's inspired.

Andrew Garfield in his Spider-Man togs? Gotcha:


Some small changes to Spidey. It looks like he's lost the belt of red around his waist, and the gloves come to a point on the forearms.

Casting rumours: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Access Hollywood has published an article where Glee's Heather Morris says she's being considered for the role of Buffy Summers.


Here's an excerpt:

“They’re considering me! I found out and I almost peed my pants ‘cause I was so excited!”

“If they make [‘Buffy’] when [‘Glee’] is on hiatus, I don’t even care what I do,” Heather laughed. “I can just run through the shot and do nothing – even if I’m not Buffy!”

I'm not a huge fan of Glee, but from the few episodes I've seen, Morris is easily my favorite part of it. She's odd, and her comic timing is really sharp. He character is dim, so I'll be interested to see if she can get Buffy's Spider-Man-esque witty banter down, but I'd be okay with her as the Slayer.

Honestly, I'm more concerned about the casting of the rest of the Scooby gang than anything else.

Bacon in the Helfire Club

Quoted from the Philadelphia Style :

In X-Men: First Class, slated to open in early June, Bacon plays mutant villain Sebastian Shaw. Although it’s his first major action role (the only thing that comes close, he says, is 2000’s Hollow Man), it’s not a particularly demanding part physically. “I’ll let the younger actors do that,” he laughs. “I’m more one of those sit-in-my-chair-and-destroy-the-world type of guys.”

Kevin Bacon is Sebastian Shaw.

That is...weird.

I really don't have more to say than that. It just seems so very odd.

Movies: Jonah Hex

Rented Jonah Hex with Marisa this weekend.

I kind of wanted to see it, as the Jonah Hex comics from the 80's (drawn by Keith Giffen) were oddly memorable to me as a 10 year old. They were strange, sci-fi, and violent. Different that some of the other stuff I had read. I know now that this was a bizarre plot where DC Comics took a grizzled western hero and dropped him into a post-apocalyptic future to have zany adventures, but back then? It was a non-stop "what the hell?" ride.

In any case, it has been a pretty weak month at the video store for new releases, and that sort of left us with not much we could agree on, so a flashy western-comic adaptation won out.

I'll say a few things to get started: I like westerns. John Malkovich is usually pretty awesome, and he plays the bad guy in this movie. Megan Fox is a scourge on movie-making and I would rather not see her in films again.

All that being said, Jonah Hex was not a terrible movie. A little awkward at times, but Josh Brolin was decent as the lead. The script needed a few more rewrites in order to even it out a little, but the action scenes were fun enough.

A quick scan of his wiki article confirms that the movie makers decided to give him some odd supernatural powers that he never had in the comics, namely the ability to talk to the dead. Strange decision, but it works well enough, or at least better than the idea to include a science-fiction doomsday weapon that the bad guys try to steal. This is where Jonah Hex, the movie, gets dangerously close to "Wild Wild West".

At least there was no giant spider-robot.

I don't know if I can recommend this movie. I liked parts of it, but it had no flow and I think that it was mostly my fanboy side that helped to overlook the flaws this movie has. Josh Brolin did what he could, but the movie itself was working against him.

Wikipedia says that the public was less forgiving:.

• Jonah Hex severely underperformed, opening at #7 during its debut weekend with only $5,379,365 in 2,825 theaters, averaging $1,904 per theater. In its second weekend the film only managed to gross $1,627,442, falling to #10. The film ended its theatrical run on August 12, 2010, grossing only $10,547,117 in total on a $47 million budget, making it a box office bomb. Due to the film's poor domestic take, it was not widely released internationally, grossing less than $500,000 outside the United States.

Guess there won't be a sequel.

Thor: Poster

Marvel.com has released the first look at the new Thor movie poster.

Here it is:

Not too shabby.

I like Thor, but I've always preferred his adventures in Asgard over his time on Earth. I hope it's more "Iron Man" and less "X-Men Origins: Wolverine".

Casting: Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy

When they cast Emma Stone (from Superbad and Easy A) in the new Spider-Man movie, I thought, like the rest of the internauts, "Ah, she'll be a fun Mary-Jane."

Then it was announced that she will play Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's first serious girlfriend.

Whaaa?!?

Emma Stone stated she is a natural blonde, and now, after some work from her stylist, I think she at least looks the part.

Movies: Red

I saw "Red" a few weeks ago.

Heh, that's a great opening line.

But yeah, I went to see it in theaters with Risa. We were in the mood for some light action fare, and it was pretty sparse pickings once we looked at what was playing. The trailers made it look fun enough, so we figured it was worth a shot.

I'm sort of here and there about Bruce Willis. "Die Hard" usually makes up for most failings of his. But it was also a long time ago now. "Surrogates" was pretty weak, his bit roles in "Planet Terror" was nothing special. He's usually pretty busy, but the last thing I remember liking him in was "Sin City", and that was 2005.

But he was not really the scene-stealer of the movie.

That title went to Dame Helen Mirren, who kicked butt all movie long. After playing Queen Elizabeth in "The Queen" a few years ago, she showed that she could also stand her own as a Hollywood action star. Seriously, I could watch her reprise this role all the time. I want to see her versus the Predators now.

The rest of the cast is hit or miss. John Malkovich was quirky and fun, but Morgan Freeman felt like he just mailed it in. Brian Cox was a fun surprise (he's not in any trailers), and Karl Urban was a good foil for the "Red" crew. Mary-Louise Parker was all over the place, but I think that might be because she had Willis to play off of in most of her scenes, and they had no chemistry at all.

The action scenes were fun, the plot was okay, and the laughs were genuine. Red was a good watch, but not a flawless movie. It's based on the comic by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, which I haven't read yet, but I'm sure I'll pick it up at some point.

Green Lantern

The trailer is out, finally.



I think it looks pretty cool. Is it Batman cool? I dunno, but the suit looks better in motion than early photos suggested, and Ryan Reynolds can carry a movie. I also spotted Kilowog, witch is pretty sweet. Was the bad guy in that trailer Sinestro? I couldn't tell just on looks alone.

Captain America: Movie

CBR has some great hi-res pics from the set of the Captain America movie. Go check them out.

A Bunch of Tron Stuff.

Spinoff Online has a bit of news regarding my favorite robot DJs and lightcycles, including a pic of Daft Punk all Tron-ed out.

Check it out:

CBR also has a preview up of the new Tron adaptation of the original movie here. Looking pretty good.

Makes Me Sad

I was looking around Box Office Mojo this morning, and this made me sad.

Scott Pilgrim:
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic:
$27,040,800
+
Foreign:
$6,173,367
= Worldwide:
$33,214,167


Marmaduke:
Total Lifetime Grosses
Domestic:
$33,579,130
+
Foreign:
$36,000,000
= Worldwide:
$69,579,130