Wednesday, July 31, 2013

My thoughts on the Fox Shared Cinematic Universe

So a while ago, it was announced that Fox would follow Marvel's example and create a shared universe. However, the only properties they still have film rights to are the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. And while both of those teams could carry franchises on their own, a lot of people question the opportunities to merge these two properties together. The X-Men focus primarily on mutant-human relationships, and the FF don't meddle much in the world of X-Men.


However, something did pop in to my mind.

A unique element to the FF is that their identities are public: the world - and the government - know who they are. In fact, in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the FF were approached by the government due to their reputations as both scientists and crime-fighters.


So that got me thinking, what if the FF was used by the government in the creation - directly or indirectly - of the sentinels that will appear in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Now I know that Boliver Trask has been cast as the man who creates these machines, and I'm not ignoring that, but maybe the FF is consulted in some way, or unknowingly used to create some tech or gizmo or something used by the sentinels.


While this idea would have potential to clash the FF and the X-Men against each other, at least initially, which could be a great fight to see on screen, there is, of course, another direction to go, using sentinels as the "go" point.


Maybe, in this version, the FF aren't so well known. And the use of sentinels to attack mutants could bring them out of the shadows as heroes in this world, that aren't subject to being targeted by sentinels because they're not mutants. This could provide a glimpse of a better potential future between mutants and humans, and give the mutants hope that in time, humans will think better of them.


Of course, this is all pure speculation on my part. I just hope that we finally get the FF movie we deserve, and more crossovers means more stories and more characters.

Punisher: Over the Years

With three films that have failed to gain much support, film rights for the Punisher have returned to Marvel. Will see see another outing for Frank Castle? Only time will tell.

Dolph Lundgren: The Punisher (1989)
Thomas Jane: The Punisher (2004)
Ray Stevenson: Punisher: War Zone (2008)



Monday, July 29, 2013

#CosplayOfTheWeek July 29, 2013

So, Wolverine is here, and now audiences are anxiously awaiting Days of Future Past. Magneto is back, both in Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen form. And his son, Quicksilver, will be around as well, played by Evan Peters. No word yet on whether Quicksilver's sister, the Scarlet Witch, will appear (although they are both confirmed for Avengers: Age of Ultron).

However, there's another mutant child of Magneto's out there: Polaris. Lorna Dane is, like her father, able to control metal and magnetism. Unlike the Maximoff siblings, she started out with the X-Men, not fighting at her father's side. This could be a great story for a film, if either Magneto gets too old and is headed out of the movies, or, even better, if he gets too powerful to where it seems like no one can stop him, in comes Polaris to take him on,with the X-Men behind her.

Even better, Polaris was a major love interest for Havok in the comics, and Lucas Till has recently been confirmed as returning as Havok in DOFP.

Need another reason to want to see Polaris on film? Just look at the costume.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

100 Words or Less: Wolverine (2013)

This is a pretty good film. Good action, good drama, decent logic, and a good romance arc. Does well at both following X3 and setting up DOFP, while definitely not being an “X-Men” movie -- it’s all Logan.

Also, I’m a sucker for the bone claws.

I tried to avoid the hype, because I knew that would only lessen it, but still, so many people were saying things like “The Wolverine Movie I’ve Always Wanted” and it wasn’t that. Not for me.

I wanted a berserker rage scene, and I wanted actual samurai training, and I didn’t get that.


#VideoSunday July 28, 2013

Heroes who've film rights have recently returned to Marvel Studios approach Iron Man about getting new movies.

Check it out here!

Friday, July 26, 2013

100 Words or Less: X-Men: First Class (2011)

To be honest, there’s a lot in this movie I’m not fond of, mainly Mystique. Her relationship with Charles was my biggest issue, but also the transition to the original trilogy version was a forced and unnatural change, I don’t buy that they are the same character. 



Also, a non-Nightcrawler teleporter is always a negative for me, but at least Azazel is his father. And badass.



Thankfully, this film does so much right that I can look past the wrong:



Xavier and Eric’s relationship, new characters, humans’ heightening awareness of mutants.



The Xavier training sequence is amazing.



And Moira MacTaggert.


#FridayIsUpdateDay July 26, 2013

Alright, so now the Comic Con news has hit and settled. It would be pretty hefty to try and repeat all of that information in a single post, so here are some highlights.

-DC/WB has announced that the sequel to Man of Steel will feature Batman. It seems the film will focus more on them fighting for the majority of the movie, and the most likely title is "Batman vs Superman."


-Agents of SHIELD screened their pilot episode to great reception

-The Marvel One-Shot (short film) Agent Carter was also shown to audiences, and was likewise well-received.

-Sony has announced that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will set up the next two movies

-Fox reveals that sentinels will likely play a large role in Days of Future Past


-Marvel Studios reveals the title of the Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron. However, Kevin Feige claims they are not adapting the storyline of the same name from the comics, they are only using the title, so it's hard to tell how large of a role Ultron will actually play, or his supporting cast (Ant-Man and Vision).


-Joss Whedon has stated that Loki will not be in Age of Ultron, but others at Marvel haven't been so clear.

-Joss Whedon has confirmed that Hawkeye will be back for Age of Ultron, and he'll be having more interactions with the other heroes, not get stuck being brainwashed for the majority of the story.

-Guardians of the Galaxy has started filming, and Karen Gillan delighted fans by revealing she had shaved her head for the role of Nebula


-A fair amount of news comes from the lack of announcements: No announcements for films based on "new" characters, like Black Panther, Dr. Strange, Flash, Wonder Woman, etc.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

100 Words or Less: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

This is actually my least favorite X-Men movie.



Plenty of reasons people disliked this film: Altered characters, powers, and histories for no apparent reason. (Iron Man 3 should have realized that didn’t work).



Also, having a teleporter that isn’t Nightcrawler makes me sad.

However, the reason this is my least favorite X-Men film is, well, because it’s not an X-Men film -- it’s a Wolverine film. This doesn’t have the mutant vs human feeling of the X-Men.



However, the redemption for this film comes via Sabretooth and his history and relationship with Wolverine.



Mid-credits scene, and two different post-credits scenes!


Thursday is Thor's Day: July 25, 2013

Did you know?

Stan Lee's first three big creations in the 60s were the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk. He wanted to come up with somebody as powerful -- or more powerful -- than the Hulk for his next character, but wasn't sure how to make somebody stronger than the strongest human.

That's when he decided to base his character on a god. Deciding that people were too familiar with Greek and Roman gods, he looked to Norse mythology, and along with his brother Larry Lieber and artist Jack Kirby, Thor was born.


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Daredevil: Over the Years

Daredevil has long been one of my favorite heroes. In fact, he's probably my favorite hero that's not a major member of a popular team of heroes. For instance, Nightcrawler is my favorite X-Man, Hawkeye is my favorite Avenger, and Triton is my favorite Inhuman.

But outside of teams, Daredevil is probably my favorite hero. Unfortunately, I haven't seen much in the film variety to make me happy, although I forgive the 2003 film more than most just because it's the best I've gotten so far. Hopefully, with the rights back at Marvel Studios, we will get a high-quality Daredevil film soon.

Not a long list, but let's see who's worn the horns over the years

Rex Smith: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989 TV movie)

A Daredevil cameo in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Ben Affleck: Daredevil (2003) and a deleted scene in Elektra (2005)

100 Words or Less: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

This is the X-Men film people love to hate, but honestly I don’t know why. Sure, it has its issues, but any film does, and not every film is going to be great. I like the film, despite its flaws.

Some things to like:

- The only X-Men film to have the original team.



- Great fight between Pryo and Iceman, with Iceman finally going full throttle and converting his whole body into solid ice.



- Kelsey Grammar is perfect as Beast.



- Shadowcat, Iceman, and Colossus get to actually participate in combat.


Can’t wait for Days of Future Past



Monday, July 22, 2013

100 Words or Less: X2: X-Men United (2003)

This is my favorite X-Men movie.



The biggest reason is Nightcrawler. He’s always been my favorite mutant. And this movie makes him badass. The opening White House scene is amazing.



Also, Wolverine defending the mansion. First time we really got to see Logan let loose, and it was awesome. 



Add to that Lady Deathstrike, and the spectacular fight scene.



Additionally, making the mutant-human debate personal with Bobby’s family added depth.



Finally, I loved the villains working together with the heroes for the greater good of mutantkind.



Even Iceman, Pyro, and Colossus, in smaller parts, had their moments to shine.


100 Words or Less: X-Men (2000)

This film is important for many reasons. After Batman & Robin pissed off audiences
everywhere, nearly killing the superhero genre, this movie, along with Blade, revived the
genre.

Not only that, but it set the formula on how to write a good ensemble superhero
film, something that wouldn't be outdone until The Avengers.

And then you've got the
element of diversity: strong female characters, one of them black, a handicapped team
leader, and a Jew. This movie captured the essence of the comic and set up a franchise to
remember. And it did it on a low budget.

#CosplayOfTheWeek July 22, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

#VideoSunday: July 21, 2013

New video is up and running! Check out ...And I'm Green Lantern (long version) to see the old and new Green Lanterns struggling to find their place in a world of reboots, sequels, and crossovers.

You can watch it here.


Saturday, July 20, 2013

TV Review Series: Birds of Prey (2002)


When I heard that there was a show that was about Batman and Catwoman's daughter, I thought, how have I not heard of this before? How has this show gone under the radar? Forget the premise, the fact that it's about the daughter of Batman and Catwoman should make it awesome! How could this have been forgotten?

Then I found out why.

There's a lot that I like about this show. But there's a lot that is kinda sad.

I guess I'll start with the bad.

It looks cheap. Anytime the camera tries "zooming" around New Gotham, it just looks like a 12 year old kid did it on his computer. Actually, I'm sure there are some 12 year old kids out there that could do something on their computer and make it look better than this.

The worst was the "birds eye view" of Huntress running across the rooftops. Not only was it terrible, but it was reused over and over throughout the season. The same shot.

So the show was cheap.

Next, the acting.

Most of the main cast was fine, but the character playing Dinah Lance (Black Canary's daughter) was just awful. The kind of acting that pulled you out of the show and reminded you, this is a WB/CW production.


What next? The costumes? It seemed like the costumes kept changing, without any actual reason. Not a huge complaint, but annoying nonetheless.

Hmm, story?

Several of the episodes were very good, and many of them played well with the idea that Harley Quinn was in the background of the criminal world rising to power. And I'm aware that, oftentimes, especially in first seasons, some episodes are more the "Freak of the Week" style than a story arc. But some of these episodes seemed so shoehorned into the seasons, it was distracting.

One of them was about a villain from Batgirl's past returning. And while this seemed like it was out of place, they at least took the time to show a background scene, to set a little background up to establish the story.

Another episode, however, is unforgivable. Without any previous exposition of Helena Kyle/Huntress' experience in high school, suddenly an episode comes along about her high school reunion. The villain of the story ends up doing everything because he "loves" and is otherwise obsessed with her. But we're shown nothing to make us believe that, and the actor is so sub-par that it's not believable. It's just out of nowehere, and goes back where it came from without me caring much for the episode.

Background

For something with the premise of "Batman's daughter and Batgirl" there was a notable lack of Batman. Catwoman was referenced significantly more, but still not much. Also, the story takes place in "New Gotham" but it never tells when "Old Gotham" became "New Gotham" or explore whether its the same town or two different towns. It gets into this a little bit in the "Gladiatress" episode, but it never really explains it like I would have liked. The whole story takes place in the future, but it doesn't care to explain our present/their past.

Ok, the good now.

Even though its a CW show,

Even though the main cast is three women,

Even though the main villain is also a woman,

And even though the theme song is very feminine,

I was still able to enjoy most of the show.

If you're a Family Guy watcher, you may remember the episode where Brian creates What I Learned on Jefferson Street and then input of the studio execs and whatnot and the actors turns it into Classholes. I feel like that's what happened with this show.


It seems like one person had a very strong vision for a female-oriented franchise that could hold its own with the likes of Smallville. Female lead, female supporting cast (with some guys in there too), and a female recurring villain. And that could have worked. But it seemed like somebody else was like "we should put the lead in her bra for a scene so that guys will watch this show" and it got diluted. And then somebody else said "the subject material is too mature, let's focus on this girl in high school to appeal more to younger viewers" followed by "let's have them fight over a freaking sweater because that's what the tween girls that watch this show do." It just seems like it lost focus and was trying to be too many things. And unfortunately it never got a second season to grow and find its niche.

That probably doesn't sound much like a compliment, but it is. I view this show as very similar to the first season of Smallville and Arrow, but with less commitment and focus overall. But I think it could have been much better if it lasted longer than 13 episodes.

So?

Unfortunately, because it's fairly rare, its also fairly expensive. At $35, it cost me more than most of my seasons of Smallville or Supernatural, and it's just not worth it. If you ever see it for $20 and you want to check it out, go for it if you're enough of a fan to look past the flaws. Otherwise, just know its basically a girl version of Batman.

Friday, July 19, 2013

#FridayIsUpdateDay: July 19, 2013

OK, I'm being lazy today, but there's actually a reason.

I could post updates today, like that RIPD is out now (I'll probably watch and review it), and Wolverine has new trailers out (that all use pretty much the same footage), and DC is "considering" a Batman Beyond film to reboot the Batman franchise ("considering" being a very weak word here).

But I'm going to hold off on my updates this week. Why? Because San Diego Comic Con is going on, and there are new updates every hour or so, so I'm going to wait until all the news gets reported, and gather together what I think is the most exciting and important.

If you don't want to wait, I would suggest following @SuperHeroHype on Twitter, because they update all the time. Personally, it's a little too much too fast for me, and sometimes the same thing twice, but they've got a ton of info over there.

As for me, expect some actual updates next week.

Don't forget to check the YouTube on Sunday for the new video, and, in the interest of self-promotion, subscribe to the YouTube channel, follow me on Twitter, and Like me on Facebook!