I recently heard some news that peeked my interest: the NRA (National Rifle Association), recently made a list of "Coolest Gun Movies", and the list is not only odd, but the whole stunt is hypocritical. They recently stated they consider violence in movies "pornography", and stated they despise films such as American Psycho and Natural Born Killers, two of my favorite films. Then coming out with a list on violent movies? Stupid, stupid move. Not to mention, those two movies they mentioned are satire! They mock violence with violence! I'm not surprised they didn't pick up on that. Now, I like guns, they're pretty damn cool, but I do despise real-life violence and I'm not a fan of the NRA. Funny enough, a former film actor, Charlton Heston, was their president and spokesperson for a while. Now, the list itself isn't a very good list, in fact, many of these can't be considered "gun movies", hell, movies like Commando, The Wild Bunch, Django, Django Unchained, 3:10 to Yuma, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Dredd, The Rock, Hot Fuzz (yes, it had a shit ton of guns), Full Metal Jacket, and Saving Private Ryan don't even make the list. Jacket was a runner up. Now, most of the choices make sense, such as Red Dawn, Die Hard, The Delta Force, The Alamo, The Matrix, and The Terminator make sense. But Terminator is a bit debatable, I would have preferred T2, and The Road Warrior has a lot of guns, but I wouldn't say that it's a "gun movie". No Natural Born Killers? Not a single Tarantino film? Really? Also, The Godfather makes the list. That film has guns in it, but it's much more of a crime-drama than a gun-oriented action film. Zombieland is also on the list. Although there are guns, I much would have preferred Hot Fuzz, and it's a zombie-killing film, they use chainsaws, knife, and even a guitar. It's not gun-oriented. Tremors? Now, Tremors is a fun, humorous, and cool monster movie, and there are guns. But a "gun movie"? No. It would be like if I made a list of "Cool Robot Movies" and put Predator on it. Yes, Predator has a robotic suit that he wears for most of it, but not a robot movie. Or "Cool Space Movies" and put District 9. It has cool aliens and is a good movie, but it takes place entirely on Earth. NRA: Just stick to handling politics (which you aren't very good at, either), and let professional critics, websites, reviewers, and, well, bloggers like me, take care of entertainment reviews and lists. Thank you.
Links:
The Young Turks' news piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO1bg4Ynewo
Mother Jones' well-written article and criticism:
http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2013/05/nra-coolest-gun-movies-godfather-zombieland
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Should I Cancel My Horror Blog?
Here's a question burning in my mind: Should I cancel my horror blog?: mattmonstermovies.blogspot.com It doesn't get nearly as many views, and there's really no reason for the horror genre to have it's own blog. I do enjoy doing it, and I will occasionally update it, and my reviews of The Lords of Salem, The Omen, The Last Exorcism, Tales from the Crypt, The Devil's Rejects, American Psycho, The Woman in Black, Scary Movie 5, The Blair Witch Project, Evil Dead, and The Possession will still be on there, but I think I will review new release horror films on this blog now. But I want to hear the reader's feedback.
So please, Comment Below!!!
So please, Comment Below!!!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Small Indie Movies or Big Budget Blockbusters: Which Do You Prefer?
In this month's issue of Game Informer (which featured articles on Batman: Arkham Origins, BioShock: Infinite, and Saints Row IV) featured a "letters to the editor" section. on the side-bar: It had interesting questions the editors were asked, and they answered. The last question was one posed to the reader as the "Question of the Month": Do you prefer indie games or triple-A blockbusters, why? Now this, obviously is meant to pertain to games, not movies or music, but this questions can be applied to any type of entertainment, except maybe books (music can be compared as indie music and big studio albums). So, I'm sure this question will divide a lot of people. Many will say blockbusters, others will say indie gams. But why? That's the tough part, many will say blockbusters are more fun to watch or play, and the others will say indie games and movies are more thought-provoking. But how are the blockbusters more fun, and how are indies more intelligent? In fact, you can't really say indies are all thought-provoking and intelligent, are that all blockbusters are fun. For example: Transformers (or at least the two sequels) made tons of money at the box office, but failed to deliver anything really good. The only people who will have fun at those movies are the mentally disabled or masochists. And a lot of independent films have turned out bad, too. Tommy Wiseau's The Room is considered one of the worst films of all time, and is just a stupid mess. But that's also taking into account blockbusters that are very smart and thought-provoking: take movies like the 2009 Star Trek movie for example, or The Dark Knight Trilogy. Those movies were fun, action-packed blockbusters, but they were very intelligent, but they were still fun summer movies. Hell, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a testament how to make a smart, fun blockbuster franchise. And indie movie can be fun as well. A lot of the 80's slasher/splatter movies were independently made, and those were just dumb, scary fun. Quentin Tarantino's early films were funny yet violent crime films, and those were independent. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Monty Python, and Dr. Strangelove also come to mind when it comes to funny indie movies. Blockbuster games such as Mass Effect, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Halo, Assassin's Creed, Silent Hill, Borderlands, Darksiders, Walking Dead, Mortal Kombat, BioShock, Red Dead Redemption, Hitman, Grand Theft Auto, LA Noire, Far Cry, and Max Payne are fun, but can be dark, smart, and kind of deep. But other blockbuster games have been extremely dumb, such as the highly anticipated action parody sequel Duke Nukem Forever, or the abysmal, big-budget movie adaptation Enter the Matrix are example of big-budget games gone wrong. Blockbuster games that are just fun (but can be smart) include the likes of Twisted Metal, FEAR, Resident Evil, Call of Duty, God of War, or the adventurous Uncharted series. Indie games are usually pretty damn good, and include games such as Heavy Rain, The Unfinished Swan, Journey, Mark of the Ninja, and Slender. But they do get a little too much praise from critics, and you can sometimes have trouble finding them. Like Journey being called the PS3 exclusive of 2012 was a bit of a stretch. But it comes down to this: which do I prefer? Despite me being a fan of indie films like Seven Psychopaths, American Psycho, Silver Linings Playbook, The Master, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction, and Monty Python, I gotta go with the blockbusters. Why? Well indies seem to stick to these genres: drama, romance, and thriller. While blockbusters mainly stick with genres like action, sci-fi, and comedy, they can branch out further than indies are sometimes willing to go because of their larger budgets. And for every dumb one, there's two great ones. They can be very competent and intelligent, and I prefer to be entertained and intrigued than just intrigued. Not saying indies aren't entertaining, but they tend to be a lot slower-paced and more talky. Not saying every film must be fast-paced and exhilarating, but I sometimes do lose focus during some indie films because they're some are so slow, if that makes sense. And also, this isn't the same for all indies (like the ones I listed before), but a lot of them are pretentious as hell. I like blockbusters because they can be smart and really fun to watch, and a lot of them don't put themselves on a high pedestal. That's just my opinion, though, what do you think? Comment below, please. Let me know what you think is better: independent movies or big studio productions?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Star Trek: J.J. Abrams' reimagining
Today, I look at director J.J. Abrams' reimagining of the classic science fiction television show created by Gene Roddenberry.. I will being with the 2009 film, simply titled Star Trek, and then move on to the newest in the Trek franchise: Star Trek Into Darkness. (Mild Spoilers Ahead!)
Star Trek:
James T. Kirk is a young and trouble-making guy from Iowa. He is talked into joining Starfleet by Captain Christopher Pike, who learns he is the son of a Starfleet hero: George Kirk, and he has a genius-level IQ. There he meets Dr. Leonard McCoy (who claims his ex-wife only left him "his bones" in their divorce, which earns him the nickname "Bones"), Nyota Uhura, and a Vulcan named Spock. He eventually is called into action when a time-travelling Romulan named Nero attacks Starfleet ships and Federation-protected planets with a humongous vessel which dwarf many Starfleet ships. He, Uhura, McCoy, and Spock are placed under the command of Pike on the USS Enterprise, along with Pavel Chekov and Hikaru Sulu. Along the way, he also meets Montgomery Scott, a Scottish engineer who has developed a theory of "beaming" (teleporting) someone or something aboard a ship travelling at warp speed. (Kirk, appropriately, nicknames him "Scotty".) When Pike is taken hostage and their back-up fleet is destroyed, the crew must figure out what Nero wants with the Federation planets, where he's from, and how to take down him and his crew of rogue Romulans. Many people were worried when J.J. Abrams (creator of hit TV shows like Lost, Undercovers, and Fringe, director of Mission Impossible III, and producer of Cloverfield) was announced as director of this 2009 reboot. This film, while very entertaining and fun, did alienate Trek fans quite a bit because of the new style it was taking. It takes place in an alternate timeline to relieve itself of continuity conflicts (but still staying true to the original shows and films), it is more of an all-out space adventure (more similar to Star Wars than any of the previous Trek films), and changed a lot of things due to the alternate timeline plot. This does however benefit the film, as it tries something new, and definitely succeeds. It also doesn't alienate the general audience, as if people haven't seen a lot of Star Trek stuff, they wouldn't get the movie if it was full of references, and had to keep with the continuity of the entire Trek franchise and universe. It just wouldn't work out very well. The cast are surprisingly excellent. Chris Pine is James Kirk, and stays true to Shatner from the original series, but also brings something new to the table. He actually isn't Captain for much of the movie, in fact, he's a stowaway who Bones (McCoy) helped on the ship. He brings a lot of energy to the role, and balances being funny and being a bad-ass hero very well. Zachary Quinto (Heroes, American Horror Story) plays Spock. He is presented a challenge: be emotionless (just how Leonard Nimoy was in the original TV show, pulled off perfectly), but also somehow show emotion under the emotionless mask. (Spock is half-human, so he can feel emotion and express it, unlike many Vulcans, who only feel it in the deep subconscious.) Quinto is able to pull it off, and give us a very empathetic Spock, and also is able to make you forget (at least for the moment) there was another Spock. (Nimoy is still the best, though.) Karl Urban (Dredd, Red, Chronicles of Riddick, The Bourne Ultimatum, Lord of the Rings) plays Bones. Urban stated he was happy to get the role, having been in many action films in the years before this, and he wanted to be in a fun action movie, but have a less action-oriented role. Bones is a comic relief character, but also provides sound medical advice, as well as making sure you know that he's a doctor, not a physicist. In all seriousness, Urban pulled off the role really well, and would make DeForest Kelley proud. Eric Bana (an Australian actor known for his roles in Chopper, Hulk, Black Hawk Down, Troy, and Munich) plays the Romulan bad guy, Captain Nero. Funny, the Romulan Empire sounds very similar to the Roman Empire, and Nero was an infamous Roman emperor. But back to Bana, he really pulls off the threatening villain role. Nero is the tormented villain from the future, where he and his crew's home planet Romulus has been destroyed by a supernova. He sort of functions as an anti-hero, as he believes his revenge against Starfleet is the right thing, but that does not make him very sympathetic, as he ruthlessly kills innocent people to get what he wants: revenge on future ambassador Spock. Another funny fact: Bana was praised by Australian critics for his role in the film Romulus, My Father, hmm, Romulus sounds a little familiar. Zoe Saldana has a supporting role as Uhura. She does a really good job, even topping Nichelle Nichols. Look, I know that's gonna upset fan-boys, and they'll say "But Uhura didn't even have that big of a role in the movie!" Yeah, and Nichols didn't do much during her take on the role either. She is a great actress, and gave her all into a small part, but ultimately, Saldana is not the better actress (she is good), but she has the better take on the role because more development was offered in this script than was ever offered to Nichols. Simon Pegg (who appeared with Saldana in 2011's Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, a J.J. Abrams-produced film, as well as in hits such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The Adventures of Tintin) plays Scotty. He has a smaller role here than in the show, but he does get some good moments for the little time he is onscreen (he appears for the last 45-50 minutes of the film). Anton Yelchin (Along Came a Spider, Huff, Fright Night) is good in a supporting role as Chekov, and John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame is good as Sulu, and makes him more of a bad-ass, as in one scene he engages in a fist-fight/sword duel with a Romulan solider. Leonard Nimoy returns in a supporting role as the future Spock. It was really awesome seeing Nimoy passing the role down to Quinto onscreen. I can't believe he's still alive, but I'm thankful for it. Bruce Greenwood (an actor known for his roles in National Treasure: Book of Secrets and as the voice of Batman in Young Justice and Batman: Under the Red Hood) plays Pike, a fatherly figure to Kirk. Rachel Nicols appears as Gaila, an Orion Starfleet member. Chris Hemsworth appears in his fist big role as George Kirk in the film's thrilling opening sequence. Ben Cross and Winona Ryder appear as Spock's parents: Sarek, his Vulcan father, and Amanda Grayson, his human mother. Faran Tahir (Iron Man, Charlie Wilson's War) appears as the captain of the USS Kelvin in the film's opening. Clifton Collins, Jr. plays Ayel, Nero's loyal first officer. Several Trek-related actors and producers make cameos throughout the film, including James Doohan, the original Scotty. Tyler Perry even makes a cameo as the head of the Starfleet Council at the academy in San Francisco. The special effects and makeup are fantastic, really bringing the world of the television show and movies to life. The action sequences are thrilling. The epic space battles and the battles on alien planets are staples of the franchise, and they are done no better than in this movie. (Well, maybe in a few other places they're done equally good.) The soundtrack is excellent as well. The writing in this movie is surprisingly clever, and the plot is pretty complicated for a space adventure movie. Star Trek is one of the few reboots that is on par with the original films. It is a great space adventure and sci-fi epic, and everything is almost perfect. It's exhilarating, funny, in some places touching, and very worthy of the Trek name. Props to you, J.J. Abrams, props to you. 5/5 stars.
Star Trek Into Darkness:
Now that the alternative universe has been set up, it's time that the Enterprise crew faced a real threat. Not saying Nero wasn't one, but after a bombing in London and an attack on Starfleet HQ, the Enterprise crew is assigned to locate and take down Commander John Harrison, a rogue Starfleet agent who knows the ins-and-outs of the organization, and has beamed himself to Kronos, the Klingon home planet to hide and plan his next move. The crew must now track down Harrison, find out what he knows and why he betrayed Starfleet, as well as trying to avoid a confrontation with the already hostile Klingons, and deal with the fact their Warp Drive has malfunctioned in enemy space. But is Harrison what he seems, or is their something more sinister going on?... That's all I'm going into for right now (there's a Spoiler Section After Review if anyone's interested) as I want you to go experience this for yourself. It's one of the best summer blockbusters in years, on par with Iron Man 3, The Avengers, The Dark Knight, and even the 2009 Star Trek. The main cast from the original: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood are back and better than ever. New additions to the cast include Benedict Cumberbatch (from BBC's hit reimagining Sherlock, as well as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Fifth Estate, Atonement, The Hobbit, and August: Osage County), Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) Alice Eve (Men in Black III, She's Out of My League), and Peter Weller (Robocop from Robocop, and the voice of Batman in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns). Since I already touched upon the cast from the original in the review above, I will talk about the new guys. Cumberbatch brings new sense of menace to this film with his character John Harrison. He makes an impression on you when you first see him, and you always get a sense of unease when he appears on screen. That's the basis of a great villain. Instant terror builds inside you as you see him. Noel Clarke appears in a small role as Thomas Harewood, who is a Starfleet employee at the opening of the film. Alice Eve is a good actress, but she really doesn't leave an impression. You do remember her going out, but mainly due to her looks. She is a good actress, but anybody really could have played it. She's kind of overshadowed by Cumberbatch, but I did like her in the movie. She appears as supporting character Dr. Carol Marcus. Peter Weller gives a good performance as Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus. He's a character that when you leave the theater, you may be divided upon. Voice actor Nolan North (Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham series, Hulk Vs. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Call of Duty series, Portal 2, Young Justice, Spec Ops: The Line, The Last of Us, Avengers: EMH, Beware the Batman) and cult actress Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street) appear in minor roles. Leonard Nimoy appears in a cameo role as the future Spock (Spock Prime) once more. This film is great because it mixes what made the television show great with what made the first movie great. It still has that space adventure style, but it also mixes in a lot of things for fans of the franchise, including some references to some stuff from the series: the tendency for crew members in red shirts to die (Kirk tells security guards who go with him to Kronos to "ditch the red shirts"), McCoy's over-use of metaphors, the furry Tribbles, an infamous villain from one of the movies, the appearance of Klingons, and even a passing mention of the Gorn. The movie also takes tidbits from other sci-fi entertainment, hell, one of the space sequences mimics a scene from the Dead Space games. Speaking of which, the space battles and action sequences are fantastic. The special effects are better than ever, and the makeup effects are great. The film may seem to be just another movie that tries to mimic The Dark Knight Rises or Skyfall, but it's more. It's a very satisfying sci-fi epic, on par with the first film and the original series. Star Trek Into Darkness is a jaw-dropping, fun, action-packed sci-fi adventure film, with clever writing, great acting and characters, fantastic special effects, a clever twist, exhilarating action scenes, some good Trek lore thrown in, a great soundtrack, a satisfying ending, and a compelling story. I'm glad we have one more adventure in this reboot series to look forward to in the next few years, because this was well worth the wait. 5/5 stars.
Notes: In the first film, there is a reference to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as Nero tortures Pike with the same space slugs, the ones that make people tell the truth, and cause them extreme pain.
Editorial note, July 16, 2013: It has come to my attention I made an error in this review. I was wrong when I said Saldana and Pegg where in Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol together, it was in fact Paula Patton who was in that film, not Saldana, sorry for the confusion.
(SPOILER SECTION BELOW POSTERS)
(Images: Wikipedia)
SPOILER SECTION:
This is a twist which may divide people as Iron Man 3 did, but may not be quite as controversial, but please, I endorse you to see the film and no spoil it for yourself by reading the section below, as you're missing out on something great:
In the middle of the film, while Harrison is on board the ship, it is revealed he and a crew of 72 were frozen for 300 years, and he was awakened by Admiral Marcus. Harrison then reveals that "Commander John Harrison" was merely a fake identity, and his real name is Kahn Noonien Singh, and that he is one of 72 mutants, genetically engineered to be stronger, smarter, faster, and more endurable than most aliens. The film then becomes a clever reimagining of both the classic Star Trek: TOS episode "Space Seed", as well as it's follow-up, the acclaimed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Even though Cumberbatch barely resembles the original actor, Ricardo Montalban (now deceased), who portrayed Khan in the television show and movie, he pulls it off, and the twist completely works for the new "alternate reality" film series. One final word: Khaaaaaaaannnnnnn!!!!!!!!! Thank you for reading.
Editorial note, September 15, 2013: I recently purchased the film on Blu-ray, and the guys who wrote the back cover plot summary/teaser spoiled the film's twist. What a croc of shit!!!
Star Trek:
James T. Kirk is a young and trouble-making guy from Iowa. He is talked into joining Starfleet by Captain Christopher Pike, who learns he is the son of a Starfleet hero: George Kirk, and he has a genius-level IQ. There he meets Dr. Leonard McCoy (who claims his ex-wife only left him "his bones" in their divorce, which earns him the nickname "Bones"), Nyota Uhura, and a Vulcan named Spock. He eventually is called into action when a time-travelling Romulan named Nero attacks Starfleet ships and Federation-protected planets with a humongous vessel which dwarf many Starfleet ships. He, Uhura, McCoy, and Spock are placed under the command of Pike on the USS Enterprise, along with Pavel Chekov and Hikaru Sulu. Along the way, he also meets Montgomery Scott, a Scottish engineer who has developed a theory of "beaming" (teleporting) someone or something aboard a ship travelling at warp speed. (Kirk, appropriately, nicknames him "Scotty".) When Pike is taken hostage and their back-up fleet is destroyed, the crew must figure out what Nero wants with the Federation planets, where he's from, and how to take down him and his crew of rogue Romulans. Many people were worried when J.J. Abrams (creator of hit TV shows like Lost, Undercovers, and Fringe, director of Mission Impossible III, and producer of Cloverfield) was announced as director of this 2009 reboot. This film, while very entertaining and fun, did alienate Trek fans quite a bit because of the new style it was taking. It takes place in an alternate timeline to relieve itself of continuity conflicts (but still staying true to the original shows and films), it is more of an all-out space adventure (more similar to Star Wars than any of the previous Trek films), and changed a lot of things due to the alternate timeline plot. This does however benefit the film, as it tries something new, and definitely succeeds. It also doesn't alienate the general audience, as if people haven't seen a lot of Star Trek stuff, they wouldn't get the movie if it was full of references, and had to keep with the continuity of the entire Trek franchise and universe. It just wouldn't work out very well. The cast are surprisingly excellent. Chris Pine is James Kirk, and stays true to Shatner from the original series, but also brings something new to the table. He actually isn't Captain for much of the movie, in fact, he's a stowaway who Bones (McCoy) helped on the ship. He brings a lot of energy to the role, and balances being funny and being a bad-ass hero very well. Zachary Quinto (Heroes, American Horror Story) plays Spock. He is presented a challenge: be emotionless (just how Leonard Nimoy was in the original TV show, pulled off perfectly), but also somehow show emotion under the emotionless mask. (Spock is half-human, so he can feel emotion and express it, unlike many Vulcans, who only feel it in the deep subconscious.) Quinto is able to pull it off, and give us a very empathetic Spock, and also is able to make you forget (at least for the moment) there was another Spock. (Nimoy is still the best, though.) Karl Urban (Dredd, Red, Chronicles of Riddick, The Bourne Ultimatum, Lord of the Rings) plays Bones. Urban stated he was happy to get the role, having been in many action films in the years before this, and he wanted to be in a fun action movie, but have a less action-oriented role. Bones is a comic relief character, but also provides sound medical advice, as well as making sure you know that he's a doctor, not a physicist. In all seriousness, Urban pulled off the role really well, and would make DeForest Kelley proud. Eric Bana (an Australian actor known for his roles in Chopper, Hulk, Black Hawk Down, Troy, and Munich) plays the Romulan bad guy, Captain Nero. Funny, the Romulan Empire sounds very similar to the Roman Empire, and Nero was an infamous Roman emperor. But back to Bana, he really pulls off the threatening villain role. Nero is the tormented villain from the future, where he and his crew's home planet Romulus has been destroyed by a supernova. He sort of functions as an anti-hero, as he believes his revenge against Starfleet is the right thing, but that does not make him very sympathetic, as he ruthlessly kills innocent people to get what he wants: revenge on future ambassador Spock. Another funny fact: Bana was praised by Australian critics for his role in the film Romulus, My Father, hmm, Romulus sounds a little familiar. Zoe Saldana has a supporting role as Uhura. She does a really good job, even topping Nichelle Nichols. Look, I know that's gonna upset fan-boys, and they'll say "But Uhura didn't even have that big of a role in the movie!" Yeah, and Nichols didn't do much during her take on the role either. She is a great actress, and gave her all into a small part, but ultimately, Saldana is not the better actress (she is good), but she has the better take on the role because more development was offered in this script than was ever offered to Nichols. Simon Pegg (who appeared with Saldana in 2011's Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, a J.J. Abrams-produced film, as well as in hits such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The Adventures of Tintin) plays Scotty. He has a smaller role here than in the show, but he does get some good moments for the little time he is onscreen (he appears for the last 45-50 minutes of the film). Anton Yelchin (Along Came a Spider, Huff, Fright Night) is good in a supporting role as Chekov, and John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame is good as Sulu, and makes him more of a bad-ass, as in one scene he engages in a fist-fight/sword duel with a Romulan solider. Leonard Nimoy returns in a supporting role as the future Spock. It was really awesome seeing Nimoy passing the role down to Quinto onscreen. I can't believe he's still alive, but I'm thankful for it. Bruce Greenwood (an actor known for his roles in National Treasure: Book of Secrets and as the voice of Batman in Young Justice and Batman: Under the Red Hood) plays Pike, a fatherly figure to Kirk. Rachel Nicols appears as Gaila, an Orion Starfleet member. Chris Hemsworth appears in his fist big role as George Kirk in the film's thrilling opening sequence. Ben Cross and Winona Ryder appear as Spock's parents: Sarek, his Vulcan father, and Amanda Grayson, his human mother. Faran Tahir (Iron Man, Charlie Wilson's War) appears as the captain of the USS Kelvin in the film's opening. Clifton Collins, Jr. plays Ayel, Nero's loyal first officer. Several Trek-related actors and producers make cameos throughout the film, including James Doohan, the original Scotty. Tyler Perry even makes a cameo as the head of the Starfleet Council at the academy in San Francisco. The special effects and makeup are fantastic, really bringing the world of the television show and movies to life. The action sequences are thrilling. The epic space battles and the battles on alien planets are staples of the franchise, and they are done no better than in this movie. (Well, maybe in a few other places they're done equally good.) The soundtrack is excellent as well. The writing in this movie is surprisingly clever, and the plot is pretty complicated for a space adventure movie. Star Trek is one of the few reboots that is on par with the original films. It is a great space adventure and sci-fi epic, and everything is almost perfect. It's exhilarating, funny, in some places touching, and very worthy of the Trek name. Props to you, J.J. Abrams, props to you. 5/5 stars.
Star Trek Into Darkness:
Now that the alternative universe has been set up, it's time that the Enterprise crew faced a real threat. Not saying Nero wasn't one, but after a bombing in London and an attack on Starfleet HQ, the Enterprise crew is assigned to locate and take down Commander John Harrison, a rogue Starfleet agent who knows the ins-and-outs of the organization, and has beamed himself to Kronos, the Klingon home planet to hide and plan his next move. The crew must now track down Harrison, find out what he knows and why he betrayed Starfleet, as well as trying to avoid a confrontation with the already hostile Klingons, and deal with the fact their Warp Drive has malfunctioned in enemy space. But is Harrison what he seems, or is their something more sinister going on?... That's all I'm going into for right now (there's a Spoiler Section After Review if anyone's interested) as I want you to go experience this for yourself. It's one of the best summer blockbusters in years, on par with Iron Man 3, The Avengers, The Dark Knight, and even the 2009 Star Trek. The main cast from the original: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood are back and better than ever. New additions to the cast include Benedict Cumberbatch (from BBC's hit reimagining Sherlock, as well as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Fifth Estate, Atonement, The Hobbit, and August: Osage County), Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) Alice Eve (Men in Black III, She's Out of My League), and Peter Weller (Robocop from Robocop, and the voice of Batman in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns). Since I already touched upon the cast from the original in the review above, I will talk about the new guys. Cumberbatch brings new sense of menace to this film with his character John Harrison. He makes an impression on you when you first see him, and you always get a sense of unease when he appears on screen. That's the basis of a great villain. Instant terror builds inside you as you see him. Noel Clarke appears in a small role as Thomas Harewood, who is a Starfleet employee at the opening of the film. Alice Eve is a good actress, but she really doesn't leave an impression. You do remember her going out, but mainly due to her looks. She is a good actress, but anybody really could have played it. She's kind of overshadowed by Cumberbatch, but I did like her in the movie. She appears as supporting character Dr. Carol Marcus. Peter Weller gives a good performance as Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus. He's a character that when you leave the theater, you may be divided upon. Voice actor Nolan North (Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham series, Hulk Vs. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Call of Duty series, Portal 2, Young Justice, Spec Ops: The Line, The Last of Us, Avengers: EMH, Beware the Batman) and cult actress Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street) appear in minor roles. Leonard Nimoy appears in a cameo role as the future Spock (Spock Prime) once more. This film is great because it mixes what made the television show great with what made the first movie great. It still has that space adventure style, but it also mixes in a lot of things for fans of the franchise, including some references to some stuff from the series: the tendency for crew members in red shirts to die (Kirk tells security guards who go with him to Kronos to "ditch the red shirts"), McCoy's over-use of metaphors, the furry Tribbles, an infamous villain from one of the movies, the appearance of Klingons, and even a passing mention of the Gorn. The movie also takes tidbits from other sci-fi entertainment, hell, one of the space sequences mimics a scene from the Dead Space games. Speaking of which, the space battles and action sequences are fantastic. The special effects are better than ever, and the makeup effects are great. The film may seem to be just another movie that tries to mimic The Dark Knight Rises or Skyfall, but it's more. It's a very satisfying sci-fi epic, on par with the first film and the original series. Star Trek Into Darkness is a jaw-dropping, fun, action-packed sci-fi adventure film, with clever writing, great acting and characters, fantastic special effects, a clever twist, exhilarating action scenes, some good Trek lore thrown in, a great soundtrack, a satisfying ending, and a compelling story. I'm glad we have one more adventure in this reboot series to look forward to in the next few years, because this was well worth the wait. 5/5 stars.
Notes: In the first film, there is a reference to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as Nero tortures Pike with the same space slugs, the ones that make people tell the truth, and cause them extreme pain.
Editorial note, July 16, 2013: It has come to my attention I made an error in this review. I was wrong when I said Saldana and Pegg where in Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol together, it was in fact Paula Patton who was in that film, not Saldana, sorry for the confusion.
(SPOILER SECTION BELOW POSTERS)
(Images: Wikipedia)SPOILER SECTION:
This is a twist which may divide people as Iron Man 3 did, but may not be quite as controversial, but please, I endorse you to see the film and no spoil it for yourself by reading the section below, as you're missing out on something great:
In the middle of the film, while Harrison is on board the ship, it is revealed he and a crew of 72 were frozen for 300 years, and he was awakened by Admiral Marcus. Harrison then reveals that "Commander John Harrison" was merely a fake identity, and his real name is Kahn Noonien Singh, and that he is one of 72 mutants, genetically engineered to be stronger, smarter, faster, and more endurable than most aliens. The film then becomes a clever reimagining of both the classic Star Trek: TOS episode "Space Seed", as well as it's follow-up, the acclaimed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Even though Cumberbatch barely resembles the original actor, Ricardo Montalban (now deceased), who portrayed Khan in the television show and movie, he pulls it off, and the twist completely works for the new "alternate reality" film series. One final word: Khaaaaaaaannnnnnn!!!!!!!!! Thank you for reading.
Editorial note, September 15, 2013: I recently purchased the film on Blu-ray, and the guys who wrote the back cover plot summary/teaser spoiled the film's twist. What a croc of shit!!!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby: Finally, he makes a good movie, but why is it in 3D?
Today, I look at Australian filmmaker Baz Luhramann's extravagant and flashy adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, which has been dubbed by some: "The Great American Novel".
The Great Gatsby:
Nick Carraway is a depressive alcoholic whose psychiatrist is worried about him, as he is haunted by the events of the summer of 1922, which he finds too awful to speak of. The psychiatrist tells him to write them down, as that's what brings him peace. He begins to write of his stay in West Egg, a fictitious community in Long Island, NY. He describes his encounters with his mysterious but charming neighbor, one Mr. Jay Gastby, a young millionaire playboy with a tendency to throw lavish and insane parties nearly every night. He also visits his beautiful cousin, Daisy Buchanan, who lives directly across the bay from Gatsby in East Egg, a neighboring community. Her husband Tom Buchanan is even wealthier than Gatsby, being born rich, and is a friend of Carraway's from Yale. But, as Nick gets to know Gatsby better, he uncovers some of Gatsby's secrets, including a possible romantic connection with Daisy, his mysterious past, and discovers the answer to a question often poised by the local press: where did all of his money come from?... Baz Luhrmann is a director I am familiar with, but not one who is among my favorites. He's directed such films as Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, and Australia. All of these are romantic in some way (as is this most recent effort) and all are, let's say, a little over-the-top. Rouge is a jukebox musical set in the 1800's in Paris with lavish visuals and great musical numbers, but the over-acting and plot holes for me made it less of a film. R+J is an adaptation of the classic play by William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest writer of all time. It's quite confusing, it is set in modern day, which you would think would make it more understandable to young audiences, and maybe have them be more open to the idea of reading Shakespeare once they understand the story better. it actually does the opposite, despite it's modern day setting, it still has all the actors speak in Shakespearean dialects, which makes a lot of the plot confusing, and the film itself is just so "in your face" it becomes distracting. Australia is a visually appealing but overall dull romantic epic set in the director's (and main stars') homeland: Australia. This film is much different. While it does still maintain with the director's very "in your face" style, it ultimately tones it down. Although the visuals are fantastic, I still feel the 3D rendering of the film is unnecessary. As Stephen Colbert said in last week's Colbert Report: "It's like your homework's coming right at you!" By the way, in that episode, the director pointed out this was one of the few adaptations of the book (and there's a lot) that Fitzgerald's descendants approved of. The cast are absolutely fantastic, just perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby, the main hero of the film. He is a truly complex character. I will not ruin any of the reveals about his character, but a few you might not see coming. Adapting one of literature's greatest characters to the big screen is so easy feet, but I believe the writers pulled it off brilliantly. DiCaprio is the perfect fit for Gatsby, he's so memorable in the role, that if you go read the book, you can't help picturing him as you read it. Tobey Maguire gives a great performance as our other lead hero and narrator: Nick Carraway. He's a complicated character as well, and I believe Maguire pulled off the inner-narration quite well. It's not really easy to pull off a book that's mostly told from inside a guy's head. Carey Mulligan is great as Daisy. She's a very dividing character, by the end of the film, you'll either love or hate her. That's really all I'm gonna say there. Joel Edgerton pulls off the asshole character quite well as Tom. There's times in the film you feel pity for him, but ultimately, he's a great villain, and him and Gatsby play well off each other. Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan all do great is supporting roles as Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, George B. Wilson, and Meyer Wolfsheim, respectively. The soundtrack is interesting. It incorporates elements of jazz, but mostly consists of modern day hip-hop, rap, techno, and rock. Artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lana Del Ray, The XX, Beyoncé, Andre 3000, Filter, Jack White, and Florence and the Machine make appearances on the soundtrack, with some of the lyrics in their songs reflecting themes of the novel and film. The visuals, similar to Luhrmann's earlier work, are flashy and vibrant, sometimes a little distracting, but ultimately gorgeous. This is a movie that's pretty to look at, and although that sometimes overshadows the complicated plot and characters, it's not something to complain about, as movies are a pretty visual medium. The Great Gatsby may not be exactly a "summer movie", but it's a compelling and heartbreaking drama, and an effective cautionary tale about the "American Dream". The visuals are beautiful, the acting is fantastic, the story is provocative and intriguing, and the music is interesting. Baz Luhrmann props to you for not only staying true to the novel, but not making it boring (as the 1974 Robert Redford film did) and also do something new and original. 4/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
The Great Gatsby:
Nick Carraway is a depressive alcoholic whose psychiatrist is worried about him, as he is haunted by the events of the summer of 1922, which he finds too awful to speak of. The psychiatrist tells him to write them down, as that's what brings him peace. He begins to write of his stay in West Egg, a fictitious community in Long Island, NY. He describes his encounters with his mysterious but charming neighbor, one Mr. Jay Gastby, a young millionaire playboy with a tendency to throw lavish and insane parties nearly every night. He also visits his beautiful cousin, Daisy Buchanan, who lives directly across the bay from Gatsby in East Egg, a neighboring community. Her husband Tom Buchanan is even wealthier than Gatsby, being born rich, and is a friend of Carraway's from Yale. But, as Nick gets to know Gatsby better, he uncovers some of Gatsby's secrets, including a possible romantic connection with Daisy, his mysterious past, and discovers the answer to a question often poised by the local press: where did all of his money come from?... Baz Luhrmann is a director I am familiar with, but not one who is among my favorites. He's directed such films as Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, and Australia. All of these are romantic in some way (as is this most recent effort) and all are, let's say, a little over-the-top. Rouge is a jukebox musical set in the 1800's in Paris with lavish visuals and great musical numbers, but the over-acting and plot holes for me made it less of a film. R+J is an adaptation of the classic play by William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest writer of all time. It's quite confusing, it is set in modern day, which you would think would make it more understandable to young audiences, and maybe have them be more open to the idea of reading Shakespeare once they understand the story better. it actually does the opposite, despite it's modern day setting, it still has all the actors speak in Shakespearean dialects, which makes a lot of the plot confusing, and the film itself is just so "in your face" it becomes distracting. Australia is a visually appealing but overall dull romantic epic set in the director's (and main stars') homeland: Australia. This film is much different. While it does still maintain with the director's very "in your face" style, it ultimately tones it down. Although the visuals are fantastic, I still feel the 3D rendering of the film is unnecessary. As Stephen Colbert said in last week's Colbert Report: "It's like your homework's coming right at you!" By the way, in that episode, the director pointed out this was one of the few adaptations of the book (and there's a lot) that Fitzgerald's descendants approved of. The cast are absolutely fantastic, just perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby, the main hero of the film. He is a truly complex character. I will not ruin any of the reveals about his character, but a few you might not see coming. Adapting one of literature's greatest characters to the big screen is so easy feet, but I believe the writers pulled it off brilliantly. DiCaprio is the perfect fit for Gatsby, he's so memorable in the role, that if you go read the book, you can't help picturing him as you read it. Tobey Maguire gives a great performance as our other lead hero and narrator: Nick Carraway. He's a complicated character as well, and I believe Maguire pulled off the inner-narration quite well. It's not really easy to pull off a book that's mostly told from inside a guy's head. Carey Mulligan is great as Daisy. She's a very dividing character, by the end of the film, you'll either love or hate her. That's really all I'm gonna say there. Joel Edgerton pulls off the asshole character quite well as Tom. There's times in the film you feel pity for him, but ultimately, he's a great villain, and him and Gatsby play well off each other. Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan all do great is supporting roles as Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, George B. Wilson, and Meyer Wolfsheim, respectively. The soundtrack is interesting. It incorporates elements of jazz, but mostly consists of modern day hip-hop, rap, techno, and rock. Artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lana Del Ray, The XX, Beyoncé, Andre 3000, Filter, Jack White, and Florence and the Machine make appearances on the soundtrack, with some of the lyrics in their songs reflecting themes of the novel and film. The visuals, similar to Luhrmann's earlier work, are flashy and vibrant, sometimes a little distracting, but ultimately gorgeous. This is a movie that's pretty to look at, and although that sometimes overshadows the complicated plot and characters, it's not something to complain about, as movies are a pretty visual medium. The Great Gatsby may not be exactly a "summer movie", but it's a compelling and heartbreaking drama, and an effective cautionary tale about the "American Dream". The visuals are beautiful, the acting is fantastic, the story is provocative and intriguing, and the music is interesting. Baz Luhrmann props to you for not only staying true to the novel, but not making it boring (as the 1974 Robert Redford film did) and also do something new and original. 4/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
Top 20 Marvel Movies, Part II
Today, I look at 9-1 in the Marvel Movies Countdown.
9. Daredevil: Director's Cut: Now the theatrical cut of this movie was mediocre at best, but this R-rated version, which added in a subplot featuring a drug addict played by Coolio, felt closer to Frank Miller's dark vision of the 80's comics, as it added more violence and some darker moments. This version of the film won over many critics, comic book fans, and me, and it improves the film considerably.
8. Blade II: This sequel is one of the few that tops the original. Wesley Snipes returns as Blade, joined by Kris Kristofferson, Norman Reedus, Ron Perlman, and Luke Goss. The action scenes are more violent, the villains are more threatening, the budget is bigger, and the story is smarter. Guillermo del Toro, famed Spanish director known for his stylish fantasy-horror films, brings his love of Lovecraftian lore and monsters to this movie, giving it it's own distinct style. This style would be shown off even more in his next few films, including another superhero blockbuster: Hellboy. This movie is able to add more action, but also be much more atmospheric and more terrifying than the first, making it one of the few action-horror films to balance the two perfectly.
7. X2: X-Men United: This is another sequel that tops the original. The addition of the Nightcrawler character, and the fact (like Blade II) it forces the heroes and villains to team up is interesting. It has improved special effects, better action, more twists, a more interesting storyline, more revelations about the Wolverine character, and some darker themes. These improvements make this installment the best in the X-Men series so far.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger: This is a film I've changed my opinion on quite a bit. originally, I thought it was just okay. But on further examination, I've found it to be one of the best of the Avengers films, and one of the best Marvel movies. The main cast are fantastic, the digital and makeup effects are fantastic, the re-design of Captain America is awesome, the action scenes are kick-ass, the villain (who I thought was difficult to adapt to the screen seriously) proves to be surprisingly threatening, and the storyline was original, while staying true to the comic books. It's also a much better "period piece" superhero film than X-Men: First Class and a better Cap. American movie than the low-budget, 1990 flop.
5. Iron Man 3: This installment in the trilogy (which may grow into a saga) is the second best, and that's really something. The first in the "Phase Two" segment of the Avengers franchise, it is the first follow-up to the 2012 hit, and it's quite a movie. It's portrayal of arch-villain The Mandarin will divide a lot of people, but this entertaining thrill ride is a great comic book movie, and it's loads of fun, despite it's sometimes dark tone.
4. Spider-Man 2: This is one of the best superhero films ever made. Despite technically being better than the original, I put it lower on the list because I personally prefer the original, but that's besides the point. Don't let that discourage you from viewing it, this movie is a funny, action-packed, dramatic superhero epic, which deals with the question: "How would a hero deal with the situation of temporarily losing his powers?" The films also asks a follow-up question: "How would the hero deal with that situation if a powerful new villain surfaced around the same time?" I'll let you see the movie for yourself to see the answer, but this movie not only has better action scenes, a more threatening villain, and improved special effects, it also adds more human elements to the main hero than even the first film did.
3. Spider-Man: This is the second major film that Marvel did, and this was the one that cemented the fact that comic book movies were becoming a huge business. Despite 2000's X-Men being a critical and commercial success, 2002's Spider-Man was able to top X-Men's box-office results and positive reception. It deserves it, too. The story, cinematography, acting, writing, direction, special effects, and action scenes are phenomenal, especially from a director who had only made low-budget horror films in the past. Looking at it as a first blockbuster outing, it's a masterpiece. Despite it's flaws and somewhat dates digital effects, Spider-Man continues to intrigue and amaze audiences to this day.
2. Iron Man: 2008's kick-off to the Avengers was spectacular. Despite having a villain that only really appears for the last half-hour (I actually thought the villain was pretty cool, and deserved more screen-time) and having a "smaller" scope than the later films in the franchise, this still remains the best of the Iron Man trilogy, the second best in the Avengers franchise, and (in my opinion) the second-best Marvel movie of all time. The cast, action, special effects, and even the music are just perfect.
1. Marvel's The Avengers: Is anyone surprised. This blockbuster hit had a lot to work with. How wee they going to accomplish combining 6 heroes, 4 of which have had their own movies, into one film? Giving them and the supporting cast equal screen time? Making it funny, thrilling, and awe-inspiring? Doing something new while staying true to the source material? Most importantly: Pleasing fans while doing what the filmmakers wanted to do. Somehow, master of sci-fi cinema and cult TV Joss Whedon pulled it off, and was able to not only please fans, but blows their expectations out of the water. The special effects, writing, humor, action, acting, story, and music are all, as said before, awe-inspiring. The scope of this film was huge, and the team behind it was able to pull it off perfectly. All this and more is what puts Marvel's The Avengers in the #1 spot.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to check out Part I as well as my review of Iron Man 3
(Images: Wikipedia)
9. Daredevil: Director's Cut: Now the theatrical cut of this movie was mediocre at best, but this R-rated version, which added in a subplot featuring a drug addict played by Coolio, felt closer to Frank Miller's dark vision of the 80's comics, as it added more violence and some darker moments. This version of the film won over many critics, comic book fans, and me, and it improves the film considerably.
8. Blade II: This sequel is one of the few that tops the original. Wesley Snipes returns as Blade, joined by Kris Kristofferson, Norman Reedus, Ron Perlman, and Luke Goss. The action scenes are more violent, the villains are more threatening, the budget is bigger, and the story is smarter. Guillermo del Toro, famed Spanish director known for his stylish fantasy-horror films, brings his love of Lovecraftian lore and monsters to this movie, giving it it's own distinct style. This style would be shown off even more in his next few films, including another superhero blockbuster: Hellboy. This movie is able to add more action, but also be much more atmospheric and more terrifying than the first, making it one of the few action-horror films to balance the two perfectly.
7. X2: X-Men United: This is another sequel that tops the original. The addition of the Nightcrawler character, and the fact (like Blade II) it forces the heroes and villains to team up is interesting. It has improved special effects, better action, more twists, a more interesting storyline, more revelations about the Wolverine character, and some darker themes. These improvements make this installment the best in the X-Men series so far.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger: This is a film I've changed my opinion on quite a bit. originally, I thought it was just okay. But on further examination, I've found it to be one of the best of the Avengers films, and one of the best Marvel movies. The main cast are fantastic, the digital and makeup effects are fantastic, the re-design of Captain America is awesome, the action scenes are kick-ass, the villain (who I thought was difficult to adapt to the screen seriously) proves to be surprisingly threatening, and the storyline was original, while staying true to the comic books. It's also a much better "period piece" superhero film than X-Men: First Class and a better Cap. American movie than the low-budget, 1990 flop.
5. Iron Man 3: This installment in the trilogy (which may grow into a saga) is the second best, and that's really something. The first in the "Phase Two" segment of the Avengers franchise, it is the first follow-up to the 2012 hit, and it's quite a movie. It's portrayal of arch-villain The Mandarin will divide a lot of people, but this entertaining thrill ride is a great comic book movie, and it's loads of fun, despite it's sometimes dark tone.
4. Spider-Man 2: This is one of the best superhero films ever made. Despite technically being better than the original, I put it lower on the list because I personally prefer the original, but that's besides the point. Don't let that discourage you from viewing it, this movie is a funny, action-packed, dramatic superhero epic, which deals with the question: "How would a hero deal with the situation of temporarily losing his powers?" The films also asks a follow-up question: "How would the hero deal with that situation if a powerful new villain surfaced around the same time?" I'll let you see the movie for yourself to see the answer, but this movie not only has better action scenes, a more threatening villain, and improved special effects, it also adds more human elements to the main hero than even the first film did.
3. Spider-Man: This is the second major film that Marvel did, and this was the one that cemented the fact that comic book movies were becoming a huge business. Despite 2000's X-Men being a critical and commercial success, 2002's Spider-Man was able to top X-Men's box-office results and positive reception. It deserves it, too. The story, cinematography, acting, writing, direction, special effects, and action scenes are phenomenal, especially from a director who had only made low-budget horror films in the past. Looking at it as a first blockbuster outing, it's a masterpiece. Despite it's flaws and somewhat dates digital effects, Spider-Man continues to intrigue and amaze audiences to this day.
2. Iron Man: 2008's kick-off to the Avengers was spectacular. Despite having a villain that only really appears for the last half-hour (I actually thought the villain was pretty cool, and deserved more screen-time) and having a "smaller" scope than the later films in the franchise, this still remains the best of the Iron Man trilogy, the second best in the Avengers franchise, and (in my opinion) the second-best Marvel movie of all time. The cast, action, special effects, and even the music are just perfect.
1. Marvel's The Avengers: Is anyone surprised. This blockbuster hit had a lot to work with. How wee they going to accomplish combining 6 heroes, 4 of which have had their own movies, into one film? Giving them and the supporting cast equal screen time? Making it funny, thrilling, and awe-inspiring? Doing something new while staying true to the source material? Most importantly: Pleasing fans while doing what the filmmakers wanted to do. Somehow, master of sci-fi cinema and cult TV Joss Whedon pulled it off, and was able to not only please fans, but blows their expectations out of the water. The special effects, writing, humor, action, acting, story, and music are all, as said before, awe-inspiring. The scope of this film was huge, and the team behind it was able to pull it off perfectly. All this and more is what puts Marvel's The Avengers in the #1 spot.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to check out Part I as well as my review of Iron Man 3
(Images: Wikipedia)Friday, May 10, 2013
Top 20 Marvel Movies, Part 1
In celebration of Iron Man 3, the one-year anniversary of Marvel's The Avengers, and November's upcoming Thor: The Dark World, I've decided to do a list of the Top 20 Movies based on a Marvel Comic Book. The criteria is it must be a comic that was owned by Marvel (one example on this list is of a film that was owned by Marvel at the time of it's release), and it does not have to be within the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, so non-Avengers movies count. Also, sticking to live action films here, besides, most of Marvel's animated features wouldn't make it on the list anyway.
20. Men in Black: Here is that example of a film that was based off an independent comic, which at the time was owned by Marvel. And this was before Blade, so technically it's the first official Marvel movie. The movie is good enough on it's own, and has become far more famous than the short-lived comic book it's based on. In fact, it has little to no relation to the original source material, other than the name, the involvement of aliens, and the main characters being, well, "men in black". This movie is a fun sci-fi comedy with plenty of action thrown in for good measure.
19. The Punisher: Now, although I don't like this as much as the last entry on this list, it is technically a better comic book movie, as it does follow it's source material far better. This entry, unlike the previous, is a dark, gritty, violent movie with more in common with 70's revenge thrillers than any other Marvel movies. It follows Frank Castle, a former US Army Delta Force operator, who's wife and entire extended family are gunned down at a family reunion by gangsters, by order of Tampa mob boss Howard Saint and his wife. Castle, in a mix of depression and rage, decides to become a vigilante. Donning a black bullet-proof vest (with a white skull painted on it) and a black trench-coat, Castle dubs himself "The Punisher", and begins "punishing" criminals, working his way up the crime food chain, up to the people responsible for his entire family's murders. This wasn't the first Punisher film (1989's direct-to-video action film The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren had little to do with the comic), and it wouldn't be the last (2008's Punisher: War Zone starring Ray Stevenson, which was a reboot), but it is by far the best. The cast are pretty good. Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn, Ben Foster, Roy Scheider, Will Patton, and Laura Harring are satisfactory. The movie shines in it's action scenes. Although it's not the best Marvel movie, or even the best action movie, it's good enough. It has since gained a cult following, prompting Thomas Jane to reprise the role in a 10-minute long short film at Comic-Con, which also starred Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Blade II, 1000 Ways to Die, Sons of Aarchy, Teen Titans), titled Dirty Laundry.
18. Kick-Ass: Technically from a Marvel Imprint (just like Men in Black), this movie still, well, kicks ass. It's a blend of gruesome violence, comedy, and clever writing. Although not at all what it claims to be (a "realistic" look at what superheroes would be like), it does have it's funny moments, which are often dark humor. Although, unlike many people, I found Hit Girl an over-the-top, annoying, and somewhat disturbing character, I really enjoyed this movie. Despite the fact a lot of the brutal violence overshadows the funny bits, and the fact that the film kind of shows a guy who teaches his daughter to mercilessly and gleefully kill other people as a hero, this movie is a fun, violent, bad-ass action-comedy with a few twists thrown in. Also, the director of this movie produced movies like Snatch, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, so you know it's worth a watch.
17. X-Men, First Class: This movie may not be as good as some other entries in the X-Men franchise, but it is a fun movie. Director Matthew Vaughn (director of Kick-Ass) stays true to the source material and the previous films, all while being it's own, incorporating Vaughn's slick directing style and his witty humor. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender made an impression with this movie, especially Fassbender, as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively. I consider these to be their breakout roles. The movie also has a lot of bad-ass comic book action, and some great special effects. New and old mutants alike make appearances, the film also adds more development for supporting characters like Beast, Mystique, Emma Frost, Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, and Havoc. The movie also has a great cameo by Hugh Jackman, reprising his iconic role as Wolverine. The film has a lot of focus on Xavier and Lensherr (Magneto), even more so on Magneto. You can tell this was originally planned as an origin movie for Magneto, the working title X-Men Origins: Magneto was used for quite a while before this movie was officially announced. The film also pays a good amount of attention to the villain, Sebastian Shaw, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Very different than how he appears in the comics, Shaw is no less threatening. In fact, he's more threatening due to the fact that he can overpower almost all the heroes to his use of energy manipulation. X-Men: First Class is a fun, action-packed sci-fi comic book movie, give it a watch.
16. Spider-Man 3/The Amazing Spider-Man: First, the third film: Although this gets a bad rep, it's not all that bad. Sure, Venom is a little rushed, but hey, Raimi wasn't even gonna put him in until fans petitioned to have him put in, so we're lucky we even got him. Otherwise, besides it's sometimes cluttered plot, it's a damn good comic book movie. The main villains, Sandman and New Goblin (a re-imagining of Green Goblin II from the comics), similar to the previous two, are bad-ass, but, in the end, sympathetic. Venom is also somewhat sympathetic, despite going all-out psycho in the end. The film is a bit scattered, but hey, it had to tackle Sandman, the Alien Suit arc, New Goblin, Peter and MJ's romance, a love triangle, Peter's emotional issues, and Harry's inner conflict in a 2 hour movie. Pretty difficult task if you ask me. Raimi pulled it off pretty well, and was able to squeeze in one last cameo by his friend, cult actor Bruce Campbell. The film's cast give good performances, and the action and special effects are up to par with the previous installment in this trilogy. Now, the reboot: Although not a good as the previous Spidey films, it is good. The main cast are satisfactory, and the special effects are just spectacular. The action scenes are less frequent than in previous films, but they are entertaining as hell. Although the villain (The Lizard) is a little lackluster compared to other Spidey bad guys, the overall plot is a little underdeveloped, and Andrew Garfield isn't nearly as good as Tobey Maguire, The Amazing Spider-Man manages to be a fun, entertaining superhero film, with some clever humor added for good measure. (Although I found Spider-Man's "clever" comebacks and jokes to be just annoying and awful.)
15. Blade: This was the first official Marvel movie, and, sadly, it's pretty much forgotten when it comes to discussions and debates about comic book movies. This movie blends superhero storylines with thrilling action and horror to create an original and entertaining movie. Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff give great lead performances as Blade and his vampire nemesis Deacon Frost, and Kris Kristofferson gives a great supporting performance as Blade's mentor and father figure. Snipes makes the character of Blade all his own, and Dorff makes the villain charismatic, yet despicable at the same time. Blade blends the action and horror genres perfectly, making it worth several viewings.
14. Thor: Although not the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is an entertaining movie. despite Kat Dennings being quite annoying, most of the cast, which includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Renee Russo, and Stellan Skarsgard, are great. The film has some good jokes, cool special effects, good action and acting, clever writing, and a great chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. The film also features a cool cameo by Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye (referred to as Agent Barton), and another by Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson.
13. X-Men: This may not be the best of the franchise, but this was the beginning. The movie also started Hugh Jackman's career, and also features some great actors and actresses such as Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Jenssen, Anna Paquin, and Rebecca Romijn. The film also has some impressive special effects for the year 2000, and the action scenes are outstanding. Props goes to director Bryan Singer, as this was his first major film since The Usual Suspects, and this was his first big blockbuster.
12. The Incredible Hulk: This movie is a reboot of the Hulk franchise, and was rebooted as part of The Avengers franchise. Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt star in this adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Although not as psychologically interesting as the 2003 film, it is more true to the comics, and some cool cameos by Stan Lee (a regular for Marvel films), Lou Ferrigno (from the 70's TV show), and Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark from Iron Man).
11. Hulk: This provoking psychological drama focuses on the more human side of the Hulk character: Dr. Bruce Banner. Eric Bana gives a good performance as the tormented gamma radiation expert and scientist. Jennifer Connelly, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, and Sam Elliott also star. The film has some dated special effects, but the action scenes are pretty cool, and the insight into the Hulk's mind and backstory are surprisingly interesting, and sometimes disturbing. Director Ang Lee brings his artful directing style to this surprisingly dark comic book movie. This superhero drama also features cameos by Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno.
10. Iron Man 2: This sequel may not be as good as the original, but this movie is great. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, Paul Bettany, Clark Gregg, and Jon Favreau (the director of this film) all give great performances. The action scenes and special effects are even better than the first, and the overall themes of the movies are pretty intriguing. The relationship between Tony and his late father that was explored I found interesting. Iron Man 2 is not the best film in the trilogy, but it's entertaining, thrilling, and funny.
Stay tuned for Part 2 (9-1 and runner-ups)!!!!
(Images: Wikipedia)
20. Men in Black: Here is that example of a film that was based off an independent comic, which at the time was owned by Marvel. And this was before Blade, so technically it's the first official Marvel movie. The movie is good enough on it's own, and has become far more famous than the short-lived comic book it's based on. In fact, it has little to no relation to the original source material, other than the name, the involvement of aliens, and the main characters being, well, "men in black". This movie is a fun sci-fi comedy with plenty of action thrown in for good measure.
19. The Punisher: Now, although I don't like this as much as the last entry on this list, it is technically a better comic book movie, as it does follow it's source material far better. This entry, unlike the previous, is a dark, gritty, violent movie with more in common with 70's revenge thrillers than any other Marvel movies. It follows Frank Castle, a former US Army Delta Force operator, who's wife and entire extended family are gunned down at a family reunion by gangsters, by order of Tampa mob boss Howard Saint and his wife. Castle, in a mix of depression and rage, decides to become a vigilante. Donning a black bullet-proof vest (with a white skull painted on it) and a black trench-coat, Castle dubs himself "The Punisher", and begins "punishing" criminals, working his way up the crime food chain, up to the people responsible for his entire family's murders. This wasn't the first Punisher film (1989's direct-to-video action film The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren had little to do with the comic), and it wouldn't be the last (2008's Punisher: War Zone starring Ray Stevenson, which was a reboot), but it is by far the best. The cast are pretty good. Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn, Ben Foster, Roy Scheider, Will Patton, and Laura Harring are satisfactory. The movie shines in it's action scenes. Although it's not the best Marvel movie, or even the best action movie, it's good enough. It has since gained a cult following, prompting Thomas Jane to reprise the role in a 10-minute long short film at Comic-Con, which also starred Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Blade II, 1000 Ways to Die, Sons of Aarchy, Teen Titans), titled Dirty Laundry.
18. Kick-Ass: Technically from a Marvel Imprint (just like Men in Black), this movie still, well, kicks ass. It's a blend of gruesome violence, comedy, and clever writing. Although not at all what it claims to be (a "realistic" look at what superheroes would be like), it does have it's funny moments, which are often dark humor. Although, unlike many people, I found Hit Girl an over-the-top, annoying, and somewhat disturbing character, I really enjoyed this movie. Despite the fact a lot of the brutal violence overshadows the funny bits, and the fact that the film kind of shows a guy who teaches his daughter to mercilessly and gleefully kill other people as a hero, this movie is a fun, violent, bad-ass action-comedy with a few twists thrown in. Also, the director of this movie produced movies like Snatch, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, so you know it's worth a watch.
17. X-Men, First Class: This movie may not be as good as some other entries in the X-Men franchise, but it is a fun movie. Director Matthew Vaughn (director of Kick-Ass) stays true to the source material and the previous films, all while being it's own, incorporating Vaughn's slick directing style and his witty humor. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender made an impression with this movie, especially Fassbender, as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively. I consider these to be their breakout roles. The movie also has a lot of bad-ass comic book action, and some great special effects. New and old mutants alike make appearances, the film also adds more development for supporting characters like Beast, Mystique, Emma Frost, Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, and Havoc. The movie also has a great cameo by Hugh Jackman, reprising his iconic role as Wolverine. The film has a lot of focus on Xavier and Lensherr (Magneto), even more so on Magneto. You can tell this was originally planned as an origin movie for Magneto, the working title X-Men Origins: Magneto was used for quite a while before this movie was officially announced. The film also pays a good amount of attention to the villain, Sebastian Shaw, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Very different than how he appears in the comics, Shaw is no less threatening. In fact, he's more threatening due to the fact that he can overpower almost all the heroes to his use of energy manipulation. X-Men: First Class is a fun, action-packed sci-fi comic book movie, give it a watch.
16. Spider-Man 3/The Amazing Spider-Man: First, the third film: Although this gets a bad rep, it's not all that bad. Sure, Venom is a little rushed, but hey, Raimi wasn't even gonna put him in until fans petitioned to have him put in, so we're lucky we even got him. Otherwise, besides it's sometimes cluttered plot, it's a damn good comic book movie. The main villains, Sandman and New Goblin (a re-imagining of Green Goblin II from the comics), similar to the previous two, are bad-ass, but, in the end, sympathetic. Venom is also somewhat sympathetic, despite going all-out psycho in the end. The film is a bit scattered, but hey, it had to tackle Sandman, the Alien Suit arc, New Goblin, Peter and MJ's romance, a love triangle, Peter's emotional issues, and Harry's inner conflict in a 2 hour movie. Pretty difficult task if you ask me. Raimi pulled it off pretty well, and was able to squeeze in one last cameo by his friend, cult actor Bruce Campbell. The film's cast give good performances, and the action and special effects are up to par with the previous installment in this trilogy. Now, the reboot: Although not a good as the previous Spidey films, it is good. The main cast are satisfactory, and the special effects are just spectacular. The action scenes are less frequent than in previous films, but they are entertaining as hell. Although the villain (The Lizard) is a little lackluster compared to other Spidey bad guys, the overall plot is a little underdeveloped, and Andrew Garfield isn't nearly as good as Tobey Maguire, The Amazing Spider-Man manages to be a fun, entertaining superhero film, with some clever humor added for good measure. (Although I found Spider-Man's "clever" comebacks and jokes to be just annoying and awful.)
15. Blade: This was the first official Marvel movie, and, sadly, it's pretty much forgotten when it comes to discussions and debates about comic book movies. This movie blends superhero storylines with thrilling action and horror to create an original and entertaining movie. Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff give great lead performances as Blade and his vampire nemesis Deacon Frost, and Kris Kristofferson gives a great supporting performance as Blade's mentor and father figure. Snipes makes the character of Blade all his own, and Dorff makes the villain charismatic, yet despicable at the same time. Blade blends the action and horror genres perfectly, making it worth several viewings.
14. Thor: Although not the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is an entertaining movie. despite Kat Dennings being quite annoying, most of the cast, which includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Renee Russo, and Stellan Skarsgard, are great. The film has some good jokes, cool special effects, good action and acting, clever writing, and a great chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. The film also features a cool cameo by Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye (referred to as Agent Barton), and another by Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson.
13. X-Men: This may not be the best of the franchise, but this was the beginning. The movie also started Hugh Jackman's career, and also features some great actors and actresses such as Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Jenssen, Anna Paquin, and Rebecca Romijn. The film also has some impressive special effects for the year 2000, and the action scenes are outstanding. Props goes to director Bryan Singer, as this was his first major film since The Usual Suspects, and this was his first big blockbuster.
12. The Incredible Hulk: This movie is a reboot of the Hulk franchise, and was rebooted as part of The Avengers franchise. Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt star in this adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Although not as psychologically interesting as the 2003 film, it is more true to the comics, and some cool cameos by Stan Lee (a regular for Marvel films), Lou Ferrigno (from the 70's TV show), and Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark from Iron Man).
11. Hulk: This provoking psychological drama focuses on the more human side of the Hulk character: Dr. Bruce Banner. Eric Bana gives a good performance as the tormented gamma radiation expert and scientist. Jennifer Connelly, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, and Sam Elliott also star. The film has some dated special effects, but the action scenes are pretty cool, and the insight into the Hulk's mind and backstory are surprisingly interesting, and sometimes disturbing. Director Ang Lee brings his artful directing style to this surprisingly dark comic book movie. This superhero drama also features cameos by Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno.
10. Iron Man 2: This sequel may not be as good as the original, but this movie is great. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, Paul Bettany, Clark Gregg, and Jon Favreau (the director of this film) all give great performances. The action scenes and special effects are even better than the first, and the overall themes of the movies are pretty intriguing. The relationship between Tony and his late father that was explored I found interesting. Iron Man 2 is not the best film in the trilogy, but it's entertaining, thrilling, and funny.
Stay tuned for Part 2 (9-1 and runner-ups)!!!!
(Images: Wikipedia)
Friday, May 3, 2013
Iron Man 3: Is it possible to really enjoy a movie but also be very disappointed?
Today, I look at the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that's really going to divide people.
(Minor Spoilers Ahead!)
Iron Man 3:
Tony Stark has been suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and extreme anxiety attacks ever since the climax of The Avengers. He is always at work, having to keep himself constantly occupied, causing himself to be isolated from his girlfriend and assistant Virginia "Pepper" Pots, former bodyguard and friend Happy Hogan, and everyone else he knows. Recently, an old acquaintance (who Stark brushed off many years earlier), resurfaces, Aldrich Killian, the founder of the company Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM, which was a terrorist organization in the comics), and co-creator of the "Extremis" program. Tony and Pepper are initially charmed by him, but ultimately feel like he's got something strange going on. That comes into play a little later... Meanwhile, the arrival of gods and aliens on Earth, the death of SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson, and a near-death experience aren't the only things bugging Tony: there have been many other changes in his life. Since his handing over the company to Pepper in the second film, he's getting used to not being in full control. He also has to deal with the fact his best friend Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes (aka War Machine) is getting more press than him because he has gotten a major makeover by the government. They decided War Machine was a little too "aggressive", and revamped him as the "Iron Patriot". (Basically War Machine with a Captain America paintjob, which the film pokes fun at.) But even more upsetting: a new Osama bin Laden-like terrorist known only as "The Mandarin", who claims to be the leader of the Ten Rings terror group (the same group that kidnapped Tony in the first film), has been hacking TV station, spreading his message that America's government is a lying, corrupt system. The Mandarin has also been behind several strange bombings in the past several months. These bombings also follow the pattern of an Extremis experiment gone awry. Could Aldrich and the Mandarin be working together? Tony tries to find out, only to get his mansion blown up, his suits wrecked, his one good suit broken, and Pepper, the love of his life, kidnapped. He must now travel to a small town in the Midwest where a bombing took place, figure out why it happened there, figure out the Mandarin's plans, and fix his suits, meanwhile putting his life back together, which he does by helping out a kid from a struggling family. Now that's all I'm gonna give away because this is a film I want you guys to see for yourselves. It's a highly entertaining film, and one of the best summer blockbusters in a while. This isn't as good as The Avengers, or even the original Iron Man, but it's one hell of a ride. The cast are fantastic. Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious as Tony Stark, as usual. After him publically voicing his thoughts on retiring the character, many fans were worried this would be the last time we see Iron Man. I can guarantee you it's not. It appears Downey Jr. is still having a lot of fun playing the role, and this film explores a side we've rarely seen from him: a relatable side. He's stripped of everything he has, he has to rise back up, and he's humbled by it. Even though he still maintains his douchebag persona and trademark sarcastic humor, he becomes a changed person by the events of the film, and his bond with the young boy is touching, but also provides the film with some great jokes. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Pepper Potts, and shows us a bad-ass side to her that I don't think many people were expecting. Don Cheadle reprises his role as Rhodey, and is more of a supporting character in the movie, but becomes a major character near the ending. He has some good jokes, and also is a total bad-ass as the Iron Patriot. (But still, I have to admit, miss the War Machine suit.) Ben Kingsley is extremely threatening as The Mandarin. He appears as a distant, cold, brutal villain with no morals or remorse for the crimes he commits. The Mandarin is one of the few villains in superhero films nowadays who seems like a genuine threat to the hero. Now, I'm a big comic book fan, but I'll admit I haven't read too much Iron Man stuff, so I usually base my opinion of the movies off their own merit. I was pretty pleased with how the Mandarin was portrayed here, even though there's one plot bit that upset me. Now, a lot of comic book fans will be enraged with what they do here, and I completely get it. I was even a little upset by it. But I'm glad I can accept this portrayal on it's own terms, not being attached to the comic book counterpart. (I'll discuss this later.) Guy Pearce is fantastic as Aldrich Killian. He is actually a bigger character than you would think, functioning as the supporting villain. He is an evil genius and a wealthy scientist. Rather than posing him as a young fool like Justin Hammer, the writing and directing team decided to portray Killian as a truly threatening force who is not to be crossed. Rebecca Hall (The Town) plays Dr. Maya Hansen, one of Tony's ex's and a botanist who was one of the original Extremis team members. She is good in the film, but her key role can't be given much more detail here because it spoils the movie. Jon Favreau (director of the first two films) reprises his role as Happy Hogan here, being as funny as he was in those two films. James Badge Dale (AMC's Rubicon, HBO's The Pacific, 24, and The Departed) plays Eric Savin, a supporting villain. He serves as "the muscle", a villain who serves as a bodyguard to the main bad guys. Originally a high-tech assassin named "Coldblood" in the comics, he is revamped here as a dangerous, fire-powered Extremis thug. Stephanie Szostak plays Ellen Brandt, another brainwashed Extremis thug. Rather than a sinister scientist like in the Man-Thing comics she's from, she is now a former soldier who was part of the Extremis project. (This is not the only time that the film takes liberties with the comics, as I will talk about in the "spoiler section" below.) Ty Simpkins (Insidious, Little Children, CSI, Pride and Glory, Revolutionary Road, Arcadia) plays Harley, a smart little boy who bonds with Tony Stark. They have really good chemistry together, and I'm glad they chose Simpkins to be the first child to be a main character in the franchise. Paul Bettany reprises his role as the friendly and funny AI system JARVIS. William Sadler plays US President Ellis. Shaun Toub briefly returns as Yinsen from the first film in a flashback. Miguel Ferrer (an actor known for villain roles in cult films) plays the Vice President. Ashley Hamilton appears as Jack Taggert, an Extremis soldier addicted to the Extremis drug. Thomas Roberts, Joan Rivers, and Bill Maher all make cameos as themselves on TV. I enjoy when films like this (the previous two films, and comedy The Campaign) use real talk show hosts and have them discuss fictional events as if they actually happened. Wang Xueqi makes a cameo as Dr. Wu in a flashback. This film is the first in the Iron Man films to not be directed by Jon Favreau, who returned as a producer. Instead, he is replaced by Shane Black. Now, Black is known mainly for his writing credits, including Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and Last Action Hero. He also was a supporting actor in Predator. This is his second film, after writing and directing the crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang back in 2005, which also starred Robert Downey Jr. This film remains true to the other films, while also incorporating Black's signature style, include his trademark Christmastime setting. This film, while still being darker than other entries, is also one of the funniest. Black really knows how to slip humor seamlessly into an otherwise dark story. Even though the other films have only taken bits and pieces from comics, Black decided to have the film take a lot of inspiration from the acclaimed story arc Iron Man: Extremis, which recently was collected into a single volume in celebration of the film, similar to what Warner Bros. did last year with Batman: Knightfall in celebration of their new Batman film. In fact, it's reminiscent of how Nolan's trilogy took inspiration from major Batman story arcs. It remains pretty consistent with the story arc. Note the phrase "pretty consistent". The film also packs in a lot of action as well. The action sequences are amazing in this movie. Even though Tony is out of the suit for most of the movie, (let's face it, he's really not in it that much in any of the movies he's in) it's not distracting like it was in The Dark Knight Rises (which was still a great movie) and the epic battle at the end completely makes up for it. The special effects raise the bar for the series, if you look at the credits (which you'll have to see for the after-credits bit), you'll see just how many people it took to make this movie come to life. (Hint: There's a lot.) The effects don't stop with the Iron Man suits, they extend to the Extremis bad guys, and the plane crash sequence. By the way, the skydiving stunt in that sequence was incredibly. Jaw-dropping. It's a very original concept, so I won't spoil it. (Don't spoil the movie for yourself by looking up clips on the Internet, either.) The musical score is great, but a little different, there being a different composer and all. But, something unacceptable about the soundtrack: no AC/DC! Shame on you, IM3! They are kind of like Iron Man's signature band. On the positive side, the little end credits animation sequence was very cool, very reminiscent of a 60's action TV show opening. Now, you may be wondering: Matt, why did you say you were disappointed in the title when this review seems very positive? I'll get to that in the "spoiler segment" below, which, if you're wondering, will spoil a huge reveal in the movie. Iron Man 3, while not being the best in the series, is a fantastic superhero epic, and a great sci-fi/action movie. The action and comedy blend extremely well. The special effects are amazing to look at, and the acting is fantastic. Iron Man 3 will blow you away, and then some. Not in the same way The Avengers or Iron Man did, but almost. 4.5/5 stars.
Notes (non-spoiler): Stan Lee makes a funny cameo on TV as an elderly beauty pageant judge. I will not spoil the post-credits scene, but I will say it's funny, and has a pleasant surprise: a character you might not expect in this movie.
SPOILERS BELOW POSTERS AND LINKS!!!
(Images: digitalspy.com, collider.com, Wikipedia, superfogeys.com, ohmygahh.com, veryaware.com, filmofilia.com, ign.com, imax.com, fanpop.com, imax.com, comicsalliance.com, comicvine.com, fashionnaction.blogspot.com, comicbookmovie.com)
Other reviews I enjoyed:
This one is a partially negative review that contains MAJOR SPOILERS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z-PoNNxXsA
This is a non-spoiler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GPFd_SLpnc
As far as I can tell, spoiler free:
http://blip.tv/film-brain/projector-iron-man-three-6578031
SPOILER Talk, part II of a review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMDh38dfpVg
Another Spoiler Discussion, offer new ideas on how the film's problems could have been fixed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3KeDPR5VKs
And, if anyone's interested, here are my reviews of the other films, including other Avengers-related movies, all from last year when this blog first got started:
Part I:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies.html
Part II:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
SPOILER SECTION!!:
So here it is, the big spoiler that everyone's been alluding to in their reviews, you ready?:
The Mandarin is a decoy. Yes, the threatening, bad-ass villain we were promised turns into a drunken, comedic relief character in the end of the second act, revealed to be a hired actor, oblivious to the fact he is believed to be an actual terrorist. The Mandarin is actually revealed to be Killian. Now, I was confused by this, and many were angered by it. Turning Iron Man's arch-villain of the comics into a joke? But I got it. I was able to roll with it, not being a big Marvel comics reader. But I did some research on the character before I saw the film. It is not only completely different, but I now can completely relate to people who didn't hate the movie per se, but hated that segment in the movie. But I just came to a realization: in early interviews for the film, the Mandarin was said to be a background bad guy, but the trailers started coming out, and portrayed him as a big, bombastic villain, similar to Silva from last year's Bond film Skyfall. (Interesting tidbit: after the credits, you see the text "Tony Stark will return", clarifying this isn't the end of the series, similar to the ending of Skyfall) Anyway, I was confused by the huge terror attacks, because they said he was a more "in the shadows" type of character. Then I got it, he is. If the Mandarin is Killian, and Killian was working from behind the scenes, it totally makes sense. But, I do understand if the movie lost you with that. It didn't bother me that much. The film also hints at Pepper becoming the heroine Rescue, as she does in the comics, at the end when she and Tony take out Killian. The post-credits sequence, if you want it spoiled, is: Tony appears to be at a therapist, telling the events of the film to him, suddenly, it reveals it is Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffallo, who goes uncredited), who has fallen asleep. Tony then starts arguing with him over why he fell asleep, and begins to talk about issues with his nanny as a teenager, Banner then appears to fall back asleep. That is all.
Editorial note: September 15, 2013: The Bluray of this film is being released soon, and the studio released a clip featured on the special features disc: a deleted ending where the drunken Mandarin decoy takes an Extremis drug and actually becomes the Mandarin of the comics! I wish that was in the theatrical version.
(Minor Spoilers Ahead!)
Iron Man 3:
Tony Stark has been suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and extreme anxiety attacks ever since the climax of The Avengers. He is always at work, having to keep himself constantly occupied, causing himself to be isolated from his girlfriend and assistant Virginia "Pepper" Pots, former bodyguard and friend Happy Hogan, and everyone else he knows. Recently, an old acquaintance (who Stark brushed off many years earlier), resurfaces, Aldrich Killian, the founder of the company Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM, which was a terrorist organization in the comics), and co-creator of the "Extremis" program. Tony and Pepper are initially charmed by him, but ultimately feel like he's got something strange going on. That comes into play a little later... Meanwhile, the arrival of gods and aliens on Earth, the death of SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson, and a near-death experience aren't the only things bugging Tony: there have been many other changes in his life. Since his handing over the company to Pepper in the second film, he's getting used to not being in full control. He also has to deal with the fact his best friend Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes (aka War Machine) is getting more press than him because he has gotten a major makeover by the government. They decided War Machine was a little too "aggressive", and revamped him as the "Iron Patriot". (Basically War Machine with a Captain America paintjob, which the film pokes fun at.) But even more upsetting: a new Osama bin Laden-like terrorist known only as "The Mandarin", who claims to be the leader of the Ten Rings terror group (the same group that kidnapped Tony in the first film), has been hacking TV station, spreading his message that America's government is a lying, corrupt system. The Mandarin has also been behind several strange bombings in the past several months. These bombings also follow the pattern of an Extremis experiment gone awry. Could Aldrich and the Mandarin be working together? Tony tries to find out, only to get his mansion blown up, his suits wrecked, his one good suit broken, and Pepper, the love of his life, kidnapped. He must now travel to a small town in the Midwest where a bombing took place, figure out why it happened there, figure out the Mandarin's plans, and fix his suits, meanwhile putting his life back together, which he does by helping out a kid from a struggling family. Now that's all I'm gonna give away because this is a film I want you guys to see for yourselves. It's a highly entertaining film, and one of the best summer blockbusters in a while. This isn't as good as The Avengers, or even the original Iron Man, but it's one hell of a ride. The cast are fantastic. Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious as Tony Stark, as usual. After him publically voicing his thoughts on retiring the character, many fans were worried this would be the last time we see Iron Man. I can guarantee you it's not. It appears Downey Jr. is still having a lot of fun playing the role, and this film explores a side we've rarely seen from him: a relatable side. He's stripped of everything he has, he has to rise back up, and he's humbled by it. Even though he still maintains his douchebag persona and trademark sarcastic humor, he becomes a changed person by the events of the film, and his bond with the young boy is touching, but also provides the film with some great jokes. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Pepper Potts, and shows us a bad-ass side to her that I don't think many people were expecting. Don Cheadle reprises his role as Rhodey, and is more of a supporting character in the movie, but becomes a major character near the ending. He has some good jokes, and also is a total bad-ass as the Iron Patriot. (But still, I have to admit, miss the War Machine suit.) Ben Kingsley is extremely threatening as The Mandarin. He appears as a distant, cold, brutal villain with no morals or remorse for the crimes he commits. The Mandarin is one of the few villains in superhero films nowadays who seems like a genuine threat to the hero. Now, I'm a big comic book fan, but I'll admit I haven't read too much Iron Man stuff, so I usually base my opinion of the movies off their own merit. I was pretty pleased with how the Mandarin was portrayed here, even though there's one plot bit that upset me. Now, a lot of comic book fans will be enraged with what they do here, and I completely get it. I was even a little upset by it. But I'm glad I can accept this portrayal on it's own terms, not being attached to the comic book counterpart. (I'll discuss this later.) Guy Pearce is fantastic as Aldrich Killian. He is actually a bigger character than you would think, functioning as the supporting villain. He is an evil genius and a wealthy scientist. Rather than posing him as a young fool like Justin Hammer, the writing and directing team decided to portray Killian as a truly threatening force who is not to be crossed. Rebecca Hall (The Town) plays Dr. Maya Hansen, one of Tony's ex's and a botanist who was one of the original Extremis team members. She is good in the film, but her key role can't be given much more detail here because it spoils the movie. Jon Favreau (director of the first two films) reprises his role as Happy Hogan here, being as funny as he was in those two films. James Badge Dale (AMC's Rubicon, HBO's The Pacific, 24, and The Departed) plays Eric Savin, a supporting villain. He serves as "the muscle", a villain who serves as a bodyguard to the main bad guys. Originally a high-tech assassin named "Coldblood" in the comics, he is revamped here as a dangerous, fire-powered Extremis thug. Stephanie Szostak plays Ellen Brandt, another brainwashed Extremis thug. Rather than a sinister scientist like in the Man-Thing comics she's from, she is now a former soldier who was part of the Extremis project. (This is not the only time that the film takes liberties with the comics, as I will talk about in the "spoiler section" below.) Ty Simpkins (Insidious, Little Children, CSI, Pride and Glory, Revolutionary Road, Arcadia) plays Harley, a smart little boy who bonds with Tony Stark. They have really good chemistry together, and I'm glad they chose Simpkins to be the first child to be a main character in the franchise. Paul Bettany reprises his role as the friendly and funny AI system JARVIS. William Sadler plays US President Ellis. Shaun Toub briefly returns as Yinsen from the first film in a flashback. Miguel Ferrer (an actor known for villain roles in cult films) plays the Vice President. Ashley Hamilton appears as Jack Taggert, an Extremis soldier addicted to the Extremis drug. Thomas Roberts, Joan Rivers, and Bill Maher all make cameos as themselves on TV. I enjoy when films like this (the previous two films, and comedy The Campaign) use real talk show hosts and have them discuss fictional events as if they actually happened. Wang Xueqi makes a cameo as Dr. Wu in a flashback. This film is the first in the Iron Man films to not be directed by Jon Favreau, who returned as a producer. Instead, he is replaced by Shane Black. Now, Black is known mainly for his writing credits, including Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and Last Action Hero. He also was a supporting actor in Predator. This is his second film, after writing and directing the crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang back in 2005, which also starred Robert Downey Jr. This film remains true to the other films, while also incorporating Black's signature style, include his trademark Christmastime setting. This film, while still being darker than other entries, is also one of the funniest. Black really knows how to slip humor seamlessly into an otherwise dark story. Even though the other films have only taken bits and pieces from comics, Black decided to have the film take a lot of inspiration from the acclaimed story arc Iron Man: Extremis, which recently was collected into a single volume in celebration of the film, similar to what Warner Bros. did last year with Batman: Knightfall in celebration of their new Batman film. In fact, it's reminiscent of how Nolan's trilogy took inspiration from major Batman story arcs. It remains pretty consistent with the story arc. Note the phrase "pretty consistent". The film also packs in a lot of action as well. The action sequences are amazing in this movie. Even though Tony is out of the suit for most of the movie, (let's face it, he's really not in it that much in any of the movies he's in) it's not distracting like it was in The Dark Knight Rises (which was still a great movie) and the epic battle at the end completely makes up for it. The special effects raise the bar for the series, if you look at the credits (which you'll have to see for the after-credits bit), you'll see just how many people it took to make this movie come to life. (Hint: There's a lot.) The effects don't stop with the Iron Man suits, they extend to the Extremis bad guys, and the plane crash sequence. By the way, the skydiving stunt in that sequence was incredibly. Jaw-dropping. It's a very original concept, so I won't spoil it. (Don't spoil the movie for yourself by looking up clips on the Internet, either.) The musical score is great, but a little different, there being a different composer and all. But, something unacceptable about the soundtrack: no AC/DC! Shame on you, IM3! They are kind of like Iron Man's signature band. On the positive side, the little end credits animation sequence was very cool, very reminiscent of a 60's action TV show opening. Now, you may be wondering: Matt, why did you say you were disappointed in the title when this review seems very positive? I'll get to that in the "spoiler segment" below, which, if you're wondering, will spoil a huge reveal in the movie. Iron Man 3, while not being the best in the series, is a fantastic superhero epic, and a great sci-fi/action movie. The action and comedy blend extremely well. The special effects are amazing to look at, and the acting is fantastic. Iron Man 3 will blow you away, and then some. Not in the same way The Avengers or Iron Man did, but almost. 4.5/5 stars.
Notes (non-spoiler): Stan Lee makes a funny cameo on TV as an elderly beauty pageant judge. I will not spoil the post-credits scene, but I will say it's funny, and has a pleasant surprise: a character you might not expect in this movie.
SPOILERS BELOW POSTERS AND LINKS!!!
(Images: digitalspy.com, collider.com, Wikipedia, superfogeys.com, ohmygahh.com, veryaware.com, filmofilia.com, ign.com, imax.com, fanpop.com, imax.com, comicsalliance.com, comicvine.com, fashionnaction.blogspot.com, comicbookmovie.com)
Other reviews I enjoyed:
This one is a partially negative review that contains MAJOR SPOILERS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z-PoNNxXsA
This is a non-spoiler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GPFd_SLpnc
As far as I can tell, spoiler free:
http://blip.tv/film-brain/projector-iron-man-three-6578031
SPOILER Talk, part II of a review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMDh38dfpVg
Another Spoiler Discussion, offer new ideas on how the film's problems could have been fixed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3KeDPR5VKs
And, if anyone's interested, here are my reviews of the other films, including other Avengers-related movies, all from last year when this blog first got started:
Part I:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies.html
Part II:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
SPOILER SECTION!!:
So here it is, the big spoiler that everyone's been alluding to in their reviews, you ready?:
The Mandarin is a decoy. Yes, the threatening, bad-ass villain we were promised turns into a drunken, comedic relief character in the end of the second act, revealed to be a hired actor, oblivious to the fact he is believed to be an actual terrorist. The Mandarin is actually revealed to be Killian. Now, I was confused by this, and many were angered by it. Turning Iron Man's arch-villain of the comics into a joke? But I got it. I was able to roll with it, not being a big Marvel comics reader. But I did some research on the character before I saw the film. It is not only completely different, but I now can completely relate to people who didn't hate the movie per se, but hated that segment in the movie. But I just came to a realization: in early interviews for the film, the Mandarin was said to be a background bad guy, but the trailers started coming out, and portrayed him as a big, bombastic villain, similar to Silva from last year's Bond film Skyfall. (Interesting tidbit: after the credits, you see the text "Tony Stark will return", clarifying this isn't the end of the series, similar to the ending of Skyfall) Anyway, I was confused by the huge terror attacks, because they said he was a more "in the shadows" type of character. Then I got it, he is. If the Mandarin is Killian, and Killian was working from behind the scenes, it totally makes sense. But, I do understand if the movie lost you with that. It didn't bother me that much. The film also hints at Pepper becoming the heroine Rescue, as she does in the comics, at the end when she and Tony take out Killian. The post-credits sequence, if you want it spoiled, is: Tony appears to be at a therapist, telling the events of the film to him, suddenly, it reveals it is Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffallo, who goes uncredited), who has fallen asleep. Tony then starts arguing with him over why he fell asleep, and begins to talk about issues with his nanny as a teenager, Banner then appears to fall back asleep. That is all.
Editorial note: September 15, 2013: The Bluray of this film is being released soon, and the studio released a clip featured on the special features disc: a deleted ending where the drunken Mandarin decoy takes an Extremis drug and actually becomes the Mandarin of the comics! I wish that was in the theatrical version.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Lords of Salem
Check out my new review of Rob Zombie's latest horror film: The Lords of Salem, at my blog: mattmonstermovies.blogspot.com
You can find the Lords review here:
http://mattmonstermovies.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-lords-of-salem-what.html
You can find the Lords review here:
http://mattmonstermovies.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-lords-of-salem-what.html
1 Year Anniversary of Blog.
One year ago today, I posted my first review, a fairly mediocre one at best, it was a review of multiple films, including 21 Jumps Street, The Hunger Games, and The Cabin in the Woods. I've grown as a writer since then and now have over 120 posts, and over 2000 viewers. I am proud of many of my reviews, ones in particular:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/12/quentin-tarantinos-new-spaghetti.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-batman-movies-part-iv-nolan-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/11/daniel-craig-bond-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/11/reel-time-sinister.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-oz-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/jurassic-park-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/game-review-batman-arkham-asylum-and.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-20-best-movies-of-2012.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/trance-danny-boyles-stylish-new.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/oblivion-is-this-new-sci-fi-epic-as.html
And here's my original review:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/matt-cotter-movies-april-films.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/12/quentin-tarantinos-new-spaghetti.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-batman-movies-part-iv-nolan-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/11/daniel-craig-bond-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-movies-part-ii.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/11/reel-time-sinister.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-oz-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/jurassic-park-trilogy.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/game-review-batman-arkham-asylum-and.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-20-best-movies-of-2012.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/trance-danny-boyles-stylish-new.html
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/oblivion-is-this-new-sci-fi-epic-as.html
And here's my original review:
http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/matt-cotter-movies-april-films.html
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