Gaming News: Arkham Origins Updates 2

In recent news, WB Games Montreal has announced some more stuff for Batman: Arkham Origins, the fourth of the eight assassins has been revealed as Copperhead. In the original comics and animated series, Copperhead was a male villain in a snake suit. In the recent New 52 comics, he has been transformed into a mutant assassins: a snake man. In this new game, the assassin is a female, snake-like mutant. Batman, in the official teaser trailer for the character, notes that the files on the villain "list a male, not a female", hinting that the Copperhead of the comics may have existed before the events of the game, and this female is his protégé. She appears to be a fast, stealthy, agile assassins, and appears to be an interesting challenge for the Dark Knight. At E3 and Comic-Con, the team behind the game revealed a new skin: "Worst Nightmare", which is the version of Batman criminal see: a dark creature who roams the night, which can be unlocked by completing the game 100%. They also showed off the demos for the main game and it's portable follow-up: Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate. This portable game will take place after the story mode of the main game, and will feature Batman's first encounters with Catwoman, and will be a 2-D platformer. In the recent issue of Official Xbox Magazine USA, new screenshots were released, including those of "Wonderland". This issue revealed that The Mad Hatter will appear in the "Most Wanted" side missions, but he will play a much larger role than he did in Arkham City, which featured him in a very short side mission. He will have hypnotized thugs in rabbit masks, similar to the last game, and Batman must save a girl he has kidnapped, who he sees as the incarnation of Alice from Lewis Carroll's works (this aspect of Hatter's personality was explored in the Hugo Strange interview tapes from Arkham City). The demented Wonderland hallucination will feature dilapidated towers and buildings, hypnotized thugs, strange locations, and surreal imagery. Here is a video on the mission that goes into detail on the locations and has some spoilers as to the ending of the mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JCrgZfuHGI. If you preorder the game at GameStop, besides getting the ability to play as Deathstroke, you can get 2 exclusive Black Mask challenge maps, but it has not been confirmed if you can play as the masked mobster. There's been a rumor floating around that Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Cronos, City of Lost Children, Beatuy and the Beast series, Tangled, Blade II, 1000 Ways to Die, Drive, Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) will reprise his role as Deathstroke/Slade Wilson from the Teen Titans animated series, where he was referred to as "Slade". That would be awesome. That's all the news so far, Arkham Origins hits stores October 25, 2013, in just about 3 months. I'm excited to hear more news and experience the game for myself. Thanks for reading.
Note: Nolan North voices The Penguin in Arkham City and Origins, as well as many other classic game characters such as Desomnd Miles from Assassin's Creed and Nathan Drake in Uncharted. He is also known for voicing the video game and animated inarnations of Deadpool. What's interesting about North appearing in both this game and the Deadpool games is that Deadpool is somewhat of a homage/parody of Deathstroke, even having a similar name (Slade Wilson and Wade Wilson), despite being a classic character in his own right.



(Images: myxboxlive.com, gamersyde.com)

The Conjuring: James Wan's latest frightening film is based on a true horror story

Today, I look at the latest supernatural horror film from director James Wan.

The Conjuring:
Ed and Lorraine Warren were true-life paranormal investigators back in the 60's and 70's, they investigated thousands of disturbing and creepy cases, including the infamous "Haunting in Connecticut" (which was made into a film in 2008) and the atrocious "Amityville Horror" (another famous horror story turned into a film, which is alluded to at the end of this film). One case, the case of the Perron Family of Rhode Island, was so traumatizing and distressing they have kept it a secret... until now. What entities did the Perrons see in their home? I'll let you see the film for yourself for the answer to that question. Although not as creepy and spine-chilling as Wan's earlier film Insidious, or last year's Sinister, The Conjuring still manages to pack quite a punch. The film came under controversy because the MPAA rated the film R, not for gore or sex or violence or swearing, but merely for it's scare factor. Wan attributes this to the fact it was based on a true story, elevating it. And there is no doubt, this actually happened. The ending credits show newspaper clippings and photos of the Warrens and the Perrons, as well as the places and things the Warrens investigated, including a very disturbing doll. Lorraine Warren makes a brief cameo in the film, and she even visited the set, and the Perrons were interviewed in promos for the film. The main cast od an excellent job. Patrick Wilson (who starred in Wan's film Insidious, and appeared in Little Children, Watchmen, Hard Candy, The Alamo, The Ledge, The A-Team, Prometheus, and The Phantom of the Opera) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Up in the Air) do a great job as the likeable couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. They're kind, decent people, and also have a young daughter to take care of, which makes you really care for them, and hope nothing bad happens to them. Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, Ransom, The Haunting, I Shot Andy Warhol, Say Anything, Mystic Pizza) and Ron Livingston (Office Space, Sex and the City, Band of Brothers, Standoff, Defying Gravity) are good as the loving parents of the Perron family. Taylor especially is great during the scenes in the latter half of the film, which require a great deal of physical commitment, and often are tough on the body. The kid actors, including Joey King (Oz the Great and Powerful, Ramona and Beezus, New Girl, Jericho) do a fantastic job, similar to Ty Simpkins in Insidious, as their emotions feel very authentic, and not forced. Even though this is a true story, so you know nobody actually dies, the tension is still really great. You really feel tense wondering what's going to happen to the characters, and feel extremely on edge when they are in peril or in the presence of spirits. The musical score, while a bit too similar to Insidious (it is scored by the same composer), still is very effective in creating a mysterious and chilling atmosphere. Fun fact: Joseph Bishara, composer for this film and Insidious, plays the main antagonist, an evil ghost named Bethseba. He also played the main evil entity in Insidious. Another strange thing, in both those films the terrifying old women spirits are actually male actors in drag, as Wan says it gives them a very unsettling look, and that you can't quite tell what gender it is. Because it's based on a true story, it's not as stylized as Insidious, but it is still able to deliver quite a few tense moments and great scares. Since it is set in the 70's, it employs practical effects and old-fashioned scares, with little gore and tons of great, intense buildup. This is somewhat of a trademark in Wan's films, as even in the first Saw film (the only one that he wrote and directed), there's actually very little gore, and it's all about the story, performances, and suspense. That's something I really enjoy about his horror films, and films from Scott Derrickson like Sinister, they're actually scary and original concepts, and have some great actors in them. Similar to both Insidious and Sinister, this film has an excellent sound design, although I still think Sinister has the best music and sound design out of the three, with Insidious at a very close second. The Conjuring is a scary, entertaining, suspenseful, nail-biting horror-thriller, with great performances and some fantastic scares. James Wan, you've done it again! Honestly, if you're reading this, I feel you are one of the most underrated directors working today. 4/5 stars

Note: It is odd to see a horror film released in the middle of Summer, during blockbuster season, which not only shows the studios trust Wan to make movies people enjoy and want to see, but realize that horror can be successful year-round, no matter the competition.

 If you wish comment below: list, from least to greatest, which of these three you found scariest: The Conjuring, Insidious, or Sinister. Or these three: Haunting In Connecticut, The Amityville Horror (original), or The Conjuring (all based off cases the Warrens investigated) (Those are the order I have them in, I'd love to see yours.)

A review I liked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD-3j_BnZAE

 (Image: Wikipedia)

Movie News: Spiderman 2, Insidious 2 trailer, Man of Steel sequel, Avengers 2

More movie news today:

The Amazing Spider-Man 2:
I'm a bit late on this, but Marvel showcased a pretty cool 30-second teaser for Electro at Comic-Con this year, but, in a strange turn of events, Marc Webb has decided to drop Shailene Woodley (who was set to play Mary Jane Watson, with publicity pics to boot) from the film altogether, saying it would take away from Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone) too much, and he'll probably save her for the third film. This decision, to me, is stupid, as that will probably cause many story/editing/continuity conflicts in the story and final film. My theory, since there have been hints of the Green Goblin, that Gwen will be killed, just like in the comics, and MJ will be her replacement in the third film. Now, I can understand cutting back on the role, but I felt that introducing MJ in this film would be great, so they could establish a relationship between her and Peter before setting them up together in the third, it would feel more natural, and dropping her altogether is kind of disappointing.

Insidious Chapter 2:
The recent trailer for James Wan's next horror film, a sequel to his hit 2011 indie film Insidious, has been slightly edited. The theatrical version I saw included less scares and less creepy imagery than the Internet version I had previously viewed. I'm not sure why, but it just was. Insidious Chapter 2 is set for release September 13, 2013 (yes, Friday the 13th), I'm excited, and I hope it's good, because this will be his last horror-thriller for a little bit, as he's moving on to more action and sci-fi projects, such as the seventh Fast & Furious film.

Man of Steel 2:
This year at Comic-Con, one of the biggest pieces of news for fans was that Warner Bros. and the team behind Man of Steel revealed the sequel, set for release in 2015, will be a crossover with Batman. It will not be set in the Nolanverse (which kind of upset me), but it may take inspiration from The Dark Knight Returns somewhat, as the logo features a Bat emblem similar to the one worn by Frank Miller's Dark Knight. YouTubers such as Jeremy Jahns (his channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/JeremyJahns) theorized that Lex Luthor might make an appearance as a business partner of Bruce Wayne, and due to the source material, may include a scene where Batman kicks Superman's ass, or at least, teaches him a lesson. I'm excited for this, and to see more superhero films coming from DC (including a remake of Green Lantern).

Avengers 2:
Since the announcement of the ABC TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., fans have been speculating what will Marvel do next? Some fans thought they might do a reboot of the Mandarin, and theorized that there might be a real Mandarin who comes from revenge against the phony Mandarin of Iron Man 3 for mocking his name and image. Marvel has released several more "one-shots", or short features, including one following Cap. America's love interest Agent Carter. Meanwhile, the Avengers sequel got itself an official title: Avengers: Age of Ultron, which suggest the robotic supervillain Ultron will be the main villain, or be significant to the plot. Producers and writers also have thought they may expand on Thanos in this sequel, but save his big attack for a third film, which will follow Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and possibly The Incredible Hulk 2 and Iron Man 4.

That's all for now, thanks for reading, I'll be posting a review of The Conjuring soon.

 (Images: Wikipedia, newsarama.com, technologytell.com)

Pacific Rim: Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi action movie from the studio that brought you Man of Steel, 300, Watchmen, and The Dark Knight

Today, I look at Spanish filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi action film about robots fighting monsters.

Pacific Rim:
In the near future, humanity has been raging a war against destructive monsters called Kaiju (Japanese for "strange creature" or "giant monster") for years. Kaiju are alien beings from another dimension who travel to Earth via a strange portal in the Pacific Ocean. At the start of the war, the militaries of the world banded together to form a machine defense force: the Jager (German for "hunter") Program. Jagers are humongous machines that are designed to battle the Kaiju, basically giant robots vs. reptile monsters, or Gundam/Megazord vs. Godzilla (Funny enough, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros., who made this film, are making a Gojira reboot that is coming out next year.) Jagers also require two pilots, who are mentally connected through a Jager's computer system. A washed-up Jager pilot named Raleigh is brought back into the program by his former commanding officer Stacker Pentecost. Raleigh is partnered with Mako, a young Asian woman who's family was killed in a Kaiju attack when she was just a child. Unfortunately for the military, time is running out, as more and more Kaijus rise from the Pacific portal. It's up to the remaining Jager pilots to figure out to put a stop to the Kaiju attacks once and for all, before Earth's defenses are completely overwhelmed. Now, despite the film looking a bit cheesy, like a rip-off of Transformers and the American Godzilla, that could not be farther from the truth. It is far better than Michael Bay's abysmal robot films, and far better than the American version of the Japanese monster. The cast are great. Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Queer as Folk, Undeclared, Green Street Hooligans) plays Raleigh. He's not the best lead ever, but he is a good actor, and is able to pull it off quite well. Rinko Kakuchi (Academy Award-nominee from Babel) plays Mako. She makes for a good lead, and del Toro specifically wrote the character to be a strong female lead, not a damsel-in-distress like Pepper Potts in Iron Man 3 or a "sex kitten" like Megan Fox or Rosie-Huntington Whiteley in Transformers. She did a good job, and was a slightly more interesting character than Raleigh. British actor Idris Elba (The Wire, Luther, The Office, The Big C, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Thor, Prometheus, The Losers, Takers, American Gangster) plays Stacker. He's a good supporting character, and gives a bad-ass speech near the climax (which is partially shown in the trailer) about cancelling the Apocalypse. Elba is a great actor, and is able to make even a supporting role like this very memorable. Comedian Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses, Monsters University) is great as always, here playing a comic relief character Dr. Newton Geiszler. Day is a bit over-the-top, but that's his character. del Toro purposely wrote him with a bombastic personality, and cast him based on an episode of Sunny in Philadelphia. Day is also one of the best parts of the movie. Burn Gorman (Torchwood, The Dark Knight Rises, Bleak House, Red Lights, Johnny English Reborn) plays Geiszler's introverted partner, Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. He's a bit of an over-the-top cartoon character as well, but he works. He also provides comic relief, and he has some good funny moments, just not as many as Day. Max Martini (Saving Private Ryan, Level 9, The Great Raid, The Unit) and Robert Kazinsky (EastEnders, Dream Team) play the Australian father-and-son Jager duo of Herc and Chuck Hansen. Chuck is the stereotypical douche character, while Herc is more of a nice guy. Clifton Collins, Jr. (The Replacement Killers, Capote, Star Trek) plays Tendo Choi, the head of the Jager technician team, and an old friend of Raleigh and Stacker. Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy, Teen Titans, 1000 Ways to Die, Drive) plays Hannibal Chau, the head of a Kaiju black market in Hong Kong. He's a smaller role, but he's still a bad-ass, as usual. Perlman has worked on del Toro on several films, from starring in the Hellboy films to appearing in Blade II, he also co-starred with Hunnam in Sons of Anarchy. Voice actress Ellen McLain voices the Jaeger AI, which is funny, because her most famous role is the evil AI GLaDOS in the Portal game series. The special effects are incredible, and you really feel the size and scope of the monsters and robots, and see the destruction they cause in their battles. There's no shaky cam or "in your face" action, which is good, because you actually can tell what's happening in the fights. Speaking of which, the fight scenes are extremely entertaining and satisfying. They feel real, and there's some real damage done to both the Kaiju and the Jagers, and the cities, now that I'm thinking about it. The designs of the Kaiju and the Jagers are very original, and the Kaiju resemble reptiles, amphibians, and sea animals, as well as resembling creature from Lovecraftian lore, and Lovecraft is something del Toro loves to incorporate into his movies, which is funny, because this isn't typical del Toro.  del Toro said he didn't want the movie to be too cynical, or try to be too deep, just be a fun, somewhat light-hearted summer action movie, which it accomplishes quite well. This is the best summer blockbuster since Man of Steel, it's even better than World War Z and This is the End. I saw it in the XD format, which is basically Century Theater's answer to IMAX. It's not as good as IMAX, and the 3D didn't do too much for me, but it was still pretty enjoyable, and the sound system kicked ass, but the screen wasn't nearly as large as typical IMAX. Pacific Rim is a fun action movie, but it is smart, and is pretty original, all things considered. It's funny, exciting, and awe-inspiring. Props to you, Mr. del Toro. 4.5/5 stars.
Notes: Hunnam, Perlman, and Day are all featured on FX shows. Also, wait until the middle of the credits, there is a post-credits scene you won't want to miss.

Another review I liked, no spoilers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H3iv8T9SfU

 (Image: Wikipedia)

Grown Ups Films

These are the comedy movies that almost nobody likes, even Sandler fans... (I'll be referring to the actors by their names in this review, not by character names, as their characters aren't too developed, so it's kind of pointless.)

Grown Ups:
Five childhood friends reunite one summer for the funeral of their basketball coach's funeral and take their families to a lake house for the weekend. Shenanigans ensue. This film is pretty bad. Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, Chris Rock, and Rob Schneider star. The film seems more like they just wanted a paycheck and a nice vacation to a lake house. Chris Rock, what happened? You were one of the great stand-up acts, you were an edgy, hilarious, controversial comedian. Seriously, why are you in this movie? Although, Rock and Tim Meadows share one of the only funny moments in the film, near the end. I feel bad for James, as his character is one huge fat joke, and it's funny for like one second, and then it gets really, really irritating, and you feel bad for the guy. Another actor you begin to feel bad for is Rob Schneider. You feel bad because he can get slightly irritating in the film, but he's a nice, albeit odd and over-the-top guy, and the rest of the comedians use him as an emotional and physical punching bag, it's not funny, it comes off as just mean-spirited. It goes above friends just messing around, and seems like they genuinely want to hurt him and his feelings. Sandler is the worst of all. Again, he basically makes himself out to be the greatest guy ever. He's rich, successful, has a couple of extremely annoying children, has a really hot wife who is eons out of his league, and everybody is either jealous or admires him, even though he's kind of an asshole. Spade is a ladies' man. That itself is enough to convince any viewer this is pure fiction. Although I don't dislike Spade, and think (like Sandler and Rock) his earlier work was genuinely funny, I just don't imagine him scoring with the ladies too often. James appears like he's filling a role that Chris Farley would have filled if it had been the mid-to-late 90's. The wives of these guys (with the exception of Schneider, who's wife in the film is elderly, and Spade, who has no wife in the movie) are way out of their league. Salma Hayek with Adam Sandler? Yeah right! Maria Bello with Kevin James? Probably not. (James actually has a very beautiful wife in real life, which may surprise a few people.) Maya Rudolph with Chris Rock? More believable, honestly. Joyce Van Patten plays Schneider's friendly, but slightly odd, elderly fiancée. The supporting cast include other SNL cast members such as Norm Macdonald and Colin Quinn (Rudolph, Meadows, Schneider, Spade, and Sandler are all former cast members, as well.) Madison Riley, Jamie Chung, and Ashley Loren plays Schneider's three daughters from previous relationships, the first two are used as eye candy for the guys in the audience and in the film, the third actually resembles Schneider. Jake Goldberg, Cameron Boyce, Alexys Nycole Sanchez, Ada-Nicole Sanger, Frank and Morgan Ginegrich, Nadji Jeter, and China Anne McClain round out the main cast as the ever irritating kids of the friends, Sandler's boys are so spoiled and pampered in the movie that they don't know about TV boxes or tap water. Ebony Jo-Ann appears in a small role as Maya Rudolph's mother, who hates and berates her son-in-law Chris Rock. Director Dennis Dugan (who has worked with Sandler on tons of projects) and Dan Patrick make cameos in the film. Steve Buscemi, doing his regular Sandler cameo, is Wiley, an extremely pale rival of the guys, who you really feel bad for, as he takes an extreme beating in the movie. That brings me to one of the main problems with this film, which is a problem with many recent Sandler films (with the exception of Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People), tons of mean-spirited and immature jokes targeted at pre-teen boys punctuated with moments of contrived and forced sappiness that make you want to vomit. There's also a forced message about being a good parent and teaching your kids or something. Another major problem is the lack of plot or conflict, all conflicts are resolved in a second, and everyone forgives each other with few consequences. The wives in this film are basically "perfect", they always forgive their husbands and give them free passes despite the husbands being out of line or stupid. I could go on about this for days, so I'll just say this: Grown Ups is a lazy summer comedy, which barely tries to do anything new or funny, and when it does try, it fails...badly. The jokes are immature and stupid, the characters bland and irresponsible, and the plot... oh wait, there really isn't one. 1.5/5 stars.

Grown Ups 2:
Lenny (Sandler) has moved his family back to his home town three years after the first film. On the last day of school, the "grown ups" are accepting their children are growing up, and are learning from their kids this time, all while preparing for the summer. Shenanigans ensue. Now, this film is actually not worse than the first. How so? Well, it somehow, despite having less of a plot, got a few more laughs out of me, but that's not too many. Like the first, I still got a few chuckles here and there, but overall, it's terrible. Sandler, James, Rock, Spade, Rudolph, Hayek, Bello, Meadows, Quinn, Buscemi, and the kids all reprise their roles here. Buscemi expands upon his and becomes more of a nice guy. Rock is still the best part of the movie, despite not having much to do. Jake Goldberg and Nadji Jeter are nearly unrecognizable due to how much they've, well, grown up in three years. Alexander Ludwig (Cato from The Hunger Games) plays Spade's somewhat crazy estranged son Braden, probably the only character who's somewhat funny to watch because he starts off so crazy. There are more celebrities in this film. Nick Swardson, Steve Austin, Shaquille O'Neal, Peter Dante, director Dennis Dugan, Allen Covert (known for his work with Sandler), Aly Michalka, and Dan Patrick all have either cameos or supporting roles in the film. Taylor Lautner, Milo Ventimiglia, David Henrie (That's So Raven, How I Met Your Mother, Wizards of Waverly Place), and Patrick Schwarzenegger play these insane, steroid-taking, cultist-like frat boys who are the younger rivals of the "grown ups" and spark an all-out war at a party. These could be impersonators, but I believe The J. Geils Band make an appearance. The Lonely Island, Bobby Moynihan, Taran Killam, Paul Brittain, and Will Forte (all from SNL, a few from previous Sandler vehicles) appears in cameos as male cheerleaders. Jon Lovitz (from SNL and other comedic work) appears in a cameo a perverted janitor. Sandler's real-life children make cameos in the film as well. April Rose appears as a sexy dance instructor, who is Austin's girlfriend in the film. Cheri Oteri makes a cameo as Buscemi's wife, who works for Hayek and has a fixation on Sandler. Bill Hudson (Kate Hudson's brother, who appeared in Rules of Engagement) plays the wives' object of affection Kyle, their exercise instructor. Now that the cast is out of the way, I would like to point out something odd. Near the end of the film, I pointed out to my friend who was with me that Rob Schneider wasn't in it, something that I had just realized then and was shocked by. I felt some element was missing from this film, and that was him. I'm unsure why he didn't appear, but I thought he would at least make a cameo or be mentioned, nope. It's like he never even existed. Weird. The kids, especially Sandler's daughter in the film, are still very annoying. The teens aren't as bad, though, but Meadow's son in the film is very irritating. Lautner wasn't too bad, though, and there was a funny moment in the theater where I heard some teenage girl just say completely out loud "So hot..." There was one moment that had me chuckling near the opening where Sandler points out that he always has wives that are too hot for him in all his films. One of the problems with the movie, at least for the first two-thirds, is that many characters are either extremely stupid, extremely mean, or just insane. They do eventually change, but Sandler starts out hard to like because he's kind of a dick to his friends and family, and many of the guys starts off pulling mean and somewhat hurtful pranks on people. The kids aren't any better, now Adam's young son is basically a prodigy who can throw footballs at a college level accuracy and speed. One thing it did tone down was Spade's status as a ladies' man, he does sleep around, but with less young, hot girls and girls more his age, and even made a joke about the woman he actually chooses as his girlfriend: an extremely masculine woman wit anger issues. The wives still forgive their husbands for everything they do (even when Sandler yells at his wife for wanting another kid at one point), hell, Bello rewards her husband with a cheerleader carwash for lying to her, which backfires. As for the humor, it's better, but there are way more gross-out gags and sex jokes. There's even a joke early on about Sandler's older son jerking off in the shower to a girl he likes, which the younger son mentions at the dinner table of all places with his mom and younger sister present. Some jokes from the original, such as the "peeing in the pool" gag make a return, and there's one joke about rolling in a tire, which incorporates the most fake-looking CG ever. I know it's a comedy, so special effects aren't the priority, but come on! It looks like a YouTube video! A few odd plot things here, too: like the entire town showing up for Sandler's 80's party, or, again, never mentioning Schneider! (MILD SPOILERS): While this is not really too much of a spoiler, still, I warned you. At the end of the first film, Sandler allowed his rivals to be the victors on purpose they could have a taste of what it feels like to win, as opposed to always losing and Sandler always winning, a nice thing to do. Here, Sandler's muscular childhood bully lets him win in a fight on purpose as not to embarrass him in front of the whole town, another nice thing to do. Sandler tells his friends about it, but otherwise goes along with it. (END OF SPOILERS) Grown Ups 2 isn't as bad as it's predecessor, but it's no classic either. It's got lame jokes, stupid characters, and no plot, but hey, it's Grown Ups 2, what did you really expect? 2/5 stars.

A review of the first film I enjoyed: http://blip.tv/film-brain/bad-movie-beatdown-grown-ups-5022011

 (Images: Wikipedia)

The Lone Ranger: Disney's latest attempt at starting a new action franchise.

Today, I look at the first film based on "The Lone Ranger" character/series in 32 years. (Mild Spoilers)

The Lone Ranger:
 Disney seems to be trying to make itself out to be a powerhouse for big action blockbusters, especially those based on other popular media. In the past decade they created an action-adventure franchise out of Pirates of the Caribbean, which was based on a dark ride in one of their theme parks, which spawned the popular character Jack Sparrow and made millions at the box office. They recently tried to restart the franchise with a fourth film, which took from the pirate novel On Stranger Tides, the film did decently at the box office but was a critical failure, and rightfully so. It didn't feel like a Pirates film, and took a lot of the fun out of the franchise. See this video, which is a half-hour rant/review for more details: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9zMx2m9BkA. Luckily, the next year Disney had a record-breaking hit, a little film called Marvel's The Avengers. The film not only broke box-office records, but was a success with audiences and critics, and was hailed by one critic at Fandango.com states it was "The Best Superhero Movie of All Time". This was actually the end of "Phase One" of a huge franchise, and the beginning of "Phase Two", the first of it's kind, the first huge, crossover franchise, based off the beloved and acclaimed comic books from Marvel. Disney now got Gore Verbinski (the man who directed the first three Pirates films , as well as the American remake of The Ring and the acclaimed animated western-comedy Rango) to direct a big-budget, action-packed adaptation/reboot of The Lone Ranger television and radio series. Unfortunately, in the past few weeks it's been met with critical scorn and less-than-fantastic box office results. The film version follows John Reid, a lawyer and ex-Texas Ranger, who travels back to his home town in the Wild West to see his Ranger brother Dan, Dan's wife Rebecca, and their son Danny. During a train robbery, the two encounter wanted cannibalistic criminal Butch Cavendish, the leader of a band of murderers and thieves. Later, Dan is killed (no surprised, there), along with John and the rest of a Ranger troupe, who were sent to catch Butch in a desert canyon. John is resurrected somehow by Tonto, a somewhat delusional and eccentric Comanche Indian who recruits John in his quest for vengeance against the band of killers. John dons a domino mask and Ranger uniform, and takes the identity of "The Lone Ranger" and sets out with Tonto to take down the thieves and uncover their evil plans. The film stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. They do the best they can with the script handed to them, but Depp comes off way too over-the-top and weird, in a Jack Sparrow-type role as the eccentric oddball, he is a bit typecast in these roles, in my opinion, especially in big budget Disney films. I also felt they could have gotten an actual Native American, or somebody who resembles one, rather than getting somebody because of name alone. Hammer (who appeared in The Social Network, J. Edgar, and Mirror Mirror) is a bit of a bland action hero, and actually starts off the film as a bit of a pussy, no offense to the actor. They do their best though, and I admire them for at least trying to make the most out of the script. William Fichtner (Prison Break, Armageddon, The Perfect Storm, The Dark Knight, Blades of Glory, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) plays Butch Cavendish. He is a good villain, but is a bit typical. There's nothing really special about him, except for the nasty fact he eats the hearts of his enemies. Tonto describes him as a "Wendigo", which is a famous Native American ghost story where cannibals becomes flesh-eating, demonic forest creatures/spirits. Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom, The Patriot, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, John Adams, Batman Begins, The Full Monty, Michael Clayton, The Gruffalo, Ghost Writer, Recount, and much more) plays Latham Cole, a respectable and friendly railroad tycoon. Ruth Wilson (Anna Karenina, Luther) plays Rebecca, John's love interest, she basically plays damsel most of the film. Helena Bonham Carter(who basically appears in anything Tim Burton or Johnny Depp does) plays Red, a somewhat attractive prostitute, who unfortunately is an amputee with a fake leg, which you think would be a turn off, but for some reason, a few characters in the film have this creepy amputee fetish and get off on it, which is weird for a Disney film. James Badge Dale (24, The Pacific, Rubicon, The Departed, Iron Man 3, World War Z) plays Dan, John's bad-ass Texas Ranger brother. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, Flags of Our Fathers, The Green Mile, *61, True Grit, The Kennedys, We Were Soldiers, 25th Hour, Unknown, Snitch) portrays Captain Jay Fuller, a US Cavalry officer who resembles George Custer. The cast all do good for what they were given, but overall they came off as mediocre, which sucks because this is a lineup of good actors, who have done great work before. There is a strange subplot involving a young boy (played by Mason Cook) in 1933 San Francisco (which resembles the 1910's more than the 30's) who is told the story of the film by an extremely old and kind of delirious Tonto, who is posing as a museum figure in a cowboy exhibit. The subplot is kind of weird, under-explained, and overall has no real pay-off, and could have been left out completely. The action sequences are pretty fun and enjoyable, but when you look at it from a logical stand-point, a lot of it is contrived and unrealistic (as with most action films). Even though most action films are over-the-top, this gets to a point where you just go "Really? You think I'm that stupid to buy this shit?" There's suspending disbelief, and then there's treating the audience like 2-year-olds. The CG is also pretty decent, but for a huge summer blockbuster, it's a bit lackluster. Now, I'm sure a ton of people are going "You say that treating the audience like 2-year-olds is stupid? But it's Disney, it's for little kids." Now, I would usually agree, but this film is not for 2-year-olds. I wouldn't have a problem taking kids to see it, but there is actually a good deal of violence in the film, including a human heart being eaten off-screen, and, as I stated before, some characters have a creepy amputee fetish, which I'm guessing doesn't appeal to kids very much. The film also may not hold little kids' interests, as, like the first three Pirates film, it's pretty damn long, about 2-and-a-half hours long. Although the film has some good humor, fun action, and some sequences with some stylized visuals, it probably won't hold your 2-to-5-year-old's interest for very long. But on the positive, the music is pretty interesting, reminiscent of a classic Western, but also kind of fresh and new. If you look past the major lapses in logic and reason, The Lone Ranger might be a fun action movie to bring your kids or pre-teens to. Teens might even enjoy it. To the average adult, I say check it out if you have a spare couple hours, go to a matinee, though. It's no Pirates of the Caribbean and it's definitely not The Avengers, but it's decent enough. Best of the year? Hell no. Worst of the year? Definitely not. It's just decent. But if you really want something great, I recommend you check out Man of Steel or Star Trek if they're still in a theater nearby, or check out Pacific Rim, which is a fun blockbuster, too. If you saw The Lone Ranger, leave a comment below, I'd love to hear what you, the readers, thought of it. Disney, a word to the wise: Don't base an action blockbuster on an old action TV show from the 50's and 60's, it didn't work for The Green Hornet (great show, bad movie), it's not gonna work for you. 2.5/5 stars.

 (Image: Wikipedia)

Despicable Movies

Today, I look at the acclaimed and beloved "modern classics": the Despicable Me films.

Despicable Me:
Gru, a bald-headed, middle-aged villain, lives in a tall, dark, Victorian house in a suburban neighborhood. He is somewhat lonely, only accompanied by his aggressive mutant dog Kyle, his elderly mad scientist friend Dr. Nefario, and his thousands of "Minions", funny little yellow people in blue overalls and goggles. Gru must now compete with younger villains, such as Victor "Vector" Perkins, who recently pulled off the greatest heist in history: stealing one of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Gru plans to one-up Vector by stealing the moon, but when three young girls enter his life, he begins to change and become what no one expected him to become: a great father. Now, despite all the critical praise this film got when it first came out, I saw this recently, and I have to say, I don't get it. Now, there's some pretty funny moments, good animation, and a nice story. But people are going on and on even now about how good this film is, and how it's a modern animated classic. Now, although I couldn't put it up there with the greatest animated films ever made (hell, it wouldn't even be in my favorites list), this film has some real talent behind it. The voice cast includes comedians like Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Ken Jeong, Danny McBride, Mindy Kaling, and Will Arnett. It also includes the talents of Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Chris Renaud (storyboard animator for Ice Age, and co-director of this film), and Pierre Coffin (a French animator/artist, who co-directed this film). The animation is lively, colorful, and beautiful. This is probably the best film to come out of Sony Pictures Animation since the first two Ice Age films. The music in the film is partially done by Pharrell Williams (a rap/hip-hop musician known for his recent collaboration with Daft Punk for their alternative hit "Get Lucky"), who also did all the original songs, such as "Despicable Me". The music and songs are actually quite good and unique, as is most of Pharrell's music. The Minions are honestly what make the movie. Despite being there for the little kid appeal, they actually offer laughs for all ages and even make references that aren't per se "adult', but children wouldn't get. The characters are pretty good, too. Gru may be a dick at first, but is relatable as he had a bad childhood, and was made fun of by other kids and his mom, who still mocks him to this day, even in her old age. The little girls can be slightly annoying, but overall, they're okay too. Vector is a bit obnoxious and irritating, but that was the point of his character, too. Ultimately, he just wants to please his dad, which is something people can relate to. Ultimately, Despicable Me is an enjoyable, albeit slightly overrated, animated family comedy that deserves to be viewed at least once. 3.5/5 stars.

Despicable Me 2:
Now, this is a case of a sequel being better than the original. Unfortunately, it's also a case of a film being highly overrated. I recall hearing of a critique that said "One of the funniest movies ever made." Unfortunately, this is not so. Fortunately, it is quite funny. This time around, Gru is getting used to being a father, and the girls have grown on him more. Gru is hired by the Anti-Villain League to help them catch a new mystery villain who has stolen an entire base from the Arctic. Gru then teams with Lucy Wilde, a sweet but somewhat overly excited agent, to infiltrate a shopping mall where the villain may be headquartered to take him down. This film is not only funnier than the first, I enjoyed it more. Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Chris Renaud, and Pierre Coffin return from the first film (Coffin and Renaud also return as directors). Ken Jeong and Kristen Wiig now play different characters, and Wiig has a much larger role, being a main character rather than a supporting one. The voice actors do a great job, and there is some good chemistry between Carell and Wiig. (Wiig is again playing Carell's love interest in another highly anticipated sequel, Anchorman 2, which is being released in December.) Steve Coogan, Benjamin Bratt (in a role originally intended for Al Pacino), Nasim Pedrad, and Kristen Schaal are new here, and do a good job. The animation is again really great, and the story this time around is better. The Minions, again, make the whole movie, and have more references that kids wouldn't get (The Village People, All-4-One, Alien, and Love Boat) The film is also slightly less sappy than the original, although there are some moments like that. You could say in a way that the film is "darker", in that the villain actually poses a serious threat, unlike Vector, who was more like competition. A character also makes a brief reference to that people actually get murdered in this world when he states the Anti-Villain League only cares about large-scale crimes, not killings or robbery. Speaking of serious threats, one of the villains mentioned in the film is similar to Bane from Batman comics, in that he's a very muscular Latino man who can pull off crimes with just his super strength and wit. With more humor, a better story, good chemistry between the two leads, and more Minions, Despicable Me 2 is better than the first, but still isn't quite as good as it's made out to be. 4/5 stars.

 (Images: Wikipedia)

Man of Steel IMAX 3D Experience

Recently, I was able to see Man of Steel a second time in San Francisco at the AMC Loews Theaters in the Metreon (former home of the "Where the Wild Things Are" children's exhibit and play-area, "Things From Another World" comics and collectibles, a miniatures/sculpture store, and Titanic museum, current home of the city's first Target) As I said in my original review of that film, I would post my thoughts on the IMAX "Experience" if I got the chance, as I didn't get the chance to see Iron Man 3 and Star Trek: Into Darkness in that format. I really enjoyed it, despite the expensive tickets ($18 per ticket), and thought it was worth it. The huge screen, incredibly large and advanced sound system, and 3D were all fantastic. While I didn't think the 3D was necessary, and at times it was a bit annoying, it was still cool, and it doesn't get in the way of the movie too much. I was really happy I got to see Man of Steel another time, and to see it in the IMAX format. It was well worth it. If you have an IMAX theater where you live or nearby that still has Man of Steel, I recommend you check it out as soon as possible.

Links:
My review of Man of Steel: http://mattcottermovies.blogspot.com/2013/06/man-of-steel-zack-snyder-and.html

  (Images: heyguys.co.uk)

Movie News: More updates on "Spider-Man 2"

Here are some more updates on the anticipated sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, set for release next May (Spoilers for first film):
The basic story follows Peter Parker dealing with his relationship problems, crime-fighting job, and (which will probably be a trend for the series) discovering yet more secrets about his mysterious past.
Production photos were released of Paul Giamatti before his transformation into the Rhino in an action sequence. The Spider-Man suit appears to be updated (no more gold eyes or swirls on the arms), and there's a cameo of the Daily Bugle, like in the first film. For some reason, Denis Leary is listed as making a return as George Stacey, who was killed in the first film. Chris Cooper is playing Norman Osborne, and will probably become the Green Goblin. Wait a second, Electro? Rhino? Green Goblin? A Sinister Six meeting , perhaps? Electro and Green Goblin will be more similar to the Ultimates versions than the mainstream/classic looks of the characters, which probably means Goblin will resemble a demon more than a goblin, possibly through some mutation. Felicity Jones and Colm Feore, among others, have been announced as cast members, and Jones said she will play a villain, leading fans to speculate she may play Felicia Harmon, or Black Cat. Stan Lee will make another cameo, as usual. I am actually pretty excited for this sequel and the inevitable following sequels, despite knowing they will not top the original trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. I am also disappointed this series will not have Peter working at the Daily Bugle, as this focuses more on his high school years. I always like to think of different versions of the same story almost like they exist in a multiverse, each version is just an alternate reality (kind of like the Mortal Kombat reboot), so I think of this series as a more comic book-y, sci-fi-ish alternate version of Peter's high school years in the previous films, if that makes sense. Whatever, I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts on the subject, so comment below if you wish!

 (Images: joblo.com, comicbookmovie.com, collider.com)

White House Down: Roland Emmerich's latest attempt at demolishing the American landmark

Today, I look at B-movie director Roland Emmerich's latest action film.

White House Down:
Roland Emmerich (director of such films as Independence Day, 10000 BC, Universal Soldier, The Patriot, Stargate, Anonymous, Godzilla, 2012, and The Day After Tomorrow) has had a mediocre career. His films range from brainless popcorn entertainment to absolute garbage. But one thing remains consistent: he really love destroying the White House. From blowing it up in Independence Day (funny enough, he references his own film in this newest one), to having Mother Nature destroy it in both The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, Emmerich really enjoys finding new and inventive ways to take out this historical building. In this latest effort, which seems very similar to an earlier film this year (Olympus Has Fallen), he has it taken over and destroyed by terrorists. Despite the basic plot of the film being similar, it actually is quite different than Olympus, and it not only has different characters, more action, and a longer running time, but is able to be more entertaining without as much blood, and without having to have the President play damsel in distress. The film focuses on John Cale, a US Capitol Police Officer, who, while on a tour of the White House with his estranged daughter, must use his skills to help the President out of the area and stop some mercenary thugs when a group of terrorists take over the White House. This gang consists of a pissed off ex-Delta Force mercenary, an expert hacker, a sociopathic right-winger gun nut, and a violent white supremacist. Cale and President James Sawyer must work together to save Cale's daughter, the hostages, stop the terrorists, and take back the White House. Now, this set-up may sound familiar, and that's because it is. Like many action films of the 90's, and a few from today, this film follow the "Die Hard on a 'blank'" formula. In this case it's "Die Hard in the White House", while they did change the plot elements and the overall story, the basic premise and character types are relatively the same. Both John McClane and John Cale are estranged from their wives (or in this case, ex-wife) and their kids (or in this case, one kid). It's quite similar. Now, while this film isn't nearly as good as Die Hard or any of the 90's copycats like Speed, The Rock, or Con Air, it certainly entertains and is better than most of Emmerich's recent work (or his filmography in general). It's a movie that doesn't ask you to think too much but just sit back and enjoy the mindless action and destruction. The cast are pretty good for an Emmerich movie. Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx are really likeable guys and really good actors, and they have really good chemistry on screen together, without them, this film would be a lot less bearable. The rest of the case includes Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary, The Dark Knight, Donnie Darko), Jason Clarke (Death Race, Public Enemies, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Lawless, Zero Dark Thirty, The Great Gatsby), Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under, The Cabin in the Woods, Killing Them Softly, Jack Reacher), Joey King (Ghost Whisperer, Ramona and Beezus, The Dark Knight Rises, Crazy Stupid Love, Oz the Great and Powerful, The Conjuring), James Woods (Videodrome, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Shark, Once Upon A Time in America, Hercules), comedian Nicholas Wright (The Portrait of Dorian Gray), Jimmi Simpson (Breakout Kings, CSI, My Name is Earl, 24, Psych, Rose Red, Seraphim Falls, Zodiac, Date Night, The Invention of Lying, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Kevin Rankin (Breaking Bad) and Michael Murphy (MASH, Shocker, Batman Returns, Manhattan, Salvador). Ben Mankiewicz (The Young Turks, At The Movies) makes a cameo as a news interviewee. Foxx and Tatum are the standouts, Tatum being the typical nice guy/action hero with family issues, and Foxx being like a cooler, bad-ass version of Barack Obama. Foxx in the film almost has a fascination with Abraham Lincoln. The action scenes are a bit over-the-top, but the CG isn't over-used, so most of the stunts are pretty authentic. The film has numerous gun fights, explosions, and a car chase/gunfight, as well as a helicopter crash sequences and two fist fights between Channing Tatum and Jason Clarke, one on the roof during a small shootout, and a longer one in an office or room of some sort (with sprinklers going off) near the ending. All the action scenes are thrilling and intense, despite some scenes being choppily edited. On another note: something I noticed that was kind of odd, for being a foreign director, Emmerich really likes to ego-stroke American at certain bits, not as much as in Olympus, but it was sometimes noticeable. White House Down is one of Emmerich's best movies (but that's not saying too much). It's a roller coaster ride of a movie, just for pure fun and nothing else, no deeper meaning, just a fun, adrenaline-fueled action-thriller, and that's just what I liked about it. White House Down keeps it simple but also really entertaining and it keeps your attention, something we don't see too many brainless action movies pull off now. 3.5/5 stars.


 (Image: Wikipedia)