Better Late Than Never! My Review Of The Avengers: Age Of Ultron...

So, this review is going to contain spoilers for Age Of Ultron. I figure, if you haven't seen the film by now, you probably aren't going to, and if you're still reading, then you don’t care if you're spoiled. Either way, you have been warned…

I think that, going in, everyone’s expectations for The Avengers: Age Of Ultron were sky-high. The first film was amazing in both its scope and execution. The result of careful planning and a making sure all of the pieces were exactly where they needed to be. Sure, the idea looked great on paper, but how would it work in the real world? Just getting it to the screen was a feat in and of itself. The fact that the movie was great was just icing on the cake. But how was the studio going to top it?

According to a lot of people, they couldn't and frankly, didn’t. But I really do think that’s an unfair assessment. I get the idea that you need to compare it to something, especially since it’s the second film in a franchise, but I don't think it’s fair to compare it to the original. As I stated, the original was special, for many reasons, the main one being that it was the first of its kind. Never before had a franchise brought together and used its various characters in such a way. Ultimately, it was a fan boy’s wet dream. The Avengers, together, on the screen, at the same time. The problem is, by the time that AoU was released, it had become old hat. There was no shock and awe at seeing Thor and Captain America working together to defeat evil. No deep seated need to watch Tony Stark and Bruce Banner brainstorm. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Ultimately, I think that a lot of folks got caught up in the comparisons, and found AoU lacking. Is it because it’s not as good? Possibly, although I would beg to differ. I think that most of it stems from the fact that people have placed the first Avengers film on a pedestal and are using its heightened esteem as an excuse. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love The Avengers. I just don't think it’s the perfect movie that others are making it out to be, all in an attempt to pull down the Age Of Ultron. I also think that many people are looking for any excuse to bring the juggernaut down, so they latched on to the ‘flaws’ of the film and ran with it, head first.

While I don't think that the film is perfect, I will absolutely admit to loving it. I have seen it twice now and actually found I enjoyed even more the second time. One of the more vocal issues that folks had with the film was the pacing. I didn't have a problem with it, with the exception of the whole Thor storyline. I thought that his part of the story, which was necessary in order to move the overall story arcs for Ragnarok and The Infinity War forward, was rushed and choppy and really didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I think that even five more minutes and a little exposition would have gone a long way in making it fit into the story a little more seamlessly. (Rumor has it that originally it was supposed to be Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in Thor’s dreamlike sequence, which I think would have had a lot more impact, especially since Thor thinks his brother is dead). Let’s hope that the rumors of an extended cut on Blu-Ray come to fruition and these scene makes more sense within the scope of the film.

The other issue that folks seemed to have with the film was Ultron himself. Many have complained that he wasn't menacing enough, or that he was too comical. And I get that. (Marvel has always struggled with their villains and I've even wrote an article at my other ‘job’ about it, which you can check out here!) Ultimately, he wasn't what I expected either, but I'm okay with that, because he was still amazing, as was James Spader’s portrayal of him. I think one of the things that people failed to understand is that he is nothing more than a petulant child. Out to prove that he is better than and at the same time, nothing like his ‘father,’ Tony Stark. They also didn't seem to get his motivations. (Really, she asked, incredulously? Why wouldn't a trip through the interwebz lead to the decision that we all need to be exterminated? Have you seen some of the stuff that’s out there?) Again, we're not dealing with a fully formed being here. Add to that the fact that he’s immature, volatile and extremely powerful and the Ultron we saw on the screen is the perfect interpretation of the character. Although Vision actually uses the phrase he was born yesterday in the film, most people seem to forget that Ultron really isn't that much older.

What I did love about the film was the character development of characters that, until now, haven't had the opportunity to shine. I thought the whole Hawkeye story was lovely. I loved the fact that he had this secret life, including a pregnant wife and kids, which no one, with the exception of Natasha, was privy to. The idea brought the character to life for me and I couldn't be happier that Marvel decided to go this way. One of the things that fascinated me in the first film was the dynamic between Natasha and Clint. One of my favorite scenes is the one after Natasha performs her 'cognitive recalibration' on him and they briefly hint at their pasts and relationship. It always made me curious, and itching for an origin story for the two of them. Now, more than ever, I would love to see that happen.  

Of course, I can't discuss the film without discussing the newcomers. I think that Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson did a fantastic job of bringing The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to life. (Yes, I do think that Quicksilver in DOFP was amazing, but again, I don't think it’s fair to compare as the character was used in two completely different ways in each of the films!) Unfortunately, I had Quicksilver’s death spoiled for me (that’s what I get for reading comments!) so it was slightly less shocking, but nonetheless impactful. In a world where we were all convinced Hawkeye was going to die, it was surprising to see someone else sacrifice themselves for him, especially given everything that was at stake. While there have been rumblings that Marvel doesn't have to keep him dead, I think they will, if only because his death makes The Scarlet Witch a more interesting character. And then, there was Vision… What can I say other than what an amazing introduction of such an iconic character. Paul Bettany’s portrayal was spot on and I cannot wait to see more from him. My big fear, however, is that Thanos is going to be forced to rip the mind gem out of his head in order to complete his matching set, which would absolutely not be good! Of course, the Mad Titan with a full set of gems in the Infinity Gauntlet isn't good either… and I can't wait to see how it all plays out on screen.

A lot of folks really didn't like the Bruce Banner-Natasha Romanoff relationship and found it forced. Personally, it didn't feel forced to me and I understand Natasha's reasons for find Bruce attractive. Everything in her life has been aggressive and violent, so why wouldn't she seek out the one man who wants nothing more than calm and serene in his life? And no, I have no issue with Betty, because it was pretty obvious at the end of The Incredible Hulk that their relationship was over. And don't get me started on the whole 'monster' controversy! She called herself a monster because she's a trained assassin with red in her ledger, people, not because she couldn't have children. Get your heads out of your asses and think, please! 

Also on first viewing, I didn't think there was enough conflict between Tony and Steve leading up to next year's Civil War, something that I was really looking forward to, but I've changed my mind. The fight they have just before Vision is brought to life is pretty knock-down-drag-out. There is definitely something there, no matter how chummy they seemed at the end and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Yes, I get how some people think it’s hard to care about the stakes, when you know what the plan is for the next 5 years. To them I say, does the end game really matter? Isn't it the journey that’s the exciting part? Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Marvel has now proved, with the death of Quicksilver, that they have no problem changing the game when they need to and I have no doubt they will, provided that it serves the overall story.

Overall, I really liked this film. I think that, with the exception of a few minor issues, it accomplished what it set out to do. It was bigger and bolder than the first, while still telling its own story. Mission accomplished. It moved the MCU forward without compromising (for the most part, anyway) the plot, but still managed to hint at enough to keep even the most casual fan interested. While I don't think that comic book movies need to be dumbed down or should just be considered popcorn flicks, I also don't think they need to explain all the mysteries of the universe, either. As long as a good time is had, that’s all that counts. And I definitely had a good time. (I am also counting down the days to the Blu-Ray release so that I can own it and watch it anytime I want!)

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron            4.5/5

Sorry, Big Guy! Why Another Standalone Hulk Film Won't Work...

So, Mark Ruffalo sent the interwebs into a tizzy earlier this week when he said that he would be interested in making another stand-alone Hulk movie. In an interview with Digital Spy (via Schmoes Know, because that's where I get all of my movie news), Ruffalo confirmed that Marvel is "entertaining the idea." He goes on to say that, prior to the Avengers, it wasn't even a consideration, but that since, it is a possibility.

Ruffalo was fantastic in his portrayal of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Avengers. Arguably one of the best parts of the film, his version of The Hulk was what we, as comic-book movie fans, had been waiting for. He managed to bring that perfect balance to the film, both as Bruce Banner and The Hulk. While I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to another stand-alone Hulk film, I completely understand Marvel's hesitation with the property.

So, let's see where we're at, shall we? First there was the The Incredible Hulk TV series that ran on CBS from 1978-1982. Starring Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, it told the origin story of the character and showcased his race to find a cure for his affliction. The series ended with Banner still searching for a cure and running from Jack McGee, the reporter out to unmask his secret. A number of TV movies were made after the series run, culminating in 1990's Death of the Incredible Hulk, where Banner/the Hulk, did in fact die in the end. Generally thought of as a good depiction of the characters, it remains one of the best telling's of the Hulk's story arc.

For his next outing, we have 2003's Ang Lee directed, The Hulk. Starring Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, and for some unknown reason, Ang Lee as the motion-captured Hulk, the film was a disappointment for the studio. It's world-wide box office total was about $245M on a budget of $137M, making it just barely profitable. The reviews for the film were mixed, many citing the altered origin story, depressing story arc for the characters and poor CGI as the reasons for not enjoying the film. While I generally applaud studios for thinking outside the box when it comes to their properties, The Hulk went beyond that, right into off-the-rails territory. The addition of Banner's father and his mutated DNA and the fact that the angrier he got, the bigger the Hulk got were enough to turn even the most die-hard fan off. Which is too bad, because I thought that Eric Bana was the perfect choice for the mild mannered Bruce Banner. Overall, the movie was a huge disappointment to fans everywhere.

So, now it's 2008 and Marvel has begun to plant the seeds of it's cinematic universe with the release of the first Iron Man movie. Quietly on the heels of that release came The Incredible Hulk. Starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, this time Marvel skipped over the origins of the character, instead choosing to show how the Hulk came to be in a series of comic-book like panels at the beginning of the film and then jumping directly into the story. Officially considered canon in the MCU, this film had a more stream-lined feel to it, sticking with the more well known origins and motivations of the character. The film was a modest success, making slightly more at the box office than it's predecessor. Overall, I think this was a way better film, and Edward Norton was a competent Bruce Banner, although definitely not my first choice for the role. The villain of the film, The Abomination, was the perfect foe for our unorthodox hero and the fight scenes were out of this world. This film still didn't blow the masses away, however.

By the time that The Avengers rolled around in 2012, Norton had been given the boot, and Ruffalo had been hired to fill Banner's shoes. Playing both Banner and the motion-captured Hulk, Ruffalo stole the show. And that's when it started. Fans rumbling about a new stand-alone Hulk film, this time with Ruffalo at the forefront. Wouldn't it be great? He did such a fantastic job, he could do it again. The Hulk needs his own film... seemingly forgetting that the last two times the studio tried this, no one seemed to care.

There are a number of reasons why a stand-alone Hulk film doesn't work, no matter how hard the studio tries to make it happen. The first, and foremost, is the Hulk himself. When people go to see a superhero, or comic book based movie, if you will, they want to see the comic book character. That's difficult to do in a Hulk stand-alone, if you want to tell any sort of story that doesn't involve the Hulk doing nothing but smashing things for 2 hours. While Tony Stark is Iron Man, Peter Parker is Spiderman and Logan is The Wolverine, Bruce Banner is not the Hulk. They are two separate characters, with extremely different motivations. While they may share the same DNA, Banner has spent every waking moment of his life, since the accident, trying to eradicate the other part of himself. Shockingly enough, the Hulk doesn't want to be eradicated, which puts the two of them at odds with one another, right from the get go. Any significant character development or story arc has to be told from Banner's point of view, leading to more screen time for the man, and less screen time for the beast. While personally this doesn't bother me, I know there are a lot of people out there who would be, and have been, disappointed with that sort of story telling. There's a fine line between too much Banner and not enough Hulk and Marvel, so far hasn't been able to balance it for a full two hour movie. Now, it is possible for the studio to go in the complete opposite direction and do something like a Planet Hulk movie... which, don't get me wrong, would be all sorts of cool and wicked and awesome... but, I also think it might get old, pretty fast. While I like the Hulk character, there isn't a whole lot that can be done with him in regards to character development. And while I know a lot of people would love to see him smash aliens in a gladiator style smack-down, I don't think it would hold water for a full two hours. There has to be a little more substance to it for it to be placed in the same regard as the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They've raised the bar, and now, anything less will be considered a failure.

The reason that the Hulk worked, and worked so well, in the Avengers was because he wasn't the main protagonist. When he was on screen, they made the most of it, and that's why we fell in love with him. He was used in the best possible way, but the film wasn't centred around him. He wasn't forced to carry the storyline all the way through, and that's why it was refreshing and bold when he was on the screen. While I have no doubt that eventually we will see another Hulk stand-alone film, I can't see Marvel jumping on board any time soon. I don't think that a Hulk film fits in with their plans, just yet, but I'm sure eventually Bruce Banner will grace the silver screen once again. Let's hope they are able to balance the character's two persona's and that we get the Hulk film that the character deserves.      

Random Bits From The Week That Was...

So, here we are again. Friday. That glorious day at the end of the week. That means it's also time to wrap up the bits and pieces that came out over the last 7 days or so. Here's my take on the bits of news I was too lazy to write about earlier...


Could Tom Cruise Wrestle The Box Office Title Away From Shailene Woodley?

The answer is a resounding no! The Fault In Our Stars was the number one movie at the box office last weekend, crushing the competition with a $48M domestically in it's opening weekend. Maleficent was in the number two spot, bringing in $34.3M in it's second week, followed by Edge of Tomorrow with $28.8M in it's first weekend out. While I'm glad that the female led, and driven FIOS did so well (I still have yet to check it out), I am disappointed that EoT didn't have a better opening. It is a spectacular sci-fi movie, driven by a horrendous marketing campaign, that deserved way better than it got. It's interesting to note that the Angelina Jolie led Maleficent came in strong in the number two spot. Never count out the ability of a family friendly flick to wreak havoc with the box office predictions. I'm betting that How To Train Your Dragon 2 takes the number one spot this weekend.


Ant-Man, FINALLY, Has A Director...

After the whole debacle with Edgar Wright, and the oh, we've hired Adam McKay... oh wait, sorry, not going to work out thing, Marvel has finally hired a new director to helm it's Ant-Man project, still set for release July 17, 2015. Peyton Reed, the director of Yes Man and The Break Up will now helm the project. Given that filming was supposed to begin this week I believe, it took them long enough. While, overall I have no issue with Reed, as he's a competent director, this hiring still concerns me. While I trust Marvel, as they have yet to lead me astray with their properties, the fact that their focus has been on very comedic directors is alarming. The beauty of Wright was the fact that while he was comedic, he was also kind of quirky, giving the hope of an interesting take on the character. The idea that Marvel was hell-bent on replacing him with a director who's main focus was comedy sent up a couple of red flags in regards to this Ant-Man project. Of course, the same thing could be said about Joe and Anthony Russo, who before Captain America: The Winter Soldier, were best know for directing the television shows Community and Arrested Development. And we all know how that turned out. The Winter Soldier is arguably the best Marvel movie to date. So, I'll trust in Feige and wait to see how this goes.


Has Marvel Found It's Steven Strange?

Technically, no, but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from churning. When it was announced last week that Scott Derrickson would be helming the film of the Sorcerer Supreme, this was the first real confirmation that Dr. Strange would actually be a part of Marvel's Phase 3 plans. So, of course, speculation began as to who would be cast as Steven Strange. The first rumour out of the gate was Jared Leto. While he wouldn't have been my first choice, I would have been okay with it. Now, it appears the Marvel's short list is down to two: Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. While I am okay with either of these guys, my preference would be towards Hardy. Having just finished watching Locke, I've got to say, the guy is amazing. While Cumberbatch is also good, with serious geek cred, for some reason, I just don't see it. Not that I would be disappointed, if tomorrow, Marvel said Cumberbatch is our guy, I would just prefer they went with Hardy. Now, the question that remains to be seen is, are either of these guys willing to sign on long term with Marvel? I guess we'll wait and see.


Del Toro Calls It Quits On The Beast...

Citing scheduling conflicts, Guillermo Del Toro has dropped out of directing his live action telling of the classic tale Beauty And The Beast. In development since 2012, Emma Watson is slated to star in the film as Belle. Del Toro will, however, remain on as a producer of the film, alongside Denise DiNovi. Although disappointing, it's not all that surprising, given the fact that he always has a huge number of projects on the go at any one time. This has led to speculation that he may have dropped this project to focus on a Pacific Rim sequel, as he did state earlier in the week that he was working very hard on a script with Zack Penn. While Legendary has yet to actually green-light a sequel, according to Del Toro, he and Penn are proceeding like the film is actually happening. Now, if he would only put this much effort into a Hellboy 3, I'd be one happy camper.


Gamers United In Los Angeles This Week...

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo happened in LA this week, and lots of exciting news and trailers for some awesome games have been released. While I'm not a hard-core gamer by any means, there were a few titles that caught my eye. The trailer for Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks amazing, and you have my attention anytime you mention Middle Earth. I enjoy War in The North, so am looking forward to this one. The other one that intrigues me is the Batman: Arkham Knight trailer. I am also in anytime you say superhero, and have tested my prowess as Batman, with Arkham Asylum. For all the other E3 news and trailers, check out the the gaming page from the guys at schmoesknow.com who have got you covered.


New Trailer For Laika's The Boxtrolls Drops...

Holy cow, animation is sure kicking ass these days! The first trailer for Laika's upcoming stop-motion flick The Boxtrolls dropped this week, and boy, does it look charming. The masters behind ParaNorman and Coraline will be bringing The Boxtrolls to life on September 26, 2014, and I honestly can't wait. While I get that stop-motion animation isn't for everyone, I personally love the medium and don't think that it gets nearly enough love and support. This film looks charming and fun and I think that 2014 is going to be a banner year for animation, with the likes of The Lego Movie, How To Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls, Big Hero 6 and The Book of Life all being released.


A Dame To Kill For Kills It...

A new trailer for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For dropped this week, and boy is it a doozy. Now, I will admit, I have never seen the first Sin City film, but if this trailer is anything to go by, I will be checking it out soon, so that I can catch this flick in theatres. Opening August 22, 2014, the movie is a sequel to the 2005 film Sin City and is primarily based on the second graphic novel in the series by Frank Miller. This trailer looks fantastic and I am intrigued about this world. I'll let you know what I think after I've checked it out.


And The Most Watched Shows In The World Are...

Earlier this week, at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, NCIS took the International Television Audience Award for Drama, meaning it is the highest rated drama series worldwide. The show won with a global audience of 57.6 million viewers in 66 different countries. The winners for Comedy were Modern Family and in the Soap Opera category, The Bold and The Beautiful took the crown. While I don't watch either NCIS, which is also the most watched show in North America, or The Bold and The Beautiful, I do enjoy Modern Family. It's interesting to see how closely the worldwide audience is tied to the North American one.


Daredevil Has Found It's Kingpin...

On the heels that Charlie Cox would be portraying Matt Murdoch in the upcoming Marvel Netflix series Daredevil, word came down that Hell's Kitchen had also found it's Kingpin. In keeping with their interesting casting choices of late, Marvel announced that Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, would be played by Vincent D'Onofrio. I will admit, this casting is amazing. D'Onofrio is an excellent actor, who does dark and fearsome like no other. This Netflix project is looking more and more interesting, and I for one, can't wait to see it.


       

Random Bits From The Week That Was....

So, here we are again... Friday... and it's time for my thoughts on the bits and pieces of news that came out over the last week, that I was too lazy to blog about, or they just didn't warrant a full post. Enjoy....


Star Wars Finds Some Females...

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie will be joining the cast of the next Star Wars movie. This is fantastic news, as these ladies are top notch actresses, and this bit of casting news should quiet all of those that were complaining that the cast was very "male-centric." While I'm glad that it looks like there will be some strong female characters in the new trilogy, the lack of estrogen of the original announcement didn't bother me. I trust JJ Abrams and if in his new Star Wars trilogy, some weird virus wiped all the females off the face of the galaxy, then so be it. I'm just excited to be getting new movies from the universe.


Ant-Man Finds A New Director... Oh, Wait... Never Mind...

So, after the whole "creative differences" exit of Edgar Wright last week, speculation has run rampant on who would take over the next Marvel franchise. The short list of directors that was going around was interesting, albeit a little bizarre. Word did come out that Stepbrothers and Anchorman director, Adam McKay, had been hired, but that was quickly shut down, when it was revealed that he had actually turned the project down. While he wasn't my first choice to direct this project, I find it interesting that there was something about it that he obviously didn't like. The concern that I have, besides the fact that as of today, there is still no one attached to direct this project, is that the directors that Marvel is looking at seem to be very heavily focused on comedy. While I know that there are some comedic elements to the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, up until now, they have been well balanced within the story. This full-on comedic approach worries me a bit, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.


But, Apparently, Dr. Strange Is Good To Go...

So, while Marvel is busy scrambling to get Ant-Man on track and ready for it's release date a little over 13 months from now, they are already moving on with their next project. Word was released this week that Sinister director, Scott Derrickson, will be helming the film based on the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Steven Strange. Expected to be either their second release in 2016 or the early release in 2017, it will be a true departure for the studio, given that his story revolves around magic and mysticism. The choice of Derrickson is interesting, given his horror genre background. It makes me think that this is going to be a darker story, with maybe a bit of a sinister tone to it. The only thing that's troubling is that the writers who have been hired to write the script, other credits include Kung-Fu Panda and Spongebob Square Pants. While I love the Kung-Fu Panda movies, I'm not exactly sure how that style will transfer to a Dr. Strange movie. It will be interesting to see what happens and what Derrickson ultimately does with this project.


Is X-Men: Apocalypse Stifling The X-Force Movie Over At Fox?

Tweet it, and the controversy will come. Earlier in the week, Rob Liefeld, creator of the X-Force comic over at Marvel, tweeted that the development of X-Men: Apocalypse has basically quashed any hope of an X-Force movie being released by Fox. While I'm not sure that it's quite as dire as that, I understand Fox's need to move on with their current franchise, striking while the iron is hot, or so they say. Within nine days of release, Days of Future Past became the highest grossing film in the franchise, so it's perfectly understandable for the studio to want to continue telling that story. In an attempt to build a cinematic universe, there has been talk that the studio is looking to do spin-off and stand-alone films, so I'm sure that the focus will roll back around the their X-Force property eventually. Unlike Sony, who only has Spiderman and his villains, the rights to X-Men encompass a number of characters and teams and Fox would be foolish to not explore all the avenues at their disposal.


Game Of Thrones Becomes HBO's Highest Rated Show, Ever...

Long live Westeros! HBO's Game Of Thrones officially surpassed The Sopranos as the channel's most watched series. Averaging 18.4 million viewers this season, the audience for the show just continues to build. (Last season averaged 14.4 million viewers). Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin, the cable giant is just about to wrap the shows fourth season. While I admit that I have yet to watch the show, I have read all of the novels, so when I hear about the goings on in Westeros, I understand the context. It is my goal to binge watch Games of Thrones this summer, so I will keep you posted as to how that goes! :)


Bad News For The Wachowski Siblings....

Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow Pictures have more or less pulled the plug on the Wachowski's latest project, Jupiter Ascending. Originally set for release on July 18th, they have pushed the film, which stars Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, to the no-man's land of February, where movies go to die. Although no official word has been released in regards to the move, it can't be good news. There is only one reason that a studio pulls a big, action heavy flick out of a prime summer release slot, and that's because the movie is crap. While I was interested to see this film, I still had a bit of apprehension in regards to it, as I find the Wachowski's pretty hit or miss. It looks like my gut feelings might have been right on the money. Rumour has it that the $150M movie was tracking somewhere in the $25M range. Definitely not what the studio wants to see. It will be interesting to see if the move pays off, giving the flick the time and space it needs, and a lack of competition next winter. Only time will tell on this one.


And Another Director Is Headed To A Galaxy Far, Far Away...

Disney announced this week, following their announcement last week that Gareth Edwards would be directing a Star Wars spin-off film, that Josh Trank will also be directing one of their properties. Although no further details have been released, it is speculated that the Chronicle director will be helming a Han Solo film, with Edwards directing the much anticipated Boba Fett flick. Mark Reilly, the editor-in-chief over at www.schmoesknow.com wrote a fantastic article on this topic, which you can find here. It's an excellent read, written by a die-hard Star Wars fan, and I completely recommend checking it out. (And while you're there, check out some of the other cool things they've got going on!). I think that Trank will bring an interesting take to whatever story he is telling, and I really like his vision and style of film-making. I am curious to see what he brings to the table.


Is Marvel Really Trying To Sabotage The Properties That They No Longer Have Control Of?

An interesting tid-bit out of the interweb this week has Marvel sabotaging some of their own properties in a bid for dominance in the movie-sphere. Rumours are swirling that Marvel is using under-handed tactics to try and diminish the returns of their properties currently contracted out to other studios, which include the Fox owned The Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises. If they're to be believed, Marvel is in the process of cancelling it's Fantastic Four and Ultimate Fantastic Four comic series in an attempt to lower the profile of the franchise, before the movie hits theatres next summer. While it may very well be true that they are going to jostle their comic book titles around, to this nonsense about affecting the box office returns, I say, bologna. In the grand scheme of things, comic book readers represent a very infinitesimal fraction of the movie going public. The majority of movie goers have never even picked up a comic book, let alone read one, so this will have absolutely no impact on whether the movie is successful at all. I doubt very highly that the Marvel execs are sitting around their offices, trying to come up with ways to thwart the other studios anyway, as they are too busy counting their money and laying the ground work for world domination. It doesn't make any sense... but then again, conspiracy theories rarely do.   

Is Marvel Trying Too Hard To Fit A Square Peg In A Round Hole?

News broke earlier this week that Edgar Wright was leaving the Ant-Man project over at Marvel, after 8 years of development, due to creative difference. Basically, Marvel wanted Ant-Man to fit into their already established, ever expanding, Cinematic Universe, and Wright wasn't willing to compromise his vision of the film to let them do that. Rumour has it that Marvel went ahead and got an in-house writer to do rewrites on the latest Wright/Cornish script, and Wright finally said to hell with it and walked. Not that I can blame him. I mean he's been working on this project since 2006... long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a blip on the radar. And it's definitely not cool for someone to tamper with and change your work without your knowledge. So, I can understand how it came to this in the end.

I got a chance to call in and talk with Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis, briefly, over on The Schmoes Know Movie Show this past Thursday night about this. (If you're not watching it, you really should be. It's a great show. 6:00pm-8:00pm every Thursday at www.schmoesknow.com ). I mentioned that, to me, this looks an awful lot like the problems that occurred in 2005 with Bryan Singer and Fox. For those that don't know, just before filming was to begin on the third and fourth X-Men films, Singer abruptly left the project, taking his script with him, to direct Superman Returns. The studio, in a bit of a panic, eventually hired Brett Ratner and we got X-Men: The Last Stand. Enough said! Kristian mentioned that he doesn't see it this way, as Marvel is a different studio than Fox, and that they have a better grasp on their properties. While I understand the logic, and do agree, it's still a huge gamble on their part, I think. Ant-Man is a risky enough character to begin with, but replacing a Wright/Cornish script with something written in-house and Wright as director with a capable, albeit average director (given the short-list that's going around, anyway!) is just not what you want to see happen. I liked the idea of Wright because he was outside of the box, and I think he would have brought an interesting take on the character. I also think that his name would have brought people, who might not have been interested in the character of Ant-Man but were definitely interested in the name Edgar Wright, to see this film.

But this got me thinking... Is Marvel at a place where they're now willing to sacrifice vision so that all of their properties can fit inside the little box that they've created, known as the MCU? These days, it seems that everything that they touch is forced to fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of their Avengers related movies are included, of course, and so is their Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television show. It makes sense that their new Marvel's Agent Carter show, debuting in the 2014-2015 TV season, will also be part of the MCU, as it will follow the life of Peggy Carter, after she loses Steve Rogers, and will basically tell the story of the development of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I'm assuming, the infiltration of HYDRA. To me, that makes sense as well. The main backbone of the MCU has been S.H.I.E.L.D. from the beginning, so I understand that properties involving the agency will play a part in the bigger picture.

When the Defenders project with Netflix was announced in the fall of 2013, I was glad that we were getting something a little different. Set to air sometime in 2015, it will be comprised of four, 13-episode story arcs, featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, culminating in a mini-series based on The Defenders. This is awesome. Netflix releases all of it's program's episodes at once, making it the perfect opportunity to binge-watch over the weekend. And then word came out that these properties too, would be part of the bigger, Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, even went as far as to say that if these characters prove popular on Netflix, that it's possible they could become feature films. And to this I say, why? Why do they all have to be related? Can't The MCU and The Defenders Universe be two separate entities?

Don't get me wrong... I love the idea of Marvel expanding it's brand and branching out in different directions. The winner in this scenario is clearly me, the fan. I just worry that things are going to get muddled, with so much going on. Let's face it, while I enjoyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it had some serious issues in it's first season, that were only fixed once Captain America: The Winter Soldier was finally released in April, and they could reveal that S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually compromised and was virtually HYDRA. This means that everything that happened with the battle of New York in the Avengers is going to play heavily on what happens in these Defenders projects, as they are based out of New York City, as well. This is an awful lot of canon to carry around and I'm not sure that it's going to work as well as they hope. Sure, a lot of people are interested in the movies that Marvel releases. That doesn't mean that they're going to watch the television shows and streaming series, in order to remain "caught up" in what's going on in the MCU. For example, you really needed to watch Winter Soldier on it's opening weekend in April, as the two episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D. that surrounded it, played heavily into the events that happened in the film. Not everyone watches every genre with the same enthusiasm, and I know that while Marvel's is hoping for it, they are banking an awful lot on the idea that those that care about the MCU are going to automatically care about the other related projects.

I fear, in forcing these projects to fit into the box that they've created, that they may be compromising part of their individuality, as well. Up until now, I've enjoyed the fact that Marvel has let it's characters be themselves, while using the threads of the MCU to bind them together in a cohesive package. With this Ant-Man debacle currently going on, it appears that they are getting more aggressive in what they will and will not accept in their universe. A lot of people have cried foul, and said that Marvel should have just given the reigns to Wright and let him do what he wanted, like they have in the past with their directors, like Favreau, Black and Whedon. Make no mistake about it, people, while Favreau, Black and Whedon were able to bring their visions to the screen, they by no means, ever had free reign to do whatever they wanted. Marvel has always been in the driver seat when it comes to their properties and what they do and do not want to see on the screen. It just may not have been as obvious as it is with this whole Edgar Wright thing right now, but it's always been the case. Marvel is in charge, and, it looks like, right now, is not willing to compromise on it's vision, no matter what kind of talent they are dealing with. Let's just hope that it doesn't backfire on them.

Say It Ain't So, Ant-Man! Say It Ain't So...

Disappointing news out of the Marvel offices today. According to Variety, Edgar Wright is taking his stuff and going home. That's right, you heard me correctly. Due to "differences in the vision of their film" Edgar Wright has stepped away from the Ant-Man project that he has been working on, on and off, since 2006.

This seriously sucks! I am not happy about this news at all...

Although a large part of the Avengers in the comic book world, Ant-Man is a relatively unknown property to the general public. Much like the hiring of James Gunn to direct the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Edgar Wright was an orthodox, but very interesting choice to helm the project. Wright is a bold film-maker, with a distinct vision, and I was looking forward to his take on one of Marvel's more interesting characters. Apparently, that's not going to happen now.

Now, this project has had it's ups and downs along the way, so, although disappointing, in the grand scheme of things, it's not really surprising. The development of the film began back before the release of the original Iron Man, and initial word out of Wright's camp in 2010 was that Ant Man wouldn't be part of the MCU, as it didn't really fit with the origin story that he had written for the character. Needless to say, Kevin Feige and Marvel were probably not pleased to hear this, as they are working very, very hard to make sure that everything in the MCU lines up just perfectly. By 2011 there had been three drafts of the script submitted. By early 2013, Kevin Feige was still talking about the script being modified to fit into the MCU. You can see where this is going, can't you? Wright still maintained that Ant-Man was a standalone film and that "it is pretty standalone in the way that we're linking it to the others." Although Marvel set an initial release date of November 6, 2015 (which they eventually pushed up to July 31, 2015) and pre-production began in the fall of 2013, it was obvious that Feige and Wright were still at odds in regards to this property and where it would fit in Marvel's overall, big picture, universe.

And then, Paul Rudd was cast as Scott Lang... very outside the box, but very interesting!... and Michael Douglas was cast as Hank Pym... again, outside the box and very, very interesting! And suddenly, this was a very, very, very interesting property. A little unorthodox, a little quirky, it along with GOTG showed that Marvel was willing to take risks. And all of us comic book nerds held our breath in anticipation...

And now here we are, 13 months out from the release of the film, and the director has packed up and moved on to bigger? better? more interesting? things. While this is disappointing, the real problem comes in regards to the script. Is Edgar Wright pulling a Bryan Singer (who famously left the third X-Men film, taking his script with him to direct Superman Returns)? Because if that's the case, then Marvel is screwed. Like, seriously screwed! I honestly can't see, if their visions of how and what the characters are, are so different, how Wright and writing partner Joe Cornish would leave their script with Kevin Feige and Marvel, unless they were contractually obligated to. And, without a script, Marvel is never going to make it's July 2015 release date. The movie hasn't started filming yet (production isn't slated to start until the fall, although isn't that a little late? Is it just me? I mean, isn't this going to be a pretty heavy special effects laden movie? Is that enough time to do all that?), meaning there is no way to tell where exactly in pre-production they are with the project.

Word is that Marvel already has a new director mind, so I would expect an announcement of some kind in the next few days. It will be interesting to see who they have chosen to replace Wright. No matter who it is, there will always be the rumblings of "But what would we have gotten if Wright had chosen to complete this project?" As sweaty movie nerds, we never seem to be content. And when studios make decisions like this one, I can understand our anger and confusion. Let's just hope that, whomever they choose, that director knocks it out of the park, and the only question we ask is "Edgar who?"

Why Marvel's Winning The War....

So, the second Guardians of the Galaxy trailer dropped today...

Yeah, it's fricking amazing! Add that to the amazing first trailer that we got back in February... and I mean, yeah... this is... yeah, it's just.... YEAH! FRICKIN' YEAH!

Now, those that know me, know that I am a self-professed Marvel fan-girl. I like Marvel, always have, always will. That doesn't mean that by default, I hate all things DC. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like DC properties... I mean, what's there not to like about Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? They are incredible characters, and are a huge part of comic book lore, both past and present. Arguably the three most iconic comic book characters in history, they cannot be discounted, ever. I do, in fact, collect a number of DC titles currently... just not any of those titles and not as many as the number of Marvel titles I collect.

That being said, it's no secret that Marvel is winning the war between the two comic book giants, when it comes to big screen adaptations. (I wrote another blog post earlier this month on how DC is king of television, so you should check that one out!). Yes, I know that Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was extremely successful, as was Man of Steel. I'm not discounting those things, even though neither were my personal favourites, by any stretch of the imagination. I know there are many, many people out there who love them, and I can see the appeal. It's just that, the beast that is Marvel Studios has been relentless in it's plan, and have, for the most part, been releasing different, top notch comic book adaptations since 2008.

Kevin Feige had a plan. In hind-sight, it was brilliant. A quick, 30 second shot of Nick Fury in Tony Stark's living room... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." Those ten words changed everything. They altered our perceptions about what a comic book movie was, and more importantly, where they could lead. And then, systematically, Feige and his team ticked off the boxes as they released movie after movie, each separate, but with intertwining threads, all leading to something bigger, something huge. They named it the Marvel Cinematic Universe and history was made. The massive success of The Avengers cemented the idea that it was possible to bring different aspects of the comic books to life and that the general movie going audience was willing to go along for the ride.

DC and Warner Brothers, at this time, were basking in the success that came with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, awaiting the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Extremely successful and critically acclaimed, the Nolan trilogy set the standard for comic book projects over at the WB. Which was one of the reasons that the disaster that was the Green Lantern in 2011 stalled any future projects. While I didn't hate the film, I do recognize that it did have some serious flaws, and so did the rest of the movie going audience. A flop financially, it made the WB wary about diving back in to the world of superheroes and virtually shut down their Justice League plans. It was only after the release and success of 2013's Man of Steel that the wheels on the Justice League bus began turning again. The WB, afraid to commit to anything until they saw the reception that their new Superman property received, was finally willing to green-light a sequel. And the sequel they had in mind was going to blow the socks off of everyone. Using a quote from The Dark Knight Returns, Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Superman was going to battle Batman in the summer of 2015, pitting it directly against The Avengers sequel in the battle for the box office title. And the internet exploded...

By this time, Marvel had not only released Iron Man 3, but already had 5 other movies in different stages of development, four of which would lead up to the Avengers sequel, The Age of Ultron. At this point, even after the Comic-Con announcement, it wasn't even a contest... Marvel was so far ahead, that Warner Brothers couldn't even see them on the track. Again, the intertwining threads of the MCU were building towards something grand. Although the Batman vs. Superman news overshadowed everything else, Feige refused to panic and continued on as planned.

And then it happened... The WB realized that it over-played it's hand and wasn't going to be ready for a 2015 release date. Pushing the release of the Man of Steel sequel back by almost a year, they showed a chink in their armour. It was now going to be almost 3 years between the release of Man of Steel and the next movie in Warner Brothers arsenal. In that three year period, Marvel will have released 6 new titles. Yes, I said 6 new titles. We will get 2 new DC movies and 6 new Marvel movies. In terms of output, Marvel is miles ahead of DC. And it's not like they're putting out crap, either. Each title that has been released, so far, has been well received by audiences overall. And there is no indication that any of the remaining titles will be received any differently.

And while the WB is sticking with Zack Snyder to direct both the Man of Steel sequel and the announced Justice League movie after that (he also directed the first Man of Steel film), Marvel will have had 5 different directors direct their projects, each bringing a different take and flavour to their different characters. Names like Joss Whedon, Joe and Anthony Russo, Alan Taylor, James Gunn and Edgar Wright. Directors that you wouldn't automatically think of when you mentioned comic book movies. Directors with their own style and vision, who will take these characters that we know and love in directions that we never dreamed of. It's this diversity, this thinking outside the box that helps to push Marvel that much further ahead in the race. I'm not a huge fan of Zack Snyder, and I am not sure that keeping him on for all of your movies is the best course of action. But that's just me, and it's more of a personal preference.

But it's not just directors that Marvel is thinking outside the box with. They are making some interesting and daring choices in the properties that they are choosing to release as well. The addition of The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to the MCU are surprising and a little unorthodox. I get that Marvel, due to it's past successes, is in a position to gamble a little and I'm glad that they are willing to do so. By hiring Gunn to direct GOTG they are taking their properties in a whole different direction. It's funny, the WB is still dragging it's feet in regards to it's properties, especially a Wonder Woman stand alone film, as they are unsure if the movie going audience would be willing to accept a female driven comic book movie. Marvel counters that by bringing in a talking, foul-mouthed, machine gun totting raccoon, who's partnered with a walking tree. What the hell? But by the look of the above trailer, it's going to work and it's going to be amazing!

Earlier this week, the first pictures from Batman vs. Superman or whatever they are eventually going to call the Man of Steel sequel, were released. I will admit, Ben Affleck looks amazing in that Batsuit. And I really do hope that the movie is a huge success and that I truly enjoy it when I go to see it. As a comic book fan, I am the one who wins when these things work. And I love nothing more than being swept away by a fantastic story, with great visuals, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is what I get when I go to see a Marvel movie. Only time will tell if Warner Brothers figures out their own formula for success. But until they do, and they show a little more faith in their properties, Marvel will continue to win this war. Movie, after movie, they have the formula down pat. And apparently, Feige's plan stretches forward for many years to come. If they continue to think outside the box and make interesting and different choices, they may be impossible to catch. I guess we'll see...

Random Bits From The Week That Was...

So, here's my take on the random bits of news that I ran across this week, and was either too lazy to post about, or didn't require a full blog post to discuss....


Zack Snyder unveils the Batmobile...

Earlier this week, Zack Snyder hinted, via twitter, that it might be time for the tarp to be lifted. His tweet, accompanied by a photo of a tarp covered Batmobile, sent the internet into a tizzy. Not quite the tizzy, of course, that was caused the next day, when the picture he released was not only of the Batmobile, but a very buff and intense looking Ben Affleck as Batman. Now, I have not been a huge fan of this project from the outset, as I think that Superman deserves his own sequel... one that doesn't involve other Justice League characters and plots. As much as I didn't like the first Man of Steel, (it's not like I hated it or anything... I just think it had a lot of issues and they made it hard for me to love it). I still think that Supes is getting a bad wrap. That being said, Ben Affleck looks amazing! The black and white photo that was released is absolutely stunning! (I would frame and hang that guy on my wall!) The image invokes a tone and a feeling that I don't think all of us were expecting. While I wasn't a huge fan of the casting of Affleck at the time, upon further contemplation, I have come around to the idea. It's definitely going to be interesting, to say the least.


Channing Tatum is the new Gambit...

This news makes me less excited. While I like Channing Tatum and think that he's really grown as an actor over the last few year, I honestly don't see this as a good fit. I agree with Kristian Harloff over at The Schmoes Know, who thinks that the character is not well enough known by the general public to be played by such a popular actor. The audience is not going to see Remi LeBeau on the big screen, they are going to see Channing Tatum. And, if I'm being perfectly frank, I can't see him mastering Gambit's Cajun drawl, either. I personally believe that, while the movie wasn't well received (although I really liked it!), that the powers that be should have stuck with Taylor Kitsch, who played the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The issue with that incarnation of Gambit were not Kitsch's fault and I do think that he's a better actor than Tatum, overall. I think that the recast will be kind of confusing and I think it was completely unnecessary.


Neighbours kicks the crap out of TASM2 at the box office...

Okay, so it didn't exactly kick the crap out of it, but it did do some damage. In it's second week, TASM2 fell behind the Seth Rogan/Zac Efron comedy Neighbours, which debuted last weekend. Neighbours opened with a strong $49M domestically, surprising both the studio and forecasters alike. Dropping a whopping 61%, The Amazing Spiderman 2 brought in only $35.5M domestically in it's second weekend out. (Although, honestly, Sony can't be happy with the $92M it made in it's opening weekend, as that didn't even top the opening weekend numbers put up by the far superior Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Although it is being pulled along by the foreign markets, with stiff competition being released in the next few weeks, this movie might be hard pressed to top the box office results of the first Amazing Spiderman. Sony has got to be disappointed in these results. As of now, it is still trailing behind The Lego Movie and The Winter Soldier in regards to overall box office totals. It'll be interesting to see if it will surpass them or not, and what happens to Spiderman's numbers once both Godzilla and Days of Future Past are released in the next couple of weeks.


TV Trailers galore are dropped...

So, with the up-fronts done by all the major networks over the last few days, all kinds of juicy tidbits about the upcoming TV season have been dropped. The trailer for Gotham, debuting on Fox in the fall, looks amazing. The story of a young Detective Jim Gordon as he starts on the Gotham City police force, it's looks to be an origin story of sorts, of not only Batman, but all of his arch villains, as well. I was a little less enthused about the trailer for Constantine, debuting on NBC in the fall. Although the trailer looks interesting, this one I will have to watch a few episodes of first to fully get the tone and a feel for the series. The CW released a teaser and a full 5 minute trailer for their upcoming Flash series. The story of Barry Allen and his transformation into The Flash, this one is a spin-off of the CW's Arrow. The trailer looks fantastic, and I am optimistic, since the showrunners are virtually the same, that this will have the same kind of tone and feel as the aforementioned Arrow, which if you're not watching already, you really should be! Of course, there are many more bits and pieces out there on all the new shows that are coming, but these ones were the ones that caught my attention the most. I guess we'll see how everything looks in the fall. Usually, the ones you're looking forward to the most are disappointing and the shows that really catch your attention weren't even on your radar. Only time will tell on these ones.


Marvel's looking for a heart-throb...

So, apparently, Marvel is looking to shore up it's superhero properties, in the looks department, anyway, and has Zac Efron in mind to fill that position. I am actually a huge fan of Efron and think that he's a really solid actor. While I'm not adverse to this idea, I do think that it is almost the same issue as with Channing Tatum playing Gambit. I'm not sure if Zac Efron is too big to play a superhero or not. Rumour has it that Marvel is courting him to play one of it's heroes on their new Netflix Defenders adventure, so it will be interesting to see if there is any truth to it. I'm not sure that, at this point in his career and with the huge success of Neighbours, that Efron would be willing to take a part on TV, even if it is on Netflix. I guess we'll know soon enough, as the plan is for the first 13 episode run, rumoured to be Daredevil, to be released next summer. 


Roberto Orci confirmed as director of Star Trek 3...

So, looks like Paramount is willing to gamble with the future of their Star Trek franchise. It was finally confirmed that writer/producer extraordinaire, Roberto Orci, will be helming the next Star Trek movie. With JJ Abrams off to direct a little flick entitled Star Wars Episode VII, Orci lobbied hard to be given this project. Paramount finally made it's decision and decided to give the $200M project to a guy who has never directed anything before, in his whole entire life. Seriously, not even a commercial or a sitcom episode. Nothing. While I actually really like Orci's work (I have been a fan since he and Alex Kurtzman began writing for Hercules and Xena in the 90's), I'm not sure that this is the right move for either him or the studio. While he knows this world inside and out, having written the screenplays for the first two movies, it is a lot of pressure for a first time director. I really hope that it all works out, as I love the new Trek franchise. It'll be interesting to see what happens.


And finally, the first trailer of Interstellar drops...

So, today, the first official trailer for Christopher Nolan's hugely anticipated film, Interstellar, dropped. And boy is it amazing. There has been a lot of secrecy surrounding this project, building the anticipation to astronomical levels. And, given the fact that it's Nolan's follow-up to the spectacular Inception (the Dark Knight trilogy was not my favourite!), a lot is riding on it. From the looks of this trailer, I think it is going to live up to the hype. While it is easy to get excited for a trailer, only to be disappointed by the final product (Michael Bay, anyone?), I have a feeling that there is no reason to worry in this case. My goal now is to try and avoid any further promotional information in regards to this one, as I want to go in with no pre-conceived notions or preconceptions. We'll see how that works out! :)

So, these were the news items that caught my fancy this week... although there were many, many more exciting tid-bits that were dropped about all kinds of projects going on out there. Check out the sources that I use for my movie and television news... I promise, you won't regret it!

www.schmoesknow.com

www.youtube.com/AMCtheatres
 

And Marvel Comes Out Swinging...

So, word broke last night that, not only has ABC renewed Agents of SHIELD for a second season, but that they have also ordered to series, Marvel's Agent Carter. Apparently, the House of Mouse is taking their foray into TV seriously.

Marvel's Agent Carter will tell the story of Captain America's love, Peggy Carter, and her struggles to fit into a post-World War II world, where women who had stepped up, were expected to step back, now that the men were home. A founding member of the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve... Which goes on to become SHIELD) she must balance her administrative duties with the covert operations that she and Howard Stark continue on the side. An interesting premise, to be sure, and a bit of an unexpected one. There have been rumblings of this since sometime last year, and I am glad that Disney has followed through. I like the fact that the focus of this series is going to be on a female character, and that it is going to be a period piece. It will be very interesting to see how tightly it's tied to the MCU and Agents of SHIELD. As we follow SHIELD from it's humble origins, might we see the start of the infiltration of Hydra that has thrown the current MCU into a tailspin?

And speaking of Agents of SHIELD, I must admit that I am glad that it has been given a second season. Unlike a lot of viewers, I have stuck with it this entire season, and will admit that I have been rewarded with some great TV recently. I do, however, understand why some people jumped ship. It took SHIELD a while to find it's footing and get the audience invested. Disney, in my opinion, did two things wrong with this property. Firstly, they marketed it as a Joss Whedon show, which, it was not. Yes, Joss wrote and directed the pilot and it is a Mutant Enemy production, but the day to day show-running was actually done by Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tanchareon, Joss' brother and sister-in-law. People were expecting something along the lines of Buffy or Firefly, and were disappointed when it turned out a little differently. Their second mistake was thinking that the general public was going to be interested in the behind the scenes, day to day stuff of the non-superhero characters of their franchise. While I enjoy the in and outs and knew what I was getting in to, I think a lot of people were disappointed when the focus wasn't on the Iron Man's and the Thor's of the MCU. What exactly people were expecting, I don't know, but it definitely wasn't what they got. Although the ratings have dropped throughout the season, the show still puts up decent numbers, and a second season is justified. Especially now that it's core is directly tied to the MCU. I think it ups the stakes a little bit.

Of course, we can't talk Marvel and television, without bringing up The Defenders. Announced back in November, this joint venture with Netflix will see the characters of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage brought to the small screen. Set to air sometime in 2015, each character will get a set number of episodes to tell their story and then will come together for a mini-series event, The Defenders. The bonus of this format is that, with Netflix, all episodes are released simultaneously, so you can binge watch to your heart's content. According to Marvel, these will also tie in to the MCU, making the whole thing one big happy family.

I wrote earlier this week about how, even though DC's Cinematic Universe is a mess, they are still head and shoulders above Marvel when it comes to TV. I still believe that. While Marvel is trying, putting things out there, I worry that they are placing too much of the emphasis in their Cintematic Universe. By linking all of these properties, it is creating something huge... filling the canon and making things difficult to understand, if not lined up exactly right. It also forces viewers to at least keep up with all of the goings on in the various branches, whether they are avid watchers or not. This may alienate viewers, who don't have the time or inclination to catch everything that is produced. Warner Brothers, on the other hand, is spreading their properties around, leaving each incarnation as a seperate entity. What happens in one world, has no affect on anybody else's. With the trailer drop for "Gotham" and the news that both The Flash and Contstantine, at The CW and NBC respectively, have been ordered to series, DC/The WB are in good shape when it comes to TV. Now, if they could just get their crap together and get their movie properties in order...

I guess we'll see who actually wins this war once the ratings are in. With the arrival of the "comic book series" to television, the true winner is us, the fans. We no longer have to wait to see our old, or new, favourite characters on the big screen. Soon, they will be in living rooms everywhere.

Review: The Not-So-Amazing Spiderman....

Ooohhh, two blog posts in one day... apparently, I'm on a roll! :)

********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!********

In case you missed it, this review is going to contain spoilers. If you haven't seen The Amazing Spiderman 2 yet, turn back now... do not pass go... do not collect $200. If, you haven't seen The Amazing Spiderman 2 yet, and you don't care... then by all means, my friend, read on....

I'm going to be honest. I am not a huge fan of The Amazing Spiderman. While I found the movie okay, it just didn't grab me the same way that Sam Raimi's Spiderman movies did. I liked the original Spiderman and LOVED Spiderman 2 (the one with Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus). Of course, we won't discuss the train wreck that was Spiderman 3. But honestly, I think it was too early to reboot the franchise. Now, I understand, since it is Sony's only Superhero property, that they want to capitalize on it. I get it. Doesn't mean that I like it...

That being said, this movie did nothing to change my mind about the franchise. While it does have some redeeming qualities, overall, for me, they weren't enough to overcome the things that I felt were lacking.

So, on to the good... Visually, this movie is stunning! Everything is rich and full, and pops off the screen. I did see this movie in 3D, which is not my preference (it worked in regards to timing!), and some of the action scenes, where Spidey is swinging through the city, are fabulous. Although, there are a few too many for my tastes... but that's a bad, not a good...

Jamie Foxx, as Electro, looked amazing. The character itself is pretty fleshed out, for what he is and overall, I had no real problem with the story arc of Electro. The creepiness/craziness of Max Dillon made sense in the overall story, so I'm okay with that part as well. 

The mystery of Peter's parents, started in the first film, is, for the most part, brought to a close in this episode. It appears that Richard Parker was working on genetic research, looking for a cure for Norman Osborn. Realizing that Oscorp was planning on selling the research and technology for military purposes, he packed everything up, sent the files to a secret location and subsequently was murdered. Again, I'm okay with this... it took a long time to get there, but it works. 

And then, of course, there's the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. It leaps off the screen and is practically palpable in the theatre. These two have amazing sizzle when they're on the screen together... the relationship between Peter and Gwen is the glue that holds this whole thing together. And when she dies, because he can't save her, it really is heart-wrenching. I completely understand the choice to remove Mary Jane from this movie. While I do think, in part, their choice was due to the backlash from the Shailene Woodley hiring, I do also think that the inclusion of MJ would have thrown off the balance of Peter and Gwen's relationship. It will be interesting to see what kind of chemistry Andrew Garfield has with the actress that finally lands the part of MJ in the next movie. 

And speaking of Emma Stone, I am glad that Gwen Stacy wasn't, in either movie, nothing more than the damsel in distress. My one serious issue with the Sam Raimi's trilogy (aside from the mess that number 3 was!) was the fact that all Kirsten Dundst's Mary Jane did was get kidnapped and scream at the top of her lungs. IN ALL THREE MOVIES! That was all the character development there was. She screamed as the bad guy came towards her, waiting for Spiderman to save her. Gwen Stacy is not that type of gal. She's a no-nonsense, take charge kind of woman, and it's refreshing to see. That is of course, until she dies...

Now, on to the bad... This movie suffers from not truly knowing what it wants to be. For a Spiderman movie, there is an awful absence of the character throughout the film. I would estimate that Spidey is in only about 20% of the almost two and a half hour running time, leaving the rest as filler for the angsty Peter Parker. I'm all for character development and that, it's just that, isn't that what an origin story movie is for? Peter spends the entire movie either moping about breaking up and getting back together with Gwen, or the mystery of his parents life and death... Sound familiar? It should... it was basically the plot of the first film. 

My second issue is with the absolute waste of talent in how they used both Chris Cooper and Paul Giamatti. Yes, I know that Paul Giamatti and the Rhino will appear in either the next film, and especially in the Sinister Six movie that Sony is planning, but here he is nothing but a waste of everyone's time and energy. He shows up in a heist, where he gets arrested, only to show up as the Rhino in the end, after Peter is done grieving for Gwen and decides to don the spandex once more. And then the movie fades to black. That's it. About a total of 10 minutes and then it's done... Which is twice the amount of time the fabulous Chris Cooper gets as the aforementioned Norman Osborn. Waste of talent, big time!

And finally, I'm not exactly sure why they called this movie, The Amazing Spiderman... a better title might have been The Harry Osborn Show or The Evolution of The Green Goblin. While I had no problem with Dane Dehaan as Harry Osborn, in fact, I actually think he did an excellent job, the movie spent a great deal of time on the introduction and eventual downfall of the Osborn heir. I get that he's going to be the catalyst that brings the Sinister Six together, and that Sony is banking on the expansion of their franchise. I just wish, that overall, there was a little more Spiderman and a little less Sinister Six set up.

I'm sure that Sony is not happy with the $92M dollars that this movie made domestically in it's opening weekend. It didn't even top the opening weekend of the far superior Captain America: The Winter Soldier from last month. Given the numbers that Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel put up in their respective opening weekends last year, Sony has to be slightly concerned and rather disappointed. Especially given the films budget and all the money that they pumped into marketing. While I think that, when the overseas markets are factored in, the movie will be considered a modest success, I can't see it making a huge profit, given that it probably needs to make about $700M just to break even.

Right from the get go, I think this movie was at a disadvantage. It was way over-marketed by Sony and I think that people might have been leery or sick to death of it, having been beaten over the head with it for the last few months. It will be interesting to see what the second weekend box office numbers look like... word of mouth plays a big part in whether a movie stays or goes. Let's just hope, for Spidey's sake, that I'm the only one who wasn't enthralled with this latest instalment.

Below, find some links to my favourite review sites, AMC Spoilers, Jeremy Jahns and The Schmoes Know:

https://www.youtube.com/watchv=vZiWD5M4uKI&index=2&list=PLYNW0PN4_jrrILuvfws1zYComnO5n4nmJ    AMC Spoilers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11BsNpng1k  Jeremy Jahns

http://schmoesknow.com/amazing-spider-man-2-review-by-the-schmoes/22120/  Schmoes Know 

Wonder Twin Powers Activate... Or, You Know... Not...

So, it appears that a Justice League movie is on it's way... and it's not actually the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2016. Who would've guessed?

According to the Wall Street Journal, the President of Warner Brothers, George Silverman, has confirmed that a Justice League movie is in the works. It appears that it will be the WB's next big release after the Man of Steel sequel, or Batman vs. Superman, or World's Finest, or Justice League Light, or whatever you want to call it, in 2016. That means that it will be at least 2018 before we actually see this happen.

So, to say that I'm excited, would be an over-statement of huge proportions. Does that mean that I don't want the movie? Hell no! I think it'll be amazing to see these characters on the big screen together for the first time. I mean, Super Friends was a huge part of my childhood. (But please, regardless of my title, no Jayna and Zan!) And, if this all works out, is going to be a huge, huge, epic movie.

But here's where the problems lie... First off, this will be the third... count 'em, third... DC movie to be directed by Zack Snyder, in a row. You've got to be a huge Zack Snyder fan to welcome this news, and in case you missed it, I'm not. Sure, Zack Snyder is a great visual director, but I need more than great visuals in my comic book movies. What's the point of putting all of these great characters together, if you're not going to do anything with them, except throw them through buildings? One of the reasons that The Avengers was such a great movie, in my opinion, is because Joss Whedon is really great at creating and building character dynamics. (All you have to do is watch a season of Buffy or all of Firefly to see this... which, if you haven't, I highly recommend!) And, what makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so great, and diverse, is that they have chosen a different director for each of their movies so far. While each of the movies in the MCU have the same overall "feel", if you will (because they are all overseen by Kevin Feige and need to head in the same direction to eventually get where they need to go), each character and film has their own unique tone and style, brought on by the different directors that helm each project. It will be interesting to see what happens with The Age of Ultron and Captain America 3, as these will be the first Marvel properties, aside from the first 2 Iron Man movies, that are directed by the same directors. But again, I digress...

Secondly, although we are now talking 2018, for some reason this feels rushed to me. I mean, the WB couldn't even manage to get the Man of Steel sequel out on time, after the big announcement at last years Comic-Con. Once they realized how premature it was to actually announce it, solely in a effort to one-up Marvel, they were forced to push the release date back almost a full year. It seems to me that, instead of having a distinct plan and acting on it, that the WB is flying by the seat of it's pants, trying to do anything to stop the juggernaut that is Kevin Feige and his MCU vision. What they seem to forget is that, unlike their own situation, Kevin Feige set course to this vision back in 2008 and has methodically been ticking off the boxes as we go along. I mean, between now and May 6, 2016, when the WB is set to release the Man of Steel sequel (the second move in it's Cinematic Universe), Marvel will have released four... again, count 'em, four, new movies! (And that's not including the fantastic Captain America: The Winter Soldier from earlier this month!) That, my friends, is why, in my opinion, it's not possible for the WB and it's DC properties to ever catch Marvel. Marvel keeps chugging along, full speed ahead, while DC is spinning it's wheels.

While I am intrigued by the idea, and I do wish the WB and DC well, I can't say that I am overly excited at the whole prospect. While it would be very cool, as a comic book fan and a self-proclaimed geek, to have an epic battle of Marvel vs. DC on the big screen (numbers wise, I mean... I'm not a fan of the cross-over idea at all!), I will reserve judgement until I actually see what they do with the Man of Steel sequel. If it's anything like the original, for me, this just might be a short ride.

Below are some links to the original article, and the opinions of some people, who are way smarter than me!

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/04/27/warner-bros-details-plans-for-justice-league-movie-exclusive/  Original Wall Street Journal Article

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/04/28/admit-it-youre-pumped-for-the-justice-league-movie/?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Speakeasy&mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_Speakeasy  Second Wall Street Journal Article

http://schmoesknow.com/zack-snyder-is-officially-directing-justice-league/22130/  Schmoes Know Article

May 6, 2016...

So, I'm going to start off with a disclaimer:

                                                                ***************

I am a MARVEL fan-girl! I don't hate DC or anything like that, but, I just lean more heavily towards Marvel properties. I collect more Marvel comic book titles than I do DC, and I will admit, that I like what Marvel has done with their properties, in regards to their Cinematic Universe way more than anything that DC has done, including Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy.

While I don't detest Nolan's films (it actually takes a lot for me to truly hate a movie. I can usually find something redeeming about just about anything!), I honestly don't see the big deal. I think maybe it's because I don't like my superheroes so firmly grounded in reality. I mean, isn't the point of being a superhero not being a regular guy or gal? To me, while The Dark Knight was a good movie, I feel that both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises are way over-rated. Okay, granted, I have only seen all of them once, but for me, it was enough. (That doesn't stop me from owning them, but that's a completely separate issue!) And don't get me started on Man of Steel... Again, I feel that this was just an all right movie. Nothing special. While I think that Henry Cavill makes a beautiful Superman, I was not impressed with Amy Adams as Lois Lane (which is crazy, cause it's AMY ADAMS for goodness sake!) or the overall story arc. And it has nothing to do with Kal-El killing Zod... I get that part, and I think that it was a very powerful moment... even though it was cut a little short. My main problem was that more than half the movie was people punching each other through buildings and watching things blow up. I mean, if that's what you were going to turn your Superman into, then why didn't you just get Michael Bay to direct it?

Anyway, I digress... this post is not supposed to be about what I dislike about DC movies...

This post is my thoughts on this game of chicken that DC and Marvel are playing over May 6, 2016. For those who are reading this (you know, the 2 of you that aren't my mom) and don't know what the heck I'm talking about, I'll explain. Marvel had scheduled an as yet to be named title for release on May 6, 2016,  a while ago, which has now been revealed to be Captain America 3. Well, during all of this crap that's been going on over at Warner Brothers in regards to this Man of Steel sequel, the WB decided to push back it's release date from the summer of 2015 to May 6, 2016. (Don't get me started on the debacle that this Justice League World's Finest Man of Steel sequel is turning into!)

Looks like we've got a bit of a conflict of interest here, gentlemen! And a seriously high-stakes game of chicken to boot.

As of now, it seems that neither Marvel nor the WB is looking at moving their movie. Kevin Feige has actually come out and said that Marvel is not moving, period, (granted, Mr. Feige is not the be all and end all over there at Disney, so what eventually happens remains to be seen), and the WB, while not quite as adamant, doesn't look like it's going to make a move any time soon, either.

So, what does this mean?

Well, for starters, it means that 2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for movies! It also means that, if, on the very highly unlikely chance that neither of these guys blink, that May 6, 2016 is going to be a very busy day for me! :)  But honestly, what it really means is diminishing returns for both of these films, a hit right in the box office, if you will. And all because the respective heads of each of these companies have decided to have a pissing contest. Yes, there are many fans out there, like me, who would do a double feature and see both on the same night, or maybe both on the same weekend. But let's face it, we, as sweaty movie nerds (copyright to @JohnCampea over at AMC Movie Talk), are in the minority when it comes to these sorts of things. It's expensive to go to the movies here in Canada ($12.95 for a regular ticket, more if you want to do Ultra AVX, 3D or Imax) and there are a lot of people who are very selective in what they choose to see. It makes this whole thing a no win situation, no matter how you look at it.

Even though they had the date first, if I was up to me at Marvel, I would move the Captain America movie, probably forward, into April 2016 (a release date similar to the Winter Soldier date this year). First off, it makes you look like the bigger man, because even though you had the date first, you're acknowledging the significance of Batman vs. Superman, without actually coming out and saying it. Cause let's face it, even though I'm not super excited about it, the Man of Steel sequel is going to mop the floor with anything else that is released along side it. Secondly, you just proved, with the fantastic Captain America: The Winter Soldier, that as long as you make a great movie, it honestly doesn't matter what the release date is (with a few exception, of course!). Cap 2 has just recently become the highest grossing movie ever released in April. Why not see if you can beat that record by making and releasing an even better movie 2 years from now?

Anyway, that's my 2 cents on the whole thing. If you want to hear other opinions on this topic, below are a couple of links to my two favourite places for movie news: AMC Movie Talk and the Schmoes Know Movie Show. I encourage you to check these guys and gals out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBvjdS7g6hs  AMC Movie Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccVyyDk440 Schmoes Know Movie Show