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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Big News We've All Been Waiting For: Star Wars Episode VII Cast Revealed!

Exactly one day ago, I complained in my last news post that I wanted less Justice League casting news and more Star Wars Episode VII news. I guess ask and thou shall receive! And not a moment too soon.

You know if they really played their cards right they should have released this on May 4th. Now that would have been perfect timing!)

So yes, the moment we have been waiting for since this film was announced way back in 2012 has finally arrived. Everybody was wondering if the cast of the original trilogy would reprise their roles. The answer has now been confirmed as a yes! The original gang will return to the galaxy far far away to reprise their star making roles once again.!

Star Wars Episode VII will star......
  • John Boyega (Glad to see a fresh face!)
  • Daisy Ridley (Ditto)
  • Adam Driver (I've heard he was cast a while ago and expected him to be on here)
  • Oscar Isaac (I'm not sure how much folk singing takes place in the outer rim)
  • Andy Serkis (Just as long as he isn't doing a motion capture Jar Jar, I adore it)
  • Domhnall Gleeson (Hey look it's a Weasley!)
  • Max von Sydow (Seeing his name on this list really made me smile)
And reprising their roles are......
  • Mark Hamill
  • Carrie Fisher
  • Harrison Ford
  • Peter Mayhew
  • Anthony Daniels
  • Kenny Baker
Wow. Oh my gosh I love it already. I know that I shouldn't get too excited to save myself from possible complete and utter disappointment. But with a list of unknown actors, lesser known actors and big names like this it's impossible not too! 

I love the Max von Sydow and Andy Serkis choices. Serkis in my eyes can do no wrong. Whether in a motion capture or live action performance! Sydow is one of the all time greats. It's wonderful to see a true legend join the Star Wars universe. (Do you think it's possible that he's going to play an Obi Wan Force ghost? I did hear a rumor about a Kenobi ghost....)

I can really picture Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson as Jedi. Isaac especially. He just has the look of a Jedi or possibly a gangster. If anyone in this cast is going to be a gangster it's Adam Driver. Not only does the guy just look like a complete scumbag on a good day, but I heard a rumor that he will play the villain. (I don't know why but he kind of strikes me to be Boba Fett!)

As for Boyega and Ridley I don't have a clue. It could go either way. Fingers crossed!

I'm a bit sad that Billy Dee Williams or Warwick Davis weren't on the list. It would have been cool to see Lando and Solo reunite once again. Hey, maybe Davis will make a cameo! There's always something in the Star Wars universe he can play.

All in all, I'm stoked. After nearly a year of nothing but weak rumors we finally got what we've been asking for. Sure there are a ton of actors I would have liked to have been cast, (Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender for starters) but I love how they have sided with lesser known actors. Just like the original trilogy. And from what I've been hearing, that's exactly what they are trying to do. It sounds like they are trying to make this new trilogy to please the fans. What's not to love?

May the Force be With This Film.

Monday, April 28, 2014

News: Justice League Gets A Release Date! (I rant about Dc Comics)

To my great surprise, the forthcoming Batman and Superman film starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor and Cyborg is NOT the Justice League film but actually a sequel to Man of Steel!

Gee, Warner Bros. sure had me fooled!

Zack Snyder announced today that the Justice League, or as I like to call it "Dc's last attempt at competing with the multi-billion dollar comic book behemoth that is Marvel," has been given a release date for 2018. Four years from now and two years after the Man of Steel sequel a.k.a Batman and Superman a.k.a Justice League Lite a.k.a Dc's second to last attempt at competing with the multi-billion dollar comic book behemoth that is Marvel."

If you are really bad at detecting obvious sarcasm, you can clearly tell that I am less than pleased with Warner Bros. and Dc Comics game-plan (if you can even call it that). I just feel like the only reason we are getting a Batman and Superman film and a Justice League film so soon is that they are scrambling to make money in any way, shape or form. And if that means churning out ridiculously hyped up rushed, half-baked films, then that's what they'll do. Just to make an easy $1 billion dollars. And if the films turn out to be complete and utter crap, the studio executives wouldn't care because they just robbed you blind of your hard earned $10, ($15 if you see it in I-Max 3-D!)

I don't want to be just another angry nerd behind a keyboard, because I want this film to be great! And hey who knows, with the route they are going on this film could still be absolutely incredible! It's just that I don't feel like it is going to be from the countless big name characters announced to the weird casting choices. It just seems like they are playing all their cards WAY to early in the game.

Let me remind you of Marvel's grand plan for an Avengers film:
Marvel took a risk when they released Iron Man way back in 2008. As we all remember, the end credits scene was of Tony Stark talking to Nick Fury about "The Avengers Initiative." An Avengers film wasn't confirmed upon Iron Man's release. They would only advance the plan if Iron Man was a hit, and it was a smash. And in 2012, 5 years later after the very mention of an Avengers film, Marvel's grand plan came to fruition in the form of the biggest comic book blockbuster of all time. It was everything we wanted the movie to be and then some. It was awesome and we loved it and you know why we loved it? It's because they took time to plan out what they wanted to do and how to do it right and they hired the people who were perfect for the job.

Now I've figured out what the biggest difference between the executives at Marvel and Dc. I can sum it up in one word: Patience. Dc is scrambling to compete with Marvel in the movie business by throwing everything but the kitchen sink into their next films that probably don't even have a script written. Marvel takes time and consideration when producing their upcoming films to make sure that they are the best they can be.

In a perfect world, this is what would happen: Warner Bros. and Dc Comics should give us solo films for the Justice League heros before the main event. That way the characters won't get glossed over and underdeveloped. A job that the Justice League film shouldn't have to do.

So yes. Those are my thoughts on The Justice League/The Dc dilemma. Underneath this crusty shell of negativity I do have hope. I'm just incredibly uncertain. Here's hoping we get less Justice League casting news and more Star Wars Episode VII castings news in the future!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Movie Review #85: Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1984)

Do you ever have one of those films that just gets you? A film so bizarre that no matter how hard you try you can't give your friends a valid or even a comprehensible reason for why you love this film as much as you do.
This is just one of those films for me.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure not only marks the big screen debut for Paul Reuben's character of Pee Wee Herman, but also the directorial debut for one of the most original figures in hollywood for the next 20 years, Tim Burton.

I've said in the past that I am an enormous fan of Tim Burton. While  he might be considered to be inconsistent filmmaker as of the past 10 years, in his early years he crafted some of the most creatively entertaining pieces of cinema. And this being his debut film is no exception.

The plot is very simplistic. Pee Wee Herman's bike has been stolen and he embarks on an epic journey to reclaim his most prized possession. On the way he encounters a fugitive on the run, a biker gang and he learns the cold hard truth about the Alamo's basement.

The reason this film works so well is for the reason I just said: The plot is basic and uncomplicated. With this, the film focuses more on making a consistent stream of memorably funny sequences and hysterical one-liners instead of a twisting and turning storyline. And with Paul Reubens himself and acclaimed SNL cast member Phil Hartman co-writing the script, you can be sure that the comedy is not in scarce supply.

I'm kind of a tough sell for comedies. Not many movies or TV shows can make me truly laugh out loud. And the ones that can generate a chuckle out of me can rarely continue to make me when I re-watch them. That is not the case with Pee Wee's Big Adventure. I laugh harder every time I revisit this this film!

If you had to ask me what my favorite part of this film is, I would have to think about that for a bit because there are so many iconic scenes that instantly stick out when I think of this film like the breakfast machine, the Alamo, Large Marge, and of course the dance sequence at the biker bar. They are all so memorable because of how goofy they are and maybe that's why this film appeals to me so much. It might come off as episodic to some, but I didn't mind.

Many, if not all great directors have a particular style you can see through their films that tell you off the bat who this film was directed by. Usually it takes many directors a few films before you can see a pattern develop in their filmmaking. That is not the case with Tim Burton. You can instantly see that this film has Burton written all over it. From the creepy dream sequences to the iconic score from none other than Danny Elfman himself, this is Tim Burton at his prime and most bizarre.

Final Report: Pee Wee's Big Adventure is, in a word: Bizarre. It's a film that I had a tough time reviewing because I couldn't think of much else to say aside from, "It makes me laugh." It's a peculiar piece of 80's nostalgia that I highly recommend to everyone. What can I say? It's just one of those films.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Movie Review #84: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Comedy month will continue later with reviews for Zoolander and a few of my personal favorite comedies. But right now the summer movie season has come a month early for us and for the third consecutive year in a row, Marvel kicks it off in style!

Captain American: The Winter Soldier is the third installment in Marvel's Phase 2 which began with Iron Man 3 and followed by Thor: The Dark World. And it would only seem fair for The Star Spangled Man to get a sequel!

In this film we get to see how Steve Rogers has been adapting to the 21st century. This is the first time we've seen him in action in present day after the events that happened in The Avengers. We see that he's now working with SHIELD and Black Widow on military missions. Trouble emerges when a mysterious masked figure called The Winter Soldier emerges and starts wreaking havoc and it's up to Captain America to stop him.

My description of the plot doesn't do the film justice. I tried to make it as simplistic as possible because the plot is far more complicated and interesting than what I wrote. I just don't want to give away any spoilers at all because I don't want to be the guy that ruined a movie for you.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier does what Catching Fire did, which is blend enthralling action sequences with an enticing political storyline. But unlike how the first half of Catching Fire felt like a political thriller while the latter half was a full blown action flick, The Winter Soldier seamlessly blended both halves evenly to give us one of the best Marvel movies to date.

This is without a doubt the best solo Avenger film since the first Iron Man and the best Marvel sequel since Spider-Man 2. I was flabbergasted by how terrific just about everything in this film was! I'm especially surprised because this is a sequel and if Marvel has faltered in one area, it is that they have struggled with making worthy successors to the first film in the franchise. While I did enjoy Iron Man 3 and really liked Thor: The Dark World, (not so much for Iron Man 2) I never considered them to be great. But not only would I consider Captain America: The Winter Soldier great but for a better word, marvelous.

How is the action? Terrific. I love the fact that they used as little CGI as possible. Not that I have anything against CGI! It's an incredible tool that has advanced the development of action movies. But like all good things, CGI should be used in moderation. Which it is in this film! I loved the hand-to-hand combat fight scenes. They had a sense of realism to them and realism is something that isn't always achieved in a comic book film. There is a particular car chase scene early on in the film that might be one of the best I've seen in years.

The action is awesome as expected, but what really makes this addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe so memorable are the relationships between the characters and the excellent script.

Before this film, I considered Captain America as a "minor" Avenger. He doesn't really have any great powers," is what I used to think. This film put me over the edge to realize that Captain America is a force that you do not want to mess with and makes his shield as powerful a weapon as Thor's hammer in my eyes. The scene in the elevator when he took out an entire team of highly trained soldiers and hit men using only his fists made me say, "Okay, I'm on board. This is one hero that really earns the title of super."

Scarlet Johanson is wonderful as Black Widow. The relationship formed between her and Steve is not just shown but actually put to the test. The two have such believable chemistry together that I would not be surprised if the two of them started an actual relationship in the films to come. That would be tough to explain to Hawkeye though. Speaking of which, where was Hawkeye in all of this? Heck, Anthony Mackie as Falcon probably had more lines here than Jeremy Renner did in The Avengers!

While we're one the subject, Falcon was a great addition to the cast! I really liked his character and how he is sort of going to become Captain America's right hand man. Plus, that wing suit is probably the coolest gadget not made by Tony Stark. I can't wait to see him in Age of Ultron along side the rest of the Avengers.

Aside from sequels, the other field that Marvel has struggled in recently is that of villains. Mickey Rourke was forgettable in Iron Man 2, I can't even remember the name of the villain in Thor 2 and don't even get me started on The Mandarin. It seemed that outside of Loki, Marvel had no other memorable villains. Well now they have two: The Winter Soldier and Alexander Pierce.

These two characters reminded me a lot of General Tarkin and Darth Vader from Star Wars. Pierce being Tarkin and The Winter Soldier being more like Darth Vader. Robert Redford plays Alexander Pierce who I think was the perfectly cast in this role as a corrupt political puppet-master behind the ins and outs of SHIELD. He shows both sides of personality by commanding a great presence about himself as a leader and being downright despicable as a villainous mastermind. Like Tarkin, Pierce is the top dog who calls the orders. The Winter Soldier on the other hand like Vader, does his masters bidding. I love the backstory given to him and how he connects this film to the first Captain America film. Which leads me to the script.

The writing is solid. We learn about Steve Rogers personal life. All of the things he's been catching up on in pop culture and history and Natasha even tries to set him up with a girlfriend. And that situation really highlights their relationship with each other. It isn't romantic, but rather a great bond of trust and friendship and I love seeing that.

My problems with the film are very few. There is a scene involving an A.I. (of sorts) that I felt was a bit out of place. I also thought that it gave into the cliché that the bad guy tells you his entire evil plan before he kills you which really gets under my skin. And I wish that Alan Silvestri composed the score because I really enjoyed his work on the first film.

Final Report: With a powerhouse script that doesn't skimp out on character development or political depth and riveting action sequences, Captain America: The Winter Soldier raises the bar extremely high for all Marvel films to follow. So hit me with your best shot X-Men Days of Future Past! Give me your best because this is one superhero flick I do not see being bested for a while.

Sorry this is being posted so late. I did see the film (twice) during its first week, I've just been having trouble getting time to finish this post up. So sorry for the wait.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Movie Review #83: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

With today being April Fools Day, I figured that why should I review just one comedy? How about I review some of my favorite comedies throughout the entire month of April?
It would bring me back into the groove of consistently reviewing movies weekly. Which is something I have been lacking on recently and I do apologize for that.

Aside from Tom Hanks, there was no other actor in the 1990's as big as Jim Carrey. He just about ruled the world of comedy movies with monster success after monster success. Especially in his breakout year of 1994, when he had not one, not two, but three enormous box office hits and now proclaimed comedy classics.
Those films being The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and the one that started it all, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

I personally regard Carrey as one of the funniest guys on the planet. I am a huge fan of his wacky voices and the ways he can morph his face into the funniest and just downright stupidest of expressions. I can really relate to his comedic style because I make people laugh by making goofy faces and silly voices. Many of my friends have actually encouraged me to become a voice actor or find a job in radio because of this. So in short, he's really inspired me and he will never stop making me laugh.

Carrey broke out of the television career he had on the popular sketch comedy show In Living Color with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. A movie about a pet detective who gets hired by the Miami Dolphins football team to track down their missing mascot that just so happens to be a rare Bottle-nose dolphin named Snowflake.

It's hard to think of anyone but Jim Carrey playing the character of Ace Ventura because the guy is so committed to the roles he is given. I mean even by the way he walks shows how into character he is! Many of the films laughs come from scenes that have no dialogue when we're just watching Carrey wander around like a complete dope.

Carrey said in an interview that since the character of Ace Ventura was so in tuned to animals that he should act like an animal! He based Ventura's actions off of those of a bird. Like the way he struts about, his ridiculous hair and even the colorful shirt he has on. Details like that add to the character in such a great way. He just wouldn't have been as funny!

Quite a few of the verbal jokes are also very memorable. There are a ton of great insults, put downs and analogies said by Carrey that are simply hysterical. Some of which I have actually used in my everyday conversations!

The supporting characters are pretty expendable. None of them really stood out. Probably because Carrey's hammy performance filled up the entire screen. That is except for the villain. Without spoiling anything, but what they did with the villain's backstory is completely ridiculous, but in a strange way actually ends up making sense. It's pretty memorable to say the least.

Even though this movie is very funny, it's also very stupid. I mean, immensely stupid. I'm not saying it becomes unfunny, but rather just a bit annoying. To me at least. Jim Carrey haters would most likely rather want to take a bath with their favorite electrical kitchen appliance (If you get what I mean).

Final Report: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective might come off as more obnoxious than a Yoko Ono concert to some. But to fans of the classic Jim Carrey formula like me, it's a pretty good time.