Return of the Blog: Trailer Round-Up

Hi guys! Sorry for disappearing on you, but life got real crazy for a bit there. Let’s talk movie trailers: 

Captain America: Civil War

Ok, so this one has been long anticipated. It was nice to see the beginnings of the Tony/Steve conflict, and it was great to see T’Challa revealed in live action. I’m not super excited yet, to be honest. It’s a solid trailer, but after rewatching it just once, I felt satisfied.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

This trailer took a big gamble by opening with a character scene between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, with Lex Luthor interrupting later. I think that the Bruce/Clark tension paid off, and I think that Bruce knows that Clark is Superman. I wouldn’t be surprised if Clark knows that Bruce is Batman.

The controversial part of this trailer seems to be the reveal of Doomsday. I personally LOVED it. The roar before he appears was so exciting to me that I practically leapt onto my couch, Tom Cruise style! I like the look, I like the fact that he’s the villain. I loved the Wonder Woman scene as well, and the Trinity standing together was a scene that nearly made me roll a tear. I’ve waited my whole life for these heroes to meet in live action. I’m beyond excited.

X-Men: Apocalypse

I have been a huge fan of the recent X-Men films, so I’ll be seeing this as soon as I can. As a trailer, it works well. It didn’t excite me as much as BvS, but there were great moments. I want these young actors to do amazing things. I like the look of Apocalypse. I love the iconic Professor X look at the tail end. I think I like this trailer better than the Civil War one.
What do you think? Feel free to fight me on these if you like. 😊

New GeekCast!

Listen here: GeekCast Episode 3.0

Let me know what you think! Feel free to comment here and argue, I agree, or say whatever inspires you after listening to me ramble! Thanks for reading, and thanks for listening!

I’m Catching Up 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron review (SPOILERS!)

At first glance, I loved Avengers(2012). The climax was ambitious and thrilling. Banner/Hulk was humanized beautifully. The tease at mid credits was very promising!

After a few days, I began to cool off on the movie a bit. After a few months, I began to realize something: all of the hyperbole and general talk surrounding the movie made me realize that I wasn’t as much of a fan of the film as I thought. I still count it among the best comic book and superhero adaptations, but it has its problems. The first two acts drag. Cap is mostly overlooked. Iron Man/Tony is a tad bit too present. I think I avoided the film for a very long time because I was afraid I might like it even less.

It seems that when it comes to Avengers movies, I don’t align with the majority opinions. Age of Ultron met and exceeded nearly every expectation I had, and that’s a tall order. The story opens with guns a’blazin’ – almost literally – and plays out almost like grand opera crammed into under 3 hours. 

  
That cram factor is where I think I diverge from most of the fan population. Comics are generational. I grew up reading comics in an era when The Mighty Marvel was known for jamming characters into every panel. This was never problematic for me; in fact, I loved to see these overly complicated plots play out. I’ve been waiting for a film to feel like a Marvel comic felt to me as a kid, and here it finally is. The payoff of the enormity of the MCU is fully harvested here, and honestly, it made me smile from ear to ear. From Cap and Tony’s rising tensions to the eradication of HYDRA (supposedly) to Thor’s eagerness to recover the Tesseract – there’s a richness here from the intersections of so many characters, each trying to fulfill their glorious purpose.

  
Much has been said about the “I’m a monster” scene. I think that this scene is widely misread. It’s meant to be a reference to the taking away of her innocence at such a tender age. The monster line doesn’t refer to her barren uterus. 

  
In all, this movie feels like a true epic to me. I was thrilled to see Cap stepping up and leading, Banner still questioning his value, and Iron Man questioning his entire mission. Ultron was rather compelling, and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) was brilliantly brought to screen. I prefer the OTHER Quicksilver, but this one was pretty entertaining. Hawkeye receiving serious backstory was a great touch. And of course, I love love LOVE a Hayley Atwell cameo, even if it is just a fantasy sequence. 

  
I would be remiss in not talking about the amazing way that Vision is brought to life (sorta) here. The look is practical makeup and mostly real costume, with Paul Bettany delivering a fascinating character that I want to see again and again.

  
Without spoiling much, let me just say that I LOVE the new Avengers lineup as we prepare to roll credits. I can’t wait to see where this team goes. 

If you didn’t catch it in theaters, seek out Avengers: Age of Ultron when it is released for home viewing next month.

C2E2: My con experience – SUNDAY!!!

After going hard for 2 days, I expected that I might be a bit sick of this con. In reality, I didn’t want it to end! There was so much to do and see, and it just felt like a family reunion in a way. Everyone was there to have a great time, and no one that we encountered was rude or malicious.

   
 We didn’t hurry, as we had no real plans for the day. We still arrived fairly early. As we wandered about, I wanted to do something special for Samee. She adores Hayley Atwell so much, and it occurred to me that maybe she would like to get another autograph so that she could speak to Hayley again. So we did. Samee gave Hayley her favorite tiny Cap plush, and Hayley signed this art, which she sent a pic of to Chris Evans:

  
We spent the rest of our day being very low key. I ran into hometown guys Alec Siegel and Kyle Higgins. I met Alec when he was a mere high school student, and I knew/knew of Kyle in passing. They have had many recent successes in the comic book field, notably on Nightwing and Batman Beyond. I got them to sign this Captain America book, containing their first comic book work:

   
 We took our time and circled the floor once again. My only regret is that during this time, I hopped in line to meet Gail Simone, then chickened out. Ugh. Hopefully she will be back next year so I can right this wrong.

   
    
    
 I can’t wait to go back and dive deeper into this awesome event. I’m brainstorming my next cosplay now…

  
Thanks, Hayley Atwell. Sweet dreams.

  

C2E2: My con experience – SATURDAY!!!

We got moving fairly early on Saturday morning. This was the day for our very first cosplays! Samee did an Agent Carter from the TV show, while I did a take on the First Avenger Rescue Mission Captain America

   

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We got to McCormack Place in plenty of time, but parking was a little bit messier than it had been the day before. We still arrived with lots of time to spare. It didn’t look like the line for Hayley Atwell was long at all, so we plunged in for our autograph.

  
The Agent Carter/Hayley Atwell fanbase has a unique vibe to it. Everyone seems very accepting of everyone else. I think this reflects on Hayley’s own amazing personality. She’s incredibly gracious and kind. I was amazed at the attention she gave to the fans ahead of us. When our turn came, I was floored at her amazing way of making us feel special. She snapped a pic of my wife on her iPad and complimented her costume, especially her hat. She smiled hugely and thanked us. She was stunning. I swooned. A lot. But the thing I really remember is how happy it made Samee.

We did another sweep of Artist’s Alley and the retail booths. We checked out the company booths as well. Purchases were made, including some Lego custom minifigures.

   
 We slipped in to meet Jason Momoa. There was literally NO line at his table! Khal freaking Drogo!!! Aquaman!!! Mr. Momoa was incredibly laid back, but said all he could tell me about his DC movie appearances is “they will be awesome!”

  
After talking to him, I decided I needed a pic with the King of Atlantis. We purchased a photo op and hopped in line. Don’t mind the goofy hat. He’s a great guy!

  
After breaking for food, our Hayley photo op time had come. I will admit to being a bit nervous, but in that brief moment, she was warm and welcoming. And now we have this forever:

  
We walked around and checked out cosplayers as we swept trough the show floor one last time. It was an exhausting but beautiful day. I’ll remember it forever.

   
   

My “Best Of Film” 2013 edition: “Man of Steel”

After a lengthy break, I’m back, looking to discuss all things nerdy. Since I last posted, my Batman blog, “No Hope In Crime Alley,” has gone live. (itsanomen.wordpress.com) I will be using this site to focus on film from now through the award season that will soon begin. I want to use this space to discuss my favorite movies of the last year, not necessarily the award darlings.

Thos of you who know me or are familiar with my work know that my biggest nerd soft spot is for DC Comics Superheroes. I am waiting patiently for DC’s film versions of their heroes to take off like Marvel’s have. The Nolan trilogy is a gem as far as I’m concerned, but Nolan himself has repeatedly stated that his story exists apart from the other DC characters. With Zach Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” we may just have our springboard into a terrific cinematic DC Universe.

Our story begins on Krypton. This is not the austere crystal structure where Marlon Brando condemned Terrence Stamp’s Zod. This is a sort of advanced version of Earth, with science having become incredibly sophisticated, and with its natural resources having been depleted. Jor-El and his wife, Lara, have gone outside of the law and had a baby of natural birth. Krypton has made birth a genetic operation, as they believe it to be more efficient and that it produces a better result. Jor-El is certain that Krypton is a dying planet, and that the end is coming soon. He plans on sending baby Kal-El to a distant world that is flourishing. He knows that the different atmospheric conditions and yellow sun will give baby Kal an advantage over the citizens of Earth. Jor-El is confident that his son will use this advantage to help, not hurt, the human race.

Kal is raised on Earth by the Kents, who are a loving but protective couple. Clark is shown in flashbacks trying to adjust to his powers, which seem to manfest in childhood and grow stronger and stronger as he becomes an adult. His mother, Martha, approaches him with gentle sympathy. His father, Jonathan, fears what will happen when the world finds out, and pushes for Clark to hide and control his abilities, even if it means not doing the things he is capable of. Clark grows into a conflicted young adult. He knows he can save people, but he fears their reaction to his very existence. When he stumbles across an old Kryptonian ship, Clark learns of his great heritage, and that he is the hope for Krypton’s legacy to continue. Clark has already left a trail of mystery behind him, and the trail is picked up by investigative journalist Lois Lane. As Lois comes closer and closer to learning the truth about him, Clark must confront General Zod, an old friend-turned-enemy from Jor-El’s past.

This movie was by no means necessary, but it brings Superman into our modern age quite nicely. Henry Cavill has a classic Superman quality, but he gives us a young Clark who is more unsure than we have ever seen him on screen. He gets a pretty nice arc, and develops into Superman quite organically. Amy Adams brings a bravado to Lois that stands out from portrayals we have previously seen. Michael Shannon is at times  driven, at times maniacal as Zod, giving us a very unusual for for our hero. Diane Lane is simply great in her few scenes, giving Martha the right amount of small-town sweetness and maternal heart. Russell Crowe is surprisingly right for Jor-El, showing him to be a man of science but also a man with a big heart. Kevin Costner was the real revelation to me. He does a take on Jonathan that is similar to the great Glenn Ford, but has a bit more fear for his son than has been previously seen. Jonathan knows that the world will learn about his son one day. He only hopes that Clark will be ready. The scenes with him are truly the emotional core of this movie.

Zach Snyder hits most of the right notes with his visual style and direction. Many fans have complained about the intense destruction in the battle scenes. I was, as a long time fan of the character, never bothered by this, and I was glad to see some serious action, especially after the lackluster “Superman Returns. (2006)” Hans Zimmer provides a score that is not iconic in the John Williams sense, but gives our hero a majesty and intensity that just works.

Since the release of this film, I have heard countless debates comparing it to the original Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner flick. Honestly, there’s no point. For many, the original “Superman (1978)” will never be topped. For a younger generation, that original series is too cheesy. If you know the reason behind my naming of this blog, you know that Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Clark/Superman is very dear to me. However, the story must be retold. If these heroes are to stay relevant, we have to put them up against modern problems and modern ideals and see where they fit. “Man of Steel” does EXACTLY that, and for me, the two films can coexist in the wider mythos, alongside George Reeves, the Fleischer series, the Timm-verse Superman, and the 1940’s radio show.

This isn’t a perfect Superman movie, but it’s a terrific one for our era. Catch it now on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Avengers v. Batman: the pointless debate

Pardon me while I step onto my soapbox.

Fanboys, as I have said before, are an irritating bunch. I’m not talking about myself or others like me. I’m talking about the ones who, upon seeing a newly released still from a film, say things like “That costume f*%#ing sucks! This movie blows!” This same group likes to flop between liking or hating particular movies, directors, actors, etc. because they think it’s “cool” at the moment. These fanboys are currently blowing up an argument over whether just-released “The Avengers” is better than the upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises.” This debate is beyond ridiculous. I’m sorry, but that’s a lot like saying, “This Five Guys Burger is better than that Prime Rib.” Do you see where I’m going with this? The two are not similar.

Just to be clear, I’m not completely biased toward “The Dark Knight Rises.” if you know me at all, you know my passion for Batman, as well as my love for the first two Christopher Nolan movies. I really respect what Marvel has accomplished with their recent movies, though. I have enjoyed all of the movies leading up to “The Avengers,” and the payoff was worth it. The finale of “The Avengers” felt like a fitting reward for sticking around since “Iron Man” first teased this culmination of superhero powerhouses. I have to say, though, that the Avengers hype is well out of hand. Marvel fanboys are already touting it as the “best superhero/comic book movie ever.” I think that this is a huge exaggeration. “The Avengers” has some great dialogue and character interaction, but the first hour or so of the movie is pretty boring. The middle act plays out awkwardly. As I mentioned earlier, the final battle was the best part. In my opinion, as a 30+ year reader of comic books, I would put Avengers behind “Superman: The Movie,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “X-Men: First Class,” if we were to rank comic book superhero adaptations. I would even put the first “Spider-Man” on par with it.(Don’t get me started on how overrated “Spider-Man 2” is.)

Having said all of that, I want to make clear that I’m not comparing these movies to each other. I’m simply rating them on how true to their source material they are, and how closely the characters on screen match their comic book counterparts. I maintain that the goal in making “The Avengers” is much different than the goal in making “The Dark Knight Rises.” This idea of Marvel vs. DC is preposterous. The films in the Avengers series play out like classic single-issue comics. Nolan’s Batman saga is structured like a classical drama. Does it verge on melodrama? Yes…deliciously so. So far in the Dark Knight series, we have a first act that is all exposition, with a middle act that is all rising action. The third act has the difficult job of bringing the story to its best conclusion. No matter what the quality will be, I think that the film that Nolan and company will deliver will be a far, far cry from the type of movie that “The Avengers” is. You know what? THAT’S OKAY.

See you in July. The fire rises.

“The Dark Knight Rises” promises to be the epic conclusion that the trilogy deserves!

If you know me, even a little, you know that I have waited for few things more than I have waited for my first glimpse of the concluding entry in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Last night, it happened. I’ll break it down for you. Spoilers ahead…

The WB and Legendary logos appear in front of the blue flame from “The Dark Knight.”

Camera pans up quickly across the surface of buildings.

A title card reads “Every hero has a journey.”

Ra’s Al Ghul is heard in voiceover reciting the following from “Batman Begins:” “If you make yourself more than just a man…”

A shot from “Begins” of Bruce Wayne walking toward the village.

Title card: “every journey has an end.”

Ra’s: “If you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become more than a man.”

Shot from “Begins” of Bruce surrounded by bats in the cave.

Title card: From Christopher Nolan.

Ra’s: “A legend, Mr. Wayne. A legend.”

Shot from “The Dark Knight” of the Bat-Pod driving away from the camera.

Shot of Commissioner Gordon laying on his side in a hospital gown, holding an oxygen mask: “We were in this together…then you were gone.”

Shot from TDK of Gordon smashing the Bat Signal.

Another shot panning up the side of buildings, reaching to the sky.

Back to Gordon in hospital. “Now this evil…rises…” Shot of a man (Bane?) climbing out of a pit of some kind.

Gordon: “The Batman…has to come back…”

A shot of someone doing pushups.

Wayne/Batman(offscreen): “What if he doesn’t exist anymore?”

Gordon: “He must.” Blurry image.

Gordon (emphatically): “He must.”

Close on Bane’s face.

Camera pan reveals Batman logo amid tops of crumbling buidlings. Camera pushes into light. Screen whites out. Black letters: The Dark Knight Rises.

Massive chanting is heard in the background. Shot of Batman staggering backward and to the right, looking scared and winded. Bane moves aggressively into the left side of the frame.

Title card: The epic conclusion of the Dark Knight legend. Summer 2012.

What do I think? I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect this. I think that putting Gordon in harm’s way is brilliant. It’s been done before, sure. But if Batman has gone into seclusion, what better way to draw him back out? I like the idea that Bruce seems scared. This Batman has never been equalled physically. To pit him against someone that could potentially kill him is a fantastic and logical way to raise the stakes.

We know virtually nothing at this point. I would like to try to keep it that way. You know, like we used to do it before the interwebs…

Mutants are people, too – X-Men: First Class review

This review is LONG overdue. I saw this movie almost 3 weeks ago. For a number of reasons, I have procrastinating on this, and I hope I still have a clear picture of the movie to draw from. Here goes…

X-Men: First Class is Magneto’s story first and foremost. The character is interesting enough, but here he has a palpable angst, brought to life by Michael Fassbaender. Erik Lensherr, Magneto’s “secret identity,” is a Holocaust survivor, an educated man with proficiency in many languages, and a mutant who can manipulate metal. He watched his mother suffer during the holocaust, and he has had anger issues ever since. He meets womanizing telepath Charles Xavier, who tells Erik that he can be taught to control his powers. Charles and Erik are soon recruited by the government to bring down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a mutant terrorist who is trying to incite World War III by launching a conflict between Russia and the USA. After the government hangs Charles and his team out to dry, he sets off on his own with several young mutants under his care. He and Erik work together to establish their school. But Erik has a connection to Shaw that could alter the outcome…

Fassbaender and McAvoy are wonderful here, and they bring a lot to their respective roles. Bacon enjoys his villainy, and Lawrence is heartbreaking as a teen who isn’t comfortable in her own skin.

In terms of action, it’s here, and it’s well-paced. CG does not dominate, and everything looks pretty fantastic. My only complaint is that Beast seems to have difficulty with his prosthesis when he speaks.

X:FC is as good, and maybe in ways better than, X2. It’s a story driven film, and should be seen. Be on the lookout for random glimpses at other mutants.

Fun, cheesy, cool, and inspiring: “Green Lantern” (2011) review

It has happened. I have seen “Green Lantern.” I have a lot to say about it, so bear with me…

The trend among critics seems to be to paint this as the worst film in a long time, and possibly one of the worst ever. I don’t see this at all. The same critics who are bestowing poor ratings on this movie often say that it’s a better movie than “Thor,” which they gave a mediocre to fair rating. What gives?

I suspect that I know exactly what gives. For young hipster critics, hating GL is a really cool thing to do. This has been the case for Internet fanboys ever since the first trailer hit last fall. For the 45 and over crowd, there is a pervasive curmudgeonliness in their reviews – all of them, not just this film – that seems to prevent them from enjoying any superhero movie that wasn’t directed by Christopher Nolan or that doesn’t present a highly topical issue interwoven with the hero’s plot/life/mission/etc. I feel fortunate to be at a place in my perspective as a watcher of movies to have enjoyed this movie for what it was.

This is another origin story. I understand that origin stories get tiresome. Understand, though, that Green Lantern is a rich mythology that NEEDS a serious amount of exposition before it can possibly get into any kind of story. “Green Lantern” gets right to it, giving a VERY brief history of the Green Lantern Corps before introducing the main villain: Parallax, an entity who embodies the emotion fear, represented by yellow energy. In the comics, it is known that green lantern rings’ green energy (will) is vulnerable to yellow. Parallax wounds his captor, Green Lantern Abin Sur, and escapes. Abin, knowing that he is mortally wounded, instructs his ship to head to the nearest inhabited planet to begin the “selection process.”

Meanwhile, test pilot Hal Jordan is introduced, and we quickly find that he is an irresponsible womanizer who makes rash and reckless decisions. His father was also a pilot, and Hal lives in his shadow.

Hal is, of course, selected as Abin Sur’s replacement. After experimenting a little with the ring and accompanying lantern he inherits, Hal is suddenly whisked off by his ring to Oa, home of the Green Lsntern Corps, as well as the Guardians, their mentors. Hal is welcomed by Tomar-Re, a fish-bird combination looking GL. He is very briefly trained by the enormous, gruff GL Kilowog, as well as the pink skinned Sinestro. The latter makes Hal decide that he may not be Lantern material after all. But what of Parallax and his apparent connection to Earth???

The main reason I loved this movie is that I felt like a 12 year old as I was watching it. The effects, a popular topic of derision, looked great to me, as did Reynolds’ costume. Reynolds himself took the part seriously, and to me was an ideal Hal. Mark Strong is perfect as Sinestro, as are Geoffrey Rush as Tomar-Re and Michael Clarke Duncan as Kilowog. Even Blake Lively was suited to the role of Carol Ferris. Say what you will, but she’s far better than Katie Holmes in “Batman Begins.”

My favorite aspect of the movie was the constructs themselves. As Hal got more comfortable, the constructs became more inventive and cooler. I loved the CG, the look of Oa, and the glowing green energy permeating the uniforms. My only technical problem is the Guardians themselves. The animation of their faces is too cartoony. I feel like they should have seemed somewhat more real, a la Gollum.

The only other complaint I have is that much of this movie feels rushed. If possible, I would love to see an extended cut of the DVD released so that the pace relaxes a wee bit more. Not much, though, as the forward momentum helps to keep the excitement going.

In all, I love this movie. It’s terribly flawed, but it speaks directly to my inner adolescent. It has humor, action, and excitement. A note about the mid-credits scene: I felt that it WAS set up in an earlier scene and didn’t come out of nowhere.

Bottom line: if you want straight up entertainment, this is your movie. “Green Lantern” is no “The Dark Knight,” but it shouldn’t be. It’s a space opera that can be an exhilarating ride, but only if you are capable of relaxing enough to just go with it.