Category Superheroes

Jul 16 2012

Reactions To Some Comic-Con News

None of us here went to the San Diego Comic-Con, but we learned about the announcements made there and even saw some bootleg footage from the presentations (we won’t bother to post the links to them, they’ll probably be disabled before long). This piece is basically our reactions to what was revealed about certain films and shows for the coming months and 2013.

Elysium

Director Neill Blomkamp previewed footage from his next sci-fi epic which stars Matt Damon. It showed Earth as a futuristic, debris-filled wasteland and what was surprising was that Blomkamp didn’t need to do any special effects since he filmed these scenes in the slums of Mexico City. To some of us it felt like Blomkamp’s previous District 9 (but with a more naturalistic feel since there weren’t any shaky cam shots) and that’s a good thing. The viral campaigns touting the futuristic utopian city of Elysium were well done and whetted our appetites.

Fringe, The Final Season

The Fringe team appeared for the final time at Comic-Con and actor John Noble teased about the possibility of a Fringe movie. While enticing and unlikely if it happens let’s hope it doesn’t wind up like The X-Files films. They premiered a special trailer for the final season of Fringe which takes place primarily in the future. In that time period our heroes are trying to overthrow the enigmatic Observers who’ve taken over the world. Plus, it seems as if William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) will appear again. Sweet!

Iron Man 3

A mixed bag here, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Mandarin (played by Ben Kingsley) will be the villain in Iron Man 3 instead of another armored villain. However, we were less than enthused with the look of Iron Man’s new armor which is mostly gold with red highlights. It’s not known if this is to be his main armor but why not just stick with the suit he wore in The Avengers?

The Man Of Steel

Sadly what was learned about Zack Snyder’s reboot of Superman wasn’t very inspiring. The footage shown had Snyder’s typical empty but flashy filmmaking style. If you’ve seen Watchmen and Sucker Punch then you can imagine how The Man Of Steel footage appeared. At the same time the scenes from The Man Of Steel looked like they were desperately trying to emulate Christopher Nolan’s look for the Batman films. It just didn’t look right and in light of the recent X-Men and Spider-Man reimaginings it screamed “Me too!” The worst news came when Snyder revealed that John Williams’ iconic Superman score will not be used. That is a huge mistake since that score has become so ingrained with Superman it’s almost as bad as radically changing his costume. We feel that if they could get away with getting rid of the cape and S shield Snyder and Nolan would’ve done so just to be different. Let’s hope DC has better luck with their Lobo movie.

Miscellaneous Marvel Movies

The official titles for Marvel Studios’ next sequels were revealed. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, who has one of our staff members very excited since it seems to indicate the movie will cover one of his favorite Captain America storylines. The other title is Thor: The Dark World, and little else was revealed about the thunder god’s further escapades. But the most interesting announcement was that a film based on the Guardians Of The Galaxy is coming in 2014. Based on the artwork released, this team will not be the classic version featuring Vance Astro but rather one that has Starlord, Gamora and Rocket Raccoon (!). It’s a big risk since the team isn’t as well known or popular as the Avengers and the movie will probably be a big budget epic. The last space-based superhero film Green Lantern proved to be a dud (many blamed the aliens-filled space scenes which lacked a human touch, frankly those were the highlights for the dull, Earth-bound film), let’s hope Guardians Of The Galaxy doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Oz, The Great And Powerful

It seems as if Sam Raimi has moved beyond the Spider-Man movies with this astonishing prequel to the classic Wizard Of Oz. The transition from a small black and white screen to a gorgeous, colorful, widescreen Oz is stunning and rivals Tim Burton’s work. In addition to Oz (portrayed by James Franco who is a great casting choice), other characters appear like Glinda, and the flying monkeys. Oz, The Great And Powerful could be a new fantasy classic.

Pacific Rim

Guillermo Del Toro supposedly blew the audience away with footage from next year’s Pacific Rim. Actually it’s the only film that can compete with Godzilla due to its epic scope and level of destruction. In the film, giant monsters have overrun the Earth and humanity’s last hope lies with human operators of gigantic robots that can go head to head with the monsters. Bottom line: Pacific Rim sounds terrific just based on the talent behind it and can be described as a love letter to kaiju movies and fans of that Japanese genre.

The Walking Dead Season Three

Our resident fan of The Walking Dead is very psyched up for the upcoming third season of the show. We saw the prison our heroes occupy, the evil Governor and badass zombie killer MIchonne, who looks like her comic book counterpart. What was shown looks exciting, suspenseful and harrowing (especially with the scenes featuring the sadistic Governor). Honestly, October can’t come here soon enough.

Star Trek Sequel and Proof Of Concept

There isn’t anything to report about the still untitled Star Trek sequel by J.J. Abrams because the filmmakers decided not to present anything at the Comic-Con. This is just baffling.  Maybe they’re saving the big guns for a Trek convention. Regardless, in a crowded marketplace where films are vying for business and word-of-mouth the people behind Star Trek should’ve had at least a bone to throw to the fans. The film comes out next May and attendees got more info about films set to debut further ahead in time. We hope this isn’t a bad harbinger for the movie. Being that the last film left Star Trek fans divided over its quality, Abrams and company need to hit this one out of the ballpark and they can start by wowing fans now.

There were proof-of-concept footage shown of Ant-Man, Godzilla and Thomas Jane returning as The Punisher at the convention. While they’re cool (esp. seeing Punisher in R-rated action), until there is an actual project being produced they won’t amount to much unless something concrete comes out of showing the footage. However they seem more promising than some of the actual films being promoted.

Jul 3 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man Reboot

It can be argued that The Amazing Spider-Man is the Spider-Man film for fans of the web-slinging hero. Frankly, it surpasses Sam Raimi’s trilogy in terms of special effects and that is not overly relying on CGI. The practical effects and stunt work really make Spider-Man come alive in a way that hasn’t been done before. The 3D is visually spectacular even the night shots. Pardon the pun but some shots of Spidey are truly amazing and look as if they were taken out of a comic book panel. Forget about alterations to his costume, the filmmakers captured the essence of Spider-Man.

But enough about the effects and look. The rest of The Amazing Spider-Man is a solid and welcome addition to Marvel’s superhero film roster. While director Marc Webb may not be as gimmicky and flashy as Sam Raimi was, he has an eye for character. He lets the quiet moments speak for themselves and knows how to show just enough of a character moment before moving on. The relationship that Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) has with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is the soul of the movie without going overboard.

Webb wisely uses this constraint in showing us other aspects of Parker. This results in the film not being as cornball or overly sentimental as Raimi’s Spider-Man films sometimes felt. Don’t worry, there aren’t any dance numbers! Garfield does an excellent job portraying him and his masked alter ego. He makes viewers and fans forget about Tobey Maguire with his constant moping and sad eyes. This Parker while burdened with responsibility is very proactive and as Spider-Man he cracks jokes, and behaves just like he does in the comic books. While this film has the hero constantly unmasked it actually works and one doesn’t mind.

As for the rest of the cast, they turn in fine performances with top honors going to Stone and Denis Leary (as her father police captain George Stacy). The captain’s obsession with trying to arrest Spider-Man is an engaging subplot that was never explored in depth before on film and deftly adds to Spider-Man’s headaches. BTW, Stan Lee has one of his very best and funniest cameos in the film that puts him in the same shot with his greatest creation.

The main villain in The Amazing Spider-Man as everyone knows is the Lizard a.k.a. Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) a one-armed scientist with ties to his dead parents. The film links his creation to Spider-Man’s and it’s a complaint that goes back to many of these films (such as Batman) but it’s handled fairly well. Compared to the comic book version, Connors isn’t as sympathetic which is a detriment to the film. The Lizard may not be as great a villain as Doctor Octopus but he is still an imposing, formidable  character who puts Spider-Man through hell. Standing nearly eight feet tall with regenerative powers and a cunning mind he seems more like a smart Hulk mixed with Wolverine and a velociraptor from Jurassic Park. That’s a deadly combination.

The film does have faults: we didn’t need to see another origin sequence, which could’ve been handled with flashbacks; some plot developments are dropped too cleanly; the score by James Horner isn’t particularly memorable. But there are so many things that the filmmakers get right with this film because like Sam Raimi, they understand Spider-Man and it shows. So how does it compare to the previous films? Well it’s much, much better than Spider-Man 3 and arguably on par with the first Spider-Man. Despite Spider-Man 2’s flaws it was Raimi at his energetic best and a better film than The Amazing Spider-Man, but Spider-Man 2 set a high bar that is hard to top. It’s too bad Sony chose to release The Amazing Spider-Man so soon after Raimi’s trilogy ended. This is bringing about some unfair comparisons by fans of those films. But go in with an open mind and be prepared to be amazed.

José Soto

Jun 25 2012

Is The Bubble Expanding On Superhero Films?

Last year, there was a lot of speculation about the lasting power of superhero films. Many believed that they were on the way out due the way they underperformed in the box office in 2011.

There were three films in 2011 based on Marvel Comics characters (Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger) while DC Comics’ Green Lantern was also released as a film. While the Marvel films did respectably in the box office they weren’t supersized hits like The Dark Knight or the first Iron Man movie. Still they were well-received by fans and critics and did well enough to warrant sequels.

Green Lantern however, was a different story. As everyone knows, the film was a huge disappointment to many fans and didn’t make a lot of money. According to Box Office Mojo, the big-budgeted Green Lantern only earned $116 million with a worldwide total of $222 million domestically.

Many factors went into account for the disappointing box office sales in 2011. Some blamed the lack of popularity of some characters. The general public may know who Batman is, but brining up Green Lantern would raise eyebrows. With X-Men: First Class, many said that it may have made more money if it featured more well-known mutant characters and if the franchise didn’t have the stigma of recent inferior entries. Others pointed to a general burnout for such films and inferior 3D conversions (which thanks to bad word-of-mouth would dampen sales). Unless the film was phenomenal many would rather wait for DVD.

With that, while this year’s crop of films had fairly positive buzz late last year, there were concerns when 2012 began as to how good this year’s superhero films would turn out. Nerves weren’t helped by the failure of Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance but the superhero genre showed earlier this year that it had some life left with the success of Chronicle. There seemed to be cautious hope that The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises would do well. The heavy-hitting properties starring the companies’ flagship heroes were to affirm the popularity of superhero films.

Of course, the release of The Avengers changed everyone’s perceptions about superhero films. It featured characters that were seeded years earlier, so that lesser-known heroes like Hawkeye were paired up with superstars like Iron Man. But more importantly the film was well made and able to generate a super-frenzied buzz before its release. To date The Avengers has made $598 million domestically and nearly a staggering $1.5 billion worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.

Seemingly overnight, upcoming superhero films are now highly anticipated regardless of past hesitations. For example, while many fans decried Bane’s voice in early trailers for The Dark Knight Rises, adjustments were made to alleviate those concerns, even though the jury is still out on Catwoman. The final Christopher Nolan Batman film will undoubtedly do well. It may not perform as well as The Avengers but count on it being one of the year’s biggest hits.

The Amazing Spider-Man is also poised to do well. There are many detractors about the validity of a reboot so soon after Sam Raimi’s trilogy but many are impressed by what’s being shown on clips and trailers and it has a major marketing push behind it (plus this year being Spidey’s 50th anniversary can’t hurt). The film will probably finish behind The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises in terms of sales. Another factor that could help the new Spider-Man film is that it is coming in a bit of a lull between the other two superhero films. Currently, other films are topping the charts but don’t seem to have the staying power that The Avengers had and The Dark Knight Rises will probably dominate the box office for the remainder of the summer.

If one or both of the upcoming superhero films reaches blockbuster status expect the floodgates to open even further for future superhero films. Apparently stunned by the spectacular success of The Avengers, DC Entertainment announced that a Justice League film is in development. Anticipation seems to be growing over next year’s slate of superhero epics–Iron Man 3, The Man Of Steel, Thor 2 and The Wolverine. Furthermore, Marvel has announced that there will be follow ups to The Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men: First Class (with new stars like Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence reprising their roles) in 2014, as well as a new Captain America film, and another unannounced Marvel film. There are plans to bring back to the silver screen Daredevil and the Fantastic Four as well as big-screen debuts for Black Panther, Ant-Man, Wonder Woman, Lobo, and the Flash. Even Kick-Ass which only did respectably in theaters is getting a sequel.

At this point, it’s too early to say where all this will go, but two things are certain: 1) we’re in the Golden Age of Superhero Films and 2) despite some failures they are now a well-established movie genre that will stay for some time to come.

José Soto

Jun 11 2012

Casting Call For The Next Avengers

As The Avengers racks up at the box office, speculation has naturally turned to the inevitable sequel. Aside from an official announcement by Disney and Marvel Studios, very little is known about the sequel. But as with most follow ups, new characters are introduced to keep things interesting and an Avengers 2 wouldn’t be an exception to this thanks to Marvel Comics’ abundance of characters. The Avengers team has been made up of many different superheroes that would make exciting additions to the core roster used in The Avengers. So who could be tapped to play some of these heroes? These are our picks:

Henry Pym/Giant-Man/Ant-Man: Lately there has been speculation about efforts to greenlight an Ant-Man film. Well, Marvel Studios may want to table that for now and use this original Avenger in the sequel. One way to go is with the controversial character development of having Pym being an abusive husband wracked with insecurities. This may or may not turn off mainstream audiences expecting another rousing adventure but if handled correctly, Pym could be an interesting addition. For the actor to play Pym, Marvel should go with Aaron Eckhart. He looks heroic and sympathetic but can play conflicted characters as seen with his performance as Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight. Plus, he’s played a scientist before in The Core, which is Pym’s occupation. Alternate actors: Adrian Pasdar; Damien Lewis; Josh Brolin.

Janet Pym/The Wasp: This diminutive superheroine goes hand in hand with her husband Henry. As a founding member of the Avengers, Janet is rich, spunky and her wasp stings carry some surprising punch. In other words, the actress to portray her has to be beautiful, with a bit of an aristocratic flair while being tough yet personable. For this reason, Elizabeth Banks should play Janet Pym. She’s had experience in the superhero movies with her portrayal of Betty Brant in the Spider-Man films, but now that she has more clout as an actress she can have a more substantive role as the Wasp. Alternate actresses: Rachel McAdams; Eva Green; Noomi Rapace.

Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch: It would’ve been funny to have Scarlett Johansson playing the Scarlet Witch just for the bad puns. But since that won’t happen, this mutant who can alter probability needs to be portrayed by someone that is beautiful and can give off a slightly exotic and mysterious flair. If Joss Whedon is involved with the sequel he can turn to Firefly alumnae Morena Baccarin. It’s so easy to imagine her doing Wanda’s dramatic hand motions to shoot her hex bolts. Alternate actresses: Lynn Collins; Mila Kunis; Gemma Arterton.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver: As Wanda’s headstrong brother, this super-fast mutant can be cocky and disruptive but harbor a troubled soul. Sam Witwer is doing an excellent job playing a conflicted vampire in Syfy’s version of Being Human so this role should suit him nicely. Besides Witwer’s got that expressive eyebrow that Quicksilver shows in the comics. Plus, he’s had experience playing tortured characters in live-action superhero TV (as Doomsday in Smallville). Alternate actors: Zachary Quinto; Andrew Lee-Potts; Aaron Paul.

Victor Shade/The Vision: WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD-the idea of hiring Clark Gregg to play a resurrected Agent Coulsson that turns into the Vision is very popular with fans across the Internet. But purists will argue that the Vision is really an android that was once the original Human Torch so using Coulsson would deviate from the unemotional artificial being’s roots. Also Gregg has said in recent interviews that he doesn’t expect to return to that role. Filmmakers can go that route but if they wish to have him be closer to his comic book role then another actor is needed. Christopher Eccleston has the right look and acting ability to portray the Vision. His roles in 28 Days Later and as the Ninth Doctor in Doctor Who are excellent showcases for his talent. Alternate actors: Guy Pearce; Zachary Quinto.

Simon Williams/Wonder Man: He’s one of the most powerful, yet self-effacing superheroes in the Marvel universe. The actor who portrays him should be personable while slightly buffed, someone that audiences can relate to since Williams is a down-to-earth type. The best choice for that role would be fan-favorite Nathan Fillion. Putting aside his association with Joss Whedon, just look at his performances, he can play heroic with a touch of humility. If picked, he would add so much to Williams’ character that could make him as much of a breakout character as the Hulk was in The Avengers. Alternate actors: Josh Holloway; Karl Urban; John Barrowman.

T’Challa/Black Panther: As the ruler of the African kingdom of Wakanda, Black Panther is actual royalty thus requiring an actor of such stature to portray him. At the same time, T’Challa is a very hands-on kind of guy who can hold his own in a fight so the actor needs to look physically fit. Hands down the perfect choice would be Chiwetel Ejiofor; he’s very regal, dignified but with a hard edge to him. Look at his work on the Serenity film for comparison. Alternate actors: Richard Brooks; Jamil Walker-Smith, Michael Early.

Hercules: Thor’s jovial rival is uber buff and enjoys a good fight. Hercules can provide some welcome comic relief for an Avengers 2. If not, they can use the character in a future Thor film. The actor who looks perfect for the part is True Blood’s Joseph Manganiello. As a werewolf on the show, Manganiello is pretty honorable, with a heroic and sensitive side. The question is can this actor be funny? Alternate actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jon Bernthal; Brian Austin Green.

Dane Whitman/The Black Knight: The Arthurian hero with his mystical sword and flying horse would be an interesting addition to the movie roster. The actor needed to play him needs to be athletic, do a British accent, and have a dash of nobility. This role should go to Karl Urban who has been appearing in several notable genre works. Look at the way he looks as Judge Dredd with his helmet and get a sense for how he would be as the Black Knight. Alternate Actors:  Orlando Bloom; Colin Firth; Jamie Bamber.

Sam Wilson/The Falcon: Best known as Captain America’s partner during the ’70s, this winged superhero could be introduced in a future Captain America film then used in The Avengers 2 or 3 or vice versa. Laz Alonso has played a wide variety of strong roles throughout his career (best known for his work as the mighty warrior Tsu’tey in Avatar) and would be a terrific choice to play a solid and sympathetic hero with a dark past. Alternate actors: Jason George; Mehcad Brooks; Morris Chestnut.

Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra: Originally introduced back in the ’70s as the Cat, Greer was transformed into Tigra through sorcery and science. The actress who should portray this feline-based heroine should be athletic, beautiful and able to give off a feline quality with a hint of savagery. Zoe Saldana would be puurfect for Tigra (sorry couldn’t resist the pun) being that she’s had a resume filled with heroic action parts like Star Trek, Colombiana, The Losers and Avatar.  She may not want to do a role that may be compared to her stint as Neytiri in Avatar. So a good alternative would be Jessica Alba who has many of Saldana’s qualities and has played superheroines before (Fantastic Four, which would reunite her with Chris Evans, and as the lead in Dark Angel). Alternate actresses: Anna Ortiz; Frema Agyeman.

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk: The female version of the Hulk isn’t like her gamma-fueled cousin. Funny, scrappy and easy on the eyes, She-Hulk needs to be played by someone who can convey her personality. Angie Harmon has had a picture of herself doctored to show her in green skin as a way of auditioning for the role. However, Sara Ramirez who projects beauty while being tough and sporting a rich mane of hair would be an ideal choice to play the jade giantess. Alternate actresses: Lynn Collins; Moon Bloodgood.

Just for kicks…

It’s doubtful if the following characters would be used, except for Jarvis, but just in case, here are prime choices to play these Avengers and associates:

Jarvis the Butler: Richard Jenkins

Hellcat: Rachel McAdams

Ms. Marvel: Lauren Cohan

Captain Marvel/Pulsar: Frema Agyeman

Starfox: Josh Hartnett

Peter Henry Gyrich: Sam Neill

Jocasta: Dichen Lachman

Moondragon: Any actress willing to shave her head for the role.

José Soto (special thanks to GEO)

May 31 2012

2012 Doomsday Scenarios: Month Five

Sure we celebrate the exploits of our favorite superheroes on screen and print, but many comic book fans know about the dark side of having super powers. Whether they’re extremely powerful villains out to destroy the world or well-intentioned heroes who lose control over their powers, super-powered individuals are a world threat, at least in fiction.

Doomsday Scenario No. 8: Man and Superman

Of course, the real world isn’t threatened by superhumans. That doesn’t mean that it cannot happen sometime in our future. With advancements in bioengineering it is feasible to create super-powered humans, but that is a long way off. What is more plausible in the near future are new technologies to create battle suits like Iron Man’s. But that is another subject.

Who Watches Them? So what would happen if superhumans were to emerge? If artificially created for military use ala Captain America, this would set off a new kind of arms race as nations try to acquire their own super-powered operatives to keep up with rivals. Never mind trying to get nukes, having superhumans would give any country a definite edge. This theme has been explored somewhat in comic books and Captain America was a response to the creation of his enemy the Red Skull. In an obscure Epic mini-series called The One, the United States and the Soviet Union unleash superhumans against each other after nuclear weapons are made obsolete by an advanced entity. Also, who will keep them in check? Will the heroes in turn rule us as seen with the Squadron Supreme mini-series? It really becomes a case of “who watches the Watchmen?” as shown by DC Comics’ Kingdom Come and Watchmen or Marvel Comics’ Civil War. But even if the superhumans can be controlled what is their place in society? Can they fit in? It’s doubtful, since humanity tends to hate and fear what is different. Sadly, it is very easy to imagine a scenario where superhumans become ostracized; this will inevitably lead to conflicts between the superhumans and normal humans. The X-Men and its numerous spin-offs are perfect examples of this concept as the comic book mutants endured bigotry and hatred from humans. This hatred motivates villainous mutants like Magneto and frankly can anyone blame them for wanting to strike out against humanity? This ambiguity is what makes the X-Men comics so well-renowned. Is it possible to live harmoniously with superhumans? Well, humans have never been known to be the sharing type. It’s theorized that humanity drove Neanderthals to extinction from competition and humanity used its advantages to dominate the world. In that case, superhumans will have an edge over ordinary people and conquer or destroy us. Many supervillains try to do just that in comic books and movies.

With Great Power… Another worrying aspect are superhumans with incredible God-like powers. One of the Watchmenheroes, Dr. Manhattan was the only person in that world that possessed super powers and had the ability to destroy it. Lucky for them, he wasn’t interested in doing that and had complete control over his ability. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Solar.

Art by Barry Windsor Smith

He was a superhero that appeared in Valiant and Dark Horse Comics (having made his debut in Gold Key Comics) and had the power to manipulate energy much like Dr. Manhattan. During the course of his story it was revealed that he accidently destroyed his universe and wound up recreating it. The inability to control power was also shown in the classic X-Men storyline the “Dark Phoenix Saga” where mutant telepath Jean Grey is unable to reign in her growing powers and ultimately kills herself before she wound up destroying the Earth (this was also to atone for her destruction of an alien sun which destroyed an alien society). The endowment of such power on one person is very terrifying. The bottom line is that powers do bring great responsibility but staying in control is very difficult. In these instances, power does corrupt. This was seen earlier this year in the film Chronicle where a lonely teenager develops telekinetic powers and becomes dangerous despite his sympathetic background. Even Star Trek very early in its history explored the aftermath of developing super powers with its second pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and of course, the famous episode “Space Seed” that introduced the genetic superhuman Khan. Then there is the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Hide And Q” where Commander Riker is gifted with Q’s vast powers and learns some harsh lessons. Seriously, if such people were to come into existence there isn’t any way to counteract them. Humanity and the world will be doomed or at the least changed radically. Thankfully, this isn’t going to happen to us soon. But these comic book tales and movies and TV shows should serve as a reminder to us about the ramifications of having super powers.