Below is the first official teaser for next year’s epic film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As we all know this was supposed to come out next week, but some moron leaked today a really piss poor copy of this trailer, thus forcing Warner Bros./DC’s hand. It’s too bad they had to rush it out, but at least it makes us forget that limp teaser of a teaser shown yesterday that just showed the Superman and Batman costumes!
As a trailer it sells its point, but for some reason the pervading tone of the movie seems dark, not a bad thing, mind you. Just different from what we’ve been getting lately from Marvel (aside from the TV show Daredevil). But will the dark tone jibe with today’s fans? This mood was in vogue just a few years ago, especially when The Dark Knight was all the rage and fans have had bad to mixed reactions to the reboot of The Fantastic Four coming this summer for its bleak outlook based on its own teaser. So some may think this dark take of superheroes is outdated.
Nevertheless, this film won’t bomb. There are too many fans invested and the buzz is high. And its dourness helps sell the film’s motif that Superman is being mistrusted by the general public. It’s a refreshing direction to take with Superman and adds a touch of realism because let’s face it, in real life this fear of a super-powered alien among us would probably be the pervading attitude.
As for Batman, it seems as if director Zack Snyder is channeling Frank Miller’s seminal work The Dark Knight Returns and that by itself is great. It’s hard to judge Ben Affleck as an older Bruce Wayne, because we all got was one shot of him with a brooding look. But the shots of him as Batman and the Batmobile should satisfy most fans. Putting aside Ben Affleck and the new shots of Henry Cavill as Superman, honestly, the final moments of this trailer when it concludes with Superman and Batman about to face off with each other were the most scintillating parts.
This was a great week for trailers with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Ant-Man, but this one for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a perfect capper!
Brutal, gritty, engaging, authentic. Those are thoughts that come to mind when watching the new streaming TV show Daredevil on Netflix.
Daredevil is easily the best Marvel TV show ever done and puts Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter to shame with the ease at which it draws in viewers and in terms of quality. It’s even better than the DC TV shows The Flash and Arrow and that is a very high bar to pass.
Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Daredevil is undeniably more urban and grounded with its rare, vague references to the MCU and focuses correctly on the intimate lives of petty criminals and average folks in New York’s Hell Kitchen neighborhood. That locale is decidedly different than the actual neighborhood (now called Clinton) and that’s due to collateral damage from the climactic battle at the end of The Avengers. The result is a return to the seedy, hard-boiled streets the neighborhood last saw in the recent past and the perfect framework for Daredevil.
Based on the Marvel Comics superhero comic book created by Stan Lee and Everett, This version is heavily influenced by the stories done by comic book legend Frank Miller. It also uses many elements from Miller and John Romita, Jr.’s comic book mini-series Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, which depicts the origin of the blind superhero Daredevil. This TV show introduces Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind defense lawyer who operates secretly as a vigilante clad in black and uses his superhuman senses to aid him in fighting crime. As he comes to prominence both in his professional field and as a superhero, his work attracts the attention of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), a major crime lord. And, of course, before long they’re butting heads with each other.
One thing to praise about this show has to be the performance of Charlie Cox. He just hits the ground running as the sympathetic and haunted hero driven with a supernatural sense for justice. More importantly, Cox doesn’t go overboard with his portrayal and hits the right balance of lawyer by day, vigilante by night. Even though he is a superhero with enhanced senses (minus sight), and an indomitable fighting spirit, Daredevil is vulnerable and human. He takes severe beatings and even when he wins the aftermath shows on him through nasty cuts and bruises. This vulnerability makes him more endearing to us and we’re more concerned for the outcomes of battles.
These fight scenes are just brutal and stunningly filmed without the cheap use of shaky cams. There was one sequence in the second episode “Cut Man” that lasted for several minutes and the stunt work and cinematography done by the production was perfect. It exemplified the graphic and cringe-inducing nature of the fights in Daredevil’s world, while coming off as authentic. There wasn’t any use of special effects or wire work, just good old fashioned stunt work that was wonderfully choreographed. Each punch or kick looked like they hurt the fighter and the victim, and every punch that Daredevil landed took a lot from him but his unrelenting nature kept us cheering for him and at times I wondered if he would falter.
Complementing this realistic take on fighting is the way the show depicts his use of super senses. There aren’t any overdone CG sequences like in the Daredevil film. Instead, rather subtle and simple camera and audio tricks are skillfully used to convey Murdock overhearing conversations from afar and so on.
Speaking of camera work, as mentioned above, the cinematography throughout the series is film-quality work. It seems like we’re watching mini-movies on our TV sets. Plus, the production decision to film in New York City paid off grandly as we feel the grittiness and glamour of the Big Apple and the background complements the characters we meet.
Let’s start with Fisk. Thanks to D’Onofrio’s subtle, but terrifying performance, Fisk is a huge, beefy, but cultured villain who is just broiling under the surface. His world is one of sophistication, but at the right moment (or wrong if you’re unfortunate enough), Fisk just let’s out this primal fury as he savages his opponents. It goes without saying that this show is very violent and not for the faint of heart.
But don’t think this course world is filled with vicious criminals. It’s also populated by more sympathetic types like Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) who is Murdock’s law partner and a likeable presence. Others include the lawyers’ secretary Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), a nurse who provides medical aide to Daredevil. Both are well played by these actresses and these women have many nuanced layers to them.
Daredevil is a triumph for Marvel and helps expand the intricate and varied MCU. More than that, it’s actually a surprisingly effective crime show without going over the top. This means that unlike say Gotham it doesn’t overly stress its comic book origins, which would’ve resulted in something that bordered on camp. No, Daredevil respects its source material and skillfully brings the hero and his world to life.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”–Jedi Master Yoda
As we get ready for the continuation of the Star Wars saga with this December’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, let’s look back at the previous six films of this iconic film series. Putting opinions aside, the first six Star Wars films will now forever be known as the ones that Star Wars creator George Lucas directly worked on. They bear the mark of what he intended for the overall story and for better or worse reflect his vision for the Star Wars saga. For the first retrospective of the entire star spanning saga, we begin not with the very first Star Wars film made but with the first chronological film in the saga: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
The setting for Episode I as are the rest of the films is long ago in a distant galaxy. Large parts of it are ruled by the Galactic Republic. Consisting of thousands of worlds, the Republic’s relative peace for generations is at risk because of one of its members: the Trade Federation. In the film’s opening crawl, the Trade Federation is up in arms with the Republic over taxes on trade routes of the outer worlds. Their idea to resolve this issue is to place a blockade on the planet Naboo.
The Republic’s ruling chancellor dispatches two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan MaGregor), to negotiate with Nute Gunray (Silas Carson), the Viceroy of the Federation. at his flagship orbiting Naboo. Not long after they arrive , the mystical warriors are attacked by the Federation’s droid soldiers who have orders to kill the Jedi. The relative ease to which the Jedi take out the mechanical troops is our first taste as to the true height of the Jedi’s powers. During the battle, the Jedi learn that the Federation are about to land troops on Naboo, so they hitch a ride on one of the invading ships and arrive on the planet to warn the inhabitants. Along the way, Qui-Gon saves a strange and goofy alien native, an amphibious Gungan called Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best). The floppy eared alien decides to tag along with the Jedi because of a life debt owed to them as they make their way to the Naboo capital.
Once the trio reach the capital, the Jedi manage to rescue the planet’s ruling queen, Padme Amdilla (Natalie Portman), and her royal entourage, who were being held hostage by the Trade Federation’s droid army. They were captured by Gunray because he wanted to force the queen to sign a treaty legalizing the occupation of Naboo. After easily dispatching the cannon-fodder droid army in the city, the Jedi and the others board a spaceship and break the orbital blockade.
The queen wants to go to Coruscant, the capital world of the Republic, to plea for intervention. But although the ship is able to jump into hyperspace during the escape it was damaged. This forces them to set down for repairs in a nearby world: Tatooine, a desert planet that is outside the Republic’s domain.
On the backwater world, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar leave for one of Tatooine’s towns Mos Espa to get spare parts for their ship. Joining them at the behest of the queen is one of her handmaidens, who is actually Padme herself pretending to be a commoner.
They meet a coarse junk dealer called Watoo (voiced by Andy Secombe) who has the engine parts they need, but they’re unable to pay for them. During the visit to Watoo’s business, they meet his young human slave, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who befriends them and offers shelter in his mother’s home from a coming sandstorm. Qui-Gon immediately senses that the Force is strong in Anakin and takes a fast interest in the boy.
For those who have been living under a rock since 1977 the Force is a metaphysical power in the Star Wars universe that is wielded by the Jedi and their opponents the Sith. According to Star Wars lore it’s a form of energy that flows through all life forms and those who are adept at using it can perform superhuman acts like telekinesis, controlling weak minds and so on.
Qui-Gon wants to recruit the young slave and train him as a Jedi, but first he has to win the boy’s freedom. To accomplish this, he convinces Watoo to enter Anakin in a dangerous pod race where racers speed through the desert climes of Tatooine in cobbled together engine parts and makeshift carriages. If Anakin wins he’s to be freed as part of the conditions of a bet the Qui-Gon and Watoo placed with each other. Additionally, if Anakin wins, Qui-Gon will be able to get the parts needed for the queen’s ship so they can leave for Coruscant.
Unbeknownst to the group is that the Jedi are being tracked by Darth Maul (Ray Park) a devilish Sith apprentice and his superior Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid). Throughout the film, Sidious has been manipulating and controlling the Trade Federation for his own mysterious reasons and is the mastermind behind the Naboo invasion. More importantly, Sidious wants to renew the ancient feud his order has against the Jedi.
While the heroes busy themselves with leaving Tatooine, reaching Coruscant and finding a way to end the Federation occupation, sinister forces are aligning against the Jedi and the Republic. Soon, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan will confront the deadly Sith as they attempt to free Naboo, and it’s an encounter which will have lasting ramifications throughout the galaxy.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was probably the most eagerly awaited film in history. For sixteen years, fans had to endure a drought of Star Wars films after Return of the Jedi (ROTJ) came out in 1983 and there was doubt if there would ever be another Star Wars film. After ROTJ, George Lucas was burned out, plus the limitations of effects technology hampered his ability to bring forth his visions in additional films.
However, Lucas changed his mind after some time. He saw in the early ’90s that Star Wars was still popular thanks to the success of spinoff books and comic books. More importantly, he was impressed with the effects technology, specifically the emerging CG effect featured in films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park. At last, he felt that he could bring his true unhindered vision to film thanks to the new CG technology.
Lucas had been fascinated with the backstory to the Star Wars saga and Darth Vader’s origin, which he wrote as a fifteen-page outline back when he was developing the very first film in the ’70s. Hence, the reason why his followup to the original trilogy would be prequels.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been ten years since the good Doctor came back to us. The new take on Doctor Who undeniably refreshed the franchise and grew its popularity. And it all started ten years ago when an average Jane named Rose met up with a most unusual fellow while out and about minding her own business in London.
Happy Anniversary Doctor Who! 10 Years Of New Doctor Who
Happy Anniversary Doctor Who! Its been 10 years since the New Doctor Who series began and returned to BBC One Ten Years ago today in 2005! We’ve had a decade of brand new adventures in time and space, and its been the trip of a lifetime! I’ve really enjoyed watching the new series, writing this blog about the episodes, and chatting to so many awesome people on Twitter about Doctor Who. Its been great fun! Happy 10th Anniversary New Doctor Who!
To celebrate ten years since the arrival of the Ninth Doctor on our screens, here’s the fantastic TV trailer for the 2005 return of Doctor Who.
And I thought you might like this great fan trailer celebrating a decade of new Dr Who!
Its been ten years since the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccelston) and Rose Tyler’s (Billie Piper) adventures began when Doctor Who…
Science fiction has been noted for its many subgenres, one of the most popular that of exploring space. And why not? Space as Captain Kirk once famously said, is the final frontier. It represents the unknown and humanity’s quest to push beyond the horizon has captivated us for ages, it’s part of our driving force. Exploring space is dealing with the true unknown which is both frightening and enthralling. These sci-fi films dealing with the space exploration theme are the best ones ever made.
10. Destination Moon: One of legendary filmmaker George Pal’s earliest films attempts to portray a credible scenario of how mankind would land on the moon. Even though the film got many aspects of a moon landing incorrect, it still conveys a sense of danger and adventure.
9. The Black Hole: First of all, TheBlackHoleis wildly scientifically inaccurate, but it’s very entertaining. A deep-space exploration crew comes across a black hole and a presumed-lost starship orbiting it. Onboard that ship they meet an insane scientist who wants to go into the black hole. Amidst all the laser firefights with robots the film touches upon metaphysical concepts with its final scenes.
8. First Men in the Moon: Ray Harryhausen, famous for his fantasy creations, actually produced and did the effects for this adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic tale of British explorers landing on the moon at the turn of the century. Imaginative and thrilling, it is also a rare, early example of the steampunk genre on film.
7. Stargate: Before the long-running TV series and its spinoffs there was the original film that spawned them. Stargate had the novel approach of an expeditionary force using a wormhole-creating machine to travel to another planet in another galaxy. Borrowing elements from Chariots of the Gods? with its ancient astronauts angle, the film was a rousing adventure.
6. 2010: This sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey suffers solely because of unfair comparisons to the original classic. Director Peter Hyams wisely chose not to copy the style of the original film and instead used 2010 (adapted from Arthur C. Clarke’s book) to explain what happened in the original and move the story further. By going in another direction, 2010 is a grittier, more grounded film that feels scientifically accurate and plausible. This underrated gem is a true sequel.
5. Contact: This Robert Zemeckis film adapts Carl Sagan’s novel about what would happen if we received an extraterrestrial radio signal. The full socio-political ramifications are presented when humanity learns that we are not alone and it leads up to the building of a machine (based on alien-sent instructions) for an unknown purpose. Jodi Foster does some of her best acting as a scientist who uses the machine to ultimately travel through a wormhole and initiate first contact with alien life.
4. Europa Report: A surprisingly effective found-footage film documents the last days of a doomed manned expedition to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Six astronauts embark on a journey to Europa to find signs of life. A series of technical mishaps and hazards impede the mission, but the brave crew refuse to be deterred and carry on even in the face of death. Europa Report is unexpectedly captivating since the archival footage of the astronauts’ transmissions create a feeling of intimacy and immediacy.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece not only rewrote how sci-fi films are made but how they are perceived by the general public. From our distant prehistoric past to the then-future, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a genuine tour de force. Astronaut Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) leads a mission to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith there. What he ultimately discovers set the standard for mind-blowing and abstract concepts and imagery that still holds up today, though many critics point out the film’s dull pace and cold nature.
2. Interstellar: In many ways, Interstellar is a spiritual, more emotional cousin to 2001: A Space Odyssey thanks to superb visuals and its adherence to scientific accuracy. Christopher Nolan’s film about a team of astronauts using a wormhole to find a new world for colonization explores cutting edge scientific theories with mind-bending results. However, as fanciful as Interstellar gets with weird physics, the film is sincerely heartfelt as it examines notion that compassion and love are the greatest driving forces in the universe in the face of the harshness of space.
1. Forbidden Planet: A space age retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, ForbiddenPlanet is one of the best sci-fi films ever made and one can see how it influenced Star Trek. In the 23rd century a starship crew journeys to Altair IV to investigate an earlier expedition sent to that planet. What they discover is a long-dead alien city and two remaining human survivors from the expedition, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis). The crew’s investigation of the Altair IV and the advanced lost civilization soon becomes threatened by an unleashed evil entity. The core of ForbiddenPlanet was the exploration of the alien civilization and its surrounding mystery. Adding to its virtue is the film’s callback to pulpy, adventurous sci-fi tales and excellent production values.
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