Usually when guys see a girl they fancy at a party they may be thinking, “I hope she doesn’t have a boyfriend or a crazy ex.” But after they see “Scott Pilgrim v.s. The World,” (due out August 13) they may be thinking, “I hope she doesn’t have a boyfriend or any crazy ex-boyfriends who may try to kill me with super powers.” Michael Cera, of “Super Bad” and “Juno fame,” plays Scott Pilgrim, who falls for Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in just that manner.
After winning her heart, he has to win her for real by defeating her seven evil ex’s, not all of whom appear to be men, which makes things interesting. Cera, up until now, seems to be typecast as this young kid, whose popularity seems ambiguous. Regardless, his soft-spoken characters usually take a back seat to trouble, which seems true, to a point, with Scott Pilgrim. But now, we get to see Cera’s angry, badass side, with a flaming sword and comic book text effects.
After Pilgrim gets kicked around, flung into buildings and throttled senseless, he somehow powers-up himself, as well as the spawning the aforementioned flaming blade.This charming bass guitarist hits super saiyan and transforms to “play the part” and win over the girl with the colorful hair.
This movie can clearly be described as a metaphor for young love. By the age of 22 it is hard to find a mate that hasn’t already been with at least one other person in their life. Most of us know what it is like when the past creeps back into our significant others life, and threatens to destroy our relationship. This also serves as a metaphor of getting over each other’s old ghosts before actually going anywhere in the relationship.
And lets face it, anyone who dated someone before you did will seem evil in one way or another, whether you want to admit it or not. This just shows what this is like physically, and at the same time does a good job of doing what most guys would kill to do: beat up their girlfriends ex’s. But this does it in a flashy, quirky, non-gory way, which looks like a blast to watch.
The world created in this film looks like one right out of a video game or comic book. Text saying “VS” appears before a fight, phrases like “KAPOCK” appear with sound effects of punching, lights and sounds of blips can be heard when a sword is pulled out of thin air and an announcer yells “K-O” in a way that only “Street Fighter” can compare with. And to add to my point, Pilgrims garage band is called the “Sex Bob-ombs.”
Personally I am a sucker these flashy videogame/ comic book-esk movies of the modern day. And this Story is a very unique one in the blockbuster world. POW!
Money can do a lot of things to people. It can blind them from those less fortunate; it could make them obsessed with collecting fancy things, like cars and technological odds and ends. Money can even put people in a dangerous situation, which flips them on their head, and makes them change their ways, and spend the rest of their waking days helping people. This is the life of Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, in the first film adaptation.
In “Iron Man 2,” set to release May 7, Stark continues his “peace keeping” campaign with his identity fully revealed. But this time a nameless figure joins his side. War Machine, Aka Stark’s long time military pal Col. James Rhodes, dons a metal crime fighting suit of his own. This characters role isn’t the only new thing about him; there is also a new face behind Rhodes too. Don Cheadle, not Terrance Howard, will get the privilege of wearing this gun slinging, rocket firing suit. In case you’re not familiar, Howard played Rhodes in the original film, and while issues of contract violations are in the air, Cheadle still got the role.
Personally I am not a big fan of actor switches within a series, it throws continuity off and makes the films feel fake… well even it is fiction. But looking at the trailers and his past work, Cheadle does have what it takes to put the bad ass factor into War Machine, even more than Terrance Howard may have been able to. Still, can’t help feeling bad for the guy.
As for Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. will obviously be returning, and his portrayal of this rich weapons developer has not gone stale. Downey is a lot like Stark himself, which helps the sarcastic, playboy humor come to life. So there is little need to worry as far as the main character is concerned, its bound to be another solid performance.
Another protagonist character in this film is the leading agent of SHIELD and war veteran, Nick Fury. SHIELD is an espionage agency, but for super heroes, it spawns a gathering of many Marvel heroes who unite under the name “The Avengers.” But that’s for another time, and another movie, set to release in 2012. This gun wielding action spy has a nose for trouble and wants nothing more than to stop it, and the closest thing he has to a mask, is an eye patch. Samuel L. Jackson is this man, and his strong personality there is a good chance of making this work.
I haven’t even touched on the villains, but with Mickey Rourke as the evil electro-whip swinging Whiplash, there are bound to be fireworks. And with whispers of him doing his part to save print journalism, I may just be conflicted with which side I should be rooting for. With a crew like this, the film will definitely have a very new feel from the first one, but the action and character portrayal may just one-up “Iron Man.”
Disney and Pixar
Right now, I know all too well the feeling of moving on, having only six weeks left of college. It feels like just yesterday I put my childish things aside and stepped into my dormitory freshman year. Wait a minute… I didn’t put my childish things aside, my mom did!
And that is just what happens to Andy in “Toy Story 3” when he goes off to college. Buzz, Woody and the rest of the gang are donated to the Sunny Side daycare center and tormented by young children. In the meantime Andy realizes his toys are missing and the familiar story of a boy, excuse me, young man, and his lost toys unfolds.
Even though the first “Toy Story,” released in 1995, revolutionized computer animation, the characters look exactly the same as when you first saw them back then. That is until they get chewed on, splattered with paint, kicked around and loose small parts. In the international trailer, Potato Head actually has to find a new body. And even better, in the first trailer we see Buzz take a nasty head on collision with a wall, this leaves him in need of a reset, which brings him back speaking Spanish. Aye carumba.
Along with those freaky mishaps and trademark humor the story comes together under a team of Pixar Veterans. The film’s director is none other than Lee Unkrich, who co-directed “Toy Story 2” and “Finding Nemo“. Along with Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson (“Cars” and “Monsters Inc.”) lends her talents as producer of the third installment. And with writer of “Little Miss Sunshine,” Michael Arndt, behind the pen, the classic humor in “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” will undoubtedly be preserved.
Such a humor not only appeals to the young audience who are culturally drawn to cartoons and animated features, but also to adults with subtle wit that is easily to and laugh at and relatable. Such comedy has been alive through the first two movies with references of pop culture and tasteful adult themes. This seems to hold up to the new film as well with the child and adult friendly humor of the daycare toys calling Ken (Barbie) a girls toy as well as Ham suggesting they check how much each of the toys will sell for on eBay.
This combination has worked in the past, but the story here is different enough where it will not seem stale. There are new and mysterious villains as well as a new set of running jokes wrapped in with the humor and characters we have gotten to know so well in the past 15 years. The toys at the daycare center are not what they seem, but appear to be part of a toy mafia of some sort, which will undoubtedly hinder Andy’s toys from escaping their own private hell.
The film will be released in 3D on my Birthday, June 18th, and I can’t imagine a better way to spend my twenty second year of life than with a new Toy Story Flick!
Tron Legacy / Disney
The new “Tron Legacy” trailer was released earlier this week and shares with us some sneak peaks of what we can expect from the actual movie.
Compared to the teaser that showed us how the film would look, this gives us an idea of the plot and how the movie will feel.
The computer world has definitely come a long way from the ancient Greek and religious feel of the original “Tron,” where computer users were viewed as gods by the toga-wearing and arena-fighting programs. Like our world and the real life computer equivalent, it seems the world of Tron has become more bizarre, dangerous and lust filled in the past few decades. Deep darkness and intense emotion seem to have taken over the plain-white logical world that exists in the first film.
With that said, it is good to see some classic Tron elements are returning in this altered universe. Some of those relics evident in the trailer include the ships from Flynn’s Arcade game, “Space Paranoids,” along with the arcade itself, the classic (but altered) glowing discs, the games arena, light cycles and even a brief glimpse at the Master Control Program console from “Tron.”
What could this latter item possibly mean? I do not know, but the brief glimpse of Kevin Flynn (Played by Jeff Bridges in both movies) at the end of this trailer is enough to say, something is definitely not right. Bridges, as we know, just won the Oscar for best lead actor for his role in “Crazy Heart,” and although his performance in that was good, he may have to settle for supporting actor in “Tron Legacy,” if it comes to that.
The main focus seems to be on his son, Sam Flynn, played by Garrett Hedlund, who visits his fathers old arcade in hopes of finding him after his 20 year disappearance. While there, the mysterious digitizing machine that transported Flynn into the computer world in the original “Tron,” pops out of nowhere, seemingly when Sam finds the old Master Control console that caused so much danger in the first movie.
This alone raises plenty of questions, which is pumping me up even more for this film. Another thing to think about when analyzing this film is the sultry and sleek feel of this movie. The dark suits and rock star attitude evident in this trailer pulls a 180 on the classic. So I, for one, am not expecting the same type of movie as the first, but instead an even more action packed blockbuster of the modern day.
This alone is really impressive and symbolic of the changing era of computers in our society. It really personifies the digital world and its evolving form, from the logical and stuffy days of DOS-run computers to the modern sleek and flashy style of computers today.
So, despite the new look and feel of this familiar universe, I am still optimistic that this sequel will rock the pants off of anyone who goes to see it. Keeping that in mind, with all the elements from the first movie present in Legacy, I would suggest picking up or renting a copy of “Tron” to catch up on the plot. The way I see it, Disney should be re-releasing some sort of ultra-super special digitally remastered platinum edition from the vault pretty soon.
End of Line.
With a classic tale comes a classic character. And when the tale of such a character’s “untold” rise to outlawdom is shared, an oh-so satisfying twist is added to a familiar mythology.
“Robin Hood,” due out May 14, portrays this well-known outlaw in his heroic days, and seems to fill in the lesser known details as to how he became a legend.
The bridged gap starts with King Richards’s death, preceding the siege of the castle called Chalus-Chabrol and Robin’s rise against the newly seated, King John and his corrupt policies.
Ok, so the untold story seems a little familiar, but we wont know until we see the whole film, so for analysis sake, let’s look a little deeper. The trailer boasts that the tale takes place before the fabled Sherwood Forest, but let us not forget Robin’s band of men. Although, based on the intensity of the trailer, don’t expect them to be very merry. I would count the tights out too.
Other familiar characters will appear in this new film adaptation as well. The most recognizable of which are Maid Marion, played by Cate Blanchett, and Little John, played by Kevin Durand, who can be recognized as Gabriel from “Legion,” the large tremor brother from “Smokin’ Aces” and ex marine Sergeant Gordon Kennedy in the television series, Lost.
According to the Internet Movie Database, the film will have some historical figures in play as well, such as Sir William Marshall, a man who, through history, served King Richard well during his reign. When Richard reached the end of his life however, Marshall supported Prince John over his nephew Arthur of Brittany, in becoming the next King, according to an article written by Catherine Armstrong.
With this historical aspect present, I would not expect any fantasy based occurrences like witches, magical weapons or potions, but I still wouldn’t count out an arrow-split. Robin Hood as a master archer is not only hyped up in the trailer but also in chatter all over the web, although, it appears he will be wielding a blade and axe as well.
When it comes to how this movie will feel, the epic music played during both the trailer and Super Bowl spot, reminds me of 2006’s “300.” Although everything else seems to echo “Gladiator,” which could easily be attributed to the combination of Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe playing the lead bad ass. It is a combination that could work for a modern-day audience, in the telling Robin of Locksley’s past.
Regardless of how new or stale the story might be, the trailers set high expectations for intensity packed action through its heart-pounding clips that just left me speechless for a moment, followed by a sudden outburst of “AWESOME!” Plus the PG-13 rating promises “intense sequences of warfare,” which, at the moment, is good enough for me!