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Somewhere between transcendent, legendary filmmakers and reliable, interesting directors, lies the career of Danny Boyle. While Boyle has never been consistently listed among the titans of the craft – Kubrick, Kurosawa, Scorsese, etc. – his work has changed the face of cinema a time or two. And he’s made a handful of great work over the years.
And, like most directors, he’s made some stinkers. It happens. T2 Trainspotting, the first sequel of his career (he was a producer on 28 Weeks Later) and his twelfth feature film, is out this week in wide release. And judging from the trailers and UK buzz, it has the potential to give the original a run for its money.
Let’s take a look at Danny Boyle’s work over the last twenty plus years, and see how they stack up against one another.
128 Days Later…
Boyle’s zombie film could not have hit at a better, more somber, more unsettling time in human history. Following the events of 9/11, a movie about a zombie outbreak that (allegedly) wipes out humanity was full of shots of a decimated, empty London, and heaps of dead bodies and abandoned automobiles, struck an exposed nerve. Aside from the timeliness of the film, Boyle’s zombies reinvented the entire genre. These were fast, scary monsters, not the moaning, lumbering undead we were familiar with to that point in pop culture. Everything about 28 Days Later is pitch perfect, and it remains one of the greatest modern horror films.
“I know I’ve got another 40 years of making these movies, no, it was cool. It was really awesome. And I thought it was beautifully done. And just really great to see these stories that we’re seeing told a lot, actually, just taken somewhere incredibly different.”
What are your thoughts on Logan? Did you enjoy Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart’s last outing as Wolverine and Professor X? Comment below!
“In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.”
Logan stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/ Logan, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Dafnee Keen as Laura Kinney/X-23, Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce, Doris Morgado as Maria, Richard E. Grant as Dr. Zander Rice, Stephen Merchant as Caliban, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gabriela, and others. See it in theaters now.
DC Comics dominated another month of comic book sales to no one’s surprise. Although they didn’t have the top selling book of the month, it’s pretty clear who the #1 “Big Dog” is right now. After reviewing Comichron’s sales estimates for February 2017, a few titles caught my eye as criminally under sold. Here are five comics outside of February’s Top 100 that deserve more attention.
New Super-Man (131 in Units, 160 in Dollars)
Writer Gene Luen Yang has tapped into something spectacular. His series has achieved so much already in less than ten issues. Kenan Kong, and the Justice League Of China, have quickly established themselves as heroes to pay attention to. New Super-Man is an underrated gem, one of the best DC Rebirth comic book series thus far. It’s a fun, action-packed, emotional joy ride. Yang is taking Kenan through an alternate route to becoming a “Superman”, get on board now.
U.S.Avengers (111 in Units, 111 in Dollars)
The current state of Marvel Comics isn’t one that everybody is celebrating. Their sales numbers reflect a confused fan base, struggling to sort through this messy line of comic books. U.S.Avengersis a team of lesser-known heroes, assembled against the more ridiculous forces of evil. So far, writer Al Ewing has delivered a solid, over the top superhero team that patriotically protects and serves. The first arc was a lighthearted, and rather hilarious, introduction to the characters led by Roberto Da Costa. If you’ve ever wondered how entertaining a G.I. JOE-style Avengers team would be, this book is your answer.
Black Science (185 in Units, 179 in Dollars)
Rick Remender’s science fiction epic for Image Comics is about to reach it’s 29th issue. We’re well past the honeymoon phase, this is one of the best comics currently being published. This may be one of those books you usually “wait for the trade”, but you should reconsider that. Black Science is a triumph in both story and art, a masterpiece of comic book entertainment. Remender and Matteo Scalera combine to deliver a seemingly unlimited amount of worlds, characters, creatures, and concepts for readers to explore.
Star-Lord(149 in Units, 150 in Dollars)
Guardians Of The Galaxy fans haven’t been getting too many worthwhile comics recently. The film’s success has had a negative impact on the comic books for some time. That isn’t the case for Chip Zdarksy’s Star-Lord. Although still a young series in number, Zdarksy has already delivered the best interpretation of Peter Quill since 2014. Still operating within the Chris Pratt-inspired guidelines, this series manages to be a hilariously-entertaining struggle for the cosmic-hero trying to find his place while stranded on Earth.
Nova (115 in Units, 113 in Dollars)
Rich Rider has finally returned to split his Nova duties with fellow Corps member, Sam Alexander. Writer Jeff Loveness has been brilliantly balancing the two heroes within each issue. Nova jumps from Sam’s awkward high school dilemmas, to Rich’s troubling adjustment returning to the land of the living; all with plenty of Nova Corps action in between.
Which comics do you think deserve more attention? Which Top 100 books do you think are overrated? Have you been enjoying these five books listed above? Let us know in the comments below!
New York, NY—March 13, 2017 — The most fearsome villain in the entire galaxy returns for an all-new series! Today, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd. are pleased to announce a new beginning for one of the most popular Star Wars™ comic book series! This June, prepare for DARTH VADER #1 – the all-new ongoing series coming to a comic shop near you! Superstar writer Charles Soule (Poe Dameron, Astonishing X-Men) will team with chart-busting artist Giuseppe Camuncoli (Amazing Spider-Man) to chronicle the epic rise of one of the greatest villains in all of fiction!
Series editor Jordan D. White has this to say:
I’m so excited that we get to tell more stories about the best villain of all time…and this time, we get to show his very first steps into the Dark Side. I was blown away by some of the stuff we plan to show in this series…and I think readers will be, too—from hardcore Star Wars fanatics to those who want to see more of that deadly threat from the end of Rogue One. Charles has an evil streak in him that readers might have seen whenever he’s written Palpatine in the past. Now, that comes front and center.
When Anakin Skywalker fell, both to the pull of the dark side and to the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he rose back up, more machine than man. Having lost everything that he once held dear, the one who was prophesized to bring balance to the Force instead chose a darker path. Now, in a story set directly after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, he must take his first steps into a darker world as…Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith!
Witness iconic moments in the Star Wars galaxy through the lens of one of its most famous characters! The construction of Vader’s red lightsaber, the fallout of Order 66, the beginnings of the Inquisitor program, and the rise of an Empire. Join Vader as he learns a new way. The way of Darth Sidious…the way of the dark side.
This June, the Marvel’s smash-hit Star Wars comics venture to a new era of a galaxy far, far away! Take a walk on the dark side as Soule & Camuncoli bring you the must-read DARTH VADER #1 – available wherever comics are sold this June!
DARTH VADER #1
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
On Sale in June!
It’s hard to talk about this episode without going into Spoiler territory. It takes a twist at the end which many probably didn’t see coming.
Room for Ruby episode opens with return of Navy. She was one of the rogue rubies which came to find Jasper. From there though the episode takes a very interesting bit of turns until cheery disposition Navy ends up betraying the team. It’s a moment which really catches you off by surprise. It seemed for most of the episode like Peridot and Lapis were about ready to get a new roommate at the barn.
This will have many repercussions for story from here on. The lose of the spaceship which means there will no more travel to distant worlds like with Greg’s rescue a few episodes ago. This is a shame because more adventures in space would have been awesome and could have shown more Gem installations in the solar system.
Navy is more than likely going to gather her team who are drifting in space. From there, there are two major possibilities. First they could return and try and to defeat the crystal gems on their own. This would result in a more comical episode as they would probably get defeated easily. Second they report to Homeworld what happened and get reinforcements. This would probably be the more likely scenario as it will finally let Homeworld know the danger of the Crystal Gems.
A funny episode which could have simply been a bit of comedy turned out to have ramifications for the team and for the series from here on. It might make Steven think twice before trusting another gem who shows up out of nowhere from home world. Of course he probably will anyways as he’s such a trusting young soul.
Sword Art Online is a mixed bag of a franchise. The series starts strong with one of the most powerful stories of any anime with characters fans fell in love with and connected to. Unfortunately, it seems the original author Reki Kawahara should have stopped when he was ahead. Many didn’t bother returning for the second season as they felt the series had hit a zenith. Why bother coming back if the first season ended so definitively?
What the franchise needed was an over the top display of excellence to win back everyone. A way to remind them why they enjoyed Sword Art Online in the first place. Does the movie, Ordinal Scale succeed in this feat? For the most part but not without taking a few steps back.
Story
A new system, the Augma, which utilizes AR (augmented reality) is sweeping the nation. Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth are all onboard but Kirito isn’t one to jump on the bandwagon as he prefers previous games.The group continues to play the new game Ordinal Scale they soon find themselves wrapped up in a conspiracy which dates back to their time in Sword Art Online and the return of an old friend who wants revenge for being forgotten.
The movie banks on the idea more people enjoyed the first arc of the story than the ones which followed. It starts slow by making references to the arc for story purposes but by the end goes full force and even finds a way to duplicate the “people may die from playing the game” circumstances. This is the big negative against it as it really feels like it relying too much on what has already been done in an effort to tell a good story.
The film does have a lot to offer though and is very entertaining. There is an impressive amount of action scenes scattered through the film. Not enough to make things too overwhelming but not too little to make things dull. Also, despite the cop out of repeating previously mentioned circumstances, it is incredible to see the characters return to their Sword Art Online personas. Applause and cheers erupted from the theater audience when this moment occurred. It was here many forgot the same peril had to be used to arrive at this point and became swept up in the action scenes again.
Another entertaining factor is the attention to the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. The film doesn’t forget their relationship is what helped get their audience in the first place. Kirito once again has to fight against all odds to save Asuna or risk their relationship falling apart. Kinda like he did in the second half of the first season but it’s absent a creepy guy trying to marry her. Above all their adorable and seeing them trying to work towards being together is always a treat.
Art
The art design doesn’t slack off in the movie. Yes, previous designs from the show are utilized but a lot of new characters and creatures are introduced to balance this out. The film goes as far as to ensure each of the cast members has a new costume for the Ordinal Scale Game. There also are a few new characters introduced which find a way to slide into the mythology behind the series without being distracted or retconning too much of the existing story. Ordinal Scale’s mascot character Yuna resembles Hatsune Miku and even go as far as to explore the popularity such a character possesses.
Music
Series composer Yuki Kaijiura makes a return and finds a way to work her magic in the series soundtrack. The five songs in the film song by Yuna (song by Sayaka Kanda) are varied so much they don’t get overplayed or obnoxious. A hazard which can come from having a character which is a singer. The songs are catchy and the fim’s theme song (by LiSA) really helps to wind the story down as the credits play and fans enjoy some post movie images which serve as an epilogue.
Conclusion
The movie is good, entertaining, and makes you want more Sword Art Online. In these ways it’s a winner. Which is good because the end of the film does tease there will be more of the series in future. Yet, moving forward, how many more of these stories will feature the cast in danger playing games? You won the audience back Sword Art Online: The Movie: Ordinal Scale, but how much more will fans stomach before the underlying burning question of “Why don’t they just play a board game? It would be safer.” becomes too powerful to ignore.
“Iron Fist is the most frustrating and ferociously boring example of Netflix Drift in some time”, Ryan writes. She also lists “uninspired production design, unexceptional cinematography, and painful dialogue” as detractors. The review ends with these harsh words: “Getting through two episodes was a challenge.”
Iron Fist‘s main enemy is The Hand, who have a major role in Daredevil Season 2. “An interesting bad guy with objectives central to the individual show feels important to the crafting of the hero,” says Fienberg. “Danny suffers from the absence of exactly that.”
In contrast, Miles Surrey of .Mic gives a mixed review of Iron Fist, which he calls “a flawed, cliche series.” He cites the show’s similarities to Batman Begins as a problem, such as Danny’s billionaire backstory and training. Surrey feels the Hand is “little on exposition” and more on action.
That being said, Surrey lists the stunt-work and fight scenes as a highlight of the show. He praises the choreography as “a ton of fun” and “some of the best you’ll see on TV”. Fans can expect a hallway scene which harkens to a famous Daredevil scene.
On a positive note, Josh Wilding of Comicbookmovie.com loves the show for “Strong action, a compelling story, and a compelling performance from Finn Jones.” He praises the choice of Jones in the role of Danny. “His naivety never becomes frustrating; instead, he’s a massively likeable character clearly setting out to try and do the right thing.”
Regarding the alleged whitewashing, Wilding states Danny has always been Caucasian in the comic books. “While Marvel decided against casting Jackie Chan as the lead”, he says, “the show does feature a kickass Asian lead in the form of Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing.”
Keep in mind, the mixed reviews don’t mean the series is bad, though. If anything, many want a show on par with Daredevil, and for some, this may not be to their liking.
The Walking Dead has allowed Morgan to become incredibly stagnant. His morality has been the sole subject of his character. Every episode that focuses on him tends to rehash the same conundrum. How can Morgan survive without killing? Can anyone stay righteous in a walker-filled world? “Bury Me Here” tells an okay story, and helps to make Ezekiel ready for war. But it doesn’t disguise the fact that nothing all that new happens here.
Morgan’s dilemma around killing takes an odd turn in “Bury Me Here.” When we last saw Morgan, he wanted to avoid war so no allies would die. But this week, The Walking Dead threw Morgan a curveball with the death of Ben. While it seems obvious in hindsight, the death of Ben seems very sensible and wasn’t too obvious. The fact that suddenly, Ben had “a girl,” should’ve been a tip-off, but nevertheless, it worked. It gave Morgan just the right amount of motivation to rework his ideas. He doesn’t exactly change his entire persona, mind you. He’ll be back on the path of morality soon enough, the same way he reverted last season.
The more shocking twist is Morgan killing Richard. Richard was the Kingdom guard obsessed with taking out the Saviors. He’s been plotting several attacks on the Saviors – one which included sacrificing Carol. So the fact Richard seems so torn up about Ben dying in his place isn’t super convincing. Likewise, the character of Gavin seems a bit inconsistent. How much does he care about The Kingdom, and how much does he care solely about resources? Most importantly – how did NO ONE stop Morgan from killing Richard? I don’t care how long Morgan has been in The Kingdom, nor how much Ezekiel relates to Morgan. The fact that nobody stopped Morgan defies logic.
At its core, “Bury Me Here” is more filler, teasing the eventual war. It’s unclear just how much The Walking Dead intends to lead viewers on before the conflict begins. It seems like Morgan has been put on the right path, stepping away from The Kingdom. He may have ratted out Richard to Gavin, but he’s still willing to kill. Ezekiel and Carol have each been pushed forward as well. The deaths of loved ones is a common motivator for The Walking Dead, and it works. It’ll be interesting to see if these characters really embrace this war fully.
On a more technical note, the editing on The Walking Dead is pretty abysmal. It’s a category that has been added to these reviews, specifically to call it out. The pre-credit scene is about twenty seconds too short, and the lead in to the second day of trade is poorly paced. There’s also a clear lack of coverage for “Bury Me Here,” as many lines are spoken off-camera (particularly by Savior). And I understand the reasoning for Morgan’s freak-out montage. Yes, it’s meant to disturb the audience, and make the chaos in Morgan’s mind clear. But it’s too jumbled here, and it’s about as annoying as shaky-cam action shots.
It’s hard to feel immersed in a show that’s so repetitive. So many episodes this season are rooted in build-up over payoff. With such a large cast, it makes sense that The Walking Dead wants to give each character their due. Morgan is on roughly the same path, but at least there’s effort. Likewise, it seems Ezekiel and Carol may be ready to become relevant again. The payoff will determine whether or not these exposition episodes will be worth it. But for now, all we can hope for is that next episode will bring us the action we crave.
Superman might finally get his chance to shine again in the DC Extended Universe. According to Collider Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct Man of Steel 2.
Sources have reportedly told Collider that Vaughn is the studio’s first choice to direct the Superman sequel. While the deal is in the early stages, the report states that discussions between Warner Bros. and Matthew Vaughn have already happened. Vaughn could still decide not to direct the film but he’s the guy Warner Bros. wants.
Matthew Vaughn has previously discussed the idea of directing a Superman movie. Before Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Vaughn talked about Superman with Warner Bros. but never got the chance to show his version of the character. The directed did end up offering what he thought a Superman movie should look like. See what Vaughn said below:
“I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me.”
it certainly sounds like Vaughn has a cool vision for what Superman should be. If he does end up directing the solo Superman sequel I would expect the character to shift to a more colorful and optimistic tone.
DARTH VADER #1
