With December 16th being less than a month away, the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fan anticipation is at a fever pitch. And although we have had less exposure to it than other Star Wars films in the past, the promotional parade is in full effect. Two new TV spots have been released (for those keeping count these are spots number 4 and 5.)
The first one is all about the rebel crew and the stakes the face. It focuses heavily on the entire team and their infamous mission to destroy the Death Star. Watch it below.
The second spot centers more on lead character Cassian Andor (Gabriel Luna) and his allegiance to the Rebel Alliance. Andor’s connection to the alliance goes back as far as the original Galactic Civil War. You can watch that spot below.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donny Yen, Valene Kane, Riz Ahmed, Genevieve O’Reilly, Jimmy Smits, James Earl Jones, and Forrest Whitaker. It tells the story of the rag-tag team who steal the famed plans for the first Death Star, an act that allows for its destruction by the rebels in Star Wars: A New Hope. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, from a screenplay written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.
The Potterverse prequel ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘ Comes Off Sadly Uninspired.
For being based in magic, there was nothing enchanting about ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘. By the end of the first act, it becomes all “been there, done that” with a new coat of paint.
It’s hard to not compare this to ‘Harry Potter‘ but being from the same universe, there will be comparisons. From the moment the first Potterverse film started, you were introduced to this mysterious world. This movie relies so much the established fanbase that it skips all good parts of a story. Instead of showing us the wonderment, it just gluttonously throws everything at you attempting to dazzle.
‘Fantastic Beasts‘ tries so hard to expand a universe that you forget the story at hand. Focusing on trying to capture all these magical creature let loose in 1920’s New York could have been fine. But there’s so many mentions to future stories or sequel plans that the best story is lost. If any sub-plot should’ve had focused, it’s the twisted “Westboro Baptist Church-esque” anti magic extremist family. Especially since ignoring those characters for most of the running time helped lead to the waste of the talented Ezra Miller.
The waste of Ezra Miller isn’t the only issue regarding the cast. Everyone felt as if they weren’t putting in their best. Eddie Redmayne played a lead character so awkward that it felt uncomfortable to watch at times. It didn’t help that he was only surrounded by comedic side characters and no one of substance. Katherine Waterston plays the thankless role of Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein, the bumbling witch who works for the Magical Congress. For a series known for such strong female characters, she played a sadly one-note role that spends her time making doe-eyes at Redmayne’s Newt Scamander.
“Yesterday, a wizard entered New York with a case. A case full of magical creatures. And unfortunately, some have escaped.”
-Porpentina “Tina” Goldsteinas
Another glaring problem is the either a lackluster script or messy editing. It’s hard where to pin-point my complaint but nothing felt like it was being paced correctly. Scenes jumped around with no real explanation and nothing felt connected. By the end of the film, ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ struggles to get all the pieces together. It could be the inexperience of J.K. Rowling as a film screenwriter or the blame could be on how the film was cut. Just another example of what makes this feel so awkward.
Everything from the villainous reveals to the comedic gags feels like it’s been done over and over again. Nothing says 2016 movie like a giant CGI monster for your finale. It’s so overused Hollywood by now and then to see ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ use this filmmaking crutch…total deal breaker.
Final Thoughts:
This was one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write. The challenge was coming up with enough words to express my boredom and disappointment. I was never the biggest ‘Harry Potter‘ fan but I respected their films. ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ just reeks of unnecessary prequel problem like the ‘The Hobbit‘ series did.
Like the title of the review states, how can a film about magic lack any kinda magical spark to it? My hopes is the sequel slows everything down and build up to the fun instead of just expecting it to be there.
Synopsis: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
Genre: Fantasy Country: USA Director: David Yates Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller
Do you agree with my review? Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment!
After releasing a kickass new poster earlier today, Kong: Skull Island has followed it up with its first full trailer. And I’m not sure what to think.
There is plenty to like about the trailer, some things not to like as much, and some really weird stuff that’s kinda cool. Like, everything about John C. Reilly. Check it out:
So yeah, very busy trailer. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has already teased that there will be a ton of Kong action and they aren’t hiding him until the end of the movie, so it’s no surprise we see plenty of him here. But then there are those other “Bone crawler” things, and a little CGI overload. Some of it is cool as hell – especially that shot of Kong peering over some fireballs – others appears to still be in the polishing stage. Hopefully.
And then there’s John C. Reilly. Clearly, he is the comic relief here, riffing on Dennis Hopper’s mad journalist at the end of the river in Apocalypse Now. He’s probably pretty damn funny in the context of the film, but some of his stuff here – that beard and those jokes – feels jarring in a two-minute preview.
This is probably too much dissection for a movie trailer, especially one that promises so much awesomeness like this, but I’m sincerely hoping this is a great film. The cast is all in place for it to be great, and Kong looks good. I’ll just chalk this up as a weirdly edited trailer (there aren’t even any mention of the actors anywhere).
In the aftermath of REVOLUTION, the Micronauts are trapped in a world inhabited by giants! Oz, Phen, Acroyear, and crew desperately struggle to find their way home—but they discover they weren’t Microspace’s first visitors to planet Earth.
Writing
Though the final issue of Revolution hasn’t been released yet, this issue of Micronauts picks with the team trying to make sense of their new situation. This feels like what they were hoping to reach all along with the team finally on Earth and having to find away back home to save their universe from being destroyed. Writer Cullen Bunn finally has reached the point he was working towards since issue one. Will this help to boost the series? Hopefully yes.
The change of venue does add a lot of nice elements to the book. Acroyear fighting against the gigantic soldiers seems to make him feel more enduring as a character compared to him fighting against wave after wave of the disposable enemies he was dealing with previously. Also the introduction Dr. Dell, the human who is willing to help them may provide the last bit of drama and emotion the team seemed to be missing.
Artwork
Max Dunbar’s artwork really comes out in full force in this issue. The perspective shots which help to showcase just how small the Micronauts are compared to the rest of the world are very detailed and helps to supply the reader with a great sense of scale. The panels help to show he was the right man to bring on for this job from the beginning.
Conclusion
The new Reconstruction event may just been what the series needed. It was feeling rushed trying to get to this point. Now time to see what kind of stories will come out of where the writer was trying to get the series to all along. For the Micronauts fans out, there this is issue is a small ray of hope things might just work out.
Batman, along with Catwoman and Arnold Wesker, The Ventriloquist, attempts to break into Arkham Asylum, in order to extract the Psycho Pirate. But Bane has seized control of the asylum and oversees all who enter and exit. In the middle of all of it, Punch, Judy, and Bronze Tiger all have their own agenda. And the deadly and addictive enhancement drug “Venom” is part of it all. So continues “I Am Suicide” the second arc of DC’s new Batman, part of the Rebirth relaunch of all of its books.
Batman #11
Publisher: DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Penciled by Mikel Janin
Inked by Mikel Janin and Hugo Petrus
Colored by June Chung
Writing
Full disclosure, I have not kept up with the Rebirth storyline overall. I read the Rebirth special that started it all, but didn’t follow up. That being said, I was a huge fan of Tom King and the work he did on both DC’s The Omega Men and Marvel’s The Vision, so it was only a matter of time before I checked him out writing Batman.
Circumstances made it that I started halfway through a second arc, so I had very little background on what was going on. But King is a good enough writer that I was mostly able to follow the story, but I could have used a recap page or a little bit more revealed from the dialog. He certainly brings a new feel to Batman, though, as what I read as an overall creepiness to it that really does harken back to the original, Golden Age Batman comics by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Back then, the Batman books were almost hallucinatory in their narrative, with plenty of weirdness hand in hand with the superheroics. That is also present here.
King’s characterization of Catwoman is great too, and she is written as a much darker (and morally questionable) character than she has been in ages. Punch and Judy are also unique, and the whole thing reminds me (positively I should add) of the stuff Grant Morrison was doing with Frank Quietly in Batman & Robin a few years ago. Still, some of it is a bit too ambiguous, and I can’t say a lot happens plotwise.
Art
The art, colors, and layout here are all pretty great. Thumbs up must be given to Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus, and June Chung. There are a couple of moments where movement is implied without panels (the characters just drawn at different points along one location in the background) that I found inventive. The figures and faces are also drawn with great detail and expression and are more realistic than some of the looks the Bat-books have had before.
Also, the coloring is crisp, with a few solid colors as background at key points to really emphasize a character. There’s also a refreshing lack of “computerized” look to the art in general (and keep in mind I read mine digitally). Overall it’s a great looking book.
Conclusion
Although the book was a good read, it perhaps wasn’t the best place to start fresh. There seems to be a lot going on, and it’s a bit off-putting for new readers. Still, there is a strong atmosphere and great looking art, so that definitely holds an interest. At the very least, this issue makes me want to go and pick up King’s first arc on the book and play catch up. As I have no doubt he has a good story planned for Batman and his rogues’ gallery.
We recently got the official trailer for Warner Bros. Animation’s upcoming R-Rated Justice League Dark, and now we have a look at the official Blu-Ray box art.
Additionally, the company has revealed the film’s Digital HD release date is January 24, 2017; the Blu-Ray and DVD version hits store shelves on February 7, two weeks later.
“When innocent civilians begin committing unthinkable crimes across Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond, Batman must call upon mystical counterparts to eradicate this demonic threat to the planet. Enter Justice League Dark, reluctantly led by the Hellblazer himself, John Constantine. Like Batman, Constantine is a cunning, often cynical loner who is the best at his chosen profession – but quickly realizes the sinister forces plaguing the planet will require help from other supernatural alliances. Forming a new “league” with sorceress Zatanna, otherworldly Deadman, and Jason Blood and his powerful alter ego Etrigan the Demon, this team of Dark Arts specialists must unravel the mystery of Earth’s supernatural plague and contend with the rising, powerful villainous forces behind the siege – before it’s too late for all of mankind.”
What are your thoughts on the box art? Personally, I love the art style; its color palate and character design looks outstanding.
Will you get the film on Digital HD or Blu-Ray? Comment down below and let us know.
Last week French Filmmaker Luc Besson released a visually stunning trailer for his next movie, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. It’s a big-budget science fiction movie born from a relatively unknown source material French graphic novel Valérian and Laureline. Valerian is written, directed, and produced by Besson, so it’ll be different from the usual generic studio output. This doesn’t guarantee a great film, but it does guarantee a memorable one. Besson is an action movie director who does things with a bold signature.
Valerian isn’t due out until July 21, 2017, so until then get familiar with the best films from Luc Besson.
Nikita – 1990
You may know the recent CW Nikita TV show or the film Point Of No Return in the mid-90s or the 90s TV show La Femme Nikita. All of those were revamps of Luc Besson’s 1990 French hit Nikita. A shadowy organization recruits a young, drug-addicted girl and trains her as an elite assassin. Besson’s style shines in this film which is grittier than any of the reboots.
Jean Reno (who was also in Nikita) stars as Leon, a professional assassin living a solitary life in New York. Gary Oldman is an unhinged and corrupt drug enforcement agent. Natalie Portman makes her film debut as Leon’s protege Mathilde. The Professional is a stylish thriller with heart. And now that I think about it why not reboot it with a grown up Mathilde played by … Natalie Portman!
Besson’s best-known film, The Fifth Element is quirky, and weird, and likely a good indicator of Valerian’s vibe. Bruce Willis is a taxi driver in a super-high-tech future world that regulates smoking and features flying food carts. The Fifth Element brought the world Leeloo cosplay, alien opera singers, and Gary Oldman with a funky hair-do. It’s one of the more original scifi films of the last 20 years.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adéle Blanc-Sec – 2010
After a bit of a slump during the early 2000s, Luc Besson returned to fantastic form with The Extraordinary Adventures of AdéleBlanc-Sec. Based on a French graphic novel of the same name, the film follows several characters through paranormal and science fiction adventures in 1912 Paris. Arguably Besson’s best film, it’s live action, and computer animation blended into an inventive, funny adventure.
Black Widow’s alter ego is Lucy, a drug mule who receives a massive overdose that ends up turning her into a God. Scarlett Johansson stars in another of Besson’s stylish, off-beat action movies. It lacks the tension of The Professional or the imagination of The Fifth Element, but Lucy is still a fun cinematic ride with a super-powered female lead who might be the most powerful super-powered movie character ever.
Making Star Wars, the pinnacle of Star Wars fan sites on the internets, has some new information about two characters from Star Wars Episode VIII, played by Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern. And they’re pretty cool descriptions.
If you want to go into Star Wars Episode VIII as green as possible, move along. These are spoilers, technically, but they’re also just some cool descriptions of characters we will probably all know about before the movie opens next year.
Here they are:
Benicio del Toro has been described as a classic “man in black.” As in he wears all black and he’s dangerous. His character is clean shaven with hair not unlike Poe Dameron’s in length. While The Wrap let us know he was up for the role of the bad guy in the film sometime ago, it doesn’t appear the heroes see del Toro as a bad guy, at least not at first. We think he’s connected to the casino set we talked about sometime ago. On paper it sounds a little close to Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back but before you panic, there are some details we’re still working on that make that appear to a bit of a stretch. We’ll have more to report on Episode VIII’s “man in black” in the future.
Laura Dern is probably the most bombastic of the new characters from the rumors we’ve heard. She is very aristocratic and fancy in a way we haven’t really seen in Star Wars before. Her look is unique. Someone compared her design to The Hunger Games-meets-Star Wars. Dern wears a “fancy” dress and her hair is like something out of the prequels. The biggest defining detail of this new character played by Laura Dern is that she has pink hair in Star Wars: Episode VIII. Sources are at a loss for words when they tried to describe her hair which is very ornate, almost like something out of the Outlander Club in Attack of the Clones.
Consider these rumored descriptions as fact, given the source. Also, who else is pumped about the prospect of a casino in the Star Wars universe.
There are fewer things as invigorating as when movie posters are done well. Kong: Skull Island is one of those posters.
Perhaps it’s because so many movie posters these days are just mailed in photoshop jobs by interns, complete with floating heads and familiar font. No inspiration. That’s what makes this one so amazing:
So yeah, that’s amazing. It’s almost enough to make me buy the poster before ever seeing the movie. Almost… I’d hate for the movie to suck then have to look at this cruel reminder hanging on my wall. The color scheme, the symmetrical layout, the looking specter of Kong in the distance, hidden but still visible… it is all just beautiful.
That being said, everything about Kong: Skull Island sure seems promising. The cast includes Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, and John Goodman, and every bit of footage thus far has looked terrific.
Thanks to the massive success of Don’t Breathe this summer, Fede Alvarez has become even more of a hot commodity. Not only is the director attached to direct The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo sequel, The Girl in The Spider’s Web, but now he is planning on a sequel to Don’t Breathe.
Alvarez spoke to Jacob Hall over at comingsoon.net about the two projects, and where they are with each. Regarding Don’t Breathe 2, Alvarez said “We just started, but we know exactly where it goes. But we won’t tell you right now. But there will be more Don’t Breathe for sure.”
As far as the more ambitious Girl in The Spider’s Web, he spoke about what they have working for and against them in getting this thing off the ground:
“Is it all true? Yeah, it’s true. We’re putting together the story right now. Obviously, there’s a book and there’s a script that’s great. Because we write everything I direct, we’re working on that part right now to make it our own and put our imprint in it so it feels like it’s part of our filmography.”
But are either of these things good ideas? Personally, I think Don’t Breathe is garbage, but I do see what excited audiences. Just not me. Regardless, even though a sequel was set up in the end, is there anything promising about the possibility of returning to that world? There is no way it will work as effectively as it did back in August.
As for The Girl in The Spider’s Web, this may be even more unnecessary. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo was in 2011, was forgettable, for the most part, and the superior Swedish films have been around for a long time now. And I can’t imagine Rooney Mara would be back on board… why bother?
Whatever the case, Fede Alvarez is ready to get going, and for fans of his previous works (not me), that should be exciting. It would just be a little cooler if he branched out into more original stuff.
Don’t Breathe is out on DVD and blu-ray November 29.
