Bryan Singer Sets Superhero Movies Back 20 Years With X-Men: Apocalypse

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May 28, 2016

X-Men: Apocalypse AKA X-Men: Arbitrary Stuff. AKA X-Men: Male Pattern Baldness. AKA X-Men: We Have No Faith In You.

These are all viable titles for Bryan Singer’s fourth entry in what is ostensibly his X-Franchise. Singer deserves a lot of credit for shooting this period of superhero films into the stratosphere with his original two X-Men movies. The problems those movies have derive mostly from being products of their time and show the fear of putting a lot of this truly weird material into a mega-budget Hollywood blockbuster.

That was sixteen years ago at this point. When you make a movie that takes everything back to the problems of that first generation of mutant movies, not only is it irresponsible filmmaking, it’s a stupid decision.

“But Bryan Singer made X-Men: Days of Future Past“, you might say. DoFP is a decent and fun movie with incredible themes at play and characters making decisions from real places of experience.

We got lucky.

Singer made DoFP a movie that could reconnect this new franchise with the one he created in the early 2000s. It doesn’t hurt that there was literally the best source material in comic form to bridge this gap. I’m not saying DoFP was a home run from the get-go, but it was totally a ground-rule double. There is a comic beat in Apocalypse where a character discusses Return of the Jedi and mentions that the third movie is always the worst. In this case it’s honest truth but I don’t think Singer is suggesting Apocalypse is the third movie here. He’s talking about X-Men: The Last Stand, full stop. He chose to not make that movie and is now riding on the shoulders of giants (Matthew Vaughn) to lay claim that this new series of movies outdoes the calamity that is The Last Stand. This movie is worse that that.

With X-Men: Apocalypse, we’re left with pushing our characters into the ’80s (because why not?) and featuring a villain who shows up because he’s a big enough reason to have everyone eventually team up to defeat him (spoiler: they team up to defeat him). Apocalypse, as a character, has no motivations or qualities that make him an interesting counterpoint to our heroes strengths. When this is the crux of the movie, the ideal situation would be to place our heroes in thematically relevant opposition with each other*. That material was there because we’ve spent two movies breaking these people who love each other apart. Except X-Men: Apocalypse decides to actually eject all of that emotionally resonant material and metaphorically hits the reset button.

The movie doesn’t understand its own characters. Why would Erik decide to go off into the backwoods of Poland and create a family and work in a steel mill? Nothing in his character suggests he would just leave the events of DoFP behind entirely to do this. Ok, even if I could accept that he would, what weight is given to his family that is eventually killed so that he can just go back to the point he was in the last movie? Did we really need this subplot as a reminder? We understand that Erik is Charles Xavier but angry. Please allow us to be conflicted about a character.

X-Men: Apocalypse actually wants us to do zero work of our own. Every action is backed up by a line of dialogue further enforcing the previous action. Do you wonder why Quicksilver can’t quite catch up to his real problems? Of course you don’t but he’ll tell you anyway. Apocalypse knows only how to placate its audience, with the most entertaining scene being the exact same one from DoFP but extended by two minutes.

If Bryan Singer is the father of the X-Franchise, Simon Kinberg is the kooky uncle. Kinberg has now written four of these movies and is a producer on all Fox-owned Marvel content. I think it’s very telling that X-Men: First Class didn’t involve any credited writing from Kinberg and he’s done a great job since of erasing all the good will of that film. Kinberg writes these movies with a jackhammer for a pen and breaks the story entirely with plot and circumstance.

Nothing in Apocalypse happens because characters are playing off of one another. When Scott Summers’ brother, Alex AKA Havok, is killed whilst trying to defend Xavier, it doesn’t resonate like an actual family death should (also, could the only mutant death in the film have been more clearly telegraphed?). It serves only to place Scott, Jean and Kurt “Nightcrawler” Wagner into position so they can save our main heroes later in Stryker’s den. Good writing is using the plot to move these situations forward but relying on emotion and character habits to do so. The impact of Alex’s death is nonexistent and in a movie where being a “team” or a “family” is paramount to winning the day, this is expressly the problem.

Apocalypse feels entirely like bad fan-service. The great character development and storytelling of the first two entries in this iteration of X-characters are thrown to the wayside to tell a story where we can introduce Storm and Cyclops and Jean and Psylocke, etc. Singer and co. have so little creative juices in their X-veins here that they resort to f***ing Weapon X and Col. Stryker to drive the entire middle portion of the film. Singer had the entirety of his second X-movie, X2: X-Men United, to handle this storyline but still feels the need to incorporate these boring elements into this new timeline. We seriously don’t need anymore Stryker (especially the bad-acting-meathead version) or anymore Wolverine in this timeline**. This also brings to question why even create the new timeline in DoFP at all?

The last X-movie ended in such a way that freed these stories from the initial trilogy and also from some of the canon of the comics. This is interesting ground zero stuff! Instead of doing interesting things with this playground, Apocalypse goes the route of Star Trek Into Darkness (another total piece of shit) and shoehorns the characters into their molds anyway. Mystique controlling Stryker at the end of DoFP was an interesting twist. I know that Wolverine getting his adamantium skeleton is integral to his character but it doesn’t mean he has to do so in exactly one way. The doors left open by DoFP were slammed shut in our faces and without anything remotely close to an explanation.

The story, characters and entire reasoning behind X-Men: Apocalypse*** are entirely broken. I truly love the work these actors did in the last two X-movies and I want to see them move forward in their relationships. Apocalypse is such a misfire because it neglects exactly what made those films special. I believe the heart of the problem lies with Bryan Singer. Look, this man can make good movies. We’ve seen a couple of them. Still, he is not right for this universe or these continuing themes and stories. He has proven to fall back upon the worst cinematic crutches to give us something old, stale and reheated. Hell, he even resorted to giving our heroes the terrible black leather uniforms circa 2000 in the most idiotic way possible****. The comic book movie world has greatly advanced in the last 16 years. It’s time Fox makes the smart decision in regard to their only Marvel cash cow and deliver the X-Men into the hands of someone who is truly capable of letting their freak flag fly.

For a man who knows exactly what it’s like being an outcast in certain sects of society, Bryan Singer has no clue what to do with the X-Men and I’m done with it.

*Exactly why Zemo works in Captain America: Civil War.

**The violence in Wolverine’s escape was truly jarring. Apocalypse already treads the line of R-rated murder but this scene truly puts it over the top. It totally fits the character and his emotions, but doesn’t at all fit the tone of this movie.

***You also have the honor of being the first movie that entirely wastes the amazing Oscar Isaac. Great job.

****And please try to explain to me that all those “random flight suits” are meant to fit each actor’s body perfectly. What a crazy coincidence!

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MegaCon 2016: Day Two Cosplay Photos

By

EJ Moreno

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May 28, 2016

Did You Take A Photo With Monkeys Fighting Robots At MegaCon?

Check back for more photos and videos from MegaCon throughout the weeks!

What was your favorite cosplay of day two?

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Review : ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ Is Full Of Heart

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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May 27, 2016

While Disney was over the moon with the success of Tim Burton’s 2010 Alice In Wonderland, the thought of another James Bobin taking over had to be troubling at first. How could he be expected to achieve any level of success after director Tim Burton created Alice in Wonderland his way and set the bar so high? Burton concentrated on bringing his darker version of Wonderland that was full of frivolity to the screen, and it translated into massive box-office success.

Luckily, it appears Mr. Bobin has learned some valuable lessons from Burton’s 2010 film and concentrated on making Alice Through The Looking Glass, in theaters this weekend, in line with his version of Wonderland. The result is a movie with broad appeal and chock full of heart.

Our story continues in London around 1875 when Alice escapes troubling times by diving through the looking glass. Alice immediately is reunited with Mirana (Anne Hathaway), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), the blue butterfly Absolem (voiced by the late Alan Rickman), and a myriad of pals from her last trip to Wonderland.

Everyone is happy to see Alice once more, but they have sad news: The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) has gone off the deep end with “delusions” and believes his family is still alive. No one buys into Hatter’s “delusions” because everyone believes they were killed long ago by the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Alice pledges to get to the bottom of all this and embarks on a quest to meet time (Sacha Baron Cohen) and acquire the Chromosphere, a magical gold ball that enables one to cross the oceans of time so someone can go back and attempt to change history.

Linda Woolverton wrote both the screenplays for Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass and developed two fantastic narratives. In Alice In Wonderland, the focus was on the bizarre and the magic of Wonderland. In Alice Through The Looking Glass, the focus is on the love of family.

This is where Alice Through The Look Glass is right, as it would have been foolish to try and replicate the original film. This movie needed to set itself apart from its predecessor, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While Alice In Wonderland indeed provides more in the way of fun and frivolity, the sequel certainly has way more depth to it than the original. The visuals are certainly surprising and exceed expectations. Bobin makes a concerted effort towards brightening the look of Wonderland by adding more fluorescents to the visual palette. The result was a Wonderland that illuminates the screen and has the ability to draw audiences in.

The production design in Alice Through The Looking Glass far surpassed the original film. The highlight visually had to be the Clock of Time. Grand in scale, intricate in its design; and truly at the epicenter for more than half of the film.

Critics are taking this movie to task for providing a tremendous amount of background. However, when the story told is breaking new ground in a universe that has been around for over 100 years, it’s unreasonable to expect anything less. Now Alice Through The Looking Glass could have been susceptible to the background story overshadowing what is on the screen, but the story is interwoven throughout the course of the film with precision.

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Tobermory Brewing Co’s Tilted Windmill IPA – A Bittersweet Review

By

Michael Bedford

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May 27, 2016

On my way back from the cottage last Monday, I stopped in at Tobermory Brewing Co. and picked up a growler of their Tilted Windmill IPA. I also picked up a howler of their Bruce Trail Blonde Ale but that review will have to wait for another day. Tobermory Brewing Co.’s home is picturesque Tobermory, Ontario, where cottagers looking to shave a couple of hours off of their drive board the Chi-Cheemaun. More than just a place to board a ferry, though, Tobermory is a bustling tourist town that welcomes SCUBA divers, sailors, hikers, cyclists, and, of course, beer drinkers.

Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – First Sip

I smell citrus and pine as I take my first sip of this cloudy and deep-amber ale. This is one IPA that is in no way pale. Tilted Windmill is a hop-forward IPA that has a strong grapefruit taste at first. Its thick consistency brings out this brew’s hints of tropical fruit, giving it a mouthfeel that reminds me of mango juice. Its fruity palate gives way gradually to Tilted Windmill’s hops aftertaste, an almost smoky bitterness that makes me crave salt and chocolate.

Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – Last Sip

According to my friendly server’s instructions at the brewery, I drank my growler within three days of its being poured and finished it within 24 hours of opening: I bought my growler of Tilted Windmill on Monday around 6 PM, didn’t open it until Wednesday at 8 PM, and finished it on Thursday around 4 PM. And, even though I pushed the three-day window, I enjoyed this beer a lot. I didn’t find that it had flattened or become significantly less flavourful over night after having opened it on Wednesday. With such a cloudy and dark-coloured beer, I expected a high alcohol content but this beer weighs in at a very reasonable 5% ABV. Unlike other hop-forward IPA’s, Tilted Windmill doesn’t rely too heavily on its hop flavour, instead showing off its complex palate of tropical fruit.

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REVIEW: Overwatch is overrated

By

Nick Enquist

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May 27, 2016

Overwatch has a lot going for it. Smash video game company, Blizzard Entertainment’s latest IP has generated an immense amount of hype from its debut trailer, it is the first time the company has worked on a first person shooter, and it’s starring characters have become fan favorites. The game’s open beta was a massive success, and was declared as one of the most anticipated games by numerous game sites and blogs. And now that the product has finally been released, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed.

Now before everybody and their mother goes nuts let me make something perfectly clear: Overwatch is not a bad game. It is one of the most gorgeous games ever rendered. It feels like playing a Pixar movie. All the characters are unique, diverse, and fun to play as. The game is incredibly easy and accessible, especially for those who are new to shooters. And, most importantly, the game controls great. Never have I played a shooter that was so inclusive and fun.

But, the fact remains that I am disappointed with the final product. Every positive aspect the game offers doesn’t balance out its severe lack of content.

The game’s meat and potatoes are online matches, twelve players duke it out in six vs six objective based games. So, this means that unlike Call of Duty the focus is not on how many enemies you can kill, but rather how you further your team’s advancement to victory. Overwatch forces the players to be more cooperative, and less independent. However, there are only three modes in the game: assault, control, and escort. (It’s worth noting that both Star Wars Battlefront, and Titanfall had more multiplayer modes.)While each varies slightly, none of them are different enough to be unique from each other. In fact there are times that I can’t really tell the difference between each mode I’m playing, and don’t change-up my tactics. And while the game encourages team work that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. More often than not, players will run off to try and get the most kills and make it difficult for the team to win. This can be very frustrating, so the game is more enjoyable when playing with friends.

If you’re not into multiplayer gaming and want a single player experience, Overwatch is not for you. Apart from creating matches with AI bots and a lackluster training mode, the game is entirely multiplayer, which again, only has three modes. This wouldn’t be a problem if the game had more variety in its online content, but the lack of a single player campaign is not only disappointing, but it’s rather baffling. Blizzard is known for creating massive worlds with intricate stories. Now if you’ve seen the marketing story videos, you can see that Blizzard did create a world with Overwatch, but we don’t get to play it.

The main comparison for Overwatch isn’t Gearbox’s Battleborn, but rather Valve’s excellent Team Fortress 2. Both games are remarkably similar in their concepts: multiplayer only games, wildly different characters, and a cartoon like art style. However, the big difference is that Team Fortress 2 doesn’t take it self too seriously. There’s no real story in TF2, the concept doesn’t make much sense, but the focus of the game is on the game play, which is more varied and has more modes than Overwatch. There was no story or world Team Fortress 2 until Valve made videos after the game was released, all of which are goofy and bizarre.

Overwatch‘s marketing materials indicate a large story with an expansive lore inside this epic world. But, we don’t get to see any of it in the actual game. We just have to watch the videos. Apart from the fact that this feels like phenomenal false advertising, the game just doesn’t feel complete. And Blizzard asking for 60 dollars for a game that feels only half completed is overpriced.

I’m disappointed by this mainly because I want a story mode, I want to be more invested in this universe.

All Blizzard gives us are these minimal character interactions when playing the game that just aren’t that satisfying. It’s a shame, because each of these characters could easily hold their own game. I would love to play as Tracer, or McCree, or Winston or any of these characters in their own story modes. Blizzard created this huge world that references an epic war, and has these great characters that all have histories with each other. But, we only get to play a mode that doesn’t explore this world and these characters very well. What’s even more baffling is that each character has a distinct voice actor, and each of them reprise their roles in these short films Blizzard’s releasing. So, if they didn’t want to do a story mode for this game, why did they bother having these talented voice actors fill the roles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXp5zQ_PYP4

Like I said earlier the game is a lot of fun, looks fantastic, and plays great. But great game play and a good presentation don’t justify the price tag and lack of content. I hope Overwatch expands further in the future, and we get to see more of this world and these characters, but as of now there’s just not enough to make this one of the all time greats.

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Review: ‘Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’: Season 4: Episode 9

By

Anthony Wendel

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May 27, 2016

Yukako Yamagishi Falls in Love, Part 2

The worst date in anime history continues. While Josuke and Okuyasu look for their missing buddy, poor Koichi has no choice but to deal with the torture Yukako is putting him through all in the name of love. Still, her type of “love” involves putting a combination lock on the bathroom with a riddle he has to solve if he has any chance of using the toilet. Poor Koichi has to endure as he tries to find a way to obtain freedom. This is all before she energetically shows him the electric chair she has been working on to help him with his studies. No two ways around it, this woman needs some therapy.

After working to try and get a message out for help, Koichi has no choice but to reveal his stand power and fight back. Unfortunately this is exactly as his Stand fails and it looks like he will be at Yukako’s mercy but instead of more torture, a transformation takes place. It’s a bit out of nowhere but this is a long running Shonen series after all and transformations out of nowhere to power up can be a regular occurrence. With his new powered up Stand, Koichi is able to take Yukako down and earn his freedom.

Koichi’s Stand, Reverb, already had some impressive powers but now it looks like he is going to be even more powerful. This is a very good thing especially in a Shonen series. Too often, a character is incredible powerful the first time they appear but as they start to travel with the hero it’s shown they were a one trick pony and not able to properly offer support. Koichi has proven he’s in it for the long haul and will be helping Josuke and the rest until the very end.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Did Robert Kirkman Reveal That “The Walking Dead” Death?

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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May 27, 2016

On Wednesday, May 25th, The Walking Dead creator/writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman went on the late-night comedy game show @midnight, hosted by Chris Hardwick. As Hardwick is also the host of Talking Dead, and with the season six finale being what it was, naturally the topic of who could have died came up. And Kirkman may have given the answer.

WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILER?

Look, it’s quite likely not real. @midnight is a comedy show, so Kirkman was likely just having a laugh at all of our expenses. He knows that people are unhappy with the finale, and as the creator of The Walking Dead universe, he can sort of do whatever he wants. You can see him crack up as soon as he says the name “Carl.” And Carl being the victim of Lucille? It’s not impossible, but it seems unlikely. Negan threatened to pop Carl’s other eye out if anyone stopped his batting practice, and taking it out of a bloody puddle doesn’t make much sense.

On the other hand, Kirkman could very well be telling the truth. He says in the clip he doesn’t want to keep everyone waiting: “I’m not gonna make you wait all summer! I’m not an a**hole!” Which is as good a reason as any to leak the info. And there is a bit of reasoning why it could have been Carl. Carl’s not a pick many would have gone with – it seems like the general consensus is that Glenn was killed, much like the comics. But it’s not impossible that Carl was killed. We don’t have any visual confirmation of who died, and The Walking Dead has swapped character deaths before (like having Denise meet Abraham’s fate).

WATCH THE FULL @MIDNIGHT EPISODE ON CC.COM

What do you guys think? Did Kirkman reveal the big twist, or is he just having a laugh? Seems we’ll find out in six months, on The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, and @midnight.

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MegaCon 2016: Day One Cosplay Photos

By

EJ Moreno

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May 27, 2016

Did You Take A Photo With Monkeys Fighting Robots At MegaCon?

Check back for more photos and videos from MegaCon throughout the weeks!

From Deadpool Jesus to a Fisherman from Pokemon, what was your favorite cosplay that stopped by Monkeys Fighting Robots for Day One?

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The UnPOP Podcast – The Nice Guys and Ryan Gosling as Comedic Genius

By

Curtis Waugh

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May 27, 2016

Curtis and Brock take a trip to the late seventies to discuss Shane Black’s newest film, The Nice Guys. Also find out the piece of Rock news that hits home for Curtis and what the guys think of the latest round of MCU casting.

0:00-4:37 Intro – YouTube star discussion

6:20 Movie News – Angry Birds, Thor Casting

13:15 UNseen classics – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest & Alien

19:37 What’s Cookin’ in The Rock’s Kitchen? – Janson Universe

23:38 Brock discusses hangin’ with Flo as the Kool-Aid Man

24:37 The Nice Guys Review

28:58 Curtis’ Nice Guys Soapbox Moment

1:02:42 The Witch and Satanists

1:06:21 ‘Hamilton’

Have a topic you’d like to hear UnPOPPED? Send any comments/love/vitriol to unpopentertainment@gmail.com

We’re now on Stitcher! Add us to your playlist and rate and review our show!

Subscribe to our Soundcloud page!

Give the Facebook page a big ol’ “Like”

Follow the show on Twitter @UnpopPodcast and the guys @curtwaugh and @thebrockyroad!

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Review: ‘Steven Universe’: Barn Mates: The Odd Couple

By

Anthony Wendel

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May 26, 2016

Steven helps friends at the barn.

For once the description is actually accurate for the episode and not hiding any type of major plot spoiler for what is really happening. The whole episode is about Steven working to get the two new members of the Crystal Gems, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli to get along. This isn’t an easy task as the last time the two hung out, Peridot dragged her back to Earth against her will to use her as an informant against Steven and the team. Ah, reformed villains, they always have so much baggage to deal with.

From there it’s more of a comedy episode as the two Gems work to try and get alone. Actually, Peridot works to get along and Lapis just gives her the cold shoulder. Steven suggestions the use of sitcom plans to fix the problem such as drawing a line down the barn and putting up a curtain. These don’t work as Peridot is awkward when it comes to people so trying to connect with someone she’s wronged doesn’t exactly work. Apologies are not her strong suit. It’s interesting though, when it’s all over, they aren’t friends. Lapis is still bitter but she seems to be less so. So basically the pair don’t really get along but will be working on it for the rest of the season.

The ending is a bigger cliffhanger than the previous episode Same Old World. You’ll have to watch for yourself to see what happens but fans will definitely be eager for the next episode to come out. For now, Barn Mates is enjoyable and you should watch it for yourself to see these two Gems trying to get along in barn they now call home.

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