Accountability In A World Of Heroes

By

-

March 10, 2016

We are right up against the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Captain America: Civil War. The trailers have been released, marketing campaigns and press junkets are in full swing, and the movie watching public can’t wait for the next chapters in these respective franchises.

The common thread in these upcoming films, besides big budgets, big names, and a whole lot of spectacle is accountability. Typically the heroes take on the villains with reckless abandon, tearing up buildings, blowing up cars while the general public takes cover, the credits roll, and the day is saved..but what happens after? That is the question that looks to be asked and answered in both of these releases. Who is responsible for the damaged buildings, the collateral damage, and the state of a city or country once the dust has settled? Do heroes get a pass because they have saved the day or should they be made to answer for the damage caused and way of life disrupted?

How Did Metropolis Become the ‘City Of Tomorrow’? Superman and Zod Nearly Leveled It

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TReIozZ1b10

In this Turkish Airlines ad, Lex Luthor tells us that Metropolis is ‘Open For Business’. That’s certainly nice to hear, considering that in Man Of Steel, Superman and General Zod came to Kryptonian strength blows, nearly destroying a substantial portion of the city. Superman was still learning how powerful he really was, while Zod was enraged that Kal-El would not allow his adopted home planet to be terraformed and presumably turned into a new Krypton. While Superman did prevail, buildings were leveled, people were killed, and the landscape of the city irrevocably altered. In the upcoming Batman v Superman, Superman (Henry Cavill) is called in front of the U.S. government to answer for the damage done. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is shown in Metropolis during the climactic battle, seeing first hand the kind of destruction that super powered beings can cause. In 6 Superman films, not once has Superman been questioned about the damage he’s caused or allowed to happen, but in this modern climate, this is not going to be glossed over in the plot, nor should it be. A super powered individual who dropped out of the sky and has the strength to bench press an aircraft carrier shouldn’t be allowed to level half a city and not be held accountable. In what manner should he be held accountable? Should we just let Batman handle it? These are questions that will hopefully be answered later this month, upon the film’s release.

Terrorism vs Heroism – Where Does ‘Civil War’ Draw The Line?

Accountability CA Civil War — #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan ?

Loosely based on Marvel Comics 2006 seminal storyline, Captain America: Civil War also addresses accountability in a fantastic world. The most recent trailer starts with General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) reviewing the recent exploits of the MCU’s heroes. The Battle Of New York in Marvel’s The Avengers, the fall of the Triskelion and destruction of Project: Insight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age Of Ultron highlight a massive amount of destruction. From large chunks of NYC being demolished, to helicarrier wreckage in the Potomac river, to an entire city being levitated and then blown up by Iron Man and Thor, someone has to answer for that. Now the details of the catalyzing incident in the movie are under wraps until release, but it appears a terrorist incident resulting in massive casualties and damage prompt the Superhero Registration Act to be introduced.

The SHRA sanctions heroes to be trained and monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. government. Any hero not complying is declared a criminal. This concept does not sit well with everyone. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) supports it, Captain America (Chris Evans) does not, leading to all the heroes we’ve seen on film to date choosing sides and some new ones joining the fray, namely the MCU debuts of Black Panther and Spider-Man.

So, how should heroes be held accountable for the destruction they bring about? Do they get a pass because, at the end of the day, they’ve stopped a larger evil? Do you just want to see everyone slugging it out and enjoy the spectacle? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice releases March 25.

Captain America: Civil War releases May 6.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘ The Boy and the Beast’ – Loudly Screams Nothing

By

Logan Peterson

-

March 10, 2016

Movie Synopsis

Ren is left alone in the world after his single mother passes away. Not wanting to go live with his mother’s family and instead his dad who his mom divorced. Realizing that his biological father was never coming back, Ren ran away to live on the streets. Even though he was only nine years old he decided that he would live the rest of his life along.

Then a hooded beast Kumatetsu, half-monkey and half-bear, appears and asks Ren to become his apprentice on a sheer dare from a fellow beast friend. Terrified of being caught and sent back home, Ren follows Kumatetsu into the world of beasts and is branded the name Kyuta. At first, Kyuta hates his new life and master, but slowly realizes that living with Kumatetsu might be better than being alone.

Another Hosuda Flop?

More than I’d like to admit I was genuinely luke warm about Mamura Hosuda’s new film The Boy and the Beast. After viewing it I was trying to really decide whether what I liked about the movie was, the movie itself, or the name behind all the previous movies that I loved, like Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Maybe there was another part of me that just didn’t want to admit that they’re were two movies in a row that Mamura Hosuda has made that were not that good. Which is almost fitting in a way since the tying themes between Wolf Children and The Boy and the Beast are portrayals of single parents. So part of this movie’s failure is the undeserving success of Wolf Children, and Hosuda’s desire to tackle single fathers this time. Somehow though it seems he got worse.

At a glance The Boy and the Beast is nothing more than a nice fun family film that you can show to your kids when attempting to ingrain anime into their life. Which is not a bad thing, but its clear that the movie is trying to trade in much deeper feelings and emotions. This shouldn’t seem hard since all of Hosuda’s other movies have this emotional impact. So to figure this out I had to look into what changed between Wolf Children and this movie. Satoko Okueda is known to be the sweetness behind Hosuda’s films, giving them the feminine charm that makes them so emotionally engaging and really helping his films stand out. Since The Boy and the Beast is a story almost exclusively like fatherhood, Hosuda decided that he would head this script on his own. What came out of his endeavor is a jumbled up emotional mess of a story that’s bare bones/ametuer. Having put aside his most precious asset when it comes to storytelling, it seems his storytelling has suffered, imagine that.

In his other works it was clear that there was a lot of thoughtfulness put into the writing and how the story would convey its themes and emotions. The Boy and the Beast suffers from a complete lack of that subtleness and the story comes across as very overwrote. Throughout the movie there is a lot of characters flat-out explaining how they are feeling and what circumstances brought them to their situation. This kind of writing would make even the little kids watching this, roll their eyes saying, “We get it!” It gets so bad that they actually have two characters whose sole existence is to reiterate what is happening in the film through expository dialogue between themselves. This is a shame because they have interesting personalities and are reduced to part-time narrators.

As for the overall message about fatherhood, the film has a lot of ideas but overall comes across not really taking a stance of addressing any issues about parenting. At first it seems like the moral is that Kyuta needs a brash overbearing father like Kumatetsu to whip him into shape. Unfortunately it doesn’t really turn out that way. In fact almost everything that Kyuta learns in the beast world is by his own efforts and by chance. Honestly I think Kumatetsu’s character could be replaced by a TV. The only genuine dynamic they have is their constant bickering. Which doesn’t really contribute to any familial commentary the movie is going for.

The movie actually has a few father figures it can play around with besides Kumatetsu. Theres Iozan (Kumatetsu’s foil and opposite) and then there is Kyuta’s real father. All different aspects and portrayals of fatherhood, that the movie does nothing with. The movie is too busy and caught up with looking awesome (which it does), that it doesn’t take any time to creatively incorporate its themes and they come across as no stance or opinion. Not even a basis for an opinion to be made. You would think that it would at least give some stance on what makes a good father since the main conflict is set off between two different styles of parenting, but nope. Instead all fathers are fathers in their own fatherly way. And I’m not saying that there had to be some demonized portrayal of a father, but having a two-minute conversation about lying to your kids as being bad doesn’t make for cinematic weight or development.

So is there anything redeemable about The Boy and the Beast besides the amazing art? Yes, for one, the english voice cast does a real good job of making the dialogue seem more engaging than what they are actually saying. I can tell that they must have had a hard time trying to make the script seem more engaging than what it probably was, so kudos to them.

Another great thing was the portrayal of kids just being angry little assholes. As opposed to a Miyazaki movie flooded with strong and promising kids, Hosuda’s movies tend to star self-centered and troubled children. There were many times where Kyuta would get furious and angry for no reason and it was totally in sync with what a real kid would do. This is one of Hosuda’s developing strengths and it should only get better with more time. Sure some of the actual scenes made for some awkward moments with kids screaming that played almost comically, but there was enough well executed scenes to dwell on if you enjoy that kind of stuff.

The romance aspect also works well and flows with similar Hosuda works, but there isn’t enough emotion or justification that makes it feel earned or important enough. I felt like it could have been its own movie and it was stifled by being shoved into this one. It did make the movie seem to go by quicker and was probably the most engaging part of the film.

Unfortunately there are just too many problems that this film has and all the good things that are found in it have been in better movies, some by Hosuda himself. This is something good to put on in front of your kids but I don’t see adults getting much more out of this after an initial viewing. I certainly haven’t given up hope on Housda and looking towards his next work.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Spectacular Spider-Man: What The MCU Movies Could Be Like

By

Chad Descoteaux

-

March 10, 2016

Today, we saw the first glimpse of Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. It was a brief glimpse. Iron Man was funny, calling him “Underoos.” It was cool seeing him pull the shield out of Cap’s hand. And…that was it. It did what it set out to do, whetting our appetite for a small wait until the film is released in two months (with other sci-fi/superhero movies to make the wait more bearable).

But there was one aspect of that brief glimpse that was a bit more subtle (just a bit) and that reminded me of my favorite television incarnation of Spider-Man, the 2009 cartoon series Spectacular Spider-Man. It was when Spidey’s eyes moved…in his mask. Yes, we all noticed that and the intent is clearly to make his in-costume face more expressive like it is in every printed version of Spider-Man, both comics, and animation. This expression was something that Spectacular did very well. I look forward to seeing this play out just as well in the movie. That brief movement of the eyes made me think about other things that Spectacular Spider-Man did very well that I would like to see in this new block of Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man/Avengers films.

"Betty meet Veronica." — “Betty meet Veronica.”

First, the way they did the origin story in Spectacular was very fast-paced. The producers of this show knew that most kids had seen the three Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and dove right into the important stuff. The first scene of the first episode shows Spidey in action. He is beating up two hoodlums, including a pre-Sandman Flint Marko, spouting quips that are way funnier than anything he says in the movies. We learn in this scene that Spidey has thrashed Flint a number of times before. Sort of a verbal flashback, information is presented that shows history.

There are more verbal flashbacks as we jump right into Peter’s life a few months after he has been fighting crime as Spider-Man. Peter is starting school again after summer vacation. As Peter leaves for school, we see Aunt May, still dealing with the death of Uncle Ben. And we see Peter’s relationship with his Aunt, how close they are, something that plays out very well for the rest of the series. Point being that the story jumps right into Spidey being a hero and the origin story stuff is presented in very quick flashbacks. Getting bitten by a spider in a lab, Uncle Ben’s death and even his short-lived career as a wrestler are shown in flashbacks and not in present day story. This may bring to mind what Deadpool was being praised for by fans, diving right into the action and then filling you in. THAT is what the new Spider-Man movie needs.

Batman Begins and Man of Steel did that somewhat, but “present day” was not when they were superheroes, so you still had to sit through 4o minutes of origin story to see the hero in the costume. This Spider-Man cartoon did not have three episodes of origin story like Superman: The Animated Series, although having some of the better writers and producers from the Bruce Timm DC cartoon universe on board. With the new Spidey movie, because we are dealing with a character that has been rebooted twice, those origin story flashbacks (if any) will need to be short and sweet. And the first episode of Spectacular showed us that this could be done, bringing everybody up to speed in a speedy way, and then telling thrilling stories in present day.

Many of the other things that we’ve heard about he new MCU Spider-Man from online reports are also done very well in Spectacular Spider-Man. We know that the new Peter Parker is going to be high school age for a few films and that it is going to have “John Hughes” vibe, which is definitely a thought I had while watching this series. The “high school” stuff gave this series a depth and maturity that I initially dismissed when I saw the animation style. I was an adult when this show came out, and I was immediately won over by the maturity and the stories that, yes, did feel like a cartoon John Hughes movie.

"Face it, Tiger. You're Ducky from pretty in Pink'." — “Face it, Tiger. You’re Ducky from ‘Pretty in Pink’.”

This inspired me to keep picking up DVDs of this show, which were, at the time, being sold at my local Price-Rite checkout counter. See, I do mundane things as well, just like Peter Parker. I’m not a hero all the time. And if you love that aspect of this character, check out this show.

Have you seen Spectacular Spider-Man ? Did you like the new Civil War trailer? What do you hope to see in this new batch of MCU Spidey movies? Comment below.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ASUOtvHBU[/embedyt]

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us[/embedyt]

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Tom Hanks Has ‘A Hologram for the King’

By

Matthew Sardo

-

March 10, 2016

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions released the first trailer to A Hologram for the King, starring Tom Hanks.

A failed American businessman looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his idea to a wealthy monarch.

The film is directed by Tom Tykwer from the novel by Dave Eggers. A Hologram for the King also stars Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Tom Skerritt and Ben Whishaw.

You can see Hank’s newest film in theaters on April 22.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Why ‘Flash’ Can’t Get Caitlin Snow Right

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

-

March 10, 2016

Flash has gotten some important things right. It’s managed to build up a shared universe, with its fellow CW programs and now with the upcoming Supergirl crossover. It’s done a good job at balancing out the concept of a multiverse, as a lot of this season has focused on the relationship of two different Earths. And the CGI for characters like Gorilla Grodd/Killer Shark has been surprisingly high quality. So it seems surprising that one of the show’s weakest links comes from one of its leads. But for whatever reason, Caitlin Snow has just been a terrible character mostly throughout the show’s run.

The main problem is the lack of development of Caitlin. Lots of the other characters have gotten interesting development, but Caitlin has really only two main attributes – she’s a scientist with a dead boyfriend (husband, since Flash Season 2). That’s only two things, and considering how much they’ve built up their other cast members, it’s downright embarrassing. Cisco, her closest counterpart, has much more going for him – he’s the comic relief, weapon-builder, Joe West sidekick who’s now developed future sight powers. Wells was not-Wells-Reverse-Flash in Season 1, until he was killed off. Instead of letting Caitlin fill the void of scientist extraordinaire, they brought in Earth-2 Wells, complete with a bad attitude, a daughter, and ties to Professor Zoom.

Flash Caitlin Ronnie — Caitlin and Ronnie were married for a shorter time than Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries

And it’s not as if Flash didn’t have an opportunity to fix this. When Barry, Cisco & Wells crossed over into Earth-2, it was revealed that this universe’s Caitlin Snow was more than just a sidekick – she was Killer Frost, a deadly new super villain. Ronnie was her evil partner Deathstorm, and together, they killed Barry’s Earth-2 father-in-law. It seemed like a perfect, new Caitlin that wasn’t just the female Cisco with a dead boyfriend!

Only, within the first of two episodes that had Killer Frost, they revealed that Cisco was also a super villain. And Zoom came in to kill Ronnie. So, again, Caitlin is the female Cisco with the dead boyfriend.

Flash Killer Frost — A female Mr. Freeze. Complete with the dead spouse.

Let’s also not forget that dumb relationship with Jay Garrick. That’s right, I said dumb. It only took a couple of episodes following Earth-1 Ronnie’s death for Caitlin to pair off with Earth-2 Flash. Now the character of Jay was pretty dumb, as he turned out to be a speed addict – not the actual drug, but a speed drug of some sort – don’t worry about it, it was dumb. At the very least, their relationship gave Caitlin a chance to use her brain and get his speed back. But then, with the reveal of Professor Zoom’s identity – which was ALSO dumb, by the way – Jay gets killed by Zoom, right in front of Caitlin. That means that, between three relationships and TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT UNIVERSES, there’s not a single scenario where Caitlin isn’t defined by the men around her, alive or dead.[easy-tweet tweet=”Why @CW_TheFlash can’t get Caitlin right” user=”@JonBarrTweets”]

So what’s the solution to this? How can Caitlin shine on her own? She could pull a Patty Spivot and move away for Science Academy. Iris West isn’t a great character either – she mostly stands in the background, waiting for when Barry needs to be told he’s dumb when it comes to something or other. And unless Wells, Cisco, & Wells’ now-present daughter get killed, she’ll never be Scientist Uno on Team Flash.

Flash Caitlin Cisco — Why not kill one of the two?

But is killing someone on the Flash roster the appropriate cure for this problem? Caitlin’s surrounded by enough death already, so it doesn’t seem like that’s the needed solution. Flash already killed Wells once, and the inclusion of his daughter makes it seem even less likely that they’d kill him again. And while Cisco’s powers are usually only shoehorned in for episodic plots, he’s still the main scientist and comic relief, so his life seems pretty secure.

So what about killing Caitlin? It seems like a shame, that a character would be wasted only to be murdered. However, it’s hard to say what else they could do to make her interesting. They’ve given her superpowers, and made her a sinister figure, only to put her back in her place, and say dumb lines like “I guess I really am as cold as you thought.” Ew. There’s only one time where we got extra insight into her life – at a coffee date with Jay, she revealed that she also has a dead father. Meaning another man in her life, dead. They’ve tried and failed to make her interesting, but based off their actions, the show runners of Flash don’t seem to care for Caitlin enough to make her worthwhile. If Caitlin is going to serve any purpose on the show, and justifiably be present, they need to make up their minds. Either Caitlin is going to have a purpose, or she needs to join her boyfriends in a glorious afterlife orgy.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Marvel Had To Show Spider-Man in the New ‘Civil War’ Trailer

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

March 10, 2016

Marvel posted a 17 second video yesterday, teasing the “World Trailer Premier” for Captain America: Civil War. Fans took to social media immediately to speculate whether or not they would finally get a glimpse of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, with the vast majority of them hoping that he would be kept under wraps until the movie actually came out.

The trailer dropped today, and the closing shot indeed revealed the teenage webslinger in all his glory, snatching Cap’s shield right out of his hands:

It’s understandable that fans were hesitant about seeing the character this early. Trailers can be dangerous; they run the risk of revealing too much and taking the suspense out of big moments. The Dawn of Justice trailer certainly caught its share of flack for showing both Wonder Woman and Doomsday, both of whom would have made for awesome reveals in a theater. The Force Awakens, on the other hand, was praised for its trailer, which got people excited for the flick without giving away any plot details. It’s a fine line between too little and too much, and Spider-Man fell right on that line for Civil War.

But Marvel had to show the infamous web-head in this trailer, despite their fans’ protests. It was the necessary business decision.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you’re the kind of person who keeps his or her finger on the pulse of the entertainment industry. You read all about the latest rumors, and are the first to know when your favorite character has been cast. The second that Sony and Marvel struck a deal to bring Spider-Man into the MCU, you knew about it. You’re so deeply ingrained in the world of pop culture, that you may not even realize that most people had no clue that Peter Parker is going to be in Civil War.

These are the same people that needed a trailer during Monday Night Football to tell them that there was a new Star Wars movie coming out. They’re the vast majority of moviegoers, and they need a little extra help in deciding whether or not to go see a film in theaters. They may have seen the first Civil War trailer and thought, “Meh.” But now that might change. Now they may be thinking, “Oh, Spider-Man is in this movie? That might be worth checking out after all.”

Keep in mind that these people probably still don’t know that Spider-Man is in the flick. They weren’t refreshing their Twitter feeds all morning waiting for it to drop like you and I were. So if you know one of these people, send them the link immediately. Otherwise, they’ll have to wait until it airs during next week’s episode of The Bachelor (presumably).

Disney made the proper business decision, and it will prove fruitful at the box office come May. And, luckily for fans, they handled the situation perfectly. They gave just a small taste of Spider-Man, and they spoiled nothing. Fans arguably could not have asked for a better reveal.

Now we only need to hope that they don’t show much more footage in TV spots.

Watch the full trailer below:

—

Captain America: Civil War opens May 6, 2016.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Spider-Man Swings Into New ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Trailer

By

Matthew Sardo

-

March 10, 2016

Marvel Studios released a new Captain America: Civil War trailer Thursday morning featuring your first look at Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Without further ado, here we go:

Captain America: Civil War is directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.

The film stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman.

Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Is Daisy Ridley Headed for a ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot?

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

-

March 10, 2016

Daisy Ridley is being courted for a Tomb Raider reboot, according to the report at Deadline.

Fresh off her role as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ridley is a ht commodity in Hollywood. Of course, she is busy filming Episode VIII currently, but MGM and Warner Bros. are still hoping she agrees to reboot Lara Croft, which Angelina Jolie previously helmed in the early 2000s.

Here’s what Deadline had to say about the property in Hollywood, which experienced a rebirth a few years back:

The latest adaptation, which has been in development for a number of years, received a jolt of adrenaline when the video game series was rebooted by game developer Square Enix with 2013’s Tomb Raider, which depicted Croft’s first adventure as an archaeology student and follow-up Rise of the Tomb Raider. That younger take on the character’s origin and path to derring-do are believed to have given the film’s producers some creative guidance.

There is no confirmation at this point that she has taken the role, but there have been preliminary meetings. Let’s hope this happens, because there isn’t anyone out there better fitting to refashion Lara Croft and Tomb Raider than Daisy Ridley.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

REVIEW: A look back at 2001 thriller, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’

By

Don Draper

-

March 10, 2016

What a film. If you love heists, gambling, and master plans, this is the film for you. Ocean’s Eleven tells the story of Danny Ocean and his band of criminal friends as they seek to hit Terry Benedict’s famous casino establishment, the Bellagio.

This movie is gripping from start-to-finish as Danny takes you through the entire plan, from finding and meeting up with the gang to the blueprint for the robbery and then finally, the actual robbery. It truly is both an informative and entertaining watch.

Ultimately, the content and acting throughout the film is excellent – and it would be foolish to expect anything less with so many brilliant actors and actresses involved in the movie. George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are just three of the big names involved in this remake of Ocean’s 11 and it’s fair to say the second edition attracted a lot more attention than the original. Though the first movie was released back in 1960 and featured the legendary Frank Sinatra it was both less realistic and exciting, largely due to lacking special effects and other movie techniques.

In terms of adrenaline and action most is experienced through the thrilling excitement of the heist itself. In terms of on-screen gambling, there’s a fair bit but it’s far from excessive. Familiar games as Australian pokies, both French and American roulette, and a multitude of slot machines can be seen throughout the movie. In fact, Ocean’s Eleven was also selected by Lugget Nugget in their top 10 gambling-themed movies.Though in terms of gambling experiences, you’d be better served going online rather than getting the gaming action through Ocean’s Eleven.

If you’ve seen Ocean’s Thirteen, you’ll know there’s a lot more gambling involved in that film. Danny and the crew meet up to wipe out casino owner Willy Bank, played by Al Pacino, after he double-crosses Danny’s old friend Reuben Tishkoff.

However, Ocean’s Eleven is the original in the three-part trilogy and by all means, it’s the best movie. The storyline is the greatest; the plot is the most thrilling and the actual acting is top drawer. In fact, Ocean’s Eleven is widely regarded as one of the best films of all-time and sits in the IMDB’s list of the top 100 movies in history.

If you want a film focused purely on gambling, Ocean’s Eleven isn’t for you. While it has a few scenes, this is more about the storyline behind the heist and why Danny and the crew stick together for one another. For a gambling-focused movie, it might be a good idea to check out another movie which was released a few years prior, in 1998.

Matt Damon features in Rounders, gambling films seems magnetically attracted to the actor, and compared to Ocean’s Eleven it is a lot more focused on the gambling side of things. While Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) predominantly exerts poker excellence in the hope of helping his friend, the scenes is unsurprisingly similar to Ocean’s Eleven with everything from slot machines, to various card and table games. However, in terms of plot and thrilling scenes Clooney & co have got the better of them.

If nothing else, Ocean’s Eleven is a scintillating film that takes you on a journey of comradeship and criminality. The likes of Clooney and Pitt only help to increase the drama and excitement throughout the planning of the heist and you truly feel as though you’re involved in one of the biggest robberies of all-time. It’s DEFINITELY worth a watch!

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Hollywood Rule-Breaker: A24 Films’ Winning Formula

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

March 10, 2016

Walt Disney Pictures. Universal Studios. Warner Bros. Entertainment. A24 Films?

The name may not sound familiar if you’re not an indie film geek. A24 Films is a distribution and production company founded in 2012, making it a baby compared to veterans like MGM, Paramount, and the ones named above. But in only four short years, A24 has established itself as a force to be reckoned with. Films they distributed were nominated for a total of seven Oscars this year, winning three (Amy won for Documentary Feature; Ex Machina won for Visual Effects and was also nominated for Original Screenplay; Brie Larson won Best Lead Actress for Room, which was also nominated for Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay).

How has such a young company found such quick success? Simply put, by taking calculated risks.

Juggernauts like Disney tend to play it safe. Their films aren’t always great on screen, but they usually appear to be good on paper. Major studios have the resources to drive audiences to the theater; they use star power, or a massive marketing budget. Even if the film flops critically, the box office returns show the producers that they played their cards right (usually). No harm, no foul, and they move on to the next project.

Transformers Age of Extinction — 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, 2014 Worst Picture Razzie nominee, over $1 Billion Worldwide Gross.

Jack and Jill — 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, won 2012 Worst Picture Razzie, almost $150 Million Worldwide Gross.

Fifty Shades of Grey — 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, tied for 2015 Worst Picture Razzie, over $571 Million Worldwide Gross.

A24, on the other hand, relies on story. Granted, they have distributed films starring well known actors, but the stories are still what drive people to watch, and what keeps them talking about the experience days later.

They don’t always succeed in a conventional way. Tusk, Kevin Smith’s horror/comedy, is 40% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, and fell shy of even a $2 million gross. Yet it’s still a perfect example of the company’s modus operandi. They didn’t rely on fluff and advertising; they trusted Kevin Smith’s ability as a storyteller. It didn’t strike a cord with a mainstream audience, but it has since earned cult status, and helped gain A24 Films credibility as indie filmmakers.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCQJnOn0ru0[/embedyt]

The festival circuit is full of strange projects like Tusk, and that’s where A24 is striking gold. They see value in quirky projects that offer something new and different. Their success recalls that of Miramax, whose early history followed a similar pattern, and who also took a chance on Smith’s storytelling prowess when they purchased and distributed Clerks in 1994.

A24’s latest win is The Witch, having purchased the rights at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival (along with The End of the Tour and Mississippi Grind, both critical successes as well). Robert Eggers’ New England horror story was a huge risk. It opts for an old English dialect over a common tongue, and utilizes tension instead of the gore typical to modern day horrors. It’s a slow burn, for sure. The film could have been a tough sell to American audiences, yet it has made a name for itself as one of the best genre flicks in recent memory. It holds a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and came in fourth at the box office over its opening weekend. The company’s gamble paid off once more.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg[/embedyt]

So, what does A24 Films’ success say about the movie industry? It shows that viewers are seeing the same value in these films as the company is. It shows that people have grown bored of the same old tiresome plot formulas and want to branch out. They want to watch stories that are different and a little bit strange.

Should big studios be worrying? Probably not. Rom-Coms and Michael Bay movies will still rake in the dough appealing to the masses. But A24 Films is proving that there’s still a market for smaller movies with original stories. Hollywood isn’t dead just yet, it’s just waking up from a long sleep.

—

What’s your favorite film distributed by A24? See a full list here and sound off in the comments!

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube