Though it may look like “The Perfect Storm Lite”, The Finest Hours actually has very little in common with that other, far more intense and engrossing drama based on a true story of maritime peril and tragedy.
It has its moments of intensity, and its story is built around an emotional trope that should resonate fairly well with audiences. But its narrative momentum lags in all the wrong places, resulting in a film that drags when it should be at its most gripping. It’s not a terrible film, by any means, but considering the story that inspires the film, one that’s hailed as one of the most heroic in the history of the United States Coast Guard, audiences may leave theaters thinking the Coast Guard deserved better.
What’s it About?
Set in February, 1952, The Finest Hours recounts the rescue of 32 crew members from the SS Pendleton, a 500-foot oil tanker that’s caught in the winds, waves, and rain of a powerful nor’easter pummeling the eastern seaboard. The ship literally splits in half, its bow sinking below the waves within minutes while its stern section remaining afloat thanks to the engineering of the ship’s ballasts and pumps. Faced with the fact that the radio and all the ship’s officers went down with the bow, the Pendleton’s soft-spoken but skilled chief engineer, Raymond Sybert (Casey Affleck, Gone Baby Gone), is forced to rally the remaining crew and find a way to keep the ship afloat in the storm until help arrives.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, commanded by Warrant Officer Cluff (Eric Bana), works to mount a rescue of an second oil tanker out at sea, the SS Fort Mercer, also split in half by the ferocity of the storm. It’s only after the Guard’s best sailors have left to rescue the Fort Mercer that Cluff and his remaining staff discover the Pendleton’s plight.
Considering the dangerous conditions created by the storm combined with the area’s geography, sending help to the Pendleton looks like suicide. but it’s exactly what Cluff orders his one remaining boatswain, Bernie Webber (Chris Pine, Star Trek Into Darkness) to do: pick a crew, take his wooden CG36500 lifeboat through the storm and the waves out to the stricken tanker, and attempt a rescue. Bernie, who went to work that day thinking the most difficult thing he’d have to do is ask his commanding officer’s permission to marry his sweetheart, Miriam (Holliday Grainger), solemnly follows his orders and ventures out into the storm, with no one really expecting that he’ll return. Haunted by previous failure and dogged by the doubts of his own crew, Bernie resolves to do his duty and reach the Pendleton or die trying.
Score one for the underdogs
What makes The Finest Hours potentially a crowd pleaser is that it is an underdog story, maybe even more than it is a disaster film. The film is full of mismatches: the tiny, motorized lifeboat versus the nor’easter and the massive waves it creates; Bernie and his sense of duty versus the collective wisdom of Chatham’s more experienced seamen; Sybert versus the fear and doubts of his remaining crew about the Pendleton, as well as the elements; and even Miriam, who fights a battle of her own against expectations of the “proper” behavior of spouses and loved ones of Coast Guardsmen in that place and time.
In each case, it’s quiet determination that triumphs over brute strength and bluster, and there’s always something satisfying in seeing those kinds of stories play out on film for all but the most hardened and cynical of viewers. Credit Affleck and Pine (more so Affleck) and their committed performances here for making that triumph both credible and enjoyable. Are there clues as to how it all will play out in the end? Sure, but if you enjoy historical dramas like this, those clues should do little to diminish how much pleasure you’ll get from this film.
Are they there yet?
But for all the sterner stuff shown by the characters as they’re written in The Finest Hours, by the film’s final third it begins to sink under the weight of all it builds up in the early going. It’s matter of pacing and editing — as currently cut, it may feel to more impatient audiences as though they’ve been lost among the waves with Bernie and his crew for hours, or it may seem even more impossible that a tanker missing its entire front end could stay above those same waves for so long.
The choice to extend these sequences feels deliberate; after all, it’s about just how much all these brave souls both out at sea and back at home had to endure in the course of that horrible night off the coast of Cape Cod. But dragging it out also results in some of the more melodramatic subplots feeling even more forced. Does it all feel contrived and “Hollywood-ized”? No, but in that final third it definitely starts approaching that territory.
Worth seeing?
Again, because at its heart it’s an underdog story, it’s hard not like The Finest Hours on some basic level. There is also something to be said for seeing it in theaters, as the special effects work depicting the waves and the storm no doubt will be far more impressive in that medium than they might be on your home TV. So yes, assuming you don’t get seasick watching films about storms at sea and ships sinking, The Finest Hours may well be worth your box office dollar, especially if you don’t mind your movies being a bit predictable.
The Finest Hours
Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, Kyle Gallner, John Magaro and Eric Bana. Directed by Craig Gillespie.
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of peril.
The Green Room, Jeremy Saulnier’s latest directorial effort starring Patrick Stewart as a Neo-Nazi, has a new red band trailer:
And here is the synopsis:
GREEN ROOM is a brilliantly crafted and wickedly fun horror-thriller starring Patrick Stewart as a diabolical club owner who squares off against an unsuspecting but resilient young punk band. Down on their luck punk rockers The Ain’t Rights are finishing up a long and unsuccessful tour, and are about to call it quits when they get an unexpected booking at an isolated, run-down club deep in the backwoods of Oregon. What seems merely to be a third-rate gig escalates into something much more sinister when they witness an act of violence backstage that they weren’t meant to see. Now trapped backstage, they must face off against the club’s depraved owner, Darcy Banker (Stewart), a man who will do anything to protect the secrets of his nefarious enterprise. But while Darcy and his henchmen think the band will be easy to get rid of, The Ain’t Rights prove themselves much more cunning and capable than anyone expected, turning the tables on their unsuspecting captors and setting the stage for the ultimate life-or-death showdown. Intense, emotional, and ingeniously twisted, Green Room is genre filmmaking at its best and most original. Saulnier continues to build his reputation as one of the most exciting and distinctive directors working today, with a movie that’s completely different from his previous, highly acclaimed Blue Ruin, but which is just as risk-taking and even more full of twists. The entire cast deliver first-rate performances, but Patrick Stewart gives a transformative and brilliantly devious turn as Darcy-elegant yet lethal, droll yet terrifying, Stewart makes the film simply unforgettable.
Patrick Stewart is definitely the main draw here, but the cast surrounding him should not be overlooked. Anton Yeltsin is always solid, and Macon Blair teams up again with Saulnier after working with he director on Blue Ruin. The film will open in April, with a limited release the 15th and a wide release the 29th.
Marvel’s massive 2015 event Secret Wars finally came to a close on January 13, after numerous delays. Love it or hate it, the event was Earth shattering (pun intended), and required all titles to stop dead in their tracks. Now, in the aftermath, Earth-616 has returned to normal, and all of the publisher’s books started fresh, with new issue #1’s taking place eight months post-event.
Which of the new books are worth spending $3.99 on each month? Here are the best of Marvel’s All-New, All-Different campaign:
All-New Wolverine
What a sleeper hit this turned out to be.
The changing of the guard is a dicey game in comics, and there was absolutely no subtlety in this case. The creative team put Wolverine’s classic costume on his clone/daughter, Laura (X-23), and slapped the words All-New Wolverine on the cover. A lot could have gone wrong.
Perhaps the low expectations worked to this book’s advantage though. It’s got a lot going for it: action, humor, intrigue, and awesome cameos. It looks like Marvel is really trying to establish X-23 as a staple in the All-New Universe by having her rub elbows with classic characters and getting their seals of approval (which might be bad news to fans who were hoping for Logan’s speedy revival).
Everyone consulted for this list said that All-New Wolverine had to be on it. Between this solo title and her role in All-New X-Men, Laura is proving herself to be a worthy heir to Logan’s mantle.
Black Knight
Speaking of sleeper hits…
Who is Black Knight? Seriously, if the name sounds familiar, sound off in the comments and earn some major deep cut fan points.
Black Knight is another character that benefits from his anonymity; he has no where to go but up. Which is good, because the start of this series finds him at rock bottom. He’s trapped in Weirdworld, and has managed to earn himself the rank of ruler through less-than-reputable circumstances. On top of that, he’s slowly losing control of himself; the Ebony Blade he wields is taking over, driving him to do some dark deeds.
There is a lot more humor in this book than one would expect, which makes it all the more enjoyable. Holistically, this is a quick, easy, and fun read.
Similar to All-New Wolverine, Black Knight‘s lack of fame is aided by some early cameos by well known characters. No plot spoilers here, but writer Frank Tieri gives fans a better Deadpool than the current Deadpool solo book.
Captain America: Sam Wilson
Captain America: Sam Wilson may be the most important book Marvel is putting out right now.
Sam Wilson, the former Falcon, is still the new Captain America. But, whereas Steve Rodgers mostly kept his mouth shut about politics, Sam is a bit more outspoken. This forthright nature immediately puts him at odds with S.H.I.E.L.D., and Cap is on his own. Without government backing, the hero takes on villains that embody real-life issues, such as greedy corporations and illegal immigration.
This book is not about politics, or pushing a liberal agenda. It’s about doing the right thing. Sam doesn’t help people cross the border because he supports them; he helps them because he doesn’t think they should be murdered by people taking the law into their own hands. Author Nick Spencer is not preaching to his audience. He is simply reminding them what it means to be a hero.
Captain Marvel
This book had big shoes to fill. It follows the brilliant run by Kelly Sue DeConnick, where Carol Danvers first took on the mantle of Captain Marvel, a mantle that she will carry in the 2019 film.
Carol’s All-New, All-Different series is written by Agent Carter showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, and carries on many similar themes as the previous volume. Carol is once again leaving Earth, taking to the stars to find what else is out there for her. She is the new commander of the Alpha Flight Space Station, Earth’s latest “first line of defense.”
All of the Captain’s best qualities are showed off in just the first issue. She’s snarky, tough-as-nails, and funny-as-hell. The real highlight is watching her adjust to being an administrator after so long in the field. Butters and Fazekas look like they’re going to do a great job following DeConnick, continuing the best parts of her run, and forging their own ground.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange hits theaters this November, so the character was a lock to get a book all to himself.
This book is like an acid trip. It transports its audience into new, strange realms, and the art by Chris Bachalo is totally groovy. But the story is clean, and easily accessible for new readers trying to gain an understanding of the character before the film.
Magic is being removed from the various spheres of reality. Stephen leads a band of sorcerers, witches, and shamans to save their skins and maintain order in the universe.
Jason Aaron is known for more savage warrior books, like Wolverine, Southern Bastards, The Goddamned, and the three latest volumes of Thor. The world of magical spells seems to be uncharted territory for him, but this book is so good that it’s a non-issue. He did give Stephen a sweet battle axe though, for good measure.
Extraordinary X-Men
The X-Men’s mission has always been about protecting a world in which they are hated and feared. Now, they’re just trying to stave off extinction.
Mutants are dying (again)! The Inhuman Terrigen Mists are spreading across the globe, and are revealed to be extremely poisonous to Homo sapiens superior. Storm leads a team of heroes that includes Iceman, Magik, and Colossus in tracking down the world’s remaining mutants and proving them a haven
The story is good, but the real stand outs are young Jean Grey and Old Man Logan. Their relationship alone is worth the price of admission. Whereas Logan and Jean were always in a forced love triangle, the new age gap here makes for a more grandfather/granddaughter situation. It will be interesting to see how their personal experiences will influence the team members that are where they actually belong in the timeline.
Hercules
Hercules is a god, notorious for his debauched lifestyle of drinking and womanizing. But he wants to clean up his act, and become a better hero.
Creatures and monsters of the olden days are popping up in New York City, and Heracles charges to stop them. However, he quickly realizes that the old threats are not threats at all; they’re simple trying to survive. A mysterious force known as The Uprising Storm is in play, removing all remnants of the past.
Dan Abnett is writing an interesting story about a fringe character that’s finally getting his day in court. Herc makes for a great character study. He’s essentially a former rock star who has not responded well to his fall from grace. The most interesting aspect is how modernized he has actually become, even wielding a machine gun in the latest issue. How will his embrace of the contemporary affect his standing with The Uprising Storm?
Invincible Iron Man
Just as Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Invincible Iron Man kicked off the All-New, All-Different era.
Brian Michael Bendis is no artist, but he can write a good action/adventure book. This series is the comic book equivalent of a popcorn flick. Pop it open, turn off your brain, and enjoy a fun story.
The first arc had cameos galore. Mary Jane Watson is going to play a big role moving forward; Doctor Strange pops up a couple of times for hugely funny bits. Most importantly (and slap a mild spoiler alert on this), issue one has the first appearance of Victor Von Doom post-Secret Wars, and it’s under pretty unexpected circumstances.
Invincible Iron Man feels like the flagship book of All-New, All Different Marvel. Don’t miss out on the fun.
Karnak
Consider this: Karnak only has one issue out currently, and it made this list.
Karnak may be the most fascinating Inhuman character outside of Black Bolt. He’s a philosopher, which is interesting enough in a character. It adds a layer of depth to him, as he thinks and perceives things differently than most. The Inhumans need a philosopher in this new era. They are suddenly thrust into the spotlight, commingling with humans more than ever before, unsure of how to handle it.
Don’t be fooled; as smart as he may be, Karnak is fierce, as clearly demonstrated in the first issue. Inhumans are the new mutants, feared and hated by the world, and Karnak is not one to stand for that.
Warren Ellis is penning this one, which is really all the reason needed to pick it up.
The Mighty Thor
This is a pretty simple pick. One of the best books pre-Secret Wars proceeds to be one of the best books post-Secret Wars.
Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman continue the story of Jane Foster as Thor, and begin to answer all the questions leftover from the previous volume.
The Mighty Thor is glorious. It’s beautifully drawn, and incredibly written. The story is empowering, not just for women, but for everyone. Aaron is finally getting around to the War of the Realms that has been building in the background for quite some time, and it looks to be massive. Plus, his take on Odin as a tyrant is blood curdling.
Jane has settled into the role of Thor very nicely; readers don’t even seem to really miss the former wielder of Mjolinir. But, after a few issues, the question still remains: where is the Odinson?
Old Man Logan
Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven is a modern day classic. So, to see the character get his own Secret Wars tie-in was great for fans. Then, hearing that he was going to be introduced into the mainstream Marvel universe was pure bliss.
Logan wakes up naked and confused in Times Square, 2016. After going momentarily berserk, he begins to regain his bearings, and wonders how/why he’s been sent back to this time. He determines that he has a purpose: to stop the villain uprising that cost him his friends and family. He writes four names on his arm, and he’s not going to stop until he crosses off each one.
Jeff Lemire is also writing Extraordinary X-Men, which Old Man Logan also stars in, but this solo title has a much darker tone.
Welcome to Earth-616 Miles Morales, hope you survive the experience!
The Ultimate Universe was faring so poorly that Marvel literally destroyed it. The fact that they wrote in a loophole to bring Ultimate Spider-Man to the mainstream universe says a lot. Fans love Miles, and for good reason. He’s everything that made Peter Parker a great character before Dan Slott took over writing duties and soiled him.
Miles is flawed and confused, but so willing to learn and be a better hero. It’s going to be a lot of fun reading about him on Earth-616, and seeing him interact with other heroes. All-New All-Different Avengers has already shown a little of this, with Tony Stark taking the youngster under his wing, similar to how he used to interact with Peter. Spider-Man is probably going to be the old-school street-level Spidey book that fans are craving, while Peter is off globe-trotting in Amazing Spider-Man (ugh).
Brian Michael Bendis is a polarizing writer. However, when he’s in his wheelhouse, he can amaze. Miles, being a character that Bendis created, falls right in that wheelhouse.
Totally Awesome Hulk
Greg Pak writes an amazing Hulk story. He’s the mastermind behind Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, arguably two of the biggest Hulk stories ever, with the former being the strongest contender for a feature film adaptation. So, Totally Awesome Hulk got a huge boost in fan interest when Pak was announced as writer.
There’s a much larger comedic element with Amadeus Cho as Hulk, as opposed to Bruce Banner. It’s clear how much love Pak has for the character, having created Amadeus back in 2006 as a representation for himself (both Cho and Pak are Korean American). The author’s personality just shines through his writing in the most enjoyable way.
It’s not all fun and games though. Pak is known for the long game in his writing; there’s a good chance he’s planting the seeds for an intense story to come. Make sure to get in on the ground floor.
Uncanny Inhumans
This is the best team book by Marvel right now, bar none.
The company really seems to be investing in their Inhumans these days, essentially making them the new mutants. As mentioned earlier in this list, the start of the All-New, All-Different books came with a drastic drop in the mutant population due to the Inhuman Terrigen Mists. Now, one could assume that this is all in response to the supposed feud between Fox (who own mutant film rights) and Marvel Studios (who are using the Inhumans in Agents of S.H.I.EL.D. before giving them a feature film).
Regardless of the motivations behind it, The Uncanny Inhumans does not read as some cheap throwaway book designed to cash in on movies. It’s a well crafted character study by the impeccable Charles Soule and Steve McNiven, with plenty of action and adventure thrown in for good measure. It doesn’t fall prey to the normal pitfalls of team books either; each member gets focused on and developed. The story always leaves you wanting more; fans won’t be able to help but crave the next issue.
Also, Black Bolt confronting Johnny Storm about his relationship with Medusa is one of the greatest standalone moments of the short lived All-New, All-Different era.
The Vision
This is a book for the Ex Machina fan. Whereas Invincible Iron Man is a light action story, The Vision is a dense read, and a dive into the realm of existential sci-fi horror.
Tom King is writing an eerie, slow burn of a Vision story. It begins in media res; Vision has removed the emotional components of his programming, thus eliminating them as a distraction. Yet, he still strives to be normal. He has synthesized a family for himself, a wife and two teenage offspring, and they try to blend normally into suburbia. A Stepford Wives level of creep is felt throughout the tale. Everything seems too perfect to be true, but not all is as it seems, and things immediately begin to unravel.
The focus thus far has been more on Vision’s family than on the titular character himself, and it’s worked perfectly. The three struggle to adapt to society, finding normal human behavior strange and illogical. A striking moment comes in the first issue, when Vision tells his wife, “to assert as truth that which has no meaning is the core mission of humanity.”
Purpose is a core theme of this book, and what it means to be human. It may actually be hysterical, if it weren’t so chilling.
BONUS: Most Anticipated Series
Black Panther – April 2016
Fans lost their minds when Ta-Nehisi Coates was announced to pen the upcoming Black Panther series for Marvel. It will be the author’s first comic, but he’s fresh off winning the National Book Award for Nonfiction for his Between the World and Me.
Coates is known for his writing in the realm of cultural, social, and political issues, especially regarding race relations. This is exactly the spin that a Black Panther series needs. T’Challa was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics, and he’s African royalty. He deserves a book that will explore socio-political themes, and where he can be a champion of his people.
Black Panther’s own film is coming in 2018, so the company is probably going to invest in making this a solid read to get fans excited.
There are many more titles worth the money every month that unfortunately just couldn’t fit on this list. Astonishing Ant-Man is fun; Uncanny Avengers is action-packed; Weirdworld is…weird. What are you reading? Let us know in the comments!
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Suicide Squad is directed by Ayer and stars Will Smith as Deadshot, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Oscar winner Jared Leto as the Joker, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.The band of anti-heroes will be in theaters on August 5, 2016.
When it comes to the end credits, most movies just call it a day and don’t get very creative. Thankfully, there are exceptions that refuse to let the audience go until they have to make way for the next crowd to come into the theater. Here’s a list of a few of them, and be warned, there are spoilers.
1. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
In this moving, little sequence, Steve has reconnected with humanity and also with his faithful crew, all of them gathering ala Buckaroo Banzai to head out for another adventure, with the (apparent) ghost of Steve’s son watching over them. All to the tune of David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch.” This is followed by Seu Jorge giving his charming Portuguese acoustic cover of the song as the credits continue. You can get The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou right here.
2. Something Wild
Wes Anderson has gone on record saying that Jonathan Demme is one of his influences, and Life Aquatic’s end credits feel like one of the better examples. Right after Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith take off to properly begin their romance, Sister Carol’s Dottie takes a break from work to sing “Wild Thing” to the audience as the credits roll. It’s one of the most surprising, endearing ways to end a film, perfectly matched by the off-kilter credit design. There’s something about it that makes one feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s a sincere happy ending, which is a rarity in movies. You can get Something Wildright here.
3. Super 8
When I watched Super 8 in the theater, there was one rarity I had never experienced, not even in other movies with end credits easter eggs: As soon as the title cards for “The Case” showed up on the side of the screen, the whole audience that was leaving quickly made their way back to their seats. In a movie filled with awe-inspiring and thrilling visuals and sequences, this was probably the best part. Anyone who’s ever been a kid and made a film surely got a kick out of it. You can get Super 8 right here.
4. American Ultra
We finally get to see the adventures of Apollo Ape in this colorful, gleefully violent and crazily animated sequence that also serves as something of an epilogue for the film, and perfectly sums up Mike and Phoebe’s relationship. It’s the perfect ending for this movie. You can get American Ultra right here.
5. Wall-E
Beautifully animated, paired with a sweet Peter Gabriel song, this sequence confirmed the movie’s message of hope and makes us look at our own world and appreciate just how lucky we are. You can get Wall-E right here.
6. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
One of the moments that took the audience most by surprise in this remake were the end credits, where suddenly we’re greeted by Jim Carroll singing “People Who Died” and video camera footage of Steve partying with sexy women on his yacht, and we get to see a bit of what happened to the main characters on their way to the island where they thought they’d be safe. So would they be? Nope. And the film leaves it to us to decide if they survived. It’s a perfect mix of dark humor, horror and surprise that made this one of the best horror remakes. You can get Dawn of the Dead right here.
7. Kill Bill Vol. 2
A lovely epilogue for Beatrix Kiddo and her daughter, paired with a final glimpse of the wide cast we’d come to know and love for the last four hours of Tarantino’s revenge saga. It’s a surprisingly sweet farewell to the audience from a violent, darkly humored and ultimately heartbreaking two-volume story. You can get Kill Bill Vol. 2 right here.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is an interesting film. Like Batman and Robin, fans consider it as the worst Superman movie in the franchise. It had a completely different team working on it than its predecessors. But, the strangest factoid of this film, is that Christopher Reeve (Superman himself) came up with the basic story for the film. He didn’t write the script, but he outlined the basic structure of the movie, and wanted to make Superman more political. The idea of making any comic book character more political doesn’t always have the best response, but it’s an enduring idea to make it more political. The film had a tiny budget of 17 million dollars, and made significantly less than the other three movies.
There is a charm to Superman IV that is reminiscent of the previous Superman films. It’s fun to see Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor again. The chemistry they all have is a lot of fun and feels just like the original movie. Also, the Man of Steel saves a lot of people in this film, even more so than the first few films. And even though it’s really cheesy sometimes, it’s nice to see an emphasis on saving people.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe in the vast emptiness of space!”
The biggest issues with this movie, however are the special effects. The first three, are technical marvels, they really make you believe that Superman can fly, and it’s even more impressive to view now, considering those films came out in the late 70s, and early 80s. It’s obvious that Superman IV had such a small budget, they reuse one flying shot over and over again, the green screen effect is painfully obvious, and overall the visual effects just aren’t that interesting. There are YouTube videos with more impressive effects than this movie. But, as Michael Bay can attest, special effects don’t make a good movie. What about the story?
Get used to this shot folks, it’s reused over and over.
Well after Clark Kent saves some astronauts, talks to a Realtor about selling the farm, and deals with a Rupert Murdoch stand in buying the Daily Planet he’s greeted by shocking news. An international summit fails, and both the U.S. and the Soviet Union feel it is their obligation to be number one in the nuclear arms race. This is where the first problem of the movie comes up, the filmmakers never explain what the summit is or what it’s about. So, the reaction to make as many nuclear arms is kind of weird. There’s also the fact that international summits fail more often than they succeed, so why is everybody freaking out?
In response to this, a little boy writes a letter to Superman to try to get rid of nuclear weapons. Superman goes to the United Nations and tells the world that he will be rid of all nuclear weapons whether the governments are willing to part with them or not, and everyone just applauds his actions. Now, I could go into length explaining that no country would willingly give up their nuclear bombs. Or I could talk about how Superman’s actions would most likely cause an international incident than prevent one. Or I could question why the governments are so willing to give up their bombs to Superman, but not each other.
No, instead I’m going to write a list of countries that have nuclear arms. Now I want you to really think about this: if you were the leader of one of these countries, would you want Superman to come in and take away your bombs?
Israel
Russia
North Korea (maybe)
United States of America
France
India
Pakistan
China
United Kingdom
A lot of these countries have managed to stay out of conventional war due to the fear of nuclear fallout. I’m not saying nuclear weapons are a good thing or a bad thing, I am saying that Pakistan probably wouldn’t want Superman to show up and force them to give up their nukes!
There are so many questions about that net.
I know I’ve gone on a pretty big tangent about this, but I wouldn’t harp on this so much, if it wasn’t the main plot point of the movie! I can buy the bizarre changes in superpowers. I can buy that nobody recognizes Clark Kent is Superman with just glasses. I can even buy that Superman can spin around the Earth fast enough to travel through time by reversing its rotation. I can believe all that, because it’s fantasy, and fantasy only needs to follow whatever rules the creators make up.
Talking about the threat of nuclear annihilation brings reality into the mix, and if you want to comment on reality through fantasy you have to do it right. There have been great stories about Superman commenting on real world events, and writers should try to have Superman reacting to real events. This film does not care about doing it right, it just uses this very real issue as a plot device to give us Nuclear Man… Which was what you all want to read about anyway, so why did I even bother with all this international crap?
Nuclear Man angry!
Yes, Nuclear Man, the super villain created by Luthor from a lock of Superman’s hair, a nuclear warhead, and the Sun. He’s every bit as ridiculous, and goofy as you can possibly imagine. He has glam rock hair, a glam rock outfit, and glam rock retractable press-on nails. He’s also voiced by Gene Hackman, which is actually really funny, but, there’s not a lot to say about him that hasn’t been said already. He’s over the top, weird, and has a very boring ballet recital with Superman on the Moon. He’s actually not in the movie for very long, so there isn’t much to dwell on. Really, the true evil entity of Superman IV is Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor’s nephew, Lenny Luthor. He is so annoying that I could punch him in the face fifty times and wouldn’t care. There’s just something so obnoxious about his voice that drives me up the wall. He just steals the show in a bad way, and really he could have been cut from the movie and it wouldn’t have made a difference. The film, like it’s predecessor, also suffers from some really bad slapstick and comedy. Like there’s one scene where Clark Kent has to be himself and Superman at the same time for a double date with Lois and the Rupert Murdoch’s stand in’s daughter.
The comedy drags on, and doesn’t really add anything to the movie, which already feels like it didn’t need to be made. Christopher Reeve said in his autobiography that he was not pleased with the film, and went into detail about the filming process of the movie. He also supposedly pulled Jon Cryer aside during filming and said the movie was going to be terrible.
And yet, despite everything I’ve said, all the illogical issues and dumb moments this movie has, I don’t hate it. I actually don’t consider it the worst Superman movie. That honor goes to Superman III, which as I’ve said, ruined Richard Pryor, was a convoluted viewing experience, and down right boring. This movie is so bizarre, weird, goofy, and ignorant in its intentions that it’s kind of hard to hate it. It’s a movie that should not exist due to how it just seemed doomed from day one of production, but the fact that it does exist and people still put their name on it is impressive. And as I’ve said, there are good scenes of Superman being Superman, Gene Hackman is still a funny Luthor, and Margot Kidder is a great Lois Lane. And even some of the speeches are fairly well written.
Give it a watch if your curious, or need a good dose of weirdness. It’s mostly harmless, even the political stuff isn’t intentionally malicious, just unintentionally. Actually that might be worse, but I digress, this is definitely not the Superman movie I want to see, but it’s certainly a Superman movie.
Next time we jump into the 2000s with the first Christopher Nolan Batman movie, Batman Begins. Where we first heard Christian Bale’s infamous “bat-growl.”
AMC Network released the 17 moments where Better Call Saul referenced Breaking Bad, did you catch them all?
Bob Odenkirk was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama.
The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman, in the time leading up to establishing his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The first season starred Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, and Michael McKean.
The second season of Better Call Saul premieres February 15 on AMC.
The pilot has changed the format slightly, with the story now being set in 2016 with a female detective being the one able to contact her father in 1996. I very much enjoyed the film when released in 2000 and have a few questions about how this show may run, if given a full series.
1. How will they cast the show?
With more and more big stars heading to TV today, will the CW try to get some big names for the lead parts to get people interested? Or will they cast unknowns and hope that the premise itself will be enough to draw people in. It would be nice to have Dennis Quaid or Jim Caviezel make a cameo at some point but I can’t see them being attached to it anymore than that.
2. Will the premise be the same?
In the movie the plot is that Jim Caviezels character realises that he can save his father by investigating his death and trying to save him. This may not work over a 22 episode season and will likely need a ‘bad guy of the week’ episode every now and again. They could cover this by having a big cliffhanger moment in the pilot, showing who the killer of the lead characters father is, this could then be the main season storyline. Remember how good The Flash pilot was and the big teaser at the end of that, the same could work for Frequency.
3. Will we see a separate story in 1996?
Whereas in the film you only got to see snippets of the past, the TV show is a great opportunity to explore it in more detail. The writers have the opportunity to create two storylines running together, which is both good and bad. It’s good because having more options for plots is great for the writers, although it’s bad because if it gets away from them the stories could just get confusing.
You also have the added headache of dealing with time travel. If the character’s father finds out information about himself and tries to change things, then it can all get a bit wibbly, wobbly, timey wimey.
4. Who will direct the show?
While the pilot has an experienced team behind it as shown below,
Frequency, meanwhile, was originally developed for NBC during the 2014-15 season; the drama moved to The CW earlier this year. The remake of the 2000 sci-fi thriller hails from Supernatural show runner Jeremy Carver, who will pen the script for the Warner Bros. Television drama (where he is under an overall deal). Feature film writer Toby Emmerich is on board to exec produce alongside Carver, John Rickard and Lin Pictures’ Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz.
who would take over the reins if given a full season. Would a show like this benefit from having just one person directing, or is this the kind of show where guest directors would keep the show fresh and interesting?
5. Was the film big enough to call for a series?
This is the main question that needs answering. Will people want to see something like this? There have been a lot of shows which have time travel elements which haven’t always worked out for the best. Now could be the wrong time (no pun intended) to release something like this. I guess only time will tell (ok, that one I meant) whether this will work out for the best. I will definitely be keeping an eye out to see if/how the above questions are answered.
What are you’re thoughts the pilot being made? As always , let me know in the comments.
The End Of An Era:
Michael Bay’s Reign Of Transformers Terror Coming To An End!
According to My Entertainment World, the newest Transformers will start filming this May! The unnamed fifth movie will be the final Transformers directed by Michael Bay. There is still no word on the future of the franchise or if Michael Bay will be returning to produce future installments.
The industry tracking site did not include locations for filming but Michael Bay has earlier confirmed Chicago as one of the film’s locations. After 2014’s China-heavy Transformers: Age of Extinction, I believe the film will make an attempt at another global film. Maybe Bay will follow the path of Furious 7 and take the fifth Transformers to the beautiful Abu Dhabi or Mexico like Spectre did.
Being led by Akiva Goldsman, a team of Hollywood’s top writers have been brought in to helm the script. Yes, it takes a group of people to capture the magic that is product placement, explosions, and commercialized robot warfare.
Production details have been hush, there is rumors the film may follow-up on the introduction of the Knights of Cybertron concept. Also head-writer Akiva Goldsman has said the interactions between human and robots will be ‘great’ in this new film. After struggling to connect both the human & Transformers elements in past editions, let’s hope Goldsman will keep his word.
Mark Wahlberg is set to reprise his character Cade Yeager from Age of Extinction in this new film. No other casting has been announced at the time of reporting.
I’m sure it’s safe to say that Optimus Prime will be returning as well.
Transformers 5 is scheduled to be released during the already blockbuster filled summer of 2017! How will Michael Bay’s last outing as a Transformers director fare against the likes of mega-hits like Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 & Furious 8?
Filmmaker James Gunn held a Q&A on Twitter Friday to answer questions about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
One major detail that was revealed is the official press release from Marvel and Disney should be expected in the next few weeks. This should reveal the villain for the film and additional casting.
Gunn also confirmed that Star Lords father and the main villain of the film have been cast. Kurt Russel was the only name attached to the role of Star Lord’s dad. Adam Warlock and Magnus area potential villains for the film. This could be one of those plots where Warlock starts off as a villain and then redeems himself by the end of the film. Gunn is a fan of the source material created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 begins production in February with an expected released date of May 5, 2017.
The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, and Pom Klem
