The Men In Black are officially back! According to Deadline, F. Gary Gray is set to direct the upcoming Men In Black spinoff. Gray most recently directed 2017s The Fate of the Furious, which was the third highest grossing film of last year. He’s also known for directing the 2015 smash hit, Straight Outta Compton.
Sony is enlisting Gray to revitalize one of their cornerstone franchises, one that hasn’t been seen on the big screen since 2012. The spinoff currently has a May 17, 2019, release date, with the script being written by Iron Man writers Matt Holloway & Art Marcum.
The film will be the first in the franchise to not feature Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the leading roles. Neither will be returning for this installment but the film will likely take place in the same continuity as the first three.
It was originally reported that the next Men In Black movie would be a crossover with the Jump Street franchise, another Sony linchpin. The film would have seen Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill being recruited to fight extraterrestrial foes. That idea was eventually scrapped for a more traditional spinoff idea.
Are you excited for F. Gary Gray to direct the upcoming Men In Black spinoff? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix took an ambitious step into original programming with Altered Carbon, a science fiction action series soaked in cyberpunk. The series features some slick visuals. It also attempts to blend noir and sci-fi to tell a mystery that spans centuries. It all sounds great, right? But does the show alter the landscape of television science fiction for the better, worse or not at all?
Immortality remains mostly attainable
only for the rich and powerful.
On the series, Envoy (think: super soldier) Takeshi Kovacs, first played by Will Yun Lee, dies at the hands of the people who made him — the CTEC. However, in the world of AlteredCarbon, death can be cheated. Everyone has a “stack,” an implant that records all memories, thoughts, and intelligence. The stack can be switched into a new body, a “sleeve,” making immortality possible.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets to enjoy such luxuries. Immortality remains mostly attainable only for the rich and powerful. Now, two-hundred and fifty years after Kovacs’ death in the opening sequence, he’s back, but for reasons unknown. In this new world, Joel Kinnaman plays Kovacs.
By the end of episode one, we know that Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the inhabited worlds, brought Kovacs back. Why? Laurens needs Kovacs to solve the murder of the gazillionaire’s last sleeve. Kovacs, as per requirement of the genre, our reluctant hero takes the job.
Another box to tick off is the sprawling metropolis of
most every story set in this type of future.
AlteredCarbon lazily meanders its way through the story. Dry narration, likely inspired by Harrison Ford’s uninterested after-the-fact work in BladeRunner, hovers over nearly every episode of the series. And like Ridley Scott adding narration was unnecessary, it’s also superfluous here. It feels as though the creators had boxes to check and cyberpunk must have narration because of its close ties to noir.
Another box to tick off is the sprawling metropolis of most every story set in this type of future. Picture New York, but ten times bigger with buildings that are ten times higher. Neon lights? Check! Congested, multicultural street markets? Yessir! Flying cars? You know it!
AlteredCarbon indeed suffers from tropes. It’s a necessary evil, as all genre entertainment will fall into it here and there. So, it’s not to be held against the show. However, there is a definite lack of anything new added to the whole.
The thrust of AlteredCarbon is the murder-mystery.
Stacks and the implications of potential immortality are two things that could serve a fascinating narrative. But as the episodes wear on, the show stays very surface level on most ideas regarding body-switching.
The thrust of AlteredCarbon is the murder-mystery. But as we go along we learn about Kovacs’ previous life as a freedom fighter. However, we don’t see much of the world that he’s fighting for. It all comes off as if the world didn’t change in 250 years. Present-day Kovacs walks out into the world as if he’d been there before. There’s never a sense of confusion, even seconds after he wakes from a two and a half century sleep. Kovacs is up. He’s out. We’re on our way.
About that deviation from cyberpunk that I mentioned.
AlteredCarbon’s biggest strengths are its visuals and the genre itself. Everything it borrows feels like genuine cyberpunk — most of the time. More on that later though. Another bonus of the series is the graphic violence and nudity. For fans of R-rated material, AlteredCarbon delivers big time.
About that deviation from cyberpunk that I mentioned. An episode late in the series altogether takes a left turn away from everything that’s going on. Much like Eleven’s solo mission in StrangerThings season two, Kovacs of the past gets nearly an entire episode. And it’s a plodding, contrived backstory to serve as an exposition bomb explaining one of the show’s central twists.
AlteredCarbon is based on Richard K. Morgan’s 2002 novel of the same name.
Exposition is a big problem throughout the series. It’s endless and comes from three sources. Narration, flashbacks, and dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. It’s like being in an MMA bout with your arms tied behind your back. The show pummels with information time and time again.
AlteredCarbon is based on Richard K. Morgan’s 2002 novel of the same name. However, as per usual with any show based on a book, there are significant changes to the narrative. For instance, Reileen Kawahara, Kovacs’ sister (Dichen Lachman) gets a much more significant role here. So, fans of the book should watch with an open mind as if this were (mostly) its own thing.
Is AlteredCarbon worth a watch?
Netflix no-doubt pumped a lot of money into the production. Sets are beautiful, and though sparse, vistas of the city and future-tech are wonderfully rendered. Past the pretty, there’s little else to love. Kovacs is about as bland as can be. The story offers twists that cause little more than a pressed-lip nod. And most of the time, the twist is ruined by explanations for the sudden turn which drags the whole thing down.
Is AlteredCarbon worth a watch? Meh. It has some moments of interest, but they come few and far between. Most of the time it feels like Netflix picked up a SyFy Channel idea and pumped HBO money into it. It’s pretty, but ultimately forgettable by the time the end credits roll.
Are you going to watch AlteredCarbon? Have you already? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
The Jetsons #4 hits your local comic book store on February 7, but thanks to DC Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive 4-page preview for you.
The Jetsons is written by Jimmy Palmiotti of Harley Quinn fame, art by Pier Brito, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Dave Sharpe, with the main cover by Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts, and the variant cover by Ben Caldwell.
About issue four: George and his family know the end is coming as the rest of the planet finds out the same news. Jane leads an attack on an alien life-form, while George is offered a way off the planet, but at a cost.
Check out the 4-page preview below, click on the image to expand.
Are you reading The Jetsons, what do you think of Palmiotti’s take on the characters? Comment below.
Much of the comic book news circuit over the past few months has been dominated by Brian Michael Bendis leaving Marvel and joining DC. It was revealed this week that he’ll be taking over both Superman and Action Comics.
While that is certainly worthy of the noise it generated, let’s not forget about the writers that allowed for Bendis to commandeer two healthy and successful comic books. Writers Peter J. Tomasi and Dan Jurgens combined for 74 issues, along with guest spots by Patrick Gleason, Michael Moreci, and James Bonny.
When making the monumental shift from New 52 to DC Rebirth, Superman was at the heart of everything. Clark Kent of the New 52 was dead, Rebirth brought the original Clark into the main continuity. Superman, along with the readers, started out this new era for the publisher trying to figure out how he fit into it. It was no simple task.
The creative teams of Superman and Action Comics took a pretty outrageous concept and made it work. They roughed out all the conceptual edges and made us slowly forget how weird it is that this Superman isn’t from the same universe (kind of).
Exceptionally fun classic comic book stories like “Multiplicity” and “Men of Steel” lead to the ultimate “Superman Reborn.” This arc finalized the joining of two worlds and smoothed out some of the rough patches of continuity.
Clark wasn’t the only Kent to make it over either. We were also reintroduced to the original Lois. She had her own magnificent journey trying to find her way in a universe that already had a Lois Lane.
The biggest evolution for the Superman brand with Rebirth is Jon Kent. Clark and Lois’ adorable son whose discovering his Kryptonian abilities. Jon has been one of the brightest shining stars of Rebirth between Superman, Super Sons, and occasionally Teen Titans.
These creators took the opportunity that Rebirth provided and returned Superman to his former glory. Superman comics are fun again. They’re full of heart, adventure, and mystery.
They took a character that was floundering, made their bold adjustments, and made him matter again. Superman is proudly among the top of the DC kingdom again.
Now the torch gets passed to Brian Michael Bendis. He’s getting handed a bright and beautiful Superman landscape. It’s a healthy and inspiring atmosphere with plenty of life and momentum. He’s got more than capable hands but it’s also nice to know he’s getting the character during a time when Superman stories matter.
As we enter a whole new era of Superman once again, let us not forget how we got here. It wasn’t too long ago that reading Clark’s adventures was a chore.
This is a thank you to Dan Jurgens, Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Jorge Jimenez, Doug Mahnke, Jamie Mendoza, Mick Gray, Ivan Reis, Ed Benes, Sebastian Fiumara, Scott Godlewski, Tyler Kirkham, Travis Moore, Barry Kitson, James Bonny, Michael Moreci, Patrick Zircher, Stephen Segovia, Patrick Zircher, Ian Churchill, Jackson Herbert, Viktor Bogdanovic, Guillem March, Ryan Sook, Steve Pugh, Brett Booth, Will Conrad, and all the wonderful colorists, inkers, and letterers that make up this fantastic era of comic books for our beloved Man of Steel.
Ever feel like you keep repeating the same day over and over and over again? That’s what happens to an arrogant meteorologist in Harold Ramis‘ 1993 feature film Groundhog Day.
Bill Murray stars as Phil Connors, a Pittsburgh news station weatherman who sets off to Punxsutawney with his cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) and newly-hired producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) to cover the festivities of Groundhog Day. When a fluke blizzard shuts down outbound roads, they are forced and stay to enjoy the small town charm. Phil ends up in a loop of repeating February 2nd over and over until he gets some life perspective and wins Rita’s heart.
The comedy team of Murray and Ramis was nothing new when this picture debuted. The two had worked together on the successful comedies of Meatballs, Stripes, and the Ghostbusterfilms. Murray has a history of playing characters who slide out of tricky situations nonchalantly and entertainingly, making him the perfect person to play Connors.
The movie still makes me laugh out loud. It’s funny, but also sweet and charming. And, yes, I always try to watch it every February 2nd.
But, the movie can be deceiving. The actual event at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney is nothing like the movie portrays. Yes, Punxsutawney is a small, quaint town, but it was not where the movie was filmed. No town square would have looked good on film, so filmmakers chose to shoot the film in remote Woodstock, Illinois. Town officials were angry that their town was passed over, and they refused to supply the “real” Punxsutawney Phil to appear in the film.
The real Gobbler’s Knob is a park about 2 miles outside of Punxsutawney and is nothing more than a giant field and stage. Spectators begin gathering the evening before and party all night long. Bands, magicians, dancing contests, games, and more keep visitors entertained and warm while they wait for Phil to emerge from his burrow. Phil appears at 7:25 AM each February 2.
This year, Phil saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. While that may ring true in western Pennsylvania (as we woke up to a blanket of fresh snow today), Phil’s predictions are typically wrong. According to Stormfax Weather Almanac, he’s only been right about 39% of the time.
Do wake up early to watch Phil make his yearly weather prediction? Do you believe him?
Sony is about to kickoff marketing for Venom as the film’s first teaser trailer has been rated by the Manitoba Film Classification Board, per Trailer-Track.
The first-ever advertisement for the picture will run 1 minute and 31 seconds, and has been rated PG. Take a look at the listing below.
The outlet speculates that the teaser will be released in the next two weeks to coincide with the release of Black Panther, however, this information is has not been confirmed.
Venom is directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Woodly Harrelson, Riz Ahmed, and Jenny Slate. The movie is set to be released on October 5.
Follow Monkeys Fighting Robots for further updates on Sony’s Venom.
On April 1st, Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai will be relinquishing his title as president and CEO of Sony, the company announced today. Hirai, 57, has served as CEO since 2012 when he took over for Howard Stringer who held the title since 2005. In a statement, Hirai said “As the company approaches a crucial juncture, when we will embark on a new mid-range plan, I consider this to be the ideal time to pass the baton of leadership to new management, for the future of Sony and also for myself to embark on a new chapter in my life”. Succeeding Hirai is CFO Kenichiro Yoshida, who has worked within various departments of Sony for over 30 years.
Hirai said his successor “Combines a deeply strategic mindset a relentless determination to achieve defined targets, and the ability to take a global viewpoint”. Even though he is stepping down, Hirai is not leaving the company. He is staying on as chairman and will still have a seat on the board of directors. He first joined Sony in 1984, working in the marketing department.
While there he worked on the marketing of international music in Japan. In 1995 he transitioned from music to video games after joining Sony Computer Entertainment America, where he worked in their PlayStation division. In 1999, Hirai was named COO and president of SCEA. Which took him on the path to becoming overseer of Sony’s video game business in 2006. Hirai’s decision to step down as CEO came to the surprise of the company’s Chairman of the Board Osamu Nagayama.
“We were initially surprised by his proposal to step down from the role of President and CEO, but over time and following extensive further discussions we ultimately reached a decision to respect his wishes,” said Nagayama. But when Hirai steps down he will be leaving the position on a very positive note. As the company is forecasting a profit of 630 billion yen ($5.7 billion) for the fiscal year which ends on March 31.
After the events of Phoenix Resurrection, the original Jean Grey is back in the Marvel Comics Universe and has put together a team to save the world in X-Men Red #1. Her team consists of Gentle, Namor, Nightcrawler, Trinary, Honey Badger, and Wolverine (X-23).
X-Men Red #1 is written by Tom Taylor, with art by Mahmud Asrar, colors by Ive Svorcina, and letters by Cory Petit. You might know Taylor from his work on the All-New Wolverine and Superior Iron Man. It is good to see how Asrar has evolved over the years. The first time I saw his work was in Dynamo 5 back in 2007.
The Hate Machine Part 1: Heal The World is most definitely a giant political statement about the current state of the world, but that is what pop culture is supposed to be, a reflection of society. What separates superhero comics is they have the ability to inspire us to be better. Yes, there are evil people in the world, and yes, the journey will be arduous, but that’s the hero’s journey!
Taylor sets up a great hero’s journey for Jean Grey in 30-pages. The book starts off with what feels like a cinematic action-packed sequence to get you excited to read the book. Then the story arc is set up with a bit of mystery, and the ends with the reveal of Jean’s nemesis. This is textbook “how to write a compelling comic book” craftsmanship. What elevates X-Men Red #1 to a better than average book is the emotional weight Taylor puts into Jean. Taylor places Jean in a Superman tale, wrapped up in the political climate of 2018. The story will be messy and inspirational. The X-Men will always be the perfect team to use to discuss social issues; they were timely in the 60s, and they are timely now.
The Superman parallel comes from the one-page single panel of Jean floating above the Earth listening to the world’s problems. She then gets the world’s greatest minds together to search for the answer, and she even speaks before the United Nations. Her actions work like a Superman checklist! All jokes aside, this feels right for the return of Jean Grey. Like Captain America, she is now a fish out of water and must catch up with the times. Taylor’s writing combined with Asrar’s artwork leans into the emotional weight of the situations.
Asrar’s style is a little inconsistent at times, but he knows how to draw action and movement, the most important elements of any comic. Petit’s letters assist the action well. The one-page single panel of Jean floating above the world is a frameable piece of art. The detail is brilliant, from the Earth to her hair, you can feel the wind coming off the page. This could be a personal taste issue, but Asrar puts a line down the chin of his characters which sometimes flattens a face and or clutters up a feminine looking face. Maybe a conversation between the artist, colorist, and editor could clean up some panels.
What will make this book fun is the team, with the balance of age and emotions. Namor and Nightcrawler are on the opposite sides of the emotional spectrum, and then you have Honey Badger, Trinary, and Wolverine to balance out the veterans. Putting together the right team will help pull the right emotions out of a writer.
X-Men Red #1 feels like a superhero book, but more importantly, it feels like an X-Men book. A must read for X-Men fans.
Altered Carbon, an ambitious science fiction Netflix original show lands today with ten episodes. The slick looking show is a first for the streaming service which hopes to launch several new original properties this month. Of course, in this day and age, the true test of a shows popularity is how much it inspired a crazed marathon of watching. Shows succeed based on their addictive nature. So, the question now is whether or not Altered Carbon is the start of a weekend-long binge watch?
Fans of the 2002 hardboiled cyberpunk science fiction novel
by Richard K. Morgan should tread lightly.
The story of Altered Carbon is as follows: It’s a cyberpunk future with the typical massive, crowded, capitalism-obsessed cities as any other. In this future, death is a thing of the past. A device called a “stack” records our memories, and when people die, those memories upload into a new body called a “sleeve.” Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman) is an Envoy, a sort of super-soldier from the past who is killed and brought back into a new sleeve, 250 years later.
Fans of the 2002 hardboiled cyberpunk science fiction novel by Richard K. Morgan should tread lightly. Altered Carbon borrows the bare minimum necessary from the novel. It’s not quite a deviation like World War Z, but it’s also not remotely faithful.
Beneath the visuals is a story that begins with
an extended period of exposition.
The vibe of Altered Carbon throughout trailers and previews seemed to hint at a gritty, cyberpunk world. Throughout the first half of episode one, the vistas of such a society are sparse and uninspired. Some moments look like updated Blade Runner visuals, yet we already had Blade Runner 2049, so it seems mediocre by comparison. Cityscapes are reminiscent too of legendary Japanese anime Akira and Neo Tokyo. But again, it all falls short by comparison.
Beneath the visuals is a story that begins with an extended period of exposition. Like the epic towers dotting the city, these spires of story info stretch high. Additionally, it takes a long time to take it all in. But in the end, it’s a building like any other. While the structure might be interesting, the function is the same. At the mid-point of the first episode of Altered Carbon, the show is at a near crawl.
Visually, Altered Carbon is great to look at. It has plenty
of action to keep most viewers entertained.
At the midpoint is when we learn why Kovacs is back. It’s here we learn about the central thrust of the show. The wealthiest man in the world, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy) wants to solve a murder — his own. It’s a clever twist and welcomed by this point as the show is meandering.
Viewers hoping Altered Carbon is a spiritual Blade Runner in TV form with an intriguing cyber-noir story may be disappointed. There are inklings of something interesting, and the implications of the way in which humanity can cheat not only death but also upgrade their bodies are the foundation for a fantastic science fiction series. But Altered Carbon just kind of plays out matter-of-factly, never reaching into those kinds of questions; never reaching for a more profound narrative. Instead, it’s content with tropes and faux character building and action. The show also has time for completely flat jokes.
Visually, Altered Carbon is great to look at. It also has plenty of action to keep most viewers entertained. But, as much as Kinnaman tries, his version of Kovacs is less interesting than the previous body, played by Will Yun Lee. But Lee has very little screen time, and Kinnaman’s mopey, uninterested Kovacs makes it hard to stay invested.
Altered Carbon might improve as the season goes on.
Other characters, like Lt. Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), is a law enforcement agent meant to serve as a soft antagonist and love interest for Kovacs. Ortega or Kovacs’ endless hallucinations of his past don’t add a single layer of interest. It all feels very by-the-numbers.
Altered Carbonmight improve as the season goes on. But the buildup through the first episode is sparse. It feels like a show that spent more time on style and less on substance. While the visuals and concepts are smart, the story itself plays out with few points of interest. It’s clear Netflix spent money on the show, but they didn’t invest in the story. The narrative of Altered Carbon feels like many other shows of it’s kind. The combined whole makes it hard to justify spending 10 hours this weekend watching the show.
Looks like Black Panther’s little sister will be tagging along a little longer.
Shuri will be joining Black Panther, Captain America, and the rest of the team in the upcoming Avengers film, Avengers: Infinity War.
Actress Letitia Wright, who appeared in season four of Netflix’s Black Mirror talked with Comicbook.com about her experience on the upcoming film and working with Chadwick Boseman.
“It was amazing. It was surreal to just see certain characters that I’d been watching as an audience member for years and then be opposite them. I can’t say who but it was amazing. I keep using the word amazing today. I just have to walk around with a sign that says, ‘Black Panther and the whole Marvel experience of working on Avengers: Infinity War was also amazing!’ It was amazing.”
The tech savvy princess of Wakanda is already becoming a fan favorite.
TwitterBrian Truitt Twitter
The actress also expressed feelings about starring in a stand alone movie based on her character.
“I hope, whenever the time is right, if [a Shuri movie] is meant to happen, I would happily do it. But you can’t have a Shuri movie without T’Challa and you can’t have a Shuri movie without Ramonda and Nakia and the rest of the Dora Milaje and Okoye. So, I guess, the question is: when can we have Black Panther 2?”
Both Boseman and Wright have such great on screen chemistry. See for yourself in the clip below!
Black Panther is set to hit theaters Feb. 16. Pre-ticket sales have already surpassed every other Marvel super hero film.
