When it comes to superhero movies and franchises it feels like everyone is getting one. The X-Men franchise has been around since its launch in 2000. Meanwhile, Marvel and DC have launched their own cinematic universes. But amidst the capes, merchandise sales, and post-credits scenes, there is one team who feels overlooked by movie studios. That team, in particular, is the Teen Titans.
In the newly released synopsis from Warner Bros., the team’s first feature film Teen Titans Go! To The Movies reveals their frustrations with Hollywood. Which leads to Robin and the team going to Tinsel Town to make their own movie. But while they try to lure an A-List director, and Robin tries to shed his sidekick status for star status, the gang encounters a new problem. As a new supervillain appears with a common goal that all supervillains share.
The goal and desire to take over the Earth. Though the villain has not yet been named, whoever they are will test the Teen Titans’ bonds of friendship. While driving a wedge between them and their dreams of Hollywood fame. No matter the outcome, the Teen Titans already have their cast.
As Tara Strong (Raven), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Greg Cipes (Beast Boy), Hynden Walch (Starfire), and Scott Menville (Robin) will voice their current Teen Titans Go! characters. Also attached to the project are Will Arnett and Kristen Bell. Could we be seeing LEGO Batman make an appearance? We will find out on July 27th, 2018 when Teen Titans Go! To The Movies hits theaters.
Batgirl #18 is in stores December 27th, and Monkeys Fighting Robots has your exclusive first-look at the book courtesy of DC Comics.
The issue, entitled “White Elephant”, is a standalone story, perfect for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
The preview shows Barbara Gordon getting ready for her company holiday party and taking a brief break to beat up Burnside’s latest costumed rogue. But this isn’t the only action Batgirl will see this issue. The Clown Princess of Crime is also in town, throwing a wrench in Babs’ plans for a night out.
Check out the first four pages of the book, plus its two covers, right here:
About the issue: It’s the holiday season in Burnside, and everyone is getting into the spirit…including Harley Quinn! After the maid of mischief infects Barbara Gordon’s company party with a killer virus, Batgirl must embark on a wild-goose chase around the city to find a cure. The clock’s ticking—will our hero save the day in time?
Batgirl #18 is written by Hope Larson, with art by Sami Basri, colors by Jessica Kholinne, and letters by Deron Bennett. Covers are by Dan Mora and Joshua Middleton.
With the “Rebirth” era officially coming to a close, what’s been your favorite DC title of late? Let us know in the comments!
Netflix continues its push into the movie industry with Bright, a big-budget, high-concept tentpole-type film that falls on its face, is trampled by an army of orcs, impaled by a shower of arrows, and gutted by jagged axes. And then, it blows up.
From the very first seconds, there is no doubt, David Ayers,
the most interesting man in Hollywood, made this.
Bright is the story of Daryl Ward (Will Smith), a cop who works with Nick Jakoby (Edgerton) in a world where all our favorite fantasy characters like elves, fairies, centaurs and the like are alive alongside us. Ward is a human and Jakoby is an Orc. And in this world, magic is mostly gone, but now powerful forces are looking to bring a great evil back, and only a magic wand can save the day.
From the very first seconds, there is no doubt, David Ayers, the most interesting man in Hollywood, made this. The opening credits are a bit of a wink to the SuicideSquad’s stylized title sequence. And so, for those who didn’t like last year’s DCEU villains-turned-hero film, this might already get things started on the wrong foot.
Ayer dishes up some inconsistent directing. During one escape sequence, we roll back through an alley with Will Smith as enemies pop up from either side in a definite nod to video games like House of the Dead or Time Crisis. But Smith is dead center of the screen the entire time and covers most of what we see. It doesn’t create any visual impact when the most impactful part of the scene is blocked from view.
At the 40-minute mark, Bright does get interesting when
it becomes a war to gain possession of the magic wand.
The first 40 minutes of Bright lazily tries to establish this new world. Fantasy creatures have lived with us through all of history, yet, the world is the same. No signs of Orc hip-hop or Elven beauty supplies. Will Smith kills a fairy (it’s in the trailer) and no one seems to care. I’d imagine, that thousands of years living alongside a sentient creature like a fairy might provide some empathy. But no, it’s funny to kill the pesky fairy, so it happens.
Lazy world-building aside, Bright meanders through many of the typical buddy cop tropes. Ward and Jakoby don’t get along. And Ward just wants to retire to be with his family because, essentially, “He’s too old for this shit.” The film also tries to balance out humor with the drama but ends in the same lazy one-liners as any other Marvel or Michael Bay movie.
At the 40-minute mark, Bright does get interesting when it becomes a war to gain possession of the magic wand. Cops versus cops versus gangsters make the stakes a lot more engaging. And really could’ve been the thrust of the entire movie that could open the door to everything else. But those first 40 minutes are tough to sit through. And, like many modern-day movies; Bright is too long. Hack twenty minutes off and do a bit of tweaking, and there’s a brilliant spark of a good genre film that could lead to more.
As an action movie, Bright is no better or worse than Underworld, Blade, or any number of other sci-fi/fantasy films of the ilk.
Will Smith is, well, Will Smith in his official action character mode and so, there’s nothing much to report on that end. Joel Edgerton’s Jakoby is far more interesting a character. Edgerton does his best to overcome the awful design choice for the orcs which makes them look cheap. It’s as if the makeup department only had mud and paint to work with.
Making social commentary through the use of fantasy characters is a valiant idea. But in Bright, it’s only a passing line here and there that otherwise offers little to the story. And perhaps the argument could be made that it unfocuses Bright, turning it from a reasonably competent action movie into an unfortunate, borderline parody.
Sure, Bright is not groundbreaking and likely won’t give rise to the Bright Cinematic Universe. However, it’s a decent effort at offering something a little different in the genre, even if it ultimately falls short of being whatever grand spectacle the creators might have wanted it to be.
Have you ever left a movie and thought you missed something? The rest of the theater was laughing, they seemed to be enjoying themselves; why didn’t I? This was the predicament which I found myself after seeing ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,’ Dwayne Johnson’s latest co-starring Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan.
It took me a while to figure out the issue with the film, but after some deep thought and ample booze, I’ve come to a conclusion: the best scene in ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ is at the end, after the kids escape the game and they have a conversation with Colin Hanks. This small scene captures the right emotion and gives the film a heart that never appears during the meat of the picture. This moment has the same emotional and nostalgic bent as ‘Goonies,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ even ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’ It’s all about the awkwardness of a teenager that everyone can relate to.
What the writers of the film (Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinkner) do with ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ is take all the relatability out of the film and insert a screaming Kevin Hart. Johnson is fun and likable, but he doesn’t have the acting skill to convince you that he’s a 16-year-old kid. The director of the film, Jake Kasdan, also plays to his strengths as a comedy director, but in no time the movie transforms into a stand-up routine in the jungle.
Before you hit me over the head with, ‘Matt! It’s a popcorn flick, just enjoy the movie!’ let me give you another paragraph or two to make my case…
The simple set up of the film is fine. How Jumanji goes from a board game to a video game works. What doesn’t work is the actual gameplay. In the world of Jumanji, set up by the original film, the rules are important. With four writers on the project, should one of them maybe watched the original film? I would like to think that writers, director, and actors are trying to create the best possible product every time they work on a project, but sometimes that just isn’t the truth. Sometimes bills have to get paid and your sole motivation is a paycheck. ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ feels like this generations ‘Last Action Hero,’ but with a little less fanfare.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, I’m in the minority, but the Rock can’t cover up bad writing, flimsy CGI, and direction. Hart and Black can make you laugh on street on a street corner, no CGI film needed. With the quality of television on the rise, and more and more options available for your viewing pleasure, is it wrong to want more here?
Apparently, Quentin Tarantino’s R-rated Star Trek is still and actual thing that’s happening. It’s either that, or it’s one of the more effective geekdom pranks in recent memory; or it might all fall apart before it reaches any sort of production. Whatever the case, the movie has found a writer, who is not named Quentin Tarantino.
Mark L. Smith has been appointed the task of writing this R-rated Star Trek, and adding all the salty language and bloodshed. Smith has plenty of experience with violent screenplays, having recently written The Revenant. Other credits include Vacancy and Martyrs, and some other B-grade stuff. According to the report, Smith beat out Iron Man 3 and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation scribe Drew Pearce. What’s even more unusual is Smith is writing the screenplay and not Quentin Tarantino.
It doesn’t make a ton of sense that Tarantino would be so eager to direct, specifically, an R-rated Star Trek movie, and then not write it himself. Especially since that’s kind of his bag. Hopefully this means he is handing over the storytelling on this one to Smith and J.J. Abrams, who is producing, while he handles the infinitely more interesting 1969 “Charles Manson not Charles Manson” movie in the meantime.
Stay tuned for more super weird updates as they pop up.
You have seen them fight everyone from Darkseid to street thugs, to interdimensional evil versions of themselves, and even each other. But what do the ‘Word’s Greatest’ heroes do on a double date with their respected loved ones? Will they agree on what to do? Where and what to eat? Will everyone get along? What exactly is ‘Superhero Night’ at the county fair? And what’s this about having to switch costumes?
Batman #37
‘Super Friends’ Part 2 Written by: Tom King Art by: Clay Mann Inks By: Clay Mann & Seth Mann Colors by: Jordie Bellaire Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Writing
As much as I enjoyed the last issue of Batman, I have to say this one takes the ball from issue #36 and runs it into the end zone. There are so many great moments that it’s hard to pick a favorite. There’s the Ferris wheel ride, the throwing ball game, and superheroes eating corndogs. Tom King fills this issue with so much fun and joy and unlike the last issue, the focus isn’t just on Batman and Superman. Lois Lane and Selina Kyle are central to this story (as they are to their partners) and both women get a lot of bonding here, maybe even more so than the boys. Some of the funniest moments come between the two at the expense of Bats and Supes. That’s not to say that the titular hero doesn’t get laughs of his own, as probably the best running gag in the issue is Batman’s simple answer of “No” to many requests and suggestions.
There is also something sort of deceptively deep about the concept of this issue. At first glance, the trading places costume switcharoo seems like just another gag. But scratch that surface a bit and you start to see that this is about how all these characters see each other, how they see themselves, and how we as readers perceive them as well.
Art
Clay Mann gets the chance to draw a lot of faces here, and his gift for subtle expression is excellent. He captures things like the slight stiffness in Bruce’s face and the exasperation in Clark’s without resorting to over the top cartooning. The line work is also very clean and sharp, with an almost classic comic book look that is perfectly broken up every now and then by modern looking layouts and panel work.
Jordie Bellaire once again proves why she is my favorite colorist in the medium today. The atmosphere and mood created by her color palette really makes you feel like you are in a carnival.
Conclusion
Batman #37 was exactly what I needed from this title after the intricate and deeply disturbing recent arcs. It’s another issue that proves how well Tom King can write The Dark Knight; constantly changing the feel of the stories to give you more insight into one of pop culture’s most significant fictional characters. A definite must read!
Sometimes the best thing a director can do is let their cast play to their strengths. Such is the case in Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Rather than seek to recreate the magic of the original, Kasdan increases the frivolity of the narrative. The result is a film that doesn’t seek to teach anyone a lesson but will cause your ribs to hurt from laughter.
The tale centers around four kids who end up in detention after committing separate incidents in the same day. Bethany (Madison Iseman), Spencer (Alex Wolff), football hero Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) and Martha (Morgan Turner) are tasked with cleaning out the storage unit of their school as punishment. While they’re cleaning Fridge stumble upon a video game unit that happens to have Jumanji in it. They begin playing it which results in all four kids being sucked into the game. Spencer morphs into Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), Fridge is now “Moose” Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha is now martial arts dynamo Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), and Bethany has become Professor Oberon (Jack Black). As each kid assumes the role of a character from the game, challenges begin to arise. For starters, they have to overcome the evil Professor van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale) as they race to return a green emerald to the top of the Jaguar statue. Apparently once this occurs a curse will lift and Jumanji will thrive once again.
Chris Mckenna, Jeff Pinker, Scott Rosenberg, and Erik Sommer that substitutes the warmth of the first film for gut-busting laughter. No is seeking to recreate Robin Williams performance, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle honors it. Mckenna brings that same wit to this screenplay as he did in Lego Batman Movie.
Johnson and Hart shine once again in their respective roles. When they are both on screen, their comedic timing is amazing. Robin Williams would have lost it, especially during the piggyback chase scene. Someone in Hollywood needs to put together a remake of Twins and cast these two in the leading roles.
Black plays the role of Bethany to comedic perfection. While Johnson and Hart are dynamite, his character dominates each scene therein. Seeing Black do the flirting scene is worth the price of admission itself.
While seeing Gillan awkwardly flirt with The Rock was fun, seeing those two makeout left the theater roaring. Who knew that Gamora’s sister could be hysterical? It’s the willingness of the writers to ridicule not only the actors but the actual idea of a game sucking people into it that makes this release strong.
In the end, this film is far from perfect but if an entertaining time is what you are looking for then look no further than Jumani: Welcome To The Jungle. While it’s easy to nitpick a release, sometimes a releases purpose is to bring joy to masses, and this indeed does that.
Following Justice League and its introduction of Deathstroke on the big screen, The CW’s Arrow is not allowed to utilize Slade Wilson.
Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim revealed the news at ACE Comic-Con. First, he mentioned that the numerous DC television shows are simply borrowing the characters, and do not own them.
“These are DC’s characters, we’re just renting them ya know, so we use the characters that they tell us we can use when we can use them, and we work around whatever limitations that places us.
Then, Guggenheim was asked about Deathstroke specifically:
“Yeah, I think you know as a result we’ve been on and off. For a time they were saying ‘you can’t use Deathstroke’, and that changed and we were able to have Slade Wilson back on the show, and now we’re back to ‘you can’t use him’. They’re working on the feature film version, it really is sort of now that you’ve got obviously Slade, spoiler alert, Deathstroke appears at the end of the Justice League movie.”
Deathstroke was executed well in the show, but it remains to be seen if Warner Bros. can capture the same energy and performance with their films. Justice League didn’t perform up to expectations, so the silver lining in this is that, with the familiarity of Deathstroke, the character could potentially bring in some fans of the DC TV shows, specifically Arrow.
Infidelity, mid-life crisis and all around comedic shenanigans drive Crash Pad forward. Starring Christina Applegate and Domhall Gleeson, the film hits the ground running and rarely lets up. And while it might feel like a romantic comedy at the start, Crash Pad’s alternative vision for how it all plays out sets it apart from the usual entries into the genre. When the director of the film calls it an “ass-backward rom-com” you know you’re in for a fun time.
Crash Padbegins with Christina Applegate’s Morgan and Domhall Gleeson’s Stensland in bed together. Stensland learns a horrible secret about the girl he’s fallen for. And Applegate, with a mix of cold-hearted and heartbroken, must weather the storm for the moment until Gleeson makes his exit.
“I’m a 29-year-old, unemployed, diamond in the rough with no foreseeable opportunities for financial or personal success until my death.” – Stensland
From that intro, off we go into a film that mixes typical rom-com elements but plays them out in a pattern that feels fresh. Instead of the selfish guy who learns to love or the awkward girl who rises to find true love and conquer some enormous task, it’s a mess of a love triangle and a story about marriage, relationships, and growing up even when you’re already an adult.
In the hands of the wrong director, Crash Pad could be a spectacular disaster. At the helm here is Kevin Tent who has a long career as an editor in Hollywood (Downsizing, TheDescendants). And though Tent only dabbles in directing, he’s an industry veteran and knows exactly what to do with the camera and when. CrashPad could fit neatly alongside many of Judd Apatow’s movies like 40-Year-Old Virgin or Knocked-Up.
The first five minutes of Crash Pad don’t waste a second setting up exactly what kind of comedy this is. “Bullshit!” is the first line uttered by Stensland in his Irish tambour. Morgan then hammers home the truth. And, a few second laters, is brushing off the breakup, trying his best to feign the uncaring male. Then there’s man-ass and near-full frontal male nudity that will make some viewers cringe with a smile. We don’t see more of Stensland’s package, but we do then see Stensland’s real self, crying because he’s lost a woman he thought he was falling in love with.
“My receptionist was listening in when I threatened you which
means I’d have to kill her as well. And no way I’m breaking in a new receptionist. No, sir.” – Grady
As it turns out, Morgan is married to Grady played by Thomas Haden Church. And in the typical rom-com, it would become a situation of Stensland winning the heart of his true love, and Grady would be the a-hole who loses in the end. But that’s not what happens here, and the subtle deviations from the usual make CrashPad fun to watch. Also, where Grady and Stensland begin their journey is drastically different from where they end.
Grady and Stensland form a strange bromance that serves as the major thread of the story. Grady is conflicted, trapped in a sort of mid-life crisis. He’s angry that Morgan cheated on him, particularly with the smaller, wimpy-by-comparison Stensland, but he also understands to a degree as he might or might not have cheated on his wife first. And instead of killing Stensland, Grady hatches a kind of revenge plan that both backfires and succeeds.
Crash Pad is a little something old and something new. Gleeson isn’t your typical lead but the way this movie plays out, he’s just the perfect conduit for the audience. And that’s the mix that makes Crash Pad something worth finding on Amazon or iTunes.
According to Deadline, The Walking Dead’s Cooper Andrews, who portrays fan favorite Jerry, has joined the cast of Warner Brothers Shazam!.
Andrews joined the cast of The Walking Dead in Season 7 as Jerry, a loyalist to the Kingdom, and confidant of King Ezekiel. Fans quickly began to take notice of the character’s positive attitude and fun antics. Andrews will continue to appear in the hit AMC series when Season 8 returns from its midseason break.
The announcement of Andrews’ casting comes as no surprise as the upcoming DC Films movie begins to round out its cast. Zachary Levi stars as the titular Shazam, while Asher Angel will portray the true identity of the hero, Billy Batson. The rest of the cast includes Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand and David J. MacNeil. Mark Strong is also rumored to appear as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
It was also confirmed that Andrews will be playing a foster parent at the group home where Billy lives. It appears that he will have a close relationship to Billy, possibly being a sort of mentor.
Shazam! will be directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle Creation) and written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.
