Category Archives: Movie News & Opinions

Movie News & Opinions

‘X-Men: First Class’ Sequel Release Date Announced

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Last years X-Men: First Class was a welcome entry into the X-Men film franchise, and of course, it’s going to get a sequel. Thankfully, the team behind the original, including Michael Fassbender, who played the brilliant Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence of newly found ‘Hunger Games’ fame, and Director Matthew Vaughn, who was also responsible for the kick ass, Kick-Ass, are all returning, given time for their respective schedules, to film the sequel in time for July 2014 release. James McAvoy is also confirmed as returning as Professor X, although there is no information at this time if he will be going bald. Details about the film itself are scarce, as it doesn’t even have a title yet, but it will focus on Magneto falling further down the spiral into super-villainry.  All in all it’s still pretty early, and news about casting, new roles, further plot details and such are in the air, as it’ll likely be a year before any substantial updates are available.

What did the five fingers say to the face?

I especially look forward to the film, as First Class was the only film in the entire X-Men franchise that, in my opinion, carried any depth or genuine meaning with it, along with exciting, fun to watch action scenes that carried weight and gravitas behind them. The first two tried unsuccessfully to blend heady, talk heavy scenes into the film, but failed when it came to any kind of exhilarating fighting or action, and left us with a main character death in the second, that lacked emotional resonance, and ultimately ended up going nowhere interesting in the incredibly mediocre (but entertaining in a oh-man-this-is-bad way) third film. First Class finally showcased realistic uses of powers by characters who were refreshingly happy and willing to use them, because having powers would be amazing, and seeing characters unburdened by any sort of broody melodramatic guilt over the “responsibility” of their powers, was a breath of fresh air to see, especially in a genre where so many superheroes’ are so torn about having frickin’ SUPER POWERS.

So it goes without saying I’ll be looking forward to seeing some new X-Men action come July 18, 2014, because watching someone using mind powers gleefully is probably the best wish-fulfillment there is.

Movie News & Opinions

The REAL Reason “GI Joe: Retaliation” Was Delayed

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Claiming that they needed to spend nine months to add 3D, a lot of people called BS on Paramount, and for good reason, too. I mean, come on, give me a break. Nine months to add 3D? Really? That’s a two or three month job at the most. I understand that most of the summer release spots were taken, but why not just release it in the fall?

CinemaBlend has the entire scoop, and instead of just rewriting it less eloquently for fear of committing plagiarism (and a general lack of motivation on my part), I’ll post what they had on their article regarding GI Joe: Retaliation:

“Paramount decided to shift G.I. Joe: Retaliation to next winter and the reason is because the studio wasn’t confident that the movie could compete with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Set to be released on July 3rd, webhead would have only given G.I. Joe five days, at most. at the top of the box office, and many anticipate that the success of The Avengers will translate to greater success for all superhero movies, including our friendly neighborhood webslinger. Also helping out box office numbers next year will be the added 3D, which should pad Paramount’s international numbers quite nicely.

But the other reason for the move is Mr. Channing Tatum. Watching the trailers for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, it’s pretty clear that Tatum, who played Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, bites the big one early in the film. With 21 Jump Street and The Vow performing as well as they did, however, the studio is thinking that killing Tatum off wasn’t the best idea in the world. It’s expected that in the next nine months Tatum will be brought in for re-shoots so that they can expand his part – which is a clean way of saying that he could be resurrected.”

This is both interesting and disappointing. Initially I loved the bold choice to kill of Tatum in the first act. Then again, considering both Bruce Willis AND The Rock are in this movie, bringing Channing Tatum back for a third act showdown might not be such a bad idea, but it’s just too predictable. I understand the attempt to make as much money as possible, but if you’re going to make a move as ballsy as that, at least have the nerve to stick through with it until the end.

And just because…

Movie Trailers

New Trailers: The Bourne Legacy

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The Bourne Legacy. Where should I start? Should I start with how this is a movie that doesn’t feature much of Jason Bourne? Or should I start with Matt Damon’s lack of involvement? Or maybe how the main protagonist isn’t even named Jason Bourne? I don’t know.  You might as well as name the NBA in Utah ‘the Jazz’. Oh wait, they do.  Universal Pictures probably kept “Bourne” in the title so mindless viewers like me can immediately tell the movie is set in the same universe.

After the events in The Bourne Ultimatum, CIA has decided to shut down “Operation Outcome”, the successor to the program that created Jason Bourne. The story of The Bourne Legacy revolves around Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), a product of “Operation Outcome”, and Stephanie Snyder (Rachel Weisz), one of the scientists involved in the operation. There is also this CIA agent named Byer (Edward Norton) who wants to kill the two protagonists. If you manage to notice how my version of the synopsis bears a striking resemblance to that of Wikipedia, please keep it to yourself.

Unlike, the first trailer, which is much more plot-oriented, the second trailer places its focus on the action sequences. We also get to see Joan Allen and David Strathairn reprising their roles as Pamela Landy and Noah Vosen, as well as Albert Finney returning as Dr. Albert Hirsch. Interestingly, Jason Bourne’s still can be seen on the news in the trailer.

A part of the movie will be set in the Philippines.

The Bourne Legacy without Jason Bourne is directed by Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter of  The Bourne movie series. It is projected for a release date of August 3rd this year.

Movie Trailers

Les Misérables: Trailer and Set Photos!

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As a fan of Les Misérables, I am pleased to present this news. The newest movie adaptation of this prestigious musical will be releasing in theaters this year. I have very high hopes that this star-studded cast will do their best to keep it authentic and pure of Hollywood garbage.

Les Misérables is a tale of much passion. In fact, each song from this stage musical has a story, and within each story there is a different very powerful emotion expressed. Here is the official synopsis from Collider.com:

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption–a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

The two characters most intriguing to me are Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway as Fantine. I cannot wait to see what they bring to the characters. I will say this, though… if Hathaway bastardizes ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, I will not rest until her career is halted for eternity. She sounds beautiful in the trailer, but we shall see.

Take a look at the trailer:

Les Misérables will be released on December 14, 2012.

Movie News & Opinions

‘Django Unchained’ Update: New Pictures…

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Quentin Tarantino is back again with yet another scrappy yet captivating ode to genre cinema of years past, this time with his love letter to westerns, Django Unchained. After previously tackling the “Macaroni Combat” genre of WW2 films with Inglorious Basterds, he’s gone to the opposite end of old italian cinema and is diving headfirst into bringing his own personal spaghetti western for all of us. The plot is fairly simple and by the numbers: Slave gets freed by bounty hunter, bounty hunter teaches a slave to bounty hunt, slave vows to find his wife who is being held at a sadistic slave ranch, BUT slave ranch holds slave battles ran Thunderdome style by cruel slave owner! Will he get her back? You know, the usual sort of stuff you see in every western.

Great, but how do I get this shot of the gun to be an ‘homage”?

If it wasn’t apparent, the cast is typical Quentin Tarantino “Weird-at-first-but-actually-works.” style casting, with Jamie Foxx as the titular Django, Christoph Waltz as the bounty hunter, and Leonardo DiCaprio as the slave ranch owner, who is named, no kidding, Calvin Candy. That slave ranch? Candyland.

No wives until you escape the chocolate swamp!

Overall I’m excited for the movie, because westerns are great, and spaghetti westerns are always something special. It stands to reason that QT seems intent on trying really really hard to emulate Sergio Leone with his last few movies, and whether or not he’ll be successful is really up to how the whole thing comes together. I’mma homage you so hard… I’mma homage you so hard… Inglorious Basterds, while entertaining, was a movie that was definitely less than the sum of its parts, but its opening scene was classic Leone emulation, right down to the fitting Morricone soundtrack. Granted it’s easy to make anything seem epic and grandiose with that man’s score, but it was one solid, perfect nugget of gold in that movie that absolutely worked perfectly. If Django Unchained can be a whole movie like that scene, it’ll become one of the very best modern westerns of all time, if not though… well we’ll see. Who am I kidding, I know come December 25, I’ll be heading to see it with Christmas cash in tow.
I’mma homage you so hard…