It's no big secret that I'm a Marvel guy so this installment will feature more titles that aren't Marvel (and yes, manga count as comic books).
1. Old Man Logan: Okay, I won't lie to you. This is probably my favorite stand-alone miniseries that
Marvel's ever done. The storytelling, just the way it brought the MU together in a dystopic alternate future was so...perfect. It's fairly new having been released in 2009, but I think as time goes on, Old Man Logan will stand as Marvel's answer to The Dark Knight Returns. It probably shouldn't get made for a while because of all the other shit Marvel's trying to get made into film, but when it does, I do think that a Hugh Jackman in his 50s-60s would still be a perfect choice. No, really. I can't see anyone else playing Wolverine.
2. Civil War: One of my friends actually pointed this idea out to me. He told me that all this Marvel Cinematic Universe Shit was rumored to be leading up to Civil War. I don't know how Avengers 2 will play out, but I wouldn't be surprised. But damn, that would be fucking brilliant if it all led up to that. A feud between Cap and Iron Man. Only Mark Millar (who also wrote Old Man Logan) could think up such brilliance and it would probably make a killing if it does get made like 10-15 years from now.
3. Age of Reptiles: I've been a dinosaur freak ever since I was about 4. Ricardo Delgado's wordless prehistoric epic. This would be absolutely brilliant as a movie. It could be just so beautifully done and could be what Disney's Dinosaur completely failed to be when Michael Eisner in his infinite wisdom decided to make the characters fucking talk. Oh it's also really violent so maybe it'll appeal to an older crowd as well and show people that the Mesozoic Era was not exactly Barney.
4. Ronin: I haven't read it yet, but it was Samurai Jack was based off it so that must mean it'd make a pretty fucking awesome movie.
5. Lone Wolf and Cub: There have been several live-action Japanese adaptations, but a modern one with modern special effects done with a similar style to movies like 13 Assassins would possibly be the most badass movie of all time. I could see Tadanobu Asano as Ogami Itto.
6. Vagabond: I have a thing for Edo Japan. A series of movies done with modern special effects about Miyamoto Musashi would be absolutely awesome considering that he's easily one of the most badass real men who has ever walked the face of the earth. Oh and they need to finish up that series with a duel with Sasaki Kojiro that they conspicuously left out.
7. Planet Hulk/World War Hulk: I'm adding this in late because I forgot about it. Hulk is a character who has yet to have a solo movie that is, well, spectacular, but I think this could be it. Of course, like Civil War and Old Man Logan, this would have to come after the Avengers 2. This is easily Hulk's best story arc. It's only fitting that it gets made into a big budget movie, even if that animated adaptation was pretty good.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Comic book movies I'd like to see
With next year's release of The Wolverine and the 2014 release of X-Men: Days of Future Past along with anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe churns out, I'm pretty excited for the future of comic book movies. However, here are a few I'd like to see made.
1. Deadpool & Cable: Possibly my favorite team-up from the Marvel Universe (MU), this would make for a great action/comedy flick a la Lethal Weapon with the two leads and their constant quarrels. Ryan Reynolds is already known universally as the go-to-guy for Deadpool because of that Wolverine movie and the Deadpool movie they're working on (right?), but Steven Lang would be absolutely perfect for Cable. Hell, Colonel Quaritch even looks like the guy, especially in the Deadpool MAX series.
2. Black Lagoon: Yes, manga counts as comics. I first watched it as an anime before I got into the original manga and it simply just kicked ass. The fact that the chick in it was really fucking hot definitely enhanced the overall experience. I can't say I can name actors, especially since this would probably be made in Japan, but if they could bring in Michael Davis, the director of Shoot 'Em Up, this could be a near-perfect action flick with the right casting.
3. Spawn reboot: Simply put, while Michael Jai White is the perfect man to play Al Simmons, the first movie just didn't do this 90s classic justice. It was PG-13 for starters, and just wasn't dark enough. In fact, it was kind of cartoony and light-hearted, which anyone who's even read Spawn lightly knows the series isn't. A reboot probably wouldn't do too well at the box office initially, but I can see it becoming a cult hit and probably getting better reviews than its predecessor if done properly.
4. Venom spinoff: Dammit, they just need to get their shit together and make this already. They need a better Eddie Brock, someone about twice the size of Topher Grace. I hate to say it, but if Paul Walker put on a lot of muscle, like what Christian Bale did for Batman, he might pull it off. I just say him because I can't think of anyone else who actually resembles Brock from the comics.
5. Sgt. Rock: Another one that's been in the works for a while, based off a Silver Age character whose exploits almost motivated me to join the Army after high school and were the basis of many daydreams when I was 16. Can't really name a suitable actor, maybe William Fitchner because of all the military-based things he's done.
6. Punisher reboot with Thomas Jane: I don't give a shit what you think. Thomas Jane was (though maybe not by much) the better Punisher. He actually made the character seem more believable as opposed to Ray Stevenson's Terminator-like portrayal. Maybe if the potential reboot combined the hard-hitting, unapologetically violence and action of War Zone with the plot and character development of the 2004 film, it would be better?
That's all, folks.
1. Deadpool & Cable: Possibly my favorite team-up from the Marvel Universe (MU), this would make for a great action/comedy flick a la Lethal Weapon with the two leads and their constant quarrels. Ryan Reynolds is already known universally as the go-to-guy for Deadpool because of that Wolverine movie and the Deadpool movie they're working on (right?), but Steven Lang would be absolutely perfect for Cable. Hell, Colonel Quaritch even looks like the guy, especially in the Deadpool MAX series.
2. Black Lagoon: Yes, manga counts as comics. I first watched it as an anime before I got into the original manga and it simply just kicked ass. The fact that the chick in it was really fucking hot definitely enhanced the overall experience. I can't say I can name actors, especially since this would probably be made in Japan, but if they could bring in Michael Davis, the director of Shoot 'Em Up, this could be a near-perfect action flick with the right casting.
3. Spawn reboot: Simply put, while Michael Jai White is the perfect man to play Al Simmons, the first movie just didn't do this 90s classic justice. It was PG-13 for starters, and just wasn't dark enough. In fact, it was kind of cartoony and light-hearted, which anyone who's even read Spawn lightly knows the series isn't. A reboot probably wouldn't do too well at the box office initially, but I can see it becoming a cult hit and probably getting better reviews than its predecessor if done properly.
4. Venom spinoff: Dammit, they just need to get their shit together and make this already. They need a better Eddie Brock, someone about twice the size of Topher Grace. I hate to say it, but if Paul Walker put on a lot of muscle, like what Christian Bale did for Batman, he might pull it off. I just say him because I can't think of anyone else who actually resembles Brock from the comics.
5. Sgt. Rock: Another one that's been in the works for a while, based off a Silver Age character whose exploits almost motivated me to join the Army after high school and were the basis of many daydreams when I was 16. Can't really name a suitable actor, maybe William Fitchner because of all the military-based things he's done.
6. Punisher reboot with Thomas Jane: I don't give a shit what you think. Thomas Jane was (though maybe not by much) the better Punisher. He actually made the character seem more believable as opposed to Ray Stevenson's Terminator-like portrayal. Maybe if the potential reboot combined the hard-hitting, unapologetically violence and action of War Zone with the plot and character development of the 2004 film, it would be better?
That's all, folks.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises (AKA the best movie of the summer)
It's been a little more than a week since I saw it, a movie that I've waited 4 years for. The Christopher Nolan Batman movies are the gold standard by which all comic book movies are judged and they improved in quality with each installment. You know that this is a different Hollywood we have when a superhero movie can win an Oscar. As it is, The Dark Knight is easily one of the defining movies of this generation and for me, one of those movies that keeps getting better every time I watch it, particularly the ending which always brings chills down my spine because of its sheer poetic awesomeness. Yeah I was pretty stoked for The Dark Knight Rises.
First of all, the overall quality of the movie was top notch. The casting, the writing, everything about it was pretty much near perfection. So, what's it all about? To bring a brief recap, it's been 8 years since Bruce Wayne fought the Joker. He's kind of old and kind of a cripple. He's also a recluse, that is, one fateful night when cat burglar Selina Kyle steals something precious from him. This turn of events brings Wayne to once again don the iconic cowl, and the timing could not be better because there's a new guy in town, Bane, and he makes all other villains that came before him look like cupcakes.
The acting: Christian Bale was once again top notch as Bruce Wayne. I can't say much because not much has changed. He's still Batman, just slightly older and slightly more world-weary. He did a good job playing a man on the verge of his breaking point, someone who was born into privilege but instead chose to use that privilege to help others (with great power comes great responsibility - you're doing it right). As a result, his life is slightly, well, not normal and at this point, it's downright miserable. But he knows that he's not done yet and Christian Bale captured that mentality perfectly.
Many have cried foul of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. All I have to say is that I can understand the purists/fanboys, I'm somewhat of one. However, that's the point of the Christopher Nolan trilogy: it's meant to be more realistic and if that means doing away with the more fantastical elements, so be it. As a result, the character is basically Catwoman in name only and the "cat" essence is captured in the sense that she's a cat burglar. Hathaway fit the role almost as well as that bodysuit, a perfectly seductive foil for Bruce Wayne.
Oh boy, Tom Hardy. For me, Bane was the highlight of the movie. The minute I first saw pictures, I was blown away by what a raw badass/monster this character was. And the best part is, thanks to the more realistic nature of the Nolan trilogy, Bane isn't the overly steroidal creature from Batman and Robin or most of his other portrayals. He's just a big dude who looks more like someone who hits the gym regularly rather than a guy from a protein supplement advertisement. In fact, one of my cousins actually thought Bane reminded him of me since we're of similar build. Let me get one thing clear: THIS is how you properly do a movie villain. While Loki from The Avengers certainly had bad intentions, he wasn't quite menacing enough and he was actually kind of charismatic, the kind of fellow girls might like. Bane makes Loki look like a care bear. I'll admit that the Joker was probably the better villain, but Bane comes pretty damn close. Joker is rabid dog, but Bane is the guy who probably let the dog off the leash and while the dog is bad, you wonder what kind of bad shit its owner is capable of. This is the kind of villain that truly inspires fear. Even his name inspires fear. Honestly, when I hear of someone called a joker, I think of a class clown or a jester. When I hear of someone named "Bane," I'd probably pee my pants then get the hell out of town.
As for the writing, the movie was a little long and definitely took a while to get going, but once it started, I was hooked. The entire second act had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, especially during the raw, brutal fights between Batman and Bane. I'm not going to spoil it if you're one of the few people who hasn't seen this movie yet, but it provided a very satisfying conclusion to possibly the most influential movie trilogy of this generation. Yes, it's more influential than The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix, but I'll address my opinion in a later blog post.
4 out of 4 stars. If you haven't seen it yet, drop whatever you're doing and go right now.
First of all, the overall quality of the movie was top notch. The casting, the writing, everything about it was pretty much near perfection. So, what's it all about? To bring a brief recap, it's been 8 years since Bruce Wayne fought the Joker. He's kind of old and kind of a cripple. He's also a recluse, that is, one fateful night when cat burglar Selina Kyle steals something precious from him. This turn of events brings Wayne to once again don the iconic cowl, and the timing could not be better because there's a new guy in town, Bane, and he makes all other villains that came before him look like cupcakes.
The acting: Christian Bale was once again top notch as Bruce Wayne. I can't say much because not much has changed. He's still Batman, just slightly older and slightly more world-weary. He did a good job playing a man on the verge of his breaking point, someone who was born into privilege but instead chose to use that privilege to help others (with great power comes great responsibility - you're doing it right). As a result, his life is slightly, well, not normal and at this point, it's downright miserable. But he knows that he's not done yet and Christian Bale captured that mentality perfectly.
Many have cried foul of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. All I have to say is that I can understand the purists/fanboys, I'm somewhat of one. However, that's the point of the Christopher Nolan trilogy: it's meant to be more realistic and if that means doing away with the more fantastical elements, so be it. As a result, the character is basically Catwoman in name only and the "cat" essence is captured in the sense that she's a cat burglar. Hathaway fit the role almost as well as that bodysuit, a perfectly seductive foil for Bruce Wayne.
Oh boy, Tom Hardy. For me, Bane was the highlight of the movie. The minute I first saw pictures, I was blown away by what a raw badass/monster this character was. And the best part is, thanks to the more realistic nature of the Nolan trilogy, Bane isn't the overly steroidal creature from Batman and Robin or most of his other portrayals. He's just a big dude who looks more like someone who hits the gym regularly rather than a guy from a protein supplement advertisement. In fact, one of my cousins actually thought Bane reminded him of me since we're of similar build. Let me get one thing clear: THIS is how you properly do a movie villain. While Loki from The Avengers certainly had bad intentions, he wasn't quite menacing enough and he was actually kind of charismatic, the kind of fellow girls might like. Bane makes Loki look like a care bear. I'll admit that the Joker was probably the better villain, but Bane comes pretty damn close. Joker is rabid dog, but Bane is the guy who probably let the dog off the leash and while the dog is bad, you wonder what kind of bad shit its owner is capable of. This is the kind of villain that truly inspires fear. Even his name inspires fear. Honestly, when I hear of someone called a joker, I think of a class clown or a jester. When I hear of someone named "Bane," I'd probably pee my pants then get the hell out of town.
As for the writing, the movie was a little long and definitely took a while to get going, but once it started, I was hooked. The entire second act had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, especially during the raw, brutal fights between Batman and Bane. I'm not going to spoil it if you're one of the few people who hasn't seen this movie yet, but it provided a very satisfying conclusion to possibly the most influential movie trilogy of this generation. Yes, it's more influential than The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix, but I'll address my opinion in a later blog post.
4 out of 4 stars. If you haven't seen it yet, drop whatever you're doing and go right now.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Response to the Aurora, CO Batman shooting
Mass shootings are always a tragic thing. No innocent people deserve to die such horrific deaths, especially while watching a movie. This thing could have happened in any city at any time. Shit like this that happens is not just limited to movies and comic books, it happens in real life, yet people are never truly aware nor truly prepared. They just think that nothing's going to happen, ever.
And they'd be right, most of the time. See, if you go out, there's going to be a 99.9% chance that you're not going to be in any type of mortal danger. In other words, you have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than by encountering some crazed lunatic straight out of Batman.
Then there's the .1% of the time. The scary thing about this occurrence is the stark reality that this is the kind of scene that could have easily been portrayed in a Batman movie or any other superhero movie. In fact, word on the street is that the perpetrator dressed up as the Joker (I might be wrong, but he was basically armed to the teeth and had been planning his attack for quite a while).
The difference between Gotham City and pretty much any major city in the US is that superheroes don't exist. There is no caped crusader, no team of vigilante mutants or even Avengers to rescue you when you really need it. In most cities, police are usually minutes away when seconds matter. And the sickos in the world know this.
As much as I am a geek, I'm also a gun person and an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment. I'm not going to turn this into NRA propaganda because that's not the purpose of this blog. Concealed carry doesn't exist to turn us all into Batman wannabes. However I will end by saying that several or even one well-trained person could have saved those 12 people from dying and those 59 from getting injured. What? There was smoke you say? Take it from me, chances are that people who carry get enough practice on the range to know not to fire blindly into the darkness. Also guns give off bright muzzle flashes (the reason why you need eye protection when shooting) so even if there was smoke, you'd still be able to identify the location of the shooter. Furthermore, many people have flashlights or laser attachments. Maybe someone could have been injured had there been someone carrying concealed at the location when the shooting started. I'd take a few injured (hell, I'd rather be injured) than get the entire theater massacred. Sometimes, with issues like these, it's a matter of wanting it bad or worst. Nothing is black and white anymore.
Batman may not be real, but men like the Joker, like Bane, like the rest of the Rogues Gallery and inmates at Arkham Asylum are. Superheroes aren't real. Monsters are. It falls on the average citizen to protect themselves. You don't like guns or the idea of hurting someone even if said someone is holding you at gunpoint (or threatening to literally cut your mouth open)? Regardless of political views, protecting yourself and others around you is a human priority, not a political one. Oftentimes, it's not a glamorous thing to do considering the multitude of possible outcomes. Of course, if it's your family or the deranged psychopathic lunatic threatening to kill them and the entire crowd of innocent people, I think the choice should be fairly clear.
And they'd be right, most of the time. See, if you go out, there's going to be a 99.9% chance that you're not going to be in any type of mortal danger. In other words, you have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than by encountering some crazed lunatic straight out of Batman.
Then there's the .1% of the time. The scary thing about this occurrence is the stark reality that this is the kind of scene that could have easily been portrayed in a Batman movie or any other superhero movie. In fact, word on the street is that the perpetrator dressed up as the Joker (I might be wrong, but he was basically armed to the teeth and had been planning his attack for quite a while).
The difference between Gotham City and pretty much any major city in the US is that superheroes don't exist. There is no caped crusader, no team of vigilante mutants or even Avengers to rescue you when you really need it. In most cities, police are usually minutes away when seconds matter. And the sickos in the world know this.
As much as I am a geek, I'm also a gun person and an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment. I'm not going to turn this into NRA propaganda because that's not the purpose of this blog. Concealed carry doesn't exist to turn us all into Batman wannabes. However I will end by saying that several or even one well-trained person could have saved those 12 people from dying and those 59 from getting injured. What? There was smoke you say? Take it from me, chances are that people who carry get enough practice on the range to know not to fire blindly into the darkness. Also guns give off bright muzzle flashes (the reason why you need eye protection when shooting) so even if there was smoke, you'd still be able to identify the location of the shooter. Furthermore, many people have flashlights or laser attachments. Maybe someone could have been injured had there been someone carrying concealed at the location when the shooting started. I'd take a few injured (hell, I'd rather be injured) than get the entire theater massacred. Sometimes, with issues like these, it's a matter of wanting it bad or worst. Nothing is black and white anymore.
Batman may not be real, but men like the Joker, like Bane, like the rest of the Rogues Gallery and inmates at Arkham Asylum are. Superheroes aren't real. Monsters are. It falls on the average citizen to protect themselves. You don't like guns or the idea of hurting someone even if said someone is holding you at gunpoint (or threatening to literally cut your mouth open)? Regardless of political views, protecting yourself and others around you is a human priority, not a political one. Oftentimes, it's not a glamorous thing to do considering the multitude of possible outcomes. Of course, if it's your family or the deranged psychopathic lunatic threatening to kill them and the entire crowd of innocent people, I think the choice should be fairly clear.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wolverine (officially) has a sequel
Wolverine is one of my all-time favorite superheroes. He's practically indestructible (READ: immortal due to healing factor), has KNIVES as a part of his body that he can retract at will and he has the bad attitude/gruff cynical attitude to match. Comic book heroes don't get anymore badass than that. The only people who come close are the Punisher and Spawn in terms of sheer badass. So I was decicedly excited and blown away when I first saw trailers for Origins back in 2009.
The more I think about it, the only thing good about that movie was Hugh Jackman's performance. Everything else was kind of subpar and cliche considering that it was a movie from the same franchise that basically set the standard for superhero movies a few years prior with X2. The movie's story was all over the place, and it fell flat trying to cover way too much material in one movie (although the Wolverine and Sabretooth fighting through various wars in history montage was cool). Not to mention, it had too many individual mutants and didn't go into enough detail with any of them (I'm looking right at you, Deadpool and Gambit). In short, it could have been much more with better writing and character development.
Which leads me to my next point, Wolvie gets a sequel aptly named...wait for it...wait for it...The Wolverine. Despite mostly negative reviews, Origins did well enough to warrant a sequel and hey, that's how Hollywood works. Of course, I've been a diehard X-men fan for most of my life so I'm always interested when they announce new shit. Whereas the first movie focused on Logan's origin story, this one will focus on his time in Japan, based on the famous Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries from the early 80s.
Of course, Hugh Jackman returns for the titular role. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone else playing Wolverine even though he's technically a foot shorter than Jackman. Because it's set in Japan, most of the roles are played by Asians, something I like because I'm, well, Asian. Hiroyuki Sanada (that really badass samurai from The Last Samurai) plays the crime lord Shingen and the film's villain, Silver Samurai, is Will Yun Lee. The other notable roles are played by Brian Tee (who coincidentally shares, down to the letter, the same name as my brother) and Tao Okamoto as Wolvie's love interest, Mariko.
The actors definitely make a movie, but arguably more important is the director and the writers. I don't know too much about screenwriters, but at least one of the writers here has collaborated with Bryan Singer (director of the previous X-men films) before so that's promising. James Mangold is the director here, a better choice for the darker setting of this sequel. He's got hits on his resume like Walk the Line (which won several Academy Awards and Golden Globes) and 3:10 to Yuma. I'm not expecting The Wolverine to win Best Picture, but I'm hoping at least it's an improvement over Origins. So far, Marvel seems to be headed in the right direction.
The more I think about it, the only thing good about that movie was Hugh Jackman's performance. Everything else was kind of subpar and cliche considering that it was a movie from the same franchise that basically set the standard for superhero movies a few years prior with X2. The movie's story was all over the place, and it fell flat trying to cover way too much material in one movie (although the Wolverine and Sabretooth fighting through various wars in history montage was cool). Not to mention, it had too many individual mutants and didn't go into enough detail with any of them (I'm looking right at you, Deadpool and Gambit). In short, it could have been much more with better writing and character development.
Which leads me to my next point, Wolvie gets a sequel aptly named...wait for it...wait for it...The Wolverine. Despite mostly negative reviews, Origins did well enough to warrant a sequel and hey, that's how Hollywood works. Of course, I've been a diehard X-men fan for most of my life so I'm always interested when they announce new shit. Whereas the first movie focused on Logan's origin story, this one will focus on his time in Japan, based on the famous Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries from the early 80s.
Of course, Hugh Jackman returns for the titular role. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone else playing Wolverine even though he's technically a foot shorter than Jackman. Because it's set in Japan, most of the roles are played by Asians, something I like because I'm, well, Asian. Hiroyuki Sanada (that really badass samurai from The Last Samurai) plays the crime lord Shingen and the film's villain, Silver Samurai, is Will Yun Lee. The other notable roles are played by Brian Tee (who coincidentally shares, down to the letter, the same name as my brother) and Tao Okamoto as Wolvie's love interest, Mariko.
The actors definitely make a movie, but arguably more important is the director and the writers. I don't know too much about screenwriters, but at least one of the writers here has collaborated with Bryan Singer (director of the previous X-men films) before so that's promising. James Mangold is the director here, a better choice for the darker setting of this sequel. He's got hits on his resume like Walk the Line (which won several Academy Awards and Golden Globes) and 3:10 to Yuma. I'm not expecting The Wolverine to win Best Picture, but I'm hoping at least it's an improvement over Origins. So far, Marvel seems to be headed in the right direction.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Amazing Spider-Man review
The first Spider-Man movie came out almost exactly 10 years ago. Back then, I wasn't too into it on the basis that I wasn't a very big fan of the character and that none of my favorite villains were featured in the movie. As time went on, my opinion changed, and I had the pleasure of re-watching the entire original trilogy just for shits and giggles this summer.
The first one was alright, if a little campy because the director was the same guy who did Evil Dead. The second one was fucking amazing and is easily one of the best superhero movies ever made thanks to the seamless integration of the multiple storylines with the personal conflict going within Peter Parker's troubled soul. The complexity of Doc Ock as one of the finest movie villains of our generation definitely helped. The third one was a movie about an emo kid that fell flat because it tried introducing too many villains. If they wanted to have Venom, they should have made him the main villain and not introduce him literally during the last half hour of the movie. Also if I wanted to watch a movie about emo kids I'd rather watch Donnie Darko or some shit like that.
So yeah, them movies are pretty fucking good. Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood just had to go and reboot the franchise after negotiations for Spider-Man 4 fell through. The reboot for Spider-Man had some pretty big shoes to fill. So, did it succeed? Yeah, I'd say so.
Unlike the original movie, Amazing Spider-Man deals more in depth with Peter Parker in high school. It deals with the issue of what exactly happened to his parents and why they kind of left him hanging. It deals with the growing pains of a kid who just received some really awesome powers during a not-so-awesome time in his life. Where the original movie was like "yeah here are your powers" then herp derp Peter graduates, this one deals with Peter in high school and that is where it excels.
Speaking of Peter, the casting for Amazing Spider-Man was spot on. Andrew Garfield excelled in his role. Now I know some may cry foul and say that Tobey Maguire will forever be Peter Parker in their eyes, but you can take that sentimentality and shove it up your ass. If you've ever read the comics, in particular the recent adaptation, Ultimate Spider-Man, Garfield's portrayal was much closer to the comics. In the original, Peter kind of got along with Uncle Ben and Aunt May all the time. This time, again, like the comics, he misses curfews and regularly bickers with his aunt and uncle, just like a normal teenager and not quite like Tobey Maguire's almost angelic portrayal. He's a brooding teenager who just wants to get through life and be left alone by the world, which I think is something many of us can relate to.
As for the other characters, I'd saw Gwen Stacey was pretty spot-on. I can't really say too much about her because I'm not that familiar with Spidey's love interests, but I do know that in the comics, Gwen is kind of a science nerd like Peter so I respect this portrayal. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben was practically the same as in the original movies since even though the character is a major driving force in Peter's life, he kind of works his influence from the grave, quite literally.
The Lizard was an interesting villain. I'll digress by saying that me being a dinosaur/reptile freak is a big understatement and this was the Spider-Man movie I would have wanted 10 years ago on the basis that he's well A LIZARD. That said, he just wasn't villainous and evil enough. He's a guy with perfectly good intentions who wants to accomplish them in, well, not so good ways. That's what made him an interesting character. He just wanted to help society by literally making people better. I know I'd rather be a mutant lizard than the geek that I am. Still, he's no Doc Ock. He's not even a Green Goblin. But he is better than 3's Venom and Sandman. He was just kind of one-dimensional in his quest to improve humanity (and himself) and probably should have been given more time to develop.
Overall, this is the second best movie based off the friendly neighborhood wall crawler. It didn't blow me away like Spider-Man 2 but it was certainly better than 1 and 3. Where it really excelled was bringing Spider-Man back to his roots and that by itself is something. Unfortunately, it will probably have to play second fiddle to The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but it still got the job done and people will still pay money to see it. I did, and I don't regret it
3.5 out of 4
The first one was alright, if a little campy because the director was the same guy who did Evil Dead. The second one was fucking amazing and is easily one of the best superhero movies ever made thanks to the seamless integration of the multiple storylines with the personal conflict going within Peter Parker's troubled soul. The complexity of Doc Ock as one of the finest movie villains of our generation definitely helped. The third one was a movie about an emo kid that fell flat because it tried introducing too many villains. If they wanted to have Venom, they should have made him the main villain and not introduce him literally during the last half hour of the movie. Also if I wanted to watch a movie about emo kids I'd rather watch Donnie Darko or some shit like that.
So yeah, them movies are pretty fucking good. Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood just had to go and reboot the franchise after negotiations for Spider-Man 4 fell through. The reboot for Spider-Man had some pretty big shoes to fill. So, did it succeed? Yeah, I'd say so.
Unlike the original movie, Amazing Spider-Man deals more in depth with Peter Parker in high school. It deals with the issue of what exactly happened to his parents and why they kind of left him hanging. It deals with the growing pains of a kid who just received some really awesome powers during a not-so-awesome time in his life. Where the original movie was like "yeah here are your powers" then herp derp Peter graduates, this one deals with Peter in high school and that is where it excels.
Speaking of Peter, the casting for Amazing Spider-Man was spot on. Andrew Garfield excelled in his role. Now I know some may cry foul and say that Tobey Maguire will forever be Peter Parker in their eyes, but you can take that sentimentality and shove it up your ass. If you've ever read the comics, in particular the recent adaptation, Ultimate Spider-Man, Garfield's portrayal was much closer to the comics. In the original, Peter kind of got along with Uncle Ben and Aunt May all the time. This time, again, like the comics, he misses curfews and regularly bickers with his aunt and uncle, just like a normal teenager and not quite like Tobey Maguire's almost angelic portrayal. He's a brooding teenager who just wants to get through life and be left alone by the world, which I think is something many of us can relate to.
As for the other characters, I'd saw Gwen Stacey was pretty spot-on. I can't really say too much about her because I'm not that familiar with Spidey's love interests, but I do know that in the comics, Gwen is kind of a science nerd like Peter so I respect this portrayal. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben was practically the same as in the original movies since even though the character is a major driving force in Peter's life, he kind of works his influence from the grave, quite literally.
The Lizard was an interesting villain. I'll digress by saying that me being a dinosaur/reptile freak is a big understatement and this was the Spider-Man movie I would have wanted 10 years ago on the basis that he's well A LIZARD. That said, he just wasn't villainous and evil enough. He's a guy with perfectly good intentions who wants to accomplish them in, well, not so good ways. That's what made him an interesting character. He just wanted to help society by literally making people better. I know I'd rather be a mutant lizard than the geek that I am. Still, he's no Doc Ock. He's not even a Green Goblin. But he is better than 3's Venom and Sandman. He was just kind of one-dimensional in his quest to improve humanity (and himself) and probably should have been given more time to develop.
Overall, this is the second best movie based off the friendly neighborhood wall crawler. It didn't blow me away like Spider-Man 2 but it was certainly better than 1 and 3. Where it really excelled was bringing Spider-Man back to his roots and that by itself is something. Unfortunately, it will probably have to play second fiddle to The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but it still got the job done and people will still pay money to see it. I did, and I don't regret it
3.5 out of 4
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Fate/Zero Review
Disclaimer: There will be spoilers
People who know me personally know that I'm Asian and due to cultural stereotypes, I watch anime (Japanese cartoons). Kidding. I watch anime because I fucking love it. Been watching that stuff ever since the glory days of old Toonami and the original Pokemon series. Last year, however, I really diversified in terms of which shows I watch and that has led me to a wide variety of shows. Usually, yes, I'll admit that what usually draws me in is attractive girls. That's kind of what drew me to the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel and eventually the anime after the visual novel really hooked me in.
That leads me to Fate/Zero. The basic plot of the entire series is as follows: there's this thing called the Holy Grail that exists to grant wishes or some random ass bullshit along those lines. Anyway, every couple or so years, it chooses a select few people to basically battle it out so that someone wins it. It's kind of like any reality show with a prize, say Survivor, except people die. Ok, so it's more like law school with a high rate of suicides (bad joke there). Oh yeah, and the people in the fight have these partners called "servants." Ok, so it's kind of like Survivor mixed with Pokemon with a little Harry Potter because of the magical elements.
I'm not going to go too into detail if you haven't played the visual novel so if you're reading this, I'm going to assume you have no idea what the fuck this series is. Actually, if you're new to this whole franchise, Fate/Zero is a pretty good place to start. See, it's actually a prequel to the original visual novel/anime so if you haven't played it, it might familiarize you with the world in which this stuff happens. Then again, there's a lot of stuff from the game that the show kind of spoils so if you're an uptight prude about that kind of thing, well, either play the original game or watch the original anime first.
Fate/Zero's plot revolves around the original Holy Grail War in which there are a bunch of these mage families competing for it (READ: trying to kill each other). Standing out among them is Emiya Kiritsugu, the most cold blooded, badass mother fucker in anime since Golgo 13 was first published back in the 60s. Thanks to some traumatic childhood existence, he wants to win the Holy Grail to basically wipe out all evil, suffering, conflict, etc. in the world. It's a hopeless dream, but he wants to accomplish it and he believes that the Holy Grail will grant him this wish (it doesn't). So in order to get into the contest, he marries this really hot white haired chick and summons an equally hot servant. And then the other characters run the gamut from endearing and memorable (like the duo of Rider and Waver) to absolutely despicable (Caster and Ryuunosuke).
Fate/Zero has really good action that never lets up and the story absolutely hooks you in. If I didn't want to actually preserve/enjoy it, I could have easily watched the entire show in less than 2 days. It's that good. The character development and even the emotion in some parts is real and that's actually pretty hard to come by nowadays in most animated works. Yeah, get off your lazy ass and go watch this one.
4 out of 4 stars.
People who know me personally know that I'm Asian and due to cultural stereotypes, I watch anime (Japanese cartoons). Kidding. I watch anime because I fucking love it. Been watching that stuff ever since the glory days of old Toonami and the original Pokemon series. Last year, however, I really diversified in terms of which shows I watch and that has led me to a wide variety of shows. Usually, yes, I'll admit that what usually draws me in is attractive girls. That's kind of what drew me to the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel and eventually the anime after the visual novel really hooked me in.
That leads me to Fate/Zero. The basic plot of the entire series is as follows: there's this thing called the Holy Grail that exists to grant wishes or some random ass bullshit along those lines. Anyway, every couple or so years, it chooses a select few people to basically battle it out so that someone wins it. It's kind of like any reality show with a prize, say Survivor, except people die. Ok, so it's more like law school with a high rate of suicides (bad joke there). Oh yeah, and the people in the fight have these partners called "servants." Ok, so it's kind of like Survivor mixed with Pokemon with a little Harry Potter because of the magical elements.
I'm not going to go too into detail if you haven't played the visual novel so if you're reading this, I'm going to assume you have no idea what the fuck this series is. Actually, if you're new to this whole franchise, Fate/Zero is a pretty good place to start. See, it's actually a prequel to the original visual novel/anime so if you haven't played it, it might familiarize you with the world in which this stuff happens. Then again, there's a lot of stuff from the game that the show kind of spoils so if you're an uptight prude about that kind of thing, well, either play the original game or watch the original anime first.
Fate/Zero's plot revolves around the original Holy Grail War in which there are a bunch of these mage families competing for it (READ: trying to kill each other). Standing out among them is Emiya Kiritsugu, the most cold blooded, badass mother fucker in anime since Golgo 13 was first published back in the 60s. Thanks to some traumatic childhood existence, he wants to win the Holy Grail to basically wipe out all evil, suffering, conflict, etc. in the world. It's a hopeless dream, but he wants to accomplish it and he believes that the Holy Grail will grant him this wish (it doesn't). So in order to get into the contest, he marries this really hot white haired chick and summons an equally hot servant. And then the other characters run the gamut from endearing and memorable (like the duo of Rider and Waver) to absolutely despicable (Caster and Ryuunosuke).
Fate/Zero has really good action that never lets up and the story absolutely hooks you in. If I didn't want to actually preserve/enjoy it, I could have easily watched the entire show in less than 2 days. It's that good. The character development and even the emotion in some parts is real and that's actually pretty hard to come by nowadays in most animated works. Yeah, get off your lazy ass and go watch this one.
4 out of 4 stars.
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