Fantastic Four (2015) - Review

"Say that again?" .... "Fantastic!"

Oh God, why? Why? WHYYYYYY??????????

The Plot

After nearly perfecting a teleportation device that he and his friend, Ben Grimm (Jaime Bell) have been working on as a child, Reed Richards (Miles Teller) is recruited by Dr. Storm (Reg E. Cathey) to join Baxter, a facility for the gifted to build a better future. To aide Reed on his quest to be the first to crack inter dimensional travel, Dr. Storm brings in his children, Sue (Kate Mara) and Johnny (Michael B. Jordan), along with a former gifted student, Victor (Toby Kebbell), to complete the machine. But once completed, their facility's advisor and government liaison, Dr. Allen (Tim Blake Nelson), decides to send a team of selected astronauts to be the first to use their invention. Not wanting to be sidelined for their success, Reed, Johnny, Ben, Victor and Sue highjack the first mission and successfully travel to a place they dub Planet Zero. But what they discover there, will not only change their lives, but their physical bodies as well.

Review

Let me just go right off the bat and say this... I love Chronicle. Love it. It is one of the best found footage movies I've ever seen. And I was highly impressed that director Josh Trank broke the record of being the youngest director to generate a blockbuster film at the age of 27. The last person who held that record? Steven Spielberg for directing JAWS at the age of 28. But JAWS was Spielberg's third film, whereas Chronicle was Trank's first film. Which makes it even more impressive. Though a lot of credit definitely should go to screenwriter Max Landis for crafting Trank's vision into realistic dialogue between young boys, it is still Trank's original vision. Which is why I was so heavily interested in his take on the Fantastic Four. From his interesting casting choices, to the fact that he was basing it heavily on Ultimate Fantastic Four, even all the way down to him stating it was going to be more like David Cronenberg's body horror films. I was hooked, and defended this movie against anyone who would say that it is nothing like the comic books.... then I saw it.

I wouldn't go down and say this is the worst movie I've ever seen. That title for me belongs to Transformers: Age of Extinction. But the feeling I had while walking out of this film was more than just disappointment. It was pity. I felt sorry for everyone who is involved with this movie. I felt sorry for the cast, I felt sorry for the studio and I even felt sorry for the director. It was like watching a car crash happen in slow motion with people you like in the vehicle managing to survive to live another day. That's how it felt, and I could probably use the car crash metaphor with how this movie goes.

Think of it as a road trip. At the beginning of the journey, you're all getting ready and feeling excited. That's what it was like at at the beginning of the movie involving the child versions of Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. It was filled with hope and optimism about how youth can accomplish great things if their minds are in the right place. Or in the case of the cliche parents, the wrong place. But cliche parents aside, it was a nice intro to a friendship. A friendship that should've carried over to when Teller and Bell took over as the present day incarnations of the characters. And while it does for a while at the beginning, it abruptly disappears later. More on that in a bit. But again, with the beginning of the road trip, that's when you're meeting up with all your friends who are coming along for the ride. That's where Mara, Jordan and Kebbell come into play as Sue, Johnny and Victor. It is cool seeing all of these young geniuses work together in order to accomplish creating something that could possibly change the world. But once the drive begins and the car pops a tire with a nail, that's when things start to go downhill.

The first act of the movie is brilliant, but the second half of the movie is when it becomes really clear that whoever was driving the car at the beginning is no longer in full control. Once the main four gain their powers, it is clear that there was suppose to be an entire body horror sequence that should've lasted the entire second act. But unfortunately, choppy editing makes it clear that whatever the second act was suppose to be has been trimmed down for the sake of getting faster to the superhero action. Which happens after abruptly time skipping midway through the movie to one year. That one year time skip completely destroys any sense of team building amongst the characters, which has been the central thrust of their comic stories. In here there is no sense of relationships being solidified by any of the team members. They are first horrified by what happens to them, one of them escapes government captivity, then skip one year later to see everyone seems to efficiently know how to use their powers now and suddenly are friends with everyone again. It is so jarring and not executed well that it is obvious several scenes are missing. And if you've seen the trailers, then you'll know most of the scenes in the trailer are missing from the movie.

But while the second act feels like there are scenes that could've been extended or added to make it flow better, the third act completely derails any hope you will have of things getting better. The best way to put it? Remember my road trip metaphor and how I left off with the tires blowing out? Well what if someone on the road tries to help you by trying to drive your car to the nearest town at full speed? With the tires still busted. And not even bothering to use the spare tire you have in the trunk. Because you are only a few miles away to your destination. And against all your gut instincts that tell you this is a bad idea, you still allow it to happen. That's what happened to the third act of this movie, and that's where the car crash happens. 

Kebbell's Victor, who was barely developed at the beginning of the movie, yet there are clear hints as to who he is as well as his philosophy, is rescued after being left on Planet Zero for a year. And what happens when he comes back? He is now Doom and blah blah blah blah blah, wants to destroy the world all of a sudden. We don't get any incite as to why he suddenly believes he wants to do this. And also it was painfully obvious that everything involving Doom before and after the hallway Akira sequence was re-shot entirely. Because I have a strong feeling that his was not how Josh Trank wanted the movie to end. It is clear that his vision for this was definitely more like a Cronenberg face-off ala The Fly or Scanners, but that doesn't happen. It just turns into a cliche superhero battle that lacks any punch, despite having a lot of punches, and strange cheesy interactions between all the "heroes" who suddenly know how to work together. It's just so... so.... You know. A car crash. That thankfully everyone lived, but still have to be hospitalized in order to recover.

Final Thoughts

I want to say this is the worst superhero movie ever made, but the first act genuinely made me believe that I was watching something different than the standard superhero mold. It made me feel like I was watching a science fiction movie that abruptly shifts into a horror film then abruptly crashes and burns into a superhero film. I know there have been reports about Trank being unruly on set, but I can tell what kind of movie he wanted to make. He wanted to make a sci-fi horror movie that just happened to have superheroes in it. And unfortunately for him, the studio wanted a standard superhero movie. These two ways of thinking clash so severely that the end result is a muddled mess that starts off with so much promise, especially from the cast and crew, that then dive bombs into oblivion, especially when the cast appear to stop caring about what movie they're in by the end. I wish I could've seen the sci-fi horror epic I know this movie was suppose to be, but I guess we never will. And that's sad.

SCORE: 4/10 - 1 for Potential 2 for the Cast 3 for the Tone and 4 for a Pity Point

Flash - 1x02 Fastest Man Alive - Review

Positive Energy is the best fuel

Shortly after embracing himself as "The Flash," Barry soon discovers that his powers may come with a setback. While this is going on, Detective Joe West questions whether or not having Barry act as a vigilante is a good thing for the city. That thought couldn't have been settled sooner as a new metahuman makes his presence known to Central City.

The main thrust of this episode focuses on the relationship between Barry and Joe, his surrogate father. While I'm not surprised that the "you're not my father," story was going to happen, I did not expect it to be this soon. But given the situation, it makes sense. Joe has continually tried to influence Barry to be a positive role model, while at the same time keeping his actions within the restraints of the law. The thing is, since Barry has gained his powers he feels he can help people. And since he knows how the law works, he doesn't feel he is breaking the law. It really does boil down to an interesting dynamic of who is right and who is wrong. Both of them give good arguments, with Joe's being the strongest in that just because Barry is fast doesn't mean he can stay fast. 

As this episode was so generous to point out, Barry's powers are not infinite. Caitlin and Dr. Wells make it clear to Barry that all of his energy to run fast has to come from somewhere. Which is where science comes in. Now it should be no surprise that he requires a ridiculous amount of food in order to keep running, which is why he has the tendency of crashing in this episode. It was good that the showrunners and writers point out immediately that he is not invincible, because it would pretty much take the drama out of him being in tight situations. This allows for some extra character interactions with the S.T.A.R. labs team, particularly Caitlin and Dr. Wells. Caitlin is extremely against Barry doing extracurricular activities out of fear that something can go wrong, whereas Dr. Wells seems to be more about allowing him to do what he does as long as he knows his limits. Cisco on the other hand just loves the idea of Barry being a Superhero. And the city definitely needs one.

Enter Multiplex, a metahuman who has the ability to make exact copies of himself. This way he is able to rob people in an extremely efficient manner. He proves to be a formidable opponent, especially one who is capable of taking on The Flash. While his backstory is definitely a sympathetic one, he really serves as the first test to Barry's limits, as well as the limits of the police force. Because only with him are Barry and Detective Joe able to come to terms with needing each other, not just as family but as protectors of the law. If anything it helps point out the weakness of both these characters. Barry may possess a lot of optimism, but if people begin to doubt him, that doubt may cause him to lose grasp of that optimism. Joe on the other hand is over protective of Barry and is afraid of letting him get hurt, especially now that he has these powers that could bring Barry into more danger. In the end, it is the mutual trust that they have with each other that keeps Barry going. And that is really the only power source he needs. Well, that and the modified protein bars that Cisco made for Barry.

Despite all these trappings of the usual testing the limits and questioning of family, it is still a solid episode that continues to be a blast of fun. It really is akin to the feeling of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. And that is not a bad thing. Though it would be nice if we get a little bit more of the mystery surrounding Dr. Wells. That is, if he is really Dr. Wells. Hopefully more answers will come soon. But till then, at least we'll be entertained along the way.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - An entertaining romp that takes care of establishing Barry's weakness

STATUS: Continue to Watch - Probably the most entertaining superhero show ever

Review of Previous Episode - CLICK HERE

Arrow - 3x02 Sara - Review

And the mighty have fallen...

Continuing directly where the last episode left off, Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) has been killed. The Black Canary is dead. Oliver Queen and his team use their resources to avenge their friend. Laurel Lance begins her journey to possibly taking on the mantle of her fallen sister. 

Just when fans believe that Sara will always be there to save the day, they were wrong. While it is a known fact among comic book fans that Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance is the true Black Canary, they could not have predicted when exactly she will become the warrior her sister is. Many probably predicted that it was going to be this season when she will begin her journey, but no one could've predicted that it would start at the end of this season's opener. It was a genuinely shocking moment that definitely had repercussions to the entire cast of Arrow. Felicity suffers the most after seeing the person she believed to be ultimate embodiment of female power get put down so easily. And it doesn't help that Oliver appears to not feel anything for Sara's death.

While Roy and Diggle are definitely affected by Sara's death, they do dedicate most of their time into finding out who is responsible. It is this sign of emotion that automatically makes Oliver's expression very noticeable. He seems to be emotionally attached. His body language says he's affected, but his face tells a different story. It is shown even from how his voice has slightly changed into a more deeper and authoritative voice. He is determined to find out who did this to her, yet he is under the impression that he has to be the one who remains level headed because he's in charge. However this greatly affects his relationship with Felicity, who doesn't seem to be able to comprehend why Oliver is being emotionless about Sara's death. While it does make sense from a character standpoint, especially given how far Oliver has evolved into the hero he is, it makes sense for him to be this way. But it does not make sense to Felicity why he would not be an emotional wreck after losing someone he possibly was in love with. The flashback plot in Honk Kong may have offered some answers, but in honesty, it wasn't very well thought out.

While in captivity in Hong Kong, Oliver was able to activate his e-mail account, alerting his friend Tommy Merlyn to go to Hong Kong to search for his missing friend. While it was great to see Colin Donnel return in the flashback plot, it really didn't seem to offer anything new that we didn't already know about Oliver. This part of the story involves Oliver being tasked by Amanda Waller to kill Tommy because she can't allow anyone to discover that he's alive yet. It does show how much he cares about his friends and how he is willing to find alternative means in order to keep them alive. The problem is, this flashback plot would've worked better if it could've somehow tie in to what is going on in the main plot. Usually they do, and I'm sure the flashback plot was meant to show that he does care about all his friends. But it probably didn't match up with the main plot of the episode as the writers hoped. Therefore the one who really has to drive the emotional part of the main plot falls to Laurel.

This episode is really ground zero for Laurel. As I've stated before, it is no surprise that she will become Black Canary, and this episode pretty much solidifies it. She may have basic self defense training and learned a thing or two from Sara, but this is the first time we actually see her taking on a more vigilante stance. From her emotional breakdown in wanting to blame this week's villain for Sara's death, to how she went about interrogating suspects by taking advantage of their injuries, it is clear that she knows what path she wants to take now. But really the emotional weight that falls on her is having to tell her father that his youngest daughter has died once again. Except this time, she really is dead. But given the way that Captain Lance is dealing with a heart issue, Laurel feels that knowing about Sara's death would be too much for him to handle. So really, the only option for her is to strive to become like Sara. Only time will tell if she will succeed. Because even though comic fans know her path, that doesn't mean this show will remain faithful to that. Otherwise we would've never have Sara taking the mantle of Black Canary. There are plenty of twists and turns for this series to go, even though the road ahead seems like an obvious one.

SCORE: 8.7/10 - A major turning point for Laurel and a nice return of Tommy Merlyn

STATUS: Continue to Watch - When things get worse, it gets more entertaining

Review of Previous Episode - CLICK HERE

Green Arrow - 3x01 The Calm - Review

The Calm before The Storm

The CW's breakout superhero hit continues its hot streak with this phenomenal season 3 opener. Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) continues fighting the good fight as "The Arrow," alongside his fellow teammates: John Diggle (David Ramsey), Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and the now fully fledged Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) as Arsenal. A new threat emerges from two fronts. One is the return of a familiar foe but with a new face (Peter Stormare) while the other (Brandon Routh) threatens very charmingly to take over Oliver's company.

This season opener starts with a bang. A really big one. It is a high speed case of grand theft auto showing Team Arrow taking down an eighteen wheeler in stylish superhero fashion. It is a great way to start the season and also surprisingly a really nice way of letting new viewers know who each character is and what they can do. You got Stephen Amell as our title character, Arrow, better known as Oliver Queen. He is still the efficient vigilante that he was in the past two seasons and it doesn't seem like he's going to stop being efficient anytime soon. But speaking of efficiency, we now have Colton Haynes really in sync with the team now as Arsenal, better known as Roy Harper. I refer to him as Arsenal mainly because this show doesn't seem to want to call him Red Arrow or Speedy, the actual superhero names of his character in the comics. Harper has is own red rendition of Queen's costume, which honestly looks a little bit more badass than Queen's. And of course you got David Ramsey's John Diggle, the veteran of the team and actual war veteran. While he has been a major part of the team in the past two seasons, Queen seems to be relegating Diggle to tasks that would keep him out of approximate danger. Which makes sense given that Diggle has a baby on the way, and Queen doesn't want a child to grow up without a father. Diggle is of course resentful of this at first, but in the end, he understands that Queen is right. However, Queen also acknowledges that Diggle is still an essential part of the team, and should help with what he can.

But what about that last teammate that fangirls of the show have been using as their conduit to have fantasies with Oliver Queen? Emily Bett Rickards returns as the lovable geeky tech girl, Felicity Smoak. Or as I like to call her, the hottest girl in the main cast when she takes her glasses off and lets her hair down. The lovable dork and awkward conversationist has been the subject of many fangirls wanting her Felicity and Oliver to get together, a subject referred to as Olicity. Well, this season didn't beat around that bush for too long. The season opener deals with the possibility of Oliver and Felicity becoming a couple as Oliver asks her out on a date within the opening minutes of the episode. I can already imagine the twitter stream from fangirls exploding, and maybe some fanboys too. While as a comic book fan I know this won't last because after all, destiny has already decided in the comic books that it will always be Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance as the definitive couple for the series. However, it was good for the show to address this right away. Because I mean, how long can someone dangle a maybe in front of someone's face? See what I did there?

Speaking of Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance, she seems to be doing a lot better. She's once again a working attorney and now that she knows Oliver's extracurricular activities, she is taking the fight against crime to whole new level. The way Laurel puts it to Oliver is he bags them and she finishes them, through actual legal work. There wasn't much for her to do in the episode besides establish that her and Oliver are now on good terms compared to the events of last season. And things seem to be pretty good for them so far. However it does bring up her concern for her father, Captain Quentin Lance played by Paul Blackthorne. Last time Quentin was seen, he was a disgraced officer who suffered a really bad heart attack. Now he has reestablished himself and is promoted to Captain. On top of that, he also acknowledges the Arrow and his team as members of the police department, therefore canceling any anti-vigilante investigation teams. I hope this is permanent because that storyline would officially get old if it carried into this season. While Quentin seems to be fine, he does still have a really bad heart after taking a beating from one of Deathstroke's soldiers last season. Laurel is obviously concerned, but Quentin shows that he's not going to give up being what he is. Especially when new criminals are on the rise.

One of those criminals is Werner Zytle played by Peter Stormare. Comic book fans would recognize that name as the true identity of Count Vertigo. Now, there has been a character in the past two seasons of Arrow who went by the name of The Count played by Seth Gabriel. That character has now officially died last season, and was essentially meant to serve as The Arrow's counterpart for The Joker. This new Count, as he calls himself, actually has the name of his comic book counterpart, but not the royalty attached. No, the show's Count Vertigo is once again just a drug dealer who deals with the drug Vertigo, but that is perfectly fine. Stormare's portrayal is more like Heath Ledger's Joker than how Gabriel previously portrayed the character. This count's tactics are simple and straight forward: kill all the competition and The Arrow first then deal later. It definitely mirrors aspects from Christopher Nolan's Batman films, particularly the new dosage of Vertigo that the New Count uses which has effects similar to the Scarecrow's fear toxin. One could even call this entire season opener a big mash up tribute to Nolan's films, but it works out well for them in establishing a new Count and having Oliver confront his fears.

Unfortunately for Oliver, while he does have his fears to conquer on the vigilante side, the business side of things are just as shaky. Enter a very charismatic Ray Palmer played by former Superman, Brandon Routh. It's always nice to see Brandon Routh appear in something, mainly because I do believe the guy is a terrific actor who was brought down by a mediocre film carrying an iconic name. His outing as Ray Palmer, better known to comic book fans as the original shrinking superhero The Atom, shows off his best performance yet. He's everything a rich billionaire doctor and hacker would be, which shines a light on how far more serious Oliver has become since the past two seasons. From Palmer, we see a charismatic optimistic hero who just happens to be robbing the show's hero of what he needs to survive. Oliver seems to have lost some of that charisma, as it shows when the board members of Queen Consolidated favor Palmer and his plans of changing Starling City to Star City, a great nod to the comic fandom. It will be interesting to see more of Routh's character and if he will eventually become the shrinking man his character is known for in the comics.

If there is one thing about the show that I failed to mention, it is the flashback sequences that this show is known for. It deals with Oliver's time in Hong Kong after being saved by Amanda Waller. There wasn't much in these flashbacks as they were mainly used to set up two character who will become prominent later. One of them is Tatsu Yamashiro played by The Wolverine star, Rila Fukushima. Comic book fans will know her as the woman who becomes the assassin, Katana. How she ties in to Oliver's backstory has yet to be seen.

There is a surprise appearance by Caity Lotz as Black Canary. It is a brief appearance but is also the most talked about appearance in the entire episode.

With an ending like that, and the production values in the action stepping up to play, this show continues to be the best among the live action superhero shows on television right now. Welcome back, Emerald Archer!

SCORE: 9/10 - An excellent start to what should be an incredible season

STATUS: Continue to Watch - Here's hoping for more craziness to come

Review of Next Episode - CLICK HERE

The Flash - 1x01 Pilot - Review

"Run, Barry, RUN!"

I can't believe that was an actual line in this show.

After a freak accident in Central City's S.T.A.R. Labs causes unknown elements to explode onto the Earth, Barry Allen gets struck by lightning generated by these mysterious elements. And in the process, discovers that he has been changed in ways that he could never possibly imagine. But he is not the only one. In fact, someone from his past may also have been created by this power. But this is just the first step in his journey in becoming The Scarlet Speedster: THE FLASH!

Having been a huge fan of Arrow, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of this new show. When Grant Gustin makes his first appearance in Arrow, for some reason I had a really huge smile on my face. He's an honest guy, and has a lot of trouble getting to places on time. While that does seem like hitting the point that he's too slow a little bit too much, there is something charming about how Gustin plays it. He probably knows it is cliche, but he sells it with this lovable charm. Which is exactly what The Flash needs.

The episode starts off by showing us a little about Barry's past with the murder of his mother and his father being accused of her murder. As comic book fans know, this is a defining moment in Barry's life as it is what made him want to join the police force. But unlike Batman who becomes a menacing and disturbed person, Barry grows up to be the complete opposite. Which is what makes him a fascinating character as he pretty much had a really traumatic moment in his life that indirectly leads him to become a superhero, but it didn't turn him to the dark side like Bruce Wayne. In fact, he can almost be viewed as a more optimistic Batman, but with superpowers. The comparison really comes from the fact that he's actually a pretty good detective stuck as a Forensics Scientist. His way of deducing things is akin to the way Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes does in the show, Sherlock. While it is an obvious rip off from that show, it is used well here in order to sell the point that he is really smart, if only he was a little more focused.

What is also established at the beginning is his relationship with the West family. Detective Joe West played by Jesse L. Martin acts as Barry's surrogate father as well as his boss at the prescient. Their relationship is pretty much one you would expect. He's the caring father figure who can be stern at times, especially since he is doubling as Barry's boss. It is a nice cliche relationship that will hopefully develop more in the future. But then of course there is Joe's daughter, Iris West played by Candice Patton. So far all that is known about her character is that she's been best friends with Barry since they were children, with their relationship being almost brother and sister like after Barry moved in with them. But as comic fans all know, Barry wants to be more than just a friend with Iris. It is made painfully obvious here, and as always in these shows and comic based properties,  she just wants to stay friends.

Now that all of that backstory is established in the first few minutes, we get the big moment when a freak accident at S.T.A.R. labs goes horribly wrong, resulting into Barry getting struck by lightning. Luckily for us, when Barry wakes up, he's already out of his coma. And from here we are properly introduced to characters that fans of Arrow have seen before and a character who was briefly introduced at the start of the show. They are Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco Roman (Carlos Valdes). The trio of scientists are pretty much all that remains of the Central City S.T.A.R. Labs research team.  Dr. Wells is now confined to wheelchair after surviving the accident. As far we know, he has no powers...yet. Comic book fans will recognize the names Snow and Cisco as character who will get superpowers eventually. When that will happen, I hope not in this season. Given how the writers of Arrow have been good about making characters their comic book counterparts at the right moment, I have faith that we will see some good development for these characters before they get any powers. But till then, they have to help Barry learn the limits of his powers, as well as provide him with a really cool suit that won't burn off when he runs.

But given that this is the first episode of a superhero show, there has to be a villain. And the one that this show gets to show off is the Weather Wizard. Having this character as your big opener and a character like the Flash as your star, this Pilot was designed for the sole purpose of showing off what can be done on TV. And it is amazing. While it is obviously not as refined as the effects you'd see in feature length films, this is some incredible work. When Weather Wizard unleashes his tornado and thunder powers against The Flash, it really is an amazing feat on TV. It is amazing that we are now living in an age that TV can compete with movies, especially in the effects department. This really was a great way of showing off, despite the fact that Weather Wizard was just the villain of the week without any character development at all. He is just an excuse to see The Flash in action very early on, and it is perfectly acceptable for The Pilot.

Speaking of villains, there is one character introduced in the show who may or may not be one of the legendary villains from The Flash lore. That character is Detective Eddie Thawne played by Rick Cosnett. So far in the show he is referred to as "Detective Pretty Boy" and became Iris's boyfriend while Barry was in a coma. As of right now there seems to be hints of slight antagonism between him and Barry, but it really isn't flushed out a lot here. What is interesting to Flash comic book fans is that the name Eddie Thawne is obviously a reference to Eobard Thawne who is better known as Professor Zoom, the Flash's archnemesis. However, Zoom, or otherwise referred to as Reverse Flash, is a being from the future while the show's Eddie Thawne is definitely a man of the present.... or is he? Given the nature of how the producers made a few twists to the lore in Arrow, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of twists are in store for comic fans expectations of Thawne. It is always good to keep the fans guessing and not make them think they have the answer to everything.

To wrap up my thoughts on all of this craziness and constant grinning I had while watching, I'll have to say it is a good yet cliche start. This pilot is filled with not just the standard CW drama or superhero cliches, but also with cliches that are always found in pilots. Everything is set up, and with no character development, but rather introduction. There is some character development, but that is usually just for the main character and not everyone else. And while I did enjoy all of these cliches as they are handled really well, the one thing that really sold me is the moment I have pictured here. It is a conversation between Barry and his father Henry Allen played by none other than the original Flash himself, John Wesley Shipp. It was a nice moment and great way to have an emotional close for Barry's arc. It is moments like these that will keep people coming back for more and hopefully not just for the rad effects.

There's a lot of promise here, but unlike Gotham (which is pretty entertaining) I have full faith that this show will fully deliver sooner than later.

SCORE: 8.7/10 - A highly entertaining positive superhero show, despite the cliches
STATUS: Continue to Watch - Yup, I'm already hoping for a good first season!

Review of Next Episode - Click Here

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014 film) - Analysis and Review

Shellshocked

That's what a lot of TMNT fans were feeling when they learned that this film was being produced by Michael Bay. And the long road to getting filmed was one filled with drama. Does it put all the naysayers to rest? Let's look at the Plot first.

The Plot

When special interests reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox) sees an opportunity to move up the broadcast food chain, she finds herself caught in a secret war waged between the Foot Clan and... TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

Analysis

There's a lot to be put into consideration about the creation of this film. First, Michael Bay was responsible for bringing this franchise back into the minds of movie executives. And why not? It is one of the most beloved franchises of the 90s and definitely has a huge following. From its origins as a dark and gritty comic that was a satire on superheroes to the big screen with rubber suits to the animated shows that are still around today, the Turtles have been in the lives of a generation. A generation that has now grown and still remember the pizza loving, skateboarding, mischievous yet heroic foursome that the Turtles are. I am from that generation. And yet. I'm not a fan.

That doesn't mean I don't like them. I still watched them and know enough about them to have nice conversations with friends of mine who are fans. But I was never one of those hardcore die-hard fans.  I was a huge fan of Transformers and other things, but never a big fan of the Turtles.

So when it was announced that Michael Bay was producing the latest big screen iteration... I could care less. I didn't think anything of it. Even when it was announced that the title was just going to be called Ninja Turtles and they were going to be aliens instead of mutants, I didn't mind it. I did feel some sympathy for the fans who were outraged about hearing this. For me, I was at that point in my life when being faithful to the source material didn't mattered to me. What mattered was making a good movie. And given Michael Bay's track record, although his movies aren't good he knows how to make entertainment. Except for Age of Extinction, that was like watching someone live smear shit on the big screen. 

However people seem to be forgetting that Michael Bay is producing not directing. Those are two very different things. But from what can be seen about the final product, it can easily be mistaken for a Michael Bay film. So how was it?

Review

It needs to be made clear that this film was directed by Jonathan Liebesman. NOT Michael Bay. Jonathan Liebesman. NOT MICHAEL BAY! Having said that, this looks like a current Michael Bay movie. Everything from the high color saturation, to the lens flares, to even some of the camera movements. Liebesman has a specific handheld camera style that was shown in Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans, that really starts to appear like a weak Michael Bay rip off here. His style in the film seems to have morphed into how Michael Bay would shoot the film, but luckily it didn't include the Michael Bay-ism of having overly sexualized women and toilet humor that goes too far. This is a more kid friendly Michael Bay, if it was directed by Michael Bay. But it isn't. Which helps this movie more so than one might think.

The story does play out a little bit similar to Michael Bay's first Transformers film in that the focus of the story is on the human characters before shifting to the non-human ones. Megan Fox rejoins the Michael Bay train as April O'Neil, the iconic reporter from TMNT lore. The story revolves around her struggles of working her way up the news food chain to discovering that she may be connected to the creation of the turtles. Given that so much of it is focused on her, this is where we really see Fox's acting chops get put to the test. And she does... well? It is a passable performance, but is very obvious that a much talented actress could've handled this character better. And given that most of the movie focuses on her, it really doesn't help that we have a barely okay performance as the lead to a very predictable story.

Then there is Will Arnett as April's cameraman, Vernon Fenwick. His character seems to have been written as a potential love interest for April. However the fact that Arnett looks a lot older than Fox, and it makes him look more like a creep than a love sick puppy, it probably would've been better if they casted a younger actor for the part. Arnett does fine with what he's given, but it is obvious that this role was definitely not meant for him.

But what about the ones the audience pays to see? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! How are they? Well, to be quite honest. They were...almost perfect. I say almost mainly because of Johnny Knoxville as the voice of Leonardo, the leader of the turtles. Pete Ploszek did the motion capture for Leonardo while filming, but it is Knoxville's voice that we hear in the final cut. And it really isn't suitable for someone who is suppose to be the leader. I wonder what the reason for this change is, seeing as how the other mo-cap actors get to keep their voices in the finished film.

Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher and Jeremy Howard are the ones who have that privelage, and I'm glad they did because they are actually perfect in their roles. They play Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello respectively and perfectly. Each of them brings out the personalities fans will know and love so well that it is a shame we don't get to see them as the primary focus of the film. Ritchson's Raphael gets more screen time than the others, probably because he's the badass of the group, but it is indeed fan favorite Michelangelo who steals the show. Fisher does an excellent job playing the lovable Ninja Turtle and has the character down to a tee. Howard's performance as Donatello is admirable as the geeky one of the group, yet given his lack of screen time we can't exactly get a grasp of him. But from what little is shown, he does it perfect.

Of course there is Master Splinter, the overgrown rat that teaches his "sons" ninjutsu...from a discarded book. Yeah, suspension of disbelief. He is voiced by Tony Shaloub, who does an okay job at it, but lacks the kind of gravitas one would expect from Splinter. It is still a nice interpretation, it just lacks gravitas.

And as for the villains, it was misleadingly promoted that Will Fichtner was going to be the iconic samurai villain, Shredder. Well, he's not. Instead we have a Japanese actor who has his face concealed the whole time in the shadows playing the Shredder. This gives Turtle fans a sigh of relief knowing that Shredder is played by a Japanese actor. However, most of the time Shredder is a CGI robot samurai that resembles a smaller version of Megatron from Transformers. Given that this is a Michael Bay produced film, it should be obvious. Even though Fichtner is the primary antagonist of the film, Shredder still comes off as the main threat. He is definitely everything I'd want from a villain. Mysterious and almost unstoppable. In all the action scenes involving him facing off against the heroes, he dominates the fight. Almost too much, but since he's too powerful, it makes defeating him feel like an even greater victory. And its that over powered nature that makes him feel like a genuine threat. Something that Marvel Films seem to lack with their bad guys.

The story is pretty straight forward and predictable, with an ending that copies The Amazing Spider-Man's finale. However given its length of being only 90 minutes, the plot doesn't drag and is a little bit more compact. Would it have benefited with more? Yes. But I'm actually happy with the length that it is. It says what it needs to say, even though it is predictable, yet it is highly entertaining. And fans of the source may feel outrage for the slight tweak that is made to their origins. No, they are not aliens. They kept part of the original origin story, but have it tie in with April O'Neil. It still doesn't detract from the overall film, just hardcore fans will find it detracting.

Final Thoughts

Seeing the 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes makes no sense to me. Yes, this movie is not that great, but it is on the same level as other movies such as Lucy and Hercules yet it gets torn apart viciously. I don't believe it deserves all the extreme negativity that it does, because this is a genuinely entertaining film that is more appropriate for kids than the Transformers films. I think it is mainly because of the name Michael Bay, that keeps people from seeing the genuinely fun and competent storytelling being shown here. It is not a bad movie and it is not a good movie. But it is a genuinely entertaining one.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - Kids are going to love it, and maybe if you look past the Michael Bay name, you might enjoy it too

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - Analysis and Review

Too little too late

I've been waiting for this movie for 9 years. I can't believe that the first Sin City came out in 2005 while I'm writing the review of the second one in 2014. That is insane.

The Plot

A hot shot on a winning streak (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) plays a deadly game with the wrong man (Powers Boothe). Elsewhere, a broken man (Josh Brolin) rekindles an old flame (Eva Green) whose intentions may not be what he expects them to be. While all of this is going on, a stripper (Jessica Alba) is losing her mind after the loss of someone she loves (Bruce Willis) as a hulking brute (Mickey Rourke) watches all three paths go down the way they do.

Analysis

The first Sin City was an eye opener for me. It was the first movie to actually faithfully adapt a comic book with extreme detail. From shot composition to the dialogue spoken, it wasn't a movie. We were literally watching a comic book come to life. Not like superhero movies of the early 2000s that only take a few things from the comics then add a lot of things to make it something watchable for the general audience. The first Sin City wasn't thinking about the general audience. Directors Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and original creator Frank Miller were thinking of how do we make this come to life. Not how do we adapt this comic to the screen. How do we make it move on the big screen. Not work. Move.

Its success became a rallying cry among comic book fans who pointed out that being faithful to the comic books does work. It lead to two other comics that are 85-90% faithful to their source material in the form of 300 (another Frank Miller creation) and Watchmen, both directed by current DC Comics film overseer Zack Snyder. It would also bring about the Marvel Cinematic Universe which has been considered to be mostly faithful to their properties in a way that other studios have not been. Bryan Singer's X-Men may have been the first film to prove that comic books can be the source of great dramatic material, but it is Frank Miller's Sin City that showed faithfulness to the comic can indeed transcend the pages of the comic to the big screen.

However, given that it has been 9 years since that rallying cry of creating better comic book adaptations, the luxury of having something like Sin City is no longer wanted.

Review

This film came out too late. Would it have been better received if it was released a couple of years after the first one? Just a little bit better. But the wait and the loss of interest in this project can be felt. The Box Office Numbers show it. And as a huge fan of the original Sin City, I have to agree. The wait is not worth it. It's not just the long wait that made this movie so so, it is the handling of the narratives within the story.

In the first story we got Johnny, played by a charismatic Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is literally the embodiment of victory when it comes to games. His feeling of having endless good luck on the slots and card games puts him up against Senator Roark played very evilly by Powers Boothe. His story was cut in half, acting like book ends sandwiching the titular "Dame to Kill For" story in between. Because of this the emotional impact of what happens to him is not really felt. It could be because his story doesn't have any large impact on anyone, even in the first half of the story. Had this story been really strong, then when the second half came back, the emotional impact would have made the conclusion a lot more satisfying. But it just wasn't. It probably would've been better to just play his story all the way through, but in the end it just didn't feel necessary. No matter how much you like Joseph Gordon Levitt, you will definitely like his character but you will not care about his story.

Then there is the second main story that takes up a majority of the film known as the "A Dame to Kill For" story. As I stated before, it cuts through the turning point of Johnny's story and takes up a large portion of the film. This story marks the return of Dwight McCarthy played by Clive Owen in the previous Sin City but in here he is now played by Josh Brolin. In it he finds himself entangled in a web of lies created by his former mostly naked lover Ava played by Eva Green. Through her manipulation of Dwight and every other man she comes into contact with, it all spirals out of control into a savage retribution story that we know will not end well for Ava. It is the longest story out of the many that are shown in this film, yet at a certain point you want it to end. As nice as it is to see Eva Green naked 90% of the time she's on screen, it almost becomes boring to look at her. And while Brolin does a nice job as Dwight, I do have to wonder why Clive Owen didn't come back when his rendition was suppose to appear. As comic book fans know, the Dwight in this story would later transform into the Dwight seen in the previous movie, but trying to transform Josh Brolin into Clive Owen just doesn't work.

Then there is the final major story that takes place after Johnny's and Dwight's which is referred to as Nancy's Last Dance. In this story, Jessica Alba reprises her role as the stripper with heart of gold named Nancy, who is suffering from the loss of her one true love, Hartigan played by Bruce Willis. Hartigan appears as a ghost in the story, but is unable to comfort the girl who loves him as he watches her go crazy. So crazy to the point where she decides to kill Senator Roark, the man responsible for Hartigan's death. This is definitely the best acting that Alba has done, but given the length of the story and how most of her screen presence throughout the movie consists of her doing sexy dancing, she didn't have enough time to grow. Which is a shame, because as the big finisher of this movie, you'd think it would be longer and more exciting.

I shouldn't really compare this movie to the first one. but it has to be done. In the previous movie, the stories were all given enough time to breathe and were able to complete their runs from start to finish before the next one takes over. Even the opening short story of the first one was more compelling than the cartoon violence opening of this film. In here, the stories have uneven lengths and it is never really sure when their stories end. I'm sure the cast is having fun doing this film, but for some reason this film looks like a complete step back from the previous one. It feels fake. Unlike the previous one that feels like a comic book, this one just looks cheap and poorly made. The action scenes in this one look even more unrealistic compared to the stylized action in the first one. It just becomes jarring and could easily remove an audience member from the experience.

The only good thing about this movie was Mickey Rourke as Marv, but even then his compelling character from the first movie devolves into being observer and muscle in this movie.

Final Thoughts

This was a huge let down. The 9 year gap didn't help this movie. And in a world where comic book movies  evolved, this movie didn't seem to evolve with it. It is stuck where it was back then, and while that is more attributed to them being trapped in the boundaries of the comic book, it really shows how far we've come from wanting faithful adaptations of comic books. We seem to have grown past the literal faithfulness and just want faithfulness. This film is more of a cheap imitation to what the first one is. Still made with the same mindset in mind, but that is probably why it failed. And given it has to remain trapped in that mindset, then this film should've came out earlier than later.

SCORE: 4/10 - A big disappointment yet still looks cool but will get boring

Guardians of the Galaxy - Analysis and Review

Hooked on a feeling. I'm high on believing!

Marvel Studios has reached the point where they can do whatever the hell they want. And by getting James Gunn to be the guy for their "whatever the hell we want" project... I'm so glad they did.

The Plot

After being abducted by aliens at a young age, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has now become a notorious rogue feared across the galaxy... according to him. But when his latest job to steal a mysterious object brings his weird world colliding into even weirder territory, he finds himself joining forces with an assassin (Zoe Saldana) sent to kill him; a pair of bounty hunters (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel) who want to collect him; and a psychopath (Dave Bautista) who...is along for the ride for his own reasons. They will collide against a religious racist fanatic (Lee Pace) and a cyborg with daddy issues (Karen Gillan) featuring an appearance by Djimon Hounsou in order to save the galaxy.

Analysis

The fact that this is the ninth movie made by Marvel Studios and their biggest risk shows that they are fully confident with their properties. But the greatest showcase of that confidence was getting a talent like James Gunn on board. Rarely have I ever wanted to see a director succeed in the business more than Gunn. I was a huge fan of Slither and Super, so I knew right away that he'd be the ONLY guy who could pull off something this insane. Especially since this is not a big name property.

It's true. I may have a lot of knowledge about Marvel and be one of the few people to know who the Guardians of the Galaxy are, but I never read their comics. I know that there was a recent reboot a couple of years ago in order to gain interest in the property, which is how I learned about it. But from what I've been reading about it, it's not that interesting. Which is a shame because these are interesting characters. Yet apparently you have to be a really big supporter of Marvel in order to get into these characters. However, by interesting I mean there is something unique about them that makes them stand out from the cliche characters they are. But that doesn't mean none of them aren't unique. Namely Rocket Raccoon, the only reason people would take an interest in picking up the comics. Just to see a Raccoon wielding a gigantic gun. But other than him and maybe Groot, there really isn't much to do with them. 

The fact that they're not well known or well liked (aside from Rocket and Groot) becomes a major advantage for Gunn. The chance to do something crazy, while at the same time show that these characters can be interesting. Does he succeed?

Review

The characters in this movie are the reasons to watch this movie. Literally. With the dialogue of James Gunn's writing flowing through these characters, they become some of the most interesting Marvel characters to inhabit this Cinematic Universe in a long time. The fact that I stated they're not interesting in my Analysis section says a lot about how much they are definitely the soul of this movie.

You have Star Lord aka Peter Quill played by Chris Pratt. The once chubby guy on Parks and Rec is now on the road to becoming a huge movie star. His devil may care charm will remind many of Harrison Ford's two legendary roles as well as a remembrance of the magic that Robert Downey Jr. brought to the role of Tony Stark. He played the role brilliantly with a lot of wit and flair. Then there is the now official modern queen of sci-fi Zoe Saldana who takes on the role of Gamora, daughter of the Mad Titan. While her character may be the weakest of the bunch as she's more subdued as being a violent person who wants to be a better person, it does not take away from the fact that Saldana can convince you that she is a monster (a sexy one) who wants to change her ways. Then there's a surprisingly great and funny performance by wrestler Dave Bautista as the crazy literal Drax the Destroyer. He may not be as great of an actor as his fellow wrestler Dwayne Johnson, but in the role of Drax he delivers as a psychopath with a singular goal. But all out honesty, the real stand out performances of the film are its two CGI characters: Rocket and Groot.

Rocket and Groot were not motion capture like the way Andy Serkis has been rolling, but that doesn't exempt their respective actors Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel from delivering great vocal performances. Cooper does an amazing job as the angry sarcastic raccoon who doesn't know he's a raccoon. He was definitely the scene stealer of the movie, along with his house plant Groot. While I'll never understand why Vin Diesel was chosen to play a role that only required him to say three words, he still did a lot with his voice to make sure the innocent creature in a bad crowd comes to life. Though it does seem like a waste to have Vin Diesel and not exploit what he's good at, he still does a good job. Which brings me to another point: This movie is a waste of talent.

By talent I mean the actors and actresses playing the villains and background characters feel like wasted opportunities. First off you have Lee Pace, an incredibly underrated actor who auditioned to play Star Lord but instead plays the film's primary villain. Did not care about him. Did not buy his political views. Did not buy his racism. Did not even buy his radical religious views. All I saw was a really talented guy that Marvel felt sorry for not giving him the lead role but instead put him in the movie as a rather dumb evil villain for the sake of being evil. Wasted. Then there's Karen Gillan from Doctor Who fame playing Nebula, Gamora's sister. Again. Do not buy her motivations against Gamora. Do not buy her need to betray her father. I do buy her as evil and easy on the eyes despite being half robot. Wasted. Djimon Hounsou plays Korath. Shows up for the opening scene. Shows up for the middle important scene. Shows up for the end battle. Does nothing impressive. Wasted. Then you have background (I'd call them supporting but eh) characters. Glen Close as Nova Prime. Could've gotten any woman to play that role. Wouldn't have made a single difference. John C. Reily playing a Nova Corps. officer. Anyone could've played that role. He does something important, but then again an extra could've played that role. Benicio Del Toro as The Collector. The most interesting thing he did was not in this movie but in the post credits scene at the end of Thor: The Dark World. Was he good in here? No. Was he important? Yes. Was he still wasted? Definitely. It seemed really pointless having all these talented people in this movie only to have them do small stuff that wouldn't have made a difference to the movie if not cast. The Winter Soldier had Robert f***ing Redford in the movie and he's not a waste of talent. This just feels like a bunch of famous or talented people wanting to be in the movie just because its part of Marvel. While it makes sense career wise, this just seems dumb.

The only supporting character (see that I said supporting) played by a talented actor who is not wasted is Michael Rooker as Yondu. He was definitely one of the many surprises of the movie and he's in the movie a lot more than one might think. Which is why he doesn't feel wasted, because he's given a lot more to do.

And the story is nothing new. It is a standard Marvel story. If you watch it then you'll notice a huge pattern in Marvel movies now. However that doesn't prevent it from being fun. Because believe me, the movie is really fun.

Final Thoughts

Despite my qualms with the waste of a talented supporting cast, I have to once again bring the praise back to the main cast. Pratt, Saldana, Cooper, Diesel, and Bautista are the main reasons you should watch this movie. Even though Saldana and Cooper are proven powerful actors, it is incredible to watch them with a rising star and two genre actors who are giving it their all. Sure, the story is not great. Sure, the villains are not impressive. But watching a movie about the interactions of these characters is way more entertaining than watching the interactions of The Avengers. Yeah, they're that good. So watch for these incredible characters brought to life by these great actors.

SCORE: 8/10 - The best cast of characters ever assembled, versus dull wasted talent

PS: The after credits scene is of Howard The Duck. Just saying that because if you're expecting something awesome, there isn't anything awesome. It is just Howard the Duck. Funny, but only to people who know who Howard The Duck is. If you don't know who that is, don't stay for the post credits.

Batman V Superman - The Suits of the World's Finest

Be honest...you want to see the above happen

As many know there is this little movie coming out in 2015 2016 called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A film that is a sequel or rather follow up to the financially successful and critically divisive Man of Steel that is also to be helmed by the same director: Zack Snyder. Now, my opinion of Man of Steel is one of overwhelming love yet still have to acknowledge that there are a lot of problems with the movie. Problems that can be easily fixed. 

One could argue that the film could've started during Lois's introduction with just a simple two hour running time. I can see the film working without the first 30 minutes, but then that means I won't have my awesome John Carter/StarWars/Heavy Metal opening prologue with Russell Crowe reminding the world he's a badass. I'll even be the first to say that the dialogue is atrocious. Not even magnificent performances from magnificent actors could save it. That's why most of the blame gets directed at writer David Goyer. He's an amazing storyteller, but when it comes to dialogue he is very weak. That's why his best scripts become phenomenal when he is partnered with another writer. That's where Argo's Oscar Winning screenwriter, Chris Terrio, comes in to save the script from suffering another atrocity of language. But the story, well, I can guarantee you it will be amazing...I hope.

When this film was announced as the sequel to Man of Steel, I thought this was the smartest decision DC/Warner Bros. has ever made to compete with Marvel/Disney. I have no problems with Batman being in the movie. I do have a problem with Wonder Woman being in the movie because she could've been saved for another film. But seeing as how they want to subtly build the Justice League in this movie so that the next movie is Justice League, it does show a sign of concern.

It is perfectly fine for people to think this movie will be a cluster f#@% because what seems to have started as a simple battle between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel now seems to be including The Amazing Amazon and a couple of others. If Spider-Man 3 and Amazing Spider-Man 2 have taught us anything, too many characters is a bad thing. Especially Amazing Spider-Man 2 because it sacrificed the story for the sake of world building to catch up with their parent competitors. Which seems to be what is happening with this movie. But then again there was this other movie called: X-Men: Days of Future Past. A movie that has roughly 25 well known comic book character in it yet still turned into a phenomenal film. Why? Because it knew what to focus on and not try to give everyone valid screen time but instead necessary screen time to serve a purpose for the greater story. That is what I feel like this Batman v Superman movie is doing. That's not to say that it could go either way. Time will tell. But till then. We have our contenders.

The Dark Knight

The casting of Ben Affleck has been controversial but his costume wasn't. I love costumer designer Michael Wilkinson. He was Snyder's costume designer on 300 and Watchmen, and he really gets comic book design. His showcase in Watchmen was an obvious homage to DC Comics movie history with the different costumes which were designed better than his predecessors. Then of course there is his work on Man of Steel with designing the iconic Superman Suit and Krypton. Pure genius. And that genius shows in the above image.

This is the first Batman costume since the 1960s Adam West show that actually looks like the costume from the comics. If one were to look at the details, it is obvious that this costume is suppose to be made out of cloth instead of the armor from Nolan's Dark Knight films. The cowl and the gloves do seem like the same material of the Burton Batman films, but it is a nice merging of what made him iconic in the movies with what is known in the comic. I'm so happy that they went with this direction as opposed to the armor. This version may have padding inside to accentuate Affleck's ever growing muscular physique but it helps with the comic book image of showcasing perfect bodies in tight spandex. This may also be the first film adaptation to actually be black AND GRAY instead of all black! It sure as hell looks like it. It is perfection on so many levels that people who can't see it are obviously not comic book enthusiasts. But it can't be denied that Affleck looks like Batman. Whether or not he can pull it off, that is the real question.

Man of Steel

A powerful contrast with the black and white image of Batman, this is Superman. And I really mean IS Superman. Michael Wilkinson did a fantastic job with his first rendition of the costume for Man of Steel. A lot of people thought it was another rubber suit with texture on it, but in reality it is actually a spandex suit with chain mail textured onto it in order to subdue the bright colors. This upset some fans, especially the removal of the red trunks, but his new rendition of Supes' costume should make fans happy. It keeps the design of the first while tweaking a few bits.

His gauntlets are now blue instead of gray and extend to more of the arm. The alien lines on his sides actually seem to go up this ribs. The belt buckle now seems to be gold and square now instead of an oval. Plus the color looks brighter than the last suit which was toned down for the serious tone. This suit is still toned down but it is still obvious that the colors are bright. Especially coming from the S-Sheild which seems to be brighter than the rest of the costume. Henry Cavill is already monstrous in size and the added padding  is just to remind you that he is. And it works beautifully. Just look at that image. It does remind me of Kingdom Come's Superman who is suppose to be older. Cavill does look a little bit older in this pic. Maybe it's just the lighting on the hair... But that doesn't matter. CAVILL IS SUPERMAN! But if you like Christopher Reeves then I understand. But for me Henry Cavill is Superman.

What about a certain...Amazing Amazon?

Well according to Zack Snyder, he hasn't filmed scenes of actress Gal Gadot in the costume yet because she still has a long time to get buff and ripped. But given from what Wilkinson has done with Superman and Batman, I'm confident that his design of The Amazing Amazon will be breathtaking on the beautiful woman they have playing her. Whether or not she can act though is not my main concern, it is how they're going to portray the character is what got me more worried. But that is a topic for another day.

Final Thoughts

Come on! They both look like their comic book counterparts! Just look! LOOK!

I'm a big DC Comics fan, yet my favorite movie is a Marvel film: X-Men Days of Future Past. Well, the movie rights are technically not owned by Marvel so.... blah! What I'm saying is that the costumes of DC Comics are the most difficult to translate to screen because they were created in a time when spandex was the way to go for Superheroes. Marvel had the chance of establishing themselves in a time period when costumes can gradually cross the line between standard to grounded. So for costume designer Michael Wilkinson to maintain the idea that superhero costumes are pretty much just colored sculpted bodies and make it work is amazing. In fact these two costumes for this big movie are so far my favorite adaptation of a superhero costume. They're faithful yet updated. The way it should be. I anxiously await the reveal of Gadot in the red, white, and blue costume but also the looks he has for the entire Justice League.

Marvel may be more fun, but DC has their production design trumping them all the way. Now... all they need is to make this movie good. Yup. JUST this movie good. They can screw up the Justice League movie because it will always be compared to The Avengers, but THIS movie about the battle between the most iconic superheroes of all time has to be good. It has to. IT HAS TO!

Snowpiercer - Analysis and Review

Find it and Watch it. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes...

It is unfortunate that this film had to premier the same day that Transformers: Age of Extinction because it is obvious which one will make a lot more money. It is also unfortunate that this movie is only showing in 10 cities all over America instead of the wide release it is getting overseas because of what the Weinstein Company did. So even if people wanted to see it, they couldn't. The catch for a wide American release is if the film does extraordinarily well at the box-office with the 10 cities that it is being shown at. This movie was just set up for failure in America from the start. And that is really sad.

The Plot

After an attempt to stop global warming goes horribly wrong, the world gets sent into a new Ice Age. The surviving humans only chance of survival is the Wilford Train that was designed to circle the globe in one year. A train with an eternal engine and the capabilities of surviving the most harshest environments. The survivors are divided into classes. The Rich occupy the front of the train, and the Poor occupy the tail. In a desperate move to seize control of lives they have forgotten from being on board the train for 17 years, Curtis (Chris Evans) rallies the passengers of the tail in a revolt to take over the front of the train! Their mission will take them through a long path of violence and discovery as the ones left standing will soon learn why The Powerful chose to keep The Poor alive. And in the end... what does it mean to ensure World Order.

Analysis

The Best Science Fiction Movies are the ones that ask the hard questions or put a mirror on society. This is an example of one of those films. Unfortunately it is not a film that will succeed in America. I remember watching a trailer reaction video of people who immediately declare it a Hunger Games rip off but on a train. Which fascinated them but they just keep seeing an R-Rated Hunger Games on a train instead of a different dystopian Sci-Fi movie. And because of the trailers being very vague around the premise of the movie other than there is a clear separation between the rich and the poor, the average American Movie Going Audience will just groan at the thought of Hunger Games on a train. When it is clearly not.

The problem is dystopian futures are everywhere these days. Whether it be in The Hunger Games or in X-Men: Days of Future Past or in TV Shows like The Walking Dead, the genre for post-apocalyptic future is everywhere. While The Hunger Games offered a new take on for an audience not familiar with other types of post-apocalyptic futures, any other new take would just be looked at as a Hunger Games rip off. I'm sorry, but it is true. Even if people want to call Snowpiercer a new look and a much better high quality science fiction examination of the post-apocalypitc future, it will always be viewed by an American audience as R-Rated Hunger Games on a Train. 

Most viewers don't even ask: why are they on a train? Why is it snowing outside? Instead what I see from youtube comments or trailer reaction videos from people who don't know anything just think: Oh so they stick some poor people  and some rich people on a train then kill each other and whoever is left standing wins. In other words Hunger Games on a Train. They don't ask, why is the whole world on a train. They don't even think its the whole world, just a few people and maybe the rest of the world is watching. They don't even ask why is it snowing outside? No one even seems to question that part. So in the end, while it is not good to have youtube comments or commentators to be the basis for the representation of the general movie going public the sad truth sometimes is that it is.

I'm aware that both The Hunger Games and Snowpiercer have the class war similarities and the same reasons as to why class war is integral to maintaing a balance in society. But The Hunger Games takes three books/four movies to get that point across. Snowpiercer gets it done in one movie. 

Review

Director Bong Joon-Ho is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. He is probably best known in the states for creating The Host (2006) the Korean monster film that was a universally praised by critics all over the world as the best monster movie and political thriller made in years. The Host was definitely Korea's biggest worldwide big budget blockbuster and his take on Snowpiercer will be his second foray into the big budget arena. Though in comparison to American big budget movies (100-200 million) this one is only a medium budget movie in the states (60-70 million). But that is still a lot and he handles what he has with extreme care and precision.

He does what directors used to do a long time ago, and if some were to do this now they would automatically be ousted. He took inspiration from a graphic novel and turned it into a film. He didn't adapt the graphic novel to the screen, he took the idea and made the idea into a movie. That is something that would be looked down upon if an American director tried adapting a comic book these days. But because the comic was not too popular even in its native country of France, one can see how easy it would be to create a film off of a pre-existing text without getting any flack for inaccuracies. It was the smartest decision to make and one that won't restrain him from having to follow the story beat by beat. Because the ideas are what resonate with people, not the story in the graphic novel. Him and his American co-screenwriter, Kelly Masterson, handle it well.

But enough about the behind the scenes guys, lets talk about the people in front of the camera. Chris Evans, better known as Captain America, plays a reluctant hero named Curtis who does not want to be a leader and does not use grand speeches to sway his fellow passengers but rather actions of bravery that speak louder than an motivational speech. This is a distinction that makes him different from most character put in this situation. He is not a leader, yet people look to him as if he is just because he's taking the lead without have to lead anyone. This may sound like incompetence but it is the way friends would follow one of their friends. These people know each other and will follow each other till the end. That is shown by the loyal Edgar played by Jaime Bell, the desperate mother played by Octavia Spencer, the silent assassin played by Luke Pasqualino, and the man who inspired them all played by John Hurt. Their plight is driven mostly by the odd character of Mason played by Tilda Swinton who is the supreme example of someone who is passionate about their job but is not evil. The job just makes her look evil. Which is a common theme in this movie: the need for there to be a class struggle to maintain balance. Then of course caught in the middle of this power struggle is someone who once worked for the rich, played by Song Kang-ho, and his daughter played by Go Ah-sung (who played father and daughter in The Host) who were placed in prison for being drug addicts. They prove to be integral to the success of Curtis' revolution as well as shades of who the rich really are in this train.

There is a small appearance by Allison Pill who plays a pregnant teacher with an extraordinarily high positive attitude while wielding an uzi. But then there is a small role played by a well known actor that really brings all the pieces together. And when assembled it shows that in order for there to be order, there has to be temporary chaos to remind people of the horrors of chaos. Without a moment of chaos, order means nothing. It is the same as saying that without the existence of the poor, then there would be no distinction of who is rich or any need to want to do better. The film delves into what these concepts mean and funnels it into a film that literally has the whole world on a train. And on that train that circles the globe, the world is still the same.

Final Thoughts

I'm not going to discuss how I saw this movie. But I'll say that the reason why I had to see this movie through illegal means is because there was no theater anywhere near me that was showing it. And even though there is one in the next city away from me, I'm not willing to drive to a city that is only showing it for limited time in one theater. This contributes to the problem of film piracy and unless the wide release happens then result to any means necessary to see it. It is a great film and I would've gladly contributed my money to it. I will even buy it once it hits the home markets. But for now, if you're lucky enough to have it playing in a theater near you, go see it. For those of us who don't, I should say wait, but knowing the drama behind showing this movie in America: Waiting is no longer an option.

SCORE: 9.5/10 - One of the best Sci-Fi films this year that will never be seen.