Thursday, December 31, 2009

2010 movie list!

Early Happy New Year, everyone! In time to kick off 2010, here's a list of next year's movies that I'm most looking forward to, by date, and their trailers! :D

1) Alice in Wonderland (March 5th)
It's a new take on the old story, as Alice returns to Wonderland in her teens. Tim Burton is directing, so get ready for Johnny Depp, some trippiness, and the awesomeness that is Danny Elfman's music.



2) Clash of the Titans (March 26th)
I've not kept up with news on this, but the recently-released trailer looks fricken', fricken' awesome. It stars Sam Worthington as Perseus, as well as many, many mythological beasts. Check it out below:



3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 30th)
The only reason this is on my list is because Jackie Earle Haley takes on the stripes and knife-claws, and because I'm curious as to whether Freddy Krueger was wronged, or is actually a child molester / murderer like in the original films. Trailer below:



4) Iron Man 2 (May 7th)
The first one was only good because Robert Downey Jr. was in it, and I'm only excited about IM2 because of that little scene after the credits in the first movie. War Machine looks fantastic, and I can't wait to see whether they set anything up for The Avengers that'll be out in 2012.



5) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 28th)
Pushed back a year, I kinda lost interest till I saw the trailer, which looks seriously cool. I'm still not used to Jake Gyllenhaal with an English accent, but his 'jumping from one building top to another' sure brings back memories. All we need now are wall spikes.



6) The A-Team (June 11th)
This movie has been making the 200- movie list rounds since the beginning of time, and it was only this year they'd manage to get the director and cast. Starring Liam Neeson (as John "Hannibal" Smith), Bradley Cooper (Templeton "Faceman" Peck), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (Mr. T B.A. Baracus) and Sharlton Copley ("Howling Mad" Murdock), no trailer has been released yet, so enjoy this picture below:




7) Toy Story 3 (June 18th)
The toys and their voices (pretty much, R.I.P Jim Varney) are back, and I got all nostalgic and teary just from watching the teaser. New and full trailer below!

 

8) The Sorceror's Apprentice (July 16th)
If you've seen Fantasia, you already know the story, except that it's now set in modern-day New York, and has Alfred Molina playing the bad guy. It also gives Nicolas Cage another excuse to use the same hairstyle he's been using the past 10 movies or so.
[Looks like I'm more excited than I thought.My apologies for putting the Toy Story 3 up again. Below is the correct trailer.]


9) The Expendables (August 13th)
Featuring many, many action stars, this movie about a group of mercenaries is also the umpteenth movie Jet Li and Jason Statham has starred together (I kid, it's only the third). The Expendables is written and directed by Sly Stallone, and so long it's not another Rambo or Rocky sequel, it looks VERY promising. And why did I only find out now that Statham's English and not Australian? Damn, I'm losing it.



10) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (November 19th, 2010)
The beginning of the end, though the seventh Potter movie is adapted from the seventh book, it's not the last, 'cuz they split the book into two. Blasted Hollywood execs. Anyway, Part 2 has a release date of July 11th, 2011, so at least we won't have to wait long to finish the series. As of now, no trailers have been released yet.


Well that's it for me. Ten movies to look out for this year, and if anything else interesting comes along (as in, trailers), I'll be adding to this list. See you on the other side, folks! :)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Avatar (2009)



The first thing I thought when the end credits rolled was, "Damn, I should've seen this in 3-D."

For clarity's sake, I'll include a basic outline of the plot, but for those of you who've seen Dances with Wolves, feel free to skip the below paragraph:

In return for spinal recorrection surgery, paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully is hired to infiltrate local tribe Na'vi, gain their trust, and gather intel for the mining corporation's own ends, which is to drive off the Na'vi, as their home sits on deposits of a very, very expensive mineral. Jake does so long-distance, by controlling an 'avatar' which is created using human and Na'vi DNA. As he learns their ways and bonds with the tribe, he also tries to find a way to relocate the Na'vi, so that innocent lives won't be lost. The corporation gets tired of waiting and levels their home anyways. Jake sees the immense destruction he more or less caused, and joins forces with the Na'vi before the capitalist pigs humans can do any more damage to the land and their people.
 
The final battle, though intense and, for lack of a better word, awesome-looking, was slightly anti-climactic due to the fact that the final showdown was only between the manic Colonel Quaritch and Jake. I was expecting a lot more from the final battle, since earlier, Jake had prayed to Eywa (the Na'vi's deity) asking for Her help as the humans will be coming in with rocketships a-blazing. Though the animals eventually do fight back (interpreted as divine intervention) and win, I was expecting something much more grandiose, something that is definite proof of a greater power.

The visual effects were really worth the hype. Judge not from the trailer, for it looks like a video game. Pandora is the planet the movie revolves around, and is pretty much the star of the show. From floating-jellyfish tree seeds to hammerhead rhinos, the biology of the planet and its ecosystem is astounding. I'm running the risk of making the movie sound like a nature documentary, but that's what it really felt like. Pandora is another world that is alien to us, but at the same time, we can kinda relate to.

Once you're in the cinema and watching it on the big screen, you'd really be able to appreciate more of the environment and everything else. If you're a CGI buff, do go watch it in 3-D to properly immerse yourself in their world. Unfortunately for me, I watched it in 2-D because I was afraid I'd get nauseous, and after the movie, started kicking myself for not watching it in 3-D.

The actors do a stand-up job, especially Stephen Lang, whose Colonel is as bad-ass as he is ruthless. As I've mentioned earlier, the storyline isn't anything original, but it is riveting enough to hold your attention for two-plus hours, and it does make you connect with the characters and root for the Na'vi. It didn't leave a lasting impression, though, and I left the theatre feeling 'meh'.

7/10. Okay storyline backed by the loveliest backdrop in movie history. Most probably best watched in 3-D.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Spidey 4 production halted indefinitely?

IESB is reporting that the Spider-man 4 (or reportedly, Spider-M4n) script is incomplete, due to director Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures butting heads about who the major villain for this outing should be. As of last Thursday, production has been stopped.

Raimi wants the Vulture; Sony doesn't. The article also mentions that Sony doesn't seem to know what is it that they actually want, just not the Vulture. Apparently, Raimi had also wanted the Vulture in Spider-man 3; the Vulture and Sandman were supposed to be partners-in-crime, with the Vulture being the more aggressive of the two.

Looks like it's Spidey 3 all over again. To recap, Venom was only included in the villain mix due to Marvel head honcho Avi Arad's insistence, and we all know how that one turned out. Now, we all know that Raimi knows best, but really, TWO movies is enough foreshadowing.

Let the poor Lizard have his day out in the sun.

EDIT: MTV just reported that Sony has denied the rumors, and that the so-called 'hiatus' is just a break for the upcoming Christmas season. However, the source did agree that the script is still underway.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

George of the Jungle (1997)



A nice and feel good movie.

A 8.

300 follow-up gets title!

Previously thought to be a sequel, GeekTyrant reports that the now-titled Xerxes is actually a prequel, set 10 years before the events of 300. Zack Snyder is still on to direct, while Frank Miller, who wrote 300, is just starting on the artwork.

Good way to include Gerard Butler in the movie. No word yet as to when the prequel will start production.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Storm Warriors (2009)


Storm Warriors is awesome and fail all in one. This is the first time I've felt that way about any movie.
It is also by far the loudest I've ever seen, and I've seen Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe.

SW is the sequel to 1998's Storm Riders. Based on the manhua by Ma Wing Shing, this time around, Wind and Cloud has to contend with Lord Godless, a powerful Japanese warlord that wants to take over China, and his son, Heart. To defeat him, both Cloud and Wind have to train and increase their martial arts skills; Wind taking the evil path, and Cloud taking the normal one. Wind becomes demonic, so it falls to Cloud to stop him before he does any more destruction.

From the trailer, you can pretty much guess that it's a CGI-and-fight fest. And with these kinds of movies, I'm not fussy. Storyline is important but not crucial, and character development and all that other crap can go take a hike; as the average moviegoer, what we want is, "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

This movie is the exception. For me, at any rate.

The fail in the movie comes from its treatment of certain characters, namely that of Nicholas Tse's. Tse plays Heart, evil Japanese son-of-a-warlord, who also has a few bad-ass scenes of his own, and in his last scene, well, like the Imperial soldiers he shares it with, we don't know what happened to him and them, because the movie pulled a Cyclops on us.

That's right, folks, no death scene. Only this time around, we don't get a gravestone, nor do we get bodies / remains for closure. We are left hanging, wondering what the bloody hell happened to those people, and how is it that Charlene Choi (who is always too annoying for her own good) is the only person from that scene to remain unscathed.

[Because seriously, at least Gillian Chung is pretty.]

The ending also sucks. I know every movie should be seen anew, no spoilers, no Wikipedia (old habits), no reading other reviews. But I would like to know in advance whether the movie I'll be watching is the first part of a larger story-arc, because with that was what Storm Warriors felt like in the end.

Cloud dies saving Wind and Charlene Choi. The latter person being the part of the equation also adds to my pissed-offness, but that's not the point.

Yes, people, Aaron Kwok dies. He. Friggin'. Falls. Off a cliff. At the end of the movie.

I understand that for a main character, no body means that he's probably not dead and will turn up in the sequel (if they decide to make another one) with amnesia or some crap of that sort, but in this type of movie, dying should be reserved for the middle of a movie, not at the end. It's effective as shock value, but it's highly unsatisfying.

Now that I've gotten all the crap from the movie aside, it's time to highlight the good parts:

The CGI is fan-bloody-tastic, very comic-bookish, and very 300, except more color. Cue 60-plus seconds of badassery 10-15 minutes into the movie, with Heart, Earth and Sky, and a whole ton of Immortals masked soldiers take on the other martial arts schools in China, with the baddies on the winning side, of course, and every other fight scene, really. In some instances they just stand there and throw chi / energies / [insert correct term here] at each other.

Doesn't lessen the cool factor, though. Plus, montages of innocent people dying.

Minor lousy things include the theme song, which kinda blows. It's awesome that they got both our leads to sing it, compared to the previous one where it's just Aaron Kwok, but I preferred the theme for the first movie. Overall score is lovely, though, and really went well with the fight scenes.

Female presence is pointless as usual, but for some reason, the need to provide love interests for these movies keeps coming up, even though they're annoying and are just there to be killed off. Except for Charlene Choi, but I digress. And since we're on-topic, where's Shu Qi? I didn't even know her character was in this film till I got on the Wiki, to check whether there were any end-credits scene that I missed. Just as well, though. Cho Cho was even more pointlessly annoying this time around. I guessed she was going to die, but her death was so abrupt I didn't see it coming. Props to the filmmakers for that.

6/10. Would've been 8/10 if it weren't for the ending and the X-Men 3 treatment.

Would've seen this movie a second time, too.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Another Pride and Prejudice adaptation...



...but with zombies this time!

Variety reports that Natalie Portman will produce and star as Elizabeth Bennet in a movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The original Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen, and I guess to encourage more people to readfor the heck of it, Seth Grahame-Smith decided to do a rewrite of sorts, and add zombies to the mix. In this story, Elizabeth wields katanas and fights zombies, and Fitzwilliam Darcy (or Mr. Darcy to many of us) is now a monster-hunter.

Certainly sounds more interesting than the original. Remind me to go check out the book.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Sorceror's Apprentice trailer!

Starring Nicolas Cage as the Sorceror and Jay Baruchel as, well, the Apprentice, the movie is a modern-day retelling of the famed Fantasia segment, which in turn is based on the poem by Goethe.

It looks pretty cool, though since it's a summer movie, that's pretty much a given.

Enjoy :)


The Sorceror's Apprentice will open July 16th, 2010.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

New Spidey 4 rumor!

I haven't been reporting much on Spider-man 4, since every other article is still on the Black Cat conundrum.

But this one takes the cake.

Instead of the hackneyed Anne Hathaway = Black Cat news, Hathaway apparently will be the Vulturess, a villain not of comic book canon to be introduced in Spidey 4. She'll still be Felicia Hardy, though, only she won't turn into Black Cat.

If this is true, Spidey 4 will turn out to be more of a massive fail than Spidey 3.

Movieline also states that John Malkovich is up for the Vulture, which I can totally see, but personally feel that the Vulture is too minor a villain for the likes of Malkovich.

I mean, come on, it's JOHN MALKOVICH.

[I'd say Gobby, but that's already taken. Awesomely.]

Really, March '10 cannot come any sooner.

Friday, December 4, 2009

New Moon (2009)


I always felt that Movie Edward glowed (or radiated, if you like) under sunlight.

Well, New Moon proved me wrong. Edward totally sparkled.

After a papercut on Bella causes Jasper to go loco, Edward and family take off, not wanting to bring anymore trouble to Bella. In turn, Bella goes emo and also becomes an adrenaline junkie, as she gets visions of Edward, naggingacting as her rationale (since all of it's been converted to hormones), whenever she does something dangerous.

Her friend Jacob becomes the rebound guy, and when cool transforming stuff happens, Jake tells her that he has to stay away from her to avoid hurting her (i.e. repeating what happened in the beginning). After a bunch of stuff happens which led Edward to believe that Bella is dead, Bella and Alice go to Italy, to stop Ed from exposing himself to the masses in an effort to get the powerful Volturi to execute him.


[It's like Romeo and Juliet.]

After a show of vampiric mental abilities and a pretty cool fight scene, Alice manages to convince the Volturi that Bella will eventually be turned (we get to see Edward and Bella running in the woods, and Bella $pArK1eD), and the Volturi let the gang go. Everyone goes back to Forks, Bella tells Jacob that she chooses Edward, Edward asks her to marry him, the End.

This is the first time I actually felt like dozing off while watching a film. For a romance movie, there sure is a lot of talk and no action.
If you know what I mean WINK


I find New Moon slightly better than Twilight, mostly because of the wolf pack, and Jacob, Bella's werewolf boyfriend. Although the interaction between he and Bella were a bit too long (think about it, it took Bella like half an hour of real time to fall in love with Edward), it was fun to watch them, as Jake seems to have a LOT more personality than Edward.

Unlike Spider-man 3, which went downhill in the last half hour, New Moon actually went uphill during then, with the inclusion of the Volturi. It was a pity that they only had such a short appearance in the movie; they were basically the only highlight of the entire movie.

[After they returned to Forks, everything went back downhill again.]

Consistency is also lacking, though very minor. Like the part when everyone finds out that Bella is immune to their vampiric mental abilities (not including biting and hitting and other physical damage). Wouldn't she have been immune to Jasper's emotion-bending at the beginning of the movie?

And was it necessary to show Bella's dad grounding her? I mean, the movie ended with Bella stopping a fight between Edward and Jacob in the forest. As in, not in / anywhere near her father's house! That part was rather pointless (the grounding), and would've made the movie a bit shorter.

If only they hadn't put in so much of the, "Dear Alice," voiceovers (a few are okay, but when there were so many it's just tedious) and the dream-screaming (they should've just shown us what her dreams were), New Moon would've been, I guess, an hour-thirty or -forty, making it a much shorter movie, and way more tolerable, too. Less time spent on Bella moping would've been nice. I shudder to think how the October / November / December scene is treated in the book.

One thing I appreciated was the title of each movie. The previous one was about Edward, so Twilight; this one is about Jacob, so New Moon. The next one is Eclipse: which probably means that she will pick her final choice in that one, since 'eclipse' means half-moon and half darkness. Props to Stephenie Meyer.

The score was absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack wasn't bad either, but I felt that a lot of songs were jammed in a two-hour movie, so much so that some of those songs only got very short snippets. Like Muse's Mon Cœur S'ouvre à ta Voix. I was expecting Uprising, so that was a very pleasant surprise, even though it was only on for about 10 seconds.


4/10. Werewolves and Italians were the best things in the movie. About 45 minutes cumulatively.

Though I'm not a fan of the series... Team Jacob :)

Last Airbender full trailer postponed!

Initially to be attached to a December-released movie (no final word on which movie that would've been), the full trailer has been pushed back to February. Apparently, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) wasn't done with the special effects and the CGI of the movie yet, which means that the current shots that they do have, aren't that good.

Sounds promising.

/Film predicts that the trailer will be attached to Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, slated for release on February 12th.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Twilight pulls Harry Potter crap!



 Variety is reporting that the final Twilight book Breaking Dawn will be split into TWO movies.

And I didn't even roll my eyes this time around.


Nothing is finalised yet, as Summit Entertainment has to run it by the cast, the director (apparently they want Chris Weitz back), and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to see whether they want to come back for the extra one, which will be done back-to-back. Since everyone's only signed on for only FOUR movies, their contracts will have to be renegotiated, and some say that our three leads (yeah, like I need to name them) could get eight-figure salaries.

Fun Fact:
Robert Pattinson will be the only actor to have been involved in TWO book-to-movie franchises that split the final book.

2012 (2009)


Based on the Mayan theory that the world will end on December 21st, 2012 (12 + 21 = 23 ha!!), 2012 is basically about the end of the world brought on by the sun's weird neutrino activity causing the earth's tectonic plates and everything cracking and sinking and magma-ing and obligatory tsunamis. Oh, and John Cusack.

But I liked it.

I've heard people say they didn't like the movie because it was unrealistic, that ONE FAMILY can survive ALL ODDS to reach the arks and is STILL able to get on it without being stampeded on / pushed over by all those rich people.

[Many say that they preferred The Day After Tomorrow. Personally, I can't remember anything about that movie, only that Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal were in it, and that at one point, Gyllenhaal was running from ice.]

Sure it's unrealistic, but honestly, do people want Cusack and Fam to get it? Where would we be if we didn't have the underdog to root for? Chiwetel Ejiofor's character is a good person in general, but as he already has a ticket to board the ark, it'd be a pretty straightforward and VERY short movie if he was the focus. And really, it'd be an awful downer (though realistic *sarcasm) if the final scene in the movie is a view from space of Earth and all we see is water and some burning magma, and the random tiny bit of land.

I'd say you could blame it on the fact that it was intended as a summer movie (July '09 release). Now, unless you're Transformers, you can't just go around bumping off your main character in a summer movie.

And many reviews have stated that with the amount of characters in the two-hour movie (as in, quite a bit), the audience stops caring about the characters, since there isn't enough time vested for us to get to know each one that isn't an extra and/or CGI.

But I beg to differ.

Though we get fleeting moments of the other characters, I still felt sorry all those who went under, especially George Segal, who didn't manage to make peace with his son in time. However, I'm most pissed that Tamara (the Russian girl) died, and that everyone conveniently totally forgot about it!! I mean, they didn't even talk about her in the end, even though she saved Cusack's daughter in place of her own. Gordon shouldn't have died, either. I blame the script for Amanda Peet's non-caring, but the biggest flaw of the movie was the lack of mention on Tamara's death. It'd also be pretty cool if Woody Harrelson had survived Yellowstone (and everything else), and became the first radio host to broadcast to the survivors.

[Honourable mention goes to the Russian mob dude's two little Dan Foglers. They are SO ADORABLE!!]

Also, Oliver Platt seems to be getting typecast as Person Of Questionable Morals #1.

In terms of disaster movies, this is the Ultimate Disaster Movie, unless someone makes a movie solely about the effects of a Death Star blast on Earth (probably would be an hour-long). There is simply no running from the devastation wrought in this film (unless you're Cusack or blood-related to the guy or his ex-wife), and I thought the CGI was pretty good.

As for that lousy last line, technically the last word in is, "Nice," which really isn't a bad word in itself.

7/10. Lighten up, people. Escapism doesn't have to be realistic.

If the end of the world DOES happen in 2012... I hope it doesn't happen before May 5th :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

Sam Jack movie!!

YESYESYESYES!!!

Frederator Films has just announced that they were granted the animated movie rights to Samurai Jack, one of the best cartoon series to grace our television screens. Even better news was that creator Genndy Tartakovsky will be "intimately involved" in the production. Tartakovsky is best known for creating Dexter's Laboratory and Star Wars: Clone Wars (the 2D one, not the one with the lifeless eyes).


[Also, J.J. Abrams will be co-producing, but no one really cares about that.]

Samurai Jack is about a samurai sent to the future by an evil wizard named Aku. Christened 'Jack' by the locals upon his arrival, he sets out in his quest to defeat Aku, so that he can return to his own time and undo the evils Aku has wrought. Sam Jack lasted only three seasons, and Cartoon Network didn't even bother letting them finish the series properly. There was no epic battle between Jack and Aku; Aku wasn't even IN the final episode.

There was always talk of a SJ movie (live-action also) to tie up the MAJOR LOOSE END of Who Wins, but apparently, the deal with New Line Cinema fell through. It's unfortunate the deal with Frederator was not drawn up earlier; Mako's vocal presence as Aku will be sorely missed.

I am so psyched about this, and the fact that everything will be animated instead of live-action will mean that the producers will have to stay true to the source material. I mean, imagine how it'd be like if the live-action Samurai Jack had a cast like The Last Airbender or Dragonball: Evolution. 


Here is the opening sequence to Samurai Jack. Man, I miss that show.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

WTF-worthy.



It's also kinda funny because this video is not a parody.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Twilight (2008)


I figured with Twilight season already upon us, I'd give the first movie a try. I hadn't seen it when it first came out, because even though it has vampires and is based on a best-selling series, teen romance isn't my thing.

As much as I tried to keep an open mind, I didn't like it.

Yes, the people are beautiful, and the acting wasn't atrocious as I heard, but I found it pointless.

The first 45 minutes involved our two leads being awkward towards each other, with the girl being annoyed with why the totally cute loner doesn't like her, and also her excruciatingly over-chatty new high school friends. We get it; the new girl is POPULAR AMONG THE LOCALS.

We find out that totally cute loner Edward doesn't like her because he's attracted to her bloodscent (and also 'cuz he can't read her mind, but that bit isn't expanded on), and after he saves her a few times, they get to know each other and start dating.

The next half hour's involved with our girl Bella meeting Edward's family, decent vampires who abstain from human blood and drink animals instead (they call themselves 'vegan', but as I see it, animal blood isn't synthetic blood, nor is it the opposite of plain ol' blood. Do correct me if I'm wrong), and playing baseball, the latter scene being the best part in the entire movie.

[I think that speaks volumes of my opinion towards this movie.]


Then we have some rogue vampires that do eat humans, and one of them, James, likes Bella's scent. So with some really lousy re-routing, we get to the showdown between Jim and Edward, which isn't too bad, but still can't beat the baseball scene.

Long story short: Bella gets bitten by James, Edward sucks the venom out after MUCH thought and deliberation, Bella is taken to the hospital, Edward says he wants to leave for fear of hurting her, Bella is adamant that Edward cannot leave her, Ed changes his mind, and then they go to the prom.

Some parts didn't make sense. James had stopped by Bella's father's place, that's how he knew they were on the run, and obviously he was at her mom's place as well to intercept the call (unless he had mad hackering skillz or something), so why didn't he kill them? We're not talking about 'feed' here, just normal killing. If James was supposed to be the ruthless and cruel type... I mean, he didn't even HURT her parents here.

Despite the irregularities, it was still okay for me, till I saw Bella's reaction towards Edward leaving. It was such a 180˚ for a character who through this entire time was rather nonchalant and 'whatev', so much so that she would get all clingy and borderline obsessive towards Edward when he said he wanted to leave. Yes, she loves him, and he did save her life quite a few times, but the overreaction was a bit unrealistic. I mean, he just 'said', he didn't actually do it.

I equate that scene to the butler telling Harry that his father died by his own hand in Spider-man 3. Though this one didn't make my jaw drop out of WTF-ness, still made the movie suck for me.


4/10. Watch it if you love Rob Pattinson, or if you love the book series. I've done neither (only crushing on R-Patz in Harry Potter 4), so I didn't really see anything special about it.


For some LULZ, do click here for Twilight: The Abridged Script.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Final Destination 4 (2009)


Totally fake! A 3!

Dirty Deeds (2005)


I sooo love MR Milo in this one, fill with crap and its hilarious for me hahaha. Cheers enjoy this, hahahaha, and gosh he is damn hot!! And its something to learn out from in this movie. I would say a 8 for Milo and the movie a high 5!

Friday, November 13, 2009

ID4-ever??!

Haha!! That sounds like a title for a Hong Kong movie sequel!

In an interview with MTV, Roland Emmerich said that there will be TWO Independence Day sequels, and both will encompass ONE story-arc! (just like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!) Even though it's been more than ten years after the first movie, Emmerich intends to just continue on from it.

They don't have a script yet, but one thing's for sure: Will Smith will definitely be in it.


[YES!]

I hope that they bring back Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman as well. I hope they bring everyone from the first movie back.


[Except Randy Quaid. 'Cuz he died in the first movie.]

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Black Cat in Spidey 4?



In a move that seems oddly familiar, *cough*Iron Man 2*cough*, Rachel McAdams is rumored to be up for the role of Felicia Hardy / Black Cat, who in the comics, has an on-off relationship (depending on story-arc) with our Peter. Black Cat is like Catwoman, except that she's actually DATED the hero for a while, and she's not exactly a villain (although, Catwoman's a bit of an anti-heroine as well).

If this turns out to be true, then great. More conflict and love triangles for the bunch. Can't they just marry Peter off to MJ and get it over with? I mean, the only reason why anybody watches comic book movies is to see the villains. Character and emotional development is always secondary.


[I'm still stumped on why I liked Iron Man.]

Off-topic, is it just me, or does Rachel McAdams look a lot like Elizabeth Banks?

UPDATE: Julia Stiles is also in talks for a role in Spidey 4; I'm guessing it's this one.

UPDATED UPDATE: Now it's Anne Hathaway. Oh dear... the rumor mill is out of control...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Prince of Persia trailer!

The trailer is finally out, after many, many behind-the-scenes commentaries (of which most of the scenes are repeated) from Jerry Bruckheimer or something. Anyway, it looks great, and the jumping-from-one-building-to-the-other scenes bring back memories.

Sigh.

All we need now is a grey-stoned dungeon with pits and a bunch of retracting spikes at the bottom. Plus, turbans and many poisonspotions.

And also, they all have English accents! I have no idea why I find it weird that Jake Gyllenhaal doesn't sound American, I just do!

Oh well, enjoy! :)

Monday, November 2, 2009

James Cameron's Avatar Bible excerpt!



Care for a glimpse into the guide for Avatar? As in, the reference for writers on the show? Only nine pages, though, but it does give you a very good idea of how the setting and environment for the show is supposed to be (and how the movie is deviating from it).

To check it out, click here. It's from the revamped Racebending website.

Friday, October 30, 2009

This Is It (2009)

Just 'wow.'

This Is It is like your usual concert movie, except that it's all rehearsals. It has the songs, the behind-the-scenes footage, and as in the case of Michael Jackson concerts, the videos introducing or accompanying the songs.

The songs in the movie are his classics, although some of the more famous ones were missing, like We Are The World, Bad, and You Are Not Alone, though Heal The World was played over the end credits.

Based on the footage in the movie, and based on his energy, and his dancing all the frakin' time (and even keeping in time with his half-his-age background dancers), he didn't look sick and he didn't SEEM sick. We get to see the man behind the music, the man who can visualize what his fans want to see... and that man looked just fine. And that's why I teared up a few times during the movie. It's just so sad that he passed on when he did.

Although, if he hadn't died and I got an INSANELY REMOTELY UNLIKELY CHANCE to go, I'd be disappointed with Smooth Criminal. No leaning.

['Cuz if there were, it would've been in the movie.]

Watching This Is It reminds me of how Michael's music transcends generations and borders. Old and young alike love his music. You hardly see a teenager (or 'young adult') jamming to Elvis or The Beatles, because they're the Golden Oldies, with much emphasis on the 'Old'. But you do see fans of the Golden Oldies appreciating, and even loving Michael's music.

And when you think about it, when someone's death has that much impact on the world, that pretty much every major government in the world issued a statement about his death, you know that it's not a craze or an intense liking you have for that person, it is because that person himself has touched the world.
It's obvious who I'm referring to. I seriously doubt you can get that kind of effect with Britney or GaGa or even Madonna.
 
The movie ends with his performance of Man In The Mirror (which I think, is the song he intended to end his concerts), arms wide open, and the words,

"Michael Jackson
King of Pop
Love Lives Forever"

Simple words, yet beautiful and poignant. Just like how the man was.

At the end of the movie, a bunch of people at the front clapped, and then someone at the back said, "Gila ke?", which is, "[Are they] crazy?"

And his friend said, "Itu bukan gila, itu respek," which means, "That's not crazy, that's [out of] respect."

I salute you, companion of Stupid Idiot.

Think what you want about the man, judge him if you will, but you cannot deny that his music is genius.

10/10. This is my first and probably-last music-concert-documentary thingy I'll ever see in the theatres, because $10 on a movie without extensive CGI and/or a storyline isn't money's worth in my book.

R.I.P Michael Jackson

P.S. Apparently there's some audio at the end of the credits, so do stay on and check it out. And when you do, please tell me what it said, 'cuz I didn't stay back, and found out about the after-credits goodie through the Google and kicked myself.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Lobo casting rumor.



According to reports, the upcoming Guy Ritchie-directed movie centering around an intergalactic bounty hunter will ultimately have a lot of CG in it, irrespective of whether they use any on the main character. So the question is, "[D]o you need a celebrity? Do you need a name or do you just get someone who is good and who's gonna nail it?"

And the name that's been coming up in a lot in meetings? In a situation similar to that of Ron Perlman back during Hellboy, it's none other than Clancy Brown, an actor occasionally seen onscreen, and heard many, many times by kids, tweens and adults everywhere.


No, I am NOT joking. And yes, I did have a mild coronary when I found out. 


Clancy Brown is known for his roles in Highlander, Starship Troopers, Pet Sematary 2 and my personal favourite, Brother Justin in Carnivale, as well as his voice-acting as the aboveMr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants, and Lex Luthor in probably every animated incarnation of the DC character.

Brown is one of my favourite actors, and unfortunately one of the most underrated of all time, mostly relegated to supporting or villainous characters. If he gets this part (and I really hope he does, it'd be awesome to see him in a lead role that's not a villain), well, Lobo will actually have a spot on my must-watch list.


As of now, Lobo doesn't have a release date yet, but like every comic book movie about to come out, I'm guessing it'd be 2011 or 2012.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Dylan Baker in Spider-man 4!



At a post-screening Q & A for Trick 'r Treat, Baker confirmed that he will reprise his role as Dr. Curt Connors, Peter's one-armed physics professor in both Spideys 2 and 3, who eventually turns into the Lizard in the comics.


[Note how he has two arms in the above picture. His regeneration abilities is instrumental to his transformation. Or is it the other way around?]

Baker also mentioned that he will be in the background (as usual), but not sure whether 'background' meant the usual 10-15 minutes onscreen, or 'secondary villain'. Since production will be starting in March 2010, hopefully they'll have a few more press releases by then so we'd know where we stand when it comes to the villains.

Spider-man 4 is slated for a May 5th, 2011 release.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Justice League live-action movie on the horizon?



Hopefully!

MTV.com reports that next year's Green Lantern will be the first in a trilogy of films that will lead up to a Justice League movie. The other two movies planned will be on the Flash and Wonder Woman, and obviously, all three superheroes will join up with Superman, Batman and Aquaman in the JL movie.

[What, no J'onn and Hawkgirl?]

No word on the release date / year of the other movies yet.

Rather than making two or three movies on the same superhero/es (which seems to be the trend nowadays), DC seems to be taking the fast track in competing with Marvel. Personally, I'm stoked, and it's good to see DC finally being proactive with its other heroes (besides Batman, that is).

Imagine if the JL movie is released in the same summer as the Avengers movie.
Damn you, wishful thinking!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Rorschach = Freddy Krueger = Sinestro??



Talk about iconic characters all the way!

Ain't It Cool is reporting that Jackie Earle Haley is in the lead to land the part of villain Sinestro in the upcoming Green Lantern movie. Sinestro was Hal Jordans' (Ryan Reynolds) mentor, before he went rogue and became the Lantern Corp's arch-nemesis (because he uses yellow, and for some reason, green can't pwnbeat that).

Initially I was thinking on passing on GL (or at least till the trailer comes out), but JEH was Rorschach personified in Watchmen, and he's basically the ONLY reason I'm considering checking out the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.

Hope this turns out in his favour. Can't wait :)


Green Lantern is set for release in 2011.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Roland Emmerich wants ID4 2!!



Emmerich already has the script done, but still lacks a deal, as the studios still haven't figured out how a deal that would make himself, ID4 writer Dean Devlin, and Will Smith happy. Emmerich also says that it'll most likely be with Fox, but apparently, Fox has even suggested that they LEAVE Smith out of this one, since he'll be quite expensive.

Luckily Emmerich refused to budge. There's nothing worse than a spin-off.

I have no idea how the story for the sequel will turn out, although it'd be extremely lame if aliens attacked Earth on a holiday that ONLY America gets to enjoy. Maybe the Brits will get it this time, and Smith and Jeff Goldblum will go and save them and stuff, on account of having prior experience.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Toy Story 3 TRAILER!!

Embedding's disabled, so I can only provide the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhmdsXBq6-Q

The quality isn't very good, either, so when a proper one comes along, I'll update and embed ^^

Friday, October 9, 2009

Megan Fox to be offed in Transformers 3??



HollyScoop.com is reporting that Michael Bay may be writing off Megan Fox's character, since it seems that production crew doesn't get on well with her, and she had started shooting her mouth off on lousy working conditions with Bay.

So with this rumor, we have our main character death, as promised by Shia LaBeouf that the third movie will be darker than the previous two.

The question is, if it turns out to be true, who will replace Fox as "Hot Female Lead"?

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Spider-man 4 writer to helm Venom spin-off!



RopeOfSilicon.com states that the Venom movie will be directed by Spider-man 4 cowriter Gary Ross, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) working on the screenplay.

Initially intended to be a prequelspin-off from Spider-man 3, the Venom movie will ignore that crapfest and most likely recast Venom, effectively making it a stand-alone Marvel movie. ROS also reports that Venom "will be transformed into an anti-hero who becomes a defender of the innocent," which would kind of work so long as Spider-man doesn't come into the picture.

[For a little extra reading, try Venom: Sinners Take All. It actually doesn't suck.]

As much as I like Topher Grace, Venom is supposed to be HUGE, and even though he bulked up considerably for the part, physically, that's still a 'no'. I hope they don't cast a wrestler as Brock for this. That'd be so lame.

It'd be pretty cool if Ross could tie Spidey 4 with Venom. Then...
 ...it will lead to CARNAGE!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)



Fantastical creatures abound, and the CGI and cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, especially the scene Prince Nuada visits his father, reminding me that I have yet to see Pan's Labyrinth. Other than that, the storyline is okay (although, the fact that Hellboy's eventual destiny as our destroyer is reiterated makes me hope that a massive ton of excrement will hit the propeller in the third movie, that is if the Trilogy Curse does not strike), the villain is leaning towards the anti-hero line, making him not much of a villain, and possibly, one of the best lines in movie history.

I'd embed aforementioned line, but the users on YouTube prevent me from doing so. Link is here, if you like :)

6.5/10.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Transformers 3 = 2011!


Despite saying that he'll be quitting the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay will be returning to direct the next Transformers movie, set for release on July 1st, 2011.

With the death of a main character and definite mayhem on the way, here's to hoping that third time's the charm for him with the critics.
and that he doesn't insert a ching-chong chinaman joke in this one.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Elm Street trailer!



What caught my eye was the beginning of the trailer. Woulda preferred it if they didn't show Freddy's face at the end of it.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Up (2009)



 Isn't he fatteningly ADORABLE??!!



Up begins with a young boy, Carl meeting wildchild Ellie, the love of his life and fellow fan of Charles Muntz, a famous but disgraced explorer. We see them grow up, through the happy times and the sad, we see them living life and trying to save up for a trip to Paradise Falls, and finally, we see that Carl is only left, as Ellie succumbs to old age before they could achieve their dream.

This happens in the first 12 minutes of the film.

Frustrated with life and everything else around him, the now-crochety Carl takes to the skies, literally, as he attaches an ass-ton of helium-filled balloons to his house, to float his way to Paradise Falls (which they tell us is in South America). With stowaway wilderness scout Russell as his companion, they reach Paradise Falls, and find adventure and Charles Muntz, who's been living there all this time to bring back proof of the bird that got him disgraced in the first place, and his talking dogs.

Problem is, the bird came with the adventure, and Muntz is a bit nuts from all the exile and isolation.

Up is one of the most heartfelt movies I've ever seen.

Besides it being a Pixar movie, Russell is basically the main reason why I wanted to see Up. Voiced to perfection by Jordan Nagai (who, I'm surprised to see, isn't fat in real life, because his voice fits Russell so well), Russell is the young boy who wants to receive his last badge for Assisting The Elderly to become a Senior Wilderness Explorer, and who wants to save Kevin (the bird) from Muntz.

[In other words, he's the cause of the entire ruckus.]


I've always found Ed Asner endearing, and as Carl, he's no different. Throughout the movie, we see Carl progress from grumpy old dude to father figure, and in the end, he finds a new-found friend / son-person in Russell, who's raised by his single mother.

Like with most Pixar movies, I cried my eyes out with this one, especially during the scrapbook part in the middle of the movie. I wasn't expecting the whole Muntz part, which without it, the movie wouldn't have its adventure theme, but yeah, it was fun.

7.5/10.

[Wall-E review, coming up soon! Now, with more tears~! XP]

17 Again (2009)



Predictable story line but I love it, funny and romantic moments have their fare share in making this movie enjoyable! Even a four years old enjoyed it, well maybe since Zac Efron is in it.

A 6 2/3.

Babel (2006)


Slow pace and mild but well connected altogether

A 6.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Pirates 4 could be in trouble!

With the departure of Disney chairman Dick Cook, Johnny Depp himself cast doubt over the future of the fourth movie in an interview with the LA Times, saying, "There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment… It was all born in that office."

According to EmpireOnline.com, Cook was the one who managed to persuade Depp to star in the first Pirates even before a script had been written. Depp also recalled that Cook had fought to keep Depp's interpretation of Sparrow intact, since, well, the guy seemed high as a kite every time he's on-screen.

[Might not gel well with parents.]


With a deal for Pirates 4 only provisionally in place, and based on the quality of the script, it seems that Depp’s commitment to the movie may be wavering out of loyalty to his friend. And as we all know, no Depp and no Jack = nobody watching the new one.

[Because seriously, no one really cares about Will and Elizabeth.]

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Spider-man 4: May 5th, 2011.

Also, this:



If only this poster was real... would've made my year :)

Michael Jackson's This Is It trailer.



R.I.P. Michael. You are our Elvis.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Spider-man 4 starts shooting in January 2010!

...so says Bruce Campbell, frequent cameo-maker and long-time best friend of director Sam Raimi.

Pah-DON.

Having been in each Spider-man movie (I've been keeping an eye out for him ever since I saw him in the second and found out he was in the first), it seems that he may be playing a bigger role this time around. Campbell told AccessHollywood that he's been told he has a major part – but has no news on who the character is yet.

Early fan rumors go that Campbell may be playing Mysterio, master of illusion, but up till now there has been no confirmation or news about the villains OR the storyline in the upcoming movie. Past rumors on villains include the Lizard (foreshadowing on Dylan Baker's part in the past two movies, so finally!), as well as Kraven the Hunter, Morbius the Living Vampire and even the Sinister Six.


[If Campbell DOES turn out to be a villain, it'd be totally cool if Peter went, "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" when they meet for the first time in the movie.]

Will someone release a statement or something already. Despite the fail that is the third movie, I'm still interested in Spider-man series, and can't help the speculating and the getting excited.


Spider-man 4 is slated for release in May 2011.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Pirates of the Carribean 4 gets subtitle!

And it'll be called "On Stranger Tides."


SlashFilm reports that the new PotC movie will probably continue on from the previous one, in which Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp, but you knew that already) starts on his search for the Fountain of Youth. The fourth installment will start shooting around April / May 2010, for a Summer 2011 release. No word on whether original director Gore Verbinski will be returning to helm this one.

I really do hope they bring everyone back for this one. 'Cept Will and Liz. 
Team Barbosa!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

And Warner Bros. follow suit!

 
Despite owning DC for the past forty years, the LA Times is reporting that Warner Bros. is officially bringing in DC Comics under its studio-wings, with Diane Nelson, a top brand management executive responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter series all this while, running the unit.

[This coming a little over a week since Marvel was bought over by the House of Mouse.]


Now called DC Entertainment, WB hopes to emulate the huge success that Marvel has had with its superheroes. DC projects currently in development include The Green Lantern (with Ryan Reynolds), Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin and Megan Fox), The Losers, and Lobo. Marvel's line-up includes Iron Man 2 (out next summer), Thor, Captain America, Spider-man 4 (hopefully, it won't be as shitty as the third), and finally, the main event in 2012: The Avengers.

WB would really need the luck of the Irish to top that line-up.
[Hint to WB: Justice League live-action movie with original actors, e.g. continuity!]

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Nic Cage drops out of Green Hornet!

NewsInFilm is reporting that Nic Cage was not able to cut a deal with Columbia Studios. He would've been playing the villain opposite Seth Rogen.

Filming for the movie just started the previous week. No Cage scenes (<-- pun. Geddit?) were shot yet, but I do believe it's safe to say that Columbia is in a frenzy trying to find a new bad guy.

And... Production photos! Where we see Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Jay Chou's stunt double.

Anyway, enjoy!

 
What, actors can't sit in stationary cars now? I kid, there'll probably be a car chase coming.

Originally set for a July 2010 release, Green Hornet has been bumped down to December 17, 2010.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Fantastic Four reboot is good to go!

Despite Disney's upcoming acquisition of Marvel, their third-party studio contracts will remain, as 20th Century Fox has just announced that the Fantastic Four reboot is greenlit. None of the actors will be brought back, and Fox is looking to go slightly dark, what with the success of movies like The Dark Knight and Iron Man.

No other details have been disclosed, except that Michael Green, who's working on Green Lantern as well, will be writing the script.

Personally, I'm very okay with the Fantastic Four movies; my only quibble is that Jessica Alba doesn't look good blonde, but better her than Simpson, right?

Monday, August 31, 2009

Disney to buy Marvel.

"NO FUCKING WAY!!", right?

That was my first thought when my friend had alerted me to this, but it's true. As of now, no word on whether the deal has been completed yet, but BBC News reports that Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal valued at $4bn (£2.5bn).

The BBC News. They don't just make up random shit like that.

Just when the future of Marvel movies had seemed promising, what with origin movies for Marvel Heroes coming out over the next two years to build momentum for the Avengers movie in 2012, new developments like this come to light.

So how now brown cows?

Will subsequent Marvel movies not yet in production get kiddie-dized because of this?

Will we have Will Smith as Captain America, now that Disney has taken over and may be looking for a confirmed and multiple-times-proven crowd-puller?
will smith bringing loud-mouth to the cap'n? please no
Will the upcoming yet-to-be-casted X-Men: First Class be filled by High School Musical alumni?

*shudder*

God help us all.


EDIT: Click here for some Disney/Marvel mash-ups, brought to you by the Punch Drunk Critics.
you gotta admit, they are kind fun to look at

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Early draft of Last Airbender script?

LastAirbenderFilm.com has posted up a summary of some aspects of the new movie from aforementioned draft script. Faux or no, this part caught my attention:
The Dragon says that the comet that began the war will return in three years, giving the firebenders control over their Chi, and thus the ability to create fire themselves.
Sozin's Comet is supposed make the Firebenders more powerful, not give them "the ability to create fire themselves"! I mean, the reason why the Fire Nation has been able to keep the other Nations at bay all this time is because they can create fire just like that! Even Pyro from X-Men 2 admitted his lameness, since he could only manipulate fire instead of create it.

As awful as the change sounds, the movie can't really sink any lower now, can it?

To check out the rest of the spoilers (even though they may be untrue), mosey your mousey along to here.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Last Airbender trailer gets release date!

And it'll be on CHRISTMAS!

Right-o, folks, Frank Marshall had tweeted the news, but so far, which movie it'll be attached to has not been confirmed yet. AceShowbiz reckons that the movie will be Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law.

I hope we don't get random scenes that flash by SO QUICKLY you can't make head or tail of anything. It really makes it difficult to criticize how the massive failit looks.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hawkeye now?!!!

No, not another Marvel movie in development. I'm referring to his upcoming appearance in Iron Man 2.

That's right; apparently, Hawkeye will also be making a cameo in next year's Iron Man sequel. No word on who has been cast yet, but expect Ultimate Hawkeye, since they've pretty much confirmed that they're basing it all on the Ultimate Universe with Sam L. Jackson (who plays Nick Fury).


This one says that Will Smith should be Hawkeye. Ugh.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Avatar teaser trailer!

I don't know why they call it a teaser, seeing that it's about two minutes long, and could definitely serve as a REAL trailer, but here it is below:



Looks more high-end videogame to me, but based on what I can gather from the early seconds of the trailer, the storyline seems interesting. Anyway, click on the trailer above if you want to see the bigger version (i.e., the one on YouTube with the options).

Avatar opens December 16, 2009.

Spoiler alert on Deathly Hallows!!

For those of you who simply hate it when a book-turned-movie ends prematurely (I'm looking at you, Golden Compass), I've got news that the current plan is for the first Hallows movie to end with Harry and Co. getting captured by the Snatchers, the bit before they're taken to Malfoy Manor. Mind you, the filmmakers may get fickle when that time does come, and may decide to move the cliffhanger to something else.

Another noteworthy bit is that Goyle will be the one who dies (*cough*Fiendfyre*cough*), instead of Crabbe . This decision was made after Jamie Waylett (who plays Crabbe) was arrested for growing weed and stuff in his bedroom. Waylett is also not expected to return for either final hurrahDeathly Hallows movie.

[Aw, man!]

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Robert Downey, Jr. to play Lestat??!

Apparently, a new movie based on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles books are in the works (rumor is it's The Vampire Lestat), and Robert Downey, Jr. is in talks to play Lestat de Lioncourt, the narrator for most of the books.

The Vampire Lestat is the second book in the series, and is written as Lestat's response to Interview with a Vampire, the first book. If you're kinda confused, This One will be about Tom Cruise, because the Previous One was about Brad Pitt.

Neither is in their original hair color in this picture.

As mentioned earlier, Lestat was formerly played by Tom Cruise in IwaV, while Stuart Townsend took on Lestat in Queen of the Damned. And as much as Downey Jr. can do Cocky And Brash, I'ma have to do a Rorschach and say, "No".

Between Cruise and Townsend, I've always preferred the latter (despite him not being blond), because he's just one of those guys who can never look old. Acting and movie aside, he always comes to mind when I read the books.

[The fact that he's cute didn't hurt :)]


BloodyDisgusting
also reports that Anne Rice approves of the casting rumor, and she is totally supportive of Downey Jr. being Lestat. And addressing the 'age' argument, she even goes to say (and I quote), "A twenty year old man in the 18th century is the equivalent of an older man today."

Wat.

So, is she saying that a 20-year-old man back in the 1700s is as mature as a present man in his 40's, or that a man in his 40's today has the maturity level of a 20-year-old dude from three hundred years ago?

By 'age', we mean 'appearance', not maturity. Yes, Downey Jr. is a very good actor, but unless he gets major, major plastic surgery (or they give him major, major CGI and make him look like Patrick Stewart in Wolverine *blanch*), no freaking way this is gonna work without the writers tweaking a few crucial bits of storyline.

Fun Fact: If Downey Jr. does take the job, he'll be the third actor who isn't a natural blond, to play Lestat.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Lemony Snicket sequel may be stop-motion.


Yuppers, folks. Brad Silberling has mentioned that he's still interested in a sequel (despite the first being four years ago), and that he may be using stop-motion animation for that, incorporating "incredible detail and very twisted artistry”.

Incredible detail or no, sounds like they're going cheap second time around.

Personally, I loved the first one. I would miss seeing Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. I would also miss the kids, however past puberty they are. Even bringing them back as voices wouldn't be the same.

Monday, August 10, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

*spoilers!*

I christen this movie CRASH BANG BOOM!: THE SEQUEL (check out my review of the first here).

[Rather fitting that the end credits song is Boom Boom Pow, a mediocre song that has now been programmed into my head, due to its overplay on the radio.]

I know that G.I. Joe has been getting rather shiteous reviews, but I enjoyed it. It did look video-gamey at times, but somehow I didn't find it overkill.

I must be getting mellow.

After a weapons transport mission goes wrong, its two surviving soldiers recruit themselves get recruited into the G.I. Joe unit, a subdivision of NATO, to stop the launching of the four warheads intercepted. Said warheads contain nanomites and their killswitches, without which the nanomites will eat anything and everything up, levelling cities in the process. It's a race against time against the villains, as they plan to use the warheads to decimate major cities (only four, though) around the world.

Helmed by Stephen Sommers, director of the first two unshiteous Mummy movies, expect cameos from actors of both movies. The only one missing was Oded Fehr :( But nevertheless, I got a kick out of seeing familiar faces I haven't seen in a while, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie.

[I'd like to think it's guilt on Sommers' part of producing the crappy third flick that didn't involve Egypt. IMM-HOOO-TEPPPP....]

Snake Eyes was AWESOME! He's as bad-ass as everyone says he is, but I would've preferred if his fight with Storm Shadow was longer. Plus, notice that Shadow falls INTO the ice, instead of just lying immobile and dead-like on the floor. My guess is,

HE'LL BE BACK(!!)!

8/10. If you're into summer blockbusters (like I am), it's money’s worth in the theatres (the bigger the screen, the better). Plus, I’m not a Joe fangirl, so I am pretty satisfied with the movie, and can’t bitch about any heresiesliberties taken with the characters.

I did shat a brick, though, so let that be a mild warning ^^

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Jay Chou lands Green Hornet role!

Note: This is also how Jay Chou emotes 'happy'.

MTV.com reports that Jay Chou will be replacing Stephen Chow as (sidekick) Kato in the upcoming Green Hornet remake. Other actors in the production include (titular character) Seth Rogen, (love interest) Cameron Diaz and (bad guy) Nicolas Cage.

Great.

Another excuse for his lack of facial expressions, i.e., "conflicted and brooding."

I know jack about the Green Hornet mythology (I only know Bruce Lee played Kato for a while), but as a backstory, I'll bet that his entire family or a girlfriend was massacred or something, and that he'll finally enact his revenge on the perps in the movie.