Sci-Fi Movies Friday: Captain America, The Hobbit, MIB 3, Batman 3, Superman, Avatar, Paul + more July 9, 2010
by Rosario T. Calabria , Filed under: Sci-Fi , trackback
In this week’s Sci-Fi Movies column we start off with the last set of previews for this weekend’s Predators and early buzz for next weekend’s Inception. We also have a synopsis for Simon Pegg’s alien comedy Paul, a possible director for the next Superman movie, details on Men in Black III, more trouble for The Hobbit, info on the next Mad Max and much more. Plus more, including the latest casting bites, images and videos.
GENRE MOVIE NEWS
Robert Rodriguez talks Predators sequel + more previews
"Predators" is the big movie for this weekend and producer/writer Robert Rodriguez says he’s definitely interested in developing a sequel and he believes there are several ways to go about doing it [MovieWeb]:
There are so many great ideas," Rodriguez answered. "Just following Laurence Fishburne’s character (Noland) around in a prequel would be a great movie. Just the tales he tells in this movie alone, I want to see those experiences," he teased. "That’s why I wasn’t precious even about the original script I had," Rodriguez continued. "Because once you come up with the idea of a Predator Planet, that Predators use as their hunting grounds and humans are involved somehow, the story ideas that you can come up with are so numerous that you can come up with any approach. So we already have several ideas that we can go with for a sequel. They would all be good ideas but we would probably put them together to see which one rises to the top, if we made another one," Rodriguez concluded.
The sentiment was echoed by director Nimrod Antal [The Playlist]:
"Yeah. Well, listen," Antal said. "I’m down. Are you?"
Another, taut, economic thriller that revives a once maligned franchise? Hell, why not. We asked point blank: has a sequel been discussed?
"Yes," Antal admitted. "Between Robert [Rodriguez ]and I, but no one else so far. We’ll see what happens this next weekend."
Promotional stills [more at IGN]
Interview with Robert Rodriguez discussing the character Hanzo [YouTube]
Interviews with Adrien Brody, Nimrod Antal and Robert Rodriguez [Shock Till You Drop]
Set tour [YouTube]
Early Buzz: Inception is amazing + more previews
Christophor Nolan’s latest, "Inception", hits theaters next Friday and the early buzz is pretty impressive. So far 15 reviews have been assembled at Rotten Tomatoes and each one is Fresh for a 100% rating. Here is a sampling of some of the best reviews:
"Inception is a masterpiece. Making a huge film with big ambitions, Christopher Nolan never missteps and manages to create a movie that, at times, feels like a miracle."
"With physics-defying, thunderous action, heart-wringing emotion and an astonishing performance from DiCaprio, Nolan delivers another true original: welcome to an undiscovered country."
"Inception is an exhilarating cinematic experience that suggests there is still room, even in the blockbuster world, for big ideas and dangerous emotions, and that may be the single most thrilling thing about it."
"If movies are shared dreams, then Christopher Nolan is surely one of Hollywood’s most inventive dreamers, given the evidence of his commandingly clever Inception."
"A devilishly complicated, fiendishly enjoyable sci-fi voyage across a dreamscape that is thoroughly compelling."
"Inception" hits conventional and IMAX theaters on July 16, 2010.
5 minutes of clips [YouTube]
Interview with Christopher Nolan about the films release in IMAX [ComingSoon.net]
Official plot synopsis for Simon Pegg comedy "Paul"
The official plot synopsis for Greg Mottola’s sci-fi comedy "Paul", which stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (along with Seth Rogen who voices the alien) has been released [Working Title via Arrow in the Head]:
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-travelling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Collings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.
Michael Giacchino to score Let Me In + Check out the first trailer and new poster
Oscar winner and "Star Trek" composer Michael Giacchino has been hired to compose the original score for "Let Me In". Writer/Director Matt Reeves ("Clovefield") is adaptating the project from the John Lindquists’ best-selling Swedish novel "Lat den Ratte Komme In", which was later released as the critically acclaimed film "Let the Right One In". The official synopsis is below along with a new trailer and poster (also, check out the official website at helpme.net):
"Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from KICK-ASS) stars as Abby, a secretive 12-year old girl, who moves next door to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, THE ROAD). Owen is a social outcast who is viciously bullied at school and, in his loneliness, forms a profound bond with his new neighbor. Owen can’t help noticing that Abby is like no one he has ever met before. As a string of grisly murders occupies the town, Owen has to confront the reality that this seemingly innocent girl is really a savage vampire.
LET ME IN, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (CLOVERFIELD) and produced by legendary British horror brand Hammer Films, is an astonishing coming-of-age story between a young girl and an alienated young boy unlike any other you have seen. Based on the best-selling Swedish novel LAT DEN RATTE KOMMA (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, LET ME IN takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness."
UK poster [Empire]
Movie trailer [YouTube]
WB wants Chris Columbus to direct 3D Superman for December 2012?
There’s a report that David Goyer wants to write and direct the next "Superman" film but WB is not sold on Goyer for director and are instead keen on getting Chris Columbus (’Harry Potter’, ‘Percy Jackson’) to direct. Superman Homepage [via /Film] reports that an "offer has been sent out to Chris Columbus to direct the 3D Superman reboot for December 2012":
"David Goyer really wanted to direct but nobody from either studio think he’s good in that arena," reveals the studio insider. "He’s great at coming up with story and ideas, like George Lucas. It’s his execution where he’s weak which is why people like Chris and Jonathan Nolan and Guillermo Del Toro have had the best results with his scripts."
New Men in Black III details
We’ve got a a few new details about "Men in Black III-D". The information comes courtesy JoBlo who apparently got a look at the script. First up, the site says that there will only be one main villain in the film. The character Yaz is described as "a nightmare biker who looks like Dennis Hopper and Satan," according to JoBlo:
…But it would seem it would be hard to craft a “badass hell biker” villain who is played by Flight of the Conchord’s Jemaine Clement and named after a side-effect prone brand of birth control. He’s not meant to be particularly funny and the movie is careful to describe him as oozing badassery and violence out of every pore, which makes me wonder why they’d cast Clement over someone more appropriate like Ron Perlman or Mickey Rourke.
Speaking to the time travel plot, the site says it mostly seems to work:
The time travel plot actually kind of works in the MIB universe because there’s no real need for it to make perfect sense since the tone of the series is so goofy. But this spawns a lot of stereotypical time-travel comedy moments, including the mandatory “You’ve gotta believe me!” intro where Jay tries to convince past Kay he’s from the future and obvious jokes about Jay being black in the ‘60s.
And finally, here’s a general explanation of the film’s plot:
The general idea is that Yaz travels back in time to kill Kay, which sets off a chain of events that ends in the destruction of the world. But the how and why are pretty muddled, and hopefully it’ll be easier to watch instead of read. There’s a bunch of future-seeing aliens that are central to the plot, but I never did quite understand their role in the film throughout.
Chris Evans talks Captain America costume
Chris Evans offered a few words about his costume in the upcoming Joe Johnston-directed "Captain America: The First Avenger":
"It’s an amazing costume. Given the fact that his costume is red, white and blue, and it’s tight, and it could be kind of flash and over the top – and given the fact that the movie takes place in the ‘40s and ‘50s – they’ve done a really good job of making it look really cool."
"I think everyone that’s going to see it is going to say, ‘Okay, well done. Well done. I think they got the costume right. The casting they completely ruined, but the costume they nailed!’"
Evans also discussed the shield:
"We’ve been testing a lot of shields. Last time I was in London they had six shields and I had to hold each one, see if I was comfortable with each one, see which one we all thought had the right look. The thing is pretty heavy, so I’m not sure I can throw it that far! I’ll give it my best shot, but hopefully they’ll have some sort of stunt shield when it comes to actually chucking it!"
"Captain America: The First Avenger" is scheduled to hit theaters on July 22, 2011.
Batman 3 starts shooting next April?
While at the London premiere of Christopher Nolan’s "Inception", Sir Michael Caine (Alfred) told Digital Spy that the third film will begin production in April of next year. Check out the video clip below. "Batman 3" is scheduled for release on July 20, 2012.
In related, albeit unconfirmed news, Batman on Film relays information that the film may be shot entirely in the U.K.
Mad Max: Fury Road will be shot in 3D + Two new films confirmed
Although we’ve known for some time that George Miller’s "Mad Max: Fury Road" would be released in 3D, it was never clear if it would be shot in 3D or converted in post. Until now. The Australian movie magazine Inside Film [via /Film] confirmed with a spokeperson that Miller is "working on new 3D advancements to be used during the shoot."
"We are doing 3D on Fury Road – we are shooting with real 3D cameras," Dr Miller told INSIDEFILM. "Seven years ago we were going to shoot in 3D but the technology in cinemas wasn’t geared for it then but I always loved 3D or stereo."
Also, following up on last week’s story about there being two new "Mad Max" movies, HitFix has confirmed the news with their sources.
More Hobbit delays could mean Ian McKellen is out
"Lord of the Rings" star Ian McKellen told the TVNewZealand show "Good Morning" that he expects there to be an announcement about the status of "The Hobbit" imminently, however, he says that if the film gets delayed further he may not be able to stay involved [The One Ring via Bleeding Cool]:
"Well, I’m not under contract and my time is running out, and I’m enjoying working in the theatre. And frankly, I would like to race after doing Waiting For Godot, get on with doing another play, but we’ll have to see. I don’t give the producers the impression that I’m sitting waiting."
You can watch the complete interview with McKellen in the video below (he starts talking about "The Hobbit" at around the 4:30 mark):
Sony getting new Spider-Man Andrew Garfield for a bargain: $500,000
How’s this for a bargain (in relation to what other actors in big time roles get)? Deadline New York’s Mike Fleming is reporting that new Spider-Man Andrew Garfield pay scale for the first film is just $500,000. That salary increases to $1 million for the second film and $2 million for the third:
"All of the finalists were presented with those terms in a deal for one film and two options.] I was first to tell you the 26-year-old was a finalist to play the new Spider-Man in the Marc Webb-directed 3D relaunch of Sony Picture Entertainment’s most lucrative film franchise."
"Spider-Man (in 3D)" is scheduled to hit theaters on July 3, 2012.
Avatar 3D re-release (with over 8 minutes of new footage) hitting theaters Aug. 27
20th Century Fox has officially confirmed that "Avatar" is returning to theaters (in 3D) on August 27, 2010 as an extended cut featuring over 8 minutes of new footage (the theatrical cut ran 162 minutes):
"Since – and largely as of result of – Avatar’s release last December, the number of available digital 3D screens has exploded, and moviegoers who missed experiencing the film in 3D, as well as fans that want to return to Pandora again, will now have that opportunity," the studio said in a statement.
The film wll also be re-released internationally and you can check out dates for other countries at AvatarMovie.com/Re-ReleaseDates. The highest-grossing film of all time (not adjusted for inflation), "Avatar" currently sits at $2.73 billion worldwide (with a domestic/foreign breakdown of $749.6M / $1.98 billion). Speaking of cash, director James Cameron’s will reportedly make a record-setting $350 million from the film (box office, dvd, blu-ray, etc.).
PREVIEW Videos & Images
Alien vs. Ninja
Movie trailer [YouTube via SCI FI Wire]
Conan
First official still + promotional still [Uruloki via /Film]
The Green Hornet
International movie trailer [ScreenGeek]
Green Lantern
Behind the scenes tour [ABC 26 via Bleeding Cool]
Machete
Promotional stills [/Film]
Lobby cards [Rope of Silicon]
Check out more: CHUD | Latino Review | ComingSoon.net | FirstShowing
Movie trailer [IGN]
Piranha 3D
Movie poster [FEARnet]
Real Steel
Set images (including first look at Evangeline Lilly) [more via Movies.SpoilerTV and at ComingSoon.net]
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
U.K. movie poster [Empire]
Scream 4
Set images [more at Before the Trailer, (2)]
Set video [YouTube via Shock Till You Drop]
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Movie poster [ComingSoon.net]
5-minute clip [Yahoo! Movies]
Tangled
Concept art [via /Film]
Transformers 3
Set images [more at ComingSoon.net and Premiere.FR]
Tron Legacy
Promotional stills [more at Empire]
Vampires Suck
Movie trailer [Break]
MOVIE BITES
- Previously on TrekMovie.com: JJ Abrams & Joss Whedon Doing ‘Visionaries’ Panel At San Diego Comic Con + More Thursday Trek-related Panels
- Previously on TrekMovie.com: Alicia Witt Confirms Role In Free Enterprise 2 + Rumor Control On Cameos For Stewart, Abrams and Nimoy
- "Transformers" producer Don Murphy is teaming with Michael Preger to make a feature version of Richelle Mead’s six-part novel series "Vampire Academy"… [Variety]
- …The plan is for the series is to stick fairly close to the bestselling books by Richelle Mead: "We intend to stick close to the books. They are shorter than the Twilight ones, which will make them easier to adapt," says a source close to production. [io9]
- Scholastic has incresed the print run of the third book in the "Hunger Games" series. The print run for "Mockingjay" has been increased from 750,000 copies to 1.2 million copies. [SFScope via io9]
- Jude Law has revealed that "Sherlock Holmes 2" will start shooting this October. [Empire]
- Robert Rodriguez is re-writing the script for "Sin City 2", which he says he hopes to direct: "We have a script… a rewritten script that we still have to write and it’s just finding the right time slot to do it." [MovieWeb]
- Phil Lord, co-director of the recently announced "LEGO", says "the vast majority of the film takes place in an immersive all-Lego environment." [Collider]
- The title for the M. Night Shyamalan-produced "The Night Chronicles: Devil" has been shortened to just "Devil". [BOM
- In the fuzzy math department, Warner Brothers claims that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is in the red for more than $167 million. It's a pretty remarkable claim given the film took in more than $938 million worldwide at movie theaters alone (on a budget of $150 million). [Deadline]
- Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner will each earn $25 million for the two-part "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn". That’s in addition to the 7.5% against gross revenue which could boost their cut to somewhere over $40 million each. [NYMag]
- "Fraggle Rock" director/writer Corey Edwards says that The Weinstein Company wants the film adaptation "to connect with an older, more sophisticated audience". [YBMW via /Film]
- A tweet by Edgar Wright offers a clue that the two-part "Grindhouse" feature will be released on DVD/Blu-ray: "So, get this, tomorrow I am doing a commentary on ‘Don’t’. Some of you will know what that means is finally happening." "Don’t" was a faux trailer directed by Wright that appeared in the 2007 double-feature. [Edgar Wright]
- The "Tron Legacy" soundtrack, scored by Daft Punk, will be released on November 23, 2010… [Amazon via Stitch]
- …Check out new set visit reports for the film at ComingSoon.net and /Film as well as an interview with actress Olivia Wilde at MTV.
- Contrary to earlier reports, the next "Saw" movie will still be called "Saw 3D". "The Traps Come Alive" is just a new tag line. [Shock Till You Drop]
- M. Night Shyamalan has plans to make two more ‘Last Airbender’ films and he says he has already writen a draft for the second one: "The third is more ambiguous, but the second one, I’ve written a draft that I’m really happy with and is darker and richer, and it has a wonderful antagonist in it in Azula, who’s kind of like our only real, pure antagonist in the series, so I’m excited about that." [MTV]
- "Transformers 3" has started shooting in Chicago, Illinois. [TLAMB]
- "Tron Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski says his remake of the 1979 film "The Black Hole" won’t have the same type of ending, calling the original ending "one of the trippier endings [he has] ever seen in a movie," adding "I think the approach would be a little more grounded than the original film was." [IGN]
- Skywalker sound engineers have confirmed that they’ve remixed "Star Wars" again and there are rumblings that this means the films are being prepped for another release. Whether that release is for Blu-ray or 3D is not known. [ForceCast via Bleeding Cool]
CASTING BITES
- Casting directors in New York are searching for extras to appear in "Men in Black III-D". [Open Casting Calls]
- Casting calls will be taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the week of July 12 for "Transformers 3". In addition to hiring local production workers, they’ll also cast extras. [Open Casting Calls]
- Virginia Madsen has joined the cast of Catherine Hardwicke’s "Red Riding Hood". Madsen will play the mother of Amanda Seyfried’s character. [Variety]
- Nicholas Hoult will play the role of Beast in Matthew Vaughn’s "X-Men: First Class". In related news, Caleb Landry has been confirmed to be playing the Banshee (originally reported by Latino Review)… [Deadline & ComingSoon.net]
- …Also, Lucas Till ("Battle: Los Angeles") is in negotiations to play Alexander "Alex" Summers (aka Havok), the younger brother of the X-Men’s Cyclops in "X-Men: First Class". [EW]
- …There’s also a rumor that Aaron Johnson ("Kick-Ass") will play Cyclops, although that rumor is also be debunked elsewhere… [AICN & EW]
- …And lastly, Kevin Bacon is in talks to play the villain role in the film although it’s unknown who the villain will be. [Deadline New York]
- Mary McDonnell ("Battlestar Galactica") and Alison Brie have joined the cast of Wes Craven’s "Scream 4"… [The Wrap]
- …Also, Roger L. Jackson, who voiced the killer in the "Scream" trilogy, will return to voice the character in the sequel: "It’s a lot of fun, I love the work! It’s going to be a great horror sequel". [Wednesday's Korner via Cinema Blend]
MISC Videos & Images
Batman
Original 1940 sketch of The Joker by artist Jerry Robinson [LA Times' Hero Complex Blog]
Firefly / Serenity
Trailer #3 for fan-made movie "Browncoats: Redemption" [YouTube]
Predator
Original movie told through Rap by DJ MaYhem & Mouthmaster Murf [Break via io9]
Star Wars
Toy Wars [YouTube via Topless Robot]
Wonder Woman
Shawna Trpcic’s designs for Diana / Wonder Woman (commissioned by Joss Whedon) [Bleeding Cool]
Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.
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Comments»
Toy Wars looks pretty good. Can’t wait for the Blu-Ray Special Edition.
Can they screw up things any further with “The Hobbit”?
They’ll have a gold mine with this, and nobody can get their act together to make it work.
Pathetic.
Oh, thank you for another great round-up, Rosario!
chris columbus directing superman? No thanks, get a better director, period. Superman needs to be done right, Columbus will do a pedestrian attempt ’cause thats the best he can do.
Saw the original Let the Right One In, I don’t feel the remake will be as good.
Chris Columbus is not right for Superman. He did a good job on the first Harry Potter but I associate him more with films like Mrs Doubtfire.
Mrs Doubtfire is a great film but to me that fits Columbus’ style more than Superman.
*sigh* Yet another vampire movie? Zzzzzzzzz…..
I am looking forward to both “Scott Pilgrim” and “Paul”. I am a huge fan of anything Pegg, Frost, and Wright do. “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” are two of my favourite films. They are pop culture geeks and are funny as well.
Nooooooooo, not more Avatar. I dealt with enough working through it for its first release, now I have to go through a second?
Looking forward to Batman 3!!!
thanks for all the info i look forward to this each week
6 – Snoring right there with you on that one.
This low budget new Spider-Man is just a ploy to keep the movie rights from reverting from Sony to Marvel Entertainment. All they have to do is crank out a new movie as cheaply as possible, maybe even killing the franchise, to prevent Marvel from taking it over.
So the new Superman reboot will be aimed primarily at children then?
Bring back Bryan Singer. Or better yet, see what Dick Donner is doing these days.
Chris Columbus doing Superman? So, it’s set at Christmas time and Superman keeps flying into lawn fixtures, smashing them. Got it.
It will be a damn shame if delays on The Hobbit cost us Ian McKellan’s participation.
Spider-Teen looks more and more like a studio slop-pile than a good idea. Oh, it’s 3-D. Oh, the lead actor is cheap. Oh, it’s about TEENAGERS, because no other group of humans count! Raimi’s films (even the overblown #3) will play for decades. This coming effort will likely be forgotten in a week.
Sorry, not impressed by Toy Wars. I’d die if I had to watch the whole shot-for-shot remake. No voice over? No creative addition or parody?? Why?
I’d love to see a really cool (and hot) Wonder Woman movie. Who does everyone think they should cast?
Chris Columbus is a total lightweight of a director himself. He goes through the processes but has no real magic to add to anything he directs.
He was fine for the first two Harry Potter films but no way he could have taken the franchise into darker areas.
If Columbus directs i would expect the next superman to be pretty pedestrian, yawn.
Ok how about Tarantino directs the next superman. With a Nolan script it could be gold.
@4 apology to you, I had not read your comment when i wrote pedestrian.
Well, I hope they don’t go the Tim Burton direction for Superman. Just looking at those concept pictures, had that movie actually been *made,* Burton would have ended up getting more “you raped my childhood!” rap than George Lucas.
Chris Columbus looks like a bad idea. His style wouldn’t work.
Quentin Tarantino diong Supes? I don’t think so!
I thought Christopher Nolan had got a Superman story going. Or maybe he has one, but the studeo is going in this direction. And whats going on with the Hobbit just stinks. :[
I know it’s a long shot, but I think Spielberg is really the only one who could properly nail the Superman mythos and spirit–well, maybe the Spielberg with the rose-colored lens in his camera from twenty-five years ago. Lately his films have been either dark (War of the Worlds, Munich) or just plain lackluster (Crystal Skull). Here’s hoping some day he’ll return to his “happy place.” But I’m not holding my breath…
Oh, and I just saw Predators. Not worth the eight bucks in my opinion. Too many homages from the original. Uneven pacing. And the ending, well, words can’t express the complete nonsense of it all.
Chris Columbus….. big mistake.
Nolan or Robert Rodriguez
Is Hollywood so limited in it’s business acumen and vision that it can’t properly relaunch the Superman franchise?
I hate stupidity! Especially when displayed in people in a position of so called authority! Idiots!
Hobbit: What I’m hoping, honestly, is that McKellan is making hurry-up noises as a tactic to help things accelerate.
Tron Legacy: Starting to feel potential flashes of excited hope. The original movie, frankly, was impressive more in concept than in execution, so they should be able to provide, at a walk, a sequel that kick’s the original’s butt. So, I offer faint hope that they won’t f**k it up beyond recognition. The main thing to live up to will be the bizarre sense of wonder of the in-system fantasy world. If they make it pure sexy-flashy and don’t remember to keep it a bit inexplicable and bizarre, they’ll miss the mark.
Avatar Re-Release: If the re-release is strictly for the 3D screens I’ll give it a miss; the 3D was impressive but I preferred the 2D version, really. Wouldn’t mind seeing the 2D on the big screen again, though.
Sorcerer’s Apprentice: The trailers and previews seem almost purposely designed to give the impression that the film may be the _special_ kind of forgettable, the kind where you walk out of the theater and … and … I forgot what I was talking about. Oh well. Can’t have been very important.
I had been slightly cautiously optimistic with Nolan involved with Superman, but Chris Columbus is a bad idea. But DO NOT bring back Bryan Singer and Spielberg, while nowhere near as bad as Lucas, is not the director he once was. Superman is not looking good right now.
And neither is The Hobbit; it is looking less and less likely. And if Ian McKellen is not in it, what would be the point?
24 – “Hobbit: What I’m hoping, honestly, is that McKellan is making hurry-up noises as a tactic to help things accelerate.”
I’m sure if they wave enough dough under his prosthetic snoot, he’ll stop “Waiting for Godot” and “Go! Go! Gandalf!”
im with the rest of ya-columbus is ok but better at scripts n stories-richard donner should be the only directors choice for superman–hes made the only good supes movies
21
While not as good as the original I still enjoyed it. A few probs and some things are rushed
Much better than AVP.
13)
Bring back Bryan Singer?
Are you kidding? (LOL)
Singer’s Superman was only 4 years ago and the fact that it was so bad is the entire reason they want to do a reboot it in the first place.
Donner’s BRILLIANT version stood untouched for 28 years.
:)
BTW Nolan is great!
#29 – wrong: it is scheduling. Superman Returns made money.
It wasn’t bad either.
31
If it is scheduling as Simon says ;) then why the reboot?
Why not just continue where Singer left off?
Superman Returns made money was because it was SUPERMAN, and Singer did a great job with the two X-men movies which created genuine anticipation from the movie goer. Not to mention seeing Supes with modern effects was also enticing.
It still doesn’t hold a candle to Donner’s version IMO.
:)
The X-Men films were overrated. Superman Returns was pleasant, but little more than a rehash of Donner’s film(s). It was a sweet tribute to Christopher Reeve and his films, but it was nostalgic and backward-looking. Superman, as a comicbook character, was completely overhauled in the 1980s and Singer’s film was more like the 1970s deity incarnation. Also Singer and his team failed to recognise that Superman is the opposite of Batman. Bruce Wayne is a a disguise Batman wears in the real world, while Clark Kent wears the cape to cover up that, for all his alien ancestry, he’s a small-town farm boy! Clark Kent is ignored for the most part in Returns. I just don’t think Singer is all that great. Certainly he’s not anywhere close to the likes of Chirstopher Nolan!!
I hope MGM will just hurry up and die. Maybe then we can get The Hobbit and a rebooted James Bond out inside the next five years! Sadly, it might mean we end up with a complete recasting of The Hobbit, but at least some talented people can still make a good film! I think it’s unlikely we’ll see another Daniel Craig Bond, but with a little luck, we’ll see an adaptation of Jeffery Deaver’s new book, which is going to be the biggest overhaul Bond has ever received!
Is Machete for real?
I’m envious of the batman franchise. They got an awesome team to reboot and run its course for 3 movies. Just wish Star Trek could have got the origin-story it deserved, set in the prime-timeline.
@ 34 (Captain Conrad)
Yes, lol. Machete is real.
#31 Singerman Returns was embarrassing for Superman fans. I’ll take Smallville’s version of a modern Superman any day over Singerman Returns.
I’m thinking the title for the new Conan film will be
Conan: In the Land of the Buffalo
Thank you #35
I am so ready for Inception, it’s not even funny.
It’s like Chris Nolan said, “Let’s take all of this guy’s favorite actors and make a better movie than The Dark Knight.”
Seriously, I am going to be in line for IMAX next Thursday at around 9.
@ 37 Im thinking of another title for the Conan film..
Conan: Flop
28
I agree with you about AVP. While Predators was a disappointment for me, I do hope it can serve as launchpad for more Pred films. Just have RR hire some decent writers and the franchise will be back on the right track. Oh, and no Aliens. Sorry, but they had their chance. Two films set on Earth! Give me a break. Why they didn’t set it on a different planet with the Colonial Marines like in the video games I’ll never know.
#33
Don’t you have that backwards? The cape isn’t the costume, it’s Clark Kent that’s the costume.
Also, there’s no way in hell we won’t have another Daniel Craig Bond. His 2 pictures were incredibly profitable despite MGM’s poor state of affairs. Another studio would be foolish not to swoop in and pick up the rights to Bond.
I think its about time they buried the “Aliens”, “Predator” and “Alien Versus Predator” franchises. They’ve had their day, which was a long, long time ago. There isn’t much else they can do, apart from remaking the classic films( first two “Alien” movies, first “Predator”) which would be a stupid idea anyway.
And I’m not sure Superman is all that relevent right now. I think he is outdated. A reinvention of the character might be a good idea. But the fanboys will cry foul if that ever happened.
43
They’ve pretty much already remade Predator. It’s called “Predators.” Really, there were so many nods to the original it must’ve been written and directed by a bobblehead!
#44
I thought about seeing the movie, but after reading and hearing the reviews I think I’ll pass. Thanks for the warning!
45
Your welcome. I only wish someone had warned me.
Don’t get me wrong about Predators, though. If you’re ever up at 3am and can’t sleep, it would make the perfect late night movie on FX or SyFy.
Machete was a coming attractions clip shown in the grindhouse movies-a wayyy over the top spoof–guess they decided to make it for real—but no its not serious–its a grindhouse movie but it is seriously a real movie hah hah-i hope it has cheech in it playing the violent priest like in the coming attractions spoof
The Vampires sucks movie seems kinda pointless, I mean I think that the real movies are lame enough to not need a spoof. And Transformers 3, yeah I’ll pass on that, I still want the 3 hours of my life back that 2 wasted.
42 Sean.
Nope. To me, Clark Kent is small town boy who puts on a cape and saves the world. His cunning trick is that by not wearing a mask, people assume Superman doesn’t have a secret identity.
Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, is a disguise for Batman.
Superman Returns pretty much ignored Clark Kent, which just proved Singer didn’t get it!
42. Sean
The reason I don’t think Daniel Craig will return as Bond is that it’s likely to be so long before the next film gets released – realistically, it’ll probably be five years, by which time Daniel Craig will be too old and, as he’s a very good actor, he’ll be too busy elsewhere. And let’s not forget that Babs and Mikey are not as young as they were.
Bond will definitely return, hopefully under the auspices of Sony or Warner Bros, but another relaunch with a new actor would seem inevitable at that point. And common sense says that a relaunch novel by a big-name thriller writer like Jeffery Deaver that will completely bring the literary Bond into the present day will be the obvious thing to adapt for the first new film in half a decade.
Just saw Predators yesterday!!! AMAZING!! Perfect sequel to the original with many tips-of-the-hat/homages to the beloved ‘87 classic, and ALIENS as well!!! Hard to believe they did it for $40mil! Let me tell you every penny is on the screen! Loved it!!! Great scene with Hanzo at the end (the Yakuza member) reminiscent of Billy!! So many references to the original, I feel I was the only viewer in on the practical joke! And superb soundtrack mixing in all the classic cues from Silvestri!!!!
David Goyer is a talented, remarkable writer, but Blade:Trinity was awful!!!! Nuff said…
M. Night is a genius! I LOVED each film! Thought Unbreakable was outstanding, and I may be the only person in North America who was amazed at Lady in the Water!!! I thought it was poignant and touching! Also loved The Village, and eagerly await its Blu-Ray release!!!! I really got sucked into the world of The Village, and remember not wanting the movie to end! I was very disappointed with The Happening though, and have no interest in The Last Airbender especially given all its poor reviews! I will see Devil, and maybe Night shouldn’t change his art to meet studio pressures. Keep it real Night!
Comical paying SpiderMan unknown a laughing 500,000 for a film expected to gross 10x that amount. The real reason Sony nixed Raimi/Maguire sequel?? The almighty $$$$! Cheaper to reboot nowadays with unknown talent! Whatever. My money’s on The Avengers, Thor, Cap, Bats, Transformers, Trek II/2, and Inception! Screw Sony!
#49
I tend to agree with David Carradine’s assessment in Kill Bill 2. Clark Kent is the mask. It’s how Superman perceives the human race. As he points out, that cape isn’t a costume, those are his actual clothes. I never found Clark Kent to be a particularly compelling character, so his absence didn’t really put me off. I still think Singer could have made a fabulous sequel, but that ship has obviously sailed.
#50
Possibly, but I think it would make more financial sense for someone to ’save’ the current production. Why scrap it when half the work’s been done for you? To replace a willing-and-able Bond that’s popular with the public and a proven box office draw with yet another reset would also seem self-defeating. Not that you can’t do it in Bond, obviously that’s built-in to the storyline like Doctor Who, but I think people were just settling in with Craig and I for one think it would be a shame to lose him now.
52. Hi Sean.
Yeah, I guess it’s perception. I always saw Superman as being about Clark Kent. I very much felt that with Christopher Reeve’s performance.
As for Bond, I suspect that trying to reactivate the existing project will now be almost as expensive as amounting a new one. Peter Morgan, Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig have all moved on to bigger and better things, MGM is treading water with more and more leaks springing, so the project is pretty much dead. Until MGM finally gives up the ghost, the likes of the Bond saga are just going to sit there.
I felt pretty much the same about the Dalton films. I really liked them but Dalton’s era was killed by litigation. Like I say, even if it’s only another three years until Bond returns, that’ll be five years since Quantum of Solace. Given Daniel Craig has never made any secret of his intention only to do three films, it would make more sense for the series’ new owners to do something new that will be setting up the franchise for several more films than to wrap up someone else’s series belatedly, then have to relaunch with a new Bond next time anyway.
Believe me, I’m loathe to quote any Tarantino film, but I just happened to agree with that assessment. I liked Reeves too, but I always thought there was something of a relief in his Superman when he could finally drop the Clark Kent persona.
RE: Bond, you’re probably right, but I still think it’s a waste. I would have liked to have seen Craig at least once more, to sort of wrap up the story of his transformation into Bond.
Richard Donner made TWO — count em — TWO Superman films and they were GREAT!
You can’t compare those to Superman Returns. Donner’s films cast had CHEMISTRY and his films had some humour and respected the whole mythos.
Singer’s SR, was visually great…and Routh was good as Superman but there was NO chemistry between Routh and Bosworth (Lois). The story was bad and it actually helped undermine the characters and the chemistry by establishing a schism between Lois and Superman from the beginning. THAT, and the kid nonsense is what killed Superman Returns.
A fun and modern Superman movie CAN be made by the right director with the right cast, the right villain and the right story. I’m against a reboot though. We don’t need to see the origin again — unless it’s in flashbacks.
Right now, from what can tell — they have NONE of those things.
Why not just ask Richard Donner back to direct? He’s still a great director and he UNDERSTANDS the material!
This isn’t rocket science!
Don’t need a full Superman reboot… who doesn’t know the origin!!. Just pick up where Smallville is gonna leave off. It is scheduled to end soon. It has to end with Clark donning the full costume…. that would leave right into the movie. Bonus is the other DC characters that were already established (JLA, Legion, etc…)
I’m with Dom regarding Superman, though I think they’re more accurately halves of a whole. Superman wouldn’t be the hero he is without having grown up as Clark Kent.
Now I hope Dom doesn’t regret my siding with him when I say I’d love to see Brad Bird direct the next Superman film! :-)
Scott B. out.
#56 — I’ve always thought the Superman film franchise should have been progressing towards a JLA or Legion film…or even a Brave and The Bold type film.
Were I in charge of the franchise, I would insist the films evolve towards that — culminating with a film based loosely on Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Talk about epic.
yeh i think reeves in the 2 donner movies portrayed clark as very realistic 3 dimensional–he was so human–kinda shy n bumbling–almost the only clark kent to really seem different from superman–basically the only one that made kent into a different person or character from supes—lookit lois n clark for instance-clark was just as heroic as superman–smallville the same–smallville shows the depth of clark growing up on the farm with adopted parents influence–interesting plot thread that jorels fortress training is different from clarks code of ethics-clark is too human not detached enuff from the humans-donner should direct-i dunno bout jla or legion crossovers–it would up action and take away from characters depths due to lack of time–that works better in series–
I saw Predators the other day and it is just alright. No big surprises, kind of humdrum, and you can see stuff coming a mile away… not imaginative enough despite being a solid effort. A prequel? Uh, no, Robert, you need to turn it over to fresh talent.
I definitely am anticipating Inception, just skimming past that info because I already know I want to see it. Same thing with TRON…
You know that Vampires Suck thing has all the best bits in the trailer; see it and you are good, most likely.
I’m definitely passing on ANY remakes in the theater… dubbed originals are good enough for me.
54. Sean
Bear in mind though that the dopey act that Clark used when in Metropolis wasn’t Clark. The real Clark is the guy who doesn’t wear the glasses and hangs out at his parents’ farm. When you look at the brilliantly subtle change in posture Christopher Reeve used in his films to switch between personae I always saw that as him simply becoming the real Clark.
I think that after years of dealing with Batman who is an outrightly psychologically disturbed human being, people tend to forget that Clark is much more simple. He doesn’t have Batman’s hangups. He really is just a farm boy who puts on a cape to do good. Yeah, he acts a bit dopey in the news room to throw people off the scent, but there’s no real duality there.
What I disliked about Singer’s version is that he went for a messianic portrayal with Superman being some kind of deity. And to me that’s a crucial misreading of the character.
To be fair, Donner created the messianic portrayal. He planted that seed in his films, and a lot of that dialogue came from the discarded Donner footage for Superman II. Plus it’s built-in to the character. Really, what superhero is more messianic than Superman?
I think Superman Returns biggest flaw was Bosworth, who just couldn’t sell her version of Lois Lane. If anything, Spacey was a genuinely disturbing and scary Lex Luthor, far more so than Hackman (who I love but was subpar in comparison). And I don’t mean to pick on the ladies, but Parker Posey was just a more wishy-washy version of Miss Tessmacher. I think everyone loves to blame the kid, but he’s hardly in the picture long enough to blame for its failure. I think, if anything, Singer just clinged a bit too desperately to Donner and ended up essentially repeating the first Superman plot.
I still like Superman Returns, because I feel it tried to go beyond the typical superhero film formula. I admire it for what it tried to do, even if it didn’t quite get there. It’s the same reason I like Ang Lee’s Hulk a lot more than Norton’s Hulk.
Sean, you make some excellent points. I just found the tired old storyline of Luthor wanting land to be the downfall of the movie. When they reboot it I hope they bring in Brainiac! They probably won’t use Brandon Routh again, which is too bad because I think he did a remarkable job!
62. Hi Sean
You see, I don’t agree about Donner’s approach being messianic. I think the Fortress of Solitude with all it’s grandiosity is neatly undercut by the earthiness of Clark’s Smallville home. On one hand you have Jor-El, who is pompous and godlike, but Clark’s views and morality come from Ma and Pa Kent. Indeed, it’s his ingrained humanity that leads to Clark becoming human in S2 and turn his back on his Kryptonian background. Ultimately he’s forced to become Superman again to stop Zod. And because of his human decency, he has to give up Lois. So far from being a messiah, I see Donner’s Superman as very human, unlike Singer’s film which is a remake of Donner’s film with a messianic obsession!
Then again, I prefer Norton’s (sadly single) appearance as the Hulk! ;)
That’s still rather messianic – superbeing gives up favored status, makes ultimate sacrifice to protect humanity. The only real difference is that Donner made it a subtext while Singer was a bit heavy handed about it.
And I disagree about S2. I can’t recall Ma or Pa Kent even being referenced. Pompous or godlike as Jor-El may have seemed, he’s the one telling Clark, look, you’re here for a reason and you’re going to regret this. He warns him that there are consequences to what he’s going to do, and Clark only realizes that after he’s done it. He’s basically asking Jor-El to take the burden of Superman from him, and hello, here we are with yet another messianic tie-in. In fact, now that I think about it S2 probably has more of them than S1.
Then again, it probably has to do with how you view Jesus (outside of a religious context, I have no desire to go there!) as a person or a character.
With regard to the Hulk, I just found that Norton took the most obvious, comic book-y approach. Many of the actors in the movie felt like bargain versions of the Ang Lee actors (Liv Tyler vs Jennifer Connolly, for example). I figure someone must have agreed with me, as Norton isn’t being asked back for the sequel or the Avengers movie. Though he may end up lucky, as I think that Avengers movie is a really dumb idea, but that’s an entirely different issue.
#63
I agree Harry, I think that’s where it went south was in rehashing that plot. Hopefully the new one is good, I have a fair amount of confidence in Christopher Nolan.
66
Yes, but Routh leaves some rather big red boots to fill! Supes is NOT an easy role to play!
#67
Harry,
I agree. But as great as Brandon Routh was, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, will top Christopher Reeve. He defined Superman while he was playing him and definitely after his accident, when he displayed true courage in the face of adversity.
65. sean
I think Norton’s being ditched from The Avengers is more to do with Marvel messing up his and the director’s final cut of The Incredible Hulk, then screwing him out of a writer’s credit, even though he completely rewrote the screenplay. Because the original screenplay’s structure was left intact and Norton’s additional material was cut, he lost his credit. Norton refused to do the publicity for the film as a result!
Norton is notoriously difficult to work with, but when he’s on fire, as in American History X, where he kicked out the director and continued making the film himself, he’s unbeatable.
As it stands, I think the Avengers movie is headed for disaster. Marvel’s attempt at creating its own universe now has three Bruce Banners and two Rhodeys. Also, their finances are in a mess and they keep trying to slash budgets and short-change their actors and directors.
Then they’ve hired an inadequate, inexperienced feature director to make the film because he’s cheap. I liked Firefly, Buffy and Angel very much and a Whedon-written and -directed episode was always an event, but Serenity was a glorified TV movie, overhyped by that bunch of weirdos who act like a bunch of 16-year-old schoolgirls at the height of Beetlemania at the mere mention of his name.
Joss Whedon, with no track record of success as a feature film director (not to mention precious little as a feature film screenplay writer) and whose best work is from writing and directing some very good television episodes, is being put in charge of a film that will require him to deal some major actors, special FX and the pointless, hopefully-soon-to-die, 3D technology.
Colour me dubious. I think Marvel have peaked for the moment and they’ll be on a downward spiral by the time The Avengers shows up, if indeed it happens at all.
Anyway, Ed Norton’s ousting is probably the final guarantee I won’t be watching it in the cinema (Oh wait! I can’t see 3D, so screw going altogether!)
# 21:
agreed. predators was horrific. a total ripoff of the original. way too many nods to the first movie but done in ridiculous ways. it was not a proper sequel as it did not add anything new to the franchise or offer any new approach as alien 3 did as a serious departure from aliens.
the only redeeming part was lawrence fishburne’s five minutes of screen time. exploring his character in a prequel is absurd – that wouldn’t even be necessary if they hadn’t killed him off in five minutes! just when i thought the movie was starting to get good. he was the only cast member who could act besides brody. the yakuza taking his shirt off and fighting with the sword at the end was such a pathetic nod to the first movie i started laughing.
Talking about AIR BENDER. Bought some toys at McDonalds and as each comes with a card. Inside the toy fan was the Kadashi Warriors, They are not in the first book/movie. Maybe future film(s) or portions of same have been shot??