[Review] Deadpool
Superhero fatigue: It's a very real thing, especially at the beginning of a year in which we'll see Deadpool, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, and Doctor Strange representing the superhero film genre. By now, we've grown tired of the standard Marvel formula, as showcased by the less-than-stellar reviews of Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron last year. However, Fox has done their best to change not only our expectations of the genre, but for the film itself, as seen by the tone-perfect marketing campaign.
Can Deadpool rise up to the challenge with maximum effort?
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Deadpool
Director: Tim Miller
Rating: R
Release Date: February 12, 2016
Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), as we come to find out, is a merc-for-hire specializing in defending girls from their stalkers thanks to his experience in the Special Forces. His best friend, Weasel (T.J. Miller), is a bartender and proprietor of extracurricular activities at his bar where many of the other mercs and vigilantes find their next missions, and his girlfriend, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), is just as twisted as Wade is. However, he's soon afflicted with terminal cancer, making him a target of an underground lab that experiments on triggering mutant powers within humans, led by mutant Ajax (Ed Skrein) and his bodyguard, Angel Dust (Gina Carano)... you get where I'm going with this.
However, where Deadpool differs from other superhero origin films is its approach at its plot chronology. To a certain point, Deadpool tells its story in a non-linear way, allowing its storytelling to match the setting of a comic book that specializes in breaking the fourth wall and playing with its audience/readers. Undressing the film of its non-linear approach, however, reveals the standard revenge plot... but honestly, is the plot really what we're watching Deadpool?
Absolutely not. Finally, we're given a mainstream Hollywood comic book adaptation that truly allows the source material to be faithfully represented on the silver screen. Deadpool, as he's become to be known currently, is the anti-hero that fully embraces his existence within the confines of a comic book, allowing the writing to go in interesting ways... ways in which the standard mainstream superhero book wouldn't. Thusly, the comic book fandom embraces Deadpool as one of their own, someone who is a total badass that doesn't settle for the standard or takes himself seriously... as you'll see from the film's very first second.
Championing the character, and this film's sole existence, is Ryan Reynolds, who was destined to don the red and black in a way that does the role justice, not the poor excuse that was Deadpool's now non-canon debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. As he's said in recent interviews, Reynolds doesn't want to play another superhero character because of his organic connection to the role that highlights and accentuates the actor's strengths. Sprinkled in are the X-Men Colossus, voiced by newcomer Stefan Kapicic, and X-Men trainee Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), who serve no real purpose beyond connecting Deadpool with Fox's ramshackle universe. Further confusion sets in when you attempt to make sense of the Fox/Marvel universe and where Deadpool fits in the timeline alongside X-Men: Days of Future Past and this year's aforementioned X-Men: Apocalypse, so do yourself a favor and just take Deadpool for what it's worth.
And its worth is a near-perfect film adaptation of a fan favorite comic book that will meet audience's expectations... and then some. I'll go so far as to say it'll be equitable in its box office returns in comparison to the projected blockbusters Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad, thanks to its dedication to its source material, Reynolds' perfect portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth, and a full embracement of the R-rating that will make all superhero film fans forever curious of what it would be like to see Wolverine truly draw blood. Don't get it twisted: this may be a Marvel adaptation, but it definitely isn't meant for kids.
Deadpool is everything we wanted it to be since it was officially announced... beyond the predictable plot and shoddy placement within the larger X-Men/Fantastic Four universe Fox has attempted to create. Much like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Robert Downey, Jr's Iron Man, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool is the perfect casting for a role that's destined to be franchised around. Deadpool sets the bar extremely high for its superhero brethren this year, and it'll be entertaining to see just how each film compares to this instant classic.
[Review] The Martian
Space has been the "final frontier" for decades, yet it's only been in recent years where a steady in flux of space-centric films have been able to find the critical and commercial success that their B-movie forefathers only dreamed about. Following in line with similar films like 2013's Gravity and 2014's Interstellar comes Ridley Scott's most recent foray into the stars: The Martian. Adapted by the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, The Martian features an exceptionally talented ensemble cast, a strong performance by Matt Damon, and perhaps director Ridley Scott's return to grace following the cold reception he's received for his latest films.
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The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: October 2, 2015
Halfway through a manned mission to Mars, a storm hits that causes the crew of Ares III to immediately evacuate. However, a crew member, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), is believed dead after a piece of equipment struck and concealed him from the rest of the crew. As NASA delivers the untimely message to the entire country, it's soon discovered that Watney survived the storm as he must rely on his wits and scientific knowledge to survive the next three years before the next manned mission to Mars takes place. Soon enough, Watney's movements are detected by NASA, who must then decide how to present the discovery to the media (after initially declaring him dead), as well as conceive of a successful rescue mission, despite the odds.
While the main attraction to The Martian will be Damon's great performance (and rightfully so), the film wouldn't have been as successful or entertaining as it is without its ensemble cast that includes such actors as Jessica Chastain (Interstellar), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Z for Zachariah), Jeff Daniels (Looper), Michael Peña (Ant-Man), Kate Mara (Fantastic Four), Sebastian Stan (Captain America: Civil War), and a surprise (and fun!) role by Donald Glover (Community). Buoying the main plot of bringing Watney home comes a more substantial one in which NASA must circumvent the political/business trappings of the organization and their genuine interest in saving Watney's life, allowing the main plot an added sense of grounded context that allows audiences to further empathize with the characters.
Whereas Gravity lacked the supporting cast and direct narrative and Interstellar lost viewers with a convoluted and confusing plot, The Martian takes the best from the preceding films and fills in what each lacked. Furthermore, Damon's Watley is at times awe-inspiring with his knowledge and never-fail attitude, yet still relatable to audiences with his charm and sophomoric (re: endearing) humor. In short, if you felt Gravity and Interstellar were good films that lacked that certain something, The Martian could be what you've been waiting for.
Those worried that Scott lost his magic following the lacking Prometheus, The Counselor, and Exodus: Gods and Kings should find solace knowing that Scott's back on the right track. The Martian possesses a story deep enough for thinkers to enjoy and casual viewers to understand, a stellar cast that gets the right amount of time for their talents/characters to shine, and a great lead performance by Damon. Make sure you catch The Martian as soon as you can.
James Wan Rumored to Produce Mortal Kombat Film Reboot
My roommate and I have been obsessed with Mortal Kombat X since its release this past April, and while we've been taking breaks recently to play Rocket League, our hearts lie in the hands of Sub Zero and the rest of the MK squad. Apparently, we're not the only ones obsessed with disemboweling our opponents as Mortal Kombat X is currently the best-selling game of the year.
However, as a 25-year-old franchise, we've been down the road of Mortal Kombat propaganda, including the animated series, the films, and the online series to middling success. Yet, we're in a new age of Hollywood reboots and adaptations that can actually treat the source material with enough reverence and a decent budget to carry the name along. We've seen Mortal Kombat on the big screen already, but imagine a new vision with modern technology...
New Line Cinema is reportedly in talks with Furious 7 director James Wan to produce a new Mortal Kombat reboot with "darker, brutally real martial arts" with a story that departs from the confusing plot that's plagued the games in recent installments. Instantly, The Raid comes to mind, and my expectations might be set way too high to have Iko Uwais star in the film (or at the very least, set the choreography).
Whatever the case may be, I'm excited to see how this new Mortal Kombat film will play out.
[via IGN]
Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese Reunite for The Devil in the White City
There aren't many guarantees in Hollywood, but the duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese has proven their successful longevity over the years. Now, the The Wolf of Wall Street duo will reunite for a new thriller based on a true story.
DiCaprio and Scorsese's next joint project will be The Devil in the White City, a film adaptation of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America about America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, and the purported 27-200 people he killed during the 1893 Chicago World Fair. DiCaprio will depict Holmes based on a script written by Billy Ray (Captain Philips).
While the film won't begin production for awhile, you can read the book's synopsis below:
Not long after Jack the Ripper haunted the ill-lit streets of 1888 London, H.H. Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) dispatched somewhere between 27 and 200 people, mostly single young women, in the churning new metropolis of Chicago; many of the murders occurred during (and exploited) the city’s finest moment, the World’s Fair of 1893. Larson’s breathtaking new history is a novelistic yet wholly factual account of the fair and the mass murderer who lurked within it.
[via Collider]
[Review] Fantastic Four
The name Fantastic Four suggests a certain joie de vivre, a delight in its own comic book silliness. When Marvel's first family were translated to the big screen by Tim Story in 2005, and again for a 2007 sequel, that lightness of touch unfortunately slipped into kitschy smugness, with the excessive focus on camp humour sucking the characters dry of believeable humanity. As oversaturated as the blockbuster movie scene has become with reboots and reimaginings, Fantastic Four presented a worthwhile opportunity for Fox to do right by the characters with the same balance of wit and sincerity which made Joss Whedon's first attempt at The Avengers such a rousing success.
Unfortunately, the studio decided that rather than going for a balanced approach, they would instead push to the opposite extreme, banishing all joy and warmth in favour of something closer in tone to Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. It doesn't take much of a comic book fan to point out that Batman and Fantastic Four couldn't really have much less in common, unless one were to look back to the Bat's loopy silver age incarnation at a stretch (no pun intended, Mister Fantastic). Consequently, this latest Fantastic Four is a movie perpetually at war with itself, unable to reconcile the fun suggested by its title and its characters with the miserable tone the writers inflict upon them.
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Fantastic Four
Director: Josh Trank
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 7th, 2015
The movie is an origin story to the extent that few movies have been origin stories before. Tim Story's 2005 version pushed through the core character dynamics and roots of the Four's powers in about twenty minutes before starting towards the main smackdown with Doctor Doom. Trank's version dedicates virtually the entire movie to setting the stage for how the characters get their powers and eventually come to terms with them, leaving the ultimate showdown - more or less the only real action sequence - squished into what amounts to little more than ten minutes at the end. In fact, Toby Kebbell's Victor probably gets no more than fifteen minutes' total screentime, with his introduction every bit as rushed as his exit. Considering Doom is supposed to be one of Marvel's most fearsome and complex villains, we're offered little sense of the character beyond a dash of petulance and hints at unrequited feelings for Kate Mara's Sue. Of such meagre ingredients are great supervillains not made.
What we're left with for the remaining 80-odd minutes is a tedious and mostly plotless trawl through a series of events telegraphed so blatantly that even those not spoilt by the trailer or arriving with any knowledge of the comics will have a clear idea where it's heading. It might have worked as a character piece had the characters been given any greater definition than the cursory outlines on show. Reed Richards is the clever one. Johnny Storm is, boom boom, the hotheaded rebel. Sue is, um, a less brilliant version of Reed, with a weird fascination with musical patterns that exists for no other reason than to give her a single, lazily-written scene she can call her own around the midpoint. Ben is Reed's best friend and a bit angsty. Only Reed and Ben give off the faintest sense of humanity, mostly because the movie gives their friendship a little backstory. As for Reed and Sue, they spend what little time they have together making snide comments and being annoyed with each other... so maybe a perfect set-up for a married couple after all.
The script offers nothing to the reasonably talented cast, who flounder trying to create any semblance of chemistry. This is in no small part down to them spending so little time together as a foursome, to the extent that there's little reason to believe Ben has even met Sue until the very end. The familial relationship between the Four is often cited as what makes their superhero team different from others, yet the movie goes to great lengths to keep them apart. Ben departs the story once Reed joins the Baxter foundation, only returning when Reed drunk dials him (not joking) to come along with him, Johnny and Victor on an unsanctioned first journey in their pan-dimensional travel machine, leaving Sue behind. When they return, Victor abandoned, the four are segregated all the way through to the climax, at which point Reed starts talking about the importance of working together even though, as far as viewers are concerned, it seems as though they barely know each other.
The first half of the movie is significantly better than the second - a glimpse of an N64 controller is maybe the highlight of the entire thing - at least feeling as though it is building towards something even if it's patently obvious what that something is. Everything thereafter descends into a disorganised shambles, hitting one or two solid grace notes - an emphasis on the horror of each character's condition is well-played, and Doom's first demonstration of his vaguely defined powers is appreciably nasty, even if the movie has to subsequently forget them to stop him winning too easily - but otherwise spending a lot of time on entirely disposable training montages and grumbles about distrustful governments before hurrying the finale. The CGI is uniformly abysmal, particularly when it comes to Johnny's weightless human torch mode (which seems to cast little to no light or heat in several instances), Doom's melted action figure excuse for a face mask and the Thing, trouserless and dickless throughout, barely matching his mouth movements to his speech.
Its present 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes, lower than Jonah Hex, The Spirit and League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, puts it among company whose badness is at least interesting, whereas Fantastic Four is merely dull, disjointed and dispiriting. Production troubles may have taken their toll, but it's hard to credit director Josh Trank's claim that his first cut was 'fantastic' when there's so little here that even hints at competence. It's a movie which roots the Thing's catchphrase in childhood abuse suffered at the hands of his older brother, which should tell you all you need to know. Fantastic Four is a series of compounding misjudgments, resulting in a movie ashamed of its own identity and straining to capture a zeitgeist long since passed. At least half the title is honest. It may not be fantastic, but is a 4/10 movie through and through.
Red Band Trailer for Deadpool's Deadly Debut
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At one point, it seemed like Deadpool was forever going to be tainted and mishandled thanks to his "appearance" in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It's so hard to tarnish an insanely popular superhero, yet Fox found a way to do the Merc with a Mouth wrong in that film.
Since then, Ryan Reynolds, who portrayed the character, has wanted to make up for the lackluster characterization by making a stand-alone Deadpool film done correctly. The problem is, the character is so rooted in R-rated shenanigans and metafictional commentary and constant fourth-wall breaking that it was seen difficult to pull off efficiently in a film, especially one that necessitated an R rating for a film franchise that has always targeted the PG to PG-13 demographic (for maximum profit, of course).
All it took was constant support from Reynolds and a leaked CGI proof of concept to finally get the ball rolling. And after its successful showing at San Diego Comic Con 2015, the film's first official trailers were released last night on Conan. I won't go too much into the trailer to allow all of you to watch it for yourselves!
The red band (uncensored) trailer is above, while the green band trailer is below. Enjoy!
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Live-Action Naruto Film Adaptation Announced by Lionsgate
The insanely popular Naruto franchise continues to live on following its 15-year run as a manga. While video games and film sequels like Boruto: Naruto the Movie are set to come out (at the very least), but the franchise will be approaching new territories soon, as Lionsgate has announced a live-action film adaptation of everybody's favorite Hidden Leaf Ninja.
For those unfamiliar, Naruto is the story about an orphan growing up in a village full of ninjas. Overlooked and made fun of because of his lack of talents (and parents), Naruto trains and perseveres on his way to becoming the world's best ninja. In terms of popularity, it's typically been ranked towards the top of shounen ("for boys") anime alongside such series like Dragon Ball Z and One Piece.
Michael Gracey, who has done some VFX work on some upcoming films, will be making his directorial debut on the film. I'm guessing he was primarily chosen due to his visual effects work, as a film like Naruto would need a very dedicated and strong VFX team. However, despite Lionsgate's successes with adaptations like The Hunger Games and Divergent, it's hard for an American studio to successfully adapt anime into a live-action film. However, if the studio can pull off both Power Rangers and Naruto, Lionsgate could become the de facto studio for modern film adaptations.
As always, we'll have more on the Naruto film adaptation when developments arise.
[via /Film]
The Peanuts Movie Celebrates Franklin's Birthday
On July 31, 1968, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz broke down barriers by introducing the strip's first African American character, Franklin. Now, 47 years later, The Peanuts Movie is celebrating his first appearance with a social media campaign illustrating the character's background.
Following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a teacher by the name of Harriet Glickman wrote a letter to Schulz expressing the importance of adding an African American character to Peanuts, the country's most popular comic strip at the time. As stated earlier, Franklin Armstrong made his debut on July 31st, 1968, and represented the importance of desegregation and equality.
Nearly 50 years later, America still struggles with racism and racial inequality, especially in light of the rampant reports of police brutality and hate crimes recently, something fun like #FranklinDay is a way to celebrate and promote something positive. And hey, it works as a very smart and creative marketing tool for The Peanuts Movie.
Re-live Franklin's first appearance in Peanuts below, and Happy #FranklinDay!