In what is likely the most unexpected series to come out of DC’s Rebirth Event, “Blue Beetle Rebirth #1” is actually a light hearted, fun comic that reminds me more of “Ant-Man” and those “Archie” comics.
We get a brief explanation of what teenager Jaime Reyes’ life is like, being attached to a scarab that grants him superhero powers (he turns into Blue Beetle). Outside of this, he deals with relationship drama and typical high school hang ups. Then we have the inclusion of Ted Kord, the billionaire scientist who works with Reyes in order to save lives, while still trying to understand how the Blue Beetle’s powers actually work.
This was something I thought was most interesting – the parallel drawn between Kord and Reyes. Kord is a billionaire scientist/crimefighter and Reyes is a teenager that just wants to be normal. In fact, Reyes doesn’t want the scarab (that’s attached to his spine). My hope is that Keith Giffen (the writer) will continue to explore the dynamics of two very different people that are an important superhero team.
Moreover, I found it a unique angle that Reyes is continuing to be a hero without actually truly knowing the extent and origin of his powers. We get a nice, albeit mysterious explanation from Doctor Fate towards the issue’s end essentially warning Ted Kord that they do not know what they’re playing with and that Beetle’s powers are *gasp!* magical.
As for the villain in this story arc, we come to find a rather surprising connection to Reyes’ close knit of friends. We don’t know what she essentially wants but she did make a transformation — indicating that she’ll have to get her hands dirty instead of hiring goons to do it for her.
All in all, this was a solid issue that was fun and relatable. This may be due to the talent of the writer, Keith Giffen (“Doom Patrol” , “Booster Gold”). Giffen seemed to find a nice balance between the comedy and the action, while also making Reyes a relatable teen. The artwork was done by Scott Kolins (“Wolverine”, “Green Lantern”) and Romulo Fajardo, Jr. (“Legion of Superheroes”) and it certainly does not disappoint.
The 1970s were a time of change and uncertainty. It was also the time that rock n’ roll seemed to take a backseat in favor of disco. And from bellbottoms to disco dancing, the 1970s stood out for many reasons. That is what I am hoping the upcoming series, Vinyl, will explore. Let me tell you this much: this has all the makings of a hit. You have a legendary director, Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Departed), sitting in to direct the 2 hour pilot. One of the screenwriters is Terrence Winter (Boardwalk Empire), who also won an Academy Award for The Wolf of Wall Street’s script. In fact, the series is based upon a story by Rich Cohen (editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazines), Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones), Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter.
Fun Fact: Scorsese is in love with The Rolling Stones. He has used the Rolling Stones song, Gimme Shelter, in three of his movies so far (Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed). That’s not just it either – he’s used multiple ‘Stones’ songs in most all of his mobster movies (6 in Casino, 3 in Goodfellas, 2 in The Departed, and 2 in Mean Streets). Heck, he even did a documentary about the band in 2008 called Shine a Light.
If all of the above doesn’t trip your trigger, then perhaps the premise of the show will. The musical drama is set in 1973 New York City as crime is widespread and music itself was going through pivotal transitions and birthing new genres altogether (looking at you hip-hop). Our central anti-hero is Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale) as an unrealistic, hopeful record producer who is trying to resurrect his label, American Century. Let me just say that you should recognize Cannavale. He’s been in Boardwalk Empire (season 3), Ant Man, and Blue Jasmine to name a few. He’s a strong character actor that has definitely paid his dues (playing supporting characters). My guess is that this series will serve as his big break, leading him to more leading roles. The show’s cast is rounded out with Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano (believe it or not), Juno Temple, Andrew Dice Clay (say what you will) and Ato Essandoh.
Another Fun Fact: David Bowie will be making a cameo(of sorts) in the pilot, but will be played by an actor.
Expect the series to be full of graphic language and offensive characters. After all, this is the touchstone to much of Scorsese’s cinematic affections. He builds these interesting, conflicted characters that are morally reprehensible yet you come to a sort of understanding with them.
Vinyl is set to premiere on February 14th (a holiday a lot of people hope would cease to exist) at 8 pm CST/9 pm EST on HBO. The pilot will be running at 2 hours and the season all together will be 10 episodes.
Sign me up!
Note: I’ll likely write up a review for the pilot.
The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron – The box office smash sequel pits the Avengers against a one-dimensional villain. This has moments of awesome but mostly settles as a bloated super hero movie. Full review here.
October 6th
Magic Mike XXL – Channing Tatum and pals bare it all…again. McConaughey decided to focus on better movies and does not appear in this oversized sequel. Elizabeth Banks, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Jada Pinkett Smith co-star.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – This is a movie about two aspiring, young filmmaker friends that end up making a film for a girl that has leukemia. They learn more about their friendship and the fragility of life. The cast includes Hugh “Wolverine” Jackman, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Molly Shannon (SNL alum) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, upcoming 2nd season of Daredevil).
Manglehorn – A dramedy about a locksmith (Al Pacino) that has trouble living in the present. Can we just get a The Devil’s Advocate sequel already?! Pacino seems to be wasting time on these cutesy movies that have a limited audience. Anyways, the movie focuses on how this locksmith mopes through life in a small Texas town and lives in his tragic, lovelorn past when he desperately needs to change his present. The movie is directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) and co-stars Holly Hunter.
Insidious: Chapter 3 – In this prequel, a girl tries to contact her late mother so she recruits a reluctant psychic with grave results. For some reason Dermot Mulroney is in this. Why? Rotten Tomatoes: 53%.
Road Hard – This comedy follows a character named Bruce Madsen, a successful actor/comedian, who decides to change things up and go back to his roots and perform in the comedy club circuit. Things don’t turn out as expected which forces Bruce (played by Adam Carolla) to reevaluate his career. This sounds like an auto-biographical snooze fest! Anyways, the movie co-stars David Koechner (Anchorman, Waiting).
Batkid Begins – This follows a five year-old boy, suffering from leukemia that gets a chance to be Batman for a day via the Make a Wish foundation.
10,000 Saints – A group of smugglers learn the hard price of growing up and the value of family in the backdrop of 1980s New York City. The cast includes Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Gattaca) , Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game, Hugo) , Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door), and Emily Mortimer. There may be a reason this was released direct to video.
Dark Places – From the author of Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) comes a story about a woman (Libby) trying to run away from her tragic past and her brother, who she blames for murdering the rest of her family. She is then contacted by a group that specializes in unsolved cases. Libby (played by Charlize Theron) must decide if she wants to accept the past or truly find the killer responsible. This movie came and went in theaters. The movie co-stars Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). It holds a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. Proceed with caution!
Escobar: Paradise Lost – Nick and his brother move from Canada to Colombia during the 1980s to set up a surf shop. There, Nick falls for Maria, who happens to be the niece of Pablo Escobar. Things get worse from there as Nick is recruited to stash away Escobar’s assets before he serves a jail sentence. I’m slightly interested in this but I have to say that Narcoson Netflix deals primarily with Escobar’s rise/fall and that seems a lot more interesting. This film features Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, upcoming Sicario) as Escobar and co-stars Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games).
Final Girl – Veronica is new in town and becomes a target for a group of boys who hunt and kill women in the woods for sport. The tables are turned when Veronica is actually a trained assassin. Abigail Breslin (Ender’s Game, Maggie) stars alongside Wes Bentley (that creepy video recorder dude from American Beauty, bearded weirdo in The Hunger Games).
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – This is a riveting documentary that chronicles the rise of the Church of Scientology and the followers and defectors that provide insight into the often shocking inner workings of the fastest growing church. Archival footage and interviews with current and former members (that include many Hollywood stars – Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Paul Haggis, etc.) make this a documentary worth catching. My full review is here.
People Places Things – Flight of the Concords alum, Jermaine Clement, stars in this comedy about a happily married professor with two kids that deals with the affair between his friend and his wife. He finds out that the single life with kids isn’t what he was expecting. I happen to enjoy Clement’s sense of humor and may give this a go.
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! – Talk about beating a dead horse. That wasn’t a request. Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210) and Tara Reid (American Pie) try to hold onto their careers in the popular, purposefully bad SyFy original movie. The outlandish, most once famous cast includes: Frankie Muniz, Bo Derek, David Hassehoff and Mark Cuban (as the President). You know what’s better than a purposefully bad movie? An unintentionally bad movie. See: The Room, Birdemic: Shock and Terror.
What We Did On Our Holiday – As Gordy nears his 75th Birthday, his son and his family decide to visit him in Scotland. Things go awry when his son’s kids are brutally honest and are unable to keep any secrets, which makes an already awkward family trip more awkward. The film stars David Tennant (Doctor Who), Billy Connolly, and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
October 13th
San Andreas – Hey, what’s shakin’?! Well, the Rock of course! This is an epic destruction movie for people that enjoy flashy special effects and a sub-par story or…..they just go for the Rock. I don’t blame them. Believe it or not, the movie co-stars Carla Gugino (Watchmen) and Paul Giamatti (Sideways).
Tommorowland – This film probably had the most promise this summer but was an utter disappointment. The marketing was interesting and the director, Brad Bird, has had nothing but success with his earlier films: The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Iron Giant. Check out a full review here.
The Gallows – A group of high school students try to put on a play that failed twenty years earlier and resulted in the death of a student, Charlie. The event is meant to be cathartic for the town on the anniversary of Charlie’s death, but a group of students sabotage the production to help the lead actor avoid stage fright. The group’s actions have grave consequences as Charlie’s story isn’t finished. This story is actually more elaborate than more horror films but still sounds boring.
Dope – We follow a high school student named Butler (Blake Anderson) who tries to stay on the straight and narrow amongst a town (Inglewood, CA) that would rather get by on dealing drugs and making easy money. Butler has aspirations of going to Harvard and leaving the city behind but is tested one night at a party. Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe Kravitz, costars.
October 20th
Jurassic World – Doctor John Hammond’s future dinosaur world is realized twenty two years later in Jurassic World. Just as any company would do if public interest were waning, they need to innovate new ways to attract people across the world. Of course, if your company happens to be a giant dinosaur zoo, innovation can spell doom in the form of a genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus Rex. The movie is a lot of fun if you don’t think too much about the story. Check out my full review here.The movie stars Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Guardians of the Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village), and Jake Johnson (New Girl, Let’s Be Cops).
Paper Towns – A high school student, Quentin, has always pined for Margo his entire life and when she breaks into his house asking for his help in a revenge plot, he agrees. After their adventure, Margo has disappeared from their school but not without leaving clues for Quentin to follow that will end up changing how he really feels for her. This is based off the book of the same name by author John Green (who also wrote The Fault in Our Stars). The film stars up and comer, Cara Delevingne (upcoming Suicide Squad) and Nat Wolff. You’d have to drag me to see a movie like this. Quirky, romantic movies irritate me because they are highly unrealistic yet pretend they aren’t.
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ – I don’t usually cover Japanese anime movies but I guess I’m always a little fond of the Dragon Ball Z tv show (when it aired on Cartoon Network back in the day). This details how big baddie, Frieza, is back after falling to Goku’s Super Saiyan years ago. Frieza is hell bent on revenge, even without an actual body. It’s up to Goku and Vegeta to work together. I’d probably save this for hung over Sunday mornings (before football of course).
The Vatican Tapes – Two Vatican priests are out to exorcise a woman believed to be possessed by the Anti-Christ. They must work to save her soul and for humanity…blah..blah…This uninspired movie stars Dougray Scott (MI: 2), Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) , and Michael Pena (Ant-Man). Rotten Tomatoes score: 13%.
Testament of Youth – Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina) and Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) star in this World War I drama. Vera Brittain (Vikander) postpones her studies to become a nurse as her loved ones, including Harrington head to war. Brittain later becomes a writer, feminist, and pacifist. The film doesn’t sound that interesting but is getting decent reviews. Rotten Tomatoes: 81%.
Z for Zachariah – This tale centers on a lone female survivor (Margot Robbie) of the apocalypse and the last two known men alive (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine) who try to court for her affections. The three must find a way to work together in order to survive. So, it seems that this is about how two dudes wanna do it with Robbie. I don’t blame them. What if the movie casted Amy Schumer instead of Margot Robbie? I believe both men would rather roam the Earth looking for another lady.
I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine – Jennifer is a girl that is just trying to overcome the torture she’s experienced and live a normal life. When one of Jennifer’s friends is murdered and those responsible escapes, she turns on revenge mode while the rest of the city erupts with rapists and serial killers. Pass!
The Wolfpack – This is a documentary that follows six brothers that live the majority of their lives in a New York apartment. They rely on movies in order to understand the real world. They all reenact scenes of their favorite movies. As the brothers get older, they desire interactions with the real world and everything begins to change when one of them runs away. Sounds like this may be worth checking out.
October 27th
Pixels – Adam Sandler is trying to fart on the box office again with this sad attempt at appealing to the thirty something group that relishes arcade games. The story involves how aliens receive golden age transmissions of video games being played, interpret the message as the real thing and declare war on Earth in the form of well-known classic games that include Donkey Kong and Pac Man. The President enlists his childhood friend, Sandler, to beat the aliens at their own game. He also enlists a rag tag group that includes Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Kevin James. The film is directed by Chris Columbus (the 1st two Harry Potter movies).
Southpaw – Jake Gyllenhaal gains a ton of muscle to play a left handed boxer who must overcome the death of his wife. After much inner turmoil and with the fate of his relationship with his daughter at stake, he must climb out and be the best boxer he can be so he can be the best father he can be. The movie received mixed reviews but I wouldn’t mind renting this. I mean, it’s Gyllenhaal and after his performance in Nightcrawler, I expect a solid performance.
The Gift – A husband and wife (Simon and Robin) move into a new home and run into an old acquaintance, Gordo, of Simon’s from high school. The couple accepts a gift of wine and invites him to their house for dinner. Gordo begins to leave more gifts and starts to stalk Robin while she’s home alone. Simon tries to tell Gordo that he is not welcome only then to be threatened by a 25 year old secret about Simon. The movie stars Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Rebecca Hall (The Town) and Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Exodus: Gods and Kings). The film is also the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton. I really wanted to see this film but had scheduling conflicts. The film has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll be sure to rent this.
Max – This is supposed to be an uplifting family drama/adventure that centers around a military dog named Max. After Max’s handler, Kyle, is killed, he is then returned to Kyle’s family and ends up helping them heal from their loss. Thomas Haden Church (Sideways), Lauren Graham (Bad Santa), and Robbie Amell (Flash) star.
The Human Centipede III: The Final Sequence – The outrageous idea of a singular digestive system through multiple people is expanded upon in this latest installment from the Dutch filmmaker, Tom Six. This time, they are attempting to utilize 500 people (which are being sewn together a$$ to mouth) to create the largest, singular digestive system the world has ever known. The creepy actor from the original film, Dieter Laser, reprises his role as the crazed doctor. The movie even co-stars Eric Roberts (Best of the Best, The Dark Knight). Not for the easily grossed out.
Insurgent – The movie cousin to The Hunger Games has a sequel. Based upon the YA(young adult) novel, this sequel focuses on the war between four factions (Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless). Tris is one of the divergents (having all 4 characteristics) as she helps lead the way in a fight for peace or something like that. Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet and the god awful Jai Courtney.
Do You Believe? – A religious movie about how a pastor influences another pastor to be more pastorly. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Sean Astin (Rudy), and Cybill Shepherd.
True Story – This is that James Franco and Jonah Hill movie that was based on a true story. It focuses on the relationship between a writer, Finkel (Hill) and a murderer, Longo (Franco), taking upon Finkel’s identity. Finkel was a writer for the New York Times Magazine and was actually fired for fabricating parts of a news story in 2002.
Child 44 – Tom Hardy plays a Russian Intelligence agent (in the Joseph Stalin era) who takes on a case involving multiple murders of children. Leo Demidov’s (Hardy) case leads to high authorities in the Russian government. Based upon the first in a trilogy of novels by Tom Rob Smith, the story follows Demidov’s exploits. Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Professional), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, upcoming Suicide Squad), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Vincent Cassel (Trance), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Golden Child).An incredible cast doesn’t always spell box office success. Still, I am likely to rent this.
A Little Chaos – A movie about competitive garden designers that are tasked to create a one of a kind water fountain on the grounds of le chateau de Versailles. I’m not making this up. Starring: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Stanley Tucci(Transformers 4: Age of Extinction), and Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead).
Adult Beginners – A drama about a businessman (Nick Kroll) that loses it all but while staying with his sister (Rose Byrne) learns valuable life lessons. Starring: Nick Kroll (The League), Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Joel McHale (Ted) and Jason Mantzoukas (The Dictator, The League).
The Salvation – Mads Mikkelsen stars as a vengeful settler in the American West circa 1870s after the murder of his family. After killing the man responsible, the leader of their gang also seeks revenge. Looks like a decent flick. Starring: Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen).
Barely Lethal – This movie follows a 16 year old teenager assassin after she fakes her own death and enrolls in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that school clicks and popularity come at a price. Starring: Jessica Alba (Sin City), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), and Samuel L. Jackson (every movie). Yawn!
Madame Bovary – A drama focusing on an adulterous wife as she tries to escape her boring lifestyle. Starring: Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Alice in Wonderland), Ezra Miller (Trainwreck, upcoming Flash), Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man).
Jackie & Ryan – Katherine Heigl still manages to headline movies, although this one looks straight to video. The story involves two musicians as they find themselves in love. Starring Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes and Clea DuVall.
August 11th
Hot Pursuit – All of the previews for this mess looked like a rip off of The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. This is a ‘female buddy’ film that has a conservative cop (Reese Witherspoon) and the wife of a drug dealer (Sofia Vergara) that must team up against a drug cartel. If Sofia’s blabbering accent on Modern Family isn’t enough for you, then check this out!
Unfriended – A high school girl that killed herself due to a cruel prank now communicates via Skype in video group chats! Okay, it sounds lame but at least it’s a different way for the genre of horror to reach another generation of kids.
Robot Overlords – Humans are slaves to a race of robots that conquered the world. People are confined to their homes and must wear implants. I’m not sure how this escaped me as it stars Ben Kingsley (Ghandi, Tut) and Gillian Anderson (X-Files). I may watch if the SyFy Channel picks it up.
August 18th
Little Boy – A seven year old boy ventures off to bring his father back home from the World War II. The boy’s innocence incites those embedded in the war. Starring Emily Watson, Kevin James (you read that right), Michael Rapaport, Tom Wilkinson and Ali Landry (that hot Dorito’s commercial girl).
Lambert & Stamp – This documentary chronicles the journey of aspiring filmmakers, Christopher Stamp and Kit Lambert, as they try to produce a movie during the 1960’s underground music scene. The doc also features footage with famous people related to The Who, Richard Barnes, Roger Daltry, and Pete Townshend.
5 to 7 – This is a romantic comedy that follows a woman who writes about falling in love. Things get crazy when the person she is in love with is the French diplomat’s wife! Gasp! Caged Heat sounds better.
Strangerland – A family moves to the Australian outback when a dust storm results in the loss of their children. A search party forms to find the missing children amidst rumors and suspicion. Spooky! Starring: Nicole Kidman (Fur), Joseph Fiennes (Voldemort’s brother) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings).
The Riot Club – In this thriller, two freshman join an infamous club at Oxford. One day, all of the spoiled, rich students get in over their heads. Based upon the play, Posh. The movie,Skulls, is probably much better than this but that ain’t saying much!
Vendetta – Remember Dean Cain? Well, if you haven’t went out of your way to research where he’s been, you’d still only remember him for playing Superman in the TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Mr. Cain has been playing in direct to video movies for quite some time. In this movie, he plays a cop who must get revenge after his wife is murdered by The Big Show (Paul Wight or WWE fame). This looks like hung-over viewing.
August 25th
Aloha – An all-star cast surrounds this box office disappointment. Brian Gilcrest is a US weapons consultant that becomes disgraced, then later talks to a robot and then eventually heads to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a spy satellite. He must also get permission for the launch from the Hawaiian council as part of his assignment. Directed by fan-favorite Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and starring: Bradley Cooper, Emma, Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray.
Citizenfour – This riveting looking documentary showcases how filmmaker, Laura Poitras (who focuses on gov’t surveillance of private citizens post 9/11) receives an encrypted email by “citizenfour” who claims to have inside knowledge of covert surveillance by intelligence agencies. “Citizenfour” ends up being Edward Snowden. The documentary focuses on key interviews with Snowden and Julian Assange. Looks very interesting.
Where Hope Grows – Holy 1980s! This movie stars Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and William Zabka (bad guy from The Karate Kid). The story focuses on a former professional baseball player who retires because of panic attacks. He eventually develops a relationship with a store clerk who has Downs Syndrome. His perspective on life changes and hope is learned…blah…blah…blah….I’ll pass.
Two Days, One Night – Marion Cotillard (Inception, La Vie en Rose) stars in this drama about how working class people who may have been disenfranchised from society. Sandra (Cotillard) tries to return to her job after an episode of depression only to find that her employer no longer needs her. She learns her fate is to be decided by her fellow employees in a vote.
Big Game – A teenager finds the President of the United States in a pod while hunting. Together they must make it through the woods alive as terrorists close in. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (every movie) and Onni Tommila.
Skin Trade – Dolph Lundgren stars as a detective out for revenge after his family was slain by the mob. The mob is eventually connected to a human trafficking ring and Dolph must work with Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, The Defender), a Thai detective, to destroy them once and for all. Hung-over viewing.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters – Set in an alternate universe, DC’s trinity (Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman) find themselves framed for a bombing. DC’s main guns all have different origin stories and must decide whether they want to save the world or conquer it. Voice actors: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs and C. Thomas Howell. It’s a comic book animated movie! Count me in.
Lila & Eve – A drama/thriller surrounding a mother, Lila, who loses her son in a drive by shooting. Lila eventually meets Eve, another mother who lost her daughter the same night. Together they go after the criminals responsible. Starring: Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez. Lifetime should starting making theatrical releases.
October Gale – This follows a doctor who tries to assist an injured man on an island from a man that is hunting him. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, and Tim Roth.
The Runner – Nicolas Cage is back again as a once idealistic politician that must re-examine his life after a sex scandal destroys his career. Not to be confused with a good movie, this stars Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). Will Nic Cage ever make a comeback from box office obscurity?
There was a lot of criticism about the idea of this movie once Edgar Wright (The World’s End, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) dropped from the production as director. Peyton Reed (Yes Man, Down with Love) was eventually brought in to helm the movie which was written by Edgar Wright.
Edgar Wright actually tried to develop Ant-Man for eight years and even shot some test footage for the film to which he pitched to Marvel. Of course they ate it up. Oddly, Wright ended up leaving the production due to creative differences with Marvel. His script was then re-written by Adam McKay (Anchorman) and Paul Rudd. Don’t worry; Wright is still billed as one of the writers in this new film. Usually, when there are production problems like this, it spells doom for the final product. I’m glad to say that isn’t the case with this Ant-Man movie.
I actually read up on Ant-Man in anticipation of this movie and really enjoyed the five issue run that Marvel had (review of issue #1 here). You begin to understand what makes Ant-Man tick. He’s basically like a divorced, mature Spider-Man. Tons of great one-liners and jokes. If you’re into comics, it’s a good read.
I’m getting sidetracked. Ok, so the movie is set around the idea that the Ant-Man suit and the ‘Pym particle’ are dangerous in the wrong hands. As such, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) retires himself as the Ant-Man and safeguards the technology over the years until a new threat rises and he has to recruit a brilliant thief, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), to don the suit and prevent the world from utilizing said tech in warfare.
Pym not only recruits Scott Lang because of his talents but also because he knows that he’s just trying to find a way to see his daughter again. Pym understands this need as he is also trying to heal his relationship with his daughter, Hope Pym (Evangeline Lilly). So, there’s a strong emphasis on family in this film. As such, this movie is very accessible.
Terrible Villain
The cast was solid, especially Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd (who was born to play Scott Lang). They make you believe in controlling ants for crying out loud! Exploring a microscopic world couldn’t be more fun. There are a lot of neat scenes that include a certain member of the Avengers, a scene including the Wasp (think Ant-Woman), and a lot of cool action scenes that use the micro environment as its play stage. Even though some of the themes can be perceived as serious, they are taken on lightly to make way for the humorous dialogue and over the top action.
Most of the story is filled with light humor that suits the idea of an incredible shrinking man kicking butt and controlling ants. However, that doesn’t mean this movie is without faults. One of the fumbles is the film’s bad guy – Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). He’s a megalomaniac without much explanation. There is nothing redeeming about him and all he wants is power. He comes across as a one-dimensional buffoon that has no character arc whatsoever. He almost immediately kills someone in the movie!
There was also the idea of thieves being colorful; funny characters that when looked at more closely just sent the wrong message. There was a moment in the film where Michael Pena’s character asked Scott Lang, “Are we the good guys?” I thought to myself, ‘is this is the only time you’ve asked yourself this question?’
Overall, this is a thoroughly fun movie despite some of its flaws. Ant-Man is a very cool character to work alongside the Avengers. There are two post credits scenes to check out. This will give you an idea of Ant-Man’s place in future Marvel movies as well as a potential new character!
Grade: B+
For your consideration:
I can’t help but notice a similar formula that is beginning to pervade all of Marvel’s movies – someone dies (but not really) and mass destruction is accepted without much thought to civilian casualties. If a movie is ‘light’ to begin with, then destruction is accepted but if a movie has gravitas then people become more critical. This will become clearer as DC rolls out their next films.
On the plus side, we’ll be seeing Ant-Man (along with a new Spider-Man) in Captain America: Civil War which is due out May 6, 2016. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy Marvel movies but I’m at a point where I want something different. Give me more movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America and less of Thor and Avengers. I’m still mostly anticipating Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
I never thought I’d type that sentence! This is true though. If you think superheroes are everywhere now then you got a thing(s) coming! Just look at the list of comic book movies that will hit within the next five years:
2015:
May 1: Avengers: Age of Ultron
July 17: Ant-Man August 7: Fantastic Four (Fox)
2016:
February 12: Deadpool (Fox)
March 25: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice May 6: Captain America: Civil War
May 27: X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox)
August 5: Suicide Squad
October 7: Gambit
November 4: Doctor Strange
2017:
March 3: Untitled Wolverinesequel(Fox)
May 5: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
June 2: Fantastic Four 2 (Fox)
June 23: Wonder Woman
July 28: Marvel Studios co-produced Spider-Man film (Sony, new addition)
November 3: Thor: Ragnarok
November 17: Justice League, Part 1
2018:
March 23: The Flash
May 4: Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1
July 6: Black Panther (new date)
July 13: Untitled Fox Mystery Marvel film
July 27: Aquaman
November 2: Captain Marvel
2019:
April 5: Shazam
May 3: Avengers: Infinity War, Part 2
June 14: Justice League, Part 2 July 12, 2019: Inhumans
*You can also add 3 more comic book movies to that list from Valiant Comics in the coming years.
Here are some of the TV shows that will be premiering soon:
Daredevil (Netflix)
AKA Jessica Jones (Netflix)
iZombie (just aired)(CW)
Preacher (AMC)
Luke Cage (Netflix)
Iron Fist (Netflix)
Marvel’s Defenders (Netflix)
Krypton (SyFy)
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) – it’s not a direct adaptation but it stems from the original comic book.
Supergirl (CBS)
Outcast (Cinemax)
Young Justice (CW)
Teen Titans (TNT)
Lucifer (Fox)
*It is important to note that although Netflix is getting a lot of Marvel’s business there is still HBO Now that will be coming out very soon. Time Warner owns HBO and with this all DC characters. It could be possible that HBO could compete with Netflix and also add to the superhero genre.
Striking while the iron’s hot is one thing but this may be overkill. This may even be the case for the amount of newer comic books coming out as well (upcoming anti-reboot “Convergence” event in DC comics).
Consumers will be faced with ever growing options leaving them questioning what material they can live without as the size of their wallets continue to shrink. It’s already happening though. Yeah, sure …let’s just DVR it! No. We’re at the point where it’s not just about money anymore but also about time. I’m not necessarily complaining. This is a geeks dream to have superheroes everywhere you look. It’s a really exciting time but I’m just not sure that this genre, which isn’t recognized by the Academy of Motion Arts much, will continue to be as hot. I sure do hope I’m wrong. Is it possible to have super hero fatigue?!
No one really knows Ant-Man but once the movie hits, I’m sure they will once the movie hits in July. The movie trailer doesn’t look all that great but it’s Marvel, so it has top stars and a rich character to build on. I remain hopeful and so should you.
Ant-Man, at least on the surface, has the strange powers to shrink himself and objects around him to ant size, even while retaining his normal strength. On top of this, he is telepathically linked with insects. This is not what makes Ant-Man, at least not Scott Lang (the man behind the suit), great. There are other people that have donned the suit and taken up the name but the character of Scott Lang will likely take over the role permanently.
Story By: Nick Spencer Art By: Ramon Rosanas Cover By: Mark Brooks, Skottie Young, Ed McGuinness Publisher: Marvel
Scott Lang is like Spider-Man but grown up and funnier. In other words, he’s far more grounded, relatable and actually flawed. With this comic book issue, fans and newbies get a great foundation of the history of Ant-Man along with the story of Scott Lang. Lang is divorced, has a daughter he cares for deeply, and is trying to find employment with his superpowers, even auditioning for a security position at Stark Industries.
Excellent writing, characterization and beautifully drawn, the Ant-Man series is one to follow. You can find a more detailed description of Ant-Man as a character here. Also, if you haven’t seen the recently released movie trailer for “Ant-Man”, see below.
This was something I thought was most interesting – the parallel drawn between Kord and Reyes. Kord is a billionaire scientist/crimefighter and Reyes is a teenager that just wants to be normal. In fact, Reyes doesn’t want the scarab (that’s attached to his spine). My hope is that Keith Giffen (the writer) will continue to explore the dynamics of two very different people that are an important superhero team.
I actually read up on Ant-Man in anticipation of this movie and really enjoyed the five issue run that Marvel had (review of issue #1 here). You begin to understand what makes Ant-Man tick. He’s basically like a divorced, mature Spider-Man. Tons of great one-liners and jokes. If you’re into comics, it’s a good read.
There was also the idea of thieves being colorful; funny characters that when looked at more closely just sent the wrong message. There was a moment in the film where Michael Pena’s character asked Scott Lang, “Are we the good guys?” I thought to myself, ‘is this is the only time you’ve asked yourself this question?’
*You can also add 3 more comic book movies to that list from Valiant Comics in the coming years.
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