Green Lantern 3D trailer... more amazing footage than before

Seriously, I... Can't... Wait for this movie!  Check out the final trailer below (that will be playing in 3D) and read my thoughts after.

I know I've made it plenty clear I want to see this movie, but can you blame me?  It's MILES ahead of the original trailer that scared us all.  The movie feels epic.  The size and scope of the film really come through in this trailer.  We also get to see Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) learning the powers of the ring.  We also see him creating some major machine power towards the end.  I'm going to be counting down the days until this movie is released.  Who's down for a midnight showing?

"Tron: Legacy" Review, Too Bad, Too Too Bad.

Didn't mean to give away the review with the title there, but oh well. The movie is Tron: Legacy and is the sequel to the original Tron which was released 28 years ago. So we know that Disney has been hyping up this movie for 3 years now. We know the hype created at Comic-Con this past summer. We know that Jeff Bridges is back and we know the special effects are supposed to be incredible in 3D. Let's get started.


What I liked about the movie:
Special Effects
I know it's expected, but director Joseph Kosinski did a magnificent job with the special effects (that's about all he did right). The digital world he's created is a far cry from the "state of the art" special effects in the original film. Dazzling colors and amazing digital settings create a world that we know is not our own.

Same goes for the much talked about, much hyped light cycle battles. The battles are amazing and deliver on the promise made by the trailers.

SPOILER ALERT
If you thought that was cool, wait until you see the battle in the air. Our heroes and villains fight it out in a true dog fight in the air.
END SPOILER



What I didn't like about the movie:
The Story
The Oscar for ripping off other movies goes to... Tron: Legacy. 30 years ago, Tron was ahead of its time. I'm not just talking about special effects, I'm talking about story as well. In the sequel, I felt like I was watching a mash-up of Star Wars, The Matrix and Inception all in one. The story was contrived and forced and had no real direction.

Son (played by Garrett Hedlund) searching to find dad. Son runs into evil version of dad. Son finds real dad. Son tries to escape with dad. That's about the sophistication level of the story. There's viruses in the digital world, enter Oliva Wilde, who was absolutely useless in this film (but I'll get to that in a minute). There's a loony bar tender/Elton John impersonator (played by the usually awesome Michael Sheen). A hot robot escort thing and a bunch of henchmen. I'm not over exaggerating any of this, the story was just so stupid I was done about 45 minutes into the movie just after the light cycle battle.

The Acting

Oh me oh my. How the hell does Jeff Bridges go from winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 2009 to the performance he supplied in Tron: Legacy in 2010? He's like this overgrown Yoda figure with about as much personality as a snail. And it doesn't end there.

The newcomer Garrett Hedlund is terrible. Oldie but goodie Bridges was terrible. Then there's the aforementioned Wilde whose sole purpose is to look good and hopefully encourage prepubescent little boys to buy tickets to this movie. I mean come on. A little heart, a little passion for what you do folks. I couldn't care less about the characters these actors were playing. Seriously, by the end of the film, I just hoped they were all killed off so the chances of a sequel died with them. Yeah... THAT bad.

Action/Climax

I know what you're thinking. The trailer looked awesome right? How on earth could they screw up the action? They found a way to do so. The light cycle sequences are incredible, but way too short. Those scenes only make up a small portion of the film. The hand to hand combat is so pathetic I've seen student films with better action. Same goes for the climax of the film. Wait. What? That was it? That's how the movie peaks? See for yourself and let me know what you think.

Here is my final thought on the film. I have to be honest, about an hour into the movie I wanted to walk out. If it weren't for my 15 dollar ticket to watch this crap in 3D, I would have. So I have to be honest with you and myself, I was bias towards the end of the movie. I couldn't wait for it to be over. I did see it in 3D because I THOUGHT it was all filmed in 3D. Much to my surprise, a disclaimer pops up at the beginning of the movie saying 'there are portions of the film in 2D because they were intended that way'. Yeah right. The entire first act is in 2D making me want a third of my money back! Just another BS ploy to get more money.

I think Tron: Legacy had a lot of things wrong with it, some of which had nothing to do with the actual movie itself. First off, it's a sequel about 25 years late. Second, it's 2010. Directors have come and gone with stories like this. The Wachowski brothers made us think 'Tron who' with their Matrix films. Then there's Disney's unrelenting marketing of the film. Estimated anywhere between 50 to 100 million dollars, they've been force feeding us posters, trailers, teasers for 3+ years, only to deliver this utter crap.

In the title I said it, and I'll say it again, too bad, it's just too too bad. The movie COULD have been so much more than what it was. The director, Joseph Kosinski, ruined the movie and any potential for a franchise (the movie opened and continues to play very weak at the theaters). Any other director would have noticed the flaws in the script, built a better story and executed a better plan. Advice to the studios, don't let a first time director who comes from a music video background take over a 300 million dollar project. Know that! I'm out.

"Tangled" Review

It's been a while and I may be rusty, and I know I'm about 2 weeks late on this film, but let's get started. I am a male, and didn't really grow up knowing this fairy tale. I knew Tangled was originally titled "Rapunzel" though. Disney attributed the failure of The Princess & The Frog to one thing; little boys didn't want to see it. I enjoyed the that film, but could see where little boys had no desire to watch it. So Disney quickly changed it's title and marketing scheme; showcase the male character! And so the adventure began.


What I liked about the movie:
The Animation
Pixar gets a lot of credit for their films, as well they should. Dreamworks has always been in second place with their films. Disney's in-house animation doesn't get the credit it deserves though. They now have three successful films in a row (Chicken Little & Bolt).

This is probably the last time I'm going to list this on my "likes" list. The quality of the animation SHOULD be spectacular. The animators have no boundaries to make these films look amazing. Tangled does not let us down. From the different settings to all the various characters and of course, Rapunzel's insanely long hair. There are a few fight sequences that stand out in my mind that showcase the animation. There is one involving Rapunzel and the other involves the male lead character, Flynn Ryder, awesome!

The Voice Acting
This is going to be a tough pill to swallow folks; but Mandy Moore did a great job as Rapunzel. There I said, don't make me say it again. So you know why that was tough... I can't STAND Mandy Moore's acting. This is sort of a nice fit for her though. She started as a singer and this movie showcases that "talent".

Zachary Levi from "Chuck" is a great lead. His character, Flynn Ryder, is funny, and this is due to Levi's delivery. The character has to be witty, charming and sarcastic, Levi conveyed all of those things. Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor and Brad Garrett round out the supporting cast who are great.

The Story/Heart
This is pretty cheesy to talk about, considering I'm almost 30 years old, but hey, it's true. Disney has always done well in this department. Their stories can be summarized into one sentence and this movie is no different; its about an innocent girl eager to learn more about the world. There is one scene in particular that has no dialogue that had my wife and I reaching for tissues. You'll know it when you see it, as most of the people in our theater were teared up (it was a packed house by the way).


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Settings
One thing Pixar does so well is create a larger than life experience in their films. Whether its Nemo in the ocean or Woody and Buzz in a daycare, they create these amazing worlds for the characters. Tangled didn't offer up the same. Most of the movie takes place in the tower where Rapunzel is being held captive. When our characters do venture out into the world, it's not very far. There's the woods, a bar and the tiny village. It didn't have the scope of other Disney films like Aladdin for example. With Aladdin, you felt how big Agrabah was, the marketplace, the palace, etc.



There really wasn't too much else I didn't like. I wish there was just a bit more humor to appeal to adults, but overall I was very entertained the entire time. The cast was great, the story was solid and the execution was there. The songs were very fitting on the story and that's always nice, unlike some B movies out there. I would recommend this movie to young and old, but keep in mind it's very G Rated. My wife and I watched in 2D and believe me, it was just fine that way. Save your money and avoid the 3D version, I just don't see it adding much to the experience. Other than that, be a kid for 2 hours, go see Tangled, and you wont regret it.

Nicolas Cage's "Drive Angry 3D" Trailer

Well, it seems that Nicolas Cage has all but given up on making good movies.
On the plus side, at least this looks like a bad movie that will be fun to watch.
Drive Angry was shot in 3D and looks to be a lot like Death Proof. You can click the poster to enlarge.

Here's the plot (not that it matters) according to Slashfilm:

"Drive Angry 3D is about a man who breaks out of hell to get violent, R-rated revenge on the cult who killed his daughter and stole her baby."

It's due out February 2011. Enjoy the trailer, from Yahoo Movies.

New "Three Musketeers" Photos of Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich and Christoph Waltz

Just Jared has the pics of the upcoming remake, The Three Musketeers. We've covered the film pretty closely since it was announced. Here are pictures of a few cast members, some we've seen, some we haven't. The movie will be presented in 3D and stars Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom and Christoph Waltz just to name a few. Hit the jump to see the pics, enjoy.

"The Three Musketeers" Photos

The latest pictures are out on the net of Paul W. S. Anderson's newest flick, The Three Musketeers.

The three pictures include Mads Mikkelsen as Rochefort, Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan, and Anderson himself on the set of the film.  Click the jump for a few more!

The cast also includes Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom and Christopher Waltz. The movie will open on April 15, 2011 in 3D.

"Ghost Rider" Sequel Titled "Spirit of Vengeance," Takes Place In Europe In 3D

I guess the headline says it all, doesn't it? MTV is reporting that the Nicolas Cage starring Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, will in fact be in 3D, just when the trend was starting to die down a bit. But the cooler news is that it will take place in Europe, something Cage lobbied for, I guess.

The movie will film in Romania, home of Dracula... which sounds like it will be incorporated into the story somehow. Cage was quoted saying, "I'll be filming it in Romania, which is exciting, since that's where Dracula's castle is, the Ghost Rider has to ride up to Dracula's castle." Pretty cool stuff.

The movie starts production in a couple of months and Eva Mendes will NOT be in the movie, thank goodness! She was God awful in the first film where she was reduced to nothing more than cleavage shots. I'm still excited about this considering David S. Goyer is writing and the Crank men, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, are directing.

Actor Cast in "Judge Dredd" Remake...

Well we knew they were remaking Judge Dredd, but we didn't know who would don the mask and ride the bike, until now. It's actually been rumored for a long time, but I didn't want to post until it was confirmed, and now it is. Empire magazine is confirming that Karl Urban will play the iconic comic-book hero.

Karl Urban is known for his roles in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and more recently in J.J. Abrams Star Trek. He definitely has the physique. Not ripped and ready to pop like Sylvester Stallone was, but big and tall. Urban is a fine actor and should be able to bring some emotion to the role, even if the character is emotion-less. I liked the previous incarnation, I don't know why exactly. It had its own charm despite all its faults. I still go back and watch it on DVD every few years. But I'm also excited about this remake. But not so excited about the 3D talk, booo!

"Jackass 3D" Poster and Trailer

Haven't really covered Jackass 3D much on the blog, except for the announcement it was being made. So today it gets some attention. Check out the poster, and below, the new trailer for the film. I especially like the "high five" bit.

"Yogi Bear" First Look

I would have never posted about this, but Matt did once and I feel as though I should update now. This is the first look at the Yogi Bear 3D animation film. I don't really care for it, but its visually appealing. Dan Aykroyd is Yogi and Justin "I'm an actor" Timberlake is Boo Boo.

"Saw 3D" Poster In... 3D

Check out the new poster for Saw 3D on BloodyD. It's actually pretty awesome looking, wish I could say the same for the franchise. I stopped watching after Saw III and from what I've read/heard, that's where it began to go downhill. The franchise will not die, much like Friday the 13th and Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street.

Now you may be thinking, "Tony, you watch the first few Saw movies? I thought you don't watch scary movies." Well you would be correct in your assessment, my young Padawan. But what was great about the Saw films was they were less about horror, and more about the puzzle. How does each character relate to the next? What is their common denominator? That's what made the first few films so great. Now? Not so much.
Click this link to check out the 3D version of the poster above.

"Thor" Official Photo of Anthony Hopkins as Odin!

Is it me, or is it getting more and more exciting with every released photo of this film!? Anthony Hopkins as Odin in the Marvel Comics Thor! Sick!! Courtesy of the LA Times.

Got so excited about the photo I forgot to mention that both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger will be in 3D. Marvel is cashing in! I don't really care about announcements like this, I expect it for every future tent-pole movie. I actually could see 3D working for these superhero films more so than other movies that have been presented in 3D.

We know Thor wasn't shot in 3D, so it's up to the Captain film and then The Avengers to be shot in 3D. When will this stupid gimmick go away!?

"With great power, comes great CASTING" Andrew Garfield IS Spider-Man

Tiny Update:  Here's what Webb had to say after I posted:
"Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents.  He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker."

Marc Webb and Sony Pictures have been hard at work trying to find the right man for the new Spider-Man job.  It's a tough task if you ask me.  Casting the lead in a superhero franchise film is much harder than we could ever imagine.  Looks, acting chops, bankability, all the above must be taken into consideration.  So who will play Spider-Man in the new 3D version?  Andrew Garfield.

Bet you've never heard of him huh?  Well I have and I love his work.  He was fantastic in Boy, A and he was great in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.  Apparently he's been turning heads at Sony for awhile now.  His work in the upcoming The Social Network has Sony giddy in their boots, according to an article in the LA Times. 

I approve of the casting decision, because I believe Garfield will capture Peter Parker's sensibilities and vulnerabilities of being a high schooler with such great power.  The argument all day today is that he's too old (26) to play a high school kid.  I disagree.  I think he looks the part, and will bring out the emotion that Toby Maguire was so good at doing in the first trilogy.  Kudos to director Marc Webb and Sony for getting this one right!

3 Musketeers is really happening and I may eat my own words

Back in September, I was talking some smack about the new Paul W.S. Anderson adaptation of The Three Musketeers. I may eat my own words after the casting news reported yesterday!

Let me explain:
Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz

Lerman (Percy Jackson) as the young, witty D'Artagnan. Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone), Evans (Clash of the Titans) and Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) are also rumored. Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) as Cardinal Richelieu?! Are you kidding me?!

No, there's more... Milla Jovovich in the female lead!? Ummm... yes please! You can have my 15 bucks and I will gladly see this cast in the biggest piece of crap movie ever!

The movie is still in the "rumor" phase of casting, but the 3D part we talked about last year seems to be solid.

This movie is a completely different version than the one being developed by Warner Brothers. That version of the Musketeers is rumored to be directed by Doug Liman.

I better wait to see that cast before I cast judgment again and eat my own words... AGAIN. I'm gonna keep a close eye on this one and let you know as soon as anything comes up or is confirmed!

Judge Dredd remake a reality?

Maybe I'm just nostalgic. But I really enjoyed the 1995 Judge Dredd. Sylvester Stallone starred as the comic book hero who was judge, jury and executioner. Pretty cool concept for a futuristic comic book hero. The movie didn't do well, and I think a lot of that had to do with studio involvement. They took a "buddy" comedy approach that just didn't feel right considering the source material. So yesterday came news of a remake! That exclamation mark is on purpose.

Deadline first reported that financing and a script are ready. The financing doesn't come from a major studio, but rather an Indian entertainment corporation with a budget around 50 million dollars. The script has been turned in by Alex Garland, writer of The Beach, 28 Days Later and the upcoming Halo. A director is rumored as well; Pete Travis, director of Vantage Point. Another rumor is that it will be brought to life in 3D (booooo).

That's all there is for now, if anything comes up, I'll be sure to let ya know, cause this sounds like it could be good.

Clash of the Titans Blu-Ray coming with a Green Lantern First-Look special feature

July 21... don't all of you go rushing to your local Best Buy at once. After the dismal 3D version shown in theaters, I bet Warner Brothers is looking forward to the 2D Blu-Ray release. And with that gem of a movie we're going to get a cool little extra; a Green Lantern first-look special feature. This will come just a few days before the San Diego Comic-Com which I'm sure Warner Brothers is going to debut a trailer, at the very least.

For us comic book nerds, this is a big deal, so I'm very excited, but the problem is I'll actually have to spend money on Clash of the Titans. Darn you Warner Brothers! Just kidding Warner Brothers, and if you have any job openings please let me know. Haha.

What the heck happened to Clash of the Titans this weekend?

Good afternoon everyone. I came online to check the box office results and was BLOWN away by what I saw. Let's break it down a bit.

Number 1 this week, How to Train Your Dragon. WHAT?!?! It just all of a sudden leap froged a few spots to number one? I saw the film, and loved it, absolutely loved it. It was action, adventure, dragons, the whole nine. It was performing pretty steadily at the box office, but just couldn't grab the number spot, until this week. (NOTE: That might change as of tomorrow because the race between the first and second place movies was so close).

Number 2 went to a new-comer, Kick Ass. In all my estimations, I thought this movie was going to open number 1, and it stay may do so tomorrow. The movie has been getting great reviews, has a funny story line, and has a great cast. In fact, 13 year old actress Chloe Moretz is getting a lot of attention for her role as "Hit-Girl". Must be all that swearing and killing she's doing in the movie.

Number 3, Date Night. Just like this week, last weeks box office winner came down to the wire. Date Night looked like they had the top spot until Monday morning. They were battling it out with Clash of the Titans for number 1. So to see it drop to three isn't necessarily a bad thing, just surprising. Surprising because "Dragon" has been out for awhile now, and to see it take a leap above a movie that's been out for 10 days, that's crazy.

Number 4, also a newcomer, Death at a Funeral. Not a huge surprise; the movie landed where I think it was supposed to. I think it will do about the same number for the weeks coming up.

Number 5, surprise of the week, Clash of the Titans. What the heck? It was first place last week and drops to fifth place this week? Wha, who, ha, how? Well, after 2 seconds of thinking about it, I figured out why it dropped; BECAUSE THE MOVIE SUCKED. It took the movie crowds a few weeks to see it, but they finally came to their senses. There are a few other factors involved in the drop.

First is the fact that Kick-Ass and Death at a Funeral both came out this week. Kick-Ass especially demanded more screens at theaters. This gave "Titans" less screens, and less of a battle against the other movies in the top five.

Second is the fact that "Titans" was an abomination in 3D. So what do you think the theaters did? Including Valencia, CA... theater owners opted to use their 3D screens for "Dragon" rather than "Titans". This obviously boasted the ticket sales of one apposed to the other.

I guess, the overall theme of this rambling post is this; we're not going to pay for lame 3D movies anymore. These studios need to understand that the movie-going public will not just buy 3D tickets anymore, JUST to buy 3D tickets. The movie has to be shot in 3D, not just converted in post-production. Movies like "Dragon" that utilize the technology to better tell their story is the way to do it; rather than using it as a gimmick for kicks.

This blogger made a promise to himself never to see another 3D movie that was converted in post-production. This happened after the debacle that was Alice in Wonderland. No comment.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 2)

Just to review, FattMatt and I decided to try a six degrees of seperation on ya'll. We'll start with one movie, find a common actor, director, etc., and then move on to the next film.

So, in the first installment of "You know what's a good movie?" we covered Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks. The next installment also stars Tom Hanks, but in a different kind of way... computer animation. Toy Story.

It was 1995 and things were about to change in Hollywood. We were introduced to Pixar, and in a BIG way. That unknown company would help pave the way for computer animation in a way no one could ever have expected. It's 2010 today, and Pixar has released 10 films, ALL home runs.

Growing up, I loved action figures, I mean I was obsessed. My brother Shmoo and I collected EVERYTHING. And being the imaginative little boys we were, we would act out our own action scenes. We make noises for guns, sound effects for explosions, you name it, we did it. We felt the toys coming to life. And THAT is what Pixar achieved, they made the toys feel real.


Tom Hanks was the voice of Woody, an older toy and leader of the bunch. Tim Allen voiced Buzz, a new age, hi-tech toy who has become a favorite to the toys' owner, Andy. There are a lot of our childhood favorites in the film as well: Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Etch A Sketch, and many more.

With lots of dazzling color and a cast of talented voices, the movie was a huge success. Looking back at the film, Pixar has improved everything they do. Their animation techniques are better, the worlds and scenery are bigger and better, and it all started from Toy Story.

As I mentioned earlier, the movie would change Hollywood forever. After the movie was released, a ton of computer animated films hit the theaters. Some good, some awful, all because of Pixar. A Toy Story sequel was made, and still remains the only Pixar sequel to date. Last year, Toy Story 1 and 2 were released in 3D for a limited time.

Look out this summer, Toy Story 3 is coming. And now, Andy's going off to college, what's going to happen to all the toys? We'll have to wait and see.

Check out the Toy Story 3 Trailer below and look for our next installment of You know what's a good movie?:

Quickie: "Jackass 3D?"

Just a quick story for you Jackass fans out there.

Slashfilm reported that the next Jackass sequel that will most likely be released in 2010 could be in 3D!

Jackass 3 already has an IMDb page. Listed on it to return are of course Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, and Chris Pontius.

"Yogi Bear" to be CGI & Live-Action Hybrid

Entertainment Weekly reported that a live-action and computer animated hybrid feature of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Yogi Bear is in the works.

The film is set to star Dan Aykroyd as voice of the titular CGI star Yogi and Justin Timberlake will play the voice of a CGI Boo-Boo.
Tom Cavanagh (Ed) will play a live-action Ranger Smith and AtD favorite Anna Faris will play a live-action character named Rachel.

Supposedly, the story will be that Yogi and Boo-Boo are stealing a bunch of pic-a-nic baskets from the campers and getting on Ranger Smith's angry side. Rachel, a nature documentary filmmaker, is trying to film Yogi and Boo-Boo for her next project.

The movie is set to be in 3D and will be directed by Journey to the Center of the Earth director Eric Brevig. Warner Bros. is trying for a release date of December 17, 2010.