Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol trailer

Let the trailer fest continue. This is better late then never. The spy games continue, with or without Tom Cruise in the next installment of the Mission:Impossible franchise.  The film stars Cruise and newcomer to the team, Jeremy Renner, who will take over the lead in the franchise.  It is being directed by Brad Bird and looks pretty darn good.  Check it out:

Director of Knight & Day offered The Wolverine

After Darren Aronofsky jumped ship from The Wolverine, every fan boy had a good cry.  The film is the sequel to the terrible X-Men Origins: Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman as the clawed X-Man. 

It has actually taken a lot longer for Fox to put an offer to a new director than I thought it would.  Well it finally happened and the offer is going to director James Mangold.  You might remember him from last years under performing, Tom Cruise starring, Knight & Day. 

Mangold is actually a great director with films like Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma under his belt.  I liked Kight & Day, despite it's bad reviews.  3:10 to Yuma is such a great, and underrated film.  I was never really jumping up for joy for Aronofsky directing the film, this will do just fine in my book.  What do you guys think?

X-Men: First Class is a first class film! Review...

Matthew Vaughn had a tough, tough task with X-Men: First Class.  He was asked to re-invent the franchise that was the catalyst to the superhero movie genre.  The film is actually a prequel, which has a completely different cast and a much more complex script than seen before in the franchise.  I can't wait to talk about it, so let's go!

What I liked about the film:
The Director

There were so many things working against Matthew Vaughn.  Let's start with a one year schedule from pre-production to release date.  That is unheard of in this superhero genre.  Vaughn quickly put together his cast and was off and running.  He did a lot right!  The pacing of the movie is intense.  Like I said before, the script is complex and has a lot to cover, so it was imperative to get the pacing right.  The editing, costume, set design and score were magical and helped create the world of America in the 1960's.  The casting is perhaps Vaughn's greatest achievement...

The Cast/Characters

James McAvoy plays Professor Xavier; he does a great job of being the leader of the X-Men.  You can see the character is optimistic about the future through McAvoy's eyes.  He sees the world with a bright and beautiful future.  Kevin Bacon plays the primary villain, Sebastian Shaw and does well.  He is a conniving, manipulative character pitting America against Russia during the Cold War. 

The support cast of heroes and villains are good.  January Jones turns in a mundane performance as the villainous Emma Frost, Shaw's right hand woman.  Jennifer Lawrence plays Mystique, the part Rebecca Romijn made famous in the first trilogy.  She does well playing the character as tormented and conflicted; she grew up with Professor X.  Rose Byrne is the liason between the CIA and the newly formed X-Men, she was great, I'm becoming a big fan of her work.  The rest of the heroes really only have minor roles in comparison, but did a good job.  Hopefully they will have more to work with in the sequels.   

The man who steals the entire picture is Michael Fassbender.  This man is hypnotizing on screen.  He plays Magneto, a Holocaust survivor who meets Professor X on his journey to kill the people who murdered his mother.  Fassbender portrays the character beautifully.  And I do mean beautifully.  Even though we see the character doing horrible things, we care about him, we see the pain and hurt that has scarred him for life.  He also has a swagger and arrogance; Sir Ian Mckellen showed that when playing the older version of the character.  Magneto knows he is a very powerful mutant, he knows what he's capable of and we see that in Fassbenders face and mannerisms.  I hope Michael Fassbender keeps his momentum going and continues to do great things.  Last time I said that, Sam Worthington became Genre Man with 'hits' like Clash of the Titans; hopefully Fassbender wont follow in those footsteps.

The Brotherhood

We know from the later (earlier) pictures, that Magneto is a character that was very close with Charle's X, as close as brothers.  Their ideals have always been different, but they have always had a mutual respect for one another.  There are a few scenes in the film that show you how that relationship was shaped and how it changed over time.  I loved the scenes featuring McAvoy and Fassbender just talking.  The actors nailed it!  There is just this great chemistry between the two that really helps with the emotional undertone of the film.  The scene when they meet gave me chills, excellent!

The Story

This could have been a much different movie in the hands of another director.  There is a lot that must happen during the film.  The origins of several main characters, the manipulation of Bacon's character on the Americans as well as the Russians, the training of the new recruits, the list goes on and on.  That being said, it is very easy to follow.  A lot of credit must go to the screen writers and the director.  It is a clean story that does a lot with the time he has.

The Fanboy Winks
Even if you haven't seen the original franchise, this film will work for you.  BUT!  For those of you who have read the comics, know the characters, and have seen the original franchise, you will love the 'easter eggs'.  Everything from cameos, to name dropping, to jokes about the obvious future of the character.  I really like how they included the hard core fans and made it accessible to non-fans as well.  FYI, the cameo in the movie is hilarious and I will not spoil the surprise like other idiots on-line.


What I didn't like about the film:
The Sequel Setup
I have to be very careful here not to give anything away.  I believe, by the end of the film, they've given away too much.  I wish there would have been a few open doors for future films instead of rushing to the obvious.  It's like Star Wars Episodes I-III, we know what is going to happen, but George Lucas was able to stretch it out for three films.  Not that I EVER want this franchise to become like that one, but the concept is what I was looking for.  Watch it and then email me if you agree, don't want to discuss too much here.


The Verdict:
A beautiful film in so many ways

The movie will rank among the best in the superhero genre.  The threat of a nuclear attack was very real in the 1960's.  That fear of the unknown worked perfectly for 'First Class'.  Mutants were just being discovered and no one knew what to make of it.  The relationship between Professor X and Magneto is wonderful.  The movie is not perfect, but again, considering the one year turn around, bravo.  Thank you Mr. Vaughn and company for continuing my hot streak at the movies this Summer.  Please see the movie and let us know what you think.

The Hangover II review, new jokes make up for a repeat formula

It's already been two years?  Holy wow, I can't believe how time flies!  In 2009, The Hangover became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time.  Rightfully so.  With a blend of unique characters, a funny premise, and shock value to boot; it was a homerun.  It catapulted Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis to stardom.  And it proved director Todd Phillips was a someone with longevity in this business.

The first movie followed the three main characters as they tried to find their lost friend after a night they couldn't remember.  The movie took place in Las Vegas and the city was a great backdrop to the story being told.  This time around, the "Wolfpack" finds themselves in a similar situation, only this time, they've lost a friend in Bangkok, Thailand.  Oh no... The Hangover II.

What I liked about the film:
The Wolfpack (including the monkey)

This is an obvious one.  Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis have an unbelievable chemistry together.  The three actors feed and play off of each other so well, they're totally believable in their roles.

Galifianakis steals most of the scenes again, as he did in the first film.  Helms plays the paranoid panic attack very well.  And the contrast to Helms is Bradley Cooper, who never seems to get phased by anything.  Ken Jeong and Paul Giamatti round out some great supporting characters as well.  And don't forget about the much talked about monkey.  Baby Carlos has NOTHING on the cigarette smoking, drug dealing monkey in the sequel.  It was cleverly worked into the film and actually served a purpose in the plot.  Great!

The setting

Vegas was a great place to setup the last film.  It just made sense for the guys to wake up in their hotel room, not remembering much.  This time, they pushed the envelope.  Thailand is so visually busy, the movie will need a second viewing to catch everything.  Tying in Jeong's character into the setting was great.  Watching the movie, you got a real sense of how difficult it was for the cast and crew to work in such busy conditions.  I've read interviews with director, Phillips, where he says it was his most difficult shoot to date.

The one-liners, memorable

I hate when I go to a movie and leave not recalling a thing.  That wasn't the case with this film.  My wife and I left the theater repeating one-liner after the other.  I am well aware of all the criticisms of the film being identical to the first (I'll get to that in a minute), but the movie is very memorable and will hold up against a lot of other comedies out there.


What I didn't like about the film:
Sub-plot
I find myself disliking a lot of film sub-plots.  It's because it feels like the movie wouldn't have suffered if they took it out completely.  Without giving anything away, the sub-plot involves Jeong and Giamatti's characters.  The writers used it as a device to take the main characters from one place to the next, but once the sub-plot is revealed in full, there's no pay off.  I didn't like it and wished they would have written it out of the movie.


The Verdict:
Loved it, KNOWING what I was walking into

I think people just wanted to hate the film.  "It's exactly like the first one."  "They couldn't have thought of anything better?"  Interesting how you weren't criticizing the movie while laughing so hard I couldn't hear the dialogue.  Look, the first trailer showed us all that it was going to have the EXACT same format as the first film.  So I knew what I was getting myself into and was very content with it.  To me, it was fresh and funny in ways the first one wasn't; and it was enough to satisfy my hunger for another grown-up comedy after Bridesmaids.  Check out The Hangover II, you will not be disappointed!

The Dark Knight Rises villain... Bane!

Click on the image to enlarge

Did you ever doubt Christopher Nolan for a minute?  Did you doubt that he would find a creative and original way to bring Bane to life?  Don't, don't ever doubt this man.  The image above is an official release from Warner Brothers of the new villain The Dark Knight Rises; which is of course the sequel to 2008's The Dark Knight. 

There was so much talk about how Nolan would make the character fit into the realistic world he's created for this Batman trilogy.  The picture shows Inception actor, Tom Hardy, ripped as can be.  I love the mask, it's dark, creepy and mysterious.  Nolan has been masterful at giving just enough to wet the appetite without giving anything away.  The way Bane is turned and looking back to the camera out of the corner of his eye is a little unsettling.

This is the first official glimpse into the third and final film, can you image what's still to come?  This is going to be an film of epic proportions, watch.

A more recent version of Bane

300 sequel will not be titled "Xerxes"... good

Probably a good idea the 300 sequel will not be titled "Xerxes".  Can you imagine what the marketing campaign would be like?  Teen boys wouldn't know how to spell it, then have mood swings about not accessing viral material, then throw tantrums, then boycott the movie.  It would be ugly.

A few weeks ago I posted about the sequel's announcement, no secret really.  But, what WAS a big deal was that Guy Ritchie may direct the film.  It's possible considering Zack Snyder, the 300 director, is going to be busy for at least 18 months on the Superman reboot. 

People involved with the movie have all but confirmed that Snyder will not direct.  Too bad too.  300 is totally Snyder's vision come true.  What's interesting is that Frank Miller has finished the graphic novel to the sequel.  Remember now, 300 is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, not the exact events in history.  So with the second graphic novel done, writers will be hired to adapt a screenplay.  We'll see what happens.  All this came from an article about the film being titled something other than "Xerxes". 

A sequel to The Fighter? It's an amazing story if it's true!

File this under "hmm, that sounds cool"!  A sequel to The Fighter?  Yeah, really.  Mark Wahlberg discussed the possibility with the TV show, Extra.  Only if there's a good story to tell right?  Well there is!

Here is the short quote from Wahlberg:

Now we’re gonna talk about doing No. 2. We’re gonna do the Ward /Gatti trilogy and make it real.

/slashfilm did some research.  They outlined a trilogy of fights between The Fighter's main character, Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti.  In 2002, the boxers fought twice, each man winning a fight.  They were apparently amazing fights.  One of the two fights was considered "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine.

The third and final match up came in 2003, and apparently it was epic!  It went to the end.  At one point Gatti breaks his hand in two spots and must finish the fight with only one hand.  Again the match up was considered "Fight of the Year".  They really is a story to tell here, and hopefully it is made.

The only thing left to ponder is who would return for the sequel?  Christian Bale?  Melissa Leo?  Director, David O. Russell?  It will be interesting to see.  You all know I loved the film.  I hoped for the actors to get recognized during Oscar night, and they were!  So hopefully this sequel is made, we'll see!

Casting rumors for the fourth 'Bourne' film

I know I have already talked about this before, but a fourth 'Bourne' movie without Matt Damon is very real.  There's a long list of rumored actors (about 8-10).  But three names keep coming up across the internet-sphere.  /slashfilm mentions three big names in the running.  Let's look at them now:

Jake Gyllenhaal:

Hmm, I'm conflicted.  I don't like his acting whatsoever, I've pretty much hated him in everything I've seen, except Prince of Persia.  That's why I'm conflicted.  The 'Bourne' films need a good dramatic actor ala Matt Damon.  We need to see his confusion, his desperation.  BUT, Bourne may not even be the main character.  The sequel has only promised to be in the same world as Jason Bourne.  So maybe Gyllenhaal could pull it off?

Tobey Maguire:

He could totally be Gyllenhaal's twin

My absolute favorite of the trio here.  I feel like he needs to do something to shed that goody goody Peter Parker persona.  This film/franchise could do just the trick!  He has the dramatic chops, we've seen it.  He has the action background of the Spider-Man franchise, he is a real talent.  His body may not fit the world the way Damon's did, but he could make it work.





Garrett Hedlund:

Why?  Why am I even writing about this guy?  He totally stunk up the screen in Tron: Legacy and I hated every aspect of his acting in that film.  Why would I want to see him replace one of the greatest actors of my generation (Damon) in one of the most critically acclaimed action trilogies in history?  The answer is I don't want to see him get the role, period.

It's my opinion, you're on my blog so you obviously care, or you're just curious.  Feel free to drink some Haterade in the comments.  Who of these three should get the role?  Or maybe it's not any of these three, what do you think?

Click the jump for a little extra. (SOILER ALERT TO BOURNE ULTIMATUM)

You know who they should bring back, Édgar Ramírez!  His character of Paz in The Bourne Ultimatum was incredible!  He demanded our attention on the screen and held is own against Damon.  SPOILER ALERT:  Jason Bourne doesn't kill Paz in the film, he spares his life.  So why not continue the franchise with a revenge-filled Paz seeking to clear his name and start a new life?  The producers can leave the door open for Damon to return to the franchise, and fulfill their wish of staying within the confines of the 'Bourne' world.  What do you think?

UPDATE: Sommers out, 3 finalist to direct G.I. Joe sequel

UPDATE: Chu has been chosen to direct.  I hate the notion that the same guy who directed a Justin Bieber documentary will be directing a G.I. Joe film.  Stupid.  That is all.

Wait a second.  Wasn't Stephen Sommers quoted as saying he began work on a sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?  The answer is yes.  We all thought he was coming back despite all the documented tension between him and the studio, Paramount.  Well, forget allllllllllll that, he's out.  I wont even tell you the b.s. comments by both parties because there's no substance to any of it.  They're both trying to play nice.  I liked the movie, a lot.  It was the summer or a bunch of bad movies, but G.I. Joe was entertaining, despite all the negative reviews.  Click here to read my original review.

Love or hate the first film, here are the three directors up for the sequel:

Jaume Collet-Serra 

He's got Unknown coming out this week and has a short, yet nice resume under his belt.  He directed Orphan and Goal II: Living The Dream.  If anything, he has a knack for action.  Based solely on the trailers to Unknown, the man can shoot action sequences.  Then again we all know better than to trust a trailer.  We'll see about this young man.





F. Gary Gray

My pick to take on the franchise.  He is the veteran among this trio and should be a strong candidate.  With action thrillers under his belt like The Italian Job and Law Abiding Citizen, he knows what he's doing.  I'm a huge fan of those two films as well as some others that Gray has directed.  Again, he has my vote.





Jon Chu

The head scratcher in the trio is Chu.  Step Up 2 and Step Up 3D, the hell?  Justin Douche Bager: Never Say Never?  You wonder where these rumors come from sometimes.  I read it on /Slashfilm so you know there's at least a little validity to the story.  I don't want to give Chu directing much thought, so I'll stop. 

Let's all hope Gray gets the job!

Shane Black to direct Iron Man 3

This is pretty interesting news.  Marvel has chosen Jon Favreau's successor to the Iron Man franchise.  Shane Black will be in charge of the third installment of the Robert Downey Jr. starring franchise.  Black has only directed one film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  But here's where the information gets interesting, he may write the movie as well.  As far as writing credits, Black has a ton.  Those films include the Lethal Weapon films, The Last Boy Scout, and The Long Kiss Goodnight.  Funny thing about those films is, they're all action films.  This is work really well for Black when it comes to Iron Man. 

I think he's a good choice for the script, I don't think he's the man to direct.  I think it will be nearly impossible for anyone to fill Favreau's shoes.  This is his baby, as much as Marvel doesn't think so.  He created the world that Iron Man inhabits and he got the Avengers movement going.  We'll see how long Black works with Marvel before they too ruin that relationship. 

Guy Ritchie is rumored to direct Xerxes, the sequel to 300

Ok, so we know Guy Ritchie is busy filming Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but there's an interesting rumor floating around.  Could Guy Ritchie take the reigns from Zack Snyder on a 300 sequel?  The internet says so, so it must be true. 

300 is really the defining film for Snyder.  His vision made the movie what it is.  It's no secret he and Frank Miller have been working on a sequel/prequel comic book following the Persian emperor, Xerxes.  Miller is of course the writer of the 300 graphic novel that inspired the film.  So why the Ritchie rumors?

I don't want to give internet rumors too much time, but here goes:  The third act to the new Superman script is weak and early reviews of Sucker Punch are bad so Warner Brothers doesn't trust Snyder with the tent pole film.  Bbbbbbbbbbbbbb.S.  I don't believe it for a minute. 

If the rumors are true and Ritchie is to take over the sequel, there has to be other reasons.  Say perhaps, SCHEDULING!  Shocking, scheduling difficulties is too boring a reason for a director to take over a film from another director; so we all make stuff up to compensate. 

My honest opinion is that Warner Brothers wants to get this project moving and so they're probably shopping around, nothing more.  With Snyder starting up Superman and Ritchie wrapping up Holmes... it makes sense.  I would be happy with Ritchie, but am going to hope for a back to back homerun with Snyder. 

Sherlock Holmes sequel gets an official title

I've only seen a few pictures from the 2009 sequel, but I have to tell you, I'm really excited about the new Sherlock Holmes.  And now we have an official title!  Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  I like it.  The movie of course stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Noomi Rapace.  It will be directed by Guy Ritchie (interesting rumor coming up next about Sir Richie).  There is also a rumor floating around that Rachel McAdams has a cameo in the film.  That is all for now.

"S.W.A.T. Firefight" Trailer

We don't usually feature straight-to-DVD films on the blog unless they're animated superheros, but this one is a good one. Remember S.W.A.T. starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell and Oscar nominee, Jeremy Renner? Well, this is a sequel of sorts. Check out the trailer to S.W.A.T. Firefight. It actually looks pretty impressive for straight-to-DVD. But don't be fooled, I thought Smokin' Aces 2 looked good until I watched it. Oh me oh my!

This one stars Gabriel Macht (The Spirit), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) and Kristanna Loken (coincidentally, Terminator 3). Enjoy.

"Knocked Up" Spin-Off Coming Soon

When Knocked Up came out in theaters, it changed my life. Forever I would hear 'you look like the guy from Knocked Up'. Thanks? I think. That movie starred Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in one of the most successful comedies ever. Writer/director Judd Apatow cast Leslie Mann (his real life wife), as Heigl's sister. And Paul Rudd played Mann's husband in the film.

Well, much like Russell Brand got a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Get Him To The Greek... so too do Mann and Rudd. Apatow is in the process of writing the film and I'm sure it will be released late this year or early next.

I really REALLY liked Rudd's character in the film. He's this really down to earth, doesn't get upset about much, kind of guy. This is great contrast to Mann's character in the film. I really like Leslie Mann, I think she is so versatile, so funny, she can do no wrong in my eyes (check out 17 Again, she's beautiful). So I'm totally ok with this spin-off!

Really the only thing left to discover is whether Rogan will reprise his role from Knocked Up to this spin-off. We all know Heigl will not be welcome anywhere near the movie! She's such a moron... she accused Apatow of making the film appear sexist towards women instead of thanking him for everything she has. Instead we get Oscar worthy performances in 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth, Killers and Life As We Know It. The woman should just shut up and go away!

On a lighter note... I give you... my twin

"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.

Darren Aronofsky's "Wolverine" Sequel Now Has a Title

So, yes, it has been confirmed that Darren Aronofsky will re-team with Hugh Jackman for the Wolverine sequel. We already know the director and lead actor, as well as the plot. It will follow the Frank Miller, Japan Saga. Where Logan (aka Wolverine) falls in love with a married woman, the wife of a samurai. Logan must battle the villagers in hopes of ending up with the woman he loves.

The title has been revealed by Aronofsky himself. The movie will be called; The Wolverine. Back to basics, I like it! I never really liked the whole "X-Men Origins" part of the title anyway. It doesn't make sense to even use that if 'Wolverine' was going to be the only entry in the franchise; now that X-Men Origins: Magneto has been canceled. Aronofsky has an interesting visual style as well as the ability to tell a love story. He will do well and I will see this movie. That is all.

"Batman 3" Officially Named, To Be Shot Entirely in IMAX?

Who's read this blog before? Who knows how die-hard we are about The Dark Knight? All of you should have your arms up. Tonedog and FattMatt saw Batman Begins together, and were hooked. We called Heath Ledger's Oscar the day of watching The Dark Knight, and now the third film in the Christopher Nolan trilogy has been revealed. The Dark Knight Rises.

Remember the 6 action sequences shot in IMAX on The Dark Knight? Collider is reporting that Nolan was so impressed with what was filmed, he is filming The Dark Knight Rises entirely in IMAX. Whoa! No one knows who the villains will be, but there is plenty of talk about it. Most people are leaning towards Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul. People are guessing she will be after Batman to avenger her father's death. She and Batman have a storied past in the DC Universe and she would be a nice change from all the other villains we've seen on screen.

No matter the villain, It will surely be a fitting end to a trilogy that will define the character for generations to come. Much like Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve to Superman; Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale have changed the perception of a character in Batman.

Picture above brought to you by "Worst Part's Almost Over" on the discussion boards at AICN.

Teaser Trailer for Pixar's "Cars 2!"

Pixar's Cars 2 teaser trailer, due out June 24, 2011.

Need I say more?

Hugh Jackman Confirms Aronofsky to Direct "Wolverine 2"

In a recent quick interview with Hugh Jackman, Vulture found out that Darren Aronofsky will indeed be directing the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, confirming Tonedog's earlier rumor post.
I hope it'll be worth it and make up for the terrible first film.

Here's what Jackman had to say:

"This is, hopefully for me, going to be out of the box. It’s going to be the best one, I hope…Well, I would say that, but I really do feel that, and I feel this is going to be very different.
"This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He’s kind of dark… But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure."

"Kick-Ass 2" Greenlit. Strong DVD Sales Despite Weak Box Office Sales

MTV has the scoop on Kick-Ass sequel, Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall. In talking to the comic book creator, Mark Millar, MTV reports the sequel is greenlit. This is seriously awesome news.

The movie under-performed in theaters, and really, no one knows why. It could be comic book fatigue or it could be the excessive violence. Also, the comic book appealed to a much smaller audience than, say, Superman or Batman.

Nonetheless, the movie did great numbers on DVD and Blu-Ray, enough to motivate everyone involved to do a sequel.

Director of the first film, Matthew Vaughn, is off filming X-Men: First Class. Once that is wrapped up, it would be safe to bet he'd begin pre-production on the Kick-Ass sequel.

We'll let you know as the news is reported. The picture on the left is from the upcoming Balls to the Wall comic book! Can't wait to buy that as well.