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!

Due Date DVD review

DVD reviews give us a chance to review a movie that we may not have seen in theaters.  Or, we saw it in theaters and we were too lazy to review it.  Or, we want to give you all a heads up as to what cool extras are on the DVD or Blu-Ray. 

Due Date is directed by Todd Phillips who's helped create such hits as Old School and The Hangover.  It stars the amazing Robert Downey Jr. and 'Hangover' breakout star, Zach Galifianakis. 

Downey is about to be a father, but is on the opposite side of the country, and needs to get to his wife.  Due to hilarious events, he can't fly, so he MUST take a road trip with Galifianakis, an aspiring actor.  Hilarity ensues as they start their road trip across country with a little dog, no money and a ton of funny situations.  I'm gonna start.

What I liked about the film:
It's Simplicity

This film is very simple and very straight forward.  Two guys who have nothing in common, who are very different from each other, are forced to drive cross country.  There is some physical comedy but for the most part, it's grounded in reality.  I'm starting to mention that more and more in my reviews because I'm realizing it's a vital part of my movie-going experience.  If I can't relate, it doesn't equate.  Sorry, I had a Johnnie Cochran moment.

The Cast

Downey is one of my favorite actors, and Galifianakis is right there.  The two play such contradictory characters, they're bound to clash from time to time.  They play off each other like a game of ping pong.  Downey is great as a stuffed shirt, always serious, business man.

Galifianakis basically plays a variation of his character in 'Hangover', but it's still different enough for it to be fresh.  That's why it's not a "dislike" on my review.  He has a few emotional scenes in the film that gave me a whole new perspective on him as an actor, kudos for showing some range.

The supporting cast is great, including one of my favorites, Danny McBride, also Michelle Monaghan and Jaime Foxx.  Good stuff.

Director
Todd Phillips just has a knack for these comedies.  If you look at his work, he always has a terrific cast and supporting cast to carry the film.  His movies all have that "it could happen" feel, as well as relateable characters.  He also knows how important timing is when it comes to comedy.  The jokes and execution are perfect.  Nicely done, again.


What I didn't like about the film:
Sub Plot

Without giving too much away, there is a sub plot in the film that doesn't really ever go anywhere.  It involves Monaghan and Foxx's characters and it felt so stupid and a complete filler.  It's not enough to write off the movie or anything, its just one aspect that didn't work.


The Blu-Ray:
A Let Down
There aren't too many features to jump up and down for.  Also, it's important to note that if you want any features at all, you'll have to shell out $24.99 for the Blu-Ray/DVD combo.  The single Blu-Ray and single DVD don't have any features at all.  The combo has the complete "Two and a half Men" scene that is mentioned throughout the film.  It has a few mash-ups featuring scenes already in the film.  A short featurette about Galifianakis' character and a gag reel.  That's it. 

The Verdict:
Buy the DVD
The film is great in my opinion.  The actors, the story, the direction are all great.  The movie is a definite buy in my book.  But I would go with the DVD.  There are no scenes that require 1080p visuals, and the features fall flat on the expensive Blu-Ray combo.  Get the good 'ol regular DVD for $13.99 on Amazon.com.  Great price for a new release.  Enjoy!

Thor trailer #2, action packed!

Check out the second trailer to this Summer's Thor.  There is a ton of action and a lot more scenes between Thor and Odin.  There is also a lot more Natalie Portman in this trailer, I'm assuming its because of all the Oscar buzz she's receiving of late.  Enjoy!

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. 

New Spider-Man picture and an official title

This is a hi-res photo, click to enlarge

Introducing Spider-Man.  What an awesome picture.  A few weeks ago the first official photo was released of Andrew Garfield as the teenage super hero.  This is a much better look.  The reboot by Marc Webb is appropriately titled, The Amazing Spider-Man.  They're really trying to separate this film from the Sam Raimi trilogy aren't they?  I'm ok with that.  I always thought that trilogy was too campy, but seriously did a lot to change the game of superhero comic book movies.  I also love that they went away from the organic web shooters and went for artificial, just like the comics.  What do you think?!

Take Me Home Tonight review

From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew.  I knew I wanted to see this film.  Take Me Home Tonight, the story of four friends and their wild night.  So I got on a list for an early screening and did just that.  The movie apparently has a back story as well.  It was shot four years ago!  And is just now being released.  After watching the movie, I think it's nuts the studio waited this long, let's begin!

What I liked about the film:
The Story
If you saw the trailer, you're thinking to yourself, "what kind of story could this film possibly have".  You'd be surprised.  It's a great story with a real growth of some sort to all of our main characters.  For the most part, every character has a reason for doing what they do.  And along with story, there is a lot of heart, that's because of the actors involved.  Which leads me to my next "like".

Actors

I never was religious about "That 70's Show".  I mean, I know it has spawned some decent careers, but I wasn't a real fan.  Topher Grace is someone that I've only really seen in Spider-Man 3 and a cameo in Ocean's 11.  Simply using Spider-Man 3 as an indicator of talent wouldn't be fair, that movie was God awful and it wasn't his fault.  Ocean's 11 on the other hand was a pre-cursor to his comedic timing.  In Take Me... Grace is really smart guy that kind find his way in life.  He went to MIT and has never lived up to his expectations.  Scared to make the jump from school to career, he's working at a dead-end job at a video store.

His best friend is played by Dan Fogler.  The lovable loser who is Grace's opposite.  He opted for a career in luxury car sales, rather than going to college.  Fogler is pretty much the same character he always plays, but it works.  He screams his lines a bit too much for me, but trust me, overall, he's great in this film.

Grace has a twin sister played by Anna Faris.  As smart as Grace is, and a lot going for her, she's about to marry a loser who has no aspirations in life.  She's great in what little screen time she has.  I like Faris a lot and think she's a very versatile actress. 

Then there's the prom queen that Grace has longed for since Junior High, played by Teresa Palmer.  You may remember Palmer from the decent Bedtime Stories, or the terrible The Sorcerer's Apprentice.   Forget those two films, she is MONEY in this film.  Beautiful, smart, successful, conflicted, she plays her part perfectly.  I was pleasantly surprised to see her do so well.  I assumed they cast a pretty face and hoped for the best, not the case, she's great.

There are a few cameos I don't want to spoil, but check out Michelle Trachtenberg and Demetri Martin are PHENOMENAL!  Martin plays quite possibly one of the funniest characters I've ever seen.  I mean that!

The Relationships

The movie is mostly grounded in reality, with the exception of a few situations.  I found it to be easier to relate to than say the American Pie films.  The reason for this are the relationships.  Grace and Faris' relationship.  It's twins; they fight with each other, they love each other, they push each other to do more, etc.  It was very nice to see this. 

The relationship between Grace and Fogler is an important one as well.  They too want more for each other.  They're very different, yet loyal to one another.  This is true in all of our lives.  We have friends that went down very different paths than us, but we remain close.  Awesome depiction between these two contradictory characters.

Lastly, the relationship between Grace and Palmer.  I love what they did with the story (maybe because it closely resembles my life more than I'd like to admit).  Palmer's character definitely grows throughout the film.  She reveals to Grace that if he asked her out in High School, she most likely would have turned him down, and now things are different.  How true to life is this?  Very, I think.  In High School it's all materialistic and superficial relationships.  Once we find ourselves are we better able to find our counterparts.  I loved how delicately they wove this into the story. 

The Music
Yeah, I said the music.  There are films that overdo it.  Directors try to use the music to state the obvious, "THE MOVIE TAKES PLACE IN THE 80'S"!  We get it.  But that does not happen here.  Director Michael Dowse and Jeff Carson (who has worked on numerous films), nailed it.  My wife and I were dancing along to all the popular oldies.  Again, never going overboard and taking over the film.

What I didn't like about the film:
The Outrageous
As I mentioned before, most of the film is based in reality.  It's only when it veers towards the outrageous does the movie start to slip.  I understand why directors feel the need to do this, but disagree with it.  It is a physical comedy in a sense, and Fogler is mostly known for his physical comedy skills, so I understand it.  But take out the outrageous and it's still a "that could happen to me" film.

The Verdict:
WHY DID THEY WAIT SO LONG!
I loved this film.  I was laughing the whole time.  I'm telling you, I am more than willing to go see it again (even if I have to pay for it).  It's that good.  I hope you all give it a shot.  I haven't read any other reviews, but if I was to submit to the various websites, I'd give it a 8/10.  Just a great comedy.  And Topher Grace, you have made a fan out of me.