The Lego Batman Movie

The Lego Movie was a film that I absolutely loved when it first came out and it has kept growing on me ever since, so much so that I would rate it as one of my favourite animated films. And who would have thought it, Lego!? So now they’ve spun off one of the characters, Batman, in his own solo film. Which means that nerds like me can have two slices of cake with this one!

There are three great things about The Lego Batman Movie; one is that it’s a great placeholder whilst we wait for the sequel to The Lego Movie. It keeps in tone with its predecessor, delivering a nice story with strong family themes and is filled to the brim with stupid yet very funny gags. And this one barely takes a moment to breathe with the jokes, they just keep on coming, it’s like Airplane! where there are jokes going on everywhere, this film is going to be rewarding when it comes out on DVD and you’ll be able to pause it and check out all the visual gags that have passed you by.

Two is that it’s a great critique and ribbing of the history and mythology of the character. You can tell there’s a lot of love for the character but at the same time they do not hold their punches when it comes to making fun of him. It’s pretty much a spoof movie of Batman in popular culture, making fun of his dark and brooding ways, his villains (including Superman) and his weird phase in the 60’s… Some of the jokes are made for avid comic book fans and general audiences will find that some of those might go straight over their heads. Chris McKay, the director and the everybody else involved clearly know the range of their audience very well.

Three is that it’s a good Batman story! Seriously, when this film starts it gathers some of Batman’s most notorious villains (and some of his not so well known) and has them take over Gotham City, with Batman the only one able to stop them. I can only imagine a live action Batman movie starting in that way, so for now I’m happy that I’ve been able to see the Lego version of that. Now I’m not saying that this is among some of the best Batman story’s out there, it’s probably one of the more family friendly ones but we’re not talking about the new The Dark Knight here. The voice cast is absolutely great as well, with the stand out for me being Michael Cera as Robin.

With this film, the Lego is more of an animation style rather than something that is part of the story, for the most part anyway. This isn’t a bad thing but because it’s shot like a film, it meant that at times it suffered from the Transformers effect, where the action on screen is very hard to follow because it’s literally blocks smashing against blocks. There are some very nice camerawork and angles involved but it sometimes suffered with pretty crazy action scenes.

It works as a Lego movie, it works as a Batman movie and it works as a spoof movie. That’s pretty good going, you’re going to have a fun time at the cinema if those three things flick your switch. There’s heart to it but personally I do wish they could have slowed down a bit more often to let it sink in because it never hits you the way The Lego Movie did. It’s a fun spin off but I do hope that future Lego films are able to capture the smartness, enjoyment and emotion of the original film more so than this one did. I’m rating The Lego Batman Movie a 3.5/5. Good geeky fun.

What did you think of the film? Better that The Lego Movie or worse? Let me know in the comments below?

Thanks for reading!

The Post 9/11 Captain America

Last year, one of my last projects at University was to write a Dissertation on a subject in Film. I decided to write about the effect 9/11 had on superhero films, the official title being 'With Great Powers Comes Great Responsibility: Approaching and Reflecting 9/11 in Superhero Films'. (Yes I am a massive nerd.) One of the chapters in my dissertation was a study on 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' where I analysed it and compared it to a previous post 9/11 themed superhero film, 'The Dark Knight'. As we are mere days away from the release of 'Civil War' I thought it would be interesting post this chapter on my blog for you guys to see. Now remember, this was written a year ago and it is just one section of a larger piece of work however, it should be an enjoyable read by itself. It isn't perfect, academic writing wasn't always my strongest suit and if you read it all the way through you will see some of my own personal fanboy opinion seep through the cracks. It's something different and for those of you who do read it all, thank you and I hope you enjoy it! 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows Steve Rogers - a superhero named Captain America from 1940’s who was frozen and then defrosted in the present day - as he adjusts to modern day living whilst working for a government agency whose ideals do not fully match up with his own. The film looks at the ideologies of the world security company S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), whose defences have had to be reassessed after realising the world is a lot bigger than they thought and now have to deal with the possibility of an extra-terrestrial attack after the events of the previous film in the franchise, Avengers Assemble. As with Man of Steel, the people of Earth in the Marvel universe have had a recent attack from a different life form, which has changed their world and their views forever. In their world, super powered people exist and what was once mythology and legend with the likes of Thor and his kind, are now a reality that they must accept. They have had their 9/11 like event and must now deal with the aftermath. The Winter Soldier does this in a way that sums up the main question raised post 9/11, should society sacrifice its freedom for security? The security company S.H.I.E.L.D propose a plan to use a computer algorithm that determines a person’s background and to have them eliminated if they pose a threat to society, even before they commit a crime.

It just so happens that S.H.I.E.L.D has been infiltrated by an old German Nazi division named Hydra, who believe that eliminating all these threats will be the way forward for a better society, but under their control.  Although this is a film with a heightened sense of reality, it is one that very much offers a critical response to the types of security innovations, which have started coming up in Western society post 9/11. Innovations such as the increase in CCTV cameras, the approval of the government to listen in to our conversations and also the ability track our whereabouts through our mobile devices. After Edward Snowden released documents to the press, it was found that the American government could even do some of these acts without a warrant, as reported by The Guardian: ‘The National Security Agency has a secret backdoor into its vast databases under a legal authority enabling it to search for US citizens’ email and phone calls without a warrant,’ (BALL & ACKERMAN, 2013).

            Captain America is a hero who is out of his own time. After crashing into an icy landscape during World War Two, he is discovered frozen, brought back to life and introduced back into modern time. His ideals are old fashioned, what some would refer to ‘the good old days’ when it was believed there were clear distinction between good and evil with no grey area, though his are even more heightened due to his sense of morality and his character being enforced as the epitome of good and what is right by the writers. This is represented in the first film Captain America: The First Avenger (JOHNSTON 2011) when he is asked ‘Do you want to kill Nazis?’ and replies ‘I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t like bullies; I don’t care where they’re from.’ In the sequel, after S.H.I.E.L.D lets Captain America know what they have in store with their plans, assessing who could be a threat and taking them out before they commit a crime,  he replies ‘I thought the punishment usually comes after the crime?’ He represents the side of the argument which feels that freedom should not be sacrificed for our security, should Western society be taking out possible threats before they have actually committed crime, is this not infringing on their freedom to make a different a more moral decision. As Captain Americas states in the films; ‘This isn’t freedom, this is fear.’

This is not the first post 9/11 film to represent this argument. In 2005, Christopher Nolan released his gritty and grounded in realism version of Batman with Batman Begins (Nolan 2005). This new and contemporary adaptation of the Batman story, saw the hero training with the Middle Eastern terrorist organisation ‘The League of Shadows’, before leaving and then having to fight off their leader, Ra’s al Ghul, who attempts to poison Gotham’s city’s water supply in order to cleanse the city of its scum and in turn, its crime. An ideology that’s not too dissimilar from Batman’s own of stopping crime but with a more brutal and lethal approach that does not go with Batman’s moralistic stance. Batman’s ideology is similar to the way Captain America would not hesitate to stop the bad guys but not at the cost of his country’s freedom. Like Batman, Captain America uses violent techniques to subdue his enemies. In one of the opening action sequences of The Winter Soldier, the Captain jumps aboard a hijacked ship before stealthily killing the criminals who have taken his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D colleagues prisoner. This kind of brutality shows that Steve Rogers is someone who will do what it takes to protect his country and its values; he has a different moralistic stance to Batman who does not kill under any circumstance, even for his country or for Gotham, but instead does whatever it takes to apprehend the threat. Superman is much like Batman in the sense that he does not want to kill - although he is pushed to do so in Man of Steel – In the comic his values are more like Captain America’s; ‘Superman represents not only an ideal of transcendent moral and physical perfection, but also a harmonious and ordered universe with clear distinctions between right and wrong.’ (HASSLER-FOREST, 2012: 38).

In the second instalment of the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight, our hero must face the embodiment of post 9/11 fear, The Joker, a terrorist who has no other apparent motive but to cause chaos. His only goal is to push Batman so far as to make him kill him. Only then will The Joker feel he has won. In many ways, The Joker embodies terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda who launch their attacks in order to get a response and retaliation from the Western world, which would then turn more people against the West. John Ip says ‘The Joker himself presents as a terrorist figure who intimidates, threatens and inflicts violence and mayhem upon a civilian population in furtherance of his anarchic ideological purpose.’ (2011). The Dark Knight is very obvious in its political portrayal of a world post 9/11 and a lot of the imagery used in the film complements the themes, as discussed by Will Brooker:

The explicit description of Joker as a terrorist, and visual motifs such as the poster’s image of a burning skyscraper and the slow camera glide into the side of a building, punctuated by an explosion, that starts the film (2012: 200).

Unlike The Joker who represents fear and destruction. John Ip believes that Batman himself, throughout The Dark Knight, offers a commentary on the Bush administration after the events of 9/11, most particularly in a scene where Batman tortures The Joker in order to get information out of him. However, Ip argues that the ineffectiveness of the torture itself does not endorse the administration but instead criticises it:

The Bush Administration’s authorization of the use of torture and coercion during the war on terrorism, despite legal prohibitions both at the domestic and international level was perhaps the starkest indicator of the paradigm shift that occurred after 9/11... The Dark Knight’s depiction of the effectiveness of torture and coercive interrogation is therefore sceptical: at no point does it lead to the divulging of any useful information. Therefore the film is plainly not an endorsement of the Bush Administrations war on terror. Indeed, it is better seen as a critique (2011).

            As explicitly as his name suggests, Captain America is the symbol of the American way for a global audience to witness. Jason Dittmer argues this point and that Captain America represents nationalism at its finest:

Significant to this role is Captain America’s ability to connect the political projects of American nationalism, internal order, and foreign policy (all formulated at the national or global scale) with the scale of the individual, or the body. The character of Captain America connects these scales by literally embodying American identity, presenting for readers a hero both of, and for, the nation. (2005)

Dittmer goes on to argue, that characters like Captain America and other influential pop culture heroes, take events from our society and create ‘geopolitical’ scripts surrounding them, that; ‘mold common perceptions of political events, [to create a] key to a full understanding of both national identities [both American and foreign]’ (2005). This comes relates to Adorno and Horkeimer’s ‘Culture Industry’ theory, that films and other pop culture are no longer works of art, but cogs in a machine to throw out the ideologies of its creators to mass audiences in order to shape their understanding. Marvel Studios are a household name now, and though their comics have only reached a limited amount of people, their films have had global success (Box Office Mojo). Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a political piece; it’s addressing what it means to be a patriotic citizen of the U.S.A in a time when the country’s values and freedoms are being redesigned under the pretext of improving security but at the expense of freedom, after such events as 9/11. The heroes of the film are the people who stand up and oppose Hydra’s ideology, not just the spy agents of the company but the small everyday manual workers, even though the consequence of this may mean death. This is shown in one scene where a S.H.I.E.L.D operator has a gun held at his head by a Hydra agent, demanding him to start the algorithm that will decide who poses a threat to society and then kill them. Even with a gun held to his head, this worker refuses, knowing that he will be shot, because he believes in Captain America and the American way, he says ‘I’m not going to launch those ships, Captain’s orders.’.

            As in Man of Steel, there is also 9/11 like destruction in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This destruction comes in the form of three Hellicarriers – similar to flying versions of aircraft landing ships – that crash over Washington, two into each other before falling into the sea, and one straight into a building. Unlike Man of Steel, this destruction has purpose; it’s the only way that Captain America and his allies can stop a lot more people being killed. It is also a representation of the downfall of a terrorist ideology that has infiltrated American security company S.H.IE.L.D. The Hellicarrier that crashes into the building, crashes into the main headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D, the organisation that has been hijacked, that was the main defence in global security. As with 9/11, this event shakes the world, without this security who will protect the world from threats beyond the Earth’s arsenal? Man of Steel uses destruction as a spectacle and even though in The Winter Soldier it is also something which looks great on the big screen, the special effects are on a smaller scale and characters relationships are the moving force of the action rather than big explosions, they are used as a means to an end. The people involved have been explored, from the S.H.I.E.L.D workers who have had their friends and colleagues turn on them, to the Winter Soldier himself, an old friend of Steve’s brainwashed into carrying out Hydra’s demands, to main villain, Alexander Pierce the conductor of the event, so convinced by his own ideologies that he sees no other way to save the world. The film shows random workers stand up for their country, they are not merely cannon fodder but innocents trapped by Hydra. Most get out, but for those who don’t, the audience is moved by their situation, there are real perils at stake when it comes to watching the destruction play out on screen.

            As discussed in the first chapter, Captain America has always been a piece of propaganda, from his first issue to his latest; he has always worn the flag as his costume in one form or another. It can be argued that, in The Winter Soldier, he is not as blatant a piece of propaganda. His costume is less bright, no longer wearing the colours of the flag, this could represent how America has lost its way and doesn’t stand for what it should anymore. He is faced with many obstacles throughout the film, but none of them deter him from being any different a person by the end of the film. He has no character arc and other than he cannot be changed, and that is what makes Captain America special. Even though his views are old fashioned, and this gets in the way of him dealing with 21^st century life, this also means he offers a historical perspective on the war on terror, one that sees his country’s freedom being sacrificed, and this is not okay with him. The directors discuss how they made a conscious decision to make this an integral part of the film:

We were all reading the articles that were coming out questioning drone strikes, pre-emptive strikes, civil liberties—Obama talking about who they would kill, y'know? We wanted to put all of that into the film because it would be a contrast to Cap's greatest-generation [way of thinking]. (RUSSO, 2014)

The Winter Soldier is not your standard superhero film; in fact it is more a political thriller than anything else. It is about change and what is the right and moral thing to do during that change. Many things changed whilst Captain America was frozen, but he still sees a society of good people who have been through a lot. He symbolises a time when his countries values were considered at their best and America truly was fighting the good fight against evil, his character being in the present day and struggling to deal with fact that this has changed represents that America is no longer good and walks the line between good and bad. This is what he stands up for, to keep society level headed like it was 1940’s. This may mean that he stands for a Western society that makes him a form of propaganda, but that does not mean that he is necessarily a negative piece of propaganda. Because he stands for good and what is right, he is a good character that we should all aspire to be like, he wears the American flag as his costume because that’s what he wore in the 1940’s, his change from a dark blue and then back to his classic costume by the end of The Winter Soldier shows that he is not happy with the change in society during his time away and that things should revert back to his generations way of thinking.

Bibliography

ADORNO, Theodor W. and HORKHEIMER, Max. 1944. Dialectic of Enlightenment. New York: Social Studies Association Inc.

BALL, James and ACKERMAN, Spencer. 2013. ‘NSA loophole allows warrantless search for US citizens’ emails and phone calls’ The Guardian. [online] Available at <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/nsa-loophole-warrantless-searches-email-calls> [accessed 15^th April 2015].

BOX OFFICE MOJO. 2015. Marvel Cinematic Universe. Box Office Mojo [online]. Available at: <http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=avengers.htm > [accessed 11^th May 2015].

BROOKER, Will. 2012. Hunting the Dark Knight: Twenty-First Century Batman.  London: I.B Tauris & Co.

DITTMER, Jason. 2005.  ‘Captain America's Empire: Reflections on Identity, Popular Culture, and Post-9/11 Geopolitics’ in Annals of the Association of American Geographers. [online] 95(3). Available through: Falmouth University Library Website <http://library.fxplus.ac.uk/ > [accessed on 10^th March 2015].

HASSLER-FOREST, Dan. 2012. Capitalist Superheroes: Caped Crusaders in the Neoliberal Age. Croydon: Zero Books.

RUSSO, Anthony. 2014. ‘Soldier showdown: Joe and Anthony Russo take the helm of Captain America franchise’ in Film Journal. [online] Available at: <http://www.filmjournal.com/content/soldier-showdown-joe-and-anthony-russo-take-helm-%E2%80%98captain-america%E2%80%99-franchise> [accessed on 2^nd May 2015].

Filmography

JOHNSTON, Joe. 2011. Captain America: The First Avenger [Film].

NOLAN, Christopher. 2005. Batman Begins [Film].

NOLAN, Christopher. 2008. The Dark Knight [Film].

PYUN, Albert. 1990. Captain America [Film].

RUSSO, Joe and Anthony. 2014. Captain America: The Winter Soldier [Film].

SNYDER, Zack. 2013. Man of Steel [Film].

If you made it this far then well done! I hope you enjoyed this post and if you did let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman and Superman in a film together, what could go wrong? Well, a lot actually...

I went in with low expectations for this film, not just because of the critical backlash towards it, but also because I've never been a big fan of Zack Snyder's style of filmmaking, he's very much a style over substance kind of guy. I went in hoping to be entertained but I didn't even come out feeling that. I left the cinema just feeling a bit let down, this wasn't the Batman V Superman film I wanted to see. Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE thoughts on why that was.

The basic plot of the story goes like this, 'Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the man of steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of hero it really needs.' This is just a small amount of what the film is about, they also cram a whole lot more into it as well! And I use the word 'crammed' because this really feels like a bloated film that tries to rush its own world building for future outings. Elegance and subtlety are left on the cutting room floor.

I'm cool with seeing a 'different' kind of superhero film, I'm open to that and I can dig the kind of tone that Batman V Superman is trying to achieve, however it falls on its face a lot when trying to be 'grounded' and 'realistic' because the reasoning for everything that happens in this film is so weak. Batman should be dark and broody, but should Superman be the exact same way as well? Superman is the idealistic caricature of what a 'hero' should be, in a film about a man fighting a god the two characters should be polar opposites, but Superman is just as dark and broody as Batman! And you can tell Zack Snyder hates Superman because he isn't given anything to do in this film, whenever he appears he's just questioning his own existence, it's so boring. Superman should only have cared about saving people; he's the type of guy who has to get involved because he has the most power to do good, he shouldn’t care how people perceive him. Batman should just be wary of him, not hate him. When they actually fight, I spent the whole time thinking 'why are you fighting, you are two smart guys and you could just talk it out, but instead you just have to punch each other’? It didn't work for me. I wanted to feel goosebumps, I wanted to have a massive grin on my face when they met but I didn't, it left me feeling cold, these aren't the characters I know and love from the comics.

I was digging the opening of this film, it was cool and it looked great and then this weird thing happened, it felt like the editor gave up and put the system on autopilot. Here's a Batman scene, here's a Superman scene, here's a Lex Luthor scene, here's a Lois Lane scene... You never spend a large amount of time with anyone to care about them; it was like watching a soap opera where the producers think that audiences only have a two minute attention span per scene. The only scenes I liked were the ones with Batman and Lex Luthor. Batman because Ben Affleck does a brilliant job of bringing Bruce Wayne to life, whenever he was being Batman-like, it was awesome, but whenever he was written out of character it just didn't work. Lex Luthor I liked because Jesse Eisenberg was a breath of fresh air in the film (I'm surprised at this as well...), I'm not saying he was amazing but his take was a lot more interesting than the stone-cold faces of your two main characters. If Wonder Woman did more in this film I'm sure I would have liked her more as well.

I liked Man of Steel, I didn't love it but I think it still has some very cool scenes; I had some fun with it. All I can think of when leaving Batman V Superman is that I wanted something more. I wanted more Batman. I want to see a Batman film set in this world with less killing. I want more Superman but under the helm of a writer and director who understands the character. I want more from this world, from anybody but Zack Snyder because it has so much potential that’s unapologetically wasted. This film gives you so many interesting questions about what Superman's existence means to the world and never answers one of them. There was no outcome or point to this film. There's a lot of interesting stuff ready to be explored but it was cast out for shoehorning in sequels and mind numbing CGI punching.

I'm disappointed, more than I thought I would be. There's a lot of fat on this film that needs to be trimmed and action sequences that need to be spread throughout the film instead of leaving it all for the final act because I just got tired of it quick.

There is an interesting world here which I look forward to seeing other people take the reins of. Batman V Superman is not the kind of film I want from this world, it didn't work, and I wasn't entertained in the slightest which is crazy when this film is about two staples of pop culture battling it out. I'm giving Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice a 1.5/5.

I preferred Man of Steel.

Let me know what you thought of this film? It's been very divisive so far! Tell me what you think in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Batfleck

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last month then you've probably heard that Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman for the sequel to Man of Steel. The team up sequel film was announced last month at Comic Con and since then nearly every male actor in Hollywood has been rumoured to don the cape and cowl. Every actor apart from Affleck who came as a bit of a surprise to everyone I think. As the whole of the internet is is giving their opinions on the Batfleck I thought I would put mine across too.

Ben Affleck is a good actor and an even better director. He may have been in quite a few crappy movies but he is at the top of his game right now and could definitely pull this off. That isn't to say i'm not sceptical as when I first heard the news I found it pretty surprising and couldn't at first picture him as Batman in this new DC cinematic universe. I, like many people wanted Christian Bale to comeback but i knew deep down that this would never happen as his version of Batman couldn't stand up to Superman and I didn't really want Warner Brothers to tarnish the Nolan trilogy. Affleck is a brave choice for the studio as he was very well hated not that long ago, but now he is an oscar winning director and his most recent films that he has starred in are awesome and he does not let himself down in them. This is a great relationship for the studio and actor to have as now we could see Affleck directing possible solo Batman films and the ultimate goal from the new cinematic universe; a Justice League movie.

Daredevil was a long time ago and it was the bad script that ruined that film. Affleck has been a massive Batman and comic book fan since an early age and it seems that when you hire a fanboy you can expect good results as they truly understand the character or characters in the case of Joss Whedon. We as an audience have hated certain casting decisions before such as Heath Ledger as the Joker and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk and look how good they turned out to be!

I am more and more liking the idea of Batfleck even though I wanted Idris Elba to be the surprise choice from Warner Brothers. Controversial I know but just think about it... Awesome, right? Anyway we're stuck with Affleck so we might as well deal with it and hope the guy blows us away as the best Batman yet. Just think about it, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, it truly will be the hottest film of 2015. If it sucks then we can moan but for now I say good luck Ben Affleck, tough crowd out there so you sure are going to need it!

Oh and these rumours that Bryan Cranston will be playing Lex Luthor, hell yes to that! If not just cast him Commissioner Gordon.

What do you think of Batfleck. Good or bad decision? Bitch and moan in the comments below!

Thanks for reading.

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #4

Amazing new from Comic Con including a Batman & Superman movie (YEAH!), and a  Catching Fire and Arrow season 2 trailer!

Best news first! Warner Brothers announced today that a Superman and Batman team up film is in production awaiting a release for 2015! This is amazing news and could be what heads up a Justice League film reported for a 2017 release just after a film for The Flash in 2016. Kind of nerding out right now! Man of Steel cast members are set to return with a new adaptation of Batman. In a year full of Star Wars and Avengers sequels could 2015 be the best year for us nerds ever? Here's a look at the logo for the newly announced film.

Here's the new trailer for The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire.


Looks promising but knowing that the second book is the weaker of three I am still sceptical about the sequel. As much as some of this looks great it still loos very CGI heavy compared to the first film. We will have to see with this one, I just hope that I am proven wrong.

Here's the trailer for Arrow season 2.

Although  a lot of the footage is from the first season, this trailer still looks pretty good. Arrow had it's ups and downs but its final episode really embraced the superhero genre and made for some incredible TV. I hope the second season follows on from this as the show is a lot of fun.

Some great news for DC fans right now, check back later for more SDCC news!

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #2

So here's some more thoughts from myself on some of the news straight out of Comic Con. This time looking at news from X-Men Days of Future Past, Sherlock, Batman Arkham Origins and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

So people at the convention were treated to a surprise from the upcoming X-Men Days of Future Past. The reveal was a look at the head of a Sentinel, one of the X-Men's greatest foes that will feature in the new film. Take a look at the pictures here:

Now in the comics the Sentinels are massive, so I am hoping this is just a scaled down model of the real thing. Either way it's looking pretty cool! We were also treated to the first official photos from the film that include some pretty awesome costumes!

Now in the widely popular BBC show made its way to Comic Con but unfortunately the two main stars weren't there to answer questions, instead they pre-recorded quite a comedic video which you can check out by clicking on this link: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/18/sherlock-comic-con-benedict-cumberbatch/

Now for some gaming new, villain Copperhead has been revealed as a villain in the new Batman game Arkham Origins. Check out the trailer below:

Although there is no more gameplay footage in this one, it still looks pretty cool. However I am still unsure as to whether this game can stand up against the two previous games. Only time will tell.

Now for some more Spider-Man news. Although the panel hasn't been yet, Marc Webb still let the world in on a few tidbits of information including the composer for the film. The composer will apparently be Hans Zimmer! The man behind the incredible Dark Knight and Man of Steel soundtracks. I for one am very happy with this news! Webb also told us that we will get a trailer in the panel although it won't show Paul Giamatti's full suited Rhino as the VFX aren't ready yet. 

 Check back in later for more of my thoughts on the latest news from SDCC! 

Dredd 3D

I would like to begin my review of Dredd 3D by saying I have never read 2000 AD comic books, so therefore I can not tell you how close this film is to its source material. I do know some basic facts about Judge Dredd and so I can confirm that he does not take his helmet off in the film. I can also confirm that the latest adaption of the comic book anti hero is totally bad ass! Read my SPOILER FREE review to find out why!

'The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One - a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge - a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of "Slo-Mo" experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.' The story is pretty cool and once Dredd and his trainee Judge, Anderson are locked in a 200 story slum the story really kicks off. The premise has been compared to that of The Raid Redemption, a film I have yet to see, so I will have to wait to find out if the comparisons are correct. It is also great to see that this is not an origin story and yet we still get to know who the character is by the time the credits role. So you can do it Hollywood, it's been proven!

The film looks great and the acting is perfect. It is obvious that Karl Urban put a lot of dedication into his character and after hearing various interviews with him it sounds as if Dredd 3D was definitely his and the director Pete Travis's baby. Now their baby is all grown up and kicking all kinds of ass in a film that is deserving of its 18 certificate. This is definitely a comic book movie for adults as blood is spilt in all kinds of cool ways. That being said isn't a complete gore fest and is a lot more dark and gritty then most comic book movies but a little bit more light hearted then the recent Batman films. Karl Urban plays Dredd brilliantly even though it's his awesome chin that does most of the work.

Dredd is an anti-hero and this is not shyed away from in the film. Dredd is hard faced and emotionless but this is all part of his character, his 'sidekick' Anderson on the other hand is not so much. She brings more connection to Dredd as she is more human. That being said she is actually a psychic mutant. Olivia Thrilby does a great job of keeping this film from becoming too stupid and she also kicks a lot of ass too. That's the great thing about this film is that the women are not the damsels in distress or the love interests,  they can handle themselves just fine. Or they can be down right evil like the main villain Ma Ma, played by Lena Heady, yes the horrible Cersei from Game Of Thrones. Who is just as evil in this film, or at least it's said she is, i would have possibly liked to see her have some more bad ass moments as she was a terrific villain.

The coolest thing about this movie though, was the use of the drug slo-mo, which was mainly an excuse to have some extremely awesome 3D moments but damn it worked so well! Yes you read right, the 3D was awesome! When 3D is done right it can really work and it did here. For once the 3D added to the experience rather then taking away and I suggest everybody see it in this format as it probably won't be as cool without it. It had a kinda of Matrix feel in places whilst seeing people getting shot in the head in slow motion, in 3D! Like I said at the start, it is badass!

The film was shot in South Africa on practical sets which really pay off. When there is CGI it is always good with only a few shots looking less then that . But all together the film looks great and I can't wait to see more of Mega City One if a sequel gets a green light. If this does happen I hope they keep Paul Leonard-Morgan as the composer, because his soundtrack is all kinds of techno awesome!

After seeing this, all I want to do is see more of Judge Dredd! The film is great and very violent so it might not be to everyones taste, but if you like that kind of thing then definitely give it a go! And if you can watch it in 3D, which for me was the only format I could, then I strongly advise it as it is the best use of the third dimension this year! I'm giving Dredd 3D a rating of 4/5.

What did you think of Dredd 3D, hit or miss? Please comment below!

Thanks for reading!

The Dark Knight Rises

It's been too long. 8 years too long since Gotham has seen Batman and 10 days too long for me to see The Dark Knight Rises, but I have seen it now and yes my mind was blown. Although most of you reading this have probably seen the film, for those who haven't this review is spoiler free.

'Eight years on after the events of The Dark Knight, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.' This plot is a vague outline of the film but like all Christopher Nolan films there is much more happening then you first think. Although this is a story about Batman and Bruce Wayne, a lot of time is given to the supporting characters as their arcs have a huge impact in the end. New supporting characters to the final instalment of The Dark Knight Trilogy include Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. Both proving essential to the plot and both being nothing but awesome.

A lot of people have been saying that Anne Hathaway steals the show but for me it is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who has a much larger part in the film then I first anticipated and as usual he gives an incredible performance. Anne Hathaway is still very good though. Although never referred to as Catwoman, her take on the character is the best yet, she is kick ass and gets most of the gags. All of the performances in the film were top notch as well. Christian Bale as usual gives a thrilling performance that brings Bruce Wayne's story full circle. Micheal Caine as Alfred is just perfect as is Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon.

Tom Hardy also plays a great villain. The Joker is out and this time Bane is in. Unlike previous villains, Bane is a physical challenge for Batman, bringing some awesome fight sequences that will make you hold your breath in agonising awe of the end result. That's the great thing about Nolan's Batman films, unlike other superhero films you don't know whether your hero will make it out of the film alive. Tom Hardy is just great and is really menacing in the role, no wonder all of Gotham is scared of him. The guy is the new Darth Vader but with a foreign accent and less breathing problems. I also had no problem with hearing the lines as was previously feared from early footage. Even Batman's voice was slightly toned down making it less laughable.

The film still has a serious tone and theme that the previous films had but this still has quite a few laughs and feels a lot more like a comic book movie then The Dark Knight did, not completely though. This still is a long way off the tone of The Avengers which makes comparing them very hard as both feel completely different. You could even argue that this wasn't even a superhero movie as we don't even see Batman for the middle section of the film, emphasising the fact that this is Bruce Wayne's story. If this wasn't a Batman film it would still be as good!

As usual, Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is spot on and really heightens emotions throughout the long film. A long film that never bores and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Although it was 10 minutes longer then The Dark Knight it definitely did not feel like it at all!

Being the final instalment of Christopher Nolan's trilogy the ending had to round off all the character stories he had created in the first two films and it certainly did this and more! The final act of the film for me was completely perfect and gave me goosebumps throughout and even a few tears to my eyes. An ending that was more then I could have hoped for as a farewell to a Batman that will go down in cinema history. It lives up to its hype and is one of the best films of the year so far. To me The Dark Knight is a fraction better but never the less The Dark Knight Rises is definitely a 5/5.

Thanks for reading!

P.S I am happy to announce that my blog in now a member of LAMB, The Large Association of Movie Blogs. I would like to say thank you to LAMB for accepting me and thank you to all those who are now reading this after being directed from the site, I hope you carry on reading all my posts to come!

Arising The Dark Knight

Most of the world is anticipating the release of The Dark Knight Rises this coming week and hopefully all expectations will be met! Those expectations are high though, especially after the masterpiece which was The Dark Knight, argued to be one of the best superhero movies ever made! The universe Christopher Nolan has created for Batman is a million miles away from other incredible films in the genre such as The Avengers. Batman deserves a decent send off and if anybody is going to do this threequel justice it is the same man that brought him into this new world. The man who hasn't made a bad film yet! In this post I am going back to the first two films and finding out what made them great and what will make the third greater. In Nolan we trust.

Batman Begins
I remember enjoying this film when I first watched it but because of the other colourful and campy superhero films out at the time it never stuck in my mind the way it does now. Maybe it was because I was younger and now that I am a bigger film fan I realise how awesome this movie is! Rewatching this makes me realise how special this version of the Batman is. Nolan takes the character who's previous incarnations had a wide range of being hit or miss. Best we forget nipple suited George Clooney, no matter how much I love that man!

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne was brilliant choice as he really throws himself into the role, as is expected from the method actor who bulked up to play the role. Other great casting includes Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy.

The great thing about this film was that it took Batman and brought him into a Gotham that was believable, even the Batmobile was created in real life and was originally being designed for the armed forces.

The scarecrow was a great villain and kept with the theme of fear and coming to terms with it. It is not a perfect film but not all origin stories are. It does take ages for Bruce to don the cape and cowl! Action is solid and most of the acting is too. A great film but unlike the next it is not perfect.

The Dark Knight
Now my first viewing of this film was completely different to how I viewed Batman Begins. The Dark Knight blew me away. I didn't know what to expect from this film but after the first viewing I couldn't wait to watch it all over again! The story, acting and film making is just spot on. This is one of my favourite films ever, I cannot describe how much I love it! I may not be as big a fan of the character of Batman as I am of Spider-Man but this film was just full on awesome!

Heath Ledger's performance is just incredible, his version of the Joker is now one of cinemas greatest and one of the best cinematic villains ever. Everything about this film is perfect, the only thing that is a bit off is Batman's voice which seems a bit over the top but will hopefully be toned down for the threequel.

Incredible.

The Dark Knight Rises

Well the wait is almost over. The final instalment in the Dark Knight Trilogy. This could be the highlight of Christopher Nolan's career and hopefully will be his best film yet! I trust Nolan even if I was bit iffy with his decision to include Catwoman in the mix. I'm confident Anne Hathaway will do an excellent job though. This time the villain is Bane played by Tom Hardy who is a brilliant actor and I can't wait to see what he does. A flying vehicle called the Bat has also been included and this promises to bring some exciting new action sequences. Trailers look awesome and the 13 minute featurette just blew me away. I love Nolan's work on using old school techniques in modern day blockbusters.

Unfortunately I won't be seeing this until I get back from my holiday late July. Which means my review may not be up until August. I am sure it will be worth waiting for!

So amped for this, best film of the year/ever? I blooming hope so! I wasn't looking forward to this as much as I am now at the start of the year as I was worried as to whether Nolan could pull it off or not, but... In Nolan we trust.

Although on holiday I do have a post ready to be released whilst I am away which contains reviews of two brilliant comedies, God Bless America and 21 Jump Street. So please keep an eye out for that on the 24th of July!

Thanks for reading!

What Would Travis Bickle Do?

The other day I was riding my bike to my girlfriends house. I was riding up a street, same as usual but there were two people standing on the pavement. A boy and a girl. As I rode past the boy spat at me and the girl called me a t**t. For no reason whatsoever! I did nothing, I just rode past. Secretly I wished I had worn my Spider-Man costume underneath my clothes so I could avenge myself. But unfortunately I didn't. Instead I was left angry and thinking, what would Travis Bickle do?

Martin Scorsese's big breakthrough character, Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. In my eyes Travis Bickle was Scorsese's version of Batman. The most realistic version of Batman there could be, even more then Christopher Nolan's version. His aim: To wipe the scum off the street of New York. Imagine if he was real. Imagine if he was today.

He would be disgusted and he would be angry, imagine what he would do to the two people who spat and swore at me? - Only imaginable in Martin Scorsese's mind! But what if he wasn't alone? What if he was with another American psycho Patrick Bateman.Only he is more messed up about wiping the scum off the street, or anyone in that case. But unlike Travis Bickle he has money. This is team up that can only be made in dreams. But if The Avengers movie is anything to go by studios may think up some pretty awesome team ups!?

Our society nowadays has become more and more divided economically and with the increase of superhero films it won't be long till some messed up person takes a stand against the higher powers or the people who need to be taught a lesson, like the two people I met!

Secretly I think everyone wants to take a stand but maybe not in the way Travis and Patrick did!

2012 - A Big Year For Movies

2012. Many people may associate this year as the end of the world, or if you live in the UK it is the year of the London Olympics. But for me this is the year for movie nerds everywhere! Next year is the year for cinema, will it finally get back on track with more people going to it? If the films that are coming out next year are anything to go by, then hopefully. Here are my top 10 anticipated films of 2012! And no The Dark Knight Rises is not first!:

10. Chronicle
Chronicle is a found footage film which actually looks different this year! As many of you know, I love superheroes and this film is about three boys who gain super powers. A found footage superhero movie, what more can I say?
9. War Horse
I am a big fan of the book which I read a couple of years ago, and if anyone could adapt it too the big screen it's Steven Spielberg! Even the author has commended it! I want to see this film!
8. Gangster Squad
I love period gangster dramas, and this one has Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone in it! I can't wait!
7. Prometheus
The Alien prequel or spin off film trailer was released last week and looks amnazing! Time to get the watch the Alien Box set I Think!
6. The Muppets
Unless your American this film has not come out yet! And I have to wait till February to see it! Painful but worth the wait by the sounds of it. I love the muppets!
5. The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Being a big fan of The Lord of The Rings trilogy how could I not be excited about this one! Love the idea of Peter Jackson upping the frames per second to create amazing 3D. The Trailer came out last week and it looks incredible!
4. The Hunger Games
As you already know I'm a a massive fan of the books and cannot wait to see them adapted for the big screen. I'm hoping it isn't too Twilight but by the looks of the trailer it looks amazing and quite emotional too.
3. The Dark Knight Rises
Who is not excited about this one? The trailer was amazing as suspected and in Nolan we trust!
2. The Avengers
I have been waiting for this film since the closing credits of Iron Man and cannot wait for this film to finally be here! With Joss Whedon on the directors chair this is certain to be one hell of a movie!
1. The Amazing Spider-Man
Yes it is the half man half spider who tops my list! Being a massive fan of the man in red I cannot wait for this film. Marc Webb is a brilliant director and Andrew Garfield is one of the greatest actors of our time. This is sure to amazing! They have gone a little bit darker and have added The Lizard to the mix, cannot wait! Lots of people hating this film because its telling the origin again or because they like Tobey Maguire, Personally Tobey was a great Peter Parker but unlike Andrew Garfield he is not Peter Parker!

And that concludes my top 10 most anticipated films of 2012. I hope you agree! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and I will blog my review of 2011 before 2012... hopefully!

Would You Like The Good News Or The Bad New First?

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I have had a lot of work to do recently, not that you guys care anyway I'm sure. But my hasn't there been a lot of news recently!

Good News
. The Dark Knight Rises prologue is supposed to be amazing!
. Posters for the new Batman and Spider-Man films have come out and also look amazing!
. Hugo is also supposed to be amazing! (need to see it soooooo badly!)
. First reviews of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo say it is mind blowing stuff!

Bad News
. American Psycho is being remade!?!?!?!?!
. So is Starship Troopers!
. Zac Efron looks like a terrible soldier in that new yucky romance film coming out next year.
. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is going to be an 18 so I am going to have to wait a month till I can see it!
. Battleship looks just as crap as expected, don't check out the awful trailer! (though the effects look ok)

So here are the two posters for two of the most anticipated movies next year. And no they were not produced by the same company! Even though it does look that way. a lot of people have been whining saying the Spider-Man is copying Batman's advertising but it did come out a day earlier and personally I prefer it as I am a bigger fan of the character and it was an unexpected twist in advertising. I suspected The Dark Knight Rises poster might have looked like that. Though don't check out the banners for The Amazing Spider-Man as they kind of make the advertising team look like they don't know what kind of film they are tyring to sell. Both awesome and both very hard decisions as to which one will be my iPod background?

Heres for the worst new I've heard in a while! AMERICAN PSYCHO IS BEING REMADE!?!?! WHY????? The first film was awesome and has massive cult following and nobody can play Bateman like Bale did! Not happy at all, i could go on forever but I told myself to keep this short.

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Love to all those who have read!

Superhero Leaks!

So the last couple of a days have been full of supposed 'leaks' of superhero films; The Amazing Spider-man & The Dark Knight Rises. I will start by saying that I am looking forward to these films so much and have been enjoying reading all the gossip around them. And there has been a lot of pictures and supposed details leaked from the new batman film which is strange for director Chris Nolan to allow this to happen, Because usually he is quite strict on what is revealed as he likes the audience to watch his films without knowing a thing. But I reckon its all part of his plan. In Nolan we trust!

So we know the villain for the new Spider-man reboot film is going to be The Lizard, but until recently the look for the creature has been kept under wraps. Until it was revealed via PEZ Dispenser!

So yes this isn't really a great look but I believe there was a lot of hate for the look? It's a PEZ dispenser guys!? Personally I think it looks pretty awesome! So the next day, there was another supposed 'leak' of concept art of the comic book villain. I say supposed because I believe that Sony were probably pretty mad a PEZ for releasing the image before they had given the fans something better to look at, and due to the bad press it was getting they probably 'accidently' released the concept art to help calm fan boys down.

So more positive reaction to this but again had fans divided. I again personally think it looks amazing and just what I was hoping for, but could do with more of a snout. BUT again this is just concept art, so who knows what could happen. Hopefully an official movie image will be released soon or 'leaked' but until then we'll just have to assume it will be awesome. I definitely recommend watching some of Andrew Garfield previous films, he really is a great actor and will fit into the part of Peter Parker well!

So on to The Dark Knight Rises, a synopsis has been released of the prologue, which will have a look at the new villain Bane. Here is the synopsis: (SPOILERS)

"Bane and his mercenaries hijack a military plane transporting a dictator of a country which is in unrest (think Saddam Hussein type figure).

'He successfully kills the leader, but makes some mistakes along the way and is unable to safely land the plane.

'Because of the resulting injuries from the accident, he has to undergo complicated surgeries and that is how he winds up with that scar down his neck and the need for the mask to numb the pain.'

The source goes on to describe Bane's origin story as reimagined by Nolan.

"'He is raised by Ra’s al Ghul [Bruce Wayne's old mentor] and his up bringing mirrors that of Bruce Wayne.

'It’s a mirror of Bruce, except it’s darker and twisted. Bane is trained to be an assassin for the League of Shadows.

'He kills political figures that are deemed unfit by the LOS. So he is a bit of a Che Guevara/ Jason Bourne type character.'

 

So yeah, sounds pretty awesome! I don't know whether it will be as good as Heath Ledgers prologue as The Joker but only time will tell as it will soon hit 5 IMAX cinemas in the UK before the start of Mission Impossible 4. So if your lucky enough to see it at one of the 5 I'm sure you'll love it but for the rest of us I guess we'll just have to wait until its 'leaked' online!

 

Thanks for reading! If you like my blog please recommend to friends as it would be good to get some readers! Please comment and follow me on twitter @SuperAlexMan .