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Total Recall: Teaser video gives us a look at the new film...

2012-03-15T14:25:00.001Z

This film has really been all over the place. First it was a new adaptation of the original short story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale’ (Great idea); then a straight up remake of the Paul Verhoeven film from 1990 (Weak), then a combination of the two (possibilities); Now it’s a weird, very studio looking film that has nothing to do with Mars (That planet has had a rough deal at the movies lately).

Synopsis...

“Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.”

The film is out pretty much everywhere this August. (See release dates bellow the clip.)

North America
Canada	3-Aug-12
United States	3-Aug-12
Latin America
América Central	10-Aug-12
Argentina	9-Aug-12
Bolivia	9-Aug-12
Brasil	3-Aug-12
Chile	9-Aug-12
Colombia	10-Aug-12
Ecuador	10-Aug-12
México	10-Aug-12
Perú	9-Aug-12
Uruguay	10-Aug-12
Venezuela	10-Aug-12
Middle East / Africa
Bahrain	30-Aug-12
Egypt	29-Aug-12
Ethiopia	31-Aug-12
Israel	16-Aug-12
Jordan	30-Aug-12
Kenya	3-Aug-12
Kuwait	30-Aug-12
Lebanon	30-Aug-12
Nigeria	3-Aug-12
Oman	30-Aug-12
Qatar	30-Aug-12
South Africa	31-Aug-12
Syria	30-Aug-12
United Arab Emirates	30-Aug-12
Asia Pacific
Australia	23-Aug-12
Hong Kong	2-Aug-12
India	3-Aug-12
Indonesia	3-Aug-12
Japan	Summer 2012
Korea	15-Aug-12
Malaysia	2-Aug-12
New Zealand	23-Aug-12
Pilipinas \| Philippines	8-Aug-12
Singapore	2-Aug-12
Taiwan	3-Aug-12
Thailand	2-Aug-12
Vietnam	24-Aug-12
Europe
België \| Belgique \| Belgium	8-Aug-12
Bulgaria	17-Aug-12
Ceská republika \| Czech Republic	16-Aug-12
Danmark \| Denmark	9-Aug-12
Deutschland \| Germany	16-Aug-12
España \| Spain	17-Aug-12
Eesti \| Estonia	10-Aug-12
Greece	30-Aug-12
France	15-Aug-12
Hrvatske \| Croatia	16-Aug-12
Íslan \| Iceland	8-Aug-12
Italia \| Italy	12-Oct-12
Latvijas \| Latvija, Latvija \| Latviju \| Latvia	10-Aug-12
Lietuvos \| Lietuva \| Lithuania	10-Aug-12
Magyarország \| Hungary	16-Aug-12
Nederland \| Netherlands \| Holland	9-Aug-12
Norge \| Norway	31-Aug-12
Österreich \| Austria	17-Aug-12
Polska \| Poland	31-Aug-12
Portugal	16-Aug-12
Russia	9-Aug-12
România	10-Aug-12
Slovenija \| Slovenia	16-Aug-12
Slovensko \| Slovakia	9-Aug-12
Srbija \| Crna Gora \| Serbia and Montenegro	9-Aug-12
Suisse \| Switzerland (Fr)	15-Aug-12
Schweiz \| Switzerland (Ger)	16-Aug-12
Svizzera \| Switzerland (Itl)	31-Aug-12
Suomi \| Finland	10-Aug-12
Sverige \| Sweden	8-Aug-12
Türkiye \| Turkey	3-Aug-12
Ukraine	9-Aug-12
United Kingdom	22-Aug-12

The Avengers: Japanese trailer has Helicarrier, Pepper Potts and more...(mostly in English too)

2012-03-15T13:04:00.001Z

Ah finally I get to see my beloved Helicarrier and it’s taking off from the sea ‘Ultimates’ style too! This trailer is an interesting combination of the teaser trailer, full trailer and Super bowl trailer with that “all in this together” rock tune so many people hate thrown in for good measure. But who care. Heli- freaking- carrier people!

Synopsis...

“Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures "Marvel's The Avengers"--the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, "Marvel's The Avengers" is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series "The Avengers," first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when "Marvel's The Avengers" assemble in summer 2012. In "Marvel's The Avengers," superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.”

The good stuff...

Dark Shadows: a colourful new cast pic for the latest Tim Burton / Johnny Depp movie...

2012-03-14T21:09:00.000Z

Just 8 weeks remain until this film comes out and not a single trailer has been seen. Still there are probably 2 sets that can release a film with about 2 days notice to the masses; James Cameron and a Tim Burton / Johnny Depp ‘event’. In the meantime here’s a pic of the cast looking all...weird... Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins; Chloë Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard; Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman; Eva Green as Angelique Bouchard; Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard; Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis; Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins and Christopher Lee.

Snow White & The Huntsman: Yep it’s another teaser trailer – for a real trailer. But at least this one has an intro from Chris Hemsworth...

2012-03-14T19:58:00.000Z

It seems like we’ve been waiting a long, long time for another trailer for this film. But after the flurry of featurettes earlier on (see link below) we at least have a tease telling us the real thing is on the way. The trailer for a trailer thing is very much here to stay guys.

Snow White & The Huntsman: 3 featurettes for the surprise ‘must see’ film of summer 2012; with plenty of new footage..

Here it is...

Snow White & The Huntsman: 3 featurettes for the surprise ‘must see’ film of summer 2012; with plenty of new footage...

2012-03-14T19:13:00.001Z

Last summer SWATH came out f nowhere to fall in behind the likes of The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and, The Hunger Games as a film that was high up on the list of must see movies in 2012. The casting of the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and Bob Hoskins added a lot; to the interesting pairing of Charlize Theron & Kristen Stewart. So here are three behind the scenes looks at the film, with the 3 main stars. They are very interesting, especially the costume design elements and the death themed “evil queen” costumes.

Featurette 1...

Synopsis...

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar(r) winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power. The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.

In this second video we see plenty of new footage, including some of Snow White’s escape.

Featurette 2...

Here we get to see yet more exciting footage from the film. We await the next trailer with much anticipation.

Featurette 3...

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Ninja Turtles set for Christmas 2013, Pitt’s World War Z back to June 2013 and Cruise’s One Shot now Christmas 2012...

2012-03-14T09:56:00.000Z

Paramount Pictures shuffled around 2 of their biggest upcoming movies and at the same time finally confirmed the return of The Teenage, Mutant, Ninja Turtles to the big screen. Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of The Titans, Battle L.A) is directing the $100m film, the first live action Turtles movie since 1993, and the first since 2007’s Computer animated TMNT. This film will mix the live action with CGI (probably mo-capped) Turtles. Expect skateboards and empty Pizza boxes on Christmas Day 2013 (in North America). Of course you do have to question of releasing a film that will surely be going after family / teen audiences, less than 2 weeks after the conclusion to The Hobbit. There’s probably room for both, but you have to feel that if either film will take a hit, it will be the little green guys, not the little people with hairy feet.

In a move that, on the face of it at least, makes a fair bit more sense, Brad Pitt’s Zombie film, World War Z, has been moved away from the Christmas season to June 2013. In its place will be the Tom Cruise starring One Shot. World War Z is an adaptation of the novel by Max Brooks ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War’. It is directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Machine Gun Preacher, Finding Neverland) and to be honest feels much more suited to summer (or any other time of the year really) than the Christmas season.

The reason for moving WWZ is so that One Shot can be brought forward from mid February 2013, to WWZ’s original release date of the 21^st of December 2013. The logic behind that is to match up with the very successful release date of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. That film has proved to be a massive success ($688m and not quite done); so you can see why the change has been made. Cruise has remained a big draw in the international market, but of late his films were not massive hits in North America, so anything that may help maintain the M:I4 momentum is welcome. ‘One Shot’ is adapted from the novel by Lee Child (Much to the chagrin of many a fan, as Cruise isn’t exactly a close match for the character of Jack Reacher, who is over 6 feet tall) by Christopher McQuarie. McQuarie’s only other directorial effort was ‘Way of The Gun’ back in 2000, but he is a well respected screenwriter, responsible for ‘The Usual Suspects’, ‘Valkyrie’ and next year’s ‘The Wolverine’ & ‘Jack The Giant Killer’.

Game of Thrones trailer: It’s almost back, oh yes...

2012-03-13T20:24:00.000Z

One of the best shows on televisions for many a year is almost back. If we needed proof that the show would continue to be complex and captivating and full of all the drama, action and intrigue we all fell in love with last year, then here it is. For those of you who missed out I really urge you to get yourself a copy f the show, or look for it on TV and watch it. At the same time I highly recommend starting the series of books; although be prepared to donate a significant portion of your life for the foreseeable future as there are several very long books and more are on the way. I'll get a big recap on Game of Thrones up before it returns and see if I can convince a few more people that Winter is Coming!

The more you love...

You know you've made it if The Simpsons are paying homage...

Blu-Ray – season one...

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Battleship: Rihanna gets more screen time in the third trailer for the movie of the board game...

2012-03-13T16:34:00.001Z

OK she still really only gets to say "boom", but you see her pretty face a lot more. Well this film is only a matter of weeks away for much of the global audience, as it comes out in April in an effort to avoid getting squeezed by the European Football Championships and The Olympics. It still seems like a crazy idea, but at least it seems to be bringing the “spectacular” that goes with summer popcorn films these days. The decent $70m opening for John Carter won’t hurt either, at least international audiences will know who Taylor Kitsch is by name (as opposed to the Gambit guy from Wolverine.)

Synopsis...

“Peter Berg (Hancock) produces and directs Battleship, an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Inspired by Hasbro's classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper's fiancée; Alexander Skarsgard as Hopper's older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper's crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone's superior (and Sam's father), Admiral Shane.”

So you ready to sink that Battleship?...

But first this. Is it any less...odd? One is a real movie, one is a spoof...but which?! ...

Battleship Trailer 3...

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The Avengers: Six Cool (Unless you hate Photoshop) character posters...

2012-03-13T14:59:00.000Z

The clocks all seem to be ticking at about a quarter sped now as the end of April (or beginning of May) is taking forever to get here. Still Marvel Studios seem to be giving us something to chew on every week to make sure that we get even more excite for the big show. Even with toys like those below...

Helicarrier toy from Hasbro...

Nick Fury & Maria Hill...

Hawkeye and The Hulk...

Iron Man and The Hulk...

Thor and The Black Widow...

Captain America and Hawkeye...

The Black Widow and Captain America (er again)...

Agent Phil “MCU glue” Coulson misses out this time, as do villain Loki and his alliance of 9 Worlds bad guys; but I’d expect them sooner or later.

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Prometheus: New trailer teaser is a real tease...

2012-03-12T18:52:00.001Z

There’s some great new footage in this trailer, for a trailer (It's here to stay folks, the Trailer-trailer is here to stay!). Including some excellent F/X and Idris Elba looking very concerned indeed. There are a few films laying claim to the “most anticipated movie of the year”; The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, The Hobbit: Paradoxically they’re all right to different people. Geeks and movie buffs the world over have a real hard time picking any one film for the one they’d have to see if some evil force made it so they could only make one trip to the cinema.

Synopsis...

“Ridley Scott, director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.”
So here is a tease of the new trailer that is coming soon...

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The Lone Ranger: First in-costume pic of Johnny Depp & Armie Hammer..

2012-03-08T20:24:00.001Z

Well here it is, the first official picture from the on again, off again, Lone Ranger movie. Starring Johnny Depp as Tonto, Armie Hammer as the Titular hero and directed by Gore “Pirates of the Caribbean” Verbinski. Disney will be hoping for more Depp / Verbinski / Bruckheimer magic in the Pirates of The Caribbean mould. Can the trio bring the Western back to massive box office,just as they did for pirates?

Old Ranger...

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The Avengers: German trailer has a decent amount of new footage...

2012-03-07T19:16:00.000Z

Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill is ok, but check out the Helicarrier on the screens!

Lots of cool new conversations with Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner make this German trailer well worth a look, especially if you happen to understand German. Good to see Downey jnr.. wasn't joking about Stark trying to "force" Banner to change too...

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John Carter (of Mars, seriously): Review Plus interviews & clips from the film...

2012-03-07T10:50:00.000Z

I was lucky enough to see an IMAX 3D preview of this film last Thursday and then a standard 3D preview as well. (Unfortunately I’ve been too ill to get a review finished until now.) As always the IMAX 3D version is the one to go and see, if you can AND if you’re a big fan of the John Carter of Mars series / or just this kind of thing in general. It’s a tricky review to get a handle on really. On the one hand the film is quite enjoyable, the cast is good; I was especially impressed with Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins Wolverine; Friday Night Lights (TV)) as the titular hero. But the problem a lot of reviewers, and hardly any ‘regular’ moviegoers, will have is that at the back of the mind is the feeling that for a whopping $250m you’re always expecting just a little bit more somehow. That’s the shooting budget of Thor AND Rise of The Planet of The Apes with about $7m left over for snacks. There’s a LOT of money up on the screen, just perhaps not quite that much.

Trailer 3...

Based on a story that was first published in serial form 100 years ago, and then published as a novel under the superior title ‘A Princess of Mars’ in 1917; John Carter may look, to the casual observer, like a film that is borrowing from several famous sci-fi, fantasy and comic book sources; but it is in fact a story that has inspired any number of modern Science fiction tales from Superman to Avatar and Flash Gordon to Star Wars. That said it is, like most stories, itself inspired by older tales and myths; not least of which is Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation (later retiled Gulliver Jones of Mars, for obvious reasons). Both feature American military men who get mysteriously transported to Mars, and subsequently meddle with a princess and various alien species. The two are even put together in the second tale of Alan Moore’s ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’; which is well worth a read.

Legacy...

Here’s the story...

“From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes "John Carter"--a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). "John Carter" is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.”

The film makes a few changes from the source(s), but that is to be expected, especially with some of the language and attitudes with regards to Native Americans & women; and most of the changes do serve to make the story more cinematic and accessible. I’m not sure all fans will happy with the focus that is put onto John’s family here, but a hero whose only prior sense of worth appeared to be fighting on the wrong side (for many around the globe the bad, or even ‘evil’ side) in the American Civil War really wouldn’t work as well in 2012 as it may have in 1912: Also since when has it ever been possible to make all fans happy? The method and design of John Carter’s trip to Mars are altered in a way that will make more ‘sense’ to a 21^st century audience though. Not quite so well handled is the opening sequence. Here we are supposed to get a sense of who the antagonists are and the hows and whys of there being life, air and water on Mars in the 19^th century. The sequence is, perhaps, a little too confusing, especially if your kids aren’t eagle eyed enough to spot the blue or red flags of the good & bad guys.

See the blue flags on that front ship? Very important they are...

Our world...

The film’s second beginning, wherein we meet John Carter on Earth, sets up an intriguing mystery and serves as a decent grounding for the audience, after the sci-fi exploits and voice over of the pre-credits sequence. I’m reminded of two similar devices from films that also had an interesting blend of Sci-fi, a little magic (or super science as magic), that also used a voice over and action sequence to introduce audiences to the more fantastical side of the respective films: Thor & Green Lantern. Whilst Anthony Hopkins’ voice over and the glimpses of the war between the Frost giants, humans and Asgardian ‘gods’ proved to be informative, effective and thrilling; Green Lantern’s similar voice over led travel through the back-story of the film was less effective and the success of the two films seemed to follow on from there. Thor was well received and fair sized hit; Green Lantern, not very well received and, relative to cost, a box office failure. John Carter’s back-story intro is better than Green Lantern’s and suitably spectacular; but it isn’t as clear cut as it needs to be and doesn’t effectively communicate as much as it seems to think it should; and certainly not in as interesting a way as hoped.

Kitsch interview...

The following, Earthbound, sequence (see 10 minute clip below) is excellent though and gives the audience a reason to care who the hell John Carter is and what happens to him. Taylor Kitsch does an excellent job with this role and does seem to have the requisite screen presence to carry the film. Still best known to most people as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (despite his role in the TV series Friday Night Lights) Kitsch has a big year ahead of him; he headlines both John Carter and the wild card of the summer, Battleship. His performance here should stand him in good stead, as he surely can’t take any blame of the film fails to make the stupendous amount of money needed to cover its $350 'total' budget.

10 minute clip...

“JOHN CARTER

"No good'll come out of me fightin' your war."

Born in Virginia, John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) served as an officer in the Confederate army in the Civil War. He is an honourable and courageous hero, but the ravages of the Civil War have left him broken, dispirited and personally defeated. Accidentally transported to Barsoom (Mars), John Carter begins to realize that his strength and jumping abilities are greatly amplified in the low gravity of the planet. Carter reluctantly begins a journey to rediscover his humanity while at the same time saving his newfound world.”

Of the big 3 ‘CGI toon to live action movie’ directors, Andrew Stanton’s debut rates in the middle. Neither as unimaginative as Andrew Adamson’s (Shrek, Shrek 2) first live action film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe; nor as exciting and well paced as Brad Bird’s (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, ) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Perhaps that was to be expected though. Bird’s pedigree ‘even’ in animation showed a flair for action sequences and precisely the kind of visual flair displayed, and required, for Mission: Impossible; Andrew Adamson quickly stepped up his game for his second live action feature, but (however successful that first Narnia film was) he definitely struggled in key areas with his first. Stanton’s previous experience with Finding Nemo and Wall*E shows a aesthetic flair, often repeated here, but perhaps not the requisite eye for action and pacing that may explain why a little too much of, the generally impressive, action scenes here, feel a little too repetitive and somewhat confused. A little more should have been done with his jumping gifts and increased agility; although Woola was superbly well realised.

“DEJAH THORIS

"If you had the means to save others, would you not take any action possible to make it so?"

Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins); the beautiful, raven-haired princess of Helium, is a passionate advocate for the Heliumites and their way of life. Dejah is Regent of the Royal Academy of Science, and was trained to rule and fight. She is on the verge of a discovery that could permanently shift the balance of power between her nation Helium and their enemy Zodanga. But time is running out, and Dejah must convince John Carter to enlist in the fight to save Helium.”

Having co-starred with Kitsch in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Lynn Collins gets rather more screen time with him as she take what should have been the title role as Deja, the ‘Princess of Mars’. (Apparently the title A Princess of Mars would have put off too many men...Yes, yes I know!) To get the obvious out of the way first, she manages to both look good wearing not very much (after 4.5 hours of tan and tattoo make up every morning) AND be convincing twirling a sword and kicking arse. (Something too few of today’s emaciated crop of actresses can manage). She throws herself whole heartedly into the role, saddled with a ‘regal’ English accent, surrounded by several actually British actors. A little more time to see more of her scientific background would have been nice though. She’s never given quite as much to do as one of her many sci-fi children, Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri from Avatar.

“MATAI SHANG

"We do not cause the destruction of a world, Captain Carter. We simply manage it. Feed off it, if you like."

Matai Shang (Mark Strong) is the Holy Hekkador (King) of the Therns. Using their advanced technology, the mysterious Therns represent themselves as the messengers of Issus, the Barsoomian Goddess, in order to further their own plans.”

“TARS TARKAS

"When I saw you leap into the sky, I wished to believe it was a sign that something new can come into this world."

Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) is a fierce green Martian warrior who is the Jeddak (King) of the Tharks. The last vestige of nobility runs in his blood and is the only thing that keeps the Thark tribe from turning into beasts. Blessed with a good sense of humor and patience, Tars Tarkas befriends the earthman John Carter and gives him the Thark name Dotar Sojat, which roughly translates as "my right arms."”

Mark Strong is always watchable, even as a Scooby Doo villain in Sherlock Holmes, and whilst his character of Matai Shang is both mildly confusing and underused here, he plays this part well and credit to him for having to spend the film wrapped in the Martian equivalent of a slanket! I’ve also go to be very impressed with Willem Dafoe for managing to act at all in stilts. His Tars Tarkas, another character altered slightly from the first book, is often engaging and Dafoe’s voice helps bring him to life.

Now I realise that by listing what was wrong with the film I may have given you the impression that I didn’t enjoy it. I did and I certainly enjoyed it enough that I’d hope to see many, if not all, of the subsequent stories turned into films. There were 11 novels and many comic book stories published, so there is certainly plenty of to work with. With the effects groundwork laid for the Tharks and Warhoon etc, there’s every reason to believe that you could make more of these films for significantly less money, without compromising on spectacle. There’s also the fact that you wouldn’t need to spend nearly as much money promoting any further films. (for example Iron Man was a ‘virtual unknown when the first film came out so Marvel Studios spent about $90m releasing that film; but for Iron Man 2 that cost was reduced to around $60m: Meaning that despite the actual film costing $50 more to make the theatrical profits from both films were more or less the same.) With Disney spending an estimated $100m to promote John Carter, you have to think that any sequels would be able to reduce that significantly. Of course with such an expensive film it is a long way from certain that we’ll see any more of these films. How much would Disney consider enough to make it worth going ahead with more of these films? Tron Legacy probably didn’t actually take in enough money to cover its total budget, but that hasn’t stopped Disney from moving ahead with another one of those. That will be because in the long run, DVD sales / rentals etc. The film will certainly have made a profit and there was enough interest suggests a better film would do bigger business. So it isn’t simply a case of John Carter taking in the massive numbers it would need to make a profit, or even break even, at the cinema that counts. I still question the wisdom of releasing such an expensive film in March too. If you do like this, and you want to see more, I’d go see it again and make sure you get other people along for the ride.

As for the film’s rating, well I don’t know what to say here at all. Here in the UK it received a 12A for the following reasons...

“The BBFC's Guidelines at 'PG' state 'Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy)'. Although the violence in JOHN CARTER is moderate in nature and occurs within a clear fantasy context, there are some detailed moments of violence that are more appropriately classified at '12A'. For example, in one scene a man is stabbed in the wrist in close up, causing blue coloured blood to spurt from the wound.

JOHN CARTER also contains some scenes of moderate threat and infrequent very mild language.”

In the US it has been rated PG-13 for...

“Intense sequences of violence and action.”

Now in either case I have to say I think it is just about the feeblest 12A I have ever seen in my life. I can think of numerous PG rated films that were far worse (Raider of The Lost Ark ad Jurassic Park to name but 2) and I can honestly say that you shouldn’t have any fears about taking your kids (certainly over 6) to see the film. Of course, as always, the preferred option is that you see a film yourself and THEN take your kids if you think it is suitable, but really, neither their morals, nor their night’s sleep should be in danger here.

Movie-going / popcorn experience - 7/10

Critical, film school view - 6/10

Overall score - 6.5/10

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Don't forget you'll get to see the 3D trailer for The Avengers before this film too; it has a Hulk you know?

The Avengers: The new trailer is here. "You have made me very desperate." ...to see this movie!...

Journey 3; sequel to Journey 2: The Mysterious Island gets the go ahead...

2012-03-06T21:21:00.000Z

As I predicted back in early November, demand for Journey 2 has proven sufficient to surpass the gross of the first film and give audiences the a third Journey; although whether it will be the trip to the moon so forcefully promised at the end of Journey 2 remains to be seen!

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Behind the Scenes clip with Dwayne Johnson, Michael Cain, Josh Hutcherson & Vanessa Hudgens...

Director Brad Peyton and the writers of the second film, Brian and Mark Gunn have been sewn up for the next film. Journey 2 has had 3 of the past 4 weeks as the number one film at the international box office, earning $184.5m there so far; add in its current North American take of $85.6m and the film has over $270m so far, with a reasonable way still to go. That’s already surpassed the $242m of the first film.

Josh Hutcherson reprised his role from Journey to The Centre of The Earth and with Brendan Fraser dropping out the producers cannily added Michael Cain, Vanessa Hudgens and most significantly Dwayne Johnson to the cast. That combination, added to a genuine desire, from children, to see the adventures continue has led to the success of Journey 2.

I'm sure many will be hoping to see more pec popping!

The desire is to get the following film out much quicker than the 4 years between films 1 & 2; especially with lead actor, Josh Hutcherson, already significantly aged from the first film. However, in a rather unusual move for a 21^st century Hollywood film, the primary cast are not “tied up” with multi picture deals.

There was a lot of talk that the ending of Journey 2 (mild spoiler) was more of a tongue-in-cheek stunt than a serious foreshadowing of what will happen next, but director Peyton’s comments to The Hollywood Reporter seem to suggest otherwise...

"I grew up a fan of Verne, so I know a lot about the mythologies. Mysterious Island was one of eight or nine really seminal works. I know we've just scratched the surface of what we can do. This one's going to be a lot bigger. We're going to go to a completely different world. It's just going to be a bigger experience and we're going to grow the mythology. Journey 2 was about rebooting a franchise. Now it's about making the seminal work in the franchise."

So maybe the cast really will be going to the moon after all? At least we don’t have to expect them to get fired there in a giant cannon. Journey 2 has established that other ‘old’ novels contain information about real adventures, so perhaps Jules Verne’s ‘From The Earth to The Moon’ will be mixed with H. G. Well’s ‘The First Men In The Moon’ and Cavorite will be the means of transportation. A few things seem certain, an even bigger Journey is on the way and the cast of Journey 2 are definitely wanted for the ride; and when I tell my kids about this in the morning, they will be over the moon! (couldn’t resist)

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Brave: Japanese trailer for Pixar’s latest has a touch of Miyazaki about it...

2012-03-05T21:58:00.001Z

Here’s one for those of you that like to see things from a slightly different perspective. It’s interesting seeing this in Japanese; with the female protagonist, the magic and the “conflict” between nature and “civilisation” this film really does have the feel of a Hayao Miyazaki feature about it. Of course the legendary, Japanese, master of animation has long been known as an inspiration and quality barometer, for those at Pixar (one of the reasons their standards have tended to be s high it seems) so that’s not really a surprise. Given that this trailer has been tailored to a market where the films of the master himself and his studio (Studio Ghibli) are usually the ones to beat for the annual box office crown that those similarities are being played up is also to be expected. If Brave gets near the standards of the greatest animated movie maker of all time, we’re in for a treat.

Here it is (Courtesy of Movieweb)...

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. New trailer for film that could be the biggest hit of the summer...

2012-03-05T21:09:00.001Z

For the talk about Dark Knights, Avengers, Amazing Spider Men and even Men In black, the film that may actually be the one to beat this summer is the latest in the ever surprising Ice Age series. The films have gone from strength to strength and the last one dug up an outstanding $886.6m! Now it may be unrealistic to expect the film to match the last one’s totals, let alone carry on the remarkable growth rate, but if it does, then we’ll be looking at the latest Billion dollar grossing film. There’s room to argue that his film is in fact the most likely of the ‘obvious’ big movies to reach that goal.

Ice Age madness...

Film

Year

North American Gross

International Gross

Worldwide

Budget

Ice Age

2002

$176,387,405

$206,869,731

$383,257,136

$59m

Ice Age: The Meltdown

2006

$195,330,621

$460,057,537

$655,388,158

$80

Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs

2009

$196,573,705

$690,113,112

$886,686,817

$90m

Synopsis...

“Scrat's nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he's been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences - a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home.”

Men In Black 3: New trailer for ‘the other’ comic book movie of the summer...

2012-03-05T17:01:00.005Z

A lack of theatrical costumery (arguably) helps most people to forget that Men In Black was an adaptation of an old comic book by Lowell Cunningham & Sandy Cunningham. Through a series of buy outs the series is now owned by Marvel Comics; who are producing their own film The Avengers (absolutely NOT Marvel Avengers Assemble, bah) as well as licensing Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man. The final big comic book movie of the summer is WB’s / DC Comics’ The Dark Knight Rises.

Men In Black was seen as a big breath of fresh air, way back in 1997. A clever blend of traditional and CGI effects the film found a winning combination in the pairing of up and coming star Will Smith and Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. Director Barry Sonnenfeld was on top of his game (unfortunate that didn’t last) and the writing was snappy and energetic. At the time critics were even heard to call for a sequel.

Unfortunately Men In Black II wasn’t as good as the original, nor in the same class if truth be told. However hope springs eternal as the cast remain top drawer and this story appear stop offer something fresh and original, much as the original film did.

Synopsis...

“In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back... in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. The film is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. The screenplay is written by Etan Cohen, based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham. The producers are Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, and the executive producers are Steven Spielberg and G. Mac Brown.”

Interview with Will Smith from Yahoo Movies...

““Will, it's been quite a while since the last MIB and you have performed in a number of diverse films since. How difficult has it been getting back into the agent J role after so long? (submitted by Chris Zinke)

Will Smith: Not difficult at all! After you play a character twice, it's almost like riding a bike. A pretty black bike.

Will, If you could travel back in time, which era would you visit and why? (submitted by Anonmember Silva)

WS: Ancient Egypt — so I could prove that aliens didn't build the pyramids!

Where are the "women in black"? (submitted by Lisa Herring)

WS: You gotta see the movie! There are some very prominent Women in Black... and they look hot, too.

Did you suggest having a younger Will Smith like Tommy's character in this film? Why or why not? (submitted by Movie Guy)

WS: I could answer that question... but then I would be forced to neuralyze you. SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

How do you feel about MIB coming out in 3D? (Submitted by Annie Cruz)

WS: I just saw it in 3D -- and it looks INSANE. It's the type of movie that is just supposed to be in 3D. Makes me want to go back and do the other two in 3D!

What are we going to see in the third instalment that we haven't seen in the first two? (Submitted by Amber Lee)

WS: This movie has not only aliens, but time travel -- so it sets the movie in a time and place that gives it a whole new look and feel and brand-new situations that are so much funnier because of the time period. I really believe this is the best of the three.

How does it feel getting back in those sunglasses and suit again? (submitted by Catherine Lencione)

WS: I was really surprised that, after all these years, I STILL make this look good!

What's your favourite part about being in the MIB movies? (submitted by Damian Corbet Dauphin)

WS: I love that "Men in Black" is not like any other kind of movie. There's no other film I've ever seen that reminds me of "Men in Black." "Men in Black" is very special and unique, and I think it will go down in cinematic history.”

So here we go...

Prometheus: Meet MR. Weyland...

2012-03-03T01:50:00.000Z

In an interesting piece of promotion we’re being given a “viral” clip of Guy Pearce’s character, and hence confirmation of one of the links between this film and the Alien films. Pearce’s Peter Weyland being the founder of Weyland Corp; any Alien(s) fan worth his salt will know that that company will eventually merge to become Weyland-Yutani and make an unfortunate habit of sending poorly defended civilians to go searching for crashed alien spaceships and biological weapons.

Weyland...

Trailer...

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The Avengers take back the fastest trailer download record with 13.7m in 24 hours...

2012-03-03T00:02:00.001Z

Well in a turn of events slightly less surprising than Tony Stark giving a snappy retort, The Avengers first full trailer, released at 17:00 GMT on Wednesday, gained a record 13.7m downloads on iTunes in its first 24 hours. Back in the middle of October the teaser trailer for The Avengers shattered the download record by having 10 million in 24 hours. 2 months later the Dark Knight Rises mustered an amazing 12.5 million in its first 24 hours. There’s time for either film to break download records again, and I think it is pretty certain neither film will flop!

The Avengers trailer ‘Smashes’ iTunes record with 10 million+ downloads in 24 hours...

Synopsis...

I’m bringing the party to you...

Indiana Jones series finally comes to Blu-Ray...

2012-03-02T22:06:00.000Z

Raiders of The Lost Ark is still one of the go-to films when critics and movie aficionados talk about the “intelligent Blockbuster2. That elusive film that isn’t really trying to be anything more than pure fun and entertainment, but that does so with such style, quality and yes, intelligence, that it warfronts being considered one of the best films of its type and of all time.

Whatever your personal appraisal of the subsequent 3 films (and I know there many that are secretly counting Spielberg’s Tintin film as an unofficial Indian Jones 4.5) this is one film collection that truly belongs in every home. I’d personally welcome another Indy film, but really I think it needs WETA’s Avatar / Rise of The Apes teh to advance sufficiently to allow Harrison Ford to be ‘youthed’ about 20 years or so as his age, however cool he was, was a definite distraction in the previous film. But if Spielberg can be energised enough to bring the level of commitment and creativity that he showed in Tintin, Indiana Jones 5, will be worth twice the price of admission. The Blu-Ray set will be available this autumn.

ParaNorman: New trailer for the anticipated stop-motion ‘comedy thriller’...

2012-03-02T12:44:00.000Z

I loved the first trailer for this film and as a lifelong fan of stop-motion animation the more the merrier. With Aardman’s The Pirates: In An Adventure With Scientists (AKA The Pirates: Band of Misfits) and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie on the way it feels like we’re being spoiled getting this too. I just wish these, often excellent films, could pull in bigger audiences, more level with the CG animated films.

Aardman again! Hugh Grant & David Tennant lend their voices to The Pirates! Band of Misfits.

Synopsis...

“The new 3D stop-motion comedy thriller from animation company LAIKA, reteaming the company with Focus Features after the groundbreaking Academy Award-nominated "Coraline." "ParaNorman" is, following "Coraline," the company's second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D. In "ParaNorman," a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.”

Trailer 2...

Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie trailer...

2012-03-02T12:09:00.000Z

A few too many years ago I went to see a film at our local cinema. I have no idea what the film was, not a clue, but I never, ever forgot the short film that came on before t. It was called Frankenweenie, it was in black 7 white and was about a kid who decided to copy the classic Frankenstein movie and use lightening to bring his recently run over dog back to life. I loved the film, instantly and years later, when I discovered that it was by the same crazy guy who went on to direct Batman & Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands and many more, superbly bizarre and interesting films, it all made sense. Did seeing Frankenweenie as a kid mould me into somebody who would be perfectly primed to gleefully accept the weird and wonderful world of Tim Burton movie? Or was it simply that I was already that guy who likes things a little bit dark, weird and set to the music of Danny Elfman. In fact one of my favourite things about the Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-Ray is that it has the original Frankenweenie on it, as a bonus.

There’s a lot of talk in some quarters that Tim Burton’s best days are behind him and that he hasn’t produced much quality work in a while. I happen to think that’s utter bollocks to be frank. His Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is one of the best adaptations of a children’s’ story I’ve seen, both faithful to the source and the spirit of the source, whilst managing to translate the story into something that works in the medium of film. Pulling yet another inspired performance from his onscreen alter-ego, Johnny Depp, to bring Willy Wonka to life, Burton still returned the heart of the story to what it was always meat to be (and what the 1971 version wasn’t) about Charlie and his family. The relationship he has forged with Danny Elfman, over the previous 20 years, never bore better fruit than the wonderful work they did translating Roald Dahl’s cautionary poems into entirely different musical numbers, all performed by the extremely overworked Deep Roy. Big Fish may not be as good as Edward Scissorhands or Ed Wood, but it is still a charming film, well made and a pleasure to watch. Then there’s the ambitious Sweeney Todd and the charming Corse Bride; which committed the apparently outrages crime of not being as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas! Then there is his film of Alice In Wonderland. Apart from being the only watchable filmed version of this tale I can remember, at all, the film did a great job of both updating the two Alice tales and presenting something fresh and exciting. His updating of Alice as modern, female “warrior” led to the greenlight for Snow White & The Huntsman.

Frankenweenie 2012...

Frankenweenie 1984...

The Hunger Games: Clip shows Katniss is not amused when her archery skills are ignored...Also Suzanne Collins is really likes this film...

2012-03-02T09:23:00.002Z

Whilst I’m not sure that the 2^nd and 3^rd books ever really match the first, this is an adaptation that I am very eagerly awaiting. (I picked up tickets for the 22^nd at a preview of John Carter just last night.) In this clip we get to see just how good Katniss is with a bow & arrow, as well as how quickly she ca lose her temper. It is a key scene, not just for this film either and appears to have been handled well.

That does tally with author Suzanne Collins’ appraisal of the film. She seems mightily impressed, especially with the cast; which to be fair was always going likely to be the film’s strongest point. Jennifer Lawrence is proving herself a fine actress and Josh utcherson has also flitted ably between “artier” films, The Kids are All Right, and blockbuster fare, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, for years now too. As much of this film hinges on them their casting was key and I was impressed by it. Here’s what Collins had to say, for both of you who missed it...

“Dear Readers, I’ve just had the opportunity to see the finished film of The Hunger Games. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I feel like the book and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view, allowing the audience access to the happenings of places like the Hunger Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a new dimension to the story. Director Gary Ross has created an adaptation that is faithful in both narrative and theme, but he’s also brought a rich and powerful vision of Panem, its brutality and excesses, to the film as well. His world building’s fantastic, whether it be the Seam or the Capitol. It’s amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers. And, my God, the actors. The cast, led by the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence, is absolutely wonderful across the board. It’s such a pleasure to see how they’ve embodied the characters and brought them to life. So I’d like to sincerely thank all the many people who devoted their time and talents to the film, especially producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, and the excellent teams at Color Force, Larger Than Life, and Lionsgate. I hope you enjoy the film”

Clip...

Synopsis...

“Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 23.5 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following. It has spent more than 160 consecutive weeks/more than three consecutive years to date on The New York Times bestseller list since its publication in September 2008, and has also appeared consistently on USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.”

Trailer...

The Avengers: The new trailer is here. "You have made me very desperate." ...to see this movie!...

2012-02-29T17:25:00.000Z

Run Iron Man, Run!!! Leviathan looks hungry!

The number 3 challenger to the Dark Knight Rises hopes of being summer number one 2012 has its first full trailer at last.

Nuff said...

Synopsis...

UK trailer with the annoying na,e change...

US trailer...

Who lives in a pineapple on the big screen? Spongebob returns to the movies in 2014...

2012-02-28T23:34:00.002Z

Kids, Students and people who have been either, or both, over the past decade, rejoice! SpongeBob Squarepnts is returning to the big screen as part of Paramount’s new animated movie drive. Paramount hope that the increased, global, popularity of both SpongeBob & Nickleodeon & SpongeBob will help the film achieve greater success than the 2004 release, The SpongeBob Squarepants movie. That film made a not too bad $140,161,792 from a shooting budget of $30m. ($85,417,988 in North America and $54,743,804 international)

Philippe Dauman, the President of Viacom, had this to say...

"We will be releasing a SpongeBob movie at the end of 2014, which will serve to start off or be one of our films that starts off our new animation effort,"