My "The Force Awakens Prep Guide" Part II: The Clone Wars

"You fought in The Clone Wars?" Luke asked Ben Kenobi this question in the very first Star Wars film and fans speculated for years what exactly The Clone Wars was.  There has been several interpretations of The Clone Wars; the very first being in the comic book series Star Wars: Republic.  The next would be a series of novels from Shatterpoint to Labyrinth of Evil.  On our TV screens, we've gotten Genndy Tarakovsky's miniseries, and an animated series that lasted five seasons on Cartoon Network with a sixth season on Netflix.  

Despite what some say about the prequel era of the Star Wars franchise, The Clone Wars has a rich tapestry of stories and great new characters that were added to Star Wars lore like Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka Tano, and the return of Darth Maul.   

Probably the brightest shine in The Clone Wars was something Obi-Wan referenced back in 1977. "He was the best star pilot in the galaxy. And a cunning warrior.  And a good friend."  We see Anakin Skywalker as all these things, and not just the annoying character from Episodes I-III.  We also see the adventures of Obi-Wan and Anakin like we always dreamed they would be.  If you're an Anakin hater than you don't know The Clone Wars.

While I don't expect people to check out everything Clone Wars related, I've highlighted below some of my favorites from this era.  Again, I'll be using a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being my most recommended.

OMNIBUS: CLONE WARS VOL. 1-3 (1)

This is the ongoing comic series that was running through the years the prequel films were released.  After Attack of the Clones the series was the first to show us what The Clone Wars was.  There is a lot of content to read, but I always focus on the stories involving Obi-Wan and Anakin.  There are a few good ones with Mace Windu, Yoda, and Quinlan Vos as well.  But you can pick and choose what characters you want to follow through The Clone Wars.  One of my favorite story lines is Obsession, and right before that we get something no other Clone Wars interpretation has given us; an explanation as to how Anakin got that scar on his eye.  This is still my favorite interpretation of The Clone Wars.

  

CLONE WARS: 2003-2005 (3)

Before Lucasfilm made an entire TV series they agreed to let Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack creator, Genndy Tarakovsky, produce a series of 5 minute shorts taking place during The Clone Wars.  A sequel was then made leading right up to the events of Revenge of the Sith as we see General Grievous kidnap the Chancellor and Mace Windu give Grievous the vicious cough he has at the beginning of Episode III.  The miniseries was then put into two 1 hour volumes on DVD, or you can watch them on YouTube now.  Highlights of this interpretation include the knighting ceremony of Anakin Skywalker, Skywalker's deadly(yet badass) battle with Asajj Ventress, and Mace Windu having a phenomenal battle against an entire army of battle droids.

THE CLONE WARS: 2008-2015

In August 2008, Lucasfilm and WB released the seventh Star Wars theatrical film.  It was a CGI animated film that would set-up an animated series on Cartoon Network come Fall.  The series, supervised by Dave Filoni and George Lucas himself, would be centered around Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and the rest of the Jedi as they fight against the Separatists for the Republic.  A new character was also introduced; Ahsoka Tano as Anakin's padawan.  While not my favorite character to start off, by the end of the series I was really hoping we'd get to see Ahsoka later on in the Star Wars mythology.  

Listed below are some of my favorite episodes out of the 125 that were made.  All these episodes, along with the movie, can be found on Netflix.  This series was very theatrical, and with several episodes spanning one storyline it's like a bunch of mini movies.  The Clone Wars is like a spin-off film series unto itself. And I put The Clone Wars above The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones in my Star Wars film preference.

Season 1 Ep. 4: Destroy Malevolence (2)

The last episode in the first multi-episode arc of the series sees Anakin and Obi-Wan trying to save Padme, who is being held captive by General Grievous.  It's a very light-hearted episode, much like the early seasons of this series were.  But it's fun, and the series does get more mature as it continues.

Season 2 Ep. 1-3: Holocron Heist, Cargo of Doom, and Children of the Force (3)

The introduction of Cade Bane is pivotal because he is the badass bounty hunter everyone thinks Boba Fett is.  Darth Sidious hires Bane to break into the Jedi Temple, steal Jedi Holocrons, steal potential Jedi babies, and deliver them to Sidious.  Anakin and Ahsoka finally catch up to Bane on Mustafar; the future planet of Anakin's damnation.

Season 2 Ep. 12-14: The Mandalore Plot, Voyage of Temptation, and Duchess of Mandalore (1)

Obi-Wan has a girlfriend!  Master Kenobi is sent to protect the Duchess of Mandalore from rebel terrorists(whose leader is voiced by Jon Favreau).  But the Duchess and Obi-Wan have a past.  They had feelings for each other back when Obi-Wan was a padawan, but unlike his own padawan, Obi-Wan chose the Jedi Order over his desires for the Duchess.  And hell hath no fury like a Duchess scorned.

Season 3 Ep. 12-14: Nightsisters, Monster, and Witches of the Mist (2)

Count Dooku tires of Asajj Ventress's constant failures so he decides to cut her loose.  Ventress escapes back to her home world of Dathomir, where her Nightsister family helps her in plotting Dooku's death.  They even recruit a warrior who will aid her.  One who comes from the same tribe as the former Sith Lord; Darth Maul.

Season 3 Ep. 15-17: Overlords, Altar of Mortis, and Ghost of Mortis (4)

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka become shipwrecked on a planet very powerful in The Force.  It is ruled by The Father who is the balance between the Light Side, The Daughter, and the Dark Side, The Son.  But soon The Father can not keep The Son at bay and the balance begins to shift.  This puts The Chosen One in a very tough place.  A place where Anakin and his friends begin to prophesies what their destines in tale.  Liam Neeson comes back to voice Qui-Gon Jinn and The Force Unleashed & Being Human star Sam Witwer voices The Son.

  

Season 4 Ep. 18: Crisis on Naboo (5)

Cade Bane is back in the series, and this time he's after the Chancellor.  It's up to Obi-Wan Kenobi to go undercover to try and stop the infamous bounty hunter.  Did I mention because of this TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi has become my 2nd favorite Star Wars character?

Season 4 Ep. 19: Massacre (5)

After learning that the Nightsisters helped Asajj Ventress try to assassinate him, Count Dooku sends General Grevious to Dathomir to eradicate the sisterhood, and leaves Asajj truly alone in the galaxy.

Season 4 Ep. 21: Brothers (4)

Mother Talzin has told Savage Opress where to find his brother, Darth Maul, but Opress finds Maul having gone mad from spending years on a junk planet.  Now Opress must try and piece together his brother's mind in order to save them both.

Season 4 Ep. 22: Revenge (1)

With the help of Mother Talzin, Savage Opress is able to save Darth Maul's soul, but Maul has only one thing on his mind; revenge.  Maul and Opress seek out Obi-Wan in hopes of giving him a slow and painful death.

Season 5 Ep. 1: Revival (5)

Darth Maul and Savage Opress rip across the galaxy looking for allies against Obi-Wan and the Jedi.  Master Kenobi and Master Gallia find them on a pirate world hoping to end their reign before it begins.

Season 5 Ep. 14-16: Eminence, Shades of Reason, and The Lawless (1)

Darth Maul and Savage Opress find their allies in the Madalore rebels and begin taking over the planet.  When Maul finds out about Obi-Wan and the Dutchess's past he is all to eager to lure Kenobi to Mandalore in hopes of finally ending his life.  The Lawless is probably my favorite episode of The Clone Wars.  It ends so tragically it had me begging for a sequel to this story line.  But with the series cancelled soon after we never see it.  I've heard ideas on how this all gets resolved, but sadly those episodes were never made.

Season 5 Ep. 17-20: Sabotage, The Jedi Who Knew Too Much, To Catch A Jedi, and The Wrong Jedi (1)

Ahsoka has come a long way since we first see her step out of that shuttle on Christophsis. Now she is being framed for destruction to the Jedi Temple and multiple murders.  Ahsoka is banished from the Jedi Order and is hunted by her own Master; Anakin Skywalker.  She'll have to team up with Asajj Ventress if she has any hope of clearing her name.  Another story that was terrific, but we never saw a climax to the character of Ahsoka due to the shows cancellation.  I am so glad to see her back in Rebels.......oh yeah.....SPOILER.

Season 6 Ep. 1-4: The Unknown, Conspiracy, Fugitive, and Orders (4)

Clone trooper Tup assassinates a Jedi in the middle of a mission after the number "66" is spoken.  Clone trooper Five is the only one who knows why Tup went crazy, and must get to the Jedi to warn them about "Order 66".  Something tells me Supreme Chancellor Palpatine doesn't want that information getting out.

Season 6 Ep. 5-7: An Old Friend, The Rise of Clovis, and Crisis at the Heart (3)

Clovis used to be an old friend of Padme Amidala's.  That is until he tried to kill her for the Separatists.  Now Padme must partner with a reformed Clovis in order to convince the Banking Clan to give the Republic more money for the war.  But Anakin still doesn't trust Clovis.  This puts tension on Anakin and Padme's secret marriage, more than we've seen in the series or the entire Clone Wars.

Season 6 Ep. 10: The Lost One (1)

Master Sifo-Dyas, the Jedi Master who allegedly commissioned the creation of the clone army, has been found.  Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to retrieve the dead Master's remains and investigate the still mysterious origins of the clone army.  Along the way the two Jedi run into Count Dooku, and the Jedi begin to believe the entire war might be the work of the still mysterious Sith Lord.

My "The Force Awakens Prep Guide" Part I: The Film Saga

Next week is Force Friday.  For those of you who don't know it's the day when the toys and products for the upcoming Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, hits stores around the country.  Star Wars merchandise has been a huge part of the Star Wars franchise going all the way back to 1977.  When Revenge of the Sith was released I had to hold myself back from buying all the lightsabers and collectables I could.  I assume I will need that same will power come next week.

As The Force Awakens approaches I am becoming more and more excited for the film.  Growing up as both a Star Wars and comic book fan I've read quite a few Star Wars comics in my day.  I've also read quite a few Star Wars novels, played some video games, and tried almost anything baring the Star Wars logo.  I've even gone as far as re-editing the prequel films.  I've added deleted scenes from the DVD extras and deleted some scenes in Episodes I-III to make them more enjoyable for myself. 

To prepare for December 18th, I'll be spending the next three months re-reading some of my favorite Star Wars comic book story lines, re-watching some Clone Wars and Rebels episodes, and of course re-watching the entire Star Wars film saga.  

The other day a friend of mine asked what she could watch and read to help prepare her for Episode VII.  And she's not the only one.  So, I decided to do these blog entries as a way to give my advice on what comic books, novels, TV episodes, and anything else Star Wars that I enjoy, and others may like.  I'll give several suggestions and rate them on a scale from 1 to 5 as to what you should check out with a 1 being my most highly recommended.  Hope everyone enjoys this, and May the Force Be With You!

EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (5)

In the "machete order" of watching Star Wars movies this film is actually not included, and for good reason.  It's my least favorite of the Star Wars saga and the one I only watch when I'm doing a marathon.  But, if you want to get kids started on Star Wars it's the one that is the most "kid friendly" with the goofy Jar Jar Binks, and the hero of the film being 10-year-old Anakin Skywalker.  When I edited this film I took out as much Jar Jar and Anakin as I could and ended up cutting 30 minutes out of the movie.

  EPISODE II:  ATTACK OF THE CLONES (4)

George Lucas called this film a love story, but he forgot to add the "love story" part of it.  All the DVD deleted scenes are expanding the relationship between Anakin and Padme.  So I added them back into the film as well as took out some parts I thought would make Anakin a little less creepy and annoying.  Say what you will about Hayden Christensen in this role, I think he played the part as best as he could with what little direction Lucas gave him.  My second least favorite Star Wars film, but I actually enjoy watching it when all the deleted scenes are added back in.

EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (3)

I think we can all agree this is the best of the prequel films, and I think had this been the only prequel Star Wars movie released some fans would not have the disgust they seem to have for Episodes I-III. This is also the film I edited the least.  My big gripe is Natalie Portman getting totally shafted in this one. Padme is built up as such a strong character in the first two films, but all she does is cry over Anakin.  This sucks because there are several deleted scenes that include her helping start the Rebellion.  If you read How Star Wars Conquered The Universe (which I'll get to in another part) it's said that Portman and Lucas started having disagreements.  Maybe that's why she is barely in Episode III.

EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1)

The one that started it all!  My second favorite Star Wars film.  When Revenge of the Sith first came out on DVD I skipped all my college classes for a day and ended up spending 14 hours watching the entire saga.  By the time I got to this film I A) had a greater understanding of who Darth Vader was under the mask, and B) felt so bad for Obi-Wan and all the horrible things he had to live through.

EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1)

My favorite Star Wars film AND one of my Top 10 favorite movies ever.  When I was a kid I used to fake being sick just to skip school and watch this movie.  I hate what Lucas has done with all the Special Edition add-ins; from seeing the wampa, to Luke shrieking as he falls into the abyss because he'd rather die than join the Dark Side.  I own the Star Wars blu-ray set and I never watch it!  Because I prefer my prequel edits and the original versions of the original trilogy.

EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1)

All those who said Luke was a whiney girl in the first two films, this one will shut you up!  Luke is the man with one of my favorite movie lines ever.  "Jabba, this is you last chance.  Free us or die."  What he basically is saying is, "I'm about to open a can of whoop ass on you."  This ends the originally trilogy and is the last we see of Luke, Han, and Leia in theaters until their return on December 18th in Episode VII: The Force Awakens that takes place 30 years after this film.

Time To Choose Sides For Marvel's Cinematic Civil War

Yesterday some alleged concept art was released revealing whose team each Avenger will choose for the upcoming film Captain America: Civil War.  The origin miniseries is one of my favorites and seeing how both Marvel Studios and the Russo brothers handled the Winter Solider storyline I have no doubt this movie will also be awesome.

In the comic, after a disastrous event causes many casualties, the government proposes the Superhero Registration Act.  This act demands all super powered beings reveal their identities and work directly for the government.  This splits the Marvel heroes into two sides; Iron Man being for registration and Captain America leading the rebellion against it.  Hawkeye himself, Jeremy Renner, went on Twitter and confirmed that this concept art is legit and that these are indeed the two sides to this war.  Fighting with Captain America will be Falcon, Winter Solider, Hawkeye, Agent 13, and Ant-Man.  Fighting along side Iron Man will be War Machine, Black Widow, Black Panther, and Vision.

I have a few issues with these teams.  First off, why is Black Widow fighting against her best friend, Hawkeye, and also Steve Rogers.  The progression of Steve and Natalia's relationship in the last Captain America film was one of my favorite parts of the movie.  She started off thinking he was an outdated boy scout, and as the film progressed she ended up respecting him as a true hero; the kind she's never encountered in her life.  Also, at the end of the Winter Soldier she basically told a government committee to grow screw themselves.  Now, I have no idea how close the film will stick to the source material.  For all I know Cap could be for registration, but given how he helped take down S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't see him liking big brother telling him and his friends who to fight.

The other issue I have is how stacked Tony Stark's team is.  Tony is a genius and a pretty formitable opponent himself, but then he gets another super suit with War Machine, and most all, Vision.  Vision has an Infinity Stone in his forehead.  He could take down Cap's team by himself!  They only way I can see this being more even is if Scarlet Witch, with her hex powers, ends up siding with Steve.  That might give Vision a little trouble and even out the battles a little.  But this is Captain America's movie.  And we always love rooting for the underdog.  

Everyone else is pretty predictable.  Of course Steve and Tony will have their best buds, War Machine and Falcon, on their sides.  Black Panther runs a country so he'd be for government supervision.  Agent 13 was also gimme.  However, with her being in the concept art it makes me hopeful that Emily VanCamp with be in more of the film than I thought.  Maybe among his biggest fight ever Cap gets a little lucky in love.  They hinted at it in Winter Soldier and if you know the comics you know it's coming.  

I knew best friends Hawkeye and Black Widow would be on opposite sides fighting each other.  I just thought they'd be on the other opposite sides.  Though, I liked how in Avengers: Age of Ultron we saw more of Hawkeye's personal life and what he fights for.  I felt like we got to know his character better the way we got to know Black Widow better in the first Avengers film.  Now that we know he is a family man I think it make sense he'd be for the people's rights.  I'll buy it in hopes that Renner is given a chance  to grow this character even further.

So, I have not seen any of the D23 footage nor do I know the exact plot of the film.  But given what I know about the comic book and which side Iron Man and Captain America both fall on these are my thoughts on the announcement of the teams and concept art.  What's yours?

Worth A Read? Superman: The Men of Tomorrow

It's no secret that I'm a pretty big Superman fan.  And anyone who know me knows one of my favorite writers is Geoff Johns.  Johns is the guy who resurrected Green Lantern, The Flash, and Aquaman into DC hits.  But as soon as Johns left those books I quickly lost interest.  He has a way of capturing the best in any character he writes.  A task that seems hard to replicate with some comic writers.  And while I haven't loved his current Justice League run it's been better than most books coming out of DC Comics these days.

Twenty-five years ago two scientists worked for the government on cracking inter dimensional travel.  Their work turned south and a black hole began to grow that would consume the world.  In an act of desperation, the couple sent their only child to one of the five dimensions they'd discovered.  There, the child grew up with powers beyond imagination and helped create a modern utopia.  But that couple that sent their child away to be saved?  Minutes later they stopped the black hole from consuming all of Earth.  And have been trying to find their son ever since.

Superman faces off against a new villain on the streets of Metropolis and gets a little help from a new hero; Ulysses.  Ulysses grew up in a another dimension and has the power to absorb energy to make himself fly and become much stronger than the average man.  He can even absorb Superman's heat vision.  Kal-El soon reunites Ulysses with his long lost parents and for a short time all seems good.  But Ulysses real motivation for coming back to Earth has yet to be revealed, and it involves six million lives.

I was excited for Johns to be back writing the Man of Steel.  Superman: Secret Origin is one of my favorites and his story(Superman: Last Son) with acclaimed film director Richard Donner added another level to the Superman myth by giving him and Lois a son.  Aside from James Robinson, very few writers I think capture Superman the way Johns does.  He knows the character is at his best when his hardest battle is within.  Ulysses comes from a utopia where hunger and disease no longer exist.  Clark has to to explain to this new visitor why they can't just use their abilities to make the people of Earth fall in line.  Ulysses must be reading Gods Among Us.

While this is not one of my favorite Johns stories it is still quite entertaining.  Johns added a new power to the Man of Steel's bag of tricks, but I didn't really see the point of it.  Clark now has the ability to admit a solar flare that decimates his enemies, but then Superman's powers are drained and Clark is human for several hours until his body recharges.  When Superman first appeared back in 1938 he couldn't fly and it was added later, but this new power just seems a bit over the top.  Do we really need to make Superman more powerful so the general audience will disconnect with him more?  I'm not a fan of it, but I guess as long as they don't use this new power that often I can learn to live with it.  

John Romita Jr pens this book beautifully.  I've enjoyed his art ever since he was drawing Spider-Man in the 1990's and then much later with Kick-Ass.  His style is very unique that I think it goes well with Johns's way of story telling.  I still prefer Johns to work with Gary Frank more, but Romita is good enough for me.

This book adds a few things to the Superman myth like giving him a new villain, a new power, and a person in Clark's life finds out his secret; and it isn't Lois Lane.  In fact, I was a little disappointed how little Lois had to do in this book.  Before the New 52, when Lois and Clark were married, their relationship was a center piece of Superman's humanity and life.  Now that Clark is hooking up with Wonder Woman Lois is really irrelevant; which makes me kind of sad.  

If you are a true fan of Superman tales or tales written by Geoff Johns I recommend this book for you.  But if you are borderline agreeable on either of those topics you can probably skip this one for now.

'Compton' Brings Rap History To Life

As a child in the 80's and 90's I was too young to know exactly who N.W.A. was, or at least I thought I was.  As I was watching Straight Outta Compton I recognized several events in the film.  I remember seeing N.W.A.'s first album cover, hearing several songs like "Fuck the Police", and listening to Dr. Dre's "Chronic" album.  I was surprised how much about N.W.A. I knew, but I think this movie was made so that everyone could know more.

Directed by F. Gary Gray (the man who gave us Friday), this film is about the rise and fall of a hip hop group that influenced the country in the late 80's and early 90's.  Their were five members in the group, but Dj Yella and MC Ren take a back seat as the focus of the film gets handed off between Easy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube.  At the height of their popularity Ice Cube splits off from N.W.A. because of his differences with Easy-E.  Meanwhile, Dr. Dre is also being lured away from the group as he gets tired of the gangsta life style and just wants to make music.  However, when tragedy strikes one of their own all the members of the group once known as N.W.A. must try and forgive each other before it's too late.

The only actors in this movie I recognize is Aldis Hodge as MC Ren and Paul Giamotti and N.W.A.'s manager, Jerry Heller.  Giamotti didn't phone his performance in like some of his recent jobs, but it still wasn't near what his potential is.  I was a bit skeptical of Ice Cube's son playing his father in this film.  I was worried he was just another child of a famous star who gets the breaks other hard working actors in Showbiz spend years trying to get.  But O'Shea Jackson Jr. was pretty good at playing his dad.  The resemblance is uncanny.  The rest of the cast didn't do a bad job either, but nothing outstanding or memorable.

With a running time of 147 minutes the film left me wishing it would have ended closer to 127 minutes.  It drags on a bit at the end.  The movie covers almost a decade with these characters so some events are cut to just one scene and then never explored later on.  I wished it would have been more focused on a certain point in time, and also on a certain character.  I couldn't tell who's perspective I was supposed to be witnessing these events through.  Though I think the front runner is Dr. Dre.

While the film did show a few times N.W.A. acted aggressively I imagine it left quite a bit out.  I'm always cautious about biographic movies that first have to sanctioned by the person or their family.  I never feel like we get all sides of the character(s), or the reality of their lives.  Dre was portrayed in this film as the most straight-laced member of the group, but one line of dialogue tries to pivot the time he beat up a journalist in the early 90's.

Of course the most enjoyable part of this movie was all the references.  From Ice Cube writing Friday in his living room, to the brief appearances by Snoop Dogg and 2Pac, this film flashes back to a lot of things I had stored in the back of my mind from my youth.  While the movie may go on a tad too long I hear the director's cut is three hours long.  But I enjoyed seeing an inside look at the lives of these famous musicians whose songs I still listen too.  I can't tell you how much "California Love" still gets me amp'd.  Also, the last line of the movie is terrific.  "Yo Dre, what're you gonna call it?"  "Aftermath."  I remember buying that album the week it came out!    

RATING:  C+

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Will Sneak Up And Surprise You

With mega blockbusters coming out this year like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Force Awakens still to come we seem to forget that 2015 is the year of spies.  Kingsmen: The Secret Service seemed to please everyone, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is doing very well, and the next James Bond film, Spectre, is set to come out this Fall. However, this weekend we get a spy film I haven't seen in a while; the classic sixties spy adventure.  

Based on the 1960's television series, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are agents Solo and Illya.  Both from opposite sides of the Cold War, and both despise the other.  However, when nuclear war is set to erupt from an unknown party the American and Russian agents must team up to bring down the bad guy.  Along for the ride is actress Alicia Vikander; best known for her part in Ex Machina.  

The chemistry between Cavill and Hammer was quite a delight in the film but to me the one who shined brighter was Cavill.  The current Man of Steel played the James Bond stereotype perfectly.  He was a spy who was good with the ladies, good with the jokes, and had quite the light touch when it comes to robbing the bad guys.  Maybe it's because the CIA recruited him out prison after becoming a world renown thief.  On the other hand, Hammer's character has a quick temper, which is a constant character flaw that gets him in trouble throughout the film.  The only other notable actor in this movie is Hugh Grant from British Intelligence; but sadly isn't in enough of the film. 

Director Guy Ritchie's style I think works perfectly with this genre film.  The characters were sharp and so was the dialogue.  Some of the plot may have been predictable, but I haven't smiled so much in a theater since I saw that Avengers round shot a few months back.  Another lackluster part of the film was the relationship between Hammer and Vikander's characters.  Their semi-romance just didn't seem to work for me because I couldn't understand why these two people would be attracted to each other given their personalities.

But, there is still plenty to like in this film.  As I was walking out I kept humming songs from the movie. I think because the music had such an impact in each scene.  For example, Solo just sits in a truck and eats a sandwich, while listening to the radio, as Illya is having a dog fight with some bad guys on boats.  It was really funny.  And as a guy who also sells suits for a living I also loved the wardrobe.  Not just the sweet 3-button suits Cavill wore, but also the fun sixties dresses Vikander was in. 

I will also give Ritchie some credit on the run time.  Some movies these days seem to drag out and go on too long, but as the film reached it's climax Ritchie did a mulit-split screen action sequence that could have lasted ten minutes, but was over in less than three.  It helped speed things along to get back to the plot and characters of the film, and kept the film under two hours.  Besides, once you've seen one cliche spy movie shoot out you've seen them all.

I really think this film has something for everyone(over the age of 13) and I would definitely recommend it over any film that has come out within the last month.  Although, I have not seen Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation but I saw the previous two, and it's all the same at this point.  If you don't believe me just ask Honest Trailers.   

When is comes down to it this movie did several things for me.  It helped convince me Henry Cavill can play more than just Superman, Guy Ritchie is starting to become of my favorite directors, and reminded me how good classic spy movies were.  These days people just make an action movie with some government agents and call it a spy movie.  When was the last time Tom Cruise seduced the female villain just for kicks?  Or when did Daniel Craig walk into a room and immediately charm everyone into liking him?  This is old school, Sean Connery, spying my friends with a lot of laughs.

By the end of the film it's all set up for "the team" to do a sequel and I am itching for more.   I think Cavill found another franchise for him to continue besides the DCCU, and Hammer has found a role he hasn't sucked at in quite a few years.  Now I just have to convince my wife to give this film a try so I can see it again, because this was last on my schedule of summer movies.  Now give me Star Wars!  

RATING:  B 

My Top 5 Out Of Character Comic Book Movie Moments

The work "trainwreck" can be used to describe more than one movie currently playing in theaters.  Fox's Fantastic Four is now surrounded with drama as it's director lashes out at the studio on social media and it becomes a box office flop; barely making half of it's projected opening weekend numbers.  My thoughts on the film aside, I did find it odd that while the movie had Johnny Storm in it, a.k.a. The Human Torch, there was actually no sign of the character anywhere in Michael B. Jordan's performance.  

This isn't the first time film makers have taken liberties with comic book heroes to serve their movie.  But to change a character completely is almost as bad as calling your film an X-Men movie, but not having any trace of an actual X-Men root anywhere in the movie *cough*Brett Ratner*cough*.  I for one don't mind changing a character trait for another adaptation so long as it doesn't change what the original character stands for.  So after a little thinking I've got my top 5 moments in comic book movies that totally went against their character archetype.   

5) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Peter Parker Stops His Bully From Bullying Someone Else

I always thought Tobey Maguire was the perfect Spider-Man casting.  He was shorter than the average male, wasn't too handsome, and overall looked like a nerd.  However, Andrew Garfield was the same height and stature as his bully; Flash Thompson.  In one scene, Peter stops Flash from picking on another fellow nerd.  Now, post-spider powers, Parker may have had the confidence to stand up to Flash, but pre-spider powers Peter would have seen the incident, thank God it wasn't him, and kept walking.  Peter Parker had no self-esteem before he become Spider-Man.  But after getting bitten he became a cocky little punk whenever he was slinging webs.

4)  FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER

Mr. Fantatic Busts A Move On The Dance Floor

For Reed's bachelor party Johnny decides to throw him a massive shindig complete with a fully stocked bar, dance floor, and lots of girls.  This of course is not Reed's scene at all.  Mr. Fantastic can barely lift his head from his microscope to talk to his wife.  He'd be sitting in the corner by himself at his own party; let alone nowhere near the dance floor.  This moment makes no sense and makes me truly believe the people behind this film didn't know the FF at all.

3)  BATMAN AND ROBIN

Batman Attends A Public Event

There is no much wrong with this film that goes against Batman myth I could go on "forever" about it.  But the moment that makes the least amount of sense is when Batman tries to lay a trap for Mr. Freeze.  He offers the Wayne diamonds up as bait, and Batman and Robin as security.  Batman didn't even show up to Superman's funeral!  He is only seen by those he's saved and savaged.  His power is him being purely myth to the general public, not at a charity event like he's an NFL player from the Make A Wish foundation.  This moment was followed by the Bat-credit card.  Oh Joel Schumacher, what did you do!

2) MAN OF STEEL

Jonathan Kent Tells His Son To Let People Die

"Maybe."  It was the word I shuttered at as I heard Kevin Costner say it in the trailer for Man of Steel.  I was hoping it was an editing trick for the trailer to spark more interest that this would not be the boy scout version of Superman.  However, as I watched the film, it indeed was in the movie. "What was I supposed to do?  Just let them die?"  "Maybe."  Oh come on!  Clark gets his moral compass from Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Pa Kent would never have told his son to let a school bus full of children die just to protect his own secret.  That moment goes against everything Pa Kent and Superman stand for.  Damn you David Goyer and Zach Snyder!  Now I'm reminded why I'm trying not to get my hopes up for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

1)  X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Deadpool Has His Mouth Sewn Shut

His nick name is The Merc With A Mouth.  For about ten glorious minutes we got to see Ryan Reynolds bring to life the foul mouth, fast talking, Wade Wilson.  It was the only good ten minutes in the film.  The next time we see the character he has his mouth sewn shut and sporting all kinds of mutant powers.  Most of Deadpool's charm lyes in his wit and speech.  Luckily this atrocity seems to be rectified based on the latest Deadpool trailer.  The film is set to come out next year and looks to find Reynolds back as Wade Wilson doing what both of them were meant to do; never shutting up.

'Fantastic Four' Fumbles At The Finish Line

I am one of those rare film fans who did not hate the last interpretation of the Fantastic Four starring Chris Evans and Jessica Alba.  I thought Rise of the Silver Surfer was ridiculous and making Galactus a giant storm cloud was a horrible decision, but the previous film I thought had a lot of good qualities. It nailed some key FF traits like Johnny and Ben's bickering, Reed focusing so much on his work he is oblivious to Sue's advances, and Ben needing Reed to wrap himself around Ben to calm him down.  In order to prepare myself for this film adaptation I read the source material; Ultimate Fantastic Four.  The relationships and characters were a bit different compared to their classic counterparts; a point I had to keep reminding myself as I watched this film.  

Reed Richards is a genius.  The young man solves inter dimensional travel and is recruited by Dr. Franklin Storm to join a government funded group to travel to that other dimension.  Helping Reed is Dr. Storm's emo daughter, Sue, his rebellious son, Johnny, and a guy who likes to crash government servers, Victor Von Doom.  The kids travel to this other world, along with Reed's friend Ben, but of course it goes horribly wrong.  Soon they all exhibit strange abilities that will come in handy as a great evil is about to strike at them and possibly destroy the planet.

Director Josh Trank has already gone on Twitter saying the film currently in theaters is not the version he agreed to do with 20th Century Fox, and I've seen nothing but bad reviews of the movie.  So walking into this film I expected the worse, but as the movie went along I was quite enjoying it.  It was less jokes and fun than the previous FF films, but still interesting.  The characters seemed a bit under developed, but over an hour into the film I was liking what Trank and his crew had done. WARNING! MILD SPOILERS: Then Victor Von Doom resurfaced and the film took a nose dive.  Dr. Doom started killing people for no reason and had no motivation for doing so.  The heroes as well seemed to act differently and the dialogue became very cheesy and forced.  It was if Trank said "F%ck It" after 75% of the film was edited and walked out, leaving a scared editor to piece together what he felt like was the film's ending.

One of the weakest parts in this film was the relationships.  All of the actors are capable of good performances but their interactions weren't great.  I felt no chemistry between Sue and Reed, and Michael B. Jordan played The Human Torch, but that was no Johnny Storm I had ever read before.  However, his version of the character worked in the context of the film so I'm ok with it; or I would have been if the film's ending delivered.  I felt like the focus should have been more on Reed's journey, even though he was obviously still the main character.  His relationship with Ben was set-up but never fully realized.  I think that could have been the best part of the film, again, if they just developed it more.  

Visually, I was happy with how the characters looked.  I thought The Thing looked the best out of any interpretation on screen, and The Human Torch has been done wrong in the past, but worked in this instance.  However, I'm not sure what they were trying to do with Dr. Doom, both in look and the character overall.

Fantastic Four is not a Marvel Studios film.  It's not full of jokes and action.  It's a serious sci-fi film that I thought would have worked well if the ending would have paid off.  I feel like there is another 20 minutes of the movie left in the editing bay that could help the 3rd Act.  Given Trank's social comments I doubt we'll get a Director's Cut of the film like we got with X-Men: Days of Future Past, but I am anxious to see the deleted scenes on the DVD to see if their ever was a better ending to this film we just didn't get.  Say what you will about Tim Story's FF films, at least they had follow through.  Also, worst delivery of "It's Clobberin Time" ever.

RATING:  D+

P.S. There is no mid or end credit scene. You're Welcome.

Deadpool Trailer Looks True To Character

So the first trailer for the upcoming Deadpool movie has been released and above is the red band version of it.  It premiered last night on Conan as Ryan Reynolds showed up in full costume to promote the film he seems to have put his heart and soul into.

For those who don't remember, Reynolds first played the Merc with a Mouth in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  But the film makers made the biggest mistake about a character who's known for his quick wit and zany dialogue; they sewed his mouth shut.  Since then Reynolds has been the strongest advocate for the advancement of a true adaptation of the character, and judging from this trailer we might just get it.

Reynolds will play Wade Wilson, an assassin who becomes physically and emotionally scarred, and then proceeds to cause chaos as a sutio hero in the Marvel U.  From the trailer it appears that Fox is really trying to give Wilson a good backstory to make the character likable and relatable.  I can get behind this so long as when he his in the red costume he's a total nut ball.  Deadpool annoys everyone one in the Marvel Universe because he never shuts up and has a loose moral code for killing bad guys.  He's also known constantly for breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience; which I would love to see in this film.

Truth be told though, I'm not a big Deadpool fan.  My brother however is.  I get the appeal.  I like the character.  But I feel he is great as a supporting character and not a lead.  I am interested to see this film, especially after seeing this trailer, but not as excited as seeing X-Men: Apocalypse.  I am however ecstatic that Fox seems to be sticking to the root of the character this lots of perverted jokes and a violent R-rating.  I'm not sure how this Deadpool will then fit into Fox's PG-13 X-Men Universe they are creating, but I think they are doing right by the source material, which studios need to realize is sometimes the best way to go.  

So for now, I'm on board.  I'm curious to see how Colossus will fit into this film, or if any other X-Men show up (come on Hugh Jackman).  But come February I'll be at the theater hoping for another successful and entertaining comic book film.  How else are we supposed to waste our time until Batman v Superman comes out?

Original Animated Transformers Movie Still the Best

On my morning drive today I decided to listen to my animated movie playlist on my ipod.  This collection of songs range from soundtracks Aladdin to South Park: Bigger, Long, and Uncut. But just as I was almost to my place of employment "Dare" by Stan Bush came on and that really got me jazzed.  This being one of two songs Stan Bush does for the soundtrack of Transformers: The Movie.  No, not the original Michael Bay film, the very first Transformers film that was released in 1986 that has way better characters, plot, and music than any of the live-action adaptations.  If you haven't seen it, or like the franchise in any fashion, this is my plea as to why you should BUY the film right now!

In the future year of 2005(which is now the past) the Autobots and Decepticons war has been raging through the galaxy for years, but after a devastating battle has left both sides leader-less they must figure out where to go next.  However, this new generation can not wallow long for a force known as Unicron is ravaging it's way through the galaxy, and has its sites set on their home world of Cybertron. 

 First off, the voice cast is great with Brat Pack member Judd Nelson as Hot Rod; the film's lead and new hero.  On the opposite end is the late Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron; the new leader of the Decepticons.  Throw in Robert Stack, Orson Welles, and that Micro Machine guy as Blurr, and you've got a cast that is top knotch that comes across great.

Next, the plot is way beyond anything Michael Bay ever gave us.  Granted, this film's main purpose was to introduce the next line of toys for Hasbro, but their are a lot of fan favorite characters that bite the dust.  This leaves our new heroes traveling across the galaxy to try to get to Cybertron in time.  The Autobots get stuck on strange worlds with strange creatures that are quite entertaining.  It's like Star Wars blended with Transformers to give us the ultimate space journey movie!

Finally, it's all about the music!  I have been patronized many a times in my life for my love of this soundtrack.  If I were to take one album that optimized 80's music this would be it.  It has hair band rock, inspiring synthesized songs, and a weird song by Weird Al.  "Dare" and "The Touch" are on my exercise playlist that help me stay pumped.  To this day, I still get chills when "The Touch" plays at the end of the film as Hot Rod, having gone through his heroes journey, tells his friends to "transform and roll out."

Like I said, it's a film of epic proportions that can only be done right through animation.  It's got a serious tone to it that I would not recommend for young kids.  In fact, when the film was originally released some parents wrote Hasbro complaining about the mature content that their kids had now seen.  They received so many complaints it urged Hasbro to make some changes to their next animated film G.I. Joe: The Movie.

Turn off the lights, turn off your cell phones, and prepare for an animated film that some may have never experienced.  By the end of it you'll be just as mad as I was about Bay's treatment of Arcee in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.  That movie continues to disappoint even years later.