A brief duo of movie reviews

Don't worry - I bring no spoilers here. Read on without fear, just like Daredevil. Well, if Daredevil could read things online. Which he can't. I mean, there's text-to-voice but- I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. Just- just read my movie reviews however you like. Sorry.*

First off - Star Trek!

This hard-hitting news report is dead-on. How dare a Star Trek film be a non-stop action packed thrill ride with humor and excitement?


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Go see it - you know, just so you can be as outraged as I am that it's totally freakin' awesome.

Oh, and incidentally, I also saw X-Men: Origins: Wolverine: Bub: Snikt: Bub. I didn't watch the leaked version online because that is wrong and seriously, who watches movies on their computer screen? Sheesh. I would have preferred the following ending but the first 2/3rds of the film were pretty enjoyable.



So, hey, let's just not talk about the last third of the film, okay? I like to focus on the positive.

Hey, did I mention how great Star Trek was? It was totally great. Flawless, even. Respectful of the pre-existing continuity while still managing to create an action-packed film that kept the core of every character intact. Nothing felt gratuitous, illogical or tossed-in for no reason at all. Yep. Boy, that was one good film.

Excuse me, I have to go now because my eye is twitching for some funny reason.

*Poor Daredevil will never be able to use Twitter.
"'I'm totally not Matt Murdock. Srsly. That's crazy. He's BLIND and I'm on Twitter, for Pete's sake.'
7 months ago"
"'Girlfriend crazy instead of dead this time. God, I hate life.'
5 months ago."
"'Kingpin in town again - WTF?!? Gotta go figure this out, BRB'
2 weeks ago"

. . . which is probably for the best.

Remember the '90s?

BeaucoupKevin's retrospective on the 90's X-Men Cartoon reminded me of all the joy that came with being a fan of Marvel Comics in the 1990's.

DC fans got Tim Burton's gleefully artistic Batman, which was sweeping and bold. More importantly, DC fans were gifted with Dini and Timm's brilliant Batman: The Animated Series and the slightly less awesome but still delightful Superman cartoon. The 1990's gave us the definitive voice of Batman (apologies to Diedrich Bader, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, et al, but man, c'mon) and a sense of whimsy, showing how wonderful, clever and interesting the DCU could be.

And what did Marvel comic book fans receive in terms of media adaptations?

Well, there was the Generation X movie . . .


I want to say something funny here but this hurt me in my soul.

The Avengers cartoon that didn't have Thor, Captain America or Iron Man in it . . .


. . . which actually wasn't the problem. If you watched an actual episode of the series, you'd know what I mean.

The Iron Man/Force Works cartoon that sadly did have Iron Man in it . . .


And I just now realized how hard it is for anybody to take an arch-enemy who shares his name with an orange seriously, no matter how powerful he may be.
Iron Man: "The Mandarin is my most powerful foe!"
Deadpool: "And let's not even talk about the implacable evil of the Anjou Pear!"

Oh, and who could ever forget the Captain America movie?


Answer: All of us who tried really, really hard, sometimes using a whole helluva lot of alcohol.

Yes, yes, I know - we also got the passable Spider-Man cartoon and unfortunate DC fans had to deal with Schumacher's Batman films. Still, I think it's an ironclad fact that DC got the lion's share of good adaptations in the '90's. Of course, all of these horrible things made the first Spider-Man movie into a jaw-dropping revelation for me, so I guess some good came out of it after all.

. . . you know what? I almost forgot the Punisher movie. Yes, it was in 1989. I don't care.

. . . so now that I think on it, suffering through all of that wasn't worth the first Spider-Man movie. Sorry. I think we gotta toss in at least Spider-Man 2 and X2 to make things square.

Bizarro Am Not Getting Movie?

Goodbye, everyone! Me there at TheSmellIn hear normal news! Bizarro may not or may be getting own movie!



Unrealistically, me realize that chances of a spec script in Hollywood making it to film stages am astronomically high, given the tragic nature of script and various showbiz trenches said script will not have to fall below. Still, the idea of tragic Bizarro doing sad things on the small screen makes The SmellIn sad and uninterested! Here's despairing for a Superman film that is tedium-packed yet serious and fills everyone with a sense of boredom!*



What you think, rough bloggers? Do not tell me anything in comments above! Hello!

*Unlike least recent film about Superman that stood strong under weight of Bryan Singer's silly, carefree direction, despite terrible performance by Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor!

Men at Watch

So, given that none of you live in a cave, I'm sure you all know that there's a really big movie coming out this week today based off of a graphic novel. Yes, Wonder Woman finally has her own animated DVD! I don't know about you, but I'm very excited.

Also, I guess there's a movie called "The Watchmen" out too. I guess it's been in the works for a while now. If it's anything like the animated series, this "The Watchmen" will be yet another silly kid's movie.



C'mon, guys, get it together! I don't think Neil Gaiman would appreciate you butchering his masterpiece like this.

Honestly, why must everybody still think comic books are for kids? It just breaks my heart. Why, things like this could drive a man to drink.

BONUS VIDEO CONTENT:

Photos of an Iron Monger

Jeff Bridges has quite a lovely set of photographs from his time on the set of Iron Man, over on his personal website. Man's got quite a nice eye for framing and light.

And I just had to post this gem I found on Teh Interwebs -



(Yes, I know the man's a talented actor with several roles under his belt but damn if I don't love that weird little film. Just be glad I didn't post this deeply irritating yet mildly amusing video instead.)

Two movie trailers - now with added Deadpool!

Blink and you'll miss the ever-hilarious Merc With A Mouth popping in the following previews. Oh, yeah, and this Wolverine guy and some big green dude shows up a lot in them too.



Emma Frost is there too? What the hell? Okay, random.



"Flamin' idiot." Hee hee hee. Claremontisms are funny when spoken aloud, bub.

A Thought on Thor

So, here's a confession - I've never been much of a Thor fan (A Doors Fan, yes, A Thor fan, no). I was coaxed into buying a couple issues back in the 90's due to a few timely Excalibur and Spidey crossovers but I never really got into the whole Thor scene. Well, until recently, that is. The current J. Michael Straczynski run is charming the pants off of me, mostly because I find the idea of Asgardians and Oklahomans interacting hilarious. Fraction's mini based on the original mythology - which I quite enjoy, ironically - is also quite decent.

Still, the reasons for this post are twofold. First off, I just heard the movie news about Thor and against all expectations, I'm kinda excited. Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct and a screenplay by the folks behind the surprisingly affecting I Am Legend? Even cynical little old me's kinda intrigued by that one-two punch. But the real reason I had to make this post was the most awesomely, terrible idea I've ever had. An idea that won't leave my brain alone.

Thor's alter-ego is Dr. Donald Blake. He started out as a curse from Odin to provide Thor with humility, given that he's a healer with a bum leg. Now take a minute and think about pop culture - who's the first person people on the street think of when you say "Doctor who walks around with a cane?"



Try to wrap your head around this insane, fanficcy notion that all non-Thor fans are going to immediately jump to, people - Dr. Gregory HOUSE with THE POWER OF AN ASGARDIAN THUNDER GOD.



Coincidentally, that right there? Is the face I made when I first came to this shocking notion.

To borrow a line from Kevin Church - think about it, won't you?

The Dark Huntress?

I know that as of late, I seem to be a little Bat-obsessed, but I had a crazy idea while watching The Dark Knight for the second time.

SPOILERS AHOY!

People everywhere are already talking about which villains they'll use in the sequel to The Dark Knight. My thought is this - what if they don't use villains? Not in the strictest sense of the word, that is. What if the next film is mostly about Batman butting heads with Catwoman and The Huntress?

I know, I know - neither of them are as vicious as Heath Ledger's Joker and it sidesteps the whole "Batman Vs. The Terrorists" dynamic they've established in both films (Ra's Al Ghul and his cult of fanatics versus Joker and his cult of personality). But, my God - wouldn't that be the point? They can't return to the themes of this movie without rehashing a certain amount of ground. So why not go to a fresh place?

The most interesting part of the film for me are the BatWannabes, the various guys at the start in homemade costumes who are trying to be like their hero. Despite a working BatSignal and admiration for Batman in the comics, no such movement has existed in the comic books themselves, to my knowledge. It's a testimony to the world that Christopher Nolan has created that the existence of such men feel organic; a natural response by fed-up people to the basic idea of one man making a difference. While I think it's implied that the Batman imitators are flash in the pan and scared off by The Joker, I can only wonder if a similar "Year One"-esque motivation will be used in the third film for not just Catwoman, but perhaps Huntress as well.

As it's implied by the ending of DK, everyone now assumes Batman will and does kill. I feel like the placement of Catwoman in the next film feels almost inevitable, given what happens between Bruce and Rachel in this film, but what if we replace that dynamic with Huntress? Or Selina Kyle also assumes the hype about Batman the murderous vigilante? How does Batman deal with taking down the mob while dealing with one or even two women who are as motivated - albeit not quite as well-armed - as he is? More dangerous than him, even, given their moral flexibility? How tempting would it be for him to fudge his moral code so he can be with a partner who understands him? The crushing loneliness of his existence was hammered home in every frame of Dark Knight, to the point where I do feel like a lack of a love interest in the next film would be unforgivable (and please not, Talia Al Ghul - while she would give the trilogy symmetry, she just doesn't interest me nearly as much as a character).

Now, before anyone freaks out, I'm not saying that a total lack of a more straightforward Batvillain is going to happen or that a lack of a straightforward mustache-twirling bad guy would even be a good thing. But The Penguin? The Riddler? No and no. Too silly in Penguin's case and I honestly can't imagine a Riddler who could stand up to Ledger's Joker.

But Black Mask? Absolutely. Hugo Strange? God, yes. In a mob city as violently destabilized by Batman and the Joker's antics, the idea of a mobster like Black Mask adopting their tactics just makes sense. And Hugo Strange? Seriously, what 'real world' psychiatrist wouldn't be trying to figure out Batman and The Joker at this point? Yes, I know a Harley Quinn appearance would be the most logical thing in the world from that set-up but, in the wake of Mr. Ledger's tragic death, any callbacks to his Joker would have to be tremendously earned. Maybe it's me, but Hugo Strange just feels like he'd fit in beautifully in Nolan's world. The idea of Strange trying to twist the minds of Batman, Catwoman and/or the Huntress as they dance around Gotham's rooftops intrigues the hell out of me. Such a film would be a delight. I feel that these characters and themes would just lend themselves beautifully to Nolan's spot-on character studies and exploration of morality in a confusing world.

Plus, I just plain like Catwoman and Huntress, dang it. :D

Huh. Sorry, the idea of a more Hugo Strange-esque Harley Quinn (funny, sure, but more sadistic and effective) with Catwoman and/or Huntress just simultaneously gave me goosebumps and a twitchy memory of that unfortunate Birds of Prey TV show (so much wasted potential!).

But in any case, after all that rambling, I suppose I should give out my obligatory casting ideas. Hmmmm. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman rumor doesn't entirely displease me, even if she feels a little on the nose at this point. Huntress? A lot harder to cast. Monica Bellucci would be perfect but for Helena's relative youth and inexperience. Hell, she might still pull it off, given how much fun she seemed to be having in Shoot 'Em Up. Black Mask needs to have an imposing physical presence and the ability to act through a mask - which could really describe a wealth of large, talented male actors these days. Gerard Butler, just as a for instance, might have a lot of fun portraying a psychopathic mobster. And Hugo Strange? I'd love to see what Steve Buscemi could do with a shaved head and thick glasses. And, should they surprise the hell out of me by going that route, Sarah Michelle Gellar might make for a fine Harley Quinn. Just my two cents, in any case.



What do y'all think? Am I crazy? Or do these ideas sound reasonable to anybody else?

The LookOut - Slacker or Menace?

Hello, loyal readers! I'm sure all five of you have missed me terribly. Especially you, TV's Summer Glau! Sorry, TV's Summer Glau. Just look how surprised she is that I'm updating again! Priceless. Well, you're very welcome, TV's Summer Glau and so are all of you!*

Seriously, I'm sorry for the long delay in posting. Things have just not been copacetic in the house of The LookOut as of late. Thankfully, I've got a new job and as soon as I get another one, things will be almost entirely back to normal. I may even have money for comics again in two months! Huzzah! The lack of Ellis' Astonishing X-Men, Helen Killer and Simone's Wonder Woman alone are killing me. Don't even talk to me about missing Booster Gold.

On much happier note, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog? Genius. Watch it now before it stops being free online! You know what else is awesome? The Middleman. I guess nothing cheers me up quite like mad science.

Oh, and hey, there's some weird movie coming out this week about a dude who dresses up like a bat or something. Bizarre. Anybody going to see that? I think I might go, even if it means selling bodily fluids, 'cause hey - Maggie Gyllenhaal is in it. I know her much raved about acting skills are the reason everyone's so hyped about this film.** Right? I don't know. Clearly, I don't really follow these "comic book movies".


*TV's Summer Glau has never, and probably will never, read, condone or know of the existence of "Look Out! Here Comes A Comics Blog!". We here at The LookOut apologize for the deceit.

**Fun Trivia Fact - Maggie Gyllenhaal and I have the same birthday! No foolin'.

Too . . . Much . . . AWESOME . . . Passing . . . Out!

Brian K. Vaughan is working on . . . wait for it . . . A RUNAWAYS MOVIE. Sure, I should probably not hold my breath and wait to see if they actually make the Simon Pegg Ant-Man film first, but dude! Holy crap! Casting call time - who do you all suggest for each of the original Runaways? Being totally out of the loop regarding teen actors, nobody's really jumping to mind yet. Percy Daggs III might make an interesting Alex Wilder - being so naturally likable - but he might be too old for the part now. Other than that, I'll have to give it some thought.

Also, you may have heard that a certain character is back from the dead in the pages of the Bat-Verse - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILER

Once again, I apologize for the lack of real posting but the month of May continues to be less than merry for me. I know I'm at Whedon-esque levels of delay here, which is ironic considering the whole Scott/Emma angle, but I hope to provide you all with actual content again soon. Thanks for your patience.
(Just consider this delay a veiled tribute to Dave's Long Box! Yeah, that's the ticket . . .)

Oooooh! Aaaaah!

KEVIN CONROY IS BATMAN AGAIN!
*ahem*
Sorry, had to get that out of the way first. What I meant to say is, please enjoy this expanded trailer for Batman: Gotham Knight in HD -




And in other comic book to film news, here's a whopping TWO minute preview of Robert Downey, Jr. being damned amusing as Iron Man -



. . . and in other geeky news, I just realized that I'm so much of a nerd, I can't even type the phrase/word "Aaaah!" anymore without thinking of Adam Hughes.

*shakes head ruefully*

Hughes often gets a bad rap - most notably for that infamously godawful Mary Jane statuette - but I have to say that I generally like his covers and I thought his Gen 13: Ordinary Heroes was beautiful and even a little bit poignant. It's a read worth tracking down, IMHO.



Ooh! Apparently the TP also has the great little "WHAM!" story in it, wherein Roxy actually rants at length about the body issues being Caitlin Freakin' Fairchild's sister creates. I did not know that! I might have to hunt it down now.

Avengers Babies! And more Iron Man!

The good folks at Blog@Newsarama have revealed something very cute. It would seem that one of the next Marvel animated films is a sequel to their Ultimate Avengers flicks . . . a very, very distant sequel.



I have to say - the little kid 'Vengers? Freakin' adorable.

And in keeping in my promise to keep the readers of this blog updated on all things "Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man", here's an interview with the man himself about the upcoming title.

And speaking of Iron Man - can May 2nd come any faster? I know it's less than two months away but I'm seriously stoked about this. Enjoy the brief brand-new TV trailer!

Iron Man TV Spot
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