Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Alex Kurtzman, one of the screenwriters for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," discussed the sequel with the LA Times in an interview.

"The first movie was about a boy and his car and finding his adulthood and freedom. Now Sam [Shia LaBeouf] is going to college and facing both leaving home and the challenge of a long-distance relationship with Mikaela [Megan Fox]," said Kurtzman, who rejoined "Transformers" co-writers Roberto Orci and Ehren Kruger to assemble the sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which opens June 26.

"It's about the return of the Decepticons and particularly a character named 'The Fallen' who has a deeper history with Earth than any of the Autobots knew about. He blames humanity for his fall, so he has come back to exact revenge," Kurtzman said.

In closing, Kurtzman said this:

“It’s going to be the mother of all robot-on-robot violence”

Sounds like good news to me. Are you excited for "Transformers 2?"
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

The Rock is Under the Sea

Production Weekly has an update on the "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" remake being directed my McG.

It says under cast Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
So Dwayne Johnson is going to star in another Disney movie? Better play it safe than sorry I guess.

PW also goes on to say, "A fugitive whaler teams up with a naturalist, a mysterious woman and a captain of a futuristic submarine, to search for a lost underwater civilization that holds libraries of vast knowledge and a weapon with the power to destroy mankind. (Studio is fast-tracking the project and hopes to make the
film this year.)"

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Inglourious Basterds

"Inglourious Basterds" stars Diane Kruger, who had her breakout role as Helen in "Troy." Now she stars in Tarantino’s newest film as German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark who works with Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who is organizing a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich.

The “New York Times Magazine” interviewed Quentin Tarantino and Diane Kruger about "Basterds."

The interview — which you can watch below — is part of the Sunday, May 3 feature in the magazine titled “The Call Back” by Lynn Hirschberg, which includes photos of Kruger and Tarantino taken by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and a quick interview with Tarantino.




Below are three questions directed to Tarantino about his newest film which comes out August 21, 2009.

When you’re making a film, like this year’s "Inglourious Basterds," which will premiere at Cannes, is it hard to watch movies?

Maybe it’s just this movie, but it’s become very hard to concentrate on anything but the film I’m making. This was the hardest movie I’ve ever made.

"Inglourious Basterds" is a World War II epic that combines historical events with a vivid, pop sensibility. The movie stars, among others, Brad Pitt as an American lieutenant in search of Nazis and Diane Kruger as a German movie star/spy. It’s both authentic and highly theatrical. Did you shoot on soundstages in America or in Europe?

We shot the film in Berlin and a little bit in Paris. I only cast actors who could speak English with their native accents. The Germans have accents, the French are French, and the English are English. During the war, your understanding of German, whether you were a French citizen or you were in a concentration camp, meant the difference between life and death. In Hollywood movies, Germans often have English accents, and I can’t go for that contrivance. The proper accent could be the difference between success and failure.

On this movie, you worked very quickly. Was that partially to have the film ready in time for Cannes?

Yes. I wanted to have a masterpiece before the decade’s out.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Thor Begins Production in January

IGN had the exclusive chance to interview actor/director Kenneth Branagh and learn some news on the next anticipated Marvel film. "Iron Man 2" is filming right now as I type, but "Thor" is still only in pre-production.

"Well, I'm working currently on 'Thor' for Marvel and we're planning that one. We're having a great time at the moment. We're in intense pre-production."

He continues, "I shoot 'Thor' in January of next year and because the time of release has been moved, it's allowed me to have a moment in the summer where I can shoot the 'Wallanders.'"

"Wallander" is a series of TV movies that Branagh has been starring in for the BBC (TV in the UK).

"Strangely, there's a weird, pleasing connection between the Swedish Wallander and the Nordic Thor. And as I've played a lot of Danish Hamlets, I feel as though my Scandinavian trilogy is forming," he jokes.

"Thor" is slated for release May 20, 2011.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Hitman Director Wants to Make New Daredevil

Yes, "Hitman" is a pretty bad movie, but it isn't Xavier Gens' fault. 20th Century Fox re-edited the film and had Gens removed from his directing position. Some scenes were completely re-filmed while others were left out. New dialogue and new music were also added to the film after Gens had left.

And this is why Fox is hated a lot by fans because Fox changes the director's vision.
And now Gens wants to direct the rumored reboot of "Daredevil."

Gens recently spoke with the Marvel Movies Group on Facebook (of which I am a proud member of) and spoke about what his vision would be for the new "Daredevil" (if made).
Please also note that Gens is foreign and his English is not the best:

MM: Being that we’re doing this interview for my Marvel Movies! Group you had to know this question was going to come next. The Superhero genre has been the hottest ticket since 1998 consistently producing blockbusters year after year. The genre also comes with the baggage of the fans… There are so many projects in the works…Are there any movies in this genre you’d like to tackle within the Marvel Universe?

XG: I really love the Marvel universe, one of my favorite is Daredevil. I really love also the Punisher and I don’t understand why they made so many bad movies on that character.

MM: Funny thing about Daredevil is the theatrical version which wasn’t taken so well…and then the Directors cut which gained quite a bit of praise from the fans. Personally I thought MSJ did a good job with what he had…I personally just didn’t think Affleck was a good fit for the role. If given the chance what direction would you like to take Daredevil? Should this franchise be R rated like the directors cut???

XG: If I have to made a Daredevil movie, I will take a completely different direction. My vision of the character is much more a drama. There will be a 1st part in the child hood of Matt Murdock and the universe of Hell kitchen. Something in the universe of the first Rocky Balboa. Is the story of a poor family of hell kitchen, the father is a loser who made some boxing match, the mother is sick and she died. The father have to make the education of is son alone. He became a outlaw, he made fight to win money and one day he is killed by the mobs.
Alone Matt Murdock go to an orphanage and is there were he got is accident. And there is a long reeducation because he became blind and he have to learn a new sens. With a very realistic point of view. And he became better and better and he made lawyer study.

For me it’s important to get the origin of the character like in the Richard Donner superman. We saw him became slowly a super hero but i think it’s important to take time and stay realistic.

MM: There’s been plenty of names thrown around by fans for the lead should the franchise be restarted. Jason Statham has made his interest well known. Vin Diesel was supposedly up for the part before Affleck got it. Is there any actors in particular that you think would fit the role? Also any idea of villains you’d like to see?

XG: For Daredevil I think Sam Worthington could be very great and intense for this character. For the villain it’s depend of the story.

MM: It does seem the Fox has loosened up a bit on the reigns with Wolverine after some initial worries, but after your experience with Fox on Hitman…do you feel you’ll get the cooperation you need to give us the vision you have for Daredevil?

XG: It’s depend of the communication, I think it’s very important to let the director make his own vision of the character, not making a studio movie. Look the Dark Knight it’s totally the vision of Nolan.

Also when asked about would the film be R or PG-13, he said, "It’s totally a R-rated movie, with in the fight the same violence as in Watchmen. For me when Matt Murdock is Daredevil, he is close to Rorschach in Watchmen."

Gens certainly does have a specific outline in mind for his idea of Daredevil and it would be interesting to see it if made.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

Dug, the Talking Dog from Up

A new featurette has just come out that focuses on Dug, the talking dog seen in the trailers from the new Pixar movie "Up."



Dug looks like he might be one of the funniest parts of the movie.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" starts off the summer with a bang. Lots of action and explosions for a film focusing on basically what the other "X-Men" films focused on, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Let's start with the good parts and try not to give out any spoilers.
Jackman returns for the fourth time as Wolverine in the telling of how he gained the adamantium on his skeleton and lost his memory. The opening of the film is great. It sets up a montage showing James Logan (that's Wolvie's name!) and Victor Creed (Sabretooth) fighting wars through history.



The films has to go through a lot and the pacing is hard to manage, but it worked out well except giving little introduction to other characters.

So I guess besides the action entertainment I have nothing more good to say. Don't get me wrong, the film has high entertainment value, but for a comic fan like myself, it was kind of a letdown.



After being locked up, Logan and Creed join a mutant team going about doing...stuff. The boss, Stryker (a character who returns in "X2"), is collecting material from meteorites. There is no introduction to the rest of the team (Wade Wilson, Bolt, Blob, Wraith, Agent Zero) and without knowing who was in the film before hand and knowing their powers I would have been confused.

And I was confused. Not full knowing certain characters puzzled me because I didn't know every one's powers. I couldn't figure out what Agent Zero even was until I remembered in the comics he is better known as the mutant Maverick.

Somethings are glazed over to allow more time for Wolverine to cut a path of destruction. Other characters such as Emma Frost and Cyclops show up and really add nothing to the film. All the hype that was built up for Gambit was also disappointing.



Are these characters bad? Heck no! They were awesome, but they were all only in about three scenes. I do believe this was the intention of the writers. The movie is called "Wolverine" for a reason and that is to let us see him in action.

One last thing. Do we need two shouts at the sky? Just saying...it was a little overkill of the skycam and Wolverine shouting, "Nooooooooo!" I know this is a shout to the comics (they do that all the time in comics, usually right at the end) but I don't think it works as well as it does in film. And there are two characters in this film that are ripped straight from Ma and Pa Kent from "Superman."



Another problem is motive. Everyone's motives are very questionable. Why are characters doing what they are doing? At first the idea is passable, but on second thought it doesn't seem right. Everything that Sabretooth does is supposedly to get adamantium into him to be better than Wolverine, but he already was better and what he was doing ended up making Wolverine desperate enough to put the metal into his body. Stryker gives a good reason why he is doing lots of crazy stuff (more plot points from "X2" brought in for his past too).

This film is just a really grand set-up for other movies. A Gambit spin-off isn't necessary but since he won't be in "First Class," then it will be needed.

And yes, this film shouts "First Class." There is a cameo at the end that is like an advertisement for the next film (another motive question as to why that character was there at that perfect time). And there are two endings that take place after the credits. One leads to a possible "Wolverine 2" while the other leads to a possible "Deadpool" spin-off.



And yes! The controversial Deadpool. Been blogging about my problems with the character a lot and here it is. His character is not Deadpool but merely a monster of what he is supposed to be.

Latino Review said it best about Deadpool.
"Reynolds does a great job of capturing Wade Wilson's cocky banter and sure fired lethal skills, but when he's turned into Deadpool the character comes across as more of an abomination than shadow of his former self."

Where do we go next from here? So many "X-Men" ideas come from this film that it is possible to go from "First Class" to a reboot of the franchise by starting all over again. So many more spin-offs are in the work that it would be amazing if all the characters can be combined into one movie anymore.

The film is sure to make the big bucks and is a decent start to the summer. Was it worth the wait? Yeah, I enjoyed it. The movie could have been better but I'll take it as it is because it could have been even worse.

6.4/10

District 9

Sony / Columbia Pictures has released the teaser trailer for the new sci-fi thriller "District 9" from director Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson.

The film stars Sharlto Copley, and David James and is set to hit theaters on August 14, 2009

"District 9" depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Extraterrestrial race is forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in Wikus (Sharlto Copley), a Multi-National United agent, who becomes infected by alien biotechnology. He must go on the run from the oppressive government into District 9, a internment camp where “non-humans” have been forced to live since landing on Earth nearly 30 years ago.



Neill Blomkamp was supposed to direct the "Halo" before it was scrapped.
"District 9" is based on Blomkamp's short film "Alive in Joburg" which can be watched below.