Nick Doll

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Review: Turtle Power!

Posted on June 3, 2016June 27, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Reviews

I am shocked, shocked I tell you (shell-shocked)! I never thought I’d write this, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is… good! Not great, but good! Unlike the 1st film, this sequel has lost all of its Michael Bay/Transformers sensibilities and production design in favor of a film that feels like a direct adaptation of the Animated Series from the 90s!I watched 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Hulu the other night in preparation for this sequel. Watching the 1 st film, my initial worries were confirmed: it was a Michael Bay-esque mess (you’d swear he directed it) with more visual cues from the Transformers movies that anything in Turtle “Canon” and a brand new origin that stripped the characters of their complex relationships and personalities from the original animated series and live action movies of the 90’s. Shredder was a God-Damn transformer, William Fichtner played his typical Michael Bay role (Don’t trust that guy! Remember Armageddon?), and Megan Fox was a smoking reporter… with no reporter skills, nor any resemblance of classic April O’Neal besides having breasts. The Turtles were created by April O’Neal’s (Megan Fox) father with evil Fichtner, the former destroying his creation after learning about his research’s application (a la Amazing Spider-Man’s unnecessary backstory). They were April’s turtles that she saved only to throw down a sewer. Splinter (Peter Donald Badalamenti II) was just a rat that was experimented on, same as the turtles, instead of a former Ninjutsu master that trained under the same Sensei as Shredder. This Splinter learned Ninjutsu from a book! He was never trained AND was lacking the history with Shredder that always made their conflict personal and Shredder’s hatred appropriate. Worst of all, the plot was about poisoning New York and using the Turtles DNA as a cure, a dastardly plan that doesn’t fit the MO of the Shredder we once knew. And… the CGI was terrible, even for its time.

While not erasing the events of the first movie like it never happened, this year’s sequel, Out of the Shadows, fixed all these problems and modeled itself off of the 90’s Animated Series which is the most popular iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to this day, even though they initially came from the pages of a comic book. In fact, as far as comic book movies go, TMNT: Out of the Shadows is better than last week’s release, X-Men: Apocalypse.This movie is all about giving kids of today the same feeling I got from the Animated Series, while also serving as sweet nostalgia for those that grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles like myself.Shredder (Brian Tee) has been toned down to a guy in a costume nearly identical to the show; no more whirling robot arms that look like an Iron Man suit got jacked by a Transformer. The Foot Clan has stopped using guns like in the previous film and are back to being actual ninjas! Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly) are nearly perfect adaptations of their TV counterparts, as is Krang (Brad Garrett), fully realized with perhaps an overabundance of CGI, but cool none-the- less (his suit looks a lil’ like a Transformer, but it’s also true to the character). Casey Jones (Stephen Amell from Arrow) is awesome and fits in nicely with the other new characters. Best of all, with the introduction of all these fan favorites, it never feels crowded, though Shredder and Krang deserved a little more screen time.

The tone has been nailed this time as well. It’s humorous and fun! 2014’s initial entry took itself too seriously (again, look no further than the updated origins and generic terrorist plot) while Out of the Shadows reminds you how fun it is to be a Turtle, of the Teenage Mutant Ninja variety. The Turtles, Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), and Raphael (Alan Ritchson), have distinct personalities past their archetypes: the leader, the brains, the goofy one, and the badass. They grapple with issues having to do with simply being brothers vs. learning to be an actual team, even if Master Splinter doesn’t offer as much sage advice as he did in the old days.And the plot feels just like it came from the cartoon. No more terrorist acts like poisoning all of New York; instead, after a portal transports Shredder to the wrong location, Krang tasks him with collecting 3 relics to complete an inter-dimensional doorway which will allow Krang to invade the Earth with his warship. Meanwhile, Bebop and Rocksteady are mutated so the Foot Clan have a fighting chance against Mutant Turtles and Casey Jones takes up the vigilante mantle after he allows Bebop, Rocksteady, and Shredder to escape on his watch during a prisoner transport. Who can save the day? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Who still love Pizza!

The one plot point that worried me was in the introduction of the Purple “Ooze.” Unlike the traditional origin, there is not simply Green Mutagen which transforms any being into a combined version of their species and the last species they touched (in the old days Splinter touched the Turtles so they became humanoid, while his touching a rat made him half rodent). The Purple Ooze turns you into the animal you are in your soul (what mumbo-jumbo is that Dr. Tyler Perry?), creating Bebop and Rocksteady… who are apparently a Rhino and Warthog on the inside… while also offering the Turtles a chance to become human. Luckily the latter idea is not over explored, with the Turtles deciding not to use the Ooze without too much time spent ruminating on the subject.Otherwise, the other characters are fine as well. Megan Fox remains better eye candy than a fully fleshed out April O’Neal, while Will Arnett continues to bring the funny as comic-relief Vernon Fenwick, now calling himself “The Falcon” after receiving all the credit for saving New York City in the 1 st film so the Turtles could remain a secret. Tyler Perry as Baxter Stockman is a fun addition, especially knowing his character mutates with a fly eventually in TV show continuity. That fact, as well as the ability to easily bring back Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang, leave the franchise with a lot of places to go!

When you get down to it, this movie just feels like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while the 1 st film felt misguided and over Michael Bay-ed. Sure, it’s meant for kids and it’s not the smartest Comic Book Movie out there, but if you’ve ever liked the Turtles, it’s damn fun!

Oh, and as an added bonus, the original theme is played during the credits: new version, classic lyrics!

Bonus Points for Nostalgia!

Turtle Power!

X-MEN APOCALYPSE Review: Why Can’t They All Be Like DEADPOOL?

Posted on May 27, 2016June 3, 2016 by Nick Doll in Marvel, Movies, Reviews

Only MILD SPOILERS ahead. There’s nothing here that you couldn’t surmise from the trailer.

Even as a huge Comic Book Movie Fan who has Marvel leanings, X-Men is one of those franchises I’ve never really cared for. X-2 is fine, I do really like First Class, but Days of Future Past and The Wolverine are simply okay. The 1st X-Men ages terribly, while X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men: Wolverine Origins are completely unwatchable. Deadpool is by the far the best film in Fox’s X-Men Universe, but that’s because it’s the only film that doesn’t feel stale and clichéd. (Did I miss any?)

That being said, I don’t feel I have a mutant prejudice. I want these movies to be good, I really do. Deadpool and First Class (and The Wolverine… sort of…) proved that these characters can work, but only when they are treated as unique, genre films that avoid the generic superhero formula that the other X-Men films follow. Deadpool was a whole new spin on the superhero genre as a whole; a deconstruction of the genre, if you will. First Class used Pre-Magneto Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) as a Bond type assassin, hunting down Nazi’s before the film slipped into classic origin story territory. The Wolverine had limited mutants and was more Samurai movie than Superhero.Even the best of the other 6 X-Men movies were average superhero films that brought nothing new to the table; not terrible (Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were terrible, actually), but not memorable either, repeating storylines like the Weapon X program, the antagonistic “friendship” between Professor X and Magneto, and “love” triangle between Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey. Unfortunately, the latest outing, X-Men: Apocalypse is no exception, repeating yet again, many of these same story beats.

Repetition is what hits Apocalypse the hardest. Part of the problem is that the original X-Men trilogy and X-Men Origins: Wolverine used up many interesting characters just to cram new mutants into every movie, without any thought or plan put in place to continue their storyline like what Marvel has done with even minor characters like Scarlet Witch and Vision. They’re using Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey again? Yup, but this time it’s the origin (groan…). Haven’t I seen Nightcrawler, Angel, and Havok before? Again, yes, but they were one dimensional characters abandoned in the sequels that followed their initial appearance. As alluded to earlier with my comments about Magneto having an almost 007 like adventure in the 1st half of First Class, I’ve always found Michael Fassbender’s version to be the most interesting character in the X-Men Movie Universe (aside from ANY character from Deadpool), but here he has nothing to do. Sure, we see him with a new family that he loses (he says it right in the trailer to James McAvoy’s Professor Charlies Xavier in the trailer, so that ain’t a spoiler!), but how is this new trauma necessary when we’ve seen him losing his mother at Auschwitz twice before (with flashbacks again in this movie, for a 3rd go around)? Fassbender’s version of Magneto has been less interesting each film he’s in, so at this point his decision to go with the bad guy, and his on-again/off-again friendship with Charles are incredibly overplayed and uninteresting.

But Magneto’s just the tip of the iceberg: the film has a giant villain problem (and that’s not a reference to Apocalypse growing giant in the trailer). These bad guys are boring. Angel (Ben Hardy), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) might as well not be in the movie at all. They’re left with nothing to do but pose during the dull and uninspired action scene that finally ends the film. Even worse, Apocalypse is just a boring villain, plain and simple. He wants to create a world where only Mutants survive? I haven’t seen that in about half the X-Men movies already… Oscar Isaac does nothing to elevate the part, easily making this his worst film (because he’s usually so great!). And what exactly are his super powers? I’ve seen the movie but I couldn’t tell you what he can do and what he can’t.

The heroes are stronger than the villains, as far as characterization and giving them something to do, but even this department is repetitive as hell. Oh no, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) can’t control her powers, just the same as X-Men and X-2, and she’s not even given an origin (thankfully?). We see nearly the exact same scene of Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) getting his powers that was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And though I couldn’t wait for the Wolverine scene from the end of the final trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse, it did give us the most animalistic version of the character, but it’s literally the same Weapon X escape we’ve seen twice before!I apologize for repeating myself, but this movie is completely repetitive on every level and I guess I want to drive that point home. Oh boy, another Quicksilver scene set to a rock song. There’s Jenifer Lawrence using her star power to avoid the Blue Paint, negating the lesson she learned in First Class about being comfortable showing her true, blue self. Oh, but here’s something new… we’ve never seen Professor X’s hair literally fall out of his head. That’s about as fresh as this movie gets.

Simply put, Apocalypse is not a bad movie, but it gives us nothing new and suffers from a weak villain and incredibly weak action. Director Bryan Singer is doing the bare minimum to bring you a safe Superhero Film that doesn’t take any risks or attempt to subvert the genre. This is the superhero genre at its most generic.

So, I will continue to wait until Fox can show me on the screen, what makes these characters so interesting in a comic panel. Except for Deadpool. Did I say I liked Deadpool? I like Deadpool.

STAR TREK BEYOND Trailer #2 HD Screengrabs!

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Original Screen Grabs, Star Trek, Trailers

You know me, I like Screengrabs (and they sell, baby!). Here are some I made on my own, originals if you will, covering EVERY shot in the trailer (mostly…mostly). Because I’m nothing if not a completist.

Yes, they are all HD. But these are moving pictures, kiddies, so sometimes they come out blurry. Trust me, I’m an expert.Star Trek Beyond comes out in exactly two months, July 22nd!

STAR TREK BEYOND Trailer #2: No Ship, No Crew, No Problem!

Posted on May 21, 2016May 21, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Posters, Star Trek, Trailers

Wow, it took them (Paramount) long enough, but we finally have our 2nd trailer AND the 1st poster for Star Trek Beyond!

Seeing as how the movie is only 2 months away, this is cutting it close for a full theatrical trailer, especially considering the teaser came out in time for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, over 5 months ago! Often, a lack of footage and poster this late in the game can spell trouble, so I’ve experienced some concern for the continuation of the Star Trek franchise these past months. The Teaser Trailer didn’t help; going with The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”instead of the classic orchestral score in every other recent Trek film, seemingly confirming Paramount wanted less of a Star Trek movie and something closer to Guardians of the Galaxy.Thankfully, the 2nd trailer for Star Trek Beyond has put my worries to rest. While I enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness quite a bit, the new footage for Beyond has more character moments in it than that entire film (I’m sure Spock would see this as an exaggeration, not logic, but there you go)!

Go ahead and watch that trailer now!

I love the ties to the 1st film, bringing full circle Kirk’s father’s sacrifice and what it means for Jim to escape his father’s shadow and become his own man; the Jim Kirk who will go down in Star-Date Recordings as one of the greatest Starfleet Captains the Federation has ever had.

Star Trek Beyond Bones Kirk Spock Chris Pine Karl Urban Zachary Quuinto

The new footage may include a motorcycle (which was present before), but this feels no less like Trek than J.J. Abrams’ two films, though this time Fast and Furious director Justin Lin is at the helm. All our favorite characters are back, Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Bones (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), and Sulu (John Cho) along with the brand new kick-ass Alien Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) and, of course, Idris Elba as the big baddie, Krall. Though Idris Elba may be completely covered in make-up/mask, it makes him no less intense, following in a line of what I consider to be 2 great villains, Nero (Eric Bana) and Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The action’s there, the aforementioned character moments look great, and this is most definitely a Star Trek movie, not a Guardians wanna-be!

Star Trek Beyond hits the States on July 22nd, 2016! Check out the poster below and salivate.

A Layman’s Guide To The Returning Characters In CIVIL WAR: #TeamIronMan

Posted on May 12, 2016February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Avengers, Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, Marvel's Spider-Man, MCU, Movies

If you are going to see Captain America: Civil War this weekend, or if you’re trying to figure out a few Civil War moments after seeing the film, and you haven’t memorized all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like myself; this catch-up will help you better understand the film’s many character threads and relationships!

This time it’s all #TeamIronMan (Read #TeamCap Guide HERE); those that alley with Tony Stark or share his viewpoints about the Sokovia Accords. Why is Tony Stark so guilty? Haven’t we seen William Hurt in these films before? What’s Vision’s deal again, Age of Ultron was so confusing!?!

Never fear! I’m here for you with a guide to all the returning players in Captain America: Civil War, from Iron Man to Thunderbolt Ross (Yes, William Hurt is a returning actor!). NO SPOILERS for Civil War. Many Spoilers for any earlier MCU film including the character we’re discussing.

Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)Movies He’s In: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Super Intelligence allowing him to design weaponized suits allowing him flight, super-strength, and a wealth of weapons.

His Story So Far: Tony Stark has a lot to feel guilty for. As he admits to in the opening of Iron Man 3, he creates his own demons. He was the 1st Avenger made public in the modern age. He feels like he started it all, as he says in Age of Ultron.

Going into 2008’s Iron Man, Stark Industries was mainly a weapons manufacturer; that is until Tony Stark found himself wounded by one of the weapons his company produced. With shrapnel headed toward his heart, Stark invents a small version of the Arc Reactor, which keeps the shrapnel from reaching his heart. Not content with this, Tony utilizes the power of the Arc Reactor to power his Iron Man suits, of which he’s had over 45 since the 1st film. He also scrapped the weapons program at Stark Industries due to guilt over the death of American soldiers, killed with the very weapons he created.

All of Stark’s enemies seem to be a creation of his actions, from those responding to his tech, to those challenging his power, or even those he screwed over in the past. We’re talking his old mentor Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger (Iron Man), Ivan Vanko/Whiplash & Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2), and Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3). And that’s before we even get to Ultron!

Stark has experienced a lot since he announced to the world he was Iron Man, including great trauma following the Battle of New York in which he had to fly a nuclear bomb through an alien wormhole to save Earth (the one problem he didn’t create). He’s guilty over Stark Industries weapons, those he’s screwed who have become enemies (like Aldrich Killian), and most importantly, his creation of Ultron; an artificial intelligence that attempts to destroy the world by using the European City of Sokovia as a meteor. His guilt runs even deeper than that, based on the vision Scarlet Witch shows him in Age of Ultron, he’s convinced he will fail the Avengers, leading to their deaths and the impending invasion of Earth (Thanos is out there, ya’ll).

Such guilt leads to stupid decisions like creating Ultron, who ended up destroying Sokovia with countless civilian lives lost. By the end of Age of Ultron, Tony “retires” again, hoping to live a quiet life with his girlfriend and head of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts. This after destroying all his suits in Iron Man 3 and having the Arc Reactor removed from his chest as a sign of good faith towards Pepper.

Finally, it is worth noting Tony has had a rocky relationship with his father, Howard Stark, who served along with Captain America during WWII and founded S.H.I.E.L.D. with Peggy Carter.

War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle)Movies He’s In: Iron Man (played by Terrance Howard), Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 (as Iron Patriot), Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Not a scientific genius, but a well trained soldier in a suit with just as many weapons (if not more) as Iron Man.

His Story So Far: James Rhodes is a Colonel in the US Airforce and a long time friend of Tony Stark (long before Stark became Iron Man). Rhodes eventually got an Iron Man suit of his own when he stole one of Tony’s in Iron Man 2, only to have it retrofitted with more weapons by Justin Hammer. Since then, he’s also been Iron Patriot, assisting Stark in defeating supervillains in both Iron Man 2 & 3, no matter his suit’s name. Unlike Stark, he starts as an officially sanctioned Military Weapon flying hundreds of missions for the US Government: he’s a soldier at heart, like Steve Rogers (albeit, with different outlooks on modern day governing bodies). He was even given the opportunity to help the Avengers at the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron, becoming a full fledged member of Captain America’s New Avengers by the end of the film.

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) Movies She’s In: Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most lethal agent, she is extremely skilled in hand to hand combat. Also has “Stingers,” weapons that literally shock the enemy.

Her Story So Far: Black Widow is always the double Agent. Guilty over her past as an assassin, she has defected to S.H.I.E.L.D. after S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Clint Barton/Hawkeye recruited her instead of killing her on a mission. She has shown loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and after its collapse, Steve Rogers/Captain America. She was on the run with him after he was made a wanted man in The Winter Soldier, and she helped bring down the Hydra infected S.H.I.E.L.D. by dumping all its secrets onto the internet (“It’s trending.”).

Black Widow has always been a full fledged member of the Avengers, including in Age of Ultron, where she helped save the world,again, at the expense of Sokovia which was blown to smithereens. Black Widow has had close relationships with Hawkeye and Steve Rogers, but the only one she’s truly shown affection for was Bruce Banner, who disappeared after the events of Ultron.

Vision (Paul Bettany)Movies He’s In: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Like Scarlet Witch, his powers are hard to lock down. He’s a “Synthetic,” with elements of Jarvis and Ultron’s psyche, powered by the “life respecting” Mind Stone on his forehead. Can phase in and out of physical forms to pass through walls and people, and can shoot a laser of sorts from his Mind Gem. Oh… and he can fly/hover.

His Story So Far: Paul Bettany started by playing JARVIS in Iron Man 1, 2, & 3, The Avengers, and even the beginning of Age of Ultron. JARVIS is Tony Stark’s program (not quite artificial intelligence) that runs his lab and his suits, named after his father, Howard Stark’s Butler. He’s been comic relief and a sort of sidekick for Stark since Iron Man (2008), becoming a weird combo of JARVIS’ personality, Ultron’s intelligence, and the Mind Stone’s power in the form of a “Synthetic” (robot of sorts) super being that has the already mentioned abilities.

Vision’s powers come from the Mind Stone, which was originally cased in Loki’s staff, also used to give Scarlet With her abilities. Based on that and his rescue of Scarlet Witch in Age of Ultron, the two share a close kinship; neither sure of the origin of their powers or their limits. Though he’s the only being, besides Thor, “worthy” enough to lift that Hammer, showing his attentions are good, he struggles to fit in with his “human” counterparts and makes his decisions entirely based on the loss of life. He is even regretful when killing Ultron, only doing it because he believes in life, knowing Ultron wishes to extinguish it.

General Thunder Bolt Ross (William Hurt)Movies He’s In: The Incredible Hulk

Powers: Formally a General hellbent on stopping Bruce Banner/The Hulk, now he has the political powers that come with being the Secretary of State.

His Story So Far: Yes, Thunderbolt Ross is finally back; the 1st time since 2008’s Incredible Hulk. A General in that film, Ross is known for his hatred of The Hulk, especially since his daughter was dating Bruce Banner at the time of his “accident,” that turned Banner into a raging green monster.

While he doesn’t fight along #TeamIronMan, as you’ve seen in the trailers, Ross is now the Secretary of the State forcing the Sokovia Accords on The Avengers, who he sees as vigilantes now that S.H.I.E.L.D. and The World Security Council are gone.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) NO SPOILERS!Movies He’s In: 0!

Powers: Does whatever a spider can!

His Story So Far: This is a new Spider-Man! Don’t expect Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield! The MCU has a brand new Spider-Man, with none of the events in Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films or the two Amazing Spider-Mans having any impact on this Captain America: Civil War. We all know his backstory: bit by a radioactive Spider, letting Uncle Ben die by not taking action in a robbery… that’s all you need to know!

Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) NO SPOILERS!Movies He’s In: 0!

Powers: Wait and see!

His Story So Far: Nada! Zilch! This is a brand new character you’ve never seen on the screen before. So I won’t say anything here, except… be prepare for something amazing!

Pepper Pots (Gweneth Paltrow)Movies She’s In: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3.

Powers: None (anymore, she was kick-ass in Iron Man 3!). Tony Stark’s girlfriend and head of Stark Industries.

Her Story So Far: From Tony Stark’s Personal Assistant to head of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts has come a long way. While Iron Man avoided having the two hook up, in Iron Man 2 Tony and Pepper finally kissed… and the rest is history. In Iron Man 3, Potts was bothered by Tony Stark’s obsession with his suits, leading him to destroy them all at the end. But since then, he’s not only came out of retirement in Age of Ultron, he created a robot that tried to wipe out the human race… you fill in the blanks…

Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, Jon Slattery)Movies He’s In: Iron Man 2 (Slattery), Captain America: The First Avenger (Cooper), Ant-Man (Slattery), Agent Carter (ABC TV Show – Cooper)

Powers: Smarter than his son? Creator of Captain America’s Vibranium Shield.

His Story So Far: Neither #TeamCap, nor #TeamIronMan, just an important character from each hero’s past. After helping Steve Rogers during WWII and becoming and alley to Peggy Carter even after Captain America was lost (for 70 years), Howard was a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. And… he was kind of a dick to his son. In Iron Man 2 he is shown as a father that cared more about his work than his son, while in Ant-Man shows him as a S.H.I.E.L.D. leader who desperately wants the OG Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to join S.H.I.E.L.D./give up his technology. That’s why Hank Pym instills in new Ant-Man, Scott Lang, that you never trust a Stark!

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) & The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)Movie’s They’re In: Doesn’t matter! They’re MIA in Captain America: Civil War!

There you go, between this article and that about #TeamCap, you should know all you need to know about every returning character in Captain America: Civil War!

You’re welcome.

A Layman’s Guide To The Returning Characters In CIVIL WAR: #TeamCap

Posted on May 12, 2016February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Captain America: Civil War is a bona fide hit! It made $179.1 Million opening weekend, Critics love it, and I love it! If you are going to see Civil War this weekend, or if you’re trying to figure out a few Civil War moments after seeing the film, and you haven’t memorized all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like myself; this catch-up will help you better understand the film’s many character threads and relationships.

We’ll start with #TeamCap; those that alley with Steve Rogers or are tied to the Captain America films (like Brock Rumlow). Why did Ant-Man and Falcon have that exchange? Why is Bucky such a polarizing a figure? Who is that burned dude? Haven’t I seen that Blond Agent before? What’s Scarlet Witch’s deal again, Age of Ultron was so confusing!?!

Never fear! I’m here for you with a guide to all the returning players in Captain America: Civil War, from Captain America to Agent 13. NO SPOILERS for Civil War. Many Spoilers for any earlier MCU film including the character we’re discussing.

Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World (sort of…), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: Super strength, enhanced reflexes, fast metabolism/healing (the man can’t get drunk), leadership skills, superhuman morality (I say that counts), a Shield made of the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium.

His Story So Far: Steve Rogers was too scrawny to serve with his life-long friend Bucky in WWII, so he underwent an experiment in which a “Super Soldier Serum” not only made him the beefiest Avenger, but taller (along with the powers listed above)! After rescuing Bucky from the hands of Hydra, the two proved their bond was just as strong on the battlefield as it was growing up. Now known as Captain America, Steve Rogers receives his Vibranium Shield from Tony Stark’s father, Howard, a friend of his during the Great War. During the events of The First Avenger, Steve Rogers watches Bucky plummet to his assumed death. Rogers defeats the head of Hydra, Red Skull, stopping his attempt to to conquer the planet. In the process, Captain America crashes into the Arctic and is frozen for 70 years.

Captain America is awakened in an age of superheros (or “the enhanced”) in which a man with a weaponized suit of armor, a giant green monster, and an Alien with God-like powers are all known to the world. Under the direction of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the four heroes are brought together with two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to form The Avengers, just in time to stop an alien invasion. Though the aliens are dead, New York is decimated by damage from the battle. Even in saving the world, Steve Rogers has reservations about organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D and the World Security Council which governs it.

Following the climatic Battle of New York in The Avengers, Steve Rogers finds himself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., carrying out missions for Nick Fury and his bosses, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and the World Security Council. While working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogers comes to blows with The Winter Soldier, a Hydra Agent who has been carrying out assassinations for the evil organization for years. Captain America learns that the Winter Soldier is actually Bucky, who survived the fall during WWII due to Hydra experimenting on him, was given a metal arm, brainwashed, and was frozen and then unfrozen for decades to carry out said assassinations. Cap also learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been Hydra all along (more or less), lead by Alexander Pierce who is himself controlling the Winter Soldier/Brain-Washed Bucky. With the help of allies including Black Widow, Sam Wilson/Falcon, Agent 13, and Nick Fury, Captain America destroys three automated Helicarriers that are targeting all of Hydra’s potential enemies. In the process, his team sends all three flying ships crashing into Washington DC below, with many casualties. Pierce is brought down, but not before killing the World Security Council and leading to the end of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the finale, The Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers fight, the latter refusing to kill his old friend in hopes he will remember him. In the end, Bucky does save Rogers from drowning, before disappearing without a trace. Let’s just say the whole process cemented Rogers’ concerns about government organizations and their control

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America fights alongside his old teammates to defeat the evil Artificial Intelligence, Ultron, created by Tony Stark and bent on destroying the human race. Rogers and The Avengers stop Ultron, but at the expense of a European City known as Sokovia. The death toll in Sokovia is higher than ever and by the end of the film Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and Tony Stark/Iron Man leave the team in favor of Steve Rogers’ led “New Avegners,” made up of Black Widow, War Machine, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Vision.

The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Powers: Super strength, a metal arm that can even deflect bullets.

His Story So Far: Bucky Barnes grew up with Steve Rogers before he was Captain America, being the only one there for his friend when Steve lost his parents. Enlisting without his scrawny friend, Bucky’s unit is captured by Hydra. Captain America rescues his old friend, but not before Hydra’s best scientist, Dr. Armin Zola, experiments on poor Bucky. Bucky serves alongside Rogers in a unit known as The Howling Commandos, until he falls from a train-car into a canyon with a freezing river.

Bucky is rescued by Hydra, who experiment on him further, replacing a limb he lost in his fall with a metal arm. Now The Winter Solider, he is brainwashed and used by Hydra as an assassin for decades, kept in cryosleep between missions. Eventually, The Winter Soldier battles his old friend, Steve Rogers/Captain America, confused when he is called Bucky. The Winter Soldier is brainwashed again and sent to prevent Captain America and his allies from crippling Hydra’s Helicarriers. The two old friends fight, and with Steve Rogers refusing to kill his old friend, he is defeated and plunges into the water below. The Winter Soldier rescues Steve Rogers, and though at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we do not know what Buck remembers as we see him inspecting his own memorial in the Smithsonian’s Captain America Exhibit.

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man

Powers: Special Flight Suit that resembles a Falcon, with wings that can act as a Shield, and googles which increase his eye sight.

His Story So Far: In The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson is a Veteran who meets Steve Rogers, and the pair quickly become friends. When Captain America learns S.H.I.E.L.D. is actually Hydra, he seeks out Wilson as his number of allies are limited. Falcon more than pulls his weight, taking down one of the Helicarriers, before having his wing ripped off and being thrown from a Helicarrier by the Winter Soldier. Falcon survives the fall and fights Hydra Agent Brock Rumlow in the S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ building, winning only when the building collapses and he escapes!

In Age of Ultron, Sam Wilson is carrying on the search for Bucky following the events of The Winter Soldier. At the end of the film though, Falcon is revealed to be one of Captain America’s New Avengers. Finally, in Ant-Man, Falcon is beaten by Scott Lang/Ant-Man while trying to defend the New Avengers Compound. Wilson takes note of the tiny Superhero, in case he is ever needed to assist the Avengers.

Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner)Movies He’s In: Thor, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron

Superpowers: Best character with a bow and arrow in the history of cinema (suck it, Legolas and Katniss!). Also has a variety of arrows for many uses.

His Story So Far: Hawkeye is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who served with the Avengers in both the 1st film and Age of Ultron. In Ultron, he is saved by Scarlet Witch’s brother, Quicksilver at the cost of Quicksilver’s life. For this reason and the pep talk he gave Scarlet Witch during the battle that destroyed Sokovia, he has become closer to her than perhaps anyone but Vision. Clint Barton has a secret family kept even off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s books which he retires to at the end of Age of Ultron.

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (post-credits scene), Avengers: Age of Ultron

Powers: The true limits of Scarlet Witch’s powers are unknown. She is able to move objects with her mind, create telekinetic shields, and induce crippling images of your worst nightmare.

Her Story So Far: Wanda Maximoff and her brother volunteered to be experimented on by Hydra after a bomb made by Stark Industries kills her parents. Using Loki’s Staff from The Avengers, she and her brother are the only survivors of Hydra’s experiment, endowed with extraordinary powers making them the newest “Enhanced.” Due to their hate for Stark, “The Twins” team with Ultron until Scarlet Witch realizes his goal is to destroy the world. Siding with The Avengers, she helps defeat Ultron, but at the cost of her brother’s life and her entire city, Sokovia.

Wanda shares a special relationship with Vision because their powers both come from the same place; Loki’s Staff revealed to be the Mind Stone. She also sees Hawkeye as a sort of mentor after his speech to her during the Battle of Sokovia. By the end of Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch is a member of the New Avengers.

Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd)Movies He’s In: Ant-Man

Powers: The ability to shrink and return to normal size instantly at the push of a button, with extreme super-strength and speed when tiny. Can also “control”Ants with his helmet.

His Story So Far: Scott Lang is a known felon, recruited by the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to take up his mantle and save the world. Ant-Man fights Falcon and wins, when he is sent to the Avengers compound to steal some Stark Tech. Taught by Hank Pym never to trust a Stark, Lang still hears through the grapevine at the end of the film that there may be an Avenger interested in recruiting him.

Agent 13/Sharon (Emily VanCamp)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, but a former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with incredible fighting skill.

Her Story So Far: Sharon aka Agent 13, was the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury put in charge of watching Captain America prior to the fall of Hydra. Living across the hall from Rogers, posing as a nurse, Agent 13 is the 1st to respond when Nick Fury is shot by the Winter Soldier in Steve Rogers’ apartment. After Hydra was revealed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. she was one of the primary Agents that sided with Captain America in order to take down the Hydra Agents and prevent the launch of Hydra’s lethal Helicarriers. Though there was some sexual tension between her and Rogers, and Black Widow recommended to Steve that he ask her out, the pair have never even kissed.

Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell)Movies She’s In: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Agent Carter (MCU Short), Agent Carter (ABC TV Series)

Superpowers: None, strong WWII Agent and Founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Her Story So Far: Peggy Carter was partially responsible for selecting scrawny Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Program. She served with Rogers and Howard Stark during WWII, the latter two being S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founding members. Peggy was in love with Steve, but she never got that dance she was promised when Steve Rogers plunged that plane into the Arctic, saving the world. She was an important Agent during the Cold War as well, being an important decision maker at S.H.I.E.L.D. through the 80’s. When Steve Rogers finally catches up with her after he is unfrozen in The Winter Soldier, she is an old woman in a hospital bed, suffering from extreme dementia. At least these two have kissed (when she was young, you sicko!).

Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo)Movies He’s In: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Powers: None, just a well trained special forces Hydra Agent who worked with Captain America long enough to know his moves and what makes him tick.

His Story So Far: This one isn’t #TeamCap at all, but a villain from the Captain America film franchise. Brock Rumlow was Captain America’s right hand man as leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team STRIKE. He ran countless missions with Steve Rogers and was the first one sent to take in Captain America when Rogers started having doubts about S.H.I.E.L.D. When Hydra was revealed, he fought to defend it, coming to blows with Sam Wilson before having S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ dropped on him. Though badly burned, at the end of Winter Soldier, we see that Rumlow has survived.

That’s really all you need to know about all the characters that make up #TeamCap (more or less)! Read our Leyman’s Guide to #TeamIronMan NOW!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Review: The Avengers, Fully Realized

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Nick Doll in Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Civil War, Marvel, Marvel's Spider-Man, MCU, Movies, Reviews

Believe the hype. Captain America: Civil War delivers every “Holy Shit!” moment you were hoping for in an Avengers movie. And this is a Captain America film (mostly)!

There will be NO SPOILERS in this review; no exact plot points, no surprises ruined, no twists revealed, no characters’ greatest moments exposed. Just the broad strokes here, kiddies, because I want you to enjoy this film as much as I did. If it wasn’t in the trailer, I won’t discuss it here (there will be one minor spoiler, but I’ll warn you… and be as ambiguous as possible). It may make for a very short review, but all you really want me to do is confirm that Civil War is as great as everyone else is saying it is.And IT IS! Good Lord, this movie delivers on every level. I had very high hopes going in, and I can’t say I was ever disappointed.

It is hard to answer if Civil War is better than Marvel’s old reigning champ, Captain America: Winter Soldier, but that’s because they are very different films. Plus, if I consider both movies 5 Star Films, does it really make a difference which is better? Winter Soldier was a tighter, more contained movie – a 70’s-esque Thriller – while Civil War is a sprawling epic, hitting more parts of the globe and carrying the weight of more characters than even Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yet it works better, much better than Ultron. Civil War does keep that Captain America focus, spending less time with the other heroes than with Captain America and Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes, but really is more of a full Avengers adventure, sans Hulk and Thor. If you’re reading this, you know enough of the plot that I don’t need to say much of anything else. What I will say though, is that Civil War delivers more “I feel like I need to stand up and clap because I never thought I’d see that scene/character/moment so beautifully realized in a film” than any Marvel Cinematic Universe film before it. There are shots/scenes/moments in this film that are the most exciting you’ve seen since the unbelievable occurrence in 2o12 when the Avengers actually assembled in one movie! If The Avengers will always be remembered for bringing together different heroes with their own films onto one team, then Civil War will go down as the MCU movie that fully realizes the full potential of EVERY Avenger present, nearly always exceeding expectations. Powers you’ve never seen them use, skills highlighted in a way the other films have not, and personality shining through in characters that you could have previously accused of being one dimensional. It’s everyone from Hawkeye & Falcon as you’ve never seen him before, to Ant Man as you’ve never seen him before! Really, a stellar evolution to even the characters you already knew were bad-ass.

Avengers: Age of Ultron, you’ve been out Avenger’ed by a film with Captain America in the title. Civil War isn’t nearly as dark as Winter Soldier, even when funnier characters like Spider-Man and Ant-Man don’t populate the screen. The tone is lighter, though the plot is just as serious as an MCU film ever was, with poignant moments that may be among the most gut-wrenching in any superhero film. While I have Spider-Man brought up though, let’s just say he’s the most amazing (reference to original comic intended) iteration of the character, again, living up to all expectations (like everything else… I keep telling you!).

In this way, Captain America: Civil War avoids all the pitfalls of Batman V Superman, a movie with a similar premise but much lower IQ. Even Batman V Superman‘s greatest strengths are eclipsed by Civil War. I’m not biased, Batman is my favorite comic book character, but even his shining moments in BvS don’t touch the excitement produced by Civil War‘s spectacle; both in character moments and those action scenes you CAN NOT BELIEVE you’ve seen!The one comparison to Batman V Superman I will make, and this is the only MINOR SPOILER, is the villain behind the warring heroes. Unlike Lex Luthor, the baddie pulling the strings in Civil War is subtle and incredibly clever. You never question the logic of the plan he has put into action and the twists he throws into the film. Minimal Spoiler Over!

I really don’t know what else to say except… If you like the MCU, YOU WILL LOVE THIS FILM! I didn’t notice a single missed opportunity.

With directors of this film and Winter Solider, Joe and Anthony Russo, also at the helm of the Phase 3 ending film, Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1 & 2, all is well in the Marvel Universe.

DC, you best step up your game… and fast!

And yes, there is an amazing Community cameo in this film, just like Winter Soldier (but better!).

GREEN ROOM Review: Bloody Fun With Patrick Stewart

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Reviews

Green Room is not my genre. I don’t see many horror movies, especially not ones that pit teens against “Back Woodsy”killers ( I love Kevin Smith, yet was unable to finish watching Red State, which has a similar premise to Green Room). But, like with Saw (which I finally saw: Har-de-har-har) the genre I usually avoid is elevated by intelligent writing and great casting that transcend the genre.

There will be MINIMAL Spoilers ahead. No death revealed or plot points from late in the film mentioned here!Green Room is about a broke band populated by actors Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Fright Night) and Alia Shawkat (Maeby on Arrested Development), among others, who are drawn to a Neo-Nazi “Venue” in the middle of buttfuck nowhere with the promise of $350 for a gig. Things quickly go south when bandleader Pat (Anton Yelchin) stumbles upon a fresh body and the murderers in the band’s Green Room. The band holes themselves up in said Green Room (I wonder where they got the title…) as they are assaulted by the building’s owner/leader of the movement Darcy (Patrick Stewart) and his men who are in full damage control mode with the aim of destroying all evidence… and witnesses… to the murder of Amber’s (Imogen Poots) friend, who is also trapped with the Band Members.It’s a simple premise, but it works! Pat and his band most make some tough decisions: how long can they wait in the Green Room before they are overrun? When is the best time to make a strike/escape if there are no other exits? The film becomes a game of cat and mouse, as the band pushes their way through Darcy’s bar, only to retreat back to the “safety” of the Green Room. Repeat that formula a few times and you’d think Green Room would become a bore, but it never lets up; there are always new ways to kill and be killed and the movie’s 1 hour 35 minute run-time makes sure the film doesn’t overstay its welcome.Besides being clever with “push and get pushed back” plot, the material is elevated immensely by Patrick Stewart’s performance. You wouldn’t think a man whose played iconic Geek heroes like Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Xavier with a voice ideal for Shakespeare would be an intimidating and convincing a Neo-Nazi. Yet, the movie’s most chilling moments arrive when Darcy (Stewart) is trying to “negotiate” with the band from the other side of a barricaded door, leaving the audience simply with his deep and terrifying voice made even more unnerving by his calmness. Stewart’s imposing leader is not just the scary voice on the other side of a door; his character is just a violent and ferocious as any of his men. I never thought I’d say this, but Patrick Stewart is pretty damn scary.Any film is only as good as its antagonist… and protagonists, with Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots (who also starred together in the horror/comedy Fright Night) carrying half the film when Patrick Stewart isn’t around. Macon Blair who plays Gabe, a henchman to Darcy, is also fantastic here, starring in his 2nd movie for Writer/Director Jeremy Saulnier following the incredibly under-rated and unseen Blue Ruin (watch it now!). It is just a coincidence that both of Saulnier’s films have colors in the title…

Looking for smart, fun horror with a grand baddy? Look no further than Green Room! Make it so.

KEANU Review: Classic Key & Peele With Some Kitten Filler

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Reviews

Keanu arrives in theaters Thursday starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, from the Comedy Central Sketch Show, Key and Peele. Though the movie is written by Jordan Peele and Alex Rubens, not Keegan-Micheal Key, and is directed by Peter Atencio, it truly feels like the first “Key and Peele Movie.” The show Key and Peele was perhaps the most cinematic looking sketch show ever (sketches were considerably shorter, but looked no less like a film than Keanu), so translating the comedy pair’s style to the big screen wasn’t much of a stretch.

Unfortunately, transitioning from a 5 minute sketch to an hour and a half movie isn’t easy, even for masterminds Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The result is still a very funny movie, but it pales in comparison to their sketch work from their Comedy Central days. No Spoilers Ahead! I won’t bring up the film’s true surprises or get too specific about the plot.

Keanu plays like Key and Peele‘s greatest hits, carrying many of the same themes and touching the same genres of their most classic sketches.

The film finds Rell (Jordan Peele) dumped by his girlfriend, only to have the cutest kitten in the world (for real though) show up on his doorstep at his emotional time of need. After being stolen by the 17th Street Blips (a new gang incorporating Bloods and Crips), Rell must enlist the help of his best friend Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) to infiltrate the gang and get back his cat, Keanu (so he can make move movie themed Calendar pages, I guess).The main theme/running joke of the movie is taken straight from over half the sketches on Key and Peele; Rell and Clarence are the whitest, most boring Black Guys you can find, trying to fit into the toughest Black Gang by, among other things, incorporating the “N” Word (I really don’t want to use it here) into every sentence.

Rell and Clarence make up ridiculous fake names to fit in with Blips members sporting names like Hi-C, Stitches, Trunk, and Cheddar (the latter played by Method Man). If all this sounds familiar, you must be a Key and Peele fan, as they’ve done countless sketches about badass dudes (and athletes) with over-the-top, silly names. This is just one example of how Keanu invokes favorite sketches (and genres) from the show, making it feel familiar while being more ambitious with a feature film’s run-time and budget.Other elements from the show included in Keanu range from over-the-top Matrix-y action scenes to a conversation about a fictional Liam Neesons (yes, “Neesons”) film.Keanu is a Key and Peele “Greatest Hits” movie. The film has its hilarious highlights with the comedy duo doing what they do best, but it’s not enough to save the film from itself; in adapting what could have been a short sketch into a feature film, the cracks begin to show in Key and Peele’s formula. Some of the film feels like filler, meant to get Keanu from one mini-sketch idea into another while carrying the film’s plot. Keanu feels like it was shooting for a Pineapple Express type film, and while I did enjoy the movie, the film is neither as consistently funny or as skilled with action as writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2nd film. Bottom Line: Keanu is funny, especially if you are a fan of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s work, but in order to create a feature, it feels like we’re occasionally getting material that wouldn’t make the cut on their top-notch sketch show (filler, if you will). The plot meanders a bit to fill time, while the action and the cast don’t really seem to fully take advantage of a feature film budget. Still funny, though!

Tax Day Trailer Catch-Up: DR. STRANGE, STAR WARS & More!

Posted on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 by Nick Doll in Batman, Benedict Cumberbatch, DC, Dr. Strange, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Star Wars, Suicide Squad, Trailers

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Suicide Squad, and Dr. Strange, oh my!

The past week has seen many new trailers released, especially those of the Disney (including Marvel & Lucasfilm) and Superhero variety. As Captain America: Civil War draws near -the perfect place to advertise your next Sci-Fi Action Movie if you are a Movie Studio – we’ll continue to see A-List Trailers, but perhaps none more exciting than the following…

Let’s do this by release date, shall we?

Suicide Squad Trailer #2: “Blitz”As Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice crumbles under the weight of a million bad reviews, things seem to be looking up in the DCEU (Detective Comics Extended Universe). Not only was there an announcement this week that Academy Award Winning Filmmaker Ben Affleck will not simply star in The Batman, but also write and direct it (with the help of his best Screenplay and Best Film Oscars); Warner Bros. and DC also released the second official trailer (not counting the initial footage from Comic Con) for Suicide Squad. A follow-up to Bats V Supes that continues to produce excellent new footage and hope that the DCEU can turn that bad launch into something glorious.

All the best elements of the first trailer return, including more humor in one trailer than the entirety of Batman V Superman (maybe someday it won’t be cool to shit on BvS…), more catchy songs, great looking comic book visuals and action, and characters that would cause any geek to Nerdgasm.

Suicide Squad Trailer Blitz Joker Jared Leto Scared

More Joker (Jared Leto)! More Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)! And the rest… Aaaaand…. BATMAN (Ben Affleck)!

Suicide Squad Trailer Blitz Batman Ben Affleck

If this trailer is any indication we may be seeing more Batman in Suicide Squad than we thought! Half the villains on Task Force X are primarily part of Batman’s rogues gallery, after all.

Suicide Squad Trailer Blitz Harley Quinn Hammer

Suicide Squad hits the States om August 5th.

Dr. Strange Teaser TrailerI let loose a great sigh of relief when I watched the 1st trailer for Marvel’s Dr. Strange. The character rests somewhere between Thor and Ant-Man as far as trickiness goes with launching this, well, strange character upon the masses.

But all the parts work! Very little focus is put on Dr. Strange in action (we only see him in costume once… from behind… where all you really see is a cape that is the result of Thor’s and Superman’s Capes having a baby), in favor of a lot of origin looking material and the man, the myth, one of the world’s biggest Movie Stars, your friend and mine: Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch.

Dr Strange Trailer Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strang in Suit

Dr Strange Trailer Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange Bearded in Rags

Relying heavily on Benedict Cumberbatch’s star power (gone are the days of casting no-names like Chris Hemsworth or Chris Pratt, this movie has got a bigger lead than Paul Rudd!), the trailer focuses on the accident that leads him on a journey visually similar to that of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins (just check out the cut from Stephen Strange in a suit to him in a beard and ratty cloths), continuing into Matrix-esque Training Scenes, with some Inception worthy trippy visuals.

Dr Strange Trailer Benedict Cumberbatch Tilda Swinton Ancient One

I’m in! Dr. Strange appears November 4th.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Teaser TrailerI’m not sold on the title (“A Star Wars Story?” Really?), but I sure am keen on the look and feel of the 1st non-trilogy/non-Skywalker-focused Star Wars movie.

Rogue One takes place within a year (or even months, weeks, or days) of the OG Star Wars (now titled Episode IV: A New Hope) and boy does the film look like it! There may be new types of Stormtroopers (2! Black and Tan!), but everything else is classic! That’s the Rebel Base on Yavin IV and those are old school Rebel Uniforms! And that’s Moth Mothma! AT-AT’s (Walkers)! A hooded figure surrounded by Imperial Guards that protect Emperor Palpatine himself! A shot of a Star Destroyer passing by the gigantic Death Star (it’s still big, even after Starkiller Base) that looks so familiar it could be footage from A New Hope!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Death Star

Ph: Film Frame

©Lucasfilm LFL

The new characters look great as well, from Rebels played by Felicity Jones and Diego Luna! to a wise sage with battle armor portrayed by Forrest Whitaker. Donnie Yen as a Samurai (Star Wars was inspired by the films of Akira Kurosawa)! Ben Mendelsohn as a well armed Imperial Officer with a white cape that would make Thor, Superman, AND Dr. Strange jealous!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

(Ben Mendelsohn)

Ph: Film Frame

©Lucasfilm LFL

If The Force Awakens wasn’t your cup of tea, Rogue One may be the closest thing you’ll get to the original trilogy… including the rumored appearance of a lil’ ‘ole Sith called Darth Vader.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Ph: Film Frame

©Lucasfilm LFL

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story lands in time for Christmas on December 16th!

See you at the movies!

HARDCORE HENRY Review: Mankind Is Not Ready For A “First Person Movie”

Posted on April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 by Nick Doll in Movies, Reviews, Uncategorized

NO Spoilers past the 1st Act here! Safe for all to read!

To quote Chris Pratt from Jurassic World, Hardcore Henry proves that “First Person” style feature films are “probably not a good idea.”

Not that the style doesn’t work in small doses. The trailer was incredibly effective, for a moment convincing me that an entirely 1st Person Movie could be consistently entertaining (I think Queen deserves half the credit for for ~~lending~~ selling the song rights to “Don’t Stop Me Now”). I’ve never seen Doom starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but surprisingly it was last month’s The Brothers Grimsby that delivered several 1st Person Action Sequences that really worked!… and were better than any in Hardcore Henry.The 1st time I saw the trailer for Hardcore Henry, I was at first disgusted by the proposed “gimmick” of watching a movie as one would watch his friend play Call of Duty, but was slowly won over by cool action twists and the aforementioned rocking Queen song. It’s a shame all the top action moments are in that trailer.

Hardcore Henry is truly one of those movies that works better as a three minute trailer than a feature film. The problem isn’t solely the style; Hardcore Henry shares all the weaknesses of a forgettable 1st Person Video Game Shooter. More underdeveloped/flat/wooden characters than the Star Wars prequels! More generic looking bad henchmen than were slaughtered in Deadpool. And though the plot is surprisingly even more nonexistent than a bad video game, it is also as confounding as that of Batman V Superman. The entire time you think, “What the Fuck is going on?”

Again, rest assured, what follows is all established in the 1st Act of the film, so Nothing here is a Spoiler.

The lead villain, Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), has telekinesis powers (and seems to be Albino… or another brother from Hans Gruber’s blond henchman family in Die Hard), for no reason other than to provide an epic “Final Boss” battle: video game style. A prequel comic titled “Hardcore Akan” exists, giving an origin to the character… at least explaining how has such powers… if you can get your hands on it (and the average viewer won’t… which should leave them fairly confused).

Even the prequel comic doesn’t explain Akan’s plot to create an army of Super Soldiers, something we’ve only seen repeated by villainous organizations such as the Weapon X Program from the X-Men films, (nearly) any company in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (but usually Hydra), and Kevin Spacey’s Atlas from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. So, you know, he wants what every modern villain wants. And though many films fail at this (including Batman V Superman), there is nothing human about the villain. No character depth present. Not the strong type of villain who doesn’t see himself as a bad guy. Akan really is just a bad guy for the sake of being a bad guy. Jerkface.On the opposite side of the spectrum, the equally unmotivated/flat character Jimmy, played by the always scene stealing Sharlto Copley (District 9, Elysium, The A-Team), is actually quite enjoyable… and his very existence creates a fun mystery for the audience to figure out.We first see Jimmy first as you see him in the trailer… and he quickly dies (again, NOT a Spoiler). Then he reappears with a new accent and look, remembering Henry and keeping the same name: Jimmy. Don’t worry, it all gets explained and it is a pretty cool idea which makes for the most interesting action scene, though one great actor and his “twist” can’t save the entire movie. It does give Copley some real fun scenes to do, making his screen presence the highlight of the film.I did have the chance to see a Q&A before the film where it was made clear that Director Ilya Naishuller idea’s of doing a 1st person film wasn’t to just make the movie look like a video game, but to put you, the viewer, in Henry’s shoes. Jimmy and Akan address you directly… but it still doesn’t work. Instead, having a blank slate of a main character backfires; you have no empathy for a character without a voice or even a face to emote. I didn’t feel like I was Henry, even more so because there aren’t even buttons to hit at the right moment to perform an action like the most basic of video game cut-scenes.

Does the movie work at times? Hell, yeah, brah! There are some really cool action bits, but, alas, they are all in the trailer (that old chestnut). Shootouts and chase scenes do work in this style, but hand to hand combat is a complete mess that will make you sicker than a “Found Footage” film or shaky-cam Bourne style film. Thank God Hardcore Henry is not offered in 3D! You loose all sense of place when the camera is going everywhere because “Henry” is being thrown around.And, of course, there is ultra-violence for violence sake. Intestines spilling out, heads blown apart, you name it. Deadpool would be pleased.

Maybe it would have worked better with a rocking Junkie XL Score, a la Mad Max: Fury Road. Maybe the script and characters just needed more substance. Maybe it should have been a half-baked video game instead of a movie. Whatever the case, Hardcore Henry proves that, at this moment in film history, a First Person Movie doesn’t work.

Unless Hardcore Henry is a smash hit, it will not create any imitators as this “First Person Movie” idea clearly only works in small doses.

The Best and Worst Scenes in BATMAN V SUPERMAN

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC, Lists, Movies

Previously on “The Best and Worst of Batman V Superman”: The Cast.

This Time: The Strongest… and Weakest… Scenes!

It’s time again to look at the good and the bad. Because there is good in Batman v Superman yet.

There are SPOILERS ahead for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (unlike my Spoiler Free Review), so be warned!

Best: Artistic Take on the Wayne MurderMy initial review was glowing when it came to the style in which Director Zack Snyder filmed the Wayne Murder. I don’t want to rehash my review too much, so let’s keep this brief.

The Wayne Murder has never been presented in such a visually stunning manner, from choices like breaking Martha Wayne’s Pearl Necklace with the hammer of the gun, to the overall color/look of the scene. And featuring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Comedian in Snyder’s Watchmen) playing Thomas Wayne… well, that’s a slam dunk!

… if you have to show the damn scene again…

Worst: The Wayne Murder Happens Again… Again… AgainThe problem is that this scene never needed to be in the movie! We all know Jesus died on the Cross, Peter Parker let Uncle Ben get shot (basically), and Thomas and Martha Wayne died in Crime Alley following a showing of The Mark of Zorro.

And we don’t just see the scene at the beginning of BvS, oh no! Snyder cuts back to the retread of a retread of a retread of the scene later in the film to drive home a point (“Martha…”).

Warner Brothers, please don’t show us the death of the Lego Waynes in next year’s The Lego Batman Movie!

Best: Batman Superman (Finally) FightThe title promises one thing; Batman (Ben Affleck) will fight Superman (Henry Cavill), as ridiculous a premise as that sounds (A Man Vs a “God?”… okay… maybe the trailers and have covered that issue already).

Surprisingly, in a movie called Batman V Superman, the title players only physically fight once… and it’s not until the 3 rd act. While it was wise to save the climatic fight for what should have been the end of the movie (more on that later), I’m surprised there wasn’t a 2nd, less climatic clash earlier in the movie like every other superhero movie (likely even Captain America: Civil War). There was Batman’s “Knightmare” which doesn’t count because it was a dream(vision?) with Batman only fighting Superman’s Soldiers… before Superman ripped out his heart. The only other in costume encounter was the stern warning from Superman to Batman not to go to the Bat Signal when it was next turned on. The two heroes didn’t fight in that scene either. Sure, Superman crashed the Batmobile, but he did it by just standing there…By the time we do get to the long awaited fight it is as glorious as the trailer teased. In fact, it’s one of the more wonderful scenes in an otherwise surprisingly action-lite two and a half hour film. The visuals are still astounding (that Frank Miller inspired “Iron” Batsuit sure looks pretty in the rain) and the strategies The Dark Knight employs against The Man of Steel are entertaining; making you believe Batman really could beat Superman as a brilliant strategist… and with some weaponized Kryptonite gas… and spear!

It’s an extremely entertaining scene from the moment Superman lands to the final moment: “Martha.”

Worst: Why Batman and Superman FightBatman and Superman fighting over ideologies is enough! Writers Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio go overboard with unnecessary pressure pushing DC’s two biggest characters to brawl.

Bruce Wayne doesn’t trust Superman because the latter is all powerful. Clark Kent does not approve of the (murderous) Batman’s methods and “reign of terror.” Superman even warns Batman midway through the film that next time the Bat Signal is turned on he should stay home. So, when Batman prepares for battle and shines the Bat Signal in the sky to attract Superman’s attention, that should be enough!

Why does Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) have to kidnap Martha Kent and order Superman to kill the Bat?

Answer: He doesn’t. But none of Luthor’s plans make sense in Batman V Superman. His characters complete lack of logic is one of the most frustrating parts of the film.

Best: Battle of Metropolis I (Zod)Everyone’s least favorite part about Man of Steel has become my favorite scene in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I also covered this scene in my initial review, so I will again be brief.

For the first time ever, we’re given Bruce Wayne: True Action Hero. He drives a Jeep between collapsing buildings, witnesses Wayne Finances collapse with his “family” inside, and runs into the 9/11-esque all-encompassing ash to help the surviving victims.

The destruction is on a whole new scale from Bruce Wayne’s point of view, both in the amount of destruction we witness and the bigger focus on loss of life. It’s really cool to see odd Spaceships without needing any sort of exposition as to why they are there and what each one does; Man of Steel covered that. Most importantly, this event is all Bruce Wayne really needed to decide to declare war on Superman.

Worst: Battle of Metropolis II (Doomsday)Just as boring and overblown as the Battle of Metropolis was at the end of Man of Steel (not to be confused with the Bruce Wayne’s POV version in BvS), the finale to Batman V Superman is so bad it is mostly responsible for making what could have been a great Batman film into a measly 6 out of 10.

Everything is wrong with this scene. Even the visuals take a massive dip from what is otherwise a beautiful film. Really, the movie is a 0 out of 10 following the actual fight between Batman and Superman, with the notable exception of the amazing Bat Combat we see in the Warehouse scene when Batman rescues Martha Kent.

Doomsday looks like an Orc. The landscape is simply fire… burning rubble everywhere with no discernible landmarks. Yet we’re assured multiple times by cutaways to the military that everywhere Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) fight Doomsday is uninhabited; a severe overreaction to the destructive finale of Man of Steel.Gone is the “realism” (as much as could be expected at least) present in Batman and Superman’s fight and other action scenes. Instead, we have characters like Wonder Woman launching themselves across the battlefield (it’s hard to tell how far when everything is on fire…) in what looks like a video game… or a half-assed scene tacked on an otherwise polished movie.

One of the scene’s biggest crimes? Not giving Batman anything to do but distract Doomsday and run, unlike the Avengers films which give even mortals like Hawkeye and Black Widow something to contribute. Sure, there’s the obligatory final moment when all three heroes must work in unison to kill Doomsday, not unlike the first Fantastic Four film (a comparison you do not want). Wonder Woman on the lasso, Superman with the Kryptonite Spear, and Batman’s last Kryptonite Gas bomb! VICTORY (Sort of…)

Awful final fight. Really ruins an otherwise decent film.

I can write about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice for days. And I just might do so!

Until Next Time…

The Best and Worst Cast Members of BATMAN V SUPERMAN

Posted on March 30, 2016April 1, 2016 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC, Lists, Movies

While I didn’t hate Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, I didn’t exactly love it, giving it a measly 6 out of 10 in my review (which is more generous than most). I did, however, love elements of the film, so I thought I’d cover the best of BvS, countering with the film’s worst elements for a nice and balanced 2nd look at the film.

Warning! Unlike my review, this post will contain SPOILERS!

In this edition I’ll cover the cast, from the title characters down to Alfred Pennyworth and other supporting characters.

Best: Batffleck & Bruce Wayne Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Ben Affleck Under The Cowl While every review for Batman V Superman loves Gal Gadot’s take on Wonder Woman, nearly as many praise Ben Affleck for presenting what most are calling the best Batman we’ve ever seen on the silver screen. I would agree 100%; it is possible to have the best Batman in what is far from the best Batman movie.

Actors in the past have been great at Batman but less stellar at Bruce Wayne and vice versa. Ben Affleck didn’t just deliver the best Batman, but also the best Bruce Wayne (which is probably the more difficult of the two roles). This Batman may kill… and kill… and kill… but what else is new? Batman on the big screen has been a downright serial killer, from 1989’s Batman to even the Nolan films. The latter tried to make his “One Rule” a thematic element… while allowing Bats to kill all the same. BvS never apologizes for this choice; the version of Batman that Snyder and co-writer Chris Terrio choose to use is a grizzled vet who has fought crime in Gotham for over twenty years, destroying his patience and reducing his faith that “Men Are Good” in the process. If man is not good, why not murder baddies? (I do someday want a Batman movie where he doesn’t kill… for real).Batffleck is imposing in every way, from his stature (Affleck was partially picked because he was taller than Henry Cavill’s Superman) to his terrifying voice that uses a modulator in order to avoid Christian Bale’s worst Batman trait: The Bat Voice. He’s gigantic, with Thor/Captain America sized muscles that make every Batman actor before look scrawny, even Bale. This Batman’s fighting style is smooth, fast, yet brutal in a way that seems to emulate the amazing combat of the Arkham video games and capture the feel of the comics in a way that Batman movies never have. His training sequence looked mind-boggling difficult. And his aforementioned dark(er) outlook on life completes the package: one badass, brutal Bat. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne has more depth than any before. He’s not awkward like Michael Keaton or a half assed-cover story for his true Bat Identity like Christian Bale’s version. He’s charming when he needs to be, brooding like any good Bruce Wayne (but not too brooding, another poor choice made by Bale) and… a hero. Even when he’s not in the Batsuit, hidden under the curtain of night, Bruce Wayne is just as much an action hero as his alter-ego, from his heroics at the opening Battle of Metropolis to perusing the criminal underground to steal data from Luthor’s lead henchmen (you know, that Russian Dude).Long story short: Ben Affleck is the first actor to rock the roles of Batman AND Bruce Wayne.

Worst: Superman & Clark Kent Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice Henry Cavill Superman continues to disappoint, maintaining the weaknesses that made his character feel “off” in Man of Steel. In fact, Henry Cavill seems to have gotten worse at the role, making decisions that seem completely off the mark for the character, especially considering Superman is supposed to be less brooding and have more faith in humanity than Batman.Cavill’s worst offense? Clark Kent is downright cocky. While Cavill said in interviews that he felt that Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Clark Kent was so downright clumsy that he would draw more attention to himself than is smart when you are a superhero by night (correction: in Goddamn daylight) who doesn’t bother to wear a mask. In an effort to fix what he sees as a problem the character has had, Cavill over compensates and completely misses the mark, making Clark Kent waaaay too cocky and not the humble man he should be when he’s not wearing (dull) red and blue.

It’s as though Cavill forgot to leave the cockiness of Napoleon Solo on the set of 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Best: The New Supporting Cast – Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal GadotBatman V Superman must have had a different casting director than Man of Steel because the difference in casts are night and day, day and night (Thanks, Lex luthor, for that).

Let’s start with the Batman Universe’s 2nd most featured character, Alfred Pennyworth, played by Jeremy Irons this go around. With an older Bruce Wayne/Batman than ever before, and the 1st big screen Alfred without White Hair, the age gap between the damaged boy and his butler (now, more of a guardian, mechanic, and even sidekick) has never been slimmer. And while Michael Caine made a fantastic Alfred who was far less conventional/clichéd than Micheal Gough in the two Tim Burton and two Joel Schumacher films, Jeremy Irons does it even better. He’s more hands on from designing/fixing up the helmet under Batman’s cowl (complete with voice modulator that even makes Alfred sound terrifying) to piloting the Batwing remotely during the warehouse fight.Again, while Michael Cane’s Alfred and Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne had great chemistry, it doesn’t hold a candle to the relationship of Jeremy Iron’s Alfred and Affleck’s Bruce. They really feel like an old married couple who have been doing this crime fighting thing for 20 years, with Alfred no longer trying to talk Batman out of being Batman. But do not fear, he but is just as sarcastic about the whole situation as Caine. Though most people would disagree, I also found Jesse Eisenberg’s younger, unconventional Lex Luthor just as enjoyable as Skyfall/SPECTRE’s twenty-something Q; a real breath of fresh air. I love how he played the character, cocky at moments (like his introductory shot where he makes a basket 1st try), condescending (feeding a Military General a cherry Jolly Rancher or addressing Holly Hunter’s Senator Finch), awkward (stumbling through that speech at his Gala), and downright psychotic (Lois Lane was right!). Unlike the usual Genius-Billionaire-Rea- Estate-Mogul we are accustomed to, Eisenberg’s Luthor is not a stable man… at all. And it works!

It’s not Jesse Eisenberg’s fault that the script makes Luthor’s plans unfollowable. Finally, while I wasn’t as gaga for Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as most, the character was a welcome addition to the film. Though I know little about the character, it seems like Gadot nailed it.

Worst: The Man of Steel Returning Cast – Amy Adams, Henry Lennix, Lawrence Fishburne, Kevin Costner I hate to speak in absolutes, but NONE of the returning cast from Man of Steel brings anything interesting to the Batman V Superman. Maybe the reason isn’t a different casting director, but character fatigue (already) as we’ve seen all these cats in Man of Steel. Of course, it’s also possible (and very likely) that Luthor, Alfred, and Wonder Woman are just more complex characters than the following two dimensional place holders. Amy Adams may have been the victim of a bad script, but she didn’t save the role of Lois Lane like Jesse Eisenberg did with Lex Luthor. She’s the victim most the film (Superman saves her 3 times!) and her lack of investigative reporting skills make you wonder how she figured out Superman’s identity in the first film! How long does it take to track a bullet back to Lex Luthor and LexCorp, really? Worst of all, her performance doesn’t add any weight to Superman’s death at the end of the film. Somber Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince lingering the background carry more emotion than Clark Kent’s girl.Everyone else is also just so “Meh.” Henry Lennix is great on NBC’s The Blacklist, but is the world’s most boring Military General in Batman V Superman. Lawrence Fishburne plays Daily Planet Editor Perry White as though he has never read a Superman Comic, but once watched J.K. Simmons as Daily Bugle Editor J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man nearly 15 years ago and said, “I’ll do that!”

Worst of all is Kevin Costner who gets to appear as the figment a dream (in a movie full of them). A farmer telling a story about a farm incident that has little to do with the plot, unexplainably on the top of a mountain? This does seem to be a theme as there are a lot of stories/metaphors that don’t make any sense in BvS. The role is certainly a stretch (not) for Costner , who often plays farmers and doesn’t seem to realize he’s in a move in which someone invested $250 million dollars.Michael Shannon as Zod is actually the best cast member to return…and he’s just a corpse!

But that’s not all the Best and the Worst of Batman V Superman! Yes, we all know there is a lot to cover in the “Worst” department, but there is actually more in the “Best” column as well, I swear!

Want more? Read “The Best and Worst Scenes In Batman V Superman” Now!

Batffleck Soars and Visuals Are King In Uneven BATMAN V SUPERMAN

Posted on March 25, 2016April 6, 2016 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC, Movies, Reviews

Note: This is a Spoiler Free! Review of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. If it wasn’t in the trailer (a disappointingly large amount was) or the 1st act, I won’t reference anything too directly. There are so many universe building moments and DC Easter Eggs for a Geek to pour over that I will likely cover in a follow up discussion full of spoilers in the coming days.

How many reviews have you read for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice that were written by someone who has seen it twice? How many reviewers are self proclaimed amateur Batman Scholars? And yet, not so blindly obsessed with the Caped Crusader that he proclaims a ridiculous “20 out of 10! Best Movie Ever!” Well, soon you will have read one such review!

Batman V Superman is not the best superhero movie ever made, in fact, it doesn’t come close, not even cracking my top 10… or likely even top 20 Comic Book based films. Yet, it’s also far from the worse. Neither should be a surprise in today’s world where we have received 2-6 Superhero Films a year since 2002’s Spider-Man.

BvS is both better than I expected, yet still a bit of a visually beautiful mess. After all, Zack Snyder is at the helm; the controversial Director behind a horrible film (Sucker Punch), a fan favorite I hate (300), an incredibly average comic book film (Man of Steel), and another beautiful mess that I have a soft spot for (Watchman). Snyder continues to showcase the same weaknesses (plot, story pacing) and strengths (incredibly rich CGI visuals that truly brings comics to life). Luckily, Snyder has help from writer Chris Terrio who has written Academy Award nominated films like The Town, saving BvS from being the complete train-wreck it could have been.

The opening credits scene is a perfect sampling/representation of the film as a whole.

The movie opens with Martha and Thomas Wayne’s funeral (yes, we’ve seen this before), which flashes back to the Wayne Murder in Crime Alley (something we’ve more than any other Comic Book scene). I went to Batman V Superman with my best friend, a self proclaimed Superman fan, who has watched everything Batman with me from The Dark Knight films, to animated features like Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, and even TV’s Gotham, in addition to having read countless comics. More than most, this friend has a hatred for the Wayne Murder that pops up in all these stories, especially the once artistically genius choice to showcase Martha’s pearls crashing to the ground; that by this point has become just as repetitive a image as as young Bruce Wayne screaming under the spotlight of a street lamp.When we saw the funeral, and then the flashback to a family walking out of a Zorro film, yet again, we both sighed. Then something amazing happened… Zach Snyder actually presented the scene in a way we’ve never seen it before with an very creative and bold choice. Instead of Joe Chill (the man who murder’s Bruce Wayne’s parents) ripping the necklace off Martha’s neck, he slips his gun against her throat so that the gun’s hammer holds the necklace tight between her neck and the gun. When the gun fires, the hammer recoils, splitting the pearl necklace and dropping the pearls in a very visual pleasing, surprising, and brutal way.

The film as a whole (with one giant exception) offers great visual takes on heroes and action set pieces we’ve seen before (in one case, literally, but that in a later…), much like his Watchman film flawlessly captured what looked like actual panels from a comic book. It’s not just perfect CGI, it’s great choices including a visual tone that doesn’t just feel richer than Man of Steel‘s faded look, but also more true to a comic than Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy (visuals and a certain actor being the ONLY way the film tops the now sacred trilogy). The characters, costumes, settings, and action look fantastic from this new take on the “Pearl Scene” to the rained out battle between Superman with a fantastic rendering of the Batman “Battle” suit that’s even better than how Frank Miller was drew it in The Dark Knight Returns.Visually, things do fall apart in the grand finale, where you have a boring flaming backdrop (EVERYTHING is on fire!) and messily animated Heroes literally lunging/flying at each other over football stadium length for epic punches, even when said characters are not known for flying.

Back to the opening scene: though presented in a brand new brilliance, we’ve seen it all before… many, many times. So follows the rest of Batman V Superman; though we’ve never watched Batman fight Superman in live action, we’ve seen all the pieces before. Superman’s scenes don’t feel fresh, which isn’t a terrible crime as this film is direct sequel to Man of Steel. Though he’s never looked so good, we’ve seen Batman in a ridiculous amount of movies. Marvel has already stolen the magic of bringing multiple titans to the same battlefield, and the destruction of the finale may be over red burning ground instead of Man of Steel‘s grey rubble, but really, what’s the difference (besides the not subtle at all lines about how everywhere anyone fights in Gotham or Metropolis is “uninhabited”)?

The 2nd scene, though one of the best in the film (if not the best), is not just a repeated image like the death of the Waynes and the ever present Pearls, but a literal repeat of the Battle of Metropolis from Man of Steel, this time from Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) perspective. The scene is visceral and real with painful yet effective 9/11 imagery, from Bruce’s race to the Wayne Fiances skyscraper to the building’s collapse and the remaining, living victims. The destruction is more real and seems to be on an even larger scale when we are watching the laser vision of Zod and Superman (Henry Cavill) rip Wayne Fiances to pieces from a far, with the two “Gods” (really Aliens) just specks in a sky flying around giant ships exploding, destroying nearly everything.

It’s not just the visuals that make this stand-out scene so emotional, for the film’s other greatest strength is also essential in saving what could have been boring Batman/Bruce Wayne scenes in any other Batman actor’s hands. I’m of course referring to Ben Affleck, who is indeed the Batman AND Bruce Wayne we have always deserved (no actor has pulled off both sides of the coin so evenly). His brooding and anger are the only real thing in this film (because all those visuals I’ve been praising were manufactured in a computer).Quick props to Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as the latest Alfred Pennyworth for both not playing their roles conventionally, yet still delivering satisfying versions (especially Jesse Eisenberg!).

Back to the opening of the film: it’s a dream! And this film has an overabundance of dreams/possible visions, from Bruce’s apocalyptic “Knightmare” (get it?) of a world run by a heartless Superman, to Clark Kent seeing Pa Kent (Kevin Costner) in the mountains. These kind of scenes drive the story forward (and even begin to set up the greater universe including the Justice League) in a movie that feels surprisingly slow with so many characters packed in.

A great fear of mine going in was that, not unlike Watchmen (which also had soooo many characters and events to cover) or overstuffed semi-messes like Spider-Man or even Avengers: Age of Ultron, this film would feel rushed, trying to get to the big battle referenced in the title as quickly as possible with little thought and space given to the connective plot tissue.Quite the opposite is true, in fact. The movie is almost too slow, allowing the themes of what it means to be just a man in a God’s world and absolute power corrupting to breath for the 1st two acts. That is, before any theme or reason from earlier in the film is quickly forgotten in favor of “Smashy, Smashy, Punch Time” in the 3rd act.

Are there plot holes? God, yes, but I don’t want to go in so far as to spoil any plot points, nor am I trying to be “Honest Trailers” or “How It Should Have Ended.” Some plot holes and choices do make more sense as a comic fan as they are less of a stretch for someone who has read variations of these stories in the comics. Others are just dumbfounding, but even the Marvel films are guilty of that sin.

One thing The Avengers did pull off that BvS fails at, is giving Batman something to do when fighting a villain meant for the likes of the more powerful Superman and Wonder Woman. While armies of aliens or robots in the two Avengers films gave heroes with no powers (Hawkeye and Black Widow) or limited ones (Captain America) something to fight, Batman runs and stands around more than he fights in the grand finale, waiting for Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot, who is okay, but doesn’t shine) and Superman to do all the real fighting.

So, there you go! A review written by someone who had the chance to put the thoughts generated by not one, but two viewings of Batman V Superman down on (digital) paper.

Is this a Batman V Superman that rivals The Avengers? No. Is it a watchable film that actually makes you excited for the prospect of Justice League: Part One? Absolutely!

The old, classic, Zack Snyder mixed bag.

Record-Breaking Trailer Catch-Up: ZOOLANDER NO. 2 and CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Posted on December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Marvel, MCU, Movies, Posters, Trailers

Last week, while ~~my computer was down~~ Breaking Geek’s massive array of servers was down, two little trailers hit the net and both made record-breaking splashes!First, following the amazing poster for Zoolander No. 2 (above), Paramount quickly offered up a true trailer with real footage, not just a classically Derek Zoolander nonsensical conversation with “Stephen Hawking” as in the older teaser trailer for the film. This trailer has already become the most viewed comedy trailer of all time.

The trailer is below, delivering all the goods in a way that feels very akin to Anchorman 2, but will hopefully deliver vastly different results (i.e. it may be great!).

All the right ingredients are there, from the stupid artistry that defines Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) with kooky additions of Kristen Wiig and Penelope Cruz.

And let us never forget Will Ferell, back as the villainous, latte throwing Mugatu. This movie looks more fun than a freak, gasoline fight accident!

Next, how could Breaking Geek not share the Captain America: Civil War trailer and posters?!? We may have been away with technical difficulties for a few weeks, but the trailer must appear on this site! It’s been tracking at nearly double the views the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron had in the same time.

Check out the trailer 1st and stick around for commentary as well as the three official posters!

How awesome is that? The exact tone and feel of Captain America: Winter Soldier from the same writers and directors, with an Avengers sized spectacle. That fight scene at the end…. bananas!And the heart…. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) telling Tony Stark that he has to side with Bucky (Sebastian Stan) because they’re friends, only to have Stark reply “So were we.”

Here are the posters I promised….

Both these films hit in 2016 along with other Geek Fantasies such as Deadpool, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Star Trek Beyond, Doctor Strange, and yet another Star Wars film!

It’s good to be a geek!

BATMAN V SUPERMAN Trailer 2: Bruce Wayne Has “A Bad History With Freaks Dressed As Clowns”

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC, Movies, Trailers, TV Shows

The second full length trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has arrived by way of Jimmy Kimmel Live, just as the 1st ~~Captain America V Iron-Man~~ Captain America: Civil War trailer was released last week. Kimmel certainly seems to have the best Bookers in late night TV!

Almost entirely new footage, the latest trailer goes as far to show us the film’s true villain, because a there was never a chance that Batman and Superman wouldn’t join forces at the end to fight a common villain, likely from Superman’s Rogue Gallery. So, if you don’t want the spoiler of who the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel fight in Act III, aside Wonder Woman, don’t watch this trailer!

On the other hand, if you want some wonderful banter between Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) about the violent Bat Vigilante and the dangerous Alien, do watch the trailer! And there’s nothing like Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) not only introducing Kent and Wayne, but also gleefully claiming responsibility for it!

It does look like Kent V Wayne part of the conflict may be more interesting than watching the two heroes wail on each-other, especially after the Captain America: Civil War showed us beautifully choreographed Capt. & Bucky V Iron Man combat vs the smashy-smashy chunkiness and raw power of Bats V Sups.Speaking of Captain America, I think he wants his shield back…

There’s even a bit of levity in the trailer, most noticeably when Batman and Superman meet Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) at the end of the trailer. Batman films have lightened up… in the smallest increment possible.

Watch the trailer now! And, because it is really awesome, I did include a picture of the main villain after the trailer. I included some space so you don’t see it if you don’t want to.

Doomsday! I guess the rumors where right.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice comes out March 2016,

BATMAN V SUPERMAN “Gotham” TV Spot Raises Questions: Where’d That Eye Makeup Go?

Posted on December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Comics, DC, Gotham, Movies, Original Screen Grabs, Trailers, TV Shows

Last night during Fox’s Batman (Villains)-Centric TV show, Gotham, we were “treated” to the 1st Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice footage for the since the official trailer and the more expansive Comic-Con sizzle reel.Rather than an actual trailer, which will follow tomorrow on Jimmy Kimmel Live (as the trailer for Captain America: Civil War did last week) this Wednesday the 2nd of December, Gotham fans were offered an odd clip that gives some hope that Ben Affleck will crush it as Batman / Bruce Wayne, but also raises serious issues about Superman… and whether or not Batffleck wears black eye makeup of not.

First, the “TV Spot” (It’s really a clip…):

Okay…

Both actors, Affleck as The Dark Knight and Henry Cavill as The Man of Steel are both looking pretty intense in this short teaser; some may use the clip as evidence that Superman has gotten too dark and intense, not at all resembling the Superman of Action Comics. I’ve always been a fan of his casting, and Affleck still seems perfect as The Caped Crusader and Gotham’s #1 Playboy Billionaire, bringing an intense rage with nuances cementing him as the incredible actor he can be. I almost feel sorry for Cavill having to try to out act the very seasoned Affleck, especially caught in a scene that is sooo not Superman.Superman’s anger and apparent army are one riddle this trailer offers… Is Supes under Lex Luthor’s (Jesse Eisenberg) control (we get that same look of anger as he looks up at Luthor after Lex rests his hand over him in the Comic-Con trailer)? Did Batman accidentally lead to the death of a loved one like Lois Lane (Amy Adams)? Or is Superman just really, really, angry?Screengabs from the Comic-Con Trailer. He looks angry there too!

Whatever the case may be, Superman removes Batman’s mask, leading to an even larger question… where’d that classic Batman black eye makeup dissipate to in seconds?

In order to reproduce the look of the Iris-less white eyes of Batman as he is drawn, all the big screen Batmans have worn black eye makeup under their cowl from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale. It looks like Ben Affleck has it one too… but OOPS! Then it’s gone.Definitely some black eye makeup above…Ta-Da! It’s…. Gone! Just super intense… and pissed… Ben Affleck!

Maybe it’s a trick of the mask!

Hopefully tomorrow’s new trailer puts a few things into perspective… including this puzzling scene. Why would Superman have a prison and soldiers? Why unmask Bruce Wayne when he can see through his mask?

Check back later when I post the Jimmy Kimmel Live Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer! Here just in time for placement on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Cinema’s 8 Most Nefarious Organizations: From #8. Death Eaters to #5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens, Villains

Evil organizations are all the craze these days on the silver screen, taking center stage in at least four 2015 Major Blockbusters: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, SPECTRE (ha), and the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nothing like a whole industry of villains and evil doers, often, but not always, operating in the shadows. And though several of the “organizations” chosen are literally companies, they also fit the mold of “Nefarious Organizations.” Not just any company will do, but these certainly more than your simple morally corrupt businesses.

I’ve gone ahead and ranked them, most effective to least.

Let’s start with #8 through #5!

8. Death Eaters from the Harry Potter Franchise

Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!

I’m not even a Harry Potter fan (I’ve read 6 and 1/2 of the books, but never made it far enough in the film franchise to see said organization), but my roommate tells me I should look past my own interests, and the Death Eaters were the 1st Evil Organization I could think of outside my traditional Geek World (which would be mostly Marvel Comic Book Evil Organizations…).

Death Eaters definitely qualify as a Nefarious Organization, one that, like the best of them (that follow), have members at every level of government, Hogwarts, and even that weird Magical Bank with the trolls. Not a lot is scarier than a group of zealots awaiting and/or aiding the return of their evil leader: He who must not be named!

7. OSCORP Industries from The Amazing Spider-Man Films

In Sam Raimi’s original films, Oscorp was simply the company that Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) would experiment on himself… and kill… to remain in control and keep profitable. In Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films, the corporation is responsible for a man-lizard, an electricity man, a mutated head of the company, and a series of enhanced soldier suits based on animals including a rhinoceros, a vulture, and an octopus.

A little hokey, sure, but it actually makes more sense than the original 2002 Spider-Man. Think about the major superhero villains these days. Tony Stark’s genius leads to Iron Monger, Whiplash, Extemis, and Ultron. The Super Soldier serum administered by the same scientist creates both Red Skull and Captain America. Batman’s appearance brings the Joker into the world as a direct response to his theatrical vigilantism. But in Spider-Man, it’s simply a hard to believe coincidence (even if you’ve bought into a man who can stick to walls and swing from webs) that Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a radioactive spider the very same night that Norman Osborn accidentally turns himself into a crazy super soldier to save his company. Ridiculous!

Mending this storytelling shortfall, Oscorp is behind all the foes Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker faces, whether that be an overreaction or not. Certainly qualifying the company that Norman Osborn built a spot on this list!

6. InGen from the The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic World

InGen didn’t seem like such a bad company when John Hammond was around. But since he hit his death bed, other forces within the corporation have put profits above human safety… and worse.

It starts with Hammond’s nephew in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, who will stop at nothing to grab dinosaurs out of their new “natural” habitat on Isla Sorna, a.k.a. “Site B” and present them to the masses. Even when the star exhibit, a full grown T-Rex, wrecks havoc in San Diego.

Even worse, Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) and Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofiro) clearly have a real shady deal going on behind the scenes of the theme park, Jurassic World. Hoskin’s obsession with military applications for carnivores and Dr. Wu’s gene-splicing skills offer even more trouble than in the 1st Jurassic World film, paving the way for a trilogy of InGen’s evil doings!

5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the 007 Franchise

No matching tattoos here, but of course Agents of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. have matching jewelry!

S.P.E.C.T.R.E. has been on the big screen longer than any other Nefarious Organization on this list, originating in Sean Connery’s days only to be revived this year in Daniel Craig’s world. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stands for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion (like with do-gooder organization S.H.I.E.L.D., someone just really wanted to spell SPECTRE, albeit incorrectly).

Now, if you read my review for SPECTRE, you know the film was lacking… a lot. In fact, S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the supposed ultimate Nefarious Organization of all time, doesn’t get its due in the 2015 007 film. While Daniel Craig’s 007 movies have improved on every aspect of the character from Casino Royale through Skyfall, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does not live up to the organization Connery built (well, fought) back in the 60’s.

Perhaps if the film SPECTRE was better, this ultimate Evil Organization would have landed on the better half of the list. After all, it is the original shadow group with tentacles in every countries government on all ends of the globe, controlling resources, governments, and intelligence rather than always seeking to start WWIII like later Bond villains.

And that’s a wrap! For now… Check back later when I reveal The Top 4 Nefarious Organizations in Cinema, including H.Y.D.R.A. and The First Order, formally the Galactic Empire!

A Modern Guide To Movie Going (Holiday Season 2015 & Beyond)!

Posted on November 14, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Avengers, Batman, Captain America, DC, Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, Star Wars, The Force Awakens

We’re falling into the Holiday Movie Season, kicked off last weekend by the mediocre SPECTRE and The Peanuts Movie. Things will start to get crazy with the release of Mocking Jay Part 2 and Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, all culminating with the biggest movie release of all time: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Whether Star Wars is pulling you out of your Netflix hole, or you’ve been going to the movies all year long enjoying hits like Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, you will find this Guide To Movie Going in the 21st Century! extremely useful.

Trust me. I work at a Movie Theater. And I got to a lot of Movies!

Don’t use Fandango!

I have worked at two of the three major theater chains in the United States and there is one constant: DON’T USE FANDANGO!

It’s almost a dirty little secret, especially since the “Pre-Show” at my chain has a Fandango commercial! But we (theater chains) don’t want you to use it! It’s not always accurate, for whatever reason, so you’ll get stuck with tickets to a showtime that doesn’t exist!

Always use the theater chains’ direct website, where tickets are on sale, the surcharge is no larger than Fandango’s, and the times are actually accurate! I’m talking www.cinemark.com or www.amctheatres.com. I don’t know Regal’s website…

I guess it’s not too hard to tell which of the three chains I didn’t work for!

Make sure you check Movie Times for the day you are going!!!

We no longer live in an era where Movie Showtimes are the same from Friday through Thursday. Theaters have events now. And almost all movies get an early evening release on Thursdays (gone are the days when only movies like Star Wars got midnight releases). Showtimes change day to day.

We’ve got Live Concerts, Classic Series Films, Live Sporting Events (including Video Game tournaments…), and Special Screenings like the Dr. Who and Sherlock Christmas Specials coming up in late December/early January. Very, very rarely will all three Weekend Days have the same showtimes, even more rare on weekdays!

Don’t look up today’s times if you’re going to a movie tomorrow! Check the day you are going, otherwise you may show up for a showtime that doesn’t exist.

And NEVER look up said showtimes on Fandango!!!

Double Check Movie Times the day you are going!!!

Unless you have tickets in hand, double check the showtime the day of the movie. Sometimes theaters will “Wild Cat” a showtime, meaning we may cancel a showtime of The Intern to make room for another showing of SPECTRE. It’s very, very rare, but it does happen!

Know your Theater Chains and the Brands that fall under their Umbrella.

Let’s break this down fast so you don’t try to use a Gift Card at the wrong Chain:

AMC is AMC Theatres. As the company has acquired other companies like Kerasotes, they rename the theaters so it’s simple. AMC Gift Cards work at all AMC locations, NOT at any theater lacking the AMC name.

Cinemark and Regal keep most the names of the theater chains they have purchased. So…

Regal is also known as United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres.

Cinemark also has locations called Century Theatres, Rave, Tinseltown, & CineArts.

Know where your gift cards will work by understanding the above hierarchy!

IMAX is no longer the only Big, Loud Screen in Town.

You’re going to want to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens on something big!

A few years ago Regal, AMC, and Cinemark decided to make their own, “Premium Format” to compete with IMAX, which had begun incensing it’s name to Theater Chains without actually delivering the full “IMAX Experience.” IMAX Screens of old were 70mm format, taller than they were wide, but now IMAX is just a name plastered on screens that run floor to ceiling with incredibly large speakers. I noticed the change seeing The Dark Knight 1st on a real IMAX Screen, with the image Christopher Nolan intended, and then seeing it on one of the “fake” Digital IMAX Screens that cut most of Nolan’s superior image.

Well, the three chains succeeded… partially… instead each creating their own “Premium Format” to save on IMAX licencing fees. AMC called theirs ETX, Regal went with RTX, and Cinemark features X D (have to space the letters or WordPress makes a XD face. 😦 ). All are just as good as Digital IMAX… unless it is one of the dozen or so “True” IMAX Screens left in the US.

Reserved Seating is on the way… and here to stay!

If you don’t have it already, the Industry is moving toward “Reserved Seating,” meaning you pick your seats when you buy your ticket. Don’t fight it, don’t whine, Reserved Seating will be the standard by the end of 2016, and it ain’t going anywhere!

Reserved Seating is the perfect tool to buy tickets in advance. If you bought Star Wars tickets the minute they went online after that Monday Night Football trailer for my theater, then you also picked your seats, which means you can show up minutes before showtime, no waiting in a looooong line for hours, and still have the best seat in the house.

And it doesn’t really change the movie going experience on a day-to-day basis. What’s the difference between picking a seat at Box Office vs. when you walk into the auditorium? You’re going to pick the same seats… unless they are already sold… which is no different than walking in and seeing another guest already sitting where you like to sit. In fact, picking seats at Box Office let’s you see what’s left in a nearly Sold Out show! Don’t walk in blind, caught with only the front row. Know what’s left before dropping a dime.

Don’t be a Dummy. No Masks or Fake Weapons, Dummy!

Star Wars fans are whining about not being able to wear their Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, or Darth Vader (or Kylo Ren!) masks. And they can’t bring in fake guns. Or Lightsabers.

Look, I’m a Fanboy who dressed as Captain America for the entirety of the 1st Avengers opening weekend as a theater manager. I was dressed like Batman the night a theater not 30 miles from my own theater was shot up. Your sadness over losing masks and Lighsabers is not nearly as severe as the sadness of losing a loved one.

Stop being a Goddamn Baby and welcome to the 21st Century!

And that’s all you need to know! Here’s your handy-dandy guide to movie going, still good in 2016!

The 5 Most Accurate Comic Book Character Castings In Film and TV

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Comics, DC, Gotham, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies, TV Shows, Video Games

Everyone’s a Super Hero these days… or at least a character based on a comic iteration, be they a powerless vigilante or a supporting character. Playing just “3 Degrees of Marvel” is easier than “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.”

There are many memorable superhero performances that have redefined comic book characters. Who can imagine anyone but Hugh Jackman playing Logan / Wolverine? Is it possible to think of the Joker without conquering images of Heath Ledger? Even now that we’ve seen Chris Cooper as Norman Osborne in the failure that was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, who could forget Willam Dafoe from 2002’s original Spider-Man film?

Sure, great performances all, but not exactly accurate depictions of the character. Wolverine is about four feet tall in the comic; Tom Cruise would actually be a more accurate portrayal of the character (not that he would be ideal either).

What I’ve collected, is a list of the most accurate casting choices of comic book characters, not the “best” or most “memorable.” Not the biggest characters or Super Heros, necessarily, but the best characters minor otherwise. These are the castings that can’t keep a Geek from smiling because he couldn’t imagine a better interpretation himself when first reading a comic. And after seeing it, this actor will always become the character’s voice when reading decades of comics to come.

5) Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man

Most people use RDJ as Tony Stark as the industry standard of comic book casting… and they ain’t wrong! I just managed to find 4 other castings that are even more accurate.

It turns out that Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark… both on screen and doing interviews. He has all the charm and brilliance that defines Tony Stark, bringing the darker edge of the character into play in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which writer/director Joss Whedon labels Stark as the villain in the film’s commentary.

RDJ pulls off both sides of Stark, the hero who regrets his own and companies’ past as “War Mongers” and the man so tortured by his experience bringing a Nuke through a wormhole to outer-space that he creates the greatest villain the Avengers have ever faced, and will further be driven to oppose teammate Captain America (Chris Evans) in Captain America: Civil War.

Donwey Jr. is both the perfect physical rendition of Stark as well as a man who share’s Stark’s darker, “less sober” past.

4) Mark Hamill as The Joker

No silver screen actor can touch Mark Hamill’s interpretation of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, started in Batman: The Animated Series and lifted to nirvana in the Video Game, Batman: Arkham Knight (as well as the franchises earlier chapters, Arkham Asylum & Arkham City).

Hamill’s joker just has more… fun. Hamill has worked an almost endless versions of the laugh, also bringing the Joker’s voice in and out; letting the madness seep from his performance.

Though Animated, Hamill’s Joker is also the most accurate; a man with a giant grin, but none of those scars the film version of the Joker mysteriously decided to use. With the exception of 1989’s Batman and 2008’s The Dark Knight, The Joker has never had scars (Thankfully it looks as though Jared Leto’s Joker will repair this remedy… though his appearance calls to question how accurate his performance will be).

Hamill offers the most fun interpretation of the unstable Joker, with an animated face that can’t be topped by any of the feature presentations of Batman’s greatest nemesis.

3) JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

There comes a casting every now and then, that is so legendary that not even a reboot of a franchise can top the original. In the case of The Amazing Spider-Man films, the creative talent realized that J. Jonah Jameson was so well cast by J.J. Simmons, that they didn’t even attempt to offer a new take on the character.

J.K. Simmons timing is so perfect, his look so accurate, that it is impossible to read a Spider-Man comic today without hearing the actor’s voice. He’s Spider-Man’s perfect hater, an actor I would still recommend Marvel Studios use for their 2nd “reboot” of Marvel’s Webslinger.

2) Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock

Fox’s Gotham is really the 1st time I’ve seen Jim Gordon’s partner and eventual right-hand-man portrayed by a live-action actor. Even Christopher Nolan, who used the Dark Knight Trilogy to reintroduce us to lost Detective Comics characters like Lucious Fox, failed to produce Harvey Bolluck, an essential character in the comic realm.

Benjamin McKenzie was a hard sell as Jim Gordon, as his most famous role was from female teen show The O.C., but he’s worked out fine. On the other hand, Donal Logue, best known from an equally “shitty” comedy Grounded For Life, lives and breaths Harvey Bolluck into existence in a way that makes the comic impossible to read without hearing Logue’s voice.

A drunk with a conscience and extreme loyalty to his partner, Logue is incredible as Batman essential Harvey Bolluck.

1) Matt Ryan as John Constantine

Finally, we arrive at the best of the best; Matt Ryan as DC Comic’s (formally Vertigo’s) John Constantine! Forget Keanu Reeves who was terribly cast in the big-screen version of DC’s best “master of the dark arts!” Matt Ryan plays the character with the coy cockiness and James Bond-esque womanizer that perfectly reflect the comic counterpart, right down to his appearance.

This is the prime example of an actor breathing life into a formally written & drawn character with no real voice. I know can’t read Justice League Dark or John Constantine: Hellbazler without hearing… and even picturing Matt Ryan. I’d never enjoyed the aforementioned film… or comic until I saw Matt Ryan play Constantine. And since them, he has become one of my most favorite comic characters of all!

There you have it, the 5 most ACCURATE Comic Book Castings… of all time! It may not be the main characters you expected, but these supporting and less known-“Heroes” could not be better represented on the screen!

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