Lists – Page 2 – BREAKING GEEK Radio: The Podcast

The Best Movies of Summer 2015: PART II – No. 3, 2 & 1!

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Nick Doll in Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, Reviews

After much soul searching, I can finally finish the list of my 6 Favorite Movies of the Summer that kept on giving. And giving. And giving!

Read Part I, where I cover my 6th through 4th favorite movies now if you missed it.

First, I must make a clarification; on the first part of my list, I stated that I’m trying to balance quality and enjoyment level when ranking the best films of Summer 2015. I now realize, that what is really important is the enjoyment factor. In fact, looking back, #6: Man From UNCLE, #5: Ant-Man, and #4: Avengers: Age of Ultron were already based on enjoyment factor and NOT quality of film. So I intend to continue that trend… Now!

SPOILERS may follow for any of the films covered.

3. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

If I were to base this list purely on quality of film, then Mad Max: Fury Road would have been #1. It really is a masterpiece; light-years better than any of George Miller’s previous Mad Max films, though that has nothing to with replacing Mel Gibson with Tom Hardy. You can tell Miller has been working on the film (at least in his head) for 20 years, and the result is visually stunning with an unbelievably complex “feminist” narrative supported by limited dialog. And George Miller is one of the only people making films in the 21st Century that does stunts… for real.

Highlights: Everything mostly… mostly.

As stated previously, the movie is visually stunning, from the amazing color contrast of the “Australian” wasteland (shot in Africa) to actually watching REAL cars flip and explode. Sure, there is CGI abound, but it is there to enhance the effects (and create a crazy sandstorm that would make 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol jealous), not replace the real feeling of flipping or blowing up dozens of vehicles.

This Mad Max is also the best at world building, from Immortan Joe’s Citadel, to the valley watched over by those with “spiky cars,” mention of “Gas Town,” the former “Green Lands” of the many mothers, and finally that creepy bog with human survivors walking on stilts, almost appearing bird-like in their garb.

The plot is fantastic, though simple on the surface, dialog is sparse but effective, and Tom Hardy rocks the role of Max Rockatansky just as hard (if not harder) than Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron is obviously fantastic as well as the true protagonist of the movie, with Max just along for the ride.

Finally, can we talk of Junkie XL’s score? Amazing on every level: you don’t simply watch Fury Road, you rock out to it. Can’t wait to hear the composer’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice score as well as his recently announced Deadpool music.

Weaknesses: As I find with most films showered with critical acclaim, Mad Max: Fury Road is just not as re-watchable as nearly any other film on the list. It is indeed the highest quality, but it doesn’t offer the same enjoyment and re-watch-ability as the next two movies on my list.

2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

I don’t know how they do it. Mission: Impossible is one of the few franchises getting better by the film, after the terrible M:I – 2. I keep waiting for a stinker, but each M:I film has been better than the last ever since J.J. Abrams saved the franchise with M:I:III.

If the 1st Mission: Impossible had a baby with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and the Usual Suspects had a baby with Edge of Tomorrow (which you may know as Live. Die. Repeat.)… and those babies fucked… you’d have Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. That’s the result of baby fucking. (It’s no surprise the writer/director of Rogue Nation previously wrote both Usual Suspects and Edge of Tomorrow.)

Rogue Nation is the second best film in the franchise, in my opinion, because the 1st film is a Sacred Cow, not unlike Jurassic Park, which can be honored with good sequels, but never outdone.

Highlights: I LOVE that the film hearkens back to the slower thriller elements of the first Mission: Impossible while simultaneously combining the action and spectacle one would expect coming off of Brad Bird’s endlessly entertaining Ghost Protocol.

You got your, “Oh-My-God-I-Can’t-Believe-Tom-Cruise-Did That!” element similar to Ghost Protocol‘s Dubai Tower scene, this time with Tom Cruise attaching himself to an actual A400 airplane and doing 7 full take-offs to get the scene just right. Like George Miller, Tom Cruise feels he owes it to his fans to do as much as he can for real, one of the main reasons the film ranks so high. Though my #1 favorite movie of the summer is a CGI bonanza, I have extreme respect for Rogue Nation‘s attempt to use as little CGI as possible in exchange for stunts like Cruise on a plane, the crazy motorcycle chase, and his underwater adventures for which he did hold his breath for over 3 minutes a take!

Meanwhile, you have a more personal and one could say, smaller scope film that brings back the espionage and thriller elements of the original film. After all, though M:I – 2 through Rogue Nation are action movies, the 1st film is a tight and smaller thriller, with only one full action scene to speak of. Rogue Nation does a little of both. There’s a lot of smaller, yet impossible situations than the Plane Sequence, from the conundrum at the Opera to the personal/not-action-packed finale on the streets of London. A shoot-out closes Rogue Nation, in contrast to the giant action scene that closed out Ghost Protocol.

Now, let’s talk about the new talent on screen! Rebecca Ferguson nearly steals the film from Tom Cruise as the, “Can we trust her?” Femme Fatale. In this more personal film, she is what “The Woman” (Irene Adler) is to Sherlock Holmes; Ethan Hunt’s female equal.

Meanwhile, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with the supremely creepy and soft-spoken Soloman Lane, played by Sean Harris (Prometheus), and his “Syndicate.” What SPECTRE is to 007, the Syndicate is to Hunt, including with Soloman Lane serving as a sort of Moriarty or Blofeld, always one step ahead of the disbanded IMF.

Weaknesses: Well, it’s not as good as the 1st one, but I can’t hold it against Rogue Nation.

Mainly, I just wanted to see more Soloman Lane! He is pulling the strings behind everything, again making Moriarty and apt comparison, but Sean Harris doesn’t have enough scenes to really make his creepy presence known. Though I believe him to be the best villain of the franchise, he is without meaty scenes like Phillip Seymor Hoffman had in M:I:III. Lane’s nasal voice and his creep factor could have been even more effective if we saw more of him!

1. JURASSIC WORLD

There you go! Not the highest quality movie of the summer, only average-to-pure-popcorn-movie if you judge it purely on quality, but God Damn Jurassic World is the most enjoyable movie I watched all summer!

I don’t need to go too far into it, because I’ve written about Jurassic World again and again, including writing an actual review, but the movie delivers everything you want from a Jurassic Park sequel…

A theme park setting! New dinosaurs! Classic Spielbergian elements! Velociraptors devouring people (most important)! T-Rex!… The list goes on and on.

I feel like my other posts about Jurassic World speak for themselves.

So, with that, here are the Best Films of 2015!

6. MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

5. ANT-MAN

4. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

3. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

1. JURASSIC WORLD

Great summer, all! Can’t wait to judge me some Holiday blockbusters! SPECTRE and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are on the horizon!

The 6 Best Films of Summer 2015: PART I – No. 6, 5 & 4

Posted on September 20, 2015October 7, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, Reviews, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens

We did it! We survived one of the highest grossing summers on record due mostly to Universal Studios hits like Jurassic World, Minions, and Straight Outta Compton. Not that Disney doesn’t deserve credit for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Inside Out, and Ant-Man.

But this list isn’t about the money grossed, it’s about the quality of films we watched. What were the 6 best films of Summer 2015? According to me…

Let’s start with my predictions for the whole year. View that article in its entirety or just read this list of my anticipation levels from least excited to complete obsession. Again, there were my predictions based more on enjoyment level, not a list predicting which films would necessarily be best this summer.

7. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

6. Ant-Man

5. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

4. Mad Max: Fury Road

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron

2. SPECTRE

1. Jurassic World

Since this new List only covers Summer 2015 and not the Fall, we can knock Star Wars and SPECTRE off my possibility of choices.

The original list are the titles I thought would be most enjoyable. To be transparent, this new list of the “Best” Movies of Summer 2015 takes into account enjoyably AND quality. If this list were purely based on how much I enjoyed a film, the list would look slightly different.

Let’s start work from sixth favorite to my number one; this post just containing Sixth through Third favorite.

WARNING: SPOILERS Follow for each Film. Skip one if you haven’t seen it and don’t want it spoiled.

6. MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

Not a great Guy Ritchie, nor Spy Film, but I had to include it rather because it still deserves a spot on this list, even if it was my 6th favorite movie of the summer and most lists are traditionally out of five.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E film is classy as hell, with tons of Guy Ritchie style more apparent than his more tightly controlled bigger studio franchise, Sherlock Holmes. The “buddy” dynamic between US Agent Solo (Our current Superman,Henry Cavill) and USSR Agent Illya (Armie Hammer!) brings most the humor that is not limited to dialog exchanges, but also humorous action scenes involving the competitive nature or two Spies from different sides of the Cold War.

HIGHLIGHTS: Henry Cavill continues to nail the role as an American (again, see Man of Steel) with all the added almost overabundance of charm required to be a fantastic play on Sean Connery’s or Roger Moore’s version of James Bond.

Likewise, though they have a Brit playing an American and Armie Hammer playing Russian, Hammer also nails the role, with his aforementioned antics with Cavill’s Solo providing most of the film’s enjoyment.

Just like Kingsman back in February, Man From U.N.C.L.E. also has great classic 60’s 007 references in its locations and over-the-top not-so-secret Spy work of suave Solo.

WEAKNESSES: The action just isn’t there compared to other 2015 spy films like Kingsman: The Secret Service and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. There’s a decent chase at the end, some fun silly action sequences like the opening car chase, but the action just isn’t as abundant as in a 007 picture, for example.

Likewise, the “turncoat” scene where Gaby (Alicia Vikander) gives up Solo and Illya only to be reveled as a questionable British Agent, is very reminiscent of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

That’s just bad (unlucky) timing for Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The film really feels like a set-up for a wonderful franchise we will never see as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a flop.

5. ANT-MANLook, Ant-Man is neither my favorite Marvel movie, nor my least favorite. In an age when Ant-Man is Marvel’s 12th(?… Maybe 11th) movie, that is not a bad thing what-so-ever.

For me, Ant-Man falls in the middle of the pack, higher than The Incredible Hulk, both Thor movies, Iron Man 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger, but lower than movies Iron Man 1 & 3, Captain America: Winter Solider, Guardians of the Galaxy, and both Avengers films.

Highlights: The cast, to start! Paul Rudd as Scott Lang gives us our most grounded Avenger yet; a father who is kept from his daughter because of a criminal past. Marvel as a Universe is known for down-to-Earth heroes, but Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, and Capt. are not mortals like Ant-Man (Iron Man technically is mortal, but he has none of the angst that comes with fatherhood). Rudd is one of the most likable Avengers, with his character’s weaknesses yet strength of charm, empathy and comedy.

Let’s not stop there! Of course Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Evangeline Lily as eventual Wasp, Hope van Dyne, don’t disappoint. But, besides Rudd, Ant-Man’s Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket and Michael Pena as Lang’s best friend Luis steal the show.

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym with Corey Stoll as Darren Cross

Stoll combines the classic elements of Norman Osborne’s madness in the original Spider-Man and Obadiah Stane’s suit-envy in Iron Man. Meanwhile, hilarious Michael Pena brings more humor to the film than even funny-man Paul Rudd, reminding me of his favorite role as Seth Rogen’s right-hand security guard in Observe and Report.

Which brings me to Ant-Man‘s next strength… the genre. Lately, Marvel movies have played with mixing different genres with the classic Super Hero story to give their origin stories and the like more originality. Winter Soldier was a 70’s Thriller, Guardians was a Star Wars-esque Space Opera, and Ant-Man is a heist film… complete with a full team… including Michael Pena! (BOOM! Brought it all the way ’round.)

Yet, the tie-ins to Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War are the movies greatest strengths. Nothing like Ant-Man fighting Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and the mention of someone who “can climb walls.”

Humor is the final piece of Ant-Man‘s successful puzzle. My father had no interest in Ant-Man, but I dragged him along and he was shocked by how funny the film is! Like The Guardians of the Galaxy, humor was the only way to make Ant-Man mainstream.

Weaknesses: Some of Ant-Man is very cookie-cutter Marvel. Sometimes it does feel too much like the 1st Iron Man from the idea of a “suit” as his superpower to the notion that the villain just wants the same tech. In it’s least interesting moments, Ant-Man can feel like an Iron Man clone.

4. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

It’s The Avengers Assembled! Again! This time fighting a creation of almost villainous Tony Stark (who does risk the team’s life with the best intentions), Ultron, an artificial intelligence who cannot be destroyed until he is locked out of the net and every drone is blown to bits.

Highlights: A lot of people love to hate this film, but I still think Avengers: Age of Ultron is Marvel Top Five; even better than the 1st film.

Why? Because The Avengers was mainly awesome because of the “Holy Shit! Bruce Banner just met Steve Rogers!” That single shot in the 1st film that flies around New York City, catching every Avenger in action was mind-blowing.

And this film opens with a scene just like that!

Age of Ultron is the stronger film as the plot is more important and fleshed out than the 1st Avengers. Think about it; the 1st film was mainly on the Helicarrier and dealt with simply following Loki around, knowing exactly what he was up to. Age of Ultron doesn’t just offer a more fluid and varied plot crafted for amazing action sequences, but a more personal story that brings out every Avenger’s (except Hawkeye) greatest fears.

Tony Stark’s scene of fear is the most poignant; an alien invasion heading toward Earth while his friends die a rocky-planet with Capt. accusing Stark of not being there to save them. This is an excellent plot device to drive Stark into horrible decisions… like creating artificial intelligence using Loki’s staff… which was also handled by Hydra. It also sets the stage for Avengers: Infinity War where our heroes could very well end up dead on an Alien planet after a failed defense against Thanos.

Finally, we get a lot of Captain America! he has most the screen-time and why not? He’s team leader and his fight with Ultron is Seoul may be a mismatch, but it’s Capt. at his best!

Weaknesses: I may like Age of Ultron better than Ant-Man, but it sure has more faults.

Too many characters! You can’t just add three Avengers in the 3rd Act (even though we knew you would…)! One can only hope that the super talented Russo Brothers can balance the sheer amount of Avengers that will exist by the time Avengers: Infinity War comes out.

Ultron is not as cool as he could have been. Right James Spader?

Hawkeye needs some screen-time to make up for The Avengers, and it’s awesome he actually has a family (like Scott Lang), but too much time spent on his farm regardless.

That’s it for Today, folks.

My favorite Summer Movies #3 – #1 is HERE

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 4: JURASSIC PARK Winks & Shoves

Posted on July 10, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

Observations of a sad little man who has seen Jurassic World six times… so far (Me!).

As always, SPOILERS Abound!

First, catch up with the 1st three parts of this glorious expedition.

Part 1: Everything You Missed (Or Didn’t)

Part 2: InGen, Please!

Part 3: Universal Studios Hollywood & Product Placement.

This Issue: All (Or Most) the references to Jurassic Park Explored!

As Lowery (Jake Johnson) reminds us while wearing his Jurassic Park shirt he purchased on eBay for $150, “That first Park was legit!” So it’s no wonder that Jurassic World tries to recreate/update images and throw “Easter Eggs” our way straight from the original 1993 movie.

The 1st trailer was so rich with Jurassic Park imagery that it caused Nostalgia to be an even more important part of the film’s draw than even superstar Chris Pratt.

(By the way, Lowey’s Jurassic Park shirt is the 1st reference on this list! Booyah!)

The Sickly Hatchling and Her Sister In The Lab

Jurassic World opens with two eggs and two lil’ baby Indominus Rexs. As one struggles to breath and break the shell, our main Monster Antagonist is quick to break the shell and will later go on to eat said sibling.

This scene is very reminiscent of Hammond helping the hatching baby Raptor in Jurassic Park. So is the set itself; the egg chambers/laboratory all look like the room Dr. Wu (BD Wong) introduced us to 22 years ago.

Said laboratory is also still a visible attraction to guests with no animatronics (sorry, Mr. Donald Gennaro [Martin Ferrero] the lawyer); just real scientists going about their “Mad Science.”

Dinos Evolved Into Birds

Never verbally stated in this film, we are reminded of Dr. Alan Grant’s (Sam Neill) words from Jurassic Park about Dinos sharing a lot in common with birds with the film’s second image: a T-Rex looking foot striking the ground, only reveled to be a bird as the (CGI) camera pulls out. And that’s all we need.

“That 1st Park Was Legit!”

The new Park itself pays homage to the original in many ways, from the sweeping shots of Isla Nublar splashed together with John William’s original theme as Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) arrive via ferry and even pass through the giant Jurassic World gate that was made from wood salvaged from the original gate in the old Park (so Brad Bird as the monorail guide tells us).

Though ferries are more piratical for a Park of 20,000 guests, we still get our Helicopter over Isla Nublar experience thanks to “pilot” & InGen CEO Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan). Pure nostalgia.

I could talk about obvious scenes like this for post after post, but let’s get deeper into the nitty-gritty references that are less obvious.

Mr. DNA

How can you miss Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park in the scene where Gray first excitingly enters the Samsung Innovation Center (which is not product placement) and plays with a child’s interactive display?

Fun note: Dr. DNA may sound the same, but writer/director Colin Trevorrow actually voices him in Jurassic World.

Jurassic Tennis & River Cruise

In Jurassic Park, while our protagonists are having an argument about whether or not Hammond should have created Dinosaurs over lunch, various displays projected on the walls behind them advertise future Jurassic Park attractions like ‘Jurassic Tennis’ and a water attraction similar to the kayaking among dinosaur ride we see briefly in Jurassic World. ‘Jurassic Tennis’ appears as an attraction on the hotel room screen when Gray and Zach arrive.

God Creates Dinosaur by Dr. Ian Malcolm

Either Dr. Malcolm’s (Jeff Goldblum) book God Creates Dinosaur just hit shelves or it’s still topping the New York Times best-seller list, because we see two different people in possession of the book; one actively reading it. Lowery has a copy on his desk, and Claire’s (Bryce Dallas Howard) assitant Zara (Katie McGrath) reads it throughout the film.

The OG Visitor Center & Jeep #29

I was hoping going into Jurassic World for the 1st time that we would see some of the old park; more specifically the Visitor Center. Guess what? I did!

It’s magic seeing this center of Jurassic Park, with the very scaffolding Grant, Ellie (Laura Dern), and the kids climbed down to escape the Velociraptors. We see part of the “When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth” banner that T-Rex knocked down. We see the painted Velociraptor in the dining room that was covered in shadow to alert Lex and Tim to hide in the kitchen. We see night vision goggles identical to the one Tim used to watch T-Rex eat the goat. There is so much nostalgia here it is maddening to try to remember it all!

But on to Jeep #29. The jeep that Zach and Gray fix up is the very jeep Muldoon (Bob Peck) and Ellie took to rescue Ian Malcolm (“Must go faster! Must go faster!”).

We even get to see Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) jump the T-Rex skull when Indominus attacks (but not any sharks thankfully).

“Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear”

Remember when the T-Rex chased Jeep #29 and Muldoon looked in the rear-view mirror only to see a T-Rex and the typical “Objects In the Mirror are Closer Than They Appear” warning.

In Jurassic World Claire watches a Raptor in the rear view mirror as it rushes toward her vehicle. Coincidence? Not in this kind of movie.

Mosquitos In Amber

An obvious image straight from the original film. We see an actual specimen on Dr. Wu’s desk when Mr. Masrani confronts him about Indominus Rex, even though Gray told his brother (and the audience) that now scientists can extract DNA directly from Dinosaur bones.

You don’t just see this image in the lab, there are decorations of giant (fake) amber stones with giant mosquito on Main Street. Owen actually hides behind one while his Raptors took on Indominus.

The Queen of Isla Nublar

It was with a cheer and a shout that I welcomed T-Rex back to the playing field in the finale of Jurassic World. Though Raptors are always the scariest Dinos in any Jurassic Park film, T-Rex is the most iconic.

Did you notice that the T-Rex in Jurassic World was the very same one as Jurassic Park? Even had her two decade old scars from his Velociraptor battle that saved Alan Grant & Co.

Likewise, it’s no coincidence that flares get the Queen of Isla Nublar’s attention. Ian Malcolm taught her that flares mean “Lawyer Food” in 1993.

And like the spectacular finale to Jurassic Park, Jurassic World ends with T-Rex roaring over Isla Nublar, reminding everyone that now that the monster Indominus Rex is dead, she is the Queen of Jurassic World.

One Jurassic Park III Reference

When T-Rex shows up to save the day in Jurassic World, he bursts though the skeleton of a Spinosaurous (see picture above). Proving, that, even though that wretched dinosaur killed a Rex on Isla Sorna, T-Rex is back to being the superior Dinosaur of the Jurassic Park franchise.

I’m sure there is more I am forgetting, as the movie is so layered and rich with numerous references to Jurassic Park. But, this post is long and my brain is running out of references, so let’s call it a day!

Next (and final time) on Jurassic World Explored Part 5

Speilbergian Themes & Imagery

The Aliens Homage.

Are All The Dinos In Jurassic World Still Female?

They Are Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar!

Jurassic Park vs. Jurassic World Character Comparisons

Coming Soon To This Website Near You!!

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 3: Universal Studios Hollywood & Product Placement

Posted on July 8, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

More Jurassic World observations made after seeing the film 6 times!

Read PART 1 or PART 2 first!

This Issue: Jurassic World May As Well Be Universal Studios Isla Nublar!

Having worked on the Universal Studios lot in Studio City and having been to the Theme Park itself once, the similarities to the design Universal Studios Hollywood and the final design of Jurassic World are striking.

When brothers Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) first arrive at Isla Nublar, we see a covered, staircase/escalator that runs up the side of a steep hill to a monorail. Though only Disney does monorails, the staircase itself is so similar to those running up and down Universal Studios Hollywood, which rests on a sharp hill itself, connecting the upper part of the park with the “New” Simpsons Ride (formally Back to the Future Ride… bummer) to Jurassic Park the Ride at the bottom. I swear, the staircases are so similar, they may have shot one at the real park and changed its surroundings in post-production to look more exotic.

Not interesting enough? What about…

JIMMY FALLON!

In a not-so-subtle cameo (because it’s not supposed to be one, dummy), Jimmy Fallon appears as the host of the Gyrosphere attraction. He makes jokes about the Gyrosphere itself, how safe it is including it’s ability to block Dilophosaurus venom (one of two references to the creature we last saw with… Newman!), yada, yada, yada.

Some people in the auditorium chuckle at Fallon’s cameo when I see Jurassic World, not from a place of amusement from from a place of “what a silly non-sense cameo to include that detracts from the movie.” Or at least that’s what I think that chuckle sometimes means.

Really, this is another idea taken straight from the actual Universal Studios Hollywood Park. Jimmy Fallon is the current video host of the Studio Tour ride, taking over after they revamped it with their 3D King Kong attraction (no one got eaten at that attraction).

Apparently InGen brought in Universal Studios to design its new Park.

All That Product Placement on Main St.

Hey, guess what? The Samsung Innovation Center is not paid product placement by Samsung.

Looking at all the different brands and restaurants represented on Jurassic World’s Main St, none of that is product placement! Rather, using brands as they do allows the filmmakers to further explore the themes of the film.

In my 1st Jurassic World Explored post, I already discussed the idea of the movie plot imitating life. Just like a real (Universal even) Theme Park, there are sponsors and there are restaurants who want some prime resort real estate. A fully realized Theme Park on Isla Nublar would be flush with both.

Seeing the whole Samsung logo (pictured above) may cause people to groan with product placement fatigue, but it’s all calculated to serve the story. Director Colin Trevorrow claims that there was NO paid Product Placement in the film. And I believe him (like a sucker?).

I mean, look at Main Street! It has a Margaritaville (Fun Cameo: Jimmy Buffet is the dude running with two Margaritas when the Pterodactyls attack)! The whole layout of the Park’s Main St reminds me of Universal City Walk (shopping center adjacent to Hollywood Theme Park entrance) combined with the aesthetic of the restaurant next to the Jurassic Park Ride (within the Theme Park).

Some of those gates from the angles they shot look like they could have been the ones right there at Universal City Walk. I’ve been behind some of those gates, walked the “Walk” often when I worked at the Studio itself (which was down that crazy staircase on the hill I was talking about!) and it looks awefully familiar.

Next Time on Jurassic World Explored:

They Are Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar!

Are All The Dinos Still Female!

Jurassic Park Winks and Shoves!

And The Queen of Isla Nublar!

READ PART 4 NOW! Oh…Yeah…

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 2: InGen, Please!

Posted on July 7, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

Quick observations and the like that come from having seen Jurassic World six times! Hope it delights/entertains!

Loads of SPOILERS!

CLICK HERE for PART 1

Only InGen Employees Get Killed… Mostly… Mostly…

Think about it… how many guests did you see get killed in Jurassic World?

The answer is as many guests as the Pterodactyls and Dimorphodons (a real Dino, NOT a hybrid!) hurt/killed before Owen (Chris Pratt) and his boys shot them out of Main Street’s sky.

One Site Says "Dimorphodon?" Director promises NOT a Hybrid! — One Site Says “Dimorphodon?” Director promises NOT a Hybrid!

Even with these creatures, unless I’m missing it in the background, no guests are killed on screen… the big kill of Claire’s assistant Zara (Katie McGraph) counting as an InGen employee (seeing as how she is an InGen employee’s assistant…). And besides little lift attacks, the only other people we actually see get the ax are Mr. Masrani and his copter’s crew.

Think about all the great scenes with Indominus, Velociraptors, and the Mosasaurus (the swimmy dinosaur who eats sharks) even… guests do not even share scenes with any these creatures, but it’s a smorgasbord on the park staff.

That's Park Security 'bout to get eaten right there! — That’s Park Security ’bout to get eaten right there!

Indominus eats the two men in the paddock, the 1st security team with “non-lethals,” lots of innocent dinosaurs, tries to eat the kids, tries to eat Owen and Claire, eats/kills a few Mercs with some raptors, and then kills two raptors in the final fight. That’s it.

Owen’s Velociraptors aren’t even released until guests are off the island (we hear about a boat arriving and there are no guests on Main Street by the time our heroes make it back), and even then they entirely feast on Hoskins ‘ new Mercs… and Hoskins himself of course!

Finally, T-Rex don’t get to eat any people!

If you see Jurassic World again, watch for what I speak of. Except for the Pterodactyls, Jurassic World Guests are never actually around the most dangerous dinosaurs.

InGen Is the New Weyland Industries/Oscorp

Even though Mr. Masrani is the kind, fun InGen CEO with the spirit of John Hammond, let us not forget the same actor, Irrgan Khan, played an incredibly sketchy/evil Oscorp Exec in The Amazing Spider-Man.

And in Jurassic World, InGen has never been sketchier.

Sure, Hammond’s nephew wanted control of his uncle’s company to capture the Dinos on Isla Sorna and put them in a new, San Diego Jurassic Zoo in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what Dr. Wu (BD Wong) and Hoskins are developing in secret.

InGen CEO Simon Masrani and Dr. Henry Wu

Though Indominus Rex is the only Hybrid in the Park, Dr. Wu has more in the works. And as with Owen’s “trained” Velociraptors, Hoskins has military applications on the mind. Really feels more like the latest cinematic version of Oscorp than the company that Hammond created…

Which leads us into…

The Sequel’s Direction

A movie that breaks records as fast as Jurassic World gets a sequel. Dem’s da’ rules.

Pratt has said they’d be having him back, but where do you go from here? Open a Theme Park where people get eaten once, shame on me. Twice… shame on you, but damned was it enjoyable! And you ain’t gonna fool us three times!

Without a reboot, I don’t see how anyone will ever open another Theme Park in the Jurassic Park universe ever again.

But whatever was going on in Wu’s secret room certainly sets up a sequel distinctly different than our previous two trips to Isla Sorna aka “Site B.” Though Hoskins dies, whatever his plan is for dinosaur hybrids certainty won’t, and Wu is told he will be “well taken care of.”

Whatever happens to Owen and Claire, some form of a plot tracking Dino-Hybrids may be in their future. Yikes!

“This Is Not A Mad Science!”

Of course, Dr. Wu isn’t doing anything new by creating the Indominus Rex, the Not-So-Mad Scientist explains to Mr. Masrani. “Nothing in Jurassic World is natural” admits Wu, all the “monsters” in the Park have had segments of their D.N.A. filled in with other animals (as we learned in the 1st film).

Wu goes on to state that many of the “attractions” in Jurassic World would look quite different if they were pure; Spielberg & Co. finally admitting and explaining why their Velociraptors are eight feet tall and feather-less, as opposed to a feathery-four-feet.

Well, that’s all for now but I still have many layers of Jurassic World I wish to pull back shortly. Join us again for JURASSIC WORLD Explored Part 3.

Read Part 3 Now!

JURASSIC WORLD Explored PART 1: Everything You Missed (Or Didn’t)

Posted on July 7, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Jurassic World, Lists, Movies

I may have seen Jurassic World six times (I did… why lie?). With such a great number of repeat viewings comes great responsibility, including insight into new details/themes/symbols/”Easter Eggs,” producing more material to analyze and explore than in my original review for the Jurassic Park‘s best and most profitable (movie in the world?) sequel.

Some theories/ideas may be bullshit; some connections I make may seem forced or just “overthought.” I am also likely going to forget some of my deeper thoughts about the film as it is much easier to analyze every scene and moment when actually watching the movie. I’ll do my best to use my memory and cover all my observations.

Obviously… SPOILERS Abound!

Jurassic World is Meta… Man…

Writer/Director Colin Trevorrow has said Jurassic World the film is a metaphor for Jurassic World the theme park.

Universal Execs wanted more Jurassic Park (it was too for them hard to let their highest grossing franchise go extinct); they wanted it bigger, badder, scarier. So Trevorrow gave them a movie about InGen Execs pushing for a dinosaur that is bigger, badder, with more teeth; a metaphor for the film’s very existence. Like the events of the film, such an action could have “gone awry” in the wrong hands, but Trevorrow nailed it, bringing Universal their biggest movie… ever. And no one got eaten (that we know of).

“We Need More Teeth”

Obviously, the above line was important enough to the finale of Jurassic World that you likely remember it. Gray’s (Ty Simpkins) statement gives Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) the idea to release more teeth against Indominus Rex in the form of Jurassic Park‘s original T-Rex (more on in a future issue).

Even some of the Viral Marketing Materials included the statement, "More Teeth" — Even some of the Viral Marketing Materials included the statement, “More Teeth”

Teeth are a recurring image throughout the film (not literally, though there are a lot of shots of simply Indominus Rex’s mouth) starting in the 1st act when Gray and his brother Zach (Nick Robinson) board the ferry for Isla Nublar and Gray cannot help but discuss the carnivores and their “teeth” count in a Dino-obsessive one-sided discussion that would make young Tim from Jurassic Park proud.

If you listen for it, there are many conversations about teeth, including Claire’s description of what the public wants in the park’s “New Attraction,” Verizon Wireless presents Indominus Rex, and Dr. Henry Wu’s (BD Wong) talk with Mr. Simon Masrani (Irrffan Khan) about his newest “Asset.”

“You Are Not In Control!”

Just like Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) said 22 years ago to then InGen CEO John Hammond, “You never had control! That’s the illusion!”

So it is in Jurassic World, but it appears John Hammond never shared that wisdom with Mr. Simon Masrani, just the fact that he “spared no expense.” Control is often discussed in the film, but very rarely in terms of controlling the dinosaurs, rather in reference to which human is in control (a big miscalculation).

My favorite piece of irony involving the different characters vying for control comes during the scene where Claire sends in an ACU unit with “non-lethals.” Owen Grady (Chris Pratt!!!) makes the observation about the practically unarmed men, “Those men are going to die,” ordering them to get them out of there before the Indominus Rex rips them to shreds. Claire shouts at Owen, “You are not in control here!” The irony is, neither is she.

“Control” is passed around ending with InGen’s Isla Nublar division being taken over by the War Hawk Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), from the control room to “the mission” involving putting the raptors that under Owen’s “control” to the test.

Of course, as Owen says himself earlier in the film, “It’s not about control with these animals, it’s about respect.” This makes him the only man to understand the fragility of the park’s ecosystem/security; a real Ian Malcolm want to be!

We’ve only scratched the surface of what is left to explore in Jurassic World. I’ve started a little obvious with the recurring imagery I’ve pointed out, so hopefully those looking for a more immersive experience will gleam more next post!

Or even for the common fan who just wants to know all the Easter Eggs from Jurassic Park… Welcome, to Jurassic World!

READ PART 2… NOW!!! Or later.

The 6 Best Scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’

Posted on January 20, 2015September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Comics, DC, Gotham, Lists, Movies, TV Shows, Villains

(And they’re not just action scenes!)

Batfleck Vs. Superman (also known by the silly title ‘Batman V. Superman: Justice Begins’) is still over a year away with a scheduled release date of March 25th, 2016. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back to admire the greatest comic book movie of all time; Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight.’

I wanted to do the top 5 scenes of the entire ‘Dark Knight Trilogy,’ but that was too limiting as there are too many fantastic scenes in my ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ to cover here. I couldn’t even narrow just ‘The Dark Knight’ down to 5 favorite scenes. I need 6 to do the job!

Without further ado, here are the top 6 scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’ in the order they happen in the film’s narrative.

1. The Heist

The Bank Heist is quite the little scene to open and therefore establish the tone of the 2nd movie in Nolan’s Batman Saga. Inspired heavily by the Michael Mann film ‘Heat,’ the scene twists a classic heist into the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) plot, all while setting you on complete edge using the heights of IMAX and the sharp cords of the Joker’s theme… all screaming “Chaos.”

The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.

2. Decent Men In An Indecent Time

The Joker’s heist may kick off the movie, but it is a decision made by three men that really set events in motion.

To defeat Gotham’s biggest recognized problem, the mob, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale) make a pact that will dictate the fate of all three involved, as well as collateral damage of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Gordon warns,

“We’re going after the mob’s life savings. Things will get ugly.”

Replies Dent,

“I knew the risk when I took this job, lieutenant.”

Dent accepts the risk willingly, as do Batman and James Gordon.

It is this pact that will determine the destiny of all three men; destroying them all by the end of the film.

3. Dent’s Dark Side

‘The Dark Knight,’ specifically the scene just covered, is largely based on my favorite graphic novel ‘The Long Halloween’ by Jeph Loeb and by Tim Sale.

Nicholas D'Agosto's Harvey Dent in 'Gotham' — Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent on ‘Gotham’ has quite the temper.

In the comic, Dent’s dark side is hinted at early in the story; long before the accident that scars him. Let’s just say he may may have done more than take a henchmen down an alley and flipped a coin to decide his life. But we’ll get to that now.

Dent spends half the movie as Gotham’s “White Knight,” the honest and law-fairing District Attorney bringing hope to Gotham. I would argue that Dent’s dark side is introduced too late in the movie; around the hour mark. Even here, the film form is not as severe as his comic version. Hell, ‘Gotham’ showed Dent’s short fuse in the first episode introducing the young assistant D.A.

Shift Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes' name; signaling her as Joker's next victim. — Shiff Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes’ name; signaling her as Joker’s next victim.

The 1st sign something is amiss with Gotham’s White Knight is when he interrogates Joker’s henchmen Shiff Thomas; the man wearing the name tag pegging “Rachel Dawes” as the Joker’s next victim.

Thomas gets the ‘ole coin flip multiple times, gun held to his head, until Batman stops Dent. The Dark Knight warns the D.A. that if anyone saw what Dent was doing, faith in the White Knight and Gotham would fail.

Even going off the cuff, Dent left the fate of Shift Thomas to his double-sided coin. He (likely) meant Shift Thomas no terminal harm.

Still, that Dent darkness has to appear somehow.

4. Batman Interrogates The Joker

Batman’s one rule comes back to bite him in the ass. By a rabid dog chasing cars.

It’s really hard not to love this scene. Though Batman has the Joker in his gauntlets, Joker has all the power.

“You have NOTHING! Nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with your strength.”

It really is powerful to watch Batman wail on Joker to no avail. His “one rule” that prevents him from killing leads to the deaths of others in the film. This same number was over 600 by the time the pair face off for the final time in Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns.’

In this case, his one rule kills Rachel and blows Dent halfway to hell. But it is this rule that separates Batman from the masked villains. Even though he may lose to the Joker this scheme, I think he may get him in the end…

5. An Unmovable Object and An Unstoppable Force

Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way. — Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.

‘The Dark Knight’ breaks the superhero’s genre one rule, established in classic films like 1989’s ‘Batman’ and carried on to nearly-modern day ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005): kill off your villain so the end is nice and tidy.

The Caped Crusader does toss the Clown Prince of Crime off the Pruitt building… only to catch him with his grappling hook, much to the Joker’s disappointment.

“Oh, you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

Boom! That’s comics in a nutshell.

Spider-Man doesn’t kill the Green Goblin in the comics (well he does, several, but some come back… and, you know, crazy Marvel stuff); they clash again and again and again. And there are very few foes that have been clashing longer in the comics than Batman and the Joker.

6. The White Knight Vs. The Dark Knight

The real finale. The one we were promised when Gordon, Dent, and Batman meet on that rooftop in the first act.

Things got dirty. And all three of these decent men in an indecent time were torn to shreds by the joker, but none more than tragic Harvey Dent.

“What happened to Rachel wasn’t chance. We decided to act! We three!”

Batman knows what’s up! Cause he’s the world’s greatest detective.

But Harvey Dent is the apparent loser in the room, having lost his fiance (and scared his face), with no knowledge that Bruce carried similar feelings for Rachel.

In the comics, Bruce Wayne blames himself for not revealing to Harvey Dent who he was. For not showing Dent who fought alongside him for the soul of Gotham. For remaining anonymous and letting Gordon and Dent take the brunt of mob vengeance.

In the movie, even in this immense time of crisis, Batman is able to vocalize the importance of Harvey Dent to Gotham; why he was chosen.

“Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.”

So rests the soul of Gotham in these three-warriors-torn-asunder’s final moments together. Harvey “Two-Face” Dent deciding each of their fates with a flip of the coin.

This scene completes the movie. Three young men with rose-color glasses are wrung through the shredder as a promise they made destroyed their partnership and their lives. Classic Nolan/Batman tragedy.

My 7 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Posted on January 14, 2015September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers, Jurassic World, Lists, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marvel, MCU, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Movies, SPECTRE, Star Wars, The Force Awakens, Trailers

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… 2015 is going to be fucking ridiculous… when it comes to the year’s movie slate.

He told you he'd be back. — He told you he’d be back.

There’s a lot to gush about; new movies in classic franchises like ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Mad Max: Fury Road, ‘ ‘007: SPECTRE’ and ‘Terminator Genisys.’ Following Marvel’s most successful year, when it came to quality of movies, we have a sequel to 2012’s ‘The Avengers’ as well as the origin story of a new Avenger in ‘Ant-Man.’ Even 20th Century Fox is shilling a non-X-Men Marvel property in the form of their ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot.

But what looks the best? What are the 7 movies I really can’t wait to see (couldn’t narrow it down to 5…)? Can I put them in order?

Yes I can, other Nick. Yes I can.

7. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

While several of the titles I used in my intro don’t make the list at all, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (formally ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’) gets the bottom spot.

Why?

We haven’t seen much footage at all, I work at the movie theater and have seen the trailer a dozen times in 3D and the final scene still makes me nauseous, and it’s so damn far away in comparison to most the titles on my list.

Plus… we’ve all played this ‘Star Wars’ anticipation game before and it backfired, horribly.

I’m actually a fan of the new lightsaber! And I know the trailer is supposed to showcase new characters in classic vehicles and uniforms (the stormtrooper armor), which were fun to see, but I want to see Han Solo, dammit!

6. ANT-MAN

Great trailer, but still a hard sell. The trailer jumps back and forth from a darker tone akin to that of ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ to the comedy stylings of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man (but still not ‘Guardians’ funny).

The trailer does look awesome; only those flying ant scenes seem questionable, even though it’s an image straight from the comics. I like the mostly serious tone of the trailer, anchored by a pretty great speech by Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

What’s the most unique thing about ‘Ant-Man’ when compared to the other Avengers in the MCU? He’s the only every-man in the group of billionaire science genius, another scientist who turned himself green, an every-man who leaves that life behind when he gets a super-soldier serum, and a God.

Scott Lang hangs his superhero suit in the shower.

Sure, Capt. did start an every-man, but even with the suit and powers of Ant-Man, Scott Lang seems grounded, even leaving his super-suit hanging in the shower.

Oh, and he has a daughter; a first for nearly any superhero franchise. The only exception I can think of is Sandman in ‘Spider-Man 3.’ A similar situation is going on here (and will hopefully go better) with criminal Lang stealing for his family and becoming the hero his daughter thinks he is. Ant-Man is not saving his world, he’s saving ours.

5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5

Tom Cruise's latest crazy stunt. — Tom Cruise’s latest crazy stunt.

We haven’t seen any footage yet, but Tom Cruise’s new stunt is ko-ko-bananas, even in comparison to his scaling the tallest building in the world in the last installment, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’

3 out of the 4 films in this franchise have been better than good; theeeeeey’re GREAT!

While the first is the best, ‘Ghost Protocol’ was a very strong entry that revitalized the franchise and introduced us to team members Benji (Simon Pegg) and Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Joining them this time is Luthor (Ving Rhames) who has been on Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) task force every film except ‘Ghost Protocol.’

Same Team, minus Paula Patton's Jane and plus a Luthor. — Same Team, minus Paula Patton’s Jane and plus a Luthor.

Only reservation is the director: Christopher McQuarrie. Though he wrote ‘Usual Suspects’ and last year’s ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ he also directed ‘Jack Reacher’ which was a terrible Tom Cruise thriller.

4. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Tom Hardy is Mad Max! The trailer is glorious! There’s more stunt-work than you can shake a stick at, something very rare in Hollywood. Boom!

Sure, there’s plenty of CGI as well, but most that exploding carnage is done the old fashioned way with stuntmen and actual pyrotechnics!

3. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

You would think this would be at the top of my list (I thought so! Especially after the first trailer…), but my excitement has waned and worry has found a foothold in my brain.

Let’s be honest here, ‘The Avengers’ is in my top 3 MCU movies (with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Winter Soldier’) mainly because it was literally a game-changer. It was the first cross-pollination of superheroes, part of a shared universe, coming together after each carried their own franchises. Everyone else is still trying to pull this off, including DC Entertainment. The plot wasn’t that great, action scenes were few and far between, but the movie will always be remembered for bringing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together.

‘Age of Ultron’ will need to step up its game to reach the quality of movies Marvel Studios put out in 2014. Likewise, it better be bigger and better, which it appears to be, but I hope that a great storyteller like Joss Whedon can avoid the movie from becoming a jumbled mess; cause there is A LOT going on between the two official trailers.

I also hope it’s good enough to avoid the fate of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ (which I personally love) where most people were disappointed by the film, mainly because it had to follow the incredibly beloved ‘Dark Knight.’

In James Spader I trust.

2. 007: SPECTRE

This may be blasphemy, but ‘Skyfall’ is my favorite Bond movie… ever. It was so fucking good, bringing in the best 007 baddie of all time (Javier Bardem), and shaking up the 007 universe a bit.

The writers and director, Sam Mendes, from ‘Skyfall’ return and the title promises the revival of the terrorist organization SPECTRE (formally ‘Quantum’ in the D. Craig movies), as classic to the franchise as Vesper Martinis, shaken, not stirred.

Andrew Scott from 'Sherlock' would make a great Blofeld... — Andrew Scott from ‘Sherlock’ would make a great Blofeld…

Better yet? The villain cast is unbelievable with Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) as a henchman, the incomparable Christoph Waltz (whose villainy can only be matched by Javier Bardem), and my personal favorite, Andrew Scott whose portrayal of Moriarty on BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ is perhaps the greatest TV villain of all time.

1. JURASSIC WORLD

It’s just too damn nostalgic. While I’ve watched the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ trailer a million times and have had enough, I can still watch the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer anywhere, anytime.

We’re back on Isla Nublar! The movie is sticking close to the original and ignoring the sequels! Chris Pratt gets to hunt a new hybrid-dinosaur! There are child siblings in peril! Velociraptors!

And those notes from John Williams’ classic score… magic. Lightning in a bottle, at least as far as we can tell from the trailer!

The Park is Open, Mother Fuckers!

Goddamn is that trailer spin-tingly-great.

Enjoy 2015! I’ll be see you… at the movies.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Best and Worst of 2014

Posted on January 9, 2015February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Features, Lists, Marvel, Movies, Villains

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Costume — Spider-Man’s truest look to the comics yet.

Major ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ SPOILERS Follow.

We can all agree that ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ was (nearly) a ‘Spider-Man 3’ disappointment, making money, sure (though the film did under-preform), but leaving Spider-Man fans with a bad taste in their mouth.

So what went wrong? And how is it possible that the film is considered a failure yet has 4 of the greatest scenes from any ‘Spider-Man’ or ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ film, if not the single best scene of all?

Best: The suit.

'Amazing Spider-Man' Costume — The most inaccurate Spidey suit from the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man’

Though Sam Raimi’s suit from his ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy was fairly accurate and incredibly consistent, the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ had a radically different look (in terms of Spidey, not heroes like Wolverine who ditched their colors and mask all together) with strange yellow eyes and a red and blue pattern just different enough to look out of place. Plus, he wore sneakers, his webshooters were unnecessarily bright, and his head looked like a basketball.

But ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ finally got the look 100% right with those big white eyes that even Sam Raimi avoided.

Worst: Oscorp

Why is the Oscorp of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ world so Umbrella Company-ish? It seems like their only job is having accidents that create super-villains or suits and serums… that lead to super-villains.

NY's Landmark Oscorp Tower — NY’s Landmark Oscorp Tower

Now, it wasn’t a terrible idea to tie in Oscorp in the first film as it defeats the old movie troupe, ‘Double Mumbo Jumbo’ that Blake Snyder shares in his excellent screenwriting book ‘Save the Cat!’ In his book, Snyder cites Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man as an exact example of ‘Double Mumbor Jumbo.’

The gist of it? Audiences will suspend-belief to buy an isolated incident where a man is bitten by a spider and gains superpowers. But it’s a stretch that to further suspend-belief that at the same time, in a completely different location, an acquaintance of Peter Parker gains super-villain powers and personality in a different experiment unrelated what-so-ever to Parker’s spider bite. That’s ‘Double Mumbo Jumbo.’

Max Dillon's Unfortunate, Non-Nonsensical accident. — Max Dillon’s Unfortunate, Non-Nonsensical accident.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ tied our newer Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) directly into the Lizard’s transformation, finishing Dr. Curt Conners equation causing the experiment gone wrong.

Max Dillon’s accident in ‘Amazing 2’ is also Oscorp related, but more of a comic-book freak accident that makes little sense, even in the Spider-Man world; much like Sandman stumbling upon an atom-splicing experiment in the middle of a field while running from police.

Why is Oscorp developing suits based on different animals?

Why is Oscorp so evil? And so intent on destroying New York, as it would seem? The franchise should keep Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn/Green Goblin and drop Oscorp and all their weird ‘Sinister Six’ related exoskeletons and experiments.

I mean, didn’t Doc Ock develop his own arms? Or is now he like Rhino, a stupid criminal given metal arms, not a genius who invented them himself?

Either way: epic fail.

Best: Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx)

Max Dillon is a great character… until after the NY Times Square scene where his motives make no sense and he becomes a tool for Harry Osborn, not a fully-fleshed out villain like ‘Spider-Man 2’s Doc Ock or even Curt Conners from the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man.’

Dillon’s obsession with Spider-Man, best executed in the scene in which he speaks to himself as Spider-Man on his birthday, is a thing of beauty in a very ‘King of Comedy’ Robert De Nero way. This obsession bleeds into his fantasized confrontation with Mr. Smythe (B.J. Novak) and his barely noticable (blink and you’ll miss it… or hear it, rather) radio-call montage in which he says he and Spider-Man are best friends.

Worst: Electro (blue Jamie Foxx)

Sure, Max Dillon is an interesting character, but his actions become nonsensical after his Spidey confrontation/misunderstanding in Times Square, as formally mentioned. Worse, he is simply a plot device meant to keep us interested until the film can build to it’s true villain, the Green Goblin.

Best: 4 Scenes that nail the tone of ‘Spider-Man;’ among the best in all 5 films.

1st, the aforementioned Max Dillon scene is among the best. I really enjoy his crazy, also expressed through Hans Zimmer’s score which included paranoid mutterings, making Dillon the more interesting character to undergo a terrible transformation.

2nd, Dillon’s awakening in the morgue recalls the terrors of Sam Raimi’s Doc Ock surgery scene, and was apparently cut to be less graphic and terrifying. Still works though.

3rd, Spider-Man’s chase with Alex O’Hirn (Paul Giamatti) who later gets a robot Rhino suit from Oscorp…. because… you know… they’re evil. It nails the light-hearted tone of a typical Spider-Man encounter with fantastic humor and action magic that can’t be duplicated in any other scene in the film.

4th… and you had to see this coming… MEGA SPOILERS… the Death of Gwen Stacy. Possibly the best scene in any Spider-Man movie (though I am also a real fan of the finale to the 2002’s ‘Spider-Man’ where the Green Goblin kicks Peter Parker’s ass).

Though the first ‘Spider-Man’ film used up the bridge-Goblin-drop, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ killed Gwen Stacy in the 2nd best way possible… and damn was it a powerful scene. The hand shape of the web just reaching her… only to allow her neck to snap and thud against the ground. Beautifully done scene that paid homage to perhaps the most major event in the Spider-Man comics.

My parents thought it was another ‘Superhero movie death’ i.e. very temporary; she’ll snap out of it. Unfortunately, the only thing snapping was her neck and my parents realized they had seen something new when the blood dripped from Gwen’s nose; a very finite and permanent death for a comic book movie (hopefully).

Really, I spent the Electro finale checking my watch, but when I heard that cackle and saw the glider fly in, I knew we were in for one of the most epic Superhero finales ever… it’s a shame most people just wanted the film to freakin’ end before we even got to Goblin.

Worst: 3 Scenes

Richard Parker, Peter's father. — Richard Parker, Peter’s father.

1st, Anything With Peter’s Parents.

THEY DON’T MATTER! Spider-Man was never about Pete’s relationship to his parents, which are also too closely tied to Oscorp.. Sure, Richard Parker fighting the Oscorp agent in a spinning Airplane was cool in a nearly ‘Inception’ way, but we shouldn’t even care about these characters. Spider-Man has always been about Peter’s relationship with Aunt May in the aftermath of Uncle Ben’s death. His angst is tied to letting Uncle Ben die, not feeling abandoned by his parents.

I know this franchise was trying something new, but it doesn’t work.

Richard Parker fights for his life against an agent of Oscorp.

2nd, Peter and Gwen angst. The appearance of Captain Stacy.

Captain Stacy Haunts Peter at Graduation.

I get it. Peter wants to be with Gwen. Peter doesn’t want to endanger Gwen. I hate this will-they/won’t-they nonsense. We’ve seen this before with Mary Jane.

And way to telegraph Gwen Stacy’s death. Peter worries all movie and is then attacked by her killer from the comics: the Green Goblin? What did any comic fan think was going to happen?

3rd, Max Dillon’s accident. And any scene with Electro post Times Square.

Jamie Foxx’s talents showcased in recent films ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Horrible Bosses 1 &2,’ and his talents were completely wasted as Electro. As previously stated, the Max Dillon scenes were great… but the rest of Jamie Foxx’s scenes were terrible.

And his accident was so comic-booky in a franchise that shoots for some realism.

Sure, Electro was only used as a place-holder while the film covers Harry Osborn’s decent into the Goblin, but he didn’t have to feel like that! In a way, I would argue the Joker is a placeholder in ‘The Dark Knight’ for the decent of Harvey Dent into madness (the final confrontation is the one with Dent, Gordon, and Batman, not the earlier Joker wrap-up), but he was obviously a fully fleshed out villain – one of the best – that allowed for the 2nd villain to develop.

Electro Experimented — This scene wasn’t terrible.

Electro could have been so much more, even while serving the transformation of Harry into Goblin.

I did enjoy the scene where he was experimented on, but that’s just another exception to the rule of terrible Electro scenes.

So, there you have it, without droning on and on and on. (I only droned on and on… twice… not thrice!)

Sure, there is more terribleness to discuss as well as a few more highlights. But I think it’s time to put ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ to rest… forever.

5 Things You’re Missing By Not Watching ‘Constantine’

Posted on December 9, 2014September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in DC, Featured, Lists, TV Shows

‘Constantine’ is my favorite network show of the fall 2014 TV season.

I’m not a big network TV fan. I’ve loved and lost: ‘Arrested Development.’ I’ve grown tired of aging shows: ‘The Simpsons.’ Many others just lived their TV shelf life: ’24,’ ’30 Rock,’ ‘Parks & Rec,’ and ‘Community.’

But this season, I’m up to my all-time high with ‘Blacklist,’ ‘Gotham,’ ‘Brooklyn 99,’ and, of course, ‘Constantine.’

The most miraculous feat of all (aside from the apparent “miracles” that can come up on the show)? The fact that I like any network TV show more than one about Batman (sorry, ‘Gotham.’)!

Here’s 5 things you are missing out on by skipping ‘Constantine.’

1. The Opening Credit Sequence Makes Your Skin Crawl

Is the opening credit sequence of a show really that important?

G.O.B.s favorite bar, "And Jeremy Piven" — G.O.B.s favorite bar, “And Jeremy Piven”

If you ask the late, not-so-great, ‘Entourage,’ then yes, the opening credit roll is a big deal. Often mocked among friends, the “Ya! Oh, yeah!” stroll down the Sunset strip, walking past the great L.A. bar “With Jeremy Piven” is horribly long.

And annoying.

‘Constantine’ has a perfect length, incredibly unique opening credit sequence.

There’s not even actor or creator credits given, just the image of souls burning in hell.

Watch it now! Then we move on!

2. Matt Ryan is incredibly likable as John Constantine.

Matt Ryan as Jon Constantine — Matt Ryan as John Constantine

Here’s your first clue that there’s a big difference between NBC’s ‘Constantine’ and the 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves; Matt Ryan’s John Constantine is charming and funny in a way Keanu will never understand.

Ryan brings humor and sarcasm in large doses, playing the self proclaimed “Master of the Dark Arts.” (Constantine gets shit almost every episode for having that last title on his business card.)

And yet, John is also a man haunted.

Astra, accidentally damned to Hell by a young John Constantine.

Haunted by what happened to Astra, the daughter of a friend whom Constantine accidentally damned to hell during a failed exorcism. That’s some dark shit to deal with.

Similar to the sins of his past, Constantine makes some very ambiguous moral choices that could lump him in shared company with ‘Breaking Bad’s Walter White. In one episode he literally has to trap a demon in the body of a friend; inviting the demon in and then trapping him in the body by carving demon locking symbols into his friend’s face with a special blessed blade.

A Demon Mocks Constantine By Taking His Form In The 'Pilot.' — A Demon mocks Constantine by taking his form in the ‘Pilot.’

Constantine has his demons, both literally and figuratively. Yet, the show never gets silly when he recites incantations and draws demonic symbols. The show carries just the right tone for it all to work.

Spells and Incantations from the "Master of the Dark Arts." — Spells and Incantations from the “Master of the Dark Arts.”

And Constantine has quite a bit of evil to combat as there is a “rising darkness” that is pushing more monsters to the surface and resulting in stronger than average demons.

With all the good, the bad, and his torment/mission, as a man, I still want to be John Constantine. Rock that white shirt and that loose-ass tie… TV’s John Constantine is one cool anti-hero.

3. It’s a horror show at heart.

I have a knack for missing when something is in the horror genre, unless it’s a shitty torture-porn film like ‘Saw’ or ‘The Hills Have Eyes.’ I didn’t realize the new ‘Fright Night’ (2011) was horror until my friends pointed it out; I thought it was a dark comedy.

I had the same inclination with ‘Constantine,’ enjoying the darkness and comedy of the show, completely missing that it is, indeed, a horror show. Not only that, it’s a damn good one, with gruesome bloody scenes and scary demons that rival cable’s ‘The Walking Dead.’

We’re talking possessed children, fallen Angels, and a vinyl holding the voice of “the fallen” (the devil, of course).

One of 'Constantine's many literal demons. — One of ‘Constantine’s many literal demons.

2. It has its own, unique format unlike anything on network TV.

I like to call ‘Constantine’ my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’

Let’s face it, most the good shows on television live on cable networks willing to take risks like AMC, FX, and HBO. Most of what we see on Network TV (by which I mean CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and The CW) is very formulaic, with nearly all dramas following the criminal or medical procedural format. Even a show like ‘Gotham’ (which I also adore) boils down to a police procedural that happens to have quirky DC characters. ‘The Blacklist’ is brilliant, but it also doesn’t escape the classic format of a Network TV Drama.

‘Constantine’ marches by the beat of its own drum. It does have a formula; establish demon/evil entity, Constantine tracks it with the aide of Zed (Angelica Celaya) and/or Chas Chandler (Charles Halford), if it’s a demon he may chase it from body to body, finally vanquishing it in the final act, depending what “it” is.

That is where the show flaunts its format: the “Rising Darkness.” The evil in the show takes many forms, from the aforementioned demons, to possessed inanimate objects, and even Angels that work for “the fallen.”

No two episodes are alike and non mirror what you would see on a Network Procedural.

1. It has great side characters and is rich with DC universe lore.

Constantine Cast — Manny the Angel, John Constantine, Zed Martin, and Chas Chandler

John Constantine’s tortured soul is only the tip of NBC’s iceberg.

My favorite character – aside from Constantine who I obviously have a man-crush on – is Manny the Angel (Harold Perrineau). Manny appears to Constantine, not to help, as he can never give information or physically help in any way that will alter the lives of mortals like John.

Manny mocks Constantine by appearing to him as a bartender.

While Manny appears to visit Constantine for moral support, really he spends most of his time gloating and mocking Constantine. The back and forth between these characters is my favorite part of the show. Whenever Manny shows up, I crack a smile.

Zed and Chas are also great characters, both with their separate supernatural gifts and their relationships with the “master of the dark arts.”

These characters are from the comics (not Manny, he was added to turn the comic’s inner-monologues into dialog between two characters) as are many of the demons and items we see throughout the show. I wish I read the New 52’s ‘Constantine’ (formally ‘Hellblazer’) as there are A LOT of DC ‘Easter Eggs’ to uncover.

All-in-all, it boils down to my earlier statement. To quote myself:

‘Constantine’ is my favorite cable show on Network TV since ‘Arrested Development.’

Boom. I just self-quoted.

There you have it, 5 reasons to check out ‘Constantine’ on Hulu and NBC. If you’re game for unique TV containing fascinating characters and scary demons – with a DC Comics flair – then join me and John on our mission against the “Rising Darkness.”

Just one more great image of the demon that mocks John in the ‘Pilot.’And I’m out!

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART III

Posted on October 20, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

When we hear about a movie we are excited for, we all have certain expectations for what we want to see and what don’t.

Tell me you didn’t have things you hoped for in ‘Star Wars: Episode I’ that were crushed. And maybe now, especially after the prequel debacle, you may have strong feelings for what you want to see in ‘Episode VII’ and what you hope never see again.

In this spirit, welcome to the 3rd and final installment of ‘Captain America 3 – The Dos and Don’ts!’

Read PART I – CLICK HERE

Read PART II – CLICK HERE

If you have made it this far, you are a true believer and I thank you. What started as one post spiraled into three. I am passionate about these topics; ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Capt. is my favorite Avenger, and I can’t wait to see Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man “share” the screen with Steve Rogers in a non-Avengers film.

So, let’s do this!

What About ‘Winter Soldier’s’ Loose Ends?

Like the common sequel, future Marvel films build off what came before. Plotlines from solo-franchises like ‘Captain America,’ ‘Thor,’ and ‘Iron Man’ continue in their own sequels, sometimes including bigger, MCU changing events like the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the reveal of all the Infinity Gems.

‘Winter Soldier’ left plenty of loose ends within the ‘Captain America’ franchise. Some may just be “Easter eggs,” but we will see which ‘Winter Soldier’ story elements payoff in ‘Captain America 3.’

Winter Soldier at the Smithsonian learning about his past as Bucky Barnes.

First, both the last line of the ‘Winter Soldier’ from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson at Fury’s grave and the final post-credit scene set up Steve Rogers’ quest to save Bucky from his brainwashed, Hydra obeying, Winter Soldier self.

Many of these other loose ends will most likely be there to add more depth to the MCU and delight comic book readers, but this plotline seems too important and was obviously very much set-up to continue in ‘Capt. 3′

Perhaps movie kicks off with Falcon and Captain tracking down the Winter Soldier, confronting him, and finally saving Bucky. After all, Bucky eventually came to his senses in the comics. He even became Captain America after Steve Rogers’ death! (More on that later…)

Maybe their conflict and the ensuing destruction is what makes Iron Man support the superhuman registration act in our ‘Civil War’ storyline? (Read about Marvel’s ‘Civil War’ by CLICKING HERE)

Steve Rogers' former right hand man and Hydra Agent, Brock Rumlow, in 'Winter Soldier' pre-Crossbones — Steve Rogers’ former right hand man and Hydra Agent, Brock Rumlow, in ‘Winter Soldier’ pre-Crossbones

Next up, remember Rogers’ right hand man on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “Strike Team” at the beginning of the film on the Lemurian Star? When he wasn’t “helping” Captain America on missions, he was hunting Rogers down for Hydra. Said man is Agent Brock Rumlow… who in the comics often fights ‘Captain America’ under the identity of Crossbones.

Seeing as how we witnessed Rumlow’s charred body survived the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Triskelion HQ at the end of ‘Winter Soldier,’ the complete set-up for Crossbones is there; it’s just a question of whether or not it will pay off or simply be an ‘Easter egg.’

I’m wager there is no room for Crossbones in the already crowded ‘Civil War’ storyline. Especially if Winter Soldier / Bucky Barnes returns as I predict he will.

Brock Rumlow after S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ collapsed around him.

I believe the ground work is also there for the return of Zola, if need be.

The drive Black Widow plugged the USB drive into containing “Project Insight” had more than one USB port. And based on the dust patterns, someone used more than just one USB port. If it takes a warehouse full of old-school computers to contain Zola’s mind, then wouldn’t he fit on a modern day thumb-drive of sorts?

Zola can come back, but just like Crossbones I’m not sure he fits into ‘Civil War’

Red Skull. Red Skull, Red Skull, Red Skull. Will we ever see you again?

Red Skull’s appearance would make the third ‘Captain America’ film less grounded than the new standard tone set by ‘Winter Soldier,’ but no more wacky than ‘Captain America: First Avenger.’

The special effect that swallowed Red Skull when he gripped the Tesseract too tightly in ‘First Avenger’ is identical to the special effect when Thor and friends get launched across space by the Bifrost. That means Red Skull could come back, just like the two aforementioned characters, though his appearance is the least likely.

Red Skull accidentally opens a door to the galaxy and is quickly swallowed by it.

If all three characters and their loose ends were crammed into ‘Captain America 3,’ it would be a disaster. That being said, I would love to see all three eventually return, especially Red Skull.

If they return, Crossbones could be the 1st act combat scene instead of facing Winter Soldier; seeing Rumlow in ‘Capt. 3’ is the most likely of the Hydra group including Zola and Red Skull. Zola may play a role in the superhuman registration act, but that would be repetitive of “Project Insight” in ‘Winter Soldier.’ And there is NO chance we’ll see Red Skull in ‘Captain America 3’ if the film’s focus is ‘Civil War.’

No time for Red Skull, Dr. Jones!

Maybe next time. If there is a next time.

Which takes me to my final point…

Will Steve Rogers Die?

'Captain America 3' may be titled 'Fallen Son,' which involves the Death of Captain America. — ‘Captain America 3’ may be titled ‘Fallen Son,’ which involves the Death of Captain America.

Like Superman, Captain America’s death was one of the biggest superhero deaths in the history of comics.

It’s nearly impossible to imagine a ‘Captain America’ franchise not including ‘The Winter Soldier’ storyline and ‘The Death of Captain America.’

Seeing as how the two rumored titles are the straightforward ‘Captain America: Civil War’ or ‘Fallen Son,’ the death of Captain America is likely in ‘Capt. 3.’

Perhaps he will die fighting Iron Man. Or more likely maybe he will be assassinated for his views.. or his past (Crossbones could be a likely candidate for Steve Rogers’ killer).

No matter the case, I would say there is a 99.99% chance Steve Rogers doesn’t make it past ‘Avengers 3,’ if he is alive to see even that.

Sam Wilson as Captain America in Mavel Now! Comics

Further support of this theory comes from the rumor that Sebastion Shaw is signed on for nine MCU films (which seems like an exaggeration) while Chris Evans wants out. Like RDJ, he doesn’t want to play his signature Marvel character forever and has expressed interest in leaving the Avengers sooner rather than later. Meaning he might not even make it to ‘Avengers 3…’ because he may die in ‘Capt. 3!’ Boom! Full circle.

And then the comic storyline can continue on the big screen, with Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier taking up Captain America’s cowl… Sam Wilson / Falcon taking over for Steve Rogers is less likely, though that is exactly what is happening currently in the ‘Marvel Now!’ run of comics.

There you have it. That’s the end! No more parts to read! Sorry I wrote a novel and I thank you reading it, because you are one of the few who made it this far. You deserve a reward! Super Geek-cred, yo!

To quickly sum it all up…

DO keep that ‘Winter Soldier’ tone/vibe.

DON’T make ‘Capt. 3’ the Tony Stark story. Keep it focused on Steve Rogers and his point-of-view.

DO keep ‘Civil War’ contained to ‘Captain America 3.’

DON’T load the movie with too many superhumans.

DO tie up as many loose ends as possible without making the movie feel crammed together.

DON’T kill Steve Rogers, even though they will, because he is my favorite Captain America.

‘Nuff Said.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART II

Posted on October 17, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

Picking up where we left off in ‘Part 1,’ the following is what I hope to see, and not see, in ‘Captain America 3’ involving the ‘Civil War’ storyline.

Keep ‘Civil War’ Contained To ‘Capt. 3’

‘Civil War’ in the comics lasted for months and months, crossing the books of all the big Marvel heroes. Simply put, way too much story for one film (unless you keep it small…).

That being said as expressed in my other post about ‘Captain America 3,’ the Marvel films work best when they feel self-contained, not just another chapter leading to a bigger plotline.

‘Winter Soldier’ heavily involved S.H.I.E.L.D. in the overall plot, while also involving the more personal battle between Steve Rogers and his brainwashed former partner. The film still managed to move the MCU forward with the larger plotline involving Hydra (which is always tied tightly to Captain America), “Project Insight,” and the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.

While riding this universe altering event, the film never felt like a partial movie or just a chapter meant to get us to ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ also carried the universe forward with “the Orb” and mention of other Infinity Gems, as well as the inclusion of the MCU’s biggest baddie to date: Thanos, the Mad Titan. Yet it works completely on its own; proven by its huge domestic gross, bolstered by most movie-goers who don’t know a thing about Infinity Gems, Thanos, or any other way ‘Guardians’ ties into the rest of the MCU. ‘Guardians’ is a completely independent movie with those MCU strands that tie it into the rest of Marvel Studios’ world.

The Orb is one of the strands connecting 'Guardians' to the other MCU films. But it is used as a MacGuffin and knowledge of how it ties in is not necessary for enjoyment of the film. — The Orb is one of the strands connecting ‘Guardians’ to the other MCU films. But it is used as a MacGuffin in the film. Knowledge of how it ties into the bigger MCU is not necessary for enjoyment of the film.

Certainly, don’t stretch the ‘Civil War’ plot across Phase 3, a mistake and almost impossibility I discuss in ‘Robert Downey Jr. Will Be In CAPTAIN AMERICA 3! What It Means for the Flick and the MCU‘

Better ‘Captain America: Fallen Son’ and then a stand-alone ‘Civil War’ than a storyline that consumes the MCU across multiple films and franchises.

Don’t Load The Film With Too Many Heroes

The comics version of ‘Civil War’ involves nearly the entire Marvel Universe, from the Avengers owned by Marvel Studios, to Fox’s X-Men and Fantastic Four, and most importantly, Sony’s Spider-Man (who plays a huuuuge role in the ‘Civil War’ comic event).

This isn’t an Avengers film; Marvel Studios could have made an ‘Avengers’ movie about ‘Civil War’ but they went for a ‘Captain America’ film featuring Iron Man.

Daredevil as he will appear on Netflix in this first look at his (1st?) costume

With the current characters from the MCU not being loaded with that many Earth-bound superhumans – Captain America, Falcon, Winter Solider, Iron Man, War Machine, Thor, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, The Vision (these last three being introduced in 2015’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’), Ant-Man (also introduced in summer 2015), and Daredevil (whose Netflix show should precede ‘Captain America 3’) – the team would have to be much smaller in the film than the comic which features years and years worth of Marvel characters.

(I intentionally left Black Widow and Hawkeye off the superhuman list as they have no powers, nor suits that give them superhuman abilities like Iron Man, War Machine, and Falcon.)

So, who all is in the movie?

I’d wager Marvel keeps in small, especially since other characters have their own business right now.

I don’t expect we’ll see Thor as he has to deal with a Loki run Asgard in ‘Thor 3.’ The Guardians are across the Galaxy have no reason to get involved in what is really an Earth security issue that doesn’t deal with extraterrestrials the Guardians are involved with… like Thanos.

My best bet is two small camps, especially if they want to keep the movie contained.

On one side, you have Steve Rogers / Captain America and Sam Wilson / Falcon. That’s a given.

On the opposite side you have Tony Stark / Iron Man and surely James Rhodes / War Machine.

That’s a sweet finale right there. Falcon is the perfect character to take on one of Tony Stark’s suits and Captain can hold his own in a ground based fight.

Those four characters are really all you need. Captain America who doesn’t trust the government and his new partner Sam Wilson who follows Capt.’s lead and also must be mistrusting after the S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra debacle with NSA undertones.

And Rhodes is in the US military who fund his whole War Machine / Iron Patriot plight, even if Stark provided the initial suit that Hammer Industries and then A.I.M. updated.

Maybe you’ll see another character or two. But not only is ‘Civil War’ already a Captain America film (again, I hope he is not pushed out of the picture by either too much Tony Stark or too many superhumans), it’s also paying RDJ’s tab. How many other established heroes can Marvel afford for a non-Avenger film? As big as ‘Winter Soldier’ was, the ‘Captain America’ franchise doesn’t gross nearly as much as an Avengers flick.So you can’t pay nearly as many Avengers.

Maybe we’ll see Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, The Vision, Black Widow, or Hawkeye. But looking at that list, most those heroes would oppose the measure. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver probably don’t want anything to do with the government, Black Widow made her stance clear in her senate meeting scene in ‘Winter Soldier,’ and I’d wager Hawkeye isn’t that keen either after working for an agency that turned out to be Hydra. Plus, if he and Black Widow are as close as they seem, then they would take the same side, would they not?

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver concept art from 'Avengers: Age of Ultron.' What role will they play in a post-Ultron world? 'Capt. 3,' perhaps? — Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver concept art from ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ What role will they play in a post-Ultron world? ‘

The Vision would likely take Stark’s lead, and if they are able to fit Bruce Banner / The Hulk in there he may be in favor of registration due to his want to control “the other guy.” Or, he might not like the government knowing his whereabouts or what-have-you.

Finally, I don’t think Ant-Man will make it, as I assume they will wait for an Avengers film to tie in new Phase 3 characters like Ant-Man and Dr. Strange. Same goes for Daredevil, I don’t think we’ll see him on the big screen until Marvel produces their four Netflix shows leading up to ‘The Defenders.’

So, I’m calling it as small teams. Possibly as small as Captain America, Falcon, and Winter Soldier (will Steve Rogers convert him in the 1st act?) vs. Iron Man, War Machine, and Vision.

I don’t see ‘Civil War’ blowing up too big, both to not flood ‘Capt. 3’ with too many characters and because Marvel’s movie roster is much smaller than their decades of comic characters.

Stay tuned for Part III of this article where we discuss the loose ends of ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ and whether or not Steve Rogers will even survive ‘Captain America 3’CLICK HERE FOR PART III

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts – PART I

Posted on October 17, 2014February 17, 2017 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Civil War, Features, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Movies

As examined previously, Robert Downey Jr. is going to have a rather large role in ‘Captain America 3;’ the first time a major Marvel Cinematic Universe character has crossed over into another hero’s film in more than a cameo (sorry Black Widow & Nick Fury, but I’m talking the big guys with solo movies – Capt., Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy).

This means ‘Capt. 3’ will follow Marvel’s ‘Civil War’ storyline, also discussed previously.

Brief ‘Civil War’ review: people die as the result of reckless superheroes, the security council wants all superhumans to register their powers and identity with the government, Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) supports the government, Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) opposes the measure.

Inner Avengers conflict ensues with the two heroes duking it out with their superhuman allies on both sides, splitting the characters of the MCU. Again, conflict ensues.

Which brings me to the issue at hand: The Do’s and Don’ts of ‘Captain America 3.’ What I want to see and what I hope Marvel Studios avoids.

Keep That ‘Winter Soldier’ Vibe

‘Winter Soldier’ is my favorite Marvel film; Marvel Studios or otherwise (the Marvel projects at Sony and Fox).

Armin Zola in talkinf computer form in 'Winter Soldier.' — Armin Zola in talking computer form in ‘Winter Soldier.’

Writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely worked incredibly close with directors Anthony and Joe Russo. What resulted was an incredibly taut thriller reminiscent of 70’s political thrillers with a couple of superhumans and talking computers thrown in.

But ‘Winter Soldier’ isn’t sci-fi crazy; it is the most grounded film in the MCU, without being so realistic that you lose colorful costumes, living computers from WWII, and an assassin with a metal arm.

More importantly, it balances the prevalent serious aspects with the occasional lightness/comedy that defines the tone of Mavel Studios’ films, separating them from DC’s “no joke policy;” creating films that are too dark and gritty, no matter the hero.

(‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy is perfectly fantastic the darker it gets, because that’s Batman. On the other hand, ‘Man of Steel’ seemed way too dark for the lighter Superman character. A lot of other DC characters will seem out-of-place in a DC cinematic universe that carries the same tone as ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Man of Steel.’)

There may be men with metal arms, but the combat is still grounded in stunt work... mostly... mostly. — There may be men with metal arms, but the combat is still grounded in stunt work… mostly… mostly.

I consider the film ‘The Dark Knight’ of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ‘Winter Soldier’ may not be as good as Nolan’s trilogy, but it is the gold standard for Marvel Studios films as well as the darkest. Darkness is okay for some heroes, whereas others deserve a lighter tone (learn that, DC).

In Avengers: Phase 2, Marvel Studios finally got adept at separating all their solo films into different genres, making the Avengers we love more unique in both their stories and how they exemplify said genre/story.

‘Iron Man’ was a really well-done, but not highly original, superhero origin story. ‘Iron Man 2’ continued the almost generic superhero formula, but by Phase 2 ‘Iron Man 3’ had evolved into a film about Tony Stark, spending more time as “the mechanic” (as he tells the kid who saves his ass in that quiet mountain town) , using his own inventor/MacGyver skills, than in the suit. It’s an old-school action movie with superhero elements.

‘Incredible Hulk’ very much followed the superhero formula with the monster twist. ‘Thor’ & ‘Thor: The Dark World’ subverted the genre with elements of fantasy and magic (they are Norse Gods steeped in Norse mythology…). ‘The Avengers’ was pure superhero movie with the awesome gimmick of the first major team up.

Meanwhile, Captain America went from a superhero origin story / war movie with supernatural elements (the Tesseract) in ‘First Avenger,’ to full on political thriller with some real grit and relevant issues (NSA type issues) in ‘The Winter Soldier.’

Captain America makes the best movies and is my favorite character due to how he does combat compared to the other Avengers.

Iron suits, Hulks, and Gods result in a lot of action sequences with CGI versions of the characters zipping along. Capt. has less powers so his battles are on the ground involving hand-to-hand combat (with a Shield throw here or there), with lots of stunt work instead of CGI.

I love stunt work. That’s why 80’s movies are the best; it was the golden age of ‘Indiana Jones,’ ‘Lethal Weapon,’ and ‘Road Warrior;’ extreme action movies done with practical effects before the advent of CGI.

They just don’t make them like that anymore… except for in movies like ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’

The directing Russo brothers (who are rumored to also direct ‘Avengers 3’ and possibly ‘Avengers 4’ due to Marvel’s extreme satisfaction with the final version ‘Winter Soldier’) say they want to keep Steve Rogers grounded in the more realistic part of the MCU, with more down-to-Earth thriller action and realistic, stunt driven fight scenes. No Capt. fighting giant green monsters, Gods, or men in metal suits… unless said man in question is Tony Stark.

Adding Iron Man into the mix doesn’t change the tone / genre or make things too ridiculous (like I said, Zola isn’t exactly realistic, but he is Sci-fi working in the more realistic realm of the MCU than the expanded universe that features a talking raccoon and tree person), as besides ‘Winter Soldier,’ ‘Iron Man 1 & 2’ are the two most grounded films in the MCU (Iron Man 3 gets wacky – in a good way – with Extremis).

We (hopefully) should be good on Vibe/Tone of ‘Captain America 3,’ but what about that lil’ comment I made about Steve Rogers having to fight Tony Stark?

Steve Rogers Needs To Be The Star, Not Tony Stark

The movie is ‘Captain America 3’ (at this point). Maybe ‘Captain America: The Fallen Son’ or ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ but it’s not currently called ‘Captain America & Iron Man’ or simply ‘Civil War.’

If the 2016 film indeed remains ‘Captain America 3’ than Steve Rogers is our star and we must experience the film from his perspective. And Capt. definitely needs more screen time than RDJ’s Tony Stark. Even if RDJ is Marvel’s poster child.

Too much Iron Man would steal the movie from the title character, while a Black Widow in ‘Winter Soldier’ sized role might be the sweet spot. ‘Winter Soldier’ never felt like it was anyone’s movie but Captain America’s, even with the inclusion of Black Widow, Nick Fury (with his own badass action sequence and subplot that both kick off the events of the film), and Sam Wilson aka Falcon.

If we see the world from Capt.’s point-of-view, does that mean we are meant to be on his side of the ‘Civil War?’ Does that make Iron Man the villain? It seems like a hard task to either make fan-favorite and Marvel’s highest grosser a ‘villain’ to this plotline or to show us both sides of the argument equally without loading the film with too much RDJ.

I have several more ‘Captain America 3’ issues to tackle, but this post is getting long, so I’ll save my other points for ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 With Robert Downey Jr. – The Do’s and Don’ts PART II.’

So, since there isn’t ‘Nuff Said, I’ll just leave you with this…

Excelsior!

CLICK HERE for PART II

8 Impressions I Wish I Could Do (A List!)

Posted on February 20, 2014September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in Batman, DC, Lists, Pete Holmes, TV Shows

Impressions are fun. But the only one I can do is Christian Bales’ Batman.

It requires yelling, but I nailed “WHERE IS HARVEY DENT?!?” and other great quotes like “Swear to Me!,” “I’m not wearing hockey pads!,”RACHEL!” and “I’m not the hero this city deserves, but I’m the hero Gotham needs.”

I learned the voice and the face (gotta have big lips protruding) from Pete Holmes’ Badman skits where he nails the Batman impression.

I realize the last one is a Commissioner Gordon played by the incredible actor, Gary Oldman. But it works with the rough Batman voice.

And then, everyone can do Borat and Daniel Plainview.

I’m also not terrible at Tom Hardy’s Bane impression. “I wondered what would break first… your soul… or your body!”

Anyway… I’m not writing to tell you what impression I can do, rather the 5 impressions I wish I could do.

A word of warning, it would be great to do a Christopher Walken impression, but that impression is so overused by comedians, so I have left it off the list.

It’s also a countdown. From my 8th favorite impression to my most favorite.

9. Arnold Schwarenegger

8. Heath Ledger’s Joker

Pete Holmes does Batman AND the Joker! He’s a great impressionist! Though he never uses it in his stand up.

Pete Holmes does the joker (at the end) AND the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Jay Mohr. Mohr has a few great impressions himself (including someone who will show up later on the list). Continue reading “8 Impressions I Wish I Could Do (A List!)” →

Pete Holme’s Favorite Sketches of 2013

Posted on January 1, 2014September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in Lists, Pete Holmes, TV Shows

We all have our favorite, Petey Pants.

Here are Pete Holmes’.

2014 Movies to Geek Over

Posted on January 1, 2014September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in Captain America, Lists, Marvel, MCU, Trailers

Now that 2013 is behind us, with Khan, Iron Man, and the Long Ranger down for the count, it is time to look forward to the movies to come in 2014!

First, an incredibly spooky trailer for the licensed version of PACIFIC RIM… GODZILLA! (From the very same Legendary Pictures as PACIFIC RIM… and HANGOVER… and DARK KNIGHT).

Is this the Godzilla I deserved but did not get in 1998? It sure looks creepy and realistic as hell. How do we defeat a Kaiju without Jagers? Continue reading →

The 6 Best Sketches From THE PETE HOLMES SHOW

Posted on November 30, 2013September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Comics, Lists, Marvel, Pete Holmes

As of Saturday, November 30th 2013, the following are the cream of the crop sketches from the first few weeks of THE PETE,, HOLMES SHOW.

Those sketches I’ve already written about, because they were released first online, are not qualified for the following list. Because we’ve already covered those a month ago.

I will provide those links here, so that you can refresh yourself on the amazing sketches released before Pete Holmes’ show began…

WATCH GOOD WILL HUNTING WITH BATFLECK – Following the news that Ben Affleck is our new Batman, Pete Holmes quickly put his undeniable Batman impression to use.

WATCH PETE HOLMES FIRES WOLVERINE – What good is a hero with metal bones to a team whose nemesis can control metal?

WATCH BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN – What use is Batman to a god-like being: Superman? Is it an image thing?

WATCH PETE HOLMES FIRE GAMBIT – Ex-Men: Gambit

Now, without further ado, the five best sketches of THE PETE HOLMES SHOW RUN (through November 30th, 2013)!

6) BARTENDER PETE: PICK YOUR POISON

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The 5 Best Games of 2013: Falling Back Into Gaming, 2nd Act

Posted on November 24, 2013September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in Batman, DC, Lists, Marvel, Video Games

GAMING IN 2013

Previously on FALLING BACK INTO GAMING… Click Here!

After my assorted gaming past, my glorious return the gaming came in 2013!

WIND WAKER is a great classic game, either on Gamecube or in HD on the WiiU

I bought a WiiU in February, but even the newest Nintendo system couldn’t stir the gamer in me. It never helps that Nintendo rarely releases an exclusive A-List at system launch.

NINTENDO LAND, which came with the system, was good for a laugh due to new ways to play mini-games with the “WiiU Gamepad Controller” (official name according to Nintendo). It was a lot like RAYMAN: RAVING RABBITS; it’s fun to play with a new innovative controller, but mini-games get old fast.

LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER HD did just come out a month or two ago, and is a fantastic game! It just isn’t… new. I mentioned it in my last post… it is a part of my gaming history.

Preface for the following list: I can only judge the games I’ve played, and, returning to gaming, the five below are about half of all the games I have experienced this year. There were others, like THE LAST OF US, which were critically acclaimed, but did not hold my attention the way these five games did.

Tying it all back to Nintendo, I assume SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD would be worthy of the list, as would THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK BETWEEN WORLDS for 3DS. I just won’t get those until Christmas at the earliest because I’m poor as fuck!

If I waited, then how will you know which games are the best gift for the gamer in your life?

The Five Best Games of 2013!

Or, at least, the 5 that brought me back into the world of gaming. In order of release, not overall quality. Continue reading “The 5 Best Games of 2013: Falling Back Into Gaming, 2nd Act” →

‘Waiting for GTA V’ or ‘Types of Line Geeks’

Posted on September 19, 2013September 25, 2015 by Nick Doll in 007, Batman, DC, Indiana Jones, Lists, Marvel, Movies, Star Trek, Star Wars, Video Games

Several days ago, on Monday September 16th, I waited in line twice to pick up my pre-ordered copy of GRAND THEFT AUTO V from Gamestop. First, I had to stand in line to get my group number at 6pm. Then, I had to wait in line from 11:00pm to the 12:01am Tuesday release date of the game.

I’m not complaining, bitching, or moaning; I could have (and should have) just picked up the game Tuesday morning and avoided the crowds. After all, I did preorder the game months ago; there would be a copy there waiting for me in the morning.

Though I wish to avoid all lines these days; I’ve waited in my fair share that require arrival hours in advance, whether I am waiting for a hot game system or the latest blockbuster. Each and every time I have found myself in such a line, I come across the same five geek archetypes. Without fail. Continue reading “‘Waiting for GTA V’ or ‘Types of Line Geeks’” →

Picks of the Week 3/20/13

Posted on March 22, 2013September 25, 2015 by mediamonster3d in Avengers, Captain America, Comics, Lists, Marvel

First my reading list for this week:

Supergirl #18

Action Comics #18

Indestructible Hulk #5

The Avengers #8

New Avengers #4

Deadpool #6

Nova #2

Judge Dredd: Year One #1

Superior Spider-Man #6

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #3

And now on to the picks!

Continue reading “Picks of the Week 3/20/13” →

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