Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Release Date: August 13, 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 112 minutes


The Slant / The stuff that dreams are made of...

Wow! I went into this movie with limited expectations - I had never really heard of the graphic novels and I've grown somewhat tired of Michael Cera in recent outings. He keeps playing the same character in all of his movies and it began irritating me. Here, as Scott Pilgrim, Cera really shines. However, the acting (which is phenomenal all around) isn't the only thing that makes Scott Pilgrim vs. the World the most enjoyable movie of 2010 so far; the film's style really sets it apart.

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Thor's Adversary, Loki - Casting Update

A few days ago, I let you know that Chris Hemsworth of Star Trek fame had been cast as the title role in Thor. Now, his nemesis and half-brother Loki has a confirmed actor attached: British thespian Tom Hiddleston will be playing the trickster. Hiddleston has worked with director Kenneth Branagh before, in the play "Ivanov" and BBC Miniseries "Wallander." One of the main reasons he was selected for this role probably stems from his familiarity with Branagh, though I'm sure his acting talents are up to the task as well. Let's just hope he can make the transition from stage to screen. Originally I thought the rumors about Josh Hartnett as Loki would come to pass, especially since he and Hemsworth resemble each other so much.

With two relative unknowns playing the roles of Thor and Loki, do you think this movie will achieve the success of other recent comic book adaptations? Many of them relied upon star power to bring in a diverse audience and propel the box office to new heights, but it looks like Thor has decided to go another route. I thought that since the Thunder God is not as well known to casual fans, they may have gone the opposite direction and tried to find big names to bring credence to the production. Hopefully this works and the movie turns out well.

Source: Marvel Studios

Thor - Kirk's Dad as the God of Thunder

Deadline Hollywood Daily has reported that the long-debated and awaited casting of the title role for Thor has been finalized. Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, currently seen as Captain Kirk's heroic father in Star Trek, has apparently snagged the coveted role as the Mighty Thor in Kenneth Branagh's upcoming comic book adaptation. You can read the original story here.

What do you think about this casting choice? Personally, I'm not too sure he has the physical presence required of a Norse god. Still, he gave a serviceable and fine performance in the few minutes we saw him in Star Trek, so maybe he can pull it off if he spends a few months in the weight room. I think Thor is a tricky character to cast in general, so this could work. I wonder why they didn't go for a Scandinavian actor? I have high hopes for this movie though, mainly since Branagh adds a lot of gravitas and directorial chops to the project. Thor is set to be released in 2011.

More Gambit? Taylor Kitsch Thinks So

Big news today for fans of the Marvel Universe and comic book movies in general. Staff at Rotten Tomatoes sat down with Taylor Kitsch, who recently played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to discuss the possibility of Gambit's return. Apparently, Kitsch was unaware that Fox has greenlit a sequel and expressed genuine excitement about where he could take his popular character if cast in Wolverine 2.

In response to hearing about the sequel, Kitsch states, "I hadn't heard that was going to happen! You have my brain going now about what I'd love to do with Gambit! I have the tools now to do some larger fights and I'd be really excited to get a chance to do that, too. I have so many ideas in my mind right now!"

While Fox has confirmed a sequel to Wolverine, there has been no official word if Gambit will be included in the cast of characters. Since the plot will allegedly focus on Wolverine's sojourn in Japan, it is unclear how Gambit will fit in with the larger story. However, with the recently announced Deadpool spin-off, there is still the potential that Gambit will get his own vehicle as well. He is an incredibly popular character among fans of the comics, although the small glimpse viewers got of him in the recent movie might not have been enough to pique interest in a stand-alone film. I definitely hope to see more of Gambit though, even if he lost the Cajun accent for Wolverine. If there is any further news about Gambit, you can be sure I'll post it here.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 107 minutes



The Slant / Here's looking at you, kid.


*SPOILERS BELOW*

So I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine today. Essentially, it lived up to my expectations, which weren't too high to begin with. I've never been the biggest Wolverine fan, mainly because he always just seems so aggressive and quick to anger. Plus, the fanboys just love him too damn much.

I thought the movie did a decent job establishing Logan's (Hugh Jackman) backstory, although I'll have to check out the comics to see how true to the source material it actually was. I don't really buy the whole "Sabretooth and Wolverine are brothers" aspect, but it makes for interesting interplay, especially during their fights.

The plot of this movie does not really hold up well. Logan and Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) are essentially immortal brothers, one with bone claws and the other with a serious need for a manicure. They fight together in various wars over the centures, until Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) decides they should join his new team of mutants. Things start to unravel as the mutants come together, as their purpose is shrouded by myster. Wraith (Will.i.am, of Black Eyed Peas fame), the teleporting member of Team X, later informs Wolverine and us that they were tasked with rounding up mutants for Stryker's experiments. Essentially, Stryker is creating a super-mutant with all of these captives' powers to protect mankind from the other mutants...yeah I don't know either. Stryker's mutant son apparently killed his wife so he's got a grudge against the race. I won't go into the inconsistency of using a super-mutant to hunt down other mutants because it's just not worth the time.

Eventually, Logan quits the team and goes off to find love in the wilds of the Canadian Rockies. Here the movie drags. Sure, it's nice seeing Logan get some much-needed R & R and lovin', but I paid to see him slice and dice the baddies. Sabretooth and Stryker eventually spoil the fun, "killing" his love. Logan gets his adamantium skeleton and becomes Wolverine.

I could go on and on about the nuances of the plot but honestly it's not that important. Wolverine swears revenge. He goes after Stryker and Sabretooth. On their island hideout he comes face-to-face with Weapon XI. Weapon XI is the aforementioned super-mutant Stryker has been creating. He uses the body of Wade Wilson (played irreverantly by Ryan Reynolds in the early part of the movie, more on him later) to do so. Pretty good fight scene, with Wolverine emerging victorious. Then Stryker shoots him with an adamantium bullet to the brain and Wolverine loses his memories. Professor X comes to the rescue of the young mutants led by Cyclops and Emma Frost, essentially taking them to his new mutant academy. Wolverine stumbles off to his fate (and eventual sequel...sequel to a prequel...what do you call that?). Fade to darkness. End of Credits: Weapon XI, aka Deadpool, is still alive. Hooray spin-off!

The GOOD:

The best part of Wolverine is that, even with the amount of characters involved, most of them receive enough screen-time to understand their powers, their motivations, and their personalities. I was most worried about the introduction of Gambit to the film franchise. However, Taylor Kitsch's brief scenes as Remy brought that Cajun mutant to the big screen in style. I would like to see more of him, for sure. He didn't have the accent, though. The X-Men cartoon in the '90s really has me wanting a Gambit with that heavy Cajun tone.

My favorite casting was Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, the Merc with a Mouth. In the first 10 minutes or so of the movie, he steals the show. His acerbic wit and pithy delivery really had me chuckling ("Okaaay. People are deaaaad."). When we leave him, I felt a sense of loss. He comes back at the end of the movie as Weapon XI or Deadpool or whatever you want to call him, but without the ability to talk he loses who he was previously. Luckily, we will see a true Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds back in command. I can't wait.

I completely bought Liev Schreiber's portrayal of Sabretooth. He made a truly villainous character seem more human than I would have thought possible. Also, he had a certain charisma that had me rooting for him, even though I knew he was not guy I should be cheering for. Same with Agent Zero. Not sure of the actor there, but good job nonetheless.

I thought the special effects were fine. The movie looked good. Fight scenes were...decent.

The BAD:

The aforementioned troubles with the plot. Pacing issues, especially during Logan's sojourn in Canada with Silverfox.

They killed off all the cool mutants! Bolt (Dominic Monaghan) who seemed to be an innocent guy just caught up with the wrong people; Wraith, played adequately by Will.i.am, is also killed by Sabretooth; Logan blows up Agent Zero in a move that seriously had me question why I should want Wolverine to win. I mean, who kills a defenseless man in cold blood like that? I guess he was a murderer, but still. I liked him! Does anyone else die that shouldn't? Guess that's about it. Oh yeah, the off-camera death of the Blob really seemed unneccessary. So if Marvel wants to bring those characters back, it can't or it just has to make up some ridiculous stories? Sorry, it just doesn't seem like a good strategy.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine did not really inspire me. I think he was good in the first two X-Men movies, but something about him in this movie seems off. Maybe it's because we've seen the character 4 times now, and it's growing a bit stale. I don't know. I'm also biased against Wolverine from the beginning, so others might feel differently.

The fight scenes, while decent, had a little too much of the whole slo-mo/speed-up type of action. I don't know how to describe it, but the best comparison is the opening battle in Gladiator. Everything just looks...strange...during the fight. I like to see battles in real-time, but I guess that's too much to ask for.

An elderly couple takes in a nameless stranger into their home, which happens to be a bucolic, rustic farm. He sleeps in the barn. They discover him while driving their old, beat-up Chevy. No no, this is not Smallville and the nameless stranger is not Clark Kent. This is Wolverine and the nice Canadian couple who shelter him are not Martha and Jonathan. I wonder if DC will notice the similarities?

Gambit and Ryan Reynolds weren't in the movie enough :D
Hopefully we'll see Gambit again, and Deadpool will definitely be back!

Final Verdict: X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 7.5/10