Today marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic superhero/comic book movies ever made. Batman (1989) changed the way superhero and comic book movies were seen and started off a whole new era of "Batmania!" Batman (1989) was released on June 23, 1989 through Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Tim Burton, it starred Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger. Like Superman (1978) before it, Batman had a big budget, experienced director, Hollywood star quality celebrities and gritty, realistic edge that audiences could relate to. Gone were the 60's era campy action, Batman would return to his darker roots. I consider this movie to be one of my favorite movies of all time, as it would come to define my childhood and teenage years and inspire my already fervent love for comic books and superheroes. I had watched the Saturday morning cartoons (Super Friends, Super Powers) and watched reruns of the 1960's TV show of my Dad's generation. But when I first saw this Batman in the Summer of 1989, around my 10th birthday, from that day on, I was a "Bat-Fan" and this was MY Batman!
Joker & Batman
My family have always loved movies, already a fan of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek movies, and the like. To celebrate mine and my Mom's birthday (3 days apart) my parents and I decided to have a movie marathon at one of our local movie theaters. That Saturday we watched some of the biggest movies of the Summer all in one Saturday (at that time movie tickets were about $3 or $4) including: Ghostbusters II, Star Trek V, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and of course, Batman!
Little did I know, I was already a fan of Tim Burton's films, having little awareness of director's and actor's involvement with movies. I had enjoyed his previous films Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Beetlejuice (1988). I even recognized Michael Keaton from one of my parent's favorite comedies Mr. Mom (1983) however, I had not seen some of the more mature movies that Jack Nicholson was famous for like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975) and The Shining (1980). I can remember before the movie was released, critics and people were talking how Michael Keaton was a poor choice to play the Dark Knight and it had been announced that Robin Williams was set to play the Joker.
I was engrossed in the dark tone of the story, the action, the excitement, Batman's cool gadgets, and of course: The Batmobile! The new Joker was scary and deeply disturbing, no longer the mustachioed and hyperactive Caesar Romero of the 60's, this Joker had a more sinister edge and made me wonder if there were really people like that who killed people for fun. Clowns already scared me and I admit to this day, I have never seen Stephen King's IT in it's entirety. The music was a big part of the experience, and with Danny Elfman's powerful and haunting, bellicose theme, I was drawn into to the action. I think the biggest reason this Batman still resonates today after 25 years is it's originality and timelessness of the movie. Although the additional 80's music by Prince dates it horribly, much of the movie seems to jump right out of the 1940's comic books. It has a noir feel to it as a lot of the characters, detectives and gangsters even wear suits and trench-coats. The city is dark and gritty, with a Gothic style of architecture to it, thanks to Tim Burton's style and production designer Anton Furst. While a lot of the technology Batman uses is also very dated, it remains a very small part of the movie. At the time I had no idea what liberties Burton had taken with Batman's origins and looking back, the choice to make Joker aka Jack Napier, his parent's killer was interesting yet confusing. Batman (1989) still remains my favorite Batman movie, while the franchise declined after Joel Schumacher destroyed it, the recent Christopher Nolan trilogy has brought it back up to it's level, but in my opinion will never truly surpass the 1989 film.
"Batman is very extreme and I love extreme characters. A man who dresses up as a bat and his arch rival who is transformed into a clown are very popular images and one of the reasons why Batman remains so popular. Batman is not a super-hero, he's not a guy from another planet. So I like to take a straightforward approach and just present it." - Tim Burton
COMIC-CON is this weekend! Specifically Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013, THE biggest convention in the world dedicated to all forms of entertainment including comic books, movies, video games, TV and more! Comic-Con International: San Diego is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. Comic-Con began in 1970 when a group of comics, movie, and science fiction fans banded together to put on the first comic book convention in southern California. Now over 40 years later it is the largest comics convention in the world, completely selling out every year since 2008. For those like me who aren't able to enjoy Comic-Con in person there are still plenty of websites, blogs and live video feeds covering the event from the comfort of your home. This weekend at Comic-Con, audiences can get their hands on tons of exclusive merchandise, and also attend many exciting panels with creators, artists, writers and celebrities of all kinds, and not to mention, see previews of some of the biggest events in entertainment coming up later this year and next year! CHERNOBOG'S LAIR.com always tries to stay on top of the latest entertainment news through my blog, twitter feed, and Facebook; so this weekend I thought I would post my Top 10 list of Upcoming Events featured at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Enjoy!
#13 Ender's Game (2013) - Based on the classic Young-Adult, Sci-Fi novel by Orson Scott Card, 70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion. Starring Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Asa Butterfield.
#12 Godzilla (2014) - Director Gareth Edwards' (Monsters) remake of the classic Kaiju franchise! A giant radioactive monster called Godzilla awakens from its slumber to wreak destruction on its creators!
#11I, Frankenstein (2014) - Aaron Eckhart stars as Adam, Dr. Frankenstein's (Aden Young) creature, who finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans.
#9 300: Rise of an Empire (2013) - New director Noam Murro's sequel to Zack Snyder's 300 (2006), The Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) battles an invading army of Persians under the mortal-turned-god, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro)!
#8 Riddick (2013) - Vin Diesel is back as Riddick, after almost 10 years since Chronicles of Riddick (2004). After he is left for dead on a desert planet, Riddick is up against a new alien, predatory species and a group of mercenaries after his head!
#7The World's End (2013) - Director Edgar Wright reunites Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and others in the third installment of "The Cornetto Trilogy"! A group of old friends go on a pub crawl in London when they come to the last pub, "The World's End", they find the town has been taken over by strange alien robots!
#6 Batman: Arkham Origins - The highly anticipated third part of the Arkham Asylum video game series features new villains: Black Mask, Deathstroke, Deadshot, and Copperhead!
#5Kick-Ass 2 (2013) - Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) return with a few new allies including Col. Stars & Stripes (Jim Carrey), to take on some new villains including formerly Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)!
#4 Vikings, Season 2 (March, 2014) - Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and the Vikings return to pillage and plunder in the new season on History Channel!
#3 The Walking Dead, Season 4 (October 2013) - Based on Robert Kirkman's award winning graphic novel series, the survivors led by Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) live on in the Zombie apocalypse after dealing with the onslaught from The Governor (David Morrissey)!
#2 X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Director Bryan Singer returns to the X-Men franchise with Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) reprising their roles as "older" characters from the previous X-Men movies. Also featuring a few new mutants including Bishop (Omar Sy) and introducing a new threat: The Sentinels!
#1 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Fall 2013) - The new TV series marks the return of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), leading a small group of agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.
SUPERMAN has to be THE most popular superhero in the world! He has also been the most featured superhero in movies and TV since the 1940's. Since the beginning of the modern superhero movie with 1978's Superman: The Movie starring Christopher Reeve, there have been many incarnations of Superman on both TV (Superboy, Lois & Clark, Smallville) and movies (Superman I-IV, Superman Returns). But, there has only been one Superman worthy of the silver screen...until now. While 2006's Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer and starring Brandon Routh, Hollywood tried (rather unsuccessfully) to reignite the franchise. It was both a critical and commercial disappointment (mostly due to early writing and directing issues), leaving many Superman fans wanting. With the success of Christopher Nolan's Dark KnightTrilogy, Hollywood and DC Comics have again tried to reboot the Superman franchise with Man of Steel. The film is directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), written by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy,Ghost Rider, The Blade Trilogy) and stars Henry Cavill (Immortals) as "The Man of Steel". Man of Steel tells the origin story that we all know so well (or at least think we do?) of Kal-el, the last son of Krypton, who was sent to Earth from his dying home-world to eventually become Superman! It begins with the birth of Kal-El to parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara (Ayelet Zurer) on Krypton. While their planet dying from the inside, the ambitious General Zod (Michael Shannon) has staged a coup to overthrow the council and set up a new world order. Even though Zod asks Jor-El to join him, he denies him as he prepares to send his only son to Earth, saving him from their fate. Zod is stopped by Jor-El, arrested, and sentenced to the 'Phantom Zone'. Krypton is destroyed! Kal-El arrives on Earth and is raised by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent in Smallville, Kansas. Now named Clark Kent, he slowly discovers his powers and realizes he is destined for greatness and he wants to help people. He is conflicted in dealing with his ever-increasing powers and their limitations. So much so, that he eventually leaves home to find himself and his purpose.
Henry Cavill IS Superman!
While this all sounds very familiar, the particulars to the story of Man of Steel is very different to what we would normally expect. It's hard not to compare this one to the classic 1978 film, which for generations made us "believe a man could fly". The original Superman movie was told in a more linear style, this latest film is told in a series of flashbacks. As we begin with Superman/Kal-El's birth and Krypton's destruction, we are then brought forward 33 years (as we soon discover) where we see an adult Clark Kent working on board a fishing trawler in the middle of the ocean. We then find Clark working at an Arctic archaeological site where scientists have discovered a mysterious object buried in the ice. To cover this historic occasion, we meet Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who has a knack for getting stories in dangerous locales and as we soon discover, getting into trouble!
Through much of the second act of the film Lois is searching for the mysterious man who rescued her and has been spotted at several other locations. In the third act we find out that Zod has returned and is looking for Kal-El and if the people of Earth do not surrender him he will destroy the planet (which he will most likely do anyway)! Superman learns of Zod's true purpose, and begins is a non-stop battle for Earth's fate as he must stop his fellow Kryptonians (who now have almost the same powers as he does) from destroying the Earth and killing the entire human population. Man of Steel is an impressive and fast-paced superhero movie that barely gives you any time to catch your breath! While it does have a somewhat darker tone like The Dark Knight Trilogy, Man of Steel retains much of the optimistic and hopeful themes to which the story has always been known. Although very special-effects driven with over-the-top action and especially intense fights and destruction scenes; Man of Steel is the Superman movie many fans have been waiting for but not necessarily the one they expected. Director Zack Snyder has been known for his involvement in several recent comic book adaptations (300, Watchmen) including movies with heavy CGI special effects (Sucker Punch). He is well suited to direct Man of Steel.
Kneel before Zod?
The biggest character difference with Man of Steel is that while Clark/Kal-El deals with his powers growing up, he becomes conflicted with using his powers. When he eventually decides to use them, he has to face the moral question of when is it "right" to use his powers based on the (somewhat contradictory) words of his adopted father. This fact becomes apparent when Clark/Kal-El is faced with a situation where he has the ability to use his powers to save someone (No Spoilers!) but due to the actions of his father is forbidden to interfere. This choice also becomes relevant during the final epic battle between Superman and Zod when Superman is forced to do the unthinkable. Without giving anything away (although the Internet is already a buzz with spoilers of the films controversial ending) I believe his actions are completely justifiable despite what many have said. This version of Zod (played previously by Terrance Stamp in the original movie and Callum Blue in Smallville), seems much more of a threat than his melodramatic (Stamp) counterpart. No longer the power-mad despot, he is merely the unquestioning soldier with a single-minded purpose who lets nothing stand in his way. As for the support characters, many prove to be very bland and dull compared to Cavill's "Man of Steel". Amy Adams presents Lois Lane as a more headstrong and albeit "fiery" red-headed version of Superman's quintessential damsel-in-distress. As a strong and confident character, she seems somewhat wrong for the part given her previous parts in more "family-friendly" roles such as Enchanted and The Muppets and I half-expected her to break out into song at any minute. Others who are a necessity with Superman stories such as Perry White, played by a rather stout Laurence Fishburne, as a much milder incarnation to the more aggressive "great Cesar's ghost!" Editor-in-Chief. Characters such as Jimmy Olsen and Superman's traditional arch-enemy Lex Luthor are nowhere to be seen. One of Superman's lesser-known support characters makes an appearance in this movie, Professor Emil Hamilton, played by Richard Schiff, appears in a few pivotal scenes. Coincidentally, Man of Steel was released over Father's Day weekend, not surprising since the story revolves heavily around Superman's father figures: Jor-El and John Kent. Not so much in Costner's presence as his often cryptic fatherly advice is subverted significantly by Russell Crowe's stiff scenes. While there are many differences with the original classic Superman, both in comics and movies, this version presents the audience with a much more realistic view of the Superman story. With its strong elements of science-fiction and fantasy, Man of Steel feels very grounded in reality, addressing what our world would be like if there was someone who had superpowers and how would he use them. Stylistically, the scenes of Krypton borrow heavily from the 1980's comic designs of John Byrne with a little bit of James Cameron's Avatar thrown in (Jor-El riding atop a 4-winged dragon into battle!). While the technology of Krypton has a much more "organic" style in this one as opposed to the original shiny, crystalline structure of the original movies.
As for the redesign of the costume; this has more in common with the new comics than tradition. His new, somewhat-darker and streamlined costume, sans outside underwear, has created a lot of controversy. Some issues with the movies over-the-top action and particularly with its over-use of the "shaky-cam" and featuring scenes of ultra-destruction have been panned. Some may criticize that Man of Steel has too much violence and destruction, most don't seem to realize that this IS what a super-hero comic book is all about! Finally, we get to see Superman in an all-out super-fight with an actual super-villain and all the chaos that comes with it! One of the oddest features of the movie comes from its obligatory usage of product-placement. Everything from Sears, 7-11, IHOP and U-Haul are featured in this film. In one of the major fight scenes between Superman and Faora-Ul (Antje Traue), Zod's right-hand woman, takes place primarily in an IHOP! This is not a new-concept in movies, or even superhero movies, as there has always been products featured in movies. Even the original 1978 Superman featured a very commercial-like scene with a box of Cheerios on the Kent's breakfast table. Man of Steel may not be the "best" Superman movie in the last 35 years, but it is better than the last attempt and it certainly tries harder than some of DC Comics previous attempts (i.e. Green Lantern) to bring super-powered superheroes to life. Man of Steel is an impressive, equally entertaining and enjoyable movie experience. Unlike some of the other Summer superhero blockbusters like the inadequate Iron Man 3 and especially laughable special-effects driven disasters like Star Trek Into Darkness. Even after 75 years, Superman still manages to inspire and entertain each new generation. Superman lives on! Although he may change along the way, like in the comics with DC Comics' recent "New 52!" line, the basic spirit of Superman stays true as continues to fight for "truth, justice, and the American way!"
After three years of "patiently" waiting, I'm happy to announce that one of my all-time favorite comic books has returned: ASTRO CITY! Now under the imprint of DC Comics/Vertigo, which specializes in more adult-oriented comic book titles, Astro City returns with an all-new ongoing series! After the end of the "Dark Age" (2005-2010) storyline and the Silver Agent two-parter (2010), the DC Comics/WildStorm imprint shutdown and unfortunately, writer/creator Kurt Busiek became gravely ill and had to have gallbladder surgery! Since that time, the creative team has been working on new stories Now under a new publishing imprint and as Busiek has almost fully recovered, the story of Astro City, it's heroes, villains and people can continue! With Astro City #1, "Through Open Doors, Part One", we are introduced to some new characters including: The Broken Man, who is our narrator for this particular chapter, a bizarre, David Bowie-esque, other-dimensional, being who guides us on our story. Another is the unusually, cute American Chibi (see Chibi), every anime fanboy's dream. Finally, there is Telseth, a Jack Kirby-like cosmic explorer, who appears off the coast of Astro City from a huge, Gozerian doorway!
Alternate Cover
Along with these new characters, there are also a few of our old Astro City favorites and regulars such as Samaritan, Winged Victory, The Confessor (my favorite!), and The Honor Guard. Like several Astro City stories, this particular chapter also focuses on the ordinary people who live and work in Astro City. One such individual is Ben Pullam, who also appeared in an earlier story during Astro City'sHomage Comics years. Astro City is written by Kurt Busiek, with covers by Alex Ross, and art by Brent Anderson. Since it's debut in 1995, Astro City has presented its readers with a world unlike any other. Astro City is not exactly a story of what superheroes would be like in the real world, but rather making a superhero world realistic. If you are new to Astro City, or even a long-time fan like me, be sure to pick up the first issue of this new series. I hope others will enjoy this unique look at the superhero-filled world of Astro City as much as I do and I also hope this series will be successful and will continue on "like the gleaming rocket icon on top of the 'Astro-Bank' Tower, Astro City is at the heart of America's hopes and dreams for a brighter tomorrow!" (Astro City: Life in the Big City)
"ASTRO CITY is art, and it is good art. It creates something - a place, perhaps, or a medium, or just a tone of voice - in which good stories are told." - Neil Gaiman
Let the Summer Movie Blockbusters Begin!!! The release of Iron Man 3 marks the beginning of what Marvel Studios is calling "Marvel: Phase 2". After the release of The Avengers in 2012, which brought all of Marvel's superheroes (those NOT owned by other studios) together in one epic, blockbuster; the Marvel movies can now continue in what is already a billion-dollar franchise phenomenon! With "Phase 2" underway, Marvel studios will set in motion a string of more movies to be released over the next few years which will include: Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Ant-Man (2015), Guardians of the Galaxy (2015), and then of course Avengers 2 (2015)!
Iron Man 3 takes place after the events in The Avengers when Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) sacrificed himself by taking a nuclear missile intended to destroy the Chitauri army in New York City but instead, took the missile through a dimensional rift and destroyed the mother-ship, thus ending the invasion! Since the battle of New York, Tony Stark finds himself plagued by panic attacks and nightmares. Unable to sleep, he loses himself in his work, making yet another upgrade to his Iron Man armor with 'Mark 42'. Meanwhile, his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), now the head of Stark Industries, is having troubles. While on top of that, his best friend, Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes (Don Cheadle) has been using the 'War Machine' armor, now known as 'Iron Patriot', to wage a one-man war on terrorism and a new threat known as "The Mandarin" (Ben Kingsley), a mysterious enemy with a flair for the dramatic, who is making threats on the U.S. with random bombings. While Pepper is being wooed by fellow industrialist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce), head of A.I.M., Tony's former bodyguard 'Happy' Hogan (John Favreau), now head of security at Stark Industries, is injured in a bizarre explosion in Hollywood. At his wits end, Tony issues a public statement to The Mandarin in an attempt to draw him out, but The Mandarin's forces calls him on it and completely destroys his home and lab. Now stranded in the Midwestern U.S. and without power, Tony must find out the plot behind The Mandarin's attacks and regain his technology and his sanity!
The Mandarin
Directed by Shane Black, action-movie screenwriter (Lethal Weapon (1987), Last Action Hero (1993)) turned director (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Iron Man 3 is THE biggest budgeted and also the longestIron Man movie to-date! While nothing can obviously top the sheer epic-magnitude of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 certainly tries to come close with it's over-the-top displays of firepower, featuring dozens of Iron Man suits for the climactic final battle! With this movie, like many superhero sequels, we are introduced to two villains, however one (without giving away any spoilers) is not what he seems. The main adversary, which is a formidable match to Stark both in technology and firepower, comes from Killian (whose character appeared in the recent Iron Man comic story-arc "Extremis"). Once spurned by Tony Stark's arrogance, Killian intends to develop his "Extremis" project, which not only allows damaged/missing limbs to re-grow, but also has explosive side-effects! The biggest apparent threat comes from The Mandarin and his terrorist forces referenced in the original Iron Man (2008) movie, as the supposed leader of "The Ten Rings". Fans were excited to finally see Iron Man's arch-enemy appear in the movie series, but his role in the movie does come with some disappointments. Dating back to his first appearance in 1964, The Mandarin had a magical edge to him with his 10 power rings. Much like Flash Gordon's nemesis Ming the Merciless, the character played on the publics' xenophobic fears of the Chinese-Communist, Cold War-era villain. It is interesting to note how Ben Kingsley often plays somewhat type-casted "Asian" roles (i.e. Gandhi (1982), Prince of Persia (2010) throughout his career, although born in England, his father was of Gujrati/Pakistani descent.
Iron Patriot?
While Iron Man 3 focuses mainly on Tony Stark dealing with complete loss of everything (as if him dying in the second one wasn't enough!) along with his mental instability, much of the comic relief comes from his interactions with a young boy named Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins) in the middle of the film. Seeking a kinship with the boy, Tony is both impressed and annoyed with the boy and often engages him in childish banter most of the time. Aside from the special-effects driven action of the film there is somewhat of a buddy-cop element to his relationship with Rhodey (Cheadle) mostly in the final scene of the movie, whereas through most of the movie they hardly interact/fight at all as they did in Iron Man 2 (2010). Pepper's (Paltrow) character has a much stronger role in the movie until she becomes the proverbial "damsel in distress", but then is literally "transformed" into a much more powerful person in the end. The unexpected twists involving both The Mandarin and Pepper Potts make the ending of this movie such a confusing downward spiral that by the end credits you are so overwhelmed with everything that's happened, that you can hardly believe there will be any room for another sequel. As far as I'm concerned, the Iron Man trilogy ended with disappointment much like all the other Marvel movies in the past (i.e. X-Men: The Last Stand, Spider-Man 3) even though audiences were promised a much stronger and satisfying franchise with the new Marvel Studios involvement. With The Avengers, Iron Man has become such a pivotal character in the franchise that anything else just seems wasted and unnecessary. This may be due to the fact that like X:Men 3, the loss of the director of the first two movies (Bryan Singer, Jon Favreau) leaves the ending of the series wanting and inconsistent. Especially considering the rumored falling out between Robert Downey, Jr. and Jon Favreau after Iron Man 2, but Jon agreed to return as Happy Hogan in 3. Although the end credits assure us that "Tony Stark will return!" most likely in Avengers 2, but after seeing Iron Man 3, I guarantee we will see much less of, and a much different Tony Stark in the future than we expect. As of now, Iron Man 3 has already earned $174 million, coming very close to the success of The Avengers and recently Robert Downey, Jr. announced on Jimmy Kimmel his $200 million Kickstarter campaign for Iron Man 4 which may just be a joke? If you go in expecting a full-on special effects overload with Michael Bay-levels of explosions, you get what you pay for. If you go in expecting a satisfactory close to the Iron Man Trilogy, you may be in for a disappointment.
Superhero Summer continues with another Marvel movie: X-Men: First Class, the latest prequel and proposed "reboot" of the X-Men movie franchise! Since X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) was a failed finale to the X-Men Trilogy, the producers of the X-Men movies have focused their efforts on prequels, i.e. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). X-Men: First Class is essentially a new beginning as we set up the origin stories of Prof. X and Magneto and how the X-Men got started. The movie takes place around the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as the newly formed X-Men (now mostly teenagers) go on their first mission! The movie begins with a prologue from several POVs, the first surprisingly enough is a very familiar scene, the opening to the original X-Men movie in Poland, 1944 (re-shot almost entirely scene for scene), where a young Erik Lehnsherr (now played by Bill Milner) after bending the metal gates at a Nazi Concentration Camp, is separated from his parents only to be brought to a mysterious German scientist who wants to use his "gifts" to his advantage, using threats to spark anger from the young mutant to reveal his powers. Later we are taken from the horrors of WWII to a luxurious mansion in England where we meet a young Charles Xavier (Laurence Belcher) accidentally meets a familiar shape-shifting mutant named Raven, a.k.a. Mystique (Morgan Lily)! Years later, we see an older Xavier (James McAvoy) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) celebrating his graduation from Cambridge, not quite yet the "professor" that we have come to love, instead he irresponsibly uses his telepathy and his nerdy knowledge of genetics to pick up girls at bars! While Xavier is abusing his power and new-found academic achievements, on the other side of the world we have an older Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) who seeks revenge on the Nazis who killed his family in a never-ending search for the mysterious scientist who we later on find out is none other than Sebastian Shaw, (Kevin Bacon? Yep, that's right, Kevin Bacon!) of the Hellfire Club along with his henchman Riptide(Álex González) and very seductive henchwoman: Emma Frost (January Jones), a.k.a. The White Queen! While Erik tries to find Shaw, he's not the only one as the CIA is also on his trail as Agent/Dr. Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne) goes undercover to find out his diabolical, world-dominating plan. While the government enlists the help of Charles Xavier to find Shaw, during the chase Charles meets Erik by accident and they later form a friendship and go around the world to recruit other young mutants such as Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till) and Angel (Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz!). Soon they form a "school" for mutants and thus the X-MEN are born! Unfortunately, they have very little time to train before they have to save the world from Nuclear War between the U.S. and Russia!
Left to Right: Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne),
Emma Frost (January Jones), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Angel (Zoe Kravitz), Mystique/Raven (Jennifer Lawrence ), Prof. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy)
Although rebooting a movie franchise is difficult, particularly with comic book movies, as there have been some successes (Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008)) and some failures (Superman Returns (2006)). While the main focus of the story is the relationship between Xavier and Magneto, there is this very odd love triangle involving Mystique. Both movie and comic fans are already familiar with the complex history between Xavier and Magneto, whereas Xavier, the more peaceful leader, has always been the Martin Luther King Jr. of mutants, whereas Magneto, a more violent activist, remains the Malcolm X of mutants. These philosophical differences between these two "old friends" has always been at the core of the X-Men story. While Xavier has always been one to seek mutant acceptance and understanding from humans in a world that hates and fears them; Magneto on the other hand, has always sought to make mutants the dominate species, believing them to be better than humans, and if that means getting rid of normal humans, so be it. Charles McAvoy (who isn't new to comic book movies, having played Wesley in Wanted (2008)) makes a pretty decent Prof. X, although he is first presented as somewhat immature. Michael Fassbender's performance as Erik/Magneto is excellent (and being born in Germany helps too)! This movie adds a whole new level to their relationship, by putting Mystique in the mix. Already a popular character/villain in the previous movies, there was never much to her back story. While in the comics it's very clear over the last 30 years with her involvement with Rogue and of all things, being the mother of Nightcrawler, however being that the movie continuity and comic continuity are two completely different things, the movie is free to do with these characters as they please! At first, the dynamic between these two unlikely friends is perplexing and to those X-Men fans already scratching their heads saying: "How could Xavier and Mystique have been friends as children?" is well founded. As the two develop a sort of brother and sister relationship forming a close bond, Xavier vows to "help" Raven become more normal. However, enter the "bad boy": Magneto and his insistence that Mystique need not "hide" behind her shape-shifting powers and remain in her true (blue) form. Although the X-Men Universe is filled with many mutant characters that have yet been given life on the big screen, you may be thinking how many more mutants could there be? The addition of Angel (definitely NOT the feather-winged Angel from the original team or X-Men 3 movie (played by none other than Ben Foster) and with the addition of other more obscure characters like Riptide and Azazel, is it possible they have run out of mutants?
I have to admit, I had some reservations on this new X-Men, fearing that it would try to appeal to a more teenage audience, not unlike the Twilight or Harry Potter movies. While the original 60's X-Men comic featured teenage superheroes, the movies, beginning with X-Men in 2000, featured more of the adult characters such as Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm and of course Wolverine. (SPOILER ALERT: As a matter of fact, good old Hugh Jackman makes a very brief but hilarious cameo as Wolverine in this movie!) While the trilogy did feature some of the teenage mutant characters such as Rogue, Iceman and Shadowcat, they did not feature prominently in the movies. With this movie, the producers of the franchise sought to return to it's teenage roots with a fresh start with a younger ensemble cast (See Photo), plus the addition of a popular up and coming director, Matthew Vaughnwho directedKick-Ass (2010). X-Men: First Class is a breath of fresh air in an already overwhelming genre! As we prepare for even more Superhero/Marvel movie mania in the near future such as The Avengers (2012), this movie, despite being a reboot, just goes to show how much a fresh start can revitalize a fickle franchise. Only the box office knows for sure...
This weekend marks the beginning of the Summer Blockbusters. In particular this season is the summer of the superhero with the release of three of the biggest movies from Marvel Studios which include: X-Men: First Class (Opens June 6) Captain America: The First Avenger (Opens July 22) and to start it all off: THOR! Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Hamlet), endeavors to bring Marvel's hammer-wielding hero to the big screen with a production of god-like proportions! Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor, who along with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been groomed since childhood to take the throne of Asgard by their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). When a conflict arises between their age-old enemies: The Frost Giants, led by King Laufey (Colm Feore), Thor goes against his father's wishes and leads an attack against them. Enraged by his son's actions, Odin takes his powers and banishes him to Earth, along with his fabled hammer Mjölnir, which settles in a crater in the New Mexico desert. Powerless and confused Thor "literally" runs into astrophysicists Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård). While Thor adjusts to his now mortal life with the help of Jane, and no thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D., he must find a way back home to Asgard and stop his brother Loki from taking over the throne! Thor brings to the big screen all that we have come to expect from Marvel Studios, with the success of Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), this summer is going to be super-powered! Whereas most Marvel movies seem to focus on more technological (Iron Man) or scientific (The Incredible Hulk,Spider-Man) themed heroes, Thor is based within more of a fantasy world; the scenes depicting Asgard and the realms of are some of the most beautiful settings ever seen. With huge, fantastic golden buildings, a crystalline rainbow bridge and colorful god-like characters like Heimdall (Idris Elba), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) and Fandral (Josh Dallas). For those who are fans of the over-the-top, old-English spouting thunder god, you may be somewhat disappointed. While Hemsworth brings to the part a very "human" Thor, he comes across as much more arrogant and annoying than usual, especially in the beginning of the film, but manages to pull off a much more experienced and wiser god by the climax of the movie; yet without saying a single "thee" or "thou" through the whole movie! This version of Thor also comes from less of the old-school Thor Marvel character (who first appeared in "Journey Into Mystery" #83, Aug. 1962) and more from the recent "Ultimates" (2002) story-line. Although this (bearded) depiction of Thor is less like the classic Thor and more closely related to the 1990's Eric Masterson a.k.a. "Thunderstrike" version. While the main antagonists of the movie are the Frost Giants, the story of Loki is somewhat lessened, most likely due to his role as the major villain in the upcoming Avengers movie in 2012.
The movie's prologue is very fast but it quickly pulls you into the world of the gods and Asgard in an almost epic-Lord of the Rings-like battle, which sets up the whole conflict with the Frost Giants. Then we briefly see a young Thor and Loki being lectured by Odin only to quickly move forward to the (now adult) Thor's coronation ceremony which is unfortunately interrupted by...guess who? The Frost Giants! Upon Thor's banishment to Earth, he becomes this almost comedic-anachronistic character as he deals with modern day Earth. Soon it becomes clear why the story chose to set everything in New Mexico of all places, giving a clever nod to the original Marvel Comic with this billboard: "New Mexico...Land of Enchantment, Journey Into Mystery!" The most uninspiring aspect of the plot in Thor surprisingly comes from now Oscar-winner Natalie Portman and her involvement as the at-best mediocre love interest between her and Thor. Although Skarsgård's character becomes a surrogate father figure for Natalie's character, he remains an extraneous character along with Portman's atrocious teenage sidekick Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). I found myself really liking Thor's hilarious band of friends/minor gods, especially Volstagg, played by Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone). There's also a delightful cameo from comic creator Stan "The Man" Lee plus an appearance of fan-favorite Hawkeye a.k.a. Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner (uncredited?)! The climax of the movie is an impressive battle with The Destroyer, a giant magic-fueled, armored robot (gotta love that)! The signature surprise epilogue following the credits is worth the wait as it features Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury character (of course), who first entered into the new Marvel continuity in Iron Man (2008)! Overall, Thor is an amazing and worthy installment into the Marvel movies as Marvel Studios whets our appetites with Thor and X-Men: First Class until the release of this summers' main course with Captain America: The First Avenger!
