William David Lee, ESQ.

Most Anticipated Films of 2010 - Part 4, Medieval Madness

2010-01-08T00:23:18Z

Not all these films are set in the Middle Ages, but I liked the sound of the title. 2010 sees a spate of historical epics.

Season of the Witch (Mar. 19) - Nic Cage re-teams with Dominic Sena who directed him in the Gone in 60 Seconds remake. Here, Cage teams with Ron Perlman as 14th century knights who are tasked with escorting a witch (believed to have caused an outbreak of Bubonic Plague) to her execution. Here’s the trailer.

Clash of the Titans (Mar. 26) – The remake if the 1981 film which replaces Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creature effects with big-budget CGI. Sam Worthington should equate himself well as the heroic Perseus. Director Louis Leterrier may not have a firm grasp on story, but he’s good with action which this film should have in spades. The pantheon here includes Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and Danny Huston as Poseidon. There’s been talk of releasing Clash in 3D, but I haven’t heard anything concrete. Here’s the trailer. I don’t know how anyone could not geek out when Liam Neeson says, ”Release the Kraken!”

Robin Hood (May 14) – The Gladiator team of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe are back together for yet another re-telling of the legend of Robin Hood. The project originally began with the more interesting concept of casting the Sheriff of Nottingham as the hero with Robin Hood being the villain. After the writer’s strike, the script was re-written and the characters were put back in their traditional roles. I’m not sure what they can offer that hasn’t already been seen in previous films other than the actors here seem capable of pulling off the British accents. Scott can handle these historical epics. Gladiator was just a fun action movie and I really liked Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice, Frost/Nixon) is the Sheriff and Mark Strong will be playing another villain which is good enough for me. You’ve also got Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian, Kevin Durand as Little John, and Danny Huston as Richard the Lionheart. Here’s the trailer.

Black Death - Set against the backdrop of the first outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, Sean Bean leads a group of warriors on a mission to hunt down a necromancer (played by Black Book’s Carice van Houten) who is using her dark powers to bring the dead back to life.

Centurion - Written and directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday), Centurion is one of two projects about the Roman Ninth Legion who was believed to have disappeared in AD 117. I really liked Marshall’s first film Dog Soldiers as well as Doomsday so this could be fun. Dominic West and Michael Fassbender play two of the Roman soldiers who go to battle against the Picts. Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) will play a mute Pict warrior brutalized by the Roman forces.

The Eagle of the Ninth - The second Ninth Legion film, this one is based on a novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and is directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play). Channing Tatum plays a Roman centurion who investigates the disappearance of the Legion of which his father was a member. The cast also includes Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, and Mark Strong.

Ironclad - In 1215, a group of powerful barons with support from the Kings of France and England forced King John to sign the Magna Carta which limited the monarch’s power to the laws of the land. After the signing, the King gave them a big FU and declared war on them. Wikipedia explains things better than I could. Ironclad focuses on the siege of Rochester Castle in Kent and the knights who defended it. The cast includes James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Jason Flemyng, Kate Mara, and Paul Giamatti as King John.

Solomon Kane - Robert E. Howard is best known for creating Conan the Barbarian, but he created several other characters including Solomon Kane, a Puritan warrior fighting evil and supernatural forces in the 16th century. Footage was screened at Comic-Con and the completed film has played at film festivals to mixed reviews. You can check out the trailer and a couple clips on YouTube.

Most Anticipated Films of 2010: Part 3 - Action/Sci-Fi

2010-01-07T19:39:00Z

Daybreakers (Jan. 8) – Aussie filmmakers, the Spierig Brothers, previously wrote and directed the zombie movie, Undead. Now, they’re tackling vampires in an obvious allegory to today’s environmental concerns. Vampires rule the world and the human race is on the brink of extinction. Ethan Hawke is a vampire scientist put in charge of finding the means to repopulate the human race before the blood supply runs out. Willem Dafoe plays a former vampire turned human and Sam Neill is a vampire CEO. Sounds good to me and the trailer was kinda cool, mainly because they used Placebo’s cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”

The Book of Eli (Jan. 15) – Oh, fuck yeah. Denzel Washington kicking ass in a post-apocalyptic future and Gary Oldman as the bad guy? I am so there. The cast also includes Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Michael Gambon, and Malcolm McDowell. Please tell me McDowell and Oldman have a scene together. Please. Here’s the trailer.

Legion (Jan. 22) – I wish they’d make more movies about angels with machine guns. Essentially a biblical version of Assault on Precinct 13, Paul Bettany plays a fallen angel who holds up in a diner with a ragtag group of patrons to defend the unborn child of the waitress from Armageddon. Dennis Quaid co-stars along with Adrienne Palicki, Kate Walsh, and the dude from Roc. I love the little old lady in the trailer. ”The baby…it’s going to fucking burn.”

Edge of Darkness (Jan. 29) – ”You had better decide whether you’re hangin’ on the cross or bangin’ in the nails.” Mel Gibson may be a kook, but I’ll totally go see him in a kick-ass revenge movie. Like State of Play, Edge of Darkness is based on a BBC mini-series, originally adapted by Andrew Bovell with a rewrite by William Monaghan (The Departed). Throw in Ray Winstone and Danny Huston and you’ve got yourself a deal. Here’s trailer.

From Paris with Love (Feb. 5) - Luc Besson is the master at churning out dumb action movies. He re-teams with Pierre Morel (District B-13, Taken) for From Paris with Love. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a desk jockey at the American embassy who is teamed up with John Travolta’s crazy spy to blow some shit up. Here’s the trailer.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Feb. 12) – Did they really need to put all of that in the title? Yet another attempt by Hollywood to launch a teen lit series into a feature film franchise, this one focuses on a group of kids who turn out to be the children of Greek gods. Fox went with Chris Columbus as director. A wise choice because he kicked off the Harry Potter films, but bad choice because the first two were the least interesting and most pedestrian. One of two competing films stepped in Greek mythology, Percy Jackson does have a cool pantheon. We’ve got Sean Bean as Zeus, Kevin McKidd as Poseidon, Steve Coogan (!!!) as Hades, Rosario Dawson as Persephone, Melina Kanakaredes as Athena, and Ray Winstone as Ares. Plus, Uma Thurman as Medusa, Pierce Brosnan in the Obi-Wan role, and Brandon T. Jackson (Alpa Chino!) as the wacky sidekick. Here’s the trailer.

Green Zone (Mar. 12) – Paul Greengrass directs Matt Damon in this action-thriller which looks like Jason Bourne in Iraq. Lots of political intrigue and back stabbing. Hopefully, this will be better than Body of Lies. I also hope Greengrass doesn’t make me nauseous with all the shaky cam. Here’s the trailer.

Repo Men (Apr. 2) – Originally known under the much better title of Repossession Mambo, Repo Men is a sci-fi film with Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as repo agents sent to take back artificial organs from those who’ve fallen behind on their payments. The movie has been delayed for a while, partly to avoid confusion with Repo! The Genetic Opera. If you want to watch Dr. Watson fight Ghost Dog, check out the trailer on YouTube.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 28) - Magic 8ball, will this be the first video game movie to not suck? Outcome: doubtful. The first of two Jerry Bruckheimer productions, Prince of Persia is suitably loaded with elaborate FX-driven set pieces. There’s been a mixed reaction to Jake Gyllenhaal being cast as Prince Dastan since he’s not Middle Eastern and does a crappy British accent. Why are they doing British accents anyway? You’ve also got Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, and Ben “I Never Turn Down a Paycheck” Kingsley as the villain. Here’s the trailer.

Inception (July 16) - A lot of filmmakers will follow up a mega-blockbuster with a smaller film. However, Christopher Nolan has followed up The Dark Knight with another mega-blockbuster in the $200 million budgeted Inception. I still have no idea what the hell the movie is about, but I’m kinda hoping it’s another Nolan mindfuck like Memento. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead with Ellen Page as his sidekick, Marion Cotillard as Leo’s wife, Ken Watanabe as the villain with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine. Here’s the trailer.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (July 16) - The second Bruckheimer summer schlockfest which may lead to some sort of space-time paradox. This one is based on the famous Mickey Mouse short which itself was based on the 1797 poem by Goethe. Obviously, it’s going to be about more than a bunch of brooms coming to life and running amok. Jay Baruchel plays the apprentice with Nic Cage as the sorcerer and Alfred Molina as the villain. Jeez, does Bruckheimer have naughty pictures of the guy? Here’s the trailer.

Salt (July 23) - Tom Cruise was originally cast in the lead, but when he dropped out, it was rewritten as a vehicle for Angelina Jolie. The script was originally written by Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium, Law Abiding Citizen) with an additional draft by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River). If Jolie is Harrison Ford, then Chiwetel Ejiofor is her Tommy Lee Jones which I’m cool with. The action should be great with Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) directing. Here’s the trailer.

The Expendables (Aug. 20) - Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, and cameos from Arnold and Bruce Willis. Can the world handle that much testosterone in one movie? Sly does his own “bunch of guys who on a mission” war movie as he leads a team of specialists to overthrow a South American dictator.

Harry Brown - Michael Caine starred in one of my favorite films of all time, Get Carter, which also happens to be the best revenge movies ever. Even though he’s now in his late 70’s, Caine can still kick some serious ass which is what he’ll be doing in Harry Brown which has already been released in the UK. Carter plays the title character who has watched his neighborhood become infested with by violent young gangs. When his best bud is killed, Caine goes out and fucks them up sideways. Check out the trailer. No American release date yet.

Machete - The first of the fake trailers from Grindhouse to be made into a feature film. I don’t know which tagline I love better, ”They just fucked with the wrong Mexican” or ”When you hire Machete to kill the bad guy, you’d better make damn sure that the bad guy isn’t YOU!” Anyways, Machete wins the award for most awesomely random cast ever. Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Jeff Fahey are back and joined by Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Robert DeNiro, Lindsay Lohan, Steven Seagal, and Don Johnson.

Most Anticipated Films of 2010: Part 2 - Reboots, Remakes & Sequels

2010-01-07T08:16:02Z

The Wolfman (Feb. 12) – Benicio del Toro as a werewolf is enough to get me to buy a ticket. Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, and Emily Blunt are co-starring while Rick Baker, who won an Oscar for his make-up work on An American Werewolf in London, looks to do the same here. However, the film has been fraught with problems. The project was originally announced by Universal back in 2006 with Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) attached as director. A year later, he dropped out and was replaced by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Jumanji and the upcoming Captain America). The film was originally slated for release in November of 2008 and it’s been pushed back several times and will finally hit theaters next month. Still, the trailer looks pretty decent and you can check it out here.

The Crazies (Feb. 26) - Not all of these movies are anticipated by me, but I’m including a few because I know some of you will probably be interested. The Crazies is a remake of George Romero’s 1973 film which isn’t regarded as highly as his early zombie flicks. The film revolves around a small town quarantined by the military after it’s infected by a plague that makes the citizens go psycho. I’ll admit the trailer looks decent and uses Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World” to good effect. The big question mark lies with director Breck Eisner (Michael’s son) who helmed the mega-bomb Sahara.

Alice in Wonderland (Mar. 5) - Now, this is what I’m looking forward to. Tim Burton’s sensibilities should blend well with the original books which were more trippy and surreal than the Disney version. Burton’s Alice is actually a sequel with Alice returning to Wonderland and doing battle with the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her armies. Johnny Depp will likely steal every scene he’s in as the Mad Hatter. The other Wonderland denizens include Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar, Stephen Fry as a really creepy looking Cheshire Cat, Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, and Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit. I’ll definitely be seeing this in 3D. Here’s a link to the latest trailer.

Death at a Funeral (Apr. 16) – Really, guys? Really? This is one of those remakes that really makes you question why the Hell they even bothered. The original was a British comedy directed by Frank Oz (who most know as the voice of Yoda and Miss Piggy) and its been remade with Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Danny Glover, Tracy Morgan, and James Marsden. It’s also directed by Neil LaBute and the last time he did a remake it was Wicker Man. Also, the remake just uses the same exact gags as the original. They even got Peter Dinklage to play the same exact character, a gay midget and former lover of the deceased. Here’s the trailer to the original and to the remake. About the only thing I found funny was Danny Glover on the toilet, but only because it reminded me of Lethal Weapon 2.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (Apr. 23) - Michael Douglas returns to his best and most renowned role as Gordon Gekko who defined the 80’s with the motto, ”Greed is good.” Oliver Stone’s sequel plants its feet firmly into the current economic apocalypse as Gekko returns after spending over a decade in prison for inside trading and security fraud. Gekko attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter (played by An Education’s Carey Mulligan) and works with her boyfriend (Shia LeBeouf) to gain revenge on Josh Brolin. Charlie Sheen will also return briefly as Bud Fox.

Nightmare on Elm Street (Apr. 30) - Yet another remake of a classic horror film that’s barely cold in the ground. And like all those other remakes, it’s being directed by a guy whose resume consists only of music videos. Oh, and Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company is behind it. They’re also responsible for the crappy remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, The Hitcher, and Friday the 13th. The only reason I’m even remotely interested is the fact that they cast Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger though I’m not impressed by the make-up. Here’s the trailer.

Sex and the City 2 (May 28) - It look about four years to get the feature film into theaters, but less than a year to greenlight the sequel after the first one made over $400 million. A classic case of counter programming as Sex and the City 2 opens opposite Prince of Persia. So guys, you can sneak out while your date isn’t looking.

Get Him to the Greek (June 4) - A spin-off of Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Nicholas Stoller and Judd Apatow returning to direct and produce, respectively. Russell Brand is back as obnoxious British rock star Aldous Snow while Jonah Hill will play a different character this time around. Hill is an intern in charge of escorting Snow from England to the first leg of his concert at the Greek Theater in L.A. Rose Byrne plays Snow’s new love interest, Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss is Hill’s girl, Colm Meaney is Snow’s father, and Puff Daddy will play the head of Snow’s record label. Also look for a ton of cameos from noted musicians.

The A-Team (June 11) - ”…maybe you can hire, The A-Team.” The big screen adaptation has been in development for over a decade. John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Four Brothers) was recently attached until dropping out and being replaced by Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces) which is kind of a step down. However, they’ve got a pretty damned good line-up for the new incarnation of the A-Team with Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Face, MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A., and District 9’s Sharlto Copley as Murdock. Last I heard, the script set the start of the film just before the invasion of Iraq with Hannibal, Face, and B.A. charged with escorting a private security firm into Baghdad to retrieve priceless works of art. The guys get hung out to dry and have to bust out of a military prison.

The Karate Kid (June 11) - Will Smith produced this remake as a vehicle for his son, Jaden. Rather than moving from Jersey to California, the kid is transplanted into China where Jackie Chan (in the Mr. Miyagi role) teaches him martial arts. At one point, the title was changed to The Kung Fu Kid because somebody finally realized karate was Japanese not Chinese. It was changed back because they’re morons. Here’s the trailer.

Toy Story 3 (June 18) - When Pixar was on the outs, Disney went ahead with their own plans to make a threequel of Toy Story. The story revolved around Buzz becoming defective and being recalled to the factory in Taiwan. Pixar returned to the fold and shelved that version. Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) was hired as screenwriter and Lee Unkrich (who co-directed Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo) is directing solo. The new script finds Andy going off to college and the toys accidentally donated to a day-care center. New toys include Michael Keaton as Ken and Timothy Dalton as a porcupine named Mr. Pricklepants. Pixar hasn’t made a clunker yet so, hopefully, they won’t start with this one. Here's a link to the latest trailer.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30) - Next.

The Last Airbender (July 2) - I’ve never watched the cartoon so I don’t have any real investment in the film. The trailer is really well done though and I still think M. Night Shyamalan is an a great director. But as a writer, he’s a one-trick pony. As long as he doesn’t employ any idiotic twists, this might make a decent action flick. Really, Shyamalan isn’t the problem for me, it’s the white washing of the characters with Caucasian Disney Channel kids.

Predators (July 7) - Years ago, Robert Rodriguez wrote the script for a possible Predator 3 film which would find Arnold and Danny Glover’s characters from the first two movies taken to the Predator homeworld. Rodriguez has since rewritten the script, keeping the basic premise while handing directing duties off to Nimrod Antal (Armored). It’s The Most Dangerous Game in outer space. Of those being hunted by the Predators are Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Walt Goggins, and Danny Trejo. The Predators vs. the Pianist, Venom, Morpheus, Shane Vandrell, and Machete. Who will win?

Let Me In (Oct. 1) - Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) directs this remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In, one of the best vampire films ever made. The American version will likely utilize more of the original novel by John Lindqvist and probably establish more of the girl’s backstory. It’s set in New Mexico with Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) as Abby (formerly Eli), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) as Owen (formerly Oskar), and Richard Jenkins as Abby’s “father.”

Saw VII 3D (Oct. 22) - Has it really come to this? Seven Saw movies? And in 3D? Seriously, guys? Just stop.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Nov. 19) - I haven’t read any of the books so don’t spoil anything for me. Producers are splitting the grand finale into two parts with part 2 coming out in July of 2011. Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire were the best so far in the series. Order of the Phoenix was fine, but Half Blood Prince felt like a lull. It was as if they were saving all the good stuff for later. Just about everyone is back for the final chapter.

Red Dawn (Nov. 24) - WOLVERINES!!! The original was a right-wing NRA wet dream packed with pedantic jingoism at the height of the Cold War. It rules. The remake has America invaded by Communist China and the kids this time around are played by Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, Thor), Josh Hutcherson (The Vampire’s Assistant), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), and Isabel Lucas (Transformers 2) with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the Powers Boothe role.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Dec. 10) - I liked the first The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but Prince Caspian was a rather weak sequel. Walden Media hopes to right the franchise with Dawn Treader. They’ve got Michael Apted at the helm and he’s a much stronger director than Andrew Adamson. Only Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia (3 years after the last film), this time with their annoying cousin Eustace, played by Will Poulter (Son of Rambow). Ben Barnes also returns as King Caspian as does Liam Neeson as the voice of Azlan.

Tron Legacy (Dec. 17) - ”It’s just a game!” ”Not anymore.” Disney surprised a ton of people when they busted out a trailer for a Tron sequel at the 2008 Comic-Con. They brought it back a year later in gorgeous 3D. Jeff Bridges returns as Flynn who has been living a Howard Hughes-style life inside the game. Bruce Boxleitner will be back as well joined by new characters played by Garrett Hedland (Flynn’s Son, Sam), Olivia Wilde, and Michael Sheen. Daft Punk will compose the score.

The Mechanic - The original film starred Charles Bronson as a veteran hitman who takes on an apprentice in future Airwolf star Jan-Michael Vincent. The remake casts Jason Statham in the Bronson role and Ben Foster as the rookie. I'm assuming Donald Sutherland is playing the Keenan Wynn role, but I couldn't say for sure. I don't know that much about the remake other than Simon West, the poor man's Michael Bay, is directing.

Will's Most Anticipated Films of 2010: Part 1 - Comic Book Movies

2010-01-07T03:46:31Z

I'll begin posting my annual year-end awards this weekend, followed by my Top 25 films of the year and Top 100 films of the decade. Until then, I'll be looking ahead into the future for what's to come in 2010.

The Losers (Apr. 9) – The original Losers were a team of elite WWII commandos who originally appeared in DC Comics’ Our Fighting Forces war series. The film is based off the 2003 version re-imagined by DC’s Vertigo imprint as a black ops team betrayed by the CIA. Known mostly for his role on Grey’s Anatomy and romantic comedies like P.S. I Love You, Jeffrey Dean Morgan surprised a lot of folks for his portrayal of the brutal vigilante, The Comedian, in DC’s Watchmen film. Morgan is an excellent choice to play team leader Col. Clay. He’ll be backed up by Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Columbus Short, Oscar Jaenada, and Zoe Saldana as the ass-kicking loose cannon Aisha. Jason Patric will play the Machiavellian mastermind behind the scenes. Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Rundown, HancockBarbershop, Fantastic Four) then into the hands of current director Sylvain White. White’s previous credit was the dance flick Stomp the Yard so it remains to be seen how adept he is at handling the action scenes.

Kick-Ass (Apr. 16) – I can’t fly, but I can kick your ass. Mark Millar co-created Wanted which was loosely (very loosely) adapted into a feature-length film, but the movie version of his Kick-Ass comic looks to be much more faithful. The comic was hilarious and unrepentantly violent in its portrayal of what would happen if ordinary folks actually did dress up in costumes to fight crime. The lead character is an analogue of Peter Parker minus the scientific smarts and the radioactive spider powers. Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) believed in the picture so much, he raised the finances himself after studios balked at the violent content. The supporting cast is bolstered by Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes) as mob boss Frank D’Amico, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) as wannabe Red Mist, and Nicolas Cage and 12 year-old Chloe Moretz as the father-daughter team of Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. Kick-Ass got the biggest reaction from crowds at Comic-Con next to Iron Man 2 which was enough to get the film a distribution deal with Lionsgate.

Here’s the teaser trailer and a Red Band Trailer focusing on Hit-Girl. And here’s a clip of Nic Cage and Chloe Moretz which will probably get parental groups in an uproar

Iron Man 2 (May 7) – My most anticipated movie of the New Year is Iron Man 2. The first flick was a surprise smash hit and set the foundation for Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are back while Don Cheadle steps into the shoes of James Rhodes after a much-publicized ousting of Terrence Howard. As seen in the trailer, Rhodey finally dons the War Machine armor much to the pleasure of fanboys worldwide. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury gets a larger role in the sequel after making a quick cameo in a post-credits scene. Throw in Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, Sam Rockwell as rival industrialist Justin Hammer, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, and Kate Mara as Bethany Cabe. Here’s the Trailer.

Jonah Hex (June 18) – I love Westerns so I’m excited to see Warner tapping into DC’s Western characters with Jonah Hex. Jonah Hex was a scarred bounty hunter and former confederate soldier who was raised by Apaches. After years of adventures in the Old West, DC revamped Hex and sent him into the future. Vertigo revamped him again by adding a supernatural bent. A few years back, writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray launched a critically-acclaimed new Jonah Hex series. The first six issues were the best with artwork by Luke Ross who drew Hex as a young Clint Eastwood. Clint won’t be in the movie, but Josh Brolin is with the mannequin-esque Megan Fox cast as a prostitute. John Malkovich will play archenemy Quentin Turnbull with Michael Fassbender (who’s been on fire thanks to Hunger and Inglourious Basterds) as his henchman. Michael Shannon and Will Arnett are also in the movie. The script was written by Neveldine/Taylor, the team behind the Crank films and took inspiration from the Vertigo stories. Supposedly, the plot involved Hex battling zombiefied Civil War soldiers. Neveldine/Taylor were originally attached to direct before being ousted in favor of Jimmy Hayward whose only previous directing credit is Horton Hears a Who. The footage screened at Comic-Con looked all right, but we’ll have to wait and see…

Priest (Aug. 27) – Speaking of comic book Westerns…Paul Bettany and director Scott Stewart worked together on Legion which comes out in a couple weeks. They’ve also got another film coming out this summer in Priest loosely based on a South Korean comic by Hyung Min-woo. Bettany plays the nameless Priest who must save his niece from a clan of vampires led in a post-apocalyptic future. Karl Urban plays the vampire leader and Maggie Q is a fellow vampire hunter. Christopher Plummer, Cam Gigandet, Madchen Amick, and Brad Dourif are also in the cast.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (August) – Based on the comic series by Bryan O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim is an aspiring musician in Toronto who meets a beautiful girl named Ramona Flowers. However, in order to date her, he must defeat Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in single combat. The comics are heavily influenced by video games and manga. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) has assembled a fantastic young cast that includes Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona. Her evil exes include Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, and Arrested Development’s Mae Whitman. That’s right. It’s George-Michael Bluth versus the Human Torch, Superman, Max Fischer, and Ann Veal, among others. You’ve also got Kieran Culkin, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza.

Wright is apparently mixing in various techniques like wire-fu and animation to achieve a unique looking movie. Schwartzman, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and Jason Reitman have seen footage and all have them have raved about it. This could be a sleeper hit even if Michael Cera winds up doing his usual Michael Cera shtick.

Red (Oct. 22) – Similar in concept to The Losers, Red is based on a 3-issue mini-series about a retired CIA agent who is targeted for assassination by his former employers. Robert Schwentke (Flightplan, The Time Traveler’s Wife) handles directorial duties and the script was written by Erich and Jon Hoeber who were two of the screenwriters for another comic book adaptation Whiteout. I’m not so buzzed about their involvement than I am about the stellar actors gathered together. So far, you’ve got Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, John C. Reilly, Julian McMahon, Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine (!!!), and Richard Dreyfus. Writer Warren Ellis seems happy about the way things are proceeding and says the best thing about Red will be “Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle.” That’s according to this post on his blog.

The Green Hornet (Dec. 22) – The Green Hornet isn’t really a comic book character though he has been featured in numerous comics. He got his start as a radio program in the 1930’s and was co-created by Fran Striker who also created The Lone Ranger. In fact, the Hornet is actually the Ranger’s great-nephew, but since Disney owns the rights to the latter that connection won’t be found in the film. Van Williams later starred as the Green Hornet on the 1960’s TV series which famously featured Bruce Lee as kung fu fighting sidekick, Kato.

Fanboys were puzzled when it was announced Seth Rogen would star in the long in development Green Hornet film. Rogen will play Britt Reid, a millionaire playboy who dons a green mask and suit to fight crime. Rogen has also co-written the script with Superbad co-writer Evan Goldberg. Green Hornet has had a lot of problems getting started. Kevin Smith was attached to write and direct years ago and hinted that Jake Gyllenhaal would have been his pick to star. Smith left the project and it languished in limbo before Rogen came onboard. His dream choice of Stephen Chow as Kato came to fruition with Chow eventually announced to direct. Things seemed to be gathering steam before Chow dropped out entirely and Nic Cage bowed out as the villain. On the positive side, Michel Gondry has stepped into the director’s seat, Jay Chou (Curse of the Golden Flower) is now Kato, and Christoph Waltz (fresh off Inglourious Basterds) will play the bad guy. Cameron Diaz is in as the Green Hornet’s Lois Lane and Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Furlong, and Edward James Olmos are in as well.

My main interest in Green Hornet was Stephen Chow as Kato and that went when he went. Gondry is an interesting choice to direct a big-budget action film, but it remains to be seen if Rogen can be taken seriously in the lead. They will likely debut footage at this summer’s Comic-Con so we’ll have to wait until then to pass judgment.

Cinema 2009

2009-12-25T21:22:43Z

A fantastic look back at the year in movies. Both good and bad.

Home Alone: Retribution

2009-12-24T09:16:47Z

Merry Christmas, you filthy animal. And a Happy New Year.

Coming Soon

2009-12-23T10:02:56Z

I haven't been posting as much content as I'd like to. I've just been crazy busy these last couple months. My New Year's Resolution is to make more time for writing, whether that be reviews, blogs, or scripts. I do plan on returning to the Watchmen annotations and the DCAU Project.

I will be posting my annual year-end awards within a few weeks which will culminate in my Top 25 Films of the Year list. Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, all the usual categories along with a few unique ones of my own. I'm shooting for around January 10 as I have a few more films to catch. I still want to see Avatar, Precious, and Invictus, to name a few. Plus, I'm really hoping Crazy Heart and A Single Man will open in San Diego soon.

EDIT: Okay, I did what I should have done before and just checked online. DUH! Crazy Heart doesn't open until Jan. 8, but Single Man will start playing this weekend. Sweetness.

Just to give you a preview, Star Trek, Inglourious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, and Up in the Air are pretty much a lock for my Top 10. Animation is going to be well-represented this year. On the flipside, I slacked off on documentaries.

In addition, I'll be celebrating 2010 by posting a Top 100 Films of the Decade list. That's going to be a fun beast to tackle. So stay tuned.

Iron Man 2

2009-12-17T09:44:35Z

Aww...yeah! The first trailer is now online.

Some Comic-Con footage mixed in with new scenes like Mickey Rourke slicing Tony's race car in half. Plus, Iron Man and War Machine fighting an army of armored suits. I twittered that they were upgraded Iron Mongers, but they look more like a mish-mash of the Monger and Crimson Dynamo designs which makes sense since Mickey Rourke's character is supposed to be a composite of Whiplash and the Dynamo.

You can watch a higher quality version at Apple Trailers.

In further Marvel movie news, X-Men might get good again as Bryan Singer returns to the franchise. He'll direct the upcoming X-Men: First Class.

Not to be outdone, here's some more trailer goodness...

Clash of the Titans...RELEASE THE KRAKEN~!

Alice in Wonderland...Tim Burton's pseudo-sequel.

And here's the first trailer for Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. Meh...

Why, Jackie, Why?

2009-11-23T22:01:23Z

Proof that Jackie Chan has taken one too many hits to the head.

It's bad enough he's basically remaking The Pacifier, but now he's co-starring with George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus...

On a more positive note, The Film Geek Blog is back in business. I've been crazy busy and I got sick awhile back so I've been way behind on movie reviews. I seriously stood next to a girl at work who turned out to have the H1N1, luckily I didn't catch it. Anyways, I'm back to writing reviews and I should get caught over Thanksgiving break. With any luck, I should be posting a review each day for the next month or so. And maybe, just maybe, Christmas break will allow me to get in a little screenwriting. But, don't get your hopes up.

I am Kick-Ass

2009-11-12T09:09:36Z

I know Iron Man 2 will be the king of comic book movies next year and I'm anxiously looking forward to it, but I'm also really excited about Kick-Ass. Despite the constant lateness, the comic has been one of the best I've read in years and the movie looks good.

Trailer is online over at MySpace.

Also online is the first teaser for the new Clash of the Titans. I'm always up for a good hack-and-slash, sword-and-sandals flick and Sam Worthington is quickly becoming the action hero-du-jour. Plus, you've got Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and Danny Huston as Poseidon which makes for one awesome pantheon of gods.

Some people call me a space cowboy...

2009-10-27T18:23:15Z

I miss you Firefly.

Rifftrax - Transformers Edition

2009-10-25T07:09:59Z

Ah...the only way to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with RiffTrax.

Scream Awards 2009

2009-10-18T22:30:18Z

Attended Spike TV's taping of this year's Scream Awards at the Greek Theater in L.A. Here are some pics from the red carpet:

Kate Vernon, aka Ellen Tigh of Battlestar Galactica

Christina Ricci

Karl Urban

Disappointed this was the best shot I could get of Keith Richards

Eli Roth is a Basterd

Grace Park, FTW

More pics here and quick report over at DVD Town.

The Expendables

2009-10-14T08:20:43Z

I'm excited about this movie and all, but this is such a shitty trailer. It makes the film look like a direct to video crapfest. In any event, I don't know if theaters can handle the sheer presence of so much manly manness. We've got Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture vs. David Zayas from Oz and Dexter, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. And because there wasn't enough testoserone, they threw in Mickey Rourke. Plus, Arnold is supposed to be making a cameo appearance in a scene with Stallone AND Bruce Willis. Shit, this movie will surely cause me to soil my pants with multiple bodily fluids.

Welcome to Zombieland

2009-10-12T01:18:59Z

If any of you turkeys still haven't seen Zombieland, here's the first four minutes of the flick, including the awesome opening credit sequences. Don't know how long it'll stay online so hurry up if you want to know the rules for surviving in Zombieland.

Long Beach Comic-Con

2009-10-09T07:54:31Z

A belated post, but a post nonetheless.

My shoulder hurt, my back was sore, and my feet were killing me. That's right, I was at a comic book convention. I hit up the first annual Long Beach Comic-Con this past Saturday. I should note that the LBCC has no relation to the more renowned San Diego Comic-Con. Most conventions are re-branding themselves as "Comic-Con" to capitalize on the success of San Diego's.

The main reason I attended was to do all the things I used to be able to do at SDCC before it became such a massive endeavor. Walk around the exhibit hall without feeling like a sardine, get my comics signed, gawk at D-list celebrities, and (most importantly) not have to deal with Twilight fans.

I was also hoping for better luck than the last time I visited the Long Beach Convention Center. This was back in 2004 when Wizard Magazine held the first Wizard World L.A. It was Spring Break and I bought a 3-day pass, looking forward to geeking out. Only I got crazy sick the night before. I was in a germ-induced daze and hardly remember even driving myself to Long Beach. I stumbled through the con for less than an hour (most of that time was spent sitting at a picnic table with my head down) before cutting my losses and heading home. I did get some comics signed by George Perez so it wasn't a total fail.

The set-up was pretty old school. No crazy, super expensive multimedia extravaganzas, just tables with toys, comics, and other cool crap on them. Only Nintendo had anything fancy with a carpeted area where people could play Wii and DS games. Best of all, Artists' Alley was placed in the center of the hall whereas SDCC has kind of shoved it off into a corner like it was an ugly stepchild. The main floor was miniscule compared to San Diego. You could walk the hall at SDCC for days and still not see everything while it only took me 15 minutes to walk LBCC and see all the booths. Also, the Long Beach Convention Center is kind of a dump. Sorry, Long Beachers.

I got some books signed by Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, but missed out on a few others like J. Scott Campbell because the lines were too long (which was something I wanted to avoid.) Other comic professionals in attendance included: Stan Lee, Marc Andreyko, Philip Tan, Scott Williams, Peter Tomasi, Jeph Loeb and Norm Rapmund. I did see Seth Green and Kevin Grevioux from Underworld (the man has an insanely deep voice) scoping out the Con. Thomas Jane was there, and just like at SDCC, he was walking around barefoot and chomping on a cigar. I don't think he pissed on the side of a hotel this time.

I hope the convention lasts and expands as a nice alternative to the hustle/bustle of the increasingly Hollywood-centric SDCC. I would like to see a deeper involvement next year from the major comic book companies.

After a brief hiatus, Wizard is bringing back Wizard World L.A., rechristened as the Anaheim Comic-Con, taking place April 16-18. Eliza Dushku will be there and as primary Eliza Dushku Stalker, you know I'll be there.

I didn't really take that many pictures, but here's a sampling:

More pics available on Flickr.

Whoo!

2009-09-28T07:23:58Z

I know Naitch has 3 ex-wives and all, but...jeez...is he this hard up for money? Well...at least it's for a good cause. Whoo!

Comic Book Picks of the Week #38

2009-09-27T01:47:54Z

Made a rare stop at ye olde comic shoppe this week and picked up a couple things.

Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1 (Marvel)

Ah, one of the reasons why I gave up comics: perpetual lateness. The conclusion to "Old Man Logan" finally hits stores so late that they skipped ahead in the Wolverine series and printed this as a separate issue. Unlike the insanely late Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine, this was worth the wait. After a hellish journey through a supervillain-controlled America, Logan has witnessed the death of his friend Hawkeye, battled the Red Skull (now self-declared President), and relived the tragic circumstances surrounding his retirement from superheroing. He returns home with the money to save his farm only to find his wife and children murdered by the Hulk Gang. Now, it's adamantium ass-kicking time. Wolverine proves why he's the best there is at what he does when he carves his way through an insane Bruce Banner and his inbred gamma-powered offspring.

Kick-Ass #7 (Marvel/Icon)

Also from Mark Millar is the penultimate chapter of Kick-Ass and if you thought the rest of the series was bloody, this one gets really nasty. The Red Mist betrays Kick-Ass while the mob beats the crap out of Big Daddy and shoot Hit-Girl out a window. That's only the beginning when Kick-Ass gets his testicles hooked to a car battery.

Blackest Night #3 (DC)

After the disappointment of Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, DC renews my faith with one of the best crossover events I've read in years. Black rings swarm the planet like locusts and bring the dead back to life to rip the hearts out of the living. The recently resurrected Barry Allen and Hal Jordan battle their former friends now in the form of a Black Lantern Justice League, including the recently murdered Hawkman and Hawkgirl. In space, the Black Lanterns show no mercy to ringbearers of any color. Even the ancillary titles are good reads...

Blackest Night: Batman - Gotham City is under siege by a group of resurrected Bat-villains. The new Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne) along with Tim Drake (now Red Robin), Commissioner Gordon, and Barbara Gordon barely escape with their lives when the dead parents of Dick and Tim return as Black Lanterns.

Blackest Night: Superman - Supergirl's father, Zor-El, attacks New Krypton while Superman and Kon-El try to save Smallville from the Earth-2 Superman and Lois Lane as the Psycho-Pirate forces the citizens to tear each other apart.

Blackest Night: Titans - Black Lanterns Terra and Omen begin the assault on Titans Tower as a resurrected Hank Hall murders the new Hawk, Holly Granger, right in front of Dove's eyes. And things get really messed up when Donna Troy meets the Black Lantern version of her dead son.

I have mastered this internet...

2009-09-21T09:45:30Z

Dr. Horrible rules it at the Emmys. Glad they didn't forget about Moist.

And here we go...

2009-09-19T23:37:05Z

After sitting out the format war and waiting until the dust settled, I finally decided to go Blu-Ray. The recent release of the PS3 Slim was the main factor in my choice to finally pull the trigger. I ordered it Labor Day weekend off Amazon and it finally arrived this Tuesday. No shipping or sales tax so with the extra cash I saved, I also ordered HDMI cables and the Blu-Ray remote.

I researched a lot of standalone models, but I felt the PS3's internet capabilities and hard drive were essential in order to keep the player constantly upgraded. I'd hate to drop a couple hundred on a BD player and see it become obsolete after a couple months. The first thing I did was update to Profile 3, quick and painless.

Naturally, the first Blu-Ray I bought was The Dark Knight. I also bought the Skynet Edition of Terminator 2. I already own the Ultimate and Extreme Editions so this is the 3rd time I've bought the film on disc, but considering it's one of my favorite films ever, I have no problem with this. Video and audio quality is exceptional. I love all the little things like accessing the menu without stopping the movie. I wound up also buying Crank 2, Terminator 3 (10 bucks!), and Wolverine. I also bought The International on sale at Fry's mainly so I could watch the Guggenheim shootout in high definition. I'm so impressed with how awesome these movies looked, I went ahead and ordered The Assassination of Jesse James and a few other titles. Damn, this format is addictive.

I've also received Blu-Rays of Takashi Miike's Audition from Shout! and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies from Warner Brothers for review over at DVD Town. These will be my first Blu-Ray reviews ever. I watched the latter this afternoon and it looks gorgeous. If any genre lent itself to Blu-Ray, it's animation. I can't wait to upgrade all my Pixar titles and I'm excited to see the picture quality on Disney's upcoming Diamond Collection line.

As an added bonus, the PS3 does a splendid job in upconverting standard DVDs so the video quality is much improved over my regular DVD player. The only nitpicks I have with the PS3 Slim is that its loading time is a bit slow. According to reviews, it's actually slower than the previous PS3 models. You won't be able to play PS2 games either. I'm not even much of a gamer these days. I remember getting Lego Star Wars: The Original Trilogy for my Gamecube as an X-Mas gift a few years ago and I STILL haven't unwrapped the damn thing. That doesn't mean I won't be playing games, but the PS3 is much more of a multimedia center than a mere video game system.

Knowing my luck, now that I've finally gone Blu-Ray someone probably already invented the next format, like 3D holographic projection suppositories or something.

Pity the fool...

2009-09-07T19:01:33Z

So it's official, according to Get the Big Picture. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is playing B.A. Baracus in the new A-Team movie directed by Joe Carnahan. He's filming right now and the movie is set for release in mid-June. Weird thing is, the roster isn't complete. Liam Neeson is Hannibal and Bradley Cooper is Face, but no word on who will play "Howling Mad" Murdock. Woody Harrelson was John Singleton's first choice when they was attached to direct. Me? I'm pulling for Bill Hader.

Me likey this...

2009-09-07T07:08:50Z

Variety is reporting Gina Carano will star in a spy thriller to be directed by Steven Soderbergh from a script by Lem Dobbs who wrote The Limey (an awesome flick). The movie is described as a straight up actioner and a cousin to La Femme Nikita and Kill Bill.

Luck hasn't been on her side in the past few months. EliteXC went under, American Gladiators was cancelled, and she suffered her first MMA loss against Cyborg. But, this sounds cool. Can she act? Probably not, but who cares...I want to see Gina kick ass and blow shit up. Blow shit up real good.

Toybox #11 - The Wonder Twins

2009-09-06T07:31:04Z

Ah, the Wonder Twins. These super-powered teenagers from the planet Exor have been the butt of many jokes. Originally introduced on the Superfriends cartoon, the Twins have wormed their way into pop culture thanks to their battle cry of, “Wonder Twin Powers activate!” Along with their pet monkey, Gleek, the Wonder Twins were the teen sidekicks to the Superfriends and made Robin feel just a bit less worthless than normal. Mattel announced they would sell a Wonder Twins 2-pack at Comic-Con and later Mattycollector. However, they riled up thousands of fanboys into a pitchfork and torch-wielding frenzy when they stated Gleek would ONLY be available at Comic-Con. I won’t go into the mess I now refer to as Gleekgate. Suffice to say, it was a pain in the ass that I was lucky to avoid.

Packaging - ****
Mattel usually goes the extra mile when it comes to the packaging for their convention exclusives. Their JLU Solomon Grundy a few years back came in a vibrating box while their albino Man-Bat would screech when the panels were opened. They stepped it up to another level with the Wonder Twins. First, the figures are housed in a basic white box with the DC Universe logo. Open that up and you’ll find a pentagon-like box in the standard DCUC orange color with a Wonder Twins shield insignia on top. There’s a plastic slipcover around the package with Wonder Twins stamped on it in a Superfriends-style font.

Pull the slipcover off and you’ll find Zan on one side and his sister, Jayna, on the other. Here’s the cool part: the box can fold together so the Twins can touch fists. When that happens the box lights up and says, ”Wonder Twin powers activate…shape of an eagle…form of a bucket of water…let’s save those kids…I’m with you, Wonder Brother!”

Gleek is NOT packaged with the Twins. He comes separately in a polybag and was (supposed to be) given out 1 for every set of Twins purchased at the Con.

Sculpting & Paint - *** 1/2
Four Horsemen sculpting powers activate! Mattel’s star sculpting team once again gives fanboys another set of awesome figures. These toys capture the classic look of the Wonder Twins while giving them something of a modern, updated look. Created in the 70’s, the Wonder Twins still retain the basic goofiness of that era right down to the high collars and hairstyles. Zan has a Beatles-style mop top while Jayna has a pointy beehive ‘do. Looking at Zan, Mattel could pretty easily re-use that collared body for Earth-2 Robin. Zan uses the basic male body while Jayna uses a smaller female body that could be the same as Supergirl’s. Not sure, they appear to be the same size. She’s definitely smaller than Starfire. There is something about the Twins’ smiling faces that seem a bit unsettling. It’s as if they were staring into my very soul.

The paint is clean all around with just a bit of the yellow on their belt buckles and boot trim that bleeds with the dark blue around it.

Gleek is spot on. There’s a little bit of texture sculpted onto Gleek’s arms, legs, and neck to simulate his fur. He’s got the bent legged look that was the Horsemen’s signature in the old He-Man and DC Superheroes line.

Articulation - ***, Gleek - * 1/2
Basic DCUC articulation. The arms have joints in the shoulder, upper arm, elbow and wrist. The legs are connected to the hip with side-to-side and back & forth joints along with joints at the knees and ankles with a cut at the thighs. There’s also a joint in the midsection and neck cut.

Gleek only has articulation at the shoulders and neck.

Accessories - ***
The Wonder Twins come with Zan in bucket of water form as well as an eagle for Jayna’s animal form. Mattel seems to love that damn eagle because they’re also using it for their Masters of the Universe Classics line and it’ll be packaged with the Wave 10 Beast Boy. I’m also counting Gleek and the box as accessories.

Value - **
I’m giving it a two-star rating based on the original retail price of $40.00. That’s basically one Andrew Jackson for each Wonder Twin though you do get the added value of the tricked out box. Gleek was supposed to be a limited-edition gift given away for free at Comic-Con. Again, I won’t go into the mess at Mattel’s Comic-Con store, but it was a clusterfuck. I didn’t even bother to wait in line and bought the set off eBay through Buy It Now for $60. Considering the ridiculous prices Gleek ALONE went for on the Bay, I got them for a bargain. I may have paid an extra twenty bucks, but at least I didn’t have to deal with any headaches or waste hours and hours of precious time. At that price, I’d knock down the rating by a star. I love the Wonder Twins, but I don’t 60 bucks love them.

Gleek was gone by Friday while the Wonder Twins sold out Saturday at the Con. Even without Gleek, the Twins still sold out on Mattycollector. So if you still want the set, you’ll have to go to the secondary market.

As a sidenote, It’s been a Superfriends summer for me. I bought three of the DVD sets at Big Lots back in July for $6 each and I got The Lost Episodes DVD a couple weeks back for review. You can read that write-up on DVD Town. These Wonder Twin figures compliment the DVDs just fine.

Toybox #10 - Buzz & Woody

2009-09-05T23:54:46Z

"To infinity and beyond!"

After 10 amazing films, it seems Pixar can do no wrong. Right now, they are on top of the animation world. Disney has practically given the keys to the Magic Kingdom to John Lasseter. Pixar will be returning to the property that put them on the map when they release Toy Story 3 next June in Digital 3D. As a preview, they will be re-releasing Toy Story and Toy Story 2 this October as a 3D double feature. Not to mention Toy Story merchandise has begun flooding retailers recently after a long absence from the shelves. There are so many toys in various shapes and sizes that it can be a daunting task to pick out the right one. The Disney Stores have their own exclusive line of figures while Target, Toys R Us, and Walmart have recently reset their toy aisles to include a Toy Story section with playthings by Mattel and Thinkway. I’ll discuss the differences later in the review, but if you’ve got the cash and the love for Toy Story then you want the super, deluxe versions from Thinkway. These are easy enough to spot…

Packaging - *****
I grade movies on a five-star scale, but I use a four-star scale for toys. However, for my new Woody and Buzz, I’m giving the packaging five-stars. Thinkway has put out a higher end line under the Toy Story Collection brand. These are essentially the toys Andy plays with in the films if they really existed. Well, they exist now. Buzz comes in the iconic spaceship box with ‘Buzz Lightyear’ logos on the front, sides, and top. The bottom of the box is designed to look like rocket thrusters. The back of the package describes all the cool features Buzz comes with and we even get the little picture of Buzz explaining who he is. ”I protect the galaxy from the threat of invasion from the Evil Emperor Zurg…” Even better, Buzz comes with a pair of sturdy cardboard wings that you can attach to the box to make it even more authentic.

Woody’s box isn’t as ostentatious. It’s a light blue box with a dark blue bottom and a big window to see Woody. There are Western style graphics around the package which is made to look like what Woody might have come in back in the 50’s. The ring to Woody’s pull string comes out the back so you can try him out.

There are two negatives to these otherwise beautifully designed boxes. One: the toys are a complete bitch to get out. Woody is held in by a shit-ton of twisty ties. Buzz also has a bunch of twisty ties keeping him trapped along with a zip tie and a plastic shell around his chest. Two: these boxes aren’t exactly collector friendly, Buzz’s more so. Finding a Woody in mint condition should be fairly easy, but the majority of the Buzz Lightyears I’ve seen have some dent or shelf wear. A few have been really bashed in. So those of you who are MOC collectors or who just want to keep the boxes for display will have to be really picky. Also, try to grab a figure in the back, one that hasn’t been played with in the store.

Sculpting & Paint - ****
Thinkway has basically given us movie replicas. They went straight to the source and used Pixar’s original designs. It was as if they reached right into their computers and pulled them out. They are in exact scale to the dimensions they would be if the toys existed in real life. Buzz stands at 12 inches while Woody is 16 inches tall. Woody has a real nice flesh tone to his face with a subtle pink to give him a pair of rosy cheeks. The browns for his eyes and hair are just right. His cowboy boots are made of a semi-hard plastic and have a cactus etched in on both sides. His outfit is great too. There’s a nice texture to his shirt and jeans. Woody’s vest is sewed onto his shirt and his sheriff’s star is sewed onto that. He’s even got his bandana around his neck.

Buzz is f’n incredible. His spacesuit is of a hard plastic and the sculpting on his face is perfect. His facial expression is pure Buzz with the raised eyebrow and the slight smirk on the end of his wide smile. Much like Woody, Buzz’s skin tone is just right and he has the same subtle rosy cheeks. Flip the panel open on his left arm and he has a decal for his wrist communicator. Thinkway released the original Talking Buzz when the first Toy Story was released and that toy created mayhem during the holidays. He was one of those hot in-demand items like Tickle-Me Elmo and another Pixar toy, the talking Boo from Monsters, Inc. I don’t have that Buzz, but I compared pictures of the two. The new Buzz is bulkier and a bit sleeker. The paint on his face is also better, lighter and more realistic.

Articulation - **
Buzz has articulated joints in his legs, shoulders, elbow, wrists, and fingers, but not his thumbs. He also has ratcheted joints in his lower torso, knees, and feet. These are more difficult to move, but the tightness makes it easier to pose him. This balances things out a as Buzz is a little back heavy due to his jetpack and wings. Buzz’s neck is articulated, but his head moves on its own. The shoulders don’t have full movement so you can’t put Buzz’s arms close to his body.

Woody’s head turns all the way around so you can recreate the Exorcist-esque scene from Toy Story. His wrists can also turn. However, Woody isn’t a traditional action figure; he’s much more of a soft doll.

Accessories - * 1/2
Buzz doesn’t come with any accessories unless you count his display box. Woody comes with his cowboy hat and a display stand with a base in the shape of a star. He does have a holster attached to his belt, but doesn’t come with a gun. Damn political correctness.

Extra Features - ****
Here’s where things get real good. Woody has a switch on his back to put him in ‘Play’ mode or demo (‘Try Me’) mode. The box proclaims Woody says 50 phrases in normal play mode and you don’t actually need to pull his string to hear them all. Woody has an interactive feature that allows him to react to the sound of your voice or other noise in the room. He can even sense when you’ve raised your voice. It doesn’t work quite as well as the materials seem to say, but it’s still cool. You can hear Woody say lines such as, ”Howdy, pardner! My name’s Sheriff Woody.”, ”Haha, boy, am I glad to see you!”, ”Reach for the sky.”, and, my personal favorite, ”There’s a snake in mah boots.” Maybe it’s just me, but some of the phrases don’t sound like they were done by Tom Hanks. Some have definitely been lifted straight from the movie, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they got a sound-a-like to fill out the 50.

As neat as Woody is, Buzz completely blows him out of the water. I guess that’s the point. Like I mentioned earlier, Buzz’s left arm has a flip panel to reveal a decal for his wrist communicator. His right arm has a laser (”It’s a little light that blinks!”) that can be activated by a red button that’s handily marked ‘Laser.’ Buzz’s wings have blinking lights on either end (one red, one green) and they can fold and retract into his jetpack. There’s a big red button on his chest that will pop them back out. His helmet also retracts. He’s got three oval buttons on the other side of his chest, blue, green, and red that switch between his different modes. Press the red button and that puts Buzz in Toy Mode. This is where Thinkway gets an additional gold star because of the tiny details that will please any die-hard toy collector. In Toy Mode, Buzz’s voice is on the tinny side and he says standard phrases such as, ”Buzz Lightyear to the rescue,” ”I protect the galaxy from the threat of invasion,” and “I come in peace.” Thinkway made Buzz sound exactly like your typical talking toy.

Now, hit the blue button and that puts Buzz in Interactive Mode. This is when Buzz "comes to life." He’ll turn his head automatically and say even more phrases in a voice much, much clearer and louder. Like Woody, he’ll respond to your voice and when he doesn’t hear anything for a while he’ll ask, ”Hello, are you still there?” He can even interact with himself. Flip the communicator and you get a little blip sound and Buzz will speak as if he’s trying to contact Star Command. Flip his helmet open and he’ll say, ”My eyeballs could have been sucked from their sockets!”, "The air isn't toxic..." or ”Ah, it’s good to breath planetary air again.” Flip it shut and he’ll say something like, “Switching to internal air supply.” Pop the wings out and he’ll make ‘whooshing’ sounds when you tip him to certain angles to simulate flying. Buzz is advertised as saying 65 phrases. I’ve been playing with him for a while and I haven’t heard all of them yet. Oh, the voice is unmistakably Tim Allen’s.

Value - *** 1/2
The Toy Story Collection Buzz and Woody have popped up at Target and Toys R Us at $49.99. Yes, 50 bucks is pretty steep, especially for Woody, but these are the most detailed and realistic Toy Story figures you’ll find. Again, these are Buzz and Woody as depicted in the films and are what Andy probably played with. As I mentioned earlier, these particular Buzz and Woody toys are easy to spot due to the unique packaging. They also have ‘Toy Story Collection’ stamped on the lower left corner of the boxes. Also available for the Toy Story Collection are a remote-controlled RC (for $80), a three-pack of aliens (for $30), and a bucket of green army men (for $15). Rex and Mr. Potato Head are coming soon.

If $50 is too much, Thinkway has also made cheaper, less elaborate talking figures for $34.99. Buzz, Woody, and Jessie are available in this price range. There are also a variety of action figures, mini-figures, and plush dolls made by both Thinkway and Mattel.

For me, Buzz was worth the fifty bucks though Woody would have been more palpable at $40. Still, these are worth every penny I spent. They’re fantastic toys. They look great for display, but made for play. Even older collectors will feel like kids again when they get their hands on these bad boys.

For more on the Toy Story Collection, you can visit Thinkway Toys' website.

These toys have also been given the stamp of approval by John Lasseter himself. You can view videos of Lasseter discussing the toyline on YouTube.

Toybox #9 - DCUC 2-Packs

2009-08-31T01:55:58Z

I’m back again with another quick look at the latest releases from the DC Universe Classics line. This time, I’m reviewing a pair of the newest 2-packs from the Mattel. The first is “Battle for Earth 3” with Alexander Luthor and Ultraman which is exclusive to Mattycollector.com. The second is “Clash in the Cosmos” with Superman and Brainiac which is available only at Toys R Us and several online retailers.

Packaging - ***
Like the single-packed figures, the 2-packs come on the orange cardbacks with large display windows perfect for those of you who like their figures still in the box. They’re easy to open and the figures are held inside their trays using clear bands instead of the dreaded twisty ties. The figures are pre-posed which is sometimes a problem as the positioning can warp the plastic. That’s what happened to my Alexander Luthor as his right leg is slightly bent. My Starfire suffered a similar fate.

Sculpting - ****
I’m giving them a full four stars across the board. As Superman’s evil twin from a parallel universe, Ultraman looks like the basic Superman figure with some minor tooling. He’s got a V-shaped collar with the ‘U’ insignia attached. His face looks a lot like a vampire version of the Man of Steel with slicked back hair, sharp teeth, and red eyes. He’s based on the classic look rather than the modern version. Luthor is basically Lex’s good twin and one of the few heroes in the evil Earth-3 universe. His costume is a bit hokey. There’s a lot of detail in his face with just a minor bit of wrinkling and the pirate-esque goatee.

The “Clash in the Cosmos” set has yet another rehash of Supes, this time with heat vision eyes. He’s the same Supes figure previously released, but minus the long hair. He’ll be available again with regular eyes in the Walmart exclusive 5-pack. Most folks will be picking this set up for the Brainiac figure in his classic costume. The character was released years ago for the DC Superheroes line back when Mattel only had the rights to Bats and Supes. That version was the robot incarnation famously used during the Super Powers era of Superfriends. The 2-pack version is the one from the Legion of Doom era of Superfriends. He’s wearing a purple, long-sleeved polo shirt, black shorty shorts, and white go-go boots, a rather odd uniform for a supervillain. Mattel only needs to release Cheetah and Toyman for fans to get the complete LOD line-up. A new Riddler in spandex would be a plus.

Paint - *** 1/2
I don’t have any paint issues with the figures I purchased. I know some folks have found Brainiac with sleeves that were either lighter or darker in color to his torso, but mine did not. There’s no slop or bleeding with the white areas of his outfit. The green of his skin is also perfectly done. Supes and Alexander Luthor both look great too. The skin tones on Ultraman’s fists are lighter than his head.

Articulation - *** ½
These are the usual highly articulated figures from Mattel. There aren’t any issues with joints that are stuck or loose nor does any part of their sculpting get in the way of the joints.

Accessories - *
Brainiac is the only one to come with an accessory. He’s armed with the same laser pistol that came with the DCSH Lex Luthor. Everybody else has bupkis.

Value - ***
Again, I love these figures and the prices haven’t gotten so high that I’m turned off the line. Luthor/Ultraman is only available on Mattycollector for $25.00. The cheapest shipping option would be just under $9 and if you live in Southern California, you’ll probably get your figures in no time as Mattel is based in El Segundo. So you’re looking at about $17 per figure which is a little pricey. I picked up the Supes/Brainiac set at TRU for $21.99 which is a much better price though I really only wanted Brainiac. I don’t mind having an extra Superman as I’ll use him as a Superman Robot with my one, true Kal-El. The Supes/Brainiac set is being shipped with Batman/Clayface set and those have been hitting TRU in good amounts.

Overall - *** ½
I just love the DCUC line. Brainiac is awesome and perfect for those of you trying to build the Legion of Doom. Ultraman and Luthor aren’t exactly must-haves, but they’re great figures and I for one definitely want figures of Ultraman’s comrades, the Crime Syndicate. Can we get Superman/Owlman and Johnny Quick/Power Ring 2-packs, Mattel?

The Mattycollector 2-packs go on sale every quarter. The first one, Adam Strange/Starfire, went on sale back in January and is still available. The Earth-3 set went up last month. The next 2 sets look to be even better as we’re getting Sinestro Corps members Romat-Ru & Karu-Sil in the fall and Animal Man/B’Wana Beast next winter.