I am so not digging this photo of Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman. Apparently, this is how the most prominent Amazon in the world will look in David E. Kelley’s pilot for NBC. Wonder Woman is supposed to be majestic. This is someone that can have normal conversations with gods, serve the world as a diplomat, and slow Darkseid down with a left hook. The picture reminds me of a stripper I saw at Crazy Horse 2 in Las Vegas.
What do you ladies and gents think of this interpretation of Wonder Woman? Cool and modern? Or skank stripper?
Things aren’t looking good for the next Wolverine movie. Director Darren Aronofsky has bailed on the film, claiming that the movie would have kept him away from his family for almost a year. Shooting was supposed to kick off in Japan, but that might not be possible considering the catastrophic events that have hit the country.
The movie is pretty much in limbo considering that it doesn’t have a director or a filming location. What do you think will happen to the Wolverine movie? Any suggestions for a director? Do you think the movie will be filmed in Japan? Or will it be relocated to Vancouver (a city that has played countless other cities)?
While I was at GDC 2011, I was surprised by this image of the Red Skull from the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger movie. The character looks a little ridiculous in the comics, but the movie version looks bad ass! I’m totally intimidated by the movie Red Skull. The only problem is that I know he’s being played by Hugo Weaving, so I’m going to impose Agent Smith and Elrond lines on him. It’ll be something like this:
Mr. Rogers. Why do you use that shield? Why?!? Is it nostalgia? Is it for a false sense of security? Tell me Mr. Rogers, why would an American insist on using something as archaic as a shield? Why?!?
Anyway, let me know what you think of the movie version of the Red Skull (please).
In my review of All-Star Superman, I mentioned that the disc comes with a teaser feature on Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Nathan Fillion takes the lead role as Hal Jordan. He’ll be accompanied by rocker/author Henry Rollins and WWE legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
I’m super psyched to hear Rollins as Kilowog. Once described by a thick Russian woman as “a most interesting warthog creature”, Kilowog has trained thousands of Green Lantern Corps members. While Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner have all the big adventures, a lot of readers view Kilowog as the backbone of the Corps. It was fun listening to Rollins talk about the character — he totally gets it and it looks he’ll do a knockout job.
Sadly, The Hot Rod was not in the feature. Who do you think he’ll play? Are any of psyched for Henry Rollins as Kilowog? On a related note, wouldn’t Nathan Fillion make a better Nathan Drake than Mark Wahlberg?
All-Star Superman has Kal-El tackling tremendous challenges, including the most daunting one of all — death. In the comics, Morrison used Superman’s powers to reestablish the fact that he’s the greatest hero in the DC Universe. He also did a masterful job at making him seem vulnerable, human, and interesting. That’s so hard to do with a character that’s mostly invulnerable and unbeatable, yet Morrison pulled it off in a way that feels natural and effortless.
Watching Superman deal with his impending doom is even more compelling than watching him accomplish marvelous feats. It’s great watching him reveal his identity to Lois Lane and spend a day courting her. It’s fun watching the various facets of Kal-El. There’s the heroic and beloved Superman. There’s the bumbling and clumsy Clark Kent facade. And, perhaps most importantly, there’s also the earnest, respectful, and kind-hearted Clark Kent that was the product of a wholesome upbringing in Smallville. Morrison makes all three facets of the character distinct, yet harmonious.
Obviously it was impossible to include the events of all 12 issues in a 75-minute movie, but this a great adaptation that’s true to the tone of the source. Throughout the movie I felt amazed by Superman’s heroics, touched by his interactions with the woman he loves and his mortal enemy, and moved by the way he dealt with death. Sure, there were some details and arcs that were left out, but I was more than satisfied with Dwayne McDuffie’s adaptation of Morrison’s books.
The same goes for the animated interpretation of Frank Quitely’s art. Quitely’s illustrations are so distinct and unique. The animators did a good job at recreating the tone of his art. Again, a lot of details and intricacies were left out, but that was completely expected. A stricter translation could have been done, but that would have required a lot more time and money.
While the story and art are not quite as great as the comics, they’re very good and truly brought to life by Christopher Drake’s excellent score. I’ve enjoyed his work in past DC animated features, but this is his best yet. His music helps deliver the bright sense of optimism you’re supposed to get from watching Superman and imagining you’re in Metropolis. More importantly, the music helps replace some of what was lost in translation from print to animation.
As an added bonus, there are commentary tracks, a couple of Superman: The Animated Series episodes, and a feature on the upcoming Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. As a huge Green Lantern mark, I was thrilled to learn more about this upcoming animated movie. As far as teaser features go, it worked. I’m totally amped for Emerald Knights.
I highly recommend All-Star Superman. It’s not quite as good as Batman: Under the Red Hood, but it’s very close. If you have any questions about the movie, leave ’em in the comments section and I’ll answer ’em.
A few weeks ago I snagged a copy of Marvel Knights: Black Panther, a collaboration between Marvel Knights Animation and BET. I’m a fan of the character and the comics, so I was definitely curious about the DVD. However, I went into it apprehensively since it was released as a web show in 2010 with little fanfare. I was pleasantly surprised by the DVD; it’s unique, violent, well acted, and true to the comics. Here are some random thoughts on Marvel Knights: Black Panther.
Good: The art style is fantastic. Most of the scenes are only partially animated, which gives the series a motion-comic feel. A skeptic would say that this was done to save time and money, but the effect is used so well that I’m giving the creators the artistic benefit of the doubt. Additionally, the use of colors gives each location a unique feel. By switching up the color palettes, Wakanda, Egypt, Washington D.C., etc. have distinct looks. I love what the artists and animators did with the series — very cool stuff.
Good: The story is true to the comics, with only a handful of changes. This isn’t surprising since former BET president and Black Panther writer Reginald Hudlin developed the project. The most noticeable difference is switching out Rhino for the Juggernaut. Obviously Rhino makes much more sense as a villain in Africa, but I’m going to hazard a guess that there was a licensing issue. If you’ve read the Black Panther comics then you’ll be satisfied with this adaptation.
Bad: My only major complain about the series is its opening theme song. Composed by Stephen James Taylor, the song is based on the Bantu language and meant to be in the Wakandan language. It doesn’t work. At best, it’s a little silly. At worst, it’s gratingly annoying.
Good: The voice acting is top notch. Djimon Hounsou is fantastic as T’Challa/Black Panther. Hell, I can even see him playing the role in a live-action movie. Alfre Woodard and Kerry Washington are also excellent. Marvel fanboys will love Stan Lee’s brief role as General Wallace. The direction and acting are among the best in an animated series based on a comic book.
Good: Those of you that love gritty action and violence will dig this series. It doesn’t pull any punches. You’ll notice that after seeing the first decapitated head mounted on a spear.
Bottom Line: Black Panther isn’t the most popular character in Marvel Comics, but he’s one of the most important ones. Due to advancements in technology and large deposits of vibranium, Wakanda is one of the most important countries in Marvel’s version of Earth. I’m thrilled that the Black Panther series has been released on DVD. If you’re into the character or want to enjoy a unique animated series, I recommend buying it.
This morning I was sad to learn (via my friend Shane) that Wizard magazine has shut down. As a comic-book nerd, I loved reading Wizard. It was a great way to keep up with what’s now and what’s new in comics. I especially appreciated it during times I couldn’t afford to buy all the comics I wanted to read. Sadly, this excellent magazine is no more.
Warner Bros. has announced that the absolutely delicious Anne Hathaway will play Catwoman (Selina Kyle) in The Dark Knight Rises. In less sexy news, Tom Hardy has been confirmed as Bane. As much as I enjoyed the Bane character in the comic books, I rather look at some Anne Hathaway pictures and discuss her playing Catwoman. I have all sorts of naughty thoughts in my head of her purring while crawling on all fours. Raaawwwwrrrr!!!
Andrew Garfield is enjoying his time working on the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Well duh! Who wouldn’t enjoy getting paid millions of dollars to play around in a Spider-Man costume and make out with Emma Stone?!? People caught up with The Social Network actor to get his thoughts on the experience. Regarding trying on the costume for the first time he said:
It was humbling and strange, and I was really moved by it. It felt right. It felt wrong. Kind of all of the above. It was just a strange, surreal moment.
As for working with Emma Stone, who plays Peter Parker’s love interest Gwen Stacy, Garfield said:
She’s just an incredible actress, and she’s one of the most spirited people I’ve ever met and just incredible fun to be around generally. On top of which, she’s beautiful and talented and kind of impossible to dream up.
I like Andrew Garfield…but jealousy issues will probably have me hating him in a few months. Lucky bastard.
