Comics Archives - Page 7 of 30

Coffee Talk #638: The Case Against Dwayne Johnson as Shazam

In a recent interview with Total Film (embedded below for your convenience), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave some hints on a character he’ll be playing in an upcoming movie. The artist formerly known as Rocky Maivia said that he’ll be playing someone with “the power of Superman” and also gave the telling hint of, “Just say the word.” The latter bit has many people speculating that The Rock will be playing Shazam (known for decades as Captain Marvel). For those of you unfamiliar with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was originally a Fawcett Comics character and was added to the DC Universe when the latter company bought the former. Captain Marvel/Shazam summons his powers by saying, “Shazam!” Today’s column is about why The Rock isn’t necessarily playing Shazam, but if that ends up being the case, why it’s a bad choice.

For years, DC fanboys have been clamoring for The Rock to play another character from Shazam’s world: Black Adam. A longtime villain of Captain Marvel/Shazam and more recently a popular DC Comics antihero, Black Adam also has a power set similar to Superman’s and summons his powers by saying, “Shazam!” Everything The Rock said in the Total Film interview applies to Black Adam as much as it does to Captain Marvel/Shazam. If you watch the interview below then you’ll notice that The Rock never said the words “hero” or “superhero” when describing the character. That gives me some hope that he’ll playing Black Adam rather than Captain Marvel/Shazam.

While I’m a big fan of The Rock, I think he’s all wrong for Captain Marvel/Shazam. The essence of the character is that he has the body of a supremely powerful being, with the heart and soul of a pure and innocent child (though his New 52 incarnation gives him the heart and soul of a childish prick). While The Rock is great at comedies and could pull off some gags based on the character’s duality, portraying innocence and purity aren’t his strengths.

Black Adam is a much better choice for The Rock. He’s an angrier character. He has a code of honor, but if you piss him off, he’ll obliterate you. The Rock would excel in this role. He would be fantastic as an antihero that’s equal parts nobility and ferocity. Plus, The Rock already has Black Adam’s receding hairline (bonus for the makeup department!). Black Adam is just a much better fit for what The Rock is cooking.

It’s largely expected that DC Comics and The Rock will be announcing the movie at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 this week. While it wouldn’t surprise me to see The Rock announced as Captain Marvel/Shazam, I’m holding out hope that he’ll be cast as Black Adam. He’s a more interesting character that plays better to The Rock’s strengths as an actor. I rather see him relentlessly kicking ass as Black Adam than having morality conundrums as Captain Marvel/Shazam. Plus, I had this nightmarish vision that a producer would (force) cast Jaden Smith as the hero’s alter ego, Billy Batson. The kid sucks and needs to stop acting.

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Rock’s DC Comics movie rumors. Would you rather see him play Black Adam or Captain Marvel/Shazam. Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, The Rock’s mastery at “jacking it,” the Los Angeles Clippers’ legal drama, or wanting to punch people that call Lady Gaga fat, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Peter Quill Has a Plan (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Here’s an extended clip of the “I have a plan” scene from the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. In the last trailer, the clip was spliced up. This video shows more of it and gives you a better idea of the team’s dynamics. Aside from (the glorious) Groot, everyone gets more time to shine in this video. More context is added too. To my surprise, Dave Batista had more lines without sucking more. Considering his penchant for sucking at everything that doesn’t involve being big and muscular, that’s just…shocking. Anyway, check out the clip when you have a chance and let me know what you think. Are any of you excited for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie?

Guardians of the Galaxy Extended Trailer (UK)

The latest Guardians of the Galaxy trailer is my favorite yet. It has more dialogue, more action, and (most importantly) more Groot! There are lots of things I love about this clip. There are a several excellent Rocket moments (love the bit with his “fake” laugh). Ronan the Accuser looks like a bad-ass. And (as much as it pains me to admit it), Dave Batista wasn’t as crappy as I’d thought he’d be (though I’m sure he’ll be crappy overall). That said, the more clips I see of Guardians, the less convinced I am of Chris Pratt’s portrayal of Star Lord/Peter Quill. Pratt is being a bit too goofy for my tastes. The Star Lord that I dig is a fun combination of competent, snarky, and cool. Going off of the trailers, Pratt’s Star Lord seems like one of those silly characters that gets by on sheer luck. Hopefully that’s not the case, but the vibe I’m getting doesn’t have enough of the cool and capable characteristics of the comic book character.

Anyway, check out the Guardians of the Galaxy UK extended trailer when you have a chance and let me know what you think (please!).

Coffee Talk #630: Remembering When Val Kilmer Was Cool

At E3 2014, I had a disturbing conversation with some…younger people about Val Kilmer. Some of the kids remembered him primarily for being a crap Batman in Batman Forever. A few of them knew him as “that funny guy in MacGruber.” Sadly, none of them were familiar with Val Kilmer in his prime. Going off of the photo below, it’s hard to believe that he was once one of the coolest people in Hollywood — especially for young kids and teenagers. Val Kilmer was the guy in movies that every kid wanted to be. Let’s use today’s Coffee Talk column to remember when Val Kilmer was cool…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, what will happen to the Miami Heat’s Big Three, pregnant Stacy Keibler, or Khal Drogo playing Aquaman, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Val Kilmer got the world’s attention in the 1984 spy parody Top Secret! As a huge fan of the Abrahams/Zucker/Zucker movies (Airplane! had a profound impact on my outlook in life), the star of Top Secret! was automatically cool to me. He was hilarious and charming in the movie — kind of like Han Solo with the sarcasm dialed up to 11. 1985’s Real Genius is one of my all-time favorite movies, with Val Kilmer playing the coolest smart person that ever lived. His performance in the movie inspired thousands of kids to become super-nerds and go to college. While Top Gun has aged poorly (watch the Honest Trailer below), one thing that hasn’t changed is that Iceman will always be cooler than Maverick. Millions of moviegoers know this to be true. Let’s wrap up Val Kilmer’s prime with 1988’s Willow, a criminally underrated movie. Has there ever been a fantasy movie protagonist that was cooler, funnier, and sharper than Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan?!? Madmartigan pisses on Aragorn!

From 1984 to 1988, there wasn’t anyone cooler than Val Kilmer. People that disagree with this are either too young to know, haven’t seen movies from this era, or have highly questionable taste. It was borderline painful to hear young E3 2014 attendees dismissing Val Kilmer as a crap Batman. While there’s no denying that he…wasn’t very good in Batman Forever, his work prior to that film already cemented his coolness.

Out of curiosity, what was your favorite Val Kilmer role? Please let me know in the comments section!

Random Thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past

As a huge fan of the X-Men: Days of Future Past comics, I was excited for and scared of the X-Men: Days of Future Past movie. Obviously the movie was going to change the source material — some of the changes were for Hollywood reasons, some of the changes worked, and some of them will make millions of fanboys cry out in terror. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It certainly has problems, but it’s fun enough that I can see myself watching it dozens of times on cable. Here are some random thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past. (Turn on your spoiler shields, please.)

Ch-ch-ch-changes: Going into the movie, I knew that things were going to be rearranged to feature Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence. They’re the two biggest stars in the X-Men movie franchise, so naturally the plot was altered to give them as much screen time as possible. Some purists will be annoyed that Wolverine was sent back in time instead of Kitty Pryde. While I love me some Ellen Page, I knew that wasn’t going to happen in Days of Future Past. The kids (and ladies) love Hugh Jackman.

One major change that bothered me was Kitty Pryde’s newfound TiVo powers. For some reason, Days of Future Past Kitty has the incredibly convenient superpower to transfer someone’s consciousness to the past. The scene where the future X-Men’s TiVo tactics are explained is pretty bad, topped of by the even worse idea that Wolverine can survive a multi-decade rewind because of his ~~copout~~ vaunted healing factor.

The ’70s Ruled: The movie alternates between a Dystopian 2023 and a completely awesome 1973. It was fun seeing bell bottoms, afros, garish polyester patterns, waterbeds, analog meters, reel-to-reel audio, etc. I’m pretty sure that the making of Days of Future Past caused a temporary shortage of polyester. As someone that has always been fascinated by the ’70s (disco, drugs, casual sex!), I loved the past scenes of this movie.

The Future Sucks: All nerd movies portray the future as dark and awful. Days of Future Past carries on that fine tradition. The bad news is that the future sucks for the X-Men and humanity in general. The good news is that the fight scenes are pretty sweet. Bishop, Storm, Colossus, Warpath, Sunspot, Iceman, and Blink don’t have a lot to do as far as advancing the narrative, but they’re featured in some awesome action sequences.

On a side note, I was totally embarrassed that I immediately recognized the actor that played Warpath as one of the werewolves from the Twilight movies. Oh well, at least I can admit it.

Hot X-Chicks: I’m always down with watching Jennifer Lawrence in body paint. In fact, one of my dream jobs is to work as the guy that applies her body paint and prosthetics. She’s a beautiful woman, but you already knew that.

I was pleasantly surprised by how cool Fan Bingbing looked as Blink. I’ve always loved this character. I don’t recall if Bingbing had any lines, but she made for an adorable real-life Blink and Days of Future Past made fun use of her powers.

Anna Paquin is in the movie for like 32 seconds and I would have loved more Ellen Page, but I’m totally not going to complain about hot Jennifer Lawrence and sexy Fan Bingbing. Whether it’s the past or the future, the X-Men have some hot chicks.

Excellent Use of Music: This movie will definitely win Academy Awards for “Best Use of Roberta Flack,” “Best Use of Jim Croce,” and “Best Use of the Theme From Sanford & Son.” I’m not sure if these awards actually exist, but they should.

Quicksilver Didn’t Suck: Going into Days of Future past, lots of fanboys were hating on the movie’s version of Quicksilver. Based off of stills from the set, he looked like crap. While he reminded me more of DC Comics’ Impulse than Marvel’s Pietro Maximoff, Quicksilver had a great scene that will make many moviegoers happy. Yeah, I could have done without the flippant line about his parentage, but his fight scene was very, very cool.

Tyrion Hates Mutants: Although I loved Peter Dinklage in The Station Agent before Game of Thrones came out, it’s hard to see him as anyone else but Tyrion Lannister. In Days of Future Past, he plays Bolivar Trask, creator of the mutant-hunting Sentinel robots. While I kept waiting for him to bust out an overly affected British accent, I appreciated his performance. The writing he had to work with was poor; the character was written as a paper-thin antagonist (i.e. science dick), but Dinklage manages to give Trask some depth.

Magneto’s a Dick: In the comics, many writers have portrayed Professor X and Magneto as the mutant equivalents of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, respectively. In X-Men: First Class and Days of Future Past, I’m pretty sure that being the master of magnetism is Magneto’s secondary mutation. It seems like his answer to everything is, “I know, I’ll be a dick!” While it’s clear that he cares about his fellow mutants more than anything else, his actions lack thought and his plans generally suck. Then again, I’m happy that he did what he did to RFK Stadium. That place is a toilet.

About a Beast: Adult Nicholas Hoult weirds me out. He’ll always be the kid from About a Boy to me.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past, despite its problems. I wouldn’t say it’s a great superhero film, but it’s good fun. Compared to the comics, it’s a bit dumber and not quite as grim, though it certainly has some dark moments. As far as 2014 superhero movies go, it’s better than Spider-Man 2 and not as good as Captain America 2. It’s one of those flawed movies that I’ll happily watch several times when it’s in rotation on cable.

Having said that, I can see some comics purists hating this movie. Some of the flaws are dismissible, but there are some comics fans that won’t stand for the drastic changes to the source material. When you combine those changes with the movie’s other problems, the film won’t stand a chance with some hardcore comics fans. Those guys and gals can complain all they want and I get it, but I’ll happily watching Days of Future Past again and again in the hopefully-not-Sentinel-dominated future.

Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer #2 (I Am Groot!!!)

The first trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie delighted and disappointed me. I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was, but disappointed that Vin Diesel didn’t say, “I am Groot.” The second trailer for Marvel’s intergalactic summer spectacular is even better than the first. You learn more about the protagonists, see more action, and (finally) hear the first utterance of, “I am Groot.” On the negative side, ~~WWE Batista~~ Dave Bautista is seen “acting” in the trailer and, as most of you know, that guy pretty much sucks at everything.

Please check out Guardians of the Galaxy trailer #2 when you have a chance and let me know what you think!

Constantine Trailer is Shockingly Good (NBC)

John Constantine has always been one of the coolest and most interesting characters in the world of DC Comics. For those of you not familiar with the character, he’s a chain-smoking occult expert that specializes in dark sorcery and snarky comments. Constantine is probably the first guy in the DC Universe that you’d want to have a beer with. He’s just…frickin’ cool, but underneath his cynicism and sardonic wit lies a heart of gold. Despite all the crap he talks, his reputation as a conman, and his dark outlook on life, Constantine wants to make the world a better place. Like I said, cool and interesting.

Sadly, some people have a bad impression of the character due to the mediocre Constantine movie starring Keanu Reeves and ~~Shawn LeBeef~~ Shia LeBeouf. NBC aims to make television viewers realize how awesome the character is with the upcoming Constantine television series. I was curious about the show, but after watching the trailer (embedded below), I’m genuinely excited for it. Yes, it’s only a trailer, but NBC’s Constantine looks like a fun blend of drama, special effects, and snarky dialogue. Welshman Matt Ryan appears to have the Constantine character down perfectly (sorry Keanu, a Yank can’t adequately portray Constantine). The visuals flashed in the trailer looked creepy and surprisingly macabre for television. The tone of the show just feels right — a potentially great adaptation of the antihero people loved from the Swamp Thing and Hellblazer comics.

When you have a chance, please check out the trailer below and let me know what you think of it. Are you interested or excited for NBC’s Constantine? Or do you think that the character will burn in the pits of Hades, like so many other television adaptations of comics characters have? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Channing Tatum as Gambit is…

In a recent RPadTV Google+ chat, RPadholic Tokz mentioned that Channing Tatum will be playing Gambit in an X-Men spinoff movie. My initial reaction was horror. While he’s an established Hollywood draw and attracts lots of female moviegoers, Channing Tatum is not a good actor. After thinking about the casting choice for a bit (more than a bit, actually, because my crap web server was down), I’m feeling pretty good about the casting decision. There are a couple of reasons why Channing Tatum as Gambit should work. After careful (not really) examination, I’m looking forward to it (also not really).

First off, Gambit is a crap character. In the comics, he started off as a cool thief with a unique Cajun background. Eventually, his backstory became way too complex and convoluted (a classic comic book mistake) to the point that the character became a bit ridiculous. At the end of the day, Gambit is a mutant Pepe Le Pew that throws kinetically-charged cards. That’s lame. Since Gambit is a crap character, it makes perfect sense for a crap actor to portray him. Channing Tatum is the perfect man for the job! (I’m half-kidding in this paragraph. While I think Gambit is a mediocre character, I’m exaggerating his craptitude just to rib Tokz.)

More seriously, I’m rooting for Channing Tatum. I think he can be incredibly entertaining in a Paul Walker kind of way. The late, great star of the Fast & Furious movies dazzled millions of moviegoers with his mesmerizingly bad acting. Tatum isn’t quite there yet. He still tries too hard and has delusions of grandeur of being nominated for an Academy Award. If Tatum embraces his formidable and natural ability to act poorly, he’ll carry the torch for Walker as the preeminent crappy actor of his generation. If and when he chooses to do, Hollywood will have a “special” talent on its hands.

Also, dude was in Coach Carter, one of the most criminally underrated movies made in the last 20 years. At the very least, everyone in the Coach Carter cast deserves immensely successful acting careers. At best, they’ll all be playing superheroes.

Okay, it’s your turn. What do you think of Channing Tatum as the X-Men’s Gambit? Will it work? Or will he just make a lame character even lamer?

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Coffee Talk #623: Why I’m Looking Forward to Marvel’s Original Sin

I’m greatly looking forward to Marvel’s “Original Sin” event. Part of it is because the story is topical and reflects recent world events. Part of it is because for the last few years, Marvel’s events have generally been superior to DC’s events. The second part is a little painful to admit, because I’ve usually been (a bit) more of a DC guy than a Marvel guy (though first and foremost, I follow certain writers). Let’s use today’s Coffee Talk to discuss “Original Sin.”

For those of you not familiar with the premise of “Original Sin,” here’s a brief rundown…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Roy Hibbert suddenly forgetting how to play basketball, being shocked that a 7’2″ professional basketball player can’t get one frickin’ rebound, or Seth Rogen gloriously going off on Justin Bieber, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For those of you not familiar with the premise of “Original Sin,” here’s a brief rundown. Uatu, the Watcher of Earth’s solar system, has been killed. As a powerful being that observes all kinds of happenings, dude has seen and heard a lot. The person responsible for Uatu’s death is wreaking havoc throughout the Marvel Universe by leaking some of the Watcher’s closely guarded secrets. From Captain America getting his mind wiped by the Illuminati to the mystery of Star Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy surviving the Cancerverse, these secrets touch every corner of the Marvel Universe.

Going into “Original Sin,” there are two aspects of it that I love. First off, I adore that it’s a (nerdy) dramatization of the WikiLeaks situation. While Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are interesting characters, they’re dullsville compared to the heroes and villains that populate the Marvel Universe. It’s awesome that Marvel is having its own (nerdy) version of the WikiLeaks scandal.

The second aspect of “Original Sin” that I love is that it gives writers freedom without confusing the reader. Any Marvel book can work with a scandalous secret being revealed, but the individual secrets don’t necessarily have to tie into the main “Original Sin” plot. Writers can explore the characters that they’re responsible for and have fun with the leaked secrets, while readers can just follow the main plot and the characters they care about. It’s nice and neat…

…as opposed to what’s going on over at DC. The last two major DC events were a mess. “Trinity War” started out with a promising bang and ended with a swerve that left many readers with a sense of ennui. That event clumsily lead into “Forever Evil,” which has been a totally wreck. The main “Forever Evil” book didn’t stand on its own, requiring readers to check out other titles in order to make sense of it all. The event was plagued by delays, escalating “Forever Evil” from a wreck to a disaster. There are several DC titles that are in the “Forever Evil” epilogue stage and have moved on from the climactic ending…that hasn’t actually happened because the last issue has been delayed to May 21. It’s an excellent example of a major comic-book event being all over the place and running out of control.

Wow. I feel a little better after ranting about “Forever Evil.” Let’s change the record and return the focus to “Original Sin.” On paper, it should be an entertaining comic-book event that should feature tight storytelling. The way it’s set up, it shouldn’t spin out of control like “Forever Evil” did. Unlike that storyline, the leaked secrets from “Original Sin” can work well as self-contained plots in individual books, as opposed to some of the “Forever Evil” subplots that felt forced.

So yeah! I’m really looking forward to “Original Sin.” I have a feeling that it’ll be fun and the storytelling will mostly be tight. How about you? Any of you guys and dolls looking forward to Marvel’s latest universe-shattering event?

Coffee Talk #620: Dumbing Things Down For Movies and TV

Some purists of A Song of Ice and Fire had an issue with Oberyn Martell’s introduction in Game of Thrones s4e1. In the books, it’s implied that he’s bisexual. In the television show, he forcefully grabs a male prostitute’s junk. There’s a huge difference between subtle implication and ham-fisted delivery, but sometimes it’s necessary for the mainstream audience.

The debate over Oberyn Martell reminded me of another argument fans had about Game of Thrones Season 2. In the books, it’s implied that…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the glory of the Derek Jeter Retirement Tour, Katy Perry’s green hair, or getting amped for the NBA playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The debate over Oberyn Martell reminded me of another argument fans had about Game of Thrones Season 2. In the books, it’s implied that Stannis Baratheon is sleeping with priestess of R’hllor Melisandre. In the show, he full-on bangs her on his war table. Again, the information is conveyed in drastically different ways, but it’s arguably necessary.

For some reason, the two instances in Game of Thrones didn’t bother me. I didn’t like that subtlety was eschewed for heavy-handed delivery, but I didn’t hate it either. I get that subtlety is lost on some people and understand that the show’s directors wanted these bits of information made clear.

Having said that, I recall one instance where a change bothered the hell out of me. In the Watchmen comics, there’s a great sequence where Silk Spectre figures out that the Comedian is her father. Various memories come back to her and she pieces it all together. In the Watchmen movie, the same thing happens, but it’s punctuated by Dr. Manhattan saying, “The Comedian…is your father.” For whatever reason, that little addition pissed me off. It seemed so unnecessary. Are moviegoers really that dumb?!?

While I understand that book and comics writers can rely on readers’ imaginations, is it necessary for movie and TV directors to be so obvious? I’m not really sure. That’s where you come in! I’d love to hear your opinion on the matter and read some of your examples in the comments section. Does print have to be dumbed down when it’s translated into a movie or television show?