It's been a while. And for that, I'm sorry. Life gets in the way! But I'd be remiss not to post this trailer, even though—full disclosure—I haven't watched it, or nor do I plan on doing so. Supposedly, even the director thinks this trailer gives away too much, and I'm really looking forward to being surprised come Dec. 14.
Have you, or do you plan to watch?
Also of note:
The first full trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising was released last week. It looks more like a Transformers movie than I might like, and the song at the end is terrible, but I'm still excited. Side note: Does John Boyega always sound so much like Idris Elba?
Have you watched the Tomb Raider trailer? Alicia Vikander sure looks the part. I don't know if I knew that it was going to be such a straight adaptation of the first new game, however.
It was hard keeping up with the news coming out of San Diego over the past few days, and but here are some highlights. If I missed anything important, add it in the comments!
Is it November 3 yet?
I loved Pacific Rim. (I'm still longing for a Jaegar pilot bomber jacket.) So I'm super stoked for the sequel. However, it was an actual shock to hear John Boyega's real accent in this teaser; I'm so much more used to him sounding like Finn.
Amazon badass
She needs no man (except Steve ...)
So much girl power
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons and trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.
Thanks to vacation and then a nasty cold, I didn't get to see Wonder Woman until more than a week after it came out. (That might seem like not a lot of time, but it's unusual for me with this sort of movie.) I tried my best to avoid spoilers, but couldn't help hearing the many, many positive feelings about the film, from both critics and friends. Those opinions bolstered my already high hopes for the movie, and—for the most part—I wasn't at all disappointed.
I really liked the way the movie was an origin story, but didn't feel completely removed from the rest of the DC movie universe (regardless of how I feel about those movies). Having Diana basically intro the story tied this movie, which is a historical piece, to Wonder Woman's intro in Batman v. Superman. Thankfully, because it was a historical piece, it stands on its own two, powerful feet. The WWI setting was also a pretty dang perfect backdrop for Diana's introduction to humanity, both its pros and cons. (Even though I've seen confusion over the whole Steve/Steve thing. 😜)
Gal Gadot was wonderful in the role of Diana. I'll totally admit to having reservations about her, but I also know when to admit that I was wrong. The way she played Diana as both fierce and more than a little naive was delightful. I found myself wanting to protect her from the evils of mankind at the same time that I was realizing she needed absolutely none of my help.
I loved seeing Themyscira, and the women who live there. They're unbelievably beautiful, and enviably strong, both physically and mentally. Their fight scene at the start of the film was jaw-dropping, and made me especially proud to be a woman (who might be capable of such skill and grace, given the opportunity).
Chris Pine's Steve Trevor was also fantastic. I've enjoyed Chris' past roles, but he's never been at the top of my Chris Ranking—until Steve Trevor. I appreciate how, even though he's a main character, he never overshadows Diana. (One of the many excellent feminist parts of the movie.) Although he begins the movie as a pretty typical dude, he's quick to realize how much he can step back and let her do her thing and offer support as she might need it.
My only complaints about the movie revolve around the villain, some of the CGI, and the fight scene at the end of the film. Working backwards: The fight scene felt overly produced, in a typical Zack Snyder sort of way. The CGI at times was really awful, particularly when Diana was leaping or fighting. She's a superhero, yes, but she can't stop time/pause mid-air for emphasis. And the reveal of the villain, although unexpected, felt strange. And—highlight for spoilers—David Thewlis' mustache was SUPER distracting. It was fine in WWII, but did Ares really sport that style of 'stache way back when? Methinks no.
Am I now waiting with baited breath for Justice League? Not at all. But I have a strong feeling that Wonder Woman will be the best part.
This is me right now, if not literally, then definitely on the inside.
Unlike some (many?) people, I do like the Thor movies—and, no, not just for Tom Hiddleston's Loki. They're not at the top of my Marvel Cinematic Universe movie ranking, but they're not at the bottom either. (I'm looking at you, Iron Man 2. And don't even get me started on The Incredible Hulk.) They've never really stood out among the other movies, however ... until now.
This trailer is so much more epic than either of the previous movies. I don't know what that means for the film itself, but I now have high, high hopes.
Excuse me while I go watch it again. Then go find all the GIFs. Then watch it again.
Happy N7 Day, y'all! And a happy day it is, since the Bioware gods have gifted us this new trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda:
I've written about this before, but Mass Effect means a lot to me. The original trilogy is the first video game series I've ever played all the way through. The story sucked me in from beginning to end—yes, even the damned Mako missions—and I'll always have a special place in my nerd heart for Commander Shepard and crew. So saying that I'm a little excited for a new visit to the ME universe is a bit of an understatement.
After Colt sent me the link to the trailer, I responded thusly (in green):
Also, please notice his excitement, too. We make an excellent pair.
Learn more about the game, and the Andromeda Initiative, here.
I hadn't heard of the new Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone movie La La Land until recently, but after seeing this trailer, I am so on board.
Here's a trailer for John Wick 2, which also looks awesome. I loved the first movie—minus the incident that set John off in the first place, which still makes me choked up just thinking about it—and had hoped that we'd get to visit the the crazy, assassin-filled world again.
It could have been good
But not enough backstory
And disjointed plot
The U.S. government gives a team of supervillains a chance at redemption. The catch: their mission will probably kill them all.
I will freely admit to being excited about seeing Suicide Squad based solely on the trailers, a few of which I've posted previously and are actually quite good. Sadly, the movie on the whole suffered from what is seemingly DC's curse when it comes to their comic movies: they focus too much on putting specific characters on the big screen, and don't worry about actually making a good movie.
Let's focus on the good things, first: Margot Robbie was a great Harley Quinn. She was one of the few characters in the movie to experience any sort of growth, and she seemed like a whole, realistic (if overly sexualized and totally insane) person. She had layers, which, from what little I know about the comic character, is accurate.
Diablo was interesting for very similar reasons. His backstory was endearing, and the changes he underwent, both physically and teamwork-related, were pretty damn impressive.
And, I like Will Smith. He was basically playing "Will Smith who shoots well and isn't bothered by killing people who deserve it," but I'm all for him being in movies.
The rest of the movie, well ... just didn't work for me. (And that's putting it nicely.) The plot was disjointed; specifically, the flow of character backstory > little bit of plot > lots more character backstory > more plot that might not actually be important by the end of the film > character "introductions" with no backstory > plot that diverges to something else ... There were glimpses of an engaging story told by interesting characters somewhere in the mess, but it was cut together in a truly terrible way.
The other characters, too, weren't given any opportunity to shine. For example, I kept thinking about how terrible Jai Courtney's Australian accent was as Captain Boomerang—and having to remind myself that he's actually Australian. And watching Jared Leto's Joker was painful, and unnecessarily and scarily abusive. (I also couldn't help but picture Viola Davis' face at Comic Con whenever he showed up on screen.)
I really try to like DCs attempts at movies, I do. I actually really like Man of Steel, as much as that's an unpopular opinion. I have high hopes for Wonder Woman. I just wish the powers that be would focus on good movies first with name recognition second. Or spend more time building up the people we're supposed to know, and not expect 30 seconds of exposition to make us feel something.
If you pay attention to the nerdy side of the Internet—which, I'm assuming, most of you do—you know that this past weekend/half of last week was Comic Con in San Diego. It is a time of huge reveals, massive crowds, and lines that go on for days, and it's one of the most amazing experiences I've ever been a part of. (We went a few times a few years ago; sadly, we haven't been in much too long.)
While being awesome, the event can also be utterly overwhelming, particularly if you try to follow every newsy bit that's announced. That said, I'm very thankful for the news outlets that do cover everything (or almost everything), because it makes me feel a little less like I've missed out.
I'm highlighting a few of my favorite things from the event below, but do let me know if I missed any of your faves in the comments!
Wonder Woman
This looks really, really, really good.
Star Trek: Discovery
As much as I enjoy the movies, I'm super excited that Star Trek's going to be back on the small screen. More details here.
Doctor Strange
This looks very Inceptiony. And .. that's basically the extent of my knowledge about this, haha. Other than that I'm excited Benedict's joined the Marvel 'verse. More details here.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
It's not exactly new Harry Potter, but it's close enough (and looks fun enough) for me. More details here.
American Gods
I read this book many years (and many books) ago, so I barely remember the plot. But I do remember loving it, and Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite people, so I'm here for this for sure. More details here.
Sherlock
The three words revealed about the show's fourth season? "Thatcher, Smith and Sherrinford." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More details here.
Also of note:
The first Justice League footage was shown at the con. (Two thoughts: 1. It looks better than Batman v. Superman. 2. That's really not saying much.)
Batfleck is angry
Thanks be for Wonder Woman
What did I just watch?
Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs.
WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.
Sometimes, you go into a movie knowing that it's going to be a massive disappointment, and you leave pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as you'd expected. Unfortunately, such was not the case with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Sure, there were some good things about it:
Gal Gadot does a great job playing Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. It's a shame she only had like 5 lines and 10 minutes of proper screen time. I'm looking forward to seeing more from her in her solo film. (Bonus points for it not being directed by Zach Synder.)
We got to see Aquaman on the big screen.
Superman and Batman are now BFFs thanks to their moms both being named Martha.
Henry Cavill is nice to look at.
On the whole, however, this movie was such a mess. The plot was disorganized and overloaded with stuff that didn't need to be there, specifically Batman's origin story and Bruce's super weird dream sequences. Ben Affleck was decent as Bruce Wayne, but his fight scenes at Batman were terrible. (And WHAT was with the random Batcave crossfit montage?) Batman's obsession with Superman also reached nearly Criminal Minds-levels of creepy before it fizzled out in mere seconds. (Basically.)
All of what I really liked about Man of Steel's Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane were reduced to brooding looks and damsel-in-distress scenarios. Was Lois only in this movie to be saved by Clark? Why was Clarke all of a sudden kind of a dick?
Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was unbelievably bizarre and used as a way to further the plot without really ever giving it any sort of context. His lack of backstory was also confusing; Where did he come from? Why was he out to pit Superman and Batman against each other? Why did he have those files on the various superheroes? (It's like they were trying to make a weird evil version of Nick Fury, only ... terrible.)
Additionally, the whole "Dawn of Justice" idea was relegated to the very end of the film and a brief fight scene in which Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman barely say anything to each other. Where's the "team" in that?
I really think it would have been smarter for DC to do a series of solo movies to introduce the characters they wanted to eventually form the Justice League rather than trying to make "fetch" happen releasing this "bridge movie." I'd recommend waiting to watch this one on TV, and fast forwarding through much of it. Check it out:
I know very little about the character of Doctor Strange, other than that he uses "real" magic and is part of the Marvel Universe. Also, his upcoming solo movie stars Benedict Cumberbatch, who I adore, and the likes of Mads Mikkelson, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams, all of whom I also adore. So I was pretty excited to watch this teaser trailer.
I can't help thinking "This looks awesome," even knowing that this trailer has received mixed reviews on the Internet, particularly surrounding POC characters (or lack there of), female superhero-led solo films (or lack there of) and cultural appropriation in comics/comic movies. I trust in Marvel, however. If you'd like to voice your opinions to the contrary, I'm totally happy to discuss in the comments.
If you're like me and don't know what you don't know about Doctor Strange, check this video out.1
I'm also now totally on board with Suicide Squad, which makes me a little surprised considering my earlier feelings (and my general "meh" feeling about DC's movies). But this trailer makes it look like a ridiculous romp of a movie, which makes me delighted.
Also of note:
Marvel's Spider-Man film now has an official title: Spider-Man: Homecoming.
While The Big Game promises a lot of action, sports-wise, I typically end up getting more enjoyment out of the commercials and trailers that are shown between plays. Below, you'll find a bunch of the more nerd-related trailers that aired.
Captain America: Civil War
Deadpool
X-Men: Apocalypse
Independence Day: Resurgence
Jason Bourne
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Jungle Book
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice went a different route this year with these Turkish Airline ads:
Don't have time to watch each trailer separately? Here's a supercut (of all of the comic book movies, at least):
As much as I rag on DC movies (#Marvel4Lyfe), I'm really impressed with this Suicide Squad trailer. It looks so much more like a cohesive movie than the first trailer made it seem (i.e., less Will Smith being, well, Will Smith).
And this Wonder Woman footage looks (somewhat surprisingly) awesome. I love that it's a historical movie, rather than a direct spin-off of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.1 Wondy deserves some time on her own, rather than just being a secondary character used for lame jokes.
Also of note:
Star Wars: Episode VIII has been pushed to December 2017 ... thanks to a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.2 As much as I enjoy Captain Jack Sparrow, what I really need is more Rey/Finn/Poe fabulousness.
For those of you interested in space-related news items:
In an occurrence that would have freaked out more astrologically-inclined civilizations, five planets will be visible in the southern sky starting January 20. Pre-dawn risers will be treated to a view of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter from January 20 until February 20.
The only planets not visible will be the distant trio of Neptune, Pluto, and Uranus. While Neptune and Pluto can only be seen via telescope, careful observers will be able to spot Uranus in dark conditions. (via)
I'm not promising that I'm going to get up "pre-dawn" and head out into the country to see this show, but it's very tempting. Space is awesome, and since I'm pretty sure no one's ever going to offer to buy me a trip off-planet, I'll have to take what I can get.
This GIF is only tangentially related to the news, but it is AMAZING, and it is new to me, so it had to be included.
Also of note:
You can watch the first minute of first new X-Files episode. Not particularly spoilery, unless you didn't know it was happening?
I was all ready to go with a Funko Friday post today*, but then this happened:
I am so, so glad that this franchise got rebooted, and continues to be awesome. X-3 is one of the worst/most frustrating movies I've ever seen, and to know that it's now been completely overwritten with something awesome makes my little nerd heart gleeful beyond belief.
*You'll see it later, I'm sure.
Also of note:
This amazing mashup mixes the Captain America: Civil War trailer with Adele's "Hello." I dare you not to get (more) emotional.
A new trailer for Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice was released earlier this month. My thoughts on it pretty much boil down to " ... at least we get Wonder Woman?"
CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new Star Trek television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service. ... The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new Star Trek TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek (2009) with Roberto Orci, and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams. (via)
This is such awesome news.1Star Trek, specifically The Next Generation, was my first nerdy love, and I'm so excited to hear that the franchise is returning to the small screen. (Although I really liked the "reboot" Star Trek movie, I was super disappointed in Star Trek Into Darkness, but that's a discussion for another time.)
Also of note:
Here's a full-length trailer for Netflix's Jessica Jones. Q: How excited am I to see David Tennant as the villain? (A: Very.)
You can read about the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice opening scene here.
The self-lacing Nikes from Back to the Futurewill be reality next year. Now ... where are our hoverboards?
There's always SO MUCH STUFF announced/released/revealed/updated/etc. at San Diego Comic Con that it can be hard to keep up with it all.
I'm sure many of you have already read all about all of the things that you're interested in from the event, but I wanted to highlight a few videos that I thought were particularly of interest.
This looks—dare I say it—pretty good. Although, it really seems like Will Smith (as in, the good guy he plays in every action movie he's ever been in) is just leading a bunch of crazies around.
Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow recap/teaser
