Wolverine Ready to Be Unleashed!

After X-Men Origins: Wolverine, fans weren't necessarily clamoring for an encore. That all changed when visionary director Darren Aronofsky was named as director, with a strictly non-sequel mentality. Considering the man usually makes movies about psychotic ballerinas or world-weary wrestlers, this somehow made sense in some crazy way. And the Internet wept when Aronofsky dropped out. Who could fill that void? Was this movie even happening anymore?

He really wants to know.

Well, I can happily say it is. Not only is the movie scheduled to start shooting in October, but we also have James Mangold directing. At first the name didn't ring any bells for me.  Other than "Man-gold" being something awesome to call your buddy. He has a fairly strong resume, with movies such as 3:10 To Yuma and Walk the Line. Two pretty cool movies. Although he's not as exciting as Aronofsky, the man seems to be be a quality film maker, and I'm willing to give him a shot. Get ready kids, the Wolverine is back.

Green Lantern 2 Still Happening?

I've been hating alot on Green Lantern lately. ALOT. I do however, think this movie deserves it and was extremely disappointing. It was no secret that Warners was hoping to turn this into property into a new franchise. Perhaps even more than a trilogy. The writers were rehired almost a year ago and are also busy on a Flash script, which was just a terrible decision. But with a sub-par opening, huge decline in second week figures and critical panning I was hoping that the sequel would never happen.

How very foolish of me.

Not that I can blame Warners for this decision. They've invested so much into this franchise and have all the design and effects work to go off of. Throw in an almost complete script and hey, why not?

To fix this property, alot needs to change. We already know Campbell isn't coming back, so a new director who's gutsy enough to take on this challenge is a must. If they're going to keep Hal Jordan as the main character, things will only get awkward with recasting.  The new script needs to show us more of the day to day stuff for the Lanterns. Let's see some arrests and investigations on alien planets, hunting down warlords and extraordinary villains. We didn't see any substantial moments where Sinestro might become a villain, so hold back on that. Build the Sinestro/Hal relationship before you tare it down.

The biggest thing the movie needs though? A sense of fun. Green Lantern's first adventure was boring, tedious, and lifeless. Take Thor as a counter example. The movie was far from perfect and had its flaws, but was just so fun and entertaining that it worked.  If you aren't going to go the Dark Knight route, then make it something I can enjoy.

How Green Lanter Tried To Be Like Iron Man (And Failed)

Everyone involved in Green Lantern has at some point tried to compare their movie to Iron Man and in several ways. Not only did it hope for a tone that combined the light hearted and fun with serious character development, it also wanted to open up the stable of DC heroes in the way that Mr. Stark unleashed the Avengers.Of course, those comparisons go a little deeper. Here are the ways Green Lantern tried to be like Iron Man (and failed).

The Quirky Humor
One of the things that caught the public so off guard was how utterly hilarious Robert Downey Jr. was. And it's not only the script: all those quips were improv. RDJ is one of the funniest human beings alive, and he can make you laugh with just a twitch of his eye. He has a distinct quirkiness to his humor, The man was nominated for an oscar by doing black face for god's sake! So who do you get to play Hal Jordan? How about Ryan Reynolds, an up and coming potential A-Lister known for a razor ship wit.

How it Failed- It doesn't matter how talented your star is, no one can salvage a truly terrible joke. And let's face it, all of those jokes were terrible. Both movies had a similar kind of humor and wanted to achieve the same end, but the difference is that one was funny and the other wasn't.

From Jerk-Ass to NobleHero
When we first saw Tony Stark, he was a prick. Completely irresponsible, he gives off the vibe that he just doesn't care. But you love him anyway because the man has so much fun with it. He's not nasty or a tool, he just blows of the boring stuff and would probably be awesome to hang out with.  And we see him became a selfless hero, one everyone can root for. Hal Jordan is also irresponsible and a bit of a tool, and in the end hopes to win us over as a courageous warrior.


How it Failed: Hal is an asshole. He's irresponsible and you hate him for it. Stark missed a pretentious award ceremony because who really cares? Or being late when it's his own damn jet. Hal missed the most important flight of his life (which...he was supposed to lose?) and then people lost their jobs because of him. And he doesn't care. People suffer and it's just...whatever. With a lightening quick redemption moment, why do we buy it? Stark was tortured in a cave and confronted with his legacy, which transformed him. Hal got a talk from his girlfriend.

By the way, why would the military possibly agree to letting Ferris' own pilots fight against his drones? If he was even slightly smart, he would tell his pilots to lose and impress the investors. Is he just counting on Hal being that much of an asshole? Apparently yes.

Setting Up a Larger World
Iron Man had SHIELD, and all roads now lead to the Avengers. Green Lantern has Amanda Waller, and the script writers has commented on how they want to start up a shared universe.

How it Failed: Waller wasn't a -bad- character, but she didn't give us any reason to care about her either. I won't exactly be excited to see Angela Bassett in the Flash, and don't fully understand why they made such a big deal of Hector seeing her past. Why waste so much time and focus if the character wasn't meant for more? I don't know what "more" would be, since Waller lacks the coolness of Nick Fury or even the witty charm of Agent Coulson. And for the love of Oa, what happened to the John Stewart cameo?

Green Lantern Review

My goal in these reviews is to offer as balanced a review as possible. Super fans such as myself are all too quick to tear a movie apart, instantly categorizing it as a success worthy of worship or the worst movie ever made. Following the highly enjoyable pair of Thor and First Class, Green Lantern has already generated a significant amount of bad buzz. But hey, I've been surprised before. I didn't have huge expectations for First Class, and found it to be highly enjoyable. Could Green Lantern do the same?

No.  Not even close.

I don't know if I can say a single good thing about this movie. If something worked or was interesting, it was dragged down by something else. Ryan Reynolds wasn't "bad" as Hal Jordan, but he was still miscast. Part of it isn't his fault: Hal's written as a complete tool. He's never cringe worthy with this material, but he doesn't take charge with it either. He just doesn't have that action hero quality or physical presence to make up for it. So they could easily have cast someone more fit for the part. I just don't think that would have saved it anyway.

I can say the same for almost the entire cast. Blake Lively is actually charming, and looks utterly gorgeous. She just exists as the most bland love interest of any superhero movie, and Lively just doesn't have the talent (yet) to make a bad character good. Or take Hector Hammond, the most bizarre waste of a villain in a comic book movie yet. Before you even know who he is, Hammond is whisked away by men in black suits and then quickly begins his transformation. Oh come on guys, you ripped off enough from Spider-Man already, you could at least rip off the idea of making your antagonist sympathetic or even interesting.

But how about all that science fiction stuff? Recent marketing campaigns have been focusing entirely on that, so it should be big, right? Well if you've seen the trailers and the Wonder-Con sneak peak, congratulations, you've seen the majority of the outer space stuff. Hal's stay on Oa is decidedly short, and he never ventures any further into the cosmos. None of the scenery is especially memorable and all feels somewhat familiar, and not from the comics. And if you were hoping to see the Corps. in action, you'll be disappointed. Literally all they do is point their rings the sky and chant. You never get a sense for what these Lanterns do from day to day, since the only threat the Corps has faced is a once in a lifetime apocalyptic threat.

And the three key members are kinda meh. The ever-talented Geoffrey Rush is resigned to a plot exposition device, filling our hero in on the mysteries of the cosmos. Which is odd, because wasn't Hal just uploaded with a full database of info on the galaxy? I would have thought the Guardians of the Universe would have earned a mention in it. Kilowog is somewhat boring and exists to give our hero a quasi-montage of training, which is a shame considering I just named him "Greatest Green Lantern". Mark Strong as Sinestro suffers the same problem as the rest of the cast. Poor script and dialogue give him nothing to work with, and he never comes off as more than a minor character.  And do they really want him to be a villain in the sequel? I can't see how this character, personality or story wise, could suddenly start ravaging the Corps. They portray him as too loyal without any of the hidden menace you'd need from a future villain. And the after the credits revelation comes out of nowhere.

So what made the story quite so bad? Filled with exposition and a classic case of "telling, rather than showing", it serves as a joyless, humorless adventure. Thor didn't have a perfect story, but was just so much damn fun you could get over it. So much of the dialogue was about fear and will power that were just blanket statements. We're never shown this difference and are just told it. And then Hal has his magic transformation into a courageous warrior, which happens in the blink of an eye once Carol Ferris tells him he needs to overcome fear rather than be without it. You thought Thor had a quick transformation? Hal's happens in less than a second. Nothing interesting every really happens, and the pacing is all over the place. And a downright awful musical score just sucks any wonder from the picture. What happened to the music from the trailer?

And special effects? If you're going to have weak story, at least give us some pretty to look at. Partly due to poor execution and partly due to flawed design, they feel worthless. Occasionally, they look actively terrible. Parallax in particular makes Galactus cloud seem cool. He's an awkward cluster of tentacles and junk with an ugly head.

Some movies are worth checking out just for the sake of seeing them. This isn't one of them. Stay the hell away from this one. It's a painful waste of two hours, and if enough people don't see it then maybe we can dodge a sequel. Too bad the same writing crew is already working on it.

Best of the Best: Top Green Lanterns Day Three

A simple question: who is the greatest Lantern? I mean, even Hal Jordan couldn't earn that title. Before that, I would like to give a shout out to one member of the Corps who didn't make this list: Abin Sur. Sure, he was a noble warrior, but he's never been in a story for more than five seconds before getting killed. That's a piss poor track record if you ask me. Still, the mythos as we know it couldn't technically exist without him. Now on to the top two!

2. Thaal Sinestro
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??? Isn't he the archenemy of the Green Lanterns? Hasn't he lead to more deaths in the Corps than space polio? Well, for a brief moment he was hailed as the greatest Lantern, and that's a title he has refused to let go. Even as their most hated foe, he still believes he's fighting for their cause. Y'know, even as he's murdering them.

You see, Sinestro realized that order is needed for a peaceful universe. And if you want order, you need fear. To protect the galaxy, he'll go to any length and any cost to achieve it. Hell, the entire point of waging a massive war against the Lanterns was purely to convince the Guardians to change their rules and become feared. Even if he's hated, even if it leads to his death, Sinestro will fight to be considered the greatest. The most complex character in the comic, Sinestro gives the Lanterns not only an archnemesis, but a foe who forces them to be better.

1. Kilowog
The Green Lanterns chose only those capable of overcoming great fear and spreading light to the darkest reaches of the universe. Each and every one of them is a hero beyond compare. But to be the greatest of the great? That takes someone special. And no one but the gruff, unrelenting drill sergeant of the Corps could ever earn that title. Kilowog of Sector 674, you are the greatest of the Green Lanterns.

"Greatest". I never said prettiest.

In battle, Kilowog is ferocious. Unrelenting, Kilowog is like a well trained boxer. Powerful and tough while always thinking tactically. Few can claim to understand how to unlock the mysteries of the ring quite like the Wog. He sets an example in battle, frequently serving as a defacto leader for his brothers in arms.

Yet where Kilowog truly shines is as a training instructor. I'm almost shocked he hasn't killed half of his recruits. He's more than willing to put them through the most brutal of conditions, chewing them our for being such utterly worthless Poozers. Despite this grim facade, Wog deeply cares for each and every one his recruits. It's tough love at its finest. Every death haunts him, and he makes the strongest recruits to keep them alive as long as possible.

Kilowog brings more than just an infectious, loveable attitude to his role. He forges the Corps. into what it is. He represents the best of what they have to offer, embodying their spirit, their sense of right and wrong, and their unrelenting will to guard the universe. Kilowog might not be the strongest, the most powerful, or even the most committed to the cause. He has weaknesses and imperfections and stubbornly pushes past them, showing a courage possessed only the greatest Green Lantern could wield. Truly, no evil could ever escape his sight.

Best of the Best: Top Green Lanterns Day Two

Ready for more of the best Green Lanterns? Who's go what it takes to be considered the best of the Corps? Let's find out!

6. Kyle Rayner
Everything needed a radical, edgy update in the 90's, and Green Lantern was no exception. After Hal's stint as a supervillain, Kyle Rayner took over his legacy and became the last remaining Green Lantern. But unlike most fads from the 90's, Kyle has stood the test of time and has cemented 

I'm going to get so much shit for not having him above Hal Jordan.

He might have been pushed to the sidelines with Hal's return, but Kyle still boats die hard fans eager to see him claim the spotlight once again. Following the original is a hard act to follow, and Kyle just managed to pull it off.


5. Mogo
Mogo earns this nod because of his integral role in the Corps. and high concept nature. An entire planet as a member? That's such a wonderful twist that helps define the extraordinary nature of comics in general. Mogo has a barely noticeable personality, but can you imagine the Green Lanterns without him? Maybe, but it would be significantly less cool.

4. Guy Gardner
Out of all the earthbound Lanterns, Guy always stood out as having the most fleshed out personality. He's not a classic, square hero. He can be a jerk, he can be crude, even obnoxious. But he never, ever gives up. Guy is the pugilist, the Lantern who will take a beating to keep throwing punches. He brings some grit to the team, a more down to earth perspective on vast sci-fiction epics. The Corps. may have countless heroes, but there is only one Guy Gardner.

3. Hal Jordan
There's a reason how was chosen to star in the feature film over the other Lanterns. Sure Alan Scott was technically the first with the title, but Hal was the original Lantern as we know them today. Through him we learned of the mythical Green Lanterns and he's carried the mythos to where it is today.

In movie form. Perhaps not the best representation?

Hal sadly suffers a bit from a flat character to keep him away from the top spot. Any time you can label the hero's flaws in a nice one package like "arrogance" as Geoff Johns so constantly reminds us, you're a touch stale. Just because you have a traditional hero doesn't mean you can't be complex and interesting, which Hal just can't claim. Instead, he's a vessel for us to enter this world and experience what it means to be a Lantern. The Green Lantern legacy revolves around Hal, and you have to respect that.

So who could possibly take the title of "greatest lantern" over the mighty Hal Jordan? I left two candidates out, just to keep you guessing. Whoever could it be?!?

Best of the Best: Top Green Lanterns Day One

There are thousands of Green Lanterns, each with enough swagger to overcome great fear.  That being said, some of them are tools.  Many of them in fact.  But then we have the legends, the Greatest Lanterns of all.  In honor of them, we count down the top Green Lanterns. We're basing this on personality, commitment to the Corps, and how the Lanterns makes the Corps unique.

10. Hannu.
For a Green Lantern, Hannu doesn't use his ring very often. He actually NEVER uses his ring, except for the occasional flying here or there. Hannu's home planet sees weapons as dishonorable, so the big guy prefers to use his fists instead. So let me get this straight: he has access to the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, and still prefers to punch the most dangerous villains of the galaxy in the face?

That's awesome.  It's so crazy awesome it gives Hannu a spot in the top ten.

9. Salaak
The Green Lanterns are essentially space cops. And what is any good cop story without the straight edged supervisor, busting our hero for being a loose cannon and playing by his own rules?  Dammit Jordan, this isn't the wild west, we have regulations!

That's Salaak in a nutshell.  But unlike most administrative pencil pushers, Salaak can kick some ass every once in a while. And as straight edged as he is, the Guardians of the Galaxy are even worse. He keeps things running smoothly, and knows where to draw the line. Because you just can't have space cops without some to bust their chops, giving Salaak a well deserved place in the top 10.

8. Bzzd
Oh wow, this is stupid, you're probably thinking.  He's a damn fly. Lame. Oh, I get it, his partner is the size of a planet. Yeah, be more obvious DC with the contrast there.

Well if you are thinking that, I suggest YOU PUNCH YOURSELF IN THE FACE. Bzzd is a god damned hero. That eager little insect backs down from freaking nothing. And in a climactic fight against the intergalactic tyrant Mongul, Bzzd sacrificed himself for the good of his team mates. You wish you could be as cool as Bzzd.

7. John Stewart
A legend in his own right, Jon is one of the four earthbound Lanterns. In addition to his heroic tours of duty with the Marines, he's fought as part of the Justice League and is an architect to boot. Seriously, that's got to be the greatest resume of all time.

Sadly, Jon never seems to get the time to shine. He's always been a back up to Kyle and Hal, and hasn't been able to forge quite as memorable a place in the Lantern legacy. Which is a shame, because as a no-nonsense hero with a solid backstory, he seems to be the model Green Lantern.

So that's it for now. We have six more Lanterns to go, so come back as we continue Green Lantern Week!

Green Lantern Week Begins!

We have less than a week before the summer's third superhero adaptation, Green Lantern. Will Ryan Reynolds emerge as a serious leading man?  Can the GL usher in a new age of DC heroes? Will green spandex and a shiny magic ring not be laughed out of Hollywood? Find out this Friday!

In the meantime, I thought we could kick off discussions with Green Lantern's post-Flashpoint progress. War of the Green Lanterns should be reaching it's end soon, and there doesn't seem to be an obvious story arc to follow. And even though many characters are being rebooted, Hal Jordan doesn't seem to be changing at all. All of the GL lore and recent history is still intact, with events such as Blackest Night and Brightest Day still cannon. I'm still miffed at how DC is picking and choosing what parts of the timeline to keep, which makes little sense story wise, but at least we can .  Hal's adventures will continue, and the GL Corps book will have the same focus on the rest of the lanterns, with Guy Gardner returning to the title. This means a cancellation of the Guy-centered Emerald Warriors title, but we have plenty of him to around.

Here's where we get some big changes.  Green isn't the only color dominating the shelves anymore, with Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns getting their own title we heard about months ago.  I said it before and I'll say it again, what a terrible waste.  The Red Lanterns are OK, but their own title?  I would have rather read about Sinestro's followers or Agent Orange.  Here's hoping DC can add some depth to the relatively 2-dimensional Corps. The last title is New Guardians, a team book featuring a member of each of the 7 Corps.  "New Guardians" has a better ring to it (see what I did there? I swear it was unintentional) than the "Rainbow Brigade" I suppose. Featuring Kyle Raynor and fan favorite lanterns from other Corps, this book has alot of potential.  With some wild characters uniting for the first time, I think it's worth checking out.

So if you're looking to get into comics after seeing the movie, you can either get caught up or snag these brand new issue #1s.  Green Lantern features Hal himself and is bound to be a reliable read and the Green Lantern Corps can be a but middling at times, but full of classic characters.  Red Lantern Corps. just doesn't strike me as a "must read", and New Guardians might be worth a peek.  So these are your books for after the movie, and that's a whole lot of comic book goodness to go around.

X-Men First Class Review

The fan reaction to X-Men First Class has been an interesting one.  Fox has earned a fair share of ill will after some of their less spectacular projects, and the numerous departures from the source material have been met with the vitriol you would expect from the internet.  But in the wake of recent positive buzz, fans have pulled a complete 180, embracing this movie fully.  Does this movie deserve the love it's been getting recently?  Well, yes and no.

For the record, this movie could have been a trainwreck.  I almost expect it to be.  With a stagnating franchise and an astoundingly limited production schedule, the practicalities of the project are daunting at best.  But the result is something that does manage to work.  It's fun and entertaining for the most part, and completely reopens the possibilities for the X-Men.  Despite the best efforts of the marketing campaign to convince me otherwise, James McAvoy is wonderful as Professor X.  He's endlessly charming and I can somehow see this man being tempered into becoming the hero we saw in the original trilogy.  The integrity of Charles Xavier is all there.  And Magneto has more than his fair share of badass moments, with Michael Fassbender being cast perfectly.  Sadly he doesn't have quite enough time to develop fully, and could have used a few more good character moments.  He needs something more than "gah! Nazis!" to stay interesting.  Overall, a good sense of humor and undeniable sense of cool make for quality summer entertainment.  It's a very difficult movie to hate, but I'm a little surprised at just how much love it's getting.

Part of the problem is the huge cast, and the ultimate lack of a team dynamic.  Take Rose Byrne as Moira McTaggart.  She plays a key role in the first 30 minutes or so, before going an hour without saying a single word.  She's scenery.  Shaw's henchman are nothing more than walking special effects, with Azazel and Riptude having a combined word count of 5.  And the actual recruits themselves?  They spend far too little time playing off each other, and are too underdeveloped for us to care about them.  Does Havok do anything besides make fun of Beast?  Does Darwin do anything besides sacrifice himself, which the audience will struggle to care about?  The actors for all these roles certainly had a knack for their characters, but did little else than use their powers to fight.  I liked all these characters, yet didn't know enough about them to care.

And then we have the characters who were just flat out handled poorly, despite their larger screen time.  Jennifer Lawrence is a very likeable Mystique, and the girl clearly has a long career ahead of her in film.  But the character's development arc is horribly mishandled, and every word out of her mouth has something to do with mutant pride.  She slowly becomes a broken record, and the whole "will she or won't she" routine becomes a dull affair.  And Beast.  If there's one thing I actively hated in the movie, it was Beast.  Nicholas Hoult did some nice work before Beast went all furry.  Nothing to marvel at, sure, but nothing cringe worthy.  Somewhere between nightmarish CGI and his misguided attempts at acting badass it all falls apart.

As for our leading villain, does anyone remember what Brad Pitt said in Ocean's 11?  "He has to like you, and then forget you the minute you walk away".  That sums up my feelings very well.  Bacon is tremendously cool as the character, bringing charm and good humor to the part.  But while I be talking about him a year from now?  No, absolutely not.  Ultimately, he's a pale shadow of Magneto in the original X-Men movies.  He has the same goals and motivations (which they fully acknowledge, in an awesome way) without any of the complexity or menace of Magneto.  Outside of his first scenes working with the Nazis, he never comes off as a plausible threat or someone to be feared.  Maybe it's because he's on permanent playboy mode and always acts like a fop.  Bacon needed a good scene where he could go unhinged and lose control, dropping his suave facade.

With so many characters and themes, the most important element of the movie should be the editing and presentation.  And without the proper time and resources, the movie lacks polish.  The pacing is awkward at times and the movie jumbles from scene to scene.  Take Magento's first encounter with Xavier.  After their skirmish with Shaw, there's a healthy amount of exposition before the two talk again.  I never truly understood why they were considered to be such good friends.  They have a few key moments together which I wouldn't define as a deep friendship.  So when they inevitably part ways, I don't really care.  All they did was team up for a mission and spend five minutes psychologically scarring a few kids.  Their friendship dissolving means they are in exactly the same place as they were less than half a movie ago, with one of them now a diabolical madman and the other in a wheelchair.

Now you might mistake this for a negative review, and that's not completely true.  The movie is still great fun, and I do recommend it.  My only concern is that the movie has it's fair share of flaws that are being curiously overlooked by fans and select critics, and what is only a good movie being proclaimed as something great.  The good news though, is that all of my complaints are completely fixable.  Matthew Vaughn is more than a competent director, and except for Beast and Emma Frost I desperately want to the see the entire cast come back.  With a tighter script that creates a stronger team dynamics and more time for editing and planning, I don't see any reason why the X-Men's sophomore year shouldn't be even better.

DC Universe Rebooted!

No other medium loves reboots and retcons quite like comics.  And because of the wonders of comic book science, writers have a variety of glorious tools to go about shattering continuity at their whim.  Time travel, parallel realities, Doom-Bots, clones, or my personal favorite, actual deals with the devil.  But DC has decided to take rebooting to an unprecedented scale, restarting their entire line of comics from the scratch.  In the wake of Flashpoint, we’re going to see the DC universe reborn and filled with younger takes on classic heroes.  Geoff John’s obsession with the Silver Age has grown so wildly out of control he’s changed the comic book timeline just so he can bring it all back.  Come on buddy, you’re bordering on self-parody here.

So are collars on Superheroes a "thing" now?

What makes this slightly disheartening is that DC has already pressed the “redo” button more than once.  In addition to the endless list of retcons (try asking someone what Hawkman’s origin is), the whole purpose of the Crisis events was to streamline continuity and fix things permanently.  And so many classic stories become effectively non-cannon, no longer part of the main continuity.  We might even see some retellings of classic stories.

What’s even worse is that, in the short term at least, this will boost sales.  Dozens of new Issue #1’s?  Whether or not this transition will stick is up for debate, but DC’s sales will skyrocket  with these issues  I mean, damn, I’m ranting about how much I dislike this change and I’m going to buy some of these.  The reboot undeniably shakes up the current status quo.  Even though change isn’t necessarily good or bad, at the very least it’s something different.  I’d be interested in reading the classic Justice League get together again in a whole new world, and am curious to see the future holds for Green Lantern.  Hopefully we’ll get some cool stories out of this.  Just keep in mind though, this isn’t the first time things have been retconned in comics, and it won’t be the last.