With 2016 fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to write down my thoughts on the year that has passed. This is my first time doing this kind of thing, so I may not have much to say. Please bear with me on this.
It has been quite a year, hasn't it? Lots of triumphs and tragedies. We managed to survive another year, which really amazes me. Sometimes, to be totally honest, the insanity of humanity really makes my head spin. Insanity of humanity. Heh heh, I was a poet and did not know it.
It's amazing how a whole year can pass by seemingly so quickly. Why is that? Is it what really happens, or is it a trick in our minds? Is it how we remember things? ...yeah, I'm trying to be philosophical here. I suck.
Despite suffering some family tragedy, I have had a pretty good year. I've been feeling really revitalized to write for this blog lately, and there's a lot of fantastic things to look forward to for a geek like me in the upcoming year. More episodes of Agents of SHIELD, more MCU and another TMNT film, and hopefully, I'll be writing more comic book reviews.
I am also thinking of changing my blog's name. The original name of my blog, Random Rockin' Blog, really just came about at random...because I could not come up with another one. I'm thinking of calling it something like "Classic Comic Showcase" or something like that. After all, this blog was originally created to do exactly that, give my thoughts on old comics.
Well, here's hoping 2016 will be a great year. Hope yours will be, too. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Star Trek Beyond Trailer: My Thoughts.
I am a Star Trek fan. Been one my whole life. Growing up, I would watch TNG and DS9 with my dad, and I also grew up watching the original movies. When the franchise was going to be given a new film, with new actors playing the crew of the original Enterprise, I was excited, and the eleventh film lived up to my expectations. My dad loved it so much, that ever since we would go into theaters and watch a movie, if he liked it, he still would say it was not as good as Star Trek.
Into Darkness would then hit, and I admit, I enjoyed it. Thought it was an odd choice to have Benedict Cumberbatch play Khan, but I still thought it was a good film.
And now, a third film is coming: Star Trek Beyond. And the trailer is here.
I really don't get why people complained about the use of Beastie Boys's "Sabotage" in the trailer. Do people not remember the scene in the eleventh Trek film where a young Kirk was driving around wildly in the old car? That was the exact song that was playing! It was a callback! I thought it was really cool! And the Starfleet jackets we see Spock and Chekov wear in the beginning? They look snazzy.
And the bit with Spock and McCoy and the transporter was hilarious. I laughed at that.
I have to admit, seeing the Enterprise crew being marooned on a strange new planet is an interesting idea. The closest I am aware of something like that happening was Chakotay and Janeway being stuck on a planet on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. And that was because they were being quarantined.
The new villain looks neat. He reminds me of a Gorn, almost. But I don't think the villain is a Gorn, though. Similar, but not really a Gorn. Maybe a species related to the Gorn. Now I want to watch that fight between Kirk and the Gorn from the old series.
This looks like it'll be at the very least a fun action flick. Not much else to say about this. I liked the last two new Trek films, so hopefully, it'll be a hat trick.
Into Darkness would then hit, and I admit, I enjoyed it. Thought it was an odd choice to have Benedict Cumberbatch play Khan, but I still thought it was a good film.
And now, a third film is coming: Star Trek Beyond. And the trailer is here.
I really don't get why people complained about the use of Beastie Boys's "Sabotage" in the trailer. Do people not remember the scene in the eleventh Trek film where a young Kirk was driving around wildly in the old car? That was the exact song that was playing! It was a callback! I thought it was really cool! And the Starfleet jackets we see Spock and Chekov wear in the beginning? They look snazzy.
And the bit with Spock and McCoy and the transporter was hilarious. I laughed at that.
I have to admit, seeing the Enterprise crew being marooned on a strange new planet is an interesting idea. The closest I am aware of something like that happening was Chakotay and Janeway being stuck on a planet on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. And that was because they were being quarantined.
The new villain looks neat. He reminds me of a Gorn, almost. But I don't think the villain is a Gorn, though. Similar, but not really a Gorn. Maybe a species related to the Gorn. Now I want to watch that fight between Kirk and the Gorn from the old series.
This looks like it'll be at the very least a fun action flick. Not much else to say about this. I liked the last two new Trek films, so hopefully, it'll be a hat trick.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Hello, readers! It's Christmas Day!
Wow. It comes so fast, doesn't it? It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming 2015, and now we're preparing to say goodbye to it.
2015 has been one heck of a year, both good and bad. I'm hoping 2016 will be a great year, with more of the good and less of the bad. I plan to spend my Christmas at home with my family, enjoying my gifts and having some Christmas turkey. My cats just might get some as a treat, too. I also plan to watch a couple movies today. A Christmas Story is playing all day on TV, and I also have some appropriate films for the season in my collection. I have made a list of recommendations here: http://randomrockinblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-favorite-christmas-movies.html
Weather-wise, it was a surprisingly warm Christmas Eve. We have had rain and clouds, but not an inch of snow...at least where I live. It's weird. Winters in upstate New York tend to be rather...brutal when it comes to cold and snow. But this year, it's been...very mild. Weird.
Anyway, I can't wait to open my presents. I hope I got that Wii U I've asked for. And also Ant-Man on DVD.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, from Christmas to Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, from Festivus to Saturnalia to Hogswatch, I hope it was a wonderful one for you!
Wow. It comes so fast, doesn't it? It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming 2015, and now we're preparing to say goodbye to it.
2015 has been one heck of a year, both good and bad. I'm hoping 2016 will be a great year, with more of the good and less of the bad. I plan to spend my Christmas at home with my family, enjoying my gifts and having some Christmas turkey. My cats just might get some as a treat, too. I also plan to watch a couple movies today. A Christmas Story is playing all day on TV, and I also have some appropriate films for the season in my collection. I have made a list of recommendations here: http://randomrockinblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-favorite-christmas-movies.html
Weather-wise, it was a surprisingly warm Christmas Eve. We have had rain and clouds, but not an inch of snow...at least where I live. It's weird. Winters in upstate New York tend to be rather...brutal when it comes to cold and snow. But this year, it's been...very mild. Weird.
Anyway, I can't wait to open my presents. I hope I got that Wii U I've asked for. And also Ant-Man on DVD.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, from Christmas to Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, from Festivus to Saturnalia to Hogswatch, I hope it was a wonderful one for you!
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Action Comics #644 (August 1989) - Review
I love 80s comics. I don't know why, but I do. However, the majority of 80s stuff I have read from comics' Big Two I have never read in actual floppy form. I have a massive trade paperback collection, where I have gotten to read many of the Big Two's 80s output from that time.
I struggled to find a comic to review for this blog when I saw my copy of Superman in the Eighties, a trade collecting a sample of the Man of Steel's adventures during the time of neon, jazzercise, and glam metal. I leafed through it when I read quickly through the last story in the book, and I decided, "Hey, I'll review this one!"
The scans come from said trade paperback. It's a good trade if you can find it, collecting some of the best Superman tales from the Me Decade. It also contains a great introduction by the legendary Jerry Ordway, who worked on Superman back in those days. There are only two issues I have with this trade: the pages are printed on what seems to be the same paper regular comics were printed on. Also, the trade has a cover gallery, but they are not of the comics collected in the trade. I had to go to Google to find the cover of this comic. You may have to go online to find a copy as it is from 2006. I was lucky to find this on the shelf of a comic store at a local mall.
The late 80s, much like the last couple years, were a fresh start for the Man of Steel. When Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Superman was given a reboot. Many elements of the mythos were removed for various reasons, like his teenage career as Superboy (as a consequence, his adventures teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes were considered non-canon), and the removal of Supergirl and many of the Kryptonians he encountered over the years (It was felt that they were redundant). History repeats itself, indeed. So, let's look at Action Comics #644!
"Doppelganger"
Plot: George Perez and Roger Stern
Script: Roger Stern
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Brett Breeding
Letters: Bill Oakley
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
I love the cover. It grabs the eye by showing what looks like Superman, yet not. The costume is all wrong color-wise. He looks menacing, with a shadowed face except for evil-looking white eyes and standing in rubble. I think it was drawn by George Perez, so that has cool points already for me. I know there is an accent mark over the first e in Perez, but I have no idea how to type it, so my apologies for that.
This comic starts with Superman flying back to his boyhood home of Smallville, Kansas. He was called there by Lana Lang, saying someone called "Matrix" was becoming a handful.
He discovers that Murry's Place, a small business in Smallville, I'm assuming, was wrecked. And nothing else was. The cops and building inspector explain that it happened at night, and one deputy was said to have joked that only Superman himself could've caused such destruction, but he was in Metropolis, so he couldn't have been responsible. The Man of Steel figures Matrix was behind it...and for some reason, he also deduces that Matrix was posing as him.
We also get a bit of a recap of who Matrix is and how...Matrix came to Smallville.
Yeah, the Superman creative team really liked Supergirl, and wanted to revive the character (Kara Zor-El was killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths). However, the higher-ups did not want her to be a Kryptonian, because at the time, they felt having her be a Kryptonian would hurt Superman's branding as "The Last Son of Krypton". Personally, I would've just said she was the "Last Daughter", but that's just me. I'm silly like that.
So, to get around it, they came up with this origin for the Post-Crisis Supergirl. Essentially, she was a shapeshifting artificial lifeform created by an alternate world's Lex Luthor to help liberate said alternate world from three tyrannical Kryptonians. She used psychokinetic abilities to mimic Superman's powers. Yeah, comics are weird.
She ended up the only survivor of that world, and as such, Superman decided to take her to his so she wouldn't be alone. He also left her in the care of his parents because he figured, "Hey, they raised me, they won't have any problems raising another being from another world." Then, Superman was having some personal troubles and needed to leave Earth for a while, so he asked Matrix to keep an eye on his parents for him. No pressure.
Based on that panel, one can assume Matrix has been hanging out with Walter White. Anyway, Superman also reveals that Matrix has been living as Clark Kent (evidently as a strange way of doing what Superman asked him/her to do), and somehow blew up his apartment...which was not mentioned earlier in the comic. Okay. How did he learn this?
Lana tells Superman that Matrix has come back to the Kent farm, and Ma and Pa Kent are trying to calm him down.
Matrix rants about staying on the farm and helping Ma and Pa work on it, Superman observing from outside. He tries to think of a way to convince Matrix that he is not Clark Kent, but Matrix suddenly starts saying what Clark is thinking. Matrix panics and sees Supes out the window, then blasts him.
Superman recovers and finds Matrix has taken Lana and the Kents away. It's revealed he has taken them to an abandoned quarry. The three try to convince Matrix he isn't Superman, but Matrix is too confused, even changing his tattered clothes into a darker take on Superman's classic costume.
Using his visual powers, Superman follows Matrix's heat trail to the quarry. Matrix rants about a recent kidnapping she was a victim of thanks to Lex Luthor, which he could not know about because the Kents never told him about it. Superman realizes that somehow his and Matrix's minds have linked up, which explains how Matrix can remember things and was able to say what was on his mind earlier. Despite this, Superman is able to ambush the crazed Matrix.
Superman checks on his parents and Lana. He then tries to get Matrix back to his senses, but Matrix is too convinced he is the real Superman, and they start to fight. The fight uses some of the trademark Perez tricks, including the usage of panels to help move the action.
We briefly cut back to Metropolis, where Karen Faulkner at S.T.A.R. Labs is trying to contact Superman. The reason, the Will Payton Starman needs his help.
Back in Smallville, Superman and Matrix's brawl take them back to the building the Kents and Lana were hiding in. They try to flee the collapsing building, but Lana is injured by rubble. The Kents try to get her out of there, but the fight is causing the building to collapse.
Superman hears Ma Kent's cries for help, and saves them from the falling building.
Superman confronts Matrix, explaining that during a self-imposed exile in space (long story), he had been given a Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator. Matrix had accidentally activated it somehow, and it caused their minds to be linked. Matrix hallucinates that Superman is a Silver Age-styled General Zod, threatening to find a way to destroy his new world. Matrix completely flips out and blasts Superman with psychokinetic energy. In an AWESOME sequence, Superman takes the blast, and just marches right up to Matrix and talks him down.
Matrix realizes how much he has screwed up, and decides to leave Earth to find himself, and as penance for disgracing the name of Superman.
This comic isn't a bad story. It has an epic fight scene and we get to see Superman go back to his boyhood home. Its big weakness is that it has trouble standing on its own. You really are going to have to have read previous comics to have a full idea of the story. The fact that I did not see any editor's notes about what issues previous events happened in does not help.
As for the art? It's George friggin' Perez! What more do you want?! His art is incredible here! It's wonderful to look at! It's actually one of the highlights of this book, it's very pretty to look at. His layouts are really neat, too.
Do I recommend this book? Again, it's not a bad story, but it does have a bit of trouble standing on its own. As for the trade I got this issue's scans from, Superman in the Eighties, pick it up if you find it. It's got some neat stories in it. For my next review, I want to take a slight jump forward to 1991 with Captain America as he takes his first steps into the Streets of Poison...
I struggled to find a comic to review for this blog when I saw my copy of Superman in the Eighties, a trade collecting a sample of the Man of Steel's adventures during the time of neon, jazzercise, and glam metal. I leafed through it when I read quickly through the last story in the book, and I decided, "Hey, I'll review this one!"
The scans come from said trade paperback. It's a good trade if you can find it, collecting some of the best Superman tales from the Me Decade. It also contains a great introduction by the legendary Jerry Ordway, who worked on Superman back in those days. There are only two issues I have with this trade: the pages are printed on what seems to be the same paper regular comics were printed on. Also, the trade has a cover gallery, but they are not of the comics collected in the trade. I had to go to Google to find the cover of this comic. You may have to go online to find a copy as it is from 2006. I was lucky to find this on the shelf of a comic store at a local mall.
The late 80s, much like the last couple years, were a fresh start for the Man of Steel. When Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Superman was given a reboot. Many elements of the mythos were removed for various reasons, like his teenage career as Superboy (as a consequence, his adventures teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes were considered non-canon), and the removal of Supergirl and many of the Kryptonians he encountered over the years (It was felt that they were redundant). History repeats itself, indeed. So, let's look at Action Comics #644!
"Doppelganger"
Plot: George Perez and Roger Stern
Script: Roger Stern
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Brett Breeding
Letters: Bill Oakley
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
I love the cover. It grabs the eye by showing what looks like Superman, yet not. The costume is all wrong color-wise. He looks menacing, with a shadowed face except for evil-looking white eyes and standing in rubble. I think it was drawn by George Perez, so that has cool points already for me. I know there is an accent mark over the first e in Perez, but I have no idea how to type it, so my apologies for that.
This comic starts with Superman flying back to his boyhood home of Smallville, Kansas. He was called there by Lana Lang, saying someone called "Matrix" was becoming a handful.
 |
| "Did I leave the super-oven on in the Fortress of Solitude? Ah, that's gonna bother me all day..." |
We also get a bit of a recap of who Matrix is and how...Matrix came to Smallville.
 |
| Your new Supergirl for the upcoming 1990s! Enjoy, fans! |
So, to get around it, they came up with this origin for the Post-Crisis Supergirl. Essentially, she was a shapeshifting artificial lifeform created by an alternate world's Lex Luthor to help liberate said alternate world from three tyrannical Kryptonians. She used psychokinetic abilities to mimic Superman's powers. Yeah, comics are weird.
She ended up the only survivor of that world, and as such, Superman decided to take her to his so she wouldn't be alone. He also left her in the care of his parents because he figured, "Hey, they raised me, they won't have any problems raising another being from another world." Then, Superman was having some personal troubles and needed to leave Earth for a while, so he asked Matrix to keep an eye on his parents for him. No pressure.
 |
| "You want me to what? What's going on?" |
Lana tells Superman that Matrix has come back to the Kent farm, and Ma and Pa Kent are trying to calm him down.
 |
| "After breakfast, I'm going to the Robinson Crusoe shipwreck cosplay party!" |
 |
| "Oh, my God! That man's got my face! And a much nicer outfit!" |
 |
| "Please tell me I got Superman's costume right...Oh. I am NOT good with colors." |
 |
| "*Kool-Aid Man crashing noise* OH YEAH!" |
 |
| "WHY YOU LITTLE-!" |
 |
| "That's okay, I can wait. I'll just stand here with my hands behind my back..." |
Superman hears Ma Kent's cries for help, and saves them from the falling building.
 |
| "Man, if I wasn't Kryptonian, this would hurt." |
 |
| "IMMA BLAST YOU Ah, crud." |
 |
| "Did I leave the oven on in Smallville? Ah, that's gonna bother me all day..." |
As for the art? It's George friggin' Perez! What more do you want?! His art is incredible here! It's wonderful to look at! It's actually one of the highlights of this book, it's very pretty to look at. His layouts are really neat, too.
Do I recommend this book? Again, it's not a bad story, but it does have a bit of trouble standing on its own. As for the trade I got this issue's scans from, Superman in the Eighties, pick it up if you find it. It's got some neat stories in it. For my next review, I want to take a slight jump forward to 1991 with Captain America as he takes his first steps into the Streets of Poison...
Friday, December 18, 2015
Final Smash DLC Thoughts.
Recently, Nintendo did a special broadcast on their social media about what is to be the last DLC for the latest Super Smash Bros. game. A couple of new fighters, and the winner of the Smash Ballot was revealed! No, it was not Cloud. Did download Cloud for the 3DS version, and he is a blast to play as.
The reveal of Corrin from the newest Fire Emblem game: Fire Emblem: Fates, just made me shrug. I never had any issue with the Fire Emblem series, to be honest. I did play Fire Emblem for the GBA. It was a good game, but it wasn't for me. Tactical RPGs aren't really my thing. I have heard some outcry about his inclusion, as it was felt his inclusion was purely for promotion. It also increases the number of Fire Emblem characters to six. It wasn't a problem for me, really. After all, the Mario series has quite a lot of representation in the game (Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Baby Bowser. Technically, twelve if you count all seven of the Koopalings).
The creators did want to include him, and I'm sure the game's makers consider Corrin being in Smash a great promotion. After all, Shulk was included to promote Xenoblade Chronicles.
However, I did find his dragon-based attacks pretty cool. I imagine he'll be fun to play as at the very least.
I liked the explanation of Cloud's moves. It's really cool to see that he gets Limit Breaks for all his moves. It really goes to show the work these people put in to make the character feel like they stepped right out of their games. This is the most wonderful form of video game fanservice. It really shows the team's passion for gaming and gaming history. The Smash series has really become a tribute to gaming, and it's so awesome seeing Cloud. It's fun playing as him, too. I've never played Final Fantasy VII, but I would love to now.
The Midgar stage is really cool. It's really neat that you can summon monsters from the various games, and they have some really cool effects on the stage...if you can get the Materia! I imagine Midgar will be a favorite stage to smash on, for sheer unpredictability alone.
I never really was into Mii costumes, but this game has some cool ones, paying homage to Splatoon, and even Tekken and Virtua Fighter. They have announced a Geno costume for Mii Gunners, as well as Tails and Knuckles costumes. I'm sure Mii costume collectors will love them. And in a way, Geno does get into Smash after all.
Bayonetta coming to Smash was a surprise to say the least. Her reveal trailer was really cool. I have to admit, I was a bit saddened to see that Solid Snake wasn't coming back, nor would Simon Belmont join, but Nintendo and Konami probably couldn't come to a deal. And in the case of Snake, Konami and Kojima being on the outs didn't help much. Ah, well. Can't be helped. Still, Bayonetta is a good choice. I haven't played either of her games, but I have heard they were good. She's a combo fighter, so I can imagine match-ups with Ryu will be quite interesting.
Her Witch Time attack looks awesome. I like that there is something to prevent it from being spammed. And I LOVE her Final Smash. The big demon Gomorrah just comes in and chows down on every other opponent Bayonetta is facing! That is cool, man! Just awesome!
These characters will also get amiibo. That's also neat, and makes sense. Every other Smash fighter has gotten amiibo, only fair Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta get them.
Do I think this will be truly the last DLC? Maybe. You never know. But if this truly is the last DLC, then it ended with a big bang! Thank you, Mr. Sakurai. Your hard work is truly appreciated by millions of gamers everywhere.
The reveal of Corrin from the newest Fire Emblem game: Fire Emblem: Fates, just made me shrug. I never had any issue with the Fire Emblem series, to be honest. I did play Fire Emblem for the GBA. It was a good game, but it wasn't for me. Tactical RPGs aren't really my thing. I have heard some outcry about his inclusion, as it was felt his inclusion was purely for promotion. It also increases the number of Fire Emblem characters to six. It wasn't a problem for me, really. After all, the Mario series has quite a lot of representation in the game (Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Baby Bowser. Technically, twelve if you count all seven of the Koopalings).
The creators did want to include him, and I'm sure the game's makers consider Corrin being in Smash a great promotion. After all, Shulk was included to promote Xenoblade Chronicles.
However, I did find his dragon-based attacks pretty cool. I imagine he'll be fun to play as at the very least.
I liked the explanation of Cloud's moves. It's really cool to see that he gets Limit Breaks for all his moves. It really goes to show the work these people put in to make the character feel like they stepped right out of their games. This is the most wonderful form of video game fanservice. It really shows the team's passion for gaming and gaming history. The Smash series has really become a tribute to gaming, and it's so awesome seeing Cloud. It's fun playing as him, too. I've never played Final Fantasy VII, but I would love to now.
The Midgar stage is really cool. It's really neat that you can summon monsters from the various games, and they have some really cool effects on the stage...if you can get the Materia! I imagine Midgar will be a favorite stage to smash on, for sheer unpredictability alone.
I never really was into Mii costumes, but this game has some cool ones, paying homage to Splatoon, and even Tekken and Virtua Fighter. They have announced a Geno costume for Mii Gunners, as well as Tails and Knuckles costumes. I'm sure Mii costume collectors will love them. And in a way, Geno does get into Smash after all.
Bayonetta coming to Smash was a surprise to say the least. Her reveal trailer was really cool. I have to admit, I was a bit saddened to see that Solid Snake wasn't coming back, nor would Simon Belmont join, but Nintendo and Konami probably couldn't come to a deal. And in the case of Snake, Konami and Kojima being on the outs didn't help much. Ah, well. Can't be helped. Still, Bayonetta is a good choice. I haven't played either of her games, but I have heard they were good. She's a combo fighter, so I can imagine match-ups with Ryu will be quite interesting.
Her Witch Time attack looks awesome. I like that there is something to prevent it from being spammed. And I LOVE her Final Smash. The big demon Gomorrah just comes in and chows down on every other opponent Bayonetta is facing! That is cool, man! Just awesome!
These characters will also get amiibo. That's also neat, and makes sense. Every other Smash fighter has gotten amiibo, only fair Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta get them.
Do I think this will be truly the last DLC? Maybe. You never know. But if this truly is the last DLC, then it ended with a big bang! Thank you, Mr. Sakurai. Your hard work is truly appreciated by millions of gamers everywhere.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer: My Thoughts
We've known that the X-Men have had a new film coming for some time: X-Men: Apocalypse. I will be honest. The only X-Men films I ever really watched were the very first one and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The first X-Men film was awesome, and I felt Origins could've been better. I did get excited about Days of Future Past, but I still haven't seen it. In essence, the X-Films have never really gotten me really excited. I had been hearing about Apocalypse, but it generally made me shrug.
The trailer had dropped, and I figure, hey why not watch it? Might be worth a chuckle, heh heh.
I will admit, it does look cool. The trailer does look cool. And one thing I really think is great is that this trailer is not spoiling the whole thing like the latest Batman v Superman trailer seemed to do. Although I think this is only the first trailer.
People have made their fair share of jokes regarding Apocalypse resembling Ivan Ooze, but based on this trailer, he looks pretty darn cool. And I do like that they are making an effort to have him resemble his comic self, which is awesome. The X-Films are growing less afraid of growing a little more colorful.
Speaking of colorful, I'm not too fond of the X-Men's uniforms. They seem a bit drab to me. Would be nice for them to have some color. It's also funny to see Mystique not being a red-haired blue woman. Meh, probably the studio wanting to make sure we recognize Jennifer Lawrence. You know, because movie watchers are dumb.
Jubilee looks adorable, that is all.
And there are explosions, lots of explosions. And Apocalypse had picked some unique Horsemen. And it's also nice to see some RED and PURPLE in Magneto's costume.
This does look like an interesting film. I think I'll have some fun watching this.
The trailer had dropped, and I figure, hey why not watch it? Might be worth a chuckle, heh heh.
I will admit, it does look cool. The trailer does look cool. And one thing I really think is great is that this trailer is not spoiling the whole thing like the latest Batman v Superman trailer seemed to do. Although I think this is only the first trailer.
People have made their fair share of jokes regarding Apocalypse resembling Ivan Ooze, but based on this trailer, he looks pretty darn cool. And I do like that they are making an effort to have him resemble his comic self, which is awesome. The X-Films are growing less afraid of growing a little more colorful.
Speaking of colorful, I'm not too fond of the X-Men's uniforms. They seem a bit drab to me. Would be nice for them to have some color. It's also funny to see Mystique not being a red-haired blue woman. Meh, probably the studio wanting to make sure we recognize Jennifer Lawrence. You know, because movie watchers are dumb.
Jubilee looks adorable, that is all.
And there are explosions, lots of explosions. And Apocalypse had picked some unique Horsemen. And it's also nice to see some RED and PURPLE in Magneto's costume.
This does look like an interesting film. I think I'll have some fun watching this.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
TMNT: Out of the Shadows Trailer: My Thoughts
In 2014, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles returned to live-action film, and the reaction was mixed. Many hated it, but it still did well enough to warrant a coming sequel, Out of the Shadows.
As for my personal experiences with this film, I have to admit, I never watched it, although I have been meaning to. It wasn't because I thought the film would be bad or anything, I just never got around to it. The bad reviews didn't drive me away from seeing it, nor did the trailer. I just shrugged and went on to do other things. It wasn't like the trailers to the last Fantastic Four movie. When I saw those, I thought. "Thing looks alright. Everything else looks dull and bleak, though."
Anyway, as for the coming TMNT sequel, the first trailer just dropped.
I have to admit, this trailer got me excited. I am eager to see this. The Turtles look bright and colorful. As someone who also has seen the original TMNT cartoon as a kid, it's really great seeing Bebop and Rocksteady finally make their live-action debut.
Seriously, the two mutants look amazing on film. The effects team deserves kudos for that. And Bebop's line to the Turtles made me laugh. Also, as a wrestling fan, it's really neat seeing Sheamus as Rocksteady. I hope we get to see the Turtles get a Brogue Kick.
It feels like the film is drawing heavily from the 1980s-1990s Turtles cartoon, with Bebop and Rocksteady, Vernon returning, the portal possibly indicating Krang, and the Turtle Van. Yup, the Turtle Van. Which is awesome. It shoots MANHOLE COVERS out of its front. I think that's it's pretty cool.
The trailer really gives a feeling of fun throughout it. You really get the impression the people making this film were really enjoying themselves, and that helps contribute to the general...aura of a film, you could call it.
In all, this trailer was exciting, and I want to see this movie.
As for my personal experiences with this film, I have to admit, I never watched it, although I have been meaning to. It wasn't because I thought the film would be bad or anything, I just never got around to it. The bad reviews didn't drive me away from seeing it, nor did the trailer. I just shrugged and went on to do other things. It wasn't like the trailers to the last Fantastic Four movie. When I saw those, I thought. "Thing looks alright. Everything else looks dull and bleak, though."
Anyway, as for the coming TMNT sequel, the first trailer just dropped.
I have to admit, this trailer got me excited. I am eager to see this. The Turtles look bright and colorful. As someone who also has seen the original TMNT cartoon as a kid, it's really great seeing Bebop and Rocksteady finally make their live-action debut.
Seriously, the two mutants look amazing on film. The effects team deserves kudos for that. And Bebop's line to the Turtles made me laugh. Also, as a wrestling fan, it's really neat seeing Sheamus as Rocksteady. I hope we get to see the Turtles get a Brogue Kick.
It feels like the film is drawing heavily from the 1980s-1990s Turtles cartoon, with Bebop and Rocksteady, Vernon returning, the portal possibly indicating Krang, and the Turtle Van. Yup, the Turtle Van. Which is awesome. It shoots MANHOLE COVERS out of its front. I think that's it's pretty cool.
The trailer really gives a feeling of fun throughout it. You really get the impression the people making this film were really enjoying themselves, and that helps contribute to the general...aura of a film, you could call it.
In all, this trailer was exciting, and I want to see this movie.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Batman v Superman Trailer, My Thoughts
Marvel Comics is not the only comic book company that has a big film coming out. DC Comics is also putting out something huge: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film essentially promises the first-ever meeting between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in a live-action film. It's also supposed to be the kickoff point for their own DC Cinematic Universe, much like Iron Man was for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We've seen teasers, and now a new trailer has dropped.
I do have a lot to say about this trailer. It's an action-packed trailer, I'll give it that. Big explosions, mainly. Another thing I have noticed is that everything seems really...drab. Much like Man of Steel, everything seems so grey and drab. It's like bright colors are unwelcome in this world. One could argue that may seem true of Civil War, but to me personally, that trailer seemed...brighter, if that makes sense. Or maybe it's just because much of the action in the trailer is shown at night, whereas in Civil War, we saw the heroes fighting each other during the day.
Another thing that stood out to me was seeing Henry Cavill as Clark Kent. I think he does look like Clark Kent. I will admit, to me, you'll never be able to beat the late Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent or Superman, but Henry Cavill, looks wise, he does well in his own right. As for Ben Affleck, I will admit, he's not bad as an older Bruce Wayne, looks-wise. But we'll have to wait for the movie to see if he can truly pull it off.
One thing that made me tilt my head was Jesse Eisenberg's scenes as Lex Luthor. It may just be me, but his Lex, from what little we see, seems...really goofy. Like, Eisenberg was thinking he was supposed to be the Joker goofy. I mean, I know back in the goofy wacky Silver Age, Lex Luthor was a mad scientist, but I doubt he was this wacky back in those days. Yeah. I mean, he didn't commit crimes on Einstein's birthday in those days, but that was really it for wacky stuff...as far as I know.
One cool thing about the trailer...Wonder Woman's entrance. That was awesome. Gal Godot looked really great as the Amazing Amazon.
Doomsday is...meh. Yeah, I think I'm more excited about Civil War. This might sound like an...okay flick, but I'm more excited about Civil War, to be honest.
Both this film and Civil War will feature heroes in conflict with one another, so why am I more excited for Civil War? Well, mainly...because when it comes to that film, there has been a feeling that this has been coming for a long time. There's a sense of buildup for it. Think about it. In the two Avengers films, we've seen Steve and Tony disagree on things. Age of Ultron, The Winter Soldier, and Agents of SHIELD have all helped with the buildup to Civil War in their own ways.
With BvS, there's no feeling of buildup. This feels rushed. When it came to the MCU, we got a sense of something bigger coming up. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, they all told stories of their own, but also built up to the formation of the Avengers. With this, there's a general feeling of desperately trying to catch up. DC shouldn't worry about catching up. They should take their time, and improve on the flaws. DC is the company that created the superhero, they should be the company that perfected the cinematic universe. A shame, really. I want to see the Justice League in a big epic film, because I like DC and the JLA, too. However, I should be excited because I know it will be awesome, not shrugging because it will just be merely average. It's kind of sad.
We've seen teasers, and now a new trailer has dropped.
I do have a lot to say about this trailer. It's an action-packed trailer, I'll give it that. Big explosions, mainly. Another thing I have noticed is that everything seems really...drab. Much like Man of Steel, everything seems so grey and drab. It's like bright colors are unwelcome in this world. One could argue that may seem true of Civil War, but to me personally, that trailer seemed...brighter, if that makes sense. Or maybe it's just because much of the action in the trailer is shown at night, whereas in Civil War, we saw the heroes fighting each other during the day.
Another thing that stood out to me was seeing Henry Cavill as Clark Kent. I think he does look like Clark Kent. I will admit, to me, you'll never be able to beat the late Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent or Superman, but Henry Cavill, looks wise, he does well in his own right. As for Ben Affleck, I will admit, he's not bad as an older Bruce Wayne, looks-wise. But we'll have to wait for the movie to see if he can truly pull it off.
One thing that made me tilt my head was Jesse Eisenberg's scenes as Lex Luthor. It may just be me, but his Lex, from what little we see, seems...really goofy. Like, Eisenberg was thinking he was supposed to be the Joker goofy. I mean, I know back in the goofy wacky Silver Age, Lex Luthor was a mad scientist, but I doubt he was this wacky back in those days. Yeah. I mean, he didn't commit crimes on Einstein's birthday in those days, but that was really it for wacky stuff...as far as I know.
One cool thing about the trailer...Wonder Woman's entrance. That was awesome. Gal Godot looked really great as the Amazing Amazon.
Doomsday is...meh. Yeah, I think I'm more excited about Civil War. This might sound like an...okay flick, but I'm more excited about Civil War, to be honest.
Both this film and Civil War will feature heroes in conflict with one another, so why am I more excited for Civil War? Well, mainly...because when it comes to that film, there has been a feeling that this has been coming for a long time. There's a sense of buildup for it. Think about it. In the two Avengers films, we've seen Steve and Tony disagree on things. Age of Ultron, The Winter Soldier, and Agents of SHIELD have all helped with the buildup to Civil War in their own ways.
With BvS, there's no feeling of buildup. This feels rushed. When it came to the MCU, we got a sense of something bigger coming up. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, they all told stories of their own, but also built up to the formation of the Avengers. With this, there's a general feeling of desperately trying to catch up. DC shouldn't worry about catching up. They should take their time, and improve on the flaws. DC is the company that created the superhero, they should be the company that perfected the cinematic universe. A shame, really. I want to see the Justice League in a big epic film, because I like DC and the JLA, too. However, I should be excited because I know it will be awesome, not shrugging because it will just be merely average. It's kind of sad.
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