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Avatar Review
19 hours ago
After 12 years of preparation and months of hype, James Cameron’s Avatar surpasses expectations for a unbelievable, immersive experience showcasing a new step in the evolution of cinema. Comparisons to FernGully or the Smurfs are fallacious and juvenile, belittling a true rebirth of 3D and the most impressive visual effects to ever dazzle an audience. I’ve never seen anything like it.
In 2154, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-marine, is a last-minute recruit for a mission on Pandora. An establishment of scientists, military grunts, and greedy administrative types are embedded on the far away moon, exploring avenues for mining “unobtanium,” a mineral resource capable of restoring a dying Earth.
A debate rages between the corporation that intends to raze any indigenous life, and the intellectuals, who find value in the world surrounding the priceless rock. There are imperialism, 9/11, and Iraqi conflict subtexts boiling below the surface, but Cameron avoids
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- Jeff Leins
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Filmmakers React to Avatar, $3.5M Midnight
18 December 2009 5:59 PM, PST
On Wednesday, James Cameron hosted a screening and party for Avatar for several filmmakers and industry types. Variety grabbed a few reaction quotes from a few recognizable names:
Steven Spielberg: “The most evocative and amazing science-fiction movie since ‘Star Wars.’
“Simpsons” creator Matt Groening: “I feel like this is a landmark in the history of cinema: it’s great storytelling using completely artificial means.”
Danny DeVito: “Ohmigawd, that’s off the charts, blown out of the park.”
Michael Bay: “[It] puts you in another world, and that’s the highest praise.”
Michael Mann: “There’s before this movie and after this movie.”
Update: Here are my thoughts on the film.
In approximately 2,000 locations last night, the epic sci-fi drama debuted to $3.5 million from the early showings alone. The estimated figure isn’t within the top of all-time (The Twilight Saga: New Moon set the record last
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- Jeff Leins
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Saved by the Bell: The Movie?
18 December 2009 3:14 PM, PST
A feature film adaptation of 90’s classic television show “Saved by the Bell” is in the works. Jon Shestack Productions secured the rights and is in the process of finding a screenwriter. Thus another piece of nostalgia is mined for a revival and silver screen treatment.
The movie would be “based on” the original series, according to Pajiba. The initial show (1989-1993), centered on the exploits of scam artist student Zack Morris, ran for four seasons, before spawning a single season of “The College Years” and seven years of “The New Class.”
If I may quote a speed-addicted Jessie Spano from a very special episode of The Bell, “I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m so…. scared.” My inner child is giddy with anticipation of a possible return to Bayside High, while the cynical, adult me knows they’ll definitely screw this up. I shudder to think
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- Jeff Leins
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Kick-Ass Sequel Title and Final Poster
18 December 2009 2:09 PM, PST
Outside of than the frenzy surrounding Avatar right now, the geek world is talking about Kick-Ass, an R-rated superhero comedy due out April 16, 2010. The reviews are in from Harry Knowles’ Butt-Numb-a-Thon and they’re extremely favorable, full of explicitives where praise should go because apparently it needs the extra emphasis only “holy f*cking sh*t” can provide.
Director Matthew Vaughn produced the movie independently before bringing it to a pleased crowd at Comic-Con in July, which started a bidding war over the distribution rights. Lionsgate landed them, and the studio stands to make a “sh*tload” more than the $50 million budget in April.
Which, of course, spells sequel. Comic book creator Mark Millar has already promised a Kick-Ass 2, but now he’s discussing it further while the heat is on. In an interview with Comic Book Resources (via Slashfilm), Millar talked about the tie-in book “Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic,
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- Jeff Leins
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Steve Carell, Tina Fey Re-Teaming for ‘Groom’?
17 December 2009 7:21 PM, PST
The trailer for Date Night, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, was tragically unfunny. You’d think the pairing of these two television comedy giants (and a slew of other talented people) might find a way to delight an audience, but things aren’t looking good for the pair’s collaboration.
Not to worry, Fey and Carell may be working together again soon, giving everyone a second chance at comedy. The duo is loosely attached to Mail Order Groom, according to Pajiba (later ripped off by the Hollywood Reporter).
The high concept comedy is about a woman who is desperate to find love and winds up ordering an Eastern European husband. The story is based on an idea by Jeff Richmond, Fey’s husband. Yes, apparently she’s already married in real life. Sorry to let down “30 Rock” fans who thought they had a chance with the funny lady who
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- Jeff Leins
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Teaser Trailer for ‘The Runaways’
17 December 2009 6:54 PM, PST
Premiering worldwide at the Sundance Film Festival next month, The Runaways promises to change the way we think of Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Typically sugary sweet, innocent teens, the co-stars of New Moon are seen here with a razor sharp edge of rock-n-roll angst and sex appeal that only Roman Polanski dreams about.
Apparition announced their acquisition of the film last week and wasted no time in releasing a teaser trailer, which you can watch below. Chairs are thrown, songs are belted out, and Stewart even does her signature lip lick/bite. This is going to make a lot of young girls and Twilight fans suddenly interested in 70’s rock.
Here’s the teaser, courtesy of MTV. I guess that answers the question of “What will they do when Twilight news is scarce?”
The cast includes Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning as Cherie Churrie, Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford,
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- Jeff Leins
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Rene Russo Added to the Cast of ‘Thor’
17 December 2009 5:29 PM, PST
Rene Russo has joined the cast of Marvel’s Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh. The comic book movie starts shooting this January for release May 20, 2011.
She is set to play Frigga, the wife of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), the Queen of Asgard, and the mommy of the titular character (Chris Hemsworth). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is one hell of a cast. Even the supporting roles have named actors and actresses filling them.
Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Jamie Alexander (Sif), Kat Dennings (Marcy), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Stuart Townsend (Fandral), Tadanobu Asano (Hogun), Colm Feore, and Stellan Skarsgard.
I can’t imagine Frigga will be snatching too much screen time, but just knowing Russo is playing her is comforting. Like a warm hug from… Rene Russo.
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- Jeff Leins
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FBI Arrests a ‘Wolverine’ Piracy Suspect
17 December 2009 5:14 PM, PST
Nine months after the leaked workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a suspect they believe uploaded the copy to the Internet weeks before its theatrical release.
47-year-old Gilberto Sanchez (a.k.a. SkillFulGil, theskilled1, SkillyGuy, and Skillz101) from the Bronx, New York was taken into custody Wednesday morning. A grand jury indictment alleges Sanchez uploaded the unfinished copy to Megaupload on or around March 31, 2009.
Sanchez faces three years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss attributable to the offense (whichever is greater). 20th Century Fox will need to find a way to calculate the potential millions lost due to the leak first.
For a guy named “theskilled1,” he wasn’t very adept at avoiding detection. Then again, it took the FBI nine months to track him down, so maybe “SkillFilGul” is as good as he claims to be. I find
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- Jeff Leins
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Shrek Forever After Teaser Trailer and Poster
17 December 2009 3:51 PM, PST
The fourth and final Shrek movie, Shrek Forever After, now has a teaser trailer and a poster. I’m not sure if I’m excited about the new promotional materials or that it’s the last one being made. It’s the latter. DreamWorks Animation may be moving on with sequels to the successful Kung Fu Panda, but not before one last withdrawal from the Shrek bank (now with 3-D premium bonuses).
The story is a fairy tale rehash of It’s a Wonderful Life where Shrek “falls victim to a terrible curse” by the evil Rumpelstiltskin and sees what Far Far Away is like without him. Mike Myers returns to voice the lovable ogre, along with Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas, who is getting his own spin-off when Puss in Boots comes out in 2011.
Take a look at the teaser trailer and poster below:
Shrek 4 is
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- Jeff Leins
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Spider-Man 4 on Hold or Just on Holiday?
17 December 2009 3:09 PM, PST
There’s a rumor floating around that Sony’s Spider-Man 4 is on hold indefinitely, according to anonymous inside sources at the studio. You’ll want to prepare your giant grain of salt for this one, folks, because it’s a doozy.
The IESB is reporting executives were notified of a production halt while key decisions are made on the direction of the sequel. Also, the word is, the title is tentatively Spider-M4N.
The rumor, which Sony denies, is the script continues to be polished in preparation for a 2010 shoot and the players can’t agree on the villain. Raimi is supposedly pushing for the Vulture, which was rumored to be John Malkovich, and the rest want anyone else. Black Cat and the Lizard have surfaced as possible characters.
Sony representatives claim the production halt is not indefinite, but a planned break for the holidays. They also say the
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- Jeff Leins
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Bryan Singer to Direct X-Men Origins: First Class
17 December 2009 1:08 PM, PST
Bryan Singer, the director of X-Men and X2: X-Men United, has agreed to direct X-Men Origins: First Class.
He broke the news on the “blue carpet” for the Avatar premiere last night, and movie ranking website Flickchart Tweeted the big update. They later confirmed the deal is sealed. Here’s the exact quote, “I’m prepping up to do a movie called Jack the Giant Killer [at] Warner Brothers, and I just yesterday signed a deal to do an X-Men First Class Origins picture, which is kind of cool.”
In October, Singer said he was interested in returning to the X-Men franchise after leaving to restart the Superman series. He’s been “flirting with the idea” of First Class since August, but it seems things are official now.
The live-action movie will follow a class of teen mutants as they learn their powers at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Josh Schwartz,
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- Jeff Leins
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Gibson, DiCaprio Teaming for Viking Drama
17 December 2009 4:28 AM, PST
Mel Gibson and Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming for an untitled period drama about Viking culture. William Monahan (The Departed) is writing the script and will produce.
If the thought of that trio working together doesn’t excite you, imagine Leo swinging a massive axe while pillaging and wearing a horned helm in an epic Braveheart-style battle. Or, since I don’t have a picture of that, here’s an image of a viking versus a shark to pique your interest.
Variety confirmed the story, but wasn’t able to get further details on where this epic viking tale is headed. They did promise it “will be as unsparing as Gibson’s other period directing efforts.” Might I suggest into the ocean? Because Outlander meets Jaws sounds pretty great right now…
Gibson’s last directorial outing was in 2006 with Apocalypto. He then took a hiatus from Hollywood following a drunken,
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- Jeff Leins
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‘Iron Man 2′ Theatrical Trailer and Final “Clue”
16 December 2009 8:26 PM, PST
Paramount Pictures has released the theatrical trailer for Iron Man 2! It’s as kick ass as promised with plenty of Stark snark from Robert Downey Jr., high-flying Iron Man, and amped up action. There are glimpses of Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell, plus a short scene with Gwyneth Paltrow. Mickey Rourke’s Russian accent sounds great and the Whiplash suit is a flashy concept.
Very cool right up until Don Cheadle appears as War Machine and they start unleashing bullets on advancing enemies. Then it’s just plain awesome.
Watch it right here or in high-definition at Apple.com:
This trailer may be playing in front of Avatar this weekend, based on the timing alone. It’s definitely attached to Sherlock Holmes, also starring Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 2 is scheduled for May 7, 2010.
Credit to The Playlist for the sweet screen grab.
Below is the final clue in
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- Jeff Leins
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‘Clash of the Titans’ Trailer Releases the Kraken
16 December 2009 8:19 PM, PST
A second trailer for Warner Bros’ Clash of the Titans is available online and this time with more story and impressive visual effects. It’s tagline “Damn. the. Gods.” is less cheesy than “Titans. will. clash.” but this time it’s about showing off the creatures Perseus (Sam Worthington) will face in March 2010.
The over two-minute trailer provides a much better look at Medusa, who looks to be a slithering serpent/woman with a bow and arrow. Why she needs weaponry when her looks could kill is still the big mystery. Then there’s the “money shot,” a release of the giant Kraken that looks like the Cloverfield monster rising from the ocean.
You can watch the trailer here. I snatched a few screen grabs below too:
This is looking pretty awesome. Clash of the Titans is out March 26, 2010.
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- Jeff Leins
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Theatrical Trailer for ‘Alice in Wonderland’
16 December 2009 11:55 AM, PST
Disney has released a third trailer for Tim Burton’s characteristically dark version of Alice in Wonderland and the theatrical version that will be playing this weekend (in 3-D depending on the theater) with prints of Avatar. The re-imagination is set for March 5, 2010.
I was skeptical, especially after Burton’s remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but this looks amazing. Technically this is a sequel to the original and a 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Wonderland while fleeing a marriage proposal and formal event. There she encounters some familiar and some entirely new characters: the White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Chesire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), the Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), the Knaves of Hearts (Crispin Glover), Tweedledee/Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), and the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).
Alice wielding a sword and shield, an epic battle of chess pieces,
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- Jeff Leins
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Third ‘Iron Man 2′ Has Completely Lost Me
16 December 2009 1:32 AM, PST
The third clue from Paramount Pictures for Iron Man 2 has lost me. What could have been a fun viral marketing campaign turned into the slow release of fake newspaper clippings with a single word highlighted. That’s not a series of clues, it’s a cryptic phrase spelled out over a painful week of meaningless speculation. Look no further than Warner Bros’ Inception than how this kind of thing is done to engage an audience.
The first word was “Secret,” the second “Stark,” and now the third is “Confession” from an even less mysterious image of a headline and a posed Robert Downey Jr. Unless the fourth highlighted phrase is “I also slept with Tiger Woods,” I’m pretty sure people have lost interest by now. Of course, it likely has something to do with Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash hatred, the sins of his father when he ran Stark Industries,
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- Jeff Leins
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‘300′ Prequel Now Titled ‘Xerxes’
15 December 2009 11:17 PM, PST
In July 2008, the producers confirmed a follow-up to Zack Snyder’s 300 was in the works. At the time there weren’t any details outside of news that Frank Miller was writing another graphic novel on which another movie may be based.
Snyder, who has been reluctant to commit as screenwriter and director until he sees the finished product, updated press with progress and story details. At the time he said it would take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea, which would make it a sequel to the Spartan story of King Leonidas. No return of the bare-chested Gerard Butler, ladies.
Now, in an interview with the La Times’ Hero Complex, Frank Miller says its a prequel set 10 years before 300 and during the Battle of Marathon, and it’s titled Xerxes. The plot is complete and he’s starting the artwork, he told Geoff Boucher. I
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- Jeff Leins
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Dakota Fanning May Star in Hardwicke’s If I Stay
15 December 2009 9:44 PM, PST
Dakota Fanning may be taking the lead role in Summit Entertainment’s If I Stay for Catherine Hardwicke, the director who started the Twilight saga that now generates paychecks for Fanning.
Pajiba’s source says the 15-year-old actress is in negotiations to star as Mia Hill, a young woman who gets into a car accident and goes through an out of body experience while in a coma.
I think if I was flying around outside my chiseled exterior, I’d go get into trouble, because who’s going to know and, if they somehow could, I have the perfect alibi. “What do you mean I learned something I shouldn’t? I was in a coma!”
While the studio replaced Hardwicke for the supposedly larger scale Twilight Saga: New Moon, they’re still in business with her for this film… for now. Hardwicke is attached to a multitude of movies, including this,
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- Jeff Leins
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Crazy Heart Review
15 December 2009 8:51 PM, PST
In Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges delivers the performance of his career as a has-been country music singer scraping out a living on the open road. His rumbling Southern drawl often slides into the slurs of a worn and weary alcoholic when he’s not warbling through a tune with his own impressive singing voice. Emotions spill out in the bluesy songs, but Bridges is at his best in the quiet moments alone, exposing nuanced signs of regret with either a bottle of whiskey or a guitar in his hand.
The first glimpse of Bridges’ “Bad” Blake is drunkenly stumbling from his beat-up Suburban (named Bessie, by the way) and pouring a jug of his own urine into the parking lot of a bowling alley gig. It’s a filthy glimpse of how far the gray, grizzled man has fallen from a once famous perch as an arena headliner and respected songwriter.
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- Jeff Leins
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Et’s Iron Man 2 Trailer Preview
15 December 2009 5:35 PM, PST
Promotional materials for Iron Man 2 will continue to make headlines from now until May 2010. Much like Avatar and the Fox hype machine has dominated discussion with countless pictures, featurettes, and interviews, Paramount’s comic book sequel will be the same. I don’t blame them, I just hope you’re ready for it. I just wish they’d pick a better news outlet than Entertainment Tonight…
Update: Screw Entertainment Tonight, the trailer is online and its glorious. Click here.
Et ruins exclusive footage and set interviews by babbling over the video, crowding the screen with their logo and other flashy graphics, and jumping between cuts like an Add-afflicted child. Any way, enough of my complaining. Here’s the 25-second preview of the Iron Man 2 trailer. The full-length version is set for screens on Christmas Day (with Sherlock Holmes), or perhaps even this weekend, but I wouldn’t be
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- Jeff Leins
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