Monthly Archives: September 2012

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Thursday at NYCC 2012 Planning Guide

Last year, New York Comic Con extended the con from three days to four days for the first time. I love it. If you don’t like crowds, Thursday is for you. You can only attend NYCC on Thursday if you have a 4-Day or VIP pass.

Thursday is the day to check out the big booth displays on the show floor. With not that many people around, you can get some great photos without a sea of heads at the bottom of each shot. Want to take a picture of yourself in a life size Darth Vader action figure bubble card? The line for it on Thursday might be one or two people. On Saturday, that line is going to be much, much longer.

No line!

The only downside to Thursday is Artist Alley is the least populated on this day. But on the flip side, this is a great time to sketches from the artists who are there and get first crack at buying some original art.

There are also quality panels and screenings to attend. Here are what I think are the best panels and screenings to check out on Thursday. Unfortunately, working time turners haven’t been invented yet, or else I’d attend all of these.

3:45 – 4:45 Hasbro: Transformers
If you’re a Transformers fan, you know you’re going to be here…unless you’re at the Hasbro booth, buying whatever their unannounced exclusive is. Unfortunately, this panel starts 15 minutes before you’re probably able to get in the door to NYCC.

4:00 – 5:00 Protecting and Selling Your Comic Book or Graphic Novel – The Building Blocks
True story: I once paid a few hundred dollars to take a class at NYU SCPS to learn the same things you’ll probably learn in this class for free. If you’re a creative type looking to break in with your own comic, novel or screenplay, I recommend checking this out.

5:00 – 6:00 Spotlight on Irwin Hasen
I missed the Joe Simon panel last year and then he passed away not too long after. Our Golden Age legends are getting older. If you’re a fan of DC’s Wildcat, Irwin Hasen is his creator. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hasen a few years ago. He’s a really nice guy. I’d like to hear what stories he has to share.

5:00 – 6:00 DC Collectibles
When it comes to character related merchandise, DC stands head and shoulders above their competitors. I seem to always be tempted to buy the latest Batman Black and White statue every time a new one gets released. Come see where your money will be happily disappearing to over the next year!

6:30 – 7:30 The Image Revolution Documentary
I’m definitely interested in seeing this documentary once it’s released. Image Comics has had an amazingly fascinating history. It was started by seven artists fed up with not having financial and creative control of their work. It was originally very much “an artist’s company,” and often scripts seemed to take a backseat to the art, but these days there is a writing renaissance going on at Image. The comics they’re currently releasing are some of the most diverse and best on the market. This documentary is recounting Image’s entire 20 year history. Personally, I can’t wait.

6:30 – 7:30 DC Comics – The New 52: Superman
I’m of two minds on this panel. On the one hand, the main Superman series has been one of the most disappointing series of the New 52. On the other hand, Grant Morrison will be on hand for this panel, and Action Comics has been one of the most fascinating series in the New 52. Maybe Mr. Morrison will give some hints about Multiversity here as well?

7:45 – 8:45  Surviving Collaboration
Collaboration can be hard, especially if it’s with someone you’re friends with, and also especially if you both have clear visions that don’t always mesh with each other. Unless you’re doing everything yourself, making comics is all about collaboration. Like the Protecting and Selling panel at 4:00, this might be a must for people looking to break in. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your next collaborator here?

7:45 – 8:45 Roddenberry Entertainment Pizza Party
I have to hand it to the people at Roddenberry Entertainment, they know how to get people in the door with the oldest trick in the playbook: free food. And I do like pizza…

8:00 – 10:00 NYCC Kick Off Concert with Ben Folds Five
When I first heard of this, my reaction was “What?!? Ben Folds Five is playing NYCC?!?” The answer is, yes, yes they are. If you have a 4-Day or VIP pass, you can get in the door…for free! In case you needed a reason to splurge on the 4-Day over the 3-Day, here it is. Kudos, NYCC. This is quite exciting! Just get to the IGN Theater early. Seating is limited.

Written by Billy Henehan. Revenge of the Jedi Darth Billy photo by David Henehan.
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NYCC 2012 Exclusives (UPDATED!)

UPDATED 10/5/12!
UPDATED AGAIN 10/9/12!!

New York Comic Con is less than three weeks away and I am getting seriously excited for it. One of the best things about New York Comic Con is having access to limited edition items, many of which are either debuting or only available at NYCC.

Here are the ones I’m more excited about! …and some that just have me shaking my head.

4-LOM and Zuckuss Christmas Ornaments (Hallmark)

Price: ???, Limited to 800 sets.
True story: I love Christmas and I love Star Wars. I already have a lot of Star Wars ornaments on my tree each year, but what’s two more, right? Last year’s droids two-pack sold out pretty quickly. This might be the first thing I buy on Thursday.

The Dark Knight Returns Christmas Ornament (Hallmark)
Price: ???, Limited to 700 sets
This was an SDCC exclusive, and I was jealous of anyone who bought it! I love Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. It’s one of the few comic book stories that I go back and read year after year. Would I be more excited if it was a David Mazzucchellli Year One Batman? Yes. Am I complaining?
No. This will be mine!

Cylon Centurion Christmas Ornament (Hallmark – Booth 1229)
Price: ???, Limited to 600
While you’re at the Hallmark booth, you might want to pick up this limited edition Cylon Centurion Christmas Ornament. It’s a gold plated variant of last year’s Cylon ornament. It makes sound. I probably won’t buy this one. My only exposure to Battlestar Galactica was playing with my cousin’s Cylon action figure when were kids. I never watched either the original show or the recent series. But that Cylon toy from my youth was so cool looking. It looked like a more bad-ass Stormtrooper. Did Cylons shoot beams out of the their eyes? Five year old me thought so.

The Walking Dead Hardcover Compendium NYCC Red Foil Version (Image/Skybound)
Price: $100, Limited to 1500
It’s the big Walking Dead phone book sized collection, but in hardcover. SDCC had a similar exclusive. This is going to go fast. I don’t know how Skybound plans on selling this: if it’s just first come, first served; if they’re planning on allocating a supply for each day, but I get the feeling that no matter how they decide to sell this, it is going to sell out and sell out quickly.

Thief of Thieves Volume 1: “I Quit!” NYCC Exclusive Hardcover (Image/Skybound)
Price: $30, Limited to 1000
I want there to be a Thief of Thieves movie, and I want Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) to star in them. If you haven’t read Thief of Thieves yet, I highly recommend picking up this collection of the first storyline, “I Quit!”

Saga Bookplate (Image) (Image)
Price: Free with purchase of Saga Volume 1, Limited to 200
You know what, Image, just go and take all my money. Saga, by Bryan K. Vaughn (Lost, Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples has quickly become one of my favorite comic books. If you’re one of the first 200 people to buy Saga Volume 1 at the Image booth, they will include an exclusive NYCC bookplate. Plus, both Vaughn and Staples will be at NYCC if you want to get it signed. I expect this to be gone by Friday.

Skullkickers #15 Kitten Variant (Image/Jim Zub and Edwin Huang)
Price: $10 signed, $5 personalized.
I’m not sure if I read that price right. Is it $10 if you want a signed version and $5 cheaper if you want it personalized? If so, that is very cool. Because, basically, if you’re a true fan, you’re getting it personalized, and if your goal is just to throw it on eBay for some quick cash, then you can pay a little more.

Master of the Universe Skeletor Power Sword Letter Opener (AFX)
Price: $20
Remember the He-Man Power Sword Letter Opener from SDCC? Here’s its evil twin. The Skeletor Power Sword Letter Opener is best for opening bills, junk mail and letters from the IRS.


Alpha Flight Minimates Series 2 (AFX)
Price: ???
AFX brought you Series 1 of Canada’s premier superhero team at San Diego Comic Con this year, and now you can add Sasquatch, Snowbird, Talisman and Aurora to join Guardian, Puck, Marina and the recently married Northstar to defend the northern part of your bookshelf. Both Series 1 and 2 will be available at the AFX booth.


Thundercats Minimates Series 2 (AFX)
Price: ???
The Alpha Flight Minimates where distributed much more evenly in terms of coolness compared to the Thundercats Minimates (but maybe that’s because all of Alpha Flight is lame. What? I said it!). Thundercats Series 1 nets you Lion-O, Panthro, Jaga, Mumm-Ra and a bonus Snarf figure, while if you buy Series 2, you’ll find yourself owning Mumm-Ra’s lackeys: Jackalman, Monkian, Slithe, Vultureman and Wolfrat, aka “That one, the other one, the lizard guy, the bird dude and oh, who cares?” No wonder, with the exception of Mumm-Ra, I only remember the good guys from Thundercats. Both sets will be available at NYCC. Honestly, I think you’d be better off buying two sets of Series 1.

Doctor Who Masterpiece Collection: Tenth Doctor (Sound of Drums Variant) Maxi-Bust Comic-Con Exclusive (Titan Entertainment)
Price: ???
I don’t usually buy statues. I’m usually content enough to just see them in the comic book store. But I kind of want to buy this one. I just got into Doctor Who last year and love David Tennant as The Doctor. Shameful admission: I actually haven’t reached the end of season three yet, so I haven’t seen the episode from which this statue is based. Okay, if I don’t watch Sound of Drums by NYCC, I won’t buy this. That seems fair, right?

Aardman Batman Action Figure (DC)

Price: $25, Limited to 2000
I haven’t seen the shorts that this figure is based on, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking this guy would look awesome on my desk, peeking over my Mr. Met Bobble Head. 


John Stewart and Atrocitus Action Figure Two-Pack (DC/Graphitti Designs)
Price: $25, Limited to 2500
DC wins the “Phoning It In” Award with this two-pack. Where’s Baz, the Green Lantern who made his debut right before NYCC? Or how about Green Lantern Jon Stewart? If they did either of those, I wouldn’t be able to hand them my money fast enough. And what is going on with that John Stewart action figure? He looks terrible. He’s posing for the cover of Muscle & Fitness. His head looks like a white guy in black face make-up. The only cool thing about this two-pack is John’s rifle construct, which is hopefully green and not yellow in the final product. I’m guessing if you’re buying this two-pack, it’s for that constuct. I think John Stewart is an awesome Green Lantern. The sculpt of him here in this two-pack is an insult to the character. 

The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine #1 with NYCC Exclusive Michonne Cover by The Walking Dead Artist Charlie Adlard (Image)
Price: ???
First there was The Walking Dead: The Comic, then there was The Walking Dead: The TV Series, followed by The Walking Dead: The Action Figures and The Walking Dead: The Prose Novel. Now there’s The Walking Dead: The Magazine. The Walking Dead is becoming the new Spaceballs. I’m not kidding. I saw a Rick Grimes plush doll last week. We’re 10 months away from The Walking Dead: The Toiler Paper, you take my word for it.

This isn’t the only The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine #1 Exclusive Cover that will be available at NYCC. Midtown Comics has their own exclusive variants as well, both of which will probably be available at their booth.

Wolverine Brown Classic Costume Funko Pop Figure (Zappi comics)
Price: ???, Limited to 1000
This is, without a doubt, my favorite Wolverine costume. I don’t own any of Pop Funko’s figures, but I think they’re very cool looking. I’ve come very close to buying their Han Solo before.

The Walking Dead Bloody Rick and Daryl Funko Pops Figures (Harrisons)
Price: ???, Limited to 3000
You know what, Kirkman? just take my money.


DC Skelanimals Dark Knight Batman Jae Plush
Price: ???
12”, plush, too adorable not to make this list.


G-Man: Coming Home #1 (Chris Giarrusso & Jacob Chabot)
Price: ???
Stop by Chris’s table and you’ll be able to pick up this issue before it hits stores!


Khem, Captain Action’s Black Panther (Captain Action Enterprises)
Price: $25, Limited to 200
I’m a little too young to have any memory of Captain Action, but in the 60’s, Captain Action’s sidekick, Action Boy, had a pet; Khem the Black Panther. Frankly, this just makes me question whether or not Captain Action is fit to have a sidekick. You’re giving a kid a black panther to play with? Shame, Captain Action, Shame.

UPDATE!! Marvel has announced some pretty cool NYCC exclusives. Check them out!

Rocket Raccoon Coffee Mug (Marvel)
Price: $12
Something I don’t need: another coffee mug. Something I want: This coffee mug.

I Survived the Battle for New York T-Shirt (Marvel)
Price: $20
What’s the over/under on the number of people you see wearing this while waiting in line opening night of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie?

Avengers Album T-Shirt (Marvel)
Price: $20
Need a t-shirt that works on both Free Comic Book Day and Record Store Day? You’re welcome.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #12 Avengers Variant (Marvel)
Price: $10
Sure, the Giants won the Superbowl and the Avengers came out on top in AvX, but I look at this cover and all I think is that Thor looks so much like NY Jets Center Nick Mangold.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #12 X-Men Variant (Marvel)
Price: $10
Considering the ending of AvX, it’s fitting that the X-Men are representing my beloved NY Jets. Considering the strategic placement of Emma’s football, I’m guessing Marvel couldn’t get license rights to the Jets name. “Jets? Why would you think they’re spelling out that? They could be spelling anything. Like Mets…oh, wait, never mind.” I’m happy to see that Beast is down with Tebow Time. You hear that, Rex Ryan? The smartest X-Man thinks you should play Tim Tebow more! Listen to him!

Wolverine: Old Man Logan Action Figure (Marvel)
Price: Free with Marvel Digital Unlimited Subscription
Jonesing for a Hasbro exclusive? It looks like this will be the only one at NYCC this year. And this isn’t even a true exclusive, as it was available at SDCC and will be available on the Marvel Digital Unlimited website as well. My theory on why we’re not seeing more from Hasbro is that until recently, you could still buy last year’s NYCC exclusives on their website. That’s unfortunate. I find Hasbro’s lack of faith in NYCC disturbing.

UPDATE THE SECOND!!!

Skybound has announced some more Walking Dead exclusives for NYCC!

Michonne and Pets PVC Set
Price: Gray – $15, Limited to 1000; Purple – $20, Limited to 250; Glow-in-the-Dark – $20, Limited to 250
Just in time for Michonne’s debut in the TV show, Skybound will be selling these Michonne and Pets PVC figure sets. They look very nicely detailed. The numbers on these are VERY limited. I doubt the glow-in-the-dark version will make it past Thursday. Grab this while you can!

The Remains T-Shirt
Price: $20, Limited to 250
If you’re up to date on your The Walking Dead, you get what the names around the Great Seal refer to. If anyone asks, tell them Rick, Andrea, Carl and Michonne formed a Ramones tribute band in #100.

I was already planning on hitting up the Image booth as soon as I stepped onto the show floor. Now it looks like I’ll be speed-walking there.

This list will continue to be updated as more exclusives get announced!

Written by Nicholas Doyle, who thinks it would be a great idea if you like Tuesday Night Movies on Facebook.

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Les Miserables – Extended First Look

My good friend Sarv alerted me to this video. It’s an extended first look at the new Les Miserables movie that is coming out this Christmas. I always look forward to Christmas, but I’m especially looking forward to this Christmas.

Check this video out.

My thoughts:
– They. Are. Singing. Every. Take. Live! They’re not singing along to a prerecorded soundtrack. Instead, a pianist is playing along with the actors as they sing, and letting the actors set the tempo. No wonder Anne Hathaway’s rendition of I Dreamed a Dream was so haunting. And Tom Hooper is right. There is something false or unreal in people singing along to playback. It never looks as good as it does live.
-I like Anne Hathaway as an actress more than I ever have before.
– This will probably become my favorite Russell Crowe movie.
– The sets look amazing.

– I can’t help but think that One Day More is going to be EPIC.

– Hugh Jackman explaining his process for how he approached What Have I Done is awesome.
– I am somehow even more excited for this movie now than I was before.
– I’m going to end up watching the trailer at least 10 more times tonight.
If, like me, you feel the need to watch the trailer again, like right now, you can find it here:

-Billy
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Green Lantern (On The Couch 2012 #9)

As summer 2011 was approaching, with its hoard of superhero movies, I was excited for Green Lantern most of all. I am a huge fan of what Geoff Johns has done with Green Lantern since he started writing the character in 2004. When I found out that he was on set during the production of the movie, I had a feeling that we were in store for something amazing.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the Green Lantern movie puttered out before I saw it in the theater. It got so many bad reviews from critics and people on the street that I figured this would be DC’s version of Daredevil. The only people I know who like this movie are the guys who work at my local comic book store, one of whom has worn a Green Lantern ring since before I met him AND has a Green Lantern tatoo. So maybe he’s a little biased. 

Basically, I missed it last summer and wasn’t that upset about it.
Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim are two of the writers on the Green Lantern screenplay, and Berlanti produced the movie, so I’m shocked how flat and boring the whole thing felt. Usually at the end of a Greg Berlanti production, the response in my house is “Damn you, Berlanti,” but it’s meant as a compliment for his uncanny ability at tugging on our heartstrings and manipulating our emotions. Here, any exclamations of “Damn you, Berlanti,” would just be about delivering a disappointing movie.

I think they should not have had Parallax be the main villain. Parallax bogged down the movie with cuts that had to be made to what it was doing in space, which was usually making an angry face. We could have done without all the exposition as to what Parallax was. These wasted minutes in long movie. Instead, the story should have been borrowed almost whole form from Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis’s excellent Green Lantern: Secret Origin comic book.

There were positives about the movie. I thought that Peter Sarsgaard was great as Hector Hammond. I think the movie in general would have been better off focusing on Hammond as the main villain, and Sinestro as Hal’s rival/future nemesis. But instead, I’m stuck on my couch wondering why we keep cutting back to a space cloud with a pouty face.

Go away, angry space cloud. You’re bringing down our green vibe.


Mark Strong was great as Sinestro. If I were involved in the production of this movie, my note would read, “More Mark Strong as Sinestro, less pouty space cloud Parallax.”

This is either Mark Strong, or Sinestro found his way into the bleed, made it to our earth and is hiding out in Hollywood. Crafty, Sinestro, very crafty.


In the past, I’ve liked Blake Lively in the roles I’ve seen here in. But while her last name might be Lively, she delivers a completely wooden, flat and basically DOA portrayal of Hal Jordan’s love interest Carol Ferris in Green Lantern. Carol Ferris is woman with a lot of spirit, but Blake Lively sounded like she was half asleep and reading off cue cards.

  
Blake Lively could have been replaced with a Blake Lively cutout to the same effect.


I still wish Nathan “Captain Tight Pants” Fillion was cast as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, but at least we got him as Hal Jordan’s voice in Green Lantern: First Flight.

The best part of the Green Lantern movie is the scene after the credits start rolling. I liked that scene so much that I almost forgave the rest of the movie for being such a disappointment. Almost.

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The Adventures of Tintin (At The Theater 2012 #10)

Except for while on the airplane, I didn’t expect to see any movies during my trip to Kauai. But when we heard on the radio that the Poipu Rotary Club would be hosting a screening of The Adventures of Tintin on Poipu Beach, we decided to check it out.

I was worried that with The Adventures of Tintin being a children’s movie, there would a mob of noisy, crying kids at the beach for the screening. The kids were there, but they couldn’t have been better behaved. I’m guessing a lot of the younger ones didn’t make it through the entire film, but they were joined by their fair share of adults in not staying awake for the whole movie. I don’t blame the movie. The Adventures of Tintin is great. I’m guessing that after a long day of hiking, swimming, surfing, kayaking or a combination of all four, it’s easy to fall asleep on your beach blanket, especially if you’ve had a glass or two of wine (the adults that is, not the kids!).

We were running late and didn’t get to stop by a wine store, so I was happy to find that the deli across the street from Poipu Beach sells alcohol. It doesn’t have the best wine selection, but I was very happy to find a chilled bottle of pink with a screw top. The guy behind the counter let me grab a couple of plastic cups as well, so more praise to them.

You guys, The Adventures of Tintin was so good. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you do. The tone of the movie is similar to The Secret of Monkey Island computer games I couldn’t play enough of as a teen. I’ll be honest, I have never read a Tintin book, so I can’t comment on how true to the original this movie is, but the movie definitely stands on its own.

I knew that Simon Pegg was in The Adventures of Tintin before seeing the movie. I also knew that he wasn’t playing Tintin. But for some reason, I kept expecting his voice to come out of Tintin’s mouth. That reason being that they kind of look alike.
Twins?
 


I look forward to watching this a second time, but I know my couch just can’t compete with a beach blanket and the breeze of the nearby ocean.

Thank you, Poipu Rotary Club, for giving us a great evening in Poipu. The Poipu Rotary Club is currently raising money to make the beaches of Kauai safer for swimmers. You can see what they’re doing and find out how you can help here.

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Win Win (On The Couch 2012 #8)

Win Win came on during our flight to Kauai as soon as The Lucky One ended. I had wanted to see Win Win in the theater, so I kept my headset on. But the combination of the beginning of Win Win being a little slow, the disappointment of The Lucky One and a bout of sleepiness had me wondering if I’d be better off taking a nap instead. I’m glad I opted out of the nap and watched Win Win. I really enjoyed it.

In Win Win, Mike, played by Paul Giamatti, is a down on his luck lawyer who does some underhanded things to keep his business afloat and groceries on his family’s table. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t start working for the mob. What he did falls into that gray area of “This is definitely wrong, but if I were in his situation, would I do the same thing?”

I really like Paul Giamatti for the same reasons I like Stanley Tucci and Mark Ruffalo. The three of them always bring a sense of realness to the characters they play. Can we get the three of them in one movie, please?

My favorite part of Win Win is when Kyle asks Mike to give him a slap across the face before a wrestling match. When we got to Hawaii, I asked my wife to do the same when we went zip lining. Based on their reactions, I’m guessing the other people in our zip lining group didn’t see Win Win on their flight in.


“Give me a slap.”


In the battle of movies shown on planes during my trip to Hawaii Win-Win beats both The Lucky One by a three count pin and Men In Black III via DQ (I fell asleep before the opening credits of MIB3).

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The Lucky One (On The Couch 2012 #7)

This one is more “On the Window Seat” than “On the Couch.” I saw The Lucky One, which I keep mistakenly calling The Vow on a flight from California to Hawaii. I’m not sure why I chose watching this movie over reading my book or playing with my iPad, but I did, and here we are.

Wrong movie.

The Lucky One is Rambo, if Rambo were made by Lifetime. Both Logan, Zac Efron’s character and John Rambo are veterans trying to find their place in the world. Both Logan and John Rambo move to new towns and immediately become unfairly targeted by a sheriff who has no respect for veterans. Rambo has explosions. The Lucky One has montages.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with montages as a storytelling device. But The Lucky One has lots of montages. I had to double-check to make sure the movie wasn’t directed by Garry Marshall. There are at least a half dozen montages in it. This just comes off as lazy storytelling. It seemed like whenever time needed to move forward, The Lucky One would jump into a montage.

I want to propose a new law. This law would limit the number of montages allowed in one movie. I’m calling it Logan’s Law. Please lend your support and contact your local congressman or screenwriter.

The Lucky One also has Zac Efron in a beard, because if he wasn’t, you’d spend the movie wondering, “What kind of country sends a 12 year old off to war?”

In the battle of Zac Efron movies involving dead brothers, Charlie St. Cloud beats The Lucky One.

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The Dark Knight Rises (At The Theater 2012 #9)

Yes, yes, yes. I loved The Dark Rises. This was my most anticipated movie of 2012 and it did not disappoint at all!

I loved it so much that I watched Batman Begins and The Dark Knight again back to back shortly after seeing The Dark Knight Rises.

Thank you, Christopher Nolan. This trilogy has been amazing.

Anne Hathaway is definitely the sexiest Catwoman since Julie Newmar. I wasn’t sure what to make of her being cast at first, but she was perfect in DKR.

We can all pretend the Halle Berry movie didn’t happen now, right?

Tom Hardy as Bane was awesome. I loved how well he communicated without saying a word. I loved his voice. I’m very glad they didn’t go with Bane’s traditional wrestling unitard and pants costume from the comics. I’ve always found that costume to be ridiculous looking.

I really glad they didn’t go with this look.

I loved Bane’s jacket in Dark Knight Rises. Seriously, where can I get that jacket?

This jacket will be my closet’s reckoning.

Random thought: Is it me, or does Matthew Modine look a little too much like Aaron Eckhart? When he came on screen, I thought, “Didn’t you get horribly disfigured and die in the last movie?”

SPOILERS BELOW!


IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED, COME BACK AFTER YOU WATCH THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

I really liked how Nolan mirrored scenes from Batman Begins in Dark Knight Rises, like when young Talia climbs out of the prison. It looked just like young Bruce’s ascent from the cave as a child.

Speaking of Talia, I called Marion Cotillard as Talia fairly early on. She was always being put in situations where if she was a villain, it would be very much to her advantage. Like, “Oh hey, here’s where we keep our nuclear reactor,” and “Hey, can you let me know which truck the Geiger counter says to mark? Thanks.” I was happy to see I was correct and I liked her Danny Ocean-esque plan for getting back at Batman. My only quibble is with Talia’s death scene. It was such a silly looking “And now I’m dead” death.

I don’t think Dark Knight Rises was better than The Dark Knight, but The Dark Knight is my favorite superhero movie ever, so it’s tough competition. The Dark Knight Rises is a great end cap for the Batman saga.

I would very much like to see a new movie with JGL as either Batman or Nightwing. There are so many Batman rouges left that Nolan didn’t touch. I know Nolan says he’s done with Batman, but it would be great if he came back on as producer if he doesn’t want to direct. Give us JGL as Batman like when Dick Grayson took over for Bruce after Batman RIP, or give us JGL as Nightwing. Either would be awesome. That said, I doubt it will happen. I think the next time we see a Batman movie in the theater, it will be a whole new franchise, in a whole new continuity.

That said, this would be all kinds of awesome.
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The Amazing Spider-Man (At The Theater 2012 #8)

I’m of two minds about The Amazing Spider-Man, On the one hand, I thought the story was great. I’m a big fan of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book, and I thought this movie was almost a direct adaptation of the first six issues of Bendis and Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man, just with the Lizard standing in for the Green Goblin and Gwen taking the place of Mary Jane. On the other hand, I felt like I wasn’t really watching a new movie, but rather a revised draft of 2002’s Spider-Man. There were some differences, but not enough to make it feel like it was a new movie.

That said, I thought Andrew Garfield was excellent as Peter Parker. I like that this Peter Parker wasn’t just a complete nerd, but still an outsider. It was Peter Parker by way of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause.

“You know something? You read too many comic books.”

I also thought Emma Stone was excellent at Gwen Stacey. She is such an improvement over Kirsten Dunst as in every way. I never understood the casting of Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man. I think the only movie I liked her in was Bring It On. But I’ve loved Emma Stone in everything she’s been in, including this movie.

Adorable.

Their chemistry together worked so well.

The dialogue was great. I can’t decide which was my favorite line. It was either:

Mrs. Ritter: “Peter, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Peter Parker: “But those are the best kind.”
or

Spider-Man: “Oh, no! You have found my weakness. Small knives!”

I have to say, as much as I liked The Amazing Spider-Man, I am very glad that I saw it before The Dark Knight Rises. Don’t get me wrong, I thought The Amazing Spider-Man was a great movie, but if I had seen The Dark Knight Rises before it, I may have had bigger issues with the issues I have with it.

The Lizard looked a little silly. I wish they had gone with a more long-snouted gator head, like in the comic. Here he looks like a hairless, green ape. Even a roided up Geico Gecco would have looked better.

Sir, you’re needed on the SyFy lot for their latest Friday night movie.

My biggest problem with the movie was the scene where the crane operator gets all of the cranes to swing in the same direction, so that Spider-Man is able to swing uptown easier. It took me out of the movie completely. It might be the cheesiest scene I’ve seen in a movie this year.

The worst!

In a year where we have The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, I feel like The Amazing Spider-Man may get swept under the rug and not remembered. It did well enough to merit a sequel, but I can’t help thinking it would have been the biggest or second biggest comic book movie of 2011 if it were released last year.