When you go to watch the 6th iteration of a franchise, your first thought is probably to expect a terrible mess of a movie. I’m here to tell you that with this particular movie it not only destroys that notion but ends up being if not the best or one of best movies in the franchise.
Back in 2003 Activision released True Crime: Streets of L.A. for the Ps2 and the xbox. The game was basically one of the many clones of the formula that Grand Theft Auto had created but you were on the other side of the law. You played a cop instead of a criminal. It was met with above average reviews by gamers and critics alike and was a success for the company. So much so that they released a sequal. True Crime: New York City was released in 2005 and while it was a good game it was damn near impossible to get passed the many game breaking glitches the game had.
Here is a brand new trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Everything that we have seen so far has been pretty fantastic. This movie needs to be as far over the top as humanly possible. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean nanobots over the top just insane action and ninja on ninja battles. So far, all the character images have lived up to what I am hoping is a stellar summer blockbuster popcorn movie. Check out the latest trailer, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Where jingoism and realistic military action meet we find Act of Valor. The plot of the movie is very basic, arguably cliché. We are to follow a group of highly trained Navy Seals around the world as they try to foil the efforts of a terrorist group focused on performing a heinous act on American soil. However, Act of Valor has a different hook to get your butt in the seats. That hook is the fact that all the Navy Seals that you see in the film are real active duty guys. They are, in reality, badasses. Trained to kick ass and take names in God forsaken places around the globe.
Here are some brand new clips to give you a little bit more of the action in Steve Soderbergh’s upcoming Haywire. You can also get your first glimpse at Gina Carano’s acting chops, which are not featured in the previously released trailers. I have to say I was pleasently surprised. I think Soderbergh has created a new action star in Carano. Expect a full review very soon. Until then, check out the clips below:
New Haywire trailer!
Steven Soderbergh’s new Bourne Indentity-esque thriller starring Gina Carano (former MMA Womens Champion) and Micheal Fassbender. Soderbergh’s past work on such films as History of Violence lends to this sort of quick fast action we see in this second trailer. I was not completely sold after seeing the first trailer, but this is a great improvement. They seem to be selling this one as a shoot first, ask questions later sort of action film. Knowing Soderbergh’s previous works I am not so sure that’s being very honest. Either way, having an attractive MMA fighter and stellar acting from Fassbender, Bill Paxton, Ewan McGregor, Micheal Douglass, and Antonio Banderas isn’t going to hurt. It will be interesting to see if Soderbergh can make an actor out of Gina Carano or will she just be the strong silent type. Looking forward to this one.
As we all know, after The Avengers we will get more solo films from Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, etc. So, on that note, we have some news about what direction Thor 2 will take. Officially today it has been announced that Patty Jenkins, director of Monster, will be helming the sequel. Its sad to see Kenneth Branaugh not return, as he did a great job with the first one. His ability to establish the Marvel mystical universe and really capture the Shakespearean nature of the Thor mythos was nothing short of amazing. However, where Thor truly faltered was in its deliverance (or lack thereof) of Mjolnir smashing action. Now that the ground work has been laid lets hope that Patty Jenkins comes out swinging (pun intended). I really enjoyed Monster and I think she will do a great job with Thor 2.
The brand spanking new trailer for Marvel’s 2012 guaranteed blockbuster, The Avengers!
I can’t tell you how much I have been dying to see what Joss Whedon would do with all these characters on screen at one time. We don’t get that much dialogue but we do get to see some interactions. Conflicts between IronMan and Captain America are clearly there. Considering the movie is just now in post production we were able to see some CGI effects and they looked pretty great. If you have seen all of the movies that built up to this moment than this trailer definitely delivers. Watch it and then watch it again!
As I sit and listen to the soundtrack to Nicholas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive, I can’t help but to think how many cool points I just accrued. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Carry Mulligan as star-crossed lovers in the modern age. Gosling’s character who is only known as the driver is a character for the ages. This generation’s Steve McQueen. Refn’s ability to make Gosling into, what can only be described as, a genuine action star is nothing short of amazing. Much like Refn’s previous films (Bronson and Valhalla Rising specifically) the hero is damaged in ways that are not readily apparent to the audience. When we first meet the driver he is playing the getaway driver to a robbery. The nature of the robbery is unimportant, what is important is the calmness that is exuded from Gosling while panic and uncertainty are all around him. As the film goes along we get small but significant glimpses into what makes the driver who he is and why we should care about him as the audience. The first 30 minutes of the film we are given a look at how Gosling and Mulligan establish their obviously doomed relationship. The chemistry between them is less in dialogue but rather in glances and slight smiles. This method of unfolding their attraction gives the audience a chance to put themselves in the situation and guesstimate what Mulligan and Gosling are really thinking. Like a duck on the surface of a lake all the fury and intense happenings are just below the surface. That intensity drives the duck and this film forward, seamlessly.
