WTF? Fridays...The Avengers Alliance Edition...5/31/2013

As I've mentioned before, I'm a fan of this game.

It keeps me (somewhat) connected to my friends, and lets me vent some of my frustrations by beating up on characters like Viper, Blizzard and Whiplash.

But then they have these Special Ops that run independently from the regular game.

Yeah, you can get some cool stuff and characters, but you have to jump through flaming hoops of poo to get anything.

Plus, you can only play those parts when you have enough "Iso-8"...which unless you're really lucky, you have to buy...with like real money.

Then there's the PvP...where you are "encouraged" to put your team against those of other real players.

Only you don't actually fight against other players, you fight against a player the computer picks...along with whichever characters the computer picks...after you've already decided which members of your team you're gonna use.

Now I'm getting this "Challenge Mode" thing, where I can choose the difficulty level of a given mission.

On the surface, that's okay, the more difficult the level, the more rewards you get.

But it makes little sense.

The way the game works is: each level has six missions, and you can earn up to five stars for each mission. Once that's done, the level is completed.

You earn stars not just by completing the mission five times, but by earning enough points to attain the stars, however many times you complete the mission.

Here's the kicker - because the Challenge Mode is...well...challenging, it's harder to complete. Meaning you have to use more of your gadgets to win, and therefore have to buy more gadgets to replace what you use.

And yeah, you get more XP per victory, but you earn less points by the end of the mission.

Meaning you have to play the missions more times to earn the stars.

So in the end, the choice between Normal and Challenge Mode isn't about difficulty levels, it's about deciding if you want more XP or if you want to earn all five stars faster.

I'm gonna go lie down now...

This'll keep me happy all day...

This takes me back to the wonderful days of my youth.

Granted, several of these clips are from films I've never seen...and probably never will...but if ever there was a dance-themed movie montage made just for me, this is it.

I especially like the bit that happens roughly halfway through the vid.

Sheer genius.

What else is making an appearance in X-Men: DoFP?

Sentinels...

You know, I don't hear anyone complaining about there being "too much going on" or that there's "too many characters" in this upcoming film.

Which is weird, because there was a lot less of both in IM2 (which I love by the way) and I've heard both things said about that movie.

It's okay though, because I'm convinced Bryan Singer is the cinematic equivalent of Chris Claremont - both of whom are geniuses in making a vast cast work. So we'll see...

How about some pre-production shots of Marvel characters?

Let's start with the tougher sell...

 Here's Paul Giamatti from Amazing Spider-Man 2. 

With some imagination, you might be able to make out who he's playing...

I will say, he's got the face down.

Now the easier sell...

There's still no verification on who Peter Dinklage is playing in X-Men: Days of Future Past,

but I think I have an idea...

So...anyone for Iron Man 4...?

I know there's little/no hope for a fourth film, but I can't understand why.

Granted, looking at the "James Bond Method", Goldfinger was the third film in the franchise...arguably the best Bond film of the series...

but if they stopped there, we wouldn't have Live and Let Die, Goldeneye, or Skyfall, and there wouldn't be arguments over who played the best bond.

Most importantly, the series wouldn't have lasted 40 years.

Now - the argument can be made that by looking at the entire MMU, you'd have your Bond-like franchise, and wouldn't need to have an IM4. I'd agree with that, but what I'm saying is that we shouldn't write off the possibility of an IM4 down the road...in like five to ten years from now...where we're introduced to another actor in the role, ready for another IM trilogy.

Just sayin'

I've got nothin'...

After closing last night, I have the pleasure of working a full 8:30 AM - 8:30 PM shift today, so I'm running on fumes.

Effin' Work...

I only ordered ONE Pietro Maximoff...

Poor Pietro...

...cast in two different films...

...with two different actors...

...for two different studios.



Fox and Marvel Studios have come to a head over this guy, and I'm not even sure why.

'Cause he's kinda a jerk.

To be fair, he didn't now his real parents for over a decade in the books.

Even though he was a Brotherhood of Evil Mutants mutant along with his real father.

When he did got himself straightened out, he joined the Avengers...

...but that wasn't enough for him.

He had to go and fall in love with Crystal, an Inhuman, who happened to be an old flame of Johnny Storm...you know...Human Torch of  Fantastic Four fame?

They even got married (Pietro and Crystal, not P and J) and lived with the Inhumans on the Moon.

They had a child together, a daughter named Luna, who in my mind is the first ever Mutant/Inhuman offspring in Marvel history.

Then things got worse...

...he went bats#!t crazy and left his family.

To be fair, it wasn't his fault.

It was Maximus - another Inhuman (and Crystal's brother-in-law) - who was behind the madness.

Of course, during Pietro's crazy-phase Crystal went and had an affair...which didn't help things at all, but that's beside the point.

Then Luna was kidnapped, and Pietro rescued her, and he fought alongside both X-Men and Avengers.

Then other stuff happened and he wound up fighting against the Fantastic Four, and with X-Factor...and then I stopped reading altogether.


Anyway, let's take a look at the Fox/Marvel Studios issue...

1) It's clear that Fox's Days of Future Past is dealing with an alternate time-line. Puck is in it...even though he won't be called Puck, so it's possible the "Quicksilver" character may wind up being another speedster...

...and even if he is named Quicksilver in the film, it will be an alternate time-line's version of the character.

2) Joss called him out first, so he's got dibs.

3) I really don't care if there's two Quicksilvers out there...as long as they're two different versions of Quicksilver out there.

4) Besides - if one keeps him Green and the other keeps him Blue, they're different characters anyways...right?

WTF? Fridays...The Wolverine Edition...5/24/2013

I was really, really looking forward to this film.

It started with some great animated posters...

next came the trailers...

...then the foreign trailers...

...followed by the cool posters, like this one...

 ...and this...

...and this...

...but then I saw this...

 ...and I thought 'Cool - the artist took some liberty with the character's name.'

Then I saw this...

...and I saw Viper...with an actual snake tongue.

W...T...F...?

See, this is where soooo many movie studios drop the ball.

There is absolutely no reason for this character to have a tongue like that.

Absolutely none.

Sure. Marvel Studios dropped a bomb on us already...

...but they were sending a message:

"'Grounded in Reality' means we can't keep all of our characters true to their roots. "

It sucks for us fans...but I'll concede the argument.

Fox needs to explain...nay defend their reasoning behind Viper's tongue.

Because I can't think of any, except to say:

"Yeah, we have the rights to these characters and we're going to screw them up as only we can."

Effin' Fox... 

First Impressions...Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Pt 1

I have to say that I liked this series of novels as much as The Lord of the Rings.

What I mean by that is: I loved the first book, but could never get myself through the others...to the point where I just read the last chapter/few pages of the final book to see how it all ended.

Yeah, I'm that guy...

Mrs. Adorkification, on the other hand, reads voraciously, and never skips a page.

I'm not against the whole "Harry Potter" thing, it's just not my thing.

So I totally missed this film when it came to theaters, and my wife (who's read all the books) wanted to see the film version, so she put the thing in our Netflix cue and sat me down to watch it.

I knew going in that Part One was - in essence - the build up. The Empire to Part 2's Jedi if you will...

...but it was at least 30 minutes too long, and left me frustrated as all get out.

See, in Iron Man 3, Tony gets knocked down...repeatedly...and after the fall he works his way back up. He fights some bad guys, gets help from friends (new and old) and comes out better than he was at the beginning of the film.

It's a classic theme, but watching RDJ as Tony picking himself up carried the film.

In HP7 P1, Harry gets knocked down. Hermione gets knocked down. Ron gets knocked down. Everyone Harry knows from Hogwarts gets knocked down.

And we wait...and wait...and wait as the trio hide, sneak, regroup, recoup, learn some stuff, get betrayed, get captured, get rescued, run away, suffer loss, suffer more loss and bury their dead.

W...T...F...?

Even at their darkest moments, Empire had Artoo and Threepio, IM3 had Tony, Two Towers had the Battle at Helm's Deep.

They all had something to laugh at, laugh with, or cheer about despite being "the downer".

HP7 P1 had none of that. There was no sense of hope. No feeling of "yeah, things suck right now, but at least we've got or done this."

Why oh why couldn't just one of the baddies have been killed in this movie?

Again, I haven't read the books so I have no idea how far the film deviates, but I will say that I have even less desire to read the thing after seeing this movie.

As for Mrs. Adorkification, she loved it...crazy Harry Potter fans...

If this is what Parks and Recreation is about, I've been missing out...

I'll admit I haven't seen one episode of this show, but after hearing about Patton Oswalt's idea for Star Wars VII I decided to look it up...

I've seen the original clip from the show as well as the "animated" version above, and I think I have found the perfect definition of "Dork" - If you find this at all funny...you might must be a Dork.

Now THIS is funny...

I've always liked the clever edits that show up with this clip,

but this one made me laugh out loud...repeatedly.

Iron Man 3...Weekend #3...

...well, while Star Trek Into Darkness took the top spot, IM3 was in second place - taking in over $35 million in the U.S. over the weekend.

This puts the worldwide total over the $1 billion mark, and places IM3 in the top ten highest worldwide gross films of all time.

That's darn cool.

Now, will Thor: The Dark World or Man of Steel come even close to this? Probably not.

But that's not the point.

The point is that this film...along with The Avengers (also in the worldwide gross top ten)...prove(s) that "super-hero" films, when done well, make money.

And as long as the production companies make a profit, they'll keep making these films.

What I'm wondering is - where is the line?

At what point would Fox, WB, Sony, Lionsgate or even Disney say: "These types of films aren't making (enough) money anymore, so all current projects are going on 'hiatus'."?

And we all know what "hiatus" means...

Speaking of which...

...let me submit my First Impression about the trailer:

The premise seems to be about a new "recruit" learning about S.H.I.E.L.D. as she joins the team,

which - by the way - is a "bottled up" representation of the entire organization. This reminds me of another version of S.H.I.E.L.D. from my youth...

...which is fine. But now we must talk about the elephant in the room:

How the heck does he live?

My answer? Remember in The Avengers when we see Coulson heading to a door that requires a retina scan? We thought he was accessing the weapons room where he got the gun based on the Destroyer technology. In actuality, he was accessing the LMD room...which all Level 7 agents have access to, and Fury kept secret from not just the Avengers but all non-Level 7 personnel.

So the Coulson Loki killed in the movie was really the LMD. 

The only other possibility I can think of is that Coulson accessed the LMD room and activated his LMD to take his place upon his death. Fury would still have known this, and kept secret from all non-Level 7 personnel. 

Which means that Loki did in fact kill Coulson, and the LMD is running the show...literally.

Then there's the other rumor started by the trailer...

...where Luke Cage is the first Marvel hero to appear on the show.

See, here's my fear: not only will the agents have...well, not generic names, but "non-canonical" names like Clay Quartermain and Alexander Pierce...but that the "character of the week" will also be a knock-off version of true Marvel characters.

And as much as I don't want that to happen, that's the feeling I get when I see this guy.

Everyone's saying that the man saving that woman from the burning building is Luke Cage, but Luke Cage got his powers while in prison, and I think this actor is simply too young to play that character.

Now, it's possible that he's just a young Luke Cage, but for someone that young to have powers like that, he'd have to be a mutant...

...and I don't think ABC/Disney/Marvel Studios can use that word.

So we'll see what's released throughout the Summer (and yes, I truly believe we've only seen the first of many trailers to come) to either prove or disprove my theories.

I did warn you about this show though...did I not?

Joss may be Boss, but In Marvel Studios I Trust

Holy Crap!

Let me say first that as I write this, I own ten Blu-rays: Ocean's Eleven, Legend, Young Frankenstein, Octopussy, Sin City...and all five of Marvel Studios' "Phase One" films.


I was a huge fan of Quantum Leap, and MacGyver ...which aired when I was in high school.

I'm also a fan of ST:TNG and Firefly of course, which I have on DVD, and yes - they're on my "upgrade" list - but I came late to the party for both, and Blogging didn't exist back then...


...but I'm telling you right now that I've already started saving up to get Season One of this show when it comes out.

I also want to apologize, in advance, for being among the many MANY bloggers who will give detailed info about each and every episode. Seriously though, I may give a "First Impression"-type review on the fly, but I am planning full-on, research-enhanced, knowledgeable and detail-enriched reviews of this show...after I get the BR.

This is my Star Trek...

...my Buffy...

...and my Firefly.

Fair warning...

Well...it's official...

 

...we have confirmation that Avengers 2 will in fact feature these twins.

I'm disappointed that my first choice...Aurora and Northstar...didn't make the cut, but I'll take these two with a smile on my face.

By the way, these two both started out as villains, so don't be surprised to see that in the film.

Now...if we can just get confirmation of another sort - 

?????

In Marvel Studios I Trust

WTF? Fridays...5/17/2013

After closing Wed night, and opening Thurs morning...I have to go in today for 6 AM...?
WTF? man...W...T...F...?





Then there's this...

Good ol' RDJ.

It seems one of the reasons he's been dodging the Iron Man 4 questions lately is that he's holding out for more money...

...for his costars.

That's right.

We know that he made roughly $50 million for The Avengers but did you know Chris, Chris, Scarlett, Mark and Jeremy made considerably less? Well RDJ does, and he's trying to work a better deal for them through negotiations for continuing the role.

That's a pair of brass ones right there...

I hope both sides can come to an agreement, because I like to think of everyone at Marvel as one big happy family.

Yeah, it's delusional, but Disney's had more than their fair share of problems with their public lately...

...so a win here wouldn't hurt.

uhhhh...

I closed last night and am back in this morning.

Work sucks...

Robin III Part 42: Batman #471 (November, 1991)

Tim helps Batman track down one of Arkham’s escapees.

I have this issue.

After compiling all available data on Gotham City’s underground tunnels and sewers onto one map, Tim lets Bruce know that there’s a literal connection between a break-in at a department store and an underground commune Batman stumbles upon. A commune protected by Killer Croc.

Notes of Interest:

1) Tim’s computer skills are brought back into play, but just his computer skills.

WTF? Moment: It’s nice to see Tim actually doing something after his few scattered appearances in “War of the Gods”, but why didn’t writer Alan Grant just have him mention the map while checking the tunnels with Bruce? He is suited up after all…

Post-poned due to pipes...

Remember the basement issue I mentioned a while ago?

Well, today's the day the plumber will (hopefully) be able to fix it.

Between that and work this afternoon, this is all I've got.

Have a good day everyone!

WHAT THE F**K DID I JUST WATCH..?

You know, Mrs. Adorkification and I watch Arrow on a regular basis...

...granted, for completely different reasons...

...but that's another thing.

Anyway, I'm a fan of DC enough to catch references to "Ray and Jean", and "Ted Kord's event", but DC's got a big issue with this show...

This film is supposed to introduce the DC Movie Universe.

How can it do that while having a popular show on TV with its own mythos and characters?

Here's Marvel's answer...

If there were a show that made me want to buy an actual television...and re-buy cable...this is it.

Three words: DON'T...TOUCH...LOLA!!!

Sold

So...How'd Iron Man 3 do?

The following info comes from Box Office Mojo:

Iron Man 3 kept the top spot this weekend, even with The Great Gatsby bringing in over $51 million.

Why oh why does anyone want to see that film? Anyway...

In its second weekend in the U.S., IM3 brought in $72.5 million, making the domestic total now almost $284.9 million. The foreign total is over $664 million, and the grand total to date just shy of $949 million.

Lots of people are comparing this film to The Avengers, and that's not really fair. That's like comparing Star Wars to Phantom Menace. Similar movies? Yes. But when you're dealing with movies within a common franchise, comparing them is like comparing different fruits in a common basket -

They're all fruit, but not everyone likes apples over pears over bananas over tangerines. Get me?

What I was interested in was the drop in sales between IM3's opening weekend and this one: 58%

Note that the drop is in reference to sales and not to audience.
In other words, that stat isn't saying that 58% less people went to see the movie this weekend, but that the film made 58% less money than last weekend.
So it's more than likely that in the past three days people saw IM3 in Drive-ins or at regular (non-IMAX/3D) theaters - which cost less per ticket - instead of the $15-a-piece ticket for the IMAX/3D "experience".

Box Office Mojo goes on to say that "if [Iron Man 3] continues to follow Iron Man 2's pace it will ultimately wind up over $400 million." I assume that is only in domestic dollars, and yeah, that'd be great...but again - comparing an apple that just came out against an apple from 2010 isn't all that fair.

Just sayin'...

Happy Mother's Day 2013...

I have to work today, so I just want to give everyone a reminder to call your Mother!!!

Casting Call...Tony Stark

There's been talk of RDJ no longer assuming the role, or only returning for future Avengers sequels.

Honestly, I hope he returns. Even if it's just in Avengers 2 and 3. But let's face it - he will eventually be replaced.

What I'm doing here is listing my Top Five actors who I think could do the character justice going forward.

Here's my criteria...
1) The actor is playing Tony Stark, not RDJ playing Tony Stark.

2) I'm assuming that Marvel Studios is going the James Bond route...meaning there's no time-travel/alternate universe/clone/LMD stuff. Just a new actor continuing the role in the same universe that's happening now.

3) American actors only. Why? Because over at Warner Brothers they had Christian Bale as Batman and Gary Oldman as Gordon, and now Henry Cavill is Superman...all British actors. So they've got that market.

4) And of course, they can't be playing an existing MMU character...meaning no Sebastian Stan or Clark Gregg.

Here we go...

5) Johnny Depp

He's got the charm, charisma and draw that RDJ has.

So why is he #5?

Because he's roughly the same age as RDJ, and I honestly think that Tony Stark is too "mainstream" a role for him.

I can totally see him somewhere within the MMU, like a villain or something, but as Tony?

You have to admit though - he's got the look.

#4) Joaquin Phoenix

This actor has a history, much like RDJ.

So why is he #4?

The suit.

I just can't see him in the suit.

To be fair, I never thought RDJ would make it work either.

#3) Shia LaBeouf

Forget Transformers...just get it out of your heads right now...and maybe Crystal Skull while you're at it...

...but as an actor, I can see this guy pulling off the wit and mechanic savvy of the role while actually in the suit.

So why is he #3?

Three words: Transformers and Crystal Skull.

Then again, does anyone remember Air America?

#2) Jensen Ackles

I've never seen a single episode of Supernatural, but even I know that show's been on too long. Give it a rest already!

If you've never seen Ten Inch Hero, do so. This guy is funny, charming, and could totally handle the whole "I'm gonna do what I think is right even if S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap and Rhodey think I'm nuts" mentality.

And yeah, he could handle the suit.

So why is he #2?

Because #1 would be an idiot to turn it down...

#1) Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Can I just say that if you put the 'stach and 'tee on this pic, you'd have Tony Stark?

Not only that, but with JGL replacing RDJ Marvel Studios would be opening the door to the next generation of great actors to play their characters.

I can even see Shia playing Banner to JGL's Stark.

I know what you're thinking..."What about the next Batman film?"

Well, by the time DC and WB got their s#!t together to cast it, JGL'll be in the middle of making Iron Man 6! 'Nuff Said!

Honorable Mention...

Sean Faris

Don't know who this guy is, and I haven't seen a thing he's done.

He does make the look work though...




In Marvel Studios I Trust