Recap of the Highlights of Comic Con
While it was frustrating not having Internet connection at Comic Con (or at the hotel I was staying in–different story) I am finally able to provide recaps, albeit a little bit late. I did go old school and use pen and paper to do my writing of notes.
Day 1–Some good views coming out from the TV front. Comic Con does have a reputation for focusing on movies more than shows, but shows like Dexter and Glee, amongst many others, made a showing at the Con. It was the highest turnout of shows ever.
Other amazing moments from Day 1 was that seven minutes of Tron: Legacy were shown and holy crap, it was awesome. Then the full trailer was shown. This is probably going to be the most highly anticipated movie this Christmas, next to Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Tron made the biggest splash on Day 1, but Megamind tried to have a respectful showing. (Brad Pitt was not there–reason unknown.)
Day 2–Much to my surprise, I was able to catch a small portion of the Hawaii Five-O panel. The new series will star Daniel Dae-Kim and Grace Park so it should be interesting, maybe. The show plans to debut in November.
A not-so-scifi-but has promise show is NBC’s The Cape. It has Vinnie Jones and the terminator female from the Sarah Conner Chronicles. The panel drug on rather boringly, but the show has promise. A brief clip was shown and it does seem dark and well developed, but November will tell us one way or the other.
Day 3–Some weird things went down between two fans. Apparently one got stabbed and the other arrested, but I don’t know the details beyond that.
Resident Evil: Afterlife had a panel and brief clip and this one looks 100 times better than the previous installments. The addition of Chris Redfield will instantly enhance the story. Redfield is played by Wentworth Miller.
I got to meet Maggie Q, and she’s actually quite shy in person, but she was pretty nice.
Day 4–Didn’t attend.
Overall, the convention was a huge success and there new trailers and posters galore. The Green Lantern has official artwork posted and a new trailer for Drive Angry, Nicolas Cage’s new movie where he plays a dad hell bent on revenge. And of course, the new and updated trailer for Tron, which can be seen here.
This was the biggest Comic-Con and it will be even bigger next year. If you’re a sci fi fan of any kind, it is worth going to, even it’s only for a day. Meet some lively characters and talk to your favorite actors and actresses. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inception: Best. Movie. Ev–Not Quite, But Close
Though I was skeptical at first, I ventured into the unknown that is Inception. Not being a fan of Leo DiCaprio, I already formulated an opinion on the movie. He did, however, change my mind and change it fast. Inception’s trailers are purposefully vague…and so are all the synopsises you’ve read. However, those summaries are pretty accurate. The movie does take place in the mind (mostly at least) but not to give it away, Leo’s team steals secrets by infiltrating the mind, or dreams. The movie then takes you into Leo’s character as the main thrust and it gets pretty awesome after that. Christopher Nolan knows how to concoct a movie out of a simple concept, and best of all, he captures all the details through film. You do have to pay close attention to the movie from beginning to end to pick up on all aspects of it. Even then, you’re still not going to believe how it ends up. The direction is steady, enabling you to actually get into the film without feeling like you’re on a roller coaster. Characters are hateable, but in a good way, and the only one you’re feeling sorry for is Ellen Page (You’ll know what I mean when you watch it). If you missed the first few minutes of the movie, because that’s your M.O. don’t bother finishing it. Nolan is as detailed as any director, even more so than Quentin Tarantino. This movie doesn’t quite get a perfect 10 rating, but it’s close. I gave Pulp Fiction a 10, but this is about a 9.8. The only flaw in it, is that you do want that clear resolutions at the end. You sort of expect it, but then when “it” happens, you’re wondering how you want to feel about it. Think of this movie like a mix between the Matrix and the Usual Suspects. I know, it’s weird to think about the two extremes, but bear with me and use a little imagination. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. Nolan is sheer genius.
Predators: A Review
Surprisingly this movie is good. It starts with action and ends with a lot more action. There isn’t much development in terms of the characters but the story itself and being in the Predator mythos made it okay. Predators is a fitting sequel to the original Predator series (not AVP). It also leads room for another one. For those who thought Adrian Brody wouldn’t be a good lead role, think again. I was one of them. Skepticism was at its worst and to be honest I didn’t expect much. His role and anti-hero was surprisingly played well and for the concept, it worked well. The beginning of the movie shows groups of people being plummeted down on parachutes and the action starts. Predators get revealed along the way, and an all out battle ensues amongst human and predator. Sadly Laurence Fishburne does have a small role in it (8-10 minutes of total screen time). Nimrod Antal does fit the environment of the first Predator to this one very well. We are essentially misdirected, but in a good way. I highly recommend it and if you’re looking for a well contrived plot that transcends character development and story development, you won’t find it. If you’re looking for a good sequel to the Predator franchise, then you’ll find it within the first five minutes onward.
Also, just a reminder that San Diego Comic Con 2010 will happen in three days and will last through the weekend. I will send updates as I get them throughout the conference.
Movie Reviews of the Past Weekend
I had the privilege to watch three movies this weekend and two of the three were excellent while one disappointed (though it was expected).
Eclipse–This movie was the worst of the bunch. There was no direction and the acting was by far the worst of the trilogy. Clearly they were emotionally stunted from the previous works. Eclipse should be avoided at all costs. It’s more romance and not much anything else. The war between vampires and werewolves is more like a dispute and the story arc was plain appalling. I give this movie a three.
Last Airbender–This movie was pretty solid and it does follow parts of the important storylines of Avatar (the anime). If you haven’t seen the anime, now is a good time to do so. The basic story of the movie goes like this: the fire king declares war on the other elements so he can essentially control the world. Aanh, the lead, is the last of his kind and protects everyone from the fire king. Sounds cliche, right? Yes, but not really. Shymalan might have salvaged part of his career by doing this movie. And no, there is no “twist” at the end of it. The characters do take a while to fit into their roles, but on the whole, it was well directed and well done on many fronts from the direction, story and the acting. It almost seemed at times you were watching a rated R movie with all the action going on. This movie is deserving on an 8.
Toy Story 3–This is probably the best of the three Toy Stories. The toy’s owner gets older and he’s about to go off to college but is deciding on what to do with the toys. They all eventually end of at Sunnyside, a day care, and things aren’t what they seem. It was fun and there are some tear jerking moments. I had a great time and this is a movie for people of all ages. It’s definitely worth the price of admission. I’ve never given a ten to any movie, but this one breaks the mold.
Ten Games You Can Look Forward To
I love video games as much as the next person does and I think these ten (very closely resembles mine) coming out are going to be incredible. Personally I’m more excited about the new StarCraft game than any of the other ones. I’ve waited way too long for the sequel–and yes I will be standing in line to get it.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/games-of-summer-2010/games-of-summer-2010/1403552
Just to let you know, I will be seeing Eclipse (not on my own volition) this afternoon and will post a review of it when finished.
Green Hornet Trailer Now Out
This movie has potential, so don’t knock it just yet. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808411967/trailer
New Zelda Game, DS System Highlight of the E3 Conference
The E3 Convention recently ended and if you had the privilege to go (I was not because I was deathly ill), you saw the unveiling on the new Zelda game, Skyward Sword. The trailer is here. The game looks like a mix between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time. It looks pretty awesome nonetheless. Metroid: Other M got some press, but not nearly as much as Zelda. And lastly, the announcement of the new gaming system for the Nintendo, the 3DS, got some massive applause. Sadly not much info came out for it, other than a snazzy trailer, which can be found here, but an extended trailer will be out in July. The Nintendo franchise is going to look good for years to come, and the next E3 conference is set for late May-early June in 2011. Hopefully if yours truly doesn’t suffer another ulcer, he’ll be there and cover it live and podcast it.
Haven: Looks Better than Average SyFy Fare
If you haven’t seen the previews for Haven, the Syfy Channel’s new original show, you can see the trailer for it here. It looks like a cross between Eureeka and X-Files. The premise of the show is that an investigator finds herself engulfed in a town that’s full of people with supernatural powers. Looks darker than X-Files in some regards and more serious than Eureeka. The Syfy Channel has had the dubious history of putting on some craptastic shows, but there are a few gems here and there. Warehouse 13 was okay, Stargate: Universe is awesome, but where does this one fall? If it can pick up some steam and going into the season, it might do well. Emily Rose is in the lead role and Eric Balfour (notorious for playing the role on some Syfy original movies) plays the co-star.
Horror Film Festivals Become More Edgy, Fun
You’ve probably heard of the AfterDark Horrorfest and while it’s been out for about 4 years, you know that the movies aren’t exactly the highest quality nor do they work with the best budget, but since 2006, there has been an influx of horror and science fiction movie festivals that are popping up. In fact, since 2006 there has been a 35 percent rise in the numbers of official horror film festivals all across the world. Horror and Science Fiction, for the most part, has taken on an edgier side. What wasn’t allowed in 2001 is allowed now. More graphic styles of kills (Saw), disturbing story lines (Deranged), and post-modernistic sadistically strange (Three Extemes), are a norm and other countries are catching on, if not exceeding the United States. Below is a list of some of the horror festivals for 2010 where you can find unique types of horror and creativity:
- October 10-18
- FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival (Orlando, Florida, USA)
- October 15-17
- Big Bear Horror Film Festival (Big Bear Lake, CA, USA)
- October 19-23
- Terror Film Festival (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
- October 30
- British Horror Film Festival (Poole, UK)
- October 30-31
- Horror UK´s 28 Hours Later (Farham, UK)
- November 5
- Shockfest Film Festival (Hollywood, California, USA)
You never know what kinds of nuggets you’ll find at these festivals, if any, but it wouldn’t hurt to check it out and see what direction some of the directors are taking. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, I think. Of course there are other festivals this year. If you want to find one near you, do a local search and book your tickets soon. These things have a way of selling out fast.
Prince of Persia: Finally a Video Game Adaptation You’ll Like
Price of Persia was surprisingly good for a video game-turned-movie. If you’re looking for an Alone in the Dark experience, you certainly won’t get that. PoP is probably the best video game-turned-movie ever made. The acting wasn’t bad. In fact, Jake Gyllenhaal does a great job as a Persian. His accent wasn’t bad and I think the trailers didn’t really do it any justice. The story arc is pretty compelling and it flowed. The movie does follow through some of the storylines of the games, but doesn’t directly reflect the storylines of any one particular game. You’ll have to pay attention to the direction of the movie. You might think it was done on purpose on the director’s part to divert your attention away from the fact that it’s a movie adapted from a video game. Either way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good it really was. Just think of it as an action movie and not a video game. PoP will impress. I give this an 8. If you made it in time for the movie, you probably saw the Predators trailer. More to come on my blog about that, but it looks pretty awesome.