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anthonianrhapsody-blog · 7 years ago

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And the Best MCU Film is...

by Captain

Admit it. When the leaked footage of the Avengers: Infinity War trailer came out, you did one of four things:

1. Weep like a baby when Peter said “I’m sorry” to Tony; 2. Scream your lungs out when Steve (beard and all) came out; 3. Let out a big “oooohhhh” when Thanos hurled down that planet; 4. All of the above

As a crossover of 10 years’ worth of cinematic storylines, this mega-event of a movie is unprecedented. Before Infinity War drops next May (which is just 7 months away, but it SURE feels like an eternity away), let’s tackle a question that will trigger debates, challenge friendships, and even put marriages (!) to the test.

What is the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Before you blast this blog away with a Jericho missile (hats off to you if you got that reference), the writer would like to set a few parameters.

First, I’ll make it a top 5 list for better chances of acknowledging your favorite. Okay? Y’all happy?

Second, this article will cover only the first 16 MCU films—that is, the ones that have already been released at the time that this article has been published. Unfortunately, I have no Ancient One-like powers to look into the future. My list might very well be obliterated by upcoming flicks like Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther (watch out for the reviews! ☺). Also, I won’t be factoring in TV and Netflix content like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Defenders series. Different medium, different criteria.

Lastly, and speaking of criteria, allow me to declare my standards for film quality. (Feel free to argue with my rubrics in the comments section, but this is my list, so tough luck.) My biggest considerations are plot and characterization. As in, how good is the story that unfolds in the film? How developed are the character arcs and motivations, and why should I care about them? I also care about effectiveness of acting, visual spectacle, quality of shots and editing, and impact of auditory effects.

With that out of the way...

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Captain America: Civil War (epic airport scene vs. wildly impossible coincidences); Avengers: Age of Ultron (messy in places, but it’s just a special thing when Avengers assemble); the first Thor film (an underrated movie...shout-out to Tom and Kenneth)

Raise your right hand if you knew who Star-Lord and Gamora were three years ago. Raise your left hand if you were also aware that they were not in the original Guardians line-up in the comics. No hands raised? Then you’re just like the thousands of moviegoers who were pleasantly surprised by this franchise in 2014. With the careful handling of director James Gunn, this movie featuring C-list Marvel heroes captured the hearts of comic book die-hards and casual MCU fans alike. Guardians’ strongest suit is its comedy—Rocket Racoon’s unstoppable mouth, Drax the Destroyer’s dry humor (made special by wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista), and Peter Quill’s dancing-out-of-nowhere in the movie’s climax. And of course...I am Groot, ‘nuff said.

Throw in the brilliance of the film’s color palette and the soundtrack known as “Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” and you could say that it’s hard to find fault with this flick. But I do have (gasp!) a minor gripe. The film’s third act is all about the Guardians protecting the planet of Xandar from Ronan the Accuser, who wields the might of the destructive Power Stone. Problem is, the Xandarians weren’t given quite enough screen time. Every time I watch the film, I think to myself, “Who are these guys?” Sure, there are images of Xandarian families and children scurrying for their lives, but I just wish the development of these ‘sympathetic’ figures had been better.

That, frankly, is my only problem with an otherwise colorful, highly lovable film. As you’ll see, the next film did not commit the Xandar mistake.

#4: ANT-MAN (2015)

“So I’m at this art museum with my cousin Ignacio, right? And there was this, like, abstract impressionism exhibit. But you know me, I’m more like a Neo-Cubist kind of guy...”

Impossible as it sounds, these lines managed to make people laugh. Thanks, Michael Peña! Just like Guardians, the 2015 flick Ant-Man proved that Marvel Studios can do comedy effectively. Beyond its penchant for humor—as well as its dazzling array of museum-worthy visual effects—Ant-Man also got story-telling right. Any human being can relate to Scott Lang’s quest for redemption after his three-year prison sentence. The film tugs at your heartstrings every time Scott interacts with his daughter Cassie. And the film makes you hold your breath during the climax, when Scott sacrifices himself to save Cassie from the villain Yellowjacket. (Spoiler: Scott survived.)

Yellowjacket, however, is a testament to the widely discussed “MCU villain problem.” For all the wonderful heroes that Marvel Studios has brought to life, there is also a legion of antagonists that the MCU films have failed to maximize. In Ant-Man, Darren Cross is a rather menacing jerk (thanks to a great performance by actor Corey Stoll). But his screen time as Ant-Man’s evil counterpart could have been fleshed out and extended. As it was, Yellowjacket became just another dispensable villain to join the likes of Ultron, Ronan the Accuser, and Malekith.

But Ant-Man still succeeds because it makes you care greatly about Scott and Cassie. And it is precisely because of this that this film is ranked above Guardians. When you compare the two films, it’s easier to care for a human father and his innocent little daughter than an entire planet of unknown, unfamiliar beings.

#3: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

I have to be honest: the subtitle did not work out for me at first. When Marvel and Sony announced that they would be sharing Spidey’s film rights (hallelujah), I was hoping for a comic book-inspired title. Like Sensational Spider-Man or Peter Parker: Spider-Man. I know that the term “Homecoming” has several connotations (such as the Spider-Man character being welcomed back to the fold of Marvel Studios), but it just isn’t fierce enough for a superhero film.

Trust me, that’s about as much I’ll complain about this movie. Because everything else was...amazing.

To begin with, Tom Holland is the perfect actor for the title role. He brought a more youthful vibe to the Peter Parker persona than Tobey Maguire. And he embodied a more light-hearted, wittier Spider-Man than Andrew Garfield. As remarkable as young Mr. Holland’s performance was, the film’s showstopper was veteran actor Michael Keaton. Finally, a well-rounded villain! Keaton brought emotional depth to the role of Adrian Toomes/Vulture, who is effectively portrayed as a blue-collar worker wronged by society’s elite. The rest of the crew is just as outstanding. Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) is used in just enough doses as the hero’s mentor. Jacob Batalon is hilarious as Ned, the techie best friend; while Zendaya is quirky as the mysterious Michelle persona (eventually revealed to be...wait for it...MJ).

Distinguishing itself as a teen movie, Homecoming is a refreshing selection among the grittier grown-ups of the MCU. Take your pick of adolescent drama: Peter’s fixations on his crush, the thrills and frills of weekend parties, the suspense of inter-school competitions. Indeed, this film offers a new flavor among the political thrillers and world-ending catastrophes of Captain America and Thor. The plot keeps you on the edge of your seats from beginning to end (though the climactic battle could have been more, um, climactic). Even the mid-credits scene keeps you fascinated in what happens next (hello, Sinister Six).

This is how good Homecoming is: up until earlier this year, I had a different top 5 list. Captain America: Civil War was on it. When Homecoming came out, Spider-Man swung all the way into my top 3. Tom Holland and co. were so good that there are only two films that they did not displace in my nerdy Marvel heart.

#2: AVENGERS (2012)

Assemble.

This might be more of a sentimental pick—I know that several critics would have Guardians at this spot—but I’m listening to my nerdy heart. In Avengers, several effective elements come together. The best part, of course, is the unprecedented, seamless merging of characters and plot lines. Marvel heroes from a 3-year period of films come together to protect humanity from intergalactic threats. If you faithfully watched the solo Marvel films before viewing Avengers, you were duly rewarded with a satisfying conclusion to Phase 1. If you watched Avengers in isolation, you would still be captivated with the colorful adventure of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

And oh boy, how the sparks fly! Even before a single fist landed on a Chitauri cheekbone, the in-fighting among the heroes was fun to watch. The verbal showdown between Cap and Iron Man was fascinating—enough to get everyone excited for a possible Civil War (which happened). Thor vs. Hulk and Thor vs. Tony were exciting heavyweight fights, and the mind-controlled exploits of Hawkeye (who eventually turned into a protagonist) added an extra layer of conflict.

Speaking of conflict, the plot’s intensity keeps the audience hooked from start to finish. The film opens with a car-blowing, Tesseract-grabbing heist perpetuated by Loki, the best MCU villain to date. The action sequences that follow—which include the forest duel and the Helicarrier fiasco—are visual stunners. The climactic Battle of New York is made even more hearstopping when the Avengers have to deal with the alien invasion and the nuclear missile out of nowhere. By the time Mr. Stark wakes up after his heroic sacrifice (with Hulk’s thunderous voice as the alarm clock), the viewer smiles ear-to-ear, satisfied that the good guys prevailed.

We haven’t even touched on the excellent cast—from Downey to Evans, Hiddleston to Ruffalo—as well as the fantastic effects and brilliant musical score. My only nitpick would be the slowing down of the film’s pace during certain expository parts. Perhaps Natasha’s conversation with Dr. Banner could have been just a tad shorter. Other than this, though, I am satisfied with Joss Whedon’s work to the point of considering Avengers a top-of-the-mountain film.

But not the top film.

#1: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

I will argue all day, any day with anyone who disagrees.

The second Captain America installment is second to none in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, The Winter Soldier is the MCU’s standard-bearer for film quality.

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this film is its realistic approach. All the elements of The Winter Soldier make you believe that a “super soldier”—the stuff of comic book lore—can actually trade fists and save lives in a true-to-life episode of political espionage. Chris Evans gives justice to a highly conflicted Cap, who finds his classic American ideals challenged by 21st century US military “values.”

The action sequences are exquisite. The moment you see Cap deliver a spinning heel kick to a pirate (hello, Georges St-Pierre!), you know it’s going to be special. My favorite scene in the entire film was the elevator scene, in which Steve fights about a dozen Hydra henchmen by himself...and wins. The final act of the film is packed with suspense as Cap attempts to deactivate Hydra’s three Helicarriers designed for mass eliminations. But standing in his way—literally, they stood face-to-face on a very narrow passage—is the Winter Soldier, who is revealed to be Steve’s best friend Bucky. Cheesy as it may have been, the line “I’m with you till the end of the line” was a nice touch to the Cap/Steve vs. Winter Soldier/Bucky plotline.

Comrade Barnes may have been the cybernetically-enhanced villain, but Alexander Pierce was a great antagonist as well in the role of the slimy, intelligent bureaucrat. Robert Redford (God bless his kindred soul) proved in this film that he can out-act any performer that Hollywood has to offer. Memorable performances also came from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson.

As garnish, the Russo brothers added touches of humor and cleverness. Like the running joke of Steve telling Sam “I’m on your left,” or the subtle graveyard reference to Samuel L. Jackson’s role in the cult classic Pulp Fiction, or Steve’s list of pop culture items (Star Wars and Star Trek, anyone?). Indeed, Messieurs Joe and Anthony deserved the call to direct Civil War and the Infinity films.

I can only hope that Infinity War and its sequel (Gauntlet, perhaps?) will live up to their gargantuan hype. But don’t get me wrong: I am highly confident because the directors proved how excellent an MCU film can be when they made Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Dear readers, what’s your top 5 list? Do you agree or disagree with the list presented above? Let us know in the comments below!

#essay #ssaseniorhigh

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daleisgreat · 6 years ago

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

I hope you all are as ridiculously amped up as I am for the opening of Avengers: Endgame this evening! It marks the primary conclusion of all major story points from nearly every Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film going back to where it started with the original Iron Man from 2008. It is a cinematic event 11 years in the making and is being forecasted to break all kinds of box office records. This week I have been preparing by watching the latest two MCU films in my video backlog to refresh me with the latest story arcs. I will begin by first covering 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (trailer). Marvel Studios and James Gunn wasted no time jumping on a sequel to the surprise breakout success of the first GotG. As I detailed in my entry covering the first GotG, I still recall being blown away by how won over I was by an unorthodox crew of larger-than-life characters that came together to rescue the galaxy. That same gang returns in an awesome opening piece that sees Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) take on a mammoth of a gelatinous octopus-esque creature while the now fun-sized ‘Baby’ Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) dances away in the background to the requisite 1970s pop-rock soundtrack. It is a goofy dumb sequence that I took gleeful joy in jamming out at home to with a pair of surround sound headphones.

The primary hook in GotG2 is that after vanquishing said blobby monster, the Guardians run into a jam when collecting their reward from the golden skinned race of beings known as Sovereign. They high tail it out of there with Sovereign right on their tale when a mysterious being assists the Guardians in escaping. They meet up with this being who introduces himself as Ego (Kurt Russell) along with his servant Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Ego breaks the big news to Peter that he is his dad and invites the Guardians to join them on his home planet to clear his origins up and catch up on the past. Of course there is more than meets the eye to Ego’s claims, and there are periphery matters happening with Yondu (Michael Rooker) and his Ravagers once again meddling with the Guardians throughout and Gamora and her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) quarreling out decades worth of family disputes too. There are a ton of lighthearted jokes and gags throughout GotG2 like its predecessor. A lot of them hit and crack me up throughout, but the opening half hour Marvel Studios went overkill with them. I could not help but think that even though I was enjoying the heck out of the opening scenes that Marvel Studios could have dialed it back a smidge or two. I have to struggle with this criticism however because ultimately I am talking about a cast of bombastic figures such as a talking CG tree and raccoon and a whole host of colorful, galactic species waging war to a killer ‘70s soundtrack so in the end it may be wise for me to give GotG2 the benefit of the doubt to get away with double-to-triple the gags of the average MCU film. I also settled on giving this qualm a pass because I convinced myself for all future GotG viewings to go into them two beers in and that will help put that nitpick I have at bay and take in the ride that is GotG. I am also 100% down with any film that gives the Zune some love, being an avid Zune user myself to this day much to the ridicule of several podcast hosts over the years.

There is so much in Vol 2 that I loved. I will highlight a few of my favorite takeaways while doing my best not to go into too much detail. Drax had a few nicely timed dry humor moments originally, and Marvel Studios went all in with Drax’s dry wit being peppered throughout with lots of priceless exchanges with Mantis. Baby Groot is over-the-top adorable in his naiveté and cute facial expressions. The in-house faction wars in the Ravagers between Yondu and the astutely named Tazerface (Chris Sullivan) was a fantastic periphery arc that climaxed with a unforgettable exchange with Rocket and later Yondu going all out with another dazzling display of his arrow skills. I would be remiss if I were to forget to mention how spectacular the CG is here. It is in a class of its own with the already high bar established by the rest of the MCU films. Aside from the stunning space dogfights, Ego’s planet is a literal marvel and features some breathtaking use of CG to showcase flashbacks. The final act blows away the already-stellar final act of the first GotG with everything coming to a boil between Peter and Ego in a near half-hour long epic battle to get the hell off Ego’s planet and escape his wrath. Props again to James Gunn hand picking another star studded ‘70s pop-rock soundtrack along with an accompanying heroic original score that kicks in at all the right beats and combines for easily the best aural experience of all the MCU films.

The GotG2 BluRay has the ideal amount of extra features I want on a BluRay. It has a five star gag reel like most of the other MCU home video releases. There are a few minutes of deleted scenes with my standout being more extended love for the Zune. There is a 37 minute behind-the-scenes feature split up into four parts highlighting the soundtrack, visual effects and cast and crew love for director James Gunn, which was quite fascinating to see now in hindsight after the whole James Gunn Twitter controversy that temporarily removed him from the upcoming third GotG until the cast and crew fought vehemently to bring him back. Finally, James Gunn has a solo commentary track for the feature. Minus an occasional lull, he was pretty entertaining and a few quick highlights from it was Gunn referencing his work on the Lollipop Chainsaw game for inspiration for special effects in the movie, getting one of Quill’s big speeches mostly from a dream he woke up from in the middle of the night and Gunn justifying the use of five post-credit bonus scenes and how they all came to be. It is rare for superhero films to meet and surpass expectations, especially sequels. Re-watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 only assured me that those expectations were righteously knocked out of the park. I loved the first film, and somehow James Gunn found a way to make the sequel far better. I am intrigued in how Gunn stated in the commentary how he feels the Guardians films are like independent movies with a big budget because of the near-limitless creative freedom Marvel Studios allows him. It is because of that freedom that these films are in a class of their own and find a way to standout amongst themselves in the constantly rising number of unique MCU properties and I cannot wait to see what awaits the Guardians of the Galaxy this weekend in Avengers: Endgame! Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed Deck the Halls Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Guardians of the Galaxy Hercules: Reborn Hitman Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Man of Steel Man on the Moon Marine 3-6 Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Days of Future Past

#random movie #marvel #guardians of the galaxy vol 2 #james gunn #dave bautista #batista #zoe saldana #vin diesel #Bradley Cooper #Chris Pratt #michael rooker #chris sullivan

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ljones41 · 7 years ago

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"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" (2017) Review

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" (2017) Review Before I started on this review, I found myself wondering which "phase" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" found itself. Phase Two? Phase Three? In fact, I continued to ponder more about the franchise's current phase than about the plot for this movie. Until I finally shook myself out of this stupor.

Back in 2014, Marvel Films/Disney Studios released "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" during the month of August, more or less a graveyard for summer films. I suspect that Kevin Fiege had low expectations of the film's performance at the box office, due to its unfamiliarity with the general public. The movie proved them wrong and went on to become a major box office hit for that year. Due to its success back in 2014, Marvel Films/Disney Studios released a sequel, "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" in the more exulted release date in early May, three years later. James Gunn, who had directed the 2014 film, returned to direct this film. And although he had also served as co-writer of the first film with Nicole Perlman, he served as this film's sole screenwriter. Following the events of the 2014 film, Peter Quill aka Starlord and his friends have become renowned throughout the galaxy as the "Guardians of the Galaxy". The movie begins with the Guardians delivering stolen and valuable batteries to a race called the Sovereign, after they had protected the items from an inter-dimensional monster. In exchange, the Sovereign deliver Gamora's adopted sister Nebula, who had been caught earlier trying to steal the batteries. However, this peaceful transaction is disrupted when one of the Guardians, Rocket the Raccoon, steal some of the batteries for himself. The Guardians find themselves hunted by a fleet of ships controlled by the Sovereign and their leader, Ayesha. They eventually crash land on a planet inhabited by a mysterious figure, who destroys the Sovereign fleet for them. That figure turns out to be Ego, Peter Quill's powerful father first mentioned in the 2014 film. Ego turns out to be a god-like Celestial that manipulated the matter around its consciousness to form his "home" planet. He explains to Peter that he had projected a humanoid guise to travel the universe and discover a purpose. He eventually fell in love with Peter's mother Meredith Quill. Following her death, Ego hired Yondu to collect the young Quill, but the boy was never delivered and Ego has been searching for his son ever since. The latter invites Quill, Gamora, and Drax to his home planet. Meanwhile, Rocket and Groot remain behind to repair the ship and guard Nebula. Unbeknownst to all, Ayesha has hired Peter's former mentor, Ravagers leader Yondu Udonta to hunt them down. But the Guardians eventually discover that Ego might prove to be a bigger problem than either Ayesha or Yondu's crew. I was surprised by the characterization featured in "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2". It had been one of the strong points of the 2014 movie. But director-writer James Gunn took it to another level in this film, as Gunn's screenplay further explored the main characters' backgrounds and emotional concerns. More important, the characterizations featured in this film led to better performances by the cast. One good example was the exploration of Peter Quill's relationships with the two father figures in his life - his biological father Ego and his mentor, Yondu Udonta. Peter's search for a permanent father figure proved to have an ironic twist, considering his longing to meet his real father, Ego's charismatic personality and his occasionally hostile relationship with Yondu. Chris Pratt had to step up his game to develop Peter's character even further. He did . . . and proved that he could be a excellent dramatic actor . . . for the second (or third) time in his career. Kurt Russell gave a first-rate and charismatic performance in his portrayal of Ego. And thanks to Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan's excellent performances, the movie also explored Gamora's relationships with her adoptive sister, Nebula and their adoptive father, the villainous Thanos. Although the latter did not appear in the movie, his presence was strongly felt - especially in the confrontation between the two women as they confronted the circumstances that led to their estrangement. "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" also featured the further development of Peter and Gamora's relationship. The potential romance in this relationship not only manifested in a charming dance between the pair on Ego's planet, but also a heated quarrel in which Peter expressed his frustration at being kept at a distance by Gamora. This scene featured great acting from both Pratt and Saldana. Bradley Cooper had been highly praised for his voice performance as Rocket the Racoon in the 2014 film. The character's past was not really explored in this film. Considering his origin as a lab experiment, I found this a pity. But Rocket's problems with being part of a group and his emotional issues were touched upon - especially in a strong and emotional scene that featured a conversation between him and Yondu, while they were being held prisoner. Both Cooper and actor Michael Rooker nearly stole the movie with this scene between Rocket and Yondu. Also, Rocket found himself serving as the toddler Groot's protector - a strange twist, considering that the latter had been his protector in the previous film. I understand that actor Vin Diesel continued to provide the voice for Groot - and yes, I do mean Baby Groot. I thought Marvel would hire someone other than the deep-voiced Diesel for the role. But they brought him back. And I am amazed that he was able to forgo his usual deep voice to portray the toddler Groot. And speaking of the Yondu, his past reared its ugly head following the revelation that the other Ravager leaders had exiled his group due to child trafficking on Ego's behalf - including the kidnapping the young Peter Grill from Earth. This revelation also led to another in which audiences learn the true strength of Peter and Yondu's relationship. The very literal Drax the Destroyer forms a strange friendship with a young empath named Mantis, who has been forced to serve as Ego's "pet" for a number of years. Although Drax's needling personality and strange sense of humor made his regard for the naive and sheltered seem abusive, I was surprised at how the pair managed to grow close - to the point that Drax nearly sacrificed himself for her safety. In these scenes involving Drax, Dave Bautista proved once again that he was a better actor than many had assumed, due to his past as a professional wrestler. And he had a first-rate co-star in Pom Klementieff's subtle and charming portrayal of the empathic Manits. "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" also saw the return of Yondu's right-hand man, Kraglin, who was forced to overcome his sense of self-preservation in order to come to his captain's aid when the crew turned on Yondu. Ayesha, the Golden High Priestess and leader of the Sovereign, proved to be another interesting role for actress Elizabeth Debicki's filmography. Ayesha proved to be not only interesting, but also one of the most arrogant characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) . . . the type of character that eventually rubbed Rocket the wrong way. Audiences also got an expanded look into the world of the Ravagers. Thanks to Gunn's script, I realized that most of them - including Yondu - was not as despicable as I had originally assumed. And I was shocked and pleasantly to see the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames and Michael Rosenbaum as among the older leaders of the Ravangers. But despite the movie's strong characterizations, I was not as impressed by "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" as I thought I would be. It lacked something that the 2014 movie possessed - a strong narrative. At first, I thought Ayesha would prove to be the heroes' main protagonists, considering that she had hired the Ravagers to hunt down the Guardians in the first place. However, about midway into the movie, I realized that she was nothing more than a plot device (and a tiresome one at that) used by Gunn to drive the Guardians into the path of Ego, Peter's father. And in the end, it was really about him . . . and his plan to remake the universe into his image, using the seedlings he had implanted on different planets, impregnating various females like Meredith Quill and using his offsprings like Peter. I know . . . this sounds confusing. Let me put it this way. For years, Ego traveled to different parts of the universe, planting seedlings on different planets. Then he seduced and impregnated women like Meredith so that he can utilize the powers of his offsprings to activate the seedlings . . . and he can terraform those planets into his image. As it turned out, Peter was the only offspring who had the power to help him activate the seedlings. Personally, I found this story rather lame. It was more or less just another "meglomaniac" trying to conquer the universe. In a way, it reminded me of Thanos' narrative within the MCU involving the Infinity Stones . . . only it involved "seedlings" and Ego's offsprings. I found this narrative less original and with more shortcuts. The film's minor plot lines involving the characters' emotional arcs struck me as more interesting. The movie also featured the usual first-rate visual effects. I was surprised that so many visual effects companies were involved in the film's production. I think I managed to count at least nine of them. Wow. Nine companies involved in the visual effects? Hmmm . . . perhaps I should not have been surprised. "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2" seemed to lack a cohesive visual style, despite having a single production designer, Scott Chambliss. Some people were not impressed by the visuals for Ego's planet, as shown below:

Personally, I was. Mind you, there was nothing mind-blowing about the visual effects for Ego's planet. But I had enjoyed them, nonetheless. However, I was impressed by the special effects used to visually convey Rocket, Groot, Kraglin and Yondu's journey across the galaxy - involving several jumps. I found it very effective and rather funny. Peter Quill's audio cassette tape played a major role in the score for "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY". Near the end of that particular movie, he came across the package that his mother Meredith had given him just before her death. The package contained another cassette with more of her favorite songs of her youth. I hate to say this, but I was not that impressed by the collection of songs used for "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2", aside from one or two. Even more surprising is that I found the songs featured in the movie's end credits to be a lot more entertaining . . . and right for the movie. Pity. Overall, I enjoyed "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2". It was not exactly a disappointment thanks to the strong characterizations featured in the film and the first-rate performances by a cast led by Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana. But I must be honest, it was almost a ghost of the 2014 film. And this is due to what I believe was a weak narrative that included a villain with goals that struck me as unoriginal. It is a pity that Nicole Perlman did return to serve as director James Gunn's co-writer in this second film. I had the odd feeling that needed a collaborator for a stronger narrative.

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fatpie42-blog · 7 years ago

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Review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Best thing: I could put the humour or the action or the visuals or the much improved chemistry between the characters. However, I've got to put Kurt Russell here as the best thing. (Sure, Baby Groot was sweet and goodness know Groot was the best thing in the first film, but Kurt Russell is just so perfect here.)

Worst thing: Sylvester Stallone only has a small part, but he stands out like a sore thumb. Is this really the same guy people were suggesting they should have given an Oscar for acting the other year? I mean I haven't seen Creed, or any of the Rocky movies for that matter, but Stallone is pretty clearly the worst actor. (Full credit to Dave Bautista playing Drax who is a wrestler with no real acting experience outside of these two films and yet not only fits right in but even has great comic timing.)

Guardians of the Galaxy really wasn't one of my favourite Marvel Studios movies. In a movie series which I most often judge on how much it can make me laugh, I didn't think Guardians of the Galaxy was as funny as I was hoping for.

Add to that Thanos and Ronan being two of the most boring villains ever and I really didn't see why Guardians of the Galaxy was being picked out for special praise over and above Thor 2 and Iron Man 3.

Now I think part of the issue was that they had to introduce the characters in the first film. A team of five brand new protagonists to be introduced in just one film is not an easy undertaking. The antics of Thor and Loki or Tony Stark were able to be as funny as they were because I was so familiar with them (and they weren't as funny in their first movie either).

I was particularly pleased to see Karen Gillan's character Nebula given more to do this time around. Previously she was pretty much just a henchman for the villains, but now we get much more focus on her relationship with Gamora. Yondu is also given a much more interesting character this time around as we explore his history with Starlord. The humour flows more easily from the characters this time because we know the characters better.

One thing I don't think is better is the soundtrack. Sure some of the songs were pretty cool, but we had some Bowie last time, y'know? And I think that “Father and Son” song has been ruined for me by Boyzone....

But while I may not have ranked the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie as one of my favourites, that certainly isn't true of this follow-up. Marvel Studios seem to be remarkably capable at hammering out great sequels only making these characters more entertaining as the Marvel Universe expands.

Somehow that bubble hasn't burst yet.

A+

#2017 #guardians of the galaxy vol 2 #guardians of the galaxy #chris pratt #dave bautista #karen gillan #zoe saldana #michael rooker #kurt russell #movie reviews

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the-ten-trenchant-reviews-blog · 8 years ago

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 |2017|

Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.

Script Written by James Gunn

Taking place just a few months after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 re-introduces us to the motley crew of reluctant heroes as they do their best to save the galaxy from whatever space threats comes their way. The film wastes no time jumping into action, kicking off with everything that made the first film so great; team-mates bickering while they fight an alien space threat to the tune of a classic tune. The problem with the film however is that these great characters don’t get a great plot to do much with. In theory, the story is great. We have Star Lord coming to terms with his absence father. Yondu gets a much more expanded role that gives him depth and the film contains an overall theme of coming together as a family. Shame then that it seems more interested in making you laugh. The jokes are much sillier this time round, a lot of one-liners and quips that feel like they were funnier in theory rather than execution. The last 20 minutes bring all the best bits of the film together, it’s just a shame it took it that long to get there.

1 point

Acting Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana & Kurt Russell

What’s most impressive about the Guardians films is that despite being a group of 5, each character truly shines and stands out on their own. That’s a complete testament to each actor as they deliver their lines and bounce off one another brilliantly. They also do a terrific job of not feeling too close to each other; this is a still a new group in the canon of the franchise and with all the shooting and promotion throughout both films, it would have been very easy for the crew to appear to have bonded too much between movies. The team we love is still ever present and make the movie exactly what it is. Michael Rooker is great as he gets an expanded role playing Yondu, bringing some genuine heart to the role. Kurt Russell is always good at coming across as slightly ‘off’ while continuing to be downright charismatic and if perfectly cast in this as Ego. Some of the performances do seem to verge on the side of campy but the actors still give it their all.

2 points

Visuals Cinematography by Henry Braham

Some outstanding production design and greatly realised costume and makeup is let down by some rather iffy visual effects. The movie looks great, no one is going to argue that but when what you’re seeing is so clearly not there it does genuinely take you out of the movie. Baby Groot at times does seem like he’s been rendered for a different movie and there are times on Ego’s planet, which looks gorgeous, that two actors are obviously in front of a green background and it ruins the sentimentality that a scene has set out to achieve. This won’t be an issue for everyone obviously but a studio as big as Marvel should certainly aim to be better.

1 point

Audio Music by Tyler Bates

Bates’ score is better than standard Marvel fare, still appearing quite safe and overly deliberate but at times does seem to have a genuine uniqueness not seen in the MCU. Bates has worked with Gunn several times in the past so it could be his dedication to Gunn that goes the extra mile. Obviously however the big drive of the film is following the previous aesthetic of using retro music that was so effective Suicide Squad tried (and failed so bad at) to emulate. The awesome mix volume 2 has some absolute cracker of tracks and although they never feel like they’re tied directly to the story (take note once again, Suicide Squad) they still contribute to what we see and work very well which isn’t an easy thing to do. Guardians just wouldn’t be the same franchise without this feature and thank God it works.

2 points

Directing Directed by James Gunn

When the first GotG came out, it was a genuine surprise. The film was rumoured to be Marvel’s first flop and then blew everyone out of the water. The film probably wouldn’t have succeeded without Gunn behind the wheel and the film became such a success that the new Thor film appears to have a similar vibe. With Gunn returning it should feel exactly like the first one but instead feels like the tone has taken a dive towards childishness. When the film shines, it truly shines but there are certainly moments that feel ripped from a science fiction sitcom. The movie has a very strong 80′s vibe to it which works well to a point. When the humour genuinely feels outdated for a 2017 release you have to question who the movie is targeting. There are moments of sheer ridiculousness and a lot of them work but once again it would have been nice if someone had reeled in Gunn slightly to make a more consistent and polished piece. Instead it feels like Gunn is playing around with this sandbox full of toys. Gunn knows to have fun but there is an underlying lack of attachment to reality that just seems to be ever present.

1 point

Final Score: 7 / 10

#guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 #guardians of the galaxy #marvel #film review #irish review #chris pratt #james gunn

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furederiko · 8 years ago

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Here's the 3rd, but probably not the last Random News Digest for April...

X-Men Universe

Looks like 20th Century FOX has found its superhero niche, that's able to place the studio on a similar level to its more popular Marvel counterpart, Marvel Studios. And that is, the R-Rated department! Yes, following the success of "Deadpool", now "Logan" has secured its place as the fourth highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. So while the studio might not be able to catch up the financial and critical success in the PG-13 department, it's going strong in the older-oriented market with approximately $598 million cume. Currently finishing its seventh weekend run, the critically acclaimed "Logan" is only $13 million away from taking over Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" that's still sitting on the third place. There is a possibility that it might get dethroned, but with the Summer movies like "Fate of the Furious" entering the competition and massively snatching away public's attention, things are definitely not quite so certain anymore. I guess we'll have to wait and see how the movie performs this week, right?

Earlier today (my time region, so I believe it's... yesterday in the US?), Josh Brolin trolled actor Ryan Reynolds via social media, now that his involvement in "Deadpool 2" has been publicly confirmed. True to his character Cable, and his long tumultous history with Deadpool, Brolin's making fun of the movie's lead by calling him out with '#ryanreyondsismybitch'. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige confirmed very recently, that his studio does NOT prohibit its actors from starring other superhero character in other studios. Particularly, in regards of Brolin's double roles. So I'm guessing Brolin gets to have the best of both worlds... or should I say universes. He's a major supervillain in Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a crucial superhero in the X-Men side at the same year. Could one actor get any privilege cooler than that? By the way, is that the photo of him preparing for prosthetics? After all, Cable is a character with both human and robotic body. Seriously, with how comically accurate "Deadpool" depicted Piotr Rasputin/Collosus, I can't help but wonder how authentic Brolin's Cable would look...

Marvel Studios

Let's get the biggest and most important news out of the way first. James Gunn is returning to write and direct "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"! Revealing this huge information in advance, just ahead of the first US press junket and screening of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", Gunn took to Facebook to express his heartwarming love and devotion to the franchise. Typical Gunn, to be honest, to not let himself be outdone by any journalists who would claim scoops and exclusives. Of course, this isn't actually surprising as much as a confirmation, because he HAD expressed interest to walk through the same cosmic road before this, albeit still in 'uncertain mode'.

If you ask me, this is a VERY wise choice, because that means we can expect the same style and tone moving forward to the 3rd and possibly final movie of the franchise. Why final? Gunn himself stated that the third movie "...will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond. I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige and the gang to help design where these stories go, and make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special and authentic and magical as what we have created so far.". Does this mean it will help kickstart MCU's Phase 4, along the lines of "Iron Man 3" and "Captain America: Civil War" for Phase 2 and Phase 3 respectively? It's certainly looking that way. I have a feeling, we're going to see the likes of future heroes like Nova, Quasar, Beta Ray Bill, or future cosmic villains like Michael Korvac and many others being set up in this movie. Just imagine the interesting possibilities, right? Considering we already have a "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel dated for 2019, highly likely "Vol. 3" will snatch the Summer 2020 slot. For this one, I'm even willing to bet on it!

Speaking of press junket, yes, the first screening of the movie has been held just yesterday (Monday night, April 17th, US time). While official reviews are still embargoed until April 24th, 2017 12:01 AM PST, members of the press are allowed to express their thoughts on the movie via social media. As for the results... should we even be surprised if most of them are positive? Here, I'll put them on a list: - Eric Eisenberg of Cinema Blend was super happy and called it as "great continuation of the heroes". - Mike Ryan of Uproxx thought the movie was "very fun", calling out Baby Groot for being the scene stealer, and confirmed that there are more than one post credit scene. Gunn later openly confirmed and corrected that there are 5 of them! WOW. They are mostly included for the sake of fun, and it sounded like the press were only given four since the final, fifth one is being reserved for opening date. Hence why many journalists were saying they didn't saw five. This clearly puts "Vol. 2" to have the most post-credit scenes of any MCU movie to date. - Steven Weintraub of Collider said that the movie "kept a smile on my face from beginning to end" while giving "Tons of surprises". Alongside fellow Collider's reviewer Haleigh Foutch, he agreed that it was "surprisingly emotional". - Though he still liked the first movie better, Germain Lussier of iO9 chimed in with the emotional sentiment, and declared this movie "Another Marvel winner". - /Film's Peter Sciretta thought it was funnier than the original, and agreed with the 'ton of surprises and emotion' notion. While fellow reviewer Angie Han boldly called it "MCU at its very best", as she pointed out the vast color palette. - Fandango's Erik Davis stated that the sequel is "like a water-color acid trip full of awesome", and that many will consider it as "their new favorite Marvel movie". - Brandon Davis of ComicBook.com said he seriously loved it, and wished "it was never going to end". - Jeff Sneider offered one of the negative response among all. He thought it wasn't as good as the first, and that the "VFX threaten to swallow the film". - Last but not least, Joshua Yehl of IGN and Mark Hughes of Forbes put the least amount of words to describe the movie.

Now hold on a minute there. Allow me to be the pessimistic one here! Despite those cheers, somehow I feel a little suspicious to the 'lack of words' from these critics. It's as if, they are holding back on something, so now I'm more curious than ever to read their full reviews instead. I just hope I'm merely being overly pessimistic, and that this movie is equal, if not better than the first. After all, it's common sense that a sequel would be directly compared to its first movie, and that could spell either greatness or disaster in the result. Case point, for every "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", there's a "Thor: The Dark World", or "Avengers: Age of Ultron". Head over to various Entertainment Sites (like The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, Cinema Blend, and others) to check out more of these social media reactions in digest format, and help assure your ownselves whether these meant a good sign or not. Also, as we wait for the movie's Red Carpet Hollywood premiere tomorrow at 9PM ET/ 6PM PT, you can stop by on Marvel's official Youtube channel to check out the movie's latest trailer, teasing the coming of "Vol. 2" to theatres in just two weeks from now. One thing for sure, the sequel is primed to be one of 2017's 'Summer Surefire Hit', so Marvel fans shouldn't miss it for the world.

Meanwhile, "Homecoming" is preparing itself in the final stages as well, as Michael Giacchino began working on the movie's score. Not long after, news surrounding Logan Marshall-Green's mysterious role started hitting the internet as well. Based on an anonymous source, MCU Exchange reported that Marshall-Green, possibly alongside Donald Glover and Michael Mando are set to portray the live action version of The Enforcers. In the comics, these guys were featured as some of Spider-Man's earliest foes, and they usually served as henchmen for other big named super villains. Considering "Homecoming" has an obvious strong nod to Stan Lee/Steve Ditko's original works, this shouldn't sound too surprising. Even if it's clear their backstory are being modernly retooled to become the crew of Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes/Vulture. Something I don't think they have done before in the comics.

According to the site, Marshall-Green was wearing a name tag 'Brice' in one of the scene. This easily pointed his character towards the MCU version of Jackson 'Montana' Brice. Brice is also said to become one of the two Shockers in the movie, alongside Bokeem Woodbine's Herman Schultz. With that, they also speculated that Mando might be playing 'Fancy Dan' Brito, while Glover is possibly playing a version of Raymond 'Ox' Bloch. This character information might be inline with a rumor/report posted on 4Chan board (via Reddit). The whole content of this rumor, definitely sounds REALLY interesting, and should make any Marvel movie fans leap with joy due to what we can expect in the future. Although we all know that the source's credibility is questionable at best, it's fun to get excited nonetheless. Seriously, I'm NOT kidding. So if you don't mind a little spoiler and random geekish speculations, head over and read the thread yourself. Be cautious though, it might not be 100% true. Do it just for the sake of fun!

On top of all these news however, Marvel Studios made a surprise gesture as they held an actual Open House of their office at Burbank, California. Precisely two hours before the first screening to "Vol. 2"! They've invited members of the press for a meet and greet, allowing them to see what's currently in development and what's coming in the future. This is something the studio hasn't done before, and I certainly hope it won't be the last time either. In attendance were Studio President Kevin Feige, co-President Louis D'Esposito, directors Taika Waititi, Peyton Reed, and conceptual artist Andy Park, as they helped shed some lights on various topics. This ranged from behind the scene developments and out-takes, FX work-in-progress, important tidbits from upcoming movies, as well as an exclusive one hour Q&A roundtable with Kevin Feige.

For convenience sake, let's go through them with another set of list, shall we? - Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" is set to wrap production in just a couple of days from now. D'Esposito showed an early sizzle reel that depicted scenes like: a casino fight, the coronation of one shirtless Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, Danai Gurira's Okoye 'flirting' with Florence Kasumba's Ayo, car-flip stunt, Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia in action, and Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klau interacting with Martin Freeman's Everett K. Ross about a mixtape. According to Scott Mendelson of Forbes, he has heard before that the genre this movie will take on is akin to James Bond's globetrotting adventure. Looks like this footage might have implicitly confirmed such report. If that's the case, then Marvel Studios is scoring big time with "Black Panther". Not only the movie will be their first movie with a black lead, it's also the first James Bond-type action hero with one. Add to that, the likelihood of an LGBT nod between two female characters, this movie might end up carrying huge torch of importance for the MCU. - Reed and Park showcased their concept designs for "Ant-Man & the Wasp", offering all kinds of brilliant size-shifting action scenes. They also showed the new superpowered suits for both Paul Rudd's Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne. Yes, Lang will have a new suit, which will be necessary to the story. Reed named it the "3.0" suit. - Waititi revealed that his cameo in "Thor: Ragnarok" would be a mo-cap role, as he'll portray Korg, a character from the "Planet Hulk" comic book. The presence of Miek was also confirmed via footage that Waititi personally shown to the press. - On a separate place, concept art for Josh Brolin's Thanos in"Avengers: Infinity War" could be seen. Oddly, that's all there is for the movie. It's likely that things are being tightly wrapped for this production, to avoid giving early spoilers to the press. After all, the title of UNTITLED 2019's Avengers movie alone, might already be considered one. - Although not yet called official, a mockup costume of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers for "Captain Marvel" can be spotted on the studio. It seems to be taking cues from the comics, so fans can rest assured. For detailed description of this tentative Captain America-esque design, you can head over to Screen Rant. Also, the plan is for the movie to begin production in February 2018, as a female director might have already been selected to helm the movie. I guess we'll just have to wait for Marvel Studios to officially announce her to public. - In the Q&A, Feige stated his stance on R-rated superhero movies, and how Marvel Studios is unlikely to venture that route. He refused to comment on how Warner Bros is doing with their DC Extended Universe. But he himself admitted to be a fan of DC characters, so naturally he wishes them to do well. It's the kind of generous move I can only hope, someday could be replicated by those generally bullish folks at WB/DC, as impossible as that might seem. Feige even shared his enthusiasm and support for Joss Whedon's DC project, revealing that the former MCU consultant actually talked to their team about doing "Batgirl", waaay before the news went public! Now that's what I call respect... am I right? - Last but not least, Feige confirmed that Tom Holland's Peter Parker, will also appear in the currently UNTITLED 2019's Avengers movie. He said the deal with SONY has been extended until the already-announced sequel of "Homecoming" that's coming in 2019, but what happens afterwards remains in question for the time being. Oh, and that Marvel Studios does NOT have anything to do with any of the announced Spider-Man spin-offs (like "Venom" or "Black Cat & Silver Sable"). So obviously, those titles won't take place in the MCU. To those who are still wondering about that, there's your valid answer.

This event, as well as that report from 4Chan that I've mentioned earlier, will undeniably make any MCU fans happy. Of course, I actually don't need to remind you, but don't forget to book your tickets for "Vol. 2" that will arrive real soon. And this was just in several hours ago, but despite the existence of Disney D23, Marvel Studios is NOT skipping out San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) this Summer (held on July 20th to July 23rd)! That means, we can get more news surrounding the upcoming movies like "Ragnarok", "Black Panther", "Infinity War", and perhaps the confirmation of who will be directing "Captain Marvel". Maaan, it's such a good time to be Marvel Studios fans, am I right?

Star Wars

Star Wars Celebration 2017 (SWCO 2017) was held last week from April 13th to 16th, 2017, and as many had expected, some key information about the franchise were delivered.

The long-awaited, and much-anticipated first teaser for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has been released. I personally thought it looked okay, and somehow looking more ominous than 2015's "The Force Awakens". But of course, I'm not a huge Star Wars fans, so I don't think I'm qualified to judge this. It seems to be focusing more on Daisy Ridley's Rey, as she trains under the guidance of Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Perhaps, this movie is serving as some kind of Hamill's swan song in the franchise? Much like how "The Force Awakens" had Harrison Ford exited in a high note? Will we get to know more about Rey's back story? Who her parents are? It's currently unclear if writer/director Rian Johnson will be able to accomplish the same critical and financial success to J.J. Abrams. His enthusiasm did look comforting, but as always, we'll have to wait and see whether he'll deliver when the movie arrives later this year on December 15, 2017.

What truly stole the attention of almost every (if not all) attendees during the event, was none other than a strong melancholic tribute to the late Carrie Fisher. A special tribute video was released online in accordance to this, and although it didn't have as much effect on me, I'm sure "Star Wars" fans would appreciate it a lot better. In their own "Star Wars" way. As a follow up to this, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced that the late actress will not appear, as in digitally inserted, as General Leia in the upcoming Episode IX. That means Episode VIII or "The Last Jedi", which was Fisher's last movie before her untimely passing on December 2016, would certainly be her final "Star Wars" appearance in the franchise. This helped clarified the previous report, when Carrie's brother Todd and daughter Billie Lourd stated their permission for Disney and Lucasfilm to use her footage for the 2019 movie. Kennedy assured fans, that we will be seeing "a lot of Carrie" this December. While some fans have indeed expressed grieve and disappointments about this decision, some others agreed with Kennedy, that it was the right thing to do to honor the late actress.

On the TV side, comes a surprising announcement for fans. "Star Wars REBELS" is ending in its next, 4th season. Yep, this is the primary reason why this category is suddenly sitting in the borderline of movie and TV, because it goes both ways. Series co-creator and executive producer Dave Filoni, brought this news himself to the audience, accompanied by core cast members like Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, Tiya Sircar, and Steve Blum. He stated that adventure for Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and their Rebel 'family' will come to a close in 15 episodes, and that it's going to be "A little dark, a little fun". Filoni admitted that ending the show was his decision, learning from unpleasant experience with "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Eventhough "REBELS" is ending, Filoni did state that there will be more animated "Star Wars" stories in the future.

To be honest, considering the in-show developments that's getting more and more colossal for a TV budget, I didn't find this news to be THAT surprising. Although interestingly, this thing always happen everytime I'm on the verge of dropping a series. LOL. No really, I thought Season 3 ended in a good note, and I'm going to leave it at that. Knowing that the next is going to be the last season, obviously I've changed my plan. Of course, I do feel curious about where or how this show cannonically fits in between the movies. According to popular knowledge, it takes place before the events of the "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". As far as I know (mind you, I'm still Star Wars illiterate, so pardon if I'm mistaken), there aren't any active Jedi present until Luke Skywalker become one in the movie. While apparently, Hera and Chopper are mentioned to be stationed on Yavin 4 in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". Does this mean Kanan and Ezra will meet their demise in the final season? Hmmmm, intriguing.

Through SWCO's special panel for the series, the voice actors talked about what will happen to their characters. Marshall said, that members of the Ghost will be "pressed to the very edges of their ability". Perhaps we might see her Hera Syndulla gets promoted to General, as revealed in "Rogue One" then? Blum's Zeb Aurellios is taking more of an uncle-figure, to what I assume to be Ezra. Filoni said that Chopper will get to show his "bigger heart" in this last season, considering he has been seen as cranky and grumpy in the previous three. Obviously, Sabine Wren will be dealing with her Mandalorian Civil War, as was hinted in the finale of Season 3. Sircar hesitated to say much about it, but teased that things might get ugly for her family, especially when a certain 'familiar' someone arrives. And by familiar, perhaps... the elusive Boba Fett? Prinze Jr. said Kanan will slowly evolve into the strong Jedi, joining the ranks that audience have seen before. Gray certainly said that his Ezra will make some great decisions this season, away from the dark side.

As for the guest characters, Forest Whitaker will reprise his role as the voice of Saw Gerrera. Saw's co-pilot Two Tubes will joining him this season. Genevieve O'Reilly, will be reprising Mon Mothma as well. We can presumably expect more "Rogue One" stars, jumping in for a quick inclusion. Ahsoka Tano's return is being teased, but not properly confirmed. Finally, Grand Admiral Thrawn's bodyguard Rukh, is also set to make his debut in the series. Warwick Davis will be voicing this role. Hints of these developments weren't specifically felt through the Final Season's official trailer that has been made available on Youtube, but it sure promised a serious, conclusive, and definitely explosive finale to the series. The first two-parter episodes entitled "The Heroes of Mandalore" have already been screened exclusively for attendees. Fans of the series, or those who ended up watching it like yours truly, should anticipate the return of the fourth and final season later when it premiere this Fall on Disney XD.

Marvel TV

Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." gained a boost of interest due the final arc of its currently airing 4th season, "The Framework". Despite that achievement though, in general the continuously declining ratings for Marvel's first MCU-oriented TV show remains a lingering concern. And it is made worse because the network, ABC, tends to not announce renewal for its shows until sometime in May. May 16th, 2017 to be precise, though individual confirmation might always arrive earlier than that schedule.

The good news is, Entertainment Weekly evaluated the possibility for most running shows with 'uncertain future', and deduced that at the very least, AoS will be given another season, even if just only one more. I think it's a good idea, as the showrunners are given the chance to conclude their run in a satisfying manner, tying up all the loose ends. The bad news is, with Marvel's "The Inhumans" stealing the network's attention, there's always the unexpected turnaround of AoS eventually getting axed early on, to clear out some excess baggage and schedule. After all, we've experienced this before with both the cancelled Marvel's "Agent Carter", and Marvel's "Most Wanted" that never even saw the light of day.

I'm aware that some, if not many fans would feel disappointed with this decision. Particularly when other networks are still on a hot-streak, as they renew their superhero shows over and over again no matter how the audience perceived them. But I for one, will not feel as bad if AoS eventually gets cancelled, or given just one final season. Looking on the bright side, the absence of AoS can pave the way for spin off shows like perhaps, Ghost Rider, or the actual Secret Warriors. Not to mention, any members of the AoS cast can then move on to star in a Marvel Studios' big screen production, right? No more scheduling issues that prevented the two divisions from properly crossing over. That would all be cleared up with the series' end. Mind you, things are not yet certain for now. Filming for Season 4 had already wrapped the other day, so I doubt even the showrunners and cast can tell anything in advance regarding their show's future. So whether you're rooting for the show or not, you better start crossing your fingers, to hope the best, while expecting the worse possible outcome as well.

As for "The Inhumans", it's also still unclear whether this 8-episode mini series will be a first season of more to come, or just this one off. It's likely that this new show is being set up as the replacement for AoS, but with Marvel Studios also planning a movie for them, things just become a little cloudy and murky to predict. One thing for sure, the mini-series might have recently cast actor Chad James Buchanan in a mystery role. Buchanan tweeted this hint, and then later deleted it, implying that he might be playing an important role. Considering I have poor knowledge on the Inhumans comics and its character, and also unfamiliar with Buchanan's previous roles (was he really in "Glee"? I honestly can't remember), I can't exactly predict who he'll be playing. Or whether he's any good. Perhaps an antagonist? A NuHuman, like writer Charles Soule had confirmed? Then again, it's always possible that he's just playing a random one-episode only character, not unlike Lewis Tan in "Iron Fist". So perhaps it would be wiser to not think too highly of him too soon.

Netflix

With Marvel's "The Punisher" effectively in post-production, we can expect promotional stuff for the new series pretty soon. Particularly as SDCC 2017 is coming in just around 3 months from now, and the high chance of Marvel TV's presence. One of the more likely giveaway to be handed over during the event, might very well be that one specially designed poster coming from the hands of Joe Quesada. For the time being, it's a freebie handed out to cast and crew, but I suspect fans are going to get a hand of it pretty soon as well. Quesada did a similar poster before this for Marvel's "The Defenders", and likewise, this poster gives us glimpse of Jon Bernthal's main character Frank Castle, as well as his supporting cast. You can check out MCU Exchange for their description of who's who in this poster.

It seems this show would be taking extra liberties, thus many things would be vastly different compared to the comics. MCU Exchange pointed out, that Ben Barnes' Billy Russo might not be set up as an antagonist. At least, not until the first season ends. Which isn't that much surprising, since we've seen the same slow-burn treatment in previous Marvel-Netflix shows, with Sacha Dhawan's Davos being the latest example. The good news is, we can stare at Barnes' charming face a lot longer before his character, assuming it's going by the book, gets roughed up to jigsaws. But the bad news of this approach? Well, it seems that once again, this show would be using the exact same pattern and premise of the previous shows, which might or might not work for everyone. Especially those who have sensed a repetitive painstakingly SLOOOW formula that's starting to make them feel... 'bored' with the Netflix Universe. Yes, I'll be honest, I'm one of those people. I'm personally hoping at least "The Punisher" will offer something fresh and different, to break new grounds, and not go through the exact same motions, scenarios, and story beats of its older brothers. Otherwise, I might just have to say no to it...

The Telltale Series

Telltale released a trailer for the first episode of "Guardians of the Galaxy" via Marvel's official channel. As far as I know, there will be 5 episodes just like previous Telltale titles, so there are four more coming after this. Clearly this release is timed real well to coincide with the worldwide premiere of "Vol. 2". The Guardians seems to be taking on Thanos in this series, but it's unclear if it will include more characters inspired by the movie. Anyways, Guardians, and in general, Marvel fans should look forward for this. I'm still a bit taken aback thanks to the character designs, but when it comes to video games, it's really the gameplay that really counts. So I'm wishing it will have better luck in that department.

Ace Attorney

Through their recent Nintendo Direct, the company announced that "Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2: Naruhodou Ryuunosuke no Kakugo", or translated as "The Great Ace Attorney 2: Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Resolution", will be available for Nintendo 3DS on August 3rd, 2017 for 5,800 yen retail-price, or 5,546 download-price. As a follow up to said announcement, CAPCOM officially released two new trailers for the game's new trailer. The first featured Sherlock and Van Ziek, while the second put Sherlock and Iris Watson in the spotlight.

A web demo has been made available through the title's official Japanese website, accessible on PC and smartphones. If you prefer to simply watch, then there are some gameplay videos you can watch online instead. You can found them on Youtube, through this link and this one. CAPCOM has listed story and character details, like Ryuunosuke's cousin Ryuutarou, and the case he'll be involved with. The company also offered several exclusive bonuses for those who purchased the game early. You can read these through the official site though it requires a bit of Japanese Kanji knowledge, or via Gematsu for the translated version. There are also two Special Edition sets: - The Great Ace Attorney 1&2 Limited Edition: Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Adventure and Resolution, that will launch on August 3rd, 2017 for 7,200 yen. This will include both games, as well as a mini soundtrack album. Those who haven't purchased the first title might opt to take this one due to the discount price. - The Great Ace Attorney 2 e-Capcom Limited Edition, that will launch on August 3rd, 2017 for 9,800 yen. Pre-orders has begun on April 18th at 13:00 JST. This will include "Read Aloud CD" featuring the characters of the game, a Ryunosuke Naruhodo piggy bank, a "University Notebook", and a set of three pencils. Three exclusive coasters will be awarded to the first prints. This one's obviously for the Ace Attorney enthusiasts and item collectors.

Professor Layton

LEVEL-5's latest project in the popular mystery-puzzle series, the one that will feature Layton's daughter, has been officially renamed into "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy" (it was previously called "Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadne's Conspiracy"). A release date has also been announced. This new game will arrive on July 20th, 2017, for Nintendo 3DS in Japan, and on iOS and Android worldwide (available in eight languages). It seems the non-Japan version of Nintendo 3DS will arrive later in Fall, though that part is left unclear for now. Also currently unclear, is the pricing of the game.

As already revealed before, Katrielle Layton and her assistant, the dog Sharo, are the main characters of this game. She will go on a quest to locate her missing father, the great Professor Hershel Layton. London-based Katrielle is said to be "jack-of-all-trades and mystery-solving detective", someone who will take on any job and solve cases with bizarre ideas. While Sharo, is a... well, talking dog. There's going to be a new gameplay style with the hope of attracting new players, as solving smaller conundrums and puzzles is now necessary to complete a bigger goal. Thus the tagline for the game is "high-speed comical puzzle-solving story". Despite that, interactions with witty and weird characters will still remain the same, as the game divulges into a story of "dramatic developments and amusing incidents". Ain't that sound interesting! Well you can see it for yourself through the game's latest trailer. Looks familiar but also different, eh? I wonder how expensive this will cost, because I sure would want to play it. Even if only to find out what happens to Layton, and the identity of Katrielle's mother... XD.

Sonic the Hedgehog

A quick 1-minute footage for "Sonic Forces" also made its way through Nintendo Direct. This time around we get to see Classic Sonic in action. But not just that, the announced third character has been teased at the end of this footage as well. And... is that Tails? He looks like a cat or something like that, and it is said to be a 'New Friend', so definitely not Tails. Which begs the question... for a game that features two different timeline of Sonic the Hedgehogs, why would an external character becoming the third playable lead? Why not just give the spot to... say, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, or his other friends? Hmmm... curious.

Aside from previewing a cool futuristic main theme for "Sonic Forces", SEGA also debuted a new gameplay video for "Sonic Mania". This video showcased the co-op mode, with the female host playing Tails, as the two character scoured their way through 'Green Hill Zone' Act 2. Fans of the 8-bit era titles will be nostalgically delighted with this title. "Sonic Mania" is set to be released this summer for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, while "Sonic Forces" is due out this holiday.

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starfriday · 8 years ago

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Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, with Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. Kevin Feige is producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nikolas Korda and Stan Lee are the executive producers. Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” blasts into theaters on May 5, 2017.

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#marvel's guardians of the galaxy vol. 2

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marvelloussynergy · 8 years ago

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REVIEW - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Director: James Gunn Screenplay: James Gunn Running Time: 136 minutes Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy are back. Obviously. In this sequel to the 2014 surprise hit, director James Gunn is able to let loose with his irreverent style, unshackled by the constraints of having to check-list elements from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We catch up with the Guardians two months after the first film. Our heroes have been hired to help out Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) and the genetically-perfect Sovereign, running afoul of them after Rocket (Bradley Cooper) steals some of the batteries they were tasked to protect. Add into the mix some mutinous Ravagers, the return of Nebula (Karen Gillan), and the introduction of Ego (a smooth talking Kurt Russell)—Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) biological father—and you have a complex story that could have turned out very messy in lesser hands. Gunn smartly chooses to go with a more intimate story this time around; the theme of family—and what constitutes family—is ever present. Central to this is, of course, Peter reuniting with his father, with the background and relationships of other characters being fleshed-out. This works to the film’s advantage, with returning actors and new additions to the cast given their due: Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is now a much more nuanced character, Pom Klementieff as the socially awkward Mantis is wonderfully paired with Drax (Dave Bautista), while Michael Rooker’s Yondu is arguably the heart and soul of the movie. The personal stakes are felt, thanks largely to the establishment of the characters in first instalment. Everything seems to have been ratcheted up for the sequel, making it feel bigger—the extremely cute baby Groot (Vin Diesel) gets plenty of screen time, the action sequences are explosive, and Drax is given plenty of one-liners. But, all this has the side effect of making some things feeling a bit repetitive and certain jokes run longer than they should. While previous Marvel Studio films have been criticised for their bland colour grading, the same most certainly cannot be said of Vol. 2 with its broad spectrum of colours popping off the screen. Complementing this is the deft use of 60s and 70s tracks, which keep the film buzzing along despite its oft-times choppy pacing. Hilarious and surprisingly touching, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 may not leave you asking “Avengers, who?,” but it most certainly is a beautiful film—both on the inside and outside.

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cinefilesreviews · 8 years ago

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Movie Review

On a planetary system called The Sovereign, the Guardians of the Galaxy defend some golden batteries from a large squid monster. Upon success of this task, the golden inhabitants of the planet that houses these golden batteries pay the Guardians. They then chase them down violently when it becomes evident that one member of this indelible crew, Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), stole…

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#2017 #Baby Groot #Bradley Cooper #Chris Pratt #Dave Bautista #Guardians of the Galaxy #Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 #James Gunn #Kurt Russell #Marvel #Marvel Cinematic Universe #Marvel Studios #Michael Rooker #movie review #Sean Gunn #Vin Diesel #Zoe Saldana

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comiccrusaders · 7 years ago

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2017 Fourth Largest Sell-in Year on Record

Ozymandias and Rorschach seek the two smartest people of the DC Universe in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #2 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of December 2017 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

DC Entertainment was December’s top publisher in dollars with a 34.54% dollar share and a 37.65% unit share. Marvel Comics was the month’s top publisher in units with 38.81% unit share and a 33.80% dollar share. In third was Image Comics with an 8.69% dollar share and a 7.20% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 3.92% dollar share and a 2.92% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.69% dollar share and a 2.06% unit share.

DC Entertainment had six of December’s top ten best-selling comic books. In addition to Doomsday Clock #2, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Dark Nights: Metal #4 ranked #2; Tom King and Clay Mann’s Batman #36, part one of the “Superfriends” story arc, ranked #4; King and Mann’s Batman #37 ranked #5; Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight #3 ranked #6; and Hawkman Found #1, a tie-in to Dark Nights: Metal, ranked #10. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Matthew Rosenberg and Leinil Yu’s Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 ranked #3; Dan Slott, Mike Costa, and Ryan Stegman’s Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Venom Inc. Alpha #1 ranked #7; Chip Zdarky and Jim Cheung’s Marvel Two-In-One #1, reteaming the Fantastic Four’s the Human Torch and The Thing, ranked #8; and Slott and Stegman’s Amazing Spider-Man #792 ranked #10. Among the premier publishers, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #174 was Image Comics’ top book in December at #12. Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes’ Christmas-themed Hellboy: Krampusnacht #1 was Dark Horse Comics’ top book at #96. Finally, IDW Publishing’s top book for the month was Star Wars Adventures#5 at #128.

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ award-winning Saga returned to the top of the sales charts as Image Comics’ Saga Volume 8 was December’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten for Image Comics were Shirtless Bear-Fighter at #7 and Deadly Class Volume 6 at #8. DC Entertainment had three titles in the top ten: Batman Volume 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles at #2, Batman: Detective Comics Volume 4: Deus Ex Machina at #4, and Justice League vs. Suicide Squad at #6. Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten: Star Wars Volume 6: Out Among the Stars at #3 and Venomverse at #9. Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event ranked #5. Finally, Oni Press’ Rick and Morty Volume 6 ranked #10.

A collection of Strangers in Paradise writer/artist Terry Moore’s personal sketches and art commissions, Abstract Studios’ Terry Moore: 25th Anniversary Sketch book: 8,800 Days of Blondes, Brunettes and Bozos was December’s best-selling book. Dark Horse Comics’ Overwatch Anthology Volume 1, a hardcover collection of sketches, webcomics, and background material on the popular video game, ranked #2 for the month.

Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s immensely popular team shooter Overwatch, Good Smile’s Overwatch: Mei “Classic Skin” Nendoroid was December’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Thor Ragnarok: The Hulk PVC Figure, inspired by Marvel Studios’ cinematic blockbuster, ranked #2; the Marvel Select: Spider-Gwen PVC Figure ranked #3; and the Marvel Gallery: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Drax and Baby Groot PVC Figure ranked #10.

Star Trek fans beamed into action with WizKids/NECA’s Star Trek HeroClix: Away Team Original Series Booster Brick, an expansion for the miniatures game and the best-selling game product of December. Diamond Select Toys’ Back to the Future Monopoly, a custom edition of the popular board game based on the film trilogy, ranked #3. IDW Games’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past Board Game ranked #6.

After achieving all-time highs in 2015 and 2016, the comic book specialty market took a step back in 2017 but still recorded its 4th highest year of sell-in to comic shops. Annual sales decreased -10.09% over the previous year; with comic book sales down -10.40%, while graphic novel sales were off by -9.38%. Over 89 million comic books were sold to comic book specialty stores in 2017, with over 7.4 million graphic novels units shipped.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER

DOLLAR

UNIT

DC ENTERTAINMENT

34.54%

37.65%

MARVEL COMICS

33.80%

38.81%

IMAGE COMICS

869%

720%

IDW PUBLISHING

392%

292%

DARK HORSE COMICS

269%

206%

BOOM! STUDIOS

228%

198%

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

208%

184%

ONI PRESS

100%

052%

VIZ MEDIA

096%

035%

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC

096%

108%

OTHER NON-TOP 10

908%

559%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS

UNITS

DECEMBER 2017 VS. NOVEMBER 2017

COMICS

-16.13%

-14.05%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-21.95%

-10.88%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-18.11%

-13.77%

TOYS

-33.23%

-30.05%

DECEMBER 2017 VS. DECEMBER 2016

COMICS

-16.54%

-24.11%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-10.17%

-13.37%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-14.57%

-23.23%

TOYS

-27.60%

-37.11%

FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2017

COMICS

-2.41%

-5.19%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

8.49%

7.61%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

0.82%

-4.24%

TOYS

9.14%

2.15%

FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2016

COMICS

-13.90%

-19.53%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-1.77%

-7.71%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-10.37%

-18.66%

TOYS

-15.67%

-24.40%

YEAR 2017 VS. YEAR 2016

COMICS

-10.40%

-9.69%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-9.38%

-11.86%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-10.09%

-9.86%

TOYS

-12.55%

-19.90%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER

COMICS SHIPPED

GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED

MAGAZINES SHIPPED

TOTAL

SHIPPED

MARVEL COMICS

128

DC ENTERTAINMENT

119

IDW PUBLISHING

IMAGE COMICS

BOOM! STUDIOS

DARK HORSE COMICS

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

VIZ MEDIA

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

ONI PRESS

OTHER NON-TOP 10

118

164

309

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1 DOOMSDAY CLOCK #2

$4.99

OCT170204-M DC 2 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #4

$3.99

SEP170248-M DC 3 PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY #1

$4.99

OCT170824-M MAR 4 BATMAN #36

$2.99

OCT170225-M DC 5 BATMAN #37

$2.99

OCT170227-M DC 6 BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT #3

$3.99

OCT170238-M DC 7 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/VENOM: VENOM INC. ALPHA #1

$4.99

OCT170876-M MAR 8 MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1

$3.99

OCT170834-M MAR 9 HAWKMAN FOUND #1

$3.99

SEP170253-M DC 10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #792

$3.99

OCT170879-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1 SAGA VOLUME 8 TP (MR)

$14.99

OCT170715 IMA 2 BATMAN VOL. 4: THE WAR OF JOKES & RIDDLES TP

$19.99

SEP170400 DC 3 STAR WARS VOL. 6: OUT AMONG THE STARS TP

$19.99

AUG171044 MAR 4 BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 4: DEUS EX MACHINA TP

$16.99

SEP170399 DC 5 BLACK HAMMER VOL. 2: THE EVENT TP

$19.99

AUG170013 DAR 6 JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD TP

$24.99

SEP170405 DC 7 SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER TP (MR)

$16.99

SEP170681-M IMA 8 DEADLY CLASS VOLUME 6 TP (MR)

$16.99

AUG170634 IMA 9 VENOMVERSE TP

$15.99

OCT171003 MAR 10 RICK AND MORTY VOLUME 6 TP (MR)

$19.99

SEP171801 ONI

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1 TERRY MOORE 25TH-ANNIVERSARY SKETCHBOOK

$16.99

OCT171030 ABS 2 OVERWATCH ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1 HC

$19.99

JUN170080 DAR 3 LITTLE BOOK OF SPIDER-MAN FLEXICOVER

$9.99

AUG172292 TAS 4 LITTLE BOOK OF AVENGERS FLEXICOVER

$9.99

AUG172289 TAS 5 LITTLE BOOK OF CAPTAIN AMERICA FLEXICOVER

$9.99

AUG172290 TAS 6 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 124 SC

$14.95

SEP172221 SAN 7 LITTLE BOOK OF FANTASTIC FOUR FLEXICOVER

$9.99

AUG172291 TAS 8 ROBOTECH VISUAL ARCHIVE: MACROSS SAGA HC

$44.99

JUN172052 UDO 9 DOCTOR WHO: T IS FOR TARDIS HC

$9.99

SEP168058 PEN 10 THE ART OF STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI HC

$40.00

OCT172093 ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1 OVERWATCH: MEI “CLASSIC SKIN” NENDOROID FEB178956 GOO 2 MARVEL GALLERY: THOR RAGNAROK: THE HULK PVC FIGURE AUG172642 DST 3 MARVEL SELECT: SPIDER-GWEN FIGURE MAY172533 DST 4 DBZ: GOKU SUPER KAMEHAME-HA PREMIUM COLOR FIGURE JAN178994 BAN 5 ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: BLACK ADAM FIGURE AUG168741 MEZ 6 ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: SUPERMAN RED SON FIGURE AUG168743 MEZ 7 BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: BORUTO FIGURE MAY178021 BAN 8 DRAGONBALL Z SCULTURES: TRUNKS SHINING FIGURE JAN178996 BAN 9 DRAGONBALL SUPER DRAGON STARS ACTION FIGURES DEC168933 BAN 10 MARVEL GALLERY: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: DRAX & BABY GROOT PVC FIGURE MAY172524 DST

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1 STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES BOOSTER BRICK JUL173390 NEC 2 VALERIAN ALPHA MISSIONS BOARD GAME APR178031 ULT 3 BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY JUL152198 DST 4 DC HEROCLIX: HARLEY QUINN AND THE GOTHAM GIRLS BOOSTER BRICK JUN173406 NEC 5 STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC JUN173371 PAI 6 TMNT: SHADOWS OF THE PAST BOARD GAME APR160482 IDW 7 MOUSE GUARD ROLEPLAYING GAME BOXED SET (2ND EDITION) FEB151158 BOO 8 DOCTOR WHO: TIME OF THE DALEKS BOARD GAME JUL173367 GAL 9 STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES STARTER SET JUL173391 NEC 10 YU-GI-OH!: CIRCUIT BREAK SPECIAL EDITION OCT172955 KON

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. Please note that comics marked with an asterisk (*) have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The category tables in this press release are ranked by units sold by Diamond to its accounts for the comic books, graphic novels, and books categories and by the dollars invoiced by Diamond for the toys and games categories.

The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

Diamond Announces Top Products For December 2017 2017 Fourth Largest Sell-in Year on Record Ozymandias and Rorschach seek the two smartest people of the DC Universe in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's

#2017 #comics #DC #december #diamond #Image #Indie #Marvel #sales

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twh-news · 8 years ago

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Doctor Strange seemingly confirmed for Thor Ragnarok | Comicbook.com

Marvel fans who enjoyed Doctor Strange may have just received some good news.

Based on a new note from D23, the official Disney fan club, it seems Marvel fans can count on seeing Doctor Strange again sooner rather than later.

The message is meant to commemorate New Year’s Day by letting Disney fans know everything they have to look forward to in 2017. One section covers upcoming Disney films, with an entire paragraph on 2017’s Marvel Studios movies, plus a bit on the next Star Wars. Here it is:

We’ve all been obsessed with Baby Groot since he danced his way into our hearts in 2014, and now we can finally watch our favorite tiny, talking plant save the galaxy with his gang of unlikely heroes when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 zooms into theaters in May. If you need even more intergalactic, world-saving action, Thor: Ragnarok in November brings together Thor, the Hulk, and Doctor Strange to face off against intergalactic baddies both familiar and new. Of course, we can’t talk about fighting off bad guys in space without mentioning a certain movie about the war in the stars… We may have wait until December, but Star Wars: Episode VIII will finally reveal what happens next to our favorite characters from The Force Awakens.

While everything covered in that paragraph is pretty exciting, the standout is the mention of Doctor Strange alongside Thor and the Hulk in standing against cosmic foes in Thor: Ragnarok. Thor is, obviously, the title character of the film and Hulk’s inclusion has long been confirmed, but this is the first official statement on Doctor Strange’s inclusion in Thor: Ragnarok.

The first stinger to Doctor Strange left many fans assuming that the Sorcerer Supreme would at least have a cameo in Thor: Ragnarok. That scene, which was directed by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, had Thor seeking out Doctor Strange at his Sanctum Sanctorum and asking for aid in dealing with Loki and locating Odin. The moment seemed to be taking place during the events of Thor: Ragnarok, and so most assumed the scene would be revisited in Thor: Ragnarok.

However, that still wasn’t certain. It was always possible that, instead, Thor would simply mention an off-screen meeting with Strange during Thor: Ragnarok as a reference to the Doctor Strange stinger, and that Strange wouldn’t be seen on screen. That would surely be disappointing to fans, but it was a possibility. This new message from D23 seems to suggest otherwise.

While we can now be reasonably certain that Strange will appear in Thor: Ragnarok, it is still uncertain how much of a role he plays. It is likely that he will be featured only in an extended version of the Doctor Strange stinger scene, but D23’s message could be interpreted to imply a larger role in the events of Thor: Ragnarok.

It should also be noted that as of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor has some knowledge of the Infinity Stones. It is possible that he will recognize Strange’s Eye of Agamotto as the Time Stone, which could lead to some groundwork being laid down for Avengers: Infinity War.

#thor ragnarok #plot speculations #doctor strange

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theprocrastinatingalien · 8 years ago

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2017 Superhero Movies

We have four big superhero releases coming this year, one entry from 20th Century Fox, two from Warner Bros for the DC Cinematic Universe (or 'Extended Universe' as it's apparently being called) and 2017 marks the first time we get three entries for the MCU.

So, what have we got?

LOGAN

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Hugh Jackman is finally hanging up his claws. Jackman has played Wolverine in every film to from the first X-MEN back in 2000, to the most recent X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. He's only missed an appearance in DEADPOOL, which was a bit of shame, but in his 17th year of playing the cigar-chomping Canadian mutant, Jackman has decided enough is enough. Director James Mangold returns from the last solo outing for the character (THE WOLVERINE), but this film looks like a very different beast.

The trailers and pictures popping up here and there online, show something more arty, perhaps? There's an aged tension there, with a beared Logan looking after a weakened Charles Xavier (played once again by Patrick Stewart, possibly in his last appearance for the franchise too).

For a simple explanation I'll now attach a poster, that Jackman himself put up on his twitter.

Whilst I completely understand Jackman's decision to retire (he's an aging actor that plays a character that's essentially immortal (*essentially*), but 20th Century Fox but realise they're about to suffer a huge loss. Sure they've now got Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, but we don't know how effectively they can sync the 'merc with a mouth' in with the rest of the X-Men team. They seem to be putting a few eggs in the Channing Tatum starring GAMBIT film (that was originally slated to debut in 2016 btw), and those rumours of Jennifer Lawrence making some solo turns as Mystique seem to have dissolved. Let's hope Jackman's last swan song is a fitting tribute to his previous appearances.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2

I'll be straight up with this one - THIS is the film I'm looking forward to the most in 2017 (at least when it comes to the big SH franchises). GOTG was a massively entertaining film and will certainly be a hard one to top. Director James Gunn certainly seems up to the task, with the first couple of trailers showing little, but entertaining a lot. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista reprise their roles has Star-Lord, Gamora and Drax respectively. Bradley Cooper also returns as the voice of Rocket Raccon, but already the star of the show looks to be Baby Groot (again voiced by Vin Diesel)

Michael Rooker (Yondu) and Karen Gillan (Nebula), both villains in the first one are reportedly to join the gang this time around, and we have lots of new characters to look forward to - Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha and Kurt Russell as Ego the living planet. (although, apparently we won't be seeing him as a planet?). There are also rumours that fanboy favourite Nathan Fillion will appear as Wonder Man, and Sly Stallone has a role! I, for one, cannot wait - and let's not forget, this is only the first of this year's MCU offerings! (Also remember, next year we finally get the team up we've all been waiting for, as the guardians appear in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, so it'll be very interesting to see when Gunn leaves these characters at the end of this film. Exciting!)

WONDER WOMAN

Okay, let's be honest, BATMAN V SUPERMAN was not the film anyone hoped it would be. One positive to come from the film though was Gal Gadot's turn as Diana Prince.

The DC Extended Universe has got off to a rocky start so far, but WONDER WOMAN may turn that around. It's certainly been a long time coming, but Gal Gadot does have the honour of releasing the first proper female-lead superflick. It's fitting that it should be WW. The trailer's look like we might be getting a sort of Captain America/Thor cross, with some dark and dank war-torn scenery contrasting some beautiful Amazonian imagery. STAR TREK actor Chris Pine gets to play Diana's love interest, and we have major roles for Robin Wright (HOUSE OF CARDS), Danny Huston (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE) with Connie Nielsen playing Diana's mother Queen Hippolyta. Comedy will be coming from Lucy Davis (THE OFFICE - the UK version). With WONDER WOMAN the last entry before JUSTICE LEAGUE, it'll be interesting to see how direct a lead in it will be... and whether Ben Affleck has filmed any secret cameos?

Note: Director Patty Jenkins was originally meant to direct Marvel's THOR: THE DARK WORLD, but it didn't pan out for whatever reason.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Well, it's been a rocky road for our friendly neighbourhood webslinger, hasn't it? First Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2 were loved by all, but then SPIDER-MAN 3 didn't live up to expectations. Rather that soldier on, and make the best SPIDER-MAN 4 they could, Sony cut and run... running straight into an ill-advised reboot, with Andrew Garfield replacing Tobey Maguire in a much darker toned take. If there's one good thing from it, it was the very workable onscreen chemistry between Peter Paker and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, but the dismal THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 shattered the studio's hopes of a 'shared universe' and the two sequels and possible spin-offs very all scrapped. It was sad, but also... lead to the most famous Marvel character being allowed to play in the same sandbox as the majority of all the other Marvel characters (minus X-Men and Fantastic Four, of course).

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING will be the first co-adventure between Sony and Marvel Studios, with Tom Holland having had a little try out in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. To prove that's a two-way process, Robert Downey Jr will be appearing as Iron Man (joined by Happy Hogan - Jon Favreau returning to the role for the first time since IRON MAN 3). Marisa Tomei will continue to play the hottest Aunt May we've seen on film, and whilst little is known about the story, we do know that Michael Keaton (BATMAN) will be playing the main villain, Vulture.

Of course, the main USP of the MCU's take on Spidey, is that they've actually cast a teenager as Parker, allowing for more school-time adventures... so it should come as no surprise a lot of the announced cast are 'young adults'. There are plenty of known actors in the mix too - notably Bokeem Woodbine, who will be playing Shocker, and Donald Glover, perhaps a nod to the fact he voiced Miles Morales, the next Spider-Man! (Don't expect him to play that character though). No sign of J Jonah Jameson yet, surely a character Marvel would wish to bring in asap. Or maybe have they already? They've been known to take liberties with race and gender (RE: Tilda Swinton in DOCTOR STRANGE), and let's be honest... we don't know who Tyne Daly is playing yet? Just saying...

THOR: RAGNAROK

I really liked THOR, it was a nice surprised. THOR: THE DARK WORLD, though... lacked something. So far though, everything points to RAGNAROK as being the best of the trilogy... and an all round solid entry for the MCU.

'Ragnarok' is, essentially, known as the Asgardian apocalypse, where pretty much all the Asgardians are likely die... all except Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and possibly Loki (Tom Hiddleston). That's a pretty big promise. Another promise is that we're not likely to spend as much time on Earth as we have in the previous films. This is good. It also means though we can expect no appearances from Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard or Kat Dennings on this occasion.

But don't be too upset, because who we're getting instead is far more impressive. Thor's fellow Avenger Dr Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) will be featured heavily, in what very much sounds like a loose adaption of PLANET HULK, a popular story in the comics. Yep, we're going to see Thor v Hulk in a gladiatorial style arena. Brilliant. Also brilliant, as hinted at in a previous film, Benedict Cumberbatch will be appearing as Doctor Strange!

Aside from returning actors Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins and Jaimie Alexander (Heimdall, Odin and Sif, respectively), we get new blood in Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Karl Urban as Skurge, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster and Cate Blanchett as Hela!

Everything points to this film being epic, and a very important entry as we move closer to the epic AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Rumours continue that Blanchett's Hela may stand in for Death... ie, Thanos' true love, the one he wants to get the Infinity stones for etc... interesting. Very interesting.

But on to our last Superhero entry for 2017...

JUSTICE LEAGUE

As I've already mentioned, BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE was a bit of a disappointment. Too dark for it's own good, little humour, and some silly plot devices. Apparently director Zack Snyder and writer Chris Terrio have learnt their lessons and JUSTICE LEAGUE will be lighter in tone... but will still be BIG. And so it should be!

For many, this is the big one. This is the one Warner Bros and the DCEU need to get right. Joss Whedon delivered one hell of a film when he turned in THE AVENGERS for MCU, and now Zack Snyder needs to do the same. As you can see in the picture, we've got Ben Affleck returning as Batman, Gal Gadot back as Wonder Woman, and our first true looks at Ray Fisher's Cyborg, Ezra Miller's Flash and Jason Mamoa's Aquaman.

Let's not forget Henry Cavill's Superman will be back from the dead, and we've got a lot of other familiar faces returning too... Amy Adams' Lois Lane is likely to play a key role again, Jeremy Irons returns as Alfred, Diane Lane will be back as Martha Kent and Jesse Eisenberg is confirmed to return as Lex Luther (*grumble*, serious the worst casting it annoys me to even write it). We have new characters too, such as Amber Heard's Mera, Ciaran Hinds' Steppenwolf and JK Simmons brings us Commissioner Gordon, amongst others.

We don't really know the plot yet, but that's okay. Fingers crossed they nail it. Quite frankly, the rest of their film franchise may well be resting on it.

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