As soon as the IMAX preview for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY aired, Marvel.com released over a dozen new images from the film, giving us new looks at some characters and definitely delivering on the hype they’re promising. Some images below we’ve shared before, some are brand new. Either way, this movie will be out of this world.
If you haven’t yet, read our review of the IMAX preview and then go on to enjoy these images below of a bunch of a-holes.
The Flash is coming to the CW this fall. It has already been picked up by CW and will be airing alongside its brethren show Arrow in the fall season. If you’re an avid Arrow follower, you’ll have noticed that Barry Allen portrayed by Grant Gustin has already appeared in an episode that shares a scene with the pilot. I have had the chance to watch the pilot episode, creatively called The Pilot and have some thoughts I’d like to share with those who are interested in the show or those potentially on the fence.
First off, I have not watched Arrow. Not a single episode of either season. I don’t expect this to change either, so my thoughts going into this are strictly for The Flash. Secondly, as everyone knows by now, I’m primarily a Marvel man. This doesn’t mean I’ve not read DC comics, but my favorites include Green Lantern and the Flash. They fall into my favored genre of science fiction, therefore I have the most knowledge of those two characters. With these two facts laid out before you, I shall give you the thoughts and feelings, not spoilers, of the episode.
The show starts off feeling very much like a Spider-Man movie. There is a voiceover throughout the show that resembles the Sam Raimi films, while also giving us a city thats very much alive and ignorant to the fact that ‘meta humans’ could be out there. This innocence and whimsical charm instantly had my attention in the show. Taking the Spider-Man approach is definitely different than a dark, gritty appeal (I’m looking at you Gotham), and the show will definitely benefit from it. To add to the Spider-Man approach, the main character is a nerdy, down on his luck guy who happens to be friend zoned with the girl of his dreams. Grant Gustin gives off the Andrew Garfield looks and confidence, while striking the nerdy and intelligent appeal that Tobey Maguire had all those years ago. This makes me like and root for Allen/Gustin and kind of give me hope in the show.
If you’re wanting a show that I could liken this to, I would say it is closer to Smallville than anything else. In that show, one event (Superman’s arrival) kind of set off the heroes and villains in that show on a path that has them cross each other over time and probably makes them more intimate than just a gallery of rogues. The Flash’s initial action that grants Barry his super powers, also sets in motion events that create the characters we see in the show. From STAR Labs workers who assist Barry in his transition to the Flash to the weather manipulating villain, all events and characters have been directly affected by a particle generator explosion. Although some of the scenes progress the story along quicker than expected, this still adds weight and motivation to every character in the show. I hope to see how many more people were affected along the way.
My only complaint about the show, and this is probably a moot point, is that the effects seem rather rushed and cheap. I understand this was an early release pilot episode so I can’t hold the quality to high standards, but its enough to cause concern depending on the show’s budget. Will we be seeing more of these mediocre effects or will they be able to keep up to par with how Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD changed how I thought TV shows looked?
At the end of the show, I felt satisfied with seeing the pilot but there was nothing huge to have me come back and see more episodes. It was an excellent episode that definitely sets up a great show, surpassing my expectations I had already placed. The very last scene in the show, however, was intriguing enough to actually give me a question in my head and setup a mystery that I now have the need to find out. Its like Agents of SHIELD introduced a blue alien, changing my perception of how everything played out. The ending makes me want to come back and I’ll most likely have this on my rotation this Fall.
This fun and uplifting show is a change of pace for the typical dark, cynical offerings for super heroes out there right now (and possibly what will be showing this season as well). My recommendation is to catch the pilot episode when it airs this October 7 on the CW.
With all of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY news this summer, I’m starting to think we should retool our site to just focus on them. Not really, but with San Diego Comic Con coming up at the end of the month, all the studios are holding their cards for that show. Instead, we get Marvel and Disney promoting their new property like theres no tomorrow. From the early sneak peek at IMAX tomorrow, to all sorts of other materials, Guardians of the Galaxy is shaping up to be a well promoted piece of material.
Earlier this week, the website Galaxy Getaways was launched as a viral tie-in to the movie. Here’s what we’ve gotten from the site so far.
The site poses as a space travel company that specializes in vacations to three main locations in the Guardians film. You can visit Xandar, home of the Nova Corps and probably the most civilized locale in the film. Next up, you can head to Knowhere, the severed head of a celestial where Taneller Tivan (the Collector played by Benicio Del Toro) runs a mining company and home to some of the low life scum int eh galaxy. And lastly, there is Morag, the barren world where Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is attempting to steal a mysterious orb from the trailers. Images from each locale are included below.
On the site, you can set your pickup location, which uses Google maps and some cool effects. From there, you can blast off to virtual tours of the three locations and even play a few games, such as Where’s Groot? If you’re looking to find some backstory for the movie’s galactic locations, you don’t have to go far. Go ahead, plan your trip on Galaxy Getaways!
Last week, we posted the first look at Henry Cavill as Clark Kent in the upcoming BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE on our Facebook page and today we now get his first look as Superman in the film. There hasn’t been too much changed for the upcoming sequel that is currently in production, except he looks older for some reason.
I compare this photo to the original one that came out a few years ago for MAN OF STEEL, where Superman is getting out of debris around a vault. It doesn’t LOOK like Henry Cavill or the film version of Superman, but more of an awkward promo picture. Either way, thats definitely Superman in a Batman looking environment.
You can also check out the differences between this suit and the last one. Apparently there really haven’t been too many changes, at least not drastic ones.
We’re a day late on the Games with Gold promotion for XBOX Live Gold subscribers, but we’re looking at a pretty solid month ahead of us. With XBOX One now in on the promotion, we’ll be covering both consoles and the freebies you can get the entire month.
A side note for the XBOX One promotions, you MUST be in Gold status to download the games and play them. Once your Live subscription expires and reverts to Silver, you will lose access to those games. Ensure you’re not letting that lapse so you can keep on playing all the free games out there!
At the time of this writing, HALO: SPARTAN ASSAULT is still available for download for free on XBOX One.
XBOX 360
Gotham City Imposters – July 1-15 – Metacritic 71
A 6 vs. 6 first person shooter, Gotham City Impostors is a multiplayer game unlike any other, giving players the opportunity to rebel against conformity as they customize their own characters. Posing as amateur vigilantes or villains, gamers create their own Bats and The Jokerz characters using unprecedented customization options including insane costumes, homebrewed gadgets and a wide range of traditional and imagined weapons.
Battleblock Theater – July 16-31 – Metacritic 85
Shipwrecked. Captured. Betrayed. Forced to perform for an audience of cats? Wait, what?? You’ve just unlocked the door to BattleBlock Theater! There’s no turning back once you’ve started on your quest to free your imprisoned friends from evil technological cats! Immerse yourself in this mind bending tale of treachery as you battle your way through hundreds of levels in order to discover the puzzling truth behind BattleBlock Theater.
XBOX One (All month Long)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition – Metacritic 88
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is a Metroid-vania style action-platformer inspired by traditional Mexican culture and folklore. Key Features: – Non-Stop Fighting Action. An extensive move list, advanced combo engine, and anti-gravity grabs – Multi-dimensional Platforming. Instantly swap between the Worlds of Living and Dead to outwit impossible terrain – Combat moves double as movement, uniting platforming and fighting in a way never seen before – Diverse, detailed world containing lively towns, dark forests, flowery canals and fiery volcanoes – Drop in/out 2-Player local co-operative play, featuring independent dimension swapping – Multiple boss characters (each with unique back stories), wide range of foes, and elite-class enemies – Spectacular player abilities: The Rooster Uppercut, Frog Slam, and “Intenso” turbo-combat mode – Colorful, vibrant costumes that change both player appearance and attributes – Leaderboards, support for multiple save slots, persistent cross-save-game costume unlocks – Chickens. Lots and lots of chickens.
Max: Curse of the Brotherhood (carry over) – Metacritic 72
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a classic action-adventure. At its core it is a platformer filled with puzzles. Max must start on a quest to save his brother who is kidnapped to a hostile world. His only chance to succeed is to stay courageous and use the powers of his marker to manipulate the environment. Unleash the many powers of the Marker and beat the evil kidnapper!
On our Facebook page this week, we posted the first image of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY soundtrack and we definitely fell in love. At that point in time, we had no idea what would be on the list for the movie, but our friend Mike Royer at PickledComics.com found out and made the soundtrack on Spotify.
As I sit here writing this and definitely rocking out harder than I should be, it occurred that YOU should be doing the same. Enjoy the track list below and start playing it on Spotify before the movie releases in LESS THAN A MONTH!
Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack
1. Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling
2. Raspberries – Go All the Way
3. Norman Greenbaum – Spirit in the Sky
4. David Bowie – Moonage Daydream
5. Elvin Bishop – Fooled Around and Fell in Love
6. 10Cc – I’m Not in Love
7. Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
8. Redbone – Come and Get Your Love
9. The Runaways – Cherry Bomb
10. Rupert Holmes – Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
11. The Five Stairsteps – O-O-H Child
12. Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
This weekend, I took it upon myself as ritual to see the fourth installment in what I’m now calling, the robotic Transformers franchise. That should not be mistaken for an intentional pun, as the newest entry in the series seems full of predictable processes and unimaginative story. Age of Extinction does not strive to be more than its predecessors, but rather just more of them and that ultimately falls flat across the board.
I went in with high hopes that this Transformers movie would act as a reboot and perhaps go into a new direction. How wrong would I be nearly 3 hours later. The movie introduces to several new characters that honestly feel more as cheap knockoffs than original creations. In fact, you could say this movie is several other films wrapped up in a Transformer package. Mark Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager is a poor man’s Tony Stark, and he has the rebellious teenage daughter who has a thing for bad boys. I wish there was more to divulge or dissect, but the matter of fact is that there is not. The blandness and forgetability of the characters is a weakpoint in the film.
Transformers films were never about the humans though, they’re about the gigantic alien robots who happen to prefer the form of vehicles. On that front, they deliver us a new cast of robots and explain why some of the prior ones don’t appear. It was harder to get to know these new Autobots, except Hound who was a standout addition, as their appearances were only there to drive the plot forward, rather than have us get attached. Optimus was an entirely different character than the other films, except for the fact he constantly needed reminded humans could be more than what they were…again. This 180 from the prior trilogy seemed off kilter and not quite Optimus-y.
The big draw to the film for me was the Dinobots, right? As Jim Gaffigan would say, two great things don’t always equal a better result. Transformers, good! Dinosaurs, great! Dinobots in Age of Extinction, lackluster crap. They were the ultimate plot device to help the heroes succeed, rather than actually bring anything new to the game. It is very akin to Revenge of the Fallen’s spiritual robot scene, only there to achieve an end result.
Also, to once again harp on the Transformers, the new manmade Transformers brought a new, visually unappealing way for the robots to be in disguise. This unimaginatively named Transformium (better than unobtainium) wielded a brand new army of robots that exist as robot legos and ruin the transforming fun the original ones possess. It took the magic out of the film’s main attraction and I will be sorely disappointed if they carry forward with this new style.
To this end, I find Transformers: Age of Extinction to be a 2 hour and 40 minute below average film that could have been more. Perhaps it was my nostalgia or naievety that brought me to the theater, but I finally think I’ve grown too old for the toys turned blockbuster. If the next film follows this trend, it’ll be 20 minutes longer, just as confusing, and lacking any real merit. But the Dinobots bring us closer to seeing Beast Wars, right? As my brother wisely said, “Optimus better’d come back as a gorilla next time.” and I couldn’t agree more.
If you’re looking to get your fix of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER before it becomes available on blu-ray this September, you don’t have to look any further. The mobile game for the movie is now available for FREE on iOS as it is Apple’s App of the Week.
In the game, you play as Captain America and lead a team of SHIELD specialists throughout different scenarios as you take down HYDRA and their goons. You can level up your agents and buy more abilities for Cap as you get money, ISO-8 (the popular gaming currency for Marvel), and more. I’ve played it on my iPad quite a bit and enjoy the style and gameplay. The challenges can be tough, but that just adds to the replay value.
The game is FREE but also offers in-app purchases so be sure to use restraint once you get the game. If you’re a Marvel fan or just looking for free games, this is your jam.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is our most anticipated movie of Summer 2014 and IMAX is giving us a chance to see 17 exclusive minutes one month early!
“Announcing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: An IMAX® 3D First Look, a special event showing 17 minutes of exclusive film footage! This free sneak peek will be showcased in 150 IMAX® theatre locations across North America on July 7 at 7PM, and tickets will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Go HERE now to get yours. Fans who attend this sneak peek will also receive a limited-edition collectible Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy IMAX poster!”
Again, these tickets are VERY limited so sign up now at your local IMAX theater!
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Source: IMAX
With ComicUI turning 1 year old last April, I’m finding it interesting to go back a year every week and see the news we were posting then compared to what we’re talking about now. This week, I discovered that one year ago we were reporting on the rumor that Doctor Strange would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 3 (Post Avengers 2: Age of Ultron). If the confirmations that Scott Derrickson (Sinister) will be directing the Sorcerer Supreme’s live action film in the future are any indication, we’ll actually be seeing Doctor Strange join Marvel’s big hitters.
The name Stephen Strange was also mentioned in the hit CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER film as well, in which only true believers could have caught. With the name now being out in the open and Marvel’s increasing presence of Strange in their New Avengers comic titles, all signs are pointing to a film coming down the pipeline.
So for our Throwback Thursday this week, we’re pointing back to exactly one year ago, when we theorized that Doctor Strange would be a Marvel movie and disclose who we think the villains will be.
Original article: Dr. Strange and the Mysterious Movie Rumors
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Stephen Strange, also a famed neurosurgeon, so lets call him Doctor, is a Marvel character that is gaining a lot of traction. Why, you may ask, is simply because he may be taking to the silver screen sooner than later. Are you unfamiliar with Doctor Strange? Well be prepared to swoon over him as an undisclosed source has stated that “…Strange is being groomed to be the next Iron Man. The studio needs a new ‘hub’ character going into Phase 3 and beyond, as there is audience fatigue, aging stars and a need to move from Tony Stark/Iron Man as a ‘hub’ for films.” This is hot on the heels of news that the plot of the movie has been leaked to Latino-Review.
Without divulging too much (just in case SPOILERS), I’ll give you a run down on the villains who may be making an appearance. First up, Dormammu, a demon lord of another dimension that is equivalent a mystic hell. A staple in Doctor Strange’s side (surgery joke!) since his appearance in Strange Tales #126, Dormammu has always been looking for ways to crack into our dimension and take it over. Secondly, there is a rumored Baron Mordo as well, another familiar villain from the Strange series. He was being trained in the mystic arts, along with Stephen, from the Ancient one. When Strange was chosen to be the next Sorcerer supreme, Mordo decided to turn evil and use his powers for evil. Nothing like a spurned lover. Both of these characters can be seen in the Doctor Strange animated film, definitely a must if you want to get a basic overview of the character and his background. I feel the live action film will be drawing heavily from it. And lastly, the Mindless Ones will be the generic antagonists to the film, much like the Destroyer in Thor. They come from an alternate dimension and are at the whim of their master, which I’ll presume will be Mordo or Dormammu. This is not apparent from the cartoon film.
Doctor Strange is the rumored front runner of Marvel’s Phase 3 undisclosed films. This is pretty bold, considering the leading film is Ant-man, both a B-list characters. This duo will supposedly be joined by the Inhumans and Black Panther, all four films containing none of the Marvel Universe staples we have come to know and love. However, the only confirmed film is Ant-man at this time, but we have heard a TON of news about Doctor Strange.
Do you think we need more ‘magic’ in the Marvel Universe? I’m thinking yes.[/alert]
