3.28.2015

Will X-Men: Apocalypse and Wolverine 3 be Hugh Jackman's Last Wolverine Roles?

     Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine we've come to know in 7 films, has recently instagrammed this pic and quote.  It sounds a little sad, and it is understandable that he may leave the character after so many films.
     What makes me wonder is if he is really only playing Wolverine once more, then what of both X-Men: Apocalypse and the 3rd James Mangold Wolverine stand alone film?  Both movies have been already given release dates (May 27th, 2016 and March 3rd, 2017 respectively).  Plus we've heard his thoughts on wanting to have a cameo in Ryan Reynolds' upcoming Deadpool film.  So it sounds like he still likes playing the character, but perhaps contractual or age issues might be changing his mind.  There's been a lot of changes in Marvel's comics recently and perhaps they will be bleeding into the film universe sooner than expected.  What if it is health issues like his previous bouts with skin cancer?  Then again, maybe Wolverine 3 has been simply cancelled.  We'll have to wait and see.

A photo posted by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) on

    This is a cryptic message indeed.

3.27.2015

Heroes Reborn: Masi Oka Returns as Hiro Nakamura

     Deadline reports that in addition to Noah "HRG" Bennet (Jack Coleman) returning for NBC's upcoming 13 episode mini-series event Heroes Reborn, another fan favorite has just been added to the cast- the time and space bender, Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka).

"Save the script, Save the Series." An important message from Future Hiro.
     Oka has said about his reprisal role, “I’m excited to return to my Heroes roots.  Hiro Nakamura was such an inspirational role to play, and I’m hoping the fans will enjoy seeing him back on TV.”

     Tim Kring, creator and executive producer for both Heroes and Heroes Reborn, has added, “The character of Hiro Nakamura was such a huge part of the first series’ success, and a gigantic fan favorite. We felt the fans would really love seeing him back in action again.”

     Heroes Reborn has already listed a slew of new names to the cast as well, such as Chuck's Zachary Levi, Danika Yarosh, Judith Shekoni, Robbie Kay, Ryan Guzman, Gatlin Green, Kiki Sukezane and Henry Zebrowski.

     Heroes Reborn is set to air some time this fall on NBC.

     For more of my posts related to [ Heroes ]

Terminator Genisys: TV Spot "Help" and Some Thoughts


     It's been a few months since the last full trailer, and this new spot has a lot of new footage to keep us wanting more.  My initial reservations about the film are still in place.  It has a good cast, good action, but will the story hold up?  Will Terminator Genisys fall prey to the all action, no brain as the last couple of Terminator films, and much of Hollywood in general, have been?  The series needs to recapture that dark magic it held with the first and second films.

     The title still bothers me.  "Genisys."  Maybe it's a company name like Skynet, or a possibly a program- but even so what's with the ridiculous spelling?

     Terminator Genisys is set to be released on July 1st.

First Official Deadpool Pic of Ryan Reynolds in Costume

     In fitting with the best of Deadpool tradition, the first image of him is a hilarious tribute to an old Burt Reynolds picture...

    So far so good.  Hopefully Marvel can deliver on this film and not pull punches like they've been doing to Wolverine's big screen adaptations.

[ EDIT: Apologies, Wolverine and Deadpool are Fox films, not Marvel Studios. Thank you "Anonymous" from the comments below! ]

3.24.2015

Marvel Contest of Champions: Short Review (Android)

     Coming across Marvel Contest of Champions I was both surprised and disappointed.  The game does have some really good merits, however, the downsides are pretty heavy and tip the balance more towards that bad side.  What can you really expect for a game that starts with the need for an always on internet connection?


     Right away you get the story of Kang the Conqueror attempting to conquer the universe and "The Summoner" (The Player) attempting to thwart him in a strange tournament of heroes and villains.  That isn't too terrible, the story is both extremely generic, but does have some gems of dialog to keep it somewhat interesting.  The story campaign, baring little resemblance to the same named comic book series years ago, is divided up into 3 acts of 4 chapters and 6 missions.  The monotonous tone has been set.  By the end of the first chapter I had become so bored with the simple tap and swipe controls of the roster I had developed I didn't even want to continue.  Slightly further along I found a ridiculous difficulty spike putting any kind of progress right behind a heavily encouraged gamble of a paywall.


     The lack of depth of this game is a huge hindrance, blocked just beyond the paywall barrier that is common to the Freemium games arena.  Players are encouraged to spend money to unlock movement energy to play for longer, to purchase a myriad of crystal types to gamble at the chance of unlocking a new hero (with a high chance of also getting ones you already have) or items to level characters up (but they'll still fall behind in stars as the game progresses), and the ridiculously escalating difficulty nearly necessitates it.  All of it designed to make players want to buy more- but the problem is that these are all actually things that made me dislike the game more.  It builds a distrust because I know it's made not to be fun or fair, but rather to encourage spending, like the coin-operated quarter-muncher arcades from years ago.  I want to buy or play as specific characters, like Marvel Heroes 2015 allows for, not be forced into a game of chance that continually gave me the lowest 1 star versions of characters I already had.


     Getting to gameplay- there's a slew of characters that break down into 4 categories, and sadly- that leads to essentially amounts to simply just reskins of the same move sets which in turn leads to a lot of repetitive combat.  It is nothing near to it's spiritual predecessor Marvel vs. Capcom.  The set up of 1 versus 1 play could've been great, but the execution of it is so bad.  Each character falls into one of the 4 categories and you just chose the highest level one that is better in the form of a Paper/Rock/Scissors-esque system.  As mentioned before all the characters felt nearly identical, and the tactics that should be there just aren't.  The game loses its already minimal luster very quickly, especially if you repeatedly get characters you don't like as your roster.


     To be a little more fair, there is still a lot to like here.  Playing PVP is fun, although you are actually playing against an AI version of other players as far as I could tell.  The controls are as simple as can be and the navigation menus are truly great.  The art and music were top notch for a phone game- very reminiscent of the Disney Infinity Marvel game.  Honestly, if you don't mind playing a free game you can whittle away at over the course of weeks I'd say give it a go.  Hell, if you are a Marvel fan I'd say give it a couple days of play just for fun.  The game isn't amazing, but it'll pass the time for very short spans.  This is a case where making a solid game to be sold may have been better than the "Free-to-Play" model they created.

The X-Files Have OFFICIALLY Been Re-Opened

     Back in January I posted about the rumors and talks that The X-Files could be returning to TV, and now it is official.  In better news, creator Chris Carter along side of both Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) are returning.


     The amazing news has a small downside attached however, and is that after a 13 year hiatus, The X-Files will only be returning for a limited 6 episode mini-series.  It'll be short and sweet.
     Chris Carter said this about it:
“I think of it as a 13-year commercial break. The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.”
     It's been said that production will begin this summer, but no premiere date has been given.  Regardless, many of us eagerly await the return of the FBI's Special Agents investigating the mysterious and unexplainable phenomena usually kept hidden from the world.

      Source [ Entertainment Weekly ]

3.23.2015

Batman: Arkham Knight: Officer Down: 7 Minutes of PS4 Gameplay Footage

     After getting a slight delay (3 weeks) in release date, Rocksteady has given us a nice little 7 minute gameplay trailer titled "Officer Down."  It's got some story, some Bat-combat, and a whole lot of Batmobile action all captured on a Playstation 4- and it looks damn good to boot.


     Batman: Arkham Knight will be released on June 23, 2015.

3.19.2015

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons Would Like to Play... The Riddler?

     This is a very interesting find.  I've written a couple other times about who I think might be good to play The Riddler- such as Justin Timberlake, Andrew Scott, or laid out for a trilogy, Jason Isaacs- in a future Batman film.  Not the zany Frank Gorshin Riddler of the 60's Batman television show, or the absurd and over-the-top tights-flaunting Jim Carrey Riddler of Batman Forever, but rather a more refined and aristocratic Riddler.

"I would like to be a villain, and I would really like to play the Riddler." -Jim Parsons

     I want to see a Riddler that is an absolute genius and just wants to find an opponent worthy of the game.  And as much as I dislike The Big Bang Theory and Parsons' geeky-squeaky voice in it, I DO think he could pull off a completely dark Riddler very well and would welcome seeing it done.

     He would need to be smart, sophisticated, and deadly-as I wrote in an old post:
      As for the villain?  Set up a new trilogy in the Nolan-verse with the Riddler as the main antagonist.  This wouldn't be the silly, wacky-zany goon of old.  Mr. Edward Nigma would be an intelligent games master, not some fool obsessed with proving his intellectual superiority. 
     For the Riddler, he'd would have to be handled like he is in the Arkham video games- he'd leave riddles and traps strewn about Gotham City, but never, I repeat NEVER, be there himself.  He'd be too smart for that.  We need someone that is not only capable of beating Batman, but capable of getting away with it in plain site.  So while The Riddler wouldn't be out and about, while Nigma could be seeded throughout the series, hiding in plain sight.  And the kicker- he'd outwit the Bat.  He would win.  In at least the first two films- possibly even in the third.
     During the Riddler's scheming, he'd send in others to do the dirty work.  Maybe hiring small crime bosses like the Penguin and Black Mask to create warring factions around Batman to keep him busy and distracted while keeping his grand plans going.  A man of Nigma's caliber would be controlling the chess board for the whole game.  Competent and effective.  Make him a bit older, show that he's been doing this for years.  He's looking for a challenge- and Batman is it.  The so-called "Dark Knight Detective."
     That's just how I think it should be done.  A Moriarty to Batman's Sherlock, pushing his mental limits to their breaking point.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: New TV Spot 2 has Loads of New Footage

     We have just over a month left until Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters, and Marvel has dropped a new TV spot with tons of new footage for our viewing pleasure!


     There's lots of good action, a tiny bit of story, and a massive lack of Vision.  We've really only seen him for a split second in the last full trailer- so maybe they're saving it for much closer to the release date.  I also appreciate the nice foreshadow of the divide growing between Captain America and Iron Man for the next wave of Marvel's cinematic universe with hints at Civil War.  

     Avengers: Age of Ultron will be released on May 1st.

3.16.2015

Lego Jurassic World: First Full Trailer

     In addition to the less-than-great other Lego video game (The Hobbit) news today, at least we get a full trailer for the Lego Jurassic World game.  Despite my disappointment at the Lego Hobbit news, this Lego Jurassic World trailer still has got me almost as excited as I was to see Jurassic Park when I was 13.


     They've relied heavily on scenes from the first film, Jurassic Park, here instead of including ties to the upcoming Jurassic World.  But, then again, maybe they'll start bringing in some recognizable pieces of that film the closer to release it gets to avoid potential spoilers, as that movie will be a full quarter of the game.  The first 3 films will comprise the rest- Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Jurassic Park 3.
     It's also been let out that players get to play as humans, dinosaurs, and hilariously Mr. DNA.  Which serves as a segue into the building feature- allowing for customization of dinosaur DNA for making new dinosaurs out of pre-existing parts- they've added a build-a-dino to the game!
     Traveller's Tales Games looks to have brought their brick-based touch from the prehistoric era right into the park.

     Lego Jurassic World is set to release in June for:
           PS3, PS4, Ps Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, and the 3DS.

     Source [ IGN ]

Lego Hobbit: WB Leaves Players Hanging Without The Battle of Five Armies DLC, "There, but NOT back again."

     In another case of unfinished games, Warner Bros have cancelled the end of Lego The Hobbit.  Players take up the role of Bilbo Baggins, we get to go "There," and in news today, we find we will no longer be coming "Back Again."

There, but not back again...

     The Warner Bros.' Statement:
     "The LEGO The Hobbit videogame gives LEGO and Middle-earth fans a fun, new way to experience the legendary adventures of Bilbo and company as told in the first two films of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. The game provides an excellent set-up for the concluding chapter of Peter Jackson’s film, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. There are no plans to develop DLC based on the final film of the trilogy."
    WB have also stated they have NO plans for another game based on the film.  So apparently, Lego Hobbit purchasers have been slightly deceived.  We were led to believe that the concluding chapter would become available at a later date so the story would be complete- alas, we now know that it won't happen- leaving us with essentially only two-thirds of the game we thought we would have been buying.

     It is really disturbing to me that now we have WB and Traveller's Tales Games leaving things incomplete and selling us essentially an unfinished product.  What we instead get is a playable trailer and set up to watch the third film.  This is a poor trend in gaming, the selling of parts instead of a whole product.  What a frustrating thought.
     Funnily enough, I still haven't opened my copy because I was waiting for the 3rd part to arrive as they had mentioned at the London Toy Fair in January 2014.  This has also made me hesitant to purchase their upcoming titles Lego Marvel's Avengers and Lego Jurassic World.


     Source [ Gamespot ]

3.13.2015

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Miniatures- Greebo Games: Tartalar- Kame no Senshi

     All right, so these aren't exactly official TMNT minis, but rather some really cool looking analogs for the famed foursome and company created by Greebo Games- The Wartarts.

Tartalar - Kame no Senshi

 
 

     These sculpts come in at 35mm each, so they'll fit in a lot of the newer mini games, most notably the new Knight Models' Batman Miniature Game.  For being a non-licensed product mimicking a well-known property, these are damn good looking.  I may be purchasing them for an addition to other tabletop games I play.
      In addition to the pics I put up here they've got analogs for Bebop, Rocksteady, The Shredder, Krang, April O'Neil, and even the hockey mask wearing vigilante Casey Jones.

     To buy or see more of this set [ Greebo Games ]

     Source [ Beasts of War ]

     For more of my Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

3.12.2015

Star Wars: Disney Releasing Unaltered Original Trilogy on BluRay

     Years of waiting have paid off.  Rumors have it that Lucasfilm, now owned by Disney, will be re-releasing the original un-edited cuts of the first Star Wars trilogy.  Comicbook.com has stated that they have two reliable sources that have confirmed that this is a plan currently underway.


     The plan is for Disney to be releasing the trilogy, of Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, all on Blu-Ray, and has been in the works for a while now.  The original theatrical cut is something many have fans have wanted for years, but progress has been slowed due to damage to the original negatives of the films.

     No confirmed date has been set, but it is presumably going to be shooting for a release around the time Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th later this year.

     Source [ Comicbook ]

Sir Terry Pratchett: Alas, He Has Walked Through That Door

     The wonderful creator and writer of the immeasurably beloved Discworld books has passed through death's doorway.  Sir Terry Pratchett's works have been a joy for millions, and hopefully will stand against time to change and brighten the lives of million more for generations.  After 8 years of Alzheimers, he has moved on at the young age of 66.  As sad as I am, the announcement tweets were a nice bit of humor in his patented style in this dark time.  His work has made my life better, and I'll continue to buy his books and give them out as packets of happiness for others.




Cards Against Originality: A Great Cards Against Humanity App

     While there have already been a few less than amazing digitized versions of the famed Cards Against Humanity game, this one seems to be the closest to the real thing.  And it has the benefit of being free, with no sneaky sales pitches or microtransactions.  So we can now play it on our phones/tablets/desktops, and it'll even keep tabs on your stats.
     Cards Against Originality contains all the cards of the main set plus all 5 expansions, without the 10 pounds weighing you down.

My first hand.  I think its got a couple goodies in there.
     The only downside to the app is you have to be in the same room with the other players.  Not sure how that works, but it's worth a try, and I've read that there's potentially ways of playing it over communication programs like Skype- so if you have some time- load this up and give it a go.  Click New Game and send the Link it gives you to friends to begin in your match.

     App [ Cards Against Originality ]

     Original Version [ Cards Against Humanity ]

     Source [ Gamespot ]

3.11.2015

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: The Claptastic Voyage Trailer

     We now get the trailer for the upcoming Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: Claptastic Voyage DLC trailer.  The Claptastic trailer gives us a look inside the most insane mind on Pandora- so it looks completely bonkers, but should provide hours of fun...
     ...and "irreparable psychological damage!"


     In this DLC Handsome Jack is digitizing the Vault Hunters and sending them into the warped mind of CL4P-TP to find the unimaginably powerful H-Source code.  This Pre-Sequel campaign add-on will also include the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2- raising the level cap to 70, allowing an additional 10 points for the skill trees to be earned.

     Claptastic Voyage will arrive on March 24th.
          (As does Borderlands: The Handsome Collection)

3.10.2015

Zoolander 2: Confirmed & Set for Feb 12, 2016 Release Date

     A sequel I've been waiting for for years.  Zoolander is one of two films I have kept in my car at all times in case of cinematic emergencies.  Five syllables, one amazing film.


    Paramount Pictures pulled a brilliant stunt to announce the plans for the sequel to the 2001 fashion comedy Zoolander.  During the Paris Fashion Week, the pair appeared on the catwalk during the Valentino Women’s Collection Fashion Show

     So far no details on the script have been mentioned, but the really, really, really, ridiculously good looking Derek Zoolander and the so hot right now Hansel will be teaming up once again.  Ben Stiller is set to co-write once again with director Justin Theroux, Owen Wilson looks to be returning as well.  It's also been said that Christine Taylor will return as Matilda and Will Ferrell will reprise his role as the ultimate fashion nemesis Mugatu.  Penelope Cruz has been added to the roster but in an unknown role, but is speculated to be a potential new rival.

     Zoolander 2 is set to begin a 12 week filming in Rome, and be released on Feb 12th, 2016.

     Source [ GamesRadar ]

Marvel's Daredevil- New Trailer for Netflix

     In this new trailer we get a little more of the Kingpin's story, creating a darker parallel to Daredevil's own path to protecting the city as part of themselves, but in very different ways.


     Netflix presents Marvel's Daredevil season 1 in full on April 10th.

3.09.2015

New Game of Thrones: Season 5 Trailer 2

     The new trailer has dropped for the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.  It looks like dark and violent times are coming.  And some serious devastation wrought by the quickly growing dragons.


     Game of Thrones season 5 premieres on April 10th on HBO.

Tales from the Borderlands: Ep. 2: Atlas Mugged Trailer

     After Gearbox's PAX East 2015 panel's unveiling of this trailer this weekend, Telltale Games have released the Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 2: Atlas Mugged trailer for the rest of us to see.


     I see we get much more "Handsome Jack," a little bit of Scooter, and a nice cameo by Athena.  This episode looks to be setting up some more of that wonderful Pandoran mayhem for us all.

     Tales from the Borderlands: Ep. 2: Atlas Mugged will be available March 17th.

Gaurdians of the Galaxy 2: NO Captain Marvel


     On a sad note for me, one of my favorite characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been struck off the list of people appearing in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy sequel- Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel).  To be fair though, Marvel did announce she was getting her own film, set to be released July 6, 2018.


         Gunn has already specifically eliminated the possibility of seeing Shi'ar Empire strongman Gladiator, ROM: Spaceknight, Bug, Nova (Richard Rider), and the return of Ronan.  Though he has stated in pre-release junkets for the first film that his favorite Marvel characters are Starhawk and Annihilus.  But because Annihilus is part of Fox's Fantastic Four rights, that is doubtful.  Although he has also hinted at the potential of his favorite character not being male, despite the previous 2 being mentioned.  Hey, tastes change, so maybe he has found a new favorite.

     It's also been mentioned that their will be two women on the main team, which makes me hope for Quasar (Phyla-Vell), but Mantis feels more probable.  Adam Warlock is a highly likely, considering his cocoon was seen in The Collector's possession at the end of Thor: The Dark World.  Heck, even Mar-Vell would be a good fit for Gunn's take on these space hooligans.  Since the film isn't set to hit theaters until May 5th, 2017 we've got plenty of time for some good speculations.

     Sources [ Screenrant ] [ CBM ]

Knight Models' Batman Miniatures Tournament (Roseville, MN)

     I've been recently playing this new Batman Miniatures game with a friend of mine, and we are lucky enough to be near an official tournament.

Official Knight Models Batman Miniature Game Tournament 
     (Organised by Adam Russell Reeves)

The game play will be the standard 350 points and ($1500 in game).

Date & Time: May 24th from 11am - 6pm

Location:
     Fantasy Flight Games
     1995 County Road B2 W
     Roseville, MN 55113

For more info email:  Batman.tournament@gmail.com

     Due to work and internship reasons I can only appear for the last half of it- so I'll be playing a short game with whoever I can, and not as part of the tournament itself.  This is a very fun game, and I will try to get plenty more matches in over the next couple months to be good enough to play with a group.
     Initially I was planning to play as the League of Shadows, but I can't seem to find any of the Ra's al Ghul 4 packs, so I went with the Joker crew, Elite Clowns, The Riddler, and my personal favorite Mr. Freeze.  Not the best team, but it makes for some interesting play.

3.08.2015

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: The Claptastic Voyage and Level Cap Increase

     On March 24th (the 25th for PS3 in Europe and Oceania) players will be able to get their hands on the long awaited campaign DLC add-on to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, titled Claptastic Voyage, as well as the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 being bundled with it.

     "In Claptastic Voyage, Handsome Jack has found something ludicrously powerful within Claptrap’s mind. Never one to turn down a chance for more power, Handsome Jack digitizes the Vault Hunters and sends them inside! Their goal is simple: find the mysterious “H-Source” code and get out of Claptrap’s consciousness without going completely insane. These anti-heroes will have to deal with Claptrap’s personal insecurities, his malware, and digital representations of his crushing loneliness. 
     Claptastic Voyage will answer important Borderlands questions like why Claptrap loves dubstep so much, all while exploring his inner most thoughts. You’ll also get a chance to visit all-new environments, make new friends (and run into some old ones), and get some new gear as well as new unique Achievements or Trophies. On top of that, Claptastic Voyage features a new customizable arena that lets you choose your own gravity settings, enemy difficulty, and more. There’s also a brand new glitched weapons system and many more fun surprises for you to discover."
     These DLC's will be free for season pass holders (4 for the price of 3 at $29.99) and $9.99 individually.  The season pass also has included the already released, Jack's Doppleganger Pack, the 1st Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack (The Holodome Onslaught), and the Lady Hammerlock Pack.

     The DLC Pack will be available on Xbox Live, PSN, PC, Mac, and Linux.

     It is also of note that all of this content will also be included in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems on March 24th (North America) and a few days later (March 27th) internationally.

     Source [ Borderlands ]

3.06.2015

Mrs. Frisby & The Rats of NIMH to Become Another Rebooted Franchise


     With Hollywood's current goal to reboot every beloved thing under the sun, it's no wonder they are turning their eyes towards the 1982 film The Secret of NIMH, based on the Newberry winning Robert C. O'Brien book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  They are masterpieces.  Each in their own right.

     MGM has obtain the rights to the book and have a writer of all 5 Ice Age films, Michael Berg, set to script the project.  It's said to be a live action and CGI hybrid film focused on retelling the origin story with hopes of turning it into a franchise.

     For those of you who haven't read the book, I would highly recommend it- as much as I would recommend the old animated film, it is a classic.  Here is the book summary and link to Amazon:
     "Some extraordinary rats come to the aid of a mouse family in this Newbery Medal Award-winning classic by notable children's author Robert C. O'Brien.   
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service."
     Source [ Deadline ]

CBS's Supergirl: First Pics of Melissa Benoist in Costume

     Shortly after CBS's Supergirl began production this week, the actress portraying Kara Zor-El, cousin of the more well known Kal El (Clark Kent/Superman) Melissa Benoist tweeted the first pictures of her in her Kryptonian gear.
     Designer and Oscar winner Colleen Atwood, who also designed the costumes for Arrow and The Flash, has said of this piece, "In designing Supergirl, I wanted to embrace the past, but more importantly, thrust her into the street-style action hero of today."  I do appreciate the link in material to the Man of Steel's design, and the light homage to the old series in the style with the retro skirt and tall boots- but I think pants might do a bit better.  Well, at least she has tights on now.


    Source [ CBS News ]

Gal Gadot: This is the "Wonder Woman" Physique? For Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

     It's been said that Gal Gadot has already finished her role in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film, and this picture is from a series that shows off her "Wonder Woman Physique."  I'm still disappointed.  Sure she looks slightly larger than her Fast & Furious role, but only barely.


     Where's the muscle that traditional fighters and warriors had.  Hard earned strength that is the reward of long hours of practicing the martial arts- I use martial as in Mars, arts of war and combat, not in the kung fu sense.
     Seriously, I've written at great length about this issue already [ here ] and I think  we need a thicker actress, or even for Gadot to really add some pounds.  I mean even with super human strength, Superman has been given the muscular figure, as well as [ Batman ] and [ Aquaman ] from the pics already shown.  So why does Gadot still look like a frail waif?  I previously argued that it'd be like hiring Mackenzie Crook as Batman, and it would never work because he's too damn scrawney to fit the image.
     It just doesn't fit right with the image of Snyder's realistic and gritty DC Universe to have all the men bulky and strong and then have a twig of a woman be the representation of power through Wonder Woman.  The wonderful artist "Nebezial," who recently took over art on the GREAT comic series Rat Queens, has done a bunch of Wonder Woman pieces that have an awesome commentary to them as well as one of the few depictions of WW I really like. (See the pic below)

     Here are some other posts about [ Wonder Woman ] I've done if you are interested.

     Source [ Comic Book Movie ]

3.05.2015

Harrison Ford Walks Away From Another Plane Crash!

"It appeared he was flying...               ...Solo."
     Proving once again that he is the ultimate rebel, and as badass as his iconic roles as Han Solo and Indianna Jones, the 72 year old Harrison Ford crashed a plane in front of the 8th green on Penmar Golf course, scoring might turn out to be an aeronautical bogie.
    Being a bit more serious, hopefully things turn out a all right for him.

     According to NBC News:
     "The actor, who was conscious and breathing when rescue crews reached him, was stabilized and taken to a hospital, where he was in fair to moderate condition, authorities said. Sources said he sustained cuts to his head. There was no word on other injuries or what caused the plane to crash about 2:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m. ET). It appeared he was flying solo." 


     Source [ NBC ]

3.04.2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Trailer 3

     It looks as we draw nearer to the May 1st release date, the trailers and TV spots are somehow getting even more epic than the last.  Here we get a plethora of little new hints- a team falling apart with a growing divide of ethics, more shots of Scarlet Witch's powers (and Quicksilver in action), the extent of Ultron's scale, and a even shot of Vision to top it off at the end. 


     It's looking very good.

3.02.2015

Hunger: A New Game by Tarsier Studios

     Tarsier Studios, developers of Little Big Planet Vita and the wonderful game Tearaway, have released a trailer for their new game Hunger.  As with their past games they've got a lot of atmosphere and highly stylized animation.


     Hunger is the story of a small girl named Six trying to escape a strange and dark place called The Maw.  It has a very claymation-esque look and reminds me a lot of the game Puppeteer.  Tarsier's official site has this listed as a small description:
     "At its heart, Hunger is a simple idea. A young girl is trapped in a labyrinth full of monsters and wants to escape. It will be your job to help her do this. It’s a genre we’re calling ‘suspense-adventure’, on account of the fact that there will be plenty of both. Coupled with an unnerving ‘Dollhouse Perspective’, tactile controls, and characters with soft, dark centres, Hunger will take your hand and let it go at the worst possible moment!" 
     It's good to see small studios creating artful things like this.  Hunger is different and interesting, getting away from the typical game blockbusters we so often see, and it make me hopeful for the diverse types of games we may look forward to.

     No release information or platforms have been announced.

Official Site [ Tarsier Studios ]