Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: A 3rd Film Probably Won't Happen

     As a long time fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I both like and dislike the newer Michael Bay produced films.  The 2014 TMNT made a whopping $493 million, while the sequel TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows only grossed $245 million.

     Steve Weintraub at Collider brought up the thoughts on the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies from producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller during an interview about their recently produced film Ouija: Origin of Evil.

     Form has some good thoughts on what didn't work.

"We were obviously surprised at the box office results. We loved the movie. We loved making the movie. From our first Super Bowl teaser to everything we launched, we felt so good about our material, and for some reason it did not find the audience that the first movie found.

It’s just one of those things where we feel like we made a great movie. We thought at the time that our release date was great, and we added all these new characters with Bebop and Rocksteady and Krang, and Baxter Stockman had a big role in the movie, and Casey Jones, and for some reason when it came to opening weekend… it just didn’t find an audience. We really don’t know why. 

I think one thing we did learn is you really need to give- you can’t just add characters to a movie and expect that to be what’s fresh. It’s a sequel. You have to give the audience something that’s really new and fresh. Maybe just adding characters from the canon- that wasn’t enough. 

We set out to make a poppy, colorful, fun- add all these fun characters that people had grown up with—and like you said, bring the cartoon to life.

I don’t think there’s [going to be a] Turtles 3, but I wouldn’t say there’s never going to be another Turtles movie."

     I like the idea that they tried to bring the old cartoon to life, but they missed the essential change that the 1990 feature film did- they made it real and meaningful, while maintaining the feel the old cartoon had.  I fully admit I do enjoy the new films, despite the many, many problems contained in them.  As for Out of the Shadows, they really did bring an episode of the 80's cartoon to life.  Everything from the humorous idiocy of Bebop and Rocksteady to the absurd nature of Krang.  It is something worthwhile to watch for those that might have some turtles nostalgia, and they did build off of what the first reboot did.

     It does make me a bit disappointed to know there may not be another film, but then again, there's always a chance they'd get even worse.  I mean you can tell the writers weren't the best, resorting to making everything about action and cheap laughs.  It completely lacks the depth of the 1990 film.  I really think the problem comes down to the writers, Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec just don't quite understand the characters.  It's all superficially written, with many of the characters sounding to similar.  They need some true distinctions between them all, they need more "show, don't tell" to really hammer home the differences.

     If a third film does get into production I can only hope that they find writers worthy of continuing the TMNT legacy.  Maybe they should get Bobby Herbeck and Todd W. Langen from the 1990 movie, or the unbelievably brilliant writers of the made-for-TV 25th Anniversary movie - Turtles Forever - Roy Burdine, Rob David, Matthew Dredk, and Lloyd Goldfine.  That is easily the most well-written Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product of any sort I can think of.  The team had a fundamental understanding of not just the characters, but how they've evolved and changed over time, and getting them to work on a full film would be the most brilliant move that these producers could take.

     Related posts [ TMNT ]

     Source [ Collider ]

Stranger Things: Netflix's Series Now a Playable Point-N-Click Game

     What started as a nice little fan-fare has become a full fan-made point-and-click adventure game based on the tremendous Netflix series Stranger Things, by the Duffer Brothers.  It's a sci-fi horror show that is completely saturated in the 1980's aesthetic, and this gem follows suit.

"99 out of a hundred times, the missing kid is with a parent or relative. This is about that one other time." 

The disappearance of Will Byers has the town of Hawkins, Indiana - and Chief Jim Hopper - on edge. 

     The Stranger Things game takes place over primarily the first episode of the series, so there shouldn't be any spoilers for those of you that haven't seen the phenomenal show yet.  Fans of games such as the LucasArts Monkey Island series will be at home among the simple puzzles and textual dialogue options.

     Infamous Quests' Steven Alexander, Jon Taylor, and James Mulvale created this one-room point-and-click game as a "tribute to the series."  The game takes the same approach as the show in making players feel invested- it's short and sweet, nailing the atmosphere in both sound and visuals, and it definitely shows their appreciation.  While it doesn't offer anything new to add to the series, as it is just a fan made game, it does give us fans a little more Stranger Things to experience while we await the arrival of season two in 2017.

     Go to [ Infamous Quests on Itch.io ] to Download and Play

Marvel Future Fight: Doctor Strange Update & Thoughts

     Yesterday the Marvel Future Fight 2.6 patch hit and added a ton of stuff.  The obligatory 8 new characters, 4 movie tie-in costumes, a film related mode, as well as one huge negative.

     Despite the amazing new character additions, the only one I wanted was Doctor Strange himself.  But in leveling him up (which can ONLY be done through the 46 "Epic Quest" missions) I found he's got one monstrously large problem- and it's one that definitely feels like a paywall.  In order to rank up and master the good Doctor fully, you HAVE to get Baron Mordo, Wong, Ancient One, and Kaecilius to 4 stars, and then get Clea, Satana, and Hellstorm to 5 stars.

     What makes this so awful is the extremely limited way to obtain the biometrics to unlock and rank up the new characters.  Wong, Baron Mordo, Ancient One, and Kaecilius are available through the Epic Quest's "Memory Missions" which only allow for 10 runs for each character a day- meaning a maximum of roughly 10 bios a day (occasionally it'll give you 2 on a run)- and you need 150 total to get to 4 stars.  Whereas Satana and Hellstorm are available in the Epic Quest's "Dark Dimension," and Clea can be found as a Shifter in the same area.  Because each of them need to make it to 5 stars we'd need 310 of each character's biometrics.  Making things even worse is that the only way to get Clea or Satana outside of the extremely limited biometric chances a day is only via the store's Monthly Selector because they will not be available with the regular selectors.  I also don't know if rank up tickets will work for them yet, so that may be a small relief.
     Considering the total number of biometrics rewarded through the Epic Quest is a meager 250, that means either an absurdly long farming task, or a bunch of purchases- making it seem like the trip to Strange is a multidimensional journey through the metaphysical paywalls of gaming.

     Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind the need to purchase stuff- as I do for extra costumes (including Strange's film one) and characters, and as I did for both Gwenpool and Carnage.  It's just here, they've made Doctor Strange ridiculously difficult to get to his full potential because you need to get all the other new characters boosted.  I mean why couldn't I just buy his character and feed him surplus biometrics as is necessary for the Boss characters like Thanos?  Why force us to obtain and rank characters we may not want just to get the one we actually do want?

     Strange is coming out in a movie and will likely draw in a crowd of potential new players, and what they've essentially done is create a funneled paywall to the in-game store in order to play him.  It definitely appears to be a frustrating limitation for not just us long time players, but will very likely be a reason many new players may give up or quit.

     On a side note, where the hell is Dormammu?  One would think that great Doctor Strange staple villain and fiery-headed mystical arts user would be a wonderful addition to the game instead of the slightly more obscure Satana and Hellstorm.   And now that I think of it, what happened to Enchantress, Sandman, and the Netflix Daredevil costumes for the Punisher and Elektra?

     Related  posts [ Future Fight ]

     Source [ Marvel Future Fight Official ]

Black Widow: A Scarlett Johansson Standalone Film & My Thoughts

     Last week Variety published an interview with Scarlett Johansson about her work with Planned Parenthood, some stuff about her political views on Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, and a bit about her role in the Marvel Studios film franchises as Natasha "The Black Widow" Romanov.

THE INTERVIEW

   To begin here's the relevant portions of the interview:

Will there be a standalone Black Widow movie?
I would like for it to happen under the right circumstances. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to mine that story line. She’s got a really rich origins story. There’s a lot of places you can go — you can bring it back to Russia. You could explore the Widow program. There’s all kinds of stuff that you could do with it. You could really uncover the identity of who this person is, where she comes from and where she’s part of. 

So if it happens, will it be a prequel?
It’s a possibility. There’s plenty of back story. Or not. It could be something else. Where do the Avengers go? They are underground. What happens then? What happens after it all falls apart? There are so many ways you can go. I think it would just have to be very much like its own specific thing. It would have to have its own specific vibe. It would have been totally different than any of the other standalone films.

Are you still talking to Marvel about it?
Yeah, of course. I talked to them about it often. It would have to fit in the idea of where they want to go. I’m invested in that character. Marvel is greatly invested in that character. If I did it, I’d have to do it while I still actually want to wear a skin-tight catsuit. I don’t know how much longer that’s going to be. 

MY THOUGHTS

     I think it should be a film full of espionage, action, and intrigue.  Leave out the damn love triangle with Hulk/Banner that was so damned out of place in the Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Leave out the stupid sterility backstory.  Leave out the global destruction tales so many superhero movies lean too heavily upon.  Make it an intimate covert ops mission, a modern cold war narrative going on with lots of cloak and dagger.  It could easily be a political crime story with touches of her past and interactions with the Winter Soldier.  Or an entire secretive special ops sabotage mission taking place in a rogue state.

     There is immense potential for some truly great stories here.  Seriously, this is a case where I really want to see a Black Widow film with a high caliber take on the spy genre.  It's the same principle as when I wanted a Martin Scorsese movie featuring the Punisher.  It should be something handled by a creative team that would focus on perfecting the writing and directing above the cheap action thrills (that's not saying no action, just that it should be substance over spectacle).  Think of films like James Cameron's True Lies, Christopher McQuarrie's Mission Impossible or Jack Reacher, Doug Limon's The Bourne Identity or Edge of Tomorrow, or even the extremely underrated Guy Ritchie update of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  

     In a long Q&A with Deadline, Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige briefly discussed the possibility of this eventually happening.  They've currently got 9 more films lined up through the end of 2019, and 3 more currently untitled films planned in 2020, so there's definitely an opportunity for her to potentially get a film.

DEADLINE: You’ve got a bunch of characters in this movie from Falcon and War Machine and Black Widow and Hawkeye, who have so far guest starred in movies with another characters title above the fold. Is there one destined to get a solo movie down the line? 

FEIGE: Of the characters that you’ve just mentioned I would say certainly the one creatively and emotionally that we are most committing to doing is Black Widow.

     With Doctor Strange hitting theaters less than a month from now, Marvel will be opening the door for the metaphysical genre in their film universe, so why not continue on the path that Captain America: The Winter Soldier set and allow Black Widow to pave the way for a full-on spy film.  Scarlett Johansson is a tremendous actress, so give her something worthwhile to actually work with.  Marvel has a monstrous opportunity here to break into a genre that hasn't been done with superhero films- a true spy thriller.

     Source [ Variety ]

Red Dead Redemption 2: First Trailer: A Return to Rockstar's Western Masterpiece

     Seven years after the initial release of Red Dead Redemption, the sequel will be coming to us in all it's harsh western glory.  It's beautiful, gritty, and dangerous- this will be a game that will more than likely influence an entire new generation of gamers.

     It's said that the world will be a vast as possible and offer an entirely new multiplayer experience.  But from Rockstar Games, what else would you expect except perfection?

     Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available in the fall of 2017.

Wolverine 3: Logan: First Trailer & Thoughts

     Following hot on the heels of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 teaser we get the first trailer for the 3rd Wolverine film.  It already looks to be far better than the last two movies, though to be fair the second film's trailers made it look much better than it really was.

     It's got mutants dying off or being hunted, Professor Xavier is somehow still alive long after he should've died (maybe there's some 6th Sense stuff going on?), and the introduction of Laura "X23" Kinney.  There's even a quick shot of what looks VERY much like her claws at the 1:29 mark.

     I'm a little more hopeful for this film than the last two.  It seems they're focusing on a smaller story and keeping it intimate.  I just wish they would've filmed it all to look as gritty as this first black and white image of Logan they released yesterday.  Can you imagine a Wolverine film shot like that?  Just that kind of visual would've set it apart as something extremely harrowing, presenting Logan's last film as something special.  But, as it is, I'll have to wait and see how the story goes before I start tearing it apart.

     [ UPDATE: The Red Band trailer looks better than the standard one above.  There's a few extra shots, and some violent deeds that already push the boundaries of what's been done in the series. ]

     Logan hits theaters March 3rd, 2017.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 2: First Teaser Trailer!!!

     Marvel Studios has released the first teaser for the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, and it looks to be living up to all our hopes.

     We get humor, action, and a tiny, child Groot.

     Everything we could hope for in a sneak peek teaser.

     Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters May 5th, 2017.

Sunflower: Issue 6 Review (451 Entertainment)

     A decade after her husband's murder and the disappearance of her daughter, Tallulah, CJ received a mysterious postcard with her missing daughter's nickname- written the same exact way she used to write it- "Sunflower."

    This prompted CJ to abandon her life as a recluse and embarked on a journey to find her lost child, taking her on a difficult path.  Encountering cryptic clues, resistant police, townsfolk fearful of cult leader Rush Bridge, and even the ominous Egyptian gods the cult worships, she pushed on.  She wandered into the desert alone and faced her own demons, pressed on through the internal darkness, and finally found the cult- who then beat her and left to die- and still, she would not give up.  Absolutely nothing would stop her from finding answers.

     Now, after trekking through hell, CJ finds what she was looking for, but it is certainly not what she expected.  Neither she, nor Sunflower, are the same people they were a decade ago, and the final confrontation is a bit of a shock.  It's a genuine surprise in a very good way.  We see violent emotions expressed by those suffering greatly, feeling both compelling and authentic, and the bonds that family creates no matter what amount of time or distance comes between.  Frankly, it ends perfectly, leaving the door just open enough for the future, as one story's end is another's beginning.

    If you were a fan of HBO's True Detective, Sunflower is the closest a comic has come to that level of storytelling.  The team has created a masterful crime/mystery drama that few other comic books in the genre can hope to match.  Writers Mark Mallouk and Andi Ewington have presented this story with the heartbreakingly realistic grit and determination that any parent would go through for their children.
     Couple this with the tremendous illustrative talents Lee Carter, whose line work and panel layouts lead readers step by step toward something, giving us time to digest the situations instead of hastily pushing us towards the end.  It really allows for a proper slow-build of tension that truly cements the atmosphere that many similar books tend to fail at.

     It's a psychological horror story, it's a relentless tale of survival, it's about unwavering persistence in the face of loss, and it's all staggeringly well done. Seriously, this book is all-around amazing.  Sunflower is an awe-inspiring series that I'd give the highest recommendation to.

     Sunflower issue 6 hits stands Wed. October 19th.

     Official Sites [ 451 Entertainment ] [ Twitter ] [ Facebook ] [ Youtube ]

     Link to 451's [ Comixology ]

     More 451 comic reviews [ HERE ]

*Review copy provided by 451, Thank you!

NVRLND: Issue 3 Review (451 Entertainment)

     In the first issue they gave us the foundations of the classic story of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up, in a modern era completely saturated in the underground music scene of Hollywood High.  It's loaded with sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll- everything a truly good club nightlife story needs to fuel the raver club aesthetic.
     Then in the second issue they cranked up the danger and intrigue by adding some magical elements to the story.  Hook kidnapped Wendy, waged a war on The Lost Boys in their sanctuary at club NVRLND, and he even managed to steal Peter's shadow.

     The writer/creator duo of Stephanie Salyers and Dylan Mulick have ramped up NVRLND's 3rd issue to even greater heights.  Hook is gaining power through Peter's shadow and some black magic.  He's becoming overconfident and giving free reign to his dark appetites.  Peter is suffering greatly at the cost of losing his shadow.  Wendy is lost in her own world and looking for a real connection, while her father, L.A.'s District Attorney, is making progress into finding the source of all the mysterious teen deaths going on around the city as his own daughter is put into the spotlight.

     Secondary characters finally begin to make some headway in this issue as well.  Chief Lily's previous questionable actions become explained, Smee has a wonderfully hilarious moment dressed as a unicorn, and the mute Tinkerbell shows her absolute devotion to Peter despite all odds.  The characters are all becoming more fleshed out, adding a nice depth to the world.

     What makes NVRLND special is the fact that 451 Entertainment's newest series doesn't only focus on the glamour or the fantastical parts of the lavish nightclubbing lifestyle.  It delves equally into the grit and dark side of it as well.  The flashing lights and music of the club are offset by the grim and shady workings of corruption among the city.  They display the aftermath of drugs on peoples lives, the selfish nature of people, which is balanced by some of the small everyday magic in life that many don't notice.  Artist Leila Leiz (and colorist Thomas Chu) capture all these moments wonderfully- from the bright colors of NVRLND to the grimy auto-body shop of a former gang leader.

     This re-imagining of the love story between Peter and Wendy is becoming far better than I had first anticipated, and Hook's taking center stage is handled ingeniously.  He's become even cockier than Peter was, a sure sign of pride before the fall to come.  There's a lot of answers we still need to see, such as where is all the magic coming from and what are the consequences of using it?  Will D.A. Darling solve the homicides case?  Will Peter explain to Wendy what the hell is going on?  And I eagerly look forward to finding out what spawned Hook's vendetta for Peter.  NVRLND's finale can't come soon enough.

     NVRLND 3 is available now.

     Official Sites [ 451 Entertainment ] [ Twitter ] [ Facebook ] [ Youtube ]

     Link to 451's [ Comixology ]

     For more 451 comic reviews [ HERE ]

*Review copy provided by 451, Thank you!

Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel: New PvP Trailer: Choose Your Allegiance

     As we inch towards the release date of the Dark Souls 3 DLC, Ashes of Ariandel, more hype should be expected.  Today we see the release of a trailer hinting to something that feels pretty broken in the core game- PvP.

     This take on the newest Souls' Painted World offers us the typical DLC fair of weapons, armor, bosses, and a new locale.  But this particular trailer focuses primarily on the PvP battle experience in what appears to be an arena devoted solely to destroying each other.  It sounds awesome.

     What might not sound so awesome, however, is the fact that this is the second to last Dark Souls release we may ever get.  To be fair, we do know they are working on another dark fantasy series, that Director Hidetaka Miyazaki hopes will surpass it.

     Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel will be available Oct. 25th.