Trailer Tuesday 10/29

Gravity ruled the box office for several weeks since the last Trailer Tuesday. The Fifth Estate quickly tanked, though its star garnered much acclaim. Honestly, I had no intention of seeing it, even for Benedict Cumberbatch. I am excited, however, to see him in Twelve Years a Slave and August: Osage County, the latter I believe might be my family's Christmas movie now that Monuments Men has been moved to February. And, of course, I'm waiting patiently for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. This pretty much is the year of Cumberbatch and I'm perfectly okay with that.

Four Minute Preview for Amazing Spider-Man Released

The buzz is strong with this one. Coming off the heels of The Avengers will be Marvel's next origin story, The Amazing Spider-Man, which is said to provide the "untold story" of Peter Parker's origins. Last night on the season premiere of America's Got Talent, a four minute preview of this film was shown and has taken the web by storm. The clip shows Parker in his official role as Spider-Man and the lengths at which he will go to save the day. Video after the break.

Movie Review: The Avengers

About The Avengers, a friend said, "First time ever I've gone to a movie with ridiculously high expectations and not only had them met, but exceeded." Let me say, that I fully agree with this statement. You see, I saw this movie not because I had read the comics, but as a fan of comic book movies. I knew just enough about the characters from those films to make me care about them and want to see how they all fit together, this group of exceptional people... The Avengers, brought together by Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

We are thrown head-first into the action from minute one, where we see the plot begin to take shape. Loki, Norse god and brother of Thor, is back for revenge and the sibling rivalry helps drive the action between these two characters. Loki has rightly gone mad, his thirst for power and the acceptance from Odin that he never received causes him to seek an alliance with beings outside of both Earth and Asgard. This alliance, coupled with Loki's hunger for domination, brings the fight onto the doorstep of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But would they actually step up to the plate? What is it that they are fighting for? Each member of the team has to look deep down, and that is an element that Sir Joss Whedon brought to this film. If there is something that Joss Whedon can do, it is create a strong character, and a strong ensemble. He did it with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he did it with Firefly, and he has done it with The Avengers.

New Amazing Spider-Man Trailer Released - Glimpse of Lizard and Peter Parker's Parents!

On Tuesday,  the newest trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man was introduced to the world. Now, it's a trending topic on Twitter. And why not? It looks like a great film! Andrew Garfield is really witty with this portrayal of Peter Parker with lines like, "You seriously think I’m a cop, in a skintight red-and-blue suit?" It seems like there will also be a very interesting relationship between Spiderman and the NYPD, something that wasn't exactly explored in the Sam Raimi trilogy. And what about the villain? We get to see the origin of Lizard (Rhys Ifans), as Parker tries to investigate about his own past. I think that it's a good thing to call this "the Untold Story" because it really is. Marc Webb's adaptation is a lot more gritty and much darker than the three Raimi films. Hopefully there won't be a dance number and emo Peter Parker. 

The Amazing Spider-Man slings into theaters July 3, 2012.   

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Movie Review Captain America: The First Avenger

I've been a Marvel girl most of my life. It all started with reading Spiderman at the soda fountain of a local drug store when I was no older than four. My Saturday mornings were soon filled with the Fox Kids line-up of X-Men, Batman (Yes, I do know it's DC) and Spiderman cartoons. While I've never been a comic book connoisseur, I have always appreciated good cartoons and movies and I'm not alone. Most everyone you talk to say that they include a comic book movie among their favorite flicks, most notably Batman, either Christopher Nolan's version or the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films. If I was asked to pick a favorite, it would have been the original X-Men movie from 2000. I still haven't seen X-Men: First Class so I cannot compare though I will try and see it soon so I can share my thoughts. That being said, Captain America: The First Avenger may just have taken over as my favorite comic book movie.

My Spidey Sense says... teaser trailer!

We've been waiting for it and here it is... the teaser trailer for The Amazing Spider-man. It comes off the heels of the leaked trailer for The Avengers, which will go live in about 5 hours with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger. I was very excited to see this trailer released. I've always been a huge fan of Spiderman ever since I was a kid and tried my hardest to love every moment the Tobey Maguire trilogy.

Warner Brothers teases us with The Dark Knight Rises

If you were among the millions that went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this weekend, you caught a first glimpse at Christopher Nolan's last installment of the Dark Knight legend in The Dark Knight Rises. In it, we see a feeble Commissioner Gordon as he beseeches for a return of The Bat Man. You can tell he's in a lot of pain as he says that Evil rises. The trailer features shots of Batman and Bane.

I pledge allegiance to Captain America

A new theatrical trailer for Captain America was released just a couple of weeks ago, and now that we've hit July 4th, America's Day of Independence, the clock continutes to tick toward the July 22 release date. I made it no secret that I am a strong supporter of Captain America and his message. As an American historian, I believe that though he ws initially created as a piece of political propaganda, there is something genuine and steadfast about this normal guy from Brooklyn who becomes an ultimate warrior for the American way. Come on, this guy is a veteran Nazi-pwner for crying out loud! Superman, to my recollection never beat up any Nazis.

In fact, the very first issue of the Captain America comic, Captain America Comics #1, depicted Cap punching Adolf Hitler square in the jaw. That issue, dated March 1941, went on to sell one million copies. March 1941 was around one year since the fighting of World War II had begun, but only nine months before the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the catalyst that would bring the United States into WW2. In Captain America: The First Avenger, our villain is Red Skull, portrayed by Hugo Weaving, who, like Captain America, is a test subject of his country's super-soldier program.

Steve Rogers was horrified by newsreel footage of Nazi soldiers ransacking Europe and the Japanese and Chinese treatment of Korea. So, he attempted to enlist in the military in order to become a soldier for WW2. Ultimately being rejected due to his size and frailty, he is handpicked for the super soldier program. When he becomes Captain America, he goes on a whirlwind tour to boost morale in America.

Captain America: The First Avenger looks like an absolutely fantastic movie and it looks to me like it's stayed true to the comic book story. Chris Evans is no stranger to comic adaptations, of course, portraying Human Torch in both Fantastic Four movies.

Keep an eye out for more Captain America news and a review following the movie's release!

Movie Review: The Green Lantern

As I've said before, I'm not a huge comic book aficionado, however, I appreciate comic book movies. I went into seeing Green Lantern with only a basic knowledge of the story of the Green Lantern Corps, but as I am a fan of lore and a good story, I have come to really enjoy the world of the Green Lantern. The very beginning of the movie provides an excellent way for those not in the know to get caught up on the story. The introduction explains who the Corps came into being and the creation of Oa by the Guardians.

America... F*%$ Yeah!

Okay, no, this isn't about Team America: World Police, it's about Captain America! With less than a month to go before release, a new trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger went live today! And holy schniekies, is it amazing. The trailer doesn't skip a beat. I could prattle on about how star-studded this cast is (Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark) but why don't you just watch this awesomeness for itself? Video after the cut!