I think I went a little overboard lately, buying multiple posters and shirts, magnets, stickers I designed myself, a water bottle, and a mousepad. But with Loki, I can't really get enough. Since season 1 ended, I've spent hours finding items to save to my RedBubble favorites list. Yesterday morning I found myself branching that list into a separate Loki list of favorite Variant artwork that I would love to adorn every inch of my house with, inside and out.
All this after spending hours writing about the series, which I haven't turned into a blog post yet because I keep getting distracted. A couple weeks ago my excuse was getting too busy with my business. This past week I suddenly bought a new adjustable bed frame, after thinking about it for a year, but then I had to rearrange my entire room. Now I'm doing this. Anyway, the lesson here for me is I really should do some timeline Pruning in my own life.
The superhero team-up that’s been forever in the making is almost here! I can hardly believe it was all the way back in 2008 that Iron Man came out and I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with the world of Marvel.
And now I can't stop thinking about what a fantastic time I had. It's the very definition of a laugh riot. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to review this fourth wall inside a fourth wall-breaking, cringe-inducing fight scene having, barage of pop culture referencing, creative profanity laced bundle of goodness and joy. Wait, goodness and joy doesn't sound right. Not right at all. Let's call it motor-mouth and bullets.
There was so much packed into every moment that I will absolutely be going again. My familly loved it and the whole theater was constantly bursting out in fits of laughter. From the decidedly different opening credits, which gave not so nice, but hilarious, descriptions to cast and crew rather than names (like "asshat" and "comic relief"), I knew we were in for a wonderful, morally muddled ride. From a comment about a "house that blows up every couple years" to the consequences of punching, and kicking, a man of steel, I barely got a chance to catch my breath. From a sullen teenage fireball to an unfeeeling antagonist super dick that got his name from a soap, there were more than enough superpowers on display in this origin story. And in the few quiet moments of vulnerabilty, I got to see a greater depth than I would have thought.
Ignoring all else, my new love for WW/DP was cemented with his choice of a Voltron ring as an arcade prize, a reference to Fawlty Towers, and referring to the antagonist as a "shit-spackled Muppet fart." I knew almost nothing about the character before the movie, so take it easy on me; that was a great surprise. And, of course, his Bea Arthur t-shirt was a thing of beauty. I had read about his love of Golden Girls. I don't trust anyone who doesn't enjoy those ladies. Then there were references to Star Wars and Taken and The Matrix and Ferris Bueller. Stick around though the end credits for that last one.
I'm so happy that Ryan Reynolds finally got to do justice to the character he played in X-Men Origins, the one that was wrongly silenced and sent after Wolverine. I still like that movie because of Hugh Jackman. But now in his own starring vehicle, Reynolds made a lot of fun of that previous misguided use of the beloved Merc with a Mouth. There were also some shots at the underwhelming Green Lantern, which I enjoyed only because of Reynolds. I'm guessing it was cathartic to finally get to be the right version of the comic character he was meant to play. It was obvious he put a lot of heart into it and it was a greatly entertaining surprise.
I hope Dead Pool does spectacularly in the theater. It was awesome in IMAX, such booming bass. I haven't watched anything in IMAX since The Dark Knight. My brothers, cousins and I went back to watch Batman and the Joker face off three more times after that, astounded by the caliber of Heath Ledger's performance. But everything we've wanted to see in that theater since has been in 3-D. *sigh*
Oops, went off on a tangent there. Anyway, this is definitely not a movie for everybody; I'm quite sure my mom would close her eyes for much of it and say "oh, geez" at all the language. But if (anti-)superhero movies capture your interest, if Spy had you rolling on the floor laughing last summer at all the spectacularly R-rated things Melissa McCarthy and company said, and if you thought Watchmen was only a bit over the top in the gratuitous violence area, but could have been great had it had any sense of humor, then this oddball Marvel movie should be right up your alley...or Main Street. ;-)
So, it looks like I just wrote a mini review even though I said I had no time for it. And now I bring you t-shirts! I tweeted the Deadpool/Stewie from Family Guy shirt that I bought a month ago on a whim. Ryan Reynolds is always someone I look forward to seeing, but I couldn't know if I would be head-over-heels for this rebooted Wade Wilson franchise hopeful. I wore that shirt to the movie, hoping I wouldn't want to burn it later, and I turned out not to be disappointed in the least. I guess that means now I will want everything I see with Deadpool's mug plastered on it, like the four shirts below. Good thing that old avocado is covered by a cool mask.
I was floored by the quality of Guardians of the Galaxy. I kept my expectations low because there was a walking tree and a talking raccoon. I wondered how that would work in live action Marvel. Don't know why I didn't just think back to the likes of The Lord of the Rings or Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It's worked before and Marvel is terrific at making things work. I knew that and still didn't expect much. Boy, was I wrong. I love being wrong. I hardly ever let myself get excited for any movie so that I won't be disappointed if it turns out to be not so good. What a wonderful surprise this one was.
I recently saw Guardians again. Got it for Christmas. It's no less fun, exciting, hilarious, or emotional the third time through, as I suspect the thirtieth will be. It instantly became one of my favorite movies, particularly for a number of great quotes. Three of those quotes are available in the two-day flash sale and one other -- all by DoodleDee -- as part of today's TwoFury. Also, there's a Rocket Bob Ross and his happy little Groot by ZombieDollars (Nik Holmes). I can't stop smiling at that one.
[Update] The flash sale may be over, but these quote shirts are still available, now for $20 each. Unfortunately, since Happy Little Tree, wasn't a part of that collection, it is not for sale on TeeFury anymore. I also can't find it at ZombieDollar's RedBubble or TeePublic stores.
I've been putting off watching any of these trailers and sneak peeks because I've been too busy. It happens often and then I find out that what I was avoiding is great. I like the first Captain America, but not nearly as much as, say, Iron Man or The Avengers. But I was smiling throughout this newest trailer in which I triumphantly laughed at a certain elevator scene ("Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?") and awed at the helicarrier taking a slightly more serious nosedive than previously. Looks like I'm going to have another favorite Marvel movie.
"I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. to protect people." Reminds me of the great Tony Stark line, "I'm trying to protect the people I put in harm's way," which I constantly hear on FX commercials.
I started this blog a few years ago because I was going cuckoo bananas having no outlet for my constant thoughts about particularly resonant movies and series. There are those rare gems that interrupt my sleep and days later are still playing scenes over in my head. Normally I can ignore them and live a normal life without having to share with the world, but there are times when they are impossible to escape and demand to be written about.
The Wolverine is one such movie, and it won't leave me alone until I say something. Let me start with my personal revelation that Hugh Jackman is a wonderful actor, and I apologize to his fans (of which I am now one) for not realizing sooner. I always liked him, but I was never *in* like with him. Hugh was (is) gorgeous, but that doesn't automatically mean soulful and talented. Though he's been in the public eye for more than a decade now, I have not seen much of him. To keep the family peace on movie days, a side-splitting comedy, or just about anything, will almost always win over a critics' darling drama. We tend to want family time to be fun not depressing, so we try to avoid the weep fests as much as possible. Unfortunately, this means that performances showcasing amazing actors may pass me by for many years. If I'm lucky then the people I have overlooked will be in unforgettable blockbusters that show me what I was missing, like Robert Downey, Jr. with Iron Man. Because of Jackman's performance here, I have another actor for my as yet unfinished Wall of Favorites. He delivers the rare performance that makes a superhero believable rather than laughable.
In his best portrayal of Wolverine, Hugh shows a man with fierce heart and humanity, traits which seem to apply to the actor himself (see Children's hospital donation, Laughing Man, Live Below the Line). Logan is hiding from the world, emotionally raw, nursing old wounds that he can never escape. He's haunted by dreams of lost love, Jean, and memories of his past as a POW in Nagasaki, where he selflessly saved an officer named Yashida from the atomic bomb. Logan could have let his captor die to spare himself the agony of the flames attempting to finish what time had failed to do, but then he wouldn't be much of a hero...and there would be no movie, so it's kind of important. That moment of sacrifice is the impetus for this adventure. After a run in with a group of merciless hunters that reminds us of the menace in his eyes and the fire in his chest, Logan is dragged to Japan by striking (in more ways than one) clairvoyant Yukio to pay respects to his old friend, a frail husk of what he was all those decades ago. Once there, he meets Yashida's troubled granddaughter, Mariko, her stern father, Shingen, and her one-time boyfriend and bodyguard, Harada. Of course there has to be more to it than a simple goodbye. Logan is unexpectedly offered a way to be free of his burden, and he begins a journey that will reveal whether he has true resolve to end his life or if there is a reason to fight for it.
An insightful story, swift and brutal fights contrasted with the beauty of Japan, a well-paced script, characters with murky allegiances and motives, an exciting and amusing aerial bullet train sequence, a lot of emotion, and a well executed misdirection that fooled me into thinking I was wrong about a key moment all add up to a wonderful time that is now one of my treasured few. I also admired the decision to utilize subtitles instead of having everyone conveniently speak English even when the Japanese characters are talking amongst themselves. Insanely pumped abs and arms didn't hurt either. Jackman was seriously built in this movie. He had a routine that included lifting hundreds of pounds of weights and taking in 6,000 calories a day. That's dedication. Though the results are amazing, I wish he didn't feel he had to literally give his heart to his work. I'd much rather he be happy, not concerned about how his work was harming his health. I hope he starts avoiding roles that require such extremes.
Yet Hugh just did it all again for X-Men: Days of Future Past. I can't imagine. I hope there's a lot of Logan for all he put into it and that I can be legitimately excited for a multi-mutant spectacular again. The Wolverine made me realize what they were missing and why I haven't gone back to this series in so long: character depth, focus, facility with a scene, honest performances, and the joy of creation. Hopefully, Future Past will continue the trend of the last eight years; it would be silly to go back to the typical corny style of pre-Batman Begins, which went far in making up for the wrongs inflicted upon the world by those Movies Who Will Not Be Named. The Dark Knight and Iron Man then proved that it was no fluke, that great superhero movies were something that could be achieved regularly. They were beautifully-made, camp-free examples of how to translate from page to screen, filled with personality and realism, and these same qualities pump through The Wolverine's massive veins. As with The Avengers, I went in without reading reviews, having no expectations whatsoever, and was completely surprised that this entry felt so grounded. I need more of that.
The Wolverine may take a dark tone, as some have complained, but that's not to its detriment. Though I usually prefer my superhero movies riddled with the number of jokes rivaling the punches and pathos, I also like when the darkness is pretty much all a character can see at the start, only gradually letting the light seep in. For me it depends on the character, their personal demons, and the story being told. I want my Wolverine brooding, a lost soul in search of meaning, at least for a little while. Not being versed in the comics (some day), I now know at least his film version far better. I very much appreciated another solo chapter with my favorite mutant, without the over-the-top powers of others fighting alongside him. The lone hero Marvel-produced movies have been great, particularly the hilarious, fun, and affecting Iron Man and Iron Man 3. Teaming them up in The Avengers was incredibly entertaining, the heroes bickering like a dysfunctional family.
Sadly, the opposite is true for Fox-controlled X-Men, at least for me. The original was very well done and, from what I remember, had a more urgent, gritty feel (read: not rewritten into stark oblivion) than the sequels. It captured my imagination better than the cartoon that aired in my early teens, where I learned of the dangerous hero with the adamantium claws, my first "iron" man and the most interesting of the X-Men. X2 was good, but I didn't care for it like the first and so have hardly thought of it in years. By the time The Last Stand came around, I had fallen out of love with the series. Reviews dissolved my enthusiasm and I skipped it, seeing it in pieces over the years. Except for the jaw-dropping powers Jean had as Phoenix and the wrenching moment Logan fights through disintegration to reach her, it was largely forgettable. X-Men Origins: Wolverine gave me a taste of what I really wanted: a smaller, more personal story. To be fair, I've heard Fassbender and McAvoy were superb in First Class, and it's been on my wish list for a while, but none of the previous entries impressed me the way The Wolverine just did.
I read some complaints (and always wonder why I do), as there always are, about the movie not matching the original comics to the letter, but I just don't care. I am not that into comics as a result of a childhood devoid of money and comic book stores. Even if I had been, I know I'd have little to worry about. My measure of a fantastic movie is the huge smile I leave the theater with, the desire to see it again immediately, and a magnification of that aching wish I've always had to want to be in the business, putting imagination out there to entertain the world. Movies should be respectful of their origins but not shackled to them, stifling creativity. To expect unwavering adherence to the comic ideal is less realistic than a world full of telepaths or pyrokinetics. Go ahead and change the history. Go ahead and add events that were never written about. As long as the adaptation captures the spirit and voice of its source material, holds onto the heart of the character, and turns out well then it doesn't need to be exactly the same. And by chance that I have read every book, poured over every wiki, I appreciate not knowing what's coming next. I appreciate getting to know another side or a reinvention that may be better. I love the familiar, but I also like to try something new.
Not eveything is praise, though. I adored the movie, but it wasn't technically perfect. The final confrontation seemed a bit of a let down after all the action previously. I'm not exactly sure what it was. Maybe because the waves of enemies throughout posed more of a threat when Logan was not quite up to the task. Don't get me wrong here. The revelation worked really well, but the action wasn't up to the standard that had already been set. The glaring flaw, though, was Viper, one of numerous baddies. While she was threatening and creepy, her acting kept distracting me. The best villains have to be somewhat likeable even in their madness, with a glimmer of lost humanity or a reason for being, but Viper was just a standard one-dimensional sociopath. She could have been interesting. Instead she was just another obstacle without a back story.
Still, those two details were not enough to be disappointing, and I love this movie completely. I will definitely be buying it and would highly recommend seeing it in the theater. I would love to go again before it tips into The Void - the excruciating wait between a movie's exit from theaters and release to the public in stores - but I know I won't have time. I missed so many movies this summer. Everyone's always too busy now, and when we're not busy we're exhausted. No Monsters University, no Despicable Me 2, no Pacific Rim, no This is the End. I think I'm also probably going to miss Elysium, from the director of the bleak and powerful District 9. At least I went to Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, and The Wolverine. And The World's End will cap the summer. Wild zombies or killer cults or blue-blooded robots will not keep me away.
If you are now thinking about giving The Wolverine a shot, check Fandango or MovieTickets.com to see if a theater near you is still playing it. Sorry I didn't finish this post earlier. I kept getting sidetracked and editing is the Bane of my existence.
Alright, now I should get back to drawing knives. Maybe inspiration will come from Wolvie's claws.
If you didn't see the Wolverine/X-Men Comic-Con panel, here is a little video treat. "From this man's head, heart, and hand came my career."
Until the series ends, I'll always be behind adding to this playlist. I had to stop for quite a while, so there's a big gap. Still, there are 170 songs to enjoy.
This is the essence of The Blacklist. Probably my favorite is Disturbed's cover of "Sound of Silence." The scene it played over was one of the most devastating ever in the series.
I've been putting off watching any of these trailers and sneak peeks because I've been too busy. It happens often and then I find out that what I was avoiding is great. I like the first Captain America, but not nearly as much as, say, Iron Man or The Avengers. But I was smiling throughout this newest trailer in which I triumphantly laughed at a certain elevator scene ("Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?") and awed at the helicarrier taking a slightly more serious nosedive than previously. Looks like I'm going to have another favorite Marvel movie.
I started this blog a few years ago because I was going cuckoo bananas having no outlet for my constant thoughts about particularly resonant movies and series. There are those rare gems that interrupt my sleep and days later are still playing scenes over in my head. Normally I can ignore them and live a normal life without having to share with the world, but there are times when they are impossible to escape and demand to be written about.
