The Establishing Shot: Marvel

Showing posts with label Marvel. Show all posts

With Valentine's Day coming up I thought I would put together some thoughts on what is obviously the only romantic tale worth watching with your other half (and that will bring you closer together over some popcorn) - Deadpool.

Deadpool Valentines True Love Never Dies Poster (ZOOM)

How do you frame something Deadpool? If you could the makers of the new Deadpool film haven't done a very good job because Deadpool is supposed to be un-frame-able in fact he breaks the frame and the fourth wall. It's kind of like his thing. But what I can try do is give you a framework for thinking upon Ryan Reynolds' latest film a big screen adaptation of Marvel's Deadpool. It's a love story, a horror story, a different kind of super hero story and it's damn funny too.

So what's the film about? Well, you know what's its about - you've seen the multitude of clips and trailers and any other super hero films in the last decade - and right from the jaw dropping establishing shots in the stunning title sequence of the film the film-makers let you know, that they know, that you know and they are going to have a lot fun with it - including references to: "starring God's perfect idiot", "a Moody Teenager", "Comedic side relief", "hot love interest" and "a British Villain" whilst also sneaking references to Green Lantern and the creators of the Deadpool comic character Fabian Nicieza or FZ and Rob Liefeld aka RL.

Marvel's latest big screen Summer blockbuster Ant-Man is still winning over audiences in the UK cinemas and is currently riding high in the UK box office but a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to attend the European press conference for the release of Marvel's Ant-Man and had the opportunity to ask the lead cast as well as director Peyton Reed some burning questions about Ant-Man as well as hear some interesting bits from the Ant-Man team.

The Ant-Man European Press Conference was a grand affair held at London's Corinthia Hotel and in contrast to the small theme of Ant-Man it was rather big. Attending the press conference were most of Ant-Man's lead cast; Scott Lang / Ant-Man himself Paul Rudd, Mr. Michael Douglas who plays Dr. Hank Pym and Michael Peña who takes the role of a close associate of Scott Lang, Luis. The chat was moderated by the people's champion and all round film buff Empire's Chris Hewitt.

Further below I have outlined some of the interesting bits from the conference, which sadly does not convey the camaraderie, humour or quick fire wit on display on the day, so I will add videos from the conference as soon as they are uploaded.

I guess I should frame Ant-Man a little. Boom tish! Ant-Man is a lot of fun with big laughs but it wasn't my favourite Marvel film. I think, whilst different elements will most certainly engage and entertain different audience segments - so everyone will have some fun. I did however feel it was largely aimed at a much younger audience than myself. Much of the film whilst fun while it happens on screen was instantly forgettable for me, with novelty and conventionality overriding depth or meaning and the film feels a little piecemeal to me. But there is a story in there that has the hallmarks of Marvel's sparkling ingenuity.

Marvel's Ant-Man Poster (ZOOM)

Having said that - I felt exactly the same way whilst watching Guardians of the Galaxy a lot of fun but before the end of the film most of it was lost in a swirl of spectacle and explosions. Bear in mind Guardians of the Galaxy was a mega success across the board so if you enjoyed it - you'll enjoy Ant-Man. Also Probably worth bearing in mind that within the Guardians of the Galaxy comics story arc the film covers the start and in my opinion the weakest part of the larger story, it gets a lot better.

I thought I was able to easily manage my expectations of Ant-Man the film mainly as I was not really a reader of the Scott Lang era The Astonishing Ant-Man comics. But I am a huge *fan*, which is possibly not the right word if you know Hank Pym's turbulent history, let's say, I am very fascinated by Henry or Hank Pym as he is most well known. Along with many other wonderful characters he was a small part of my childhood and there is no doubt that he is certainly one of the most complex characters in the Marvel Universe.

In that regard many may acclaim and hold Alan Moore's The Watchmen as the tipping point in mainstream comics where it become acceptable for the good guys to also be afflicted by personal adult issues - but Hank Pym was there first. And I was really hoping that some of that came through into the Ant-Man.

My introduction to Hank Pym was in what I thought would be a quirky once off story, that became an ongoing strip in Tales to Astonish, the same title that later brought us the return of The Incredible Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner. And Hank Pym's adventures were of the weird, wonderful, astounding and unexpected kind. Along with his partner The Wasp they kicked ass and scienced their way out of some tricky situations.

Their adventures were always steeped in Science Fiction and in this respect the Ant-Man film plot does indeed capture the essence of those early comics.

Before seeing the film my approach was that - even if Hank Pym's presence isn't the focus it's OK after all it doesn't really matter who wears the suit it's a symbol – as long as someone is wearing it.

But after leaving the cinema I felt more strongly about the whole - anyone can wear the suit thing. For me in Ant-Man's case it really is the man in the suit that matters which made me remember why I wasn't that interested in the Scott Lang era Ant-Man comics.

Hank Pym was a brilliant man who built something and because of events in his life wanted to do good, sadly tragedy and fragmentation follows him. I was hoping that this would come through in the film. A little bit of it does but not enough - and this is all the more frustrating as director Peyton Reed made it clear that this element of Ant-Man is something that he was interested in as well. If you read on further below Reed makes it clear that if all the stars align and Ant-Man returns in a sequel the door may be open to expanding on Hank Pym's story and character. If so and all the signs are correct I'm guessing that we can expect some early Ant-Man with enough political intrigue and action to rival the brilliant X-Men: First Class/X-Men: Days of Future Past.

... Also it wasn't lost on me that Hank Pym in the comics is such a complicated character and we had a very complicated man playing that character, we had Michael that has an amazing career playing characters with a lot of grey area, and really we just wanted to deepen that character.” - Ant-Man Director, Peyton Reed

There is poetry in the tale of an ordinary man whose problems seem to big and insurmountable that sometimes putting on a suit that makes you small is the only way to overcome them. But Scott Lang comes across as just another victim of circumstance thrust by others into doing what he does, he doesn't seem to be a man of conviction, whilst occasionally cracking a joke. For me the hero by chance thing really doesn't work and I think may be the reason I wasn't so taken with the Scott Lang's Ant-Man comics in the first place. Even the new, new Irredeemable Ant-Man Eric O'Grady who is a plain old bad egg has a fantastic universe and characters around him- making him entertaining.

Again this may all be a non issue for anyone who has not read a Hank Pym comic and will be swept away with the new Ant-Man.

I was fortunate to get an early look at some Ant-Man footage a while back and really enjoyed what I saw, granted the cuts I saw were all about the action which is something that Ant-Man does really well. However I did struggle with some of the characters motivations, rational and actions. The performers really aren't given enough time or substance to bring weight to their larger than life personalities. In previous Marvel films sleight of hand and dazzling us with something of a greater distraction minimised the effect these holes but not so much with Ant-Man.

The Establishing Shot: MARVEL'S ANT-MAN FINAL TRAILER - 17 JULY 15

Another highlight of the film I must mention is the introduction of the Quantum Universe or the Microverse as I know it - anyone who loves Science Fiction will be mesmerised or at least smitten by these scenes but – why, oh why were they so short?

Also it would have been absolutely brilliant if The Micronauts (The Avengers of the Microverse) made an appearance in the Quantum Universe. There is more than enough reason for another visit to the Quantum Universe but either spotting The Micronauts or even having them help Scott would have blown the bloody doors of the cinema and I would have tried to book my seat for Ant-Man 2 then and there. Or dare I say it? How awesome would would it have been if Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange was involved in Scott's return?

I was fortunate to get an early look at some Ant-Man footage a while back which I loved, granted what I saw was all about the action and that is something that Ant-Man does really well. But I did struggle with some of the characters motivations, dialogue and rationale, the performers really aren't given enough time or substance to bring weight to their larger than life personalities. In this respect it is worth reading further below to hear the cast talk about how they built their character's personalities.

Before we get to the good stuff further below I should mention the story of Marvel's Ant-Man does not start with the cinematic release - there are in fact two tiny sets of prequel comics that set events in the film up.

The first is Ant-Man Prelude a little two parter that introduces Cold War era Hank Pym to us and his first mission, in which he dons the Ant-Man suit and heads to Berlin, this mission is referenced a number of times in the opening scene of Ant-Man in the explosive discussion between; Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Howard Stark (John Slattery), Martin Donovan (Mitchell Carson) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) which takes place at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Ant-Man Prelude also introduces another mysterious character who will presumably play a bigger role in Ant-Man's story when they return, whether they are friend or foe is anyone's guess at the moment.

The second is a smaller story: Ant-Man Scott Lang Small Time which brings us to contemporary times and tells the story of how the Robin Hood like Scott Lang gets a little to carried away and ends up in San Quentin prison about to have his skull cracked which is where Scott Lang's cinematic adventure starts.

THE ESTABLISHING SHOT: MARVEL'S ANT-MAN UK TRAILER - 17 JULY 15

Enough waffling, here is the good stuff - The key questions I had lined up to gain some insight into Ant-Man's background were:

Where is Evangeline Lilly?
What was important to convey or bring to life with Ant-Man?
How did Paul Rudd get involved in Ant-Man and what drew him to the project. Leading into could he tell us a little bit about the early production history of Ant-Man?
Can you tell us a little bit about Edgar Wright's involvement in Ant-Man and did you guys collaborate at all after he moved on?
What drew Peyton Reed to the story of Ant-Man?
What happened with Peyton Reed's involvement in the Fantastic Four?
Henry or Hank Pym as he is now known has a complicated history with dark periods. I am curious about why that was not brought to the fore, he seemed to be more of a conventional character can you tell us a little bit about your thinking behind that?
Can you tell us a little bit about how Ant-Man fits into the Marvel Universe moving forward?
Can reed tell your favourite comics or favourite comic stories?

The Establishing Shot: ANT-MAN TEAM LOOKING FOR ME @ THE ANT-MAN EUROPEAN PRESS CONFERENCE - CORINTHIA HOTEL LONDON

Our movie happens to have the structure and feel of a heist movie and I think that’s one of the things that Marvel’s really done well. Sometimes you’ll talk to Kevin Feige and he’s like, we don’t make superhero movies, we make genre movies. And I think that’s been a very smart thing.” - Peyton Reed

Sadly many of the burning questions I was hoping to get some insight into were not addressed, specifically what drew: Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd to Ant-Man and a frank discussion on the early production history and decisions which lead to the film we now have.

Fortunately I was spared some of the onus when the very first question from the floor addressed the Edgar Wright question.Other topics we managed to touch on at a high level included;

Paul Rudd on the pressure of Ant-Man leading into a new era in Marvel films
Peyton Reed on Edgar Wright's part in bringing Ant-Man to life
Michael Peña, Paul Rudd & Michael Douglas discuss the influences on their roles in Ant-Man
Paul Rudd on creating Scott Lang aka Ant-Man
Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd & Michael Peña discuss comics and their early cultural influences
Paul Rudd on getting into shape for the role of Ant-Man
Peyton Reed discusses whether the sub genre heist element of Ant-Man signals a change in the direction in Marvel films
Michael Douglas on the experience of making Ant-Man
Peyton Reed addresses the tone of Ant-Man
Michael Douglas & Michael Peña on the possibility of wearing the Ant-Man suit in an upcoming Marvel film
An acknowledgement of Evangeline Lily's absence
Peyton Reed further hints at possible elements that might be explored in Ant-Man 2 and confirms Paul Rudd will appear as Ant-Man in Marvel's upcoming Captain America: Civil War
Paul Rudd on his participation in Captain America: Civil War

Willard Wigan Ant-Man Micro Art Exhibition

Earlier this week I headed back to Old Street to see the launch of the marvellous Marvel UK The Antsibition or Willard Wigan's micro art Ant-Man Exhibition.

A little while back I received a little invitation to a pop up gallery in Old Street Tube Station, where to celebrate the release of Marvel’s Ant-Man into UK cinemas on the 17th July 2015 Marvel presents The Antsibition in partnership with IMAX 3D.

Marvel UK have teamed up with IMAX and renowned micro-artist Willard Wigan to host a small exhibition or Antsibition of Willard Wigan's micro-sculptures and unveil a specially made Ant-Man sculpture.

The “Ant” sized gallery will be open to the public from 14th to ~~17th~~ 20th July 2015 at Old Street Station in London, and will give visitors a unique chance to experience the tiny world of Ant-Man up close as miniature magic is bought to the gallery which measures just 4.5m by 3.2m.

I had actually heard of Willard Wigan's sculptures but did not connect the dots till I was actually at the exhibition and realised Willard Wigan was the same micro-artist who has created a buzz with his tiny sculptures, is the same Willard Wigan of the nine camels through an eye of the needle fame and actually holds the Guinness Records title of the worlds smallest sculptures.

All photos from my visit can be viewed on our Flickr Channel.

The Establishing Shot: MARVEL UK PRESENTS ‘THE ANTSIBITION’ WILLARD WIGAN MICRO ART ANT-MAN EXHIBITION - MAGNIFIED CLOSE UP VIEW OF MICRO ANT-MAN SCULPTURE IN THE EYE OF A NEEDLE @ OLD STREET TUBE STATION POP UP GALLERY, LONDON

Ant-Man's Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd surprise us at a London screening of Marvel's Ant-Man

Earlier this week we were fortunate to crack invites an early screening to one of this Summer's big blockbusters - Marvel's Ant-Man. And boy did we have a lot of fun! But this isn't about my thoughts on Ant-Man rather the very special surprise we got before the film started as Marvel brought along two very special guests.

After Stu Oakley from Disney hopped on stage to welcome us and tell us to put away our phones and cameras he surprised us by inviting Ant-Man Director Peyton Reed onto the stage to introduce Ant-Man to us.

Now if you are a comic fan I know what you are thinking – no you are not the only comic reader who thinks Peyton Reed sounds like he should be part of Reed Richards' Fantastic Four family.

The Establishing Shot: PEYTON REED & PAUL RUDD HUG AT A SCREENING OF MARVEL'S ANT-MAN IN LONDON

If Taschen are not already your favourite publishing house they should be after this. Somewhere between form and substance lies perfection - and that must be what Taschen aim for when it comes to creating their tomes. Full of glossy high resolution pictures to keep your left side of your brain occupied whilst the right side absorbs the meaningful insight and passion they impart for their subject.

I am lucky enough to posses a couple of these Objet d'art (as they are) which are indispensable reference books particular their recent Film Noir. 100 All-Time Favorites which goes beyond the image on screen to enhance and inform your viewing experience. I dare not open my gorgeous edition of The Stanley Kubrick Archives as I get as much joy knowing that it sits on my bookshelf holding onto its secrets as I would pouring over it and sating my curiosity

Stan Lee and Taschen 75 Years of Marvel Comics

Sadly this quality comes at a cost as Taschen's limited print runs, sell out all too quickly, blink and they are gone. I still have two posts in the cylinder about the absolutely astounding The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s '2oo1: A Space Odyssey' which sold out in days (fortunately there are some "pigment print" editions still available) and for the last couple of months I have been poring over Taschen's Film Noir. 100 All-Time Favorites for review only to discover that within weeks it too was sold out.

The Establishing Shot: TASCHEN VIEWING GALLERY - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ THE SOPRANOS: FAMILY PORTRAIT FROM SUMO COLLECTOR'S EDITION - DUKE OF YORK SQUARE, CHELSEA, LONDON

Unsurprising as Taschen's books are highly sought after collectors pieces beyond their academic value. To get a sense of books as art, pop in to Taschen's Philippe Starck designed Duke of York Square store, just off the Kings Road (right next to the new Saatchi Gallery) and head downstairs to their gallery space - it's like a museum of awesomeness and you can browse their oversize SUMO editions as well as view some of their hard to find prints.

The Establishing Shot: TASCHEN VIEWING GALLERY - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ R2-D2 FROM SUMO COLLECTOR'S EDITION - DUKE OF YORK SQUARE, CHELSEA, LONDON

So this morning when I noticed Taschen had announced the release of an XXL format 75 Years of Marvel Comics book with Stan Lee's endorsement in an uncharacteristic flurry I thought I would get a post up about it ASAP.

A Hulk-sized tome spanning eight decades of the heroic rise of Marvel as it magically mutated from 1939’s four-color upstart to a 1960s pop-culture dynamo to current Hollywood heavy hitter. With essays by comics historian Roy Thomas and a huge fold-out timeline that chronicles the entire Marvel history.

75 Years of Marvel is a volume for and by the truest of ‘True Believers!’ ’Nuff Said.” — Stan Lee

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Marvel Exhibition

For me Captain America: Winter Soldier was by far the most intelligent and relevant Marvel film we have seen so far and proves that Marvel can do subtext as well as be highly entertaining. Winter Soldier is not only a throwback to the Cold War but it also reminds us that the shades of grey that have always pervaded politics and war still exist in this modern age of enlightenment.

Did I mention the many subtle hints and references to Star Wars yet? Like the sounds the ships and weapons make, the aerial battles, the scene where a one armed youth fights his father figure in the depth of a large ship and lets' not forget Nick Fury's entrance - all that was missing was the Imperial March theme tune. Worth a re-watch to see if you spot more or even disagree.

To celebrate the home release of Captain America: Winter Soldier on Marvel are putting on a free CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER PRESENTS THE MARVEL EXHIBITION in Shoreditch and visitors will be able to see artwork featuring the " from artists inspired by Marvel as well as other select items from the Universe. The exhibit will also display for the first time MONDO/MARVEL art in the UK." Sounds pretty exciting. Anyway below are all the details for the exhibition.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier

Writing this post is bitter-sweet for me. Sweet because Thor: The Dark World is pretty damn awesome and I loved it! If you read my thoughts on Kenneth Branagh's previous Thor film over here Thor Review & Maybe I’m Getting To Old For This you'll know I enjoyed some aspects of the film but wasn't blown away, in fact I was a little disappointed. In the run up to its release it did appear that Thor: The Dark World was going to address my particular set of qualms with the Thor and when it came to delivering the goods - it did.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first Thor film - look it was an enjoyable 3D Summer spectacle but I felt it didn't quite capture the Thor I wanted. I struggled with the more fantastical elements of the Asgardian world, this is something that I always struggled with reading the comics as well as the larger Cosmic parts of the Marvel Universe.

#Update:

My review of Thor: The Dark World can be found here > Thor: The Dark World smashes it and asks anyone else? - Thor: The Dark World Review
But something wonderful happened awhile back in discussion with Phil Edwards and Mark Wassmer of Live For Films about Avengers Assemble and The Dark Knight Rises, this was before either of those films were released and they were firmly in the Marvel marketing camp whilst I again was defending DC's flagging attempts. We got to the part in the conversation where Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy became the focus - now I had attempted to read a couple GOTG comics when I was a kid and really didn't get into them. But both Phil and Mark said that the new stuff was great and I really should read the "Cosmic stuff". I responded with I hate that Cosmic stuff - both of them chuckled and Phil says That's exactly what Star-Lord or Peter Quill would say. Now I knew Star-Lord from the brilliant Marvel Preview line so I thought I would look into it.

RELATED
Thor: Dark World Review
Thor Review
Iron Man 3 Review

Well just over a year later I did and I managed to make may way through most of the Cosmic reading list. Including the Guardians of the Galaxy story arc. I was absolutely blown away I couldn't put the comics down and rushed through many of them in days. I became a huge Guardians of the Galaxy fan and a by product of this was that I know now who the aliens in Avengers Assemble were as well as their place in the larger scope of things (they are only the beginning).
Why am I telling you this well there is some crossover into Thor's world and reading the Cosmic arcs not only reversed my opinion on it, but put the other areas of the Marvel Universe in the shade - for me the cosmic elements are now the strongest part of the Marvel Universe and I can't wait to see it explored on screen. and that includes seeing what Alan Taylor does with Thor: The Dark World.

If you read my Thor review or my report from the Marvel Presentation at Empire's MovieCon where I asked Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Feige and Tom Hiddleston:

"With the overwhelming success of Iron Man, will that become a template for further Marvel films, or will Thor be darker or have more pathos?”"

You'll know I wanted Thor to be different from Iron-Man. I loved Iron-Man but I want Thor to live in a universe that feels like it has god and monsters and all sorts of Cosmic elements to it not just a spin off of the world Iron-Man lives in. He is the God of Thunder.

Well it looks like Thor: The Dark World is going to address this.

Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that pre-dates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery “ #83 in August, 1962.

We can expect to see Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World in UK cinemas from 30 October 2013. In the meantime below I'll be updating this post with all the official news you need to know about Thor: The Dark World.

I think a reasonable amount of time has passed since The Wolverine was unleashed into cinemas to consider this non spoilerish. A little while ago I had the chance to chat with Director James Mangold the man, who made: Cop Land, Girl, Interrupted & Walk the Line amongst other films, about his eagerly anticipated new film the Hugh Jackman starrer - The Wolverine.

During the discussion about his approach to making The Wolverine James Mangold came across as very much his own person and having a very clear vision for his Wolverine – he won me over, and too be honest I ended up wishing that I had enjoyed The Wolverine more. Who knows? Maybe when I rewatch the Blu-ray I'll have a deeper appreciation of it.

I felt like I was in the minority as most of the audience attending on the day really seemed to enjoy The Wolverine - possibly my familiarity with the character combined with high expectations of finally seeing The Wolverine that I wanted to see on screen, wouldn't allow me to enjoy it - for what is was. But I can certainly recognise that for the most part The Wolverine is a good effort to create something different from the usual blockbuster superhero film.

Many of my colleagues loved The Wolverine, you can read Ben Mortimer's 5 Star review of The Wolverine over here! Sadly I did not.

Wolverine is one of the most intriguing, if not fascinating characters in the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately in the comics he has never quite lived up to the promise of an ageless feral warrior that is near indestructible and is at his best when surrounded by many other personalities to bounce off. Sadly Hugh Jackman's latest outing as Logan in James Mangold's The Wolverine doesn't quite live up to the promise either.

As a long time reader of The Wolverine comics I have always felt that the idea of a small ferocious anti hero that always walks his own path and overcomes the much larger odds with no no fear - backed with an unbreakable skeleton and claws is an exciting prospect. Add to this his mysterious past and you have fanboy delight.

To be honest I don't have a whole lot to say about Iron Man 3. As you have by now heard it is an immense amount of fun, a rip roaring yarn and its quick fire wit will have you smiling the whole way through. It is a fitting end to the Iron Man 3 trilogy and genuinely entertaining but it's not perfect - it has Stan Lee's shortest blink-and-you'll-miss him cameo, there is no Black Sabbath Iron Man playing on the soundtrack, not even a rif and worst of all it doesn't have Hulk smashing anything. Oh and it is instantly forgettable.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 is the first huge blockbuster out of the gate for 2013 and marks the official beginning of the UK Summer (of film, that is) which is ram packed with comedy, superheroes, action, romance and drama. Which pretty much sums up Shane Black's Iron Man 3.

However if you insist on more - read on. I was one of the fortunate few who got to see Iron Man 3 ahead of its release and as a longtime comic reader I have to say it was a pleasure to watch.

Going in to see the first Iron Man I had little expectation and it absolutely blew me away with its well crafted high entertainment factor and completely energised me with regards to comic to screen adaptations. Sure it had an incredibly lame villain but- up until then comic to film adaptations were pretty much hit or miss and the best adaptations we had were fairly dark and adult - but Iron Man changed the game and opened up a new way of doing things. Balancing humorous charm with high action.

They made a film that above all else, perfectly captured the experience from my youth of reading a comic (just better) and to be honest there were moments when I was taken right out of the film to stop, take a moment to look around and think:

I'm sitting here, in a cinema, watching a film based on a world that I spent a lot of time visiting as a kid. And everyone in the cinema is enjoying that world as much as I did/do.

It was a great shared experience and a day I never thought would come.

The Wolverine trailer is expected to be unleashed at 1pm today so I thought I would put some thoughts to paper on the bits we have seen so far, that I am sure could be extrapolated into understanding the the full trailer and what can be expected from The Wolverine.

James Mangold released teaser trailer onto Vine a couple of days ago it may only be 6 seconds long but it offers a wealth of information about The Wolverine. All our Wolverine updates can be found here: http://www.theestablishingshot.com/2013/03/on-our-radar-wolverine-all-updates.html including the new The Wolverine Trailer.

The Wolverine International Poster (Click to enlarge)

Before that here is some context to frame The Wolverine that like me you may have missed or werent interested enough to follow. Last October Wolverine Director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman spoke with Marvel's Agent_M (Ryan Penagos) and let us know the following key points

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE WOLVERINE
Hugh Jackman - The Wolverine felt different and fresh from development through to shooting and he knows the fans are going to be surprised and dig it.

I'm guessing that Hugh Jackman is talking about his fans,the afternoon matinee screen idol fans rather than fans of the comic character The Wolverine as he pretty much said the same thing for X-Men Origins: Wolverine as he toured the world promoting the hell out of the worst comic book adaptation in years. In all honesty the team have got a lot of work to do to turnaround the damage caused by X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Or do they? X-Men Origins: Wolverine was reportedly made for £99 Million and had takings of around £250 Million 252% Return, placing it financially below Batman Forever (£53 vs £176 Million - 332% Return) but ahead of the far superior X-Men: First Class (£105.5 vs £233 Million - 221% Return). Don't hate me I'm just the messenger.

But things get interesting and promising from here out!

We can expect to see James Mangold's The Wolverine in UK cinemas on 26 July, 2013 In the meantime here are all the updates you need for The Wolverine.

As with many comic readers The Wolverine was a favourite character of mine along with Angel aka Archangel, Banshee, Iceman and Colossus. His particular brand of rogue ferocity and mysterious background made him a firm favourite as he is often ranked in the top comic character polls. Introduced as a plucky feral warrior who goes up against both the Hulk and Wendigo at the same time in 1974 he only got his own ongoing comic series in 1988 thanks to Chris Claremont and John Buscema.

The Establishing Shot: MARVEL WOLVERINE #1 SIGNED BY CHRIS CLAREMONT by Craig Grobler

The Establishing Shot: MARVEL WOLVERINE #1 SIGNED BY CHRIS CLAREMONT, a photo by Craig Grobler on Flickr.

Since then he has had some great highlights as he slashed and bashed his through the Marvel universe and his mysterious origin was teased at and slowly unravelled over the almost 3 decades he had been in print till then. He has also had some low points accumulating in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009 which set Wolverine back as well as comic book films a couple of steps.

Wolverine has one of the most interesting albeit clichéd and convoluted back stories of almost any comic character, he has 130 years of combat experience including military and martial arts training, a feral animal instinct, super healing powers, an almost indestructible adamantium skeleton and an almost unmatchable *cough Hulk* berserker rage. He is the dark reflection of Captain America's Super Soldier with better physical enhancements. This should all add up to one of the most kick ass comic characters on screen. Yet Hugh Jackman keeps trying to play the basically he's a good guy card to soon every time trying to equate him to the 1977 version of Superman which would be mind blowingly awesome, if it was 1977. Wolverine isn't Superman and when stop trying to turn him into Superman on screen they'll engage audiences.

Hugh Jackman is a very talented and pleasant man but seems to miss that we are waiting for the Wolverine that the comics have led us to - an unreasoning feral bad ass. The closest we have seen the Wolverine's spirit captured on on screen was in Pitch Black where Vin Diesel plays an animalistic warrior out for himself as well as this little gem cameo from X-Men: First Class where Logan rejects Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr's offer to join there class which you can see here: http://youtu.be/lvHI7IQmK4Q

But I am ever hopeful that between James Mangold and Hugh Jackman they create some movie magic and take this opportunity to bring The Wolverine to screen in either a way that is closer to The Wolverine the fans envision or exceed our expectations in the same way Marvel has with their other comic character films.

Based on the celebrated comic book arc, The Wolverine finds Logan, the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.

In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

This time on The Establishing Shot Magazine Genre Edition 01- Skyfall Rockets Past The £100m Box Office Barrier In The Uk - Skyfall Continues To Make Box Office History, Skyfall And The Bond 50 Collection Are Here! More At 007.com!, For Your Ears Only The New Autobiography By Bond Girl Voice-over Artiste Nikki Van Der Zyl Now Out, David Arnold Talks Skyfall, Ee Bafta Nominations & Life Of Pi, Daniel Craig And Judi Dench Named Top Movie Stars Of 2012, Skyfall Pair Voted Best Of The Year In Sky Movies Hd Poll, James Bond ‘skyfall’ Boosts Cut Throat Razor Sales By 405%, Skyfall Smashes Uk Box Office Record To Become Biggest Film Of All Time Bond Makes History In Just 40 Days, Goldfinger Moment Tops List Of Bond Best Bits In Sky Movies Hd Poll, Skyfall Train, The Amazing Spider-man 2 Sneak Peek At Spider-man's New Look, Iron Man 3 Brand New Poster, Iron Man 3 - Brand New Pepper Potts Character Banner, Iron Man 3 - Brand New The Mandarin Character Banner, Zack Snyder Talks Superman Man Of Steel, Warner Bros. Pictures And Legendary Pictures Are Proud To Unveil The Super New Trailer For Man Of Steel!, Taschen Announce The Golden Age Of Dc Comics Book, Star Trek Into Darkness First Look Featurette, Star Trek Into Darkness Motion Poster, After Earth Trailer, The Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray And Special Screening Programme - Exclusive Theatrical Screenings In Vue Cinemas Across The Uk And In Dublin On 2nd, 3rd & 5th March, Paramount’s Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3d Arrives In Imax®theatres In The U.k. Starting February 27, Classic Dracula Released On 3-disc Double Play On 18th March 2013, Evil Dead - Green Band Trailer, Barry Levinson Talks About Real-life Monsters In Eco-horror The Bay!, V/h/s Pop Up Video Rental Store Event Captured On Video!, Sinister Vision Appears In Pancake!, Steamy Thriller 247°f To Première At Grimmfest!, John Woo's Reign Of Assassins Gets 2 New Clips, White Collar Hooligan 2: England Away - International Trailer

The Establishing Shot: JAMES BOND NEWS

SKYFALL ROCKETS PAST THE £100M BOX OFFICE BARRIER IN THE UK - SKYFALL CONTINUES TO MAKE BOX OFFICE HISTORY
Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment are delighted to announce that Skyfall, the UK’s most successful film of all time, continues to smash box office records and has now taken a staggering £100,460,679, the first film in box office history to cross the £100m mark.

SKYFALL, the 23rd James Bond adventure, continuing the longest running and most successful franchise in film history opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Friday 26th October 2012, and is still on general release. Additionally, the film has generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide.

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in SKYFALL™, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. The film is from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Directed by Sam Mendes. Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan.

SKYFALL AND THE BOND 50 COLLECTION ARE HERE! MORE AT 007.COM!
When it comes to cultural icons, James Bond is one of the biggest and most influential. These past 50 years we've been able to experience 007s finest adventures on the big screen, including last year with the excellent SKYFALL which shattered box office records. This piece, set to Adele's 'Skyfall', revisits Bond's adventures, from Dr. No to Skyfall, taking you through the various eras of the Bond legacy. Get those Martinis ready!

This is in no way a full retrospective of the Bond films, the only way to truly live 007's adventures is by seeing them yourself. And what better way to do that than with the Bond 50 Collection on Blu-ray! Each film has been restored to its former glory with pristine picture quality. They really outdid themselves with the 4K restoration process and so every frame of footage used in this video is straight from the source, maintaining the best possible quality from edit to upload.

Iron Man 3 PEPPER POTTS Gwyneth Paltrow Character Banner

With the release of IRON MAN 3 fast approaching on April 26th 2013, we are pleased to make available the fourth character banner featuring GWYNETH PALTROW as PEPPER POTTS. PEPPER POTTS [Gwyneth Paltrow] Pepper has progressed from Tony Stark’s assistant to the head of Stark Industries, pausing along the way to fall in love with Tony as well. Bright, loyal and honest, Pepper understands Tony Stark more than anyone and sometimes that can be both a worrisome and a dangerous thing.

titus welliver talks Marvel's item 47 Avengers

TITUS WELLIVER! Even his name alludes to great things coming. I have to say there are few times in life when a single brief chat with a person can totally change your perception of them and my chat with Titus Welliver is definitely one of them.

RELATED
Iron Man 3 Review
Thor Review
James Mangold in conversation anout The Wolverine

Based on the engaging personable performances & dangerous intensity Titus Welliver brings to screen I had kind of envisioned him as an almost mythical poet warrior figure who gargled whiskey for breakfast, read Time, Kafka & Bukowski in between push-ups, in the afternoons when he wasn’t practising his acting method with De Niro, Walken & Pacino, you could either find him boxing at the local gym or painting (for completeness sake in the evenings he plays poker and discuses philosophy). He just exudes that easy going natural creative confidence that you know is going to take him where he wants to be and it shines through on screen.

Image: Titus Welliver Item 47 on the Avengers Assemble Blu-ray

Well some of the above may be true, but my chat certainly wasn't long enough to explore any of it however I now know that Titus Welliver is a articulate, gracious, focussed, humble, family man with a huge love of comics – that’s right he is a huge geek.

Avengers Assemble really took me by surprise I genuinely did not expect it to be as great as is. How could it be? How could taking some of Marvel’s greatest characters, each a huge complex franchise in its own right and put them on screen together possibly work? It does and then some – the long story short is that Joss Whedon makes movie magic and brings back the magic of the Saturday matinees of my youth in a solidly entertaining super hero film.

So a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to Disney to see a special presentation of the features to be found on the Avengers Assemble Blu Ray released next week. A bit geeky - you may think. But many of these missing & alternative scenes, bloopers and featurettes had not been publicly seen yet - so I was pretty excited also this was the unveiling of the next in the series of Marvel’s one-shot short film Item 47 to the UK.

For weeks we have been teased with hints and bits from Marvel's short film Item 47 a spin off from The Avengers or Avengers Assemble universe expected to be available on the upcoming home release of Avengers Assemble . Today they released a clip from Item 47 and it can be seen below.

S.H.I.E.L.D. recovered all but one... a Chitauri weapon, aka "ITEM 47." After a young couple, Benny (Jesse Bradford) and Claire (Lizzy Caplan), stumble into finding the elusive weapon, they embark on a bank robbing spree. With S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (LOST's Titus Welliver and AVENGERS's Maximiliano Hernandez) hot on their trail, it's only a matter of time before the couple have to pay for their crimes.

It would seem that The Amazing Spider-Man is not taking all this Batman related The Dark Knight Rises Bwahhhaaa! malarkey lying down and after Marvel’s Avengers Assemble came out fighting against all odds with Joss Whedon pulled a rabbit out of the bag to make the most suprising and funnest summer film I have seen since 2004 and The Dark Knight Rises final trailer revealing that despite a detour to the vague side that TDKR will indeed follow the overall story line most fans suspected from the beginning (and shamefully taking a note out of The Mark of The Spider-Man viral campaign, which they loaned from The Dark Knight Viral Campaign) this could be the right time for Spidey to swing in and remind us why he is one of the most popular comic characters ever.

Avengers Assemble is actually a Joss Whedon film that changes the game. Man I loved Avengers Assemble! I guess some of you are thinking? Well why wouldn't I? I have an enviable comic collection. I've read comics for most of my life and enjoy films. So of course the Venn diagram would intersect leaving the only possible conclusion that I would love films based on comics.

Well not so, foremost - I enjoy films that are good. My childhood love of comics may have left me with an incredible knowledge of story arcs; characters and universes outside our reality. But it also makes the disappointments of lacklustre comic adaptations all the more bitter as my childhood idols were walked over. And let’s be honest there have been a lot of disappointments over the years. So much so that our expectations have been lowered to the point where ok, mediocre or a slight variation on the theme is enough to keep at least one segment of the audience happy.

Whilst leaving the rest of the audience wary and with distaste for over hyped, unimaginative by the numbers or out of touch super hero stories. It was this sentiment that led Mathew Vaughn to sum up the state of big super hero films for The LA Times with:

“It’s been mined to death and in some cases the quality control is not what it’s supposed to be,...People are just going to get bored of it, ...audience fatigue is already starting to set in. The subject material can’t sustain the Hollywood trample, he said, and the inevitable box-office duds and derivative projects will mark the end of the gold rush by studios....” - Mathew Vaughn

Whilst I agree with his diagnoses of the symptoms I wasn’t total on board with the assumption that super hero films need to be made like big blockbusters, but more importantly I do believe that there are still many big super hero comic adaptations to be made and all that is needed was a smarter approach. I know - easy to say but a lot harder to get through the Hollywood machine. But as a paying audience shouldn’t our opinion count? Regardless of how simplistic it may be.

Inconceivable! This is certainly a surprise - to me anyway. Avengers Assemble is now officially the most anticipated film of summer ahead of Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus!

Yahoo over in Japan have released a new Avengers Assemble trailer that shows us a lot more of the mysterious enemy that The Avengers will have to face.

In Marvel Avengers Assemble superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

As well as previously seen bits this new trailer also shows us glimpses of the unknown Alien army invading earth, Director Joss Whedon has confirmed that they are not Kree, Kevin Feige of Marvel has already said they are not Skrulls but could they be Chitauri?, more of the friction between the Avengers, more of S.H.I.E.L.D's Helicarrier, more of Maria Hill as Cobie Smulders, and unfortunately more of Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pottsof and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.

From now on I think all big summer film trailers should get a Japanese voice over - it just makes it seem better.

Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston attended the opening of the new Vue Xtreme Screen Islington last Thursday to introduce the record breaking new Marvel Avengers Assemble trailer to UK fans – in Xtreme screen 3D – before a screening of Disney’s John Carter.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) introduced the trailer to fans saying

“I am very proud of the film. But I can’t take credit for the trailer myself. This is the work of the brilliant Joss Whedon!”

The new Marvel Avengers Assemble trailer has already amassed millions of views online. The trailer can be seen in 3D before screenings of John Carter across the country from Thursday 8 March, 2012.

Along with a name change to Marvel Avengers Assemble Marvel we are treating us to a new trailer. Which can be seen below or in it's entire marvellous screen shattering big screen 3D format from the 9 of March 2012 exclusively before John Carter screenings.

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel Avengers Assemble”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel Avengers Assemble” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel Avengers Assemble" hits UK cinemas on April 26, 2012.

In “Marvel Avengers Assemble” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.
of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War.

A couple of weeks ago I went along to the Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Press conference. I went mainly to get a better understanding of Nicolas Cage the man behind the tabloid headlines whose films have made close to £3 Billion and hopefully get the chance to talk comics and films with the actor.

During the 30 minute discussion which included some baiting and frankly bizarre questions asked of Nicolas Cage I did indeed get some of the way to understanding the man - as well as talk comics with Cage.

Since watching Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (my review of which can be found over here!) and this press conference my enthusiasm for some of Marvel's less well known and older original comic titles from it’s Curtis brand imprint has been reinvigorated and I have set about scouring London's comic shops and online auctioneers for titles like; Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Doc Savage, Kull and the Barbarians, Monsters of the Movies, Rampaging Hulk and Savage Sword of Conan. All classic stuff that never carried the Comics Code Authority seal and has subsequently been forgotten. But there is a wealth of imagination and untapped source material waiting to be re-discovered and hopefully with time permitting over the months I’ll post about some of the titles I find.

Although Nicolas Cage did not jump on the table shouting LULU as I was hoping - he came across as a dedicated professional, who takes his work very seriously and throws himself wholeheartedly into every project he is involved in - as is with the case of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance showing in cinemas now. Cage was surprisingly open and frank about many aspects of his career and the making of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Nicolas Cage was very entertaining and had the room laughing out loud on more than one occasion - so it probably worth noting that some of the comments below may read a bit strange or off the wall when removed out of the context of the fairly jovial atmosphere of the room that they were made in.

I enjoyed Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance it is by no means a perfect film but and I’ll go so far as to say that Nicolas Cage’s interpretation of this Ghost Rider is up there with the best of the comic character to screen adaptations that draws on the essence of the character like; Billy Campbell's Rocketeer, Christian Bale’s Batman, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Dolph Lundgren’s Punisher, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Mickey Rourke’s Marv, Robert Downey’s Iron Man, John Wesley Shipp's Flash and The Watchmen. Yip I think that's all of them.

The team behind Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in the UK are making it hard for me not to break their embargo stopping any opinion about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance being leaked ahead of it's release next week

They have just sent me this Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Bagger Demolition Clip. Which in my opinion is part of one of the best action scenes of the film. In the clip you can see a darkly devious Nicolas Cage as the Ghost Rider taking on a small mercenary army after transforming a Bagger or Bucket-wheel excavator (a heavy duty digging machine used in large-scale open pit mining operations) into one of his spirit vehicles - something Director's Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor explore in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The destruction is awesomely set to the riff of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir.

Last night I was lucky enough to go along to see The Amazing Spider-Man Sneak Peek into the Untold Story Event. I had absolutely no idea of what to expect going into the event and organisers were very tight lipped. We got the heads about the event from the The Amazing Spider-Man Viral Projections that took place in 13 Cities around the world.

After being leaked onto the internet. The official The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer has been released.

Some interesting camera work and they seem to have learned a thing from Christopher Nolan as The Amazing Spider-Man has taken a darker tone. But apart from some really good casting Andrew Garfield = Peter Parker so far it seems to be very similar to the earlier Spider-Man films?

My thoughts have now been updated over here after seeing the trailer in 3D on the big screen.

There was a point about 3 minutes into Thor where I had sudden realisation, it’s the same realisation that I had recently when watching Iron Man 2 and Tron: Legacy. Here I was sitting in a cinema, watching a big screen filled with imagery and characters that I had imagined in my mind many times over.

If you read my blog you know that I read a lot of comics and yes I used to read a lot Marvel’s The Mighty Thor. Growing up I had allegiance to DC Comics and but the few Marvel characters that I did read I had a real attachment to. I think DC’s simplistic world view of evil & good was easier to digest as a kid than Marvel’s more complex views.

In the past
Traditionally DC seemed to have led the way when it comes to comics, initially with the success of it’s solitary heroes (Batman, Superman) then hero teams (Justice League of America), then in the 80s dipping their toes in more mature waters (Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Killing Joke and a final stab in the late 90s with The Authority outside their current universe) somewhere between the late 90s and present day Marvel took the lead reinventing their universe for a maturing audience and becoming relevant to a younger audience that had grown up at a time when we are bombarded with over stimulus from every angle.

Marvel’s reinvention was led by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s 2002 The Ultimates a super hero tale using traditional Marvel characters addressing more mature themes for a savy fan base. Marvel’s film works have moved in the same direction albeit a more bumpy path;

Marvel Comics film infographic

Although Thor was not one of my favourite comics growing up I did read a lot of them and have an attachment to his universe. However there were some aspects of Thor I could never reconcile:

The whole Norse God/Odin/Asgard/Rainbow bridge/magic/realms aspects of Thor carried little weight with me and if anything just interrupted the flow of his earthly adventures and I just ignored those bits of the comics.

I totally bought into an arrogant son being harshly punished by his father and having to live his life as a cripple mortal to learn humility. However there is a caveat to this – my entire childhood I only ever knew Thor as either a warrior hero or as his alter ego Donald Blake a selfless doctor and never as anything less than mighty.

So I could only surmise that his banishment was some sort of misunderstanding or jealousy. Also Thor seemed to be so mighty to me that if he really wanted to I was sure he could make his way back to Asgard or wherever he wanted to go any time.

I also could also not understand why Loki kept on getting away with so much stuff without being destroyed once and for all. As I grew up I understood more about the Comics Code Authority and how there will always be a need to balance out the good and evil in the comic universe. It’s worth noting that Marvel in 2001, the year before The Ultimates hit news stands Marvel withdrew from the Comics Code Authority.

Last year
Also after seeing some very Iron Man’esk footage of Thor at Empire’s Movie-Con III I asked Kevin Feige, Kenneth Branagh & Tom Hiddleston:

“With Iron Man being such a success would that become a template for the further Marvel films or would your [Branagh’s] vision be slightly different, darker, a little less fun with more pathos?”

You can hear the answer for yourself in the video below from 02:15 or read Empire’s take on it further below, stolen from their website here!

WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU!

Trending This Week

Featured post

Search This Blog

For your diary

Craig says...

Stay Social

The GOAT

WP

Interesting Blogs & Vlogs

Recent Posts

byNWR

Recently Watched