Wolverine Movie Footage Previewed, Gambit Appears

    If you haven’t heard about it yet, Hugh Jackman is set to reprise his role as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine in the upcoming X-men spinoff X-men Origins: Wolverine. Comic fanboys (including yours truly) all over the world have been anticipating any news about the said film especially any images that would show how they would look like. So, last weekend was certainly a treat for all of us. At the San Diego Comic Con, Marvel unleashed a kickass footage from the movie.

    The video showed Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth (who kinda looks like Russel Crowe in the film). Both were shown tied up in front of a firing squad as they shoot their guns. A voice in the background asked how did the execution go then Wolverine answered “It tickled!” in true badass fashion. 

    A lot of new characters from the Marvel Universe were shown in the preview including a young William Striker, Blob, Silver Fox, John Wraith (Played by Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am) and Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds). Yet, my favorite appearance in the footage was by Canadian Actor and Model Taylor Kitsch who plays non other than… Gambit! The card playing Cajun got the biggest cheers from the crowd at the convention as his appearance was long overdue and I simply don’t understand why the hell wasn’t he included in the previous X-men films. He is simply one of the coolest characters in the X-men series. In the footag, Gambit was shown doing his signature exploding card throw and swinging his metal stick (don’t giggle!), which is probably why everyone got rowdy. A lot of other awesome stuff have been shown too including Wolverine destroying a vehicle with his claws while he’s on his bike, claw-fighting with Sabretooth and clawed himself on a flying helicopter. A lot of clawing happened to say the least. .

    Based on the preview footage, the Wolverine spinoff looks promising. It could go as far as surpassing the previous X-men Films. I hope this film would also succeed so that we could be treated with more Marvel Films in the future. I am also hoping that this is part of the “Avenger’s Innitiative”. What do I mean? Well you might’ve heard that there is an Avengers Movie in the works and that all of the characters there will be played by the actual actors who’ve previously played them. So wouldn’t it be cool to have Hugh Jackman as Wolverine share a scene with Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark or with Ed Norton as Bruce Banner? It is a possiblity since in the comics, Wolverine did lend a hand to the team as they required someone who is willing to kill. 

      X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out May 1, 2009 and could be the Comic Movie for that year.

Reaction to The Dark Knight

    AMAZING! That’s just one of the many words I can think of to describe my experience watching The Dark Knight, the latest installment of the new Batman Film series. It is very well crafted to say the least. Director Chris Nolan definitely gave the franchise the treatment that it truly deserves. He has put life to the character like no other filmmaker has ever done. With the Dark Knight, Batman and the whole of Gotham City has become as believable as they could get because they deal with realistic issues that are, in fact, very common in our world today. Issues such as Terrorism and the way the world has been coping with it. Almost anyone who is aware of the reality that the world faces can relate to the morals of this story… or for the Joker’s case, the lack of it.

      To further justify my opinion about the movie, let me be old school with this and academically break it down to you. First, let’s talk about the story. As I mentioned, the overall theme of the movie is very relatable for the average person. It is told as realistic as a comic book movie could be. Initially, a city where a masked hero would cause criminals to run and hide might be too crazy but this movie can convince you that such a scenario could actually happen. The script is so effective of showing that the movie is not merely a story of good agaisnt evil but it is indeed harmony against chaos, control against anarchy and how we, as social beings, are so vulnerable against terror, that we need a  suitable guardian to watch over us and preserve not only justice but righteousness as well. Also, character-wise when it comes to Batman, the film may not entirely revolve around him but it comes back to him as the movie concludes. A very well organized and smooth flow for the plot that lead to it I might add. Just trust me, as the final line in the movie is delivered, you will realized why Batman is dubbed as the Dark Knight and that it is the chosen title of the film with a very deep purpose. Additionally, with a running time of two and a half hour and a vast line-up of characters, the script successfully maintained organization between scenes and that every character was given enough screen time. (although, I highly doubt anyone could get enough of the Joker.) 

    Now, lets talk about acting.  As in Batman Begins, the actors succeeded in bringing dept into their respective characters. Christian Bale should be applauded for being so hardworking as he is very convincing in playing, not just one, but three different characters: Batman, the Billionaire Playboy and the Real Bruce Wayne. Other than that, Master Bruce has certainly shown growth for his chosen task in Gotham. The Playboy has certainly proven to be more careless, Bruce Wayne is now more sensitive for the effects of his actions and Batman surely got better in beating some manners out of the scums that plague his city. Some people might argue that Bale’s Batman Voice might be too much but sometimes, I think its kind of cool. That Bat-rasp makes him more intimidating.

    Maggie Gyllenhaal has replaced Mrs. Tom Cruise (Katie Holmes) in the role of Rachel Dawes. As far as acting goes, Maggie is way more convinsing that Katie. There are just scenes in the movie where I couldn’t imagine Katie being as effective as Maggie. Gyllenhaal certainly added depth to the character which was important as she was the love interest for both Bruce Wayne and District Attorney Harvey Dent.

    Speaking of Harvey, Aaron Eckhart played the character well. As every Batfan know, Harvey Dent eventually becomes the vigilante Two-face in the comics and it did occur in this film. At first, one might argue that a single incident instantly transformed Dent but I would say there was also a slow transition from the righteous D.A. to the maniac vigilante. This transition was effectively projected by Eckhart through the scenes where his character showed off a little schizophrenia when it comes to handling criminals. As one of my friends pointed out, “Aaron Eckhart was made to be evil.” And After seeing his performance, I have to agree!

    And of course, I would have to be retarded to not mention the very POWERFUL performance of the late, great Heath Ledger. Although, to be honest, I barely even remember Ledger being in the film. This is because everytime he’s on screen, all I see is the Joker, no one else. And if I rememebr my college thesis correctly, let me point out that good acting is spotted when the actor doesnt seem to be acting at all. Ledger certainly did that. I just love this new interpretation of the Joker where he is less flamboyant and more disturbing and insane. If you have yet to watch this film, expect the Joker to make you laugh, gasp and look away. There isnt even blood and gore in the movie but the Clown Prince of Crime alone is equally unsettling. In Batman Begins, we were given a Batman that is the true symbol of justice then in The Dark Knight, we were given the Joker that is total opposite of that. He is just a  maniacal, dirty anarchist with zero empathy. Batman and the Joker truly are made for each other in this film which, may I point out, is exactly how these characters were supposed to be.

    Other characters further contributed to the quality of the film. Gary Oldman had more screen time to greater establish the noble James Gordon. Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox still delivers entertaining scenes especially with Bruce Wayne. The ever loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth, played by veteran actor Michael Caine, might have less screen time now but every time he does show up, he still deliver as much power to the scene as always, if not greater; with his inspiring line delivery and amazing father-figure presence.

    The cool things we’ve known Batman for have also been kept with more. The Batsuit from Begins returned but got replace with a new one. Although I may find the Begins’ Suit better looking than the new one but still, they are both amazing to look at. The new one just has a leener, more amor-like qualities to it. Not to mention that the cowl now is more like a helmet and gives the Caped Crusader more head movement and that is the whole point of the new Batman’s gadgets. They are more practical than good-looking. Although, equipting the cowl with sonar that gives Batman’s eyes a bright white glow certainly is an awesome sight. The Tumbler (Batmobile) also made a return and displayed even more capabilities that wasnt shown before. The newest great addition to the Bat-gadgets is the Bat-pod which is derived from the Bat-cycle and shows that it is as effective as it kicks ass.

    There is no doubt that every Batman or comic book fan would enjoy this movie but it certainly goes beyond that. This film  is a true work of art.  It is entertaining because it is well-crafted, exciting as it is  intellectually and emotionally challenging and it is something that every movie fanatic can be proud of, not just for the comic fans. Being one of the very few successful sequels ever made, the Dark Knight may be Godfather II for this generation.

Anticipation for The Dark Knight

    Ever since I saw the later part of the movie Batman Begins, where Commisioner Gordon handed Batman the Joker Card, I have been anticipating the sequel for the said movie. As if the new grounded and realistic tone the franchise was taken to wasn’t enough, now we know that on the next Batman installment, the baddie that will face our hero is non other than the iconic Joker.

    Every Batfan in the world was delighted with the thought of having the Clown Prince of Crime make an appearance in Director Christopher Nolan’s realisticly cool universe. With that said, everyone started speculating on how the Joker will be like and more importantly, which actor is worthy enough to play such a legendary character. A task that will include great pressure to say the least. Many actors were listed as candidates and they include Adrian Brody, Paul Bettany, Robin Williams, Johnny Depp and many more; all of which could have brought interesting interpretations of the character. But when the Batsmoke finally settled, one man emerged as the chosen one to bear the pale make-up and its non other than Brokeback Mountain’s Heath Ledger. At first, many were skeptical including myself. The two roles I remember immediatley when Ledger comes in to mind are a fake knight and a gay cowboy. But as the first trailer was released late in 2007, critics were silenced by the chilling laugh that Ledger gave the Joker. Damn right!

    As if the award-deserving performance of the late Heath Ledger is not enough, critics were allowed to watch The Dark Knight almost a month before everyone else and sure enough, praises for the film just started flowing. Try and look for anything bad that was said about this movie, I can’t find one. I’ve read things like how it surpassed the previous film, that for two hours and a half, the intensity and momentum of the movie is maintained and how every character was well played. It’s not like I had any doubts about the sequel but its great to know for sure that this is gonna be a classic. 

    So knowing that watching The Dark Knight is only about four (4) days away, the wait is killing me.  I’ve watch almost every trailer, TV spot and read every article concerning this film. I just can’t get enough of it. I even went as far as purchasing a kickass Joker shirt online and am planning on wearing it the day I go see the movie with the hopes of catching everyone’s attention and watching them die in envy. So here… we… go!

    The Dark Knight hits theatre’s all over Philippines on July 17. 2008 and I can’t wait!

18 Logo Contests Won and it’s Kicka$$!

Well I got it again. It took me a lot of revisions but at least the Contest Holder was set on picking me as the winner way before the final logo. Winning this contest is extra cool for me since I am a huge fan of Mixed Martial Arts. I hope they send me a shirt once they’ve printed them.

Brand Name: Kicka$$ MMA

Prize Money: $300

Total Number of entries: 80 

Slogan for this company is “Fights, Fighters, Babes and Bets!”

I hope this design did that line justice. >:)