Marvel Update: GOTG3, CAPTAIN MARVEL, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME and AVENGERS 4!!

Drax may be invisible by being motionless, but Marvel isn't! Lots of Marvel updates today for you!

Let's start with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 which Kevin Feige recently updated Christina Radish over at Collider:

“[Writer/director] James [Gunn] has delivered a draft and we begin official pre-production on that very, very soon. It’ll be shooting early next year. Captain Marvel finishes in about two weeks, Spider-Man starts in about two weeks, and then Guardians 3 will start early next year.”

Awesome but also kind of bittersweet as Gunn has said in the past that he is wrapping up GOTG with this third iteration (at least this version of GOTG). And of course, there is some bitterness with the demise of Gamora in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Is she truly gone?

Also, you can see from the quote above that CAPTAIN MARVEL is just about finished production and will transition to post in ~2 weeks. It's uncertain at this point if there will be a CM presence of some sort at Comic-con (Marvel is NOT in Hall H this year) but it makes sense that they could show the clips of what was shown at CineEurope recently.

Moving on to SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 2 or as it is now known as SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME after Tom Holland (Peter Parker) instagramed (by accident?) the new name:

Sorry for no announcements, but I love you guys ♥️

A post shared by ✌️ (@tomholland2013) on Jun 23, 2018 at 5:39pm PDT

..And speaking of movie titles, AVENGERS 4 still does not have a name. What I'm hearing is that we won't have that information until at least a CAPTAIN MARVEL teaser is released. So it could be a while. Months even. I think it's all a self-imposed gag order to restrict any leaking of spoiler-ish information. Makes sense. AVENGERS 4 will be a game changer and has EXTREMELY high stakes involved for Marvel and Disney.

CAPTAIN MARVEL opens on March 8, 2019. AVENGERS 4 opens May 3, 2019. SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME opens July 5, 2019. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 does not have a release date yet, but it is anticipated that it will take the "Untitled Marvel Movie" slot of May 1, 2020. 

Captain Marvel Confirmed As The Face Of MCU? Also AVENGERS 4 Spoiler Alert!

So apparently some fans from CineEurope are leaking some info about what they saw regarding Captain Marvel recently. Namely that Brie Larson's character will indeed be the lead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Who said it? Don't know.

But apparently, the content shown to audiences also displayed Captain Marvel's powers and her dominance. Larson told E! recently (See video below): "She’s so strong - she can move planets. So for me, it was like - how far can I go with this strength?"

Man, I'm excited to see what she brings. And for me, Brie Larson is perfectly cast.

Question for you guys: Do you think that the content is referring to CM taking a temporary lead of the MCU franchise? Or permanent? In other words, do you think some of the characters killed off in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR will make an eventual return to the land of the living?

** AVENGERS 4 SPOILER ALERT **
DO NOT READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT POTENTIAL SPOILERS

After all, Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson told Vulture while filming AVENGERS 4: "Who’s really dead, and who’s really in the flaky wind of Marvel dust, I don’t know, but I do know there’s a solution that they didn’t even have to tell me, just because I know who Captain Marvel is and what all that means."

Jackson also went further saying Captain Marvel is "the most powerful character" in the MCU - heroes and villains too. She's the key guys.

CAPTAIN MARVEL is slated for a March 2019 release.

MUST WATCH: Official Trailer for Marvel's INFINITY WAR

Wow. So the big question is who dies in this thing. There are a few hints dropped in this trailer but actually I'm not convinced that anyone dies in the first of these two Infinity Wars movies. I think that will certainly happen in the second though. We'll see.

Loving the interaction between the Guardians and Tony Stark! That's perfect Peter Quill if you ask me. With all these characters butting heads in this thing, who are you most looking forward to seeing interacting?

So check out this trailer! After all these years it all comes down to this. Seriously, Marvel already has an amazing stable of outstanding movies - well written and played out. They have had all this time to nail down exactly what needs to happen and to add the meat to the bones - this is all the marbles. These movies are going to blow us away I'm sure!

Marvel's AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR opens on April 27.

THOR: RAGNAROK Is Hilariously Well Done... Except For The 3D

Well as they say, I have good news and bad news. The good news is THOR: RAGNAROK is absolutely hilarious and I love what they've done to bring in those laughs. No spoilers in this review by the way. 

There were some very imaginative jokes and gags in the movie - and I simply loved Jeff Goldblum in this!! Perfectly cast if you ask me.

HOWEVER (and it's in all caps) the bad news is the 3D conversion is quite poor at times, frankly. Mind you, the digital visual effects are all superb in 3D as they are rendered natively in 3D - but of course they don't rely upon post-conversion. But the converted optics? *Sigh* Put it to you this way, in the scene with Odin on the cliff fields, the grass is so lazily or cheaply converted that there are clumps of flat grass mixed in with the usual dimensional depth of the location. It was HORRIBLE. It was so bad that it took me out of the movie. These are errors that anybody can see and complain about, not more mundane aspects that I can pick out, or an stereographer.

Marvel, Disney and Stereo D / Legend 3D know better (they both contributed to post conversion). I don't know which conversion company looked after that one particular scene, but something is amiss here. Usually Stereo D / Legend 3D do an outstanding job with post conversion, but something happened - whether they ran out of time or budget. The grass issue was glaring, but there were other issues too, like miniaturization (Hulk in the arena from bird's eye view looked... puny). Ugh.

So, I find it hard to believe Marvel would skimp on budget for a movie they know will rack in the cash. I also find it hard to believe that Stereo D or Legend 3D would sacrifice quality either. So the only real thing left is that everyone just ran out of time. I can't explain it any other way. There mustn't have been enough time to complete all the conversion shots, and some things had to be compromised to hit the release.

If someone knows anything more on what happened, please let me know. This sort of thing doesn't belong in modern 3D movie making. Poor conversions belong with CLASH OF THE TITANS and certainly not with a new Marvel or Disney production. Clean this up.

Final verdict? GO SEE IT!! The movie itself was brilliantly done and one of the funniest Marvel movies ever made. If you can stand the glaring 3D errors (nothing headache inducing mind you!), then I still recommend a 3D screening because of the outstanding VFX shots.
 

Both GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Movies Shown Back To Back in 3D!!

Guys - here's some news sent to me that you might want to take advantage of - AND - get some cool collectibles. Enjoy GOTG2 - I know I'll be first in line!

REALD CREATES EXCLUSIVE 3D DOUBLE FEATURE FAN EVENT ALLOWING MOVIEGOERS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME CHANCE TO SEE MARVEL STUDIOS’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AT SELECT THEATERS ON THURSDAY, MAY 4 NATIONWIDE

Los Angeles, CA – May 2, 2017- RealD, the world’s biggest 3D company has joined forces with some of the nation’s largest theater chains to offer a once-in-a-lifetime 3D double feature of Marvel Studios’ original Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the brand-new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, exclusively at RealD 3D-equipped theaters. The special double feature screenings will be offered on Thursday afternoon May 4 nationwide at more than 550 locations only in RealD, it was announced today by Travis Reid, President of Worldwide Cinema and Chief Operating Officer for RealD.

Guests who participate in the special fan event will receive an exclusive mini poster and a set of souvenir collectible buttons while supplies last. Participating exhibitors include some of the nation’s largest theater circuits, among them AMC Theatres, Cinemark, Cineplex, National Amusements, and Regal Cinemas. For a list of theaters playing the 3D double feature, visit http://reald.com/#/movies/gotgdoublefeature

“The visuals in the Guardians of the Galaxy universe are stunning and the movies are even more spectacular in RealD 3D. We wanted to create a fan experience as epic as the movies and we can’t think of a better way to get fans excited for the new film than to offer an exclusive double feature event and a chance to experience both Guardians of the Galaxy films back-to-back in 3D,” said Reid.

As the world’s leading 3D cinema system, no company has been more instrumental in perfecting, promoting or providing premium quality 3D experiences to audiences worldwide than RealD.


ABOUT REALD INC.
Globally recognized as the world’s visual technology leader, RealD pioneered digital 3D cinema and today has the world's largest 3D cinema platform. RealD’s dominant market share is comprised of a network of theatres that include more than 29,000 installed screens with a backlog of 3,000 additional contracted installations in 72 countries with over 1,200 exhibition partners. RealD is the world’s preeminent 3D brand, with well over 2 billion people having experienced a movie in RealD 3D.

ABOUT MARVEL STUDIOS’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, with Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. Kevin Feige is producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nikolas Korda and Stan Lee are the executive producers. Marvel Studios’

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” blasts into theaters on May 5, 2017.

Fantastic Week At The Advanced Imaging Society and VR Society Lumiere Awards!

Dignitaries on the red carpet, including Jim Chabin, Ed Bedley Jr., Ivan Reitman, Jon Favreau and Roy Taylor

The Advanced Imaging Society and VR Society held their 8th annual Lumiere awards last week and year after year they always seem to one up the previous! This year was no exception at the completely filled venue at the Stephen J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros. Studios' backlot.

I was blown away by the VR (virtual reality) demonstrations that were set up for attendees to try. Simply amazing content and we've only just begun in the space! Trust me, if you haven't seen some of these cinematic VR experiences - do it. And the Google Tilt Brush was the icing on the cake. Again - you have to experience VR to appreciate it. No amount of hype or traditional media will probably prepare you for it. You just have to try it!

Native 3D Wizards Ben Gervais and Demetri Portelli

On the Advanced Imaging Side of things, I have to make special mention of Ang Lee's BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK. The native 3D team of Demetri Portelli and Ben Gervais continues to lead the world by example with their superlative work in native 3D (shot optically - not converted in post). It is a technological first for cinema with its first ever use of combined 3D, 4K, 120fps framerate, but more importantly - it works. Another masterpiece for Ang Lee. A Lumiere well earned for Demetri and Ben!

Further, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar 3D conversion and visual effects in Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE. You know what I mean don't you? That astral plane projection scene - or the folding city scenes? Jaw dropping! Congratulations to Marvel Studios on your Lumiere.

I'm proud to be a recipient of Lumiere for last year's 40 BELOW AND FALLING (with an amazing crew and team) and honored to vote for this year's group of hopefuls. Let's take a look at the category nominees and winners:

3D Feature – Live Action
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
WINNER: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

Stereography – Live Action
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
WINNER: Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

Packed house at the 2017 Lumieres - Jon Favreau seated at left; Ed Begley Jr. seated at right (Photo credit unknown)

3D Feature – Animated
Finding Dory – Pixar
Ice Age: Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
Kubo and the Two Strings – Focus Features
Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – Sony Pictures
Sing – Universal Pictures
Storks – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount
The Angry Birds Movie – Sony Pictures
The Great Wall – Universal Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
The Secret Life of Pets – Universal Pictures
Trolls – DreamWorks Animation
WINNER: Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Stereography – Animated
Finding Dory – Pixar
Ice Age: Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
WINNER: Kubo and the Two Strings – Focus Features
Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – Sony Pictures
Sing – Universal Pictures
Storks – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The Angry Birds Movie – Sony Pictures
The Great Wall – Universal Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
The Secret Life of Pets – Universal Pictures
Trolls – DreamWorks Animation
Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Outstanding Use of 2D to 3D Conversion
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
WINNER: Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

3D Short
Panda Paws – DreamWorks Animation
Piper – Pixar
The Early Hatchling Gets the Worm – Rovio Entertainment
WINNER: Inner Workings – Walt Disney Animation Studios

High Dynamic Range – Live Action
10 Cloverfield Lane – Paramount Pictures
13 Hours – The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi – Paramount Pictures
Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass – Walt Disney Pictures
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios & Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Deadpool – 20th Century Fox
Deepwater Horizon – Lionsgate
Doctor Strange – Walt Disney Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
For A Few Bullets – Wanda Pictures
Force 2 – Viacom 18
Hardcore Henry – STX
Independence Day: Resurgence – 20th Century Fox
Inferno – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back – Paramount
L.O.R.D (Legend of Ravaging Dynasties) – LeVision
La La Land – Lionsgate
WINNER: Live By Night – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Now You see Me 2 – Lionsgate
Pete’s Dragon – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek 3: Beyond – Paramount
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Divergent Series: Allegiant PT.1 – Lionsgate
The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
Warcraft – Legendary Pictures & Universal Pictures
X-Men Apocalypse – 20th Century Fox

High Dynamic Range – Animated
WINNER: Finding Dory – Walt Disney Studios
Ice Age Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
Kubo and the Two Strings – Universal Studios
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows – Paramount
Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Virtual Reality Categories

VR – Gaming
A Chair in the Room: Greenwater – Wolf & Wood
Accounting – Squanchtendo with Crows Crows Crows
Batman: Arkham VR – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Battlezone – Rebellion Developments
Chronos – Gunfire Games
Eve: Valkyrie – CCP Games
WINNER: Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs
Raw Data – Survios
Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions
Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One X-Wing VR Mission – DICE & Criterion Games
The Gallery – Episode 1 Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games
The Lab – Valve Corporation

VR – Film Experience
Fantastic Beasts – Warner Bros., Google, Framestore VR Studio
WINNER: Ghostbusters VR Experience – Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Void
Star Wars: Trial on Tatooine – ILMxLAB
Suicide Squad: Special Ops VR – Warner Bros., Mob Scene & Atlas Entertainment, MPC VR & Legend 3D
The Jungle Book – Through Mowgli’s Eyes Part 1: Trust in Me – Walt Disney Studios & Tangerine Apps
The Martian VR Experience – 20th Century Fox, Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, The Virtual Reality Company

VR – Animation & CGI
Allumette – Penrose Studios
Apollo 11 VR Experience – Immersive VR Education
WINNER: Dear Angelica – Oculus Story Studio
Gnomes and Goblins – Jon Favreau, Wevr, Reality One
Grace – MacInnes Scott
Home: A VR Spacewalk – BBC & REWIND
Pearl – Google Spotlight Series
The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh – Borrowed Light Studios
The Starry Night – Shanghai Media Group
theBlu – Wevr
Volt: Chain City – Vive Studios
Wide Awake President Trump VR Experience – MacInnes Scott

VR – Live Action
A Challenge – Brigantine Films
Cirque du Soleil, KÀ – Felix & Paul Studios
Knives – Adam Cosco
My Brother’s Keeper – PBS Digital Studios
WINNER: Nomads: Sea Gypsies – Felix & Paul Studios
Perspective Ch. 2: The Misdemeanor – Specular Theory & Rose Troche
The Harvest – Chapman University & AMD
The Mule – Dark Corner Studios
Through the Ages: President Obama Celebrates Americas National Parks – Felix & Paul Studios
VR Noir: A Day Before the Night – StartVR

VR – Episodic Content
Gone – Wevr & Skybound
Halcyon – Syfy (produced by Secret Location)
WINNER: Invisible – Doug Liman, 30 Ninjas, Condé Nast Entertainment (CNÉ), Jaunt VR, Samsung

Winner, VR - Documentary: THE CLICK EFFECT

VR – Documentary
A History of Cuban Dance – Lucy Walker
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef – Atlantic Productions & Alchemy VR
Defying the Nazis VR – LIFE VR
Rhinos on the Move – Discovery VR
WINNER: The Click Effect – Annapurna Pictures & Here Be Dragons
The Edge of Space – KonceptVR

VR – Journalism
Calais: The Jungle – Sky News
Chernobyl 30 Years Later – ABC News VR
Defying the Beast – World Vision & Koncept VR
Great Performers: L.A. Noir – New York Times VR
Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story – Nonny de la Peńa & Emblematic Group
Remembering Pearl Harbor – LIFE VR
Struggle for Survival in the Devastated City of Aleppo – CNN
WINNER: Take Flight – New York Times 
“Toxic Tour” 360 – Oil Exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon – Huffington Post RYOT
Valen’s Reef – Vice

VR – Sports
360 Rio 2016 Olympics VR – BBC Sport
Closer (featuring David Beckham) – Sky VR & Sky Sports
Experience the Rio Olympics in Virtual Reality – NBC Olympics & Samsung
WINNER: Follow My Lead: The Story of the 2016 NBA Finals – Oculus & m ss ng p eces
NFL Immersed – Episode 1: Eagles Defensive Line – NFL Immersed & Two Bit Circus
NFL Immersed – Episode 4: Melvin Gordon & the Chargers Game Day Prep – NFL Immersed & Two Bit Circus

VR – Music
WINNER: Joshua Bell VR Experience – Sony PlayStation
Kygo: “Carry Me – The VR Experience” – Sony Music
OneRepublic: “Kids” – MPC Creative
Pentatonix: “Up on the Housetop” – Sony Music
TheWave – TheWaveVR
Waves – Wevr (with Reggie Watts)

VR – Branded
WINNER: 360 VR Tour of the Shinola Factory with Luke Wilson – Reel FX
Absolut Deadmau5 – Absolut
Audi’s VR Car Showroom Experience – Zero Light
Formula E “Leap of Faith” – REWIND
Jack Daniel’s 360 VR Distillery Experience – Jack Daniel’s & The Mill
Jaguar: I-PACE – REWIND (for Imagination & Jaguar Land Rover)
Reimagine, VR Film by Etihad Airways with Nicole Kidman – The Barbarian Group
Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders – The Hollywood Reporter, GBI, POW, Legend VR
The Field Trip to Mars – McCann (for Lockheed Martin) & Framestore
The Nature Conservancy: This is Our Future – MPC Creative

Yours Truly and the amazing Jon Favreau

The 2017 recipient of the annual Harold Lloyd Award for Filmmaking goes to Jon Favreau! And deservedly so. His artful storytelling married to eye opening filmmaking technology has thrilled audiences time and time again. My favorite Favreau film (FavFavFilm?) is definitely CHEF although the original IRON MAN comes very, very close. It was wonderful chatting with him for the first time at the Lumieres!

I want to deeply thank Jim Chabin and his AIS team for their tireless work in pulling off these shows every year. It is an absolute pleasure to attend and cover them! Thank you Jim!!

Looking forward to what 2017 has in store for us in Advanced Imaging and VR! Stay tuned. As MarketSaw enters our 11th year of life, we're going to be making some awesome changes!

I'll leave you now with some poster shots of the cinematic VR content we were able to experience!

IT'S HERE!!! First Trailer For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

Oh man have I been waiting for this one and it delivers. I won't spoil it, but really it's the characters that I have been wanting to see engage each other again, and engage they do!

What do you think? Are you excited about what James Gunn has in store this time around?

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock and Kurt Russell. Kevin Feige is producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Jonathan Schwartz, Victoria Alonso, Nik Korda and Stan Lee are the executive producers. The screenplay is by James Gunn.



GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is coming in May 2017.

Movie Review - CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR - 9.1 Stars! Spoiler Free!!

I managed to see CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR in Real D at the local Ultra AVX premium large screen format Cineplex last night and I was not disappointed.

If you are a fan of the Marvel universe and especially the Avenger movies then you'll love CW. The humor - oh THE HUMOR is back. There's nothing quite like Marvel's brand of laughter out there and for that reason alone I recommend you go see it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR is cerebral and comedic just when it needs to be. A beautiful accomplishment!

I won't spoil the movie for you but I will let you know a few things you can expect. The 3D was on par with everything else from Marvel except for just a few lazy areas which I thought should have been tighter - nothing to worry about though, most will miss them. The 3D conversion was done by StereoD as lead and Prime Focus as secondary. Also I felt some depth should have been dialed up for some key scenes that were not. Still, a good job. I gave it a ranking of 92%. I definitely wish that Marvel had gone with native 3D (DC for that matter - would have been a great differentiator), but it's too late to continue complaining I suppose.

Visual effects were jaw dropping of course including some new technology that was used for some up close scenes - you'll know when you see it. I can't comment on it or it will spoil the surprise!

I thought the visual effects, directing and score were the best accomplished tactical aspects of the movie, but really for me the comedy was gold. Again.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Captain America movies are generally more cerebral than the others in the universe and you can really isolate that juxtaposition when you see the other heroes mixed in and working together. Take Ant-Man for example - you'll know what I'm talking about when you see them together.

Yes, I missed the other Avengers that weren't included in the movie, but just seeing Spider-Man on the same screen is AMAZING.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd and Frank Grillo, with William Hurt and Daniel Brühl.

Anthony and Joe Russo are directing with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee are the executive producers. The screenplay is by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Get ready to pick a side and join the nonstop action playing out on two fronts when Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” opens in U.S. and Canadian theaters on May 6, 2016.

Go see this as soon as possible because if you're like me you're going to want to see it again very, very soon! Oh and I saw the trailer for DOCTOR STRANGE in 3D pre-rolling before CW - and WOW. Can't wait for that one! Cumberbatch looks perfect in the role.

MUST WATCH: First Trailer For CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Click to enlarge

Here it comes! CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR promises a lot and it seems it's going to deliver with a somewhat revealing trailer giving us a look at some of the combatants.

I won't ruin the trailer for you visually - it was tempting to put up screenshots from the more interesting scenes, but you can see it for yourself in action below. Of course you may be reserving all that initial surprise for the movie itself and if you can do that - congratulations! It's a long haul until release.

What I will say is I love how the characters are clashing AND coming together for this thing. I can imagine CACV building tension to the extreme and then cutting it loose. I can see where 3D is going to augment scenes. It's been a long time coming but we're finally going to have a toe-to-toe between Stark and Rogers.

Enjoy. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens on May 6.

Marvel's Phase 3 Titles Update: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP And More...

Some interesting developments out of Marvel today beginning with the dropping of the title for the Ant-man sequel - namely: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP.

I'm liking it. Simple and to the point. Keep in mind that The Wasp is a female role and a first for Marvel on the big screen (as is Captain Marvel, but that movie is planned for the following year). Glad this is finally happening. The movie is slated for a July 6, 2018 release which in turn caused some more changes for Marvel's Phase 3 productions as that date was tied up with BLACK PANTHER's release. The line up is now as follows:

BLACK PANTHER - February 16, 2018 (was July 6, 2018)
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - July 6, 2018 (new)
CAPTAIN MARVEL - March 8, 2019 (was November 2, 2018)
UNTITLED - May 1, 2020
UNTITLED - July 10, 2020
UNTITLED - November 6, 2020

As always, Marvel is staying busy. I'll update you with more on these and other Marvel productions as it comes available.

DEADPOOL: Best Trailer For A Trailer I've Ever Seen!

Reynolds NAILS it for this NSFW (swearing) trailer for a trailer! I've never seen one this good before probably because there hasn't been a character like Deadpool in his own movie before.

I have no assurances yet that DEADPOOL will be in 3D so keep that in mind. Fox - do the right thing.

DEADPOOL stars Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

This movie is going to surprise a lot of people. Can't wait!

DEADPOOL slices and dices into action February 12, 2016. 

Watch: New ANT-MAN Trailer #2 Mentions The Avengers

Finally The Avengers are acknowledged as an alternative to going solo against a villain who could threaten the world in these standalone Marvel movies. I know that question was ringing in my ears when S.H.I.E.L.D. was essentially destroyed in Marvel's universe before Ultron.

I won't spoil the trailer further for you, but it's worth watching on a number of levels and actually is the best to date if you ask me. It's interesting to watch the marketing unfold for this movie as it is vastly different than the others - something Marvel excels at doing.

Here's the movie's storyline:
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN. Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s ANT-MAN stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

ANT-MAN opens on July 17.

**CONFIRMED** Official Title: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL. 2 ?

** SAME DAY UPDATE: James Gunn just confirmed via Twitter that this is the official title:

"Yes, the official title for the @Guardians sequel is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2. Nice detective work, @colliderfrosty, etc! You got us!"
— James Gunn, June 29, 2015

Is this the official title of the sequel for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY?

Apparently so, as producer Kevin Feige let it slip during press day for ANT-MAN:
“We start shooting Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 in February-March 2016.”

When asked whether he just revealed the title for the follow up movie, Feige didn't elaborate. Personally I like it. Pays homage to the musical heritage of the series with its Awesome Mix vol. 1 and vol. 2 coming up!

More info when we get it...


Via: Collider

Movie Review Head to Head: AGE OF ULTRON vs. MAD MAX !!

Why not? A couple of awesome 3D converted movies compared head to head! I really wanted to see AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON a second time before doing this but didn't have the time yet so instead of waiting to see both again, I'm giving it a go now.

Yes, they are both second view worthy. Very much so. However, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is a downright classic, while AGE OF ULTRON doesn't measure up to the original Avengers movie.

So which one came out on top? Definitely MAD MAX. ULTRON has some very cool elements don't get me wrong, but I get the strong feeling that director Joss Whedon was severely curtailed in what he could deliver on vision for the project - Marvel is known for that. In this case, they need to smarten up. George Miller on the other hand seems like he had carte blanche to explore his vision and explore he did! A stunning accomplishment.

I found the 3D conversion to be acceptable for both movies, but FURY ROAD had the flexibility to expound a crazy new world and the exaggerated 3D at times worked tremendously. Only saw a few shots where the 3D was shoddy and frankly lazy. It helps that I know what to look for but this was obvious (detail around moving fine lines for example). Definitely see MAD MAX in 3D on the largest screen possible. Same goes for ULTRON but the 3D there is much more muted and if you like seeing and being reminded that you are watching a 3D movie over and over again, then MAD MAX is for you. For me, there is a time and a place for using extra depth and FURY ROAD is it. Trust me.

I thought both movies suffered somewhat from storylines that did not justify the immense time, effort and money that went into them. ULTRON was not a good enough villain to throw at the Avengers (hard to follow up after Loki but still...), the movie seemed invented rather than "fate" for the team and character development is all but at a standstill with so many characters in play now. However FURY ROAD had practically no character development either and if it wasn't for the odd quote of "redemption" or lightning quick flashbacks there would be none at all. But MAX had proper villains, better acting, better practical effects (which make a huge difference) and was just stunningly gorgeous in its bleakness. You have to see it to believe it.

I'm not going to spoil either movie for those who haven't seen them yet (but we can spoil in the comments - so fair warning!), but definitely see them both. This is a comparison between two amazing movies, but its just that MAD MAX is an instant classic and is really artwork. It belongs in the Louvre. Seriously. It's as if Tarsem Singh, Michael Bay, James Wan and well, George Miller all got together and painted a moving masterpiece. Bravo Mr. Miller - you've grown your game even though you've been around for an amazing career.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Throws Down Gauntlet, But Original Holds Box Office Opening Title

Yes, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is a force at the box office and justifiably so. It's an amazing movie - again offering up superb editing and character development despite the fact that this assemble cast is not only large, but growing. Was it perfect? No. More on that in my review coming up, but DEFINITELY worth while going to see. It's one of Marvel's top 5 movies.

Ultron opened to $187.7 million in North America, shy of the original's $207.4 million). Yes, the original had the uniqueness of being the first to show off all these heroes on the same screen, but I think even more importantly the villain was well known and adored. Loki. Ultron, while a fairly cool concept was not up to the Loki standard in my opinion. More on that this week.

Internationally Ultron is cleaning up! It's raked in $439 million and it hasn't even opened in China yet, the world's second largest (and soon to be largest) market. Japan's opening is coming up as well.

In total AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON has amassed a staggering $626.7 million already. One would think it has a lock on the yearly box office crown - but not so fast, or should I say fast and furious - FURIOUS 7 has hit $1.43 billion worldwide. I don't think it will have a problem surmounting that figure and perhaps hitting $1.5 or $1.6 billion worldwide, overtaking the original AVENGERS - good enough for third place behind the rare air of James Cameron's space: TITANIC and AVATAR. But we'll see. China will play a huge role in this.

One more movie to throw into the yearly competition is of course STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. That movie is just plain scary when it comes to projecting box office. It could be up in the top 2 of all time.

New FANTASTIC FOUR Trailer Opens New Dimensions

Ok - this trailer opens the door wider for me for these characters and the story. Dimensional travel definitely pulls me in if they can realistically pull off the concepts well enough. Of note is that Weta Digital, OTOY and Moving Picture Company are doing the VFX. Weta Digital EXCELS at creature effects. One would assume that they each traveled to different dimensions to attain their radically different abilities so therefore we are probably in line to see at least 4 different environments - maybe a fifth as it appears Doctor Doom is arriving from one them as well - a plane of hell perhaps?

Director Josh Trank (CHRONICLE) tells my buddy Steve at Collider:
“We’re definitely imagining the story in 3D as we’re making it, and it has powers that are well-suited to telling the story in 3D—not just Reed, but you have somebody that is on fire, and that’s something that can be immersive and scary. The reason to use 3D in this Fantastic Four, I think, is to make the experience feel as immersive as possible, where you feel like you’re with the characters looking at themselves and looking at each other with these bizarre powers and feeling like they’re really interacting with you.”

Having this sort of basis for the movie solves a lot of issues I have had with past attempts, but again Fox needs to deliver.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

FANTASTIC FOUR opens in theaters on August 7.

Quote: Collider

Now It All Makes Cents! Check The New Trailer For Marvel's ANT-MAN

I'm not sure what to make of ANT-MAN yet and I suppose that's about where I should be as all we have to go on is the released media thus far, but I think I'm going to enjoy the movie. If Marvel can swing and hit the fences with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and absolutely nail the humor required to make it work - I think we're in good hands with ANT-MAN.

What do you think?


Here's the storyline for the movie:
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

ANT-MAN hits theaters on July 17.

Oh YEAH! New TV Spot For Marvel's AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON!

This TV Spot for Marvel's AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is better than many full trailers out there! Very excited to see this movie on the biggest screen possible, in 3D of course.

Some very nice new glimpses of shots we haven't seen before - so if your timid to view more of the movie before it comes out, now would be a good time to stop. I don't have a choice - I've got to watch them!

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON opens on May 1.

MUST WATCH: Last Trailer For AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON !

Ok, nicely done Marvel! This final trailer for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON hits the mark on a number of levels including more detail on the background of Ultron and the dynamics within the avengers themselves.

The effects look amazing - so looking forward to seeing these scenes in 3D because it and every successive 3D converted movie from Marvel looks better and better. Knowing that The Avengers represent the keystone of the studio means they will be overly scrutinizing every frame.

Cool end shot too :-)

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON opens on May 1.

Drew Goodard Rumored To Be Next Spider-man Writer And Helmer

Sounds like a good plan to me. Multiple websites (Latino-review seems first, but Deadline expresses caution that the deal is not done yet) have stated that Drew Goddard (CLOVERFIELD, WORLD WAR Z, THE MARTIAN) is close to being attached to the next Spider-man franchise movie. Rumor has it that Goddard will be writing and directing. A good choice in my mind.

Marvel's producer extraordinaire Kevin Feige is producing along with Amy Pascal.

The multi-studio deal seems to include a clause that allows much less stress for Sony to frequently push out Spider-man universe projects just to retain rights to the character. Sony also gets Marvel characters in their web-head movies. Marvel gets Spidey in their movies too while (I assume) they keep their original revenue stream from Sony's efforts. All seems well. I hope. 'Cause I want this to last.

More info when we get it!