The PDC Staff Picks the Most Overrated and Underrated Movies of 2014

Hype. The single most important word in the film industry. I know you’re thinking, "John, you’re wrong it’s obviously money!". Nay, nay I say, without the hype there is no money. Hype is the reason that we have movie trailers, and now teasers of movie trailers, and sneak peak shots of the teasers of movie trailers. You get the point. It doesn’t stop when the movie is released though. The hype train continues right on through the theatrical release to home video, and sometimes, into history. This whole aspect of Hollywood always leaves you with a few films that just don’t fit the buzz they were assigned. Some great films are just passed over while other highly lauded films leave you thinking the world is high as a kite and they forgot to pass you the doobie. We’ve got the whole of the PDC together for this list as we visit what we think to be the most overrated and underrated films of 2014.

When you're done, be sure to check out all of our end-of-year coverage here!

John Nolan

OVERRATED
 
Lucy

I know, I know, it’s kind of a weak pick. Half of you are probably sitting at your computers saying “What the hell was Lucy?”. You know, that completely forgettable movie with Scarlett Johannson where the big hook was “What happens when someone uses more than 10% of their brain?!?”, yeah…that one. I’m kind of an easy sell, if you give me something that’s halfway enjoyable I’m not going to trash it. I completely trashed this movie. I can’t remember a longer 90 minute stretch of my life than sitting through this absurdly nonsensical oxymoron of a film (how can you be full of action, yet completely boring?). No big deal, forget it and move on…and, stay with me, here’s where it earns it’s place on the list, then the reviews start coming out and people are praising it! Not in waves, mind you, but they are out there, enough to earn a fresh score on rotten tomatoes. Lucy. Overrated. Understatement.

UNDERRATED

Robocop
Something told me this one was going to be alright. I’m not exactly on my own in thinking that but it’s far from the popular consensus. I guess the original was just a case of the right movie at the right time and this remake, as good as it was, had to much of the 80s in it. Well, we are living in an 80s world and I am an 80s girl….err…guy. That’s the argument I have to make because Robocop not being universally loved makes no sense to me. As far as remakes go this should be a template. Other than a few forced call backs to the original they did everything perfectly, updating not just the look, but the story and feel to our modern world. The sad thing is, if the original Robocop had never been released, then you release this exact same movie people would have praised it, going so far as to call it prophetic. The thing is, the world created in the 1987 Robocop was implausible…a sci-fi fever dream coated in blood. The 2014 version is not only possible, but in many ways plausible. Past all this it was just a whole lot of fun, sure I could have used more blood but I can say that about anything (I’m a blast at dinner parties).

Roxana Hadadi

OVERRATED

St. Vincent

The Bill Murray hipster resurgence is exhausting. Not everything Bill Murray touches is gold, and St. Vincent is absolutely proof of that. A frustratingly formulaic movie built around on the been-there-done-that premise of "grumpy old man befriends charming child; charming child befriends grumpy old man; everyone wins or whatever," the movie asked very little of Murray and he gave very little back. And that supporting cast? Please. Melissa McCarthy has had a year full of misfires and Naomi Watts, with her terrible accent and caricature of a Russian prostitute character, did absolutely nothing to deserve that Screen Actors Guild nomination. And yet this film has somehow made $44 million, because ugh.

UNDERRATED

Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher came out strong in film festival competition, yielding a Best Director win at Cannes for Bennett Miller, tons of critical hype, and then ... nothing. The film opened quietly the same weekend as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, and since then has struggled to find an audience, making only about $3 million. But this film has haunted me for the weeks since I've seen it - all of its weirdness and quietness, all of its unanswered questions, all of its critiques about the nature of inherited wealth and the myth of American dominance and the masculine desire to prove oneself before anyone and everyone who asks. Why haven't more people seen this movie? Why hasn't it received more award-season nominations? As John DuPont, Steve Carell's performance is determinedly, effectively off-kilter. As Olympic-gold-winning wrestler Mark Schultz, Channing Tatum is flawed and tragic. As Mark's even-more-celebrated older brother Dave Schultz, Mark Ruffalo is likable and, because the world is a terrible place, doomed. This movie will linger over you like a dark cloud, and more people should join me under it.

Julian Lytle

OVERRATED

Edge of Tomorrow

You know this one here for me is clouded by the fact that I read the manga adaptation of the original story All You Need Is Kill. I tried to go into this with an open mind and it’s also a reason I try not read a story before viewing a film version. I see many people enjoyed this movie and while I can see where it can be enjoyable too many things bother me about it. My main problem with the movie is that it totally destroys that character of Rita Vrataski. In the entire movie she only does two things helps Tom Cruise’s character get better and then just becomes a damsel in distress. You never really see how bad ass she is supposed to be at most she’s just like a person drill sergent for Cruise’s William Cage. Also I think the movie made the aliens needlessly difficult in how they work. It just doesn’t work for me, like they wanted to make a Halo Groundhog Day. In the end I’m like "really"?

UNDERRATED

Godzilla
GODZILLA 2014 IS LIFE! See I never understood what people were expecting. Folk complaining how come there wasn’t that much of the monsters fighting? Why was there so much human story? Clearly all those people either never saw a Godzilla movie or being that they were children only paid attention to the last 15 minutes when the Godzilla was wrecking. This film did a modern interpretation of 70s superhero Godzilla. He wasn’t destroying the city on purpose, he had a foe and was ready to kill them. Godzilla doesn’t half step. He befriended Quicksilver (Aaron Johnson) crashed on downtown to sleep off his bar fight and bounced in the morning like any good homie. Not only that they had great winks to Mothra and Kiryu in the film. So many folks need to get familiar.

Mae Abdulbaki 

OVERRATED

How to Train Your Dragon 2

 It doesn't really matter what many say, this sequel to the very well made How to Train Your Dragon is disappointing and doesn't live up to the original at all. A lot of people liked it, it made almost $50 million its opening weekend alone, but there's something about it that just doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps it's the fact that Toothless kills Hiccup's father and everything is hunky dory about two minutes later. Don't get me wrong, the animation itself is stunning and visually beautiful, but the film doesn't carry the same torch as the original. The inclusion of Hiccup's mother only feels like a replacement for his father, who is offed so his son can become the leader he's always wanted him to be. But I mean, if Hiccup never wanted to be a leader, don't force him into it. Astrid would have been a much better choice anyway. Sigh

UNDERRATED

Get on Up
Show of hands, who actually saw Get on Up? I hear the crickets chirping. If you did, great, because this movie is frankly not given enough love. It's not a perfect film, but it retells the story of music legend and icon James Brown, played by rising star Chadwick Boseman, in a non-linear fashion that immediately takes you into the story and keeps you there. We visit several different parts of Brown's life, but it always comes back to his present. A montage that cuts between Boseman performing and Brown's actual performances is very well done really makes you feel like you're at a concert. The wonderful performances by Boseman and the rest of the cast, which includes Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, is well worth the watch. Definitely a film that should've been seen by more people.
.
Travis Hopson

OVERRATED

Still Alice

Hey, I get it. We all love Julianne Moore. I do, too! She’s a redhead, of course I love her. Oh, and she’s an amazing actress, and is pretty great in Still Alice. But did anybody notice that none of the consequences of her character having Alzheimer’s is actually dealt with in ANY way, shape, or form? Like not at all. Her kids possibly inheriting the disease? Nope. Her career-driven husband’s awesome new job getting put on hold because he has to care for her? Nope. It’s like co-directors/writers Richard Glatzer and Wash West are averse to the very idea of confronting anything. Maybe that’s how the story plays out in the book but it doesn’t matter. I have a feeling it has to do with the lousy adaptation from the same guys who somehow made a biopic on philandering Errol Flynn (The Last of Robin Hood) boring and drab. How is that even possible? Anyway, Still Alice isn’t terrible; it’s just mediocre. Still love you, Julianne. Call me.

UNDERRATED

The Skeleton Twins
Only one movie could make me put Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” on my playlist. When I first saw The Skeleton Twins at Sundance it struck me like a thunderbolt for a number of reasons. This sweet, affecting dramedy about two highly-dysfuctional siblings features amazing performances by Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. The SNL vets know one another so well their chemistry is flawless, all while venturing into the most dramatic territory of their careers. The film manages to stay light and funny while dealing with some heavy subjects (suicide, infidelity), a credit to up ‘n coming director Craig Johnson. I thought this film would have done more upon release but it kind of vanished in the blink of an eye, so grab someone close to you and check this movie out on Blu-Ray. You won’t be disappointed.

Read More

Blu-Ray Deal of the Week: 55% Off Robocop Trilogy Collection

Maybe you weren't really feelin' the updated Robocop that came out earlier this year and want to yearn for the cyborg cop you know and love? If so, then this is the perfect time to show your support for the old guard as this week's Blu-Ray deal has the entire Robocop Trilogy Collection on Blu-Ray for only $35.99, or 55% off the retail price! The 3-Disc set includes a remastered version of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 cult classic starring Peter Weller, along with the two follow-ups.

It's "your move, creep" so make it your prime directive to order the Robocop Trilogy Collection here now!  We appreciate the support you continue to show our sponsors. Punch Drunk Critics earns a small fee every time one of our readers buys from any of our links.

Read More

Box Office: Audiences Love 'The LEGO Movie' and 'About Last Night' on Valentine's Day

1. The LEGO Movie- $48.8M/$129.1M
Nostalgia was always going to win out in a week dominated by '80s remakes, but it was The LEGO Movie that held on to the top spot for the second weekend in a row. Dropping a miniscule 29%, the Warner Bros. animated adventure hasn't slowed down much. even with a devastating winter snow shutting down much of the east coast. The plan all along was for the film to coast through the first weekend, then power through the holiday in week two, and that is how things are shaping out.
2. About Last Night- $27M
In case you missed the memo: Kevin Hart is a star. Not only is he a star, but he's quickly become one of the most bankable actors around. Look at what he was able to do with About Last Night, a remake of a 1986 Brat Pack film that nobody was clamoring to see redone, and yet he helped boost it to a debut that's more than double the $12M budget. As one of two clear romance movies arriving on Valentine's Day it opened strong with $13M on Friday, earning an 'A-' Cinemascore in the process. Hart now sits with two movies in the top 10, with Ride Along still chugging along well over the $100M mark.
3. Robocop- $21.5M/$26.4M
Getting a couple of days jump on the rest didn't help out the Robocop remake too much, booting up in third place and $26.4M total. That's not too far from the $25.4M opening of the Total Recall remake just a couple of years ago.  The $100M effort probably wasn't helped much by The LEGO Movie's staying power, and a glut of more romantic films opening on Valentine's Day. But there is a clear cut silver lining, and it's that foreign grosses have been high, leading to a worldwide total of $96.3M. Sony is going to clear some cash off this one, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if we see a Robocop 2 somewhere down the line.
4. The Monuments Men- $15M/$43.6M
As expected, George Clooney's The Monuments Men held strong to its older-skewing audience. Dropping only 31%, the WWII drama is performing well as an early season prestige film. Not too many of those around, really.
5. Endless Love- $13.3M
It was a smart move dropping the Alex Pettyfer/Gabriella Wilde romance Endless Love on Valentine's Day. The remake of the terrible mushy '80s film debuted to a healthy $7M on Friday as couples sought out a date night flick, only to have it peter out the rest of the weekend. This still doesn't do anything to save Pettyfer's flagging career, and it certainly doesn't do squat for Wilde, although both should remain relatively unscathed.
6. Ride Along- $8.7M/$116.1M
7. Winter's Tale- $7.7M
Quick, tell me what Winter's Tale is about. Impossible, right? Well, that's the same trouble trailers and TV spots had in selling this mythical religious romance flying horse manure thing. And so they settled simply on pushing the cast of Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, and Jennifer Connelly, while keeping Will Smith's cameo as a surprise for appalled audiences.  Critics razed this thing to the ground (including yours truly), but audiences mostly took to it, enough to earn a 'B' Cinemascore. 
8. Frozen- $5.8M/$376M
9. Lone Survivor- $4M/$118.4M
10. That Awkward Moment- $3.3M/$21.4M

Read More

Cinema Royale #50- Kit Harington Talks 'Pompeii' and 'Game of Thrones

On the extra-special 50th episode of Cinema Royale, Travis Hopson is joined by Game of Thrones star Kit Harington to talk about his blockbuster film, Pompeii!

Plus, it's the 1980s all over again a we'll have reviews of the Robocop remake, starring Joel Kinnaman and Samuel L. Jackson; and About Last Night starring Kevin Hart!

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network. You can hear it live or download it every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, Stitcher, and Podomatic.  Listen to the latest episode below...

Check Out Movies Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Cinema Royale on BlogTalkRadio

Read More

Review: 'Robocop' Starring Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton, and Gary Oldman

Dead or alive, you're getting a reboot. Long in the works and desired by absolutely nobody, the remake of Paul Verhoeven's satirical sci-fi actioner Robocop has been dreaded by those who feared it would lack the teeth of the original. But what will come as a surprise to those who have prematurely mocked it and all of the early images of star Joel Kinnaman's robo bat-suit, is that the film is forward thinking enough to have some big ideas while also providing a solid dose of violent justice.

While not as progressive as Verhoeven's effort, this one crafted by Elite Squad director Jose Padilha is certainly a product of today's drone warfare culture and the dominance of the military industrial complex. Like its predecessor, the message is obvious, current, and delivered with enough humor that the general lack of character doesn't totally shut down the system.

In the not-so-distant future, nearly the entire world has turned to the use of militarized drones for law enforcement and military tactics. Weaponized droids stalk the streets of Tehran while the citizens live under what is later described as "the illusion of free will".  There is an obvious anti-drone rebellion out there causing a ruckus, but here in the United States drones have been strictly forbidden, a fact which continues to gall OmniCorp CEO, Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), who hopes to bring it here. But despite the efforts of bloviating Bill O'Reilly-esque propaganda artist Pat Novak (of the hilariously-named The Novak Element), Congress refuses to pass a bill allowing the use of drones on American soil. This is satire in the pure Verhoeven mold because you can turn on the TV right now and see guys just like Novak spouting the same sort of fact-free rubbish; pumping their patriotic chests while deeming their enemies terrorists or cowards.

Turns out what the people want is a robot with a human touch, a droid that knows right from wrong. And so OmniCorp finds the perfect test subject in Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), a lean and brave Detroit detective with the courage to fight corruption within his own ranks. When Murphy's investigations get him blown up by a car bomb, leaving his body devastated, his wife (Abbie Cornish) agrees to sign him over to OmniCorp in hopes of saving his life. "What kind of life will he have?” she asks, not knowing that it will be a life of steel exo-skins and prime directives. His transformation begins in earnest, led by the ethically-ambiguous Dr. Norton (Gary Oldman) and cheered by Sellars who just wants a marketable product. As Alex comes to grips with being a walking cyborg, including a powerful moment where he sees what his body really looks like, he's left to wonder if the man he used to be exists underneath the armor and programming.

Padilha, who directed the intense Elite Squad cop flicks, works around the PG-13 and delivers some top notch video game action, including a brilliantly kinetic sequence lit only by the flash of blast rifle fire. The Robocop side of things isn't the issue; it's the Alex Murphy side where Joshua Zetumer loses focus. There simply isn't enough to distinguish Murphy beyond his good looks, and everything involving his brothers in blue (including Michael K. Williams as his former partner) is undeveloped. The same goes for his family life which mostly seems like a component nobody wanted to deal, in favor of getting back to the shenanigans over at OmniCorp. And truth be told, the biggest ideas and the best characters are all from the corporate powerhouse. Jay Baruchel gets geeky as a sniveling marketing guru, while Jennifer Ehle and Jackie Earle Haley make for a particularly devious roundtable of henchman for Keaton to play off of.  Kinnaman doesn't really hold up against such a strong supporting cast, but he finds occasional moments of genuine heartbreak in Murphy's interactions with his son, who looks up to Dad as a hero.

Verhoeven's prior films have proved especially popular territory for remakes of late, with the stink of Total Recall still wafting in the air. So it's good to see that someone put some actual thought into making Robocop cool and contemporary, rather than it being just another generic reboot in an empty robotic suit.

Read More

Win Passes to See 'Robocop' Before It's Released!

Regardless of how you feel about remakes, the trailers for the biggest film for the first part of 2014 have piqued the interest of almost all of us. I'll be the first to admit eating humble pie. Robocop, the 1987 version, is one of the movies that started my interested in the medium...so to say I was worried is probably an understatement. With each piece of media released, the promise of this version's cred increases.

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years, but have been forbidden for law enforcement in America. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine.

We are happy to offer 30 lucky readers admit-two passes to see Robocop before it's released. First and foremost you need to be a fan of the PDC facebook page. Then send an email to punchdrunkcritics@gmail.com with what you think is the most important thing Robocop needs to have to make you a fan!

The screening will take place at 7PM on Monday, February 10th at the AMC in Georgetown. Please make sure you can attend before you enter. Good luck!




THIS CONTEST WILL END ON FEBRUARY, 5TH 2013. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY AFTER. THANKS!

Read More

New Clip from 'Robocop' See Murphy's First Field Test

It's so hard to accept a different incarnation of something that you hold a great deal of love for. I'm not here to blow smoke up your tailpipe about how I love the classic 80's film because of the political subtext...nope, I'm one of those guys that loved Robo's ability to create new holes in the bodies of bad guys, plain and simple. Yeah, the rest of it was cool and allowed my older self to continue my now 20 year long love affair with cyborg law enforcement but it was the action that sold my ticket. So needless to saw the bar I've set for Jose Padilaha attempt to recapture that magic is slightly lower than others, but with every clip I see a movie that is that much closer to making itself a worthy competitor. Will it surpass Robocop the original? Nah, no chance but Robocop 2 and 3 better watch out (who am I kidding Robocop 3 was as bad as Superman IV). 

This new clip shows Robo's first controlled live fire field test....a welcome change from OCP's previous practice of debuting new and untested military grade weaponry in a boardroom (I'm looking at you ED-209). Not that we didn't know this already but this new Robo seems quite a bit more agile than his predecessor, it also confirms that he is less of a mindless robot fighting for his humanity and more of a resurrected human with cybernetic upgrades. There is no digitized voice or responses that sound pre-programmed, honestly he seems less cyborg and more modern day Matt Damon from Elysium. Regardless of the eventual venom spit by fanboys everywhere about how "inferior" this is to the original it looks to me like Padilaha has at least managed to put together a fun action flick that will strike all of the right chords with the 12 year old in all of us. 

Read More

Travis' Most Anticipated 2014 Movies: January to March

The book on 2013 is now closed, and I for one thought it was an incredible year. It was so good, with early and late season films ending up on my "Best of" list, that it will be tough for 2014 to live up. There's bound to be some let-down, and with 2015 already looking like the "Year of the Blockbuster", we may see 2014 be like the forgotten middle child or something. But there are still a lot of movies that I'm looking forward to, and I've decided to break them down by season, giving you my top 10 for each. Bear in mind this doesn't necessarily mean I think these movies will be good, just that I'm looking forward to them for one reason or another. And no, they don't all spring from the pages of some comic book. I make no promises about the summer, though.

Raze- January 10th
Director: Josh C. Waller
Cast: Zoe Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms, Doug Jones

Dude, it's Zoe Bell. Okay, those who know me understand that's more than enough reason to get excited over Raze, which pits the insanely-tough Bell against Rachel Nichols and dozens of other beauties in an exploitative, grindhouse-style flick that's a little bit Fight Club, a little bit Quentin Tarantino.

The Monuments Men- February 7th
 Director: George Clooney
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin

Ever since his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I've been impressed every single time George Clooney has stepped behind the camera. Not only is he always able to snag a great cast, but he manages to make big social or political points while telling an entertaining story. The Monuments Men may be his most ambitious film yet, and while the delay has me somewhat concerned, I trust he'll be able to nail the difficult balance of drama and humor.

Robocop- February 12th
Director: Jose Padilha
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earle Haley

Here's one I'm looking forward to even though it might be atrocious. The darkly satirical films of Paul Verhoeven have been popular targets for remake of late, and after that awful first trailer it looked like Robocop may turn out like Total Recall and totally miss the point. But the most recent footage, backed by Samuel L. Jackson's boisterous boasts about the future of our country's war on terror have renewed my faith, and I'm starting to warm up to Joel Kinnaman as the robotic defender of justice.  Honestly, I could care less about the sleeker suit or that you can see Kinnaman's eyes or whatever the latest complaints are. All that matters is that he's believable both as an ass-kicker and a family man, which shouldn't be too tough to pull off.

300: Rise of an Empire- March 7th
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Jack O'Connell, Lena Headey,  Rodrigo Santoro

Against my better judgement I'm surprisingly excited for 300: Rise of an Empire. Sure, Zack Snyder has moved on to helm the Man of Steel's next killing spree, handing the reins to the totally unproven Noam Murro. But the Smart People director seems to have captured the visual style and bloody swords 'n sandals action that made the first film a smash. Even if it lacks the same level of star power without Gerard Butler, it's more than made up for by the chance to watch Eva Green as she makes a bid for world domination. Yes, she can lead me into impending doom anytime.

Veronica Mars- March 14th
Director: Rob Thomas
Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Chris Lowell, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Percy Daggs III, Tina Majorino, Francis Capra, Ken Marino, Enrico Colantoni

I don't think anybody could have predicted Veronica Mars would make it to the big screen. Not even the most loyal marshmallow could have forseen the Kickstarter juggernaut it would become that got us to this point, but since I'm one of those who happily donated some cash you best believe I'm happy about it! Of course there are some concerns that what worked on TV won't fly as a movie, but as long as Kristen Bell is back as Veronica, and you've got Logan, Weevil, and good ol' Keith Mars joining her, there's every reason to believe fans of the show will leave happy.

Blood Ties- March 21st
Director: Guillaume Canet
Cast: Clive Owen, Zoe Saldana, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, James Caan, Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts

So what if the response out of Cannes was mixed on Guillaume Canet's Blood Ties? I've never been let down by Canet, who directed the excellent crime thriller Tell No One, nor co-writer James Gray. The sprawling 1970s crime tale actually reads like something closer to Gray's sensibilities, with Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as brothers on opposing sides of the law. It's territory Gray has tackled plenty of times before in Little Odessa, We Own the Night, and The Yards, but he's never had a cast that stretches this deep. The combination of Canet and Gray's talents with an incredible amount of star wattage is too tantalizing to resist.

Nymphomaniac Part One- March 21st
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Stacy Martin, Udo Kier

Maybe it makes me a dirty old man but I'm hella excited for Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, and yep, it has everything to do with seeing how far he's going to push the envelope. The trailers and clips we've seen up to this point have suggested a depraved corunucopia of fornication, with von Trier seemingly hitting on every sexual sub-group he can find. Now that the film is out in Europe we've started to hear some advance word, and it sounds like there's some sort of method to his madness, which pretty much sums up every film he's made. I think mainly it'll be interesting to see how our country deals with the in-your-face material. We had a hard enough time handling a couple of lesbian sex scenes in Blue is the Warmest Color. What are people going to think about a film that goes well above and beyond that?

Divergent- March 21st
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz

What do I know about Divergent? Not a lot, really. It's about humans divided into ideological factions or something, but I don't know why that's cool or anything. What I do know is that it stars Shailene Woodley, and so far she's batting 1.000 in making movies that speak directly to me, and the chance to see her rejoin The Spectacular Now's Miles Teller is simply too good. How is he not the love interest here, too? Fire the casting director, post haste! I don't know if this will be "the next Hunger Games" or "the next Mortal Instruments", but Divergent has my attention.

Noah- March 28th
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman

All of the sudden it's like everybody wants to make a Biblical epic. Okay, cool, but the one that should be the most impressive is Darren Aronofsky's big budget Noah, which he's been consumed with trying to adapt for quite a long time. Frankly, I'm less interested in the familiar tale of the guy charged by God to build a giant floating zoo to spare himself from a watery death, and more interested in Aronofsky's specific take, which has already ruffled the feathers of a few religious groups. Ruffle away, my friend.

The Raid 2- March 28th
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais

It's only been out for a couple of years and already The Raid: Redemption is a stone cold classic, and one of the few martial arts movies from overseas that have made a genuine impact on our shores. If you saw it, then you know already know it reaches incredible levels of violence at a pace so furious it's hard to stop and catch a breath. The sequel, believe it or not, promises to be even bigger with director Gareth Evans taking the action topside and onto the street where all types of new, vicious threats await. I can't wait!

Read More

"Crime Has a New Enemy"- 'Robocop' Delivers New Trailer, Poster, and Images

While the previous trailers for the Robocop remake have impressively sold the film's sizzle, perhaps in an effort to win over those who are still highly skeptical about it, there's more to the story than just a robot cop meting out his brand of justice. There's also the story of Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) outside of the metal suit, and the impact his becoming Robocop has on his familyi.

The latest trailer takes a more melancholic tone than we've seen before, showing Murphy's wife Clara (Abbie Cornish) sadly agreeing to turn his body over for research. We know where that leads, right into the lab of a scientist played by Gary Oldman, who transforms Murphy into the titular cyborg hero, although it seems to come with considerable reflection about the nature of such an existence.  There's still plenty of action, though, and it's good to see a bit more of Jackie Earle Haley as the guy who trains Robocop to be a bad ass.

Directed by Jose Padilha, Robocop hits the streets in IMAX on February 12th.


ROBOCOP - Bande-Annonce Officielle #3 VOST [VOST|HD1080p] by Team Lyricis

Read More

First 'Robocop' Poster Issues a Challenge

Last week's trailer for Jose Padilha's Robocop remake was met with a split reaction, and likely so will this first poster, which borrows a line from the 1987 film. The fact that "Your Move" is being referenced is an obvious attempt to sell the more jaded fans that this version will pay proper homage to Paul Verhoeven's film. The tone appears to be different, and certainly less satirical in nature. This image is pretty neat and clean, though, and gives us a great look at the sleeker Robocop design. Despite some of the harsh response, I'm optimistic that Padilha will do a better job on this Verhoeven remake than Len Wiseman did with Total Recall.

Starring Joel Kinnaman, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, and Jackie Earle Haley, Robocop opens February 7th 2014.

PLOT: In the film, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.

Read More

First Trailer for 'Robocop' Remake Starring Joel Kinnaman and Samuel L. Jackson

There's already been a lot made of Jose Padilha's remake of Paul Verhoeven's satirical sci-fi flick, Robocop. Many have chosen to cynically bash the film without seeing much other than a few set photos, while others rightly worry about the tone that will be struck, and whether Joel Kinnaman is the right guy for the lead. Nobody wants this to turn out like the Total Recall remake, which by most accounts was an unmitigated disaster. Well after months of speculation, the questions are beginning to be answered with the release of the very first trailer.

The footage at Comic-Con dug a bit deeper into the modern day parallels of drone warfare and military propaganda, but this trailer does a pretty good job of setting things up. Kinnaman plays cop and family man Alex Murphy, whose body is destroyed in an explosion, and subsequently is rebuilt as the cyborg defender of justice. We get a look at Abbie Cornish as Murphy's wife, as well as Gary Oldman as the scientist who designed Robocop, and Michael Keaton as a slimy corporate exec. And then there are snippets of Samuel L. Jackson delivering one of his famous fire 'n brimstone monologues as a media figure pushing the Robocop program.

Some obvious nods to Verhoeven's film are on display, including a model that looks almost exactly like the original Robocop, while there are some new touches like the redesigned ED-209 and the ability for Robocop to show his face. The big question is whether or not the obvious political themes are going to mesh with the need for big action. Even though we know how the story will play out for the most part, the trailer does seem to give a lot away.

Robocop opens on February 7th 2014.


Robocop trailer by FilmBoy-gr

Read More

'Thor', 'Captain America', and 'Spider-Man' Sequels Headed to Comic-Con

Just as Marvel reinvented Hollywood's approach to superhero movies, they've also upped the ante for panel presentations at San Diego Comic-Con. Last year, their Hall H presentation was one major announcement after another, with the first footage from Iron Man 3 debuting, the reveal of Ant-Man along with some test footage, plus Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Thor and Captain America sequels. Variety has confirmed that Marvel will be back in Hall H again this year on Saturday July 20th, and they'll be bringing a good chunk of their Phase Two slate with them.

While the actual panelists have yet to be revealed, they will be bringing both Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier to Comic-Con. In the past, Marvel has brought Joss Whedon and the entire cast of The Avengers to the event, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they did something similar again. We can probably expect Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige there, because he never met a camera he didn't like to be in front of. We'll probably get some new footage from Thor, and possibly the first glimpses at what Anthony and Joe Russo have done with the Captain America sequel. Thor: The Dark World hits theaters this year on November 8th, while Captain America: The Winter Soldier is April 4th 2014.

There are three release dates Marvel has penciled in for 2016 and 2017, and it's expected that an announcement on those will be made as part of the presentation. I'm also anticipating what they have in store for Guardians of the Galaxy, with my hope that they'll bring out the cast and announce the voices for Rocket Raccoon and Groot. My guess is one of them will be Vin Diesel.

Sony will be bringing their own Marvel movie to the floor on July 19th with The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which opens on May 2nd 2014. Expected to attend are director Marc Webb, stars Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx, and Dane DeHaan, along with producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. So that's approximately 1/8th of the extensive principle cast? Hopefully we'll get an indicator on the role being played by Sarah Gadon, and possibly a confirmation on Felicity Jones' part.

It was Garfield's impassioned comments at Comic-Con two years ago that really won over fans who were dubious about a relatively unknown Brit actor playing Peter Parker. It's doubtful he'll need to do anything like that this time. I'm more interested in hearing what DeHaan has to say about playing Harry Osborn.

Also hitting the show floor from Sony is their Robocop reboot, with Joel Kinnaman, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, and director Jose Padilha on hand. So when I'm not busy hanging on Cornish's every word then trying to find out which hotel she's staying in, I'll be hoping for a teaser trailer or something.

Read More

Sony bumps 'Elysium' to August 2013; 'Robocop' slips to 2014

Hmmm...should we be worried? In the case of Neill Blomkamp's Elysium, his long awaited follow-up to District 9, we've seen and heard pretty much nothing since the incredible footage was revealed at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con. As impressive as it was, it clearly had a long way to go before completion as many of the biggest effects were unfinished. With reshoots still taking place, and a release date only five months away, Sony was forced to make a decision, and they've decided to bump it to August 9th 2013.

That release date sound familiar? It should, because it's the spot that up until now had been held for Jose Padilha's Robocop remake. Sony has decided to shift that film all the way to February 7th 2014, where it can race against Need for Speed, which just added Aaron Paul(Breaking Bad) as its star.

Neither of these are reason for concern, if you ask me. Elysium is a major sci-fi film that will only benefit from the expanded window. Not only can Blomkamp lock down the effects and really nail the feel he's aiming for, but Sony can now give it the proper marketing push to ensure success. Despite the cast which includes Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and Sharlto Copley, we're still talking about an expensive project with no name recognition. Robocop probably would have had a tough time standing out in the midst of the summer blockbuster pack. Sony clearly has long-term goals in mind, and moving it to February where we've seen other genre films become big hits lately, is probably a wise move. [BoxOfficeMojo]

Read More

Check out Robocop's sweet ride in new set photos

More set photos from the Robocop shoot have emerged, and like the rest of them I'm sure these will spark debate. I think people saw Joel Kinnaman in the suit, which is admittedly very different than the original, and immediately assumed the film would somehow be a disaster. I don't agree with that, and considering the talented Jose Padilha is directing a very impressive cast, chances are Robocop will be one remake worth looking forward.

The latest snaps come from NewsCom, and show Robocop's futuristic motorcycle. I dig it, and along with the sleeker suit design underscores that this version of the cyborg is meant for speed, not bulk. Admit it, the original Robocop suit is pretty clunky.

Starring Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Ehle, and Michael K. Williams, Robocop opens next year on August 9th. Check out the rest of the images below....

Read More

New 'Robocop' set photos give a better look at his visor and weapons

It's amazing to me just how much email I still get about those first set photos from Robocop, and it seems to me the verdict on his new design is pretty split. So today we have a pair of new shots that will probably stir the debate up again, as they give us a fuller look at Joel Kinnaman as the cyborg hero.

These images show the Robocop suit with the full helmet and visor, which retains some similarities to the original, but also I think kinda reminds me of the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica. That's not to say it's bad, just an observation. Also, we get a look at the weapon Robocop will be using to blow away crime, which also is similar to the original. The curious thing to me are the human hands he retains, which I guess are a means of showcasing his humanity? I'm thinking it could turn out to be a plot point as the evil OmniCorp tries to sell Robocop to the public.

What do you think? Are you digging the new design? Or would you prefer something more traditional? Directed by Jose Padilha, Robocop takes over the streets on August 9th 2013.[Flickr]

Read More