Tag: creed

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Black Panther

by MCDave

Ryan Coogler’s career has been off to an enviable start ever since his 2013 debut feature Fruitvale Station, where he told the true story of a 22 year-old unarmed African American named Oscar Grant who was wrongly killed by a police officer on New Year’s Eve 2008. Coogler teamed with a young, budding talent named Michael B.Jordan, and the two have never parted ways ever since. Coogler went on to direct the well-received Creed, also starring Michael B. Jordan, and now they both cross paths again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 18th installment, Black Panther.

Many centuries ago a meteor containing Vibranium, one of the universe’s strongest metals, crashed into the continent of Africa. Since then the metal has been used by the people of Wakanda to develop weapons far beyond the capabilities of any first-world countries on Earth, forcing Wakanda to hide itself from the rest of the world. The civilization’s new ruler, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), also known as Black Panther, is challenged for his throne by a ruthless entity (Michael B. Jordan) who threatens the harmonious and secretive lifestyle of the Wakandi people.

In what has become a regular occurrence among the critics, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther was been immediately labeled as another whopping success for the MCU. And while this latest entry into the expansive universe is far different from any of its predecessors, both in style and structure, this refreshing and unfamiliar journey breeds its own host of shortcomings. Boasting a central theme of carving out your own legacy, T’Challa becomes tasked with valiantly claiming the throne of Wakanda immediately following his father’s death. But as doubt creeps into his own mind as to whether or not he’s capable of leading with the same effectiveness as the previous king, T’Challa’s once undisputed rise to power quickly becomes challenged by a powerful outsider. This Lion King-esque tale aptly develops its central character well, transforming him from a skeptical “prince” into a confident king, however the film’s many other complementary elements aren’t nearly as effective. T’Challa’s tip-toeing romance with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and his instantaneous falling out of favor with W’Kabi (Get Out‘s Daniel Kaluuya) are riddled with hokiness and discontent. Moreover, CIA Agent Ross (Martin Freeman) proves a rather meaningless inclusion while the film’s running-time continues to pile on in this thrill-less excursion. And where the MCU has unmistakably built a cinematic powerhouse through mind-numbing action sequences and rapid-fire humor, Black Panther remains short on laughs and bogged down by distractingly-bad CGI. Finally, to director Ryan Coogler’s credit, he conjures up a memorable villain alongside his collaborative staple Michael B. Jordan, one who succeeds on the shoulders of a deep-rooted complexity that the story crafts extremely well. Yet, despite an admirable ability at building meaningful lead characters, Black Panther stands as a mawkish marathon of a journey that fails to entertain as well as it ultimately needs to.

Grade: 3 /5

For other reviews, trailers and movie lists visit MCDAVE’s host site

‘Creed’s Ryan Coogler Is Officially Directing ‘Black Panther’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Finally.

After months and months of rumours, and our first official look at the character back in the Captain America: Civil War trailer, Marvel has finally, officially revealed who will be taking the reins on the anticipated Black Panther film.

After Creed blew absolutely everyone away earlier this year (his debut feature, Fruitvale Station is quite exceptional as well), Ryan Coogler has officially been tapped to direct the picture.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige notes that “We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family. The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct ‘Black Panther.’  Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we’ve found the perfect director to bring T’Challa’s story to life.”

So, what do you think of the choice? Excited, right? Yeah, us too.

Panther

Source: Marvel

Geekscape Giveaways: Win the Sylvester Stallone ‘The Director’s Chair’ Poster from El Rey

by Eric Francisco

With Creed on its way to theaters, Robert Rodriguez will sit down with Sylvester Stallone on a new episode of The Director’s Chair. Primed to air this Sunday, November 15 at 8pm ET/PT, the rebel filmmaker and the Italian Stallion will meet once again (Rodriguez directed Stallone in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over) to talk about his stellar career, from Rocky to Rambo and all the way to The Expendables.

In honor of the episode, El Rey and Geekscape are teaming up once again for an awesome poster giveaway! We’re giving away FIVE (5) of these incredible posters from artist Paul Shipper.

stallone_final_v3

How do you get one? It’s very simple.

Invite three of your friends to like El Rey and Geekscape on Facebook. Then, on the Geekscape Facebook post advertising this contest, comment below with your Expendables codename. Jet Li was Yin Yang. Randy Couture was Toll Road. The awesome Terry Crews? Hale Caesar. Sylvester Stallone, Barney Ross. (Hey, it works.) So tell us yours, and we’ll pick the winners by Saturday, November 14. Good luck!

Dig Into ‘Creed’ With A New Featurette!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Creed looks awesome. That was pretty clear from the very first trailer.

Today, Warner Bros. debuted a brand new featurette that takes us inside the film, and also highlights just how freaking emotional it is.

Michael B. Jordan looks looks to have a pretty unbelievable performance as Adonis Johnson, and (based on the marketing) it looks like this one may be quality enough to make us forget that he was in Fantastic Four (eh, maybe not).

Not sure what Creed’s about? here’s the heavy synopsis.

Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born.  Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.

 

Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer.  Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend.  Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.

 

With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?

Take a look at the featurette below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to Creed! Creed his theatres on November 25th!

The New Trailer For ‘Creed’ Is Here!

by Derek Kraneveldt

I’m so freaking excited for Creed.

I’m a big Rocky fan, and loved Rocky Balboa back in 2007, so putting the fantastic Michael B. Jordan in the role of Apollo Creed’s son, and having Rocky himself train the kid? Perfect.

It sounds pretty heavy, but here’s the synopsis:

Drama. Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring. With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think! Creed hits theatres on November 25th!

Watch The First Trailer For ‘Creed’!

by Bigyanks

The official trailer for ‘Creed’ is finally here released! The film stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson, the son of Apollo Creed (who died before he was born). With the help of his father’s old rival, Rocky Balboa, he will try to make his way to a title shot.

I’m really digging this trailer a lot. It really showcases Michael B. Jordan and leaves Sly as an ancillary role as his trainer. Also lets hope history doesn’t repeat itself, last time Rocky trained a boxer it ended in a street fight with Tommy Morri err… I mean Tommy Gunn!

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think!

Kill With Friends In This ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ Multiplayer Trailer

by Shane O'Hare

At SDCC during the AC3 panel they discussed briefly what you can get with the multiplayer. You can create bands of assassins that can play in various game types. Get a nice peak at what to expect with this trailer!

AC3 ships October 30th on Xbox and PS3. November 18th on the WiiU

Inside ‘Assassin’s Creed III’: Episode 1

by Shane O'Hare

The folks over at Ubisoft have released the first in a four part series of behind the scenes videos. So come with us looking at what goes into Assassin’s Creed III.

AC3 ships on October 30th for Xbox and PS3 and November 20th for PC

Delicious Eye Candy in This Assassin’s Creed III Engine Demo

by Shane O'Hare

We at Geekscape are excited for Assassin’s Creed III. No wait, we are EXTREMELY EXCITED for Assassin’s Creed III. I can safely say, lest there is some game ending bug, this will be a runner for Game of the year for most reviewers. Well today the folks over at Ubisoft have given us another little morsel to tide us over until Gamescom. Check out this overview video of the new engine that ACIII is built around. AnvilNext.

We finally get a peak at what Ubisoft has been talking about. The expansive environments that the lead dev at comic con said “Are as big as they are in real life” look amazing. The number of AI was just an arbitrary number until this video. To actually see all of those people on screen at once is such a good feeling.

So what is your favorite part of this video? What are you most looking forward to in Assassin’s Creed III?

Murder Brits With This Assassin’s Creed Steel Tomahawk

by Shane O'Hare

You to can relive moments from the great American Revolution with your own Assassins Tomahawk! FEEL THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES ON YOUR COLD STEEL! The folks over at The Deals Only Webstore have put up, what I believe to be the COOLEST toy since the Halo Plasma Weapons offered from HotTopic. Take a gander at some of the pics below!

The DELICIOUS excerpt from the site makes me want this even more than I did before.

A warrior is defined by his weapon. An extension of his arm, his character is reflected in his instrument of war.

These axes are 17.5″ inches of pure grace. The blades is finely crafted of pure steel, firmly gripping the beautifully decorated wood handle. The lower grip is padded with realistic faux leather, and the upper neck is adorned with additional decorations including a feather charm.

This piece will feel great in your hand, and is weighted well to facilitate strong swings. This tomahawk is a fantastic piece for any collector, and is great for costumes and cosplay.

Be prepared for the revolution.

Features:

  • Finely crafted steel blade
  • Beautiful wooden handle
  • Quality faux leather grip and decorations
  • Great for costumes and collections

Did you read that last bit? “Be prepared for the revolution”. My Alaskan, red meat eating, Ron Paul Loving, .44 Magnum bear killing heart got a tad bit aroused after reading that. For only $40 plus shipping I am SO READY FOR THE REVOLUTION!