Tag: Movie

Lauren Ridloff’s Casting In Marvel’s ‘The Eternals’ Is A Huge Win For Disabled Representation In Film

by Melissa Sanchez

On Saturday, July 20th, Marvel’s president Kevin Feige took the stage at SDCC (San Diego Comic Con International) to announce the much awaited Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Among the numerous projects slated for release the next few years are Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Also being developed is a handful of TV shows like Hawkeye, Wanda Vision, and Loki created for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service (set to launch in November), with most of the original actors from the films reprising their roles. What caught our attention the most though is the movie adaptation of Jack Kirby’s 1976 comic series The Eternals.

Arguably including lesser known superheroes than its Marvel predecessors, The Eternals is about a group of celestial beings with superpowers who are sent to Earth to protect mankind from the Deviants, a destructive alien race. At the much anticipated Marvel Studios panel in Hall H, the upcoming cast for the movie adaptation was unexpectedly announced and presented to thousands of screaming fans. With a mixture of big A-list actors and smaller names, Angelina Jolie (Thena), Richard Madden (Ikaris), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Lia McHugh (Sprite), Don Lee (Gilgamesh) and Lauren Ridloff (Makkari) took the stage as the titular characters. For us, the most exciting casting announcement came with newcomer Lauren Ridloff who will take on the gender-swapped role of Makkari, a speedster with super strength. 

Ridloff, who you might recognize from the most recent season of AMC’s The Walking Dead as Connie, is a Deaf American actress. A former teacher and Miss Deaf America (2000-2002), she’s been nominated for a Tony for her Broadway performance in the revival of Children of a Lesser God. With an already diverse cast, Lauren’s inclusion in The Eternals marks not only the first deaf superhero in the MCU, but also the first disabled actress to star in a mainstream superhero movie. In the original comics Makkari is not deaf, so the fact that they cast a deaf woman because of her talent and not her disability is a huge step for Marvel and the film industry in general. Marvel’s parent company Disney is no stranger to inclusion and diversity in its TV shows with openly gay characters (Andi Mack) and people with disabilities (Raven’s Home) being series regulars and making guest appearances. Even this Summer’s Toy Story 4 featured a little boy with a cochlear implant. 

Less than 2% of characters in movies and television are disabled. It’s not due to the fact that there’s a shortage of disabled actors, there’s plenty, but rather it’s the industry’s unwillingness to give the chance to those actors, to showcase their talents and abilities despite their disability. To complicate the situation more, disabled actors are rarely even cast in disabled roles! Heartbreakingly, 95% of roles that feature characters with disabilities are played by able bodied actors. Take in point the controversy in Bryan Cranston playing the role of a person in a wheelchair in 2017’s The Upside. This was a huge issue in the disabled community because once again instead of first offering the role to a capable disabled actor, Hollywood went for a big name draw instead of authenticity and accuracy of telling the story. Cranston himself saw no issue in taking the role comparing it to “playing a gay character as a straight man or a poor character as a wealthy person.” His argument was that an actor’s job is “to act”, to play a role of which is not your norm. While technically he is correct, the point is he took a role that could have potentially went to a disabled actor, which he was well aware of, yet defended his choice as purely a “business decision.” Yes, actors play different people in different roles, but think about it this way: Bryan Cranston, an able bodied man, is playing the role of a man in a wheelchair, but say for example if Daryl Mitchell (NCIS: New Orleans) a wheelchair bound actor, went in for a role and they wanted him to play a man who could walk, then what? There is no physical way he could do that! Disabled actors are limited to the roles they can play already, so when Hollywood casts an able bodied actor in a disabled role it makes it that much harder and scarcer to find work.

Currently, 1 in 4 Americans live with a disability, yet are the most overlooked minority because they are not as vocal as other groups. Disability Representation in film and media is important. In 2015, actress and singer Ali Stroker became the first woman in a wheelchair to star on Broadway. Micah Fowler, who has Cerebral Palsy, starred for three seasons in ABC’s Speechless which also featured comedian Zach Anner – who also has CP –  as a writer for the show. And we can’t forget the extraordinary Jamie Brewer from American Horror Story who was born with Down Syndrome. Things are starting to change! Think about how many people went to go see Avengers: Endgame or Black Panther? Now imagine how many people are going to see The Eternals when it comes out because of it being a Marvel film?! Millions of movie watchers are going to be able to see Ridloff on screen kicking ass in a role that primarily goes to able bodied actors. Makkari from The Eternals is a white male with no physical disability being played by a half Mexican, half African-American deaf woman! Can we just take a minute to applaud Marvel for looking past disability and purely casting on talent alone? Which is really how it always should be. Whether they know it or not, The Eternals is going to bring awareness to actors with disabilities and how they can do just as an amazing job as any non-disabled actor, despite their limitations.

That is why representation matters. That is why Ridloff being cast in The Eternals is a huge deal. This is a giant step for Disabled America. Most importantly, think of all the young kids who are deaf and hard of hearing who will see Makkari on screen and see themselves! We’ve already witnessed the positive effects of movies like Black Panther giving strong newfound role models to so many people that may have felt unrepresented. Compared to a few years ago, Hollywood has come a long way with diversity, but how many on screen heroes and heroines are there for a little boy in a wheelchair with Spina Bifida or the pre-teen girl who uses a walker because she has a rare muscular condition? None. In an interview with NowThis Entertainment, Ridloff states “I feel representation is so important whether it’s in real life or on TV or on the big screen. We need to see other people who are like ourselves to help us define who we are.” Lauren Ridloff is paving the way for Hollywood to include more disabled actors in major blockbusters for years to come. We are excited to see what she brings to the character of Makarri and once again we applaud Marvel for looking past the disability of a person, but at their abilities. *cough* Now we just need Disney to make a princess in a wheelchair *cough*.

The Eternals is currently in production in London and will kick off Phase 4 of the MCU. Be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, November 6, 2020 when The Eternals is expected to open worldwide.

Geekscape Reviews ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ In 4DX

by Josh Jackson

America has struggled for years to get Godzilla right. From cartoons to movies, adapting Japan’s most famous giant monster has consistently been a challenge, with 2014’s reboot managing to be non-offensive, if not a bit dull. Serving as the launching point of a new cinematic universe, (which I hear are all the rage these days), Godzilla: King of the Monsters looks to build on the framework set by its predecessor and Kong: Skull Island by pitting the titular lizard against some of its biggest foes. Unfortunately, for the roughly 60% of the two hours that Godzilla and pals aren’t on screen, we’re forced to plod through one of the most horribly written stories I’ve seen this year. Even the thrilling and immersive 4DX experience couldn’t save the human storyline, serving as a much needed distraction from how actively bad it is.

The film has some breathtaking visual effects.

Now that the monsters are known worldwide after the events of 2014’s Godzilla and the 2017 Kong movie, governments struggle with how to deal with the presumed threat. One family in particular, made up of a husband and wife who worked for Monarch, (the organization tasked with tracking the monsters), is torn apart after Godzilla’s initial attack led to the death of their son. Five years later, Mark and Emma, (played passably by Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga), are divorced and dealing with the trauma through their work as their surviving daughter Madison, (Millie Bobby Brown in the only good performance of the film), is caught in the middle. After Emma develops technology that makes it possible to quell the monsters, her and Madison are taken hostage by an eco-terrorist group to help them awaken the recently discovered Ghidorah. Monarch then tracks down Mark to help find their whereabouts, all while trying to find Godzilla to protect them from the incoming threat.

Look, I get it. Almost everyone who’s buying a ticket to this film is there to see giant monsters fight, backed by 2019 special effects that will surely blow you away. If that’s all you want from your time watching Godzilla, then know that it delivers in spades. Every scene that the monsters occupy is a marvel, especially when they’re fighting. Ghidorah’s awakening, Rodan’s debut, Mothra’s birth and arrival on the battlefield and every time Godzilla is going toe-to-toe with its nemesis are pure, 100% escapism in the best way possible. Every blast, blow and step feels as powerful as it should, and the tense feeling around how they would interact with the world around them helped captivate for every moment they were in-focus. In that regard, King of the Monsters is everything it should be and then some.

For all of its flaws, the action scenes really deliver.

Seeing it in 4DX only amplified these qualities, serving as a near-perfect movie to showcase the evolving theater technology. For those unfamiliar, 4DX is a premium immersive experience, with flashing lights, water effects, mist, fog and moving seats matching up with the big screen action. Think Star Tours, Transformers: The Ride, or any other motion simulated theme park ride where the seats move to alongside a film projection. For King of the Monsters, the effect was turned up to the maximum and used only when appropriate. The seats made jump scares more powerful, the fights feel like they were happening around you and the collateral damage around the human characters feel like it was surrounding the audience too. At a few points, I felt like I was going to fly out of my seat with how strong the effect was. And you know what? It was awesome!

Sadly, the entire film couldn’t be monsters fighting. We need a story to justify these characters meeting up and throwing down. Sadly, if the monster scenes are almost as good as they can get, then the plot goes in the opposite direction. The biggest consistent complaint about the 2014 film was that the humans were boring and that there was too much of them. It’s not ideal, but if the human plot can’t be good, the least it can do is get out of the way of the rest of the film and serve as exposition to get us from fight to fight. Instead what we get in King of the Monsters is a human plot so actively bad that I found myself getting actively frustrated with how slowly their stories progressed, how nonsensical their decision making was and how unlikable nearly every character was. At best, most of the cast served a singular function, whether it was to constantly sympathize with Godzilla for reasons unexplained, to rattle off horribly unfunny one-liners or to be the target of unearned aggression. At worst, these are bad, unsympathetic people that are impossible to care about. Some scenes dragged for so long that I wanted to yell out to the screen to hurry it up. Thankfully, the groans during monologues, laughter in the middle of serious scenes and silence greeting the comic relief reassured me that I was not the only one feeling this way during the screening.

Who knew all we needed to take down giant monsters was an elevator full of badly written characters?

The characters and story are done no favors by the script, which went as far as to cause second-hand embarrassment at points. We’ve all heard the “God… Zilla” line from the trailers that comes off just as bad as one would think, but wait until Bradley Whitford’s Dr. Rick Stanton mistakes Ghidorah for gonorrhea. In fact, the entire film would be better off without Whitford’s quips, who took the share of bad lines in a script full of them.

King “Gonorrhea” in all its glory.

As we build towards an epic showdown between two iconic movie monsters, Godzilla: King of the Monsters should have been a visual, action packed ride that would leave viewers wanting more. In many ways, it succeeds, with unforgettable visual effects that are matched by some of the best giant monster fights you’ll see on the big screen. Amplified by the 4DX effect, the level of immersion was unbelievable, making it feel like these monsters were surrounding the theater at points. Sadly, what’s even more memorable is how awful the plot around the action is, with writing, characters and motivations that will actively annoy viewers in-between visual spectacle. If the human plot in a movie like this can’t be good, than the least it can do is get out of the way. Instead, it blocks the enjoyment every chance it gets, which drags down the film considerably.

If only the run time could have been cut down by 30 minutes, Godzilla: King of the Monsters would be seen much more favorably. Instead, we have so much wasted time with such unsavory characters that they’re impossible to ignore. Let’s hope next year’s showdown with Kong takes a more basic approach.

Final Score: 2.5/5

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Vic Mignogna- The Voice Of Broly

by Josh Jackson

This is part five of our ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ interview series.

Click here for our interview with Monica Rial, the voice of Bulma.

Click here for our interview with Jason Douglas, the voice of Beerus.

Click here for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Next up is the titular character himself! Vic Mignogna has voiced Broly since the Funimation dub of the original Legendary Super Saiyan film in 2004. Perhaps best known as the voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Vic has also played Junpei Iori in Persona 3 and its various films and spinoffs. Other well known series he’s featured in include Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man, and lesser known shows like Madlax, a personal favorite of mine. Chances are if you play games or watch anime, you’ve heard Vic’s voice. Now with Broly being reimagined, we talked to him about what it was like to play two different versions of the hulking berserker.

Josh- This is essentially the second time audiences are being introduced to Broly. His portrayal based on everything we know so far seems to be a little bit different from his past versions.

Vic- Different in a very good way! A very good way. I love Broly! I love that character, I have for many, many years. If there was one thing that I would have changed, and I think most fans agree, it would have been to give him a more significant backstory. Give him some kind of foundation or background that he didn’t have, and this movie certainly does that. And it does it very effectively.

Sean- From what we can gather, this version of Broly doesn’t really like to fight like the original version. Yet, we know we know he will actually be doing a lot of fighting. What were your thoughts on this kind of split and dichotomy?

Vic- I love it! You know, I think one of the things that Dragon Ball is known for is fighting, battling, tournaments and competition… So you expect that. And the action in this film is certainly worthy of Dragon Ball. But what you don’t always expect is a deeper story, is a sympathetic story for a character that on the surface may seem pretty menacing. But when you find out more about his background, you actually develop a… I don’t want to say sympathy, but your heart goes out a little bit to him, I think. And that just makes it more powerful.

Josh- Was that challenging at all to take this character that you played years ago in a different form and having to approach it in a different way?

Vic- Not at all! In fact, I welcome it! Because as an actor, you always love the opportunity to play a deeper character, right? I mean, anybody that screams loud can play a character that only screams loud, right? But if suddenly you’ve got a character that’s got variations on his personality and what makes him who he is, that makes him more fun to play! Which is always a welcomed thing.

Sean- If you had to choose between the two versions of the character, which one is more fun to play and which [would you choose] as a fan?

Vic- Both of them! Excuse me… I mean the second one for both reasons! (Laughs) The Broly we’re about to be introduced to is definitely my favorite for both reasons! I think the fans are really going to enjoy it more because there’s more to connect with, and I had fun playing a character that had more dimensions than just, “Oh! There was a baby crying next to him when he was born and he freaked out.” Ehh… That’s a little thin! (Laughs)

Sean- There is such great animation in this movie. Was there any point where it was too hard to record because you were just too taken aback by the images?

Vic- Well, I will tell you what! I will tell you that Justin Cook over there, (voice actor and producer on Dragon Ball and other Funimation projects), who worked on directing my stuff, he has as much better eye for it than I do! He has…

*Justin Cook shouts at Vic in the distance*

Vic- (Laughs) No! I’m just telling them! They were asking me about, you know, with the action and the fighting being so fast moving, it is easy to get pulled in! Like, “Wait a minute! I was supposed to do something and I don’t know what…” But Justin has a great eye for it, and he literally would say, “Okay, right here, you’ve got this, this, this, and it all happens in like half a second.” So I depended a great deal on him to keep me focused on what I was doing.

Justin- I depend on Vic! Let’s get that clear.

Vic- Right! He’s smirking when he says that! (Laughs)

Sean- Another question about recording. What is the key to recording the perfect battle scream?

Vic- Oof… You know what? Voice actors have told me for years that there is a way that you can yell without hurting your voice… I don’t but it! (Laughs) I don’t think that’s true. I think that if you fake it, you can tell. Does that make sense? So, umm… One of the reasons Broly is such a challenging character to play is because you can’t hold back! You can’t fake it. It has got to be full on, everything you’ve got, and so I don’t think there’s a way of cheating the yelling and the screaming. The key is, let it rip! Let it rip. Because the last thing you want to hear is the director go, “Could you uhh… Give me a little more?” I mean, oh god, really? So just let it go!

Josh- With this version of Broly, did you get somewhat of a break from the screaming? Is it as much?

Vic- No [break]! (Laughs) Umm… But I will tell you that our approach to the recording process was that we would record for like two hours a day, because you don’t want to do it much longer than that. Because you’ll actually stress your voice out and then you won’t be recovered for the next day. So we took a week to record this role for a couple of hours a day. Maybe some days we would do maybe three hours, but you don’t want to scream bloody murder for five or six hours a day cause then you’ll go home and you’ll wake the next morning and your voice will not have recovered. So then you’ll be out of commission for a few days. So our strategy was a couple hours each day, and then I would go home and drink tea with honey and sit quietly… (Laughs) And let it reocover!

Josh- The way that Broly is being portrayed in this version of the film kind of makes him seem like a missing link between Goku and Vegeta. What role do you think he plays in their rivalry and friendship as a Saiyan?

Vic- That’s an interesting question! That’s a very interesting question! And I hope based on the way that the story unfolds and the way the movie ends, I’m hoping sincerely that we’re going to see more of Broly. I think he’s a much more compelling character. He’s just as badass as he ever was, but now there’s more dimension to him. And I think it leaves it wide open for him to show up again and play a more pivotal role between Goku and Vegeta. I hope that happens! I sincerely hope it happens.

Sean- Do you think that Broly is kind of this product of Saiyan culture because of King Vegeta’s corruption, and because they are meant to be angry and fighting even when they don’t want to?

Vic- No! No, I think he’s a product of his father. I mean, you know. If Broly’s father is his singular main influance, just like you or me. Your dad has a great deal to do with the person you are by the time you’re 12 or 13 years old, right? And some of those habits are hard to break because they’re so deeply ingrained. I think that it’s Broly’s dad that is largely responsible for who he is.

Josh- That brings up an interesting point that I didn’t think of before. But since Broly was kind of isolated while Goku and Vegeta had their own thing, and he was kind of separate from the conflict with Frieza and everything… And this is just from what I know from the trailers, so I could be wrong, but do you think that Goku and Vegeta had that time to grow and develop and move on past Frieza’s influence on Planet Vegeta, do you think that Broly is kind of a way to pull them back towards their Saiyan heritage that has kind of taken more of a backseat after the Frieza Saga ended?

Vic- Possibly! Possibly so, but as you even pointed out, Broly is kind of a reluctant warrior. He’s not fighting because he even really believes in it himself. And you sense the turmoil in him, which is much more interesting than it’s ever been. It makes the character more interesting. And I’m not really sure how his presence will influence Vegeta or Goku, or like you said, “Pull them back.” Hopefully that’s something that will be explored either in the series to come or even another movie possibly. But they’ve certainly left it wide open for that!

Tomorrow, we sit with the Prince himself, as Chris Sabat talks to us about the process of recording the film both behind the mic and in the director’s chair!

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Monica Rial- The Voice Of Bulma

by Josh Jackson

This is part four of our ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ interview series.

Click here for our interview with Jason Douglas, the voice of Beerus.

Click here for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Today’s interview is with Monica Rial, who has voiced Bulma since the remade Dragon Ball Z: Kai was dubbed in 2010. As the one character who has been part of the series as long as Goku has, Bulma is perhaps the character that has changed the most throughout the series. Starting off as a shallow teenager who wanted to use the wish making powers of the Dragon Balls to wish for a boyfriend, fans have watched her grow into the brains behind the brawn of Goku and his friends, oftentimes serving as the motherly figure to the rest of the group as well as the only person that can keep her husband, Vegeta, in check. Outside of Dragon Ball, Monica has had lead roles in series’ such as Panty and Stocking with Garderbelt, Senran Kagura, and recently began voicing Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.

Josh- So Monica! With the Broly movie approaching, what can you tell us about Bulma’s role in the film?

Monica- Bulma’s role is in the film is she KICKS BROLY’S A… No, I’m kidding, I wish! (Laughs) I’m still waiting for the day that she to fight! But I’d say Bulma’s role in this film is supporting her friends, but also comedy. She’s got a lot of comedy in this one. And I think it’s just that it’s such an action packed, hardcore film. There’s a lot of drama, there’s a lot of action, so I feel like they needed some comic relief and they were like, “Bulma!” So that’s kind of my role in this one. Which I’m not gonna complain about. I love comedy, so I’m all about it!

Josh- Bulma has the habit of bossing around some of the strongest beings in the universe, so are we going to come to the point in the film or beyond the film where she’s going to be pulling Broly by the ear and telling him what to do?

Monica- I hope so! I really, really hope that will be the case because at this point, I’ve done it to all of them. Calling Frieza ugly to his face and slapping Beerus… if she didn’t die then, then surely she can handle Broly or at least put him in his place.

Sean- Is she going to be the one that actually forces Vegeta to fuse?

Monica- Oh… I can’t tell you that! (Laughs) But that’s got to be weird! You know, the more I think about the fusion, it’s like your best friend and your husband… Do you really want them turning into one person? Probably not.

Sean- Yeah, what would Bulma say to that?

Monica- I think she’d be a little weirded out. At the same time, I think she’s one of those people who’ll do whatever you got to do to get the job done. But at the same time, yeah… It would be a little strange.

Josh- She’s been around from the very beginning, so she’s seen her fair share of strange things already.

Monica- Right! I think she’s just jaded at this point. She’s like, “Whatever, that’s weird but oh well, it’s just another Tuesday!”

Sean- Was there any point where the animation was just so breathtaking that it stopped you in your tracks while you were recording?

Monica- Yeah! In fact, I got to watch it before we recorded it. Jason Douglas and I actually sat down in Colleen Clinkenbeard’s office, (longtime voice actor and director at Funimation who currently plays Mai and the entire young Goku family tree in Dragon Ball), and sat with the script because they were very cautious about it not leaking or anything. So we had to go into her office and watch it on her little Mac with our little scripts… And I will say that there were several times where we looked at each other and were like, “Oh! Yes! That’s intense!” And we weren’t even looking at the final version, we were looking at a version that was still in progress, so you had a lot of storyboards and still animation, which was so cool for us because we never get to see that behind the scenes kind of stuff. So it was really neat to kind of see. There was a point where Bulma’s space ship takes off and it’s like, a picture… a picture… a picture… a picture, before they had the motion put in. It was really, really cool! But yeah, it’s absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t WAIT for everybody to see it! I feel like I’ve got the biggest secret in the world and I can’t tell anybody and I can’t wait for you all to see it so I can finally talk about it! (Laughs)

Josh- I know, the wait’s been killer!

Monica- Yeah, it’s the worst! It’s absolutely the worst. And people keep asking, “Why are the trailers giving away so much information?” And I’m like, “Nah you’re good. There’s still a whole lot more!”

Josh- Okay, good!

Sean- It’s not quite 100% certain that we’ll get that we’ll get more Dragon Ball animation beyond this. If it does keep going, are you absolutely down for more and where do you think it will go?

Monica- 100 percent! In fact, I would be very unhappy and very sad if we DON’T have more! I would hope that would be the case! I think that a lot of people have speculated [and] Akira Toriyama has said that if this film does well, that he would consider the possibility of doing more. So I’m like, “Everybody go see this movie! Go! Now!” (Laughs) But yeah, I would love for there to be more, and if I were going to guess as to where I would like the show to go, I would love for either Vegeta or Goku to become a Destroyer. I kind of see that whole aspect of it, and people always ask, “Well then, what’s going to happen to Beerus?” And I’m like, “I think Beerus is going to be the new Piccolo!” As much as he hates it, I think he’s gonna be the dude that sits around and eats food and hangs out with Bulla! And that’s how it’s gonna be!

Josh- And he raises other people’s kids!

Monica- Right, exactly! We all know Piccolo is the best dad in Dragon Ball! Well… Vegeta is catching up because of what he’s done recently, but not in the beginning.

Josh- Yeah! Him and Piccolo are fighting for a close first and second right now. (Laughs)

Sean- Kind of a silly question, but do you think if Broly is the one Bulma encountered, would they be together too?

Monica- Oh gosh! I don’t think so! I don’t know… No! No, not THIS Broly. This Broly… I think that that she would be like… She’s become much more maternal as the show has gone on I think, especially in Super. She’s kind of the mom of the group. She’s like telling people what to do and making sure she’s on every mission because she’s like, “You can’t go by yourself, I have to be there!” She’d probably just mom Broly. Broly would be like her kid where she’s like, “Now shush, drink your milk! Okay, you have to finish your homework before you go to bed!” Like I really think that would be her take on Broly.

Josh- On the subject of Bulma’s role shifting over the years, it’s somewhat understated, but next to Goku, she’s the character who has been there the longest and gone through the most growth and change throughout. So going from the selfish teenager up to the mom role, where would you like to see Bulma go past this movie?

Monica- Oh goodness… I would love to see her take a more commanding position. Like maybe… Become the mayor of the town or do something that’s more involved with what’s happening in their world. Either that or I would like to see her fight! (Laughs) I’d love to see her come out with an outfit… Not and outfit, but like a suit. Like an Iron Man type suit where she can actually go out there and help them more than just by flying the spacecraft, you know what I mean? I think that would be kind of fun to see. She might like… Scream and run away! But you know, it would be worth a shot! Just to see!

Josh- That doesn’t sound too hard compared to building a time machine a couple of times.

Monica- If she could do that, she can surely build an Iron Man suit!

Sean- Robotics suits used to be a big part of Dragon Ball.

Monica- Right!? Yeah! And then it’s been gone, so it’s like, “Bring them back!” (Laughs) That would be fun! So who knows? But yeah, I think she’ll continue to mom everybody, that’s for sure.

Monica- I was just talking to the other gentleman who was hosting [the interviews]. He was saying that, “You know, a lot of Japanese people watch the dub,” and I’m like, “… They do?” I guess we just assume that you know… You guys watch the dub, everybody in the US watches the dub, but nobody else anywhere… Ever watches the dub!

Sean- I interviewed Sean [Schemmel] at Comic Con and he said they heard back that you guys got the seal of approval from the Japanese crew.

Monica- That was recent! That wasn’t that long ago. So it was kind of interesting to see how it’s kind of changing over the years. But yeah! To think that people are watching internationally that don’t even speak English as a first language, that’s really impressive! That’s really, really cool! And kind of intimidating and scary all at the same time! (Laughs)

Josh- But I think that’s just a testament to how great of a job you all do because for me at least, it’s really hard to even watch it in any other version. You guys are the voices that I’ve been listening to for so long.

Monica- Thank you! Well, we love it. I mean like… That’s the thing. We’ve kind of become a little family. Like, anywhere we go, I look forward to seeing [everyone]. I just put a picture up and tagged it as, “Doing press with my boys!” Because it’s literally how it feels! You’re just like a little happy family!

Sean- Chris [Sabat’s] work wife?

Monica- Yes! Oh my gosh! My birthday dinner was with my fiance and Chris! So both of my husbands!

We’re in Saiyan territory now! Check back tomorrow for our interview with Vic Mignogna, the voice of Broly!

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Jason Douglas- The Voice Of Beerus

by Josh Jackson

This is part three of our ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ interview series.

Click here for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Today’s interview is with Jason Douglas, the voice actor for the God of Destruction himself, Beerus. Jason is a veteran voice actor who has been featured in dubbing roles for over a decade. Ranging from classics like Elfen Lied and Full Metal Panic to newer shows like My Hero Academia, RWBY and One Piece, chances are if you’ve watched popular anime over the last few years, you’ve heard his voice at some point. Outside of anime, Jason has also voiced Krieg, the playable Psycho in Borderlands 2, and can be seen on the screen in the Sin City film and Breaking Bad. With Beerus arguably being his most popular role, we sat down with him to ask him how the god’s presence will be felt in the Broly film, as well as how it feels to play one of the most well received additions to the Dragon Ball cast.

Sean- Can you tell us what Beerus’ role in the film is, both in the flashback storyline and the present storyline?

Jason- I think you’re gonna learn some things about Beerus that really… I wanna say things without getting too spoilery, but I think the Beerus that we see in this film confirms for me some things that I’ve considered for awhile now, which is that he is getting restless in his position. He might even be getting… There might be a vulnerability there. I’ll just put it that way. I think that we are not finished seeing him develop as a character, and I think what we see of him in this film will set up perhaps some future conflict perhaps between him and Whis or between him and Goku and Vegeta. I think it will seem trivial to some degree, but I think it sets up a possibility for a future change in the Beerus storyline. That’s about as careful as I can say all of that without giving anything away! (Laughs)

Sean- The character wasn’t actually in the first Broly film. Were you a fan of the original film and were you happy to be apart of it?

Jason- The original film wasn’t really on my radar screen. I felt like, especially with the way Toriyama wanted to really reboot the character… in a fresh way with this film. I think that in some ways, we kind of need to set aside what we think we know about Broly from all the previous iterations of that character and just take him for who he now he is as he’s launched in THIS iteration of the Dragon Ball franchise. Because I think it’s an interesting character and I think he will be a bit of a live wire. And someone that going forward… I think just adds some unpredictability to the Dragon Ball universe, you know? And I think that’s who Broly is. I think he’s incredibly powerful, but it’s a power that I don’t think is easily constrained. So I think Vegeta and Goku, especially under the tutelage of Whis, are always about discipline and control and focus. Whereas Broly is the proverbial wild child, you know? The idea of a kid raised by monkeys living in the jungle, you know? Like swinging from trees. And so,  I think that just lends to his intrigue as a character.

Josh- Speaking of Beerus and his history with the Saiyans, it was kind of said as more of a throwaway line almost in Super, one that hasn’t been addressed much yet, but it was mentioned how Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta on Beerus’ order. Now, is that anything he is gonna have to answer for?

Jason- Well, I think this film is interesting in that it expands the backstory of a lot of that. This film is really great for sort of deepening the mythos of the Dragon Ball universe and giving that scene… When you see it in Super, it feels a certain way. But I think once you get to know Planet Vegeta a little bit in this film and you see the kind of world that they’re living in, it sort of begins to make more sense in a certain way. And so I for one was glad obviously as the English voice of Beerus, but as the actor trying to bring that character to life, to see kind of a richer landscape of what that was about. We definitely gain a lot of perspective on Planet Vegeta.

Sean- Was there any point where the animation was just so breathtaking that it was difficult to completely record your lines because it’s just so amazing?

Jason- Um… Yeah, that’s interesting… I was quite impressed with the animation for this film. Luckily, I had a chance to watch it from start to finish. It was still unfinished, but in some places, it was complete. I could tell even then that it was going to be just… It was definitely moving up a notch from our expectations from the show. I think when we saw Battle of Gods, our expectations were instantly elevated by what we saw with that film, and that’s been three our four years ago now. So their ideas about the show and about how to cast the animation for that has evolved even since then. I think it’s epic, I think it is very Tolkien-esque at times. It has the flavors now of a deep mythology that I think we maybe didn’t have before.

Josh- Speaking of Battle of Gods, it was the first time that there was new material for Dragon Ball Z in about a decade and a half…

Jason- 17 years I think, yeah!

Josh- When that came out, it introduced Beerus, who is now a major part of [Dragon Ball]. How did that feel being a new character added in such a well renowned and established universe, and how do you feel about him being so widely accepted in the fandom?

Jason- I’m grateful that the fandom of Dragon Ball have accepted obviously me as part of that inner circle which for so long was carried so skillfully by Sean [Schemmel] and Chris [Sabat] and those folks. It’s always an amazing thing to be part of a franchise that has worldwide acclaim and to get to contribute to that in some way. And so I’m thrilled particularly on this show that the English dub is not just an afterthought, but that there are a lot of fans worldwide really who eagerly anticipate what we do. I hear from fans who love the Japanese version and the English dub version and will watch them both. It’s like they get two performances, they get two chances to watch the show be interpreted. It’s a real honor, and for someone who’s really been doing this… I started doing anime before I ever started working on camera for film and television. It was one of the first professional jobs I ever had as an actor after starting in theater, it was doing voices in anime. You know, that’s been just over 20 years now. And so for me to get to do a character like this in Dragon Ball, which is such a worldwide phenomenon, is just an amazing milestone for me. It’s definitely an honor.

Josh- As far as Beerus, one of my favorite things about him is that he has the ability to just  be the funniest part of the show, then the next second, he can be the most dangerous part of the show.

Jason- Right! For me, that’s what makes him so much fun to play. He’s not a one dimensional character. He’s not just sort of written as a utility kind of function to advance the plot, and then he’s gone. I think as the audience, we’re intrigued by him as a character. Not only does he make us laugh, but he gets us excited. I think that he has that effect within the show as well. I think Goku and Vegeta obviously have respect for Beerus as a character and he represents something that I think they want to attain for themselves. I think it’s important for Beerus to not merely be a kind of a malevolent force, but as a way of saying, “Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure that you want what I have? Because I’ve been at it for a good while and I’m a little bored.” I think there’s a subtext to Beerus that says, “I’m a little bored with this, guys. Do you want it? Come take it, but make it interesting!”

Sean- Are you down for more if there’s more to come?

Jason- Yeah! I’m around! (Laughs) Obviously, I pursue on camera work, and I do other voice work and video games. But I’ve never not done anime except for a very short period of time in the mid to late 2000’s when I was kind of quiet in the business. But I’ve been doing anime nearly longer than I’ve done anything else as an actor, so for me to get to play this character is really an opportunity of a lifetime and I hope that it does continue for me as it has for these guys! You know, they started 20-some odd years ago with this franchise when nobody knew or cared what it was, and they’ve stuck with it all this time. They saw it gain in popularity and saw it achieve worldwide phenomenon status. So if I could be apart of it for my 20 years as they approach 40, I think that would be great!

Check back tomorrow for our next interview with Monica Rial, the voice of Bulma!

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Ian Sinclair- The Voice Of Whis

by Josh Jackson

This is part two of our interview series.

Click here for our interview with Sonny Strait, the voice of Bardock.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Next up, is Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis. As the angel and overseer of Beerus, the God of Destruction, Whis is seen as the mentor of Goku and Vegeta as the seek to obtain greater power against opponents from the multiverse. Often sarcastic and carefree, Whis has brought a fresh, humorous take to the series after being introduced in the Battle of Gods revival, becoming one of the more beloved characters in the series. Ian can also be heard on popular shows such as Attack on Titan, One Piece, and as Juzo Sakakura in Danganronpa 3, which is a personal favorite of mine.

Sean- Whis usually takes an outside role with things as an observer. There’s a rumor that he actually has a fight in this movie, so what was it like voicing the character in action when he’s normally having to step back. Or can you not confirm anything…

Ian- *Using his Whis voice* Umm… I can ask YOU questions! How do you think Broly vs. Whis would go down?

Sean- Honestly, I think he’s even gonna have a little bit of trouble. Like, he’s gonna be confident, and then be like, “oh crap!”

Ian- Oh! You think he’s gonna have trouble?! (Laughs) That’s my answer!

Josh- I would think Whis would beat him pretty easily!

Ian- Yeah! You’d think that, wouldn’t you? A Saiyan, that’s cute. A Saiyan’s gonna hurt an angel, that’s ADORABLE! (Laughs)

Sean- What can you tell us about his role in the movie?

Ian- Whis’ role in the movie… What can I tell you? How can I… I feel like Whis and Beerus are now…

*Switching back to Ian’s normal voice* I’m just gonna go ahead and preface this. So it’s really hard for me to understand the Whis [character] from an outside point. I can understand Beerus, because I’m like, “Okay, he’s the new guy that [Goku] is going up against.” I can look at him like a Cell, like a Buu, but instead this one became a friend. So it’s almost like a Vegeta kind of thing, or a Piccolo, but I have NO concept of Whis because he’s me in a weird way. But Whis and Beerus I feel are now friends and part of the group, and they’re all there to you know, train and do stuff like that. I can’t spoil, so I’ll say they’re part of the gang!

*Using Whis’ voice* But again, my response to if Broly can give ANY. PROBLEM. TO WHIS… Hold on, let me grab the microphones… Ha. Haha. Haha. Hahahahahahaha. Oh, that’s cute! Just getting that out there, just getting that out there.

Sean- I’ve been asking this to everyone. The animation looks amazing…

Ian- Oh god, you have no idea!

Sean- Was there any point where it was just too hard to record because you were just taken aback.

Ian- No, actually I was recording animatics. Most of my stuff was recorded fairly early on in the process and the big fight stuff and the stuff where you can tell that all the crazy amount of money and time and effort got put into it… Those I didn’t see until after the fact, so most of my stuff was mostly animated.

Sean- And that’s new then for you guys, accessing the storyboards.

Ian- Damn right! Normally the thing is completely done and they just pitch it over to us. So that was different. It’s stunning though, dude, for real. All interviewing aside, the fight in this is so dope! Like so dope! It’s everything that you’d like! You’re like, “ahhhh!” and then they bring out Gogeta and you’re like, “Agggghhhh!” It’s genuinely one of the dopest fights you’ll ever see or that you have seen so far in Dragon Ball, and I include the Jiren fight in that. This is at least that level. AT LEAST!

Josh- That’s really exciting because the Jiren fight was incredible!

Ian- It was incredible! It was one of those things where you’re like, “You have so much money! You animators must have spent so much time on this!” Because it’s just so crisp and SO good! But oh, this movie! My jaw literally dropped and I went, “Oh my god!” when I saw it the first time.

Josh- With Whis, one of my favorite parts about the character is all of his different interactions with everybody and how playful and teasing he is with everybody. What are some of your favorite interactions that you’ve had as Whis?

Ian (Whis?)- Well, my absolute favorite is when Goku finally comes up to the planet to train with Whis and Vegeta, and Whis goes, “You know what might be fun? If we sparred today! We haven’t tried that yet!” And Goku goes, “You haven’t sparred with Whis yet? That must mean you’re not strong enough!” Or something like that. And I go, “But to be fair Goku, neither are you.” And [Goku] goes, “I’m not strong enough to fight you?” And I go “Ohoho… No…” And MAN, just to say that to Goku is just a trip dude!

Sean- As somebody [who gets to be] sassy with all your favorite characters…

Ian- Ughhh! And just… I don’t know if it’s because of how Super has written Goku, but I get annoyed with Goku at this point, and I never did as a kid. He was always like my super hero. But now I’m such a Vegeta fan! And like, Goku will just be like, “Can I train? Can I train?” I’ll be like, “Oh my god! He’s annoying!” And the director will be like, “Yeah! Use that!” And then there’s that scene where I’m doing shabu shabu and he’s like, “C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!”

Sean- Goku’s the [guy] for dog lovers and Vegeta is the guy for cat lovers.

Ian- Okay. I would have said that up and through Z. Here’s my biggest thing, and I can say this… The difference in Super for me and the biggest difference I see in Goku is that in Dragon Ball and in Dragon Ball Z, Goku saved us. Goku saved us from Cell. Goku saved us from Vegeta. Goku saved us from all these people. In Super, Goku is picking fights. He’s not saving us from something that’s coming for us. He’s literally just picking fights! With gods! (Laughs) He never did that in Z, he never did! But in this one he’s like, “Oh cool! You’re a God of Destruction! Do you wanna fight? Oh cool, you’re the greatest assassin! [In reference to Universe 6’s Hit.] I’ll pay you to kill me! Oh cool! You’re the God of Everything! Let’s fight!” Like, it’s just… It’s different. And so my patience with Goku is just that like… “Oh my god, this annoying little monkey boy who won’t… He’ll just fight, fight, fight! But the fun thing is that he makes my other little monkey boy train harder. Not like that other little monkey boy. I think he’ll be a great Destroyer one day.

Sean- Is Whis’ relationship kind of just like a married couple?

Ian- No, it’s his cat! (Laughs) I get asked that all the time, like “Are you related to him?” I don’t put any sexuality between them. I am not speaking to either of their sexualities. I would not DARE say what either of their sexualities are. That’s not my place to say it. But I will say, it’s his freaking cat! It’s his cat! (Laughs) And you know what? Anthropomorphic, whatever your kink is, that’s fine. But it’s his cat! And that’s how I feel about it, so no. He has an angry cat who likes to break stuff and sleep and eat. And he maintains that cat. But I think there have been a couple of times in Super where Whis did say, “I’ll train you if you become a Destroyer.” So personally, I’m waiting for that kind of stuff to happen. I’m waiting for some sort of Vegeta versus Beerus fight. Which will go down the second Vegeta finds out that Beerus ordered the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Just gonna throw that out there. Which is mentioned in Super, I’m not making that up!

Josh- It’s been stated how strong Whis is. We haven’t really seen him fight at all except for the brief sparring which barely counts or when he knocked out Beerus at the end of Battle of Gods. Can we expect to see Whis fight anymore, even beyond this movie? Would you like to see more Whis in action?

Ian- I would love to! I would actually like to have to go through the acting problem of trying to figure out what it sounds like when he’s… Exerting himself, or like, trying! Cause he just doesn’t! He doesn’t try! Genuinely, and I’ve talked to the other people who play the angels. We view everyone else as children. Little bitty children having their little bitty fights. It does not bother us. So there’s no one really that would give Whis even a slight problem. Okay, Grand Minister. My daddy could spank me.

Josh- Do you think a sparring contest against Vados might be in order?

Ian- You know what? Yeah, sure! Everybody brings up the Vados thing, and they’re like, “You know she said that.” And I go, “You know what? My sister used to beat the crap out of ME when we were kids, and I’m bigger than her now!” Just because you beat him up as a little kid doesn’t mean anything.

Check back tomorrow for our interview with Jason Douglas, the voice of Beerus.

Interviewing The Cast Of ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’: Sonny Strait- The Voice Of Bardock

by Josh Jackson

Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the continuation of the DBS anime that re-imagines the fan-favorite villain from the perspective of series creator Akira Toriyama, will be releasing in theaters nationwide on January 16. To count down to the release of the film, we will be posting a round table interview conducted alongside Sean at VRV, with voice actors from the movie each day leading up to the release date, culminating with a full review of DBS: Broly itself!

Kicking off this series is Sonny Strait! Most prominently known in the Dragon Ball universe as Krillin, Sonny returns as the voice of Bardock, Goku’s father from Planet Vegeta. Like Broly, Bardock had only been seen in movies written by other creators, so this film will be poppa Goku’s official introduction into the series’ canon. Outside of Dragon Ball, Sonny can be seen breaking our heats as Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, making us laugh as Usopp in One Piece, or doing both as Kuro-Sensei in Assassination Classroom. 

Josh- With the Broly movie, the portrayal of Bardock, based on the trailers, seems a little bit different from past versions. What would you say was your approach to playing Bardock this time?

Sonny- It’s a kinder, gentler Bardock. He’s basically the same guy, just different situations. Raised up in a different kind of life. I don’t want to give away too much of the movie, but it’s the same guy if this was his life, you know? So the approach was similar. But also… we did that thing, (the first Bardock movie), about 16, maybe 17 years ago. We’ve all gotten a lot better since then. (laughs) So we were actually able to explore a lot more with him. I love the character Bardock. The original movie was really a redemption story and I love those kind of movies. So any chance to play him is great because I played him in the video games too. Just about every year we had a new video game, Bardock was appearing in it.

Sean- What was your reaction to the new version of him? Did you think that you would enjoy this version more than kind of the more evil version?

Sonny- Yeah… I don’t know that he was evil, but he was definitely a soldier that didn’t mind killing at all, which made [the first film] a redemption story. He’s a different kind of guy now, yeah… I want to say that he kind of got the reality that he wanted, you know? I always say that Bardock is the guy who is the most powerful Saiyan because he actually influenced THIS reality, you know? All those times he said “I’m going to change the future,” in the video games? It looks like he did!

Sean- Kind of a funny question, but do you happen to channel a little bit of Sean, [Schemmel, the voice of Goku], when you’re playing his dad?

Sonny- (Laughs). No! I’m his daddy! He’s gotta pay attention! Sit up straight, son! Nobody likes a slouching Saiyan!

Josh- In this movie, it seems like the relationship between Vegeta, Broly and Goku and their families by extension are more intertwined in this version. Is there anything you can say that surprises you in terms of the backgrounds of the characters?

Sonny- Yeah! Because it was a different approach. But I know that Akira Toriyama [creator of the Dragon Ball series]… [Bardock] was not a character of his. It was actually created independently for the movies. So it was really kind of an honor to play it like Akira would have seen this character, you know? It was an amazing honor to do it that way.

Sean- The animation is amazing, we’ve all seen it.

Sonny- I know, right!? It’s like the old school style, right? But it’s so much cleaner, you know? It’s just beautiful. It’s my favorite thing about it.

Sean- Was there any point where it was actually too hard to record because you were too distracted by how great the animation was?

Sonny- (Laughs) Yeah, you know? It did stop a few takes because we were like, “Whoa! Look at that! That is really cool!”

Josh- You mentioned how every year, you come back as Bardock in the video games and that kind of thing. But lately it seems like he’s been getting more and more appearances in terms of the new Dragon Ball Heroes show where he stared popping up and Xenoverse and all of that. So what do you think Bardock’s role could be going forward in future story events in Dragon Ball Super?

Sonny- I don’t know, it depends on how they want to approach it, you know? They’ve already shown with this movie that all bets are off. You can’t count on anything. But I would love to see Bardock continue his story some how, some way, you know? There was that OVA where he becomes a Super Saiyan. That would be kind of cool if they could somehow incorporate that into some kind of time travel thing. But… You know, I also play Krillin, so I’m there all the time anyway. But I love that Bardock is getting more traction now and being able to play and see him more often.

Josh- Do you have anything in mind if you could write your own scenario for Bardock? Would you want to see him do anything in particular going foward?

Sonny- Hmm… That’s a good question. I’m not even going to presume, (Laughs). I would never… That just seems to be… I would love to see him go Super Saiyan, honestly. I would love to see that official, in Dragon Ball Super or something, somehow where Bardock appears. But I would never presume how that would be worked into the show.

Josh- Right, for sure! Like you said, anything seems to be possible lately.

Sonny- Exactly! And that’s what I love about too. It’s like… Okay, this is a whole new movie, a whole new series. Let’s take a whole new take on it? Why not? I know that a lot of fans like things to stay consistent and everything, but it’s like… Why? You know? I’m a comic book reader, I’ve been a comic reader since I was a kid and I love alternative universes. I love when people reboot things and try different things as long as it’s good and quality. And this movie is a good, quality take on it, so why not?

Sean- How early did you learn that Bardock was going to be in the new movie, and were you excited to learn that you were going to be able to play the part again?

Sonny- I knew that Bardock was going to be in it, but I didn’t realize how big of a deal he was going to be. Then Toei had asked me to help promote the Bardock special, the old movie. Then I was like, “I bet he’s pretty important in this!” Because why else would they be trying to promote that, you know? And then when I saw it, I was like, “Oh… This is great! This is something to sink your teeth into with this character.

Sean- Now… I’m not sure how to word this question, but like… What are your thoughts on Saiyan culture when Bardock was alive and if he plays a big part in how Broly came into creation. Like how King Vegeta corruption kind of created Broly and is Bardock part of that tough Saiyan culture? Or is he already a kind of outlier at this point?

Sonny- Bardock was THE perfect soldier, you know? That was part of the problem in the original movie. He was so good and he was getting stronger every time he went out, and that’s what threatened Frieza. I think this version is more… I have to be careful not to give anything away, but I think it’s a much more believable premise from this standpoint politically. It’s a setup politically, I can see how that would happen, you know? It’s not just meanness or just being threatened. There’s a lot more to it.

Sean- You said it’s hard to keep things under wraps. How long have you been holding onto this?

Sonny- You don’t want to be the guy who leaked the plot! (Laughs)

Josh- You mentioned how Bardock is the perfect soldier who’s just getting stronger and stronger. Again, kind of a silly question, but who do you think would win between Bardock and King Vegeta?

Sonny- Now you sound like my grandson! (Laughs) When I’m around him it’s like a mini convention and ALL the questions are, “Who would win in a fight?” So Bardock and King Vegeta? That’s a good question! Because it’s assumed that King Vegeta *would*, but I don’t know? Bardock’s got a lot of reserves that he holds back and I don’t think he realizes. I think he’s a bit of a mutant, you know? And that’s why Goku is so powerful since he came from him. So possibly, yeah! I think he could take him, you know? Because Bardock is the kind of guy who would do whatever it takes. Now against Frieza, that’s kind of pointless, especially at that power level. I think these days, Krillin can almost take Frieza.

Sean- Could you tell us a little bit about the relationship with Raditz, because he’s a character who disappears so early in the franchise.

Sonny- Yeah, he is mentioned though. And I love that he was mentioned. You get to find out a bit about what Raditz has been doing. Not a lot, but you get to find out a little bit about him. I think it’s kind of cool that in this version [Bardock] acknowledges his sons. I can’t say too much more than that.

Josh- It’ll be good to see him again though. That’s one plot thread that was introduced right in the beginning of Z, and since then, even in the Bardock specials that have come out, really hasn’t been mentioned.

Sonny- He just kind of went away. Was it like one or two episodes with Raditz? I can barely remember back then.

Josh- Yeah, something like that. It’ll be great to see him again!

Sean- Is Krillin in this movie?

Sonny- Barely. He makes sort of an “explosive” cameo, I’ll say that. (laughs)

Josh- At least we’ll still have plenty of Krillin to look forward to in the Tournament of Power.

Sonny- Yeah yeah yeah, we’re still recording that. We’ve been recording that for awhile.

Sean- Did you watch the entire [Tournament of Power] through before you guys recorded [Broly]?

Sonny- No! It wasn’t even done! They were animating while we were doing it. We’re like off of a… Do you know what an animatic is? So we had to go back and re-do because the anamatic wasn’t quite matching up with the final animatic.

Josh- That’s real interesting! So you’re saying that the process basically basically started for the English voice over while it was still being developed in Japan essentially?

Sonny- There was a little overlap, yeah. But most of it was animated! But there were a couple of scenes I remember where there was this screaming scene and stuff like this and we’re like, “Uhh… let’s wait until we get the final animation. We don’t want to do that again.”

Josh- So I’d imagine that Chris [Sabat, voice of Vegeta and ADR director of the film], had a more difficult or interesting process…

Sonny- Nah, it’s par for the course. This happens all the  time in animation that you can get the rhythm down of what it is with the animatics. Video games too, we act to animatics in video games all the time.

Sean- Could you tell us what your favorite Bardock moment is in the movie from what you’re allowed to say?

Sonny- I would say… I really like a very touching scene, and that’s it. And that’s it, that’s all I’m gonna say… It’s not a bad touch, but it is touching.

Josh- The best kind!

Sonny- I like that he can almost be emotional.

Sean- Are you gonna make us cry?

Sonny- Yeah, probably.

Josh- Make sure you pack some Kleenex when you go to the theater.

Sonny- And I hope… The last movie was so great that it inspired another series, so it would be great if it inspired one here.

Josh- Yeah, I’m hoping so. One other thing, we talked about Bardock’s relationship with his family a little bit, but does he get to interact too much with any of the other Saiyans that we know about? I know that Paragus, [Broly’s father], and King Vegeta and all of them will be featured in the movie to a certain degree…

Sonny- I will say that he does interact with other Saiyans and that’s all I’m saying. But not King Vegeta.

Sean- So they’re not gonna fight at the family reunion?

Sonny- No. That would be awesome!

Josh- Somewhere off in the afterlife by Frieza’s tree.

Sonny- Yeah! Throwing acorns at him. Bonding over just hitting him and using him as a punching bag.

Check back tomorrow for our interview with Ian Sinclair, the voice of Whis!

Meet The Gunslinger In The First Trailer For ‘The Dark Tower’

by Natalie Kipper

Based on Stephen King’s book series, Sony Pictures’ upcoming film, The Dark Tower, just got its first trailer today! As one would expect from a movie based on King’s work, the feel of the snippets shown are gritty, mysterious, and action-packed. I am sure we can expect lots of explosions. Let’s take a look:

With Idris Elba as Roland Deschain the Gunslinger opposite Matthew McConaughey’s The Man In Black, the movie is looking promising. What did you think?

The Dark Tower heads to theaters on August 4. If you are itching for more information and updates, The Dark Tower also has dedicated Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Releases Trailer, Poster

by Natalie Kipper

As befitting the month of All Hallow’s Eve, Disney Studios gifts fans with not only an unsettling teaser trailer for their upcoming film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but a glimpse of a movie poster as well!

https://youtu.be/1xo3af_6_Jk

The trailer is a tad more than a minute and a half but does an excellent job of, well, showing a bunch of ghostly pirates killing soldiers. Pretty dark stuff. The infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow also appears to play a key part in the film.

Pirates of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales poster

And here is the movie’s teaser poster! The skull and crossbones definitely looks more ornate than in previous films. Check out that gemstone in the tooth. As we can see from the poster, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is set hit theaters sometime in 2017.

What did you think of the trailer? Do you plan on seeing the film? Let us know in the comments!

The First Trailer For ‘Max Steel’ Is Here!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This one… kind of looks like a bad-ass CW series.

The first trailer for the we-forgot-this-was-being-made Max Steel film has finally hit the web, and aside from it being very action heavy, it actually looks kind of cool.

Max Steel is an in-depth “origin” story packed with captivating characters and fast-paced action. The plot chronicles the adventures of Max McGrath and his mother have just moved back to Copper Canyon, the town in which Max’s scientist father died in a mysterious accident shortly after Max was born. As Max adjusts to his new school, things get complicated when his body starts to generate strange energy flare-ups that he can’t control.

At first a confusing mix of inconvenient and exhilarating, this unpredictable power eventually grows too intense for Max to handle, causing him to distance himself from those around him including the girl he likes, Sofia. Eventually the energy pushes him to the verge of fatal combustion. In the nick of time, a techno-organic extraterrestrial named Steel, who has been secretly monitoring Max’s progress, saves him just before he loses consciousness. The two discover that when joined together they can control the energy and harness it into superhuman strength – and that when apart, neither can survive for long.

As these two unlikely friends learn to accept their connected fates, they begin to uncover secrets surrounding the death of Max’s father. As they dig deeper, they soon find themselves hunted by an unforeseen enemy bent on capturing Max and Steel for a sinister agenda of destruction. Uncertain who to trust, they will have to work together to find the truth, and fight the mysterious forces threatening our world.

The film is set to release on October 21st, so take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think!

‘The Tetris Movie’: 1st In A 3 Part Trilogy By The Director Of ‘Foodfight!’

by The_acz

So, this is what we’ve come to.

Earlier today in an article with Deadline, more info on The Tetris Movie was revealed. According to the article, the unnecessary adaptation will have a budget of 80 MILLION DOLLARS!! Not only that, but it was also revealed that this film will only be part 1 of a 3 part trilogy of what the director Larry Kasanoff describes as a sci-fi thriller. Also in a surprising twist, the film will be a joint venture between Threshold Entertainment and China themselves. Majority locations, and actors will all be from China. This is utterly baffling considering this director and animation studios last attempt at a feature length movie. What was it called again? Oh yeah!

Oh no. OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Well, this movie’s already screwed. What do you think? Do you think it can still be good? Tell us in the comments below!

New Concept Slides & Info For The 2017 ‘My Little Pony’ Movie!

by The_acz

This past weekend was PonyRadioCon in Moscow, and surprisingly enough, Hasbro was officially there in attendance to five fans a small sneak peek at what’s to come for the Untitled 2017 My Little Pony Movie.  

At the con, fans were treated to a hefty amount of new info regarding the film such as new monsters, worlds, villains, pirates, and even our mane 6 transforming into Sea Ponies themselves in order to stop this brand new evil. A couple of other tidbits are that the movie will also include a total number of 8 songs, and that the initial release date for the film which was originally November 3rd has been changed to a new date (this could possibly referring to a recent Deadline article that said the film was moved to October 7th).

Mlp Movie 1

Another thing to notice, is that one of the main slides referred to the movie as being called Friendship Adventure. There’s a chance this could be a new name for the film, but it’s probably just another placeholder. Check out more images below, and check out a bit more info over here.  Are you looking forward to the 2017 MLP Movie? What are you excited for the most? Tell us in the comments below!

Mlp Movie 2

Mlp Movie 3

Horror Movie Night – Episode 41: Stagefright (2014)

by Saintmort

Hey theater geeks, do you feel like you’ve been underrepresented in horror films? Do you demand to be killed off like the jocks that make your life miserable and the beautiful 27-year-old high school girls who won’t give you the time of day? Then look no further than this week’s pick, the sleek 2014 remake of Stage Fright! The guys are divided, as Matt and Scott were theater kids in their younger days and Adam was probably out smoking behind the school (or wherever kids go to do their tick-mutating marijuana cigarettes in Canada). There are spontaneous dance numbers, brutal murders, and some pretty obvious connections to Todd & the Book of Pure Evil. What more could you ask for? It’s Horror Movie Night!

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group or in the comments below.

Do you have a movie suggestion for us or just want to tell us stories about your experiences with the movies we’ve watched? Send them to us at HMNPodcast@gmail.com

Also subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes

Geekscape Movies Reviews ‘Ratchet & Clank’

by Josh Jackson

Note: Check out our review for the game based on the movie here.

Look, I get it. Normally, when you hear that a film adaptation of a video game is on its way, you can hear the collective eye roll of the gaming community. At this point, there’s a laundry list of failed attempts, most of which suffer from Hollywood ignoring the spirit of the source material, expecting the name to sell tickets on its own. Yet, when Sony announced that they were dipping their toes in the waters of making their popular PlayStation games into feature films under the brand new PlayStation Originals banner, I was strangely optimistic. Not only because Sony was directly involved, but because one of my favorite platforming franchises, Ratchet & Clank, would be the first one to be released. With such lovable characters, a rich universe to draw from, and the developers at Insomniac directly involved with the creation of the film. I mean, with all of these elements in play, what could go wrong? Apparently plenty, because unfortunately, while the film is enjoyable, the spirit of what makes the games so beloved was lost somewhere in the transition between mediums, falling flat when it comes to some of its most defining characteristics.

Loosely based on the first game, Ratchet & Clank serves as an origin story for the legendary duo, as they get dragged into a fight to save the galaxy from the evil Chairman Drek, (voiced by Paul Giamatti,) who is attempting to create a new planet from the pieces of the worlds he is destroying. Ratchet, (voiced by his video game actor, James Arnold Taylor,) a Lombax with a penchant for all things mechanical, dreams of leaving his life as a mechanic to become a Galactic Ranger like his hero, Captain Qwark. When a defective Warbot escapes Drek’s factory and crash lands on Ratchet’s planet to warn the Rangers of the chairman’s evil plans, Ratchet comes across his ship and decides to take the miniature bot to his idols. Now named Clank, (brought to life by David Kaye, who’s voiced the character since his debut in 2002,) the new team embark on a quest to alert the Rangers while making their own mark on the galaxy in the process.

Ratchet & Clank Movie 1

Unfortunately, this sequence in the beginning is one of the few instances that we actually see the two together. For a film about the team of Ratchet and Clank, a pair that are literally attached to each other for 90% of every game, they hardly share any screen time. In fact, the divide between them makes up the bulk of the second and third acts of the movie, creating a jock vs. nerd mentality within the Rangers themselves. As Ratchet attempts to become closer to Qwark, (despite his growing jealousy towards the Ranger to be,) and his film exclusive teammates in the form of the no nonsense Cora, (voiced by Bella Thorne,) and the trigger happy Brax, (voiced by Vincent Tong,) Clank is relegated to a support role alongside the tech savvy Elaris, (voiced by Rosario Dawson). Most of the adventure involves the field team ignoring the command center’s advice, keeping Clank far away from his partner during most of the biggest action scenes of the film. When the conclusion rolls around, it makes it hard to believe that these two share such a strong bond when they barely interact with each other. I can only imagine how much of a reach this will feel like for families who visit the theater who have no familiarity with the source material.

Speaking of the new characters, I was excited about the idea of expanding Qwark’s team to add an extra dynamic to his development. Sadly, this doesn’t pan out, because each one ends up feeling more like a walking trope than their own character, Ironically, the game based on the movie does a better job establishing Cora than the film does, where the only development, or establishment for that matter, comes from her unwelcoming comments towards Ratchet through the majority of the movie. The less said about Brax the better, since his personality begins and ends with wanting to blow stuff up. Elaris is the only one who has a semblance of a character, as the sympathetic brains behind the operation who’s good advice is ignored for her “shoot first, ask questions later,” team.

Ratchet & Clank Movie 2

Oddly enough, the characters who have been established through 14 years of source material are the ones who are developed the most. As mentioned above, Clank spends most of the movie on his own, but he becomes capable in his own right as he squares off with Drek’s right hand machine, Victor Von Ion, (voiced by Sylvester Stallone). Ratchet loses the bad attitude of the original game for the better, and is further explored as a somewhat lonely orphan finding to find his place in the world. New to the film, his father figure, Grimroth, (voiced by our favorite TV father, John Goodman,) shines in his few scenes as someone who encourages Ratchet when no one else does, while being legitimately concerned about his foster son wanting to give up his life as a mechanic to essentially become a super hero.

Much like the games however, Qwark steals the show in almost every scene he’s in. His gradual shift from being the arrogant, yet well meaning hero to a jealous, insecure shell as Ratchet becomes more famous is much more satisfying than the original game, where his defining purpose in the plot just kind of happened. What does worry me about Qwark however, is that the way his story wraps up in a way that’s drastically different from the games, closing off his role in the sequels. Does this mean that this movie will be one and done, or does it disregard the sequel altogether? Considering one of the goals with this movie was to help the first game, (which was largely disconnected from the rest of the series,) tie in closer to the sequels, this was a confusing choice to settle on.

Making things even more interesting, is the introduction of Dr. Nefarious, (voiced by Armin Shimerman,) who originally didn’t appear until the third game. As Qwark’s arch nemesis, his inclusion into this origin story ends up serving as somewhat of an origin for the Dr. as well, diving deeper into why he develops a hatred for Ratchet and Clank. Plus, we get an interesting after credits scene that ties into the game that I won’t spoil here, but fans of the PlayStation series will want to stick around.

Ratchet & Clank Movie 3

While the characters and story are hit or miss, (which isn’t helped by the writing, with jokes that fall flat more often than not,) that’s not to say Ratchet & Clank doesn’t shine in other areas. The animation is gorgeous, feeling like a video game brought to life. From the large cities to the crazy gunfights, the film never fails to wow us with its visuals when the movie calls for its more extravagant sequences. Staying true to the games, a variety of weapons spanning the entire series make appearances throughout the film, from fan favorites like Mr. Zurkon, to my personal favorite, the Tornado Launcher from Tools of Destruction. It may be true that some of the charm is lost in translation due to the iffy writing, but Taylor, Kaye, and Qwark’s Jim Ward have jut enough of it to make their scenes the highlight of the movie. Even Ion, Nefarious and Grimroth add some much needed depth to an otherwise thin plot, making the film more enjoyable in the process.

So while Ratchet & Clank is a far cry from what I would consider to be a great video game movie, it does right by the series just enough for me to want to see more of what these PlayStation Originals can do going forward. If we actually had more time to develop the partnership between the titular characters, (which is the core of what works about the series,) instead of feeling like their friendship was forced, we would be much better off. With the new cast feeling mostly paper thin aside from a few standout and a spotty script, these problems are somewhat balanced out by its crowd pleasing weapons, development of the established characters, and some interesting surprises for game fans and non-fans alike. Is Ratchet & Clank the perfect video game adaptation? No. But with so much development and charm left to uncover, I’m hoping we get to visit the Lombax and his robot pal again down the road.

Final Score: 3/5

 

Geekscape Talks To Bella Thorne About ‘Ratchet & Clank’

by Josh Jackson

At a recent press junket, we got to sit down and talk to Bella Thorne as part of a round table interview about her role in the upcoming Ratchet & Clank film. As Cora, a no-nonsense newcomer and one of Ratchet’s superior officers in the Galactic Rangers, you would think that one would be nervous about debuting as a new character in such a long running franchise. But the rising young actress couldn’t come off as more relaxed than she did, greeting our table with a plate full of fruit and the ability to shoot the breeze with everyone like we were longtime friends. Discussing everything from Cora to cats, gaming, and the pressure of doing the series justice as a new addition to the cast, it’s clear that Ms. Thorne knows exactly what she’s getting into.

 

Press: So I’m sure you’ve gotten this question a lot, but are you a big fan of the game?

Bella Thorne: I didn’t play the game, but I watched it growing up. I have a really weird thing about watching video games. I really feel like I’m playing, but my hand-eye coordination is really bad, but I have a brother who’s really, good, so I kind of just live through him. But he played his video games, but he’s more into like the… the really like, you know, we’re into like the Grand Theft Auto, and like, you know, Mortal Kombat a little bit of the more like… bloodier video games, I guess?

All: (laughter)

BT: So I did a lot of research on this one and then the whole entire time, I’m like, “oh my god, where is my character!?” I want to say I’m getting so butthurt, like I don’t see my character, in any of these YouTube videos, and it’s really making me mad. And then they told me that I actually got to be a completely new character to this whole franchise, and that was like a really big thing because I… I get to play with the big dogs, and they’ve been doing this forever and they really know those characters, so, you know, I had to run just as hard as they were.

Press: Your brother chimed in? Gonna give you pointers as a gamer himself?

BT:  He did not. I told him and he was like, “oh, that’s dope dude!”, and went back on his computer.

All: (laughter)

BT: So he didn’t. But when I did it I was like, you know,hopefully they’ll ask me to be in the video game, like that would be dope! And then they did, which was AMAZING! Because I didn’t want to be like, “Oh my god, like please really ask me,” and then like, you know, kind of shove me in their faces, like please have me do the video game! So they just… They came to me on their own…

Ratchet & Clank Cora 2

Press: So you’ve done some voice over roles before, but largely, your career has been live action, so how was your experience being in the recording booth and not having your body to work with as you normally do?

BT: You know, it’s funny because with acting, it’s all not… really good acting is not about dialogue. It’s really just about small moments that really make the whole entire scene and the intention completely different than even maybe what the characters are saying. Two characters could be saying, “I hate you, and I don’t want to be with you anymore!” But yet somehow, their toes are just inching more, you know, closer to each other. So a really big thing about acting is really just with your body. And so this was just all with my voice, which is a little bit tougher because I’m used to letting more of my body language do the work. But luckily… Doing body language with this really is a big thing too, because you think you could be saying like, something that really sounds cool and great, but then when you put your body into it, you know, there’s lots of different vocal tones that come with having your body literally push these words out. So I’m literally in the studio going… hey, if you think I’m just chillin’ there like voicing my character, I’m like, “oh my god, I’m going to fuck you up!” I’m like so in it! So it’s full on acting.

All: (laughter)

Press: So based on that, it sounds like Cora is a bit of a badass?

BT: Yeah, she is such a badass, and that’s why I was so hyped to play this character. Because in video games, usually, the girl is like always the one that dies first. It’s always like, the guy that’s shooting people all the time, but my character gets to boss them around! So when I was reading these lines, I was laughing so hard, because this poor main character is being told what to do by mine! And I was just like, “Good for you, girl!”

Geekscape: And on the subject of this character being brand new to the movie, did you feel any pressure going into it thinking how fans are going to react to it?

BT: Yeah! Obviously, yeah, because fans LOVE all of the other characters, what makes me think they’re gonna like mine? So that was hard, but I think that watching her, and watching everyone look at the clip that we just saw of her main part, (at the Wondercon panel,) was cool because I really feel like people are going to let her in because she’s such a bad ass in the film, and at the end of the day, she’s like kind of bitchy to Ratchet, but then she ends up liking him and Clank, and getting along with them. And I think it’s a big thing for the character, because you’re watching her going like, “Wow, she’s really bossing everyone around!”, and there’s one more character that’s a female in the film that’s not like that, that’s kind of just like, “oh, okay okay okay!”, and everyone tells her what to do. So I think people will look at this character and be like, there’s either a guy voicing that, it’s awesome, or it’s like, a bad ass girl with a really really low voice!

Ratchet & Clank Cora 1

Press: As far as the whole process of going from live action to the recording studio, do you do all of your scenes alone, or were you able to play off the chemistry from some of the other actors?

BT: No, it’s unfortunate because you’ve got to do it alone. And so when they were talking on the panel, they (James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye, AKA Ratchet and Clank,) actually, for the first time in history, got to do it together for one of the things, and you know, I obviously wasn’t invited to this cool… Thing that they had without me!

All: (laughter)

BT: But it’s fine! I recorded all my stuff alone, and it was super easy. I’m pretty sure we did it in like… I want to say a good two hours. A good, solid two hours, we did all of my character’s stuff. I’m really good at ADR voice over type things. I’m like, really good at making my mouth speak when other people’s, you know… Mouths are speaking? So that was easy, but usually, it’s much harder, and then it’s like, you can’t really get into the character that much, because you’re too worried about making it look like she’s talking. Once you get over that stump, it becomes so much easier.

Geekscape: So would you say that’s the biggest challenge transitioning to voice overs?

BT: It’s definitely the biggest challenge. It’s like thinking… Like it’s also hearing your voice, which is a really big challenge. But what I like to think of is, oh, it’s not my voice! It’s like, “Oh my god, that really sounds like a character! That’s cool! I like that take!” Because you can literally hear the difference, and obviously, you guys are hearing my voice totally different from how I’m hearing it. But when you’re hearing it back, you’re like, “Ugh, I don’t like that, that sounds like me.” And then sometimes, you’re like, “That’s just the right amount of me, and a completely other character that we’re introducing.

Ratchet & Clank Bella Thorne

Press: Now, we’re big fans of (director,) Kevin Munroe here. You’ve worked with a lot of filmmakers, can you tell us a bit about how Kevin Munroe was as a director to you during this project?

BT: Such a nice guy! He was totally down for me to be like, so bad ass. He’d be like, “[be] even more mean! Really give this character shit!” You know? Might as well, why not!? And it was cool, because I think he really saw me when I walked in, I had boots on and a leather jacket, and like, I’m just easily Cora. I’m just like, “That really is me!” I’m like a really big tomboy, so I think when he saw me, he was like, “Eh, let’s not give this girl too much direction, I feel like she’s gonna get in there and get down and dirty,” so it was really easy. We were kind of just chilling, and he would give me direction and I would be like, “Okay! Alright! I’m serving it, I’m ready!” But there wasn’t that much direction to give, especially since a lot of my lines are just yelling. There’s only so many ways you can yell at someone.

All: [laughter]

Press: These conventions like Comic-Con and Wondercon, they’ve evolved so much since they first started. How has your experience been attending them and meeting fans up close and seeing how passionate they are about [your work]?

BT: It’s cool to know, because a lot of people call it geeky and stuff, but it’s not geeky! You can be a geek in anything you do in particular. You can be really good at real estate, so yeah, you’re a geek in that because you’re the best fucking agent there is. And so when people are like, “oh yeah, those geeky… Wondercon, comic things,” I think it’s awesome! It just means these people are such big fans! That’s so cool! Like how I love cats, like, oh my god, my obsession with cats is unreal. I got a cat tattoo. I’m getting another one because this one [cat] just isn’t enough… on my body. I want to start a cat charity! I’m all about cats! So when people see my love for cats, they’re probably like, “Whoa whoa whoa!” But I see these people’s love for like,all these different movies and all these fictional characters, and it’s so cool! I love coming here and seeing people dressed up with crazy outfits and hair and make-up, and you know, they really wanted to go all out because they love that character. They’re awesome!

Press: Were there specific movies or TV shows that you geeked out over growing up?

BT: I wasn’t really allowed to watch TV too much growing up. I definitely watch it more now. Oh my god, I just started The Returned. *gasp* Have you guys seen The Returned!? That is so good! Me and (Bella’s friend,) BP, we just geeked out, and we watched it all day long, and we still need to finish the last episode. That is some good shit right there! So there are definitely some things that I like, loooove, like I really love. Plus, any movie with cats is like… I love it!

All: (laughter)

Look for our upcoming interviews with the filmmakers, the team at Insomniac, James Arnold Taylor and David Kay in the coming days, and check out our review of the game while you’re at it!

 

The ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Movie Speeds Its Way To A 2018 Release!

by The_acz

Sonic fans will be pleased to hear that the Sony produced animation/live action hybrid movie is a bit closer than what you’d expect.

In a recent interview with website The Worldfolio, President and CEO of Sega, Hajime Satomi, has said that they’re expecting the movie to launch sometime in 2018. For those wondering, Sega announced a couple of years ago that they’d be partnering with Sony to create an animation/live action Sonic movie. While interesting, we’ve all seen what happens to these kind of hybrid movies *COUGH COUGH The Smurfs COUGH COUGH.* Sorry about that, I’ve got a small cold. Are you excited for the Sonic movie? Let us know in the comments!

Watch The Theatrical Trailer For ‘The Angry Birds’ Movie’, Which… Actually Looks Hilarious

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Sony today debuted the official trailer for The Angry Birds Movie… and it actually looks kind of hilarious.

I’m not a fan of the property (like at all), but I found myself laughing multiple times throughout this trailer. I’m not sure what that says about my sense of humour or what type of person I am, but, well, take a gander below and judge for yourself.

The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis, We’re the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since Frozen), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride, This is the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.

Featuring a hilarious, all-star voice cast that includes Bill Hader (Trainwreck, Inside Out), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Sisters), and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), as well as Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Sisters), Hannibal Buress (Daddy’s Home, Broad City), Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Latin music sensation Romeo Santos, YouTube stars Smosh (Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla), and country music superstar Blake Shelton, who writes and performs the original song “Friends,” the Columbia Pictures/Rovio Entertainment film is directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis and produced by John Cohen and Catherine Winder. The screenplay is by Jon Vitti, and the film is executive produced by Mikael Hed and David Maisel.

That’s quite the cast, isn’t it? Now take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think! The Angry Birds Movie hits theatres on May 20th!

Gabe’s SPOILER FREE ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Reaction!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

So I’ve literally just walked out of the theater. (Side note to theater: This is Star Wars—no one’s in a hurry to get out—please don’t turn up the lights before the credits even start rolling! Party foul!)

How fanatical am I? Not too much—I mean, I don’t go around dressed up in costume or anything—although my hot neighbor (who I’m carpooling to the theater with and who thinks this is film isn’t any more significant than say, The Scorch Trials) immediately asks, “Han Solo?” Guess I nailed it, subtly.

StarWarsTheForceAwakens_Selfie01_600x900
Here I am, ready to head to the theater.

The real benefit to seeing something as soon as it comes out isn’t just to avoid spoilers, it’s also great because your expectations have been formed strictly between yourself and the film’s marketing team. There have been more than a few times when a film’s accumulated hype left me disappointed with the actual delivery—the product of unchecked adoration from the fanbase. Returning to such a film years later, my expectations palate cleansed, I find it to be much more enjoyable. Sometimes, a lot of bad reviews will having me dragging my feet to see something; only to realize, when I finally do see it, it’s just my cup of awesome.

My aim here is to provide your expectations a solid baseline—something you can hang onto in the oncoming storm of reviews and reactions that will be thrust at you from all sides now—until you’re able to see it for yourself and enjoy forming your own genuine experience and reaction, good or bad.

Again, all spoiler free, cause I hate when the beans are spilled beforehand—Star Wars: The Force Awakens is everything we need it to be. It is an organic extension of the galaxy far far away constructed in episodes IV, V and VI. Satisfaction, excitement and anticipation are the words in play. Some of the more elaborate wish fulfillment that might’ve taken place is instead solid and healthy story development as a new generation rightly takes the reins of the galaxy.

The tropes and mechanics you want are all there. The comedy is fitting with the proper Star Wars tone; as is the drama, story dynamics, character development and interactions—which were sadly all lost in the prequel trilogy. The action and cinematography are taken up a notch without violating what came before. So the production is very solid, any remaining uncertainty is only to what degree the story will resonate with you.

Zero complaints for me—although, the end result feels a bit more “The Empire Strikes Back” in that it leaves you hungry for more—which isn’t a bad thing! My expectations were already at a level where they wouldn’t have been fully slaked unless I left the theater having finally been taught to use the force and handed my very own genuine lightsaber. Again, short of becoming a literal Jedi in just over two hours, it was everything I needed it to be. I’m looking forward to watching it again and again, picking up all the little things I’m sure I missed during this first viewing.

Bottom line? No regrets. Looking forward to seeing it many more times. I think Star Wars: The Force Awakens is very hard to dislike—unless you believe in general that movies pretty much suck and sci-fi/fantasy anything is rather stupid (in which case we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation anyway and I wonder why you’ve read this far in the first place—good luck with your sad life).

Star Wars!

StarWarsTheForceAwakens_Selfie02_800x375
Here I am, in the theater’s parking garage afterwards. Because. . . the force?

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Red Carpet Live, 12/14 5:30pm PT

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

TONIGHT: Watch the “‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Red Carpet Live” at StarWars.com!

The City of Hollywood is no stranger to big premieres and celebrity events. The Oscars actually shut down an entire city block to make room for the all the celebrities and media covering the event. A whole block!—tonight’s Red Carpet event has four full blocks shut down. Yeah, it’s that big, folks. In addition to the Hollywood police, Disney is ponying up thousands more for additional security to handle the anticipated crowd.

If you have a tough time with crowds of that size or can’t make it out to Hollywood, California you don’t have to surrender to the dark side as your anger consumes you. At 5:30 pm PT (8:30 pm ET) just head over to www.starwars.com to enjoy the event live, hosted by Andi Gutierrez, Anthony Carboni, and David Collins. See you there?

May the force be with you. . .

https://www.instagram.com/p/_FCwyhM_b0/

The ‘Tomb Raider’ Movie Reboot Just Got Its Director!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’ve been hearing pretty constant rumours about the long in development Tomb Raider film reboot for a number of years now, and we finally have our first bit of real, actual news about the project.

Nope, after all these years, it’s not our Laura Croft, a side character, or even a plot synopsis (though the film is said to take place over Lara’s first adventure), but instead Warner Bros. has revealed just who will helm the film, and it’s The Wave director Roar Uthaug.

I haven’t yet had an opportunity to see the Norwegian disaster flick, but I have heard some very positive things about it. We’re still waiting to officially find out who will write the film, but THR notes that Transformers 5 screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet is in talks to write the script.

I’m actually really excited to see the potential for this film. Square-Enix’ recent reboot and just released Rise of the Tomb Raider have taken the series to heights that I couldn’t have even imagined (I’m seriously debating picking up another Xbox One just to play the game), and if some of that re-invigoration could trickle down into this reboot, we’d be in for a real treat.

Then again, it is a video game movie, so I wouldn’t hold you breath!

Are you down for a Tomb Raider reboot? Who would you like to see play the new Lara Croft? Sound out below!

Roar

Source: THR

Special Content Showcase Event For ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ In-Home Release!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

We had the opportunity to attend the Special Content Showcase for the in-home release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (digital available now, blu-ray starting October 2nd) and the event was the perfect blend of prestige and accessibility. It served as an unveiling for the special limited editions of exclusive poster art for the film by artist Tyler Stout, which was incredibly impressive printed in metallic inks. There was also a very neat Hulkbuster t-shirt that, honestly, I’m not seeing anywhere online in the sea of available Hulkbuster t-shirts (didn’t even realize that was a thing). It wasn’t exactly made clear how you could get this exclusive, limited quantities, shirt. There’s a slip that came with mine saying that you can get one for $20 (plus s/h) when you buy the movie—so maybe there’s a slip in the blu-ray case or a digital certificate if you buy a digital copy?

AvengersAgeOfUltron_AltPoster01_600x900
Special Print of Tyler Stout’s Poster on Metal

Hosted in the Hero Complex Gallery in Los Angeles, they put out a nice spread in a very welcoming, cozy and creative environment. The gallery hosts a lot of rotating art events, many tied to entertainment. I recommend you check them out at hcgart.com and plan to visit for your favorite exhibits when you’re in the area.

We enjoyed the presentation that screened several of the extras included with “home release” of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and I must admit I found them quite good for providing and fleshing out a high level overview of the Marvel movie universe—presenting and tying together events from the various films to map out everything Marvel has been setting up leading to the Infinity Wars. They provide a nice review/recap and get you excited for everything that is to come.

AvengersAgeOfUltron_KevinFeige01_600x900
Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios)

That was followed by Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios) and Jeremy Latcham (Executive Producer of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron) making an appearance to wax philosophical with attendees about the meanings behind various events in the movie and the Marvel films overall. There wasn’t anything particularly revealing or surprising but it was very nice to get that reassurance that every event, no matter how small, was being consciously woven into the tapestry of the larger arcs that guide the various Marvel films. This also extends to the shows—and, the same way actors in the films have been able to cross into the shows, the street goes both ways. So that, if the actors in the shows are willing, when there’s an opportunity for a particular character to appear in the films, Marvel is very interested in keeping the same performer in the role. That’s a level of consistency and loyalty I can really get behind.

Feige and Latcham also took some time to discuss the integration of Spider-Man going forward. The most interesting part is how fluid and planned out their story architecture is so that they’re ready for any combination of possibilities that might develop—will a given character be available to weave in?—is there room in the narrative of a specific film for a particular character?—will the same actor being playing the part?—and if that actor is replaced, will there need to be an explanation of some kind? They’re keeping all of these things in mind and have plans within plans ready for the different possible combination of scenarios that will still keep with the overall vision. That’s some impressive planning that will not only play out with the integration of Spider-Man but also Captain Marvel.

AvengersAgeOfUltron_JeremyLatcham01_600x900
Jeremy Latcham (Executive Producer)

The heartbreaking part of the evening for me was when we finally got to ask about plans for Howard the Duck (after the tease in Guardians of the Galaxy) and were just met with laughter. Another attendee got even more specific asking when and how Howard the Duck would be making his way to Earth. “Well, it didn’t work out so well the first time,” was their brief response; referencing the 1986 film, Howard the Duck (featuring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins) that disappointed at the box office and with fans—except this one right here. . . although, to be fair, it has been a couple decades since I’ve seen it. Regardless, I’m personally looking forward to more Howard—I’ve still got my fingers crossed that he’ll be making some more cameos soon.

The evening definitely gave me some more love for Avengers: Age of Ultron, understanding better about all the plates they’re trying to keep spinning. And it really is saying something about an entertainment company when the worst thing that can be said about their weaker entries is, “it was pretty good.”

Joss Whedon, you moved mountains! We love you! Please don’t stay away too long!

The ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ Gag Reel Is Here, And It’s Probably Better Than The Movie!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Fans and critics everywhere were obnoxiously divided over Avengers: Age of Ultron when it hit theatres earlier this year. As always, many fans ate up and became infatuated with every single frame of the entirely too long Summer blockbuster, while others found the film messy and unfocussed.

Regardless of which side of Ultron‘s fence you sit on, Marvel has officially released the gag reel to be included with this week’s Blu-Ray release, and it’s better than the damed movie.

It also features way more dancing than you’d expect.

You can take a look at the reel below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Avengers: Age of Ultron hits Blu-Ray this Friday, October 2nd!

Jonathan (and I) also had an opportunity to chat with the cast before the film hit theatres, so you should probably head here and check that out too.

https://youtu.be/gJ2gdeMaUW8

‘The Final Girls’ Latest Trailer Is Super Fun!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

The potential that The Final Girls (theaters, streaming, on-demand October 9th) seems to suggest goes beyond parody or homage and, leveraging mechanics borrowed from science fiction, actually uses the horror motif to birth a new experience in a unique genre that has few other entries.

Off the top of my head, Stay Tuned and Pleasantville are a couple examples of movies where entertainment becomes a viable dimension, while television’s Supernatural has toyed with the concept, using various approaches (coming at it from inside and outside!), in several episodes to fantastic effect. [At this point, I took off on a tangent about one of my unexpected all-time favorite examples of this—but it went on a touch longer than I’d imagined, so I’ve scooched it down to the bottom here. I do think it’s relevant and really expands on the potential covered here. I finally summarize with:] Bottom line; the conceit possible here is a still-fresh existential exploration of the meaning—while also testing the limits of functionality!—behind our very existence on an individual level. . . and that’s freakin’ exciting.

My reactions to the trailer alone are already leaping around the emotional spectrum. Is it possible that these filmmakers are able to tap genuine emotional moments within their “lightly sci-fi” parody of a horror film homage? Could this be another level of intelligent creative force such as Community and Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon has been safeguarding as of late? The only bigger thing I see on director Todd Strauss-Schulson’s resume up to this point is A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, which means he’s pretty much unproven at the moment. Maybe unlike some in Hollywood, I find this very exciting—do we have here an emerging voice about to burst on the scene? My fingers are crossed.

The cast looks pretty darn decent with a couple existing genre entertainment favorites, Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) and Malin Akerman (Watchmen), as well as a few comedy heavy-hitters that have been making names for themselves recently, Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect, ModernFamily) and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), while the rest of the cast looks like some talented rising stars without a bad apple in the bunch.

Could the “feel good horror movie of the year” literally have it all?—horror, hilarity and genuine feeling stuffed in a clever wrapper with a side welcomed cheesy? I say we find out together!

The Part Where I Go off on a Fitting Tangent I Hope You’ll Enjoy:

One of my favorite examples, because I never saw it coming and it fit a square story peg in a round show hole better than could ever be expected, happened on the sitcom ‘Til Death. Actually, I don’t think anyone ever saw it. . . period. I only ran across it because I was working at that time to get the episodes up on iTunes. What sets this example apart is that it directly includes the viewer in on the event. If you never saw the show—and, according to ratings, few did—it was the story of a married couple (Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher) who were bitterly holding on to their marriage “til death,” putting up with each other, their struggling twenty-something daughter (several actresses, including Krysten Ritter) and the dope she married (wonderfully played by Timm Sharp). That’s a broad stroke because I was never really watching either until the daughter’s husband, who she lived with in a trailer, parked in the backyard. . . started seeing the set! Like he would point out the lighting rigs, reference the boom mics and talk about the set props! It was brilliant!

At one point he references there was like four different actress that had played his girlfriend/wife over the years! He laments not being able to have sex because the scene always cuts away just as it’s starting! He could see beyond the forth wall but it wasn’t violating the reality for any of the other characters who convinced him to start seeing a therapist (Mayim Bialik, who’s acknowledged as having played Blossom!).

It was some of the most innovative television I’ve ever seen and the flashy hook was deftly used by the writers to explore the nature of reality, acceptance and what the meaning of life could be—the promise of science-fiction as a tool of revelation crammed into a dying goofy sitcom that wouldn’t see another season! (If you ever want to see this for yourself, seek out only season 4. The previous seasons were trying all the standard attempts to save a sitcom that never should’ve been. That last season found a fantastic world on the very far side of jumping the shark.) It’s one of the greatest events I’ve ever witnessed and a lot of fuel behind why I’m so excited about what the filmmakers could pull off with The Final Girls.

Ridley Scott’s Next Film Is ‘Prometheus II’!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

While talking with Empire Magazine about his tantalizing new movie The Martian, Ridley Scott said that he’s already begun scouting locations for his next movie, Prometheus II. The offhand comment sent me into fits of geeky glee.

First here, let’s attempt to get everyone on the same page. Number one; Aliens was James Cameron’s (Terminator, Terminator 2, Avatar, etc.) movie, as much as Alien³ was—I say this very lovingly—David Fincher’s (Seven, The Game, Fight Club, on and on. . .) and Alien: Resurrection was—again, with love—that wonderfully crazy French bastard, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s (Amelie, City of Lost Children, Delicatessen) and Joss Whedon’s (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, The Avengers, etc.) “love child.” I deeply enjoyed each of these films on their own; appreciating what each filmmaking team brought to the original story told by Ridley Scott’s Alien. I considered each to be its own perspective and take on the Alien universe and appreciated them as such. I’m still working on my own romance/buddy-cop/comedy version that ends in a space port with the fiance running from a hive of xenomorphs to stop her true love from leaving over a misunderstanding about seating arrangements for their wedding while her space-cop partner tries to deny his feelings for the alien queen. Working title: Alien Schmalien.

Prometheus_BehindTheScenes01_640x425

The point being, Prometheus was meant to be Ridley Scott‘s extension of the Alien lore specifically, rather than the visions of other filmmakers or what the studio had in mind. The problem some may have had with the film is where it deviated from those other visions.

The problems I had, that some others might share, may have had to do with the contributions of Damon Lindelof—this is just a theory. It’s based on the number of projects I’ve been so excited to see that have come up short in the execution of the final vision—stories I discover Damon Lindelof had a hand in creating. For example: Lost, World War Z, Tomorrowland, Cowboys vs Aliens, The Leftovers, etc. Has anyone done this math yet? I believe Lindelof has excellent taste and his interest in projects he wants to be a part of is fantastic. I also believe he’s got some great skills for building intrigue and investment in a story line but he can’t seem to master the fundamental skill of the satisfying wrap-up.

I truly believe Lindelof is an excellent storyteller; his characters, dialogue and scenarios are top notch—he just can’t seem to stick the landing. He’s almost an inverse of George Lucas in some ways, who has marvelous worlds and story arcs bleeding from his very essence but seems to have trouble with characters talking.

Prometheus_FassbenderRapace01_240x480
Fassbender & Rapace mugging for EW

So, for those who didn’t enjoy Prometheus at all, I think these are the two likely reasons: those who are not actually Ridley Scott fans (Blade Runner, Legend, Thelma & Louise, on and on. . .) but probably James Cameron fans and/or those who couldn’t see past the weaker parts of the story. Good news for those who are Scott fans? Lindelof is not (yet?) part of Prometheus II. But that doesn’t mean we fans are out of the woods just yet—the writers attached at the moment are Michael Green and Jack Paglen. Green (Green Lantern, Heroes) and Paglen (Transcendence) are another couple writers who, so far, are working with great material but not generating the results we’d hope for. I’m always excited to think that anyone can transcend expectations and emerge a hero!—uh, lantern. I only have their pasts to temper my hopes with for Prometheus II and I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’re all impressed—even those who aren’t Scott fans and would rather be watching Sex and the City (Green). On second thought, maybe not those ticket-buyers. (Some days I’m a Carrie—others, a Samantha.)

My recommendation to anyone looking to set the dial on their own expectations (good or bad) is to watch Alien and Prometheus—these are directly Ridley Scott’s visions of this universe. Any of the other films, entertaining as they may be, won’t properly let you know what you’re in for. If you’re just a fan of the marvelous Aliens, you’ll be better off hosting a Terminator 2/Avatar marathon—”Come with me if you want unobtainium!” If you’re a fan of the grossly underloved films Alien³ and/or Alien: Resurrection I think we should get together to form our own support group. Seriously.

Bottom line? I’m stoked! IMDB has Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace—two names I cut and pasted to make sure I didn’t misspell them—attached to reprise their roles as android David and archaeologist/scientist Elizabeth Shaw. The story will likely involve their voyage to the homeworld of the “engineers.” Again, full on stoke mode! And you can be sure that we will keep you up to date as any new details emerge.

‘Turbo Kid’ Is Finally Hitting US Theaters!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

This trailer looks bad—awesome bad! Badass! Just the sort of cheat-day candy I wanna fill my eyeholes with!

These writer/directors clearly love three things:

The ’80s
B-Movie Apocalyptic Coming of Age Stories
Over the Top Awesome Badassery!

TurboKid_Poster01_700x1041

If, like me, you’re also a fan of such shenanigans, then the winter of our discontent may be about to blossom into a spring of BMX fueled laser explosions. Based on the trailer, Turbo Kid looks poised to hit that sweet spot where it’s self-aware enough not to be self-conscious—delivering on its promise without apologizing for it.

As far as I can tell, these filmmakers have yet to burst on the Hollywood scene but if this film is nearly as good as its trailer I’ll be happy to say I watched it happen for them when Turbo Kid hits theaters August 28th.

‘Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F’ Banks 3.57 Million on its first 2 days

by The_acz

You heard that right. Deadline has reported that in just 2 days after premiering on Tuesday the 4th, that Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F was able to gross over $3.75 million on it’s first 2 days of opening. It should be noted this is a lot considering that the movie is being shown in less than 900 theaters and only has 1 showtime per day. Furthermore, it’s a little embarrassing for this weeks Fantastic 4 Reboot. Expected to originally make $50 million  during the weekend, it looks like the film and Fox themselves are in for a rude awakening as they only managed to make an abysmal $2.7 million on opening day. Will you be seeing Resurrection F this week? It should be noted that we actually reviewed Resurrection F a couple of months back and enjoyed it despite a couple of odd things with the film. Are you going to watch Resurrection F this week?

 

Watch The Red Band Trailer For ‘Deadpool’ RIGHT NOW!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

Holy crap!

What?

Sorry, I mean—holy $#!%!

Did you eat my sacred burrito? I was saving that for an emergency.

What kind of emergency?—your trainwreck face?

Or in case I get stuck in an elevator with the Kardashians.

This article got derailed before it even started.

The debut of this Deadpool trailer in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con was so beyond amazeballs that we need to invent a new expression! People were freaking out! There were tears!

Fantastico?

Freaktastic!

It was better than putting your @!&# in a #@!& slathered with %#$&% and #%@&!%& your $#%& to her mother.

. . .

. . .

It’s kinda Shakespearian, right?

. . .

. . .

Or superrific.

I think I need to wash my brain out with soap.

After so many attempts to get Deadpool magic on screen, it looks like it’s finally going to happen! With an R rating! You know what that means?!

Violence? Extra violence? Stan Lee getting some strange?

Boobies?

It means we can say what we want!

Ooo, then I’m changing my answer to boobies. Or as I like to call them, #!@@-&#!$ domes of %@&#. What the hell’s wrong with this keyboard?

. . .This article is rated PG.

&@#%$. . .

Cut to the trailer!

. . .Where’s the soap?

Will Rachel McAdams Join The Cast Of Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’ Film?!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

In Rachel McAdams’ own words to the L.A. Times, “it’s still super-early days, and I don’t know where that’s gonna go, if it’s gonna go anywhere at all,” but word that she’s considering taking a leading role across from Benedict Cumberbatch—in the title role—of Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange is very exciting news. McAdams reliably turns in strong performances in romance (The Notebook), comedy (Mean Girls), action (Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes) and is lately proving her dramatic chops with True Detective. (Check out Geekscape’s coverage of True Detective here.)

Honestly—hopefully, without spoiling anything—I’ll admit that I was most into the Sherlock Holmes films when she was most on screen and part of the storyline. Hearing others in Hollywood tell it, McAdams already seems a sort of ethereal presence in Tinseltown—preferring to stick closer to her Canadian roots rather than getting lost in the glitz and glamour—which could naturally bring just the right energy to Doctor Strange.

Credit: Andrew Robinson
Credit: Andrew Robinson

If she ends up with the, as of yet unnamed, role in Strange, she’ll be joining Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor as well as Cumberbatch in the Scott Derrickson (writer/director of Sinister and Deliver Us from Evil) directed adaptation. I’m not sure if Derrickson’s resume gives me enough to get a bead on how he’ll handle the Strange film but I did sorta appreciate some of the choices he made directing the 2008 remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Overall, that film got a pretty cold reception and only almost made its budget back in stateside box-office receipts—but I doubted any update would ever be able to fill the big shoes of the original in the first place and did my best to remain open to it from there. I’m curious to see what Derrickson will do with Doctor Strange—want to give him a shot—but mostly I’m worried. I really want to see Strange a success—especially with the cast being assembled!—and I’ve got my fingers crossed.

As far as which role McAdams may be considering, at this time we can only speculate. So I will!—I’m speculating it’s Clea. I mean, who else? The Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension—she and Doctor Strange are practically a package deal—it makes sense to me. McAdams has that kiss of otherworldly beauty; all she needs is the white hair. Depending on what sort of origin story is told, if Strange is already sort of established from the beginning, the film could be the story of meeting Clea and facing off together against Dormammu! We could then extrapolate that Swinton may be Umar and Ejiofor may be Dormammu, yeah?

Let’s hope there’s a bit less speculation and a whole lot more details soon!

‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Gets Official Home Release Dates

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

Marvel Studios has announced the official home release dates for Avengers: Age of Ultron. The official arrival on Digital 3D, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere is September 8th and on 3D Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital SD and On-Demand is October 2nd. Which begs the obvious question; is anyone still buying the old DVD format? If that’s still being made available by studios, why not shove a VHS in there too? Oh, wait. . . it would actually be pretty cool if they made movies available on Super 8 reels or something! I swear I would run out and buy one of those projectors if that was an option!

Okay, I’m getting off track—back to Avengers: The iconic heroes are forced to reassemble and face their most intimidating enemy yet—Ultron. The home entertainment release includes Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Making-of Featurettes, Gag Reel and more.

Another solid success for Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios.

I had a good time seeing this in the theater. I’m a fan of 3D—have it at home—this chapter used it well and so I’ll be adding this to my library of 3D titles. Personally, I had zero disappointment with this addition to the Marvel universe there was just a hint of “wanting” that I left the theater with—however, since I can’t exactly put my finger on what that was I let it slide. I think I’ll have a good time trying to figure it out as I watch this over and over again at home.

I enjoyed this film’s character dives into the psyches of Hawkeye, Black Widow and Dr. Banner. The elaborate battle scenes were something that I was already expecting from the film to begin with, all the flash and spectacle of the incredible effects—if they weren’t there, I would’ve been very disappointed—so it was nice to get the treat of seeing more of what made these characters tick. As was the case with Iron Man 2, I don’t know if they’ve yet found a way to portray brooding Tony Stark engagingly. It was a tight rope walk to find the way to pull it off with Bruce Banner—which has now been nailed, as far as I’m concerned—but Tony still needs some work in that department.

You can check out MCDave’s full review of the film for Geekscape here.

Ooo, trailer time! Enjoy!

Geekscape Reviews ‘Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F’ (Possible Minor Spoilers!)

by Josh Jackson

*Note: While there won’t be any major plot reveals in this mostly spoiler free review, small details will be covered throughout the review. Read at your own risk!

 

In the years that I’ve been a Dragon Ball Z fan, it’s been really easy to get caught up in things like power levels and storyline hype. As time has passed, my memories of the classic anime series has shifted from the impressive power of villains like Majin Buu to a growing appreciation for what Frieza represented as a character. The self proclaimed emperor of the universe brought DBZ to a much darker place by serving as both the one responsible for the plight of the entire Saiyan race with his immense strength and the perfect antithesis to the eternally pure hearted Goku. Arrogant, powerful, and cruel, the only likable thing about the guy was that he was so much fun to root against! So to say I was thrilled when the follow up to Battle Of Gods would revolve around the revival of the iconic villain would be an understatement, but not without a few worries. Namely, how would Frieza be able to stand a chance after the main cast had grown so much since their time on Namek? Fortunately, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F does a mostly satisfying job of giving the villain the showing he deserves, with plenty of surprises to keep Akira Toriyama fans as a whole happy. However, it’s not without a few concessions to the established lore.

Resurrection F wouldn’t be much without an actual resurrection, which comes to pass thanks to Sorbet, who continues the trend of food based names. As a member of the famed Frieza Force who has taken over as its leader since the destruction of Namek, Sorbet and the remnants of the army have had to bide their time before being able to accomplish their true aim, the return of their leader. After tracking down some familiar faces on Earth who have accumulated six of the seven Dragon Balls, Sorbet intimidates them into giving up their wishes after uncovering the final ball, leading to the return of one of Goku’s greatest foes. Except… he’s revived in the same form as he was when he died. So… in pieces. After a trip to the regeneration pod and a bit of plot magic, Frieza is fully restored, and eager to pay Goku back for the humiliation caused by his defeat.

Dragon Ball Z Resurrection F Image 1

Golden Frieza shines in his battle against Goku. Get it?

Right off the bat, Resurrection F amps the audience up for what’s sure to be what promises to be an adrenaline filled rematch that revisits what I feel is the most iconic battle in franchise history, and it delivers on all fronts. Being able to watch Frieza be so unapologetically evil is just so much fun, whether he’s terrorizing his enemies, or abusing his henchmen. Even more impressive however, is how this fairly early enemy is made to seem like such a threat early on. Veering a bit into spoiler territory, the most impressive reveal of the entire film to me was when the catalyst for his much talked about Golden Frieza transformation is the result of him training for a mere four months. While not a big deal on its own, it’s mentioned that he was so naturally powerful, that he had never trained before this point. Sure, it’s a bit of a convenient plot point, but the fact that four months of training puts him at a level where he can go toe to toe with Goku, who has an additional decade plus of experience since their previous fight, helps explain where his characteristic overconfidence comes from.

Naturally, an antagonist is only as good as the protagonists he goes against, leading to the assembly of one of the most varied supporting casts in any DBZ movie. While most movies revolve around the Saiyans and their immense power, it was great to watch forgotten favorites like Tien, Krillin, and even Master Roshi, (who hasn’t had a significant battle since World’s Strongest), take on hundreds of foot soldiers in an incredible fight sequence against an entire army. Knowing that a common complaint of the series has been about how most of the cast has been pushed aside for Goku and Vegeta, you wouldn’t be able to tell in this film, since each gets a decent amount of time to shine. In fact, even a non Dragon Ball character gets a chance to show what he can do, but I won’t give away the surprise here.

Dragon Ball Z Resurrection F Image 2

Master Roshi with some much needed screen time.

Speaking of, the attention paid to the cast goes for both inside and outside of fights, since a few refreshing scenes show what life is like in the world outside of the fighting bubble. Despite some of these scenes dragging to the point that it slows down the movie a bit, it was great to see how normal society functions for those who aren’t shooting energy out of their hands. I mean, Krillin has a job! Doesn’t get any more real that that.

But despite each character getting their moment in the spotlight, the focus eventually shifts back to Goku, who remains as simple minded and kind as always. Picking up after Battle Of Gods, him and Vegeta have spent the last few years training with Beerus, the God of Destruction, and his handler, Whis, in order to master the Super Saiyan God form. At this point, it’s expected. I mean, when are Goku and Vegeta NOT training? But get this… Is it possible that these two actually get some character development from Whis’ guidance? When the inevitable battle on Earth takes place, Goku’s usual demeanor won’t cut it, leading to some shocking developments that force him to change the way he approaches his enemies. Will it stick? Probably not. But it was an interesting development to experience as a longtime fan, especially when anime movies have the reputation of being mostly irrelevant to the overall story.

Dragon Ball Z Resurrection F Image 3Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan? Or is it Super Super Sayian God? Super Duper Saiyan?

Sure, this all sounds super serious, but I’m happy to say that in between all the doom and gloom surrounding revenge plots and threats of planetary destruction lies a strong sense of humor that was more often found in the original Dragon Ball series compared to Z. If Battle Of Gods had one flaw, it was that it was too silly, leaving some fans dissatisfied with the amount of action that came with the final fight. While I might have been afraid of a knee jerk reaction to eliminate all humor going in to Resurrection F, I was pleasantly surprised to see every character, from top to bottom, delivering laugh out loud moments even during the fights. And yes, even Frieza gets to have a few lighthearted moments. Just one thing though, Toriyama really needs to drop his pink, swirly poop obsession.

It might be impossible to put together all these plot pieces without creating a few continuity issues. All things considered, this film does an amazing job of re-establishing old characters into a post Majin Buu world. Yet, the film’s biggest flaw lies with ignoring previous established rules that ended up being ignored. Why can Goku turn into a Super Saiyan God without the help of other pure hearted Saiyans? Why is Gohan degrading in power even more than before? Why does he even need to go Super Saiyan when Mystic Gohan was supposed to be his stronger, permanent form? Why is Frieza’s version of Hell, (which is hysterical, by the way,) so different from the established Hell he was in at the end of the Majin Buu saga? And on that note, while I appreciate addressing Majin Buu at all, why does Frieza act like he didn’t know Buu was awakened when he was watching Goku fight him?

Considering that these small nitpicks are the worst the movie offered, it shows how solid of a film Resurrection F truly is. Acting as a crowd pleasing film that satisfies on all levels, and what we get is one of the most well rounded films in the DBZ catalog. Dare I say, though I might need the hype to die down a little to say for sure, as of now, I feel like F is a strong contender for best movie in the entire franchise! Featuring a more varied cast, a great sense of humor, incredible fight scenes and a surprising ending, F is a can’t miss experience for any DBZ fan. And honestly, who isn’t?

tl;dr:

+ Solid writing that manages to create believable scenarios, character growth and endless excitement.

+ Gorgeous animation that isn’t reliant on 3D animation.

+ Manages to find a near perfect balance of humor vs. action.

+ Satisfying scenes that find ways to surprise while making every character feel important.

– Inconsistencies with the established canon is bothersome.

– Middle portions of the movie drag a bit.

– Toriyama’s strange poop obsession.

Final score: 4.5/5