Here's Johnny......Connor that is!

I just saw Terminator Salvation and I must have seen a different film than some of the critics. I read that you don't see John Connor until 20 minutes into the movie...WRONG. I heard a review that stated it didn't have much action....WAY WRONG. I really can't understand where they get this stuff. Do they even watch or do they send text messages to their dogs or something while the movie is playing?

Anyway, Christian Bale shows up as John Connor, right away, and the almost non-stop action begins (don't let the PG-13 rating throw you off. There's plenty of violence and mayhem for everyone). This is the future that the first 3 movies talked about. Skynet has taken over and the human resistance fights to reclaim the planet. Keep in mind that this storyline is consistent with the movies...It does not recognize the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv show as part of the mythology.

Along the way, there are a few surprises with the plot, but the biggest one for me is the fact that John Connor is not the focus of this movie. Yes, Christian Bale is the star, but this film really concentrates on the character of Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington. This is Marcus Wright's story. Also, Anton Yelchin plays young Kyle Reese. You may remember Anton as Chekov in a little movie called Star Trek that opened a couple of weeks ago. I hope he's paying his agent well!! The story is solid, the action and effects are great and I look forward to the next installment.

On a side note: Don't get sucked in to this whole 'Christian Bale is a hothead' thing that's going on. I've heard that people aren't going to see this movie because of his little tantrum he through on the set. Listen, this kind of thing goes on all the time. This one just got made public. They're actors, they tend to have ass-like tendancies from time to time. Move on.

Until next time minions.....I'll Be Baaaack!!!

Lights, camera.....Action!!!

Principal photography began on May 3rd for the new independent movie I'm involved with from MSW Productions. We had 2 locations and several scenes to shoot that day. The weather cooperated so we were able to get the outdoor shots we wanted. The rest of the day progressed pretty much on schedule. We're off to a good start. The next shoot date is TBA. The production schedule is spread out due to the fact that we all have "day jobs".

More to come my media minions......

Boldly Go....See This Movie

I saw the new Star Trek on it's opening weekend. Despite the apprehension of what this film might render, It turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. They just did everything right. The story was clever and handled the balance of drama and humor very well. The directing and acting were superb. The young talent they picked to re-create these iconic characters was perfect, and they all actually had their time to shine on screen.

The story opens with a singularity event (which in Trek Speak means it involves time travel). Don't worry, this is handled much better than in the past (trying to incorporate time travel in Star Trek eventually contributed to it's near demise, in my opinion). Anywho, a Romulan with revenge on his mind comes back from a future where something has gone terribly wrong and he blames The Federation and Spock in particular. Unfortunately, there just happens to be an early Federation starship waiting for them on this side. In the first five minutes of the movie there is a flurry of action and some real dramatic moments so unlike what you've seen in Star Trek before, that you know right away this is going to be a fresh take on the mythology.

Flash forward a few years and we are introduced to a young, rebelious James T. Kirk as well as young Spock back on Vulcan. Flash forward again and we see a slightly older, slightly more rebelious Kirk, and Spock with some life changing decisions before him. Finally, we get up to speed with Starfleet Academy and are introduced to most of the rest of the major players. Hats off to these actors for being able to take the characters that we have known for 40 years and making them their own.

Soon the Romulan resurfaces to cause some major trouble and the Enterprise is off to try to save the day. Keep in mind that the course of events have changed from what we know. Things are unfolding differently due to the Romulan's appearance in this timeline. So.....all bets are off. This was an ingenious way to manipulate the story so that the writers now have the freedom to move around in an established universe without stepping on any toes or creating any inconsistancies. It is almost a blank canvas now. And, judging by the box office reports, is sure to have a sequel on the way at warp speed (sorry, had to do it).

Go see this movie on the big screen!!! It is a big, glorious, sci-fi, adventure, drama with plenty of humor and it deserves a viewing in the theater. In a summer full of blockbusters this year, this one will definitely be one of the best.

So go...go now....Sit Long and Prosper.....

It's a Movie, Bub!

Okay, so I'm way behind on my posts. I'll start back up here with a movie review for Wolverine. Saw it opening weekend after reading several unfavorable things about it. The recurring theme was, "The studio is trying to milk the franchise", or something like that. My response is, what's your point. Of course the studio is going to try to get every last dime out of a property...that's what studios do. And for some reviewer to suggest that no one wants an origin story for Wolverine just goes to show how the critics are uneducated about what they are reviewing (not naming names but one can be found somewhere with the initials CNN). What I'm talking about here is the Weapon X comics that told some of Wolverine's background. This series was one of the best selling at the time. So yes, Virginia, people do want to see this. The question should really be, is the creative team trying to make a good movie despite the studio's marketing machine. In this case I would say yes. I know they've altered the origin story a bit and changed up some of the characters, but the fanboys need to quit crying about it. How many times must it be explained how stories don't play the same across different types of media. Accept it and move on.

And now, the review. The movie opens with the Wolverine character as a child. It gives a year and we actually get a sense of how old he is (this was always a question since his regenerative powers would, presumably, slow his aging). Then through a montage, ala Watchmen, we see time progress to a latter 20th Century time period where he has joined up with a paramilitary group conducting some covert operations over seas. He decides he wants to live a normal life and walks away. Flash forward a few years and we find that his past just won't leave him alone. He gets dragged back in to all of it and ,driven mostly by revenge, decides he needs to go kick some major butt so that he can finally find some peace. Along the way he agrees to an experiment that alters him in a way that makes him virtually indestructable and the afore mentioned butt kicking ensues.

Going in to the movie I was concerned how they were going to fit all the characters into the story that they had been showing in the previews. They did this well and it actually fit in the context of the plot. He is pitted against several other mutants along the way such as Sabertooth, Gambit and Deadpool. The latter seems to be the source of the most controversy, primarily because they changed him quite a bit for the movie. I think, though, they may get a chance to redeem themselves in a proposed sequel to the prequel. That's right, a Wolverine 2 is already in the works, and seeing how Hugh Jackman's production company is involved again, and how this first film is making some major cash, I don't see why it wouldn't happen.
I say bring it on... The story, characters, acting and effects are all done well. I'd love to see another one, Bub!

Next up, I'll boldy go where this blog hasn't gone before....