Originally entitled Jack the Giant Killer, this latest Hollywood foray into the classic fairy tale update (Snow White and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel) looks like it might actually be worth the trouble. Directed by Bryan Singer – whose last two movies Superman Returns and Valkyrie were decidedly less than stellar – the movie tells the familiar story of a young farmhand (Jack) who must rescue a princess from a race of giants after inadvertently opening a gateway to their world.
The second trailer for Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s Hobbit has landed. By all accounts, An Unexpected Journey certainly appears to be lighter in tone than the Lord of the Rings trilogy – the original book was written for children, after all – and the stars of the film would definitely be the fun-loving DWARVES, represented by Gimli in LOTR but this time in full force! It’s all looking very promising but whether or not the decision to make three movies is justified or not, remains to be seen. In the meantime, look forward to December!
A Wizard of Oz prequel directed by Sam Raimi. Sounds like a winner right?
Here’s the plot summary - When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
A prequel that works? We’ll see…
At the end of Games of Thrones Season 1, fans were given the iconic image of a naked Daenerys Targaryen standing with three baby dragons having survived her husband’s funeral pyre. That final scene was the perfect icing on the cake for a very successful first season and set up great expectations for the second.
Now, from the standpoint of having finished up ten episodes of Season 2, I have the sense that the show has somewhat lost the plot or to be more accurate, has come up with too many plots that makes it difficult to follow even for a wizened geek like me, never mind a casual viewer.
Kudos to Zack Synder for making the ultimate GEEK movie! I am certain this unique film will leave many scratching their heads at the film’s conclusion but that’s the whole point of Sucker Punch. And I’d wager that unless you’re a geek, you are pretty much gonna hate this mash-up of the different facets of geek culture. Which is just fine with me.
When I was a kid, I used to love to watch fantasy movies which featured the special effects of Ray Harryhausen. Most notably, the Sinbad movies viz. Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, the Golden Voyage of Sinbad and Sinbad & the Eye of the Tiger. In 2010, two films sought to re-create the dynamic of Harryhausen fantasy epics. Clash of the Titans was of course an actual remake of a Harryhausen flick but in my view failed miserably to even improve on the pedestrian original. And whilst Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a computer game adaptation, it’s tone and style were closer to those classic Sinbad movies of yore.
Why remake Clash of the Titans? Why Sam Worthington? Why oh why oh why?
As a young boy, I was always intrigued by the Greek myths and read any books about the subject I could get my hands on. So when the original Clash of the Titans was released in 1981, based on the story of Perseus, I was excited! Also as the special effects were produced by the master himself i.e. Ray Harryhausen (Sinbad movies, Jason & the Argonauts), I was assured that it would be a visual treat as well. As it turns out, the movie was an uneven mix of mythology and loads of sub-par Star Wars hokum, with cute robotic owl in tow. BUT it had great effects, as expected.
WHEN TITANS CLASH!!!
How can you resist eh? Truth be told, when I first heard about that a remake of this 1981 Greek myth-fantasy flick was in the works, I cringed slightly. I mean, sure, the movie is memorable for awesome special effects from the master himself – Ray Harryhausen, but the acting performances were campy and the plot borderline silly. Factor in also that cute mechanical owl and the eyes certainly start rolling. Do we need to do it all again in 2010?
But upon learning that Louis Leterrier (who directed the excellent Incredible Hulk) was helming the film, I felt a little more optimistic about the possibilities of a gritty fantasy movie in the spirit of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. After all, how can you not like a movie with Medusa, Pegasus, giant scorpions and of course, the KRAKEN!
Clash of the Titans opens on 1st April.
Synopsis below.
In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.
Check out the trailer below.
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