Poster For Surrogates

Superhero Hype! has your exclusive first look at the one-sheet for Touchstone Picture's Surrogates, hitting theaters on September 25. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, the sci-fi thriller stars Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, James Francis Ginty, Boris Kodjoe and Ving Rhames.

In the film, FBI agents investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves—fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles—enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who's real and who can you trust?

Thoughts:

Looks pretty average to me, but I'm still anxious to see this film.

Trailer For Couples Retreat

Universal Pictures has revealed the trailer for director Peter Billingsley's Couples Retreat, written by Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Opening October 9th, the Universal comedy stars Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk and Jean Reno.

The film follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price. What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples.

Thoughts:

Finally we get a trailer for this and it actually looks really funny. With an all star cast like this, I'm hoping it becomes a sleeper hit kind of like Wedding Crashers.

Fox Going Through With Hitman 2

Agent 47 is coming back for a sequel to 2007's Hitman!

IESB has confirmed that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script for the sequel to Hitman!

The original Hitman movie was a bona fide hit released in 2007 with an estimated gross of 100 million dollars in worldwide box office receipts not including DVD sales and television broadcast rights. The film starred Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47 and launched Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) to stardom.

Adrian Askarieh, Daniel Alter and Chuck Gordon will return as producers.

Thoughts:

I thought the first film was disappointing so I don't know what to think of this. I love the Hitman video games, but the movie was different in a bad way. I don't see how they are going to make a good Hitman film especially with a studio like Fox which is known to control final cuts of their films.

REVIEW: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Year: 2009
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Ramon Rodriguez, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

After grossing more than $708 million worldwide, their was no doubt that their would be a sequel to Transformers. In September 2007, Paramount announced a late June 2009 release schedule for the sequel and the film was given a $200 million dollar budget which is $50 million more than the first film. Considering the budget was much more this time around, Michael Bay started thinking of what action scenes that were left out of the first film, were going to be used in the next one. Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who penned the first film, originally passed on the sequel because of a busy schedule. Paramount than began searching for new writers in May 2007, but wasn't impressed with the ideas they were getting from them. They convinced Orci and Kurtzman to return and brought on Ehren Kruger who impressed creator Hasbro with his knowledge of the Transformers mythology. Most of the cast members returned for the sequel and filming began on May 2008.

Plot Outline:
Two years have passed since Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Autobots saved the human race from the invading Decepticons. Now he's preparing for the biggest challenge of his life: leaving home for college. With the destruction of the Allspark, the Autobots make the best of their lives on earth, working in league with the military as part of a top-secret team called NEST. Meanwhile, the Decepticons learn what Sam doesn't know: he alone holds the key to the outcome of the struggle between evil and the ultimate power of good. With the help of the Autobots, the soldiers of NEST, and former Sector 7 Agent Simmons (John Turturro), Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth, and the sacrifices that have to be made to save it from an ancient threat sworn on returning here for revenge--an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen.

Plot:
Michael Bay was bent on making this film bigger and far more louder. In the end, that's exactly what he did. The film feels more like a 2 hour demolition derby rather than a blockbuster sequel. The story is literally none existent for the first half and slowly picks up during the second. Their was many times where I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on and that thought also carried over to the action scenes. Whats the point of having the Autobots fight the Decepticons if you cant even tell who's winning? Its just badly edited and really not as exciting as it should be. I complained that the first film focused too much on the human characters and very little on the Transformers themselves. I appreciate that Bay and the writers listened to us fans who wanted more robot action, but why do so if its going to make the film incoherent? Theirs hardly any character development and the dialogue is absurd. The Transformers themselves can tend to sound annoying especially "The Twins" which I thought could have easily been left out of the film. Sam and Mikaela's relationship is also bland, and only gets somewhat interesting when they fight. The other major road block is the films run time. Revenge of the Fallen clocks in at 150 minutes and it really feels like its too much. The average Joe is going to think I'm crazy for complaining about the films run time especially when the film is full of action scenes, but the fact is that the films pacing is off. Their were parts of the film that dragged and really made it somewhat boring. By the time the film is over, you wonder if you even got any satisfaction out of all of this.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye) returns as the charming, yet clumsy Sam Witwicky. He does a pretty good job of keeping what made his character interesting the first time around, which was his funny remarks. LaBeouf was involved in a car accident half way through filming the film and filming was only delayed by 2 days because the writers found a way to incorporate his injured hand into the story. I'm glad he was still able to perform most of his stunts and I enjoyed his work here. Megan Fox also returns as Sam's girlfriend, Mikaela Banes. Her acting is alright in this film, but she still feels like shes only their to please the male audience. Her character doesn't get much development and still feels like a sidekick. Her relationship with Sam isn't interesting and feels alittle tacked on. Ramon Rodriguez plays as Sam's roommate, Leo. His character is really annoying and adds literally nothing to the story. He is a pointless character that also feels tacked on and doesn't entertain in the least bit of way. I got so tired of him screaming through out the movie that I started wishing that a Decepticon would come and kill him already. Josh Duhamel reprises his role as Captain Lennox and he too is pretty lame here. His character hardly gets enough screen time and theirs no character development on him what so ever. Whats the point of keeping this guy alive? Does he get any major scenes in the film? What does he bring to the table?

Picture:
Revenge of the Fallen features the same great special effects that were seen in the first film. The team at Industrial Light & Magic who had done the effects for the first film, have also done the effects for the sequel. The Transformers are more lightened this time around and better constructed. They feature more parts and their animation has been re-done. Hasbro became more involved with the design for the robots and had the writers focus more on combining parts. The effects for Devastator proved to be a challenge because of his many auto parts. Revenge of the Fallen's special effects easily left me impressed the way the first film did. The films source is in great condition which shouldn't come off as a surprise considering the film just came out. Their is a hint of grain splattered around the image, but its in no way distracting. The color palette is excellent and very much vibrant. This is a darker sequel, but the many different variety of colors on the Transformers, is easily impressive. Black levels are simply perfect and I didn't notice any drop in quality during the night scenes. Flesh tones are spot on perfect and have that warm feel to them. Detail is excellent and easily one of the finest I have seen on a new release. Close ups feature some great clarity and you can literally see drops of sweat on Sam's face.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Revenge of the Fallen is just as exciting as the one in the first film. Composer Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Friday the 13th) returns once again to score the music for this film. I was happy to see that he was the right man for the first film and that doesn't change here. His music from the first film is back and sounding better than ever. His sound design for the film is just as epic and exciting. We also get a set of other music from a variety of artists. Linkin Park is back again to have a song featured in the movie and its just as good as their last song "What I've Done". Their new song "New Divide" is awesome and goes well with the film. I raved about how loud and amazing the bass was in the last film, but to my knowledge, Revenge of the Fallen sounds even more better. The film is essentially 90% action so it shouldn't come off as a surprise that the bass sounds thunderous. Its dynamically spread and doesn't sound like its focused on the center only. Revenge of the Fallen is sure to be the new demo disk to show off to your friends. I expect the Blu Ray to be pure reference material when it hits later this year.

Conclusion:
Revenge of the Fallen is just a scrambled mess that is lousy and easily forgettable. The story is almost none existent and poorly put together on the big screen. Theirs no character development and the film tries to win its audience over with over the top action scenes that you can barely see. Its dialogue is cheesy and the story consists of too many annoying characters that aren't needed. With the pacing not as good as the first film, Revenge of the Fallen suffers from being too long of a movie. The cast is alright, but Shia LaBeouf still remains the only person that's enjoyable on the screen. The special effects are top notch and just as breath-taking as the first film. The soundtrack is also a winner and some of the loudest bass usage I have heard. Linkin Park's new song for the movie, New Divide is just plain awesome. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say pass on this one. If your looking for a summer popcorn flick than go see the first film or just go see Star Trek again. If you desperately want to see this movie than Id at least wait for the DVD/Blu Ray.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: Transformers

Transformers

Year: 2007
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The films development began with producer Don Murphy (Shoot 'Em Up) talking to Hasbro about adopting G.I. Joe into a film. After the United States took part in the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested that they do a Transformers film instead of G.I. Joe. Being a fan of the toys when growing up, Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Minority Report) signed on as executive producer of the film in 2004. Writer John Rogers wrote the first draft of the film which was later re-written by writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) in 2005. Spielberg suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus of the story. Orci and Kurtzman's first draft consisted of the Transformers having no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look silly. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fan base. Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg in 2005, but turned the film down stating it was nothing more than a "stupid toy movie". Still, he wanted to work with Spielberg, and gained a new respect for the Transformers mythology upon visiting Hasbro. Bay didn't like Orci and Kurtzman's first draft so he increased the military's role in the story.

Plot Outline:
For centuries, two races of robotic aliens -- the Autobots and the Decepticons -- have waged a war, with the fate of the universe at stake. When the battle comes to Earth, all that stands between the evil Decepticons and ultimate power is a clue held by young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). An average teenager, Sam is consumed with everyday worries about school, friends, cars and girls. Unaware that he alone is mankind's last chance for survival, Sam and his friend Mikaela (Megan Fox) find themselves in a tug of war between the Autobots and Decepticons. With the world hanging in the balance, Sam comes to realize the true meaning behind the Witwicky family motto - "No sacrifice, no victory!"

Plot:
I thought I go back and revisit this film in preparation for Revenge of the Fallen which is set to debut tomorrow in theaters nationwide. The films story relies too heavily on the human characters which should always be second before the actual Transformers especially in a film named after the robots. Our focus is mainly on Shia LaBeouf's character and his somewhat flat connection with the Autobot Bumblebee who is mostly in car form for the first 30 minutes of the film. The Autobots and Decepticons don't really get any time to shine until the every end. For some of us who have waited ages to see our favorite toys brought to life really just want to see two robot sides fighting in massive chaos. Its a shame that Megatron - the leader of the Decepticons - finally gets into battle with Prime near the end. Theirs also some side plots that don't add to the core of the movie and only end up stretching the movie longer than it should be. Why involve a crack team of analysts who suddenly decide to disappear near the end? The films dialogue is either cheesy at times or downright stupid. I love that Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime from the TV series is back with some of the original cast, but his jokes are painful to listen to. For some reason, the film just feels like a long military/product placement commercial. While the film does suffer in some areas, its still entertaining none the less. While the action scenes aren't perfect, they are still very fun to watch especially near the end. Bay is simply excellent when it comes to big explosions and he doesn't disappoint here. The special effects are also top notch and really bring the Autobots, and Decepticons to life.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye) plays as Sam Witwicky who is the main center of attention. The producers first thought he looked too old for the part, but LaBeouf used some make up and a good audition to pull it off. I think hes definitely the most enjoyable person in the whole movie. His character is corky, but funny. He gets the most screen time which isn't a surprise considering the film heavily involves his character. Megan Fox plays the hottie who gets involved with Witwicky's life, Mikaela Banes. Fox is hardly any good at acting and it really feels like shes only in this to please the male crowd. Her character is hardly developed and feels more like a sidekick rather than a girl who gets trapped in all of this mess. Josh Duhamel plays the tough US solider, Captain Lennox. His character is hardly needed, but he does a pretty good job at what hes suppose to do. The story could have honestly worked with out him, but whatever. Tyrese Gibson (2 Fast 2 Furious) also plays a US solider, but his character is named USAF Tech Sergeant Epps. I heard from some links that Gibson actually paid the producers to be in this movie. That right their makes him look so stupid and desperate. I mean why would you pay the producers of the movie to let you have a part in it? I just don't get it. His acting is very poor and hardly brings anything new to the table. No character development on him what so ever.

Picture:
The special effects in Transformers actually doesn't disappoint. The effects were mostly done by Industrial Light & Magic which also provided effects for other hits such as Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. They are a talented studio and their work shows in this film. The Transformers are nicely lightened and constructed. The car models look very impressive and feature a ton of parts. This is easily one of the best films ever created visually and still holds up in 2009. The film's transfer is also a stunner. The source is an excellent condition and only exhibits a few gran here and their, but hardly anything I would call "distracting". The films color palette is wonderful and vibrant at times. The Autobots look nicely colored and feature bright colors while the Decepticons feature dark colors. Black levels are impressive and very inky. Flesh tones are natural and very smooth. Detail is also impressive and really pushes whats possible on the home format. The Blu Ray version has one of the better transfers I have seen and easily triumphs its DVD counterpart. You can literally see drops of sweat and pores during close ups.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Transformers is also a winner. The films music design is composed by Steve Jablonsky (Friday the 13th) who also scored other films such as the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and Michael Bay's commercial flop, The Island. Hes the right balance and is definitely the man for the job. His music design is awesome and really gives the film some legs. Its nicely used through out the films 2 hour run time and really makes the film much more enticing. The soundtrack also consists of other Rock/R&B music such as Before It's Too Late by The Goo Goo Dolls and my personal favorite, What I've Done by Linkin Park. Transformers also features one of the best bass usage I have heard in sometime now. Theirs no question that the film is loud and full of explosions, but its the way the bass is used through out that's impressive. Its dynamic and spread across all channels nicely. Its simply one of the loudest and aggressive films I have heard in some time. This is no doubt reference material from the get go. Transformers is easily the film to showcase ones home entertainment system. It is as perfect as it could possibly be.

Conclusion:
Transformers is easily a fun summer popcorn flick. Its story does suffer from mindless characters and cheesy dialogue. The fact that the film relies too heavily on the boring human characters rather than the interesting alien wrecking robots, is also simply redundant. With all these issues aside, the films outcome comes off pretty entertaining. Theirs really nothing better than two robot forces going at it. Its sad that we have to wait till the second half before we see much carnage involved, but its somewhat worth the wait. The cast is hardly interesting other than Shia LaBeouf who gets the most screen time compared to anyone else in the movie. The special effects are simply stunning and really bring the Transformers to life. Its cutting edge and nicely integrated into the film. The soundtrack is loud and really fun. The bass is without a doubt, one of the best I have heard in a long time. Definitely something to showcase your home entertainment system. I can recommend this to those looking for a good summer popcorn flick. Its got issues, but those can be somewhat forgiven when you actually see the robots in action.

Grade: C+

Teaser Trailer For Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

The teaser trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender is now online. Opening July 2nd, Paramount's big screen adaptation stars Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis and Keong Sim.

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.

The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three nations. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the "Last Airbender" -- the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world.

Jackson Rathbone plays Katara's brother Sokka, and Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation. Mandvi is set to play the role of Commander Zhao, an ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander. Toub is cast as Uncle Iroh, the retired Fire Nation general and devoted surrogate parent to Dev Patel's character Zuko. Curtis is set to play the ruthless ruler Fire Lord Ozai. Keong Sim has been cast in the role of Earthbending Father.

Thoughts:

Now I have stated before that I have never seen the TV series, but that teaser trailer actually looked pretty good. I really hope director M. Night Shyamalan delivers a solid movie especially since his last film was quite the disappointment.

Teaser Poster For Iron Man 2

It's not more than just the logo, but this teaser poster for Iron Man 2 was spotted at Cinema Expo in Amsterdam this week.

Opening May 7, 2010, the Jon Favreau-directed sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn.

Thoughts:

I know you guys are probably thinking I made this with photoshop, but its the real deal. Its lame and very plain, but it is a teaser poster after all. Were probably not going to get a decent poster until early next year.