Karen: Surely by now everyone has seen the trailers for the upcoming Avengers and Spider-Man movies -and if you haven't, then check out the links on the left hand side of the blog. So let's all share our thoughts about these tantalizing glimpses of these films. I'll get the ball rolling. I've been very excited about the Avengers, and this trailer didn't disappoint. Wow! Love that little bit with Hulk battling ships in mid-air! My only complaint so far is that Chris Evans looks kind of puny, and his Cap mask just is goofy. But otherwise, I am very excited. I had sort of dismissed the Spidey reboot as a film aimed at the Twilight generation. But now that I've seen this trailer, I am really interested. I like Andrew Garfield (the kid playing Peter) much more than I ever did Tobey McGuire -I never thought he was right for the role. And it seems we will get some much-needed wise-cracking by Spidey. I'm not completely sold on the Lizard or Dr. Connors -he seems too sinister -but I like the tone they are taking with Spidey as outlaw. Dennis Leary is an interesting choice for Captain Stacy but I think it will work.
Karen: So, let's get this thing going, shall we?
17 comments:
Oh Bloody Hell. I read an interview with Daniel Radcliffe the other day where they were telling him about the reviews of the TRAILERS of WIB. He said...”you’re joking right? Who reviews trailers, for God’s sake?”
Daniel....meet Karen & Doug.
Oh well. I guess if people could pay to go to entire movie just to see the Star Wars trailer, we can certainly do this.
Yup, Avengers looks good. Better than that...it looks right. I think the whole Cap costume looks a bit lumpy and crap. It wasn’t too bad in his movie, they kind of made him look like a paratrooper, which he kind of was. In the screen grab above his costume looks like something his mum made on October 30th.
You’ve got to say that Scarlett must have heaved a sigh of relief when someone passed her a pic of the Widow. Still wish it was Emily, though.
Richard
i'm sort of curious what would be an improvement on cap's headgear... to me it looks pretty much like what he wears in the comic... are you wanting to see his ears and the wings sticking out instead of painted on?
i enjoy your blog and check it every day first thing i get in to work. thanks for all the great postings!
Great idea today. Yes, Doug THANKS for the trailer with the Hulk comment, it's the best version of the trailer I've seen yet. I know I'll love Scarlett as the Widow, but I agree on Cap's headgear, Hawkeye's outfit as well..
Didn't we have this conversation a few weeks ago regarding the black leather for the first X-men movies, and how folks actually preferred the more colorful outfits from the last one..? A bit more homage to the old Hawkeye uniform would be nice. (..perhaps it's something he dons at the end of the movie, that's still a secret..?)
Yeah.., Cap should be a bit more beefed up as well, muscle-wise, and remember, it's not easy to pull off good looking cowls in movies. I liked the outfit in the Phantom movie, but it's typically not easy.
Improvement over the '90s Cap movie and Reb Brown..? Easily...
As for Spidey, totally agreeing with Karen..: Looks like they FINALLY got the casting right. Toby and Kirsten were horrible choices in the first franchise. I couldn't see either as Peter and Mary Jane. Gwen looks MUCH better as well.
If you look at the still that Karen provided, you can see that the wings on Cap's mask do protrude. This is, to me, an improvement on the painted-on wings that we saw earlier. I really can't put my finger on anything negative with Cap's mask. I know it's working for Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Batman (and even Green Lantern), but for some reason it's just a bit off here. Does it look like the comic book version? Absolutely. In that regard, they did a nice job. I don't know... But I guarantee that whatever it is, it's the same reason Wolverine wasn't given a mask in the X-films. Sometimes what looks great in 2D/four-color just doesn't translate to the silver screen.
But the Flash looked good in his mask on the TV show...
Hey, anyone wish Thor had the helmet on? I do. He looks good without it, but let's face it -- this is a scrap they're in, and ya oughta have yer noggin covered.
Doug
Richard --
I wasn't going to respond, but I just have to...
So are you saying that we should form no opinions on teasers for television programs? Should I not decide to buy or not buy a product based on an advertisement? Am I to ignore a previewed cover or four-page preview of a comic book and buy sight-unseen?
I think we are exposed all the time to publicity/propaganda that makes us form opinions about a given subject or product. That we've chosen to share our thoughts/first impressions/evaluations of the two trailers in this forum is, in my mind, far more beneficial than detrimental. And if Daniel Radcliffe doesn't think the studios intentionally choose certain material for public release with the intent that the public and critics will make the evaluation to (hopefully) go see the motion picture, then he is an ignorant young man.
But maybe I misread you, and if I did then I am sorry I that I did.
Doug
I’m actually quite surprised to see ole Wing-head is just that! In the DVD extras for the Cap film, they explained that they tried loads of versions of his wings and boots and they all looked rubbish, so they went with painted wings & different boots.
Richard
Doug:
On cowls, it's hit/miss/not applicable. I don't think of Ironman and GL as having 'cowls' per se. Ironman's mask seems to be more CGI for being put on, and for some closeup headshots, how often is there a head inside, especially when you see the eyes glowing..? GL's eye mask doesn't qualify as a cowl to me..
Batman's cowl (TV and movies..) always looked good, and I totally agree on the Flash TV show, it was a rarity that it looked that good. Spidey's looked good, but it didn't need to display eyes and mouth/chin areas, which is critical to an effective cowl, IMHO.
I'd agree Cap's cowl looks good, again, MUCH improved over earlier attempts..
I dunno... the pic showed up small enough on my screen i had a hard time seeing just what the wings were doing... did find some bigger pix online though... i think if i ran the circus about the only thing i'd change would be taking some of the extra buckles and straps off the gloves and boots... to me, so many of the movie costumes seem to look way over-designed and over-produced
but regardless of that, i'm definitely looking forward to seeing this movie and spider-man as well!
I like the looks of both these movies very much.
I'll start with Spider-Man. I never thought I'd say this, but I am now really looking forward to this one. I totally agree with the comments about casting. I never really loved Toby as Peter Parker. He just always seemed… uncomfortable or something in the roll, and he just didn't look the part to me. Same goes for Dunst as MJ. It just didn't work. But the new cast looks awesome, Peter, Gwen and even Capt. Stacy. Wonder if J. Jonah Jameson is going to be in this. I didn't see him at all in trailer.
Now, I still don't know why they chose to alter Spidey's costume so radically this time around (maybe to distance this from the previous flicks), but when I see it in action, it looks pretty good, and it's close enough to the original that it is still instantly recognizable as Spider-Man.
As for the story, it looks like they borrowed a lot from Ultimate Spider-Man, but that's cool. It appears like it is going to be a really well thought and in-depth plot. I really like everything that I saw in the trailer, from the acting to the story to action/fight scenes. It all looks like it is going to turn out to be the best Spider-Man movie by a long shot. Hopefully, anyway.
Now for the Avengers. I have been waiting for this movie since I first heard about it two or three years ago, and from what I've seen of the trailer, it will not disappoint. Once again, it looks like Robert Downey is going to steal the show. He's such a great screen presence. Like everyone else, I love the "We've got a Hulk!" line. It looks like this one is going to be really exciting, heroic and dramatic. Can't wait.
As for Caps look, I personally like it. Maybe because it is the most faithful to the comics (along with Iron Man). I'm really surprised they had to courage to go that route and not completely revamp his design like they did with Thor and Hawkeye. They probably could have gotten away with something along the lines of "Bucky Cap's" costume, which is a little more toned down color wise. I'm glad they didn't though.
Wow! What a year for Comic Book movies!!! Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, and the third Batman flick. As comic fans, it is truly a golden age we live in my friends.
Hi Doug....I was just teasing, really. I was amused at the idea that you might form a decision about whether or not you’d go to the Avengers movie based on the trailer. I reckon that decision was a forgone conclusion round about 1975 or so? I’m trying to imagine how bad the trailer would have to be for you to give this one a miss.
Whilst it’s not relevant to the BAB, I have to say I was on Daniel Radcliffe’s side inasmuch as, given the opportunity to interview a star about his new film, would you really focus on what he thought of the trailer?
I also agree with you (though you don’t say, I think it’s evident), that watching the trailers is a big part of the anticipation, and the anticipation is a big part of the fun. I have an envelope in front of me right now that I have kept unopened for a while, specifically because I know what’s in it: TOS #42 and #43........and how often do you get to open an envelope like that? I feel much the same about the Avengers movie. I want it so bad I can hardly bare to talk about it.
Actually, re-reading my earlier post, it does look far more sarcastic and negative than I intended. Sorry about that.
Richard
Yes, I'd like Thor wearing helmet on, but frankly..
How would even he keep it on during battles..?? He would have to just lug it around when he's not marchin' down the street, all chistled and such. It doesn't even include a chin strap.
(LUCKY for us concerned with faithfulness to comics..).
Richard --
Your explanation is the assumption I wanted to make. Chalk it up to the limits of electronic communication. No hard feelings at all, friend.
However, in regard to Master Radcliffe -- this is interesting to me. I hear what you're saying. Knowing that many stars get an upfront contract when signing to make a film or record, one still has to wonder about the power of pre-release negative publicity. In an era of endless access to artistic property (with the caveat that we are talking about legal pay-per-access), the potential for royalties seems infinite. Personally, if I was young Daniel, I'd be worried about what the marketing department was doing...
david_b --
That's funny about the helmet staying on. Didn't Burton do a gag regarding super-suits in the 1989 Batman with Batman tripped up by his own cape? Jeez, I can't recall if that made it into the film, but I know I read something ahead of release that Burton wanted to show that. Those Marshall Rogers capes that were as big as bed sheets would prove a bit cumbersome, don't you think??
William --
As Bendis is on the creative panel for Marvel films, "Ultimate" is stamped all over the MU-filmverse, isn't it?
Doug
Nothing negative to say here, besides I agree Thor needs the winged helmet, and Hawkeye's costume is meh.....
I CANT WAIT!!!!
I hope it gives me goosebumps like when I first watched the first ULTIMATES cartoon/movie.
starfoxxx
Avengers: It just looks great. Pretty much end of.
I could quibble that Emily Blunt should've been the Widow and that it's Ultimate Nick Fury, but I really don't want to be one of those fans that picks apart every little thing 'cos it's not exact to the comics. To be honest, who else is cool enough to be Fury other than Samuel L?
The point is it looks, smells & feels like The Avengers, all the way.
'That' line? Mission statement right there. And Joss Whedon's lying, of course The Skrulls are in it!
BTW how / where is everybody planning to see it?
Myself & my two oldest Bronze Age friends, who grew up in a tiny, nothing town in East Anglia and spent the whole of our childhoods dreaming of movies like this, are going back there ( where we all moved from years ago ) to see The Avengers in the local cinema. The ghosts of our 12 year old selves will be their with us, squealing with delight!
Spidey: I wish I could get excited about it, but I just can't. The origin again but with an Ultimate twist? Neh. The costume? Yuk. Denis Leary as Captain Stacy? Luv ya Denis but no. The Lizard will tempt me, but I really hate the actor playing Curt Connors.
I just don't care. Which is ridiculous, as again my 12 year self would be going 'It's a Spidey movie!!!!'
How quickly we become blase...
I'm a little more interested in Spidey than I was previously, but the costume still bugs me. Mainly that he kind of looks like a basketball wearing sunglasses. Also the lines of the costume looking as though someone took a razor blade to the classic suit.
Avengers looks good but God I wish Thor could have his helmet and that they would just give Cap a quality version of his proper costume with the damn wings and visible ears.
Aside from seeing the Hulk in a little bit of action, nothing about any of the Avengers trailers has impressed me. I remain unconvinced about Whedon's abiilty to either come up with a truly interesting script or direct complex action sequences. It looks like TV, and Cap's utterly awful costume (and that's what it looks like, a Halloween costume) is, to me, a sign that a bloody poor visual sensibility is at work. The thing just looks flat.
Downey does seem like the one good thing. That's a problem. He carried the first Iron Man movie with his out-there line readings. That's not going to save this one. They'd better have more going for them in order to make the film work.
Spiderman was the film I intended on not seeing (and not because I thought Raimi's stuff was great; every one of his films had awkward, amateurish moments), but this trailer has shown me that there's a visual sensibility at work and that the script, while maybe not amazing, at least has the right tone for its material. I've seen people complain elsewhere that this looks like a Dark Knight take on Spidey--given all the nighttime shots and the fact that Spidey looks like he's covered in oil. I can live with the costume (though the boots seem off); the other complaint is likely absurd for two reasons: for one, I'm sure there are plenty of daylight shots, as is evidenced by the shot you provided; second, Parker is a high school kid, so when do you think he's going to do his webspinning? It's very much in keeping with the Ditko days of the comic--and much of the Romita, in fact.
I saw the Avengers trailer in the theater last week for the first time. It looks intriguing, but I am purposefully not getting my hopes up. Even under the best circumstances these things are hard to pull off. "I hope that I am proven wrong," is what I guess I am trying to say.
One thing about the Avengers movie that I already don't like: I am not down with the casting of Scarlett Johansen as the Black Widow. I like her and I like the character but I don't think they are well-matched. In Iron Man II, I just didn't buy her as a butt-kicker. The role requires an actress that is more physical and athletic. Now that woman who just starred in Haywire would be perfect.
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