Super Bowl XLV Movie Commercials

Super Bowl's come and gone, here are a few of the movie trailers that got my attention.....




So it’s not a Cloverfield prequel, as originally thought, but still not able to pin down what the movie will actually be about…..



World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles is the one that I'm expecting to let me down, mainly because I think the trailers have looked impressive, maybe I'll be wrong.....



Could Michael Bay finally get it right in the supposedly last entry into the Transformers Franchise? If I didn’t love Transformers so much I might not care…..



Lastly, Captain America……considering the talent behind the camera or lack there of……..I thought this looks just awful…..

Justified Season 1

ON DVD



Old-school U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant - Raylan Givens
Natalie Zea - Winona Hawkins
Nick Searcy - Chief Deputy Art Mullen
Jacob Pitts - Tim Gutterson
Erica Tazel - Rachel Brooks
Joelle Carter - Ava Crowder
Walton Goggins - Boyd Crowder

REVIEW:

Timothy Olyphant just oozes cool in this Leonard Elmore adaptation, it’s adapted from his short story “Fire in the Hole”. Olyphant is incredibly comfortable in the role of Givens and his slightly crazed stare fit perfectly here. The character rich locale is populated by all sorts of country folks who range from the clichéd to surprisingly deep. Walton Goggins delivers standout work as the conflicted Boyd Crowder. Character actors abound here and they all deliver fine work. A few of the episodes teeter on the edge of corniness but nothing terribly distracting.

B+

First Look At The New "Thundercats"

As a child of the 80's I'm always curious to see how cartoons from my childhood are redone, below is the first offical image from the new show.....



Here's the official press release:

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) has begun production on ThunderCats, an all-new animated series for Cartoon Network, based upon the iconic 1980s action classic. ThunderCats is the newest series from WBA, joining Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which was recently renewed for a third season, and the following forthcoming programs: The Looney Tunes Show, MAD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Young Justice. The announcement was made today by Sam Register, Executive Vice President, Creative Affairs, Warner Bros. Animation.

"In addition to being Warner Bros. Animation's first anime series, ThunderCats marks our most ambitious foray yet into fantasy," said Register. "The realism and dynamic visual style we've achieved are sure to thrill viewers, and the cool weapons, vehicles and technology should help the show appeal to a diverse audience."

The 21st century reimagining of the series marks a creative collaboration between WBA and Studio4°C, one of the most vibrant animation studios in Japan, with credits including The Animatrix, Gotham Knights and Halo Legends. WBA is working closely with Studio4°C, utilizing the latter's expertise to give the ThunderCats characters a new cutting-edge look while remaining true to the compelling storylines and mythology of the original series.

"We at Studio4°C are excited to be in this creative partnership with Warner Bros. Animation to bring ThunderCats to life," said Eiko Tanaka, President and CEO, Studio4°C. "This collaboration combines the strengths of our two companies — high production values and great storytelling — toward reintroducing this classic fan-favorite to a new audience."

Roaring to life through WBA and Studio4°C's use of the Japanese animated artistry of anime, ThunderCats characters Lion-O, Mumm-Ra, Panthro, Cheetara and others will spring off the screen with realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations.

The new ThunderCats will appeal to viewers who have loved the characters all their lives as well as young newcomers to the franchise. A sweeping tale combining swords and science and boasting ferocious battles with the highest of stakes, the grand origin story of Prince Lion-O's ascension to the throne – and of those who would thwart his destiny at any cost — takes on epic dimensions in this sharp new telling. As the forces of good and evil battle each other in the quest for the fabled Stones of Power, Lion-O and his champions learn valuable lessons of loyalty, honor and mortality in every episode.

ThunderCats is executive produced by Sam Register (Teen Titans, Ben 10, Batman: The Brave and the Bold). Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wonder Woman) and Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender) are the producers.

MOVIE REVIEWS: NO STRINGS ATTACHED

IN THEATERS

NO STRINGS ATTACHED



Lifelong friends Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) attempt to avoid falling in love after falling into each other's beds in this comedy exploring the complexities and quirks of having friends with benefits. Adam was a typical, hormonal 14 year old when he first came on to Emma at summer camp -- and got shot down in flames. In the years that followed, however, Adam and Emma continued to cross paths until eventually, they both caved to their animal instincts. Despite an intense session of earth-shaking sex, however, Emma makes it clear to Adam that the last thing she wants is a committed relationship. And thanks to the fact that Adam's father (Kevin Kline), a fallen television star, has just begun dating his son's ex-girlfriend, the horrified bachelor has developed an aversion to monogamy as well. At first their casual stance on sex worked great for both; Emma could focus on her career instead of allowing her emotions to dictate her decisions, and Adam could play the field without fear of hurting her feelings. Over, time, however, a funny thing happened -- Adam began to develop feelings for Emma that he never had for any of his countless conquests. Before they both know it, love has reared its ugly head and they've gotten too emotionally involved to cut the relationship off cold. But is commitment in the cards for the couple that always swore it would never get serious, or has the time come for them to finally part ways once and for all? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Ivan Reitman

Cast: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline, Greta Gerwig, Cary Elwes.

Release Date: Jan 21, 2011

Rated R for Sexual content, language and some drug content

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Review:

Rom-com movies can be good when you have a smart script and a cast that focused. No String Attached is not one of those films. The worst part of it is that at its base it’s got an interesting conceit that could be something interesting fresh. Instead it’s the recycled beaten to death cliché you expect from the worst offenders in the genre. The script attempts to be edgy by being raunchy but it can’t mask what is just horrible comedy writing. Jokes fall flat throughout delivering only the slightest chuckle occasionally which is mostly due to the supporting cast. Natalie Portman seems to be having a good time, slumming it in a genre dominated by Katherine Heigl and Jennifer Anniston. She does a passable job but it seems more like she just needed her palette cleaned after The Black Swan. Ashton Kutcher curious ability to continue to find work as a leading man especially with this performance as he sleep walks through his scenes. It’s so bad that when he delivers the “big” line at the end of the film it carries all the weight of a feather. Making matters worse is that Portman and Kutcher share zero chemistry on screen and their characters are unbelievably matched. The supporting cast fare slightly better and make the more painful portions of this dreadful film slightly watchable. Even with that it’s hard to keep from wanting to douse your face in acid once this overlong film comes to an end.

D-

"Dark Knight Rises" Villains Revealed

A press release from Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed the two key members of Batman's Rogues Gallery that will appear in the much-anticipated upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises" - Catwoman and Bane. Check it out below:

"Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/19122/-dark-knight-rises-villains-revealed

First Look At "X-Men: First Class" Cast

After sitting through the eye gouging bad X-men Origin Wolverine, I don’t know if I have any sort of hope for any future outings, even though Darren Aronofsky’s The Wolverine is intriguing, but this cast shot looks kind of fun….

Courtesy of DarkHorizons.com



The first photo from "X-Men: First Class", the 60's set prequel to the franchise, appeared on MSN today and has been confirmed. MSN later took it down at 20th Century Fox's request that the photo is unauthorized which suggests it's not a final version.

In the photo from L TO R: Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost (aka the White Queen), Jason Flemyng as Azazel (aka Nightcrawler's father), Nicholas Hoult as the Beast, Lucas Till as Havoc, Zoe Kravitz as Angel Salvadore, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme (aka Mystique), and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier.Courtesy of DarkHorizons.com