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My Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2013

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10 — GI JOE: Retaliation (March 29)

I should have been enjoying this movie over Christmas on my Blu Ray player.  Instead, Paramount pulled the picture weeks before release to post-convert it into 3D and expand the storyline of Duke (Channing Tatum).    The only real reason it made this list is that it comes out on my birthday, it really was borderline.

9— Monsters University (June 21)

I was never a Disney kid growing up.  GI Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, and Ninja Turtles were my animated fare of choice.  It wasn’t until I started dating my wife that I became more exposed to the Disney/Pixar offerings, and this was the one that did me in.  I’m really digging the marketing campaign they have put together for this one, and I’m very excited to see the college days of Mike and Sully.

8 — Oblivion (April 19)

Tron: Legacy’s Joseph Kosinski returns with an original science fiction tale starring Tom Cruise as one of the last humans left on a ravaged future Earth.  I featured the trailer here not too long ago, and while it’s received some criticism for Tom Cruise’s “everyman” character being a little contrived; however I can’t but be impressed by the visual style of Kosinski.

7 — Man Of Steel (June 14)

I wasn’t sold on this one until I saw the trailer running in front of The Hobbit.  As much as I feel that Zack Snyder has gotten wrong of late, it looks like he got Kal-El pegged in this re-reboot of Superman Returns.

6 — Pacific Rim (July 12)

Guillermo Del Toro.  Giant Robots. Giant Monsters.  Idris Elba.  You can have my $12.00 because there is no way I am not seeing this.  If anything I hope Pacific Rim gets the studios to allow Del Toro to make his long in gestation adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness.

5 — The World’s End (October 25)

I’m sure this an unexpected pick here, but there are few things in this world that get me as giddy as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in a movie together.  As much as I wasn’t a fan of Wright’s last venture Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, this capstone to his loose trilogy of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.  

4 –The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13)

Peter Jackson has yet to do me wrong with his cinematic adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s tales of Middle Earth, so why would I doubt him now?  I’m all in on this new trilogy.

3 — Iron Man 3 (May 3)

Director Shane Black reunites with Robert Downey Jr. as the Iron Avenger squares off against The Mandarin (as played by Sir Ben Kingsley).  Based on the trailer it looks as though we are going to see a more human side of Tony Stark, who is dealing with the after effects of the Battle of New York from The Avengers. 

2 –Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)

Despite the success of Star Trek (2009) JJ Abrams remains a divisive talking point among Star Trek fans.  That fervor was renewed with the release of the full trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness which features a character that may or may not be Khan (or associated with Khan in some way) and the USS Enterprise hiding out underneath an alien ocean.

1 — Anchorman: The Legend Continues (December 20)

The long anticipated sequel to what is undoubtedly the funniest movie of all time. And this could be the greatest Christmas gift of all time, eclipsing the birth of Jesus himself.  I have lofty expectations, but considering this is the franchise that gave us Sex Panther and the true German translation of San  Diego and I know it can deliver.

Honorable Mentions: World War Z, Riddick, Fast & Furious 6, After Earth, Thor: The Dark Worlds, A Good Day To Die Hard, This Is The End, & The Wolverine

 

By Thor’s Adorable Hammer

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I haven’t done much toy hunting in recent days (having twin toddlers has something to do with it), but my interest in The Avengers toy line is pretty high.  During a recent trip to Toys R Us/Babies R Us I stopped to check out the Hasbro’s offerings for the super hero team up mega movie.  I bypassed most of the 3 3/4″ offerings and settled on this terribly adorable Thor Mini Mugg.

There is a good contingent of collectors out there who eschew the Mighty/Mini Mugg pseudo designer vinyl style.  I happen to be a fan, I’ve got about four or five and this will definitely flesh out my Marvel shelf in my nerd cave.

By Thor’s Hammer, Chris Hemsworth Set for Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con

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I’ve been going to Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con for quite a while, and I’ve never seen a lineup like the one they’ve amassed for the 2012 incarnation.  It’s pretty damn heavy on the celebrities with William Shatner and Stan Lee being the headliners… but that was until the most recent announcement that Chris Hemsworth would be in attendance.  Yeah, Thor is coming to Philadelphia this June.

With The Avengers opening a month before, I expect the only day he is attending, Saturday to be a total madhouse.  Now, if you wanted to get an autograph from Mr. Hemsworth, that will set you back $125.00.  Want a photo? That will be $100.00.  Or if you really wanted to meet him, you could shell out $350.00 for the VIP experience. So with Hemsworth in town, you can be sure that no one will be visiting Virgil’s booth this year.

You can check out the full press release after the jump:

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DDOY Review: Thor

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DDOY Review: THOR

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman
★★★★

In the pantheon of Marvel Heroes, Thor is probably one of the most difficult to successfully translate from comics to film. With the Iron Man films and The Incredible Hulk, the viewers have an idea of what this Marvel Movie Universe looks like, and the rules it plays by. How can the Norse God of Thunder work within the constraints of this new medium?

I caught Thor on the tail end of its opening weekend and I must say that I was genuinely surprised as to how much I enjoyed the look and feel of the picture. Of course my expectations where high, given we have Captain America: The First Avengers this summer and a full fledged Avengers movie roughly 18 months away.

I enjoyed the hell out of Thor, probably just as much as Iron Man and Spider-Man 2. The only thing I didn’t like was the post-converted 3D which I couldn’t necessarily avoid (when you have infant twins at home, you take any babysitter slot you can get). The production design was great, and for me evoked tinges of Flash Gordon and Excalibur. The look of Asgard and its citizens were faithful modern interpretations of the Jack Kirby era comics.

Much like Iron Man, it was a ground floor origin story. Even if you aren’t a comic book fan you are at least aware of who or what Thor is. Kenneth Branagh was able to engage the audience in a story arc that wasn’t insulting to the core group of fans but still was able to garner widespread appeal. Thor was a much welcome start to a summer full of superhero and event and definetely sets a standard for Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger this July.

I Have No Doubts Thor Will In Fact Be Mighty

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Given my new status as a father of twin girls my attention has obviously been elsewhere these last three months. I beg your forgiveness in my lackadaisical coverage of the upcoming film adaptation of Marvel’s mightiest Avenger, Thor.

I was down for Thor when they announced that Kenneth Branagh was signed to direct the film. And I was even more interested when Chris Helmsworth, (whose portrayal of George Kirk in Star Trek (2009) was pitch perfect, I dare you not to tear up), was cast as the titular God of Thunder.

When Marvel began putting the pieces together to create a Marvel “Cinematic” Universe in 2008 with the release of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk I don’t think any of us nerdlings were anticipating anything remotely close to what we are experiencing now. In one summer we have “event” movies for Thor and Captain America, laying the ground work for a movie featuring The Avengers in 2013 … take a minute to think about that

I’ve read the early reviews and have done my very best to remain spoiler free, but I have a feeling that Thor is going to be one hell of a movie.

Baltimore Comic Con ’10 Programming Highlights

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This weekend I’ll be venturing to the Charm City for my second ever Baltimore Comic Con. I’ll be providing a moderate amount of coverage here and through my Twitter. The only other time I attended the show, I really enjoyed myself and found myself a whole lot closer to creators than at the “corporate” shows.

Late last week a presser was sent out outlining the programming in store, while I may not be able to attend every panel I figured I’d highlight some of the more interesting ones (to me at least).

IRREDEEMABLE/INCORRUPTIBLE Panel – Mark Waid’s Harvey and Eisner nominated, best-selling, multiple sell-out IRREDEEMABLE has taken comic fans by storm since its debut, becoming one of the top-selling independent comics published today. Join Mark Waid as he takes a look back at IRREDEEMABLE’s beginnings, the future of the series, and its sister series — INCORRUPTIBLE. A not-to-be-missed panel for any fan of these books! (PSSSSST: Mark will also talk a little bit about his new BOOM! book with Stan Lee called THE TRAVELER. Don’t miss it!)

I’ve only gotten a couple of issues into Mark Waid’s Irredeemable series, and I’ve enjoyed it. More importantly I would like to hear what he has to say about not reading anymore conventional superhero comics. I just hope he stays on with Spider-Man

Spotlight on Thor– With the THOR feature film from Marvel Studios premiering in May, 2011, and his adventures featured across both the Marvel and Ultimate Universes, Thor is one of Marvel’s hottest characters. Chroniclers of the Thunder God’s adventures from the past, present, and future – Walter Simonson, John Workman, Bryan J.L. Glass, and Jonathan Hickman – join Marvel’s Vice President – Executive Editor Tom Brevoort to discuss all things Thor.

Simonson lays claim to probably some of the best Thor stories, c’mon this guy created Beta Ray Bill!

Spotlight on Todd McFarlane – From SPAWN to HAUNT, Image Comics founder and partner Todd McFarlane has been the driving force behind the biggest creator-owned titles in the industry. Join McFarlane for exclusive sneak peeks of his upcoming projects and a Q&A session that shouldn’t be missed!

Say what you will about McFarlane’s many efforts in the comics/entertainment industry, you have to respect his body of work. If only I can track down those Spider-Man foil covers!

IDW ON THE MOVE! – Join IDW Senior editor Bob Schreck, Steve Niles, Bernie Wrightson, Chris Moreno, and Stuart Sayger in this lively look at the company’s current and upcoming releases to be followed by a Q&A session.

Bernie Wrightson and Steve Niles? I’m all over this one. IDW Publishing has done quite a job positioning themselves by licensing solid properties and snapping up some quality talents.

By Thor’s Hammer!

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Marvel Studios really is priming the lead up to Comic Con with yet another production still from the set of Thor. Here we see Thor in the midst of retrieving Mjolnir from its resting spot in the New Mexico desert (as we saw at the end of Iron Man 2).

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Image Credit: [AICN]

Here are a couple general observations:

  • Chris Hemsworth got fucking huge. It’s hard to believe that this guy was George Kirk a year ago.
  • Like many other comic book experts, I too believe that Thor will not have an alter ego. In the comics, his Earthly form was that of Dr. Donald Blake who was sickly and required a cane to get around. I think I read an interview with Kenneth Branaugh where he said that there would just be Thor … and I’m okay with this
  • Marvel Studios is doing a pretty good job generating buzz, and I really am hoping we’ll see the full cast of The Avengers on stage this week at San Diego Comic Con.

Odin Copped Ming The Merciless’ Interior Designer

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/Film just posted a new set photo from Thor which ran in the print in the Los Angeles Times. One of my chief concerns in the photo of Odin, Thor, & Loki that was released last week was the lack of Loki’s trademark head wear.

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News/Image Credit: [/Film]

With Kenneth Branaugh in the director’s chair I was sure that we would see Asgard presented in a grand scale, and this picture pretty much confirms my suspicions. Not only do we get to see Odin on his throne, but take a look in the foreground and you’ll see Loki looking well … more like Loki, and I am pleased.

My guess is that with all of the Asgardians in what seems to be ceremonial mode and Odin is passing judgment on his son Thor. The tone in this photograph seems ominious, and that coupled with the official synopsis my analysis seems legit.

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, “Thor,” which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Odin’s throne room look like it belongs in the 1980 classic Flash Gordon, which is a great thing. Flash Gordon had fantastic sets and production design, and as I alluded to last week Thor needs to work harder to sell the fantasy aspect in a pre-established Marvel Universe of more Earthly superheroes.

Superhero Costume Faceoff: Asgardian Gods vs. Green Lantern

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While I fully expected the movie studios to bait the frothing nerd masses in the lead up to Comic Con; I was not expecting big reveals from two of next year’s blockbusters, Thor and Green Lantern. The aesthetic for both of these films are very important because they are drastic departures from the superhero movies we’ve seen so far.

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With movies like Iron Man, The Dark Knight, The X-Men Films, and Spider-Man there is a certain grounding in reality. Now Thor and his family are Asgardian Gods and as Green Lantern, Hal Jordan is part of an intergalactic police force which is based on the alien planet of Oa. These costumes should look different, because they aren’t of this world. Even though both pictures have been reposted everywhere I’ll leave them underneath the jump in case anyone wishes to remain spoiler free (that is if you consider costumes to be a spoiler)

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By Odin’s Beard! Thor Has Been Revealed

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If you haven’t seen it yet, Yahoo Movies unfurled the first official image of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, which is due in theaters in 2011. My initial reaction is positive, however I really would like to see the hemlet and Mjolnir before the final verdict is in.

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It seems that the production team went with the more contemporary Thor, as he was depicted on the relaunch of the title by J. Michael Straczynski back in July 2007. Sure there are already venomous Talk Backs over at AICN, saying the suit is rubbery and that Thor shouldn’t have a beard.

Also earlier this week, Latino Review posted what they believed to be The Destroyer, one of Thor’s recurring bad guys (Which has been subsequently been removed from the Intarweb). He’s a bad guy in so much as a magical robot, but that discussion is for a later time.

I think director Kenneth Branaugh and the heads at Marvel wanted to tease the public, and land a hook while the Iron Man 2 fever is still hot.