PHENOMENON: This Is Your Brain On Stupid

RETRO REVIEW

Note: SPOILERS! You know the drill. - Zack

I'm gonna go ahead and say it: I flat-out hate Phenomenon. And it actually has nothing to do with John Travolta. I think the guy's a decent actor... in most things (excluding, of course, the inexcusable Old Dogs and Battlefield Earth). For instance, no one but him could play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and it's sad that Tarantino never made his "The Vega Brothers" movie with Vic (from Reservoir Dogs) and Vincent. But this shocking schmaltz I'm writing about today -- with a complete cop-out ending -- is pathetic and annoying. To top off the irritation, it's actually directed by a talented guy named Jon Turteltaub -- who made Cool Runnings (widely regarded as one of the most popular and beloved '90s Disney films), While You Were Sleeping (an inoffensive cutesy romance), Disney's The Kid (my review here), the National Treasure films (#1 great, #2 ehh), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (better than it looks) and the upcoming Last Vegas (The Hangover... with old guys). For the first time in a long while, I'm ready to rip into a movie. Won't you join me?

George Malley (John Travolta) is your average, ordinary, everyday car mechanic in the small town of NameNotAnnounced. He pals around with Nate Pope (Forest Whitaker), a guy obsessed with making contact with Diana Ross via CB radio. George has a thing for a local woman named Lace Pinnamin (Kyra Sedgwick), who has two children. He and his friends are out celebrating his 37th birthday at a local bar. He steps outside and sees a bright light that knocks him to the ground. He runs back inside to tell everyone what happened but no one believes him. Within hours, George has been changed. His intelligence has been heightened which allows him to do things he's never been able to before: understand Morse Code, build a better rabbit trap, become fluent in another language and even manages to develop telekinetic abilities. Of course, the townspeople -- with the exception of Doc Brunder (Robert Duvall) -- become frightened by George, despite his insistence that he's still the same guy. Lace and her children soon to begin to warm up to him. At the same time, the US government discovers what George can do and wants to study him. George wants to avoid becoming a freak while pursuing his relationship with Lace. However, the true nature of the origin of George's abilities threatens to tear them apart.

Ok, what's wrong with this flick? For one thing, it's a waste of a decent premise. Charly, a 1968 film starring the late great Cliff Robertson (“Uncle Ben” of Spider-Man fame), featured the titular normal guy with below average intelligence who undergoes an experimental surgery that allows him to expand his mind. In the process, he loses his kindness and becomes an aggressive jerk. The effects of the surgery soon fade and Charly reverts back to his former self. The moral of the story is that no matter what, stay who you are. Phenomenon appears to follow this moral, but the only thing wrong with is that George is TOO nice. He’s not mentally handicapped like Charly was, so you don’t feel any remorse for the character who was lost after the change. One could argue – like Robert Duvall in the film – that George never changed and that the townspeople are treating him differently because of their fears.

Speaking of which, the townspeople are almost a Frankenstein-style “torches and pitchforks” crowd in nature. They’re really not open to somebody experiencing a massive change like this? To a potential breakthrough in science? Well, gosh, why not just set this movie in the South? (Note: I’m from the South, I love the South – except for the slavery and racism, that’s wrong) Frankly, George doesn’t help matters as when he wants to people to accept him, he keeps doing weird stuff. Why not just go out and have a drink like you normally do? Smart people don’t have to ACT smart all the time. They can kick back and relax if they wanted to.

Now I have to get to the thing I despise most about the movie: its ridiculous third act. After George passes out at a meet-and-greet, he wakes up in a hospital. Doc Brunder tells him that the source of all his new abilities is actually a tumor that, for some reason, has been fueling George’s brain power instead of deteriorating it. George realizes it is slowly killing him. George becomes more philosophical, spouting off feel-good nonsense to whoever’s around. He and Lace – of course – get together and he dies in her arms. And that’s the end. Credits roll. Everybody leaves confused and disappointed.

Let me pitch you a better version of Phenomenon. Cause it’s kind of pointless for me to whine and complain about a movie that I think could be redone better. George Malley gains these powers. He, at first, is mystified by them. Then, through practice, he is able to help others in his town – fixing cars with a single touch, becoming a last-minute substitute teacher and helping out local businesses. The townspeople are not sure what to make of it initially. But then, they begin to take advantage of George by having him use his powers for things they can do themselves. Frustrated, he turns to Lace who tells him he needs to go away for a while so the town realizes what life is like without him. Together, they go off and fall in love with each other. When they return, the townspeople are remorseful that they treated him so badly. George does not die but becomes a full-time teacher. Simple, no theoretical bologna. 

Many people believe that Phenomenon is actually somewhat of a Scientology recruiting video. A writer for Entertainment Weekly complied a list of comparisons between the film and a sacred Scientology doctrine. I'm not sure the movie is written well enough to recruit anyone to anything. Other than they might sign up for the nut house. This movie is so dumb. Its characters are either unlikable or annoying, the plot is flimsy at best and resorts to the worst third-act Hail Mary one can think of. I've studied this Phenomenon so you can avoid it. Unless you wanna watch it on YouTube in its entirety for free. You look it up, I'm not posting it here.

The Nostalgia Critic Returns!

Note: SPOILER-- oh, who cares, it's already in the title. Read on. 'Cause this one's a doozy. - Zack

You may remember when I posted about the Nostalgia Critic aka Doug Walker way back in September of last year. I was sad that he was gone, but remained cautiously optimistic about the future of Channel Awesome and grateful for a great library of reviews that can be revisited anytime.

We, like Doug, moved on. He and his brother Rob created a new show that they had wanted to do for years called "Demo Reel". Walker played the role of Donnie, an ambitious filmmaker who makes bad remakes of good movies. The show's premiere episode was one of the worst-rated in Channel Awesome history. Fans decried it as Walker's biggest misfire since "Melvin, Brother of the Joker" and his "Let's Play Bart's Nightmare". They also admonished it for being a thinly-veiled "ripoff" of Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind. Responding to the controversy, Walker preempted the upcoming 2nd episode of "Demo Reel" to work longer on making the then-third episode better. This episode (a Thanksgiving take on Wreck-It Ralph) was better-received but still fans cried out for the return of a character they loved.

Surprisingly, on January 22nd, 2013, Walker released a mini-movie that started out like a normal episode of "Demo Reel". Quickly, the video deconstructs the world of "Demo Reel" and cuts to the real-life Walker typing the episode's script. However, Doug has become conflicted. To ease his mind, he opens a package revealing the reviled 2012 Disney film The Odd Life of Timothy Green. After viewing the nonsensical film, Doug is incensed, ranting and raving... just like the Nostalgia Critic. He shrugs it off, but begins calling his friends; asking if he did the right thing in ending the Nostalgia Critic. They each tell him a variation of, "It's your character, do what you want".

But the lines of reality and fiction start to blur as the Nostalgia Critic himself appears to Doug and taunts him:

"Maybe it's like what you said before.... How a character can become so real that they cease being a character. They become ingrained in your mind and you can't get rid of them no matter how hard you try. Even to a point where they take on a life of their own.... Isn't that cute? You're nostalgic for the Nostalgia Critic.... Listen to yourself! You got so sick and tired of it that you actually forgot that you enjoyed it. Remember? Every single time you thought you were done with it, you came up with something better. When you had time to think, time to focus, time to put that extra effort in. But you had anniversary movies, conventions, other shows, your own life to live - all while trying to write act and edit a 20-minute video every single week. Face it, buddy: you aren't done yet. You just hit burnout.... Then why don't you just make me go away?"

Eventually, Doug can fight it no longer. He quietly admits he misses the Nostalgia Critic. The Critic finally appears in the flesh and together, the two of them hash out the details of how the show will move forward: one review every two weeks; the Critic can now review whatever film he wants without a cutoff date (previously 2003); and Doug decrees that the Critic's first review will be The Odd Life of Timothy Green. When the Critic asks why, Doug says that it was the film that made him realize that he could still be the Nostalgia Critic and that something terrible could lead to something creative. The two agree and Doug returns to the "Demo Reel" script.

In the world of "Demo Reel", Donnie faces the Plot Hole from To Boldly Flee. The Plot Hole tells him that he is actually the Nostalgia Critic reincarnated in the form of a failed child-actor-turned-filmmaker in order to atone for his countless criticisms against child actors and filmmakers. "Demo Reel" was actually a Purgatory where he was kept without knowledge of his former life. The Critic realizes who he is and complains that he did not deserve this kind of punishment. The Plot Hole tells him although he had to endure much, hopefully he is a little wiser and knows what it is like on the other side of the camera. The Critic wonders what will happen with the Plot Hole without him holding up reality. It is revealed that another has been unwillingly chosen to take his place: the Critic's longtime enemy, Douchey McNitpick. The Critic asks what will happen to the cast of "Demo Reel". They tell him that they belong to the Plot Hole, but that they will be okay and wish him well. The Critic enters the Plot Hole back to his own reality.

The Critic awakens in his normal room, still dressed as Donnie but back to himself. He quickly dresses into his famous hat, coat and unkempt tie, looks in the camera and delivers the line, "Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic and I'm back to remember it so you don't have to."

I was certainly taken aback, I would never have guessed that Doug ever had any thought about reviving the Critic. In his official announcement of the retirement of the weekly series, Doug had hinted that the character could always return in one form or another (a TGWTG.com special, for instance). But the all-out Search for Spock resurrection of one of the most beloved Internet characters there are is quite shocking. At the same time, I'm quite happy that he's returned. It wouldn't have been the same without him. I appreciate that it took quite a bit of effort into putting together The Review Must Go On rather just put out a simple announcement video. I quite enjoyed the scenes of Doug and the Critic talking to each other, and I've never seen the Critic creepier.

So now that he's back, he'll obviously need some movies to look at and just before he "bit the dust" in To Boldly Flee, I had a list of requests prepared and quietly pushed to the side. Now that anything's on the table, I figured let's go full-throttle. Here are my Top Nostalgia Critic Requests (in no particular order).

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000)


When it comes to movies based on old cartoon characters, the Critic does not have much of a heart towards them from The Flintstones to Mr. Magoo to his previously final review of Scooby-Doo. Yet this film has something none of them do: actor/producer Robert De Niro. As the live-action incarnation of Fearless Leader, De Niro rivals Dennis Hopper's performance of Koopa from the Super Mario Bros. movie in terms of over-the-top acting. Throw in Jason Alexander and Rene Russo as Boris and Natasha, a horrible shoehorned reference to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and dozens of strange celebrity cameos, I can't see how the Critic could resist. Well, Roger Ebert liked it. He hated Footloose (2011) for its supposed lack of humor, but he loves this movie.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)


I can't say exactly say why I'm utterly fascinated with this movie. It's not unwatchable by any means, but none of the characters are likable, the plot's extremely flimsy and the romance has no chemistry. I guess it all comes back to the fact that this is John Carpenter, a legend in Hollywood horror, doing a Chevy Chase comedy (or at least what looks like one). Still, the effects are good and I could always see the Critic performing the review invisibly. Plus, why is this not on Blu-Ray?

For more information, check out my review of Memoirs of an Invisible Man.

Osmosis Jones (2001)


I'm not quite sure HOW the Critic missed this one, but this is kinda begging for a review. It's not as beloved or well-known as another Warner Bros. Animation film, The Iron Giant, but it's certainly unforgettable. A movie inside Bill Murray's body. I'm sure the Critic could have some fun with that. Maybe have an animated cell Critic inside him. Another Blu-Ray no-show. Plus the movie's here in its entirety.

For more information, check out my review of Osmosis Jones.

Man on the Moon (1999)


This movie wildly swings from funny and interesting to ridiculously depressing. While I know that the way the real Andy Kaufman died was tragic, I still there could have been a better way of dealing with it without bringing the audience down. The Critic infamous despised Patch Adams. I wonder what he'd think of this biopic.

Snow Day (2000)


Really? Not on Nickelodeon Month? For shame, Critic! You have so many targets here! Chevy Chase, Chris Elliott, a young Emmanuelle Chriqui and the child actors whose career went barely nowhere (except for Zena Grey and Josh Peck). I gotta admit, I like Hoku's "Another Dumb Blonde". What happened to her?

Larger than Life (1996)


Heck, I think the trailer says more than I can. It's like a joke Hollywood pitch that accidentally got greenlit: Bill Murray AND an elephant! What could possibly go wrong? A weirdass Matthew McConaughey performance, for one thing.

Phenomenon (1996)


Unlike most of the other movies on this list, I unabashedly despise this movie. A tumor? He could do all those fantastical things because of a freaking tumor? Why couldn't he have been chosen by aliens or something for a higher intelligence and he doesn't know why? Cause it probably would've tied it MORE to Scientology.

Man of the House (1995)


Hey look, kids! It's Chevy Chase from "Saturday Night Live", Jonathan Taylor Thomas from "Home Improvement", Farrah Fawcett from "Charlie's Angels" and George Wendt from "Cheers"! I saw this movie years ago but I don't quite remember it well other than what's in this trailer and Chevy Chase's car being sabotaged and he nearly drowns in the ocean.

Angels on the Outfield (1994)


I'm not sure if this deserves a whole review on its own or a Old vs. New style review. It's just funny to think back in 1994 the biggest stars of this movie were Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd. Today the biggest stars of the movie are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrian Brody and Matthew McConaughey. Just plain odd.

Tom and Huck (1995)


What happened to "N-Word" Jim? Where was he in this movie? Another casualty of the Disneyification of one of the greatest stories of the 20th century. This was back when Disney was trying to make Jonathan Taylor Thomas a thing. Still, I can say nothing against the late Tennessee native Brad Renfro. Decent actor who assuredly had a great future ahead of him and was taken too soon.

I'll Be Home for Christmas (1999)


Here's another Christmas movie that the Critic hasn't reviewed yet. This was Jonathan Taylor Thomas' only starring role as a teenager. And it's one of the first films to star the lovely Jessica Biel aka the newlywed bride of hometown hero Justin Timberlake (I hear they're nice people). She sings this clearly '90s song called "Calling Dr. Jones" that is just so damnably funny in its datedness. Actually, I like Jonathan Taylor Thomas' performance in this film. He's sort of like Diet Michael J. Fox, if that makes any sense.

To sum it all up, I'm glad the Critic is back. It took a while, but finally he's come home.

THE LAST STAND: Arnold's Back

In 2003, movie fans were stunned to hear that one of the great movie stars, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had announced his candidacy for governor of California. In the past, he had conquered killer robots from the future, kindergartners, terrorists, a self-aware movie villain, an insane mailman and even the Devil himself. How was he going to fare against immigration laws and tax reforms?

Schwarzenegger left the film business with his last starring role in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and a brief cameo in The Rundown in which he tells wrestling star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to, "Have fun". While Schwarzenegger was in office, Johnson appeared to follow his advice and have an Arnold-like career balancing balls-to-the-wall action movies like Walking Tall and cutesy comedies like Tooth Fairy (which ironically had been offered to Arnold years before). Terminator Salvation moved forward without Schwarzenegger, outside of his granting permission to use his likeness for a CG model Terminator. Soon, an old friend, Sylvester Stallone, made a call to Arnold to ask him to film for one day on his action movie star extravaganza, The Expendables. Arnold agreed and his cameo was one of the highlights of the film.

Acting had finally caught up to Schwarzenegger just as he was leaving office. Stallone once again asked him to return for a larger role in The Expendables 2. Arnold began reading scripts again, considering new sequels to his old films, new films, and a cartoon series as the superhero "The Governator". However, personal issues in Schwarzenegger's home life (notable enough that I don't have to or want to get into them) led to these projects being abandoned. All but one, perhaps fittingly titled: The Last Stand.


All Sheriff Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wanted was a quiet weekend off-duty from protecting the small border town of Sommerton, Arizona. However, he soon learns that the wanted head of a major drug cartel, Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), has escaped federal custody and is speeding towards Mexico with a hostage in tow. The FBI agent in charge of the investigation, John Bannister (Forest Whitaker), advises Owens to stay away from the situation. However, Owens - ever dedicated to his townspeople - defies Bannister and puts together a squad of deputies to help him fend off the coming kingpin: ex-couple Frank Martinez (Rodrigo Santoro) and Sarah Torrance (Jaimie Alexander); the loyal Mike Figuerola (Luis Guzman); and the gun-crazy Lewis Dinkum (Johnny Knoxville), who donates his gun collection to even the odds. Even with the added firepower, can Owens go head-to-head against a younger, more deadly enemy and emerge victorious?

It's safe to say: Arnold Schwarzenegger is back (in case you're wondering, the closest he comes to "I'll be back" is an offhand "I'll be right back", but it has to be there somewhere, right?). He clearly wanted his first starring role in a decade to be the perfect welcome home to the big screen and, at the same time, a calling card for a new generation. I'll be happy if Schwarzenegger does continue to pick roles that suit his age rather than the other way around. Returning as Conan does sound admittedly interesting (considering it's post-reboot), but it has to be done right. Interesting to note, I think this is the first Arnold film where his character admits that he's an immigrant. But his name is Ray Owens? Nothing European-sounding?

The supporting cast does well, but it's so clearly Arnold's show that they have a tendency to get injured more often by the bad guys. While I do like Johnny Knoxville, his co-star billing on the poster is arguably dubious as he's only in about 40% of the movie. Still, he doesn't mug to the camera as, say, Rob Schneider would. He's great comic foil to the rest of the group. Luis Guzman impressed me, playing his character with understandable nervousness yet rising to the occasion when his town is in trouble. Jaimie Alexander, best known for her role as Lady Sif in Thor, is a welcome sight but we're never given a lot of backstory to her and her ex-boyfriend, Rodrigo Santoro and it does distract. Forest Whitaker as the stressed-out FBI agent has an issue of saying "the f-word" to the point where its laughable. Still, as the only Oscar winner of the cast, he's decent and unoffensive.

Arnold's long-awaited return to the silver screen is a lot of fun. Good car chases, bloody explosions and lots and lots of guns. Just like a good Schwarzenegger film should be. I like that it all takes place in a small town, where the scale of the action can be bigger than the area surrounding it. I'm glad he's back for good this time.

Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2013

10. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (December 25th, 2013)
Director: Ben Stiller
Writer: Steve Conrad
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Patton Oswalt, Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Ben Stiller has proven himself a capable director in the past from The Cable Guy to Tropic Thunder, but here he may have his biggest challenge yet: modernizing a well-known short story from the 1940s. James Thurber’s tale involved a man who went through a day of mundane misery by daydreaming himself in fantastical situations like being a criminal on trial or a gunner in a war zone. Before any trailers were released, a set picture was released of Ben Stiller in old age makeup. I’m already calling for a Best Makeup and Hairstyling nomination for the film because he looks practically unrecognizable in it. Whatever the film will look like in the end is anybody’s guess.

9. R.I.P.D. (June 18th, 2013)
Director: Robert Schwentke
Writers: Phil Hay/Matt Manfredi
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Stephanie Szostak, Mary Louise Parker
Studio: Universal Pictures

Ryan Reynolds has not been having any luck with comic book films – playing second banana to Blade in Blade: Trinity, having his mouth sewn up to play the world’s worst version of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the less said about Green Lantern, the better. However, his newest entry into comic book films involves not superheroes, but the supernatural: ghosts. The graphic novel, “R.I.P.D.” features a dead cop being inducted into a paranormal police agency keeping the dead away from the living. Although the tone of the graphic novel was dramatic, the film will be a “PG-13 buddy comedy”. The buddy for Ryan Reynolds, in this case, is Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges who appears to be playing Rooster Cogburn again. Whether or not this will revitalize Reynolds’ career remains to be seen, though many are already predicting doom and gloom.

8. Oz: The Great and Powerful (March 8th, 2013)
Director: Sam Raimi
Writers: David Lindsay-Abaire/Mitchell Kapner
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Joey King, Abigail Spencer, Bruce Campbell
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures


After the collapse of Spider-Man 4 and directing only Drag Me to Hell in 2009, Sam Raimi was a director without a studio. Then he was offered a new take on the magical world of Oz by Walt Disney Pictures. Previous attempts at securing Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp as the star had failed until Raimi made a call to former Spider-Man co-star James Franco. Taking the chance to reinterpret Oz by referencing the L. Frank Baum books, while still paying homage to the classic 1939 film, Raimi makes his first family film about a man in need of a second chance and finds it in the least likely place. A bit autobiographical, perhaps?

7. The Lone Ranger (July 3rd, 2013)
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and Justin Haythe
Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Helena Bonham Carter, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures


One might call Johnny Depp, "Disney's favored son". He is, inarguably, the studio's golden boy after the meteoric success of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Alice in Wonderland. Naturally, they want to keep him happy so they can make more movies with him. This time, however, it may not have been as financially stable an idea as they might have hoped. The first sign of trouble came when a script leak revealed that the film had more supernatural ideas ("wendigo" - Native American werewolves) than the original television show. When fans revolted, Disney quietly had the script reworked into a more traditional Western. Then, Cowboys & Aliens came out and failed to find an audience. Disney freaked and temporarily pulled the plug on the production. Normally, this wouldn't be news and yet it became news. Some would say Verbinski got angry at Disney and leaked the information to Deadline Hollywood. Others say it was someone in Rich Ross' office that accidentally sent out the word and led to him getting fired a year later. However, the studio and the filmmakers eventually got the film rolling. The film does look interesting enough - I'm excited to see Armie Hammer after a doubly impressive turn in The Social Network and Depp is kookier than ever - but nothing has been seen that bears a strong resemblance to the famous television show. No "William Tell Overture", nor a "Hi-Yo Silver". Only time will tell if they made a wise decision.

6. Fast & Furious 6 (May 24th, 2013)
Director: Justin Lin
Writer: Chris Morgan
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Eva Mendes, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano, Luke Evans
Studio: Universal Pictures

The Fast and The Furious franchise is one that many would not have seen being as long as it is now. While the first film (directed by Rob Cohen) was well-received, its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious (directed by John Singleton) was not; mostly, many claim, due to the absence of Vin Diesel (the face of the franchise). A third film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, featured all new cast members with Diesel making a cameo appearance near the end of the film. When the sales of this film (directed by Justin Lin) peaked up, Universal brought back Lin, Diesel, co-star Paul Walker into a new film, Fast & Furious. This became Universal’s highest-grossing film of 2009. A sequel was quickly put together, Fast Five, moving the franchise from racing to heists. For the first time, critics were also not shy about their appreciation of the film. Now, with an all-star cast and a capable director, the adventures of Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Connor will continue.

5. Man of Steel (June 14th, 2013)
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: David S. Goyer
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Laurence Fishburne
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures


In an interview for his 2009 film, Watchmen, director Zack Snyder said, “In this world, if Superman really existed, he’d grab all the world leaders together in a room and say, ‘Behave or I’ll kill you.’” Interesting look at a character he had no idea he’d soon be involved with. Whereas Watchmen was a deconstruction of superheroes, Man of Steel will feature the construction of one superhero, the first and greatest. With an A-list cast, producer Christopher Nolan, Snyder has been given full-reign over Superman, in the midst of an ongoing legal battle between DC Comics and the heirs of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. If this film works, it will reinvent the character for a whole new generation of audiences. And if not, it’ll be Superman Returns all over again.

4. Oblivion (April 26th, 2013)
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writers: Joseph Kosinski/William Monahan
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell
Studio: Universal Pictures


With TRON: Legacy, Joseph Kosinski is now the highest-grossing first-time director (beating out J.J. Abrams’ Mission: Impossible III). His next film would be based on a graphic novel that he helped to write and design, “Oblivion”. Originally set up as a project with Disney (along with a planned remake of The Black Hole), the executives decided the film wasn’t for the appropriate audience for the company and allowed Kosinski to take the film elsewhere. At Universal, Kosinski was allowed to make the movie however he wanted – too violent for Disney’s taste. Ironically, the film looks like a live-action version of Wall-E with the robots being played by humans – a wasteland worker finds a beautiful woman in cryogenic stasis and has to bring her aboard a starship in orbit.

3. Iron Man 3 (May 3rd, 2013)
Director: Shane Black
Writers: Drew Pence/Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Guy Pearce, William Sadler, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale and Ben Kingsley
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel Studios


Many say Robert Downey Jr.’s career resurgence really began with Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. This was Black's first film as director, having written films like Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero and The Long Kiss Goodnight. While Bang Bang was a great comedic detective story, the film was not distributed widely. However, it was seen by Jon Favreau. After his attempt at making a John Carter film was dashed, he was put in charge of making an Iron Man film. After seeing Downey’s performance, he demanded Marvel Studios allow him to make a screen-test. The rest is cinematic history. Downey played Tony Stark in Iron Man, a cameo scene at the end of The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and Marvel’s The Avengers. It's clear he knows and loves this character. Audiences love him playing this character. With 3, he says the film will delve into sides of Tony Stark we have not yet seen. The film is building a mystery around it: the Mandarin, Tony's Extremis armor, the destruction of his Malibu home, his crash-landing in the snow. What does it all mean? This is the question to be answered by a great mystery writer, by Shane Black.

2. Pacific Rim (July 12th, 2013)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Travis Beacham
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi, Max Martini, Willem Dafoe, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins Jr., Diego Klattenhoff, Ron Perlman
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures


Guillermo del Toro hasn’t had the best of times lately. After finishing Hellboy: The Golden Army, he had planned to take over Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings franchise by writing and directing The Hobbit films. However, due to delays in pre-production and the sheer massive scale of Middle-Earth, del Toro left the projects (though he was still credited as co-writer) and Jackson got it back. From there, he teamed up with Disney and make family-friendly horror films under the division label “Disney Double Dare You” with films like Trollhunters and a reimagining of The Haunted Mansion. When that went under, del Toro tried to set up an adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness at Universal until they decided they were not going to give him the money. Finally, he was able to get a producing venture with DreamWorks Animation with films like Megamind, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Rise of the Guardians. Finally, Universal came calling with a film that plays to del Toro’s monster sensibilities – humans in giant robot suits fighting giant monsters. This is del Toro’s first feature film in five years. I think it looks fantastic and epic in scope. It's also nice to hear Ellen McLain doing her GLaDOS voice again. I hope, in that span of time, del Toro is ready to bring us his best.

1. Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17th, 2013)
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Peter Weller
Studio: Paramount Pictures


After Star Trek '09 came out, I began looking into the old "Trek" series of shows and films. I had initially rejected anything "Trek" because it seemed too high-minded unlike the cool and easy-to-understand Star Wars. What I soon realized what that Trek is classical music and Wars was rock 'n roll. Abrams' Trek was a bit of both, but more on the side of rock 'n roll. It'll be nice to see these enjoyable characters back again on another adventure. The big mystery this time around is who Benedict Cumberbatch is really playing. Is it Khan? Is it Gary Mitchell? We've been told that the name of his character is John Harrison. However, others have mentioned that initially Liam Neeson was playing a character named Henri Ducard in Batman Begins. It wasn't until two-thirds of the movie revealed that Ducard was simply an alias for the much larger villain known as Ra's Al Ghul. Until we hear different, it is to assume that "John Harrison" is really the name of Cumberbatch's character and not just a Beatles nod. Still, I'm ready for a ride back into the final frontier.


Honorable Mentions:

The Last Stand
Warm Bodies
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
This Is The End
The Internship
Now You See Me
Monsters University
Frozen