Tag: superhero movies

Does Mattel have the 6″ Michael Keaton Batman rights?

So I came across this exchange on Twitter:

If that’s true, then is Mattel withholding a Movie Masters Keaton Batman simply out of spite? Or will we finally see one at San Diego Comic Con (if not sooner) this year?

When the Nolan Batman films came out, they more or less made me forget about the Burton films. But in the years since The Dark Knight, I’ve come to remember how much I loved the Burton films as a kid. All the talk at the time was about how dark and moody they were, but compared to The Dark Knight they’re flat-out fun. And you will never convince me that the Tumbler is cooler than the Burton Batmobile. Nothing on this earth is cooler than the Burton Batmobile. James Dean and Jack Kerouac reciting “Howl” at the Cavern Club while Thriller-era Michael Jackson dances in the background is not half as cool as the Burton Batmobile.

Anyway, those with a Keaton Batman jonesing who can’t drop the cash on the Hot Toys version can enjoy the far-cheaper and yet still incredibly awesome NECA 18″ figure, due this August.

Review > Captain America & Red Skull (Marvel Select, Diamond Select)

I enjoyed the hell out of Captain America: The First Avenger. There seems to be a general consensus among geeks that Thor was a better movie, but I found Thor a bit mediocre–I walked out of the theater and forgot all about it. Captain America was a fun, funny period adventure. In a lot of ways it was a spiritual sequel to The Rocketeer, sharing a setting (WWII) and a director (Joe Johnston). Oh, and the Red Skull was ssssssmokin’.

Put another way: I had no desire to get any Thor action figures, but when I saw pics of the Marvel Select Captain America and Red Skull, I knew I had to have them. As you know, I rarely venture outside Batman for superhero-related toys these days, so clearly something about Captain America must have worked for me.

These figures arrived in comic shops this week. Diamond very kindly sent along these samples for review. And if you want to find out some behind-the-scenes info on the making of these figures, check out this featurette on Marvel.com. Continue reading “Review > Captain America & Red Skull (Marvel Select, Diamond Select)”

Movie Review > Watchmen

watchmen-babies

(WARNING: This review assumes you’ve seen the movie, so if you’re avoiding spoilers, don’t read it.)

In what context should I review Watchmen? Do I compare it to the book (which I admire, but don’t personally love)? Do I try to review it as if I weren’t familiar with the book, as a film that stands or stumbles on its own merits? Does a superhero flick like Watchmen even deserve a review that begins with such pretentious metaphysical mummery?

These are the questions that kept me up for about five or ten minutes last night, before I woke early the next morning to see an 11:30 a.m. showing of Watchmen at the Jordan’s Furniture IMAX theater in Natick. (Yes, you non-New Englanders, for some reason a regional furniture chain owns and operates not one but two IMAX theaters, built right next to the furniture showrooms.) I think Dr. Mrs. Ghostal was more excited to see it than I was, as I intimated a few days ago. Continue reading “Movie Review > Watchmen”

The Incredible Hulk

So Mrs. G2B and I saw The Incredible Hulk last night.

I had a great time. Be aware: the film is not nearly as artistically ambitious as the 2003 Ang Lee film, but it doesn’t drag, either. If you went in wanting to see scenes of the Hulk destroying midtown in a battle with another giant beast–which I did–you’re going to enjoy yourself.

I think the best way to look at Incredible Hulk is to see it not so much as an adaptation of the comic (or a sequel to the Lee film) but as a big-screen adaptation of the 1970s television series. Continue reading “The Incredible Hulk”

20 Things I Learned While Watching Spider-Man 3

Mrs. Ghostal-to-Be and I had some people over on Saturday night (including the lovely Ms. Kryptonite) to watch the Rifftrax of Spider-Man 3, and someone reminded me of this list I posted on my other blog last year. Here it is again, for the enjoyment of the PGPoA faithful.

Twenty things I learned while watching Spider-man 3:

1.) Extended jazz dance sequences are best left to actual musicals.

2.) To become evil/cool, all one has to do is style one’s hair like Pete Wentz and not get enough sleep.

3.) Evil/cool people walk down the street doing that “guns pointing at you” hand gesture, which means Dave Coulier is evil/cool (well, that’s half right).

4.) Being assertive and exposing frauds are the actions of an evil person.

5.) Topher Grace not only looks more like the comic Peter Parker, but he can actually crack one-liners, and I think he might have made a better Spider-Man. Continue reading “20 Things I Learned While Watching Spider-Man 3”