LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - 'The Avengers' assemble this weekend in what many box office analysts are predicting will be the biggest opening in movie history.
It's an event that Marvel Studios, the company behind the superhero films, has been building up to since 'Iron Man' opened in 2008, teasing the super-team flick in each men-in-tights film it sends to theaters.
But not everybody grew up reading comics or had the time to watch the nearly half-dozen films that led up to the blockbuster hopeful.
To that end, TheWrap has assembled a helpful guide to get you brushed up on the back story behind 'earth's mightiest heroes.'
Who Exactly Are the Avengers?
Marvel shook up the team's origins when it decided the super-group was ready for its big screen close-up, but here goes.
Unlike 'The X-Men,' they're not social pariahs on the wrong side of the law, and unlike 'The Fantastic Four,' they're not a family. They're government sponsored and government approved. In the movie version, the team is backed by an espionage group know as S.H.I.E.L.D. and its eye-patch-wearing chief Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).
The membership consists of Captain America (Chris Evans), a World War II-era soldier; the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), an ornery creature with super strength; Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the god of thunder; Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), a rich, acerbic guy in killer armor; Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), a supremely talented archer; and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), a Russian spy whose main talent is her disappearing, reappearing accent.
In the comic books, a group consisting of Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, the Ant-Man and the Wasp first united to defeat Thor's brother Loki. On the big screen, the villain remains the Norse god of mischief, but the two insect-inspired do-gooders have been jettisoned.
What the Heck is a Tesseract?
Stumble into 'The Avengers' cold, and you're bound to spend a good deal of the film scratching your head and muttering, 'What in the name of Odin's beard is a tesseract?'
Allow us to elucidate. The cube is a stunningly powerful object that the U.S. government has in its possession when the film opens and that Loki wants. Frequently referred to in the comics as the cosmic cube, the tesseract gives its owner nearly unlimited power and the ability to open portals between galaxies... which is pretty handy if, like Loki, you're plotting an alien invasion.
The cube hails from Asgard and previously made cameo appearances in 'Iron Man 2' and 'Thor,' and factored rather prominently in 'Captain America.' In that film, Captain America's arch-nemesis, the Red Skull, captured the cube and attempted to harness its powers to create a weapon.
Things didn't go according to plan, and Red Skull was vaporized while trying to wield the cube. So it's clearly, buyer beware.
Hey That's Not Eric Bana... or Edward Norton?
There's a reason that Mark Ruffalo dubbed Hulk 'our generation's Hamlet.' Every 30-plus-year-old actor seems destined to get a crack at bringing their version of the big green guy to the silver screen.
In 'The Avengers,' Ruffalo becomes the third actor in less than a decade to play Dr. Bruce Banner and his monster alter-ego.
Bana played the part in 2003's 'Hulk,' and Norton took over the role in 2008's 'The Incredible Hulk.' Bana left because barely anyone could stomach Ang Lee's ponderous take on the comic book character or his movie's bizarre starfish motif, while Norton reportedly feuded with Marvel over the movie's script and final edit.
Enter Ruffalo, who plays a far less tortured, much more shaggy and Ruffalo-licious Banner. This time, the good doctor has learned to better control the inner anger that unleashes the Hulk, but Loki has a way of getting under even the most zen-like person's skin.
Wait, There's an Alien Invasion?
The Avengers don't just have to best Loki to save the world, they also have to prevent a horde of extraterrestrials from overrunning Manhattan.
The brothers from another planet in this case are a race of alien creatures known as the Chitauri. In the comic books, these creatures are shape-shifters who once aided the Nazis in their quest for global domination. On the big screen, however, they mostly keep their skeletal, fish-eyed form.
Although they are technically pulling the strings when it comes to Loki, they have the movie bad guy problem of having really bad aim, while proving to be really easy targets. As outer space menaces go, they're only marginally more threatening than E.T.
Will Spider-Man or Wolverine Pop Up in Future 'Avengers' Sequels?
Not likely. Although both characters find themselves at various points in the Marvel mythology as members of the team, neither Spidey nor Wolvey will be suiting up with the gang in the near future.
The culprit isn't a lack of big-screen success. The original Spider-Man films grossed nearly $2.5 billion worldwide, and the character is swinging back into theaters this summer in 'The Amazing Spider-Man,' albeit with Andrew Garfield taking over the wall-crawler role from Tobey Maguire.
Likewise, Wolverine has played a key role in making the X-Men franchise a hit and starred in his own blockbuster spin-off, 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine.'
But the rights to these characters are tied up with other studios. Before Marvel was acquired by Disney for $4 billion in 2009 it licensed the rights to many of its most popular characters to other film companies.
To that end, Fox controls the X-Men characters and Sony houses Spider-Man as long as they keep making sequels or reboots to the hit films.
Barring a miracle, it's going to be a long time before Iron Man, Spider-Man and Wolverine save the world together.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Demi Moore (finally) changes her Twitter name
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Demi Moore is finally ready to move on from her failed marriage to Ashton Kutcher. At least in the Twitterverse.
The 'G.I. Jane' actress ended months of speculation Thursday, finally answering the question: 'When is she going to change her Twitter handle?'
Moore had been going by @MrsKutcher, a handle that grew more awkward with each passing day since November, when she announced plans to divorce 'Two and a Half Men' star Kutcher.
Moore now goes by @JustDemi. According to her account, the actress chose the new moniker because it's 'playful.'
'So hard finding a name that was fun somewhat playful and available,' Moore wrote. 'So for now it will be @justdemi It could grow on me!'
In December, Moore dismissed notions that she needed to change her Twitter name ASAP in order to distance herself from her ex.
'Changing my twitter name isn't a top priority right now,' she tweeted. 'Sorry it bothers so many of u. Should I not tweet until I do? Does it really matter?'
This article is brought to you by MONEY MANAGEMENT TOOL.
The 'G.I. Jane' actress ended months of speculation Thursday, finally answering the question: 'When is she going to change her Twitter handle?'
Moore had been going by @MrsKutcher, a handle that grew more awkward with each passing day since November, when she announced plans to divorce 'Two and a Half Men' star Kutcher.
Moore now goes by @JustDemi. According to her account, the actress chose the new moniker because it's 'playful.'
'So hard finding a name that was fun somewhat playful and available,' Moore wrote. 'So for now it will be @justdemi It could grow on me!'
In December, Moore dismissed notions that she needed to change her Twitter name ASAP in order to distance herself from her ex.
'Changing my twitter name isn't a top priority right now,' she tweeted. 'Sorry it bothers so many of u. Should I not tweet until I do? Does it really matter?'
This article is brought to you by MONEY MANAGEMENT TOOL.
Hollywood courts women to boost superhero summer
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Disney's superhero movie 'The Avengers' hits U.S. theaters on Friday, the actors who play Captain America and Thor will chat up the hosts of female-oriented TV talk show 'The View.'
Hollywood is putting on a full-court press to attract women to summer movies. With a full slate of big-budget action films from Sony's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' to Warner Bros' 'The Dark Knight Rises' vying for the same fanboy audience, female filmgoers may hold the key to box-office dominance.
Opening weekend sales for 'Avengers' could reach $155 million, a performance that would put it in line with the biggest U.S. and Canadian film openings of all time, said Keith Simanton, managing editor of movie website IMDB.com.
'You can't do $155 million with just guys,' he said. 'It's got to be a date night. It's got to be an event.'
Hoping to reach the record books, studios are trying out new ways to get their superhero movie messages beyond the male-dominated comic-book crowd and in front of women.
Sony, for the first time, is using a cosmetics promotion for its new 'Spider-Man' movie that reaches theaters July 3.
The studio partnered with nail-polish maker OPI for a movie-themed line promoted in women's magazines including Lucky and O, The Oprah Magazine. Nail colors sport names like 'Your Web or Mine?,' 'My Boyfriend Scales Walls,' and 'Call me Gwen-ever,' a nod to Spider-Man love interest Gwen Stacy.
Featuring relationships and strong female characters, rather than just action, is one way film marketers try to lure women. Stacy, played by Emma Stone, is 'such an integral part of the story, so we wanted to highlight that in the marketing,' said Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures.
'It's a testament to the audience and how broad this movie goes,' he said.
For 'Avengers,' Disney's Marvel studio sent its superheroes to the pages of women's magazines and female-targeted TV shows.
Scarlett Johansson appeared on the cover of Vogue and talked to the magazine about her role as Black Widow, one of the few female superheroes on the big screen. Cast members posed in InStyle, Elle, People and other magazines, and chatted on talk shows such as 'Good Morning America' and 'Live! with Kelly.'
On the ABC Family network, moms and daughters saw sneak peeks of 'Avengers.' The movie's red-carpet premiere was streamed live on websites such as E! and PopSugar.
Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, meanwhile, is gearing up its marketing for another superhero flick, Batman sequel 'The Dark Knight Rises.' A trailer released online ahead of the July 20 release features a steamy kiss between Batman alter-ego Bruce Wayne and colleague Miranda Tate, giving a heavy dose of romance.
Anne Hathaway's Catwoman, featured prominently in the trailer, appears to play an empowered female role that could draw in women, IMDB's Simanton said.
The summer pursuit of women follows this year's runaway success, 'The Hunger Games.' The movie is the biggest film of the year so far with more than $600 million in global ticket sales, thanks to female fans who flocked to see resourceful warrior Katniss Everdeen and joined males who turned out for the sci-fi and action elements.
This year's smash hit shows the upside of marketing to women, said Susie Rantz, a spokeswoman for GeekGirlCon, a group that runs a convention celebrating women's roles in geek culture from comics to science and gaming.
The 'Hunger Games' success provided Hollywood with 'a wake-up call that females in general like action-oriented movies,' Rantz said.
(Editing by Edwin Chan and Paul Casciato)
Hollywood is putting on a full-court press to attract women to summer movies. With a full slate of big-budget action films from Sony's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' to Warner Bros' 'The Dark Knight Rises' vying for the same fanboy audience, female filmgoers may hold the key to box-office dominance.
Opening weekend sales for 'Avengers' could reach $155 million, a performance that would put it in line with the biggest U.S. and Canadian film openings of all time, said Keith Simanton, managing editor of movie website IMDB.com.
'You can't do $155 million with just guys,' he said. 'It's got to be a date night. It's got to be an event.'
Hoping to reach the record books, studios are trying out new ways to get their superhero movie messages beyond the male-dominated comic-book crowd and in front of women.
Sony, for the first time, is using a cosmetics promotion for its new 'Spider-Man' movie that reaches theaters July 3.
The studio partnered with nail-polish maker OPI for a movie-themed line promoted in women's magazines including Lucky and O, The Oprah Magazine. Nail colors sport names like 'Your Web or Mine?,' 'My Boyfriend Scales Walls,' and 'Call me Gwen-ever,' a nod to Spider-Man love interest Gwen Stacy.
Featuring relationships and strong female characters, rather than just action, is one way film marketers try to lure women. Stacy, played by Emma Stone, is 'such an integral part of the story, so we wanted to highlight that in the marketing,' said Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures.
'It's a testament to the audience and how broad this movie goes,' he said.
For 'Avengers,' Disney's Marvel studio sent its superheroes to the pages of women's magazines and female-targeted TV shows.
Scarlett Johansson appeared on the cover of Vogue and talked to the magazine about her role as Black Widow, one of the few female superheroes on the big screen. Cast members posed in InStyle, Elle, People and other magazines, and chatted on talk shows such as 'Good Morning America' and 'Live! with Kelly.'
On the ABC Family network, moms and daughters saw sneak peeks of 'Avengers.' The movie's red-carpet premiere was streamed live on websites such as E! and PopSugar.
Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, meanwhile, is gearing up its marketing for another superhero flick, Batman sequel 'The Dark Knight Rises.' A trailer released online ahead of the July 20 release features a steamy kiss between Batman alter-ego Bruce Wayne and colleague Miranda Tate, giving a heavy dose of romance.
Anne Hathaway's Catwoman, featured prominently in the trailer, appears to play an empowered female role that could draw in women, IMDB's Simanton said.
The summer pursuit of women follows this year's runaway success, 'The Hunger Games.' The movie is the biggest film of the year so far with more than $600 million in global ticket sales, thanks to female fans who flocked to see resourceful warrior Katniss Everdeen and joined males who turned out for the sci-fi and action elements.
This year's smash hit shows the upside of marketing to women, said Susie Rantz, a spokeswoman for GeekGirlCon, a group that runs a convention celebrating women's roles in geek culture from comics to science and gaming.
The 'Hunger Games' success provided Hollywood with 'a wake-up call that females in general like action-oriented movies,' Rantz said.
(Editing by Edwin Chan and Paul Casciato)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Robert Pattinson to star in "Mission: Blacklist"
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Robert Pattinson will star in 'Mission: Blacklist,' a psychological thriller to be directed by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire that hits the Cannes Film Market in May.
The film is based on the novel 'Mission: Black List #1,' which was written by a man intimately involved in the capture of Saddam Hussein, military interrogator Eric Maddox.
Erik Jendresen, who wrote for and produced 'Band of Brothers,' adapted the novel for the big screen.
Jendresen is producing with Ross M. Dinerstein, managing partner of Preferred Content, and Kevin Waller.
Embankment Films, Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar's new sales and distribution company, will shop the rights at Cannes.
'This movie is a gripping, edge of your seat thriller,' Dinerstein said in a statement. 'I have been inspired by Robert and Jean-Stephane's dedication to tell this story in the most authentic way possible, and I'm thrilled to add Hugo and Tim to our team.'
Pattinson's next film, the David Cronenberg-directed 'Cosmopolis,' will premiere at Cannes. The 'Twlight' heartthrob will then seek to sate his salivating fans in the final installment of the vampire epic, 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn II,' this fall.
Sauvaire's last film was 'Johnny Mad Dog,' which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
This article is brought to you by DAILY HOROSCOPE.
The film is based on the novel 'Mission: Black List #1,' which was written by a man intimately involved in the capture of Saddam Hussein, military interrogator Eric Maddox.
Erik Jendresen, who wrote for and produced 'Band of Brothers,' adapted the novel for the big screen.
Jendresen is producing with Ross M. Dinerstein, managing partner of Preferred Content, and Kevin Waller.
Embankment Films, Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar's new sales and distribution company, will shop the rights at Cannes.
'This movie is a gripping, edge of your seat thriller,' Dinerstein said in a statement. 'I have been inspired by Robert and Jean-Stephane's dedication to tell this story in the most authentic way possible, and I'm thrilled to add Hugo and Tim to our team.'
Pattinson's next film, the David Cronenberg-directed 'Cosmopolis,' will premiere at Cannes. The 'Twlight' heartthrob will then seek to sate his salivating fans in the final installment of the vampire epic, 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn II,' this fall.
Sauvaire's last film was 'Johnny Mad Dog,' which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
This article is brought to you by DAILY HOROSCOPE.
A Minute With: Scarlett Johansson and the Black Widow
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Scarlett Johansson first joined the Marvel comic book superhero universe when she was introduced as the mysterious Black Widow opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 blockbuster 'Iron Man 2.'
The action-filled movie role marked a big change for the actress, who's known more for low-key performances in films like Sofia Coppola's drama 'Lost in Translation' or Woody Allen's sly comedy 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona.'
But Johansson is in fighting form to reprise her role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, in Marvel Studios' 'The Avengers,' due in theaters Friday.
With her bright red hair and latex suit, the Black Widow teams up with Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor to stop the evil Loki from conquering Earth with his army.
Johansson sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, the fighting style she learned for her role and what it was like to master her character's native Russian language.
Q: Black Widow was introduced in 'Iron Man 2' but gets far more exposure in 'Avengers.' How did you expand the character?
A: 'At the end of 'Iron Man 2,' we know she's a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., but we don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is. In this film, (director) Joss Whedon and I talked about her past. Who is she? How does she get to be a mercenary? What path do you follow in order to get to that place? We both wanted to see the darker side of her - not just that she's someone who is highly skilled, but why did she have to learn those skills?'
Q: You're in top form physically on screen. What new fighting skills did you learn?
A: 'We incorporated this Wushu style (of fighting) when the Widow wields a huge alien gun. That was new and really challenging. I had to learn how to spin it and move it. It was hard because I'd hit myself with it all the time. And it's heavy. You learn (by using) a broom handle so you're like, 'Ah, I got it down, I've mastered it.' Then all of a sudden they're like, 'Here's the prop' and you're like, 'What? This thing is 20 lbs!' I was so terribly battered. I'd wake up every day in agony but it was a continuous thing, so it became normal (laughs).'
Q: Black Widow also speaks in her native Russian language, which you seemed to nail. Was it difficult to learn?
A: 'I had two days, so I had to learn it phonetically. I knew what I was saying but I had to be able to pronounce it and breathe some life into the lines so that it didn't sound like I was repeating some Berlitz tape. We hired this great Russian translator, and she worked with the dialogue coach. She was really expressive, which helped, so my mouth found the words in a way that didn't just sound like I was a parrot.'
Q: You often play with hair color in your movie roles. Did you enjoy being a redhead for the duration of the shoot?
A: 'It's nice because it allows me to go a bit under the radar - people don't expect me to have that color of hair. I'm always happy when I do it because it's the first step of the process of finding the character again. To me more than anything, the hair color represents a huge piece of work that we dive head first into. And I'm really happy when I can wash it out because then I'm like, 'Yes, It's finished, we actually did it!' Out it goes and you know you've accomplished something.'
Q: You're the only female Avenger in the cast. Did your male co-stars treat you any differently because of that?
A: 'If anything, the guys weren't as delicate with me as I thought they would be. They like to play hard and always dragged me along for the ride. I'd always come back with battle wounds. But they're a great group of guys. All of us got on so well.'
Q: Who did you spend most of your time with on location in New Mexico?
A: 'Jeremy (Renner, Hawkeye) because (we share scenes) together a lot. We fight together, so we had to do a lot of our stunt training together. We had the same battle wounds! Tom (Hiddleston, Thor), Jeremy and I spent a lot of time in the stunt gym because we fight so much hand to hand, so we ended up hanging out together. But we all equally had a closeness.'
Q: What was the dynamic like with all of you?
A: 'We're all fans of each other's work. Some of us have worked together in the past. Chris Evans and I have made three movies together. Sam Jackson and I made three movies together. Mark Ruffalo I've known for quite some time. Every time Robert (Downey Jr.) was on set, it was like, so alive. We're just lucky that there was no diva on set. It was everybody trying to support one another. It was really nice to have that.'
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by NISSAN.
The action-filled movie role marked a big change for the actress, who's known more for low-key performances in films like Sofia Coppola's drama 'Lost in Translation' or Woody Allen's sly comedy 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona.'
But Johansson is in fighting form to reprise her role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, in Marvel Studios' 'The Avengers,' due in theaters Friday.
With her bright red hair and latex suit, the Black Widow teams up with Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor to stop the evil Loki from conquering Earth with his army.
Johansson sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, the fighting style she learned for her role and what it was like to master her character's native Russian language.
Q: Black Widow was introduced in 'Iron Man 2' but gets far more exposure in 'Avengers.' How did you expand the character?
A: 'At the end of 'Iron Man 2,' we know she's a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., but we don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is. In this film, (director) Joss Whedon and I talked about her past. Who is she? How does she get to be a mercenary? What path do you follow in order to get to that place? We both wanted to see the darker side of her - not just that she's someone who is highly skilled, but why did she have to learn those skills?'
Q: You're in top form physically on screen. What new fighting skills did you learn?
A: 'We incorporated this Wushu style (of fighting) when the Widow wields a huge alien gun. That was new and really challenging. I had to learn how to spin it and move it. It was hard because I'd hit myself with it all the time. And it's heavy. You learn (by using) a broom handle so you're like, 'Ah, I got it down, I've mastered it.' Then all of a sudden they're like, 'Here's the prop' and you're like, 'What? This thing is 20 lbs!' I was so terribly battered. I'd wake up every day in agony but it was a continuous thing, so it became normal (laughs).'
Q: Black Widow also speaks in her native Russian language, which you seemed to nail. Was it difficult to learn?
A: 'I had two days, so I had to learn it phonetically. I knew what I was saying but I had to be able to pronounce it and breathe some life into the lines so that it didn't sound like I was repeating some Berlitz tape. We hired this great Russian translator, and she worked with the dialogue coach. She was really expressive, which helped, so my mouth found the words in a way that didn't just sound like I was a parrot.'
Q: You often play with hair color in your movie roles. Did you enjoy being a redhead for the duration of the shoot?
A: 'It's nice because it allows me to go a bit under the radar - people don't expect me to have that color of hair. I'm always happy when I do it because it's the first step of the process of finding the character again. To me more than anything, the hair color represents a huge piece of work that we dive head first into. And I'm really happy when I can wash it out because then I'm like, 'Yes, It's finished, we actually did it!' Out it goes and you know you've accomplished something.'
Q: You're the only female Avenger in the cast. Did your male co-stars treat you any differently because of that?
A: 'If anything, the guys weren't as delicate with me as I thought they would be. They like to play hard and always dragged me along for the ride. I'd always come back with battle wounds. But they're a great group of guys. All of us got on so well.'
Q: Who did you spend most of your time with on location in New Mexico?
A: 'Jeremy (Renner, Hawkeye) because (we share scenes) together a lot. We fight together, so we had to do a lot of our stunt training together. We had the same battle wounds! Tom (Hiddleston, Thor), Jeremy and I spent a lot of time in the stunt gym because we fight so much hand to hand, so we ended up hanging out together. But we all equally had a closeness.'
Q: What was the dynamic like with all of you?
A: 'We're all fans of each other's work. Some of us have worked together in the past. Chris Evans and I have made three movies together. Sam Jackson and I made three movies together. Mark Ruffalo I've known for quite some time. Every time Robert (Downey Jr.) was on set, it was like, so alive. We're just lucky that there was no diva on set. It was everybody trying to support one another. It was really nice to have that.'
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by NISSAN.
"The Avengers" is a satisfying superhero sandwich
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Assembling a team of superheroes is no doubt like putting together an all-star cast - you've got to deal with a lot of clashing egos in a small space and make sure that everyone has his or her moment to shine. Writer-director Joss Whedon pulls off both in 'The Avengers,' an exhilarating ode to what mainstream comics do best.
In my childhood (and, admittedly, parts of my adulthood), I read the 'Avengers' comics because they were equally concerned with character interactions and the old biff-bam-pow. On one page, our heroes would be sitting around a meeting table needling each other about their differing methodologies, and on the next, they would assemble to beat back some threat from dastardly aliens.
That's the balance that Whedon has so brilliantly accomplished here, telling a story in which who these heroes are and how they deal with each other remains at the forefront, even when Manhattan is under assault from an interplanetary Big Bad. He gets the vibe and the delights of Marvel comic books in the same way that Spielberg and Lucas intuitively understood the appeal of serials in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' You don't have to be a comics fan to have a great time (although it sure couldn't hurt) but you may need a reminder of everything that's gone down in the previous Marvel movies.
Remember that powerful tesseract (Marvel readers know it as the Cosmic Cube) that played such a big part in 'Captain America: The First Avenger'? Now it resides in a SHIELD laboratory where astrophysicist Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård, reprising his role from 'Thor') is trying to unlock its secrets, under the watchful eye of the arrow-wielding Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), also known as Hawkeye. During a site visit from SHIELD chief Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Asgardian trickster Loki (Tom Hiddleston) shows up to steal the tesseract, enslaving Selvig and Barton in the process.
After the entire installation sinks into the earth (a moment reminiscent of the finale of Whedon's 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' TV series), Fury assembles the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, last seen kicking butt in black leather in 'Iron Man 2'), Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) - who's constantly worried that the Hulk (whom he refers to as 'the other guy') will manifest, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.).
It's an unwritten rule in the comics that heroes have to fight each other, usually over some misunderstanding, when they first meet, so when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Earth to stop Loki, he and Iron Man get into an impressive brawl. (The thunder god will later mix it up with Hulk in a more equitable match.) Despite their distrust of each other, and of the secrets that SHIELD is keeping from them, this group must somehow form a family, and these heroes are eventually compelled to join forces to stop Loki from using the tesseract as a portal for some very nasty would-be alien conquerors.
'The Avengers' doesn't immediately inspire confidence - the editing of the opening raid's eventual chase and shoot-out feels choppy and confusing, and the alien with whom Loki argues early in the film looks straight out of a low-budget kiddie show. But Whedon knows how to write an ensemble (just look at 'Buffy' and 'Firefly'), and when these larger-than-life characters start bouncing off one another, the witty repartee flies fast and furious, even in the midst of battle.
Whedon gets the big stuff right, too, from the conversion of an aircraft carrier to the enormous SHIELD flying fortress to the final battle, which originally feels like it's just going to be a coherent Michael Bay moment but winds up delivering the adrenaline while also driving the story and the characters. And while I wasn't crazy about the solo movies featuring the Hulk, Captain America, or Thor, all three characters felt revitalized in this group context.
In many ways, 'The Avengers' feels like the truest adaptation of the original comics to the motion picture screen. It doesn't mythologize or minimize or condescend or get lost in fanboy minutiae. Instead, it plays up the clash of personalities - and the simple act of acknowledging that superheroes can actually have personalities may be its boldest move - while never skimping on the popcorn thrills. It gives superhero movies, and even summer movies in general, a good name.
In my childhood (and, admittedly, parts of my adulthood), I read the 'Avengers' comics because they were equally concerned with character interactions and the old biff-bam-pow. On one page, our heroes would be sitting around a meeting table needling each other about their differing methodologies, and on the next, they would assemble to beat back some threat from dastardly aliens.
That's the balance that Whedon has so brilliantly accomplished here, telling a story in which who these heroes are and how they deal with each other remains at the forefront, even when Manhattan is under assault from an interplanetary Big Bad. He gets the vibe and the delights of Marvel comic books in the same way that Spielberg and Lucas intuitively understood the appeal of serials in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' You don't have to be a comics fan to have a great time (although it sure couldn't hurt) but you may need a reminder of everything that's gone down in the previous Marvel movies.
Remember that powerful tesseract (Marvel readers know it as the Cosmic Cube) that played such a big part in 'Captain America: The First Avenger'? Now it resides in a SHIELD laboratory where astrophysicist Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård, reprising his role from 'Thor') is trying to unlock its secrets, under the watchful eye of the arrow-wielding Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), also known as Hawkeye. During a site visit from SHIELD chief Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Asgardian trickster Loki (Tom Hiddleston) shows up to steal the tesseract, enslaving Selvig and Barton in the process.
After the entire installation sinks into the earth (a moment reminiscent of the finale of Whedon's 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' TV series), Fury assembles the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, last seen kicking butt in black leather in 'Iron Man 2'), Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) - who's constantly worried that the Hulk (whom he refers to as 'the other guy') will manifest, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.).
It's an unwritten rule in the comics that heroes have to fight each other, usually over some misunderstanding, when they first meet, so when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Earth to stop Loki, he and Iron Man get into an impressive brawl. (The thunder god will later mix it up with Hulk in a more equitable match.) Despite their distrust of each other, and of the secrets that SHIELD is keeping from them, this group must somehow form a family, and these heroes are eventually compelled to join forces to stop Loki from using the tesseract as a portal for some very nasty would-be alien conquerors.
'The Avengers' doesn't immediately inspire confidence - the editing of the opening raid's eventual chase and shoot-out feels choppy and confusing, and the alien with whom Loki argues early in the film looks straight out of a low-budget kiddie show. But Whedon knows how to write an ensemble (just look at 'Buffy' and 'Firefly'), and when these larger-than-life characters start bouncing off one another, the witty repartee flies fast and furious, even in the midst of battle.
Whedon gets the big stuff right, too, from the conversion of an aircraft carrier to the enormous SHIELD flying fortress to the final battle, which originally feels like it's just going to be a coherent Michael Bay moment but winds up delivering the adrenaline while also driving the story and the characters. And while I wasn't crazy about the solo movies featuring the Hulk, Captain America, or Thor, all three characters felt revitalized in this group context.
In many ways, 'The Avengers' feels like the truest adaptation of the original comics to the motion picture screen. It doesn't mythologize or minimize or condescend or get lost in fanboy minutiae. Instead, it plays up the clash of personalities - and the simple act of acknowledging that superheroes can actually have personalities may be its boldest move - while never skimping on the popcorn thrills. It gives superhero movies, and even summer movies in general, a good name.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Hollywood's summer of superheroes and sequels, again
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If the summer 2012 movie season were a film in its own right, there can be little doubt it would be a sequel - or a reboot - and in either case, it would likely feature a superhero.
Hollywood's summer season kicks off on Friday with the release of 'The Avengers' and as with recent years, the four-month period is dominated by superheroes, sequels and franchise reboots featuring epic battles between good and evil.
Sound like something audiences have seen before? It is, and for good reason in the minds of major studio executives.
With the summer season generating as much as 40 percent of the annual domestic box office, the pressure is on to lure core audiences of mostly young men to theaters, and superhero films, sequels and reboots most often do exactly that.
Movies based on characters and stories that are well-known, such as those in comic books ('The Avengers' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man'), or games ('Battleship'), film sequels ('Men in Black 3'), remakes ('Total Recall') and best-selling books ('What To Expect When You're Expecting') reach audiences of built-in fans that typically turn out in droves.
Book-to-film titles like 'The Hunger Games' and 'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax' already have helped push movie ticket sales up 14 percent this year to $3.3 billion. Theater attendance is up 17 percent giving box office watchers reason to think the summer will top last year's $4.4 billion in seasonal revenues.
'With the attendance increase, more moviegoers have been exposed to the trailers of the upcoming summer movies so there is more awareness,' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Then to have the gold standard of the superhero world on top of a new 'Men in Black,' 'Battleship' and a new Pixar movie among other things, we could be looking at the first $4.5 billion summer,' he added.
ACTION AND ALIENS
Summer kicks off with 'The Avengers' combining popular Marvel characters such as Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America among others into one adventure film that has so much pent-up demand box office watchers think its opening weekend sales could top $160 million in the United States and Canada.
Internationally, the film already has pulled in $178 million since opening last Wednesday in 39 markets.
'Everyone has been anticipating getting these popular superheroes in one particular place to see - first of all, how they'll get along, and second, what kind of force they become when they are one,' the film's Samuel L. Jackson told Reuters.
The studios hope 'Avengers' will set the tone for other comic book flicks to follow including 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (July 3), a franchise reboot with Andrew Garfield taking the crime fighter role from Tobey Maguire, and the third installment of director Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise, 'The Dark Knight Rises' (July 20th).
On May 25, for the first time in 15 years, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as secret Agent J and Agent K who track aliens living on Earth to make sure they don't get out of hand in 'Men in Black 3.'
'It's a good summer movie,' director Barry Sonnenfeld told Reuters. 'It's not overly deep. It's the Will Smith you want to see - he's funny and charming. Tommy Lee Jones is very dry. This time you can expect time travel (with Josh Brolin playing a young Agent K) and at the end, you understand much more about their relationship over the last 15 years.'
Aliens wreak havoc throughout the summer in films as 'Battleship,' (May 18) based on the board game of the same name, 'Prometheus' (June 8), Ridley Scott's is-it-or-isn't-it prequel to 'Alien,' and the comedy 'Neighborhood Watch' (July 27) starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill.
The fighting keeps going in sequels 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' (June 29) and 'The Expendables 2' (August 17).
And a double reboot, of sorts, takes place on August 3 when Colin Farrell takes over Arnold Schwarzenegger's role in 'Total Recall,' which opens alongside Jeremy Renner breathing new life into a non-Matt Damon 'Bourne' film, 'The Bourne Legacy.'
Even women get in on the action. Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron battle each other in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (June 1). Family-friendly Pixar joins the fray, too, introducing for the first time a female lead character - a young Scottish warrior - in the animated 'Brave' (June 22).
'It seems in the wake of the box office success of 'Twilight' and now 'The Hunger Games,' female audiences wants something with a little more bite to it,' said Dave Karger, movie writer for Entertainment Weekly magazine.
Still, traditional offerings aimed at women remain important for summer alternative programming, and this year sees the ensemble comedy 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' (May 18) starring Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez, romantic comedy 'Hope Springs' with Meryl Streep (August 10), and musical drama 'Sparkle' starring the late Whitney Houston and former 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks (August 17).
KIDS AND COMEDY
Family films also blanket the season, as is typical, because the studios expect air-conditioned theaters to lure moms, dads and kids on hot summer days. In addition to 'Brave,' there are several familiar characters embarking on new adventures in films such as 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' (June 8) and 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' (July 13).
Comedy always finds a place in summertime, too, with many big-name stars tickling fan funnybones. Johnny Depp reteams with long-time collaborator Tim Burton on 'Dark Shadows' (May 11), Sacha Baron Cohen introduces a new outrageous character with 'The Dictator' (May 16) and Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg team up for 'That's My Boy' (June 15).
Even politics, typically serious business, plays for laughs with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis starring as political rivals in 'The Campaign' (August 10) directed by Jay Roach.
'Politics has become so insanely rough, the political ads are so full of half-truths and manipulations, we thought it would be interesting to make a movie about the making of candidates,' Galafianakis told Reuters. 'Obviously we heightened it for comedic effect.'
Finally, on June 15, a film version of the smash Broadway musical 'Rock of Ages' debuts in theaters boasting a cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand rocking out to music from the '80s.
'It's the perfect musical for guys,' said director Adam Shankman, who also made 'Hairspray.' 'The music is all classic rock. It's literally the only musical in history that every straight man will know all the words to when they walk in.'
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Hollywood's summer season kicks off on Friday with the release of 'The Avengers' and as with recent years, the four-month period is dominated by superheroes, sequels and franchise reboots featuring epic battles between good and evil.
Sound like something audiences have seen before? It is, and for good reason in the minds of major studio executives.
With the summer season generating as much as 40 percent of the annual domestic box office, the pressure is on to lure core audiences of mostly young men to theaters, and superhero films, sequels and reboots most often do exactly that.
Movies based on characters and stories that are well-known, such as those in comic books ('The Avengers' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man'), or games ('Battleship'), film sequels ('Men in Black 3'), remakes ('Total Recall') and best-selling books ('What To Expect When You're Expecting') reach audiences of built-in fans that typically turn out in droves.
Book-to-film titles like 'The Hunger Games' and 'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax' already have helped push movie ticket sales up 14 percent this year to $3.3 billion. Theater attendance is up 17 percent giving box office watchers reason to think the summer will top last year's $4.4 billion in seasonal revenues.
'With the attendance increase, more moviegoers have been exposed to the trailers of the upcoming summer movies so there is more awareness,' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com.
'Then to have the gold standard of the superhero world on top of a new 'Men in Black,' 'Battleship' and a new Pixar movie among other things, we could be looking at the first $4.5 billion summer,' he added.
ACTION AND ALIENS
Summer kicks off with 'The Avengers' combining popular Marvel characters such as Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America among others into one adventure film that has so much pent-up demand box office watchers think its opening weekend sales could top $160 million in the United States and Canada.
Internationally, the film already has pulled in $178 million since opening last Wednesday in 39 markets.
'Everyone has been anticipating getting these popular superheroes in one particular place to see - first of all, how they'll get along, and second, what kind of force they become when they are one,' the film's Samuel L. Jackson told Reuters.
The studios hope 'Avengers' will set the tone for other comic book flicks to follow including 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (July 3), a franchise reboot with Andrew Garfield taking the crime fighter role from Tobey Maguire, and the third installment of director Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise, 'The Dark Knight Rises' (July 20th).
On May 25, for the first time in 15 years, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as secret Agent J and Agent K who track aliens living on Earth to make sure they don't get out of hand in 'Men in Black 3.'
'It's a good summer movie,' director Barry Sonnenfeld told Reuters. 'It's not overly deep. It's the Will Smith you want to see - he's funny and charming. Tommy Lee Jones is very dry. This time you can expect time travel (with Josh Brolin playing a young Agent K) and at the end, you understand much more about their relationship over the last 15 years.'
Aliens wreak havoc throughout the summer in films as 'Battleship,' (May 18) based on the board game of the same name, 'Prometheus' (June 8), Ridley Scott's is-it-or-isn't-it prequel to 'Alien,' and the comedy 'Neighborhood Watch' (July 27) starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill.
The fighting keeps going in sequels 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' (June 29) and 'The Expendables 2' (August 17).
And a double reboot, of sorts, takes place on August 3 when Colin Farrell takes over Arnold Schwarzenegger's role in 'Total Recall,' which opens alongside Jeremy Renner breathing new life into a non-Matt Damon 'Bourne' film, 'The Bourne Legacy.'
Even women get in on the action. Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron battle each other in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (June 1). Family-friendly Pixar joins the fray, too, introducing for the first time a female lead character - a young Scottish warrior - in the animated 'Brave' (June 22).
'It seems in the wake of the box office success of 'Twilight' and now 'The Hunger Games,' female audiences wants something with a little more bite to it,' said Dave Karger, movie writer for Entertainment Weekly magazine.
Still, traditional offerings aimed at women remain important for summer alternative programming, and this year sees the ensemble comedy 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' (May 18) starring Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez, romantic comedy 'Hope Springs' with Meryl Streep (August 10), and musical drama 'Sparkle' starring the late Whitney Houston and former 'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks (August 17).
KIDS AND COMEDY
Family films also blanket the season, as is typical, because the studios expect air-conditioned theaters to lure moms, dads and kids on hot summer days. In addition to 'Brave,' there are several familiar characters embarking on new adventures in films such as 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,' (June 8) and 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' (July 13).
Comedy always finds a place in summertime, too, with many big-name stars tickling fan funnybones. Johnny Depp reteams with long-time collaborator Tim Burton on 'Dark Shadows' (May 11), Sacha Baron Cohen introduces a new outrageous character with 'The Dictator' (May 16) and Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg team up for 'That's My Boy' (June 15).
Even politics, typically serious business, plays for laughs with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis starring as political rivals in 'The Campaign' (August 10) directed by Jay Roach.
'Politics has become so insanely rough, the political ads are so full of half-truths and manipulations, we thought it would be interesting to make a movie about the making of candidates,' Galafianakis told Reuters. 'Obviously we heightened it for comedic effect.'
Finally, on June 15, a film version of the smash Broadway musical 'Rock of Ages' debuts in theaters boasting a cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand rocking out to music from the '80s.
'It's the perfect musical for guys,' said director Adam Shankman, who also made 'Hairspray.' 'The music is all classic rock. It's literally the only musical in history that every straight man will know all the words to when they walk in.'
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)