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Hello, fellow moviegoers! Many people believe that the “Age of the Superhero Film” will be coming to an end sooner rather than later. Audiences have to grow tired of these big over-the-top comic-book films at some point, right? While that’s a discussion for another time, it starts an interesting conversation. What’s going to become the next “big thing”? It seems like the go-to answer as of late has been video game films. With Angry Birds coming out this weekend, Warcraft next month, and Assassin’s Creed this Christmas, there is definitely a possibility of that prediction coming true. If it is, how long will it be until Nintendo, arguably the most popular video game company, jumps back into the game? (Pun slightly intended) Nintendo has been silent in Hollywood since they released Super Mario Bros. in 1993. But if a recent report is to be believed, Nintendo is working on making a comeback with one of their biggest franchises, Pokémon. The interesting thing is that it could, for the first time, potentially be in live-action.  There are two obvious questions to ask when talking about a live-action Pokémon movie. First, would any major studio be willing to produce it, and secondly would a franchise like Pokémon even work in live-action? Both are good questions, and both have somewhat complex answers. Let’s start with the first. Would any studio be willing to finance and produce a live-action take on Pokémon? Contrary to what you may think, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, about a month ago there was a report that there were actually several studios in a bidding war over the property. It’s a bit of a reversal on that classic “Gotta catch ‘em all” catchphrase, with many studios all striving to catch one property. According to the Hollywood Reporter, there were three major studios actively pursuing the franchise. The frontrunner at the time was Legendary Entertainment, who was narrowly beating out Warner Bros. However, Sony Pictures was also interested in the film. The controversial thing is that Legendary Entertainment, a Chinese-owned company, is looking to take over one of Japan’s most popular franchises. The two countries haven’t always been the best of friends, and there has been “disagreements” about the film industry between these two nations in the past. One disagreement resulted in a three-year ban on Japanese films in China. However, if Legendary acquires these rights, it wouldn’t be their first major Japanese property. They also produced the new 2014 take on Godzilla and look to expand upon that film in Kong: Skull Island next year and Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020. The fact that three major studios were in a bidding war for the Pokémon franchise proves that a live-action Pokémon film is one that studios believe audiences want to see, but would it work? Personally, I believe the answer is no. The Pokémon franchise is one that is widely related to fantasy. We’ve all grown accustomed to seeing cartoon versions of all of these characters and creatures. Personally, I think there is a reason for that we haven't seen them in live-action yet. I can’t imagine these creatures translating out of animation well. Would you keep their cartoon designs or would you make them look more like animals that already exist in our world? Neither option seems like a solid one. That’s one of the reasons why I believe a live-action Pokémon film wouldn’t work. On paper, this film is a great idea, but sit down and imagine what that would actually be like. It would be weird, and not necessarily in a good way. If they do decide to make a new theatrically released Pokémon film, I believe it’d work much better as a 3-D animated feature. We’ve already seen that traditionally two-dimensional animated features can transfer very well over to the three-dimensional world. A great example of this is last year’s Peanuts movie. At first, it seemed a bit odd at first to see these characters fully fleshed out three dimensions. However, after a few minutes, the audience got used to it, and Charlie Brown and all his friends actually worked extremely well in that animation style. I believe the same could be true with Pokémon. Plus, they could keep the classic look of the characters and creatures, without it looking atrocious. For argument’s sake, let’s say they do decide to make a live-action version of Pokémon. There would undoubtedly be some major changes they’d have to make. First, they’d have to make the lead character, Ash Ketchum, a lot older. He’d have to at least be 18. Otherwise, it’d be unrealistic seeing him travel alone, fight the gang Team Rocket, and do all sorts of other things too dangerous for a 10-year-old. Also, they’d have to change the battle mechanics up a bit, add more of a reason for the fighting. If they don't they’ll have to tread very lightly. The accusation that Pokémon approves of animal cruelty is a bit of a joke now, but if it came off wrong in live-action, that argument would suddenly have much more ground to stand on.  So what do you think about the potential of a live-action Pokémon movie? Would you be interested in seeing it? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! Hello fellow moviegoers! So, we are all super excited about the new Star Wars movies coming out over the next few years. We know that Episodes VII, VIII, and IX are coming, and we know that we are getting new spin-off movies between them. But, we don't really know much about these films. There have definitely been plenty of rumors surrounding these spin-offs. Han Solo? Boba Fett? Yoda? Well, now we have another name to add to that mix. Director A.J. Edwards recently stated that he is in talks with Disney to helm one of these spin-offs, and that "It will focus on Mace Windu". There have been several sites out there running this as fact. But that is completely wrong. As of today, this is still just rumor. But let's talk about it as if it were true for a second.  At first I liked this idea more than most people, but that was because I actually thought Mace Windu was one of the good things about the prequels. Sam Jackson did a terrific job portraying him, and I was kind of disappointed when they killed him off. But that is just on the surface. As I started to think about it a little bit, I started to see just why it would not work.
They killed him off. I am not sure a lot of people would be open to the idea of bringing him back after that. If it took place before the prequels than that would turn even more people off. A prequel to a prequel? Come on. Plus, Sam Jackson isn't as young as he used to be. So if they did that, they would definitely have to recast. I am not too sure who I would cast as a younger Windu. Maybe Chadwick Boseman? Yes, I realize his name is thrown in the mix for basically every role like this, but that is because he is a terrific actor. He will most likely be to tied up with Black Panther though. So I am not quite sure who to cast. Or they could just not make this movie at all. That would be cool too. Seriously, think about it Disney. Almost nobody liked the prequels, and Mace Windu wasn't a very popular character (sorry Sam). You definitely do not want to go back to those movies, because most people didn't like them. You would immediately be dividing your audience, which is not a good idea. The only character I could see getting a spin-off from those movies is Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan. With a little better writing and character development, that is a movie I could look forward to. Do you think Mace Windu would make a good spin-off film? Or would you prefer someone else? Let me know by commenting on this post! Thanks for stopping by! Hello fellow moviegoers! I think it is safe to say that many of us assumed Joss Whedon would return for the third Avengers story, and finish his trilogy. According to Deadline, that may not be true. In fact, they state that the Russo Brothers may get the job. Let's assume for a second that this is true. Than I am excited! I absolutely loved what the Russos did with the recent 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier"! I am a little sad to see Whedon go though. I mean, look what he did with the first film, and the second one looks like it could be even better! Some people say that, it is because directors such as Joss Whedon, or Sam Raimi, while they are incredibly creative, can run out of juice after a couple of films. This is a perfectly valid point. If Marvel is really doing this, than it looks like they are trying to avoid getting a Spiderman 3. Which is admirable. But think about it. Do you really think Disney-Marvel would let something like Spiderman 3 happen. I have heard, that one of the reasons Spiderman 3 was so bad, was because there were too many studio executives trying to put things in the film that were unneeded. Disney-Marvel, yes is very controlling over what happens in their films, but that is just so it fits into their Cinematic Universe. I don't think Marvel would over-control a director like Whedon. Plus, I am sure Marvel has had this story planned for years before we knew about it. Whedon won't need as many creative juices that he usually does. Because so many parts are already moving towards this story. One reason that makes me believe this could be true though, is that Joss Whedon may be getting tired of Avengers films. These films have taken so much of his time in the passed few years, that I can't imagine him having much spare time for family, and friends. His social life could be struggling because of it. So, if Whedon does not want to come back for the next story, who are we to tell him no? He has definitely earned the right to back out of this universe if he wants. All we can do is thank him, and look forward to the Russo Brothers interpretation. Do you think that Whedon is returning for the next Avengers movies? Would you like to see the Russos take a shot at the Infinity War storyline? Let me know by commenting on this post! Thanks for stopping by!  Hello fellow moviegoers! Ever since WB started to really develop their new DC Cinematic Universe, people have been asking the question, "When will we see The Joker again?". We all assumed that we would have to wait until the next solo Batman flick to get him, but as it turns out, we may get him sooner that we thought! According to The Wrap, the script for 'Suicide Squad' has been re-written to include the character. Not only that, but reports are also stating that they are targeting, Academy Award winning actor Jared Leto to tackle the role. This has been met with a lot of controversy so I am going to tell you what I think...  Personally, if this is true, I will be thrilled! Jared Leto is an amazing actor! Not only that, but he could fit into the role perfectly! Honestly I am not sure why some people are freaking out as much as they are. I know that everybody is going to be comparing this to the Heath Ledger casting, but think about it, Heath was an Oscar nominated actor when he took the role. Leto however, is an Oscar winner! This guy really commits to every role he takes. So is there really any question to whether or not he would make a great Joker? I don't think so. I do have a couple problems with this though, not necessarily about the casting, but what the casting tells us. True, Jared Leto is the same age as Ben Affleck, but he doesn't look it. It could be a possibility that The Joker in this new DCCU will be far younger than Bats. Which I personally do not like. That would take away part of the relationship between this two characters. They are equals. Could you imagine a young, up-incoming Joker trying to take on Batman, when he has already been at it for 15-20 years? It just wouldn't make sense. Batman would win that battle in a heartbeat. Joker needs to be the same age, with the same amount of experience, and expertise as Batman. Otherwise he could come off as some rowdy kid. The other thing that worries me a little bit, is that they re-wrote the script for 'Suicide Squad' just to include Joker. I am concerned about this because sometimes when you shove a character in a movie he wasn't originally supposed to be in, it shows on screen. The last thing I want going through when watching this movie is "The Joker feels out of place". I could care less that he isn't a part of the original team, all I want is a movie that works. What do you think about this report? Do you think Leto would make a great Joker or not? Let me know by commenting on this post! Thanks for stopping by!  |
Kyle Kruse
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