The Adventures of Captain Otter

After the earlier article about the scariest villains, I thought a bit more about Venom.  Right now, there is a different Venom floating around.  He’s Mac Gargan, the former Scorpion.  He’s been an active member of the Thunderbolts, and is one of Osborn’s Dark Avengers.  I loved how Warren Ellis portrayed him as someone insecure with his status as a monster, and despite his fearsome (and cannibalistic) tendencies, he was almost afraid of the symbiote.  He’s now matured into a full blown villain, free of any possible moral restraints, and is devouring everythign coming his way.  But with this change, I find myself wanting something else.  Eddie Brock.

The former Venom host is very much alive, and is busting heads in a mini-series as Anti-Venom.  This is similar to his old Lethal Protector series, but with a bit more religious influence.  He’s alright, I guess.  The writing isn’t too stellar.  But no matter how well written this mini could be, I don’t think anything could top Venom as a villain.  He’s one of the best.  So I’m going to take a moment to think of how we can get back that experience, but in a natural way.

 The most obvious solution is to bring back Eddie himself as the main host.  I’m not a fan of this.  He’s had his character development, and has moved away from the darkness and villainy.  This was one of the most compelling parts of the character.  Despite all of his rage and hatred, he overcame that and is now trying to do good.  Of course, as a do gooder, he’s not quite as interesting.  Eddie probably should have died in some form of self sacrifice, to end on the highest possible note.  This is kind of what they did in the 90’s animated series, and I thought it was a great concept.  So, don’t bring back Eddie as “the” Venom.  Rather, I would say they might want to introduce a new host for Venom.  It doesn’t have to be a new character, just someone with a personal connection to Peter Parker.  Let Gargan go back to being the Scorpion after some kind of failure (ending of the Dark Reign would be nice timing), and introduce a new Venom more in line with Eddie’s vicious predator.  The last option is to see Mac Gargan deeply shamed by Spiderman in Dark Reign.  But this time, rather than lose the symbiote, he’s cut loose by Osborn and the higher ups, and goes on kind of a rampage.  I think either of the second two choices could work with a good writer, but alot of it depends on how Dark Reign ends.

This is part of why I now want to see a Venom movie.  Spiderman 3 left such a bitter after taste, where Venom was given a grand total of 5 seconds on camera.  And I never wanted to see a Lethal Protector movie.  But I do want to see the Eddie Brock we all know given proper treatment.  Even if we can’t get a classic Venom back in the comics right now, we could see a well done movie.  The movie could be awful, but I think it deserves a chance. 

Stan Lee has a twitter!  When I discovered this earlier today, I was blown away.  I don’t use twitter, and only check in on things to find movie updates.  Most of my friends don’t either, so I never saw the use.  Well, I just found one.  It’s Stan Lee!  Online!

 You’ll have to excuse my excitement.  It’s just that Stan is awesomeness incarnate.  He’s created Spiderman, the X-men, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange and probably any Marvel character you can think of.  In real life, he’s just so downright genuine and completely eccentric.  His twitter shows it.  Read the blog and you can’t help but smile for one reason or another.  Here are two of his more recent gems.”

“I learned that Anthony Hopkins’ll play Odin in the Thor movie! There goes my big chance! I’ll probably just carry a spear–if I can lift it!”

I know that someone, somewhere, entertained the possibility of Stan playing the Allfather.  Seeing as the creator of the Marvel U, it is somehow fitting.  I mean, it could never work, but that wouldn’t stop me from casting him anyway.

“I still want the Academy to award a “Best Cameo!” But I’d probably lose to the acorn chaser in “Ice Age!” Hell, I’d vote for him myself!” 

Dammit Stan, you really are the nicest person ever to live, arn’t you?

 This is just a bit more proof that Stan Lee is downright amazing.  If you don’t think so, you shouldn’t have the audacity to call yourself a comics fan.  Even if some of his older comics seem a bit dated, he redefined the industry and created more legendary characters than I can count.  Show your support and follow his twitter, eh?

Recently, Edward Norton has given us a bit of info on the Avengers.  Or, to be more accurate, a lack of info.  He still has no idea what the status of the Hulk is, and how that will fit into the bigger franchise.  They still havn’t talked to him yet, and the actor even speculated that Marvel doesn’t even know what’s going on with the Avengers.

I half agree with Norton.  I think that the movie isn’t 100% set in stone yet, which is why I believe they havn’t signed on all the cast yet.  That, and Marvel is still busy getting Captain America and Thor done.  They probably won’t put the last pieces together until those two movies are established.  Also, I think they have made progress on the movie, as we’ve heard from the comic book writers who have gotten together with the studio.  The movie still needs a ton of work, but it’s not coming out till 2012.  Marvel has at least a year before they have to get things moving, so this isn’t a problem.  Some fans on forums are taking this as a sign that the movie isn’t going forward as planned, or that something is wrong.  I think it’s just a sign that they arn’t a year ahead of schedule.

 We also have news of videogames for Thor and Captain America.  This is no surprise.  Any big action block buster is going to get a video game, and marvel has a contract with SEGA to make these games.  This is just a bit more extra confirmation that Marvel has things on track, and that the pieces are coming together.  I’m not overly excited for these two, since video games based on movies tend to suck.  The other fun news is that Marvel also secured rights for an Iron Fist game.  This is interesting.  Could Marvel be looking to make an Iron Fist movie?  He’s one of the first characters they should turn to after the Avengers, and I’ve always said would make a good movie.  Or, are they just trying to make a one-off video game?  I think some kind of Kung-Fu game would rock beyond belief.  What do you guys think?

Today we have three movie updates I want to talk about.  Some big, some not so big.  First up is Green Lantern.  We’ve heard lots of stories about budget problems, but the director  Martin Campbell seems to have things under control.  The relocation efforts are going well, and Campbell had a few things to say about the visual effects.  There are more than 1300 visual effects shots (whatever the hell that means) which is supposed to be a huge number.  Campbell also revealed that the shooting site wasn’t too important, since alot of the movie would be in outer space anyway.  That’s the fun part.  Hal Jordan’s earth-bound adventures were never too interesting.  Green Lantern isn’t a crime fighter like Batman, and should out patrolling the stars rather than fighting bank robbers.  That being said, I wouldn’t be upset if the final battle took place on Earth just to make it more personal.

We also have a bit of news on Sin City 2.  I have no idea why this movie hasn’t been started yet, and I’ve always been hearing how the movie is just about to get started.  Then we started hearing about some cast members were thinking of dropping out, and then how they want to stay on board.  Lots of drama.  Rumors are now saying production may start sometime next year, which would probably mean a late 2011 release when all is said and done.  I kind of doubt this.  I’m sure the primary source was completely honest when saying this, but this might just be misplaced optimism.  But do we want to a Sin City 2?  I have mixed feelings on the first movie.  It had a great sense of style, and a unique voice.  There was some amazing acting, and the movie was truly unlike anything else.  That’s what you get from a Frank Miller comic.  Then again, I wasn’t a fan on the three separate stories.  Just not my style.  I like a single, cohesive plot.  I applaud the creative team for breaking from the norm, but I know what I like.  I’m not sure what stories the second movie will be based on, since I’m sure alot has changed.  But I definitely think there is potential for an even better movie.  Sin City 2 could be great, but I’ll reserve my final say until I hear some real details.

The last update is the most unusual.  Mark Millar, a well known comic book writer, will be directing a superhero movie.  Millar has written big comics like Civil War and the Ultimates, and is the man behind the comics for Wanted and Kick-Ass.  Now, he’ll be behind the camera and filming his own project.  He isn’t willing to give us any details on what that project is, when it will be made, or anything of value.  For all we know, this movie could never happen.  Now, I’m not Mark Millar’s biggest fan, but he does know how to bring a cinematical quality to his work.  If any writer to make this transition, it would be him.  The movie has nothing to do with Wanted or Kick Ass, so it’s very much a mystery at this point.  We’ll just have to wait and see what the project is, and if it’ll even happen.  He does have to get funding secured, of course.  Gets you thinking though, doesn’t it?

In honor of Halloween, I’ve put together a list of who I think are some of the scariest heroes and villains.  There are plenty of other worthy candidates, but these are some of my favorites.  These are the guys who make me a bit nervous, even if the are just fictional characters.  At least, I hope they are….

Scarecrow

Outside of his costume, Dr. Crane would probably look harmless.  When he becomes the Scarecrow, that starts to change.  You have to admit, something is creepy about that image.  And then he busts out the fear toxins.  Your world starts to collapse, and your worst fears begins to emerge.  As hard as you try, the hallucinations refuse to go away, and left untreated you’ll descend into insanity.  And that’s the Scarecrow.

Venom and Carnage

These two make the list out of sheer intimidation.  The design of the two villains is bone chilling, and they look like monstrous alien killers.  I’ve never been the biggest Carnage fan, and always preferred the dark menace of Venom.  I always loved the idea that Venom was the only (or one of the only) villains who knew Spiderman’s alter ego and could strike whenever he felt.  There was a sense of constant tension, when you never knew when Venom could strike.  Imagine being hunted by that thing.  Even as an anti-hero, Venom was still brutal, and was probably nasty enough to scare 90% of New York out of crime.

Galactus

If done well, Galactus should be terrifying.  Something that powerful, that you can’t escape?   Galactus is more of a natural disaster than a villain, and the feeling of being unable to escape creates a sense of hopelessness.  Nothing you do will stop this guy.  Nothing.  Unless you happen to have the Ultimate Nullifier, but if you do, then you don’t have too much to be afraid of now do you?

 Ghost Rider

The dude has a flaming skull for a head.  That should be enough to get him a spot on this list.  He may be a “hero”, but his powers and need for vengeance are a bit unnerving.  If you see Ghost Rider, you run.  Even if you’re a good guy.

 The Joker

Even though he’s dressed up as a clown, the Joker is the scariest villain I can imagine.  He has no powers, but few villains have wrecked as much havoc or caused as much personal anguish.  He’s brutally murdered Jason Todd, the second Robin, paralyzed poor Barbara Gordon, and killed almost anyone who’s crossed his path.  He’s unpredictable, random, vicious, and the embodiment of chaos.  Allen Moore’s Killing Joke is masterful insight into what makes the Joker tick, and shows the Clown Prince of Crime commit unspeakable acts of evil.  The scariest part?  That maybe all of us are just one bad day away from becoming like him.

We have some big casting news.  Several sources are posting that legendary actor Anthony Hopkins will be playing Thor’s father, the lord of Asgard himself, Odin.  While the rumors that DeNiro and Law would be in the movie are being debunked it seems (they were never too substantial anyway), this appears to be the real deal.  This is kind of weird, because I thought that Brian Blessed had the role, but I always thought it was weird that there was no confirmation on that.  And this leads to even more speculation as to whom Stellan Skargard is playing.  But still, Hopkins is Odin.

Honestly, this is a fantastic choice.  Hopkins is nothing short of a brilliant performer, and can’t you see him playing the wizened old father?  I can definitely imagine the classical Welsh actor laying down the law and being able to discipline his young, upstart son.  Because when Anthony Hopkins talks, you f*&#@ listen.  He also adds a bit of extra credibility to the movie, which is always good with a relative unknown as the main character.  While I think there are alot of actors who could play the role, Hopkins certainly stands out as a great choice.  You have no reason to complain about this.

There are even more rumors about the comic book adaptation.  Thor might be filmed in New Mexico.  It is possible that they are just building sets here, and the fact it’s in New Mexico doesn’t mean anything.  However, it is possible that part of the movie takes place somewhere in Mid/Southwest.  We know Thor is going to be banished to Earth, and some of the casting calls have suggested that the movie will take place in a small town.  The current comic books brought the God of Thunder to Oklahoma, so they might be drawing some influence from there.  The only problem is: what is there in New Mexico?  Once Thor comes to Earth, what does he do?  I guess this problem applies to wherever Thor may go, but I think it would be more fun to see Thor fight a battle in the middle of sprawling metropolis.  It would offer a higher contrast to the battles in Asgard, and we would get to see villains thrown through buildings.  I guess we’ll have to see how this one plays out.

Ah, Lobo.  What an unusual character.  The alien-mercenary enjoys nothing more than mindless violence and intoxication of all kinds.  Somehow, the character is lined up to get movie treatment from director Guy Ritchie, with production starting early next year.  In fact, a recent rumor suggests that Clancy Brown is being considered for the part.  Brown is known for parts in movies like Highlander and the Shawshank Redemption, but you might recognize him as the voice of Lex Luthor.  The guy certainly doesn’t have a big name, but neither did Ron Perlman and he nailed Hellboy.  So even though Superman can’t get a reboot and Wonder Woman and the Flash are still stuck in development hell, Lobo has an A list director and is fully underway.  Kind of funny, methinks.

But back to the title of the article.  Should Lobo get an R-rating?  Right now the studio is hoping for a PG-13, which means a much wider audience.  A PG-13 movie means that the violence and language would be toned down, and that the movie (if done well), would do better at the box offices.  Even good R-rated movies only perform so well, and a PG-13 movie would have a higher upper limit of box office success.  But hey, it’s a superhero movie and these movies should be made PG-13 so they can make as much money and be as successful as possible, right?

Wrong.  Here’s the thing.  PG-13 movies have potential to make more money if they’re good.  IF.  Some characters and genres just don’t work in PG-13, and the movie does horribly.  Could you imagine a PG-13 version of 300?  It would have been awful without all the glorious decapitations.  Instead, it went for the R and become a massive success.  Lobo is one of those characters that you need an R-rating for.  If you’re going to stay loyal to the source material (which you have to), then he has to kill scores of enemies and get messed up in every sense of the word.  Whenever comic book characters depart from the source material, things tend to go bad.  Case in point: Ghost Rider.  A movie that should have been borderline-R or at least a a bit more intense felt more like Spiderman on a motorcycle.  Same goes for the Punisher’s first outing with Thomas Jane.  You can’t have a Lobo movie without lots of violence and general brutality.  If you tone the gritiness of the movie down, or get rid of it, then you lose the soul of the character.  Once you lose that essence, you have a crap movie.

So I will admit that Lobo might need to tone down some of the profanity and excess.  We need some people to go watch this thing.  Punisher: Warzone was so over the top that no one went to see it.  But with an edgy director like Guy Ritchie, I’m confident that they can produce are a hardcore movie with a sense of charm.  That’s what the man does.  He makes moves about pig feeding gangsters and gypsies who knock the living snot out of people.  Cmon Warners, man up and go for the R.

Sorry for the lack of recent posts.  I’ve been busy playing Arkham Asylum and finding every last riddle, so my time has been taken up (that, and I’ve been ridiculously sick for the past week.  mainly the sick part).  But, I have beaten Arkham Asylum, and I know I’m not the only one who wants more.  With a character like Batman, you have a never ending source of stories and settings.  So where do we want to see Batman go to next?  The game did set up possible tangos with Two-Face, the Riddler, and Ra’s Al Ghul.  And we still have Bane, Scarecrow and Killer Croc roaming around.  Here are a few possibilities.

Gotham City

-Stick Bruce right in the middle of Gotham.  They could change up the gameplay, incoropating more of the Batmobile and less sneaking.  Still, I think they can easily create a game environment with the same chances for the invisible predator mode.  A big part of the game would be infiltrating enemy buildings from the outside, taking out sentries and getting rid of security and power.  I think a GTA sandbox style game would be too much, but a big environment with lots of opportunities sounds like a good Batman game.

They could use the Joker again as the villain, since he always works.  They could decide to use Two Face, who is a huge Batman villain that wasn’t featured in the last game.  The ending of Arkham Asylum included Two Face robbing a bank, so they could directly jump off from there.  They could also throw in other criminals like the Penguin or Black Mask for other new villains, or even Catwoman.

Batman could fight the mob, with some good old fashion Long Haloween or Batman Year one style escapades.  I expect Al Pacino as a boss if this is the case. 

Ra’s Al Ghul and Mass Destruction

-This would make for a very different game, but a game against Ra’s Al Ghul could be for alot of fun.  Chase Ra’s across the globe as he unleashes a plot to cleanse humanity.  Ra’s is one of Batman’s greatest foes, and they share a personal connection to boot.  The occasional castle of fortress is always interesting, and this would allow the designed to incorporate a wide variety of enivorments and enemies.  Not to mention ninjas.  Lots and lots of ninjas.

More Arkham Asylum?

-Another option would be to keep the game set in Arkham.  It did serve as an amazing location, and we can expect plenty more secrets inside the nefarious establishment.  Although I’m sure they could make another great game in Arkham, I think they should try to explore the rest of the city.  Now that they have the core mechanics down, they can work on making the game itself bigger.  There are still plenty of villains that they could throw in, and they can easily pick and choose the most appropriate of the bunch.  No matter what, I demand another game.  The designers can’t give us such a gorgeous, perfect game and not give us a sequel.  It doesn’t work that way.  That’s economics.

After months of waiting, I finally got my hands on Batman: Arkham Asylum.  And damn, was it worth the wait.  It’s probably the best game I’ve played this year, and the fact that it has Batman in it is simply icing on the cake.  Most games we see based of comic book characters are tied to movies, and that usually doesn’t work out so well.  Arkham Asylum was given all the resources of a normal video game, and not one thrown together before a movie.  Combined with flawless voice acting and a top notch story written by frequent Batman scribe Paul Dini, you have a gaming experience that shouldn’t be missed.

The gameplay itself was close to perfect.  There are three ways of proving you can be the Dark Knight: the freeflow combat system, invisible predator mode, and detective mode.  The detective part of the game is probably the weakest.  You get to use alot of fancy tech, but you don’t “solve” to many problems.  It’s still fun, and it definitely gives a full Batman experience.  And of course you can’t have a Batman game without lots of beatings.  The combat system is tons of fun, and certainly looks gorgeous.  It’s worth getting the game just to watch Batman in action.  And then there is my favorite aspect the of the game, the invisible predator mode.  Here, you get to prey on a group of unsuspecting psychopaths, and use all your gadgets and cunning to take them down one by one.  Only a Batman game can combine all these styles into one experience.  Think Metal Gear Solid meets Bioshock meets God of War.

The story itself is solid.  For a videogame, it’s one of the best, but leaves a tiny bit to be desired.  The beginning of the game has a great sense of mystery, and by the final boss battles the game has devolved into “go here, do this, done”.  It felt like I was just going through the motions from one fight to another, rather than working my way through the story like in the first half.  The game does explore Batman’s psyche and inner torment, but if you’ve read comics or seen The Dark Knight you’ll know that they could have done a bit more.

As for the voice acting, you couldn’t ask for more.  Mark Hamill (yes, that Mark Hamill) and Kevin Conroy reprise their roles from the animated series, and have only refined their talents.  Half the fun of the game is listening to the Joker’s taunts.  He’s just that good.  The general design of the game is amazing, and you certainly feel like you’re in Arkham Asylum.  If you like video games, then you should buy this game because it’s just so much fun.  If you don’t play too many games, but love Batman, check it out just for experience.  Crank the difficulty down to easy, enjoy solving the Riddler’s clues, and live out your dream of being the Dark Knight.  If you’re reading this blog, you have no excuse not to play.

When Chris Hemsworth was announced to play Thor, I was thrilled.  He wasn’t some huge superstar, but felt right for the role.  Marvel then chose another up and coming actor to play his archvillain Loki, who would have a huge part to play in the movie.  I figured that when they got Natalie Portman to play Jane Foster, that would be their “star power”.  She could bring people in, and the rest of the minor roles would be filled out by respectable actors who could do their parts well.  After all, you don’t need A-listers to play Heimdall or the Warriors Three, so I figured any other casting rumors would be small and cool, but nothing major.  This trend was confirmed with the casting of Jamie Alexander and Colm Feore, and I thought I had made a good call.  Apparently not.

 The newest rumor?  Jude Law and Robert DeNiro have joined up.

 WHAT?!?!!?!

How are there this many parts left for people to take?  I don’t know how many more characters this movie could use, or how this happened.  The rumor was revealed in an interview with Matthias Schweighöfer, who is auditioning for a part himself.  He says Law and DeNiro have already been cast, but is not revealing who they will be playing.  I’m not sure how reliable this rumor is, or how much this guy knows, but we can at least consider it.  I think Law must be playing Balder the Brave.  Balder is an important part of the mythos, and if there are more movies he will certainly have a substantial part.  In the comics right now, Balder is leading the Asgardians while Thor is exiled.  Law would actually be a great choice for the character, and I can’t imagine him playing anyone else at this point.  Although if Loki’s part wasn’t taken, I would have assumed he would be playing the God of Deceit.  The weird part is Robert DeNiro.  I have no idea who he could play.  Odin seems to be filled already (I think, at least), and that is the only role I could imagine him playing.  DeNiro would have to play an aged, venerable character with ancient knowledge.  Sounds alot like Odin.  Unless they want him as a human of some kind, I’m downright confused.

Still, having such well known actors is only going to give this movie more buzz and bigger number box office numbers.  A movie with Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Robert Deniro is going to catch people’s attention, although I would like nothing more than to see Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston to dominate the movie as the two main characters.