Friday, July 26, 2013

9 things wrong with 47 ronin

The Top 9 Things Wrong With the '47 Ronin' Trailer

By | Movie Talk – Thu, Jul 25, 2013 3:12 PM EDT
Keanu Reeves channels his inner samurai in the upcoming film "47 Ronin." (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
The trailer for "47 Ronin" has been released, and it's what the film itself has been reported to be for almost the past year: a misguided, derivative, very expensive mess.
The samurai epic marks Keanu Reeves' first big-budget genre film in eight years, following 2003's one-two punch of "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions," and 2005's so-so graphic novel adaptation, "Constantine."
While the prospect of seeing the man who was once The One starring in a fantastical adaptation of one of Japan's most famous samurai tales certainly sounds ... well, interesting, anyway, "47 Ronin" has unfortunately gained a reputation as a "troubled production." And one that cost a lot of money. There were rumors last fall that the film was almost $50 million over budget, though Universal — which has become even more cost-conscious following the financial disaster of last summer's "Battleship" — insists that it's been holding steady with its original $175 million price tag. However, even if the movie isn't technically breaking the bank, it's certainly suffering from some internal creative differences.
Watch the '47 Ronin' Theatrical Trailer:
First-time feature director Carl Rinsch, whose claim to fame is being the unofficial protege of "Alien" and "Blade Runner" maestro Ridley Scott, was pulled from the post-production process, according to The Wrap. The final product was apparently seen through by Universal's co-chairwoman, Donna Langley, and — if the trailer is any indication — seizing control from the perhaps too-inexperienced director didn't really help matters much.
"47 Ronin" tells the tale of a banished half-breed named Kai (Keanu Reeves) who teams up with a group of 47 leaderless samurai ('ronin') seeking vengeance against the evil warlord who killed their master, a quest that pits them against "mythic beasts, shape-shifting witchcraft and wondrous terrors." The trailer more or less gets that across, though it also showcases a film that looks to have one heck of an identity crisis — and one that might be too hopelessly derivative of several stellar and even less-than-stellar genre movies.
Here is a list of gripes, based on our first look at the film:
1. It Looks Like 'The Matrix'

In "47 Ronin," Keanu Reeves plays a software programmer, er, half-breed outcast who is freed from slavery to lead a revolution against oppressive forces. He even at one point says "If we do this, there is no coming back," which means we guess they all take the red pill. There's also at least two scenes in which Reeves and his opponent counter-circle each other, facing off like he and Agent Smith did before engaging in epic battle. "Your life belongs to us," says one of those opponents. Um, any sign of the good ship Nebuchadnezzar anywhere?

2. It Looks Like 'Star Wars'

True, a lot of epic fantastical action-adventures look and sound a lot like "Star Wars." But Kai in particular has a lot of Luke Skywalker going on, especially in the early part of his hero's journey when he perhaps was a bit too cocky and green before taking on such an enemy as Darth Vader. "I'm not afraid of you," says Kai to one of his opponents, to which she responds "You should be" (ugh) before transforming into a giant CGI snake-dragon thing. Is she going to bite off his hand and reveal that she's really his mother?
3. It Looks Like 'The Last Samurai'

"The Last Samurai" is that samurai movie with Tom Cruise, in case you had forgotten (and some of you probably had). Like Cruise's Nathan Algen, Reeves's Kai is a white man in Japan, an A-list (well, A-list-ish, anyway) Hollywood movie star amongst a mostly Asian cast. Cruise and Reeves even kinda-sorta have the same hair style — long and unkempt and perfect for dramatic swooshing about during fight scenes.

4. It Looks Like 'The Magnificent Seven,' er, 'Seven Samurai,' er, 'The Magnificent Seven' ...

Who's zoomin' who, here, exactly? "47 Ronin" brings a fantasy element to the 18th century legend it's based on as Kai joins a group of wandering ronin in their quest for revenge against marauding forces that have enslaved their lands ... "The Magnificent Forty-Seven," if you will. "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) was a western about a group of ragtag gunslingers hired to protect a small town from marauding forces ... which was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (1954), the story of a group of ragtag ronin hired to protect a village from marauding forces. The circle of life!
5. It Looks Like 'John Carter'

Okay, admittedly, this writer kinda liked "John Carter." But "I liked this movie" and "It's a good movie" can be two very different things. "47 Ronin" looks like it could be Universal's "John Carter," with lots of random CGI beasties traversing a fantastical landscape as some hero embarks on some hero's journey. And, like Disney's would-be blockbuster, it's crazy expensive ... and getting it to break even at the box office might be quite the daunting task.

6. It Looks Like 'Mortal Kombat'

The CGI beasties in "John Carter" at least looked good. The CGI beasties in "47 Ronin" look baaaaad. Really, the various creatures look like they belong in a Syfy movie, and without the sense of endearment that usually comes with anything that airs on that effortlessly likable, B-movie-celebrating network. The special effects recall the really, really awful CG work in Paul W.S. Anderson's big-screen adaptation of "Mortal Kombat," and that had the excuse of being made in 1995 (and for, like, ten bucks).
7. It Looks (Sounds) Like 'Dungeons & Dragons'

Yes, the 2000 version of "Dungeons & Dragons" had bad special effects as well, but it was more distinctive for its truly horrendous dialogue, filled with bizarre histrionics and groan-inducing cliches. In "47 Ronin," a villainous lady exclaims "Mountains of corpses will not stand in our way!" ... which might remind one of Jeremy Irons's "I could use every ounce of your rage!" Oh boy.

8. It Looks Like 'The Man With the Iron Fists'

RZA's recent martial arts film attempted to blend a mishmash of genre styles with a cool modern-day sensibility, which resulted in pretty much visual and thematic chaos. "47 Ronin" looks to be attempting to bring a slick, contemporary-minded aesthetic (and "attitude") to an age-old chestnut, and the result is a film that appears to be ... well, kind of uncomfortable with itself. Did Rinsch really drop the ball when it came to steering the course of this ambitious project, or is it a result of just too many cooks in the kitchen?
9. It Looks Like 'Constantine'

Sure, "47 Ronin" has some similarities that other Reeves movie, "The Matrix," but there's yet another, less successful film starring the 48-year-old actor that "Ronin" looks even more like: "Constantine," which definitely had some good things going for it but ultimately didn't quite work ... perhaps because of Reeves. We buy Reeves as Neo (boy do we ever), but something didn't ring true with his portrayal of a man who's been to hell and back. And as much as you want to like him in the role, Reeves just seems oddly out of place in "47 Ronin," even though the film is so obviously designed to be a star vehicle for him. Maybe he should just do "Bill and Ted 3" and call it a day?
"47 Ronin" hits theaters on December 25. Heck, even the tagline is confused: "This Christmas, Seize Eternity." Huh? Uh ... why?
Keanu Reeves stars in Universal Pictures' "47 Ronin" - 2013
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Yahoo! Movies
Thu, Jul 25, 2013 4:00 PM EDT
 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Superman and Batman face off in 2015

Batman Set to Face Off Against Superman for ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel in 2015

By | Movie Talk – 8 hours ago
Henry Cavill's Superman will team up with Batman in 2015Henry Cavill's Superman will team up with Batman in 2015 (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
UPDATE: Director Zack Snyder officially announced that Batman will indeed appear in his follow-up to "Man of Steel." He said in a statement, "I'm so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can't wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter.  Let’s face it, it's beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world."

At the panel a logo for the movie was revealed that combines Superman's "S" shield (yes, we know it's not an "S") with the Bat-symbol, which notably looked different than the one in Christopher Nolan's trilogy. They also used a quote from Frank Miller's groundbreaking graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" where Batman and Superman engage in a fight to the finish. In it, Batman says, "I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you." Apparently, the new movie won't be a straight adaptation of that comic book but will use elements of the Batman/Superman rivalry from the text. In addition to Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will return, but Batman has yet to be cast.
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Superman took flight again this summer in "Man of Steel," which has so far taken in over $280 million in the US and over $620 million worldwide, making it the #2 movie at the box office for 2013 ("Iron Man 3" sits securely at the top spot). Naturally, Henry Cavill is set to step into the character's red boots again, but at the Comic-Con today, there was surprising news that he'll be joined by another caped superhero.
Batman will team up with Superman in the next movie, The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times confirmed Saturday morning. "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer (who also worked on "The Dark Knight" series) will return for the film expected to be released in 2015. Christian Bale, however, is not expected to return as the Caped Crusader.
There was speculation that Warner Bros. would follow "Man of Steel" with a "Justice League" movie that would bring together all of the major heroes from the DC Comics world, including Wonder Woman, but that has been pushed back. Instead, they will follow the Superman/Batman team up with a movie for the super-speedy hero The Flash in 2016, and follow with "Justice League" in 2017.
See Photos of Superman Then and Now:
SUPERMAN'S SUIT
One has red shorts. The other does not. Because, apparently, in 2013, we just can't take the red shorts seriously any more … at least according to Zack Snyder. Let's just say that ... more 
SUPERMAN'S SUIT
One has red shorts. The other does not. Because, apparently, in 2013, we just can't take the red shorts seriously any more … at least according to Zack Snyder. Let's just say that while we probably won't miss them, we also wouldn't have minded if they had been there just for, you know, the sake of tradition. less 
1 / 10
Yahoo! Movies | Photo By Everett / Warner Bros.
Fri, Jun 7, 2013 5:00 PM EDT
[Related: Andrew Garfield Calls 'Spider-Man' Co-star's Departure 'A Bummer']This will be the first time the two biggest names in DC Comics will share the big screen, but it almost happened once before over a decade ago. After the embarrassing "Batman & Robin" in 1997, several reboots of the Caped Crusader were proposed, including "Batman vs. Superman." Director Wolfgang Petersen ("Air Force One") was attached to a script by "Seven" screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker that would have pitted the two against each other, but that project was eventually scrapped for Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins."
Batman and Superman, who partnered up in the comics under the title "World's Finest," will have another superhero team to watch out for when they hit the screen. Marvel's "The Avengers 2" has already been announced to open that same year on May 1, 2015.
Who do you think should be the next Batman? Tell us below in the comments.
Watch Henry Cavil talk to Yahoo! Movies about 'Man of Steel':

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Man accidentally becomes world's wealthest through paypal lol

PayPal accidentally credits man $92 quadrillion

Chris Reynolds' PayPal account was erroneously credited $92,233,720,368,547,800.
Chris Reynolds' PayPal account was erroneously credited $92,233,720,368,547,800.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Pennsylvania man gets a PayPal statement saying his account contains $92,233,720,368,547,800
  • Man, Chris Reynolds, later logs online to find his balance is actually $0
  • PayPal admits the error and offers to make donation to charity
  • Reynolds says he would have paid down the national debt
New York (CNN) -- When Chris Reynolds opened his June PayPal e-mail statement, something was off.
The Pennsylvania PR executive's account balance had swelled to a whopping $92,233,720,368,547,800.
That's $92 QUADRILLION (and change).
Money that would make Reynolds -- who also sells auto parts on eBay in his spare time -- the richest man in the world by a long shot.
Rich, as in more than a million times richer than Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim. And he's worth $67 billion.
Oh, if only.
"It's a curious thing. I don't know, maybe someone was having fun," Reynolds said.
So he logged online, and reality bit back. His account balance read $0. The correct amount.
PayPal admitted the error and offered to donate an unspecified amount of money to a cause of Reynolds' choice.
"This is obviously an error and we appreciate that Mr. Reynolds understood this was the case," PayPal said in a statement.
Before this incident, the most Reynolds ever made on PayPal was "a little over $1,000" selling a set of vintage BMW tires on eBay.
So what would the would-be quadrillionaire have done with all that cash?
"I probably would have paid down the national debt," he said.
CNN's Erinn Cawthon and Jesse Solomon contributed to this report.

Downey tops forbes actors list

Robert Downey Jr. Tops Forbes' List Of Highest-Paid Actors

Iron Man 1
Robert Downey Jr. can thank his hefty "Iron Man" paycheck for helping him get to the top of Forbes' list.
Forbes has named Robert Downey Jr. the highest-paid actor of the past year . That shouldn't come as a shock considering the superhero actor just came off two huge hits, "Iron Man 3" and last year's "The Avengers."
Combined, both films generated $2.7 billion — with a B — at the box office worldwide.
Downey Jr. was the highest-paid star of "The Avengers" with a large $50 million paycheck.
Disney just renegotiated his contract to appear in the next two "Avengers" sequels — and it's not difficult to see why. No one else could play Tony Stark.
According to Forbes, the actor is worth $75 million from June 2012-2013.
Noticeably missing from the top list is Christian Bale, who's final Batman installment brought in a big $1 billion last year.
Here are a look at the other men who made the list this year.
2. Channing Tatum: $60 million
magic-mike-channing-tatum
No surprise here.
The once hip-hop star of "Step Up," was in three huge movies last year including "Magic Mike" and "21 Jump Street."
"Magic Mike" was a huge box-office win earning $167 million worldwide. The film cost Warner Bros. $7 million to make. Both films already have sequels in the works.
3. Hugh Jackman: $55 million
les miserables hugh jackman
Last year's Oscar-nominated "Les Miserables" earned more than $437 million worldwide.
Jackman returns to theaters at the end of the month as the Wolverine.
4. Mark Wahlberg: $52 million
Ted movie
Universal

Wahlberg starred in "Ted" which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy.
Next up, he'll be in the next "Transformers" film due out next year.
5. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: $46 million
journey 2 the rock dwayne johnson
Warner Bros.

With so many other big actors gaining attention, it may have been easy for The Rock to quietly pass by unnoticed.
However, the one-time wrestler has had a bunch of box-office hits in the past year including "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," "Pain and Gain" (with Wahlberg), and Universal's "Fast & Furious 6."
He's currently working on his next big film, "Hercules."
6. Leonardo DiCaprio: $39 million
the great gatsby leonardo dicaprio
Who would have thought "The Great Gatsby" would be bigger than "Pacific Rim"?
The latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's prized novel surprised at theaters bringing in a big first weekend with $50 million.
Now, the Baz Luhrmann film has earned $327 million to date.
7. Adam Sandler: $37 million
adam sandler grown ups 2
Tracy Bennett / Sony, Columbia Pictures

Disregarding Sandler's dud "That's My Boy," the comedian put out successful animated film "Hotel Transylvania" which earned $347 million worldwide.
His latest film, "Grown Ups 2" also made a splash at theaters opening weekend with $42.5 million.
8. Tom Cruise:  $35 million
jack reacher
Paramount screencap

Despite "Jack Reacher" not taking off in the states, Cruise is still a big win overseas. The film earned more than $136 million at the foreign box office.
9. Denzel Washington: $33 million
denzel washington flight
Universal

Washington was in last year's Oscar-nominated film "Flight" which made just under $162 million worldwide.
10. Liam Neeson: $32 million
taken 2 liam neeson
Fox screencap
Everyone's favorite father-on-a-mission to save his kidnapped family members returned to the big screen last October in "Taken 2." The film earned  a massive $376 million on an estimated $45 million budget.
Fox already announced "Taken 3" with the actor set to receive $20 million to reprise his role.


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