Who Won the Summer Superhero Title?

Summer is coming to an end and it is time to look back and decide who won the superhero crown of summer 2017. In my opinion, there are 3 strong contenders. Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (GotG2), and of course, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Wonder Woman was a great movie. As a father, I love the message it had for girls. She was beautiful and powerful. She was the master of her own destiny. Besides the message, DC delivered a superhero movie that was as good as any MCU film. One of the reasons I liked it so much was that it was not just a copy of a Marvel movie. It was an original story that included her origins, but did not only dwell there.

Spider-Man: Homecoming was my second favorite Spider-man film of all time. I actually liked parts of it better than Spider-Man 2. It choose not to rehash Spider-Man's origin, but instead, accept the fact that most of us know it.

GotG2 was a fun ride to take again. It did a wonderful job of recapturing most of the magic of the first one. The film picked up at the end of the other one and moved the story forward. The chemistry has only gotten stronger between this cast.

The crown ultimately goes to Wonder Woman, but just barely. All three of these movies were great.   

Movies for 2017

Here are a few of the movies that look interesting this year. I pulled my list from a website called firstshowing.net. I would encourage you to follow this link for a full list of the movies scheduled for 2017.

The top three movies coming out in 2017 that I am anticipating are Star Wars: Episode VIII, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman. There are many other movies I am very excited for, as well, including: Logan, Cars 3, Pirates, Spider-Man, Justice League, and others. The lead into summer looks packed and it continues until mid-July. I hope you enjoy my list of 2017 movies. Which ones can you not wait to see? Please comment below.

Release dates are subject to change.

JANUARY 2017 
January 6 (Friday)

Hidden Figures
A Monster Calls
Underworld: Blood Wars

January 13 (Friday)
Monster Trucks

January 20 (Friday)
Split
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

January 27 (Friday)
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

FEBRUARY 2017
February 3 (Friday)
Rings
The Space Between Us

February 10 (Friday)
John Wick: Chapter Two
The LEGO Batman Movie

MARCH 2017
March 3 (Friday)
Logan

March 10 (Friday)
Kong: Skull Island

March 17 (Friday)
Beauty and the Beast

March 24 (Friday)
CHiPs
Power Rangers

March 31 (Friday)
Ghost in the Shell

APRIL 2017
April 7 (Friday)
Smurfs: The Lost Village

April 14 (Friday)
The Fate of the Furious

Summer 2017

MAY 2017
May 5 (Friday)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

May 12 (Friday)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

May 19 (Friday)
Alien: Covenant
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
The Nut Job 2

May 26 (Friday)
Baywatch
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

JUNE 2017
June 2 (Friday)
Captain Underpants
Wonder Woman

June 9 (Friday)
The Mummy
World War Z 2

June 16 (Friday)
Pixar's Cars 3

June 23 (Friday)
Transformers: The Last Knight

June 30 (Friday)
Despicable Me 3

JULY 2017
July 7 (Friday)
Spider-Man: Homecoming

July 14 (Friday)
War for the Planet of the Apes

AUGUST 2017
August 4 (Friday)
The Emoji Movie

SEPTEMBER 2017
September 8 (Friday)
It

September 22 (Friday)
Ninjago

September 29 (Friday)
Flatliners

OCTOBER 2017
October 6 (Friday)
Blade Runner 2049
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
My Little Pony

October 13 (Friday)
Friday the 13th

October 27 (Friday)
Cloverfield Movie

NOVEMBER 2017
November 3 (Friday)
Thor: Ragnarok

November 17 (Friday)
Justice League

November 22 (Wednesday - Thanksgiving)
Pixar's Coco
Murder on the Orient Express

DECEMBER 2017
December 15 (Friday)

Star Wars: Episode VIII

December 22 (Friday)
Jumanji
Pitch Perfect 3
The Six Billion Dollar Man

December 25 (Monday - Christmas Day)
The Greatest Showman

Who won the superhero showdown?

Before Suicide Squad gets released in August, I thought it would be fun to compare the 3 superhero films of 2016. I am comparing Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. I will leave Deadpool and Dr. Strange for another post.

First... the good. BvS did a good job of making up for lost time and, to the surprise of many, Ben Afleck crushed it as Batman. It created a universe in a matter of a single film. CACW had amazing action and storylines. The airport scene is probably one of my favorite scenes in any movie, not just superhero movies. X-Men told an epic tale and reintroduced characters in a fresh, new way.

Second... the okay. BvS attempted to redeem Man of Steel by making Superman a little less dark. Civil War had a rather large cast to give screen time, but they were able to do a pretty good job with it. X-Men's treatment of one of their biggest villains wasn't quite strong enough.

Lastly.... the bad. BvS's story jumped around and seemed to be forced at times. Marvel is still struggling to have a truly engaging villain (except Loki) to balance against the team. CACW is no exception with two different villains who are both weak. X-men struggles with keeping an interesting story moving.

I really did like all three of these films. My favorite, by far, was Captain America: Civil War. I believe that Batman v Superman has set up a bright future and I am looking forward to the rest of Ben Afleck's interpretation of this iconic hero. X-Men came in very strong.

Batman v Superman? Dawn of Justice?

Now that many have had a chance to watch the movie, I believe there are a few questions that we really need to ask. Did Batman v Superman live up to the hype? Did the Dawn of Justice part work? Did it accomplish launching a new cinematic universe?

Did Batman v Superman live up to the hype? The answer to this question is somewhat yes and no. I loved the actual throw down between these two icons (albeit too brief) and felt that it did the two heroes justice for their strengths and weaknesses. I believe the build up was fair, but when the actually fight came about, the motivation was weak.

Did the Dawn of Justice part work? By itself, I believe this part of the movie was effective. DC is playing catch-up, and because of this, they were forced to build their world quickly. If BvS had been one movie and Dawn of Justice another, this very well might have worked wonderfully. They could have filmed the movies at the same time and released them within the same year. I do not feel that it would have been a cash grab, but instead a wise use of screen time.

Did it accomplish launching a cinematic universe? I believe that the answer here is yes, but we will have to wait and see just how well. Most people agree that Affleck works as a good Batman. Even Henry Cavill's Superman is quite agreeable overall. What little time we saw Wonder Woman got me excited to see her stand alone film. The other cameos did not impress me, but I did not hate them either. I guess I am trying to say "it is what it is" and we will have to wait to see what it becomes.

Overall, I did not hate BvS, but I felt it got a little crowded towards the end. I liked humanity verses an alien, even a good alien, as motivation and wish they had just stayed with that story. I will have to admit that I was disappointed, but not turn off. I am very excited for Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman.  What did you think? Are you still excited for the DC cinematic universe?

5 Movies Launching new Adventures for 2016

2016 just happens to be the year in Hollywood where the stars align to bring us 5 movies designed to launch us into new phases of movie franchises or relaunch a genre. Let's take a look at these movies.

1. Deadpool - The studios have tried rated "R" superhero films before but not like Deadpool. The "merc with a mouth" has always been over the top and so, to do it right, the film makers are going over the top with his movie. The question is..."Will Deadpool be the exception or the rule?" Only time will tell on this one.

2.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the newest journey into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. The movie will be set before Harry, Hermione, and Ron and will focus on new adventures. There is a lot riding on this movie to prove that worldwide audiences still want to escape into this world, even if our old, familiar friends are not there to greet us.

3. Warcraft and Assassin's Creed are both set to hit the big screen this year. Most attempts at bringing a video game franchise into the Hollywood fold has failed to deliver. Can these two massive video game franchises usher in a new era of cross-medium productions? Will audiences enjoy a two hour version of there favorite games?

4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - This is the first anthology film released in the Star Wars film galaxy. The release of  The Force Awakens clearly proved the audiences want to see more episodic adventures. Will a single story about a particular event be received well? Rogue One has the task of proving that movie goers do not just want episodes, but they also care about smaller tales.

5. Batman v Superman - The movie that has the most riding on its success is Dawn of Justice. This movie is set to establish a whole DC movie universe. If it is good, or even just okay, then the universe can be built upon it and Man of Steel. But if it flops, then there are some rough days ahead for DC. This single movie is probably the most highly anticipated film of 2016.

There are plenty of other great movies coming out in 2016. I wrote a blog with some of the movies that I am looking forward to this year. Check it out here: Movies for 2016. One thing is for sure... this is going to be a good year for movies!

New Covers for Comic-Con

If you love to watch all the DC TV shows, then you are going to want to pick up a TV Guide magazine soon. 

TV Guide released 4 collectible covers for Comic Con. They are going to feature Arrow, Flash, Gotham and the new superhero, coming to CBS this fall, Supergirl. They are available at the Warner Bros booth during the event, but will be available nationwide on July 7, 2015. 

Look for all 4 at your local retailer. 

First Look: Lex Luthor

Entertainment Weekly released an image of Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set to release March 25, 2016.

I am excited to see this movie, but I do not want it to go too dark. If a picture is worth a thousand words then I am a little concerned. Lex Luthor is a very complex character. Lex believes he is in the right. Lex is not the Joker and I hope they do not attempt to recreate Heath Ledger's performance. Luthor is a brilliant, arrogant, power hungry, win at all costs, type of villain. I hope Jesse Eisenberg can give us the complexity of Lex without taking him too dark.

Atom is Coming

The Atom is coming to Arrow.

It has been announced the Ray Palmer will wear the Atom suit for the first time in the episode “Nanda Parbat”.

Below is the released image. Are you excited to add another hero to Arrow? How did they do making the suit new and realistic? Does it pay homage to the original character?

Here is the write up for the episode.


“Nanda Parbat” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (Content Rating TBD) (HDTV)

MERLYN IS CAPTURED BY RA’S AL GHUL; THE ATOM SUIT REVEALED —Malcolm (John Barrowman) is captured by Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable) and taken to Nanda Parbat. Because of his love for Thea (Willa Holland), Oliver (Stephen Amell) considers saving Merlyn. Ray (Brandon Routh) is obsessed with finishing his Atom suit so he can save the city but Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) fears he is heading down the same path as Oliver (Stephen Amell) and tries to pull him out of the lab. Gregory Smith directed the episode with story by Wendy Mericle & Ben Sokolowski and teleplay by Erik Olesen & Ben Sokolowski (#315). Original airdate 2/25/2015.

Arrow and Flash

The first crossover event is behind us and I think it is fair to take a look at how it went. I want to answer two different questions. Did the crossover event introduce viewers to the other series if they are not watching it? Did the crossover event serve a greater purpose?

On the first question, I believe they did very well. The schedule was a challenge because their new show Flash comes Tuesday nights, a day before their established show Arrow on Wednesday nights. Many shows who attempt to use a crossover to prompt the new show have an older show and then newer show approach. I applaud the creators of Arrow and Flash for going newer and then older. If Arrow watchers did not catch the first part of the crossover on Flash it was done in such a way that both stories had a conclusion, so a viewer who had their interest peeked could go back and watch it without having much of it spoiled.

To answer my second question, I believe they hit a home run. The two characters have very different styles. One is a vigilante and one is becoming a hero. They see the world differently and that made for good character interaction. I believe both of these characters will have some subtle changes in their approaches that will be developed over the rest of this season.

I hope they plan on a few more crossover events, but I do not want the line between the shows to get too blurred. I trust that they will use it on occasion but hopefully leave us wanting more. These two shows are quickly ascending to become two of my top shows on TV today. What do you think? Did it work or not?

Superhero Movies: Are You Ready?

What are you doing for the next 5 years?

If you like superhero movies then you will be well satisfied. This is just a list of the Marvel and DC movies coming out in the next 5 years and it has 23 movies on it. This list does not even include Sinister Six (2016) and Amazing Spider-Man 3 (2018) to be released by Sony Pictures. At the end of the next 5 years, the world will either continue its love affair with superheroes or, somewhere in the middle of this, the box office may come to a screeching halt.

• Avengers: Age of Ultron (M2) - May 1, 2015
• Ant-Man (M2) - July 17,2015
• Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (DC) - March 25th, 2016
• Captain America: Civil War (M3)- May 6, 2016
• Suicide Squad (DC) – August 5th, 2016
• Doctor Strange (M3) - November 4, 2016
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (M3) - May 5, 2017
• Wonder Woman (DC) - June 23rd, 2017
• Thor: Ragnarok (M3) - July 28, 2017
• Black Panther (M3) - November 3, 2017
• Justice League (DC) - November 17th, 2017
• The Flash (DC) - March 23rd, 2018
• Avengers: Infinity War Part I (M3) - May 4, 2018
• Captain Marvel (M3) - July 6, 2018
• Aquaman (DC) - July 27th, 2018
• Inhumans (M3) - November 2, 2018
• Shazam (DC) - April 5th, 2019
• Avengers: Infinity War Part II (M3) - May 3, 2019
• Justice League 2 (DC) - June 14th, 2019
• Cyborg (DC) - April 3rd, 2020
• Green Lantern (DC) - June 19th, 2020
• Man of Steel 2 - TBA before 2020
• Batman - TBA before 2020

Where does this leave us? Here are a few questions to be discussed.

1. With so many choices can some of the lesser named heroes compete or will people just wait until the next movie comes out? I believe that the early movies will set the fate of the later movies for each of these studios. Even Marvel is going to have to prove themselves again with this many choices in movies to watch.

2. Can DC compete with the juggernaut that is Marvel Studios? In many ways. I seriously doubt that the DC movies will out preform their Marvel counterparts. Wonder Woman and Justice League are the potential wild cards to watch. The way it has been laid out, nothing seems to have a prayer in touching the crown that is waiting to awarded to the 3 Avengers movies.

3. After 2020, what happens next? It is clear that Marvel will try to continue on some of its phase 3 heroes while it decides if and how they will reboot their franchises. Where could they possibly go from here? What happens next for DC is probably tied closely to the performances of their new heroes. If the movies don't perform strongly at the box office I am sure that DC will just go back and release independent Batman and Superman movies.

Grab your popcorn and movie ticket and head to your favorite theater because if superhero movies is your genre, then your movie schedule is full for years to come!

Wildcat and Black Canary

Arrow last night gave us just a glimpse into these new characters. Wildcat (Theodore "Ted" Grant) trains the new Black Canary (Laurel Lance) to fight and defend herself. Laurel is still struggling with the lost of her sister Sara and is looking for an outlet for this pent-up rage. In the coming weeks, fans will get to see a whole new side of Laurel and what she is capable of if she focuses herself. Ted is going to provide that stabilizing force she needs at this time. With all the heroes, Starling City will have to be one of the safest places on the entire planet. It will be very interesting to see the character development unfold on characters like Atom, Speedy, Black Canary, and Wildcat.

If you are not watching Arrow,.... Why?

I encourage you to catch up on Netflix or Hulu and see what all the buzz is about this show.

Arrow... not just another superhero show.

D.C. Movie Releases Schedule

Warner Bros has released a very ambitious slate of movies that will carry the DC universe for the next few years. All of these movies are scheduled to be out before the year 2020. This is a huge undertaking. By 2017, there is going to be both a Wonder Woman and the first Justice League movie. DC is playing catch up to the Marvel universe but it is exciting to see them embracing the unified universe idea for their heroes. Check out the list. Which movie are you most excited about finally getting made?


Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - March 25th, 2016
Suicide Squad – August 5th, 2016
Wonder Woman - June 23rd, 2017
Justice League - November 17th, 2017
The Flash - March 23rd, 2018
Aquaman - July 27th, 2018
Shazam - April 5th, 2019
Justice League 2 - June 14th, 2019
Cyborg - April 3rd, 2020
Green Lantern - June 19th, 2020

Man of Steel 2 - TBA before 2020
Batman - TBA 2020

The Reverse-Flash Revealed

The Reverse-Flash or Professor Zoom is the arch-nemesis of the hero of CW's new show The Flash. He is a time traveling super-speedster with a very brilliant mind. He has already appeared in the pilot, even if you were not sure what you were seeing in the yellow and red blur. Barry Allen will soon discover that he is not the only person with his particular power. The difference between these two is how they choose to use their super-powers. Fans are really looking forward to just how the CW is going to match our young hero Allen against his sociopath of an arch-foe.

Here are a few images of the Revere-Flash.

Arrow Season 3

Well, it is almost time for the third season of Arrow. This season promises to be one of the best seasons so far. There are a lot of things fans are excited about and here are just three.

1. Oliver and Felicity - The sparks of romance have been flying since season 1 and now, with what happened in the season finale, we will have to see if something happens between these two. Is she the right person to finally balance out Oliver and help him trough all the recent tragedies he faced at the hand of Slade Wilson?
2. Red Arrow Suits Up - Roy Harper, Green Arrow's trusty side kick, is finally getting a hood of his own. With a very similar look to Oliver's suit but in red, his new look has fans very excited for his first appearance.
3. Ray Palmer - Arrow is going to be adding one more DC superhero to their cast. Ray Palmer who is The Atom. This is a great choice for Arrow. He will be a great addition for his superhero skills and his interactions with Felicity Smoak. 

With the recent launch of The Flash and the return of Arrow, DC comics is getting a great push from its television ventures. With all of the superhero TV available these days, it is a great time to be a GEEK!

Flash Begins Tonight

The CW's show Arrow has spawned  its first spin-off. Last season the fans of Arrow were introduced to Barry Allen and were shown a glimpse of his town, Central City. The Flash runs on to your TV October 7, 2014.

The most exciting thing about Arrow and The Flash is that both of these shows take the superhero genre very seriously. They understand that fans want an touch of reality but also a heavy influence of the fantastical. Arrow has changed the face of television superhero adventures while The Flash is expected to capitalize on this strong fan base. In comics and cartoons Barry Allen has always had a quick wit and comeback for every villain's threat. Hopefully, this new version of him will capture the lighthearted speedster's personality while giving him some new traits that we will grow to love.

Good luck to everyone involved in the launch of The Flash and catch him (tonight) if you can.

Gotham: A Pre-Batman Story

I watched the premier of Gotham on Fox last night. In many ways, I was impressed with this show. Some people have raised  the question "How can you do a Batman show without the bat?" Here are just a few of my reasons why I believe this show can work.

1. The City - Gotham is a city that almost everyone knows. This is Batman's town and where crime runs rampant. The city is a character in the story of Batman. It is not just a place. Gotham's personality is something that fans will want to explore. 
2. The Villains - Some of the most iconic villains in the super hero universe come from the Batman story line. Where did they get their start? How did they change from villains to super villains? If Gotham handles these stories with care, fans will love a chance to revisit these characters.
3. Jim Gordan - With a chance to have a show that centers around the one police detective brave enough to stand up to an entirely corrupt force, this is a story fans want to see. How does he keep his soul when everyone wants to buy it? What role will he play in the early development of Bruce Wayne?

I have high hopes for this show. As long as the writers will keep in mind the spirit of the history of these famous characters, I will not mind a few changes in their origins. I am hoping for a fresh take on a very famous city and good treatment of its most infamous characters.