Psychotik Review: Iron Man 3
Hello Freaky Darlings! Sorry for the absence. Been sorting somethings out in my head (Cheshire Cats have problems too!) Anyway, I found sometime in all of that to have a visit to the theater and take a peak at the new Marvel film, Iron Man 3. I was rather pleased I’m so happy to report. So nervous I get when they go on a streak of good movies. That normally means a big turd is on the horizon. Still though, I did find a few flaws with it. Not everything can be perfect right?
Psychotik Review: Iron Man 3
Since this is a sequel in a trilogy of three, my standard rules for a review just can’t apply. So let’s sum up some of the small stuff and get into the film. As usual the casting was good, but you knew that. The only new characters that were of any importance were Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian and Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin (not that this incarnation was import…you know what later, later…) The visual effects were great, story moved smoothly—ish. Nice follow-up all around to The Avengers and Iron Man 2. Problems then?
Well remember when I added an “ish” to the end of smoothly? Well that’s because a small bit in the middle got a little dodgy. Not to say it was slow, it just got a bit scattered. It’s only for about 10-15 minutes toward the middle of the film. Not a damnable offense, but still worth mentioning. Next part I have to alert people with…
****Spoiler Alert****
OK I wasn’t thrilled with The Mandarin at all. I was rather nervous about Ben Kingsley to start out with (He’s not Asian!) It get’s sort of better when you find out he’s not THE Mandarin from the comics. Really he is a fall guy. But up until that point you get irked as they make Mandarin out to be nothing more than your common grade, run of the mill terrorist. This is remedied when you find out Ben Kingsley is a Drug Addict that Killian pays to be a face for his “accidental” Extremis detonations. Still…I was excited to see the Mandarin from the comics. This direction of dragging comics into the real world I blame on Nolan’s Batman. You already had aliens, what the hell is the deal with having the Mandarin be a magical bad ass? Hmm….Maybe they will state later he was based off the myth of the real Mandarin. The fake one was wearing the ten rings after all.
My Next issue was the Extremis itself. Although I did think it was cool, I didn’t see the point in changing it. Instead of a type of nanite it’s a bi compound derived from a plant. The route they went wasn’t bad…it just was odd they went that route. You also see the name drop of A.I.M, the think tank company ran by M.O.D.O.K. Now I don’t know if they are going to go further with that. I do know at first glance it seems that Killian is the one running it, but he could also be a fall man himself. You do see him on the phone a bunch of times talking to a higher authority figure. You start to think that it’s the Mandarin, but by the end of the movie, you realize that in no way is that the case. Could he have been talking to M.O.D.O.K? I don’t know, but shame on them for not developing that further.
****End of Spoiler Alert****
Let’s end this on a positive note though. I did like that Stark had his arsenal of suits. Would have been nice to see more diverse powers for each one. The only one you really see a diverseness in power is Mark 42 and IGOR. The remote controlling of the suits are cool as well. Loved seeing Iron Patriot. This is of course another moment in the history of the movies that you hate Sony owning Spider-Man. Just think it would have been cool to see Norman Osborn at the helm. But hey, promise you things happen in the movie that will make you happy none the less with that suit. You even get to see Pepper kick some ass…you’ll see. Last positive I will mention is the after credits scene. It doesn’t lead off to another film, but it is a comedic scene with Bruce Banner himself.
After everything was said and done, I still give this movie a 4 out of 5 Top Hats. It has it’s problems…yes. But it is still a pretty entertaining flick with a high re watch value. Can’t wait for Thor: The Dark World. We will see if that one lives up to the original. It has big Godlike boots to fill…lol.
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Super Hero News…The Good and the Tragic
Hello Freaky Darlings! In the wake of Comic-Con I have been left with lot’s to talk about concerning our favorite masked crusaders (and unmasked as it were.) We have movie releases, a short from Thomas Jane (as far as I’m concerned the best Frank Castle), and a little dash of tragedy on opening of Dark Knight: Rises. There is also a few big comic book announcements…but really I don’t cover that..yet…so we will jump over that for the time being…more pressing matters. Let’s start with the good news first shall we:
I’m pleased to finally see the titles released. I’ve wondered for some time what the titles were going to be, or when we were going to get an inkling. The first of them is going to be Iron Man 3, (I love that this is one of the plainest of all the titles, but I do love it that way!) Due out May 3, 2013, the film will be sporting a shiny new golden suit and an awesome villain. Yes people, The Mandarin will be in this installment and will be played by known other than Ben Kingsley (Yes…the Sexy Beast Kingsley!) Concept art suggests maybe a little something to do with the Extremis storyline. Sad that I can’t find it to see for myself, but you know Comic-Con…nothing gets out that they don’t want out.
After that we have November 8, 2013’s Thor: Dark World. I’m very curious about where this is going. I really am not that familiar with Thor so I’m sure it will be a total surprise to me. After that we have Captain America: The Winter Soldier due out April 4, 2014. From the title, one can only assume we will see Bucky transformed into the Winter Soldier. I’m just curious how they are going to drag Bucky into the 21st century. I’m sure it will be interesting no matter what! Another film announced (one that kind of came out of left field) is Guardians of the Galaxy which should be here August 1, 2014. Best anyone can guess from concept art and all is that this film is going to expand the universe for the Second Avengers film. Which makes sense considering at the end of the first film you see…((***SPOILER ALERT***)) Thanos. Their was also an announcement for a long-awaited Ant-Man movie headed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). They even had test footage that was exclusive to guests at Comic-Con (People need to learn to share!! Harumph!)
Next up on the list of things to chat about is a little short that has been passed around the internet staring one, Thomas Jane. Apparently Mr. Jane wanted to revisit the character of Frank Castle, and give him a proper send off…or not. Now this isn’t to say the video is not good. It’s fucking great! I think he is trying to rekindle interest…maybe another Punisher movie with Thomas Jane again? Hmm? I would love it, especially if it is anything like the short “#DIRTYLAUNDRY”! This is quite possibly the most violent thing dealing with the Punisher yet. I’ve posted it below…so be sure to enjoy it! By the way…MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS AREN’T WATCHING AND YOUR NOT AS WORK!!!
The last thing I will touch on is the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. Last Friday morning, at the midnight showing of Dark Knight: Rises, James Holmes bought a ticket to see the movie. Everyone was excited and entered the theater to gain first look at the last installment to the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Most people had their mind on how it would end or if it would be good. Some where probably thinking about what to do after with their significant other…not Mr. Holmes. No he had different plans entirely. He left the theater through an exit that he then propped open. Dressed in full tactical gear and armed himself to the teeth before coming back inside and starting a blood bath. It pains me to think of the confusion. It kills me to think of the fear. It shakes me to the core that a person could do something like this. My Freaky Darlings, I’m just at a loss…even right now…for words to describe my feelings accurately. I really wish I would have reported this when it happened. I promise you, I will devote another article to this topic. For now I just give you the same details everyone else has. The event claimed the lives of 12 people and injured 59. Ages range from 6 years old to 51. This event, I’m sure, will be a new sad day in history…
That’s all for now Freaky Darlings. As I said, I will devote more to the shooting in Colorado, I just need to get my head together. Sorry I had to end an overall positive post with such sorrow. I will make it up to you soon…I promise.
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Afterthoughts on the Avengers
Hey there Darlings! I was chatting with someone there other day about The Avengers, when all of the sudden….I realized I left out a few things. In my defense I was having a really hard week that week. Lot’s of bad things going on…lot’s of things on my mind. I’ve had time to clear my head though and now I would like to go back to those missed topics if you all don’t mind. I know, of course I know most of you can’t go long without reading my words. Well enough about me…
***FROM THIS POINT ON, LOOK OUT FOR SPOILERS***
One of the things I would like to do is expound upon Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. I barely talked about him, and he had such an awesome part in the movie. It totally blindsided me when he ended up as the one turned by Loki. He spent over half the movie as a bad guy, it just caught me off guard. I also have to say I’m a fan of the outfit. At first, I thought I would hate it because of how greatly it was scaled back. When you think about it though, in this continuity, he is more an agent for S.H.E.I.L.D first. It just doesn’t make sense for him to have a costume. Maybe in a later movie they could add it in then, but for this one…it was fine the way it was. Oh, and before I move on…to the guy out there that was ripping on Jeremy Renner’s ability with the bow. It looked spot on! If it was awkward in a few parts, it was probably because the shot was technically impossible. I think some people get to wrapped up in the movies that they forget for a moment that these are all based on fiction. To each their own I suppose.
I also forgot to mention the very last scene of the movie. Well both of them. The first after credit scene rolls after the primary credits. You see the alien leader talking to someone about how the humans are not a species to be reckoned with (Go us!) Now I had heard rumors before I went to the movie that the ending had something to do with Thanos. The aliens did look a little like him in the lower jaw, so I figured maybe it would just be a very small hint. Well, if you consider small showing his full face in view and him grinning creepily at you small…then yeah I guess it was. I was blown away! What a choice for a villain, The only question is…which film? Will it be in one of the upcoming ones like Thor 2, Iron Man 3, orCaptain America 3? I don’t know, I kind of think they are going to wait until the next Avengers film. The last post credit scene came at the very end of the credits. That one was a little bit of funny. The set up came a little earlier in the form of a comment by Stark. Right after he snaps out of it from his free fall, he mentions how they all need to go to a swarma place he knows about up the block. the director felt the joke was just incomplete without a pay off. So after the premier, he rounded up all of the actors and shot the scene to tack it on at the very end just for us (Thank you Joss!) It speaks volumes and is really one of those scenes you either get it or you don’t.
Final thing and I leave this alone for a while (doubt it will be long) the soundtrack. My first thoughts after listening to the soundtrack was…MOTHER OF GOD (takes off sunglasses)…It’s so freaking good it ain’t funny. Weird thing is their are bands on there that I would have never listened to in a million years. The crown jewel of the soundtrack ends up being the track “Live to Rise” by Soundgarden. I don’t remember ever being a huge fan of Soundgarden, but I do have fond memories. Plus, it’s always something to talk about when a band makes a song for the first time in 10 years. I really don’t think there is a single problem with it…of course that’s just my opinion. Give the video a check below.
Sorry I didn’t get this all out the first time! Like I said I was just a little preoccupied. I hope you all have an awesome Memorial Day! Be back soon!!!
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Psychotik Review: Marvel’s The Avengers
Hello Freaky Darlings! It’s official if people don’t quit getting sick I maybe forced to vaccinate the world! Seriously, the amount of people getting sick or dying is too damn high! Through the midst of it all though, I was able to see The Avengers last week. I wish I could have gotten this review up a lot sooner, but things what they are it was IMPOSSIBRU!!! Even still…I’m here now giving you the down-low that I’m sure you have either heard already or seen somewhere else (I’m hanging my head ashamed…ASHAMED I TELL YOU!) So without anymore waiting…here it is…
Psychotik Review: The Avengers
I really have nothing bad to say about this movie! While I have been waiting to type this review, I have honestly been wondering what the heck I was even going to say! I think I will just say what most others have said, THE MOVIE IS FREAKING AWESOME!!! I laughed, I cried, and I jumped for joy. It was so great finally getting to see all of the Avengers on the big screen at the same time. My Fanboy button was pressed repeatedly. The film was perfect…but what makes a perfect film to me? Well, I have three things I usually grade on. They are Story, Visual Effects, and Casting. Then again, those are the basis for most reviewers. What makes me so special is I grade on the intended audience. Why grade a movie that plays toward action and comic book fans the same way you would grade a movie like Titanic (Yeah, Academy! I’m looking at you!) This film was perfect for it’s intended audience and more! It sort of transcends boundaries.
Epic scenes are epic….
Let us start with the story. I was really taken away by the amount of thought and effort put into the script. I really think the whole team attached to the Avengers should walk away with all of the awards. So many levels of action are put in motion. The forming of the Avengers, Bruce Learning to deal with The Hulk side of him, Loki Vs. Thor continuing, S.H.E.I.L.D coming into full focus, The Alien Invasion, on and on and on etc. etc. etc….It was almost too much to take in all at once. I really don’t want to get too descriptive, because this is oe I feel most will need to see (or at the very least should see!) Besides the trailer speaks for itself as to what the movie is about mainly. Instead of my usual shtick, I will offer this. Every movie element you can possibly think of is used to its full potential. You have Action as the base pallet to work on! Then a healthy splashing of comedy, a generous touch of drama, with a little refreshing hint at suspense. In a small case you could say a small accent of horror (creature creation was some pretty damn good!) All of this comes together to paint the Mona Lisa of superhero flicks.
Next thing I must touch on is the casting. Over the last couple of years Marvel has really out done themselves in this department. Robert Downey, Jr. is the absolute real life equivalent to Tony Stark. Chris Hemsworth “verily” brings to life the Norse God of Thunder like no other. And Chris Evans looks far better in Red, White, and Blue than flames. However, we all knew those were coming. The real test of casting were the newer characters added to the fray (and also the characters that up until now have only carried supporting parts.) One of the main new faces I want to mention is Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. I was a firm believer that Edward Norton was the best choice for Bruce after seeing 2008’s The Incredible Hulk…was being the operative word. Mr. Ruffalo is everything that the character was meant to be! He still maintained an awkwardness that the character needs, and at the same time brought out Bruce’s serious side. He is everything that you could possibly want in The Hulk’s counterpart. I do hope that the part sticks and that they plan on a Hulk follow-up project. Let’s not forget to also mention Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Cobie Smudler’s as Maria Hill. Mr. Renner, regardless of some unwarranted criticism, commands a well-balanced Hawkeye. While Cobie Smudler actually makes Maria Hill kind of likable (If you have ever played Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 you know what I mean…you hate her in that game!) Honorable mention also goes to Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. That man adds so much bad ass to an already bad ass character!
Hulk think Ruffalo better too!!!
Last, but not least, I’ll touch on the Visual Effects. By far the best I’ve seen, especially in a Marvel movie. The aliens were out of this world…pun intended…Seeing the S.H.E.I.L.D Helicarrier brought to life was amazing. Everything was just so…EPIC! The crown jewel of all the effects has to be The Hulk. Finally after years of trying we have a perfect form. Countless amounts of man hours were put into this version. Not only does it completely include Mark Ruffalo’s likeness…BUT…the model also has the most human look outside of Lou Farrigno! I also liked the choice in not making him cut and ripped all the time. Maintaining a sort of average feel and then arching up to completely shredded. It was a nice touch that added so much to the movie. I really wish there was more I could go on about, but one character in particular I happened to be pleased with would give away too much. JUST GO WATCH THE MOVIE ALREADY!! JEEZ!!
To close this big mama’ jamma’ of a review to a close, I give Marvel’s The Avengers… 7 out 5 Top Hats. That’s right…7 out of 5! I’m giving them the 2 that Human Centipede 2 had in the negatives (Come on an equivalent Exchange had to be made somewhere…) Now all of that being said, I’m going to bed! I’m tired and I want to sleep…Have a good day my Freaky Darlings…
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
p.s enjoy this music video by Sound Garden…First one in YEARS!!!
Avengers Assemble!
It has been a long time coming, but in less than a month, all Marvel Fan Boys get to collectively jizz their pant’s. May 4th is the release date for Marvel’s The Avengers and I couldn’t be happier. Marvel Studios has really impressed me with the casting job on these recent films. From Iron Man to Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel has been on a freakin’ roll. As I have been waiting patiently for the event to role around, I have found myself going back and revisiting the films. (I got tired of watching the damn trailer once a day…Ah, who am I kidding I LOVE WATCHING THAT TRAILER ONCE A DAY!!! I’m now currently watching the Disney Cartoon, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!) I know I’ve reviewed most of them before, but why not go back and review them in retrospective? Sure…why not!? Let’s start at the beginning….
A long time ago….Approxamatly 4 years to be exact…
Iron Man (2008)
I was really excited when I started to hear about this flick. I remember the first bit I read was that Robert Downey, Jr. was to play the lead. That alone had me sold! RDJ IS Tony Stark! I wasn’t too thrilled to see Jon Favreau Directing. At that point I had only really seen him act (and he wasn’t exactly my favorite!) Still though, the movie was a hit in my book. Marvel needed something to renew faith after X-Men: Last Stand. Looking back on it, I am able to say that Don Chaedle is a much better Rhodes than Terrance Howard. I love the way they handled the suits in the movie. From Mach I to III, and even the Iron Monger, I was greatly impressed. The way that the story progressed also had a nice touch. For the first time, Marvel managed present an all-inclusive origin movie that had little to no problem (Not to mention the this is the first peak we get of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. As far as I’m concerned, it was perfect! Their was still another Avenger film that came out that year though…
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
I was so pleased to see this film get the proper treatment. The one from 2003 was just…awful! The CGI was bad, the story was drawn out and boring, and I really didn’t care much for the actors. Normally I hate remakes, this was an exception. Ed Norton was an excellent Bruce Banner. Very reminicent of Bill Bixby, the orginal Banner from the 1978 series (If you pay attention, a TV screen at the very beginning offers him a cameo.) The movie gives you a short montage of how everything happened, and through flash backs in the middle of the film you get the origin. Thank Cthulhu, because I don’t think anyone needed to sit through a long drawn out origin story. He was hit with Gamma Rays. He became the Hulk. He’s running from the government. End of origin, let’s get to the meat and potatoes shall we? Liv Tyler offered a very loving Betty Ross just as William Hurt offered a very hateable General “Thunderbolt” Ross. Don’t get me started on Tim Roth. First, let me start off with I loved the choice for a villian. Abomination was way better than that screwed up version of Absorbing Man Nick Nolte played. The transformation from Blonsky to Abomination was a great part of the story. Before I leave this alone, let me add that the visual effects were…”Incredible”…I do undertand this movie had 5 years up on the last one, but come on! Even in 2003 they could have done better than what they did! It’s really a shame that Ed Norton won’t be reprising the role…but hey you just can’t get to greedy. Even in the film business…We shall see what Mark Ruffalo brings to the table.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
It was 2 long years before the next Avenger movie would come out. But boy was it worth it! Iron Man 2 was an incredible follow-up to the 2008 hit. As mentioned before we saw a change-up in casting with a new Rhoads (Not a bad thing.) We were also introduced more to S.H.E.I.L.D and the Black Widow, as well as introduced to a new villain…Whiplash. Now, if you go by the comics, Whiplash is a rather throw away villian. Marvel Studios really saw some potential when they designed him for the movie, and Micky Rourke did a superb job of bringing the character life. The story was even better as it showed the self-destructive side of Tony Stark (Even though it wasn’t the PSA for drug abuse that the comics offered!) This movie is a corner-stone in my Marvel movie collection. Really I can’t say enough good about this movie. I still wonder if they are going to flesh out Whiplash eventually as Crimson Dynamo. In comic book history Ivan’s father, Anton Vanko, was the original creator of the Crimson Dynamo armor. Whiplash was Ivan Vanko…but then again he did get blown up…but laws of comic’s unless you saw a corpse…it probebly didn’t happen (even then you have to suspect!) We shall see…
Thor (2011)
I really wasn’t expecting much from this movie. I went to go see it simply because it was one of the Avenger movies. Other than that, I didn’t have the highest hopes for the film. I left the theater a Thor fan. Most of the time I kind of viewed Thor as a silly superhero. I think most of it had to do with the way he talked. It just kind of made me laugh. The movie did a great job of telling the origin of Thor…but at the same time it didn’t make it feel like your typical origin story. Most origin stories have that drag to them at least in one section. Not this one! No, your attention is kept from beginning to end. They even manage to throw in a love story (Better than Twilight…sorry had to make the joke!) The choice of Chris Hemsworth kind of had me shakey, but I feel he really did the role justice. Anthoney Hopkins was the BEST decision for Odin…HANDS DOWN!!! This movie also brought us what seems to be the primary antagonist in The Avengers, Loki. I don’t know where they dug this dude up from, but he is really good. I really can’t view anyone else to play the Trickster God. Might I also go on the record saying this, wasn’t Heimdall the only Asgardian that had “Bad Mother Fucker” on him? That was the best way I could have seen him played! As cool as Thor was though…their was one more movie that year…
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
This was unfortunately the only one I didn’t get to see in the theater. It was either Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 or Captain America…I chose Harry Potter (Hey man, I was aching to see the sequal…it was necessary!!!) I was shocked and amazed with the level of detail put into this film. The casting was spot on, the CGI was top-notch, and the story was well told. One of the coolest things about it was it had that sort of old-time war film feel to it. I enjoyed it. I loved the casting of Red Skull. Hugo Weaving is one of my favorite actors. It just made so much sense. I was also impressed with how they handled making Chris Evans smaller. That definatly took me by surprise. The last thing I will mention before I leave the subject is how impressed I was with Chris Evans portrayal of Captain America. At first I wasn’t to hopeful. Evans is more known for his comical roles, not serious ones (He was Human Torch in Fantastic 4 for crying out loud!) No after seeing his performance, I can’t picture a better Captain!
That about wraps it up. I suppose all we have now is to wait for the movie to come out. I wonder if they are going to have a few cameo’s from future Avengers? They are kind of missing Ant Man, Wasp, and Black Panther. I guess we will just have to wait and see. All I can tell you for now is that Iron Man 3 is due out next year. The following year, April 2014 to be exact, will be the follow-up to Captain America: The First Avenger. Only time will tell, But I’m thinking this one is going to beat the pants off what ever else comes out this year.
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Encyclopedia Psychotika 