Jason Bourne (Video)

Matt Damon is back as the rogue secret agent Jason Bourne, and while it's not perfect, Jason Bourne offers enough to be the second best in the series.

SDCC 2016: Star Trek Discovery

The next, and possibly the last bit of news I'll mention out of Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) came from Paramount and CBS. So without further adieu... I'll leave you to it.

Star Trek: Discovery

This is the new teaser trailer for Star Trek: Discover that was released at SDCC. There were only two other pieces of information released during the event that I could find:

- A Director has been hired for the pilot episode. With Star Trek: Discovery coming out in January of next year, it was only a matter of time until directors started to be hired for the series.
- Discovery will take place in the prime timeline set by the original series. The Star Trek movies established by J. J. Abrams introduced an alternate time line that followed beside the original series, but weren't bound by that timeline. This alternate reality has since been dubbed the "Kelvin" timeline. Well Paramount has officially stated that Discovery will not share that alternate timeline but will instead be part of the same timeline of The Original Series, Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise.
- I don't believe they have announced what century Discovery will take place in, but seeing how Enterprise took place before the original series and was panned by critics and fans, I'd assume that it will take place at least after then.

I am currently not a subscriber of CBS All Access, and do not plan to be one for a single show. But if I hear good buzz surrounding the show, I could see myself doing a free trial, binge watching all the episodes, and the canceling just to get my Star Trek needs satisfied.

Wrap-Up

What are your thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery? Leave your comments below and don't forget to keep it unpopped.

China Panders to US in The Great Wall Trailer

Matt Damon plays a European merchant in China during the Northern Song Dynasty (959–1126 AD) in the Chinese made, English speaking film The Great Wall.

Now, I admittedly am not up on my early Chinese history and I know much less about when Europeans (or any white person) first traveled to China. I tried to research a little and it seems there are sparse reports of a few European merchants making their way into China during this time period.

But why make a Chinese movie with a white actor? With the movie taking place during this time period and being set in China, why not have the entire cast be Chinese? If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($128 million domestic) taught us anything, it's that an American audience will watch a foreign film if the release is wide enough and the movie is good enough.

Well, the answer is probably a lot more boring and simple than you may want. Chinese production company, China Film Group Corporation, wants the movie to do well internationally. At $135 million, The Great Wall is the current record holder for the highest budget movie to come out of China. With a budget like that, they simply need to gross more than what they can pull within their own borders. So rather than have the movie entirely have Chinese actors that are speaking Chinese, it will be in English with some leading American actors.

American production companies do this all the time as well. For example, the Michael Bay film Transformers: Age of Extinction has it's entire 3rd act take place in China. The majority of Now You See Me 2 takes place in China. Having a movie take place, at least partially, in China has proven to increase ticket sales not only in China but in other Asian countries as well.

So just like American companies are continually pandering to the Chinese market, China is finally attempting to pander to us. Now, while they could have chosen a well known Asian-American actor like Henry Cho (Star Trek Beyond), Rick Yune (Netflix's Marco Polo), Ki Hong Lee (The Maze Runner), or Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), they instead tried to do what the rest of Hollywood is already doing and gave the role to a well known white actor.

The Great Wall opens in the US on February 17, 2016.

Those are my thoughts on the trailer for The Great Wall. What did you think? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped!

SDCC 2016: Marvel Studios

Next up for a news round-up from Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is my personal favorite! Let's dive in.

Marvel Studios

Just like almost everyone else, I have always enjoyed Marvel Studios' films. Even the worst ones are better than other director's best films of all time. So any news that comes out of SDCC about Marvel Studios I was sure to be all over.

Captain Marvel

This has been a long awaited announcement. Back in 2014 it was announced that Captain Marvel was going to fly onto the big screen. It was even reported that it was in the initial plans to have Captain Marvel appear near the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron during the final fight sequence. However, having not cast Captain Marvel at the time, the role was switched to be War Machine instead.

The expected introduction of Captain Marvel was then set for Avengers: Infinity War. Additionally, the last few month there have been rumors swirling of an offer being extended to a particular high profile actress. So with filming beginning near the end of this year, SDCC was a perfect time to finally make the announcement.

And they did!! After much anticipation Brie Larson has finally been announced as Captain Marvel! She recently secured an Oscar win for her portrayal as a kidnapped and abused woman in the critically acclaimed Room. Being one of my favorite movies last year, I believed anything she was going to do next was going to be great, but being Captain Marvel is just awesome!

Below you can see a mock up done of what Brie Larson may look like as Captain Marvel. Only time will tell of how it will turn out, but I'm sure it will be great!

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. Boss Logic

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

This is probably the biggest news that came out of Marvel Studios this week. Guardians of the Galaxy's success has led to a huge following and even bigger anticipation for Vol. 2. At the announcement there was a trailer shown. However, it has not yet been publicly released, so anything I say is only based on other reports that I have read. Here is a rundown of some of the biggest information that came out of SDCC:

- Kurt Russell as Ego and... Star-Lord's dad! This one is kind of odd... let me explain why. Here are two pictures:

-This one was taken at SDCC and is Kurt Russell's costume as Ego. That seems normal enough right... right?? Well, let me now show you the next picture:

-This is Ego... he's a living planet! He is quite literally the size of a planet! So how does that huge head of a thing become the human shaped man that can fit inside of that costume? Well, all description say that it is explained in the trailer. It states that Ego (the giant head) created a human like form and thus was able to have Star-Lord as a son. I don't believe that has been a characteristic of Ego in the past, but as long as we see a giant Kurt Russell shaped planet, I'll honestly forgive anything. As far as learning more about Ego, I personally plan to read up on some Ego centered comics and I'll come back with a list of comics to get you familiar as well.

- Sylvester Stallone confirmed. This has been rumored for a few weeks now, but we finally have confirmation that he is in fact in the movie. However, his identity has not yet been revealed. Those that saw the trailer said that he was in Yondu's presence and had a similar constume as his crew, but cleaner. With this very basic and vague description there are currently two possibilities: 1) he is a member of Yondu's crew as a Ravager. 2) He is a member of the Nova Corps (see picture below). Of those two possibilities, the Nova Corps is more exciting and is the one I'm hoping for, but honestly a Ravager makes more sense.

Netflix

Netflix and Marvel have a great relationship and will hopefully have one for many years to come. There are numerous videos and teasers that were release by Netflix about their upcoming shows, but I'll just bullet point some of the biggest news.

- Luke Cage. This is going to be Marvel's next Netflix show that is going to be released in November. The main plot is still unknown, but just seeing him again on the screen after his debut in Jessica Jones last year is a welcome sight.
- Iron Fist. Included in the announcements was a very quick teaser of Iron Fist. His origin is teased and he is shown doing punching out a wall. That pretty much sums up the trailer, but I'm sure more will be released as we get closer to its early 2017 release date.
- The Defenders. This hasn't officially started shooting yet, but the potential of having Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all teaming up to defeat a larger threat is something that I know I'm excited for.
- Daredevil will get a season 3. With so many other Netflix/Marvel shows, it was unsure when we would get another season of Daredevil, and while we still don't know the exact answer, the fact that one is planned is at least comforting for many.

Wrap-Up

So those are my overall thoughts on all things Marvel Studios. What were some of your favorite announcements? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke somehow does the source material justice and changes it in horrific ways to both please and anger any fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel.

Now before I begin, I have to say that this movie is based on a graphic novel that is almost 30 years old, so my review will have minor spoilers. Most of the spoilers are from the source material and a very few of them are scenes and plot points that were added specifically for the movie. That being said, everything I'll say in my review I had already heard before going into the movie myself and it did not decrease my overall enjoyment of the movie. So even though there will be minor spoilers, it does not ruin the movie at all.

The Good:

Honoring the source material. This is hands down the best part of The Killing Joke. The first half of the movie is basically a prequel of events that leads to The Killing Joke. Now while I enjoyed this added material, it is nothing compared to the storyline that is featured during the last half of the movie. Once Batman walks into Arkham Asylum to talk to the Joker, the movie kicks into another gear and really becomes what every fan wanted to see. So regardless of what anyone says about the first half, the second half is a perfect adaptation of Alan Moore's critically acclaimed work and does it complete justice.

The amazing voice acting. I feel this was already going to be obvious because any time Kevin Conroy plays Batman or Mark Hamill plays The Joker it is always going to be voice acting perfection. And this time is no different.

The action. This is one part where the animation really shines. Throughout The Killing Joke there are multiple moments where Batman and Batgirl beat the crap out of bad guys, and every fight scene is expertly choreographed and even better drawn. It captures perfectly how Batman and Batgirl would fight.

The Ehh:

The animation. When the trailer was first released, one of the biggest criticisms was the stiff, slow animation. Now, while it is better than the trailer lets on, there are definitely moments where the animation isn't the best.

The ending. I'm going to be honest and say that I first read Batman: The Killing Joke earlier this year. I have since read it a total of 3 times, but I definitely would not call myself an expert on the graphic novel, but each time I read the story I felt that the ending was weird, abrupt, and completely out of place. Now, I'm not saying it is bad, just that I feel it could have been different and closed the story out a little neater. If you are fan of the graphic novel's ending, there's no need to fear, it wasn't changed a bit. In the movie adaptation The Joker tells his joke, the music cuts out, and Batman reacts exactly like he does in the source material. During this moment all you hear is laughing and rain, the camera zooms out, fades to black, the laughing dims, the credits begin, and all you can hear is rain hitting the ground. There is no music, no flourish, simply the sound of rain. I was in a theater with almost every seat filled and there was barely a sound that could be heard. And while that could have been out of awe, I feel it was more because of confusion and awkwardness. It was kind of a little disappointing than the typical big Batman ending we have become accustomed to.

The Ugh-ly:

The Romance. When early reports were coming out regarding the relationship between Batman and Batgirl, many fans were angry and appalled. Now, while I personally don't mind the direction they took their story, I do feel that if something like that was going to be added that it should be for a good reason and carry weight for the characters. Unfortunately, the entire romance plotline maybe encompasses 5 minutes of the story and doesn't add to Batman's motivation. So even without the romance, Batman would have reacted exactly the same. So although I'm not personally offended by the additional relationship, it definitely didn't add anything to the story and should have been left out.

Recommendation:

Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke is a worthy adaptation of Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel that will please most fans. The few things that aren't great about the movie can easily be overlooked and eventually forgotten. Since Batman: The Killing Joke was only in theaters for a single day and is currently only available for streaming download or Blu-Ray purchase I feel this requires a more atypical grading system. So since Batman: The Killing Joke does enough to please hardcore fans while also angering them, I say it is solid...

B+

So that's what I thought of Batman: The Killing Joke, what did you think? And what other Batman story line would you love to see adapted by WB animation? Leave your comments below, check out my YouTube channel "Unpopped Review," and remember to always keep it unpopped!

SDCC 2016: DC Films

Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is always the best place to get all the latest news on everything movie and nerd-culture related. I have been following the news extremely closely, and have decided to break down the biggest and most important news that I thought you would care about. Every few days I'll post a breakdown of another companies events and news. So let's get started.

DC Films

I have not been shy about my feelings on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I have given my review, why the critics and fans differ in opinions, and even how Hollywood should utilize Zack Snyder. With all of this negativity coming from myself and others I still had hopes for the future of DC Films. And when Warner Bros. announced that comic book legend Geoff Johns would be co-leading the overall direction of DC Films, I became even more excited that DC Films would finally have a direction that I can rally behind.

Now with any change in the film industry there is always a slight delay. Movies can often be in development for multiple years. So even with the cementing of Geoff Johns, it was very unlikely we would see his complete influence until at least the movies being release in 2018. That means that we still have to wade through Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League until a full directional change could have been realized.

DC's Commitment to Improvement

Back in July, DC Films and Zack Synder held a Justice League set visit to help increase buzz for the upcoming film and rebuild faith in the franchise. DC Films exclusively invited critics that were mixed to negative in their reviews. Everything I read was extremely positive and was able to instill faith in some of the most skeptical critics.

I personally didn't not write anything on the set visits, but one of the scenes that was shot on the day of the set visit was an interaction between Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Barry Allen (The Flash). The scene was said to be funny and enjoyable, two words that were not said about Batman v Superman.

So now with SDCC, DC Films had a chance to not only convince the critics, but the fans as well.

Wonder Woman

First up is Wonder Woman. Critics of Batman v Superman unanimously praised Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), so Wonder Woman was always going to be one of the most anticipated of DC Films.

As you can see in the trailer above, there is very little that can be easily determined. I haven't read very many Wonder Woman comics, I'm currently up to a whopping 3 with DC comics current Rebirth story line.  So even though I'm probably not the best person to breakdown this trailer, here is everything that I was able to determine:

- Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) washing up on Themyscira, the island of the Amazons. This leads to Wonder Woman's first interaction with a man.
- As reported during the early development of the movie, the setting of Wonder Woman takes place during WWI.
- Wonder Woman is able to take on entire armies single handed... which is completely AWESOME!
- All the typical Wonder Woman weapons are present, including her Lasso of Truth. Now only if we get to "see" the Invisible Jet as well. That'd be pretty cool.
- The Amazons are going to war against an army on a beach. It may just be how it is cut, but I believe this may take place during the climax of the movie. I think that after Wonder Woman ventures out of Themyscira, others become interested in finding where she is from. This then will lead them straight to the island of the Amazons where an epic battle will take place. But I'm probably wrong... maybe not... maybe.
- Gal Gadot kicks some serious butt!

Honestly, I was already pretty hyped for Wonder Woman to come out next year, and the trailer did very little to increase those expectations. Not that it was bad, just that I was already excited and I just want to see it rather than wait almost a full year.

Justice League

Justice League has only been filming since March, so roughly 4 months. So I figured that we would be lucky if we got some set photos, a behind the scenes sizzle reel, or maybe an unfinished look at the scene that was described in the set visit. So when I heard there was an actual released trailer, I couldn't believe that Warner Bros. had one prepared. Then, after viewing the trailer I couldn't believe how finished many of the effects looked. Cyborg was the most obvious with his suit almost completely computer generated. So let's break this down and talk about my favorite parts:

- Batman recruiting the Justice League. The trailer shows multiple interactions of Bruce Wayne with every member of the Justice League. Most being comical which is a welcome change to BvS.

- The Flash as the comic relief. It is hard to not mention the similarities between the scene with Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen with the scene in Civil War with Tony Stark and Peter Parker. From the rich guy recruiting the young kid, to Barry's eagerness to join something bigger than himself. Now I wouldn't say this is a bad thing, because adding some levity to DC Films is exactly what is needed, and it appears that Ezra Miller has what it takes to do the job of being the funny one.

- Aquaman the drunk. This is a little bit of speculation, but I believe that Aquaman is going to be the kind of hero that doesn't want to be one. He's going to not only be reluctant, but angry about having to help the puny mortals. He'll eventually join, but only after drinking an untold amount of alcohol. Of course with this we'll just have to wait and see.

- "I hear you talk to fish." This is a common misconception of Aquaman and one that Geoff Johns explicitly points out in his 2011 Aquaman and Justice League run. In the comics it is often used comically from people that don't know Aquaman and it is a nice touch to include this in the trailer. This is exactly the kind of humor that exists in DC Comics and it's nice to finally see it translated into DC Films.

As I already stated, I was more than excited to see the level of trailer that was released in such a short time. Now the question is if Zack Snyder can completely win over his hardest critics, but based on the trailer, I think we are all in good hands.

Wrap-Up

Those are my thoughts on DC Films Comic Con announcements. What did you think, and what are some other news items that you liked? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Star Trek Beyond (Video)

Star Trek Beyond is a perfect summer blockbuster that offers enough to please both lifelong Star Trek fans and the average movie-goer.

Ghostbusters (Video)

Ghostbusters definitely has a different tone than the 1984 original. Luckily, all involved bring enough uniqueness and laughter to the film so it can defy the haters and stand on its on as a good film.

The Secret Life of Pets (Video)

The Secret Life of Pets is a great movie for the whole family, but lacks any emotional depth we have come to expect from animated features. It will win the box office, but won't be one families will revisit for years to come.

The BFG (Video)

Steven Spielberg tries to capture the childlike wonder of ET or Hook. Instead, The BFG is a boring and average children's book adaptation.

The Legend of Tarzan (Video)

Despite the awful looking trailers, The Legend of Tarzan offers just enough acting, action, and story to make a movie that is a surprisingly good time.