Don't Panic: "Rogue One" To Get Expensive Reshoots

After the first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released back in April, fans been ravenous to get their hands on another Star Wars movie to follow last years Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Rogue One is set to take place before A New Hope with a team infiltrating the empire to steal the plans for the Death Star.

PageSix has recently received reports stating that, "The execs at Disney are not happy with the movie, and Rogue One will have to go back into four weeks of expensive reshoots in July.”

Why I'm Not Worried:

Now, before anyone freaks out, you have to understand that every big budget movie goes through reshoots. Disney even builds an extensive reshoot schedule into ALL of their actor's contracts. They know that sometimes an idea on paper doesn't translate as well as they thought it would on the screen. Additionally, it is not until a scene is viewed as a whole that they realize that there are plot holes or it simply doesn't work. So after viewing the movie they do some quick rewrites and get back to shooting.

Why I'm a Little Worried:

Now that I have extinguished some of the flames, it's time to fan them back up again. Although reshoots are perfectly normal, some of the wording does worry me.

1) Execs aren't happy

By this point in the process, the film should be pretty much complete, needing only minor tweaks needing to be made. The fact that Rogue One is due in December and that they still aren't happy is not a good sign.

2) "Four Weeks of Expensive Reshoots"

Four weeks is a long time for reshoots. Usually two is considered a normal amount of time, but since they've established four weeks of reshoots means that they are really going to be doing some major changes. Plus with them being expensive, it will make it difficult for the studio to make back their money if Rogue One is not as good as we are all hoping.

Take A Step Back:

A Disney source went on to tell PageSix that “the film making team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be, and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting. Coming off The Force Awakens there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”

What that means to me is that everyone involved in the process is doing the best they can to deliver a movie that fans will be proud of. Like any studio, Disney does have its missteps, but more often than not Disney is able to deliver a product that brings joy to many. So regardless of these reshoots, Rogue One, is bound to be an exciting movie that will expand the Star Wars universe and bring joy to millions of people.

What are your thoughts on Rogue One getting expensive reshoots? Are you still excited, or does this worry you a little? And what other Star Wars stories are you excited to see Disney expand upon? Leave your comments below, and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Alice Through The Looking Glass (Video)

Alice Through The Looking Glass has Alice returning to Wonderland to save the Mad Hatter, but will there be enough Time?

X-Men: Apocalypse (Video)

X-Men: Apocalypse is the end of the prequel trilogy of the X-Men franchise. So how does it stand up to its predecessors?

Angie Tribeca Season 1 (Hulu)

Angie Tribeca is a spoof on procedural police dramas that was created by Steve Carell (The Office) and his wife, Nancy Walls Carell. The 10 episode comedy initially premiered with a 24 hour marathon on TBS. Angie Tribeca is much in the vein of Police Squad, Naked Gun, and Airplane, so if you enjoy those kinds of movies, this show will probably be right up your alley. With Angie Tribeca finally coming over to Hulu, I've been able to watch it and tell you all what I thought.

I need to begin this review off by saying that I'm not a huge fan of satire as a comedic tool. That could be because I haven't seen many, I still have not seen Airplane, Hot Shots, or Scary Movie. However, I enjoy many of Mel Brooks movies. Spaceballs is one of my all-time favorite movies. So even though satires aren't my favorite there was still a lot to like in Angie Tribeca.

The Good:

The characters. Rashida Jones (Parks & Recreation) plays Angie Tribeca, and although she was honestly my least favorite character as Anne in Parks & Rec, she does a great job as a detective in this spoof. On top of Rashida Jones, everyone in Angie Tribeca do an excellent job delivering ridiculous dialog with a completely straight face.

The writing. One of my biggest problems with satire in general is that many of the jokes are too crude for my humor. Luckily, Angie Tribeca premiered on TBS, so the humor had to be kept at a PG-13 rating, and while that hurts comedies sometimes, I felt that the writers had find ways to be more clever and they ended up finding a sweet spot. And while there are still some jokes that do miss the mark, the pace is so quick that there is always something funny right around the corner.

The cameos. Like any good spoof, there are a number of cameos throughout the show. Many of them are quick and may have only 1 or 2 lines, but the surprise and humor that they bring are almost always worth it.

The opening. I don't want to give away how every episode of the show opens, but fans of CSI: Miami will definitely get a laugh at the beginning of every episode. I enjoyed seeing how the opening was going to be spun.

The Ehh:

As I said before, there are some jokes that fall flat, but they can't all be winners. So I'll give it a pass.

The Ugh-ly:

Nothing!

Conclusion:

Angie Tribeca isn't revolutionary in its style or humor, and I wouldn't even call it a great television show, but it did keep me entertained for 10 episodes and I'm very excited to see what they bring in season two. I even can see me putting it on in the background like I do with other comedies.

So if you like straight procedural police dramas or satires, and honestly even then the show might not be for you, and that's ok. I'd say give give Angie Tribeca at least a one episode try, and if you don't like the first episode, you won't like the others much either.


So that's what I thought of Angie Tribeca Season 1, what did you think? And what other comedy satires do you like? Leave your comments below, and remember to always keep it unpopped!

Angie Tribeca, now streaming on Hulu.

2nd Star Trek Beyond Trailer Restores My Hope In Franchise

Early this morning Paramount Pictures released the second trailer for the next film in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek Beyond.

Trailer 2:

Trailer 1:

Why I Was Worried After Trailer 1:

Star Trek has always stood on its own because it has never spoken down to its audience. Although the universe that J. J. Abrams created does rely heavily on action, it has always stood firmly in its roots as a space opera rather than a space action movie.

That is where trailer 1 went wrong. It inserted a rock song over the footage and relied on quick cuts and action to drive home the point that "this ain't your daddy's Star Trek." But we already knew that in 2009 when the first reboot came out. There was no need to "action it up" even more. The formula set by Abrams was perfect, and all Paramount needed to do was stick to that formula.

When J. J. Abrams left Star Trek Beyond to go to Star Wars VII, I was excited for him, but I was a little sad for the future of Star Trek. I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager with my father and I have always had a love for the universe.

After Abrams departure, Beyond went through a few script changes and another director before cementing with Justin Lin. Justin Lin is a great director, but he is mostly known for directing Fast 5 and Fast & Furious 6, and while those movies are popular, they are completely different from Star Trek films. So when trailer 1 was released and it showed a series of action set pieces, I was a bit worried at the direction they had gone.

Why I Still Had Hope After Trailer 1:

A trailer can sometimes be cut without input from the director or producers. It is usually a number of marketers in a room with a video editor cutting the trailer in a way that will appeal to mass audiences.

Then about 2 days after trailer 1 was released, Simon Pegg came out and said that the trailer does not accurately portray his script or the movie that was going to be released. Pegg plays Scotty in the new film and was also Star Trek Beyond's writer. He is a huge fan of everything nerdy, and he wanted nothing else than for the Star Trek franchise to be a big hit. That is why he stepped up to write the script and help guide the franchise in a successful direction.

So knowing that the trailer might not have been cut correctly and that Pegg was still behind the project, I did still have hope for this movie even after the 1st trailer was released.

Trailer 2 Restored All Hope:

As I stated before, Star Trek has never spoken down to its audience. It consistently tries to elevate our thinking and expand our horizons. It has done this over the decades by having compelling characters. The crew of the ships have always been the main focus in Star Trek, and this trailer showed that perfectly.

It showed us how this Captain Kirk is striving to live up to his father and at the same time trying to find himself. It focuses very heavily on all the crew, their unity, and the crisis that will have to overcome.

On top of that, Simon Pegg appears at the end of the trailer to promote Paramount's YouTube channel. Now... he may have done this because the studio was a little upset with him speaking out about the quality of the 1st trailer, but it also is a simple gesture to show his approval of this trailer and the movie that will follow. And for me, it definitely worked to keep my hopes high.

Conclusion:

I do realize that this trailer could have been the one that suffers from misdirectional editing and the first trailer could end up being more accurate to the film, but I want to hold out hope that Paramount understands the Star Trek community and will honor the films and series that have come before.

That's what I thought of Star Trek Beyond's 2nd trailer, what did you think? Leave your comments below, and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Paramount Pictures

Star Trek Beyond will be released in theaters on July 22, 2016 and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Idris Elba.

Civil War Aftermath (Video)

With Captain America: Civil War leaving the Avengers in their current state, what can we expect to see from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in phase 3?

Daniel Craig Turns Down £68M to Return as 007, Who's Will Replace?

In reports by Daily Mail, Daniel Craig has turned down £68M (about $99M US) to return as James Bond 007 for two more films. A source told Daily Mail, "Daniel is done – pure and simple – he told top brass at MGM after Spectre. They threw huge amounts of money at him, but it just wasn’t what he wanted."

After Spectre finished filming, there were many reports that Daniel Craig (48) was worn down from the role. He even had sustained a knee injury when filming a fight scene in Spectre. Because of his general exhaustion, there was very little hope that Daniel Craig was going to return as the British MI6 spy 007.

Daniel Craig as 007

Daniel Craig began playing James Bond in 2005 with Casino Royal. When Craig's casting was first announced, many felt that he didn't have the charisma and swagger that James Bond requires. However, after the parkour scene in Casino Royal, most of the worry was washed away. Casino Royal was able to delve into the psyche of James Bond. It focused on how he was a lone man against the world who will always struggle to find love.

In 2012, James Bond returned to prominence with Skyfall. The script, direction, and acting was loved by critics and fans. The focus, much like in Casino Royal, was to show how fragile and tortured James Bond is as a character.

Last year in 2015 Spectre failed in many aspects. That was even with the return of Skyfall director, Sam Mendes, and Daniel Craig as 007.  Although it was was decent, it was panned for having pointless action, a lack-luster love interest, and a confusing plot. Because of the lukewarm reaction and the numerous reports that Daniel Craig was tired of the role, it was only a matter of time until news came that his time as Bond would soon end.

What's Next for 007

There are many actors that can take up the mantle of James Bond. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tom Hiddleston

Hiddleston is currently the favorite to play James Bond. His time as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is rumored to be ending shortly. If this is true, his schedule will open up giving him the ability to accept a role. This will give him the chance to be a lead of a franchise rather than a supporting character.

Idris Elba

This choice became popular about a year ago. If MGM wants to change the race of James Bond, this is a perfect time to do it, and Idris Elba is the perfect choice. The only problem that I see is that Idris Elba is currently 43 years-old. So even though he is a great choice, his age might keep him from achieving the role.

Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill is best known as Superman in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman; however, he has also played an womanizing American spy in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Although the movie didn't do well financially, his role in the film was a perfect audition for the role of James Bond. It will be good for him to play a lighter character than the brooding Superman he has been tasked with lately.

Tom Hardy

Coming off of Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy is a good choice to replace James Bond. He has the action chops to fill the role. My only fear with this choice is that Tom Hardy is notorious for playing roles that are hard to understand (The Revenant, Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises, The Take). So although he does have the acting chops, his charisma is a little worrisome.

Michael Fassbender

Fassbender is probably going to end his role as Magneto pretty soon, but he is currently beginning to star in Assassin's Creed. So although he does have an ability to take on the mantle of James Bond, his schedule might restrict him into accepting such a time consuming role.

Conclusion:

Those are some of my favorites to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, what are some of yours? And what are your thoughts on Daniel Craig stepping down as 007? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

To Fix DC Universe, Comic Book Expert, Geoff Johns, Named to Co-Lead DC Films

For a number of years, Kevin Feige has been the executive producer for Marvel Studios and has carefully guided that Marvel Cinematic Universe to what it has become today. Fans have clamored for Warner Bros. to do the same. Fans want someone who understands and loves the characters that can weave an overarching story for the purpose of creating a DC film universe as extensive as Marvel's. Well, Warner Bros. has finally listened as, Geoff Johns, Chief Content Officer of DC, and Jon Berg, a Warner Bros. Vice President, have both been named co-leads of the newly formed DC Films.

What Lead to the Change:

Although Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice made $868.2 Million in theaters, many believed that the tone was completely wrong for the characters and have clamored that Zack Snyder, the director, is wrong for the project.

Zack Snyder

Good news began to come in last week when Ben Affleck was named a producer on Justice League Part 1. It was believed that Warner Bros. have become worried about Zack Snyder's vision for the films and the hope was that Ben Affleck could help guide Zack Snyder into creating a film that pleases both fans and critics.

Ben Affleck as Batman

Who is Geoff Johns:

Geoff Johns is currently the Chief Content Officer of DC Comics. Most of his time currently is overseeing the overall direction of the comics. Although he has done this for a time, he is much more known as being a comic book writer. His most recent works include the 50 issue run on Justice League. In addition to this, he also has written years of experience writing stories on other iconic DC characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Superman. Almost every character he touches becomes an instant hit.

Geoff Johns

The only sad news to him becoming a lead on DC Films is that he will have less time to devote to writing comic books.

Why You Should Care:

Everyone has different opinions on Batman v Superman, but one semi-consistent criticism is that Zack Snyder doesn't understand the characters and should not be leading the charge in creating the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Zack Snyder as I've state before (here), is a very visual director, but he lacks the ability to create realistic stories and compelling characters. Geoff Johns, on the other hand, has written these characters for years. He understands how they tick, what people like about them and how to incorporate them into a story. Geoff Johns also has experience in creating small stories that complement a larger overarching story line.

Conclusion:

Although I have always been excited for where the DCEU was going, Zack Snyder's direction was making me increasingly more worried. However, now with Ben Affleck as a producer and Geoff Johns overseeing the entire project, I am not only excited, I'm ecstatic to see what great movies will come out of the DCEU.

'Tetris the Movie' Is Officially Official: Is This Real Life?

I know this is the one that everyone has been waiting for. Tetris, the 32-year-old video game about shifting different sized blocks, has official secured a budget of $80M and will being filming in China in 2017, according to Deadline. Tetris the Movie will be produced by Threshold Global Studios, which is a new production company from USA based Threshold Entertainment Group and China based Seven Star Works.

What?!

I honestly don't even know what to say. When I heard of The Lego Movie, I was actually pretty excited. I knew that Lego had success making video games and that the story telling could transition into movies. The Angry Birds Movie was also a mystery to me, but I figured with they could take the simple story of the game and expand it in a way that could at least be entertaining for kids (see my full review here). But Tetris?? I have no idea how they are going to pull this one off. Pixels proved last year that the nostalgia for 80's video games isn't has high as people may think.

Trilogy?!

What is even more crazy is that Larry Kasanoff of Threshold Entertainment Group has stated that the film is being billed as a sci-fi thriller and will be the first in a trilogy of movies based on the classic game. I don't even know what one movie could be about, let alone three. Then billing it as a sci-fi thriller, once again all I can really envision is a more serious Pixels, and the only thing that could have make Pixels worse was by making it more serious.

Wait and See

I know I'm throwing out a lot of judgments on a film that is extremely early in production, and that is why we just have to wait and see what happens. With filming beginning in 2017, we'll probably start seeing casting a plot details being revealed near the end of the year. However, even that little bit of optimism that I may have does not outweigh the confusion I have to the thought of Tetris being made into a movie.

What do you think of the idea of Tetris being made into a movie? What are some other classic games that you think could be made into films? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

The Angry Birds Movie (Video)

The Angry Birds Movie is a film adaptation of the popular mobile game. Does it deserve the same hype and attention of the original game?

Written Review

Angry Birds The Movie. Many people might not realize this, but the mobile game did have a plot. Pigs invade the lives of the angry birds, take their eggs, then the birds have to destroy the pigs homes in order to get their precious eggs back. And as thin as that plot already is, the movie was somehow able to stretch it to an hour and a half. They just had to fill it with unnecessary action, unfunny slapstick comedy, and fart jokes.

The Good:

The characters were each unique and interesting. The voice actors even did a decent job portraying the different characters. I mean they got voice talent from Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, and even Peter Dinklage. Man. For the dialog they were given it was acted well. It's just sad that almost every joke falls flat or ends in a character laughing. When are studios going to learn that just because a character laughs at a joke, doesn't mean it's funny.

The animation was also pretty good. They were able to take the characters from the game and put them on the screen in a visually appealing way. It's just too bad that when they finally get to the destroying part, the movie is almost over.

The Ehh:

I can't tell you how much music there was. And I don't mean film score, I mean licensed music. They had hip-hop, rock, country, disco. I think the covered every single genre. With so much music it felt more like a music video than an attempt at storytelling.

The Ugh-ly:

It was so slow. Now, don't get me wrong, there are things happening nearly every second if you include fart jokes, bright lights, and zany characters. But the plot takes forever for anything to happen, and even when it does, there is almost no point for it to happen. The only good part of the movie are the last 30 minutes. Everything leading up to the is boring, drawn out, and almost completely pointless.

Conclusion:

Now, I understand that this movie is for kids and that is probably why I didn't like it. My theater was filled with kids that were laughing and engaged the entire time. That is why minions did so well last year, families with kids kept going to the theater. This movie will probably follow the same path. Large families with children will continually attend and it will probably enjoy a very nice run in the theaters. So that being said, I'm going to enact a dual recommendation. If you have kids that are between 4 and 10, this movie is a definite wait for redbox, but if you have older children, then I'd say don't bother. Visit Unpopped Review for more reviews from a movie lover, not a movie critic.

Money Monster (Video)

Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.

Written Review

Money Monster features George Clooney as one those loud obnoxious Finance TV hosts. It also features Julia Roberts as the shows director. However, when an angry investor played by Jack O'Connell, breaks into the studio and holds George Clooney hostage till he gets some answers, George Clooney has to do anything he can to stay alive.

I originally went into this movie with relatively low expectations. I thought the plot was going to be predictable and boring, but overall, I found it to be very entertaining.

The Good: 

The performances. You can always expect a good performance from George Clooney And you can honestly say the same thing about Julia Roberts. That being said this is the 3rd movie that features Jack O'Connell in a leading role and let me just say that he is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. At this point, I think he can do no wrong.

The next thing I liked were the clichés in the movie. This movie reminded me a lot of John Q in that it is a normal person standing up for something he knows is right, even though the means might not have been the best. That being said, even though many of the hostage clichés that you get in movies like John Q, the Negotiator, and The Inside Man, are still here… the result of the clichés took a completely different turn. So although I thought they were going to be cliché, they actually turned out to be completely unique.

Money Monster was also surprisingly funny. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't call it a comedy by any stretch of the imagination because there were moments that were roll-you-eyes obnoxious, most of which came from the TV shows production, but there were definitely moments where I found myself laughing out loud.

The Ehh: 

As I said already I liked how the movie would start a plot point with a cliché and then completely turn it on it's head. I only wish the same thing could be said about the ending. I figured out roughly how the movie was going to end by about 5 minutes into the movie. It was pretty obvious where they were going, but it was still refreshing how they ended up getting there.

The Bad: 

The dang TV show that George Clooney's character hosted. I can't stand shows like Mad Money, and Money Monster is an extreme version of that. Luckily the main story line started pretty quickly so I didn't have to see too much of it.

Recommendation: 

Even though Money Monster is your typical hostage thriller with a predictable ending, the great acting and surprising twists keep you guessing and at the edge of your seat. For those reasons I recommend that this movie should be seen in theaters. Visit Unpopped Review for more movie review from a movie lover, not a movie critic.

Supergirl is headed to CW: The Good, The Ehh, and the Ugh-ly

After a period of limbo, the CBS show Supergirl has officially been renewed for a second season, but not by CBS. Instead, Supergirl has officially moved to The CW.

CBS

For the past few weeks the future of Supergirl has been unknown. Even though the first season has seen a relatively high volume of viewers, the high production costs has made the show unprofitable for CBS to maintain. Part of the production costs were the license fees that CBS had to pay Warner Bros. to use their character. With Supergirl moving to The CW, which is owned by Warner Bros., much of those production costs can be diminished.

The Good:

I have actually not been able to watch a single episode of Supergirl. I have been a strict cord cutter for nearly 4 years now and watch all of my TV and movie content through Netflix and Hulu. Since CBS doesn't play very nicely with these services, I have simply chosen not to watch any show airing on CBS. However, with Supergirl moving to The CW, new episodes will be released on Hulu like their other shows.

I am also excited to see if The CW decides to do more Flash/Supergirl crossovers. Who knows, maybe now they will even change Supergirl in a way so that the show takes place permanently in the Arrow universe, thus, being able to cross-over with all the characters from Arrow, Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.

The Ehh:

Although I haven't had the pleasure to see Supergirl, I have heard that the production value is pretty good for a TV show. So now with it moving to The CW, there may be some more cost cuts to help the longevity of the show. So going forward there is no telling whether this move will be good or possibly very, very bad.

The Ugh-ly:

Supergirl season 2 is scheduled to premier in the fall. That means that Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl will all be airing episodes at roughly the same time. That doesn't even include iZombie which is officially a DC show that is also on The CW. Then Gotham and Lucifer on Fox. Oh, and I can't forget that NBC has officially announced another DC show called Powerless to air in the fall as well.

That means in an average week in the fall there will be 8 episodes released under the DC TV umbrella. There just isn't enough time in the week to be able to keep up with all of those episodes and the other shows I want to watch.

Conclusion:

I am truly happy that Supergirl is moving over to The CW since it will make it easier for me to watch and enjoy. However, now I will need to find some other show to drop so that I have enough time to enjoy it the best that I can.

What are your thoughts on Supergirl moving to The CW? Do you currently watch it on CBS? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Why Captain America: Civil War Is My Favorite Superhero Movie

Spoiler Free Thoughts From Captain America: Civil War

Marvel Studios

I have had almost a week to think about Captain America: Civil War. My initial thoughts can be found here. I can honestly say my first viewing I had a few qualms with the movie. However, after my second viewing many of them were smoothed over. Now, a week out, and I can finally say where to place Civil War in my pantheon of other superhero movies. 

#1

That's right, I had to think on it quite a bit, but I think I have decided that Civil War is my favorite superhero movie. Before this movie my two favorite superhero movies were Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Dark Knight. Previously those two have done leap frog jumping back and forth on taking number one. Sometimes it hinged on which one I saw more recently, and honestly, since I saw Civil War only 5 days ago, it is very possible that is a factor in my decision.

Regardless of whether my opinion changes in a year or even tomorrow, today it is definitely my favorite. Usually I don't like comparing movies directly, but the only way I can figure out how to explain my thinking is to compare it with my two other favorite movies.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Marvel Studios

I love Winter Soldier, and there is no doubt in my mind that the first two-thirds of Winter Soldier is better than Civil War. However, for me the last third of the movie kind of declines in quality. It goes from the spy thriller that it had been to your typical military infiltration scene. It is still great, don't get me wrong, but I feel that the last third of Winter Soldier just doesn't hold up as the first two.

Civil War on the other hand is consistently good throughout. There are action scenes throughout the movie that kept the it flowing and entertaining. Add that to the intensity and weight of the Sokovia Accords and you are taken on a ride with so many unexpected twists and turns. It was a near perfect film from beginning to end.

The Dark Knight

Warner Bros Studios

Often considered the best superhero movie, and by many accounts I agree. However, there is a flaw in the movie that has been pointed out by other. That being that much of The Dark Knight's success of the movie rest solely on Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. If you take out his performance, the movie is still good, but it does diminish quite a bit. Heath Ledger was able to elevate the character, the dialog, and even other actors with his portrayal. It is truly nothing short of amazing.

In Civil War there are characters that stand out more that others, and some of the actor's performances do vary in quality. However, the collective whole of the performances in Civil War are better than the collective performances of everyone in The Dark Knight. The interactions between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers regarding the Accords are so dramatic and weighty that even after the movie has ended I can't decide who's team I truly agree with. For those reasons Civil War, to me, is the superior film.

Conclusion

I know that my opinion may change and that after seeing Civil War more I might concede that Winter Soldier or The Dark Knight are superior films, but I stand by my current feelings in that Civil War delivered a more complete package than either of these two films and thus makes it superior in quality and enjoyment.

What are your thought on Captain America: Civil War compared to other superhero movies? Where does it rank with your other favorites? Am I completely crazy and should learn to shut my mouth? Let me know below with you unpopped comments.

Houdini and Doyle Fails to Amaze as a Supernatural Crime Procedural

Houdini and Doyle is a supernatural crime procedural much like that of X-Files or Fringe. The main difference is that the series takes place in 1901 around the lives of Harry Houdini, the great magician and escape artist, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of many great literary works that include the Sherlock Holmes stories. They have to work together as freelance detectives to investigate supernatural occurrences.

I researched the life of Houdini and Doyle after the show and found that not only did they meet multiple times during their lives, but they were also friends. The focus of their friendship was even discussing the supernatural and spiritualists. Doyle was a known devote believer in the supernatural and Houdini was complete against the notion and even spent his life outing many 1900s spiritualists as frauds.

On the surface the series seems like it would offer something interesting. So if the series appears to be a home run, where did it go wrong? Well, quite simply the blame is almost entirely on the characters and writing. Houdini and Doyle are both boring and don't have any chemistry together. They attempt to have witty batter, but it always falls flat and doesn't add any humor to the story.

The next thing that I felt was out of place was their police liaison. Constable Adelaide Stratton is a female policeman that is striving to fight through the male dominated police force to simply be respected. It is honestly a boring story line that is completely out of place for the time period. If the setting was any time after the 50s it would feel a little more likely, but throwing in a female character just to appeal to the female demographic seems lazy and unneeded.

If you are able to get through the boring dialog, lazy characters, and unneeded plot points, you will finally make it to the big reveal at the end of episode. Was it a ghost, was it a trick, who really committed the crime, and will they do the time? The answer to those questions in Episode One proved to be completely and utterly stupid. I hoping for a Scooby-Doo or Doctor Who like reveal where Houdini and Doyle proclaim with excitement and enthusiasm what was really going on the whole time. Instead it was, just like the rest of the show lazy, boring and didn't make any sense whatsoever.

I had high hopes for Houdini and Doyle. In my younger days I spent much of my time reading biographies on the great life of Harry Houdini. So intertwining his life with the author of Sherlock Holmes in a whodunit would seem perfect. Instead it ended up to just be a lazy, thrown together mess with not enough pay off to warrant the 45 minutes I had to waste to sit through it.

Grade:

Don't Bother
But if you are still interested, Houdini and Doyle airs on Fridays 9/8c on Fox and past episodes are available on Hulu.

Pleasantville (Netflix)

My wife and I were searching for something to watch on Netflix. After a few minutes of searching my wife said, "I'm going to put on Pleasantville." It has been many, many years since I had the pleasure (That will be my only pun... probably) to watch Pleasantville completely through.

Luckily, seeing a younger Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon enter this 1950's black and white universe was just as great as I remembered.

The Good:

The use of color is nothing short of spectacular. Seeing black and white characters interacting with their color environment or even with other full color characters is extremely striking. I can't even imagine the time it took to make sure that not a single pixel of a character was the wrong color. This was apparent in one particular scene. After the mom changes into color, Tobey Maguire applies makeup to help cover it up, so as to not hurt her husband. Once the application is complete, her eyes are still every so slightly green, like the actresses. That little touch shows that they really took care to make it perfect.

Also, the black and white TV show troupes were absolutely hilarious. Seeing the movie presented as a fish-out-of-water story was definitely the best way to go. It allowed Tobey and Reese's characters the ability to point out just how ridiculous the world of Pleasantville really is.

The Ehh:

Most of the message of the movie was to show how choices affect our life and how we shouldn't be afraid to make those choices. However, there was a weird point in the movie when the movie turned from about making choices into straight up racism. As far as story telling goes, the script demanded that it escalated to that caliber, but it just seemed to hit a little too hard for a little too long. It would have been find if the fear of color was the focal point through the whole movie, but it wasn't, the fear of change was.

The Bad:

The ending was kind of weird. The sister stays in Pleasantville, the brother goes home and the tv mother is with her husband or maybe the diner owner. The ending just felt thrown together without giving reasons for what was going on or why.

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed watching Pleasantville again. It was just as funny as I remembered and just as good.

I looked up the director and saw that it was the first movie directed by Gary Ross. Ross is the same director of Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games, and one of my most anticipated movies of 2016, Free State of Jones (trailer below). After seeing Pleasantville again, now I'm even more excited for this film.

If you have a Netflix account, maybe it's time to revisit the good old days of 1954 through the eyes of the 1998 movie Pleasantville.

That is what I though of Pleasantville. What did you think? And what are your thoughts on Free State of Jones? Let me know below with your unpopped comments and what other streaming films should I watch for the first time or spend time to revisit.

'71 (Hulu)

Today I watched the 2014 film '71. It features Jack O'Connell as a rookie British Soldier that gets separated from his unit during a riot in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the height of The Troubles in 1971.

Being an average American, I am regrettably uninformed when it comes to international political uprisings. However, I do find them very intriguing and love to learn more about them. So when I first heard of '71 in 2015, I had hoped to eventually be able to see it. Well, it is now on Hulu streaming for everyone's viewing pleasure, and what a pleasure it was.

What I liked so much about '71 was the realism of the whole situation. The entire movie takes place throughout the streets of Northern Ireland where the locals are fed up with the occupation of British Soldiers. Although the movie was relatively small in scope, in that it only follows Gary Hook (O'Connell) fleeing angry locals, you could feel the tension between the locals and soldiers.

'71 also has a way of being extremely relevant in today's society. It depicts both police brutality and the extreme effects that rioting has on a local community. Although it focuses very heavily on these subjects, it does so without being too "preachy." It accomplishes this by not taking a side one way or the other, but instead, showing how both aspects can destroy a local community.

If these types of themes aren't your kind of thing, don't let that deter you, there is still a lot more to enjoy. After Hook gets assigned to his station at Belfast, it is almost a non-stop thriller focused on if he is going to get out alive. Being surrounded by locals that hate him, Hook has to find unlikely allies to help get him back to his barracks.

The only caveat I will state is that the movie is British made were the f-bomb is much more common in film. So expect to hear a rather large amount peppered throughout.

'71 is a non-stop, entertaining thriller that was so exciting that I could hardly look away. If you have a Hulu account, there really is very little reason to not see '71 at some point.

What did you think of '71? Leave your unpopped comments below and let me know of other streaming movies that you would recommend.

Captain America: Civil War (Video)

Captain America: Civil War is the 3rd installment in the Captain American franchise and the 13th from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How does it stand up against the others?

Internet Explodes After The Power Ranger Suits Revealed

Entertainment Weekly and Lionsgate Films

The first look of Lionsgate's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' suits have officially been released and, per the usual, the internet has exploded. Some are referencing the notable similarities of these suits to that of Iron Man. Others are pointing out the sexist differences between the male and female costumes. Some are happy to see the Power Rangers being taken seriously. So let's take a look at all these points of view and try and determine if they have any merit. I'll give you a hint, there's never a clear answer.

Iron Rangers

This is the most notable "problem" with the newly released suits. From the metallic look to the apparently glowing center chest piece there is a definite similarity to Iron Man. Is that a bad thing though? Take a look at the suits from the Power Rangers The Movie (1995).

The more armor-like suits from this 1995 film and the addition of guns gave the Rangers a more "professional" feel than the simplistic "cosplayers" of the TV show. When making a comparison of the cloth suits from the original TV show to the current picture one does notice a striking difference. However, comparing the picture to the '95 movie it is a much smoother jump.

The Sexism

People have pointed out how the pink and yellow ranger have definite female characteristics that are lacking in the male suits. Such as chest plates being more form fitted and having high heels. This one is also hard to refute. There is no apparent need to have these features on the female costume. The designers could have developed a more uni-sex costume to accommodate all the Rangers. However, once against looking at the 1995 movie, there were definite chest plates for the female rangers, although less pronounced. 

Additionally, the original pink ranger sported a small skirt to distinguish her as a female.

"Mr. Unpopped," you may ask, "why doesn't the yellow ranger have a skirt then?" Good question. Well, some of you may know that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers took footage for their action sequences from a Japanese show called Super Sentai. In that show the yellow ranger was a male rather than a female. Thus the skirt was kept off.

Now, I'm not a female, so I have no right to say whether the new suits are sexist or not. That's why I'm going to stay out of saying whether they are or not. Instead I will state what production designer Andrew Menzies has said and then make a comment on that.

"It’s tricky finding a new language for a superhero costume. Ours is an alien costume that grows on them, that’s not man-made. You can’t win everyone over, but we are trying to appeal to a more mature audience and gain new fans."

If these suits are "organic" in some way, it only makes sense the the suit would form itself around the body. And since men and women have distinct differences in body types, it only makes sense that those differences would be apparent in their suits. 

Once again, I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just saying that with what they were going for, it makes sense. Except for the high heels... that doesn't make sense.

Excitement

No matter what you think of the newly revealed Power Ranger suits, when you combine it with the picture release of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, there is no doubt that Lionsgate is finally taking this property seriously and wants to do something interesting.

Lionsgate Films

Conclusion

Regardless of how the suits look or what others are saying about the films potential, I'm still very excited. I realize I'm a little bias. I honestly can't remember a time when I wasn't actively watching Power Rangers at least weekly. It was a big part of my childhood. My only hope is that this movie will have some kind of success. That way Power Rangers will have an impact on not only my childhood, but on my adulthood as well.

2016 Summer Box Office Prediction Game

Join me in playing a simple and fun Summer Box Office Prediction Game.

There currently is no prize other than bragging rights. HOWEVER, if I get at least 20 individuals to submit a prediction, I will change that and announce a prize!* So tell your friends!

The rules are simple:
1) Click this link, which will take you to a Google Form. (A google account is required to verify one submission per person)
2) On this post and in the Form is a list of movies that are going to be released between May 1st and August 31st of 2016.
3) Choose a ranking (1-10, 1 being highest) of how you think the movies will perform in the Box Office. 3 "Other" spots are available in case you want to add a movie not from the list given.
4) Choose 3 "Wildcard" slots for movies that you aren't as confident in but may make the top 10. With this you essentially have a "Top 13" list. 10 locked in their location and 3 wildcards that you will get points for if they appear in the actual top 10.
5) Final rankings are determined from the actual domestic (US and Canada) box office results pulled from Box Office Mojo.

The Points are awarded as followed:
10 Points - Dead On (Bottom 5)
08 Points - Dead On (Top 5)
07 Points - One Away (Bottom 5)
06 Points - One Away (Top 5)
05 Points - Two Away (Bottom 5)
04 Points - Two Away (Top 5)
03 Points - On list (More than Two Away)
02 Points - Wildcard Made Actual Top 10

Notes:
- More points are awarded for lower rankings. The thought is that big blockbusters are relatively easier to determine.
- Since movies released in August need time to build box office results, the points won't be tallied until mid-October to give plenty of time for the movie to achieve its box office potential.
- Google Forms doesn't have an easy way to do rankings, so I had to improvise a bit.
- Unfortunately there is no way I can find to make the box wider. It would be easier to decide your rankings before filling out the form.
- Even though we are currently in the beginning of May, you will be able to submit a ranking till Friday May 21st. After which all official rankings will be closed and posted using nicknames. However, any unofficial rankings can be posted in the comments section.
- Feel free to share this post or form link with your friends so they can join in the fun!

Full Summer 2016 Release List:

May-6	Captain America: Civil War
May-13	The Darkness
May-13	Money Monster
May-20	Angry Birds
May-20	The Nice Guys
May-20	Neighbors 2: Sorority Row
May-27	Alice Through the Looking Glass
May-27	X-Men: Apocalypse
Jun-3	Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Jun-3	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Jun-10	The Conjuring 2
Jun-10	Now You See Me 2
Jun-10	Warcraft
Jun-17	Central Intelligence
Jun-17	Finding Dory
Jun-24	Free State of Jones
Jun-24	Independence Day Resurgence
Jul-1	The BFG
Jul-1	The Legend of Tarzan
Jul-1	The Purge: Election Year
Jul-8	The Secret Life of Pets
Jul-15	Ghostbusters
Jul-22	Star Trek Beyond
Jul-29	Jason Bourne
Aug-5	The Founder
Aug-5	Nine Lives
Aug-5	Suicide Squad
Aug-12	Pete's Dragon
Aug-12	Sausage Party
Aug-19	Ben-Hur

Example from 2015:
Actual

1	Jurassic World	$652,270,625.00
2	Avengers: Age of Ultron	$459,005,868.00
3	Inside Out	$356,461,711.00
4	Minions	$336,045,770.00
5	Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation	$195,042,377.00
6	Pitch Perfect 2	$184,296,230.00
7	Ant-Man	$180,202,163.00
8	San Andreas	$155,190,832.00
9	Mad Max: Fury Road	$153,636,354.00
10	Tomorrowland	$93,436,322.00

Prediction

Rank	Movie	Points
1	Avengers: Age of Ultron	6
2	Tomorrowland	3
3	Inside Out	8
4	Jurassic World	3
5	Minions	8
6	Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation	7
7	Ant-Man	10
8	Pixels	0
9	Terminator: Genisys	0
10	Mad Max: Fury Road	7
Wildcard 1	Pitch Perfect 2	2
Wildcard 2	Fantastic Four	0
Wildcard 3	San Andreas	2
	Total Points	56

*Prize will have a monetary value of less that $10. Prize Limited to US and Canada only. Subject to change if voter fraud is suspected. If voter fraud is suspected, individual will be excluded from the prize. Unpopped Review (myself) will be excluded from winning the prize, in which case the 2nd place individual will win the prize. In the instance that the individual that won the prize cannot be reached for deliver, the next place individual will receive that prize.