When Is The Hulk Getting A New Film?

After the success of the Avengers movie back in 2012 and with a sequel coming out next year which I am only very partially excited about for several reasons, many of the films cast and characters have been getting more and more movie parts with the recent conclusion to the Iron Man series, the brilliant sequel to Thor in Thor: The Dark World as well as the recent Captain America and the Snowmobile Driver. Since then of course further films have been announced into what could quite well be the most unbearable film series on the planet since Harry Potter with the announcement of films including the up and coming Guardians of the Galaxy, the quite idiotic sounding Ant-Man, a third Captain America film and other potential film ideas including a third Thor film (at last, some good news), something involving Doctor Strangelove…..sorry…..Strange no love, The Runaways, Iron Fist (who?), Nick Fury, Black Panther, a stand alone project for Black Widow (who has not been the same since after Iron Man 2), Inhumans and Ms. Marvel. While it has also been announced that a new Blade film is in production (which has been way too overdue seeing as none of these current Marvel films wouldn’t even be happening if it wasn’t for the Success of Blade), I really do hope that it shares no connections with the Avengers film series as Blade is not like that and he is not exactly the kind of person to team up with other super heroes, and if he were to join up with the Avengers, the character would be ruined, just like Doctor Who is right now.

Now while all this is (supposedly) good, isn’t it strange that the real star of the 2012 Avengers film has yet to have a film announced, and by that I mean a standalone film, however none of the films since the release of the 2012 Avengers film have been actually standalone films and have had to include at least one reference to the 2012 Avengers film, which by and large has sort of lowered the tone of expectations from all of them and have started to make me wonder if there is any point to these films at all except for the studio to make money out of them. But yes, the real star of the 2012 Avengers film or Avengers Assemble as it was called in the UK for some unexplored reason, seriously though why was it? Anyway the real star of Avengers Assemble has yet to have any sort of potential but unlikely standalone at all film to be announced and as yet there is no real reason except for maybe some connections with a couple of films released 11 years ago and 6 years ago respectively. Yes as given by the title of this post and referencing both those films I am talking about The Hulk.

While the last Hulk film entitled The Incredible Hulk and staring Edward Norton in the lead role along with Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt does actually contain one of the very early references to The Avengers, it’s still not exactly had a sequel yet, even though in relative terms it was a sort of sequel and a reboot to the previous Hulk with Eric Bana (probably chosen because Bana is pronounced the same way as Banner in Bruce Banner) along with Jennifer Connelly (who I thought was definitely better in the role as Betty than Liv Tyler, although Tyler was a good choice if it was the case that Connelly was not available) Nick Nolte and Sam Elliott which in all fairness means that it has about an equal number of films as the others. But when you think about how good a performance Mark Ruffalo gave as Bruce Banner and The Hulk and the possibility that the Avengers wouldn’t have been as good without him in it, why hasn’t there been at least the possibility of a development of a Hulk film. It has been stated that negotiations are underway for such a film to be made, but that does not mean in any way shape or form that one is going to happen at all and if any character in Avengers Assemble should get one, it’s the Hulk. If you look at Avengers Assemble UK, the character shows so much detailed emotion in both living with himself and persecution and bullying (particularly from Black Widow) that his character connects more with the audience compared to a billionaire playboy, a mythical entity, an athletic spy, a non-Olympic gold medallist and a frozen selfish full of himself soldier. So if Marvel are looking for a touch more drama in future films, I would gladly suggest a new Hulk film as the character is just that, along with being green, tall and angry. Even though it was sort of annoying that his catchphrase was used by someone else in UK Assemble.

Ok, while it is true that Hawkeye has not had one yet, given that Jeremy Renner has become a big action star, the production of such a film possibly cannot get underway until he is actually available to do such a film, but also with the brilliant series Arrow on at the moment, a Hawkeye film could be seen as just as either a relation to those who don’t know the differences between Marvel and DC or as just a copycat production. The character possibly could be used in a supposed Black Widow, which could be possibly set in Budapest?

While Hulk is set to appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron, or Avengers: Age of Ultron Assemble as it will probably be called in the UK, it’s still not the same as a proper film, but it does mean that along with two other characters (Thor and Iron Man) that the film is worth being excited about along with the arrival of two other characters who are technically X-Men characters with relation to Magneto (hmm, interesting?) with one of them (Scarlet Witch) being played by the terrific Elizabeth Olsen and the other having already appeared (Quicksilver) in X-Men Days of Future Past but this time being played by another Godzilla cast member and Super Hero veteran Aaron Taylor-Johnson means that the film does have some credit already but given what the cast apart from the terrific Cobie Smulders in the previous film means that I am still only very partially excited about it bar the previously mentioned cast and characters. But who knows, maybe this one might just work out and also we have more Avengers spinoffs to look forward too including Iron Fist (whoever he is?) and a potentially ruined Blade film; things to look forward too, although with the recent Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. there could be a second series of Blade: The Series,which would be nice, provided it is associated with that series and has the cast used in that series.

GENEPOOL (This has gone from a post about a new hulk film to other up and coming Avengers films, primarily Blade and some guy called Iron Fist).

Who Am I: Thor Or The Hulk?

Ok, it is not the kind of question you wake up in the morning with and think to yourself, which one would I be? A few of weeks ago I went to see The Avengers and I quite liked it but throughout the film this question kept beaming into my head.

I really like Thor. Thor is a fantastic character, Big, Tough and Strong. During my third year of Roothill I got a nickname, The Viking. It was all because of my Fantastic Beard and at first I did not like it, but after a few weeks I came to love it. I had an Idea of buying a Viking Helmet and maybe getting a Nerf Battle-Axe. Well I went to see Thor and because of the relationship between the Vikings and Norse Mythology I started to call myself Thor because I liked it. One of my original career plans was to become a Professional Wrestler and part of me would still like to and I have thought about using the name Thor as my name, I have even chosen the perfect Entrance Music.

I also like The Hulk. The Hulk has that anger trait that we all crave, the simple fact that he can actually let his anger out when a normal person will bottle it up (like me really). It would be so great to let the anger out. The way he is also able to channel it in some way as well and almost becomes positive as a result. When I went to see The Avengers, that scene where Fury is bullying Banner and almost try to have him sectioned really got to me. If I was able to control the Big Green Dude inside me I would have let him out immediately. Sometimes I remember times when I was bullied and dream about becoming something like the Hulk and smashing the bullies to pieces. I even have the occasion where I don’t like someone in a TV show or a film for the same reasons and begin to lash out in my own head at them, The Hulk is that Anger that I want to let out (I do like that scene from the 2008 film – you know what I mean, the number of times I have wanted to say that with that amount of Power is abundant).

Here we have 2 Fantastic Characters but if I was to be anyone of them, which one would it be? Well by preference I would choose Thor but if I could not choose (or not have any say in the matter) I probably would be The Hulk. In most cases if I got into a Fight I would probably be unable to control my emotions and would become an uncontrollable monster and with all this Anger built up it is kind of surprising in a way that I am not the Hulk already. However there is another option, I could be both. My Human side could be Thor, this way I would already be Tough and Strong enough to take on any adversary while also having some control, but if things were to get too tough to handle I could just become the Big Green Dude and then Bob’s your uncle, problem solved, or perhaps even a Mutant combination of the 2, It could be named The Thulk.

So to answer the Question and if there is not the choice of being both I would have to answer; Thor by preference but more than likely I would be The Hulk.

GENEPOOL

Where Has The Hulk Been All These Years? – The Avengers

What would happen if you were to get some of the biggest action heroes together and put them in the same film in the hope of making one big action film. Well that happened with The Expendables but from what I have heard (seeing as I have not seen it) it is a bit emotional. What it should be is Kurt Russell, Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, Mr. T, Wesley Snipes and Chuck Norris. Well who knows seeing as Bruce Lee is sadly no longer around. So I suppose we could turn our head towards Super Hero’s instead and that’s what we have here.

Avengers Assemble (if you saw the UK version) is a film based on the comic book Super-Group from Marvel Comics and it is made up of a group of mostly single heroes who only work together if the threat is big enough. We have Captain America (well they are mostly American and one bloke from Asgard, no sign of anyone one from Britain, so I take it that if Britain was threatened The Avengers would not lift a finger), Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, The Black Widow and Hawkeye. Now the only thing I really know about the Avengers is from what has happened in recent comics of Essential X-Men. When it came to films it would only be a matter of time before the characters would meet up. However I was a bit worried about this film before going to see it, I will explain why later.

The film starts off at a scientific base (well, in space technically with a strange race of creatures) which is undergoing an evacuation. Due to a small blue box the fallen Asgardian Loki emerges from a portal and takes control of several Shield Employees (including Hawkeye) and escape with Nick Fury in pursuit and Fury’s female aide stuck underground trying to get people out. Well Fury can see there is a problem and brings several super agents together onto a giant aircraft carrier. It begins to submerge (which is kind of similar to something I made up in my head to amuse myself) just as I am going to the toilet so I lost about 3 minutes of film about here.

I come back into the screen and plans are made to capture Loki. A fight begins in Germany with Captain America and Iron Man fighting Loki after Loki tries to get a crowd to submit to his rule, Loki surrenders. On the way back to Shield Headquarters Loki is snatched by Thor who tries to find out why he is doing this. A fight breaks out between captain America, Iron Man and Thor before they agree to go the base, while the Black Widow and Bruce Banner are already there. Iron Man and Banner set to work with gamma radiation science while everyone else try to find ways of socializing. It is later revealed that Shield wants the blue square to create weapons to fight people like Thor. It is also revealed that Loki wants the Hulk to come out and cause Havoc. While Fury tries to fight his corner he also tries to keep Banner calm and this whole scene almost becomes a cross between bullying and someone trying to section somebody. Well Hawkeye and some soldiers attack the carrier which causes havoc by destroying an engine keeping it in the sky. The Hulk is unleashed while Iron Man and Captain America try to fix the engine. Eventually the Hulk falls towards the earth and so does Iron Man. Agent Coulson gets killed by Loki and it is through his inspiration that causes some of the team to work together while a couple of them have disappeared.

Loki opens a portal above New York thanks to the blue square from Stark Tower (an interesting piece of special effects due to the fact that there is no real building in new york that is shaped like that) and releases an army of supernatural soldiers and Dragons. The team fights the enemy until the arrival of Thor who goes after Loki and Bruce Banner. Banner turns into The Hulk at will when he reveals his secret for keeping him suppressed. The Avengers fight together with the Hulk going after Loki and beating him into submission. A council of mysterious people launch a Nuke at New York in an attempt to destroy all the freaks, Iron Man manages to direct it into the portal and destroy the remaining forces, he then falls through the Portal before it is closed. Now Heroes the Avengers go their separate ways with Thor taking Loki and the blue square to Asgard. Fury then tells his aide that the team will come back together, because they are all the earth has.

The film is very good and manages to get a good story out of the characters. As I said earlier I was a bit worried about this film, the thing I was worried about was the Idea of all these characters coming together. I was worried that the film was going to be too good, in other words, bad, like it was not going to work, however it did work and bringing in emotions to the characters cemented this.

It is a good cast of characters. I did not see Captain America because to me it is not captain America. He is supposed to have wings on either side of his head gear – sticking out not painted on. That’s why I did not go to see it, in protest. However it was a good delivery of the character in this film.

Samuel L Jackson is an amazing choice for Nick Fury. He has both an action style to him while still being wise enough to be a leader. Scarlett Johansson is similar but more action than Jackson and is a bit more respectful towards the other characters and knows how to treat them properly, like when she tries to keep Banner from turning into the Hulk. Robert Downey Jr. is as fun as always as Iron man and is always a treat to see him as Iron Man. However there are two shield agents who need particular mention. Agent Coulson in the previous films was a bit more comic relief than serious but when Thor comes into the picture you can see a more human side to him and a sort of friendship with Thor and so when he dies it is that more powerful, especially seeing as you have only just got to know him. Possibly the most underrated character in the film is Maria Hill (Fury’s female aide played by Cobie Smulders). All her scenes were good; her character is like the background job who keeps the engines running. Technically without her Fury would be out of control and so while the other characters are fighting the enemy on the carrier she is focused on making the carrier stay in the air by coordinating everything. It is a shame she does not have more of a part in the film and so with that in mind I hope she gets more of a part in any future sequels.

However the main attractions are Thor and Hulk. Firstly out of all the previous films to feature the main characters, Thor is my favourite (and won several awards at my film awards). Thor has more depth to his character and is a serious force to be reckoned with, he is not a man he is a Norse God. He also speaks proper English (where as everyone else speaks American) so you can easily understand what he is saying. However, people who may not have seen Thor previously may be a bit confused about him which could be difficult. From the start he keeps the film credible (at least for me as I stated earlier when I said I was worried). Then we have The Hulk. It has been 4 years since the last time The Hulk was on the Big Screen. Mark Ruffalo is the third person to play the character since Hulk came out in 2003. I liked Edward Norton as the Hulk and Eric Bana was good (also because his last name is pronounced Banner, which makes him almost perfect for the role in terms of character………. and name). However Ruffalo is good as Banner but the real treat comes in the form of the big man himself. During the city scenes when he is destroying everything it is Amazing and when you mix that with his comedy pieces included (including clobbering Loki and punching Thor) you kind of start to wonder why Marvel have not produced a film in the last four years, it is time for another Hulk film. At the point in the film when Fury is trying to keep him calm (and supposedly get him into that big round jar, a bit like sectioning) I did start to really connect with the human character……… and the green dude as I almost became The Hulk because it was making me angry at the bully (Fury) was treating him. This also raised an interesting question which I will cover next month. However, there was one thing missing, I wonder what it was?

OK Captain America says it but The Hulk is supposed to say it.

It is also good to see several supporting characters from previous films including Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. The Avengers as a whole is a very Good film and is currently sitting as my second favourite film this year, so not as Fantastic as a certain film I saw a couple of months ago. However there are several big films still to come out this year including Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman and of course The Dark Knight Rises. So while it is a Good film, enjoy it now because it may not last. It is worth seeing and really enjoyable with some really good characters but remember to keep Fury’s aide, Coulson, Thor and The Hulk in mind because their parts are the most enjoyable.

GENEPOOL

Sam’s Rant – Film Awards 2011

Yes it is that time of the year when Good films are given Awards. The awards season has passed but who cares. It is time for the awards that matter to be handed out. So Let’s see who has won this year.

Best Actor – Nominations are: Aaron Eckhart in Battle Los Angeles, Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Chris Hemsworth in Thor and Robert Downey Jr in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

The Winner is: Chris Hemsworth for playing Thor in Thor.

Best Supporting Actor – Nominations are: Idris Elba for playing Heimdall in Thor, Anthony Hopkins for playing Odin in Thor, Stephen Fry for playing Mycroft in SH:AGOS (simple form) and Scott Glenn for playing the wise man in Sucker Punch.

The Winner is: Idris Elba for his fantastic performance as Heimdall in Thor.

Best Actress – The Nominations are: Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in Thor, Elle Fanning as Alice Dainard in Super 8, Noomi Rapace as Madame Simza Heron in SH:AGOS and Michelle Rodriguez as Elena Santos in Battle Los Angeles.

The Winner is: Elle Fanning for her performance as Alice Dainard in Super 8.

Best Supporting Actress – The Nominations are: Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis in Thor, Jaimie Alexander as Sif in Thor and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler in SH:AGOS.

The Winner is: Kat Dennings as the teenage like Darcy Lewis in Thor.

Most Disappointing film of the year – The Winner is: Sucker Punch. It looked good but the film was all over the place, it was harder to understand than Inception. It has some nice bits and good characters but it’s not as good as it could have been.

Best Improvement of the year – The Winner is: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Seeing as Part 1 is the Worst Film in the history of cinema part 2 was a good improvement and a nice end to the series, I am just so glad it is all over (if there was a ninth one I probably would have gone insane).

Trailer of the Year – the Nominations are: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Thor, Battle Los Angeles, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Super 8.

The Winner is: Super 8 for both the original trailer and its main trailer (preferably the original one).

Best Special Effects – The Nominations are: Super 8, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Battle Los Angeles, Thor and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

The Winner is: Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Super 8 (Joint Winner), The battle scenes and the robots in Transformers were amazing but Super 8’s camera work, lighting and effects as a whole cannot be ignored so that is why they hold the title together.

One to Watch in 2012: at his point it is unlikely that the Legendary Pictures Godzilla film will be getting released this year and there is still no news on The Host Sequel, they would be the ones to watch but for now they are not. This award goes to a film I did not see coming and have already seen. I am looking forward to its home media release more than seeing any other film at the cinema this year. It is quite possibly my Favourite Non-Godzilla film (I will find out when it gets released on DVD). It is the Incredibly Fantastic film known as The Hunger Games.

Best Original Idea – The Nominations are: Super 8 and Battle Los Angeles

The Winner is: Battle Los Angeles for bringing back the Alien Invasion idea to the 21^st Century and making it awesome once again (OK it is not as Good as Independence Day).

Best Character – The Winner is: Heimdall in Thor. An absolute beast of a man, an incredibly intimidating and cool character.

Best Cameo – The Winner is: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men First Class telling Magneto and Xavier exactly what he thinks (WARNING: Contains Strong Language), it would be good to see him in any future films they do.

Best Director – The Nominations are: J. J. Abrams for Super 8, Michael Bay for Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Kenneth Branagh for Thor.

The Winner is: I was unsure if making a Super Hero film would work for someone like Kenneth Branagh but he has done an amazing job, he picked some of the finest actors who took on the roles just because he was Directing it. It was an incredible film and he has done an incredible job.

Now The Important One

Best Film of 2011: Just like previous years I will show my Top 5 with Number 1 being the best.

5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

4. Super 8

3. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

2. Thor

1. The Best Film of 2011 is

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

Roundup: Number of Award per film:

Sucker Punch – 1

HP7P2 – 1

X-Men First Class – 1

Battle Los Angeles – 1

The Hunger Games – 1

Transformers: Dark of the Moon – 2

Super 8 – 3

Thor – 5

GENEPOOL

Thor Review: Lightning Hammer

I like Superhero Films, Films like The Dark Knight, Iron Man and my Favourite (Superhero Film) X-Men 2. These films have the Good Old tale of Hero vs Villain. Every Superhero has abilities and these abilities always have origin stories of how they gained these abilities. Wolverine has Steel Claws, Iron Man has a mechanical suit and Thor has a Hammer and the power of Lightning.

Now before you start thinking you know what this is, Thor is not based on the Norse Legend. Thor is based on a Comic Book Character that is based on the Norse Legend. So if you see a trailer for the film or a poster for the film, it is not based on the Norse Legend it is based on a Marvel Comic Book Character (which is based on the Norse Legend). Thor is a Superhero from Asgard. He is the Norse God of Thunder wielding a Giant Hammer. He uses this hammer as a weapon to slay his foes and uses Lightning as a weapon too. He is a member of the Superhero Team the Avengers alongside Iron man, Captain America and The Hulk to name but a few. He is the Son of Odin, King of Asgard.

The film starts with the retelling of a war between the Asgard and The Frost Giants. Asgard Won and seized the power of the Frost Giants, The Casket of Ancient Winters. In the present day Odin’s son Thor is about to ascend to the throne of Asgard when Frost Giants try to take the Casket. Thor, his brother Loki and his friend’s Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun journey to the home of the Frost Giants, Jotunheim. There a battle ensues and Odin arrives to save Thor, Loki and his Friends destroying the fragile truce between the 2 races. For his arrogance Odin strips Thor of his power and exiles him to Earth along with his Hammer Mjolnir which Odin put has put a spell on so only the worthy can use it.

Thor is run over by Jane Foster (Played by Natalie Portman) in New Mexico. Foster and her group of researchers take him to a local hospital where he continuously tries to escape and return to Asgard. The Scientists think he is a bit strange. Meanwhile a Hammer is discovered in the New Mexico Desert and many people try to lift it but are unable to do so (it’s like the sword of King Arthur). SHIELD Arrive and take control of the site and take Fosters Research. Thor escapes the Hospital and tries to recover his Hammer. He goes through the entire base and no one is able to stop him but when he tries to lift his hammer the Spell Odin put on it stops Thor from lifting it.  Thor is captured and gets interrogated by SHIELD Operative Phil Coulson.

Back in Asgard Loki discovers that he was an adopted son, he is actually a frost giant adopted by Odin. Overcome with Stress Odin falls asleep to recuperate. Loki takes charge and offers the Frost Giants the chance to Kill Odin and take the Casket, They accept. Meanwhile Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun are unhappy with Thor’s Exile and convince Heimdall Gate Keeper of the Bifrost Bridge (a way of travelling between worlds) to allow them to travel to Earth and bring back Thor.

Thor manages to escape from SHILED with the help of Fosters Mentor Dr. Selvig.  Thor tells Jane of Asgard and the bridges that connect the worlds. Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun arrive on Earth and locate Thor. Loki knows of their plan and sends The Destroyer. A Big Indestructible Automaton and tells it to kill Thor and his Friends. Thor’s friends are defeated by it and Thor asks Loki to kill him and spare his friends. The Destroyer attacks Thor and nearly kills him; however this is a cause worthy enough for him to wield the Mjolnir. The Hammer flies out of the ground and returns to Thor giving him back his Power. Thor defeats the Destroyer and returns to Asgard with his Friends Kissing Jane Goodbye and vowing to return.

Back on Asgard Loki reveals his true plan, he kills the Frost Giants sent to kill Odin, he can then use this attempt on Odin’s life to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifrost  Bridge proving himself to Odin. Thor battles Loki and destroys the Bifrost  Bridge stranding himself on Asgard. Odin reawakens and saves the brothers falling through the worlds. Loki allows himself to fall to his death knowing that he has disappointed Odin once again. Thor makes amends with his father Odin and admits that he is not ready to be king. Meanwhile on Earth Jane and her team look for a way to open a portal to Asgard so she can reunite with Thor.

With this being a Marvel Film there is an extra scene after the Credits but you are going to have to find that out about that yourself.

Thor is a Very Good Film. It has a story which is set in a simple layout of Beginning, Middle and End. It is not too complicated either which makes it a thrilling story and very interesting as well. The Cast help the story out with Chris Hemsworth playing Thor. Hemsworth is not playing Thor; He is Thor, the role was made for Hemsworth. Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster in another amazing role; this along with Star Wars and V for Vendetta is another brilliant film role for Portman. Anthony Hopkins plays Odin, I have not seen many Anthony Hopkins films, alright one and that was The Mask of Zorro but he was brilliant in this as well as he was in Zorro. Idris Elba plays Heimdall the Gate Keeper. His non emotional look makes him look fearsome and dangerous. Heimdall does not appear as much as the other characters but his scenes are very Good. The cast includes many other characters like Dr. Selvig played by Stellan Skarsgård. Kat Dennings character Darcy Lewis is very good as one of Jane Fosters Assistants.

In terms of a soundtrack you don’t really notice one because you are engrossed in the film. I do think for this film the perfect choice for the music would be some Heavy Metal; it just seems to come together when you think about it. The films effects are also well made; it is one of those now rare occurrences where the film makers stopped working on the effect when the effect was achieved. They got to a point where they achieved a realistic effect and just left it there, they did not do anymore to it they just left it and it works. I was a bit sceptical about the choice of Director for the film. I was unsure how Kenneth Branagh was going to make a Superhero Movie, but it was a very Good film and he has made something Special.

Overall Thor is an amazing film with a Brilliant Story, Brilliant Characters and Brilliant Effects. It is an amazing film and if you like Superhero movies you will love this, Watch Thor it is one of the Movie Events of the Year (along with Transformers 3, Sherlock Holmes 2 and Battle Los Angeles).

GENEPOOL