Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Galavant Sings His Way into Our Hearts - For Now
We here at the Ace of Geeks have been looking forward to Galavant ever since the first trailers dropped. What was not to like - a musical comedy, with music by the team behind Tangled (legendary composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater), and a villain played by Timothy Omundson. It seemed like the exact sort of goofy distraction the mid-season break needed. And thank god, it's going to stay as just that.
Monday, January 5, 2015
The Stars of the Raid 2 Join The Force Awakens!
Well, looks like J.J. Abrams and Co. have more secrets to reveal about The Force Awakens. Today, the big news was that three of the stars of Indonesia's The Raid 2 have joined the cast of the next Star Wars film - or rather, have been working on it for some time. Deadline reports that Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian (above), and Cecep Arif Rahman will have roles in the film.
Those of you who haven't seen The Force Awakens may not realize why this is exciting news, but this means that three of the top, innovative stunt fighters in the world will have a part in the film. I doubt Lucasfilm brought them in to do ballroom dancing, and we can't wait to see what they can do with lightsabers. Hit the jump for an example of what you might expect from these three this December.
Here's a good example of why you should be excited:
Scarlett Johansson signs on for Ghost in the Shell
It's been rumored for some time, but now it's official: Variety is reporting that Scarlett Johansson will star in a live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. The film is to be produced by Dreamworks, and will be directed by Rupert Sanders, who's previous directing credits include Snow White and the Huntsman and...well, just that, it turns out.
So yes, with white-washed casting and an inexperienced director who's only known for a terrible film, this has disaster written all over it. I can't wait to see what English name they'll give her - Mary Carter or something, probably. Look, Hollywood, we just dodged the Akira American remake bullet, why do you keep doing this?
The Librarians and the Fables of Doom recap!
It was brought to my attention by one of our readers (OK - my daughter) that I have been messing up the numbering of the episodes. I am one behind on my numbering, because I took the two-hour premiere as a single episode. It's considered two episodes. So I apologize for that, and it will be corrected going forward. Today, I have some thoughts that I'd like to share about the characters.
"The Librarians" has fast become one of my favorite TV shows - one that I choose to set the DVR for, as opposed to waiting for it to post online. I love how the team is becoming more cohesive and their roles are becoming more clearly defined. Their family dynamic is becoming more evident as well. Here are my observations:
Flynn Carsen is still the same Flynn that we saw in the movies, His rapid-fire speech and sudden starts and stops provide the shot of comedic effect, but his presence is a chaotic distraction from the stability that Eve is trying to provide for the team. He's like an absent father who comes back once in a while to make sure they still know he's alive and trying to be in charge. I'm thinking that this role is transitional, as are the roles of Judson and Charlene. As the series goes on we will see less and less of them.
Eve Baird is becoming a "mama bear" type, a true Guardian and protector. After all, who better to protect the kids than a mom? Moms will fight fiercely to keep the kids safe, and try to make sure that they don't have a bad day... even if it embarrasses them. Yet she does avoid becoming a helicopter mom. She remembers that the kids do have their own skills and talents, and they'll be alright.
Jake Stone is becoming the quintessential big brother, especially where Cassandra is concerned. He can get her to focus when she starts overloading, and keeps her balanced. He doesn't trust her anymore, but he does provide the kind of support she needs. He always seems to be keeping an eye on her, in spite of - or perhaps because of his distrust. He's also a good back-up for Eve in situations where a second gun (or sword, or fist) is required. That fits in with the concept of a household with an absent father, with the oldest son taking on the role of "man of the house."
Cassandra Cillian is the little sister who keeps getting shoved to the back of the line until her skills are needed. She wants to be recognized for what she can do and hasn't figured out yet how to effectively assert herself, so she patiently waits until called upon. But don't piss her off. As we saw in the last episode, the potential for her to be really bad-ass lurks deep in her dark side. I'm hoping a way will be found to rid her of the brain tumor without taking away her skills, because her character really is a valuable part of the group.
Ezekiel Jones is definitely showing that he's more than just a snot-nosed little brother. He still wants to be the rock star, but he's learning the value of being a part of a team - and a family group. He has the street smarts to get out of sticky situations, but lacks the discipline and experience to do it in a way that doesn't have an "oops, didn't think really think that through" attached to it.
Jenkins is definitely the uncle who acts as a mentor - he's picked his favorite kid, and that would be Zeke. The growing respect between them is becoming more evident the more they learn about each other. Jenkins has both the discipline and the experience to guide Zeke through things in such a way that Zeke can learn from it and follow through, without the "oops" factor. I hope that we see more of their teamwork - and possibly some shenanigans from them too. Jenkins seems so serious sometimes, but I am sure he is hiding a wicked sense of humor in his coat pocket.
What do you think? Do my observations make sense, or am I missing something? I'd love to hear about it in the comment box below!
Friday, January 2, 2015
First (Ant-Sized) Trailer for Ant Man!
You cheeky, cheeky little jerks, Marvel. Once again, they're promoting their TV shows by throwing an entire trailer at us during the airing of Agent Carter, on January 6th. Which is awesome. But to promote that, they're giving us the entire trailer right now on Youtube! What? Check it out after the jump.
Episode 132: Aaaaaaand Jim!
It's 2015, and before we start putting steel buckets on our heads and eating dehydrated Pizza, Mike and "Jarys" bring you our thoughts on the year that was. We'll discuss Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, A Link Between Worlds,the horror of Cocktail Parties, the upcoming Wonder Woman film, and the idea of getting kicked in the nuts for a living. Not to mention previews of all the goodness to come in 2015 from the Ace of Geeks!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
2014 Favorite Moments: I'm a God Damn Wizard.
My lovely wife and I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this year. One of the things they sell is wands - in previous years, they were just fun little accessories, but this year they were actually part of the show - at different points in the parks, if you waved them in the correct way different magical things would happen, like water falling from the sky or store windows lighting up. It's a really cool thing.
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