5 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FLASH MOVIE

On TV, DC seems to dominate in terms of network shows. Arrow, the Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Gotham, and even somehow Lucifer have all gotten great reviews and have attracted many loyal fans that come back week after week. For some reason, they can't seem to strike the same chord with the films as of yet. Although I personally loved Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad I can see where they would have their critics. I have a strong feeling that is all going to change this year with Wonder Woman and Justice League.

Aquaman was recently given a release date, which tells us that the movie is moving forward with little to no speed bumps. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the upcoming Flash film. In the not too distant past the film has lost two directors, both fan favorite choices, Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa. While the star, Ezra Miller, has obviously stayed put, it does cause worry among the fan community. Many fans think, much like myself, why bother with a solo Flash film when the TV series is on the air and extremely successful?

He's no Stephen Amell, but he's still a good lookin dude . . . 

Regardless of what we may say, Warner Bros is still gung ho about making a Flash film starring Ezra Miller. While I get it, he's a young talent and this film will definitely showcase that, the film will have some heavy competition with its TV counterpart. So if the film is going to go full steam ahead, I think there needs to be some rules in place to really set it apart from the show. It might look the same, but it will feel different. Here's how some suggestions from an ordinary Comic Junkie . . . 

THE ROGUES

While the TV show has been giving us really cool twists on the Flash's rogues, part of me misses the classic Rogues from the comics. For example, Heatwave and Captain Cold are/were the heroes on Legends of Tomorrow. While I liked their transition and I love Legends a lot, part of me wishes that they would just be the bad guys again. Plus one thing the series never did was have a crap ton of the Rogues team up and fight the Flash. Sure we got Cold, Heatwave, and Golden Glider, and a few variations on that, it wasn't quite the same. The Rogues are a twisted group of dudes that think they're living the American Dream. Their job is to rob banks and get away with it and damn anyone that gets in the way. They might be the bad guys but they're not evil. I think seeing a proper Rogue treatment on film would be a good way to separate it from the series. I expected Cold and the Rogues to be mainstays on the show but instead they were put aside in favor of the Multiverse and Time Travel stories. Don't get me wrong, I love those stories and they've been great to see, there's still that side of me that wants Cold leading the Rogues into battle.

BARRY'S DAY JOB

One thing that the show is sort of lacking on is Barry's day job as a Forensic Analyst for the Central City Police Department. Every now and then they touch on it, but for the most part the show deals with how the team at STAR Labs is going to fight the Rogue of the Week as opposed to the police doing it. That works well for the TV show but I'm hoping we get to see more of Barry's quirky side doing CSI work for the police. It would also be fun to see him solve a crime involving metahumans with his CSI partners and fellow detectives. The CSI component is often overlooked in the comic books but to me, it should be an essential part of the The Flash's story. I mean, being a pilot is always talked about in Green Lantern and there's never a Batman story without Wayne Enterprises in some capacity. Except for Batman and Batman Returns . . . Seriously . . . But you get the idea! I think having Barry be a brilliant but awkward CSI detective will help make his film different not only from the TV show but from other superhero films as well. 

BIG BUDGET SUPER SPEED!

Here's a few things that we can all agree on:

• The Flash, while having a TV budget, has done incredible things with the Flash's powers. Almost every episode features some sort of jaw dropping imagery.
• X-Men: Days of Future Past and Apocalypse have shown us really spectacular super speed sequences. They're visually exciting and very entertaining. 
• The Flash's cameo in Suicide Squad was one of the best moments in the entire film.

Now . . . with those thoughts in mind let's think about how much fun a Flash live action movie could be! With a much larger budget, and keeping that brief Suicide Squad moment in mind, a super speed fight between Flash and Reverse Flash or Zoom or Black Flash or whatever could be extremely exciting! Like I said, X-Men made great use of Quicksilver in those films and I'd love to see something like that in a Flash movie. Except more than just one or two scenes. Like giant action set pieces that take place in the blink of an eye but we get to see it from the Flash's perspective. That would be amazing!

FLASHPOINT

I don't have many complaints about the Flash series but I truly think that their adaptation of Flashpoint was not handled well. I mean it was fine for what it was but considering that in the comic book Barry changed the lives of everyone around him and not just in Central City, it was kind of weak. I know they don't have characters like Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman to play with but it still could have been much more exciting than it was. It was all over and the ramifications of it are the driving force behind Season 3 as opposed to the actual event itself which could have been much more exciting.

In any event, since the TV show couldn't utilize all the other Justice League members, I'd love to see it tackled in the films at some point. Maybe it won't be the first Flash film but a sequel or later would be awesome. I mean, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been cast as Thomas Wayne already! It would be a no brainer to include him as a rough around the edges Batman! Even if that was the only thing that made it to the Flashpoint film I would be happy. 

FLASH OF TWO WORLDS

I've said it before and I'll say it again - how great would it be if Grant Gustin got to cameo as an alternate Barry Allen in The Flash film? In the Flash season two, Barry traveled through the multiverse and saw a glimpse of John Wesley Shipp's original Flash TV series. That was a really cool moment for fans. It was a way to tie the two shows together without actually having to tie them together. I think the same thing should happen in the films. They should show alternate speedsters throughout the multiverse and one of them is Grant Gustin. It would be a great nod to the fans of the show and a way to kind of open the doors for a crossover at some point. Of course a crossover between the movies and TV shows is unlikely but it doesn't have to be impossible. I'd be willing to sit through that! That would be TV history just like they made TV history last month by having the mega crossover episodes! Come on! Let's do it! 

These are just my ideas here. I don't know what's going to happen with the Flash movie. I am curious to see if Warner Bros decides to go ahead with the movie or not. If done right, it could be really exciting and very different from the TV show. I'm hoping that will be the case. Warner Bros doesn't have much good will left with fans. They better play their cards right! 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie! 

2017 - THE YEAR HOLLYWOOD MADE MOVIES FROM MY 8 YEAR OLD WISH LIST

2016 was, arguably, one of the strangest movie years ever. A movie like Deadpool had better critical success than Batman v Superman. The part that people remember most about Captain America: Civil War was that Spider-Man was in it. Independence Day: Resurgence came and went so quick that I bet you forgot it existed till I just mentioned it! I mean . . . WHAT A YEAR! It's been a long, strange road in 2016. Personally, I was not a big fan of this year. Although I had fun, I think it's safe to say we've ended on a downer.

Shudder . . . 

Regardless, I'm happy to say that I think we have a lot to look forward to next year. What with that guy's impeachment, great new movies to look forward to, and just the usual "new year, new me" crap that everyone tries. Today we're gonna focus on the upcoming movies for next year. As always there are quite a few, but I'd like to narrow it down to the ones I'm specifically excited for and what I'm hoping to get out of them. Here we go!

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE 

FEBRUARY 10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQUKzSDhrg

I can't even begin to describe how exciting this movie is for me. We'll start with the obvious - I love Batman and Batman's the best yadda yadda yadda. But seriously, he is. 

I remember seeing the previews for The Lego Movie and thinking it looked so funny because it was the movie I had written in my head when I was a kid playing with Legos. The Lego Batman Movie is definitely an extension of that. Granted, there were no Batman Legos when I was a kid but I did play with my Batman action figures every day, coming up with new adventures for the Caped Crusader. I see these previews and I can't help but think that Hollywood was stalking my childhood (more on that later). 

The Lego Movie was surprisingly a very deep movie with some interesting twists and turns in the plot. I'm hoping to see something similar in Batman. Given that, as per usual with a Batman film, there is a stellar cast involved, we'll get some great performances. I'm hoping that like the Lego Movie did a few years ago, this film will challenge its audience a little bit. Either way, it's going to be incredible to see such creative takes on Batman and his rogues and allies. 

LOGAN

MARCH 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo

Wow. What a gorgeous trailer. I've said time and time again that I'm a sucker for a good trailer. Often, if a good song or score is put in the trailer it can really enhance the viewing experience of it. In this case, with Johnny Cash's "Hurt" playing in the background, it makes the whole film seem so sad. And let's face it, it is sad! It's going to be Hugh Jackman's last performance as Wolverine/Logan. He's been playing this character since 2000's X-Men. For many fans, like myself, we grew up on those films and he's been a mainstay for all of them.

Most of us were hoping for an Old Man Logan adaptation in this film. While it looks like we're getting a bit of that flavor with the post apocalyptic looking world, although that may not entirely be the case, we unfortunately won't get to see characters like Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, Spider-Girl, Red Skull, and the others that helped make that comic so memorable and, quite frankly, haunting. 

I'm definitely excited for this film. It looks to have the bittersweet send off that I think Hugh Jackman deserves for Logan. Given that this will be the first Wolverine film that's rated R, I think we'll be in for a treat. Not that I'm a big fan of violence, blood, guts, and all that stuff, but I think a proper Old Man Logan story deserves a higher rating to ensure the action scenes aren't toned down. It doesn't have to be messy, but I do expect it to get just a wee bit uncomfortable. After all, Wolverine has never been one to shy away from violence. 

KONG: SKULL ISLAND

MARCH 10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9y6oPka3us

Now this should be interesting! I remember seeing the trailers for Godzilla a few years ago and being so excited for that film. While I was only semi-disappointed with that movie, I have higher hopes for Kong. I think Godzilla delivered on some great imagery and really cool monster fights. I'm hoping that Kong will tackle a little more of the man vs nature story that was sort of glossed over in Godzilla. 

Plus this cast has Loki, Captain Marvel, Nick Fury, Denarian Dey, and John Goodman (he doesn't have a cool Marvel name yet). In terms of acting, those are some heavy hitters, even if John C. Reilly lays on the comic relief a little too thick for my tastes. However, the movie itself looks fantastic and really intriguing. 

I was a fan of Peter Jackson's King Kong from 2005. I've since changed my opinion on that, given that I rewatched it a few weeks ago and I found myself fast forwarding several times. I mean, the movie is WAY too long. I mean like WAY too long. Like I watched it and was late for my wedding, and I didn't even have a girlfriend when the film started. Ok, Ok! I'm done with that. (seriously though . . . too long). 

I don't think this film will suffer the same ridiculous run time. I'm excited to see what happens and what teases we'll get for the eventual Kong v Godzilla: Dawn of Monsters we're supposed to get in 2020. That will definitely be a fun movie! 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

MARCH 17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvW_L8sTu5E

Remember how I said that Hollywood was stalking my childhood? I mean . . . there's plenty of proof! Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite animated movies and stage musicals. I remember seeing it on Broadway with my family when it was first produced and being totally blown away. I saw it a couple more times over the years at various venues. I never got tired of it. Even now, as an adult, I watch the animated film and I ugly cry throughout the whole thing. When I heard they were making a live action film AND it was going to be a musical, I couldn't contain my excitement. I'm not a super Broadway buff or anything, but I do love seeing musicals on stage. Of course it's different on film, but if it's done right then it can be a magical experience all the same. 

And that cast! Oh my gosh! Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellan, Josh Gad, oh my word . . . it's enough to make a man cry! And I will. On March 17, I will be crying. I'm secure enough in my masculinity where I can say that! 

I will say that I don't think the Beast's look is as scary as it was in the animated version, but I think it won't matter once I'm watching the film. I love that Disney is bringing these old classics to life. Some (ok most) will say that it's clearly Hollywood running out of ideas. I won't disagree but at the same time, I look at my nephews and my friends' children and I love the idea that they get to grow up with these movies just like I did, albeit in a different way. And this one is very special to me.

POWER RANGERS

MARCH 24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-C4qqsgs8w

March is going to be a very busy month for me! I mean there are four movies in a row that I can't wait to see! I've previously said how excited I was for Power Rangers, so there's no need for me to reiterate that here. I will however say that I am very excited . . . Ok so I did reiterate that . . . What more do you want?

I'm really loving the slow burn of information we're getting about the film. Like the poster above shows us the Zords but only a little. As of this writing, we still don't know what Zordon looks like, we know what Alpha 5 looks like but not how Bill Hader's voice sounds with the character. We know that Goldar and the Putties are in the film but not what they look like either. All we know for sure is that there are 5 teenagers, Rita, and Angel Grove. I'm excited to see this movie and my imagination is running wild as of right now.

Oh and that! That's the toy version of the Megazord. It's what you're getting me for Christmas. Thank you in advance.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 

MAY 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW1BIid8Osg

Guardians of the Galaxy was definitely one of Marvel's best films. It was great because, let's face it, it kind of wasn't supposed to be. It looked weird, its two most famous actors were voice overs, and it was headlined by a supporting actor from an NBC sitcom. 

The chubby idiot as Honest Trailers called him . . .

Against all odds, audiences were "hooked on a feeling" with the first film and it became a smash hit. I saw it and was blown away. I was laughing, cheering, and tearing up. It did everything it was supposed to do. The funny thing is that it felt like such a big movie and the second one looks even bigger judging by this trailer and the teaser that James Gunn released previously. Luckily, we still don't know that much about the movie. We know we'll meet Peter Quill's real father and that Groot is a youngling. That's . . . about it. I love that. I also love that the film is largely removed from the rest of the Marvel Universe. We don't need any more set ups for Infinity War. Of course, they will probably allude to or possibly even include Thanos in some fashion in this film, but I don't think it's necessary and I don't think anyone will miss it if that stuff is excluded this time around. 

Either way, I'm very excited to see what happens in this film. Guardians is one of my favorite Marvel films and I have high hopes for the second one. 

ALIEN: COVENANT

MAY 19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjLamj-b0I8

Man . . . Prometheus was so disappointing. I mean it was not that great. And there's like no reason for that. It had a great cast, great director, great concept . . . It just got all muddled up somewhere. I don't even know how to explain it. But that's all behind us now! We've got a new Alien movie to look forward to and it actually will have the Aliens in it!

Although I do hope we see more of this guy! He's creepy af! 

As of this writing we do not have a trailer for the movie so I've included the trailer to the original Alien from 1979. It still holds up in my opinion. I'm hoping if Covenant is scaled back then we will get a truly terrifying Alien film again. The Alien films were some of the first horror films I ever really loved as a kid. They terrified me but also fascinated me. I wanted to see more aliens and learn more about them. I hope that Covenant actually gives more backstory and explains them a bit more. Like, do they have a life stage that we haven't seen between chestburster and adult? Is there a stage after adult? These are the things I think about while you're at work all day!

I just want it to be good. It's been so long since we've had a good Alien movie. 

Preach it, sister!

WONDER WOMAN

JUNE 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8fG0TtVAY

Almost every time someone is cast in a DC role, the "fans" get all riled up. And almost every time once they see the film they say, "Oh yeah they're great!" Gal Gadot was once one of those cast members that received unnecessary hate from fans and for dumb reasons (she's a woman and her boobs weren't big enough . . . seriously, I hate the fans sometimes). However, Gadot gave an awesome and memorable performance in Batman v Superman. She proved herself an equal to Bruce's ingenuity and an equal to Clark's strength. After her scenes, I genuinely couldn't wait to see her in a solo Wonder Woman film.

So we'll get to the obvious point - this film is long overdue! Even if you don't know much about comic books, Wonder Woman is still easily recognizable and known to casual audiences. Whether it's the Lynda Carter series from the 70s, the merchandise, or even her appearances on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. People know her. She's kind of a big deal. I love that we're finally getting a proper Wonder Woman film. I'm hoping that this film will stand on its own two feet as opposed to needing cameos from Batman or Superman to give it credibility. I think audiences, male and female alike, are more than ready for a bad ass Wonder Woman film. I know I am! 

And darn it . . . She's so dang beautiful. I literally can't even right now!

THE MUMMY

JUNE 9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHgzkQM2Sg

This may surprise you, but one of my favorite movies as a kid was The Mummy with Brendan Fraser. I thought it was funny, fun, scary, and really exciting to watch. Plus, I had only known Fraser from George of the Jungle so I was surprised to see him as a swashbuckling hero. I thought he was awesome in the role (still do). I loved the 30s setting, Arnold Vosloo and the special effects on him, and I developed an everlasting crush on Rachel Weisz. It was a good time. Needless to say when I heard Universal wanted to make a "shared universe" for their movie monsters I was skeptical. Shared universes are the name of the game since The Avengers did it so successfully. 

However, my fears were put to rest, mummified if you will, when I heard that Tom Cruise was going to be in the film. I love Tom Cruise. He's one of my favorite actors. I will admit that he's done the occasional bad film, but for the most part I think he gives great performances in all of his movies. I think the fact that he's in this film and is giving it his recommendation is good enough for me. Plus, Russell Crowe is playing Dr. Jekyll. I mean . . . how awesome is that? 

More than anything, I want the film to be scary. I want it to be exciting. I want it to be engaging. Those are the things I'm looking for when these properties are rebooted. If you're going to bring back The Mummy, you better have a damn good reason to do it! 

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

JULY 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-dF1lIbIg.

This movie comes out on my 30th birthday. How cool is that? Have I said that before? I probably have. Anyway, it's Spider-Man's first official solo film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is definitely a big deal. While I am bummed that Andrew Garfield is no longer playing Peter, I'm willing to see what Tom Holland does with the character. 

What makes this exciting for me is that it looks to be more like the Ultimate Spider-Man comics I loved so much. Those were the Spider-Man comics that I "grew up with" despite reading all of them as an adult (early 20s). Those were the ones that I wanted to see adapted to film. If that's the direction that Marvel goes in then I'm definitely on board. 

What I'm really excited about is that this film feels a lot smaller in comparison to the other Marvel films. For the most part, it's just Spider-Man flying around. Sure he wants to be a big time superhero but I think he's good staying in New York dealing with smaller threats like the Vulture and those guys. Then he can take on Thanos in 2018 with the rest of the Avengers. For now, I'm looking forward to a smaller superhero film that leads to something bigger. 

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

JULY 14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEP1Mk6Un98

I talked about how Hollywood is seemingly bringing my childhood dreams to life with a lot of these 2017 movies. Well . . . this is the exception. Planet of the Apes is a relatively new love for me. I saw the original film and didn't really care for it as a kid. I saw the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes and thought it was OK. As time has gone on, I've liked it less and less. So when Rise of the Planet of the Apes was announced I didn't care about it. I watched the preview and thought, "Eh, it looks alright. I'll wait for it to rent." Much to my surprise, everyone was praising the film! They all loved it! 

True to my word, I waited for it come on DVD and I rented it. My town still had a Blockbuster! Can you believe that? Haha! Anyway, I watched it and I was in awe. The film was beautiful. I couldn't believe how toned down it was. The movie was all about Caesar and his conflict. Is he human? Is he ape? What is he? I was genuinely surprised. I expected a dumb action movie where apes suddenly become intelligent and rebel against humans. While that does happen in the movie, it happens much later after it's been earned. The build up is perfect and the ending made me smile, even though I knew that humanity was ultimately doomed. 

When Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was announced I was so excited. They said it was going to be 8 years later, which I didn't like at first, but I was still willing to give it a shot. And boy oh boy was it worth it. The movie had a great progression, great characters, great conflict, and felt like a true sequel. The 8 year gap that I thought would hurt the film actually helped it. I think it sets up this War perfectly. 

I love Andy Serkis's work as Caesar. It's a testament to great acting and I'm so mad that he may never be nominated for an Oscar for his work in these films. Caesar has become one of my favorite film characters. A lesser actor would have just tried to make the character some sort of human/ape hybrid, but not Serkis. He let the more human aspects of Caesar be developed over these movies. Already I can tell we'll see less Ape in Caesar in this film and that's how it should be. I can't wait!

IT

SEPTEMBER 8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPdDdC4go6c

Again, this is a very new love for me. I only recently got into It about a year and a half ago. I watched the Tim Curry TV movie and really enjoyed it. True it may be severely dated and it's clear that there were limits with the TV budget but man oh man! They did some great stuff with what little they had. Curry's performance will be hard to top. Just watch the scene I included and you'll see for yourself. 

I have high hopes for what can be done with a big budget adaptation of the novel. I've read the book and fell in love with it. And hated it. It's terrifying. But that's the point! The movie is supposedly split into two parts with the first part taking place in the past with the children and then part two will be their encounter with Pennywise as adults. That's definitely the way to go, although I was hoping for a limited series but this will probably work too. 

And look at that image! Bill Skarsgard looks terrifying, I'm definitely hoping we'll get a trailer to see what the film has in store. For now though, I'm going to change my shorts cuz that clown is creepy af!

THOR: RAGNAROK

NOVEMBER 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=advsN-DfY2k

We do not have a trailer yet, but I wanted to include something so here's the Hulk vs Thor fight from the first Avengers film. Because it's awesome and I was cheering during that fight in the movie theater. I'm personally loving that the more recent Marvel films, with the exception of Doctor Strange, aren't afraid to pair up (or more) the heroes. I mean it's one thing to get an Avengers film every couple of years but having Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Falcon in Ant-Man, and just about everybody in Captain America: Civil War makes these movies feel more like the comic books. Plus this film will finally shut all those people up that want to see a Planet Hulk movie. I do not want to see that. I was not a fan of the comic. I did like World War Hulk though . . . that was cool. But I digress . . . 

The other thing that's exciting about this movie is the cast! Jeff Goldblum, Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Karl Urban, and of course, as evidenced by the mid credit scene in his film, Benedict Cumberbatch! If it were any other movie that cast would be exciting but the fact that it's a Thor movie makes it even better! I loved the first Thor film. I didn't care for the second one, but his appearances in the Avengers were always awesome and fun to watch. And so far Mark Ruffalo's performance as Bruce Banner and the mo cap work on the Hulk has been phenomenal. Seeing those two characters on a "buddy cop cosmic quest" will be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see what this movie looks like and how it will set up Avengers: Infinity War and future Thor and Hulk adventures.

JUSTICE LEAGUE

NOVEMBER 17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gglkYMGRYlE

Now this . . . This is the one! I don't care what anyone says I loved Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Ultimate Edition was the movie that I wanted to see and I was so happy that I got the movie I wanted. I really can't wait to see what happens with Justice League. This is definitely the ultimate movie for me. I've always wanted to see a live action Justice League film. I loved the Justice League animated series when I was growing up. Even now I watch it on Netflix and it still holds up. It's such a fun series but there are very deep, complex themes that adults can really latch onto. That's what I think the live action film needs to capture. 

Yes, we all want to see all the League members shine and have their moment to kick ass. But we also need to see them together learning to work together and be a family. I'm definitely excited to see the team interact just based on that little bit of footage from Comic Con. We still don't know what will happen when Superman returns (no pun intended). We don't know what exactly Steppenwolf, Darkseid, or whatever is planning. All we know is that Bruce Wayne is trying to form the Justice League and it's not going so well. I can't wait to see what happens with this movie. I think given that the producers have promised a "lighter tone" than the previous films that we'll see a more traditional Justice League story. It will be exciting, fun, scary, and have good amounts of humor laced throughout it. That's what I'm hoping for! Also . . . IT'S THE FREAKING JUSTICE LEAGUE!!!

STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII

DECEMBER 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQQMLE4FuIQ

Oh my goodness! Where do we even begin? The Force Awakens was one of the best movie experiences I've ever had. I knew just about nothing about the film, it was an old favorite from my childhood, and to top it off - the movie was actually really, really good. How often does that happen? I think Rian Johnson and the cast and crew of Episode VIII have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to make a great film but they have to make a great Star Wars film. As we've seen, that is not easy to do. The films are either really great and beloved by all or universally panned forever. I do have high hopes for this one though. Luke Skywalker is my favorite Star Wars character. I thought Mark Hamill made a great transition from boy to man in the original films. I'd love to see where his character is at now.

Has he lost confidence? Is he trying to find a way to redeem himself or Kylo? He kept the map a secret but not impossible to find. Perhaps he knew someone would find him! And what is his connection to Rey? Is he her father or is he something else? I can't wait to find out!

JUMANJI

DECEMBER 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbMQBnEqzyA

Holy shit, guys! Remember Jumanji? What a weird movie. I mean it's pretty awesome. After Robin Williams died, I watched a bunch of his movies again. So much of his stuff was a part of my childhoood. There was Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, and of course Jumanji. I remember reading the book as a kid and really liking it. When they announced a movie version starring him I was very excited. I remember the movie really freaking me out as a kid. I mean, it's kinda scary! All those creatures coming out of the game and how do you get them back in the game when all that stuff is trying to kill you! It was trippy man! Having rewatched it as an adult I can safely say that I do still love that movie. There are some good lessons in there about standing up for yourself, family, and second chances. It's a pretty great movie. I'm tearing up a bit . . . 

So what's going on with the second one? Well, we don't really know that much about it. It looks like the majority of the film takes place in the game itself but rumor has it that it's now a video game some kids get trapped in. And the Rock is there! So . . . it should be OK. Kevin Hart is pretty funny, Jack Black has his moments (I liked him in Goosebumps), and Karen Gillan is just . . . wow! So the cast looks cool. Plus, Dwayne Johnson has said that this film will honor the film before it as a tribute to Robin Williams. So far, so good. We probably won't get a trailer for a few more months seeing as how it's not due till Christmas 2017. Bummer . . . 

As a side note I want to confess something - I've got a bit of a man crush on Dwayne Johnson. I mean, yeah the dude is good looking, but he seems like a genuinely awesome guy. I see his posts on Instagram and Snapchat and I really admire the kind of celebrity he is. He's very gracious to his fans, he's always up front with his feelings, he does a lot of charity work, he really just doesn't seem like a cheesy, flashy guy. He seems like a real person, despite looking like he's made of pure concrete. Maybe that's why they call him the Rock . . . Hmmm . . . Seriously though, I admire this guy. He puts his heart and soul into all his films and promotes them all with so much passion and it doesn't seem like he does it because he's getting pressure from the studio executives. He seems to genuinely be excited about all his projects. If I ever become famous, I would want to be that type of celebrity. He's the primary reason I'm excited for a Jumanji follow up. I have high hopes for it after seeing his funny Instagram videos like the one I shared above. I can't wait to see what it looks like!

Now you may have noticed I left off The Fate of the Furious and Transformers: the Last Knight. I did that deliberately because believe it or not I'm not a big fan of those franchises. The Fast and Furious movies have never really done it for me. Although I loved the first Transformers film I've hated the sequels more and more as they've come out. They had some great trailers, great posters, awesome visuals, but the films have been utterly terrible. And I'm not seeing this new one! You won't trick me again, Michael Bay! You won't!

Oh man . . . That looks so cool . . . 

I'm very much looking forward to all these films this year. It's going to be the year that my childhood came back. Which I've been saying for 3 years now . . . But whatever! I'm gonna be 30! I'm feeling old! Don't judge me!

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

7 THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

After a long time waiting (ok like 7 months) we've finally gotten our first look at Marvel's upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming reboot. I've talked before on what would be cool to see in the film or future films, or even where Spidey should go next. Personally, I lobbied for him to pop up in other films and TV shows before getting his own film. However, that's not what happened and for better or for worse, we're getting a brand new Spider-Man film next summer. We can safely assume that it's for the better because the trailer looks freaking great, Robert Downey, Jr is in it, and Tom Holland is already being touted as the best version of the character thus far. In my opinion that's a bit premature but I think we're on the way to a great version of Spidey, one that works well with the other MCU stars.

As a lifelong Spider-Man fan, and as a fan of the previous 5 films, (six if you count Captain America: Civil War) I've got a certain wish list of things I've always wanted to see in a Spidey film that I haven't gotten to see yet. What are they? Well . . . I'm glad you asked!

NO LOVE INTEREST

This one may already be happening, based on what little we know of the film, but this is something that I definitely think needs to take a backseat. Two of the best Marvel films to date are Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. You know what those two have in common? They don't have a love story. Guardians is kind of about creating your own dysfunctional family and Winter Soldier is more about trusting yourself and learning to trust those closest to you, with a slight hint of bromance. I love those movies and they work very well without a love story or even so much of a hint of a love story. Sure Quill flirts around and Widow keeps trying to set Rogers up, but it doesn't really happen. The film works fine without pay offs to those threads. 

The past 5, that's right FIVE, Spider-Man films have been about Peter being in love with Mary Jane (who treated him like shit in all those movies) or Gwen (who he treated like shit in those two movies). I think we're done with that for a while. Peter has had a great many love interests in the comic books from MJ to Gwen to Liz Allan to Betty Brandt to Black Cat to Kitty Pryde (in the Ultimate Universe) and so on and so forth, but I think we as the audience need a break. This film needs to be about Peter learning to love himself and his powers as Spider-Man. The love story can wait. It's been done . . . let's move on!

AUNT MAY

Marisa Tomei is Aunt May. While that may seem like an unconventional choice given her age, I think she can pull it off. But let's think about this - Tomei is an Academy Award winning actor. GIVE HER SOMETHING TO DO. One of the issues I had with the Amazing Spider-Man films was that Sally Field was criminally underused as Aunt May. When she was on screen she was damn near perfect and kicked a lot of ass, well emotionally, but she didn't get to stretch as much as Rosemary Harris did in the original Spider-Man films. As it goes with superheroes, their parents are often the most important characters in the films one way or another. Batman loses his and tries to embody his father's ideals, Superman is a man from two worlds and chooses to embrace both of them going forward, and Spider-Man has his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Ben gives him the "great responsibility" speech (more on that later) and May is his lighthouse when he loses his way. She's the cool mother everyone needs. She always knows the right thing to say. When she has nothing but the shirt on her back, she'd give it to Peter to keep warm without a second thought. She's the most kind hearted woman in the world and loves Peter like he was her own son. Harris brought that to life for me in the original films. I think Field did as well, she just wasn't given the screen time because those films focused on Peter's father (who's a douche). Let's get back to the here and now. Aunt May is there for Peter here and now. She loves him so much and would do anything for her boy. That's the May I want to see. 

TONY STARK . . . BUT NOT LIKE A LOT OF TONY STARK

I think we can all agree that one of the highlights of Captain America: Civil War was Tony meeting Peter. Granted, it doesn't make a lot of sense unless Tony is also recruiting other teenagers with powers to be Avengers but let's not think too much on it! Either way, Downey and Holland worked well together and had good chemistry. It's going to be a cool, sort of passing the torch, moment for Peter and Tony in Homecoming I think. Not that Tony is going anywhere any time soon, but we've got to assume that Downey is on his last couple of Marvel movies. Between this one and the next two Avengers films, Downey's time as Stark is limited. So let's make the most of him in Homecoming while we have him. 

BUT don't over do it. I mean, as much as I love seeing RDJ as Tony Stark, I don't want him to overpower the film. I felt he had a good balance in Civil War. He clearly was the co-star and not the main attraction. That film worked because his time in the film was utilized perfectly. Let's do that again, but maybe just a smidge less. I know there has already been an image of Iron Man flying next to Spidey, but let's not make it the Spider-Man/Iron Man team up film. Peter needs to have a journey in this film and that's going to be hard to do if the audience is waiting for Tony to show up every other scene. Instead, Tony needs to be the pseudo-Uncle Ben in this film. He'll help Peter when he needs it but he won't do the job for him. That's going to be very important. Obviously, Tony is no Uncle Ben but I think he will fancy himself as Parker's mentor. I think three or four solid scenes of Tony mentoring Peter or whatever is all we really need. Plus . . . the villain is the Vulture. I mean, how much help is Peter going to need with that guy? Not much . . . Not much. Speaking of which!

A GOOD VILLAIN . . . PLEASE MARVEL, PLEASE!!

Next to Batman, Spider-Man has comic's best rogues gallery. Most of the previous films have made good use of them but now we get to see a Spidey villain that we've never seen before - the Vulture. While he's not my favorite, I can get into it because it will allow for some pretty awesome aerial fights that we haven't seen yet in a live action Spider-Man film. Plus he's being played by one of my favorite actors ever Michael Keaton. 

There's just one little problem - Marvel has a tendency to cast wonderful actors as the bad guys and then give them next to nothing to do. I'm hoping this will not be the case with Michael Keaton. Kevin Feige, Marvel's Head Honcho, said that he wanted to tell a tale of two ordinary guys that get their hands on powers and how they each deal with it. Those two guys are Peter Parker and Adrian Toomes, the Vulture. Now, if it was up to me, I would have cast Michael Keaton as the Green Goblin or at least as Norman Osborn because I think he would excel at that role, but this is what we got. If that's the case and Keaton is going to be a one off villain then let's at least make him memorable. One of my favorite parts of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was that Electro had nothing to do with Peter Parker. He hated/loved Spider-Man and wanted to get at him. I hope they go a similar route with Toomes in Homecoming. There's no need for Peter to have yet another mentor that betrays him or something like that. I'd like to see a bad guy that hates Spider-Man just because he's in his way. That's more fitting with the Vulture from the comic books anyway. He has no beef with Peter Parker, he just wants to steal shit and hates it when Spider-Man gets in his way. Let's do more of that! And let's also not waste Michael Keaton in this film!

GREAT POWER, GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

The main theme of any good Spider-Man story is always this quote, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's wonderful to see it come to life in the way Peter uses his great power and the way his villains use their great power. Of course Peter uses it for great responsibility but his enemies always find ways to avoid that part. In Civil War, Peter has a great line where he says that, "When you can do what I can do and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you." I'm paraphrasing slightly but you get it. In his first moment in the MCU, Peter has already learned his greatest lesson. He knows that he has these powers for a reason and he has the power to stop bad things from happening to the world around him. Spider-Man's greatest stories have always revolved around this lesson. True, it gives Peter the biggest guilt complex in the world, but it helps him be a better hero. The needs of the many outweigh the needs/wants of the one. This was best shown in Spider-Man 2. Peter tries to deny his powers and he sees the big ramifications of it, the apartment building on fire, and the small ramifications, the young boy disheartened by Spider-Man's disappearance. I hope we get to see Peter learn this lesson again and try to teach it not only to his enemies but to Tony Stark and the other Avengers as well. 

NEW CHALLENGES / FEATS OF STRENGTH

You wanna know what has secretly bugged me about Spider-Man's powers in the comics? They are somewhat undefined. I mean, sometimes he's lifting a car like it's super heavy, other times he's facing the Hulk head on and holding his own. I mean . . . what's the deal? I think Peter does hold back quite a bit in the comics, in fact when Doc Ock took over his body he said as much, but Spider-Man should be one of the heavy hitters. Maybe he can't take on the Hulk without a little back up but he should be able to hold his own and get a few jabs in right? I think Spidey's powers should be tested and then verified. Don't make him super strong in one scene and the next he's barely holding his own against the freaking Vulture! 

The trailer shows Peter struggling to hold together a cruise ship that's been blown in half. I think this is the perfect scene to set up just how strong Spider-Man is. If he needs to let loose, let him let loose! If he needs to be more restrained like against the Avengers Thieves, then make a point to acknowledge that. It doesn't have to be said in every single scene, but I wouldn't mind it if Peter calls attention to his limits and tries to test them. Hell, isn't that what Tony is supposed to help him with? 

MORE COMEDY, LESS TRAGEDY

I said once that I think the best Batman stories are tragedies. I still believe that. It works well for Batman. It does not work as well for Spider-Man. The main problem I had with the Amazing Spider-Man films is that they seemed to have to include a Stacy funeral or they weren't doing their job right. While yes, Spider-Man is technically born in tragedy, as most great heroes are, I don't think he needs to be constantly defined by it. Uncle Ben's death is what motivates him to be a more proactive hero. That's it! That's all we need! I'm tired of seeing Spider-Man villains and allies killed off in every single film. Seriously! Think about it! Every single Spider-Man film has had at least one person die, usually more than that. Let's give it a rest or before you know it, they'll be killing off Tony Stark in this film! 

Now despite the Amazing films having a Stacy death in the third acts, as mandated by law apparently, one thing they got absolutely right was Spidey's humor. When Peter puts on the costume, he lets loose all his inhibitions and becomes a witty, sarcastic, albeit annoying crime fighter. It's pretty much his trademark. He's the Friendly Neighborhood Wall Crawler but he's going to talk your ear off the whole time. Whether it's intentional humor of him telling a cheesy joke or something funny happening to him, Spider-Man is definitely one of the funniest characters in comic books today. I certainly hope we see more of that in this film because that's one of the reasons I loved Spidey so much as a kid. I thought he was hysterical and he always got himself into hilarious situations. The film should almost be a comedy in my mind. It will definitely help separate it from the other films before it. 

These are just my thoughts on what I want to see next summer during Spider-Man: Homecoming. I love Spider-Man so much. Spider-Man 2 remains one of my all time favorite films. I'm hoping that this one will either top it or at least match its quality. I don't think that's too much to ask for right? . . . Right???!!!

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie! 

DC WEEK - LEGENDS OF TOMORROW!

Today is the final day of the epic 4 (but technically only 3) day crossover of the CW's DC superhero shows. This one features the so called Legends of Tomorrow. This is pretty exciting considering that the Legends will be standing up next to Green Arrow, the Flash, Supergirl, Spartan, and other heroes that they don't normally get to fight with.

Squeal!

Like Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow has done a fantastic job of introducing heroes and characters from the DC Comics that otherwise probably wouldn't have shown up on TV or Film like Hourman, Obsidian, Citizen Steel, and even Rip Hunter himself. This got me thinking though, there are two characters that I would absolutely love to see and they would fit in perfectly with the Legends crew. It's actually kind of surprising that they haven't shown up yet despite being, somewhat, teased throughout the other Arrowverse shows.

That's right kids! Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, specifically Ted Kord. In the comics, they were essentially a bumbling pair of superheroes that probably screwed up more than they actually saved the day. They were regular fixtures during the Justice League International comic along with Batman and Green Lantern Guy Gardner.

Nowadays, Ted Kord has taken on a mentor type role to Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle. While that's all well and good but I think that there is something to be gained from having Ted and Booster Gold team up with the Legends. True, the Legends already have a billionaire adventurer on their team with Ray Palmer, but I think Ted Kord is due for a proper live action debut. He had a small part in the Booster Gold episode of Smallville but that was to establish his connection to the Scarab. I'd love to see Blue Beetle/Ted Kord in full gear ready to kick some ass. This would be my suggestion:

ARROW PARODY

I think it would be great to start Beetle's introduction as a parody of Arrow, in a sense. Have him act like he went through a major tragedy and decides to fight crime as a result. But instead of being bad ass like Oliver, he's actually quite bad at it. His gadgets don't work, the bad guys get away a lot, overall I'd want his introduction to be like the Arrow pilot, except the bad guys win because Ted has no idea what he's doing. Enter Booster Gold:

FLASH PARODY

Essentially, Booster comes in like the Flash. He's powerful, a little cocky, and is eager to make a difference in the world. He asks to team up with Ted and even offers to help him save the world and expand his technology. Unfortunately, Booster is just as inept as Ted and they make things worse. Granted they get along just fine and become really good friends, but they can't help but just screw everything up. Now this is where the Legends come in . . . 

TIME ABERRATION

At this point, the Legends have to step in because Booster Gold is a Time Aberration and he needs to be stopped. Ted doesn't understand why his new friend is being attacked and tries to save him. The Legends force Booster to reveal the truth, that he's a time traveler from the future trying to come back to the 21st Century to make a lot of money as a superhero. Ted is furious and the Legends attempt to take Booster back to the 25th century where he, hopefully, can't hurt anyone else. Then of course, Booster reveals some crazy thing that states why he belongs with the Legends and wants to bring Ted along. Ray and Nate would feel sorry for Ted and want to encourage anyone that wants to be a hero to be a hero - with the proper training of course. 

Those are my loose ideas on how to introduce these characters. It would be a very different type of Legends episode but let's face it - every show needs some crazy shake up every now and again. Plus this would open up possibilities to introduce the Legion of Superheroes, Jaime Reyes, Skeets, and other characters from Booster Gold and Blue Beetle's mythology. It's also a great way to have a sort of "meta" commentary on the superhero origin and, for the producers, poke fun at their own shows, which is always fun in my opinion. 

In my mind, it's only a matter of time (pun not intended) before we see Booster Gold on Legends of Tomorrow and in my opinion, Kord would fit in perfectly, and imperfectly, on Arrow. I'd love to see those characters show up on any of the Arrowverse shows or maybe even start their own series next year that bleeds into next year's gigantic crossover. Cuz . . . they're gonna do it again and it's gonna be bigger next year! 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie!