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TrekFan1
I have been studying films and television programs since 1998. Formerly majoring in acting, I ended up majoring in theater and film studies. Throughout my high school and college years, I have written over 40 papers and essays analyzing various films and TV shows, as well as countless reviews, for academic purposes as well as for local school publications.
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againA note on Paolo Taviani: Since Vittorio Taviani was left out of TCM Remembers 2018, it's very possible that his brother and filmmaking partner won't make the cut in this year's tribute. I'm thinking he will get in, however, simply because TCM Remembers seems to be getting more inclusive with each passing year.
WARNING: This list and description both contain ***SPOILERS*** for newly released and recently released MCU projects, up to and including all nine episodes of What If...? Season 2 and all five episodes of Echo.
This list is in order of when each actor's name first appeared on-screen in a title sequence. Please note that this list does *not* include those actors who have *only* been listed in an end-credits crawl, also known as simply an end crawl or the "rolling credits," which run *after* the main title sequence. Also note that I Am Groot, X-Men '97, and the first two One-Shots—The Consultant and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer—do not have title sequences so they contributed no names to the list (the lead actors in I Am Groot and the One-Shots are billed elsewhere anyway so they still made the list).
To date there have been 274 different actors who were credited in the title sequences of the main MCU movies, plus seven others who were only credited in one of the Marvel One-Shots, and 128 more who have thus far only been billed in one of the Disney+ series or specials released.
The actor whose name has been featured in the most sequences—ten so far—is Samuel L. Jackson. Just behind Jackson with nine credits each are Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Hemsworth; they are followed by Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Tom Hiddleston, and Scarlett Johansson, each of whom have been featured in eight sequences. (Cheadle will be featured in ten sequences following the release of Armor Wars.)
Tied for fourth are Hayley Atwell, Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Mark Ruffalo, Sebastian Stan, and Benedict Wong, and each of whose names pop up in seven title sequences. Also credited in seven sequences are the majority of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast members, namely Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Chris Pratt.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, Tom Holland, Pom Klementieff, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Rudd, and Cobie Smulders appear in six sequences each, while Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Michael Douglas, Danai Gurira, William Hurt, Evangeline Lilly, Natalie Portman, Jeremy Renner, Zoe Saldana, and Marisa Tomei each appear in five; appearing in four sequences are Jaimie Alexander, Angela Bassett, Jacob Batalon, Linda Cardellini, David Dastmalchian, Kat Dennings, Frank Grillo, Michael Rooker, Stellan Skarsgård, Tessa Thompson, Emily VanCamp, and Letitia Wright.
Complete main-on-end billing for WandaVision: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Teyonah Parris, Evan Peters, Randall Park, Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, with Kat Dennings, and Kathryn Hahn End crawl billing: Olsen, Bettany, Hahn, Parris, Park, Dennings, Peters, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Josh Stamberg, Melamed, Rupp
Complete main-on-end billing for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Kasumba, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, with Daniel Brühl, and Don Cheadle End crawl billing (approximate): Mackie, Stan, Brühl, VanCamp, Russell, Clé Bennett, Cheadle, Louis-Dreyfus, Carl Lumbly, Kasumba, Ramirez, Kellyman, St-Pierre, Desmond Chiam, Dani Deetté, Indya Bussey, Amy Aquino, Oduye
Complete main-on-end billing for Loki Season 1: Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Sasha Lane, Jack Veal, DeObia Oparei, Tara Strong as Miss Minutes, special guest star Jonathan Majors, special guest star Richard E. Grant, and Owen Wilson End crawl billing: Hiddleston, Di Martino, Wilson, Mbatha-Raw, Mosaku, Lane, Majors, Grant, Veal, Oparei, Cordero, Neil Ellice, Strong
Complete main-on-end billing for Hawkeye: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Alaqua Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Brian d'Arcy James, Aleks Paunovic, Piotr Adamczyk, Zahn McClarnon, special guest star Linda Cardellini, with Simon Callow, and Vera Farmiga End crawl billing order: Renner, Steinfeld, Farmiga, Dalton, Pugh, D'Onofrio, Cox, Fee, Paunovic, Adamczyk, Cardellini, James, Callow, McClarnon
Complete main-on-end billing for Moon Knight: Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy, Khalid Abdalla, Ann Akinjirin, David Ganly, Fernanda Andrade, Antonia Salib, Karim El Hakim, Rey Lucas, Sofia Danu, Saba Mubarak as the voice of Ammit, F. Murray Abraham as the voice of Khonshu, special guest star Gaspard Ulliel, and Ethan Hawke End crawl billing order: Isaac, Hawke, Calamawy, Abraham, Ulliel, Akinjirin, Ganly, Salib, Mubarak, Barbara Rosenblat, Abdalla, Andrade, Lucas, ... El Hakim, Danu
Complete main-on-end billing for Ms. Marvel: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Laurel Marsden, Arian Moayed, Alysia Reiner, Laith Nakli, Samina Ahmed, Fawad Khan, Nimra Bucha, Mehwish Hayat, Adaku Ononogbo, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer, special guest star Farhan Akhtar, with Aramis Knight End crawl billing (approximate): Vellani, Lintz, Shroff, Kapur, Shaikh, Fletcher, Shah, Akhtar, Ahmed, Bucha, Knight, Khan, Marsden, Moayed, Reiner, Nakli, Springer, Hayat, Ononogbo, Ali Alsaleh, Dan Carter, Jordan Firstman, Usman
Complete main-on-end billing for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Tatiana Maslany, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Bass, Griffin Matthews, Steve Coulter, Mark Linn-Baker, Tess Malis Kincaid, Rhys Coiro, Patti Harrison, Megan Thee Stallion, special guest star Mark Ruffalo, special guest star Benedict Wong, special guest star Charlie Cox, with Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Tim Roth Also starring (end credits only): Brandon Stanley, Drew Matthews (1 episode each) End crawl billing: Maslany, Ruffalo, Roth, Gonzaga, Jamil, Coulter, Goldsberry, Cox, Kincaid, Linn-Baker, Segarra, Bass, Wong, Nick Gomez, Justin Eaton, Candice Rose, Michael H. Cole, Nicholas Cirillo, Drew Matthews, Trevor Salter, Stanley, Griffin Matthews, Coiro, Patty Guggenheim, David Pasquesi, Harrison, ... Stallion
Complete main title billing for Secret Invasion: Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Charlayne Woodard, Killian Scott, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher McDonald, Katie Finneran, Richard Dormer, with Emilia Clarke, with Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle Special guest star (end credits only): Cobie Smulders (4 episodes), Martin Freeman (2 episodes), O-T Fagbenle (1 episode) End crawl billing: Jackson, Mendelsohn, Smulders, Colman, Freeman, Clarke, Cheadle, Nisha Aaliya, Ben-Adir, Scott, Woodard, Adewunmi, Dormer, Uriel Emil, David Bark-Jones, Finneran, Mulroney, McDonald, ... Fagbenle
Complete main-on-end billing for Loki Season 2: Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Rafael Casal, Tara Strong as Miss Minutes, Kate Dickie, Liz Carr, Neil Ellice, Richard Dixon, special guest star Jonathan Majors, with Ke Huy Quan, and Owen Wilson End crawl billing: Hiddleston, Di Martino, Wilson, Mbatha-Raw, Mosaku, Ellice, Majors, Cordero, Quan, Casal, Dickie, Carr, Dixon, Strong
Complete main-on-end billing for Echo: Alaqua Cox, Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Charlie Cox, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning, with Graham Greene, and Vincent D'Onofrio End crawl billing: Alaqua Cox, Spencer, Cardinal, Greene, Jacobs, Lightning, Charlie Cox, D'Onofrio, McClarnon
To be added to this list, a person must have worked in films or television at least 50 years prior to the current year. They also should have a reasonable amount of renown due to A.) their place in the history of film and/or television; B.) their involvement with one or more classic and/or important films and/or TV shows; C.) their prolific body of work; D.) their impact on society and/or pop culture; or E.) all of the above. Oh, and they have to be alive.
Obviously, when a legend listed here dies, he or she will be removed from the list. For a list of persons removed from the "Living Legends" list since its creation on Aug. 14, 2013, go here: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls076315270/
Please note: This is a judgment- and bias-free list. All that matters here is a person's film and TV work. If a person meets the criteria above then they qualify as a legend in the business and may be added to the list, regardless of their personal beliefs, political affiliations, or any criminal history or misconduct, whether proven or alleged.
To see the most recent additions first, select "Date Added" in the Sort by drop-down box; to view the list in reverse chronological order, toggle the "Ascending/Descending order" button next to the drop-down box.
First here are some of those deceased showbiz personalities who made their film or television debuts less than 50 years prior to their deaths but otherwise would have been on the "Living Legends" list:
R.I.P. producer Saul Zaentz (1921 – 2014); actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967 – 2014); writer/director/actor Harold Ramis (1944 – 2014); comedian David Brenner (1936 – 2014); actor Bob Hoskins (1942 – 2014); actor/comedian Robin Williams (1951 – 2014); composer/conductor James Horner (1953 – 2015); producer Jerry Weintraub (1937 – 2015); writer/director/producer Wes Craven (1939 – 2015); actor/director Alan Rickman (1946 – 2016); producer Michael White (1936 – 2016); actor Ken Howard (1944 – 2016); comedian/actor/writer Garry Shandling (1949 – 2016); singer/songwriter/musician/actor Prince (1958 – 2016); director/screenwriter/producer Michael Cimino (1939 – 2016); filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (1940 – 2016); writer/director/producer Héctor Babenco (1946 – 2016); director/writer/producer Curtis Hanson (1945 – 2016); actress/writer Carrie Fisher (1956 – 2016); actor/director Bill Paxton (1955 – 2017); director/producer Jonathan Demme (1944 – 2017); actor Powers Boothe (1948 – 2017); actor John Heard (1946 – 2017); playwright/screenwriter/actor Sam Shepard (1943 – 2017); actor Bernie Casey (1939 – 2017); writer/director/producer Hugh Wilson (1943 – 2018); actress Sridevi (1963 – 2018); actor David Ogden Stiers (1942 – 2018); director Claude Lanzmann (1925 – 2018); actor Ezzatolah Entezami (1924 – 2018); producer Raymond Chow (1927 – 2018); actor/writer Kader Khan (1937 – 2018); producer Andrew G. Vajna (1944 – 2019); actress Georgia Engel (1948 – 2019); director/writer/producer John Singleton (1968 – 2019); actor Peter Mayhew (1944 – 2019); voice actress Russi Taylor (1944 – 2019); actor/comedian John Witherspoon (1942 – 2019); actor Brian Dennehy (1938 – 2020); actor Irrfan Khan (1967 – 2020); director Joel Schumacher (1939 – 2020); filmmaker Alan Parker (1944 – 2020); actor Chadwick Boseman (1976 – 2020); sound editor Alan Robert Murray (1954 – 2021); comedian/writer/actor Paul Mooney (1941 – 2021); comedian/writer/actor Norm Macdonald (1959 – 2021); comedian/actor/director/TV host Bob Saget (1956 – 2022); singer/actor Meat Loaf (1947 – 2022); comedian/actor Louie Anderson (1953 – 2022); actor William Hurt (1950 – 2022); comedian/actor Gilbert Gottfried (1955 – 2022); actor Fred Ward (1942 – 2022); actor Ray Liotta (1954 – 2022); actor Kevin Conroy (1955 – 2022); comedian Gallagher (1946 – 2022); composer Angelo Badalamenti (1937 – 2022); actor Treat Williams (1951 – 2023); actor/comedian/writer/producer Paul Reubens (1952 – 2023); actor Tom Wilkinson (1948 – 2023)
And now here is the main "Late Legends" list...
Note: Actors in productions that are currently filming or have yet to begin filming are listed alphabetically at the bottom, separate from those who have already filmed their roles.
To see the most recent additions first, select "Date Added" in the Sort by drop-down box; to view the list in reverse chronological order, toggle the "Ascending/Descending order" button next to the drop-down box.
Please note that due to time constraints, some entries do not have descriptions and are not in the correct order. It is my intention to finish and reorder those entries eventually, but it may be some time.
Unlike the status info provided by IMDb, these are all correct, confirmed and up-to-date and I will endeavor to keep them that way.
Entries are separated by production status and listed in the following reverse order of production:
1.) released (or currently releasing) 2.) completed and awaiting release 3.) post-production (main filming completed; scoring, effects and editing underway, with results or additional shooting possible) 4.) filming or in production (principal photography, or the actual recording of the project) ------ unofficially filming (production start confirmed by reliable news sources but not formally announced by Marvel) 5.) pre-production (designing, casting, set building, and other pre-filming prep) 6.) in development (planning, scripting and budgeting) 7.) officially, publicly announced by Marvel Studios 8.) officially scheduled films whose titles have yet to be revealed 9.) reported by a reputable trade but not announced by Marvel
Projects with known or projected release dates are listed in release date order within their respective status categories; otherwise they are listed alphabetically.
Each listing also includes info on directors, writers, principal cast and release dates. Films and specials listed will be removed three days after release; TV shows will be removed three days after the season or series finale is released. Projects that are merely rumored or speculated to be in the works are not included.
In addition to the projects below, there is also a reported (but not officially confirmed) Steve Rogers/Nomad project starring Chris Evans. It is unclear if the former project is being developed as a series or film, nor have any writers, directors, additional cast, or dates been revealed. There is also a confirmed to be a comedic MCU series in development from Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton (which may actually be the Wonder Man series that recently wrapped filming).
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UPDATES May 2, 2024: I somehow missed the news last month that principal photography has wrapped on Part 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, comprising the first nine episodes of an 18-episode season. The remaining nine episodes constituting Part 2 are expected to begin filming sometime in November.
April 12, 2024: Ayelet Zurer is reprising her Daredevil role as Vanessa Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again, reclaiming the role from Sandrine Holt, who had been given the part prior to the show's creative overhaul.
April 3, 2024: Ozark star Julia Garner has joined the cast of The Fantastic Four as Shalla-Bal, a female variant of the Silver Surfer.
March 20, 2024: The first two episodes of X-Men '97 have arrived on Disney+, picking up where the '90s X-Men animated series left off.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios exec Brad Winderbaum has confirmed that Ironheart and Wonder Man are both still on the way amidst rumors that the projects may have been canceled. I believe this is also the first time anyone at Marvel has officially mentioned the existence of Wonder Man series, which Winderbaum is currently being edited, suggesting that filming on the series has wrapped.
March 12, 2024: Marvel Studios has parted ways with X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo one day before the revival's world premiere (which DeMayo had been scheduled to attend) and a week ahead of its official debut on Disney+. DeMayo had been working on the show's forthcoming second season and was in discussions with Marvel on plans for a third; no explanation for the firing was made public.
March 11, 2024: Filming on Thunderbolts is officially underway.
February 15, 2024: X-Men '97, Marvel's highly anticipated continuation of the 1990s X-Men animated series, is officially set to debut March 20 on Disney+.
February 14, 2024: Marvel has officially announced the four main stars of The Fantastic Four, confirming that the previously reported Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are set to play Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, respectively. The film has also swapped release dates with Thunderbolts, moving to July 25, 2025, while the latter film moves up to May 2, 2025.
February 11, 2024: The first trailer and teaser poster for Deadpool 3 have been released and confirmed that the film's official title is Deadpool & Wolverine. An official cast list has also been released, naming Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen as the film's principal actors.
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SCHEDULE
MOST RECENT/CURRENT RELEASE(S) X-Men '97 - premiered March 20, 2024
NEXT RELEASE Deadpool & Wolverine (feature) - opens July 26, 2024
COMING SOON TBA
CURRENTLY FILMING Thunderbolts (feature) - began filming March 4, 2024
FILMING SOON The Fantastic Four (feature) - begins filming in August 2024
Daredevil: Born Again Part 2 (series; 9 episodes) - expected to begin filming in November 2024
Blade (feature) - filming delayed due to writers' strike, expected to begin in late 2024
RECENTLY WRAPPED Daredevil: Born Again Part 1 (series; 9 episodes) - began filming March 6, 2023; production halted indefinitely in June due to writers' strike; resumed production on January 22, 2024, and wrapped on April 5
Wonder Man (series; 10 episodes) - began filming April 3, 2023; production halted indefinitely in late May due to ongoing writers' strike; resumed production sometime in January and wrapped sometime in March
Deadpool & Wolverine (feature) - began filming May 22, 2023; production halted temporarily in July and resumed November 20; wrapped January 24, 2024
The song in this year's video is a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Learning to Fly" by AG and Christina Perri.
This is a list of those notable entertainment figures who passed away in 2020. They are in order of date of death, except for the first entry, which will be the highest-profile death to date. To see the most recent additions first, select "Date Added" in the Sort by drop-down box; to view the list in reverse chronological order, toggle the "Ascending/Descending order" button next to the drop-down box.
Reviews
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
A visual treat with a so-so script and an uninteresting protagonist
Tim Burton's extension of the classic Alice in Wonderland story is definitely a feast for the eyes. Script-wise, however, it is a bit of a let-down.
The movie's first act is a humdrum experience for the most part. When we first meet Alice, she is a little girl plagued by "dreams" of falling down a hole into a land filled with various odd creatures. We then fast-forward 17 years later to find she has become a fanciful young woman wanting to break free from her uptight aristocratic society, one that expects her to accept a marriage proposal from a complete dweeb. Instead, she chases a waistcoat-wearing, pocket watch-brandishing white rabbit into the forest and falls down a rabbit hole.
For the the next few minutes, the movie plays out much like the usual Alice in Wonderland story (you know, "Drink Me," "Eat Me," shrink, grow, yada yada yada). It's when she finally arrives in Wonderland (oh, sorry... "Underland") where things take a completely different turn. As it turns out, the Red Queen has taken over "Underland" and has made life itself a living hell for everyone. There is doubt amongst the denizens of "Underland" that this Alice is the right Alice -- you know, the Alice that visited "Underland" as a little girl. This is kind of a big deal because this Alice is apparently the "Underland" version of "The One:" she is prophesied by some mystical scroll as the one who will slay the terrifying Jabberwocky and end the Red Queen's reign of tyranny over "Underland" once and for all.
During the first, oh, 30 minutes or so, I found myself more interested in the CGI (and the 3D) than in the story or the characters. That did change, at least to some extent: I actually started to care about characters like The Mad Hatter, Bayard the bloodhound, and the Cheshire Cat, as well as their roles in the story. But one character I never became attached to was Alice herself. I blame this mostly on Mia Wasikowska; her portrayal as Alice was, well... a bit dull, really. She began to bring a bit more life to the character in the third act, but that's a bit too late: for the rest of the film, she struck me as surprisingly one-dimensional. Considering Alice is the one with whom we're supposed to have the most emotional connection, Wasikowska's predominately one-note performance was severely damaging to the film. It's never a good idea for the protagonist to be the least interesting character in the narrative.
My primary issues with the picture, however, lie with the script. I felt the story was not as engaging as it should have been, or as it strives to be. There were a lot of truly enjoyable moments, buoyed by lovable characters and some creative twists on the original Alice stories. To me, however, it felt as though the script wandered back and forth between inspired madness and uninspired hokeyness; between moments of pure delight and moments of pure blah. Of course, it didn't help there was very little emotional interest between myself and Alice. Then there's the climactic battle, which, even though it looked cool and took place on what looked like a mega-sized chessboard, seemed surprisingly generic and out-of-place in this film.
While the story and script were fairly hit-and-miss, the visual aspect of the film was outstanding (which is to be expected in a Burton movie). The effects were amazing (for the most part), and the designs (like the armor worn by the playing-card soldiers and the aforementioned chessboard battlefield) were a mix of inspired originality and creative adaptations.
Aside from Wasikowska, the actors gave some delightful (if not particularly outstanding) performances. Johnny Depp is suitably zany as The Mad Hatter; he is indeed mad, but not to the extent that it interferes with his judgment (well, usually) or his humanity. Helena Bonham Carter is great as the sadistic Red Queen, depicting her not only as a short-tempered tyrant but as an internally vulnerable woman seeking love and acceptance. Anne Hathaway is fine as the White Queen, making her an elegant eccentric, leading one to believe she, too, has a touch of madness. Then there's Crispin Glover, who is awesome as the Knave of Hearts ... heck, he's Crispin Glover, he's always awesome. The voice actors also do great work, notably Alan Rickman as Absolem the caterpillar and Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat.
Like many of Burton's recent films, his Alice in Wonderland is really a mixed bag for me. It is at some moments (mainly in the beginning) dull and meandering, and at other times delightful and fun. A tighter, more energized script and an actress who can bring vitality to the lead role would have done wonders. Kudos to Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton for attempting to make Alice "feel like a story as opposed to a series of events" (as Burton put it) in an attempt to make it connect emotionally, but they were only halfway successful. Going down that rabbit hole was certainly not a horrible experience... but it could have been better.
Avatar (2009)
An outstanding production is hindered by a weak script.
'Avatar' is not bad, but it is hardly the outstanding film almost everyone seems to be heralding it as. It goes without saying that it has amazing visuals and great effects. It also has wonderful art direction and designs, outstanding music and sound, and a wonderful performance by Zoe Saldana. For the most part, the movie works fairly well, and it has many moments where it becomes a really engaging experience.
Unfortunately, its engaging moments are few and far between. It suffered so much from over-length and slow pacing that, despite the incredible imagery, there were many times I found my mind wandering. Sure, it was all pretty to look at, but nifty effects and scenery only go so far. The script is also heavy-handed in the delivery of its oft-told message and is filled with corny, amateurish dialog. It seems Mr. Cameron was more focused on perfecting the technical aspects of his film than on perfecting the script.
Script weaknesses are hardly the movie's only problems. As I'm sure you have all heard by now, the movie's entire storyline strongly resembles such films as 'Dances with Wolves,' 'FernGully.' and Disney's 'Pocahontas.' As a result, the film is not only unoriginal but predictable beyond belief. I don't think there was a single moment where I didn't know what was going to come next. Anyone thinking that 'Avatar' is some great achievement in storytelling is sadly deluding themselves.
The entire movie is practically recycled goods. That goes for the characters almost as much as for the plot; everything was practically ripped out of those previous movies, but instead of Native Americans or Fairies, we have an alien race known as the Na'vi. Now, having similar characters would not be so bad if it were not for the fact that they had almost the same exact personalities and story function. It seems there was no real effort to make these characters anything more than what they were before. Even the main villain was such a clichéd military baddie that he was laughable, despite veteran actor Stephen Lang's best efforts.
Amazingly, the movie was made in 3-D, but the characters -- the most important element of any story -- are nearly all one dimensional. The sole exception is Neytiri, who, despite clearly filling in the Stands With a Fist/Krysta/Pocahontas role, manages to break through convention thanks to an extraordinary performance by Zoe Saldana. Not that the other performances were bad, but none of them really managed to take their characters beyond their cardboard cut-out status like Saldana did.
Now, despite all of these issues, the movie was not that bad as a whole. I will admit, there were a few times I really found myself absorbed in the action of the story. I would say I really enjoyed myself for about half of the movie, maybe a bit more; there were even times when I felt like cheering. And, yes, I did even start caring for the characters, despite the fact they were heavily clichéd. Like I said, though, the movie could not keep my full attention for an extended period of time. The movie was two hours and forty minutes, and that's about how long it felt.
'Avatar' is nowhere near a great movie. It relies too heavily on convention and even stereotype, and it lags extensively. But there were several moments where I was really engaged with the action. I also want to point out that the performance-capture technology used to change human actors into Na'vi is amazing. Plus, James Horner's music is fantastic, the sound effects are awesome, and, of course, the visuals are really breathtaking. If it weren't for the amazing visual and auditory aspects, though, there wouldn't be a lot there that we haven't seen before.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Some origins are best left untold...
I saw this a while ago, despite my better judgment. I had already figured I wouldn't like it based on reviews and comments from friends. Well, it was much worse than even I anticipated. If you thought they couldn't screw up the X-Men universe any worse after X-Men 3, you were wrong. As disappointing as X3 was, Wolverine will leave you yearning for Brett Ratner. X3 killed the current X-Men film franchise; Wolverine buried it.
To his credit, Hugh Jackman gives it his all and does a pretty good job, as do Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth and Danny Huston as Stryker. Beyond that, there is nothing to recommend this movie. Absolutely nothing happens, the script is terrible (and often just plain stupid), the "action" and stunts are nothing we haven't seen before, a lot of the effects are extremely crappy, and the characters are sorely mistreated. Seriously, now that we know Wolverine's origin, I couldn't give two sh**s about him. There is almost nothing about this movie that worked. It's generic, it's lame, it's complete and utter crap.
After this and X-Men 3, I am really hoping Marvel Studios fights to claim X-Men movie production rights from Fox. Then maybe they can reboot the X-franchise and start making good X-movies again. Taking great comic book characters and throwing them into a s**t storm like this has got to stop. Seriously.
Star Trek (2009)
An amazing adventure, despite a somewhat muddled plot
:::The following review was originally written on May 7th, 2009. It has been modified to fit IMDb guidelines.:::
I spent three years looking forward to this movie. From the moment it was first announced in April 2006 up through today, my anticipation for this movie has steadily increased. Tonight, I finally got to see if the waiting and anticipating was worth it. And holy crap, was it ever.
In simple terms, Star Trek is awesome! I have been a Trek fan for many years and have seen every movie and every episode of every TV show and none of them thrilled me as much as this one. This is one of the best Treks ever, and it's one of the best movies I have ever seen.
Director J.J. Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have outdone themselves by doing what many believed was impossible. They have not only revitalized the Trek franchise by making a great sci-fi/action saga that appeals to a wider audience, they have done so while capturing the spirit of the original Trek series.
The extent to which the writers alter Trek history might be met with anger by some, but the story is so fun and the characters so lovingly written, I did not see it as a huge issue. In fact, I think it was a smart move: if the movie was set in the old timeline, there would be little suspense or surprise because we already know what happens to the characters. As controversial as it may be, the writers handled it beautifully and without a hint of disrespect.
The recasting of the other iconic characters from the original Trek is perfect, and the performances are top notch. There was as much care in casting as there was in writing the movie. All of the actors do wonderful jobs with their characters, with the standouts being Simon Pegg's Scotty and Karl Urban's McCoy. The supporting cast does great work, as well, particularly Bruce Greenwood, who owns the role of Captain Pike, and Ben Cross, who is a perfect Sarek. Most notably, however, it was great to see Leonard Nimoy return to the role of Spock. Mr. Nimoy did a beautiful job (as always); it was as though he had never stopped playing the role.
The visual effects are possibly the best I have ever seen in any film, certainly in any Trek film. ILM and FX Supervisor Roger Guyett have surpassed all of their prior work. The visuals were nothing short of awe-inspiring, yet, at the same time, they didn't completely rule the movie. Make no mistake, the stars of this movie are the characters, not the effects.
The story unfolds at a nearly break-neck pace. It holds your attention throughout the entire movie, and leaves you wanting more when it's over. It was thrilling, emotional, funny... everything a movie should be, especially a Trek movie.
My only real issue with the movie was the somewhat muddled plot. The story moves along so fast, certain plot elements are lost in the rush, and some lack explanation either because certain lines or scenes were cut or because the writers chose not to elaborate. For example, Nero's motive for destroying Federation planets is pretty weak because the writers chose not to more fully describe his origins. There were a few other very minor things about the movie that didn't work for me, didn't make sense, or at the very least could have used a bit more explanation. How did Starfleet make the connection between the "lightning storm in space" in the neutral zone and the seismic activity on Vulcan, anyway? Why would Nero have to drill a hole into Vulcan when he could just drop red matter onto the planet and detonate it with a torpedo or something? You know, little things like that.
Another disappointment is the lack of screen time given to Winona Ryder, Jennifer Morrison, Clifton Collins, Jr., and especially Eric Bana. All did good work in their roles, I just wish we could have seen more of them. I was also disappointed (though not surprised) that scenes featuring young James Kirk and his brother were deleted from the movie. The boy Jim Kirk drives by was actually supposed to be his brother, but the character's other scene was cut and the movie was re-dubbed so that Kirk's brother became an unrelated boy named "Johnny", making the entire exchange pointless. I'm also still a bit disgruntled that a scene at the Klingon prison camp was deleted, but its omission didn't hurt the final product.
The movie isn't perfect, but it is nonetheless successful both as a mainstream sci-fi adventure and as a Star Trek movie. It's fun, it's exciting, it's funny... seriously, I have trouble believing anyone could not like this movie, including die-hard Trekkies like myself. The characters may be played by different actors and they may be part of a different timeline, but make no mistake, these are very much the same iconic characters seen in the original Star Trek. And they are clearly handled with all the care and respect that is humanly possible.
Star Trek is full of almost non-stop action, but it also has a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Not everything worked, but what did worked brilliantly. I commend Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, and everyone else who helped make this Trek a truly glorious enterprise. Like The Dark Knight before it, Star Trek lives up to the hype, and it was most definitely worth the three years of waiting and anticipation.
The human adventure is just beginning!