Via The Daily Mail and Superherohype, it appears that shooting is well underway for World War Z, a zombie movie based on Max Brook's epic but fictitious novelization of the oral history of the "Zombie War". Brad Pitt stars in the film and plays the Brooks, who made himself into a character traversing through the world as he interviews and collects stories of those who experienced and survived their encounters against the undead ten years after humanity won against the zombie epidemic, referred to as "World War Z". Above is a shot of Pitt, all bearded and shooting a scene in Israel, which is the only country in the book to "close its borders and initiate a quarantine against the outbreak".
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for this movie, since I am a fan of zombie lore, especially movies and comics based on them the Dead films by legendary director George A. Romero and Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" come to mind!). Having a copy of the book in my personal collection, I can tell you right now that it is one of the best fictional zombie stories I've ever had the honor of reading. Influences from Romero's zombie movies, which have themes of social commentary, are present in WWZ, and while I am a bit concerned with how the film adaptation will turn out once it is completed, I have faith it will still be a great movie nonetheless. For now, we can only wait for information and details whenever it arrives online. For more on this story (as well as pics and info), you can visit the source posts at The Daily Mail and Superherohype!
World War Z, to be directed by Marc Forster, will be released sometime in 2012.
Via SlashFilm and You Tube, The first trailer of the much anticipated film adaptation of the classic 60's superhero series, The Green Hornet, is now online! Check it!
A project that was supposed to be directed by Kung Fu Hustle star Stephen Chow, the now Michel Gondy directed Green Hornet film stars Seth Rogen as the titular hero, along with Jay Chou as his sidekick and confidante, Kato (a role that Stephen Chow was also supposed to play before he left the project). Cameron Diaz plays Lenore "Casey" Case, while Christoph Waltz plays the villain, Benjamin Chudnofsky. For more info, check out the synopsis and details over at Slash Film.
The Green Hornet debuts on conventional and 3D theaters on January 14, 2011!
I'm sure almost all of you know the opening lines by heart, but today is a different matter. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the second film in George Lucas' epic Star Wars saga - The Empire Strikes Back. On May 21, 1980, this film changed the lives of people around the world, and whether people agree with me on this or not, it had one of the most mind-blowing revelations in the history of cinema, and to this day, many other films have tried to emulate or parody this moment for the effect it delivers. Yes, "Episode V" was a key moment for Star Wars buffs, and pop culture geeks will celebrate this moment wielding lightsabers and dressing up in Stormtrooper outfits. In my case, I'd like to do a little retrospective, to reflect on the film once more and to share my thoughts on what this beloved space opera adventure has done and continues to do for me everytime I get the chance to watch it.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Trailer
Directed by Irvin Kershner (who also directed Bond film Never Say Never Again and Robocop 2), The Empire Strikes Back starts off with the Rebel Alliance forced into hiding on the icy planet of Hoth. Despite their defeat and the obliteration of the Death Star on A New Hope, The Empire has come back stronger than ever, intent on delivering a crushing blow to their enemies once and for all. Led by Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Han Solo, the rebels fight on the persistant fight, but with the tide against their favor, the good guys have no choice but to make a desperate escape. Solo orginally planned to split with the group due to his business with Jabba The Hutt, but circumstances force him and his Wookie partner Chewbacca to take and safeguard the princess and the droid C-3P0. In the meantime, Luke, after receiving a vision from his late mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, travels to the planet Dagobah along with R2-D2, to undergo Jedi Training and master the ways of the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith Lord Darth Vader has been on a relentless personal crusade to seek out Skywalker for mysterious reasons. His attack on Hoth was just the beginning, as he dispatches many of his resources to track down the would-be Jedi. Luke finally reaches Dagobah and meets Yoda, who goes on to train the boy.
The Empire Strikes Back - Luke meets Yoda
On the other side, after navigating through dangerous terrain to escape the Empire's forces, Han Solo makes a decision to seek sanctuary with his companions in Cloud City, now run by an "old friend" of his, Lando Calrissian. However, Han is betrayed by Lando to Darth Vader when the dark lord offers to prevent the Empire from taking over the city in exchange for the Rebel group. Even as he trains to become a true Jedi, Luke senses his friends are in danger, and makes the hasty decision to goto Cloud City to rescue them despite Yoda's warnings.
The Empire Strikes Back - Han Frozen Scene
As Vader prepares to turn solo over to Jabba's authorized bounty hunter, Boba Fett, he makes the decision to use the Millenium Falcon pilot as a test subject for carbonite freezing. Even as Leia proclaims her love for Han, the latter is successfully frozen and placed in suspended animation. Luke finally arrives in Cloud City, while Lando frees Leia and her friends to try and rescue Solo, who is unfortunately whisked away by Boba before they have a chance to stop him. As Skywalker searches for his friends, he walks right into Darth Vader's trap, and the two finally square off in a one-on-one lightsaber duel.
The Empire Strikes Back - Luke vs Darth Vader
Hardly experienced and outmatched against the Sith lord, Luke loses the battle and his right hand, forced into a corner by Vader. It is at this moment where Vader offers Luke to join him at his side... and makes the startling revelation that "He Is His Father".
The Empire Strikes Back - "I Am Your Father"
Shocked and in disbelief, Luke makes a desperate attempt to escape by plummeting over the central air shaft, falling into the lower most part of the hovering city. Maimed and injured, he makes a desperate call to Leia, who senses him and has the Millenium Falcon turned around to rescue him. After escaping to a Rebel ship, Luke gets a mechanical hand replacement, while Lando and Chewie board the Falcon once more to search for Han and rescue him. The film ends with Luke, Leia, and the droids watching as the ship flies off.
Totally awesome. Absolutely epic. Nostalgic all the way.
The Empire Strikes Back is what I consider to be the best film in the Star Wars saga, and I'm not alone in this line of thinking at all. It has everything a fanboy could ever want - ship battles, drama, tension, action, suspense, lightsabers, droids, blasters, and, of course, Darth Vader. The fact that Vader was revealed at the end to be Luke's father was a surprising twist nobody expected at the time. It contradicts Obi-Wan's story in the first film that Vader killed Luke's father, but it actually makes sense and adds a depth of tragedy to the story. It's a unique way of storytelling that has traces of Greek Mythology written all over it, and George Lucas was brilliant and ahead of his time in implementing stellar ideas like that into his brainchild franchise. It's a key and defining moment in the film, yes, but there are other aspects to it that make it all the more memorable, such as Luke's training with Yoda and the first appearance of Emperor Palpatine. Meeting and seeing Yoda for the first time was impressionable to me as a kid, and Frank Oz performance as the elderly Jedi Master was one of absolute perfection. Quotes like "Do. There Is No Try" echo valuable lessons that everyone learns in life, and Yoda being the teacher tries to teach an impatient and fiery Luke Skywalker important lessons that will turn him into the noble warrior he is destined to be.
On the other hand, seeing the hideous face of the emperor for the first time was a remarkably genuine moment. Here you see the guy who has power over the entire galaxy for the first time... in a large holographic projection screen. Even Vader bows down to his master in servitude, so one has to wonder how powerful this cackling maniac is (and we don't find out until the next film and, eventually, Revenge Of The Sith decades later). Other themes explored include the blooming romance of Han Solo and Princess Leia. Those two have chemistry with each other, and it's fitting that despite the danger and circumstances intent on tearing them apart, their bond becomes stronger and it finally reaches a headpoint when Han's about to be frozen in carbonite. Side characters like Chewie and the droids get more action and comedic antics to do, and we meet a new face in Lando Calrissian, who acts like a jerk at first, but proves to be noble in his own way eventually when he tries to make up and help in eventually saving Han Solo from Jabba in the next film.
Yes, there's lots to say about Empire and its contributions, but if I could sum up everything in one word, it would be "Maturation". The characters in the filmhad to grow up and learn things about themselves that were previously unknown to them, and it's a lesson that Luke learns the hardest, especially since his maturation as a Jedi came at the hands of his own father. Bottomline, for the 30 years it has continued to entertain fans and newbies alike, The Empire Strikes Back is a classic that remains one of my favorites. Thank you Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, George Lucas, and the rest of the cast for such a wonderful film.
Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, And May The Force Be With You, Always.
Remaking a movie isn't a simple process. Not all of them do justice to their predecessors, and even if a few manage to squeeze out and shine through with a decent modernized plot, fans loyal to the source material still bear some love and attachment to the original. What a remake can do is add a new layer of twists and possibilities that weren't available thanks to limitations of technology during the time the original was made. A fair number of remakes were successful, with notable examples being Ocean's Eleven and Dawn Of The Dead, which reignited the love and attention fans gave to those respective genres thanks to new innovations and gimmicks that were introduced. The upcoming flick, Clash Of The Titans, is another remake that serves as proof of the many franchises Hollywood has retooled and represented as new movies for the modern age, and while it isn't the first classic to be reintroduced to the 21st century, it certainly won't be the last. Fan craving and demand has placed many favorable cult classics in the candidate list, and one in particular that caught my eye is this:
I found out that one of Ed Wood's classic sci-fi horror movies, Plan 9 from Outer Space, is getting the remake treatment! Cited as one of "the worst films ever made" the film told the story of aliens from outer space trying to stop humanity from creating a powerful weapon capable of destroying the universe, resorting to a ploy that involves resurrecting the dead and getting their attention. Yeah, that's the plot, and you can check out part one of the movie yourself, courtesy of You Tube, right through this embedded video, as well as the accompanying links:
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Heh, I vaguely remember seeing the original, made in 1959 and starring classic actors like the late Bela Lugosi (who died even before the original was released!). It's your classic bill of space horror that's too fun to ignore, and being a zombie fan myself, I'm open to seeing the new version, to be made by Darkstone Entertainment, just for kicks. Word got to me about the remake from a post by James Rolfe of AVGN fame, and he even has a part in this movie! Wow, with the nerd on board, as well as aliens and zombies causing mayhem,I'm even more excited to see this now! Check out the teaser trailer and see for yourselves how the new one will look like:
Plan 9 Teaser Trailer
For more info, check out the official site at Plan9movie.com.
Fast approaching and coming just after the fourth of July, the mighty and alien born predators make their much anticipated return with a sequel that bears their collective namesake, "Predators". Last time, a sneak peek trailer was posted showcasing what to expect from the new movie directed by Nimród Antal. Now, the official site and IGN/ You Tube have posted the first official trailer, which fans of the alien hunter race must watch and see.
Predators First Official Trailer!
As a new entry into the Predator franchise, the film follows Royce, played by actor Adrian Brody, as he is taken and sent to a mysterious planet by the Predators themselves. Here he hooks up with a bunch of other humans, most of whom are killers, murderers, and even Yakuza for that matter. Royce comes to lead this ragtag group, until they realize that they've been brought together on the alien planet not as prisoners, but as prey. Also starring in the movie is Matrix star Laurence Fishburne, who plays a US Soldier survivor the group meet up with named Noland. Also starring are Danny Trejo and Topher Grace, who you know as the blade wieldin' Machete and Spider-Man 3's Venom, respectively. To be produced by famed action director Robert Rodriguez, Predators is set for a July 9, 2010 release date. Get ready to be hunted!
I'm so looking forward to this film that it deserves a posting!
I've always been a big Predator fan. Ever since the first film with Big Arnold headlining and shouting his infamous "GET TO DA CHOPPAH!" line, I've been intrigued on seeing more of these wily alien warriors on screen, and there were a lot of sequels over the years featuring the species doing what they do best - hunt for sport and play a deadly game of survival of the fittest against their prey... with a self-destruct option at their disposal! Indeed, these Predators were bred to be the toughest S.O.B's on the universe, even taking on the most primal and deadliest species that space has ever known in the "Alien vs Predator" series. Now that we're getting a new stand alone Predator film this year, I expect it to be more badass and bloody than ever before, especially with Armored's Nimród Antal directing Desperado's own Robert Rodriguez producing this flick! Not only that, it's starring a well known assemble of actors, namely Adrian Brody, Topher Grace, and Laurence Fishburne among the list! Wanna see it for yourselves? Check out the sneak peek below and see the hunt on the move:
"Predators" Sneak Peek!
Look out for danger, prepare for blood, and get ready for the hunt... the Predators are coming this year...
It's the last day of 2009, and in a few hours, we usher in the new year and look forward to more days of prosperity and good blessings. While there's so much to look forward to in the next 365 days, I tend to reminisce about the past and remember the good times the last 10 years have brought to me. In regards to that subject, I wanted to post down and note some of my favorite stuff, to commemorate a decade's worth of inspiration, creativity, and awesomeness. As a start to things, I will delve into the recent media history and influence of one of the most popular Superheroes the world has ever known - The Batman.
The character of Batman has always fascinated me with the fact that he was a superhero with no superpowers, relying instead on his own strength, intelligence, and skills to combat crime and defend the innocent as a "creature of the night". Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne witnessed a tragedy in his childhood that changed him forever - the murder of his own parents to a man with a gun. Making an oath that night, he swore to eliminate the criminal element that took their lives, training himself to his physical limits over the years and finally garbing himself under the guise of a Bat - a predator of the night and an creature that represented fear above all else. Armed with his own unique traits and technology acquired from his own given resources, Wayne became The Dark Knight - an avenger of the innocent and defender of Gotham City.
I've come to know about the Batman's legacy through extensive reading and study on the medium through which he was introduced on 70 years ago - published comics. His adventures early on were chronicled to be that of a silent warrior stalking criminals from rooftops and alleyways, and delivering safely to the hands of the police after apprehending them. Those adventures constantly evolved and devolved over time, making less of a menacing figure and then reverting him back to his dark roots as the years went on. There were several stories to tell about Batman over the decades that could arguably be all milestones in the caped crusader's career, but what is probably the highlight of this particular decade is Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's 12 issue run on the Dark Knight entitled "Batman: Hush". Known for its action packed storytelling and uber dynamic artwork, the series became a critical and commercial hit for DC, renewing Batman's popularity and propelling Loeb and Lee to stardom. The titular new villain Hush was also introduced in this series, and has since served as deadly adversary to Bruce Wayne/ Batman to this very day. Of course, The Caped Crusader has constantly faced down threats and fights with all of his might, and even with Wayne's apparent death in R.I.P, the legacy of the Batman endures with fiery determination.
On the subject of Films, 2005 rebooted the once dormant Batman film franchise, and British director Christopher Nolan was tasked with reigniting the popularity of the hero in movies by taking him back to his dark natured roots. True enough, he came up with an origin flick that explored the birth of the character and more of the man behind the mask, and the end result was "Batman Begins". British actor Christian Bale was cast as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, and his performance was just one of sheer excellence. Bale was meant to play the role, and he lived up to it by showing dedication and intensity in his work, both in and out of the batsuit. Then you had a selection of big Hollywood co-stars joining Bale - Michael Caine as Wayne's faithful butler, Alfred; Gary Oldman as the Batman's trusted friend and ally, James Gordon; Morgan Freeman as Wayne's confidante and armorer, Lucius Fox; and Katie Holmes as Bruce's love interest, Rachel Dawes. Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe added some criminal satisfaction to the film in their roles as Scarecrow and "Ra's Al Ghul", but the real foil to Bruce's heroism was that of his mentor and later greatest nemesis Henri Ducard, later revealed to be the real Ra's Al Ghul, who was portrayed by the great Liam Neeson. Putting all of these talents together and working on the lines of the script by Davis S. Goyer made Begins a highly successful hero film. We had a movie that had an awesome Batman and explained the origins of his suit, gadgets, and even the Batmobile! Batfans couldn't be happier with the results, and true to the spirit of hero movies, a sequel was hinted and expected, and three years later, the world would witness something extraordinary...
Following up on Begins was no easy feat, but Chris Nolan knew that if he was making another film, it would have to be absolutely better than the first film. With a bigger budget and bolder vision guiding him, Nolan set to work on his Bat-Sequel - aptly titled "The Dark Knight". He reunited his original cast, save for Katie Holmes, who did not return as Rachel Dawes and was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and added a new talent to play Batman's greatest nemesis, The Joker, on film - Australian actor Heath Ledger. Known for his method acting approach, Ledger was tasked in making this version of The Joker a "schizo, psycho, insane criminal with zero tolerance whatsoever", and after months of brainstorming and practice, he came off with a performance that wasn't just mesmerizing to audiences - it was also brilliantly scary. Indeed, Heath's performance as the Clown Prince Of Crime was legendary, and along with the amazing pacing of the movie and co-star power of the other new acting addition Aaron Eckhart, who plays Harvey Dent/ Two Face, TDK became a financial and critical success, sharing a top spot in the list of the world's most successful movies to date. However, tragedy would strike the film, as after completing his scenes for the film, Heath Ledger unexpectedly passed away from "accidental toxic combination of prescription drugs". This sad turn of events left a mark on his fellow cast and crew members, and TDK's marketing campaign had to be adjusted a little to compensate for his untimely passing. Nevertheless, the film continued on as scheduled, as Chris Nolan wanted every inch of Heath's work to be seen by audiences around the world, dedicating the film to his name as well as a stuntman who also died on set from an accident. Upon it's release on July 2008, TDK became a phenomenon, and the world saw just how much impact a movie of its caliber can be, even if it is initially a superhero flick. Popculture comic writer Kevin Smith even noted the film as "The Godfather II of Superhero films", so with that being said, Batman's legacy in this decade is rock solid.
Straight out of Marvel.com, Marvel Studios has cast more actors for the upcoming Thor movie in 2011! We all know that legendary actor Anthony Hopkins is stepping up for the role as the God Of Thunder's father, Odin, but what of the other Asgardians? Well, the news just broke out that Thor's fellow friends from the Warriors Three now have big screen names attached to them! The 3, comprised of Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, are going to be played by Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, and Stuart Townsend respectively!
Anyone who remembers Punisher: Warzone and the Rome series will remember Stevenson, and how he's going to bulk up his size to play the jolly and huge Volstagg will definitely be something to watch out for. Stuart Townsend, known to many as the actor who played Lestat in Queen Of The Damned and Dorian Gray in LXG, will be suiting up as the swashbuckling swordsman Fandral. And Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano, who has prominent roles in such films as Ichi The Killer and Zatoichi, will make the trip westward to play the mace wielding Hogun. Now those are impressive casting choices by Marvel Studios, and I can't wait for these guys to stand alongside Thor, played by Star Trek's Chris Hemsworth, battling his evil brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston.
Thor shoots thunder with his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, on May 20, 2011!
On this glorious rainy day, I was reminded by a friend of mine how memorable this day was to those standing in the popculture shadow. It's not everyday you remember a certain graphic novel work by writing extraordinaire Alan Moore and artist David Lloyd, and on this Thursday, we begin to commemorate all the voices and people involved in this epic story that showed us the true cost of attaining victory!
Ah yes... Today is the 5th, so I'll probably indulge in some V later if time permits me to do so. The film version, while not having Moore's involvement, was quite receptive to the public upon its release in 2005, and it had quintessential talents like Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman involved. Do yourselves a favor by celebrating the 5th by reading the book or watching the film, and always remember... FREEDOM FOREVER!XD
I've been a fan of George A. Romero zombie movies since I was a kid, and until now, I still enjoy watching many of his classic 'Dead films from time to time, with the original and extended version of Dawn Of The Dead being my favorite among the bunch. His recent ventures into the world of the undead haven't been as notorious or gripping as his original "Dead Trilogy", and one has to wonder if we'll ever see that perfect blend of guts, gore, and social commentary many have come to associate with his works in the past. With today's advancements in technology and the dozens of other undead related tales that were ironically inspired by his works, many could already pull off their own versions of "Night Of The Living Dead" without consulting the Big Daddy of Zombie films. Yet, as someone who has seen all of his films and has an affinity for the source material, I am hopeful that Mr. Romero's still got the touch to bring more senseless violence and another case of the zombie threat into our lives through the power of cinema. Fortunately, he has a new project coming out sometime this year that may take his dead films back to their original roots. Title's a bit out there, but regardless of that, here's the film's poster:
Survival Of The Dead Poster
Originally titles as "Island Of The Dead", Survival Of The Dead is the sixth film in the Dead series and another entry of Romero that explores a whole new theme altogether amidst the presence of a zombie epidemic. Set in an island that's just off the coast of North America, local residents do their best to fend off attacks from the undead. However, each of them holds on to a desperate and unwavering hope that a cure can be found to this "illness", as several of their relatives are already members of the living dead. With a plot this twisted, it's only natural that George A. Romero is back to tell the tale. Check out the trailer(it didn't have an official title back then), and pray the film comes out very soon.
Survival Of The Dead Trailer
Recently shown in the Toronto International Film Festival, this clip from the movie can be aptly titled as "Zombie Fishing". This inspired the title of this post, and you may be wondering why so. Click the video link and see for yourselves.
Everyone remembers The Tumbler, right? It's the new, intimidating-looking Batmobile that's featured in the rebooted Batman film franchise helmed by Christopher Nolan. It's that powerful looking ride that Batman uses to soar the streets of Gotham City in his war against crime. Anyone who forgot how it performs, don't worry, this sequence from the movie Batman Begins should refresh things:
The Batmobile chase sequence from "Batman Begins"
A cross between a Lamborghini and a Tank, The Tumbler is a prototype vehicle originally intended for military applications and bridge deployment over terrains, but budget concerns and failure to perform its intended purpose forced the car to be shelved in the bowels of Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences division. Lucius Fox, a trusted associate and former board member of Wayne Enterprises, was transferred to this department to "keep him away from trouble", but many underestimated his penchant for technology, and his experience in the field helped Bruce Wayne equip himself with "the tools of the trade" to become his crime fighting alter ego, Batman. In addition to providing the Nomex Suit, Utility Belt, and Memory Cloth that formed the Batman's primary equipment, Fox showed and road tested The Tumbler to Bruce, who was more than impressed with the results, even going as far as to make one simple request: "Does It Come In Black"?
The Batman Begins/ TDK Batmobile, aka The Tumbler
Batman: Transblast Batmobile Made by: Mattel
Reborn as the Batmobile from Batman Begins/ The Dark Knight, The Tumbler is probably one of the most sought after toys in recent years. It's been released in several scales and variations, with one of the toys even being a Transformer in disguise! As a big fan of Batman, this is one of the best vehicles to have ever debuted throughout the character's long history in comics and media. Sure, we remember the classic looking Batmobiles from the past, like the 1960's version from Adam West's Batman show, and the iconic, sleek looking roadster from Tim Burton's films, but The Tumbler comes off as a different case that's truly appealing to most Batfans out there. Probably it's because of the realistic design, or the fact that the car is based and created from existing technology. Whatever the case, the bottomline is that the car just reeks of awesomeness too much. As such, this will be my first major toy review in quite a long while. It's a cool collectible, and since acquiring the thing last weekend, I can't seem to pry my hands away from it.
More than a year after the release of The Dark Knight, toy making company Mattel decides to re-release several of their toys and action figures based on the Nolan Batman movie series under the simple "Batman" banner. The cards and packaging remain consistent with the original TDK merchandise, but otherwise, it's a completely new wave that's now available to fans who just couldn't get a piece of the action last year. Pictured below is the box of the Batmobile, officially named as Transblast Batmobile. Why it's called this will be explained as we go on with the review. For now, what's included in the package is the car, plastic missles, an instruction manual hidden inside, and a complimentary 6" figure of Batman himself, garbed in his new costume as seen in the 2008 movie.
Transblast Batmobile Box (Front)
Any fan of toys in general will notice at first glance that this is a pretty good looking Batmobile. It's considerably close in appearance to the movie version, and had great detailing to boot. However, while the vehicle is a neat piece of work, It's not the first time Mattel released a toy version of The Tumbler. Back in 2005, a "Deluxe Batmobile" was released in conjunction with the Batman Begins toy merchandise. A second version of the car, released as Stealth Launch Batmobile, was an entirely different toy in itself, released for the TDK toyline and being a two-in-one vehicle that launched the Bat-Pod at the press of a button located at the back of the vehicle. Recently, Hong Kong based toy manufacturing company Hot Toys released a 1/6th scale Batmobile, which is the biggest toy replica of the car to date. Its detail is almost unparalleled, and it even includes functioning headlights! The big trade off of the latter, though, is the price. VERY PRICEY.
Transblast Batmobile Box (Back)
Anyone with a good eye on toys will notice that the Transblast Batmobile is the exact same Batmobile from the Begins toyline, albeit with a couple of changes the company made to separate it from its predecessor. The most prominent change is the removal of the electronic sounds that gave the vehicle its unique "Deluxe" features. The flashy areas that emitted light are still present, but the removal of the two buttons and sound features render them useless. A single button remains to open both sides of the Batmobile to put it on "Attack Mode", but this too has the sound output missing. In the end, instead of rebuilding the car from scratch, Mattel recycled the shell of the 2005 version and repainted several areas to give it a close resemblance to the movie's look. It sounds like a harsh trade-off if you're the type to look for dynamic interactive features, but this is still one of the best looking sculpts of The Tumbler to date, and it's packed with a Batman figure to boot.
Batman and his ride, standing side by side...
The figure is your standard looking 6" Batman toy, dressed up in his TDK costume. The detailing is pretty good, and unlike the dynamic, articulate heavy Movie Masters line of action figures, this Batman toy's cape is actually cloth, not hard plastic. Speaking of articulation, there's not much to say about this Batman when it comes to movement or posture. All you can do is move the arms, elbows, knees, and legs. There are limited ways to pose this figure, but its intended use really is to just serve as the driver to the Batmobile. Most of the other 6" Batman movie figures fit in here too, but if you're thinking of using the Movie Masters figures, forget it, they won't fit at all.
Shot of the Batmobile's hood swung open to reveal the cockpit. Looks good from this view.
The hood of the Batmobile can be swung open to reveal a control console and a seat for a single occupant. This is where the line is drawn between the toys and the car depicted in the movie. The Tumbler seen in the films is a two-seater car, and there were several more instruments inside that Batman had to operate to get the car rolling, such as a throttle and turbo booster button.
Up close shot of the Batmobile's control console. Pity the features are lacking somewhat...
Furthermore, whenever the car went into "Attack Mode", the driver's seat would instantly move to the middle of the car and position the driver face down in the center section between the two front wheels. This is non-existent in the Transblast Batmobile, so all Bats can do is steer and drive. It's a bit disappointing, but then again, once you close the lid, you can't see what he's doing inside, so one can always use his/her imagination.
The Tumbler in "Attack Mode". This never happened in the movies...
As I mentioned earlier, Attack Mode has the car's sides burst open to reveal two missle launchers. The accompanying two sets of plastic missles the toy has in its packaging can be utilized along with these launchers, and each has a button in the middle that fires the inserted piece in a straight trajectory. Reinserting these launchers back into the chasis of the car returns it to normal, and personally, I much prefer it this way. The "Attack Mode" function is really intended for kids to play with, and once again, this was another device that wasn't featured in the movie version of the car either. Pity the sounds for the Turbo Booster were removed, I could have enjoyed using that instead.
The Tumbler/ Batmobile looks really impressive. Wish I had it in real life, hehe
As far as detail goes, I have to give a big thumbs up to Mattel for their work on the Batmobile here. The sculpting of the car really looks like The Tumbler from the movie, give or take a few minor discrepancies. Hard plastic actually makes up most of the vehicle's structure, with only the tires and windows being different overall. The former is made of actual rubber; the kind that simulates what a real tire feels like. These roll on the floor smoothly and allow the car to go on a straight path. Unfortunately, there's no axel to go left or right, so you can forget making the Batmobile do smooth turns. The windows have a tint like feature to them that prevents anyone from seeing the insides of the car without opening the hood.
The Tumbler and its "offspring", the Bat-Pod.
Taking all things into consideration, the car looks perfect, and while I have some nitpicks about how it could have been made, I have no major complaints about it. It's pretty much a "made to display" collectible that you can fiddle around with once in a while, and it looks good when you pose it next to your collection of other Batman stuff. I also happen to have the Batmobile from the first Batman movie, and posing these two side by side is just a kick ass testament to the whole franchise itself. Overall, I can definitely recommend this for anybody who loves the Nolan Batman flicks and Batman in general. Gotta thank Chris Nolan and Nathan Crowley for making this masterpiece of a vehicle. It's a pity that it was destroyed in The Dark Knight, but that's how the Bat-Pod was born in the first place, and it's another vehicle that's just a thing of beauty. So, is this the best Batmobile? For me, The Tumbler certainly is up there with the best on my list.
Batman and his rides. "Where does he get those wonderful toys"?XD
Yes, you heard right... DISNEY ACQUIRES MARVEL... and the source of this announcement can be read from the good folks at Comic Book Resources and Newsarama.
The news is as shocking to me as it was to a friend of mine who shared this BREAKING NEWS. Now that Walt Disney's company has acquired the rights to "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends", will we see them holding hands and singing kumbaya together in a boy scout bonfire? Most likely, the answer may be yes. Disney has a reputation to keep of being a family friendly entertainment conglomerate, and now that Mavel's under them, expect waves of censorship to ensue. Personally, I think this move was done in order to compete with Warner Bros., who own the rights to Looney Tunes and DC Comics. The same company that owns Bugs Bunny and friends are also responsible for the creation of the widely successful DC Animated Universe, which has created top and entertaining superhero shows such as Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League.
For $4 Billion Dollars, this is a sweet deal for Disney. They'll be the ones leading the charge for the next wave of Marvel goodness coming in the next few years, including much anticipated Marvel flicks such as Iron Man 2, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America, and The Avengers! Since they also have a stack full of policies to enforce on their media, including "No Smoking" on any of their films, looks like Marvel's going to be doing a lot of censoring for their material... including the comics. Gosh, I hope that isn't the case... DC's got no problem with censorship (see The Dark Knight), but Disney does... I'm not too excited about the news at all.>_<
Via The Daily Mail and Superherohype, it appears that shooting is well underway for World War Z, a zombie movie based on Max Brook's epic but fictitious novelization of the oral history of the "Zombie War". Brad Pitt stars in the film and plays the Brooks, who made himself into a character traversing through the world as he interviews and collects stories of those who experienced and survived their encounters against the undead ten years after humanity won against the zombie epidemic, referred to as "World War Z". Above is a shot of Pitt, all bearded and shooting a scene in Israel, which is the only country in the book to "close its borders and initiate a quarantine against the outbreak". 
