DC's Movie Universe rises in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'

Ever since Marvel released Iron Man in 2008 and began the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the comic book company has been a money-making juggernaut. Its rival, DC Comics, has tried for years to get their own universe started now that they see that it can be done.

Having two of the biggest superhero names in your stable is not bad at all either in Superman and Batman. When you ask even the most casual fan about the first comic book hero they were introduced to, Superman or Batman would be at the top of the list. From the classic Christopher Reeve Superman films to Nolan's grounded and successful Dark Knight Trilogy, the two heroes have always been separated in their own universes. With the release of Man of Steel, DC believes that they have the official start of their own cinematic universe.

Where Marvel has the Avengers, DC has the Justice League. We'll get to that later. I guess the suspense can stop here and I can bring out the main event.

This trailer was supposed to be released on today after the 25 second teaser but you know how people are with video phones. One leaked video from a phone onto YouTube and Warner Bros along with Zack Snyder are in scramble mode. The trailer is released worldwide ahead of schedule.

While the plot is unknown at this time, this trailer doesn't reveal a lot except provide a lot of build up. Not a lot is shown about the plot. Superman (Henry Cavill) is being challenged as a savior, feared by the citizens he's trying to protect; his statue being vandalized with the term "FALSE GOD". Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is raging with anger as he stares at the Batman costume, knowing what he must do. We're given glimpses at the possible Bat-Wing and Bat-Mobile in action as we reach the conclusion of the trailer. Batman in his armored suit and staring up at the Man of Steel in the sky as he comes down to face the Dark Knight, promising the Kryptonian will bleed.

Ben Affleck as the Batman doesn't bother me that much anymore now that I've seen him in the outfit. His recent track record with movies have been wonderful (Argo and Gone Girl). I'm more worried about the direction of this superhero epic. This preview doesn't reveal a lot and gives fans of the movie a little hope that it won't be a mediocre disaster. The list of heroes has expanded beyond the two legends with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg and Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman. While the latter might be in minor roles, this film is basically the Justice League's beginnings.

DC seems to be in such a rush to catch up to Marvel that this film could be a huge gamble for their universe. Let's see if it pays off with the next preview.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is expected March 25, 2016.

New 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' trailer takes us back to a familiar but war-torn galaxy.

Ever since the first teaser preview was released, fans have eagerly awaited another look at the galaxy far, far away. Today, we didn't have to wait any longer.

We opened up on a desert wasteland, Rey's (Daisy Ridley) speeder racing across the sands towards the wreckage of an X-Wing Fighter. Further in that frame, what seems to be a mountain turns out to be the remains of a fallen Star Destroyer.

From there, we hear a young voice speak out in the dark. It is familiar to any fan as Luke's speech to Leia from Return of the Jedi in which he reveals their connection, Darth Vader being his father, and his inevitable confrontation with the Dark Lord, possibly never to return. "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it."

Insert new dialogue.

"And you have the power, too."

During this scene, we see the scorched remains of Darth Vader's helmet, last scene from the funeral pyre as Luke Skywalker mourned his father's last-minute redemption. We see R2-D2 with a hooded man, a robotic hand touching the domed top of the droid (Luke?) and a lightsaber being handed to a woman (Leia? or is it Rey?)

Like the previous trailer, it focused on introducing the audience to new characters. We see Rey reaching out to pull up a distressed Finn (John Boyega), who is also seen in a Stormtrooper uniform. Their destiny's seem to intersect on Jakku, a desert world that many thought was Tatooine.

TIE Fighters are dogfighting again, one seems to destroy its sister crafts in an Imperial-looking docking bay. Oscar Issac's Poe Dameron, a roguish X-Wing pilot who is reputed to be one of the best fliers in the galaxy (we know who else held that title), is getting in some flying time with other pilots. The Millennium Falcon also takes flight with a TIE Fighter on its heels during an aerial sequence where the battle enters the hollow engine of that decrepit Star Destroyer. The kicker came later that apparently had fans at Star Wars Celebration.

There is no Luke or Leia in this footage, but at long last we get to see two old friends Chewbacca and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) again. Harrison Ford cracks his signature Han Solo smile and says, "Chewie...We're home."

Welcome home, boys. We missed you as well.

Thank you for the tease, Zach Snyder.

     If anyone has heard the news online, Zach Snyder announced a special IMAX event to debut the first trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. To start the promotion for it, Snyder tweeted out info for the event, scheduled for April 20, in theaters around the world. There is no official word if the trailer will be released online at the same time as the event. Honestly, it would make sense to do that and avoid bootleg copies contaminating the web.

     To make the wait less painful or more difficult over the next few days, Zach had the audacity to tweet a 20-second teaser with only a few seconds of actual footage from the DC Universe film. So look ahead, see The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight's suits waiting to be donned, and hope for Monday.

Heroes is the summer theme once again with 'Ant-Man' and 'Terminator Genisys'

     These two films have already had teaser trailers released earlier but we get a deeper look with the second go-around.

     Earlier this year, the teaser for Marvel's Ant-Man gave us glimpses into the new hero to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The preview was somber since there was not much action but just enough to get you excited for the pint-sized dynamo. Now, we get the second trailer, not just a preview. This time, Marvel delivers the action. From watching Lang (Paul Rudd) shrink, giving audiences their first look at Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll), along with the humor and action that we can expect.

     Marvel's winning streak is not going to end anytime soon as the money train continues to pick up momentum.

     Like the previous trailer, this one also brings the action and a crazy new plot twist. Normally, those are hidden away until the actual movie makes is release. Terminator Genisys went against the grain in its reveal. I'm not going to reveal the clip but I'm a bit shocked by this reveal. I shouldn't be because this film is technically a reboot of the franchise (similar to Star Trek).

     Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) and Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) will have their work cut out for them in their fight to save the future.

     Are you all ready for the summer yet?

   

The engine of 'Furious 7' roars loudly as it breaks records with $143.6 million debut.

     Movie franchises aren't known to last long. After a certain number of films (usually three), the series starts to get stale. Even the most hard-core, loyal fans doesn't want to see another film after three because it could have ended perfectly. Who really wants to see a good memory when you love and support the product so much to see it change into something horrible?

     Then there are franchises such as the high-octane Fast and Furious.

     Furious 7 is the first sequel to take place after The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker, in his final film appearance), and the rest of the crew are targeted by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), brother of the previous film's villain, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). After two of their own are taken out, the crew reassembles to take the fight to the elder Shaw.

     So how is the movie? Overall, it's awesome and truly driven by heart but it is also completely insane and ridiculous. Since this is the same premise as Die Hard 3, director James Wan and writer Chris Morgan decided to change things and make it more than a revenge flick. They bring in new players and subplots to tie into the main plot. New cast members such as Djimon Hounsou's high-tech assassin and Tony Jaa as his high-flying, parkour henchman help carry along the subplot but a major character came in to help the crew. In order to track down the shadowy Shaw, the crew agree to help just as secretive government agent (Kurt Russell) retrieve a surveillance program. It's not really necessary because Shaw, driven by his revenge, keeps popping up every time our heroes go to work. From Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles, Shaw keeps popping up!

    
     But you don't come to this movie for the logic (I'll bring up the real reason soon). Everyone who has watched this series from the beginning knows the majority of the audience is there for the demolition-derby style action and mayhem. Featuring stunts galore, Furious 7 does not disappoint. From Walker running on an overturned bus that's teetering off the edge of a cliff to the infamous dropping cars out of the cargo hold of a plane, the stunts remind you how incredible the films are in that respect and how each one looks to top the previous installment.

     At the heart of it all, Furious 7 is a farewell to Paul Walker's Brian O'Connor character and a tribute to Walker. The biggest surprise is how tastefully and heartfelt the film pays tribute to a man whose character was the heart of the film, showing him how much of a family man his character was on-screen as Walker was off-screen. In the final scene, he see Walker's smile one more time behind the wheel of his car. It's a subtle moment in the franchise that doesn't have much use for one. And it's very cathartic as Diesel/Toretto's voiceover says goodbye to a brother. 

Two for Big Money and Drawing Men Into the Theaters with 'Southpaw' and 'Spectre'

     Now that the cold bitterness of Winter has passed, preparations are being made for the Spring, Summer, and even the Fall/next Winter. Two film previews have been released recently that could be box-office champions; one could possibly be an early contender for a Best Actor nomination for next year's Oscars.

     As a love of movies, there have been a lack of films that completely target the male demographic. In comparison to the action and drama films of the 1970's and '80s starring the action stars of that time such as Eastwood, Stallone, and Willis, movies that bring in males to the theaters for a film that's just for them feel rare to me. It doesn't have to be a explosion-filled, fist-fighting flick all the time (we do like a good story or drama behind the action).

     Two films that I think will have men flocking to the theaters this year are the hard-hitting Southpaw and the suave but dangerous 007's newest adventure, Spectre.

     Southpaw tells the story of boxer Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal), a fighter on top of the world but his personal life crumbling around him. After one mistake in judgment, Hope's life spirals out of control, costing him more than he could ever believe. Going to a gym run by Titus "Tick" Willis (Forest Whitaker), Hope begins his comeback road to redemption.

     I know we have all seen this story before with sports dramas, mainly with boxing. Why it keeps being used is because everyone loves a comeback story; to see a man rise from defeat and capture victory. Gyllenhaal's performance has already received early praise for his performance, even early Oscar buzz. We'll see if this momentum can carry on to the next Oscars award night. The story is written by Kurt Sutter (Creator, Sons of Anarchy). I'm already sold.

     Southpaw is expected to enter the box-office ring on July 31.

     Now we move onto a veteran character, ready to thrill us with another adventure. For the twenty-fourth time, James Bond returns in Spectre.

     Spectre seems to pick up not long after the events of Skyfall (see the remains of the MI6 bombing in the opening). Bond (Daniel Craig in his fourth outing) receives a cryptic message that sets events into motion that lead Bond face-to-face with the sinister organization known as Spectre. While M (Ralph Fiennes) is battling political forces to keep MI6 alive, Bond is drawn into a confrontation with an enemy (Christoph Waltz) who holds a dangerous secret that can challenge Bond to question everything he believes in and fought to protect.

     This cast is star-studded with Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) casted as Franz Oberhauser, the film's villain. Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded, Shoot Em Up), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Lea Seydoux (Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Daniel Craig is leading them to execute Bond's latest adventure. With this being Craig's fourth outing, the question rises on how much longer he will done Bond's tuxedo. Before Skyfall was released, Craig announced that he signed on for two more Bond films, bringing his total to five films.

     He has brought new life into the Bond franchise, adding steelness and an anti-hero feel to the spy. We have dove deeper into Bond's psyche, questioning who to trust during the films, and who he is as a man. While looking forward to Spectre, the future of the Bond franchise and the actor who could take over next should be in the back of fans' minds.

     Spectre is expected on November 6.