Never too soon for Deadpool

As I'm waiting to see the whatever trailer is made for the Deadpool movie that will be out in 2011 I decided to see what tidbits might be out on the web. You might think its way to early to find anything, but then you wouldn't be a fan of the Merc with a Mouth.

I hope that the writers for the Deadpool movie remember that Ryan Reynold s if a fan of the comic book. Thus we should get to jump right in, forget about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and start blasting.

But if you have no idea who this character is, and why fans love him, here is a nice kiddie version of what he is like.



moving right along, here is a trailer for the 2011 movie



ok, so it's not a trailer. But it looked pretty cool. hopefully the real film will look at least as good.

By the way, here is what I believe IS the official look of the character.

The top (and worst) actors per dollar in 2009

In Hollywood it is often said that

you are only as good as your last film.

While still somewhat true, there are those that are worth the money they make on each film and then there are those that are not. Generally, the quality of the actor often matches the box office bucks they generate.

But every year the best and worst actors per dollar they bring to the box office is figured out. Still Hollywood doesn't always pay attention.

So here are the very worst actors that money can buy

Will Ferrell - he was great in Elf. Then he kept doing the same character in every subsequent film - most recently in the bomb Land of the Lost revisioning. At this point his films are just really long, and bad, Saturday Night live skits. Of course he keeps getting paid too well not to be stuck in the mud. He generated $3.29 for every dollar he made.

Ewan McGregor - was a decent Obi Wan. Too bad he hasn't used the force to read any of the scripts of the films he has done since. He brought in $3.75 per dollar to him.

Billy Bob Thornton - been a while since that name was attached to something anyone saw. It's also been a while since his movies brought in a profit. I guess the mojo of Angelina Jolie's blood has worn off. $4 per dollar he made.

Eddie Murphy - was a superstar when he was young. Now, if you are under 15 you probably still think he is great. But his box office numbers look like somebody's allowance. His $4.43 per dollar he earned almost pays for a DVD of Meet Dave.

Ice Cube - not really an actor, but getting there. He's still earning his chops but it seems that his rap fans won't stick around in theaters to watch the lessons. I can't say I blame them. He made $4.77 in the box office for what he got paid.

Tom Cruise - yep, believe it or not he is overpaid. Thank goodness he has his own studio. Of course if he keeps making films like Lions for Lambs he will earn a permanent place on the overpaid list. But MI:4 might help him out. $7.18 per dolloar he got overpaid.

Drew Barrymore - there had to be at least one girl on the list. Yes she is pretty, and seems like a nice person. But none of that seems to matter when she is in a film like Lucky You. Too bad producing a film is not counted otherwise she might have brought in more than $7.43

Leonardo DiCaprio - overpaid and overhyped. You don't have to agree but more do than don't. The proof is in the $7.52 he brought to the box office versus what he got.

Samuel L. Jackson - it hurts me to have him on this list. Still my personal like of the actor and some of his work does not prevent Snakes on a Plane and Soul Man from happening. He made $8.59 in box office for every dollar paid to him. Not good.

And the final top 10 overpaid actor is Jim Carrey. He just made it to the list, but with good reason. Either his movies are huge hits, like The Grinch, or they are bombs like Number 23. Considering how much he gets paid per film I'm sure Hollywood execs were hoping for better than $8.62 at the box office.

Ok, now that you have suffered the pain and if you are still with me, here are the best actors per dolloar. But again, don't assume quality with earnings.

Shai LeBeouf - proof that ability has little to do with anything. He was in all the right films and tops the list with $160 brought in for every dollar he earned. Expect this to go way down since there's only so many Transformer movies that can be made - I pray.

James McAvoy - Not familiar with the name? Well he filled theaters when WANTED came out - or was that because of the scene with a bare backed Jolie? Either way he brought studios $114 for every dollar they brought him.

Michael Cera - not one of the leading male actors in looks, but he brings home the bacon at the box office. Even with films like Year One, he still pulled off $102 per dollar he got paid. But can he do it 2 years in a row?

Daniel Radcliffe - is still riding high off of Harry Potter. That franchise alone put him almost at the top with $93 in the box office for what he earned. Considering he's almost all grown now, will he keep the young girls swooning in his roles after Hogwarts? Maybe.

Robert Downey Jr - Probably the best actor on the list. He is phenomenal when he is sober, and better than most when he isn't. Possibly the only actor to be stuck in a proverbial can and still out earn most any film where you can see the acting. He brought in $78 at the box office for every dollar, and would have done better if he didn't get roped into Tropic Thunder. Iron Man 2 and Sherlock Holmes can't come out fast enough.

Javier Bardem - don't know his name? Well like Cera you went to see him, over and over again. To the tune of making $73 at the box office for what he was paid. Maybe you'll remember his name next time since he will likely get a lot more films.

Ryan Reynolds - I'm glad he made the list. He's just a funny guy, that can do action at least as well as anyone on this list. And who didn't want to see him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine after watching the movie trailer (too bad the film was a waste of time). Expect higher numbers than the $61 in the box office for his pay once Green Lantern and Deadpool hit screens in 20011-12.

Christian Bale - he terminated the competition as a Dark Knight. The franchises have been good to him and to the box office of Hollywood. $55 for his every dollar. And more sequels are coming.

Aaron Eckhart - he doesn't make big bucks himself, but compared to what his movies bring in... Suffice to say that even with PC Hollywood he made smoking interesting again. $45 to the box office for ever dollar getting him on-screen.

Dennis Quaid is the old man of the list. He brought in $43 for every wrinkled dollar he earned. Lucky for him The Day After Tomorrow was not part of the calculations.

Well that's the lists. Love it or hate it, there you are. I'm glad Forbes made the list because figuring it all out just takes too long.

Ryan Reynolds on the move

Fans of Ryan Reynolds should cheer up. The star of films like Van Wilder, Blade 3, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine will again be starring in a new film. But you will have to wait a bit.

Sadly the next film is not going to be the rumored (and I was hoping to see) Deadpool movie. That will be a bit further down the line. Though I think the character, if done similar to the way he was done in Wolverine - though much more talkative, will be a big hit.

The film that Reynolds will be working on is called TMI. Yes that does stand for Too Much Information. Obviously with a title like this the film is a comedy. Hopefully far better than the last comedy film he did, co-starring Sandra bullock.

The film has nothing to do with the BBC kids show. Nor is it related to the 2005 webcomic of the same name.

What I can say the film is about is a couple that take the notion of "honesty is the best policy" a bit too far. In effect it is a play on the film Liar Liar of Jim Carrey fame. Hopefully this will wind up being more than some Hollywood execs get-rich-quick scheme written from crib notes of Liar Liar. When this project will be starting is unclear.

But the real payoff will be in 2011 or 2012 when Ryan Reynolds will be playing both Green Lantern and Deadpool. That is unless some exec freaks out and decides that he can't be a superhero in 2 completely different films. Of course if there has to be a choice, go with Deadpool.

Screw Wolverine, Deadpool lives!

If there is anything that is remotely satisfying about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it is the news that someone in Marvel had enough sense not to kill Deadpool. In fact he is so alive, that he will be getting his own movie.

Spoiler Alert
Now if you saw the movie, you know that Wolverine cut off the head of Deadpool. Given the fact that Deadpool has a skeleton laced with admantium (the same unbrakable metal in Wolverine) so it would be highly unlikely for such a thing to happen. Plus the fact that he is supposed to have a healing factor on crack and can regrow limbs in mere moments. But what may not be as well known is that there is a second bonus ending (besides the boring and useless Logan drinking in a bar in Japan) where Deadpool rises out of the rubble alive! Hey, it's not called a mutant healing factor for nothing.
Spoiler End

So this has allowed the Merc with a mouth to become the first spin-off of a spin-off movie that I am aware of. And this time, Ryan Reynolds will be returning to play Deadpool. (Yep, that was not him playing Weapon XI).

Reynolds had wanted to have a movie of this character since 2003. And if you watched the trailers you can understand why he is the man for the part.



Now how will this work out? Well if they get rid of all the crap from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and keep the hyper healing factor he is supposed to have it could work well. Especially since he has no true super powers.

Yes, for those that did not know, Wade Wilson is a normal person (minus the healing given to him by the Weapon X program). His moves and ability are just the rewards of a man that trains hard because he loves his work. Killing people and getting paid is a reward all it's own for this merc.

Will we get more of Reynolds providing near constant one-liners while slicing and dicing his way to the grocery store? Will we get him breaking the 4th wall to laugh with us on the jokes? (The 4th wall is a term which means that the characters in a book, comic book and/or movie don't know they are in the medium. To break it is like when Ferris Bueller spoke to the audience) Will the dark (really dark) humor that is the essence of the character come shining thru?

With all good luck, and a couple of writers that actually have read (maybe even understood?) the huge mass of history the characer has. I mean at the very least they can go to Wikipedia and learn more about Deadpool than any of the writers bothered to figure out in Wolverine.

Beyond making sure that Bret Ratner, David Ayer, and David Benioff have nothing to do with the Deadpoll movie, I think this could be a great film. It's all in the writing and director. Ryan Reynolds has already proven he can make the role work with aplomb.

Figure it will take 2 years for the movie to come out. Just enough time to make a really good movie. We can only hope.

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

What can I say about one of the more anticipated movies of this summer season? I was disappointed.

Wolverine is a movie with several things going for it, but it just doesn't seem to take hold of any of them. Fans of the comic books will have various issues on top of those presented by the movie. Regular fans of the X-Men will feel short-changed. It's like the bonus scenes at the end of the movie, neither is worth the time you spend waiting to see them.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is indeed a well produced movie. There is CGI and explosions to fulfill the testosterone needs, and more than enough scenes of Hugh Jackman without a shirt off to pass the time of most who enjoy that. Jackman has worked out a lot for the film. The explosions happen almost every 15 minutes with fights mixed in between to keep everyone busy. There is even a loose bit of plot woven into the whole thing to keep your mind stimulated, a little.

But it just doesn't work. Here is a problem, we start the film proper with Logan and Creed part of a secret superhuman squad of assassins. This is after an introduction explaining that they had been part of every conflict and battle America had since the Civil War (Interesting to note that both Creed and Logan were in Blue). We are introduced to every member of the group as they do their thing against some ambiguous African warlord with a stash of diamonds. Then they are all gone, essentially.

Zero, has one scene where we get to see he is really fast and accurate at firing a gun, and about 45 seconds throughout the rest of the film. Blob gets the scene against the tank, and another in the boxing ring. Then he is gone. Wraith gets about 10 minutes, of which only 1/3 has him talking. But he does get to be in 3 locations before he is gone. And Wade Wilson - well other than his opening scene, nada. Hey Ryan Reynolds got paid a likely $200,000 plus for 5 minutes of screen time. I don't hold that against him. It's a great job and life if you can get it.

Suffice to say, everything in this movie is just thrown at you, then tossed away. You barely get enough time to understand who a character is and what they might be able to do, before they are gone. So you never really get to care. Except for Wolverine and Sabertooth. Which you either like or not from early on in the film.

Plus you are left with a lot of why in this movie. Why are some mutants killed, others held captive, and yet others frozen in block of ice. Why don't certain people, besides Wolverine, remember what happened in the subsequent movies this is a prequel of. Why does Wolverine lose his memory even though he heals from all injuries perfectly. Why doesn't Sabertooth use any of the past on Wolverine in the X-Men movies?

And on and on.

You don't get a lot of time to ponder any of these questions. The movie keeps the pace high enough that you never get enough time to consider these questions. But you are left with the feeling that nothing is resolved. And once the film ends it just hits you like a brick.

As much as I was looking forward to the film, it just never got to a point where I was satisfied. Especially my interest in the Wade Wilson/Deadpool character. As a fan of that comic book character I was left with a Tim Burton Batman movie introduction and end to the character.

Bottom line, Don't see this in the theater. It will be a nice DVD, especially if there is extra scenes that expand on the characters and what they can do and/or give more details about them.

Let's hope that the ret of this years crop of summer movies just get better from this point on.

Good news for Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, and Marvel

Well a bit of good news is always a nice way to start the week. And to that end is the news that Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson got married. The couple was engaged recently, and thankfully their wedding was not the usual circus of paparazzi and media and rumors that tend to occur these days.

I wish the 2 of them the best. I hope that they can have a marriage like that of Paul Newman and his wife Joan Woodard.

In more potentially good news Marvel Comics is moving forward with their movie empire. With the success of the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man (to say nothing of the success found in Spiderman’s and the X-Men’s 3 films) Marvel closed a deal top have Paramount distribute 5 of its next films. Those films will include the sequel to Iron Man, a film on Captain America, The Avengers and Thor.

Now I am happy to see that Iron Man will not only get a sequel, which we knew would be coming, but that Marvel is looking to get one of it’s biggest titles out – Captain America - even though they recently murdered him. It is interesting that in a time of war, and national conflicted emotions over these wars, Marvel has decided to highlight a character that was created by war and symbolizes the absolute belief that America is the greatest good in a bad world. Captain America is hardly a liberal, and considering how liberal Hollywood is their choice stands out.

Thor though is a movie I expect will do poorly. He just isn’t an interesting character by himself. Norse god, ancient misogynistic beliefs, and macho pig might all be terms that would easily describe him. And those are all elements that would prevent his acceptance by a wide portion of the movie audience. But given the right script and actor anything is possible. Though I think this will rank right up with the first Hulk movie.

Also a potential letdown is the choice of The Avengers. This team of super heroes could be like the first X-Men movie, and be good. But more likely is the failure of the movie and its ultimate similarity to the Fantastic Four movies. There are too many characters, with too many abilities to describe to an audience that has no clue about any of that. There is no theme that drives the plot for movie-goers without necessitating a big back-story. It’s just too much all at once. And most of the members of the Avengers just aren’t interesting enough.

The big secret may be that the 5th choice of Marvel will likely be the SHIELD movie. There have been 2 prior versions of Nick Fury so far, both have been abysmal. But they say the 3rd time is the charm. This could be the film that breaks Marvel’s back, or guarantees that future scriptwriters will give up on new ideas altogether.

Actually what am I saying? There really haven’t been any new ideas in Hollywood for almost a decade. Virtually every movie made in that time has been a retread of a book, comic book, television show or prior movie. Looking forward we have more Batman, Watchmen, Sin City, video games, television shows and such on the horizon. It’s really a shame that Hollywood has lost the last few brain cells they had.

Still I am looking forward to the Watchmen, Iron Man 2, Captain America, and HALO.

Remakes, I told you so - 1.20.2007.2

Well don’t say I didn’t warn you. Reviews are out for the re-made movie, The Hitcher. Without any shock I see that it is almost universally panned. I knew it when I first mentioned from the promo shots what I thought of the movie. The villain is far less intimidating than Mr. Rutger Hauer’s Ryder. The protagonist is now the woman (of course) and even less believable that Mr. C. Thomas Howell’s unlucky lead. Gore has replaced actual plot or interesting action. Like most of the re-makes in recent time this only serves to motivate a trip to Blockbuster for the best version.

Of course there are even new lows in the world of re-makes. It seems that the various advertising companies have lost any hope of new ideas, or at least the one that made this decision. I’m speaking of the new Orville Redinbocker Popcorn commercials. For those that don’t know, there was a real man by this name. He did own the company, and the picture on packages is his. He did many commercials for his company in the 80’s, until he died.

But dead is only a temporary setback for ad creators without vision and on a deadline. There are now commercials that have brought back a computer enhanced version of Mr. Redinbocker. That’s just sad. It says something about the company and the ad guys, and in my opinion that’s not a good thing. One thing for sure, I won’t buy their product. If they can’t respect the dead, nor their own company’s founder I have doubts on what they think of the living. Using a corpse to hock their goods is just low class, and the bottom of the barrel in my opinion. Maybe you disagree, or didn’t know. My bet is that they are counting on the fact that the youth of today have no idea that the man existed. I hope Wendy’s doesn’t follow on this poor taste bandwagon.

In more hopeful thoughts the movie Smokin Aces seems good. While it is a January film (usually not a good sign) and it does have 2 hip-hop entertainers [Ms. Alicia Keys and Common] in it (incredibly bad sign) I hope it will be good. Mr. Jeremy Piven is quite an actor, as is Mr. Ryan Reynolds, Mr. Ray Liotta, and Mr. Andy Garcia. It looks to be stylish, with some type of plot and really good music and effects. Either way I will check it out. I might get surprised and the hip-hop wanna-be actors may be good, or at least have incredibly small roles if they aren’t. Anyone want to take odds on their performances?

This is what I think, what do you think?