Stop motion animation is one of the few film mediums that continually confounds the viewer. You don't know how many times I was in a press interview with the fine folks from LAIKA who had to explain that just about 99% of what you are seeing is NOT CGI. The hair blowing in the wind...the eye and mouth movement...all stop motion. Now LAIKA returns to bring more magic into our lives with their new feature film, Missing Link!
This April, meet Mr. Link: 8 feet tall, 630 lbs, and covered in fur, but don't let his appearance fool you... he is funny, sweet, and adorably literal, making him the world's most lovable legend at the heart of Missing Link, the globe-trotting family adventure from LAIKA. Tired of living a solitary life in the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Link recruits fearless explorer Sir Lionel Frost to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight, our fearless trio of explorers encounter more than their fair share of peril as they travel to the far reaches of the world to help their new friend. Through it all, the three learn that sometimes you can find a family in the places you least expect.
Complete with a roboty looking Silver Samurai and Viper with a snake tongue, which of course makes me think this one will probably miss the mark again. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be there opening night, but with very low expectations.
READY FOR SOME EYE CANDY??!! The other day we brought you up to speed on the Wolverine with an overview of this movie's plot, what else we know of the film to date and the events from comics that this movie borrows from. This was all the pre-show for the lil video we present today. Actually, two trailers dropped this morning, but as usual, the American trailer is high on drama while the International trailer has Silver Samurai and a swarm of ninjas attacking our favorite Canadian. So we go International, of course...
Between Kick-Ass 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men First Class 2, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Superman: Man of Steel and Iron Man 3, it would be very easy to forget about a little film called The Wolverine!! ..that is unless you are a woman (or man) in love with Hugh Jackman and his veiny muscles. For you, every second you have to wait for this movie is pure agony. Luckily, the film's marketing department have been releasing plenty of posters with good ole' Hugh...shirtless...of course. Before we believe this is their ENTIRE pitch for the film, FOX have given EW some exclusive info and images..you know..for those of us that like silly things like plot, comic to screen story lines being translated faithfully and those all important comic hero cameos. Here's what we know so far...
We've got the first image from "The Wolverine" which is filming as we speak, but at this point, you may as well call the damn thing "The Jackman", as the ladies viewing this image (and more than a few men) could care less if there were pokey things coming out of his hands. I suspect you could swap them out for ornate fire pokers and no one would notice. HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU WATCH THE "HUGH RUNS ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE NEKKID" SCENE IN THE LAST FILM??!! HMM??!! Dirty slags.
Based on the celebrated comic book arc, The Wolverine finds Logan, the
eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash
with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his
past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.
Welcome to the FUTURE!!There is no oil or water crisis. The sun isn’t on the verge of collapse. Japan doesn’t own everything. There are no radioactive mutants or shambling wasteland zombies. In a lot of ways, you can say this is a very hopeful future, where even the brutality of human boxing has been replaced with ALL OUT ROBO CARNAGE!!!This is the world of Real Steel, where a man named Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) has traded in his boxing gloves for power tools and a welding torch, hoping one of his fighting robots will make him just enough cash to get out of debt…and allow him to stop running.
Charlie Kenton is one of those poor shlubs you see drifting through life, getting by on a winning smile and his ability to disappear when money is owed. He’d tell you he can never catch a break, but if you know him for more than five minutes, you can tell he is his own worst enemy. Luckily he has a good woman named Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) to watch his back. As owner of Tallet’s Gym, where Kenton burned up his youth trying to be a boxing star, she provides a semi-safe haven where Kenton can lick his wounds and prepare for his next colossal failure. In walks Max (Dakota Goyo), the son Charlie always knew about but never cared to claim as his own. His mom has just died and Aunt Debra and her rich husband have agreed to take full custody...after a quick jaunt to Italy. Charlie sees a chance for quick cash and agrees to sign over all parental rights and deliver the boy upon their return to the states. Child brokering has never been so adorable. One snag. Max is no sniveling orphan boy with a quivering lip. He cons his way into Charlie’s passenger seat for a summer of underground robot boxing and ADVENTURE!!
Max is like a less annoying and way funnier Anakin Skywalker with an angel face and dance moves that would make any robot bust out a cabbage patch. The writers of Real Steal were clearly making a family friendly film but didn’t get caught up in the usual trappings like the sickeningly cute kid, schmaltzy forced bonding moments or even catchy future speak. WIZARD! The story unfolds along a logical line with Charlie slowly realizing that if he can get out of his own way for two minutes, he might just be a success. This is a long road though, so we are allowed those guffaw inducing scenes of child endangerment and neglect. Still, Hugh Jackman is so damn likable, it works! This is Over the Top with a little Rocky thrown in and the mildest dash of Bad News Bears to keep the whole thing from rotting your teeth out with sugary sweet sensibilities. The result is a highly entertaining, funny film that will have you cheering for a battle bot!
I give the creators of this film high marks for creating a future where the rich have access to the future’s full compliment of gadgets and devices while the poor live…well pretty much like we do! There is no Thunderdome to be found here. Even in the back alley robo-brawling pits, there is still cold beer for everyone. It is all incredibly upbeat. I also give credit for creating a very realistic father/son relationship. Max inadvertently shadows his father’s sensibilities (which in this case makes him a little abrasive). He is the perfect scrappy kid. The two are living their own lives and rather than seeking out the “ideal” family they never had, it is more about common ground and understanding. This creates a dynamic that makes sense, so that by the time we reach the movie’s conclusion, you really do want the best for our heroes.
OH YEA..There are ROBOTS in this movie too!!Danny Elfman creates a driving soundtrack with plenty of beats by Eminem to fuel moments of robo-rage in the ring. The music is slick enough to convey the intensity of the techno-brutality we are about to see, but not so intimidating that we notice the crowd is actually screaming for blood (as it were.) It’s is pretty genius! The robots themselves feel very real, almost to the point where they are no big deal. These are giant toy puppets run by controllers who only cry over lost winnings when their bot is torn apart in the ring, so personality only goes as far as their paint job. We are a loooong way away from the R2D2 future here. Our hero Atom, on the other hand, is given moments where you almost think he is alive and just as fueled by Max’s screaming to continue the fight as he is by his power cells. Again, these moments are handled with the utmost care, leaving all speculation as to his “Johnny 5” state of being up to the viewer. Of course, I say all of this as a jaded, grumbling adult. Kids are sure to go berserk over these giant robots.
Real Steel is BALLSY!In a world where we expect all sorts of shenanigans by suits who, excited by the designs of the battle bots, would no doubt give volumes of input on where they think this family friendly, action packed tale should go to ensure they get maximum dollar return from merchandising and potential sequels, we instead get a wildly (even unexpectedly) amusing film with bucket loads of charisma to keep you smiling. With nothing really meaty to go up against this weekend, I fully expect Real Steel to win at the box office, but I feel the marketing may be missing its core audience. KIDS!!This movie is 99% squeaky clean (that 1% being from a little beating that happens late in the film), so take your kids and applaud a movie that doesn’t force the lead child actor to curse or deliver an obscene gesture for a cheap laugh. Hell, there isn't even a poop joke or fart noise to be found here. This is the sort of action packed, sweet, funny movie I look forward to taking my 7 yr old nephew to see. Grab a kid and go!
NOTE: Yes ladies, Jackman takes his shirt off, so grab your boyfriend and go as well. ;)
Damn, September flew by fast, and as we head into my favorite month of October, we get a little closer to ROBOT BATTLE!! Real Steal comes to the big screen October 7th with Hugh Jackman leading his destructo-bot Atom to victory against a lineup of machines programmed to pummel, crush and flatten their opponents, all for the adulation of the crowds and a hefty stack of prize cash, to be sure. Here's the skinny...
A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, “Real Steel” stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
Now entering the ring...
Atom: The Junkyard Bot and our hero Zeus: King of the Robots Noisy Boy: The Manga Mangler Twin Cities: The Tower of Power Midas: The Gold Blooded Killer Six Shooter: The Sheriff of Robo-Town Ambush: The Boxing Superhero Metro: Frankenstein's Monster
From JAKKS Pacific: What do you get when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots go head to head in the most intense form of battling mankind has ever seen? The ideal holiday gift for Real Steel fans! With A-list stars attached such as Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lily, this action packed film is sure to be a major hit! In conjunction with the film’s release, JAKKS is launching a diverse and innovative product line, hitting upon multiple play patterns to give kids control over the fighting action!
Relive battles from the hit movie! The Real Steel 5” Basic Robot Assortment features 10 articulated robots with a light up chest cavity. Using QuickSwitch Technology™, Real Steel 5” Basic Robot limbs and accessories are interchangeable and allow you to customize and create the ideal robot to size up for any type of battle. Each robot sold separately. (SRP $8.99) The larger Real Steel 7.5” DLX Robot Assortment showcases a full range of hero robots straight from the film, each with a trigger-activated, signature action move! These highly articulated fighting bots are scaled to their size in the movie and are perfect for collecting and battling against your friend’s robots. (SRP $14.99) Take them to the ring to face-off in the ultimate battle!
The 10”x10” Build n’ Battle Set features a 5” Basic Atom hero Robot with three extra sets of arms and an extra set of legs for battle! Customize your robot with interchangeable fists, arms and legs. Control your robots’ right jab and left jab while preparing for lots of spring loaded carnage! Pieces work with all 5” basic figure robots. A carrying case is also included. (SRP $19.99) WRB Main Event Ring is sized to fit your favorite 7.5” robot. Tap on the mat to activate cheers from the crowd, battle sounds, phrases from the movie and more! (SRP $29.99) Ages 6+ WRB Battle Champions Game is not your average game! Control your robot with the goal of destroying your opponent in this interactive, high-tech fighting game. The 6” Zeus and Atom bots are included along with 180 degree swivel controls. Strategize and try to guess your opponents move in order to win! Left jab and right jab your way to victory! Each robot features removable parts, and with the right moves, you can break apart your opposing robot. Rebuild again and continue practicing for the next fight! (SRP $29.99) Ages 6+
