Tom Hiddleston as Hook in Disney's "The Pirate Fairy"

Disney's The Pirate Fairy out on Blu-ray and Digital HD April 1st

The New Thor: The Dark World Trailer

The new trailer for "Thor: The Dark World" debuted during YouTube's Geek Week on Super Wednesday, a celebration of super heroes, the supernatural, and the super-weird.

Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

The Avengers Twitter Q&A

Had to use Hulk Texting again..because I love him so.

Before we know it, the Avengers will be in theaters and we'll breathe a content sigh and say..OK..what's next?! Until that time, most of you are jumping around like you have to pee. I CAN'T WAIT!!! Sam Jackson, Clark Gregg and Tom Hiddleston teamed with Joss Whedon to poke at fans, answer questions and generally geek out over their amazing good fortune. Check it...color coded so you can find your favorite Avengers with ease...

What was your biggest challenge in playing Loki and Fury in the #Avengers - Sam Jackson - losing the weight to fit my costume & keep it off. @twhiddleston - The biggest challenge was magnifying his menace without losing touch of his emotional truth. Keeping his chaos honest!

To Mr. Whedon, how many #Avengers comics did you read as reference for this movie? - JW: "I had already read them all."

How much of your portrayal is based on comics Nick Fury and how much of Nick Fury is based on you? - @SamuelLJackson there's a lot of Nick Fury in me already

Were the stunts more difficult this time around in The Avengers as opposed to Thor & how'd u prepare for them? - @twhiddleston More stunts. More training. Day in, day out. Running, jumping, flying, twisting. We worked like athletes. It was really fun.

For JW, was there an Avenger you wanted to put in the movie but couldn't make it work for whatever reason be it budget or time? - JW: "I'm a fan of the Wasp. She's goofy and sting-y."

Is the movie's plot going to reference any classic Avengers stories or be a more "ulitmate-ized" story? - JW: "It's a combo platter: classic, Ultimate, plus a little "Richie Rich" & "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Will we get to see any background on Fury? - @SamuelLJackson - not yet.

for JW: what about the Spiderman cameo in # Avengers? - JW: "There is no Spider-Man cameo. But the Avengers do turn off the dark."

"Coulson's the fan dubbed chuck norris of @avengers" due respect, but Coulson crush walker tex ranger...w/ a bag of flour

You’ve said that in you listened to Prodigy for Loki. What did you listen to this time to get rdy for the #Avengers? - Hiddleston - "Archangel", by a band called Burial. And not a little of Hans Zimmer's soundtrack compositions.

Hiddleston - Sometimes you wake up feeling warm and sunny, but the scene requires hatefulness and spite.You have to reach deeper. And stay aware of the fact that the emotions are true, but they're not mine.

Question for JW: Most Difficult and Best things about filming (part) of The #Avengers in NYC? - JW: "Who gets the last bagel."

@SamuelLJackson are we going to see you kick some ass?! - Fo Sho!

funniest moment on Avengers set? - @twhiddleston - Getting the giggles when the Hulk smashed. Joss got the giggles too. I was hopeless

Might we see a more mischievous (rather than mostly just evil) Loki in the #Avengers ? - Hiddleston - ENTIRELY. More mischievous. More evil. More hubristic. More delusional. More damaged. More badass.

For @SamuelLJackson Who's your favorite Avenger? - Black Widow is my pick!

For JW: Everyone always asks what the hardest part of directing the movie was. What was the easiest? - W: "Controlling the meat puppets...I mean, actors."

Care to share the best of the #Avengers bloopers with us? ;) - JW: "Not when @SamuelLJackson says them."

@SamuelLJackson How much of your own stunts did you do? How did you prepare for all the physical work? - As much as the insurance company allowed. I prepped by working out a bit?

what was ur first reaction to getting the chance to direct the #Avengers - JW: "What moron would take a job that hard? Show me this moron, so that I may mock him.

For JW Any big lessons learned from filming/one thing you wish you could do over? Also, Clark Gregg/Joss Whedon TV series? Please? - Gregg - Great idea. Asking him now. Joss????

will the female characters, esp. Black Widow, remind the boys how strong they are, and how? - JW: "The females will spend their time whimpering and baking and being befuddled by math."

Has the ante been upped on Easter Eggs? And if so, how attentive will movie goers have to be to stop them? - JW: "There will be actual dyed eggs. Try to find them all!"

Agent Coulson is one of my favorite characters! In the #Avengers do we get to see a lot more of him in action? - Oh hell yes...Everybody sees more action in the avengers, hell, the audience even has to fight bad guys

JW is: can we expect some bromance Between captain america and iron man? - "Not as long as there's two of them and only one bagel. Heroes need carbs."

JW- Can you enjoy #Avengers without seeing all the other films? - JW: "You don't need to see any @Marvel movies to enjoy #Avengers! But you need to see Steel Magnolias, like, six times."

@SamuelLJackson, who was your first favorite superhero? - The Flash

@twhiddleston in Thor Loki was looking for Odin's attention and approval, now is he looking for revenge? - He doesn't want revenge so much as identity. Belonging. Purpose. Self-esteem. Through delusional dreams

For JW: How long did it take to shoot the movie? - JW: "I started when I was 12 and should be done by May 3rd at 11:59 pm."

@clarkgregg Will we see you with flour bags again? - Coulson never kills with the same cooking ingredient twice

What do you consider your character's theme song for The #Avengers? - Jackson - Born Free/ Hendrix.

Who was the jokester on the set? There is always one on every movie shoot. - JW: "I had the jokester put down on day 3."

Loki's costume looks great, but so terribly intricate. How long did it usually take getting everything on? - Hiddleston - About forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on how energetic I am feeling. Kudos to Bob Moore Jnr. Bob Moore Jnr. from the costume department. Dressing was a two man job. But we had a great playlist & we laughed a lot.

For Clark Gregg. What do u like best about Coulson? - --the bulletproof dolce suits

For @SamuelLJackson Nick Fury or Mace Windu? - Jedi or mortal? You be the judge!

@twhiddleston what did you do to get into character - Learn lines. Run five miles a day. Get dressed and go through the works. Turn up on set. And play.

Feels like every question has already been asked...so how was catering on set? - JW: "I stayed away from catering. But it smelled good from far away."

Funniest experience with a fan? - Clark Gregg- May have signed some large boobs at NYCC

Scariest moment on set? Any injuries? - Hiddleston - I smashed my elbow when facing down the great green incarnation of rage. I guess the Hulk really does smash.

@twhiddleston Who was the funnest #Avenger to fight? - Brother-to-brother is intense. Hemsworth is a giant, but we trust each other implicitly as actors...

@ Clarkgregg, please tell me what happend Can With The wasp? thank you.- Coulson and Wasp broke up. It was very painful.

Five years ago, would you have believed that you would play the most badass villain in superhero movie history? - Hiddleston - Bless you. And no!

Shakespeare quote to describe Loki? - Hiddleston - "Stand up for bastards!" (King Lear)

@clarkgregg Will you have an action figure released? If not, are you jealous. - No coulson action figure, very jealous

@clarkgregg Have you ever wanted to wear Iron Man suit ?#avengers -- wearing it now

@twhiddleston Will we see you pole dancing again in #Avengers?just like we did in Thor:) - Ahem... (clears throat)... er... well... I don't think so. Joss?

Nick Fury OUT MAVENGERFUQQAS!

Meeting some skrull friends for lunch. Thanks for the all the support! Coulson out!

And now for the Super Bowl Teaser!!



After watching it a couple of times we've identified one of the things streaking above the NY streets in front of the explosions is Loki on some flying vehicle. God bless if you can identify what is behind him! So what have we learned? No Spidey in the Avengers, Joss doesn't like to answer questions...like..at all..and prefers to talk about bagels, Clark Gregg needs a Coulson figure in a big bad way, Sam Jackson is still my favorite geek and Tom Hiddleston is shy when talking about his pole dancing skills. ...And now you know.

THE AVENGERS drops May 4th, 2012!!

CLICK HERE for our latest look at Avengers movie toys!

Avengers Assemble on Twitter

Marvel Studios announced today that they will be sponsoring a Global Twitter Chat on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11 a.m. (PST) with cast members and the director of their highly anticipated action-adventure “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The 30-minute live tweeting event features writer/director Joss Whedon and cast members Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg.

Fans around the world will be able to participate in the Q&A on Twitter by using the @Avengers handle and the #Avengers hashtag. Participating fans will have the opportunity to see a 10-second tease of the 30-second Super Bowl spot that will air during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5 on NBC. They will also have a chance to answer “Avengers” trivia for a chance to win “Avengers” prize packs.

International fans will be able to submit questions for the talent in their native language through a global translation tool provided by Ortsbo.com. The chat will be moderated by Marvel’s @Agent_M.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, NickFury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Follow @Avengers on Twitter for more details.

The Avengers Trailer Goes LIVE!

..And this time, the footage isn't shot by some dork with a steady cam pointing at his mom's TV playing Entertainment Tonight! We whipped you into a frothy frenzy with coverage of the Avengers teaser shown at Disney's D23 convention. We are highly anticipating a repeat performance or...dare I dream...even MORE footage at New York Comic Con this weekend. And NOW, we get to show off the first official trailer for the movie every geek turns into a giggling school girl over. With a powerhouse cast and a driving rock anthem from Trent Reznor, how can you describe this trailer as anything less than EPIC??!! LET'S WATCH!!



Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.









Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

THOR Movie Review

It’s TIME!! Marvel Comics fans join in with geeks of all shapes, sizes and a plethora of genders to celebrate the newest Marvel movie, in continuity with the central marvel movie universe (unlike those heathen Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and X-movies). First up for the blockbuster movie season is Thor, the tale of a God-like being manipulated by his scheming brother Loki and driven by his ego to nearly start a war between the Frost Giants and his people, the Asgardians. For his selfish behavior, the Allfather Odin strips him of his power and casts him out of Asgard, sending him face first into Earth. This is an Earth where The Hulk rampages across college campuses and Iron Man throws down with giant robots on city streets, so the agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. has had some experience with oddities like a man and his hammer spit out from the heavens and crashing into the desert. They quickly chase away the local rednecks and start researching the mysterious hammer that can not be moved by any human device. Meanwhile, Thor runs (literally..as in hit with a car) into a scientist (Natalie Portman) and her crew who cart the dethroned prince to the hospital, thinking he’s a totally buff, delusional homeless guy, and then take off for more research hijinks. The two will soon be reunited when she realizes where he has come from. Meanwhile, the Frost Giants are fuming, Thor’s warrior posse are plotting his return, Odin is brooding and somewhere in the shadows, Loki is rubbing his hands together like a mischievous trickster god version of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. Is there a plot in here somewhere??!! Not a very involved one.

Thor must learn to put others before himself in order to be worthy of lifting his great hammer again and take his proper place in Asgard, but Loki is scheming to take the throne for himself, if only to serve his bigger agenda. That’s really the gist of it. The problem with Thor is one we see with all movies that seek to tell a tale on an epic scale with eye candy as far as the eye can see and men performing great feats of heroism and somewhere amid all the drama, the film makers forget that in order to cheer on the hero, we need a point of opposition. In comics, Loki has his day planned out 15 moves in advance and has been setting it up 2 years before it actually happens. In the course of this day, he will screw with the lives of several people who never even thought Loki knew they existed and in the end, he may be thwarted by the forces of good, but you have to admit to his evil genius. Thor (the movie) paints a more sympathetic picture. Loki is still playing nearly everyone he comes across, but his agenda is not entirely malicious. Once you realize Destroyer, the other perceived big bad of the film is a tool of Asgard, and the Frost Giants are just pawns in Loki’s game, never given the chance to storm the gates of Asgard as we thought they might in the big finale, we are left with very little to rally against.

Another problem I had with the film was the heavy nature of most moments. This is just a point of personal taste, so I won’t mind when most of you read this and go “STFU.” To be clear, Thor is fantastically crafted from start to finish. Even the 3D is beautiful when paired with visuals of rampaging monsters, the mythical Bifrost bridge and something as simple as Thor charging into battle. The tone of all this content is laid out with the airs of a Shakespearean tragedy. There is some witty banter and humorous visuals when Thor is on Earth, mostly between Chris Hemsworth and Kat Dennings, but the girl can’t carry the comedic weight of an entire movie on her own. We look for some light hearted fun in Asgard, but these folks are a morose bunch, caught up in the mass of their dialogue and scowling profusely through it all. This would have been the perfect counterpoint for The Warriors Three, who in comic form WOULD have provided more than a couple of laughs. Volstagg (in comics) is a mountain of a man who is always feeding his face, though this doesn’t make him any less a hero and formidable opponent in battle. Fandral is the swashbuckling pretty boy, ever courageous and light hearted. Hogun the Grim may scowl as if someone insulted his momma, but even he does not hide his loyalty for his friends and is even shown letting out a quip or two when the situation allows for it. What we get in place of this are three throw away characters with diminished roles in the film, resigned to stand in between the landscape and the main characters for the duration of the film. Volstagg even stands around rubbing a non-existent belly from time to time, as if his character wished he could have his girth back. I’m looking for a bit more fun in my comic book movies. All this drama made the experience feel a bit long and needlessly serious. Iron Man and Hulk balanced these things beautifully. I guess I was looking for more of the same.

All sour grapes aside, Thor is excellently acted and expertly directed. It is refreshing to feel some chemistry between two actors who are supposed to be developing feelings of love for one another! I expected nothing less from a stellar cast like this, so I’m happy to report they do not disappoint. More importantly than sparks of love in Thor is the relationship between father and son, and when Anthony Hopkins is playing your father, I can only imagine your game rises to heights you never thought possible. Vanity, anger, desperation, sorrow…all flash across the faces of the sons of Odin as they fight to express themselves to a man they clearly worship. Hell, there is more emotion in a scene between Hemsworth and his un-liftable hammer than you’ll see in most of the cinematic drivel we are fed day to day. You feel every second of it, which might be the double edged sword of this film. Too much pity, not enough triumph.

Thor is a lavish project with a very clear design in mind. The mythical, medieval trappings are discarded and replaced with a sort of space D&D feel. Elements like these are bound to split movie goers right down the middle. You’re either going to buy into it immediately…or not. I’m certain nothing I say is going to stop Thor from pulling in massive numbers this weekend, so don’t even think for a second I’m looking to cause hesitation. It’s THOR!! You, being on my geeky little site to read this, must be at least 20% geek. You were going to see this movie even before you started reading. Just go in with a clean pallet. This is not Iron Man, or The Incredible Hulk. This is something different. At the end of the day, take solace in one essential thing. This is absolutely not Catwoman.

P.S. I know this goes without saying for the pros, but for the Newbs...STAY TIL AFTER THE CREDITS!!!

THOR vs KRADDY - INTO THE LABYRINTH [OFFICIAL RE-EDIT] from KRADDY on Vimeo.

Marvel Select Teasing Thor and Loki Figures

Since Hasbro has resigned themselves to tiny little kiddie toys for the new Marvel movies, we've got to look elsewhere for figures that will be in scale with the Marvel Legends we love. DIAMOND SELECT to the rescue! In the December issue of previews, they've got listings for both Thor and Loki figures, based on their movie appearances with likenesses of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Each figure comes with a base depicting the rainbow bridge to Asgard. Get both figures and the pieces go together to form a diorama! Newbs to the line should note that Marvel Select creates their figures in a 7 inch format, making them slightly taller than Marvel Legends 6 inch figures..which isn't such a bad thing for Asgardians. Until we hear otherwise at the 2011 International Toy Fair, these may also be the only mid-range scaled figures to buy. To be sure, Hasbro has to be planning a 10 to 12 inch Thor for release with the film, so if you've got to have a super sized Hemsworth, he'll be coming fo sho.

Also on tap for the December Previews is Marvel Minimates series 38, based on the Shadowland comic book story line. This wave features Daredevil in his costume from the book, Spider-Man, Iron Fist, White Tiger, Hand Soldier, and a limited Classic White Tiger variant.

Bringing Marvel Comics' Thor to Life

It's a challenge, to be sure. First you've got to sort through decades of fantastic story to strike the right notes, merging an origin story with enough action to make people scream for more. Then you've got to find a way to make characters from Norse mythology accessible to the common guy on the street along with adjustments to their borderline Shakespearean way of speaking. Finally, you've got to assemble a cast worthy of this epic tale and put it all in the hands of a Director with vision and extreme intestinal fortitude! Kenneth Branagh takes the reins of a colossal tale rooted in our reality. Want to hear what you are in for right from the cast themselves? Hit the vid and drink it in!


Video by Brian Dreads.