Wallpaper Wednesday: Pacific Rim

Is you wallpaper indecent? Does it lack desktop sophistication? Are you one of those clowns who puts an image on their PC or Mac and it doesn't even fit the screen? Even worse, are you one of those losers that just "tiles" any image you get, turning your desktop into an awkward repetition of cropped off images? Well, Action A Go Go's going to help with "Wallpaper Wednesdays."

Wallpaper Wednesday is just like it sounds. In the middle of the week -- every week --  AAGG will give you the appropriate decorative tools to make you look like you know how to right-click an image. 

We know it will be tough, but if you follow these simple steps then I think we can make this work:

1. Move your mouse's cursor over the Pacific Rim poster above.

2. Press the right right button on your mouse.

3. Ugh. I lost you didn't I?

4. See you next Wednesday.

2015: Cinepocalypse?

As many have begun to notice 2015 is shaping up to be the biggest year ever for big-budget tent pole franchise films. Coming out that year we have the following:

Jurassic Park IV

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Pirates of the Caribbean 5

Superman vs. Batman

Bond 24

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2

Independence Day 2

Terminator 5

(Possibly) Star Wars: Episode VII

(Possibly) Star Trek 3

With all these huge films coming out, it stands to reason that many are bound to underperform perhaps even bomb. Could this be the much heralded collapse up massive-budget Blockbusters that we've been hearing about? Or will this just be the most epic year the movie theaters have ever seen?

What is your prediction? If you're so inclined shoot me a tweet @A_B_Allen , I'd love to hear what geeks of all shapes and sizes think about this ever looming milestone/doomsday. 

Tunesday: Drift by RZA and Blake Perlman

For those of you foolish enough to leave Pacific Rim right when the credits roll, you missed two awesome contributions to the film via the Perlman family.

First up, Ron Perlman's character, Hannibal Chau, makes a return after his gruesome death at the hands of a kaiju. Second, Blake Perlman, Ron Perlman's daughter, has a duet with RZA of the Wu Tang Clan (as if there were any other).

What's that you say? You missed those two things? Well...

RIDDICK MOTION COMIC HAS DROPPED #RIDDICK

Motion Comic for the new Riddick movie has dropped!

After watching it, this is meant to fill the gap between The Chronicles Of Riddick and the new Riddick movie, which explains why he doesn't have a kingdom anymore.

Which, if true, sucks. I would've loved to see a "King Riddick" type of interstellar movie.

Oh well. Riddick is coming.




Thanks to Bleeding Cool for the Tip!

The Wolverine Review: A Movie That's Better Late Then Never.... #SNIKT #THEWOLVERINE

(Sorry this is late. This is going to be a lighting round, but still worth a read if you haven't seen it yet!)

I am a die hard Wolverine fan. Since the first X-Men film hit in 2000 that has been a problem. Its not that Hugh Jackman has done anything WRONG over the past 10+ years (God knows the ladies love him), but Wolverine in the movies has been...off. X-Men: The Last Stand was a cinematic catastrophe with Wolverine at the center. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was even worse. Somehow...it was worse.

But today is a new day. We have a new Wolverine movie, a new setting, and a new story that harkens back to one of the character's most iconic comics.

Let's get to it.

THE STORY AND THE PEOPLE WHO GET PAID TO TALK...

Wolverine goes to Japan to be thanked by Yashida, an old and very powerful man he saved from a nuclear explosion in Nagasaki long ago. The twist is that Yashida offers to end Wolverines life by transferring his mutant abilities to Yashida and letting Wolverine die a natural death. When Wolverine refuses to give up his own immortality the old man inevitably passes away. Logan is then neck deep in the families troubles, which include political intrigue, Yakuza gangsters, and mysterious mutants with unknown motivations.

Hugh Jackman returns as everyone's favorite mutant. It pains me to say this but he does great. This is the best on screen Wolverine yet. He's funny, brooding, and delightfully obtuse. Famke Janssen returns as Jean Grey but I wish she hadn't. More on that later.

The rest of the cast does well. Rila Fukishima does excellent work as Yokio, Wolverine's "body guard," and Tao Okamoto does well as Mariko, the granddaughter of Yashida. Also, Hiroyuki Sanada gives an intense, believable performance as Shingen, Yashida's son. Honestly, as far as acting goes, this is an all-around good movie for everyone on screen.

THE GOOD....

Wolverine. Duh! Also, the setting does LOTS for the movie itself. As opposed to most movies that give lip service to their locations, The Wolverine embraces Japan with arms wide open and that is very much appreciated.

The special effects are really good, as is the movies underlying story. What we have here is a more quiet, intimate mutant movie that resists the urge to go bigger for the sake of going bigger. The action, at times, had me cringing, in a good way.

THE BAD...

LOL I don't even know why I'm here....

While the movie gets points for focusing on story instead of ever bigger explosions it does loose itself when it tries to hold on to the tired backstory of Fox's X-Men franchise. Jean Grey keeps showing up and is turned into a subplot that slows the movie down drastically. She's dead. Bring her back, like in a real comic book story, or drop it.

The ending is a bit lacking and cookie cutter as well. The action is intense, and I even had a few "Oh man they went there!" moments, but even so the movie trips over its own feet and brings itself down to an average movie experience with clichés that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

THE VERDICT...

3 OUT OF 5 ARNOLDS

Much like R.I.P.D we have another summer movie that is not too bad, but not too good, and original enough to be worth a ticket. If you are a fan of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, go see it. If you are a die hard fan of the comic/character, I'd give it a shot but don't go expecting to be amazed.

Wolverine: SNIKT! Supercut

 

 

Pray for the poor soul who had to edit this together.

 

 



File This Under: "why is this not an actual thing?"

Director Fede Alvarez took it upon himself to design a seriously sick VHS cover for his 2013 Evil Dead remake. It's impressive to say the least, and it's something that any collector would want on his shelf. The one problem: there isn't any actual VHS release for Evil Dead. Let's hope that one day we get one so that this sweet design can be put to good use.

Seriously, Who Was Responsible for Leaking X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE? (An Action A Go Go Investigation)

On March 31, 2009, a workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released online, nearly a month before its official theatrical release. As a concerned citizen and avid filmgoer I used my "particular set of skills" to assist the film's distributor, 20th Century Fox, with finding the source of the leak. Until today, I have not been able to share my discoveries with the public because of legal reasons. The following letter was written after I concluded my investigation and is now available for all to read. - Troy.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Directed by Gavin Ho.o.d

Starring Hugh Jac.k.man, Live Schr.i.eber, Ryan Rey.n.olds, and Will.i.am.

  

MWS---EHG

Fox Studios

Century City, CA                  May 1^st, 2009.

Mr. Tom Rothman

     Century City,

          California.

To Mr. Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos, Heads of Fox Studios:

You do not know me and I would like to remain anonymous, but I am a concerned moviegoer who has labored over endless amounts of evidence in the name of justice. I hope this information has not arrived to you late.

Recently, your studios fell victim to the evils of piracy. An unfinished copy of the film titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked to the Internet. With anticipation, I have followed your investigation to smoke out this digital Captain Hook who prematurely unveiled your studio’s latest cinematic masterpiece. Similar to you, I deduced that the Wolverine leak must have come from within the production itself. Brilliantly, you concluded that that Rising Sun Pictures (an SFX house out of Australia) had been responsible, but ultimately that lead to a dead end. Once that happened I began conducting my own research and I think I've discovered the culprit.

Exhibit A:

I must admit, in order to better understand my prey, I did indeed watch the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leak. Wisely, director Gavin Hood opted to cast Ryan Reynolds as the character of Deadpool. This was a perfect choice but even more ideal was the film’s finale in which Deadpool has the powers of Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and a boxcutter. In a moment somewhat reminiscent of the Darth Maul fight in (another Fox masterpiece) Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Deadpool is beheaded and falls into a dark shaft-thingy. I mention all this because the above image is from the April 1st 2009 cover of Deadpool # 9 published by Marvel Comics. This issue arrived in stores the same week of the film’s leak. On the surface, this cover image may seem mundane, however, Deadpool's decapitation never actually happens inside the book. It does however echo the fight with from your Wolverine film. Also, it is important to note that the book was released on April 1^st.

Still not convinced, Mr. Rothman? Mr. Gianopulos? Are you wondering what I’m getting at? Allow me to present Exhibit B...

This is an image from Utlimate Hulk vs. Wolverine #4 which is also published by Marvel Comics. Towards the middle of this title a fictional female scientist travels to China to sell a pirated copy of the very real Star Trek movie. After the May 1^st release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It is my theory that Marvel Comics stole X-Men Origins: Wolverine from you. They are laughing at you and they are leaving you clues within their own comics, the last place anyone involved in the Wolverine film would look.

Now, it is no big secret that since Iron Man became their first in-house success last year, they have been hell-bent on controlling their motion picture properties. Marvel has become bitter over the fact that your studio controls both the Fantastic Four and X-Men movie franchises. Clearly, they must have been upset about something in the Wolverine movie (what exactly, I have no idea) and leaked it to the Internet one month before the film’s official debut. However, Marvel did not act alone. Helping them orchestrate this act of piracy was Damon Lindelof, producer of Lost. No stranger to conspiracies, Lindeloff works for your network rival ABC (owned by Disney). He is also is the writer of Utlimate Hulk vs. Wolverine for Marvel Comics. Lindeloff produces Lost with J.J. Abrams, the director of the upcoming Star Trek! Don’t you see?!? Marvel made a deal with Lindeloff and Abrams to ensure an opening week failure or a huge second week drop-off for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Their DARMA Initiative-esque plot was all so Abrams could score a huge opening week for Star Trek which opens 7 days after your film, thus making it your direct opposition in the box office. In turn, Marvel could stick it to the studio system that they have grown to loathe over the last several decades. End. Scene.

What next? Well, I think this evidence would hold up in a court of law and falls squarely under the rights of the studio to protect their property from piracy. While I do wish to remain anonymous, I will allow my face to be recorded as a video witness as long as my face is blurred out and my voice is changed to sound like Darth Vader. Also, if you could relay my findings to your cult leader/snake-god, Mr. Rupert Murdoch, it would be greatly appreciated.

Very respectfully,

Troy-Jeffrey Allen

ELYSIUM CONCEPT ART

 

 

Elysium concept art has dropped, and it looks marvelous! Neil Blomkamp seems to be on the ball with this gritty, realistic style. Daddy likes, and this is promising to be one of the best films of the summer.

 

Photos below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks io9!

Trek for Rookies: Voyager

Title

Star Trek: Voyager

Original Air Dates

January 16, 1995 – May 23, 2001

Don’t let the innocent face fool you. Captain Janeway could put a Gorn in its place.

The Captain 

Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) 

The first and only female Captain within the five series. Intense presence of command. She does not play. Think Katharine Hepburn. Knows how to be sociable, but always in the context that she’s the Alpha. Petite in build, but would have absolutely no reservation in trying to clock a seven foot Klingon if called for. Wants, and knows how, to build people up. Considering her circumstances, she is always resolute and has levels of determination perhaps more intense than any other of the Trek Captains. And she likes her coffee. A lot.

Top row, left to right:  Kim, The Doctor, Tuvok, Neelix.

Bottom row, left to right: 7 of 9, Chakotay, Janeway, Paris, Torres.

Primary Characters

First Officer Chakotay(Robert Beltran) – The Spencer Tracy to Janeway’s Hepburn. Calm and focused. And one of the rare Hollywood characters where the Native American lineage is portrayed with honor and completely absent of cliché.

Tactical Officer Tuvok(Tim Russ) – Vulcan. Very intense. Sheds light on much about the Vulcan culture.

Helmsman Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) – Baby-faced rogue with a heart of gold.

Chief Engineer B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) – Half Latina and half Klingon. You don’t want to mess with her or the warp core.

Operations Officer Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) – Since you’re reading this, chances are you’re a geek. And every geek clique usually has at least one Harry Kim. Super smart, funny, handsome, intent on romance. Yet, in the presence of ladies? His IQ drops about 50 points.

Check out this video for an intended romantic interlude with 7 of 9. The pressure got to him. I can think of a couple things he did wrong.

 

Chief Medical Officer/”The Doctor” (Robert Picardo) – He does not have an actual name because he’s an Artificially Intelligent hologram. Provides much comedic relief but also some of the most touching moments of the series.

Neelix (Ethan Phillips) – The only alien main character. Looks clownish and does provide laughs here and there. However, his being non-human is an excellent catalyst at times for reminding everyone else what being a good human is all about.

7 of 9 (Jeri Ryan) – Human, turned Borg, rediscovering what it means to be human again. Most commonly known for her curves, but the character provides some of the most intense and dramatic situations for analyzing and evaluating what it means to be human on a day to day functional level.

Main Story Line 

In the time line of the Trek universe, Voyager is the last to take place. While the USS Voyager is pursuing a Maquis ship (Maquis are either freedom fighters or terrorists, depending on with whom you speak), both end up being transported 75,000 light years to a completely unexplored quadrant of the galaxy. Even at maximum warp, it would take a ship 75 years to return home. The Maquis join with the Starfleet crew while trying to find an expedient method to return to Earth, encountering much drama and danger (internally and externally) along the way.

Alphas 

1. Ideologically, VOY is almost the embodiment of what Gene Roddenberry set out to create: a truly multi-cultural crew, where white/male/European isn’t all pervasive. Female Captain, Native American First Officer, African-American Security Officer, Latina Chief Engineer, Asian Operations Officer. Yes, there’s Tom Paris, but he’s only a piece of the puzzle, not the border that creates the framework.

2. I would like to say VOY has some of the best writing in the Trek franchise, but that’s not really it. It would be more apt to say it has some of the best story telling. After quite a few episodes, I wasn’t so much left with the feeling of “Whoa!” or “That was intense!” (although that doeshappen), it was more a feeling of “That was done really, really well.”

3. Since action takes place in a different quadrant of the galaxy, there’s a certain freshness to the series, where old standard fallbacks aren’t  relied upon for story and plot.

4. If you’re left-brain dominant or an introvert, you get a double-shot of awesomeness with both Tuvok and 7 of 9 on board.

Deltas 

1) The character Kes (Jennifer Lien) who was on the show for the first three seasons never really seemed to fit in. The character just seemed a bit too “hippy” for the Trek realm. Trading her out for 7 of 9 was a smart move.

2) The ship? I just kept thinking “spoon.” 

3) Over the last couple of seasons, the show succumbed to the same pitfall that TNG and DS9 fell into: overuse of the holodeck. Towards the end of the run of the show, it seemed as if the writers were running out of fresh ideas, and even some of the actors seemed a bit worn down.

4) From all that I’ve read, the ending of the series had mixed reviews. Not to give any spoilers away, I wasn’t too pleased with it myself. 

5) There’s a race of bad guys called the Kazon. I would consider them the most ill-conceived villains in the Trek realm. Best classified as wannabe Klingons that look too much like those little plastic troll dolls that have been left out in the sun to melt.
 

Who should watch Voyager? 

If you don’t have much time (ie: plan on taking a year or two to get through one series) and are intent on a multi-cultural cast with strong Alpha Female characters, VOY might be a good place to start.

However, if you intend on watching all five series, I’d recommend minimally watching TNG and DS9 before VOY for continuity of story line.

Next on the launch pad? 

I would like to write that TFR:DS9 will be posted next Thursday, but am being called into the Neutral Zone and am not sure what connectivity will be. The only way for you to know will be to check back. In the meantime, explore other awesomeness on Action A Go Go or revisit some earlier TFR posts:

 
Trek for Rookies: Overview

Trek for Rookies: Enterprise

Trek for Rookies Supplemental: How To Cope With The Enterprise Theme Song

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. He’s proficient in the art of Klingon swearing and is currently attempting the Vulcan process of Kolinar, the purging of all emotion. His two other favorite sci-fi series are Battlestar Galactica and Firefly. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VierLights or on the Tumblr machine at  http://vierlights.tumblr.com/