Superman will be returning to the silver screen in 2013 with Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’, which released a trailer recently in front of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012) and at San Diego Comic Con 2012. It will be the second reboot of the character after Brian Singer’s ‘Superman Returns’ (2006), which did not do well critically nor at the box office. It has been a struggle to get the Man of Steel onto the big screen again after the lackluster response to his previous film, but even now, there are some fans who are in doubt.

First of all, Zack Snyder is a very divisive director. He has given the world gems like ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (2004), ‘300’ (2007), and ‘Watchmen’ (2009), but his recent films have shown a dip in quality. ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ (2010) and ‘Sucker Punch’ (2011) are the reasons he has come under fire due to the gratuitous use of slow motion and focus on effects rather than good storytelling.

Snyder is complimented because of his ability to create visually stunning scenes as seen in ‘300’ and ‘Watchmen,’ but he also has a habit of focusing too much on the aesthetics. Thus, many fans are worried that the same will happen as he tackles the mythology and superhero themes associated with Superman.

Another cause for concern is the low-key tone and muted colors of the trailer. These aspects show the influence of the film’s producer, none other than the brilliant Christopher Nolan. Nolan’s work with rebooting Batman has made him a legendary filmmaker, but it may also be what makes this trailer somewhat dull. Nolan prefers to introduce heroes using realism and character-based drama. While this is certainly a good thing in some respects, Superman is far more of a fantasy character than Bruce Wayne. Thus, approaching two different comic book characters in similar fashions may not be the way to go.

On the one hand, focusing on Superman as a character is a welcome approach to the upcoming film. It is important that the audience sees all sides of him, understands where he comes from, sympathizes with him, and feels inspired by his creed to save the innocent. Nolan has shown remarkable strength in creating memorable dialogue and heart-wrenching drama with Batman and his supporting characters. If the ‘Man of Steel’ script takes the same approach to Clark Kent, he may come off better received than with Brian Singer’s Superman, who came across as rather bland and forgettable.

On the other hand, Superman is not as relatable as Bruce Wayne. While the two share copious amounts of handsomeness, Superman has a positive outlook on life and humanity and is concerned with being an inspiration rather than someone to fear. His most common problem is learning how to control his unbelievable power and blend in, whereas Bruce Wayne’s most common problem is his mortality.

The threat of Superman’s villains are also on a much larger scale as many of them seek to conquer or destroy the world rather than just one city. It will be difficult to tackle any sense of realism when you have a character who can hold his breath for hours at a time, shoot laser beams from his eyes, and freeze people with his breath all on top of flight.

The main problem with the ‘Man of Steel’ trailer seems to be that it is does not live up to the inspiring feeling of seeing Superman on the big screen. It looks very similar to the first trailer for ‘Batman Begins’ (2005), and while the dark tone and gritty realism worked wonders for the Caped Crusader, it falls short with Superman. A more impressive trailer would have played on all of the great action scenes that are inherent with the character of Superman as he smashes through buildings, stops speeding trains, and catches falling airplanes.

There are only brief references to fights in the trailer and while the shot of Superman breaking the sound barrier is cool, there does not appear to be one big ‘wow’ moment. For example, compare the ‘Man of Steel’ trailer to any of the Marvel films’ trailers. Nearly all of them have funny dialogue, gripping action, and one truly epic scene that hook the audience in and make them want to see the film.

‘The Man of Steel’ is still a year away and so it has plenty of time to release a second, third, or even fourth trailer to get fans excited. Few people are concerned about the movie being bad because Henry Cavill looks great in the costume and the casting is solid. Still, the audience will need more convincing that the fantasy elements associated with Superman will be intact so that they are left with a film worthy of the Man of Tomorrow.

Image Courtesy of  Miro Vrlik Photography / Shutterstock.com

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In Toonari Post’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ review, the plot, actors, and their characters were examined. All of these elements were able to come together through careful writing and masterful directing that brings honor to filmmaking as well as storytelling. Another aspect that makes ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ so amazing is how it integrates comic book and graphic novel storylines in a way that pays homage to past writers of Batman and takes its own creative spin on their work.

One of the most excellent things about ‘Rises’ is that it incorporates storylines from the Batman comics. “Knightfall,” a comic series written in 1993, is an intense story in which Bane learns Batman’s identity and breaks his spine, leaving him paralyzed for an extended period of time. ‘Rises’ also includes elements of anarchy from the 1999 comic “No Man’s Land” where an earthquake leaves Gotham cut off from the mainland and the city erupts into chaos.

Another aspect the film adapts is that Bane and Ra’s al Ghul are connected because in the comics “Bane of the Demon,” after Batman refuses to marry Talia, Ra’s daughter, Ra’s seeks out Bane instead to continue his quest to dominate the world in order to save it. Ra’s recognizes the same power and discipline in Bane that he formerly saw in Bruce, but he notices Bane is willing to kill and sacrifice innocent lives in order to achieve the League of Shadows’ ultimate goal of world peace. ‘Rises’ cleverly plays on the dynamic between Ra’s and Bane as well as Ra’s and Bruce to make them foils of each other.

Additionally, Selina Kyle is accompanied by a young woman who may or may not be her best friend from the “Batman: Year One” comics, Holly Robinson. The small references to these comics and characters show that Christopher Nolan understands the mythos that helps make Batman one of the most notable and incredible heroes to date.

‘Rises’ also draws inspiration from Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” because of its character arc for Bruce Wayne. In ‘Rises’, Bruce has to overcome the physical limits of his body as well as the psychological problems he has developed after the death of Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, both of whom were dear friends.

As Alfred points out, Bruce never returned to being himself after Rachel died because he thought she never got a chance to move on and so he felt that he had no future without her. After Alfred reveals that Rachel had chosen Harvey over him before she died, Bruce is motivated to come out of retirement and pick up the cape and cowl once again, thus forcing him to rise above his own limitations as well as the obstacles presented by Gotham’s criminal underbelly.

In fact, the rise theme is woven into the story with all of the characters as they are forced to become even better than they ever thought they could be in order to save Gotham City. For instance, Detective John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes an unofficial apprentice to Bruce not long after he returns to being Batman.

As the film progresses, he begins to see that the path of a Gotham City detective may not be right for him because of the limited power they have when it comes to saving the city. The decision to imply that Det. Blake would take his place as Gotham’s new savior is even more surprising as Nolan has stated before that he did not have any interest in including Dick Grayson, aka Robin, in his movies.

He even gives a clever nod to the name while still creating a unique character who has bits and pieces of Dick Grayson, the original Robin, in him. Blake’s involvement in the story has a similar tone to a recent run in the Batman comics where Nightwing takes up the cape and cowl as Bruce Wayne has gone missing.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ shows that it is possible to create a deeply moving story with respect to the comic books as well as original creative vision. Everyone involved in this film, from start to finish, has outdone themselves. ‘Rises’ is a worthy ending to an incredible trilogy that will never be forgotten.

Image Courtesy of   The Dark Knight Rises

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Christian Bale returns as Batman in the final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. The movie has had great expectations throughout the United States and the movie’s release date, July 20, has been marked by Batman fans for a long time.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is director Nolan’s conclusion to the rebooted Batman trilogy, which began in 2005 with ‘Batman Begins’ and continued in 2008 with ‘The Dark Knight,’ which received eight academy award nominations. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ returns with actors that have appeared in the other movies; Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. But the movie introduces a new character: ‘Warrior’ actor Tom Hardy, who will be playing Bane, Batman’s new enemy, and whose origins have similarities with Alexandre Dumas’ Edmond Dantes.

The movie takes place eight years after D.A. Harvey Dent was killed and Batman was blamed for his murder, so he had to disappear from Gotham City. But Bane, a new villain, arrives in Gotham City, a masked terrorist with ruthless plans; this forces Batman to end his self-imposed exile and face this new threat.

Nolan knows the expectation his movie has and said: “I think the fans are very passionate about these characters the way a lot of people are very passionate. Batman’s been around for over 70 years and there’s a reason for that. He has a huge appeal, so I think you know people certainly respond to the character.”

Nolan also defended himself against some recent criticism that accuses him of perceiving similarities between the villainous back-breaker Bane and Mitt Romney’s similarly named venture capital firm, Bain. He was surprised of receiving this kind of criticism and said: “I really don’t have an answer for it, it’s a very peculiar comment to make.”

In the MTV Movie Awards, Christian Bale remembered Academy Award winner Heath Ledger, who died at the age of 28 shortly after playing the Joker in the last Batman movie. Bale broke down and cried during the awards when he saw a compilation of scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’. He said “Wow, great to remember Heath at that moment. Wonderful to see Heath Ledger there.”

The movie duration is 165 minutes, but the movie trailer promises action in every single minute. You don’t have to worry about getting bored, so don’t think twice and enjoy the newest movie of the Gotham City hero.

Image Courtesy of Ron Phillips |  TOM HARDY as Bane in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action thriller “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & © DC Comics.

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The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, hit theaters midnight of July 20, 2012. Teeming masses of fans stood in line for hours waiting to step into the theater and finish the amazing story that started with ‘Batman Begins’ (2005), continued with ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), and finished with ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’

Expectations are high and well deserved as the previous films have been hailed as some of the greatest comic book hero movies of all time, to say nothing of two of the greatest films of all time. Fortunately, ‘Rises’ does not disappoint as it is a powerful, moving, bold tale that will resonate with fans and moviegoers for years to come.

Spoilers ahead! Proceed with caution.

‘Rises’ begins with the introduction of the merciless mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy) kidnapping a nuclear physicist from a plane overseas. It then cuts to Gotham City celebrating Harvey Dent Day and reveals that it has been eight years since the death of Dent and the disappearance of Batman, who took the blame in order to place the city on the path to peace. Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) delivers a speech that reveals he is still wracked with guilt for allowing Batman to take the fall for Dent’s murder but is still hesitant to reveal to the people that Dent was not as perfect as he seemed.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse and has a limp due to his inactivity and former injuries from when he was Batman. While taking in his dinner, Bruce bumps into a maid stealing his mother’s pearls as well as a copy of his fingerprints. She escapes and he is intrigued by both her crime and her personality so he starts researching her background. He discovers that she is Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar and master thief, and decides to finally leave his mansion in search of why she stole his fingerprints.

Selina had been paid by the owner of another major company to steal the fingerprints as part of a plan to take over Wayne Enterprises. Her client tries to kill her to tie up loose ends, but she lures the police to the location by kidnapping a congressman and escapes custody. Selina had also been searching for a program called Clean Slate, which has the ability to wipe a person’s record clean so that they could start over, but she is told it does not exist. Frustrated, she continues working in Gotham’s criminal underbelly as she has heard of Bane’s reckoning for the city and wants to stay out of his path.

Bruce reconnects with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and newcomer Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to try and rebuild the company, which suffered massive losses due to a failed project years ago. He enlists Tate to help him use an energy source Wayne Tech created and they pitch it to the board, hoping to reinvigorate profits at Wayne Enterprises.

Not long afterwards, Bane arrives in Gotham and Commissioner Gordon attempts to raid his lair in the sewers, but is badly injured and hospital ridden. After visiting Gordon in the hospital, Bruce is further motivated to put the cape and cowl back on to stop Bane. However, his bad knees and worn out body become his undoing and Bane defeats him, snapping one of his vertebrae in a vicious fight. Bane then sends Bruce to a prison deep underground in another country where he claimed to have escaped and tells Bruce that he will destroy Gotham as he is the apprentice of the late Ra’s al Ghul.

Bane returns to Gotham and engineers Wayne Enterprises’ energy source into a nuclear weapon. He and his army trap the city’s policemen underground and enforce martial law on the city. He then releases the inmates at Blackgate prison to “reclaim” the city. The only people left to stop him are a beat cop Gordon recruits to be a detective named John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Selina Kyle, and a handful of officers.

Upon seeing the destruction of his city, Bruce tries his best to recover from his back injury but is only successful when he realizes that fear of death is instrumental to overcoming his obstacles. He escapes the prison and returns to Gotham, enlisting Det. Blake and Selina to help him take back the city and stop the bomb from detonating.

As expected of the Nolan Batman films, the acting is superb. Particular mention goes to Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. Most people had reservations about her casting as she is still a young woman, but she pulls off the sophistication, strength, beauty, and poise that characterize Selina Kyle. Her chemistry with Bruce Wayne is absolutely fantastic as the two do not hesitate to test each other’s wits all while sharing steamy sexual tension.

Christian Bale also brings his A-game as Bruce Wayne, who is completely battered and broken over the course of the film, but eventually finds the strength to carry on for the city he loves. His conviction and pain drive the story and make it truly unforgettable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Det. Blake is also a welcome addition to the Batman canon because of his quick wits, unflinching loyalty to both Batman and the city, and his dedication to saving lives. His story is by far the most surprising as it was downplayed in the trailers and yet ends up being instrumental to the overall story.

Overall, it is a monumental film that no one should pass up. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has effectively woven several amazing stories together with phenomenal actors, a dedicated director, and a fantastic production team to make one of the best superhero films of all time. See it. You won’t regret it.

Grade: 5/5

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Burbank, U.S.A. - Warner Bros. Pictures and the Chrysler brand have teamed up to bring fans the opportunity of a lifetime surrounding the July 20th release of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, the much-anticipated conclusion to the blockbuster Dark Knight trilogy. June 15 marks the launch of the “Imported from Gotham City” contest, allowing fans to create an original co-branded TV spot featuring these two iconic brands. Director/writer/producer Christopher Nolan will select the winning spot, which will debut on television around the release of the film.

Contestants will have two weeks to create their “Imported from Gotham City” original commercial utilizing a suite of assets, including Chrysler 300 car footage, film footage and music stems from the trailer that contestants can remix for their spot. At the conclusion of the contest, a gallery of submissions will go live on Saturday, June 30, kicking off a four-day public voting period when fans can weigh-in on their favorite Gotham City collaboration.

The top three finalists will be announced online and Christopher Nolan will personally choose the winner.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to tap into the creative community online and allow those who participate to showcase their talent and passion. We look forward to seeing what unique spots people produce,” says Nolan.

The winning spot will be determined by a number of judging criteria, including public vote, originality, creativity, memorability and brand effectiveness. Warner Bros. and Chrysler will debut the winning commercial on national television the week of the film’s release — watch for specific date and airing details to be announced shortly. The winner will receive a trip to Hollywood to finish their spot alongside a professional editor before traveling to New York City to attend the red carpet premiere screening of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on Monday, July 16.

Playing off Chrysler brand’s “Imported from Detroit” advertising campaign, the contest pushes the realm of the user-generated contest to a new level, allowing fans to take to the driver’s seat and test their creative skills within the world of Gotham City.

Apart from the winning contest spot, Chrysler will unveil another 30-second, co-branded television spot titled “Imported from Gotham City” in celebration of the partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Stacy Wall, the spot was designed and shot to look and feel similar to the world of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Featuring a 2012 Chrysler 300, the spot will make its broadcast debut on Tuesday, June 19, on the NBC network. A 60-second spot will also run online. Once live, both spots will be available on the Chrysler brand YouTube channel.

“The 2012 Chrysler 300 featured in this marketing and advertising campaign was created intentionally to look as if it could be driven on the streets and fit in to the nightlife of Gotham City; it’s clearly a vehicle that stands out and makes one take notice,” said Saad Chehab, President and CEO – Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC.

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Recently, the Superman reboot, Man of Steel, has been building its cast for some time now.  However, Warner Brother Studios put the brakes on the release date and extended it to June 14, 2013.

There is some speculation on why this delay was put into place but nothing official has been given out by either the producers or the studio.  The copyright issue on Man of Steel is pushing the date a little too close as production is being delayed along side its release.

The Man of Steel cast has had its fill of rumors, and big names.  Now, the cast is pretty much set with Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Russell Crowe, Julia Ormond, Harry Lennix and Antje Traue.  But, with the release date pushed it’s unclear if the cast will stay the same.

No word has come out from the producer, Christopher Nolan, about any cast changes.  When asked about the Man of Steel delay, Henry Cavill, who will play Superman said, “they broke it to me gently…it’s okay, it’s nothing to do with me…I just focus on the character and do my job.”

Cavill also showed his excitement for the movie to start filming.  “I’m really raring to go.  It’s exciting, humbling, and about time to get started,” Cavill said.

The reason why the movie has been delayed about six months is, at this moment, unclear.  Some believe that there are problems with the script that Kurt Jonstad needs to finish.  This accusation could be true.  The script has gone through many changes, and writers since David Goyo penned it.

The more popular belief for the delayed release is that Warner Brothers does not want to go into competition with other big name releases coming out in 2012, such as Quentin Tarantino’s Django: Unchained, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, or Disney’s Lone Ranger.  Alongside this competition, 2012 is already a big comic-book movie year with The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider- Man.

The copyright issue is said to be pushing it close but not necessarily a problem for the film.  The contract dictates that the movie must go into production before the end of 2012.  With everyone in the cast and crew in place they can easily make that deadline.

Man of Steel is scheduled to come out a little less than two years from now.  With many (including Cavill) antsy for the project to start this delay comes as a disappointment to some but many look at it in a positive light.

The newfound time will allow the writers to fix bugs in the script, and the production team can take its time to make sure everything falls into place.  Nevertheless, it still is a long time till its release in 2013 but having patience always pays off.

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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