“You know what’s interesting about Magneto and Professor X from the comic books as well, is there’s such a complexity to their relationship…It’s not just like clear-cut enemies; they’re best friends as well. In the comic books, even after they’ve had this sort of rift, Professor X asks Magneto to come back and look after the students at certain points…I think there’s always that complexity in their relationship and we want to keep that alive as possible, because that’s I think a really interesting thing – the conflict there.”

Fassbender definitely seems to have a good hold on the character, and his portrayal in ‘First Class’ was everything I could’ve hoped for. Magneto became James Bond meets Nazi Warrior, I would love to see a movie based solely on his character!

Unfortunately, there is no official date set for the sequel but I’m sure we’ll hear word on it soon! What direction do you hope they take the sequel Banters? And lets cross our fingers Matthew Vaughn returns to the directing chair!

On a more serious note, sadly this will be my last article with The Movie Banter. This has been one of the best writing experiences of my life and I will never forget it! I want to thank all of you faithful readers out there and please remember to keep on Bantering!

The possibility of Bridesmaids 2.

Duh Dun Chhh.

This is not a joke, people. Universal hopes to go on with a sequel whether or not Kristen Wiig, co-writer Annie Mumolo, director Paul Feig, Judd Apatow, or Melissa McCarthy are signed on. And it seems pretty unlikely that any of them will sign at the moment.

The reason is Wiig, who respectfully doesn’t want to tarnish the reputation of the original a la The Hangover. This is very rare in Hollywood these days, especially considering she was offered a reported eight figure payday. The Saturday Night Live cast member was not only the star but the other co-writer and a co-producer. She reports that her and Mumolo are working on something different, which sounds better than another bachelorette party. It’s not that we’re losing a movie; we’re gaining a new one.

Without Wiig, it’s unlikely Feig or Apatow will sign on. I like to see this dedication in Hollywood since I’m sure both of them could make a buck or two off a McCarthy led sequel. However, McCarthy has recently joined the bandwagon saying she’d never do Bridemaids 2 without Wiig. If anyone saw her SNL monologue dance with Wiig at the beginning of this season, it’s easy to see these two still have great chemistry.

In more breaking news, costar Wendi McLendon-Covey says that Wiig isn’t doing it now, but that there is possibility for the future. It needs to be up to their standards. Just like no one was going to do The Hangover 2 unless it met their apparently extremely low standards. Oh boy.

For now, I’m glad. Wiig and the gang are individually talented and funny people. Embarking on something new creates more possibilities for each of their careers. Whether or not everything will be stamped with the “From the ________ of Bridesmaids” remains to be seen. As for now, well played Kristen Wiig. You keep those weird, spontaneous brain juices flowing.

While this is usually a bad thing, in the case of Captain America, it isn’t necessarily. Chris Evans—playing the most patriotic of all superheroes—carries the film well. He keeps the audience engaged enough so the simple structure does not fall apart. In weaker hands, this movie could have unraveled quickly. Very, very quickly. But Evans understands his role. He’s not as funny as Robert Downey, Jr. He’ll never be as manly as Chris Hemsworth (even though he does a good job attempting it.) And he’ll never be replaced as easily as the revolving door of Hulks. He does get more screen time than the other featured members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and, it seems, he’s content with that. He fits perfectly in the middle of all those that will surround him. Whether this is a bad or good thing is not the fault of Evans nor the other actors nor the movie. It can only be blamed on one thing: the limitations of the origin story.

It’s always the same. I guess it’s inevitable? But I’m bored. Captain America isn’t anything special. This, that, and the other thing happens, and now he’s AMAZING. First, it’s a struggle one way or another. Then he defeats the bad guy set on world domination. Why not start the film with a montage so we’re all caught up and then BAM! Hit us with something new. Start in the middle. There’s always an opportunity to introduce new villains. Just ask any superhero sequel.

In the end, Captain American succeeds where both Iron Man 2 and Thor struggled. It didn’t set up The Avengers all that much (mostly because it’s set in the 40’s) nor does it have too much of a sci-fi edge. The only real downside is that there is almost no way to incorporate anyone else from Captain America into The Avengers because they’d all be too old or, frankly, dead.

Captain America is a fun summer movie. No more. No less. Go check it out.

SEE IT

‘In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.’

Essentially, it’s the same film as all the others, some people escape death, death comes back to get them one by one, lots of gore ensues! While it’s definitely not Oscar material it looks to be a great time at the theater, and most importantly, an improvement on the fourth film in the series, ‘The Final Destination.’ Was it just me or was that one completely awful? While some of the kills were cool and thrilling, the characters were ‘meh’ and the actors were even worse. Thankfully this trailer seems to be going back to its roots by including actor Tony Todd who was featured in the first two installments and a voice-over for the third, but noticeably absent from the fourth, smart decision on his part huh?

Anyway, check the trailer out below and let us know what you think! Should they let this franchise die (no pun intended) or has this trailer got you pumped? Count me in!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Later this month ‘The Hangover: Part II’ will be released in theaters, the sequel to the 2009 smash hit that was at one point the most talked about sequel of the year. But is it me or has this film lost its steam before even hitting the silver screen? It definitely does not have the amount of buzz and excitement I was expecting! With a release date of May 26^th it is shocking how little promotion this film has received and while many people have shown interest in seeing the film, there are just as many who have no idea there is a sequel coming out. I find myself somewhere in the middle, I’m excited to see it but I definitely have my doubts about it. But how could this be? The first ‘Hangover’ film was a massive success right? I remember seeing it more than once in the theaters and constantly repeating the dialogue from the film. So what happened?

On top of having little to no marketing campaign for the film, there has been some negative buzz surrounding the film as well. Immediately when the sequel was announced it was met with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Sure it would be great to have another ‘Hangover’ film, but would lightning strike twice? Not to mention, why is this film out so quickly? Well, lets just toss it up to rushed writing and perhaps some studio pressure to cash in while the theme is hot.  The film was quickly rushed into production giving me the impression that this was a clear cash grab banking off the success of the original.

During production a highly-talked about cameo by Mel Gibson was quickly scrapped when cast member Zach Galifianakis refused to work with him (in relation to Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks). Is it just me or is Galfianakis a little too sensitive? Who knows, maybe I’m wrong. I definitely give him props for standing up for his beliefs but this is showbiz, you can’t love everyone you work with, can you?

Then the first trailer was released, and while it was without a doubt funny, it appeared to be a carbon copy of the original. It revolves around Ed Helms’ character getting married in Bangkok and after a black-out night of partying, he and his two partners in crime (Bradley Cooper & Galifianakis) find themselves piecing together the night while looking for a missing friend. While watching the trailer I immediately recognized this as the exact same film just in a different setting.

I understand that the phrase, ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ has proven to be true many times before, but with ticket prices rapidly increasing it is no surprise many people are hesitant to shell out money for a film they have already seen. In the end I don’t think ‘The Hangover: Part II’ will be a box office failure, but if it is anything like its early buzz, it will be disappointing and forgettable.

Dimension films has released a press release with some info about the film, check it out below:

“There’s something in the water . . . again. And this time no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of the best summer attraction, The Big Wet Water Park.”

“Featuring a talented ensemble cast including Danielle Panabaker (THE CRAZIES), Matt Bush (ADVENTURELAND), Chris Zylka (THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN), David Koechner (ANCHORMAN), Meagan Tandy (UNSTOPPABLE), Paul James Jordan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Hector Jimenez, Adrian Martinez, Clu Gulager and more cast to be announced soon.”

While I’m not positive this film needed a sequel I’m definitely excited to see what Dimension Films has in store for us and with a great setting (Water Park is perfect for this type of film) and a solid cast (Panabaker is becoming somewhat of a scream queen these days), this film is sure to deliver the goods again. My only hope is this film is actually shot in 3D instead of a post-conversion which usually provides some pretty crappy results.

Look for ‘Piranha 3DD’ (love that title) in theatres November 23^rd of this year.

How to Train Your Dragon

Storytelling alone Shrek has run its course. The offbeat humor and sharp wit that gave the first two films their zing have morphed into generic-enough animation that is too busy trying to fit all of its character on screen than it is in detailing character-driven aspects that made the original work so very well. Shrek the Third was a numbing abortion, and the last shot DreamWorks had at providing whatever amount of remaining magic the alternative fairytale had left. Shrek Forever After is by no means as wretched as its predecessor. The least I can say about this one is it at least knows what type of movie it wants to be and the straight line it intends on walking in. Though certain animated gems have indeed come from DreamWorks, they themselves being a refreshing flipside to Pixar’s melancholy, touching and funny as their work ethics may be. Over the Hedge, Kung Fu Panda, and Flushed Away ridiculed less-than-perfect worlds with real-life dilemmas but never meant to destroy them without first finding the humor in the wacky surrealism. Madagascar might be trailing away, but Shrek has long checked out by now. Originality is what DreamWorks thrives on, and what prevents their movies from becoming only numbers on the side of DVD cases to tattered visions torn apart by excessive greed.

This is being boasted as the “final chapter” in the series, apparently nixes prequels such as next year’s promised Puss in Boots spin-off. We’ve watched Shrek (Mike Myers) rescue a closeted ogre (Cameron Diaz) and make her his bride, befriend an obnoxious yet sweet-spirited Donkey (Eddie Murphy), cohort with the hot-blooded feline avenger Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), and have three beautiful children. Since Shrek 2 ended in 2004 he’s been living the life of an average suburban dad. Enough, so say he. Shrek isn’t satisfied rooted in his ways, as the flick’s execs obviously are. He freaks out at his kids’ birthday party, insults Fiona by wishing he’d never rescued her and further goes on to sign a contract by the villainous Rumpelstiltskin (voiced wonderfully by DreamWorks story head Walt Dohrn). He’s promised happiness once feared by village folk once again and thought of something other than a neutered house cat. Of course, Rumpelstiltskin didn’t reveal quite everything to Shrek. He’s erased the day of his birth from memory and now no one can remember exactly who he is. Fiona’s a Viking warrior who’s formed an underground resistance against new Far Far Away emperor and waiver source, among the force Brogan (Jon Hamm) and Gretched (Jane Lynch); Donkey is a pack mule fueled to service Rumpel’s minion witches; and Puss in Boots has turned into the bored cats he’s wooed with promises of high-flying thrills in movies past.

I can’t condone to Shrek Forever After as anything beyond killing weekend doldrums, but I guess I can’t close the case too quickly. People around me in the theater were hooting with laughter, leaving me dumbfounded. I saw most parents were with their kids and I certainly won’t put that bonding time down. It’s not like I was expecting Forever After to bring Shrek back to its original form. Most others were checking out MacGruber, Iron Man 2, or Robin Hood. Me, I just felt lost in a time and place that didn’t feel as epic as it used to. Shrek’s name may have meant something years ago; yes. Today it stands as nothing more than a marketable property where the actual picture it’s promoting only comes in secondary to the plastic Happy Meal toys kids will most likely encourage their parents to buy for them. Shrek Forever After, bombarding justified action and clever social commentary with tired one-liners and fart jokes, has become the same hackneyed corruption it had originally set out to put in its place. We haven’t outgrown Shrek. Shrek’s just outgrown us.

SKIP IT.

Shrek Forever After has been rumored for a while now. Although USA Today on Tuesday released some further detailed information about DreamWorks Animation’s film. First of all, this Shrek will be the first one in 3-D, a given for most animated movies nowadays. Second, the first official trailer for the comedy, which is being released May 21^st, will debut before the highly-awaited Avatar on December 18^th. Whoa! Those previews are only reserved for the biggest of movies! I’ll let you read the plot for yourself:

After rescuing a princess, getting hitched and fathering triplets, Shrek is feeling over-domesticated. “He has lost his roar,” says director Mike Mitchell. “It used to send villagers running away in terror. Now they run to him and ask him to sign their pitchforks and torches.”

Wait…Mike Mitchell is directing? If you remember Mitchell, he’s the creature who spawned Surviving Christmas, Sky High and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. However he was a creative consultant on Kung Fu Panda, an actor in Monsters vs. Aliens and a producer on 2011’s Tortoise and the Hare. I suppose he’s just one of those people who think that if he spends time on an animated movie, he’s good enough to be a director. So could Shrek 4 be a combination of the poop humor in Surviving Christmas and the crude un-funniness of Deuce Bigalow?

The usual cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz return to voice, in addition to Kathy Griffin and Flight of the Conchords‘ Kristin Schaal as witches who hunt ogres; Walt Dohrn is the “vile schemer” (not Paul McCartney as previously rumored); and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm is the leader of an “underground resistance group.”

Hey, if it’s got someone from Mad Men in it, it’s worth checking out. Hopefully Shrek Forever After will have the quirky charm that the first two Shrek films did, and not the star-powered yet story-less mess that was Shrek the Third. These characters and this idea is so fun and refreshing, but could Shrek Forever After be just one Shrek too many?