The First Female Superhero Movie Is....

We will finally get our first solo female superhero movie, and it is not coming from who you think. Sony, who owns the Spider-Man universe, is planning to launch the first superhero movie starring a female lead! As for which character the film will revolve around is not certain yet. The film will be released in 2017, but the exact date is not set either. Considering the properties and characters Sony owns, the most likely options include, Black Cat, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Firestar, and Silk, all of whom I will discuss below.

Black Cat

Black Cat is an anti-hero that sometimes teams up with Spider-Man, while other times she is Spidey's enemy. She has a few similar elements to DC's Catwoman in that Black Cat is a "cat burglar." Traditionally, Black Cat does not have any powers other than fighting skill, an Olympic class physique, and a few gadgets. However, in some versions, Black Cat is said to have the ability to cause attackers bad luck like jamming guns, tripping pursuers, ect. She is the most notable female character in the Spider-Man universe outside of Peter's girlfriends. Felicity Jones played a character in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 referred to as Felicia (Harry's assistant), and the secret identity of Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, who Jones was rumored to play in the first place, so maybe Jones will play Black Cat in her own feature film. Regardless of who plays the character, expect to see Black Cat in the upcoming Sinister Six film in 2016 (if she is going to get her own film). Also, out of the candidates, Black Cat is the most likely. Also, Black Cat is one of Peter's romantic interests, and if Amazing Spider-Man 3 decides to not go the Mary Jane route, developing Black Cat in her movie and then making her a supporting character like Black Widow in The Winter Soldier could turn out brilliantly.

Spider-Woman

Despite her name, Spider-Woman almost has nothing to do with Spider-Man. In fact, the original Spider-Woman started as an Avenger and was created by a HYDRA experiment, and her powers barely resemble those of Spider-Man. Since she started in the Avengers, chances are she is owned by Disney/Marvel, which means that Sony probably cannot use her. However, in the alternate Ultimate universe, Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, is a female clone of Spider-Man/Peter Parker himself, so that could be another intriguing route the writers could go.

Ultimate Spider-Woman, aka Peter Parker Clone.

Spider-Girl

In an alternate universe where Peter Parker loses his leg in a fight with the Green Goblin, he retires and settles down with MJ, and after having a child, May "Mayday" Parker, she discovers that she has superhuman powers as well. If there is a movie adaptation, she would likely have a much different origin story, and the chances of a real movie about the character being made is unlikely at best, albeit to the dismay of her fans.

Firestar

Introduced in the old 70s "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" TV series, Firestar, along with Iceman and Spider-Man, starred in a cartoon that I loved as a kid, even if it is terrible by today's standards. Technically, Firestar is a mutant, so the rights to the characters are probably blurred. Honestly, I really do not see a Firestar movie a possibility

Silk

Slik is a recent character introduced to the comics, and according to what I have read, her origins are relatively unknown other than she was also bitten by a radioactive spider. Considering that the character is new, I do not see a Silk movie in the works, but she does look cool though.

Other possibilities include Silver Saber, a female Doctor Octopus, and a few others.

What do you think of Sony making a film starring a Female Lead? Please comment below and let me know!

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Amazing Spider-Man 2 Podcast

The first of my podcasts is here, and today we discuss The Amazing Spider-Man 2. To make listening to the podcast easier, you can click on the annotations on the video to skip to the different topics of the podcast. If you are a mobile user, you can click here to watch the video on YouTube where you can click on links in the description to easily jump to different topics. Please let us know what you think of the podcast, and please enjoy. 

If you want to know more about today's guests from the podcast, you checkout Jordan's blog RATH'S REVIEWS by clicking here, and you check out Jamie's blog Through Two Blue Eyes by clicking here.

Below are links to my previous podcasts.
Podcast #1
Podcast #2
Podcast #3

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Review

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 follows the events of the first Amazing Spider-Man with Peter Parker being Spider-Man and saving New York City. Despite some negative reviews, as a massive fan of the Spider-Man comics, I was obviously excited to see where the Marc Webb and co. takes the Webhead next. Fortunately, however, I can safely say that the critics are wrong for the most part, because The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers on many levels despite a few minor plot missteps.

First off, a lot of people have complained that the trailers spoil way too much of the movie, which seemed to heavily affect their overall rating. Knowing how Sony's marketing spoiled essentially everything about the first movie; I intentionally avoided all of the trailers since the first one, and I even ignored the trailer in theaters (I am a dedicated spoiler-phobe). Therefore, my review is more focused on the actual movie regardless of the poor marketing ruining the experience. However, Sony really needs to do something about their trailers! 

Directed by: Marc Webb

Genre: Action, Comic Book, Science Fiction,

Release Date: May 2, 2014

Running Time: 142 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Positively hilarious, Perfectly captures feel of comic book, Satisfying resolution of mystery, Electro is a compelling villain, Amazing action scenes, Perfectly executed emotional scenes, Andrew Garfield is the perfect Spider-Man, Hans Zimmer's score is perfect, Dane DeHaan kills it as Harry Osborn, Electro's theme is superb, Spectacular cast, Fun references, Engaging action set pieces, Strong character development,

The Bad: A few minor plot issues, One or two overly silly moments,

Plot: 8.7/10- While one or two minor elements seem slightly rushed, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 effectively incorporates all of the various plot elements with a solid degree of success. Some of the mystery behind Peter's parents that was essentially cut from the first movie is further explained, and the resolution is satisfying. The romance and relationship aspects are handled perfectly considering how horribly most other movies have handled similar situations, and that is thanks to Marc Webb's experience with relationship drama and humor. The only slight negative that I find is that tone changes could be problematic to some viewers, but I believe showing how the lighthearted side of Spider-Man's character contrasts the darker problems that the character deals with.

Also, without spoiling anything, the film successfully adapts the comic book source material. *Possible Spoiler* My favorite part of the film was its effective emotional impact, even for those, like myself, that are familiar with the comic. *End Spoiler

Characterization/Acting: 9.7/10- Because the acting and characterization are so closely related in the film, I am combining the category. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2's strongest element is the development of the characters, which is largely thanks to the seriously top notch performances from the cast that bring the characters to life. Despite having to juggle so many characters, the movie manages to balance the screen-time and development effectively, which is greatly aided by the stellar performances by the cast. 

One of the strongest aspects of the film is the relationship between Peter and Gwen, and their natural on-screen chemistry is virtually un-matched, which is likely aided by the fact that they are a couple in real-life. Also, Andrew Garfield continues to own the role of Spider-Man. Not only is his new costume ripped right off the page, he looks and acts just as I imagined him.

Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn positively kills it in role, as he definitely sets himself apart from James Franco's version of the character. While DeHaan is not quite as good in a brief last part of the film, he really captures the character well. He also worked well with Garfield in their scenes together, which helped establish some plot elements.

Electro is a surprisingly compelling villain. Jamie Foxx disappears in the role, and his performance sells the character perfectly. No one else could have pulled off the character. The mentally unstable social outcast with a sense of worthlessness character type is not used particularly often, and the film does an excellent job at portraying the character so that the audience starts to feel bad for him. While some viewers might call his character corny, I believe he was portrayed with a surprisingly degree of believability since I know there are people out there that have no sense of self worth. Also, Foxx's portrayal certainly surpasses his comic book counterpart, even if he was significantly different in many ways. Sally Field as Aunt May has a few very effective scenes that showcase her superb acting prowess.  Paul Giamatti's performance as Aleksei Sytsevich, while fun, was too over-the-top and corny, which is the source of the movie's cheesiness at times. Fortunately, he plays an incredibly small part in the movie. 

Action: 9.7/10- Marc Webb's action direction has certainly improved since the first Spider-Man with many of the action scenes being fun and exciting! As with this year's The Winter Soldier, I was very engaged with the action scenes to the point of unknowingly moving around in my seat along with the action, albeit to a lesser degree than Cap's film. Electro's powers are particularly interesting, and they were used inventively during the action scenes.

Special effects: 9.5/10- While a few shots seemed to be obviously computer generated, most of the special effects were very believable. Spider-Man's swinging has never looked better, and it almost looks like it was ripped straight from the comic pages. Electro could have easily turned out terribly, but the special effects for his powers looked fantastic! Also, the movie uses a very cool time-slowing effect to show off Spidey's fast reflexes. On a side note, did anyone else think of Dr. Manhattan during a few scenes? At least Electro wore pants...

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- Hans Zimmer's really outdoes himself with the score. While it features many of Zimmer's hallmarks like booming bass tones, his rendition of Spider-Man theme, as well as the music throughout, was top notch work. However, Zimmer's best part is Electro's theme. It has to be one of the best villain themes I have heard in a long time. Often times, using voices during a track sounds odd, but it only added to the intensity of the character's scenes.

Humor: 9.8/10- The Amazing Spider-Man 2's humor is mostly spot on. While one or two moments seemed unnecessarily silly, the majority of the humor had me laughing-out-loud many times throughout the film! In fact, the movie was one of the funniest movies I have seen in quite some time. For the first time, Spider-Man actually seemed like the wisecracking character from the comics, which, as a massive fan, is utterly satisfying to finally see on the big screen.

Entertainment Value: 9.9/10- From the opening scene onward, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 grabbed my attention until the credits rolled. Not for a minute was I not thoroughly entertained and engaged with the story, and in fact, I almost want to go watch the movie again!

Overall: 9.5/10- Despite a few minor plot issues, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers where it matters most, the characters. It perfectly captures the feel of the comic, and the movie delivers entertainment in spades. Due to possibly spoiling aspects of the film, I will not say what truly set the film above many others, but if you have seen the movie, you know what I am referring to. 

Closing comments: If you are not a fan of Spider-Man, or completely hate the character as many do, I would lower the score to around an eight, but the movie is still worth watching for the humor, chemistry, and fun action alone. Also, if, for whatever reason, you do not connect with the characters, then you will likely not enjoy it, because it the main appeal of the film.

Recommended for: Action fans, Spider-Man fans, Marvel fans, Comic book movie fans, Sci-Fi fans,

Note: Many people are going to compare the film to the original Sam Raimi trilogy, specifically Spider-Man 2. Considering that Spider-Man 2 is one of my all-time favorite movies, I will say that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not quite on the same level; however, if you consider the first Amazing Spider-Man to be the best Spider-Man film, then you will most certainly enjoy The Amazing Spider-Man 2. 

Click here to check out more of my movie reviews.

Best. Gif. Ever.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 First Reaction

Just watched The Amazing Spider-Man 2 last night, and it was certainly an impressive, and dare I say, Amazing experience. Since this is just a first impressions post because I got home late from the theater, I will save my full review for tomorrow. I will say that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a definite must-watch in the theaters, if only for the superhero action, but the movie definitely delivers on the emotional impact. Also, whatever you do, DO NOT watch any of the trailers, and avoid any and all spoilers at all costs. 

Also, in these first reaction posts, I like talking about the theater experience, and even though there were quite a lot of people in the theater, they managed to be quiet for the most part. Everyone even clapped at the end of the movie, which is the first that has happened. There were even a group of kids, and they actually did not ruin the movie. I did have to jump over the seat to the one in front of me because the people behind were loud. On a side note, I have mentioned in the past that the local theater might be closing last year, and fortunately, that is not going to happen. In short, the theater still used an old film projector, but now, companies do not release movies in film to the theaters, so they had to buy a digital projector. Also, it is an old one screen theater.

While you wait for my review, you can read Jordan's review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 by clicking here.

Also, after I finish my last exam later today, I will be finished with my semester of college and that means "Dobby is a free elf!"

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Super Bowl Movie Trailers

Well, Broncos the lost, and they lost horribly. On other Super Bowl news, several awesome new trailers for upcoming movies were shown, and most of them have even more awesome extended versions of the trailers that I have posted below, including The Winter Soldier, Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Transformers 4. Basically, I am going to write mini-reviews for each trailer.

The Winter Soldier better be one freaking amazing movie, because these trailers are making me so hyped for this movie! These trailers have been a lot better than any other Marvel movie since the Avengers. All of the social commentary about Freedom will hopefully be fantastic. Everything about this trailer and the movie looks so good that I cannot even believe it. Now, I will be avoiding every trailer between now and when I see the movie, because I do not want to know anything about it.

Wow, this new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks so much better than the first one! Hopefully the movie will be as good as this trailer. Jamie Foxx looks like he is going to be amazing in the role, and I am really liking the direction his origin is taking. It looks like it is influenced by the Spectacular Spider-Man TV series, which was amazing, and that is definitely a good thing. Also, the effects look a lot more polished than before, which was one of my biggest complaints about the first one. Who else laughed during that opening clip? "Alright laundry sheriff."

Transformers 4 Age of Extinction is one of the only Super Bowl trailers that did not have an extended version online, but here is the original one. If you did not already know, Shia LaBeouf will not be in this new Transformers movie, and Mark Wahlberg will be staring. The big thing about this trailer is that there is a giant Dinobot that Optimus Prime is riding. Even though I am not a big fan of Transformers by any means, I grew up watching Transformers: Cyberton and some Beast Wars and I know that they were nothing like the one in trailer. Grimlock, the name of the Dinobot according to sources, was not something Optimus rode. But hey, I am not a die-heart fan so maybe the movie will not be that bad, but I am definitely not going to be watching it in theaters.

Need for Speed is an adaptation of the video game franchise of the same name, and the movie looks like a Fast and Furious clone. Maybe I am wrong, but this movie looks entirely mediocre and forgettable. The cast is good though, so there might be a small chance that the movie is good. 

I know there were a few other trailers during the Super Bowl, but none of them were memorable enough for me to post here. What was your favorite Super Bowl movie trailer? What did you think of the trailers? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for my spoiler review of Sherlock: "The Sign of Three."

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Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer!

The new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is here! Wow, the trailer surprised me a ton! The movie is entirely different than I had expected, especially since Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn looks awesome! He looks like he will be the Joker or Loki of the Spider-Man franchise and Dane DeHaan is surely going to kill it in the role. But, there are some issues I have with the with trailer. For one, why are there so many villains!? The last time we had three villains in a Spider-Man movie, we got the massive train-wreck that was Spider-Man 3. Seriously, what was the last superhero movie to have three villains and not suck? On the positives, Spider-Man's suit is ripped straight from the comics! While he does look a little too cartoony, I hope the special effects will be improved between now and the release date. Also Dane DeHaan looks more like the Hobgoblin than the Green Goblin, so I am not sure how they are going to handle the character. There are some heavy references to the Sinister Six with the Doc Ock arms and the Vulture's wings in the background, as well as the six doors for each Sinister Six member. Electro looks cool and his powers look awesome. Paul Giamatti as Rhino is could be better, and his Rhino suit looks like something from the old Transformers: Beast Wars series.

But, with any luck, maybe The Amazing Spider-Man 2 can live up to Sam Raimi's spectacular second entry in his Spider-Man franchise. Plus, Andrew Garfield looks as amazing as ever in the role of Peter Parker. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.