Tagged: Warner Bros

DVD Review: ‘Legion of Superheroes’ Vol. 2

Maybe the most surprising thing about how much I’ve enjoyed the first episodes of the Legion of Superheroes cartoon series is how little I enjoy the team’s comic book adventures. I always liked the concept of the Legion, but the futuristic team has too large of a cast and too complex of a history for me to jump into.

The cartoon series (from Warner Brothers and DC) fixes those two criticisms by hemming in the team size to a handful of key characters and streamlining the background: A young [[[Superman]]] is pulled into the future to help a fledgling group of heroes save the world. Simple enough.

In this second volume (containing the episodes [[[Champions]]], [[[Fear Factory]]], [[[Brain Drain]]] and [[[Lightning Storm]]]), the team goes through a series of challenges that manage to be kid-appropriate without being overly simplistic. Like the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, the Legion consists of standalone episodes but also builds a deeper narrative of themes and plots, giving it appreciable depth.

Particularly, this volume highlights the character development of Lightning Lad as he becomes a greater hero, and that of his brother, Mekt, as he becomes a villain. Meanwhile, Superman finds his powers have limits, which serves as a lesson as he tries to become the universe’s greatest hero.

I definitely wouldn’t put this series on the same level as [[[Batman: TAS]]], but it’s a fun, clever and exciting foray into the 31st Century.

Live-Action ‘Akira’ On the Way from Leo DiCaprio

  • News
  • February 21, 2008

Yesterday, the Hollywood Reporter dropped the news that Warner Brothers has snapped up the rights to make a two-part, live-action version of the Japanese Anime classic Akira. Not only that, but producing the film will be superstar Leonaro DiCaprio. In addition, first-time feature helmer Ruairi Robinson will be taking on the directing duties and Gary Whitta is writing the screenplay.

But wait, there’s more.

Today, it was confirmed by Aint it Cool News that DiCaprio will, in addition to producing, star in the live-action film as the lead character Kaneda. Also confirmed is that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, soon to be seen in the upcoming live-action G.I. Joe, will join him in the cast as Tetsuo. 

In case you’re not familiar with Akira, it originally came out in 1988 as a manga and then as an animated film co-written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The story, set in a futuristic post-nuclear war "New Tokyo" in the year 2019, concerns a teen biker gang member called Tetsuo who is subjected to government experiments which unleash his hidden and terrifying powers. Kaneda, the gang’s leader and Tetsuo’s best friend, must then find a way to stop the ensuing destruction caused by his friend, even if it means killing him.
 
I first saw the film in the early ’90s and was blown away. At the time it was like no other animation I had ever seen and I’ve always secretly harbored a desire to see it as a big-budget, live-action feature. I guess I’ll get my wish. Hopefully, that will be a good thing.
 
Warner Brothers is looking at a Summer 2009 release for the first film.

 

 

Fantastic Four director looking at The Losers

  • News
  • June 11, 2007

The Hollywood Reporter, via Reuters, says that Tim Story, director of the new Fantastic Four film opening this weekend, will direct The Losers for Warner Bros. The series, which debuted 37 years ago in Our Fighting Forces, was recently revived for DC’s Vertigo line by Andy Diggle and Jock.

Story said, "I told my agents I didn’t want to do another comic book.  I had been in the world of fantasy and I wanted to do something very edgy, a realist action movie. I wanted to find something like a Bourne Identity or Black Hawk Down."’

You can download the first issue of the Vertigo series at http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1687

Thundercats Scratch the Big Time

thundercatspicture1a-2833801Variety reports that Warner Bros. Studio has optioned a script by Paul Sopocy to turn the Thundercats cartoon into a CGI-animated feature.

Sayeth the article, "Warner-based Paula Weinstein will produce through her Spring Creek Prods. banner, along with Dick Robertson and Lew Korman. Property revolves around a group of humanoid cats (with feline names like Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara) who must flee their planet of Thundera after it’s destroyed. Once crash-landing on another planet, Third Earth, they must thwart Mumm-Ra, an evil sorcerer, bent on killing them off."

Give me strength.  Seriously, what’s next, Jem and the Holograms?  I’m much more psyched about Warner acquiring the screen rights to Terry Brooks’ Shannara series…

Anaheim, Kookamonga, and… Allentown!

wackyland-8462856If you’re going to be in or near Allentown Pennsylvania between June 24 and September 16 of this year, you might want to drop by the Allentown Art Museum to enjoy their massive Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons exhibition.

A greatly expanded version of the exhibit that played New York’s prestigious – and extremely expensive – Museum of Modern Art back in the mid-80s, the program consists of over 160 drawings, paintings, cels and sundry objects used by directors Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett and others in the creation of the famous Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig cartoons from the classic period of the 1930s through 1960. Dozens of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies will be shown in their entirety as part of the exhibition.

Artwork from Bob Clampett’s Porky in Wackyland copyright Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

Warner Bros. donates $$$ to Tasmanian Devil

tazwb200-9745728According to the Associated Press, the Australian government says Warner Bros. will donate money to save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction.

The real animals — which don’t actually whir around in little tornados — are being wiped out by a contagious cancer that creates "grotesque facial tumors."  Since Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (warning: photos at link) was first detected in northeast Tasmania in the mid-1990s, more than 90 percent of the devils have perished.  Scientiests estimate that within five years, there will be no disease-free population in Tasmania.  It is hoped that the uninfected animals can be moved to island sanctuaries. 

Paula Wriedt, who is Minister of State Tourism, Arts and Environment (talk about job-sharing!) said Warner Bros. will donate $1 Australian (about $0.82 American) from the sale of each DVD in a new series to be relasaed in Australia.  The University of Tasmania will handle the donations.

"This partnership will go a long way to assist in raising funds, awareness and future opportunities to ensure the survival of the Tasmanian Devil," she said.

The AP says that a spokesman for Warner Bros. did not immediately return calls for comment on Saturday. It’s a holiday weekend, people!

Artwork copyright Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

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Joker runs wild on the World Wide Web

michael_jackson_joker-2840081As a follow up to our earlier story, the original website where we got a look at Heath Ledger as the Joker, http://ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com has been torn apart, and the only thing that remains is an error that comes up and says "Page Not Found". Pretty standard, right? Think again!

Just for kicks, check out the site and hit control-A (or command-A for all of you Mac users). The Joker seems to have left his mark, even without his face. This fun new marketing technique used to promote 2008’s The Dark Knight seems to keep turbo-geeks like myself filled with wonderment, and I can’t wait to see what’s next to pop up from our friends over at Warner Bros.

Ghost Chimp MD on CBS?

For some reason, Craig Ferguson, a very funny person in his own right, has allegedly appropriated the work of Kyle Baker, the funniest man in the world.  You can see the evidence at http://myspace.com/ghostchimpmd and at YouTube.

Kyle developed the idea when he was working at Warner Bros. in the early 1990s.

Bob Morales, a frequent Baker collaborator said, "Why do they always steal from the African-Americans? First, blues, then jazz, now Ghost Chimp M.D."

More when we hear about it — and the lawyers weigh in.

Comic books still rule the movies

  • News
  • March 25, 2007

Comic books continue to lead Hollywood box office business as TMNT, based upon the comics books of the same letters beat out 300 $25,400,000 to a mere $20,500,000 in estimated weekend North American box office receipts.

It was the first weekend for the Turtles’ latest movie venture, and the third for the Frank Miller property. Thus far, 300 has earned nearly a quarter-billion dollars worldwide. Then again, box office totals in Iran are expected to be rather low.

Whereas both movies were released by Warner Bros., neither one is based upon a DC Comics property. DC is a unit of Warner Bros.

Next up: Spider-Man 3, in just a few weeks. ComicMix carried the link to the final movie trailer; scroll down and you’ll find it.

300 @ 152 & counting

  • News
  • March 19, 2007

Frank Miller’s 300 has turned into quite a little motion picture empire, grossing not only a portion of its audience but a whopping $152,000,000 worldwide in its first 10 days of release.

Of course, by "worldwide" we mean that portion of the world that’s showing the movie thus far. Most of the planet has yet to enjoy the experience. By the way, 300 is doing quite well in Greece.

Given a lengthy stay in theaters, openings in the rest of the world, and DVD sales later this year, Warner Bros. is expecting to see well over $300,000,000 in total grosses. Not bad for a flick that cost $65,000,000 to make.

Dark Horse is rushing another 80,000 copies of the original graphic novel to the bookstores.

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