The First Trailer for Marvel’s 'Doctor Strange' Has Arrived!

Image via Marvel

2016 looks to be the year where the Marvel Cinematic Universe starts turning on its own head. In less than a month, we’ll have Captain America and Iron Man face off against each other for the future of superhero secrecy in Captain America: Civil War and to round out their year, Doctor Strange will be making his big screen debut with his own solo adventure. 

Marvel released the film’s first trailer as part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, which shows former surgeon Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) taking a dark, surreal and colourful trip into the grand world of magic and mysticism through the guidance and teachings of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Take a look at it after the jump.

Pretty epic tease, right? With plenty of stunning visuals and psychedelic set-pieces at play, Doctor Strange is looking to continue expanding the universe (as well as set itself apart from the other superheroes within it) after nearly a decade in ways we never could have anticipated. I can’t wait to see more. 

Directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil) from a script by Jon Spaiths (Prometheus, The Darkest Hour) and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister, Sinister 2), the film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scott Adkins and Amy Landecker.

Doctor Strange opens in theatres November 4th. You can see its first two posters below.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Movie Review

Directed by Stephen Chbosky
Screenplay by Chbosky, based on his novel.
Running Time: 103 minutes (1h, 43 mins.)
Rated PG-13 (for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references and a fight - all involving teens).
Distributor: Summit Entertainment

Grade 9. Freshman year. New locker, new teachers, new atmosphere, new...everything. Been there, done that. So, to watch someone else starting high school on the big screen would be a little funny. It can also go what I like to call the "Disney Channel" route and have everything candy-coated and some of the little things exaggerated to the point where you've had enough. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that's not the case.

Stephen Chbosky adapts his own novel for the big screen and directs the story of Charlie (Logan Lerman), a awkward teen who's about to start high school in the wake of something tragic. Of course, struggling at first to really fit in this new stage of his life, Charlie meets Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), stepsiblings who don't have a care in the world. Throughout the year, they, along with Charlie's English teacher, help our main protagonist come out of his shell.

Not many movies really capture the shy, awkward experience of being a teenager like this and being a senior, I really was impressed. I hadn't read all of the book before my Toronto International Film Festival screening (although I knew the book was composed of a series of letters written by Charlie to a mystery "friend", some of which are in the movie), but I'm glad I didn't. The twists in the film come off better that way.

Performances are a delight to watch. Lerman has come a long way and though Percy Jackson got him somewhat big, this is the role that really showcases what he's got as an actor. His portrayal of Charlie is affecting. How he feels, we feel it too (or the other way around, I don't even know). Watson and Miller have to be singled out as well. While her first post-Harry Potter role didn't give her much to do unfortunately (My Week with Marilyn), that's not the case here. Watson is a revelation here, as is Miller, who seamlessly plays his role with humor and vulnerability. Mae Whitman is funny then there's Paul Rudd (who makes the most of his screen time) and I would be crazy not to mention Melanie Lynskey. While her character, Charlie's aunt, only appears in flashbacks, she also makes the most out of her screen time.

Overall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an impressive study of being in the stage of adolescence. In a way, Chbosky makes the few cliches of high school seem fresh, thanks in part to its witty, moving script and charming performances. Definitely check it out. Oh, and check out the soundtrack as well. Good stuff.

Rating: 8.5/10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Movie Review

Directed by David Bowers
Screenplay by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes, based on Dog Days and The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney.
Running Time: 94 minutes (1h, 34 mins.)
Rated PG (for some rude humor).
Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Should I keep this short and sweet? Yeah, I should. 7 out of 10. Why? This is a better entry in this series, even though the screenwriters behind this don't know what story they want to settle on. Understandable, since two of the books were put together for this film.

Even as it veers towards stupidity (watch Devon Bostick do a punk rock rendition of Justin Bieber's Baby) and doesn't exactly deliver on the emotional moments, it does hit the sweet spot when it has to, making this third entry sort of onto the lengths of the first film and beats the second. So, as I said before...

Rating: 7/10

Step Up Revolution - Movie Review

Directed by Scott Speer
Written by Amanda Brody, based on characters created by Duane Adler.
Running Time: 100 minutes (1h, 40 mins.)
Rated PG-13 (for some suggestive dancing and language).
Distributor: Summit Entertainment

There are few dance movie franchises that have mangaged to survive on the big screen and not get put on a direct-to-DVD basis like Step Up. Sure, each entry improves on the dancing, but when it comes to everything else (you know, plot, dialogue, blah blah blah), not much is done. Hey, at least they make the bills. This fourth entry, strangely subtitled Revolution, isn't that much different.

I knew what I was getting into, despite being the only one I've seen fully on a big screen was the previous one, which was the first to be shot in the 3D format. That wasn't necessarily a good film, but it wasn't bad either. The first two I've seen when TBS plays them on a few Saturday afternoons, the time where nothing important or even watchable airs. I mean, come on. When you're spending $12 (3D price) for this kind of film, you're there for the main attraction, much in the same way you'd pay for another entry in a horror franchise like Saw or Friday the 13th. Here in the Step Up franchise, there's no inventive kills, but inventive dancing.

If I should even say inventive.

Each film has a guy and a girl wanting to dance for reasons that are range from obvious to just meh. The guy's part of a dance crew, the girl's just on her own, hoping to become a professional dancer. They meet, she joins, they dance and somewhere along the way, they fall in love. If you're new to the franchise, you're probably thinking that's it's cute. Ain't so, if you recycle that plot for four films in a row. Here, they move this plot to the sunny city of Miami, this crew called "The MOB", who set up very elaborate dance mobs to get 10 million hits on YouTube in order to receive the prize of $100,000.

While this very generic (for a movie, at least) plan is in motion, the crew's leader, Sean (Ryan Guzman) meets Emily (Kathryn McCormick), a gifted dancer who dreams of being a...you know where this is going. Her father (Peter Gallagher, whose no stranger to teen-based material) however is a real-estate tycoon who plans to build a large hotel in the neighbourhood their families and friends reside in. So, it's up to them to turn their performance art into protest art. Sooooo...no dance battles?

Yep. That's the one thing different. No reason to put this crew in various dance battles with another crew. Fine, but this new plot device ain't that good either and when you don't much of a good plot, you don't much of good performances. While few are decent (Gallagher and an appearance from Adam Sevani from the 2nd and 3rd film), most don't click mostly coming from Guzman and McCormick, the two leads. Let me put it this way: good dancers, bad actors. However, less of the blame goes to them as much as it goes to the script. It's the best one I've heard nor is it the worst, but there are many obvious moments that either close with a groan or a chuckle.

I mentioned before that the dancing is the main attraction of this series. Still is. It does have dance sequences that are undeniably impressive, three of which pop out in the 3D format, which somewhat is worth watching in.

I didn't mind Step Up Revolution. However, as impressive as the dance sequences are, the film isn't without its various faults. Generic plot, script and underwhelming acting plague the film and help solidify it as a franchise that doesn't seem willing to be creative when it comes to plot. Then again, who gives a f*** about plot in this? Yeah. That's what I thought.

Rating: 4.5/10

Total Recall - Movie Review

Directed by Len Wiseman
Screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback, screenstory by Ronald Shusett & Dan O'Bannon and Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer, inspired by the short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Phillip K. Dick.
Running Time: 118 minutes (1h, 58 mins.)
Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity and language).
Distributor: Sony (Columbia Pictures)

Total Recall is one of those '90s films that can't be touched. Well, was of those '90s films that couldn't be touched. Believe me, I've seen it more than once. It was poorly adapted in a way for a long-forgotten television show and now comes this remake headed by the director who brought us the Underworld series. Might I tell you that this is the guy who doesn't yell "Action", but rather "GO!". So you know this is frenetic.

Frenetic in the way that it never slows down, somewhat unlike the original. While this is fine on some occasions, it gets a bit tiring since it doesn't have the time to really develop the characters like they should. Of course, the character the movie mainly focuses on Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), who's tired of the same old routine. Hey, who isn't? Obviously enticed by the ads that promote Rekall, a corporation that provides artificial memories of the life you want to live. Doug decides to give it a go. While getting hooked up to the chair, a Rekall representative finds that Doug is a secret agent (ironic since the memory that would have been implanted was the life of a secret agent). The dude finds himself on the run, the wife he thought he knew (Lori, played by Kate Beckinsale) isn't really his wife and ultimately joins forces with a rebel agent (Jessica Biel) to fight against the URB special forces, all as he tries to recover what's really in his head.

Now, I like the original (I've seen it enough times, however not enough to actually beat how many times I've popped in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on my Blu-ray player), so I guess I could say I was a little worried about how it would turn out. Slightly better than I expected, but even with the breathtaking action set pieces and the visual eye candy (Beckinsale and Biel aside), I still hoped it would take a bit of its time to really develop things a bit further with character and depth. The actors do work as well as they can with the material given to them.

I liked Colin Farrell here. He was very believable in the role previously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and even unlike the Schwarz himself, Farrell is more relatable since he looks like the ideal everyman instead of that guy with huge biceps. Beckinsale plays crazy well and Biel also acts well alongside Farrell and continues to prove she's the go-to girl for playing tough female roles. Bryan Cranston drops by in the film. Ever since Breaking Bad, he's been in everything now, as does John Cho. It felt like less of a big role and more of a cameo, unfortunately.

As much as I was expecting more depth (at least enough to fully care for what's going on), it wasn't surprising that there wasn't. Len Wiseman helmed this. This is the guy who created the Underworld series, a film series that, like other vampire/werewolf franchises like Twilight, you don't need a lot of brains for. He's also the main reason Kate Beckinsale's in this: she's married to him. You made a wise choice, Len. He, along with the screenwriters, do have some nods to the original film: the big lady and most notably, the three-breasted woman.

Overall, this Total Recall remake is passable. Like I said before, I wish it could have taken its time to really develop these characters, especially since the original film sort of did so, but that's probably asking a little too much. This works well as an action film. Not too much more.

Rating: 6.5/10

Trailerpalooza: 'Paranormal Activity 4' Trailer

God, I haven't done this in a while. Trailerpalooza returns, although shorter than most. I want to try and focus less on what's happening with the upcoming releases and actually review the upcoming releases, though I haven't done too much of that this year so far. Today, it's kind of hard to resist. One particular new trailer have been released through the magical wonder known as the internet today and I don't think I really have to say much about it, so let the trailer speak for itself.

Yeah, I know. Another one, but this time: Extra video chat! It's good that they're going to the (somewhat) present-time after they went back in time with the last film, but while it looks like the scares could be effective enough, it also looks like more of the same. And I'm not that big a fan of more of the same. Maybe I'll be wrong. At least Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the guys behind Catfish and the guys who directed the last film) are back, so that's cool. The film hits theatres October 19th.

To Rome with Love - Movie Review

Written and Directed by Woody Allen
Running Time: 112 minutes (1h, 52 mins.)
Rated R (for some sexual references).
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

The Woodman takes Rome! That should give you a clear idea of what European city he takes on next, after visiting London four times for Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra's Dream and You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Spain for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Paris for, of course, Midnight in Paris.

Originally titled Nero Fiddled, To Rome with Love chronicles four separate stories set in the enchanting Italian city. One deals with a clerk (Roberto Benigni) whose life changes when he becomes a celebrity for no apparent reason. Another deals with a retired opera director (Woody Allen) who finds a way to come out of his retirement when he discovers a great voice in his future son-in-law's father. Only thing is he can only do it without fear in the shower.

The third follows a newlywed couple (Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandra Mastronardi) on their honeymoon. Well, it's more or less for the husband to get a prestigious job from his relatives. However once the wife gets lost, things get out of proportion when a prostitute (Penelope Cruz) goes to their hotel room. Suddenly, she acts as the husband's wife when the relatives come along. The fourth is a little hard to explain. Let's just say it's about a architect (Alec Baldwin) who revisits where he lived a year ago. He's introduced to a young couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Greta Gerwig) whose relationship comes to a crack when the girlfriend's best friend (Ellen Page) arrives.

As I mentioned before, none of the stories really have any connection and this was intentional. Aside from the generic title (even Allen himself says he hates it, but ultimately had to settle on it because Nero Fiddled would have been confusing), To Rome with Love almost succeeds. Sure, comparisons to Midnight to Paris are inevitable and while it does lack the certain flow that Paris and previous films of his had, Rome manages to work well all on its own.

I enjoyed three of the stories in the film, my favourite going to Baldwin, Eisenberg, Gerwig and Page. While it can be confusing at times (mostly with Baldwin's character), it's still an interesting setup of a piece that impressed me. The third one involving the couple starts off fine, but then grows dull. Ultimately, it picks back up again. Either way, it's great to these actors do what they do best, especially Woody Allen. Putting himself in his first starring role since Scoop 6 years ago, he proves that even as old as he is, he's still funny, along with Judy Davis, Fabio Armillato, Flavio Parento and Alison Pill, who despite being her second film with Allen, is sadly underused. Roberto Benigni (known best to North American audiences for Life is Beautiful) also hasn't really lost his touch as a comedic actor.

Bottom line: To Rome with Love, as I mentioned before, does lacks the certain flow most of his previous films (yes, including Midnight in Paris). However, I still found it to be an enjoyable comedy. It's not one of Allen's best, and of course he's done better, but I can still recommend it.

Rating: 7/10