Don’t get me wrong, Tom Cruise has his place in Hollywood and the hearts of some, but his best days are already behind him. Paramount Pictures made a big fuss over who would co-star with Cruise in Mission: Impossible 4, and with good reason. The latest in a franchise that has performed solidly at the box office hopes to catapult Cruise back to the success that made him such an icon in earlier days. That was then, this is now.

Mission Impossible Indeed

While MI3 had the best critical reception of the series, it also had the weakest draw. The series looked to JJ Abrams to work his magic that resulted in mild success, but it’s not anything that wouldn’t be expected from the combined star power of Cruise and Abrams. The theme I’m seeing now in all Hollywood blockbusters is that concepts are becoming more important than names (see Transformers).

Let’s face it. Cruise, while still entertaining and one of the biggest players, has not caught on with younger audiences. His antics on the Oprah Winfrey Show and in other interviews have cost him dearly. Paramount attempting to pair him up with a younger star in the franchise is really a passing of the torch more than anything else.

Jeremy Renner is In

Oscar nominated actor and star of the Hurt Locker Jeremy Renner was recently selected to co-star with Cruise. Studio execs felt he had a Daniel Craig quality about him, which means that he could take the reins when (not if) Cruise is transitioned out. As studios change their distribution model and cut budgets as much as possible, you can bet that big names commanding heavy salaries are one of the first things they’ll look at when accounting for profitability.

Why I Hope I’m Wrong…

I grew up watching Tom Cruise and he has played some kick ass characters, so I’ll be sad the day he becomes more of a liability than a box office draw. I’m hoping I’m wrong and that Cruise will come back with something special, but lately all I’ve been hearing is him going back to movies like Top Gun 2 and franchises like this. Knight and Day didn’t do too well for him either despite having Cameron Diaz and good reviews.

That being said, the MI series has been an enjoyable one and I’m excited to see what they come up with next. Ethan Hunt, you da man!

In honor of The Last Exorcism by Eli Roth coming to theaters this weekend with fairly great reviews (especially for a horror film), I’m writing a post about something that’s always intrigued me – why are people who are easily scared of movies so in love with horror films? I have a friend who absolutely loves horror movies. She’ll watch them all day long. The funny thing is that she’s the type to get scared by almost anything.

When she first watched the Grudge, she had every light on in her apartment for two weeks. Her utility bill was not pretty. Then, she decided she had to watch Paranormal Activity opening night. Needless to say, she was a walking zombie for a month due to lack of sleep. And yet I find it hilarious that she’s now trying to get me to go watch The Last Exorcism with her this weekend. I myself do not enjoy horror films of the ghost/demon variety, but I do like a good slasher flick. I’ll probably go watch the movie anyway because it had great reviews (currently at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Do you guys know anyone who loves a scary film and yet scares so easily?

The Last Exorcism Trailer

Here’s the trailer and synopsis (from moviefone.com for The Last Exorcism if you haven’t seen it.

It’s a disturbing morality tale about a girl (Ashley Bell) who may be possessed by the devil. Her father (Patrick Fabian) will stop at nothing to save her soul, even if it means killing her, and the pastor who comes with a documentary crew to cast out her demons doesn’t believe in God. He practices fake exorcisms and hopes to document what happens there to debunk the “myth” of possession. And soon, it’s hell on Earth.

{Warning: Spoilers Ahead}

So I went out and saw Christopher Nolan’s Inception the week it came out, and to this day I’m still debating the ending with my friends. For those who want an actual review, there are many on the internet already. For those who want a recommendation, go see it. It easily made my top 10 all time list. Now on to the the subject at hand…

Is Leonardo Dicarpio’s character, Dom Cobb, actually stuck in a dream or not?

(source:wired)

Inception Theories

There are a number of theories that people have been tossing back and forth. Let’s take a look at some of the more plausible scenarios and examine the evidence.

1. The spinning top will drop. In this scenario, everything we’ve seen would be true. Dom accomplished his mission, went home to his kids and will lead a happy existence. The evidence for it is pretty straightforward in that he finally made peace with his wife’s death and was able to let her go.

2. The spinning top stays spinning. If the top stays up, it means Dom never kicked back up to reality, in which case it means he is stuck in some level of his subconscious. The evidence suggesting he’s still stuck in a dream is pretty powerful. First, his kids haven’t aged since we last saw them in his memories. While we have no real time frame to go against, they are arranged in the same position they were in his memory, which is a bit odd.

3. It was a dream from the start. The whole movie was somehow an elaborate dream orchestrated by an unknown figure, possibly setting up a sequel that Nolan is already intent on making. Think about it. Ken Wantanabe’s character tests Dom in the beginning, so who’s to say that the entire movie is not a test within a test? We know that dreams can go down 3 levels, so a test within a test is only 2 levels and absolutely plausible.

4. It’s open-ended. Knowing Nolan, it’s arguable that he leaves enough evidence for people to argue it both ways. However, since he’s already set on doing a sequel, it has to be one way or another so that makes this theory fairly weak.

I’m looking forward to hearing any suggestions people might have. Does anyone remember if the children were wearing the same clothes (in reference to theory 2)? If so, we can throw that out the window.

So what the heck really happened in Inception?

We’re starting off a new feature here on Guy Movie Review called Monday Movie Battle, where we put together odd match-ups between movies and their characters and let them battle it out to see who reigns supreme. In the first GMR movie battle ever, we put together a ninja bout (who doesn’t love ninjas?) between my favorite childhood ninjas the Turtles and my favorite new ninja Raizo from Ninja Assassin!

Ninja Assassin Origins

Raizo from Ninja Assassin is one of the most talented ninjas from his clan. They are a group of mercenary assassins taken as children and trained in the deadly art of the ninja. Upon successful completion of a mission, Raizo refuses to take the life of an innocent to prove his loyalty and is attacked by his own clan. He resurfaces years later to avenge himself and the girl he loved.

Ninja Turtle Origins

The Ninja Turtles, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael are four turtles who grow in size and intelligence due to a radioactive ooze canister that was dumped in the sewer. A rat known as Splinter, also affected by the green ooze, grows as well and takes care of them as his own children. Being the pet of a ninja while in Japan, Splinter knows and teaches his turtles the ancient art form. They grow up to fight crime in New York while eating their favorite food: pizza.

How They Would Meet…

Raizo tracks the location of a group of ninja assassins to New York City, where they plan to off an especially troublesome reporter named April O’ Neil. The assassins are quickly dispatched of by the turtles, especially because they didn’t think she would offer much resistance versus say, a yakuza lord or political official. Watching from afar, Raizo attacks the strange-looking ninjas believing them to be enemies as well. Although at first outmatched by his long chain weapon and mysterious speed, the Turtles are able to fend him off long enough to figure out his fighting style. Using a four against one approach, Raizo is eventually outmatched by his inhuman foes.

Being as they are the good guys, the Turtles eventually let him go after he explains his story to Splinter. They split a box of pizza and depart as friends. Maybe he and April exchange numbers.

Stat Battle

Height
Raizo: 6′
Turtles: Under 5′
Winner: Raizo by way of being taller than teen girls

Speed
Raizo: Superhuman
Turtles: Superhuman
Winner: Even

English
Raizo: Broken
Turtles: Regular
Winner: Turtles

Weapons
Raizo: Sword, chain
Turtles: Sais, katanas, nunchucks, bow
Winner: Turtles

Hair
Raizo: Flowing, raven locks
Turtles: None
Winner: Raizo

Dancing Ability

Raizo: Rain is an international popstar

Turtles: The Turtles danced to Vanilla Ice…
Winner: Even

We hope you enjoyed this first edition of our Monday Movie Battle!

So I’ve been a little too busy with work to post, but I was informed of some rather interesting developments surrounding the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. As it turns out, many people are banning together to boycott the movie and its production team for casting white actor Noah Ringer to play Aang. Sporting the slogan “Aang is Asian and can still save the world,” a group of race activists created a group on Facebook called “People Against Racebending” that’s really starting to pick up steam.

>>>You can check out the group here: People Against Racebending

The Associated Press picked up the story and noted that many critics have panned the movie for ignoring diversity and richness of culture present in the beloved children’s cartoon series, which the movie is based on.

“To take this incredibly loved children’s series, and really distort not only the ethnicity of the individual characters but the message of acceptance and cultural diversity that the original series advocated, is a huge blow,” said Michael Le of Racebending.com

The MSNBC article also went on to compare the ordeal to the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal in the upcoming Prince of Persia movie. Hello people! I wrote about that issue back in November of last year! I need more press coverage!

>>>Read more about my initial reaction to the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Noah Ringer a Scapegoat

I would love to see some diversity in film, but until the numbers back it up I don’t think the studios will ever change. Nothing sends a bigger message than voting for your dollars. I do feel bad for Noah Ringer being a scapegoat for the cause, but Hollywood indeed made the wrong move by “whitewashing” a children’s movie. I think it does send the wrong message. What would a parent say to their child if asked why Aang isn’t Asian? I’m not sure there’s an easy answer to this. People have to realize there are challenges in casting an Asian actor as well however. When I asked my Asian friends what they thought of the whole ordeal, many of them stated that “there really aren’t any Asian actors, especially kids, to choose from. Asian parents push kids towards being doctors or lawyers, not actors.”

Is Aang Asian?

I don’t share the same sentiment, but I’m really interested in hearing your reactions to the whole controversy. Some people are emailing me and saying that this is also why the Dragon Ball movie failed, to which I answered that the movie was doomed whether Goku was Asian or not. So I’m not really sure what to think at this point. Was it ever confirmed that Goku or Aang are Asian? It doesn’t matter to Hollywood but it obviously bothers many of you.

How do you feel about the casting of a white actor to play the Last Airbender?

The Last Airbender Trailer

Check out the trailer for The Last Airbender

Although the summer of 2010 hasn’t even come to a close yet, it’s never too early to look at what’s in store for us in 2012. Since it’s the last year EVER, it’s great that we have some great movies to look forward to. Don’t believe me? Read on…

Summer 2012 Guy Movie List

Here are some great guy movies you can all look forward to seeing in theaters.

Batman 3 – July 20, 2012: The sequel to the wildly successful film the Dark Knight is set to kick some ass at the box office. It’ll probably beat Avatar’s record. Okay, maybe I’m just getting too excited to see what Nolan can come up with.

Spider-Man – July 3, 2012: Not sure what Sony/Columbia is planning with the movie, but all things are pointing to a reboot. The script has been plagued with rewrites and there’s no clear direction in sight. Either way, I’ll look forward to seeing what the studios can do to get this franchise headed in the right direction. If I hear another “Batman Begins” treatment, I think I’ll hurl. That worked for Nolan – let’s move on.

The Avengers – May 4, 2012: Everything Marvel has been building up to in their Iron Man movies will lead to this moment. With Captain America: The First Avenger expected to hit theaters some time next year, it will really drive some great momentum for fans leading up to the collaborative Avengers movie where we’ll get to see the entire cast. I hope Downey Jr. and Norton are okay with Chris Evans calling the shots…

Star Trek Sequel – June 29, 2012: JJ Abrams reboot did wonders for the Star Trek films, so it’s no surprise that a sequel is on the horizon.

A lot of movies and a lot of Scifi planned for the movies. It’s a trend that’s not going away anytime soon.

Which of these films are you looking forward to most before a giant meteor hits the earth in 2012?

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

[source: MTV news]

I think he looks awesome as Thor. What are your initial reactions?

Everyone’s excited to see Iron Man 2. Some people have emailed me saying they’re not sure about the design of the Whiplash character or are asking if the producers took any liberties with the character. I’ve decided to clear things up with this post on everything you need to know about Whiplash before seeing the movie. Whiplash will be played by an excellent actor in Mickey Rourke, and I have no doubt that he will deliver a memorable performance as Iron Man’s main enemy in the sequel to Iron Man.

Whiplash Origin

Real Name: Mark Scarlotti Identity: Whiplash History: According to Marvel -

“Mark Scarlotti was a brilliant young man with a bright future. Graduating with top honors from college and a promising job at Stark International, Scarlotti could have had it all. It all went south, however, when he became friends with the wrong people. Filled with dreams of grandeur, he made some bad deals with hopes of a big payoff. Eventually, Mark worked developing weapons, first for the Maggia, then for himself. He took a more active role in their activities and became the costumed criminal known as Whiplash. His first real test put him up against the invincible Iron Man, but Whiplash could not complete the task of eliminating him. Suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of his armored foe, Scarlotti upgraded his weaponry and took a new alias. He remerged on the crime scene with a new attitude and called himself Blacklash.”

Whiplash Costume Evolution

Iron Man Animated Series Whiplash Costume

Iron Man Comics Backlash Costume

Iron Man Comics Leather Backlash Costume

Wicked Whiplash Art

Whiplash Iron Man 2 Concept Art

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2

I can’t wait to see what kind of life Rourke injects into this tortured character, because let’s be honest, he was a bit of a second rate villain in the comic book and animated series. I thought all told they did a pretty good job of bringing the character to life.

Will I be seeing you in theaters on opening night?

AintItCool has some great, exclusive information on the upcoming Gaiking movie. For those who didn’t have the luxury of playing with Gaiking toys as a kid, we pity you. Here’s a quick read on Gaiking courtesy of Wikipedia. For those who are looking for a quick explanation, Gaiking is a giant mecha robot who kicks the asses of an invading race of aliens.

Gaiking Teaser Trailer

Take a sneak peak at the Gaiking teaser trailer. It looks pretty amazing to me, although it’s really just a creatives teaser as of now.

Gaiking vs. Transformers

The real reason I’m rooting for this movie is because it’s the first time we may have a mecha movie done right. And by right, I don’t mean the crapfest that was Transformers. While I’ll admit the movie was at times entertaining, the focus on the human element seemed to detract from the rich history and development of the Transformers themselves. Some people might say that we should be focusing on humans to connect to the machines, but the truth is we’ve already connected to them emotionally through the television series, and that worked just fine. In short, there was no need for Shia or Josh Duhamel, but I’ll leave Megan Fox alone (since this is Guy movie review and we don’t want to blaspheme against the Fox).

Take a look at the intricacies and attention to detail in the shots, and notice how polished the whole concept is. That’s what’s lacking in Transformers, which arguably has much richer source material than the Gaiking series. The developers are even talking of creating life-size robots for their shoots – now that’s commitment! Eat your heart out Michael Bay, because if this movie ever gets made you’ll be exposed and I’m actually a fan of some of your movies.

What did you think of the Gaiking teaser?

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Easter holiday weekend! We here at GMR really do appreciate each and every one of our readers. Now get out there and enjoy some movies over the weekend!

Best,

Guy Movie Review

Here are some pictures from the highly anticipated movie Iron Man 2 for your enjoyment.