2009 had an amazing Summer at the box office, and that was due in part to some amazing action flicks. Surprisingly, they weren't all blockbusters, and they weren't all about just blowing stuff up. What was your favorite action flick of the year?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!
We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2009, and we'll be revealing more throughout the month of December. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.
It was the leaked recording heard around the world — Christian Bale's explicit outburst on the set of Terminator: Salvation emerged in February, setting off a PR nightmare for the actor. It all started when a crew member walked into a intense scene and supposedly ruined a shot for Christian, who then start spewing profanity that was all caught on tape.
Christian decided to apologize for his actions, calling into a radio show a few days after the tape leaked to take full responsibility for his actions. He kept an intentionally low profile for a while following the incident, before publicly showing his support for the crew a few months later. He received a lot of criticism at the time, but by Summer everyone seemed to have moved on and Christian was about to attend the film's premiere with a smile. The incident resulted in one funny upside — Christian Bale's Rant: The Remix.
Looking to add some new DVDs to your entertainment library? It's Tuesday which means there's a slew of movies hitting shelves, including these three releases.
Christian Bale plays John Connor in this latest installment in the Terminator franchise. The film follows an ex-con turned robot (Sam Worthington) who meets up with Connor in the hopes of saving Connor's father (who is currently a teenager), and therefore the human race. Confusing? Yes. But strange time-traveling aside, my biggest complaint is that I miss the humor from the previous films. Still, it's a Netflix possibility thanks to some solid action sequences and Worthington's standout performance (not to mention he's nice to look at).
If you're a die-hard Terminator fan, you may consider the special three-disc Blu-Ray edition, which includes a Director's Cut and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Two more DVD releases to check out when you read more
Pixar's Up had a great weekend at the box office, coming in at No. 1 with a whopping $68.2 million. That makes Up the third biggest Pixar debut ever (out of ten) behind The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. It's also worth noting that Up's debut bested Wall-E, which opened last year to $63.1 million.
Interestingly, this particular box office win "validates Disney’s decision to let its Pixar unit put creativity before commerce. Some Wall Street analysts . . . had predicted the film would have a difficult time attracting children because of its geriatric action hero." Hurray for putting story first!
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian continued to do well and scored second place over the weekend. Drag Me to Hell debuted at No. 3 followed by Terminator Salvation and Star Trek.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
In the future . . . you must carry an Ultra Mobile PC! Even after "Judgment Day," it's good to see that the Resistance can still get their hands on some hot gadgets to fight the good fight. I saw Terminator: Salvation last week and was happy to see the Sony Vaio UX ($2500) make a cameo just as John Connor rushes to save the world (don't worry, I won't reveal any spoilers!).
Hitting the scene at CES back in 2007, the Vaio UX is not a smartphone — it's a micro computer. It's built with a solid-state drive, Bluetooth, GPS, Wide Area Network 5 (WAN5) technology (to get a wireless signal faster and farther), USB 2.0 ports, and two cameras designed to make video conferencing easy while on the go (or, in this case, on the run).
I was hoping to find a picture of this bad boy in full cinema action, but no dice. I guess you'll just have to go see it in theaters for yourselves!
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Christian Bale donned another dark suit for the premiere of Terminator: Salvation in Paris yesterday. His female costars Moon Bloodgold and Bryce Dallas Howard smiled by his side, but as usual Christian's leading lady was his wife Sibi. The movie failed to earn the top box office spot over Memorial Day weekend in the US, so we'll have to see how the newest installment in the saga does overseas. It's only the first of Bale's blockbusters due out this Summer, but already most of you preferred to see him playing Batman in last year's record breaking hit The Dark Knight.
To see more from the premiere including Christian, Sibi and others just read more
Now that Christian Bale has lit up the big screen for another Summer blockbuster in Terminator Salvation, tell me: How do you like your Bale? As the gravel-voiced Bruce Wayne of the Batman movies? Or as the intense leader, John Connor, in a futuristic Terminator world?
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.
Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian blew Terminator Salvation out of the water over Memorial Day weekend, earning an estimated $70 million.
However, despite coming in second place, McG's effort to revive the popular sci-fi franchise is still a success, earning a solid $53.8 million. That's impressive considering Terminator's less-than-glowing reviews, as well as competition in the action-adventure genre from Star Trek, which came in third place.
Angels & Demons came in at No. 4 followed by Dance Flick which debuted at No. 5.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
I remember being awed by James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day when I first saw it in theaters. I was young, but I knew even then that this was the kind of blockbuster that only comes around once in a while. It had heart-stopping action sequences, and parts were genuinely terrifying. I was drawn in by a charismatic, wisecracking teenager named John Connor, who would grow up to become a powerful post-apocalyptic leader of the human race. And the best part was the funny and touching relationship young Connor developed with the Austrian-accented Terminator sent to save him from the future.
Now, here comes director McG, reviving the franchise with Terminator Salvation by taking us into the nightmarish future that previous movies only hinted at. The year is 2018, and Skynet, an evil computer robot dictator, has bombed up the earth. Only a small population of humans has survived. Large and in charge is none other than John Connor, all grown up and looking like Christian Bale. In fact, grown-up Connor sounds just like Bale's other famous Summer movie character, Batman. And like Bale's Batman, his Connor is very serious — because, you know, these are serious times. But this movie would have been a lot more entertaining if both McG and Bale had lightened up a bit. To see why, read more
Christian Bale has been making movies for decades and he's only 35 years old! He successfully made the transition from child actor to respected thespian and has even become a bona fide blockbuster star. He found his way into my heart as a Newsie, and then even more so as a "swing kid," and by the time he played Laurie in Little Women I was a goner. I try to remember what a talented guy he is even in the midst of controversy. Now in honor of his leading role in Terminator Salvation, I thought I'd test your knowledge of the one and only Christian Bale.
