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What's the New Hulk Movie's Biggest Challenge?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:30:25 -0700

Recently The LA Times ran a piece that analyzes the bumpy road it's been to bring the latest Marvel comic book hero, The Incredible Hulk, to the big screen.

First and foremost there's the question of "why?" Ang Lee's disappointing stab at it was out in theaters a mere five years ago. Fans feel burned by that adaptation and skepticism lingers that anyone can get it right.

More anxiety grew as the trailer was suspiciously delayed. Now that two trailers have been released it seems fans are feeling better about the film. Then again, behind-the-scenes rumors persist that the movie's star Edward Norton isn't thrilled with some of Marvel's choices. And while the trailers definitely look more action-packed than Ang Lee's movie, those CGI monsters running at each other in the end still strike me as a bit silly.

When all is said and done, I'm wondering if the good buzz will triumph over the bad in time for audiences to get on board by June 13. What do you think is the biggest hurdle the filmmakers are facing in getting people to see their movie? Do you have high hopes for The Incredible Hulk, or not so much?

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New Moon: Better Than Twilight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:45:00 -0800

Let's be honest: for most of you, it doesn't matter what I - or any critics for that matter - have to say about New Moon, the incredibly anticipated sequel to last year's Twilight. The film started breaking box office records before it was even released, and audiences will flock to the theaters for weeks to come. On the plus side, a ticket to New Moon is a win even if you're not a Twihard - provided that you know what you're getting into.

New Moon is not incredibly acted, and it doesn't boast impressive dialogue or larger-than-life special effects. But it's not trying to be the Best Picture of the Year, so I can only critique it for what it is: a fantasy movie about a love triangle between a werewolf, a vampire, and a teenage girl. To see what I mean, just read more.

The movie picks up a few months after where Twilight left off. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is blissfully in love but she can't fight her insecurities about growing older than her perpetually seventeen vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). All Bella wants for her eighteenth birthday is for Edward to change her into a bloodsucker, but a close call with his brother drives Edward to break up with Bella and leave town instead.

The drama following Bella's abandonment is everything we remember from high school heartbreak, from Bella's night terrors to the glazed over look in her eye. The anguish and pain are easily seen on Stewart's face, and her innermost thoughts are revealed to the audience through letters to Edward's sister Alice that will never be sent. After months of moping, Bella finally starts to open up to Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a family friend. As Bella struggles to find hope in a life without Edward, her friendship is complicated by Jacob's romantic feelings for Bella and made worse when Jacob discovers that he's a werewolf (and an enemy to all vampires).

The surprise of the movie is Lautner's performance. We've seen and heard about those muscles countless times before, but he also packs enough charm and charisma into his Jacob that you truly see him as more than just Bella's unrelenting admirer / best friend. He presents himself as a viable suitor for Bella's heart, and it's hard not to root for him against Robert Pattinson's wooden (albeit handsome) Edward. Stewart and Pattinson have chemistry to spare in Twilight, but in New Moon, Bella's relationship with Jacob seems hopeful and comfortable while her scenes with Edward are mostly awkward and frankly not as much fun to watch.

The movie belongs to Stewart and Lautner, but their melodrama is balanced out by the characters who pad out the cast. Yes, we meet the wolf pack and the Volturi, but for the most part the Forks residents and beyond make for some much-needed comic relief. The downside is that while it's funnier than what you'd expect, not all of the laughs are intentional (a scene where Jacob's temper rivals that of The Incredible Hulk comes to mind).

It doesn't take more than a grain of salt to appreciate New Moon for what it is - a film that stays true to its origin and delivers the necessary elements to ensure that you'll be back when the next installment of the franchise comes our way.

Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment

What to TiVo: Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:50:36 -0700

ABC is new with The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick
CBS has repeats of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY
FOX has Game One of the World Series
NBC has Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space and is new with Law & Order: SVU
The CW is new with America's Next Top Model and has a repeat of Vampire Diaries
ABC Family has Hocus Pocus
AMC has House on Haunted Hill
MTV has a repeat of My Super Psycho Sweet 16 and is new with Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Bravo is new with Top Chef: Las Vegas
Comedy Central is new with South Park, Secret Girlfriend, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report
FX is new with Nip/Tuck
Late-night highlights include Patrick Dempsey and Sting on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Chelsea Handler on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Edward Norton, Hulk Hogan, and "Weird Al" Yankovic on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Madeleine Albright on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS