Editorial: What A Justice League Movie Needs In Order To Be Successful

The Justice League. A team of superheros that help defend Earth from evil. The team consist of heroes like Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk...oh wait, that's the wrong team. The Justice League are the gem team of the DC comics universe, consisting of all their best characters including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. And now Warner Bros. has finally announced they will be making their way to the big screen come 2015. Here's a list of what WB need in order for the Justice League to be a superhero movie people can love and appreciate.

To start off this list of things needed to be done is character identification. By this I mean every superhero needs to know their role in the Justice League and have some type of point in the movie. We want to see Superman take role as the leader of the JL and we want to see Batman be intelligent yet dark in a sense. We want to see these characters be portrayed as a superhero team that reflects that of the comic, not some happy go lucky team of friends fighting crimes out of their tree house. Another thing we want to see is a great display of character power such as the Flash using his incredible speed, Martian Manhunter using his ability to phase through solid objects, and maybe even Green Lantern showing us some new tricks with his ring. Speaking of Green Lantern, we absolutely , positively, DO NOT want to see the JL movie end up like that Green Lantern movie that came out in 2011. I mean the movie had no point except to remind us ( the viewers) that it is possible to create a very bad superhero movie.

Recently it was announced that the JL movie would be coming out around 2015, the same time as The Avengers 2. This is actually terrible for the the Justice League movie because they have alot to make up for. Since Marvel has already released The Avengers  they have already surpassed introducing characters, showing how the team is assembled and what they can do when they come together. Now that The Avengers 2 is coming out, they do not have to worry about these things and can give us possibly one of the strongest action films ever to come out. While Justice League would have to make up for all the time they wasted.

With Christopher Nolan working on the Man of Steel trilogy, it seems as though he will have no intention of touching the Justice League movie and to this I face palm. The Dark Knight trilogy and possibly the Man of Steel trilogy will leave such high standards on the Justice League movie, that if it is messed up, DC might as well through in the towel. So what can they possibly do to help save the JL movie and make it something cool to watch? My answer : Amazo/Crime Syndicate

1.) Amazo: The reason I choose Amazo as one of the villains to be fought in the JL movie is because of his abilities and capabilities. He has the ability to adapt to anyone he is fighting, for example if he fights Superman , he will gain equivalent strength, laser vision, flight , etc. At one point in the comic he gains all of the JL powers and nearly becomes god-like. If this were to be transferred into a film it would be Amazo... I mean amazing to see the Justice League try to stop him.

2.) Crime Syndicate: My second choice for a villain in the Justice League movie would have to be the Crime Syndicate. Basically the Crime Syndicate is the Justice League from a parallel universe where they everyone who is evil is good and everyone who is good is evil. Not only would it be cool to see them battle each other and cross between dimensions, but I would also like to see Owlman come up with some type of devious plan to exterminate the human race.

Yes there may be more devious or more interesting villains that the JL could take on but in a sense we have to remember that this is the movie that sets the tone for DC films to come, whether they take it seriously or take it the Green Lantern way. So far in terms of cast for the new JL movie we have heard rumors of Armie Hammer as Batman and nothing else. In a sense I feel that they are slowly slipping back into that Green Lantern like mentality and might just end up with a kid friendly Justice League movie, where at the end everyone gets along and to this I prepare for a facepalm... with a bear trap.

Whether DC decides if they want a strong Justice League movie or not, it will majorly affect how the fans look at them in general. We want the movie to portray the characters strongly and not give us some half finished, rush ending movie that reminds us why we didn't suggest anyone to go see Green Lantern  in theaters. We want action, we want a sophisticated and interesting storyline, we want the JUSTICE LEAGUE.

What are your thoughts and suggestions for the upcoming Justice League movie?

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Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, and Brady Corbert All Up To Play Harry Osborn

Production Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is rolling around and much news has been broken recently on what new characters will be joining Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker in the film's sequel and more importantly who will play them. With Electro, Norman Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, and Harry Osborn, all confirmed to be included in the film, names are already being dropped for who will take on these roles. With Shailene Woodly (The Descendant) casted as Mary Jane, and Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained) as Electro, the main question that remains is who will take on the role of Peter's best friend Harry.

According to THR, Sony has narrowed down a shortlist of actors for the part, which include Chronicle's Dane DeHaan, Tetro's Alden Ehrenreich, and Melancholia's Brady Cobert. The role was previously taken on by James Franco in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, although his take on the character took more of an influence from the Ultimate Comics version of Harry making him cooler and more popular than Peter, but still keeping his envy and hatred for Peter and Harry intact. The new version of the character seems to be taking a more classic approach as apparent by the actors being considered, similar to the more nerdy and secretive Harry Osborn who definitely has a dark side to him.

As for the actors being considered, all of them hold there own as pretty impressive actors. DeHaan seems to be the more popular choice, after his performance in Chronicle earlier this year where he played a character with very similar personality traits to Harry himself, not to mention his roles in both Lawless and Lincoln. Alden Ehrenreich on the other hand is obviously less well known that DeHaan, but he has been my personal choice for Harry for quite a while now. Mainly because he has a more fitting look age wise to be alongside Garfield's Peter, as well as proving his acting abilities in Tetro and he's hoping to breakout in the all new film Beautifal Creatures in which he plays the main character Ethan.

From Left to Right: Dane DeHaan, Brady Corbert, Alden Ehrenreich

Well I'm not familiar with Brady, he has a pretty impressive resume which includes Martha Marcy May Marlene and Melancholia, but judging from his previous work it seems he has really shown a dark side in many different roles. Other names have been brought up for the role by fans, many of which were up for the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man himself including fan favorite Anton Yelchin (Fright Night), Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer), Michael Angarano (Sky High), Paul Dano (Looper), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper), Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin), and even James Franco's own brother Dave Franco (21 Jump Street).

Ultimately who ever gets the role will be joining a cast that includes returning cast members Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Chris Zylka, and Sally Fields. The will also be with new cast additions Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson, and Jamie Foxx as the film's villain Maxwell Dillon/Electro. The role of Norman Osborn remains unconfirmed, although rumor has it Damien Lewis (Homeland); who was previously denied the role of Electro, is up for the part Norman. Although rumors point that Michael Massee, the man man credited as playing the mysterious stranger who talks to Curt Connors in The Amazing Spider-Man's after credit scene may very well have been Norman Osborn. I guess we'll find out in the coming weeks as casting progresses, and hopefully we'll see if J. Jonah Jameson will be included in the film and who will be playing him.

Who do you think should play Harry Osborn? Are you happy with the actors Sony and Webb are considering?

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X-Men Get An Amen: No More Leather Suits For X-Men Days of Future Past

Oh the good ol' X-Men, pretty cool movies, not bad casting, awesome effects for the time being, but what's holding it back? Could it be the infamous, skin tight, fake ab, leather suits? Well apparently it is, because they are being tossed out the door in order to make way for a new line up of suits. I mean who thought of it anyway? Why would superhero's who need to be flexible wear leather?

When watching the movies, in a sense they do make dynamic characters such as Wolverine and Iceman feel clunky and stiff. It takes away from the value of the character and makes them seem more like people with medical problems rather than mutants fighting to stay alive. It would make sense for characters such as Colossus to have a leather suit because he is a massive, bullet proof , one man demolition team, but for characters like Wolverine who do a lot of jumping , swinging, and slicing it's almost as though the suit is a retardation. But the great movie god in the sky has been listening to our prayers and will be getting rid of the old leather suits... hopefully.

So what type of costumes can be used in order to make the great use of the X-Men characters? I believe that they should go the The Amazing Spider-Man  route. In some ways people may dislike spandex because it looks too tight or leaves male characters with the Bat Bulge (named after the bulge in the suit seen in the Dark Knight Rises stills) . But in a way if the characters are constantly in motion , fighting, and doing something interesting, spandex is probably the best choice in terms of suits. One thing that the fans have been anxiously waiting for is the old fashion Wolverine suit.

After a while you can't tell whether your watching a Wolverine movie or Hugh Jackman with claws movie. In my opinion the suit could've and should've been brought out during X-Men 2 or maybe even X-Men Origins: Wolverine. So far there has been no mention or even hint of the original suit, so it kinda feels like Wolverine is a entirely different character from where he once was. Back then he was a deadly killing machine that wore a sleeve-less suit and gave people a reason to fear him, now he is leather wearing Hugh Jackman with pointy hair and under shirts.

Not saying that they should go hardcore 90's and bring back all the old costumes and what not, but it would be nice for them to at least reference them or make n attempt to show that they existed at one point. But hey, they still have a few more X-Men movies coming out including The Wolverine coming out soon, so you may never know what to look forward to.

What do you think of the X-Men no longer wearing their leather costumes? Would you like to see a more classic look?

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Transformers 4: Did It Really Need To Go There?

Transformers. That lovable old T.V show that we watched as kids and then ran out to go buy all the toys , is slowly destroying itself. In 2007 we were presented with Transformers directed by Michael Bay and we seemed satisfied. I mean a good movie and will probably have a good sequel, well we were wrong. In 2009 the absolutely hot mess of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen  was released and audiences were forced to ask themselves "Whats was the point of this movie?" But in a attempt  to redeem himself and save the Transformers name, Michael Bay set out once again and in 2011 released Transformers: Dark of the Moon (which would've made a better sequel).

Transformers : DTOM was believed to be the end of the Transformers trilogy , which would've ended it on a good note. BUT NOW, in 2012 we hear of news, unfortunate news, news of Transformers 4. Transformers : DTOM  was set up and was executed as though it would be the last film for the Transformers saga, but all of a sudden it seems that the trilogy will be having another baby. So far we have only received bits and pieces of information regarding the movie, one piece being that Mark Wahlberg is being casted as one of the main characters. Not saying that Mark Wahlberg is a bad casting, but is he truly what the Transformers needs?

When Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen came out, it made a statement about the future Transformers movies . ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Visually it looks beautiful, but when you look at the storyline its like something that was slapped together during a coffee break. The storylines are simply a copy of one another but with a little twist. For example, they're always looking for something ( the cube, matrix of leader ship, pillars), the Autobots are always out numbered but manage to win, there is always a giant robot that the Decepticons manage to sneak onto Earth without anyone knowing, and last of all there are the Michael Bay EXPLOSIONS ( the ones that come out for no reasons, white tipped, often to emphasize nothing). I mean when is it just gonna be Autobots vs. Decepticons ALL OUT BATTLE TO THE DEATH...... possibly never the way Transformers 4 is looking. Also news has been released that Transformers 4 will probably take the action over seas again to the great land of China

China. A peacful land with not a large name in technology will probably be the set of Transformers 4 and to this I facepalm. Out of all places, why not Tokyo , Japan. Tokyo is practically one of the largest technological cities and would be a cool set for a giant robotic alien war to go down. But no, we are brought to China where majority of the people ride bikes and public transportation. Rumors also state that there will be a battle on the Great Wall, to this I facepalm once again ( this time with a brick in hand). Did we not learn from our Autobot trip to Eygpt, that technologicaly advanced robots doesn't look right next to ancient older structures. Let me guess, the Great Wall of China is actually a giant tube funneling the Energon out of Earth.

Not saying that Transformers 4 will be bad, but it sounds as though its being rushed and treated as though it were a quick buck rather than a movie that reminds us how awesome the original cartoons were. But if things are continuing the way they are with the Transformers saga, your gonna wish that Optimus had sacrificed himself in the first movie.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Transformers 4? 

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Thor: The Dark World- Shedding A New Light On Marvel's Phase 2

Ever since Marvel released the major blockbuster "The Avengers", Marvel fans everywhere having been anticipating there new line up of films to come. One of the new films being released is Thor: The Dark World, which is being highly anticipated along with Iron Man 3. Thor: TDW will take place after the Avengers and will supposedly have what we all want... A NICE BIG WAR SCENE!

Rumors say that Thor will travel to the Nine Realms, and for those people who do not know what the Nine Realms are here is a break down:

The Nine realms are like various dimensions, each one holding a different type of landscape and inhabitants:

1. Muspelheim- Home of the Fire Demons

2.Alfheim-Home of the Light Elves

3.Vanaheim- Home of Vanir ( Similar to Asgardians)

4. Asgard- We all know and love

5.Midgard-Earth realm

6. Jotunheim- Home of the frost giants

7. Nidvellir- Home of the Dwarves

8. Svartalfheim-The home of the Dark Elves

9. Hel- Basically a land for anybody who dies that isn't special or evil

Apparently Thor will have to travel across the nine realms in order to stop Malekith (An evil dark elf who has a strange resemblance to Two Face Harvey). But on top of that did I mention that Malekith has an army of dark elves packing heat!!! Malekith the Accursed is a dark elf with powers including flying, teleporting, shape shifting of other things, somewhat like Loki which I'm a little worried about. I mean how many people are you going to fight who like wearing gold and have an army.

Thor will have to travel across vast distances in order to recruit an army to take on Malekith, and save the nine realms... or so we were told. But the big question is, will the new Thor film offer anything new? I mean we have heard the countless number of stories where the hero beats the villain and saves the girl, but will there be anything in Thor: The Dark World that will make me want to go home and think about it. I mean with a strong villain and  rumors of Surtur the giant fire demon showing up, Dark World seems like it may pack a punch, but will it be a knock out?

In my opinion Dark World looks like it will be a big step up from the original Thor movie and will have a lot more action. Recently released set photos shows Thor's hammer glowing which is strange because... it never glowed unless it had lightning come out of it.

So far the costumes for Thor: The Dark World seem like an interesting adaption from the overly bright and whimsical original costume designs from the comic, and the Dark Elves look seriously menacing. Hopefully the Thor sequel and hopefully can live up to the name and wow us once again, especially due to the fact of how elaborate the nine realms are told to be in old folk lore.

We here at Turbo-Exp are excited to see the upcoming Thor film, what are your thoughts on it?

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Stephanie Szostak May Be Playing Wasp In Iron Man 3

The excitement for Shane Black's Iron Man 3 has really been racking up lately with the exciting trailer making it's way online just a month ago, and so many characters being included such as Iron Man's archnemesis the Mandarin. It looks to be a worthy predecessor to this summers The Avengers, and an exciting new addition to Marvel's Cinematic Universe. But rumor rose just this summer that Antman will make an appearance in Iron Man 3, as well as setting up the film's villain Chen Lu/Radioactive Man. But now it seems Stephanie Szostak's mystery role in the film may be Janet van Dyne herself, known as the Wasp and future member of The Avengers and wife of Hank Pym/Antman.

The rumor doesn't come as much of a shock considering the fact that Stephanie Szostak's casting was only revealed at Comic-Con, and while all the other roles including Ben Kinglsey as Mandarin and Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian were later confirmed, there was never any word or confirmation as to who Szostak was playing. While so may think she may just be playing a small part such as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, she seems to be playing a bigger part considering she made it into the films first trailer.

Janet van Dyne is a character that seems to make a lot of sense, not only because Szostak herself both looks and fits the part, but also because Edgar Wright's Antman film has already been given an August 2015 release date right after the Avengers, and rumor has it that Antman was going to make his debut in The Avengers 2 before going on to his own solo movie. Edgar Wright has also been said to be directing the Iron Man 3 after credit scene which would set up the Antman film.

The source of the rumor comes from ComicBook.com, who claim that they have a tip that Szostak is playing Wasp in the film, as well s a recent tweet from user Roger Wardell, who claims to have inside information from Marvel. While that may sound like a load of BS, Wardell's previous tweets have actually been proven right as of yet after he stated Falcon would be in Captain America: The Winter Soldier just a whole before Anthony Mackie was casted in the role. On top of that the inclusion of government unit A.I.M. (Common enemy of Hank Pym) and Chen Lu/Radioactive Man, it wouldn't come off as a surprise that Iron Man 3 is trying to set-up a lot for Antman.

And here's the Iron Man 3 trailer for those who didn't catch it:

Iron Man 3 hits theaters May 3, 2012 while Antman is a while away on November 16, 2015

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Review: Can Family Guy Creator Seth MacFarlane Make A Worthy Transition To The Big Screen With Ted?

Seth MacFarlane is well known for being the creator of Family Guy, as well as the voice of many of it’s most popular characters including Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, and Stewie Griffin. But now MacFarlane challenges himself with his first feature length film, not only in the director’s chair but also as the voice of Ted himself. MacFarlane's brand of humor is now well known by many, which is something many fans are expecting from Ted. But does MacFarlane’s transition from television to film work for the better, or should he just stick to Family Guy for now on?

Ted begins in Boston, Massachusetts, as a lonely boy, John Bennett, wishes he had a friend. On Christmas morning, John gets a teddy bear which he names "Teddy" from his parents. After spending a lot of fun time with Teddy, he wishes upon a shooting star that it was his real life friend. Sure enough, the teddy bear comes to life one day and quickly becomes John’s best friend, and "Thunder Buddy". His parents are startled at first by the walking and talking teddy bear, but they overcome their fears. John has a best friend for life, and Ted quickly becomes a famous celebrity getting much publicity from the media for his supernatural nature.

And then we are taken to the present day, where Ted (Seth MacFarlane) and John (Mark Wahlberg) are now much older, living together in an apartment along with John's girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). John is a car sales men, not happy with his job, while Ted doesn't have a job and just hangs out at their house all day, much to Lori's dismay. Eventually Ted's antics begin to become too much for Lori's patience and John is forced to make a big decision; Lori or Ted? And from then on we really get to see John's relationship with both characters, and just how much happens when they try to turn their lives around.

While the film is obviously intended to be a comedy, it's very different from the usual comedies we've been seeing recently (ala Hangover, Bridemaids, etc.), so it's refreshing to see something new brought to the table. Although I'd actually call Ted a real feel good movie, much to my surprise, and although they actual story may not be very original, MacFarlane manages to mix in his usual brand of humor through Ted, as well as many fun and cameos to make the film a very fun one, even more so than it is actually funny, but that's not really a bad thing.

The relationships between both Ted and John, and Lori and John, are very key to the film, and MacFarlane handles them very well despite the comedic nature of the film. Although Ted is a completely CG character, Wahlberg and MacFarlane great job at really making us feel like John and Ted are actually in the same room just talking like two normal people would. There isn't a moment where the CG seems off or does flow right with the interactions from Wahlberg which was something that really helped make their friendship feel all the more realistic.

One thing that worried me as soon as I heard Seth MacFarlane would be directing an R-rated film about a talking teddy bear is that MacFarlane would really have no boundaries here. I'm a fan of MacFarlane's sense of humor and his show's Family Guy and American Dad but I'm aware many other people find his humor to be pretty offensive and not politically correct, and I agree that sometimes he takes it too far. So with the fact that he'd be leaving the small screen where's he's limited by censorship to an R-rated film I expected a lot of pretty brutal jokes from him. But overall I think MacFarlane managed to keep a good balance between his usual brand of humor in his TV shows as well as some new things he can now add without limitations. While somethings felt a little over the top and unnecessary just for the chance of using raunchy humor, the fact is MacFarlane is able to show his full comedic abilities without being weighed down by censorship, and almost every comedian is funnier without limits (See Eddie Murphy's eighties stand-up for an example).

The performances in the film were pretty good, and they gave us all around funny and enjoyable characters to watch share the screen with Ted. While Wahlberg didn't exactly have a very dramatic role here or anything, he did play a very different character from his usual tough hot tempered persona he always uses. Here he portrays a more childish slacker type and it helps make his performance all the more funnier in comparison to comedic role's he's taken in the past, and he's really believable in the part of a man who's grown up with a talking teddy bear his entire life and has grown and emotional attachment to it.

Mila Kunis (Friends With Benefits) also does a pretty good job, also playing a very different character from her usual Meg persona on Family Guy. Other actors who give off some pretty fun comedic performances include Patrick Warburton (Family Guy) and Joel McHale (The Soup), who all get their moment to shine, as well as some pretty hilarious narration from Patrick Stewart (I would've preferred if it took place throughout the whole film though), and a hilarious cameo from Flash Gordon star Sam Jones. MacFarlane himself also did a pretty great and hilarious job, but the only thing I had a problem with was him using his exact Peter Griffin voice for Ted. For me it just felt a little lazy and out of place, and while I can understand why he didn't use his actual voice to refrain from comparison's to Brian from Family Guy, I just would've preferred a different voice from him that is a little more creative.

One thing I really loved about the film was it's soundtrack, which gave the film a very classic and lighthearted vibe that fit the Ted perfectly. I've always loved the scores for Family Guy and American Dad by Walter Murphy, so it's no surprise that I loved his score this time around too but it was really great to finally hear him composing a full movie. There's also some other great inclusions to the soundtrack that aren't composed by Murphy such as the iconic Flash Gordon theme song sung by Queen for the original film, and the original song Everybody Needs Best Friend by Norah Jones. Overall the film is excellently put together musically and I hope MacFarlane continues to work with Murphy on his future film projects as his scores really do have a very theatrical presence to them.

In the end Seth MacFarlane manages to pull off a pretty successful film debut and gave us a very different comedy movie from the typical ones we see nowadays, and originality is always welcome in my book. MacFarlane really uses the cast to their full comedic potential, as well as transitioning his well known brand of humor full of fun references and cameos from his cartoons to the big screen, while still keeping it from coming off as Family Guy: The Movie. Whether it be a comedy or more serious film next time around, I can't wait to see what future projects MacFarlane has as a Hollywood director.

I give Ted 3.5 out of 5 stars:

Here's the trailer for Ted:

What did you think of Ted? Do you plan on seeing it?

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