The Hollywood Reboot.

Has Hollywood trained us to look back as opposed to looking forward?

If you happen to be a member of the CanGeek Community Page on Facebook then you know we've talked a lot about Hollywood reboots, more specifically films that we'd like to see given the reboot treatment.

However over the past few days, as I've been re-watching classic films including HIGHLANDER and Tim Burton's BATMAN, I've found myself wondering if, due to the lack of creativity within their writing community, Hollywood has somehow trained consumers to welcome reboots as opposed to expecting fresh material.

From TOTAL RECALL and Stephen King's IT, to The FANTASTIC FOUR and TOMB RAIDER, there just seems to be no end to what Hollywood will remake, and with films like Hellboy and The Crow getting the reboot treatment there seems to be no end in sight either.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not opposed to reboots if they make sense, but there is no confusing the fact that some of these films are being remade due to a lack of inspiration and a need to grow a movie studios bank account.

However what's more offensive then a reboot is a sequel to a film that hasn't seen a franchise release in more then twenty years, films like Blade Runner 2049 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull immediately come to mind.

What's next, a re-release of Batteries Not Included? 

It's just my opinion but as much as directors including Ridley Scott have been critical of the Superhero film genre in the past year, Marvel Studios seems to be one of the few Hollywood film companies offering up semi-original content that is keeping the movie-going public entertained.

The success of Marvels Black Panther earlier this year is, at least in part, proof of that...after-all keeping the public entertained is their job.

So with very few films beyond the Superhero genre on my radar this year, I'll be in line next Saturday, ready to throw away my movie-going money, for the release of Avengers: Infinity War. As for Hollywood and their need to revisit the past, if they want to continue to earn my money then they need to step forward into the future.

Thanks for reading.

Verne Troyer dead at 49.

He may have been small in stature but he more then made up for that with the joy & laughter He brought to millions of fans the world over.

Actor Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series of films has past away at the age of 49. Although no cause of death has been confirmed, Troyer had a known history of depression and alcohol addiction and had been rushed to a Hollywood hospital earlier this month by emergency responders.

A statement on the actors official Instagram page reads:

It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today.

Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday.

He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con’s & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to show everyone what he was capable of doing. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know.

Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much.

During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family. The family appreciates that they have this time to grieve privately.

Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Verne’s name to either of his two favorite charities; The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies.

Verne Troyer truly was an inspiration and will be missed. 

Making sense of the chaos.

Sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong.

Over the past few months I've been more then a little critical of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, having gone so far as to say that Star Wars is now dead to me. However after a recent blog I authored about the upcoming release of Avengers: Infinity war, I have to admit I was wrong.

Loss is a natural part of life and is a great way to develop new story-arcs, when one door closes, another door opens, or at least that's what they say.

I have many complaints about the Rian Johnston directed Star Wars film, from Rey's "3 lessons to become a Jedi" training, to Leia's "Mary Poppins" flight through the vacuum of space, this was not a good film. 

However my single largest issue was with how they handled Jedi Master Luke SkyWalker - You don't write off such a monumental character in that fashion.

Personally I didn't want to see Luke the hermit hiding from The Force. I wanted to see Luke the seasoned Master Jedi, wise in experience and ready to wage one last battle against the Galactic Empire!

Make no mistake, given Disney and their intention to milk this franchise for everything they can, we all knew in our hearts that the original cast would make their exit, just not in the fashion that they have thus far.

However once again, loss is a natural part of life and helps to create new stories, which is why in my opinion the final scene of The Last Jedi was so important. The child pushing his broom, peering into space was a declaration that we should expect many more stories from Disney and Lucasfilm - wither we want them or not.

With that mindset I challenge you to re-watch both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, view them for what they truly are, the foundation for a brand new extended universe with a multitude of stories to follow.

I did just that...  and with that perspective I can now, all be it reluctantly, accept that when the next film hits theaters I'll be there ready to dish out some hard earned money to see what happens next.

It doesn't resolve the fact that these aren't great films, but it helps to make a little more sense of the chaos that is running rampant in a galaxy far, far away,

Thanks for reading, please join the conversation on our Facebook Community Page and remember to connect with us on social media via our website at cangeek.com

Suffering loss to continue the story.

Apparently all you have to do to get kicked out of some Facebook groups is point out that, all be it unfortunate, loss is a natural part of life....... And lets be honest here, that's where most superhero themed stories begin, with loss.

Earlier today I weighed in on a conversation in one such group, someone had pointed out that many Marvel fans were upset over the possibility that Robert Downey Jr. might depart the Marvel Cinematic universe as part of the Infinity War story arc.

Many people weighed in with some interesting responses ranging from I don't care if he dies to I'll never watch another Marvel film if he dies, a multitude of opinions regarding the possible departure of the actor in question.

Needing to have my voice heard I pointed out that no-one can question Downey Jr's contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his character being the corner stone of said universe. With his first outing as billionaire Tony Stark in the 2008 release of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr got the ball rolling, and has appeared in a total of eight Marvel films to date - truly a fan favorite. 

I then went on to point out that like any good story, sooner or later the tale of Tony Stark will have to come to an end, after all endings create new beginnings - that it the natural order of life.

Finally I stated that not only do I expect to see the death of Tony Stark in Infinity war, I also expect to see the departure of Steve Rogers in infinity war - Chris Evans has made it abundantly clear that he has had enough of portraying Captain America.

Fifteen minutes later I could no longer access that particular Facebook group, I guess the truth hurts.

The reality is, at least in my opinion, that in the real world heroes sadly die in the service of others. From emergency service workers to members of the military, being a hero is a dangerous profession at the best of times - but the world desperately needs its heroes!

Within the world of comics the same is true, heroes suffer personal loss and many pay the ultimate price in the service of others.... But through that loss new story-arcs are created which help to keep the universe fresh for fans both old and new.

As the Marvel Cinematic universe introduces new characters such as Black Panther, or begins to develop the story of characters like Bucky Barns it only makes sense that older characters will slowly be written out - again the natural order of things.

But that's just my opinion.

Let me know what your thoughts are on the possible exit of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. from the Marvel Cinematic Universe by leaving a comment below OR by joining the conversation on our Facebook Community Page.

Thanks for reading and remember to follow us at cangeek.com 

Blade Runner 2049 - DON'T DO IT!

When I was seven years old I was already cutting my teeth on some of the biggest Science Fiction and Fantasy films of the time, and one of my fondest memories comes from how many times I watched the original Blade Runner.

Adapted from Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Blade Runner was Directed by Ridley Scott and stared an up and coming cast of actors including Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Retger Hauer and Edward James Olmos.

Set in the dystopian future of 2019, the film followed a burnt out Los Angeles cop by the name of Rick Deckard who had been empowered to track down and "retire" a group of synthetic humans - known as Replicants.

Replicants had been created by the Tyrell Corporation as an off-world workforce in the service of humanity. However when a group of Replicants go rogue and return to Earth, they become a problem that needs to be dealt with quickly.

With both an amazing soundtrack and stunning visuals Blade Runner asked one truly important question, what makes a human being? This was a story that did not require a sequel, but it got one anyways. 

In 2017, thirty-five years after the release of the original film, Harrison Ford returned alongside Ryan Gosling to bring us Blade Runner 2049.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 tells the story of officer K - a Replicant working for the LAPD. Much like Deckard before him, K is forced to question his beliefs when evidence comes to light suggesting he isn't who he thinks he is.

 

The running time of Blade Runner 2049 is 2 hours and 44 minutes, that's almost three hours of your life that you can never reclaim - DON'T DO IT! Don't tarnish the memories you have of the original Blade Runner by watching this weak attempt at continuing the franchise - the film is long with very little action and a truly boring story. Honestly this film felt like an attempt by a movie studio to make some much needed money off nostalgic consumers without offering up much in return.

If you've never had the opportunity to watch 1982's Blade Runner then do yourself a favor and watch that instead. If you have had the good fortune to watch 1982's Blade Runner then do yourself a favor and watch it again - it's a much better investment of your very valuable time.

As always thanks for reading, let us know in the comments below if you agree with this review of Blade Runner 2049 or not, and remember to join the conversation on our Facebook Community Page OR by following us on social media via our website at CanGeek.com