Movie prop replicas can be a great way to add a fun touch of favorite films into your surroundings. So, I was geeked about the chance to have my very own Eye of Agamotto amulet like the one utilized by Benjamin Cumberbatch to bring the mystic arts abilities of Doctor Strange to life within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney has produced a number of Infinity Stone-related movie prop replica items from the Marvel Comics inspired superhero films including the Eye of Agamotto; which turned out to be powered by the Time Stone, one of six cosmic gems that can provide wielders amazing power. These prop replicas are available exclusively at a souvenir shop attached to Epcot's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster and the shopdisney online store.
I purchased Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto on shopdisney.com to check out these Infinity Stone themed movie prop replicas and determine if I might want to pick up any of the others as this was a favorite out of the lot. Others available are the orb holding the Power Stone from Guardians of the Galaxy, the Aether Container that held the Reality Stone from Thor: The Dark World, the Tesseract with the Space Stone from Captain America: The First Avenger, Loki's scepter with the Mind Stone from The Avengers, and the Iron Man gauntlet from Avengers: Endgame that holds all six Infinity Stones. If I was impressed with Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto, the odds are really good these other items would also all be finding their way to my house to be incorporated into a Marvel fan display in our game room or home office.
There was a lot of excitement in the air when the package containing my Eye of Agamotto which I had eagerly been awaiting arrived from shopdisney.com. Enthusiastically ripping up the boxes for what I had thought would be the unveiling of my own piece of Hollywood magic, the oxygen in the room emptied as I gasped at a disappointing dud. This has to be the most disappointing purchase I can remember making in a long time. I normally don't write negative reviews but wanted to warn others not to be suckered into what looks like a really cool prop replica being marketed by Disney.
First of all, and most troublesome, the Doctor Strange Eye of Agamotto movie prop replica isn't screen accurate. Its sized about twice the size it actually should be! It is more like a big clock you'd see Flavor Flav wearing around his neck than the amulet donned by the Sorcerer Supreme. Absolutely, too large to be used for cosplay! As well as hindering the display value of the amulet because it looks out of place big. Doah!
Second, instead of utilizing AAA or AA batteries, which would have been totally doable based upon the girth of the amulet, you need to insert the more expensive style wristwatch style batteries to power its special effects. I don't normally keep those in stock around the house. Fortunately, batteries are included with it! But I'm not looking forward to eventually replacing them.
On a more positive note, the glowing light effect of the Time Stone does have a nice ambience to it. It has a supernatural glow and emits a mystical humming sound. The Eye of Agamotto prop replica does get kudos for that. The Time Stone is removable but doesn't glow on its own removed from the amulet.
The amulet is also very sturdy with its body made out of metal. From tapping on it and feeling its weight, you can tell that this isn't just a plastic mold. Disney's Eye of Agamotto is made with metal giving it the feel of actually holding a real magical amulet, well that is if such a thing actually existed. Still, it has the durability you think would be put into a prop used on a set to make sure it doesn't get broken while filming a movie.
Additionally, the packaging incorporates some nice details to make it look like a techy storage container. That adds a fun element to unpacking the Eye of Agamotto and is worth keeping around to store it when not using for cosplay or display.
I just can't get over just how obnoxiously big this is! That is such a huge detraction. Though I guess it does look rather cool on a display shelf if you are viewing it from a distance. The size is enough of a negative though that Disney's Doctor Strange Eye of Agamotto doesn't earn a Geek Daddy nod of approval. Buyer beware!
It is chaos magic versus the mystic arts when the Scarlet Witch duels against Doctor Strange in the Marvel edition of the tabletop game Dice Throne from The Op Games. Role play as a character striving the be a gladiatorial champion in a competition that pits warriors from various times and dimensions against one another. Strategically utilize abilities and action cards combined with manipulating the roll of dice to defeat opponents. From a cursed pirate to a vampire lord, Dice Throne provides energetic gameplay in one on one battles ... and now competitors from the Marvel universe have entered the fray!
Scarlet Witch comes in a 4-Hero Box that also includes Thor, Loki and Miles Morales Spider-Man. You can pick-up Doctor Strange in an expansion pack that also includes Black Widow. Time for a Multiverse of Madness showdown Dice Throne style between Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch!
After an accident removed Doctor Stephen Strange's fine motor skills from his hands, the renowned surgeon looked beyond traditional medicine for healing and found the mystic arts. What he was not expecting was to become the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth's preeminent defender against international threats. In Dice Throne, Doctor Strange has the ability to prepare and cast spells through utilizing a deck of spell cards that are separate from action cards which he also maintains a deck of. He also can inflict magical attacks and defenses through rolling dice combinations. Additionally, through casting spells and die rolls, Doctor Strange can summon status effects to inflict on his opponent or empower himself.
DOCTOR STRANGE DICE COMBINATIONS
When it is Doctor Strange's turn to attack, he can roll his dice three times. After the first roll, he can utilize a dice combo attack from what is showing or re-roll all or any number of dice he chooses. After the second roll he can reroll all or any number of dice he chooses if he doesn't initiate a dice combo attack. A third roll is allowed if a player desires but that is the final outcome for being able to activate an attack using a dice combination.
Here are some of the attack combinations for Doctor Strange:
Augury -- Dice rolls result in two tome symbols and two amulet symbols. He inflicts 8 points of damage on his opponent and gains one Deja Vu status effect token.
Universal Awareness -- Four tome symbols are showing. Draws one action card to add to his deck. Gains two Deja Vu and two Premonition status effect tokens. If he has already cast and spell and placed it in a discard pile, it can be pulled out and prepared to be reused.
Astral Incursion -- Rolling a combination of one mandala, one tome, one mantle, and on amulet triggers this attack. Inflict 6 points of damage then roll two dice. If you roll a mandala add 3 points of damage; roll a tome gain a Premonition token; roll a mantle inflict a Crimson Bands status effect on your opponent; on an amulet cast a spell.
Mystic Bolts -- If you roll a small straight (four dice with numbers in a row) deal 6 points of damage and cast a spell. If you roll a large straight (five numbers in a row) deal 9 points of damage and cast a spell.
Binding -- Roll two mandals and two mantles. Inflict Crimson Bands on your opponent plus hurt them with 9 points of damage.
Wand of Watoomb -- Roll four amulets. Inflict Crimson Bands; Deal 5 undefendable points of damage; Prepare a Spell from your discard pile and cast up to two Spells.
ALL-SEEING EYE! -- This is the most powerful of Doctor Strange's dice combo attacks. Roll five amulets. Look at the top five cards in the spell deck. Pick two of these cards to prepare to use. Put the other three cards back in any order you may later want to pull them. Then deal 10 points of damage and cast up to two Spells.
As mentioned, Doctor Strange can cast spells in addition to his dice combo attacks through his Book of Vishanti passive ability. He begins the game with the Flames of Faltine Spell placed on his game board. Once per turn, he may prepare this Spell or another from the Spell cards in your hand. Casting Spells are triggered by action cards and dice combos.
Doctor Strange also has a defense dice combo. During an opponent's attack against him, Doctor Strange can utilize his Cloak of Levitation. He rolls two dice. For a mandala, he inflicts back 1 point of damage. On a tome, he gains a Premonition token. On a mantle, he is protected from 2 points of damage. On a amulet he inflicts 3 points of damage back to his opponent.
DOCTOR STRANGE STATUS EFFECTS
Doctor Strange's status effects are Crimson Bands, Premonition and Deja Vu. Crimson Bands are a negative effect inflicted on the other player preventing him or her from utilizing action cards during rolling dice during their next turn.
Premonition and Deja Vu are positive status effects benefiting Doctor Strange. If you have one Premonition token you can draw two action cards instead of one during the start of a turn. If you have three Premonition tokens you can draw three action cards instead of one at the start of a turn. With Deju Vu, Doctor Strange can turn in the status effect token to start an offensive roll phase from the beginning. Roll three times and don't like where you are at with the dice? Use a Deju Vu status effect to start over with three new rolls!
I'm going to leave some mystery and not spoil what the spell cards can do. You'll have to play a game of Dice Throne with Doctor Strange to see what you can do with these. These add a lot of extra energy to the game though making the Sorcerer Supreme a force to be reckoned with in any Dice Throne encounter.
With powers that can manipulate reality itself and the meddling of unseen forces, Wanda Maximoff's real origin is a mystery. Blessed with the ability to manipulate chaos magic, she doesn't know her place in the world ... is she a hero or a villain?!
SCARLET WITCH DICE COMBINATIONS
Here are some of the attack combinations for Scarlet Witch:
Hex Bolts -- Roll three warp symbols deal 4 points of damage; Roll four deal 6 points of damage; Roll five deal 8 points of damage.
Darkhold -- Roll two spell symbols to draw one action card, gain one combat point (used to cash in some action cards), and get a Crackle and Probability Manipulation status effect token.
Spellcraft -- Roll four dice numerically in a row deals 7 points of damage and gains her a Probability Manipulation status effect token. Roll five dice in a row deals 9 points of damage and lets her inflict a Reality Warp status effect on the opponent.
Mind Blast -- Roll one of each symbol. Gain a Crackle status effect token; Deal 5 points of pure damage and roll a die. If the die value is even gain a Probability Manipulation token. If the die value is odd deal 8 points of pure damage instead of five.
Bewitch -- Roll one warp symbol and three crowns. Gain a Conjure status effect. Deal 9 points of damage.
Pure Chaos -- Roll four crown symbols. Gain a Conjure status effect. Inflict a Reality Warp status effect. Deal 6 points of undefendable damage.
SEALED YOUR FATE -- the Scarlet Witch's most powerful dice combo! Roll five crown symbols. Gain Conjure status effect and a Probability Manipulation too. Inflict Reality Warp status effect. Deal 12 points of damage.
The Scarlet Witch also has a formidable defense to opponent's attacks. She can roll FIVE dice. If she gets two warp symbols she gains a Crackle; Two chaos gains her a Probability Manipulation; Two Spells gains a Conjure and two Crowns deals 4 points of damage back at her attacker.
SCARLET WITCH STATUS EFFECTS
While Doctor Strange has Spell cards to enhance his offensive capabilities, the Scarlet Witch relies instead on status effects to give her an edge. She has three positive status effects to empower herself: Probability Manipulation, Conjure and Crackle. Plus, can hinder others with her Reality Warp negative status effect.
Reality Warp forces an opponent to remove one of their die during attack rolls and instead use one of the Scarlet Witch's dice. Thus they are in essence actually only rolling four instead of five dice during their turn.
Probability Manipulation allows the Scarlet Witch to change the value on a die after a roll up or down one value when an even number is showing. So, if a 4 is rolled, cashing in one of these status effect tokens allows that die to be adjusted to a 3 or 5. This could impact a dice combo by allowing a straight to be created or changing symbols by altering a chaos to become a warp or spell.
Conjure allows the Scarlet Witch to either steal a positive status effect token from another player or inflict a Reality Warp on an opponent.
Crackle allows Scarlet Witch to inflict 1 point of damage per each positive or negative status effect token on an opponent's game board including the Crackle token used to initiate this impact. So, if Doctor Strange was to have a Deju Vu and Premonition positive status effect tokens and a Reality Warp negative effect on his game board those along with the Crackle would cause him to have 4 points of damage. This is a nice way to finish off an opponent who is on the ropes if a dice roll combo narrowly misses accomplishing a knock out.
Which of these two magic wielders do you think is the more powerful foe in a Dice Throne bout? Would you go with the Sorcerer Supreme or the Scarlet Witch? This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Thank you Marvel Studios for providing AGEEKDADDY.COM with a complimentary digital code for DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Marvel Studios DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is an odd movie because I hated the story yet still found myself very entertained by this superhero flick. It is one of those films that is great to just grab a bucket movie theater style popcorn, kick your feet back and enjoy the show escaping from reality for a few hours. Full of great action scenes that will awe casual movie goers and easter eggs that diehard comic book geeks are sure to appreciate, this film provides a fun jaunt around various dimensions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will excite a variety of audiences.
Not only does this movie explore the endless multiverse of storytelling possibilities with Marvel comic book inspired characters and settings, but viewers also journey into the dark depths of a person spiraling out of control into madness. And it is not the character you are expecting! Doctor Strange conjures up not just physical travel through an intriguing multitude of alternate dimensions but also incorporates psychological elements to elevate the energy level and tension of the film.
Whether you haven't seen DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS at a theater or want to watch it again to try and catch details missed watching it before, now the movie is available to watch anytime and anywhere you want to with its home entertainment release so you can join in the adventure either on a television from your living room couch or on your mobile device from a hammock in the middle of nowhere. DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is now available on digital via moviesanywhere.com and streaming on Disney+. It is also coming to 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on July 26th.
Method to the Madness - Join various crew members and Marvel employees in interviews as they discuss their love of Sam Raimi and all the details of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that make it quintessentially Raimi.
Introducing America Chavez - In this short and fun profile piece, learn about America’s humble beginnings in the comics. Meet Xochitl Gomez and discuss the complications her character's unique power presents for the future of the MCU.
Constructing the Multiverse - Writing a feature film for Marvel is no easy task. In this playful yet informative featurette, dive into the challenges that writer Michael Waldron faced in creating the twisting and turning story of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Gag Reel - Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Deleted Scenes
A Great Team - A journalist questions Doctor Strange's integrity.
Pizza Poppa - Bruce is relieved when Doctor Strange's spell ends.
It's Not Permanent - Bruce tries to accuse Doctor Strange of being an imposter
DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America. Written by Michael Waldron with music by Danny Elfman, the movie has a runtime of 126 minutes. For more information check out @DrStrange on Twitter; and if you are in the Twitterverse give us a follow at @Geekdad248!
This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Hey Detroiters! Who wants to see a new Doctor Strange movie?! DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS officially doesn't open until Friday, May 6; but a Geek Daddy has an inside scoop on how you can see an advance showing of the film for FREE. Click here to RSVP for a free advance screening at MJR Theaters in Troy, Michigan on May 4, 2022 at 7pm.
Note: seating is on a first come, first serve basis and is not guaranteed. Must RSVP to attend! Who is geeked about a free night at the movies?!
The folks over at Illumination Entertainment animation studio sent me a sweet announcement about a trailer release ... this cookie with a message in frosting noting that Dr. Seuss' THE GRINCH will be arriving at movie theaters across the USA on November 9, 2018 along with a postcard announcing the film's trailer was available now to see. Illumination did a wonderful job transforming the story of THE LORAX into a movie which my family owns as part of our home entertainment library and regularly watches over and over again. So we are all excited to see the studio bringing another Dr. Seuss story to the silver screen.
THE GRINCH will be a modernized retelling of Dr Seuss' classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! originally published in 1957. Illumination is the studio behind a number of recent hit animated movies including the Despicable Me franchise, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets and from looking at the trailer it appears THE GRINCH will have a similar artistic style to those other films. THE GRINCH has been scripted by Michael LeSieur, directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, with music by Danny Elfman and starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange / Sherlock) as the voice of the Grinch. Check it out the trailer for yourself:
Obviously, with its Christmas themed story this movie is being released to be enjoyed during the holiday season. Based upon our enjoyment of previous Illumination animated features, THE GRINCH is a movie that my family is absolutely going to be looking forward to seeing when it arrives at theaters. For more information, visit the movie's official website grinchmovie.com.
Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. To celebrate its release, I've partnered with a group of bloggers from The Hopping Bloggers to create a prize pack worth $120! This amazing prize pack includes:
Marvel's Doctor Strange hits theaters everywhere on November 4th, 2016!
About Doctor Strange
From Marvel Studios comes “Doctor Strange,” the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place—a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange—armed with newly acquired magical powers—is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.
“Doctor Strange” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt and Scott Adkins, with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Scott Derrickson is directing with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Charles Newirth and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. Jon Spaihts and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill wrote the screenplay. Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying and totally mind-bending journey when Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange” opens in U.S. theaters on November 4, 2016.
I've enjoyed following the adventures of Doctor Strange ever since flipping through the pages of Marvel's THE DEFENDERS comic books as a kid. In these comics, the mystic wizard Doctor Strange led a super powered team consisting of the Incredible Hulk, Namor, the Silver Surfer, and a female Asgardian named Valkyrie, who could give Thor a run for his money in a duel, that took on extraterrestrial and supernatural threats to the Earth. So I'm really excited that Disney's Marvel Studios is releasing an origin story movie featuring the Sorcerer Supreme that will arrive on November 4, 2016 at movie theaters across the United States.
The movie will tell the story of how Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange
transforms from being a brilliant surgeon to becoming the world's
Sorcerer Supreme after a tragic car accident ruins his medical career.
Doctor Strange travels the globe looking for a cure to restore his
damaged hands from the car accident and while traversing through Asia
encounters the Ancient One who teaches him to be a master of the
mystical and martial arts. Doctor Strange uses his new talents to take
up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme setting up residence in a New York
City mansion he calls the Sanctum Sanctorum and focusing his life on
defending the world from dark magic, demonic intrusions and super
villains.
Marvel Studios has just released a new trailer and movie poster to help build excitement for the movie. Check them out below!
By the Flames of the Faltine! Nobody is going to need to conjure up a spell to enchant me into going to this movie, I'm raring to go! If you are as excited about going to see this movie as I am, or have no clue who this comic book character is and want to learn more, visit the official Marvel website or follow the movie's social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter for updates on DOCTOR STRANGE.
One of my favorite aspects of collecting comic books is all of the incredible artwork that publishers commission for the covers of their issues. You'll often find spectacular cover art for comic book covers that is worthy of framing and displaying. That is one element of print editions that just doesn't translate over as well to digital versions of comic books.
To keep customers repeatedly visiting comic book shops on a regular basis, publishers spread the release of their titles' new issues throughout the month. So every Wednesday is always a "new comic book day" with a variety of comic book selections debuting each week. I always enjoy making a stop by my local comic book shop on Wednesdays to peruse the shelves for some new stories to read and to delight in all the great illustrations that decorate the covers of that week's featured publications. So I was very enthused to learn about a new partnership between welovefine.com and Marvel that will let people wear the art from their favorite new comic book covers on their chest.
Each week We Love Fine will release for sale on Wednesday limited edition t-shirts featuring the cover artwork from the Marvel super hero comic books that arrived on store shelves that day. Like the artwork on the newest issue of the Amazing Spider-Man? You can now get a t-shirt displaying it from welovefine.com. Don't wait to order though as these shirts will only be available for a few days then replaced with new selections the next Wednesday corresponding with Marvel's most recent comic book releases that week.
These t-shirts cost just $15, plus shipping and handling, and are available in mens basic crew tee or womens basic fitted tee in adult sizes Small to 2XL. The shirts are 100% cotton and black in color to frame the artwork displayed on its front. The exclusive We Love Fine / Marvel shirts are only available in black and though I'm not a fan of white or black t-shirts I can understand how this coloring really does a nice job of highlight the artwork which is the primary reason people would buy the product plus is probably a financial necessity to ensure the profitability of a limited run printing while keeping the price as affordable as they have. Hopefully if this program is successful they may add some other color options in the future for the t-shirts that are complimentary to the particular artwork you've selected but for now black t-shirts aren't much to gripe over.
If you like to wear clothes that have a sense of fun to them, are a bit unique and you most likely won't encounter someone else wearing at the same time you are sporting them these limited run t-shirts are a great option to accomplish that. They are also a great way to personalize your wardrobe a bit by adding artwork featuring your favorite comic book characters that really appeals to you. If you enjoy comic book artwork and super hero characters you'll want to regularly check out welovefine.com to see what Marvel Covers t-shirts they are printing up each week.
While the Avengers currently reign supreme as America's favorite team of super heroes based upon the popularity of the cinematic universe Disney has created around these characters from the Marvel comic book series of the same name, as a kid reading comics I never picked up one of those issues to read as I followed the adventures of another group instead called THE DEFENDERS who were led by the Sorcerer Supreme. THE DEFENDERS was a comparable super hero team up series to the Avengers that was published by Marvel Comics from 1971 through 1986. In THE DEFENDERS, Doctor Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme serving as the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. To assist him with this mission he recruits The Incredible Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Silver Surfer to assist him in battling attacks from aliens, multi-dimensional monsters, mystical demons, and supernatural beings. At the time that THE DEFENDERS was being published the Dungeons & Dragons game was really popular and I really liked how the comic book combined the wizarding and monster aspects of D&D with super hero escapades. So I'm excited that the lead character from one of the favorite comic books of my youth is going to be featured in his own movie, DOCTOR STRANGE, that is being released on November 4, 2016 in theaters across the United States.
The movie will be the origin story of how Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange transforms from being a brilliant surgeon to becoming the world's Sorcerer Supreme after a tragic car accident ruins his medical career. Doctor Strange travels the globe looking for a cure to restore his damaged hands from the car accident and while traversing through Asia encounters the Ancient One who teaches him to be a master of the mystical and martial arts. Doctor Strange uses his new talents to take up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme setting up residence in a New York City mansion he calls the Sanctum Sanctorum and focusing his life on defending the world from dark magic, demonic intrusions and super villains.
Check out this teaser trailer for the DOCTOR STRANGE movie:
DOCTOR STRANGE will be adding an exciting new dimension to the story telling within Disney's cinematic universe of Marvel characters by adding magic into the mix of possible scenarios within the movies. Doctor Strange has a long established history with Marvel comics just like Ant-Man who had his own movie releases in 2015 yet neither of these figures are pop culture icons like Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Spider-Man. Ant-Man who was a founding member of the Avengers in the comic books but yet many people had no clue who he was when Disney announced they were doing a movie about him. I have a similar feeling that while Dr. Strange has played important roles in numerous Marvel comic book series and story arcs over the last fifty years that he still has the same limited recognition with the general public.
Fortunately, ANT-MAN was a wonderfully done motion picture that showed how lesser known characters can be elevated to be featured in movies that are incredibly enjoyable to watch. In a year of block buster movies, I can honestly say that ANT-MAN was one of my family's favorite films that we saw at the theater in 2015 and we rushed out to pick up and add it to our home video library when it came out on DVD. From viewing the teaser trailer for DOCTOR STRANGE it looks like this movie will also have some of that same magic that made ANT-MAN special so I know for sure I'm looking very forward to seeing it when the film arrives at theaters at the end of the year.
After seeing the DOCTOR STRANGE teaser trailer I was inspired to pull out some of my old THE DEFENDERS comic books to read through. Perusing through them brought back so many childhood memories making me even more excited for the debut of the DOCTOR STRANGE movie in November.
I went to the movie theater a lot more than usual last year and it appears that I wasn't alone with three films, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens setting all-time box office records. In addition to going to a bunch of children's focused shows with my kids like Alvin & The Chipmunks: Road Chip, Hotel Transylvania 2, Home, Inside Out, Minions, Peanuts, The Good Dinosaur, and Shaun the Sheep last year, there were also a lot of times I left the twins at home going out with my wife, friends or by myself to see Ant-Man, Creed, The Martian, Tomorrowland, Mad Max: Fury Road, and James Bond SPECTRE, plus the three mega hits mentioned above that included Star Wars twice, because there were a lot of films playing in 2015 I really wanted to enjoy watching with the theater experience. The movie industry isn't resting on its laurels though as 2016 looks to be even more of a blockbuster year filled with action packed films from start to finish.
Here are a few of the films, I'm most looking forward to in 2016:
THE REVENANT - JANUARY 8
The scenery may be the star of this film which was filmed on location in the rugged Canadian wilderness. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, it is the true story of legendary explorer Hugh Glass who after being brutally attacked by a bear is left for dead by his own hunting party. Guided by his sheer will to live, Glass must struggle to survive through the uncharted American wilderness in the 1800s era.
THE 5THE WAVE - JANUARY 22
Following in the popularity of Sci-Fi young adult novels like The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games being turned into hit movies is this adaption of Rick Yancey's 2013 book The 5th Wave. In this movie, the Earth has been devastated by an alien invasion. A teenage survivor searches for her brother, who may or may not have been abducted by human-looking extra-terrestrials. She is helped in her search by a boy who also might be an alien in disguise.
THE FINEST HOURS - JANUARY 29
On February 18, 1952, a massive
nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and
wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS
Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in
half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the
senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (played by Casey Affleck)
soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire
the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the
worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster
reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer
Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men.
Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber
(Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and
little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high
waves and hurricane-force winds.
DEADPOOL - FEBRUARY 12
Expanding on the X-Men mutant universe that it has the rights to, Twentieth Century Fox brings one of Marvel Comic books most popular characters to the silver screen. Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces
operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue
experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter
ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor,
Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. This film is full of smart ass humor and like this trailer is something you probably don't want younger children to see.
ZOOLANDER 2 - FEBRUARY 12
10 years have passed since the events in the first movie. Derek and Hansel are no longer relevant anymore in the fashion world. Then Interpol contacts them for help when the world's most beautiful people are being killed one-by-one and they need to infiltrate the modeling scene to catch the murder. If you want to go see a silly, goofy comedy that's charm is it doesn't take itself seriously this movie promises to be full of laughs.
LONDON HAS FALLEN - MARCH 4
Olympus Has Fallen was a surprisingly good movie that reminded me of the Die Hard movies that I really enjoyed in my high school and college years. This 2013 story of the White House being taken over by terrorists did respectfully well at the box office grossing over $161 million at the box office worldwide. So of course they made an action packed sequel -- London Has Fallen. The plot really isn't important, if you enjoy action movies filled with explosives and stunts you'll want to see this film.
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN - MARCH 25
This isn't just a battle between two larger than life super heroes, this film is the beginning of a smack down duel between two gigantic corporations as Warner Brothers' DC Comics subsidiary battles Disney's Marvel Entertainment subsidiary by creating its own comic book inspired cinematic universe to compete for the hearts, and dollars, of movie goers. Batman vs Superman consider each other a danger to society, but an even larger villain looms that could prove to doom the world. Will this movie be the Doomsday for Warner Brothers comic book movies or just the beginning of a series of successful films that ties together DC Comics characters through the Justice League similarly to what Disney has done with Marvel's Avengers. I can't wait to find out!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR - MAY 6
Disney counters Warner Brothers Batman vs Superman with its next mega-Marvel movie. In this Captain America movie, when the government sets up a governing body to oversee the
Avengers, the team splinters into two camps -- one led by Steve Rogers and his
desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government
interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to
support government oversight and accountability. With all the appearances by various Marvel superheroes this movie could really also be called Avengers 3 though of course they have another film already planned coming up by that name. The script for the film is based upon one of Marvel Comics all time most popular story arcs which was also titled Civil War.
X-MEN APOCALYPSE - MAY 27
Twentieth Century Fox isn't letting Warner Brothers and Disney have all the fun when it comes to the current comic book craze in the movie industry. 2016 really is the year of comic book movies with Batman vs Superman, Civil War and Twentieth Century Fox adding Deadpool and a new X-Men movie into the mix.
Since the dawn of civilization, Apocalypse was worshipped as
a god. He was the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe,
and amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible.
Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as
he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened
Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order,
over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven
(Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a
team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from
complete destruction.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - JUNE 3
I find these Mutant Ninja Turtles really creepy but really like this souped up garbage truck in the trailer. This sequel based upon the comic books created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman looks better than the 2014 film it follows.
WORLD OF WARCRAFT - JUNE 10
Comic book inspired movies have become hits the last few years can video games have the same pop culture success? This movie based upon the popular video game franchise World of Warcraft aims to find out.
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as
its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their
dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds,
one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides,
two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their
family, their people and their home. So begins a spectacular saga of power and
sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE - JUNE 24
Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have
collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing
can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the
ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink
of extinction.
Will this sequel live up to the popularity of the original Independence Day?
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN - JULY 1
Author Edgar
Rice Burroughs' characters were all the rage when it came to adventure stories during the first half of the 20th century but Disney's failed John Carter showed that they've since lost their luster. Can Warner Brothers renew interest in these once popular characters with its upcoming Tarzan movie?
It
has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles
of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke,
with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back
to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a
pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian,
Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what
they are about to unleash.
GHOSTBUSTERS - JULY 15
In this reboot of the original Ghostbusters movie, Erin Gilbert and Abby Bergman are a pair of unheralded authors who write a book positing that
ghosts are real. A few years later, Gilbert lands a prestigious teaching
position at Columbia University, but her book resurfaces and she is laughed out
of academia. Gilbert reunites with Bergman and others when ghosts invade
Manhattan and try to save the world. If you liked Bridesmaids this film will have a lot of the same players in it with an all-female cast.
STAR TREK BEYOND - JULY 22
This film will mark the 50th anniversary of the airing of the original Star Trek TV series and features the continuing adventures of the re-imagined crew based upon the cast and stories from that show. This will be the third installment of the new rebooted Star Trek cinematic story arc starring Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock.
SUICIDE SQUAD - AUGUST 5
The next edition of Warner Brothers comic book cinematic universe based off of a popular DC Comics series of the same name. In it a mix of well-known and unknown villains (Deadshot, King
Shark, Captain Boomerang and Harley Quinn) are recruited by the government to
accomplish a task deemed too dangerous for superheroes. The historically
independent operators must bury their own interpersonal conflicts and agendas
to form a cohesive unit to take on a singular task.
INFERNO - OCTOBER 28
Tom Hanks returns as Robert
Langdon tries to stop a global genocide scheme by following clues in Dante
Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy" which take him to Florence and
Venice, Italy. He battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious
riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and
futuristic science.
DOCTOR STRANGE - NOVEMBER 4
If this movie based upon the classic Marvel comic book character is as good as Disney's 2015 Ant-Man it should be a real treat to watch.
FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM - NOVEMBER 18
Warner Brothers is trying to keep the magic of Harry Potter alive with this new film. With a script by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and the director of the last four Potter movies, David Yates, this film aims to transport people back to wizarding world portrayed in the popular book and movie franchise. This film though features all new characters and places set in a time period decades before Harry Potter was born. The idea for the film was inspired by a Harry Potter Hogwart's textbook called "Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them" written by a "magiczoologist" named Newt Scamander who is the principal character in what is expected to be the first in a trilogy of films.
STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE - DECEMBER 16
This is the movie I'm most looking forward to seeing in 2016! Director Gareth Edwards promises to put in the "War" in "Star Wars" with this film that will have a gritty battle vibe to it reminiscent to Saving Private Ryan. In this film, that is a prequel to Episode IV: A New Hope, a band of resistance fighters unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans in what may be the first R rated movie in the Star Wars saga.
Comic books and Sci-Fi really dominate this year's movie releases, but eventually the pop culture interest will move on, so if you are a fan of these type adventure movies like I am enjoy the ride while it lasts. Which of these movies are you most looking forward to seeing this year or is there one not mentioned that is at the top of your must see list for 2016?
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