Ben Affleck Wants Out of Batman (Allegedly)

In a recent appearance on Collider’s Movie Talk Youtube series, entertainment reporter John Campea shared that he had spoken to multiple sources connected to the film, all of whom confirmed that Ben Affleck was in talks to walk away from the role of the Caped Crusader. Apparently, these sources claim that Affleck is no longer satisfied with life under the cowl, and, if released from his contract, the Batman film would be his last appearance as the character. As with all rumors and hearsay, these claims should be taken with more than a grain of salt. All official communication from both Warner Bros and Affleck himself have been mostly positive, with the studio swearing up and down that they are happy with the latest rewrite of the script and Affleck assuring interviewers that he’s glad to play such a widely known character. But as anyone in Hollywood can tell you, the official word is fickle as all get out and can change at a moment’s notice. It would make sense for Affleck to be souring on the prospect of playing the Dark Knight a bit. Neither of the films he’s appeared in so far, Dawn of Justice or Suicide Squad, has been a huge hit with critics. To further complicate matters, his gangster flick pet project Live by Night floundered in theaters, only making back $20 million of its $65 million budget since its release. Throw in the fact that things have continued to go south in his home life as well, and it’s not hard to see why he would want to take a break from everything. No official word has been given, but we may be seeing a new face under the bat ears before too long.

Movie Review: Lego Batman

This week I’ll be reviewing Warner Bros’ follow-up to 2014’s hugely successful Lego Movie: the Lego Batman Movie. Set in the same universe made entirely of plastic bricks, the film follows its titular character, originally introduced in the first movie, as he embarks on an emotionally fulfilling journey of his own. Much like its predecessor the Lego Batman Movie is a whip-smart parody, brimming with tongue-in-cheek references to pop culture, clever fourth wall breaks, and a simple but emotionally resonant message that viewers of all ages will find satisfying.

Plus lobster thermidor. So much lobster thermidor.

The film opens in true comic book fashion, with our hero’s internal monologue setting the scene. Lego Gotham is under attack from the Joker, who has gathered a who’s-who of Batman villains - both familiar and impressively obscure - to bomb the city. The Caped Crusader appears on the scene and manages to single-handedly defeat every bad guy and briefly capture the Joker, only to realize that he still has to diffuse the bomb that would destroy the city. Joker mocks him for having no one to help him save the city, but Batman stubbornly asserts that he doesn’t need anybody, releasing Joker and stopping the bomb on his own.

Joker took it well.

After receiving the city’s thanks and flying home, however, it’s clear that the Joker had a point. Aside from Alfred, Batman lives alone in his hilltop mansion, microwaving lobster thermidor and watching sappy romantic comedies in his massive home theater. Alfred himself has noticed this and encourages his master to let someone into his life for a change, but his pleas fall on deaf pointy bat-ears. The Caped Crusader’s life is turned upside down nonetheless when he attends Commissioner Gordon’s retirement party as Bruce Wayne. He unknowingly adopts orphan Dick Grayson, distracted by the arrival of Gordon’s replacement - his daughter Barbara. To complicate matters further, Barbara introduces an initiative encouraging Batman to work with the police, and Joker shows up to...surrender, helpfully delivering all the city’s other villains as well. Suddenly, Batman has a young charge, no support from the people of Gotham, and no crime to fight.

Certain that his not-archenemy is up to something, the Dark Knight springs into action, ignoring Barbara’s requests to work together and dragging along his adopted son in a harebrained scheme to banish Joker to another dimension of criminals. I won’t spoil the plan here, but suffice to say it involves a trip to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and a hilariously depressing cameo by the Justice League. When his strategy backfires, Batman finds himself in such pinch that even he will need a little help getting out of it. Clocking in at just over 100 minutes, the film never drags or feels boring. Much like its predecessor, there’s no shortage of silly jokes and product placement, but thanks to a heartfelt message of dealing with loss and opening up to other people, it never comes off as a cynical cash grab. If all movies based on popular children’s toy properties were this fun, I’d never leave the theater again.

Batman Film May Be Getting Rewritten...Again

Dude, same.

We have yet another update from the dystopian wasteland that is the DC Extended Universe of movies. Last we heard, Ben Affleck had promptly bowed out of directing the upcoming Batman solo feature film, ostensibly choosing to focus on his starring role and more likely avoiding more back-and-forth over the script he and Geoff Johns had turned in. Dawn of Justice scribe Chris Terrio had been brought in for a page one rewrite, and collective fanboy hearts had shattered at the prospect of yet another dark, overserious drudge-fest with a murky plot. But this week, Forbes brought up some interesting rumors about the fate of the project. Allegedly, Cloverfield and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is at the front of the pack being considered to replace Affleck behind the camera. And, if chosen, Reeves would be doing yet another rewrite of the script before starting production on the feature. This is a mixed bag at best. I was not thrilled at the idea of Terrio taking another crack at the Caped Crusader when I still hadn’t washed the taste of his first attempt out of my mouth, but as a general rule less rewrites is better. Nonetheless, Reeves has proven his ability to shape a compelling narrative, and could turn out a satisfying draft if given the proper time and resources. Regardless of the outcome, there’s still plenty of time for Warner Bros to sort things out, since the whole project still doesn’t have an official release date.

Kate McKinnon Tapped for Magic School Bus Remake

SNL superstar Kate McKinnon has been tapped by Netflix to voice Ms. Frizzle in a revival of beloved children’s educational program The Magic School Bus. The remake, called The Magic School Bus Rides again, will focus on grade school teacher and possible Time Lord Ms. Frizzle as she takes her students on entertaining knowledge-building field trips with the help of a magical transforming school bus. Instead of 2D animation, the new show would feature 3D animation techniques. Ladies and Gentlemen, human language has failed me, as I cannot find words or terminology that can adequately explain my excitement for this show. Even before adding McKinnon, who is easily one of if not the funniest cast member on SNL, the original Magic School Bus was a huge part of my childhood. When I tell you that pretty much everything I know about science comes from this early-90s public television cartoon, I’m only half-joking. Carlos and those corny one-liners, Dorothy Ann and her research, and Arnold with his legitimate fears and rational reactions to the outrageous situations this woman put them in - they were instrumental in my early science education and made learning fun. There’s no word on a release date just yet, but I’m ready to see what McKinnon and Netflix have in store.

Extended Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer Debuts

Not one to be outdone, Marvel Studios also capitalized on Super Bowl weekend with a new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The one-minute ad introduced the new villain Ayesha, as well as our returning favorites Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Baby Groot. We also got looks at the trio of newcomers who will be joining them - Michael Rooker’s blue-skinned space redneck Yondu, Karen Gillan’s bald cyborg Nebula, and telepathic antennae-toting Mantis. There are shots of each character getting their moment to shine, in addition to a scene with all of them together. Yondu still has his floating whistle arrow thing, Gamora gets to fire a gun that’s bigger than her, and Drax takes on some giant intergalactic monster with nothing but his twin knives. Director James Gunn’s wacky, colorful visuals and off-beat humor were on full display as well, along with that rockin’ soundtrack that helped make the first film such a hit. There’s still no plot details, but the movie looks like it will be a lot of fun. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will hit theaters on May 5, 2017.

Stranger Things Season 2 Teaser Debuts During Super Bowl L1

This past weekend was the Super Bowl, which meant a lot of things to a lot of people. For Atlanta fans, it was a day that will live in infamy until the heat death of the universe. For Lady Gaga fans, it was the closest many of them will ever get to being able to afford seeing her perform live. For the rest of us, it was a prime opportunity to see some of the biggest commercials and movie trailers of the year. Chief among those was a roughly 30-second spot for Season 2 of Netflix’s runaway hit original series, Stranger Things. The show’s retro 80s aesthetic was on full display as footage from a vintage Eggo ad glitches and morphs into a shot of the main characters - Mike, Lucas, and Dustin - dressed up as Ghost Busters. We also get a few snatches of the boys riding around on their bikes, Sheriff Hopper doing some dirty work, and what appears to be more Department of Energy personnel before dropping a very appropriate release date.

Hint: It's the only time of year this is appropriate school dress.

If anything’s clear from the bits and pieces I’ve seen so far, it’s that Eleven is still nowhere to be found, the rift to the Upside Down is still open, and things are still coming through. One of the final shots of the teaser shows a many-legged creature, several stories tall, towering over the suburbs of Hawkins. Whatever it is, it makes the Demogorgon from Season 1 look like an action figure by comparison.

We're gonna need a bigger slingshot...

Some more plot details about the second season also came out in Entertainment Weekly later in the week. Some choice tidbits: as hinted at the end of Season 1, Will Byers is still seeing visions of the Upside Down. Whether this is real or all in his head remains to be seen, but my money’s on the former. His mother Joyce, to cope with the events of the last year and give her sons some sense of normalcy, is dating an old high school classmate, Bob, played by Sean Astin of Goonies and Lord of the Rings fame. Sheriff Hopper is also struggling to adjust, tasking himself with trying to cover up all the weird things that happened. But the characters carrying the most baggage from the first season are going to be Mike and Nancy Wheeler, who both lost someone to the Upside Down. There will also be some new additions to the cast. Brother-sister duo Billy and Max move into town, and while Max is immediately friendly with the group - possibly sparking a love triangle between her, Lucas, and Dustin - her brother is decidedly more antagonistic. A non-human addition is in the mix as well, with Dustin forming a bond with some presumably cute extra-dimensional critter. This still leaves plenty of questions. What’s up with the new guy running the lab? What is the spindly-legged creature? Where the heck is Eleven? All those answers, and probably some new questions, will arrive when Season 2 hits Netflix on Halloween.

Movie Review: Imperial Dreams

This week I’ll be reviewing the Netflix Original film Imperial Dreams. Starring John Boyega, the story follows an ex-con turned aspiring writer who attempts to secure a better life for his son after being released from prison. Ghosts from his past and bureaucratic obstacles in his present conspire against him as he tries to break out of an endless cycle of poverty and violence in LA’s notorious Watts projects. Although it initially debuted to strong reviews at Sundance in 2014, the film is just now receiving a wide release on Netflix. The three year delay does nothing to diminish the film’s emotional power or its social relevance. In under 90 minutes, Imperial Dreams manages to touch on income inequality, police harassment and recidivism, all filtered through the lens of a father’s love for his son.

In its opening moments, we are introduced to Bambi Jones, a 21-year-old ex-con returning to his old stomping grounds after being granted parole. As he shuffles along the sidewalk, belongings in a bag, retrieves his keys from the bumper of his beat-up sedan, and reunites with a son who was barely an infant when he left, Bambi’s internal monologue narrates, reading from the pages of his journal. “You can’t splash back into the hood...you have to slide back in.” Bambi’s efforts not to make waves are short-lived, however, as he finds himself surrounded by people and situations that tempt him to return to the life of violence he once knew. There’s the amoral figure of Uncle Shrimp, a drug dealing slum lord and the only father figure Bambi’s ever known, who offers to let Bambi and his son stay in his house, but expects his former protege to contribute to his operation. Detectives Gill and Hernandez, the cops who landed Bambi in prison and are more than willing to send him back if he doesn’t stay out of trouble. Wayne, Bambi’s half-brother who has landed a partial scholarship to Howard, but still needs some funds to make up the difference and is increasingly drawn to Shrimps’ line of work. Not to mention the catch-22 of needing a license to get a job but also needing money to pay for said license, and a million similar pitfalls that the system sends his way. Through it all, Bambi must try to hold onto his dream of making it as a writer and providing a safe environment for his son.

This movie is no cake walk.

Boyega is electric as Bambi. Although he is still a year or so removed from his introduction to wider audiences in a galaxy far, far away, his talent and charisma already shine through in every scene. You feel his tenderness when he cradles his son to his chest, his delight when he is able to provide for him, and his rage when their chaotic surroundings threaten to tear them apart. Matching him scene for scene is Glen Plummer as Uncle Shrimp. Unlike Bambi, Shrimp is more than comfortable with his lot in life, and openly contemptuous of his surrogate son’s attempts to leave. He is toxic relationships personified, just as likely to shoot you as hug you. The rest of the ensemble turns in solid performances as well, including a turn from Anika Noni Rose as a no-nonsense social worker and an appearance by Kellita Smith as Bambi’s alcoholic mother Tanya that will be extremely jarring for anyone who remembers her from The Bernie Mac Show. During your short time with them, it’s almost impossible not to feel for these characters and become invested in their well-being. From its quiet beginning to its heartbreaking but hopeful conclusion, Imperial Dreams is a deeply affecting and emotionally rewarding journey. You can catch Imperial Dreams streaming on Netflix.