April 2009 Archives

By Ryan Riley, Contributor

The release of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is only a few days away, so the Wolverine-centric columns continue. This second installment on the character of Wolverine will focus on some of the less-than-shining moments of his career. He may be the best there is at what he does, but he is also pretty good at getting himself into some humiliating situations.

Wolverine in orbit

During the X-Men's first encounter with the Shi'ar, the group entered the inside of the reality nexus known as the M'Kraan Crystal in an attempt to prevent the destruction of the universe. They are confronted by the guardian of the crystal, a diminutive gent named Jahf. Wolverine, as he was wont to do in his early days as an X-Man, didn't take Jahf's threats at all seriously because of his small stature, and was knocked into orbit for his lack of respect. If it hadn't been for the Starjammers intercepting him as he reached escape velocity, it was likely his healing factor wouldn't have saved him.

Half the man he used to be

The oft-delayed Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk mini-series opened up with an image so visceral that it was both embarrassing and gruesome at the same time. Wolverine accepts an assignment to track down Bruce Banner, who escaped his execution at the hands of his former bosses at S.H.I.E.L.D. He finds Banner, who has managed to find a way to retain his mental faculties as the Hulk. When Wolverine moves to apprehend the Hulk, the Hulk grabs him, tears him in half and tosses his torso and legs miles away from each other. Wolvie then has to do a soldier's crawl across miles of forest to reunite with his missing legs.

The mutant with no nose

To be fair, this is technically more of a "What the hell was Marvel thinking?" moment, but the look that Wolverine sported around the time of the Onslaught crossover was so cringe-inducing that I felt it had to be included. Back in the mid 1990's, Wolverine was dealing with the effects of having all the adamantium torn from his bones (including his claws) by Magneto in the Fatal Attractions storyline. A villain named Genesis (who turned out to be Cable's son - don't ask) happened upon the idea of kidnapping Wolverine and giving him his adamantium back in order to use him as a weapon. In the middle of the procedure, Wolverine awakens and starts to struggle, resulting in his body violently expelling the adamantium before it could bond with his bones. This resulted in what appeared to be a slide down the evolutionary ladder for our boy. With a caveman-like body, lung teeth, a messed-up hairdo (for Wolverine, that's saying something) and a vestigial stump of the nose, his physical appearance was bad enough. When Marvel put him in a costume that would have made Rob Liefeld wince, it made for one of the least auspicious eras for the perennial fan-favorite.

"Percy Dovetonsils"

Leave it to Joss Whedon to bring out the wimp in Wolverine. In Whedon's third story arc on Astonishing X-Men, Torn, Prof. Xavier's evil sister Cassandra Nova activates a telepathic virus that enables her to manipulate Emma Frost into attacking her fellow X-Men. She puts them through what each would consider their own private hell, like having Beast regress to a completely feral state. But what she did to Wolverine was diabolical indeed. She reached into his earliest memories and regressed him to his childhood state, where he was a sickly little crybaby of a boy. This results in his making paper dolls and running away from danger like a scared little girl above other things. The effect was short lived, but for a short time his motto was "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do...is ever so pretty!"

Beaten up by a (spider) woman

Early into Brian Michael Bendis' run on New Avengers, it seemed like he relished placing Wolverine into embarrassing situations. But possibly the most emasculating of them all was his very first appearance in the book. In the aftermath of the jailbreak at the Raft, Captain America takes his team of New Avengers, including Spider-Woman, Luke Cage & Spider-Man, to the Savage Land to recapture Karl Lykos (a.k.a. Sauron). Shortly after they land there the group gets separated. Spider-Woman spots a menacing shadow approaching her from the jungle brush and reacts in kind. When it is all done, her and Cage are witness to a laid-flat Wolverine that has had his claws forcibly lodged into his own throat. Face it, Wolverine, you got served!

It is now your turn...

You guys should know the drill by now. Share your favorite embarrassing Wolverine moments with us and the rest of the class.

This video from Funny or Die follows poor Batman (Adam West) after he has fallen victim to a ponzi scheme.

Man, this is wrong on so many levels.

This past Saturday kicked off the Street Fighter Tribute Art Show "Jab Strong Fierce" at Gallery Nucleus just outside downtown Los Angeles in Alhambra.

From the press release:

"Gallery Nucleus and I am 8-bit are proud to present, with support from CAPCOM, a Street Fighter tribute group art exhibition. In celebration of Street FIghter IV and all things Street Fighter, they have created an exhibition of Street Fighter influenced art that all Street Fighter, video game, and art fans will enjoy."

During the kick-off party there was a Street Fighter 4 tournament, cosplay contest, a house DJ spinning music all night, and of course walls full of Street Fighter art. The front of the gallery has an area where you can purchase prints of each piece of art, and also official art books from Capcom or Udon, who publish an assortment of Street Fighter comic books and manga every month.

These are just a few of the pieces of fan art that are on display at Gallery Nucleus. 

The art exhibition runs from April 25, 2009 - May 11, 2009 and is free to attend.

Gallery Nucleus information:
210  East Main St. Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 458 - 7482

Wolverine avoids the swine flu outbreak

I should say avoid the POSSIBILITY of swine flu.  20th Century Fox decides to skip the Mexico premiere of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."  People magazine has more.

Barack is the mightiest there is

Rich Johnston over at Lying in the Gutters has some art from Devil's Due Publishing's "Barack the Barbarian." Click stage right to see a larger image.  More info at MTV Splashpage.

Back to Wolverine again

Sci Fi Wire reports on easter eggs in the upcoming X-Men Origins film.  Some people may be like "Robert, stop, I don't wanna know!" But did you think there would be a superhero flick without an easter egg at the end? It's like de rigeur in all the finer comic flicks now.

Megan Fox is our friend

SuperheroHype.com had some pics of Megan Fox on the set of the upcoming "Jonah Hex" film. I honestly wasn't sure when this film was happening, but I guess it's on now. If you want to see more of the images you have to catch them over there.

The 'Fatal Attraction'-like film 'Obsessed' starring Beyonce Knowles (right), Idris Elba and Ali Larter (left) earns an estimated $28 million in its opening weekend.  AP Photo/Dave Allocca

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Audiences were in the mood for some fatal attraction action at the box office. Beyonce Knowles and Idris Elba's "Obsessed" debuted as the top weekend movie with $28.5 million in ticket sales. The Sony Screen Gems thriller stars Knowles and Elba as a couple whose ideal marriage lands on the rocks after a psychotic temp played by Ali Larter begins stalking the husband.

The strong opening for "Obsessed" helped maintain Hollywood's hot streak, with overall revenues at about $112 million, up 23.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The busy summer season starts Friday with 20th Century Fox's spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman in the title role he played in three "X-Men" blockbusters.

Studios head into summer on a box-office tear, with receipts running at a record pace. Revenues for the year are at $3.06 billion, up 17.4 percent over last year. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is up 15.7 percent.

"We have never been in this strong a position heading into the summer season, ever," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

Zac Efron's "17 Again" and Channing Tatum's "Fighting" were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot. With Sunday estimates of $11.7 million, the Warner Bros. comedy "17 Again" had the edge. After debuting in first-place a week earlier, "17 Again" raised its 10-day total to $40 million.

Rogue Pictures' "Fighting," starring Tatum and Terrence Howard in the story of a rising star in New York City's underground bare-knuckle fight circuit, debuted with $11.4 million.

The two movies were close enough that rankings could change when final numbers come out Monday.

Paramount's drama "The Soloist" opened at No. 4 with $9.7 million. It stars Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic music prodigy living on the streets of Los Angeles and Robert Downey Jr. as a reporter who befriends him.

Disney's nature documentary "Earth" premiered in fifth place with $8.6 million, bringing its total to $14.2 million since opening Wednesday.

"Obsessed" was not screened in advance for critics, and those who reviewed it generally trashed the movie as a lame retread of 1987's "Fatal Attraction," which starred Glenn Close as a demented woman pursuing a married man, played by Michael Douglas.

But "Obsessed" had the lure of singer Knowles stepping out from her pop star image and duking it out with the crazy lady threatening her home and marriage.

"There's something about wanting to see Beyonce kick butt. She's taking on one wacked chick, played very well by Ali Larter," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "Let's face it, everyone loves Beyonce, and to see her in this role is a treat."

Documentaries rarely open in nationwide release or break into the top 10, but Disney aimed for a wide audience with "Earth," which traces families of polar bears, elephants and humpback whales over the course of a year.

Disney pledged to plant a tree for every viewer who sees the movie in the first week, with the number climbing to more than 2 million after five days. The film was tied to Earth Day and was the first release of the studio's Disneynature label.

"We just felt like if we make an event out of this, tied it to this whole plant-a-tree effort, tied it to Earth Day, maybe we could break the mold and come up with the kind of opening that you'd be satisfied with on a regular film," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Obsessed," $28.5 million.

2. "17 Again," $11.7 million.

3. "Fighting," $11.4 million.

4. "The Soloist," $9.7 million.

5. "Earth," $8.6 million.

6. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $8.5 million.

7. "State of Play," $6.9 million.

8. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $6.4 million.

9. "Fast & Furious," $6.1 million.

10. "Crank: High Voltage," $2.4 million.

This is a cool little clip introducing some of the characters we'll see in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" next week.

Hey, is that blond girl Emma Frost?

The latest Marvel animated effort from Nicktoons Network "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" is fun in the action moments but a little dry in the re-imagination of the character.

I understand this is Nicktoons and the producers are looking to appeal to its viewership by introducing Tony Stark (Iron Man) as a young genius.  Also, get ready for the high school-age James "Rhodey" Rhodes and Pepper Potts.

There's all ready too much being said about how mildly annoying this teen Tony is and much of what was said is true. Stark is such a great adult character getting this kid version simply takes the fun out of the guy.

But let me clarify -- I'm not kicking lil' Tony around because I think young people don't make interesting superheroes. It's because I think interesting people make interesting superheroes and this main character needs a little life breathed into him. 

This kid has everything going for him: money, smarts, a mega-sized trust fund. When Rhodey asks if he needs his textbooks and Tony says he's memorized them already, I wanted to step into the television, punch his lights out and throw him in his locker so he can get an authentic school experience.

If Rhodey had beat Tony down after that I might've had more empathy for the guy.

Anyway, there are some good things about this show. 

The computer animation does no favors for the movement of the human figures but it's great for the Iron Man action sequences.  When it comes down to it for many fans of Iron Man, it's mostly about the tech and the action.  If you can make that look cool other failings can be forgiven.

At least for the first 26-episode season.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures debuts on Nicktoons Network at 7 p.m. and will run every Friday at 7 p.m.

Terrence Howard isn't over being dropped from the "Iron Man" sequel yet, and do you blame him?

No one denies that the mega hit film ($582 million worldwide) is a possible killer franchise in the making, and in these types of flicks the stars get a windfall.  Well, except Howard, who will not reprise his role as Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark's best military buddy.

Of course Robert Downey Jr. is back as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Academy Award nominated actor Don Cheadle will step in as Rhodes and Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke join the cast.

Howard told Parade.com "They didn't keep their word. They didn't honor my contract." He added that renegotiations for the sequel didn't go well for Gweneth Paltrow either.

More than a few stories on the "Iron Man 2" casting suggested that Johansson and Rourke were not offered big bucks for their parts in the sequel either.  If it is true that Howard would have commanded more money and maybe even part of the box office and Marvel didn't want to make a deal like that, then it makes sense that he isn't back.

Before Samuel L. Jackson got that multi-picture set up with Marvel as Nick Fury, Jackson himself told Geoff Boucher at Hero Complex that he wasn't getting a big offer in initial negotiations from the producers.

Well, "Iron Man 2" is probably one of the most public examples of movie companies tightening their purse strings when it comes to casting.

Am I still going to see the "Iron Man" sequel?  Of course I am.  Heck, even Terrence Howard said he's going and he still has an axe to grind.  

In this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, Hugh Jackman stars as Logan, left, and Liev Schreiber stars as Victor Creed in a scene from "Wolverine." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, James Fisher)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- What a who's who list Hollywood has lined up for its summer action spectacles: Wolverine. Transformers. Harry Potter. James Kirk. G.I. Joe. Terminator.

If there's one word to sum up it all up, it's this: Relentless.

Starting May 1, barely a weekend will pass without another brawny special-effects extravaganza landing in theaters.

Appropriately, summer starts with a couple of prequels.

After co-starring in three "X-Men" adventures about the Marvel Comics mutants, Hugh Jackman steps out from the pack for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." The film spins the back story of Jackman's metal-clawed loner, a military experiment gone rogue amid a government conspiracy to control his super-freak kinfolk.

Next, the starship Enterprise is relaunched in "Star Trek," with a new cast taking on the characters originated in the 1960s TV show. Chris Pine inherits William Shatner's role as dashing James Kirk, while Zachary Quinto plays Vulcan egghead Spock (Leonard Nimoy, who created the role, pops up as the older Spock).

Like "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams, Pine grew up more a "Star Wars" kid than a "Star Trek" kid. After snagging the role, Pine started watching the original series but stopped halfway through the first season.

"It was kind of nice to familiarize myself with the world, but it didn't help me much at all to delve any deeper," Pine said. "If anything, it was a hindrance to kind of watch what Mr. Shatner had done, because he'd done it so well, and he was so specific.

"There were certain mannerisms that I think are definitely Kirk-ian things that I wanted to use in my portrayal, but for the most part, I wanted to free myself up to create something new."

The director of the final four "Harry Potter" movies, David Yates, is still giving thanks for the young cast he inherited, led by Daniel Radcliffe as boy wizard Harry and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as his school pals.

"There was something very, very, very clever in their choices. Not a day goes by I'm not grateful for this bunch they put together," Yates said. "It's a remarkable bunch of kids."

In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Harry is charged with uncovering a forgotten memory from a new Hogwarts teacher (Jim Broadbent), information the young sorcerer needs for his final showdown against dark wizard Voldemort.

While Yates marvels over how his youthful cast has blossomed, "Transformers" director Michael Bay was thrilled over the improved acting chops of his computer-animated robots for the sequel.

"We were just touching the surface last time in what they're capable of doing," Bay said. "This time, they really emote."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" reunites puny but plucky human Shia LaBeouf with his giant, shape-shifting Autobot buddies in a rematch against the evil Decepticon robot clan.

Also in a rematch are Tom Hanks and Ron Howard with "Angels & Demons," their follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code." This installment hurls Hanks' symbologist into an ancient feud between the Vatican and a secret brotherhood that has kidnapped the cardinals in line to become the next pope.

Howard felt less pressure this time adapting Dan Brown's best-seller than he had with "The Da Vinci Code," a literary phenomenon whose did-Christ-have-kids premise put the movie under a severe microscope by fans and detractors alike.

"Documentaries are being made about 'Da Vinci Code.' Theologians develop symposiums around it. Ministers were using it as a way to, frankly, entice people to church," Howard said, adding that the new film "remains provocative, yes, but it doesn't hold that same place at the center of the zeitgeist. So it's really full-on escapism.

Other action highlights:

-- "Terminator: Salvation": Christian Bale leads the last shreds of humanity against machine enemies as the franchise reboots without Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-- "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra": The action figures get their own movie as the G.I. Joe guys take on an arms dealer and a militant secret organization.

-- "Inglourious Basterds": Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino resurrect "Dirty Dozen"-style action as Jewish soldiers dish out chaos among the Nazis.

-- "Public Enemies": Johnny Depp is gangster John Dillinger and Christian Bale is G-Man Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Depression-era crime saga.

-- "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" -- The remake casts Denzel Washington as a subway dispatcher and John Travolta as a bad guy ransoming a trainload of passengers.

-- "Drag Me to Hell": "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi returns to his "Evil Dead" roots with a horror tale about a bank employee (Alison Lohman) tormented by a vengeful customer's supernatural curse.

-- "District 9": "Lord of the Rings" overlord Peter Jackson produces a sci-fi tale about a human who becomes an unlikely ally for aliens held in a South African ghetto.

I have not read all the books but I have watched EVERY Harry Potter film and they are never disappointing. Even though I may not have sang all the praises of Order of the Phoenix, it still soared higher than most films of its type.

So you can bet I'm excited about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

With all the stunning special effects and innovative storytelling by the various directors (David Yates helms Half-Blood) the films maintain a level of humanity.

That may seem weird but it's true.

My fellows who have read every book tell me this... the story only gets darker.
And I hear Warner Bros. will open the film two days early on July 15.

By Ryan Riley, Contributor

There are only a few weeks left until "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" hits theaters on May 1. This presents an ideal opportunity to explore the history of this unconventional comic book superhero. The next few columns I will write will examine various aspects of Wolverine as a character. This first column will highlight the very best stories featuring our favorite Canucklehead. Since there have been so many Wolverine stories over the years, there are a lot of them to choose from. Here are what I think are the most memorable of the lot.

*This column discusses the plot points of a variety of Wolverine stories, some of which contain story spoilers. Consider yourselves warned.

Wolverine (mini-series)

This was the very first solo Wolverine series ever published by Marvel. Up until then, Wolverine was only starting to develop into a more complex character in the pages of Uncanny X-Men under the guidance of Chris Claremont. The inaugural mini-series, by Claremont and Frank Miller, took Wolverine's character to a whole other level. Wolverine was romantically involved with a Japanese woman named Mariko Yashida, and at the start of the story she has broken off all contact with him. When he travels to Japan to seek answers, he finds her married to another man because of an obligation to her father, a Yakuza crimelord named Shingen who she had assumed was dead. When Wolverine protests this arrangement, Shingen challenges him to a duel and proceeds to soundly thrash the X-Man. Having been humbled as never before, Wolverine embarks on a journey that pits him against the Yakuza, the Hand ninja clan and his own bestial nature. At the story's conclusion, Wolverine regains his honor and proves that he is more human than animal. This take on the character became the benchmark for every Wolverine story since.

I didn't initially see this trailer from GameTrailers.com, it was Modern Mythology contributor James Rasmussen. He told me I had to drop whatever work I was doing to see this.

Man, was he right. I might have to actually invest in a game system now.

Blair Butler of Fresh Ink has exclusive images of Cory Walker's artwork from an upcoming issue of "Invincible." She also shows a page or two from the comic adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand" with some really gruesome imagery.

OK, it's not too gruesome.

A class offered at Cal State Long Beach examines the art, history and story of comic strips and graphic novels.

"Show and Tell: From Comics to Graphic Novels," taught by CSULB professors Tim Caron and Nhora Serrano, was featured in a story by education reporter Kevin Butler and is worth a read.

Considering that the class will discuss "Maus," "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen," it is my hope that doors will open to new readers in this medium we all love -- and criticize.

Maybe for an outing the class should witness and participate in an intense comic store argument discussion.


Image courtesy of The Grand Comic Book Database

Last night I checked out Dragonball Evolution. I'm a fan of the franchise as I grew up watching Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT. I didn't have my hopes set high for this movie, and I attempted to enjoy it for what it was.

For the price of admission though I got tons of laughs from a movie that is so bad, it's good.

The film synopsis goes like this. Long ago a menacing alien threat named Piccolo and a destructive god named Oozaru laid waste to the earth before being imprisoned by a loyal order of monks. Now Piccolo is loose and is after the seven mystical Dragonballs. It's up to Goku, a young Ki master, played by Justin Chatwin, and his friends to stop Piccolo and collect the Dragonballs.

First off, the movie is only around 90 minutes long. Events happen right after each other with no real logic or understanding behind any of it. New characters are introduced and plot points are being checked off, but you don't really care about any of it because there is no character development. They could have killed off Goku in the middle of the movie and I wouldn't have cared. You leave the theater without knowing anything about the main characters.

From the official movie website:

"The movie is an adaptation of the King Piccolo and Piccolo JR. sagas of Dragonbal. However, it will also contain important elements from the first season of Dragonball, such as Bulma meeting Goku, and Goku training with Master Roshi. It's the most important parts of Dragonball in one movie."

Except that you don't understand anything about Piccolo who says less than 10 lines throughout the whole movie, and never understand why he is trying to destroy the Earth. Bulma meeting Goku happens in less than 2 minutes, and there is no screentime of Master Roshi training Goku at all.

These are important events that any movie lover would care about, not just the fans. They are essential points which connect the audience with the characters. I don't understand why they took these events out when you still have 30 more minutes of movie you could have included.


TOKYO - MARCH 10: (L to R) Actor Joon Park, actress Jamie Chung, Eriko Tamura, actor Chow Yun-Fat, Justin Chatwin, actress Emmy Rossum, actor James Marsters, actress Megumi Seki and director James Wong pose for photographs during the world premiere of 'Dragonball Evolution' at Nippon Budokan on March 10, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. The film opened on March 13 in Japan. (Photo by Akihiro I/Getty Images)

The movie had a horrible script with corny dialogue and tons of material taken out of it. All the actors had poor timing with their lines, and the climax of the movie actually made me laugh out loud.

Despite how bad the movie is I still have to recommend that fans of the series wait until the DVD release and watch it with each other. You'll get more than a few chuckles out of it, and have tons of memorable moments. If you are brand new to the Dragonball universe then you shouldn't see this movie first. You should pick up the manga, or watch the anime.

The sequel is already green-lit according to the official movie website. I hope they explain everything in the next movie with a better script, and try to engage the audience in the Dragonball universe instead of slopping together a bunch of random scenes, and praying it all comes together in the end.

In this video screen image released by Warner Bros., a scene from the videogame "Terminator Salvation," is shown. (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)

DERRIK J. LANG
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Video games based on blockbuster movies typically get panned, yet shamelessly benefit from the buzz of their film inspirations. But the developers of this summer's movie games are more intent than ever on transforming gamers' groans into grins.

"Movie games have a bad history," said Jeff Poffenbarger, senior producer at "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" game developer Raven Software. "There is a stigma to movie games, for a thousand different reasons. They come out and they don't live up to the hype people create. For us, it was all about creating the definitive Wolverine experience, not recreating the movie."

Traditionally, movie games are daunting to develop because they face opening-day deadlines yet take double the time to produce as the films they are based on. Veteran game director Joby Otero, chief creative officer at "Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen" developer Luxoflux Studios, said upgrading the genre's quality has become a primary goal in recent years.

"I think Hollywood is communicating with the games industry on a different level now," said Otero. "There's a recognition that a game's quality can impact the overall franchise. I think part of the reason is that more of the key creative decision makers grew up as gamers themselves. There's an understanding of how wrong these things can go."

In hopes of saying "hasta la vista, baby" to a poorly received game, the Halcyon Co., which owns the rights to the "Terminator" franchise, allowed the "Terminator Salvation" game developers to work under the same roof as the film crew when creating the apocalyptic third-person shooter based on the flick directed by McG and starring Christian Bale.

"It meant that the game developers, art directors and designers could literally sit in the same production studio as the film guys," said Cos Lazouras, Halcyon Games development vice president. "They worked collaboratively side by side. They had access to McG, who was intrinsically involved in the game."

Actor Hugh Jackman, center, holds a camera to photograph himself and fans after he arrives for a promotion of his new movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Aman Sharma)

SYDNEY (AP) -- Hugh Jackman said Wednesday that he is heartbroken his new film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," was leaked online a month before its official release.

The movie, which focuses on the beginnings of Jackman's clawed Marvel superhero Wolverine, is not scheduled for release in the U.S. until May 1, but a work print of the film began appearing online last week. 20th Century Fox said the FBI and Motion Picture Association of America were investigating and promised to prosecute those responsible.

The Australian actor, in Sydney to unveil 20 minutes of completed footage of the film to around 600 fans, said he was upset about the leak but still thinks fans will flock to see the movie in theaters.

"It's a serious crime and there's no doubt it's very disappointing -- I was heartbroken by it," Jackman said. "Obviously people are seeing an unfinished film. It's like a Ferrari without a paint job."

Jackman is on a world tour to promote the movie, making his first stop at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbor, where much of the film was shot. He arrived at the venue by helicopter before swooping to the ground on a zipline.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Robert Downey Jr. is officially back in the superhero business.

Production started Wednesday on "Iron Man 2," the sequel to his 2008 blockbuster about the Marvel Comics character.

Downey reprises his role as a billionaire genius who fights bad guys in a high-tech metal suit that's loaded with gadgets. "Iron Man 2" reunites Downey with co-star Gwyneth Paltrow and also features Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as the superhero's military ally.

Mickey Rourke is signed on to play a villain, and the cast also includes Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, who had a cameo at the end of the first "Iron Man."

Jon Favreau is back directing again for the sequel that hits theaters May 7, 2010.

Actor Keanu Reeves between practice runs at the tracks of Long Beach with Adrien Brody behind him in preparation for the upcoming 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach. Photo by Steven Georges/Press-Telegram

While there have been reports of a live-action feature film of the popular future-pulp anime "Cowboy Bebop," when I asked actor Keanu Reeves yesterday how it's going he said "we're trying."

Reeves was here in downtown Long Beach for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race practice and media day yesterday. Check out our stories on his racing preparations by Karen Robes Meeks and Robert Morales.

"Cowboy Bebop" features space traveling bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black -- Reeves is reported to be playing Spike. As to the progress of the Bebop live action, he said there is work still being done on the screenplay and special interest is being paid to making sure the tone of the script matches the series.

Some fans may be concerned whether the anime is in good hands -- In our short conversation about the potential of the film It was obvious Reeves has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for adapting the work.

Up next for the actor is  "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Robin Wright Penn to be released sometime before the end of the year.

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Fast & Furious" left the competition in the dust with a $72.5 million opening weekend, the best so far this year.

That topped last weekend's $59.3 million debut for DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens," which slipped to second place with $33.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $105.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Universal's "Fast & Furious" also raced to a record for April debuts, easily passing the previous best of $42.2 million set in 2003 by "Anger Management."

It was a blockbuster opening more customary to summer. But Hollywood has been extending its busy season more and more by placing summer-style flicks earlier in the year.

"It's summer time in April," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "We've seen the summer season stretch from what used to be Memorial Day through Labor Day, then the first of May through Labor Day. Now maybe with 'Fast & Furious,' it's going to be early April as the beginning of summer."

The weekend's other new wide release, Miramax's 1980s nostalgia comedy "Adventureland," debuted at No. 6 with $6 million. The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart as summer workers at a second-rate theme park in the late '80s.

The fourth installment of the "Fast and the Furious" street-racing franchise brings back the four stars of the 2001 original -- Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. The new movie has Diesel's fugitive driver and Walker's undercover cop reteaming for more illegal races as they take on a murderous drug lord.

The reunion paid off for distributor Universal, which also pulled in $30.1 million in 32 other countries where "Fast & Furious" was playing.

The original was a surprise hit, but the franchise was slowly running out of gas after the sequel "2 Fast 2 Furious," which starred Walker. Part three, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," had a new cast and took in a solid but unremarkable $62.5 million over its entire run.

But "Tokyo Drift" ended with a cameo by Diesel, sparking interest in reviving the series with the "Fast & Furious" reunion.

"The marketing campaign let everyone know it's not what you've seen before. It's the original cast," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "For the audience, the first main reason to see the movie was the action, then the car racing, then Vin Diesel."

"Fast & Furious" paced Hollywood to another huge weekend, with overall revenues at $160 million, up 68 percent from the same period last year.

For the year, domestic revenues are running at a record pace of $2.57 billion, up 14.5 percent from 2008's, according to Media By Numbers. Factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 12.8 percent ahead of last year's.

"The title of this movie perfectly describes the box office year of 2009. Fast and furious," Dergarabedian said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Fast & Furious," $72.5 million.

2. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $33.5 million.

3. "The Haunting in Connecticut," $9.6 million.

4. "Knowing," $8.1 million.

5. "I Love You, Man," $7.9 million.

6. "Adventureland," $6 million.

7. "Duplicity," $4.3 million.

8. "Race to Witch Mountain," $3.4 million.

9. "12 Rounds," $2.3 million.

10. "Sunshine Cleaning," $1.9 million.

___

On the Net:

http://www.mediabynumbers.com

It's not like NBC's "Heroes" has been uneventful -- we've seen events upon events.

Will any of this be enough to win the audience back for a fourth season of the show? I don't know, but I did notice that the show's producers seem to have recognized their greatest special effect is simply writing good characters and good moments for them to shine. 

Now, if only the plot can make more sense. 

I know some of you remember when it was cool to like CLAIRE (the freakin' invincible cheerleader) and talk about a recent episode with your friends?  You don't? Was it really that long ago?

I suppose it was.

Well, I wanted my good characters back and the last couple episodes, Cold Snap and Into Asylum, gave me a chance to have that.

This is the semi-SPOILER point for Heroes Watch and I'll mention a few things from the show after the image below, but I promise to only drop a few details as I attempt to defend the merits of the "Heroes" characters.

DANKO, "the Hunter" is played by actor Zeljko Ivanek who has also appeared on "True Blood" in its first season as "The Magister."

What good characters am I talking about?  Who should the "Heroes" writers focus on?
 
I mean Claire was as heroic and noble as HIRO (the dude who is kind of a time traveler) and she seemed to make better choices than her uncle PETER (has a grab-bag of super powers) PETRELLI.

I recall CLAIRE'S most recent shining moment against the puppet master dude (DOYLE) earlier this season when she had to choose life or death for one of her two mothers.  And when the writing for the show works for me in anything, it's when the characters have to make tough choices. When DOYLE resurfaces she helps him when he needs it -- something I certainly wouldn't have done.

And let me give some props to NATHAN PETRELLI (political flying boy), his sorta-evil, sorta-good mom ANGELA (future seeing lady) and NOAH (Claire's dad) who are usually the best acted characters and I noticed the series creators are paying more attention to them.
 
That's a good idea.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan Court of Appeals is expected to consider whether to reinstate the conviction of a man accused of murdering his wife in their Detroit-area comic book store.

Apparently young adult readers are still not afraid to read stories that may have a supernatural theme -- especially at school book fairs.  "Dead is the New Black" and numerous books from the "Twilight" series are mentioned as examples in the following Associated Press story.

It sure would be great to get this large audience of readers more into comics. Of course, the story does mention that several middle school kids were interested in graphic novels.

-Robert Meeks

Hitmakers and fundraisers: school book fairs

HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Marlene Perez's "Dead Is the New Black" is a young adult novel with a noirish pink and black cover and a supernatural plot. If it ever becomes the next sensation, give some credit to middle-schoolers such as Geneva Lish.

"It really caught my eye," says Lish, a seventh grader. "It has an unusual plot and a unique power. And the title is intriguing."

Lish didn't buy the book online or at a store. She was among the students at J.H.S. 167 in Manhattan who recently visited the Scholastic Book fair, shopping on the stage of the school's auditorium as they looked through graphic novels, fantasy, children's cookbooks and a Life Magazine volume about President Obama.

They purchased Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels, the latest "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and Linda Gerber's "Death by Latte," a mystery set in part at a Seattle coffee shop. Ashley Zhang, another seventh grader, bought Mari Mancusi's "Gamer Girl," featuring a lonely high-schooler who becomes a star when playing online games.

"I borrowed it from a friend and thought it was fascinating. I like that it's about a girl who really wants to fit into the world," Zhang says.

During a hard time for publishing, and for education, the fairs remain a relatively stable source of income. According to a recent report from the Scholastic Corporation, revenues from fairs for the nine months ending Feb. 28 was $261.2 million, virtually unchanged from the same ninth-month period a year earlier.

"I've never met one parent who said, 'My kid has too many books.' ... You might cut a lot of things out. You might cut out a toy. You're not going to cut out a book," says Scholastic's president of book fairs, Alan Boyko.

I caught this panel of editorial cartoonist David Horsey's work over at Robot 6 and then The Washington Post.  Even the Man of Steel is not immune to the woes of the newspaper industry. 

See a larger image of the cartoon here.  See more from this cartoonist at DavidHorsey.com.

If you saw Monsters vs. Aliens last week you were treated to the second teaser trailer for Astro Boy.

The trailer is now on the web and the CGI animation looks brilliant.

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage).  Powered by positive "blue" energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly.

Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way.  Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny.

The script sounds like they are sticking to the overall recipe that is Astro Boy which is one part Pinocchio and one part Superman. The movie is set to release this fall on October 23rd.

If you want to learn more about Astro Boy there is a ton of material to check out. Head over to this link at anime news network for a complete list.

For more on the Astro Boy movie go to to the official site at

http://www.astroboy-themovie.com/

By Ryan Riley, Contributor

Up until a year ago, conventional fanboy wisdom stated that Alan Moore's Watchmen was unfilmable, and that any attempts to translate it to the big screen would end in disaster. The arguments against it were many, but the two most compelling arguments involved the sheer volume of story contained in the book and the less-than-contemporary setting of 1985. Though some harsher critics of Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" film would agree with that assessment, I felt that it was (for the most part) very well-executed and it seemed to be pretty well-received by moviegoers.

So now that Pandora's Box has been opened, it got me thinking about other comic books that might have proven to be problematic to make into a movie. There are some comic books that are nearly as compelling as Watchmen, and would be glowing examples of why the comic book movie boom is a good thing. They also have their own unique obstacles that would, at the very least, complicate any possible adaptations. This is my shortlist of books that would fit this mold.

*Note: Various plot points for each of these books are discussed. You have been warned.

The Dark Knight Returns

The Rundown

As I stated in an earlier column, there were two books from the 1980's that opened my eyes to the greatness of the comic book medium. One was Watchmen, and the other was Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Not to be confused with last year's movie "The Dark Knight", The Dark Knight Returns tells the tale of a fifty-something Bruce Wayne taking up the mantle of Batman again after ten years of retirement. In the process of his renewed crusade against Gotham City's criminal element, he has to contend with the formidable gang called The Mutants, a police department under new leadership that is not amused by his antics and a rejuvenated Joker that has lost none of his lethal edge.

Why a movie should be made

If it weren't for this decidedly dark look at an older Batman, the Batman movies from Tim Burton's "Batman" to Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" might not have gotten greenlighted. And there are some scenes from The Dark Knight Returns that are begging to be made, like the Joker's appearance on the David Endochrine show (an obvious homage to "Late Show" host David Letterman) and the climactic battle between Batman & a government-controlled Superman.

The reason it might not happen

Before the release of "Watchmen", I would have said it was Dark Knight's less-than-contemporary setting of the 1980's. Even though the era of the story wasn't made implicit, everything about the political and cultural climate of the setting just screamed Eighties. But now that "Watchmen" has shown that it's not a dealbreaker, it's not so much whether a movie can be made but rather if they could make it as good as it could possibly be. Getting Frank Miller involved, maybe even to direct, would go a long way to ensure a quality adaptation.

The Ultimates

The Rundown

The concept of Marvel's premier superhero team is re-imagined by Mark Millar as a government sponsored initiative put together by General Nick Fury to guard against superpowered menaces such as Magneto and his Brotherhood.

Why a movie should be made

In this case it's not if the movie will be made so much, as there is an Avengers movie in the works that has Mark Millar's basis for his Nick Fury, Samuel Jackson, actually playing Fury. But other than that inspired casting choice, it's not likely to resemble Millar's story too closely. That's a bloody shame, because having a Hulk that has no compunctions about killing (and even eating) innocent people and an Iron Man that wholeheartedly embraces his alcoholism is too much fun. And before you say anything, I don't count the animated "Ultimate Avengers" as a true adaptation, because they toned down the brilliant R-rated action and situations to fit the mold of a PG-13 movie that would appeal to a wider audience. Not the greatest of translations.

The reason it might not happen

It will happen, but much like what happened with the movie adaptation of Mark Millar's Wanted, the finished product will retain little of what made the the book so much fun to read in the first place. And that's a lowdown, dirty shame.

Kingdom Come

The Rundown

Superman and his Justice League contemporaries return after years of self-imposed exile to control a new generation of superheroes that don't think anything of endangering innocent people when they do battle. They also have to deal with chaos that springs from behind-the-scenes machinations by Lex Luthor, not to mention what Batman has planned.

Why a movie should be made

Kingdom Come is one of the most powerful superhero-based comic book stories ever told. It is both epic and human at the same time, and that dichotomy would work exceedingly well in a movie. It takes the Spider-Man adage of "Power & Responsibility" to a whole other level, has twists and doublecrosses galore, and is action-packed enough to keep even the most jaded action film fan happy.

The reason it might not happen

As wonderful a movie as it would make, Kingdom Come might just be a little too ambitious to be on the big screen as a live action movie. With its cast of hundreds of heroes and villains, I don't know if even Michael Bay could keep up with all of the action. On the other hand, if Alex Ross handled the art direction with an animation-house like Dreamworks, it would make a kick-ass computer animated film that would make anything that came before it look like a Tom & Jerry cartoon.

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse

The Rundown

Charles Xavier's mentally unbalanced mutant son, Legion, travels to the past in an attempt to kill Magneto before he becomes a threat. When Charles dies as a result of trying to save Magneto, history is profoundly altered. Apocalypse raises an army of mutants and ends up taking over North America. Magneto forms his own team of X-Men in honor of his late friend, and leads them in an often futile attempt to protect what's left of humanity. The last hope to restore reality to its previous state lies within Bishop, the only person who remembers the world as it was before.

Why a movie should be made

The Age of Apocalypse storyline from the 1990's was a fresh way of looking at the X-Men mythos. Without Xavier to guide the course of mutantkind, the world becomes a decidedly darker and unpredictable place. For example, Cyclops, arguably the Luke Skywalker of the X-Men franchise, ends up working for the dark side without Xavier to take him under his wing. He eventually runs afoul of Wolverine, and their battle ends up costing Cyclops an eye and Wolverine a hand.

The reason it might not happen

After the debacle that was "X-Men: The Last Stand", the franchise needs a good reboot. The upcoming Wolverine flick looks to be a step in the right direction, but I don't think the studios would be willing at this point to make a film based on a storyline as esoteric as Age of Apocalypse.

What's this I hear?

I'm just getting used to the idea of Vin Diesel coming back to reprise his outlaw/hero role as Dominic Toretto in "Fast & Furious" and here he is talking to MTV about being Doctor Doom and/or the Sub Mariner.

It's a funny observation in the video by the interviewer and Diesel about whom the actor would play in a comic book adaptation. It makes me curious as to why he has not done one yet.

There's talk of Diesel's ego, working with Furious director Justin Lin and other stuff in a story with the Los Angeles Times' Chris Lee here.

Video Via MTV Splashpage, "Fast & Furious" opens tomorrow and yes, Jordana Brewster is in it too.

Related post:

Trailer: Vin Diesel back in Fast & Furious sequel

If you want help weaving through your comic news today without feeling like an April Fool, check out Robot 6 or MTV Splashpage -- they're trying to do it too.

But one piece of information that appears to be sincere is a contest announced in this video by "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman.  He says you can win a chance to have the flick premiere in your town.  The official contest entry page.

If this is a joke then I know what the sequel is gonna be... "X-Men Destroyed: Modern Mythology vs. Wolverine."

Weapon X against a cranky caffeine-deprived comic fan?  Always bet on the blogger.