Horror games scare you in ways that nothing else can. The tactility of their terror and the immersiveness of their worlds can make it hard for scaredy cats to even give one a chance, let alone get through it. Beating a horror game is one of the most triumphant feelings you can experience as a gamer, as it marks not…
For the longest time, it didn’t seem like a sequel to 1982’s Blade Runner would ever happen, only coming into the realm of possibility decades later. And there was only one man for the job: original director Ridley Scott, who had long desired to get a sequel to Blade Runner going. But as we all know, Scott would become too busy toiling with his Alien franchise to commit to the film. Enter Denis Villeneuve, who took the opportunity to helm Blade Runner 2049 even though he was almost certain it could tank his career.
Denis Villeneuve was initially hesitant to take on Blade Runner 2049 – and is still haunted by it – but saw the challenge as just what his career needed at the time. “I said, ‘OK, if I do one big sci-fi movie, and I risk everything, that’s beautiful. To make a sequel to my favorite film is a beautiful way to end my career…I thought it was very romantic.” Of course, the film offered an entirely new path for Villeneuve, who would next be given the opportunity to reinvent the Dune franchise, the most recent installment of which is one of the highest-grossing films of this year. Blade Runner 2049, meanwhile, would take in more than $250 million worldwide.
As for how Villeneuve became just the right guy for Blade Runner 2049, he remembered, “When I was doing Prisoners, one day [execs] stopped the meetings and siad, ‘Sorry. Ridley Scott is in the next room. We’re not supposed to tell you but we’re doing a sequel to Blade Runner.’ I said, ‘Wow.’…Then, when I was doing Sicario, I got a call. Ridley is the most prolific, over-busy director. And when I direct one movie, Ridley does three things. I think that Harrison Ford was tired of waiting.”
Reluctantly moving away from Blade Runner 2049, Ridley Scott would end up pumping out six movies since 2017, from Alien: Covenant to this fall’s Gladiator II.
How do you think Denis Villeneuve did with Blade Runner 2049? Should Ridley Scott have been the one to direct it? Chime in in the comments section below.
The post Denis Villeneuve credits Ridley Scott’s busy schedule, Harrison Ford’s impatience for landing Blade Runner 2049 appeared first on JoBlo.
For the longest time, it didn’t seem like a sequel to 1982’s Blade Runner would ever happen, only coming into the realm of possibility decades later. And there was only one man for the job: original director Ridley Scott, who had long desired to get a sequel to Blade Runner going. But as we all know, Scott would become too busy toiling with his Alien franchise to commit to the film. Enter Denis Villeneuve, who took the opportunity to helm Blade Runner 2049 even though he was almost certain it could tank his career.
Denis Villeneuve was initially hesitant to take on Blade Runner 2049 – and is still haunted by it – but saw the challenge as just what his career needed at the time. “I said, ‘OK, if I do one big sci-fi movie, and I risk everything, that’s beautiful. To make a sequel to my favorite film is a beautiful way to end my career…I thought it was very romantic.” Of course, the film offered an entirely new path for Villeneuve, who would next be given the opportunity to reinvent the Dune franchise, the most recent installment of which is one of the highest-grossing films of this year. Blade Runner 2049, meanwhile, would take in more than $250 million worldwide.
As for how Villeneuve became just the right guy for Blade Runner 2049, he remembered, “When I was doing Prisoners, one day [execs] stopped the meetings and siad, ‘Sorry. Ridley Scott is in the next room. We’re not supposed to tell you but we’re doing a sequel to Blade Runner.’ I said, ‘Wow.’…Then, when I was doing Sicario, I got a call. Ridley is the most prolific, over-busy director. And when I direct one movie, Ridley does three things. I think that Harrison Ford was tired of waiting.”
Reluctantly moving away from Blade Runner 2049, Ridley Scott would end up pumping out six movies since 2017, from Alien: Covenant to this fall’s Gladiator II.
How do you think Denis Villeneuve did with Blade Runner 2049? Should Ridley Scott have been the one to direct it? Chime in in the comments section below.
The post Denis Villeneuve credits Ridley Scott’s busy schedule, Harrison Ford’s impatience for landing Blade Runner 2049 appeared first on JoBlo.
Pokémon GO added Dynamaxing to the mobile game only just over a month ago, with the accompanying addition of Max Points, all-new Pokéstop-like Power Spots, and the ability to Max Battle your monsters. And today, it’s followed up with the announcement of the arrival of Gigantamax Pokémon, with a rather splendid trailer.
Pokémon GO added Dynamaxing to the mobile game only just over a month ago, with the accompanying addition of Max Points, all-new Pokéstop-like Power Spots, and the ability to Max Battle your monsters. And today, it’s followed up with the announcement of the arrival of Gigantamax Pokémon, with a rather splendid trailer.
There has been much revealed from Elon Musk’s Tesla company as of late. The brand that has been known for its electric, self-driving cars has unveiled its intended future distribution for further technological advancements of robotics and driverless transports. It all seems like a plot right out of a movie, and Alex Proyas, who directed the 2004 Will Smith sci-fi vehicle I, Robot, has taken to Musk’s home turf on social media to call out his product’s designs. Proyas implies that the Tesla models are too eerily similar to the designs from his Issac Asimov adaptation.
In Proyas’ post, he writes the caption, “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please? #ElonMusk #Elon_Musk” while displaying side-by-side comparisons of the newly revealed Tesla Optimus Robots and driverless vehicles with his own film’s designs.
Many responses to Proyas’ accusation came to Musk’s defense and pointed out that Tesla’s designs seem more inspired by science-fiction sources that predate the 2004 movie. Another person posted a picture of a futuristic train design from the 30s with the caption, “This 1936 design?” Additionally, another commenter pointed to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis as inspiration for the robot and Art Deco-era locomotives and the 1939 Duesenberg Coupe as inspirations.
Proyas hasn’t minced words this year when it comes to his past properties. He has been very vocal about the new The Crow remake. In the build-up to the reboot’s release, Proyas shared a screen shot of The Guardian’s review, which called the film “unfathomably awful.” Later, he commented, “Wow. The reviews are brutal.” And when the box office numbers came in, revealing that the new The Crow had an opening weekend of just $4.6 million, Proyas said, “Box office is a bloodbath.” He added, “I thought the remake was a cynical cash-grab. Not much cash to grab it seems.” He and The Crow ’94 screenwriter David J. Schow both shared an image saying they had been “Marked safe from seeing Crow 2024 today.” Proyas then shared a link to a negative review of the reboot on YouTube, commenting, “I love how enraged this (reviewer) gets. Is that a “thumbs down”? Maybe they can lend their DCPs to film schools for classes on how NOT to make a movie? The theatres sure won’t need ’em after next weekend.” He ended with a laughing emoji. Sharing a negative review in Spanish, Proyas asked, ““Gigantesque Insulte!”? Is that good?” Again with a laughing emoji. In his most recent post, he shared a review that called the reboot the worst movie of the year and said, “The review we’ve all been waiting for. It’s a bit like flogging a dead horse now so I think I’ll stop after this… until another funny one comes along!” So it’s safe to say that Proyas is really enjoying the reboot’s failure.
The post I, Robot director Alex Proyas calls out Elon Musk for Tesla’s similar designs appeared first on JoBlo.
Scalpers are just capitalism working efficiently. As such, they’re absolute scumbags who ruin fun things, proven yet again with the release of Larian’s physical “Collector’s Edition” of Baldur’s Gate 3. The enormo-box, sold out by official means, is now being listed for prices over $3,000.
Scalpers are just capitalism working efficiently. As such, they’re absolute scumbags who ruin fun things, proven yet again with the release of Larian’s physical “Collector’s Edition” of Baldur’s Gate 3. The enormo-box, sold out by official means, is now being listed for prices over $3,000.
Plot: Following the events of the Survivor series, Lara Croft has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures. But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artifact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection. Her daring pursuit will take her on an adventure around the world and to the depths of forgotten tombs, where she will be forced to confront her true self, and decide just what kind of hero she wants to become.
Review: The Tomb Raider franchise has always been stronger as a video game than it has been in live-action. The two Angelina Jolie-led feature films and the Alicia Vikander-led reboot were met with lukewarm reception. While the reboot hewed closer to the grittier tone of the more recent video games, none of the adaptations have captured the energy of Lara Croft in the way the franchise deserves. The Crystal Dynamics-produced Survivor trilogy, comprised of Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, was universally beloved by critics and fans as the best run in the series’ history. After the third and final game, the series now turns to an animated adaptation that continues the video game trilogy and a bridge from the prequels to the original entry in the Croft saga. Led by Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft, this Netflix animated series balances the humor and quick wit of the title character with an epic, globe-trotting adventure that fans will greatly appreciate.
Opening with a flashback to her time hunting for a Latin American artifact that shared a connection with Chinese history, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft begins with the title character mourning the loss of Conrad Roth (Nolan North), her Uncle, and dealing with her father’s legacy. When Lara (Hayley Atwell) decides to auction off all of Richard Croft’s artifacts, she runs into a thief named Charles Deveraux (Richard Armitage), who connects the Croft family and the mysterious item known as the Curse of God. Drawing on her experiences from the Survivor game trilogy, Lara teams with her friends Jonah (Earl Baylon) and Zip (Allen Maldonado) to reclaim the artifact and stop Deveraux from kick-starting another cataclysmic event. You know, typical Tomb Raider shenanigans. This also marks Zip’s first appearance since the 2008 game Tomb Raider: Underworld.
The series, having jumped over the trauma of how Lara lost Roth and the rift it drove between her and Sam Nishimura (Karen Fukuhara) and Joslin Reyes (Mara Junot), blends flashbacks to Lara’s trauma with her new adventure to find Deveraux. The eight-episode season brings the video game’s penchant for puzzles and riddles into the forefront rather than trying to make it into something different. A clear narrative thread connects the entire series, which owes a huge debt to the heavy character development from the three video games that directly preceded it. But, as dark as those games were, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is lighter, breezier, and more fun. That does not mean it waters down the subject matter, as this animated series is not afraid to shed some blood. Some fans may not immediately like the style of this series, which is a staple of Netflix animated projects. Still, you cannot say that the series differs greatly from the source material besides the more colorful palette.
What helps this Tomb Raider excel where the films have failed is the charisma of Hayley Atwell. Best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peggy Carter as well as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Atwell has been a charming presence for years. Imbuing Lara Croft with some emotional depth to balance her smart-ass attitude, Atwell is not as distant and cold a figure as Angelina Jolie was, nor is she as scrappy as Alicia Vikander. Because Camilla Luddington’s work portraying Croft in the Survivor games set the tone, Atwell can take the character to the next level. The addition of the other voice actors opposite Atwell, including Zoe Boyle as Camilla and Roxana Ortega as Abby, fleshes out this series from being considered just a cartoon to being held up as a more respectable action series, animated or otherwise.
Developed by Tasha Huo, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft does a solid job of blending the mythology of the original series of games alongside the rebooted continuity. Huo previously wrote for the Netflix series The Witcher: Blood Origin and the upcoming Red Sonja film. Powerhouse Animation and Red Dog led the way with the animation work on the series. Powerhouse Animation has been a consistent presence in recent years with work on series including Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, Skull Island, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Their style is consistent and does not shift much in Tomb Raider, which may create hesitancy in viewers who are not fans of the anime style. Nevertheless, it works here even if it is not the realistic style the video games have become known for, but it still allows for this first of two greenlit seasons to be enjoyable.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a fun adventure in the video game universe that builds on the existing mythology and continuity rather than forging its own path. Blending existing characters with new ones works well, and the eight-episode run wraps with a lead-in for the already greenlit season two. Hayley Atwell is a phenomenal Lara Croft, even if it is only in voice. This is a fun series that fans of video games will appreciate, and that is mainstream enough to allow newcomers to join the adventure of Lara Croft and her team of treasure hunters. I don’t think this series will usurp plans for another live-action Tomb Raider movie, but producers of the next film should take a cue from the tone and style of this animated offering when developing the next big screen outing.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premieres on October 10th on Netflix.
The post Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft TV Review: Hayley Atwell kicks ass as the video game icon appeared first on JoBlo.
Plot: Following the events of the Survivor series, Lara Croft has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures. But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artifact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection. Her daring pursuit will take her on an adventure around the world and to the depths of forgotten tombs, where she will be forced to confront her true self, and decide just what kind of hero she wants to become.
Review: The Tomb Raider franchise has always been stronger as a video game than it has been in live-action. The two Angelina Jolie-led feature films and the Alicia Vikander-led reboot were met with lukewarm reception. While the reboot hewed closer to the grittier tone of the more recent video games, none of the adaptations have captured the energy of Lara Croft in the way the franchise deserves. The Crystal Dynamics-produced Survivor trilogy, comprised of Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, was universally beloved by critics and fans as the best run in the series’ history. After the third and final game, the series now turns to an animated adaptation that continues the video game trilogy and a bridge from the prequels to the original entry in the Croft saga. Led by Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft, this Netflix animated series balances the humor and quick wit of the title character with an epic, globe-trotting adventure that fans will greatly appreciate.
Opening with a flashback to her time hunting for a Latin American artifact that shared a connection with Chinese history, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft begins with the title character mourning the loss of Conrad Roth (Nolan North), her Uncle, and dealing with her father’s legacy. When Lara (Hayley Atwell) decides to auction off all of Richard Croft’s artifacts, she runs into a thief named Charles Deveraux (Richard Armitage), who connects the Croft family and the mysterious item known as the Curse of God. Drawing on her experiences from the Survivor game trilogy, Lara teams with her friends Jonah (Earl Baylon) and Zip (Allen Maldonado) to reclaim the artifact and stop Deveraux from kick-starting another cataclysmic event. You know, typical Tomb Raider shenanigans. This also marks Zip’s first appearance since the 2008 game Tomb Raider: Underworld.
The series, having jumped over the trauma of how Lara lost Roth and the rift it drove between her and Sam Nishimura (Karen Fukuhara) and Joslin Reyes (Mara Junot), blends flashbacks to Lara’s trauma with her new adventure to find Deveraux. The eight-episode season brings the video game’s penchant for puzzles and riddles into the forefront rather than trying to make it into something different. A clear narrative thread connects the entire series, which owes a huge debt to the heavy character development from the three video games that directly preceded it. But, as dark as those games were, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is lighter, breezier, and more fun. That does not mean it waters down the subject matter, as this animated series is not afraid to shed some blood. Some fans may not immediately like the style of this series, which is a staple of Netflix animated projects. Still, you cannot say that the series differs greatly from the source material besides the more colorful palette.
What helps this Tomb Raider excel where the films have failed is the charisma of Hayley Atwell. Best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peggy Carter as well as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Atwell has been a charming presence for years. Imbuing Lara Croft with some emotional depth to balance her smart-ass attitude, Atwell is not as distant and cold a figure as Angelina Jolie was, nor is she as scrappy as Alicia Vikander. Because Camilla Luddington’s work portraying Croft in the Survivor games set the tone, Atwell can take the character to the next level. The addition of the other voice actors opposite Atwell, including Zoe Boyle as Camilla and Roxana Ortega as Abby, fleshes out this series from being considered just a cartoon to being held up as a more respectable action series, animated or otherwise.
Developed by Tasha Huo, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft does a solid job of blending the mythology of the original series of games alongside the rebooted continuity. Huo previously wrote for the Netflix series The Witcher: Blood Origin and the upcoming Red Sonja film. Powerhouse Animation and Red Dog led the way with the animation work on the series. Powerhouse Animation has been a consistent presence in recent years with work on series including Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, Skull Island, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Their style is consistent and does not shift much in Tomb Raider, which may create hesitancy in viewers who are not fans of the anime style. Nevertheless, it works here even if it is not the realistic style the video games have become known for, but it still allows for this first of two greenlit seasons to be enjoyable.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a fun adventure in the video game universe that builds on the existing mythology and continuity rather than forging its own path. Blending existing characters with new ones works well, and the eight-episode run wraps with a lead-in for the already greenlit season two. Hayley Atwell is a phenomenal Lara Croft, even if it is only in voice. This is a fun series that fans of video games will appreciate, and that is mainstream enough to allow newcomers to join the adventure of Lara Croft and her team of treasure hunters. I don’t think this series will usurp plans for another live-action Tomb Raider movie, but producers of the next film should take a cue from the tone and style of this animated offering when developing the next big screen outing.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premieres on October 10th on Netflix.
The post Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft TV Review: Hayley Atwell kicks ass as the video game icon appeared first on JoBlo.