ANNOUNCEMENT

And so, with 2012 drawing to an end, The Daily Planet Review Section is going on a brief hiatus and will return in 2013 retooled and rebooted with the return of old columns/features and the beginning of new columns/features.

Hope you all have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

HOT TUESDAYS 

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Merry Xmas

Classic...

RANDOM STUFF

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

XMAS SPECIAL

NEWSWEEK

New Vertigo Executive Editor announced (Source: IGN)

First image from The World's End (Source: SFX)

Ninth season for How I Met Your Mother (Source: Digital Spy)

CW prepping new Robin Hood series "Sherwood" (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

Michael Caine gives us The Dark Knight Trilogy Alfred's backstory (Source: The TDKR UK Facebook page)

Jackman signs onto X-Men: Days of Futures Past (Source: Latino Review)

Gail Simone takes over as writer of Batgirl from, uh, Gail Simone (Source: Newsarama)

Suicide Squad movie on hold (Source: Collider)

Dan Slott ridiculously gets death threats (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Guardians of the Galaxy frontrunners (Source: IGN)

QUICKIES

YEAR END SPECIAL

So, 2012 is close to ending. I have sifted through all the flicks I am seen in the cinematorium this year and have whittled down my top 5:-

5. DREDD

This may seem an odd choice given it's similarity with the critically acclaimed The Raid. However, I enjoyed the old fashioned 80's violence nature of the movie. A tight script, nice direction and fine acting over power the needless 3D and bordering on tedious slo-mo. It is a shame that Dredd didn't find the audience it should have, but that will hopefully change when it comes to the home theatre release. A fine nostalgic throwback.

4. ARGO

A taut thriller with a viciously funny streak. Affleck is turning into an excellent director whose output I always look forward to, plus he grows one quality beard. An excellent cast, with no real standout between many fine performances. The tension is built up until the very end where, despite the director trying to ramp it up one final time, it fails. I also loved the use of the old WB Logo at the start of the flick. Excellent work, Mr Affleck.

3. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Now, there is a lot wrong with this movie (succinctly pointed out in the Honest Trailer) but that doesn't stop this from being one awesome movie that perfectly climaxes Chris Nolan's version of the Batman story. Anne Hathaway, like Ledger before her though not on the same level, is a revelation as Selina Kyle and I dare anyone not to have a lump in their throat at Caine's penultimate scene as Alfred. Whilst it never raises to the level of it trilogy predecessors, Nolan has crafted a fine movie with the aid of a top notch collection of cast and crew.

4. THE ARTIST

The Artist is full of wit and charm that infects the audience. Sometimes you can get jaded with film and cinema, but then a piece comes along that catches you by surprise and reaffirms your love of the medium. The Artist was that movie for me on a chilly day in January. For a long period of the year this was, hands down the best film of 2012 for me (and third of all time, a position it still holds), however then I came across:

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

A wonderful movie through which we watch the death of a parent through the eyes of a child whose whole world has crashed around her and she can't quite comprehend. Though it shares some of it's DNA with Pan's Labyrinth, which hinders it in the mind of the viewer slightly, it is original enough to stand on it's own to feet as a beautiful, beautiful film. Quvenzhane Wallis gives such an acting tour of force that it puts a Hell of a lot of the older actors to shame and could teach them a thing or two about the skill of their profession. A stunning, poetic, beautiful piece of cinema.

Honorable mentions: Looper, Skyfall, Cabin in the Woods, Headhunters (Hodejegerne) and The Muppets.

HOT TUESDAYS

Abbey Clancy

Oh, Man. I am now incredibly excited about this flick (like I wasn't already...):-

HOT TUESDAYS

Roxanne McKee

HOT TUESDAYS

Sarah Harding

Or, alternatively:

HOT TUESDAYS

Rebecca Hall

HOT TUESDAYS

Jessica Jane Clements

HOT TUESDAYS

India De Beaufort

HOT TUESDAYS

Jo May

HOT TUESDAYS

Leilani Dowding

HOT TUESDAYS

BOND SPECIAL

Olga Kurylenko

BOND SPECIAL

With Skyfall at the local cinematorium come the 26 October 2012, I decided to revisit an idea I had before The Dark Knight Rises was released: dream casting.

Using the following rules of the road:

• Time/money is no object;
• No actor who has appeared in Bond (to my knowledge) can be considered;
• Characters from other Bond movies are not off limits.

I came up with a dream cast for my ultimate Bond movie.

Liam Neeson as James Bond

Max von Sydow as Blofeld

Julie Christie as Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo

Alec Guinness as M

Angelina Jolie as Xenia Onatopp

Stephen Fry as Q

Kristin Scott Thomas as Ms Moneypenny

Sidney Poitier as Felix Leiter

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

BOND SPECIAL

HOT TUESDAYS

Kelle Marie

HOT TUESDAYS

Katie McGrath

DEATH OF THE FAMILY IS COMING

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

NEWSWEEK

First footage from Star Trek Into Darkness (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Deadshot pics (Source: TV Line)

WB turns 90, changes logo and re-releasing Wizard of Oz in 3D (Source: IGN)

Multiversity coming in 2013 (Source: Newsarama)

5 Actresses auditioning for Captain America 2 (Source: Deadline)

Success of the Avengers causes rethink of del Toro's Hulk TV show (Source: SFX)

Affleck turned down Daredevil return (Source: Digital Spy)

First look at Capullo's die-cast Death of the Family covers (Source: CBR)

Iron Man 3 set pics (Source: Daily Mail)

David S Goyer on Man of Steel (Source: Collider)

Famke Janssen hints at X-Men return (Source: IGN)

Danny "Jonathan off Buffy" Strong to adapt Mockingjay (Source: Variety)

Family Guy creator to present 2013 Oscars (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Lone Ranger pics (Source: USA Today)

Cumberbatch talks Smaug (Source: Total Film)

S.H.I.E.L.D cast descriptions (Source: CBR)

HOT TUESDAYS

Kelly Brook

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

RANDOM STUFF

A new Hobbit poster and scroll focusing on the dwarves:

A first look at Kelly Hu as China White in Arrow:

Together with a new poster released by the CW:

The legend that is Bruce Timm has been busy over on Twitter with some sketches:

HISHE have been at it again:

NEWSWEEK

First look at Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine (Source: Newsarama)

Dredd fizzles in the US (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

Frank Millers Justice League? (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Who producer will negotiate with Peter Jackson (Source: SFX)

Fox's shortlist of helmers for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Source: Deadline)

Rian Johnson also wants to direct Who (Source: Digital Spy)

Mark Millar going to be 20th Century Fox's Marvel movies guru (Source: Latino Review)

Freeman joins The Worlds End (Source: IGN)

Webb returning for Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Source: Variety)

Introducing the West family (Source: DC Comics blog)

HOT TUESDAYS

Miss Wales 2012
(Sophie Moulds)

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

NEWSWEEK

DC December 2012 solicitations (Source: IGN)

Peter Jackson wants to direct an episode of Doctor Who (Source: SFX)

Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers 2 (Source: Cosmic Book News)

Amy Adams talks Man of Steel co-stars (Source: Latino Review)

Look at the Nu-Robocop (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Midnight, Mass in development... again (Source: Deadline)

Amazing Spider-Man to "end" with issue #700 (Source: Digital Spy)

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman going to be separate from those in Justice League (Source: Batman on Film)

Ultimate Cap's decision (Source: Newsarama)

Gunn confirms he will direct Guardians of the Galaxy (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

Director may pull out of Apes sequel (Source: IGN)

Manimal to be remade into movie (Source: Hollywood Reporter)

Planet Hulk movie? (Source: MTV)

SFX speaks to Glen A Larson about Manimal movie (Source: SFX)

The Dark Knight Rises DVD/Blu Ray release date (Source: Batman News)

Jeff Winger's Dad cast (Source: Digital Spy)

Bale & Ledger pics from The Dark Knight (Source: Imgur)

Black Zero in Man of Steel? (Source: Bleeding Cool)

New Looney Tunes movie has a writer (Source: Hollywodd Reporter)

QUICKIES

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - First off, Kevin James is affable and Jessica Biel is sexy as Hell. But... Biel is bad in this movie and her role is nothing more than cliche romantic cannon fodder, the script is not funny and borderline homophobic (even when it tries to be pro-gay) and Rob Schneider is in it. Once again an Adam Sandler movie that fails be to any kind of funny. Final Rating: 1/5

Joe Versus the Volcano - The first of the Hanks/Ryan trilogy and the most enjoyable. The leads have always had a likable chemistry with each other that really shines here as they spend a lot of screen time together (ableit with Ryan in three roles). The script is strong for what essentially is romantic comedy, and is darker than you'd expect if you only watched Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. Hanks, before he got into the more dramatic role, is ever charming and Ryan is her usual level of kooky, though the two sisters she plays come offer rather similar despite supposedly having differing personalities. An enjoyable romantic comedy. Final Rating: 3.5/5

Wonder Woman - This, Bros. Warner, is how to make a Wonder Woman movie. Whilst the studio have tried for years to get a live action Wonder Woman movie off the ground, Bruce Timm et al have come in an knocked it outta the park. It is a suitably epic retelling of the Wonder Woman origin with well cast voice roles, particularly Fillion and Molina, and lively direction. Final Rating: 4/5

Following on from his "The Dark Knight Rises" mondo poster, Jock has now given us one for the Dredd flick:

(Source: Robot 6 @ CBR)