Jesse Eisenberg will be Lex Luthor in the Batman vs Superman Movie (2016)

This project really intrigues me. It seems that at the moment in terms of movie news I only talk about Zach Synder's sequel to last year's Man of Steel. Yet more news has broken out so let's talk about it...

Warner Brothers have announced that Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland, Now You See Me) will play Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor in the now 2016 release. Also announced was that Jeremy Irons will play Alfred.

First things first, I am aware that they've pushed the movie back a whole year, which frankly I was initially very upset with. However, once I stopped grimacing at not having an Avengers VS Justice League 2015 box office showdown, I started to think more positively. If it takes them an extra year to produce a better script, then that is fine by me.  Many people believe that this movie is going to be  a sloppy mess and I hope that the writers prove those people wrong. I know it's easy to hate something if you're crushed by your own expectations and it's even harder when Batman and Superman are going to be in the same movie.

Other announcements like Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonderwoman I was generally positive about. The Internet is making too much of a thing with Affleck and as for Gadot as Wonderwoman, if she changes her physique to fit the role then she'll be absolutely fine. Now, I am a little sceptical..

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor just doesn't look right when I type it? He's an ok actor and I do like him in the roles that he's in, but as Lex Luthor? Superman's arch nemesis? The DC Universe's most menacing villain? I just don't know...

I honestly hope the guy proves me wrong. Do a Heath Ledger, completely own the role and capture the essence of what Lex Luthor is, a greedy, power-hungry insane businessman who will do anything to get what he wants. If Eisenberg can play this role differently to how he usually plays the roles he's cast as, we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

However, at the moment I think that Zach Synder is either casting Eisenebrg to try and seriously shock the community or is doing it because he sees him as the right man to play the Lex Luthor that he has envisioned for this franchise.

Its true that I would have preferred other people to Eisenberg in the role. Mark Strong would have been good, but If it had been Bryan Cranston (Lord Heisenberg himself) or Joaquin Phoenix (one of the best actors we have), I would have been more happy. Still, Cranston could probably find a role as Jim Gordon in this movie or the next. That would be awesome.

On to more positive news I really like the idea of Jeremy Irons as Alfred. It gives opportunity for the filmmakers to take that character in a direction we haven't seen before, which isn't a bad thing.

So what does everyone else make of all of the Batman vs. Superman announcements so far? Do you like them all? Do you hate every single one of them? Or are you a little on the fence? This is probably the first announcement I'm not entirely settled on, I hope this is the only one when future announcements are made!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Now You See Me Movie Review

I have to admit, this is probably the most difficult movie to review out of all the movies I've done so far. It's hard because I don't wish to ruin the plot for you, yet its so hard to talk about without small details which could give away the plot. Now You See Me is very much a "see it for yourself" kind of film and it's been out for absolutely ages. I only saw it recently, so here we go..

Now You See Me is basically a heist movie. 4 magicians come together early on in the film and then we skip straight to the events of a year later. The group are using magic to rob a bank. That is only the start.

I like how the story is paced really well. It wastes no time in getting into the thick of things as the first 10 minutes introduce us to all 4 main characters, the different tricks they are capable of performing, the whole concept of magic and deception and of course them joining forces. It doesn't wait around it just gets straight to the point which I was really glad of.

The crew of magicians all work really well together as a group. They are all varied as characters, but share a similar goal. The dialogue between the characters is subtle yet interesting. I liked the majority of them; Eisenberg is generally a good actor and does everything he needs to do to portray the lead character, Fisher is not only ridiculously attractive but does a good job too and Harrelson provides subtle comic relief in a way which does not feel forced.

However, I can't help but feel that Dave Franco's character was the weakest of the bunch. If you took him out of the movie, it wouldn't have been any different (in ways that I won't spoil for you, you'll just have to trust me!). This kind of bummed me out.

Then of course you add Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman into the mix. Both are incredibly talented actors and both do a very good job with the characters they play. I wouldn't say they are out and out villains in this movie, but they both play slightly different roles to what they are usually cast as.

Finally, Mark Ruffalo. Big fan of this main after his stunning portrayal of Bruce Banner in the Avengers and he does a really good job in this movie as well. He plays the FBI agent who is trying to catch the "Four Horseman" but he isn't a villain in any way. He's just your average guy with feelings and things he cares about and I like how they show us that in this movie. It's not your average good people vs. bad people showdown.

I had a great time with this movie. If you need logic and reason to help you appreciate things then give this movie a miss. You have to open up your imagination to really appreciate the elements in this movie. Could the events of the movie happen in real life? Definitely not! But it's still downright fun and entertaining with an open mind!

As for the magic tricks in this movie, they were all really good. Sure, they aren't realistic but they are all interesting and entertaining to watch. They don't constantly repeat the same trick but rather use a collection of tricks to always keep you on your toes.

There is also a slight romance going on but it isn't really the showpiece behind the movie or something to remember the movie for.

The film's plot is well paced and all the characters (with the exception of Dave Franco) get enough screen time to strut their stuff. There are so many twists and turns in the plot as well. Some may say there are too many but I respectfully disagree. I was constantly engaged and had to remain focused for the majority of this film with everything that was going on.

I also have to give Isla Fisher another mention, because why wouldn't I want to?

I probably need to watch it a second time. But, after that I don't think I will need to watch it anymore to understand the "ins" and "outs" of the plot. It's not like Inception where you can watch it 6 or 7 times and pick up something new each and every time. Doesn't have the same re-watch value. Still, I was a fan of the majority of this movie and this is how I would rate it.


Rating - B

1 sentence summary - A well paced story of magic and deception which engages you in the plot with all it's twists and turns.



Have you seen Now You See Me? Did you enjoy the film? Are you going to buy it on DVD or on Blu-ray? Leaving a comment would be much appreciated..

Thank you yet again for reading,
Matt