Today's News: movies, chappies and junkies

There's been some neat news these past few days, and I got a chance to post my fair share:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157896/nieuwe_trailer_voor_the_hobbit_the_battle_of_the_five_armies

A rather decent little trailer, says I. Seems Middle-Earth will go out with an appopriate bang, as did The Hobbit book to a lesser extent. Moderation surely isn't Peter Jackson's style, particularly if he knows he's not likely to show off like this again. Might as well go all-out one last time. Tolkien purists surely gave up on him right after An Unexpected Journey anyway. This precious trailer looks breathtaking and makes me water my mouth accordingly. However, I'm not the one who needs to be convinced to go see this movie, as I've been planning to do so for a few years now. I guess this trailer doesn't really need to be enticing anyway, as people who want to see the movie will see it anyway and people who don't, won't be pulled in any more by this preview, even if it does look awesome. This trailer definitely is for the fans, who live in the greatest of anticipation for one more month before the cinematic age of Middle-Earth comes crashing down. Unless they do find a way to decently adapt The Silmarillion for the big screen after all.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157867/eerste_trailer_minions

Then there's this trailer. There's a multitude of evil minions in Tolkien's stories, but none are as cute as these. You don't see Orcs getting a movie of their own. (Well, you do, but that's not what I mean.) But it's clear people enjoyed the shenanigans of Gru's little aides more than they did Gru's own sinister schemes, so a spin-off was required by the laws of Hollywood. It's still unclear whether Steve Carell's Gru is in the movie, as some sites claim he is while others deny as much. I think it likely this will serve as an origin story, showing how Gru and the Minions hooked up. Do we need to know that? Not really. I guess people just really like the Minions so much they want to see more of them than their creators originally intended. They're kinda like the Smurfs in that regard: they're small and there's many of them with various personalities, they have their own language, they're monochromatic, etc. If they're indeed a runaway success, will that mean we'll forget about Gru the same way the majority of the Smurfs reader are not aware of Johan and Pirrewiet? That would be a shame, as I think the Minions work best playing off Gru, who himself is an equally delightful character (the voice and nose alone crack me up). It's up to this Minions movie to determine whether the Minions have a staying power of their on, or whether we prefer Gru to be present as well.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157866/junkie_xl_werkt_mee_aan_soundtrack_batman_v_superman

As a fellow Dutchman it's of course expected of me to feel a sense of pride at Junkie XL's accomplishments. Well sure: good job, Mr. XL! Other than that this news doesn't evoke much emotional feelings in me other than gladness we'll be getting a good score for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (now if only we also got a good title...). Hans Zimmer's status as one of the world's leading movie soundtrack composers has long since been established. His tunes can be heard during my workouts on many an occasion (Gladiator is a particular favourite of mine). Junkie XL is just a bonus. His track record of Hollywood scores is still on the short side, but so far he has done well. I liked his score for 300: Rise of an Empire more than the one from its predecessor. Divergent's soundtrack is not nearly as memorable - can't remember a single accord of it for the life of me, to be honest - but at least it didn't leave as sour a taste as the rest of that film did. I like the notion of two composers sharing duties between superheroes' separate scores. It makes sense someone else trackles Batman for this film, as Zimmer already scored that character for the entire Dark Knight trilogy. Since this is a different Batman, a different theme is in order and so a different composer is a logical conclusion. Since we are talking about the same Superman as the one from Man of Steel however, it's only apt that Zimmer keeps scoring him. Big question now is: who's gonna score the inevitable combined superhero/Justice League theme? Zimmer, XL or somebody else entirely?

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157879/eerste_trailer_chappie

Neill Blomkamp continues to dabble in socially pertinent science fiction flicks. It worked out great in District 9, a little less so with Elysium, but there's still more contemporary injustice to be commented upon. From the looks of the trailer, Chappie seems to deal with a 'nature versus nurture' debate: does an artificial intelligence become a criminal because he was "raised" in such an environment, or were there signs of bad behaviour in his personality from the get-go? Does he acknowledge good from evil to begin with, or are such notions beyond his understanding because of the limits in his programming? Is a life of crime considered a logical and reasonable existence under the situations according to the codes written within him? It'll be interesting to see what Blomkamp has to say on the matter, since things are never so black and white in his work. The gritty, down-to-earth look of his Sci-Fi remains catchy, especially in a story closer to home than one dealing with space stations and exoskeletons. This film definitely is worth keeping an eye on. It'll be fascinating to see a robot attempting a robbery for financial gain, rather than a bunch of them trying to take over the world for a change.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157895/titel_star_wars_episode_vii_onthuld

Meh... Damn silly title. I can understand it's not an Episode proper, considering the new studio, the new director and the new direction the franchise takes (but despite the very old cast members returning). But I still find Star Wars Episode VII to be a catchier title than Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The latter kinda sounds like a video game, a bastard child of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed or something. And is this title suggesting the actual Force was asleep during all the previous movies? Yeah, right! I guess J.J. Abrams is the 'Force' in question and he has awoken to make something new and exciting of the franchise (or so he thinks), rather than the dull generic crap he pushed on us with his dreadful Star Trek reboots, during which he was obviously too much asleep to give a crap. And please tell me that isn't the official logo for the movie. It looks like a cheap fan creation. Not that there aren't any fans who could have come up with better titles, of course. How about Star Wars Episode VII: The Empire Takes Over the Franchise?

Jurassic Park III: Brachiosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Description: this Sauropod (large four legged animal with typical long neck) stands in a fairly neutral position except for the tail, which is bent, and for his right front leg, which is lifted off the ground and points forward, so the dino strike action can easily be activated. This action consists of a swinging tail attack, accompanied by a low roaring sound. A second sound can be produced by pushing the white button in the dino damage wound: when pushed, a shrieking roar can be heard, as if the creature was howling in pain. The wound is located at the right flank, and is basically a red spot (muscle tissue) with small white spots (bones) in it. As usual, the wound cannot be covered up, but is constantly exposed. The figure’s long neck is bendable, but only slightly.

This sculpt sports a mostly blue paint job, with the undersides of its body parts (belly, neck, tail, legs and feet) coloured white with greyish blue stripes. The rest of the legs, as well as the flank, most of the neck and head, are painted light blue. The top of the tail and most of its back and neck are coloured in dark blue. The Brachiosaurus has tiny yellow eyes, nostrils on top of the head and black claws on its elephant like feet. A black JP III logo can be found on its right hind leg.

Analysis: this is the only non hatchling Sauropod figure of all the JP toy lines (except for the Chaos Effect Amargospinus maybe), and as such deserves some points on originality. It’s still not as big as most fans would have wanted it to be, but it’s better than nothing. Consider it a juvenile Brachiosaurus.

It looks quite good, though the paint job is more festive than we’re used to with Sauropods. They’re mostly depicted as being dull grey or brown, but since we don’t know what colours they actually had, it’s not a wrong paint job. It could have been better though: especially the white is a bit boring. Unfortunately Hasbro once again felt the need to apply the typical dino damage wound which of course can’t be covered up. It’s pretty annoying to finally have a larger Sauropod sculpt, only to see it has its insides exposed like this, but it’s something we’ll have to learn to live with.

The sounds are new, and in fact the only new sounds in the Wave 2 line. Again some credit has to be given to Hasbro: instead of reusing the Triceratops sounds (the only other four legged herbivore of the JP III toy lines) they made some new ones. A shame they didn’t do that for the Tapejara figure of this toy line. The attack feature of this figure is nothing too special; push the leg downwards and the tail starts whipping. Unfortunately the tail is bent in a weird position, so it looks less impressive than it might have been had the tail not been bent in this fashion. Still, the action is enough to knock figures over. It’s also a good thing the neck is bendable, though it’s a somewhat predictable feature.

Playability: well enough. The legs are poseable, as is the neck. However, the bent tail and the leg pointing upwards are a bit of a letdown. It would have been better if the tail was bendable as well, so the figure could fit in its box without the tail sticking out and the dino action would still work properly. It’s an electronic figure, so you can’t play too rough with it if you want to keep the electronics intact.

Realism: this animal is instantly recognizable as a Sauropod dinosaur. Also, the shape of the head and the position of the neck makes it clear this is a Brachiosaurus, or at least a close relative. It doesn’t look the same as the Brachiosaurs featured in both JP and JP III (which also didn’t look very similar as they underwent a design change for JP III), mostly because of the different paint job. The Brachiosaurs in JP were mostly grey, while the JP III specimens sported a somewhat reddish brown colour. This model is not entirely paleontologically correct: the front legs should have been a tad longer compared to the hind legs, and the tail, though bent, appears to be too long. I’m also unsure about the correct number of toes.

Repaint: no. However, this sculpt would be repainted once for JP Dinosaurs 3.

Overall rating: 7/10. It’s nice to finally have a larger Brachiosaurus figure, even though it still leaves some things to be desired. It could have been better and bigger overall, but at least we’re no longer Sauropodless. This figure is somewhat rarer than the Wave 1 figures, but still findable, even in overseas territories were it had a more limited release. It’s worth a place in any JP fan’s collection, and probably acquirable at not too great a cost.

Today's News: murderers, redundant Sci-Fi en drop-outs

Busy start of the week, I'd say:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157832/nieuwe_trailer_12_monkeys_serie

Is there a point to this? Sure, the movie is 20 years old by now and thus it's totally time for a remake, reboot or whatever, by Hollywood standards. But why make a series out of a two hour movie? And not even a miniseries at that, but what the network hopes will develop into a regular running show. I simply don't see that happen, it seems there's far too little source material available for that. Plus, the strong climax of the movie is not something you can hold off indefinitely episode after episode, while revealing it would mean the emotional core of the story is done and over with and there are no more surprises left. Maybe the writers have thought of ways to flesh out characters and situations, but even then it just doesn't seem to offer much more than its premise. And of course it has to live up to its forebear, a movie many people already have seen so they know how it ends and what it's basically all about. Then of course it must survive being compared to the original movie in terms of visuals, which is also a tough act to follow (it was one of them wacky Terry Gilliam movies, remember?). There's just too many elements working against the series from its inception. I'm surprised it was ever made into a series in the first place. No offense, monkeys. but I just don't see this running for more than a season.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157831/trailer_murder_of_a_cat

Looks like a charming indie-comedy. As a cat owner, I can sure understand the protagonist's plight. I would find it quite abhorrent, disturbing and emotionally scarring to find my cat shot with an arrow - though that is not a likely scenario in my area, you can never rule it out entirely - and the police not taking it seriously because it's "just a cat". And I know full well the natural duplicity of cats, their tendency to have relational affairs around the neighbourhood with whomever is willing to stroke their fur and give them a bite. So I can definitely relate to this. Otherwise it seems like a fairly trite but true concept: a socially awkward guy is shaken out of his cocoon by unfortunate circumstances that brings him into contact with a nice girl. Not particularly original, the stuff of many indie-comedies in fact, but sympathetic enough. I'm glad to know Fran Kranz is still actively acting, I haven't heard or seen a thing from him since his delightful performance in the brilliantly unpredictable horror flick The Cabin in the Woods. Sure, he's playing a nerd again, but that suited him last time, so I see no reason why it shouldn't now. Nerds, also a thing I can definitely relate to. *sighs*

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157825/leatherface_vindt_regisseurs

Here's another thing most of us don't need, except for the people who'll just swallow anything containing blood & gore around Halloween. It's not like the previous Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel was any good or worth remembering. I don't see why it would this time, as the notion of a teenage Leatherface doesn't intrigue me at all. In fact, I'm much averse to the idea of prequels exploring the origins of great villains in the first place, as it tends to demystify them more than benefits their persona. How often have we seen a film like this where delving into his younger psyche made the evil in question even more sinister? Why do we constantly need to be reminded that the monster was once just a guy like the rest of us, telling us we could all go down that route if we're unlucky? We have history to remind us of such distressing facts. I can think of no horror prequel where exploring the background of the menace helped sustain its sense of dread and frightfulness to the same degree it would have done without such a background. Darth Vader, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Hannibal Lecter, Dracula, all of their reputations as phenomenal villians suffered from telling too much about their past. And since Leatherface already underwent such a treatment, I don't see the need to make things even worse. Now that's the true evil only money hungry studio executives can cause.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157850/syfy_maakt_vervolg_op_2001_a_space_odyssey

Another production of which the validity can be questioned. Especially as a separate entity, rather than a retelling of the long story that preceded it. Now any comparison with the two Odyssey movies - one an undying classic, the other one, not so much - is inescapable. After all, this will basically serve as the conclusion of a tale unfinished for 30 years. Wouldn't it have made more sense to start from scratch? I guess the thought of actually remaking 2001: A Space Odyssey first would be too sacriligious even for Hollywood. That's a good thing, but it does make it harder for audiences to get a grip on the story, as I doubt that many are familiar with the sequel 2010 (1984). Rightly so, as it simply wasn't a very good film. But since there's no new material introducing this new miniseries, we  dive right into a deep story that's been laying dormant for decades. We'll either to have to brush up on prior events by our own accord, or just roll with it. And I bet most spectators will go for the second option, just because they're lazy and they can't be bothered to check out old films. I think it's gutsy to produce this show, particularly so late in the game, but whether it's a smart move remains to be seen. No matter what talent attached to it (Sir Ridley!!), I wouldn't hold my breath on too stellar a result just to be on the safe side. But hey, if its fails, at least it's a miniseries rather than a regular one, so it won't leave us hanging in the dark of space as its predecessors did (and as the 12 Monkeys series is likely to end up doing, except for the space bit).

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157848/bale_uit_biopic_steve_jobs

Wow, that was fast. Usually it takes actors quite a bit longer to admit to themselves they're not right for a part and drop out. It's both a blessing and a curse Bale left when he did. This Steve Jobs film is still early in production, so there's time as yet to find a suitable replacement. However, a solid actor like Bale leaving is simply a negative thing in the eyes of most people, there's no denying. Then again, the project survived both David Fincher and Leonardo DiCaprio calling it quits, and their replacements turned out alright. I doubt Danny Boyle is gonna depart simply because Bale just did. Maybe all these stars dropping out is a good sign to the studio they need to find someone less picky for the part. How about a talented but relatively unknown actor instead? It would sure help the budget. Looking at it in such a fashion, this is not a loss, but a great opportunity instead. And at least they still have Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Unless he drops out, too. And even if the project now fails entirely, we'll always have that lovely jOBS movie with Ashton Kutcher.

Jurassic Park III: Aqua Attack Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Description: this figure stands in an attack posture, with its mouth opened, its head panned to the right, its long arms ferociously stretched forward, and its tail bent downwards. The mouth cannot be closed. Like all Hasbro sculpts it has a dino damage wound, located on the right flank: it shows some ribs and muscle tissue. The upper part of the middle rib is actually a button and activates a shrieking roar as if the creature is yelping in pain. The front part of the sail, next to its neck, is also a button which can be pressed downwards: when doing so, the Spino moves its arms up and down, as if making a slicing strike movement. It also causes an attack roar to be heard. The sounds are the same noises the Wave 1 Spino produced.

The bottom part of this animal is painted in a greyish white colour with some vague brown stripes mixed in. The upper part of the creature (upper jaw, neck, sail, back and upper tail) is mostly covered in a dark reddish brown paint job, with a slightly shiny look at some parts (mostly the sail). The sail is adorned with a row of 19 shiny blue stripes on each side. The dinosaur has black claws, and a black JP III logo is found on its right upper leg.

Analysis: this figure is an improvement over the Wave 1 Spino figure, but only slightly so. It still leaves some things to be desired and looks less impressive than the Animatronic Spinosaurus. The paint job is done well enough, but not great: especially the underside of the animal sports a somewhat dull colour and could have used more detail. It’s odd this paint job is so much different than the one the other Spinosaur toys (except for the Military Diver’s small Spino figure) featured: does Spinosaurus changes colour in water or something?

Like the Wave 1 Spino, this sculpt has almost no body mass, and consists mostly of limbs, sail and head. It’s very skinny, and naturally sports one of those irritating wounds Hasbro is so fond of. The position of the tail and the fact the mouth can’t be closed are also downsides. However, the figure has some good points too. For one thing, the sail is bigger and looks cooler, and the tail is also longer, and thus more realistic, than that of its predecessor. The dino strike action works well enough: it’s a shame it’s copied from the Wave 1 Alpha Raptor and Dilophosaurus actions though. The sounds are the same as those of the Wave 1 Spino, except the sound quality has been improved, making the roars louder and more imposing. Overall, this figure evokes mixed feelings.

Playability: not very good. The limbs are poseable, but the figure’s tail is bent in a very weird angle and also hinders movement of the right leg. The mouth is permanently opened (unless one customizes the figure): it wouldn’t have been so much trouble applying a way to open and close it at will? The figure is electronic, so if you wish to keep the roars in working order, don’t go playing to wild with this toy.

Realism: this figure resembles the Spinosaurus seen in JP III more than the Wave 1 Spino did, mostly because of the bigger sail and longer tail. There are still differences though: the paint job is again not the same as the JP III Spino sported, and the body is disproportionably small. Other than that it’s instantly recognizable as a Spinosaurus, mostly because of the sail and the unmistakably crocodilian head.

Repaint: no. This figure would not be repainted either, though a repaint was scheduled for the JP III Camo-Xtreme line (the infamous Desert Spinosaurus; only one of them is known to have ended up on the market. This means that technically this scuplt has been repainted, but since there’s only one it should be classified as unreleased and thus doesn’t count.).

Overall rating: 6/10. It’s not the best Spinosaur sculpt – that honour is still bestowed on the Animatronic Spinosaurus I’d say – but it’s better than the Wave 1 Spino figure and not all that bad to own. It’s a bit rarer than the Wave 1 figures, but not impossible to find, if you should want one.

Today's News: machines in revolt and intellectual theft

The week has picked up some speed in terms of notable news items:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157772/marvel_maakt_inhumans_en_captain_marvel

Yes, there was more news to report on, since Marvel saw fit to wash away al our questions on their projects for the next five years in a deluge of news, and I didn't post it all at once to keep people from getting overdosed on superheroes. So here's a sort of follow-up on what I posted earlier this week, though I will of course refrain from getting repetitive. I'm not gonna drone on about Marvel Studios' first female solo film as others have, since that is beginning to get old news, as both DC and Sony are developing female superheroine flicks of their own. I've known women can make capable superheroes ever since I started reading comics 20 years ago. So I consider Captain Marvel - who I've noticed isn't named Ms. Marvel, as in most of her comic book history, since that would likely be too sexist - in no way to be more worthy of anticipation that the other Marvel properties in development. The only thing that puzzles me is Marvel's apparent decision to have her team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy rather than the Avengers. I guess there's room for only one captain on Marvels primary superhero team, and having two of them, both blond and strong, might confuse audiences needlessly, even though one of them features boobs.

Still, I'm more curious to see what Marvel plans on doing with the Inhumans. Making a movie based on this superpowered human subspecies which has mostly featured as side characters in other franchise's series (and often not as good guys, too) seems like an odd choice. I guess Marvel still feels the need to include a team of misunderstood, villified outsiders the world hates and fears into their line-up, and since they don't own the rights to the X-Men any more, they decided to make do with this eclectic bunch of characters. Ideologically speaking, it's good to know Marvel still embraces the notion of taking a stand for people other than ourselves, teaching us that despite our often explosive differences we are all still only human and we should learn to live together rather than aim to kill those whose otherness scares us. I'm not sure the Inhumans are the best way to tackle said issues though, considering their aggressive history (which will undoubtedly undergo major rewriting to fit the bill more properly). Unlike the X-Men, they opt for selfimposed isolation rather than acceptance. They didn't move their entire civilization to the moon for nothing. Maybe they feel threatened by Richard Branson's attempt at commercializing space, which could end up in rampant, undesirable lunar tourism (though at the current rate his rockets keep exploding, that doesn't seem to be much cause for alarm). And if they get fed up with humanity somehow, will the Inhumans leave the moon and wreak havoc on Earth to preserve their genetic purity? I've already seen that movie, it's called Iron Sky (and I loved it, mind you!). I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Marvel intends to do with these people.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157824/extra_materiaal_avengers_age_of_ultron_online

But wait, there's more Marvel to go around. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still running, remember? And to keep people interested in a show that isn't drawing spectators in such a huge capacity as Marvel would like, they planned to air the first Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer during this week's episode. The Internet hindered those plans though, so the trailer premiered online a week earlier than originally planned. Didn't stop Marvel from keeping their word and air the trailer again on telly this week. It's the same preview, except for a short but highly enjoyable opening scene, which does a grand job reminding us why we like the Avengers as a group so much. They have a great interplay together, a wonderful group dynamic that just screams for Joss Whedon's talents writing for such groups, which is one of his more famous and respected trademarks. This particular segment also pays hommage to the comics though, in which similar scenes of hammerlifting have played out a few times before, and the results in terms of good humour are none the lesser on screen. I could probably watch a whole movie about the Avengers getting together just hanging out and idling their time, rather than getting serious when another interchangeable villain threatens the world or stuff. Particularly when Whedon writes it. Scenes like these suffice of course, as it's an equally great thing to see the Avengers gearing up for action together.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157774/eerste_trailer_netflix_serie_marco_polo

'Game of Thrones in ancient China', is basically what this series keeps being hyped up as. Not a bad comparison, as the situation Polo encountered in the Far East very much was a game of thrones. However, despite the sex and political intrigue, which thanks to the popularity of shows like Game of Thrones is starting to become a staple of television - which I don't mind at all - that's where most comparions between both shows end. Except for the whole medieval background with swordplay, horse riding and such of course. However, you'll find no supernatural creatures plotting the downfall of man in the background. Despite the cultural affinity of the Chinese for dragons, there's none to be seen in this series (which only saves on the undoubtedly already expensive VFX budget). A few attempts at sorcery are probably interspersed throughout here and there, but I bet Netflix won't go so far as to call up creepy demons from their actresses' naughty bits. The show doesn't need all that, as actual history is fantastic enough in this case, and the Chinese are plenty exotic all by themselves. If you want to compare shows, Marco Polo has more in common with the likes of Rome and Deadwood. Both also shows from HBO, it must be noted, since that network simply wrote the book on the subject matter of explicit sex and intrigue cable shows excel at revealing today. But considering Netflix's own repertoire with series á la House of Cards, I bet they have little trouble transporting such a rich narrative atmosphere to a period setting, even though the latter is still mostly unfamiliar terrain to them. And I look forward to seeing the result.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157785/eerste_trailers_ex_machina

I cannot say I'm as impressed by this trailer. It looks like rather standard Sci-Fi, but gives off the vibe of pretending to be more than that. If it is, I'm not seeing it. It appears to question the age-old demarcation between man and machine, the line where the latter becomes the former. That's about as old a science fiction concept as they come, though it still tends to fascinate. Using the guise of a beautiful woman to make it more easily acceptable for the audience to get drawn into the debate is also a hardly novel approach. Crafting a robot into the image of a sexual alluring and desirable female has been done to death ever since Metropolis in 1927. However, naming the robot in question Ava is less of an everyday occurrence. Yet Ex Machina has the dubious honour to share that aspect with The Machine, a movie with a suspiciously similar premise (and title, even), which only was released last year... So as they ask in New Jersey, 'what's up with that?!'. Intellectual theft, divine intervention or just a veeery coincidental coincidence mayhaps? I dunno, but it doesn't help getting me pumped for this movie, nor does the prospect of a writer turning director. In this case it's Alex Garland. Sure, he wrote a few good movies (including some science fiction titles, like Sunshine), but that doesn't mean he's a capable director. I haven't yet forgotten how a fine Director of Photography landed the director's chair for that godawful Transcendence, which also shares more than a few story beats with Ex Machina (though in that case it's 'man becoming an A.I.' rather than 'man building an A.I.'). Nor am I looking forward to the writer of J.J. Abrams' Trek fuck-ups directing what's set to be the third Trek fuck-up in a row, because Abrams is too busy fucking up (?) Star Wars. Just stick to your own trade, let directors direct. And let writers write. But don't let them write the same as other writers and get away with it. If that's indeed what's happening here.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157784/eerste_posters_insurgent

Here's another derivative little thing for you. Divergent is basically the next Hunger Games, except the new Hunger Games movie is actually the next Hunger Games. Nobody can deny there's many similarities between both stories. Doesn't mean Insurgent should also 'be inspired' visually by its rival. These new posters bear a fairly striking resemblance to some of the character posters released a few months back for Mockingjay - Part 1. Except they feature lesser actors, and less guns too (lesser budget, no doubt). Ripping off another movie's marketing campaign doesn't help setting you apart from that film. But my guess is a strong independent identity isn't Insurgent's goal. They're hitching a ride on the Hunger Games' success by enticing the same audience with the same sort of subject matter. The Hunger Games is making huge sums of money, so of course the producers don't feel bad leeching off that franchise by letting the audience know they offer a similar product. They're basically shouting 'if you enjoy the Hunger Games, check out this franchise while waiting for the next installment!'. It worked on Divergent, and it is likely to work for Insurgent as well. Doesn't make either of them better movies though. Or more original ones for that matter. The only thing Insurgent seems to have that Mockingjay - Part 1 does not, is a 3D release. And that doesn't get me more excited in the least. But then, I'm not the target audience. Impatient teenage girls who like The Hunger Games are. And considering Divergent made a lot of money as well, I suppose there's lots of those.

Jurassic Park III: Paul Kirby & Stegosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-Stegosaurus figure

-Net launcher (with “net”)

Description: this figure sports a light red, almost pink, shirt with a pair of binoculars over it, a gold watch, dark grey pants with darker tones mixed in, brown shoes and a brown belt. He shows signs of being attacked by some ferocious creature: his right leg features some rips in his pants, showing skin underneath, while his lower left leg is covered in bandages and part of his pants is missing. Paul has red hair and green eyes, but actor William H. Macy’s famous moustache, featured heavily in the JP III movie, is noticeably missing. The figure doesn’t stand in a neutral pose: his legs are in ‘walking mode’, with one leg moved forward and the other backward. His arms are bent, like he’s holding something. The figure has some slight balance problems and has a tendency to fall over.

The net launcher is entirely painted in metallic grey. It looks pretty sophisticated, but it’s a very simple design despite the detailed look: just push the lever and the end part moves upward, launching the net (or any item presently sitting on the device). The net is quite small, and all black. It’s got two ‘balls’ on its sides, with which it can be attached to the launcher.

The Stegosaurus certainly isn’t a hatchling (its plates are way too big), but appears to be a miniature version of an adult Stegosaurus. It’s basically coloured in three layers. The lower layer (the belly, legs, and undersides of the tail and neck) are painted grey with black stripes. The middle layer is coloured blue. The upper layer, consisting of the back, top of the head and tail, as well as the spikes and plates, is black. The eyes are yellow, and a black JP III logo can be found on its left back leg. The animal stands in an attack posture, with its body bend and its tail dangerously sticking out, like it’s defending itself from an aggressor.

Analysis: this figure evokes mixed feelings. Though Paul’s paint job is quite good, the sad fact he misses his trademark, the moustache, is a disappointment. I reckon many people had no trouble applying a moustache themselves though. The pose he takes on in also somewhat irritating: he easily falls over because of the position of his legs. The odd way in which he holds his arms, especially his left, also doesn’t help. But other than that this is a pretty good sculpt.

Unfortunately the net launcher is a different thing: it downright sucks. It looks ridiculous, and the net is far too small to catch anything. The nets are launched, but don’t get very far and rarely hit something (at least: they don’t catch anything). Even the Stegosaurus with its plates and spikes is easy to miss with this sucker. The material of which the net consists is also quite a bummer: one can’t help being remembered of all the wonderful nets the Kenner lines featured. The paint job of the launcher further diminishes the set: though the device is pretty detailed, it’s coloured in a monotonous paint job, like they couldn’t be bothered painting some of the details.

The Stegosaurus is fifty-fifty. The animal looks pretty good, but the paint job could have been better. Especially the dull black of the spikes and plates makes one want to get some paint and customize the poor creature. The attack posture looks pretty scary and aggressive, but it stands in the way of playability since the sculpt is in defensive mode only. A neutral pose would have been preferable.

Playability: quite limited unfortunately. The figure has the usual poseable body parts, but his position doesn’t help the playability. The Stegosaurus, which is not poseable in any way and stands in a very un-neutral pose, further hinders possibilities. The net launcher is just a disgrace to the very term ‘net launcher’ and should be utterly ignored.

Realism: Paul Kirby’s facial features look quite similar to those of Paul in the movie, despite the moustache being absent. His outfit is also different, but still pretty realistic for an everyman posing as a millionaire adventurer. There were no net launchers in JP III, and seeing this miserable contraption we can be nothing but grateful for that. The Stegosaurus is easily recognizable as a Stegosaurus (or a close relative), but doesn’t look much like the Stegosaurs featured in both TLW and JP III (we only saw a few shots of them in JP III anyway): the most noticeable difference is the paint job this figure sports. But also the position of the plates and spikes, as well as the relative long front legs this figure has, differ from its movie counterparts. It’s still relatively paleontologically correct though, except for the front legs maybe.

Repaint: no. However, the Stegosaurus would be repainted for future toy lines: once for JP III Camo-Xtreme, and twice again for JP Dinosaurs 2 and 3. (Note: one of the JPD models actually had the same paint job as the Camo-Xtreme model, so it was a reuse instead of a repaint. But JPD still featured two more paint jobs for this sculpt.)

Overall rating: 5/10. The figure looks pretty good, but is hampered by his posture, and the Stegosaurus even more so. The net launcher is just a plain disaster, the less spoken of it the better. This set isn’t very hard to find in the US, and probably at low cost, so if you feel you need one you can get it without much trouble. It’s a bit harder to find in overseas territories, but still not impossible to locate.

Jurassic Park III: Military Diver & Spinosaurus

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-Spinosaurus figure

-Missile launcher (with missile)

Description: this figure wears an all black suit, including black flippers, with a yellow vest over it, as well as several blue belts and dark grey highlights. On his right leg he wears a yellow knife holder with a knife in it (non removable). On his left upper arm an American flag (or something like it) is found, so this guy is part of the US military alright. His face is partially covered with breathing equipment, though he’s got nothing covering his eyes. He’s got a black air tank with more dark grey detailing on his back. He shows signs of a dinosaur attack on his left leg and right arm, showing skin. His weapon appears to be some sort of missile launcher. It’s coloured in a slightly metallic dark grey paint job, with a yellow missile sticking out of it on both sides. Pushing the end of the missile sort of launches it, though it doesn’t work very well.

The Spinosaurus is positioned in a crouching move, possibly stalking potential prey. Its left arm is raised upwards and its mouth is opened wide. The figure sports a grey paint job, with some shiny blue stripes on every part of its body, including the sail. A large red stripe, also in a shiny paint job, runs from its snout all the way to the end of its tail, including all over the sail. Its claws are painted black, its eyes are yellow and a black JP III logo is located on its left leg.

Analysis: this is a fairly decent figure. The diver sure looks like a diver, though not necessarily military, were it not for the flag on his arm. The figure stands in a rather neutral pose, except for his left leg, which is positioned in a forward move. The paint job is pretty good, with a fair amount of details. I’m not an expert on diving equipment, so I don’t know whether his gear is realistic, but it looks good enough to me.

The same can’t be said for the weapon. Once again Hasbro uses its own launching mechanism, with the push-the-end-of-the-missile system. It’s a rather lousy system anyway, but in this case it just doesn’t work right. The missile hardly flies in a straight line to its target but gets off course easily. It also does little damage if it hits anything at all, it just lacks the necessary impact force. That, and the fact it has a lame paint job, makes it a very disappointing gun.

The Spinosaurus is better by comparison, but nothing great in itself. It sits in a bit of an odd position and tends to fall over because it’s slightly out of balance with its left arm raised like that. The paint job is quite original, but doesn’t remind us of the colours the Spino in JP III had (though it is similar to the paint job of the Aqua Attack Spinosaurus of this toy line). It’s not the best JP III Spino figure by far, but decently enough.

Playability: not great. The diver’s limbs are all poseable, and the more or less neutral pose also helps. The weapon however is a lost cause, and one of the lamest weapons of all the Hasbro JP figures. The Spino is not poseable in any way and also doesn’t take on a neutral pose, so it doesn’t help the playability much.

Realism: there was no Military Diver in JP III. There were marines and military craft, but no divers. Hasbro just made the figure up. I think it would have been better if they had made soldiers like seen in the movie: instead they just made something up, but the result in this case is adequate enough. The weapon also wasn’t featured in the movie, and thank heaven for that!

The Spino certainly is recognizable as such, with its crocodilian jaws, sail and long arms, but other than that it doesn’t resemble the Spino from JP III much: the most noticeable difference is the odd paint job this figure sports which is in no way reminiscent of the colours Spino sported in the movie.

Repaint: no. However, the Diver and his weapon would be repainted for JP Dinosaurs 2 (Dimetrodon & Military Diver) and JP 2009 (while the repainted weapon was also found on the big Deluxe Electronic T-Rex set, paired with a repaint of the Military General instead).The Spinosaurus would be repainted four times, once for JP Camo-Xtreme, once more for JP Dinosaurs 2, and twice for JP 2009.

Overall rating: 6/10. The figure is okay, though the weapon sucks. The dinosaur is decent enough, but nothing too special. This set is not very hard to find in the USA, so if you want one you could probably get it relatively cheap and not have much trouble finding it. It’s a bit harder to get your hands on in some other territories, but still far from impossible to find.