Today's Double News: Baron Von Strucker's walk of shame

Two recent newsflashes on MS, courtesy of myself:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/153128/eerste_trailer_walk_of_shame

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/153094/nieuwe_schurk_avengers_age_of_ultron_gecast

*Sigh* Here I go again, getting al emotionally invested in what appears to be a fairly average American comedy starring all the usual suspects. That means, I admit I laughed at this trailer. Not the 'ROFLMAO' type of laughter, but definitely a mild case of smirky giggling in the private confines of my own home where I could not be judged by others for this short loss of self-control. Walk of Shame has some potential, but then, a lot of similar comedies did these past few years and very few of them did not succumb to poor, predictable endings plagued by re-establishing overly conservative ideological social patterns, despite making us suspect they opted for a different route at the start of the film by suggesting a rebellious attitude (We're The Millers, anyone?). Iwould wager coin on the assumption that after her ordeal is over, Banks gets hitched with James Marsden and chooses a generic romantic entanglement over embarking on the busy, prestigious life of a successful career girl (it's usually one or the other, never both). Surprises don't seem in store for us on this one, but there's no great shame (see what I did there?) in saying the trailer looks to deliver two hours of mindless enjoyment regardless.

What was surprising this week was the revelation that the Avengers will face a second villain in their next joined venture, Age of Ultron. As if the likes of a homicidal robot hellbent on the annihilation of the human race wasn't enough of a threat, Earth's Mightiest Heroes must now also face an all too human (more or less) nemesis with ties to Captain America's past as a WW II hero. Former Nazi officer and current Hydra overlord Baron Wolfgang von Strucker has the dubious honor of playing second fiddle to James Spader's maniacal mechanical man, though how the two relate to one another in the context of the plot - if at all - remains to be seen. Considering their goals and personal drives, an alliance between the pair seems unlikely. Kretschmann's ability to make for a worthy adversary is a given though. The noted German actor with his surprisingly durable and flexible Hollywood career has been one of my favorite actors on the European continent since playing the badass Captain Englehorn in Peter Jackson's King Kong. Maybe he'll succeed in making the good Baron an interesting baddie for a change, since I found him to be a rather dull character in the comics. Who needs another ex-Nazi leading Hydra if you already have the formidable Red Skull for that job? Though I would still pick Hugo Weaving (who played that particular character on Captain America: The First Avenger) over Kretschmann every (other) day, I'm positive the latter actor will cause the Avengers quite some grief for our viewing pleasure.