James Bond

Soapbox: 8 Movie Theories That Are Actually True (And 8 That Definitely Aren’t)

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Crazy-Movie-Theories-Header
Unfortunately, there’s no crazy theory that links Frozen to James Bond…yet

For almost as long as there have been movies, there have been crazy fan theories to go along with them. The internet has only given rise to this phenomenon, with a seemingly endless stream of out-there hypotheses cropping up that claim to put a whole new spin on new and classic films.

Some of these theories are taken very seriously by their proponents. These viewers genuinely believe that – by picking up subtle clues missed by the wider audience – they have unearthed hidden storytelling elements hidden by the filmmakers.

Conversely, other lines of conjecture were only ever intended in jest. These theories are designed simply to entertain, and those involved don’t really believe they hold any factual merit. Sometimes, it’s just plain fun to dream up hilarious alternate readings of blockbusters and innocent family outings.

Regardless of whether they are intended to be earnestly informative or side-splitting, these outlandish theories are typically dismissed by film critics, cinema buffs or even the filmmakers themselves. After all, they couldn’t possibly be true – or could they? As it turns out, sometimes, the answer is actually “yes”!

Here’s a round-up of 8 Crazy Movie Theories That Are Actually True (And 8 That Definitely Aren’t).

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Advertisements
Soapbox: 8 Movie Theories That Are Actually True (And 8 That Definitely Aren’t)

Soapbox: 15 Major Movie Villains That Didn’t Live Up To The Hype

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Overhyped_Villains_Header-2.jpg
There were more than a few cranky faces, when these rankings were announced…

The prevailing wisdom among movie fans is that a big-screen blockbuster lives or dies based off the quality of its main villain. It’s not hard to see why – after all, if the baddie in question isn’t a memorable or credible threat, watching our heroes triumph over them isn’t particularly satisfying.

There are exceptions to this rule, of course. With the exception of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, the rogues gallery of the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe have largely proven a disappointing bunch. But even so, the marketing machines behind virtually every blockbuster film – including those released by Marvel Studios – put a significant amount of effort into generating pre-release excitement around the supposed awesomeness of their villains.

Sometimes, these big bads really do live up to the promotional buzz. Brilliantly twisted creations like Heath Ledger’s Joker have since gone on to become iconic examples of what a cinematic antagonist should be, far exceeding audience expectations along the way. But more often than not, the hoopla surrounding these nefarious characters turns out to be grossly exaggerated.

Check out our list of 15 Major Movie Villains That Didn’t Live Up To The Hype.

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: 15 Major Movie Villains That Didn’t Live Up To The Hype

Soapbox: 15 Unforgivable Acts Committed By Heroic Movie Characters

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Anakin-Younglings
Destroy a whole planet, and people will forgive you; kill a bunch of kids, however…

Everybody makes mistakes from time to time – and that includes the heroes of the big screen! While even the most severe screw-up can usually be overlooked, sometimes even the good guys do things that are flat-out unforgivable.

There are plenty of reasons why an otherwise virtuous movie character might not deserve to have their sins absolved. Perhaps their actions have horrific consequences (unforeseen or expected) which are so terrible that even the most noble of goals just can’t provide justify things. After all, as they say: the pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Or maybe they committed their dastardly deeds before showing remorse and returning to the side of the angels, which still ends up amounting to “too little, too late.” And then there are those instances where what has been done isn’t so appalling, but – for whatever reason – it affects another character so deeply, that character will never be able to forgive our hero for their actions.

Whatever the reason, the end result is invariably the same: no amount of apologizing is going to let these do-gooders off the hook with audiences! In the time-honored tradition of naming and shaming, we’ve pulled together this list of 15 Unforgivable Acts Committed By ‘Heroic’ Characters.

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: 15 Unforgivable Acts Committed By Heroic Movie Characters

Soapbox: 20 Movie Cameos You Completely Missed

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Daniel-Craig_The-Force-Awakens
It was Bond’s most outlandish disguise yet…

Most movie cameos are easy to spot – indeed, a lot of the time, noticing these brief appearances by big names in the industry is entirely the point! But sometimes, these “mega star, minor moment” instances can fly completely under the radar.

When this happens, it’s almost always on purpose. The typical rationale for sneaking a recognizable face into a film is that the filmmakers want to do a favor for one of their high profile friends – and c’mon, who doesn’t want to be in a flick like Star Wars? – without distracting the audience.

Other times, it’s a case of those involved looking to have a bit of good-natured fun and hoodwinking the audience by hiding a major celebrity in plain sight.

Whatever the reason, spotting these often ultra-brief walk-ons by some of the biggest names in the entertainment world can be a surprisingly rewarding feeling – consider it the movie geek version of bird watching.

It also means that you’ll likely never watch certain scenes in quite the same way, knowing that guy or gal you thought was only an extra is actually a Hollywood A-lister in disguise.

So in order to totally rock your world – or at the very least, encourage you to revisit a lot of great films – we’ve compiled this list of 20 Movie Cameos You Completely Missed. Happy hunting!

This post was written exclusive for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: 20 Movie Cameos You Completely Missed

Soapbox: Every James Bond Villain, Ranked Worst To Best

Leon Miller, , , , , , , Leave a comment
Blofeld-Spectre
Honestly, Blofeld takes the “shadowy villain” trope a bit too literally…

If a hero is only as good as his villains, then James Bond is quite the hero indeed. Over more than 50 years and 24 official film instalments, Agent 007 has faced off against a truly impressive array of ruthless killers, twisted tycoons, and brilliant madmen.

Some wanted to rule the world, others wanted to take revenge, and more than a few just wanted to get very, very rich – regardless, they each proved a bit of a headache for MI6’s finest operative.

That said, not all baddies are created equal, and some of Bond’s enemies rate more highly than others in the eyes of fans. Much like one of our super spy’s trademark cocktails, the best villains to grace the James Bond franchise are characterized by several key ingredients.

First, a great Bond antagonist needs a grand and devious scheme – although these can occasionally go awry, making absolutely no sense whatsoever. Second, they need some kind of gimmick, whether it’s a distinctive gadget or memorable physical skill or ailment. And finally, they have to possess a certain sense of style.

Keeping these three criteria squarely in mind, and limiting ourselves solely to main villains to keep things manageable – so no henchmen like Jaws or Oddjob, sorry – we’ve set out this list of Every Bond Villain, Ranked From Worst To Best.

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: Every James Bond Villain, Ranked Worst To Best

Soapbox: 15 Supervillain Plots That Make Absolutely No Sense

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Goldfinger
Bond DEFINITELY questioned the logic of Goldfinger’s latest plan…

Everyone loves a larger-than-life supervillain plot. With good reason, too – after all, our favourite action-adventure franchises couldn’t function without the outlandish schemes of a bad guy trying to take over (or destroy!) the world. Think about it: where would James Bond be without the wicked designs of a cackling mastermind to foil? And yet, for every fiendishly ingenious plan that makes you marvel at the brilliance of the mind behind it, there’s at least as many out there that make no sense whatsoever.

There’s several reasons why a supervillain’s plot can fail to add-up. Maybe it’s the case that the plot in question is poorly thought out and won’t achieve the villain’s stated goals. Perhaps it’s a scenario where that old killjoy, real-world science, makes the successful execution of a plot impossible, at least as stated. Or it could be that the plan isn’t laid-out very clearly, making it hard to follow how and why it will work.

Whatever the reason may be, the end result is a nefarious scheme that leaves fans scratching their heads and asking, “Wait, what’s going on here?” In recognition of moments such as these, here’s a rundown of 15 Supervillain Plots That Make Absolutely No Sense.

This post was written exclusively for Screen Rant – click here to read the full article

Soapbox: 15 Supervillain Plots That Make Absolutely No Sense

Review: Spectre

Leon Miller, , , , , , , , Leave a comment
James Bond_White Tux
There are few men who can still rock a white dinner jacket – Bond is one of them

Back in July this year, I wrote an article listing my predictions for Spectre, the newest instalment in the 007 franchise.

Flash forward several months and it’s now possible for me to gloat like a criminal mastermind over those bits of future-gazing I nailed, even as I steadfastly deny all authorship of those forecasts I flubbed.

But as much as I’d argue that more of my guesses were right than wrong, the one thing about Spectre that I freely admit I didn’t see coming was how much it would ultimately diverge from the tone set by billion-dollar predecessor Skyfall.

Continue reading “Review: Spectre” →

Review: Spectre