We're The Millers" Drives Past $200-M in Worldwide Box Office

BURBANK, CA – September 18, 2013 – Continuing its successful run at the box office, New Line Cinema’s smash hit comedy “We’re the Millers” has surpassed $200 million at the worldwide box office. The announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has grossed an estimated $206 million globally, and still climbing.

“We’re the Millers” has taken in an estimated $132.6 million domestically and is still going strong. Internationally, the film has grossed $73.4 million, opening at #1 in key European markets such as Germany and breaking records in Russia, where it has become the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. Major markets set to release in the coming weeks include Spain, France and Brazil.

Fellman stated, “‘We’re the Millers’ has demonstrated terrific playability from coast to coast, and the phenomenal word of mouth has kept the weekly drops notably low and the attendance consistently high. We congratulate our partners at New Line, as well as director Rawson Marshall Thurber and the terrific cast, led by the tremendously talented Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.”

Kwan Vandenberg noted, “The international rollout has been fantastic, with number one openings and powerful holds. International audiences have responded in a big way to the film’s outrageous humor, and the chemistry of Jennifer and Jason and the entire cast. We join New Line in congratulating Rawson and his cast and crew on crossing this exciting benchmark.”

From New Line Cinema comes the action comedy “We’re the Millers,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis under the direction of Rawson Marshall Thurber.
David Clark (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms).

In order to wipe the slate clean—and maintain a clean bill of health—David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), as well as streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

The film also stars Emma Roberts, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Will Poulter and Ed Helms.

(Now playing across the Philippines, “We’re the Millers” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.)

WE'RE THE MILLERS Movie Review

Got the chance to see Warner Bros. Pictures' "WE'RE THE MILLERS" and I must say I loved it. Here's why you're going to love this comedy flick.

We're The Millers is your typical family adventure movie turned sideways then given a pretty bad attitude (in a good way). It retains all the traditional stuff that most comedies featuring families have and they even have the archetypes here. The only smart difference is that they're not really a family.

Funnyman Jason Sudeikis leads the charge here as David Miller, the drug dealer who's in the middle of everything. David is tasked to go to Mexico to gather as I quote Ed Helm's character "a smidge and a half" of mari-juana. To pull this off he recruits his hot and sassy stripper neighbor Rose (Aniston), another neighbor Kenny (Pouter) and a reckless, runaway Casey to bring along as his fake family. Hilarity ensues. 

Sudeikis isn't rubbing off as a good leading man for me but he still brings the laughs in this movie. Good thing he's got a stellar cast behind him to save him including a slow-clap worthy performance for Jennifer Aniston who proves that she's got the goods (both literally and figuratively). 

Emma Roberts' role here was a nice change of pace as she's a bad girl who has a soft and sweet inner side. She's gone a long way from her teeny booper role in "Valentine's Day" and "Nancy Drew". Plus she's an eye candy. Will Pouter is practically a newcomer for Hollywood films but he does hold his own comedy wise against SNL man Sudeikis and FRIENDS star Aniston. 

One of the things that annoys me with the Millers is that it could've stood on it's own, with it's cast but they had to rely on added support from RON SWANSON himself Nick Offerman. Offerman and co. roles here suddenly expand towards the third act, something I wasn't really expecting. Still fun though. 

Like I said, this could be a highly sexed up version of RV and "Vacation" but it won't stop you from laughing. There's this also a bit in the film featuring a suddenly short Luis Guzman wanting to get fellatio or a bribe. Or that kinda racy moment where Pouter gets to tongue kiss both Aniston and Roberts while Sudeikis takes a video. Trust me it looks kinkier than it reads. 

If there's any real grand reason to see We're the Millers, it's (and I'm saying this in a pragmatic and non-chauvinistic way) because of this. 

Yup. Really, go see it. It's worth the admission price in terms of laughs.

We're The Millers opens Sept. 18 and is locally distributed by WARNER BROS. PICTURES PHIL. 

Emma Roberts, a Runaway Teen in "We're the Millers"

Young actress Emma Roberts (“Aquamarine,” “Valentine's Day”) stars in New Line Cinema's hit comedy “We're the Millers” as pierced street punk Casey, who rounds out the fake Miller family as the daughter David (Jason Sudeikis) never wanted. He knows she’s practically homeless; she knows she can get some cash out of him. So, they strike a deal for her to come along.

In the film, David Clark (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer who, in order to pay a huge debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms) must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), as well as streetwise teen Casey, David devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

Emma Roberts allows that her character “is a runaway and a bit of a delinquent, a brat, a rebel, and in it for the money. The four of them, the Millers, could not be any more different; they’re all kind of loveable, but each character has a quirky shortcoming of some kind, which makes for a funny group. And a pretty realistic family, I think,” she laughs.

Roberts enjoyed getting to revisit the attitude she remembers from her own teen years in playing Casey. “She’s so sarcastic and she’s miserable for a lot of the movie,” the actress says. “So it was fun to get to play her just because I got to do a lot of eye-rolling and huffing and puffing. I guess I went through a phase like that, so it was fun to get to play that.”



Roberts says her greatest challenge on the movie was being away from family and friends for the film’s three-month shoot, but says co-star Jennifer Aniston helped. “She was so nice,” Roberts recalls. “We hung out a little bit outside of work and she was just the sweetest, most down-to-earth person. And I’ve always been such a fan of Jennifer, so to get to work with her was really, really cool. And Jason Sudeikis is hilarious. He was really funny. A lot of the stuff in the movie he ad-libbed, and we would be dying laughing, trying to hold it in so we could get through the take.”

On the set, Roberts was frequently on her smart phone, tweeting, checking email, and so forth. She even selected her character’s prop smart phone for use in the film to match her own, real one, so she could use that when in the background.



“Very cagey, that Emma Roberts,” director Rawson Marshall Thurber grins, adding that “Emma is funny in a way that I don’t know if she knows how funny she is. She has no filter, so she’ll say whatever’s on her mind, and some of it is truly the most hilarious stuff you can imagine. She was fabulous.”

New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” opens across the Philippines on Sept. 18 and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Jason Sudeikis Gets Leading-Man Status in "We're the Millers"

“Saturday Night Live” breakout star Jason Sudeikis (“Horrible Bosses,” “The Bounty Hunter”) plays David, a small-time drug dealer who's suddenly sent on a mission to retrieve a huge amount of pot across the Mexican border, in New Line Cinema's wacky comedy, “We're the Millers.”

His solution as to how to accomplish that forces him to live out his worst nightmare: to be stuck in a confined space with a bunch of people he doesn’t really like, even if he’s the one who convinced them to come along in the first place as his fake wife and kids.

Sudeikis responded to the humor of “We're the Millers,” and also to the story’s heart, stating, “There’s a little bit of that squeezed in there, an underlying theme about family not necessarily having to be the one you’re born into, but one that you choose…even if my character does it solely out of convenience and desperation.”

When we first meet David Clark, he is a friendly neighborhood marijuana dealer, going from place to place selling his wares to his regular customers in the Denver, Colorado area. “He’s a guy who gets calls or texts asking him to come over, versus the guy that just sells on the street,” Sudeikis explains. “He delivers pot to cooks, businessmen, housewives, mothers of babies—a different clientele than most people associate marijuana with…unless you know the kind of people that really smoke marijuana.”

The actor goes on to note that the lifestyle, while not something most would aspire to, suits David. “He’s fine just doing his thing, paying the rent, being his own boss and making his own schedule, keeping to himself and getting by unnoticed.”

That all changes when he uncharacteristically steps in to help a damsel in distress—a young street punk being hassled by a group of guys trying to swipe her smart phone. Under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished, David himself gets robbed. His product and profits gone, it’s only a matter of time before his supplier gives him an ultimatum, making him the kind of offer David can’t refuse.

Now obliged to go south of the border and bring back a “smidge” of pot in exchange for $100,000 and his life, David comes up with the idea of creating a pseudo-family to smooth the way. Sudeikis says, “He realizes that he might fly under the radar a bit better under the guise of a family vacation, but he’ll need to hire a fake family first.”

David’s relationship with the woman he eventually hires to be his pretend wife is a contentious one from the start, before he ever concocts his crazy scheme. Early in the film, he and Rose (Jennifer Aniston), his neighbor and a neighborhood stripper, trade barbs in the lobby of their building, making it clear that the two of them have never exactly been friendly. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber says that was not the case with Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.
Not liking each other couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to the pair who has worked together several times before, but this was the first time they would star opposite each other.

“When we finished working on ‘Horrible Bosses,’” Aniston offers, “we both wanted to find something really great to do together again—and for the full length of the film, not just little snippets. Jason is so much fun and a friend, and the script was so funny, it was easy to say yes to this one.”

New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” opens across the Philippines on Sept. 18 and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

First Look Photos and The Untold Story of The Monuments Men Revealed

A whole lot of art loot is at stake in the action-thriller “The Monuments Men” produced, directed and starred by George Clooney along with an all-star, high-caliber cast including Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Jean Dujardin.

Based on the non-fiction tome by Robert Edsel, “The Monuments Men” takes us back to World War II when Western Allies protect heritage sites at risk during the war and recover art treasures from the Nazis.

Clooney who also produced the Oscar-winner “Argo” collaborates with writer/producer Grant Heslov in “The Monuments Men” to film an untold chapter during WWII when a group of men and women from different countries recovered thousands of stolen artworks perpetrated during the war. The task began with a small group of determined art professionals drafted for war – architects, designers and museum staff who will identify and protect museums, churches and other significant “monuments” from damage. As the Allies pressed farther into occupied territory, the team had to determine what had been stolen and where it was hidden.

An impossible mission with an unlikely set of platoon trapped within enemy lines, “The Monuments Men” found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture and risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.

“The Monuments Men” will soon screen in local cinemas (January 2014) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The Conjuring Sets Sneak Previews Aug 12 & 13

MANILA, Aug. 8, 2013 – One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year, New Line Cinema's horror thriller “The Conjuring” will hold special sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 12 & 13 in selected theaters nationwide.

This was announced today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines, the film's local distributor. Soliven relayed the good news in response to the public's exceedingly high interest in the film, stoked by the movie's recent record-breaking bow in the U.S. and sensational internet buzz.

“The Conjuring” has surpassed $100 million at the North American box office on only its third weekend in theatres, crossing the milestone on Saturday, Aug. 3, and has earned an estimated $108.6 million domestically to date, and still climbing.

The terrifying supernatural horror thriller, from director James Wan, opened to rave reviews from critics, as well as audiences, a fact that was reflected in the film’s A- CinemaScore—an extremely rare mark for the genre. “The Conjuring” had an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, the largest opening ever for an original horror film.

“The Conjuring” is also off to a great start internationally, opening in just 13 markets thus far. The film opened in the UK this weekend, taking the #1 spot on Friday and Saturday, and it is also holding extremely well in other early release markets, particularly in Australia and Spain. The international total to date is an estimated $28.6 million, with many major markets yet to open, including the Philippines, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Mexico.

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (HBO's “Sex and the City”) and Lili Taylor (“The Haunting”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house. Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”).

Opening wide across the Philippines on Aug. 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Next Best Thing to See The New Godzilla is this Gif

I love gifs for the simple fact that you can't take them down easily. Probably by tomorrow, all the videos that are coming out of the woodwork featuring the SDCC trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' GODZILLA would have been brought down. But this gif will stay, just like the King of Monsters himself. 

While you're at it, you might want to check on the links to other GODZILLA related posts:

- GODZILLA San Diego Comic Con 2013 poster
- First official teaser poster for GODZILLA

And finally here's a great fan art featuring Godzilla and other Kaiju.

GODZILLA opens 2014 and is directed by Gareth Edwards. Credits to Godzila-Movies.com

Toothless and Hiccup Soar Once Again in How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer

The recent release of DreamWorks Animation’s “How To Train Your Dragon 2” trailer thrilled fans worldwide as the faithful dragon Toothless and his best friend Hiccup soared on air once again. View latest trailer here.

At the tail of the success of the first movie, Toothless and Hiccup are back for bigger adventures, laughs and battles as additional voice cast were revealed in this year’s Comic-Con event. From the phenomenal series “Game of Thrones,” Kit Harrington voices an amusing dragon-trapper named Eret whom he describes as very cocky and brazen; Cate Blanchett who’s known for her role in “The Lord of the Rings” franchise also joins the cast as Valka, a savior of dragons while Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) is cast as the voice of Drago Bludvist who chases dragons for personal vendetta.

Directed by Dean Deblois, “How To Train Your Dragon” soars five years after best friends Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk. DeBlois shared that the film starts where the first one left off – the Vikings are now on the backs of the dragons with the entire world in front of them. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.




Landing June 2014 in theaters, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” is a DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox presentation to be distributed by Warner Bros. (Phils.).

Tom Cruise's All You Need is Kill Renamed Edge of Tomorrow and Gets New Poster

Been wondering what happened to the live-action, Western adaptation of the manga "All You Need is Kill" as it suddenly dropped off the grid. Apparently it's back with a new name and a pretty interesting poster as well coming from SDCC 2013.

The movie is now being called "Edge of Tomorrow" and will still star Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

Dug up some 'new' stuff for the film as well:

Seriously what is up with Tom Cruise movies and their titles? I mean, OBLIVION? EDGE OF TOMORROW? I smell Scientology at work here.

If I'm not mistaken this will be distributed locally by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Legendary and Warner Reveals Godzilla Poster for SDCC 2013

It's that time of the year again when just about the cool stuff gets released and I go batshit crazy trying to catch up. Yep, it's Comic Con International once again. For our opening salvo, here's the GODZILLA poster unveiled for SDCC 2013.

The movie will be released next year (distributed locally by Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines). It's directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Aaron Taylor- Johnson.

Feel the Fury of THE WOLVERINE

Set in Japan and directed by James Mangold Logan aka Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman is back in the ultimate story about the adamantium-clawed hero, “The Wolverine.”

“The Wolverine,” vulnerable and alone at the start of the movie, is searching for meaning in his life. Logan travels to Tokyo where he is embroiled in a mysterious web of tangled loyalties, deceit and intrigue, fighting bloody battles against deadly adversaries in a world that is entirely foreign to him.

The most iconic character in the X-Men universe embarks upon on an epic journey in modern-day Japan, the century-old mutant known to the world as Wolverine, is lured to Japan that he hasn’t seen since World War II – and into a shadowy world of Yakuza and Samurai.

Suddenly finding himself on the run with a mysterious, beautiful heiress and confronted for the first time with the prospect of true mortality, Logan will be pushed to the physical and emotional edge – further than he’s ever been. On a perilous journey to rediscover the hero inside, Logan will be forced to grapple not only with powerful foes, mutant and human alike, but with the ghosts of his own haunted past, as well. As The Wolverine crosses his adamantium claws with Samurai swords, striking out through a maze of love, betrayal and honor, he will truly come to know the price of a life without end.

“This story takes The Wolverine into a world that is vastly different from any seen before in the X-Men series,” says Hugh Jackman, who also serves as a producer on the film. “It’s visually different and the tone is different. There are a lot of battles in this story, but the greatest battle of all is the one within Logan between being a monster and a becoming a human being.” Jackman saw in this untold part of the character’s history a rare chance to dive even deeper beneath The Wolverine’s indestructibility, and to illuminate his darkest aspects in a new way.

“One thing I find particularly interesting about Wolverine is his immortality, the fact that with his healing factor he can go on forever like a god, and because of that he also experiences the loneliness of a god. Even when Logan loses those he loves, he knows that he will keep going on,” director James Mangold observes. “He’s been going on for a century now, through wars and battles and deaths of his loved ones and he’s come to a point of great weariness. It’s a classic theme– the man who can live forever but suffers because of it. Logan is a damaged hero, and this story is very much about him looking to reclaim something he’s lost in himself.”

“Jim Mangold knows how to make a movie that is fun, has incredible action, and yet also delivers all the finer elements of character and storytelling,” says Jackman. “He pushed me to go deeper, angrier, heavier, more berserk in every way and in every take.”

From the start, Mangold wanted to break the mold of the comic book-based film. Explains the director: “What interested me about The Wolverine was doing something quite different from the standard superhero movie, where it’s about stopping a villain’s diabolical plot. In this story, the action and suspense are built more on character, and are woven into a world that makes for a completely different kind of experience, one that you haven’t seen before.”

“The Wolverine” opens in more than 200 screens nationwide on July 25 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.



Check out “The Wolverine” latest trailer HERE

Pacific Rim Review

Pacific Rim is a movie that no self respecting anime/mecha/sci-fi fan should miss. It's got all the workings of a truly great and entertaining movie.

Guillermo Del Toro once again proves that he is a master of his craft with this heavy metal brawler of a movie. On one corner you've got the invading forces, the Kaiju, wanting to remove humans from the face of the Earth. To counter this, us humans created the Jaegers to combat the kaiju and ensure our future.

On the story: Storywise, this one literally lifts up some key moments from just about any mecha anime/series we've ever seen. The nearest I can think of when it comes to this is the anime series Shinkon Gattai Godannar. Pilot goes on hiatus after tragedy, but is recalled to active service, meets new partner and potential girlfriend. Enemy suddenly gets stronger, show of courage and fortitude, wins the day. People who are looking for more than anything beyond the plot/trope I just mentioned will surely be lacking.

The story has a couple of plotholes but it's something that can be overlooked, after all, this is a movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters from beneath the sea.

On the cast: Del Toro did not cast any big name for the film. And after seeing it, I can understand why. He's not out to reel in fans of big Hollywood stars, they only second fiddle to the real stars of the movie which were non other than the Jaegers.

Only gripe (which could be a major issue depending on what type of moviegoer you are) is that it's really hard to actually RELATE to Charlie Hunnam's Raleigh Beckett. Yeah he's Mr. All American right but the moment he goes on drama mode, you're mind starts to wonder.



Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost however is another issue. The man is all for brooding and stoicism. Love the accent and the catchy one-liner he delivers towards the end of the movie. The inclusion of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Charlie Day was also an inspired number as he gives some of the funniest lines in the film.

I have to give it to Rinko Kikuchi who really shined in this movie. She's frail looking but kicks ass the moment she needs to do so. Sad though that she and Hunnam never had an existing chemistry; which also ended up looking very confusing onscreen. Are they friends? lovers? Something in between? Or is Beckett simply looking out for Mako Mori (Kikuchi) on a brother-sister kinda thing.

And then there was Ron Perlman who plays blackmarket guy Hannibal Chau; his was Hellboy minus the red makeup and the gun (although he's still in red). He had some great moments in PR as well but what really bugs me is that fact that his role is a somewhat an extended cameo, a 'hey there' to Del Toro fans who stood with the director.

On the visuals: THE VISUALS WERE SPECTACULAR. The Jaegers were dirty and messy and it's just perfect. Much like how Metal Gear director Hideo Kojima stated in his tweet barrage, The kaijus were terrifying and seeing 'Knifehead' in Alaska took me back to the first time I saw the T-Rex in Spielberg's "Jurrasic Park". Everything was designed to look so gritty, heck even the Bone City in Hong Kong looks beautiful.

The whole visuals are beautiful gets magnified fifty times over once the fighting in the ocean floor or in a busy Hong Kong street. There's a lot of stuff going on but you'll be transfixed. I know I did.

Again, I cannot stress how important it is to see this film on an IMAX screen. It's not because of the 3D but because it truly becomes BIG when you see it projected in a huge ass screen.

Finally, I loved the touches of anime in this film. It was very evident that they knew what people loved about those Mecha Romance trios such as giant swords, one-liners before a finishers, breathtaking fisticuffs.

Overall, I think the film was superbly crafted and well paced. It had a couple of blips but if you truly love grand robot movies (which is very rare even in Hollywood standards), then you really should catch the movie. 

Pacific Rim is now showing nationwide and it's distributed locally by Warner Bros. Philippines. If you're still hesitant, here's trailer # 3 for the film to reel you in. 

Giant Robots Vs Monster Aliens in "Pacific Rim" (Opens Jul 11)

Director Guillermo Del Toro (“Pan's Labyrinth,” “Hellboy”) was largely responsible for shaping what are, literally speaking, the biggest stars of Warner Bros. And Legendary Pictures' action adventure “Pacific Rim”: the monster aliens aka the Kaiju.

“I love monsters,” states the director who conceived all the various monsters in the film in conjunction with an elite band of concept artists, illustrators, sculptors, and designers. “We had some of the best creature designers in the world involved in the making of the Kaiju.”

Del Toro began with a group that included artist and illustrator Francisco Ruiz Velasco, Wayne Barlowe, Stephen Schirle, Doug Williams, Hugo Martin, Tyruben Ellingson, Guy Davis, Oscar Chichoni, David Meng, Simon Lee, Raul Monge, Carlos Salgado, Keith Thompson, Simon Webber, Allen Williams and Rob McCallum.

Members of the team brainstormed for weeks, beginning in a windowless room they appropriately dubbed “the submarine.” Together, they examined everything: from sizes, shapes and colors to how the immense beings moved and fought. Del Toro says, “We wanted to evoke the sheer awe and terror that one would feel when coming upon one of these monsters.”

He set down certain parameters: an example being that any animal kingdom inspirations were primarily limited to lizards, crustaceans and insects. For the most part, however, the think tank could let their imaginations run wild, taking a tag team approach as they pooled ideas.

The designers gave the Kaiju different nicknames that were indicative of their most prominent physical attributes, like Knifehead, Axehead, Leatherback, etc. Some are viciously calculated, others are more raw power. “They are living weapons,” del Toro says. “They are blind instinct combined with tactical intelligence, capable of making instant decisions in battle, so there are definitely a few surprises.”

Making them even more fearsome, every appendage on the Kaiju bodies is part of their arsenal. And, as Thomas Tull points out, “They are quickly evolving. With every attack, they learn something and continually progress in both size and tactics.”

Many of the same artists who helped bring about the Kaiju also lent their talents to the formation of mankind’s last line of defense: the giant robots or Jaegers.

Screenwriter Travis Beacham says, “The biggest challenge in the world of ‘Pacific Rim’ is finding a way to beat the Kaiju on their own terms. That was the whole idea behind the invention of the Jaegers.”

Just as every Kaiju is unique, each Jaeger is distinct in both design and function, with its own array of weapons, “so every time you see a Jaeger go up against a Kaiju, it’s a completely different fight,” says del Toro.

The once mighty Jaeger fleet has been reduced to four surviving robots. The director wanted the huge war machines to appear combat-worn, with markings that flaunt the number of enemies downed. Their shape, color and insignias reflect their country of origin, as do their fighting styles.

Del Toro equates the look of the U.S. of A.’s Gipsy Danger to “a classic gunslinger heading into a fight. A mixture of a deco skyscraper and John Wayne. Gipsy has swagger and is made to resemble a WWII fighter jet in paint job and details.” A Mark 3, it is considered an old Jaeger and, although it’s been refurbished, it still carries the scars of war…as do its pilots.

Russia’s Cherno Alpha is a T-series Jaeger with an oversized nuclear reactor. Its exceptional brawn makes up for its more lumbering gait. It is the oldest, heaviest Jaeger in the surviving fleet. “Brute force and blunt trauma are its calling cards,” says producer Thomas Tull.

China’s Crimson Typhoon is a Mark 4, the only Jaeger with three arms, thanks to its three-man pilot team. Its moves are as close as a massive Jaeger can get to martial arts. Jon Jashni observes, “Some of what they’re able to pull off in the course of the movie is a function of them being able to do more with more.”

The Resistance has one Mark 5: Australia’s Striker Eureka. Being the latest model, it boasts faster speed and better maneuverability. “But it’s an Aussie brawler, so it has a lot of bravado and a bit of a strut, like a guy who would pick a fight in a bar,” del Toro teases.

Although the Jaegers would exist only on screen, a great deal of planning went into the mechanics of the robots. “From a technical standpoint, we decided to build them from the inside out in diagrams,” reveals del Toro. “We determined the way the pistons, the relays, the torque, the transmission, the engines, and every other element worked in detail. Then we pulled back and started figuring out the vents, the thermal insulation, the outer skin and so on.”

Opening across the Philippines in July 11 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Pacific Rim” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Amy Adams, Not Your Usual Lois Lane in "Man of Steel"

Four-time Academy Award-nominee Amy Adams stars as the comic book world’s most famous newspaper reporter, Lois Lane, in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' new action adventure “Man of Steel.”

In the film, just as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) is beginning to discover the secrets of his birth and decide which course he must follow, he meets a woman who could have a good deal of influence over the choices he makes, and who has the power to turn his world upside down: investigative journalist Lois Lane.

“Part of Clark’s journey is finding acceptance,” Adams notes. “He’s running from it, hiding from it, because he hasn’t come to terms with who he is, and that makes for a lonely existence. He’s had to work hard not to expose his abilities, but he’s made some mistakes there, and that has made him extremely intriguing to someone like Lois, whose job, whose very nature, is about uncovering—and exposing—the truth.”

As an anonymous drifter, Clark leaves an unintentional trail of courageous, seemingly impossible and equally inexplicable acts behind him. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lois Lane of The Daily Planet is on assignment in the Arctic when she witnesses firsthand Clark’s extraordinary powers. Lois is convinced she is onto the story of the century. Her investigative skills are admirable, but Lois is blind to the consequences her revelations may have for her mystery man.

New Poster and First Trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have unleashed the new one-sheet art for the new action adventure “300: Rise of an Empire,” the prequel to the 2006 blockbuster, “300.”

Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel “Xerxes,” and told in the breathtaking visual style of “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war.

“300: Rise of an Empire” pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemesia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

First Teaser Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Here's the first official trailer for Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG!

Synopsis: The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Watch the teaser trailer after the break.

Non-Spoiler Man of Steel Review

Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan brings us THE ultimate Superman movie which is worthy of following the footsteps of Richard Donner's original Superman movie in MAN OF STEEL.

If there's anything that sets the movie apart from it's predecessors is the cool visual effects, something that Snyder brings into the table. The movie never skips a beat in telling us the origins of Superman from his parents' sacrifice to send the infant Kal-El to Earth all the way to the climatic and slam-bang finale where we see Superman unleash his full anger on a not-so-helpless General Zod (Michael Shannon).

Thanks to the great writing done by writer David S. Goyer,we're treated not just to a really satisfying Superman movie but also a movie that tackles topics such as alienation and isolation and destiny and family.

I advice you to catch MAN OF STEEL on IMAX as it fully does justice to the movie. As an artform, the film is exceptional in terms of pacing and eye popping visuals. You might want to keep your eyes peeled for awesome moments in the movie such as the Kryptonian battle scene at the beginning, the Smallville fight and the big key scene where everything just crumbles apart.

While Snyder took his sweet time in developing a really likeable Superman/ Clark Kent, it was all worth it as it provides us with a grounding and likeability for the Clark persona. Those earlier scenes of Superman's childhood also gives us a chance to see Kevin Costner as Clark's father Jonathan Kent, the man who made a huge impact in the young Superman's life. During these moments, I can't just help but think about the already-ended SMALLVILLE TV series starring Tom Welling.

Other cast members also held up their roles fine. Laurence Fishburne's Perry White is smart and smug and looks wiser for his years. Russell Crowe also OWNED his role as Superman's biological father; it's as if he's already asking for forgiveness for his take as Javert in Les Miserables [although I never disliked his take on the classic villain].He also kicks ass as never before, betcha Marlon Brando's Jor-El wouldn't have fought the way he did.

After seeing the movie, I'm still not sure whether or not I like Amy Adams as Lois Lane. There's like a half dozen actresses who played Lois Lane in both TV and movie adaptations but it's still Margot Kidder who's doing running in my head as the definitive Lois Lane. But Adams is definitely part of the upper bracket. She's lacking on sass department but she is spunky once in awhile. She's also an active participant and a source of a couple of quips.

The villains were also impeccable. Antje Traue is a beautiful, cold, hard bitch as Faora. She's merciless and full of hatred but at the drop of the hat she turns into this loyal fanatic in General Zod's insane quest. The armor design for Zod and the rest of his crew is also something to behold. It's also got a lot of nods to Nolan's last foray into the DC Universe [The Dark Knight trilogy].

If you're paying to see Superman fly, crash, punch, kick and heat vision his opponents, then you'll definitely go home with a smile plastered in your face as Snyder made it possible to do so. There's a lot of scenes in the film that showcases just how powerful the Man of Steel really is and it's done in a variety of ways. In costume, off costume, with his shirt on and with his shirt off. That in itself is worth the admission for the ladies in the audience.

Keep your eyes peeled for a couple of easter eggs here and there. It's not really much at the moment but you'll be pleased with all the stuff that's hidden and tucked away neatly behind, in front or even above the characters.Then there's also the fabulous world of Krpyton where there are a lot of fantastic beasts roaming around. 

Snyder took a couple of liberties in delivering the story, I really don't want to spoil what they are but I can predict that you'll go from, 'what the' to 'ohhhh good one'. 

I'll probably cut this review short in order to pave the way for a more spoilerific review. If you want my rating for this one, here's the verdict:

10/10

Special thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines for the invitation by the way. MAN OF STEEL opens June 12, 2013. 

P.S. i find it cool that I got to watch a Superman movie with Batman and Catwoman sans costume beside me and a very inquisitive Pam on the other side.