Nightwing and Sidekicks in Movies

One of the recent rumors that has come through the grapevine this past week is that Nightwing will appear in the Batman vs. Superman.  I'm not a huge fan of this news and I'll state why in a little bit.  I'd like to first address why most sidekicks wouldn't work in movies as they do in the comics and a possible way that they could work.

I watch/listen to AMC Movie Talk and this was a hot question over the weekend on their mail bag over the weekend.  I would agree with John Campea, the host, on his stance that sidekicks are tough to have in movies.  The idea of a kid tagging along with a grown man doesn't really work in a movie outside of comedy.  Even the movies with sidekicks, Batman Forever and Captain America: The First Avenger, introduce the sidekicks, Robin and Bucky, as grown men (at least 18).  Kick Ass manages to introduce a kid as a sidekick, but it's in a humorous way.  They even state in the movie how it's not the right thing to do.

So, can we never see a sidekick in a movie?  Absolutely not.  I'll pose an example of how we could see a Robin in a movie, or at least my ideal story.  Dick Grayson is introduced as a 16 year-old who is part of the circus with his parents.  Despite his acrobatic background, he's not ready to enter street fights with thugs.  Bruce Wayne would probably feel much better about training him and then letting him make his choice at the age of 18.  So, Dick Grayson trains for two years and joins Batman's fight when it wouldn't be endangering a minor.  The name "Robin" could even be used as a term like "grasshopper" during Dick's lessons with either Bruce or Lady Shiva or another trainer.  Using this methodology, Robin is taking a path closer to Batman's, and it removes some of the morality issues that may be encountered with a younger sidekick.

Based on the idea of the older Batman in Batman vs. Superman, Nightwing makes sense in that world. Dick would be a few years older and had time to disagree with Bruce and step out on his own, no longer taking on the title of "Robin", the apprentice.  But, I think that is way too much back story to include in this movie.  Remember, this is a sequel to Man of Steel.  If they would like to go into that backstory in a standalone Batman movie, that's one thing.  There have been rumors of Nightwing and Wonder Woman, even some others of the Justice League.  I'm fine if there are minor cameos, but let's hope this movie is what it really is about: Batman and Superman.

Perks of Being a Wallflower

I know that this movie came out a while ago, but I saw it on TV a couple of weeks ago and thought it was amazing.  Perks of Being a Wallflower is definitely a must-see.

The movie takes place in the early 1990s and you get some nostalgia (i.e. mix tapes) from seeing it.  This is just one of the things that makes this movie amazing.  The movie touches many different issues that might affect teenagers in different eras.  But, the main story revolves around a kid that struggles with finding his place in high school.  He narrates his thoughts throughout the movie in letters to his friend.

Every young actor in this movie delivers great performances, especially Emma Watson and Logan Lerman.  Logan Lerman was so much better in this movie than his performances in either of the Percy Jackson movies.

The movie does get a little dark and sad, so I would suggest not watching this if you are a little down in the dumps.

+ Logan Lerman and Emma Watson are amazing
+ Nostalgia
+ Good drama with good issues
+/- Not really a good or bad thing, but some parts of the movie are a little depressing and hard to watch

Overall score:  90

Thor: The Dark World

So far, there haven't been too many sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). We've had Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3, but that's about it. You could maybe count Avengers as a sequel, but that's a stretch. So, it was hard to say how the universe would fare in the sequel category outside of movies starring RDJ. Thor: The Dark World is very well done. 

I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as the first (one of my favorite of the MCU movies), but I enjoyed it almost as much. The movie has everything. Love story, humor, a good plot, and characters that are easy to love. The characters are may be why I have enjoyed both Thor movies so much. Thor's fellow Asgardians, Darcy, and Erik Selvig are all very rich supporting characters. Along with Thor, Loki, and Jane, you get to experience these characters perhaps more than the first movie. 

The one downside I saw to this movie was the villains. I honestly didn't care about the dark elves as much. I didn't understand them at all. It was a little disappointing as I felt Christopher Eccleston could do more, and the Marvel movies have had pretty good villains so far. 

This is definitely a movie to go see in theaters. I will likely return to see it again if possible. Make sure you stick around through the credits as there are two post-credits scenes. One is about 5 minutes in and might possibly tease a future movie. The other is both funny and a nice conclusion to the movie. 

+ Action

+ Best supporting cast of any superhero movie

- Lack of intriguing villains

+ Lots of fun

Overall score: 89

Carrie

I don't know that I've ever seen the full movie of the original Carrie. The remake was a good movie to see around Halloween (or any time of year) though. 

The story isn't the best and some of the scenes of gore and self-mutilation bothered me a bit. I had to look away a few times. But, the movie does have it's bright spots. Julianne Moore's acting is superb as always. The message about bullying is pretty good and fits well into present day. 

This is definitely a movie to watch even if you don't see it in theaters. In fact, I would say this is one probably better for a rental. 

+ Julianne Moore

- too much gore (personal preference)

+ good modern day remake

Score: 74