I typically try and use the opening paragraph to talk about something not already covered in the Top 5 list itself. I'm making an exception this week because The LEGO Movie is good enough to warrant it. Writers/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have crafted an outstanding family comedy that's sharp, funny, and as imaginative as the product it expertly seeks to promote. For all of the laughs it provides (of which there are many), I think its greatest achievement is how precisely it balances the weight of story and self-promotion. Make no mistake, its primary goals are to drive sales and promote the LEGO brand. Lord and Miller's script is smart enough, though, to achieve these by genuinely capturing the spirit of creativity and inventiveness that makes LEGO so unique. I can only wish that all product placement strategies were this inspired and on point.
Moving on to the list portion of this week's installment, today's Top 5 will tackle more things pertaining to The LEGO Movie, the science of RoboCop, Paul Bettany's casting in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg bringing Preacher to AMC, and a recap of the movie spots that aired during the trouncing also known as the 2014 Super Bowl. Keep reading for a brief recap and link to each of the above.
1. THE LEGO MOVIE Interviews and Review
In case you skipped this week's opening paragraph, I really liked The LEGO Movie. In the midst of my babbling about product placement and corporate branding, though, I neglected to mention how great the voice acting/casting is in the film. There may not be anyone working today that plays the lovable everyman better than Chris Pratt and Will Arnett absolutely nails every scene as Batman. It's just great stuff all around. That in mind, if you want to learn more about the movie then I'll kindly direct you to Matt's review and Steve's interviews with Phil Lord & Chris Miller, LEGO VP of Design Matthew James Ashton, and producer Dan Lin.
2. The Science of ROBOCOP
If you've followed my writing on the site for any extended period of time then you may already know that Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop is one of my all-time favorite films. That in mind, including this piece by our own Dave Trumbore regarding the science of RoboCop was an easy decision. Moreover, while I'm still not sold on the necessity of the remake, Steve's interview with Joel Kinnaman for the film is worth your time if for no other reason than to read him talk about how doing a movie like RoboCop can help create more opportunities for him as an actor and how that influences his selection process.
3. Paul Bettany to Play The Vision in THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
This past week we learned that Paul Bettany has landed the role of The Vision in Marvel's upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In addition to the fact that I think Bettany is a solid actor, I love that he's getting the opportunity to play a significant live-action role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe after having voiced Tony Stark's J.A.R.V.I.S. in each of the Iron Man films. That's a heck of a promotion and I'm excited to see how it pans out.
4. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Bringing PREACHER TV Series to AMC
I'm ashamed to say that I've yet to read Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's often revered, sometimes reviled comic Preacher. That said, I now have proper motivation to take it in prior to its debut as a TV series on AMC which we learned this week will be adapted courtesy of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Breaking Bad writer Sam Catlin.
5. 2014 Super Bowl Movie Spots for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 and More
Let's face it: the competitive football aspects of the Super Bowl were kind of a bust. Luckily, the big game featured plenty of new movie spots to keep us entertained in between scenes of the Denver Broncos turning the ball over and/or failing to stop the Seattle Seahawks in any way, shape, and/or form. We kept track of all said movie spots and, in case you missed any or just want to revisit them, you can check them out here.