Angry Web

We recently learned that Patty Jenkins, known for her film “Monster” and set to direct “Thor 2″, was released from the project last week after Marvel felt there were some creative differences that didn’t make Jenkins the best candidate for the job.

This week, Natalie Portman has voiced her displeasure with Marvel’s decision as Jenkins’ part in the film was a major reason she signed on. Portman, who wanted to take some time off after the birth of her child, is now contractually obligated to star in the film.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke with and insider who said:

Marvel became concerned that Jenkins was not moving decisively enough and feared the film might miss its November 2013 release date.

And

Jenkins lacked an overall clarity in her choices.

Marvel is working to hire a replacement that has a vision that aligns itself with the project.

Brand new teaser poster for the upcoming “Spider-Man” reboot, Sony unleashed this awesome poster earlier this week!

Check it out and let us know what you think…

If it seems like yesterday you were getting excited about the long overdue sequel to “Marval Vs. Capcom 2″, that’s because it was only released in February of this year. But like most Capcom fighting games, an updated version is always around the corner and will probably run you around $40.

“Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3″ is no different. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on this title about a week ago and although I can never seem to get good at the MVC games, I know what’s fun and what isn’t, and sure enough “Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3″ is a blast.

Before we get into the gameplay and changes of the UMVC3, one of the things that I noticed right away (well at least after I installed the 2.25GB game file) was that my the UI has been changed and is a lot less clunky than the previous version of the game. Some of the elements of the original title are still there that I wasn’t really a fan of like the way your Player Profile updates every time you go to the main menu and it makes it a bit annoying when you’re trying to hop in for a quick match. Between the music, graphics, cheesy vocal segues and the UI, this game feels like a classic arcade game and the Japanese influence is certainly there. Some new gamers may not appreciate it but as a 28 year old, I love it.

Some of the changes that players will see in UMVC3 is the addition of 12 new characters. On the Marvel side, we see the addition of Nova, Rocket Raccoon, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and, my personal favorite, Hawkeye. From Capcom, Frank West, Vergil, Phoenix Wright, Nemesis, Firebrand and Strider.

Speaks for itself. This simply looks amazing.

“The Avengers” hits theaters May 4th, 2012.

Are you an X-man? Or do you follow the ideals of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants? These are the questions that, as a gamer, you must ask yourself while playing X-Men: Destiny. The only other question you must ask yourself is: “Why did I purchase this game?”

Let’s start with the story. If you are a fan of the X-Men comics, you will find the theme and story of this game familiar. That theme being: Acceptance. You get to play as one of three new mutants: Adrian Luca, the son of a hard-shelled and rigid Purifier idealist; Aimi Yoshida, a Japanese refugee sent to America to pursue a better life by her father; and Grant Alexander, the college football jock.

Another choice you are given at the beginning of the game is Mutant power selection. Your choices are: Density Control, a hard-hitting class where rock-like protrusions aid in attacks and defense; Shadow Matter, a quicker attacking class based on shadow-like daggers; or Energy Projection, ranged-based attacks through energy projectiles. As the game progresses, you are given more choices in abilities pertaining to which power-class you have chosen. Furthermore, you collect exp by defeating enemies and are given liberties on which abilities to strengthen.

As you follow the development of the character you have chosen, you are simultaneously thrown into conflict between the Purifiers, individuals devoting their lives to the eradication of Mutants, or organizations for the safety and progression of Mutant rights, such as the X-Men or the Brotherhood of Mutants.

One of the strengths of X-Men: Destiny lies in the franchise’s characters. Part of the fun of the game was waiting to see which popular comic-book-character-come-to-life (or video game life) you would run into next. The developers did not use the characters sparingly and have allowed for even some of the under-rated characters to be used.

Another strength for X-Men: Destiny are the unlockables. These include collectibles, which allow the player to access character bios, and costumes, which change the appearance of your character to classic outfits that also give stat boosts.

Unfortunately, no single game is perfect and with that comes weaknesses. In X-Men: Destiny’s case, there are plenty. Firstly, the combat. Combat is fun at first, but quickly become somewhat of a hack-n-slash, button-mashing, lack of strategy form of repetition. Secondly, character movement is slow. While fighting enemies, your movement feels as though you are weighted and fighting underwater. Thirdly, you are constantly fighting waves of enemies that follow similar character designs, with not much variation. Fourthly, environments change, but still have the same format and are very linear in nature. Lastly, many cut-scenes seem to suffer from a product of poor clipping and editing. While watching a particular cutscene, with much excitement of what will come next, the emotion and power of that scene are halted due to a rushed resolution.

In conclusion, the sole purpose for the purchase of this game was the use of the long-running X-Men franchise. Although it was fun to have the capability to play within the X-Men universe along with popular characters, shoddy game-play and a rushed polish hold this game back from being the great game it could have been for us comic book fans. Hardcore X-Men and Marvel fans like me can see past the many flaws, but gamers that are not familiar with the franchise may want to use their Mutant power of inhibition and pass on X-Men: Destiny.

Capcom has unveiled that Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will feature reversible packaging, giving fans the choice for cover art created by a Marvel or Capcom artist. Capcom illustrator Shinkiro created the previously unveiled front cover art and the new reverse side features art by Marvel’s Mark Brooks. Mark Brooks’ new alternate cover art features all 12 of the game’s new characters in his own comic style which is representative of his experience illustrating the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Young Avengers comics. Both pieces of art will be printed on a single reversible cover for the entire first run of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in North America.

In order to get fans geared up for the launch of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Capcom is launching a brand new Facebook app this week.  Featuring the win-quotes from every character revealed thus far, the Ultimate Trash Talk App will allow Marvel and Capcom fans to send smack talk at the click of a button.  Try it for yourself here: http://www.facebook.com/marvelvscapcom3?sk=app_139033782859615 and let the trash talk begin!

In addition, Capcom is pleased to confirm that Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will be available on PlayStation Vita. This portable iteration will include the entire roster from its console counterpart, plus some additional bonuses. Screenshots from the PlayStation Vita version are available on the Capcom press site and more details will be revealed soon.

Team Charles or Team Erik? This is the important question for those of you planning on purchasing X-Men: First Class on Blu-ray and DVD this Friday.

This reboot of the popular franchise stunned audiences, fans and newcomers alike. Being a long-time fan of the X-men comics as a child, it was easy for someone like me to see many inconsistencies between the movie and the original comics. Did this matter? My answer: NO. X-Men: First Class was a movie with a fantastic plot containing tons of action to maintain excitement. Although it had an absence of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, and the traditional Angel, it is apparent that the filmmakers wanted to show off some never-before-used mutants.

This movie took the opportunity to focus on the crucial development of the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, successfully portrayed by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively.The Blu-ray will include: Deleted Scenes, an 8-part behind the scenes featurette giving us a look from pre-production to post-production, an interactive mutant database, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and many more.

For those of you that enjoyed the movie and those of you who have yet to see it (what’s wrong with you?), X-Men: First Class releases on Blu-ray and DVD this Friday, September 9th.