Unlike last year, this year's WonderCon features a number of feature films. While it may not be as “exclusive” as these movies are going to be out in theaters pretty soon, the panels and exhibits are lower profiles in general, it's still entertaining to see extended trailers or additional footage and chat with select cast and crew.
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Here are some of the feature film highlights:
“Edge of Tomorrow” (starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt)
In attendance: Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton briefly discussed about the action-packed movie, in which Tom Cruise's character is a soldier battling an alien army and experiences a “groundhog day” on the day he dies. He continuously relieves his experience, and in the process learns to fight and his combat skills get better each time. Paxton commented about how heavy the exoskeleton suits were and there were times where the actors had to be suspended by chains to help take the weight off the suits. Paxton asserted that the movie would not just be a guy's movie; it will appeal to the gals as well. He praised Emily Blunt, playing a fellow soldier, for being tough and terrific.
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“Into the Storm”
In attendance: director Steven Quale, stars Richard Armitage, Max Deacon, Jeremy Sumpter, Arlen Escarpia
This panel showed goosebumps-inducing trailer, multiple tornadoes' wrath, wreaking havoc in a small town. Rain, wind, lightning, funnel cloud, fire, including a fire twister, destroying everything on its path. There's a balance of special effects between practical and digital. The actors were blasted with 120 MPH wind machine, sprays of cold water and dirt, and debris crashing around them. The result is natural disaster at its most powerful.
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“Godzilla”
In attendance: director Gareth Edwards
The bulk of the trailer with the tsunami in Hawaii is already out, but it's the closing scene that got fans raving. All the elements were expertly put together. Godzilla, rising from the sea, is only partly seen in the beginning, raising curiosity and fright. Floods sweep the tropical city. Humans are shooting at the unknown monster and hanging in the balance. But just when we thought the Godzilla would appear in its all its glory, a winged bug-like alien creature, comes into full view, and faces off with the Godzilla.
Director Gareth Edwards noted the challenge about designing a Godzilla was everyone had an opinion of what Godzilla should look like. And as far as the other creature, we had so many monsters over the last decades, so he took different elements of different monsters and created something that hopefully would look original.
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“Dawn of Planet of the Apes”
In attendance: director Matt Reeves, stars Kerri Russell, Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis
The movie picks up 10 years after the events of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” By this time, intelligent apes have ruled the world, so to speak, and we're introduced to the inside of the ape world, where Caesar is the leader. Caesar is an egalitarian leader and he carries humanity from his upbringing with a human family. As one might have guessed, humans have survived in this new ape world, and it's the question of how the two species could co-exist. It's a story about survival. A friend-or-foe scene, between a seemingly friendly ape, drinking along a couple of human buddies, left the crowd gasping in shock.
Director Matt Reeves promised a very immersive experience. He mentioned about performance-capture scenes shot in the woods and in the rain with 3-D cameras.
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“The Maze Runner”
In attendance: author James Dahsner, director Wes Ball, stars Will Poulter, Dylan O'Brien
Author James Dashner was enthusiastic about the adaptation of his YA dystopian fiction, noting how the movie matched his vision perfectly and how the filmmaker nailed the casting. The book was inspired by “Lord of the Flies,” “Ender's Game” and TV show “Lost.” The trailer, which is available online, features the protagonists running for their lives to escape the maze, trying to avoid being crushed, trapped or swallowed by rising, falling or closing-in walls and ground shifting or breaking apart. To the amusement of those in the audience, the actors noted that running wasn't part of the audition. While the movie looks like it's chocked full of special effects, director Wes Ball remarked that the biggest special effects were the emotional performance from the cast. The panel concluded the presentation by taking a “selfie,” an ever-growing trend, from the stage with the audience in the background.
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“X-Men: Days of Future Past”
In attendance: writer-producer Simon Kinberg
Writer-producer Simon Kinberg opened the panel by showing an extended sneak peek, a complete opening, intense fight scenes between relentless and superior Sentinels and various mutants. Fire and ice duels are shown prominently in the struggle.
Taking place in the past, 1970s shortly after the events of “X-Men: First Class," and the future, where Sentinels are hunting mutants and humans alike, the movie features the largest number of mutants. According to Kinberg, time-travel was tricky in general and the team consulted with James Cameron (“Avatar”) to be sure that they would handle this aspect meticulously. To distinguish the two eras, he added that the past was filmed with a bright palette and future with a cool, darker shade.
Like “X-Men: First Class,” there's a political element in the story. President Nixon makes a cameo and hints that the mutants might be behind the story of the missing tapes in the White House.
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“Lucy” (starring: Scarlett Johansson)
In attendance: director Luc Besson
Responding to a fan's question, director Luc Besson mentioned that his films often show the strength of women and weakness of men. His latest picture has a gritty look and cool feel, said to be using only 30% of CGI.
Like the 2011 “Limitless," this movie is based on a popular belief that humans only use ten percent of the brain and explores what happens if we could access and operate at 100% of brain power. Taking on the action route, the result is a near super human who acts with such precision, in speed and perception. In rapid succession, Scarlett Johansson's character is shown mapping her escape from her shackles, shoots and kills several men, chowing down their food, pulls out a bullet from her shoulder, finds her way to a hospital, forces doctors to operate on her to take out a leaking bag filled with drugs that was mysteriously placed inside her stomach. In another scene, she drives the wrong-way in the streets of Paris, unfazed amidst other cars wheezing by, flipping and crashing around her.
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I left the last movie panel, "Deliver Us from Evil" early (stars Eric Bana and Olivia Munn were present, among a few others). A day dominated by movie presentations ended with a TV-related panel for me, a Q&A session with the showrunners. Steve Callaghan (“Family Guy”), Chris Carter (“The X-Files”), Marc Guggenheim (“Arrow”) and Andrew Kreisberg (“Arrow”), Steven Molaro (“The Big Bang Theory”), Rockne O’Bannon (“Revolution”), Jane Espenson (“Once Upon a Time”) and John Rogers (“Leverage”) were in attendance.
It's interesting to hear them speak and provide insights, such as the writing aspect, their relationships with the actors and fans, and role of social media. One funny tidbit they mentioned was the about the actors. During the first year of the show, it's been said that actors work for them. In the second year, actors and showrunners are partners. But the third year, showrunners work for the actors, because it's easier to replace who's behind the camera since they're not visible to the public, than the actors, who by this time have become well-known and a constant present in the lives of the shows' fans.
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As long as WonderCon continues to be held in Anaheim, I would happily attend. It may not be a transcendent experience like the mega-popular Comic-Con, but certainly worth the drive. Hassle-free entrance to most panels, comics-loaded exhibit halls (although curiously missing movie and TV props this year) and creative cosplays.
If you've never been to Comic-Con and wanted to get a taste of the experience at a fraction of the price, or if you're a Comic-Con fan but tired of the drama-filled process of scoring tickets, waiting in long lines and camping out for panels, head out to WonderCon next year!
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/wondercon-2014-feature-film-highlights-part-i/
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/wondercon-2014-feature-film-highlights-part-ii/
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/wondercon-2014-feature-film-highlights-part-iii/
[left click to enlarge pictures]
