In preparation for Captain America: Civil War, Filmlosophers Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley discuss the fan-favorite (and critically endorsed) second installment in the series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). From the balanced storytelling to the compelling musical score, no stone is left unturned in this evaluation of one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most acclaimed properties to date.
The team also discusses Space Jam 2 (2017) news, the "creative differences" that caused Seth Grahame-Smith to leave The Flash (2018), Cable news for Deadpool 2 (2017) and a foreign box office power play from Captain America: Civil War (2016).
The Filmlosophers Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley begin an exciting new, three-part series on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America films by unpacking the story structure and impressive characterization of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Stick around after the initial evaluation for a special Fantasy Cast segment where we explore alternative casting choices for some of the film's key roles.
Other news items include the fan frenzy on "Alien Day" (4/26), a new screenwriter announcement for Sherlock Holmes 3, new details about Nathan Fillion's possibly "wonderful" cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017) and reactions to the final trailer for X-Men Apocalypse (2016), which releases on May 27th.
In this week's episode, The Filmlosophers Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley present a thrilling DOUBLE FEATURE review of The Jungle Book (2016) and Zootopia (2016), two anthropomorphic Disney films released within just a few weeks of one another. Which film proves to be the most anthropomorphic? Would it work to make the same films with human actors instead of CGI animal characters?
News topics include the passing of Doris Roberts, just-released images of Rita Repulsa from the new Power Rangers (2017) film, photos from The Magnificent 7 (2016) and a casting update from next year's Justice League (2017) film.
Kudos to the innovators who work to push the industry forward. In this installment, The Filmlosophers give their candid perspectives on Hardcore Henry (2016), a first-person POV film that makes bold attempts at redefining the medium. Not everything flies, but the attempt is admirable.
News bites include commentary on the new Doctor Strange (2016) trailer and poster, a fresh take on Warner Bros' Suicide Squad (2016) following the arrival of a new trailer, reactions to the casting of Charlize Theron and Scott Eastwood for Fast 8 (2017) and a quick geek-out retrospective on viewing the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) teaser.
The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, take an in-depth look at Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), a film that invites mental scrutiny but doesn't quite stand up under the gravity of its own story structure. News items also include the passing of Erik Bauersfeld, the voice of Admiral Ackbar for the Star Wars franchise; Disney releases the first trailer for The BFG (2016); Joel McHale plays a younger version of his Community (2009) costar, Chevy Chase, in a Netflix biopic on the creators of National Lampoon; and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) faces a 68% drop in second week attendance.
Man of Steel (2013) starts to look a lot better with age, particularly for those who didn't love Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The Filmlosophers review high points and low from the initial installment of the DC cinematic/expanded universe and ask "Would You Rather?" about two controversial story elements.
Add in news about Alice Through the Looking Glass, the just-announced "Alien Day" 2016 and The Lego Batman Movie, and you've got a full show. Class is in session!
The Filmlosophers wax nostalgic about a beloved multimedia franchise that's been going strong for nearly 70 years with an in-depth review of The Peanuts Movie (2015). Stick around near the end of the review for a "Conspiracy Theory" installment that seeks to answer the question: Who is the little red-haired girl?
Eddie and Chad also discuss their initial reactions to the final Captain America: Civil War trailer (featuring Spiderman), changes to the Star Trek: Beyond cast in post-production and Paramount backing out of U.S. distribution for The Little Prince.
The Filmlosophers share feedback on the first trailer for the new, all-female Ghostbusters film, provide opinions about the casting of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon in the Justice League film and give a gut reaction to the newly unveiled Captain America: Civil War character posters before diving deep into a review of Terminator: Salvation. They wrap the episode with an "Altered Reality" segment that wrestles with the implications of changing the end of Salvation so that John Connor dies instead of Marcus Wright.