Latest news with #Earthlings
UPI
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Movie review: Confusing tone hinders 'Fantastic Four: First Steps'
1 of 5 | From left, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn are the new "Fantastic Four," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Marvel July 22 (UPI) -- The Fantastic Four: First Steps, in theaters Friday, is a confusing reintroduction of the comic book superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Failing to balance its tone, the movie is just no fun. The movie opens with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) already four years into being The Fantastic Four. So it is not their "first steps" at all. The title also alludes to Sue and Reed's baby, but it's hardly more relevant to him. In fact, a TV montage of the team's past adventures features scenes that look like they're from a much more fun movie. It also covers how a space accident rendered the four team members with super powers. On Earth 828, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) brings word that Galactus (Ralph Ineson) will devour the planet and nothing can be done. So the Fantastic Four try to figure out how to negotiate with and/or stop Galactus. It appears to be the 1960s on Earth 828, although a date is never given. It could be that the world just features '60s-style architecture and technology, and that those rock n' roll oldies are the current top 40. Most of the Marvel movies take place on Earth 199999. The idea of a retro-futuristic Fantastic Four sounds fun. Reed has a robot assistant named Herbert, uses reel-to-reel cassettes, and their Times Square has a bunch of fake movie and Broadway billboards, paired with the real Coca-Cola and Pan Am. It's not really a period piece though, because the setting is not the actual historical '60s. It's just the Marvel aesthetic with some retro veneers. The plot of First Steps rarely has fun with these concepts. The main story is about, once again, the fate of the entire world and the pressure on the Fantastic Four as the only Earthlings powerful enough to possibly stop Galactus. Ben and Johnny's occasional good zingers don't balance out the fact that the film strives to be epic, monumental and important. Galactus' plot involves Reed and Sue's baby. Say what one will about Star Wars' Darth Vader, but when he blew up an entire planet he didn't single out any babies. Of the four iterations of The Fantastic Four on screen, only the 2005 movie and its sequel seemed to realize the franchise is supposed to be fun. They might not have always succeeded, but the intention was correct. Even the unreleased Roger Corman production can be forgiven for working with what they had. The last two reboots had all the resources of major studios and went for a gravitas that doesn't work in either of those adaptations. When Galactus reaches New York it's far less impressive than a Godzilla or King Kong movie. He lacks the animalistic personality of those creatures, so he's just generically going through the motions. The cast commits to what little they've been given. Reed is burdened more with his vast intellect than his stretching abilities. Ben just wants to be friendly despite his girth and power as a rock monster. Quinn's Johnny is much tamer than Chris Evans' depiction in the 2005 version, which he reprised in a Deadpool & Wolverine cameo. Perhaps Evans pushed the PG-13 too far for Disney's comfort so they held Quinn back. As the Human Torch, there are no consequences for Johnny flaming on indoors. The Silver Surfer has the most presence, not just because of her alien appearance but due to Garner's body language too. Sue is left mostly to scolding the boys, unfortunately, so Kirby is the most underserved. This iteration of Fantastic Four will appear in The Avengers: Doomsday, as confirmed by a mid-credits scene set four years later. Maybe these characters will play well with the others, but on their own the clash of tonal elements brings down the vibe. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Largest Martian meteorite sells for a whopping $5.3M at auction: ‘Geological time capsule from another world'
This record-breaking rock had losing bidders seeing red. At one of Sotheby's Geek Week events, hosted at NYC's own American Museum of Natural History, this Martian meteorite smashed through bidding expectations, which were between $2M to $4M. Advertisement This meteorite, affectionately dubbed NWA 16788, isn't just any space rock, though. At a stunning $5.3 million, not only did it fetch the highest price of any meteorite ever, it's also the largest, most scientifically significant piece of Mars that we Earthlings have access to. At 54 pounds, the meteorite is approximately the size of two basketballs. 'NWA 16788 is a geological time capsule from another world,' Sotheby's representatives wrote. 'With fewer than 400 Martian meteorites ever recorded, and most no larger than a pebble, this specimen offers the biggest tangible connection to a planet that has captivated humanity for centuries.' Advertisement The space rock was discovered in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter — yes, that's a real job — in the middle of the Nigerian Sahara desert. The supermassive shooting star is made up of Martian magma and is among the 5.4% of Martian meteorites to boast the particularly rare geological classification, olivine-microgabbroic. AP Unsurprisingly, the meteorite from the Red planet is, in fact, red. According to Sotheby's analysts, who have examined it up close and personal, it's a deep, rusty shade with a glassy crust. 'NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert,' Sotheby's explained in the release. 'In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently.' Advertisement According to Sotheby's, researchers believe this rock was launched off the red planet when another forceful asteroid hit Mars' surface. AFP via Getty Images Before it was sold, the meteorite was publicly exhibited at the Italian Space Agency in Rome and in a private gallery in Tuscany. Though the buyer, who was not publicly identified, certainly paid a pretty penny for the rights to the rock, some scientists have reservations about the whole affair — particularly because of the possibilities for new research the meteorite presents. Advertisement 'It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large,' Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh, told CNN. A mere chunk of mineral it may be, but this meteorite is far from lonely in its exorbitant price. In 2020, a 4½-pound meteorite crashed through an Indonesian man's roof. According to experts, the rare rock was over 4.5 billion years old and was worth almost $2M. In the end, this meteorite was also purchased by a private meteorite collector. However, meteorites typically land in oceans, deserts, forests and other uninhabited areas, much like NWA 16788.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yes, Superman's kryptonite is (sort of) real
Superman's only major weakness—aside from bright red capes—is kryptonite. The fictional mineral was first described in 1943 during an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio serial, but it would take another six decades before fans learned its chemical ingredients. In the 2006 film Superman Returns, kryptonite was finally described as an amalgamation of 'sodium-lithium-boron-silicate-hydroxide with fluorine.' In a bit of cosmic coincidence, international regulators also officially recognized a nearly identical material that same year—and like its comic book mineral dopplegänger, jadarite may have major ramifications for Earth's inhabitants. In 2004, workers at a drill site in Serbia's Jadar Valley extracted a white, earthy silicate material unlike any previously documented mineral. Subsequent analysis from the Natural History Museum in London and Canada's National Research Council confirmed its unique composition, and in 2006, experts announced jadarite to the world. As luck would have it, Lex Luthor stole a sample of kryptonite labeled with jadarite's almost exact ingredients in that summer's Superman blockbuster. Jadarite doesn't glow or weaken Kryptonian heroes—although it does glow pinkish-orange under UV light. Regardless, it may still become a powerful tool for Earthlings transitioning away from fossil fuels. As Australia's National Science Agency explains, jadarite contains significant amounts of the rare earth elements lithium and boron. Lithium is a key ingredient in reusable electric batteries, while boron is often integrated into various alloys and ceramic glasses. 'Unlike many new mineral discoveries, which are often brought to light under the microscope and contain unusual combinations of rare elements, jadarite occurs as a multi-million tonne deposit and is composed of common elements,' the National Science Agency reports. In 2021, the United States Geological Survey estimated a hypothetical mine at the site could supply about 1.51 percent of the world's lithium demand. The jadarite in Serbia remains the only known deposit of its kind, making it a highly desired piece of property. But like kryptonite, jadarite has its downsides. Rare earth mines have come under increasing scrutiny from international regulators, scientists, environmentalists, and local communities due to their potential harmful effects on surrounding regions. In 2020, for example, the Rio Tinto mining company drew international condemnation after destroying a Western Australian cave site previously used by Indigenous peoples for over 46,000 years. Watchdogs have also highlighted numerous rare earth mine sites across China for labor violations, water pollution, and other ecological concerns. Jadar Valley is no exception. Although Rio Tinto revealed plans to begin construction on a jadarite mine in 2017, environmental reviews concluded the operation would consume massive amounts of water, as well as leach various acids and chemicals into around 4,900 acres of arable land. The reports also cited underground water salinization and river pollution. In 2022, Serbia announced the project's cancellation following waves of mass protests. Jadarite's future influence on Earth's energy industry remains uncertain. Like kryptonite, its potential is both promising and problematic. And with no Superman to intervene on our behalf, it'll be up to humans to determine the best way forward.
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Up, up and … eh? A rebooted ‘Superman' gives the Man of Steel a mind of marshmallow
Fine, I'll say it. I need Superman. I'm craving a hero who stands for truth and justice whether he's rescuing cats or reporting the news. Cheering for such idealism used to feel corny; all the cool, caped crusaders had ethical kinks. Even his recent movies have seemed a little embarrassed by the guy, scuffing him up with cynicism. I'm with the latest incarnation of Superman (David Corenswet) when he tells Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) that having a big heart is 'the real punk rock.' Director James Gunn's antsy reboot skips past the origin story of infant Kal-El slamming into Kansas in an escape pod from Krypton. Instead, this 'Superman' opens with Corenswet's savior slamming into Earth again, this time after losing his first fight. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and his bionic minions have batted Superman around Metropolis like a toy, forcing him to flee to his Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica with 14 broken bones and a busted bladder. The starkness of the white snow against his bright costume looks like a blank page asking: Who should Superman be today? The Superman myth has always been a fable of collision: a near-perfect alien challenged to protect fragile, scared humans who struggle to accept that we're not the bestest beings in the universe. Here, Kal-El's parents (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan) are heard insulting Earthlings outright — 'The people there are simple and profoundly confused' — which, for the franchise, is actually going a little easy on humankind. Historically, we tend to let him down, going back to his surprisingly spiky movie debut in 1951's 'Superman and the Mole Men' (note the lack of a 'versus'), in which George Reeves protected the outsiders of the title from a rural American mob. 'Obviously, none of you can be trusted with guns, so I'm going to take them away from you,' he lectures the townsfolk, pretzeling their shotguns. 'Stop acting like Nazi storm troopers!' Gunn isn't that punk rock. He's pop punk; he wants to be liked by a mass audience. Having taken control of the DC Universe, he's pivoted away from gloom to concoct a Superman who isn't too sweet or too serious — frankly, he's a little stupid. After a hasty resuscitation from his adorable dog Krypton and his robot butlers (voiced by Alan Tudyk, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker, among others), Superman races back into battle before he's healed. He gets beaten senseless again. Stupid is a smart idea for a 21st century reboot. Superman's stymied do-gooder impulse feels right for an era where you can't say 'Save the whales' without some genius asking why you don't care about plankton. The goal might have been to make him super naive. But Gunn doesn't do sincerity, so this Superman comes off as obtuse and overwhelmed — which, even for a Julliard-trained actor like Corenswet, is pretty impossible to pull off with any personality. His dimples and blue eyes are empathetic. But he mostly just looks dazed. This Superman is all impulsive energy, much like his unhousebroken puppy, who also wears a cape and tramples on things when he tries to help. They're essentially the same species. Superman gets distracted midfight by his urgent need to protect a squirrel; Krypto spends one brouhaha looting a pet store. Superman's reporter girlfriend of three months, Lois (a savvy and sensible Brosnahan, kitted in fabulous '70s-style threads), is well-aware of his dual identity and the flaws in his hasty reactions to injustice. She points out that physically threatening the thuggish president of fictional Boravia (Zlatko Buric) to stop invading weaker countries is technically torture. 'People were going to die!' Superman sputters. Lois' reticence about him mirrors our own vacillation with the DC Universe's new direction: We need to see something more from this guy before we commit. In this script, the lines of good and evil aren't drawn in black and white or even gray — they're a tangle of squiggles. There are no neat solutions, no shortcuts and there's no way for Superman to defend himself when Hoult's Luthor drums up a dubious sex scandal to accuse the Kryptonian of 'grooming' humanity and hires an actual room of typing monkeys to ruin his online reputation. (You may remember that before Gunn was hired to oversee DC Studios, Walt Disney fired him from Marvel when a blogger behind Pizzagate unearthed the director's old shock-jock jokes about pedophilia and 9/11. Clearly, that grievance is still on his mind.) The plot is impatient but entertaining enough. The villainous billionaire Luthor, who Hoult plays like a beady techno-zealot, has several schemes up his fancy sleeve. One involves a tent city in the desert that hides a portal to an extrajudicial jail for his enemies, both interstellar and domestic. (He's got green-skinned babies and a sobbing ex-girlfriend in there.) Gunn has sarcastically tried to make the place look cheery — Luthor's henchmen are dressed in mismatched Hawaiian shirts — but the sequence might give you the shivers. Gunn is known for wrangling groups of weirdos ('Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'The Suicide Squad') into blockbuster action-comedies. His instincts are to spray everything with silly string and slap on a wacky soundtrack. Here, there's actually a very good doom metal electronic score by John Murphy and David Fleming, but the movie stiffens up whenever it needs to get real. When we visit Clark Kent's family farm, it's touching to see his childhood bedroom. But his plainspoken Ma and Pa (Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince) have been made to talk so slowly they sound like they have brain injuries. It's as though 'Superman' isn't sure how to be earnest without whacking us over the head with it. The script is way more confident when Gunn gets to scribble in the margins, whisking in Milly Alcock's party-hardy Supergirl for a fast and fun cameo. (She'll have her own movie next summer.) Luthor's main henchwoman, known only as the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), is constructed from skittering robotic cells that let her change form like a Swiss Army Knife, while his latest ditzy blonde girlfriend, Eve (a very funny Sara Sampaio), wriggles her way into becoming a memorable highlight. One of the film's umpteenth kaiju fights introduces the corporate-sponsored Justice Gang, a trio of apathetic superheroes spearheaded by Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) with Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). They dispatch a monster so gracelessly that Superman finally gets some sense knocked into him. 'There's got to be a better way to do this,' he groans. The movie's tone shape-shifts just as recklessly as an outer space inmate named Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) who can transform into explosive acid. Gunn is compelled to show us his entire vision for the DC Universe. But as he cuts from a slow-burning gag about a garage door opener to a legitimately brutal execution to a whizbang combat scene set to a song that whoops, 'Fun fun fun!,' I just wished I was having more of it. This isn't quite the heart-soaring 'Superman' I wanted. But these adventures wise him up enough that I'm curious to explore where the saga takes him next. Still, I left chewing over how comic book movies can be so popular and prescient, and yet people who've grown up rooting against characters like Lex Luthor cheer them on in the real world. Maybe Gunn can answer that in a sequel. Or maybe our stubborn myopia is what this Superman means when he says, 'I screw up all the time but that is being human.'
Global News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
Captain Kirk would be ‘appalled' at state of Earth's decline, William Shatner says
Captain James T. Kirk would be appalled at the rapid acceleration of climate change on Earth, says William Shatner, the Montreal-born actor who played the head of the USS Enterprise in the 'Star Trek' franchise for decades. 'I think he would probably be as appalled as I am,' Shatner said during a recent video call from his home in Los Angeles. The actor said he could imagine Kirk 'skywriting' a message to his fellow Earthlings, urging them to take action. 2:05 Disappointment after climate change sidelined at G7 summit 'Education, education, read everything,' Shatner said. 'Everybody should acquaint themselves with the problem, and make a decision.' Story continues below advertisement The 94-year-old actor will be in his hometown of Montreal later this week for the city's Comiccon event. The three-day fan convention begins Friday at the Palais des congrès. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Shatner is scheduled to make an appearance on the second and third days of the conference. Other scheduled guests include Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' Shatner was born in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood in 1931, and he still has a deep emotional connection to the city. 'That's my whole childhood,' he said, adding that he has a 'vast' number of relatives living there, including a sister. He began acting when he was a small child, and he continued even after graduating from McGill University in 1952 with a commerce degree. The school's university centre is known to students as the Shatner Building, though the university confirmed it is not the building's official name. He first played Captain Kirk in the 'Star Trek' TV show in 1966. His last appearance in the franchise was in the 1994 film 'Star Trek Generations,' where Kirk is killed off. 1:50 Hundreds of Montreal students hold walkout, call for awareness on climate crisis He also starred in the shows 'Boston Legal' and 'T.J. Hooker.' He wrote several books, including 'Star Trek' novels and a memoir about his friendship with the late actor Leonard Nimoy, who famously played Spock in the original series. And he recorded more than a dozen albums, from 1968's 'The Transformed Man,' a collection of dramatic readings of popular songs, to last year's children's album, 'Where Will the Animals Sleep? Songs for Kids and Other Living Things.' Story continues below advertisement Last month, he was onstage in Seattle with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about space and life in a show they called 'The Universe Is Absurd.' He went to Antarctica last year, with deGrasse Tyson, and he went to space in 2021, aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin shuttle. Always curious and hungry for knowledge, Shatner said he is inspired and fascinated by the capabilities of artificial intelligence and applications such as ChatGPT. 'I was researching a speech I was making, and I could use ChatGPT immediately, (instead of) going down to the library, trying to find the book, read what the book says, come back home and realize I had a question I didn't ask,' he said. 'Artificial intelligence has been a revolution in mankind's acquisition of knowledge.' Even still, Shatner said he was frustrated by how little one man can ever really know. 'I'm going to die very unhappily because I don't know anything,' he said. 'There's so much glorious information out there that it's impossible to acquire. But what little bits and pieces the human brain can contain in a lifetime are fascinating.'
