Screen superheroes lead tributes to Stan Lee

LOS ANGELES - Comic book superhero creator Stan Lee, who died on Monday, got a superstar send off from Hollywood, where he was celebrated for creations like Spider-Man, Black Panther and the Hulk that made the careers of actors and directors alike.

Following is a list of reactions on social media and by statement:

"I owe it all to you," "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr.

"No one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel Studios than Stan Lee. Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all," Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios.

"Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything," "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds.

"For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!," "Captain America" actor Chris Evans.

"I'm proud to have been a small part of his legacy and .... to have helped bring one of his characters to life," "Wolverine" actor Hugh Jackman.

"Thank you for making my childhood, teen years and adulthood so fun, especially during darker days," singer Josh Groban.

"Thank you Stan Lee for making people who feel different realize they are special," actor Seth Rogen.

"Rest In Peace, Mr. Lee. Thanks for everything," "Supergirl" actress Nicole Maines.

"Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created. A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart," Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

"Original and genius are two very overused words in the world today, but Stan was both. Add irrepressible and irreplaceable, and you begin to describe the man. We have all lost a true superhero," Tim Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures.

"The legacy of Stan Lee, through his creative genius and his universes of characters, will continue to reach the world of true believers for generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the fans of not only his work, but of him, as a friend who made the world a better place," Shane Duffy, chief executive of Lee's POW! Entertainment.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

WATCH: First 'Captain America: Civil War' trailer

The first official full-length trailer for the much anticipated Marvel Studios sequel “Captain America: Civil War” has been released on Wednesday.

Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, who helmed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the film, according to the official synopsis, picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity.

After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” also stars The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).

The first of Marvel Studios’ Phase 3 films, it will also feature appearances from Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, Jeremy Renner sa Hawkeye, Paul Rudd sa Ant Man, Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlett Witch, and Paul Bettany as The Vision.

The film will be released in May 2016.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Captain America stars at NY stock exchange

S&P 500 closes at record high

NEW YORK - Actors Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and representatives from Marvel Comics and the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Disney's Marvel superhero sequel opened at No. 1 in 30 of 32 markets in which it debuted. The film took in $75.2 million in its overseas box-office debut this weekend.

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks rose for a third straight session on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 ending at a record close, after positive data on factory activity indicated economic growth was gaining traction following a harsh winter.

Gains were broad, with areas of the market closely tied to the pace of economic growth among the day's leaders. Consumer discretionary stocks rose 1.4 percent while technology shares were up 1.3 percent.

Among other groups, the PHLX housing sector index rose 1.6 percent and the Nasdaq biotechnology index added 2.1 percent. The Dow Jones Transportation index rose 0.9 percent to a record.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity rose to 53.7 in March, its second straight monthly acceleration. However, the report was below the median forecast of 54.0.

The ISM report was the latest to point to improving economic conditions, giving credence to the theory that soft data earlier this year was due to weather and not weakening fundamentals.

"There's a whiff of spring in the economic data, which means we're starting the second quarter with signs that the economy is maintaining the kind of reasonable growth that will continue to support the market," said Jim McDonald, chief investment strategist at Chicago-based Northern Trust Global Investments, which has about $884 billion in assets under management.

"I'm comforted by the rise in discretionary and homebuilding stocks, since those are the ones that really show economic strength. Meanwhile the rise in biotech shows improved risk appetite."

Ford Motor Co jumped 4.6 percent to $16.32. U.S. auto sales rose more than expected in March, following two months when demand was hampered by weather.

General Motors Co dipped 0.2 percent to $34.34, although its March sales also topped forecasts. Mary Barra, the company's chief executive, told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee GM has retained Kenneth Feinberg as a consultant to gauge possible responses to families of those injured or killed in crashes involving recalled cars.

Among tech names, Google Inc rose 1.8 percent to $1,134.89 and Microsoft Corp added 1 percent to $41.42. Both were among the biggest boosts to the Nasdaq 100 index, which rose 1.7 percent. Shares of Cisco Systems jumped on heavy volume, up 3.9 percent to $23.10 as the biggest advancer on the Dow.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 74.95 points, or 0.46 percent, at 16,532.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 13.18 points, or 0.70 percent, at 1,885.52. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 69.05 points, or 1.64 percent, at 4,268.04.

The S&P 500 has gained for three straight sessions, up about 2 percent over that period.

About 69 percent of stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange closed higher on Tuesday while 72 percent of Nasdaq-listed shares ended up. About 6.41 billion shares traded on all U.S. platforms, according to BATS exchange data.

Financial data firm Markit said its U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index slipped to 55.5 in March, unchanged from a preliminary reading, but the rate of growth and the pace of hiring remained strong.

Construction spending edged up 0.1 percent in February, curbed by a drop in private residential projects.

Intuitive Surgical Inc jumped 12.7 percent to $493.60 as the best performer on the S&P 500. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave marketing clearance for the company's da Vinci Xi Surgical System.

Medicines Co tumbled 15.5 percent to $24.02. A U.S District Court ruled a generic version of its blood thinner made by Hospira Inc did not infringe two of Medicine Co's patents. Hospira shares gained 2.4 percent to $44.27.

After the market closed, shares of Apollo Education fell 3.7 percent following its results.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' raises Marvel bar

I do not know what it is about films in the Marvel franchise, but more than often, they can manage to exceed our already high expectations of their films. Just when you thought that "The Avengers" was already a pinnacle of superhero action film perfection, along comes another one that challenges that position.


"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is more than just an excellent action-packed superhero film. Aside from those big fist fights, gun fights, car chases, it also has piracy on the high seas and gigantic aircraft of mass destruction to add to the mayhem. All of these action scenes were executed perfectly - the stunts, the CG effects, the editing, the set-ups -- no loose ends. Those who found the sound levels of "The Avengers" too much would find the quality of sound here just right. The set design of the glass Triskelion building, headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., is amazing.

The directors Anthony and Joe Russo hit all the right notes in their execution of a complex film. We do not feel the two-hour plus running time pass us by.

Chris Evans gets more and more comfortable in playing this good-natured All-American hero. His physical aptitude is of no question in all those high-energy action scenes. More than just his chiseled face and physique though, he also proves he has the acting chops for those unexpectedly emotional dramatic scenes in the film. There was a charming one set in a museum, and another one in a hospital bedside, featuring a surprise guest cameo.

Scarlett Johansson is bad-ass and kick-ass as the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. She had a lot more complex stunts to do here over those that wowed us in "The Avengers." We also get to know Natasha a little better -- her background, her work ethic, her skills -- but just enough to whet our interest even more about her mysterious character.

Samuel L Jackson reprises his recurrent role as Nick Fury. Again, we get to see Nick Fury more in action here as ever. There was a particularly exciting sequence where Nick's car was ambushed in the middle of city traffic that was jaw-dropping in its execution.

It was really good to see Robert Redford back in a big role in a mainstream film. He plays Secretary Alexander Price who oversaw S.H.I.E.L.D. for the US government. Redford still had that cool and collected touch of class that made him a big box-office star in the early 1970s.

There will be new characters introduced. Anthony Mackie gets to be ex-soldier Sam Wilson, who will later don those awesome metal wings as Falcon. The beautiful Emily VanCamp (of TV's "Revenge") is first introduced to us as shy nurse and Steve's next door neighbor, Sharon Carter, but she will also have surprises up her sleeve later. Hope to see more of these two characters in future CA -- or even Avengers -- films.

The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely was able to smoothly tell us about the Cap and the people he loved, along with the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., the history of HYDRA, the history of Black Widow, the history of the Falcon, all on top of a solid politically-charged thriller of a main story about a deadly S.H.I.E.L.D. project called Operation Insight. Again, all these multi-layered details were all tucked in neatly, with no significant plot holes to ponder about.

There are two extra scenes in the end credits. One will be shown midway after the main names (again with great-looking artwork!), featuring Loki's scepter and two new beings with powers. This promises an interesting story line for a future film. Another shorter extra scene will be shown at the very end of all the smaller print credits.

I am not really sure if there is still any surprise about the identity of The Winter Soldier. If I mention who plays him, you will already know. So I will just leave that for you to find out when you watch this film. I am sure you will go watch this. 10/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com