Hey everybody, an exciting bit of news, the first episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast is now live! This little project will be our grand venture into the world of podcasting, with each episode bringing you a roundtable discussion of the comics were most looking forward to in The List, a rotating weekly rotating topic as well as a movie review.
This week's episode has us tackling The List in which we discuss the upcoming Blackest Night #1 from DC Comics, then we discuss the rising cost of comics today, and finally wrap up with some words about the film Time Crimes.
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Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
I thought I knew how I'd write this review, but the more I think about it the more my opinion changes.
Wolverine isn't a perfect movie. It's not a great movie either, but I think I'm comfortable with calling it "decent". When Wolverine hits it's marks it does so well, but those actual moment where it scores are far between.
SPOILERS AHEAD
In a movie that bears the word "Origins" in the title, an obvious starting point for the movie would be the Wolverine 2001 miniseries of almost the same name.
Wolverine isn't a perfect movie. It's not a great movie either, but I think I'm comfortable with calling it "decent". When Wolverine hits it's marks it does so well, but those actual moment where it scores are far between.
SPOILERS AHEAD
In a movie that bears the word "Origins" in the title, an obvious starting point for the movie would be the Wolverine 2001 miniseries of almost the same name.
While the ideas explored in the series are touched upon, it's done in a haphazard way that really provides no real background for the character.
In the series we're introduced to a young sickly boy named James Howlett and his friends the orphaned red-haired Rose and son of the groundskeeper Dog Logan. Right from the get go we're set up to believe that the gruff and violent Dog is the boy who will grow up to be Logan, but later it's revealed in a way similar to the movie that it's young James who will grow up to be Wolverine when his powers manifest for the first time when he pops his bone claws.
In the series we're introduced to a young sickly boy named James Howlett and his friends the orphaned red-haired Rose and son of the groundskeeper Dog Logan. Right from the get go we're set up to believe that the gruff and violent Dog is the boy who will grow up to be Logan, but later it's revealed in a way similar to the movie that it's young James who will grow up to be Wolverine when his powers manifest for the first time when he pops his bone claws.
After this moment in the movie James takes off with his friend Victor who has taken over the role of Dog in the movie, and will ultimately become his nemesis Sabretooth.
We're treated to an amazing opening credit sequence that shows Logan and Victor fighting through the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam, before being recruited into the Weapon X program.
This was arguabley one of the strongest points of the film and another missed opportunity to expand upon some history as Wolverine's origin encompasses more than just Weapon X, but that's fanboy griping there.
Here's another one of those few and far between strong points that I was talking about before coming up:
The introduction of Wade Wilson.
As long as there's been talk about a rumoured Deadpool movie, Ryan Reynolds name has been mentioned in the same thought. The man was born to play the Merc with a mouth. And the brief moments we see Wade onscreen are fantastic, but that's just what they are: brief moments. Kinda silly since they built a marketing campaign around the guy.
Wade will be the only member of Weapon X I talk about, since it's at this point in the film that everyone else doesn't matter. Yes, even Dominic Monaghan. Sorry Charlie...
Yeh ghonna die. Again.
But it's after this point that the movie becomes one of those meh moments. I remember the film, I know I saw it, but there's really nothing that sticks out. We're treated to some pretty decent fight scenes, there's a story about the Moon and a Wolverine, because Native Americans have stories that relate to anything, my favorite being about the burrito and the river.
This comes up when you Google Image Search "Burrito River". I'm guessing it's a spirit animal or something.
We're treated to an amazing opening credit sequence that shows Logan and Victor fighting through the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam, before being recruited into the Weapon X program.
This was arguabley one of the strongest points of the film and another missed opportunity to expand upon some history as Wolverine's origin encompasses more than just Weapon X, but that's fanboy griping there.
Here's another one of those few and far between strong points that I was talking about before coming up:
The introduction of Wade Wilson.
As long as there's been talk about a rumoured Deadpool movie, Ryan Reynolds name has been mentioned in the same thought. The man was born to play the Merc with a mouth. And the brief moments we see Wade onscreen are fantastic, but that's just what they are: brief moments. Kinda silly since they built a marketing campaign around the guy.
Wade will be the only member of Weapon X I talk about, since it's at this point in the film that everyone else doesn't matter. Yes, even Dominic Monaghan. Sorry Charlie...
Yeh ghonna die. Again.
But it's after this point that the movie becomes one of those meh moments. I remember the film, I know I saw it, but there's really nothing that sticks out. We're treated to some pretty decent fight scenes, there's a story about the Moon and a Wolverine, because Native Americans have stories that relate to anything, my favorite being about the burrito and the river.
This comes up when you Google Image Search "Burrito River". I'm guessing it's a spirit animal or something.
Wolerine gets his adamantium, more fight scenes and then HOLY CRAP! CAMEO AVALANCHE!
Cyclops, as portrayed by a young Hunter S. Thompson
Emma Frost!
Gambit!
Cyclops, as portrayed by a young Hunter S. Thompson
Emma Frost!
Gambit!
Ok, remember where I said I wasn't going to talk about characters anymore because they don't matter? Well I'm making a big Nahlin's exception.
Gambit was always one of my favorite X-Men. Was it the purple shirt and duster combo? The black and red eyes? The will they/won't they sexual tension with Rogue?
ALL OF THE ABOVE. Gambit was the man.
Gambit could do and then get away with everything. He's tied with Raphael as a cartoon character that could bang his way through your family tree and you'd be cool with it.
Not pictured: Raph having his way with your sister.
Gambit was always one of my favorite X-Men. Was it the purple shirt and duster combo? The black and red eyes? The will they/won't they sexual tension with Rogue?
ALL OF THE ABOVE. Gambit was the man.
Gambit could do and then get away with everything. He's tied with Raphael as a cartoon character that could bang his way through your family tree and you'd be cool with it.
Not pictured: Raph having his way with your sister.
So what really let me down about Wolverine was the lack of Gambit. Everything you see in the trailers is about it for him, with a little more thrown in at the end. Understandable since the movie is called WOLVERINE, but man, people have been aching for some Remy LeBeau action since the first X-Men movie. Way to tease us Wolverine, your almost as bad as Rogue...
Look, but SERIOUSLY don't touch.
Look, but SERIOUSLY don't touch.
And while I'd like to end this review with two words, I can't. But's they can lead up to it:
ADAMANTIUM BULLETS.
Yes, adamantium bullets. They can shoot through Wolverines skeleton and result in him losing his memory without killing him. Which really doesn't make sense, how would that matter? Wouldn't his brain just heal? Weapon X has billions laying around to fill people with metal and it's told that they have mind wiping technology, so why not just do that?
Nope. Adamantium bullets.
So if you want a decent start to the summer movie season, Wolverine might be for you. Just don't go in with high expectations for the plot, especially don't try to wrap your brain around the twist with Logan's lost love Silver Fox, you'll be wishing for a magic adamatium-forgetting bullet as well.
ADAMANTIUM BULLETS.
Yes, adamantium bullets. They can shoot through Wolverines skeleton and result in him losing his memory without killing him. Which really doesn't make sense, how would that matter? Wouldn't his brain just heal? Weapon X has billions laying around to fill people with metal and it's told that they have mind wiping technology, so why not just do that?
Nope. Adamantium bullets.
So if you want a decent start to the summer movie season, Wolverine might be for you. Just don't go in with high expectations for the plot, especially don't try to wrap your brain around the twist with Logan's lost love Silver Fox, you'll be wishing for a magic adamatium-forgetting bullet as well.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
I can't Stay Silent Anymore - A Watchmen Review/Discussion
After more than a month there's something I need to say...
Watchmen wasn't about big blue radioactive dong.
Almost every single conversation I've had about this movie has centered around the glowing nether regions of one Dr. Manhattan.
Now did Zack Snyder HAVE to show the irradiated Jon Osterman's cash and prizes to the extent he did? Not really.
But the whole reasoning behind it was lost on a majority of people I feel. Throughout the storyline it's shown that Dr. Manhattan is losing his humanity. As the years go by he cares less and less for the day to day affairs of what we consider life.
Why would a being beyond human morals and understanding care about what was hanging below his belt?
All the humanity had been drained from his being. Manhattan was so far gone nothing mattered to him, so I'm sure throwing on a pair of pants in the morning was the least of his worries.
But moving on, I found Watchmen to be a fantastic film. While not sticking straight to the original story, it was indeed true tonally and managed to dwell within the moral grey area needed to convey the story properly.
Every member of the cast did a fantastic job of bringing their characters to life.
Patrick Wilson created an incredibley likeable and more importantly, a relatable Nite Owl. As Watchmen's most (arguably) human character, Nite Owl serves as the voice of reason and our entry point into the world of Watchmen, and as such Wilson did a fantastic job.
Jakie Earle Haley played Rorshach just as psychotic and lost in himself as portrayed in the comic. Haley brought a depth to the character that couldn't be beat, and ultimately delivered some of the most powerdul acting in the entire picture.
Jefferey Dean Morgan's Comedian was stradled the line between hero and unlikeable bastard quite well, and as the centerpoint for the entire picture, he carried the role quite well.
Matthew Goode was really standout as Ozymandias, a character who never clicked with me in the book, but on the screen really worked well. Veidt was played so well, you knew what he was doing was wrong but you just couldn't help but agree with him. Again, Goode dwelled right where he needed to in that grey area.
Malin Akerman's Slik Spectre was just kind of there. While I'm afraid that Ackerman delivered the weakest preformance in the cast, after further review of the original series I couldn't help but notice that throughout the entire thing Silk Spectre is just kind of there on her own, and the only thing she really does is act as a tether from the original Sally Jupiter to the story. So I guess in that case, Ackerman played the part fantasticly.
Billy Crudup however was phenominal. Playing disinterested might seem easy, but to sound so distant as Dr. Manhattan, I cant imagine the chops necessary to pull it off.
On the whole I found Watchmen to be spectacular.
Dare I say, I think it was far better than The Dark Knight.
But I'm afraid the almost 2 hour running time, R rating and all the talk of glowing man bits may have scared away potential viewers. Which is a shame, because just as Watchmen the comic served as a deconstruction of the books of the 80's, so does the film of todays genre work.
It's sad to see such a great film suffer over a 60% drop off in revenue from the first week to the second. And then a further 60% drop from the second to the third. And I know box office numbers mean nothing in the times of dvd and direct tv, but its still sad that more people havent experienced the awesomeness.
But luckily those that have can hold a discussion about the morality plays of Adrian Veidt, and I guess at the very least the hypnotic swaying of Dr. Manhattan's "project"
Watchmen wasn't about big blue radioactive dong.
Almost every single conversation I've had about this movie has centered around the glowing nether regions of one Dr. Manhattan.
Now did Zack Snyder HAVE to show the irradiated Jon Osterman's cash and prizes to the extent he did? Not really.
But the whole reasoning behind it was lost on a majority of people I feel. Throughout the storyline it's shown that Dr. Manhattan is losing his humanity. As the years go by he cares less and less for the day to day affairs of what we consider life.
Why would a being beyond human morals and understanding care about what was hanging below his belt?
All the humanity had been drained from his being. Manhattan was so far gone nothing mattered to him, so I'm sure throwing on a pair of pants in the morning was the least of his worries.
But moving on, I found Watchmen to be a fantastic film. While not sticking straight to the original story, it was indeed true tonally and managed to dwell within the moral grey area needed to convey the story properly.
Every member of the cast did a fantastic job of bringing their characters to life.
Patrick Wilson created an incredibley likeable and more importantly, a relatable Nite Owl. As Watchmen's most (arguably) human character, Nite Owl serves as the voice of reason and our entry point into the world of Watchmen, and as such Wilson did a fantastic job.
Jakie Earle Haley played Rorshach just as psychotic and lost in himself as portrayed in the comic. Haley brought a depth to the character that couldn't be beat, and ultimately delivered some of the most powerdul acting in the entire picture.
Jefferey Dean Morgan's Comedian was stradled the line between hero and unlikeable bastard quite well, and as the centerpoint for the entire picture, he carried the role quite well.
Matthew Goode was really standout as Ozymandias, a character who never clicked with me in the book, but on the screen really worked well. Veidt was played so well, you knew what he was doing was wrong but you just couldn't help but agree with him. Again, Goode dwelled right where he needed to in that grey area.
Malin Akerman's Slik Spectre was just kind of there. While I'm afraid that Ackerman delivered the weakest preformance in the cast, after further review of the original series I couldn't help but notice that throughout the entire thing Silk Spectre is just kind of there on her own, and the only thing she really does is act as a tether from the original Sally Jupiter to the story. So I guess in that case, Ackerman played the part fantasticly.
Billy Crudup however was phenominal. Playing disinterested might seem easy, but to sound so distant as Dr. Manhattan, I cant imagine the chops necessary to pull it off.
On the whole I found Watchmen to be spectacular.
Dare I say, I think it was far better than The Dark Knight.
But I'm afraid the almost 2 hour running time, R rating and all the talk of glowing man bits may have scared away potential viewers. Which is a shame, because just as Watchmen the comic served as a deconstruction of the books of the 80's, so does the film of todays genre work.
It's sad to see such a great film suffer over a 60% drop off in revenue from the first week to the second. And then a further 60% drop from the second to the third. And I know box office numbers mean nothing in the times of dvd and direct tv, but its still sad that more people havent experienced the awesomeness.
But luckily those that have can hold a discussion about the morality plays of Adrian Veidt, and I guess at the very least the hypnotic swaying of Dr. Manhattan's "project"
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Dollhouse - Review
Joss Whedon has had his share of hits and misses, or rather I should say: Whedon has had bad luck with television.
Now don't get me wrong, Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be considered a success. The show based on the movie of the same name thrived for five seasons on the WB until it was cancelled with it's 100th episode. It was then picked up for two seasons by the fledgling UPN network, where the show held it's following until Whedon pulled the plug.
Angel, Buffy's vampie-beau spinoff held on for five seasons on the WB (which is surprising since two of them were after it's lead-in show Buffy had been moved to the UPN), until the show was canned.
Whedon's third foray into television, Firefly didn't even last a season. Out of 14 episodes filmed only 11 were shown, and the episodes that did make the air were shown out of order. But thanks to strong DVD sales Firefly resurfaced as the motion picture Serenity, and gave fans some closure and answers to some of the programs questions.
Which leads us to the now with Whedon's first venture into tv since Serenity's cancellation in 2002: Dollhouse.
While Whedon fans hold their breath waiting for bad news about this show, Joss himself remains hopeful noting that "these are different people, they didn't do to me what was done to Firefly". Noting that hopefully this changing of the guard will usher in a new era in the so-called "Whedonverse".
Dollhouse focuses on an organization which uses humans known as Dolls to preform various "engagments". These Dolls can be imprinted with memories, skills and personalities for whatever job they are to take on next. Once the job is completed, the Doll is mind-wiped and put away in the Dollhouse until the next time they are needed.
The Dollhouse as well as the show it's self dwell within the moral gray area, making this more akin to Firefly (people doing what they need to get by, good or bad) than Buffy (the greater good). In the first episode we're given a taste of this as lead character, Echo (played by Whedon favorite Eliza Dushku) takes on two separate engagements. The first being to accompany a young man for the weekend to see just how much fun they can have in three days, with the second being act as a negotiator for a kidnapping. What we as viewers are treated to is a main character who can and will be a different person in each episode.
It seems the main plot will revolve around Echo as she slowly becomes aware of her surroundings and what is going on around her. As this was only the pilot, we're treated to possible subplots that may unfold over time such as what lead Echo to become part of the Dollhouse, a federal agent named Paul Ballard running in circles trying to figure out anything he can about the seemingly fictional Dollhouse, as well as a rouge Doll named Alpha who is on the loose.
While the show may draw inital comparisons to J.J Abrams Alias, it will definitely stand out on its own. Supporting characters such as Topher, the scientist who programs the Dolls with for their engagements, Dr. Saunders the scarred female who cares for the Dolls post- and pre-engagement, and Boyd the Handler who watches out for Echo during her missions, seem to be willing to carry the brunt of the storytelling across the arcs as Echo herself has a limited knowledge of just what's going on around her.
Dollhouse looks to be another intriguing exploration of character in true Whedon fashion, here's hoping we'll get to see it through.
Dollhouse airs at 9pm Eastern on Fox, following Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The first episode "Ghost" and subsequent episodes can be viewed on Hulu the day after their premire.
Now don't get me wrong, Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be considered a success. The show based on the movie of the same name thrived for five seasons on the WB until it was cancelled with it's 100th episode. It was then picked up for two seasons by the fledgling UPN network, where the show held it's following until Whedon pulled the plug.
Angel, Buffy's vampie-beau spinoff held on for five seasons on the WB (which is surprising since two of them were after it's lead-in show Buffy had been moved to the UPN), until the show was canned.
Whedon's third foray into television, Firefly didn't even last a season. Out of 14 episodes filmed only 11 were shown, and the episodes that did make the air were shown out of order. But thanks to strong DVD sales Firefly resurfaced as the motion picture Serenity, and gave fans some closure and answers to some of the programs questions.
Which leads us to the now with Whedon's first venture into tv since Serenity's cancellation in 2002: Dollhouse.
While Whedon fans hold their breath waiting for bad news about this show, Joss himself remains hopeful noting that "these are different people, they didn't do to me what was done to Firefly". Noting that hopefully this changing of the guard will usher in a new era in the so-called "Whedonverse".
Dollhouse focuses on an organization which uses humans known as Dolls to preform various "engagments". These Dolls can be imprinted with memories, skills and personalities for whatever job they are to take on next. Once the job is completed, the Doll is mind-wiped and put away in the Dollhouse until the next time they are needed.
The Dollhouse as well as the show it's self dwell within the moral gray area, making this more akin to Firefly (people doing what they need to get by, good or bad) than Buffy (the greater good). In the first episode we're given a taste of this as lead character, Echo (played by Whedon favorite Eliza Dushku) takes on two separate engagements. The first being to accompany a young man for the weekend to see just how much fun they can have in three days, with the second being act as a negotiator for a kidnapping. What we as viewers are treated to is a main character who can and will be a different person in each episode.
It seems the main plot will revolve around Echo as she slowly becomes aware of her surroundings and what is going on around her. As this was only the pilot, we're treated to possible subplots that may unfold over time such as what lead Echo to become part of the Dollhouse, a federal agent named Paul Ballard running in circles trying to figure out anything he can about the seemingly fictional Dollhouse, as well as a rouge Doll named Alpha who is on the loose.
While the show may draw inital comparisons to J.J Abrams Alias, it will definitely stand out on its own. Supporting characters such as Topher, the scientist who programs the Dolls with for their engagements, Dr. Saunders the scarred female who cares for the Dolls post- and pre-engagement, and Boyd the Handler who watches out for Echo during her missions, seem to be willing to carry the brunt of the storytelling across the arcs as Echo herself has a limited knowledge of just what's going on around her.
Dollhouse looks to be another intriguing exploration of character in true Whedon fashion, here's hoping we'll get to see it through.
Dollhouse airs at 9pm Eastern on Fox, following Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The first episode "Ghost" and subsequent episodes can be viewed on Hulu the day after their premire.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Review: Punisher: War Zone
Marvel's quintessential anti-hero (no, not Wolverine, the other one) makes his big screen debut, again, with this weekends Punisher: War Zone.
I enjoyed the last Punisher movie, Thomas Jane did a pretty respectable job as Frank Castle, the man who after watching his family get gunned down by the mob takes the fight to the criminals. But I have to say this, with no slight to Tom Jane: Ray Stevenson IS the Punisher. Right from the get go we're treated to a bloody display of just what the Punisher does best, which is indeed punishing. And what really propels this movie ahead is the fact that unlike Frank's last venture into the theatre, this isn't an origin story. While they do touch on it briefly, what this move does best is just letting the Punisher go on his own. It doesn't need to explain why the Punisher kills people, it just lets him have at it.
Ray Stevenson, as I said before IS the Punisher.
Stevenson pulls off the calculating cold-heartedness well, but unfortunately the Irish born actor can't pull off the american accent all the time. While it's not too big of an issue, at time's its apparent that Frank ain't actual from around here.
The supporting cast does well on it's own too, with Buffy and Angel's Julie Benz making an appearance as a dead FBI Officers widow. She does her best at attempting to bring some humanity to the world of the Punisher, as does Wayne Knight playing the role of Wayne Knight, I mean Punisher ally Micro.
We're treated to a much stronger villain than John Travolta this time around as well with perennial Punisher foe Jigsaw showing up.
I enjoyed the last Punisher movie, Thomas Jane did a pretty respectable job as Frank Castle, the man who after watching his family get gunned down by the mob takes the fight to the criminals. But I have to say this, with no slight to Tom Jane: Ray Stevenson IS the Punisher. Right from the get go we're treated to a bloody display of just what the Punisher does best, which is indeed punishing. And what really propels this movie ahead is the fact that unlike Frank's last venture into the theatre, this isn't an origin story. While they do touch on it briefly, what this move does best is just letting the Punisher go on his own. It doesn't need to explain why the Punisher kills people, it just lets him have at it.
Ray Stevenson, as I said before IS the Punisher.
Stevenson pulls off the calculating cold-heartedness well, but unfortunately the Irish born actor can't pull off the american accent all the time. While it's not too big of an issue, at time's its apparent that Frank ain't actual from around here.
The supporting cast does well on it's own too, with Buffy and Angel's Julie Benz making an appearance as a dead FBI Officers widow. She does her best at attempting to bring some humanity to the world of the Punisher, as does Wayne Knight playing the role of Wayne Knight, I mean Punisher ally Micro.
We're treated to a much stronger villain than John Travolta this time around as well with perennial Punisher foe Jigsaw showing up.
Unfortunately much of Jigsaws thunder is stolen by the films other main villain, his brother Looney Bin Jim, and anytime they both appear on screen Jigsaw is reduced to just standing there trying to look menacing. While War Zone is far from the best movie let alone best COMIC book movie ever, it's definitely the best of the Punisher adaptations and a pretty fun movie all around.
Overall: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
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