The Golden Avenger

What can I say about that movie? I know it’s been out for quite some time now, but I was in Mexico so now is the time to post my personal review. Marvel bet the bank on this production, and it marked the first Marvel superhero movie to be completely controlled and produced by them. Literally they put their own intellectual property on the line if the movie went south.

They needed to make this movie all that it could be. They certainly succeeded.

The script was nothing less than phenomenal. It was quick, it was witty, it was funny yet not childish and it was serious when it needed to be. I’ve realized, though, that any script given to Mr. Downey Junior automatically becomes excellent merely through how he reads his lines. To say that Robert Downey Jr. was destined for this role as Mr. Tony Stark… would be quite accurate. The cosmos MEANT for him to play this role, and he did it justice.

Then we had quite a few supporting actors/actresses who also did their part to make this movie great. I was very skeptical about Gwyneth Paltrow playing Stark’s secretary, Pepper Potts. Although I am sure I am right when I say that she was chosen simply to drag in Paltrow fans who would not normally see a superhero movie (above many other more qualified actresses who would have fit the role, I digress), I found I actually enjoyed her in the role. She did good, though a few of my friends would say different.

Is it just me, guys out there, or did she look smoking hot for a good chunk of that movie? I’ve never thought that way of her before…

Terrence Howard held the role of Rhodes, and I found his voice a bit too… soft. I looked past it. He’s going to be awesome in the next film anyways as War Machine. Jeff Bridges did very well as Tony Stark’s corporate partner-turned-bad guy. I like that dude’s voice. Very intimidating.

I didn’t go into Iron Man with extremely high expectations, because my heart might have shattered if one of my favorite superheroes was destroyed much as Spider-Man was. I came out of that theatre brimming with new hope for ALL of the upcoming Marvel-made superhero movies.

And now for a couple of ***SPOILERS***, to round this off.

I’m sure many others caught the allusions toward the Mandarin’s rings? Because that terrorist group was one of (I’m assuming) 10 groups calling themselves ‘The Ten Rings’. Raza (the leader of the group that captured Tony) would always be casually stroking the ring on his right hand ring finger – a massive red stone.

Alright folks, time to geek it up a notch. Bonus points if anyone can remember what that ring was supposed to be able to do…

It was a ‘Disintegration Beam’ ring. It has the power to literally destroy the links between atoms of anything it hits, at a recharge time of 20 minutes. Powerful stuff! Perhaps we’ll be seeing more of the 10 rings terrorist groups in the upcoming Iron Man 2, as well as The Mandarin, who in the comics gathered all 10 rings to control ultimate power and summon the dreaded dragon, Fin Fang Foom!

And that scene after the credits? Marvel Entertainment is definitely pushing their comic book genius. Tying together movies as they would comics… You can bet that Mr. Samuel L. Jackson will most likely make an appearance in the Incredible Hulk movie later this summer, recruiting yet one more member to the Avenger Initiative.

Did you HAVE to go there, George?

Where to begin? That would be the first question one would ask oneself, perhaps, after viewing the newest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. I suppose I WILL begin by stating that this post will include some spoilers, so here we go:

***SPOILER ALERT***

So what makes Indiana Jones… Indy? The first thing that comes to mind when asked that particular question is his mischievous smirk that comes right before doing something so mind-bogglingly risky that it leaves you with a lingering “wow” escaping your lips. That and a bunch of witty one-liners to ease any situation.

What else defines Indiana Jones? Well… Nazis. I know most people would say, “Well Temple of Doom didn’t have Nazis…” and to that I say ‘touché’. Temple of Doom certainly did NOT have Nazis. This, however, is why Temple of Doom still stands as my least favorite of the original three movies, though I definitely respect it and cherish it as if it were my child… though my third favorite child.

That would mean this newest film was the unexpected mistake of a child… but I digress.

Alright so what’s my beef with the newest Indiana Jones film? For one I thought the script to be nothing less than trash. It all seemed a bit… not Indy. Where were the witty one-liners throughout? That was a small part, I suppose. What really bothered me was the general plotline. Here is where the primary spoiler comes.

Aliens?

Really?

As soon as I came to realize this, which didn’t take long (You discover this fact not long into the movie), I knew that Mr. Lucas had left his greasy fingerprints all over this. Was Star Wars not enough that you would have to put your damned extra-terrestrials into everything you do now? We get it! You made Star Wars! Want a cookie?

I honestly don’t know why Steven and Harrison agreed to do this story… I mean there are tonnes of other artifacts and ancient stories that could have been more… archaeological. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the past Indiana Jones films had a certain feeling of awe surrounding ancient artifacts and the power flowing from them. An alien skull seems a bit… I don’t know… I guess it would have made a better X-Files film.

Another thing that bugged me about the newest installment was the unbelievable factor. Some would say “What, and triggering an elusive trap and running away from a boulder wasn’t unbelievable?” or maybe even “What, just because Short Round claims there are “No more parachutes!” you are able to survive a 20+ story fall from a plane with only an inflatable dingy?”. Again - touché. But to survive not once, not twice, but thrice over waterfalls of ascending magnitudes… there seems to be a problem. I mean sure a couple could have survived. Perhaps the younger folk. But for crying out loud, one was an invalid! He probably couldn’t even wipe his own ass in that state let alone be able to swim and get back into that car-turned-white-water-raft. Again I digress.

The whole Alien thing really turned me off of what, in my opinion, Indiana Jones should be. Harrison Ford did a great job once again as Indy. He can still fill those shoes. It’s just the script didn’t allow Ford to do it justice. It wasn’t the same Indy.

By the end of the film I was half expecting a light-saber battle and Han Solo jumping out of nowhere proclaiming he was Indy’s great, great, great, etc. grandfather. Maybe even a bit of Jar Jar Binks in there somewhere.

It just wasn’t… epic enough. Raiders and Last Crusade had the whole “If we don’t find this thing first, the world is going to end.” This one merely had a “If we don’t find this thing first, some chick is gonna be super smart, but she’ll die anyways cause she can’t handle it.” Although it always happens. They got that right, at least. Bad guy still gets there, tries to utilize whatever object, and meets their untimely end.

Oh and one last thing. A refrigerator? I don’t care if it’s lead lined. That was just… was it really necessary?

Sigh. Some things, I think, are best left alone – preserved in their glory.

Showtime

And... back.

It's been a wild month what with Mexico and hospitals, etc. Long story short, the hiatus ends now.

I've got a line-up of movies to review, some old, some new and some forthcoming. Got some book reviews rattling around here somewhere. Got some news coming out of every orifice around here that's been stacking up for a month now.

All will be revealed! Stay tuned!

Whew!

Wow, sorry for the crazy hiatus we've been on. Been a busy month what with me graduating here this weekend, so many video games, so many movies, and a Mexico trip starting Sunday.

The hiatus will ensue for just a bit longer, but as soon as I get back into Canada in a couple weeks, I've got a good number of posts cooked up. We'll do some catching up then.

Look for a few movie reviews, a few book reviews, and other stuff like that!

Ok, time to go pack!

Daniel

ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction

The guys over at Red 5 Comics have done it again!

What have they done?

They've perfectly catered to our undying thirst for Zombie-related material!

Kevin Grevioux (the creator of Underworld) and Red 5 Comics are teaming up to create a 6 bi-monthly release of this new horror-action series. I think that SuperHeroHype's article say's it best:

"Air-dropped into the deadliest hot zones, the walking dead of "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction" indiscriminately infect every last warring insurgent -- on either side of the conflict. Specifically engineered to be photosensitive, once enemy infection becomes complete by dawn the originals and newly created zombies dissolve as a means to control widespread and accidental zombification. This allowed live soldiers to enter and safely occupy the now-combatant-free territory. However, this plan takes a deadly turn when one of the U.S. zombies, dubbed -- Zombie Zero -- fails to dissolve at the expected time, and begins to wreak havoc in the Middle East by creating others like him. This leads the U.S. military brass to send in a special operative to quietly take out Zombie Zero and his minions before their existence becomes known to the rest of the world."

Look for these to hit shelves in July sometime! For more information, you should probably check out either SuperHeroHype's article, or browse for more information on other Red 5 stuff at their site!

Who here plays Hero Clix?

I'm a personal fan of the Marvel series of HeroClix, though WizKids produces three separate 'Clix' lines: DC, Marvel and Indy. I've been playing for a few years now, and when a new series comes out a friend of mine and myself find our ways back to the old comic shop to purchase a brick - to later sort through them meticulously and select our new team members draft-style. Marvel Comics and WizKids have announced a new collaboration for the upcoming release of the newest Marvel series of HeroClix: Secret Invasion.

The Secret Invasion themed release will, of course, primarily focus on the recent events occurring in the Marvel Universe, where not long ago we discovered that Skrulls may have been infiltrating our world for a long time now. Skrulls, of course, have the technology and ability to assume the shape of other beings, and have used this ability to wreak havoc amongst earth's heroes. No one can trust each other as the struggle to protect Earth's inhabitants is waged amongst the heroes of our planet.

In a push to expose customers in game stores to the comic book world, Marvel and WizKids have teamed up to produce cross-promotional material and packaging for this new set. The displays for the sale of HeroClix boosters will also sell pamphlet comics to coincide with this new release.

The thing I'm wondering about is what the exclusive figure will be with purchases of a brick, because I already know that most of the figures in this series will be crazy strong as it is!

The Triumphant Return of Earthworm Jim

You may have already heard this, but the magnificent Earthworm Jim looks to be suiting up once again. Interplay Entertainment Corporation has announced a partnership with MR. Doug TenAppel. Doug TenAppel created the popular character for a video game in 1994, and it went on to become a massive success with 3 video games and a fun-filled animated series with 23 episodes in 1995 and 1996.

The story revolves around an earthworm who, unexpectedly, has a super suit fall on him one day. The suit enabled him to become the inter-galactical crime-fighter (kinda) feared by villains everywhere. With such memorable baddies as Evil the Cat and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head, Jim had his work cut out for him.

I personally remember drawing Earthworm Jim portraits on half the papers in my binder in elementary school. You can bet I'm pretty excited for what's to come from Jim's galaxy. Look to the future to bring a new animated television series, a new video game and even a feature film!

Stan Lee and Virgin Comics Ultimate Team-Up!

Mr. Stan 'The Man' Lee has opted to form a partnership with the guys over at Virgin Comics! Their mission? To create a new universe of superheroes, unlinked to anything out there in the market. Stan has, in his time, created or had a hand in creating some of, if not THE most, memorable characters in comics history. Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man... all of these and many many more fall under Stan's imagination.

"What a dream assignment!" enthused the always-ebullient Lee. "I can't wait to start pitting my newest, most exciting superheroes against comicdom's most powerful, diabolical super villains and then have the fun of tossing them into far-out, thrill-a-minute adventures to challenge the readers' imagination! And who better to share in the fun, creating wondrous new worlds without limit, than the incredibly talented and dedicated guys at Virgin Comics!"

Hold onto your hats, everyone, this is gonna be one hell of a thrill ride.

The comic series is due out sometime in 2009, so look forward to seeing more and more news about the project in the months to come! Our friends at Comixology has more to say on the matter, so head on over at this link here!

'The fate of superheroes'

Thane Burnett (who writes for the Toronto Sun and from whom my local paper occasionally posts articles) wrote a particularly intriguing article this last Saturday. The article was called 'The fate of superheroes', with the sub-text reading: 'A boy grows up and his childhood champions are banished to the basement'.

The article unfolds, telling about Thane's experience recently with - under the request of his son - repainting and refinishing his child's room. The room had at one point been a homage to the comic book era his child grew up on. "A swinging Spider-man and a flying Superman, whose red cape wrapped around the walls and ended where (his son's) head would hit the pillow each night." All of this on a background of white fluffy clouds on sky blue. And on the roof, Thane tells of how he even wrote a storyline to read in big bold letters. The story told of how a villain stole all the humor in the world, and how his son would have the last laugh.

Firstly I just want to say that this man, Thane, is a father who should receive an award of some kind. A man who put honest thought and care into the decor of his son's room in order to entice imagination. To encourage a strong and healthy childhood by providing for his son what every child needs - a hero.

However it was not to last. Thane tells how his son, at age 10, tells his father he's embarrassed to have his friends over from school. When asked why, Thane discovers that his son does not want to show his friends who he shares his room with.

Alright so here I am going to just pause and speak my mind. If Mr. Burnett should read this I mean absolutely no harm, just my own personal thoughts.

What kind of 10 year old wants something like that covered up. Who are his friends that would come over and see those walls and NOT be impressed with how 'cool' those heroes are. They are 10 year-olds. And how do you grow out of that kind of phase that young? Alright, I will admit that my youth was filled with comic books and fiction of almost every kind (Name it - sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery, what have you). My imagination was cultured through my parents' insistence of summer-reading programs. By the time I was 10, I was neck-deep in comic books to read and so were my friends at school.

Even the 'cool kids' in my grade hung out with each other at recess playing 'Power Rangers' - (I was Jason for the record. Every time) - and Animorphs (Totally got to be Tobias). There was nothing to be ashamed about our imaginations, which were almost at their peak of strength. Superheroes are the one thing I don't understand. They are nearly timeless. Perhaps you may throw out your old comic books, but once you've read the origin of Batman, you will carry that knowledge with you the rest of your days.

I walked past a junior high school a couple weeks back during lunch hour. As almost anyone will tell you, Junior High is the hell of grade school. Where the young have decided that segmentation of groups is quite alright, and the stereotypes come out to play. Where the 'cool' kids hang out in the park, while the 'nerds' chill in the library or computer lab. You'll never guess what I heard.

You see, there were these four kids 'chillin' by the fences, experimenting with swear words I deemed still too out of their league. But you know what they were saying?

"Man, that new Batman movie is gonna be the f***in sh*t man. Like f**k. I'm gonna go see that on the first f***in day."

Dollars to donuts (yeah I said it) that the kids hanging out in the library are saying the exact same thing and that the kids in the computer lab are probably even looking up movie set photos and reading up on Batman lore. Perhaps they will run across each other in line for the movie. Perhaps a nod of acceptance will be in order from both parties as they realize that a common interest provides common ground and equality.

The fact of the matter is that no child should be embarrassed for their love of super heroes and comic books and the strong use of their imagination. What type of friends are they who curb your enthusiasm when it comes to using your mind for your enjoyment?

I digress.

To sum up this post I just want to tip my hat to Mr. Burnett for a truly insightful article this past Saturday, and wish to say that I admire your strength and resolve to please your child as you unwillingly painted over your work. But I also encourage you to continue calling your son 'Superman', because he always will be to you and guaranteed he will always remember that kryptonite = bad. An imagination is healthy, and one should hang on to it as long as possible.

Death Note Live Action Movie

Not many people nowadays can say they have never heard of Death Note. The popular manga title has stirred up controversy almost all over the world, with incidences popping up once in a while about a child carrying a notebook with severe death threats and some even acting on them. The story itself, however, is fantastic. A cunning cat-and-mouse detective vs. misunderstood serial murdering (and self proclaimed) hero.

The catch?

How about writing a name inside a death god's notebook, including form of death, and the person who's namesake was written suffers the death along with it. To the 'T'. This manga title has reached ICv2's top 50 Manga Properties List, and also has an anime television show currently aired during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block.

The live action version of this film will debut in over 300 theaters in America, with a two-night special event beginning on May 20th. A theater list is available over at the FathomEvents Website. Unfortunately the film is only available in the United States and not Canada, however I have faith that we will be able to view it soon enough.

I honestly can't wait to see how well it translates to the silver screen in live action.