Doctor Who - The Eleventh Hour

Written by: Steven Moffat
Directed by: Adam Smith

(S05E01) I'm a dumbie. I'm a fool. To have any doubts about Steve Moffat and his ability to direct this series, and in Matt Smith concerning his ability to be anything close to good as The Doctor after Tennant (who is my Doctor). Minutes into "The Eleventh Hour", I was already in love. Suffice it to say, I'm immensely happy, and I'm in good spirits. Series 5 of Doctor Who looks to be one of the best - and strongest - yet. And that's saying something, taking into account my high regard of the Davies years.

The episode begins immediately after The Doctor's regeneration inside the TARDIS after "The End of Time, Part Two", with the TARDIS crashing towards Earth. It lands - or rather crashes - on the backyard of a young girl's house. Amelia Pond here name is. The Doctor is a little woozy, still 'cooking' from his regeneration, and Amelia is definitely intrigued by this weird man. She invites him inside for some apples and yogurt, and reveals to The Doctor that there's been a strange noise emanating from a crack in her wall. Unfortunately, his inspection is cut short, as the TARDIS is about to overheat, and if that happens...well, not good things will result. Five minutes, he promises young Amelia.

For some reason or another, the TARDIS arrives back 12 years later. Amelia is now Amy Pond, a grown up 20-something attractive Scottish girl whose a kissogram. Some new revelations that The Doctor has pondered: the weird sounds calling for a 'Patient Zero', yeah, well it's a prison behind the wall and they're looking for this missing prisoner which musta got through this dimension and is currently residing at the house. Turns out The Doctor's right. And now the Atraxi, the alien species looking for Patient Zero, demand the prisoner's return in 20 minutes or the Earth will be incinerated. Fun times for a newly regenerated Doctor.

Writer Steve Moffat had quite a job ahead of him. In this one episode, he had to establish the new Doctor, the new universe, the new TARDIS, the new atmosphere, new direction, new characters, and a alien threat that ties everything together. A introduction to Moffat's Doctor Who, all in 60 minutes. And he did it splendidly. From the opening minutes of a out-of-control TARDIS zipping through London to The Doctor running around outside trying to find Patient Zero and then confronting the Atraxi on top of a hospital - it's a fast-paced episode with a lot crammed in (but doesn't feel like it). Basically, it's brilliant. The dialogue ("Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically...run."), the storyline, Moffat's ability to weave all these tasks into a coherent story without making it feel artificial or forced. One of the greatest DW scripts of the new series.

Well now, for the big decision - Matt Smith. Is he a worthy successor to David Tennant? Yes. Will he be as good as David Tennant? Too early to tell, but I can safely say Smith is my second favorite Doctor. The casting of Smith in the role was my biggest concern, and I needn't of worried. Matt fits this role perfectly, and it seems quite effortless for the actor - right off the bat, he is The Doctor. Karen Gillain as Amy Pond is equally fantastic. For the most part, her role was reactionary and didn't have many moments to shine, but I think she's going to a worthy addition to the list of Doctor companions. Plus she's hot - nothing bad in that.

Murray Gold returns to compose Series 5, and he seems to getting off with a good start. Hints of cues that have come before, with a refined Doctor theme that perfectly fits the mood and energy of this Doctor. Murray, I already want to own the CD; you're fantastic.

So what, if any, were the cons of the episode? The only thing in this basically perfect episode that I don't like, and I don't imagine me warming up to it, is the new opening theme by Murray Gold. The rest of his score is pure gold - I love the new Doctor's theme: it molds a little of the previous incarnations melodies and adds upon it. But this new theme - ugh. It's mysterious of sorts, yes; but it lacks the big 'A new episode of Doctor Who!' momentum the previous themes had. Perhaps, just perhaps, I'll begin to like it, but as of right now, I don't see that happening. However, I got no problems with the visuals: the lightning hitting the TARDIS, the bleak blue vortex of time changing to a orange-ish color, and then the appearance of the new logo - all really damn cool. Just...change the theme...

Doctor Who is back, and it's going to be a phenomenal season. If you haven't gotten on the DW bandwagon, this is a perfect time to do so - a clean slate, a new Doctor, new Companion, and new stories. I'm just giddy with excitement! And finally, I'll leave you with a phenomenal quote from the Series 5 previews:

"There's one thing you never put in a trap, if you're smart. If you have any plans about seeing tomorrow there's one thing you never ever put in a trap. Me."

- The Doctor

Little Notes:

• I love, love, loved the scene on top of the hospital, where The Doctor confronts the Atraxi on their whole 'incinerate the Earth' plan. When the Atraxi searches Earth databanks via hologram, and recorded footage of old Time Lord foes (I recognized the Cyberman and the Sycorax) to shots of all the previous Doctors, concluding with Matt Smith's face walking through the hologram and delivering his kick-ass line. Awesomeness!
• The Doctor opens the TARDIS doors with a snap of his finger, a reference to the two-part Series 4 adventure, "The Silence of the Library" and "Forest of the Dead." Additionally, there's a dialogue reference to "Blink", with The Doctor saying "wibbley wobbly".
• Amy is about to get married, a running motif with Doctor Who episodes. Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and all her wedding problems from Series 3 onwards. Martha and her relationship changes - the doctor (Tony was his name?), and then Mickey (?).
  

Top 10 - Best Doctor Who Episodes 2004-Present

In celebration of The Doctor's return in the UK tonight with its fifth series (or 31st season, if you prefer to be more technical) starring Matt Smith (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) and Karen Gillan (New Town Killers), I am beginning the first of a (hopefully) ongoing feature, "Top 10", with my favorite/or what I think are best Doctor Who episodes from the Russel T. Davies run.

The funny thing about this is that my choices will no doubt change again next week, so it's not the most steady list in the world. However, there are at least five on there that I absolutely love, and I'm pretty sure you'll figure out which ones when you read my mini-review.

If you haven't had the pleasure to watch any of Doctor Who, and you are even remotely interested, I implore you to do anything in your power to watch it. Put the series on hold at the library, sign up with Netflix and use the Watch It Now! option (which has all four seasons, plus two of the 'specials'), or check out miscellaneous TV show hosting websites. It's a program that boasts extraordinary episodes, and even their less-than-stellar installments feature at least six aspects that are really, really damn good. Another nifty feature is the show's ability to change each week - one episode is utterly dramatic, the next epic, the following one a comedy, then a thriller, a romance of sorts, etc., etc. It's always changing.

As you can tell, I dig the show, and thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I'll be sitting in front of the computer tonight around 8 or 10 looking for any uploads of the new Series 5 episode, "The Eleventh Hour." For any Who fans who wish to give their two cents, feel free to comment!

10. The Parting of the Ways

Here concludith my first season with Doctor Who, and what a doozy it was. The Parting of the Ways is the first of many "big" season closers, with The Doctor facing certain doom, and by the end of the episode, your stomach is in knots and your futile attempt to hold in tears folds and you're just sobbing. In this finale, The Doctor enters the arena with the Daleks, the Time Lords greatest enemy; unfortunately, to stop this devastating foe, a sacrifice must be made. Grand in scale with the war between The Doctor and the Daleks, it all concludes with a much more personal note, between The Doctor and Rose, and it's amazing. This also marks a very pivotal moment for a particular character that is given their own spin-off series, Torchwood (a organization that originates in Series 2). All in all, it's magnificent writing, and the shows final minutes promises a new enigmatic Doctor and plenty of crazy fun ahead.

09. The Girl in the Fireplace

Truly a excellent episode as only Steven Moffat can write it, The Doctor, Rose and Mickey board a ship in space that has multiple portals to the olden days of France. There, he meets a young girl worried about creatures under her bed. Turns out these portals are directly linked to this girl, and that each portal goes to a particular year of this gal's life. The Doctor meets Madame de Pompadou (the beautiful Sophia Myles), and the episode turns into a half-romance tango, what with de Pompadou totally ga-ga for The Doctor. So, we got spaceships, portals, clockwork bad guys dressed in Victorian outfits, The Doctor crashing through a window with a horse, Rose and Mickey bantering, and a little romance. All in all, a pretty damn good episode.

08. Smith and Jones

A favorite of mine, definitely amongst season openers ("Partners in Crime" is alright, "Rose" coulda been better, and "New Earth" was also just alright), "Smith and Jones" has a perfectly brisk pace, and nicely introduces new Companion Martha Jones against the backdrop of a bizarre alien strategy, with The Doctor right in the middle of it. This episode introduces the species of the Judoon, a bounty hunter-esque race that does the job for the money. In this particular case, they've transported a hospital to the moon ('cuz they don't got jurisdiction over the earth) to search for a illegal alien. The Doctor's working fast to find out who this alien is before they spot him. Fast, energetic, brilliant dialogue, and the chance to look at the lovely Freema Ageyman (Law and Order: UK) for 50 minutes - what's not to like?

07. Doomsday

Horribly sad, Doomsday is the episode that fully lives up to its title. One of The Doctor's old nemesis' return - the Cyberman. Oh, and the Daleks (again). There's the villainy of the Canary Wolf Torchwood location, and stuff about multiple dimensions which assist the story's closing minutes, making it one of the most heart-breaking things, like, ever. A finale with a bang, The Doctor and Rose are literally in a struggle to stay together, as the forces of the universe seem to be doing their damnest to rip them apart. Don't want to spoil anything, but Doomsday is truly heartbreaking, and absolutely a tour de force episode in regards to cinematography, performances, and musical scores.

06. Forest of the Dead

The final installment of the two-part library saga written by Moffat, "Forest of the Dead" is full of surprises. Twists and turns at every corner, narrow escapes, revelations that stun The Doctor himself, and of course, more brilliant work by composer Murray Gold. I won't like, the complicated storyline took a few viewings for me to get several aspects (although I'm sure there's still some subtle stuff I've neglected to comprehend), but it's completely worth it. The character of River Song, created by Moffat, is a enigmatic adventurer who knows much more about The Doctor than anyone before. Her knowledge stuns him. Oh, and speaking about River Song: she's played to gleeful perfection by Alex Kingston (ER), who will luckily be appearing in reportedly five episodes of Series 5. Catherine Tate's Donna Noble undergoes some real character growth in this episode, maturing quite a lot. Tennant's Doctor discovers something new about himself. And finally, the Monster-of-the-Week (if you prefer to refer it as such) is chilling. A great episode. And finally, download Murray Gold's "The Greatest Story Never Told." Pure awesomeness.

05. The Stolen Earth

Epic, apocalyptic, amazing, funny, beautiful, pretty cool, powerful, musically majestic, and featuring one of the best cliffhanger endings to any series I have ever seen in my entire existence, The Stolen Earth was a emotional journey from beginning to end. The Daleks have descended on Earth, having stolen the planet and 26 other planets and transporting them a second out of time as to make it difficult for The Doctor to track them, full-on Armageddon is upon us. With The Doctor out of the game, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Smith, U.N.I.T. employee and ex-Companion Martha Jones, and a disgraced figure from a earlier season, unite to fight the Daleks in his absence. There has hardly been a time I've been as on edge-of-my-seat as this installment, where literally anything can happen to any character. The Stolen Earth is amazing, and it's a little unfortunate the follow-up didn't deliver the goods nearly as much.

04. The Family of Blood

Scarecrows. The Doctor as the mortal John Smith, doing everything in how power to save his fellow man. A creepy alien group known as The Family. And finally, The Doctor exacting vengeance in a dark style only he can dish out. Not the most extraordinarily written episode in the world, but it's one of my favorites - some fantastic casting, especially the actor you see in the photograph who is simply freaky. And there's that kid from Love Actually in here, the one who was in love with the American girl. Plus, in retrospect, the concept of 'death' to the John Smith portion of The Doctor is eerily similar to the 'death' of Tennant's Doctor and the birth of Matt Smith's eleventh Doctor. Nifty.

03. The End of Time, Part Two

David Tennant's final appearance as the Tenth Doctor, this episode is truly marvelous. Of course it wasn't always that way: initially, I wasn't a fan of Davies' farewell two-parter, but it's grown on me. Tennant's Doctor was given a prophecy at the end of "Planet of the Dead", and that prophecy is about to come to fruition. His time is up, and "The End of Time" feature a man walking, head-up, to his death. The power of a man confronting his own mortality head on, at his own choice, is marvelous and powerful. David Tennant brings his A-game, and delivers his strongest performance ever. John Simm solidifies himself as one of my favorite actors of all time with his portrayal of The Master. And Russel T. Davies is officially one hell of a man to admire. His work on Doctor Who is extraordinary, and this script, which wraps up so many elements of the past four years, is nothing short of brilliant on so many levels. And of course, God bless you Murray Gold for some more fantastic cues. "The End of Time" is grand in scale, and the beautiful thing is that the true destruction of the Time Lord is something so personal, so simple...and then the last 20 minutes...Oh Boe, it's simply amazing.

02. Utopia

This was a toughie. The entire Master storyline of season 3, beginning with "Utopia", was terrific (minus the last minutes of "The Last of the Time Lords", which was just bad, lazy writing), but final, heart-pounding, jaw-dropping final 15 minutes of this episode have been repeatedly viewed more times than any other episode. With those ending minutes of awesomeness, and the presence of John Barrowman reprising his role as Captain Jack Harkness (last seen in Series 1), "Utopia" is fantastic. Renowned British actor Derek Jacobi is Professor Yana, a old man with a vision, and a nagging headache that he can't seem to make go away. Unfortunately, Martha gets a little too talkative, and Professor Yana begins to realize something that harkens back to "Human Nature/The Family of Blood." Enter John Simm, giving the best performance of any villain to date for these three Master episodes.

01. Blink

A common number one choice, and deservedly so. There's few programs in the world that have written a single episode that is so brilliant, so bloody amazing, and that it hardly even features the title character! Blink is friggin' creepy, that's the number one thing to know about it. I am absolutely flabbergasted that something so simple - the Weeping Angels - end up being the most frighting creation on the entire planet. What Moffat does with them is terrifying. And then to have all the twists and time travel 'wibbley wabbly, timey wimey' stuff - damn, it brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. I won't go into detail, but you owe it to yourself to download this singular Doctor Who episode, even if you have no intention whatsoever to watch the series after this. Blink has won many, many awards. Find out why.

Clash of the Titans

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Gemma Arterton, Ralph Fiennes, Mads Mikkelsen Written by Lawrence Kasdan, Travis Beachman, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Directed by Louis Letterrier
Release: 02 April 2010
Legendary Pictures, Rated PG-13

"Someday, somebody's got to make a stand. Someday, somebody's got to say enough is enough."
- Foreshadowing much?

Plot: Everyday fisherman Perseus finds out he's a demigod and his father's Zeus, and he's luckily stuck in a situation where he needs to stop Hades from unleashing total destruction to the land of Argos in 10 days all the while renouncing his Godly heritage.

2010's Clash of the Titans is a action movie through and through, don't mistake that. Just enough human drama and declarations of heroism and destiny thrown in until the next ferocious beast rears its ugly head to royally piss off our heroes and thus bring about more action. That's definitely good news for blokes who just want some hard action and check out pretty ladies for two hours; me, on the other hand, I was sort of expecting a epic film not too dissimilar from The Lord of the Rings. And by that, I certainly don't mean that I expected the story to be given the three-film treatment, just that the same level of care to the material and a heightened level of imagination would be present here.

Alright, seems I'm getting off on the wrong foot here. Simply put, I had high expectations for the film, and it didn't meet that sadly. However, that's not to say Clash isn't a good film. On the contrary, it's immensely entertaining, boasts some really amazing visuals, has some very fine performances, and a deliciously grand storyline, all delivered in under two hours with brisk, scene-necessity only editing.

The screenplay takes only certain elements of the 1981 original (Perseus, the Gods, Medusa, and the Kraken) and molds them into a brand new story. Basically, it's a pissing fight between the Olympians, and one of them (guess who! *cough*Hades!*cough) seizes the opportunity to overthrow his brothers and sisters. The humans re renouncing the Gods, and the Gods don't like that, so they send one bad thing after another to shut them up. The people of Argos, in turn, force the newly revealed to be demigod Perseus to be their Champion. It's a interesting storyline, one that could definitely have some serious dramatic opportunities that unfortunately wasn't explored (at least in the theatrical cut).

As mentioned above, Clash of the Titans runs a little under two hours, and given the magnitude of everything accomplished within that running time [a 10-day journey through deserts to the Underworld], it's only given there's some very tight, fast editing. I personally would not have minded a extended running with to include more personal, character building scenes and to better establish the people, the environment...basically, the world the characters inhabit. However, I get what Leterrier wanted to achieve with the theatrical version - a action flick that was just so damn fun, you'd want to see it multiple times. At that, I can't help but say he achieved his goal. But here's hoping a Extended Edition with another hour of material hits DVD/Blu-Ray around August/September.

Visual effects are very well rendered. Notably, the Kraken (in the scattering few shots we got of it) and the Scorpions were beautiful to behold. Unfortunately, Medusa wasn't nearly as well realized; it just screamed 'Fake CGI character here.' The good news is that there's also plenty of physical creations - the Witches for instance, who are absolutely freaky and bonkers, and quite reminded me of the Furies. We also got Acrisis, the King who had thrown Baby Perseus into the watery depths years ago, who is now cursed and ugly looking like a deformed hunchback - and absolutely hellbent on wrecking havoc on Perseus.

Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) is making quite a name for himself. As a action star, I'd say he's quite good - he can bring a bit of emotion to the role, and he can definitely swing swords and shoot guns (Avatar) with zero problem. Definitely somebody who could do a wide range, as long as he doesn't make Dwayne Johnson-like choices. Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort in Harry Potter) plays Hades, and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this interpretation of the character - he has a raspy voice, sort of hunched down it seems, and doesn't at all look menacing. Steve Coogan, I believe, was a stronger presence as Hades in Percy Jackson earlier this year. Fiennes' Hades feels like a threat, but the man himself - not so much, which isn't exactly a good thing with he's supposed to be your main antagonist. The best part of the whole film? Liam Neeson as Zeus. I can never watch a Zeus character again without wishing deep in my heart that Liam was taking up the role. Liam Neeson is Zeus.

Hell, I didn't even have any problems with his sparkly-ness. Suck on that, Edward!

All the other cast members are just fine; nothing exceptionally noteworthy. Well, there are the two attractive female leads - the under-appreciated Alexa Davalos (Chronicles of Riddick) as Princess Andromeda [BTW, look for the hilarious plot gap after the resolution at Argos - a particular character dies that neither Perseus or Andromeda actually SEE dying, but yet they're talking it over. It was funny], who doesn't have many scenes (although their is a gripping sequence where her father and mother compare her to the Goddess Aphrodite, and all Hell breaks loose) but she brings her A-game nonetheless. Then there's Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace) as Io, a supposedly immortal hottie cursed with agelessness who has watched over Perseus all his life. Love interest. Sad story.

Overall, Clash of the Titans is a fun movie, and is definitely recommended for anybody into Greek mythology (though you'll undoubtedly be nitpicking at its inaccuracies), sword & sandals epics (Scorpion King), or just some really awesome action sequences. I liked it enough that I'll see it again, and I will purchase the home video releases. The only thing it did wrong for me is that it didn't meet my rather high expectations, and I can't really diss a movie for that. But be warned - 2-D is just fine; don't bother with the 3-D conversion. Really. Honestly. Don't.

Movie Prowlin: 2010 Edition, Vol. 1

Taking a cue from the Reel Whore Quarterly, this is my particular list of movies & television shows watched in the first 13 weeks (or quarter) of 2010. First off, let me just say: Holy friggin' crap, it's already April! This year is flying by, and I have spent way too much time movie watching and not doing muy-neccessito homeworko. Secondly, damn I saw more movies that I thought I would have (although my grades will no doubt reflect that). Thanks to the wonders of Netflix and finally paying off my $26.90 charge at the library, there's plenty of older movies thrown into the mix; plus, my local Movie Gallery closing down and selling off a bunch of random junk equally helped matters.

In fact, I just acquired all of Lost - Season 3 from the Movie Gallery, as well as about 12 miscellaneous movies, including Mercury Men, The Forsaken, Children of Dune, KVC: Komodo vs. Cobra, The Brothers Bloom, Bang Bang, You're Dead, Fay Grim, Sleepaway Camp, etc. So expect reviews for some of 'em, depending on how passionate I feel about the title.

Now is it just me or is Movie Prowlin kind of a lame name? Honestly, I couldn't think of anything better at the moment. If anyone has recommendations, feel free to leave a comment.

Well the foreseeable future will be me watching a lot more TV shows than films. I got the first season of Farscape, the second season of Pushing Daises, the complete series of Birds of Prey, and commentaries for the final season of The Shield before I get to John Woo's 5 hour Red Cliff epic and (hopefully) more Fantastic Dinosaurs! films. Ugh. And schoolwork.

Anyways, titles in italicize means a review will (possibly) coming soon. If there's a title there you're intrigued about, I'd be happy to give my two cents. Cheers!

Movies Watched in 2010: 01 January 2010 - 31 March 2010

1. Conan the Barbarian
2. Conan the Destroyer
3. Zombie Strippers
4. Youth in Revolt
5. Saved!
6. 28 Days Later
7. 28 Weeks Later
8. The Hurt Locker
9. Legion
10. American Pie presents The Book of Love
11. Green Lantern: First Flight
12. The Book of Eli
13. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
14. Bang Bang, You’re Dead
15. Fame (2009)
16. When in Rome
17. Antichrist
18. Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God
19. Hulk vs.
20. Wonder Woman
21. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans
22. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
23. The Wolfman
24. The House of the Devil
25. Kids in America
26. The Deer Hunter
27. Star Trek – First Contact
28. District B13: Ultimatum
29. Zombieland
30. The Shining
31. From Paris with Love
32. Edge of Darkness
33. Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country
34. Jack the Giant Killer
35. Shutter Island
36. The Land Unknown
37. A Couple of Dicks
38. Alice in Wonderland
39. Alice
40. Fantastic Mr. Fox
41. Dante’s Peak
42. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
43. Joshua
44. Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
45. Mulan
46. Secret Window
47. The Incredibles
48. A Serious Man
49. Green Zone
50. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
51. Death Note: L, change the world
52. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
53. The Uninvited
54. How to Train your Dragon
55. Timeline
56. Dragonheart
57. The Librarian: Quest for the Speer
58. Jennifer’s Body
59. Repo Men (2010)
60. The Crazies (2010)

TV Shows Watched in 2010
Scrubs: The Complete Fifth Season
Scrubs: The Complete Sixth Season
Scrubs: The Complete Second Season
Everwood: The Complete Second Season
Pushing Daises: The Complete First Season

General Thoughts: Both of the Conan movies were 50/50. The first was visually pleasing, but fell flat whenever Arnold was actually given a line or was required to 'act.' The second was just plain corn, and quite unnecessary. The DC vs. Marvel direct-to-DVD titles are extraordinary; though as of right now, I'm backing DC - these guys cram out four or five titles a year, and more often than not, they got a hit. Two recommended titles turned out quite well: the two 28 Days/28 Weeks films were quite spectacular, as was the also-recommended Dante's Peak. Unfortunately, the much-loved Fast Times at Ridgemont High was sorta stupid. I also had a bit of fun guessing the 'twist' of Secret Window within a short while much to the displeasure of the galfriend who really dug the 'reveal'. All in all, a good selection of movies.

As far as TV shows, Scrubs never fails to entertain, and Everwood's second season was far superior and stronger than its freshman debut. Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daises is definitely unique and very entertaining, so I highly recommend that short-lived series to any and all.

SyFy Alice vs. Burton Alice

For some reason that I can't understand, the story of Alice in Wonderland is increasing in popularity. With the announcement of Disney's 3-D adventure that just got released in recent weekends, video stores have been bombarded with Alice-related DVDs. For example, a old BBC miniseries (or series?) of Alice in Wonderland was released a few weeks ago, as was the SyFy Channel Alice film, a old or new Alice in Wonderland cartoon from some random distribution company, and finally, a helluva lot of movie tie-in merchandise, such as a gazillion posters of Alice, the Queen, and the Mad Hatter. Feeling a lit bit in an Alice mood now, I saw both the new Tim Burton movie and the SyFy Channel Original. My reviews as follows:

ALICE
Cast: Caterina Scorsone, Andrew-Lee Potts, Kathy Bates, Harry Dean Stanton, Tim Curry, Matt Frewer, Colm Meaney, Phillip Winchester
Writer & Director: Nick Willing
Based on "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll
Release: 06/07 December 2009
SyFy Channel Original Movies, 180 mins., Unrated

Never watched the Sci-Fi Channel's Tin Man mini-series, but now I'm thinking I ought to. This modern day 'sequel' or 're-imagining' of Alice in Wonderland (although it's more of a sequel) is quite fun, and it's 180 minute running time quite honestly flew by without much notice. I enjoyed myself, I was engrossed by the characters, and the miniseries was genuinely creative, and not in the 'hey, look at me (!), I thought up this really QWHOOL thang and it's SOO original!' type of creative, but more the 'I had this idea that I thought you might like, so here it is' type. The reason I'm starting this review off so positively is that I haven't heard a lot of glowing remarks about the series since its transmission. Just a warning: this review is going to be quite positive, so if you're looking for another review that disses the hell out of it, look somewhere else.

20-year old Alice Hamilton (Scorsone) is enjoying her fantastic relationship with Jack Chase (Winchester), but when he presents to her a ring for safekeeping, she sorta freaks out and he leaves disappointed. But then Jack is black bagged, thrown into the back of a truck, and disappears; additionally, some freaky old dude steals the ring from her, and runs through a giant mirror, which Alice follows and ends up in another dimension. Well, Wonderland, to be exact. 150 years after the Alice of legend saved the day. Turns out that Wonderland is once again under the reign of the Queen of Heats (Bates), and she's created a kingdom of emotion-lustin' goons. To be more precise, she runs a operation that sells profitable emotions. Meanwhile, Alice encounters the Hatter (Potts), a man who decidedly doesn't take sides (Queen vs. Resistance), and the White Knight (Frewer), a elderly warrior who seeks redemption and believes by helping Alice, he's fulfilling his destiny. Alice really just wants to find Chase and get the frak out of Dodge.

At exactly three hours, Alice flew by faster than the entirety of Avatar. So much is happening, and there's so many unique, interesting interpretations and creations in this Wonderland (particular Mad March - see the movie to find out what that is! It's brilliant!), my attention was successfully grabbed the entire time. Plus, it helps that there's a plethora of twists and turns, wonderful dialogue exchanges, a subdued romantic element, and extremely enticing characters to make the running time fly by.

Andrew-Lee Potts' Mad Hatter is a extremely interesting character (and a equally interesting performance), as his true intentions seem not really be all the clear. The White Knight, by contrast, offers some comic relief, but is overall a character that I could do without. His final moments of redemption was utterly ridiculous. The White Knight conjures up a plan to distract the Queen of Hearts' army of baboons by using skeletons of his long-deceased comrades; the army is dumb enough to think that this legion of skeletons is about to destroy the castle. This little bit of scripting was a little sad, but otherwise, the mini-series is quite strong.

And I'm quite appreciative of this particular Alice, a lead character that really feels like she's not the stereotypical damsel-in-distress, that she's a powerful woman who can fight her own battles and make her own decisions, not really truly needing the Hatter and White Knight to be her warriors. This Alice is strong, stern, and stubborn; but at the same time, Caterina Scorsone is able to bring the vulnerability sky-high when necessary.

There's a charm to this Alice that I like. It's original and quirky just enough to be something entirely new, but yet feels familiar in some areas (I swear, there were times where I felt like I was watching Pushing Daises). So a recommendation is definitely in order. Who knows, you just might find yourself more in awe of this Wonderland than any before it.


ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Cast: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry
Writer: Linda Woolverton
Based on the novel(s) by Lewsi Carrol
Director: Tim Burton
Release: 05 February 2010
Disney, 109 mins., Rated PG-13

Have you heard that Johnny Depp is the Matt Hatter? That Tim Burton, the man behind such bizarre dark movies like Sweeney Todd and Edward Scissorhands (surprisingly ALSO starring Johnny), directed this 50th adaptation of that Lewis Carroll story, and in 3-D no less? If you haven't, well, there's some jaw-dropping, brand spankin' new news to you. If you have heard of that, you're probably one of the many (myself included) who helped propel Burton's film to a $119 million dollar first weekend release.

Here's the skinny: 19-year old Alice (Wasikowska) isn't exactly thrilled about her boring Victorian life of having to be the pretty, uptight goody-girl. She wants to dream big dreams, have a wild imagination, and ponder irrational things. Luckily, she's given a reprieve; the original white rabbit re-enters our dimension to find the Alice of legend, and believes he's found her. Alice follows, and once again, she falls down the rabbit hole. Basically, she's been brought there by the rabbit and the Resistance to eliminate the head-slicin' Red Queen and defeat the Jabberwocky, a giant dragon, because it's been predestined.

Alice in Wonderland is a difficult movie to review. I will start with the positives: 1) As many have said, it's visually stunning. I didn't bother with a 3-D screening, as I didn't think it'd be worth it (and reviews seem to suggest as such), so I'm basing this purely off traditional 2-D means. Burton's Wonderland is truly a wonder to behold; all the amazing creatures, the rich landscape, the bizarre small bodies with big heads, the height differences of one character to another...it's all very amazing and all very cool to look at. 2) Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen - totally awesome. She owns this movie backwards and forwards. Helena, one of your awesomest roles in years. Totally makes up for your Sweeney Todd performance. 3) Johnny Depp was cool - as usual - portraying the Mad Hatter, who really, truly was utterly mad in this motion picture. 4) Danny Elfman's score didn't actually sound like a Danny Elfman score, or at least not your instantaneously recognizable Danny Elfman score. 5) Quite a beautiful imagination to think up all these cool things. 6) Alice should definitely get some award nods for costume design.

Negatives inherit in the production: 1) I never thought it was possible, but Anne Hathaway has given perhaps the most obnoxious performance in her entire career. As the White Queen, she walks around cluelessly like a ditz, her hands spread up in the air as if told to "Freeze!" by the cops, and the tons and tons of white make-up with a little bit of black lipstick is hideous. Her whole character was stupid. 2) Even more stupid, the Mad Hatter, in the film's conclusion, pulls off a 200% random 'dance' with his feet jerking all over the place. Fine, I can deal; but then Alice mimics this dance to basically say 'F U' to the adults at her real-world ceremony. It truly was ridiculousness on a epic scale. 3) Continuing with the Mad Hatter, Depp switched between accents on multiple occasions - plenty of time in the same damn shot. Additionally, his character was the most difficult to hear. I would assume, what with the Mad Hatter being a favorite character of many, extra special attention would be paid to the performance and sound quality - Johnny's performance is fine, but the sound sucks, and why didn't the change of voice go unnoticed for so damn long?

4) Crispin Glover's character, whoever he may be, was horribly, horribly animated. In a landscape where companies can create fully rendered digital characters and make them look perfectly real - even damn transforming robots - this character's obvious CG body and utterly fake movements is embarrassing at this stage of digital achievements. But the Jabberwocky was pretty cool.

Alice in Wonderland falls into the OK category. It wasn't fantastic by any means, and a repeat screening isn't in the cards anytime soon, nor a DVD purchase. It was serviceable fun, and a nice way to waste a afternoon. I do think it didn't deliver on a bunch of the hype surrounding the production, and I don't think there's enough of a difference to truly differentiate this from any other Alice film. Because if you're gonna re-imagine or create a sequel to a popular work, you gotta add a little something something to make it worthwhile - Burton just doesn't really have that.

In the end, it's sadly entirely forgettable. Oh well, when is that Dark Shadows project gonna move forward, eh Burton? What? Pushed back again? Damn. Now THAT's something I'd like to see!

Geek Bits: Godzilla Raids Again!!!

Godzilla, the legendary beast that has spawned over 25 feature films worldwide, has been resurrected by Legendary Pictures (300, The Dark Knight) and Warner Bros. for a projected 2012 release date! Rumors circulated in August 2009 concerning a new American Godzilla project in the works, but Variety just recently confirmed it.

In the official press release, Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures, stated: "Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise. Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

All I can say is: YES! YES! YES! YES!!!!!!!

Now I don't want to get too giddy, but this is fantastic news. With Toho Co. Ltd. not really all that enthusastic resurrecting Godzilla back in Japan (monster films, and Japanese productions for that matter, don't make much mullah compared to American productions), I'm even more excited with this announcment. Hopefully this film will be a success, and a new age of monster movie craziness will be upon us!

Probably not, but here's to dreaming.

Also worth noting is that amongst the producers behind the project, Godzilla vs. Hedorah director Yoshimitsu Banno is listed! So with his involvement, I'm going to make the guess that Banno's Godzilla in 3-D project is on the back burner, and its fate entirely depends on the reaction of this new Godzilla production.

Although I wager there's not many Godzilla fans left in the world - Ryan evidently being one exclusion - I'll nonetheless be updating with any big/major news surrounding the project, including the (hopefully) soon-ish announcment of director. Personally, I'm still intrigued what Jan De Bont and the Rossio/Elliot script could turn out to look like, but I wager Legendary is going in a fresh direction. Either way, I'll be there midnight showing 2012. It'd be a nice End of the World present.

A Serious Man

A SERIOUS MAN

Starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Wagner Lennick, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolff, Written, Produced, and Directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Release: 02 October 2009 Focus
Features, 106 mins., Rated R

Plot: Larry Gopnik is a religious man, teaches physics at college, and is a family man; by the film's conclusion, his life's a shithole.

The Coen Brothers. Ah, they make interesting bits of cinema, don't they? In 2009, they debuted A Serious Man, a work that they've been quoted to call their most 'personal' production to date. The funny thing with this picture is that a lot of critics don't really get it, or can't relate to it because of its large amount of Jewish overtones, and here I am - a not-so-lover of the Brothers Coen - and I quite like it. Plus, I don't know squat of Jewish tradition, but this is the type of movie that doesn't require you to. In fact, it's a film that any person of any faith can relate to.

Larry Gopnik and his family attend church regularly, although his family doesn't really seem to be following the church guidelines. The young adults of the house swear excessively, care only about their friends and what's on TV, and the whole religious part of their lives isn't exactly high on the priority list; especially with Larry's son, Danny (Wolf), where his commitments to the church is secondary to his lifestyle. It's either something he does to appease his parents, or he just doesn't care. The film doesn't spend enough time with the daughter, Sarah (McManus), to get a real feel for her character, although it's apparent her primary concerns is friend time.

With his kids well immersed in pedestrian problems of their own, one would think Larry's wife Judith (Lennick) would be right there to support him. Instead, she reveals, in a comically straight-forward manner, that she's been having a affair with Sly Ableman (Melamed). Larry appears to be the only one trying desperately to make the right choices, and every single time he tries to do right, he's hit with some new crappy turn of event - a car accident, cheating wife/divorce, a supposed 'bribe' with a student, money problems, employment complications...

And yet through it all, Larry tries to maintain professionalism and cool-headedness. Perhaps to his detriment, Larry is quite the passive individual, allowing himself to be pushed into corners, and hardly steps up for himself. I'm sure he finds this quality of his to be a just one - no action but kindness, that sort of thing. Eventually, as one new bad thing after another piles on top of him, the film features Larry near a cracking point. He even consults three rabbis, with none of them giving anything remotely sounding like a answer, and he's knee-deep in desperation.

The great part about A Serious Man is just how damn comedic these situations are. Everything is played in a 100% straight manner, nothing set-up like a punch line, and it's the seriousness of the situations and the 'holy crap, really dude, that just happened?' moments that create a LOL factor. Think Burn After Reading: how the whole thing escalates to preposterous heights it ends up being blissfully hilarious. The same applies here. A particularly funny sequence involves the father or attorney of Clive, a student who asks Larry for a passing grade but Larry doesn't consent and ends up leaving a envelope with money in it, and tries to explain the 'culture clash' and the bribery that has just taken place, much to Larry's disbelief. Another quite humorous scene is when Larry, Judtih and Sly Ableman sit in a restaurant to discuss 'living arrangements.' Major kudos to the script and actor Fred Melamed.

A large part of peoples distaste for A Serious Man is the highly 'ambiguous ending'. I, personally, think it's brilliant. Just the right conclusion for this type of story. And it's sort of ironic for me that I dig this finale (which most dislike) and absolutely hate No Country for Old Men's conclusion (which receives plenty of giddy analysis). I absolutely love those final shots of Larry in his office, staring straight at his list of students and their respective grades, internally fighting a moral war as to what he should do. And then the phone call, and then the stuff at Danny's school, complimented by some nice music selection - it all comes together to make a fantastic finale that stays true to what happened before, and it's 'ambiguous' for the sake of being artsy or what have you. The movie presents this religious man facing moral and life-changing complications, and concludes on the note of, so what is this man going to do? A new storm of crap is headed his way, so how is he going to handle it? What will be his response, his answer, so to speak?

Honestly, for me, the ending put a large majority of the picture into perspective. The film wanders into multiple plotlines and subplots, and the finale sort of ties it all together...in a way...

The performances that grace the screen here are nothing short of awesome. My favorite character has got to be Sly Ableman, played to utter perfection by Fred Melamed with his cool, reasoning, logical voice, given fantastic dialogue by the Coens. Michael Stuhlberg (Cold Souls) is equally awesome as the main protagonist Larry, and brings this well written character to life so splendidly. He portrays a man who wants to do the right thing, and he wants to be a good, serious person, even in the midst of all these ginormous, gargantuan problems. Stuhlberg also does a fantastic job showing the progression of Larry's mentality - for the first 40 minutes, he's trying to stay on control, near the middle section he's sort of losing it, and by the last stretch home, he's become a little frazzled. Their co-stars are just fine, although I could have done with replacements for Larry and Judith's teenage children.

Believe me, a good review for A Serious Man surprises none other than me, a bloke who doesn't really like Coen films (with the exception of Burn After Reading). The movie is a great character piece; a nearly two hour documentary of a man's life turning upside down. I don't really know if there is a 'point' per se, if you're supposed to walk away from the movie with some grand message or philosophical outlook, but I enjoyed it. I liked it. I appreciate the movie the Coens set out to make, and I appreciate they made it their way without some sort of studio intervention which woulda saw the family fight extraterrestrials who moved onto their street or something like that.

Oh! One last thing before I conclude this - the first 10 minutes were awesome! Spooky, chilly, wonderfully scripted and shot (in full frame, no less), I would nearly recommend the entire movie just for that. I'm not sure I quite get the total relevance of it in regards to Larry's story, but it's freakishly cool, nonetheless. In the bonus features, the Coens analogize it to those short cartoons that preceded a feature film, like a Mickey Mouse production or what have you.

In conclusion, I liked A Serious Man, and I recommend. May not be for everyone, but take a few hours or - heck, even a day - to think about it, there's a lot to love.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

Voices of Mark Harmon, Chris Noth, William Baldwin, Vanessa Marshall, Gina Torres, Jonathan Adams, Josh Keaton, James Woods
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Directed by Lauren Montgomery, Sam Liu
Release: 23 February 2010
DC Comics/Warner Premiere, 75 mins., Rated PG-13

Plot: Parallel Earth Lex Luthor arrives on the newly erected outer-space Watchtower in our dimension to ask the Justice League to say his world from the sinister crime syndicate who threaten to destroy all realities.

Crisis on Two Earths was exhilarating. It's not as O-M-G!!! awesome as, say, Wonder Woman, but it is quite spectacular. Initially, I thought this whole thing was Clark having to deal with his arch nemesis Bizzaro, and the other members of the League would have to get into the groove to save humanity. Turns out that wasn't so much what they were getting at. Instead, it's a really awesome, complex-ish tale about multiple realities, cause and effect, making a choice as opposed to not making a choice, and some other stuff that gets meddled by a lot of punching and lasers.

The whole movie is full of cool. First cool thing - alternate dimension Lex Luthor being a good guy, and not only that, but the last living member of his Justice League. Probably a running reversal through several billion comics, but considering that my main dose of comic book geekdom is Batman and Ultimate Spider-Man comics, I appreciate these things I didn't know and other blokes who watch these flicks are probably bored of. Second cool thing - although Batman (my favorite character of all time) is left in the shadows for the first 50 minutes, the final act more then compliments the Caped Crusader: in fact, he's quite instrumental in the whole world-saving part. His intelligence is on full display here, as he's completely out of his league in reference to strength, seeing as the baddies this time around are super-powered honchos. Really, it's just awesome watching this guy work. Third cool thing - the Justice League members are literally fighting to save all universes, and it's jaw-dropping to watch. It's not just a punch-punch-ouch (!) thing, it's a true slugfest. Totally awesome.

But at the same time, it's a little unfortunate that a lot of the movie is action-heavy, although I wager I shouldn't be so surprised since a lot of animated hero movies are exactly that. I guess I was spoiled by Gotham Knight's extensive depth into the Batman psychology, and Wonder Woman's excellent story that offered so much in characters, story, and mythology.

However, there is one extremely notable character and storyline that is well written and very intriguing. The Owlman, voiced with chilling subtlety by James Wood, is a frighting, intelligent character who sets his sights on the destruction of reality itself. I could literally watch a entire movie with this character. Every time the Owlman was onscreen, I was always on edge. The Joker may be a brilliant maniac, but he's not as cold and calculating as Owlman, and that's entirely freaky. Also really cool is the killing-happy Superwoman, who just relishes the idea of universe-wide death.

Overall, a very good installment in DC's animated film line, and I'm extremely excited for their next project, Batman: Under the Hood, which appears to be going even deeper into Batman's psychology after his failure in saving his apprentice (scheduled for July). Crisis on Two Earths was epic, and featured multiple characters that had their own agendas, their own personalities, and it was spectacular to watch this Armageddon-scenario unfold and the Justice League doing their damnest to stop it. Very much recommended for any fans of superheroes in general - Crisis on Two Earths is a buffet of awesomeness.

Death Note: L, change the world

DEATH NOTE: L, CHANGE THE WORLD

Starring Kenichi Matsuyama, Mayuko Fukuda, Shingo Tsurumi, Masanobu Takashima
Written by Kiyomi Fujii, Hirotoshi Kobayashi
Based on the manga "Death Note" by Tsugumi Ohba
Directed by Hideo Nakato
Release: 9 February 2008
Horipo, 129 mins., Not Rated

Plot: With only 23 days left to live as a necessary sacrifice to end the reign of 'Kira' and the Death note, the enigmatic L tackles one last case: a bio-terrorist environmental organization hellbent on condensing the number of human inhabitants on earth.

I became sorta hooked with the live action adaptations of the Death Note anime/manga franchise, and so my looking into this third and final installment, a spin-off of sorts, was inevitable. Although not nearly as enticing, heart-pounding, thought-provoking, and all around spectacular as those two movies were, L, change the world is nonetheless a very entertaining movie, and is the final chance to enjoy Kenichi Matsuyama's riveting portrayal of the enigmatic L.

The very idea of finishing the Death Note trilogy with a film chronicling L's final days is a extremely interesting one. Although I'm not entirely sold on the basic idea of this terrorist organization and their ultimate goal, it's nevertheless a 'big' case worthy of L that is fitting for his final days. This particular organization, which is very 'pro-GREEN', wishes to kill a good portion of humanity so we can stop polluting and destroying the earth - the atmosphere and soil, etc. - so that the planet can be saved from our wicked ways. Sorta understandable. I guess it's a better solution than turning everyone into zombies and just bombing the place.

Kenichi Matsuyama brings his A game, as always. The depth of how well he knows this character is amazing. His physical nuances he brings to the performance is akin to Heath Ledger's work as The Joker, his eyes and nonverbal expressions that work of a master of subtly. Plus, the character of L is equally as fascinating - his ability to pick up seemingly mundane clues that end up saving the day...I'd love to see L square off against Sherlock Holmes. In conclusion, Matsuyama is riveting, and there is simply no reason his extraordinary work in this trilogy should be missed. Maki, the daughter of the scientist who was working on creating a vaccine, ranges from annoying (mostly near the beginning), to actually sympathetic. I like her arc - her lust for revenge, even at such a young age, to the point she'd sacrifice herself for it. As for the boy L befriends, I couldn't really care less, sadly. I was just happy the boy didn't turn out to be one of those 'Ken' characters from Showa-Era Gamera films.

The bad guys are overly unspectacular, with the exception of the money-hungry Matoba (Takashima), who was just awesome to watch get pissy and violent. Kimiko Kujo, the female scientist who double crosses the guy working on the vaccine, is equally stellar to watch. Her clear belief in her goal, her ability to be a compassionate woman and in a blink of a eye, a cold-hearted bitch: simply awesome.

There's only one major complaint I have about the film, and it's the god-awful English the performers put on every once and awhile. The kid that L befriends speaks English, but it's so high pitched I haven't a clue what he's saying (which happened during a rather pivotal sequence that I still don't understand what the big 'realization moment' was). A worse offender was the character of F (who I assume is from the same organization L belongs to), played by Kazuki Namioka, who tries his hardest to get his English groove on, but I didn't get a damn thing he said. Something about 'very important' and a lot of digits. Attention directors: unless you got a actor who can actually do a decent enough English voice, don't bother. Please? There's a reason I got the subtitles on and the Japanese audio.

Shusuke Kaneko leaves the director's chair for this outing and is instead replaced by Hideo Nakata, who by no means should be a random name, having worked on the successful Ring franchise (both Asian and American), as well as Dark Water (which was also Americanized). Nakata definitely brings a cool visual style to the film, as it compliments what Kaneko accomplished before but also giving it it's own, er, jazz (?). Unique camera angels, wide shots that pan over a remote countryside in Thailand, and plenty of tracking shots of characters running for their lives (a common thing with the Death Note movies, no?). Overall, Nakata did very well, which considering his lackluster work with the aforementioned horror movies (at least in my opinion; it's a claim I doubt many others would share), it's quite the compliment. Although I'm sure the superb editing helps his direction seem even more cooler than it probably is. Er, that was meant as a compliment.

All in all, even at a little over two hours, the movie runs at a swift pace, with plenty of action, mind games, and double crosses to keep the viewer interested. And again, Kenichi Matsuayama. 'Nuff said. L, change the world is a fitting finale to the franchise, and is highly recommended. I'm just sad to see the saga end.

Animation Domination! DC vs. Marvel

GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
Cast (v): Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber
Writer: Alan Burnett, Michael Allen, Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Release: 28 July 2009
DC Comics, 75 mins., Rated PG-13

I didn't know a single thing about the Green Lantern character, or its vast mythology when I popped in First Flight. Turns out the Green Lantern property is actually pretty darn cool. Cool enough that I am now really looking forward to a big-screen adaptation of this character, although I'm not entirely 100% on the Ryan Reynolds casting choice. Anywhoozles, First Flight works great as both a film for first timers and for those who know this franchise inside and out. For the newbies, we get all the necessary backstory that's relevant, as well as some quick notes about the race of Lanterns and their role in the galaxy (note: coolness!).

Hal Jordan witnesses a crash in the far distance, and rushes to their aid, only to find a dying green man who spouts off something about destiny. The great warrior Sinestro and other Lanterns hold Jordan under supervision while they investigate their fallen comrade's death, but find that perhaps Jordan is meant for a greater destiny, as the deceased's green ring of power (which harnesses the 'green element') chooses himself as the successor. Hal finds himself in the middle of a war, with a key member of the Guardians of the Universe betraying the others and in search of the 'yellow element', the only weakness to the Guardians. Basically, Armaggedon all over again.

I love every single one of these films, and unfortunately I'm not going to go into too much detail, but the fine line is that these are all superbly crafted animated movies. Green Lantern, however, does suffer from a small flaw: lack of character development defeated by a short running time. A flaw that I don't quite understand; it's a animated flick, they could write and animate any scenes they want. Watching Hal Jordan come to terms with this whole galactic order of peace keepers, and come to terms to his powerful role in events - I wouldn't have minded a few scenes of him trying to grasp it. Terry had more emotional moments in the Batman Beyond pilot.

First Flight is high on action and plot, but sadly light on character. However, I can't blame them too much. They have a product to sell, and more likely than not, youngsters and teens are picking these up to see some planetary explosions and aliens doing universe-saving deeds. So plot, not exactly high on the top of their list. Still, it was fun, and the story is highly intriguing, so I demand sequel.


HULK VS.
Cast (v): Fred Tatasciore, Bryce Johnson, Steven Blum, Matthew Wolf, Nolan North
Writer: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Director: Frank Paur & Sam Liu
Release: 27 January 2009
Marvel Animation, 82 mins., Rated PG-13

A title with "VS." in the title has a certain league of battleage that it needs to match in order to meet expectations. "VS." as in King Kong vs. Godzilla, Freddy vs. Jason, Somebody vs. Somebody Else that I Don't Know [not a actual movie title], etc., etc. And holy potatoes, Hulk vs. matches expectations many times over, and even offered elements that were very welcomed.

First up, "Hulk vs. Thor." That was EPIC! Just judging this story as a stand-alone, pushing "Hulk vs. Wolervine" out of my mind, the second installment had a lot to live up to. It's not just a mano-a-mano fight to the death between The Hulk and Thor, it integrates and ties all these multitude of elements - Odin's sleep, Loki's rebellious nation, Hela and the Underworld, Thor's issues with all manner of mortals, immortals, and Gods - into one pleasant, cohesive, and all around EPIC storyline. [My apologies for tossing around the word EPIC a bazillion times; I just can't think of another way to describe how massive this story is] This is a brutal battle, with the rage-fueled Hulk, the puppet of the God Loki who wants Thor out of the way, pulverizing the Norse God to the brink of death.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Hulk vs. Thor" relied heavily on The Hulk instead of being a Thor vehicle. And the biggest and happiest surprise was the role of Edward Norton-esque Bruce Banner in this story. He's ripped from the Beast, his own, free self. And when faced with the most difficult choice he'd ever have to make in his life - forfeiting a life of happiness for the sake of the people of Asgard (which looks a lot like Helm's Deep, but with more buildings behind its giant walls), watching Bruce struggle with his decision is as dramatic and engaging as any My Sister's Keeper type flick. It's a personal story, really, with a lot of ass kicking thrown in to appease the male audience. If I was rich enough, I'd help finance a live action adaptation of this into a feature length film, because it's that damn cool.

"Hulk vs. Wolverine", on the other hand, isn't as awesome. There are, of course, highlights: the ever talkative Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, who is on his A game here; Wolverine fighting Hulk instead of Weapon X; Deathstrike's obsession with killing Wolverine; and a lot of explosions and limbs coming off. However, it's not as personal, not as deep, and I guess that's a given with the title, but "Hulk vs. Thor" kinda spoiled me. In the story, taking place during Wolverine's early years (I assume), Logan is sent to Canada by Department H to track down and eliminate this giant green beastie. Turns out he and the Hulk are part of a larger picture masterminded by The Professor of Weapon X. Hulk and Wolvie fight Sabertooth, Deathstrike, Deadpool, and some other baddies and a lot of havoc ensues. Good, but not great, "Hulk vs. Wolverine" is fun, and a tiny bit shorter. The inclusion of Weapon X into the plotline was initially a little jarring, but as piece of plot after piece unravel, I can dig it more.

Overall, Hulk vs. was a enjoyable experience, and it's been awhile since I got to watch some good pulverizing going on, yah know? This is just getting me even more pumped up for Planet Hulk. "Hulk vs. Thor" is the clear victor - being smart, jaw-dropping, and EPIC; "Hulk vs. Wolverine" is cleverly written, dialogue-wise, bloody and indulging in limb-severing hysteria, and generally pretty good.

SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
Cast (v): Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Xander Berkley, Allison Mack, CCH Pounder
Writer: Stan Berkowitz
Director: Sam Liu
Release: 29 September 2009
DC Comics, 67 mins., Rated PG-13

First night this gem came out, I rented it from a Redbox. I sadly haven't had the opportunity to revisit the movie, so don't really count this short review as a, well, 'review' per se. From memory, I can say that it was phenomenal watching Superman and Batman fight against super-powered enemies, both friends and foes. To watch Lex Luthor turn the world against these costumed heroes, place a bounty on their heads, and see all the individuals who would gladly turn them in - and those who decide to stick with them...it was all very interesting, very engaging.

If there's one thing in the entire universe that will instantly grab my attention, it's a story of Lex Luthor meddling with both Superman and Batman. Lex barging into Batman's territory in the graphic novel Batman: No Man's Land was delicious, and I keep wishing (although I'm sure it'll go unfulfilled) that some 'event' like this happens in the movie adaptations.

Aside from the premise, what I liked many consisted of Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprising their world renowned vocal roles, basically every fight scene, and Lex Luthor. Although the movie itself was good, the animation came across as a little sloppy - it seemed like not a lot of effort was put into it. Watching the film, I was sorta missing the good ol' days of animation (the 90's) when everything seemed to move fluently and nearly lifelike. And by lifelike, I mean everything you saw onscreen, you experience almost like it's a real, live-action movie, and you're right in the middle of it. One disappointing aspect of this and some other animated Marvel/DC films of late is that it doesn't accomplish that. It feels like animation. It's simply dodgy. Oh, and that stuff with the Toyman in Tokyo....yeah, that was bad.

Public Enemies may not have excelled in the animation department (at least in my opinion; I seem to be one of the very few on the planet to express such), but the overall product is powerful.

WONDER WOMAN
Cast (v): Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina
Writer: Gail Simone & Michael Jelenic
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Release: 03 March 2009
DC Comics, 75 mins., Rated PG-13

Why are they having trouble getting a live action Wonder Woman out of Development Hell? This is the perfect presentation of how the character should be done, adapted to the big screen. This flick has it all: a lot of action to keep all audiences entertained, very witty and exact dialogue that's absolutely marvelous and definitely one of the script's strong suits, great musical cues, fine editing, etc., etc. There's basically not a bad bone in this movie's arsenal.

The movie opens with a epic fight between the Amazons and Ares centuries ago; Ares loses, and is imprisoned. Cut to present time, as Princess Diana (Russell) comes into her own as a Amazon, and proves herself to be a powerful weapon. A incident involving a American fight pilot entering their lands inspires the Queen to open themselves to the outside world. Plans don't exactly follow through as, well, planned - Ares is released from bondage and decides to unleash Hell on Earth. Diana, endowed with extraordinary powers, leads the Amazons into a battle that will decide the fate of the world.

Awesome. Does that synopsis sound like one of the coolest stories on planet earth? Well, it should. These Amazons are brutal. The direct-to-DVD line allows DC to go all-out, and Wonder Woman and Marvel's Hulk vs. perfectly display this. Washington, D.C. gets demolished as the Amazons fights Ares and his seemingly never-ending goons, and it's glorious to watch. It's equally glorious to really see a female character that is by no means bound by cultural views of being a woman. By this, I mean Diana/Wonder Woman's just as amazing and powerful as any Batman or Superman. However, the whole 'feminist power' thing does show up sporadically, and that got kind of annoying after awhile; c'mon, folks, show it, don't tell it.

The script is superb. The characters, the dilemmas, the choices and consequences, the role of mythology ever present, the storyline - all of it, I love it. My only problem would be the American pilot, Steve Trevor, acting as a love interest to Diana. If they were going to introduce romance into a Wonder Woman movie, wait for the sequel. Her first outing as a action star should be all about her; men shouldn't be on her radar - the fight should.

In summation, I can easily attest to all the rave review for Wonder Woman: it's absolutely the best of the DC Original Animated Movies line....yet....

And Hollywood? Hire Joss Whedon the hell up again pronto and get this project rolling before cameras, because he is the absolute best person in Hollywood to be spear-heading this film. And yeah, I'd definitely be first person in line.