Comic Film Reviews

I bought this movie a few weeks back and it sat on my shelf until today. While not technically a "comic book film" I'm going to include it in this genre basically because it is a comic book LIKE film...Hancock is another film that quickly falls into this type of genre.

I like Chris Evans - liked him ever since he starred in the awesome yet short lived Opposite Sex show which he was in with Milo Ventimeglia (Heroes!) and Allison Mack (Smallville!). Evans has played a superhero in Fantastic Four and will star soon in another comic book film The Losers. Right now they are pimping him for Captain America...another role he would role OWN. The film also features another comic book connection in Djimon Hounsou, who had a pivital role in the underrated Vertigo flick Constantine.

The movie sets up a few things in the beginning: Nick (Chris Evans) sees his father die but before doing so his Dad tells him to go under the radar, Nick (like his Dad) is a movers who can move things with his mind, that Nazis started experiments in WW2 on humans and created their own mutants, that movers, "watchers" (who can see the future), "bleeders" (powerful sonic screamers), "pushers" (they can implant thoughts in heads), and a whole slew of other mutants were created by these experiements, and lastly a drug that no mutant has ever survived will be able to bring these mutants to the next level.

Kira has taken the drug that no one has survived and...survived! Course she runs off WITH a suitcase with the drug and now everyone is looking for her. Everyone sees that Nick ends up with the girl and starts searching for him. Cassie (Dakota Fanning) finds Nick first, saying if they find Kira they can get the suitcase...which can snag them 6 million dollars. Nick, who is living off the radar in a Chinese slum, doesn't want anything to do with Cassie at first but when Division (the evil mutant power organization) keeps trying to kill him the duo team up. They are chased after by the Chinese mob who are very powerful with their own mutants and Division led by Agent Carver (Hounsou).

The flick is a nice mild thriller made better by the use of superpowers. The flick was bashed by critics but I give it props for being a comic book film without the comic to fall back on. I really like how there are only about 8 different types of mutants and how great these powers can be. The fight between Nick and the Division mover was AMAZING as they both use the same powers against each other with phenom results.

The SFX are top notch, there was no crimping on the budget here. Least the film looks like they spent 50 mil or so to make it. The actors are all great, never thought I'd actually like watching a film with Dakota Fanning in it but I guess she proved me wrong. Hounsou isn't given much to do but be in the background and seem menacing, but he does the best with the role he was given.

Much rests here on Chris Evans and he pulls off the movie nicely. He was great as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four but those films weren't well received with audiences (I thought they were great fun, personally). Watching this makes me want to see him as Captain America. So what if he was already Johnny Storm...this is his chance to be HUGE! Besides Ryan Reynolds played two different characters in the Marvel Universe (Wade Wilson and Hannibal King) so why not Chris?

I liked Push alot and it is better than alot of comic films that have come out (most of the Dark Horse films come right to mind). If you are on the fence about watching this - my vote is give it a watch.

Comic Film (Mini) Review: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Reviewed by Ryan McLelland

I wasn't a huge fan by any means of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' Superman Batman series - the first arc now translated into this DVD.

DC did it right this time though. Unlike the Superman/Doomsday DVD, which botched the whole storyline by not including the Justice League or the four Superman replacements, this one has a slew of DC heroes and villains all coming in to try and defeat Superman for a one billion dollar bounty.

The voices are great - straight from the Batman & Superman franchises. Tim Daly back as Supes, Kevin Conroy back as Bats, Clancy Brown back as Lex Luthor...it's just awesome! And everyone is here from the Suicide Squad to Captain Atom to Power Girl!

I have yet to watch the Justice League series...where LOTS of lesser tier characters are shown..but watching a direct-to-DVD release like this where it only runs about 70 minutes - it brings me joy to see these lesser tier characters make an appearance.

The film itself is very simply: Superman set up by Lex. Lex shooting Kryptonite like heroin. Batman helps Supes. Everyone wants to get Superman. The film is an excuse to watch Batman and Superman team up to defeat everyone...but it really is alot of fun.

I can't even count the number of times I've read through the graphic novel Watchmen. It's very much a favorite - it was the granddaddy of all modern comic books in terms of character development, thought, and reasons heroes do what they do.

Though I've read the graphic novel say...thirty times...I still never got into 'Tales of the Black Freighter'. I got that it tied into Ozymandius' story but never...really...cared. I just didn't. For me it took AWAY from the Watchmen, not adding to it. It was non-essential - it was an easy way for Alan Moore to pad the story out to 12 issues when he was originally thinking 'six'.

The release of the Watchmen movie saw no sign of the Black Freighter - though director Zack Snyder always had plans to incorprate it into the movie. His plan was to 'animate' the comic book and insert it later into an 'Ultimate Cut' of Watchmen (out NOW!). NOW - I didn't watch the Ultimate Cut...at least not yet. But I did watch Black Freighter by itself - as it came out by itself on DVD to help cash in on the "Watchmen Craze."

The animation is decent. The voices...well...it's mainly 300's Gerard Butler in a quite non-superior voiceover. The 20-something odd running time of the film simply...bored me to tears just like the comic book did. I get it...I get that it ties into the story. But who fucking cares? Really? It's a fucking pirate ship story in a superhero comic which served to deconstruct the superhero genre. It's a boring add-on to an amazing story.

So why review this? Well the DVD also has the documentary 'Under the Hood', a faux-doc featuring actors from the film in character talking about Hollis Mason's book (which I'll also review later). So I got a 'two-for-one' though you miss NOTHING but watching the Black Freighter UNLESS you are a big Watchmen fan. Again - I really want to see how it all comes together with the DVD release of the Ultimate Edition - so that may be one of the next comic films I have to review.

But as for Freighter? Skip it. Get the Ultimate Edition (I'm guessing) or just skip it all together. Def not worth shelling out ten bucks for.

The Batmobile launches itself up a building. Seriously. A grappling hook comes out of the Batmobile and it rockets up the side of the building to escape Two-Face and his crew.

THIS IS BATMAN FOREVER. And it is HORRIBLE.

Tim Burton bailed on the project which then lost Michael Keaton as Batman, Rene Russo as Chase, and Marlon Wayans as Robin. We get Val Kilmer who isn't that bad, Nicole Kidman who kinda was bad, and Chris O'Donnell who was actually pretty damn good.

The baddies though...are bad. Tommy Lee Jones was abysmal and Jim Carrey's Edward Nigma was...abysmal.

On paper I'm sure everything seemed to be a good idea. I remember being SO excited to see this movie when it first came out...only to be...SO disappointed. They turned the flick into a farce, it was campy crap especially after the far-superior Batman Returns.

Akiva Goldsman scripted both this piece of garbage AND Batman & Robin. I'm sure he helped cater to director Joel Schumaker's needs both times. We are treated to uber-bad comic book plots (something straight out of the sixties - by 1971 Batman was back in the dark Dark Knight role in the comics) and horrible acting - ESPECIALLY Tommy Lee Jones. Where's Billy Dee Williams when we truly need him???

I rewatched the film with my son...who was really bored at times. In terms of letting a kid watch this film he was far more entertained by Batman & Robin. I'm not showing him Batman or Batman Returns - he's still a bit young for them. But these films are by far flashy, boring, and dated. Batman & Batman Returns, even looking like they were filmed on backlots, hold up far better.

History has told for these films thanks to Christoper Nolan. Movie audiences want Batman dark and gritty and hopefully DC continues that trend for years to come.

This isn't really a review because watching this again was akin to a root canal. It was bad in the 90s...and still bad over ten years later. So bad that I can't even write about it...except to bash.

After watching the awesome Green Lantern flick I thought my next superhero film would be a Marvel cartoon. Looking into my collection I found the Doctor Strange film - the only Marvel film I own that I hadn't actually watched yet.

It probably was a bad thing to watch this directly after First Flight. Perhaps on its own Doctor Strange is an above average cartoon. Coming after GL I found the animation lacking, the screenplay boring, and the voice acting something to be desired. DC has big name actors doing the voices and that great Bruce Timm look.

Doctor Strange is one of my favorite Marvel characters. This goes back to my childhood where I owned a small sized paperback reprinting many of the early adventures - this was actually a paperback sized reprint! It's one of those book I remember into adulthood and I still continue to pick up and read the Essential Doctor Strange volumes as they come out.

This is a modern telling origin story for the good doctor. It shows him as an arrogant doctor who only cares about money, gets in a horrible car accident, and is recruited to train with The Ancient One. Baron Mordo leads The Ancient One's crew who battles weird monsters - among this crew is Wong - if you read the comics you know him as Strange's eternal sidekick.

The Ancient One is on the lookout for the newest Sorcerer Supreme. Baron Mordo knows it should be him. Strange trains with The Ancient One and we all know that it is going to be him. Mordo finds out it is not and, of course, becomes the baddie. It is then up to Strange to stop Mordo.

The way they updated the character was okay...but I guess maybe price is a factor? Because truly producers didn't have to go far in getting a good script, J. Michael Straczynski wrote a great unproduced screenplay for Strange that eventually became a comic book. Why make something subpar when you have the screenplay right there to make it great???

All of Marvel's animated direct-to-DVD features are a bit lacking (and I will review each one as time goes on) and I've never actually looked forward to any of them - the upcoming Planet Hulk adaptation being the huge exception. As for this film, Doctor Strange is sort-of worth the 5 bucks I paid for it at Best Buy, but it is lacking fun and production values that would want me to watch it over and over again.

I've never gotten into these DC Universe animated movies. That's because the first one I watched, Superman - Doomsday, made Superman have awful cheek bones that made me want to turn off the television...which I did!

I'm glad I gave the direct-to-DVD series another chance because watching Green Lantern: First Flight was a great choice. It's not only an origin story for Hal Jordan but a tale of how Sinestro falls from the Green Lantern Corps.

Hal Jordan is voiced by Christopher Meloni, from Law and Order: SVU fame. The voices aren't really important here even though we have some talent like Victor Garber (Alias), Tricia Helfer (BSG), and Michael Madson (any Tarentino movie). That's because the story really kicks ass. This is different from Marvel direct-to-DVD animated flicks - which usually have subpar plots and subpar voice acting to boot.

So Hal Jordan gets his ring from the dying Abin Sur and travels to Oa - where he's trained by Sinestro while the entire Corps is hunting down a madman. The corps includes...Salaak! Kilowog! Arisia! EVEN FUCKING CH'P IS HERE!

Of course Sinestro's in on the plot and it is his ultimate thirst for power that drives him from the Corps. It's the attention to details here - the fact that DC is going to throw these characters right at you if you know them or not - that really rocks. Green Lanterns are about policing the universe and righting wrongs...and here we meet the greatest Green Lantern of all time: HAL JORDAN - who may not even make it in the Corps in the first place.

It's a well done flick...quite bloody...earns its PG-13 rating. It also completely whet my appetite for the upcoming Martin Campbell directed Ryan Reynolds starring Green Lantern flick coming...well...in like two years. Hopefully we won't have to wait that long and we'll get another one of these kick ass Green Lantern cartoons.

The plan is to review every single comic book film and television series ever made - so it is with a heavy heart that I start these reviews with Batman and Robin.

Why would I start it with Batman and Robin? That's simple - after a long day of playing Lego Batman with my 5-year-old I thought Batman and Robin would be perfect to watch with him. I was correct because the film is WONDERFUL for a 5-year-old. As Warner Bros. learned (and then over again with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) most people like their Batman films DARK.

What's to say about this film that hasn't already been said? Director Joel Schumacher blamed everyone from studio heads to Ain't It Cool News for the films failure but the failure rests firmly on his shoulders.

There is one particular point I can hone in on that tells how horrible this film is: In Mr. Freeze's lair there is a HUGE on/off switch. One side points to cold - the other points to heat. Why, if you are Mr. Freeze, would you have a switch that pointed to "heat"??? YOU ARE MR. FREEZE!!! YOU DON'T LIKE THE FUCKING HEAT!?!?!??!

Shit like that is why Batman and Robin remains one of the worst sucktastic comic book films of all time (though, for me, it ranks up there with Batman: The Movie. The Batman Shark Repellant still gets me everytime). So watching it this time there are just a few things that I notice that I'll talk about...

Alicia Silverstone. The girl was just a big fatty fat fatty in this film. She was truly 'Fatgirl'. Not that having a few pounds on you is bad...but seriously...Batgirl, in costume, with a double chin!??!? Beyond that shadows worked HORRIBLE for her in the film...in some shots you swear she's rocking a five o'clock shadow. ALSO - Alicia puts on the Batgirl suit and somehow she needs NO TRAINING beyond what she has...she's already a KICKASS superhero who can hold her own with Batman and Robin. Really? REALLY???

Every in the film talks about how beautiful Poison Ivy is...but let's face it, Uma Thurman comes off as a fugly unattractive drag queen in the film. She would get booed at a Halloween party. She is completely ugly looking and I don't buy for a second that anyone would find her attractive in this film...even WITH the magical Poison Ivy dust.  RuPaul would have made a far better Poison Ivy...or perhaps The Lady Chablis.

Joel Schumaker is gay. I'm not just saying that, it is actually his sexual preference. That's fine except he made Batman gay. Every set looks like a bad drag queen set. Poison Ivy looks like a drag queen. And the nipples and cod pieces...ugh. He made Batman gay...when that truly is NOT WHAT THE CHARACTER IS ABOUT. Schumaker never 'got' that...he didn't get it with Batman Forever and REALLY missed EVERY mark with Batman and Robin.

Schumaker wanted a throwback and achieved it...you really can compare this flick to the horrid sixties television film. There is just SO much wrong with this film...the dialogue...acting...scenery. It's too easy to bash...but watching the whole thing from beginning to end with Tyler I was happy that at least he was enjoying it. He was learning who Bane was, he was happy about seeing Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy teaming up, and really happy that Batgirl arrived. Five years from now he might yell at me for making him watch it, but today he really enjoyed the film. Ah - what age truly teaches us.

The big shame?  A 5th Batman film, Batman Triumphant, was planned with Scarecrow being the villain and the return of Jack Nicholson's Joker in a dream sequence.  Horrible reviews and a lackluster box office killed that.  HOWEVER Schumaker was to return to direct that film as well - so maybe it was truly a blessing in disguise.

While I was at MovieStop a couple weeks back I picked up Bulletproof Monk in a Buy 3 Get 1 Free promo. I had seen Bulletproof Monk at the dollar theater many moons ago when it first came out and I remember think it was...'meh-okish'. But as I'm doing these kung-fu reviews I figured I could really use different genres so I'm just reviewing Jackie Chan movies every day.

Bulletproof Monk is a fun action film featuring two of my favorite things: kung-fu and comic books (yes sir - this is actually an adaptation of a comic book!). The plot is simple - one Monk watches a scroll for sixty years, gaining powers so to protect the scroll until he finds the next scroll watcher. In the 40s Nazis invade the temple looking for the scroll right as the power changes hands from the old monk to the new Monk (Chow Yun Fat). The head Nazi is Karel Roden, who is probably most famous for playing the head Nazi in Hellboy. It's a wonderful career tract for him and I'm sure he was pissed not getting cast in Inglorious Bastards.

Monk gets away and sixty years later the Nazis are still following him in the modern day. Monk is looking for a replacement and ends up running into Kar (Seann William Scott), a good-hearted pickpocket who knows kung-fu because he works at a movie theater that plays only kung-fu films. The baddies are after Monk, so Kar ends up caught in the middle. There's also Jaime King who is there to be the love interest and look totally hot - accomplishing both with ease.

Let's face it - Chow Yun Fat hasn't been too impressive in his American films. I actually watched The Replacement Killers last night as it really was a sub-par film. The one thing you realize between that film and Monk is how much he's improved on his English. It is certainly alot clearer and expansive then it was in TRK.

'Stifler' is the big sell of this film and as a young, charismatic actor Bulletproof Monk is sold on his ability to perform kung fu and his matchup with Chow Yun Fat. Seann is awesome in the film - he's cocky, he's charming, he's fun. He pulls the action scenes very well and while this film won't win awards for its wire work, the scenes are done well. This is the type of film where everyone knows how to fight well. The heroes, the heroine, the bad guys, everyone can kick some major ass.

So having Nazis as your bad guys always feels lazy to me - especially in a movie during the early 2000's. Having never read the comic I'm not sure who were the baddies and if they were Nazis pehaps that makes sense why they are the baddies in the film adaptation. But really? Nazis? COME ON.

Well - no kung fu fan will mistake Bulletproof Monk for a film by Yuen Wo Ping but it truly has its moments. I think it is one of Chow Yun Fat's best American roles, if not the most fun. Did I mention that Jaime King is SMOKING in this film??? Cause she is...

A BIG P.S. - This film is not only a kung-fu film but is a comic book film - so it also will double as the first review of our new 'Comic Film Reviews' section!  GOOD JOB MONK!