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Jonah Hex (2010)
Just not right
Having grown up a comic book reader I was surprised that a non-mainstream character like Hex would get his own live action film. I was actually kind of excited to see it simply for the fact that although I'm not a die hard fan, I knew the character and always get a kick out of seeing how the translation to screen goes.
As the release date approached, I heard/saw less and less about the film. That's never a good sign. When I saw it came in 8th on opening weekend, I suspected the worst.
I went to see it today. I was joined by three others in the theater.
On the plus side- the movie looks great. Sets and costumes are wonderful. Great to see some human scenery with character.
Also- glad there are no Old West clichés, at least not any that really stuck out to me.
To me, the worst aspect is the score. Heavy metal and westerns just don't mix. It's just too darn loud and overrides the movie.
Next is the editing. This movie had to have been hacked to pieces. There are cuts in it that just make you flinch and some of the fight scenes are so chopped, you can't even tell who's fighting or what just happened- especially in the final scene.
It will be very interesting to see if this film gets an cut scenes section when released on DVD. There is a real feel that there should be more.
Lots of gripes have been posted at numerous sites and I'll throw in my two cents on the common ones: Megan Fox is getting a ton of bad press. Truthfully, she's no worse than any other no-talent hot chick we see today. She's actually barely in the movie at all. But when she is, she is an emotionless Barbie doll sans smile.
Brolin's make-up is, in my opinion, faithful to the character. However in some scenes his dialogue should have been looped, he's too hard to understand.
I have no reason to dislike the villain. I honestly can't even clearly tell you his motivation or ultimate goal. The tension that was supposed to exist between Hex and Turnbull just wasn't there.
**Spoiler Ahead!!** Finally, Jonah Hex had no powers in the comics. None. He was just a helluva gunfighter. Talking to the dead? Come on.
For all the whiners out there, this is no better or worse than Ghost Rider or Daredevil. Too bad. Would have been great to see more adventures...
American Pop (1981)
Well Done. Aces for Bakshi
What a genuinely interesting and touching film. The rotoscoped animation may not be everyone's cup of tea but it works just fine here. I honestly think it's use was a big plus as it gives this human story a human, life like quality.
If this was done today it would be slopping over with re-do tunes by current pop nobodies to jam onto a "music from and inspired by" CD not to mention it would be poorly cast with Hollywood no talents.
The casting here doesn't leave you straining to identify celebs, it just has good actors portraying good characters. You focus on the story of the family, which after all is the point.
Underrated and very much worth your time.
Cool World (1992)
Here's the problem(s) and some possible answers
I saw this at a drive in when it came out. I remember being disappointed and thinking, "what a cheap Roger Rabbit knock off", which is pretty much what the critics said too. I've watched it again recently and I have a couple of thoughts.
The real problems lie within the editing...
*WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD* I think the biggest problem here is a lack of time frame. Harris entering Cool World by way of Doc Whiskers experiment makes sense. However, as soon as Deebs is introduced there is major confusion. The audience learns secondhand that Deebs believes he created Cool World. This should have been explained before we witness him entering Cool World that first time.
His "mind slips" have no time frame in either Cool World or in the Real World and this really buggers up the works. One minute he's there, then he's gone, then we immediately see Harris interrogate Holli about the "wack-a-doo" who was with her "last night". Not even a dissolve to illustrate passage of time! The time that passed between Deeb's leaving and the next day are left to the audience, and this happens a few more times during the course of the picture. Sloppy and rushed editing does not help this already staggering movie.
The other problem revolves around the rules of Noids and Doodles. They make little sense, are barely explained, and it seems that new rules are just put in to attempt to clean up an unfinished script.
I think a little more editing time and a few extra scenes could have added some clarity.
**IMPORTANT UPDATE!! THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!**
I just got done reading a five issue series by DC Comics based on Cool World. If you've never seen/heard of it, there is a four issue "prequel" series explaining how Harris and Nails met as well as Holli and Harris' relationship before the events in the movie.
The fifth issue is the movie adaptation and it offers up some pretty interesting ideas that were either cut or never even produced for the film. These are as follows:
1. Noids slip into Cool World by means of mental/emotional distress. Harris is pulled through upon his mother's death and his subsequent breakdown. Deebs slips in as a result of his emotional collapse after murdering his wife's lover. We are led to believe that Deebs has slipped in and out of Cool World multiple times writing the visits off as dreams. These details alone could have produced an infinitely clearer storyline.
2. Harris does not get into Cool World via the spike. His arrival coincides with his mother's death. The spike comes into the story later. Holli still mentions it when Harris visits her the first time, but it is still played off as myth. Doc Whisker's spike is explained close to the finale as a failed experiment to bridge Cool World and the Real World. He and Harris created it, discovered it's power was too strong, and therefore placed it in an unreachable locale in Vegas- atop the Casino where it would be "safe".
3. There is much more interaction between Deebs and his neighbors Isabelle and Jennifer. The fact that the home he moves into is his previous residence is clearly stated. Isabelle is visited by the cop who originally arrested Deebs and explains his early release- good behavior, model prisoner, etc. Isabelle does not trust Deebs, remembering the crime he committed 10 years ago, and the now grown Jennifer shows an interest (possibly romantic) in him. She is no longer just the flaky teen girl next door. Deebs sees her as a cure for his loneliness yet at the same time finds comfort each time he slips back into Cool World.
4. The realm Cool World is also expanded into an extra section called Sweet Place where nice Doodles (like the Rabbit shooting craps and other "traditional" style cartoon characters) live. The residents of Sweet Place are the exact opposite of those in Cool World (e.g. nice versus nasty), however, they are still Doodles and are used to demonstrate the Doodle's immunity to human excess. They constantly stuff their faces with cake and ice cream. Deebs, in an effort to ditch Holli and her advances, hangs here for awhile but becomes sick from gluttony. This is hinted at later in the actual movie when "real Holli" wants to order 95 drinks at the bar- she doesn't understand the idea of human limitations.
5. It is also better explained that Holli and Sparks had a plan brewing to bridge the gap between the Real World and Cool World. They, of course, want to take over. Holli becomes real and ditches Sparks in the film, but we never really understand why he was important to begin with.
6. As the story draws to a close Deebs and Holli keep morphing back and forth between Doodle and Noid. This happens in the film as does the transformation of the citizens of Las Vegas. Fine. In the comic, it's a little more clear the impact that Holli and Deebs' intercourse has on the two worlds. In the comic whenever Deebs or Holli touch something real, it becomes Doodle temporarily. Now this happens in the film only sporadically and it's confusing. Also, the comic flips back and forth between Real World and Cool World and we see the same chaos happening in Cool World- Doodles are becoming Real for a few seconds and then switching back. One panel even shows Lonete and Sparks as Real.
It's common knowledge that novelizations, comic adaptations, etc. are written well before the final film comes out and lots of times they are based on early script drafts and production stills. I have no clue if any of this was ever filmed, if Mancuso forced further script changes, or what. But these little bits and pieces could have made Cool World more bearable.
4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Better this time
Possible Spoilers Ahead I'm not reviewing this as if it were Citizen Kane or the Godfather, so fanboys take notice: This is a fun summer movie. It is better than the first(which I enjoyed as well).
The team did not squabble as much and audiences were given a classic Marvel situation of heroes versus hero with the appearance of Silver Surfer. Doom was used just enough to give the team someone to battle.
True, Galactus was not actually seen in his comic form, but truthfully, that would have been overkill- which is what made Spider-Man 3 such a drag. Rise of the Silver Surfer was just enough that it was still enjoyable to watch.
Thankfully, there were also fewer "hip tunes" interlaced in this one, and a better focus on the theatrical score. The movie was well paced, with fewer dragging moments.
FF's cast is pretty low-key in the media (with the possible exception of Jessica Alba, but even she is not as over-hyped as Kirsten Dunst).
Folks, this is the kind of stuff, the little things, that make summer movies fun and not just "events". Is this mindless entertainment? To a degree, yes, but much worse has been done in the past (and I'm sure will be done in the future).
To me the real appeal here, the true key, is that we don't have to suffer through secret identities with the FF. Their characters are established as celebrities, so we can fore go the usual crap and get down to battles! Here's the wrap up with just a wee bit of rant: It's enjoyable. See it. I sincerely hope we get a third installment (but that's enough) possibly with Mole Man as the heavy.
This picture is going to be overshadowed by Spider-Man 3, but unjustly so. In my opinion, FF is a much better summer flick and I'll give you two reasons why: 1. FF was not hyped and rammed down the public's throat like Spidey.
2. FF was not the victim of over-marketing like Spidey. I have become convinced that the more marketing tie-ins a picture has attached to it the bigger the disappointment it will truly be. You literally cannot turn around in a supermarket or department store without being smacked in the face with Spidey, Shrek, or Pirates merchandise and to me this over-saturation is what heralds the true quality of a movie. All of these pictures hit big opening weekend and then sunk like a stone. More merchandising says to me that an effort is being made to make money a movie that will fall fast because it's quality is poor. Hulk, Phantom Menace, The Grinch, the list goes on and on. End of rant and review.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Sloppy sequel...
It took about a week for all of this to sink in, but here goes...
Warning! Spoilers ahead!! I really wanted this movie to be good- not just do well (that was inevitable), but actually be good. But as I sat there watching it, my hopes slipped away.
The movie is overlong. The tone set by 1 & 2 has been lost in a stew of too many subplots, too many Aunt May speeches, and way too much sobbing and fighting between Dunst & Maguire.
Folks, I'm all for character development. I think it's great that Raimi has taken us into Peter Parker's personal life. I really like the fact that he has taken villains to a more human level instead of just making them "baddies" a'la Joel Schumacher. However, this thing is a complete jumble. After awhile, I kind of wished Mary Jane would just go away, Harry would die, and we could just get to a good old fashioned Marvel battle between Spidey and Sandman.
It's not all bad here. Praise goes to Thomas Hayden Church. He is probably the best villain in any of the Spidey flicks with Molina pulling a close second. Both of them played the villains as real people not just prancing lunatics in funny costumes. His only problem is he's drastically underused. What a shame! Great effects and an awesome look are cut short for one too many scenes of whiny junior high soap operatics between Peter Parker & MJ.
I honestly don't know what to think of Venom. I like the character but I don't feel he fits in this picture. He's almost like an afterthought, much more suited to be in another Spidey movie as the lone villain.
I was really hoping they would do something worthwhile with Harry Osborn in this one and they blew it. We get a great fight sequence in the beginning, a goofy, "aw-shucks" bubble-head for the middle act and finally a complete turn-around for the finale because his butler set everything straight for him?! All mental illness and vengeance cleanly wiped away in one lousy scene. Dumb.
I had to laugh at the "Evil Peter Parker" sequence. Not because it was truly funny, but because it reminded me so much of Superman III. Ladies and gentleman, that's just not a good thing to be reminded of.
This picture suffers from too many villains and too much love story crap. I'm hoping that Raimi eases off if there is indeed a Spider-Man 4. We've been teased with Curt Connors for three pictures- lets see what can be done with him and if MJ is out of the picture for awhile, fine.
Right before this came out Kirsten Dunst made a comment along the lines of, "there would be no Spider-Man movies without Tobey and me." All she did here was cry, scream, and whine. Tobey Maguire spent more time out of costume than in. Lady, you two can easily be replaced.
Captain America (1990)
A few small pros and many cons
I saw this film many years ago and hated it. I recently watched it again and had some different thoughts...
This film is without a doubt a "B" Picture, much the same way as the Lundgren Punisher film. Expectations are not very high going in, but even on occasion a B Picture can be a pleasure to watch as simple entertainment. This one has a few very small moments that unfortunately end too early.
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! The first 15-20 minutes are really the best part of the picture. In my opinion (again keep in mind we're talking B Picture mentality here), the film starts off quite good. Yeah, I know the Red Skull is Italian and it's just plain wrong. It goes against established story, but still, it's not the end of the world. Far worse happens here.
I like the setup of Steve Rogers being selected and leaving home. The scene of him getting his powers is interesting (although the sound effects are pretty lousy- Star Wars blasters?) I can live with Cap's costume. The designers were at least smart enough to stay away from straight pastel colors. The blue is a bit navy/faded, the red is a bit crimson. I know Sallinger's real ears are covered, but that has never bothered me.
But the moment he leaps out of that plane on his first mission, his character fizzles out.
It's as if Steve Rogers never mentally becomes Cap. He always looks scared/worried. I guess that could "humanize" him during the first mission but that unsure look *never* goes away- and to have him blow it the first time out is just inexcusable.
The Red Skull's makeup/costume is decent (at least in the B Picture world). Truthfully, I would rather see good old fashioned latex appliances than the ridiculous CGI enhanced characters a'la Nick Cage in Ghost Rider. But, once again, things get botched by having the Skull "fixed up" later in the picture. I never understood why this was done. Is this supposed to be echos of Nicholson as the Joker, or just a budget short cut? Having Cap on ice makes sense but the cheapness of its execution is just too much to bear. That missile floating over the White House is a real groaner of a scene.
Although Ned Beatty's character was a waste, I do have to admit that it was a nice touch showing his character as a child discussing with the young future president who the mystery man tied to the rocket could have been. Sub Mariner? Human Torch? Two of Marvel's oldest heroes are given a nice tip of the hat.
The middle act, showing Cap's revival and return to California are just too long. To have the hero just mope around out of costume for an entire act defeats the purpose of the film. Get him back on his feet and back in action! The end battle in Skull's castle is curiously done, making good use of sets and interesting fast cuts to speed up the action. But, just as Cap is getting into it and showing some guts, we cut to... a piano on the roof. Dumb. Not symbolic or artistic. Just dumb.
Lots of verbal abuse was heaped on Sallinger for his lackluster portrayal of Cap in this film, but y'know who really deserves a poke in the eye? Daren McGavin. Awful. I mean, he's awful. The other characters are not being overly hammy (as one might expect). They're not being terribly interesting either, but McGavin is just wretched with his stereotypical Army General southern drawl (which comes and goes) and his frequent mugging. At least Sallinger is attempting sincerity (albeit wimpy sincerity).
Captain America is a real case of "should have been". I don't think it deserves to be in the bottom 100- it's close, but there have been worse movies. Let's just hope a better version comes to fruition some day.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980)
This is why DVD exists.
**Possible Spoilers Ahead** We don't need DVD's of The Dukes of Hazzard Unrated, or direct to video American Pie films, or Lucas's umpteenth version of his original vision for the Star Wars Flicks.
Superman II The Richard Donner Cut is the reason DVD exists. This is why VHS is for people who want to be entertained and DVD is for people who want to *learn*. Fantastic. Best DVD I have watched this year.
I have a really shoddy video of the network premiere of Superman II from way back when. It's loaded with many of the scenes in this version, but not all. That print has always been an interesting bit of dual director mish-mash and left me wondering, "What if Donner had been allowed to finish?" From the get go, the tone is entirely different. The villains are meaner and colder (in contrast to Luthor). Non especially is much more intimidating without the idiotic baby noises he makes in the theatrical cut. The damage they inflict has more impact.
Without a doubt removing the bulk of Richard Lester's dumb comedic scenes, sight gags, and other useless asides, makes a world of difference. Fewer dumb hicks in Huston, Metropolis is less dopey, it's what it should have been. And finally, no horrid "from the back only" Gene Hackman impersonators.
Reeve's performance in the fortress is outstanding. Instead of the ho-hum I'll give up my powers, a true parental argument ensues and it makes sense.
CGI is applied when needed- not just to "cool it up" a'la Lucas. "Fake powers" are almost entirely gone as well. Thank God no more beams from fingers and giant cellophane "S's". Ick.
Y'know what really makes a difference here though? Music and sound. Williams music is so much better in this instead of the Ken Thorne re-records. The mood is better conveyed and the new/re-freshed sounds give some of the rougher FX sequences a little more oomf. Hearing some of the original voice tracks enhance many of the leads (and extras) performances.
No, it's not 100% perfect- but it's certainly better than the 1980 release which can be outright painful to watch and in many cases, makes little to no sense.
Get this disk and the 2 disc Theatrical version. Watch them double feature style and compare for yourself- don't just go from how great you thought Superman II was as a kid.
Superman Returns (2006)
A Good (Re)start
**Possible Spoilers Ahead**
First and foremost- thank God this did not fall into the hands of "McG", Tim Burton, or Nicholas Cage.
I can completely understand what the director was doing with this picture. Picking up and continuing a franchise that was dropped (and badly bruised) almost twenty years ago is a risky move. The fact that Singer decided to carry on the story is admirable and his efforts show very well in this picture. Keep in mind the events of Superman III and IV have been ignored.
One does not have to see Superman I & II to completely understand Returns, but it does help. Having grown up with those movies, I found myself often having "Oh yeah..." moments and having to think back (especially to Superman II) to remember what led up to the events on screen.
Singer obviously studied and admired Donner's original and the "tips of the hat" that happen in this movie (especially the opening credits, set designs, Brando footage, and that closing shot just before the credits roll) are an excellent touch.
The story is a bit slow at times and the rationality of having a "Super-Kid" is the only thing that I really question. I understand it is the logical conclusion of Lois and Clark's love scene in Superman II, but, I hope it is not what causes this re-start to falter.
See it. Much like Singer's first X-Men it's not perfect, but it is worth your time and money.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Not Perfect but Very Close
When I saw the previews for this film a few months back, I knew I wanted to see it. I have a thing for movies that try to harken back to the serials/pulps of the 30's, 40's, and 50's.
Ever since Raiders of the Lost Ark hit back in 1981, many movies have attempted to get that feeling but most (The Shadow, The Phantom, and The Rocketeer)just haven't cut it. This one isn't 100%, but does a fine job.
Visually, it's amazing. If you get a chance, American Cinematographer did an article on the movie, read it. It really is interesting. The action comes in bursts and when it does, it feels like it's right out of the Republic Serial days. I think director Kerry Conran has done well on his first outing.
However, let me point out right away- there are downsides. Paltrow is pretty blah for most of the movie. The story gets a bit draggy in the second act and it feels like some interesting bits may have been trimmed out here and there. But, the good outshines all of this.
What's really strange though is what qualifies as "good" for me may be parts of a film's release that many don't think about.
If you haven't done so already, read IMDb's trivia and box office/budget report. This movie was made for around $40 million. It's a miracle! $100 million plus was *not* required on this (like so many other sci-fi/fantasy/comics flicks) to give viewers an interesting looking and overall fun film to watch. It seems like lately, every movie has to be obscenely expensive and usually the money spent isn't worth it.
Another plus- there is no blaring soundtrack featuring "Songs From and Inspired By..." that many studios feel we cannot live without.
As of mid October, I have yet to walk into a grocery or department store and be bombarded with useless Sky Captain merchandise (unlike Shrek 2, Spiderman 2, The Hulk, The Cat in the Hat, and too many other movies lately).
The movie poster itself has actual artwork! See for yourself on the main page! This may be a small thing, but the artwork movie poster is almost extinct thanks to the "photos of the stars" type one sheets that are so common.
Add to that classic sound effects, an interesting design, and plenty of film references- you've got a very good film.
One truly interesting thing I didn't realize until the movie was over. This movie is "PG". This is the equivalent of being "G" 15 years ago. "PG" has almost become a guarantee that older audiences won't come. But then again- the rating fits the movie. This is supposed to be the way films were in the 30's and 40's.
Not every movie is meant to be The Godfather or The Passion of the Christ. Some, like this, are just meant for escapism and fun. This one although not perfect, is worth your time and money. Overall B+.