Spider-Girl #1 puts the fun back into comics

I remember when I first started reading comics back in the 80's they were cool. They were entertaining and exciting and most of all, they were fun. Flash forward to present times and comics are all dark and depressing. Marvel had a Civil War just rip through their universe. DC had to deal with Blackest Night. Things are just so bleak. I mean we're talking about people running around in spandex. Come on lighten up. But here comes Spider-Girl to save the day. The story has teen-ager Anya Corazon, the daughter of a famed journalist, doing the super-hero thing in New York. A few years ago Anya was transformed by a strange Spider Society into Arana, a champion who had similar powers to Spider-Man. She recently lost though powers but got trained by the best heroes in the business like Black Widow and Ms. Marvel to compensate. Now she is Spider-Girl, who continue to battle the bad guys, even without powers. The opening scene has our girl tangling with this internet crazed villaness called Screwball who wants to put her exploits all over the web. Spider-Girl ain't having it and quickly dispatches Screwball. Later on, Anya who lives with her dad plans some family time with him until he has to go to work unexpectedly. So he decides that Sue Storm AKA The Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four would be a suitable replacement. The two gals bond over dinner until Sue gets an emergency call to dispatch some new villainy. She leaves and Anya goes to vent off some frustration by taking on some would be thieves. Of course things turn out to be a lot worse as Anya happens along to see the FF getting hammered by the Red Hulk and it's up to her to save the day. I love this book. It's refreshing and it's fun, like comics should be. Spider-Man now is all dramatic and serious, so I stopped reading his book, but it appears Spider-Girl will get the job down. The writing by Paul Tobin is great and filled with lots of humor. The art by Clayton Henry is clean and sharp. I love Spider-Girl's costume. It's black with a white spider symbol on the front. Kind of like Venom but with better taste. And Anya delivers quips like a seasoned pro. She will remind you of the old Spider-Man, you know when he was cool. So I look forward to reading the adventures of Spider-Girl on a monthly basis.
B+

TRON - LEGACY takes it to a new level...

The long delayed sequel to the 1982 cult classic film Tron arrives in cinema and it's awesome. The sequel picks up with a flashback to the original as game designer/genius Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is talking to his young son Sam before taking off and never being seen or heard from again. Fans of the original Tron know that Flynn got sucked into the game world he created and had to battle against the Master Control Program. Flash forward 20 years when Flynn's now grown son (played by Garrett Hedlund) ventures into the digital world called The Grid to find out what happened to his father. When arriving he is quickly captured and forced to participate in gladiator type games where the loser is killed. Sam manages to survive and meets the ruler of this world named Clu (also played by Bridges but de-aged thru digital effects to look about 30 years old). Clu wants to track down Flynn as well but for his own personal reasons and Sam is caught in the middle. He is aided by Quorra (Olivia Wilde in a terrific performance) a woman who has been Flynn's protector. The storyline is ok but it does get a little talky and bogged down at times. And the character of Clu's appearance is unsettling. Some times it looks good, other times it looks really fake. That's about my only gripe about this visually stunning film. Well also Bridges as Flynn is a little too much at times. Like he's channeling his character The Big Lebowski for the most part. Hedlund is good as Sam though. But it's Wilde who gives the best performance. She may remind you of Trinity from the Matrix films, except Quorra is a lot more fun and even human, despite being a program, more or less. Wilde infuses Tron with some personality. Of course the visual effects are the main draw of this film and they do not disappoint. The digital world of Tron is a sight to behold. And the action scenes are thrilling from the combat games to what I believe to be the best sequence in the film, the light cycle chase. It just takes hold of you and carries you along for the ride. The thumping music score by Daft Punk is another plus. It positively drives the film with all the beats and pulsating sounds. Tron Legacy is a bold new film that will please fans of the original and bring in newcomers as well. It's a must see.
B

TRON:LEGACY is almost here...

The much anticpated sequel Tron: Legacy is almost here. The film hits theatres next Friday in IMAX 3D. If there is any movie worth seeing in IMAX 3D, it looks to be TRON. Starring Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde.

Harry Potter Starts Tonight...

The first part of the final Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows begins tonight with midnight showings. Should be a huge film and I can't wait to see it. Plans are to go this week-end. I can't believe the series is coming to an end. I can remember when it all began with the first film back in 2001 and it's one of the few series that actually got better with each new film. So expectations are high for these final 2 films which hopefully will close out this fantastic series on a high note.

Review - Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)

Another winner from the DC Universe animated films library. These guys may be slacking when it comes to making live action films like their counterpart Marvel does, but they are definitely at the head of the class when it comes making entertaining animated films based on their roster of iconic super heroes. For this one, Under The Red Hood, they adapted one of their more popular stories from the last few years. The story takes place 5 years after the brutal murder of Jason Todd (the second Robin) by the psychotic Joker, which begins this film. After that strong opening, things switch to Gotham when a new player calling himself The Red Hood, arrives looking to shake things up. He targets the crime lords who work for the sadistic crime boss, The Black Mask and manages to interfere with Mask's criminal operations. Enter Batman and Nightwing (Dick Grayson, the first Robin) who stop one of Mask's illegal shipments, which happen to contain the powerhouse android Amazo, who has battled the entire Justice League a few times. The dynamic duo leap into action and it's cool as hell seeing these guys together again just like the good old days. Nightwing spits out the wisecracks left and right and Batman is his usual grim and determined self, but manages a few nice one-liners himself. Black Mask gets wind of all this and hires a crew of armored powered goons to take out Hood and Batman which leads to a fantastic throw-down. After that skirmish, Batman and Hood face off and Batman learns that Hood is indeed Jason Todd back from the dead. Only one person could have pulled that off..Ra's al Ghul, which sends Batman to question him. Things reach a boiling point when Black Mask has had it with these two and breaks The Joker out of Arkham to kill Red  Hood. Which sets up a knock down drag out fight between Batman, Red Hood, and The Joker. Under The Red Hood is one of the best comic book movies ever. And just because it's animated, it does not diminish the quality of the story and characters. I enjoyed this much as I did the live action The Dark Knight. A superlative voice cast which includes Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing, Jason Issacs as Ghul, and John Di Maggio as The Joker. Trust me, Under The Red Hood is truly a sensational film that will not disappoint comic book fans.
B+

Hero Worship in November

Now that Halloween has come and gone, my horror movie postings are done and things are back to normal. For the month of November, in anticipation of the first part of the final Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows, Harry and company will be the stars of the month. Harry Potter is one of my favorite film series. I can't wait to see the final 2 parts. So I will review all previous films and posts pics and facts about the series all month long. And the usual reviews and photos of other movies, tv series, comics, etc. Let the magic begin.

KICK-ASS is well, uh, kick ass!

Finally watched Kick-Ass and I loved it. The film is based on the popular graphic novel by Mark Millar and while I read only a few issues of the series, I think the movie delivers on everything promised. Say unlike the Angelina Jolie misguided comic adaptation of Wanted, another Millar book. Kick-Ass takes the comic book movie and turns it on it's head. And it's a joy to behold and an awesome ride to take. The story centers on Dave Lizewski (a solid Aaron Johnson) who is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so. He proposes the question to his friends, why a regular person hasn't done the super-hero thing before. The response is that they would get their ass handed to them. Which Dave learns the hard way. He orders a suit from online complete with mask and fighting batons, takes the name Kick-Ass and promptly tries to fight crime. His initial foray nearly kills him but he becomes better at super-heroics as the movie goes along. Well, he gets a lot of help from a father and daughter team named Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (a sensational Chloe Moretz). This duo will remind you of Batman and Robin. Except for that they kill the bad guys, graphically. Hit Girl is just a whirlwind dynamo, proficient in martial arts and firearms. Did I mention she is only 11 years old. Anyway, these heroes stir up trouble for the local bad guy Frank D'Amico (played by Mark Strong), whose own son (Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse) takes on the identity of another hero called Red Mist, who tries to form a friendship with Kick-Ass.

This is one of the most fun movies I have seen in a while. But don't let the costumes fool you, this ain't no kiddie movie. The violence is graphic and brutal. Big Daddy and Hit Girl don't play around. And while the movie centers on Dave's exploits and his repeated attempts at trying to woo fellow class-mate Katie, the movie gets it's biggest kick whenever Hit Girl is onscreen. The fight scenes are incredible and the stunt work amazing. There is also a lot of humor, but this is no spoof. Things get deadly serious when the bad guys strike back at our heroes. And then you realize, these guys don't have any powers and they could die at any moment. Kick-Ass is an awesome movie. Just let me say that after only one viewing, it ranks pretty high on my favorite comic book movies list. Probably in the top 5, definitely top 10.The cast is top notch and the music score is thrilling and rivals Batman, Superman and Spider-Man in that department. I look forward to a sequel. It's rare when you can say that about a movie nowadays.
B+

Kick-Ass (2010, rated R) Stars Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Yancy Butler, Clark Duke.

31 Days of Horror - Day 30 (THE DESCENT)

I thought The Descent was a pretty good film. It won't be to everyone's tastes though. Part women bonding film, part horror film. The second half of the film is more action packed and bloodier but the first half is just as good setting the mood of the film perfectly. Plus it has a little humor. Two of the women stand out from the rest: Natalie Mendoza and Shauna MacDonald. A must see for anyone looking for some thrills mixed with a good storyline.


(2005) Stars Shauna MacDonald, Natalie Mendoza, Nora Jane Noone, Alex Reid. Directed by Neil Marshall.

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Beth:"I'm an English teacher, not fucking Tomb Raider".

31 Days of Horror - Day 26 (SCREAM)

Wes Craven 1996's horror film Scream is a wonderful homage to all the slasher flicks before it. Written by Kevin Williamson of Dawson's Creek fame with an ironic twist and respect for older horror films, most notably Halloween, Psycho, and Friday the 13th. Set in a small sleepy town in California, Scream begins with a hell of a 10 minute opening sequence which has a young girl home alone (wonderfully played by Drew Barrymore) who is being harassed by a twisted phone caller. Things get really scary when said caller shows up at her house. From that beginning, Scream continues with a steady pace of thrills and scares and humor. Our heroine of the film is Sidney (a fresh faced Neve Campbell) who is dealing with the 1 year anniversary of her mom's murder. She manages to survive a first encounter with the killer, who manages to hack up everyone else in sight. What makes Scream works for me is the self aware attitude most of the characters have especially Sidney and one her friends, video geek Randy (played with relish by Jamie Kennedy). There is plenty of gore and blood to be found in this film but it is balanced with well timed humor and much respect for previous horror movies. The supporting cast is top notch especially Courtney Cox (playing news reporter Gail Weathers) She looks fantastic and her character will no way remind you of Monica from Friends. Gail is a different kind of animal. Her future husband David Arquette is inept deputy Dewey, and Arquette nails his performance perfectly. Rose McGowan is a hoot as Sidney's hot-to-trot friend Tatum. Henry Winkler is actually pretty good as the principal. Skeet Ulrich is kinda creepy as Sidney's boyfriend. But it's Neve Campbell who rocks the most as Sidney. She goes from bereaving daughter to stand up woman who holds her own against the killer. Scream was a surprise smash when it hit theaters in December 1996. I remembering the audience being totally jacked up for it too. A worthy sequel followed one year later that was nearly as good as this one. Less said about the third chapter the better, even though it did have its moments. But Scream is a perfect way to wind down the Halloween season. If you have never seen it I suggest checking out the whole trilogy just to be complete. And Scream 4 is due out April 2011. I've seen the trailer and it looks awesome. Can't wait.

(1996) Stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber.
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Phone Voice: Do you like scary movies?
Sidney Prescott: What's the point they're all the same, some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door, it's insulting.

Awesome Movie Weapons - M41 Pulse Rifle (Aliens)

Probably one of my most favorite movie weapons is the M41 Pulse Rifle used by the Colonial Marines in James Cameron sci-fi epic Aliens. The pulse rifles were created from a Thompson SMG, with an attached forend of a Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun and a Remington 12 Gauge Model 870P receiver with barrel. It's an awesome weapon and yet to be surpassed in terms of use on film. It sounds and looks cool. And gets a lot of screen time. The M41 Pulse rifle is THE weapon. Check out the trailer for some of it's cool usage.