Move Over 2010; 2011 Films Are Outta This World

After days of trying to rack my brain to come up with the top movies I’ve seen in 2010 I came to a very important conclusion; 2010 sucked. I could come up with maybe five films I thought deserved to be on the list, but this was leaving out recent films I hadn’t seen yet like Black Swan, The Fighter, and True Grit. So rather than focus on the past I’m looking to the future. With 24 hours left till the new year here are twelve films I’m looking forward to seeing in the next twelve months.

12) A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (T.B.D.)

I’m not sure what is going on with this film. I know Kal Penn quit the series House so he could go work for President Obama. If he has found a way to replay the lovable stoner along with John Cho I’m all for it. These films are stupid, let’s be honest. But sometimes it’s those stupid films that keep us entertained. And isn’t that what movies are made for? I smell a Christmas classic in the works.

11) The Company Men (January 21)

In this time of economic recession it’s nice to see that Hollywood isn’t shying away from bringing this problem into the lime light. The story is about three men; Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones, and how they are dealing with the corporate downsizing in America. It’s about their struggles, their efforts to keep their families together, and all things that will probably make you cry. But with three great actors leading the way I think this could be a good one.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPohmhNFwi4

10) Priest (May 13)

Based on a comic book series this film takes place in an apocalyptic future. There is an order of priest who has all but wiped out the vampire race. Just when they think the war is over a warrior priest, played by Paul Bettany, gets his niece kidnapped and must save her from a new breed of the undead.

This movie looks like it’s going to have some kick-ass fights, and I love movies where they show vampires like they should be, blood thirsty monsters who can rip people apart. Vampires don’t complain about being in love or sparkle. What a bunch of pansies.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmlo6MyhDXw

9) The Hangover 2 (May 26)

Not much is known about the story surrounding this sequel to the 2009 comedy. Mel Gibson was supposed to be in it but got kicked off. Former president Bill Clinton makes an appearance I’m told, and the entire cast is returning. As long as Todd Phillips is still directing you can be sure I’ll be ready for another night of drunken debauchery.

8) Fright Night (August 19)

A remake of the 1985 classic, Charlie is your typical teenage boy who just wants his girlfriend to give it up already. But Charlie has other problems to worry about. His next door neighbor is a vampire, he is killing people, and nobody believes him. Soon the blood sucker turns his eyes on Charlie’s girlfriend, and he’s looking to do more than pop her cherry before Charlie.
It doesn’t get any better than vampire or monster films in the 1980’s. The vampire would seduce his victim and then bite them in bed. It’s like dinner and a snack. Colin Farrell is playing the sleek vampire, and Terminator: Salvation’s Anton Yelchin is playing young Charlie. The casting and nostalgia alone is enough to get me to see this film.

7) Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)

It’s not that I don’t think Chris Evans, a.k.a The Human Torch, will do a bad job playing Steve Rogers but I don’t think he’s the best choice. Rogers was just a skinny kid from Brooklyn during World War II until he volunteered for an experiment that turned into in the ultimate soldier and symbol of hope.

This is of course part of Marvel’s cinema world, in which it all comes together with The Avengers next summer. Hugo Weaving is a great choice to play Cap’s nemesis, and Nazi bad guy, The Red Skull. The pictures I’ve seen look good, and I love Captain America. I think I’ll hold my complete judgment on Evans until I seen a trailer.

6) Green Lantern (June 17)

Unfortunately for Mr. Reynolds I’ve seen the trailer for his film and my suspicions may be right. Ryan Reynolds is a funny guy, but no Hal Jordan. In the film Hal accepts a ring of power from a dying alien. He then joins an intergalactic space police that fights off evil in the galaxy.

I’ve been a big Green Lantern fan for years now, and the writer who made the comic so enjoyable, Geoff Johns was always on set for this film. This gives me hope, but the trailer does not. Sure the effects look cool, I think Mark Strong is perfect for Sinestro, but to rest the film on the shoulders of a guy who is known for only his comedic roles and a TV teen soap actress does not give me hope. DC is hoping to compete with Marvel in Hollywood so let’s hope this film doesn’t suck.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_axLoYlwwmU

5) X-Men: First Class (June 3)

I have always collected X-Men comics so I take their interpretations to film pretty serious. Byran Singer did an ok job, Brett Ratner needs to be shot for what he did, and I have no grudge against Gavin Hood for the Wolverine movie. Matthew Vaughn is just coming from bringing the hit comic book Kick-Ass to film, and I’d say he gives me hope for this film.

James McAvoy plays a young Charles Xavier, and along with his friend Erik Lehnsherr they are going to show the world that mutants are nothing to be feared. Along the way some stuff goes down and Erik turns into the terrorist known as Magneto. Meanwhile Xavier starts his school for gifted youngsters. Cameos include Kevin Bacon, January Jones, and Oliver Platt. Ok Fox, you got two strikes on you. Don’t make it a third. Hell hath no fury like a fanboy scorned!

4) Cowboys and Aliens (July 29)

Jon Favreau did a great job bringing Iron Man to the big screen and now Favreau has moved on to something even bigger; getting James Bond and Han Solo is the same film. Daniel Craig is a man who wakes up in the desert with no memory of who he is except that Olivia Wilde has the hots for him and Harrison Ford wants him dead. In comes the aliens to kill them and you’ve got one crazy film.

Favreau is mixing the western and sci-fi genres together for what looks like a real treat. This is great cast with a great director so I can’t wait to see what comes out of it.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7KZD5vGBY

3) Sucker Punch (March 25)

300 and future Superman director Zach Snyder takes us into a very disturbing place; the mind of a teenage girl. Baby Doll is put into an insane asylum by her step father. She soon escapes into a world inside of her head and envisions a way of getting out. Only in her mind it looks way cooler.

Snyder has always had a very stylistic way of making a film and this one looks no different. The trailer leaves you wondering not only just what the hell is going on, but out of all these young girls if a boob is bound to pop out. With a film full of hot girls kicking ass you can be sure I’ll be there along with every other heterosexual male in America, and maybe even a few gays.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrIiYSdEe4E

2) Thor (May 6)

If you would have asked me which film I would be more excited for, Thor or Green Lantern, I would have chosen the emerald warrior no doubt. But after getting a glimpse of their trailers I’m more excited to see a film that is based on a comic book I have never seemed to get into.

Thor is the god of thunder and protector of Asgrad, but when his father, played by Anthony Hopkins, banishes him to Earth he’ll have to find a way not only back into his kindgdom, but to defeat his evil step-brother Loki, the god of mischief. Natalie Portman is our hero’s love interest in this film and our hero is Captain Kirk’s dad, Chris Hemsworth. After watching the trailer my interest is peaked. "You called down the thunder well now you got it."

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15)

One day my wife and I made a deal. She would read a stack of graphic novels and I would read the Harry Potter book series. In the end she enjoyed Joss Whedon’s run of Astonishing X-Men and I couldn’t wait for the seventh Harry Potter film to come out; damn it. In this final film it’s the showdown at Hogwarts with Harry and his friends against Voldermort and all that is evil. Harry, Ron, and Hermoine must find and destroy the remaining horcruxes if they have any chance of getting rid of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Since the first part of this book has mainly been put into the previous film is seems that almost all that is left is the big battle at Hogwarts. I won’t spoil anything for you except to say if you cried at the end of part one you’d better bring some tissues because not everyone makes it out of the wizarding school alive. Alright, I want a nice, bloody, dirty, emotional wrenching, fight just like in the book. Now let’s get it on!

Tron: Legacy, Visually Stunning / Plot Lacking

Great sci-fi, like wine, only gets better with age. When Tron was released in 1982 it was a financial disaster. However as the years went by it started to grow on people, and now has a big enough cult following to sell out a sequel for an entire weekend at theaters all across the country.

Sam Flynn is a rebellious young man who refuses to take control of his father’s billion dollar video game company. It may be because he’s too busy pulling pranks on the board of directors, or having a huge chip on his shoulder from when his dad disappeared on him as a boy. His dad’s partner sends Sam to an old arcade where Sam is soon transported to a world he never imagined known as The Grid.

 The Grid is ruled by carbon copy of Sam’s father known as Clu, both played by Jeff Bridges. Sam must play the games and survive if he has any chance of finding his father. Along the way Sam gets help from a mysterious girl known as Quorra, played by Olivia Wilde. Quorra helps Sam find his father, who has been trapped in The Grid for decades, or thousands of cycles in computer time. The three must then find a way to stop Clu from taking his army of technological foot soldiers into the real world and bringing his idea of order to the masses. You know, I just realized a lot of good sci-fi stories are tales of boys with daddy issues. I find that peculiar.

 My decision to wait and see this film for the first time in IMAX 3-D was well worth it. Like Avatar, I couldn’t possibly get the same experience from watching it in a regular theater. The film didn’t switch to 3-D mode till Sam entered The Grid, which I found very proper. From there the light cycle battles and air combat action scenes where some of the best I’ve seen on screen. Rookie director Joseph Kosinski definitely knew what it took to wow fans that have waited over 20 years for a Tron sequel.

The bad thing, however, about waiting for a film for over 20 years is that it’ll never live up to your expectations. Tron: Legacy is a film with a simple story and characters that are unfortunately not fleshed out enough. Garrett Hedlund does a good job of playing Sam, especially in the more emotional scenes. But I felt like a few more sarcastic comments would have served the character better, and gotten the audience to care about him more. Also, as a user, Sam should have seemed more powerful in The Grid. In Tron, Kevin Flynn had the ability to make things, like a bridge to help him and his allies escape. In this film Sam just seemed no different than the programs?

The special effects crew not only did a great job of creating the virtual world, but also creating a Jeff Bridges that looked like he was still in his twenties. The close-ups even looked great, and if you think they didn’t, just chalk it up to the idea that he’s a computer clone so he’s supposed to look a little digital. The two best performances in this film I think where by Olivia Wilde as the doe-eyed Quorra, and Michael Sheen playing an underground gangster type who is a little nutty, but entertaining.

My question to whether the actual Tron character was going to be in this film was answered, but he was only on screen for nano-seconds, and not done properly. Cillian Murphy seemed to play the role of Sam’s rival in the real world, but also had less screen time than Natalie Portman in Episode III, which gave us no time to see what their possibly relationship is like. I also expected to find more actors in The Grid that where in the real world, like in Tron, but that was not the case.

 A special treat for Tron fans was that most of the film’s score sounded a lot like that of the original Tron, only an updated versions of it. Which was something the resonated in every aspect of the film. Plus the bad-ass music that was heard in the trailer actually was in the film, which rarely happens in cinema.

Through all its faults I did find this an entertaining film that is worth seeing. I think I may have to see it again, not necessarily in IMAX, but in a regular theater, just to process the story more. My belief is that all the little things they skipped in this film, like Murphy’s character and the fate of Tron, will actually be played out in another sequel, but left the story in this film a little less complete. Then again, maybe we just expect more from our movies than we did 20 years ago.

RATING:  B

Merry X-Mas

Back in the 90’s there was a group of individuals who dominated everything from video games to Saturday morning cartoons. The X-Men are the children of Stan “The Man” Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Marvel’s mighty mutants have been through everything from series cancellations, movies that never got off the ground, and movies that didn’t even look like the X-Men. God I hate Brett Ratner.

In 1991, with the help of Jim Lee’s 'cool as ice' comic run, the X-Men were everywhere.  Later, Spider-Man took center stage in the Marvel Universe, but now is the time for X-Men fans to step back into the light. Here are several reasons I’ll be celebrating X-Mas this year.

Games

X-Men the Arcade Game

The 1992 arcade smash hit is back, but you don’t have to keep paying 25 cents every 15 minutes to play. For ten bucks you can bring the childhood joy to your Xbox or PS3. Sure the game isn’t much compared to the graphics of today’s video games, but you can switch difficulty levels and team up with other mutants through online playing and defeat Magneto as part of a team. The only problem is when you fight with people on the other side of the world you tend to not work well together. In any event, it’s awesome.

X-Men Destiny

Not much is known about the upcoming game from Activision.  I’ve only seen brief teasers for it, but from what I understand you may able to become your own mutant, choose a side, and go crazy in a world full of X-Men and Sentinels. Here is a link to the website and trailer:

http://www.herohq.com/xmendestiny

Movies

X-Men: First Class

I haven’t been a big enthusiast of X-Men movies since X3 ruined the Fox franchise for me. God I hate Brett Ratner. I have small hopes for this film. However Snatch and Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn is helming this project so that raises my hopes a little. Next is the casting of James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier, Kevin Bacon as Hellfire Club leader Sebastian Shaw, and January Jones as Cyclop’s future lover, and one day Head Mistress of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Emma Frost. Also, Chuck creator Josh Schwartz and former X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer helped write the script. I’m trying not to get excited but with a crew like that I can’t help but dream.

The Wolverine

The sequel to the 2009 film and X-Men spin-off, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is set to start shooting in April. Hugh Jackman is already hitting the gym to buff back up for the role as the man who is the best at what he does, but what he does isn’t very nice. This film is set to look at Logan’s samurai past and his time in Japan. Darren Aronofsky is directing this film after just coming out with the Golden Globe nominated film, Black Swan. Aronofsky also directed The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke and the sci-fi classic Robocop. I’m always a little biased on anything X-Men because I’ve been a fan since I was a kid, so we’ll see how a Wolverine movie holds up without Ryan Reynolds jokes.

Comics

Ultimate X

It's been months since the last issue as come out but writer Jeph Loeb is finally continuing his tale of X-Men 2000.  After the events in Ultimatum all mutants are considered outlaws so the surviving X-Men go into hiding.  Jean Grey dyes her hair black and changes her name.  But she is soon found by Wolverine's son and they begin collecting astranged mutants.  That's pretty much the last thing readers know.  I'm a big fan of Loeb so I'm curious to see where he'll take the heroes who have sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them.

Age of X

Over ten years ago Marvel gave us The Age of Apocalypse. This was an alternate reality where Charles Xavier never lived to form the X-Men and his best friend Magneto fought the good fight against the villain Apocalypse in a dystopian future. Now Marvel seems to be bringing that back, sort of.

The Age of X begins in January and is set to be a world where Xavier never formed the X-Men. I’m not sure how this is different from The Age of Apocalypse, but I love alternate reality storylines. In this world Jean is also still alive as the Phoenix and she has destroyed all of Albany, New York, Oops.

End of the Heroic Age

This year has been a good one for the X-Men.  Captain America himself got the team recognized by the president as heroes, and a new Hope has come for the dwindling mutant race.  But I’m going to leave you with a promo image I found yesterday online. This is one of several that suggest the Heroic Age may be ending sooner than expected. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to put on my ruby red sunglasses, get in my car with an Xavier school parking pass attached to the dash, and go to the comic book store. Merry X-Mas everyone! 

'The Dawn Treader' Sails As The Family Film This Holiday

There is a voyage we all must take in life. One that by the end we come out different, no longer a child, but an adult, and ready face the world as a strong individual. Of course for most of this it is a journey inward, but for the Pevensie children their metamorphosis occurs in a magical land called Narnia.

In the third installment of the Narnia series the youngest Pevensie children, Lucy and Edward, are stuck in Britain with their annoying cousin Eustace while their older siblings are in America. Edward, Lucy, and Eustace are soon swept away to the land of Narnia, where they meet up with Caspian. When we last saw Caspian he was a prince on the run, but now he is a king looking for his father’s old friends. Returning beside Caspian is the heroic rat Reepicheep, who was voiced by Eddie Izzard in the last film, but now by Simon Pegg. The young heroes must set sail on Caspian’s ship, The Dawn Treader, to stop an evil that is corrupting Narnia. This green misty menace brings out the worst in people, looking inside of you and playing on your fears and desires. Only when seven swords are laid on Aslan’s table will this great evil be destroyed forever.

This movie was about change, both on film and off. When Prince Caspian was dubbed a failure Disney bailed on making the next book in the beloved series, but 20th Century Fox was more than happy to take those reins. Next, the substitution from Izzard to Pegg as Reepicheep was awkward at first, but Pegg was more than capable of taking over. Finally, director Michael Apted took the chair from Andrew Adamson, who had directed the first two films. Apted is more known for directing television and documentaries, but I think he did a good job with this high budget, high adventure film.

In this film Lucy and Edward are both on the verge of becoming adults, which centered the film around the green mist manipulating the confused adolescents. Edward desire to become a man, and Lucy’s insecurity about not feeling as pretty as her sister drives them both to the edge. The acting in this film is par, but nothing special. However it had been a while since I read this book so I forgot where the character of Eustace went, and his relationship with Reepicheep. To me it was the most enjoyable part of the film. Most of which I will give credit to Simon Pegg and the young actor Will Poulter. I did enjoy Ben Barnes portrayal as Caspian better in this film, maybe because he dropped that silly Spanish accent.

 The 3-D experience didn’t add much to the film except when it came to the green mist slithering around the characters, whispering in their ears. But the films special effects are solid, especially the dragon. The Narnia series is also heavy into being a metaphor as Christian mythology. This really isn’t obvious until the end of the film. It was just an enjoyable, holiday, family, adventure, film.

 This film is way better than Prince Caspian, but I’d have to watch The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe again to see which one is better. Although being how this film takes place mainly on a ship at sea I did get a Pirate of the Caribbean vibe most of the time. If you’re a critic who doesn’t know how to enjoy a non-award nominee, family film, then stay away. I hope this film does well so that I we can see if Fox does The Silver Chair next or just goes straight to the Narnian apocalypse known as The Last Battle.

Rating:  B-

'Young Justice' Brings New Blood To Cartoon Network

As a kid who grew up reading comic books I couldn’t help but get caught up in the lives of sidekicks. Robin, Impulse, and Superboy was the trio of young heroes that went from forming the Young Justice to the new Teen Titans. Now Cartoon Network has peeked into my grown up Christmas list with the premiere of their new show, Young Justice.

Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad are finally going to be allowed in the Hall of Justice, the headquarters of the Justice League. But when they’re told to stay behind while the JLA goes on a mission they do what most teenagers do; they get bored and go find trouble. The boys stumble onto Cadmus Labs, a genetics corporation with secret benefactors and a secret project to clone Superman. The young Superboy is awakened from his sleep, but once freed is he going to be friend or foe to the young heroes?

The series doesn’t begin until January, but if this 1-hour movie is any indication of how the series will do then I am on board for this adventure. Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Superboy all have different personalities which makes them fun to watch, and function well as a team. I especially love the way they’ve spiced up Aqualad. He’s isn’t the original white boy with blue hair like in the comics, but a dark skinned young man who can go toe-to-toe with the boy of steel and make any weapon using water. Robin is a little more childish than I think he should be, but of course Kid Flash is right on the money.

In this series its seem that they are using Tim Drake and Wally West as Robin and Kid Flash instead of Tim Drake and Bart Allen in the comic books. But I’ll put my continuity issues aside just being happy to see a show like this air. By the end of this special the boys even get their first girl teammate; Miss Martian.

The juiciest part of their series is the voice casting. Not only are there actors who have done lots of voices on lots of well known shows, but also a lot of known actors. Bruce Greenwood is Batman, Alan Tudyk is Green Arrow, Jesse McCarthy as Robin, Rob Lowe as Captain Marvel, and Winnie Cooper herself; Danica McKellar as Miss Martian. I wonder if they can get Fred Savage to provide a guest voice?

Anyway, this series is off to a great start, and I look forward to seeing whether the creators integrate comic story lines or make up their own? With the series starting off with the discovery of Superboy it’s only natural they sometime reveal that he is not only a clone of Superman, but Lex Luthor as well. I know a new Speedy will be joining their ranks soon, but please let’s keep the Teen Titan characters away from this. They had their own cartoon and I couldn’t stand watching five minutes of it. Besides, this is something different. Young Justice is something a little more sophisticated and mature for kids hoping to see Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I would recommend this show to young teens, and definitely not kids under 11-years-old.

I have give props to the DC animation projects, who have always found a way to keep their loyal fans interested in what they’re doing while also trying to attract newer and younger audiences to their characters. This series isn’t going to be about legendary heroes everyone knows, but the kids standing in their shadows. I think this show about teenage heroes is going be just like adolescence; complicated, fun, and enough drama to keep everyone watching.

Deathly Hallows is Deathly Boring Unless You're A Fan

The few times I’ve seen a Harry Potter film in theaters I was dragged there by girls who where huge fans. But as the months building up to this day was getting closer I found myself getting excited. Perhaps it is because now I am considered a Harry Potter. After years of Lisa bugging me I finally got around to reading the book series, and then I could no longer tease her because I actually enjoyed the novels. The final book is over 750 pages, so when I heard it was going to broken into two films I figured it was for the best. However I also knew the first film was going to hardly entertaining for normal theater goers.

In the last film, The Half Blood Prince, we saw the death of Harry’s mentor and Hogwarts school headmaster, Dumbledore. But Dumbledore gave Harry a final mission before his demise. Harry must find the horcruxes that the evil Voldermort had broken pieces of his soul into, and destroy them. It is the only way to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once and for all.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron are about to embark on their quest to find and destroy the horcruxes. But before hand they must take care of their families, get Harry to a safe place, and then attend a wedding. Once on the run they encounter Death Eaters at every turn.  They also have no idea where the horcruxes are, or how to destroy them.  This frustration begins to boil over on the three’s friendship. Little does Harry know that Voldermort is also on his own quest. He’s looking for three magical items that will make him invincible. Let me just say that this film ends on a worse note than The Empire Strikes Back.

I tried judge this film as a sequel to another film, and not as a film based on a book. Sure they left out quite a few little things, but the overall story prevailed. However, this film is not the action packed battle people have been waiting for. Instead it’s the character driven set-up for part 2 coming out in July.

 There is a lot of short action sequence, but nothing that really considered a battle. The film is mainly a lot of explaining and talking, one of which is the story of the Deathly Hallows. The short animated presentation was nice, but I did found it odd that Death looked like General Grevious from Star Wars. Another freakish and odd moment included Ron trying to destroy a horcrux and a very scandalous image of Harry and Hermione in their birthday suits.

In his third Harry Potter film, director David Yates has a perfect grasp on this world, but this film really shows how far the three young actors craft has come in their decade of playing these characters. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint’s have come a long way since the little kids in The Sorcerer’s Stone, and this film shows they have talents beyond J.K Rowling’s characters. If you’ve followed these films from the beginning or grown up with Harry Potter I think you’ll enjoy this film. Just don’t go to a late show, or with anyone who doesn’t enjoy a great story with little action.

Rating:  B

Comic To Read This Week: Superman #705

I feel like I’m one of the few people who read Superman comic books on a reuglar basis and hasn’t read Superman: Earth One yet. I should get it from backorder at Borders any day now, but I curse my budgetary restraints for making me wait for a coupon to buy it. I haven’t even read the graphic novel but I already hear that J. Michael Straczynski is quitting writing Superman so that he can work on a sequel to Earth One. This disappoints me not only because I have yet to read Superman: Earth One, but that I’ve been digging Straczynski’s run on Superman.

For over year The Man of Steel was off planet on new Krypton trying to learn about his people and detour a war between Earth and New Krypton. But of course the war came and went with little real causalities. So how does DC follow such a massive event? With Superman walking through America Forrest Gump style. Superman wishes to return to his roots, and remember why he has dedicated his life to helping people. There was an actual contest where people could write in and say why Superman should visit their town in a comic book.

So he’s been walking from town to town in each issue, some people happy to see him, others not so happy. In one town the people told him to leave because he was a super villain magnet and they didn’t want their town destroyed when they came looking for him. In Superman #705 Clark arrives in a town I used to bum around, Mt. Prospect, IL. It’s just outside of Chicago and there a little boy waits to Superman to solve all his problems. William's dad sometimes gets violent and likes to hit him and his mom, and this boy hopes Superman can help them. But before William can meet his idol his dad has another outburst and throws him down the cellar stairs. Luckily The Last Son of Krypton has super hearing. To find out how it ends pick up Superman #705.

I like this storyline of Superman because it’s not a usual Superman storyline, but it’s everything Superman stands for. Superman has feeling, emotions, fears, etc. This walk is about re-centering himself with the people he tries to help. Superman cares about everyone, from the world leaders to an abused boy in Illinois. No job is too big or small.

I think Straczynski has captured not only Clark’s inner turmoil but Lois’s as well as she follows him across the country. She sees the suburban housewives she didn’t become, and questions if the world’s most powerful man actually needs her. Eddy Barrows art is simple, nothing to great, but I think it works well for this close-to-home story arc.

I think I will miss Straczynski’s Superman writing, but this also makes me hopeful to read Superman: Earth One, now that I know he has a good grasp on the character. In about 3 months I highly recommend this graphic novel set to anyone who is a Superman fan but doesn’t collect the comics. This story reminds us it’s not the “Super” part this is important in Clark Kent. It’s the “Man.”

Season 3 of Californication Goes To School, But Still Learns Nothing

In college I found most of my professors extremely boring. There were few that were passionate about their field to get the other students excited. When I wasn’t browsing the internet for movie trivia in class I was probably dosing off. Of course I might have paid attention more to the teacher if they were the ones falling asleep in class. And I sure would have payed more attention to my teachers if they were more like Hank Moody.

In its junior year the show about a cynical book writer and his messed up life entered a new era. Hank Moody no longer was just complacent with corrupting one young mind, he sets out to do it to an entire college campus. Hank’s on again-off again girlfriend Karen is in New York and has left their teenage daughter Becca in his care. Through a series of events Hank ends up teaching at the local college. Soon Hank is not only dating his part-time stripper student and his T.A., but he is also satisfying the wife of the dean of the college. Of course none of them are as troublesome to Hank this season than when his teenage daughter begins experimenting with drugs and her sexuality.

Meanwhile Hank’s best friend and agent Charlie has his own femal issues. His boss, played by Kathleen Turner, is trying to get him into bed, and he can't seem to get his soon to be ex-wife back in bed because she’s too busy seeing other guys, most notably 80’s rock star Rick Springfield. Evan Handler performance always make me feel sorry for the little bald man.

This season saw plenty of great acting talents come through the Showtime’s series like Peter Gallagher as the dean of the college, and Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick as one of Hank’s gay students who has a crush on him. Of course to me Kathleen Turner’s performance was the best. Her portrayal as Charlie’s arrogant and horny boss was perhaps one of her best roles in years.  She was defintely a fresh character in these already repetitive storylines.

 In season 2 we saw a lot of the characters go off the deep end, and although this season saw them a little more sane they were all just ready to screw any person they could to the point of pure ridiculous. David Duchovny is perfect as a man so smug and cynical he has no problem pissing people off, and having us love him for it. But after three seasons of Hank and Karen practicing their “free love” lifestyle I feel like it’s time for them to get it together. And not just them, but Charlie and his wife Marcy as well. I saw nothing new this season that challenged the characters or took them to a place of growth, aside from Becca, played by Madeleine Martin.

At the end of the season Hank sees the light, which is one of several already in this series, but it may be too late for him. The season didn’t end how I expected, but you can see it coming as soon as you start watching the last episode. I look forward to seeing how Hank is going to get out of this mess, but if this just means the same schemes on how he can win Karen back I prefer just to see him go fornicate with other women and be as ass.  Maybe I'll just switch over to watching The Tudors.

Season Rating:  C

LADIES: Win A Date With Bruce Wayne!

Yesterday I arrived at home to see that the internet had been buzzing with Batman news. It seems that director Christopher Nolan has been on the hunt for two female actors to be in his next Batman sequel, The Dark Knight Rises. The luckily ladies will play opposite Christian Bale, supposedly one as a love interest, and the other a villain. Possible names of actresses have been swirling for over 24-hours now. But I see no point in looking at actresses until we know the villains or characters. Several femme fe' tales that have been rumored like Catwoman, Talia Al Ghul, and Poison Ivy. While I feel the first two would be a decent fit I also feel that a woman who controls plants is a little farfetched for Nolan’s realistic franchise. The Riddler has already been ruled out as villian so after minimal thinking here are villains I’m rooting for to be in The Dark Knight Rises.

3) Catwoman

Maybe it’s because I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance so much in Batman Returns that I can’t think of anyone who can play Selina Kyle better. Catwoman was a sexual fantasy before I even knew what was sex was. In the comic books Batman and Catwoman have had a torrid romace for decades that has more issues than Buffy and Angel. Selina’s idealism makes her believe she is doing good by stealing from the rich and using the money for good, but not in Batman’s eyes. There is no grey area with The Dark Knight and although he admires Catwoman’s intentions he can’t allow to hurt people in the process. But why does she have to look so irresistible while committing a crime?

Catwoman would be a great villain for the next Batman film mainly because of the morality story. Bruce Wayne has just lost the love of his live, Rachel Dawes, but now is attracted to this woman who he also wants to put behind bars. That can lead to a lot of mixed emotions and character development. While I in no way believe Angelina Jolie should be even considered for this role I do think we need an actress who is little bit of a bitch, and can seduce men just with a suggestive look, but to whom that actress will be is beyond me.

2) Ra’s Al Ghul

Yes we saw Liam Neeson’s character go down with the train in Batman Begins, but any true Batman fan knows Ra’s Al Ghul doesn’t die so easily. In the comics Ra’s has lived for hundreds of years with the help of The Lazarus Pit, a bubbling fountain of youth. Every once a while Ra’s much bathe in the pit to stay somewhat young. Though the side effects are moments of brief insanity after being submerged from the pit I’d say Ra’s plans for world destruction means the insanity last a little longer. Plus I would love to see Liam Neeson come back and expand on this great character we've only scratched the surface of.

Ra’s Al Ghul has had many children, but they’ve all been daughters. He believes it is a curse of The Lazarus Pit, but when he finds Bruce Wayne he sees the son he never had. Bruce is a man Ra’s finds worthy to carry on his work and lead The League of Assassins. His defeat of Ra’s in Batman Begins would only strengthen his belief that Bruce is the one man worthy to succeed him. And his daughter Talia Al Ghul, is madly in love with Batman, and he hopes that the two would rule The League of Assassins together. Of course Bruce refuses both, even though he is somewhat attracted to Talia. Of course that attraction leads to a whole new story I don’t think the general audience is ready for yet.

1)The Ventriloquist

Arnold Wesker developed a multiple personality disorder when his parents were murdered by the mob. Now as an adult he runs the mob through a 1920’s gangster puppet on his hand called Scarface. Wesker seems like the meek and timid one, and let’s Scarface do all the bad things he’s not capable of doing himself.

Before Batman Begins hardly anyone outside of Batman fans had heard of Ra’s Al Ghul or Scarecrow. So let’s leave the villains that have already been done by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher alone and show the world something new. The Ventriloquist is a great villain for Nolan’s world of Batman. He doesn’t control plants or have a freeze ray, he is just mentally ill. The plays on psycho analysis would be fun to explore. Bring in the dummy!

Casting Call: Batman Beyond

A few weeks ago the title of the third Batman film by director Chrsitopher Nolan was announced. The Dark Knight Rises will be the third film in which Christian Bale will play The Caped Crusader, but what about after? Bale is only signed on for three films, and I'm sure he doesn't want play Batman the rest of his career. No matter what you can be sure Warner Bros. will not stop with three films in such a successful franchise. Instead of continuing to bleed Batman until the story sucks and the director is just in it for the paycheck I suggest something after The Dark Knight Rises; Batman Beyond.

Based on the WB cartoon series, and soon to be ongoing DC comic, Batman Beyond takes place in a future where Bruce Wayne is old and has given up being Batman. But when a young teenager named Terry McGinnis looks to gain revenge on the people who killed his father Bruce allows him to dawn the cowl and an unlikely partnership/friendship begins. Terry is young and cocky, with a personality and wit make him seem more like Spider-Man. Of course Spider-Man didn’t have a billionaire backer. I think it would be fun and entertaining for audiences, and this is the cast I think can pull it off:

Matt Long as Terry McGinnis:

Terry McGinnis is a slightly rebellious teenager with a witty remark for everything, and Matt Long is already part of The WB family with his role as Jack McCallister on the short lived Jack & Bobby TV series. Long has charm and presence that makes you root for him in whatever role he plays. He’s well past his teenage years, but still looks like he can play a 16-year-old.

Mel Gibson as Bruce Wayne:

Sure everyone thinks Mel is crazy now a days, and he looks like he’s been through a lot of crap, but that’s Bruce Wayne for you. Bruce has a chip on his shoulder and has been through a lot in his life. We all know Mel Gibson can act, and he definitely seems like he can play a grumpy-old-man. Just remember, before Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. was known for being a Hollywood junkie. Perhaps all Mel needs is a superhero role to bring him back into the light.

Mariska Hargitay as Commissioner Gordon:

Much like Bruce, the former Batgirl has spent most of her life fighting crime, whether it be in tights or taking over her father’s old job. Barbara Gordon is someone who Terry turns to when he’s looking to get the scoop on Bruce’s past, even though Gordon hardly ever tells. Hargitay has been playing a good cop for years on Law & Order: SVU. She has a voice that illuminates wisdom and experience. Sure they may have to add some grey hair and wrinkles, but that’s what make-up people are for.

Sarah Ramos as Dana Tan:

Dana is a great girlfriend. She’s kind and seems to forgive Terry every time he runs out on her to do his “job”. For that kind of character you need a young actress who oozes sweetness. Sarah Ramos has been playing the good girl on Parenthood for over a year now and she’s got it down to a T. Plus her and Matt Long I think would look good together.

Annette O’ Toole as Mary McGinnis:

To raise a superhero it takes an incredible woman and mom. Why not bring in someone who has been there and done that. O’Toole has played Superman’s mom for ten years on the set of Smallville. She has a warmth and mother quality that makes young men know everything will be alright. Yea mom!

Jae Head as Matthew McGinnis:

You might know him as the kid from Hancock and The Blind Side. Now he’d be the cute from Batman Beyond. Terry’s little brother can be a little annoying at times, but should still be cute enough to make the audience laugh when he picks on his brother. Watch Hancock and you’ll see what I mean.

James Spader as Derek Powers:

Derek Powers runs Wayne Industries and is also responsible for sending Mr. Fixx to kill Terry’s father. Meanwhile James Spader is known has the ultimate teen bad boy in the 80’s. As an actor he has matured but still can have a commanding/creepy presence. He’s so good at being bad I don’t think he should ever stop playing those roles.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mr. Fixx

This big, mean, man killed Terry’s father and does all of Derek Powers dirty work. He has to be a guy who is intimidating to Terry and to the audience. Bring in former wrestling star Dwayne Johnson. He’s got some decent acting jobs and we all know he can kick some butt. A little make-up and he would be terrifying.