Hey there everyone. Thank you lord it's the weekend. This week has been another killer, as I've been battleing a cold since last Friday and still kind of getting back into the swing of things following my trip back east. And work this week has just been killer. I've had a lot that I've been meaning to do after work in terms of errands and other stuff like writing. However, on three separate nights this week, I sat down, fired up my laptop, tried to work on my latest TV spec script, and found that my brain was completely fried from the workday. For someone trying to be creative, realizing that you're temporarily incapable of producing more than a sentance without wanting to collapse is not a particularly good feeling ... I guess this is why most people in the business development areas of entertainment don't also tend to be aspiring writers ...
Plus, I've been trying to plan for next week's invasion (by me and friends) of the San Diego Comic-Con. Coordinating this has been way more difficult than I originally anticipated, and has caused me a number of headaches in the last few weeks. All of my carefully-laid plans, from passes to accomodations, seem to unravel on a daily basis.
- Emmy Nomination Thoughts:
The Emmy noms this year were, to me, a very mixed bag. The comedy category seemed pretty decently represented by The Office and 30 Rock, and it was cool to see some nods for Extras as well. I'm just now watching Season 2 of Extras and it is predictably brilliant. It's so odd to me that it got Emmy noms for writing, etc, but not for Best Comedy Series, whereas 2 1/2 Men WAS nominated?!?! Umm ... okay. It is really nice to see so many deserving (and NBC!) actors nominated for Comedy though -- personally I feel like Rainn Wilson has GOT to be honored for his hilarious portrayal of Dwight on The Office. And now that I've been watching Extras ... Ricky Gervais is just amazing on that, as good as he was on The Office if not a lot more understated. Extras may not be widely known in the USA but it is leagues above something like 2 1/2 Men, that's for sure.
The same can be said for LOST. Lost may have been the best drama on the air this season, and yet no nomination? On the flipside, Heroes was a great new series but took a long time to find it's footing, and then delivered a fairly disapoointing finale. On the other hand, Lost built up more and more momentum as the season went on and ended with a finale that will go down as an all-time classic. Something here is off.
Meanwhile, all of the usual suspects continue to get snubbed. Gilmore Girls is of course nowhere to be seen on this list. As usual, no love for the late, great Veronica Mars. And I'll tell you something. People look at these noms and and wonder how these shows are continually snubbed. Well, it's not hard to see why - the voters here are no experts in good TV - they are just regular entertainment industry folks who watch all the same crap as everyone else. They watch whatever is trendy, cool, and on the mainstream's radar. They bailed on Gilmore long ago, stopped watching Lost when it stopped being the "it" show, jumped on the Heroes bandwagon when it was the cool thing to do, and never took the time to seek out cult hits like Veronica Mars. And yeah, there is no way these voters are going to ever think outside the box and look at the excellence of a show like King of the Hill or Prison Break. If a show isn't appealing to the 30 - 50 year old, upscale demo, which most of these voters fall into, they are not going to help nudge it into Emmy consideration. It sucks, but it's the truth - these voters are mostly NOT a group of cutting-edge TV afficianados, and the vanilla nature of the Emmy noms reflect that.
In any case, I expect The Sopranos to clean up ...
- Some quick comics talk:
- Thank you to Gail Simone for a memorable run as writer of BIRDS OF PREY, which wrapped up this week with an excellent finale to the current storyarc. I loved this final Gail-penned issue, which saw cameos by nearly every ancillary Bird from throughout the title's history, as Barbara Gordon had a climactic confrontation with her rival, the Spy Smasher. The highlight was easily an absolutely amazing 4-page spread drawn beautifully by artist Nicola Scott - a poster-ready piece if ever there was one. Over her run, Simone has brought action, adventure, and above all great characterization to the title, continuing to make Oracle, aka Babs Gordon, one of the most interesting characters in fiction, and elevating Black Canary and Huntress to true A-listers.
- Meanwhile though, DC is really faltering of late in some respects. COUNTDOWN has been very slow to pick up steam, and too many of its lead characters are really lacking in appeal. I can't bring myself to care about such a lame character as Karate Kid, and I am already sick to death of the Legion of Superheroes, who are now seemingly obligated to appear in nearly every DC title despite being very dated and confusing characters. Jason Todd is totally useless at this point and was better off dead, and Jimmy Olsen has really done nothing since Countdown began. DDC really needs to do something to kick this thing into overdrive before they have a total dud on their hands. On the other hand, Countdown almost looks like Watchmen compared to the crapfest that is AMAZONS ATTACK. I don't know what happened here, but it is a total trainwreck of an "event." I usually like Will Pfeifer's work but the plotting here is atrocious, with the latest ish, #4, having at least 4 or 5 moments that made no sense, numerous out-of-character moments, and a seeming disconnect from the rest of the DCU. This is just bad.
- Alright, I am outta here. Have a great weekend. Hopefully, next week I can pull it together and overcome my current weariness, as that brain-fry I alluded to earlier seems to be kicking in again, right about ... now.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A Final Word On Chris Benoit ...
More and more facts continue to come to light on this bizarre and shocking case, and yet even as new pieces of the puzzle are revealed, the tragedy of Chris Benoit only becomes increasingly confusing and difficult to process.
48 hours ago, if you told anyone that Chris Benoit had passed away, then the eulogies that would have poured out would have been much like the one I wrote last night. We'd all be mourning the loss of one of the all-time greats, a man who stood for honor and respect and compassion and was a role model and hero to many.
Right now, I simply have no idea how to reconcile the Chris Benoit that I've followed and been a fan of for over ten years with the Chris Benoit that has been portrayed in the media over the last 24 hours. Again, I cannot emphasize enough just how shocking this is, how by all accounts, fierce exterior to the contrary, Benoit was the LAST person that anyone would have ever pegged as being capable of murdering his own family. And now, how can anyone look at someone like him the same way? The man had to have been sick, demented, mentally ill. But this goes against so much of what we knew about him - all the testimonials that came in immediately after he was found dead, testimonials from close friends and colleagues, hailing Benoit not only as one of the best wrestlers ever to step inside a ring, but as a consummate pro, a family man, a man who people like Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero and Bret Hart considered like a brother. How could THAT man be THIS man whose face is now splashed across CNN and NBC and FOX?
And it couldn't be more ironic that Benoit was always defined as an underdog, always just one step away from grabbing the spotlight away from his flashier peers. Now, a guy who was NEVER about movie deals or record deals or anything other than the craft of wrestling finds himself front and center in the media, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.
And here I am, still talking about Benoit like he was "The Crippler," "The Rabid Wolverine." How can you suddenly hate and despise and crucify a man who you've looked up to for a decade? I know that's what I should be doing, but somehow I can't fully do it. Wrestling is a tricky beast, as it walks the line between reality and fantasy, and the distinctions are often blurred to the point where no one is quite sure what is real and what is just a part of the ongoing storyline. Of course, Benoit's death occurred just as the WWE was in the midst of a ludicrous "Who Killed Vince McMahon?" angle that was in poor taste even before this incident, given the very real deaths that have put a black mark on the wrestling business in the last several years. However, to some extent it's easy to separate someone like Vince McMahon from his on-air "Mr. McMahon" persona (though even that is basically an extension of his real-life personality to some degree). But for as long as most American fans have known him, Chris Benoit has simply been Chris Benoit, someone who like a Ric Flair or Bret Hart essentially "lived his gimmick." And even beyond his ring persona, everything I've seen of Benoit up until now has only pointed to him being a decent, humble human being. In the "Hard Knocks" documentary, he comes off as soft-spoken, passionate about his profession, humbled to be carrying on the legacy of people like the Dynamite Kid. If the warning signs WERE there that Benoit had something like this in him, I don't think there was a single fan, and maybe not even a single one of his peers, who saw them.
Now, however, there is this horrible, ugly reality to deal with. Again, the Benoit fan in me refuses to beleive that this was a black and white case of cold-blooded murder. Benoit must have been mentally ill to the point where he literally had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps he was delusional. Maybe, in some sick twisted way, he imagined he was protecting his family from some unseen danger. Of course, there is no excuse, no jusification for this atrocity. But I'm not going to be one of those people who screams and yells and hopes that Benoit is burning in hell for what he did. The man was sick, there was something off, and it's clear that whatever moment of psychosis that overcame Benoit, when it passed, he had to have been so overwhelmed with the horror of what he had done that he couldn't stand to live with the knowledge of it. More than anything, this is jsut a terrible, terrible tragedy. A tragedy that took the life of an innocent kid. A tragedy that took the life of a trailblazing performer in her own right, Nancy Sullivan, and a tragedy that in one fell swooped virtually erased and negated the remarkable career of Chros Benoit, that may have killed millions of great memories and shattered the belief of all of us who looked up to the guy. How could this happen? How could Chris Benoit, of all people, be a murderer?
I will say this: I do not fault the WWE for airing a tribute special last night before the facts of the case were fully known. Personally, even if it looks crass in retrospect to air a tribute to a murderer, I for one am grateful that we were given one last moment, before all the horrific facts were brought to light, to remember the Chris Benoit that all of us knew, or thought we knew. Call it sheer denial, but it was nice to have that tribute, just as it was nice to write my own here on the blog, in that brief moment when I simply thought that we had lost a champion and a future Hall-of-Famer.
But I will also say this: this is yet another wake-up call for the WWE. They have active and retired wrestlers dropping left and right in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. It was only a week ago that Sherri Martel passed away. Over the last few years the list is long of those who went too early: Eddie Guerrero, Owen Hart, Ms. Elizabeth, Curt Henning, Davey Boy Smith, Rick Rude, Hawk, Ray Traylor, and the list goes on ... Too many of these deaths have been from substance abuse, be it alcohol, painkillers, or steroid abuse. This has got to end. There needs to be mandatory time off for these guys. There needs to be stricter drug-testing, better health-care, and mental health screenings. Someone like a Jesse Ventura or Schwarzenneger needs to step in ASAP and voice these concerns, and McMahon has got to act without hesitation. This is just ridiculous. And no, I am not saying that the Benoit incident had anything to do with substance abuse per se, but even so, these issues persist, and it's just remarkable that, if there was a serious, ongoing mental health issue, that it was never addressed before this.
In any case, this whole tragic incident honestly makes me feel sick to even think about. Last night and today it was constantly on my mind, and I was morbidly fascinated with this case, because all I could wonder, like so many others, was "why?" This is one of those true "Say It Ain't So, Joe!" moments. It's the equivalent of finding out that a Larry Bird or a Roger Clemens or a Wayne Gretzky was in fact a vicious killer. I just cannot wrap my head around it.
I stand by my earlier tribute, but only as applies to the Chris Benoit that I knew and was a longtime fan of before this incident. I realize now that I and my fellow fans likely had no idea who Chris Benoit really was, and after this, I'm not sure I want to.
- For now, this is my last word on the subject, and sorry to write so much on such a depressing topic. I actually do ahve some really cool and good stuff to share here, so stay tuned tommorow for a very welcome change of pace. - Danny
48 hours ago, if you told anyone that Chris Benoit had passed away, then the eulogies that would have poured out would have been much like the one I wrote last night. We'd all be mourning the loss of one of the all-time greats, a man who stood for honor and respect and compassion and was a role model and hero to many.
Right now, I simply have no idea how to reconcile the Chris Benoit that I've followed and been a fan of for over ten years with the Chris Benoit that has been portrayed in the media over the last 24 hours. Again, I cannot emphasize enough just how shocking this is, how by all accounts, fierce exterior to the contrary, Benoit was the LAST person that anyone would have ever pegged as being capable of murdering his own family. And now, how can anyone look at someone like him the same way? The man had to have been sick, demented, mentally ill. But this goes against so much of what we knew about him - all the testimonials that came in immediately after he was found dead, testimonials from close friends and colleagues, hailing Benoit not only as one of the best wrestlers ever to step inside a ring, but as a consummate pro, a family man, a man who people like Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero and Bret Hart considered like a brother. How could THAT man be THIS man whose face is now splashed across CNN and NBC and FOX?
And it couldn't be more ironic that Benoit was always defined as an underdog, always just one step away from grabbing the spotlight away from his flashier peers. Now, a guy who was NEVER about movie deals or record deals or anything other than the craft of wrestling finds himself front and center in the media, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.
And here I am, still talking about Benoit like he was "The Crippler," "The Rabid Wolverine." How can you suddenly hate and despise and crucify a man who you've looked up to for a decade? I know that's what I should be doing, but somehow I can't fully do it. Wrestling is a tricky beast, as it walks the line between reality and fantasy, and the distinctions are often blurred to the point where no one is quite sure what is real and what is just a part of the ongoing storyline. Of course, Benoit's death occurred just as the WWE was in the midst of a ludicrous "Who Killed Vince McMahon?" angle that was in poor taste even before this incident, given the very real deaths that have put a black mark on the wrestling business in the last several years. However, to some extent it's easy to separate someone like Vince McMahon from his on-air "Mr. McMahon" persona (though even that is basically an extension of his real-life personality to some degree). But for as long as most American fans have known him, Chris Benoit has simply been Chris Benoit, someone who like a Ric Flair or Bret Hart essentially "lived his gimmick." And even beyond his ring persona, everything I've seen of Benoit up until now has only pointed to him being a decent, humble human being. In the "Hard Knocks" documentary, he comes off as soft-spoken, passionate about his profession, humbled to be carrying on the legacy of people like the Dynamite Kid. If the warning signs WERE there that Benoit had something like this in him, I don't think there was a single fan, and maybe not even a single one of his peers, who saw them.
Now, however, there is this horrible, ugly reality to deal with. Again, the Benoit fan in me refuses to beleive that this was a black and white case of cold-blooded murder. Benoit must have been mentally ill to the point where he literally had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps he was delusional. Maybe, in some sick twisted way, he imagined he was protecting his family from some unseen danger. Of course, there is no excuse, no jusification for this atrocity. But I'm not going to be one of those people who screams and yells and hopes that Benoit is burning in hell for what he did. The man was sick, there was something off, and it's clear that whatever moment of psychosis that overcame Benoit, when it passed, he had to have been so overwhelmed with the horror of what he had done that he couldn't stand to live with the knowledge of it. More than anything, this is jsut a terrible, terrible tragedy. A tragedy that took the life of an innocent kid. A tragedy that took the life of a trailblazing performer in her own right, Nancy Sullivan, and a tragedy that in one fell swooped virtually erased and negated the remarkable career of Chros Benoit, that may have killed millions of great memories and shattered the belief of all of us who looked up to the guy. How could this happen? How could Chris Benoit, of all people, be a murderer?
I will say this: I do not fault the WWE for airing a tribute special last night before the facts of the case were fully known. Personally, even if it looks crass in retrospect to air a tribute to a murderer, I for one am grateful that we were given one last moment, before all the horrific facts were brought to light, to remember the Chris Benoit that all of us knew, or thought we knew. Call it sheer denial, but it was nice to have that tribute, just as it was nice to write my own here on the blog, in that brief moment when I simply thought that we had lost a champion and a future Hall-of-Famer.
But I will also say this: this is yet another wake-up call for the WWE. They have active and retired wrestlers dropping left and right in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. It was only a week ago that Sherri Martel passed away. Over the last few years the list is long of those who went too early: Eddie Guerrero, Owen Hart, Ms. Elizabeth, Curt Henning, Davey Boy Smith, Rick Rude, Hawk, Ray Traylor, and the list goes on ... Too many of these deaths have been from substance abuse, be it alcohol, painkillers, or steroid abuse. This has got to end. There needs to be mandatory time off for these guys. There needs to be stricter drug-testing, better health-care, and mental health screenings. Someone like a Jesse Ventura or Schwarzenneger needs to step in ASAP and voice these concerns, and McMahon has got to act without hesitation. This is just ridiculous. And no, I am not saying that the Benoit incident had anything to do with substance abuse per se, but even so, these issues persist, and it's just remarkable that, if there was a serious, ongoing mental health issue, that it was never addressed before this.
In any case, this whole tragic incident honestly makes me feel sick to even think about. Last night and today it was constantly on my mind, and I was morbidly fascinated with this case, because all I could wonder, like so many others, was "why?" This is one of those true "Say It Ain't So, Joe!" moments. It's the equivalent of finding out that a Larry Bird or a Roger Clemens or a Wayne Gretzky was in fact a vicious killer. I just cannot wrap my head around it.
I stand by my earlier tribute, but only as applies to the Chris Benoit that I knew and was a longtime fan of before this incident. I realize now that I and my fellow fans likely had no idea who Chris Benoit really was, and after this, I'm not sure I want to.
- For now, this is my last word on the subject, and sorry to write so much on such a depressing topic. I actually do ahve some really cool and good stuff to share here, so stay tuned tommorow for a very welcome change of pace. - Danny
Monday, June 25, 2007
A Tribute to "The Crippler" Chris Benoit
A TRIBUTE TO "THE CANADIAN CRIPPLER" CHRIS BENOIT:
As I sit here to type this, i, still, am in shock. Chris Benoit is dead, and as facts begin to trickle in, this strange case gets more and more surreal. Benoit, the Benoit I've watched for over a decade, was a man who commanded respect. A man who never relied on gimmicks. What you saw was what you got - and what you got was 100% badass, a man who was born and bred to wrestle, a machine, who honed his craft, emphasis on CRAFT, to the point where for the last decade Benoit was undeniably the best in the business. From all accounts, he was a consummate professional, a man who was a role-model for many, a connection between wrestling's colorful past and its future.
Chris Benoit, to me, exemplified GREATNESS. In the wrestling ring, he was a modern day Bruce Lee. The sheer artistry that he brought to a fight was breathtaking to behold. The fire in Benoit's eyes was almost scary to see. I don't know if any one person better embodied the word "intensity." Benoit was a wrestler that us fans who were passionate about the business quickly singled out as one of the true greats. Not only was he a master ring technician, but Benoit had an in-ring style that was violently beautiful. When Benoit delivered a knife-edge chop, it was with a resounding force that echoed across the arena. For anyone who scoffed at wrestling and dismissed it as "fake," I would hold up any Chris Benoit match. When you see Benoit deliver a chop, there is NO WAY to watch his hand smack some poor sap's chest and not see just how much that had to hurt. When Benoit delivered a snap suplex, he did it with just the right snap that made the move seem all the more effective. His moves were high impact to the extreme. The triple-German - devastating. The flying headbutt - had to have hurt like hell every time. The patented suicide dive - hardcore before hardcore was cool. The crippler crossface - one of the classic submission maneuvers, simple yet effective, when it was locked in, an opponent was guaranteed to tap out.
I first noticed Chris Benoit back in the mid-90's in WCW. At the time, WCW was rising to prominence on the backs of 80's legends enjoying a second act. Big, epic storylines dominated the day - Hulk Hogan and the NWO. Guys like Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Roddy Piper were wrestling in the main events, and they brought boat loads of charisma and the nostalgia-factor to be sure, but equally if not more exciting was the undercard at the time, which was bursting at the seems with up and coming talent. Every Monday, my brother and I tuned in and, even as we watched guys like Hogan and Randy Savage, we were introduced to a whole new crop of superstars in the making - Chris Jericho, Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko - and Chris Benoit. Benoit was just sick, and I mean that in the best way possible. He was "silent but violent," "the Rabid Wolverine," "the Canadian Crippler." His actions spoke loud and true. And he was so good, so fun to watch, that it didn't matter if the show as a whole was good or not, as long as there was a Benoit match on the card, there was something to look forward to.
I can't even count the number of superstars who when you look at their careers, one of their Top 5 matches, if not their best match, came when facing Chris Benoit. Benoit had the amazing talent that few others have ever had - like a Ric Flair, Bret Hart, or Shawn Michaels, he could have a great match with ANYONE. If you couldn't have a god match with Benoit, it was time to reexamine your career choice. Offhand, so many great matches come to mind. Fights against Booker T, Steve Austin, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart, and the list goes on and on and on. The sad part is that in many ways Benoit was the last of a dying breed. He grew up in Alberta, Canada idolizing the stars of Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, most especially the legendary Dynamite Kid. In fact, Benoit's style was an ongoing tribute othe Dynamite, and the similarities between them are remarkable to watch in a side by side comparison. But Benoit was a true disciple - he studied in the real-life School of Hard Knocks - Stu Hart's infamous Dungeon. And Benoit carried on the amazing tradition of Dynamite Kid, of Stu Hart, of Bret Hart - a mastery of technical wrestling, a pride for tradition, an "excellence of execution," to borrow a phrase. Not only was he a student of the Dungeon, but Benoit was a Horseman. In WCW, when the legendary faction reformed under Ric Flair and "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson, there was only one guy on entire WCW mid-90's roster who was a 100% legitimate and natural fit for the prestigious group - and that guy was Benoit. He embodied everything that made the Four Horsemen legendary - class, prestige, technical excellence, hard-nosed toughness and ruggedness. I think that, over they ears, Flair and Anderson had a lot of resentment for some of the guys that were shoehorned into reformed incarnations of the Horsemen. But if there's one guy that both accepted into the group with open arms and the utmost level of respect - again, it was Chris Benoit. Seeing Benoit as a member of the Horsemen is what cemented him for me as a legend in his own time.
But while many of us hardcore fans long respected and "marked out" for Benoit and his five star matches, there was still a tremendous glass ceiling that prevented him from attaining the top spot in the business. But still, slowly but surely, Benoit could not be ignored. After Owen Hart died, Bret "The Hitman" Hart decided to return to the ring and put on a special tribute match to his late younger brother. Without hesitation, Bret chose Benoit as his opponent for the tribute. I vividly remember watching this bout on Monday Nitro and being in total awe of what I was seeing. In the wake of a tragedy, us fans were treated to a reminder of what was great about professional wrestling, not to mention one of the all-time great contests between a legend, Bret Hart, and a then-legend in the making in Chris Benoit.
Benoit continued to defy his critics by going to the WWE along with his fellow "Radicalz" from WCW and garnering even more title wins and racking up an increasing number of amazing matches. But the pinnacle was at Wrestlemania 20, when Benoit beat two mainstream stars in Shawn Michaels and HHH to win the world title on the grandest stage of him all. The show ended with Benoit celebrating in the ring, joined by his longtime friend Eddie Guerrero. For years, both had been fan favorites, but huge underdogs. They were undersized, underhyped, and held back by politics, red tape, and bad business. To think of the emotion of that moment now, with both best friends now deceased, is just unbearably sad. But the fact remains - that climactic moment of Wrestlemania 20, with Benoit finally, FINALLY a world champion, is one of the all-time most memorable moments in the history of the business.
The list of classic Chris Benoit matches and moments goes on and on and on. Here are some of the best that come to mind immediately, some of my personal favorites:
- Chris Benoit vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. This match, on free TV, was one of the best I've ever seen. The crowd was going nuts for the hometown hero, and Benoit delivered, pulling out an amazing sequence that saw him deliver TEN consecutive German suplexed to Austin.
- Benoit and Chris Jericho vs. Stone Cold and HHH - This match was just symbolic of the underdog vs. the establishment. As Benoit and Jericho sought to pull of the upset of the year, you could almost feel the glass ceiling shattering. The heat for this match was off the charts.
- Any Benoit vs. Malenko match - In WCW, any time these two fought, it was a total treat. Malenko was a master technician on par with Benoit, and every match they had was like a chess match of holds and counter-holds.
- Benoit vs. Booker T, Best of Seven series - In WCW, these two had a classic rivalry that delivered, every week, an instant-classic, tat left fans on the edge of their seats wondering who would come out on top, and how. A lot of times its boring to see the same two guys go at it over and over, but not in this case.
- Benoit vs. Angle in a cage - When Kurt Angle came to WWE, he was clearly a legend in the making, and the clear dream match was Angle vs. Benoit - the Olympic Gold medalist vs the Rabid Wolverine. These two had a number of matches that were just SICK, none more so than their RAW cage match, which saw suplexes, headbutts, and moonsaults from the top of the cage, and just brutal, bloody, classic battles.
- Benoit vs. Bret Hart - the two had one of my all time favorite matches when they locked up in tribute to Owen - the match is textbook perfect - it builds to a crescendo, tells a story, has a great finish, and elicits genuine emotion. The two also had a great match for the WCW title that saw Bret Hart win.
- Benoit vs. The Rock - it was an awesome image - Benoit with the Great One locked in the crossface, screaming "tap! Tap! TAP!" and The Rock screaming in pain. This match made even fans who had dismissed Benoit stand up and take notice.
- Any Benoit vs. Flair match - From the WCW days to WWE, these matches always had a "passing of the torch" type feel as the two Horsemen tied up. The thing with both Benoit and Flair is that they give you 110% whether it's a PPV or a C-list show like the old WCW Saturday Night.
- Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. HHH at 'Mania - One of the all-time classics, this match was the crowning achievement in Benoit's illustrious career, the match that finally saw Benoit recognized as The Best, as World Champion. When Benoit ascends that top rope, with championship gold in his eyes, man, you get chills every time.
- Benoit vs. Anybody - Benoit had great matches with ANYONE. From William Regal to Eddie Guerrero to Shawn Michaels to Edge to Jericho to Devon Storm, any Benoit match - you knew he'd deliver the goods, night in night out, the man was a machine, a workhorse, a prodigy. At only age 40, he was already one of the greatest of all-time, and never had a bad match with anyone.
It's just so sad, so tragic, so surreal, to see sucha consummate professional, a man who was a Champion in every sense of the word, go so suddenly. A guy who had the Heart of A Champion, a sense of pride and class and dignity, who quietly and without unnecessary flash ascended the ladder and became The Best. I saw Chris Benoit perform in person many times - at house shows, at Wrestlemania, against Eddie Guerrero and in his first WWE pay-per view as part of the Radicalz, in Hartford, CT. But man, I wish I could see him one more time. A true legend, Benoit was real, legit, and quite simply The Best.
As I sit here to type this, i, still, am in shock. Chris Benoit is dead, and as facts begin to trickle in, this strange case gets more and more surreal. Benoit, the Benoit I've watched for over a decade, was a man who commanded respect. A man who never relied on gimmicks. What you saw was what you got - and what you got was 100% badass, a man who was born and bred to wrestle, a machine, who honed his craft, emphasis on CRAFT, to the point where for the last decade Benoit was undeniably the best in the business. From all accounts, he was a consummate professional, a man who was a role-model for many, a connection between wrestling's colorful past and its future.
Chris Benoit, to me, exemplified GREATNESS. In the wrestling ring, he was a modern day Bruce Lee. The sheer artistry that he brought to a fight was breathtaking to behold. The fire in Benoit's eyes was almost scary to see. I don't know if any one person better embodied the word "intensity." Benoit was a wrestler that us fans who were passionate about the business quickly singled out as one of the true greats. Not only was he a master ring technician, but Benoit had an in-ring style that was violently beautiful. When Benoit delivered a knife-edge chop, it was with a resounding force that echoed across the arena. For anyone who scoffed at wrestling and dismissed it as "fake," I would hold up any Chris Benoit match. When you see Benoit deliver a chop, there is NO WAY to watch his hand smack some poor sap's chest and not see just how much that had to hurt. When Benoit delivered a snap suplex, he did it with just the right snap that made the move seem all the more effective. His moves were high impact to the extreme. The triple-German - devastating. The flying headbutt - had to have hurt like hell every time. The patented suicide dive - hardcore before hardcore was cool. The crippler crossface - one of the classic submission maneuvers, simple yet effective, when it was locked in, an opponent was guaranteed to tap out.
I first noticed Chris Benoit back in the mid-90's in WCW. At the time, WCW was rising to prominence on the backs of 80's legends enjoying a second act. Big, epic storylines dominated the day - Hulk Hogan and the NWO. Guys like Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Roddy Piper were wrestling in the main events, and they brought boat loads of charisma and the nostalgia-factor to be sure, but equally if not more exciting was the undercard at the time, which was bursting at the seems with up and coming talent. Every Monday, my brother and I tuned in and, even as we watched guys like Hogan and Randy Savage, we were introduced to a whole new crop of superstars in the making - Chris Jericho, Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko - and Chris Benoit. Benoit was just sick, and I mean that in the best way possible. He was "silent but violent," "the Rabid Wolverine," "the Canadian Crippler." His actions spoke loud and true. And he was so good, so fun to watch, that it didn't matter if the show as a whole was good or not, as long as there was a Benoit match on the card, there was something to look forward to.
I can't even count the number of superstars who when you look at their careers, one of their Top 5 matches, if not their best match, came when facing Chris Benoit. Benoit had the amazing talent that few others have ever had - like a Ric Flair, Bret Hart, or Shawn Michaels, he could have a great match with ANYONE. If you couldn't have a god match with Benoit, it was time to reexamine your career choice. Offhand, so many great matches come to mind. Fights against Booker T, Steve Austin, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart, and the list goes on and on and on. The sad part is that in many ways Benoit was the last of a dying breed. He grew up in Alberta, Canada idolizing the stars of Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, most especially the legendary Dynamite Kid. In fact, Benoit's style was an ongoing tribute othe Dynamite, and the similarities between them are remarkable to watch in a side by side comparison. But Benoit was a true disciple - he studied in the real-life School of Hard Knocks - Stu Hart's infamous Dungeon. And Benoit carried on the amazing tradition of Dynamite Kid, of Stu Hart, of Bret Hart - a mastery of technical wrestling, a pride for tradition, an "excellence of execution," to borrow a phrase. Not only was he a student of the Dungeon, but Benoit was a Horseman. In WCW, when the legendary faction reformed under Ric Flair and "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson, there was only one guy on entire WCW mid-90's roster who was a 100% legitimate and natural fit for the prestigious group - and that guy was Benoit. He embodied everything that made the Four Horsemen legendary - class, prestige, technical excellence, hard-nosed toughness and ruggedness. I think that, over they ears, Flair and Anderson had a lot of resentment for some of the guys that were shoehorned into reformed incarnations of the Horsemen. But if there's one guy that both accepted into the group with open arms and the utmost level of respect - again, it was Chris Benoit. Seeing Benoit as a member of the Horsemen is what cemented him for me as a legend in his own time.
But while many of us hardcore fans long respected and "marked out" for Benoit and his five star matches, there was still a tremendous glass ceiling that prevented him from attaining the top spot in the business. But still, slowly but surely, Benoit could not be ignored. After Owen Hart died, Bret "The Hitman" Hart decided to return to the ring and put on a special tribute match to his late younger brother. Without hesitation, Bret chose Benoit as his opponent for the tribute. I vividly remember watching this bout on Monday Nitro and being in total awe of what I was seeing. In the wake of a tragedy, us fans were treated to a reminder of what was great about professional wrestling, not to mention one of the all-time great contests between a legend, Bret Hart, and a then-legend in the making in Chris Benoit.
Benoit continued to defy his critics by going to the WWE along with his fellow "Radicalz" from WCW and garnering even more title wins and racking up an increasing number of amazing matches. But the pinnacle was at Wrestlemania 20, when Benoit beat two mainstream stars in Shawn Michaels and HHH to win the world title on the grandest stage of him all. The show ended with Benoit celebrating in the ring, joined by his longtime friend Eddie Guerrero. For years, both had been fan favorites, but huge underdogs. They were undersized, underhyped, and held back by politics, red tape, and bad business. To think of the emotion of that moment now, with both best friends now deceased, is just unbearably sad. But the fact remains - that climactic moment of Wrestlemania 20, with Benoit finally, FINALLY a world champion, is one of the all-time most memorable moments in the history of the business.
The list of classic Chris Benoit matches and moments goes on and on and on. Here are some of the best that come to mind immediately, some of my personal favorites:
- Chris Benoit vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. This match, on free TV, was one of the best I've ever seen. The crowd was going nuts for the hometown hero, and Benoit delivered, pulling out an amazing sequence that saw him deliver TEN consecutive German suplexed to Austin.
- Benoit and Chris Jericho vs. Stone Cold and HHH - This match was just symbolic of the underdog vs. the establishment. As Benoit and Jericho sought to pull of the upset of the year, you could almost feel the glass ceiling shattering. The heat for this match was off the charts.
- Any Benoit vs. Malenko match - In WCW, any time these two fought, it was a total treat. Malenko was a master technician on par with Benoit, and every match they had was like a chess match of holds and counter-holds.
- Benoit vs. Booker T, Best of Seven series - In WCW, these two had a classic rivalry that delivered, every week, an instant-classic, tat left fans on the edge of their seats wondering who would come out on top, and how. A lot of times its boring to see the same two guys go at it over and over, but not in this case.
- Benoit vs. Angle in a cage - When Kurt Angle came to WWE, he was clearly a legend in the making, and the clear dream match was Angle vs. Benoit - the Olympic Gold medalist vs the Rabid Wolverine. These two had a number of matches that were just SICK, none more so than their RAW cage match, which saw suplexes, headbutts, and moonsaults from the top of the cage, and just brutal, bloody, classic battles.
- Benoit vs. Bret Hart - the two had one of my all time favorite matches when they locked up in tribute to Owen - the match is textbook perfect - it builds to a crescendo, tells a story, has a great finish, and elicits genuine emotion. The two also had a great match for the WCW title that saw Bret Hart win.
- Benoit vs. The Rock - it was an awesome image - Benoit with the Great One locked in the crossface, screaming "tap! Tap! TAP!" and The Rock screaming in pain. This match made even fans who had dismissed Benoit stand up and take notice.
- Any Benoit vs. Flair match - From the WCW days to WWE, these matches always had a "passing of the torch" type feel as the two Horsemen tied up. The thing with both Benoit and Flair is that they give you 110% whether it's a PPV or a C-list show like the old WCW Saturday Night.
- Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. HHH at 'Mania - One of the all-time classics, this match was the crowning achievement in Benoit's illustrious career, the match that finally saw Benoit recognized as The Best, as World Champion. When Benoit ascends that top rope, with championship gold in his eyes, man, you get chills every time.
- Benoit vs. Anybody - Benoit had great matches with ANYONE. From William Regal to Eddie Guerrero to Shawn Michaels to Edge to Jericho to Devon Storm, any Benoit match - you knew he'd deliver the goods, night in night out, the man was a machine, a workhorse, a prodigy. At only age 40, he was already one of the greatest of all-time, and never had a bad match with anyone.
It's just so sad, so tragic, so surreal, to see sucha consummate professional, a man who was a Champion in every sense of the word, go so suddenly. A guy who had the Heart of A Champion, a sense of pride and class and dignity, who quietly and without unnecessary flash ascended the ladder and became The Best. I saw Chris Benoit perform in person many times - at house shows, at Wrestlemania, against Eddie Guerrero and in his first WWE pay-per view as part of the Radicalz, in Hartford, CT. But man, I wish I could see him one more time. A true legend, Benoit was real, legit, and quite simply The Best.
Oh God ... Chris Benoit ...
Oh my god.
I am in total and utter disbelief right now. Chris Benoit is apparently dead, along with his entire family. Details right now are nonexistent, but I just am completely in shock. I can't even think right now. For those who don't know, Benoit was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever compete, a guy who was a legitimate badass, yet one of the rare athletes who exuded dignity and class and commanded respect. He was by all accounts a great man. Call it cheesy, I don't care - the man was one of my personal heroes - and right in the prime of his career, he's dead? This is just completely surreal. I have no idea what happened, what caused this. All I know is this is a total, utter tragedy.
I'll try to write more later.
For now I am just sad and in disbelief.
I am in total and utter disbelief right now. Chris Benoit is apparently dead, along with his entire family. Details right now are nonexistent, but I just am completely in shock. I can't even think right now. For those who don't know, Benoit was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever compete, a guy who was a legitimate badass, yet one of the rare athletes who exuded dignity and class and commanded respect. He was by all accounts a great man. Call it cheesy, I don't care - the man was one of my personal heroes - and right in the prime of his career, he's dead? This is just completely surreal. I have no idea what happened, what caused this. All I know is this is a total, utter tragedy.
I'll try to write more later.
For now I am just sad and in disbelief.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer --- "Excelsior!" or "Meh ..." ?!?!
- Well, it was a crazy weekend as expected, as the 48 Hour Film Festival shifted into high gear. Friday night, I worked on the script for our film into the wee hours of the morning. Since it was a somewhat collaborative process, there were moments of slow-going, but mostly, I worked pretty quickly and settled on the main characters without too much problem. The genre we were assigned was "fantasy," never an easy topic for a no-budget short film, but luckily we had worked out in advance a pretty clever little idea that would subvert fairy-tale characters and satirize their stories into a kind of mock-Real World / Judd Apatow-ish comedy - think the comic book Fables meets Family Guy. So the writing part went as smoothly as can be expected for this type of shotgun script writing. Then, Saturday I attended the shoot, which was a lot of fun, since there wasn't much pressure on me to do much at that point excapt to observe and lend a comment or two. The real fun was seeing the actors and crew come together to actually film the script that I had written only hours earlier. It was a good group and I think they did a great job (I will reserve my final judgement until I see the finished, edited film, but I am hoping for an awesome finished product).
And yeah, I am still freaking out about when the screening will be held (I still haven't been able to change it to Friday), and again, it's one of those frustrating situations where all of the universe's cosmic forces seem to be conspiring to not allow this to work out. I am still waiting on the final word, so pleaaaaaaaaase lord let us be able to scree on Friday rather than Saturday, when I will be flying home to Connecticut. Sadly, the guy from the 48 Hour fest says chances for a switch are not very good. We shall see, my friends. We shall see ...
So, anyways, last night I was slightly stressing about all this and was jones-ing for a movie to take my mind off of everything. Now, all signs pointed to the Fantastic Four sequel being a steaming pile, but the geek in me just had to see the silver Surfer brought to big-screen life for myself. So ...
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER Review:
- Let's put this out there first - The original Fantastic Four movie (from a few years ago, not the Roger Corman one ...) was a piece of crap. The best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't a total loss, because at least there seemed to be a decent cast in place to continue the series with, hopefully, a better director and writing team. But after a string of good to great comic book movies that preceded it (Spiderman 2, Batman Begins, Hellboy, etc.), Fantastic Four burst onto the scene with a total lack of awareness that the bar had been raised in the comic book genre. This was a movie that would have been considered poor even if had been released in the dark days of Spawn and Batman Forever. The writing was atrocious, the plotting disgraceful, and the way that the classic stories of Lee and Kirby were simply $%#* on, with a total lack of artistic vision or purpose, was actually pretty nauseating.
Somehow, some way, however, this movie made money - lots of money. And a sequel was quickly put into production. As a review in The Onion said - "this was that big summer movie that everybody saw and nobody liked."
Well, I'm happy to report that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is definitely better than the first one. It looks a lot better, with some decent action and great f/x for the Surfer. It has a litle bit of actual humor. And, overall, it feels a bit more like a real Fantastic Four movie.
Still, what we have here is by no means a great or even good film. It's still a pretty sub-par offering that has little to nothing to add to the comic book mythos. There's lots of cringe-worthy acting, terrible characterization, a totally bare-bones plot, and still no real visual imagination or vision excepting the pretty cool-looking Surfer.
Let's talk about the film's plotting. So, here's the thing - the one thing the movie has a pretty good handle on is the dynamic between the Fantastic Four. The interplay between Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm feels mostly right, and even though it's hamfisted and overly sitcom-ish, the movie's biggest strength is probably the amount of fun with which it handles the family dynamics of the Four. Granted, the writing is basically no better than a typical Saturday morning cartoon, which is especially disappointing since I grew up with some pretty badass Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer cartoons. But, I can see how kids would get into the bickering and sense of friendship that the Four engage in. This aspect is at least handled decently.
What is totally mucked up is the rest of the screenplay. I mean, so much of the focus is on the family dynamics of the Four that everything else is basically an afterthought. So that means that the Surfer, DR. DOOM, and the biggest threat of all, GALACTUS, all get the short shrift so we can spend more time hearing Sue pine for Reed to pay more attention to her. What made Lee's comic book sagas memorable were the moments of characterization sprinkled between the huge, cosmic action. Here, despite a plot and characters that beg for something big and epic, we get only small moments where there is any real dramatic tension or sense of scope, and the promise of those little moments is NEVER followed through on. For a moment - one brief moment - when the Surfer began explaining his origin to Sue, I was 100% in. This was it - Norrin Radd, the power cosmic, the coming of Galactus ... and then, nothing. The fate of the world is only ever actually at stake for about half a second, and the Surfer has a lot of scenes where he looks cool, but says or does little else. Galactus is, for all intents and purposes, not in this movie, only alluded to as some vague planet-eating threat, who we only see as some kind of swirling space-cloud. And that's it. The big climactic moment is the Surfer flying into the center of said cloud, doing something defiant (what, exactly, he does ... I have no idea), and somehow the threat of Galactus is over and done with. At some point Dr. Doom gets involved, too ...
Now, Dr. Doom, as played by Julian McMahon is possibly the worst and most disappointing aspect of not only this movie, but of the entire franchise. For one thing, McMahon is totally wrong for this part. Dr. Doom is, ideally, a crazed, Darth Vader-esque science experiment gone wrong. Here, he looks the part when behind the iron mask and cloak, but sounds like some yuppie upset that someone dented his new ferrari. Now, Dr. Doom is supposed to be the Four's archnemesis, one of the most evil, freakish, scary dudes around. As lame as he was in the first movie ... here is is, well, I won't say he's worse, just useless. Totally useless. He's brought in by the military to help with the Surfer's capture ... for no good reason. He then (surprise!) goes rogue. His big plan is, apparently, to steal the Surfer's board, ride around on it for a bit, and then get beaten up by the Human Torch and get punched into the ocean, presumably never to be see or heard from again ... Basically, one of comic's greatest villains is, once again, a total joke, miscast, and written so haphazardly that I honestly have no idea why he was even included in this movie.
McMahon isn't the only one who deserves criticism here. All of the other characters are treated like one big joke as well. Now, I appreciate that this is a light-hearted story that will have some comedic moments. But here, The Thing is a walking punchline. As is Johnny Storm. Even Mr. Fantastic follows Spiderman's example and has a goofy dance number. As with Spiderman, the tone is so off if only because the plot, in theory, should be tinged with darkness and pathos. We have a herald of a planet-eating despot, aimlessly soaring the galaxy, forced to prepare worlds for destruction in order to preserve his own - I mean, that's some potentially heavy stuff. Well, not here it's not ...
As for Jessica Alba. Well, Iaon Gruffold, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis may be the victims of some lame writing, but at least they feel very natural in their parts. Alba has felt wrong from the start, with her oddly-dyed hair and fake blue contacts, her look is some weird attempt to appease comic book fans who want a blond, blue-eyed Sue Storm. And her acting, well, it's just not very good. Alba has shown a few glimpses of talent in movies like Sin City, but she has a lot to prove if she wants to make the argument that she has the chops to pull off a leading lady action role like this one.
Luckily, the cast is to some extent overshadowed by the Silver Surfer. All I can say is - Doug Jones is a phenomena. While the Surfer has a shiny coat of CGI that brings him to metallic life, its Doug Jones physical acting that makes him really shine. As he did in Hellboy, Jones imbues the surfer with this otherworldly personality that feels real and tangible but fascinatingly alien. The voice of Lawrence Fishbourne is appropriately cool and mysterious, but it's Jones who is the real star of the show. So yeah, if there's any one aspect of the movie that lives up to the hype, it is definitely the visual of the Surfer, one of the few areas of the film where a classic Jack Kirby visual was brought to life in a manner befitting of the King.
So, overall, I found enough to enjoy here to justify my ticket, but that is me speaking as a fanboy who was chomping at the bit to see the Surfer brought to life. Ultimately, I can't help but resent how bland and dumbed-down these movies feel. For all the criticism that a movie like Pirates 3 gets from some corners, I think most would agree that it'd be nice if Fantastic 4 had a fraction of that movie's creativity and visual / stylistic punch. Simiarly, the script here is just so underwhelming. It's one thing that the dialouge and characterization is flat and paper-thin. But let's face it - Stan Lee has never been known for sophisticated dialogue or nuance. He and Kirby made their names on characters that jumped off the page and stories that were modern mythology - epic sagas that overflowed with far-out ideas and classic twists. Here, one of those great pieces of modern American myth - the Galactus story, is reduced to a mere afterthought, an excuse to get the Silver Surfer onscreen and broaden the scope of the franchise. Instead, introducing these potentially epic elements only serves to EXPOSE how weak and limited the talent behind the franchise is. There are just too many weak links, in the cast, in the writing, in the direction (please, replace Tim Story on any future sequels!), to successfully create a great comic book adaptation. Servicable? Maybe. But far, far away from being anything close to "fantastic."
My Grade: C
- Alright then, I'm out of here. Let me know what you think, as always. Anyways, now I can turn my attention to some summer movies that may actually be GOOD - Ratatouille, Superbad, Stardust ...
And yeah, I am still freaking out about when the screening will be held (I still haven't been able to change it to Friday), and again, it's one of those frustrating situations where all of the universe's cosmic forces seem to be conspiring to not allow this to work out. I am still waiting on the final word, so pleaaaaaaaaase lord let us be able to scree on Friday rather than Saturday, when I will be flying home to Connecticut. Sadly, the guy from the 48 Hour fest says chances for a switch are not very good. We shall see, my friends. We shall see ...
So, anyways, last night I was slightly stressing about all this and was jones-ing for a movie to take my mind off of everything. Now, all signs pointed to the Fantastic Four sequel being a steaming pile, but the geek in me just had to see the silver Surfer brought to big-screen life for myself. So ...
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER Review:
- Let's put this out there first - The original Fantastic Four movie (from a few years ago, not the Roger Corman one ...) was a piece of crap. The best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't a total loss, because at least there seemed to be a decent cast in place to continue the series with, hopefully, a better director and writing team. But after a string of good to great comic book movies that preceded it (Spiderman 2, Batman Begins, Hellboy, etc.), Fantastic Four burst onto the scene with a total lack of awareness that the bar had been raised in the comic book genre. This was a movie that would have been considered poor even if had been released in the dark days of Spawn and Batman Forever. The writing was atrocious, the plotting disgraceful, and the way that the classic stories of Lee and Kirby were simply $%#* on, with a total lack of artistic vision or purpose, was actually pretty nauseating.
Somehow, some way, however, this movie made money - lots of money. And a sequel was quickly put into production. As a review in The Onion said - "this was that big summer movie that everybody saw and nobody liked."
Well, I'm happy to report that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is definitely better than the first one. It looks a lot better, with some decent action and great f/x for the Surfer. It has a litle bit of actual humor. And, overall, it feels a bit more like a real Fantastic Four movie.
Still, what we have here is by no means a great or even good film. It's still a pretty sub-par offering that has little to nothing to add to the comic book mythos. There's lots of cringe-worthy acting, terrible characterization, a totally bare-bones plot, and still no real visual imagination or vision excepting the pretty cool-looking Surfer.
Let's talk about the film's plotting. So, here's the thing - the one thing the movie has a pretty good handle on is the dynamic between the Fantastic Four. The interplay between Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm feels mostly right, and even though it's hamfisted and overly sitcom-ish, the movie's biggest strength is probably the amount of fun with which it handles the family dynamics of the Four. Granted, the writing is basically no better than a typical Saturday morning cartoon, which is especially disappointing since I grew up with some pretty badass Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer cartoons. But, I can see how kids would get into the bickering and sense of friendship that the Four engage in. This aspect is at least handled decently.
What is totally mucked up is the rest of the screenplay. I mean, so much of the focus is on the family dynamics of the Four that everything else is basically an afterthought. So that means that the Surfer, DR. DOOM, and the biggest threat of all, GALACTUS, all get the short shrift so we can spend more time hearing Sue pine for Reed to pay more attention to her. What made Lee's comic book sagas memorable were the moments of characterization sprinkled between the huge, cosmic action. Here, despite a plot and characters that beg for something big and epic, we get only small moments where there is any real dramatic tension or sense of scope, and the promise of those little moments is NEVER followed through on. For a moment - one brief moment - when the Surfer began explaining his origin to Sue, I was 100% in. This was it - Norrin Radd, the power cosmic, the coming of Galactus ... and then, nothing. The fate of the world is only ever actually at stake for about half a second, and the Surfer has a lot of scenes where he looks cool, but says or does little else. Galactus is, for all intents and purposes, not in this movie, only alluded to as some vague planet-eating threat, who we only see as some kind of swirling space-cloud. And that's it. The big climactic moment is the Surfer flying into the center of said cloud, doing something defiant (what, exactly, he does ... I have no idea), and somehow the threat of Galactus is over and done with. At some point Dr. Doom gets involved, too ...
Now, Dr. Doom, as played by Julian McMahon is possibly the worst and most disappointing aspect of not only this movie, but of the entire franchise. For one thing, McMahon is totally wrong for this part. Dr. Doom is, ideally, a crazed, Darth Vader-esque science experiment gone wrong. Here, he looks the part when behind the iron mask and cloak, but sounds like some yuppie upset that someone dented his new ferrari. Now, Dr. Doom is supposed to be the Four's archnemesis, one of the most evil, freakish, scary dudes around. As lame as he was in the first movie ... here is is, well, I won't say he's worse, just useless. Totally useless. He's brought in by the military to help with the Surfer's capture ... for no good reason. He then (surprise!) goes rogue. His big plan is, apparently, to steal the Surfer's board, ride around on it for a bit, and then get beaten up by the Human Torch and get punched into the ocean, presumably never to be see or heard from again ... Basically, one of comic's greatest villains is, once again, a total joke, miscast, and written so haphazardly that I honestly have no idea why he was even included in this movie.
McMahon isn't the only one who deserves criticism here. All of the other characters are treated like one big joke as well. Now, I appreciate that this is a light-hearted story that will have some comedic moments. But here, The Thing is a walking punchline. As is Johnny Storm. Even Mr. Fantastic follows Spiderman's example and has a goofy dance number. As with Spiderman, the tone is so off if only because the plot, in theory, should be tinged with darkness and pathos. We have a herald of a planet-eating despot, aimlessly soaring the galaxy, forced to prepare worlds for destruction in order to preserve his own - I mean, that's some potentially heavy stuff. Well, not here it's not ...
As for Jessica Alba. Well, Iaon Gruffold, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis may be the victims of some lame writing, but at least they feel very natural in their parts. Alba has felt wrong from the start, with her oddly-dyed hair and fake blue contacts, her look is some weird attempt to appease comic book fans who want a blond, blue-eyed Sue Storm. And her acting, well, it's just not very good. Alba has shown a few glimpses of talent in movies like Sin City, but she has a lot to prove if she wants to make the argument that she has the chops to pull off a leading lady action role like this one.
Luckily, the cast is to some extent overshadowed by the Silver Surfer. All I can say is - Doug Jones is a phenomena. While the Surfer has a shiny coat of CGI that brings him to metallic life, its Doug Jones physical acting that makes him really shine. As he did in Hellboy, Jones imbues the surfer with this otherworldly personality that feels real and tangible but fascinatingly alien. The voice of Lawrence Fishbourne is appropriately cool and mysterious, but it's Jones who is the real star of the show. So yeah, if there's any one aspect of the movie that lives up to the hype, it is definitely the visual of the Surfer, one of the few areas of the film where a classic Jack Kirby visual was brought to life in a manner befitting of the King.
So, overall, I found enough to enjoy here to justify my ticket, but that is me speaking as a fanboy who was chomping at the bit to see the Surfer brought to life. Ultimately, I can't help but resent how bland and dumbed-down these movies feel. For all the criticism that a movie like Pirates 3 gets from some corners, I think most would agree that it'd be nice if Fantastic 4 had a fraction of that movie's creativity and visual / stylistic punch. Simiarly, the script here is just so underwhelming. It's one thing that the dialouge and characterization is flat and paper-thin. But let's face it - Stan Lee has never been known for sophisticated dialogue or nuance. He and Kirby made their names on characters that jumped off the page and stories that were modern mythology - epic sagas that overflowed with far-out ideas and classic twists. Here, one of those great pieces of modern American myth - the Galactus story, is reduced to a mere afterthought, an excuse to get the Silver Surfer onscreen and broaden the scope of the franchise. Instead, introducing these potentially epic elements only serves to EXPOSE how weak and limited the talent behind the franchise is. There are just too many weak links, in the cast, in the writing, in the direction (please, replace Tim Story on any future sequels!), to successfully create a great comic book adaptation. Servicable? Maybe. But far, far away from being anything close to "fantastic."
My Grade: C
- Alright then, I'm out of here. Let me know what you think, as always. Anyways, now I can turn my attention to some summer movies that may actually be GOOD - Ratatouille, Superbad, Stardust ...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Danny gets KNOCKED UP
So, finally, I saw KNOCKED UP ... My Review:
KNOCKED UP Review:
- Right now, Judd Apatow has become something of an unlikely super-producer in Hollywood, and after seeing Knocked Up, it's very easy to understand why. The guy just gets comedy, in a way that many others out there now making these movies fail to grasp. Apatow always places a premium on character above all else, and his characters become fully realized thanks to a combination of great dialogue and great casting. When you take naturalistic, free-flowing dialogue and give it to relatable, talented actors not cut from the usual Hollywood cloth, you automatically have a winning formula, and Apatow has now perfected the art of taking the unremarkable and making it funny, sweet, and a step above the dumbed-down, condescending nature of the by-the-numbers comedy.
For me, it all comes back to the seminal Freaks and Geeks. It was one of those instantly magical shows that was so far above almost anything else on TV at the time, it's no big shock to see why then-network execs were simply clueless as to how to handle it. For me, it was one of those shows that I was so impressed with, that it instantly made me a fan of anyone involved with the show. Whenever anyone from the cast pops up on TV or film, I am happy to see one of the old Freaks and Geeks gang again (Arrested Development is another that falls into that category). And because of Freaks, and then Undeclared, I am forever interested in anything that bears the stamp of one of the show's creators, chief among them Apatow, who now seems to be the go-to guy for taking what COULD have been run-of-the-mill fare and giving it a unique, down-to-earth spin.
Such is the case with Knocked Up. This COULD have been crap, based on the somewhat gimmicky premise. But although it is, of course, a suspension of disbelief to see frumpy Seth Rogan with knockout Katherine Heigl, so much of the movie feels real and authentic that rarely are you left thinking "aww, that would never happen." Instead, we get a movie where every character, big and small, is drawn so naturalistically that you'll see something of your friends, your coworkers, your family, etc, in each of them. In Freaks and Geeks, part of the magic was that rather than being some glamorized Hollywood version of high school, it WAS high school. Here, again, this isn't really some candy-coated version of young adulthood - the humor isn't funny because its contrived, but because it rings true. All of the little asides about growing up, about friends, about family, about being forced into a situation with someone else under the most awkward of circumstances - all of that observational humor feels spot on, and this is where many of the film's funniest moments come into play.
The banter between Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan, particularly their mushoom-laced trip to Vegas. The scene where Heigl and her sister are unable to bypass the line for a nightclub, and chew out the doorman. Rogan and his roommates bantering about the merits of the Jewfro. Jonah Hill's Stephen Hawking impression. Katherine Wiig being passive aggressive. Rudd and Rogan bonding over DeNiro impressions.
These are among the many scenes that capture this film's style of humor so well - low-key, underplayed, the kind of banter that really occurs between people. And again, so much credit has to be given to this troup of actors. For one thing - Seth Rogan. He is one of those guys that has always been a standout, but who, really, expected him to carry a movie like he does here. Well, those of us who saw the classic Freaks ep where Rogan thinks he might be gay when he finds out his girlfriend is a hermaphrodite - WE knew how great he was. Rogan has that dry, stoner sense of humor, but he has an uncommon ability to elicit pathos as well. Watching him, he instantly feels like a guy you'd want to hang out with, and you really feel for him when things start to get crazy. If anything, Rogan makes his character her a bit TOO slovenly. In Knocked Up, the guy is not just an overweight slacker, but a total loser with no job, no money, and a tendency to blurt out inappropriate remarks, like when he tells Heigl's niece the meaning of the term "prick." I expected Rogan to play the shaggy everyman, but I admit, I was slightly surprised at how far out-there his character was. But don't get me wrong - this is a career-defining performance for Rogan, and he does an awesome job at being funny, empathetic, and multi-dimensional.
Rogan is surrounded by an awesome band of stoned-out misfits, many of them Apatow alums. It's great to see guys like Jason Segel, Martin Starr, and Jay Baruchel again. Segel in particular is hilarious as Rogan's right-hand man. Jonah Hill is another nice addition to the cast. You've gotta love these guys as they all feel legit. These are the guys who in college sat around getting high all day and then move into some house together, subsisting on Ramen and planning get-rich-quick schemes. You've met these guys, I've met these guys. And hey, even James Franco makes a funny appearance as himself, giving props to his Apatow roots.
Paul Rudd is one of those guys who I almost want not to like, just because so many people seem to blindly love him just because it's the cool thing to do. But what can I say - Paul Rudd is awesome. He's one of the funniest actors out there right now, someone who can do broad (Wet Hot American Summer), or, as with Knocked Up, he can play the everyman, the straight man, the put-upon married guy who really just wants to get away to meet with his fantasy baseball league. I also love the man-crush dynamic between Rogan and Rudd, and what their relationship reveals about Rudd's character. As with Freaks and Geeks, Apatow makes a great point about how these good-looking, seemingly-happy people who appear to have it all figured out can be just as miserable and directionless as anyone else. The parallel drawn between Rudd - who got married, had kids, and settled down in the traditional manner, and Rogan, who did everything ass-backwards but may have inadvertantly met the woman of his dreams, is handled really well. Both are equally on the verge of freaking out but for very different reasons.
Meanwhile, Leslie Mann almost steals the movie as Heigl's frustrated older sister. Her character is bitchy, whiny, a know-it-all, and obnoxious - not very likable at all - but I think that's the point. I think she kind of represents every guy's fear of what a woman might eventually become, and every woman's fear of what they are really like. I love the complexity of this character - like so many people I know, she is on the surface, all grown up. She is aging, and looks it. She has two kids, a husband, stability. But her attitude is immature, her views are shallow. She swears like a kid who just discovered the f-word, overloads on red bull, and feeds her fragile ego by trying to bypass the lines at nightclubs. In many senses, she is the most immature character in the movie. Again, Apatow creates these contrasts and subtley gets at some really interesting truths through his humor - pretty cool for a comedy of this nature.
Katherine Heigl - I've never seen her act in anything else before Knocked Up, but she is instantly likable. As I said, she's a knockout, but she has that air of approachability, a slight sense of dorkiness that is very endearing. Heigl does a really great job here, no doubt. My one complaint is that her character is just a bit ... ambiguous. I never felt like I 100% got who she was, why she worked in television, why she was so quick to like and then love Rogan, who was so over the top in his loser-isms as I metioned above. I guess she almost HAD to be kind of this amorphous every-woman, or else it would have been too difficult to write her as a real match for Rogan. But there was never exactly that one moment where you were like "oh, okay, I see why they are clicking and why she falls for him."
While I did have a slight feeling of something being off about the central romance, in the end, I can't say enough about Knocked Up. How many comedies really make you think about life like this one does? From a laugh-ratio standpoint, Knocked Up knocks it out of the park - hilarious dialogue and that same funny-because-it's-true humor that Apatow brings to all his projects. Kudos to Rogan and the rest of this great ensemble for pulling this off with so much nuance and intelligence. Not perfect, but overall one of the best comedies you'll find.
My Grade: A-
KNOCKED UP Review:
- Right now, Judd Apatow has become something of an unlikely super-producer in Hollywood, and after seeing Knocked Up, it's very easy to understand why. The guy just gets comedy, in a way that many others out there now making these movies fail to grasp. Apatow always places a premium on character above all else, and his characters become fully realized thanks to a combination of great dialogue and great casting. When you take naturalistic, free-flowing dialogue and give it to relatable, talented actors not cut from the usual Hollywood cloth, you automatically have a winning formula, and Apatow has now perfected the art of taking the unremarkable and making it funny, sweet, and a step above the dumbed-down, condescending nature of the by-the-numbers comedy.
For me, it all comes back to the seminal Freaks and Geeks. It was one of those instantly magical shows that was so far above almost anything else on TV at the time, it's no big shock to see why then-network execs were simply clueless as to how to handle it. For me, it was one of those shows that I was so impressed with, that it instantly made me a fan of anyone involved with the show. Whenever anyone from the cast pops up on TV or film, I am happy to see one of the old Freaks and Geeks gang again (Arrested Development is another that falls into that category). And because of Freaks, and then Undeclared, I am forever interested in anything that bears the stamp of one of the show's creators, chief among them Apatow, who now seems to be the go-to guy for taking what COULD have been run-of-the-mill fare and giving it a unique, down-to-earth spin.
Such is the case with Knocked Up. This COULD have been crap, based on the somewhat gimmicky premise. But although it is, of course, a suspension of disbelief to see frumpy Seth Rogan with knockout Katherine Heigl, so much of the movie feels real and authentic that rarely are you left thinking "aww, that would never happen." Instead, we get a movie where every character, big and small, is drawn so naturalistically that you'll see something of your friends, your coworkers, your family, etc, in each of them. In Freaks and Geeks, part of the magic was that rather than being some glamorized Hollywood version of high school, it WAS high school. Here, again, this isn't really some candy-coated version of young adulthood - the humor isn't funny because its contrived, but because it rings true. All of the little asides about growing up, about friends, about family, about being forced into a situation with someone else under the most awkward of circumstances - all of that observational humor feels spot on, and this is where many of the film's funniest moments come into play.
The banter between Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan, particularly their mushoom-laced trip to Vegas. The scene where Heigl and her sister are unable to bypass the line for a nightclub, and chew out the doorman. Rogan and his roommates bantering about the merits of the Jewfro. Jonah Hill's Stephen Hawking impression. Katherine Wiig being passive aggressive. Rudd and Rogan bonding over DeNiro impressions.
These are among the many scenes that capture this film's style of humor so well - low-key, underplayed, the kind of banter that really occurs between people. And again, so much credit has to be given to this troup of actors. For one thing - Seth Rogan. He is one of those guys that has always been a standout, but who, really, expected him to carry a movie like he does here. Well, those of us who saw the classic Freaks ep where Rogan thinks he might be gay when he finds out his girlfriend is a hermaphrodite - WE knew how great he was. Rogan has that dry, stoner sense of humor, but he has an uncommon ability to elicit pathos as well. Watching him, he instantly feels like a guy you'd want to hang out with, and you really feel for him when things start to get crazy. If anything, Rogan makes his character her a bit TOO slovenly. In Knocked Up, the guy is not just an overweight slacker, but a total loser with no job, no money, and a tendency to blurt out inappropriate remarks, like when he tells Heigl's niece the meaning of the term "prick." I expected Rogan to play the shaggy everyman, but I admit, I was slightly surprised at how far out-there his character was. But don't get me wrong - this is a career-defining performance for Rogan, and he does an awesome job at being funny, empathetic, and multi-dimensional.
Rogan is surrounded by an awesome band of stoned-out misfits, many of them Apatow alums. It's great to see guys like Jason Segel, Martin Starr, and Jay Baruchel again. Segel in particular is hilarious as Rogan's right-hand man. Jonah Hill is another nice addition to the cast. You've gotta love these guys as they all feel legit. These are the guys who in college sat around getting high all day and then move into some house together, subsisting on Ramen and planning get-rich-quick schemes. You've met these guys, I've met these guys. And hey, even James Franco makes a funny appearance as himself, giving props to his Apatow roots.
Paul Rudd is one of those guys who I almost want not to like, just because so many people seem to blindly love him just because it's the cool thing to do. But what can I say - Paul Rudd is awesome. He's one of the funniest actors out there right now, someone who can do broad (Wet Hot American Summer), or, as with Knocked Up, he can play the everyman, the straight man, the put-upon married guy who really just wants to get away to meet with his fantasy baseball league. I also love the man-crush dynamic between Rogan and Rudd, and what their relationship reveals about Rudd's character. As with Freaks and Geeks, Apatow makes a great point about how these good-looking, seemingly-happy people who appear to have it all figured out can be just as miserable and directionless as anyone else. The parallel drawn between Rudd - who got married, had kids, and settled down in the traditional manner, and Rogan, who did everything ass-backwards but may have inadvertantly met the woman of his dreams, is handled really well. Both are equally on the verge of freaking out but for very different reasons.
Meanwhile, Leslie Mann almost steals the movie as Heigl's frustrated older sister. Her character is bitchy, whiny, a know-it-all, and obnoxious - not very likable at all - but I think that's the point. I think she kind of represents every guy's fear of what a woman might eventually become, and every woman's fear of what they are really like. I love the complexity of this character - like so many people I know, she is on the surface, all grown up. She is aging, and looks it. She has two kids, a husband, stability. But her attitude is immature, her views are shallow. She swears like a kid who just discovered the f-word, overloads on red bull, and feeds her fragile ego by trying to bypass the lines at nightclubs. In many senses, she is the most immature character in the movie. Again, Apatow creates these contrasts and subtley gets at some really interesting truths through his humor - pretty cool for a comedy of this nature.
Katherine Heigl - I've never seen her act in anything else before Knocked Up, but she is instantly likable. As I said, she's a knockout, but she has that air of approachability, a slight sense of dorkiness that is very endearing. Heigl does a really great job here, no doubt. My one complaint is that her character is just a bit ... ambiguous. I never felt like I 100% got who she was, why she worked in television, why she was so quick to like and then love Rogan, who was so over the top in his loser-isms as I metioned above. I guess she almost HAD to be kind of this amorphous every-woman, or else it would have been too difficult to write her as a real match for Rogan. But there was never exactly that one moment where you were like "oh, okay, I see why they are clicking and why she falls for him."
While I did have a slight feeling of something being off about the central romance, in the end, I can't say enough about Knocked Up. How many comedies really make you think about life like this one does? From a laugh-ratio standpoint, Knocked Up knocks it out of the park - hilarious dialogue and that same funny-because-it's-true humor that Apatow brings to all his projects. Kudos to Rogan and the rest of this great ensemble for pulling this off with so much nuance and intelligence. Not perfect, but overall one of the best comedies you'll find.
My Grade: A-
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