So today was the day that saw both Nintendo and Sony try to put their own stamps on E3 2008, following yesterday's pretty solid Microsoft press conferance. There's no question about it: Microsoft dropped THE bomb of E3 with its Final Fantasy announcement. Sure, now that the dust has settled a bit, it's a bit easier to put in perspective and to see that, while this is a blow to Sony, it's not necessarilly the end-all, be-all - the key difference between this and Square's defection from Nintendo in the 90's is that Sony will still be getting Final Fantasy - it's just that, this time, it will also be on XBOX. That being said, this is the type of game-changer that really does kind of signal the end of an era. Because the Playstation brand was built on the fact that Sony took all of Nintendo's old standbys - the likes of Square, Konami, Capcom, and the other big Japanese third parties - and quickly established the Playstation as THE true successor to Nintendo, as the dominant player in the console wars. The symbolism here is that Sony, who grew to completely monopolize the market with the PS2, no longer has that same cache. And while the PS3 could still potentially even things up with XBOX, it is most definitely a situation where the once-mighty Sony finds itself playing catch-up.
But there are a few things people often overlook about Sony. The first is - people (like me ...), well, we like Sony. The Playstation-dominated years were good ones for gamers, with some of the best and most innovative games ever released made available on the PS1 and PS2. Sony platforms introduced us to the likes of Resident Evil, Tekken, Soul Caliber, and Metal Gear Solid. They debuted Grand Theft Auto, Guitar Hero, Tomb Raider, and Kingdom Hearts. Sony itself evolved into a powerhouse publisher, and put out such classics as Ratchet and Clank, God of War, Parappa the Rapper, Twisted Metal, Crash Bandicoot, Syphon Filter, and Jak and Daxter. Sony helped make RPG's like Final Fantasy, Xenogears, and Suikoden mainstream - with Japanese translations at an all-time high and nich publishers like Atlus thriving alongside Playstation. And Sony helped usher in the age of DVD with the PS2.
I imagine a console world dominated by XBOX, and I don't like what I see. I see ultra-violent, ultra-realistic shooters like Halo and Gears of War supplanting games that are about imagination and wonder. I see a Western-dominated gaming world with little room for innovative Japanese publishers. Overall, the XBOX to me simply lacks style. It's design, it's aesthetic - it all feels created by committee. And in turn, the XBOX often seems to cater to lowest common denominator gamers. It's a console for people who love drab, soulless, PC-style games; not for those of us who grew up with the bright colors and fantastic worlds of Ninendo, Capcom, and Konami. That's why I root for Sony - I appreciate what they did with their position as leader of the console battle over the last 12 years, and more than any of the Big 3, I feel like they are still waving the flag of the true console gamers. Metal Gear Solid 4, God of War 3, Little Big Planet, Infamous, Uncharted, and Ratchet and Clank are proof of that.
What about Nintendo, you say? Well, today Nintendo had their chance to show that somewhere inside the halls of the nu-Nintendo, there still beat the heart of the Nintendo of old. They could have proven that the company that captivated a generation with the NES and Super NES, with an unprecendented pedigree of A-list games ... they could have proven that that company still exists. But I'm sorry to say, I am doubtful. At their press conference today, Nintendo did not show a single new blockbuster gaming IP. The big announcements all consisted of the same kind of gimmicky, peripheral-driven software that has thus far come to define the Wii. Wii Music, Wii Sports Resort. Big. Freakin'. Deal. Nintendo's sole announcement that seemed to show they remembered the third parties out there was that a version of Grand Theft Auto would be hitting the DS. And hey, I guess it's official - the DS is Nintendo's primary platform of this generation. The Wii is apparently just going to coast on its Apple-like manufactured cool, as legions of yuppies, grandmas, and non-gamers rush out to buy Wii Fit, so they can play with it for a few weeks and then stuff it in the closet next to the Beanie Babies and Tamgotchis.
So yeah, can't say Nintendo had a very impressive press conference. When Animal Crossing is your most A-list title on display ... well, not a good sign.
As for Sony, I thought they had a decent showing. A lot of their best stuff is still pretty far out. God of War III is reserved for sometime in '09. Infamous looks cool but I believe that's a ways off as well. That Massive Action Game title looked impressive, though not really my thing. DC Universe Online could potentially be awesome, but also, a bit too early to really tell. However, I am psyched for Little Big Planet - that could really be something special and it will see the light of day in '08. I think we all just want all the old-school Sony franchises to hurry up and come out on the PS3 already - but the truth is some of those are still a long way off.
That being said, the reality is Microsoft and Sony both only have a handful of exclusive killer apps at this point. The majority of the big games that most of us will play in '08 will be multiplatform and third party, so with that in mind it's hard to judge the success of either XBOX or Sony just on each company's own presser. In the meantime, there are TONS of huge titles on the way that will be on both systems in '08 or early '09 - Tomb Raider: Underworld, Sonic Unleashed, Bionic Commando, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Ghostbusters, Mirror's Edge, Soul Caliber, Street Fighter 4, Gutar Hero: World Tour, Rock Band 2, Fallout 3, and Resident Evil 5 - just to name a few.
Sony also launched it's Video Store - active as of right now. I browsed through it and was fairly impressed - clean, easy to navigate, already containing a decent selection of movies and TV shows, many in HD. As good as the XBOX Live Video Marketplace? Not yet. XBOX is still the clear leader when it comes to digital distribution and online community. Then again, PS3 has built-in wi-fi and free online play ... Also, still no clear launch date from Sony on Home - that is certainly one interesting wild card for Sony.
Meanwhile, the PSP is still getting some nice support from Sony. The new Resistance PSP game looked spectacular, and the fact that one can download a movie from the Playstation Store and then watch it on a TV OR PSP ... that's pretty cool. Since I got God of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy: Crisis Core, I've been loving the little Sony wondermachine. I was also happy to see Sony announce a Greatest Hits line for the PS3 - it's about time older games became available at a lowered price point.
The bottom line?
Sony had a pretty solid E3 showing, though its biggest guns like God of War are still a ways away. They are playing catch-up in many ways, and yet they have potential to be in great position in the next year or two. And in the meantime, a great lineup of third-party games will keep them competetive.
Nintendo had a poor E3. No "real" games of any kind announced, and it looks to be a looong wait for a new Mario, Zelda, or any other blockbuster franchise to finally surface on the Wii. It upsets me to think of what the Big N has become, and I have to wonder whether Wii sales will begin to taper off as consumers look to the horizon and don't see any true system-sellers on the way.
Microsoft though - I have to admit - they probably "won" E3. Securing Final Fantasy on XBOX was huge, and creates very few gaps in the XBOX software library. Microsoft's online announcements - from the deal with Netflix to its new UI and PrimeTime interactive gameshow lineup - showed some ideas with real, interesting potential. And though it probably isn't my particular cup of tea, I did think that Gears of War 2 looked spectacularly badass.
Of course, E3 is still ongoing and there may yet be a surprise or two still in the can. But that's where things stand as of now. It's exciting stuff - in what other industry is there this level of heated competition, and one upsmanship?
Alright - back tomorrow with more DARK KNIGHT.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
DARK KNIGHT Week Begins! First Up: THE GREATEST JOKER STORIES OF ALL-TIME
Man, this week and next are practically overflowing with fanboy=approved goodness. E3 kicked off today here in LA, and if you read my previous blog entry, you'll hear all about my trip to Microsoft's blockbuster E3 press conference. Already, the show is creating a ton of buzz, and we've still only heard from one of the Big Three. Meanwhile, next Thursday sees the start of the San Diego Comic-Con, in a year when finally, after 22 years, we will see the first glimpses of a WATCHMEN movie. That same weekend, a new X-FILES move will hit theaters, writing a new chapter in one of the most beloved television series of all time. And in between now and then? Hmm, I think there's ... something. Some little movie or something, can't quite remember the name ...
>Oh, yeah. THE DARK friggin' NIGHT.
Let's give a little context, shall we? I'll try to go with the short version ... In 1989, Tim Burton brought a startling vision of the Batman mythos to the screen - it was a gothic, fantastical film, one that created true Bat-Mania across the country and kicked off the first real, big-time, ultra-viable superhero movie franchise since the Superman films descended into self-parody. But soon, the same thing happened to Batman. Joel Schumacher got his hands on the franchise, and turned them into campy farce. Whereas at least the old Adam West series had a self-aware wit, these new Batman films were just plain awful - squandering actors like Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, and Uma Thurman, and plummeting the Batman film franchise to a critical and creative death.
Enter Christopher Nolan and BATMAN BEGINS. For years, rumors swirled about how the Batman franchise would be reinvented. Would there be a Batman 5 featuring the Scarecrow as the villain? Would Darren Aranofsky direct Batman: Year One? Would there be a film adaptation of Batman Beyond, or of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns? Instead, the reigns were handed over to Christopher Nolan, who had become an indie sensation thanks to his hypnotizing diectorial debut - Memento, and to David Goyer, who had helped ignite a modern comics-to-film rennaisance with his work on Marvel's BLADE films.
I still remember seeing the Batman Begins trailer for the first time - finally, THIS was the Batman film that we had been waiting for. It just felt right - it was dark, serious, moody, and most importantly, it felt respectful, reverant even, towards the hero's comic book origins. When I saw the movie, I was floored. Yes, the movie had flaws, but the shock of seeing a Batman film done so right, after the last few attempts were so wrong, was overwhelming. Christian Bale was nearly perfect as Bruce Wayne, and, finally, we got to see a film version of Bruce Wayne's journey to become the Bat.
But the kicker ... the kicker was that brilliant last scene, adapted faithfully from the epilogue of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Escalation, explained Jim Gordon, was occurring in Gotham's underworld. The villains were adapting to meet Batman's flair for the theatrical. There was a new guy, left a calling card, calling himself ... The Joker. I remember vividly the theater bursting into spontaneous applause at this reveal, and from that very second, the anticipation began to build for the next Batman, the movie that would transplant Christopher Nolan's dark vision on to one of fiction's most legendary villains. I know I've been waiting for this one with bated breath - like many, I consider to be Batman vs. The Joker to be the quintissential showdown of good vs. evil. Order vs. Chaos. Dark vs. Light. One man clinging to a sliver of sanity, the other a freakish nihilist who has completely given in to madness.
- In comics, The Joker is a character who has endured for decades, and to this day is one of the scariest and most effective villains not only in comics, but of all of fiction. It's no coincidence that some of the best Batman stories ever told have revolved around The Joker - the two are the ultimate yin and yang. What's more, the Joker's insanity and disregard for human life brings to light all the big moral questions that serve as the foundation of superhero comics. When is it okay to kill, if ever? Does a hero extend himself to save a villain's life, even if it means that surely more will die? Is a hero more closely linked to his worst villains than theyd like to admit? With a villain like Lex Luthor, it's more of a practical question of disrupting his latest scheme. But with the primal force that is The Joker, there is a more existential question at play - can Batman ever truly stop him without crossing that line, without becoming a villain himself? It's a question that looks to be addressed in THE DARK KNIGHT, and it sounds like it will be dealt with with all the complexity and shades of grey that such a weighty topic demands.
But before everyone gets caught up in praising the movie, let's take a moment to give kudos to the stories that made The Joker the legend that he is. And so here are ...
THE GREATEST JOKER STORIES OF ALL-TIME:
1. Batman: The Killing Joke
- Was there any other choice for #1? Alan Moore's dark and disturbing graphic novel was a pivotal story in the Batman mythos, as it saw The Joker shoot and paralyze Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl. But more importantly, this was a scary look inside the twisted psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime, with the most startling revelation being that maybe, just maybe, there wasn't as much separating him from the Batman as we thought. The final moments, in which the two blood enemies share a laugh, is a disturbing and memorable image that shows that all of us are capable of going slightly insane. And of course, the art, by Brian Bolland, is absolutely incredible. Bolland crafted perhaps the all-time, definitive image of The Joker.
2. The Dark Knight Returns (#3)
- Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns has a foreboding air of finality about it - it tells of an aged Batman coming out of retirement for one last go at cleaning up Gotham. It's inevitable, of course, that this broken-down Bat has one last, chilling encounter with his arch-nemesis. The irony of the classic showdown is, of course, that even as Batman has grown brutal and bitter to the point where he wouldn't mind snapping the Joker's neck, well, The Joker delivers the ultimate and final punchline.
3. Batman: Going Sane
- Here is an oft-overlooked story that was originally printed in serialized form in Legends of the Dark Knight, and has since been collected in trade paperback form. The premise is so intriguing though, that any Joker fan should seek it out immediately. Thinking that he's actually succeeded in killing the Batman, something snaps in the Joker's mind, and suddenly and jarringly, his madness recedes, and the Joker, shockingly, becomes sane. Reinventing himself as Joe Kerr, the former villain lives a normal life and even finds love. But slowly, the memories of the past horrors he's committed begin to resurface, and the question becomes: how long can the Joker stay sane before his madness once again takes hold? Very well written by J.M DeMatteis and well-illustrated by Joe Staton.
4. Batman: A Death In the Family
- The Joker has committed many terrible acts over the years, but none were more controversial than the time he, well, killed Robin. While this 1980's storyline gained buzz for its inclusion of a 1-900 number, allowing readers to dial in and vote whether the second Robin, Jason Todd, should live or die, the fact is that this is a very well-done storyline that truly highlights just how personal things can be between Batman and the Joker. It's also a great morality play that asks just how far Batman is willing to go to take down his nemesis.
5. Batman: The Man Who Laughs
- A great companion piece to Batman: Year One, Ed Brubaker's story of the first-ever meeting between Batman and The Joker is well-written and very relevant to THE DARK KNIGHT, as there will surely be some elements of the film that borrow from this one-shot graphic novel. Brubaker, one of the best modern writers of Batman, manages to write a gritty tale that shows how Batman transitions from dealing with mobsters and crooks to a full-blown maniac like The Joker. It's that whole escalation thing ...
6. Batman: No Man's Land (Volume 5)
- No Man's Land was a long and epic storyline that saw Gotham City cut off from the rest of the country following a devastating quake. In the absence of law and order, the city descends into anarchy, forcing an absent Batman to return to take back his city piece by piece. For me, what truly cemented No Man's Land as a modern classic were the final few chapters, in which a waiting-in-the-wings Joker makes his final play for chaos, even as Batman is on the verge of at last restoring some order to the city. The climax sees the Joker claiming yet another victim close to Bruce Wayne - Police Lieutenant Sarah Essen Gordon - the wife of Commisioner Gordon. When Batman confronts the Joker, intent on making him pay for his crimes, the reaction of Jim Gordon is one of the greatest moments in modern Batman comics. I'll be keeping an eye out for it in THE DARK KNIGHT, because it's too good of a scene for them not to use.
7. The Joker's Five Way Revenge
- When first created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and artist Jerry Robinson, The Joker was a creepy criminal whose look was inspired by Conrad Veidt's film "The Man Who Laughs." OVer time though, thanks to the campy 60's TV series and some of that era's goofier stories, The Joker, like Batman, was played more for laughs than for chills. But in the 70's, writer Denny O'Neil and legendary artist Neil Adams brought Batman back to his dark, pulp-fiction roots. They created new villains like Ra's Al Ghul, and, they reinvented the Joker as a cold-blooded killer - making him once again a darker antagonist, suitable for darker times. The Joker's Five Way revenge, a classic story that reintroduces The Joker to his dark side, marked a turning point in the character's history.
8. The Laughing Fish
- Following O'Neil and Adams, the iconic team of Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers further transitioned Batman from caped crusader to Dark Knight Detective. In doing so, they crafted one of the all-time great Joker stories, which was later paid homage to by Batman: The Animated Series - the case of the Laughing Fish. The story is a classic - The Joker uses his toxins to create a new breed of smiling fish, and then attempts to trademark the unique animals. Upset that he is denied legal ownership, the Joker decides to simply kill all of the annoying bueraucrats who would deny him his rightful profits. Along with Five Way Revenge, this is another defininf story that established the Joker as the twisted killer that modern readers love to hate.
9. Batman: Lovers and Madmen
- This recent story, printed in the Batman: Confidential comic book, drew a lot of flack at first because it had the audacity to contradict a few of the plot points from Alan Moore's revered The Killing Joke. At first, I was among the skeptics. But I stuck with the story, from Heroes writer Michael Green, and soon found myself surprised - this was actually one hell of a Joker story - a sharply written, darkly horrific origin tale that shows how a small time thug known as The Red Hood was transformed into the insane criminal mastermind known as The Joker. It's an excellent read, depicting one of the scariest and most twisted versions of the character I've ever read.
10. Batman: Mad Love
- In his role as the guiding creative force behind Batman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini crafted some of the best modern Joker stories ever told, each brilliantly voiced by Mark Hamill. One of Dini's most lasting creations was of course Harley Quinn - the Joker's right-hand woman who started off as a prison psychologist sent to analyze the Joker, but who soon found herself madly in love with him. Harley's descent into love-fueled madness was chronicled in the comic book Mad Love, written by Dini, and it became an instant classic upon release - a look at how The Joker represents an idealized, almost seductive vision of chaos and anarchy. It's a brilliant tale of psycho clown killers and the women who love them.
11. Knightfall (parts 5 to 9)
- Knightfall isn't really about The Joker, and that's what makes the Joker's role in the story all the more intense and compelling - knowing that the Joker, of all people, is actually only a warm-up for an even more terrifying villain lying in wait ... well, if that's the case then things aren't looking so hot for Batman. Knightfall, of course, is about the villain Bane, a cunning strategist obsessed with breaking The Bat. Bane engineers a prison break at Arkham Asylum, unleashing all of Batman's greatest foes at once. Bruce Wayne, already near exhaustion, must push himself to the brink in order to take down the escaped villains one by one, all the while knowing that Bane is waiting in the wings. As Batman nears his breaking point, he finds himself confronted with a Joker-Scarecrow team, who have kidnapped Gotham's mayor and who have plans to unleash hell upon the city. In his weakened and desperate state, Batman's brutal confrontation with The Joker takes on a truly epic tone. As Batman pummels him, remembering that this is the same vile person who murdered Jason Todd, Batman cannot help but scream in rage: "Jason! JASON! JASOOON!" Talk about intense.
12. Gotham Central: Soft Targets
- Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker's late, great Gotham Central series provided a fascinating look into the gritty world of the Gotham City P.D., giving a man-on-the-street perspective to the craziness that living in a town that Batman calls home surely entails. Due to its realistic and adult tone, Gotham Central's take on a Joker killing spree was made all the more eerie and unsettling. Since Christopher Nolan brings that same sort of grounded, rooted-in-reality vibe to his Batman films, checking out this trade paperback could be a perfect primer for THE DARK KNIGHT.
13. Robin: The Joker's Wild
- Even though Jason Todd, aka Robin II, was killed by The Joker, Batman eventually took on a new apprentice - Tim Drake - who went on to become the third person to go by the name of Robin. Molded by prolific writer Chuck Dixon, scrappy computer-hacker Tim Drake quickly became a fan-favorite. Shortly after he became Robin, Tim found himself forced to take on the man who killed his predecessor - The Joker. Dixon does a great job of building up the threat of the Joker, to the point where we really wonder how this novice Robin has a chance in hell of surviving their run-in. But we also see the interesting effect of The Joker having to face a hero who, seemingly, he had already killed.
14. Superman: Emperor Joker
- As this Superman epic began, the story was actually titled Emperor ??? - the identity of the mastermind behind the tale's strange events was kept a mystery from fans, and so the eventual reveal was quite the stunner. Te end result was one of the more memorable Superman stories of the last several years - as the Man of Steel finds himself in a remade universe, one where hallucinatory, Alice-In-Wonderland logic rules the day and where nothing is as it seems. It turns out that this new reality is actually the manifestation of the will of The Joker - the villain has somehow tapped into the cosmic power of the otherdimensional Mr. Mxyzptlk, and remade the universe in his image. It's a fun, mind-bending adventure, and a strange look inside the mind of The Joker.
15. Showcase '94 - King Joker
- Here's a little underrated gem - a psychedellic, two-part story from DC's 90's-era anthology series, Showcase (itself a revised version of the classic Showcase series from decades past). In this story, we actually take a dark and disturbing trip inside the fractured mind of The Joker, where we see him as he sees himself - a fallen king eternally at battle with a strange Bat-god, locked in a neverending war, The Joker the victim of the Bat's cruelty and reign of terror. I read this one a long time ago, but its evocative imagery and poetic style has stayed with me all these years. Creepy.
16. Legends of the Dark Knight #50
- Featuring a classic cover of The Joker and a grinning cheshire cat, this story saw legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neal celebrate LOTDK's landmark 50th issue by coming in to pen a tale of Batman's first ever meeting with The Joker. While this story would be retold again by Ed Brubaker in "The Man Who Laughs," and again by Michael Green in "Lovers and Madmen," O'Neil's version is short, to the point, and features an ironic twist. The way he tells it, Batman at first severely underestimates The Joker, never realizing quite what a threat the man truly is. In fact, the issue ends with a strangely optimistic Batman speculating that he doubts he'll ever tangle with the Joker again - an ominously ironic ending that foreshadows the legendary rivalry yet to form between the two.
17. Action Comics #719 - Hazard's Choice
- Here is a somewhat controversial Superman story that nonetheless is one of the most memorable single-issues of Action Comics from the 1990's. I still remember reading it as a kid and pondering the questions it raised for days on end. In the story, the Joker poisons Lois Lane, and tells Superman that the only way to save her life is to kill him. I forget the exact mechanism, but somehow, killing The Joker would produce an antidote that would revive Superman's one true love. Astonishingly, Superman REFUSES to kill the Joker, thinking that doing so would compromise eveything he stands for. It's one of those classic superhero morality plays, even if it stretches the limits of credibility. At some point, you'd have to think that Superman, Batman, or just some angry cop would've offed the guy by now.
18. Knightquest: The Crusade - Detective Comics #'s 671-673 - The Death of Batman
- Speaking of someone finally offing The Joker, in the mid 90's, Bruce Wayne was crippled by Bane and replaced by Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azrael, who became increasingly ruthless as the Batman, going so far as to murder villains in cold blood. Throughout Knightquest: The Crusade, we see Jean-Paul confront many of Batman's classic villains, and see how each reacts to a Batman who clearly isn't the same guy they've formed they'd come to know and hate. Perhaps Az-Bats' most interesting encounter was with The Joker, who of course has that almost symbiotic relationship with Batman. To the Joker, there were certain rules that he and Batman played by, and he knew that no matter how vile his crimes were, he would get apprehended and thrown back into Arkham Asylum - but nothing more severe than that. But with Azrael all but prepared to slice the Joker's throat, we get a very interesting confrontation that puts the usual Batman-Joker dynamic in a fresh light.
19. Detective Comics #826 - Slay Ride
- Only a few months ago, Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini turned in an issue of Detective Comics that many were quick to call an instant-classic ... and I tend to agree. This done-in-one issue sees Robin, on a routine patrol, get snatched up by a maniacal Joker and taken on a madcap roller-coaster ride through Gotham, as Batman desperately tries to figure out a way to help his abducted partner. Dini always writes an awesome Joker, but the pace and tension in this issue is remarkable, the sense of danger, the tangible, you-are-there feeling of being trapped in a car with a homicidal clown.
20. The Joker: Devil's Advocate
- Here's another story that has its flaws, but presents a highly intriguing premise that is anther example of how The Joker often presents Batman with the toughest - and strangest - of moral choices. In this Chuck Dixon-penned graphic novel, the Joker's insanity plea is no longer deemed valid, and the clown prince of crime is actually given the death penalty following his latest murderous crime spree. At first, Batman resigns himself to accepting that the Joker should pay for his crimes - that is, until he finds out that this happens to be the one time that the Joker is innocent of the charges. Will Batman use his knowledge to save the Joker's life? An interesting and thought-provoking story.
Annnnnnd finally, as a bonus:
SOME REALLY STRANGE JOKER MOMENTS:
1. The Joker Sells His Soul to Satan - For Cuban Cigars! - Underworld Unleashed
- Yep, during DC's Underworld Unleashed storyline, the demon Neron recruits the world's most evil villains to his Inner Circle - and each has bargained to receive some long-desired gift in echange for their very soul. While some asked for power, others for health, and others for wealth, the Joker was all to happy to dance with the devil. All he asked for in return was a box of cigars - Cuban, of course.
2. Don't Drop the Soap in Arkham Asylum! - Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
- In Dan Slott's entertainingly twisted miniseries, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, we see the traumatic effect that being thrown in Gotham's local home for the criminally insane can have on a relatively normal, two-bit criminal. Suffice it to say, any place where one might drop the soap, only to look up and see a cackling Joker looking down at you, is surely a place where nighmares become reality. Yikes.
Alright - that's all for now. Back soon with more DARK KNIGHT WEEK!
>Oh, yeah. THE DARK friggin' NIGHT.
Let's give a little context, shall we? I'll try to go with the short version ... In 1989, Tim Burton brought a startling vision of the Batman mythos to the screen - it was a gothic, fantastical film, one that created true Bat-Mania across the country and kicked off the first real, big-time, ultra-viable superhero movie franchise since the Superman films descended into self-parody. But soon, the same thing happened to Batman. Joel Schumacher got his hands on the franchise, and turned them into campy farce. Whereas at least the old Adam West series had a self-aware wit, these new Batman films were just plain awful - squandering actors like Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, and Uma Thurman, and plummeting the Batman film franchise to a critical and creative death.
Enter Christopher Nolan and BATMAN BEGINS. For years, rumors swirled about how the Batman franchise would be reinvented. Would there be a Batman 5 featuring the Scarecrow as the villain? Would Darren Aranofsky direct Batman: Year One? Would there be a film adaptation of Batman Beyond, or of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns? Instead, the reigns were handed over to Christopher Nolan, who had become an indie sensation thanks to his hypnotizing diectorial debut - Memento, and to David Goyer, who had helped ignite a modern comics-to-film rennaisance with his work on Marvel's BLADE films.
I still remember seeing the Batman Begins trailer for the first time - finally, THIS was the Batman film that we had been waiting for. It just felt right - it was dark, serious, moody, and most importantly, it felt respectful, reverant even, towards the hero's comic book origins. When I saw the movie, I was floored. Yes, the movie had flaws, but the shock of seeing a Batman film done so right, after the last few attempts were so wrong, was overwhelming. Christian Bale was nearly perfect as Bruce Wayne, and, finally, we got to see a film version of Bruce Wayne's journey to become the Bat.
But the kicker ... the kicker was that brilliant last scene, adapted faithfully from the epilogue of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Escalation, explained Jim Gordon, was occurring in Gotham's underworld. The villains were adapting to meet Batman's flair for the theatrical. There was a new guy, left a calling card, calling himself ... The Joker. I remember vividly the theater bursting into spontaneous applause at this reveal, and from that very second, the anticipation began to build for the next Batman, the movie that would transplant Christopher Nolan's dark vision on to one of fiction's most legendary villains. I know I've been waiting for this one with bated breath - like many, I consider to be Batman vs. The Joker to be the quintissential showdown of good vs. evil. Order vs. Chaos. Dark vs. Light. One man clinging to a sliver of sanity, the other a freakish nihilist who has completely given in to madness.
- In comics, The Joker is a character who has endured for decades, and to this day is one of the scariest and most effective villains not only in comics, but of all of fiction. It's no coincidence that some of the best Batman stories ever told have revolved around The Joker - the two are the ultimate yin and yang. What's more, the Joker's insanity and disregard for human life brings to light all the big moral questions that serve as the foundation of superhero comics. When is it okay to kill, if ever? Does a hero extend himself to save a villain's life, even if it means that surely more will die? Is a hero more closely linked to his worst villains than theyd like to admit? With a villain like Lex Luthor, it's more of a practical question of disrupting his latest scheme. But with the primal force that is The Joker, there is a more existential question at play - can Batman ever truly stop him without crossing that line, without becoming a villain himself? It's a question that looks to be addressed in THE DARK KNIGHT, and it sounds like it will be dealt with with all the complexity and shades of grey that such a weighty topic demands.
But before everyone gets caught up in praising the movie, let's take a moment to give kudos to the stories that made The Joker the legend that he is. And so here are ...
THE GREATEST JOKER STORIES OF ALL-TIME:
1. Batman: The Killing Joke
- Was there any other choice for #1? Alan Moore's dark and disturbing graphic novel was a pivotal story in the Batman mythos, as it saw The Joker shoot and paralyze Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl. But more importantly, this was a scary look inside the twisted psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime, with the most startling revelation being that maybe, just maybe, there wasn't as much separating him from the Batman as we thought. The final moments, in which the two blood enemies share a laugh, is a disturbing and memorable image that shows that all of us are capable of going slightly insane. And of course, the art, by Brian Bolland, is absolutely incredible. Bolland crafted perhaps the all-time, definitive image of The Joker.2. The Dark Knight Returns (#3)
- Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns has a foreboding air of finality about it - it tells of an aged Batman coming out of retirement for one last go at cleaning up Gotham. It's inevitable, of course, that this broken-down Bat has one last, chilling encounter with his arch-nemesis. The irony of the classic showdown is, of course, that even as Batman has grown brutal and bitter to the point where he wouldn't mind snapping the Joker's neck, well, The Joker delivers the ultimate and final punchline.3. Batman: Going Sane
- Here is an oft-overlooked story that was originally printed in serialized form in Legends of the Dark Knight, and has since been collected in trade paperback form. The premise is so intriguing though, that any Joker fan should seek it out immediately. Thinking that he's actually succeeded in killing the Batman, something snaps in the Joker's mind, and suddenly and jarringly, his madness recedes, and the Joker, shockingly, becomes sane. Reinventing himself as Joe Kerr, the former villain lives a normal life and even finds love. But slowly, the memories of the past horrors he's committed begin to resurface, and the question becomes: how long can the Joker stay sane before his madness once again takes hold? Very well written by J.M DeMatteis and well-illustrated by Joe Staton.4. Batman: A Death In the Family
- The Joker has committed many terrible acts over the years, but none were more controversial than the time he, well, killed Robin. While this 1980's storyline gained buzz for its inclusion of a 1-900 number, allowing readers to dial in and vote whether the second Robin, Jason Todd, should live or die, the fact is that this is a very well-done storyline that truly highlights just how personal things can be between Batman and the Joker. It's also a great morality play that asks just how far Batman is willing to go to take down his nemesis.5. Batman: The Man Who Laughs
- A great companion piece to Batman: Year One, Ed Brubaker's story of the first-ever meeting between Batman and The Joker is well-written and very relevant to THE DARK KNIGHT, as there will surely be some elements of the film that borrow from this one-shot graphic novel. Brubaker, one of the best modern writers of Batman, manages to write a gritty tale that shows how Batman transitions from dealing with mobsters and crooks to a full-blown maniac like The Joker. It's that whole escalation thing ...6. Batman: No Man's Land (Volume 5)
- No Man's Land was a long and epic storyline that saw Gotham City cut off from the rest of the country following a devastating quake. In the absence of law and order, the city descends into anarchy, forcing an absent Batman to return to take back his city piece by piece. For me, what truly cemented No Man's Land as a modern classic were the final few chapters, in which a waiting-in-the-wings Joker makes his final play for chaos, even as Batman is on the verge of at last restoring some order to the city. The climax sees the Joker claiming yet another victim close to Bruce Wayne - Police Lieutenant Sarah Essen Gordon - the wife of Commisioner Gordon. When Batman confronts the Joker, intent on making him pay for his crimes, the reaction of Jim Gordon is one of the greatest moments in modern Batman comics. I'll be keeping an eye out for it in THE DARK KNIGHT, because it's too good of a scene for them not to use.7. The Joker's Five Way Revenge
- When first created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and artist Jerry Robinson, The Joker was a creepy criminal whose look was inspired by Conrad Veidt's film "The Man Who Laughs." OVer time though, thanks to the campy 60's TV series and some of that era's goofier stories, The Joker, like Batman, was played more for laughs than for chills. But in the 70's, writer Denny O'Neil and legendary artist Neil Adams brought Batman back to his dark, pulp-fiction roots. They created new villains like Ra's Al Ghul, and, they reinvented the Joker as a cold-blooded killer - making him once again a darker antagonist, suitable for darker times. The Joker's Five Way revenge, a classic story that reintroduces The Joker to his dark side, marked a turning point in the character's history.8. The Laughing Fish
- Following O'Neil and Adams, the iconic team of Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers further transitioned Batman from caped crusader to Dark Knight Detective. In doing so, they crafted one of the all-time great Joker stories, which was later paid homage to by Batman: The Animated Series - the case of the Laughing Fish. The story is a classic - The Joker uses his toxins to create a new breed of smiling fish, and then attempts to trademark the unique animals. Upset that he is denied legal ownership, the Joker decides to simply kill all of the annoying bueraucrats who would deny him his rightful profits. Along with Five Way Revenge, this is another defininf story that established the Joker as the twisted killer that modern readers love to hate.9. Batman: Lovers and Madmen
- This recent story, printed in the Batman: Confidential comic book, drew a lot of flack at first because it had the audacity to contradict a few of the plot points from Alan Moore's revered The Killing Joke. At first, I was among the skeptics. But I stuck with the story, from Heroes writer Michael Green, and soon found myself surprised - this was actually one hell of a Joker story - a sharply written, darkly horrific origin tale that shows how a small time thug known as The Red Hood was transformed into the insane criminal mastermind known as The Joker. It's an excellent read, depicting one of the scariest and most twisted versions of the character I've ever read.10. Batman: Mad Love
- In his role as the guiding creative force behind Batman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini crafted some of the best modern Joker stories ever told, each brilliantly voiced by Mark Hamill. One of Dini's most lasting creations was of course Harley Quinn - the Joker's right-hand woman who started off as a prison psychologist sent to analyze the Joker, but who soon found herself madly in love with him. Harley's descent into love-fueled madness was chronicled in the comic book Mad Love, written by Dini, and it became an instant classic upon release - a look at how The Joker represents an idealized, almost seductive vision of chaos and anarchy. It's a brilliant tale of psycho clown killers and the women who love them.11. Knightfall (parts 5 to 9)
- Knightfall isn't really about The Joker, and that's what makes the Joker's role in the story all the more intense and compelling - knowing that the Joker, of all people, is actually only a warm-up for an even more terrifying villain lying in wait ... well, if that's the case then things aren't looking so hot for Batman. Knightfall, of course, is about the villain Bane, a cunning strategist obsessed with breaking The Bat. Bane engineers a prison break at Arkham Asylum, unleashing all of Batman's greatest foes at once. Bruce Wayne, already near exhaustion, must push himself to the brink in order to take down the escaped villains one by one, all the while knowing that Bane is waiting in the wings. As Batman nears his breaking point, he finds himself confronted with a Joker-Scarecrow team, who have kidnapped Gotham's mayor and who have plans to unleash hell upon the city. In his weakened and desperate state, Batman's brutal confrontation with The Joker takes on a truly epic tone. As Batman pummels him, remembering that this is the same vile person who murdered Jason Todd, Batman cannot help but scream in rage: "Jason! JASON! JASOOON!" Talk about intense.12. Gotham Central: Soft Targets
- Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker's late, great Gotham Central series provided a fascinating look into the gritty world of the Gotham City P.D., giving a man-on-the-street perspective to the craziness that living in a town that Batman calls home surely entails. Due to its realistic and adult tone, Gotham Central's take on a Joker killing spree was made all the more eerie and unsettling. Since Christopher Nolan brings that same sort of grounded, rooted-in-reality vibe to his Batman films, checking out this trade paperback could be a perfect primer for THE DARK KNIGHT.13. Robin: The Joker's Wild
- Even though Jason Todd, aka Robin II, was killed by The Joker, Batman eventually took on a new apprentice - Tim Drake - who went on to become the third person to go by the name of Robin. Molded by prolific writer Chuck Dixon, scrappy computer-hacker Tim Drake quickly became a fan-favorite. Shortly after he became Robin, Tim found himself forced to take on the man who killed his predecessor - The Joker. Dixon does a great job of building up the threat of the Joker, to the point where we really wonder how this novice Robin has a chance in hell of surviving their run-in. But we also see the interesting effect of The Joker having to face a hero who, seemingly, he had already killed.14. Superman: Emperor Joker
- As this Superman epic began, the story was actually titled Emperor ??? - the identity of the mastermind behind the tale's strange events was kept a mystery from fans, and so the eventual reveal was quite the stunner. Te end result was one of the more memorable Superman stories of the last several years - as the Man of Steel finds himself in a remade universe, one where hallucinatory, Alice-In-Wonderland logic rules the day and where nothing is as it seems. It turns out that this new reality is actually the manifestation of the will of The Joker - the villain has somehow tapped into the cosmic power of the otherdimensional Mr. Mxyzptlk, and remade the universe in his image. It's a fun, mind-bending adventure, and a strange look inside the mind of The Joker.15. Showcase '94 - King Joker
- Here's a little underrated gem - a psychedellic, two-part story from DC's 90's-era anthology series, Showcase (itself a revised version of the classic Showcase series from decades past). In this story, we actually take a dark and disturbing trip inside the fractured mind of The Joker, where we see him as he sees himself - a fallen king eternally at battle with a strange Bat-god, locked in a neverending war, The Joker the victim of the Bat's cruelty and reign of terror. I read this one a long time ago, but its evocative imagery and poetic style has stayed with me all these years. Creepy.16. Legends of the Dark Knight #50
- Featuring a classic cover of The Joker and a grinning cheshire cat, this story saw legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neal celebrate LOTDK's landmark 50th issue by coming in to pen a tale of Batman's first ever meeting with The Joker. While this story would be retold again by Ed Brubaker in "The Man Who Laughs," and again by Michael Green in "Lovers and Madmen," O'Neil's version is short, to the point, and features an ironic twist. The way he tells it, Batman at first severely underestimates The Joker, never realizing quite what a threat the man truly is. In fact, the issue ends with a strangely optimistic Batman speculating that he doubts he'll ever tangle with the Joker again - an ominously ironic ending that foreshadows the legendary rivalry yet to form between the two.17. Action Comics #719 - Hazard's Choice
- Here is a somewhat controversial Superman story that nonetheless is one of the most memorable single-issues of Action Comics from the 1990's. I still remember reading it as a kid and pondering the questions it raised for days on end. In the story, the Joker poisons Lois Lane, and tells Superman that the only way to save her life is to kill him. I forget the exact mechanism, but somehow, killing The Joker would produce an antidote that would revive Superman's one true love. Astonishingly, Superman REFUSES to kill the Joker, thinking that doing so would compromise eveything he stands for. It's one of those classic superhero morality plays, even if it stretches the limits of credibility. At some point, you'd have to think that Superman, Batman, or just some angry cop would've offed the guy by now.18. Knightquest: The Crusade - Detective Comics #'s 671-673 - The Death of Batman
- Speaking of someone finally offing The Joker, in the mid 90's, Bruce Wayne was crippled by Bane and replaced by Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azrael, who became increasingly ruthless as the Batman, going so far as to murder villains in cold blood. Throughout Knightquest: The Crusade, we see Jean-Paul confront many of Batman's classic villains, and see how each reacts to a Batman who clearly isn't the same guy they've formed they'd come to know and hate. Perhaps Az-Bats' most interesting encounter was with The Joker, who of course has that almost symbiotic relationship with Batman. To the Joker, there were certain rules that he and Batman played by, and he knew that no matter how vile his crimes were, he would get apprehended and thrown back into Arkham Asylum - but nothing more severe than that. But with Azrael all but prepared to slice the Joker's throat, we get a very interesting confrontation that puts the usual Batman-Joker dynamic in a fresh light.19. Detective Comics #826 - Slay Ride
- Only a few months ago, Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini turned in an issue of Detective Comics that many were quick to call an instant-classic ... and I tend to agree. This done-in-one issue sees Robin, on a routine patrol, get snatched up by a maniacal Joker and taken on a madcap roller-coaster ride through Gotham, as Batman desperately tries to figure out a way to help his abducted partner. Dini always writes an awesome Joker, but the pace and tension in this issue is remarkable, the sense of danger, the tangible, you-are-there feeling of being trapped in a car with a homicidal clown.20. The Joker: Devil's Advocate
- Here's another story that has its flaws, but presents a highly intriguing premise that is anther example of how The Joker often presents Batman with the toughest - and strangest - of moral choices. In this Chuck Dixon-penned graphic novel, the Joker's insanity plea is no longer deemed valid, and the clown prince of crime is actually given the death penalty following his latest murderous crime spree. At first, Batman resigns himself to accepting that the Joker should pay for his crimes - that is, until he finds out that this happens to be the one time that the Joker is innocent of the charges. Will Batman use his knowledge to save the Joker's life? An interesting and thought-provoking story.Annnnnnd finally, as a bonus:
SOME REALLY STRANGE JOKER MOMENTS:
1. The Joker Sells His Soul to Satan - For Cuban Cigars! - Underworld Unleashed
- Yep, during DC's Underworld Unleashed storyline, the demon Neron recruits the world's most evil villains to his Inner Circle - and each has bargained to receive some long-desired gift in echange for their very soul. While some asked for power, others for health, and others for wealth, the Joker was all to happy to dance with the devil. All he asked for in return was a box of cigars - Cuban, of course.2. Don't Drop the Soap in Arkham Asylum! - Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
- In Dan Slott's entertainingly twisted miniseries, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, we see the traumatic effect that being thrown in Gotham's local home for the criminally insane can have on a relatively normal, two-bit criminal. Suffice it to say, any place where one might drop the soap, only to look up and see a cackling Joker looking down at you, is surely a place where nighmares become reality. Yikes.Alright - that's all for now. Back soon with more DARK KNIGHT WEEK!
Finally - Danny Goes to E3!!! (Sort of ...)
One thing I've always wanted to do: attend E3. For years, since I was a kid, I've always breathlessly followed all the news and happenings from the annual gaming summit, ingesting all the latest info on the big games that would rock the industry and have fandom salivating over the next several months. Now, E3 is kind of a shell of its old self. Sure, there's still plenty of big announcements that come out of the show each year, and there are still plenty of big, blockbuster games shown. But the show, from all accounts, has lost a lot of the glitz and glamour of its heyday - no more monstrous booths, bigtime movie stars, or theme=park like attractions that are open not just to industry insiders, but to the public as well. E3 now is pretty closed-door, more bare-bones, and a bit more low-key. But still, you can bet that when it comes to being THE place to hear the bigtime announcements about new games - E3 is still where it's at.
So while I didn't get an actual show-pass for this year's E3, through work I DID get to go to Microsoft's huge XBOX press conference. Traditionally, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo each hold huge press events during the show - and this is where they drop all the big bombs and showcase their new products.
---- Of course, the reason we are now in-like-Flynn with Microsoft is that, as of RIGHT NOW, you can turn on your XBOX and download all the best NBC, SciFi, and USA TV shows, as well as a ton of movies from Universal Pictures. The Office, Heroes, 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Monk, The Big Lebowski, and The Bourn Ultimatum. On XBOX Live. Right now, baby. We even had a big announcement at Microsoft's press conference, complete with slickly-produced sizzle-reel. Not bad. So again, if you own an XBOX, log on ASAP and get to downloadin'. ----
But wow, even if the glitz and glamor of the old E3 is apparently a thing of the past, you wouldn't know it from the press conference. Microsoft pulled out all the stops - they started things off with demos of some of the biggest games for 08 and 09 - Fable 2, Fallout 3, RESIDENT EVIL 5, and of course Gears of War 2. They then talked about some of the more family-oriented stuff - a new movie-maker game, Rare's long-awated Banjo-Kazooie sequel, the latest versions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and a new kareoke game, Lips, that will allow you to sing along to any song you sync up with an iPod (or Zune, of course). There was also a whole new UI upgrade that has Mii-like Avatars, a new game-show live channel that allows you to log on and compete live in Deal or No Deal, 1 vs. 100, etc against other players for real prizes, and a ton of new XBLA games. Of course there was our NBCU announcement, a new deal with Netflix ...
... and oh yeah, to demonstrate that karaeoke game, Lips, pop singer Duffy came on stage and sang that hit song of hers. You know the one: "You got me begging you for mercy. Yeah ... yeah ... yeah." Pretty cool! It was also interesting to see how well she scored by singing her own song - she did do pretty darn well but missed a note or two! So yeah, a little rock n' roll was a fun addition to the show ...
... but then, the BIG gun was unleashed. I knew SOMETHING was up when Square Enix came on stage to close out the event - why save them for last unless something big was a-brewin'? Square went through the list of its upcoming titles for XBOX, mostly cool-looking but still somewhat second-tier titles that had been previously announced ... Star Ocean, Infinite Undiscovery, etc ...
... So, that's it right? Press conference over? Wait, the Square-Enix guy had one more thing to say, and oh man, it was announcement that would send shockwaves through fandom ...
... Amazing CGI footage begins to play set to a majestic soundtrack. Wait, could it be? More eye-melting footage - epic battles, amazing character-design, and that sweeping orchestral music ... and then, even before the familiar logo appeared, it was clear ...
FINAL FANTASY XIII - no longer exclusive to Sony - it would be released day-and-date on XBOX 360!
Wow.
That's a big one. That's like if NBC suddenly announced it had just snagged LOST from ABC. That is a twist that will change the face of the console wars. That's freaking huge. And yes, the Sony fanboy in me died a little when I saw that trailer. I still remember reading about how Final Fantasy 7 was switching from Nintendo to Sony consoles back in the day - and it was at that moment that I became a Playstation devotee. Sure, this time the game isn't so much jumping ship as much as it will be on TWO platforms instead of one. But wow, still, the Sony execs must be silently weeping right now. They had better have some bigtime reveals at their press conference tomorrow. I'm talking God of War 3-level huge. In any case, I think it's clear that the age of third party games being exclusive to one console are pretty much over. The first party games are what will differentiate the systems, and I think Sony can still feel pretty happy that it has the likes of Uncharted 2, Ratchet 2, God of War 3 , Little Big Planet, Infamous, etc. in its first-party arsenal. And you've got to think it's only a matter of time before we see Syphon Filter, Twisted Metal, et al.
But still ... wow. Pretty cool for my first ever E3 event! And yes, I remain a Sony loyalist at heart (an in wallet - after just having shelled out my hard-earned $$$ for a PS3) - but I still have got to plug the big MS ... go forth and download!
So while I didn't get an actual show-pass for this year's E3, through work I DID get to go to Microsoft's huge XBOX press conference. Traditionally, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo each hold huge press events during the show - and this is where they drop all the big bombs and showcase their new products.
---- Of course, the reason we are now in-like-Flynn with Microsoft is that, as of RIGHT NOW, you can turn on your XBOX and download all the best NBC, SciFi, and USA TV shows, as well as a ton of movies from Universal Pictures. The Office, Heroes, 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Monk, The Big Lebowski, and The Bourn Ultimatum. On XBOX Live. Right now, baby. We even had a big announcement at Microsoft's press conference, complete with slickly-produced sizzle-reel. Not bad. So again, if you own an XBOX, log on ASAP and get to downloadin'. ----
But wow, even if the glitz and glamor of the old E3 is apparently a thing of the past, you wouldn't know it from the press conference. Microsoft pulled out all the stops - they started things off with demos of some of the biggest games for 08 and 09 - Fable 2, Fallout 3, RESIDENT EVIL 5, and of course Gears of War 2. They then talked about some of the more family-oriented stuff - a new movie-maker game, Rare's long-awated Banjo-Kazooie sequel, the latest versions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and a new kareoke game, Lips, that will allow you to sing along to any song you sync up with an iPod (or Zune, of course). There was also a whole new UI upgrade that has Mii-like Avatars, a new game-show live channel that allows you to log on and compete live in Deal or No Deal, 1 vs. 100, etc against other players for real prizes, and a ton of new XBLA games. Of course there was our NBCU announcement, a new deal with Netflix ...
... and oh yeah, to demonstrate that karaeoke game, Lips, pop singer Duffy came on stage and sang that hit song of hers. You know the one: "You got me begging you for mercy. Yeah ... yeah ... yeah." Pretty cool! It was also interesting to see how well she scored by singing her own song - she did do pretty darn well but missed a note or two! So yeah, a little rock n' roll was a fun addition to the show ...
... but then, the BIG gun was unleashed. I knew SOMETHING was up when Square Enix came on stage to close out the event - why save them for last unless something big was a-brewin'? Square went through the list of its upcoming titles for XBOX, mostly cool-looking but still somewhat second-tier titles that had been previously announced ... Star Ocean, Infinite Undiscovery, etc ...
... So, that's it right? Press conference over? Wait, the Square-Enix guy had one more thing to say, and oh man, it was announcement that would send shockwaves through fandom ...
... Amazing CGI footage begins to play set to a majestic soundtrack. Wait, could it be? More eye-melting footage - epic battles, amazing character-design, and that sweeping orchestral music ... and then, even before the familiar logo appeared, it was clear ...
FINAL FANTASY XIII - no longer exclusive to Sony - it would be released day-and-date on XBOX 360!
Wow.
That's a big one. That's like if NBC suddenly announced it had just snagged LOST from ABC. That is a twist that will change the face of the console wars. That's freaking huge. And yes, the Sony fanboy in me died a little when I saw that trailer. I still remember reading about how Final Fantasy 7 was switching from Nintendo to Sony consoles back in the day - and it was at that moment that I became a Playstation devotee. Sure, this time the game isn't so much jumping ship as much as it will be on TWO platforms instead of one. But wow, still, the Sony execs must be silently weeping right now. They had better have some bigtime reveals at their press conference tomorrow. I'm talking God of War 3-level huge. In any case, I think it's clear that the age of third party games being exclusive to one console are pretty much over. The first party games are what will differentiate the systems, and I think Sony can still feel pretty happy that it has the likes of Uncharted 2, Ratchet 2, God of War 3 , Little Big Planet, Infamous, etc. in its first-party arsenal. And you've got to think it's only a matter of time before we see Syphon Filter, Twisted Metal, et al.
But still ... wow. Pretty cool for my first ever E3 event! And yes, I remain a Sony loyalist at heart (an in wallet - after just having shelled out my hard-earned $$$ for a PS3) - but I still have got to plug the big MS ... go forth and download!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Blogged By the B.R.P.D. - HELLBOY 2 - Reviewed!
HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY Review:
- As I sat smiling through most of Hellboy 2, over and over again, my mind was blown. With eye-melting visuals, one of the best ensemble casts ever in a superhero movie, and character and creature design that brings to mind the glory days of Jim Henson, Hellboy 2 is a movie that's hard not to love. It's a movie that doesn't give a crap about being mainstream, about being the #1 movie of the summer, or about being easily-digested and then disposed of like so many mindless and soulless popcorn flicks. Instead, this is a movie with vision - finally a blockbuster Guillermo del Toro film that doesn't feel compromised - this is del Toro unleashed and gone wild. This is a movie that celebrates its weirdness, revels in its out-there premise and characters, and pushes its stylization to the extremes. What a pleasure, to watch a comic book film that is every bit as strange, over the top, stylized, and thematically bold as its source material.
I have to start by praising the visuals. Inspired by the great, atmosphere-drenched art and stories of Mike Mignola, Hellboy 2 constantly astounds with its nonstop assault on the senses. Again, this is a film that isn't afraid to be unique with its look - and the result is del Toro unfiltered and uncensored. One of the first scenes in the movie is a fairy-tale story told in the style of a puppet show on acid. From that moment on, you know that you're in for a visual treat. Later on, Hellboy and co visit the Troll Market - a bustling, busy, and jam-packed place that is not quite like anything else ever put to screen. Rarely has a scene in a fantasy film felt so much like a storybook illustration brought to life. It's a scene that epitomizes the visual artistry on display here - in the Troll Market, as in the entire film, there are so many fantastic, strange, nightmarish creatures that it really almost becomes sensory overload. But most impressively, nothing in Hellboy 2 is generic. While other films simply rehash all the usual creature designs, jsut about every character here elicits oohs and aahs. Trolls with wooden carts for feet. Elves with deathly pale skin and a regal manner. Earth elementals with a kind of majestic deadliness. "Tooth Fairies" that swarm like locusts and devour their prey. Giant monsters with chain-hooks for hands, and steampunk shocktroops with the ability to reassemble themselves in the heat of battle. In Pan's Labrynth, del Toro astonished with his brief glimpses into a visually-arresting fantasy world. Here, there's no brief glimpses - the entire movie consists of the fantasy sequences from Pan's, only even more arresting, more imaginative. With Hellboy 2, Guillermo has once again established himself as the preeminent fantasy visionary in film today.
The visuals are not merely pretty but static pictures. Most of the creature and f/x work here comes in the context of a series of pretty amazing action scenes, some of the most fun action we've yet seen this summer. Superbly choreographed and imaginatively staged, the action here is graceful, fast, furious, and non-stop. And there are tons of individual moments that are just plain cool as hell. Hellboy going mano e mano with a chain-swinging giant troll named Wink. Abe Sapien skimming backwards over a puddle of water with amphibious ease in order to avoid a potentially-deadly attack. The spectral Johann Krauss inhabiting a row of lockers in order to give Hellboy a head-slamming beatdown. I could go on and on here ...
And then of course there's the cast. It's a cast that you've really got to love, because it isn't filled with name-brand, marquee movie stars. These are simply great character actors showing once again why they rock. I mean, what can you say about Ron Perlman? The guy is unbelievable - a true titan of cinema who has no qualms about immersing himself in makeup and costumes in order to fully inhabit whatever character he plays. Perlman IS Hellboy. It's a role only he could play and it's a role in which he thoroughly kicks ass. It's a total pleasure just watching Perlman as Red - there is just that undeniable, old-time movie magic in seeing an actor become this other creature as Perlman does with Hellboy. Likewise, Selma Blair is once again great as Liz Sherman, Hellboy's pyrokinetically-gifted main squeeze. Blair just brings something different to the table - the fact that she comes off as something of an outsider in real life translates to a feeling of authenticity when she plays an outsider like Liz. You buy her as someone who's a little off, maybe even a little depressed, but who trudges on because she's in love with a giant red demon from hell who may be the best man she'll ever know.
I want to make special mention of Doug Jones - he's simply awesome as Abe Sapien here, who really shines as the surprise star of the film. Jones reprises his role as the physical actor behind Abe, but this time also does his voice, as opposed to David Hyde Pierce, who voiced Abe in the first film. The result is that Abe feels more alive, more fleshed-out, more relatable than ever before. Thanks to awesome character-design, he's flat-out cool, but man, Abe has some really memorable scenes here. He and Hellboy drunkenly crooning love songs together is simply classic. And really, it's just amazing to watch Jones physically bring to life as alien a creature as Abe. The way he moves, speaks, like Perlman, Doug Jones 100% inhabits and becomes this otherworldy creature, and it's pretty darn remarkable to see in action.
Jeffrey Tambor, well come on, he's always great, and once again does a nice job as BRPD company man Tom Manning. John Hurt also returns with a nice flashback cameo - nice enough to cancel out his embarassing turn in Indy IV. One real standout though is Johann Krauss - a fascinating new character whose visual is stunning. Essentially, Krauss is a disembodied spirit kept intact inside a ventilated diving suit of sorts. He's also an uptight German BRPD official who quickly comes into conflict with the group's resident loose-cannon, Hellboy. Krauss is amusingly voiced by Family Guy's Seth McFarlane, who really does a nice job with his funny-yet-creepy German dialect. Definitely a standout. Meanwhile, Luke Goss is suitably theatrical as the main villain of the film - he's both evil and yet affectingly tragic - always the best kind of badguy. Anna Walton also does a nice job as his ethereal twin sister as well, and there are some nice moments as a strange sort of romance develops between her and Abe.
I guess the only question is - with Hellboy 2 having such spectacular visuals and such a great cast - well, what's keeping it from being a true classic, a true cinematic epic? I guess the fact is this: it's both to the movie's credit and its detriment that in the end, it's basically a fun and breezy action film. Sure, there's a lot of heart to be found - in the relationship between Hellboy and Liz, the friendship of Hellboy and Abe, etc. - but the movie, like Part 1, still in some ways comes off as more of a roller-coaster ride than as a true, gravitas-infused drama. A number of big themes are touched on, but never explored too deeply. There's Hellboy's feelings of detachment from humanity, his beauty-and-the-beast relationship with Liz, and this big, overarching theme of how people have buried fantasy and imagination in favor of normalcy and the mundane. It's all great stuff, worthy of exploration, but sometimes the film gets a little too interested in astounding us with its visuals so that it tends to lose focus when it comes to really doing a deep dive into the weightier, meatier stuff. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that a movie like Hellboy necessarilly needs to go there, but in the end, that lack of real gravitas in terms of plot and character is about the only thing that separates Hellboy from the true big guns - the Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, the Dark Knights ...
With that being said, Hellboy 2 is undoubtedly one of the great cinematic pleasures thus far in 2008. Just seeing a big action-fantasy film come out with this much imagination, this much style ... it's enough to make one reconsider the possibilities for what comic book movies, action movies, and just movies in general can be. Frankly, it's inspiring. It makes me realize that the spirit of people like Ray Harryhausen, Stan Winston, Jim Henson, and so many other pioneers of imagination lives on even in this age of CGI overload. So thanks Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and the rest - for daring to be different in a cinematic landscape where too few share that desire or ability. And here's hoping that Hellboy 2 kicks some tail at the box office this weekend, because man, I'd love to see No. 3.
My Grade: A-
- As I sat smiling through most of Hellboy 2, over and over again, my mind was blown. With eye-melting visuals, one of the best ensemble casts ever in a superhero movie, and character and creature design that brings to mind the glory days of Jim Henson, Hellboy 2 is a movie that's hard not to love. It's a movie that doesn't give a crap about being mainstream, about being the #1 movie of the summer, or about being easily-digested and then disposed of like so many mindless and soulless popcorn flicks. Instead, this is a movie with vision - finally a blockbuster Guillermo del Toro film that doesn't feel compromised - this is del Toro unleashed and gone wild. This is a movie that celebrates its weirdness, revels in its out-there premise and characters, and pushes its stylization to the extremes. What a pleasure, to watch a comic book film that is every bit as strange, over the top, stylized, and thematically bold as its source material.
I have to start by praising the visuals. Inspired by the great, atmosphere-drenched art and stories of Mike Mignola, Hellboy 2 constantly astounds with its nonstop assault on the senses. Again, this is a film that isn't afraid to be unique with its look - and the result is del Toro unfiltered and uncensored. One of the first scenes in the movie is a fairy-tale story told in the style of a puppet show on acid. From that moment on, you know that you're in for a visual treat. Later on, Hellboy and co visit the Troll Market - a bustling, busy, and jam-packed place that is not quite like anything else ever put to screen. Rarely has a scene in a fantasy film felt so much like a storybook illustration brought to life. It's a scene that epitomizes the visual artistry on display here - in the Troll Market, as in the entire film, there are so many fantastic, strange, nightmarish creatures that it really almost becomes sensory overload. But most impressively, nothing in Hellboy 2 is generic. While other films simply rehash all the usual creature designs, jsut about every character here elicits oohs and aahs. Trolls with wooden carts for feet. Elves with deathly pale skin and a regal manner. Earth elementals with a kind of majestic deadliness. "Tooth Fairies" that swarm like locusts and devour their prey. Giant monsters with chain-hooks for hands, and steampunk shocktroops with the ability to reassemble themselves in the heat of battle. In Pan's Labrynth, del Toro astonished with his brief glimpses into a visually-arresting fantasy world. Here, there's no brief glimpses - the entire movie consists of the fantasy sequences from Pan's, only even more arresting, more imaginative. With Hellboy 2, Guillermo has once again established himself as the preeminent fantasy visionary in film today.
The visuals are not merely pretty but static pictures. Most of the creature and f/x work here comes in the context of a series of pretty amazing action scenes, some of the most fun action we've yet seen this summer. Superbly choreographed and imaginatively staged, the action here is graceful, fast, furious, and non-stop. And there are tons of individual moments that are just plain cool as hell. Hellboy going mano e mano with a chain-swinging giant troll named Wink. Abe Sapien skimming backwards over a puddle of water with amphibious ease in order to avoid a potentially-deadly attack. The spectral Johann Krauss inhabiting a row of lockers in order to give Hellboy a head-slamming beatdown. I could go on and on here ...
And then of course there's the cast. It's a cast that you've really got to love, because it isn't filled with name-brand, marquee movie stars. These are simply great character actors showing once again why they rock. I mean, what can you say about Ron Perlman? The guy is unbelievable - a true titan of cinema who has no qualms about immersing himself in makeup and costumes in order to fully inhabit whatever character he plays. Perlman IS Hellboy. It's a role only he could play and it's a role in which he thoroughly kicks ass. It's a total pleasure just watching Perlman as Red - there is just that undeniable, old-time movie magic in seeing an actor become this other creature as Perlman does with Hellboy. Likewise, Selma Blair is once again great as Liz Sherman, Hellboy's pyrokinetically-gifted main squeeze. Blair just brings something different to the table - the fact that she comes off as something of an outsider in real life translates to a feeling of authenticity when she plays an outsider like Liz. You buy her as someone who's a little off, maybe even a little depressed, but who trudges on because she's in love with a giant red demon from hell who may be the best man she'll ever know.
I want to make special mention of Doug Jones - he's simply awesome as Abe Sapien here, who really shines as the surprise star of the film. Jones reprises his role as the physical actor behind Abe, but this time also does his voice, as opposed to David Hyde Pierce, who voiced Abe in the first film. The result is that Abe feels more alive, more fleshed-out, more relatable than ever before. Thanks to awesome character-design, he's flat-out cool, but man, Abe has some really memorable scenes here. He and Hellboy drunkenly crooning love songs together is simply classic. And really, it's just amazing to watch Jones physically bring to life as alien a creature as Abe. The way he moves, speaks, like Perlman, Doug Jones 100% inhabits and becomes this otherworldy creature, and it's pretty darn remarkable to see in action.
Jeffrey Tambor, well come on, he's always great, and once again does a nice job as BRPD company man Tom Manning. John Hurt also returns with a nice flashback cameo - nice enough to cancel out his embarassing turn in Indy IV. One real standout though is Johann Krauss - a fascinating new character whose visual is stunning. Essentially, Krauss is a disembodied spirit kept intact inside a ventilated diving suit of sorts. He's also an uptight German BRPD official who quickly comes into conflict with the group's resident loose-cannon, Hellboy. Krauss is amusingly voiced by Family Guy's Seth McFarlane, who really does a nice job with his funny-yet-creepy German dialect. Definitely a standout. Meanwhile, Luke Goss is suitably theatrical as the main villain of the film - he's both evil and yet affectingly tragic - always the best kind of badguy. Anna Walton also does a nice job as his ethereal twin sister as well, and there are some nice moments as a strange sort of romance develops between her and Abe.
I guess the only question is - with Hellboy 2 having such spectacular visuals and such a great cast - well, what's keeping it from being a true classic, a true cinematic epic? I guess the fact is this: it's both to the movie's credit and its detriment that in the end, it's basically a fun and breezy action film. Sure, there's a lot of heart to be found - in the relationship between Hellboy and Liz, the friendship of Hellboy and Abe, etc. - but the movie, like Part 1, still in some ways comes off as more of a roller-coaster ride than as a true, gravitas-infused drama. A number of big themes are touched on, but never explored too deeply. There's Hellboy's feelings of detachment from humanity, his beauty-and-the-beast relationship with Liz, and this big, overarching theme of how people have buried fantasy and imagination in favor of normalcy and the mundane. It's all great stuff, worthy of exploration, but sometimes the film gets a little too interested in astounding us with its visuals so that it tends to lose focus when it comes to really doing a deep dive into the weightier, meatier stuff. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that a movie like Hellboy necessarilly needs to go there, but in the end, that lack of real gravitas in terms of plot and character is about the only thing that separates Hellboy from the true big guns - the Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, the Dark Knights ...
With that being said, Hellboy 2 is undoubtedly one of the great cinematic pleasures thus far in 2008. Just seeing a big action-fantasy film come out with this much imagination, this much style ... it's enough to make one reconsider the possibilities for what comic book movies, action movies, and just movies in general can be. Frankly, it's inspiring. It makes me realize that the spirit of people like Ray Harryhausen, Stan Winston, Jim Henson, and so many other pioneers of imagination lives on even in this age of CGI overload. So thanks Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and the rest - for daring to be different in a cinematic landscape where too few share that desire or ability. And here's hoping that Hellboy 2 kicks some tail at the box office this weekend, because man, I'd love to see No. 3.
My Grade: A-
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Golden Age: Why HANCOCK Sucked and Why I Can't Wait For HELLBOY
And I'm back. Apologies for the lack of updates lately - it's been crazy at work this past week as we are working on a number of big things that will finally come together early next week. All I can say is this: if you're at all into videogames and/or new media, stay tuned on Monday morning!
Anyways ...
- I can't wait for HELLBOY 2. Seeing it tonight, and I can only hope that the film proves to be a resounding success at the box office. From the previews alone, the sheer amount of craftsmanship and imagination that went into the film's production is more than evident. Foregoing an excess of CGI for practical creature f/x, Hellboy 2 looks to be further proof that director Guillermo Del Toro is one of the real visionairies working in film today. I realize that a movie starring a red demon from hell and his band of mutant freaks is a tough sell to some demos, but I'm just glad that at least one comic book franchise isn't worried about toning things down and making things more palatable for a minstream audience. With Hellboy, the more out-there and outlandish, the better, and I love that this movie looks to embrace its stylized-fantasy roots rather than shy away from them. I also realize that the film could get somewhat swamped in the tidal wave of DARK KNIGHT hype, but it could also benefit as fanboys embrace it as a pre-Batman appetizer. I mean sure, DK is the main event, but I can't think of a better opening act. Stay tuned for a full Hellboy 2 review soon.
- And now I will talk about a movie that I wasn't really anticipating, and true to my expectations, it proved to be pretty underwhelming. And yet, the sad fact is that the movie made a lot of money - thanks to all the mindless drones who will line up to see pretty much any crapfest with Will Smith's name on it. And yes, I'm guilty of shelling out the $$$ for this one as well, but the reviews left me feeling really curious to see just how exactly this one went wrong. And went wrong is putting it mildly ... The movie I'm referring to, of course, is HANCOCK.
HANCOCK Review:
- Hancock is a case study in how a movie with a potentially interesting premise can go wrong. What could have been a goofy but fun summer movie instead becomes a complete mess of a film, wildly shifting in tone from one scene to another, with a script that changes its focus so many times that its hard to even describe the movie. The easy sell on Hancock is that it's a quirky, satirical take on the typical superhero story - imagine Superman if he was kind of an asshole who didn't really like helping people and had serious image and PR problems. Okay, that right there is nothing groundbreaking (numerous comic books have dealt with this scenario in the past), but hey, at least its a decent framework for a harmless and potentially funny popcorn flick. The problem with Hancock is that, as it opens, trying to be that goofy and harmless satire - it isn't funny. It isn't clever. And at some point, the producers of the film apparently realized this , because soon enough the movie stops TRYING to even be funny or cute, and decides, all of a sudden, to be a dark and brooding superhero film - complete with sex, violence, and a complex yet nonsensical backstory that comes off like the worst 90's-era Image comics crap one can imagine.
And let me just say - I honestly feel bad for any parent who took their kids to see Hancock thinking that it would be a fluffy Will Smith movie, as much of the marketing indicated. The fact is that that's just what the movie starts out as ... but rarely have I ever seen such a disasterously schizofrenic film.
And it's weird too, because I give credit to Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, who both really give it their all in thankless supporting roles. Bateman is at first called upon to basically reprise his role as Michael Bluth, which is fine as Bateman does that kind of thing effortlessly. The one or two chuckles found in the movie are all thanks to Bateman's always-great, dryly humorous delivery. When the movie later decides it wants to be a brooding tale on par with The Matrix, however, Bateman's character quickly feels VERY out-of-place. He accepts the twist involving his wife, played by Theron, with almost comedic quickness. And yet Bateman's light-hearted character is then forced to be alternatively brooding, violent, and tragic. It just speaks to the glaring tonal shifts in the script that force the characters to become things they were obviously never meant to. A lot of this is driven by the M Night-style "twist" involving Charlize Theron. It's not really that much of a twist, because for the entire first half of the movie, the camera suspiciously lingers on Theron's housewife-with-a-secret with all the subtlety of a mack truck, completely telegraphing the inevitable shoe-dropping moment. Basically, if you don't suspect that something is up with her character after a little while, then you are likely braindead. And again, Theron does her best here - she acts the hell out of her part. But as with Bateman, what she has to work with is a convoluted and hamfisted mess.
As for Will Smith, he is charismatic as usual, but again, he is stuck with a script that never has a coherant character-arc for Hancock. The logical arc would have been for him to start out as a down-on-his-luck, ill-received superhero and eventually realize his calling and responsibility and transform into a superhero that the people can look up to. But the movie completely loses its focus and gets off-track from its original premise. You can almost see where different drafts of the script were mashed together to form one tattered patchwork of a film. It's light-hearted one minute, deadly serious the next.
And when the movie does get serious, it really becomes groan-inducing. The superhero mythology that the movie cooks up for Hancock is somehow both convoluted and vague. It never really makes any kind of sense, and never gets you invested in the character in the least. Without spoiling anything, I can just say that when Hancock's origins are revealed, they don't fit the character in the least. It's like if Superman's origin was suddenly switched with Batman's.
At least there's cool action - right? Well, not really. The action is somewhat minimal, and what action there is seems so mismatched with the actual context of the movie that you rarely find yourself invested in its outcome. The cliamactic fight scene actually pits Hancock against two horribly-acted, B-List villains from earlier in the film, and requires geeky Jason Bateman to uncharacteristically become The Punisher. The movie does at leat employ some pretty cool flight f/x, but otherwise, it looks mostly bland and uninspired. Director Peter Berg, I have to think, is capable of better.
But really, Hancock suffers most from its total cluster of a script. I can't even really tell if Will Smith is coasting in this one or doing the best he can with the material. All I know is, this is the one Will Smith movie where I would have actually *welcomed* an ill-timed shout of "aww hells no!" This movie is just depressing in its ability to take a decent premise and basically bungle it as badly as possible. Even more depressing is that it wastes potentially great performances from Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, who give it the old college try regardless. Let's hope that Will Smith realizes what a creative failure this movie is and makes more of an effort to attach himself to better movies in the future. Hancock as is is a textbook example of a blockbuster movie gone wrong.
My Grade: C-
- Alright, have a great weekend everyone! Next week I will really ramp things up, so be on the lookout for a HELLBOY 2 review and get hyped for the beginning of DARK KNIGHT week here on the blog. Cya.
Anyways ...
- I can't wait for HELLBOY 2. Seeing it tonight, and I can only hope that the film proves to be a resounding success at the box office. From the previews alone, the sheer amount of craftsmanship and imagination that went into the film's production is more than evident. Foregoing an excess of CGI for practical creature f/x, Hellboy 2 looks to be further proof that director Guillermo Del Toro is one of the real visionairies working in film today. I realize that a movie starring a red demon from hell and his band of mutant freaks is a tough sell to some demos, but I'm just glad that at least one comic book franchise isn't worried about toning things down and making things more palatable for a minstream audience. With Hellboy, the more out-there and outlandish, the better, and I love that this movie looks to embrace its stylized-fantasy roots rather than shy away from them. I also realize that the film could get somewhat swamped in the tidal wave of DARK KNIGHT hype, but it could also benefit as fanboys embrace it as a pre-Batman appetizer. I mean sure, DK is the main event, but I can't think of a better opening act. Stay tuned for a full Hellboy 2 review soon.
- And now I will talk about a movie that I wasn't really anticipating, and true to my expectations, it proved to be pretty underwhelming. And yet, the sad fact is that the movie made a lot of money - thanks to all the mindless drones who will line up to see pretty much any crapfest with Will Smith's name on it. And yes, I'm guilty of shelling out the $$$ for this one as well, but the reviews left me feeling really curious to see just how exactly this one went wrong. And went wrong is putting it mildly ... The movie I'm referring to, of course, is HANCOCK.
HANCOCK Review:
- Hancock is a case study in how a movie with a potentially interesting premise can go wrong. What could have been a goofy but fun summer movie instead becomes a complete mess of a film, wildly shifting in tone from one scene to another, with a script that changes its focus so many times that its hard to even describe the movie. The easy sell on Hancock is that it's a quirky, satirical take on the typical superhero story - imagine Superman if he was kind of an asshole who didn't really like helping people and had serious image and PR problems. Okay, that right there is nothing groundbreaking (numerous comic books have dealt with this scenario in the past), but hey, at least its a decent framework for a harmless and potentially funny popcorn flick. The problem with Hancock is that, as it opens, trying to be that goofy and harmless satire - it isn't funny. It isn't clever. And at some point, the producers of the film apparently realized this , because soon enough the movie stops TRYING to even be funny or cute, and decides, all of a sudden, to be a dark and brooding superhero film - complete with sex, violence, and a complex yet nonsensical backstory that comes off like the worst 90's-era Image comics crap one can imagine.
And let me just say - I honestly feel bad for any parent who took their kids to see Hancock thinking that it would be a fluffy Will Smith movie, as much of the marketing indicated. The fact is that that's just what the movie starts out as ... but rarely have I ever seen such a disasterously schizofrenic film.
And it's weird too, because I give credit to Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, who both really give it their all in thankless supporting roles. Bateman is at first called upon to basically reprise his role as Michael Bluth, which is fine as Bateman does that kind of thing effortlessly. The one or two chuckles found in the movie are all thanks to Bateman's always-great, dryly humorous delivery. When the movie later decides it wants to be a brooding tale on par with The Matrix, however, Bateman's character quickly feels VERY out-of-place. He accepts the twist involving his wife, played by Theron, with almost comedic quickness. And yet Bateman's light-hearted character is then forced to be alternatively brooding, violent, and tragic. It just speaks to the glaring tonal shifts in the script that force the characters to become things they were obviously never meant to. A lot of this is driven by the M Night-style "twist" involving Charlize Theron. It's not really that much of a twist, because for the entire first half of the movie, the camera suspiciously lingers on Theron's housewife-with-a-secret with all the subtlety of a mack truck, completely telegraphing the inevitable shoe-dropping moment. Basically, if you don't suspect that something is up with her character after a little while, then you are likely braindead. And again, Theron does her best here - she acts the hell out of her part. But as with Bateman, what she has to work with is a convoluted and hamfisted mess.
As for Will Smith, he is charismatic as usual, but again, he is stuck with a script that never has a coherant character-arc for Hancock. The logical arc would have been for him to start out as a down-on-his-luck, ill-received superhero and eventually realize his calling and responsibility and transform into a superhero that the people can look up to. But the movie completely loses its focus and gets off-track from its original premise. You can almost see where different drafts of the script were mashed together to form one tattered patchwork of a film. It's light-hearted one minute, deadly serious the next.
And when the movie does get serious, it really becomes groan-inducing. The superhero mythology that the movie cooks up for Hancock is somehow both convoluted and vague. It never really makes any kind of sense, and never gets you invested in the character in the least. Without spoiling anything, I can just say that when Hancock's origins are revealed, they don't fit the character in the least. It's like if Superman's origin was suddenly switched with Batman's.
At least there's cool action - right? Well, not really. The action is somewhat minimal, and what action there is seems so mismatched with the actual context of the movie that you rarely find yourself invested in its outcome. The cliamactic fight scene actually pits Hancock against two horribly-acted, B-List villains from earlier in the film, and requires geeky Jason Bateman to uncharacteristically become The Punisher. The movie does at leat employ some pretty cool flight f/x, but otherwise, it looks mostly bland and uninspired. Director Peter Berg, I have to think, is capable of better.
But really, Hancock suffers most from its total cluster of a script. I can't even really tell if Will Smith is coasting in this one or doing the best he can with the material. All I know is, this is the one Will Smith movie where I would have actually *welcomed* an ill-timed shout of "aww hells no!" This movie is just depressing in its ability to take a decent premise and basically bungle it as badly as possible. Even more depressing is that it wastes potentially great performances from Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, who give it the old college try regardless. Let's hope that Will Smith realizes what a creative failure this movie is and makes more of an effort to attach himself to better movies in the future. Hancock as is is a textbook example of a blockbuster movie gone wrong.
My Grade: C-
- Alright, have a great weekend everyone! Next week I will really ramp things up, so be on the lookout for a HELLBOY 2 review and get hyped for the beginning of DARK KNIGHT week here on the blog. Cya.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Robot Love and Assassin's Revenge: WALL-E, WANTED, and RIP to Michael Turner
- Back again after a fun weekend that took me from Woodland Hills to Beverly Hills. The main thrust of this entry is going to be two big movie reviews - WALL-E and WANTED. So keep reading for my take on two of the summer's biggest blockbusters thus far.
- Fiirst, however, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Michael Turner, one of the true icons of the comic book industry throughout the last several years. Turner's battle with cancer has been well-documented, and by all accounts, Turner fought the disease valiantly, still drawing, making appearances, and going out of his way to meet and mingle with fans despite his weakened condition. In fact, Turner would go through prolific spurts where it was easy to forget that he was constantly fighting for his health. His distinct art seemed to be everywhere over the last few years, with memorable runs on all manner of comics and a number of stints as cover artist, for high-profile series like Identity Crisis. As an artist, Turner was one of those guys who took flack for his liberties with anatomy, but his style was fun, and most importantly cool. Along with guys like Jim Lee and J. Scott Campbell, Turner was one of the artists who really blended traditional American comic art with a manga influence, to create a sleek and highly stylized look. It was a look that became closely associated with Turner's signature series like Witchblade, Fathom, and Soulfire, and a style that rendered versions of all the big icons, from Superman to Batman to The Flash to Wolverine. Turner helped make comics cooler than ever, helped to bring them into the 21st century, and as a professional did so with class and grace. The loss of Turner is a true loss for pop-culture, and his art will be missed.
- Okay, onto the reviews ...
WALL-E Review:
- With Wall-E, there can be no doubt: Pixar has done it again. The prolific studio's latest is a tour de force of animation and imagination, a fully-realized future universe that not only stands as one of the most visually impressive movies ever created, but also as a stunning science-fiction fable that will make a lasting impression on children and adults alike.
To be honest, at this point I am a little weary of the worship at the altar of Pixar. In the last few weeks alone, I've heard the glassy-eyed Pixar fans dutifully rank each of their films in order of preference, talk about Toy Story like it was the second coming, and eagerly analyze Wall-E's box office potential in comparison to the likes of Finding Nemo and Ratatouille. To this I say: enough! Pixar is an amazing studio, no doubt, but its most fanatical fans have a way of driving the rest of us insane with their uncritical praise and obssessive devotion. It's almost enough to drive me to look at a movie like Wall-E with a more-critical-than-usual eye, just to prove that Pixar is not, as the hype would suggest, infallible.
And yet, with a movie of the caliber of Wall-E, such pointed criticism is difficult to unleash. The movie has every bit of Pixar's typical intelligence and ambition, and yet, it's also an out-and-out crowd-pleaser. It seems to win over its audience with an unusual power that elicits comparisons to canonical greats like E.T. and Bambi. I mean, you simply can't help but be won over by Wall-E, the character. He's like E.T., Charlie Chaplin, and R2-D2 rolled into one by way of the robot from Short Circuit. Visually, Wall-E is an amazing creation. Much has been made of the fact that the film contains little to no spoken dialogue throughout its first half. Wall-E himself never "speaks" beond a few blips and beeps and mechanical words. And yet, the animators at Pixar have made the robotic Wall-E more expressive, more relatable, more *alive* than most big-screen protagonists. And obviously, that's part of the point. Thematically, Wall-E is about exploring that very phenomenon - how can this artificial lifeform be more "human" than the actual humans that we later meet? Whereas in this dystopian future, humans have fled earth and settled into a lazy and conformist and emotion-deprived existence, Wall-E, who was programmed to live exactly in that manner, transcends his pre-programmed routines and finds higher purpose, drive, and even love. Not only that, but he flexes his eyebrows with more comic aplomb than Groucho Marx, is more of a hopeless romantic than Seth Cohen, and more of a sentimental collector than John Cusack in Hi-Fidelity. Whereas the Replicants in Blade Runner were "more human than human," Wall-E is pretty much an average joe, almost an android Woody Allen, who happens to have a ViewFinder for a head.
While many will get wrapped up in the central romance between Wall-E and the sleek n' shiny fembot known as Eve (apparently in the future all robots are made with vaguely male or female yet semi-androgynous traits?), what elevates the film beyond being simply a quirky tale of robotic love is the thought-provoking futureverse which serves as its backdrop. Disney kept a lot of this aspect of the film under wraps in its marketing, so I think many were surprised to find that Wall-E is actually set in a fairly bleak and disturbing vision of the future. In this world, 700 years in the future, earth has become a junk-filled wasteland, with a small colony of humans fleeing the planet and living in oblivious lethargy in a decked-out spaceship. The people there have devolved, becoming bloated and balloon-like as they float around in personal people-movers, eyes affixed to monitors at all times, rather than each other. On their makeshift world, consumerism is religion - a computerized, omnicscient voice tells the ship's denizens to try wearing blue as opposed to red, and suddenly, in a mass behavioral shift of unquestioning conformity, everyone shifts colors so as to be one with the hive-mind. Where once the quest to make earth habitable again was a driving quest, it was now a mere afterthought - why risk the unknown when civilization could exist in a perpetual state of stagnant comfort? It is this strange new world that Wall-E navigates on his quest to reunite with his robotic soul-mate Eve. And if it seems like quite the weighty backdrop for what is on the surface, as I said, a quirky love story, well - that's because it is.
Post-apocalyptic Big Brother-controlled hive-mind societies of balloon people? In a Disney movie? Yep, it's all here, and Pixar pulls it off seamlessly. They are careful to keep all of these speculative sci-fi concepts in the background, however. And while their striking imagery stays with you, some of it will likely go over the heads of kids, and that's probably how it was intended. While the sci-fi fan in me would have liked a deeper, darker dive into all of this, the real magic of Pixar is probably that they can weave all of this stuff into a family-friendly film in such a palatable manner. They've crafted WALL-E in a way where for many, the robot love story is what will immediately affect them, but long after that initial rush has worn off, the bigger concepts begin to really sink in. I think that's why so many seem to find it hard to talk about the film until it's been fully digested, so to speak. It is certainly multi-layered, multi-tiered, with all kinds of ideas to absorb above and below the surface. From an oddly unsettling live-action appearance by Fred Willard, to the commentary on consumerism and modern malaise, to Jeff Garlin's spirited turn as the captain of the earth-colony ship, there's tons here on the periphery of the plot to examine and to take in.
Again, visually, this is Pixar at the peak of their powers. On one level, the sheer detail and texture of the CGI animation is unparallelled. Surfaces gleam, reflect light, and show age in a way we've never seen before in an animated film. On another level, this might be one of the best "directed" animated films I've ever seen. I say "one of" because, in movies like Cars and Ratatouille, Pixar continually raises the bar in this area. But here they've outdone themselves, with stunning shots of Wall-E roaming through the post-industrial wasteland that is earth, of him careening through space, and of the colorful legions of robots aboard the colonial spaceship. This is the kind of movie that will be a showcase for hi-def TV's and Blu-Ray players for years to come.
When it comes to grading this movie, I'm a little bit torn. There's no doubt in my mind that it's a landmark film, one that will be watched, analyzed, and enjoyed for a long time. At the same time, there are certainly some things that bugged me about it. The purist in me wishes that the movie, which mostly seems grounded in a harder sci-fi reality than most animated films, had a logical explanation of some kind for how these robots experienced emotion in the first place. Thematically, the reasons are obvious, but logically, it doesn't make sense. I've read reviews where the reviewer throws in their own explanation for this phenomenon, but I don't think the movie ever really addresses this. I didn't like that a movie with such an anti-consumerist message featured some pretty blatant call-outs to Apple. And I felt like there were moments in the movie that got a bit too schmaltzy, a bit too sentimental. In a movie that goes to such unexpectedly dark places, there were moments where I felt like there was a concious decision made to pull back, hit the brakes, and play it safe - to be a crowd pleaser rather than to fully explore some of the weightier concepts at play to their limits.
But the fact is - with a movie like this, the kind of complaints that I leveled above are of the type that can only really come about after viewing a truly great and monumental movie. And I don't want any annoyance with the rabid Pixar fanbase to cloud my review, because this movie is too good for that. It's often been said that the mark of true art is that which can spread its message not just to a select few, but to the masses. And it's a testament to Pixar and WALL-E that the film exerts its power over a mass-market, family audience, while still operating at a level of sophistication and depth that's uncommon for the family genre. And I think that that's what is really at the heart of my conflict over Wall-E. Because as much as we film geeks like to claim these movies as our own, the fact is - they are kids movies. Yes they have a mass appeal and an uncommon depth, but at the end of the day, if they don't appeal to children then they haven't done their jobs as films. As a twenty-something film-goer, I can find fault in a movie when it's viewed on the same plane as other adult-oriented fare. But with Wall-E, its greatness is realized most when looked at from the perspective that yes, this is a family film, but wow - its ability to filter all of these substantive ideas and concepts through that family-friendly lense - that is what's truly remarkable. The fact that I as a 25 year old can discuss and analyze and enjoy Wall-E at this level is a testament in and of itself to Pixar. I don't know if we could have that kind of discussion with even some of the older Disney classics. To that end, I can't help but give Wall-E the highest possible recommendation.
My Grade: A
- And one more ...
WANTED Review:
- Man, as great as Wall-E was, after seeing it I was squarely in the mood for something nasty, brutal, and hardcore. And that's exactly what I got with WANTED - a balls-to-the-wall comic book adaptation that features over-the-top violence, imaginatively-staged action, and a sadistic, nihilistic premise that breaks the mold of watered-down action flicks. This movie positively revels in its R-rating, holding nothing back and going for broke.
Wanted is an adaptation of the comic book series written by Mark Millar, who has a unique style that is an almost perfect match for Hollywood sensibilities. Millar tends to write books that grab you with an audacious, high-concept premise and keep you glued to the page with a violent, plugged-in, punk rock sorta attitude. While the film strays pretty far from the graphic novel in terms of plot and character, it maintains the same sort of hard-hitting, in your face attitude.
Still, if anything can be faulted with WANTED, it's that the plot can get a bit wonky. The initial premise is solid and draws you in - it's the story of a bored and depressed twenty-something office drone. Played with a great everyman quality by James McAvoy, out hero goes about his mundane life with a droopy numbness. He never speaks up to his pushy boss, never reveals to his asshole best friend that he's well aware that the guy is hooking up with his girlfriend behind his back, and never has much ambition aside from surviving each boring and thankless day. Then, one day, Angelina Jolie shows up in the kid's life, tells him that his father, whom he thought long dead, was actually living a secret life as the world's greatest assassin - until yesterday, when he was killed by a rougue member of a secret league of killers with an axe to grind. Jolie, aka the sultry assassin known as Fox, recruits McAvoy to this secret brotherhood to replace his father and eliminate his killer. The brotherhood, led by Morgan Freeman, aka Sloane, is actually part of an ancient order that subscribes to the questionable philosophy of "kill one, save a thousand."
All well and good so far, but the movie goes on to spend a bit too much time on all kinds of random seeming exposition about looms of fate and mystical weavers. I guess if anyone is fit to monologue on all of this wackiness, it's Morgan Freeman. But still, there are points in the movie where you can't help but roll your eyes a bit, even keeping in mind the suspension of disbelief levels that a movie like this requires. It's a bit like the director's earlier effort - Nightwatch - where one mind-spinning piece of backstory after another was introduced in increasingly awkward fashion. But again, this is Morgan Freeman at the helm, he could make the phonebook seem interesting.
And the good news is this: the above is really my major complaint with Wanted, but on most accounts the movie handily kicked ass. Like I said, James McAvoy was great in the lead role, and had some absolutely killer moments, especially towards the beginning of the film when he's gaining the confidence to finally tell off his boss, his friend, etc. Can we please get the petition started now to cast McAvoy as Yorick Browne in Y: The Last Man? This movie proves that he's got what it takes to play the everyman forced into an extradordinary circumstance. Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman, although it's tons of fun to see him seem to revel in his villainous character, in his chance to play the mean-talkin', take-no-$%#*, grizzled old badass. Angelina Jolie - please, this is the kind of part that she was born to play. Sure, as Fox she doesn't exactly get to stretch her acting ability, but Jolie has the sultry badgirl role down to perfection - if anything it's remarkable to note the similarities between her role here an in the just-released Kung Fu Panda. I mean, geez, while I'm on this track, who's with me that a Jolie turn as Catwoman in the next Batman flick could instantly erase all memories / nightmares of Halle Barry in the part. Christopher Nolan - make it happen. In addition, WANTED's Brotherhood of Assassins is filled out by all manner of crazy supporting characters that feel like sub-bosses in some whacked-out videogame. Not since Kill Bill have we been introduced to such a motley crew of over-the-top, psychopath villains.
Visually, Wanted pours it on. There's all kinds of crazy, eye-melting tricks, from long erverse tracking shots, to curved bullets, to time-bending action scenes that shift from ultra slo-mo to sped-up fast forward with wild abandon. Headshots and shattered glass have rarely been so elequently filmed. I will say that at times, the action gets so busy that it walks the line between kickass and Michael Bay-style overdone. But mostly, the choreography is a lot of fun and there are a lot of pretty brutal battles and more than a few "holy crap" moments.
And even though I ragged a bit on the plot, the dialogue is actually pretty razor-sharp during a lot of the character moments. Some of the exchanges had a real fun edge about them, with some of the best/funniest/sharpest use of profanity in any movie in a while this side of The Big Lebowski. Suffice it to say that Mark Millar's Scottish penchant for well-timed curse words seems to come through just fine in the transition from page to screen.
In the end, WANTED is pretty much just what the doctor ordered in this summer of movies that try to be all things to all people. This is a movie that starts and ends with a bang, and succeeds in its clear mission to knock you upside the head and never let up. The deeper moral and philisophical questions at play are for largely skimmed over, but that's mostly okay, because we're still left with a knockout punch of an action movie, and one that shows that there's plenty of great, outside-the-box comic book material that's ripe for adaptation. So bring on Preacher, bring on Y: The Last Man, bring on The Sandman. After Wanted, I'm ready for Hollywood to embrace the dark side.
My Grade: B+
And that's all for now -- cya on the flipside.
- Fiirst, however, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Michael Turner, one of the true icons of the comic book industry throughout the last several years. Turner's battle with cancer has been well-documented, and by all accounts, Turner fought the disease valiantly, still drawing, making appearances, and going out of his way to meet and mingle with fans despite his weakened condition. In fact, Turner would go through prolific spurts where it was easy to forget that he was constantly fighting for his health. His distinct art seemed to be everywhere over the last few years, with memorable runs on all manner of comics and a number of stints as cover artist, for high-profile series like Identity Crisis. As an artist, Turner was one of those guys who took flack for his liberties with anatomy, but his style was fun, and most importantly cool. Along with guys like Jim Lee and J. Scott Campbell, Turner was one of the artists who really blended traditional American comic art with a manga influence, to create a sleek and highly stylized look. It was a look that became closely associated with Turner's signature series like Witchblade, Fathom, and Soulfire, and a style that rendered versions of all the big icons, from Superman to Batman to The Flash to Wolverine. Turner helped make comics cooler than ever, helped to bring them into the 21st century, and as a professional did so with class and grace. The loss of Turner is a true loss for pop-culture, and his art will be missed.
- Okay, onto the reviews ...
WALL-E Review:
- With Wall-E, there can be no doubt: Pixar has done it again. The prolific studio's latest is a tour de force of animation and imagination, a fully-realized future universe that not only stands as one of the most visually impressive movies ever created, but also as a stunning science-fiction fable that will make a lasting impression on children and adults alike.
To be honest, at this point I am a little weary of the worship at the altar of Pixar. In the last few weeks alone, I've heard the glassy-eyed Pixar fans dutifully rank each of their films in order of preference, talk about Toy Story like it was the second coming, and eagerly analyze Wall-E's box office potential in comparison to the likes of Finding Nemo and Ratatouille. To this I say: enough! Pixar is an amazing studio, no doubt, but its most fanatical fans have a way of driving the rest of us insane with their uncritical praise and obssessive devotion. It's almost enough to drive me to look at a movie like Wall-E with a more-critical-than-usual eye, just to prove that Pixar is not, as the hype would suggest, infallible.
And yet, with a movie of the caliber of Wall-E, such pointed criticism is difficult to unleash. The movie has every bit of Pixar's typical intelligence and ambition, and yet, it's also an out-and-out crowd-pleaser. It seems to win over its audience with an unusual power that elicits comparisons to canonical greats like E.T. and Bambi. I mean, you simply can't help but be won over by Wall-E, the character. He's like E.T., Charlie Chaplin, and R2-D2 rolled into one by way of the robot from Short Circuit. Visually, Wall-E is an amazing creation. Much has been made of the fact that the film contains little to no spoken dialogue throughout its first half. Wall-E himself never "speaks" beond a few blips and beeps and mechanical words. And yet, the animators at Pixar have made the robotic Wall-E more expressive, more relatable, more *alive* than most big-screen protagonists. And obviously, that's part of the point. Thematically, Wall-E is about exploring that very phenomenon - how can this artificial lifeform be more "human" than the actual humans that we later meet? Whereas in this dystopian future, humans have fled earth and settled into a lazy and conformist and emotion-deprived existence, Wall-E, who was programmed to live exactly in that manner, transcends his pre-programmed routines and finds higher purpose, drive, and even love. Not only that, but he flexes his eyebrows with more comic aplomb than Groucho Marx, is more of a hopeless romantic than Seth Cohen, and more of a sentimental collector than John Cusack in Hi-Fidelity. Whereas the Replicants in Blade Runner were "more human than human," Wall-E is pretty much an average joe, almost an android Woody Allen, who happens to have a ViewFinder for a head.
While many will get wrapped up in the central romance between Wall-E and the sleek n' shiny fembot known as Eve (apparently in the future all robots are made with vaguely male or female yet semi-androgynous traits?), what elevates the film beyond being simply a quirky tale of robotic love is the thought-provoking futureverse which serves as its backdrop. Disney kept a lot of this aspect of the film under wraps in its marketing, so I think many were surprised to find that Wall-E is actually set in a fairly bleak and disturbing vision of the future. In this world, 700 years in the future, earth has become a junk-filled wasteland, with a small colony of humans fleeing the planet and living in oblivious lethargy in a decked-out spaceship. The people there have devolved, becoming bloated and balloon-like as they float around in personal people-movers, eyes affixed to monitors at all times, rather than each other. On their makeshift world, consumerism is religion - a computerized, omnicscient voice tells the ship's denizens to try wearing blue as opposed to red, and suddenly, in a mass behavioral shift of unquestioning conformity, everyone shifts colors so as to be one with the hive-mind. Where once the quest to make earth habitable again was a driving quest, it was now a mere afterthought - why risk the unknown when civilization could exist in a perpetual state of stagnant comfort? It is this strange new world that Wall-E navigates on his quest to reunite with his robotic soul-mate Eve. And if it seems like quite the weighty backdrop for what is on the surface, as I said, a quirky love story, well - that's because it is.
Post-apocalyptic Big Brother-controlled hive-mind societies of balloon people? In a Disney movie? Yep, it's all here, and Pixar pulls it off seamlessly. They are careful to keep all of these speculative sci-fi concepts in the background, however. And while their striking imagery stays with you, some of it will likely go over the heads of kids, and that's probably how it was intended. While the sci-fi fan in me would have liked a deeper, darker dive into all of this, the real magic of Pixar is probably that they can weave all of this stuff into a family-friendly film in such a palatable manner. They've crafted WALL-E in a way where for many, the robot love story is what will immediately affect them, but long after that initial rush has worn off, the bigger concepts begin to really sink in. I think that's why so many seem to find it hard to talk about the film until it's been fully digested, so to speak. It is certainly multi-layered, multi-tiered, with all kinds of ideas to absorb above and below the surface. From an oddly unsettling live-action appearance by Fred Willard, to the commentary on consumerism and modern malaise, to Jeff Garlin's spirited turn as the captain of the earth-colony ship, there's tons here on the periphery of the plot to examine and to take in.
Again, visually, this is Pixar at the peak of their powers. On one level, the sheer detail and texture of the CGI animation is unparallelled. Surfaces gleam, reflect light, and show age in a way we've never seen before in an animated film. On another level, this might be one of the best "directed" animated films I've ever seen. I say "one of" because, in movies like Cars and Ratatouille, Pixar continually raises the bar in this area. But here they've outdone themselves, with stunning shots of Wall-E roaming through the post-industrial wasteland that is earth, of him careening through space, and of the colorful legions of robots aboard the colonial spaceship. This is the kind of movie that will be a showcase for hi-def TV's and Blu-Ray players for years to come.
When it comes to grading this movie, I'm a little bit torn. There's no doubt in my mind that it's a landmark film, one that will be watched, analyzed, and enjoyed for a long time. At the same time, there are certainly some things that bugged me about it. The purist in me wishes that the movie, which mostly seems grounded in a harder sci-fi reality than most animated films, had a logical explanation of some kind for how these robots experienced emotion in the first place. Thematically, the reasons are obvious, but logically, it doesn't make sense. I've read reviews where the reviewer throws in their own explanation for this phenomenon, but I don't think the movie ever really addresses this. I didn't like that a movie with such an anti-consumerist message featured some pretty blatant call-outs to Apple. And I felt like there were moments in the movie that got a bit too schmaltzy, a bit too sentimental. In a movie that goes to such unexpectedly dark places, there were moments where I felt like there was a concious decision made to pull back, hit the brakes, and play it safe - to be a crowd pleaser rather than to fully explore some of the weightier concepts at play to their limits.
But the fact is - with a movie like this, the kind of complaints that I leveled above are of the type that can only really come about after viewing a truly great and monumental movie. And I don't want any annoyance with the rabid Pixar fanbase to cloud my review, because this movie is too good for that. It's often been said that the mark of true art is that which can spread its message not just to a select few, but to the masses. And it's a testament to Pixar and WALL-E that the film exerts its power over a mass-market, family audience, while still operating at a level of sophistication and depth that's uncommon for the family genre. And I think that that's what is really at the heart of my conflict over Wall-E. Because as much as we film geeks like to claim these movies as our own, the fact is - they are kids movies. Yes they have a mass appeal and an uncommon depth, but at the end of the day, if they don't appeal to children then they haven't done their jobs as films. As a twenty-something film-goer, I can find fault in a movie when it's viewed on the same plane as other adult-oriented fare. But with Wall-E, its greatness is realized most when looked at from the perspective that yes, this is a family film, but wow - its ability to filter all of these substantive ideas and concepts through that family-friendly lense - that is what's truly remarkable. The fact that I as a 25 year old can discuss and analyze and enjoy Wall-E at this level is a testament in and of itself to Pixar. I don't know if we could have that kind of discussion with even some of the older Disney classics. To that end, I can't help but give Wall-E the highest possible recommendation.
My Grade: A
- And one more ...
WANTED Review:
- Man, as great as Wall-E was, after seeing it I was squarely in the mood for something nasty, brutal, and hardcore. And that's exactly what I got with WANTED - a balls-to-the-wall comic book adaptation that features over-the-top violence, imaginatively-staged action, and a sadistic, nihilistic premise that breaks the mold of watered-down action flicks. This movie positively revels in its R-rating, holding nothing back and going for broke.
Wanted is an adaptation of the comic book series written by Mark Millar, who has a unique style that is an almost perfect match for Hollywood sensibilities. Millar tends to write books that grab you with an audacious, high-concept premise and keep you glued to the page with a violent, plugged-in, punk rock sorta attitude. While the film strays pretty far from the graphic novel in terms of plot and character, it maintains the same sort of hard-hitting, in your face attitude.
Still, if anything can be faulted with WANTED, it's that the plot can get a bit wonky. The initial premise is solid and draws you in - it's the story of a bored and depressed twenty-something office drone. Played with a great everyman quality by James McAvoy, out hero goes about his mundane life with a droopy numbness. He never speaks up to his pushy boss, never reveals to his asshole best friend that he's well aware that the guy is hooking up with his girlfriend behind his back, and never has much ambition aside from surviving each boring and thankless day. Then, one day, Angelina Jolie shows up in the kid's life, tells him that his father, whom he thought long dead, was actually living a secret life as the world's greatest assassin - until yesterday, when he was killed by a rougue member of a secret league of killers with an axe to grind. Jolie, aka the sultry assassin known as Fox, recruits McAvoy to this secret brotherhood to replace his father and eliminate his killer. The brotherhood, led by Morgan Freeman, aka Sloane, is actually part of an ancient order that subscribes to the questionable philosophy of "kill one, save a thousand."
All well and good so far, but the movie goes on to spend a bit too much time on all kinds of random seeming exposition about looms of fate and mystical weavers. I guess if anyone is fit to monologue on all of this wackiness, it's Morgan Freeman. But still, there are points in the movie where you can't help but roll your eyes a bit, even keeping in mind the suspension of disbelief levels that a movie like this requires. It's a bit like the director's earlier effort - Nightwatch - where one mind-spinning piece of backstory after another was introduced in increasingly awkward fashion. But again, this is Morgan Freeman at the helm, he could make the phonebook seem interesting.
And the good news is this: the above is really my major complaint with Wanted, but on most accounts the movie handily kicked ass. Like I said, James McAvoy was great in the lead role, and had some absolutely killer moments, especially towards the beginning of the film when he's gaining the confidence to finally tell off his boss, his friend, etc. Can we please get the petition started now to cast McAvoy as Yorick Browne in Y: The Last Man? This movie proves that he's got what it takes to play the everyman forced into an extradordinary circumstance. Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman, although it's tons of fun to see him seem to revel in his villainous character, in his chance to play the mean-talkin', take-no-$%#*, grizzled old badass. Angelina Jolie - please, this is the kind of part that she was born to play. Sure, as Fox she doesn't exactly get to stretch her acting ability, but Jolie has the sultry badgirl role down to perfection - if anything it's remarkable to note the similarities between her role here an in the just-released Kung Fu Panda. I mean, geez, while I'm on this track, who's with me that a Jolie turn as Catwoman in the next Batman flick could instantly erase all memories / nightmares of Halle Barry in the part. Christopher Nolan - make it happen. In addition, WANTED's Brotherhood of Assassins is filled out by all manner of crazy supporting characters that feel like sub-bosses in some whacked-out videogame. Not since Kill Bill have we been introduced to such a motley crew of over-the-top, psychopath villains.
Visually, Wanted pours it on. There's all kinds of crazy, eye-melting tricks, from long erverse tracking shots, to curved bullets, to time-bending action scenes that shift from ultra slo-mo to sped-up fast forward with wild abandon. Headshots and shattered glass have rarely been so elequently filmed. I will say that at times, the action gets so busy that it walks the line between kickass and Michael Bay-style overdone. But mostly, the choreography is a lot of fun and there are a lot of pretty brutal battles and more than a few "holy crap" moments.
And even though I ragged a bit on the plot, the dialogue is actually pretty razor-sharp during a lot of the character moments. Some of the exchanges had a real fun edge about them, with some of the best/funniest/sharpest use of profanity in any movie in a while this side of The Big Lebowski. Suffice it to say that Mark Millar's Scottish penchant for well-timed curse words seems to come through just fine in the transition from page to screen.
In the end, WANTED is pretty much just what the doctor ordered in this summer of movies that try to be all things to all people. This is a movie that starts and ends with a bang, and succeeds in its clear mission to knock you upside the head and never let up. The deeper moral and philisophical questions at play are for largely skimmed over, but that's mostly okay, because we're still left with a knockout punch of an action movie, and one that shows that there's plenty of great, outside-the-box comic book material that's ripe for adaptation. So bring on Preacher, bring on Y: The Last Man, bring on The Sandman. After Wanted, I'm ready for Hollywood to embrace the dark side.
My Grade: B+
And that's all for now -- cya on the flipside.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Forget Entertainment Weekly: Here's the REAL Top 100 Movies and TV Shows of the Last 25 Years
- Okay, so Entertainment Weekly last week came out with their big 1000'th issue, in which they listed the top movies, TV shows, etc. of the last 25 years. The lists caused all kinds of controversy online and amongst my friends, so I thought I'd put together my own lists of movies and television shows to take a stab and see if I could do them one better. EW obviously relied heavily on the pop-culture-influencer factor, hence movies like Clueless and Titanic making their lists ... and they also typically only gave big name directors one or at most two spots each on the list, even if luminaries like the Coens clearly deserve several spots on any legit list. But I thought it'd be fun to do my own lists, as, hey, I'm 25, it's the best of the Last 25 Years, I've seen too many movies and watched too much TV, and really enjoy making Top 100 lists. So why not? As for my lists, a few quick notes:
- I'm grouping movie trilogies in a few cases where the series is pretty much seamless.
- For TV especially, there's a lot of undoubtedly quality TV that I just haven't seen - so you won't find Buffy, Dexter, Deadwood, etc on my list simply because I haven't seen them.
- I include late night shows, but not news or sports.
- This is the last 25 years only, so nothing before 1983. I made an exception for Saturday Night Live, because it really is almost a different show year to year.
- As Abby W pointed out to me: are these "the" Top 100 movies and shows, or my picks for the "New Classics?" Well - my answer is this: there's no difference! If I say it's a Top 100 film or show, then by default it's a New Classic! This blog makes me that damn authoritative, baby!
- Okay, on with the lists - feel free to leave comments about how horrible my taste is!
DANNY'S TOP 100 MOVIES OF THE LAST 25 YEARS:
1.The Lord of the Rings trilogy
2. The Big Lebowski
3. Memento
4. Fargo
5. Unforgiven
6. Kill Bill
7. The Princess Bride
8. Mulholland Drive
9. Silence of the Lambs
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11.Robocop
12. Glengary Glenross
13. Dumb and Dumber
14. Beauty and the Beast
15. Pulp Fiction
16. The Nightmare Before Christmas
17. The Lion King
18. Jurassic Park
19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
20. Wet Hot American Summer
21. The Breakfast Club
22. Aliens
23. Gladiator
24. Wayne’s World
25. No Country For Old Men
26. The Shawshank Redemption
27. Rushmore
28. Miller’s Crossing
29. Edward Scissorhands
30. Austin Powers
31. Cars
32. There Will Be Blood
33. The Little Mermaid
34. The Crow
35. Back to the Future trilogy
36. Fight Club
37. Dark City
38. A History of Violence
39. Donnie Darko
40. Thelma and Louise
41. Saving Private Ryan
42. Malcolm X
43. The Usual Suspects
44. Seven
45. Groundhog Day
46. The Truman Show
47. Batman Begins
48. Ghostbusters
49. A Mighty Wind
50. The King of Kong
51. Munich
52. Monsters Inc.
53. The Rock
54. Blue Velvet
55. Casino
56. Hustle & Flow
57. Fletch
58. Juno
59. Reservoir Dogs
60. Aladdin
61. Amelie
62. 12 Monkeys
63. Ed Wood
64. Goodfellas
65. Spiderman 2
66. Oldboy
67. School of Rock
68. Evil Dead II
69. This Is Spinal Tap
70. True Romance
71. The Life Aquatic
72. Unbreakable
73. The Naked Gun
74. Schindler’s List
75. Napoleon Dynamite
76. Office Space
77. Big Fish
78. Hero
79. Before Sunrise
80. Dazed and Confused
81. The Royal Tannenbaums
82. The Neverending Story
83. Lost In Translation
84. Punch Drunk Love
85. Waiting for Guffman
86. Pirates of the Carribbean
87. Sin City
88. Little Miss Sunshine
89. Die Hard
90. Master and Commander
91. Finding Nemo
92. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
93. The Assassination of Jesse James
94. Scarface
95. The Departed
96. Raising Arizona
97. Adaptation
98. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
99. Forest Gump
100. Clerks
DANNY'S TOP 100 TV SHOWS OF THE LAST 25 YEARS:
1. The Simpsons
2. The X-Files
3. Seinfeld
4. Freaks and Geeks
5. Saturday Night Live
6. Late Night with Conan O’Brien
7. The Office (UK)
8. 24
9. Lost
10. Arrested Development
11. Futurama
12. King of the Hill
13. My So Called Life
14. Twin Peaks
15. Batman: The Animated Series
16. Veronica Mars
17. Ren & Stimpy
18. Malcolm in the Middle
19. La Femme Nikita
20. The State
21. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
22. Millenium
23. Da Ali G Show
24. The Adventures of Pete & Pete
25. The Real World
26. Curb Your Enthusiasm
27. The Sopranos
28. Gilmore Girls
29. Star Trek: The Next Generation
30. Beavis and Butthead
31. Perfect Strangers
32. Family Guy
33. NYPD Blue
34. Flight of the Conchords
35. Andy Richter Controls the Universe
36. Family Matters
37. The Muppet Babies
38. Sliders
39. The Colbert Report
40. 30 Rock
41. Pee Wee’s Playhouse
42. In Living Color
43. Married … With Children
44. Party of Five
45. Six Feet Under
46. Da Ali G Show
47. Doug
48. You Can’t Do That On Television
49. Aeon Flux
50. Stella
51. The Late Show With David Letterman
52. Jeopardy!
53. The Critic
54. The Office (US)
55. Prison Break
56. The Kids in the Hall
57. The Cosby Show
58. Justice League Unlimited
59. Charles In Charge
60. Reading Rainbow
61. The OC
62. Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast
63. Extras
64. Pushing Daisies
65. Melrose Place
66. Mr. Show
67. Dinosaurs
68. Boy Meets World
69. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
70. Rosanne
71. Animaniacs
72. Murder: She Wrote
73. Smallville
74. Survivor
75. Beverly Hills 90210
76. The Golden Girls
77. Herman’s Head
78. The Nanny
79. Double Dare
80. Full House
81. Fraggle Rock
82. Superman: The Animated Series
83. The Maxx
84. The Ray Bradbury Theater
85. Undeclared
86. 3rd Rock From the Sun
87. Night Court
88.Dave’s World
89. Punky Brewster
90. Monsters
91. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
92. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
93. Jack and Bobby
94. X-Men: The Animated Series
95. Salute Your Shorts
96. Hey Dude
97. Duck Tales
98. Saved by the Bell
99. Clarissa Explains It All
100. That 70’s Show
- I'm grouping movie trilogies in a few cases where the series is pretty much seamless.
- For TV especially, there's a lot of undoubtedly quality TV that I just haven't seen - so you won't find Buffy, Dexter, Deadwood, etc on my list simply because I haven't seen them.
- I include late night shows, but not news or sports.
- This is the last 25 years only, so nothing before 1983. I made an exception for Saturday Night Live, because it really is almost a different show year to year.
- As Abby W pointed out to me: are these "the" Top 100 movies and shows, or my picks for the "New Classics?" Well - my answer is this: there's no difference! If I say it's a Top 100 film or show, then by default it's a New Classic! This blog makes me that damn authoritative, baby!
- Okay, on with the lists - feel free to leave comments about how horrible my taste is!
DANNY'S TOP 100 MOVIES OF THE LAST 25 YEARS:
1.The Lord of the Rings trilogy
2. The Big Lebowski
3. Memento
4. Fargo
5. Unforgiven
6. Kill Bill
7. The Princess Bride
8. Mulholland Drive
9. Silence of the Lambs
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11.Robocop
12. Glengary Glenross
13. Dumb and Dumber
14. Beauty and the Beast
15. Pulp Fiction
16. The Nightmare Before Christmas
17. The Lion King
18. Jurassic Park
19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
20. Wet Hot American Summer
21. The Breakfast Club
22. Aliens
23. Gladiator
24. Wayne’s World
25. No Country For Old Men
26. The Shawshank Redemption
27. Rushmore
28. Miller’s Crossing
29. Edward Scissorhands
30. Austin Powers
31. Cars
32. There Will Be Blood
33. The Little Mermaid
34. The Crow
35. Back to the Future trilogy
36. Fight Club
37. Dark City
38. A History of Violence
39. Donnie Darko
40. Thelma and Louise
41. Saving Private Ryan
42. Malcolm X
43. The Usual Suspects
44. Seven
45. Groundhog Day
46. The Truman Show
47. Batman Begins
48. Ghostbusters
49. A Mighty Wind
50. The King of Kong
51. Munich
52. Monsters Inc.
53. The Rock
54. Blue Velvet
55. Casino
56. Hustle & Flow
57. Fletch
58. Juno
59. Reservoir Dogs
60. Aladdin
61. Amelie
62. 12 Monkeys
63. Ed Wood
64. Goodfellas
65. Spiderman 2
66. Oldboy
67. School of Rock
68. Evil Dead II
69. This Is Spinal Tap
70. True Romance
71. The Life Aquatic
72. Unbreakable
73. The Naked Gun
74. Schindler’s List
75. Napoleon Dynamite
76. Office Space
77. Big Fish
78. Hero
79. Before Sunrise
80. Dazed and Confused
81. The Royal Tannenbaums
82. The Neverending Story
83. Lost In Translation
84. Punch Drunk Love
85. Waiting for Guffman
86. Pirates of the Carribbean
87. Sin City
88. Little Miss Sunshine
89. Die Hard
90. Master and Commander
91. Finding Nemo
92. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
93. The Assassination of Jesse James
94. Scarface
95. The Departed
96. Raising Arizona
97. Adaptation
98. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
99. Forest Gump
100. Clerks
DANNY'S TOP 100 TV SHOWS OF THE LAST 25 YEARS:
1. The Simpsons
2. The X-Files
3. Seinfeld
4. Freaks and Geeks
5. Saturday Night Live
6. Late Night with Conan O’Brien
7. The Office (UK)
8. 24
9. Lost
10. Arrested Development
11. Futurama
12. King of the Hill
13. My So Called Life
14. Twin Peaks
15. Batman: The Animated Series
16. Veronica Mars
17. Ren & Stimpy
18. Malcolm in the Middle
19. La Femme Nikita
20. The State
21. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
22. Millenium
23. Da Ali G Show
24. The Adventures of Pete & Pete
25. The Real World
26. Curb Your Enthusiasm
27. The Sopranos
28. Gilmore Girls
29. Star Trek: The Next Generation
30. Beavis and Butthead
31. Perfect Strangers
32. Family Guy
33. NYPD Blue
34. Flight of the Conchords
35. Andy Richter Controls the Universe
36. Family Matters
37. The Muppet Babies
38. Sliders
39. The Colbert Report
40. 30 Rock
41. Pee Wee’s Playhouse
42. In Living Color
43. Married … With Children
44. Party of Five
45. Six Feet Under
46. Da Ali G Show
47. Doug
48. You Can’t Do That On Television
49. Aeon Flux
50. Stella
51. The Late Show With David Letterman
52. Jeopardy!
53. The Critic
54. The Office (US)
55. Prison Break
56. The Kids in the Hall
57. The Cosby Show
58. Justice League Unlimited
59. Charles In Charge
60. Reading Rainbow
61. The OC
62. Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast
63. Extras
64. Pushing Daisies
65. Melrose Place
66. Mr. Show
67. Dinosaurs
68. Boy Meets World
69. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
70. Rosanne
71. Animaniacs
72. Murder: She Wrote
73. Smallville
74. Survivor
75. Beverly Hills 90210
76. The Golden Girls
77. Herman’s Head
78. The Nanny
79. Double Dare
80. Full House
81. Fraggle Rock
82. Superman: The Animated Series
83. The Maxx
84. The Ray Bradbury Theater
85. Undeclared
86. 3rd Rock From the Sun
87. Night Court
88.Dave’s World
89. Punky Brewster
90. Monsters
91. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
92. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
93. Jack and Bobby
94. X-Men: The Animated Series
95. Salute Your Shorts
96. Hey Dude
97. Duck Tales
98. Saved by the Bell
99. Clarissa Explains It All
100. That 70’s Show
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