THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION - A Few Words About BLACK ADAM

 

I went out to see BLACK ADAM on opening day.  Which was good, because people were already filling my timeline with magnanimous opinions about how good or bad DC's latest cinematic offering was before it had even come out. 

7 Things (Some Good, Some bad) About James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD

So I finally coaxed myself out of the house to see James Gunn's action-comedy sequel THE SUICIDE SQUAD.

I liked James Gunn's vision of Amanda Waller's super-villain-fueled Task Force X, but I definitely had some issues with it.

Here's 7 points that drive my opinion of the movie, SPOILERS AND ALL, after the jump.

LOKI is good, but let's talk about Hunter B-15 ♥

I think I'm in love with a T.V.A. Agent. . .

Since I haven't really spoken too much about it publicly, I should start out by saying that I'm really enjoying LOKI, the marvelous Marvel streaming show starring Tom Hiddleston as the eponymous Asgardian god of mischief.  

Marvel's Falcon + Winter Soldier Hits and Misses... But We'll Take It.

As of this writing*, we are three episodes into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (which, from now on, I will refer to as Falcon and Bucky, because damn).  Now that any excitement or annoyance (and I have felt both) has had time to wear off, and we are half way into this 6 episode series, I feel safe saying that I can give this show a passing grade so far, but not high marks.

SNYDE or DIE!

 

 A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE LONG-AWAITED AND HIGHLY DIVISIVE DIRECTORS CUT OF ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE 

Unless you've been living under a rock since 2017, you probably know that Zack Snyder left filming of Justice League before it was finished due to the death of his daughter.  He was replaced by Avengers helmsman Joss Whedon, who was charged not only with finishing the movie, but changing the tone and story to meet Hollywood marketability concerns.

That is just about universally considered to have been a bad move. 

Putting the MESS in Messianic: A few Words about BATMAN VS SUPERMAN

So I finally caught Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice last week. It follows lots of Hollywood trends that irk me, like overly-long names (as if Batman Vs. Superman doesn't cover it), bloated running times, and superhero costumes that are dark for no reason. But don't get me wrong! I really enjoyed most of the movie.
But I guess my expectations were not that high.

My favorite "Teen Titans Go" episode

The 2 parter Homecoming is probably my favorite story from the dearly departed cartoon show Teen Titans Go. Launching the show's fifth and final season, Homecoming introduces Beast Boy's former team the Doom Patrol, and their evil archenemies the Brotherhood of Evil.

I finally saw Avengers...

"So, is Avengers the greatest superhero movie ever?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen it yet."

"...
You need to see it..."

Okay... this is dope...

I clowned Green Lantern pretty bad when the first trailer came out, so it's only fair that I admit how much I'm feeling this one...

Just Don't call them "Sidekicks"

I was sort of skeptical of the new Young Justice cartoon back when I first heard of its impending release. Now that I've seen it, I can barely remember what I was so worried about... 

about the Green Lantern Movie trailer...

"The kids will love watching a womanizer smash a chick then leave her with the tap water..." 
-LeSean Thomas (animator, cartoonist)

Still my favorite Comicbook Movie...

Feeling Much Better Now... by Samax Amen
The Crow is still my favorite comicbook movie (since people always argue that The Matrix and Unbreakable technically don't count). All the hooplah, cash flow, and studio biting surrounding Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (and of course the death of Heath Ledger) called to question which was greater, and even though I'm probably alone in this, I'll side with The Crow. 

F what you heard: go Watch Astro Boy!

before i went out to see Astro Boy last night, I watched the movie critics on At the Movies tear the movie apart. They hated the movie, and said that it was confused, boring, and totally inappropriate for children. They appeared especially concerned with the violence, death, and questionable character motivations at the core of the conflicts in the film. although both critics suggested skipping the movie, their reviews actually intrigued me to give the movie a chance. As often happens, the critics got it wrong.

Titanic...

I'm watching that Teen Titans - Trouble in Tokyo joint on the DVR... this mess is fun and original, but still brings the 'toon violence for cats like me! I found it on youtube for the fam, but you can click the pic if you want it for your teevee...

Santa Claws came Early

Okay. i just watched a full-length cut of the new marvel mutant movie that isn't supposed ta be out yet... (click the pic on the left and you can stream it like me or download it if you're not in the mood for "buffering"... be quick about it! it will likely be gone soon...). i'm sure the blogosphere is blowing up with hate over the changes they made to "the continuity" of the character... but you won't get any of that here. the leak is missing special effects in places, but not so much that you can't follow the story.
I thought Origins was pretty cool for the first 75% of the movie (i just noticed, i tend to like the build up of comics adaptations, then feel disappointed with the pay off). as i was watching it, i wondered (as usual) why they don't make a rated R Wolverine movie. Logan's claim to fame is being one of comics' top two killing machines (i THINK he's killed more people than the Punisher, but don't quote me on that...), and yet they insist on the "Trick Luh Da Kids" approach (after seeing Watchmen, the case for an R-rated mutant film is made even stronger), as if you can't still sell action figures if there's gore in the movie... but i digress.
Baby Huey returns as the prrrobably Canadian mutant with a mysterious past that this movie unveils. you actually won't spend the first 3/4ths of the movie trying to figure out how Wolverine forgets about Sabretooth and Stryker (who Logan runs into in X-men and X2 respectively), and the director should be credited for that. I enjoyed the backstory, but purists will get irritated with the changes that they took with the characters. Bryan Singer's X-men established pretty well that the film series isn't retreading the cannon, just using it for inspiration (Iceman, a founding member of the team was reduced to junior status, Angel didn't debut until X3).
anyways, as i elluded to earlier, i didn't care for the last part of the movie. they turned a character i liked into the corniest damned mutant assassin ever as the final bad guy. hopefully, they will cut some of the ending, which seemed to drag out like it was hoping i would kiss it goodnight.
I enjoyed the movie overall. Gambit is in it, and he's pretty cool. it was not a great film, or a faithful adaptation, but more of the same. so if you liked the other films, you'll probably like Origins.
holla!
-ghettoManga.com
comics.hipHop.news.art.culture

Why you should watch Watchmen

when that dude Zack Snyder (300) announced he was directing a live-action studio adaptation of what is considered by some the greatest comic of all time, I spent every day for months moaning about how bad an idea it was. the original comic, Alan Moore's Watchmen, was masterfully built specifically to be a comic. much of the greatness of it comes from devices that can't be replicated in film. plus, there is so much going on that it just wasn't possible to fit it all into a two (or even three) hour film. i was convinced it was gonna be a disaster!

well... it wasn't.

it was fabulous! i mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't as good as the comic, but it was about as good as it COULD be! Directed by Zach Snyder (300), Watchmen has an ensemble cast that includes a home run performance by Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, a grimy, bone-snapping masked vigilante investigating the murder of nihilistic government spook/retired superhero, the Comedian. as Rorschach investigates the murder we also meet his ex crime-fighting partner Nite Owl and other members of the ill-fated superteam, and become entrenched in the fear and apprehension of a world headed for mutual assured destruction.

The movie does a great job of shifting between the storylines of the many characters, which i was really concerned about. Snyder had the daunting job of cutting the fat out of one of the most highly celebrated stories in all of comicdom, and handled it admirably. Rorschach, the most popular character in the story, is handled perfectly without losing the other characters in the shuffle. in fact, the love triangle between Nite Owl, Silk Specter and Dr. Manhattan is handled better than i expected as well.
For all the fanboys out there, it should be noted that Snyder and screen writers David Hayter and Alex Tse made a couple key changes in the plot in order to fit the movie within an acceptable screen time (163 minutes). the changes don't hurt the film, but may be hard to swallow for faithful lovers of the comic (like me). Snyder makes up for any weaknesses by shooting the best fight scenes since The Matrix. the original comic is not really an action comic, and it would probably bore people if Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons' deadpan illustrating style had been adhered to... the sound and choreography of the fights give the masked human characters the kind of brutal martial-arts-fueled super-strength that comes off as exaggerated, not fake. Dr. Manhattan (the only charcter with actual super-powers) is mesmerizing. his character is present in your mind, even when he isn't on screen.
my recommendation: go watch Watchmen. once you've seen it, buy (or reread) the graphic novel for an additional kick in the tail!

holla!

samax

Lawyers are watching the Watchmen...

movie studio 20th Century Fox has applied for an injunction blocking the release of 2009 Warner Bros blockbuster film Watchmen (based on the fan-favorite graphic novel of the same name), claiming Warner Bros did not properly secure all the rights to make the film. According to The New York Times, Fox asserts that they should'a been consulted with, since they have partial rights to the film. Fox just wants some of that Dark Knight paper... the judge presiding over the case blocked the release of The Dukes of Hazard in 2005, leading to a settlement of around $17.5 milli. given that Dark Knight's raked in $500 million domestic (and counting) expect Fox to turn its nose up to something as paltry as $17.5m, and there's no way the WB execs are gonna let the movie get delayed, so mark down another black eye for Time-Warner... the only question is how bad will the settlement be...
-gMJG8D69D

It's gettin' Dark, and Hell is hot...

went to the Midnight show of The Dark Knight, and one thing is for sure: this joint's gonna make a load'a bread! i had to go to three theaters to find one that hadn't sold out multiple screens, and i got one of the last spots available, sitting in the chronic kneck-pain seats.
and it was worth it...
i doubt if any movie, let alone one about a guy dressing up like a bat and bitch-slapping the wicked, could live up to the hype The Dark Knight brought in with it, but i'd say director Chris Nolan comes damn close to a perfect superhero movie, with this follow-up to his fan-favorite big-budget debut, Batman Begins.Dark Knight made me happy, like Begins, by breaking superhero movie molds. where most sequels in the genre choose to focus on the villain's sad story leading up to transforming them into the evil bastard that has to be stopped, Dark Knight respects the audience enough not to bother. rather than engage in poorly constructed psycho-babble, The Dark Knight sticks to the psycho. the Joker is an evil bastard that has to be stopped, and that's all you need to know.
this movie, like Begins, doesn't retread any existing Batman story, it creates a new one... part of the genius is that Nolan's films do what other superhero flicks don't: both Begins and Dark Knight actually add to the mythos of the characters. he ties the Joker to Batman flawlessly, showing how the strengths and weaknesses of both men tie them together as the ultimate arch-enemies. by the end of the film, Batman turns everything that has happened to his advantage, even the loss of everything he had hoped for the whole film. he is possibly the most pure interpretation of Batman's personality ever seen on screen.
The film is not without weaknesses. i still think these films rely too heavily on action movie logic, where a more horror-suspense bent would work better. talking while fighting, car chases, and technology effects are all a ton of fun, but i don't think they are Nolan's strong suit. speaking of which, the Batman suit still needs work... the cape doesn't do the Batman thing of adding to his general scariness that you get in the comic. the beauty of it is that like Batman Begins, the strength of Dark Knight lies with the story and the actors, not the action-superhero window dressing.
and the acting was fabulous. while there were no weak performances, the late Heath Ledger owned this film. i can't say enough about his low down, gritty, grimy performance. he was so good, i actually think he will get that Oscar nod every one keeps talking about (he's a lock for the Golden Globe). from his first scene, he erased every prior interpretation of the sneering mass-murdering anarchist Joker, grounding the larger-than-life "clown prince of crime" in the real world...
so anyways, in case you can't tell, i thought The Dark Knight was even better than Batman Begins. even with all the flaws i mentioned, i considered it an overall fabulous picture that i can't wait to watch again. the Batman is brutal and ruthless, and the Joker is even more so. go check 'em out, and come back here and let's talk about it...
holla!
-gM

Killer Instinct

okay, finally got outta the house and saw Wanted, the action-packed adaptation of the Mark Millar and J.G. Jones coming-of-age supervillain graphic Novel of the same name... and i'm convinced that i kinda need to write two reviews, evaluating it separately as a comics adaptation and a summer blockbuster action movie, but alas, i am not that dedicated, so you'll only get one review...
and if this was pass fail, it'd pass as an action movie. the story, which follows Wesley Gibson's transformation from spineless loser to gun-clapping badass thanks to his recruitment into the Fraternity of Assassins, is executed neatly in the American directing debut of hotshot russian filmsmith Timur Bekmambeton (NightWatch, Daywatch). Wanted's action sequences are fun, fast and so abundant you barely have time to ask yourself if you can believe them. Jolie is convincing as Fox, Wesley's mentor and trainer, and Morgan Freeman is even better as Sloan, the ice-cold patriarch of the Fraternity. Wanted packs more than enough punch for any action movie fan... Jolie brings to mind Charli Baltimore's stone-grilled killing machine, with a hint of depth we see very little but can tell is there (please tell me you guys have seen Long Kiss Goodnight written by the immortal Shane Black?), and her chemistry with McAvoy is good, too.
i would probably gush more over the casting if the comic hadn't cast the characters so well to begin with! i mean, who wouldn't LOVE to have seen Eminem as the clueless Wesley Gibson, transformed by the Fox (played by Hallie Berry, of course) into the murderous savant The Killer, following in the footsteps of Tommy Lee Jones, his dear old dad!? sure, McAvoy is probably a better actor, but nothing i saw leads me to believe Em couldn't have pulled it off just as well. having Eminem in the film would have likely helped the film's box office (which came in second last week to Wall-E, and will pro'lly not come in on top this week either), and contributed to at least a few hipHop songs being added to the soundtrack (no hip hop on the soundtrack? BOOOO!)... but unfortunately, some kinda beef between Mark Millar and Eminem's people killed that likelihood...
anyways, i understand why filmmakers would shy away from the silver-age parody elements of the comic (not to mention characters with names like Shit Head and Fuckwit), but there are tons of ways they could have stuck closer to the source material, and most of them would also have made for a better movie. i mean, the Pseudo-religious cult of Assassins whose victims are chosen by Fate is pretty cool, but not nearly so much as an omnipresent league of superhuman killers who are able to rule the world in secret because they have collaborated to systematically murder all the good guys who might have opposed them!
most of the changes were motivated by the desire to make this film appeal to as many people as possible by not offending anyone, and that's why it doesn't work as an adaptation. the story suffers because it needs to keep Wesley redeemable: he can't kill his ex, his best friend or his boss (even though we, the audience, want him to) because this popcorn film needed him to become a hero by the end. the comic pulled no such punches. Millar's Wes kills, rapes, and pillages at will. Millar was not planning on redeeming Wesley, and as a result, created a more interesting and attractive character who makes no apology for becoming a villain... in fact, only the horrific Mister Rictus made Wes look halfway human by comparison in the comic! the edginess of the comic is one of the things that makes it hot, and i don't think enough of that heat makes it onto the screen.
so anyways, to summarize, Wanted the Summer Action Film gets an A- for dope action and good pace, acting and overall direction. but Wanted the Comics Adaptation gets a C because it just doesn't bring as much punch as the comic. the missteps come from trying not to offend, which totally abandons the spirit of Millar's writing. Overall, Wanted gets a B. if you are a comics nerd who just NEEDS it to be up to the standard of the comic, skip it. people who hated the comic may actually enjoy the movie (i can elaborate if you want...), so they should check it out. everyone else who isn't feelin' anything else out, peep it. it's good ignorant fun!
holla!
-gM

Hancock

I caught an advance screening of this movie, with an expectation that it would be really bad (the trailers don't make it look real good). It was okay though. in fact, i really liked it. Will plays a jerk, but a believable, even lovable jerk. the story took turns i found wholly unexpected and appreciated. Jason Bateman is great as a hopelessly idealistic public relations guy who decides to help Hancock work on his public image.