Caddickisms

My thoughts on everything

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June 21st, 2008

Review: Superman: Doomsday

Superman: Doomsday DVD boxI read somewhere recently that comic books do superhero fights better than movies because things happen too fast in the movies. I understand where that’s coming from, but I’m not sure I buy it completely. Spider-man’s fights were pretty cool in the movies (especially vs. Doc Ock), for example.

Superman: Doomsday, being the animated version of the “Death of Superman” comic book series, had the perfect chance to prove that sentiment wrong. It was a good fight (two good fights, actually), but I suspect the comics had more impact for most people. They simply had more time to be involved in the story surrounding the death in the comics. I think that’s the failure of this movie: they didn’t spend enough time on the lead-up to the death.

Yes, we clearly get the impression that Doomsday is heartless and mindlessly violent, and Superman has to take him down. We also get the impression that he’s tough - real tough. But I never saw anything registered on Superman’s face, or spoken in his lines, that showed me that he knew this might be the most physically challenging thing he’d ever faced - that he might have to sacrifice himself to stop it. That would have put this movie over the top for me - his self-awareness.

I couldn’t help but make comparisons of the final fight with Darkseid in Justice League Unlimited. Though much shorter, it made more of an impact with me because of the speech he made:

That’s the kind of thing this movie needed.

Still, the beatings in this movie were impressive. :)

The one thing I like more about this movie was the scale of destruction wreaked by the fight. That was much closer to what it would be like if a battle this epic were to be fought. Buildings were brought down in no uncertain terms. There were whole blocks ruined by these fights. The final blow thew out a shockwave that was almost nuclear in its force.

There were two fights in this movie. Obviously, you can’t have the death of Superman be the end of the movie. You gotta show the comeback, so the death was only half the story. The second battle pits Superman as the underdog. That one, I think, was done better than the first. More time was spent in dialog expressing the thoughts of the combatants - though I still never got a sense of regret from Superman, which I think would have been appropriate for his character.

The movie could have benefited from an extra 5 to 10 minutes on character moments intertwined with the action. That would still keep it under 90 minutes total.

One other thing: while the body count in this film is high, there are only two instances of blood shown. I’m glad the team decided to keep it “clean” because this is bound to be seen by kids. There is a part of me that wants to see the adult animé version of this, though. Take a look at a contrast between his death in the movie vs. the comic book version:

Superman\'s Death

For all those who want to be spoiled for the first fight, here it is in full. My favorite moment: when he grabs Doomsday by the teeth.

If you’re into Superman, rent this one. There’s even a moment where Lex surprised me. Maybe I’m too used to Lex in Smallville, but this Lex is cold.

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May 7th, 2008

Movie news roundup - Sci-Fi and comics lovers, rejoice!

Lots of news and some rumors hitting the net lately… here are the best of the bunch for Sci-Fi and comics lovers:

The next Stargate SG-1 film titled Stargate: Continuum now has a July 29 DVD release date.

Marvel has announced that Iron Man 2 has been confirmed for release in 2010, in addition to a movie about Thor. Also reported: the Avengers and Captain America (with Matthew McConaughey as the lead?) in 2011.

Also announced by Marvel: an Ant Man movie, though the timeline for the film is unknown. (This is where they start to lose me… Ant Man? Seriously? I think they’re stretching to reach a mainstream audience with that one. My guess is his popularity in the Avengers movie will determine if this one really gets made.)

Iron Man, Tony Stark, will make a cameo in The Incredible Hulk.

Superman: Man of Steel will now not be delayed due to the “Justice League of America” film but is geared up for a 2009 release with Brandon Routh back as Superman.

Both Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight will run over 140 minutes. In fact, The Dark Knight may run close to three hours.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan has signed on for a third Batman feature, and Christian Bale has expressed interest as well. Details of plot are even starting to circulate - apparently the film will focus on Two-Face and may introduce Robin, following the plot of the graphic novels “The Long Halloween” and “Dark Victory” for a rough outline.

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May 5th, 2008

Review: Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. has been touted as the perfect choice to play Tony Stark. When I first saw the trailer I was doubtful about that choice. I always pictured Stark as taller, and with a deeper voice. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I’m over that. He did a great job, and I really can’t think of any better choice. Excellent casting.

I’ve heard a lot of people saying this was the best superhero movie ever. Before I saw the movie, I doubted that would be true, though I figured it would make a good shot at the title. Turns out I was right on that one. This took a heck of a shot, but it doesn’t, in my opinion, take down the reigning king, Spiderman. Here’s why: I left both of the first two Spiderman films elated and breathless; Iron Man had me happy and pumped. Great reactions to both franchises, but it’s a matter of degrees — Spidey gave me the extra effort.

To be fair, going in to it I prefer Spidey over Iron Man. I’ve always been intrigued by Iron Man, but never captivated. So I guess I’m not impartial. I do think it’s possible to make an argument that the Spidey films are objectively superior, primarily on the strength of the story coming through on a more personal, rather than global level. But let’s get back to concentrating on the current movie for itself.

First of all, the eye-candy level is impressive. Lots and lots of nice shots. The suit looks and works great. But that’s not the focus of the movie. As with all the best special effects movies, the effects are there merely to support the story. It’s a very good story, too. The uncaring head of the world’s leading weapons manufacturer comes face-to-face with the reality of his own inventions and realizes that he has to undo the damage he has done. It’s a big task, on a global level. The movie keeps it manageable and the bad guys are terrorists, not governments, which ensures we’re rooting for the hero without damaging the movie’s marketability.

There are a lot of nods in there for comic fans, too, which is nice. Supporting character Rhodey gets to telegraph his eventual role as Iron Man’s partner, War Machine. S.H.I.E.L.D gets a huge nod (though I won’t comment on the rumored presence or absence of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury). There is a definite setup for an Avengers flick, and an obvious potential for a whole series of Iron Man movies.

My vote for best moment in the entire movie - the moment that made me actually loudly exclaim “Oh, Yeah!!” before the rest of the audience reacted, was actually a moment that was partially played for subtle comic effect, as well as dramatic. The way he took out the terrorists holding hostages in the town was just too cool, and I didn’t see it coming. Absolutely perfect.

But now I have to come back to something that didn’t work as well for me. And the problem I have is that I don’t know who to pin it on. This could be the way the character is in the comics (I really haven’t read much Iron Man), or it could be the way he is written for the movie, or it could be the director’s choices, or it could be on Downey Jr.’s shoulders: aside from early on, about midway through the cave sequence in the beginning, I don’t ever get much in the way of emotion or conflict - there were opportunities for that to come through, I think, but it didn’t - unless you count innuendo. Very little in the way of vulnerability. I do recognize that that was a conscious choice, I just think it could have been loosened up a bit - at least for a scene or two. It kept me from being as emotionally invested in the character as I could have been.

Maybe that’s always been present in the character. That could explain why I never got fully caught up in the series. I just don’t relate to him as well as to some other superhero characters (specifically, Spiderman, Superman, and Batman come to mind).

Anyway… despite the flaws I’ve seen, I still think this is easily in the top five best superhero/comic movies ever. It should prove to be a strong franchise, and is probably positioned better than any other comic book movie to spawn spin-offs and cross-overs. In the comics, Tony’s worked with just about everybody in the Marvel Universe at one time or another. I anticipate at least one sequel, probably more, and an Avengers spin-off, and I eagerly look forward to them.

And DO NOT LEAVE until after the credits. You’ll be glad you stayed.

So… 4 stars.

(1 down, 12 to go.)

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March 5th, 2008

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 and 2

Literary characters - some obscure, some well known - abound in these graphic novels. The main players (Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, and - to a much lesser extent - Mina Harker/Murray) are well established, and the gimmick of putting them together is the initial draw. It took me a little effort to get into the style of faux-1800s dialogue, especially in the narrative boxes, but I quite enjoyed the first volume’s story. It didn’t take itself too seriously, and yet there was a lot of mystery and discovery. Nothing ever really seems to be completely answered, but it gets close enough that you’re satisfied, and the opening for further mystery is part of it’s charm.

Volume two was much more straight-forward - not a lot in the way of mystery or intrigue. That would have gotten in the way, apparently, of the violence and the sex. And given that this story was, in many ways, centered on the simple, straight-forward, violent character of Hyde, I suppose that makes sense.

There was a lot of Hyde in this book. Hyde’s a bad dude. A bad, baaaad, dude. Don’t mess with Hyde. Seriously. Even if you’ve got a nasty heat ray. And hiding from Hyde’s not really an option either. Best to not get on his bad side. That’s pretty much the message I got from this book. Loud and clear.

Aside from the voyeurism of the book, though, I gotta say the story wasn’t as compelling as the first volume. Even some of the surprises at the end were not that impactful. I also think Mina, and to some extent Quartermain, were underused, despite having a large number of pages dedicated to them. Neither were really used for the talents that made them interesting as characters.

Did I mention Hyde’s a bad dude? I was forewarned that something was going to happen with him, and still had a “whoa” moment when I realized what was going on…

This one definitely ain’t for the kiddies.

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September 20th, 2007

“Justice League of America” Moves Forward - Slice of Scifi

“Justice League of America” Moves Forward - Slice of Scifi

I’m sorry. I just can’t picture this movie being made well any time in the next 5 years.

As I said in a previous post, there are just too many big characters to adequately pull something off with enough weight on each character, developmentally. Plus you’ve got the casting problem:

Of course the big question is — Can Warner get Brandon Routh and Christian Bale to play Superman and Batman for this project, or will they settle for other actors? The problem with getting others for the role is credibility. There is no question in any fan’s mind that Routh and Bale now own those roles. And Warner has to be asking themselves how readily fans might accept others in those costumes.

Sounds like Routh and Bale aren’t that interested in the roles in the new film, either. And I can’t say I blame them. They’re spending a lot of energy to get those characters right in their own films, with strong directors and (mostly) strong scripts. It’s a big risk to go into a difficult ensemble piece and risk watering those characters down. What if Batman comes off too light in the Justice League film? Will that hurt the stand-alone series and make it harder to get new viewers? It could.

As much as I’d like to see a Justice League done right, I don’t think it’s going to happen. I hope they prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

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September 11th, 2007

Iron Man - Movie Trailer

Apple - Trailers - Iron Man - Trailer - Large

Hey, the trailer for the May 2008 movie is out! Looks good, but I’m not totally sold yet. I’m a little unclear on the story. Seems like this trailer just focused on origins and some beauty shots. No conflict. Nothing story-wise, really.

I like Favreau’s style, but it better have a good script.

(Want more? Check this out.)

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August 19th, 2007

An attache case, an underground government, and a Spider-Man on the edge

I’m reading a lot more comics/graphic novels now than I ever have. Sadly, that’s not saying much, since I only read individual unconnected issues at a time - I never really read a full storyline until a year or so ago, save for one or two “special occasions.”

Now, though, I’m borrowing stuff from a few friends’ collections, and I’m loving it. I’m reading a pretty wide variety of stuff (standard superhero fare, TV show spinoffs, Stephen King, and a couple of “difficult to categorize” books). There are some definite standouts, and that’s where I want to focus here.

When I think about the series’ that I’m reading, there are three that I plow through almost immediately, and for which I can’t wait for the next installment: 100 Bullets, Fables, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Spider-Man is the most fun, because it’s a character I grew up with and love in all incarnations. The current story (Back in Black) is painting a darker Peter Parker, driven to revenge when his Aunt May takes a bullet meant for him. Spidey lets loose almost completely in this and there’s only one or two issues left, which I’m salivating to read. Good stuff. J. Michael Straczynski, of Babylon 5 fame, is writing this series, following on the heels of Marvel’s Civil War series (also excellent), and I think he’s doing a terrific job.

The other two series are just phenomenal, but in different ways. There are no ’super-heroes’ per-se, in either series. Both are thoroughly ensemble pieces, though a couple characters stand out in each.

100 Bullets is a dark, complex, conspiracy and con-men driven story, ultimately about the formation and future of the United States and the small group of people who are really in charge (and they aren’t in the government). There are mysteries layered upon mysteries, incredibly smart writing, surprises at every corner, and (especially in the later issues) action rivaling some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Others have said it before and I’ll echo the sentiment: this series elevates graphic novels to a new level, equal to some of the best crime fiction out there.

The other series in the upper echelons of my reading list, that is just as engrossing as 100 Bullets, is Fables. The premise is that the characters in the fables we all grew up with (Snow White, Cinderella, Old King Cole, The Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, etc.) were driven from their homelands by an unnamed ferocious enemy and many of them escaped to our world centuries ago and are living among us, primarily centered in New York City. It’s not nearly as dark as 100 Bullets, but it’s also very smart, and it has an overarching story that is just as compelling. The difference, to me, is that while I am spurred by the writing and mysteries of both stories, I care about the individual characters of Fables, while in 100 Bullets I just have to know what happens next. The story and writing alone keep me coming back for 100 Bullets, but the interweaving of the characters with the story, and its ability to make me really care what happens to individuals is what keeps me hooked on Fables. I just finished book 4, where the first attack of “the adversary” in the “mundy” world has just occurred, and I can’t wait to get to book 5. The opening issue of book 4, recalling the last stand of the escaping fables in the “homelands” surprised me with its emotional power. It really elevated the whole thing to a new level for me.

Neither of these last two series are for young audiences, but for mature readers, there’s not much better out there. Don’t get me wrong… there’s some great stuff out there, but these are at the top of my must-read list at the moment.

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June 22nd, 2007

Review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

The Fantastic Four is all about teamwork and family, when you boil it down. Or at least it should be. Both the original movie and the current sequel, unfortunately, can’t seem to get that right. In the first movie, it was an extremely important part of the story so when it was done poorly it sank the movie. In Rise of the Silver Surfer, they are supposed to be good at working as a team already (for the most part) so when the teamwork aspect doesn’t work well it hurts, but it’s not a mortal wound to the film - the story just doesn’t emphasize it.

The helicopter crash was the one time in the movie when it could be argued they worked as a team. For the rest of the film they each take turns having moments to shine, but there is no true teamwork. At least in the final fight of the first film, they worked together to beat Dr. Doom.

Despite that major failing, this was a vast improvement over the first outing (though sadly that’s not difficult). The effects were top notch, the “villain” was sufficiently challenging on multiple levels, and the story was at least somewhat compelling. The Silver Surfer was incredibly well realized, visually, and Laurence Fishburne was a great choice for his voice. He was also a compelling and mysterious character. The Stan Lee cameo was appropriate and funny. There were some good moments between Johnny and Ben (The Human Torch and The Thing).

In the talk on the ride home with my wife, I think we hit upon the true failing of this series: no one involved in the making of the Fantastic Four movies really seems to “get it.” With Superman Returns, Brian Singer is out there talking about why he wants to make the movie; with Spiderman, Sam Raimi is out there talking about why Spiderman is a compelling character; with Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan is out there talking about what makes Batman interesting. With the Fantastic Four, we get nothing. It’s strictly a money-maker. The story comes a far second to the spectacle. There really is nothing driving the characters. That’s a shame, because these are good characters that deserve some attention, and these films are sadly unrealized.

Geez… even the “Wonder Pets” do teamwork better than this.

Three stars.

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February 23rd, 2007

LinkList: Sci-fi edition

I find a lot of stuff that I want to share, but that doesn’t make it into a blog post of its own, for whatever reason (usually a lack of time and/or energy).

If I’m subscribed to the feeds, those interesting posts generally make it into my Google Reader Shared Posts page (currently in the right sidebar here, though I’m going to move it to it’s own page once I figure out how to get the Javascript to work in WordPress). For the other posts I run across, I’m going to start periodically creating a “link list” post like this one. At the moment, I’m thinking I’ll try to categorize the links, but I’m still figuring out what will work best so that may change.

So, that’s enough with the extended preamble. On to the links!

Which Operating System would your favorite Sci-Fi characters choose?
» Spock loves Linux, Vader is a Mac Daddy | Geekend | TechRepublic.com

The History of Sci-Fi, written by the fans
BBC - My Science Fiction Life
Thoughts and memories about all the sci-fi we grew up with, from the 1930’s to today, across all “platforms” - books, movies, TV, radio, comics, etc. - chosen and examined by users.

Justice League Of America - The Movie?
Slice of Scifi - Science Fiction TV & Movie News, Interviews & more » JLA Finally Coming to Theaters? Keep Your Fingers Crossed!
In theory this is really cool. In practice, I don’t think they’ll pull it off. In addition to the casting issues the post mentions, there’s the problem of trying to fit all those characters into a 2 hour movie. It’s hard enough to get a single fully fleshed out superhero character in a film, let alone seven. The closest movie to pull that off was X-Men, and they really only focused on Logan (Wolverine) and Rogue in that one.

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February 21st, 2007

Review: V for Vendetta

The Wachowski brothers have a firm grasp of visuals and a healthy respect for graphic novels. They also know how to write a script that challenges the viewer’s perceptions of reality. Put those things together and you’ve got V for Vendetta.

Here are my “tip of the tongue” thoughts on the film:

  • The beginning almost turned me off completely. The alliterative monologue of V’s entrance left me feeling that the writers were showing off and that the movie was going to come off as trite or comical. Luckily, it got better.
  • I thought it was a good choice to never show V’s face, and even to have his past erased. Even he didn’t know who he was beyond an artist in vengence. I wanted to know more about V’s past, but at the same time I know that would have ruined much of the effect of the movie.
  • It’s an interesting statement on the blurry line between terrorism and freedom fighter. In the included documentary, Natalie Portman correctly identified his primary motivation as vengence, though, which is why most people feel some discomfort in cheering for him, despite recognizing the correctness of his political cause.
  • Visually it was just hands-down beautifully shot. So many scenes come to mind as works of art. I don’t usually see a movie and come away thinking, “wow, that would be a great still shot,” but I can think of at least 2 or 3 here without trying. The final knife/gun fight was full of them - notably the shot with the bullets falling out of the revolver in close-up while two henchmen are taken out by knives in the background. That was just an incredibly engaging visual, that owes much to its graphic novel base material (as does the entirety of that fight, for that matter). Evey’s time in the prison had some memorable shots as well. Brilliant stuff.
  • Setting the film in a future dystopia always intrigues me, but at the same time usually comes off as a bit heavy-handed, and this was no exception.

If you like your action movies to be (or at least aspire to be) high-brow, this is the film for you. If you appreciate visually exciting films (as in, excellent composition and cinematography), see this one. If you’re looking for a straight-forward adrenaline rush action flick…. while it has its moments, maybe this isn’t what you’re after.

Overall, I’d give it three and a half stars.

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