Fan Rants

Johnny and I attended the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle over the weekend, and we were lucky enough to catch a sneak preview of the upcoming movie “Super”, starring Rainn Wilson (who you may recognize as Dwight from the NBC show The Office). The basic plot involves Frank, a slightly depressed short order cook whose two “perfect moments” in his life involved pointing out where a mugger ran to a police officer and his wedding day. When his wife leaves him he thinks she has been kidnapped. He decides (with the help of a costumed Nathan Fillion) to become a super hero in order to save her.

I’ll be blunt; this movie is pretty graphically violent. I didn’t go into the film thinking it would be. Graphic violence doesn’t bother me too much, and honestly it’s far less violent and bloody than Kick Ass or Kill Bill. None the less, there are a few cringy moments. He uses a pipe wrench as his weapon of choice for balls sake!

Despite prominent roles for Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, and Ellen Page, this was a low budget film. While that showed in the production quality (mostly shot with one or two hand held cameras), it seemed to fit right in with the feel of the movie as a whole. The editing was lackluster at times, letting scenes linger too long, but those times were far and few between. For the most part the film flows well.

What really makes this film great is the story and the performances handed in by Wilson and Page. It felt believable, even though we’re talking about a guy running around in a costume whacking people upside the head with a pipe wrench. Who hasn’t felt like doing that?!? (On a side note, I learned that there is a guy in Seattle who puts on a costume and fights crime. Pretty fucking awesome)

In short, I give this movie a B+ and recommend seeing it when it opens on April 15. It will make an excellent tax day treat.

Whew…just saw the trailer for the new movie Priest. Have to say it looks pretty impressive. I have read some of the TokyoPop reprints of the original Min-Woo Hyung manga, but just didn’t get into it.

Quick run down…future society, highly trained warrior priests, protecting us from the vampire hoards. Once the vampires are wiped out…don’t need the priests anymore. But maybe they aren’t all gone.

Yeah, not exactly original in plot, but they have made a damn fine trailer and I look forward to seeing it on the big screen. I know it will be better than the Season of the Bitch!

Also neat tidbit, Stephen Moyer from Trueblood is in it…but no fangs this time. Solid cast: Paul Bettany (Legion), Karl Urban (Star Trek), Christopher Plummer (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), Maggie Q (Nikkita), and Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings).

On Monday of this week I was fortunate enough to catch a sneak premiere of the new Warner Brothers film, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. I took my friend Jane since she used to work with predator birds including owls and I wanted to see what she thought.

The film is based on a series of children books by Kathryn Lasky. I haven’t read any of the books but apparently they are very popular and around 15 of them so far. From what I understand, the movie encompasses the first 3 books to tell the story. I am sure Warner wants to make more if this does well in the theaters.

After seeing this film, I am really starting to believe that 3D films are meant to be of the animated variety. This one and How to Train Your Dragon were both visually stunning in their own way and really utilized the 3D process to make the scenes pop into the theater.

The Owls depicted here were true to life in their look…and in some way their mannerisms also. Jane pointed out that the burrowing owl acting in real life much the same way that ‘Digger’ acted in the film. The 3D animation also made it so that individual feathers, which almost look like fur because they are so thin, really stand out and look oh so real.

As for the story, it was a good one. I think as an adult I am slightly jaded and can predict most action in books/film now, but I did like it (even if I kinda knew what would happen). Kids should find it far more accessible and definitely the kids in the audience seemed to really enjoy the movie.

There are several scenes of violence (animal on animal) that I doubt would be appropriate for children under 10, otherwise it should be enjoyable for the whole family with a PG rating.

After the film was over we were lucky enough to have a Q&A session with the director Zack Snyder. There were definitely scenes in the film with his trademark action (close up slow motion) but otherwise the whole project was quite the departure from his typical films (300, Watchmen).

A couple of easter eggs to watch out for when you see the movie that Zack told us about. Both of which were done without his knowledge and are pretty cool (I spotted one, but not the first one).

1) When he first started talking about the movie with the crew he described it as a far-flung future where talking owls roamed the planet and humans were no more (ala Planet of the Apes). So, the animators added something at the beginning of the movie. In an early scene where they show the moon coming up in the distance, you see a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. Nice!

2) In a later scene from the Guardians Armory there is a wall filled with metal masks/helmets that the owls wear into battle. Again the animators added a familiar mask to the wall, it’s the mask that Night Owl wore in the movie The Watchmen!

I rate this a 3.5 Beers out of 5.

It is a visually stunning film and I hope you can catch it in 3D as it utilizes the technology quite well. OH and you get a bonus 3D cartoon with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner entitled “Fur of Flying” before the film starts!

I was lucky enough to attend an Iron Man 2 sneak peek at my local theater. Let’s see if I can sum up my feelings in three words: Holy f*%$ing $h1t!!! This movie is incredible! The personality arc that Tony Stark goes through in this movie alone is great. He starts out very narcissistic and arrogant.

He’s pushing everyone away, even his personal assistant, Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.  The story starts off by introducing us to the movie’s villain.  We see a huge man with a bottle of vodka in his hands speaking to his father, who, obviously on his death-bed,  is apologizing for not being able to take care of him.  “All I can pass on to you is my knowledge”.  Cut to the huge, drunken , tatted up, russian thug making himself an arc reactor just like the one Tony has. Needless to say this can only end with awesomeness. 

Nick Fury is around too, trying to get Tony to join the Avenger Initiative and also helping him with his health problems.  Tony continues to go on throughout the movie insisting that he doesn’t need them or want to join their team. By the end of the movie, Nick Fury lets it be known that S.H.I.E.L.D. is interested in Iron Man… But not Tony Stark.

There’s a phenomenal scene in the movie where Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, and Happy Hogan, played by Jon Favreau, break into Hammer Industries on the hunt for Ivan Vanko (a.k.a. Whiplash) and Happy starts fighting with the first guy through the door.  It’s a real battle back and forth and we’re not sure who’s going to win.  In the mean time, it turns out that Natasha can kick some serious ass.  She takes out about 20 guys with class and style.  Happy finally knocks his guy out, turns, and exclaims “Hey!!! Look at that!!! I got him!!” just before he focuses on the carnage Natasha left in the hallway.

In the end, Tony has come full circle. He even acknowledges this when reading the report prepared by Natasha about him by stating “yeah, but that was last week” when they are talking about his bad attitude. 

A word on the cast: Everyone did exceedingly well in this movie.  I could do without the Pepper Potts character.  She seems pointless to just about everything.  There wasn’t even a hint of her being a “love interest” until the end of the movie.  Don’t get me wrong, Gwyneth Paltrow did a fine job playing her, the character just seemed moot.

Sam Rockwell was brilliant as Justin Hammer, Tony Stark’s top rival.  He came off as a rich jerk most of the time, but there were some moments where you almost felt sorry for him and his uncoolness.  He even does the Howard Dean “WOOOOO” at one point.

Mickey Rourke made what could have been a cheesy villain in Whiplash and made him cool.  He oozed confidence.  Hell, every time he was beaten he says “heh heh heh…. you lose”.

Don Cheadle really stepped into the role of James Rhodes/War Machine and made it his own.  The interaction between him and Robert Downey Jr. felt natural and was hilarious. There’s even a great fight scene between Iron Man and War Machine!

Sam Jackson is great as Nick Fury.  I love the way Marvel is slow burning its way to the Avengers movie.  I really enjoyed the way they took the focus off Tony Stark and Iron Man for just a fleeting moment when Nick Fury says “I’ve got bigger things than you to worry about right now” followed by a dramatic pause.

And finally, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony “I am the Iron Man” Stark.  This was another great performance by Mr. Downey Jr.  There’s not a lot different about the character of Tony Stark between the last movie and this one for most of the movie.  It’s not really until the end when you realize the journey he’s made.

In the end, this is a movie about a guy who flies around in a mechanical suit of armor with a giant hole in his chest for a battery.  If you can’t suspend your disbelief beyond that, then maybe this isn’t the movie for you.  I didn’t even have a huge problem with how Tony fixed his health problem.  Health problem? Yeah, go see the movie.

Finally, sit your butt down for the whole credits to catch an ever so slight look towards the next Marvel movie.

It was reported here a while ago that The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus would open on December 25th, and it did…. In 4 theaters.  The good news is that it is getting a MUCH wider distribution starting on January 8th.  The bad news is that at least around where I live, it’s opening in artsy, independant movie houses.  While I’m normally all for this, in this case I feel a shade cheated.  If the previews and press kits are to be believed, this is a movie involving a stunningly beautiful fantasy world.  It was shot on digital equipment and digitally mastered.  It was MEANT to be seen digitally!  Now I have to go down to some smelly theater with a tiny screen and an old projector that is loud and watch a shitty 35mm print.  If I didn’t want to see the movie so bad I’d just say fuck it. 

I blame James Cameron.  Stupid Avatar.