Why do we need Gene Shallit when we have ME?

Sorry it's been a spell, but I've been pretty frellin' busy lately. But, I do have a boat-load to blog about today so let's get started. Shall we?

I've just seen a whole slew of genre based movies. Some of them current big summer block buster and others a year or so old. But, I was in a movie craze last week and got to see a bunch I'd like to mindlessly prattle on about. Remember, I'm no Gene Shallit here. But unlike Gene I don't die my overgrown facial hair to disturbing lengths, nor do I make cutesy analogies and silly sayings (Unless you count the upcoming dead hooker, vomit and creepy uncle Eddie comments). Read on, brave web traveler......

Superman Returns
Before I saw this movie I heard either wonderful reviews on it or mediocre, slightly disappointing reviews on it. The good news is that I found it rather engaging and quite enjoyable! It goes a couple steps further than simply being a homage to the original Christopher Reeve Superman movies. It truly fits in along the side of Superman I and Superman II as quality Superman movies. The effects are seamless and wonderful, the story, though a bit long in the tooth, works out well with very few plot holes and the mass majority of acting performances are very good.

When I first saw a picture of Superman actor Brandon Routh, I was slightly hesitant that he would be able to carry off the role of the world's greatest super hero. He looked a little young and seemed to have a smaller physique that you'd think "The Man of Steel" would have. But, Routh ended up winning me over in a big way. He nailed the role! He managed to keep the same attitude and cadence that Reeve captured years ago, while at the same time, making it his very own.

Both Kevin Spacey and Paker Posey do the villain schtick quite well. Although Spacey does a fine job as Lex Luthor, he still doesn't catch that sense of pure menace that Gene Hackman brought to the role back in '78. It's very close, but no cigar.

The "qualms and quibbles" I had with the movie? It was a bit long in the tooth, clocking in at nearly 3 hours. A LOT of this movie is ' set up' and prologue. They could have nipped and tucked a bit. There's also very few show down's or confrontations between Superman and the antagonists of this film. There's some great action sequences that are heart poundingly phenomenal, but when it came time for Supes to go at it with a little hand to hand ass kickery, there was seldom to nil to be found. Yawn.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable super hero film that, for me, brought a lot more to the table than X-Men:Last Stand did. Thumbs up.


War of the Worlds
I got to rent this one recently and have to admit, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I was quite glued to the screen throughout the mass majority of this Sci-Fi thriller. This film is far more about human nature and the human condition than it is about giant, octopussian (yup... that's a word!) robotic androids taking over the earth. And it accomplishes this task without being preachy at all. On top of that, I was able to forget that Tom Cruise is this couch jumping, Xenu fearing wack-a-doo and really enjoy his performance in the film. Though, not the huge Sci-Fi epic it was advertised as being, Speilberg delivers a really good story that's worth the rental. Doubt I'd buy it, though. It's one of those movies that give you that, "Once I've seen it, I've seen it" feeling. Yet I still give it a thumbs up!


The Legend of Zorro
I may be in the minority here, but I really friggin' enjoyed the first movie, The Mask of Zorro, quite a bit. I loved the action sequences and choreography of the sword fighting. The story line was quite captivating and cleaver. On top of that you get to watch Catherine Zeta Jones for a few hours. That certainly won't make you tear your eyes out.

So when I saw there was a copy available to rent I grabbed at it for a weekend viewing. Here's what I found. Though, The Legend of Zorro is certainly an action, adventure movie that is quite engaging and entertaining, this episode seemed to drag a bit more than the last one. There's a lot of political intrigue (that is slightly on the preachy side) that slows the movie down a bit, but not to a grinding halt. There's still lots of sword play in this one, but nowhere near the amount that was in the first movie.

All performances are good although there is a slightly annoying "cute kid" in the movie. Not to fret! His role is tolleratable. Rufus Sewell is, once again, asked to portray the smarmy villain of the film and he does pretty good at it.

At the end of the day The Legend of Zorro is a fun little romp with not as much gusto as the first Zorro movie, yet it makes a fun little rental. Thumbs up, but not as high as the last Zorro flick.

Sky High
Usually I stay away from Disney produced teeny bopper tripe as though it were the bird flu. But, I had heard that if you've enjoyed comic books, you'll enjoy this little underrated gem. So, I, once again, threw my pride into the wind and went up to the rental counter with a copy of Sky High.

The premise to this film is that it takes place in a world where superheros are common and real. Many who show super gifts at a young age are sent to a high school for superhero's that is located on a floating platform high above the city (ala Nick Fury and S.H.E.I.L.D.'s hide-a-way). The story is a generic coming of age theme of how the young son of two famous superheros (Kelly Preston and Kurt Russell) finds his way and powers amongst the usual socio-political crap that most high schooler's face on a day to day basis.

My thoughts? The feel of the movie is quick and fun. There's a lot of enjoyable comic book cliche's thrown into the mix. Most of all there's a lot of actors in this movie I really dig! Kurt Russell (Big Trouble in Little China), Linda Carter (Wonder Woman), a couple of former cast memebers form Kids in the Hall and most appreciated.... BRUCE CAMPBELL.. CAMPBELL.. AMBELL.. ambell..ambell..mbell (echo mode off). Good o'l Bruce was in far more of the picture than you'd expect portraying a tough as nails gym teacher.

Final verdict: A fun movie that's surprisingly good. A great rental for the whole family. Well... most of the family. You better keep creepy uncle Eddie who smells like fish and "plays with his keys" most of the time out of the mix. Two Bruce Campbell lovin' thumbs up.


Last, but in no means least....

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Out in out, the best movie I've seen so far this summer! It's an all out action, adventure, fantasy, horror picture. Right up my alley. Umm... not the alley with the dead hooker and vomit in the corner. The other alley.

Johnny Depp rocks as the lovingly sleazy Captain Jack Sparrow. His performance in this movie matches the enjoyment he brought you in the first one! He is the second best scoundrel (next to Han Solo) of movie history, in my opinion!

There's enough eye candy for you to swallow that you better get a diabetes test right after the showing. Both the special effects as well as the set production and props are all spot on and wonderful, transporting you back to the 1700's when Pirates roamed the sea. Fantastic I tell you.

Quibbles: It bothered me a bit that the movie does end on a major cliff hanger. We're not given at least one shred of closure in this one. Some critics have called this second installment to the POTC franchise as the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. I feel that at least at the end of Empire you were given a small shred of closure and hope. It felt like a complete chapter, where POTC:DMC ends with a "TO BE CONTINUED" feel. It's as though the first movie was book one and the second and third movies will equal out to be book two. I sort of feel there should be three equal books that are definitely intertwined, yet can each stand alone. But, it does leave me yearning for the next one not due until next summer.

There's also the fact that within the first hour, the plot is thrown at you at a ferocious pace. Then towards the last half of the movie, it tends to slow way down and drags out a bit. That's when you start feeling the full 2+ hours of the film.

But, this one will definitely sit within my DVD collection within the near future! Major thumbs up!!!!!


One for the road....

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
I didn't expect to see this film, but some friends had rented it when I was visiting them and we ended up watching it. I found it to be one of the most annoying, yet funny movies I've ever seen.

The Bad: The plot is absolutely all over the place. It is very hard to fallow at times. It has a lot of references and plot devices that only the socially elite who are immersed in the Hollywood movie world would really appreciate. Both the stars, Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. talk so fast it's easy to miss what they're saying. You really don't want to miss anything they're saying because....

The Good: This movie has some of the funniest, most hysterical lines I've ever heard in a movie. You don't want to miss any of them 'cause you'll be regergatating these at the water cooler come Monday morning. Oh, and the female lead, Michelle Monaghan is pretty fantastic. Her first shot... wow. I nearly pulled an Uncle Eddie. Although the story is quite unfathomable and is all over the place, there are some incredibly clever moments here.

Definitely worth a peek, if for nothing else, some of the best lines I've heard in a movie in a long long time. Thumb up.


In other geekafying news....

I finally finished the Xbox game of X-Men: Legends. I enjoyed it as a good dose of both action RPG and team based combat. It's a good and long game. I think I clocked in a total of 51 hours playing it. I believe all RPG's should be epic and long and this game delivers! Visually its fun due to the fact that it has a cel shaded look to it reminiscent to cartoons and comic books. Unlike the movies, all the X-Men favorites are represented and you can pick and choose a group of four you want to use on each mission / level. Very cool. It is also very right on when it comes to the mythose of the X-Men. Something the movies have to start looking into. Especially after the last one!

Problems? Just a couple. There's a lot of camera stiffness in times when a full view of what is going on is direly needed. There's also the issue of the final battles and the learning curve. You do pretty fine throughout the levels, but when you fight the last boss, a mass majority of your team gets killed off very quickly. My suggestion, make sure each time you take on the huge sentinel robot make sure you have an X-Men that has some serious ranged attacks. If you have the credits, keep resuscitating that character after he/she gets killed off. Have that character continue to blast the giant sentinel over and over and over again with their ranged attacks. That's how I beat it.

I currently borrowed Xbox's Far Cry and am playing through it again since I never finished the last time. I also found a deal on the Xbox version of the game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth based on the role playing game I run from time to time (I know, I know! Give me a flippin' date already, would you guys!). I'll let you know how that all works out.

Well, I've finished my prattling for today and am headed off to a cook out where I'll say 'Take care, but not good bye" to my friend, Carlo, whose Naval Reserve regiment is headed out to serve us in these troubles times. Please hoist a few to him and his regiment this weekend.

That's all, until next time,
"Kurt Cobain Ate my cricket's!"

Zangz.