Entries Tagged 'comic books' ↓

The Incredible Hulk




A much better effort than Ang Lee’s version. Edward Norton makes a great Banner -- although I gotta say, Liv Tyler
One of the biggest challenges of a superhero flick is to make the protagonist's civilian life seem interesting. Banner (and Betty) on the run from the military works as a Bourne-styled thriller. I also dug the way the film didn’t go for the money shot right away, instead they hid the Hulk in the shadows at the soda plant in Brasil -- very much like a horror movie. The transformation scenes could have been handled a little better -- hastily put together and I don’t recall seeing the Hulk change back to Banner.

Ultimately, things falls apart when the third act turns into a lame CGI smackdown. Look Hollywood, nobody above the age 12 cares about two computer generated behemoths trading blows. Nothing is at stake -- except for the city of New York, yet again. At least “Transformers” was smart enough to give the puny humans something to do. Here, everybody stands around and watches. I have a copy of the script on the hard drive, will have to do a little compare and contrast...

One more thing, the scene where the Hulk kicks Tim Roth in the chest didn’t ring true to me. The Hulk is this rampaging monster, but Bruce Banner still exists somewhere inside him and he’d never allow that.

Beyonce as Wonder Woman?


She’s lobbying for the role... I think the closest she’ll get is the theme song. Fanboys still haven’t gotten over Halle Berry as “Catwoman” and this would generate an even bigger outcry. If Beyonce’s serious about playing a superhero, go with Vixen. She’s a lower tier black superhero/model with cool powers -- seems tailor made for her. Actually, Vanity’s role in the “Last Dragon” remake would be more appropriate. My fantasy pick is still Eva Mendes, but casting is irrelevant. A “Wonder Woman” movie seems destined to fail. Joss Whedon couldn’t pull it off. The WW spec set in “World War II” was good enough to buy, but not good enough to make. Now there are rumblings about McG at the helm. No one has figured out the big screen formula for comic book heroines.

It is curious how the Sci-Fi and Horror genres have succeeded where others have failed. One of the arguments I hear is that strong women are a turn-off, but horror flicks have tons of strong female protags. Of course, you could make the argument that many female protagonists start off as victims and really don’t become empowered until the third act. In superhero flicks, the protagonist is kicking butt after the first fifteen minutes...

The Dark Knight



Just finished reading the screenplay off simplyscripts. Almost wish I hadn’t seen the movie first -- it’s always fun to see if the image in your head matches up with the finished product. The script definitely delivers. I’ve said it before, I like approaching a story with the idea that every character believes they’re the hero. The script/film is full of these “spotlight moments”: Alfred’s speech about the bandit, Rachel standing up to the Joker, Lucious dealing with the blackmailer, etc. Good stuff. Check it out if you haven't already.

This is easily the best comic book film ever. “The Dark Knight” has raised the bar so high, I’m not sure where the next crop of comic book films can go. Good luck with that darker "Wonder Woman" and “Superman” reboot. And if Chris Nolan wants Cher as Catwoman or even Gary Coleman as the Penguin, get out the way and let the man do whatever he wants!

Werewolf Women of the SS



It’s no big secret that “Grindhouse” could have made a decent profit if Tarantino and Rodriguez hadn’t gone overboard with the budget. I mean, why spend 60+ million to make intentionally crappy-looking films that appeal to a niche audience? Maybe Rob Zombie will learn from their mistakes. The comic is great way to build an audience, but an anime would have been way cooler.

The Middleman


Caught Monday’s premiere on ABC Family. I guess you could say it’s a quirkier “Special Unit 2" with a dash of "Men In Black”. Lots of playful banter between the Middleman and his sidekick -- who at times bears an uncanny resemblance to Rosario Dawson -- as they battle the forces of evil. I’ve never read the “The Middleman” comic book, but the show certainly does capture the feel of that medium. Honestly, I’m more than a little surprised that a quirky, sci-fi comedy was able to get past the gate keepers. I would’ve expected all the fun to get sucked out by the machine and replaced with something “edgier”. BTW, “The Middleman” was created by “Lost” alumni Javier "Javi" Grillo-Marxuach and he happens to have a livejournal here.