Movie Review: Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows (2012)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Johnny Lee Miller
Directed by: Tim Burton

First things first, I had no intentions of seeing Dark Shadows. However, I realized last Monday that Mother's Day was coming up, and seeing as how my mother is a Shadows fanatic, I decided to offer to take her. Perhaps it was because I had very minimal expectations, but I didn't find Dark Shadows to be that bad, even if it doesn't live up to such past Burton/Depp team-ups like Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow (yeah, I said it).

Based off of the television series from the late 60's, Dark Shadows follows Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), a human cursed to become a vampire by the witch Angelique (Eva Green) after he has an affair with her.  Driven out of the Maine town by the locals, he's encased in a coffin for two hundred years, until he is accidentally released by construction workers in the year 1972. After brutally slaughtering the workers, Collins heads off to his old manor, Collinwood, where he meets his modern-day relatives.  There's Elizabeth (Pfeiffer), her daughter Carolyn (played by Cloe Grace-Moretz), Roger Collins (Miller), and a host of others, including the new governess, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), whom Barnabas believes is the reincarnation of his beloved Josette, the woman whose death a jealous Angelique caused.  The Collins family has seen a noticeable dip in their fortunes in the community, and Barnabas makes it his mission to return his family to prominence by kickstarting their run down fishing business, which he started back in the 1700's. Of course, this would all go a lot smoother if Angelique wasn't still around, running a fishing company of her own....

First off, the trailers for Dark Shadows present a much campier movie than what the audience actually gets. Sure, there are plenty of humorous moments in the film, but there are also some moments that are fairly dark and surprisingly violent. However, while I was pleasantly surprised that this movie wasn't completely rated "ARG for pirates", the movie is a little all over the place. From what my mom told me after the film, the sub plot of Victoria being the reincarnation of Josette was played out over several years of the show, so when it's crammed into a two hour movie it obviously doesn't work as well. It also probably doesn't help that this plot wasn't nearly as fleshed out as it should have been. There's more of a focus on the Angelique/Barnabas relationship than many of the others, and with so many characters in the cast, it's kind of a shame. Michelle Pfieffer does a really good job here, as does Chloe Grace-Moretz and Helena Bonham-Carter, but there's simply not enough time in the movie to accommodate all of them.

Despite this, Johnny Depp is reliable as always. His turn as Barnabas is really fun and of course, quirky. The scenes directly after he busts out of the coffin and is wandering aimlessly through Collinsport, clearly stunned and horrified at the world around him, were my favorite moments of the film, but I'm glad that it didn't dominate the entire movie.

The Burton/Depp train isn't slowing down anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind if they took a break after Dark Shadows. While the final product isn't nearly as bad as the trailers made it seem, it's still a bit of a mess tonally. However, if The Avengers is sold out and you absolutely have to see a movie, you could do worse than Dark Shadows. And besides, my mom, the Dark Shadows super-fan, really enjoyed the movie, so there's that.

Final verdict: 2 1/2 out of 4 Danny Elfman musical flourishes

Comic Reviews: Batman and Robin and The Avenging Spider-man

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!!

Batman and Robin #9

Exhibit Y of why Damian Wayne is a kick-ass addition to the Batman universe: the latest issue of Batman and Robin. Tying in with the "Night Of The Owls" mini-event, this issue finds Damien's Robin out on patrol when he receives Alfred's transmission from Batman #8.  The young would-be assassin heads off to try and stop a Talon close by who is looking to take out a high-ranking Army General who is training some troops in Gotham. What he finds is Damian, who's ready to do anything to protect the people the Talon is after.

What's great about this issue is Peter Tomasi's fantastic character work on Damian. Arguably the real star of Batman and Robin, Damian Wayne has seen a lot of growth from the first issue of this series, and especially from his introduction in Grant Morrison's "Batman and Son". We see here the beginnings of Damian taking over for his father, as he shouts orders to people more than twice his age without hesitation. We get a great sense of the lessons Damian has learned from his father, and hearing himself admit that he feels some sympathy with the Talon he's fighting was a great moment for a character that some still think needs to prove his worth in the Batman universe.

The art this issue isn't from Patrick Gleason by the way. Lee Garbett and Andy Clarke are our fill-in guys, but if you're worried that this issue will be Uncanny X-Force'd, fear not, as their work is nearly identical to Gleason's. While I would've loved to have seen his work being the one showcasing Damian's brutally awesome takedown of the Talon assassin, these guys did an able job filling in, and yes, the fight is just as cool as you would hope a fight between a regenerating assassin and a ten-year old raised by ninjas would be.

As one of the best New 52 books on the stands, Batman and Robin is well-worth the read, and a great companion to the other awesome Batman book (hint, it's not Detective Comics or Dark Knight).  Serving as both a solid crossover tie-in and a great character study, Batman and Robin #9 is one of those rare crossover tie-ins that serves both the overall story as a whole, but also the story in its own series as well. 

The Avenging Spider-man #7

The Avenging Spider-man continues its march as the new Marvel Team-Up with the latest issue, in which Spidey teams up with She-Hulk to stop an ancient Egyptian Cat god. Yes, you read that right.

Written and drawn by the Immonens Kathryn and Stuart, this issue is a throwback to the crazy Marvel Team-Ups of old. After defeating a strange worm monster thing, Spidey follows She-Hulk to an Egyptian exhibit opening at a local museum. Spidey's not interested in Egypt, but more so the promise of free food (She-Hulk did mention that she had a "plus one" after all). Of course, once he gets to the museum, Spidey notices some mysterious hooded figures nearby, who so happen to be trying to resurrect Bastet, the god of cats. This of course leads to all kinds of feline shenanigans, including Spider-man and She-Hulk doing battle with a herd of cats (without hitting them), a giant Bastet threatening the two, and She-Hulk growing a tail.

Yes this issue is absurd, but it's also a lot of fun. Kathryn Immonen's script is light and pretty funny, and as always, Stuart Immonen's artwork is a sight to behold. The pairing of the two is so perfect, you'd almost think they were married or something.  Those looking for a little something light in their pull list this week would do well with picking up Avenging Spider-man, especially if you're a cat lover. Cause seriously, there's like a billion cats in this issue.

 

Movie Review: THE AVENGERS!

The Avengers (2012)

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr. , Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by: Joss Whedon 

It’s here. It’s finally here. The movie that has been teased to us comic fans since 2008’s Iron Man has finally become a reality. After five films, the individual members of the Avengers have gotten their own solo introductions (including a second act for Tony Stark), and now stand ready to assemble on the big screen. So, with this much anticipation and hype surrounding the movie, there’s only one question to ask:

Is it any good?

YES. 100%, undoubtedly yes.  This is the movie your geek brain has been waiting for, and Joss Whedon deserves all of the attention and respect that he will get from this movie, and will hopefully become the next big thing in Hollywood (even if we geeks have known for a while how awesome he is). Deftly juggling every character in the movie, Whedon’s skill for ensembles is in full force here, giving each Avenger their moment to shine. Any fears that one would have about him handling such a huge task for his second feature film are immediately alleviated, and Whedon, the cast, and especially Marvel Studios should smile and breathe a sigh of relief, as this is the best Marvel movie, and possibly best superhero movie of all time.

Stark and Banner working together: Thing I never thought I'd see on the big screen #435

Everyone is in top form here, from Chris Hemsworth as Thor to the always-awesome Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  There’s not a bad link in the cast, but the real stand out is Mark Ruffalo, taking over the role of Hulk/Bruce Banner from Edward Norton. He’s easily my favorite version of Banner, and I can’t wait to see more of him. Hulk steals the entire movie from the other characters, but as I said before, there’s not one character that overshadows the others. Fans worried that this would become “Iron Man and Friends” can rest easy, because even though Tony does have a pretty big role in the movie, there’s plenty of room for the other characters in the film.
 

Also great is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, whom after this movie has solidified himself as the only person who can play the God of Mischief. Ably going from a menace to a sympathetic character (and back again), Hiddleston  turned what could’ve been just a moustache turning one-note villain into one of the most compelling and interesting characters in the whole movie.

Avengers also serves as a great sort-of sequel to Thor and Iron Man 2 as well, catching us up on the secondary characters and major plot points from both movies, which just adds to the cohesive feel of the cinematic Marvel Universe. The fact that we can now have these characters interacting with one another on the big screen is something that I never though I would see in my lifetime. Any of the people who were with me at the midnight screening can attest to the 2 and a half hour long geek out that occurred from me, and right as the final credits* rolled, I immediately wanted to see it again.  The Avengers is the ultimate film for geeks and non-geeks alike, and the pay-off we’ve all been waiting for.  I cannot thank Joss Whedon, the cast, and especially Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige enough for this film. Seeing these characters on the big screen, battling to protect us from an unknown threat instantly brought me back to when I was child, reading comics like Spider-man, Wolverine, and yes, The Avengers (I read the first issue of Busiek/Perez run at least 30 times).  There are very, very few comic book movies that are instant classics. This is one of them. 

So thank you Whedon, Hemsworth, Downey, Evans, Jackson, Johansson, Renner, and Ruffalo. Thank you Kevin Feige. And thank you Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who started all this craziness. I think the geek community shares my thanks.

VERDICT: FIVE Hulk outs out of FIVE

* YES you should stay after the credits, for not one, but TWO scenes.

Rest easy good sir, you deserve it

Comic Reviews: Earth 2 and Avengers vs. X-Men!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!

Earth 2 #1

The second wave of DC's "New 52" starts this week with the release of Earth 2, a surprisingly awesome first issue that teases some intriguing new plots for the series to come, and presents a wonderful new alternate universe for fans to experience. I don't want to jinx it, but it seems like Earth 2 may be writer James Robinson's return to comics glory.

Opening with a new take on the recent parademon attack from the recently wrapped opening Justice League story, the heroes of Earth 2 find themselves locked in battle with Darkseid's forces. After years of battle, and realizing that they must end it somehow, the Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman of Earth 2 come up with one final plan of attack to save their world. Leading the charge, the heroes put up a valiant fight, but ultimately meet their end, as both Superman and Wonder Woman fall to the sheer size of the army they face, and Batman sacrifices himself to finally defeat the parademons.  Add to the fact that Supergirl and Huntress (who in this universe is Batman's daughter) chase an unknown enemy into a boom tube (a plot point that is resolved in their own series- World's Finest, which is also out today), and the world of Earth 2 is suddenly without heroes.

Or is it? Shortly after this awesome opening battle, we are introduced to both Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, the golden age Green Lantern and Flash as we know them. Here on Earth 2 however, they are both young men (well, Scott's older) who have yet to realize the power that they will both possess. Scott is a successful media mogul, and Garrick is, well, a loser. We're introduced to them at the tail end of the issue, but it doesn't matter, I'm hooked 100% and will gladly pick up the next issue. Writer James Robinson is on fire with this script, and artist Nicola Scott has created one of the best action scenes of the year with his depiction of the DC's big three's last stand. While I have a vague passing knowledge of the golden age characters that this book is referencing, it had no impact on my enjoyment of this issue. As I said before, I'm in. 100%.

Avengers vs. X-Men #3

Ed Brubaker needs to write every issue of Avengers vs. X-Men. This third issue is bar-none, the best of the three that have been released, and is leaps and bounds better than Jason Aaron's stab at the story last issue.  The action finally moves from Utopia, and after an awesome deception by the X-Men, the Avengers are left scrambling trying to catch up with them in the search for Hope.

But that's not what makes this issue great. As you can tell from the cover, Captain America and Wolverine throw down, and before you say "Wolverine switches sides ALREADY?" let me say this: it's not what you think, and the reason why the two come to blows makes complete sense.  Brubaker has proven already that he should be the man to pen the rest of this series, but alas, I know that this wish will not come true. This is the issue that makes up for the last one. Awesome, awesome stuff here, and I hope the other writers in the room took notes from Ed for the remainder of this series.

Trade Waiting: "Batman: Venom"

With The Dark Knight Rises just around the corner, DC Comics has been reprinting numerous trade paperbacks of Batman’s encounters with Bane, the villain who is set to appear in Christopher Nolan’s swan song. We’ve had new editions of the classic Knightfall saga, the introduction of Bane in Batman vs. Bane (which collected the Vengeance Of Bane one-shot and Bane Of The Demon miniseries), and now we have Batman: Venom, which collects the 1991 Dennis O’Neil and Trevor Von Eeden story from Legends Of The Dark Knight issues 16-20. 

The storyline finds Batman, still new to his war on crime, starting to use “venom”, a new synthetic drug that gives ordinary humans superhuman strength. After failing to stop a young kidnapped girl from drowning, Batman is racked with guilt at not being strong enough to lift the rock that pinned her down. He goes to the daughter’s house to tell her father, Randolph Porter that he failed. It’s here that he sees the venom drug, which Porter has been working on and is planning to sell to the FDA. Unfortunately, what Batman doesn’t know is that Porter is not only planning on selling the drug on the black market, but he also orchestrated his daughter’s kidnapping to snare Batman into becoming his guinea pig for the drug. Along with Timothy Slaycroft, a corrupt US General, Porter is planning on creating an army of subservient super-beings to start, you guessed it, world domination.  

As soon as Batman starts taking the drug, his moods start changing and he becomes DUMB. Like hit in the head with a tire iron dumb. While I understand O’Neill’s decision here, showing how Batman’s intelligence is just as important as his strength, but having Batman say half sentences and being an incoherent mess is extremely distracting, and it didn’t really work that well.  If anything, it made O’Neill’s writing suffer, which is a shame, cause he’s usually spot on with his characterization of Batman. 

What follows is a pretty typical story involving Batman realizing he’s been played for a fool, and after a month-long sting of being locked in the batcave going cold turkey off the venom drug, Bruce Wayne returns to being the Batman we all know and love. With an epic beard. After spending six months getting back into the swing of things, Batman learns that Porter and Slaycroft have relocated to Santa Prisca, a South American country that may sound familiar to fans of Bane. There the two have ramped up their experiments on humans, including turning Slaycroft’s son into a giant hulking brute. Batman tracks them down, takes them out, and returns Porter to Gotham to answer for what he’s done. 

The Bat-beard

As I said before, Venom is the unofficial start of the story of Bane, and while it doesn’t feature the character, it does give us some insight into how the compound works that gives him his strength, as well as its humble origins as a small designer drug. The dialogue and characterization is a little hard to swallow for Batman, but once you realize that this fits into Bruce’s early days as a crime fighter it’s a little easier to take.  Some of this can also be attributed to being so used to Batman being written as the “always ready”, “always stoic” badass with no time for jokes.  Von Eeden’s pencils are good, if a little stiff sometimes. His facial work is awesome though, and you’d be very hard pressed to not find someone impressed by bearded Batman. 

It may be rough at points, but Batman: Venom is a solid read for fans curious to see where Bane’s venom came from, and to get a good glimpse into the importance of Batman’s intellect as well as physical prowess in the fight against crime.