August 2010

Takers lacks Heat

  • Title: Takers
  • IMDB: link

I love heist flicks and I’m usually willing to cut them an awful lot of slack. On my DVD shelf alongside of Heist, To Catch a Thief, and Sneakers, I own copies of The Newton Boys, How to Beat the High Co$t of Living and After the Sunset. When a new heist flick comes along I’m willing to give it several chances to prove itself. After seeing Takers I might have to reevaluate that position.

It took four writers to put Takers together, and it shows. The film is a mediocre mess of both shots and storylines best left of the cutting room floor. I’m sure the attempt here was to merge the coolness of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise (without Clooney, Pitt, and Cheadle) with the feel of Michael Mann’s Heat (without DeNiro, Pacino, and Kilmer). Not surprising, it’s a disaster in every sense of the word.

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Batman #702

batman-702-coverThe days leading up to Batman’s “death” are finally explored.

See, if you wait long enough Grant Morrison will give you an explanation. Maybe not a great explanation, but at least something. You only need to needlessly wait months until the story in question is long over and it doesn’t really matter anymore.

As it stands the story is a solid one, and downright linear for a Morrison tale, but the real question behind this “Missing Chapter” of Batman R.I.P. is where the hell has it been for all these months?

There are also a couple of really good lines describing Superman, his abilities, and his larger world, from Batman’s point of view. Better late than never, and worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Batman Beyond #3

  • Title: Batman Beyond #3 (of 6)
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer: Adam Beechen
  • Artist: Ryan Benjamin

batman-beyond-3-coverThe Hush storyline continues. Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake (well, a amalgam of Drake and Jason Todd) made their way into the Batman Beyond universe along with references to other classic characters and many new versions of heroes.

This issue give us the death of Calendar Man (and not even in his classic costume! sigh) and a growing schism between Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis.

Although I’m still not sure about this new Catwoman, this issue does give me the one thing I always wanted from Batman Beyond – Dick Grayson. And that’s enough for me…as long as they don’t screw it up. Worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Hubble 3D

  • Title: Hubble 3D
  • IMDB: link

What is it about space that so captures our imagination? Is it the vastness that seems to becon, almost tease us, upward and outwards to explore its seemly endless wonders, or is it simply how it allows us another perspective in order to see how small and relatively unimportant one tiny blue dot is in the grand scheme of things? Whatever the reason, since man first turned his gaze to the sky we’ve been captivated with that final frontier just outside our grasp.

Since it’s launch two decades ago the Hubble Space Telescope has been responsible for several breakthroughs in the areas of astronomy and an increased understanding of the known universe. The new IMAX documentary Hubble 3D gives us a short history on the telescope, and its early struggles, before exploring the final service mission of to repair the telescope by the Atlantis crew.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

  • Title: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
  • IMDB: link

scott-pilgrim-nesBryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim relies heavily on video game style and super-hero fantasies built over an emotional story between a slacker Canadian and, quite literally, the girl of his dreams. Eric and our own alphamonkey have a few words of their own to say on the subject of the new film from director Edgar Wright, so I thought I’d take things to another level putting the film to the test in the form of an old school video game review.

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