Alan Rapp

Hercules

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Hercules (2014)
  • IMDb: link

HerculesBased on the comic book mini-series from writer Steve Moore and artist Admira Wijaya, Hercules removes the myth and legend of the figure choosing to cast Hercules (Dwayne “It’s Okay to Call Me The Rock Again” Johnson) as a weary nomadic mercenary rather than the true son of Zeus (although he certainly trades on the legend for his own profit) well after completing his legendary 12 labors. With a band of loyal warriors around him, Hercules’ legend has grown over time as his exploits have been exaggerated to the point that everyone believes the mythic warrior to be the unstoppable son of a god.

Director Brett Ratner‘s film reminds me a little of Antoine Fuqua‘s King Arthur which similarly removed the mythical trappings and magic surrounding a legendary figure in an attempt to focus on the man behind the legend and those closest to him. Hercules may not be as successful as Arthur, but The Rock is perfectly cast in the role and Ratner surrounds him with a strong supporting cast and impressive effects for a B-movie that’s better than expected.

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Graceland – Los Malos

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Graceland – Los Malos
  • wiki: link

Graceland - Los Malos

Mike‘s (Aaron Tveit) obsession with taking down the Solano Cartel spreads to the other members of Graceland as Agent Warren decides to put Briggs (Daniel Sunjata) in undercover with the cartel’s inside man Sid Markham (Carmine Giovinazzo) on the gang task force, and Johnny‘s (Manny Montana) attempt to reconnect wit Lucia (Jamie Gray Hyder) nearly gets him killed when he walks into angry guns dealers looking for the missing Carlito which forces the agent to make an even more dangerous decision. Paige (Serinda Swan), continuing the stake-out the human trafficking ring Mike can’t afford to close, goes a step too far in preventing another sale of the girls by beating the latest buyer senseless.

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Star Wars #19

/ / Comics

Star Wars #19The first-half of the series finale brings Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca together for one final adventure before Dark Horse looses the rights to the Star Wars universe to Marvel. Introducing a character from Leia’s childhood as a deep-cover agent with whom she hasn’t spoken in years, Star Wars #19 puts the core characters on board the Millennium Falcon for an unusual rescue mission of an operative who may haven intelligence vital to the continued survival of the Rebellion.

Offering a cameo from everyone’s favorite robotic bounty hunter IG-88 while teasing us as to Leia’s relationship with the young woman, writer Brian Wood sells a story which, like the series, will be truncated despite the quality of the work.

Much like Boom Studio’s terrific Darkwing Duck series, another Disney property doing well is forced to end to be gobbled up by Marvel. No doubt Marvel will be more interested in putting out a Star Wars comic, but will they find a creative team as invested in these characters? I have my doubts. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Guardians of the Galaxy

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
  • IMDb: link

“What a bunch of a-holes.”

Guardians of the GalaxyChoosing to go where no Marvel film has gone before, Guardians of the Galaxy not only opens the door to the wider Marvel Universe among the stars but also introduces some of Marvel Studios most memorable characters. I’ve been a fan of the current team since they got together back in 2008, but I had serious doubts about how well Marvel could incorporate a group of space misfits who include thieves, killers, a genetically-enhanced raccoon, and talking tree into a mainstream sci-fi/action film.

I’ve been less impressed by James Gunn‘s body of work up until this point than most (sorry, I’m just not a fan of Slither), but the co-writer/director proves to be the right choice to juggle the various bizarre elements of the script while infusing it with an offbeat sense of humor which fits the characters and cast well. There are some groanworthy moments here or there, such as having Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) dance for the film’s baddie Ronan (Lee Pace), but thankfully they are few and far between as Gunn makes most of the right calls in dealing the team of oddball heroes.

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