New Avengers #19

/ / Comics

new-avengers-19-coverAfter teasing us on several fronts for months issue #19 delivers on a number of levels. We get the first public appearance of Norman Osborne‘s new Dark Avengers (although off-panel), Daredevil is finally part of the team, and the first steps to determining whose side Victoria Hand is truly on.

The action is relatively light, but Peter Parker isn’t the only one obsessing with the reemergence of Norman Osborn and Jessica Jones shares her fear with Luke Cage that Osborne will make good on his threat to go after their baby.

New Avengers is always a title that works best dealing with the small character-driven moments rather than big epic battles. An exception to this is the truly dreadful scene (that seems to drag on forever) between Squirrel Girl and Daredevil which is incredibly painful to read. The entire sequence feels clumsier than a production of Shakespeare staring Kevin James and Mandy Moore.

It’s not the best issue of the title we’ve seen this year, but the latest issue of the title does have its moments. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

New Avengers #19 Read More »

Coming Soon

/ / Film News & Trailers
  • Title: Wrath of the Titans
  • IMDB: link

Look, here’s a trailer for the sequel to the remake nobody wanted. Yah? Wrath of the Titans looks like a video game inspired by everything from Gears of War to Diablo to Legend come to some semblance of life, but at least it’s original (oh, wait, no its not). The plot of the movie involves Perseus (Sam Worthington) attempting to rescue Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Ares (Édgar Ramírez). Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Danny Huston, and Toby Kebbell also star. The Wrath of the Titans hits theaters on March 30th.

Coming Soon Read More »

The Adventures of Tintin

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Adventures of Tintin
  • IMDb: link

adventures-of-tin-tin-posterFor his first dabble in the world of animation director Steven Spielberg decided to adapt the Belgian comic of Hergé which center around a young reporter out to discover the truth by unraveling a mystery often by relying on his wits and the help of his dog, Snowy.

The film adapts the eleventh title of the series, The Secret of the Unicorn, which begins with Tintin (Jamie Bell) purchasing an old model ship which contains a clue to a mystery involving an alcholic sea captain (Andy Serkis), a mysterious collector (Daniel Craig), a pirate treasure, and an unsolved riddle in three parts.

Although the film lacks the heart you would suspect of a Spielberg project, The Adventures of Tintin does provide a distinct animated style and several impressive chase sequences. In fact, it could be argued the entire film is little more than a collection of these sequences.

The individual set pieces are beautifully done, and the film even gives a nice nod to Hergé whose art appears in the credit sequence and briefly in the movie’s opening scene.

…

The Adventures of TintinRead More »

The Adventures of Tintin Read More »

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  • IMDB: link

the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-poster1I’ve never read the novels by Stieg Larsson or seen the original Swedish film, so I went into David Fincher‘s version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (adapted by screenwriter Steven Zaillian) without any preconceptions or foreknowledge of how the events of the plot would unfold. I enjoyed the film as a suspense thriller but I expected more (although I’m unsure if blame should be laid at the feet of the script or the original source material).

We begin not with one tale but two. The first concerns journalist and editor of a small left wing magazine Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig). The film opens with Blomkvist losing a libel case for his pubilshed accusations against billionaire financier Hans-Erik Wennerström (Ulf Friberg). Unwilling to to stay with the magazine and hurt it, and his co-editor and part-time lover (Robin Wright) any further, he finds himself untethered and at a loss as to what to do next.

…

The Girl with the Dragon TattooRead More »

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Read More »

Midnight in Paris

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Midnight in Paris
  • IMDB: link

midnight-in-paris-blu-rayThe latest from writer/director Woody Allen stars Owen Wilson as a Hollywood screenwriter and struggling novelist who takes a trip to Paris with his fiance (Rachel McAdams) and her parents (Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy). Although he is in love with the city. Gil (Wilson) feels stifled by his conservative in-laws to-be and lacks patience for his fiance’s friends, most notably the pedantic Paul (Michael Sheen).

Then one night, while wandering through the city, Gil somehow finds himself transported to the Paris of the early 1900’s where he meets a collection of his artist idols including Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and his wife Zelda (Alison Pill), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), Pablo Picaso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), T.S. Elliot (David Lowe), and Cole Porter (Yves Heck). Every night Gil sneaks away, spending time in the Paris of his dreams, discussing art with the greats, and falling more and more for the lovely Adriana (Marion Cotillard).

…

Midnight in ParisRead More »

Midnight in Paris Read More »