2.5 Razors

Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #6

/ / Comics

flash-gordon-invasion-of-red-sword-6-coverFlash Gordon: The Invasion of the Red Sword ends here. I’ve found the latest mini-series from Ardden Entertainment more frustrating than the first but it’s had just enough moments to make me pick up the final issue which finds Flash Gordon uniting the various factions of Mongo to drive the Earth soldiers known as the Red Sword off of Mongo and back to Earth.

Once again the comic relies far too much on paragraphs of exposition and dialogue, especially from Flash and Zarkov. The actual battle only takes place on a few scatter panels between character discussions of the situation and flashbacks to Zarkov’s past and his connection with the leader of the Red Sword.

It’s not a great conclusion, but it does wrap up the main story as well as lay the foundation for the next mini-series which looks to have more of Ming and Queen Azura. Hit-and-Miss.

[Ardden Entertainment, $3.99]

Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #6 Read More »

Birds of Prey #3

/ / Comics

birds-of-prey-new-52-3-coverThe entire team is assembled (well, almost, but we’ll get to that in a minute). Black Canary‘s worst fears are realized as Starling and Kantana are less than thrilled with the fact that Poison Ivy has joined the team. To tell the truth, I’m with them.

Because this is DC’s reboot it wouldn’t be complete without a complete character redesign for Poison Ivy. Although it is a shock that the character is one of the few female DC’s characters that got less sexualized as part of the New 52.

The issue itself, once Starling and Katana stop trying to kill their new partner, isn’t great but it works well enough to keep my interest (even if the art looks extremely rushed). The issue ends with a cliffhanger as Black Canary learns she’s a ticking timebomb set at the mercy of whoever is in charge of this legion of invisible assassins.

The real interesting tidbit is the news that Batgirl won’t just be guest-starring over the next couple of issues but will become a permanent member of the team beginning next issue. Babs inclusion could be just what this book needs. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

Birds of Prey #3 Read More »

Like Crazy

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Like Crazy
  • IMDB: link

like-crazy-posterLike Crazy wants to be this year’s Blue Valentine. Paradoxically it also wants to be a romantic love story. Despite some nice performances and an understated feel, the movie leaves much unsaid about a pair of people who, even after spending two hours with them, we’re not sure if they belong together.

The film has a documentary feel that stresses real moments. This gives us small petty fights and cute moments with the pair in bed together, but it also shares with us long stretches that would have been better off on the cutting room floor. Too often the film’s rabid embrace of realism gets in the way of basic storytelling.

Like Crazy begins with the meeting of British exchange student Anna (Felicity Jones – think a more bubbly version of Emma Roberts) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin). The pair hit it off immediately and the glory days of their relationship is a montage blur until Anna’s Visa expires and she has to return home. Against the advice of some very cool movie parents (Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead) Anna overstays her time in America.

…

Like CrazyRead More »

Like Crazy Read More »

Tower Heist

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Tower Heist
  • IMDB: link

tower-heist-posterThere’s a long and storied tradition of heist films in cinema, and no small number of those films are draped in a dyed-in-the-wool “fuck the man” ethos. Of late, we’ve had far less anti-establishment peanut butter in our heist-film chocolate, but if there’s any time for populist payback on our silver screens, I think we can all agree that now’s as ripe a time as any.

But whereas the sadly overreaching In Time sci-fi inequality underpinnings felt like a happy accident in the midst of an otherwise unfortunate trainwreck, Brett Ratner‘s latest assault on cinema, Tower Heist, wears its blue-collar leanings on its sleeve like the world’s least subtle Livestrong bracelet. If only as much thought had gone into the pacing (and plot) of this little-guys-strike-back farce as it did for how to stuff as much working-stiff sympathy into 104 minutes, we might have had ourselves an entertaining little bout of payback by proxy.

Unfortunately, Ratner (who I hold could not have destroyed the X-Men franchise more completely than if he made Jar-Jar Dark Phoenix) seemed to take an obvious love of 70’s heist films with one serious Xanax chaser.

…

Tower HeistRead More »

Tower Heist Read More »

Birds of Prey #2

/ / Comics

birds-of-prey-v3-2-coverWhen last we left the new Birds they had just gotten a reporter blown up in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded airport. After escaping the airport Black Canary and Starling collect the third member of their team and look for answers.

Issue #2 introduces the New 52 version of Katana who it appears is more than a little unhinged in this version of the DCU. Katama is still deadly with a sword but this one talks to her death husband who she believes resides spiritually inside her sword. Yeah…

Anyway, the trio look for answers regarding the invisible terrorists and the dead journalist which leads them to the fourth member of their team – Poison Ivy. Okay, stop the bus; I need to get off.

This isn’t a bad issue, and the art by Jesus Saiz is more consistant this time around, but this team of Birds is getting farther away from the team Gail Simone made popular (Poison Ivy, really?). Aside from Black Canary these aren’t characters I really want to spend time with every month (especially for $3 a pop). Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

Birds of Prey #2 Read More »