2.5 Razors

Tron: Legacy

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Tron: Legacy
  • IMDB: link

I should have have loved Tron: Legacy. The original remains one of my favorite films of my childhood. It’s unique look and style (which has never even been attempted to be recaptured over years) was the type of eye candy and simple yet heartfelt and far-reaching message of a near future digital frontier blew my seven year-old mind.

Although Legacy has a distinctly different visual style, it still creates a beautiful world you want to get lost in for a couple of hours. The new version also throws in lightcylces, a modern take on the effects, and plenty of action. It also lifts story elements from several movies than I enjoy (which come off much better than its original ideas) some of which feel like courteous nods and homages and some of which feel like not-so-subtle rip-offs. So what went wrong?

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Conan the Cimmerian #25

/ / Comics
  • Title: Conan the Cimmerian #25
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer:Timothy Truman
  • Artist: Tomás Giorello

I’ve never been the biggest reader of fantasy. Although I’ll dabble from time to time I’m much rather to pick up a sci-fi novel than something dealing with witches, warlocks, barbarians, or elves. And it terms of comics I prefer my heroes clad in spandex rather than loincloths.

So even though I’m a fan of the first Conan film (let’s not talk about the second, okay?) I’ve haven’t spent much time reading Dark Horse Comics latest comic which wraps up with this final issue. Maybe I should have spent a little more time with the barbarian.

It’s far from great, but this issue is well told from the perspective of Conan’s companion Olivia as they journey through the jungle. Conan faces off against a “Great Ape” (and slices off its arm in true Skywalker fashion) before taking possession of a pirate ship and its crew. So.. the next comic is going to be Conan the Pirate? Now that I think about it, maybe I’ve given Conan just the right amount of attention. What can I say, I prefer my barbarians to have Mok sidekicks and fabulous Sun-Swords. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dark Horse $2.99]

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Thunderstrike #1 (of 5)

/ / Comics

Okay, so the Scarlet Spider is still gone but Marvel is bringing back Thunderstrike? Thunderstrike? Really? Sigh.

It what appears to be Marvel Comics’ attempt to write a Shazam! story, the angry young son of the fallen hero is bequethed with the Thunderstrike mace by Steve Rogers. Almost immediately he finds himself in a situation where heroism is called for, and whala, the angry young teen is transformed into the visage of his father with all the power the mace offers.

As hero origins go the story isn’t bad (though hardly original), but the idea of of Steve Rogers handing over a mystical weapon (whatever its current state) into a violent, angry, dangerous young teenager who hates heroes isn’t exactly the best idea Cap’s ever had.

With this issue it appears Marvel is following DC’s lead in over-cluttering their universe with extras heroes, whether their needed or not (and charging an extra buck an issue for their pleasure). Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel $3.99]

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Faster

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Faster
  • IMDB: link

After spending 10 years in prison for his part in an armed robbery a man who is only ever referred to as “Driver” or “Ghost” (Dwayne “Stop Calling Me The Rock” Johnson) walks out of the big house and immediately begins to hunt down the men (including Courtney Gains, John Cirigliano, Lester Speight) who robbed his crew and killed his brother (Matt Gerald).

 

If you’ve seen the trailer for Faster you might assume that’s the entire story. It’s not. Not satisfied with simply delivering a good ol’ revenge tale filled with an ever increasing body count, screenwriters Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton give us not one but two more stories.

The first involves a burned-out detective (Billy Bob Thornton) who is days away from retirement, has a nasty drug habit and an estranged wife (Moon Bloodgood) and son (Aedin Mincks), and who is assigned to the case – much the dismay of the lead detective Carla Gugino. Most of this plotline deals with chasing down “Driver,” but we also get several unrelated scenes of the cop’s screwed-up life.

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Batman: The Return

/ / Comics

Leave it to Grant Morrison to give us the worst opening and one of the worst final panels of the Dark Knight’s career both together in a single issue for the extra-special price of $5.

This Batman: The Return one-shot further sets up Grant Morrison’s latest pet project Batman Incorporated by defining roles for the rest of the Bat-crew. Or that’s what it should do. For some reason almost all of those conversations take place off the printed page. The glimpses we get, such as the dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson is actually pretty good, but sadly it’s drowned out by mutated killers, terrorists, and a secret organization operating around the world known as Leviathan.

And then there’s the mindbogglingly bad opening which gives us Frank Miller‘s iconic bat through the window scene from Batman: Year One…from the bat’s point of view. That’s right – FROM THE BAT’S POINT OF VIEW! Wow, just…wow.

There are short sequences here that work between the bookends of sheer crapola, but without a doubt everything could be handled better. For the increased price we’re given several pages of concept design for a comic that’s better off forgotten.

Joy.

At least the cover is kinda cool.

[DC $4.99]

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