3.5 Razors

The Trial of Captain America Begins

/ / Comics

The trial of Bucky Barnes begins here, and if this first issue is any indication most of the story is going to take place outside the courtroom.

The current Captain America only makes a brief appearance here as most of the issue deals with the recently Steve Rogers and the Falcon trying to track down the escaped Sin and dealing with the fallout of her leaked tape to try and discredit Bucky-Cap by claiming he was a willing soldier for her father, the Red Skull.

Far from a traditional super-hero story this issue, as fans of the title have come to expect from writer Ed Brubaker, this issue sets the tone for the next story arc well. I would have liked to have seen more of Bucky-Cap here, but the one scene we do get (the prison guards reacting to the news he’s a Nazi traitor) is one of the best sequences.

I thought the handling of the Winter Soldier’s past being disclosed to the public was pretty shoddy (not to mention rushed), now we’ll get to see if Brubaker can pull things back and give us the first big super-hero trial we’ve had in years.

[Marvel $3.99]

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I Love You Phillip Morris

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: I Love You Phillip Morris
  • IMDB: link

“I’m gonna live my life my way. Be the real me. Buy what I want. Do what I want. Fuck who I want. My way. I’m gonna be a fag! A big fag!!!”

It’s odd that I Love You Phillip Morris is based on the true experiences of con man Steven Jay Russell because if the film has one major flaw it’s how cartoonish and unbelievable some of the events appear on-screen.

As the film opens we are introduced to Steve (Jim Carrey), a respected police officer, with a loving wife (Leslie Mann), and a dark secret – he’s gay. A car crash causes Steve to reexamine his life, come out of the closet and live his life how he’s always wanted – the most stereotypical gay man ever caught on film.

An unforeseen problem arises when his new expensive lifestyle causes Steve to look for alternate sources of income by becoming a professional con man. This new career will eventually land him behind bars.

While in prison Steve meets the naive and trusting Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). They begin a doomed love affair, both in and out of prison, centered around Steve’s inability to stop lying and Phillip’s blind acceptance of those lies.

…

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Batgirl #16

/ / Comics

Okay, so Batgirl is on the run from Gotham PD who think she’s murdered a college student. The real killers are the “Order of the Scythe” (horrible name, by the way). Not only have they got Stephanie running from the police but they’ve stolen technology including a speed suit.

Thankfully, the Batgirl most wanted storyline is dealt with in this issue and we won’t have it weighing down the title for months. Aside from their awful name, the secret society or guys dressed up as reapers aren’t bad villains for the title. Okay, they aren’t going to find their way into the best Bat-villain list anytime soon, but they work well enough here.

And after being framed for murder writer Bryan Q. Miller has given Stephanie the added incentive of revenge to track them down. We also get some great trademark great dialogue between Stephanie and Oracle and another appearance by “Detective McCute.” It may not be the title’s best, but there’s plenty here worth reading. Worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Tangled

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

During it’s heyday, Disney made a name for itself by turning out classic tales about princes and princesses, true love, and triumph over evil (usually with a few songs and cute creatures thrown in). With the studio’s 50th animated film, Disney goes back to the well with Tangled, based on the fairy tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm.

To save the life of their unborn daughter, the King and Queen steal a magical flower from the evil witch Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy). As revenge, the witch kidnaps the young baby whose hair had captured the healing powers of the flower which has kept Gothel alive for years. Her hair holds the power as long as it allowed to grow.

As the story opens, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) who has grown up in a secluded tower her whole life believing the old witch to be her mother, convinces a young thief, Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi), who breaks into her tower while fleeing the palace guards, to help her sneak out and see the world on her birthday.

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Luther

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Luther – The Complete First Series
  • tv.com: link

DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) is a brilliant detective but a flawed man. As the series begins Luther allows a child killer (Anton Saunders) to fall to his death rather than save him. The killer survives in a coma, and after a lengthy suspension and investigation Luther is allowed back on the force.

While working a different case every week Luther must also deal with his estranged wife Zoe (Indira Varma) and her boyfriend (Paul McGann), and the attentions of psychopath Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) who takes a shine to him after he is unable to prove she killed her parents.

Created by Neil Cross Luther is a character driven procedural drama that works because of the flaws of our main character. He’s intelligent, driven, but also moody, reckless, and far too likely to put himself in the line of fire by offering himself as a target (a decision which triggers his unusual relationship with Alice). The final two episodes take a dark turn involving his close friend (Steven Mackintosh) and the fallout over a robbery and kidnapping gone horribly wrong.

The two-disc set includes all six episodes of the first season but not much in the way of extras. Still, for those who like cop dramas with a twist, and a fair share of strong performances, Luther is worth a look.

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