3 Razors

Jack the Giant Slayer

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Jack the Giant Slayer
  • IMDb: link

Jack the Giant Slayer

Turning fairy tales into big budget live-action CGI extravaganzas seems to be all the rage in Hollywood right now. Director Bryan Singer‘s Jack the Giant Slayer, the retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, is an inarguably flawed film, but it’s certainly a step up from similar recent films such as Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, and even Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Singer’s modest success comes from casting two likable young stars (Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson), clever work in the editing room, some (mostly) good special effects, and fun supporting performances from the likes of Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane, and Stanley Tucci as the film’s dastardly villain Roderick who plans to use the giants to seize power in the kingdom and beyond.

The plot to Jack the Giant Slayer is relatively straight-forward. We’re given a hero’s journey as Jack (Hoult) sets out to prove his worth by helping to rescue Princess Isabelle (Tomlinson), whom he secretly loves, from an army of human-eating giants at the top of Jack’s beanstalk.

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The Lying Game – Bride and Go Seek

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Lying Game – Bride and Go Seek
  • tv.com: link

The Lying Game - Bride and Go Seek

Everyone gathers for Theresa (Yara Martinez) and Dan’s (Tyler Christopher) wedding, everyone except for the missing bride-to-be who no one has seen since she left her engagement party early for her late night stakeout. Dan and Ethan (Blair Redford) begin searching for Theresa, but all they find is an empty apartment, her wedding ring, and other signs which point to her leaving town. Tensions continue to rise between both Ted (Andy Buckley) and Kristin (Helen Slater) and Alec (Adrian Pasdar) and Rebecca (Charisma Carpenter) as each man continues to spend time with each other’s wife.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19

/ / Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #18Your enjoyment of the current storyline of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is most likely tied directly to your feelings about the Neutrinos. The latest issue continues the Turtles adventures in Dimension X as the foursome agree to help Princess Trib and her forces rescue her parents who have been captured by General Krang.

As Leonardo and Raphael split up to help the effort, Michelangelo drafts himself as the Princess’ protector, and Donatello works to help Professor Honeycutt with the one weapon that could turn the tide of their war with Krang.

The comic also gives us (not nearly enough) scenes of Karai‘s own mission as the Shredder‘s daughter sneaks onto Burnow Island causing mischief and mayhem on Krang’s home base on Earth. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 isn’t bad, but it’s an awful lot of Neutrino politics and set-up for a battle that’s barely begun before the comic comes to a close. In fact you could probably skip this issue entirely and not skip a beat picking the comic up again next month. For fans.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Pretty Little Liars – Out of Sight, Out of Mind

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Pretty Little Liars – Out of Sight, Out of Mind
  • wiki: link

Pretty Little Liars - Out of Sight, Out of Mind

As Hanna (Ashley Benson) deals with the fallout from her mother (Laura Leighton) running over Detective Wilden (Bryce Johnson) with her car, and tries her best to convince her mother not to take any drastic action that she may later regret, Spencer (Troian Bellisario) finally comes clean to Aria (Lucy Hale) and Emily (Shay Mitchell) about discovering that Toby (Keegan Allen) has been working for A. Spencer’s revelation is followed shortly thereafter a warning left on her doorstep that one of her friends will pay the price for Spencer sharing her secret.

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Nova #1

/ / Comics

Nova #1Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness give us a solid (although at times somewhat confusing) first issue as Marvel NOW! sets out to relaunch Nova with a new hero under the helmet. Part of the problem with Nova #1 is that it has to introduce not one Nova, but two. Had the Loeb been able to fit Sam Alexander‘s story into the already existing Nova history (rather than show us that his drunken father was once a member of the Nova Corps so forgettable he had never appeared in any issue in the Marvel Universe until now).

On the plus side Sam is likable enough (although does Marvel really need more angsty teenage heroes with parental issues?), and the comic does include an appearance by Rocket Raccoon and Gamora (that will nearly always earn you some points in my book).

The structure of the comic, though confusing given none of these characters are familiar, actually works well as Sam’s dad relates his experiences in space to Sam’s younger sister in a series of bedtime stories Sam has gotten too old to believe in anymore.

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