3 Razors

The Hobbit: An Expected, and Familiar, Journey

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • IMDB: link

“I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.”

hobbit-unexpected-journey-posterAfter several delays, including the director and the Tolkien estate both separately suing New Line Cinema and a brief flirtation with Guillermo del Toro taking over the project, Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for J. R. R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit. Roughly one-third of the 300-page children’s fantasy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey feels far too familiar, somewhat less magical, and far more expected, than the title would indicate.

Our story, oddly, begins on the same day as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) beginning to chronicle his adventures for his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood), while waiting for Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to arrive to celebrate the Hobbit’s 111th birthday. After this somewhat awkward (not to mention completely unnecessary) sequence, our story finally beings in earnest as the younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) meets Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves for an impromptu dinner which will forever change his life.

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Arrow – Year’s End

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Green Arrow – Year’s End
  • tv.com: link

arrow-years-end

Before breaking for a Winter hiatus Arrow delivers its first Christmas episode when Oliver (Stephen Amell) decides to throw a big party after learning Moira (Susanna Thompson) and Thea (Willa Holland) stopped celebrating the holiday when he and his father went missing five years ago. Meanwhile Green Arrow has his hands full with a copycat archer who has begun killing off members of the list. Despite realizing the recent murders aren’t the work of Green Arrow, Detective Lance (Paul Blackthorne) is ordered by his superior (Brian Markinson) to hide the fact that there is a second archer on the loose.

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Arrow – Year’s End Read More »

The Lone Ranger #11

/ / Comics

the-lone-ranger-vol-2-11-coverAfter spending several issues exploring Tonto‘s past before he met the Masked Man, The Lone Ranger #11 returns to the “present” to focus on the Lone Ranger‘s struggle to get his wounded friend the medical attention he so desperately needs.

The warriors of the Ute tribe would prefer to kill the Ranger, and the elders seem perfectly willing to turn him away, but the Masked Man argues persuasively for the life of his friend. However, to save Tonto he’ll have to work with the braves to save the Ute medicine woman from local Mormons.

What should be a relatively simple mission is complicated by the braves’ double-cross and a second twist involving the identity of the doctor the Ranger doesn’t see coming.

I was hoping the flashbacks would take us up to the first meeting of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, but with only one issue left in the arc we may not get to see writer Ande Parks’ take on the famous scene following the death of all but one Ranger at the hands of Butch Cavendish. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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Iron Man #3

/ / Comics

iron-man-marvel-now-3-coverIron Man continues to protect Maya Hansen‘s legacy by hunting down stolen black market versions of Extremis. His latest trip takes him to Columbia where he tries out his spiffy new Lightbender Stealth Armor. Not expecting much resistance, the lower-powered armor will allow Stark to sneak in and out of a Columbian drug lord’s compound.

Things don’t go quite according to plan when he discovers the drug dealer has hired the Living Laser, Firebrand, and Vibro to protect himself from Iron Man. Even with the limitations of his stealth armor, Iron Man dispatches the C-List villains with relative ease before turning his attention on the drug dealer and discovering what his plans for Extremis are.

I like the new new stealth armor (even if it makes Stark look like a huge fan of Tron: Legacy). The twist involving the health of the dealer’s young daughter is interesting, but it does end the comic on a rather flat note. For fans.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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The Lone Ranger: Snake of Iron #4

/ / Comics

lone-ranger-snake-of-iron-4-coverIn the final issue of The Lone Ranger: Snake of Iron the role of Lassie is played by Tonto‘s faithful horse Scout who leads the Lone Ranger and soldiers to the stalled train which has been seized by not one but two tribes of Indian warriors.

While waiting for the Masked Man, Tonto does what he can to stop the scared travelers on the train from making matters worse. Eventually he ventures out with the young Indian boy one of the tribes has come to collect in an attempt to stop further bloodshed.

Although Tonto is only partially successful in his attempt, it does buy him enough time for reinforcements to arrive including the unusual sighting of the female reporter on her camel that stops all fighting long enough to get the situation sorted out.

Although far from perfect, the mini-series has spotlighted Tonto’s honor and skill set when separated from the Lone Ranger and the final issue manages to wrap-up the various subplots without too much trouble. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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