4.5 Razors

Castle – Last Action Hero

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Castle – Last Action Hero
  • wiki: link

“My hero was a liar and a goat herder.”

Castle - Last Action Hero

When a washed-up 80s action star turns up dead on the eve of his possible big return Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) investigate the actor’s world including his rumored past as a covert agent for the Spanish Government. Some investigating by Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Ryan (Seamus Dever) uncovers some odd behavior in the week leading to the victim’s murder including contacting an old source within the Spanish Government (Gonzalo Escudero), miscellaneous surveillance equipment, a secret meeting with his ex-wife (Kathleen York), and choosing to hole up in a crappy apartment under an assumed name.

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Grendel vs. The Shadow #3

/ / Comics

Grendel vs. The Shadow #3The conclusion of what if? tales such as Grendel vs. The Shadow are usually the weakest piece of the story, not for fault of the storyteller but simply because the end must reset back to the status quo without allowing either iconic figure to be truly beaten (or killed). Even with these limitations writer/artist Matt Wagner manages to end the three-issue mini-series in style giving us two final confrontations between Hunter Rose and The Shadow.

Of the pair’s individual tales Grendel’s works better as Hunter Rose finds himself pulled into the nostalgia and romance of his time-travel adventure only to realize the truth almost too late. The subplot of Margo Lane‘s possible departure doesn’t work as well simply because at no point are we sold on the possibility of her actually leaving Lamont Cranston.

In the end both warriors are bloodied and battered but Grendel, despite his hurt ego to go along with is injuries, manages to return back to his own time. His inability to find any mention of his adventures in the past suggests Grendel’s journey wasn’t just through time but also through an alternate dimension where crime does not pay. Worth a look

[Dark Horse / Dynamite, $5.99]

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Rocket Raccoon #5

/ / Comics

Rocket Raccoon #5Set around a campfire where Rocket Raccoon has been telling young children tales of his exploits, Rocket Raccoon #5 showcases Groot telling a story Rocket doesn’t want to share. Although limited in his exposition, we witness the events unfold through a series of panels which inform us of why Groot thinks so highly of the adventure but also why Rocket would rather forget the entire disappointing enterprise.

With every piece of dialogue, signage, and narration all being the same three words writer/artist Skootie Young delivers an unexpected adveture involving a treasure map, robot army, space adventure, high-stakes gambling, the retrieval of a mystical sword, a floating castle, mermaids, giant monsters, and a prize which is far from what Rocket expected. Simply put, it’s amazing.

Forced into telling a story nearly all through its art, Young delivers a campfire story that may bewilder (most) of the young campers but turns out to be the series’ best issue so far. Must-read.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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How to Train Your Dragon 2

/ / Home Video
  • Title: How to Train Your Dragon 2
  • IMDb: link

How to Train Your Dragon 2Set a few years after the events of the first film, How to Train Your Dragon 2 continues the hero’s journey of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless and the rest of the dragon riders of Birk as Hiccup finds his long-lost mother Valka (Cate Blanchett) and squares off against a dragon army led by the villainous Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou).

How to Train Your Dragon 2 works as well for me on Blu-ray as it did in theaters (and some of the emotional beats even work better a second time). Given the quality of the first two films, I hope we see this series continue for a long time. For more on the movie, check out my original review.

The Blu-ray includes DVD and UV digital copies of the film along with a half-hour short explaining the creation of Birk’s dragon races, deleted scenes, trailers, and short featurettes on Hiccup’s inventions, Drago’s weapons, the various dragons in the film, and Birk.

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Citizenfour

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Citizenfour
  • IMDb: link

CitizenfourIn a film which will likely make you uncomfortable with the level of access the United States Government has into your private life, Laura Poitras documents Edward Snowden and his decision to reveal the NSA spying on law abiding American citizens without the warrants or even probable cause.

Citizenfour shows the meetings between Snowden, Poitras, and investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald and the Guardian intelligence reporter Ewen MacAskill who the intelligence officer handpicked to vet and leak the information to the public.

Despite the sensitive subject matter and worldwide manhunt for Snowden, Poitras is able to capture and present the story from her subject’s point-of-view crafting a shocking and detailed look at an unparalleled level of government access which caused Snowden to reveal the truth only to become a fugitive for doing so. Although presented from a specific point-of-view, Citizenfour educates and informs taking steps to explain not only the information which Snowden leaked but also the reasoning behind his actions and the cost of those decisions.

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