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Super Secret Crisis War #2

/ / Comics

Super Secret Crisis War #2Beaten and caged by the League of Extraordinary Villains, the second issue of Super Secret Crisis War sees Samurai Jack, Ben Tennyson, Dexter, Bubbles, Blossom, Buttecup, Ed, Edd, and Eddy meet and begin fighting back against the robot army created by their shared enemies.

The first issue of the mini-series focused primarily on Aku‘s plan and gathering the other villains (Mojo Jojo, Vilgax, and Mandark) to his cause. Here the heroes carry the bulk of the load as each shows off for the other. The lack of powers or fighting prowess makes Dexter, Ed, Edd, and Eddy certainly stand-out, but I have no doubt writer Louise Simonson will find a way to give each their own heroic moments.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
  • IMDb: link

Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesDirected by Jonathan Liebesman (Battle Los Angeles, Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Michael Bay, it’s not really a surprise that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn’t a good movie. What is surprising is the fact it isn’t mind-numbingly awful, and at times it even borders on even being dumb fun and mildly entertaining.

Taking more than a few liberties with the comic, television, and toy franchise, the script by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Evan Daugherty offers an origin story for our four amphibious heroes (who are mistakenly referred to as reptiles), their first meeting with Channel 6 reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox), and the start of their battle against the Shredder (Tohoru Masamune).

Highlighting the fact that Leonardo (Johnny Knoxville), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), and Donatello (Jeremy Howard) are mutant teenagers, and downplaying he fact that they’re actually ninjas, the film makes some bizarre casting and script decisions that remove much of the oriental influence of the franchise.

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Samurai Jack #10

/ / Comics

Samurai Jack #10Constantly defeated by Samurai Jack‘s prowess in battle, Aku decides to change tactics and attack the samurai’s mind in the latest issue of the IDW series. Taking various forms and disrupting Jack’s childhood memories, at first Aku wins several small victories, but the master of shape shifting darkness soon finds out just how mentally strong his adversary is as well.

The story from writer Jim Zub focuses on the mental strength of the time-displaced hero offering several moments of levity once Samurai Jack’s unconscious begins fighting back against Aku’s attempts to destroy the samurai’s mind.

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Hercules

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Hercules (2014)
  • IMDb: link

HerculesBased on the comic book mini-series from writer Steve Moore and artist Admira Wijaya, Hercules removes the myth and legend of the figure choosing to cast Hercules (Dwayne “It’s Okay to Call Me The Rock Again” Johnson) as a weary nomadic mercenary rather than the true son of Zeus (although he certainly trades on the legend for his own profit) well after completing his legendary 12 labors. With a band of loyal warriors around him, Hercules’ legend has grown over time as his exploits have been exaggerated to the point that everyone believes the mythic warrior to be the unstoppable son of a god.

Director Brett Ratner‘s film reminds me a little of Antoine Fuqua‘s King Arthur which similarly removed the mythical trappings and magic surrounding a legendary figure in an attempt to focus on the man behind the legend and those closest to him. Hercules may not be as successful as Arthur, but The Rock is perfectly cast in the role and Ratner surrounds him with a strong supporting cast and impressive effects for a B-movie that’s better than expected.

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Guardians of the Galaxy

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
  • IMDb: link

“What a bunch of a-holes.”

Guardians of the GalaxyChoosing to go where no Marvel film has gone before, Guardians of the Galaxy not only opens the door to the wider Marvel Universe among the stars but also introduces some of Marvel Studios most memorable characters. I’ve been a fan of the current team since they got together back in 2008, but I had serious doubts about how well Marvel could incorporate a group of space misfits who include thieves, killers, a genetically-enhanced raccoon, and talking tree into a mainstream sci-fi/action film.

I’ve been less impressed by James Gunn‘s body of work up until this point than most (sorry, I’m just not a fan of Slither), but the co-writer/director proves to be the right choice to juggle the various bizarre elements of the script while infusing it with an offbeat sense of humor which fits the characters and cast well. There are some groanworthy moments here or there, such as having Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) dance for the film’s baddie Ronan (Lee Pace), but thankfully they are few and far between as Gunn makes most of the right calls in dealing the team of oddball heroes.

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