Greetings,
Remember how I said how much I loved the voice actors for the Justice League cartoon series? Yeah, well, we're not getting any of that today. In Justice League: The New Frontier, things are done a bit differently than some of the other films that I love so much. For example, they hired a bunch of well-known actors (not exactly voice actors) to play the roles that have been done so well by actors who are mainly known for voice over work. Not that they haven't done this before, but there are just so many characters in this thing, which will eventually lead me to another complaint. I guess I should begin with a quick plot synopsis.
I will choose to begin this a bit of a compliment. This film is set in, not present day as many of the others are, but 1953 to 1960, starting right after the Korean War and going into Kennedy's presidency. I found that aspect kind of intriguing since that was around the major heyday of comic books. Or perhaps slightly after it. I'm never sure about these things, but I think I'm close. And, though this may seem like a negative to some people, I like the way it throws in some tidbits about history. There you go, kids. Now you don't have to go to school today. Moving on.
So the movie starts with a voice over by something called The Centre, who claims to have witnessed the evolution of everything on Earth and how everything would be better if all the humans were gone. Or something to that effect. Hmm? Where have I heard this plan before? So The Centre does this whole monologue about this, and it's being written and then someone shoots himself. Now that's what I call an opening.
Cut to the end of the Korean War where we find Hal Jordan (a.ka.a Green Lantern) having some issues about killing people, which leads him to a mental ward. Then, we have J'onn J'onzz, our resident Martian Manhunter, coming to Earth and doing his shape shifting thing. A year later, Superman runs into Wonder Woman in Vietnam where she just rescued some women and then proceeded to let them have some bloody justice. He tells her that this is the kind of things that made the government and everyone else distrust the heroes, leading to the Justice Society's disbanding and Batman becoming a fugitive. And she's like, "Whatever!" Oh, and The Flash shows up eventually, too. Soon they find out that there is this bad thing called The Centre coming, and, of course, they must defeat it.
Okay, I have to be totally honest here. If I tried to go into any more detail about the plot, I don't think I would succeed. I'm not saying that the plot isn't good, or that it's necessarily complicated, but for some reason, in my head, I just felt like there was so much going on. While you watch it, I think it might be not too hard to follow, but it's not something that can be explained very well. Or maybe it's just me. I have no problem with movies that require you to pay attention a bit. I welcome that actually. But here I just felt as though they were requiring that of me too much. Again, this could just be me not being able to click my brain with what was happening in the story. Others may not have this problem at all. And, like I said, that didn't make it bad. When I focused, I did like the story. And there was this great montage sort of thing at the end which I enjoyed quite a bit.
So I guess, since I mentioned it before, I should discuss the voice acting. Who do we have here? Well, we get a lot of actors whose voices are fairly recognizable. We get Kyle MacLachalan as Superman, Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman, Kyra Sedgewick as Lois Lane, David Boreanaz as Green Lantern, Miguel Ferrar as J'onn J'onzz, Neil Patrick Harris as The Flash and Jeremy Sisto as Batman. Really? Jeremy Sisto? He has, in my opinion, one of the most distinct voices I have ever heard. Not to say that he, or anyone else, did a bad job, but it's hard to separate these well-known people from the characters they are portraying.
Well, I know I gave some criticisms to this movie, but, really, I think it's worth a watch. And I think it's especially good for those comic fans who like might that old school, period piece feel to it. Like I said, that was something I thought was very appealing. Still, if your brain can take a holiday, as mine sometimes can, be prepared to pay attention.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, March 15, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - Movie Review
Greetings,
A while back, I did a whole Batman vs. Superman post, wherein I discussed why people like one or the other, the differences between them in the media, and my personal opinions on these things, specifically the relationship between the two. I mentioned that I do kind of agree with those who think that Batman and Superman seem so opposite in their views that they may, at times, make better enemies than they do friends. But I certainly don't mind when they team up to fight a common enemy. I do like the Justice League cartoon, after all. Well, today I will reviewing another film that puts these two heroes on the same side, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. And, before I officially begin, let me say how pleased I am that the titular characters are being voiced by Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy. As well they should be. Let's get started.
As the film opens, our country is in an economic mess, until we elect a new president who fixes everything. And who is this president, you may ask? Why, it's Lex Luthor, of course! Sounds like a good idea to me. You know what else sounds good? Clancy Brown doing the voice. Yeah, this guy is, without question, the best voice over artist for Lex Luthor. Others have tried and failed to be as great as he is in this role. Anyway, as our new Commander-In-Chief, Luthor wants to gather up all the superheroes to be government employed, both to help in the country's defense but also to keep them in line. Well, that certainly doesn't sound suspicious. But some of the heroes go along with this plan, including Power Girl, voiced here by Allison Mack, taking a little break from her duties on Smallville. Turns out, though, that not every superhero thinks this is a good idea. Particularly, Superman and Batman, because, despite all the "good" he has done for the country, they still do not trust Luthor at all.
As it happens, there is a huge meteor of Kryptonite headed for the Earth, so Luthor requests a meeting with Superman to discuss the problem. And they meet in Gotham City, because . . . well, how else are they going to get Batman involved? And of course, he shows up when needed. During this meeting, which is not any kind of trap at all, someone is killed, which leads Lex Luthor to accuse Superman of murder, thus turning him into a fugitive. He says that the Kryptonite meteor has probably turned Superman insane. Here's the best part. Luthor puts a one BILLION dollar bounty on his head. This brings out a boatload of villains who want to get paid. We see Bane, Silver Banshee, Deadshot, Cheetah, Mr. Freeze and that's just naming a few, and they all put a big attack on Superman and Batman. And it is very entertaining to watch.
But, per usual, things are not always as they seem. Turns out, Lex is much more fond of Kryptonite than anyone ever thought, and the arrival of this huge and deadly meteor is actually playing a big part in a plan that he has for the world at large, or whatever might be left of it. Yeah, I could go into a detailed account of this plan of his, but, frankly, it's not so different from other plans we've had from other villains. I suppose that would be my only real complaint about this film. Well, that and this slightly disturbing scene between Lex and Amanda Waller. As the scene plays out, the question will most likely float into your head of, "He's not saying what I think he's saying, is he?" Then, you just decide to move on before things get even more uncomfortable. But back to the big plan of Lex's. Though the whole thing feels like it's been done before, the way they get to it seems fairly original. To me, anyway.
Oh, and some of you may be wondering if Superman and Batman succeed in defeating Lex Luthor. Seriously, though, you're probably not. I mean, really, what do you think is going to happen? Again, I will say this. Whilst the ultimate ending may seem a tad predictable, the pathway is pretty entertaining. They have a great build up to the climax, which is enough to sustain what we most likely already know is going to happen. So, any parts that seem foreseeable or overdone can be overlooked in favor of how much greatness there is in this film.
Now I know I mentioned some of the starring voice actors, but let me give credit to some of the others. We get some great performances from Xander Berkeley, John C. McGinley, LeVar Burton and C.C.H. Pounder, who voiced the aforementioned Amanda Waller. Seriously, this woman has got to have one of the best and most recognizable voices of all time, and she is fantastic here. You know, as much as I loved the people voicing the leads, I truly enjoyed this great supporting cast as well.
And there you have it. I must say, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is probably one of the best of all the DC animated films. Between that animation, the story and the acting, you're in for something great if you decide to watch this one. And should there ever be a plan to make a live action movie with both Superman and Batman, I hope the filmmakers, again, take a lesson from this.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
A while back, I did a whole Batman vs. Superman post, wherein I discussed why people like one or the other, the differences between them in the media, and my personal opinions on these things, specifically the relationship between the two. I mentioned that I do kind of agree with those who think that Batman and Superman seem so opposite in their views that they may, at times, make better enemies than they do friends. But I certainly don't mind when they team up to fight a common enemy. I do like the Justice League cartoon, after all. Well, today I will reviewing another film that puts these two heroes on the same side, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. And, before I officially begin, let me say how pleased I am that the titular characters are being voiced by Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy. As well they should be. Let's get started.
As the film opens, our country is in an economic mess, until we elect a new president who fixes everything. And who is this president, you may ask? Why, it's Lex Luthor, of course! Sounds like a good idea to me. You know what else sounds good? Clancy Brown doing the voice. Yeah, this guy is, without question, the best voice over artist for Lex Luthor. Others have tried and failed to be as great as he is in this role. Anyway, as our new Commander-In-Chief, Luthor wants to gather up all the superheroes to be government employed, both to help in the country's defense but also to keep them in line. Well, that certainly doesn't sound suspicious. But some of the heroes go along with this plan, including Power Girl, voiced here by Allison Mack, taking a little break from her duties on Smallville. Turns out, though, that not every superhero thinks this is a good idea. Particularly, Superman and Batman, because, despite all the "good" he has done for the country, they still do not trust Luthor at all.
As it happens, there is a huge meteor of Kryptonite headed for the Earth, so Luthor requests a meeting with Superman to discuss the problem. And they meet in Gotham City, because . . . well, how else are they going to get Batman involved? And of course, he shows up when needed. During this meeting, which is not any kind of trap at all, someone is killed, which leads Lex Luthor to accuse Superman of murder, thus turning him into a fugitive. He says that the Kryptonite meteor has probably turned Superman insane. Here's the best part. Luthor puts a one BILLION dollar bounty on his head. This brings out a boatload of villains who want to get paid. We see Bane, Silver Banshee, Deadshot, Cheetah, Mr. Freeze and that's just naming a few, and they all put a big attack on Superman and Batman. And it is very entertaining to watch.
But, per usual, things are not always as they seem. Turns out, Lex is much more fond of Kryptonite than anyone ever thought, and the arrival of this huge and deadly meteor is actually playing a big part in a plan that he has for the world at large, or whatever might be left of it. Yeah, I could go into a detailed account of this plan of his, but, frankly, it's not so different from other plans we've had from other villains. I suppose that would be my only real complaint about this film. Well, that and this slightly disturbing scene between Lex and Amanda Waller. As the scene plays out, the question will most likely float into your head of, "He's not saying what I think he's saying, is he?" Then, you just decide to move on before things get even more uncomfortable. But back to the big plan of Lex's. Though the whole thing feels like it's been done before, the way they get to it seems fairly original. To me, anyway.
Oh, and some of you may be wondering if Superman and Batman succeed in defeating Lex Luthor. Seriously, though, you're probably not. I mean, really, what do you think is going to happen? Again, I will say this. Whilst the ultimate ending may seem a tad predictable, the pathway is pretty entertaining. They have a great build up to the climax, which is enough to sustain what we most likely already know is going to happen. So, any parts that seem foreseeable or overdone can be overlooked in favor of how much greatness there is in this film.
Now I know I mentioned some of the starring voice actors, but let me give credit to some of the others. We get some great performances from Xander Berkeley, John C. McGinley, LeVar Burton and C.C.H. Pounder, who voiced the aforementioned Amanda Waller. Seriously, this woman has got to have one of the best and most recognizable voices of all time, and she is fantastic here. You know, as much as I loved the people voicing the leads, I truly enjoyed this great supporting cast as well.
And there you have it. I must say, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is probably one of the best of all the DC animated films. Between that animation, the story and the acting, you're in for something great if you decide to watch this one. And should there ever be a plan to make a live action movie with both Superman and Batman, I hope the filmmakers, again, take a lesson from this.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Green Lantern: First Flight - Movie Review
Greetings,
There is a certain phrase coming to my mind right now. That phrase would be "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" So here's a question. Why is that when we have a fantastic, albeit somewhat short and animated film based on a certain comic character, do we feel the need to make a crappy live action version two years later? I don't know, but let's talk about Green Lantern.
I believe we are all aware of the catastrophe that was the 2011 Green Lantern film, starring Ryan Reynolds at quite possibly his absolute worst. So sad, because I think he actually can be very good. And this film left such a bad taste in people's mouths that I doubt they would give anything with Green Lantern a chance. Again, sad, because there is something very good that stars one of our favorite green superheroes. It is the 2009 animated film, Green Lantern: First Flight.
As you may be able to tell from the title, this is another origin story for our hero, but it is a bit of one for the villain as well, because we see how both of them become what they are. The plot follows Hal Jordan, voiced by Law and Order: SVU's (former) own, Christopher Meloni, as he is chosen to be a green lantern and subsequently trained to do the job. He is supervised by a senior officer in the Green Lantern Corps named Sinestro, here played by Victor Garber. Okay, so we've got Chris Meloni and Victor Garber. Can this thing possibly get any better? Oh, hey there, Michael Madsen playing the awesome Kilowag! Welcome to the party. And while I speak of this great cast, let me also mention Kurtwood Smith as Kanjar Ro, Tricia Helfer as Boodika, and Olivia D'Abo as Carol Ferris. Yes, and Miss Olivia, of course, even with her very few lines managed to outdo Blake Lively, who got an entire film to try and get it right.
Anyway, beside that main story of this being Hal's first mission with the Corps, we also deal with a plot involving something called the Yellow Element. You see, in the light spectrum, yellow is the only color that can resist green. How artistic. So, naturally, that is the only thing that can go against the Green Lantern Corps power, and there is a pure concentration of it called, as I mentioned, the Yellow Element. This brings in a group of these little blue dudes called The Guardians, who have hidden it away, thus, not letting it be used against them. So it is very much sought after. If I am interpreting this correctly, that is what plays a major part in Hal Jordan being chosen. It is also what leads us to the climax of the story. And in an effort to not spoil any more of the film here, I think I'm going to stop when it comes to discussing that.
Now I hate to do this, but I must once again bring up the live action movie. It has been a while since I've seen that one, but I seem to remember that there are similar elements to both films. That is understandable since they are both origin stories for the Green Lantern. Yet, somehow, as I said, this shorter, animated film managed to tell the story so much better. The live action film was, to me, boring and unmemorable. I was not bored watching Green Lantern: First Flight. It was just plain good, and I really wish the other film could have been that as well.
So if you are a huge Green Lantern fan but were disappointed by the Ryan Reynolds version, I suggest you check this one out. But I guess if you're a huge GL fan, you've probably already seen it. For everyone else, I still say see this. It's entertaining, and it won't take up too much of your time. What more do you need?
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
There is a certain phrase coming to my mind right now. That phrase would be "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" So here's a question. Why is that when we have a fantastic, albeit somewhat short and animated film based on a certain comic character, do we feel the need to make a crappy live action version two years later? I don't know, but let's talk about Green Lantern.
I believe we are all aware of the catastrophe that was the 2011 Green Lantern film, starring Ryan Reynolds at quite possibly his absolute worst. So sad, because I think he actually can be very good. And this film left such a bad taste in people's mouths that I doubt they would give anything with Green Lantern a chance. Again, sad, because there is something very good that stars one of our favorite green superheroes. It is the 2009 animated film, Green Lantern: First Flight.
As you may be able to tell from the title, this is another origin story for our hero, but it is a bit of one for the villain as well, because we see how both of them become what they are. The plot follows Hal Jordan, voiced by Law and Order: SVU's (former) own, Christopher Meloni, as he is chosen to be a green lantern and subsequently trained to do the job. He is supervised by a senior officer in the Green Lantern Corps named Sinestro, here played by Victor Garber. Okay, so we've got Chris Meloni and Victor Garber. Can this thing possibly get any better? Oh, hey there, Michael Madsen playing the awesome Kilowag! Welcome to the party. And while I speak of this great cast, let me also mention Kurtwood Smith as Kanjar Ro, Tricia Helfer as Boodika, and Olivia D'Abo as Carol Ferris. Yes, and Miss Olivia, of course, even with her very few lines managed to outdo Blake Lively, who got an entire film to try and get it right.
Anyway, beside that main story of this being Hal's first mission with the Corps, we also deal with a plot involving something called the Yellow Element. You see, in the light spectrum, yellow is the only color that can resist green. How artistic. So, naturally, that is the only thing that can go against the Green Lantern Corps power, and there is a pure concentration of it called, as I mentioned, the Yellow Element. This brings in a group of these little blue dudes called The Guardians, who have hidden it away, thus, not letting it be used against them. So it is very much sought after. If I am interpreting this correctly, that is what plays a major part in Hal Jordan being chosen. It is also what leads us to the climax of the story. And in an effort to not spoil any more of the film here, I think I'm going to stop when it comes to discussing that.
Now I hate to do this, but I must once again bring up the live action movie. It has been a while since I've seen that one, but I seem to remember that there are similar elements to both films. That is understandable since they are both origin stories for the Green Lantern. Yet, somehow, as I said, this shorter, animated film managed to tell the story so much better. The live action film was, to me, boring and unmemorable. I was not bored watching Green Lantern: First Flight. It was just plain good, and I really wish the other film could have been that as well.
So if you are a huge Green Lantern fan but were disappointed by the Ryan Reynolds version, I suggest you check this one out. But I guess if you're a huge GL fan, you've probably already seen it. For everyone else, I still say see this. It's entertaining, and it won't take up too much of your time. What more do you need?
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (DC Showcase) - Movie Review
Greetings,
Okay, this "movie" is a bit different from the others I am reviewing. I will be reviewing this as it appears on the DVD, and on the DVD, which is, in fact, entitled Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, we get the titular short film as well as three others. All of it is technically referred to as a DC Showcase, so I thought I would talk about the whole collection featured here.
The first and longest of the short films is the one which shares the title with the DVD, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. The main focus of this story is on young Billy Batson and how he eventually learns to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel. We follow Billy as he randomly meets Clark Kent, who, as we all know, is Superman, and Billy happens to be a great admirer of Superman. What are the odds! And the villain here is, of course, Black Adam, whose power is based in magic, and magic is something to which Superman is vulnerable. Oh, so I guess if you want to fight Superman but don't like the color green, get yourself a magic wand. So, eventually, Superman teams up with Captain Marvel, whose power is also magic based, therefore, enabling him to be an equal to Black Adam. See, teamwork is awesome. Now I must be honest, though this is the longest and lead in short film of the collection, of the four, it is my least favorite. Still good, though. Moving on.
Next up, we have The Spectre. This little film is about the murder of a film executive named Foster Brenner and the investigation that follows. A detective named Jim Corrigan decides to check things out despite the fact that it's not his case, but he does so because he was once involved with Brenner's daughter, Aimee. Turns out, a bunch of people were mad at Brenner for not being including in his last film, which means that we've got a nice, long list of suspects. I hear cops either love it or hate it when they have one of those. Anyway, the dead Brenner starts showing up and morphing into The Spectre. That means that he's The Spectre, right? Well, maybe, but remember that even in a twelve minute short film, you can have a twist.
And while we are on the subject of guys who wear green hoodies, let's move on to our next story, Green Arrow. This one has the kind of plot that is oft ignored. Specifically, a plot of . . . kiddie assassination! No, really, someone tries to kill a kid in this thing. But she's royalty, and they tend to be targets for assassination. Basically, there's this guy named Count Vertigo (really?)who hires a guy named Merlyn (okay?) to kill Princess Perdita (come on!). AND Count Vertigo is the uncle of Perdita, who is technically now the queen, since her father has been killed . . . by Count Vertigo! Yeah, keep it all in the family there, people. Ironically, all of this goes down in an airport, where it just so happens Oliver Queen is waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. But, in the meantime, he manages to do his Green Arrow thing and tries to be the hero. By the way, we also get an appearance by Black Canary. No kidding. Oliver Queen mentions a girlfriend. Of course, it's her.
Finally, we have Jonah Hex. I must bring up the fact that I have seen the Jonah Hex live action film, and it was kind of not good. I feel like they tried really hard on that movie, and ended up trying too hard. This short film, however, is the opposite of that, in my opinion. The plot is a nice, compacted little thing about this madame at a bar who kills guys for their money, and Jonah Hex has to deal with her. It's like they were just trying to say, "Here's Jonah Hex, and here's what he does". Boom! Done! Thank you. That is all I need. And it is so much better than the complicated . . . whatever that the feature film was trying to do. So, if you like Jonah Hex, just watch this.
Now since I have not yet made mention of this, I'd like to say a word about the voice acting here. We get a lot of great people in this short films, like Neil McDonough, Thomas Jane, Michelle Trachtenberg, Linda Hamilton, Gary Cole, Jerry O'Connell and George Newbern, who reprises his Justice League role as Superman. Everyone was really good in these little mini movies.
So, while I mentioned, this isn't full on movie, I say check it out. Sometimes we just want a nice short film that doesn't take up too much time in our lives. You get that here, and you get something that is really worth the watch.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Okay, this "movie" is a bit different from the others I am reviewing. I will be reviewing this as it appears on the DVD, and on the DVD, which is, in fact, entitled Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, we get the titular short film as well as three others. All of it is technically referred to as a DC Showcase, so I thought I would talk about the whole collection featured here.
The first and longest of the short films is the one which shares the title with the DVD, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. The main focus of this story is on young Billy Batson and how he eventually learns to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel. We follow Billy as he randomly meets Clark Kent, who, as we all know, is Superman, and Billy happens to be a great admirer of Superman. What are the odds! And the villain here is, of course, Black Adam, whose power is based in magic, and magic is something to which Superman is vulnerable. Oh, so I guess if you want to fight Superman but don't like the color green, get yourself a magic wand. So, eventually, Superman teams up with Captain Marvel, whose power is also magic based, therefore, enabling him to be an equal to Black Adam. See, teamwork is awesome. Now I must be honest, though this is the longest and lead in short film of the collection, of the four, it is my least favorite. Still good, though. Moving on.
Next up, we have The Spectre. This little film is about the murder of a film executive named Foster Brenner and the investigation that follows. A detective named Jim Corrigan decides to check things out despite the fact that it's not his case, but he does so because he was once involved with Brenner's daughter, Aimee. Turns out, a bunch of people were mad at Brenner for not being including in his last film, which means that we've got a nice, long list of suspects. I hear cops either love it or hate it when they have one of those. Anyway, the dead Brenner starts showing up and morphing into The Spectre. That means that he's The Spectre, right? Well, maybe, but remember that even in a twelve minute short film, you can have a twist.
And while we are on the subject of guys who wear green hoodies, let's move on to our next story, Green Arrow. This one has the kind of plot that is oft ignored. Specifically, a plot of . . . kiddie assassination! No, really, someone tries to kill a kid in this thing. But she's royalty, and they tend to be targets for assassination. Basically, there's this guy named Count Vertigo (really?)who hires a guy named Merlyn (okay?) to kill Princess Perdita (come on!). AND Count Vertigo is the uncle of Perdita, who is technically now the queen, since her father has been killed . . . by Count Vertigo! Yeah, keep it all in the family there, people. Ironically, all of this goes down in an airport, where it just so happens Oliver Queen is waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. But, in the meantime, he manages to do his Green Arrow thing and tries to be the hero. By the way, we also get an appearance by Black Canary. No kidding. Oliver Queen mentions a girlfriend. Of course, it's her.
Finally, we have Jonah Hex. I must bring up the fact that I have seen the Jonah Hex live action film, and it was kind of not good. I feel like they tried really hard on that movie, and ended up trying too hard. This short film, however, is the opposite of that, in my opinion. The plot is a nice, compacted little thing about this madame at a bar who kills guys for their money, and Jonah Hex has to deal with her. It's like they were just trying to say, "Here's Jonah Hex, and here's what he does". Boom! Done! Thank you. That is all I need. And it is so much better than the complicated . . . whatever that the feature film was trying to do. So, if you like Jonah Hex, just watch this.
Now since I have not yet made mention of this, I'd like to say a word about the voice acting here. We get a lot of great people in this short films, like Neil McDonough, Thomas Jane, Michelle Trachtenberg, Linda Hamilton, Gary Cole, Jerry O'Connell and George Newbern, who reprises his Justice League role as Superman. Everyone was really good in these little mini movies.
So, while I mentioned, this isn't full on movie, I say check it out. Sometimes we just want a nice short film that doesn't take up too much time in our lives. You get that here, and you get something that is really worth the watch.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, March 11, 2013
Justice League: Doom - Movie Review
Greetings,
It seems that people have an idea about cartoon shows, and they tend to put them at one extreme or the other. We have the ones that are strictly meant for children that can be left on to entertain them as their parents do other things, and then, we have the ones for the adults, where the children have no business watching them at all. Yet, somehow, I think they might be catching a few episodes. But what about the ones that fall somewhere in between? The cartoons that the kids can watch, but that also are interesting for adults. Specifically, I speak of the Justice League series.
The Justice League cartoon series began in 2001 and eventually morphed into Justice League Unlimited, which featured many more characters. This series was extremely well done. The production was great, the writing and the stories were fantastic, but what I loved most of all were the voice actors. So when I heard that they were making another of these animated films featuring most of the cast from the series, I was ecstatic.
In the 2012 film Justice League: Doom, we get back these fabulous actors and their characters: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter, and of course, my personal favorite, Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash. Rounding out the League and in addition to those series regulars, Superman is voiced by Tim Daly, who also portrayed him in Superman: The Animated Series, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Good times. Besides those, we also get a ton of other great actors lending their voices, like Olivia D'Abo, Alexis Denisof, Juliet Landau and many others. So good cast. Does that mean good movie? Let's see.
The plot of Doom is that a guy named Vandal Savage has an idea for a brand new fabulous civilization. Unfortunately, a massive portion of humanity must be done away with. Yeah, if this sounds familiar to you all who are well versed in the comic book stories, it should, since it is basically a story line that was done with Ra's al Ghul as the villain. I knew that, and I don't even read the comic books. I guess since Ra's was in Batman Begins, they didn't want to repeat an appearance.
Anyway, thanks to the Justice League, Vandal cannot accomplish this. Darn. So he has someone hack into Batman's computer system, using something he got from, where else, LexCorp. Why is this a problem? Well, as it happens, Batman was wise enough to devise contingency plans for each of the League members should any of them ever go rogue. It's a good idea, so long as none of this falls into the wrong hands. But, alas, it falls into the wrong hands. This leads to the main focus of the plot, wherein we follow each League member being attacked by these plans by way of other villains. And all the plans have been altered to not only be incapacitating, but lethal. It is done in a very clever way, and each member gets a chance to be shown, which is for what the fans would hope.
But what it comes down to really is that this is story about the cracks within the Justice League and whether or not they can trust each other. Particularly, they question Batman's loyalty, since he was the one who had the plans in the first place. So, through all this, we get to see some great character interactions, exactly what I wanted because that is another thing I always liked from the series. They carry it over well into this movie, like nothing had ever changed. And if anything did change, it was for the better.
So I suppose I would recommend this mostly to fans of the Justice League show, though I bet some of those fans might also find problems with this, such as the omission of Hawkgirl. I do kind of wish she was there, too. Everyone has an opinion. But I think this has a good story and takes us back to the time of the show. And, like I said, it was great to hear that cast together again. So, should these rumors of a Justice League live action film ever become a reality, I certainly hope they take a lesson from this, because if that possible future film is as good as this, I'll be pleased.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
It seems that people have an idea about cartoon shows, and they tend to put them at one extreme or the other. We have the ones that are strictly meant for children that can be left on to entertain them as their parents do other things, and then, we have the ones for the adults, where the children have no business watching them at all. Yet, somehow, I think they might be catching a few episodes. But what about the ones that fall somewhere in between? The cartoons that the kids can watch, but that also are interesting for adults. Specifically, I speak of the Justice League series.
The Justice League cartoon series began in 2001 and eventually morphed into Justice League Unlimited, which featured many more characters. This series was extremely well done. The production was great, the writing and the stories were fantastic, but what I loved most of all were the voice actors. So when I heard that they were making another of these animated films featuring most of the cast from the series, I was ecstatic.
In the 2012 film Justice League: Doom, we get back these fabulous actors and their characters: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter, and of course, my personal favorite, Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash. Rounding out the League and in addition to those series regulars, Superman is voiced by Tim Daly, who also portrayed him in Superman: The Animated Series, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Good times. Besides those, we also get a ton of other great actors lending their voices, like Olivia D'Abo, Alexis Denisof, Juliet Landau and many others. So good cast. Does that mean good movie? Let's see.
The plot of Doom is that a guy named Vandal Savage has an idea for a brand new fabulous civilization. Unfortunately, a massive portion of humanity must be done away with. Yeah, if this sounds familiar to you all who are well versed in the comic book stories, it should, since it is basically a story line that was done with Ra's al Ghul as the villain. I knew that, and I don't even read the comic books. I guess since Ra's was in Batman Begins, they didn't want to repeat an appearance.
Anyway, thanks to the Justice League, Vandal cannot accomplish this. Darn. So he has someone hack into Batman's computer system, using something he got from, where else, LexCorp. Why is this a problem? Well, as it happens, Batman was wise enough to devise contingency plans for each of the League members should any of them ever go rogue. It's a good idea, so long as none of this falls into the wrong hands. But, alas, it falls into the wrong hands. This leads to the main focus of the plot, wherein we follow each League member being attacked by these plans by way of other villains. And all the plans have been altered to not only be incapacitating, but lethal. It is done in a very clever way, and each member gets a chance to be shown, which is for what the fans would hope.
But what it comes down to really is that this is story about the cracks within the Justice League and whether or not they can trust each other. Particularly, they question Batman's loyalty, since he was the one who had the plans in the first place. So, through all this, we get to see some great character interactions, exactly what I wanted because that is another thing I always liked from the series. They carry it over well into this movie, like nothing had ever changed. And if anything did change, it was for the better.
So I suppose I would recommend this mostly to fans of the Justice League show, though I bet some of those fans might also find problems with this, such as the omission of Hawkgirl. I do kind of wish she was there, too. Everyone has an opinion. But I think this has a good story and takes us back to the time of the show. And, like I said, it was great to hear that cast together again. So, should these rumors of a Justice League live action film ever become a reality, I certainly hope they take a lesson from this, because if that possible future film is as good as this, I'll be pleased.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Wonder Woman - Movie Review
Greetings,
In the many decades since the comic book craze began, nearly every major character has had a shot at the big screen, and even some not so major characters. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. But there is one that has amazingly never been given a feature length film - Wonder Woman. It kind of stuns me to this day that she has never had a movie based on her, though I can understand the hesitation. We did get the fabulous 70's series starring Lynda Carter, who is the definitive Wonder Woman, not to mention about the most achingly beautiful lady I have ever seen. Then again, we also (almost) got a remake in 2011, which portrayed the beloved hero as some vicious, arrogant, insane, killing machine. I think that may have been a little different from how she was originally created. So hopes for a live action, big screen Wonder Woman film seem grim at best. Still, we do have a something that will, in my opinion, more than suffice until someone gets their act together there. That would be the 2009 animated movie entitled, what else, Wonder Woman.
I had heard about this one before it came out, and all I did hear was that they were making a Wonder Woman movie and it was going to star Keri Russell. My response to that was. "Wait, what?" Don't get me wrong. I do like Keri Russell, and I think she is a very underrated actress. However, based strictly on appearance, I never could have imagined her playing this role. Not even if they dyed her hair black. Then, I heard it was animated, which meant she was only going to be playing the voice. That's fine, since I thought, if anything, she could handle the acting quite well. Plus, she does really have a great voice. So enough back story. Let's get to the actual story.
This movie is what is commonly known as an origin story. You may be curious as to which one since Wonder Woman has had more than a few origins over time, based on who was the writer. In this case, it is apparently the origin written by George Perez in his 1987 reboot, particularly an arc called "Gods and Mortals"
The film begins before the "birth" of Wonder Woman, or Diana, as I will probably refer to her from now on, and takes us back centuries where the Amazon women were battling Ares and his army. The Amazons are being led by Hippolyta, who is voiced here by Virginia Madsen, and she does a phenomenal job, giving, with her voice, such the nobility we would expect of this character. Also, we have Alfred Molina as Ares, and it's Alfred Molina, so, of course, he's fantastic as well. There is such a violent edge to his performance, perfect for playing the god of war. Though Hippolyta and the Amazons are something of a success in this battle, she cannot kill him. So, Hera, portrayed through a Marg Helgenberger voice cameo, binds Ares' ability to draw power from death and violence. And this is how the Amazons gain their paradise known as Themyscira, where they will live forever and be isolated from men so they can concentrate on keeping Ares prisoner. Well, some of that sounds kind of okay. And this was their prize for defeating him? Whatever. Still, it seems as though Hippolyta is the one who got the real prize. She was able to have a child, created from the sand and her own blood. As so Princess Diana enters the world.
Cut to about a thousand years later, and who should crash land on the island but Steve Trevor, the dude of the story. Hey, wait, he's a DUDE! He can't be here. So, naturally, he is captured by the Amazons, including Artemis, who is played by Rosario Dawson. A tough, gorgeous woman portraying a tough, gorgeous woman. Perfect. And speaking of perfect, so is Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor. He acts exactly as you would expect a guy stuck on an island full of women to act - like he's twelve. So they must take him back to the place from whence he came, and despite her mother's objections, Diana wins the honor. And this leads her to entering our world. In the meantime, through some major oopsies by some of the Amazon ladies, Ares escapes and also makes his way into our world.
While in New York, we see the beginnings of the up and down relationship between Diana and Steve as they investigate a lot of violent occurrences they think are being caused by Ares. There are actually some very amusing moments between them, as Steve full on realizes that Diana is less of the average woman than he ever imagined. There are also a few moments where Diana is troubled by the way that women, and especially young girls, are being treated. Like everyone assuming they can't fight. Well, that is proven wrong when this whole story culminates in a battle, of course, wherein some of the problems with the Amazon society come to light, but where they also show how powerful they are. And, in the aftermath, Diana is led to her true calling of being a warrior for humanity.
Now I have heard a few of the origin stories of Wonder Woman, but this one, I think, is one of the best. It really does cover everything we need to know, from who she is to where she comes from to where she is going. The story in this film is very well done, in my opinion. It tells just enough to keep us interested without giving us so much filler that we get bored. Also, I thought the animation was very well done, showing how things have progressed in the art but also having a familiar look and feel. And, as I mentioned many times, the voice acting is stellar, and everyone, from small parts to starring roles, is perfectly cast.
So while we may have to wait a while before we get a live action Wonder Woman film, if we ever get one, I think we can pleased to have this production. Very pleased. And, at the very least, it's nothing like the remake series.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
In the many decades since the comic book craze began, nearly every major character has had a shot at the big screen, and even some not so major characters. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. But there is one that has amazingly never been given a feature length film - Wonder Woman. It kind of stuns me to this day that she has never had a movie based on her, though I can understand the hesitation. We did get the fabulous 70's series starring Lynda Carter, who is the definitive Wonder Woman, not to mention about the most achingly beautiful lady I have ever seen. Then again, we also (almost) got a remake in 2011, which portrayed the beloved hero as some vicious, arrogant, insane, killing machine. I think that may have been a little different from how she was originally created. So hopes for a live action, big screen Wonder Woman film seem grim at best. Still, we do have a something that will, in my opinion, more than suffice until someone gets their act together there. That would be the 2009 animated movie entitled, what else, Wonder Woman.
I had heard about this one before it came out, and all I did hear was that they were making a Wonder Woman movie and it was going to star Keri Russell. My response to that was. "Wait, what?" Don't get me wrong. I do like Keri Russell, and I think she is a very underrated actress. However, based strictly on appearance, I never could have imagined her playing this role. Not even if they dyed her hair black. Then, I heard it was animated, which meant she was only going to be playing the voice. That's fine, since I thought, if anything, she could handle the acting quite well. Plus, she does really have a great voice. So enough back story. Let's get to the actual story.
This movie is what is commonly known as an origin story. You may be curious as to which one since Wonder Woman has had more than a few origins over time, based on who was the writer. In this case, it is apparently the origin written by George Perez in his 1987 reboot, particularly an arc called "Gods and Mortals"
The film begins before the "birth" of Wonder Woman, or Diana, as I will probably refer to her from now on, and takes us back centuries where the Amazon women were battling Ares and his army. The Amazons are being led by Hippolyta, who is voiced here by Virginia Madsen, and she does a phenomenal job, giving, with her voice, such the nobility we would expect of this character. Also, we have Alfred Molina as Ares, and it's Alfred Molina, so, of course, he's fantastic as well. There is such a violent edge to his performance, perfect for playing the god of war. Though Hippolyta and the Amazons are something of a success in this battle, she cannot kill him. So, Hera, portrayed through a Marg Helgenberger voice cameo, binds Ares' ability to draw power from death and violence. And this is how the Amazons gain their paradise known as Themyscira, where they will live forever and be isolated from men so they can concentrate on keeping Ares prisoner. Well, some of that sounds kind of okay. And this was their prize for defeating him? Whatever. Still, it seems as though Hippolyta is the one who got the real prize. She was able to have a child, created from the sand and her own blood. As so Princess Diana enters the world.
Cut to about a thousand years later, and who should crash land on the island but Steve Trevor, the dude of the story. Hey, wait, he's a DUDE! He can't be here. So, naturally, he is captured by the Amazons, including Artemis, who is played by Rosario Dawson. A tough, gorgeous woman portraying a tough, gorgeous woman. Perfect. And speaking of perfect, so is Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor. He acts exactly as you would expect a guy stuck on an island full of women to act - like he's twelve. So they must take him back to the place from whence he came, and despite her mother's objections, Diana wins the honor. And this leads her to entering our world. In the meantime, through some major oopsies by some of the Amazon ladies, Ares escapes and also makes his way into our world.
While in New York, we see the beginnings of the up and down relationship between Diana and Steve as they investigate a lot of violent occurrences they think are being caused by Ares. There are actually some very amusing moments between them, as Steve full on realizes that Diana is less of the average woman than he ever imagined. There are also a few moments where Diana is troubled by the way that women, and especially young girls, are being treated. Like everyone assuming they can't fight. Well, that is proven wrong when this whole story culminates in a battle, of course, wherein some of the problems with the Amazon society come to light, but where they also show how powerful they are. And, in the aftermath, Diana is led to her true calling of being a warrior for humanity.
Now I have heard a few of the origin stories of Wonder Woman, but this one, I think, is one of the best. It really does cover everything we need to know, from who she is to where she comes from to where she is going. The story in this film is very well done, in my opinion. It tells just enough to keep us interested without giving us so much filler that we get bored. Also, I thought the animation was very well done, showing how things have progressed in the art but also having a familiar look and feel. And, as I mentioned many times, the voice acting is stellar, and everyone, from small parts to starring roles, is perfectly cast.
So while we may have to wait a while before we get a live action Wonder Woman film, if we ever get one, I think we can pleased to have this production. Very pleased. And, at the very least, it's nothing like the remake series.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Destination Truth: Memoirs of Monster Hunter by Josh Gates - Book Review
Greetings,
A while back, I did a top ten list of my favorite Destination Truth "Half-isodes", as I call them. So, naturally, now that I'm trying to catch up on my book reviews, I thought it prudent to talk about a book that was spawned from this fantastic show. And that particular work of literature that I will be discussing is entitled Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Joshua Gates, the host of said show.
Okay, if you don't know about Destination Truth, it is a SyFy series wherein Josh Gates and his team travel around the world to investigate strange creatures and phenomenon. They've looked for elves, ghosts, leprechauns, sea monsters, about ten different versions of Bigfoot, and a ton of other things. Do they ever find anything definitive or any solid proof? Well, someone does certainly always hear something. But even on a show with the word "destination" in the title, it's not the destination; it's the journey. Yeah, I've spoken to some people who watch this show, and, frankly, they don't mind the end part where the team takes a closer look at what they may or may not have found, but what really entertains them, and me, is everything leading up to that. I think I mentioned this in my previous post, but I find most enjoyable to travel aspect of the show, the way they get involved and learn from a new culture, and I also like the actual investigation part. That can also be quite interesting. So why not put all of that into book form? That is exactly what Josh Gates did.
Basically, if you are a fan of the show and especially a fan of Josh Gates, you will really like this book. But even you aren't either of those things, you will probably still enjoy it. What it basically is about is a written account of a lot of the things that have been seen on the show. So, if you've seen that, as you read, you'll remember them, but it's more from a personal and internal standpoint. You get more of what he was thinking as the events took place, and it is done in both an informative and entertaining way. And that is a big plus with the book - it's really funny. But, then again, Josh is a funny guy, so I didn't expect anything less.
Another aspect of the book is that Josh talks a lot about himself personally, how he got into what he does now and also how the show came to be. I found those parts just as interesting as the rest of the stories. Again, it has so much to do with how Josh writes it. He is obviously a very good storyteller. He makes things that may seem, otherwise, mundane kind of entertaining. Not that he included a ton of mundane things. Truth be told, all the stories are good in their own way.
I think my only complaint about the book, other than my usual of "Hey, don't swear", is that it doesn't include enough pictures. There are only about eight pages worth of them in here, and it would have been nice to have some more. On the other hand, what I think would be a extremely good idea is to have a book of nothing but pictures from the adventures on this show with, of course, some captioning by the various team members who took part in them. I would enjoy that a lot, as much as I did this book. And I obviously enjoyed this very much.
So, again, if you are a fan of Destination Truth, I would say this book is a must have. If you haven't seen the show . . . well, go and watch it. They show reruns often on SyFy, and it is currently on Netflix. But if you're a person who likes to read about travel and other cultures or even the unusual or paranormal type stuff, I would recommend this book to you, as well. Either way, though, this is just a really good read. It's funny and you even learn a little about some stuff. I really liked it, and I trust others will as well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
A while back, I did a top ten list of my favorite Destination Truth "Half-isodes", as I call them. So, naturally, now that I'm trying to catch up on my book reviews, I thought it prudent to talk about a book that was spawned from this fantastic show. And that particular work of literature that I will be discussing is entitled Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Joshua Gates, the host of said show.
Okay, if you don't know about Destination Truth, it is a SyFy series wherein Josh Gates and his team travel around the world to investigate strange creatures and phenomenon. They've looked for elves, ghosts, leprechauns, sea monsters, about ten different versions of Bigfoot, and a ton of other things. Do they ever find anything definitive or any solid proof? Well, someone does certainly always hear something. But even on a show with the word "destination" in the title, it's not the destination; it's the journey. Yeah, I've spoken to some people who watch this show, and, frankly, they don't mind the end part where the team takes a closer look at what they may or may not have found, but what really entertains them, and me, is everything leading up to that. I think I mentioned this in my previous post, but I find most enjoyable to travel aspect of the show, the way they get involved and learn from a new culture, and I also like the actual investigation part. That can also be quite interesting. So why not put all of that into book form? That is exactly what Josh Gates did.
Basically, if you are a fan of the show and especially a fan of Josh Gates, you will really like this book. But even you aren't either of those things, you will probably still enjoy it. What it basically is about is a written account of a lot of the things that have been seen on the show. So, if you've seen that, as you read, you'll remember them, but it's more from a personal and internal standpoint. You get more of what he was thinking as the events took place, and it is done in both an informative and entertaining way. And that is a big plus with the book - it's really funny. But, then again, Josh is a funny guy, so I didn't expect anything less.
Another aspect of the book is that Josh talks a lot about himself personally, how he got into what he does now and also how the show came to be. I found those parts just as interesting as the rest of the stories. Again, it has so much to do with how Josh writes it. He is obviously a very good storyteller. He makes things that may seem, otherwise, mundane kind of entertaining. Not that he included a ton of mundane things. Truth be told, all the stories are good in their own way.
I think my only complaint about the book, other than my usual of "Hey, don't swear", is that it doesn't include enough pictures. There are only about eight pages worth of them in here, and it would have been nice to have some more. On the other hand, what I think would be a extremely good idea is to have a book of nothing but pictures from the adventures on this show with, of course, some captioning by the various team members who took part in them. I would enjoy that a lot, as much as I did this book. And I obviously enjoyed this very much.
So, again, if you are a fan of Destination Truth, I would say this book is a must have. If you haven't seen the show . . . well, go and watch it. They show reruns often on SyFy, and it is currently on Netflix. But if you're a person who likes to read about travel and other cultures or even the unusual or paranormal type stuff, I would recommend this book to you, as well. Either way, though, this is just a really good read. It's funny and you even learn a little about some stuff. I really liked it, and I trust others will as well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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