NINJA ASSASSIN is the BATMAN BEGINS of ninja movies.  Like Batman before BEGINS ninjas were a punchline.  Years of shitty cartoons and hacky hipster shirts weakened the ninja, but NINJA ASSASSIN restores them to their rightful throne.  A throne made of gore and beautiful violence.  Sure the plot is bad and some parts are awful, but do you know what’s not awful, CHILDREN FIGHTING EACH OTHER TO THE DEATH!!!  The flashback sequences of the ninja children in training is so much fun I wish it were the whole movie. In summation ninjas once again equal bad ass.  Thank you NINJA ASSASSIN!

I’m sure everyone has heard that there is going to be a remake of the classic 1950’s movie  Forbidden Planet, arguably the best Sci-Fi of that decade and one of my top 5 pre-Star Wars science fiction movies. Made in a time when the cold war was a very real theat and nuclear power was a big mystery to the average person, the popular Sci-Fi of the day filled the screens with giant ants and clouds of radiation, Special effects of the day were rockets hanging from wires with smoke curling upward. Forbidden Planet was a stark departure from all that and worked as all great science fiction works by looking at the Human equation, quit literally the monsters were our own base fears which never changed no matter how far our or the aliens  technology had advanced.  The FX still stand up today, who can forget the monster form the id attacking the ship the shields straining to hold it back and our first look at the unseen foe, I once heard that Gene Roddenberry got the idea for Star Trek from this movie, a galant crew traveling the cosmos in their ship from planet to planet on missions to explore and confront the unknown, did I see something that looked a lot like a Transporter on that ship too. J. Michael Straczynski creator of one of the best Sci-Fi’s  to ever appear on the small screen Babylon 5, will write the script. Straczynski is focusing more of the plot on telling the story of the first expedition, and that Warner is hoping it turns into a franchise so they’re throwing a decent amount of money at the project, he recently got cornered by SciFiWire and had to give up some details about his proposed Forbidden Planet remake…

“ There’s a little more action, but it’s still a strong character piece, because it’s based on The Tempest and the idea of a father whose daughter is being courted by, in the original play, sailors that are washed up on shore. You need to have that dynamic still in place to respect the original and the source material. So there’s a fair amount of talking, but there’s some really cool action pieces in it as well.”

“ We’ve actually decided to show more of the first ship when it first arrived 20 years earlier to sort of counterpoint what’s happening in the present story. If you’re a fan of the original, as I am, and have always been, I think it’s very faithful to that.”

So why am I concerned here,

• War of the Worlds

• The Day the Earth Stood Still
  

Were these good remakes of 2 other classic’s in the case of  War of the Worlds NO and The Day the Earth Stood Still YES, I actually liked that one Keanu Reeves surprised me and the story showed imagination but kept true to the original, but I really really what’d to see much more GORT on the rampage  War of the Worlds showed no imagination and I never did like Tom Cruise. What will Forbidden Planet be like, I’ll let you know

by J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils & inks), Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Christina Strain (colors), and Joe  Sabino (letters)

The Story: Bill’s final fate is determined while Sif and the Warriors Three battle the doombots.

What’s Good: If you approach this book as just another 22-page issue of JMS’ run on Thor, it really is pretty solid and is consistent with the series’ quality as of late, at least as far as the writing is concerned.  It’s also got a couple of moments that’ll have you saying “hell yeah.”

Chief among these scenes is one involving a very angry and very naked Volstagg that is a perfect combination of comedy and pure awesome.  It is, of course, that same combination that defines the character himself.  The sequence is outrageously badass, but maintains Volstagg’s characteristic charm.  Oh, and Hogun and Fandral are absolutely on fire this month with the fat jokes.

Most readers are probably coming to this issue most concerned about the fate of Bill.  At first, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed.  That said, if you expected him to scream “I HAVE THE POWER,” turn into a god, and battle Doom, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but really, such an ending would be just a little stupid.

Instead, Bill’s ending is the best he can manage by just being Bill, and so Straczynski maintains the integrity of the character and his sub-plot.  Make no mistake, he is a hero and, ultimately, he is accepted as an Asgardian, but he does so without abandoning his humble roots or acquiring superhuman powers.  Bill’s tale has always been about being a mortal, a little guy in a world suddenly populated by the very large.  Bill’s fate is only so poignant because JMS retains this theme; Bill remains that little guy, but even so, he manages become a hero among the biggest of the bigs.

Meanwhile, JMS leaves us hanging regarding Kelda.  I think we all suspected she was more powerful than she let on, and now we’re going to see that in action.

What’s Not So Good: It’s hard not to be a little underwhelmed by this issue.  JMS’ run has had such an epic quality, that it’s hard not to expect his final issue to be grander.  What we get isn’t really any sort of massive flourish or cataclysmic ending.  Rather, we just get another solid JMS issue that simply lives up to the quality of his previous issues, no more and no less.   This final issue really has no feeling of closure and though the cover may say “finale,” that’s not what we’ve gotten.  That said, the issue also didn’t contain the sort of “hot potato” landmark shift in status quo that writers often leave off their runs with.  Ultimately, this feels like the last issue of a story arc, but certainly not the last issue of a run.

Finally, this may be the worst looking issue of Thor that Djurdjevic has drawn.  While the art is by no means unbearable, it’s weak by the standards Djurdjevic and Coipel have set for the series.  It reeks of an artist desperately trying to make a deadline.  The level of detail continually falters, with many of the more zoomed out shots and smaller panels suffering a great deal.  There are also a few panels where Donald Blake looks like a substantially younger version of himself.  Having three different inkers on the book also certainly didn’t help, making the book feel even messier with its details even more in question.  It makes the book feel sloppy, chaotic even.

Conclusion: It’s a strong issue of Thor, but it’s not the “finale” it claims itself to be.

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Jesus Saiz (artist)

The Story: Finding himself reborn in a world that no longer cares for the values he fought for and believed in, Brother Power strives once more to try and make a difference.

The Good: With every issue released, it’s clear to see that Straczynski and Saiz have chosen to diverge wildly from the standard superhero fare of their predecessors. Which isn’t to say that this is not another superhero book, because it clearly is, but rather that they are creating stories that are about ideas and themes more than brightly colored men and women hitting each other repeatedly. I like that, and wish we had more stories that had something to say. Saiz’s art is sleek and reliable and a consistent delight to look at. Frankly, if I had one complaint about his art at this point it’s that he hasn’t had a chance yet to turn it up to eleven, because I think he definitely has the chops to deliver some truly stunning images.

The Not So Good: This issue didn’t quite work for me. For a comic that touts its ability to pair heroes together, Batman and Brother Power may as well have been each starring in their own issues. They were practically strangers throughout this book, and even Batman is so confused over how to deal with the reanimated peacenik that he makes Brother Power promise to stay out of trouble before leaving to take care of more important things. They eventually reunite by the end of the story, but there was only the most superficial interaction between the two of them and it left me feeling like Straczynski had wasted an opportunity to explore the ideologies of these two by the way they interact with each other. The theme here implies that the times they are a changin’, but that Brother Power will keep coming back until we remember the lessons of peace he lived and died for. But that seems like a lost cause when it took Brother Power forty years to be reborn for this issue. At that rate, how long before his efforts pay off?! I would have liked to see JMS spend less time characterizing Brother Power as a displaced monster and more time explaining why he feels compelled to fight for the values of the 60s no matter what year he is reborn into.

Conclusion: The Brave and the Bold was a miss for me this month. It felt like JMS and Saiz had the right ideas in mind, but couldn’t connect them to tell the kind of quality story they are known for.

Grade: C

-Tony Rakittke

I’ve had a pretty steady “love-love” relationship with the filmmakers, Larry and Andy Wachowski. Their first major stab at writing/directing, BOUND, was a magnificent thriller/noir movie that just happened to feature women as both the anti-hero(ine) and the femme fatale. With a great performance from both women (Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, respectively), and the main villain of the piece, Caesar (played by the irascible Joe Pantoliono, who I have followed and loved through his career, in the similar role of the pimp in RISKY BUSINESS, to the sidekick of Tommy Lee Jones’ Federal Marshall in the THE FUGITIVE movies, and finally to his appearance in the Wachowski’s THE MATRIX.), the movie is stylish, sleek and most of all gave us the introduction to these movie-makers that I don’t know if their previous screen-writing venture did, in ASSASSINS.

Of course, then THE MATRIX, and it’s sequels, came along and changed everything. It changed the state of science fiction movies, the way action was done – either earnestly or as satire, and most of all these two men, sparked another filmic universe; that has really been equalled in my eyes by Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock. (I’m sure there’s more, but those are the main ones I could think of.) You can tell a movie made by the Wachowski Brothers, from the way certain things are shot, from dialogue (in the Wachowski’s case, there always tends to be the quasi-zen, bullshit philosophy), and a repeating of certain actors. Whether it’s Pantoliono, Hugo Weaving (MATRIX and V FOR VENDETTA), Randall Duk Kim (MATRIX SEQUELS) and now the Korean pop star Rain, who was featured in SPEED RACER and now is the lead in the Wachowski Brothers’ produced, James McTeigue directed (same setup as V FOR VENDETTA, only the Wachowski’s didn’t write this screenplay) NINJA ASSASSIN.

It’s necessary to mention the V FOR VENDETTA setup, because this gives us our second – or third if you count the apparent refilming of the Nicole Kidman movie THE INVASION, which is a remake of  the tried and true idea of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS – look at the directing chops of McTeigue. V FOR VENDETTA also stands out as the Wachowski’s foray into literal adaptation – as their no arguing that their previous movie were “inspired by” other’s works before, V FOR VENDETTA was based off the great graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The action moved away from the patented Wachowski-inspired look of bullet time, and instead gave us blade lines. A tradition stooped in comic book art, but something that took what had become played out, and added another level to it. V FOR VENDETTA has become my favorite movie of these filmmakers; despite it’s going astray of the comic book’s intentions; and being more vital than their own work in THE MATRIX universe. (It might be said that the sequels lessened the impact or tainted the work of the original, but I just think that VENDETTA is more about trying to create a new world, and THE MATRIX is more about destroying an old one. And there is a fine line, and possibly a non-sensical viewpoint in that opinion.)

Written from an original story by Matthew Sand, and then gone over again by screen-comic book-television writer J. Michael Straczynski, NINJA ASSASSIN sadly lacks some of the finer points that we’ve gotten in the past from the creative minds behind this movie (and oddly, that even includes Strazcynski’s previous Oscar contender, CHANGELING). There’s certainly the action, the stylized violence – that most closely resembles V FOR VENDETTA – and there’s a little of the dialogue that I’ve come to expect (something about how a tattoo reveals not who the man is, but what kind of man he is…Not completely sure), but the storytelling is off. Even without it being a movie with the creative pedigree it has, there’s a fine action movie here, but there’s just something in the incorporation of the woman government agent out of her depth, the needless training montage of our hero in his apartment alone flinging around throwing stars and blades on chains, and even some of the hackneyed plot devices, that makes the movie less than the sum of it’s parts.

The movie only really works in it’s basest form. The action, and fight scenes between good ninja and bad ninja, ninja against military forces, and the numerous training flashbacks showing us this secret clan that kidnaps children turning them into deadly assassins. The opening five minutes of the movie really are kind of the peak of the piece. The top of a man’s head is chopped off, leaving us to see his lower jaw and tongue flopping, before he falls down dead and a flurry of super-speed throwing stars come through and eviscerate an entire gang of incessant, wannabe gangsters. I thought that this was a setup for a movie that would continue to raise the stakes, and take us even further into the world of, well, ninja assassins. Instead we cut from that to two government agents talking about ninjas; played by the ever watchable – both for talent and for looks – Naomie Harris (who you might not recognize from the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies and Michael Mann’s MIAMI VICE retread) and Ben Miles, who was the television secretary for the government, Dascomb, in V FOR VENDETTA. From there we cut to a scene of Raizo (Rain), doing laundry and a vague fight, that we only see a few moments of and then the vague outcome. Then it’s back to the Europol agents, talking. Then Raizo again, in his apartment, training. Needless to say, I understand that the movie can’t be wall-to-wall ninja mayhem, but this really kind of killed the flow of the movie.

Luckily, we then get the insight into where Raizo came from, the harsh conditions he was trained in – and this movie spares no children the brunt of physical violence – and then finally, it seems the inevitable meeting between Harris’ agent, Mika, and Raizo. When we do get our first glimpses of the ninja, momentarily in the opening scene, and then in the attack on Mika; there’s some awesome cinematic and special effects tricks used to show the stealthiness of how the ninjas move and blend into shadows. There’s a touch of fantasy in the way they turn into blurs and seem to move faster than the camera – or eye – can see; how they can materialize out of shadows that shouldn’t be able to contain a human form, and of course the mass amounts of mayhem.

One thing that came to mind as I watched masses of both ninja and military forced being dismembered and shredded to pieces either by bullets or bladed weapons, was the difference in how I felt about the violence; especially in contrast to say 2012, where we’re basically treated to the obliteration of the human (and I’d dare say all life’s) population. In that movie it was really disconcerting to see all this destruction on a screen (rated PG-13, nonetheless), and the main point of view we followed was the near hijinks of a few – argumentatively undeserving – souls, outrunning earthquakes, falling skyscrapers and big wave surfing aircraft carriers. In NINJA ASSASSIN, we see every person that dies, on-screen, or we see the results of this violence in the form of (barely) survivors being carried away from the battlefield.  It was a strange feeling, and I’m not entirely sure what, or how I feel about it.

But, NINJA ASSASSIN is worth seeing if you love ninjas, oceans of blood and body parts; but if you’re looking for a real story – even one as ham-handed as the Wachowskis can be – probably better to pop in that V FOR VENDETTA dvd again, instead. It’s a far more rewarding experience.

**And as much as one of my favorite moments in the trailer is the ninja being run over by the car, at the end, that whole scene is just ridiculous to think that ninjas wouldn’t think of a better way of catching their prey, than by running through the streets of a major city. Just seemed silly.

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

Jerry Bruckheimer ha puesto a J. Michael Straczynski para que haga la adaptación del juego de “Shattered Union” para la Disney.

Según el Variety, en el juego, los estados de USA se deshacen y cada quien hace su propio gobierno que hace que se levante una guerra civil de a “todos contra todos” cuando Washington es barrido por una explosión nuclear y el caos reina por toda esa zona. Los jugadores controlan hasta 6 grupos de nuevas organizaciones. De los que conocemos son tres: El bien común de California, La república de Texas y Los Aliados de Nueva Inglaterra.

El juego de guerra fue desarrollado por Pop Top Software (los que hicieron Railroad Tycoon) y ese salió en el 2005 por 2K games.

No han dicho cuando van a comenzar a filmarla.

Another new poster has emerged for Guy Ritchie’s new Sherlock Holmes movie.  The newest one shows Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law looking rather dapper as Holmes and his sidekick Watson.

———

According to Variety Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks with the Coen Brothers to join Jeff Bridges in True Grit, Joel and Ethans remake of the iconic 1969 Western, based on the 1968 novel by Charles Portis.

Big Lebowski star Bridges is lined up to play US marshal Rooster Cogburn. While Damon is in line for the part of the lawman who teams with Cogburn, and a 14-year old girl to track her father’s killer into hostile Indian territory. Brolin, who previously worked with the Coens on No Country for Old Men, is in talks to play the killer.

Scott Rudin and Steven Spielberg are set to produce the movie which Paramount Pictures will put into production next March for a late 2010 release.

The original True Grit is one of the all-time great Westerns, with John Wayne winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn. In lesser hands this remake could be a disaster but the Coen’s has a great track record and No Country for Old Men proved they can nail Westerns.

———-

Uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney are keen to develop the 2K Games’ video game Shattered Union, with J. Michael Straczynski having been approached to adapt.

The video game Shattered Union focuses on the break-up of the United States following a second Civil War. Players control one of the warring group of states (California Commonwealth, The Confederacy, Great Plains Federation, New England Alliance, Pacifica, and Republic of Texas) or a European peacekeeping unit sent to reunify America.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski is very much in demand these days with his martial-arts action movie Ninja Assassin due out on November 27th. In addition he is currently writing a Silver Surfer film for Fox and a Forbidden Planet reboot for Warner Bros. He has also adapted Max Brooks’ excellent Zombie war novel World War Z for Paramount, while Paul Greengrass is set to direct his Vietnam War drama They Marched Into Sunlight for Universal.

I’ve always wanted to play Shattered Union but I never got round to buying it. The plot is intriguing so I’ll be keeping my eye on this one.

———-

Dimension Films has signed Paul Blart: Mall Cop director Steve Carr to helm their forthcoming remake of 1986 sci-fi film Short Circuit.

Written by Dan Milano, one of the creative forces behind Robot Chicken, the remake will bring Johnny 5 into the 21st century. Built by the military to be a highly sophisticated weapon, Johnny 5 develops a conscience and personality after being hit by lightning. He befriends a lonely boy and his fractured family.

No qualms about admitting this but I absolutely adored Short Circuit as a kid. To this day I still want a Johnny 5 all of my own. I’m very apprehensive about this remake.

———-

Columbia Pictures has released three new TV spots for Roland Emmerich’s latest end-of-the-world epic 2012. The movie centres on a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson star in the film which is set to be released November 13th. In the meantime check out the cool vids.

by J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Jesus Saiz (artist)

The Story: After sustaining injuries from an experiment gone awry, the Flash finds himself in World War Two Belgium and joins up with the Blackhawks in an effort to survive the war long enough to heal and find a way back to his own time.

The Good: It isn’t often that a comic can be entertaining as well as literate, but this is the second time this comic has defied expectations and delivered something more than just another superhero story.  A theme has begun to emerge in Straczynski’s work, a meditation of sorts on the nature of heroism, and it is one he explores to great effect here.  The Flash is characterized as being a man just slightly removed from the human condition, so consumed with superheroic ideals of justice and doing the right thing that, even in his weakened state, he tries to deal with the war as if it was another superhero battle.  Limping around the frozen battlefields of Belgium in his brightly colored costume, he is literally viewed by the Blackhawks as an abnormality and a joke.  When Flash crushes a Nazi ambush by knocking them all unconscious with rubble from a bombed out building, he isn’t praised for saving the day but instead admonished for letting the Germans live.  Straczynski uses this disconnect to underscore an incredibly important point about how, given the gruesome circumstances they were all forced to adapt to, the Blackhawks are every bit the heroes that Flash is, and perhaps even more so.

The Not So Good: I’d have to say my only complaint with this issue was that it wasn’t longer!  I generally prefer reading “done in one issues” and often use them when recommending comics to new readers, but that style of storytelling can actually work against the reader when the writer imbues it with as much thematic value and insight and JMS did with this issue.  I found myself wanting more story and was upset that more pages couldn’t be given over to further explore Flash’s time spent with the Blackhawks because as good as Straczynski’s story was, I couldn’t help but feel like it would have been that much better if he’d had another issue.

Conclusion: The Brave and the Bold seriously impresses me with stories that are as entertaining as they are insightful.  This is some quality storytelling here, and I have a feeling it’ll just keep getting better.

Grade:  A-

-Tony Rakittke

• HARLEY PEYTON is set to write JULIET (Universal). Hearing studio can’t officially hire until January. JAMES MANGOLD is producing.
• Studio has offers out to SIGOURNEY WEAVER, JEFFREY WRIGHT, and CHRIS COOPER for roles in CEDAR RAPIDS. This project is set up at Fox Searchlight and was written by PHIL JOHNSTON. ALEXANDER PAYNE is producing. MIGUEL ARTETA is directing.
• RICHARD LINKLATER is off LIARS A-E that is set up at Miramax with Scott Rudin producing. PETE SOLLET is interested in directing.
• Studio is activating the UNTITLED LES GROSSMAN PROJECT (Paramount), an”original story” centered on TOM CRUISES’s character in TROPIC THUNDER. Tom has expressed interest in wanting to reprise the role and they are starting to talk to writers.
• FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK and JUAN CARLOS FRESNADILLO have offers to direct ANABASIS (Sony). JIMMY MILLER, JONATHAN & ROBBIE STAMP are producing. ROBERT SCHENKKAN adapted based on Xenophon’s eyewitness account of the expedition of the Ten Thousand Greek mercenaries who fought under Cyrus.
• J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI is writting SHATTERED UNION  for Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney.
• Mike Newell is in talks to direct remake ARTHUR (Warner Brothers).CHRIS BENDER, LARRY BREZNER, and KEVIN MCCORMICK are attached to produce. PETER BAYNHAM wrote the most recent draft based on the 1981 ARTHUR movie directed by STEVEN GORDON.
• Hearing: REESE WITHERSPOON is making a deal for the remake of THE ORPHANAGE (New Line). Contra is producing and they are looking for a new director. LARRY FESSENDEN was previously attached to direct. He wrote the script with GUILLERMO DEL TORO.
• GAVIN HOOD will direct THE CRUELEST MILES (Walden). MARK JOHNSON is producing.  O’KEEFE & STAPLES wrote the last draft.
• MIKE NEWELL will direct LENINGRAD (Warner Brothers), written by GIUSEPPE TORNATORE. GK Films is producing.
• GARY ROSS will rewrite and direct MATT HELM (Paramount).
• KATHERINE FUGATE will adapt WHAT ALICE FORGOT (Fox 2000).
• KURTZMAN & ORCI will direct THE 28TH AMMENDMENT (Warner Brothers).
• STEVEN KNIGHT is set to write THE THIRD MAN remake for TOBEY MAGUIRE and LEO DICAPRIO.  Canal Plus holds the rights.  It could go to Sony or Warner Brothers.
• MARC WEBB fell off THE SPECTACULAR NOW (Fox Searchlight). 21 Laps is producing. A draft is in and are going to move forward without Marc.

Blackest Night: Superman #3
Written by James Robinson ǀ Art by Eddy Barrows

Robinson abandons the horror-movie sensibilities of the first issue for more of the superhero fisticuffs we saw in the second.  It’s enjoyable enough, I suppose, but I’ve always maintained that Eddy Barrows’ artistic strength lies in his ability to depict horrific scenes.  The same could be said for Blackest Night as a series.  I suppose.

Verdict: Check it out.

The Brave and the Bold #28
Written by J. Michael Straczynski ǀ Art by Jesus Saiz

The Flash travels back in time to World War II Belgium.  Meeting the Blackhawks poses a complex moral question – when is it right for a man to kill another man?  Is it ever right?  JMS packs more depth into this one-shot than most writers achieve in a story arc.

Verdict: Must have.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #6
Written by Joe Casey ǀ Art by Chriscross

Dance was an enjoyable mini-series all in all.  Unfortunately, I think the series peaked the issue before, as its conclusion wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped it would be.  This may stem from my expectation that the Super Young Team would eschew all the product placement thrusted on them for good ol’ fashioned Japanese honour.  Chriscross’ return was also not as brilliant as I had hoped – he didn’t ink his own pencils this issue, so that may have something to do with it – the overall product looks rushed beyond the opening pages.

Verdict: Check it out.

Justice League of America 80-Page Giant #1
Written by Rex Ogle, J.T. Krul, Rich Fogle, Josh Williamson, Chuck Kim, Derek Fridolfs, Amanda McMurry ǀ Art by Mahmud Asrar, Adrian Syaf, Eric J, Bit, Justin Norman, Jon Buran, Daxiong

More please!  Everything a good Justice League story needs: epic, unbelievable feats of heroism, and unafraid of a little whimsy.  A simple time-travel device sets up five thoroughly entertaining stories of superheroes outside of their comfort zones – Hal Jordan and Red Arrow in the Wild West; Superman and Dr Light in Feudal Japan; Vixen and John Stewart in King Arthur’s court; Zatanna and Black Canary in 1930s NY; Green Arrow and Firestorm in World War II; Steel and Wonder Woman on a pirate ship – for fish out of water, they feel surprisingly at home!  This comic came out a few weeks ago, but sold out before I heard about it.  Order it in if you have to – it’s worth it!

Verdict: Buy it.

Data
Title: Changeling
Year: 2008
Length: 141 minutes
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan
Music: Clint Eastwood
Distinctions: currently #232 on IMDb’s Top 250

My reaction
Synopsis: the LAPD gives the mother of a missing child the wrong kid and insist it’s the right one
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), yesterday
Concept: Great. The one time I’m not against “based on a true story” stories: when it’s so bizarre and unbelievable that you would never buy it as fiction.
Story: Good. Great plot, but only so-so writing.
Characters: Bad.
Dialog: Indifferent. According to the IMDb’s trivia, a number of lines are recycled from Babylon 5 (which was written by the same guy). That sounds about right.
Pacing: Terrible. Easily twice as long as it should be.
Cinematography: Indifferent. Looks nice, but unmemorable.
Special effects/design: Great.
Acting: Good.
Music: Bad. Not bad music (and let’s give some credit to Eastwood – writing a mediocre film score is no small task), but bad for the movie.
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay). Interesting story, and more emotionally resonant than most Eastwood-directed movies, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Objective Rating: 6/10 (Okay) 2.2/4 (Okay).

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Dany Mik (inks) Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic with Lauran Martin (colors)

The Story: Thor is in deep trouble as he and Sif try to get acclimated to their new lives together while Loki and Doom plot all-out evil and destruction. William has his first heroic adventure that ends in disaster for him and possibly his new King, Balder. While all these dramatic themes and dire threats culminate, the Warriors Three look for small town employment.

What’s Good: Happily, everything about this book is great except for the fact that this is the second to last time that JMS will be on this series. Seriously, raise your hands if you will be reading Thor after JMS will wrap up his run in thirty days. I for one won’t be. To me, the fact that JMS decided to leave this series is a gross mistake for Marvel. Basically, because he refused to write Thor into the next “event,” whether it is Dark Reign Seige or World War Hulks, JMS had to leave the series. Let me not understate this point; Marvel lost one of their most prolific writers and in turn, arguable their best on-going series because one of the best writers of all times wouldn’t write his muse, Thor, hit She-Rulk with his hammer. Insane, insane and insane.

Anyway, back to this issue. It’s basically perfect. The art is way back on track since the dip in quality that took place last issue. It’s a gorgeous affair and works on every level ascetically and story telling wise. Especially note worth was the band of attackers at the end. Those character designs are almost unforgettable. However, the biggest compliment to the art is that it perfectly compliments the varying perfect moments that JMS writes. The comic beats are flawless and the slower dramatic moments are lasting and emotive.

Of course every comic works from the top down. It all starts with the writer. JMS has so many great ideas and characters being flawlessly executed simultaneously. This is master story telling in any medium and Thor is a true classic. The best part is Thor is mostly absent from this issue, but the whole story revolves around him completely. You lean so much about his character by his influence in his world.

The other high point is the Loki and Doom relationship. The reader gets the feeling that these two could easily destroy and rule the world and their characterizations are impeccable.

Conclusion: A great, great issue. There is something in Thor for everyone. The only down side is that it signals JMS’s run coming to an end. It’s hard to not long for what could have been if JMS was able to stay on this series for another dozen or so issues. Marvel promises that the next and final installment in this run will be in thirty days and trust me, I’ll be the first in line to buy it.

Grade: A

-Rob G.

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Jesus Saiz (artist)

The Story: JMS makes his much anticipated debut on this title with a poignant tale of death and the nature of heroism.  On the eve the Joker is about to launch a major crime spree, Batman touches the lives of two very different individuals who share a strong desire to make a difference and the means to do it.

The Good: There is much to like about this issue, and while I will still mourn the loss of JMS on Thor, his presence on The Brave and the Bold is more than enough to make me want to follow the book for awhile.  As with the majority of his work in comics, Straczynski turns in a fiercely character-driven story.  You’ll find here that what you think should be the plot (yet another story about Joker concocting some scheme to get rid of Batman once and for all) actually takes back seat to the stories of Robby Reed and Travers Milton and their relationship with the H.E.R.O. dial.  Longtime fans of JMS will be familiar with the themes he effortlessly weaves here, looking at how the power of the dial changes their lives.  The fact that Straczynski can achieve this while making Batman a barely felt presence makes me feel that no matter what kind of story he tells in the pages of this comic, it’s going to be one worth noticing.  I really enjoyed Saiz’s art here, and felt it was incredibly appropriate for this kind of story.  Clean and subdued, it excels at capturing all the nuances of two people caught in extraordinary circumstances.  Nowhere is that more apparent than in the eyes of Travers as he sulks in the alley, or the look of terror on Robby’s face after he uses the dial.

The Not So Good: Joker’s presence in this issue felt gratuitous and unnecessary, and I had trouble believing in Straczynski’s portrayal of the character.  Here, Joker seems incredibly lucid, rational, and in full control of his mental faculties.  While that make for a more engaging writing experience, I have to say it wasn’t as much fun to read.  Also, Batman’s morality lesson on the last page felt like something pulled from the end of an after school TV special.  What Batman says to Robby is important and necessary, but you’d think JMS could do it in a way that didn’t feel so contrived.

Conclusion: Straczynski’s run on The Brave and the Bold is poised to be a much more literate experience than the typical superhero fare, and I like that.  At the same time, a book like this is capable of delivering a wide variety of stories, and based on his first effort here I think I’ll stick around for some more of them to see what JMS does next.

Grade:  B

-Tony Rakittke

¡Por fin una película de Ninjas! A finales de los setenta y en toda la década de los ochenta, las películas de artes marciales estaban en pleno auge. A día de hoy, se siguen haciendo muchas, pero ninguna sobre ninjas. Y es que, ¿a quién no le apasiona los guerreros de las sombras, los místicos guerreros, los asesinos de asesinos?

Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin cuenta la historia de Raizo, un ninja que quiere vengarse de su propio clan, llamado Ozunu,  por haber matado a su mejor amigo. Por el sangriento camino de la venganza, Raizo coincide con una agente de la Interpool, Mika Coretti, que investiga una trama de corrupción internacional que la lleva hasta el mismísimo clan Ozunu.

El film no vendra a España hasta el 25 de diciembre (fun! fun! fun!).

Desde que pequeño, los ninjas me han fascinado una cosa mala. Pero en estas dos últimas décadas, los fans de los shurikens no hemos tenido el placer de ver a ninjas dando volteretas y desapareciendo sobre nubes de humo.

Sólo tienes que hechar un vistazo en tu videoclub, para darte cuenta, de que si hay películas de ninjas, comprobarás que todas datan de los setenta u ochenta.

Por poner un par de ejemplos, la famosa cinta filipina de 1986 y que Antena3 reponía todos los años,  Ninja Kids,  mi película favorita de la infancia y de la cual hablaré en breve en Invernalia. El Guerrero Americano (American Ninja) otro gran ejemplo del cine ninja,  saga que contó con cinco películas, la cual las dos primeras son las más míticas y respetables con Michael Dudikoff como protagonista, ya que las demás, eran secuelas cutres e innecesarias.

Tengo muchas ganas de ver Ninja Assassin ¿Y tú?

Un abrazo.

Álvaro R.

Ninja Assassin – Official Trailer [HD]

]]> http://communionblog.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/an-early-fall/ Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:04:52 +0000 James Downey http://communionblog.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/an-early-fall/

I first noticed the change on the way to Pittsburgh almost two weeks ago. Here and there, a blush of color amongst the green. A slight touch of yellow, a bit of red creeping in on the edges. Just accents.

On the way back almost a week later, there was more. Oh, it was still summer. But there was just a hint of the fall to come.

* * * * * * *

On my walk with the dog this morning, I ran into some old friends who were visiting family a block over. She’s now an L-2, made Law Review this year. Made the Dean’s List both semesters last year. A former employee, who decided on going to law school after being out of school for some years.

“We should get together.”

“Well, you’re busy with school right now.”

“Yeah, but I’m trying not to lose contact with all my friends. My personal life has to have some priority.”

I smiled. “It’s OK. Your friends understand the whole delayed-gratification thing. Do what’s important now, secure your future – there’ll be time for us to socialize later.”

* * * * * * *

It’s an old argument. I remember having it some 35 years ago – and it had been going on for almost 20 years then: “Wouldn’t it be better to address the problems we have here on Earth like poverty, war, and pollution rather than wasting money on sending people into space?”

Here’s a good response:

I find it depressing that the moment anyone brings up the space program, someone (or several someones) out there trot out the old “we have other problems to solve” canard.As though the Department of Defense doesn’t spend the entire NASA annual budget approximately every three days. As though the economic payoff for the manned AND unmanned space program has not been many times its cost in investment.

As though there isn’t a space telescope out there right now that will tell us in less than 5 years just how frequent Earth-like planets are in the galaxy.

As though the entire 20th Century is insufficient proof that science, engineering, and technology can achieve things that were not only previously considered impossible, but were previously never imagined.

“Oh we’ll never get a toehold outside of Earth because the stars are too far away and the solar system is too inhospitable” sounds an awful lot like “Heavier than air powered flight? you’re loony.”

The failure of imagination I find even at a highly educated and imaginative place like Metafilter depresses and distresses me. Because it means even here, where I’ve found the most rational, creative and intelligent people as you can probably find on the entire internet, the possibilities are just too many or too hard to grasp for some very influential members.
posted by chimaera at 11:43 AM on September 12 [32 favorites]

* * * * * * *

It was a wet and cool spring and summer. Good for the air conditioning bills. Not a good year for growing my favored hot peppers. At most, I’ll have a few dozen – enough to last me through the year as dried flakes/powder, but not enough to replenish the hot sauces I made during that great harvest two years ago.

And until mid-to-late August, it had looked like a poor year for tomatoes. That changed, of course, and this past week I’ve harvested about 200 pounds – enough to make sauce and canned diced tomatoes to last until next summer, as well as share fresh tomatoes with all my friends who don’t garden.

My wife was teasing me about the excess amount of tomatoes, saying that it was my own fault for planting so much. Yeah, true enough. But last year I planted almost as many plants, and the weather was even worse, meaning we didn’t have enough to last us through the year. You just can’t tell, sometimes.

* * * * * * *

“So, a publisher is interested in Communion of Dreams.”

“Wow – that’s great!”

“Yeah, I’ve been working to trim it down. Should be done in another month or so.”

“So they’ll publish it?”

“There’s no contract. But the publisher is very interested, and is waiting to see how the revisions go. We’ll see.”

* * * * * * *

JMS had a good bit about the “why go into space?” question in the first season of Babylon 5:

Sinclair: “Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics – and you’ll get ten different answers. But there’s one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: whether it happens in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out. When that happens, it won’t just take us, it’ll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-tsu, Einstein, Maruputo, Buddy Holly, Aristophanes – all of this. All of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars.”

* * * * * * *

And now I see the evidence of fall here, about a month earlier than usual: a number of the trees around town have started to change, there are leaves raining down whenever there’s a gust of wind. The temperature is about normal for mid September, but it somehow feels cooler.

I have more tomatoes to harvest. While I can.

Jim Downey

(Cross posted to UTI.)

By no means is this list complete.  These are just a few of the recent stand-outs…

Irredeemable: Mark Waid presents an interesting story of the world’s greatest Superhero, the Plutonian (essentially a Superman archetype), and what would happen if he ‘went bad?’

The Batman Reborn Titles: In case you aren’t in the know — and a bit of a spoiler here — but Bruce Wayne is dead.  That’s right.  As a doornail.  We’re talking in the grave pushing up daisies (well, until his body was recently dug up, but that’s in another comic — see below).  Under the bat cowl is none other than the former Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson.  Dick is not trying to be Bruce — he’s trying to be his own Batman.  And despite his reservations and self-doubt, he’s succeeding. 

No one’s dumb here: we all know somehow they’ll find a way to bring Bruce back.  But I honestly hope they wait a while and let Dick’s story see a long course.

Green Lantern: Blackest Night: A storyline that writer Geoff Johns has been plotting for some time (and had been sowing seeds into the Lantern comic book), the idea is that Dead superheroes (and villains), killed in recent years, are being brought back to life via the use of black power rings.  And they’re not happy.  

Oh and Bruce Wayne does have a part in this.  Well, part of him does at least.  It’s kinda nasty.

Fantastic Four: Coming off of Mark Millar’s 16-issue reign, The quartet is now in the hands of Jonathan Hickman.  While it’s too soon to get a full feel for Hickman’s plans, the first issue takes off from plot points left by Millar: Reed Richards has become a man obsessed with fixing every problem out there.  Basically he wants to solve everything and make the world, perhaps the universe a better place.  He’s seeking out help to do so, and finds it in some unexpectedly familiar faces.

Thor: Currently under the guidance of J. Michael Straczynski, the Thunder God has gotten back on track, with a great storyline involving his return as well as the return of Asgard and the other gods, more deception from his half-brother (and for a while half-sister) Loki, and lots of other neat stuff.

The Unwritten: Writer Mike Carey takes the echo of a familiar literary character (Harry Potter) and spins a story with an unexpected twist.  Tom Taylor is the son of a famous author who wrote books about a boy wizard, named ‘Tommy Taylor.’  As the story progresses however, it becomes more and more apparent that the real-life Taylor and his page-bound version may in fact be one and the same.

What are you currently reading/enjoying?

Originally planned as a Ron Howard project, 2008’s Changeling winds up making use of Clint Eastwood’s meticulous direction and is a careful, interesting film. Based on real life events in 1928 Los Angeles, Changeling tackles an abundance of themes but manages to not feel overly crowded. It can be an exhausting ordeal, much like the experience of the lead character, but remains an ultimately rewarding motion picture from Eastwood.

With a script by J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling is based on the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. In the real case, Gordon Stewart Northcott abducted his 13-year-old nephew, Sanford Clark. When Clark was eventually discovered by police in California, he informed them that he had been forced to help Gordon and his mother kill several young boys. One of the boys was Walter Collins, whose mother Christine Collins is used as the focus of the film.

Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins. One day her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) goes missing and she reports the case to the police, only to discover that the LAPD has a sort of 24-hour “waiting period” on missing children. After a few agonizing months, the police inform Christine that they have found her son alive. She meets the boy and immediately tells police, who are looking to clear up a public relations nightmare, that the boy is not hers. Captain Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) coerces Christine to take the boy home on a “trial basis.”

Christine discovers that the boy the police have presented her with is circumcised and shorter than her son, so she pursues it with Captain Jones who tosses her aside to avoid more bad PR for the department. Christine is persistent and her case eventually becomes the cause of Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), a fiery preacher with a mission to expose the corruption of the LAPD. Christine’s battle is a nightmare, as she is transferred to a mental institution for troubling the police.

Changeling works beautifully as an account of the swirling events overtaking Christine. While she is locked away in the mental institution, she discovers that it is common practice for the LAPD to simply discard women that are troubling. Meanwhile, a boy named Sanford Clark (Eddie Alderson) turns up and informs Detective Ybarra (Michael Kelly) of the aforementioned killings. This blows yet another door of the case wide open and the LAPD finds it difficult to control the storm that follows.

Changeling is about how events spiral out of control and how quickly things can get out of hand. It is about the corruption of the police force, about sexism and about missing a child. Eastwood handles these various themes well, never giving the impression that he or anyone else is merely spinning plates. Instead, Changeling is an operation of what Roger Ebert describes as “an uncoiling of outrage.” Try to remain contained as you witness the cops lie and sidestep. Try not to feel Christine’s anger.

This is a movie that moves forward, adding complications and possibilities as it gathers steam. It meanders through the avenues of chance as it should, with many questions as to whether or not Walter is alive dividing the road ahead. Jolie is excellent at the centre of the maelstrom, while other performers give her sublime support. Especially of note are Alderson’s emotional portrayal of Sanford as a boy crippled with regret and guilt and the deviously simple casting of Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott. The movie makes no mention of his mother’s involvement in the crimes, likely for dramatic simplicity.

Changeling is a fascinating motion picture directed and scored wonderfully by one of the finest working directors of our time. Eastwood is always careful piecing things together and between this film and Gran Torino, it’s safe to say that 2008 found him having a very good year behind the camera.

8.9/10

Trailer:

¿Dónde estabas tú cuando murió el Capitán América? ¿Y cómo se lo han tomado los super-héroes de ambos bandos?

La muerte del Capitán América: El hijo caído

Edición original: Civil War: The Confession 1/2 y Fallen Son Wolverine, Avengers, Captain America, Spider-Man y Iron Man USA

Guión: Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb, J. Michael Straczynski
Dibujo: John Romita Jr., Steve Epting, John Cassaday, Alex Maleev, David Finch, Ed McGuiness, Leinil Yu
Tinta: Danny Miki, Dexter Vines, Klaus Janson
Color: Dave McCaig, Morry Hollowell, Frank D´Armata

Formato: Libro rústica, 144 págs.

La muerte de un héroe ha golpeado a todo el Universo Marvel. La superestrella Jeph Loeb (Hulk: Gris, Perdidos) se alía con los mejores dibujantes de la industria para realizar la historia de la que hablará todo el mundo. Un relato que navega por las turbulentas aguas dejadas por el final de Civil War. ¿Aceptará el mundo la muerte de un verdadero héroe? En el momento de la tragedia, nos acercamos a los principales justicieros. ¿De qué sirven sus poderes frente a una fuerza con la que nadie puede luchar? ¿Esta muerte es sólo el principio?

Precio: 12 €

Pues… los títulos de cada capítulo son bastante clarificadores… Loeb nos va narrando cómo van los demás super-héroes aceptando, poco a poco, la muerte del Capitán América…
Pero antes de entrar en eso, el primer cómic muestra a Tony “Iron Man” Stark llegando al Helitransporte para confesarle (de ahí su título, Confesión) al cadáver del Capitán América que todo lo que ha hecho para “proteger” a los héroes no ha valido el coste que ha tenido, vamos, una victoria pírrica.

Ya centrados en los números guionizados por Loeb…

• En el especial de Lobezno, Negación, Logan busca el apoyo de otros héroes para “demostrar” que el Capi no está realmente muerto y que todo es una trampa elaborada por Tony para engañarles, para ello le pedirá ayuda a Daredevil.

• El segundo número, Ira, está centrado en ambos grupos de Vengadores, New y Mighty que tienen dos formas distintas de enfrentarse a la pérdida… Los primeros en una partida de poker dirigida por La Cosa y los segundos enfrentándose al ataque de Tiburón Tigre y unos monstruos marinos…

• La tercera historia, Negociación, narra el encuentro entre un resucitado Ojo de Halcón y un incrédulo Iron Man que, una vez que se asegura de su identidad, le pide que asuma el papel de Capitán América y cubra el hueco dejado por Steve…

• El cuarto número, Depresión, muestra a un Spider-Man incapaz de superar la muerte del Capi y al que sólo puede sacar de la depresión una charla con Lobezno y una pelea con el Rino que le hace recordar una pelea que compartió con el Capi enfrentándose a Hulk…

• En el quinto y último número, Aceptación, el Halcón toma la palabra en el funeral de Steve y demuestra con sus palabras lo importante que era el Capi para todo el mundo haciendo que se vayan levantando todos aquellas personas presentes en el funeral que, por una razón u otra, han sido influenciadas por el Capi… La última imagen del funeral muestra a todos los presentes en pie… Y en la última escena del mismo, Namor devuelve su ¿cadáver? al mar del que lo sacó tantos años atrás…

¿Y qué le vamos a hacer? Son números en los que Loeb intenta mostrar la emoción de los héroes por la pérdida del mejor de todos ellos (palabras de Luke Cage que se ve no conoce a Superman) y en las que los dibujantes de cada número se lucen de mala manera… Si es que hasta me gusta el dibujo de Finch, ¿qué queréis que os diga? XD

Eso sí, las páginas que se marca Cassaday son francamente espectaculares, en realidad todos lso dibujantes del tomo realizan un grandísimo trabajo. Y Loeb, le guste o no a la gente, cumple de sobra.