I, for one, have never been much of a fan of the Hulk. Even when I was highly invested in Marvel Comics collecting them and rushing to newsstands every week with sheer excitement I always opted for something other than the green behemoth. Hell, I chose to buy Darkhawk and Super Pro over an Incredible Hulk comic. Apparently I’m in the minority again because Marvel seems to love the big guy. Ever since his introduction the Hulk has been included in practically every animated series, animated movie, live action movie, and comic series in some form. He’s even guest starred on series’ centered on the X-Men and Fantastic Four and somehow always manages to steal the spotlight. So it’s no surprise the Hulk is given yet another chance at the center stage with “Planet Hulk.” I never read the graphic novel, but as always Marvel squeezes in the entirety of the tale in to a movie that barely makes it past eighty minutes.
Tag Archives: Adventure
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985) (DVD)
Being a rather big fan of Charles Schulz’s “Charlie Brown” franchise, it was of most interest to me to watch the often talked about “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” a production that I’d often heard about in the past and yet could never quite watch. Finally it’s on Deluxe DVD and it’s a pretty darn good representation.
Yogi's First Christmas (1980) (DVD)
As an animated movie, Hanna Barbera could have done much better. “Yogi’s First Christmas” isn’t the worst animated movie I’ve ever seen but in terms of quality, it all feels like such a rushed product that was pushed in to production in time for Christmas. The line work is shaky, the coloring is bland, the character models are fuzzy and there are even a few errors that will give the keen observer a hard time.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Tarantino is often touted as a filmic sensation, a director who understands film and the art of storytelling and despite the backlash he gets from some, the man simply knows how to tell a damn story. In a world where blockbusters and animated films shake us down for cash in exchange for a movie that only acts as an amusement park ride (experienced now, easily forgotten later), Tarantino opts instead to give us bang for our buck with films that surpass their genres and provide us with the old fashioned art of storytelling. With his flair for dialogue and his mastery of the film camera, Tarantino is always performing at his best regardless of his film’s quality (erm–“Death Proof”) and “Inglourious Basterds” is one of his best works yet.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Based on true stories, Nora Ephron’s dramedy is actually based on two novels. This allows Ephron and co. to take parallel storylines and turn “Julie and Julia” in to a bonding ground for a lost woman and a budding chef, both of whom are starting their lives out in new places when we first meet them, and are about to embark on a rather interesting adventure involving food, changing the way they and others think, and fulfilling ambitions regardless of how grand or minute it may seem. Julie is a woman just starting out in her new job as a woman who takes complaints involving 9/11 in Queens. After days of listening to people’s problems, she decides to emulate her hero Julia Child pursuing a different kind of natural high after realizing her life hasn’t been taken advantage of after a meeting with her high powered best friends. Back in the forties we meet a young Julia Child who is just beginning to follow her dreams as a professional chef in Le Cordon Bleu.
Fast & Furious (2009)
I want to live in the world that Justin Lin has created in the fourth film of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise. In it people can smash through windows like they’re cutting through paper, bullets don’t necessarily harm them, racers can speed through city streets without being pulled over or tracked by traffic cops, and they’re able to fly in stealth mode evading authorities in the loudest most conspicuous cars imaginable. That’s the world I want to be in. Probably the biggest turd of the series, “Fast and Furious” presents us with four actors with no other option than to sleepwalk through a hundred minutes of explosions, car chases and the prerequisite bad acting. Particularly from Rodriguez and Diesel whose chemistry is still there and seems to amplify their horrible acting abilities.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
In the various trailers for director Wes Anderson’s animated film, the narrator claims that “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is open to everyone of all ages. But let’s face it here Wes, kids aren’t going to want to see this. In fact whether intentionally or not, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is so mature that you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone under eleven who would sit through this movie without falling or sleep or focusing on something completely disconnected. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is strictly for Anderson fans. It’s something that goes unsaid but is quite obvious if you really see what Anderson tries to do for the animation genre this year. He goes for fluid and often stunning stop motion technology and tells a story that features so many back and forth moments of pure dialogue that will go over the heads of most people.