Is “The Clone Wars” as bad as people have said? Yes and no. I had fun, I sat through the animated “Star Wars” entry with a chuckle and a half smile and enjoyed these characters yet again. The animated team manages to comprise a film with animation that’s pretty eye catching if below par what the Lucas team is capable of. But then again, there won’t be much of a difference when the Cartoon Network airs the series in a few months. Top that off with the interesting voice work that I quite enjoyed. You have to appreciate actor Matt Lanter for putting life and energy in to Anakin Skywalker, almost completely making me forget the awful performances by Hayden Christensen. Voice actor James Arnold Taylor reprises his role from the original “Clone Wars” mini-series and does a bang up job reprising the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi and giving us the character’s charms and gravitas in full force.
Tag Archives: Adventure
DC Superheroes: The Filmation Adventures (DVD)
After many years without an official release, Filmation’s adaptation of DC’s greatest superheroes is finally on DVD with a pristine two disc edition featuring some of the most entertaining adventures of DC’s top tier and second tier characters. Primarily consisting of episodes from the Superman/Aquaman Hour, “DC Superheroes” is broken down in to numerous segment clusters that are comprised of episodes spotlighting the likes of The Atom, The Flash, Green Lantern, the Teen Titans and Hawkman, sadly with Superman only a glaring footnote in the compilation.
Space Angel Collection One (DVD)
Syncro-Vox is defined as being an animated still or still picture that is given motion through the lips by an actor whose lips are voicing the character and providing the motion of the lips. If you’ve ever seen “Conan O’Brien” or the opening of “Spongebob” then you know what Syncro-Vox is, and it’s an obsolete method used in the rather creaky science fiction animated series called “Space Angel.”
Much like the animated series “Speed Racer’s” propensity for barely moving the characters at all while talking, Syncro-Vox was used as a form of saving money for the animated team, which is made very obvious when you see what “Space Angel” has to offer.
The Dark Knight (2008)
When I tell you that “The Dark Knight” is an incredible sequel, read the words carefully. “The Dark Knight” is Christopher Nolan’s ace film taking the throne as quite possibly one of the best superhero movies ever made. Is it a masterpiece of modern filmmaking? Not really. Is it an incredible example of comic book adaptation that transforms in to a genuinely epic story? Why certainly. Bringing about shades of “LA Confidential” with a dash of the classic mobster movies, Christopher Nolan’s follow up to “Batman Begins” is a brutal and exhausting gangster epic that brings to the forefront a slew of complex and intricate sub-plots that question how far we’re willing to go to maintain law and order, how much violence changes us, and if the peace keepers are really any different from the law breakers and murderers.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)
Jack Brooks: Fuck man, I broke a bottle over my head once because I couldn’t open it! I mean, you know… that doesn’t even make any sense!
People were way too quick to write “Jack Brooks” off as some sort of “Buffy” clone when in actuality director Knautz never actually strives to gear his film in that vein. I for one hate “Buffy” so I was very immediate in my defense of the film, and more so after watching it. Director John Knautz’s horror comedy has some epic possibilities with a character almost as cool as Ashley Williams, because even on its small budget and obviously modest production it’s shocking in its ability to involve the viewer with dark comedy that’s actually funny, and horror that’s about as good as anything else being released.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
If you’ve never read Jules Vernes’ original novel before, if you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing any of the film adaptations, then there’s a good chance you may enjoy “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” a family adventure film that’s just been released for the sake of cashing in on the 3D gimmick and dumbing down the entire story to where it’s really nothing but a ride. Just like a Universal studios attraction Eric Brevig’s film comes with an interactive device that allows you to sit through an experience that presents the a basic broad premise and wastes no time in plunging you in to a variety of awe inspiring sights and sounds that will make you “ooh” and “aah” and then do nothing more afterward.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
I was never a big fan of Hellboy mainly because it was difficult to find. Here in the Bronx, any chances of ever reading it were futile. But I was a big fan of the original “Hellboy” movie as well as the two animated mid-quels that others found generally forgettable. The first film was Guillermo Del Toro playing Mike Mignola’s game, a veritable bevy of oddities and monsters confined to the modest budget of a studio who had very little faith on the power of this concept. “Hellboy II” however is Del Toro’s game, a movie that’s reliant on the imagination of Guillermo Del Toro who brought with him Oscar cred via the masterwork of “Pan’s Labyrinth.”