When I tell you that I had zero expectations for “Wanted,” let me emphasize it. I had zero expectations for “Wanted.” None. Nada. Bottom of the barrel, ground zero expectations. So again, let me explain how surprising it was to sit through “Wanted” and realize it is one of the better action movies I’ve seen in years. Is it over the top? Yes, but so was the comic book. Is it absurd? Yes, but so was the comic book. And director Timur Bekmambetov manages to take the source material and turn it in to a slick action thriller that mixes gore and dark comedy with a respective ensemble cast that give absolutely fantastic performances in what could be described as a vicious hybrid of “The Matrix,” and “La Femme Nikita” with a dash of “Fight Club.”
Tag Archives: Crime
The Animated Batman Report Card
It’s become common knowledge among comic book fans that most, if not all, of the animated movies made by Warner Bros. behind the scenes are much better in terms of storytelling, acting, and pure entertainment than any of the original live action Batman movies ever hoped to be. It’s just accepted as fact and looked upon as a damn shame. Because with such bloated budgets and big name actors, Tim Burton barely covered any of the pure excellence that Bruce Timm did with his voice cast.
So, in preparation for the much anticipated sequel to “Batman Begins” aptly called “The Dark Knight,” a sequel that is expected to top Nolan’s first film and thrill us with the new twisted joker, as well as the upcoming DVD release of “The Gotham Knight” another animated Batman film featuring Batman in his early years fighting new versions of his rogue gallery, I thought it’d be a great excuse to go over the list of animated Batman films that have been on Video (and DVD) and in theaters. Granted it was a very, very short theatrical run, but still, it counts. So, on we go.
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Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)
Like the abortion issue, everyone has an opinion about Roman Polanski and his crime. They have opinions about the particulars; they have thoughts about why he committed this crime, and are often very quick to label him a pedophile, or rapist, or criminal. And much like the abortion issue, every thought is controversial and turns heated. What “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” does is try to look at the issue from all areas. It never completely deifies Polanski, and it never demonizes him as a sexual deviant. It instead asks you to think of why he fled the country, and for some that may be a hard pill to swallow.
Women in Cages (1971)
Carol Jeffries was just set up by her boyfriend, a drug dealer who makes her take the wrap for a massive drug deal he was involved in during an illegal cock fight. Carol, a vulnerable and innocent woman, has just found herself in a women’s pen in the middle of nowhere with vicious female criminals. And she has nowhere to go but down, baby. She’s forced to endure the tribulations of prison life involving psychotic roommates, horrible living conditions, and a violent matron named Alabama (Ms. Pam Grier, herself) who sleeps with all the prisoners, and punishes them with “The Playpen” when they refuse to abide by her sexual favors. Did I mention the drug dealers on the outside are trying to assassinate Carol to keep her mouth shut?
Wanted
So, here I sat on the wobbly edge, wondering if I should even read “Wanted.” I mean no one cared about the comic, they loved the movie before it even arrived in theaters, and the stupid comic was short lived, but then I saw that final scene where our main character is screaming in to the page with the bubble reading “This is my Face While I’m fucking you in the ass,” and I chuckled so hard, I had to at least give it a chance. Lasting only six issues, and then being made in to a movie that’s kind of faithful to the comic. Wesley Gibson is an average man who… you’ve seen the trailers for the movie, I assume. Anyway, Wesley Gibson is your average schmuck who could have been played by someone a little more reliable than James Mcavoy. The guy’s a good actor, but not who I envisioned.
The Abductors (1972)
Ginger: All play and no work makes Ginger a swinging chick.
Painted like a television show “The Abductors” is probably one of the dumbest attempts at a franchise I’ve ever seen. Beginning on a very dark note involving sexual slavery and kidnap, director Don Schain then suddenly drops into light comedy with Ginger and her boss acting as a James Bond and M partnership with subtle flirting, and some goofy dialogue that’s written in short hand and makes for some awfully laughable preamble to Ginger’s next adventure. Ginger this time is on the track of a sexual slavery crime ring, a group of vicious men who steal women off the streets, destroy their property and force them into acting as sexual escorts for millionaires at the threat of torture. Ginger in all her swinging metropolitan allure is called in to investigate and penetrate this syndicate with hopes of rescuing a girl. After all, it’s women’s lib, and Ginger is about to kick some manimal ass.
Dirty Harry: Two Disc Special Edition (1971) (DVD)
Harry Callahan does all the dirty work. He does the dirty work that the people in the force wouldn’t do were it not for him. In the first half of “Dirty Harry,” he has to cut his lunch short and walk across the street in the middle of gun fire to stop a bank robber. And the cavalry is taking a while to get there and help him. He stops his eating, and is forced to single handedly put an end to the heist, and he goes back and finishes his lunch. He does it because he has to, because without him it all goes to shit. That’s Dirty Harry, the man with the magnum who sparked quite a controversy upon his introduction with many assuming he was an ode to, and endorsement for vigilantism and right wingers.