Whether it makes money or not, “Hancock” will not be the next superhero franchise to break the bank, nor will it be as anticipated as the action figures from Marvel. “Hancock” has so much potential in the first half to focus on a superhero who is far from the people we get in theaters who happen to be upscale and of the Caucasian persuasion, but the turn in the second half is probably some of the most nonsensical pro-feminist propaganda I’ve ever seen, with the writers anxiously working toward taking an insignificant and uninteresting character and turning them in to someone who could contribute.
Tag Archives: Science Fiction
Wall-E (2008)
“Wall-E” dares to be anything but predictable. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, it’s intelligent, it features barely any dialogue at all, and it asks us to think of a world where garbage has become so cumbersome we’ve been shoved off our planet by our own waste. “Wall-E” is simply a masterpiece. Continue reading
Birds of Prey: The Complete Series (2002) (DVD)
I can imagine that if there were a commentary for the “Birds of Prey” DVD set, it would begin with “Well… it seemed like a good idea at the time.” And in theory, it does seem like a great concept. After the success of “Smallville” the (then) WB Network tapped the well by digging in to the Batman universe. What with the new franchise being developed how do you work around DC’s ridiculously strict guidelines of not including the same character in more than two property? You make stuff up, and work with what you have. “Birds of Prey” is based on the successful comic book series where Gotham’s girls team up to take on crime. The problem was that audiences just didn’t care for these characters, and what was worse was that well… it sucked. I saw the entire series on the WB Network when it first premiered and I couldn’t stand how awful it was.
Spaced: The Complete Series (DVD)
Hey nineties brats, do you remember the running man? You know what I’m talking about, that dance that’s a mixture of running in place and the moonwalk sans the motion? Well, that’s what I was doing when I received this from Warner. The running man. I thought I’d forgotten how to, but apparently not. “Spaced” finally comes to DVD in the US bringing with it a slew of extras, and some of the funniest comedy in a sitcom that took many years to get to the states.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
After the unfair lambasting of the disgustingly underrated and under appreciated “Hulk” from director Ang Lee, I found myself brutally conflicted on Louis Leterrier’s reboot (Remake? Revision? Restart?), because frankly, it was an apology to fans on a movie that didn’t need one. Lee tried something new, and was punished for it. Sure, Leterrier goes for the obvious, he goes for the simplistic, he shoots for the predictable, but that doesn’t mean “The Incredible Hulk” isn’t an entertaining movie. While I will be faithful to Ang Lee’s vision of the Hulk, Leterrier puts up a good argument for his version, too.
The Dark (1979)
Fortunate for me that I was born from parents who bought literally every VHS movie they could get their hands on in the heyday of the eighties. Fortunate for me that I was born from a woman who loves every horror movie ever made, and continues to love every horror movie ever made. Which is where my meeting with “The Dark” enters. Available on DVD and still pretty rare, “The Dark” is one of the most confusing hybrids of blaxploitation, science fiction, and horror I’ve ever seen with ambiguous plot devices, horrific performances, and the odd association with Dick Clark. Watching this on the same grainy discount VHS from Media Home Entertainment I first viewed it on fourteen years ago, “The Dark” has lost plenty of the oompf and suspense I remember it holding.
Sidekick (2005) (DVD)
Blake Van de graaf’s superhero opus is a cult film sadly without a cult, and that’s a pure crime of cosmic proportions. While his movie is very critically acclaimed, Van de graaf’s entry just doesn’t get enough love. Or more so, the love I think it warrants. Perhaps it’s just that audiences are burned out on superhero epics, but “Sidekick” really isn’t one of them. Most people will be quick to judge this movie on the cover, a one sheet that makes this look like a superhero comedy about a geek dressing in costumes to fight crime.