I didn’t want to admit it but… well… “Serenity: Better Days” sucked really badly. I kept insisting to myself that it was just mediocre, but re-reading the issues I can safely say that it sucks. If Whedon and co. were trying to show us what a poor imitation of “Firefly” would look like, then it worked. Thanks Joss. It was so bad I didn’t even finish the final issue. Yeah, that bad. So, along comes “Serenity: The Other Half,” a web exclusive mini comic book following the gang of “Serenity” in the middle of a gorram battle.
Tag Archives: Sequel
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – The Complete First Season (2008) (DVD)
Thank goodness for the writer’s strike, because let’s be honest here: Were it not for 80 percent of the series on primetime television going off the air thanks to a bunch of out of work writers, “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” wouldn’t have stood a chance in the ratings. I mean, come on, let’s look at the ingredients: It’s a serialized version of two very popular movies, the third of which has been lambasted by fans worldwide. It stars a barely memorable actor from “Heroes” as young John Connor, a cult actress from a cancelled television series as a cyborg sent to protect him, and an ad campaign that revolves around Lena Headey, a woman who is only popular with fan boys. Not to mention “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” completely forgets the horrific third installment of “The Terminator” series while also leaving a trail of continuity problems and plot holes in its wake.
Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)
You know originally there was supposed to be a sequel to “The Lost Boys” or at least an allusion to one in the original script for Schumacher’s vampire comedy that revealed the origins of Max, and that there were many, many more lost boys and girls out there looking to do his death some justice. Frankly, I would have preferred “The Lost Girls” a movie I pictured as a vampire thriller with less comedy and an all star cast of young female actresses currently taking Hollywood by storm. That was about six years ago. “Lost Boys: The Tribe” is that sequel I wouldn’t have completely wanted, but found reason to anticipate it anyway. I think that there could have been much more added to “The Tribe” to make it feel fresh and unique.
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.”
Devil May Care – New James Bond Novel [Hardcover]
This is a different kind of James Bond. This is the James Bond who is not really needed at his agency very much anymore. After his last battle, he’s now taken a forced sabbatical after being driven to clerical duties and then forced in to relaxation and wealth. There’s a brand new agent working for Universal that’s taken over his duties, and Bond is having a considerably hard time facing that.
It may seem like an eye roll and a groan to the average reader, but Bond is basically stir crazy when we first meet him at the beginning of “Devil Maycare.” He smokes foreign cigarettes, already has a routine that screams monotony, and a seemingly random murder of a young Middle Eastern man has suddenly become so important that it’s pulled Bond out of his sabbatical of woeful relaxation and considerable obsoletion in to the duties of 007 once again.
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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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.