Work has been hectic again folks, so we got another short week. But I wanna welcome you back briefly for the newest post. It's a B movie kinda week, with two comic book movie, a comedy and a crime flick. Not to say they are all bad (one is). But nothing here that screams high art or even Awards winning elements. But I mainline that shit, so I loved this week for the most part. Just straight entertainment. So sit back and read on whatever media reader you got. Share if you don't mind and thanks for the view.
Son of Batman (May 7th, 2014)
Director: Ethan Spaulding
Starring: Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, Morena Baccarin, and Thomas Gibson
DC owns animation. This isn't really a personal thing, even though I am a big DC fan. It's really just in volume and quality of their output that spanks Marvel in the field. Ever since Bruce Timm changed the game in 1992, it's been smooth sailings. And now that their straight to video movies have become a staple of their line, it's almost an event in and off itself when one comes out. We already had Justice League: War this year, which was a damn good entry and based off the Geoff Johns written storyline. So now we got the next entry, Son of Batman, based in part off of the beginning of Grant Morrisons epic storyline. We find out that in his adventures with the League of Assassins and the Al Ghuul family, Bruce sired a child with Talia. He didn't know he was a father, until Talia and the child Damian come to him for help, after Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke declares war for leadership of the League. So with Damian under his wing, Bruce has to learn how to be a father and stop a ruthless mercenary from destroying his newly discovered progeny. Damian has been a divisive figure since his addition to the Bat mythos, but I've been a big fan. He is a condescending, violent little prick who thinks he's the best thing in the world. So, basically a little kid. But I like the idea of giving Batman a son, especially one that is programmed to kill. Bruce has been programmed in his own way too, thinking he'd always be alone and having no family because he is too dedicated to being Batman. He couldn't be there for a family, but with Damian he can. He can have the best of both worlds. But it's a tricky act for him, being such an emotional fucking cripple. The story here is changed a good bit from the book Morrison did, but it's interesting. Deathstroke is a new addition to the story but a welcome one. The voice cast is great all around. O'Mara isn't Kevin Conroy, but he does the job very well. Allan brings the game as Damian, nailing the snide little shit aspect of the character. Baccarin has Talia match up with Bruce, adding a feminine side to the terrorist. And Gibson may be the under valued addition here, bringing a very warranted clinical detachment to Slade, playing him almost like a robot until he loses it. The movie is a bit short and I wanted more time to spend with Bruce and Damian, but I feel like more is on the way in the coming years between the two. The movie is also surprisingly violent, not shying away from the awful reality of the story being told. Slade is trying to kill a 10 year old boy and the boy is a killer himself. It's a very adult approach to the story that is welcome, without crossing over into over the top territory. Visually the movie is great as has been the case with DC for the most part (some character models in Flashpoint Paradox irritated me). Overall this is another solid entry in DCs line, never reaching the heights of The Dark Knight Returns or Flashpoint Paradox. But for those who want solid animated offerings, you could do much worse.
Rating: 8/10
City of Men (May 8th, 2014)
Director: Paulo Morelli
Starring: Douglas Silva, Darlan Cunha, Rodrigo Dos Santos, Jonathan Haagensen
Being a spiritual sequel to City of God, this movie was essentially doomed to live in it's shadow. City of God is one of the best movies ever made, one of the handful of perfect fucking movies. So it's unfair, but it has to be said. This doesn't come close to that movie. But luckily, it's not a bad movie by any means. It's a very good movie that distances itself enough from that other movie. A movie about growing up, fatherhood and loyalty this movie was right up my alley. We see two young men on the cusp of adulthood in the slums of Brazil. One is a young father as he struggles with that responsibility, while the other is searching for the father who abandoned him. In the background of this is a brewing gang war that blows up and brings truths and tensions out between the two boys. I think the biggest thing holding this movie back is the short running time. The movie could have been fleshed out more. The gang war kinda just happens and it doesn't feel like a choice they made. It feels like scenes were deleted to keep the time short. Whereas City of God was a long movie that didn't feel it, it used it's run time to give us everything. Nothing was left on the floor and everything made sense. Not to say this movie is a mess or anything, but it could have been fleshed out more. The plot never reaches any brilliant heights, it stays consistent throughout, a bleak look at these peoples lives. The acting is decent throughout, the kids having moments of showing that they aren't at the peak of the acting game. It's a good movie, a nice companion to City of God. But it will not go down as a classic. A decent watch, I recommend it as an appetizer to City of God.
Neighbors (May 10th, 2014)
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, and Dave Franco
I think it is now safe to say that Zac Efron actually has some talent. Trying for years to not only shed the Disney label he had (not in the Miley Cyrus way of being an annoying asshole in the most transparently look at me way) but to prove he has acting chops aside from his looks. And while I won't say he reached the heights nor is capable of doing what Kurt Russell did 34 years ago in Used Cars, he shows that with some real film makers he might be a welcome addition to cinema. And teaming up with Seth Rogen is a good way to show off your stuff. When a fraternity moves next door to a married couple (Rogen and Byrne) with a new born baby, a war breaks out for dominance over the block. The movie is funny, with everyone getting some moments to shine. But the real highlight of the movie is Rose Byrne. She steals the show, being as gloriously filthy and downright fiendish as the men in the movie. There are some dry spots in the movie, but the don't kill the movie in it's tracks because the movie is relatively short. It moves at a good speed. But it really stands out because of Efron, whose character is like the fraternity version of Max Cady. He feels betrayed and he is gonna make the couple pay. The end of the movie shows the lunacy in him and it's kinda scary. It'll be interesting to see where he goes after this on his resume. While this is a step down from Rogens last movie, This is The End, it is a solid comedy outing that makes the slow movie year a little more bearable.
Batman Forever (May 10th, 2014)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Val Kilmer, Chris O'Donnell, Jim Carrey, and Tommy Lee Jones
Listening to Kevin Smiths Podcast, Fatman on Batman, made me realize I haven't seen this movie in a very long time. At least 10 years. I remember liking it as a 5 year old kid, but growing up and realizing it sucked. But it has gotten the rep over the time as a misjudged little movie. Not great or anything, but not a trainwreck. So I felt I needed to see it again to see where I fall. And while it isn't the utter trainwreck I remember, it still has so many terrible god damn elements I don't even know why people try to stick up for it. It really is like The Amazing Spiderman 2. Val Kilmer is kind of atrocious in this, signaling the meteoric fall from grace after dominating the early 90s. He plays Batman like he mentally retarded or something, which is just irritating. He always seems confused by what's around him, like he's a fucking pod person. Chris O'Donnell is completely miscast as Dick Grayson. Even if they felt Dick needed to be older, O'Donnell just can't make the material land. Granted, the material he has is awful. But he can't pull of petulant rebel or grieving son. Tommy Lee Jones is just terrible, in a role with a performance he shouldn't be giving. He doesn't seem like the guy to play over the top villainy and it shows. Two Face should be a great role for an actor, playing the duality of Harvey Dent. But Jones just yells alot and tries to be as big as possible. Which is impossible, as he is paired up with Jim Carrey. But Carrey actually does some decent work. He goes big but for the most part, it works. There are times though when he falls over the cliff and just looks like a dickhead, he makes Nygma work in this world. Nicole Kidman is in the movie for some damn reason and she has nothing of worth to do. She's just eye candy, a reason to have Batman quit for 5 minutes. Like the two Burton Bat movies, the plot is barely existent, showing up with 30 minutes left because it's an action movie and we need a climax. And oh, the climax sucks. It's so bad. But in the end, somehow the movie isn't unwatchable. At least, not like Batman & Robin. If there's one thing that this movie does better than Burtons stuff, it was making sure that Batman wasn't a serial killer. No more punching guys in the dick with a bomb and throwing them down a man hole. At least this team knew the one defining trait for Batman is he doesn't kill. At all. No questions about it. So, this movie is watchable in a bad 90s action movie way. But make no fucking mistake. This is a bad movie and an absolute affront to much of the Batman mythos. It's these 90s movies that make me love the Nolan movie, even The Dark Knight Rises. It may make changes, but it falls more in line with Batman. And they work as movies. These 90s movies don't.
Rating: 5/10
- Tom Lorenzo
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