Walking Dead is the latest, and perhaps last, book in the Atticus Kodiak series. What began as a series about personal protection took a 180 degree turn two books ago. At first it was a jarring change that left many questions: How could Atticus not just work with but also fall in love with an assassin? Would he become unrecognizable from the hero of Keeper, Finder, and Smoker? The biggest question was would we see Atticus held accountable for his seeming betrayal of his friends from his previous life?

The book opens with Atticus living in the former Soviet state of Georgia with his lover/girlfriend/wife Alena. Of course after the events of Patriot Acts, they’re living under aliases. Small town living suits the pair well as they are able to stay happy and anonymous . Until one night Atticus stumbles onto an ambush at the neighbors house.  The family has been slaughtered.  Husband, wife, and son are all killed, even more disturbing is the disappearance of Tiasa, the family’s teenage daughter. After investigating the scene the local police rule it a murder/suicide and close the case. Atticus can’t let it go and begins to track the girl. The trail leads him around the globe to Turkey, Dubai, Amsterdam, and Las Vegas. But it’s the journey into the world of slavery and sex trafficking that is more taxing.

Greg Rucka really knows how write action. Giving just enough detail for readers to envision the scene, but not so much that it slows down the narrative. Making each confrontation easy to visualize and exciting.

But his greatest achievement as a writer is his characterization. Atticus is a constantly evolving character. Long time fans of the series will be able to think back on the early books and see how the Atticus in Walking Dead is in many ways is the man he always wanted to become. This is illustrated greatly with a certain plot twist that plays on Atticus’ story arc from the first book, Keeper.  It is this devotion to continuity, but not so devoted that reading the previous installments is necessary, that leads to one of this books best scenes.

At one point Atticus needs help from someone he can trust so he looks up his former girlfriend Bridgett Logan. Logan is a fiery Private Investigator who felt deeply betrayed by his actions. When Atticus finally confronts her, the scene doesn’t play as intense as one would think. At first it felt like a letdown, but after reading the following chapter and realizing that time does indeed heal all wounds it winds up being sweet moment.

Walking Dead is a fun thriller that is easy to read. If it is the last in the Kodiak series then it is a fitting send off. Marking the end of an unlikely evolution that began in Critical Space. While there is hope that there will be more adventures, Atticus is finally in a place where it wouldn’t be necessary.

***** out of *****

First up, two more Popcorn Panel reviews.

Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D

For a 3D animated film, Monsters vs. Aliens it falls flat in all other regards.  Intended to be a parody of 50’s sci-fi/horror films, it never feels enough like one to work.  There are some interesting character moments and a few good gags but overall there is not enough tension to feel there is any real danger.  Sometimes a celebrity voice can be be distracting in animation but not here.  The actors are all right for the parts.   Not a bad movie but not a memorable one either.  Save yourself the extra charge and skip the 3D.  

Observe and Report

“Observe and Report” is the story of a mall security chief played by Seth Rogen who dreams of becoming a police officer. However, his biggest obstacle is himself. He is clueless in almost every aspect of his life. At one point, in order to impress a girl, he gives her his bipolar medication. Despite his sometimes psychotic behavior, he is very determined to live by a moral code, however twisted it may be. The humor, more akin to “Bad Santa” than “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” is very dark and uncomfortable, yet very funny and worth the price of admission.

Now on to the other films. 

I Love You, Man

Any project featuring both Paul Rudd and Jason Segel gets my immediate attention.  This movie, about a groom’s search to make a friend to be his best man, is full of laughs and most of them come from Rudd.  He has this uncanny ability to be the guy who never quite fits into any crowd.  The humor is mined from people in normal, albeit awkward situations.  Funny people just being funny, end of story.  

**** out of *****

Duplicity

Duplicity stars Julia Roberts and Clive Owen as a pair of corporate spies playing two business against each other.  It’s a caper film along the lines of Ocean’s 11, just not as exciting.  It’s funny and Roberts and Owen make a good couple but the rapid fire dialogue gets a little repetitive.  I hate to say it but there was too much talking and not enough stealing.  

*** out of *****

Sunshine Cleaning

This years Little Miss Sunshine/Indie darling.  Quirky story about a pair of sisters who start a business cleaning up crime scenes.  Along the way they deal with parental deaths, infidelity, and quirkiness!  Parts work and the cast is good but the screenplay comes off as cliche ridden.  Flawed but still somewhat likable. 

** out of *****

17 Again

Your basic “It’s a Wonderful Life” type story. Nothing special but it is very funny mostly due to Thomas Lennon.  Zac Efron is just entertaining enough to carry this light-weight little comedy.  Nothing special but good for a few laughs.  

*** out of *****

Earth

Disney is relaunching their Nature films with one called Earth.  Following families of Polar Bears, Elephants, and Whales for one year. If you watch a lot of Discovery Channel or Animal Planet the content probably won’t be anything you haven’t seen before but, the visuals are worth the cost of admission. 

**** out of *****

Another Wrestlemania is in the books and I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since this all started.  I wasn’t yet a wrestling fan when the first ‘mania took place back in 1985.  It’s kind of funny to watch the event now, there was an aura about it but, the production standards were so low compared to now.  A year later I was now hooked on the WWF.  When Wrestlemania 2 took place I had no access to Pay Per View, and didn’t get to see the event until the VHS came out.  But starting with Wrestlemania 3 I’ve seen each one either on closed circuit (’mania’s 3, 4, & 5), or on Pay Per View.  I’ve even been fortunate enough to see three of them live (’mania’s 8, 13, and 23).  If you’re a wrestling fan it’s a fun event.  So how was this year’s edition?

Money In The Bank Ladder Match- Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Mark Henry vs. M.V.P. 

These matches are fun.  Every Wrestlemania for the last several years have included this match.  The deal is you have eight wrestlers fighting for a briefcase hanging over the ring.  Inside the case is a contract that can be redeemed for a title match within one year; any title, any time, any where.  The only way to win is to climb a ladder in the middle of the ring, and unhook the case, while trying to keep the other guys from knocking you off.  

Every year the contract has been used to win the title. The good thing about this years bout was feeling like at least half the field had a good chance at victory.  Kingston impressed with his athleticism and Benjamin, a staple in this contest, did his usual crazy leap from an 18 foot ladder.  In the end CM Punk wins for the second year in a row.  Good match with lots of crazy “High Spots”.  

Grade: B+

Next up is a ten minute performance by Kid Rock.  I have nothing against this but it took like ten minutes and felt like a time waster.  Especially considering the tag team unification match was moved to before the broadcast.  Eliminating the music performance would have opened up some time for that bout.  

25 Diva battle Royal-  25 women battling it out for the title of “Miss Wrestlemania”  Instead of individual introductions all 25 participants came down during Kid Rock’s last song.  The match itself was pretty tame and was won by “Santina Morella”, AKA Santinio Marella in drag.  Marella is funny but he’s also a good wrestler, I hope they reward him for doing this.  

Grade: C-

Handicap Elimination Match- Chris Jericho vs. “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat w/ Ric Flair in their corner and Mickey Rourke at ringside.  

Chris Jericho is possibly the best villain in the business right now.  He speaks with a quiet confidence that really sells his belief that he is better than all of us.  Starting last January he’s been dogging Mickey Rourke of the movie “The Wrestler”.  Saying how Rourke and the movie are indicative of the older generation of wrestlers that just can’t give it up.  Pointing out how sad and pathetic he views these men.  Over the weeks he’s physically and verbally abused not just the men in this match but also Jerry “The King” Lawler and “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.  

This match went down the way most expected it to.  Snuka was out first, “Superfly” is 65 and just can’t go like he used to.  Next up was Roddy Piper was eliminated.  Piper put up a fight but years of abuse have taken their toll.  Steamboat then came in and wowed the crowd.  Steamboat is one of the most under appreciated wrestlers of all time.  At age 56 he showed he still has gas left in the tank.  Alas “The Dragon” was pinned cleanly by Jericho, who then beat on Flair.  Afterwards Rourke came to the ring and the former boxer pounded on Jericho who then fled.  Good match and by letting Jericho pin the three legends it cements him as a legitimate threat.  

Grade: B+

Extreme Rules Match- Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

Brother vs. Brother in an anything goes type match.  Jeff’s popularity has really exploded in the last couple of years and he was rewarded with a WWE Championship reign.  Matt playing jealous brother turned on Jeff and cost him the title at the Royal Rumble.  It’s been a slow build to this match ever since.  Both men are great wrestlers and put on a decent match.  However the crowd wasn’t into a match that never felt epic.  Despite two really cool high spots by Jeff, the match was flat.  Considering how good they are this one was a disappointment.  

Grade: C

WWE Intercontinental Title Match- J.B.L. (C) vs. Rey Mysterio

Rey is comic book fan.  At past Mania’s he’s worn masks paying tribute The Flash and The Silver Surfer, this year it was Heath Ledger’s Joker.  It looked stupid and seemed weird.  Not as stupid as the match which saw Mysterio capture the strap in 21 seconds.  It was rumored J.B.L. would retire and after losing he simply said “I Quit” and stomped out.  

Grade: D-

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Going in to this match The Undertaker was 16-0 in Wrestlemania matches.  Micahaels is “Mr. Wrestlemania” having some of the most classic matches in the history of the event.  This bout was an amazing spectacle.  Lasting just over a half hour, both men hit their signature moves only to come up short time and time again.  In the end Taker’s streak survives yet another year. This match really felt important for a non-title affair.  Most likely match of the year.  

Grade: A+

World Heavyweight Championship- Edge (C) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show

Triple threat match the ended up being better than it probably should have.  All three guys put on a good show but the match would have been better if it had just been Edge defending against Cena with Big Show in his corner.  Still it was impressive when Cena lifted Big Show (485 lbs) on his back with Edge (250 lbs) on Show’s back.  Cena gets the win and captures the World Title.

Grade: B

WWE Championship- Triple H (C) vs. Randy Orton

Orton, has done a great job playing heel the last several years.  Of all his dastardly actions none were as bad as assaulting Hunter’s wife, Stephanie McMahon during various times over the last couple of months.  After spending all this time raising the stakes for this match it should have been an violent fight.  Instead it was just okay.  Weak ending but some decent stuff leading up to the finish which saw H.H.H. retain his belt but never feeling like he got his revenge.  

Grade: C+

Overall Wrestlemania 25 was a pretty solid affair.  The good was able to overshadow the bad but, not make you forget it’s shortcomings.  One thing that detracted was shoddy direction.  Big spots were ruined by bad camera angles.  There were even a few spots where the announcers commented on something that wasn’t even shown or replayed.  Having said that, the wrestlers, for the most part, seemed up for the show and did a decent to great job telling their stories.  At $54.95, $10 more for HD, the WWE charges more for this show than it’s other Pay Per Views during the year.  Was it worth it?  Yeah, I think so, but not by much.  

Overall Grade: B-

Nicolas Cage can be a great actor.  Looking at his IMDB.com listing you find his films run the gamut from truly great (Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, Matchstick Men, The Weather Man, Raising Arizona, etc..) to the, well, downright terrible (Ghost Rider, The Wicker Man, etc) and all points in between.  Lately his films have been closer to the down side  of things.  At first glance Knowing didn’t look to be anything special.   

It’s 1959 and a new middle school is opening.  As a class project each student is drawing a picture to place in a time capsule.  Move forward to 2009 for the capsule opening. When the contents are handed out Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury) is given one.  He unfolds it to find not a picture, but a list of numbers.  Luckily his dad John (Nicolas Cage), is a professor at MIT.  He soon uncovers the pattern hidden in the numbers.  They detail the date, location, and how many people died in every disaster of the last fifty years.  Including three events that have yet to occur.  Thus sets in motion a race to figure out the greater meaning behind it all.

Director Alex Proyas is this films biggest strength.  He brings the same sense of dread from his previous films (The Crow, Dark City) but places it in more familiar surroundings.  Horror filmmakers would do well to recruit Proyas.  The scenes in the woods when Caleb receives mysterious visitors are chilling.  The camera and the lighting combine to give the strangers an eerie look.  The actors body language never tips off their intentions. 

The film also scores points for being terrifying in parts.  The plane crash is shown in one continuous shot.  As it comes down there is a horror of seeing something like that happen but, not being able to do anything.  The chaotic aftermath drives home the fact that the list is real, and more people will die.  

The ending is a little problematic.  Some people will have a hard time accepting it.  It’s a something of a tonal shift from the rest of the film.  It’s also somewhat clumsily telegraphed early on in some expository dialogue.  It’s still affective but this will be a deal-breaker for some viewers.  

Knowing is a completely wonderful surprise.  Cage is not necessarily at the top of his game but he is as good as the material needs him to be.  Alex Proyas does wonders blending high concept Sci-Fi elements, all the while never losing the human aspect of it all.  When looking at the quality of the films he has directed it’s not difficult to imagine that he is only a breakout away from being an A-list director.  

**** out of *****

When is a hero not a hero?  In movies it has become accepted that we root for whomever the lead actor/actress plays.  Regardless of the situation, the person with the most screen time is the hero.  Remember the controversy when Jack Nicholson received top billing in Batman?  How dare the villainous actor be listed before the hero?  Maybe that is the thinking behind Confessions of a Shopaholic. 

The story follows Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) a writer living in New York City.  After being laid off from her job, Rebecca aspires to get on at a high profile fashion magazine.  After failing to get the job because she went shopping on the way to the interview, she is advised to apply at a business magazine by the same publisher.  She interviews for that job and manages to impress the editor, Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), enough to get a shot.  Along the way she overspends and seems totally unrepentant about it.  

First of all the movie is really disjointed.  It tries to juggle Rebecca’s relationship with the editor, her battles with a debt collector, and her struggles with her shopaholic support group.  Director P.J. Hogan does a poor job balancing the three plot lines.  When it looks like it will focus on the romance, Dancy is off screen for long stretches and is almost forgotten.  The scenes with the support group are too short and comical to give the story any emotional weight at all.  The debt collector, you know the guy who actually lives up to his responsibilities, is painted as the bad guy whose sole purpose is to ruin Rebecca’s good time.  

The biggest problem here is Rebecca herself.  In any romance it is important for the audience to see the traits in a character that would make another person fall in love with them.  Outside of being attractive, and Isla Fisher is an attractive woman, Rebecca Bloomwood has no attractive qualities.  

First, she lies.  Oh sure it’s cute when it comes to things like being able to speak Finnish.  But consider that every step of the way she misleads everyone.  When she interviews for the business magazine job, she lies about her qualifications.  When she is given an assignment, she plagiarizes out of a book.  Add to this it is not just her boss she lies to, it is also the man she loves. 

Secondly, after spending years racking up over $16,000 in credit card debt her instincts tell her to hit up her retired middle-class parents (John Goodman and Joan Cusack) for the cash.  This supposedly college educated and independent woman goes running to Mommy and Daddy.  She does not seem to care what it could do to their quality of life.  

Third, after all her other options run out, she decides to auction off the things she bought to pay her bills.  Okay, fair enough at least she is finally taking responsibility for her problems.  But she uses all the people from her shopaholic support group to sell the stuff.  That would like recruiting bartenders from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.  Putting people in harms way for her own gain, yeah that is someone to be admired.  

Confessions of a Shopaholic is not meant to be anything more than a fun romantic comedy.  Despite that, it is hard to feel good about this movie.  We can all accept people and pull for them to overcome their flaws.  But when that person repeatedly engages in destructive behavior with no regard to the consequences to themselves or loved ones, that is not fun.  It’s sad and irresponsible.  Just like this movie.  

* out of *****

In March 1997 I was fortunate to be in attendance at Wrestlemania 13, the biggest wrestling show of the year.  On the under card that night a young Rocky Maivia defended his Intercontinental championship against the dreaded Sultan!  Maivia was a squeaky clean “babyface”,wrestling slang for good guy.  It was clear he was being marketed as a hero for kids.  Nothing wrong with that, the only problem, no one really liked him.  He was too vanilla for most wrestling fans and was really quite boring.  

Later that year he amped up his character, became a cocky bad-ass who adopted a series of memorable catch phrases and changed his name to “The Rock”!  After he turned “heel”, bad guy, he became arguably the most popular wrestler of his generation.  Years later he became an actor, quit wrestling and started going by his real name of Dwayne Johnson.  He may as well have gone back to Rocky Maivia.  

Race to Witch Mountain stars Johnson as Jack Bruno, an ex-con trying to go straight by driving a cab in Las Vegas.  One day two teens Seth (Alexander Ludwig) and Sara (AnnaSophia Robb) get in his cab with a fistful of cash and vague directions.  After being chased by men in black SUVs Bruno soon discovers the two are more then they appear to be.  The truth is they are a pair of aliens on a mission to prevent an alien invasion.  The men in the black trucks are government agents hot on their trail.  To complicate matters they are also being hunted by a “Siphon”, an intergalactic assassin, sent to foil their mission.  

It’s not a bad set up for a good old fashioned kids action/adventure romp.  It certainly worked for Disney before in the mid 70’s when the company released the films, Escape from Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain, on which this one is based.  Both of those films are fondly remembered by a generation of kids who will presumably take their kids to see Race from Witch Mountain.  I have a feeling this one won’t be as well remembered as the others.  

So what went wrong?  For one the script falls flat.  There is nothing about this film to get the viewer invested at all in these characters.  There is little to no character development in any of it, after all that might require slowing down the story.  The pacing is like a video game.  There is action and a quick bit of dialog to advance the plot to the next sequence.  But nothing of any substance happens in between the action.  

Also the villains never feel at all frightening.  There is no suspense when facing down the bad guys.  The Siphon has a menacing look but nothing to make us feel intimidated.  Scene after scene he defeated to the point where he seems like a stooge.  He can’t even avoid a falling beam on stage with out even getting knocked out.  The government agents aren’t much better.  

Fault also falls on director Andy Fickman.  Scenes are shot in the most generic manner and he does not have a grasp on on how to make the material work.  It’s understandable he didn’t want to make it too dark, it is a family film after all but, he failed to make a movie that would appeal to anyone but maybe young kids.  

It’s really contradictory, in the March/April 2009 issue of Creative Screenwriting Magazine Fickman is quoted “Why do we always have to assume family entertainment is playing to the six-year old?  Why can’t family entertainment play for the older people and then everyone can enjoy it”.  I totally agree with the sentiment, but if you make bland forgettable entertainment, no body is going to enjoy it.  

On the plus side Johnson is good in the film.  His natural charisma shines through and knows how to handle the action fight scenes.  I hate to say it but it seems that movies like Race to Witch Mountain are all he aspires to these days.  After an action career that started out promising, Dwayne Johnson has become stuck doing these family type films.  This is his second, and one can only hope his last, film with Fickman.  

Johnson hasn’t seemed to have learned anything from his wrestling days.  Back then he was shoehorned into a role that wasn’t working.  While he played the part as well as he could, it just didn’t work.  It was only when they found a part that would showcase his strengths that he really was able to shine.  It’s a lesson he really needs to learn all over again.  

** out of *****

Even when things go well, the teenage years are such an awkward time.  Hormones are running wild with a vengeance.  When things begin to make sense, it all changes.  Major life decisions are expected to be made without any real insight as to how the world works.  It’s confusing, frustrating, and painful, and that’s when things go well.  

But for Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) things are not that easy.  For one Hal’s parents are splitting up, though it’s hard to tell how hard is father is taking it.  When he tells Hal and his brother Earl (Vincent Piazza) he sounds more like a man telling a client his services are no longer required.  Speaking of his brother, he’s a kleptomaniac who is very protective of the things he steals.  Hal’s love life? Yeah right.  Yet, these are not his biggest problem.  Like most teenagers his self esteem is in the dumpster.  Unlike most teens, he has a stutter that makes ordering pizza, instead of fish, a struggle.  

Things look to change for Hal when Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick) asks him to join the debate team.  She was on her way to a state championship when her partner freaked out, and froze up so bad he dropped out of school.  Ginny explains that she has intuited his debating talent and wants him to help her win state by debating the pros and cons of teens being sexually abstinent.  Hal immediately falls in love with her.  After making out with Hal in a janitors closet, Ginny begins blowing off school.  Every time he calls her house to ask about practicing her parents give him instructions on what to work on.  Which in turn leads Hal to tell Ginny’s mother “Could… uh, could… could you tell her that uh… I uh… I’m done with my… my ma… masturbation and she can see! Oh…”. Hal is heartbroken to find she has transfered to a prep school, using him only to weaken the team.  

The film is filled with wonderfully bizarre moments and characters but still manages to be ground in reality.  One of the challenges of growing up is learning to communicate with each other.  In that regard almost every person in the movie is handicapped.  Hal of course suffers from his stutter and his age.  Ginny doesn’t know how to communicate through any means but debate.  Even when fighting with Hal she speaks in the same rhythmic pattern as a closing argument.  

 Despite all the quirks the characters have there is a depth to all of them.  None of them feel like caricatures.  Even the lesser characters are skillfully written and have a life off screen.  The boy who lives across from The Ryerson’s obsesses over the Kama Sutra, and is upset his father doesn’t keep score.  He could be the Barry Bond’s of sex  the boy laments.  At the heart of it these might be strange people, but they’re just trying to figure how to be happy with others.  

Writer/director Jeffrey Blitz has a good sense of how to make a moment funny, yet still pack an emotional wallop.  Take the scene where all of Hal’s desperation comes bubbling up.  Hiding out at the Karma Sutra boy’s  house, he finally figures out Ginny used him.  In a rage he grabs a cello and bolts across the street and hurls at the picture window.  Only to watch it futilelly bounce off.  Not to be deterred he hurls it again, and again, and again, until finally he breaks the window.  Finally throwing the instrument in the opening just as the family rolls up.  

This is a film that never feels conventional.  Despite scenes like the big speech it never falls into cliche.  Rocket Science is about awkward people in funny situations, but most importantly it never stops being about people.  

**** out of *****

A man drifts into town looking for work.  He gets on with a construction crew and begins an honest days work for a honest days pay.  At the end of the day he befriends another worker, he’s from out of town also, the only reason he’s here is to support his family.  It could be happening today, the film however is set in 1988.  

The title They Live could refer to drifter, Nada (Roddy Piper) or the family man Frank (Keith David), two men who are struggling to make it, but still managing to survive.  It could refer to the inhabitants of the shanty town the two stay at.  A group of homeless people taking whatever jobs can they find.  Pooling their resources just to make it.  It’s not so bad, they even have a television, of course the broadcasts are frequently interrupted by the ramblings of a bearded man.  

The title could refer to any of those, but it doesn’t.  It refers to something more sinister.  

One evening after work Nada hears a choir in a church across the street. Upon further investigation he finds it empty,  the choir sounds supplied by a tape recorder and a P.A. system.  In a back room he hears the voices of people clearly planning something complex.  He accidentally finds a hidden stash of sealed cardboard boxes.  After a police raid on the church he opens one of  the boxes to find, sunglasses.  These aren’t your everyday shades.  

Look at billboards without the glasses and see the usual bikini babes and athletes encouraging us to spend money on various products.  However, put on the glasses and see the subliminal messages behind them.  Messages that read “Marry and Reproduce”, “Consume”, and “Obey”.  Look at money and see the message we all know is there, “This is your God”.  What’s more is looking at some people, the upper class, the ones in power and see their truth.  They are aliens and they are running the show. 

Could a movie made twenty years ago be more timely?  An action film that preaches the dangers of greed and consumerism during a time when unemployment is at an all-time high.  

More importantly, isn’t it refreshing to see an action/sci-fi movie that actually has something to say! A film that promotes free thought but, never preaches at you.  It’s the kind of film that sadly would have a difficult time getting made these days.  For two-thirds of the movie it turns the genre on it’s ear.  

Roddy Piper is real find here.  He never comes off as insincere and through it all remains very charismatic.  Where he really shines is the famous five minute long fight scene.  At this point he is the only one who has seen the truth.  He desperately needs someone in his corner.  He tries to convince Frank to try on the glasses and see for himself.

Frank wants nothing to do with it.  He is simply a man who can tell there is trouble on the way.  He does manage to get Nada his last weeks pay and wants to leave it at that.  Nada is desperate and the two start fighting.  It’s the desperation of the moment that Piper really sells.  No matter what he does he has to have someone believe him.  All the frustration and fear come out in one epic brawl.  The fight is so classic the producers of South Park recreated it as an homage in the “Cripple Fight” episode.  

They Live is a very fun movie with something to say.  Writer/Director John Carpenter wisely knows where to draw the line of not coming off as preachy.  Good acting, great dialogue, great action, a cool premise, and a message amidst the violence all make it a movie worth seeing.  

**** out of *****

I’d gotten into comics in the mid-eighties.  Growing up in a small town I didn’t have regular access to a comic shop and when I could get to one I never knew when I’d get back.  The only books available to me were the ones the grocery store or  the pharmacy carried.  As a result I grew up on a steady diet of mainstream Marvel and DC, mostly Marvel.  Over the years I’d heard about Watchmen but never had a chance to read it.  Time passed and I got my drivers license and gained some independence.  

Not only was I able to drive around and find comic shops all over the area, now I could finally buy the stuff that could not be found on spinner racks in small town America.  A whole new world was opening up for me and the first door was tracking down a trade paperback version of Watchmen.  It allowed me to see things in comics I’d never seen before.  This is the baggage I carried with me to the theater as I saw Watchmen translated to film.

It’s that kind of baggage that many fans of the graphic novel bring with them that will make Watchmen something of a disappointment.  The hype and expectations that can’t be lived up to will cloud many of these fans opinion of the film.  But could it ever be as good as we imagine?  

The answer is mostly yes. 

Let’s talk about what worked the best.  Director Zack Snyder stayed true to the comic, perhaps to a fault but more on that later.  The comic is literally a storyboard and script for the movie.  Almost all the classic images and lines are in the film.  Granted it would impossible to include everything from the comics in the film.  One of the many reasons the comic is so beloved is that there are no wasted panels in the book, everything is there for a reason.  Knowing where to trim is no easy feat.  

Watchmen tells the story of an alternate 1985.  It is a world much different than ours but also familiar.  Masked heroes have been around since the 1930’s.  There is even one, Dr. Manhattan, who is actually super-powered.  One of these masked heroes is murdered.  The resulting investigation and the murder’s tie to a larger conspiracy unfolds over the course of the story.  

One much talked about change is the nature of the masterminds plan.  For those unfamiliar with comic, he creates an “alien threat” to wipe out most of New York City.  The new mysterious threat is enough to unite a world on the brink of war.  To save the world he sacrifices millions.  

In the film the goal is the same, to create Utopia out of chaos, but the instrument is Dr. Manhattan.  The “villain” engineers the destruction of not just New York, but also several other cities all over the globe.  Using Dr. Manhattans energy signature to frame the worlds only super-powered human.  

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this at first.  The plan in the book seemed so perfect why change it?  But after seeing it laid out in the film, I think it was actually improved.  As 9/11 proved tragedy can be used to unite, but only briefly.  An alien threat would have been vague and only raised questions: Why did the alien attack?  Did it mean to attack?  Will they attack again?  It wouldn’t take long for things to break down.  

But to frame Dr. Manhattan would provide a tangible enemy.  One everyone knows and one that could strike at any time.  One that the world would now find unpredictable.  After thinking about it, it just makes more sense.  

But that slave to detail is also something of a hindrance.  Due to the structure of the story the pacing of the film is a little wonky.  It starts with the murder of The Comedian, and follows the resulting investigation.  Along the way, at key points in the narrative, the story goes into flashbacks to explore key experiences with a character.  These are essential to the story and could not be excised, in the comic they work perfectly.  However in the film it almost throws the pacing off.  We’re moving ahead with the plot, then we take a detour.  Over and over.  In episodic storytelling this is no problem at all, but in a movie it’s a little distracting.  

Speaking of distracting, now would be a good time to discuss acting.  Most of the acting runs the gamut from great; Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffery Dean Morgan, Rorschach and The Comedian, to well, not too good: Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre.  She has no inflection in many scenes, seemingly reading off cue cards.  I won’t go so far as to she is the worst actress working today, as others have proclaimed, she’s actually serviceable in most scenes, but we when she’s bad, she’s bad.  

Despite the unreasonable expectations, Watchmen works.  Zack Snyder has filmed the movie “they” said couldn’t be filmed.  He has managed to hit all the major beats, recreate the scenes we love, and bring it all to life.  It’s not without it’s flaws but it is still a good film for fans of the comics and those who have never read the book.

**** out of *****

I’ve seen a lot of movie this year and made a vow to review everything I saw.  Well, sometimes it’s hard to get motivated to write about a film I just don’t have much to say about.  So I’m going to rectify it one easy post!  Slacker reviewing at it’s best! 

The Reader:  Kate Winslet won the Oscar for this one and although many people say she should have won for Revolutionary Road, she did a fine job here.  The story of a woman who has an affair with a boy twenty years her junior.  Along the way she reveals a couple of big secrets about herself and their relationship goes in some strange places.  

The film is perhaps a bit too long, but still interesting.  Winslet is very good but the rest of the cast is just sort of average.  A tragic romance that raises some compelling questions about devotion and forgiveness.  

**** out of *****

My Bloody Valentine 3-D:  Fun in an 80’s slasher flick kind of way.  The 3-D is gimmicky and only really works once, maybe twice the whole film.  The story is bad and the acting is cheesy, yet it’s kind of a fun time waster.  Probably won’t play well on the small screen though. 

** out of *****

Paul Blart: Mall Cop:  Stupid, predictable, not terribly original, but I laughed like crazy.  A throwback to stupid 80’s comedy, think Police Academy with the raunch turned down.  Turned down so much it’s rated PG and suitable for families.  Kevin James is a lot of fun in this one.  

*** out of *****

Last Chance Harvey:  A grown up romantic comedy.  The film has a flaw, the plot.  It’s not terrible but it gets in the way.  Leads Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are so good together I could have just watched them hanging out the whole time.  The story is kind of cliche and at times detracts from the experience.  Still an enjoyable flick though.  

*** out of *****

New in Town:  Rene Zellweger and Harry Connick rom/com.  Mindless, harmless, and forgetable. 

** out of *****

Let the Right One In:  Swedish vampire film about a twelve-year-old boy who befriends a girl he thinks is his age.  She’s a vampire.  Pretty interesting flick I saw at an After Hours Film Society screening.  I may have more to say on this in the future. 

**** out of *****

He’s just not that in to you: Another romantic comedy that follows a group of yuppies having various relationship misadventures.  I was kind of surprised how much I liked it.  Nothing special but it has a decent cast and is genuinely funny at times.  Pretty average in most regards.  

*** out of *****

There we go, all caught up!