Justice League: Doom (2012) Direct to Video animated movie

Overall verdict: 8.5/10

The Good: returning all-star voice cast, excellent cast chemistry, decent character development, ongoing sense of tension, nostalgic large scale superpower action

The Bad: sub-standard animation and artwork compared to other DC animated movies

Current Availability Status: Awaiting region 3 singapore release.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, we are finally seeing actual story and art continuity in the DC animated movies! Yes SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE was the follow-up to SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES, but they looked so different that you would think they were unrelated. JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM feels and looks like an actual "episode 2" following "JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS". Same writer, same voices, same art style, same music, same character we used to know and love. Loved by all, except their enemies.

The enemies of the Justice League, led by the immortal Vandal Savage have formulated a clandestine plan to eliminate the superheroes. One by one, they manage to turn the heroes' strengths against themselves, prey on their physical and psychological weaknesses, and effectively put them out of commission. Even worse is the revelation that this plan was initially concocted by one of the League's own members. It does not stop here however. Vandal Savage, convinced that humanity is its own virus, intends to wipe out half the population of earth and return the world to a new stone age. He and his allies would then rule the survivors and bring order to the planet. But nobody counted on the last minute intervention by Cyborg, an up and coming superhero most would remember as one of the Teen Titans.

Loosely adapted from Mark Waid's "JLA: Tower of Babel" story arc, JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM really gets into the minds of our favorite heroes. In its short run time, we get to experience our heroes' insecurities, weaknesses, fears, but also get to see how they overcome those limitations individually and as a team. That is what seperates heroes from just people with superpowers!

Voice acting is awesome as usual and as always it is a treat to hear most of the cast of the Justice League animated series in their respective roles again. So memorable are the performances of Kevin Conroy, Tim Daley, Susan Eisenberg, Carl Lumbly and Michael rosenbaum that whenever most people open a comic book, it is their voices they hear as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Flash respectively. Nathan Fillon reprises his Green Lantern role from Emerald Knights, another refreshing attempt at a continuity nod. One funny thing though, Tim Daley's voice seems to have deepened to the level of Kevin Conroy's 90s era Batman voice.

Snappy, naturally flowing dialogue complements the terrific cast chemistry. With a brisk pace that never lets up on the tension, Justice League: Doom could have been a near perfect score. Something HAS to ruin that and sadly in this case, it is the art and animation.

Animation is a little bit disappointing, looking more like a high budget TV series than movie standard. Aside from a few outstanding scenes, particularly the battle sequences, the animation is nowhere near the fluidity of, say, Batman Year One or All Star Superman. The japanese anime-ish style is strongest now more thanks to Telecom Animation Film, a japanese anime company who's credits include BRAVE STORY, TIDE LINE BLUE and, believe it or not, later episodes of INUYASHA.

Not that its bad, in fact it is good. The characters look really hot but sometimes you get anime-styled facial expressions creeping in, like Batman over there, and that just looks..........weird.

Designs aside, the level of detail in the artwork is just one big let down. Other than tights, there is no reason why civillian clothing or even capes have no folds in them at all. Even worse is how weapons and cybernetics are drawn.

Many of Cyborg's robot parts, particularly his face plating, looks like face paint.

And those guns around Cheetah look like some school kid's doodles colored in microsoft paint.

One gets the feeling that most time and effort went into this year's BATMAN YEAR ONE and JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM was produced merely as a "side project" since they had Dwayne McDuffie's exceptional script lying around. No point of it going to waste. Anyhow, should Warner Premiere decide to create an entire Justice League movie series, pumping just a bit more money and effort into the animation production would help things a lot. They already have top notch writing and acting talent, veteran producers and directors who respect the DC comics. No point mucking things up with mediocre technicalities.
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Go For it: if you were a fan of the Justice League and Justice League unlimited Tv series and once again year for large scale superhero action with well developed characters and a solid comic book story
Avoid it: if you are looking for movie level art and animation standards


Entertainment: A
Story: A-
Characters: A
Animation: B-
Art: B
Voice work: A
Replay Value: A-
"Brains": C+

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence (2012) movie review

Overall verdict: 5/10

The Good: Awesome special effects (at least better than the first), tongue-in-cheek tone, dynamic camera work, surprisingly well acted supporting roles.

The Bad: derivative story, no sense of peril in fight scenes, Nicholas Cage's unintentionally hilarious acting, little emotional anchor in the characters, anticlimatic climax.


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Lesson of the day: If you are going to watch something from the creators of "Crank", do not expect a movie that takes itself seriously. Especially not a movie whose trailer shows Nicholas Cage pissing fire. This sequel to 2007's Ghost Rider is by no means a horrid film; it looks amazing thanks to the advances in special effects and the kinetic camera work of directors Neveldine and Tylor.

Ghost rider Spirit of Vengence looks a lot better than its predecessor despite only having half the budget. It is darker, grittier and a lot more fun. Special effects have also taken a huge leap. Just check out the sequel's Ghost rider look ......

And compare it to how it looked in the preceeding film

The charred skull, body caked in ash with hellfire and smoke billowing forth sure beats this pasty white CGI skull and a stove flame.
Neveldine and Tylor works the camera such that it is always in motion adding a heightened dynamic feel and energy to the whole show. Which is good since this movie needs all the energy it can muster.

Essentially, the story is a poor man's excuse for a copy of Terminator 2. A boy named Danny (perhaps a shout out to Danny Ketch from the comics) is prophesised to become the vessel for the devil himself. A rogue french monk seeks out Johnny Blaze in order to enlist the help of the Ghost Rider in finding and protecting the boy from the forces of darkness. All the while, Blaze must struggle with his inner demon which threatens to take over him body and soul.

Before you say "But its written by David S Goyer! The dark Knight, Batman Begins, and Dark City were awesome", do remember that he also wrote "Jumper" and Blade Trinity. And remember too that while writing Ghost Rider, he was most likely working on Dark Knight Rises. Something had to give and Dark Knight Rises, with its bigger budget, made the choice easy. Characterisations are thin, bordering purely on archetypes than trying to develop them at all. "Strong protective mother", "wayward kid", "unstoppable hunter". No attempt is made to develop any of them beyond archetypes. Yes there are the mandatory scenes of our dark hero earning the trust of his young companion and regaining some of his lose humanity but

The acting is mixed at best. Child actor Fergus Riordan shines as Danny. Same goes to Idris Elba as the french monk Moreau who despite his limited screentime, manages to make his character the most memorable in the film. Sadly a muddled screenplay, given the once over by 3 different writers, completely undermind their efforts. The only one who does not need his acting efforts underminded is Nicolas Cage himself. He hams his way through the role of Johnny Blaze, overacting and underacting at all the wrong times. Most hilarious is this scene where Johnny Blaze totally freaks out and goes crazy from trying to keep the Ghost Rider contained. Someone like Jim Carrey would have made it cool (he did in "The Mask") but seeing Nicholas Cage going batshit insane is just...........disturbing.

Perhaps The greatest sin this movie commits is never giving a conflict or opponent that puts Ghost Rider's full power to the test. Fights never have that sense of peril when you know Ghost rider can immolate anyone with a touch or a stare. Action sequences get really boring when you know your hero is going to win. He takes out his chain, swings it about, fight over. And every time he does not win is because he does something silly, like stand around looking cool instead of finishing off opponents. Sure there is this one guy who can decompose a live person into skeletons with a single touch but Ghost Rider is neither alive nor a person.

Maybe Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence is not a straight faced movie. How can it be? It never takes itself seriously. Maybe it might have worked as a disorienting satire of dark anti-heros and quasi religious "angel/devil" ramblings. Alas any intent at satire is lost among three different writers and directors who are known for satirical, high octane thrills for the ADD afflicted sensory deprived generation .

And they totally missed a good Highlander reference opportunity for Christopher Lambert.
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Go For it: if good special effects, hyper kinetic camerawork and unintentional dark humor is your thing. Also if you did not like the first film.
Avoid it: because the comics are better and because there is nothing much to this film beyond the special effects and camerwork

Entertainment: B-
Story: C-
Acting: B-
Characters: C-
Music: C
Replay value: C+
"Brains": C-

How infamous video game movie directors can crap over more video games

Video game movies always get the short end of the stick. Not to say they can't be awesome. Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat and maybe the first Resident Evil film were cool. But ya the rest.............not so much.

Why did Alone in the Dark, Street Fighter, King of Fighters etc etc all suck? For a variety of reasons.
- totally did not resemble the game
- characters were too different
- changed the plot too much
- changed the whole genre of the movie (eg: Alone in the Dark changed from a survival horror game to a loud guns a blazing action movie)

So it got me thinking. If "infamous" directors got their hands on other video game rights, how else would they totally screw with the movies???
Here are some fictional synopses of how i figured such movies would turn out.

NOTE: the following story synopses are based on each director's "style" of screwing up a game's story. They are meant to only poke fun and not to be take seriously.


1) PORTAL

by Paul WS Anderson (past movies: Resident Evil series. Trademark style elements: formula, Swat team, heavy metal/synth music, adding unecessary elements not present in the video game)
Inside Apature Science, a top secret underground robotics research facility, an unidentified person attempts to hack into a computer terminal intending to sabotage the facility. Just then, the facility's security A.I called "G.L.A.Dos" awakens and attempts to stop the sabotage by sealing all exits and gassing everyone in the facility. All personnel seemingly die from the fatal nerve toxin released into the air.

An eye opens. It belongs to a woman who wakes up from her slumber in a sterile white room. She seems to be suffering from amnesia and its is left ambiguous whether the events in the prologue are just a part of a dream. She is identified by a name tag on her orange jumpsuit "Chell". In a daze she wakes up, exits her sterile white room and into a huge hall. Behind her, the white room she was in suddenly closes up and descends into the floor as a pedestal in front of her rises and produce a palm size device that fits like a glove. Chell silently puts on the device and clenches her fist. The device shoots out an orange charge which hits the wall and dissapates into nothingness. Chell tries again, and the device shoots out a blue charge. The nature of the shots are unknown.

Just then the wall behind Chell opens and lights turn on, beckoning her to walk into a corridor. At the end of a corridor stands a large steel door. As she reaches the door, which turns out to be a door to an elevator, it opens and a S.W.A.T team enters, quickly securing the area and taking Chell into custody. The team report in their status to an unknown listener when the elevator behind themd detonates and plummets down the shaft. The team is now stranded.

Suddenly, a computerised voice communicates with them and welcomes them to the Aperture science testing facility. The team makes their way from room to room. intending to reach the GLADOS core and shut down the rogue A.I. They discover that the device Chell has is a portal gun and use it to navigate hard to reach areas. Along the way, GLADOS uses traps and stuff to slowly kill off the team.

When they finally reach GLADOS and turn her off, it also turns off the locking mechanisms on a number of vaults deep within the facility. From those vaults come the illegal cybernetic experiments of Aperture Science; lethal walking turret guns, shambling human/cyborg hybrids and a hulking robot bruiser called "Dog".

Suspecting a traitor among them, Can the team pull together to survive the horrors within the halls of Aperature science? Will they make it out alive? Slowly, Chells memory starts to return and she recalls that she is an intern at Aperature science. She discovered the illegal experiments Aperture was conducting. At the same time, she was in contact with an unknown informant who actually turned out to be GLADOS herself. Chell was tricked into activating GLADOS in the hopes that GLADOS would be able to contain and destroy the illegal experiments and then expose Aperture's atrocities to the world.

A desperate chase sequence ensues with the remaining SWAT members and Chell running and gunning down the cyborgs and mobile turrets. Now we get to see the Portal device in action as Chell uses it to get the team across a bottemless chasm. With the portal device, the team makes it back to th facility's hangar bay and confront "Dog", the hulking 20 feet tall robotic monstrosity. The last of the SWAT team die and Chell is left to confront the monster. She manages to trap the monster in between portals in a perpetual state of falling until it reaches terminal velocity. Then she re-opens another portal that sends Dog crashing to its doom.

Now safe, Chell makes a break for the door that would open up to the surface. However when the door opens, she finds herself in a much larger underground facility with similar doors leading to other areas. A gas fills the room and slowly puts Chell to sleep. GLADOS' voice mentions that Chell has passed phase one of the tests. On to phase 2.


2) ANMESIA

by Gordon Chan (Past movies: King of Fighters. trademark style elements: Alternate dimension, kung fu, overly convoluted and unresolved plot, police/swat team, magic.)
The setting is modern day Europe. Daniel has been a private detective for five years. Five years ago, he suffered from amnesia and cannot remember anything about his life prior to his time as a detective. All he knows is that he has survived near death experiences mysteriously. His only clue is a mysterious shard that he keeps with him as a good luck piece. He recieves a mysterious letter one day telling him to investigate an old European castle in which it is suspected that organised crime members use it for a hideout.
Daniel travels to castle Brunnenburg and encounters two hired thugs intending to kill him. Again, Daniel survives and makes it to the castle but soon discovers that it is abandoned. After exploring the castle, Daniel enters a dark room and is knocked out by an unseen force.

He wakes up in a dungeon with a note in front of him. His shard is missing and the note tells him in complete exposition that the shard has been taken by the evil Baron Alexander to be used in an occult ritual by reconstructing some orb. Daniel has to stop him. As he makes his way through the castle, Daniel experiences hallucinations and weird noises that slowly drive him mad. His only refuge is this torchlight that he has. When he finally encounters a room full of zombies, his mind snaps. He flies into a mad rage, busting out kung fu moves he never knew he had. With slow motion too. Only by turning his torchlight back on does Daniel return to sanity.

In another room, Daniel conveniently finds a note seemingly written by himself. It reveals that the shard that Daniel has been keeping has imbuned him with "interdimensional powers". (lol wut??). When his madness takes over, Daniel is able to tap into an otherworldy dimension and call on the power of a "dark shadow" in which he is able to see the physical forms of demonic forces. The dimension also imbues him with supernatural fighting skills.

In an undergrond flooded passage, Daniel encounters a seemingly invisible humanoid creature. He allows his insanity to take over and the room around him changes to something out of this world; everything takes on a purple hue, stone turns to metal, wet vines turn to wires. The monster is now visible as a grotesque scaly humanoid and Daniel engages it in a kung fu throwdown. Every hit that contacts lights up the place with a bright flash.

Just as Daniel is about to get swarmed by evil zombies in a big hall, A SWAT TEAM BREAKS IN and fires wildly, taking down all the zombies. The Swat team is led by a man named Agrippa. Together, Daniel and the team fight their way into the inner sanctum where he finally confronts the evil Baron. The baron explains his plans that involved luring special people to his castle, killing them and extracting their "vitae". But only Daniel managed to escape before the experiment could be completed. The Baron drinks the vitae and manifests mystical powers. Daniel gives in to the full power of the dark Shadow and engages the Baron in climatic combat.

Agrippa reveals himself to be an ancient wizard in disguise and he helps Daniel fight the Baron. He retrieves Daniel's crystal shard and produces a similar shard of his own. Harnessing otherworldly powers, the shards produce an energy chain that binds the Baron's soul into another dimension.

The world is now safe again.



3) HALF LIFE

by Andrej Bartkowiak (movies: Doom, Street Fighter Legend of Chun Li. Trademark style elements: long first act devoid of action, cliche, super soldier experiments, more fighting and less shooting, swearing, excessive violence.)
A disaster at the Black Mesa unleashes an unspeakable animalistic horror that chases a group of scientists through the dark corridors. One by one, they are picked off until one scientist manages to lock himself in the communications room and send out a distress signal. A knocking sound comes from a vent above the scientist. The vent swings open and a figure in what looks like an orange hazard suit drops down. Just then the door behind the scientist explodes open revealing a hulking otherworldly horror. THe man in the orange suit brings up his shot gun and fires. The gun's reports are lost amid the screams, gunfire and chaos happening all over the facility.
A short time later, a team of commandos are sent in. Among them is Sgt Adrian Shepherd.

The team break into the lockedown facility with the objective of rescuing any scientist and retrieving a valuable piece of data deep within the Delta complex. After a harrowing search turns up nothing, the team decides to venture deeper. They encounter their first scientist and their first alien creature. The scientist babbles something about interdimensional travel before dying. The team carry on through twisted passage ways lined with dead bodies but never encounter any hostiles.

The team split up to cover more ground but One by one the team is ambushed and killed. The rest of the team get to him but all that is left is a corpse. All the while, screams of terror can be heard in other parts of the complex. At the entrence to the Beta complex, the team regroup in time to fend off a hulking alien grunt that fires piercing insects from its arm. Shepherd and the team leader, "G-Man" are all that is left when reinforcements arrive in the form of a rag tag band of scientists and a security guard named Barney. Together they take down the alien.

G-Man starts to interrogate the scientists brutally and it is revealed that retrieving the data and survivors was only their secondary objective. Their primary objective was to kill a man named Gordon Freeman. Shepherd expresses disdain in the mission stating that saving this group of survivors come first but G-man insists on taking the scientists with them into Delta Complex. As they journey deeper, the scientists start to loose their nerve and tensions mount between them and the soldiers. Inside a large room, they discover that the scientists were working on genetically engineered soldiers using an element that they discovered from a portal experiment meant to breach another dimension. The creatures loose in the facility are those failed "super soldier" experiments. Furthermore, it is revealed that the element has been released into the air, causing random mutations in everyone exposed to it, including themselves. Looking at each other, they start to notice od pigmentations and small growths on their bodies.

Tension with the scientists turns all out hostile as they are now held captives by a crazed G-Man. After accessing the Delta complex, one of the scientists goes crazy and suddenly betray the soldiers, locking them and Barney inside a vast network of passageways and killing the other scientists while slowly mutating into a hideous creature (resembling the video games' "Vortigaunts"). The creature escapes but just then, G-Man catches sight of a familiar face: it is Gordon Freeman crossing the gangway just across from where they are. Determined to fulfil the primary objective, G-man pursues Gordon who returns fire with a prototyle E-Gon gun (it fires a blue stream of plasma). Sheperd and Barney try to stop G-Man and convince him to scrap the mission and escape but G-man kills Barney and knocks out Sheperd.

When he awakens, Sheperd gears up and navigates the Delta complex, killing mutants as he goes along. He encounters Bullsquids, houdeyes and even a Gargantua which he dispatches by luring it into a room filled with motion detection turrets and the activating those turrets.

Sheperd finally catches up to G-man and sees him sitting among dead human bodies. G-man has murdered all remaining survivors that he encountered in a fit of rage at having failed his mission. Gordon Freeman is nowhere to be seen. He blames Sheperd for his failure and the two soldiers, by now seemingly enhanced by the alien mutagen, engage in heated super powered hand-to-hand combat.

After a prolonged fight, Sheperd kills G-Man with a wrench. As he slumps to the floor in fatigue he glimpses Gordon Freeman walking toward him, then helping him up and dragging him toward another door. The door opens to an elevator as as they ascend to the surface, Sheperd drops his gun.



4) DEAD SPACE

by Uwe Boll (past movies: House of the Dead, farcry, Alone in the dark. trademark style elements: sex, nudity, taking comedy too seriously, over the top action sequences, utilising the names and nothing else from the source material)
The year is 2057 and here we see the USS Ishimura, giant colony spaceship. On board, the civillians are celebrating the Captain's birthday by throwing a ship-wide rave party. Sadly, poor Issac Clarke and his friends are on duty mining a nearby Asteroid. After a lot of complaining, the six friends decide to not give a shit anymore and just return to Ishimura. Issac and his girlfriend Nicole barge in on two of their friends, John and Synthia having zero-G sex. They chase them out of the storage compartment to go up front and pilot the shuttle back to Ishimura. They begin a prolonged sequence of docking with the Ishimura. All the while, Synthia is secretly giving John
a handjob.

They arrive on board to find it seemingly deserted. The main hall where the party was is the scene of a bloody massacre with body parts floating in the punch bowl and dead bodies everywhere. Suddenly grotesque mishappen creatures emerge and chase them through the ship. They get seperated but Issac and Nicole manage to seal themselves inside a storage room. During the lull, they talk about themselves and about how Nicole is scared of the dark. Issac comforts her and they are about to have sex when the four missing friends barge in on them.

Making their way to the bridge and the main control room, the friends encounter another group of creatures. Surprisingly the asian chick knows kung fu and takes on the creatures in hand to hand combat. Not surprisingly, she gets overpowerd and devoured by the creatures.

The friends run in terror to the main control room where they find the captain holding out. He tells the gang about some horrible experiment gone wrong down in the science labs and how they have to go and fix it. He then opens a hidden case to reveal an array of high tech weaponry. Now armed to the teeth, the captain lead the 5 remaining friends down to the engine room in order to set a self-destruct sequence. Within the engine room, they engage a huge horde of monsters in a prolonged largely slow-motion gun battle. At the end of the uberly cool slo mo, the african american dude gets killed off.

After the captain activates the self destruct sequence, he is killed by a new monster. One that resembles a foetus with tentacles. Whats left of the friends try to escape back to the hangar bay but they get seperated again. Synthia and John are killed while Issac and Nicole make it back to their ship.

Shipwide engine detonation is due in ten minutes as Issac and his girlfriend make it to the hangar. There however, the confront Dr Kyne, the instigator of the ship wide massacre. He was the one who tampered with genetic code to create grotesque monsters. The couple engage Dr Kyne in battle with knives. Nicole is stabbed and Issac kills Kyne in a fit of anger.

Issac then leaves with Nicole's corpse on board their shuttle as the USS Ishimura detonates. Issac ponders his fate and whether he would be rescued. Behind him, Nicole's head turns to look at Issac; her eyes now crimsom red like the creatures in the Ishumura.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, pray that these projects never materialise.

The Muppets (2011) movie review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: heartwarming characters, truly hilarious and well written humor that breaks the fourth wall, a touching story that anyone can relate to, vivid emotions and very human portrayals from the muppet characters, catchy songs, a simple story that appeals to all ages

The Bad: sometimes feel like two movies pasted together, dissonance in overall tone of the story

******************************Review********************
The funny and fuzzy sensation of a generation returns for one last hurrah in "The Muppets", a warm hearted musical comedy that acts less like a brand relauncher and more like a grand final act to a classic franchise. For years, the Muppets have appeared in TV holiday specials and movies but this movie returns to the original series that first jumpstarted the Muppes to fame: the 1976 Muppets Show. Self referencing humor, witty comedy and familiar characters pay the ultimate tribute not just to a well loved franchise but to the Muppets fandom as well. Why else would the main character be a muppet fanboy?

Meet Walter, the ultimate muppet fanboy (who is also portrayed as a muppet) who lives with his human brother Gary in "Smalltown" USA. The two grew up together and have been fans of the muppets ever since The Muppet show first aired in the 70s. One day Gary plans a trip to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Mary. Walter jumps at the opportunity to tag along and visit the muppet theatre, much to the dismay of Mary who was hoping for some private time with her boyfriend. But instead of seeing the muppet theatre of his childhood, Walter comes face to face with harsh reality: the muppets have disbanded, the theatre is in ruins and a greedy tycoon is looking to buy the location and tear down the place of Walter's childhood dreams. Undaunted, Walter tries to reunite the Muppets for one final show in order to raise the money needed to buy back the theatre.

Cute, heartwarming and absolutely nostalgic, "The Muppets" only downside is that it feels like two different shows pasted together; on one hand you have the plot thread about the Muppets getting back together for a final show, and on the other you have this disney styled buddy romance triangle between Greg, his girlfriend and his brother Walter. The tone between those two plot threads varies quite a bit, with the trio being like something out of "Mary Poppins". All saccharine and happy song and dance.

On the flipside, the tale of former muppet leader Kermit the Frog getting the gang back together is played more tragically and, believe it or not, more realistically. Yes he is a cloth puppet and so are the other Muppets, but this movie never panders to the kids. What we have is a story that adults can enjoy as well. The years have not been kind to the Muppets and Kermit is a performer past his prime, divorced from his former love Miss Piggy, with only memories and mementos of his glory days. As he tours the world looking for his friends, he sees the sorry state some of them have landed in. This story thread is both emotionally moving and ultimately satisfying. What's more, it would surprise you how vividly cloth and stick puppets emote. There is a certain warmth and realism present that even the best computer graphics animation cannot replicate. Despite having new voice actors, these are the same lovable characters from the original show, quirky personalities and all.

Throughout the movie, the ongoing tension between Walter and Gary references the real life balance between childlike passion and adult responsibilities. With its self referencing narrative, the movie works as a parable about growing up and taking on new priorities in life; something many fans of the original muppets show would have personally experienced.

But perhaps the main attraction is the movie's witty humor. Not even the fourth wall is safe as the characters lampoon everything from High school Musical style dance numbers to a time saving montage sequence. It is clever, well written comedy that pokes fun at itself and other shows. So hilarious that it has to be seen to be believed.

The Muppets covers all grounds for a good movie experience. The most human of characters portrayed by inhuman looking cloth puppets, cast chemistry that tugs on the heart strings and a simple story that anyone can relate to. Throw in some catchy songs and celebrity cameos with a healthy dose of nostalgia for those who loved the original Muppets Show and you have a sure winner that appeals to fans new and old alike. And once the curtain comes down, you would be clamoring for an encore. Here is a true tribute to a timeless classic that brings a childhood icon to a whole new generation of viewers. Let us give a standing ovation to "The Muppets", definitely one of the must watch movies of the year.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you liked the original Muppets Show and would like to see the ultimate tribute to it. If you like disney styled musicals or if you want a quick trip back to the more innocent days of childhood and have a good laugh.
Avoid it: if heartwarming and saccharine shows make your stomach churn

Entertainment: A
Story: B+
Acting: A
Characters: A
Music: A-
Replay value: A
"Brains": B+

Some Comic book Animated movies that MUST be made

The animation market. The less popular little brother to live action comic book blockbusters. Free from network restrictions, direct to video animated films adapted directly from comic books have been all the rage since the trend was reignited in 2006 by "Ultimate Avengers".
Previous animated films have been based on their respective animated series.

Both Marvel and DC have been churning out DTV animated movies. Some to rave reviews and strong sales, others to lukewarm reception.

So far DC is leading the charge with 12 movies and 3 more in production. Marvel is trailing behind with only 8.

But enough background talk. HERE are some direct to video animated movies that i would like to see made in the near future.

In no particular order

1) World War Hulk (Marvel)



























Marvel did Planet Hulk. A direct, but slightly shortened, adaptation of Greg Pak's Hulk epic. It is only natural that they follow up with its sequel "World War Hulk". Same production team, same character designs. Madhouse did a great job combining western art asthetics with the dynamic feel of japanese anime. The story would place immediately after the events of Planet Hulk. The Hulk's peaceful life as King is shattered when the ship that brought him to the planet detonates, killing thousands including his queen. Overcome with a thirst for vengence, Hulk leads his former Gladiator allies back to earth on a mission to take down those he deems responsible: The Illuminati consisting of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Mr Fantastic, and Black Bolt. It will be a sure fire hit, combining large scale action with a savage brutality that only the animation medium can do justice to.
My only tweak would be to get Fred Tatasciore back as the voice of the Hulk. His deep growling and wild roars fit the character better than Rick Wasserman's smoother more "civillised" performance.

2) Frank Miller's Ronin (DC)
















In 2007, it was announced that Frank Miller's RONIN was picked up for a live action movie. Well.......no news so far. So how about this, since Warner has alraedy adapted Batman Year One and are making the animated "Dark Knight Returns", why not do another Frank Miller graphic novel? This could be a great opportunity to tap into the non-superhero comics in DC's library starting with this one.














Drawing its influence from old school manga like "Lone Wolf and Cub" as well as cyberpunk elements of Akira, Ronin is the tale of an ancient japanese warrior's quest to avenge himself against a demon named Agat. In their final battle, Agat placed a curse on the Ronin, causing him to be reincarnated into a dystopian future. Now on the run from the authorities and facing a world of underground mutants, roving street gangs and anarchy, the Ronin must once again track down his adversary. But is this truly the future? Is the Ronin truly who he thinks he is?
Like Batman Year one, RONIN should be a straight up adaptation fo the comic. It is inevitable that the designs be streamlined for animation but i would like to see a more subdued color palatte. A studio like Production I.G (Blood: The Last Vampire) who have done similar "lone warrior/wanderer" type of anime would be good.
Old school coloring, none of that sharp bright colors we see so commonly in recent anime. And hopefully they can keep the unique panel format of the comic by using split screens and other less-common transtion techniques. As long as they do not redesign everything and turn the characters into wide eyed bishonen with wavey hair billowing in the wind among falling sakura petals.
Speaking of split screens and dynamic animation framing, no other animator comes to mind other than Genndy Tatarovsky. Ronin was afterall one of the inspirations for his creation, Samurai Jack. It would be a major fan service there. And to top that, just get Phil Lamarr to voice the Ronin. There will be cheering in the streets.


4) The Darkness
Now why should just Marvel and DC dominate the animated movie market? Independent comic company IMAGE had a couple of animated productions in the past. Anyone remember "WildCATS"? Ok maybe not a good example. They made the most badass Jim Lee creation into something family friendly. How about the 2006 anime series Witchblade?? oh sorry, bad example. Those japanese turned a supernatural thriller series about a hot headed lady cop bounded to a cursed artefact into an overly emo semi-hentai with MILFs, bouncing........melons and sexual undertones.
So why do i suggest that Image should have a direct to DVD movie of THE DARKNESS?

For starters, with a Direct to DVD release, the company can control the written content themselves. No pandering to TV network moguls' whims. Best example of a past success? SPAWN
This show went directly to HBO with Image and Todd Mcfarlane having full control of the look and the content of the show. AND JUST LOOK HOW AWESOME IT IS.
If, given full content control, Image can pull off one badass supernatural horror comic title as animation, why not another?
THE DARKNESS is a perfect contender. I say the movie should just adapt from the first story arc by Garth Ennis and Marc Silvestri
It is already paced like a pilot movie complete with proper introduction of characters, development and conclusion. Mafia Hitman Jackie Estacado was both blessed and cursed on his 21st birthday when he inherited the power of The Darkness, an elemental force that allows those who wield it power over the shadows and control over the demons who dwell there. But this power comes at a price. Jackie is now hunted by the forces of the Angelus, the eternal enemy of the Darkness. Yet lurking in the shadows is a mysterious cult and its charismatic leader, Sonatin, who seek to control the Darkness for their own purposes.

As much as i like Marc Silvestri, i propose the show goes with Michael Broussard's style in the recent "Darkness: Accursed" series.
Silvestri's (seen above) is just too stylised and boasting too much intricate detail to be put into animation.

Broussard's on the other had is detailled enough but not as intricate as Silvestri's. But mostly the reason is in the coloring and shading. Broussard has a lot more blacks in the shading, giving it a very atmosphereic look that fits the atmosphere of the story
The animation studio that did Spawn, Madhouse, is no stranger to dark supernatural genre movies. Have them return for this production.
And i cannot think of a better person to voice Jackie Estacado than Steven Blum (Spike Spiegel, Wolverine) himself.


5) The Flash
We are back to DC for number 5.
After doing origin stories for Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and, in a way, Batman (Batman Year One), it is only natural that DC set their sights on the next member of the Justice league.
A "Flash" animated movie could have come a little earlier, perhaps to tie into the release of "Flashpoint", but it is never too late. Here will be an origin story similar in vein to "Green Lantern first flight". Hopefully Warner premiere will use a different art style again, but i suspect it would be either Sam Liu or Lauren Montgomery in charge, so best not to expect much changes.
Storyline will combine elements of the Silver age and the revamped origins of The Flash plus introduce Reverse-Flash. Why Reverse-Flash? Well he is technocally what Sinestro is to Green Lantern and a fair match for our crimson speedster. Unless you would want Captain Boomerang or Captain Cold, or perhaps the Weather wizard? No way. Speedster against speedster.
Unlike First Flight however, The Flash would not be a galaxy spanning epic. It should be tighter, more character centred and pay more attention to character development, especially to the rivalry between the 2 Flashes. It will be a personal conflict combining drama with superheroics.



6) Ultimate Avengers 3: Ultimatum (Marvel)
Another sequel, but a necessary one. As good as the first two "Ultimate Avengers" movies were, they ultimately failed to capture the gritty realism and darker tone of the "Ultimates" comic series. I propose that Ultimate Avengers 3 return the franchise to its gritty roots by first throwing out that saturday morning cartoon look










And replacing it with something more like what was showcased in the original trailer for the first Ultimate Avengers movie.

Notice that most of the footage featured an increadible amount of detail and fluid motion. THAT is what i am going for. Kick the previous animation studio out and bring in a better one like DR Movie or Gonzo who are used to high detailed artwork.
Now for the story. Although its called "Ultimatum", it will have little in common with Jeph Loeb's infamous 6 issue hero-cide. Instead, the movie will adapt its plot from Mark Millar's "The Ultimates 2"

















Yet the theme of an "Ultimatum" resounds stronger than ever. In a controversial turn of events, the US Government turn the Ultimate Avengers into a superpowered black ops team carrying out raids on foreign soil in the name of American foreign policy. Their Ultimatum: cooperate or we'll sic the Avengers on your ass. The enemies of America retaliate with the formation of "The Liberators", the culmination of secret foreign supersoldier programs with one purpose: destroy the Ultimate Avengers and bring America to its knees. A superpowered cold war brews but the balance suddenly shifts when Thor is declared a traitor by his own team. At The same time, the Avengers are incapacitated one by one. Distrust and treachery rules the day as the Liberators gear up for a final campaign against USA. Little do they know that they are all pawns in an elaborate scheme set up by Loki, god of mischief.
Political satire, moral philosophy, epic violent battles; what's there not to like. I expect no less than a NC16 rating for this.



7) Swamp Thing (DC)
No not this atrocity

This
This image of a pensive, brooding Swamp Thing sort of actualises the direction i hope a possible "Swamp Thing" animated movie would follow: That is, ALAN MOORE's Swamp Thing. There is a big difference between Swamp Thing and Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing is your typicaly "pity the monster" horror comic book. Scientist gets turned into a plant monster, tries to regain his humanity and faces down an evil occultist named Arcane who believes Swamp thing holds the key to immortality.
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing is an ontological exploration of identity incorporating environmental themes, moral philosophy and a startling revelation: Swamp Thing is merely a plant with a man's memories.
No, of couse it is not going to be a all talk and no action kind of movie. The key ingredient would be atmosphere. Dark and forebodding. Make it more of a character study of Swamp Thing rather than a typical monster movie.
What movies like this usually do is that you have a generic main character who is supposed to be the "audience vessel". This character comes to the swamp and encounters Swamp Thing. But that is not how it should be.
A Swamp Thing animated movie should not be from a POV of an outsider encountering Swamp Thing, but from the POV of Swamp Thing himself. He is the main character, we delve into his psyche, his motivations, his humanity, his conflict. It is HIS story.
It would be awesome if they would take material from Alan Moore's first Swamp Thing Arc with Swamp Thing coming to terms with the truth behind his origin and his conflict with Jason Woodrue, a human plant hybrid with delusions of grandeur.
Why Woodrue?

(fine, we'll give him some cooler looking leaves)
Well because he is Swamp Thing in a dark mirror. Swamp Thing is a plant who believes he is a man but learns the truth of his inhuman origin. Yet he clings on to his humanity and seeks to discover his place in the world Woodrue is a man who forsakes his humanity and becomes plant, seeking only to destroy the world of man. Not only are they perfect opposites, but their final showdown in the comics could make for a great animated battle.
Animation can be done by DC's de facto studio "Moi" who have shown that they can handle dark and atmospheric pieces like Batman Year One.

8) A.B.C Warriors
Seven unique fighting machines, one mission

Precisely.
A famous comic book from UK published by 2000AD, ABC Warriors is easily described as "Seven Samurai on Mars". At the end of great war known as the Volgn War, veteran war robot Hammerstein is tasked with recruiting 6 other bots into a team in order to tame the now lawless Mars colonies. Each of the team members have their own unique personalities and powers. Think the main cast of Transformers. Now what would be even more fun is if we get Transformers voice actors to do the ABC warriors.
You have
-the fearless leader "Hammerstein" (David Kaye aka Optimus Prime in Transformers Animated),
-the lovable muscle bot "Mongrol" (voiced by Kevin Michael Richarson aka Bulkhead in Transformers Prime),
-black magic acolyte "Deadlock" (voiced by Corey Burton aka Shockwave from G1),
-"Blackblood" the schemer (voiced by Charlie Alder aka movie Starscream)
- dim witted but sadistic "MekQuake" (Voiced Gregg Berger aka Grimlock)
- cunning Marksman and assassin "Joe Pineapples" (voiced by Jeff Bennet aka Prowl)
- comic relief sewer droid Ro-Jaws (voiced Tom Kenny aka Spongebob Squarepants)

So for the movie, i believe that the story would have to be cut down a little into something like "Apocalypse Now, with robots, on Mars". The ABC Warriors are formed for the mission of travelling into war torn territory on Mars in order to assassinate some rogue general who has established himself as warlord over the planet. Along the way, the ABC Warriors have to deal with the aftermath of war, the people's unforgiving attitudes toward fighting robots, and their own conflicting primary programs as well as the suspicion that one of the ABC Warriors is a traitor. We get to see how in war, it is the civillians who suffer the most.
Already there seems to be CGI animated movie in production but other than this one trailer, no other news has been heard from it

I intend to go for a CGI standard that is more in line with "Transformers Prime". Sure its no where near movie level, but admittedly its much better than other recent CGI animation like Green Lantern

Besides, the premise of having a team of unique robots who are sometimes at odds with each other mirrors the premise of the Autobots in transformers.
Here's some trivia though. The main inspiration for "Transformers Animated" was indeed ABC WARRIORS.

9) Deadpool (Marvel)
This video is reason enough why there should be a DEADPOOL animated movie starring the merc with a mouth himself. If he's this hilarious as a side character, imagine what he'd be like in the leading role

To entice newcomers, it would be funnier to NOT do an origin story. Instead lets follow a common Deadpool format shall we? Some rich dude offers a bounty, mercenaries go hunting, Deadpool is nto invited but gets news of the offer and proceeds to eliminate the competition. One of the rival mercs would turn "fanboy" and throw in his lot with Deadpool, naturally. However the target in question is not the hardened criminal Deadpool expects. Maybe it could be a kid or a helpless lass whom Deadpool falls for. Personally i would prefer the kid. NOW Deadpool has a crisis of conscience.
He tries to reason with the rich dude but guess what not only does the rich dude REFUSE TO PAY DEADPOOL. Oh............. no.................. He sics his entire private army on the Merc With a Mouth.
Its moron massacre time when Deadpool has to race against the clock to break into the rich dude's fortified mansion and GET HIS CASH!!!
See, already it sounds like something big on action, big on violence, brimming with laughs but with a tender emotional centre that would help develop Deadpool as a more rounded character. Some flashbacks would vaguely tell DP's origin but thats not the main focus.
You can see where we're headed here? It would be fairly down to earth. We wouldnt want too many well known Marvel heroes in the picture.
And won't it be awesome that X-force and Cable make a cameo appearance at the end?



10) Kingdom Come (DC)

It would be Epic!!! A clever, metafictional tale of old vs the new. Set some twenty years into the future of the then-current DC Universe, it deals with a growing conflict between "traditional" superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, and a growing population of largely amoral and dangerously irresponsible new vigilantes. Between these two groups is Batman and his assembled team, who attempt to contain the escalating disaster, foil the machinations of Lex Luthor, and prevent a world-ending superhuman war.
Conspiracies abound as the ageing Justice League has to deal with a world that distrusts superheroes.

The story is perfect as it is. And being only 4 issues long, it would fit well into 80+ minutes. The only issue is HOW TO MIMIC THE EXTRAORDINARY ART OF ALEX ROSS?

No i am not crazy. But everyone else might think so.
For starters, there is no way traditional animation can do justice to the awesome artwork of Alex Ross. Therefore, i propose that for starters, we do this in CGI (Computer generated images).

Not just any CGI though. I'm talking the high quality life-like motion capture CGI as used in productions like TinTin and Beowulf

Notice the insane level of detail and uncanny lifelikeness (is there such a word?)
Now imagine we give this a softer focus to produce a more painted look. You'd get Alex Ross' artwork in animation already.






And there you have it folks.

10 animated comic book movies that are just too awesome to be allowed to become live action. THESE MUST be made.

50/50 (2011) movie review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: clever mix of tragedy and comedy, never overly melodramatic, subject matter is handled sensitively despite the comedy, excellent cast chemistry, nuanced acting

The Bad: cliche story premise

*********************Review********************

Adam Lerner has a pretty sweet life. He lives with his hot artist girlfriend, hangs out with his funny best buddy Kyle, and holds a cool job as a radio journalist. Life is good, life is normal, life could not have been better. And then one day, he discovers he has cancer. Now before you expect another tragic sob story full of teary emotions and melodrama, stop right there. And no, neither is this a light hearted buddy laugh fest. Adam Learner deals with his 50% chance of survival and the fallout which destroys the perfect life as he comes to terms with his fate.

We all know that "beats" of a typical cancer story. The five stages of grief form the narrative skeleton of the movie as Adam goes from denial through anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance of his fate. What is different here is how Adam deals with each stage. From befriending an inexperienced psychiatrist to going along with Kyle's suggestion of using the cancer to score chicks, Adam tries to live his remaining days to the fullest.

Central to the movie is both the characters and the actors portraying them. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam as the quintessential "everyman". Here is an actor who says a lot about the character without actually saying much. His earnest and increadibly nuanced performance makes it easy for anyone to relate to Adam's plight. The paranoia of an uncertain future, the sense of betrayal when someone dear to you betrays your trust or the frustration at an over-protective smothering mother is carefully yet lightheartedly explored.

How this film works is that it plays on the audience's stereotypical expectations then throws in a twist. You can see that in how it uses a familiar premise of a terminal illness but weaves an original tale. It is apparent in the characters too. Seth Rogan's Kyle is obviously the bumbling comic relief right? Well you might be surprised with the many layers to his character. Oh, Adam is so going to fall for his psychiatrist right? Perhaps, but not in the way you might be expecting.

"Natural" would be the proper word to describe the way all the characters are fully fleshed out. And rightly so since 50/50 has the advantage of being based loosely on the real life experience of screenwriter Will Reiser. It feels less like a story per se and really like taking a peek into someone's diary entry. Yet thanks to the awesome cast, timely humor and fresh dialogue, it never feels mundane.

In the end, we are left with a powerful message about the people who truly care in a crisis. The emotional spectrum never veers into the extreme, effectively balancing the tragedy and comedy. Criticising the unoriginal premise is easy, but 50/50 scores in its fun but bittersweet execution of a tried and true narrative.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you would like to see a refreshing take on the "I am dying from an incurable disease" genre of drama movies.

Avoid it: if a few dirty jokes would put you off

Entertainment: A

Story: A-

Acting: A

Characters: A-

Music: B-

Replay value: A

"Brains": A-

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995) anime series review

Overall verdict: 7/10

The Good: many thought provoking themes, intense mech action, greatly improved coloring and artwork, incorprates politics and philosophy, catchy soundtrack, gorgeous character designs, excellent japanese and english voice acting

The Bad: under-developed characters, overuse of repeated footage, mediocre chinese voice acting,

Current Availability Status: none in Singapore.

******************************Review********************

The year is After Colony 195 and Operation Meteor, the plan to topple the oppressive "OZ" organization" on earth, has been launched. Five Gundams, each with their own strengths and flaws, piloted by five very different young pilots arrive on earth but their secret missions are already compromised from the start. What follows is a grand sweeping tale of conspiracies, betrayal, hidden motives and conflict of ideals set among the backdrop of a world on the brink of war.

Compared to previous gundam series, Gundam Wing starts off with a "flipped" premise. The Gundams are no longer the "good guys" defending against an onslaught, but the ones provoking attack. It can be easily argued that they are the antagonists and OZ are the protagonists, retaliating after the Gundams have struck first. The defining line of good and bad has never been so blurred. The "invincible" Gundams is another refreshing change for the better. It emphasizes the point of view that no matter how powerful a weapon is, it is the weakness of the soldier behind the trigger that causes it to fail; seen in the many instances where the "invincible" gundams are defeated due to the pilot's and not the hardware's fault.

The story also has a fresh style, focusing more on the larger scale political happenings in the war instead of the 5 main characters. Deceit, political backstabbing, secret uprisings, changing values and a lingering air of mystery lends to a highly intriguing plot. Each episode brings its own share of story twists as former allies become enemies and friends turn on each other in this era of distrust. In the way the series slowly unravels the varying plot threads and mysteries, it manages to hook the viewer into being interested in what comes next.

Easily the more "intelligent" of the Gundam shows, Gundam Wing revels in its philosophical ramblings. Every single theme you can think about with respect to war, politics, human nature, and purpose are all in there. This series challenges you to think. It feels like the creators whipped out every book they could find about war philosophy and threw in wholesale whatever they had. Its thought provoking nature is sure to be a treat for the more learned and knowledgeable viewers, allowing for a wide range of intellectual discussion.

A pity that so much time and effort is spent planning out the otherwise convoluted storyline and in researching the underlying themes that little thought is given to character development or entertainment value. The most well developed characters are only Relena and Zechs Merquise, their motives and personality evolving nicely as the series moves along to its conclusion; Relana matures from a shy rich girl just moving through life into an assertive leader figure and Zechs' convictions to attain peace by any means drives him to be a very compelling character.

Sadly most of the other characters are already presented less as people and more like "personifications" of ideas, ideals and unique perspectives on war. They seem to be just in the story to convey the numerous thought provoking themes inherent in the series through their personality, dialogue and sometimes even monologue. Their "larger than life" personalities and nature coupled with their "over-the-top" way of speaking in the japanese voice track make them very difficult to relate to. It is over-acting, pure and simple. Gundam Wing is no better in chinese where everyone sounds like actors in a stage play, over emphasising their lines and not even trying to sound natural. The english dub on the other hand is more subdued but plays it more realisticly. The campy dialogue is dialled back a notch, as is the over-emoting that commonly plagues the japanese voice track. Furthermore, most of the characters are Caucasian so hearing them in english just feels more natural. The downside is some roles are badly miscast making many characters sound older than they are supposed to be.

On the technical side, Gundam Wing is quite inconsistent in its artwork and animation. Take a look at these scenes for an example of such inconsistency


It suffers from an overuse of repeated stock footage and sometimes the same stock footage(like some re-used scenes of Mobile suits blowing up) can be played more than once within the same episode. Below are screenshots of one such repeated scene shown in episodes 7, 8 and 9.



Artwork is generally beautiful, although the occasional lazily shaded, flatly drawn scene does appear. Sunrise has learnt to incorporate dynamic lighting effects into the coloring of the Gundams resulting in pure mecha eye candy.

The colors themselves are comparatively subdued compared to other Gundam series. So dark in fact that in some scenes in the blackness of space or at night, you can just barely see the mecha's outline. This lends a gritty gloomy feel to the show that matches its tone.


Gundam Wing is not a series for everyone. Those looking for pure popcorn entertainment would be disappointed by this show. Think of this as the Gundam franchise trying to appeal to an older and more sophisticated western audience. The unique core team of gundams and pilots call to mind superhero teams like the Justice League. Through its story, Gundam Wing does not seek to merely entertain but to convey a wide range of ideas and thought provoking concepts that would hopefully lead to intellectual discussion.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if an intelligent, thought provoking series showing war on a grand scale is your cup of tea
Avoid it: if brainless action is what you usually go for


Entertainment: B
Story: A-
Characters: C+
Animation: C+
Art: A-
Voice work (japanese): B+
Voice work (english): B+
Voice work (chinese): C-
Replay Value: B
"Brains": A-


Gundam Wing remembered to appeal to the fan-girls


OBLITERATE!!!

What could be cooler than a gattling gun? TWO gattling Guns!
What could be cooler that 2 gattling guns?? Wait for the movie to find out.


This single exchange spawned a flood of yaoi fanfics.