Heroes and Watchmen Redux

(Very minor spoilers for Heroes and Watchmen, if you haven't seen the season premier or read the comics.)

I was watching the season opener of Heroes on Monday and couldn't resist the even stronger Watchmen feel I was getting. Think the movie will be this good? While I talked before about the parallels between the two, it's beginning to bleed into the plot lines.

In Watchmen, someone is killing the current generation of superheroes; in Heroes, someone has been taking out the older generation. Not a perfect parallel (and not a perfect summary), but enough to get that feeling of deja vu.

Is this something that's completely in my head - or has someone else noticed it?

And BTW, the current month's Previews shows that DC is offering the on-line web comics collected in a Heroes hardcover graphic novel. I think I'll be picking this up.

And here I am...

...visiting the comic book store in Springfield.





Thanks to simpsonizeme.com.

The Harold of Galactus

Idea from listening to The Dollar Bin, Show 54.

Up, Up, and Away! (2000) mini review

superhero film not based on a comic
[2/10]

Scott Marshall is the son of Jim and Judy Marshall, who are Bronze Eagle (Robert Townsend) and Warrior Woman (Alex Datcher), the world’s foremost superheroes. Will is about to turn 14, but unfortunately his powers haven't yet developed.

I'm not sure why this sounds so familiar, but it does.

Oh, wait - I know why. Because the plot of this TV Disney movie is almost exactly like the plot of a Disney movie that hit theaters about 5 years later - Sky High. It's so close, in fact, that I'd be willing to bet that Sky High is merely a remake of Up, Up, and Away! but with real actors, real dialogue, and a real plot. The execution is a bit different, but the similarities are obvious. It tries to explore the same kind of tough coming-of-age issues that its remake does, but doesn't connect with its audience. At least not the over-5 age group. My 5-year-old daughter seemed to like it OK. The characters are basically what you might expect in a 7-year-old made-for-TV Disney film - lame, two-dimensional, unbelievable. The writing is equally sad. You could say it's the kind of movie that's made for kids, but there's not really much there for anyone if your age is in the double digits.

It was at least interesting they way they attempted to bring other superhero universes in - references to Superman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and even the Green Hornet as real characters in the world. But I think it could have been done much more creatively. "We had Spider-Man and Mary Jane over last night - do you know how to get web out of carpet?" just wasn't that funny.

George Jefferson (ok, Sherman Hemsley, who has actually appeared on The Incredible Hulk and Lois & Clark) even appears as Scott's grandfather, Steel Condor. Robert Townsend did play the lead in the blockbuster Meteor Man, but otherwise, this movie is a veritable Who's Who of superhero bit parts. The "star", Michael J. Pagan, had parts in The Black Scorpion. Ty Olson, who plays flunky Barker has had bit parts in Elektra, X-Men 2, The Crow TV show, and even an episode of Krypto the Superdog. One of Scott's teachers, Ms. Parker, played by Benita Ha, has had parts in X-Men: The Last Stand, Catwoman, Blade: The Series, and Smallville.


See it if you've got young kids into superheroes - I guess they might like it.

Don't see it if something good is on TV, like The Jeffersons reruns, or even Halle Berry's Catwoman movie.

August '07 Previews Pop Culture Crossover

Well, August is over. Tomorrow is Labor Day, holiday officially heralding the coming of Fall. When I started doing these, I honestly intended to do them toward the beginning of the month, instead of after the month was over. Anyway, here's the wrap up of notable (IMO) pop-culture-related trades, series, and graphic novels for August's Previews.

TV

• New Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus (One-shot, Dynamite Entertainment)
  Prequel of the new series, following the other Battlestar.
• Doctor Who Volume 1: Voyager (TPB, Panini Publishing)
  From Previews (yes, I'm out of my own words, plus, I don't know anything about Dr. Who, except that he time travels, and there are about 27 versions of him): "The first of two volumes featuring the sixth Doctor's complete comic strip run from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine!"

Movies

• Beowulf #1-4 and Beowulf TPB (mini/TPB, IDW)
  Adaptation of the Gaiman-scripted, completely CGI film. Yes, Previews is soliciting all four issues of the mini and the TPB in the same book.
  
• Kong: King of Skull Island (mini, Markosia)
  Based on a book that is both a prequel and sequel to the original King Kong.
  
• Legends of the Dark Crystal Vol 1: The Garthim Wars (Graphic Novel, Tokyopop)
  Actually, there's a preview of this manga prequel in Jim Henson's Fantasy Film Collection (I just got the cool gift for my birthday - it contains DVDs of Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and MirrorMask). But to be honest, there's not enough there to make any kind of judgement - I hate it when comic previews just amount to character sketches.
  
• Trick 'R Treat #1, 2, 3, 4 (mini, Wildstorm)
  Adaptation of horror film Trick 'R Treat - in theaters this Halloween. At least it's not a prequel.

Books/Stories

• Beowulf (Graphic Novel, Markosia)
  This one is graphic novel based on the original myth. (Interesting timing!)
  
• Brian Jacques' Redwall (Graphic Novel, Philomel Books)
  Adaptation of the first book of the Redwall series.
  
• The Clive Barker Collections: Hellraiser vol 1-3 (TPBs, Checker Book Publishing)
  Anthologies based on Barker's film.
  
• Dracula (Graphic Novel, Barron's Educational Series)
  Bram Stoker's classic, shipping in time for Halloween.
  
• Myth Adventures! Another Fine Myth (Graphic Novel, Airship Entertainment)
  Ah, I loved the Myth Conceptions books in high school. It would be interesting to see how they translate to comic form.
  
• The Savage Sword of Conan (TPB, Dark Horse)
  Massive 542-page collection from the 70s Savage Sword of Conan magazine.

Animation

• Hellboy Animated, Vol 3: The Menagerie (TPB, Dark Horse)
  I hear these are really good (thanks, Bones), but haven't really tried them. Though I've enjoyed both movies.
• Gargoyles: Bad Guys #1 (mini?, Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics)
  I always thought about watching it, but never caught Disney's toon on television - wasn't it on Fox? This comic highlights some of "the toughest villains in the Gargoyle's universe."

Games

• Mercs #1 (new series?, Dynamite Entertainment)
  Adaptation of the third-person shooter.

Other

• The Haunted Mansion Vol 1: Welcome Foolish Mortals (TPB, Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics)
  Special edition collection of stories from the first 6 issues of the comic series based on the Disney ride.

Previews has more than that, but I'm not about to list everything. What'd I miss that you're going to pick up?

Sky High (2005) mini review

superhero film not based on a comic
[8/10]

Will Stronghold is the son of Steve and Josie Stronghold, who are Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), the world’s foremost superheroes. Will is about to start high school, but unfortunately his powers haven't yet developed. I'm not sure why I relate so well to the kid who is going to a superhero high school and is the only one there who hasn’t developed extraordinary abilities. Maybe it's because I hated high school. Maybe it's because I never felt like I fit in. Maybe it's because I still don't have my super powers.

Whatever the reason, there’s something about any coming-of-age film that allows you to relate to the characters, and Sky High is wonderful as a superhero coming-of-age film that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Though Sky High is a light, fun film, it explores tough issues like growing up and the labels that we tend to place on people, mainly to make it easier to judge them. It’s got great superhero action, awesome 80s music covers (I Melt with You, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Voices Carry, Just What I Needed, and And She Was for starters), and Bruce Campbell (Darkman, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and even an episode of Lois & Clark), who is hilarious as the coach, Sonic Boom.

Other notable cast members include Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman - duh, and an appearance on Smallville), Cloris Leachman (who did a voice in the failed Gen 13 animated pilot, and appeared in an episode of Wonder Woman), Dave Foley (Monkeybone, and voices for The Tick and The Batman), and Patrick Warburton (Men in Black II, The Tick (live action), an episode of The Batman) as the voice of Royal Pain.

See it if you want to watch a fun superhero film that can appeal to the whole family.


Don't see it if you're not in the mood for something light.

Updated Movie Dates and Fall Premiers

Some hard and fast dates for upcoming projects.

The Watchmen movie apparently has a website, a date (3/6/09), and a production blog. Take a look at the right. (thanks to Comics2Film)

A date's been set for The Spirit (1/16/09). (thanks to SuperheroHype)

I scoured the 'net for the fall premiers...scroll down a bit on the right to the Premiers / Releases section to get a complete list of superhero and comic project premiers next month.

Priest Pushed Back

So that's why it didn't come out last weekend.

Apparently, release of the Priest film (based on the Tokyopop manga) has gotten pushed back to the first quarter of 2008. I'll pop it back into the list of upcoming films (right) when I hear of a more solid date.

Thanks to E. Favata.

I'm a Marvel...I'm a DC Interview

Have you had a chance to check out the I'm a Marvel...I'm a DC videos I mentioned a couple months ago? Well, Marvel's got an interview with the creator, Michael Agrusso. If you enjoyed the videos, I thought you might like to take a look...

"This isn't good. Yeah...definitely not good."

Ironically, while Flash Gordon was laying in his torture chair, saying these words, I was watching the pilot of this new Scif Fi series, thinking the same thing.

I don't know - it just seemed a bit hokey. Bad acting, poor dialogue. Kind of like a poorly made 80s scif fi film. But it definitely doesn't have the heart of the 1980 incarnation. They are trying to put that feel into it. The commercials for the show look much better than the pilot - and feature a remake of the Queen Flash Gordon theme song. (But I do love how they advertised the Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) DVD during the show.)

This isn't the only crappy new comic-book-related Sci Fi Channel premier in the last couple of weeks. Stan is once again showing the world how stupid comic books can be. Who Wants to Be a Superhero? season 2 has started, and it looks like it's going to be the same insipid reality show as last time. The thing is, it has a lot of potential. It just seems like whoever is the creative brains behind the show is just going to be stuck writing Stan's corny "comic book" dialogue.

I still can't believe Hygena (Fighting Grime and Crime!) is the name of a superhero that made it onto the show.

Hmmm...right now I'm watching the second episode of the season and Stan just told one of the superheroes, "No one takes a superhero seriously without his pants on." I think no one who sees this show will ever take comic books seriously...

Stardust (2007) mini review

based on a comic
[7/10]

So, technically, is Stardust a comic book movie? Well...it's actually a storybook, laden with illustrations. Not the same form of sequential art as you're used to seeing in a comic. However, it was published by a comic book company, written by a comic book writer (though he has also written several novels), published under a comic book imprint, in a comic book format, as a comic book mini series.

Close enough.

Stardust (Being A Romance Within The Realm of Faerie) was written by Neil Gaiman, and published by DC Comics under the Vertigo imprint as a 4-issue mini-series in 1997, illustrated by Charles Vess. The mini was collected, then novelised by Gaiman, with some modifications (take a look at some of the questions Gaiman answers at that last link). And if you watch the film, it notes that it's based on the novel. I was able to pick up the original series and am excited to read it now that I've seen the movie. Unfortunately, the film didn't meet the extremely high hopes I had for it; my wife on the other hand (not into comic book movies or fantasy) was not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. I guess it depends on what we take into it.

Stardust is the story of Tristran, who crosses the wall at the edge of his village into a magical realm in pursuit of a fallen star for his true love. Easier said then done, when a trio of witches and a bevy of princes are after the same thing. It's a magical tale which I'm sure doesn't do the original justice. That's a pretty big assumption, given that I haven't read the original and that I'm not even overly familiar with Gaiman's work (*gasp*), but I just have a feeling. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (in negotiations to direct the upcoming Thor), the overall idea was amazing, and the acting was excellent. Charlie Cox was good as Tristran, and Claire Danes was great as Yvaine. Some of the bigger names in the film include Robert Deniro, Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns), Peter O'Toole (Supergirl) , and Rupert Everett. Other parts include Jason Flemyng (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell) and Melanie Hill (From Hell).

But, the movie was just ok; it really seemed to be missing something. The humor seemed shoehorned in, as if the funny parts were added in later to make it appeal to a larger audience. And the story just didn't seem to flow well, as if parts were cut from a larger story and sewn back together.

It was good, but it just should have been more. I think I was also disappointed in the fact that it didn't seem like the Realm of Faerie was truly a different world from ours. It just seemed like our world with a bit more magic.

You might ask how I can give Stardust and Underdog the same rating. Part of my philosophy for rating movies is to understand the genre. The latter is intended to be a silly family movie based on a corny old cartoon. The former is a serious fantasy based on a story by one of today's foremost authors and comic writers. I think they succeeded at about the same level.

See it if you you're jonesing for a light-hearted fantasy film.


Don't see it if you expect to be blown away by a film adapted from Gaiman's work; maybe you should just rent Mirrormask or wait for Death: The High Cost of Living.

Underdog (2007) mini review

superhero film not based on a comic
[7/10]

In the classic superhero tradition, a failed police dog ends up in the hands of mad scientist Dr. Simon Barsinister, and in an accident with some experimental chemicals, he becomes the rhyming canine superhero, Underdog!

Well, it's not Oscar material, and it's not the pinnacle of filmmaking, even if you consider that it's based on a 60's cartoon, but it is a lot of fun. Several laugh out loud moments and a number of references to the old 'toon serve to make an enjoyable family film. Of course, the ending was completely anti-climactic, with a bunch of sappiness to top it off, so that was a bit disappointing.

Jason Lee (Chasing Amy, The Incredibles), is a decent Underdog, and Peter Dinklage (from the amazing non-comic movie, The Station Agent) plays a wonderful Barsinister. Though I'm not normally a fan of the live action stuff we've seen from Patrick Warburton (The Tick live action series, Men In Black II; also voicing a police detective on The Batman and the voice of Royal Pain in Sky High), he plays a pretty good part as Barsinister's lackey. Jack, the boy who befriends Underdog is could have been better, and even Jim Belushi (who actually did a voice for The Tick cartoon) should have done a better job. Amy Adams (from an early episode of Smallville) plays Polly Purebred, Underdog's love interest; Jim Garret (who's had voice parts in Justice League, Superman: The Animated Series, the '05 Fantastic Four cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series, The Tick, and even played a part in Lois & Clark) voices Riffraff.

On a side note, one of the screenwriters (Adam Rifkin) happened to also work on the comic movie Zoom.

See it if you want to take the kids to an enjoyable superhero film.


Don't see it if you won't take it for what it is - a goofy family movie based on a goofy 60's cartoon.

July '07 Previews Pop Culture Crossover

It's still July (so I'm ahead of schedule?) and here are some TPBs, one-shots, and #1's listed in July's Previews for September.

TV

• Serenity: Those Left Behind (HC collected mini, Dark Horse)
  Joss Whedon's bridge between Firefly (the show) and Serenity (the movie). This one's supposed to be a "fan favorite". I'll have to read it after I finish watching the entire season of Firefly on DVD. (Note: Target still has it for about $20.)

Movies

• Borderland (One-shot, Viper Comics)
  Based on a film which is, in turn, based on the true story of a US and Mexican police officer investigating a cult just south of the border, hunting for human sacrifices.
  
  
• Buckaroo Banzai vol 1: Return of the Screw (TPB, Moonstone)
  Continuing the adventures from the 80s cult film; includes a ton of extras.
  
  
• Friday the 13th Summer Vacation #1 (mini, Wildstorm)
  Is it a prequel? A sequel? Who knows. Dare I say, who cares?
  
  
• Ghostbusters: Legion (TPB, Eighty Eight MPH Studioes)
  This should hold you off until the next sequel comes out - it collects the 4-part mini, along with a San Diego comic-con exclusive.
  
  
• New Line Cinema's Tales of Horror #1 (new series or mini, Wildstorm)
  Will it never end? Oh, wait; these are sequels to both Nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There's more than one way to milk a cat (or a comic book horror fan).

Books/Stories

• Artemis Fowl vol 1 (Graphic Novel, Hyperion Books)
  Are these any good? I've seen the books in stores, but haven't looked at them.
  


• Dark Hunger (Graphic Novel, Berkley Books)
  Based on the Dark Series of vampire novels by Christine Feehan.
  


• The Escapists (HC collected, Dark Horse)
  Based on the no-longer-fictional comic in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
  


• Gods of Asgard (Graphic Novel, Studio E3)
  Comic adaptation of Norse myths.
  


• King Lear (Graphic Novel, thecomic.com)
  That's the one; based Shakespeare's play.
  


• Looking Glass Wars Hatter M (HC collected mini, Desperado)
  Based on a series of novels (The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy). The web site makes me want to buy the comic.
  


• Pizzeria Kamikaze (TPB, Alternative Comics)
  This comic is based on a short story, but a film based on it (or based on the story; or maybe both) is making the festival rounds as Wristcutters: A Love Story.
  


• Ray Harryhausen Presents Sinbad Rogue of Mars (5-part mini, Bluewater Production)
  Though more properly adapted from a series of stories, than books.

Other

• Ring of the Nibelung (Graphic Novel, ExPress Publishing)
  Adaptation of Wagner's opera.

Picking any of these up? See anything I missed? Take exception to my disparaging comments about endless additions to one-trick horror films?

Mattel's DC Superfriends

Britt over at Kung Fu Rodeo noted that the new DC Superfriends line of action figures were available at his local Target. Due to an odd coincidence, Krista had just bought me a new toy...er...phone for my birthday, and offered to drive so I could play...er...investigate the new features (yeah - that's the ticket). I just so happened to be reading that post just as we were driving by the Florence, Alabama Target.

So I made her take a detour, and we went inside to hunt for treasure.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find the DC Batman for me my son, but I discovered something else, and was able to pick him up these new wooden Spider-Man and Hulk figures designed to be played with the Learning Curve Play Town toys. They've also got a Wolverine/Captain America set.

I'll still be looking for that DC Superfriends Batman, but I'd say it was a successful stop.

I've got all the answers.

Well, the world's most over-rated comics creator has given his advice to all the screenwriters and directors out there on how to make a good comic book movie.

Stan Lee's 10 Rules on How to Make a Good Comics Movie is only one part of movies.com's POW! A Complete Guide to Comics & the Movies (presented, of course, by Who Wants to Be a Superhero). Most of them actually kind of make sense, but after such celebrated hits as Stripperella and Lightspeed, I'm sure everyone's knocking down Lee's door to find out his secrets on adapting comics and superheroes into other media. C'mon Stan - maybe you should follow some of your own advice. 'Nuff said.

While you're there, take the quiz. I got a crappy 10/12 right. Maybe I should relinquish my blog...