Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

[short entry]

based on a comic book
6/10







I was a freshman in college when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie came out. And I wasn't into comics. So I watched it for the very first time with my kids last week. I think I was a bit old for TMNT when it was big, so I don't have the nostalgia factor. The premise was fun, the story decent. I guess I was just "whelmed" to coin a phrase. Was it adapted from the cartoon which was adapted from the comics? I'll have to check that out. (The above pic is, of course, the original cover from the Eastman and Laird comic.)

The Losers (2010)

[short entry]

based on a comic book

[6/10]

It’s sad, really. I bet The Losers (Vertigo) comic by Andy Diggle is at least a hundred times better than the movie. I’ve never read, but now I’m going to since I was disappointed in the film. I give it a 6/10 for some halfway decent action. I’m thinking that, probably, it should have been darker and given an R rating.

The Green Hornet (2011)

[short entry] 

superhero film not based on a comic 

[8/10]

The year in comic book movies for 2011 started with a bang. I wasn't sure what I was going to think about it, but when I saw the trailer, I thought it might actually be good - whether or not I saw Seth Rogen in the role. 

And ultimately, it was a fun action flick. Easy escapism. Green Hornet has come a long way since the radio shows from the 30's. 

Megamind (2010)

[short entry] 

superhero movie not based on a comic 

[8/10]

I was truly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. If I had any inkling how good this movie was, I would have gone to see it in the theater. In 3D. Its The PowerPuff Girls Movie all over again. *sigh*

The Phantom (1996)

[short entry] 

based on a comic 

[5/10]

The Phantom started as a strip in 1936. While I never got into reading it, I can only hope the strip is better than this movie. My 4-year-old didn't even like it.

Databases and Comic Stuff

While I intend to track upcoming movies here (to the right), as well as keep a database of past movies (with the intent of listing every comic book live action or theatrical release move ever made), I'll be posting other comic-related stuff here: http://comicbookeverything.tumblr.com

Hiatus

Wow - it has been a long time. Nearly a year! And the last review I have on here is from 2009? I realized the other day that I never get on a computer any more (or rarely) unless I'm at work. I do everything on iPhone - surfing, email, Twitter, Facebook. And Blogger still doesn't have an iPhone app? I downloaded Blogpress a long time ago and used that for a while, but I do (did) so much on this blog that I couldn't do with an app that I rarely updated this one.

That being said, I still want to keep this updated as a database of comic movies. So, I'm going to start back up with the reviews, and use this blog to keep track of the great comic book and superhero projects coming out in 2011.

Maybe I'll be a bit more consistent :)

Previews and Pop Culture, April 2010

Bringing you the highlights of comics solicited for June as they relate to pop culture.

Movies

Ghostbusters Holiday Special: Con-Volution! (one-shot, IDW)

The Ghostbusters take on a comic book convention.

Jurassic Park #1 (IDW)

Takes up the story 13 years after the original story.

Predators #1-4 (mini, Dark Horse)

Prequel to Robert Rodriguez's Predators movie.

TV

Darkwing Duck #1: The Duck Knight Returns (mini, Boom!)

Darkwing Duck makes a comeback.

Fringe: Tales from the Fringe #1 (mini, Wildstorm / DC)

6-issue mini based on the show.

Phineas and Ferb Early Comic Reader #1: Nothing But Trouble (Disney Press)

Good excuse to buy a comic for my kids...

Books

Dracula #1 and 2 (mini, Marvel Comics)

Based on Bram Stoker's novel, these comics have been colored for the first time. They were inked by comics legend Dick Giordano (who recently passed at the age of 77).

Other

Rock N' Roll Comics #1: Joan Jett & The Runaways (one-shot, Bluewater Productions)

Unauthorized Biography

Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper #1 (IDW)

Adaptation of Robert Bloch's story, originally published in Weird Tales in 1943.

Superheroes at Taco Bell!

Snagged this 3D Batman and Wonder Woman at Taco Bell tonight. Get 'em free with kids meals or $1.50 each. They come with 3D poster and 3D glasses.

Barb Wire (1996)

based on a comic book

[5/10]

Ah...the comic book Bad Girls of the 1990s. Lady Death, Witchblade, Shi, Purgatori, Barb Wire. Good times.

In the 1996 film attempt to cash in on Bad Girl popularity, Pamela Anderson Lee is Barb Wire, a "different kind of mercenary." The year is 2017, after the second American Civil War, the US is run by a fascist regime, and there's one free city left in the States: Steel Harbor. That's what the opening text tells us. And that's what Barb Wire narrates almost word-for-word nearly 10 minutes later after she does an erotic dance going undercover for one of her jobs.

Like a lot comics of the 90s, Barb Wire is more style than substance. The acting is wooden. The dialogue sounds like it was written by a bad writer who's just watched too many action films. Maybe I'm romancing them, but this film makes Arnold's 80s movies look like Oscar-deserving cinema.

Pamela even picked up a tagline for herself in this film. Arnold has "I'll be back" and now Pamela has "Don't call me 'Babe'."

But, there is something about the spectacle. And I've always been drawn to the dystopian future. The action's almost fun in places, and the technology is at least a little interesting.

Barb Wire is based on the Dark Horse comic, from their Comics Greatest World imprint. In 2008, Dark Horse collected the entire Barb Wire run in one of their popular Omnibuses.

Notable cast. The cast is a veritable who's who of random comic book roles.

Pamela Anderson Lee played Invisible Girl in Superhero Movie, and voiced Stripperella in Stan Lee's famed cartoon of the same name.

Barb's foil, Alexander Willis, is played Xander Berkeley. Berkely began his comic-book-related roles back in The Incredible Hulk in 1982. Most recently he played Detective Gigante in Kick-Ass (that's out today!). Voice work in animated roles include The Tick, Superman: TAS, Spawn, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Spider-Man (2003), Teen Titans, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Clint Howard (Schmitz) is one of those character actors whose face you recognize, but whose name you don't. He's been in Heroes, Super Capers, The Rocketeer, and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto.

Udo Kier (Curly) is similarly familiar. You've seen him in Blade and you've heard him in Justice League and The Batman.

Tommy Lister was in The Dark Knight, as well as Super Capers.

Temuera Morrison (Axel) was in Blueberry and will be Abin Sur in the upcoming Green Lantern film.

Jack Noseworthy (Charlie) played Strickland in Surrogates.

Addendum: How could I forget character actor Nicholas Worth (creepy Ruben who picks up Barb Wire), from Darkman and Swamp Thing? 

See it if you rate your actions films by how well they balance the trifecta: violence, nudity, and adult language.

Don't see it if you like your comic book films to have more substance than style.

Marvel and IDW on the iPhone

Surfing apps this afternoon (after my friggin' laptop crashed) and I came across Marvel's app. I'm sure the comics will look cooler on the iPad, but this'll have to do for now. A little more looking and I found that IDW has their own app, too. Cool.

Comic Book Publishers on Twitter

If you're on Twitter, I've been working on a list of comic book publishers. It's not exhaustive, obviously, but it's a start:

Jim's Comic Book Publishers Twitter List 

Previews and Pop Culture

Just a few items of interest in the March Previews...

Boondock Saints in Nomine Patris #1
Written by the original creator of The Boondock Saints, Troy Duffy
12-Gauge Comics

I saw The Boondock Saints for the first time a couple of weeks ago - amazing film! I hear Boondock Saints II doesn't live up to the original, but what sequel does? 


Bram Stoker's Death Ship #1
IDW
Interesting premise - a ship sails from Transylvania and the crew begins to fall victim to the evil creature lying in the ship's hold during daylight hours. 


Fame: Lady Gaga
Bluewater Productions
Seriously? 


James Patterson's Witch & Wizard #1 
IDW
Has anyone read this book? Is it any good? 


Muppet King Arther (Hardcover) 
Boom! Studios
I need to check out this muppet series.



Addendum.
Duh! How could I forget (especially since I ordered it):


Rock & Roll Comics: The Pink Floyd Experience
Bluewater Productions 
Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band. I'm looking forward to reading this.  

Comic Book Movies on Sale at Target

Comic book movie sale at Target.

Superman I-IV complete set for $9.99.

Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin complete set for $9.99.

And Greatest American Hero Seasons 1-2 pack for $19.99.

Batman: Brave and the Bold - Plastic Man toy!

I think this is the next thing I'll pick up when I have a little money to spend. A stretchy Plastic Man toy from Batman: The Brave and the Bold.




Check out my mad filmmaking skills (stills shot with an iPhone; stop motion created with iMovie 08).

Also found a few other cool toys from the show (these were all at Target).