Monthly Archives: January 2014

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Her – Review

her poster1

Her is one of those movies that I don’t know if I would have went to go see if it weren’t up for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. When someone described it to me as “Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with Siri,” I think my reaction was “Ohhhhhhkaaaaaayyyy…” Was this going to be another strange Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary like I’m Still Here?

arrested development her poster

Part of me wanted this to be real.

After seeing Her, I don’t think it will take home Best Picture, but I’m glad it was nominated, because it is an excellent movie. It might be the most original romantic comedy I’ve seen since High Fidelity (though I’m not sure how original that was since it based on Nick Hornby’s book of the same name). I can completely see Her winning Best Original Screenplay. Spike Jonze’s script is excellent. He takes a high concept idea, “Man falls in love with iPhone,” and crafts poetry out of it. He pulls off the magic of making this relationship eventually feel both normal and believable. In someone else’s hands, I feel like Her would have had the same tone as an episode of The Big Bang Theory.

My only quibble with Her is I wish Spike Jonze went with an unknown actress for the voice of Samantha. I thought Scarlett Johannson did an excellent job in the role, but I couldn’t help but picture Scarlett Johannson throughout the entire movie. Her voice is just too distinctive.

I was a little scared as I left theater after watching Her. Because it suddenly hit me. This movie is the prequel to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Uh-oh.

The Her poster Skynet doesn't want you to see.

The Her poster Skynet doesn’t want you to see.

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Flash Poster Contestants

We’ve received some great entries in our Justice League: War Flash Poster Contest. The winner of the contest will receive a Blu Ray Combo Pack of Justice League: War signed by voice of The Flash and Covert Affairs star Christopher Gorham, and a follow from Christopher (@ChrisGorham) on Twitter! Check out the contestants’ entries below!

JuneGihouse

@JuneGilhouse

Lovra

@Lovra2

raiseborough

@raiseborough

Will_iamVega

@Will_iamVega

UniversoDC1

@UniversoDC1

 

And the winner is…

Lovra

 …@Lovra2! Congratulations! Christopher Gorham had this to say about @Lovra2’s entry: “I think this captures the heart of the film, and we all know hearts are red. :)”

Christopher also gave an Honorable Mention to @Will_iamVega for having the most original entry in the contest.

Will_iamVega

Thank you to everyone who entered!

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Arrow S2E7: “State v. Queen”

The episode begins with a flashback, where we see how the Earthquake in the Glades takes apart the Iron Heights Penitentiary. I’d like to see a map of the Arrowverse. Because we know that Iron Heights is in Keystone City. We know the Glades is in Starling City. I really wonder how this earthquake worked. Because not all of Starling City is decimated but the quake made its way to Keystone City. How far apart are these cities? In any case we get to see how the Dollmaker and now Count Vertigo make their escape from the Penitentiary.  Through an Arrow shaped hole.

Arrow_Shaped_Hole

Flash further back to the island. Oliver as been taken to Slade and Shado’s camp by Ivo and his men. Ollie yells to warn them. This buys them time to escape Ivo without him knowing they were there. Though Slade is looking rough. Oliver then takes Ivo to the World War II Japanese bodies. Ivo is looking for the “Hosen” arrowhead that should be with the bodies but cannot find it. He is about to have his men kill Ollie when Slade and Shado rescue him. Once in a safe place Shado reveals the Hosen.

Oliver leads Ivo and his men to the WWII Japanese bodies. Ivo searches everywhere but cannot find “The Hosen,” a special arrowhead that was supposed to be with the bodies. Ivo’s men are about to shoot Oliver when Shado and Slade get the drop on all of them.

Another scene on the island. Slade and Shado rescue Oliver. He grabs Sara as they all flee Ivo’s men. Shado uses one of Ivo’s detonators to cover their escape.

One final island flashback. Shado pulls out the Hosen. She doesn’t know why Ivo wants it. There is a Buddhist inscription on one side and the numbers 30, 30, 175, and 12 on the back. It’s very Lost like and obviously coordinates. They are for the Japanese sub. The sub can apparently save the human race. Ollie wants to find it to save Slade who is getting worse.

Jump back to the present we are finally getting to Moira Queen’s Trial. This is my least favorite story arc of this season so it feels like it has been dragging on forever. A.D.A. Adam Donner who has a “Trump Card” yet to be revealed and Laurel, who should not be allowed to prosecute Moira, are in the courtroom. The trial’s opening arguments try make the case that Moira and her family were threatened by Malcolm Merlyn.

Then we switch to Diggle who is feeling weird since he got a flu-shot. He eventually collapsing from his illness. Then we jump back and Adam Donner is collapsing in the courtroom from seemingly the same thing. Hmmm, I wonder who did this? Adam gets rushed into an ambulance hijacked by Vertigo. Then D.A. Kate Spencer, Alderman Blood, and Laurel are discussing his case and Laurel finds Adam’s “Trump Card.” Laurel goes to the prison where Moira is held and explains this is why Moira can’t take the stand. Because of this Moira is forced to reveal to Thea and Ollie that she had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn. Laurel does a weird cross-examination type thing that makes a terrible case against Moira. How did Laurel get this job? The next day we get the verdict. NOT GUILTY!  WTF?!?!?!

not_dead

Oh yeah and somewhere in here Team Arrow takes down Count Vertigo. Oh, I mean literally. Three arrows in the chest out the window down a few stories on to a cab and I am sure this makes Count Vertigo ripe for a return from the dead. Speaking of which, Moira’s driver takes her from the courtroom to an abandoned parking lot . He steps out of the car and gets shot in the chest by a black Arrow… Malcolm Merlyn is back. He bribed the jury, knows how to escape death, and is Thea’s Dad!

Oh one more scene to mention. Alderman Blood is getting really creepy. He reveals he is the reason for Count Vertigo terrorizing the city. We see he is experimenting on people who now won’t die. One is Brother Cyrus (See more below). I think we’re going to see all these people not dying and the drugs from the island, Slade, and Sebastian Blood all start to connect.

NOTES:

Count Vertigo: Werner Vertigo, also known as Count Vertigo was created by  Gerry Conway and Trevor von Eeden and first appeared in World’s Finest #251 in 1978. In most of his incarnations he is a ruler of a fiction country Vlatava. He uses his “Vertigo Effect” to disrupt his enemies’ balance. The TV show does a nice job of switching that to a drug. When he eventually comes back from the dead I think we will see him with a weapon to give people Vertigo he is fighting. Outside of his history as a Green Arrow and Black Canary villain, he has been a part of the Suicide Squad, Checkmate, and the Injustice Society. For a good Count Vertigo story check out the Green Arrow #23.1 by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino.

Malcolm Merlyn: The comic book character of Merlyn first appeared in Justice League of America #94  in 1971. He was created by created by Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin, and Neal Adams to be an archenemy of Green Arrow. In the comic books Meryln is a stage name and the supervillain name of Arthur King. Oliver Queen is inspired to take up archery after seeing Merlyn perform. As an adult Green Arrow meets Merlyn when Merlyn challenges the hero to a public archery contest. Ollie bests Merlyn. Merlyn disappears from the public eye and joins the League of Assassins. When Green Arrow next meets Merlyn, Ollie is with Batman and is able to deflect one of Merlyn’s arrows with an arrow of his own, saving Batman’s life. Andrew Kreisberg, one of the writers on Arrow wrote a story featuring Merlyn in Green Arrow/Black Canary: Enemies List.

Brother Cyrus: Brother Cyrus most likely refers to Cyrus Gold who becomes the zombie-like character Solomon Grundy. He first appeared in All-American Comics #61 in 1944 and was created by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman. His name was taken from the 19th Century nursery rhyme.  Solomon Grundy’s story starts when Cyrus Gold , a wealthy merchant, was murdered and his body disposed of in Slaughter Swamp. He was supernaturally resurrected fifty years later, partially being composed of material from the swamp. He is named Solomon Grundy in the hobo camp near the Swamp because his only memory is of being born on a Monday. Pretty mindless, he eventually turns to a life a crime and destruction which puts him into battle with the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott. He is eventually killed, but this is not the end because he is trapped in a constant state of reincarnation. Each time he dies he is resurrected in the Slaughter Swamp with slightly different levels of strength, intelligence, and personality. His most notable story involving Oliver is Green Arrow: The Archer’s Quest written by Brad Meltzer (from History Channel’s Brad Meltzer’s Decoded) and Phil Hester. Obviously in the TV show we are seeing Cyrus being constructed by drugs. However it is worth noting that the forever resurrecting Solomon Grundy goes along with this season’s theme of not dying (Ra’s al Ghul and the Lazurus Pit, Professor Anthony Ivo, Mirakuru, etc.).

Kate Spencer: D.A. Kate Spencer has appeared previously in the season 1 episode “Damaged.” She lead the prosecution that charged Oliver Queen with the crimes the Hood committed. Her comic book counterpart is a federal prosecutor who grows  tired of seeing guilty super-criminals evade punishment. She takes matters into her own hands, stealing equipment and weapons from an evidence room becoming the vigilante Manhunter. She was created by Marc Andreyko and Jesus Saiz for the wonderful series appropriately titled Manhunter.

Jean Loring: She has been a player in the trial storyline this season. She is a defense attorney and an old friend of Moira Queen’s. She was created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane in Showcase #34 in 1961 as a love interest for Ray Palmer, The Atom. Her comic book counterpart is also a lawyer. She eventually married and divorced Ray Palmer and displayed in various stories some mental instability. She is featured in Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales.

Markovia: This is a small country in Europe, ruled by the Markov family and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #200 in 1983. Prince Brion Markov is also known as the superhero Geo-Force. He can manipulate the Earth’s gravitational field to make an object heavier or lighter, manipulate the earth, turn organic matter into stone, and project “lava blasts.” A Dr. Brion Markov appeared last season in “Darkness at the Edge of Town” where he created a device for Malcolm Merlyn to create the earthquake. Malcolm killed Dr. Markov once the device was complete. Comic book Brion had a half sister Tara Markov who was the sometimes hero and somes villain named Terra who had the ability to control earth much like her brother. She was mentally unstable and had a professional and personal relationship with Slade Wilson. She is introduced in the story “Terra Incognito” in the New Teen Titans. Brion and Ollie were on a team called The Outsiders together.

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Tuesday Night Comics Podcast #4

Check out Billy and Dave’s comic book picks for comics being released on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Also in the podcast: the guys review last week’s comics, Billy can’t stop bringing up Rick Remender, and the guys talk about the upcoming 100th birthday of Bill Finger, co-creator of The Batman.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Arrow S2E6: “Keep Your Enemies Closer” Recap

teamarrowtrip

In this episode we see more of Oliver having a hard time balancing his “Arrow” life and his business life. It starts when Diggle gets grabbed by A.R.G.U.S. agents and Amanda Waller shows up to let him know that Lyla Michaels has been captured in Russia tracking down Deadshot. She was tracking Deadshot for Diggle. Waller also lets him know that she knows what Diggle and Ollie are up to at night and basically blackmails Digg into rescuing her. I don’t know how much blackmailing Diggle really needed. This sets Team Arrow on the go to Russia. And worlds start colliding when Isabel Rochev decides she needs to accompany them on this suspicious trip.

John and Ollie ditch Isabel with Smoak to go meet up with Olie’s former Amazo boat cellmate, Antoli Knyazev, who sets up a break into Gulag to rescue Lyla. John and Ollie argue who will go in for her. The decision is made that John will go in. The thought of Arrow going in the prison reminded me of a film by David Goyer that never was made, Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max. The premise is that Green Arrow gets framed for murder and he is stuck in a jail with a bunch of super villains he put there. He needs to escape. Anyway, they set up John to get arrested so he can get in the prison. In the prison, he is chained in a tortuously cold room with Flyod Lawton a.k.a. Deadshot. Digg and Flyod both break free separately and Flyod tells him he knows where Lyla is and he will tell Diggle if Diggle gets him out.

Meanwhile, Ollie and Isabel hook up. Felicity comes calling to help Diggle get free. She realizes that Isabel and Ollie slept together and is visibly upset. On the other hand we also see that Isabel is not phased one bit by their hook-up. We also find out that she, like her comic book counterpart, is Russian. The theme of everlasting life/rebirth and the presence of Russian characters are two things that are very prominent this season. I don’t think it’s too far of a jump to find that Isabel is mixed up with the League of Assassins. She was really giving me a Talia al Ghul vibe this episode. Maybe it was the one night stand.

Keep Your Enemies Closer

Nevertheless Ollie, Smoak, and Antoli rescue Diggle who has rescued both Floyd and Lyla. On the way out they release Floyd. Diggle lets him go because of Floyd helped him escape. In return Floyd tells Diggle that it was not a mistake that he killed his brother but the contract was for his brother by a group named H.I.V.E.

Flashback time. Ollie is meeting with Sara and Ivo on the Amazo. Ivo starts explaining the Japanese sub and how during World War II the Japanese created a serum called Mirakulu that enhanced strength, rapid cell regeneration to create an army of super-soldiers. And we wend with Sara tricking Ollie into giving up Slade and Shado.

NOTES:

Task Force X: This is a government task force also know as the Suicide Squad. This version of the squad first appeared in Legends #3 in 1987. The Squad is a team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for shortened prison sentences. The squad is lead by Amanda Waller and at times the Bronze Tiger. Both Deadshot and Count Vertigo are members of this team in the comic books. The current Suicide Squad book is s decent read but the book by John Ostrander in the late ’80s is what defined what the team is.

Amanda Waller: She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne. Nick named “The Wall,” she is a cunning strategist and is the Director of A.R.G.U.S. and the Suicide Squad.

Mockingbird: This is the code name for whoever is in charge of the Secret Six. Many people have been in charge of the Secret Six over many years, one of them being Amanda Waller. The team that she secretly ran consisted mainly of villains who undertook missions of dubious moral quality and often resulting in a high body count. This version of the Secret Six was thematically similar to John Ostrander’s run on the Suicide Squad. It’s definitely a good read by Gail Simone.

Deadshot: Floyd Lawton first appeared way back in Batman #59 in 1950 and was created by  by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz. Deadshot is a hired assassin who is a member of both the Secret Six and the Suicide Squad. It was recently revealed in Suicide Squad that Waller has found a way to bring him back to life no matter how many times he dies. It makes his death wish pretty hard to accomplish. He had a great miniseries back in 2005 by Christos Gage and Steven Cummings that featured Green Arrow. Deadshot: Beginnings collects the miniseries John Ostrander wrote in the 1980s as well as some Batman stories.

Flashwatch: The TV showed a “No S.T.A.R. Labs” sign and the voice over said. “…any scientific gain that might come from it. The people need to understand how dangerous technology like this is and the very real possibility of a cataclysmic event.”

Mirakulu: The description and the sound of this drug sound very much like Miraclo. Miraclo is a drug that scientist Rex Tyler, created that gave him superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability for an hour before returning to human levels. He became the superhero known as

Hourman. The CW currently have a Hourman show in development. I wonder if there will be a link to Arrow. Some good Hourman reading I would point to Sandman Mystery Theatre: the Hourman and Starman #11.

H.I.V.E.: The original H.I.V.E. which stands for Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination was a mysterious organization that specialized in high-level contract assassinations and mercenary acts of terrorism. They first appeared in Superman Family #203 in 1980 and were created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.

Slade Wilson: He is also known as Deathstroke the Terminator but is mostly called Deathstroke in order not to be confused with the Arnold Schwarzenegger killing machine. He first appeared in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #2 in 1980 as a bounty hunter. DC Comics recently gave him his own series. I’d suggest reading issues #1-8 by Kyle Higgins.

Shado: She first appeared in Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters in 1987. She is the daughter of a Yakuza agent sent to America with a large cache of gold, prior to World War II, in order to establish Yakuza operations in America. Shado tends to be both an antagonist of Green Arrow and a love interest.

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JLA: Trapped in Time – Review

jla trapped in time box art

Tuesday, January 21 was a big day for the Justice League. That day saw the world premiere of Justice League: War at the Paley Center in New York City and the release of JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time exclusively at Target stores nationwide.

The release of JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time may have caught you unaware. The first I heard of it was less than two weeks ago. Needless to say, I was intrigued, so intrigued that I ventured out in a blizzard during lunch to my nearest Target to secure a copy.

A sticker on Trapped in Time says it’s a limited time Target exclusive. I’m not sure if this means it will see wide release into other stores after a few months, or if once Target sells out of their stock, that’s it.

JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time is a very different movie than Justice League: War. While War’s art direction is based on Jim Lee’s New 52 costumes, Crisis in Time draws its inspiration from many places. Superman is basically in his New 52 outfit with a more stylized S-symbol on his chest. Wonder Woman is wearing her caped costume from Infinite Crisis. Batman’s costume is a mix of New 52 and the recent Brave and the Bold cartoon. It’s not clear which Robin we’re seeing, but he’s in Tim’s original costume with a mop of hair.

jla trapped in time trinity

The lineup is straight out of the Super Powers years of Super Friends. The JLA consists of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Flash and Aquaman, and the villains are their Super Friends era Legion of Doom counterparts. Even Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog make a very quick blink and you’ll miss them cameo.

jla trapped in time wendy and marvin

Diedrich Bader, aka the best thing about The Drew Carey show, voices Batman here. This isn’t his first time voicing the dark knight. He also voiced Batman on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The voice of the narrator in Trapped in Time is also Diedrich Bader, which made me think for a second that he was doing every voice in the movie early in my viewing of it.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Premiere

The story of Trapped in Timeis a fun one, involving Lex Luthor being thawed out of an ice block in the future ala Demolition Man. While in the future, Lex learns Superman is really Clark Kent and acquires the means to time travel, which leads to exactly what you think Lex Luthor would do if he knew Superman’s secret identity and could travel in time. He’s pursued by Dawnstar and Karate Kid of The Legion of Superheroes. Dawnstar is one of my favorite LoSH members, so I was happy to see her represented here.

jla trapped in time lex

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I would have liked it better if we saw the ramifications of a world where Superman didn’t exist. But the same fight that causes Superman to blink out of existence Back to the Future style is resolved in a way that the viewer never gets to see what the world would be like if the Legion of Doom could run amok without having to worry about the Justice League. One of my favorite movies is Back to the Future II, so of course I’m be disappointed by not being able to see the Legion of Doom controlled alternate timeline. The movie does end with a twist that sets up what I’m guessing will be the next Target exclusive original JLA DVD. The twist ending was good enough that I would venture out into another blizzard to acquire the sequel.

Comparing JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time and Justice League: War, Trapped in Time is definitely the more family friendly movie. War contains a hero uttering a curse word in the climatic final battle, something that played well to the 20-and-30-somethings at the premiere, but might not fly as well in the living room of a family with a small child. The storytelling in JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time is perfect for pre-schoolers to 6th graders. I’d recommend Justice League: War to teens on up.

secret origins of the super friends

As per comicbook.com, Trapped in Time is a retelling of the Super Friends episode Secret Origins of the Super Friends, with the story updated to focus on Lex Luthor travelling back in time to eliminate Superman from ever existing. This is a streamline of the  original, which focused on the villains trying to eliminate Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern from history. Oddly enough, Secret Origins of the Super Friends is not one of the two Super Friends episodes included in the DVD’s bonus features.

YOu can

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Nebraska – Review

Nebraska poster

Like two of Alexander Payne’s previous films, Sideways and The Descendants, Nebraska involves a journey of self discovery through travel. It’s more like Sideways than The Descendants, in that like Sideways, Nebraska centers around two men taking the most American of journeys, a long car drive.

In Nebraska, a son drives his father from Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska so that the father can collect on lottery winnings. It’s set up early on that the son, David, does not think the father actually won anything. But David uses the excuse of taking this trip with his dad Woody to have a father-son bonding experience that never happened in their relationship previously.

NEBRASKA

I feel like Nebraska has one of, if not the most honest looks at alcoholism out of any movie I’ve seen in recent years. Bruce Dern’s character, Woody Grant, is almost like a Ghost of Christmas Future for younger people with drinking problems.  Woody is a letdown as a husband and father. Decades of drinking have taken a toll on his personal relationships, his body and his mind.

Will Forte plays David very well. It’s cool to see Forte, who I love as a comedic actor (MacGruber!), take on a serious role. If David has inherited anything from his father, it’s his alcoholism. Unlike his father though, David has put drinking behind him before the start of the movie.

Nebraska is a bleak movie, as bleak as the black and white dusty landscape that encompasses most of the movie. Old age isn’t shown as a desirable goal in this movie. With the exception of Peg at the town paper and the nice elderly couple that the funniest scene in the movie centers around (and that I won’t spoil here), the old folks in Nebraska are living very dull, often sad lives. The scene of everyone sitting around the TV, not looking at each other, even when talking to each other, reminded me a little too much about some older family visits I’ve had.  I’m sure you’ve had them too.

old people watching tv

A large section of the movie takes place in Woody’s childhood hometown, a tiny town where everyone knows everyone’s business. It’s almost like a kind of purgatory that Woody has to endure in order to make it his promised land of Lincoln, Nebraska. Stacey Keach is excellent as the town’s heavy. I really like Stacey Keach. The man plays both good guys and bad guys effortlessly. When he plays a bad guy, as he does here, it’s always with a mix of charm and venom. I feel like Keach is a very underrated actor. His character in Nebraska, Ed Pegram, is like the town’s Satan. He’s the friendly face using you to his own ends. Wait, does Satan hang out in purgatory? I’m mixing my biblical comparisons.

nebraska dern and keach

If you have a mother like David’s, I do not envy you. Any time Kate (June Squibb) voiced her disdain for something, which seems to be every time she opened her mouth, I almost excused Woody’s constant drinking. Her nagging and his drinking are a like a chicken and the egg problem. I don’t know which came first, but they definitely perpetuate each other. Kate definitely cares for her family; she jut has the worst ability at showing it.

nebraska june squibb

If you go to the movies for escapism, Nebraska might not be the movie for you. Then again, Payne does mix in humor with the seriousness. David and his brother Ross (Bob Odenkirk) attempt a payback mission for their father that goes hilariously wrong and might be my favorite scene out of any movie I’ve seen in the past 12 months. And the bleakness of the movie is matched by an ending that will make you leave the theater smiling.

I’m glad Nebraska was nominated for an Oscar. I think its nomination is helping put people in the seats, which is a good thing, as this is very good movie. However, I’d probably watch Payne’s Sideways again before I watched Nebraska a second time.

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Justice League: War – Review

Justice League War blu-ray box

A theater full of excited fans and I braved a blizzard in New York City to attend the world premiere of Justice League: War at the Paley Center. I can’t lie, I was both excited and apprehensive when I took my seat. I was excited because Justice League: War represents a new initiative in the DC Animated Universe. Producer James Tucker has a vision of the films now operating under a shared continuity. I was also excited for the talent that Andrea Romano cast to be in the movie. I’m an unabashed fan of Justin Kirk and wanted to see what he brought to Green Lantern. But I still had a lingering apprehension, which stemmed from the source material. I love Geoff Johns and I love Jim Lee, but I found the story in Justice League: Origin to be a bit underwhelming. Not to say I didn’t like their run on Justice League. I own all of the issues and even a page of Jim Lee’s original art from #5. I just wanted more from that story.

Justice League: War brings the more.

jl war cyborg

Screenwriter Heath Corson and Director Jay Oliva make a number of improvements to the Justice League: Origin story in Justice League: War. My favorite line in Justice League: Origin, “Who’s Bruce Wayne?” is still here, but it’s moved much earlier in the story. It definitely works better in its new spot. Later, Bruce’s unmasking to Hal, which I remember being a big sore point for fans when the comic was released feels much more organic in the movie. The scene is now an inspiring one and seems to fit perfectly into the narrative. The biggest change to story is Vic Stone’s transformation into Cyborg. In the Justice League comic, his cyborg body is basically built out of a bunch of spare parts that his dad had lying around. But in the movie, his cyborg half stems from the techno-organic virus-like goo that transforms beings into parademons. I feel this new origin works better, because it gives Victor something to overcome. Vic is still saved by his father Silas when he’s near death, but this method gets Vic back in the game much more quickly.

jl war superman

Corson’s humor definitely shines in the script, and because of that, I feel that this is a superhero movie that non-comics fans can enjoy alongside comic book fans. It has that same wink and a nod tone that the best episodes of Justice League Unlimited had. Whether it’s Batman and Green Lantern’s verbal jabbing, the ice cream scene with Wonder Woman, or even just the reactions characters give to certain lines, the humor makes this movie stand out. And don’t think for one second that this comes at the cost of making the movie feel silly. Just the opposite. Corson plays the humor in a way that heightens the seriousness of the threat. And it makes sense. Thematically, Darkseid is the absence of all joy, so of course the heroes should have a tinge of mirth to them.

justice league war darkseid

Jay Oliva can really direct a fight scene. At NYCC, Jay said he wanted Justice League: War to be balls to the wall action, and man did he deliver! This might be the most action-heavy DC animated movie yet. The movie revs up quickly and does not slow down for the most part. Oliva does take small breaks from the action, but this keeps things from getting monotonous. There’s a fine line that separates great action from overdoing it, and Jay walks that line well.

As you watch the movie, you may notice the pace of the story has been dramatically increased. In the comic, the story played out over a few days, but here it’s been reduced to one night. It’s almost like Justice League: 24. The shortened timetable both increases suspense and raises the stakes.

I really liked the character design work by Phil Bourassa. He took Jim Lee’s New 52 designs and improved on them for the movie. This is particularly true for the parademons. Gone are the bugged out red eyes that defined Lee’s parademons for me. Bourassa’s parademons don’t even have eyes…unless that’s them on their chins. Bourassa also designed a very cool Wonder Woman costume. It’s the most athletic looking Wonder Woman costume I can remember, while retaining all of Wonder Woman’s iconic pieces…the tiara, the bracelets, the lasso, the boots and the chest plate symbol.

justice-league-war-wonder-woman-parademon

Andrea Romano cast what I would call a perfect cast for this movie. Sure, I’ll always want Nathan Fillion to voice Green Lantern and Kevin Conroy to voice Batman, but they’re not always available, and you will not hear any complaints from me on the casting of Justin Kirk and Jason O’Mara in their stead. Christopher Gorham’s take on The Flash is what I found most interesting. It’s definitely not the voice for Barry Allen that I hear in my head when I read the comics, but his choices on he played Barry make sense. He gives Allen a definitive cop voice, which makes sense, because Allen is a cop. I think Gorham and Romano took a risk with playing Barry Allen this way, but it’s a risk that paid off. Gorham speaks quickly as he voices The Flash. He has a knack for speaking quickly. During the panel after the screening, he let the audience know that he’s a trained auctioneer. You can listen to clip of him training the audience on how to be an auctioneer right here:

In my opinion, Justice League: War is the new reigning champ among DC animated movies. And I say this as a HUGE fan of Under the Red Hood and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 and Part 2. I think the crew there are operating on all cylinders, which makes me very excited for Batman: Son of Batman, their next release. If you are a fan of the Justice League, consider Justice League: War a must-see!

Justice League: War is available for digital download right now and will be released on Blu Ray and DVD on February 4. You can preorder it on Amazon right now.

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“Where’s The Flash?”

Tuesday Night Movies is running a contest where one lucky winner will take home a copy of Justice League: War, signed by Christopher Gorham of Covert Affairs, who voices The Flash in the movie. While interviewing him at the premiere last night, I pointed out that The Flash wasn’t on the poster for Justice League: War. The fan who makes the best poster for Justice League: War that includes The Flash will win a signed Blu Ray combo pack of Justice League: War by Christopher Gorham and a follow from him on Twitter! You can find all the details on how to enter here.

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12 Years A Slave – Review

12 years a slave poster

Before I saw 12 Years a Slave, I did not know that it was based on a true story, and I’m suspecting I’m not alone. Because of this, this movie is doing the American public a service, bringing to light once more a terrible story that needs to be told.

Chietwel Ejiofor is simply amazing in 12 Years a Slave. He brings gravitas to every scene. His vocal inflection in every line of dialog carries so much meaning. He is my pick for the Best Actor Oscar.

12 Years a Slave is a great movie, though it can be very hard to watch at points. I physically winced during Eliza’s whipping. At the same time, it was such a great scene. Epps can’t bring himself to whip Eliza, so he forces Solomon to do it. It turns Epps into a weakling and a monster all in the same scene. Michael Fassbender should win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar on the strength of this scene alone.

My favorite scene in the entire movie is when Solomon has to talk his way out of being killed by Epps in the middle of the night. Solomon is ratted out on a plan to escape to freedom, but instead of fighting or fleeing, he uses his wits to stay alive. He even turns the table on his accuser, causing Epps to mistrust that man. Part of the strength of the scene came from the proximity of the actors. Fassbender literally has his arm around Ejiofor for the length of the scene. Solomon is a turn of the knife away from being in the grave the entire time he’s pleading his case.

12-years-a-slave fassbender

I think part of what makes 12 Years a Slave works so well is that it humanizes even the vilest of villains. By humanize, I don’t mean it excuses their behavior. But the movie does an excellent job of showing the origins of their motivation. Paul Dano’s Tibeats is an out and out racist, there’s no denying that, but the movie shows him also operating out of jealously. When he turns his malicious attention to Solomon, it’s because Solomon managed to impress Tibeats’s boss more than Tibeats could.

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Between the one-two punch of There Will Be Blood and 12 Years a Slave, Paul Dano might be the most effective movie villain out there. I’m fairly certain that going forward, my skin will crawl the minute he appears on screen. It’s weird that he played such a quiet character in Little Miss Sunshine, because when I think of him, all I can picture is him howling in There Will be Blood or 12 Years a Slave.

With the exception of Brad Pitt’s character and the doctor that comes to rescue Solomon, every white person in this movie is an asshole. Some are better than others, but the best of them, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Ford, while easily the most genial slave owner in the movie, turns out to be a coward, and let’s not forget, still a slave owner.

When I walked into 12 Years A Slave, I worried that the movie would be another Hotel Rwanda, a great movie but one I’d never want to watch again. However, after watching 12 Years A Slave, I’d gladly watch it again, because it is a masterpiece. I keep going back and forth on which I think should win the Oscar, 12 Years A Slave or Gravity. Today it’s 12 Years a Slave.

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Justice League War Poster Contest!

Christopher Gorham, star of Covert Affairs and the voice of The Flash in Justice League: War, was at the World Premiere for Justice League: War at the Paley Center in New York City last night. Ironically, The Flash is not on the poster for Justice League: War.

Chris Gorham Where's The Flash?

Here’s your chance to rectify that and win yourself a Blu Ray Combo Pack of Justice League: War  signed by Christopher Gorham and a follow from Christopher on Twitter!

Entering is easy:

  1. Follow @TuesNightMovies on Twitter
  2. Design a new poster for Justice League: War. The poster must include The Flash and the title logo for Justice League: War. Other than that, get as creative as you can!
  3. Tweet a pic of your poster to @TuesNightMovies and @ChrisGorham with the hashtags #JLWar #FlashPoster

Winner will be chosen on January 29th!

Justice League War blu-ray box

Justice League: War is available for digital download now and will be released on Blu Ray Combo Pack and DVD on February 4! Pre-order it now on Amazon.