Catwoman (2004)

Catwoman (2004)
Going into Catwoman I knew I was going to get a bad movie. However, I didn't know that this Catwoman was not the DC comics character but a new, very different version for the film. Halle Berry's Catwoman is named Patience Phillips and doesn't act much like the Selina Kyle of the comics. For example, Phillips is a shy artist working for a cosmetics company before she becomes Catwoman. What is the origin story of Catwoman in this movie you ask? Well, Phillips is resurrected by cats after she dies in a sewage pipe... I don't care that this is not like the comics, it's just stupid.
The story is pretty weak as it doesn't feel like there is that much at stake. A cosmetics company is going to release skin care products with bad side effects because it's cheaper than recalling the items. Sure that is deplorable, but why can't the FDA handle this? Or does it not exist in this universe?
Sharon Stone plays the main villain, Laurel Hedare, whose husband owns the cosmetics company that Catwoman works for. The owner of the company is played by Lambert Wilson, best known to me for his role as The Merovingian in The Matrix sequels. Halle Berry isn't the problem with the movie as she doesn't have much to work with, though she doesn't do a good job either. Sharon Stone could've been a great Selina Kyle Catwoman, but it's probably too late now unless she only voices the character or we get a live action adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns."

Catwoman had a $100 million budget but the production values feel a lot cheaper. I'm assuming most of the budget went to Halle Berry who was coming off her role as Storm in the popular X-Men movies.
The director of Catwoman is Pitof. That's right, only one name. But at least it's still a better name for a film director than McG. It's no surprise that Pitof hasn't directed a theatrical feature film since this dud.
As you can probably guess, this movie doesn't take place in any sort of DC universe as there is no mention of Batman/Bruce Wayne let alone Gotham City. I found this odd since Batman Begins only came out a year later, but trust me, it's a good thing. People complain (usually unfairly) about Batman & Robin but at least that movie was fun. Although Catwoman is feels like a quick cash grab, it's still watchable for anyone who enjoys dumb Hollywood train wrecks. Catwoman came out same year as some much better super hero movies such as Hellboy, The Incredibles, and Spider-Man 2.
3/10

Animation Week - Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Batman appears yet again in animation week! Unlike The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 and 2, Batman: Under the Red Hood is based on the comics but is not a direct adaptation. Instead, the film features a new story that is influenced by the comics such as the "A Death in the Family" story arc (which I have read) and the "Under the Hood" storyline. The basic plot is that a new vigilante called the Red Hood arrives in Gotham City five years after the death of the last Robin, Jason Todd. Unlike Batman, the Red Hood has no qualms with using guns or killing and starts taking down the criminals of Gotham.

I enjoyed Under the Red Hood a bit more than The Dark Knight Returns movies simply because I didn't really know what would happen. The identity of the Red Hood was pretty obvious but the character and his interactions with the Joker, Black Mask, and Batman were compelling and led to an interesting conclusion. The mixing up of characters and events into a new story worked great as it allows both new and old fans to jump right in while still having some surprises along the way. The voice work was solid all around with Bruce Greenwood (Batman), Neil Patrick Harris (Nightwing), and veteran voice actor John DiMaggio as the Joker as stand-outs. Like The Dark Knight Returns, Under the Red Hood is another very good movie from the DC Animated Universe. I look forward to whatever they have in store next.
8/10

Tomorrow: Yet another movie based on a comic, though it does not feature Batman or any super heroes.

Animation Week - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013)
Back in October I saw and reviewed Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, so now its time to discuss Part 2. This is also the first movie I have seen released in 2013. It is direct-to-video but that still counts!
Most of what I wrote for Part 1 applies here so I'll keep this post short. The Joker plays a major role this time and I liked how he was handled. Voice actor Michael Emerson did a good job of fitting his character of the story instead of simply trying to be like Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, or Heath Ledger. I appreciated that he tried to do something knew while fitting with the depiction of the character in the comic and it worked out great.

Like Part 1, the second part gets rid of any monologues in order to make it more cinematic. While I appreciate this technique, it did change Superman's character. I think there could have been a way to explain Superman's motivations better while still not using monologues. Someone who has not read the original story could read Superman's story arc pretty differently from somebody has read Frank Miller's comic. But overall both parts were a very good adaptation of the comic to the screen. I need to read the comic again, but honestly after watching these I kind of feel like I already have! I'll be looking forward to any future DC animated movies done by this production team.

Next up: More Batman!

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)
Based on the Frank Miller comic of the same name, which I highly recommend, this direct to video adaptation is the first half of the story. As a fan of the comic, I felt that this was a good idea as the book does feel like two stories that can easily be cut in half.

Peter Weller is great as an older Bruce Wayne who comes out of a ten year retirement to become Batman again in order to deal with the Mutant gang that has been menacing Gotham City. The rest of the cast also does a fine job. Voice acting veterans Frank Welker and Tara Strong provide additional voices. Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm has a brief role as Thomas Wayne.

It has been long time since I've read the comic but as an adaptation it seemed to hit all the right notes. The animation is nice and fits the style of the comic without being a carbon copy of the book's art. The Dark Knight Returns truly embraces the medium of film and isn't a motion comic. What this means is that the internal monologues of the comic as missing, but that is an essential change to turn it into a film. For example, there is one scene in the comic where Batman gets shot and thinks "Why do you think I wear a target sign on my chest" to reveal a bullet proof shield. Although we don't hear this line in the movie, we do see the shield when he gets shot at.

It seems that the intended audience of the movie is fans of the comic. While they probably won't be disappointed with the film version, I think they will still be more likely to re-read the book then re-watch the movie. Those who are new to the story should be able to jump right in, though it's probably helpful to have a basic knowledge of Batman coming into both the comic and the movie.
I wonder if we'll ever see a live action adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. I wouldn't mind if that happened someday, though if this ended up being the only movie version I'd be fine with that.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 will be released in Winter of 2013.
8/10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I'm going to keep this short as much has already been said about The Dark Knight Rises and this is a spoiler-free review. The Dark Knight Rises is the last in Nolan's trilogy. I love Christopher Nolan and his Batman movies but its nice for this franchise to have a set of films that has a true beginning, middle, and end as opposed to just being continued forever by different people. 

The three main new actors in this film are Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tom Hardy. When Hathaway was first announced as Selina Kyle, I was a little skeptical, but trusted Nolan. My faith was rewarded as I thought she did a great job in the role. Selina Kyle is also never actually referred to as Catwoman.
I remember Joseph Gordon-Levitt from Angels in the Outfield (1994) and the TV show 3rd Rock from the Sun so its pretty cool that he is making the jump from child actor to adult actor. JGL plays a cop named John Blake who aids Commissioner Gordon and Batman in their attempts to protect Gotham City from Bane. I didn't know what to expect from this role as it is basically a new character but felt it was handled very well from both an acting and writing point of view.
Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy was in another Christopher Nolan movie, Inception. Hardy has a lot more screen time in this film as his plays the main villain, Bane. I thought Hardy put in a nice performance as a memorable and intimidating nemesis. I also liked the design of Bane's mask and costume, which are different from the way he is usually depicted in the comics.

The only real negatives about this movie are the pacing and not knowing enough about the motivations of Bane. We got too much of some scenes and not enough of others. There were some parts left out such as more on Bane's backstory which was filmed but not in the theatrical cut. I have heard that this is because IMAX can only hold 2 hrs and 45 minutes of film which is exactly the run time of The Dark Knight Rises. Perhaps the rumored extended Blu-ray cut will rectify these issues. However, Nolan usually doesn't even include deleted scenes with his movies let alone have multiple cuts available, so we'll have to wait and see what happens.

The Dark Knight Rises is not a perfect film, but a great ending to this series. Anybody who really enjoyed the first two will probably be very happy with this movie. I still feel that The Dark Knight is the best complete film in Nolan's series followed by The Dark Knight Rises, then Batman Begins. But I love them all!
8/10

Fall TV Round-Up

I am taking a break from my Tales from the Archives series this week to do a post on new Fall TV shows I have been watching. The weekly wrap-up will be Sunday as usual and Thursday (12/1) will be the next Tales from the Archives post.

South Park
As much as I love South Park I missed a good chunk of the first half of the season. However, I made up for this by watching the all seven episodes of the second half. While the last couple seasons haven't been quite up to par, the show is still very good. I liked every episode I saw but my favorite two from this season were "You're Getting Old" and "The Poor Kid."
South Park has been picked up through season 20, so it will stick around thru 2016!

Penn & Teller Tell a Lie
As a fan of Penn & Teller I was disappointed when their Showtime series got canceled last year. However, I got excited when I heard they were getting a new show on the Discovery Channel. Penn & Teller Tell a Lie is only a six episode series, and I'm not sure if they plan on making anymore. The show has actually already finished its run, in which it aired following new episodes of Mythbusters. The premise of this show is that Penn & Teller host seven outlandish stories, of which one is a fabrication and the rest are true. The viewers must try to guess which segment is a lie before it is revealed at the end. The show is basically a cross between Mythbusters, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. It is also similar to the show Urban Legends which I discuss later in this post. Penn & Teller Tell a Lie is fun, but it feels drawn out for an hour length show and the basic idea of the show has been done before. If you like Penn & Teller (or those other shows I mentioned) check this out, but if you are new to the magic duo start somewhere else.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold
I started watching Batman: The Brave and the Bold this fall. Unfortunately it was a little late to get into the show as this was its final season. The show was only intended to last three seasons and got canceled to make room for the more serious upcoming show, Beware the Batman.
I really like this Cartoon Network show as it can be hilarious, but at the same time have some great serious episodes like "Chill of the Night." Some people might not like a Batman show with a lighter, tongue-in-cheek tone, but it works as a great nod to the Silver Age comics and the Adam West Batman of the 60s. Each episode features Batman teaming up with other characters from the DC Universe so its more than just Batman. You never know who will make an appearance as some pretty obscure characters have been featured in this series. Any show that makes Aquaman cool is... Outrageous!
The series finale was fantastic. It demolished the fourth wall, made fun of jumping the shark, and even featured Ted McGinley as a guest star! The show had a nice run and this was the perfect way for it to go out in a blaze of glory.

Last Man Standing
I loved Tim Allen on Home Improvement (and in the movie Galaxy Quest) so when I heard he was making a return to TV I had to check it out. So far ABC's Last Man Standing is okay, but has the potential to be better. While Tim Allen is great on this show, his boss and wife are not as interesting or funny as Al or Tim's wife on Home Improvement. We also don't have a breakout character like Wilson. Allen's character is pretty similar to the one he played on his previous show. The formula is also pretty similar, just instead of having three sons, he has three daughters. So far the Halloween episode was my favorite, which incidentally were always great on Home Improvement. I hope the show gets picked up for another season as I think it can improve, but the other characters are going to have to get better if this show wants to last.

Urban Legends
This series is similar to shows like Beyond Belief: Fact of Fiction, Mostly True Stories, and the aforementioned Penn & Teller Tell a Lie. Although Urban Legends is not a great show, its still a fun way to kill half an hour. The format is that three unbelievable stories are shown, and we have to guess which segments are true and which ones are false. This is the third season and new episodes are still airing on the Syfy Channel.

Beavis and Butt-Head
I had seen re-runs of this show and always liked it, especially the segments with the two making fun of music videos. Personally I think that the spin-off show Daria and creator Mike Judge's other show King of the Hill are both better than Beavis and Butt-Head. However, when I heard that MTV was bringing back Judge to make new Beavis and Butt-Head episodes I had to check it out. So far I have been impressed. The animation is cleaner than before (although they use of the old couch footage when Beavis and Butt-Head watch TV for some reason). Beavis and Butt-Head still watch music videos, but also now watch and mock MTV shows like Jersey Shore. The show hasn't missed a beat and it feels like the show never stopped airing. My only complaint is that MTV follows Beavis and Butt-Head with a show called Good Vibes. I only watched the first episode out of morbid curiosity and it is probably the worst TV show I have ever seen. Beavis and Butt-Head deserves to be partnered with a better show. Bring back Daria!

Batman: The Animated Series
Technically Batman: The Animated Series doesn't count since unlike the other shows I have been watching this is not a new series. However, I have been watching the series in order on the Hub TV Channel on a regular basis so I feel it is only fair to include it here. At the moment I have seen all of season 1 and 2, so I only have the third season (15 episodes) left. I remember seeing this show as a kid, but re-watching it I have been blown away with how amazing this series is. It holds up incredibly well and while I haven't quite seen all the episodes yet it is one of the best animated series ever and perhaps the greatest TV or movie version of Batman. I need to buy the DVDs!

Weekly Wrap-Up (8/7) Yeah it's late...

Thanks again to Nate and everyone who participated in the monster movies blogathon! I greatly appreciated all the wonderful comments. Sorry for the long time for an update. I was going to post Tales from the Archive Part 2 on Saturday, but then I realized that I have too much content for one article! This is a good thing, so I'm still doing further research and figuring out how to break it up and present it. So without further ado, here is the belated weekly wrap-up.

Batman (1966)
The 60s Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward was quite enjoyable. Sure it was silly, but it was trying to appeal to all age groups and is responsible for bringing Batman to a larger audience. This movie was made between the first and second season, with Julie Newmar noticeably absent as Catwoman. However, Lee Meriwether did a good job filling in, and Cesar Romero (Joker), Frank Gorshin (Riddler), and Burgess Meredith (Penguin) are fun as usual. If you like the TV show you will like the movie as it is basically a long episode. I actually liked this more than Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin because it goes all out for humor while those two (especially Forever) tried to keep themselves in the Burton Batman universe. Sadly this is the only part of 60s Batman to be released on DVD. The TV show has yet to have a DVD release for unknown reasons, despite the demand by fans.
6/10

Winnie the Pooh (2011)
I saw this in theaters with my family and we all enjoyed it. It's not quite as good as the original Disney Winnie the Pooh films/shorts as its a little louder and busier at times, but its pretty close. The movie is short (just over an hour) and while I wanted more, I applaud the decision not to make it longer just to pad its running time. Instead the intent was to put out the best possible cut of the film. I noticed two pop culture references (Batman and Raiders of the Lost Ark respectively) which seemed a little out of place in a Pooh film. However, they weren't distracting if you weren't in the know, which is how reference joke should always be handled. The end credits were great and I loved the after credits scene. The short before the film, The Ballad of Nessie, was very good and the animation was straight out of 60s Disney (think Sword in the Stone). Winnie the Pooh goes back to the original A.A. Milne source material, so maybe we will see another movie in this style as there are still plenty of stories they can adapt. This movie is proof that Disney can still make a great traditionally animated film if they want to.
8/10

Dungeonmaster (1984)
Bad movies can be a lot of fun, as long as you avoid the ones that are bad because they are boring. While The Dungeonmaster is pretty damn bad, it is never gets too boring. The main reason for this is because the story is about a guy sucked into a video game (by Satan himself!) and he has to fight through a lot of different game levels. For some reason each level has a different director, but this is still not an anthology film. When a non-anthology movie has seven directors, you know its going to be bad! Besides my love of crappy 80s sci-fi/fantasy/horror flicks, the main reason I wanted to see this is because it contains the origin of the line "I reject your reality and substitute my own" which was popularized by Adam Savage of the TV show Mythbusters. In its original context it is used by the main character as a comeback, but its use in Mythbusters is much better! Richard Moll (Bull on the 80s sitcom Night Court) hams it up as the Devil, while we are also treated to a cameo by 80s metal band, WASP! For some reason this movie is also called Ragewar which makes about sense as its plot.
3/10

Death at a Funeral (2007)
Comedy is the most subjective form of creative expression. However, it is clear that Death at a Funeral is well written with fine acting performances and interesting characters. I have to rank this movie right up there with The Hangover as two of the best comedies from the last ten years. Not many movies revolve around a funeral, and of the ones that do this is probably the first comedy! I don't want to get too much into the plot as there are tons of fun surprises, but the basic story is about the chaos that ensues after the patriarch of a British family dies and his dysfunctional family and friends must come together for the funeral. Death at a Funeral had an American re-make in 2010, although I have no idea why as besides the accents and location, nothing is particularly British about this film. Believe or not, Frank Oz directed this movie. Yes, THAT Frank Oz!
9/10

Highlander (1986)
I had been meaning to watch Highlander for awhile and finally got around to it, in high definition no less! I have a good friend who loves this movie and it sounded like something I would enjoy. What struck me most about this film is how well it was directed. Not only are the scenes in Scotland beautiful, there are some fantastic cuts, great cinematography, and the action is paced perfectly. Sean Connery has a minor role, but steals the show as the mentor to Christopher Lambert's character, Connor MacLeod. I noticed that Highlander is kinda like The Terminator. But instead of soldiers from the future fighting in the present, these are soldiers from the past. The similarity is probably unintentional as they are pretty different movies, but its interesting to think about.
I've heard the sequels are terrible so I'll avoid them and stick with the original. There can only be one!
8/10

Legend (1985)
Legend is Ridley Scott's first, and so far only, fantasy film even though I would like to see him take another shot at the genre. Although the usual whipping boy from Scott's catalog is G.I. Jane, Legend isn't considered to be one of his better movies. Coming right off of Alien and Blade Runner, Legend looks spectacular (especially in High Definition/Blu-Ray). When it comes to the directing, camerawork, lighting, make-up, atmosphere, and special effects, Legend is a masterpiece and an incredibly beautiful film. However, the plot is thin and too simple, the dialogue is often silly, and the acting is hit or miss. Tim Curry is fantastic as the Lord of Darkness and genuinely terrifying with his fantastic make-up and gigantic horns. Remarkably this was Mia Sara's first film and although I have only seen her in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Timecop, this is easily her best performance. On the other side, Tom Cruise was miscast. The voice actors for the other characters, especially for the elf named Gump, are over the top which is distracting and sometimes unintentionally funny. I saw the theatrical cut (only 89 minutes) but there is a director's cut which adds about 25 minutes to the total run time. While I enjoyed Legend, it had the potential to be much better. And despite all the beautiful scenes, beware of the ridiculous amount of Tom Cruise crotch shots!
7/10

Source Code (2011)
I loved Duncan Jones' directorial debut Moon (2009) and while Source Code is a different type of film, it is almost as good! Source Code is a high paced sci-fi thriller about a man who wakes up on a train in a different body and has to figure out who planted a bomb on the train since this person has another bomb going off later int he day in Chicago. I don't want to go any further because I don't want to spoil anything. Source Code is quite different than Moon, but I think anybody who liked Jones' first film would certainly enjoy his followup. Duncan Jones is now two for two, so I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve for his next movie!
8/10

Iris (2001)
Normally this isn't the type of movie I would seek out, but my brother wanted to watch it so I figured what the hell. Iris is the biopic (based on a book) of British author Iris Murdoch and her struggle with Alzheimer's disease. I actually enjoyed this movie quite a bit, especially the acting performances from Jim Broadbent (Professor Slughorn in the Harry Potter movies), Judi Dench, and Kate Winslet. Broadbent won an Oscar for his role and the other two were nominated. Dench probably deserved to win an Oscar for this role more than for her performance as the Queen in Shakespeare in Love (only because she was barely in that film!), but whatever. Memory was one of the main themes in this film, and I liked how the flashbacks were not always in chronological order, but as the characters in the present remembered past events.
7/10

On Friday I'll post a follow-up to my Summer TV article. See you then!

The future of Batman films

The teaser trailer of The Dark Knight Rises (2012) has only been out for a week and the film itself won't be released for another year. But here I am looking ahead to what Batman movies are going to come next! To be fair Christopher Nolan has already announced that after The Dark Knight Rises his trilogy will be complete. Nolan will be finished with Batman and move forward with new projects. I love all of Nolan's films (still haven't seen Following and Insomnia though) and have really enjoyed his take on Batman. It is unclear as to what Nolan will do after his Batman trilogy, although he is supposed to help with the story of the Superman reboot, Man of Steel (2013). David Goyer, who wrote Blade, Dark City, and all of Nolan's Batman films is writing the screenplay for Man of Steel so I am certainly interested in that project, as well as whatever Nolan chooses to do next. However, what will happen to Batman movies after Nolan's departure from the franchise?

The first possibility is that we'll get a break from Batman movies for awhile. This wouldn't be a bad idea, but I doubt that Warner Brothers would want to leave money on the table when another Batman movie would make a lot at the box office, even though it wouldn't be done by Nolan. After Tim Burton left the Batman series he was immediately replaced by Joel Schumacher and that did not end well. Following the Schumacher debacle there was an eight year wait until Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) which turned out great. So although it might be a good idea to wait a few years before starting up a new Batman film series, I have a feeling that we won't have to wait too long since WB will want to capitalize on the Batman name, possibly in the form of a Justice League movie.

How should future Batman movies be handled in the aftermath of Nolan's trilogy? There were rumors which started before Nolan made Batman Begins that Darren Aronofsky would direct a film based on Frank Miller's graphic novel Batman: Year One. However, now that Batman Begins has been made, its similar story and tone would seem redundant. There is an upcoming animated film based on Batman: Year One which will be released later this year, so I don't know if that helps or hurts the chances of this project ever happening.

I think that if Batman movies are made soon after Nolan's films they need to go in a different direction. I would love to see a retro Batman movie that is set in 1939, the year the first Batman comic came out. This backdrop of the early days of WWII would be quite a contrast to the other Batman movies. Several recent comic book movies have been set in the past (Watchmen, X-Men: First Class, Captain America) so this would not be without precedent. Perhaps some lesser known villains then such as Dr. Hugo Strange could be used. Another idea could be to make a live action Batman Beyond movie. It's been awhile since I've seen that TV show but Batman set in the future with some new characters would certainly shake things up. Both of these ideas would obviously be in their own continuity so audiences wouldn't have to worry about the older films being messed with or having to watch previous movies to understand new ones.

After watching Captain America I wonder if a future Batman movie (regardless of tone or time period) could handle Robin like the way Bucky was used. A future Batman film could also be different by creating a villian or two that were not in the comics and made up only for the film. Harley Quinn was created for Batman: The Animated Series and she seems to have developed a following so I think this could work for a live action movie if the character is well-written and developed properly. Maybe even Harley Quinn could be in a Batman movie.

I am really looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises next summer.  There will be much speculation in the next couple of years about post-Nolan Batman films and they will happen sooner or later. I just hope they turn out to be good movies!

I'll post the weekly round-up tomorrow.