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Man of Steel (2013)
Not your parent's man of Steel, But that is Not a Bad Thing.
Let me preface this by saying that I am a comic book dork, and a huge Superman fan. (Note I did not go to watch MOS with a Superman shirt, or a cape on). Man of Steel is definitely worth seeing if you want to see a movie that definitely can put checkmarks in all of the necessary categories for "Summer blockbuster." The special effects and action are amazing. Super-errr the Man of Steel should definitely have to face a threat that can affect the entire planet, I mean after all he is a character of incredible power, and a threat to the entire planet is what he faces. The effects show the grand scope of the storyline, and make everything seem realistic (well as realistic as fake computerized stuff can be). Amy Adams does a great job as Lois Lane. At first, I was a little iffy on this. I mean, come on, the woman from the Muppets? She did an amazing job, showing both the feistiness that epitomizes Lois Lane, while that the same time showing compassion for Superman as well as the rest of humanity. Kevin Costner did a great job adding humanity to a story about all-powerful aliens, and I am not a Costner fan. Michael Shannon was awesome. Props for not trying to recreate the Terrence Stamp Zod. Shannon puts his stamp (ha!) on the character. I found that villains are at their best when they think they are really the hero. Zod only wanted to find a home for his people. Yeah, so he is going to wipe out an entire planet to do it, but his intentions are still for the good of his people. Laurence Fishburne is
. Well Laurence Fishburne. The last time he did a bad acting job was Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 (and he was still much better than everyone else in the movie was). Now there some things about the movie I did not like. The start of the film, about what happened on Krypton was too long. I felt it could have been a little shorter. I don't think people care that much about Krypton. Henry Cavill looked the part of Superman, but he is the weak link acting wise in this job. I tried to give him some leeway for having to use an American.. Kryptonian
Kryptonian-American accent, but still he was bad, although not bad enough to ruin the movie. Also, I felt that there was no good humor in the story. Even horror movies (okay, maybe not the Exorcist) have moments of humor. The humor in MOS feels flat to be honest. Now, about the "controversial" aspects of the movie. Whine #1: "This isn't how it was in the source material!" Hey, the same people that are saying that didn't say it with other Superhero movies. An Al Qaeda rip off did not kidnap Tony Stark, Thor is a God not an alien, and Batman was not trained by Ra's Al Ghul! It's based on the original story, that doesn't mean it IS the original story. To put it simply, get over it. Whine #2 (SPOILER ALERT) No really (SPOILER ALERT)
just to be safe (SPOILER ALERT), "Superman killed!" Yes, even I have to admit that at first this stunned me. The theatre I saw the movie in went completely silent, and that is more than likely what the makers wanted. It was a powerful and downright stunning moment. I am not going to get into the argument about "Well in Superman II, Superman throws Zod down into an icy death." Actually now that I think about it, Lois Lane clocked Ursa into the same said icy death. Pulitzer Prize winning murderer! But, I will say that the reasoning was there. Yeah, sure Superman probably could have stopped Zod from trying to eye fry those folks by flying away, but it would not have had the impact that it had on the audience if Zod went to jail. Plus, I felt that Superman's horror and remorse at what he had done (Cavill's best acting in the movie) was almost as powerful as killing Zod himself. Everyone, and I mean everyone, at some point does something that goes against their values, and none of us are put in as serious of a situation as Superman. Whine #3: "This is not my Superman!" You are right, he's not. He (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN
..) killed Zod, Lois knows his secret identity, and his underwear was under his pants (or Supes went commando). Times change people, and characters change. Originally, Batman, the guy that never carries a gun, used to carry a gun in his early stories! No one bring that up. Superman changed, ever so slightly, and so have the times (although I am saddened by that to an extent). He fights to save humanity, he has a moral compass that guides him, and he believes in the sanctity of life. It is because of that belief in the sanctity of life that he killed. Yes, that is a paradoxical statement, but when it comes down to it, he chose to kill a man that would kill billions in order to save some innocent lives. As far as I am concerned, that is a decision that Superman would make,. Damn, my hands hurt from typing! What it really comes down to is Man of Steel a movie for you? If you want the comic book Supes, pick up the comic books, since that is the only place you are going to get him. However, if you want to watch an enjoyable summer movie, with amazing special effects and action, and see Superman brought to life once again on the big screen, then go see Man of Steel.
Flash Gordon (2007)
If You Like Camp You Will Enjoy Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon doesn't have the special effects that Battlestar Galactica has. It doesn't have such actors as Edward James Olmos. I want to be the first to tell you that's okay because Flash Gordon isn't trying to be like BSG. Flash Gordon is trying to be Flash Gordon, full of good campy fun, just with a little modern flavor. I like Flash Gordon because it doesn't take itself seriously, and that is what makes it enjoyable. If you want to spend an hour in front of the TV (45 minutes if you TIVO it and cut out the commercials) and you don't want to spend the whole time figuring out some intricate plot or learn the newest criminal investigation techniques, then watch Flash Gordon.
I will admit that I miss the intimidating version of Ming, especially when played by Max Von Sydow. This Ming doesn't have the bite, but he has a subdued ruthlessness (I know that sounds like an oxymoron). And I do have to say that I didn't care too much for the first episode. Still I decided to stick with it for a while and I am glad that I did. Now that the season is over I'm sure Sci Fi will play the entire season over again. So anyone who missed it can start all over. Just give it 2-3 episodes. It's won't kill you!
Transformers (2007)
See Transformers, Now!!!!
I am going to be short and sweet with this. Transformers has a perfect mix of action, and, surprisingly, good comedy. You will be invested in the characters and want to see them succeed. The Transformers looked awesome and the action sequences were amazing. If you are worried about sitting through an action movie for 2+ hours, don't worry. You won't even notice that you have been sitting that long. Children and adults will love this movie. And honestly, as much as I don't like crowds, watching this movie with a good crowd will only add to the overall experience. Truly, if you miss Transformers you are missing one of the most entertaining movies in years.
The Knights of Prosperity (2007)
Not Quite a Must See, But it Could Be.
In a world where there too many comedies about families, where we only see them in their homes, the Knights of Prosperity is something completely different and shows lots of potential. The cast of characters are really good. Kevin Michael Richardson, as Rockefeller Butts, steals the first episode with his one liners. But each character seems to have the potential to take over the show. But what makes it a good show is the ridiculous idea that the story is based on. As you can tell by the commercials (and I marked that this may be a spoiler, if you haven't seen the commercials) is to rob Mick Jagger. Now who comes up with an idea like that? A Bunch of down on their luck friends decide to rob Mick Jagger. That alone makes the show funny and far more creative than we are used for a comedy. Plus there is no laugh-track which is standard for most of comedies. You aren't told when to laugh, you laugh on your own. If you are in the mood for a comedy that is different, and if you are willing to give it a couple of episodes to grow on you, then watch Knights of Prosperity.
Friday Night Lights (2006)
You Will Be Hooked After One Episode.
I am not going to go on and on about the show. It can simply be stated that if you watch the show you will relate to characters or events that are happening to the people in this small town, and you will cheer for them, hope for them, even hate them in some instances. You will think about your own life and the lives of those around you. Television is mostly about escaping reality. But FNL reminds us just how great and interesting reality can be. The acting is very good on the show. You will quickly find yourself investing in the characters and feeling what they feel. The characters seem very real and have a lot of heart. I didn't watch it at first. I thought it was just going to be a cheap ripoff of the movie. After watching one episode I decided that I had to see the rest. There was a marathon on Bravo and I watched all 8 episodes that they showed (of course not all at once, but that's why TIVO was invented). Just watch one episode and you will be hooked.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)
Why You should Watch This Show.
I'm going to start out my observations by saying that on the few occasions that I watched Friends I really disliked Matthew Perry's character. So I was not a big fan of the show (I know I'm in the minority on that. I also never liked Everybody Loves Raymond, but I digress). So I myself was not in a rush to watch a show with Matthew Perry. With that said let me tell everyone what a great show I found Studio 60 to be. Most people, including myself thought "why would I want to watch a movie about what goes on behind the scenes of a show like 'Saturday Night Live' and how could I possibly care?" Then I watched the first episode, and I have been a fan ever since. Studio 60 is not just a show about, well, a show. It's about humanity. Sure the characters are celebrities in Hollywood, or people that work on in Hollywood, and have lives that most of us do not. But behind the scenes they are just like us. They laugh, cry, get jealous, love, hate, are petty, and care for one another. Sure you can say that we see a lot of Hollywood when a celebrity falters. But we never really know the story behind how that celebrity got to that point. But with Studio 60 we learn about each character, their good points - and their bad, and we find that despite being on television they are a lot like us. I can't help but want to see Danny Tripp(Bradley Whitford) and Matt Albie (that guy Matthew Perry who I mentioned at the beginning)succeed and we want to see the members of the show live their lives, because in a lot of ways we see ourselves in them. What gets me most about this show is that I can relate to some of the things that these people go through. After all, our lives have a "behind the scenes" portion to them. We as human beings act all the time, whether it be at work, or school, at the store, and put on our characters. Then when we get home or are with our friends, we stop playing a role and get back into being ourselves. So it is very easy to relate to the characters in the show. The stories in Studio 60 our interesting. The events that happen to them make us think and we enjoy watching how they handle the situations. Every character in the ensemble touches something inside of us as the audience, whether we like them, want to see them change, or hate their guts. It's difficult for shows to get you emotionally attached. Studio 60 does it and does it well. And there are characters on the show that everyone can relate to, from religious folks to political animals, and all destinations in between. I don't want to give anything away on any of the episodes of Studio 60. All I have to say is that watch it at least twice, give it some time to settle in and you will soon realize that you want to continue on in the lives of the characters in Studio 60. If not, then you can go back to watching reruns of "Married with Children."
Superman Returns (2006)
My Mission: To Save Superman Returns
It seems that for some reason this movie is not getting the respect and viewership that it deserves. While a drunken Pirate (now please note I am not saying that Pirates of the Caribbean is not a good movie) smashes box office records, no one is going to see a movie about a cultural icon and a true hero, not to mention a good movie. So I have taken it upon myself to save Superman Returns, or at least try to get the point across that it is a good movie that anyone can enjoy. I am simply going to say, being a Superman fan, that I really enjoyed this movie. However I am not a homer when it comes to the things that I like. I can be critical, when being critical is required. However I don't have many things critical to say about this movie. Sure it starts a little slowly. But once it gets started it is a great ride with good acting, great special effects,and great action. Yes, Christopher Reeve was Superman, but that doesn't mean that Brandon Routh doesn't do a good job as Superman. He is just a different Superman. Just like, in my opinion, Sean Connery was the best James Bond, I still enjoy the other people that were James Bond. The rest of the cast is very good, including Kate Bosworth, who I was a bit skeptical of at first. This movie is for everyone. It actually has twists that old and new fans of the Superman can enjoy, and you really will believe that a man can fly. In this time when people need heroes, and our world and our movies seem full of villains and "anti-heroes" Superman Returns is a movie that shows us a true hero, regardless of if he is a fictional character or not, and we see him in a great movie.