Hero Inc.

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Archive for the ‘Heroes’ Category

Mar-8-2009

Karma

This past Saturday, May and I headed to midtown Atlanta to take a mutal friend out to eat for her birthday.  During our sushi/birthday adventure we enountered a moral dilema/karma moment.

As we headed back to my car, Erin spotted a set of keys sitting on top of a car that was parked behind mine.  We lightly joked that these keys might belong to one of the cars in the area.  I picked them up and pushed the “lock” button.  Sure enough, the keys locked the vehicle that were located under the keys.  Oops.  At this point in time, we had three basic theories on why the keys were here.

  1. Due to the current recession someone was actually looking for the car to be stolen in order to cash in on the insurance because the current payments could not be made for the car.
  2. This was a pay it forward moment.  I mean, it was a Lexus.
  3. Stupid moments happen from time to time and this was one of those REALLY stupid moments.

Basically at this point we chose to go with option 3.  In order to produce good karma for all three of us, we chose to do something about it.  We wrote a short note stating that we locked the keys in the car for “safety.”  The owner might not have liked this option because they would have to pay for a locksmith, but at least this way they would still have a car (barring that option 1 wasn’t the correct one).  The note was left on the driver’s seat folded so that the words “Read Me!” were plain to see.

As we drove away, we all encountered a great sense of moral victory.  Go us!  We are good Samaritans without the need for a reward.  My only regret is not leaving a phone number to ensure that the car’s owner made it home safely that night from downtown.

Besides this interesting encounter, I visited the High Museum for the first time in order to view the Terracotta army.  Sorry for no pictures of them but no cameras allowed in the exhibit.

Posted under Heroes, Other
Mar-8-2009

Watchmen

Watchmen

The unfilmable graphic novel is finally filmed.

Watchmen was written by Alan Moore (V For Vendetta) and he hates you for going to see this movie.  Really, he does.  He’s a purist and believes that his creation should never be reproduced in a different medium other than it’s original.  The Watchmen was a story based on a set of characters DC had bought and had no real avenue to use them until Moore decided to use them for his ultimate tale.  According to the wiki, the Watchmen is “set in an alternate reality which closely mirrors the contemporary world of the 1980s. The primary point of divergence is the presence of superheroes. Their existence in this iteration of America is shown to have dramatically affected and altered the outcomes of real-world events such as the Vietnam War and the presidency of Richard Nixon. In keeping with the realism of the series, although the costumed crime fighters of Watchmen are commonly called “superheroes”, the only character who possesses obvious superhuman powers is Doctor Manhattan. The existence of Doctor Manhattan has given the U.S. a strategic advantage over the Soviet Union, which has increased tensions between the two nations. Additionally, superheroes have become unpopular among the public, which has led to the passage of legislation in 1977 to outlaw them. While many of the heroes retired, Doctor Manhattan and the Comedian operate as government-sanctioned agents, and Rorschach continues to operate outside the law.”

I was quite worried that this story truly was unfilmable, but it seems that Zack Snyder (300) did the best that he could and the story came together quite well.  Better than expected in some cases.  Both the Comedian and Rorschach were brilliantly cast and I could not ask for better characters.  It almost feels that they were truly lifted off the pages of the graphic novel.

Now the downfall of making this movie great occur in 2 areas for me.  The first is a combination of gratuitous violence and sex.  I don’t normally mind both of these items in a film as long as they are truly used to move a story forward.  On both accounts, I felt that neither helped the film.  It was just over the top and I didn’t need it.  The second area was the music.  A real soundtrack (actual songs) were used and at time it made the film feel campy and underrated the “seriousness” of certain scenes.  Simon & Garfunkel during the funeral as well as Cole’s Unforgettable worked well, but many of the songs later used (during Vietnam scene, horrible “Hallelujah” cover, and final few songs) made me lose interest in actually listening to what was going on.

Overall, as you can already tell, the movie was good, but not great.  This is another film that proves the book was better than the movie.  However, the changed ending from the film, does work better in some ways than the one in the graphic novel.

[Rating: 3/5]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
Feb-26-2009

A Hodgepodge Post

I don’t really have enough for a complete post about anything important but over the past few weeks there have been several items that I’d like to spill my thoughts and ideas around. That’s right. This is one of those I don’t care enough to devote full time so you are getting my halfhearted approach.  Welcome to the hodgepodge.

  • Alex Rodriguez is on steroids?  Really?  The savior of baseball?  The one that was to make all of the records right and legit.  Well, he is now just another cheater.  I wonder if he is actually upset at what he did or the fact that his name was released.  I mean, you can’t state that you never did steroids and then be exposed for telling a lie.  It just won’t work out well when you ask us to believe you when you state you are no longer taking them.  He’s a cheater to me and if I actually attended games I’d boo him.
  • The World Baseball Classic is coming up and the world doesn’t care.  I’m starting to notice a trend with these world athletic events.  It seems that the athletes or owners are pushing to not let the players participate.  You don’t see this same concept with the World Cup.  The players will play regardless and the world wants them to play.  Is there a higher sense of honor in the world cup?  Why don’t the other sports show it?
  • I’m a fan of Lost and 24, but Burn Notice is the show that really gets me excited each week.  When its Thursday, I have a smile on my face.  Not because it is almost the weekend.  It’s because that Michael, Sam, and Fie are about to kick butt.  Everyone I’ve suggested the show to has really enjoyed it.  It’s Spy + Equalizer + A-Team.
  • I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again.  Heroes is not a good show.  Yes, I watch it, but it isn’t that great.  The stories are terrible and never really conclude.  The writing can’t develop characters and now there are too many.  The first season was good but only had 2 great episodes (“Company Man” and “Five Years Gone“).
  • Free Agency starts tonight at 12:01AM for the NFL.  I don’t expect big things out of the Falcons, but I could see us going after lesser Free Agents.  Derrick Brooks’ name was thrown out today which I like in ways but you can’t pick up a huge rival such as this while you are dropping your loyal player (Keith Brooking).  Instead how about we get Jermaine Phillips?  I’m always a fan of more Georgia players on my dirty birds.
  • I love it when the “good” NFL combine stories are released.  Especially the ones where a kicker beats the other players in the workouts.  A kicker who benches 225 lbs 25 times?  More than his USC LB teammate?
  • I’ve recently purchase cymbals for Rock Band 2 and I must say that it dramatically increases the amount of fun one can have playing rock’s greatest tunes.  I’m barely moving into the area of “Hard”, but there are a few songs that I really feel like I’m a fake rocker.
  • All this talk about a new stimulus plan reminds me of the following Ducktales Inflation lesson.  I’m just glad we are passing on debt further to our children.  That just means I don’t have to pay for this mess.
  • Yes, the US and the world is in bad shape due to the economy.  We all know it.  All of our investments are dropping.  It’s terrible.  Let’s get over it and begin to move forward.  We can’t fix what most of us caused so we need to begin turning over a new leaf.  No more living outside of one’s means.  Change people.  Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you no matter what John Mayer tells you.
  • Watchmen comes out next week and I’m looking forward to it.  Not because it is another heroes movie.  I’ve read this graphic novel and it blew my mind.  When I started it, I didn’t think much of it other than the writing was quite good.  It wasn’t until I reached the end that I truly realized how good it really was.  Take it how you want, but I will be upset if there is not fully frontal male nudity in this movie (it actually has a purpose here).  Wow, I can’t believe I just typed that.
  • Reese’s Easter Egg time is upon us.  It is now time to begin hoarding for the winter.  If you go to a store and they are out, you know where to find me.
Posted under Heroes, Movies, Music, Other, Sports, TV
Jul-20-2008

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Note: My ultimate goal was to see this movie in IMAX due to Christopher Nolan filming parts of the movie with an IMAX camera. These images were to be more visually stunning when compared to the normal movies that are translated to the IMAX screen. However, the “great” people at the Mall of GA Regal IMAX did not seem to plan well for the numerous screenings that were scheduled for the IMAX and how this might affect the IMAX blub that could overheat and break. The AJC has a good short story about it. I still got to see it on a regular screen but I will update this post later when I finally get to see the movie as it was intended.

In the simplest of terms, The Dark Knight is perfect. I have seen many movies in my lifetime and I’ve seen many that have been hyped by the media and myself prior to seeing them. All of the hyped movies have never ever lived up to the hype until the Dark Knight. I really don’t want to write this review for the simple fact that I could write “perfect” and walk away knowing that I got it right. I’ll still take some time to point out a few non-spoilerish items.

First, the reviews you have heard do not lie about Heath Ledger. I tried and tried and tried during this movie to find Heath but was only able to find him for all of 2 seconds in a scene where the Joker was wearing no makeup. Other than that I only saw the Joker, a sadistic, chaos happy murderer/thief. Heath’s performance was great for a superhero movie and even better for a general movie. He was lost in the role and brought to life one of the most eccentric characters I have seen since Hannibal Lector or Bill The Butcher (Gangs of New York). He will make you laugh at things you know are not funny and you should not be laughing if you were told the same thing if you were outside of the theatre. As for Oscar nods, I feel he deserves one. Should he win? Well, that is the best performance I have seen all year. I will most certainly make the time this year to look at all nominees and then judge again. I don’t want him to win just because he died early. He should receive it only if he deserves it.

The plot/dialog is even better than I imagined. All of the characters were perfectly captured and given adequate time to be furthered in the story. The film may clock in little over 2 hours and 30 minutes but you would never know it since you are sucked into the story. The action makes you jump and cheer while the characters can make you love/hate the world we have without heroes.

When the film ended, I knew there was nothing after the credits, but I didn’t want to move from my seat. I wanted them to start it over so I could watch it again and again. Heck, I’d go right now if someone offered it to me. I believe when everything is said and done, The Dark Knight will be the number 2 all time box office movie (you just can’t beat the teen sensation of Titantic).

I will state that this movie is NOT for younger viewers. I felt disturbed at times and I know kids would be far worse. Batman Begins might have been ok for kids, but The Dark Knight is just too….well….dark.

On my normal rating skill, The Dark Knight would receive the following rating.

[Rating: 5/5]

However, every now and then you see a movie that breaks the rating system and you must design a new one specifically for the movie. Therefore, The Dark Knight would/should receive the following.

[Rating:20/20]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
Jul-13-2008

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II has one fatal flaw that will make it a box office bust and I must start out my review by stating what it is.  Pure and simple, it is the fact that The Dark Knight opens on Friday, July 18th giving Hellboy only one week before the real dark hero walks away with more money than Bruce wayne ever thought he would see.

Hellboy II raises the bar many times over the previous movie.  I remember going to see the first Hellboy with low expectations and enjoyed every minute of it.  It incorporated a great mix of humor and action.  When I went to see Hellboy II, I had a little bit higher expectations but I was worried Hollywood would try to sellout and not give the second movie the justice it deserves.  Man was I wrong.  Hellboy II is probably on the same level with Iron Man and will measured against TDK at the end of this week.  Hellboy II keeps the humor and action but ups the ante as well as throwing in new characters, better effects, and a love story.

This movie is led by two great artists, Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro.  Perlman gets even better as Hellboy as the character struggles to fit in with the human world once the secret is out that a devil boy does exist.  He even tries to shrug off those that see his skills as inadequate while also imparting great relationship advice to a few of his friends.  Guillermo’s eye for the dark and creative is simply amazing.  The creatures he creates are spectacular look at while also allowing the characters to seem human.

The two best scenes of this movie are the Hellboy/Dr. Phil style moment with Abe and few brews as well as the fight between Red and his new boss.  You might find yourself falling on the floor laughing and as well you should.  However, please forgive the “new” direction for Jeffrey Tambor’s character.  They do make him look more like a bumbling idiot than he was in the first film.  Oh well, it works for him in some ways.

As a side note, it never hurts to see a movie with a friend who brings a cell phone jammer along for the ride.  It doesn’t stop the chomping on food and talking but it does limit the most annoying part of seeing movies today, cell phone chatter.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
Jul-13-2008

Batman: Gotham Knight

On Tuesday July 8th, Batman: Gotham Knight was released on DVD as a tie-in between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.  You can think think of it as another anime Matrix concept, but better.

Gotham Knight tells six different stories of Batman’s journey into becoming the Dark Knight.  It is directed and drawn by some of the best anime directors and artists.  I’ve never been a big fan of anime art, but some of these stories look really good and work well for the stories being told.

The first story is probably the weakest of the 6, but the thought behind it works quite well as four kids describe Batman as everything from a shadow to a human bat.  After the first story, the remaining 5 pick up with great storytelling.  It reminds me of the Batman Animated Series (probably due to some of the same writers).  My only complaint would be that the DVD is short and each story leaves you wanting more.

The DVD is not a necessity before watching the Dark Knight (this Friday), but it is nice to see some of the moments that will not be described fully in the Dark Knight.  If you have the chance to check it out before you see TDK, it’s worth it.

[Rating: 4/5]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
Jun-15-2008

The Incredible Hulk

We are only a few years removed from Ang Lee’s “Hulk” and Marvel’s green monster is already returning to the big screen. This time, the cast includes Tim Roth, Liv Tyler, and Edward Norton. Will it be better? Can the Hulk beat Iron Man (in value)? Or are we just returning to the Greek tragedy that was Lee’s Hulk and the 138 minutes I wasted the first time.

Actually, let me set the record straight on Lee’s Hulk. I enjoyed it. I liked the visuals and the way the Hulk was presented. However, the Hulk story is just boring to me. It can be slow when it is moved to the big screen instead of the comic strips.

That being said, Incredible Hulk is not Lee’s Hulk and mostly for the better. This movie was not as good as Iron Man, but it did pick up where Iron Man was lacking. The final battle between Roth’s Abomination and the Hulk was exactly what it needed to be: a hulk bashing action scene for regular movie goers with certain elements thrown in to appease the nerdy masses as well.

I did think the first part of the movie dragged. It’s slow watching Norton on the run at times (especially when he isn’t running). I started to have flashbacks to the TV show. Maybe it was the “on the run” theme or the subtle music being used. Yes, that is the final credits song from the tv show thrown in a scene early in the movie. Of course, my mind raced to Family Guy’s take on it rather than the Hulk TV show.

Overall the movie wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I think the Hulk is just a hard character to make the transformation to the big screen due to the story and character structure. The story had to constantly switch from its serious tone and then to some comedy in order to keep the audience looking at the screens instead of their watches. However, the graphics were amazing. The details in the computer generated Hulk were definately worth it. The best shot is probably when he is outside in the rain near some caves. The Hulk’s face takes up most of the screen and you almost swear it is a real person in makeup.

[Rating: 3/5]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
May-3-2008

Tony Stark Lives

Iron Man

IRON MAN

Before the movie even began I was given my money’s worth. That’s right. The trailers. Iron Man unveils a new Narnia, Incredible Hulk, Dark Knight, and Indiana Jones trailer. I even enjoyed the You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.

Now for the movie. Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr. No, I didn’t write that in reverse. I meant what I meant. In the comics, Tony is a playboy who has had it all, lost it, and worked to get it all back. He is a womanizer and an alcoholic. Robert Downey Jr. is all of that and more. With this perfect comparison, people will tend to love Tony almost as much as they do when he is Iron Man. I probably enjoyed the first half of this movie more because it was about Tony and the way he became Iron Man. Within the first 10 minutes of this movie, you will realize if you like it and will enjoy the rest of it.

The visuals were amazing. Unlike the Spider-Man movies, when Iron Man is on screen, it is very realistic (at least for me). The director, Jon Favreau, stated his movie would be defined by Iron Man vs. 2 F-22 Raptors. He was almost right (RDJ as Tony was even better) because the scene was very cool and fast paced. It mixed a good collection of humor and action.

My only complaint would be the final conflict between hero and villain as well as Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth plays Pepper Potts, Tony’s personal assistant. She basically keeps the billionaire playboy in check for meetings and ceremonies. I thought she was doing a great job early on, but that’s because she had a limited role. In the end, I realized she was playing the character straight from the pages and provided no true depth to her. She could have learned a thing or two from RDJ or Jeff Bridges (who is quite believable as the corporate head that wants it all). I won’t add much on the final conflict just so I don’t ruin anything.

In my eyes, Batman Begins is the movie that other superhero movies should be measured against. In the end, Iron Man was no Batman Begins, but it was very close.

Note: When viewing in the theatres, stay to the end of the credits. A short, amazing clip is shown that you will not want to miss.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

Posted under Heroes, Movies
Apr-3-2008

Heroes Saving Movies

Thanks to the super success of Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman, super hero movies are continuing to gain the green light on filming. Here’s a little update on a few of the films headed to the screen this year and in the future.

  1. The Dark Knight (July 18, 2008) – This is probably the most anticipated movie of the year. Besides being the return of cast and crew from Batman Begins, it also marks one of the last films Heath Ledger made before he died. Everything I have read has stated that his turn as the Joker is simply amazing. Ledger even stated that to prepare he locked himself in a hotel room with a “Joker” journal and made not of anything the Joker would find funny (AIDS apparently was on that list). The teaser trailer gave many fans much to wonder. The real trailer gave us all hope of a great film.
  2. Iron Man (May 2, 2008) – Many people are looking down on this movie and I don’t know why. I’m really looking forward to this one. I mean, you can’t get a better Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. is the playboy drunk in real life and the screen). I don’t know much about Iron Man villians, but I like what I’ve seen visually. I just hope they don’t hide his life outside of the suit. The fight scene between Iron Man and two F-22 Raptors looks great too.
  3. Wanted (July 27, 2008)- I don’t know much about the comic other than what wikipedia can tell me. However, the trailer looks good in a sort of Hitman sort of way but better. I’m not a fan of Angelina (gasp….), but the concept looks cool (group of assassins looking to kill each other and some have cool abilities like curving their shots) and sometimes I just like pointless violence. I guess that makes me a bad person or just an American. To me, the best part of the trailer is the scene where the guy comes flying out of the window as the glass breaks around him. Super cool.
  4. The Incredible Hulk (June 13, 2008)- Before you start yawning or rolling your eyes, realize that this is NOT The Hulk movie with Eric Bana. This is Marvel taking their property in their own direction. Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt. Sounds good to me. Norton even helped write some of the script himself (that could be good or bad). This movie’s villain will be the Abomination, who is just like the Hulk, but keeps his intelligence when he smashes things. The trailer had me hooked, but most usually do.
  5. The Spirit (January 16, 2009) – If you liked 300 or Sin City, then this should be enjoyable as well because it is another Frank Miller created property. The Spirit is a cop who was killed and returns from the dead to “fight crime from the shadows of Central City.” Might sound corny, but what comic book character or story doesn’t? This one is a long way off so let’s wait to see what develops and what visuals we get from it. Oh yeah, Samuel L. Jackson is in this one. He might also make a few cameos in other movies on this list, but that’s something else entirely.
  6. The Watchmen (March 6, 2009) – Alan Moore, creator of V For Vendetta, wrote a 12 issue limited series during the 80’s. The Watchmen is heralded as one of the reasons comics became darker (bloody, deaths, adult themes). Don’t write this book off as just blood and violence. There is a really good story here (think Incredibles but not as family friendly). Time magazine even listed The Watchmen on “the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.” It was the only graphic novel to make this list. The cast looks great in their costumes. Of course, they left out Dr. Manhattan. I wonder why…
  7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11, 2008) – I did not know much about Hellboy before the first movie was released. A good friend encouraged me to go with him to see it and the original trailer looked good so I went. I was shocked. Hellboy was a really good movie with a great mix of comedy and action. Now I’m really looking forward to HellBoy II. The entire cast is back, unless someone died in the first movie. There will also be a few new faces as well. Can’t go wrong with the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. So far, only a teaser has been released, but more show surface as the release date continues to move closer. Speaking of more. I wrote most of this post a few weeks ago. It’s a good thing I chose to post it today because the real trailer for Hellboy II was released today. Hellboy II will probably be another sleeper hit of the summer.

Here’s hoping for a great summer with many more great comic book movies. The better these do, the more will be made. Here’s hoping for no more Nick Fury:Agent of Shield with David Hasselhoff or The Punisher with Dolph Lundgren.

Posted under Heroes, Movies