Justice League: The New Frontier 2008

DC animated movies are usually just as good or even better than live action films, They definitely dropped the ball here. Key issues in this film included the confusion over who/what is the villain, and the under representation of powers for popular heroes. I'll go into more detail below.

I would like to say that I love the cover art for this film, which is why  I (unfortunately) bought it in the first place. It pictures a multitude of heroes, but less than half were in the film. It was disappointing not to see Metamoprho in the film (pictured behind the Flash),  because I really feel that his powers are under appreciated. Another thing that I did appreciate in this movie is the time period in which it takes place. The film is based between 1953 and 1960. A perspective that is seldom explored in comics nowadays, it's always pleasing to experience something fresh. 

Now lets get to why I'm disappointed in my purchase...

There is this cult leader identified as "The Centre" I guess at the end they attempt clear up who/what "The Centre" actually is, but I was completely confused nonetheless.  Was it because of poor plot development/writing or was I sleeping??? The world may never know. This is the main villain they are fighting, not sure if villain is the right word for what "The Centre" is, but it is an easy label. I won't spoil anything for you guys, but just know that this movie is like a bad break up...NO CLOSURE. 

The dialogue, for the most part, was really corny. So corny that I wanted to vomit. And that's all I have to say about that. 

Finally, the under representation of powers for major heroes. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Martian Manhunter is EXTREMELY powerful. Some of his powers include telepathy, strength, flight, shape shifting, etc. This movie only really showcased his flight, which is nothing exciting when you get down to it. We really don't get to see him take advantage of his powers against the enemy. (Which I guess in The Centre???)  And to make matters worse his outfit was awful, he looked like some super friendly guy, not a bad ass.

See for yourself. 

Terrible, right?

Green Lanterns powers, in my opinion, were also under represented as well. He doesn't actually obtain the ring till the end, and sure he ends up saving the day, but there is so much more that ring can actually do its crazy. I always judge these comic book movies from a completely clueless perspective. I only know how powerful these characters are from prior knowledge, not from any information provided in the film, not good!

If you really feel the overwhelming need to watch this movie, just try not to pay for it. 

Iron Man 3 2013

    If you continue to follow this blog you will learn that I am obsessed with Marvel movies. This summer we will be seeing the sequels to Thor and Captain America, so watch out!

      First of all, if you've yet to see the latest installment in the Iron Man franchise, Iron Man 3, leave your computer and run to the nearest movie theater ASAP. 

      Usually, the second or third movie in a movie franchise is never as good as the first. But Iron Man 3 was action packed with an amazing story line. What I loved about this movie was that it focused more on Tony Stark, rather than Iron Man. I can't think of anyone else besides the incredible Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) to play Tony Stark/Iron Man. RDJ has to be one of the best things Marvel has ever done. But anyways, lets get back to the task at hand. 

      Why do I love this movie?

1. Action packed
2. The Story line
3. The focus on Tony's internal struggle
4. Character relationships

      It's no surprise that Marvel would produce an action packed thrill ride, but Iron Man 3 has been the best one yet. Through most of the movie my heart was in my throat because the action scenes were so stressful and kept me at the edge of my seat. It was crazy and unpredictable, just pure perfection. 

      The story line was great. I loved the cameo by Yinsen (the other captive in the first movie), I remember Yinsen saying that they'd met before but of course Tony didn't remember. Seeing him for that brief moment really brought a smile to my face. But the most important aspect of the story was the New Years eve party in 1999. That, in essence, was the origin of all the obstacles faced throughout the movie. If Tony had met with the disabled scientist, Aldrich Killian (who later becomes a flaming bad guy with swagger), Tony Stark could have avoided all the drama. Killian comes back with a vengeance  setting everything a flame; but he gets the Mandarin to be the face of all the chaos. Making the connections as a viewer and watching Tony Stark figure them out for himself is a great experience to have while watching a movie. 

      The last two movies were focused on Iron Man the hero, rather than Tony Stark the person. In Iron Man 3, we see his obsession with his suits in a negative light. It also seemed that he suffered from what looked like PTSD from the events we saw in the Avengers. For the first time, Tony Stark was weak, and not like when he let Pepper run Stark Industries in Iron Man 2, he was scared. Pathos, or provoking sympathy for the character, was definitely achieved. And finally, when he saved Pepper, he destroyed all the suits, which means that he can now move on and the suits aren't going to anchor him down any longer. 

      I love Pepper Potts and Tony Stark's relationship, even though it is quite unorthodox. Tony has the type of personality that makes it hard to adequately display his affection for Pepper, even though we all know he loves her more than life itself. He gave her the suit to protect her when their home was attacked and risked his life just to save her. Gwyneth Paltrow and RDJ have this wonderful chemistry that translates well onto the big screen. 
And who doesn't love JARVIS, an artificial intelligence with sarcasm, it doesn't get any better than that. When JARVIS "dies" as a result of their crash landing in Tennessee, the audience is distraught, as if an actual person has died. Especially since Jarvis is basically Tony Stark's best friend. And the new little addition, Harley, whom Tony meets in Tennessee is so cute and funny, and really contributes to the comic relief in the film. 

      Iron Man 3 was a phenomenal movie, and the fifth highest grossing film of all time; Avatar holds the number one spot. Overall, Iron Man 3 was a major success and I can't wait to see what else Marvel has to offer.

      Definitely worth watching in the theater. 

The Great Gatsby, 2013: SPOILER ALERT

      FYI, I read the book and thoroughly analyzed it prior to watching Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgeralds classic novel: The Great Gatsby. 

      Frankly, I absolutely hated this movie. Of course the book was better, but I felt that the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, directed by Jack Clayton, did a far better job of going by the book. 

      There are three main reasons why I felt like I wasted $11 after watching the newest adaptation of the Great Gatsby:

1. The portrayal of Gatsby and Daisy's relationship was all wrong
2. Nick was suddenly an alcoholic
3. The reason for George killing Gatsby was unclear

      If someone had never read the novel, they would've left the theater thinking that Gatsby actually loved Daisy. But, those who did knew better. In the book, Gatsby became wealthy and threw these lavish parties only to attract Daisy. It can be argued, with evidence, that Gatsby only wanted to obtain Daisy as an object, for what she represented; She represents wealth, which was clear in the popular quote "Her voice is full of money," one of the most important quotes in the novel, WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MOVIE. Unfortunately for us, the movie portrayed a Hollywood romance, leaving the audience thinking "Damn, I wish someone loved me like Gatsby loved Daisy." By the way, if anyone ever says that, please smack some sense into them because that relationship was very unhealthy. 

      The film opens with Nick in a sanitarium extremely troubled, who then decides to write a novel about Gatsby. I know that Luhrmann said in an interview that he decided to change up how the story was narrated and hope it would sit well with the audience; it DID NOT sit well with me. The whole scene where Nick gets ridiculously drunk was completely unnecessary  and him turning into an alcoholic was made up and not in anyway significant. 

      In the novel and in the 1974 adaptation, they showed how George Wilson, Myrtles poor husband, decided to kill Gatsby and created great sympathy for his character. In the 2013 adaptation, George suddenly decides to kill Gatsby causing the audience to hate him, but what they didn't know was that he was extremely distressed because of Myrtle's promiscuous actions with Daisy's husband, Tom. George was one of my favorite characters, in my opinion he deserved a better background story in this movie.

    The list goes on and on. Gatsby's mansion looked way too fake, Gatsby's father never came to the funeral (which humanized Gatsby in the novel), etc etc. The acting was good, nothing phenomenal. Thank god the film had a good soundtrack, that's probably what saved it. 

     Right after I watched the movie, a few friends and I went on a rant about how awful the movie was. I've read books before watching their film adaptations, but never have I left the movie theater angry and disappointed. Ugh, $11 dollars is a lot of money for a teenager, enough to eat at least. So I highly recommend to watch the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby to get a more accurate representation of the classic novel. 

      Wait for it to come out on Redbox people.