• Canister X Movie Review #51: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

    Justice League Flashpoint Paradox
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    Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
    Written by Jim Krieg
    Directed by Jay Oliva
    Runtime 81 min.
    5 out of 5

    When the Flash cranks up the superspeed and travels back in time to right a painful wrong, the timeline is drastically altered and he wakes up in a present that’s not the one he knows. There’s a war raging between the Atlanteans and Amazons, Batman uses guns, Cyborg works for the government and Superman is nowhere to be found. Worse, the Flash no longer has his superpowers thus cannot travel back in time to repair the damage and restore the timeline to the one he knew.

    Powerless and with no Justice League to turn to, the Flash must decide how he’s going to change the course of history and if he’s willing to lose someone he loves—again—in the effort to save the lives of many.

    This flick is the ultimate fanboy trip for Flash lovers. He’s the main character and this is the first time in DC animated movie history that he gets the focus. You got superspeed, time travel, alternate timelines, the Speedforce and more. Way cool and, frankly, it’s about time DC took a break from Superman and Batman as the go-to guys for movies, even in the context of a JLA movie. With a new Flash TV series in production as of this review, I’m thinking this was DC’s way of priming the pump, so to speak, to get audiences ready for more adventures with the Scarlet Speedster.

    This movie’s strength lies in two areas: the Flash, and time travel.

    On the Flash: you got a quick recap of his origin, a real sense for what drives Barry Allen, multiple amazing displays of superspeed (especially that running sequence at the end), and a hero to root for from start to finish. I loved it. As a DC guy, I like the Flash, but this film really made me appreciate him and care for him all the more as it gave a strong face to his mythology and character.

    On time travel: I love time travel stories. The more scientifically accurate and plausible the better, but I’ll take just about any story that deals with time travel, parallel universes and butterfly effects. I write about that stuff in my own fiction, for crying out loud. Here, DC went to great lengths to explain the time travel in a plausible way and apply what we know of its possibility as realistically as they could in the context of the movie. Nice. The DVD extras that go further into this are an added bonus for us time travel enthusiasts and are much appreciated.

    Storywise, I loved this movie and the twists and turns it took made me go, “Man, that’s awesome,” more than once. When I found out the history behind the Batman of the alternate timeline I went nuts. So cool and so utterly tragic. Perfect for Batman. And Superman’s portrayal in the alternate timeline? Crazy! Putting all that against a backdrop of an Atlantean vs Amazon war added a breath of fresh air to DC’s animated movies because, like I said, it was relieving to stay away from putting the spotlight on Superman or Batman. (Granted, Batman plays a big part in this movie, but in such a way that it’s not our Batman but another, which makes it fresh.)

    The animated style chosen for this flick I wasn’t crazy about at first, to be honest. The small heads and wider bodies looked weird. It grows on you, though, and eventually you get used to it. The color scheme and bleak tone throughout added to the overall feel of what was a heavy story, thus sucking you in further.

    This is not a movie for kids, though. There’s a lot of violence and gore, adult themes and some language. While I appreciate “grownup” superhero movies, I wish these elements would be scaled back a bit so I could show my kids these flicks and go on super adventures with them instead of having to shelve the DVD until they’re older so they can watch it.

    From a superhero fan’s standpoint, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a stellar movie adapted from the graphic novel by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.

    Recommended.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #50: Justice League: Doom (2012)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Justice League: Doom (2012)

    Justice League Doom
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    Justice League: Doom (2012)
    Written by Dwayne McDuffie
    Directed by Lauren Montgomery
    Runtime 77 min.
    4.5 out of 5

    Assembled by Vandal Savage, the elite members of the Legion of Doom—Bane, Cheetah, Mirror Master, Star Sapphire, Ma’alefa’ak and Metallo—are shown how to beat each and every member of the Justice League of America. Using the specific weaknesses of each hero, the Legion heads out to destroy their counterparts and bring them to their knees so Vandal Savage could implement the next phase of his plan: annihilating the majority of the human race so he can bring about a new world order from its ashes.

    To make things worse, Vandal Savage didn’t discover how to destroy the Justice League on his own, and when the answer as to who was responsible is revealed, the JLA is rocked to its core with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

    Man, I love this movie. It features an all-star cast of all-star superheroes going up against an all-star roster of evil supervillains. Finally, we get to see the villains stick it to the heroes in a big way and not let up until the JLA is down. And I mean really down. It’s not often you see Superman on the brink of death, Batman humiliated and defeated, Flash completely screwed, Green Lantern a broken man, Martian Manhunter totally incapacitated, and Wonder Woman so messed up she doesn’t know what to do or which way to turn.

    This flick is based on the “Tower of Babel” Justice League story arc by Mark Waid, who is arguably one of the best comic book writers on the planet. I can’t comment on this flick’s faithfulness to that storyline because it’s been over ten years since I last read it, but I do remember the overall premise and this movie delivered on that.

    The heroes and villains look great in this movie, and it does well in showcasing their various powers and abilities.

    It’s also an exciting movie that is fast-paced, has a sense of atmosphere, a sense of taking place in the overall DC Universe—thanks to other heroes and villains not mentioned above showing up—and gives the JLA a threat that even they might not be able to handle. And that’s the thing with a JLA movie: the threat needs to be so huge and so dangerous that it takes them as a team to solve the issue, and considering each one of them is extremely powerful in their own right, that threat needs to be mega huge, not just physically but psychologically as well. Justice League: Doom has that and delivers it in spades.

    Also features the voice talent from the Justice League animated series so that totally adds to it as well, giving it a sense of familiarity.

    Out of all the superhero movies on the market, this is easily one of my favorites and is good viewing for kids and adults alike.

    Highly recommended.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #49: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

    Justice League Crisis on Two Earths
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    Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
    Written by Dwayne McDuffie
    Directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu
    Runtime 75 min.
    5 out of 5

    The superhero known as Lex Luthor travels from a parallel Earth to ours and summons the help of the Justice League to take on the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the JLA from his own Earth. Agreeing to help him, the Justice League travels to Luthor’s Earth and takes on the Crime Syndicate, pitting the likes of Superman against Ultraman, Wonder Woman against Superwoman, the Flash against Johnny Quick, Green Lantern against Power Ring, Martian Manhunter against J’edd J’arkus, Hawkgirl against Angelique, and, soon enough, Batman against Owlman.

    In a true case of looking in a mirror darkly, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a super heroic and super villained thrill ride that gives you two Justice Leagues for the price of one!

    Such a simple premise but such a cool story. Why not have the JLA face themselves from an alternate reality? Who would win? If you’re fighting someone every bit as powerful as you are, would someone come out on top? What if they thought like you? Talk about playing with one’s shadow.

    There’s superpowers galore in this movie as each hero gets to take on their counterpart and show what they are fully capable of. More so, you get to see what our beloved JLA would be like had they taken other paths in life as the similarities and differences between them and the Crime Syndicate are explored.

    A bunch of other heroes make an appearance in this flick as well, guys like Aquaman, Black Canary, Red Tornado (a personal favorite), Firestorm (another favorite), and more. Kind of a throwback to Justice League Unlimited in that way.

    Don’t be fooled, though, as this movie is more than just a superhero/supervillain slugfest. It gets into the deeper issues, the big one being about choice. In the context of the movie, if every choice we make spawns an alternate reality where the alternate choice(s) was also made, do any of the choices we make ultimately matter?

    This movie is smart, interesting, and grabs you from the get-go. The action is top notch, the animation is ultra sweet, and if these direct-to-video DC Universe movies have proven anything, it’s that they know how to make a good Justice League flick. I can’t wait until they transfer that same know-how to a live action Justice League movie. Can you imagine how awesome that’ll be?

    Anyway, back to this one. This is such a good movie and is a must-have on any superhero fan’s movie shelf. You not only get DC Universe’s all-stars, but the all-stars of a parallel universe as well. Like I said above, definitely a two-for-one ticket and definitely worth checking out.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #48: Iron Monkey (1993/2001)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Iron Monkey (1993/2001)

    Iron Monkey
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    Iron Monkey (1993/2001)
    Written by Tsui Hark
    Directed by Yuen Woo-ping
    Runtime 90 min.
    4 out of 5

    Like Robin Hood, the Iron Monkey robs from the rich and gives to the poor, but instead of wielding a bow and arrow and sword, he wears a mask and uses martial arts weapons instead.

    By day, Chinese doctor Yang Tianchun (Rongguang Yu) is a physician caring for the poor and rich alike, but at night he’s the Iron Monkey, a high-kicking do-gooder assisting those in need who are suffering beneath the rule of the corrupt governor.

    Meanwhile, Wong Kei-Ying (Donnie Yen) and his son Wong Fei-hong (Sze-Man Tsang) come into town. Soon after, Wong Kei-Ying is captured on suspicion of being the Iron Monkey after being observed in battle. His son is arrested as well. In an effort to clear himself, he offers to capture the real Iron Monkey, his son being forced to remain in prison to ensure his compliance.

    Soon Wong Kei-Ying and the Iron Monkey meet and, after going toe-to-toe with no victor, form an alliance that will rescue Wong Fei-hong from prison and bring down the evil governor once and for all.

    This movie kicks some serious wa-hoo-hoo and I’m not just saying that because of the awesome kung fu sequences, but because of it’s fun presentation of a classic story—Robin Hood—through the lens of Chinese culture, martial arts and fast-paced action.

    Quentin Tarantino brought the flick over to the West and I’m glad he did. I’m 99% sure I went to the theatre to check out this gem and it soon got a place in my DVD collection once it hit store shelves.

    What can I say? The fight sequences are over-the-top—wire acts, crazy fast kicks—but those are what make kung fu movies great and give the fight performances that supernatural feel that can’t be obtained otherwise.

    The superhero fan part of me had never seen a kung fu superhero movie, and when I compare it to the Western version of martial arts techniques that we get in our own superhero flicks, sadly, we come up short every time. I mean, this crazy, fast-paced over-the-top form of fighting is one of the main reasons The Matrix became so popular.

    There is lots that goes on in this movie storywise, everything from the simple rob-from-the-rich-to-feed-the-poor angle to Wong Kei-Ying’s tense relationship with his son, to commentary on oppression and what’s fair and what isn’t, to comedic moments, tear-jerking moments, to adrenaline-fueled action—it’s a full experience, something that Quentin Tarantino said in an interview on the DVD that is common in Chinese cinema but not really over here in the West. I think we need to learn a thing or two about moviemaking from our Chinese friends instead of compartmentalizing everything into genres and niches.

    If you love folk heroes like Robin Hood, or are a superhero fan, Iron Monkey should definitely be on your watch list.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #47: Iron Man 3 (2013)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Iron Man 3 (2013)

    Iron Man 3
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    Iron Man 3 (2013)
    Written by Drew Pearce and Shane Black
    Directed by Shane Black
    Runtime 130 min.
    3.5 out of 5

    An evil mastermind terrorist known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is wreaking havoc via a rash of bombings, holding the world in his grip. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) gets on the case and discovers the bombings are initiated by people exposed to the Extremis program, something Stark Industries could’ve had ties to a long time ago, but chose not to. Turns out those Tony Stark knew back then are neck-deep involved with what’s going on now, have re-entered his life, and are making things complicated.

    While trying to pinpoint the location of the Mandarin, Iron Man aka Tony is also dealing with the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion of New York in The Avengers. Having trouble sleeping, he’s been spending all his time constructing various Iron Man armors to help himself cope. This brings tension to his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who he’s now living with and is dedicated to.

    Upon discovering the location of the Mandarin and his true identity, Iron Man and his almost-sidekick the Iron Patriot aka War Machine aka Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) head up against a battalion of Extremis-infected warriors and must pull out all the stops to put an end to their reign of terror. The problem is these Extremis soldiers are so powerful that victory doesn’t seem likely.

    Can Iron Man prevail against an army as strong as he is?

    I’m not sure what to make of this movie. Sure, it was entertaining and the storyline was fine. I like the idea of making it a direct follow up to The Avengers, and showing how Tony Stark’s world—never mind the rest of the world—had been affected by the Chitauri invasion and the presence of the other Avengers.

    This flick was loaded with solid action, tough bad guys, cool tech, guns and everything else that makes an Iron Man movie a lot of fun. I just wasn’t sold on the presentation. This might be harsh, but this flick came off as the Batman Forever of the Iron Man movies. I’m all for humor in even the most serious of movies, but it seemed the jokes were either too forced or too slapstick to make me take this flick seriously. And that’s the secret with superhero movies: they need to take themselves seriously—even if they’re meant to be a comedy—otherwise they’ll never work. There was an awful lot of getting in and out of the Iron Man suits in this film, both by Tony and Rhodey, never mind Pepper getting a shot at wearing it, the President, the Extremis guy—there were so many suit changes that the novelty of watching someone don the Iron Man armor was quickly spent after the first three times.

    This film was not directed by Jon Favreau, which might have had something to do with it. Just seems this movie was weighed down with not enough Iron Man and a storyline—which was solid in and of itself—that moved slowly. I realize Tony’s aftermath and post-traumatic stress from The Avengers was the focus, but the same goal could’ve been accomplished had there been more Iron Man. I don’t necessarily mean more action—as action-filled movies that are nothing but explosions start to finish get boring after a while—but perhaps him having a love/hate relationship with the suit because being in it nearly killed him at the end of The Avengers, or maybe take the robo-injections to summon the suit to a new level because he’s trying to make himself super to be on par with guys like Captain America or Thor and have him deal with that?

    The extra scene at the end of the credits with Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) picked up on the bromance from The Avengers. A nice touch. Didn’t move the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward in any way, but was nice nevertheless.

    If you’re a Marvel movie completist, then by all means, check it out. Likewise, pick up the Blu-ray when it comes out to complete your set. For me, I think I’m going to have watch it again and perhaps I’ll warm up to it a bit more. I felt let down when I watched the first Spider-Man in 2002, but got more into it with subsequent viewings. Iron Man 3 might be one of those movies.

    Just think they could’ve done a lot more with it.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #46: Iron Man 2 (2010)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Iron Man 2 (2010)

    Iron Man 2
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    Iron Man 2 (2010)
    Written by Justin Theroux
    Directed by Jon Favreau
    Runtime 124 min.
    4 out of 5

    Taking place six months after Iron Man, old shellhead is using his armor to maintain world peace and keep things right as rain for the world. Enter Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), aka Whiplash, who has a vendetta against Tony Stark and wants to see him dead for the wrong he believed Tony did to his father.

    Meanwhile, Tony’s dealing with issues of his own, namely that the very tool he’s using to keep himself alive—the arc reactor in his chest—is actually poisoning him, and time is quickly running out.

    Can Iron Man defeat a foe hellbent on grinding him to dust while also saving his own life?

    Iron Man 2 is a solid sequel. It’s not as smart as the first one, but it’s certainly not bad by any means. The idea of the arc reactor slowly killing Tony is brilliant. I mean, really, what do you do, right? Just wait it out? Unplug? Tell someone? Good stuff.

    A lot of people gave this movie grief and I don’t understand why. You got superhero action, superhero struggle, relationship tension, introduction of a new hero—War Machine (Don Cheadle, who plays James Rhodes; the part was originally played by Terrence Howard in the first movie)—and a new villain with a simple but decent origin story. Adding to that you got the breadcrumb trail that will eventually lead into The Avengers. The cool part is this subplot—complete with appearances by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)—don’t detract from the main story. Of course, I won’t fail to mention Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, who’s an amazing actor and becomes whatever role he is assigned. I love that about him.

    As before, Robert Downey Jr. continues to amaze me as Tony Stark. He is that guy. End of story. Never thought I’d like a self-absorbed hero, but he proved me wrong.

    Anyway, back to the action: Iron Man 2 has got loads of it, right from Iron Man’s first encounter with Whiplash, to the big fight at the end where it takes Iron Man teaming up with War Machine to take out robots and a newly-armored Whiplash. What I liked was the realistic—as you can get, anyway—portrayal of what a suit of robot armor would most likely do and fight like if it was real. It was fluid, yet appropriately clunky and moved as such accordingly. The flight sequences were exciting, same with the weapons used.

    What was also good was the humor. Aside from the here’s-how-I-pee-in-the-armor joke, which I found dumb, every other bit of joking around totally worked and still maintained that this was a serious movie with a serious hero fighting a serious villain.

    What makes this third movie in Marvel’s Phase One plan great is that while it had its own self-contained story, it was part of the overall Avengers plotline. I loved how the two worked together but weren’t dependent on each other.

    Do I watch this movie when I’m going through my super flicks in my DVD and Blu-ray collection? Every time.

    A major iron thumbs up from me on this one.

    Recommended.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #45: Iron Man (2008)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Iron Man (2008)

    Iron Man
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    Iron Man (2008)
    Written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway
    Directed by Jon Favreau
    Runtime 126 min.
    5 out of 5

    Tony Stark has it all: money, women, fame, and little regard for anyone else but himself, but when he’s kidnapped by a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings, everything changes and he soon finds himself with a car battery connected to a magnet in his chest. Tiny bits of shrapnel from the blast that led to his capture are slowly making their way to his heart and the magnet is keeping them at bay.

    The Ten Rings want him to build them a weapon and Tony knows that if he does, the world will fall into the terrorists’ hands. He needs to find a way to escape and to do so he must create something more than just the weapon the Ten Rings wanted him to.

    After inventing a metal suit with some crude weaponry, he manages to escape the Ten Rings’ lair and return to the world as a new man. Taking his iron suit discovery to a whole new level, he becomes Iron Man and sets to right the wrongs of his past and ensure that the terrorists who tried to enslave him won’t do so to anyone else.

    Iron Man is a thrill ride you don’t want to miss!

    There’s something about origin stories that I have an extreme soft spot for and Iron Man is near perfect in that regard. Given that Iron Man is a “human hero with no powers” ala Batman and it’s his suit which gives him his abilities, he becomes instantly relatable (well, okay, maybe not one hundred percent as I’m not a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist like him), but I’m on the journey of life like Tony with my own share of pain and turning points. The movie’s pacing is bang on and progresses “as if this really happened,” which is a huge plus for a superhero movie. (I’m a fan of super flicks that come from the angle, “If this happened tomorrow, this is how it’d most likely play out.” My own superhero series, The Axiom-man Saga, is based on that premise.)

    The Iron Man armor looks amazing and real, which is a big deal because most of it is CGI. I’m glad they were able to create real-looking metal armor that didn’t look totally fake. Likewise, to see the progression from the oh-so-crude Mark One armor all the way up the Mark Three was cool.

    The rest of the special effects were out-of-sight, especially the ultrasonic flying sequences. Looking at the world from Tony’s perspective inside the suit put you in his shoes—in his armor—and made you feel like you were Iron Man along with him.

    This flick also boasts a killer soundtrack and score that gets you pumped.

    Let’s see . . .

    Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. Right from the first scene he lets you know who he is and what he believes in: himself. This carries throughout the rest of the film, but he also does a good job of becoming a changed man as the story goes on and the Tony we meet in the beginning of the movie is different from the one at the end. A lot of actors who are on supposed journeys during a story don’t pull that off and usually come across as the same guy from start to finish.

    Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts is dynamite. She’s strong, witty and is one of the few people who can go toe-to-toe with Tony’s narcissistic personality. Excellent casting for this role.

    Iron Man was the stepping off point for Marvel’s Phase One, which would later culminate in The Avengers. I don’t think at the time anyone knew that Iron Man—who back then wasn’t really known outside of the comic book community—would become such the massive hit it was, the franchise growing bigger and bigger with each outing.

    But I can see why. This movie is awesome.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #44: The Invincible Iron Man (2007)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The Invincible Iron Man (2007)

    Invincible Iron Man
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    The Invincible Iron Man (2007)
    Written by Greg Johnson
    Directed by Patrick Archibald, Jay Oliva and Frank D. Paur
    Runtime 83 min.
    2.5 out of 5

    When billionaire Tony Stark accidentally awakens an ancient evil while raising an old Chinese city, he must develop the means to stop it. Creating an exoskeleton armored suit, Tony becomes Iron Man and faces off against the Elementals, four supernatural beings that can control earth, fire, wind and water. Not only that, but he must face the evil emperor, the Mandarin. Can Iron Man stop the foe he inadvertently helped create?

    You know, I might be in the minority, but I just couldn’t get into this flick. I found it really slow, had not much Iron Man, and wasn’t big on the animation.

    From a story standpoint, the what-it-was-about, it was fine. It showed Tony’s origin in creating the Iron Man armor, had him go up against one of his biggest villains, and had high stakes. Just wasn’t really my thing. I like Iron Man, don’t get me wrong, and am a fan of the live action movies, namely the first two, but this one wasn’t really my thing. To each their own.

    If you’re an Iron Man and/or a Marvel junkie, I’m sure you’d really enjoy this or at least like it more than I did.

    Wish I had more to add, but there’s really nothing more to say.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #43: The Incredibles (2004)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The Incredibles (2004)

    Incredibles
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    The Incredibles (2004)
    Written by Brad Bird
    Directed by Brad Bird
    Runtime 115 min.
    5 out of 5

    Superheroes used to span the globe, saving people from all sorts of calamities and stopping numerous supervillains from taking over the world. However, after an incident in which Mr. Incredible saved someone who didn’t want to be saved and the superheroes were sued for not only that but all the collateral damage their superheroic exploits caused, the government forced the superheroes to go into hiding and created a superhero relocation program for them.

    Now, many years later, Mr. Incredible is married to Elastigirl, has three superpowered kids, and is just trying to lead a quiet domestic life while also being unable to help himself but sneak out now and then to do good deeds for people along with Canister X Movie Review #43: The Incredibles (2004) his buddy Frozone. When an opportunity arises from a private party for him to once again don his tights, Mr. Incredible jumps at the chance and gets to be a hero once more. The only problem is this private party is not who they seem and has a deadly agenda against not just Mr. Incredible but against all former superheroes.

    The bonds of family and friendship are tested to their limits as Mr. Incredible must try and stop this threat without getting his family involved.

    Except, it might already be too late for that.

    Wow.

    Every so often a superhero movie comes along that does everything right. Great characters, great story, great presentation. In the case of animation, great voice talent, a great tale, great effects, great rendering. The Incredibles is an utterly amazing movie and is in the top ten superhero flicks of all time. In my personal top five, easy, and very close to the number one spot.

    This movie hits all the high notes on every level. Superhero action? Check. Awesome heroes and an A-plus villain? Check. Completely relatable characters? Check. A solid story with an interesting plot? Check. A stellar cast? Check.

    Ah, where to begin? That’s the thing with this movie: there is so much right with it that it’s hard to decide where to start.

    Okay, how about looking at a superhero story without the super heroics? Before you throw stones because I know there’s lots of superhero-ing in this movie, the majority of it doesn’t have that stuff, but instead focuses on the lives of a family of superpowered people and what they have to go through to keep their powers a secret thanks to the government making it illegal for superpowered individuals to show themselves. You got Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson), who’s just itching to relive the glory days and finally does albeit covertly; you got the homemaker wife, Helen (Holly Hunter), who’s just trying to hold down the fort against a husband she discovers is out gallivanting with his buddy (Lucius Best aka Frozone played by Samuel L. Jackson) while also juggling kids; Dash Parr (Spencer Fox), who’s frustrated he’s got to keep his superspeed under wraps; Violet Parr (Sarah Vowell), who’s frustrated in being in a family that can’t be who they truly are; Jack Jack (Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews), well, he’s just a baby and does baby stuff . . . but with a super flare, of course. Throw in a supervillain who’s motivation for being one is totally plausible—proving himself to the one hero who let him down—and, yeah, the heart of this movie lies in the people versus just simple superhero action.

    When it does come time for the Parrs to don their new gear and become the superteam the Incredibles, they take all that character development with them and bring it to the streets as they fight Syndrome (Jason Lee) and put a stop to his evil plans.

    What’s great, too, about this flick is the immense amount of world-building thanks to the backstory as to how the heroes—or the “supers” as they are called in the flick—used to be all over the place and then how and why they were suddenly banned from doing their job with Bob right in the middle of it. It was actually his case of saving someone from suicide that caused the whole thing. (And suicide, by the way, a pretty dark subject for a kids movie.) You also got to see many of the other heroes that inhabit the Incredibles’s universe, giving you a sense of scope that adds to the believability of the story and enhances the character depth even more.

    Thematically, this movie is about many things, some of which are dealing with poor self-esteem, sacrifice, being true to who you are, doing the right thing at all costs and, at its heart, the strength of family against all odds.

    The Incredibles is a movie that is highly recommended, a genuine timeless classic, and there have been rumors of a sequel for years. Director/writer Brad Bird has hinted at it repeatedly, but is also waiting for the right story to come along. To be honest, a part of me hopes a sequel doesn’t happen because I understand the power of a good solo flick and how hard it is to do a follow up that tops the original. At the same time, we seem to have come to a place in superhero cinema where the sequel often is better than the first.

    What do you think?

    While you mull that over, go back and watch The Incredibles again.

    And again.

    And again.


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  • Canister X Movie Review #42: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The Incredible Hulk (2008)

    Incredible Hulk
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    The Incredible Hulk (2008)
    Written by Zak Penn
    Directed by Louis Leterrier
    Runtime 112 min.
    4.5 out of 5

    Dr. Bruce Banner. Scientist. Researcher. Genius.

    Victim of a Gamma Ray experiment gone horribly wrong.

    Dr. Bruce Banner. Hulk.

    And the military knows it. They were there. They saw what he became—a hulking, big green behemoth made of pure muscle, rage and power—and the damage he caused.

    Bruce (Edward Norton) has been on the run from them ever since, keeping a low profile and doing everything within his power to find a cure for the gamma poisoning that created the beast caged inside him. And now he thinks he has one, so he ventures back to the States to meet a scientist codenamed “Mr. Blue” whom he’s been chatting with over a secure Internet line to work up a cure. He also accidentally runs into the love of his life, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), and the two are now on the run from Betty’s hotheaded military father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt), who wants to turn the Hulk into a weapon.

    They evade him for the most part until General Ross decides to supe-up his special soldier, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), and, once that super soldier proves not enough of a threat to the Hulk, Emil takes it on himself to make himself a greater match and forces Dr. Blue, aka Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), to turn him into something else—an Abomination.

    Now only the Hulk can stop this new mammoth creature and the two wage a crazy, awe-inspiring war through the streets of New York.

    It’s time for Hulk to smash.

    I admit when I first heard about this movie I was leery. It was only five years before that Ang Lee’s Hulk came out and I knew that The Incredible Hulk was meant to be a reboot, so I wasn’t sure what to expect and, really, a reboot after only five years was just plain silly.

    As it turns out, this movie wasn’t a reboot per se, but more of a do-over, in that during the credits it quickly gave the Hulk’s origin story and then got into a story of its own without referring to the Hulk movie of 2003. And to make things even more “separate,” there was that oh-so-cool cameo at the end by you-know-who that cemented this new Hulk movie into the current timeline that Marvel’s got going on in the movies, one that will take us up to The Avengers in 2012.

    What can I say? This movie was way better than Hulk. More action. Cooler story. More realistic. This really was a solid Hulk-smash type of movie that didn’t get bogged down in so much drama like the one in 2003. I loved Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. Not only did he look the part of a scrawny scientist, he also acted like one plus also did a good job conveying the burden he carries and the suffering he has to go through because of what he is (i.e. sometimes living on the street).

    There was a chemistry between him and Liv Tyler, too. The two of them could easily pass as real-life lovers. This kind of realism was crucial in showing the sacrifices Bruce had made in order to protect those he cared about from the Hulk.

    The sheer power shown by the Hulk throughout this movie was just plain awesome. The strength displayed was astounding. The coolest display, in my opinion, was when the helicopter Betty was in caught fire and Hulk clapped his hands together so hard it sent a shockwave/gust of wind through the air to put out the flame.

    I enjoyed Tim Roth as the good-guy-turned-bad. He’s always convincing. And when he became Abomination, the big fight between Abomination and Hulk was terrific: two giant titans going head-to-head, muscle against muscle, power against power. Fantastic.

    The Incredible Hulk was such a great movie and made you look forward to any sequels or cameos the Hulk will have in the future.

    Recommended.


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