Graphic Novel Review: DIE HARD: YEAR ONE Vol. 1

The Die Hard film franchise is nothing short of amazing as it still manages to pack the theaters especially after the most previous one Live Free or Die Hard was a huge hit. Now the infamous John McClane faces a whole new villain – his first year on the job. Boom! Studios latest hit Die Hard: Year One takes us to the very beginning as we see McClane as a rookie cop on the job in New York City during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. He gets more than he bargained for when he gets mixed up with an innocent woman who accidentally witnesses two cops murder a man in cold blood. These two cooked cops are part of an even bigger conspiracy that threatens the Bicentennial celebration as well as many innocent lives. Now McClane must prove that he’s more than just a rookie cop in order to uncover the conspiracy and save the girl.

Written by Howard Chaykin, with art by Stephen Thompson, and colorist Matthew Wilson Die Hard: Year One is a great addition to the franchise. Both Chaykin and Thompson capture the spirit and humor of the films in this Year One story leaving little hints of things to come in the future. The story is fast paced and yet still tells a very good story. If there’s one complaint it’s that it was too short. At only originally 4 issues long, the series goes by way to fast (and I wanted to read more) but I guess it’s a good thing that this is only the beginning for the character for Boom! Studios.

Another great thing about the graphic novel edition is that they collect all the various covers from the series so you get a glimpse into all the contributing artists which is always an asset in my book. It is also presented as a hard back version rather than the standard soft cover so you know you’re getting more bang for your buck (also included is what has now become a standard for hard back editions is a book mark or page placement). Hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come.

Film Review: LEGION

It’s been a while since I’ve written a film review but I decided to start back up with a review on the film LEGION because there have been so many differing opinions on the film. Being a film with heavy undertones of religious iconography there are those that love the film and those who hate it. I happen to like the film but the other two people who were with me when I screened the film hated it. One of them even wanted to walk out on the film.

The film concerns a group of diner patrons and employees who get stranded at a diner in the middle of nowhere in what appears to be a sign of a religious apocalypse. All of these people are from different backgrounds but what they all have in common is that they all have a past that leaves them with regret. Well, they’ll need to overcome this regret if they will be able to survive the night as the diner is assaulted by possessed humans (who are weak in spirit and faith) who have only one goal – to kill the woman and unborn child of a waitress at the diner whose child holds the key to saving all of humanity. To aid this waitress in her survival is the fallen angel Michael who has forsaken the rule of God in order to not only save the woman and her unborn child but all of humanity in the process. Unlike the similarly themed THE PROPHESY, LEGION is a balls to the wall action film which also takes liberties with many quieter moments in the film that go a long way in delivering a theme about people who all live with some regret in their lives. This regret is the crux of the film as each character is put through the ultimate tests of overcoming that regret in order to save not only their own souls but humanity as well.

It would have been real easy for the film to simply have been an action-horror film that killed each of the characters for no other reason other than to have a huge body count but screenwriters Peter Schink and Scott Stewart go a long way in presenting realistic characters that want to atone for their pasts. The character Kyle (Tyrese Gibson) is a man just trying to be a good father but has spent his entire life living the lie of a gangster. His only goal is to be a good father but the mistakes of his past continue to haunt him. He sacrifices his life to save a child in danger of a rouge gang that have just killed the child’s father. Percy (Charles S. Dutton) sacrifices himself to save the life of one of the other diner patrons (a stranger before that very day) and Audrey (Willa Holland) who was the “bad girl” of her previous school finds it within herself to protect and save the life of a child who may hold the key to the future of humanity. Sacrifice and regret can be no stronger than in waitress Charlie (Adrianne Palicki) who wanted an abortion but now wants to give her child up for adoption. She wants nothing to do with the child but through the course of the story she must face up to her fears and believe that there is a purpose for her and it lies within the future of her child. I could go into further details about each of the characters in the film and how their fates lie together (or apart as it seems with some of the characters) but just know that the writers were not trying to only craft a commercial thrill ride but something with more substance.

Although slightly heavy handed with the religious undertones, the film still manages to pack a punch for those willing to go for the ride. For those who are simply looking for an action-horror film this may not be 100% for them as the film does not hide its religious intent and those looking for simply a religious film than this might have too much action and horror elements. Either way, like THE PROPHESY (which many thought was too dark or too funny for a faith-based film), this film has split audiences.

Film Review: TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Let me just first say that the first Transformers I cared nothing for. It was a film with great special effects and action scenes but that was about it. It had stupid child humor and some of the most ridiculous comedic films of any Michael Bay film and I’ve seen all of his films. This being sad, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is better, but still not a very good film.

I could try to explain the story and plot of the film but why bother, no one cares about that any ways. They only care about the action, which I must say is a vast improvement over the previous film. I found myself engaged in the action scenes of the film. The battle scenes were slowed down and I could actually see what was going on (I’m not one of those action film junkies that need a cut or a close up every 2 seconds). The other thing is that the main Autobot Optimus Prime actually had a story behind him (even though none of the other transformers I could care less about).

Director Bay obviously thought hard about what was needed to improve the franchise as this is by far a better film then the first (despite the over convoluted background story) and the few problems I have with this film (mainly that the transformers are still nothing more then background fodder for Shia LeBeouf’s Sam character when the film is called “Transformers” and not “Sam Witwicky & The Transformers.” I’m nitpicking here as I am a fan of the ‘80s cartoon rather then any of the modern cartoon series of which these films are modeled after, so, I can’t complain too much.

Another great thing about the film is that the special effects have come a long way since the first film as the transformations are more defined and interesting to watch whereas in the previous film they came off as a blur many times. With the rate at which Bay is improving the ways in which these films are made by the next film I should actually be able to say that I like the film.

Artificial Intelligence and EAGLE EYE

The new Dreamworks action film EAGLE EYE is definitely an action film in the vein of such films as VANTAGE POINT, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, or THE INTERPRETER but filtered through the lens of Steven Spielberg (who is one of the producers on the film) so the story is loose and fantastic and the action is fast and suspenseful. The main reason I wanted to see this film is because of actor Shia LaBeouf who has come unto his own since DISTURBIA, TRANSFORMERS, and INDIANA JONES 4.

I’m not giving anything away (since the plot is so transparent) when I reveal that the film is about an artificial machine/program that takes over when it believes that the government has acted immoral when it comes to recent terrorist actions. It decides to use everything in its power to manipulate people and things to help it overthrow our current government. It may sound a lot like the recent film STEALTH but it’s routes in sci-fi are much more down-played.

Even with the “by-the-numbers” script on hand EAGLE EYE is extremely entertaining from beginning to end, due in part by the great cast assembled which also includes Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, than Embry, Michael Chiklis, and Billy Bob Thornton. This being said, EAGLE EYE is also highly forgettable like many of the other action films released thus far this year (i.e. BABYLON A.D. and MAX PAYNE, among others).

The film was written by John Glee, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz, and Dan McDermott and directed by D.J. Caruso.

Film Review: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I’m a huge fan of the first two Mummy films and to the original Universal classic that starred Boris Karloff, so, I was all for another film in the mummy franchise. I was even intrigued by the fact that Universal decided to go into a new direction with the franchise by focusing on Asian mummy’s and bringing in fresh blood from director Rob Cohen to actors Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.

When THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR came out I was one of the first people in line. Returning from the previous film was Brendan Fraser and John Hannah and even though Mario Bello was taking over the Evelyn role I wasn’t to worried since director Rob Cohen was at the helm and I liked what he did with DRAGONHEART, XXX, and STEALTH. I am sad to say that the new film is a disappointment simply because of the simplicity of the film. Written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar THE MUMMY 3 is a simply action and adventure film with none of the epic qualities of the previous two Stephen Sommers films, which felt like big summer popcorn films which high adventure, grand action, and great comedy. This new film falters at the beginning as Fraser and Bello don’t have the same chemistry as Fraser and Rachel Weisz, therefore many of their scenes at the beginning which should be understated funny (i.e. BRINGING UP BABY) come off more as clumsy humor that sometimes doesn’t work. Also, Fraser has little chemistry with actor Luke Ford who plays his grown up son Alex O’Connell. Ford is good in the role when he’s not trying to strengthen the father-son bond that seems to drive the core of the film; he has great chemistry with Isabella Long (who plays Lin).

The film plays much better in it’s action sequences where once the film finally gets onto the real adventure of the film it hits its stride and never quits. This is the strength of the film and what will ultimately keep most audience members happy. Cohen has a knack for staging some elaborate action sequences, which help over shadow all the other misgivings in the film. Unlike Sommers’ two films this film doesn’t strive to be as grand of a film (kind of like my reaction to the abysmal JURASSIC PARK III in relation to its two previous films) and simply appears to be a “paint by numbers” sequel that will ultimately be forgotten soon after it has been watched.

I do have to commend Jet Li and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (who play Emperor Han and General Yang, respectfully) as they make for just as formidable enemies as Arnold Vosloo as the original Mummy and keep the film on point. The CGI yeti are questionable in their execution but I enjoyed watching them when they were on screen but the three-headed dragon I could have done without. In fact, allowing Emperor Han to change into any mythological creature was a misstep in my opinion as the CGI was never any good.

The good thing about this film is that it has opened the gates to other adventures of the O’Connell clan in the same vein as the Indiana Jones films and I hope that Universal takes that advantage to explore other stories that could be told. After this film, I think the mummy should finally be left to rest…for good.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D - Just another Forgetable Summer Film

There is no denying that the success of past digital 3D films such as THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D, BEOWULF, U2 3D, and even HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, that Hollywood had found a way to get people back into the seats at the theater. The new Brenden Fraser remake JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D is the first theatrical live action film to be filmed specifically for the digital 3D age (although U2 3D is a concert film which can also claim the same thing).

Written by Michael D. Weiss, Jennifer Flackett, and Maril Levin this new film is all fun but no brains as Trevor Anderson (Fraser) and his nephew journey to Iceland after Anderson discovers that his brother may hold the key to proving that the novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” may be based on fact. Not knowing how to navigate themselves in the strange country they enlist the aid of Hannah (Anita Briem) to help them locate a tracer that Anderson’s brother placed years earlier. While trying to retrieve the device the three are caught in an electrical storm that traps them within a mountain. While trying to find a way out, the floor beneath them gives way and they fall deep through the mountain into the center of the Earth in which lies a world within a world.

Once there they learn that everything in the novel was true and that the only way to escape is to follow the journey of the character in the book that displays in detail how to escape. They must fight dangerous plants, dinosaurs, and even travel across a vast sea inhabited by carnivorous fish if they are to find a way back to the surface.

For anyone under the age of thirteen the film will be a joy to behold. Fans of Fraser’s GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE will love the film since it’s completely predictable and always action packed and that’s about all that it has to offer. From the moment “go” the film was meant as nothing more then a way for the studios to capitalize on the new 3D trend without actually developing a story worthy of the format. Unlike BEOWULF or HARRY POTTER, this film seems to want to make everything pop out at the audience rather then choose the best moments to really capitalize on the benefits of the format. Don’t get me wrong, the film has some amazing sequences especially the journey across the sea and the sequence with Anderson’s nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) making his way across the magnetic rock gully but those bits are few and far inbetween.

The film is filled with lots of bland and forced humor and some action sequences that just don’t work, which includes the dinosaur chase at the end which was done better in so many other previous films (not even the 3D CGI can help this sequence). The film seems to work better when the three adventures are fighting against the elements of the world rather then “carnivorous” forces. JOURNEY is a fun film that you should leave your brain at home for. It is a film that will be soon forgotten after its first viewing.