District 9

Before Comic-Con I knew very little about Discrict 9, other than Peter Jackson was the producer. But that fact alone was enough to pique my interest. As I learned at the panel with Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp, the film is based on a short called Alive in Joburg, created by Blomkamp in 2005. So when the Halo project fell apart, Jackson and Blomkamp focused on expanding the Joburg story into a full feature. Now that I've seen the film in it's entirety, it seems that some of the Halo pre-production work came in handy, especially where some of the weapons and visual effects are taken into account. That being said, this is a far more original film than Halo ever would have been. In fact, it's one of the best sci-fi flicks to come out in years. Unlike most movies clogging cineplexes this Summer, it has a soul and a message. But none of this is done in a heavy-handed fashion. At it's core, the film is a straight-forward action movie, with some amazing sequences, seamless visual effects, and a frantic pace. The social commentary is there for those who wish to ponder the deeper meaning, but the film doesn't get bogged down or beat you over the head with these rather heavy issues.

(500) Days of Summer

There's a scene early in this movie where Zooey Deschanel does a karaoke version of Nancy Sinatra's Sugar Town. Soon after, Joseph-Gordon Levitt does his own version of The Pixies' Here Comes Your Man. At that point, it was clear these were two characters I wanted to get to know better. While I'm not a huge rom-com fan, this is one I can get behind, mostly because it ditches all of the tired formulas and cliches associated with the genre. For one, it's told in a non-linear format, jumping around to different days in the lives of Tom and Summer, illustrating the evolution of their complex relationship. Sure, non-linear story telling is nothing new, but I don't believe I've seen it attempted in this genre; at least not this successfully. Some scenes are made more poignant because we know how things turn out in the future. Beyond the format, the writing here is brilliant and may be the best hipster rom-com since High Fidelity. The script is drenched in pop culture references which will likely fly over most people's heads; don't feel bad, I'm sure there's several I missed too. But this isn't a movie obsessed with how smart it is. The story and characters remain the focus at all times without detouring into self-indulgent narrative tangents. Considering this was written by the team that brought us The Pink Panther 2, it's quite remarkable how this film turned out. So if you're still mourning the loss of John Hughes, give this film a shot. It'll help restore your faith in movies.

Comic-Con 2009

Just got back from Comic-Con last night and had a blast. It was so great to be surrounded by so many talented and passionate people. Sure, it was crazy crowded, but never felt out of hand. I guess it helps when everyone is in such a good mood. For me the best part were the panels. So here's a quick rundown of what I saw:

Viz Media: Shonen Jump (Friday 10:30) One of my good friends at Viz (Lex) was on the panel so that was the highlight for me. But yeah, it was cool to see Hiroyuki Takei and Stan Lee and talk about their collaborative work on Ultimo. Stan Lee is a real character and it was so awesome to see him work the room.

Focus Features: 9 (Friday 3:30ish) After waiting in line for nearly two hours to get into Hall H, finally got in for the last 15-20 minutes of this panel on the new Tim Burton-produced movie. Burton was there along with director Shane Acker, and voice talents Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly. From the trailer they showed, it looks like a pretty awesome animated film. Just wished I could have been there for the whole panel...but I was too busy outside getting a sunburn.

Sony Pictures: Legion and District 9 (Friday 4:30ish) This was a two-part panel, starting off with a discussion of Legion, a film I had never heard of. The directer (Scott Stewart) described it as a post apocalyptic tale featuring "angels with machine guns." The footage they showed looked okay, but I wasn't completely sold on the story. Just another visual effects-heavy film without much of a soul.

During the second half of the panel, Peter Jackson arrived to talk about District 9. It was so cool to see him...and looking so svelte. Even better...he talked about The Hobbit! Here's what I learned:

• They plan to turn in a script within the next three weeks, after which they'll get their budget (hopefully) and can begin casting.
• The Hobbit is too big for one movie...so it will be two movies!
• Casting has not begun, so don't believe the rumors!

As for District 9, it looks like a very cool character-driven sci-fi flick. And like all great sci-fi works, it tackles some pretty heavy issues. Plus, it's set in South Africa, so how cool is that? It's basically about an alien race that is stuck on Earth and are segregated by their human hosts. From what we saw, it looks very promising.

Lucasfilm: Star Wars Spectacular (Friday 5:30ish) I was really looking forward to this panel, hoping something big would be announced, like that long-rumored live action TV show. But there wasn't much news at all. It started with Anthony Daniels giving us the hard sell on the Star Wars Concert Tour. Meh. That was followed by a Lucas Arts presentation showing us some new Force Unleashed stuff. Then it went straight into Clone Wars, talking about the next season. They even did a script reading with some of the cast, which was actually more entertaining than I thought it would be. But alas. No really big announcements.

Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries (Friday 7:00ish) This was the panel I really wanted to see. Peter Jackson was back, joined by James Cameron. EW's Jeff Giles mediated the discussion which touched mostly on the future of cinema. Both Jackson and Cameron shared their views on the current state of the film industry and where they think things are headed. Peter Jackson also revealed that he wouldn't mind stepping back into the horror genre. But that will have to wait until The Hobbit is well underway. Overall, this was the best panel I saw at Comic-Con.

Saturday morning and early afternoon were spent wandering the exhibit hall and attending Tim and Eric's Awesomecon 2009. Yes, we met Tim, Eric, James Quall, Palmer Scott, Pierre, and Richard Dunn. A good time was had by all and the weather was perfect out by the harbor. A nice break from the crowded convention center. After the events of Awesomecon, it was back to the convention for a couple of more panels.

Monster Mash (Saturday 3:00) I first heard of this panel from author S.G. Browne (he introduced himself as Scott) who was across from our booth promoting his new novel Breathers. He invited me to this panel where he was joined by several other horror authors. Since I've been on a zombie fiction kick lately it was the perfect opportunity to hear from authors of similar genres. There was a lot of discussion about keeping things fresh in a genre so steeped in mythology and cliche. It was fascinating and I only wished it could have gone on longer.

We Control The Vertical: Writing and Producing for Television (Saturday 4:00 There was no chance I was getting into the Iron Man 2 or Fringe panels so I hopped into this nearby room after Monster Mash. It featured tons of writers from various shows. Most of the discussion revolved around the collaborative process of writing for tv shows, something that sounds far too stifling for my tastes. Still, it was interesting to hear about an industry I know very little about. That's what's so cool about Comic-Con. You have access to so many professionals from a wide range of disciplines.

After that panel, I had about half an hour left before we needed to head for the airport. So I wandered around the exhibit hall one last time and took more pictures of props, fans, and anything else that looked cool. You really need to keep your camera in-hand at all times because you never know who or what you might see from one minute to the next. Anyway, it was a great show and I look forward to doing it again.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For me, the latest Harry Potter movie was the only movie worth waiting for this Summer. Sure, I was surprised by Star Trek and The Hangover, but Half-Blood Prince was the only movie I knew would deliver. After all, this series has a wonderful track record, and the movies seem to get better as they go along. This latest installment wasn't a disappointment either. This is by far the best since Prisoner of Azkaban, my personal favorite. As the story progresses, it becomes even more apparent how remarkable this series is. This is the sixth out of a proposed eight films and it's just amazing to see the characters (and actors) grow from one installment to the next. For optimal effect, watch this movie then go back and watch Sorcerer's Stone. Not only have the key actors grown from children into young adults, but the actual film making has improved by leaps and bounds as well, taking on much heavier themes and exhibiting more impressive visual effects. Outside of the physical metamorphosis of Harry and his friends, it's equally fascinating to watch their characters evolve. Even Draco Malfoy is going through his own agonizing growing pains, something that almost makes him a sympathetic character in this latest episode. When this series eventually wraps-up it will certainly go down as one of the most successful and beloved film series of all time. It just has that timeless quality, much like The Wizard of Oz. Those who haven't seen these films or have been avoiding them are doing themselves a great disservice. This is entertainment at its best.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Yeah, I saw the new Transformers movie. I'm a bit surprised too considering my utter disdain for the original. Now don't get me wrong. I loved Transformers growing up. I still have most of my Autobots and Decepticons. But this isn't a toy franchise that translates well into a live action film; I fear the same for the new GI Joe movie. That being said, I do feel this film is a slight improvement over the original, with a stronger and more cohesive story. However, the movie clocks in at a whopping 150 minutes. And you can feel every minute drag on, especially in the last hour. After all, how many giant robot fights can you watch? After the first 90 minutes, each fight looks the same. Sure the CG work is top-notch, but I just didn't really care. It's hard to get worked up over what is essentially a long video game cut scene. But it appears I'm in the minority. The theater was absolutely packed yesterday, and the crowd ate it up, applauding at the end. Perhaps they were excited the film was finally over. Now that's something I can put my hands together for.

The Hangover

This is easily the funniest movie I've seen in years. It's consistently funny too, not just a few chuckles sprinkled throughout. Beyond the humor, what surprised me most was the inventive premise. I was expecting to see some Vegas bachelor party movie...which wouldn't have been very original. But instead, all we see is the aftermath of the crazy night, giving us the same sense of amnesia as the lead characters; we don't know what happened the night before and they can't remember. More importantly, where's their friend who's supposed to get married? And why is there a tiger in the bathroom and a baby in a closet? It all unfolds like a wacky detective story as these three guys try to put the pieces together. While the script is tight and original, it's the cast that really makes it all work. In particular, Zach Galifianakis. He steals every scene. But Bradley Cooper (Alias) and Ed Helms (The Office) hold their own too. Plus, there's some great cameos and homages to other Vegas films. The movie has been such a hit that there's already talk of a sequel, which is a little depressing. As much as I'd like to hang out with these characters again, it would be tough to top this one.

Up

Unlike most modern animated films, Pixar's movies have a timeless quality, and Up is no exception. There are no tongue-in-cheek pop culture references aimed at the adults in the audience. That's something I'm getting tired of. It was okay in the first Shrek movie, but I feel it somewhat cheapens the experience. Almost like the filmmakers know their story isn't good enough to keep adults interested. But with Pixar, the story comes first, and there are no cheap jokes thrown in. As a result, Pixar's movies are more likely to hold-up over time, much like other Disney classics. In many ways their movies are a throwback to old Hollywood, when audiences were less fractured by demographics and focus groups. Like all of Pixar's movies, Up will appeal to any avid film goer. And it's playing in 3D too, so check out your local listings. I saw it in digital 3D and it's easily worth the slightly higher price. Plus, the digital projection looks so clean. In fact, it might be the best looking film I've ever seen in a theater. For me it wasn't quite as good as WALL-E or The Incredibles, but it's still worth checking out.