The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I wanted to like Twilight. While I had never read the books, anything with vampires has promise, right? But the movie didn't quite work for me. Still, I had hope that with the first movie's crazy success, we'd see a stronger story and more lavish production values in the sequel. Granted, New Moon looks a little better, but the story is almost non-existent. Really, this is a film where nothing happens. It feels like a filler episode of a long-running TV show, as we watch Bella mope around from one low-intensity scene to the next. Let's face it. Bella isn't exactly Helen of Troy material, so it's hard to believe she's caught in this vampire versus werewolf tug-of-war. What's so special about her? She's an increasingly unsympathetic character with a somewhat lame super power: vampire's can't read her thoughts. But if you can believe it, there's actually a more moody character than Bella. Edward is ready to kill himself over his self-imposed isolation from Bella. His plan is to expose his sparkly skin to the muggles, thus marking him for death by the creepy Volturi-essentially the cops in the vampire world. But who associates sparkly skin with vampirism? I'm sure anyone who saw Edward sparkling in the sunlight wouldn't give him a second glance. He just looks like some pale dude looking for his way home after a wild glam-rock concert. Anyway, not a fan of this movie. Still, it may have just enough unintentionally funny moments, making it worth checking out when it's on cable. Too bad MST3K isn't on anymore...they'd have a field day with this one.

Where the Wild Things Are

What I remember most about Maurice Sendak's book is the artwork. It was dark and maybe even a little scary. But I think that was the appeal. After all, there weren't many books about boys befriending menacing monsters with sharp teeth and horns. Spike Jonze's film nails the look of the book, but I can't say the same for the story. Frankly, I don't remember the story at all. Was it really this much of a downer? Maybe it was and that fact simply flew over my head during my formative years. But one thing is clear; Max is one disturbed kid. Just watch as he chases down the family dog in the opening sequence, all while wearing his wolf suit. There's all sorts of psychological issues on display here. But what I find interesting (and totally unconventional) is that his own fantasy world (and even his stories) are as imperfect as his reality. Themes of alienation and social awkwardness abound...and are never resolved. But maybe that's the point. The grass is most certainly not greener on the other side, regardless of where Max's imagination takes him. I'm still not sure if I like this movie. It certainly has stuck in my head the last few days, and that's usually a good sign. Maybe after another viewing or two I'll have it figured out. But I'm not sure children will get much out of it. While it's a movie about childhood, I don't think it's necessarily meant of children. Or maybe I'm selling the next generation short?

Zombieland

Woody Harrelson in a zom-com? How good could it be? At least, that was my initial response to this film when I heard of its production months ago. But buzz started to build, particularly after Comic-Con and the release of some inspired teasers and trailers. This was followed by extremely enthusiastic word of mouth and surprisingly positive reviews. So a little more than a week before it released, I decided this is a movie I had to see. Yeah, a true victim of the hype. But in this case I'm glad I succumbed to the marketing blitz, because this is very fun movie. Jesse Eisenberg (in Michael Cera mode) is our narrator during this journey into the familiar zombie-infested post-apocalypitc world. He's eventually joined by three other survivors (Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) as they travel to the alleged zombie-free amusement park (Pacifc Playland) in California. For the most part, this is a road trip movie with zombies. But the finale in the amusement park reverberates with an energy I haven't felt since a group of survivors took shelter in the Monroeville mall. As we all know, there's no such thing as a zombie-free location, and the amusement park is no exception. As a result, the four find themselves under assault among the bright lights and cheerful music. This is where the movie earns big points for originality, the highlight being when Harrelson rides a roller coaster (and several other attractions) while basting zombies. Considering the subject, this is a very upbeat movie with some genuinely tense moments. Oh, and there's one huge surprise in the middle, so go see it before someone ruins it for you.

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I'm pleased to announce that the new GI Joe movie is much better than either of the Transformer movies. Granted, that's not saying much. Still, as a huge Joe fan from way back, I felt this movie got the job done. Instead of creating a pure origin story, the movie jumps right into the action, telling all substantive back stories in flashback sequences. I thought this was a great way to fill-in-the-blanks, getting the audience up-to-speed on the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow rivalry as well as the history between Duke and the Baroness. But the core focus of this film is the origins of Cobra, and I thought this was handled very well. We get to see who Cobra Commander is and how he came to be. Destro is also a central figure in this story, with an equally compelling back story. There's also some interesting ancillary characters thrown in, such as Dr. Mindbender and Zartan. It looks like the Hasbro folks included a lot of little tidbits that only Joe fanatics would notice too, such as Breaker's obsession with bubblegum. Oh, and an uncredited actor makes a small cameo as Sgt. Stone. Overall, this isn't a great film, but it's definitely a fun popcorn movie worth checking out, even if you do wait until it hits DVD. But if you want to get deeper into the Joe story now, I highly recommend the IDW reprints of the Larry Hama comics from the '80s. Surprisingly, they still hold up and are much more fulfilling than any live-action film could ever be.

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.