Italian Crime. Real American Heroes. An Alternate Justice League. Classic Marilyn and Elvis. Angry Beavers.
Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart. It's that time of the week.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
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| Paramount / Released 7/30/13 |
Set up to take the fall for a terrible crime they didn't commit, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Duke (Channing Tatum) and the other G.I. Joes must once again face their mortal enemy, COBRA, as well as dangerous new threats operating within the government. When all else fails, one option remains: Retaliation. Roadblock steps up to lead a new team (including Bruce Willis) on this explosive adventure. Extras include featurettes, commentary and deleted scenes.
Last Word: Bloated and criminally unimaginative, GI Joe: Retaliation simply doesn't work because more often than not, it's dull. There is little or no chemistry amongst the cast and the should be impressive set pieces (such as the sword fight on the side of the mountain) are too long and unengaging. Also missing from this installment is any sense of fun. Bruce Willis is sorely miscast simply because every moment that he's on screen, it's too obvious that he has no interest in being there. For viewers who grew up with the franchise and wanted to embrace the nostalgia keep in mind that there's more depth in the animated series and far more creativity playing with the figures in the backyard. Hopefully the inevitable third film will reboot the franchise with a better sense of direction and a much needed sense of fun.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
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| Warner Bros / Released 7/30/13 |
We all wish for the chance to go back in time and change the things, for The Flash, that coveted chance is within reach. He traverses time to right a violent, decades-past crime against his mother, but the ripples of his good intentions prove disastrous, as a fractured, alternate reality now exists in place of the familiar one. Stumbling through this twisted reality where even Superman is nowhere to be found, The Flash seeks the trusted wisdom of Batman, only to find a grittier, more violent Dark Knight in his place. Together with the help of Cyborg, they race to restore the continuity of Flash's original timeline while this new world is ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman's Amazons and the Atlanteans, led by a battle hardened Aquaman. Extras include commentary, featurettes, four bonus cartoons, digital comic and a sneak peek at Justice League: War.
Last Word: Historically the DC Animated Films have been some of the best interpretations of the iconic characters. All of that comes to a halting stop with The Flashpoint Paradox, a violent, angry film that adapts the Flashpoint mini-series that closed the traditional comic book DC Universe. The past of The Flash has been altered by nemesis Professor Zoom and we find ourselves in a parallel reality; one where Thomas Wayne became Batman after son Bruce was killed, where Kal-El has been held captive and studied in a laboratory and where Aquaman and Wonder Woman's kingdoms are at war.
The film is well done, with an all star cast of voices including Kevin Conroy, Nathan Fillion, Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd, Michael B. Jordan, C. Thomas Howell, Cary Elwes, Sam Daly, Danny Huston, Vanessa Marshall, Ron Perlman and Dana Delany. The animation is also impressive, but it's the story that just simply doesn't work. As a one off, it's fun, but like the comic book series itself, it's just a lead in to the New 52 reboot that, in my opinion, has ruined the rich mythology. And already confirmed is the next animated film, Justice League: War, based on the flagship New 52 series. Yawn.
For longtime fan it's extremely well done, albeit not in a direction I care for and make no mistake, this is not a film for children. And I, for one, think that it's a shame.
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