More Than Meets The Eye

Goldster and I felt a wee bit conspicuous when we walked into the theater to watch Transformers - after all, we were probably the only women there who weren't forced to watch it with their kids, boyfriends or husbands :p As it was, the theater was packed (ticket counter said standing room only), which made it a bit of a godsend to find a couple of seats sorta near each other (if in two different rows). However, a really nice dad sitting near Goldster made one of his kids move over and gave me a seat beside my pal :) Thanks, dude!

As usual, there will be spoilers! Bu-hahahaha! >ahem.<>Optimus Prime! YEAH!
2) The scene where Prime and the others try to hide around Sam's house - priceless!
3) A boy and his car. Awww...
4) Jazz had the snazziest car-to-robot transformation! A headstand and a flip? Neat!
5) Explosions galore! Blackout and the Qatar base attack, the highway chase scene, the showdown in the city... :D
6) Ironhide rocks :)
7) Bumblebee was so much fun at the start, when he kept tuning the radio to match whatever was going on in Sam's life. ("Baby come back..." rofl!)
8) "To punish and enslave." Funny, that reminds me of some of the cops over here...
9) "Are you ebay user Ladiesman217?!?" LOL
10) "Sorry, my bad." - OP!
11) When Megatron sees a human near him, he goes "Disgusting." and flicks the guy away like a bug. Hee! Nicely enough, you can see the cgi guy has some give to him and actually conveys a regular person's, uh...squishiness.

The Bad:
1) Starscream's original voice actor being dead. I would've loved hearing that guy on the big screen :) He's always been my favorite Decepticon...
2) What was the point of getting Hugo Weaving to be Megatron's VA? I mean, with all the synth stuff they did to his voice, he didn't even sound like himself, so Michael Bay could've gotten any schmuck off the street and through the power of technology made him sound like Megatron. Sheesh.
3) Sam and Michaela's making out on Bumblebee's hood. Eeuww.
4) Bumblebee's calling the rest of the Autobots in just smacks of the Bat-signal. Blech.
5) I missed Starscream's bright red and white paintjob. All the other Decepticons had such dark moody color schemes - Starscream was the snazziest of them all!

The Ugly:
1) Optimus Prime has a nose and a mouth? Weird!
2) I preferred the original eye design of the Transformers. The new eyes made me think of C3PO.
3) Prime's speech about Jazz's courage and etc. is all very good, but why did he have to hold him up in two parts? That...didn't look too good. I mean, they could've had him kneel next to Jazz or something...

Things That Made Me Go Huh?
1) When the Autobots 'scan' cars (to transform into) - how do they mimic it so exactly? I mean, look at when Bumblebee changes from old beat-up Camaro to the shiny new one; how does his paintjob transform along with him? Would this mean the Transformers have nigh molecular control over their selves? How do they get all their parts realigned to fit the new form?? And where does the extra mass come from (and go)? A Camaro can't be so much smaller than a Porsche, yet when Jazz transforms, he looks bigger than BB.
1-b) When Prime runs from his landing site, he doesn't look quite as bulky as he does when he and the other Autobots meet up with BB, Sam and Michaela. He only gains the extra bits with the red and blue flame job *after* he 'scans' the rig passing by him on the higway. Again, where did the extra mass come from?
2) When Section 7 snags Bumblebee, I can understand that the ropes might be hard to break (as BB is the smallest Autobot - intimating he's the weakest). However, when he's struggling against the ropes, why aren't the 'copters bobbing around trying to keep tension in the ropes so BB can't transform and escape?
3) No explanation for why the 'new' TFs (the cellphone, PC, etc. that got hit by the AllSpark) were always hostile. Is this because the AllSpark gives life, but not necessarily intelligence? (This sorta explains Grimlok :D )
4) How did BB regain his voice? First, Prime says he got hurt in a battle and Ratchet couldn't fix it; then he gets caught by Section 7, is tortured, escapes, gets the hell kicked out of him by the Decepticons, and >poof!< he can speak again?

Note: This post can and will be updated - if I feel like it.

Ghost Rider

I watched Ghost Rider on dvd today instead of playing WoW - now I didn't read Ghost Rider as much as I did the X-Men, so I've no idea whether the story was faithful (or not) to canon. Knowing Hollywood though, it probably ain't ;) And yes, I watched it knowing full well it got terrible reviews - I just wanted to see what it was like for meself.

As usual, there will be spoilers!

The Good:
1) OMG, that is one shweet chopper! I want a motorcycle that leaves a fiery trail of destruction behind me too!
2) Young Johnny Blaze. Purr...
3) Where the Caretaker tells Johnny Blaze to sterilize a needle. Wahahaha!
4) "I'm good. I feel like my skull's on fire, but I'm good."
5) Clueless goth girl's tv interview and description of Ghost Rider - hee!
6) "I sold my soul to the devil." Aw, you just have to watch that scene...it's so funny :D
7) Sam Elliott (Caretaker/Carter Slade) is so cool!
8) Supporting characters like Stuart and Mack were, at times, more fun that the leads.

The Bad:
1) What's with the pointing thing??? Unforgiveable overacting or just bad camera angles?
2) The fact that Nick Cage's hairpiece took 3 hours to apply every day. The actual hairpiece was quite good :)
3) Roxanne's wardrobe: first she looked too girly for words (with all the dresses); then suddenly she starts falling out of her shirts...
4) Johnny Blaze's transformation into Ghost Rider in the holding cell - cheesy!
5) When JB first transforms into GR, I found myself wondering whether the reason why GR wears gloves is that his hands look too scrawny to be manacing...and why his flaming skull looked so tiny compared to his shoulders. At least they seemed to have remedied that in later shots.

The Ugly:
1) Blackheart and the Nephilim's fashion faux pas - all these long coats and the fake fur lapels on Abigor - ugh.

Things That Made Me Go Huh?
1) Ghost Rider stops a mugger and the guy stabs him in the shoulder; when Johnny Blaze wakes up in the cemetary, he has a gash on his shoulder that the Caretaker has to sew up. But when NYPD shoots him full of holes after the rooftop fight with Abigor, Johnny Blaze has nary a scratch.

*Post will be updated if and when I feel like it.

Casino Royale

Watched Casino Royale tonight...while my Cheese-o-Meter was set off a few times (hey, this IS a Bond film, after all) it was a good couple of hours well spent. Warning! Spoilers below!

The Good:
1) The ACTION. Boy, was it good. No resorting to ridiculous high-tech gizmos and doodads, just plain old-fashioned violence. Me likey.
2) Daniel Craig's wardrobe. He looked good in anything he wore. I especially liked his white polo & tan slacks at the resort...and at one point he had this great all-black (or dark colored, whatever) outfit. Even WBen liked his shirts enough to comment on them. And when a guy notices another guy's shirts look cool, they must really be something.
3) The construction chase scene was FUN.
4) Judi Dench's (M's) trenchcoat when she comes home to find Bond in her flat.
5) Actually, Judi Dench as M is always great.
6) Bond's change from thug-with-gun to the first glimmerings of the suave 007 we all know and love. That's is what Jason Bourne should've been in Bourne Identity. (Will post rant on that movie some other time.)
7) Attention to detail - when Bond beats up two mercenaries, he returns to the poker table and you can see his knuckles are all scraped up. The cuts on his face from exploding glass were a nice touch too.
8) Parking was never a problem. Is it a Bond trademark to always park cars and boats well?
9) A really good reason for Bond's dismissive (if not downright chauvinistic) attitude towards women.

The Bad:
1) Daniel Craig's hair. Oh, I don't give a damn if he's the first ever 'blond' Bond, he just had remarkably bad hair.
2) The requisite car chase scene wasn't long enough. What a waste of two sweet cars.
3) Vesper and Bond's one-upmanship in the train. While amusing, you almost expect them to start stripping off their clothes to compare scars (ala Martin Riggs and Lorna Cole in Lethal Weapon 3).

The Ugly:
1) I should change the title of this to 'The Cheesy'. The lines spoken by Vesper and Bond in the hospital garden after the torture scene made me cringe. (Hint: little finger)
2) When you realise his support team is shafting Bond - what is this, Mission Impossible 1?

Things That Made Me Go, "Hee!":
1) Le Chiffre has a Gullwhacker. (Fans of Brian Jacques' Redwall series, unite!)

This review is still in the process of being updated. Will add more when the muse (and my memory) cough up.

Superman Returns!

Watched Superman Returns last night with Garric and WBen - here's my take on the movie (spoilers abound!):

The Good:

1) Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lex Luthor is part homage to Gene Hackman but ultimately his own - he plays up the daffiness of Hackman's Luthor, yet has a beautifully vicious vibe to him that emerges when confronted with Superman (or any mention thereof).
2) I loved the scene where the bullet bounces off Superman's eye - it was more fun that the scene before it, where Luthor's goon uses a chain gun on him - we already know the Man of Steel can bounce bullets off his chest; it's visually striking (pun intended) to see him do it off his eye and really hammers the invulnerability point home.

3) Routh's goofy Clark Kent. He's a better Clark than the Smallville guy!
4) It just wouldn't be a Superman movie without John Williams' score.

5) The plane-stopping scene. Now THAT was Action! Also more realistic than just picking it up and completely ignoring the laws of physics.

6) No cheesy X-men III-like dialogue!!!

7) Casting was more or less good, with the possible exception of Kate Bosworth as Lois. She just didn't seem as 'tough' as Margot Kidder :)

8) Loved the 50's feel to the whole movie :) The bright, modern art deco Metropolis makes a striking contrast with the dark gothic/baroque Gotham City. It helps you see where both Superman and Batman are coming from.

9) After Superman gets the bejeezus kicked out of him on the Kryptonite Continent, you realize that maybe he should've taken some martial arts lessons from the Dark Knight. You see how versatile Batman looks in comparison? :)

10) The flying effects were great, looked effortless, and the CGI-ed Superman was nigh indistiguishable from the real thing.

11) The best part about being injured when you're Superman is that they can take the whole costume off, and your secret identity is STILL safe! Let's just hope a well-meaning nurse doesn't slick back that spit curl...

The Bad:

1) There is really no earthly reason to play sinister music upon viewing a whole bunch of stands with wigs on them. I mean, really. And if the musical accompaniment is supposed to signify Lois' reaction to seeing aforementioned wigs, then she should go see a shrink. (Although I must say the wig Lex Luthor wore to the museum robbery deserved it)
2) It doesn't take a genius to guess that Wheezykid is Superman's love child with Lois - and that's why she's so mad at him at the beginning. I mean, you have a one-night stand, the rotten (albeit gorgeous) bastich runs off the next day, leaves you in the family way, and doesn't help with child support for FIVE frigging years! SuperJerk.

3) Lois Lane's ridiculous dive into the ocean to save Superman. I mean, you're swimming hampered by an evening gown. Hellooo?

The Ugly:

1) Well, certainly not Brandon Routh :) Though not as classically handsome as Christopher Reeve, Routh's mug will sure sell a lot of collectibles. :)
2) Lex Luthor's museum-robbing wig. It reminded me of Geoffrey Rush in the Marquis de Sade movie.

3) I don't think Luthor thought his continent-growing plan through. It sure looked boring over there. I mean, not even a Starbucks to play cards in?

Things that made me go Huh?

1) When Luthor fires the kryptonite-encased super-grow crystal into the sea, why was their boat NOT affected by the electromagnetic pulse? Everything else as far away as Metropolis was fried...

2) The plane-stopping scene: If Superman was using enough force to stop the plane from falling at that great a speed AND he's got that ultra-dense Kryptonian physiology, then what was stopping him from going through the plane like a hot knife through butter?

3) I felt that Lois didn't really pay that much attention towards Clark - I didn't expect her to slap him on the back and yell, "Hey! Buddy!", but it didn't even look like they'd ever worked together from the way she treated him.

4) As Superman flies KryptoLand towards the sun, why were larger concentrations of Krytonite pushing their way through towards him? Is it denser than the rest of the island? Are inertia and gravity responsible for that effect? I'd hate to think they were just growing out there to spite Superman...

5) Superman's costume is impervious to re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere and gunfire, but some guy in the ER with scissors can just cut it right off???

*Author's Note: This review is subject to the insane whims of my Muse. Will add more if and when she whaps me on the head.

X-Men III: The Last Straw (updated June 9)

Okay, watched X-Men III again last night with Betsy and WBen and here's what I think of it (will contain spoilers):

The Good:

1) "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" and "Are you letting me out? Coz I've got to pee."

2) Wolverine's cigar-lighting scene in the Danger Room. Betsy also pointed out to me that afterwards, Logan's stubble was shorter on that side. :)

3) The casual and slightly clueless way Wolverine wanders around the Danger Room with explosions going on behind him.

4) Kitty Pryde rocks! Go Kitty!

5) Jean Grey's hair finally looks like the comic version :)

6) Storm's wardrobe.

7) The far shot of Jean and Wolverine after he kills her - truly a "Drawing the Marvel Way" panel.

8) The lack of Cyclops (and accompanying angst-a-thon) in this movie.

9) Kelsey Grammer as the Beast. Nuff said!

10) Now I wish I had Arclight's power...being able to clap and smash any annoying public utility vehicles into smithereens sounds pretty good, especially during gridlock.

11) Daniel Cudmore as Colossus/Piotr Rasputin. Yum.

12) Angel's new improved 'rescue' positioning - it beats the usual comics pose that looks like a scene from a bodice-ripping romance novel. Besides, who'd feel comfortable holding their dad that way???

13) The Phoenix's powers were handled quite well (what with the taking-people/cars/buildings-apart-at-a-molecular-level) but I have to admit I expected more gloating. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter none whatsoever. However, now we're left wondering: what was Phoenix's motivation for tagging along with Magneto then?

The Bad:

1) Storm's complete and utter lack of regal bearing (remember, she's supposed to have been worshipped as an African goddess for crying out loud!) annoys me in every Halle Berry scene. At some points she also channels her other superheroine role, Catwoman. *wince*

2) Jean Grey's rather Galadriel-esque transformations - when the Phoenix takes over, she reminds me of the scene from Fellowship of the Ring where Galadriel is tempted by the One Ring.

3) Why is there no blood? Wolverine goes through an army of Magneto's mutant henchmen, and...no blood? Are his adamantium claws mono-molecularly-edged?

4) They glossed over the Cain Marko/Juggernaut-is-Prof. Xavier's-stepbrother bit and ignored all the history between them. Juggernaut should have been chomping at the bit to take Xavier down, not content to play tiddlywinks with Wolverine.

5) Storm's hair is white, not off-white and grey. Sigh. And they were doing so well with Jean's 'do.

6) No one actually says the words 'fastball special'. And why does the FS looks so weird? Mine Keetee says it looked like Piotr was throwing a discus.

7) Again, Marvel has shown that they just can't quite bring themselves to knock off major franchises -- er, I mean, characters.

The Ugly:

1) Consider the lineup of the X-Men team. There's Wolverine, Iceman, Colossus, Shadowcat, and Beast (all white, and although Piotr/Colossus was supposed to be Russian, he seems very WASPy in the movie) and Storm (African-American), Now, consider the lineup of Magneto's side. You have a leader who's Jewish, a couple of white henchmen (Pyro and Juggernaut), a couple of Asians (Spike and Psylocke) and a couple of Latinas (Callisto and Arclight). Now which team seems to speak louder for racial tolerance? The point of Xavier's second X-men team (from the comics) was that they were from different countries, promoting that fact that man-/mutant-kind can put aside their differences and band together for a common goal. I'm not getting this vibe from the movie. Where's the fuzzy German guy? The proud Native American? The naive Russkie? The regal African weather witch?

2) That dweeb they cast to play Angel. I am *SO* disappointed in you, Hollywood.

3) I'm all for a sensitive kind of guy, but...WTF??? Wolverine??? CRYING???

4) Still no Gambit. Oh wait, they royally messed up casting Angel after all...they're probably biding their time until they can use some sad geekazoid to ruin Remy LeBeau too.

The Funny:

1) "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"

2) You can tell that Magneto is being played by a gay man -- I mean, what straight man in his right mind would turn away from a naked Rebecca Romjin???

3) Kitty outsmarts Juggernaut! That made the audience (and me) laugh. :)

Things that made me go Huh?

1) The new, improved Mr. Sensitive Wolverine - what's with the 'time to let go and get over Jean' talk with Scott??? So wrong...on so many levels!

2) I found it very strange that the 'mutants' who were protesting against the cure looked so...normal.

Author's Note: Will add more stuff if and when I think of something new to rant/rave about.