Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam(DC Showcase: Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam) ((2010))

This collection of DC Showcase animated shorts boasts the teaming-up of two of DC's most powerful heroes -- Superman (voiced by George Newbern) and Captain Marvel (Jerry O'Connell) -- as they battle villain Black Adam (Arnold Vosloo) and cope with the ethics of utilizing superpowers. Billy Batson, who assumes the mantle of Captain Marvel, turns to Superman for guidance on the moral implications of seeking justice ... or is it revenge?

Loved the whole showcase. The Spectre was probably my favorite overall. Love the dark, gritty way it was shot. I would love to see a full length feature on him. Definitely worth a viewing.

This dvd is a collection of 4 short movies involving Superman and Captain Marvel, the Specter, Green Arrow, and Jonah Hex. I gave this dvd a 4 because of the Specter and Jonah Hex shorts. I though those were great and very well done. Superman/Captain Marvel and Green Arrow were both good too, but the two I mentioned really stood out for me.

****/*****

4/5 Stars

Get Him to the Greek ((2010))

Ambitious young record company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) will let nothing get in the way of his planned rise to the top in the music business -- not even the unruly rock star (Russell Brand) he must escort to Los Angeles for the start of his anniversary concert. Doing whatever it takes to get the rocker from Point A to Point B, Aaron encounters all manners of mishaps in this comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow.

Following up on his 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, writer/director Nicholas Stoller creates here more of a spin-off for the character of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) than a direct sequel. Also returning are Sarah Marshall herself (Kristen Bell in a quick cameo) and Jonah Hill (but playing a COMPLETELY different character than he did in the first). The thing that surprised me the most about this movie was its heart. I had expected it to be funny, but I didn't expect that there would be a legitimate emotional core at the center of this film. The other big surprise, to me at least, was how incredibly funny Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was. He's been halfway decent in some smaller movies (see Made right now), but I had no idea that he'd hold his own so well alongside some of the best names in the comedy business right now. There's one scene in particular where it shouldn't have worked at all, but just because it's him, it does. Brilliantly. If you liked Sarah Marshall you should definitely see this, as it more than lives up to its predecessor. If you didn't like it, or didn't see it, just know that this is a stand-alone film and the other isn't prerequisite viewing for you to enjoy yourself. I honestly didn't expect a story centered around Brand's character to work on its own, but I have been pleasantly surprised. This movie is VERY funny and highly recommended.

Way WAY too funny! Russel Brand, I think, has always been funny but you do not expect how funny Diddy would be in this movie. I think it was fantastic movie. Definitely a great movie to watch with friends or when you need a pick me up. *Clap*lol

*****/*****

5/5 Stars

Babysitter Wanted ((2008))

When she takes a job babysitting a young boy (Kai Caster) for a night at his family's remote farmhouse, sweet college co-ed Angie Albright (Sarah Thompson) becomes the target of a scar-covered creep making mysterious phone calls and prowling outside the windows. Angie gets the drop on the would-be killer, but quickly discovers that her nightmare has just begun. Jonas Barnes and Michael Manasseri direct this darkly humorous horror flick.

This is one of the worst horror films I have ever seen, and the synopsis is slightly misleading. Yes, a scar-covered creep does stalk the main character, but that's only the first half of the film. Unfortunately, the second half of the film is a complete mess. This film is not original at all. The first half is a copy of When a Stranger Calls (or even Halloween?), while the second half mimics The Omen. There might even be traces of The Exorcist in here somewhere, if you think about it long enough. The ending is also completely ridiculous as it leaves you assuming a sequel is on the way. No thanks.

If youre looking for a cheap horror/slasher movie with over-the-top sound effects, really bad acting, and no plot until the end, then this is the movie to watch. I hate myself for watching it. I really do.

*/*****

1/5 Stars

The Last Airbender ((2010))

In a world ravaged by the Fire nation's aggression toward the peaceful Air, Water and Earth nations, reluctant youth Aang (Noah Ringer) learns that he's an Avatar -- a rare being who can manipulate all four elements and restore peace to the planet. Now Aang must join with his pal Katara (Nicola Peltz) and other allies to fulfill his destiny. M. Night Shyamalan directs this live-action adaptation of the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

I watched the animated version before I watched this version and this version just doesn't do justice to the animated version at all. The story line was just too choppy and there was no character buildup so it was hard to empathize or follow the characters at all. The action was simply there because of the story. The special effects was something else though and it was spectacular. But save yourself and watch the animated series instead. The movie could have been better if was longer or split into two movies instead. Compare this to Lord of the Rings and this movie comes up really short. It could have been another Lord of the Rings epic trilogy had there been better dialog and action.

Has M. Night Shyamalan done it again? No, no he hasn't. Or actually if I look at it from a different point of view, maybe I can say that he has done it again. Based off of his last few movies, which were huge disappointments, The Last Airbender certainly followed suit. With a spectacular trailer and a well-written cartoon series to back it up, it was sad to see that the great storyteller, Shyamalan, did a horrible job at telling the story of The Last Airbender.


**/*****

2/5 Stars

Pervert! ((2005))

While visiting his Bible-thumping yet lecherous father in the desert, randy college student James (Sean Andrews) tries everything he can to hook up with the local curvaceous cuties, but his sex quest stalls when a bloodthirsty killer targets every buxom beauty in sight. Porn star and onetime California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey stars in this lusty nod to 1960s exploitation films.

This movie would have to get significantly better before it would even be bad. A waste of time and brain cells on so many levels. I will go now and bleach my eyeballs. I mean, I love tits as much as the next guy... but this movie was horrible.... it has a rubber dick and balls with eyes and a mouth as the "bad guy". Yep, I just ruined this movie for you. This movie is brutal. Save yourself from it. The only reason I gave it 1 star was because I like boobs. :)

*/*****

1/5 Stars

Bigger, Stronger, Faster ((2008))

Filmmaker Chris Bell points the camera at his brothers and himself -- all of them users of steroids -- for this thought-provoking examination of sports, competition and the unyielding pressure to succeed. By exploring the reasons behind steroid use and its effects within his own family, Bell asks whether the winning-is-everything attitude that's so prevalent in American society has truly built a better athlete.

This is a very good documentary because it easily passes the two requirements to make a documentary, which are: it must teach you something, and it must be entertaining. In this film, a young man turns the camera on himself and his two brothers to explain how and why young men might be seduced into the lure of steroid use, how our culture played a role into their decisions, and the facts behind these performance enhancing drugs, which we are all aware of, but know so little about. Of course, all of this would be terribly academic if not for the subtle humor and witty diatribes about how conflicted we are when we worship our big, strong celebrities and athletes, then turn on them when we discover they are not actually supermen. This film really worked. It was informative without being preachy, and personal without being weepy. I highly recommend this.

A rather frank view of the hypocrisy toward anabolic steroid use. On one hand we want to say it should be illegal and on the other we give a nod of approval toward other types of performance enhancers. There is a part which was quite sad dealing with the filmmakers brothers and parents who all appear to be swallowed up in the problem that is any type of drug use when it goes from the realm of casual and/or necessary use into addiction. Presents multiple viewpoints in both positive and negative lights which should be the goal of any film calling itself a documentary.


****/*****

4/5 Stars

Stoic ((2008))

Edward Furlong, Shaun Sipos, Sam Levinson and Steffen Mennekes co-star in this sobering psychological drama about three prisoners who torture their cellmate over the course of many long hours, ending in the man's death. But the events leading up to the inmate's crude hanging remain shrouded in shame and mystery. Uwe Boll directs, with a plot based on actual events that occurred in a German prison in 2006.

If you can get past that the prison cell they were in had a door knob, plastic toilet brush, mob and bucket, and all kinds of things just laying around; you might believe they were in an actual jail and not a basic cinder block dorm room on some campus. The characters were confusing and not well defined. I felt no real tie to the victim because he was given no depth other than the other three were picking on him. There were a few reviews that complained about there not being an ending but they missed that you already saw the ending at the beginning! And since you already see how it ends, the director just chose to cut to black and end the movie suddenly. It was ment to be dramatic and cut the viewer off, but instead it just left a majority of peope confused and dissapointed. All in all I gave it 3 stars because it really could of been better, and it could of been worse.

This movie is very different; very intense at times. Three cellmate reaccount the events leading up to a fourth cellmates hanging. This is the kind of movie you want to watch when youre not in a real good mood to start with.


***/*****

3/5 Stars