Welcome to Project Disney, where I take a look at the entire Disney media library one step at a time. Today, I take a close look at Walt Disney’s first film: Snow White.

ZenithWillRule, Project Disney: Snow White

I’m going to keep this spoiler free, so please refrain from spoilers in the comments.

The plot is slightly more complex this time around.  There are a few twists and turns, with a few being seen a mile away.  With John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) declaring a one man war against Star Fleet, this doesn’t seem like the usual mission for the Enterprise.  It ends up being a personal mission for the crew.  And by the crew I mean Kirk and somewhat Spock.  While the rest of the crew is there, and all have roles to play, the entire movie is about Kirk, Spock, and Uhura. Also Scotty to a degree.  Every problem can be solved by them, and every problem is caused by them.  But J.J. Abrams and crew make it work.  There are enough quick scenes with the rest of the characters that you don’t realize this until after the movie.  You’re completely drawn into the battle between the Enterprise and Harrison.

The biggest flaw with Into Darkness is the lack of character arcs for everyone.  Each character ended up better, worse, or had learned something new after the first movie.  But by the end, it just feels like an adventure happened.  A fun adventure to watch, but the characters haven’t changed.  And that’s what makes me root for them.  That’s why I loved the first movie so much.  You’re with the characters as they are going through these life changing scenes.  The big emotional scenes are there, but they aren’t better for it after the fight is over.  The ending is rather abrupt too.  Before you know it, the credits are rolling and you’re surprised that there wasn’t a bigger deal made about what happens.

J.J. Abrams’ direction is top notch as always.  The Enterprise feels massive in his hands, with long continuous shots that must have been a bitch to pull off.  Action scenes are thankfully easy to follow, something I shouldn’t have to pray for every time I go into an action movie.

The CGI is some of the best we’ve seen this year.  I saw the movie in 3D, and wasn’t that bummed about it.  Movies like this are the reason that 3D exists.  Why not have a massive battle in space come right out at you.  I don’t normally like 3D, but with a movie like this, I’ll at least put up with it.

The performances are as top notch as the first movie.  Chris Pine is the cocky, but lovable Kirk.  He gets to stretch a little bit this time, wearing the grief chip on his shoulder well throughout the movie.  The seams are slowly coming off for Kirk, and Pine plays it subtly.  Zachary Quinto is great as Spock.  The few times that Spock lets emotions out are strong, and feel earned for the robotic first mate.  Sean Pegg is hysterical as Scotty.  He’s relegated to comic relief for most of the movie, but Pegg shows how great of an actor he is when Scotty gets emotional.  Zoe Saldana good as Uhura, but isn’t given as much to do as Spock and Kirk.  Her relationship with Spock is tested throughout the movie, with Saldana’s rage and anger feeling quite real.  We’ve all had fights with our robotic significant others. Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League) is another big addition to the cast. She is mostly a plot device, but looks to be back in future films. She’s likable in her stunted role, with her playing of Chris Pine well.  The rest of the big cast perform admirably, but don’t get nearly enough screen time.

Cumberbatch has the breakout performance as the conniving Harrison.  He plays with the audiences perception of him constantly, and they can’t figure out if they love or hate him.  It’s incredibly subtle, and shows that Cumberbatch has a big Hollywood career waiting for him after he is done with Sherlock (awesome show, watch that).  His deep, commanding voice stands out from the rest of cast.  He is over powering physically, standing above every character around him. He is dominating in every way possible. Doctor Who fans will notice that Mickey the Idiot (Noel Clarke) has a significant role.

While I have not watched any Star Trek films besides the reboot series (have always been a Star Wars guy), I recognized a few call backs to past films.  Abrams plays around with them in a fun way, and had a few die hard fans laughing or crying foul in the theater.

I remember comparing Star Trek to Star Wars: A New Hope when it first came out.  It was the first time I had seen anything about these characters, and I was enthralled by the.  They were developed so well, and the movie was one of the most entertaining of that year.  But Star Trek Into Darkness isn’t the Empires Strikes Back of this series.  It tries to outshine the first, but just misses it.  Into Darkness is a thoroughly entertaining movie, and one that Trekkies and non Trekkies will love.

Star Trek Into Darkness gets 4.5/5.

MrComicBook, Review: Stark Trek Into Darkness

The movie has a pretty simple plot. The head of a security systems company orders a hit on his business partner who was going to sell the business out from under him. The men hired to do the deed are a pair of exterminators (Brion James and Paul L. Smith) who are the Laurel and Hardy of wetwork guys. As they fumble the murder, an unsuspecting security guard named Victor is framed for the crime. The story is told from Victor’s perspective as he’s walking to the electric chair. He’s telling everything that happened in a last ditch effort to save his skin.

The movie is a combination of slapstick, film noir, and real-life cartoon. There are a lot of gags. Imagine the Three Stooges, Looney Toons, and Airplane coming together to make one movie. The only thing is that group of comedy titans left the funny stuff at home. Raimi and the Coen brothers work together fairly well. You can see a lot of their trademarks throughout the film. The problem with the film was mainly Raimi, Campbell, and their producing partner being wide-eyed innocents when it came to filmmaking. They did Evil Dead how they wanted to, but Crimewave taught them how the movie business worked. The studios pushed, but they pushed back. It was a mess. If you’ve read Campbell’s memoir, you know how big a mess it truly was. It shows on screen. It’s a bad experience Raimi and Campbell used as a great learning experience though, and they came out of it the better as their filmographies can attest. This is the movie Raimi wishes you’d forget, but with the passage of time you can respect it a little more. It’s a bad movie don’t get me wrong. Seeing what Raimi, the Coen brothers, and Bruce Campbell have done since then makes it one you should watch if you’re a fan of any of those guys.

The special features for the movie are absolutely fantastic. There are interviews with Campbell (who also provides the film’s commentary), producer/actor Edward Pressman, and lead actor Reed Birney. There are also plenty of photos from the film’s production and even a copy of the original screenplay. The DVD is a basically a mirror copy of the Blu-ray. That’s ok because what they present is great. These are the most candid interviews I’ve ever seen on a DVD release. Yes, they try to stay as positive as they can about the film, but Campbell unloads with both barrels. Everyone was glad the movie disappeared, but with time behind it they’re glad it’s back. Besides talking about how the studio wouldn’t let him be the lead (he ended up playing Renaldo ‘The Heel’), Campbell tells the anecdote about how the movie was only shown in Alaska and Kansas to honor the contract with HBO. The movie had to have some kind of theatrical release before HBO could touch it.

Bottom Line: This is one for the Raimi, Campbell, and Coen fans. It’s a cult classic simply because it’s such a bad movie from a really talented group of people. This is the movie Raimi wishes you’d forget. He’s said in several interviews that it would never come out on a wide home video release, but thanks to Shout! Factory we have it. While we’re at it, huge round of applause to Shout! Factory for getting Campbell involved with the release. It’s worth adding to your collection just to see how everyone involved has grown since then. I don’t normally do this, but this movie gets two grades: The movie gets a 2/5 but the DVD/Blu-ray and special features get a 4/5

You can check out the full DVD/Blu-ray combo pack details at Shout! Factory by clicking here.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Blu-ray Review: Crimewave By Sam Raimi And The Coen Brothers

Since I have not read the book since high school, it’s difficult to determine if this version took any liberties with the stories.  If you noticed any, sound off in the comments section

As with most Luhrmann films, The Great Gatsby is all style.  Every scene is filled with glitz and glamour, but this ends up being one of the few strengths of the film.  The 20′s are all about glitz and glamour, and this version of The Great Gatsby captures that perfectly.  The parties are little outrageous, even for today’s standards, but they get the point across.  The story follows the book well, hitting all the big points of the book.  But the movie never seems to care about the characters.  Besides a couple of short scenes, there are not nearly enough character moments.  Gatsby (Leo DiCaprio) is the spotlight in those scenes, and the rest have to languish in Nick Carraway’s (Toby Maguire) narration for character development.  What makes up the rest of the movie your asking?  The rest of The Great Gatsby is big party scenes, and Luhrmann trying to find ways to make the 3D look good.  Which never happens.

The script is exactly like the book.  The dialogue feels authentic to the times.  The casual racism included helps set the tone of the movie well.  For once, the script isn’t the problem in a big budget Hollywood movie.

Only one question comes to mind when thinking about Luhrmann’s direction: why?  The Great Gatsby some of the best characters in the history of literature, so why focus on all the spectacle?  The constant building shots, long party shots, and never ending driving sequences make the audience wonder what was going through Luhrmann’s mind as he was making this movie.  When Gatsby almost gets in a fight withTom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), the entire scene seems staged so that a perfect 3D angle could be used.  Whoever edited the movie deserves to be fired.  Whenever there was a driving sequence, dialogue was usually put over the characters driving.  But when the audience can clearly see the lips of the actors, and that they ARE NOT moving, it becomes unintentionally funny.  This didn’t happen once, but multiple times.  The audience started laughing because of this.

The production team outdid themselves on this one.  One of the few compliments that I heard when leaving the theater was how great it looked.  The massive sets are authentic, and brilliant to look at.  The costume designers did a great job as well.  The movie may not have been good, but the people who did their job in costume and production design did an amazing job.  Have to give credit where credit is due.

There is absolutely no reason that this movie should be in 3D.  Nothing is added to the film.  It’s a quick cash grab by the studios.  Skip the 3D and see it in 2D.  Or better yet, don’t see it at all.

The only reason to see The Great Gatsby is Leonardo DiCaprio.  The man IS Gatsby.  He nails the party scenes with Carraway, instantly making the audience like him.  When Daisy comes into the picture, his Gatsby reverts to a little boy who has never talked to a girl before.  And it all feels real.  Not once do these changes in character feel forced.  While the rest of the cast seem to have a problem with delivery, every line is delivered perfectly by DiCaprio.  Gatsby’s signature phrase, “Old sport,” never gets tiring to hear.  Considering how many times he says it in the movie, that’s impressive.

The rest of the cast do their best with a lackluster movie.  Carrie Mulligan (Daisy) has a good amount of chemistry with DiCaprio.  The audience can feel it in their eyes when they are staring at each other.  But when Daisy starts to have doubts about if she should leave her husband, Mulligan’s delivery starts to falter.  She suddenly develops a bad New York accent and makes every line feel unnatural.  Toby Maguire has the problem he always has in movies.  Once his character becomes angry, it’s hard to take him serious with anything he says.  His delivery and facial movements are hysterical when he screams.  Maguire’s delivery is awkward in many scenes.  When Carraway says, “And today was my 30th birthday,” the line comes out completely wrong for the scene.  It seems as if the line should add a sorrowful tone on an emotional scene, but instead it comes off as Carraway being unfazed from everything he just saw.  Edgerton is good as Daisy’s husband. At least he can convey emotional complexity compared to the other two.

If another studio decides to make a movie version of The Great Gatsby, please do the exact opposite of this movie.  Except cast DiCaprio as Gatsby.  That was the best decision that anyone involved with this movie made.

The Great Gatsby gets 2/5.

MrComicBook, Review: The Great Gatsby

Marvel’s “Iron Man 3″ pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit
or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, “Iron Man 3″ is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968.

Agent Of The Bat, Movies With Mitch: Iron Man 3

One thing that I noticed right away was how Iron Man 3 follows a similar plot structure to Iron Man.  Stark is most interesting when his life is in shambles and he needs to build back up from that.  Look at Matt Fraction’s run on Invincible Iron Man to see what I mean.  Comic fans won’t mind the similarities, as we are accustomed to seeing stories follow basic plot lines, but do slightly different things in-between the major beats.  Some will see this as lazy, but most won’t mind.

The plot is at first an espionage-thriller, and second an Iron Man movie.  Black has said that the best action movies were in the 80s, so it’s not surprising that Iron Man 3 ends up feeling like one.  Tony teams up with a kid to save the day.  And the entire movie is at Christmas time.  Also, the villain in Die Hard 2, William Sadler, plays the President.

Tony spends most of the movie outside his famous armor, giving Shane plenty of time to dissect Tony and what makes him tick.  It’s written incredibly well, toying with the after effects of Avengers without making this the focus of Tony’s emotional arc.  It doesn’t take up the majority of the movie, and the word Avengers is only spoken once throughout the movie.  When Tony comes back from hell, it feels earned and real.  What the audience feels by the end of the movie is that the man makes the armor, not the other way around.  The side characters get more development this time around.  Rhody (Don Cheadle) gets significantly more screen time, and becomes a character that could star in his own movie.  Pepper’s development is quite surprising, and gives her more to do than be pissed at Tony for two hours.

The biggest weakness of Iron Man 3 is Shane Black’s direction.  When the characters are just talking, everything is great.  It’s tight, focused, and looks all around great.  But then the action comes, Black goes Michael Bay on us.  It’s near impossible to tell what the hell is going on in fight sequences.  It’s great that big studios are going after directors who favor human interactions instead of massive action sequences, but give them a co-director to help with those sequences.  But the final fight is one of the better choreographed fights in the Marvel movies.

Continuity buffs will love the small nods to other Marvel movies.  Guy Pearce even justifies A.I.M. to a degree by referencing Thor and how he destroyed subtlety in this world.  S.H.I.E.L.D. is mentioned, but doesn’t make an appearance.

The special effects are top notch as always.  The plethora of Iron Man suits are fantastic on the big screen.  Comic fans only wish they could slow down the movie so they could point out the different suits that have appeared in the comics.  The Extremis powers look ok, but nothing special.

The acting is easily the best of the Iron Man movies.  Downey conveys his astonishment of what happened in New York well, and how he’s having a hard time comprehending what he saw incredibly well.  He’s charming as ever, and nails every funny line that Black gives him.  Gwyneth Paltrow has a better go of it this time, but she doesn’t seem to be having as good a time as the rest of the cast.  Don Cheadle is more entertaining as Rhodey.  He’s really brought Rhodey to life over the last couple of movies, and I hope that Marvel uses his amazing acting abilities in another movie.  Guy Pearce, who almost steals the show in a few scenes, does a great job as an ancillary villain.  Pearce feels like the first villain who is on par with Tony Stark.  He can out think him and out match him physically as some points.  Ben Kingsley owns his role as the Mandarin.  Hard to talk about his acting job without spoiling some plot points.

Time for spoilers.  Highlight the text if you want to read.

The biggest twist from Iron Man 3 is the Mandarin.  Black makes great use of the character and his history to bring the character to life in this more realistic world.  For those of you not familiar with the comic version of the Mandarin, he’s a guy with ten magical rings that he uses to give Tony hell.  Having the Mandarin be a front for A.I.M. was an inspired idea.  Kingsley is hysterical as Trevor Slattery.  Pearce ends up becoming the main villain for the movie, and this ends up being a great decision.  He’s menacing, smart, and the audience can’t help but be impressed when his plan comes to fruition.  A friend noticed that Aldrich Killian (Pearce) had a Fing Fang Foom tattoo on his chest.

Black puts a nice bow tie onto the franchise.  If Marvel decided to give the Iron Man franchise a rest for a bit, the audience will feel like they got a satisfying ending.  The after credits scene is humorous as well.

End spoilers

When I look at a movie like Iron Man 3, I’m looking to be entertained.  Iron Man 3 is on par with Iron Man for entertainment level.  Marvel’s phase 2 has started off on a great note.

Iron Man 3 gets 4.5/5.

MrComicBook, Review: Iron Man 3

Pain & Gain is a film based on a true story written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directed by Michael Bay. The film is based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles surrounding the brutal kidnapping, extortion, torture, and murder of several victims by an organized group of criminals that included a number of bodybuilders. Two members of the “Sun Gym Gang,” Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal, received death sentences in Florida and sit on Florida’s death row.

Directed by Michael Bay. With Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub.

Oblivion is a 2013 American science fiction film co-written, produced and directed by Joseph Kosinski and based on his unpublished graphic novel of the same name edited by Radical Comics. It stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Zoë Bell, andNikolaj Coster-Waldau.  According to Kosinski, Oblivion pays homage to science fiction films of the 1970s.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski. With Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko , Andrea Riseborough.

Agent Of The Bat, Movies With Mitch: Pain & Gain And Oblivion

Welcome to Project Disney, where I take a look at the entire Disney media library one step at a time.

ZenithWillRule, Project Disney Introduction

Westworld is a classic. There’s no doubt about it. The film from Michael Crichton influenced The Termniator and even Crichton’s Jurassic Park. Futureworld is the oft forgot sequel that came out three years after Yul Brynner played a crazy, gun-slinging robot. The film takes place a few years after the Delos incident. The park is going to reopen and this time the corporation says it is now seriously, 100% perfect with no threat of failure or robots killing guests. The plan is foolproof because they’ve replaced the human staff with robots who are smarter than those that ended up killing everybody.

Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner play reporters who are chosen to join a group of world leaders who are going to preview the completely safe Delos Amusement Park. Fonda is a grumpy, hard facts newspaper man. Danner is a spunky TV reporter who is more concerned with keeping people happy than getting the hard facts. The two go off to the newly opened Futureworld part of the park to investigate if the park is as great as it’s said to be. The surprising part is that it is pretty perfect. It looks like the robots are completely under control and nothing bad is going to happen on that front. There are a lot of misdirection’s regarding the robots and guests, but Fonda and Danner end up uncovering a sinister plot. The park is inviting such high-profile guests so they can make robot replacements. The corporation could own world leaders by usual underhanded means, but they want to literally own and operate the robot replacements. When the two reporters find themselves in over their heads in this idyllic location, can they make it out of the amusement park alive?

The idea behind Futureworld is a fun one that we’ve seen pop up many times since the movie’s release. Robots, clones, whatever sci-fi twist you can think of taking over for their original counterparts so they can do the bidding of their overlords. Futureworld is pretty predictable. It forecasts the twists and turns way ahead of the big reveals. The acting is good though. Fonda and Blythe have great chemistry for a movie that delves into cheesiness a few times. Yul Brenner pops up as the Gunnslinger in one of the oddest dream sequences in cinematic history. It’s a weird and creepy scene that is extra sad because it’s the last time Brunner was on film before his death. It, like a few other scenes, go on way to long and just come off weird and creepy.

The special features are a few radio spots and the trailer for the film as well as a still gallery with some concept art. It’s a pretty solid set of features for a movie from the 70s.

Bottom Line: Futureworld isn’t a solid sequel, but it’s a fun ride. If you’re a fan of older sci-fi movies, this is right up your alley. It has the classic 70s feel that comes off a little cheesy in the present, but it’s entertaining. If you haven’t seen this one before, I don’t think it will be your new favorite but it’s worth a watch. 3/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Movie Review: Futureworld

In the first Cold Prey, a group of friends went on a snowboarding trip in Norway. After tearing up the slopes for a few minutes, one had a wipeout and broke his leg. The group is forced to take shelter in an old, abandoned mountaintop hotel. You can guess what happens. They’re not alone, and they quickly find themselves in a fight for their lives against a giant mountain man who is going to kill them all. You can also guess that at the end of the first film it’s up to the lone survivor, a girl named Jannicke, to avenge her dead friends and live on. The sequel takes place mere moments after the first film. Jannicke has found her way down the mountain and is nearly run over by a man investigating her group’s abandoned car. She is taken to a rural hospital where the police quickly arrive on the scene to investigate her story. After they find the remains of her friends, the giant mountain man, and some of his other victims, they believe her. A subplot emerges where the sheriff investigates the story behind the mountain man. He makes the connection the friends did in the first one- he’s the answer to a missing child case from the 80s. There’s a little explanation on the killer’s story, but the mystery behind him is largely intact. When the dead don’t stay dead, Jannicke and the hospital staff must try to survive the killer’s rampage. Can Jannicke do it again, or will she be joining her friends in the morgue?

There isn’t a lot of plot getting in the way of the story. It’s pretty straightforward. The first 1/3 of the film is introduction to our hospital staff and the police. We have to like the people we’re watching if we’re going to care when they get a pickaxe to the head. When the second act of the story kicks in, it’s a nonstop suspense ride. It’s a horror story and it’s scary, but it’s not chocked full of ultra-gore and other shock value tropes. The acting is superb. The original Norwegian dialogue is presented with English subtitles. This is a wise choice when you think about it because many dubbed films suffer from a less than stellar voice cast. The direction is also fantastic. There are a lot of “jump in your seat” moments presented just from changing, the soundtrack, and effects.

The special features are lacking for this release. There is an original theatrical trailer and a handful of deleted scenes. The thing about the deleted scenes is they aren’t deleted. Every scene that is labeled as “deleted” is actually in the movie. Whether this is a director’s cut or an ultimate cut of the film isn’t clear, so I’m not sure why there’s a deleted scene feature that offers nothing new.

Bottom Line: Cold Prey II is one sequel that actually outdoes its predecessor. I liked the first one, but the sequel is more action-packed and thrilling. This is one horror fans will dig. It has a definite Halloween II vibe if you want to compare it to another film. Pick it up or check it out for your movie night. The story is good, but the lack of special features affect the score- 3.5/5

Check out the details of Cold Prey II on Shout! Factory by clicking here.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Movie Review: Cold Prey II

The Inhumans are a race of “genetic outsiders” that live in seclusion in their kingdom of Attilan. We see how Black Bolt, their king, interacts with the royal family and how the nation’s power structure is set up. The royal family consists of Black Bolt’s wife Medusa, his adviser Karnak, his military aid Gorgon, Triton, Medusa’s sister Crystal, and the teleporting dog Lockjaw. We get to see how the Inhumans gain their powers. The Terrigen Mists help unlock their genetic mutations. The ritual serves as a transition into adulthood (think super puberty). The Kingdom is located near Atlantis, which brings them into some conflict with Namor. That isn’t’ their biggest problem though. The Kingdom is under attack from Black Bolt’s evil brother Maximus the Mad. Maximus has engineered a plan that will see Attilan fall, resulting in him gaining the throne. The royal family finds themselves in a war against foreign invaders who can breach their defenses, thanks to a few gifts from Maximus. As Attilan is attacked from within and without, can Black Bolt hold his kingdom together? Will Maximus take everything from him?

The story is adapted from an extremely well received run from Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee in the late 1990s. It gained an Eisner Award, so you know it’s solid on the story front. The motion comic remains very faithful to the source. There are a few tiny changes to make the transition from page to screen better, but there’s nothing you can really point towards negatively. Lee’s illustrations make a good transition in mediums as well. His trademark shadows and the way he lays out characters works well for the animation. The shadows and darkness adds another dramatic layer almost. Motion comics are usually divisive, people either love them or hate them. This one doesn’t break any new ground that will change dissenters’ minds, but it is a great story that makes for one of the better motion comics out there.

The one bonus feature is a 30 minute documentary of sorts where Joe Quesada and writer Paul Jenkins talk about the history of the Inhumans and how the story came about. Jenkins talks at length about how he developed the story along with Lee. He said he saw a lot of analogies and allegories he tried to adapt into his writing, such as slavery, puberty, the common man and American way of life, and a caste system. Jenkins and Quesada offer a lot of interesting insight into the creative process behind this particular story and really help drive home some of the themes you may not have picked up on. A good chunk of time is also used to discuss how Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti helped revitalize some Marvel titles by launching the Marvel Knights imprint. The whole feature is incredibly interesting, but those parts were particularly entertaining.

Bottom Line: Inhumans serves as a perfect introduction to Black Bolt and Attilan, as well as treat to longtime fans. With Marvel getting ready to put the Inhumans into a more prominent position later this year, now is the perfect time to see one of their best stories adapted on DVD. 4/5

To check out more info on this DVD, you can click here and be taken to Shout! Factory’s website.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: INHUMANS DVD

Woochi The Demon Slayer

Woochi is an arrogant braggart who fancies himself a Taoist master, but he’s just a glorified trickster. Without his amulets that allow him to pull off amazing feats, he isn’t much. The first half of the film explores the backstory of Woochi and his sidekick Chorangyi, who is a dog that can change into a human and a few other choice animals. The two are working toward their own selfish goals while a great evil spreads. The Taoist wizards turn to Woochi’s Master and the mysterious Hwadam to help capture the evil goblin creatures (who are a giant demon rat and rabbit). Through a few twist and turns and a bit of deceit, Woochi finds his Master murdered. With Woochi being the prime suspect, he and Chorangyi are trapped in a painting for 500 years. In the present, the evil re-emerges and the Taoist wizards are greatly unprepared. With no other choice, they must free Woochi and enlist him to help trap the evil goblin-like creatures. Woochi has to adjust to all the changes around him as well as trying to survive the battle that is about to unfold. When the past and the present collide, is anyone safe?

The film, like any other movie, has its problems. Being a Korean film, it’s bogged down with myth and legend as it goes through the motions of introducing the characters. A little more could have been a little more left on the cutting room floor to make for an incredibly streamlined film.There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but each one is interesting and unique. The movie takes a little while to get going, but once it does it really is a nonstop thrill ride. Once the story gets into the “tracking down the evil” part and Woochi finding himself in the future, the film really finds its legs. There is a lot of action and a fair amount of humor throughout the story. It’s not rated, but this is easily a PG-13. It has fantasy action/violence and a minimal amount of language. The film is visually stunning. From the regular sets to the special effects, everything is brilliantly displayed. The visual effects are particularly impressive with all the giant demon rat and rabbit scenes, which are handled extremely well. It is a very special effects heavy movie, and the vast majority of shots are expertly rendered. You can count on one hand the number of things that didn’t feel quite “real” enough. If I had to compare this to other movies, it would be The Forbidden Kingdom with a dash of Soccer’s Apprentice and Naruto.

The acting is very good. Kang Dong-wan makes for a very fun and funny leading man. You can watch the film in its original Korean with English subtitles or dubbed over in English. The English voice actors don’t do half bad themselves.

The Blu-ray version of the film is chocked full of bonus features. I was very impressed with the sheer quantity of special features and extras on the disc. There are numerous making of featurettes for every step of production from pre- to post-production and looks at training sequences. There are in-depth looks at the CGI shots of the movie and a full interview gallery.

Bottom Line: Woochi The Demon Slayer is a fun, action-packed fantasy adventure that will please foreign film buffs, anime fans, and most action movie lovers. It is a little slow to get going, but when it kicks into gear it is well worth the watch. The Blu-ray is packed with extra features that will make this a worthy addition to you movie collection. 4.5/5

Here’s the official English trailer for Woochi. To learn more about the DVD and Blu-Ray release, click here to be taken to Shout! Factory’s website.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Movie Review: WOOCHI The Demon Slayer

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. “42″ tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball.

In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

Agent Of The Bat, Movies With Mitch: 42: Plus An Interview With Isaac Russell Of The Yuma Film Festival

The film opens with Tony and Rhodey racing in their respective suits. In the film’s opening moments we get a lot of great development on that relationship as well as information to get everyone up to speed as to who is who and what’s what. The two friends are on their way to the launch of Tony’s new mega-satellite called the Howard, after his late father. Not long after they arrive, they are attacked by the Raiders. The armor wearing goons are trying to get to the satellite and complete their boss’ mission. The boss is on his way to the launch control room. Tony gets there in time to see the boss is the villain the film gets its name from- the technovore. He sports a techno-organic suit that is generations ahead of anything Tony has. Tony is on the cutting edge, but the villain continually talks about how Tony is an antique. After the attack on the base, something happens that puts one of Tony’s dearest friends out of commission, possibly forever. This starts our journey rolling as Stark has to find out who the technovore is and what he’s after. Tony quickly becomes wanted by SHIELD as they want to know exactly what happened. He’s too busy trying to solve the mystery. He finds himself in Pakistan and partnering up with the Punisher. This puts a big target on both of them and Black Widow and Hawkeye are sent to bring Stark in. Can Tony unravel the mystery and stop this tech terrorist before it’s too late?

The voice cast for this film was solid. Mercer gave a great performance as Stark. He’s equal measures cocky, smart, funny, and deadly serious. Bentley took a different approach with Nick Fury, who is widely a seated figure on high during the film. He makes Fury calm, collected, and at times emotionless throughout the film. It works for most of the film, but at other times feels odd. I could go on and on with each voice actor, but I’ll spare you that. I do want to commend Reedus as the Punisher. I thought he was an odd choice, but he is the true standout of the film as well as an important figure that helps Stark solve the mystery. The animation was top notch. If you’ve seen the previous Marvel anime shows from Madhouse, you know it is quality. At times the scenery in this one feels real and even three dimensional.

Bottom Line: Technovore features a great script with huge amounts of action and adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a distinct anime flavor, but it avoids a lot of the typical anime troupes. Marvel’s first full-length anime film is a massive success. Hopefully this is the first of many more to come.

Rating: A

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Iron Man: Rise Of Technovore

Find  out in Movies With Mitch:

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by Jon M. Chu, based on Hasbro‘s G.I. Joe toy, comic and media franchises. It is a sequel to 2009′s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The film was written byZombieland writers Rhett Reeseand Paul Wernick. G.I. Joe: Retaliation features an ensemble cast, starring Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson, with Channing Tatum,Arnold Vosloo, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, and Byung-hun Lee reprising their roles from the first film. 

Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival. Directed by Fede Alvarez. Starring Jessica Lucas, Jane Levy.

Agent Of The Bat, Movies With Mitch: G.I. Joe Retaliation & Evil Dead