Inception Review and the Latest Social Network

First, the housekeeping.  My latest movie review is up!  Saw Inception last week, and finally jotted down my review.

Click here to read it.

And now, the latest social networking trend.  If the media hype is to believed, the next big social networking trend is Empire Avenue.  And by "the media hype," I mean this one story I saw on the news last night.  Anyway, I thought I would sign up for it today, because if it truly is going to be the next big thing, I wanted to be sure to nab my "chaosinabox" handle before someone else beat me to it. 

What it is is a social networking site based on the stock market.  Every time you do something, you earn money.  You don't "make friends," you "buy shares" in other people.  The more stuff you do online, and more shares people buy in you, the greater your "influence." 

I've only been on for a few hours, and I instantly dislike it.  The stock market gimmick is a little too complicated.  Essentially, what they've done is find a way to track your online activity, and assign a worth to it.  This network seems completely geared to advertisers, and showing off how many eyeballs the site attracts through "influence." 

Actually, the whole thing reminds me of that recent South Park episode, where Cartman did a whole video podcast on how to get more friends on Facebook and which friends will increase your popularity on Facebook.  Playing around on Empire Avenue, I've already seen a few video podcasts like that.  "Buy this person to increase your worth!" 

I don't know.  It's the same reaction I've had to Facebook and Twitter when I first started.  I'll play with it for a few months, and if I like it, I'll stick around.

So, I guess I should encourage all of you to buy Chaos in a Box!

Oh, and I have to blog this verification code so my blog entries start adding to my worth:

EAVB_RWQVAKICGK

Smarter Than the Average Bear

Today's pointless remake, a live-action movie version of Yogi Bear.
 

Why did the world need a live-action Yogi Bear?  Why, I ask?

For our voice cast, we've got the legendary Dan Aykroyd as Yogi, pop icon Justin Timberlake as Boo Boo, and "I'm not aware of her work" Christine Taylor as Cindy Bear. 

For the live-action cast, we've got the star of my Dad's favourite TV show, Ed, Tom Cavanaugh as Ranger Smith, and, "Sh!  Don't tell anyone I have a crush on her" Anna Ferris as a wildlife documentary filmmaker who's come to Jellystone to film Yogi.

The plot apparently has something to do with evil industrialists wanting to close down Jellystone Park, so Yogi, Boo Boo and Ranger Smith band together to save the Park.

Computer animator Eric Brevig is the director.  It comes out this Christmas.

Oh, look.  A trailer. 

Yeah, the character of Yogi was based on Art Carney, but Aykroyd seems to be going more for Rodney Dangerfield. Here's a thought: why didn't Aykroyd do Aykroyd?

Remember when Aykroyd was cool? Yeah, those days are gone.

Latest Targ's Up!

It's Sunday!  That means it's time for a new episode of U62: The Targ!

I'm just a seething bundle of anger this week, and I show it in Episode 3.39: Angry Rant #642.  I go off on the current Edmonton Oilers new arena debate, I return to the bane of my 12-year old self, and I really, really hope that Pixar doesn't take a dark turn.

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NEW TRON LEGACY TRAILER!!!

The only movie I'm excited about this year, and I can't frakkin' WAIT!!





No longer content with just light cycles...is that a light jet at the end?  SO AWESOME!!

In other Disney news today, it was announced that Guillermo del Toro, directed of the Hellboy films and the critically acclaimed Pan's Labrynth, will be directed a reboot of The Haunted Mansion, based upon the classic Disneyland ride.  Del Toro says that his version will not be a comedy like the first film, and play up more of the horror aspects of the ride.  Oh, and it'll be filmed in 3D. 

When I told my friends of this they said, "Reboot?  First film?  Disney already did a Haunted Mansion film?"  Yes, they did.  2003.  Starring Eddie Murphy.  It was a comedy.  It flopped, and wasn't loved by the critics. 

Latest Targ's Up!

Time to hit you with an all-new episode of U62: The Targ!

Whenever I'm unsure as to what to do in an episode, my first instinct is to name it after nonsense words.  Hence, Episode 3.38: Snoozle Woozle.  I'm spending my money and playing the lotto, I mourn the end of James Bond, and I even tell you my ratings.  Yes, I do keep track of who actually listens to this, and I find the numbers startling.

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More Robot Chicken and Family Guy Star Wars Spoofs

Well, Family Guy and Robot Chicken have announced the latest installments in their series of Star Wars spoofs.

First up, we have Robot Chicken Star Wars: Episode III, coming on December 12.  Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich say that this one will have more of a linear storyline than their other specials, and that it'll tell the entire Star Wars saga from the villains' point of view.

New celebrity voices include Community star Donald Glover, Family Guy and Cleveland Show writer/voice actor Mike Henry, current teen heartthrob Zak Efron as Anakin Skywalker, and Anthony Daniels returning to the role that made him famous, C-3P0. 

Returning celebrity voices include Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, Breckin Meyer, Rachael Leigh Cook, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane as Emperor Palpatine.

It airs on December 12.


And speaking of Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy, Family Guy's scene-for-scene spoof of Return of the Jedi will be hitting DVD and Blu-Ray on December 21.

For celebrity guest voices in this one, we've got Family Guy regular Adam West, original Star Wars star Carrie Fisher (she's become a regular on the Family Guy cast and they've been trying to get her in one of these Star Wars specials since the first one), Rush Limbaugh will be voicing the Sarlaac, and, apparently, they wind up doing some kind of crossover with Star Trek: The Next Generation and Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn will be back as Capt. Picard and Worf.

No word on the title of this one.  They were going to call it We Have a Bad Feeling About This, but the articles today announcing the special guest voices say that it's "currently untitled."  Originally, because of all the animatronic characters that pop up in ROTJ, they wanted to call it Episode VI: The Great Muppet Caper, but they actually got into trouble from the Muppet folks over that.  I guess will know the title when they show their 10-minute sneak peak at the San Diego ComicCon in two weeks. 

DVD Review -- G.I. Joe: Resolute

Well, I've always enjoyed reviewing the straight-to-DVD movies I pick up right here on my blog.  I finally got my hands on one I've been keeping my eyes open for, and I just finished watching it.  So, it's time for my thoughts on....

G.I. Joe: Resolute


Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos

Starring the voices of Charles Adler, Steve Blum, Grey DeLisle, and Eric Bauza.

Backstory:  Last year, Hasbro decided to launch an all-new G.I. Joe cartoon to tie in with the new live-action movies.  But, to produce it, they decided to follow the model of the original Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon:  episodes would be just 5 minutes long, telling an over-reaching story arc, and the episodes would be shown on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.  Comic book legend Warren Ellis was hired to write it.  It premiered on Adult Swim in the spring of 2009, and was edited together into a DTV movie and released just in time for Christmas last year.  Yesterday, I finally found a copy!


Plot:  In their most coordinated strike ever, COBRA cripples G.I. Joe HQ, takes command of several instillations all around the world, and destroys Moscow in a show of their might.  Cobra Commander issues his ultimatum:  turn control of the entire world over to him in 24 hours, or he'll use his new weapon to start wiping countries off the face of the Earth.  G.I. Joe has 24 hours to unlock the secrets of COBRA's new WMD, free the instillations that our powering it, and apprehend Cobra Commander...with extreme prejudice.

What I Liked:  There is blood.  This is real war.  Joes are killed, Cobra Vipers are mercilessly gunned down, and Cobra Commander kills all who oppose him.  The stakes are high, and it moves along at a rather quick pace.

What I Didn't Like:  The character development does take a back seat to the action, so we really don't get to know these new incarnations of the Joes.  And with such a small voice cast, there is some overlap in the voices and the characters, which does get a tad annoying. 

Final Verdict:  A wonderful continuation of the original, 5-part mini-series that launched the original cartoons, if only it being for more grown-up tastes. 

3 Nibs

Bonus Features:  For DVD bonus features, you get a Q&A with the film's creators, the file cards for the Joes in the film, the teaser episode "Now You Know," and storyboards for the production.

Remake Reviews!

Well, recently, I was blogging about my birthday movies. This year, I did my first ever birthday movie double-features. I saw BOTH The Karate Kid and The A-Team!

Click here to read my reviews!

Latest Targ's Up!

And I'm back after a brief break with a brand new episode of U62: The Targ!

Lots of good stuff happened and I have to tell you all about it. And I do, in Episode 3.37: In a Row?. The topics this week are my 33rd birthday, the latest round of Tron Legacy viral marketing, and the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future.

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Birthday Movies

So, yesterday was my birthday.  I have a small tradition.  On my birthday, I go see a movie.  I just love movies and can't think of a better way to celebrate.

I remember every movie I've seen on my birthday ever since I started doing this.  I'm getting old, and my memory is starting to do funny things, so I find it best to sit down and jot down the list when I have a moment of lucidity.  So, the list:

1988 - Short Circuit 2
1989 - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
1990 - Back to the Future Part III
1991 - The Rocketeer
1992 - Batman Returns
1993 - Jurassic Park
1994 - The Flintstones
1995 - 18th Birthday, so I forwent the movie to do the whole "go to the bar for the first time" thing
1996 - Independence Day
1997 - Canceled.  Summer job
1998 - Mulan
1999 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
2000 - Shaft
2001 - Canceled.  Family function
2002 - Men in Black II
2003 - Canceled.  Illness
2004 - Fahrenheit 9/11
2005 - Herbie:  Fully Loaded
2006 - Superman Returns
2007 - Transformers
2008 - WALL-E
2009 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

As for 2010, I'll probably be seeing my birthday movie this weekend.  Haven't decided what it'll be yet.  There's two classics from my childhood remade for the big screen:  The Karate Kid and The A-Team.  I'm mildly curious about both.  Predators looks somewhat good.  I wanted to see The Last Airbender, because I liked the cartoon, but the reviews have been very bad.  It'll probably be The A-Team.

Wonder Woman's Makeover

So, there's been lots of hype and hullabaloo the past few days over Wonder Woman's new costume.

You'd think the way people are acting, this is the first time a superhero has donned a new costume.  It's one of those things where everyone expects me to have an opinion, but I really don't, so I guess I'll say something anyway. 

Again, I don't understand why this became so newsworthy.  One of the comic book reviewers at Mania.com was quick to point why this really isn't news.  Essentially, when it comes to comics, the status quo is never shaken up for long.  Inside a year, they'll probably hit the great galactic reset button and everything will be back to normal.  Hell, three years ago, as part of DC's whole "One Year Later" storyline, Wonder Woman lost her powers, donned a new costume, and even a new identity.  No major media coverage then.  Why now? 

What I find funny is that everyone's focused on the new costume that they've hardly mentioned her dramaticialy revamped origin story to go along with it.  In her original origin, the Amazons have lived in peace, tranquility, and immortality on the hidden island of Paradise Island.  With the ever-expanding world, it was known that their island would soon be discovered, so Wonder Woman was sent out into the world as emissary and ambassador.  In her new origin, Paradise Island was wiped out by dark forces when she was 3 years old, and she's been in hiding ever since, raised by the handmaidens of the queen of the Amazons. 

Of course, it turns that this destruction of Paradise Island was caused by altering the timeline through time-travel wackiness.  So, there you go.  The ending has already been written.  At the conclusion of this adventure, things will be put back to normal, and the original costume will be back. 

Nothing's ever a permanent change in comic books.  As the old industry saying goes, "No one stays dead except Uncle Ben." 

Now, that being said, I have been enjoying the mainstream exposure Wonder Woman has been getting because of this.  She's one of the big 3 of DC Comics, right there alongside Batman and Superman, but she still just isn't quite as well-known as those two.  We're still crying for a kick-ass live-action Wonder Woman movie to be made.  We're getting close, though.  As I've said to many others, you really should seek out that straight-to-DVD Wonder Woman animated movie that came out last year.  It's the best of these direct-to-DVD movies that DC has been putting out.  Seriously.  Just give me a live-action movie version of this and I'd be happy. 

More on Superman/Batman: Apocolypse

So, hey, remember last week when I was telling you about the new straight-to-DVD animated movie Superman/Batman: Apocalypse?

Hey, the Internet is magic, how about if I make this text link to the relevant blog entry?  Now I don't have to retype everything.  Yay, HTML! 

So, we've got all kinds of new information on it that I need to pass along.

First up, more of the big celebrity voice cast.  Andre Braugher does the voice of our main villain, the New God warlord Darkseid.  And Ed Asner reprises his Superman: The Animated Series role of Darkseid's drill sergeant, Granny Goodness.

DC/Warner Brothers have also begun this thing called DC Showcase, where each of these direct-to-DVD movies includes a 10-minute short film highlighting a B-list hero in the DC Universe.  On the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse DVD, we'll be treated to a short featuring the adventures of Green Arrow.  Written by veteran comic book and animation writer Greg Weisman, we follow the adventures of Oliver Queen as he heads to the airport to pick up his girlfriend, only to have to suit up and do battle with the evil archer Merlyn the Magnificent who's there to assassinate a visiting princess.  Neil McDonough does the voice of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, and Malcolm McDowell does the voice of Merlyn. 

Anyway, bonus stuff!  As has become the trend, it's available in the 3 versions:  single-disc, movie-only edition, 2-disc special edition, and Blu-Ray.

On the 2-disc special edition, you get:

• A sneak peak at the next DTV animated film.  (Rumored to be a Green Lantern one, to tie in with next year's live-action movie)
• A featurette on the history of Supergirl in the comics.
• 2 bonus episodes of The New Batman/Superman Adventures  

On the Blu-Ray, you get all that, and:

• A featurette on the New Gods, focusing on the villainous Darkseid
• 2 featurettes on the New Gods superheroes Orion and Mr. Miracle
• 2 MORE bonus episodes of The New Batman/Superman Adventures 

It comes out on September 28.

Don't forget, the next DTV animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood, comes out on July 27.

The New Spider-Man Is....

Well, one of the questions that dominated pop culture for the past few months is who will be the new Spider-Man? 

Let me bring you up to speed.  After months of negotiations, Sony Studios (the movie company that makes the Spider-Man films) and Sam Raimi (director of the first three Spider-Man films) couldn't agree on a direction for Spider-Man 4.  So, Sony dismissed Raimi from the film and decided to reboot the franchise.  Three films in, and we're starting over at #1. 

Mark Webb, who directed last year's hit indie rom-com (500) Days of Summer, was given the nod to direct the reboot.  The decision was made to base it on the critically acclaimed, wildly popular reboot Ultimate Spider-Man, and a release date of July 2012 was set.

But we still needed a new Peter Parker. 

After auditioning pretty much anyone under 30 in Hollywood, it was announced on Canada Day that they settled on this guy...Andrew Garfield. 

Garfield is still rather new to the biz...he was in the film The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasus and he'll be seen this fall in the biopic on Facebook's creators, The Social Network.

You know, I'm pretty much on board for anything with this reboot, just as long as they don't make us sit through the origin story again.  That first film is still fresh in people's minds...we don't need to see that radioactive spider bite again.