Top 30 Animated TV Shows FINAL

30. Captain N: The Game Master
29. The Brak Show
28. X-Men
27. Archer
26. Tailspin
25. Frisky Dingo
24. Voltron
23. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
22. GI Joe
21. Garfield and Friends
20. Adventures of the Gummi Bears
19. Transformers
18. Metalacolypse
17. Darkwing Duck
16. Sealab 2021
15. The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
14. SpongeBob Squarepants
13. Muppet Babies
12. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
11. Robot Chicken
10. South Park
9. Batman the Animated Series
8. American Dad
7. Tiny Toon Adventures
6. Family Guy
5. Futurama
4. Aqua Teen Hunger Force
3. Ducktales
2. The Simpsons
1. Animaniacs

Pop journal: The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid (MOVIE / 2010)

Here we are presented with a good reason to remake a movie with the release of The Karate Kid. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan take us back to the realm of martial arts competitions and life lessons being learned from the most unlikely tasks. Only the plot is carried from the original movie, and even then it more resembles The Karate Kid 2, as these are new characters with new motivations. Jaden's Dre is fully capable in all of the scenes we see him training to an ob absurd degree. Even more remarkable is the performance of Jackie Chan who is finally allowed to play a roll other than that of comic relief or pure fighting. There are real emotions evoked and we learn the same lessons from the first film, which is why I enjoy these remakes. The Karate Kid, or Kung Fu Kid as it is called internationaly (and even refered to in movie as purely kung fu, never karate), teaches a lot of things in a very entertaining way. Repackaging these stories for a new generation is getting the story out there in a way that it would otherwise never be able to accomplish with the originals (seriously, try and watch the original without laughing).

Tyler Says: GREEN LIGHT

Pop Journal: The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender (MOVIE / 2010)

If you've been reading my other theatrical reviews you may have noticed that I have given Green Lights to all of the movies that I have seen in theater. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I choose to go see the movies I want to go see in theaters. I am not in any way paid to go see other movies that I would write unfavorably about. I have taken more chances on DVD, where I have handed out Yellows and Reds, but this my readers is the first review that I am handing out a RED LIGHT for a theatrical release. To even talk about M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender would be a disservice as it is truly awful. This is coming from someone who defended The Happening to a degree, and actually enjoyed Lady in the Water. You watch this movie and you wonder "who is this made for?" It jumps from plot point to plot point with little tying it together. My favorite moment comes when are heroes arrive in a new village and the narrator tell us that her brother and the princess become fast friends. That is how this movie deals with complex relationships and emotions, and in the end when sacrifices need to be made we as an audience don't care. I will say that the special effects and music were fantastic, but that just makes me wonder how all of this money got thrown at this script. M. Night had a chance to redeem himself with this film and it may become the last nail in the coffin.

Tyler Says: RED LIGHT

Pop Journal: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (MOVIE / 2010)

Every once in a while you come across a movie that you think was made specifically with you in mind. Scott Pilgrim is one of those movies. It revolves around Michael Cera's Scott Pilgrim and his quest to obtain the hand of Ramona Flowers, which he can only accomplich by defeating her 7 evil exes. The movie is fantastic, I really cannot say enough good things about it. It's based on a comic book series that incorporates a lot of video game and music references and that really shines through. The battles are shown as if you were watching someone playing Street Fighter, and with the eventual demise of the exes occurs they explode into a sea of quarters. Another interesting fact is the way they portray Scott as a imperfect person, perhaps even as jerk at times, but not enough that would stop rooting for him. The exes all give great performances, each with their own weakness and fantastical abilities. You should get to the movies to see this one as it truly is an original and entertaining gem.

Pop Journal: Inception

Inception (MOVIE / 2010)

Inception comes from Christopher Nolan, the director of The Dark Knight and Memento. Let's get this out of the way, this movie was freaking awesome. There is so much to like in this movie it's hard to put it all in one little paragraph. If you know nothing about this movie it's about Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio, who is an expert in invading someones dreams to steal information who is tasked with invading someones dream only instead of stealing an idea he is planting an idea. DiCaprio is surrounded by an amazing ensemble cast in this movie that straddles a lot of different genres; Heist movie, Sci-Fi, Action and Noir. As the movie is set in the dream world you would expect a lot more gimmicky things happening, but once the film hits it's stride at the end you are grasped by the different narratives being intertwined. Saying that I should warn you that near the end of the movie there are five different realties existing on screen at the same time, but things never get to the point you can't follow what is happening. The ending does leave some questions as to the true nature of what you saw and demands another viewing.

Tyler's Take: LeBron James to Miami

Last week LeBron James announced that he was going to leave the city where he was born and raise and leave to sunny Miami. Now I firmly believe that it is within LeBron's rights to leave and play basketball wherever he sees fit, but there is a right way to so these things and a wrong way. LeBron James has just forever given us an example on how not to do something.

There really is no way that I can put everyone into the shoes of the people of Cleveland and the heartbreak they just experienced. In short they had a young man who grew up in the city, or at least close to it, and rose to the level of savior when he was drafted 7 years ago. He took them to their first NBA Finals ever and it doesn't really matter then that he lost because the fans knew there was plenty of time for the titles to come. Cleveland went from the worst attendance in the NBA to selling out almost every game, heck the value of the team almost doubled in the seven years LeBron was there. Then this happened.

Imagine if you will that it's 1993 and Michael Jordan has just won his 3rd NBA title and a year removed from leading America to Gold in the Summer Olympics. Everybody loves Michael, there is nothing he can do wrong. He is on the Wheaties box and everyone is wearing his shoes. But something is different, instead of announcing his would be retirement Michael Jordan announces that he is moving to Spain and gaining citizenship there so he could play against the USA in the upcoming Olympics. It doesn't matter from here on out if this fictional Jordan would go on to Spain and have success, what matters is he left us for someone else and the day would come where we would have to face the man we idolized in another country's colors.

"People leave teams all of the time," you may say. And you'd be right. It's not the leaving that hurts, it's the goodbye. I had the opportunity to listen to "The Decision" as I was, like millions of others who watched it on ESPN, enthralled by what would happen. Mere minutes before the announcement experts were being asked what they thought would happen and many came out and said they thought he would stay because he wouldn't have gone on national television to rip out the heart of his home town. I even agreed with them, I thought that he would surprise everyone and say he was staying.

We all know that didn't happen. He was on that stage surrounded by kids and said he was leaving. He was calm, cool and collected and said all the right things. The only problem was he was saying all the right things to everyone. LeBron had just broken up with the city of Cleveland on national TV. Now we have a little over 3 months to listen to every NBA analyst talk about whether or not this will work. Personally I think it may work out and they may win some championships. I also know that I will no longer "witness" LeBron's ascension to greatness like I once did. I think that Cleveland feels the same.

Pop Journal: Predators

Predators (MOVIE / 2010)

Predators is a film that does to Predator (1987) what Aliens did to Alien, takes a thriller where you don't see much of the antagonist and follows up with a visceral action flick. And it works. It really works, in fact this movie even feels like it could have been released a few years after the original. Fortunately the makers of this film decided to match the R rating of the original, not that I didn't enjoy the PG-13 AVP films of recent years, this film shows you why you should fear these guys. Adrien Brody delivers a great performance, one you could tell he was having a lot of fun playing, and the rest of the cast works really well. There is one exception to this as Laurence Fishburne makes at best a cameo as a crazy survivor who's in the film for no more than 10 minutes it seems. For a moment I thought the ending my eschew from a true us versus them fight, but the finale delivers a great sequence and leaves this film open for a sequel of it's own. Predators stands apart from other films this summer, and as such may not make the most money but it definitely deserves some attention.

Pop Journal: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (MOVIE / 2010)

The Lightning Thief is the first movie based on a series of "tween" books that takes ancient greek mythology and brings it to the modern day. Many things in the films universe can be seen in the Harry Potter films, in fact this film was directed by Christopher Columbus who directed the first 2 Potter films. Percy is a young man who is a misfit who comes to find out he is the son of the God Poseidon and is thrust into a fantastical journey. He is framed for stealing Zeus' Lightning Bolt and his mother is taken hostage. The story is not an original one, but you do have fun following him on his adventure. The special effects are good, not great, and there are a lot of familiar faces in the film. The film presents you with enough mythology to keep you up to speed with Percy's race to save his mother. The idea may not be an original one but I had a lot of fun watching this movie and hope that good success comes from the rentals (it did pretty bad in theaters) that we can see Percy's next adventure.

Pop Journal: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (MOVIE / 2009)

Yes, I just watched New Moon. Since I don't have a review up for Twilight I will kind of lump that in with this one. You see, I don't really mind these movies and that is really the best I can say about them. While watching them there is never a point that I want to stand up and get out of the room as fast as I can. In Twilight I had a couple of issues with how cheesy some of the effect were, but all of that was addressed in spades with New Moon. There are a lot of interesting things going on around Bella, but the biggest problem I have with these films is that I cannot stand her. This is all coming from the movies as I have never, and probably will never, read the books. I don't know why Jacob and Edward are swooning over her, nothing was presented to me to say "Wow, this highly emotional chick is whats I need." But in spite of her moping around the entire time I found myself intrigued by what would happen next, a tepid intrigue but nonetheless I made it through the viewings unscathed.

Pop Journal: The Box

The Box (MOVIE 2009)

Here's an interesting film from the maker of Donnie Darko (which I enjoyed) and Southland Tales (possibly the worst movie ever made) that sticks to those previous works in pacing and themes. The Box asks a lot of questions and presents you with a lot of different ideas and leaves you to take what you will from it. What did I take from it? I don't know. The cast gives good performances that make you interested in what is happening to them, but as they have no idea what is going on the same is true for you as the viewer. It does feel very similar to Donnie Darko, which was also a period film, but there is not a really big emotional payoff at the end. Yes, a sacrifice is made but it is made in response to a situation that really has no connection to the rest of the narrative. The Box is one of those movies you may enjoy if you don't need answers and want to take a mind bending ride.

Top 30 TV Shows (Live Action) FINAL

30. Frasier

29. Fringe

28. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

27. ER

26. Iron Chef America

25. Human Giant

24. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

23. Monday Night Football

22. CSI:

21. Survivor

20. Seinfeld

19. Star Trek: The Next Generation

18. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

17. Dexter

16. Psych

15. The Office

14. Mythbusters

13. 24

12. Newsradio

11. Late Night with Conan Obrien

10. 30 Rock

9. How I Met Your Mother

8. House

7. Scrubs

6. The X-Files

5. The West Wing

4. Arrested Development

3. LOST

2. Saturday Night Live

No question. Friends has had more influence on my life than any other show out there. In the mid 90's I wore sweater vests because Chandler wore sweater vests. I would say that 50% of the in jokes I have with my family is references from Friends. Sure it got a little shaky when they focused on Joey too much at the end, but there is nothing as consistently funny to me as the 10 years of Friends.

1. Friends

Pop Journal: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 (MOVIE / 2010)

I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It took the characters that many have loved for years and took them on an incredibly different adventure than we have seen before. Sure, there is obvious parallels of the toys being stuck in a prison, but that's not what the movie is really about. The movie is about the inevitable changes that happens in ones life and the ability we have to meet those changes head on, and on our own terms. There are not as many laugh at loud moments in the film as in Toy Story 2, nor does it get as depressing as the first film. Toy Story 3 strikes a balance between sadness and joy that I haven't experienced in a theater for a while. In the end I was tearing up, not out of sadness but because there was a real connection to the characters in the film. Pixar is now 11 out of 11 in not only the Blockbuster game, it will make a lot of money, but in making films that continue to surprise an audience who thinks it has seen it all. Again, I can't say enough good things about this film other than see it now and see it often as I can't take the fact Shrek the Third and Forever After could make more money.

Pop Journal: Invictus

Invictus (MOVIE / 2010)

Invictus is a film by Clint Eastwood that takes the story of the release and rise of Nelson Mandela, but frames it within the confines of the Rugby World Cup. Now much has been said of Morgan Freeman's portrayal of Mandela, it's uncanny. It really is one of those contrived lines where this is the role he was born to play. Where the story falters is in the Rugby side of the story, where maybe this comes as I know few things of the sport, as it runs the natural course of many sports movies that tackle larger themes before it. Only in this case there seems to be absolutely no growth in the Rugby players, no instance of a physical or personal change that leads to the feat that they accomplish. If anything the change and conflict really comes through with Mandela's Secret Service. Here we see Blacks and Whites working together under very stressful terms, but as the movie continues we see bonds begin to form among them. All of this leads to a World Cup Final that feels as if they put the entire match on screen, it feels as if it lasts forever. In the end there is reason for celebration, new friends are made, but it all feels like a light switch was flipped as i never saw any real conflict on the screen. In the end I wish there would have been more focus on certain aspects of the story than others, but it is a well shot, well acted and well directed piece.

Pop Journal: The A-Team

The A-Team (MOVIE 2010)

If you were like me growing up in the 80's there is a good chance that you had the mighty honor of watching the A-Team on TV. For me it's one of my earliest memoires that I have of anything at all. Now as an adult I couldn't even begin to tell you any of the actual stories that were told, but I could tell you about Hannibal, Faceman, B.A. and Murdock and all of the cool stuff the put together in a very short time. And that is what this movie does, it moves the setting to modern times but it is still the A-team getting into sticky situations and pulling through at the end in a collage of explosions. In fact, it seems to me that these new actors more fully realize the characters than the originals. And that is because they are larger than life characters, none of this is supposed to be taken too seriously. Throughout the entire move I was just having a great time, none of it felt over the top or forced. I do have to give special mention to Sharlto Copley who broke through last year as the lead in District 9, which I couldn't stand. He gives an amazing performance as Murdock, perfectly conveying that "functioning" crazy better than any I have seen. All in all it is a very fun movie I really recomend.

Tyler's Take: iTunes Updates

Yesterday whilst online I got a little pop-up window that told of the end of the world. In it's little frame it conveyed thoughts directly into my mind of lava fields overtaking cities, giant tornadoes raging across fields and small groups of Victorian times orphans pickpocketing in the streets. I don't know if I am the only one, maybe there are more out there, but what I do know is the window is appearing more frequently and if I try to ignore it the window will only come back the next day. "What have I done to deserve such torment!" I scream into the night sky as the rain falls around me. What did I do? I downloaded iTunes, and now it wants me to update to it's latest version.

No other program in the history of the world has been more frustratingly aware of it's own inferiority than that of iTunes. In my mind I picture a place online where all of the iTunes meet, maybe a small smoke filled room where they gather to play poker. In the corner is my iTunes, version 9.2, sitting in a chair hoping no one will notice it. Alas, poor iTunes 9.2 lets out a little cough and the room turns on it, all of those iTunes 9.3 just staring as if iTunes 9.2 was iTunes 4.2. Then the room breaks out in laughter, all of the iTunes 9.3 laughing and throwing their empty plastic cups at iTunes 9.2 and making harsh comments. "I doubt he even has 'Genius' installed," one yells from across the room. It's here that my iTunes 9.2 runs from the room in tears, coming back to my computer and immediately posts that window asking me to update.

But I don't want to.

You see with other programs there is simply a patch that brings a program up to date, so a quick 5MB download and an update is all you need. This is true for even the largest program I have on my computer, World of Warcraft, that takes up 19GB of my hard drive. Even today there was an update that took only 2 minutes to download and install itself.

But that's not how iTunes rolls.

No, iTunes makes you download the ENTIRE program all over again as if you never had it in the first place. This is from the company that just overtook Microsoft in the stock market. This is the company that made computers in my youth that were more user friendly than iTunes is. I say this because once again iTunes asked for and install... and I gave in... and it screwed me. Not only does the icon in my task bar once again go nowhere, but it took 300 songs from my library and made duplicates, only these duplicates were to a place that does not exist. You may know what I mean, they put a little "!" in front of the file to let you know that theres a problem here. Yes, there is a problem and iTunes is not going to help you with it. So again, for what seems the hundredth time, I begin scrolling through and erasing those files from iTunes. My fingers hurt by the end of the task, a task that once again bring those horrifying visions into the forefront of my mind, but it is complete and everything is as it should be. The window is no longer open.

A few days go by...

I'm looking at my gmail account when a tiny window pops up in front of all others...

Tyler's Take: I want more 2D for consoles!

The other day I picked up Super Mario Galaxy 2 and began playing it, and I was blown away by how good the game was. The levels in it are awesome and the music is freaking wonderful. The game was hard to put down because I was having so much fun. After playing it for a while I thought to myself that I should play New Super Mario Bros Wii (NSMB) for a different perspective on the game. For those of you who have not played either game the "Galaxy" title is 3D while "New" is a traditional 2D platformer. The great thing that came out of this, I enjoyed both games equally because they offered different experiences, but it was still Mario.

This got me to thinking about other games that began as 2D and made the leap to 3D: Zelda; Metroid; Sonic; Castlevania; Final Fantasy. Here you have mixed results as the Zelda, Metroid and Final Fantasy series are widely praised for it's 3D offerings, but other classics like Castlevania and Sonic never found the same success in the 3D world.

The funny thing about this is that companies, like Konami, were having success bringing new 2D titles to the handheld market. You see, the long perceived idea is that 2D games could only sell on handheld systems and no one was interested in playing them on home consoles. For many adults, and I throw that term around loosely, we don't have little handhelds for a majority of different reasons. So now that NSMB Wii has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, I believe that we can have other franchises make the console leap back to 2D.

We have a new Metroid title coming out on the Wii that is a hybrid of both 3D and 2D which is fine, but I want a New Super Mario Bros Wii quality sequel to Super Metroid. While we're at it, let's get a nice 2D Castlevania on the 360! With 2D games like Shadow Complex and Mega Man 9 selling great on Xbox Live Arcade I'd hope the floodgates would open. Instead we have Konami taking another stab at a 3D Castlevania that looks impressive right now, but I've been burned so many times before.

And while we have Mega Man 9 on the table let me say this to developers: The fact you made Mega Man is awesome, but you don't have to rely on the "classic" graphics and mechanics to sell the game. I think NSMB proves you don't have to rely solely on nostalgia to put out a great game.

With both of the new Mario games doing so well on the same console I hope it shows companies you don't have to re-invent the box to sell us games. A glimmer of hope for everyone is SEGA releasing a true sequel to Sonic called "Sonic the Hedgehog 4", we can only hope this is a sign of things to come.

Top 30 Songs (Complete)

30. Best of You - Foo Fighters - In Your Honor (2005)

29. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)

28. Clocks - Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

27. Closing Time - Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine (1998)

26. Glycerine - Bush - Sixteen Stone (1994)

25. Soul Meets Body - Deathcab For Cutie - Plans (2005)

24. Little Black Backpack - Stroke 9 - Nasty Little Thoughts (1999)

23. Liar (It Takes One To Know One) - Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (2006)

22. The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It (1997)

21. The End Of The Tour - They Might Be Giants - John Henry (1994)

20. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince - Homebase (1991)

19. Float On - Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News (2004)

18. New Slang - The Shins - Oh Inverted World (2001)

17. Kill - Jimmy Eat World - Futures (2004)

16. Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

15. All The Small Things - Blink 182 - Enema Of The State (1999)

14. Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something - Home (1995)

13. Chase This Light - Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light (2007)

12. Welcome To The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (2006)

11. M79 - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (1998)

10. Happy Endings - The All American Rejects - The All American Rejects (2003)

9. Viva la Vida - Coldplay - Viva la Vida (2008)

8. Lie In Our Graves - Dave Matthews Band - Crash (1996)

7. Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995)

6. Spiraling Shape - They Might Be Giants - Factory Showroom (1996)

5. Overkill (Acoustic) - Colin Hay - Man @ Work (2003)

4. Mr. Brightside - The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)

3. Only In Dreams - Weezer - Weezer (1994)

2. Helena - My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (2004)

My favorite song of all time is "A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World. This song takes me back to right when i got home off of my Mission in the Summer of 2001. In fact, the song specifically brings to mind that stretch of road with the hill right before you enter Lincoln City and can see the ocean. Growing up listening to the oldies with my dad probably helped because it was the chorus of "Crimson and clover... over and over"" (from the song "Crimson and Clover"by Tommy James and the Shondells) that got the song stuck in my head.

Fun Fact: The Chorus of "A Praise Chorus" is literally praising 7 songs from bands ranging from Bad Company to They Might Be Giants.

1. A Praise Chorus - Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American (2001)

Pop Journal: The Wolfman

The Wolfman (MOVIE 2010)

The Wolfman is a gorgeously shot "creature feature" that never strays to far from the formula to keep you on the edge of your seat. Benicio Del Toro gives a surprisingly understated performance as the titular wolfman, giving much more credence to the transformation from Shakespearean actor to savage killing machine. The film does rely on some easy scares, but never do they feel cheap or unearned. Like I said earlier the movie is just really good looking, particularly the transformation effects. There is little mystery in the story as the main antagonist is revealed with little fanfare which takes the story into one of vengence. Be warned that there is a lot of blood being spilt, but in a way that makes me glad Universal chose to go the rated R road instead of leaving much of the savagery to the imagination. All in all a very satisfying scare fest that stands apart from the rest.

Pop Journal: Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time

Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time (MOVIE / 2010)

This was a fun movie. Much of what works for it is the relationship between Prince Dastan (Gyllenhaal) and Princess Tmaina (Arterton) that in my humble opinion is the closest thing we've seen to Han and Leia in a while. The movie is non stop acrobatics and chases with enough plot details to keep the characters moving in the same direction. The special effects are not necessarily on par with other big summer blockbusters, but that also gives the movie some of it's quiet charm. The ending leaves a little to be desired, after all this is a movie where "time" plays a big part, but I was smiling as the credits began to roll.

Review: Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood (MOVIE / 2010)

In a long line of films based on the fabled hero Robin Hood, this film sets itself apart not only as a "origin" story of sorts but also by it's timelessness. Where as other film makers have sought to play up the camp with other tellings of the legend, Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have made a conscience decision to make a film both darker and more believable. To sum it all up appropriately, this is less Pirates of the Caribbean and more Braveheart.

Crowe's Robin and Cate Blanchett's Maid Marion are brought together under strange circumstances, having no history so we see them meet for the first time. Gone are all of the young love angles of prior movies, and instead we see two adults meeting and falling in love in a very satisfying way.

Robin still has his group of "Merry" men with him, but they are presented as soldiers who follow Robin to Nottingham on an errand for a dead knight. They do provide many of the light moments, which are few, in the film along with Mark Addy's Friar Tuck. Midway through the film we are treated with the only scene which people would expect in a Robin Hood film, as Robin and his men ambush a cart of grain to be planted in Nottingham.

The rest of the film revolves around a plot by the French to put England into a state of Civil War only to invade. The supporting characters hold the story finely as Robin is off screen, particularly Mark Strong as the villain Sir Godfrey. For some there may be too much talking in the middle of the film, but if you enjoy political intrigue (and a few speeches that seem to be lifted from Braveheart) you will feel right at home.

Some call this movie a re-imagining of the character, but I disagree. Other films in the past like 2004's Troy or King Arthur have presented a different view by changing many key ideas, but this film merely tells the beginning of a story. If there were to be a sequel to the film, I myself would welcome one, it could be as "traditional" as anyone would expect. On it's own merits Robin Hood stands as a wonderfully put together epic that you can enjoy as well as any other summer film.

Pop Journal: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 (MOVIE / 2010)

Iron Man 2 is a movie that knows who its audience is and aims to please. For better or worse it achieves what it was aiming for, a fun and action filled Summer romp. Robert Downey Jr and the original cast is back with the substitution of Don Cheadle in to play James Rhodes (Terrance Howard was not invited back for whatever reason) with Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke as Tony Starks antagonists . As in the first the cast works really well together and while the movie is still Downey's the other characters hold the film together while he is off screen.

The action sequences in the sequel are handled with much more care than the original, although they are equally as hard to find in both. A lot of the drama comes from the fact that Tony is apparently being killed from the very thing meant to keep him alive, and the film delves into Tony's past and father issues to help resolve the issue. Fortunately this is not as bad as what other superhero films seem to go through in their second outing as Tony never questions his role as a super hero, but you feel that the rest of the movie just happens around him and he shows up at the end to conveniently save the day.

Another plot line sees Tony falling further into his narcissistic ways and drinking only to have Rhodes step in to one of his other suits to try and stop him. This happens so fast as to pass believability as Rhodes just steps into the suit and fights on par with Tony, leading one to believe any one could step into the suit at any moment and go to town. I know that this film is a fantasy, but you could make an entire movie dealing simply with this subject and here it is simply inserted for no apparent reason other than they got a bigger actor that needs more to do on screen.

One of the most endearing parts of the original film was the interactions between Stark and his assistant Pepper Potts (again played incredibly well by Gwyneth Paltrow). Here we see the same relationship but it quickly turns south as he makes her CEO and she quickly becomes jaded towards him. At the end we are treated with a very quick make up scene that seems a little forced with everything else happening around it.

It may seem like I have a lot of gripes with this movie, but I really enjoyed it. Sam Rockwell owned the screen while he was on it and Scarlet Johansson played her dual identity to a wonderful end. If you enjoyed the first movie it was because of Downey's performance and here it is as strong (if not stronger) than the first.

Pop Journal: Clash of the Titans (2010)

Clash of the Titans (MOVIE / 2010)

Just watched Clash of the Titans yesterday with my Dad and it was the rare occasion that I left the theater having my expectations fulfilled (even if those expectations were low to begin with). There is nothing in this movie that is cringe worthy, but there is also nothing that will make you stand up and cheer. I feel that this is by definition a "pop corn" flick, it's not going to win any awards but you will have a good time watching it.

All of the actors work well for their part, Sam Worthington's Perseus is a much more driven character than Harry Hamlin who originated the part in the 1981 original. You also get introduced to many different characters who will follow him on his journey, but none is given that much of a reason to be there other than to die. Gemma Arterton plays Io whose shoulders it falls upon to drive the story along.

The special effects are great, but I would not spend the extra money on the 3D as I hear it is not worth it. The finale was exceptionally well shot and looked incredible. As a theatrical score buff I also enjoyed the music that accompanied them on their journey.

A much stronger movie than the original, and if you're a fan of the 1981 cult classic you will get some tongue in cheek references. Overall I would file this one under well enough with some things I wish were done differently.