Criticize This!

MOVIE REVIEW: The Kingdom (2007)

The Kingdom opens with a Coles Notes version of Mideast-American relations over the past century, from the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It feels a bit heavy-handed, but then again so does much of what follows, full of action but lacking the thought-provoking gravitas of a Black Hawk Down or a Syriana.

Actor-director Peter Berg’s film opens with a seemingly innocuous game of softball at an American housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The detonation of a terrorist bomb inside the facility kills hundreds and makes headlines around the globe. An FBI agent also perishes, and back in the United States his fellow agents, including Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) and Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), want to go over to help track down the people responsible. After some political wrangling they get their way and bring two more agents with them (Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman) to help investigate.

MOVIE REVIEW: Eastern Promises (2007)

There’s no denying director David Cronenberg’s dark artistry; it’s been apparent throughout his career, from Scanners and The Fly to Naked Lunch and eXistenZ. But in shelving the sci-fi-horror elements of his earlier works he’s delivered two of his finest films: 2005’s A History of Violence and now, Eastern Promises.

A chilling peek inside London’s Russian underworld and the sinister characters that populate it, Eastern Promises reunites Cronenberg with History of Violence star Viggo Mortensen and once again their chemistry works. Mortensen delivers a brave and astounding performance as mob driver Nikolai Luzhin, who rarely speaks but is always thinking and in control, even when he’s taking orders. He’s capable of brutality, but every so often his expressions hint at a softer side – in a way it’s a reversal of Mortensen’s History of Violence character Tom Stall, soft-spoken on the surface but concealing a violent past.

ALBUM REVIEW: Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War

Stars
In Our Bedroom After The War
Arts & Crafts, 2007

When I first put on Stars’ In Our Bedroom After the War, I thought about how much it sounded like the soundtrack to an imaginary John Hughes movie. In my mind’s eye I could practically see Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall up to their usual teenage hi-jinx in enormous houses with immaculate lawns. The soundtrack of the eighties: huge Fairlight synths, Linn drums and possibly Jim Kerr warbling something about not wanting us to forget about him.

In Our Bedroom After the War is, in the parlance, a grower. Repeated listening reveals more layers, and a depth that indicates that this music was made by more than a few simple minds. It’s an easy to listen-to, enjoyable, and yet clever album. However, there’s a slightly troubling air of anonymity, as if Stars can’t quite decide which one of the guises they present on this album cuts closest to the quick of who they really are.

New in theaters - September 28, 2007

Feast of Love – Love in all its incarnations is the theme of this romantic drama from director Robert Benton. Morgan Freeman stars as Oregon professor Harry Stevenson, who witnesses the amorous goings-on of those around him, including unlucky-in-love coffee shop owner Bradley (Greg Kinnear), real estate agent Diana (Radha Mitchell), who’s having an affair with a married man, and Chloe (Alexa Davalos), who’s romancing the troubled Oscar (Toby Hemingway).

The Kingdom – When a terrorist bomb blows up inside a Western facility in Saudi Arabia, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) assembles an expert team to track down the culprit. Once there however, the agents find themselves coming up against unexpected challenges including animosity from Saudi authorities who want to deal with the terrorist their own way.

TELEVISION: Heroes - Season 2 Premiere

It took me a while to get into Heroes – in fact the first season was nearly over when I caught the premiere (lent to me by a friend). I proceeded to watch the following episodes in quick succession on DVD, just in time to catch the “Exploding Man” finale when it aired. Now, I’m hooked. It’s a clever show, with impressive effects, great characters, and plenty of intrigue. And though the concept of ordinary people with extraordinary abilities has been done before, notably with X-Men, it’s interesting to see how the various individuals deal with their powers.

The phenomenal Volume One left off four months ago with Hiro (Masi Oka) disposing of the villainous Sylar (Zachary Quinto) with a sword, while Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) finds his inner ‘hero’ and flies his about-to-detonate brother Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) into outer space in order to save the world. Moments later there’s an intense burst of light as, we assume, Peter explodes. Meanwhile, time-travelling Hiro suddenly finds himself in 17th century Japan facing down warriors poised to perforate him with arrows.

MOVIE TRAILER: 30 Days of Night

If 30 Days of Night is half as good as the graphic novel it is based on, it could single-handedly bring the vampire genre back to the cinema. Ben Foster appears to turn in another stellar performance (his 3:10 To Yuma role is highly praised), and the film in general looks amazing (even Josh Hartnett seems decent in his role).

Source: IGN

COMIC BOOKS #7: Dark Knight Returns, Umbrella Academy, Parallax and more!

Back again with your weekly dose of the comic book world.

Graphic Novels:

The Maxx - Sam Keith's great series about an anti-hero and the messed up reality that we all live in. An interesting story about messed up people in an even more screwed up world. There is a bit of a crazy aspect to it all cause it's based in the Image world. This series is by far one of the best series I've ever read.

The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller's fantastic story about an aged Batman fighting his way back into a corrupted world. If you haven't read this then get to the store right now and buy it. Come back when you're done.

Latest issues:

I was going to say Captain America again, but I decided that it would be better to just throw in the mention and move on.

Parallax tales of the Sinestro Corps - As I said in previous casts I don't like the fact that DC is doing so many different offshoots of major story-lines, it gets aggravating that I keep picking these up series but I'm a sucker. This story is a great offshoot of the war. Inside the head of Kyle Rayner we find his battle with the evil and powerful Parallax. Another tale of people more than power.

Countdown to Mystery #1 - During the spring DC brought us the story of the helmet of fate and all the various people that wore it. Finally we are introduced to the new bearer of the burden. It's not a great start to everything but it might be a good series. The secondary story is about the return of Eclipso which is by far the better story so far. Worth the read when it's in trade but I wouldn't suggest you pick it up unless you are a huge Doctor Fate fan.

The Umbrella Academy #1 - This is a fun story and I really enjoyed it. All these children are born out of nowhere and one guy gets 7 of them together to save the world...only problem no-one seems to know from what. They are not given any names but only addressed as numbers 1-7 and this story is about how they save the world I assume anyway it's not really all the clear. But a great read and a lot of fun, I fully suggest this title.

Until next week, keep reading.

COMIC BOOKS is written, shot, and edited by Madclan

New on DVD - September 25, 2007

Knocked Up Criticize This! pick of the week - When party animal Ben (Seth Rogen) has a one-night stand with Alison (Katherine Heigl) he ends up getting a lot more then he expected. Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, and  Jonah Hill also star. Also available on HD-DVD and as a Two-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition .

Next - Based on Phillip K. Dick's story The Golden Man, Next stars Nicolas Cage as a Las Vegas magician who can see into the future. Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel also star. Available on HD-DVD.

Bug - William Friedkin (The Exorcist) directs this nasty film starring Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, and Harry Connick Jr.

Also available: My Name is Earl: Season 2, The Unit - The Complete Second Season

ALBUM REVIEW: Across the Universe Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition)

Across the Universe Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition)
Various Artists
Interscope, 2007

The world is waiting with bated breath to learn what this year's Beatles Christmas cash-in will be. After the three, well-spaced Anthologies, Beatles One, Let It Be (Naked) and last year's Love mash-up, it seemed that the Beatles mine had yielded the last of its seemingly inexhaustible lode. Not so! As the soundtrack of a movie based on a musical based on Beatles music, Across the Universe is hopefully the final chapter in a long book of ever-diminishing Beatles returns.

Across the Universe is the soundtrack of Julie Taymor's recently released film. The music is entirely reworked Beatles songs: tempos often slowed down, and massive liberties taken with the music and even the lyrics. For instance, all youthful exuberance has been stripped from I Want to Hold Your Hand, to the point that it sounds like an Enya outtake. It Won't be Long sounds like the Bangles, and making a guitar deliberately out of tune as on With a Little Help From My Friends , makes the song annoying and difficult to listen to.

TELEVISION: Bionic Woman - Series Premiere

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**

Lights flicker on and off in an underground facility as men with guns run down a hallway strewn with corpses. Entering a room they find a shaking, bloodied woman (Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff), who turns and tells them she’s “not in control.” She then focuses her troubled gaze on the man in front (Will Yun Lee) and begs him to tell her he loves her, which he does, before blowing her away.

Such is the intriguing opening scene for the pilot of NBC’s Bionic Woman remake (premiering Wednesday at 9/8c). Unfortunately the episode goes downhill from there, muddied with awful dialogue, bad special effects, and too many unanswered questions, and despite a few interesting interludes never recovers. It’s too bad because the cheesy but beloved ‘70s show starring Lindsay Wagner was due for an update.

Michelle Ryan as Jaime Sommers in Bionic Woman