mcguffin

August 31, 2011 1:51 pm I happen to think the comic is very underrated. It has a really unique tone which I haven't seen in any other books. The thing which I thought was really interesting about the book, which was unfortunately absent in the movie, is the sort of schizophrenia of the storytelling which reflects the mindset of the protagonist. Before he dies he's portrayed as a normal guy -- a person who's able to love, laugh, and enjoy life. But after he returns from the dead he's portrayed in a way which really makes it clear that the trauma of his horrifically violent death and subsequent reanimation has driven him somewhat insane. That insanity is depicted by way of some really strange, almost hallucinatory sequences interspersed between the regular scenes and through his weird, nonsensically poetic dialog. The book also featured selected works of poetry and the lyrics for songs (stuff from Joy Division and early work from The Cure while they were still in their dark post-punk phase) which really fit the atmosphere of the book. If they found some way to work all these tonal elements into the film they could really create something memorable, instead of just making another cliched revenge/action film.

January 22, 2011 4:12 pm

@cskilpatrick Really shows how meaningless the word has become, doesn't it?

Hipster Xavier was clever. But the rest were just reiterations of the same 2 hipster jokes that get repeated over and over and over. Seriously, people. Write some new ones.

July 16, 2009 4:57 pm

Great show, guys.

I love pretty much everything associated with the Green Lantern mythos...except for the focus on Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, and John Stewart. I can't think of three more boring characters in the DC Universe. I've always secretly pined for Guy Gardner to be the main focus of the series. He has more potential to be a fully rounded three dimensional character than blank slates like Hal and Kyle. He's funny, his presence is a constant source of tension, and he reflects the stereotype of the egomaniacal, power drunk cop, except that he actually gets the job done to the dismay of his collegues. 

 Hal Jordan is just....a guy....a brave guy...with lots of courage...... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

April 8, 2009 8:54 pm

It's a bit more anime-influenced than I like, and this isn't exactly new territory for the DC Universe animated films (didn't we already cover Hal's origin in New Frontier?), but I've enjoyed all these  aside from the abysmal Batman film so I'll happily give it a chance. The fact that David 'Block of Wood' Boreanaz isn't voicing Hal is certainly exciting news. But I can't help but acknowledge a long held yearning, everytime I see Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner, for Guy Gardner to be the focus of the Green Lantern Corp. He's easily more interesting then the other two.

April 8, 2009 8:40 pm

Although I really enjoyed your review, Connor, I thought this was pretty awful. When did the Penguin become so drab and inarticulate? Wasn't there already a battle for the cowl in the mid-ninties? Didn't all the inmates break out of Arkham then too? Is there a single aspect of originality to this story? Can superhero art get any more boring?

Here's hoping that some inspired writer can clean all this crap up and start writing good Batman again. (Dini!)

March 10, 2009 2:14 pm

so no one else had a problem with the acting in this film? it seems to me that Snyder and his team spent so much time trying to transfer the watchmen's visual aesthetic to the screen that they forgot to hire actors with a basic grasp of their craft. billy crudup and jackie earl haley both overcame their physical limitations (Crudup's acting through CGI and Haley's acting behind a mask) to deliver performances which temporarily made me forget that i was watching a hack-job dramatization of Watchmen. Nearly everyone else in the film however, malin ackerman and carla gugino in particular, came off like amateurs and ruined what could've been at the very least wonderful visual spectacle.

November 14, 2008 11:21 am Jesus, that was awful. The acting was pitiful, the costumes look ridiculous, CGI Dr. Manhattan looks weightless and fake, the old man make-up on The Comedian looks ridiculous, and Rorschach sounds silly. I can't believe you people have such low standards for this film.

September 24, 2008 6:21 pm

facepalm.jpg

 

This was easily one of the funniest shows you've ever done. Usually I'm on board with everything that comes out out Josh's mouth, but this time he just seemed like a stranger in a strange land. Utterly hilarious. You should keep reviewing manga, albiet sparingly, just for the comedic value.

 

Great show. 

June 28, 2008 6:20 pm

I sort of outgrew his art a while back, but regardless, the man's work afforded me hours of entertainment.

 

Thanks, Mike. 

June 24, 2008 4:45 pm

I don't like manga. Let's get that straight, right off the bat. The characters are usually dull and flat. The plots, very often, make little sense, and are usually a mired in nonsensical abstract spirituality, which I simply cannot relate to. That said, there's only one manga that's ever captured and held my attention, and that is DEATHNOTE. I apologize for making a suggestion, which is not a self-contained volume, but you would really be cheating yourself if you didn't give this book a shot.

The plot is focused on a young intellectual prodigy named Yagami Light who, while walking home from school one day, discovers a notebook lying on the ground which contains a list of strange rules, the first reading: 

 "The human whose name is written in this note shall die."

Initially finding the rules in the note to be preposterous, Yagami, tests the book and discovers that it is in fact, the genuine article. He sets out to use the notebook to rid the world of evil, one criminal at a time. I was really intrigued by the clever premise to start with and I assumed that the subject matter would consist of an exploration into the ethical repercussions of using the notebook. I would've been happy to chew on those sorts of questions, however, the direction the book takes is FAR more captivating, and more intellectually engaging than I ever thought a manga could be. The plot really kicks into high-gear when Japanese law enforcement realizes that the deaths of all these criminals cannot be a coincidence. When they bring in another young intellectual prodigy, named L, to deduce the identity of the killer, a cat and mouse game ensues between the two geniuses, which is nothing short of epic.

 I think Connor would particularly enjoy this book, considering his predilection for detective stories. What we have here is a clash of the brainy titans; the Eastern equivalent of James Moriarty Vs. Batman (if Batman had an insatiable sweet-tooth). I don't see how he couldn't love it.

You can thank me later, Connor.