Captain America (2011)

4 HELL YEAH's out of 5

Captain America, MARVEL's newest comic book movie, is one of it's best. Definitely it's best this year.  Almost a period piece (1940's) the movie's style feels like it's been ripped out of a 1940's military recruitment film. It's safe to say that the style captured on film is perfect for the introduction of a 70 year old WWII comic book hero. Chris Evens plays a pretty good Capt. America, he has the look and demeanor for the character. Some of the Critics have been giving Evens a hard time due to his "B" List celebrity status, and vowing that all Comic lead actors should be Robert Downy Level actors...let's not forget that RDJ...was at rock bottom a film or 2 before Iron Man. Anyway...The acting was VERY GOOD in the film. Stanley Tucci was amazing in his role, then again he always is. Hugo Weaving IS THE RED SKULL!!! Like Mark Strong in Green Lantern, Weaving NAILED this character and was PERFECT. The CGI was phenomenal, and so was the Makeup. I don't know if the Red Skull was prosthetic or CGI but it was EXCELLENT.

Like most MARVEL movies there is a little hokiness, and perhaps it's a bit cartoony. Thor has this quality and fell a bit short as the "comic" elements didn't mesh well with the suspension of disbelief that the director was going for. Instead Capt. America embraces the cartoony, by styling the film so perfectly. LARGE walls of '40's computer mainframes, the absurdity of a woman running off to war in full make up, dressed to the 9's and looking fashionable....vs. fatigues. Then there is the whole, 1 man entering the enemy base with a giant american flag shield strapped to his back and no one seeing him. Add to this the contrast of regular vs "scifi" weaponry and technology, and it's the best of all worlds.  These things were on purpose and embraced the absurdity and it worked.

There really wasn't a point in the film that could have ruined it if it's too far fetched. They did come close with some of the dialogue but pulled back just in time. If we are keeping track DC vs. MARVEL this year so far...Marvel takes it with volume...GL was better than THOR but CA was better then GL (although I prefer GL....most will like CA more.) it's not really comparing apples to apples but it's what we have. NOW when Batman come out next year or so...Then we'll see how it should be done ALWAYS. For now, the formula of a little campy, a little gritty, and a lot fun is the best thing going today. Gotta Love It.

Spoiler:
After the credits roll...there is an AVENGERS MOVIE TRAILER...not the best ending gem...but not too back. THOR is sleevless and a bit pale...I wasn't a fan. I liked the armor sleeves.

Green Lantern (Emerald Knights)

5 HELL YEAH's out of 5

Emerald Knights is the second animated movie from DC featuring Green Lantern. This film isn't as much about Hal Jordan as it is about some other lanterns. Told continuously in six sub stories, this is by far one of the best comic/animated films to date by either Marvel or DC.

The art direction was great, the voice acting was superb, and the story was entertaining...this is what should have hit the theater...or something like it. We learn about the first Lantern, Kilowag, Abin Sur, Mogo, and others as the stories unfold seamlessly. These are the type of comic movies, or even TV series that could be watched forever.

Touted as "like Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight", which was pretty awesome in it's own right. The only flaw, if you want to call it that, is that the difference in art styles was tough to see. Supposedly, each story arch had different artists and genres, but other than slight differences they all looked the same. That being said they all looked great. IF you saw Batman: LDK then you know what they mean by different art styles, or perhaps HALO: Legends, or the Animatrix. Those were all shorts and each being distinctively different...where Emerald Knights is a continuous story. I suppose they couldn't go too far off the reservation with the art.

At every turn where the Live Action movie failed this anime succeeded brilliantly!!! I can't wait for more GL properties to me animated. The series is coming out this fall, but I'd really like to see a series of Darkest Night Stories.

Franklin and Bash (TNT)

2 HELL YEAH's out of 5

From the Offical TNT site

"When they're not hanging out at their favorite hot dog stand pontificating on what they'd go through to enjoy a night with their favorite female celebrities, Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) are chasing down their latest clients...sometimes literally. With business cards in hand, they're ready to nab a client within seconds after a car accident, arrest for solicitation or any other incident where their legal services may be needed. Once in the courtroom, they show their flair for the dramatic and the shocking.

Peter has a knack for connecting with jury and judge, while Jared loves sticking it to authority every chance he gets. Despite their bad-boy antics, brash presentation and devil-may-care attitudes, Jared and Peter are good lawyers who are willing to do anything for a client, no matter who the client might be. That quality catches the attention of Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell), a Renaissance man and the patriarch of Infeld Daniels, one of the top law firms in Los Angeles. He sees a lot of himself in the young men and decides to recruit the pair to bring a fresh energy to the firm. Jared and Peter are joined by their two legal aides, the brilliant, brassy Carmen (Dana Davis) and the agoraphobic, verminophobic Pindar (Kumail Nanjiani).

Infeld's decision to take on fresh talent doesn't sit well with his nephew, Damien Karp (Reed Diamond), a lawyer who has his own plans for the firm and a particularly shifty way of doing business. The arrival of Jared and Peter also threatens Karp's romantic - albeit celibate - relationship with Hanna Linden (Garcelle Beauvais), a lawyer who takes an immediate liking to Jared.

In their new digs at Infeld Daniels, Jared and Peter handle a variety of clients, from a woman fired for being too beautiful to a family feud over a cherished baseball. But their story is really about the incredible friendship they've built and how their relationship is challenged now that they find themselves working in a more corporate atmosphere. Only time will tell if these devoted buddies can survive in this new environment."

Basically...you have a poorly written law dramedy. This show is all noise and no substance. A FAR FAR better show was the DEFENDERS.  This is a show tailor made for TNT is that it can't be too expensive to make and will probably be off the air after a season or two. Initially this show looked very promising. To be honest I'm starting to warm to some of the comedy. I just can't get past the huge ensemble cast that is too big, too varied, and too miscast. This show is less about law and more about what Animal House would be if they were followed to the real life and had jobs. Could be funny at times, but since it isn't all the time, the show doesn't get anymore of  my time.

Necessary Roughness (USA)

2 HELL YEAH's out of 5

The series centers around a tough Long Island divorcee who lands a job as a therapist for a professional football team. Her career begins to take off when athletes, musicians, politicians and other celebrities start to request her tough love therapy. She must learn to balance her new career with being a single mother.

Inspired by a true story, this series is on paper pretty good. A well educated PhD. psychologist, hypnotherapist, behavioral therapist, etc...who put her career on the back burner for family and husband, just to find out that her husband of 17years has been cheating on her. When divorce papers are filed he tries to take everything to avoid paying for anything. Now she's a single mother of 2 with a mother who is a compulsive gambler. After a chance meeting with a "Trainer" for a professional football team, the Dr. is given the chance to treat one of the teams wide receivers who can't seem to catch the ball anymore.

You see where this is going...she gets paid, fixes the player, an starts to deal with her kids and family issues. Meanwhile she has found a niche working with celebrities and other top athletes, etc...

On paper this is a good show. On TV, it's an episodic problem fixer, with no real reason to watch. I know many USA shows are like that...but they have some other hook. There isn't one here. The lead actress, who has been a character actor on other shows, is a bit out of her comfort zone. I will say at times she pulls the whole Dr. Psychologist off....but everything else is a bit weak.  This show wants you to feel for the characters but there isn't any meat to them. The Football player (TK), perhaps a T.O. rip off...is stereotypical, in being so is less than believable.

There are a few redeeming parts to this show one being a "fixer" associated with the football team. If they made a show about him and his means of "fixing" things ...then you'd have a show. He seems like he could be an interesting character and part of the show. That is if I were to continue to watch it. I don't think I will. NOT a bad show, just not good enough to hook me in or keep me hooked even if I were to give it another shot, which is unfortunate since it's lead in is Royal Pains which is a great show.

TRANSFORMERS 3 (3D)

3.5 HELL YEAH's out of 5


First impressions...

LONG. LOUD. BETTER.
Ok so Transformers 3 (T3) is the longest of the the Transformers movies. Nearly 2h45m With previews it's almost a full 3. So if you have young children who get antsy...don't see this with them. If you are a pee-er, make sure you pee before it starts you won't want to miss any of it.

This time the it's the "humans" who have something to hide. Conspiracy theorists rejoice, the moon race was actually because of a crashed spaceship on the moon. A lot of good work and story was made to make this Story plot seem plausible, and it works. However, this film doesn't really tie any of the other two together, it's a stand alone...or continuation of what some call a "please forget what we did last time".

The CGI was excellent. The Autobot and Decepticons looked very cutting edge. Personally I am not a huge fan of how they were designed. I prefer the clean lines and shelled bodys from back in the day...from the first films they look "alien" which is good and fine...but at the same time have no personality. Which leads me to the biggest flaw of all 3 movies, no character development of any kind. They introduce different robots..Soundwave, Starscream, Shockwave, Laserbeak, and others but there is no real intro...who are these characters? Only the real fans know, and even so they are barely recognizable...Pity.

This film takes on a more human feel and story. There are more human characters introduced some funny (John Malkovich) and Ken Jeong (BRILLIANT as usual), some shady (Patrick Dempsey), to the new hot chick...who multiple times was said to be hotter and better than the last. I think fans will be split on the last one.

Visuals take over the last hour of this film. A full hour is given to CGI, explosions, and the battle for earth...If it wasn't an hour it sure felt like it, it was long. ALMOST too long. I think a few minutes could have been cut somewhere. BUT at the end it was just right and it kept my attention.

There were some stretches for comedy...most fell flat and seemed out of place. Like the 2 comic relief tiny robots, or "scrapers" with Irish or Scottish accents. The acting was OK this isn't Shakespeare I know...but Shia Lebouf can't seem to hit more than the loud smartass note. Everything out of his mouth is a sniping comment and at a 10. There is something to be said for tone.

Even with the lack of character development, poor acting, less than funny jokes, and longer than needed run time....this movie still entertained, and was pretty good. I can't say I want to see it again anytime soon, but I'm glad I did see it in theaters.

This was in 3D. I don't think that 3D made this film any better than if it were in 2D. Perhaps some shots of the Robots were better because of the added dimension, and a few others, but ultimately another 3D more "money please ploy".

REAPER (CW)

4 HELL YEAH'S out of 5


Now cancelled "REAPER" was one of the best shows that no one watched.

Throughout Sam's life, he always wondered why his mom and dad were so easy on him. Whether it was sports, school, career choices, or picking on his little brother Kyle, Sam always got away with everything. Because of it, he decided to drop out of college and take a dead beat job, wasting most of… More his time playing video games and wishing he could ask his co-worker Andi out. However, everything changes in Sam's life once he turns 21 and finds out the reason his parents let him get over was because they sold his soul to the devil before he was born.

Satan explains to Sam that he must serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down souls that have escaped from Hell. Initially, Sam refuses to accept his fate but he realizes the grave consequences of breaking a deal with the devil. He is armed with various vessels to collect the escapees. Sam finds that the work is dangerous and frightening even with the goof ball help of his friends and fellow slackers Sock and Ben, and Sock's former girlfriend, Josie. As bizarre as his life becomes, Sam feels good about his new found "missions", removing evil souls from the world and sending them back to where they belong. Along with his friends and his vessel of the week, Sam prepares to face his destiny as the "reaper".

This show had some lower production values...but still managed to surprise you, with some not too shabby CGI, and other FX. Make up for example was VERY good.
The casting was pretty good, Tyler Labine (Mad Love) as Sock has made him one of my all time favorite comedy actors. Sam Wise as the Devil...is BRILLIANT! PERFECT! AWESOME!. Ironically enough It took me a while to warm up to the lead "Sam".

The show was quirky, somewhat smart, funny, with some action thrown in, The cast grows on you, and you want to see more. In all it ran 2 seasons, Netflix has then as instant views. Give it a shot

SUITS (USA)

5 HELL YEAH's out of 5


In a world filled with Legal shows...what's one more right? Well we lost the "Defenders" which was GREAT, and gained "Franklin and Bash" (see my post on this one). The TV world is full of other law shows that just didn't make it or those that are struggling.

"SUITS" the new show on USA that premiered after Burn Notice is FANTASTIC!!

Even the best lawyer in New York City can use some help.

While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City's best legal closers, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory.

Mike and Harvey are a winning team. Even though Mike is a genius, he still has a lot to learn about law. And while Harvey may seem like an emotionless, cold-blooded shark, Mike's sympathy and concern for their cases and clients will help remind Harvey why he went into law in the first place. Mike's other allies in the office include the firm's best paralegal Rachel (Meghan Markle) and Harvey's no-nonsense assistant Donna (Sarah Rafferty) to help him serve justice.

Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica (Gina Torres) and Harvey's arch nemesis Louis (Rick Hoffman), who seems intent on making Mike's life as difficult as possible.

The dynamic between Mike and Harvey is brilliant. It's almost like watching George Clooney and Matt Damon from the Ocean's movies. The Casting is spot on and directing was flawless. As you can see from my other posts I really like USA Networks shows. I'll admit it I do. They have a certain formula that other networks or shows don't have that works. SUITS is no exception to that rule. I know where I will be Thursdays at 9:00 Central.