Iron Man

The canon of Marvel Comics has been raided many times over the last few years, resulting in films that range from the heights of X2 and Spider-Man 2 to the dregs of Fantastic Four and Elektra. They've gone to the well again this summer with Iron Man (and again later this summer with take-two of The Incredible Hulk. DC Comics gets it's shot with The Dark Knight). Iron Man stars Robert Downey, Jr. as billionaire Tony Stark, a genius weapons manufacturer who lives a fast life of drinking, partying, and women. While on a sales trip in Afghanistan, he is taken hostage by a rogue terrorist group who already use much of his company's technology for their murderous acts and want him to build a super-missile for them. He instead builds a kick-ass weaponized, armored suit which he uses to escape. Upon returning to the U.S., he has a change of heart about how he's made all of his money and decides to shut down his company's weapons division, much to the chagrin of long-time friend and partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). Stark instead invests his time in perfecting his armored suit design, planning to now use his brains and technology for the good of the world. He enlists the help of his loyal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and military friend Rhodey (Terrence Howard) in his quest against evil, as Obadiah's intentions and motives become clearer.

Not being a huge comics fan, I knew very little about Iron Man going in. However actor-turned-director Jon Favreau (Elf, Zathura) creates a thoroughly accessible and entertaining film for comic fans and non-fans alike. The writing is sharp and clever, and the action (which is mostly first rate, with a few exceptions) actually serves the story, instead of the other way around. The acting is excellent across the board, with the supporting cast such as Paltrow and Howard creating three-dimensionality out of what could have been stock characters. The movie's success, though, rests on the not-so-obvious but inspired casting of Downey, and he is more than up to the challenge. He fully embodies Stark's transformation from playboy to concerned (but not brooding) crime fighter, without giving up the sarcasm and wit that makes Iron Man a unique and more human superhero. It's one of the best comic-book performances ever. As with any origin story, there can be somewhat of a let's-get-to-it feeling before Iron Man actually shows up, but Favreau keeps things moving pretty well with well-placed action sequences and humor. The gold standard of the recent glut of comic-book movies has been set by Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins, and while Iron Man may not quite reach those heights, it comes pretty damn close. Check it out. And don't forget to stay after the credits.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

2004's stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle made a mere $18 million in theaters, but gained new life on DVD and has garnered a strong cult following from both weed-lovers and non-weed-lovers alike. Thus we now have Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. This sequel picks up right where the first one left off, with Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) leaving for Amsterdam, so Harold can continue to pursue his new love Maria (Paula Garces). Their plans are derailed though, when Kumar sneaks a homemade bong onto the plane and is mistaken for a terrorist. A comically racist government agent, Ron Fox (Rob Corddry) thinks that this is a sign of North Korea and Al-Qaeda teaming up in terrorist activities, and ships the pair off to Guantanamo Bay. They manage to escape the prison there, and figure their best shot is to head to Texas to get the help of their well-connected college friend Colton (Eric Winter), who also happens to be getting married to Kumar's ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris). With Fox hot on their tails, the duo embark on another wacky road trip, where they encounter a redneck couple, the KKK, and of course, Neil Patrick Harris (Neil Patrick Harris).

The simple review of this film would be this: pretty funny, not as good as the first one. White Castle was an unexpectedly hilarious romp, mixing low-brow humor with an undercurrent of social commentary about race relations that was actually rather incisive. Guantanamo Bay ratchets up everything to the next level, with even raunchier humor and more ambitious targets on top of race, most obviously the current administration. It's a hit-and-miss affair, with many of the jokes being predictable and a few more that fall flat this time around. There are plenty of big laughs to be found though, most notably from NPH and an inspired moment of humor about the square root of 3. The social commentary is a little more obvious and in-your-face this time around, but it manages to retain much of the wit and smarts of the first film. Despite Guantanomo Bay's flaws, Harold and Kumar are still worth taking another ride with.

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom is one of the most anticipated films for martial arts fans everywhere, boasting the first-ever on-screen pairing of Chinese legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Despite indisputably being the two biggest martial arts stars in Asian cinema of the last 20 years or so, these two have never appeared in a film together until now. And all it took was an American film to do it. The film opens in modern day Boston, where teenage geek and kung fu enthusiast Jason (Michael Angarano, TV's Will and Grace) frequents his favorite pawn shop in Chinatown, run by old Chinese man Hop (Jackie Chan). There Jason finds an old staff, which magically transports him back to ancient China. It turns out the staff belongs to the great warrior the Monkey King (Jet Li), who has been imprisoned in a statue and needs the staff returned so he can free himself and defeat the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou). Helping Jason in his quest to return the staff and against the Warlord's army is Lu Yan (also Jackie Chan), a seemingly goofy drunk who is much more skilled at combat than he seems. Along the way they are also joined by the Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a deadly young lady out to avenge her family's murders, and the Silent Monk (also Jet Li), who has spent his life trying to find the staff and return it to the Monkey King. After an initial misunderstanding that leads to Lu and the Monk trading blows, they team up to help Jason as well as teaching him some martial arts, trading some good-natured barbs in their downtime.

The Forbidden Kingdom is an enjoyable action-comedy, with a light tone and wall-to-wall fight sequences efficiently staged by director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) and legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, who has long been the go-to action guy of Asian cinema and lately, of the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix) and Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill). The real draw here though is, of course, the teaming of Chan and Li. It probably doesn't quite live up to the expectations of true martial arts buffs, but it also probably comes about 10-15 years later than it should have (Chan is now 54 years old, Li is 44). But Minkoff and Yuen wisely play to both of their strengths and mix in a good blend of CGI effects and wire choreography, making the fight scenes fast, crisp, and exciting (an extended fight scene pitting Chan against Li is the high point of the film). There's also a lot of broad comedy, making it more family-friendly and placing it more in Chan's comfort zone. Li is game for it though, playing along and seeming to enjoy himself. It can get pretty silly and ridiculous at times, and the plot borders on nonsensical (also Chan territory). But hey, we're here for the fights and the funny, and Chan and Li deliver the best they can. One has to wonder what kind of masterpiece they could have made together in their respective primes, but The Forbidden Kingdom is fun, action-filled entertainment, and worth seeing to see these two masters finally at work together.

21

Loosely based on Ben Mezrich's bestseller "Bringing Down the House," which itself was based on a true story, 21 centers on Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe), a supernerd at MIT and one of the most talented minds on campus. He's been accepted to Harvard Medical School, but comes from a poor background and can't afford the $300,000 he'll need for tuition and expenses (student loans don't exist in this world, it would seem). He finds a solution when he is asked to join a special team formed by his charismatic, Lex Luthor-like math professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey). Mickey and his team of students have used their considerable mathematical genius to devise a card-counting scheme that they use at blackjack every weekend in Las Vegas to make a ton of money. At first Ben is reluctant, but is turned around by the prospect of paying off medical school, the allure of the way-too-hot-for-MIT team member Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), and hey, counting cards isn't illegal, so there can't be any real danger right? Yeah right. Ben is a natural from the start. He manages to continue as a student at MIT during the week, but makes tens of thousands each weekend in Vegas and lives it up with partying, strip clubs, shopping, and room service. His luck starts to change however, when he catches the eye of an old school security expert (Laurence Fishburne) who believes in old school security methods, and he sees a new side of Mickey when things start to go south.

21 is serviceable entertainment, with quick-cutting, high energy sequences from director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde). However, in an attempt to give the story more weight, uninteresting character development, relationships, and morality issues have been added that drag the film down. It's a nice idea, but poorly executed. And you'd be amazed at how characters who are supposed to be off-the-charts smart can do so many amazingly stupid things. The story would likely have been better served by taking the Ocean's Eleven route, focusing more on the scheming and plotting of the crew and keeping the tone light and breezy. Up-and-comer Sturgess does nice work as Ben, and Spacey is fine in a sleazy role he could sleepwalk through. Bosworth is unimpressive in a meaningless role. 21 is a decently entertaining way to kill time, but is one of the few instances where the movie actually could have been better if the filmmakers had aimed a little lower.

R.E.M.'s Accelerate

What happened to alternative radio? When did all music become all pop? Today’s rap, rock, R&B and reggae are more pop than anything else. Even indie music sounds pop to me. I miss 90’s alternative. Give me Nirvana, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, Violent Femmes etc. any day over today’s junk. There is one alternative band that we still can get love from, R.E.M. They defined the genre, have survived the turn of the century, and are still relevant with their new just released (March 31st) studio album, Accelerate.

Accelerate is a return to form for R.E.M. giving us the good in the band that we all grew to love and not so much the snore that was characteristic of their last couple of albums that failed to inspire. Songs like Supernatural Serious combine fast paced licks by Peter Buck, harmonies by Mike Mills and catchy lyrics by Michael Stipe that produce a sound that is all too familiar. There are statement songs, as you would expect from the politically and socially active Stipe, that address the state of the nation. Here’s an example of the lyrics from “Until the Day is Done:”

The battle's been lost, the war is not won
An addled republic, a bitter refund
The business first flat earthers licking their wounds
The verdict is dire, the country's in ruins

Providence blinked, facing the sun
Where are we left to carry on
Until the day is done
Until the day is done

Overall the album is more than good than bad, so if you’re a fan of R.E.M., check Accelerate out or these songs I recommend: Supernatural Serious, Hollow Man, Living Well is the Best Revenge, Accelerate, Until the Day is Done. Check out this video to hear their first single.

Ped's favorite baseball flics

In honor of opening week in baseball, I decided to rank my top ten favorite baseball movies. When I was doing a little research, I discovered that Hollywood has made more than 50 films about baseball. Some are total crap, but some or awesome. Below are my favorite baseball movies, let us know what you think.

10. Rookie of the Year (1993)
Ok, ok, I know this isn’t that a good a movie, but something about a freak accident giving a kid the ability to play in the pros that makes me wish it was true and it was me.

9. Bad News Bears (1976)
The classic, with Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal, is the original story about losers and oddballs winning the big game.

8. Major League (1989)
According to most baseball players, Charlie Sheen gives the most realistic pitch delivery of all actors playing pitchers. Hard to believe for a movie that is more memorable for Willy Mays Hayes, the voodoo believing Cerrano, and that pin-up the Indians undress with every win.

7. Pride of the Yankees (1942)
An old school telling of Lou Gerig that’s still draws the tears.

6. The Rookie (2002)
One in the long line of Disney movies about great sports stories, but still good. You’ll be so happy when Jim Morris makes it.

5. The Sandlot (1993)
“You’re killin’ me Smalls!” What’s better than playing ball with the neighbor kids?

4. A League of Their Own (1992)
“What…. Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!”

3. The Natural (1984)
What’s more classic than the imagery in this one? In particular, I like when Hobbs actually knocks the leather off the ball.

2. Field of Dreams (1989)
This one’s pretty self explanatory. Who’s done more baseball movies than Costner? He’s in the next one too.

1. Bull Durham (1988)
All the baseball movies out there just seem to focus on either little kids or the big leagues, but nothing in between. This is a great story about what it’s like to play in the minors and you’ll appreciate how hard it is to make the show. It also paints a good picture into fandom and pitcher/catcher relationships.

Kick-Ass

Ever wonder what it would be like to put a costume and actually be a superhero? Ever thought about doing it even though you have no super powers at all? This is the premise of Mark Millar (Wanted, The Ultimates) and John Romita Jr.’s (Amazing Spiderman, Black Panther) mature comic Kick-Ass. In it, a comic fanboy, Dave Lizewski, decides to make a costume (a wet suit he tailors himself), work out and go fight crime. But reality hits when in his first attempt to do something results in him getting his “ass kicked.” Millar’s style, as usual, is gritty and raw with foul language and violence, which is why adults, who don’t like the cheesy traditional comics, tend to gravitate towards his books. John Romita Jr. has a style that makes you appreciate the fact that comics are an art form with his use of lines for shading and texture. I’m curious about whether or not Dave actually succeeds as a hero, so I’ll pick up number 2 next month.

Potter movies to be split

I thought I would update our readers about our recent poll about the 7th Harry Potter film. Last Thursday, the producers of the films announced that J.K. Rowling's last installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two parts on the big screen. The first film is slated for release in November 2010, with part two following in May 2011. Both films will be shot simultaneously. To me, this means two things: first, now nothing will be cut out, which is good and second that feeling of loss we will all feel after the last movie comes out will be put off six more months.

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

Ok, a small confession: I had never read a biography before. Scratch that. I had never read a biography before for leisure. I have read some for book reports, Arthur Ashe and Benjamin Franklin I think. Yeah, definitely Franklin because I remember the homemade bald cap my mother had made for me to wear when I gave my presentation in third grade. Normally, biographies aren’t my style, but this week I decided to try one out from a writer/playwright whose works (Shopgirl, The Underpants, Picasso at the Lapine Agile) I have enjoyed in the past, Steve Martin.

Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life is Martin’s memoir chronicling his life as a standup comedian from early childhood to when he decided to give it up. The book is an encapsulating evolution of how Martin developed and refined his act starting with him as a child with his first performance as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, through the times he did magic tricks at amusement parks and then small gigs strumming on the Banjo at folksy dives, up to performances on The Tonight Show and hosting SNL. You will truly gain an appreciation of how his success was not purely due to talent, but more the result of trial and error and his life experiences. He describes his development as a comic that comes about because of his loves, his experiences with drugs, his struggles with anxiety and loneliness, his college education in logic and his relationships. Martin’s description of his relationship with his father is the most touching of all. His father was a hard man who was unsupportive of Martin’s career as a comedian until he was on his brink of death. I cried when Steve tells of the moment he was able to finally connect with his father. There is humor in the book too as Martin reveals pieces of former bits and anecdotes about the times. For example, he tells of how the free sex age when he was with multiple girls while on tour. On behalf of the readers Martin inquires on whether or not the girls he fooled around with were attractive and he replies, “Of course, we were in our twenties. Everyone’s attractive in their twenties.” It’s Martin’s style that has made me a fan of his writing. He’s witty and fun and this memoir makes him real to me and not so untouchable like most celebs. Hey Steve, I'm still a fan.

If you’re interested in reading Martin, but don’t have the time to read, I recommend one of the audio versions. He usually narrates himself and includes Banjo excerpts that are played by Martin himself.

Here's some classic Steve for your enjoyment:

Oprah's Big Give

With the writer's strike over, we're finally gone get some real TV back, right? Wrong. We're gonna have to wait until next fall. Meanwhile, the major networks will drown us in bad reality TV. When will it end? We don't need reality TV anymore, that's what YouTube is for.

Last night, Oprah's own reality show of sorts, The Big Give, debuted on ABC. The premise of the show is simple. Contestants compete to see who can give the most to those in need. The weakest giver each week gets eliminated with the last person remaining at the end of the show winning a million smackeroos.

The Good: People in need are actually getting helped in the show and their stories are touching.

The Bad: Isn't the whole point for the show to be a charity thing? Why give the winner a money prize? The contestants signed on thinking they're doing a charity thing. Why reward them? Isn't charity supposed to be self-rewarding? I hope the winner gives their prize money away.

The Ugly: Why does it feel like the show is only making Oprah richer? Cause it is. The show only makes her look like some kind of god and in worship, people will spend more money buying her books and magazines. I'm not convinced that she really is that selfless. I wouldn't be surprised if she like many other gajillionares gives to charity and then uses it as a tax write-off.