TOP TEN TUESDAY: 2 Guns Are Better Than One

For the first weekend of August there aren't too many big contenders hitting the theaters. We see the release of two 2's, one being the sequel to The Smurfs which is cleverly titled The Smurfs 2. It's not looking too good for that film other than it could be the big family draw for the weekend, but I for one didn't even think the first film was all that great. It wasn't even mildly funny in the way some childish movies can be, it was pretty lackluster and dull. The other is 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in what seems to be an action buddy comedy, and it's got a big R-rating which could bring great things. The pairing of these two actors could result in not only great comedy, but some awesome action and I'm really looking forward to it. Thinking about 2 Guns got me thinking about buddy action movies though, and it's a really fun genre of film to watch. I thought I'd think back at some of my favorite buddy movies, trying to focus on the action genre and count them down here for you because it's Top Ten Tuesday! There's plenty of these though and I'm positive that I'll miss a few completely and there's got to be some I haven't seen but I'll do my best to include everything I have seen. Surely though, someone will remind me of one I've seen that I just forgot. It's surprisingly hard to bring up a good list or a guide to buddy action movies, but maybe 2 Guns this weekend will change that. Obviously it's up to the person watching a movie to dictate whether or not something falls into the same category of a 2 Guns type movie, but without having seen it I don't know how far into comedy it plans to go. This is a mix of several different action movies with a duo or buddy comedies that are action-oriented. I did my best to keep the movies in the same realm, but some may disagree.

10. 21 Jump Street (2012)

Out of any of these movies listed, this is the only one that I was extremely doubtful about when seeing the trailers. I thought for sure that this would be one of those cases where everything good about it was in the trailer. "Y'all some Miley Cyrus, Justin Beaver lookin' mothafuckas", take Ice Cube's line at the end of the trailer for example. It was hilarious, but would that be the best the film had to offer. It definitely wasn't, as 21 Jump Street was one of the most entertaining action buddy comedies to come out in the new decade. Often times these types of films fail due to lack of chemistry or just a bad story, but this film had both in good amounts. Of course Jonah Hill is your funny man, and Channing Tatum is supposed to be your tough guy. It's actually kind of funny how the roles are reversed to what you'd imagine they would be, because Tatum is arguably the best part about the movie. It's based off the original television show of the same name starring Johnny Depp, and it's funny to notice that some of the better buddy movies are derived from old television shows where it's a successful template still today. I'd recommend this film to anyone, and it was a straight up blast of a good time. There's plenty of action to give it the action title, even though it's mostly a buddy comedy. Who would have thought that the fat kid from Accepted and the handsome man from Step Up would make such a great crime fighting team?

9. Starsky & Hutch (2004)

I am a big fan of this movie where a good majority of people are not. It came out during a time when I was just starting to get into film and I was allowed to watch a good amount of whatever I wanted. I thought this movie was so hilarious, but on top of that it was a good action comedy. This is yet another movie that's based an older television show, but updated for a modern audience. Ben Still and Owen Wilson have obviously proven they're a good duo, but this adaptation really brings out the silliness in an action setting. Another reason I like this movie is Snoop Lion as Huggy Bear because he has the ultimate laugh towards the end of the film and he truly is funny. This is definitely one of my favorite buddy cop comedies and though I haven't seen it in awhile or own it, I'd really like to revisit this one. Don't forget the Will Ferrell cameos, some of his best for sure.

8. Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

Everyone has their favorite Die Hard, and this one is mine. There is no better smart mouthed duo than putting Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson together. From the beginning they are trying to top one another and it provides for a really entertaining film. The funny thing is that it's a pretty hardcore action flick much like the first 2, but they were also funny. But adding Samuel L. to the mix really brings the entertainment factor up a notch, along with the scale and size of the threat they are facing. Being led all throughout the city to finish task after task to save the city and their own lives, it's not only suspenseful and action-packed but about as fun as an action movie gets.

7. The Other Guys (2010)

One of the more recent additions to the buddy cop comedy genre, this stars Will Ferrell and the man co-starring behind Denzel in 2 Guns, Mark Wahlberg. Marky Mark has proven his comedic talents before, but he really takes it to the next level in The Other Guys. Being able to match Will Ferrell in comedic intensity is not an easy feat, but Wahlberg makes it seem easy. The two are a perfect yin and yang, Ferrell being the dumber of the two cops and Wahlberg dying to make his name on the force. From car chases to desk popping, this is definitely a fun ride. Also starring as another bad ass duo in the movie is Samuel L. Jackson (of course) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the pair that Ferrell and Wahlberg aspire to me. Someone dial 9 1 holy shit!

6. Lethal Weapon (1987)

Before Mel Gibson went completely crazy, or maybe that's just publicly crazy, he started a little franchise called Lethal Weapon and of course did so with his buddy Danny Glover. Mel plays a halfway psychotic cop that can do seemingly anything, and Danny is a guy that's just too old for this shit. It's funny how even some of these buddy films that are action primarily, just so happy to be funny as well. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover both can be pretty funny, but this is definitely one of the movies I'd point to for either one of them that proves it. There are three sequels to the film and they're all just about as entertaining as the first, just not as good of a story. This is one of the classics when it comes to buddy cop movies, and just action movies in general.

5. Training Day (2001)

I had a little trouble with putting this on the list, but I really feel like it deserves a spot. Mark Wahlberg got a movie on the list, so I feel that in all fairness so should Denzel and there's no better movie than this one. This is easily also one of the best action dramas ever made in my opinion, and Denzel is the main reason for that. Ethan Hawke is the new guy and is trying to pick up a thing or two from Denzel, but eventually finds out the truth. It's not a buddy movie exactly by the end of the film, which is why I question putting it on here, but it definitely involves a pair of cops that are good together in a way. It's just such a great movie, and it's about the only one that's going to be on here that's not really a comedy at all. This movie is hard hitting and gritty, and isn't meant to be funny at all. It's probably not meant to be on my action buddy movie list, but hey Denzel is just that good.

4. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

The one film on the list that maybe not all of you have seen, was not a big hit in the theaters or anything. It's not a big budger action film, but it totally fits this category in my opinion. The pair in the film are Robert Downey Jr. (before Tony Stark) and Val Kilmer (after his relevance), and they couldn't be any better together. RDJ is a thief posing as a writer trying to get into his next scheme when he runs into Val and shit just hits the fan. This is definitely a darker comedy, but it's still extremely hilarious. It also has action in spurts, nothing like a big budget action film, but it's got it's fair share. It's more of a drama/comedy than anything, but this is definitely one I try to recommend to people looking for something new that they've never seen. Especially with the craze now behind Robert Downey Jr. and his revived acting career, this is definitely one you need to see.

3. The Rundown (2003)

I don't know how much I'll have to explain myself on this one. It's almost not even worth mentioning one of the two, because the one, The Rock, makes this movie all on his own. But you also have Seann William Scott, who is the thorn in Rock's side for the entire movie. The Rock is sent after Scott to find him and when he does it's nothing but problem after problem. This movie is worth watching for the comedy alone, but you better believe that The Rock provides some action for you. A man who is sworn off of guns because of the damage he can do, eventually is faced with the decision to use weapons one more time to save the day. The final gunfight in this movie is one of the best, but it's definitely not the only bad ass scene for The Rock, and Seann William Scott sure gives The Rock enough trouble to give him so credit as a perfect mouse in the game of cat and mouse played here. It's not what some would consider a buddy movie either because they don't like each other most of the film, but they do end up resolving their issues by the end of the film. And well, The Rock is awesome, and if you don't like The Rock you can get the hell out.

2. Bad Boys (1995)

Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you. Most people have seen this one, and I'm one of the few that thinks the sequel Bad Boys 2 is actually better than the first, but both of these films are great. I really hope that they eventually decide to do a third, because Will Smith could certainly use the blockbuster hit to bring his career back from the slump he's in. Also starring is Martin Lawrence which begs no question as to how the movie could be funny. Put the two together though and you have an absolute riot, because either of these two could lead a movie on their own. Will Smith is an action star whether he wants to be or not, and he can certainly play the role well while getting his laughs. Martin Lawrence is buyable as a cop just because he's partners with Smith, but he definitely brings the funny in great capacity and has always done it with his own comedy films. Just watch either one of these films, because the best action buddy duo of all-time would definitely recommend that you do.

1. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Go figure that this is my favorite action buddy movie of all-time, and it's definitely the funniest too. From the trio that brought you Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost bring you an entirely different tale of a pair of cops that are trying to prove themselves in a comedically absurd world. After the previous film, director Edgar Wright still plays on the concept of a horror film in this one and really kind of provides a darker element to Hot Fuzz. This is the longest and sweetest love letter to the genre of action though because on top of the laughs and villains, there is plenty of action to go around and the final gunfight of the film is one of the best, even compared to a straight up action movie standard. I love that this trio is able to turn seemingly ordinary stories into something extraordinarily humorous. In training Pegg's tough cop character, Frost's silly cop shows him all of the classic buddy cop movies to strengthen their relationship. One of which I do not have on the list which is Point Break with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, but don't you dare say you haven't seen Bad Boys 2 because that is a tragic statement to these two.

REVIEW: Aspho Fields

PLOT: As kids, the three of them were inseparable; as soldiers, they were torn apart. Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago fought alongside Dom’s elder brother Carlos at Aspho Fields in the epic battle that changed the course of the Pendulum Wars. There’s a new war to fight now, a war for mankind’s very survival. But while the last human stronghold on Sera braces itself for another onslaught from the Locust Horde, ghosts come back to haunt Marcus and Dom. For Marcus–decorated war hero, convicted traitor–the return of an old comrade threatens to dredge up an agonizing secret he’s sworn to keep. As the beleaguered Gears of the Coalition of Ordered Governments take a last stand to save mankind from extermination, the harrowing decisions made at Aspho Fields have to be re-lived and made again. Marcus and Dom can take anything the Locust Horde throws at them–but will their friendship survive the truth about Carlos Santiago?

REVIEW: So pretty much the only reason I want to read these is because I love Gears of War, I do have both the Gears and Locust symbols tattooed on me, so that's all the proof you need. I won't sit here and describe the games to you, but I will say the even the game itself had a really great storyline and as it continued into a trilogy of games it became an absolutely epic story. It is so good and I would think it'd make a great movie but at the same time it could end up being something really corny with aliens fighting humans, but the great story from the games provides enough reason for reading this book. I think a person haven't never played the games would get quite an entirely different experience when reading Aspho Fields because they don't have the knowledge of the games to pick up on things, know the multitude of characters, and even what these locations look like. I would be interested to hear the opinion of someone who hasn't played them, but it seems that it's fairly well reviewed book and has obviously becomes a series of five currently. I love the character depth they add to Marcus Fenix and how he always was and will be the ultimate bad ass, Dom as well. Dom was the deepest character in the games as Marcus' best friend and a man who has truly suffered all of the worst in the new future. You really get an understanding for how all of that came about as this game takes place over a decade before E-Day which is when the Locust invaded and where the simultaneous present storyline happens alongside it. I could see how it would be confusing at some points as it did do so to me on occasion when reading but overall I enjoyed the book because it added to the plot of the games. I am sure that if there are five books already it must be somewhat good, so I will definitely continue reading. If you like military or action type books, with a small bit of science fiction maybe because the Locust aren't in this book all that much but a few times it seemed

RATED : ( R )
WRITING : ( 6 / 10 )
STORY : ( 8 / 10 )
COVER : ( 4 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 7 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 7 / 10 )

REVIEW: Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Corsair

PLOT: Discover what happened before WATCHMEN. The team of legendary writer Len Wein and acclaimed artist Jae Lee--in his first DC Comics' work in nearly a decade--delve into the mind of the smartest man in the world: Ozymandias. How does one go from the son of immigrant parents to becoming the world's smartest man? Adrian Veidt begins his journey, both spiritual and physical, that will one day make him one of the most pivotal players in the world-changing events of WATCHMEN.

REVIEW: I for one, was extremely excited for the Before Watchmen comics as Watchmen is one of my favorite books of all-time, and probably the best graphic novel of all-time in my mind. A lot of people complained about these being made however, because why do we need more other than to capitalize on the success of the movie and the resurgence of interest in the original comic. I will admit that without the movie I never would have read the comic, as it is pretty extensive, but it was well worth the amount of time that it took to read. The first volume I got to read was Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Corsair. Obviously we all know Ozymandias as the villain of the Watchmen, despite being what you could consider a good man at heart. The story really goes from birth to the events of Watchmen, and explains how he got to be the way he was. However, there wasn't a ton of new information that you couldn't deduce from the original or that actually wasn't in the original. The art was great, and I have to admit I was still intrigued when reading the book, but it just didn't present anything new. This point leads me to think that the critics may have been right, and now I start to wonder if there really is a purpose other than money to this series.

Ozymandias is the bulk of the book, but then there's the stories of Crimson Corsair and Dollar Bill. The Crimson Corsair were short 2 page issues bundled together into a tale of a man who dies at sea, and journeys through the depths of hellish waters to retreive the three items that will reclaim his soul. It's a beautiful work of art, but again the story wasn't something I found entirely necessary and it doesn't really connect in any way to the original. It was a back up story in the issues of Before Watchmen, and I can certainly understand why because it's exactly that. After that there's a story of about the same thing about a character Dollar Bill. This guy, they tie into the story of Watchmen delicately enough to make it plausible even though I'm pretty positive he wasn't present in the book or movie. I really liked this story because it had an old school look to it and it read like an older comic. On top of that, it had a really good storyline and it was ultimately the ending that packed the punch for it. Other than that, I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend reading Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Corsair unless you absolutely have to or you're a die-hard Watchmen fan.

WRITING : ( 7 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )

STORY : ( 5 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 9 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 6 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 6 / 10 )

REVIEW: The Wolverine

PLOT: Summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, Wolverine becomes embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.

REVIEW: Another Wolverine movie is now in the books, and I think the numbers are going to show it as a success. It may not be as big of a moneymaker as one of the Marvel Studios films, but it surely has some firepower with Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine for the sixth time. It's amazing to think that one actor has played Wolverine over the last 13 years, something that is rarely done when it comes to super hero film. Think about the many different incarnations of Batman, Hulk, or even The Punisher. But with Wolverine we've had the privilege of seeing this characters transform over the years but not at all with the way he looks, it's all in the character. Jackman outside of his Wolverine roles is not the kind of guy you'd think would play a gruff, tough son of a gun, as he's really well known for his looks and ability to sing and dance. Ever since 2000's X-Men however, this guy has been knocking the character out of the park, and for comic book fans like myself this is one of the few things we can be proud of with our movies. No one has played a character from the comics quite as well as he has, and even in The Wolverine he still amazes as the adamantium hero.

The film starts by explaining one of Wolverine's many journeys throughout time, where he was imprisoned in Japan at the time of the bombing in Nagasaki during World War II. He saves the life of a man who was sure to die, and thus kicks off the tale of The Wolverine. I really liked the basic story of the film, and it's supposedly based off of the book Wolverine by Chris Claremont and legendary comic writer Frank Miller. Miller, took Wolverine to Japan in setting up his own run of comics and is now regarded as one of the best, if not the best, Wolverine comics created. I have yet to read the book, though I severely want to, so I'm not entirely sure how close the movie follows the book but I could imagine that a good amount of it is present. The film then continues on into the present, where Logan is now a nomad running from his past and the loves of his life. A character who has struggled with losing loved ones since the beginning, he has hit an all-time low and has the grizzly beard, and even a grizzly bear to match. In interviews Jackman has said how the character of Wolverine is so tormented at this point by his past that continues to haunt him. Things like having to kill Jean Grey back in X-Men: The Last Stand among many others have turned Logan into a sobbing and vengeful hero. I love the places that Jackman has taken this character to, and it's a testament to his acting ability that he's been able to create such a dimensional character that most of us only knew as the claw-slashing, bub-saying bad ass.

If there's one thing that Wolverine is susceptible to though, as Jackman has also stated in current interviews, it is women. Yet again in The Wolverine, Logan is confronted with not just one woman but a multitude of women ranging from innocent to insane. The first woman he meets is Yukio played by Rila Fukushima, who I have to say has quite a strangely shaped face but at the same time almost looks like she walked straight out of the comics as far as face shapes go. I have to say, Yukio was quite bad ass as well, and I loved that she regarded herself as an equal to Logan but at the same time knew her place below the animal. I really had hoped that it was Logan and Yukio that got close because they seemed to fit well at first, but it ended up that Logan was entirely more interested in Mariko and her troubles. Obviously, he chooses the girl with the most problems, as again Wolverine's weakness seems to be women, and often times troubled with their own issues that Logan makes his own. Mariko was played by Tao Okamoto and did a pretty good job as well at playing the role of an innocent, much like Fukushima, other than Mariko wasn't entirely bad ass but she had her moments.

The other woman in the film however was the character of Viper, played by Svetlana Khodchenkova who at first didn't cause too much of a distraction. Her role was minor at first, and very small but important to the film. So I was able to deal with the fact that I couldn't stand her mouth/cheek/lip piercing that she had that looked like a Cindy Crawford mole. It was really bothersome to me because I hate the piercings like that in real life, but also that it added absolutely nothing to the character. To me, if your name is Viper, wouldn't you want some hardcore snakebite piercings to match your personality and name. So that kind of put me on watch for her in the rest of the movie, and then once her final transformation was made and her role in the film was revealed, it all fell to pieces. I can't say that she single-handedly tears the movie apart, as the end is just a mess of villains and story lines all crashing together, but she has a pretty big hand in it. All I'll say is that if your acting, or character, at any point reminds me of Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy from the infamous Batman & Robin, we have a problem. That is exactly what Khodchenkova did, and I don't know if it was poor acting or just poor choice of words or bad writing or what, but I never want to be reminded of that movie, especially if I'm thoroughly enjoying the film up to that point.

All the way up until the final scenes where the story comes to a head, I was amazed at how much better The Wolverine was than its predecessor X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I was even thinking to myself about an hour and a half into the film that this was coming close to rivaling X2 in its greatness. The story was so great, and seeing Hugh Jackman flesh out his role even further as the most famous X-Man that ever lived was just awesome. Everything about this movie was so cool, and it had the feel of a kung fu film but at the same time never abandoned its comic book roots. But like I said, then the end happened. The fact that even after the nerd community's ranting and arguing over the end of the first film, they were able to recreate that same misery again in The Wolverine. It was so disappointing for me after having such high thoughts to myself after having been wowed what I'd seen so far, that something could deflate that so quickly. There was just a mess of villains and the fact that they had to make everything so grand and epicly scaled in the end like a popcorn blockbuster just saddened me. It was the same case with the film before, they made Deadpool into a psychotic and ultimately powered villain because Wolverine would obviously triumph over anything less than godly, right? Such is the case again, where the awesome charcater of Silver Samurai is reduced to a giant robot made of adamantium that heats his sword up like a Transformer's laser blaster to do extra damage.  It's just pointless when the whole movie lived and breathed on subtlety and character study, then to take the final act to straight corn was just disappointing.

I was most looking forward to seeing Silver Samurai in this film ever since I heard that The Wolverine was going to take place during his time in Japan. I loved the character as a kid and thought he was so cool, and the fact that again like Deadpool, they ruin such a beloved character to me just sucked. In retrospect, I've had a few days to think about it, and it works for the film I suppose, but I still really wish we could have seen the Silver Samurai as he was presented in the comics. Viper was extremely corny at the end too, once she becomes full-fledged Viper. It'd be so much different too if only one of these things that comes to a conclusion at the end was ruined, but again like the first film it was everything just reduced to crap by the end of the film. I'm sure there's many who would disagree with me on the ending, and I'm sure upon a secondary viewing I won't be nearly as upset with it, but to me it just completely took away from the amazing film that was presented before it. Overall I was happy with The Wolverine though, and I still liked X-Men Origins: Wolverine a lot too outside of the obviously complaints that everyone else had. I still had a great time at the theater, and it's always so great to see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine because he's 100% perfect for the role. I just really wish in return for the sabotage of the Silver Samurai, Gambit could have returned or maybe even Deadpool with an open mouth and costume, sans laser eyes. Also, don't forget to stay after the credits, because the bonus scene was a pretty big redemption after the woeful ending to the film and now I'm terribly excited to see Jackman as Wolverine again and having the rest of the X-Men back in town in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

ACTING : ( 7 / 10 )

STORY : ( 8 / 10 )

EXECUTION : ( 6 / 10 )

POSTER : ( 10 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 8 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 8 / 10 )

REVIEW: Ready Player One

PLOT: It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

REVIEW: Wow. Just wow. I haven't been this blown away by a book in a couple years, probably since reading Hater by David Moody or The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. The thing is, both of those books obviously entertained me so much because they were horror stories. Ready Player One is definitely not my kind of book in that sense, but it is so my book in many others. I have to say that all the praise that this book has received is very well deserved. I pretty much figured I was going to like the book and as soon as it started I was proven right. But in finishing the book I discovered that this may be my new favorite book of all-time, and I'm going to try and push it off on everyone now. The best thing about this book is that it has a little bit of everything. It may seem like it's just a science fiction book about kids living their real lives in a video game and have to overcome long odds but it's so much more than that. It's about everything and it's got a little bit in the story for everyone. That's what I really loved about this book is that even though it's pretty much chock full of nerd culture and references to things I love.

Wade is the central character of the book, and he's a kid still in school but much like me during those times, he escapes to the virtual world to get away from the pains of reality. In the OASIS, Wade is Parzival in the game, the one person that has any hope of winning the competition for control of OASIS. Due to his knowledge of all things 80s and Halliday oriented in general, he seems to be on the path to success. But once he becomes the leading seeker of the egg that wins the game, others come hot on his trail having only needed that kick start from someone else. What I love about this is that despite all of Wade's knowledge that is needed to win the game, he is still at extreme odds with a branch of OASIS tech people called IOI. They seem to cheat and do anything they can to win, and even though you know that Parzival is the man with the plan and can easily win the game, you never quite know that he's going to remain on top. There's great suspense in the book, and it says a lot that even though your main character is all knowing, there was still doubt to me all the way until the end if he would win the competition.

The little love story between Parzival and his dream woman Art3mis, whose name you find out way later in the book, is absolutely adorable. I'm pretty sure I had a tear in my eye at the end of the book (pretty sure, but not sure). Usually I don't fall for gimmicky romances or anything of the sort but I found the story of Wade and his adventures in life and in the OASIS so relatable. This book spoke to me really in a way that a book never has, and I connected with it almost immediately. There is a lot of explaining of the world and how things work in the future in the beginning of the book, and normally where that would bore me, I could not stop reading this. The voice of Wade/Parzival appealed to me from the get-go, and I was just absolutely entranced from then on out. It's a huge credit to the writing of Ernest Cline who does an amazing job on this, and it's even his debut novel which amazes me. Also, the fact that the creator of the OASIS in Ready Player One is from Middletown, Ohio and much more of the story takes place in central Ohio probably helped in me connecting with it. I live right down the street from Middletown, Ohio, and I just thought that was so cool that this novel was written by a guy in my neck of the woods. I connected with him and his writing immediately, and was just swept up in the fact that someone could legitimately make it in the world from out here. It's all a very real world example of Wade's story, and I think that's why this book hit home for me.

I'd recommend Ready Player One to almost anyone, and the other side of almost would be people who don't like to have fun when they read. Parzival has to conquer so many classic video games, reenact classic films, and know his geek culture trivia to get through Halliday's game. So does everyone else, but Parzival is the ultimate Halliday brain bank and even though he doesn't know everything, he definitely worked as hard as he could at it from beginning to end. I love everything about this book, absolutely everything. If you have any doubt about reading this, you shouldn't. Just read it. I'd love to see a movie of it too, though I'm not sure how it'd be done with the referencing and stuff but it's straight up awesome. Imagine Tron mixed with The Hunger Games for a basic explanation, but this book is so much more than that. There's a love story for the girls, and it's a great one. There's plenty of science fiction action and high concept storylines. There's video games, references to them, and plenty of actual play from our main characters. They even have to reenact movies at some points to further their place in the competition, and Cline picked two great ones because those scenes are really fresh and entertaining despite being copies of scenes from actual films. Everyone is especially into the dystopian stuff right now too, and this book has all of it in a high degree. Ready Player One is also a very unique take on the world today, and whether it was intended or not there is definitely commentary on society and the way the world works. When I read the last word on the last page, even though I didn't grow up in the 80s, I felt like this book was written for me and people like me. Nerds, this is the book you've been waiting for and I have a strong feeling this book will remain on the top of my list for a long time to come.

RATED : (PG-13)

WRITING : ( 10 / 10 )

STORY : ( 10 / 10 )

COVER : ( 9 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )

REVIEW: Hellblazer, Volume Three: The Fear Machine

PLOT: In THE FEAR MACHINE, John Constantine looks for a way to reconnect to humanity -- but how can such a man ever find inner peace? Constantine finds himself encamped with a new-age pagan group that's tapping into their own psychic abilities -- but a defense contractor is out to exploit their powers. Is the company's aim just political, or is it something much more sinister?

REVIEW: Honestly, I'm not really sure what to say about Hellblazer anymore. This is the third volume I've tried to read and it seems to me they get longer and longer. Not only that, it's just incredibly boring. I can't believe that something with such a high concept and plenty to strive for, could be so insanely dull it's a pain to read through each page. I mean, The Fear Machine has all of the right components for a crazy good story. But instead, it's nearly 250 pages of Constantine's dreadfully dreary and wordy thoughts, and just when you think the story is about to pick up, the issue you're reading ends and it starts all over again the next issue. You could cut out half of these issues by just shutting John's inner monologue up for like two seconds, and maybe your story would have some traction to hold on to. I'm not sure who is a fan of the Hellblazer series but I'm pretty interested as to what it was that compelled Hollywood to make a film, and what part of this series are people actually fans of? Surely not this beginning stretch, at least I would hope, because they are some of the most painfully difficult to read comics I've ever read and I'd like to say I've read quite a few at this point in my life. I don't need to know Constantine's thoughts on the wind blowing. I don't need the thoughts of every character on the page. Oh, and get on with the sodding story already you twits. It takes 8 issues to tell a story that could have been told equally as well and probably better with another writer, in 5. I hate to be so hateful, but I'm a fan of the rule you get three strikes and you're out. So Constantine, I think you're out until I can get my hands on the New 52 version, because Hellblazer is so not fun it hurts.

WRITING : ( 4 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 7 / 10 )
STORY : ( 6 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 5 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 2 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 4 / 10 )

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Marvel Outside the Studios

Let me start by saying that this was the hardest list I've ever done, and it's not because the movies are all of a very high quality. I'm a huge comic book nerd, I love all of my super heroes with a passion and I always loved all of the movies no matter how bad they are. You're going to see some movies on this list and think "what the hell, really dude?" because they were truly horrible movies. But some of these, I just love with a passion because of what the movies are and I don't care what others think. Some of them I know are bad and agree with people on, but still love. There are a few however, that I think are actually pretty good and don't understand why people don't feel the same. Marvel Studios is responsible for The Avengers and all of the films leading up to it including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. Before this change though, Marvel movies were produced by other studios like 20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema. Obviously if they were all compiled together, I think all of the Marvel Studios movies would take the top spots. The Wolverine comes out this weekend though, which is one of the franchises that was started before Marvel Studios began the first phase of their multi-film project. There were quite a few super hero and comic book movies though before this, and I enjoyed most of them. I'm going to count down my top ten favorite Marvel films outside of the universe that Marvel Studios has created since it produced Iron Man in 2008. I wonder if The Wolverine will earn a spot on this list after seeing it this weekend.

10. Punisher: War Zone (2008)

I'm going to go ahead and start by making everyone mad because a lot of people would disagree that this should make the list over some of the things I've chosen to leave off. I'm going to do my best to explain why, but I'm sure you'll just heckle this choice. I'm a huge Punisher fan, and I mean huge. I grew up loving Punisher more than almost any other character except for Wolverine and Gambit. Because of this, anything that has to do with The Punisher holds a special place in my heart. There were quite a few people who didn't like the first movie with Thomas Jane, but I thought it was great. What made this one awesome is that despite the dark nature of Frank Castle's story, this really looks and feels like a comic book movie but it's hard R-rated. Yeah, the acting is pretty corny but when do you not chuckle every once and awhile about what characters say on the pages of comics. The action is over the top, but I find that very suiting for a Punisher movie no matter how unrealistic it is. The final reason I really like this movie is because of Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle. Don't get me wrong, I really love Thomas Jane as The Punisher and he is definitely a better actor but Ray Stevenson fit the bill of the comic book look better to me, and you definitely don't doubt the level of bad ass that Ray Stevenson is on. I also love Doug Hutchison as Loony Bin Jim who really is the better bad guy, as Dominic West is kind of cartoony and comes off like a Dick Tracy villain as Jigsaw. Also this film was released on my birthday, so that has to mean something right?

9. Daredevil (2003)

Here's yet another film that the majority just didn't like, but unlike Punisher: War Zone, this one I cannot understand the hatred for. Instead of making a sequel to it, all they've wanted to do is reboot from the beginning. This film is not that bad! Like, at all! Ben Affleck is just great, we can start there. Yeah sure, he's not busting out his best skills for this role but who would for a blind super hero lawyer named Matt Murdock? Especially at the time this movie came out, all of the comic book hero films were kind of corny. But for one you have the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan playing Kingpin and despite the racial difference from the comic book, he was perfect. Then you have one of the best working actors today in Colin Farrell playing Bullseye, who was funny as hell and just as dangerous. And even then you still had Jennifer Garner as Elektra which was cool here, but obviously not the greatest idea for a movie on its own. Daredevil had plenty of action, plenty of laughs (don't forget about Favreau), and it has a really great story. I really will never understand the hatred for this movie, and I hope to all that is holy in the movie world that they end up calling Ben Affleck to work on the "reboot", but let him direct it. That movie would be the shit, I guarantee it.

8. Spider-Man (2002)

One of the first films to ever completely just blow my teenage mind was Spider-Man. I was 13 years old and there were only a few comic book movies out so it was still a fresh concept. To see the web slinger in action, live action for that matter, was just a new step in the future of filmmaking. You go back and watch it now and it seems pretty antiquated but at the time it was just some great stuff. Tobey Maguire was a pretty good choice for Peter Parker, and they nailed all of the classic bits to make it feel like it was made with care. Spider-Man is still probably one of the better comic book hero movies to be made, but the CGI amongst other things tend to make it age a bit quicker. Of course too, the villain Green Goblin being played by Willem Dafoe is just a blessing. To have such a great actor playing the villain in a super hero movie is awesome, and you also had James Franco as his son and Peter's best friend. It's a pretty hilarious movie, and it's action-packed with tons of wall crawling for all of the waiting we did to see this movie. Don't forget about the Macho Man, Randy Savage, making a cameo appearance as the fearsome amateur wrestler to bring the spider out of Peter Parker, Bonesaw. BONESAW!!!

7. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

I had to put Spider-Man 2 in the spot right above the first film because that's exactly where it is in my heart. It's pretty much just as good as the original but where the story was lacking in the first at all, the second really knocks it out of the park. The emotion present in the sequel trumped the first by a mile, and it was probably all thanks to the first movie as well. All of the same great stuff was back, Tobey Maguire (who at the time had yet to ruin Peter Parker), the emotional storylines, the sense of humor and even director Sam Raimi. The story pretty much continues where it left off in the first film, but our villain this time is another classic Spidey character, Doctor Octopus. And not only do we again get one of the classic Spider-Man villains, he's played by another phenomenal actor in Alfred Molina. Everything that Spider-Man did great, Spider-Man 2 did even better and it's one of those few times where a film is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. Bigger, better and badder (in a good way) than its predecessor.

6. X-Men: First Class (2011)

Spawning from the idea of an origins movie, along the same lines as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this was supposed to be the X-Men Origins: Magneto one. Instead, it turned into almost an origin story film for both Magneto and Professor X, as it focused on the rise and development of the original X-Men. The film was a reboot essentially to the X-Men trilogy that failed so miserably in the end, so it really was a worrisome time when the film was being made. However, actors like James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr respectively, make this film above and beyond what that third crappy film was in the trilogy. After such a disappointing X-Men entry, it was great to see someone take the care to make an emotionally engrossing tale with super heroes, on top of starting from the beginning and ridding themselves of most of the popular characters and debuting some of the lesser known X-Men to fans. Don't forget that this movie probably has the single greatest cameo appearance of all-time. I wish I could tell you who and why but I simply cannot ruin the surprise for you just in case you have never seen it, but I do assure you that it is the absolute best.

5. Blade (1998)

Most consider the first X-Men film as the start of the comic book hero trend, but the success of Blade back in 1998 might have also had something to do with it. I regard this as the beginning of the trend, and most forget that Blade was even part of the Marvel universe. Played by Wesley Snipes who was perfect the role, almost as good as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine but just shy by a couple notches of awesome. Also it's interesting to note that Blade was rated R, and spawned two sequels, Blade II directed by Guillermo del Toro and then Blade: Trinity starring Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel (pretty big snags on acting at the time for an R-rated comic book film). Blade is not only a great comic book film, though I'm not sure how faithful it is to the character, but it has held as one of the better vampire movies over the last decade and a half. I would go as far as saying outside of Coppola's Dracula and the obvious classic Interview with the Vampire, it was one of the definitive vampire films of the 90's and it was a bloody action movie based on a vampire, vampire hunter comic book character. So much awesome to be had here, and as a horror fan as well as a comic book fan this movie satisfies on both ends.

4. The Punisher (2004)

Earlier on in the list, I mentioned how much love I have for the character of The Punisher. When this movie was coming out, I was insanely excited to see it but I was not allowed to see it in the theater. I was 15 years old at the time and I remember going on vacation not long after the film came out. I bought the novelization of the movie from the book store and read it once on the way to Florida on a drive, once there, and once on the way back. I loved the novelization, and of course because it was The Punisher I was extremely obsessed. I finally was able to see the movie thanks to my dad, and we both were able to sit down and enjoy the action and badassery that was Thomas Jane in The Punisher. The story was executed perfectly, and even though John Travolta is a little over the top as the villain, it's extremely awesome. I mean, John Travolta is in The Punisher, come on. Thomas Jane made a name for himself big time in this film, and I have always maintained that he should be a part of The Expendables one day. I love everything about The Punisher, from the humor of a young Ben Foster (whom I'm a big fan of) to the hard hits delivered by Thomas Jane's Frank Castle, this movie has it all and it's rated R as well. Just like The Punisher should be.

3. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

I sort of find myself amazed that The Amazing Spider-Man is this high on my list, because I never figured that the first two Spider-Man films could be beat. I was extremely impressed with the post Marvel Studios reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. After the abomination that was Spider-Man 3, that was when Marvel decided to separate themselves and make sure that their film adaptations would be done correctly. After some careful thought, it was decided that there needed to be a new Spidey to rid the third movie from the memory of every dedicated comic book film fan. I have always been a big fan of Andrew Garfield since I saw him in a little indie drama called Boy A, and when I heard that he would be the new face of Peter Parker, I was extremely excited. Most people had no idea who he was at the time, but since he has made a pretty big name for himself and even leading up to The Amazing Spider-Man had worked on doing that. This movie also brought to life my favorite Spidey villain of all-time The Lizard, or Dr. Curt Connors. Not only did they improve on the original, they gave this film its own feel. Like most of the newer comic book adapted movies, this one was darker, but also Peter Parker as Spider-Man wasn't a complete nerd. Spider-Man always had the confidence that Peter didn't, and that was one of the few things they missed slightly in the original trilogy. The trash talking Spider-Man we all know and love was more than present in The Amazing Spider-Man, and just like the first two films this one did everything right.

2. Blade II (2002)

I have a soft spot for Guillermo del Toro, if you haven't picked up on this already in the past. He's the best working director today, and if there was ever a time that someone was able to reinvent the vampire genre, it was this guy. Not only did Blade II take a completely different look at the character and his enemies, it made itself its own thing. The vampires in Blade II are not only terrifying and disgusting, but they're interesting and unique. It takes a very special material and a very special handler to do something like that, and execute it perfectly. Though this film isn't critically approved like most of del Toro's others, it's definitely a good example of great original vampire film and also comic book movies. This is what I think eventually led Guillermo del Toro into the Hellboy film which he also knocked out of the park. If you're a fan of Blade II like myself, I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend the The Strain trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan which is a series of books. Here, del Toro is able to flesh out his mythos he created for Blade II and make it completely his own and put into the real world. The first book, The Strain, is especially great but the trilogy in its entirety is definitely worth a read. Blade II is also another perfect example of a sequel done right, at least in my opinion. This is also probably one of my favorite vampire films of all-time.

1. X2 (2003)

In my opinion, the best comic book film made outside of the first Iron Man, X2 does something that few of the others have done. It's most definitely an action-packed film, but where most movies lose the emotional impact of a story or just a quality story in general with action, this didn't. It's a very superbly written and well directed action film, that just so happen to star the X-Men. One of the things I loved about this film is that they debuted one of my favorite X-Men, that being Nightcrawler. Not only did they do him pretty well, the scene where he is battling through the White House is just plain awesome. Then you get reminded of why Wolverine was such a great character in the Marvel universe, and they nail his story in this film. I would say that this movie is the exact reason that either of the stand alone Wolverine movies were made. Also, the cliffhanger with Jean Grey was just perfect and it was the single biggest nod to comic book nerds at the time. Everything about this movie is just awesome, but this is one of those rare occasions like in Iron Man where you could recommend this movie to someone who has no idea what X-Men are, and they'd be blown away. It's a movie that can exist in the real world in a way, and it's totally relatable and the story is just A++.

REVIEW: The Conjuring

PLOT: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

REVIEW: There are a lot of things about The Conjuring that line up perfectly for me. One being that now one of the biggest horror directors of today, James Wan, was directing the film. On top of that you have Vera Farmiga who is one of my favorite actresses, partly because she's great and the other because she's pretty pretty. This looked like a big budget scare that was going to get under your skin and really scare you without all of the jumpy noises and whatnot for cheap screams. Surprisingly to me after seeing the trailer, the film debuted with very high reviews and ratings and was being hailed as one of the best horror films in recent years. Anytime a horror movie gets hyped, you can almost guarantee that it's all hype and no different than any of the others you've seen. That's not me knocking horror films, because I'm a big fan, but usually the popular vote is not the quality vote, take Paranormal Activity for example. Similar to 2010's Insidious, also directed by Wan, and 2012's Sinister, Wan's new film conjures up the feeling that you're going to see something disturbingly unique and haunting without all of the "boom there's a loud noise to scare the teenagers" schtick. The trailer seemed to portray a film that would be deeply haunting, and grab root in your mind and just put you under the spell that Wan seemingly had with Insidious, which I loved. I came out of The Conjuring feeling a little deflated and disappointed, and I don't think that was the movie's fault. It's being hyped, plain and simple. If you hype yourself up too much and anticipate feeling like everyone else that seems to think this movie is amazing, and you go in and it's only great, you're going to be disappointed. That was my mistake, but remember everyone is scared of something different and often times it's the unknown that's scariest of all.

James Wan has been on the rise over the last few years and it all started for him in 2004 with his horror megahit Saw. Saw was one of the most original and profoundly disturbing movies I'd seen in my young years as a horror fan. Yeah, it was gory and most people are going to be bothered by that on the surface but underneath the hacksaws and severed limbs there was a pretty terrifying tale. I'll avoid spoilers, but Saw probably has one of the best twist endings you'll ever see in film today. If you see the end coming then you're a freaking genius, and it all goes to show what a quality written story in horror can do for the overall film, even if the rest is just grossouts and gore. It's not even that Saw is particularly scary, it's just unsettling and that's not all credit due to the blood and guts. In 2007, there was Dead Silence which was his next film after being an executive producer on several of the Saw films after the first. It was pretty much the new scary doll movie for a new generation, and while it wasn't the greatest thing I'd seen, it was still unnerving because of the story behind the dolls and the tale Wan was trying to tell. Then there was Death Sentence in the very same year with Kevin Bacon that was more of a thriller than a horror film, and proved that Wan could do more than just scary and still write a compelling story. Then comes 2010's Insidious, which to me was one of the most entertaining and simultaneously scary films I'd seen in years. It wasn't just another haunted house movie, as it was more than that with the villain creeping into dreams and Patrick Wilson, who also stars in The Conjuring, having to hunt his child down from evil. Again, Insidious stirred something inside of me that while it wasn't the jump scares that got me, but it was the concept of the stories and the excellent execution of making an extremely creepy villain with story and background to match. Wan had written the stories for Saw, Dead Silence, and Insidious, but not for The Conjuring.

I have to think that maybe that was the reason I wasn't as into The Conjuring as I would have been with something similar but written by James Wan. All of the Wan-esque things were present, the dolls, the noises, the faces, the creeps, all in his style. But something about the story was just so slow, and it never really seeped out of the movie and into my head. To scare me, the story needs to come out of the screen, and it needs to involve me somehow and not just make me jump because I'm a human being. With The Conjuring I felt like I was watching yet another haunted house movie, but at least this time it wasn't garbage and it was done right. That's my one positive about this film is that despite it being some of the same old, same old, it was at least very enjoyable to watch because it was made with care and it had a quality to it that only a few directors could achieve with this overused material. There has been a lot of ranting and raving though about performances, and the story, and the directing. I'm with the directing completely, and I'm with the performances for the most part, but the story just dragged on and on and you could see where the two stories would come to a head in an ultimate showdown at the end which was fairly underwhelming. It was no secret to me as a viewer, and it took forever to get there, which just isn't good. My other complaint is that 75% of the scares were in the trailer, and it's fine if you want to show a scare or two in the trailer to show off your horror flick but don't freaking put the whole point of the movie out for free. By the time the movie was over, there was only one or two things that I didn't know I was going to see that involved blood, demons or evil in some way. Everything was in the freaking trailer, and you just can't have that, especially with a horror film.

A lot of people are talking about Vera Farmiga's performance as Lorraine Warren, the wife of ghost hunting and demonologist duo, the Warrens. She really does turn in a great performance as a traumatized but intrigued woman who wants nothing more than to help those suffering from possession or similar woes because it's her specialty and some could say God-given gift to do so. The other Warren, Ed, was played by Patrick Wilson who seems to have found a good niche for his acting in the horror department, because he works equally as well. Her character though is really where most of the interesting story lies, but despite the movie being about the Warrens they really aren't on the screen as often as you'd think. Which is funny because in the trailer they really don't even show the family that you're following around for the entire movie, it seems as if they're the main characters. Hell, even every description of the movie talks about the Warrens but no mention of the Perrons, played by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor, who really serve as the film's main characters. I like Livingston, but I just couldn't buy him as the dad in this film and it was really hard for me to like Lili Taylor in her role as well. Part of me thinks it was just because I wanted to see more of the Warren storyline, and the other part of me thinks it's just because Ron Livingston was in Office Space years ago.

There was good stuff about this movie though. It has a classic feel to it, and despite it being yet another haunting movie, Wan has perfected the craft and seemingly figured it out for himself, as I'm sure others will try to imitate the success of The Conjuring. If you make a movie on the end of a trend, and it's good, then you're obviously doing something right and that is what speaks volumes to me about this film, and Wan's ability as a director. There were some good scary parts that weren't in the trailer, and I'm not even going to breathe a slight mention of them as to not ruin them for you because they are seemingly hard to come by. The obvious clapping hands and ghost on the armoire come when you expect them, and even though the demon possessing the house is scary looking, it's not creepy enough to scare the crap out of you on its own. There are a lot of jump scares in the movie, but there are also a lot of well placed pieces on the set that trick the eye into thinking you see something in the background when you don't. I don't know if it was on purpose, or if I was that observant, but I'd like to think that Wan is a fairly intelligent enough director to try something like that. The best part about the movie was definitely the first 30 minutes, as it wound the story up with the dolls and possessed artifacts but then eventually wound down very slowly to its end. The intro credits were insanely awesome and classic horror looking, with the yellow type font and scrolling words to explain our story before jumping right into it. And the big yellow font The Conjuring rolling across the screen before the movie starts just brought back an old classic horror movie feel to me. It was a nice feeling, but unfortunately the movie didn't live up to the hype that I'd heard for it, nor the hype in my head that I'd generated on my own. I think waiting for Blu-ray would have been a safer bet for me, but that's not to say I didn't think it was good. The Conjuring was good, but not great. It was creepy, but not terrifying. It was imaginative, but occassionally dull. It's all in the execution, but the material isn't enough to stand out by itself. I am looking forward to the future of Wan's career and let's hope after he's done with Fast & Furious 7 that he returns to horror fast, and furiously, to bring us something the likes of which we've never seen in the genre, again. The movie did quite well over the weekend beating out all competition, and for an R-rated horror film to beat out two PG-13 actioners R.I.P.D. and Red 2, as well as the family friendly Turbo over its initial weekend, it's a pretty big deal not only for horror, but the future of James Wan and horror together.

ACTING : ( 8 / 10 )

STORY : ( 7 / 10 )

EXECUTION : ( 7 / 10 )

POSTER : ( 6 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 7 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 7 / 10 )