I will be the first to admit that the Olympics never get me excited as they approach every 4 years but as soon as they are gone I am wishing they had another 2 weeks to go. You have to admit that its hard to get up for women's badminton LIVE at 2AM. On the other hand when Michael Phelps swims into Olympic immortality there is nothing comparable on television. So after popping in and out of Olympic telecasts I have a few quick hits…

-The USA is not as dominant as it used to be. That in itself is a silly statement because citizenship of any country does not make you stronger faster or greater than anyone. The US has long enjoyed a sort of untested dominance since the end of the Cold War. The rest of the world is catching up though because sport has never been as big as it is now. It has always been popular but we have never had the mass saturation of the internet, You Tube, and instant gratification we have now. Anyone anywhere can get tips on training for whatever they desire. Nations also love a winner so why not pour millions into your star athletes…if it gets you good press and your people can unite behind them, why not?

-China is guilty of using 12 year olds to defeat 16 and 18 year olds. That is no secret. But I will say this, if they are cheating it is cheating by age only and not skill. The human rights issues that have been the shadow cast upon the Olympics is nothing new in China and hopefully the increased scrutiny from the rest of the world will have some if any positive results.

-The US Women's sand Volleyball Team needs to just come out in see through negligee next. Seriously. The skimpy white bra and panty get up they wear now is nothing more than sport lingerie…not that im complaining.

-Baseball is being replaced by things like BMX racing…chalk that up as a crime against humanity.

-Usain Bolt has stolen Michael Phelps thunder. He is a freak of nature and no one can catch him. It is insane. Sadly I think there is a cloud of doubt over him. No sprinter has ever improved their time that dramatically that fast. I hope it is just a crazy coincidence though. Athletes like Bolt come around once a century.

-Michael Phelps is the new Michael Jordan of sports…at least until about a month from now when we have all forgotten about him. Seriously, tell me how many people will remember who won what this time next year. The Olympics are a "live for the moment" past time for the casual American viewer. Taking nothing away from Phelps amazing achievement, he will never be as big as he is now. Case in point, Mark Spitz. He was exactly where Phelps is now and before Phelps I and the rest of you could not answer the question of who is the record holder for Gold Medals in the Olympics. Spitz was forgotten, and while modern media will keep Phelps legacy alive longer, he will eventually fade as well.

-The US Men's Basketball team "The Redeem Team" is the second best Olympic team since the original Dream Team from Barcelona 16 years ago. Has it been that long?

-I watched the US Women's Softball team win in the bottom of the ninth against Japan last night. The lady (If you can call her that) that hit the game winning shot has a deeper voice than me, is more stout than 3 kegs of beer and looks like she can wrestle bears…and easily win. I really think someone should do some gender testing on this one.

-Lolo Jones the 400 meter hurdler had a crashing end to her gold medal hopes two nights ago. Between her and the Chinese hurdler who hurt his Achilles there could not have been more heartbreaking television.

-The little female US gymnasts are so cute…if there is ever a Wizard of Oz remake they have got the roles of the munchkins locked down.

-What is China going to do with that Birds Nest stadium after the Olympics are over?

-London gets the next Olympics but after that it is wide open. I am pulling for a US city to get the games. New York would be great but I think Chicago would be an awesome Olympic site.

-So only two years until the Winter Olympics so start beefing up on your figure skating knowledge…Quick, tell me who won gold in downhill slalom? I didn't think so.

-BK

There are days I wake up and wish I would walk out of my door and the world I am used to would be no more. What the hell is going on with people today? Everyone gets offended about everything and it has gotten to the point that no matter what you say about anything, it can be deemed offensive by someone. Take for instance the new movie being released by Dreamworks this Friday Tropic Thunder. Tropic Thunder stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise. It is a comedy. There are a few spoof trailers at the beginning of the film which star Stiller's character. In one of the movies he plays a person named Simple Jack. He is a mentally challenged person. Stiller's character does not get nominated for an Oscar and he is shocked because he thought playing a "retarded" person would be Oscar gold. Robert Downey Jr. (who plays a black guy) tells him that he should have never gone "Full retard" Well apparently this has generated a giant controversy and the movie is being picketed by those who are offended by the word retarded, and feel the film exploits those who are mentally challenged. Ok, first…it is a comedy that picks on many things other than just mentally challenged people. Downey Jr. (who is white) plays a black guy…I truthfully expected Uncle Jesse and Rev. Al to be all over this…although it is still early in the game so I should not speak too soon. Here is the deal. In comedies nothing is supposed to be sacred. NOTHING. That is the first rule in comedy. I am quite sure that Ben Stiller does not run around in his spare time trying to find ways to insult the mentally challenged. For the Special Olympics to come out and demand that Tropic Thunder be not just boycotted but banned makes me cringe. What is the injustice? A word? I hate to tell everyone on the side of the mentally challenged but if we start policing the word retarded like we do the "N" word, then 75% of America will be in jail. Somehow we all have to face the facts that things we say and do are going to be offensive no matter how hard we try to abstain from it. We are such a diverse group of people that we are obviously all going to have differences and each group that does not understand the other will say things that offends the other. It is called being human. In the case of Tropic Thunder it is called having a sense of humor and laughing at certain things that are taboo. Laughter is still legal right? Or are we so sensitive that any thing we say now must be put through a filter so that we do not hurt anyone's feelings? I am the last person that wants to pick on mentally challenged people but I also acknowledge that what was done was most likely not in a cruel manor. Did this sort of outrage come out when There's Something About Mary was released? Should we all go demand that films like that be banned? No. It's ridiculous. We are ridiculous. Our skin is so thin today that we whine about anything and everything. Mentally challenged people usually do not have a voice that we have and I agree that to pick on them in a manor of cruelty is just…well cruel. When something is done lightheartedly though we should be more than willing to brush it off and move on. We are not in kindergarten and truthfully people who cry all day about getting their feelings hurt should learn to grow up and start learning to "say sticks and stones." Because truthfully, words should never hurt anyone.

Movie Review

Let me start of by first saying I am a Mummy and a Mummy Returns fan. I know many who loathe The Mummy franchise but I have always had a soft spot for its corny dialogue and the many hopped up on energy drink action sequences. Taking a Mummy movie seriously is like trying to compare Snakes on a Plane to On Golden Pond. The two just do not fit. I also have always given Brendan Fraser a pass on all of his movies. He almost never takes himself seriously and by doing that he always has me on his side. He is the goofy big lug that has an awe shucks charm about him. HE'S ENCINO MAN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! In The Mummy I was won over by its updated take on the classic Universal story by using (at the time) wonderful new CGI effects to bring us to Ancient Egypt like never before. The Mummy Returns had a break neck pace about it that even though having worst CGI known to man, it still had me loving every zany minute of it.

Saying that, I will let you know that it does not excuse the magnificent blunder of ideas, characters, and dialogue that went into the creation of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Oh it has its pretty moments that make you want to give it a pass, but for every good moment there are 20 horrible ones that have me not just thinking, but knowing I could write better crap with bamboo shoots shoved up my fingernails. Stephen Sommers the director of the first two Mummy movies is a known adrenaline junkie. Rob Cohen director of such classics as The Fast and the Furious, XXX, and Stealth is just a complete waste of film school tuition. There are moments in this muddled mess that you think Cohen can save the direction of the film but instead he crushes any life it may possibly have left. You can see it in the cast as well. They look like they want to show they are having fun but I can see in their eyes that after most of the takes they probably silently worded "WTF" to each other.

But. Seriously, is it all bad? Yes and no. But for the most part yes. First off the whole Mummies in China idea is a let down. I was open to the idea at first but after about twenty minutes of exposition I was begging to be brought back to Egypt. I also could not get over the Brendan Fraser having an 18 year old son and not having aged a day since the first Mummy. We first met Fraser's Rick O'Connell in 1923. It is now 1947 and Fraser looks exactly the same. So 24 years have passed and Fraser does not even have a grey hair. It is just a hard stretch for the audience to believe. At least give him a different hairdo. His wife Evy (This time played by Maria Bello) at least looks like she could be a somewhat aged Evy. Also while on that point The absence of Rachael Wiesz is greatly missed. I mean nothing against Bello but Fraser and Wiesz had a better chemistry going, and it also played perfectly into Fraser's goofiness. The son Alex O'Connell (played by Luke Ford) did not really do as bad of a job as I had heard. I did actually believe he was the son of Rick O'Connell. The Mummy (Jet Li) really has no purpose other than to rule the world. The Mummy from parts 1 and 2 (Imhotep) at least wanted to get his girl brought back to life while ruling the world as well. Li looks like he took the roll of being a Mummy too seriously as there is no life to him at all on screen. The sorceress played by Michelle Yeoh is much like Li. Just a lot of intense stares and a couple of sad moments but overall nothing special. I nearly forgot to mention how John Hannah (Jonathan. Evy's brother) plays into all of this. Sadly he is given what are supposed to be funny scene stealing lines, but they fall flat. Horribly flat.

The CGI of this film compared to The Mummy Returns is light years ahead. Except when we get to our furry friends The Yetis. Which brings me to my biggest complaint of the movie. Why are there Yetis in this film? Yes they are in the Himalayas but the Yeti concept was almost as bad as Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars universe. Yes they were ferocious, but I was completely lost when two Yetis are fighting the enemies and one grabs a bad guy and kicks him between two spires. What do these 1947 Yetis from Asia do? They hold up their arms to signal Field Goal! Yes that is right, Yetis are vintage leather helmet football fans. I almost got up and left. The difference between the absurdities in this film compared to the first two is that the first two set rules, albeit loose ones, and they followed them. The 3^rd film just throws a lot of scenarios in the audiences faces that it just doesn't feel the need to even remotely explain. I can just see the think tank at Universal saying to themselves "How can we get a Yeti into a Mummy movie?" And that is my problem. So much of this movie is what seems to be broken fragments of ideas for other movies. All we get is a menagerie of action pieces that the director thinks he can shove down the audiences throats. Because, nobody will object to a cool abominable snowman that is on the good guys side will they?

All in all The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor did not need to be made. I have no objections to a 3^rd Mummy movie but this was excess at its worst. They may make a 4^th film and I would go see it. I would have to just to get the bad taste out of my mouth that this one gave me. I remember back at the beginning of the summer when people were kind of lukewarm to the new Indiana Jones film and there were rumblings that the buzz on the new Mummy movie was positive. There were even rumors that it may be better than Indiana Jones. Looking back on both of them I can say that whoever said that is a complete moron. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a victim of its own hype, but yet still a solid film. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a mish mash of terrible ideas that was terribly written and terribly directed. Nothing more, nothing less.

-BK.

I have never understood the difference in 100 degree heat and 105 degree heat. Well now I do. But, instead of 105 degree heat, we have 108 degree heat. That is not counting the heat index. To break this down to you who do not live here, imagine it being a hot 95 degrees in whatever city you are in. I will admit that 95 degrees is a hot day. When you think of 100 degrees it seems to have a psychological effect that stops at 100. Anything over 100 degrees is just lumped into "Wow, its 100 degrees" Well my point is a hot 95 degree day is 13 degrees cooler than what we are experiencing in Texas. A 13 degree drop right now would be like a small cold front blowing through. It is insane. I seriously think that the temperature here in Texas is being broadcast in hell right now, and the devil is thinking "Damn, im glad im not there" Have you ever seen the movie Terminator 2 where Sarah Conner has the dream she walks up to the playground and there is a mushroom cloud and everything and everybody bursts into flames? Well that is what is happening right now. People are spontaneously bursting into flames when they step outside. Old people…don't even get me started on them. They are like wax museum figures. 5 minutes outside and it looks like it used to when I would put GI: Joe men in the microwave. My dog refuses to eat because he knows if he does he will have to go to the bathroom which means going outside. Mailmen arent even getting out of the mail trucks anymore, they are just doing drive bys and hurling mail at peoples door. So I take it you get my point. It's Hot! Not good looking hot, but sweat running down your legs and into your socks hot. Sadly one thing is worse than all of the above when it comes to the heat… Extremely large people venture out wearing un-Godly tight clothes they have no business wearing. That itself is a crime against humanity. -BK.

Movie Review

Forgive my tardiness in writing this review. I saw The Dark Knight (TDK) on opening night at 12:01 A.M. The wonderful RAVE Theater at the Northeast Mall was the setting. Seeing a movie on a pure digital screen is the only way to go any more. The hour prior to the start of TDK was nearly just as big as an event as the movie itself. It was reported that over 4,000 people were in attendance that night at the theater. Leaving at nearly 3:00 A.M. it was evident because it took nearly a half hour to get out of the parking lot. When I heard later that day that tickets for opening night were selling on eBay and Craig's List for near $150.00 I kicked myself. I love being part of a cool event just as much as anyone but $150...well yeah I like money a lot more.

TDK is the sequel to Batman Begins. Begins sort of rebooted the franchise back in 2005 and saved us from the dregs of disasters such as Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. I still ask God at night sometimes why he allows Joel Schumacher to walk this Earth un-cursed for his bastardizing of a once proud franchise. Begins took the caped crusader in a direction that has only been seen in the graphic novels. Instead of crazy get ups from villains whose origins are never explained we are treated with an organized crime Mecca that spawns more of a real life evil than a cartoon menace. We also get the eye for an eye mentality. Batman does not get the luxury of walking around uncontested. He is challenged daily. He has definitely made his mark on Gotham City but as Lieutenant Gordan says at the end of Begins "What about escalation?" And, escalated it has. While there is hope in Gotham, its citizens are not out of the woods yet. The Joker now holds the city in a grip of terror that I have not witnessed in this type of movie ever. Corruption is everywhere and no person (Good or evil) can be trusted. The city has only one hope and they lose faith in it daily. The Batman. Bruce Wayne is struggling with is own demons and questions his need to continue fighting. Wayne wants a new hero to emerge. A hero that can be seen in the daylight. A hero that the people can hold up as one of their own. Harvey Dent, the White Knight of Gotham City. As The Joker's reign of terror continues to sweep through Gotham alliances are formed and broken in order to bring the crazed clown to justice.

The Dark Knight is not a comic book movie. Batman is not a super hero. The Joker is not a campy arch enemy. This is a gritty crime drama that is unforgiving and takes more than it gives. There are choices made in this film that you would never find in a comic movie. It is not just kill the bad guy. Everything in TDK happens for a reason. We see real people make choices that are not always right and end up hurting others as a result. We see the villain have a plan that is nothing like your regular run of the mill campy villains. TDK is about making choices that may be wrong at the time but right for the good of the people. Even if they do not know it, or understand. TDK is in a class of its own…and may never be matched.

Usually in giant blockbusters there is one quintessential part missing. Great performances. In TDK there is not a weak link to be found. Director Christopher Nolan has given the audience a cast of actors that know what the stakes are. They know TDK is something special and they let it show through their performances. TDK is not about one individual. TDK weaves through the stories of so many more than just Batman/Bruce Wayne. We get angles on Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart is doing his best work here) The Joker (More on him later) Rachael Dawes (Maggie G was such a step forward over Katie Holmes) Alfred (Michael Caine gives Alfred more weight than ever) Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman is as always at the top of his game) Lieutenant/Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman could easily be nominated as a best supporting actor for this amazing performance) Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale who is great but is almost overshadowed by the other great performances) Mixed in with all of these main characters we get to see many different crime lords and corrupt cops that make the wheels turn in the deep storyline.

Heath Ledger as we all know left us last January. If I can say one thing on the subject of eternity I will say this. After his turn as The Joker, Heath Ledger is without a doubt in Acting Heaven. I wrote a blog last January claiming that Heath would become the next James Dean in terms of icon status. Some scoffed at that notion, and I cant argue with Dean's greatness…but after TDK…Heath Ledger not only surpassed Dean but he jumped ahead of many icons in cinema history. Heath's portrayal of the Joker is uncontested. Maybe forever. The things he does and the movements he makes just blew my mind. Heath was so dialed into this role that even when he was saying nothing, he was saying everything. The Joker is played not as a smiling idiot but a terrifying insane maniac that plays like a real world villain. He is always two steps ahead and like Alfred brilliantly says "Some men just cant be bought. Some men just want to watch the world burn" that is The Joker dead on. He cares nothing for wealth, love, sex, or even power. He just wants to see the hypocritical world that thinks it is balanced tear itself apart. He doesn't use any super gadgets or gimicky machines to bring this about; only the dark primitive thing that causes all humanity to do horrible things. Fear. Heath Ledger may be gone (something that halfway through the movie hit me like a load of bricks) but he did what hardly anyone else in any profession has ever done. He went out on top. Anything else from Heath would have never been enough to top this role. It (future roles) may have been great…but this was greatness. Death or no death, this is an Oscar winning performance. Heath will be missed, but he left us one hell of a last hurrah.

So after TDK where does Christopher Nolan go from here? Many say that he should just cash in and left it be his opus. Let someone else take over the Batman franchise and go from there. I think Nolan is talented enough to give us a few more good Batman movies, but this no doubt is great, and will likely never be topped. That is not a bad thing though. To try and outdo The Dark Knight would be a mistake. Building on its rock solid foundation is the way to go. A big question going around is will the Joker be back? I think he will. I think whoever the poor guy is that has to fill Heath's shoes will be the most scrutinized guy on the planet but I think it will happen. It may not be the next movie or the next, but The Joker will not be written off so easily. Ever since Heath died I have voiced my support for the only actor I think that can do some sort of justice to the role and that is Johnny Depp. But, whatever happens will be out of our hands and we just need to hope for Nolan to continue his inspired casting choices. The next film has so many possibilities and I am begging for a good Mr. Freeze storyline. His character has so much depth, and characters like The Riddler, The Penguin, Bane, Poison Ivy…well they bore me. And, please no Robin. This Batman universe does not need a sidekick.

So after 10 days the verdict is obviously in. The Dark Knight has out grossed everything. It has broken every record and depending on how well it holds up (which has been amazing) it will likely finish as the number 3 or maybe even 2 highest grossing movie of all time. That is amazing. I attribute that to a great movie, Heath's death, and the Joker. Batman has rightfully taken the crown from Spiderman and will reign supreme for quite some time. I think Christopher Nolan has done a remarkable job. He revived a once dead franchise and took it in the direction that fans have been begging it to go for years. The Dark Knight is the best film of the summer by far, and right now the year.

-BK

NFC

East

*Dallas 12-4

New York 10-6

Washington 9-7

Philadelphia 7-9

North

*Minnesota 11-5

Green Bay 10-6

Detroit 9-7

Chicago 5-11

South

*New Orleans 11-5

Tampa Bay 10-6

Carolina 8-8

Atlanta 3-13

West

*St. Louis 10-6

Arizona 9-7

San Francisco 9-7

Seattle 7-9

AFC

East

*New England 13-3

Buffalo 9-7

New York 7-9

Miami 5-11

North

*Pittsburgh 12-4

Cleveland 10-6

Cincinnati 7-9

Baltimore 6-10

South

*Indianapolis 11-5

Tennessee 10-6

Jacksonville 10-6

Houston 8-8

West

*San Diego 13-3

Denver 9-7

Oakland 8-8

Kansas City 6-10

Playoffs

1^st Round

NFC

New Orleans over St. Louis

New York over Green Bay

AFC

Pittsburgh over Tennessee

Indianapolis over Cleveland

2^nd Round

NFC

Dallas over New York

Minnesota over New Orleans

AFC

New England over Pittsburgh

San Diego over Indianapolis

Championships

AFC

San Diego over New England

NFC

Dallas over Minnesota

Superbowl

Dallas over San Diego

NFL MVP

LaDainian Tomlinson

San Diego Chargers

BCS National Championship Game

Ohio St. over Oklahoma

(Third time is a charm for the Buckeyes)

Rose Bowl

USC over Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl

Georgia over Missouri

Orange Bowl

Clemson over West Virginia

Sugar Bowl

Florida over BYU

Capital One Bowl

LSU over Illinois

Cotton Bowl

Texas Tech over Auburn

Outback Bowl

Alabama over Purdue

Gator Bowl

Virginia Tech over Texas

Chick fil-A Bowl

Tennessee over Wake Forest

Holiday Bowl

Kansas over Arizona St.

Insight Bowl

Nebraska over Penn St.

Gaylord Hotels Bowl

South Carolina over Miami

Sun Bowl

Texas A&M over UCLA

Texas Bowl

Colorado over UCF

Humanitarian Bowl

Florida St. over Boise St.

Alamo Bowl

Michigan over Oklahoma State

Papajohns.com Bowl

Pitt over Kentucky

Independence Bowl

Mississippi St. over Kansas St.

Emerald Bowl

Cal over Boston College

Champs Sports Bowl

Maryland over Michigan St.

Meineke Car Care Bowl

North Carolina over USF

Motor City Bowl

Iowa over Ball St.

Las Vegas Bowl

Oregon St. over TCU

Bell Helicopter Bowl

Southern Miss over Utah

Liberty Bowl

Ole Miss over Houston

Hawaii Bowl

Nevada over Oregon

Poinsettia Bowl

Arizona over Air Force

New Orleans Bowl

East Carolina over Florida Atlantic

St. Petersburg Bowl

Memphis over Tulane

New Mexico Bowl

Fresno St. over New Mexico

Congressional Bowl

Kent State over Navy

GMAC Bowl

Tulsa over Central Michigan

International Bowl

Louisville over Miami Ohio

My Top 15:

1-Ohio State

2-Florida

3-Oklahoma

4-USC

5-Georgia

6-Clemson

7-LSU

8-Missouri

9-West Virginia

10-Texas Tech

11-Wisconsin

12-BYU

13-Alabama

14-Illionois

15-Kansas

Movie Review

Imagine being trapped in a giant bowl filled with some of the most imaginative thoughts ever. Then imagine someone takes the bowl and shakes it as hard as they can and you are left flailing in the air with an infinite number of imaginations flying by you at every speed imaginable. It is a rush to the senses while at the same time you laugh because even though so much is hitting you at once, you feel right at home. This stirring of imagination is what I witnessed last night as I saw Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

Guillermo del Toro. That name says it all. The man has such a name now that all you need to do is speak it and you invoke a world that is so rich with everything imaginable that you cannot possibly begin to try and explain. Del Toro is such a talent that he has become his own brand. He is fearless and his mind is untamable. With Hellboy 2 he has been unleashed alone on a playground that thankfully he invites us the audience to play on. Del Toro…decades later his name will command a hush in film classes all over the world. His style and brand of story telling is an entity of its own.

Hellboy 2 is simple, yet complex. There is so much to take in that multiple viewings will not satisfy what your eyes have seen and your mind cannot quite get a handle on. At the same time Hellboy 2 is very much like its prologue…a bedtime story. The kind of bedtime story you would fall asleep in the middle of because everything was so much to comprehend, but one that you would wake up requesting more, more, more.

Hellboy 2 felt so original but at the same time a mixture of Ghostbusters, Men in Black, The Dark Crystal, and The Never Ending Story all mixed together. Movies like The Dark Crystal and The Never Ending Story were staples of my childhood, and I have always loved that style of storytelling. The visual look to it all has always grabbed my imagination and pressed it forward. I wonder if Del Toro liked these films? I wonder if their style influenced him at all, or if it really is all originality at its best. Either way, we get something different, something new, yet something oddly familiar.  

Those who do not like the strange world that Hellboy 2 takes us to will most likely dismiss it as corny, and childlike. That is exactly what drives it home for me. Not the corniness, but the childlike wonder that accompanies it. The troll market, the giant statue, the Angel of death, they all belong in this wondrous world, but to those who like to pick things apart, these wonders will most likely be just a passing phase in a film not meant for them.

To experience Hellboy 2: The Golden Army you must go in with a bit of a childlike wonder. I have no intentions of going into detail about the story because it is such a treat to discover on your own. As a kid from the eighties I am high fiving the air after Hellboy 2. I may be thirty but I am also eight again. And at the same time my thirty year old self and my eight year old self are one. Hellboy 2 is for all. Adults and kids alike.

-BK.

Movie Review

Not so long ago in my movie review for Prince Caspian I wrote that I had never seen a sequel do such an about face for the better over its predecessor. I liked the first Narnia movie while acknowledging its problems. Prince Caspian came along and made the series all of a sudden much more mature and interesting. Flash forward about two months and we have The Incredible Hulk. Back in 2003 The Hulk directed by Ang Lee (super talented) burst upon the scene. It had a big launch trailer the summer before and fresh off of Spiderman's success in 2002, The Hulk was set to smash the box office records Spidey had set a year earlier. With Ang Lee directing, and Eric Bana starring alongside Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, and Sam Elliot; How could The Hulk fail? Well…very badly not to put to fine a point on it.

The Hulk in 2003 was a critical and box office mess. Its final box office gross was barely profitable and after all of its high expectations it had failed miserably. I for one came out of The Hulk wanting my money back. I thought it was not just poorly done, or poorly acted, but it missed so many opportunities to capitalize on such an iconic figure. I still find The Hulk from 2003 very hard to watch when it is on cable.

Flash forward 5 years and we have a new Hulk movie. The Incredible Hulk. It is more of a re-imagining. A term we are hearing far too often these days if you ask me. The Incredible Hulk was a film that did not need to be made, and frankly I am surprised it was. But, there is a change in the winds, and Marvel got a hold of its properties. They have already knocked it out of the park with Iron Man, but what about The Incredible Hulk? Would it be salvageable? Can the movie going public forgive the shortcomings of The Hulk 2003 and cheer The Incredible Hulk 2008?

I guess a question like that is putting the cart before the horse. First off, was The Incredible Hulk any good?

YES!

The Incredible Hulk was the movie I desperately wanted The Hulk 2003 to be. The Incredible Hulk was not about gimmicky editing, Hulk poodles, father issues, or lightening man. The Incredible Hulk is about the inner struggle of Bruce Banner. A man who has become a ghost of his former self and a vagrant so that he can protect those he loves and the world from the rage within. It is about his heart ache every time he glances at that photo of Betty Ross. It is about a man who does not want the Godly power given to him because he is too smart to fall into the trap that all great power leads to.

When I was a kid I did not read The Incredible Hulk comic books. I watched the TV show. I thought Lou Feriggno was cool, but I always wanted to know if Banner would be cured. I was hooked. That tragic theme music still finds its way on random repeat in my brain every now and then. The TV show always had a living beating heart in my view. When I was about 10 minutes into The Incredible Hulk I felt all was right again. Director Louis Leterrier, and screenwriter Zak Penn got it right. They must have been a fan of the show too.

Ed Norton steps into the role of Bruce Banner this time. Norton was the best choice anyone could have made. He is the perfect Bruce Banner, and you can see and feel the fear in him when he knows he is about to become The Hulk. Norton plays such a good beaten down man, his transition from Banner to Hulk is painful yet invigorating to watch. Norton is so good at whatever he does, it is not a surprise that he outperformed Eric Bana from his turn as The Hulk. The same goes for everyone in the cast of The Incredible Hulk. Liv Tyler, William Hurt, and Tim Roth all give dead on performances. Liv Tyler as Betty Ross seems to have more depth than Connelly, and the same goes for Hurt over Sam Elliot. This makes me believe that it was just the overall bad story and "24" like editing of The Hulk 2003 that sunk it. The poor actors just had nothing to work with. The real treat in The Incredible Hulk is its villain Tim Roth/Abomination. Tim broods just as good as anyone out there and when it comes time for him to chew up the scenery he eats it up like Jared at $1 sub day at Subway. Tim Roth should be better recognized for his work because his talent is beaming bright right now.

The effects are also 100 times better. The Hulk looks more than just a green doll. He has a lifelike texture, and looks as real as a giant pissed off green man can look. Even the emotion is exactly right. CGI gets knocked a lot, and sometimes for good reason, but when CGI can make a lifeless character have life and act realistically I don't think I am alone when I say the sky is the limit. CGI has a place in cinema…a good place. The long battle between Hulk and Abomination shook the theater and had me grinning ear to ear. The fluidity of the combatants movements was amazingly natural. Another plus was the great sound mix. This is a film you want to see in theaters.

Sadly The Incredible Hulk has done about the same box office numbers as its predecessor. I think it has to do with the first being so bad, and there not being a big enough marketing campaign to show everyone that it is a redux, and not a sequel. I am hoping The Incredible Hulk finishes somewhat strong overseas, and has a good home DVD market. It really is deserving of a movie lovers time. One thing that you want to see it for is the end. The connecting of the Marvel universe hits us right in the face, and I just could not quit grinning after the movie. It sure is good to know that the Marvel world now exists in movies. I cant wait to see what is next.

-BK

-BK

Wall-E

Movie Review

Wall-E is one of the big movies I had high expectations for. Could Pixar keep their hot streak of producing utter genius alive? That is what I was wondering. Seriously though should that even be a question? It's kind of like asking the Pope if he is going to pray today…of course he is. If Pixar can make a movie about talking cars not only be watchable, but pretty darn good…I think they can handle a cuter than cute robot with a heart story.

Wall-E is directed by Andrew Stanton who directed my favorite Pixar movie Finding Nemo. I did not even know this until I was watching the film and I noticed little subtle hints that oozed of Nemo's greatness. Wall-E takes the simplest of ideas and makes them go further than anyone could ever imagine.

is a little robot that has been given the duty to clean up the earth after Humans have left it due to it being so cluttered from trash. The humans left on a cruise like spaceship (The Axium) and were only supposed to be gone 5 years. Well 5 turned into 400 and there are no people left on earth. The Wall-E robots are given the task to clean up, but after 400 years they too have turned to junk. All except one little self aware robot who has become the movies title name: Wall-E. Little Wall-E is curious. He collects thinks that seem neat to him, and he also repairs himself by using the spare parts of the now "junked" Wall-E units. Wall-E himself never loses focus on his task and goes to work like a good worker should every day. What makes Wall-E tick though is his self awareness. He has a heart…and if you really want to get down to it, he has a soul. Wall-E is lonely. He watches an old video of Hello Dolly and dreams to one day have a companion to just hold his hand.

The first 30 minutes of the movie there is barely any dialogue. Do not take this as a bad sign though. Wall-E alone on screen with no words is just as intriguing as anything I have seen in a long time. When a mysterious spaceship arrives one day and EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) a little scout robot from the Axium literally explodes onto the screen, Wall-E (after having determined that EVE is a non threat) discovers he has a new friend. At least he thinks she is his friend. EVE has one thing, and one thing only in mind. Completing her mission objective. After days and days of Wall-E trying to win EVE's friendship, she finally sort of caves in. This is all Wall-E ever wanted, and he may, just may have that special someone to hold hands with. When EVE discovers a living plant growing in a boot that Wall-E gives her, she remembers her objective and literally shuts down until the scout ship from the Axium returns to acquire her. Wall-E of course is devastated that EVE has shut down, but in a testament to his character moment, he continues to keep hope alive. After the scout ship arrives and takes EVE away, Wall-E barely hitches a ride to the Axium, but makes it by holding on for dear life. One of the films finest moments occur when Wall-E is sailing through space and he has a child like wonder about him.

Aboard the Axium we learn that humans have been in space for so long that they have lost most of their bone mass and become massive whale like obese shells of their former selves. They have existed on this cruise type mentality for so long that this is all the have ever known. Earth is not even a memory. Generations of humans have lived and died on the Axium. The mega-corporation Buy n Large has taken everything over and mankind has never looked back. Humans do not even know how to walk anymore because they are catered to for their every need. They hover in recliner like chairs that give them every need they could possibly ever ask for. It is funny when watching the movie how you realize that the humans have become more robotic than the robots. They cannot live without their technology and their gadgets. A sad reminder of how we really live today. The technology crutch has made everyone fat and impossibly lazy until they have no life except nothing but constant instant gratification.

When EVE returns with the sample and the captain of the Axium discovers that the ship was only supposed to be gone for 5 years, he begins to question everything. He learns that Earth was a real place and people did things without technology. He becomes obsessed. Meanwhile the first mate of the ship (a machine) wises up to what is happening and quickly has EVE sent away to maintenance after Wall-E who just wants his frind back ruins EVE's moment in the sun. Wall-E will never give EVE up, and this lands him in maintenance with her. Here we get a treat of a "island of misfit Toys" motley crue assortment of robots who are there because the are not doing what they are supposed to be. Basically they like Wall-E are self aware and do not want to just fit in to the balanced (if you want to call it that) system aboard the Axium.

What transpires after that is a series of mishaps (most caused by Wall-E) and a mutiny aboard the Axium. Wall-E wants EVE. EVE wants recognition for her completed task, and the captain wants to become "human" again. What we get is a genuine heart warming tale that in the end is nothing more than a simple love story of the purest kind. Wall-E is easily an instant classic. It's theme is simplistic but it stretches out to weave the purest story I have seen in years. Pixar has not had a dud yet. They continue to set the bar higher and higher only to exceed expectations with every new movie. Wall-E so far is the best movie of the summer.

(Brock's Favorite Pixar Films In Order)

1- Finding Nemo

2-Wall-E

3-The Incredibles

4- Toy Story

5-Monsters Inc.

6-Toy Story 2

7-A Bugs Life

8- Ratatouille

9-Cars

Get Smart

Movie Review

Get Smart is a movie I had no expectations for except for my crush on Anne Hathaway. Steve Carell is one of the funniest guys going today, and the supporting cast is impressive, but another Spy Movie spoof did not get me excited. I actually went to see The Incredible Hulk instead but it had already started so I bought a ticket for Get Smart.

Get Smart centers around the Spy organization Control. They are the super spy group that we the public of course do not know about. Maxwell Smart (Carell) is a data analyst with Control who is desperately trying to become an agent. The only thing stopping Smart is his greatness as an analyst. Of course with every good Spy group that we the public know nothing about, there is a bad organization that is trying to take over the world. That group is Chaos. Its leader played by the always great Terrence Stamp has a no nonsense approach witch leaves many people fearing him.

The premise is basic. Mad man has a nuke and is trying to blow something or someone important up. The good guys are on top of it until someone of course double crosses them and the momentum is shifted to the bad guy until the good guy can regain his mojo and take the bad guy down while saving the day and taking care of the double crosser.

I know I sound a bit down on the film, but don't get me wrong, it worked. Steve Carell does what he does best and that is self depreciating humor. The movie and the plot are pretty boring and guessable, but it is Carell who sells it. Anne Hathaway (Agent 99) plays straight man/woman to Carell and does a pretty decent job. The gags with Carell and her work well, and lets face it…she looks good doing what she does. Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as the good looking ladies man Agent 23. He has never really impressed me, but at the same time he has never really done a horrible job. He does what he does, and he is what he is. Sadly we figure out everything that we are not supposed to figure out with his character. Alan Arkin the head of Control plays the good guy boss with a temper character perfectly. Arkin really is great at whatever he does. The characters that got on my nerves were the two tech guys Bruce and Lloyd played by Masi Oka and Nate Torrence. They even have their own spin off DVD from Get Smart, and I could not be any less interested. The single greatest cameo this year though is by Bill Murray. Murray in a tree is funnier than most of the comedians out there hands down.

Get Smart is a fun, funny movie; A spy spoof that is in the same vein as Austin Powers only minus the sixties. I did not love the film. I did not hate the film. It was likeable and that's about it. I will probably see it multiple times in a year or two when TBS will air it night after night like they do all of the recent comedies. As far as laughs go, if you are looking for a chuckle or two, Get Smart is your movie.

-BK