With Logan hitting movie theaters this week, it seemed like a good opportunity to look at some of its inspiration, the storyline Old Man Logan by writer Mark Millar. In the dark times, before The Empire, comic book adaptations were a mixed bag of barely passable quality that the geek community just accepted as a reality. Sure, there exist some… Everyone knows and loves the ultra bad ass (not to mention uber-violent) 1980s action movie Commando, but what people might not know about is that there was a line of… I just watched a beautiful movie. It’s called Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn. It’s so horrible it’s good. Oh man, so many reasons. But let me first say it’s… The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. tv show is using robot duplicates called LMDs – Life Model Decoys. I went in search of a comic book that used a lot of LMDs… This episode is a little different – instead of reviewing a particular comic for tropes, I discuss some aspects of Batman with Phoenix Jones, a real life superhero.
Teaser “A brass unicorn has been catapulted across a London street and impaled an eminent surgeon. Words fail me, gentlemen.” – Superintendent Waverley, The Abominable Doctor Phibes The Abominable Doctor… I’m talking about Batman stuff for two weeks. This week we take a look at Kevin Smith’s tropes by examining an issue he wrote, Batman: The Widening Gyre #6. We all know the butthole is a place of dirt and violence to be feared and avoided at all costs. But some people have been placed in the no-win scenario… The Lego Batman movie has a set that’s just over 1,000 pieces but retails at Walmart for just $88. That’s a really good deal. I do a really fast speed… “Star Wars” fans, the lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous continues. At the Star Wars Celebration festival beginning Thursday, four new Lego Star Wars large scale, buildable figures will be unveiled — Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grievous, Jango Fett and Clone Commander Cody.
Speakeasy has an exclusive first look at Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous. The General Grievous set includes 186 pieces, and Obi-Wan Kenobi includes 83 pieces. Two additional sets, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, were unveiled in February at the New York Toy Fair. All six sets will be available in September, with prices ranging from $19.99 to $34.99. The Moment 'La La Land' Mistakenly Won an Oscar 'Moonlight' Beats 'La La Land' in a Steve Harvey Moment Oscars 2017: Red Carpet Fashion Review Warren Buffett’s Annual Letter: Five Key Takeaways Will Oscars Gaffe Trigger Changes Next Year?Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Darth Vader Voice Changer Mask LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon (75105) Star Wars The Black Series First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter Star Wars The Black Series Titanium Series Vehicles Multi Pack Star Wars The Force Awakens Chewbacca Electronic Mask Star Wars Bladebuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber LEGO Star Wars Poe's X-Wing Fighter (75102)
Star Wars U-Command AT-AT with Remote Control Star Wars Guess Who? Star Wars 16" Interactive Stormtrooper Figure Star Wars Nerf First Order Stormtrooper Blaster Star Wars The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Deluxe Electronic Lightsaber Star Wars Interactive BB-8 Droid with Remote Control Star Wars Loopin' Chewie Game Star Wars The Force Awakens Micro Machines Millennium Falcon Playset Star Wars The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Extendable Lightsaber Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Pop! Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Fig Deluxe 18" BB-8 Action Figure Star Wars Hero Mashers The Empire Strikes Back Multipack Star Wars Bop It R2-D2 Game Star Wars Nerf Dart Refill Star Wars Nerf BladeBuilders Luke Skywalker Lightsaber LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle (75104) Star Wars The Force Awakens Lunch BagEasily the most polarizing Star Wars film — it’s assumed all but 5% of the fan base loathes Phantom Menace — Attack of the Clones remains the most underrated entry in the saga.
After the largely negative reaction to the first installment in the prequels, George Lucas went back to basics for AOTC with an emphasis on more action and an intricate mystery for our heroes to unravel. A decade has passed since the events in Phantom Menace. Padme (Natalie Portman) is no longer queen of Naboo, but serving as a Naboo senator returning to Coruscant to prevent the creation of a clone army. With the Jedi Knights being stretched thin in trying to curtail the growing unrest from a separatist movement led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), the need for an army seems reasonable. And with a trusted leader like Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), the Republic is confident that power will only be used to preserve order and peace throughout the galaxy. Immediately upon Padme’s arrival, an assassination attempt on her life begins forcing the Jedi to place her under the watch of her old friends Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).
Director/Co-writer George Lucas put himself in a bad position in Phantom Menace by casting Anakin noticeably younger than Padme. For AOTC, Lucas was forced to use some dubious soap opera TV aging logic to not make Padme look like she was robbing the cradle. Interestingly, Christensen is the same age as Portman so Lucas probably would have been better suited discovering him and casting him in Phantom Menace. As Obi-Wan tracks down leads on the assassin, Anakin escorts Padme back to Naboo where he confesses his true feelings for her. Soon Padme finds herself equally drawn to Anakin even if the Jedi Order forbids this type of attachment. Prequel haters trash the romantic subplot saying the dialogue is poorly written and the chemistry between Christensen and Portman is lacking. I’d argue the performances are right in line with how two teenagers unaccustomed to engaging in these matters of the heart would act and sound. It’s not like Anakin could get dating advice from Obi-Wan or read a Top 5 listicle on how to win over your childhood crush.
Granted, Anakin’s subplot is kind of slow until he returns to his childhood home of Tatooine to rescue his mother, foreshadowing his ultimate destiny. Obi-Wan’s story arc is much more exciting as he tracks down the assassin. Obi-Wan gets the bulk of the great moments in the film giving McGregor ample quality material to shine. It’s a brief bit, but I love Obi-Wan’s encounter with diner owner Dex, one of the better prequel CGI characters and his exchange with the Jedi librarian and Yoda. Obi-Wan’s subplot gets even more entertaining when he travels to the clone colony of Kamino and meets the mysterious cloners and the clone base model, the bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison). While Lucas was still working the out the kinks in making the CGI backdrops and worlds look less like a video game and more a natural part of the environment, the locations this time are much more engaging. Coruscant’s planet wide city is such an interesting concept and the ever present speeders clogging the airwaves and Las Vegas like florescent lights in the night scenes really helps provide a distinct and memorable setting.
Kamino is my favorite though with the rain-drenched planet contrasting the pure white brilliance interiors of the Kamino clone facility. While it’s hard to top The Imperial March or Duel of the Fates, John Williams’ score, particularly Across the Stars, is exceptional and one of my favorite of the series. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The machinations of the series’ main villain continue undetected due to the massive diversion of the separatists. This subtle story arc is unquestionably one of the aspects of the prequels Lucas handled perfectly. I appreciated Lucas benching Jar Jar Binks for much of the movie, only using the reviled character as the unwitting pawn that sows the seeds for The Empire. Jar Jar was never going to be the charming, lovable comedic character Lucas envisioned and against the odds, AOTC manages to make him somewhat sympathetic. Lucas and co-screenwriter Jonathan Hales had to keep the mystery intact, but I wouldn’t have complained if Dooku and Jango, two of the series’ better villains, had more screen time.
And seriously, Christopher Lee as a Sith Lord is just amazingly inspired casting. On the action front, Lucas doesn’t just wait until the final act to bring some excitement kicking off the film with a chase sequence, the first extended Jedi vs. bounty hunter battle leading to that spectacular final act on Geonosis. Seeing the Clone Wars unfold on the big screen is an impressive sight reflecting a massive improvement over the inconsistently CGI creatures from earlier in the film. The Geonosis Arena Battle also helped to underscore the importance of the Clone Army. The Jedi prove more than capable battling several hundreds of the duck-billed battle droids and the souped up super battle droids, but dealing with several thousand? All it takes is one stray laser blast for a Jedi to fall. With Jar Jar on the sidelines, Lucas still wanted to provide some element of humor so he put C-3P0 in that role of forced, goofy comic relief. While 3P0’s adventures in the droid factory are kinda fun, intercutting his zany mishaps in getting his head back on his body against the very serious battle in the arena is a major clash in tone.