Reviews by Matt

I had fun doing this last year so I figured why not do it this year too. Below you will find my list of the top 10 movies of 2008. This is not a list of the best movies of the year mind you, it is is simply the best of movies I have reviewed. I have seen others, but I have not reviewed them. (Namely the amazing "In Bruges" and a smaller but still very good movie called "Red Belt" both of which are worth your time). Sadly, I also do not have the chance to see all the really good movies that come out. There are a bunch out now that I really want to see, but I will just have to wait until DVD for them. But let's face it, how many lists can you see the same movies on over and over before you get sick of seeing them. Look at this as your chance to see a unique look at the movies of the year.

10) Definitely, Maybe-This was my surprise movie of the year. I was not expecting to like this movie this much. It was more than your standard romantic comedy. It was not a will he end up with they girl story, it was a which girl will he end up with story. When I saw it I could not believe how much I liked this movie. It takes a lot for me to honestly enjoy a romantic comedy and this did it incredibly well.

9) Tropic Thunder-This one was tough to place. I this was really funny, but not as funny as the other comedy residing higher on this list. It was a satirical look at Hollywood and, ironically some of the actors are guilty of being the people they were mocking (Jack Black). I loved Robert Downey Jr as the method actor who gets his skin dyed so he can play a black man. He even stayed in character for the commentary on the DVD (which I have not heard yet). The one negative thing I have to say about it is that I think they thought the movie was funnier than it really was.

8) Cloverfield-I know people who hated this movie. I liked it for the unusual filming style: shaky hand-held camera. The idea of having a monster movie NOT be about the monster was a great idea and they pulled it off really well. If it had been filmed the traditional way, the suspense would have been gone. Yes, my neck was sore for a few days after because I kept straining it..I guess I was hoping that I could move the camera just by moving my head. Apparently that does not work.

7) The Bank Job-This is proof that Jason Statham can act, he just needs to pick the right movie. It was one of the better heist movies that I have seen. It was not about the heist, it was about what happened after. Not many heist movies take less than half the movie to show the heist in progress. On a personal note, this was my first review that was published in a real paper and while I was not a big fan of the review I wrote, it was still very cool to see it published.

6) Forgetting Sarah Marshall-The funniest movie I saw all year and, at the time, it was the funniest I had seen in a very long time. Jason Segal starred in and wrote a very funny movie that had some heart. The standout was Russell Brand as Aldus Snow. He was a cool idiot. He essentially stole Peter's girlfriend and yet Peter cannot help but like the guy. He is just so cool that Peter likes him even though he has every reason to hate him. Yes the movie was raunchy, but it had a point. It was not just about cursing and pushing the envelope, there is a little heart behind it. It makes this list because it was the funniest movie I saw this year and I actually went to see it twice in the theater. It was just as funny the second time as it was the first. The humor may not be for everyone, but it was just what I needed after a semester of so-so movies.

5) Iron Man-This was the best comic book movie since "Batman Begins" and would have been the best comic book movie of the year were it not for "The Dark Knight." Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice for Tony Stark. The origin story was one of the best in a while. The action was good, but the final battle was anticlimactic. The sequel has been given the go-ahead and will be out in about two years and I cannot wait.

4) WALL-E-Pixar does it again. They made a movie about a lonely robot with virtually no human voices and they made it interesting and fantastic in its simplicity. There is something sweet about the robot who has developed a personality and just wants someone to keep him company. If you read too much into it, the movie may seem like environmentalist propaganda, but that is a stretch. It is a kids movie. Do you really think that kids are going to understand that message? They are too busy watching a robot and laughing at his actions to realize any kind of message.

3) Slumdog Millionaire-This and the top two are hard to place. All are worthy of being put at No.1, but, for reasons I will explain, this is takes a respectable third. It is the ultimate underdog story. No one believes in this kid. He should not even be on the show, but destiny seems to want him to win the top prize. I loved the way it showed the question and how and where in his hard life he learned the answer. The character development was another high point--especially Jamal's brother, Salim. I had heard so many good things about this that I was worried it was not going to live up to the hype and happily I was wrong. It is both the classic underdog story as well as a classic love story and yet was more. Only one other time have I ever said "go see this movie." I don't like saying it because it takes away from the review. This time I have to implore you-Go see this movie.

2)The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-This is a new edition to the list. I saw it and I absolutely loved it. I placed "Slumdog" at number three because as much as I loved it, I was slightly disappointed. "Benjamin Button" on the other hand does not. It is close to three hours long and does not feel like it. It moves fast enough to keep it interesting, but still has great character development. The theme of the movie is even more uplifting than "Slumdog's" victorious underdog. What "Benjamin Button" tells you is that it is never too late to do start over and do what you want. All through the movie was see Benjamin doing things he wants and enjoys. He works on a tug boat and travels the world. He makes the most of his life no matter the age he looks or really is. While the full review may not be up until 09, this had to be added because it deserves recognition.

1) The Dark Knight-With out a doubt this had to be my number one. I was blown away by Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker and that is why it is at No. 1. I saw it in IMAX and loved it even more. It will get some Oscar nominations and I hope it gets some wins. Even with the pall of Ledger's death looming, the performance and the movie are brilliant. It has broken box office records, has racked up nearly one billion world wide and proves that a comic book movie can be smart. This is what happens when you get a smart script and great actors for the roles. I hope this gets at least a nomination for Best Picture and had better be a win for Ledger. This would legitimize comic book movies and mean that, when done right, can be more than just a box office success.

I am a movie buff. I look at many movie websites on a daily basis. I listen to movie/dvd podcasts. I keep myself up to date on all the big movies and movie news because it is something I enjoy. During awards season I read and hear about a lot of the Oscar hopefuls. This year the ones I have heard a lot about are “The Wrestler,” “Doubt,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” just to name a few. While I want to see all of these, none interested me more than “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is just one question away from winning 20 million rupees on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” He would be the first person to win the show’s top prize. By all accounts he should not be there. He is a slumdog. He grew up in one of the slums in India. Society does not expect much of him and he will not amount to anything. So how did he get there?

The answers to all the questions lie somewhere in his past. From watching his mother get murdered to life in an orphanage where he was exploited to make money to riding the rails with his brother to scamming tourists. In other words: destiny.

One of the things I loved about this movie was how it was edited. It is not something I usually talk about in my reviews but it played a huge part in my enjoyment of the movie. The movie opens with Jamal being questioned by the police. He is suspected of cheating. As is pointed out to him, doctors and lawyers have never gotten past 60,000. He and the police watch the tape of the show and the police ask him how he knew that. He then tells them how and the focus shifts to the past and we see the event in Jamal’s life where the answer was. I liked this shift in time and it made the story telling all the more interesting.

The only reason Jamal goes on the show is the hope that Latika is watching. Jamal, Salim and Latika live together when they are orphaned. Latika does not make the escape from the orphanage with them, but Jamal still remembers her. He runs into her a few more times as he grows up and still loves her as much as he did when he first saw her. One time he sees she is watching “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and that is why he goes on the show. He hopes that if he stays on long enough that she will see him and they can be together.

Small side note. This should not have been rated “R.” There is hardly any offensive language and I have seen more violent and disturbing images in PG-13 movies—“The Dark Knight” comes to mind.

I was worried that the hype behind Slumdog Millionaire” would taint my viewing of it. I worried that if I did not like it that I was missing something. At first I was slightly disappointed, but as I thought about the movie I loved it more and more. I was able to enjoy it for what it was and see why the critics loved it. I can only recall one other time in over 100 reviews that I have ever said that the reader should see the movie. I like to let them decide that for themselves. Not this time folks: go see this movie. You will thank me later.



9 out of 10
Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language.
120 min

I can remember when I went to see “Casino Royale.” It was a 10 p.m. showing right before Thanksgiving break. I had no expectations for this movie. I had not really liked the last few Bond films and did not think this would do anything to help. I did not think Daniel Craig was cut out to be James Bond. He was never struck me as a guy who could pull it off. I was wrong. I loved it and not only was it one of my favorite Bond movies; it became one of my favorite movies. That brings me to “Quantum of Solace.”

As hard as it is to usually write a coherent plot synopsis, this is going to be damn near impossible. I have no real idea what happened, but I will so my best. After the death of Vesper, Bond (Daniel Craig) is out for revenge. He is willing to fight whoever he has to in order to get to the people responsible. Lot of action, other characters are introduced, some other stuff happens and it leads to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). Greene is a humanitarian (or so it seems) who has found a natural resource and wants to control it.

That is what it boils down to.

I knew this was not going to be as good as “Casino Royale.” That being said, this was, at best, a decent movie. I enjoyed the action and the elements of the story I could understand, but that was about it.

Craig was good as Bond. That was never in doubt. He continues to give Bond a Jason Borne-inspired grittiness. He is as likely to use his fists as his mind to get out of trouble.

The Bond girls were underused, which was the case in the majority of the other Bond movies. Vesper was a great Bond girl, she had a purpose for being there and has substance. Sadly in this movie they are nothing more than eye candy.

Bond girls I can understand, but when you have an actor the caliber or Jeffrey Wright. He returned as CIA agent Felix Leiter.
Wright is a great actor and he had nothing to do in this movie. I cannot even really tell you why the CIA has a part in this movie (not for fear of spoiling the movie, but because I really don’t remember). I do think he will have a larger part in the next movie because of the events that end the movie.

I wish that this had lived up to the hype of its predecessor, but it falls far short. The plot is hard to follow and it wastes a lot of potential. There will be at least two more with Craig and hopefully they can redeem this less-than-stellar second outing.

I just have to vent one more thing-the song for this movie was the absolute worst I have ever heard. It was really hard to sit through the opening credits, which are usually interesting to watch. And can someone watch the movie and explain to me what the title means?

6 out of 10
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

There has yet to be a Pixar movie that I have not liked. They can do no wrong and this summer they took a huge risk and it paid off. That movie was “WALL-E.” It is over 40 minuets until a human voice is heard yet it is still one of the best Pixar movies.

Wall-E is a robot whose only purpose is to clean up trash. When the earth has become too crowded with people and trash, humans leave and head out into space. There is just one thing they forgot: to shut down WALL-E. Left alone on earth, WALL-E does what he is programmed to do: clean.

Over the years he has developed a personality and started collecting things he found interesting in the trash. One day a ship lands and drops off EVE. This new robot fascinates WALL-E and he falls in love. EVE has been sent to earth to see if it can sustain life.

There is more to it, but I am just going to leave it at that.

I need to say right off that “The Incredibles” is still my favorite Pixar movie, but this came damn close to knocking it down to number two.

The fact that they made this movie as amazing as they did is just proof that Pixar can do no wrong. The movie is made up of sound effects. There are human characters but they make up a small percent of the movie. WALL-E, EVE and the other robots are the stars and they do not speak. With the exception of names and a few various words, it is all sounds.

The movie looks great too. Its movies like these that make me wish I had a Blu Ray player. I can only imagine how it looks in high definition.

How Pixar manages to raise the bar with every movie continues to astonish me. Ever since “Toy Story” they have shown what an animated movie can be. Few movies can even come close to the beauty in story, character and look of a Pixar movie. I do not know what they have in mind for their next project, but I look forward to it with great anticipation.


9 out of 10
98 min
Rated G

The last time I reviewed a CD, I trashed it. It was a lot of fun, probably the most fun I have had while writing a review. This time thought it is different. I absolutely love this CD. Not only is the first CD that I have bought in years (with iTunes and other less legal means there is no need to go out and buy a CD) and it was worth it. The band is Band from TV and their first album “Hoggin’ All the Covers” is simply amazing.

I could give you details about the band, but instead, since I am digging this video thing, I will let Greg Grunberg explain:


This is not your typical band. The band members are actors who are using this as a way to raise money for charity. The band consists of drummer Greg Grunberg (Mind reader Matt Parkman on “Heroes,”) pianist Hugh Laurie (House from “House”) James Denton (of “Desperate Housewives” fame,) on guitar and singers Bob Guiney (from “The Batchlor”,) and Bonnie Somerville who gained fame as a singer with her song “Winding Road” on the soundtrack for “Garden State.”

These are not just actors who are doing this just for more fame. They are great at it and all the money from this CD/DVD goes to the charities they support.

The highlights of “Hoggin’ All The Covers” are many. I love every track on the album. Each shows the talent that these actors have. The songs reflect a range of tastes and styles ranging from country to rock to R&B.
Somerville has an amazing voice. It shines in her renditions of “Piece of My Heart” and “Lean on Me.” The latter, showcasing Laurie on piano, is one of the best on the album and one of the best versions I have ever heard.

Some of the other highlights are Laurie’s “Goodnight Irene,” and Denton’s “Papa Loved Mama” and the closing track “Shake Your Tailfeather”

All the tracks are great. Each shows just how talented they are. They are having fun and you can hear that in the songs and the banter between songs. It is a rare thing for me to buy a CD and this one was worth it. I know the money I spent is going to some good causes. On the DVD that accompanies the CD, there is a feature where Grunberg talks passionately about his experience with autism and why he chose to support Autism Speaks.

Rarely do I buy a CD, mostly because there is nothing worth listening to, so when I do it has to be something special. This is worth it and it makes it even better that it goes to charity and not to paying for a new gold plated toilet

Jack is back. And I could not be happier. Television needs a good swift kick in the ass and Jack is just the man for the job. It is about time for a show that just has some good action, drama and a man with a satchel of doom.

“24: Redemption” picks up three years after the seventh season ended. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has been around the world doing what he wants and for the past year has been avoiding a subpoena from the Senate to answer for what he has done. He is in Africa with a friend, Carl Benton (Robert Carlyle), of his who runs a school for boys. Colonel Juma (Tony Todd) and his men are going into villages and taking boys to turn into soldiers for their cause. When they come to the school and Jack does what he does best; kick ass.

Meanwhile in the United States President-Elect Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) is about to be sworn in as president. Current President Noah Daniels (Powers Booth) is dealing with the uprising in Africa.

As a huge fan of the show, I could not contain my smile as I heard Jack Bauer say, “The following takes place between 2:00 p.m. and 3 p.m. Events occur in real time.” Its good to hear you again Jack, I missed you.

As a stand alone movie this does not work. As a prequel to the seventh season of the show, it is perfect.

It does a great job of introducing the characters who are going to be a part of the new season come January. The new president, who seems to be headed in a David Palmer direction, a shady man—quite possibly the villain of the season played by Jon Voight, the first family, the military commander leading the coup. All of these characters could make the season very interesting.

Action has always been the name of the game in “24” and it is at its best in “Redemption.” Jack has noting but two pistols and a few stick of dynamite as he takes on the rebels who invaded the camp. That is all he needs. He does what he does best, improvise and survive.

Granted if you have been paying attention, you know how this is going to end. Jack will rescue the kids and because of that he will end up having to go back to the States to face the charges. That does not make it any less intriguing. Jack is always fun to watch and he always gets the job in his own special, often violent way.

There is just something about having “24” back that makes me happy. I don’t have to theorize about it, all I have to do is watch. It is a wild thrill ride and has kept things interesting, if not always good.

Now all I have to do is wait until January to see season seven.

I have been hearing a lot of negative things about this season of “Heroes” and quite frankly I am getting sick of it. Even with all its faults, it is still one of the best shows on television.

People have complained that things are getting too confusing, they storylines are not as strong and the show has lost the direction it had in the first season. A few weeks ago Entertainment Weekly published an article on how they could fix “Heroes” It sighted five reasons why the show has been dropping in the ratings: Too many heroes, absurd plot twists, over heightened reality, stale storytelling and the show is too disposable.

As much as I love the show, I think “Lost” is also partially to blame for the current state of “Heroes”. There is a lot of crossover between “Heroes” fans and “Lost” fans: me included. When it comes right down to it, “Lost” is the superior show. The story progression and writing are the best on television. They have the benefit of knowing when the show will end. ABC has scheduled the show for the next two years with 18 episodes a season.

I think “Heroes” would do well to do the same. Not to end the show for good like “Lost,” but wrap up these characters. I agree things are crowded on the show and they would do well to kill off characters or wrap up storylines. If each season was about different groups of heroes, it might keep the show fresh and new.

Yes, the show has its faults. Yes, there are things the show needs to do to fix it, but I still think the harsh criticism is a bit unwarranted.

I think things need to play out before a fair judgment can be made. No one dispensing the criticism knows when the end game for this volume is. Some of the things people gripe about (storylines, changes in character) could make the end all the better. I think that we need to see how it ends before we say that the show has lost its way.

“Heroes” is not a perfect show. The first season left a huge legacy to live up to, and the writer’s strike and the shortened weak second season has made many people jaded. The show may have lost its way but it is not beyond saving. If the creators and writers can tweak things just a little, they show can get back to what it once was. I will continue to support and defend the show. I like where the show is going and look forward to seeing how this volume ends.

Have you ever stopped to think about how many crime shows there are on television? Law and Order, Law and Order :SVU, Law and Order: CI, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Life (more on that one to come), and those are just the ones I can think of. It takes something special to stick out and separate itself from all the rest. One show that does that is “Bones”

I have had some free time lately and I watched the older seasons of “Bones” on Hulu and fell in love. “Bones” is better than most others like it. The cases are more interesting, the show is funnier, the chemistry between characters is better and the characters are easier to care about.

“Bones” is about forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel). She is the best in her field and works in Washington D.C. at The Jeffersonian Institute where she helps the FBI solve cases. She works with Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to solve some of the most gruesome crimes that fall under FBI jurisdiction.

The cases in this show are incredibility interesting. Bodies are found in all sorts of places, in all sorts of positions and situations. In this past season a body was found in a crushed car, in other seasons bodies, or body parts, were found in a bear, an alligator, walls and in a time capsule. One had victim was dressed as Santa, one as a superhero, one was found in the incinerator of the Jeffersonian. Complete skeletal remains were once found with hands and feet bound together making the body form a circle.


I think I have made my point.

The driving force behind the show is not the cases like other shows it is the relationships. Especially when it comes to that of Bones and Booth. Since day one it has seemed like that they were going to end up together. It may seem like the classic “will they won’t they” that many shows have, but they never have and I doubt they ever will. The relationship is very playful. She is a brilliant scientist who understands things from an anthropological standpoint. He is a tough-as-nails, witty, FBI agent who understands human nature. As smart as Bones is, she is lost when it comes to things like pop culture, FBI procedure, and dealing with the living.

So much is said with just the looks that these two give one another. They clearly are about one another, but they have never crossed the professional line. While this would be annoying in most shows, I think it works really well in this show. They do not need to end up together in order to make the relationship better. It just as fun to watch them as merely partners, they do not need to be more.

The backgrounds on all the characters are fascinating. Booth is a former army sniper who is not comfortable with what he had to do for his country. Bones was in the foster system after her parents left her and her brother when they were young. It is easy to care about these characters. Over the pervious seasons we have been given details on their backgrounds. In season two, the body of Bones’ mother was found which eventually lead to the appearance of her father. He became a bigger part in the show when he killed the crooked head of the FBI because he had sent people after his children.

There is so much good about this show. It is one of the best shows you are not watching. Even though it is a show you don’t have to watch every week, I still do because it is that good.

Watch “Bones” on Fox every Wed at 8 p.m.

I recently started re-watching “24.” This is for a few reasons, one because the new season starts in January and it has been a while since I watched the old seasons. The television movie will air in about 2 weeks. The other is because over a year ago I began a quest to watch every DVD I own and those will go a long way in finishing my adventure. This has gotten me thinking about the precedent that this show has set.

When it was first aired in 2001, the premise was nothing like television had ever seen. The show followed counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer over one whole day in his life. He and the rest of CTU are trying to figure out who is trying to assassinate David Palmer, a presidential candidate who eventually went on to win the election. Those behind the assassination attempt kidnap Bauer’s wife and daughter in order to get him to do what they want.

The show became a hit as millions tuned in weekly to see if and how Jack would ultimately prevail. There is more the show can claim than huge ratings. It is the reason we have shows like “Lost,” “Heroes,” and all the other shows that require weekly viewing. My love of shows like “Lost” and “Heroes” is well known and that can all be traced back to “24.”

Even at its worst, the show is still better most. I have not been the biggest fan of the past 2 seasons, but there is something that keeps me watching.

In season two Jack’s daughter Kim had an almost un-watchable story, at one point she gets stalked by a cougar, but the main story of the nuclear bomb threat was enough to make up for it. Season three again suffered from a forced Kim storyline. The last season had so much internal backstabbing in the White House that it weakened the rest of the season.

So why do I still love this show? Where “Lost” and “Heroes” are full of questions and theories, “24” does not. It relies on suspense, action, and Jack Bauer doing what it takes to do his job to keep the viewer coming back.

Last year’s writer’s strike resulted in no news season. The network said that they did not want to air a partial season. It was all or nothing. The strike lasted long enough to keep the show out of production.

The father of serial television returns with “24: Redemption” on Nov. 23. This will do something never done in “24” history; abandon the 24 hour time format. It will be the prequel to the events that will occur on Jan. 11 when the seventh season of “24” begins. From what I have seen from the trailer of the movie, I am not expecting much. The trailer for the season though looks awesome and it looks like the show is back in true form.

Stay tuned. I will be reviewing both the movie and the new season in the near future and be sure to check out the trailers for "24:Redemption" and season seven which i have added below

And the award for disappointment of the new television season goes to…“Fringe.” It does not mean that this is going to be a negative review, just one where I was expecting it to be better than it is.

Seeing as my career track in no longer this, I will make the synopsis short. Remember the television show “The X-Files?” Think of this show as that just less monsters and more strange experiments and odd occurrences.
The hype for this show was huge. It was supposed to be the penultimate show for the fall season. It is good. I enjoy watching it and catch it week to week, I was just expecting more.

Lately the show has been getting better. The overarching mystery is making more of an appearance and that makes the show more interesting. What they call “The Pattern” is coming. FBI Agent Olivia Duhamn (Ana Torv,) Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and his father Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) are the team in charge of figuring out what is happening.

The title comes from the term fringe science. All the events that occur in the show falls into this area. In one episode a baby is born and ages until it dies all within a matter of hours, last week a man was given power over electricity, this week's episode had a medical company making people into human nuclear weapons.

The show finds humor in odd places. Walter was in a mental institution before being let out to help the FBI. He does not always say the most appropriate things for the situations they find themselves in. In one episode Peter pulls a hand in a jar out of Walter’s car. He asks, “Someone you know?” as he holds it up. Walter says, “I certainly hope not.”
It is not the best show on television, but it is at least entertaining enough to keep me coming back. I have hopes that the mystery of “The Pattern” will pay off in the end. I look forward to see where it is going.

“Fringe” airs every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m on Fox

Seeing as this movie came out over two months ago, I will keep this short.

Hancock (Will Smith) is a superhero who is in need of a new public image. He drinks all the time and is careless when saving people or helping out the police. He does not care that people hate him. When he saves Ray Embry (Jason Batman) a public relations practitioner, he gets the help he needs.

Will Smith does a good job, as per usual.

Charlize Theron slums it in this movie, but still delivers a lackluster performance.

Jason Batman is pretty funny though he is not given much to work with.

The special effects were just alright, nothing exciting and nothing worth talking about.

What I did notice was that the movie did not really know what type of movie it wanted to be. The first 20 minutes or so were a comedy. Then it became an action movie. Then it became a drama. Now cross genres is nothing new for movies but in those cases there are elements of whatever genres throughout the entire movie. In “Hancock” it was solely comedy, drama or action. It was painfully obvious the switch from one genre to the other and it took you out of the movie.

I did enjoy the movie but the lack of a coherent genre made it harder. It is not Smith’s best work, but it is a far from his worst. Save your money and just wait for it on cable.

7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language.
92 min

Last year I said that I did not think “Heroes” would hit the sophomore slump that “Lost did. I was wrong. In a television season cut short by the writer’s strike, “Heroes” lost its way. Something needed to happen to get the show back on track. In that respect the strike was a good thing, because this season looks to be getting it to what made it good in the first season.

The first two episodes of the season felt more like season one episodes, and that is what gives me hope for this season. The new volume (Heroes is broken up like a comic book with volumes that contain chapters) is called Villains. This season is supposed to introduce the viewers to more villains and shifts will happen within the characters we already know.

Things look to be a little bit darker this season. We have been given a glimpse of two different futures and things are not looking good. In one those with powers are captured and experimented on and in the other the villains have taken over and are killing the heroes left and right. Will one of these futures come true or will events transpire that brings about a completely different future?

This season looks to challenge those on the side of good. The villains are out there and it looks like are a powerful bunch and the heroes will need to band together to defeat them.

“Heroes” continues to be one of the better shows on television. There are questions that need to be answered and things that need to be resolved. The writers and creators have used the strike to get the show back to what it does best, create intriguing storylines and characters that the viewers care about.

“Heroes” airs on Mondays at 9 pm on NBC.

As much as I miss it, there are some advantages to not working at the school paper. One is that the pressure is off. I do not have to fill the entire section by myself, so I do not have to see bad movies or force myself to watch television shows. I can do what I want, about what I want without worrying about whether I could fill two pages.

The thing I want to start with is “How I Met Your Mother” or as fans of the show call it “HIMYM.”

The basic story of the show is Ted Mosby in 2030 (played only in voice by Bob Saget) telling his two children the story of how he met their mother.

Over the past three seasons we have seen Ted (Josh Radnor) search for “the one” and become the man he was when he met his wife. He has been helped/hindered by perpetual bachelor Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), his long time friends and Marshall (Jason Segal), his fiancée/wife Lilly (Alyson Hannigan) and Ted’s ex-girlfriend Robin (Cobie Smulders).

This past Monday’s season premiere we get the answer to season three’s cliffhanger. Ted had just asked Stella (Sarah Chalke) to marry him and she gave him her answer. Meanwhile, Lilly helps Barney with his new found feelings for Robin.

The star of the show is Barney and Neil Patrick Harris plays him brilliantly. He steals every scene he has. Barney is a cocky and womanizing, but Harris plays his with such charm that he is not a despicable guy. You cannot help but love him.

This is one of the funniest shows on television. The characters are all great. They each have their own staring moments, even if Barney does tend to out act most of them. The idea of a love story in reverse is a new and brilliant take on the sitcom genre. We all know how it is going to end, it is just a matter of who Ted ends up marrying.

In a time where serialized dramas are all over the place and sitcoms are few and far between (unless you happen to watch a lot of CBS, which has the most sitcoms of any major network) it is nice to see a new take on the genre.

HIMYM is worth watching. It is a smart, edgy, inventive, hilarious sitcom. It continues to get better and better with each and every episode. It could easily become a classic and could continue for years if the viewers are there.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs every Monday on CBS at 8:30

Last fall the writers of Hollywood went on strike. It sucked. There was one good thing that came out of the whole thing, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.”

Joss Whedon, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and my personal favorite, “Firefly”, wrote this while he and his writing brethren were fighting for more money.

Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) wants to get into the Evil League of Evil. There is one thing standing in his way, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). As he works to rule the world he pines for Penny (Felicia Day), a woman he sees at the Laundromat.

He has never spoken to her, but wants to. One day, while in the middle of a heist, he inadvertently drives the woman of his dreams into the arms of his arch-nemesis.

Demoralized and pressured from The League, he decides he has to destroy Hammer and take over the world in order to get Penny back.

Oh yea and it is a musical.

Whedon financed “Horrible” without the help of a studio and that allowed him to do whatever he wanted. This was only released online and only for about a week for free. It was available for download on iTunes and can currently be watched on hulu.com.

The day part one was first available the site crashed because of the traffic the release generated. Even sites about Dr. Horrible crashed. It was number one on iTunes for five weeks. It shows just how rabid the Whedon fans are.

“Horrible” is a funny look at a villain trying to make a name for himself. He is an evil genius, but cannot talk to Penny. Neil Patrick Harris has a great voice and has the acting talent to match. The way he portrays Dr. Horrible with just a touch of awkwardness makes the character who he is and is the reason we root for him. That contrasted with the cocky, conceded Captain Hammer gives the viewer all the more reason to want to see the hero defeated.

As I looked at a lot of what people said about this, one thing I noticed is everyone seems to hate Penny. They say she is under developed and ends up as a weak and useless character. Wheadon is all about the strong female characters (Buffy and River spring to mind). Penny plays a huge part in the development of Dr. Horrible. She is the reason he does what he does. So what if she is not beating people up or if she does not do much in terms of moving the plot directly, but then again, she is not the main character.

“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” can be seen at www.hulu.com/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog or downloaded on iTunes.

I will admit that this is my second attempt at this review. I tried about a month ago-at least it feels like a month. It was more like two and a half to three weeks ago. As many of you know I currently an unemployed and am working out the details of my life. There are days when it is all too overwhelming to do anything productive and my first attempt was on one of those days.

That is neither here nor there. I merely mentioned it to point out that as fun as reviewing movies can be, one has to be in the right frame of mind to do it.


“Tropic Thunder” is the story of the most expensive war movie ever made. When director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) finds that just days into shooting he is a month behind and millions over budget he takes desperate measures. He takes his stars into the heart of the Vietnamese jungle. Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr), Jeff Portney (Jack Black), Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) and Kevin Sundusky (Jay Brauchel) all look forward to shooting the movie guerrilla-style.

When Tugg is captured by a group of drug making rebels who live in the very area they are shooting in, it is up to the others to free him before it is too late.

As much as it annoys me, I do love it when a movie stirs up controversy. It proves my point that most people need to lighten up and not become so outraged so easily. In “Tropic Thunder” the bone of contention is the use of the word “retard.” The word is used in a conversation between Tugg and Kirk about actors who play mentally challenged people in a movie and win Oscars. It is not used to offend, but to mock the actors who play those types of characters.

If you are going to see this movie (and I know the majority of you reading this will not) here are the two things to watch for. Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise.

Downey plays a method actor who, to get the role of the black sergeant, undergoes surgery to dye his skin the appropriate color. He never breaks character and at times is a bit on the raciest side with his mannerisms and choice of words. That said he is one of the funniest parts of this movie. He brings the family of the soldier he is portraying with him to Vietnam and treats them as a father and husband would. They extent that he goes to be this man is a lot of fun to watch.

The other thing to watch for is the cameo from Tom Cruise. He plays the studio executive in charge of the movie. He is crass, foul-mouthed and the very antithesis of Cruise. I called this his career redeeming performance and I stick to it. Cruise needed this more than anything. He showed he has a sense of humor and can laugh at himself.

Other than that the movie was lacking in humor. I liked it, but there could have been more comedy. There were plenty of failed jokes and sometimes they were trying too hard for it to work.

8 out of 10
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material.
107 min

I have seen and been to a lot of movies. I have waited months for a movie to come out and have been there at midnight to be one of the first to see it. I have followed all the news on the production, casting news and looked at photos of the set so grainy they had to have been taken on a cell phone. I can honestly say that I have never been more excited for a movie than I was, and still am, for “The Dark Knight”

The second installment in the Batman reboot finds the caped crusader still hard at work to clean up the streets of Gotham City. The new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), is leading the charge to get the mob off the streets while Batman (Christian Bale) and Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) continue their partnership.

Meanwhile a new villain is making his mark on the city. The Joker (Heath Ledger) convinces the mob families that the only way they would be able to stay in business would be to kill Batman. His plan is to throw the city into chaos and use that chaos to kill Batman.

Wayne struggles with what the Joker is doing and with the choices he will have to make in order to stop him. He knows that Batman cannot have limits but Bruce Wayne can and that he might not be able to do what is necessary to stop The Joker.

Wow. Simply and plainly put. I was tempted to just have that one word be my review. It would save me from having to write a synopsis (always the hardest part of the reviews) and would save you from having to read my rambling. Then I realized there is just too much to say.

The most pressing thing is the performance of Heath Ledger. As many know he died of an accidental drug overdose in January. The most powerful thing about him in this movie is that he disappears into The Joker. He is incredibly creepy, disturbing and psychotic, in a word; brilliant. It is a testament to the actor he was and would have continued to be. He gave The Joker little ticks and voice fluctuations and that is what makes this one of the greatest performances. Even with the pall of his death not once did I see the actor, I only saw the character. That is just how powerful a performance this truly was.

The other performance that seems to have been overshadowed by the Heath Ledger hype is that of Aaron Eckhart. This movie is really about Harvey Dent’s transformation into the villain Two-Face. Early on Bruce sees Dent as a way to leave Batman behind. As Batman he works with Dent to bring down the mob. Eckhart plays the role of Dent with a lot of charisma so much so that it is shocking to see Dent become the villain, Two-Face and completely change his views. He goes from a man who believes in justice to a man full of anger and willing to take a life all based on a coin flip. Eckhart plays both roles with such ease.

The action sequences are amazing, especially in IMAX. Pay the $10.50 and see it on an IMAX screen, you will not be disappointed. Many of the action sequences were filmed with IMAX film and to see car chases, bank heists, Batman glide from one building to another to get the bad guy are all the better with the IMAX quality picture and sound.

I do have one bone to pick. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who took Katie Holmes’ role of Rachel Dawes, is a great actress. She was not given much to do in this movie. Here was a chance to give the character more depth and substance and it was missed. Gyllenhaal’s talent is squandered in her first big budget movie. She has been great in so many smaller movies that it is a shame to see the lost potential.

I have now seen “The Dark Knight” twice and plan on at least one more before it leaves the theater. It is not a movie, it is a film. It is art. The performances are as great as any of last years Oscar contenders, the effects are some of the best and the story further proves why the darker Batman is the way to go. If this is not on your summer must-see list then is should be. For me it is worth the wait.

10 out of 10
PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace
Runtime: 2 hrs 32 mins

By this time the majority of you who read this blog (I really hate calling it that) know my stance on musicals. Yes I have made light of the fact that as a guy, musicals are off limits, yes I make jokes about “man cards” being taken away just because I saw a musical. The truth of the matter is I like musicals. I find them entertaining and they do the same job they did back in the 20s and 30s. They are an escape from everyday life. I say all this so that you know I am not using the fact that I am a guy as an excuse.

“Mamma Mia!,” based on the hit Broadway play that used the music of pop super group ABBA, is about a young girl, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who is about to get married. Her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), has raised her by herself all while running a hotel on an island in Greece. The one thing Sophie wants more than anything is to meet her father. She finds her mothers diary and narrows it down to three men; Bill (Stellan Skarsgård,) Harry (Colin Firth,) and Sam (Peirce Brosnan).

Unbeknownst to her mother, she invites all three to her wedding in hopes of having her real father walk her down the aisle. It becomes more complicated when she meets them and still has no idea who it is.

I have some issues with this movie and we will get to that in just a moment. First though, the good stuff.

The two standouts of the movie are Seyfried and Streep. They both deliver good performances and can sing with enough talent to get through the movie with ease. They both have the majority of the singing to do and nail it each and every time.

Being I am more a drama guy than a musical one, I loved the relationship between mother and daughter. They are very close, but each is keeping a secret from the other. Sophie does not tell her mother she invited her “fathers” and Donna does not want her daughter to know that her “fathers” are at the hotel. The way they both tiptoed around the issue and worked to keep the three men hidden from the other was interesting. Sophie loves her mother very much and wants to stay near her, but she also wants her own life. Donna knows she will have to let go eventually, but does not want to.

Now for the bad. Pierce Brosnan cannot sing to save his life. It was so bad I wonder how much he had to bribe the director to be in the movie. It is fine if he is in the chorus, but he has two solos/ duets.

ABBA was one of the most popular pop groups ever and it is reflected in their music. It is all pop. The problem is I hate pop music. Some songs were catchy enough that I may still be humming them silently to myself, but most just annoyed the hell out of me.

I will openly admit to liking musicals but I have to draw the line somewhere. While certain performances were good, most were not. Some songs I liked, but most I did not. It did not blow me away and to be honest, I could have waited until a car ride to Columbus to see it on DVD. Long and short of it is, “Mamma Mia” is just not my type of musical.

6 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for some sex-related comments
1 hr 48 mins

Back in 2003, amid the flurry of superhero movies that were being released a movie that would become the standard of how not to make a comic book movie hit the theaters. It was “The Hulk.”

Critics and fans hated it.

Director Ang Lee said it almost killed his career.

So why would another one even be attempted?

In my opinion a few reasons: the newly formed Marvel Studios wanted to show how they wanted thier character done, and two, if the Avengers movie is going to happen, people need to like the Hulk.

Plus with Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/ The Hulk, how could it not be good?

“The Incredible Hulk” follows Bruce Banner (Norton) as he is in hiding in Brazil. He has removed himself from society because when he gets angry, another side of him comes out, a side best kept hidden. As he works on finding a cure for the gamma radiation the United States government is hunting him. General Ross (William Hurt) and his team will not stop until Banner is in custody. He enlists the help of Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) in the hopes of getting Banner back to the States.


When Blonsky sees what Banner becomes he wants in on exactly why the US wants Banner. General Ross arranges for Blonsky to get injected with a subatance that will make him as powerful as The Hulk. He begins to want more and eventually becomes Abomination and lets loose on New York City. The only thing that can stop him is what lies inside Banner.

This is not a sequel. It is a reboot of a franchise. What “Batman Begins” did for Batman, this is supposed to do for The Hulk. At least for me, it has worked.

They took what was an easily forgettable movie and made it better. I was ready to write this off as another crappy comic book movie and was not planning on seeing it save one reason; Edward Norton.

I will admit it, I have a man crush on Norton. He is an amazing actor and makes everything he is in better just because he is in it. Movies like “Fight Club,” “American History X,” “The 25th Hour” just to name a few were all the better because of him. He plays a much better Bruce Banner than Eric Bana did in the 2003 version. Norton’s Banner knows that for the safety of all, he must stay hidden. He does not want to risk hurting people when he loses control. He chooses a life of solitude. While in Brazil he works at a bottling plant and sees a female coworker being harassed by a group of men. He walks away, knowing that if he gets involved there may be a chance of The Hulk making an unwelcome appearance. He rethinks it and helps her. He is on the verge of becoming the Hulk when the foreman intervenes.

Where the movie really separates itself from the 2003 version is in the look. Just look at how the new Hulk looks compared to the older one. This Hulk looks less like a cartoon and more realistic.

They even have some fun at the expense of some of the classic Hulk iconography. Banner is show a pair of purple pants by his former girlfriend Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler) and he says there is no way he is going to wear them. Even the classic “you won’t like me when I’m angry” gets a slight twist. When is confronts the group of men harassing the woman he tries to say it in Spanish, but instead says, “you won’t like me when I’m hungry.” Leaving the men very confused.

Is this an amazing comic book movie like “Iron Man?”
No.
Is it better than the 2003 version?
By leaps and bounds.
As with “Iron Man,” there is a scene that will eventually lead to a sequel, or in this case The Avengers movie. At the very end Tony “Iron Man” Stark shows up to talk about a team that is being put together.

8 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content
114 min