Firebreather Vs. Timecop

* = It's as if we need a holiday from a holiday...

The worst part about a holiday ‘weekend’ is coming back and being fried. I’m so tired I’m having trouble keeping my eyes focused on anything. I just keep reminding myself I just need to get through the day, it’s not difficult, it’s just exhausting.

I did get to watch quiet a bit of neat stuff over the ‘break’ though;
- Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part I (**** ½ out of 5) – Cassandra has literally been jumping with anticipation of seeing this flick for about four months, so we took some time post Black Friday shopping to take it in. Now while this is a very good flick, in fact borderline fantastic, it is a D-O-W-N-E-R-! I had heard it compared to Empire Strikes Back, and while they have similarities they are different beasts. Empire has some high points, some laughs, and a feeling like while things aren’t good there is hope. Deathly Hallows feels truly hopeless. It bludgeons you with just how overwhelmed, unorganized, and scared the protagonists are. There is a really effective torture scene as well, effective being that it was repulsive, masterful in that the vast majority of it is done off camera. This is a incredibly well crafted film, and part of a wickedly weaved tapestry that is infinitely fascinating in it’s audacious execution. Now I find myself anticipating Part II and FINALLY getting to see all of these villainous curs get their comeuppance.

- Young Justice (***** out of 5) – Pitch perfect DC Universe. That’s all I can really say. The art was fantastic, and I’m sorry Avengers, but the bar just got raised again and you’re beneath it. This was animation on par with DC’s Direct to DVD films, it was that good. Story wise it was a great set-up for the series kick-off in January. I found the main characters; Kid Flash, Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, and even the introduction to Miss Martian to be likable, different, and interesting. The League itself comes off as imposing, and somewhat invincible considering the sheer size and it’s make-up, I mean for gawd’s sake it’s got Hawkman & Captain Marvel in it. I loved the Speedy meltdown at the beginning & his leaving both Green Arrow and the ‘League’, it set a tone for the series. This simply took the superhero cartoon momentum that DC has been building and launches it into the stratosphere.

- Firebreather (*** ½ out of 5) – For those unfamiliar Firebreather is an Image comic put out by Phil Hester & Andy Kuhn. The premise is simple, super powered teen has trouble fitting in. The catch is outstanding; the boy is the son of his world’s King Of The Monsters. That’s right he’s basically Godzilla’s son! I was scratching my head a bit when I heard Cartoon Network was putting out a CGI movie of it, but was interested. I have to say it was a fun little flick. I loved that they kept Hester’s character designs as the basis, although everything felt a little stretched out and lanky. The story was good, and was an effective introduction to the principles, the conflict, and the world. The CGI animation was very good, and fit the superhero vs. giant monster vibe extremely well, while it did come off a bit wooden in the more character driven scenes. Overall this is a nice little flick that I thoroughly enjoyed and am eager to sit through again.

- Avengers, Earth’s Mightest Heroes “Gamma World” (*** ½ out of 5) – This show has built itself up into a juggernaut of Marvel nerdery wrapped in the shroud of ‘Old School’ comic sensibility. So when I saw that they were finally going back to the Cube breakout thread, as well as the Hawkeye Vs. Black Widow thread I was very excited. Unfortunately something got lost in the translation. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t bad, in fact it was very enjoyable, but when you’ve pushed the limit so far with this show to just get a ok episode(s) is disappointing. We do get a HUGE dose of the Leader, some background on the Abomination, Hawkeye and the Hulk, and Thor taking a hell of a beating. At the same time once we get past the initial assault on the Cube, the mutations, and the aftermath, the second part just sort of retells the same tale on a larger scale and I think that is what disappointed me. The lead up tease for December 5ths Masters Of Evil episode has me hoping for a strong rebound though. This show is the best thing Marvel has put together cartoon wise, but it has a way to catch the likes of Young Justice.

Maybe you’d like some leftover

RANDOM CRAP!

- Christmas shopping is almost done. We braved Menards early during Black Friday and I didn’t freak out. In fact it wasn’t that bad, we got all we needed in an efficient manner, helped our Karma out considerably, and made a day out of the trip. That being said I don’t think I’d ever be brave enough to hit a Best Buy or a Wal-Mart up, those folks are nuts.
- Chiefs are 7-4 who’d a thunk it?
- Saturday’s Thanksgiving dinner was outstanding. It was some of the best food I’ve had in some time. In addition Cassandra has busted out homemade pizza twice in five days and that was spectacular. I’ve been luckily enough to eat like a king for about half a week.
- I’m working my way through some Forgotten Realms novels, slow and steady, and while they aren’t the best things I’ve ever read they are darn entertaining.
- Marvel SAGA Campaign starts Saturday!
- The Sci-Fi War Game is starting to come together as I cut out 180 minis from the sprues this weekend. Oh and I put together my alien assault team. I took some WH40K Imperial Guardsmen, a couple Space Marines, & a Terminator together with Skrull heads. The idea is that this is a subjugated or colonized world’s population. I think I’m going to go with the name Bharata, which is another name for India, and treat them like conscripted soldiers. Oh and they are going to worship a god known as the Kirby, The Great Creator. I might pick up eight to ten Kroot and use them in a similar fashion. I’d love to play a battle where the ruined cityscape is overrun by zombies or ‘infected’ as well. So the combatants don’t just have to worry about the enemy but a swarm of voracious indiscriminant killers as well. I really like how this is shaping up.

I need a nap…

“Descending and turning
A shadow with soles in his hand
Standing alone by the garden I hear his command
Swaying blindly, under a moribund sun
Strangely the pain has only begun

Painlessly crossing the yard-lines,
the ball in his hand
Piles of bodies dispatched in the grass
and the sand
Helmets crashing, under the weight of the one
Vaguely aware the pain has begun

Out of the window the sirens of slaughter begin
Whistling alone in the silence
I hear them come in
Fading, blinded, foraging under the leaves
Strangely the pain is finally relieved”


* = The classics never die...