my brief thoughts on.... 'Megamind'

I love a good cartoon getaway. To lose yourself in a fantasy world for an hour and a half is a refreshing change from the everyday crap. It seems lately that most of the CGI cartoons that have been coming out are really good. I haven't seen too many in the past few years that were terrible. And the fact that 'Megamind' has Brad Pitt, Steve Carrell, David Cross, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill made it sound like a winner right off the bat. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to see it in the theater.... and my kids school have a movie night once a month, so we got to see it there. I liked it right as soon as it started. The storyline was original, the characters were a lot of fun and the writing and animation were crisp and well done. I can tell you right now, before the review really gets going that I recommend this movie to kids and adults alike. There is a bunch of good stuff for everyone.

The basic plot as detailed by IMDB.com: After super-villain Megamind (Ferrell) kills his good-guy nemesis, Metro Man (Pitt), he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. He creates a new foe, Titan (Hill), who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to save the day for the first time in his life. A bit more of the plot is that Megamind was sent to earth to be safe. His parents stayed behind on his home planet and he was forced to grow up as an outcast and always in Metro Man's shadow. Megamind is constantly trying to create one evil scheme after another, but is perpetually stopped by Metro Man. That's where the IMDB.com plot synopsis picks up. After you've read that synopsis, you can see how this takes the superhero concept and turns it on its ear. It's a fun change of pace after seeing so many of these stories be so similar, to find one that's fresh and unique. It also doesn't hurt that you have quite a few actors who are committed to the comedy of the movie. It doesn't always come through in the CGI format, but it's pulled off well in this case. The only real drawback of having actors that are so well known, is that their voices come through loud and clear as voices we all know. Because of that, it does take a little bit to get into the characters. After a while, that no longer becomes an issue. If you don't mind that one flaw, then I bet that you'll enjoy this movie.

I would like putting this one into my DVD collection, for both the kids and myself. It has re-watchability written all over it. I dropped a full 4 out of 5 stars on this bad boy. It proves that sometimes it's a good day to be a bad guy. I'm kind of wondering if they're planning on making a sequel to this. They leave that door pretty wide open. The only thing with that is that they'd have to get all the original actors back, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. I would really like to see more of Megamind and to see how he continues to fight crime with only his giant brain and his complete lack of common sense. It would lend itself to a solid follow-up movie. Only time will tell on that one. As of writing this review, IMDB.com has no information on another one. So for now, I think that you should reconsider good vs. bad.... because it's not always that simple.

Other recent CGI animated movies that were good: 'How To Train Your Dragon', 'Toy Story 3' and 'Despicable Me'

my thoughts on.... 'Kick-Ass'

i had THE worst day.... and i was so happy when i came home and found 'Kick-Ass' in my mailbox from Netflix.... i made sure i got it the day it came out, because i wanted to see it since i first heard about it.... and let me just start by saying.... this movie does exactly what the title suggests.... it kicks ass....! it had bloody action, comedy, cool superheros, great storytelling, a good plotline.... everything that a superhero movie should have.... and with the new trend of making these movies for adults, not just for kids.... it brought this to a whole new level.... i thank god often for 'R' rated hero movies.... this wouldn't have been the same if it was PG or PG-13.... not the same at all.... and i was so happy to see my heroine from 'Witchblade' Yancy Butler in a minor role.... it floored me.... but that was just an added bonus.... everyone else in the movie was perfectly cast.... right down to Nicolas Cage.... for once he made sense as an action hero.... which i think is the way he's been trying to go for years now.... but with not much success.... they made the hero's costumes realistic.... something that someone could actually make and wear if they wanted.... granted their are people running around in this world dressed as superheros and doing good deeds (look it up on the net').... but nothing quite like this i think.... or if they are, they're pretty quiet about it....

our hero, Kick-Ass, is just another faceless kid in high school who longs for something more.... he's a comic book loving bit of a geek kind of guy.... who dreams about his fantasy girl.... oogles his hot teacher.... jerks off a lot.... is on the internet constantly and yet it's not enough.... he wonders why no one has ever tried to be a superhero.... so he takes it upon himself to be the first.... granted, he's wearing a wetsuit.... but it looks pretty damn cool.... we see him go through the growing pains of becoming a hero.... and some pretty serious ones at that.... more so than most heros when they're starting out.... soon other heros begin to emerge and we find out that there's a bigger plot behind everything.... involving a major crimelord.... and throughout the entire movie we watch Kick-Ass go from zero to true hero.... and we see the reality of putting yourself in this position.... no candy coating here.... what i really enjoyed about this movie is the wide range of characters.... granted you find several stereotypes portrayed.... but what do you expect from this kind of movie....? and since this is based on a comic book, i think that's why it has such a rich storyline.... i just wonder what they had to leave out to make this fit into it's 2 hour time limit....? and they even left it open for a sequel (which is in the works already).... i loved this movie from start to finish and it ran the full range of emotions.... and never had a dull moment.... it almost makes you want to become a hero yourself.... granted, after seeing what happens to the heros in this movie, i'm not sure it's the wisest move.... you'll find out what i mean.... unless you've already seen it.... i'm just glad that i finally had the chance myself to see it....

i give this a strong 4 out of 5 stars for originality and grit.... it's what 'Spider-Man' could have been if he didn't have super powers and was just Peter Paker in a suit without the special abilities and the movie was 'R' rated.... this one will be added to my DVD collection as soon as money floats into my hands and i can afford it.... between this and 'Watchmen', it's renewed my faith in the genre.... granted i'm leaving the 'Dark Knight' out of the mix here.... and i probably shouldn't.... i think it helped to open a lot of doors for the darker superhero movies.... and i'm sure they're more to come.... as a matter of fact, i know there is.... in summary, if you haven't seen this already.... you're missing out.... it's got something for everyone and i can't say enough good things about it.... i've already got it in the Netflix envelope, but i think i may just hang on to it a bit longer so i can watch it again.... yes, it's that good.... plain and simple, it kicks ass.

if you like this, watch: 'The Dark Knight', 'Watchmen' and 'Punisher: War Zone' (although none of these are funny.)

my thoughts on.... 'Watchmen'

i remember when comic book movies were just for kids.... and to find one that appealed to adults or was even close to some of the more adult oriented comics was impossible.... gradually over the years this trend has changed.... i think that the studios understand that you can still have a hit even if it's not just PG-13.... and if it's a bit more graphic than you're average comic book film.... i think it's about damn time.... there are some exceptions to the rule.... but many of them suffer from the Hollywood syndrome.... ie: they sellout the original story to meet some kind of demographic.... or they re-write the ending to make it more happy.... so when i heard that the classic comic book 'Watchmen' was being turned into a film, i was skeptical.... when i heard it was being directed by Zack Snyder i started to have a glimmer of hope.... and when i heard it got an 'R' rating, i was stoked.... i finally had a chance to watch this last night.... and not since the 'Dark Knight' have i been so engrossed in a comic book film.... from the opening credits to the closing song, i was lost in a world not my own.... an alternate reality of 1985.... i was fascinated by a group of characters that aren't always likeable, but you can't take your eyes of them.... it seemed to me that this may be another fine example of pitch perfect film making.... but we'll get to that later....

the storyline is rich and deep and anything i could write here would not do it justice.... it's just something you have to experience..... so instead, i'll give you the broad strokes.... one of the superheros, The Comedian from the group called The Watchmen, is murdered and suddenly there is a concern that someone is out gunning for supers.... meanwhile, all superheros have been banned and although they try to lead normal lives, some of them just have a hard time letting go.... and overshadowing the whole storyline is the fact that the US and Russia are on the brink of nuclear war and everyone is on edge and no on feels truly safe.... and that's just skimming the surface.... there's so much more underneath.... i can't emphasize enough that you need to see the movie to get the whole story.... or at least read the comic.... but if you want the whole shebang, do both.... you won't be sorry.
this film has extremely well developed characters.... an interesting storyline and more than enough action and intrigue to satisfy even the most passive filmgoer.... it's one of those movies that transcends it's genre.... if you took the fact that they were superheros out of the storyline and just told the story without that little factor.... you still have an amazing story that has depth.... the superhero angle just makes it that much more interesting.... i may sound like i'm gushing, but it's not very often that films like this come along.... and when they do, they deserve as much of an audience as they can get.... this is a film that i would recommend to just about anyone over the age of 18.... and even more so if they're film lovers or comic book lovers.... chances are though, if they're in either one of those categories, i'm sure they've already seen it or own it....

so what rating do i give it you might ask....? well, that's where things get strange.... despite all of my high praise and love of this film.... i kept feeling like there was something missing or something that i missed.... it just felt slightly off.... so therefore i give it 4 out of 5 stars.... but before you go off and rail on my judgement hear me out.... i have a deep seated feeling that upon a 2nd or 3rd viewing this will change to 5 out of 5 stars.... there was just so much going on that i think it takes repeated viewings to truly enjoy this in it's entirety.... it's just that simple.... i know that it will end up in my movie collection and be a welcome addition.... i've also planned on going back into my comic book archieves and digging out the original comics so i can remember the joy i felt when i first read it.... but now i can see it through fresh eyes and put voices to the characters.... and i feel it'll be that much more enjoyable to read....

end of review, see this now. do not pass go, do not collect $200.... just go out and rent or buy it and sit down and delve into the world of the Watchmen for almost 3 hours.... it's well worth every minute of your life.... thank you to everyone involved with the making of this movie for bringing something to life that deserved a wider audience.... the end.

if you like this movie, you might want to watch: 'Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter', 'The Dark Knight' and read the comic book series