The Top Ten Comic Book Super Hero Movies of All Time

This year saw the Super Hero genre come into its own.  It is entirely possible that a Comic Book Super Hero movie will win the Best Picture Oscar once and for all legitimizing the genre.  So, what better time to look back and pick the ten best Comic Book Super Hero films of all time.  (Note: I'm looking specifically at Super Hero movies based on Comic Book characters leaving out great films such as The Incredibles)

10. Mystery Men (released August 6, 1999)

directed by Kinka Usher

A completely underrated satirical masterpiece about the lesser known heroes overshadowed by Captain Amazing (possibly related to Dr. Horrible's nemesis Captain Hammer?) starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, and Janeane Garofalo.  It is a hilarious take on comic books and super heroes in general as well as an outstanding super hero film in its own right.  It is based on the Dark Horse comic Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden.

Mr. Furious: That's because Lance Hunt is Captain Amazing!

Blue Raja: Oh, here we go.

The Shoveler: Don't start that again.  Lance Hunt wears glasses.  Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses.

Mr. Furious: He takes them off when he transforms.

The Shoveler: That doesn't make any sense.  He wouldn't be able to see!

9. Batman (released June 23, 1989)

directed by Tim Burton

A fantastic rebooting of a series too dominated by the vision set by the television show over twenty years earlier.  It completely erased that understanding of Batman and returned him to the dark interpretation of his past.  Tim Burton was the perfect director to reimagine the Dark Knight and Jack Nicholson completely embodied the Joker to the point where I became sure that no one else would be able to play him on the big screen.  Ultimately, of course, I was wrong, but I was right for 19 years and that's not bad.  As for Michael Keaton, to this day he is still probably the best version of Batman/Bruce Wayne.  Don't get me wrong, Christian Bale is good, but Keaton's Batman and Bruce Wayne were completely different characters.  Bale's Bruce Wayne has just a little too much Batman in him for my taste.  The DC comic was, of course, created by Bob Kane.

Joker: Where does he get those wonderful toys?

8. Batman Returns (June 19, 1992)

directed by Tim Burton

Even better then the first, Burton returns (no pun intended) to deliver an even darker Batman.  As perfect as Nicholson and Keaton were for the first movie, the casting for this film topped itself with Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny DeVito as Penguin.  While generally not considered by the masses as a superior film to its predecessor, this is a film that gets better with each viewing and still stands up as a great comic book film to this day.  Sadly, it would be a long time before Batman looked this good on the big screen again as after this film Joel Schumacher tried to take the Dark Knight away from the dark territory Burton had placed him in and return him to the cheese of his sixties sitcom.

Max Shreck: Selina Kyle, you're fired.  And Bruce Wayne, why are you dressed up like Batman?

Selina: Because he is Batman, you idiot.

Max Shreck: Was.

7. Hellboy (released April 2, 2004)

directed by: Guillermo Del Toro

As perfect as Tim Burton was to rescue Batman, no director has ever been a more perfect fit for a comic book than Del Toro was for Hellboy.  Del Toro is simply the most imaginative director the world has ever known when it comes to creatures of the non-human variety (more commonly referred to as Monsters).  His work is always visually stimulating as well as smart, exciting, and perfectly executed on a technical sense.  He understood the world of Hellboy and transferred it perfectly, as far as story and themes go, to the big screen.  If Hellboy were a character on the level of Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, this would have been instantly hailed as a masterpiece.  As it is, it is only a cult classic.  And for what it is worth, no other actor could have played Hellboy.  Ron Pearlman as Hellboy might just be the greatest casting choice of all time, especially considering how relatively unknown he was (and sadly still is on a large scale).  Probably the best thing that could happen for Hellboy is the fact that Del Toro will be directing The Hobbit and its sequel.  And I have little doubt that they will be far better then anything Peter Jackson ever did with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but then I think Del Toro is probably one of the 5 best young directors working today.  Hellboy is a Dark Horse comic created by Mike Mignola.

Abe Sapian: Remind me why I do this again?

Hellboy: Rotten eggs and the safety of mankind.

Abe Sapian: Ah.

6. Superman: The Movie (released December 15, 1978)

directed by: Richard Donner

Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Miss Teschmacher: Lex, what's the story on this guy, do you think it's the genuine article?

Lex Luthor: If he is, he's not from this world.

Miss Teschmacher: Why?

Lex Luthor: Because if any human being were going to perpetuate such a fantastic hoax, it would have been me.

5. Spider-man 2 (released June 30, 2004)

directed by Sam Raimi

The first time since Superman that one of my childhood heroes really came alive again was with the first Spidey film, when they released the sequel, it topped the original in every way possible.  Not only did it seem real that Our Favorite Neighborhood Spider-Man was swinging throughout NYC, but the film completely captured the problems that have always plagued Peter Parker, who I have no doubt would be much happier had he never been bitten by that damned Radioactive Spider.  Also, this film had what to this day is the most breath-taking and perfectly shot action-fight sequence in a super-hero movie as Spidey and Doc Ock battle atop the el train.  Marvel comics and the genius that is Stan Lee brought us Spider-Man.

J. Jonah Jameson: I'll give you $150 for all of them.

Peter: $300

J. Jonah Jameson: That's outrageous.  Done.

4. Batman Begins (released June 15, 2005)

directed by Christopher Nolan

Returning Batman to his darker roots once again Christopher Nolan also did something no Super Hero movie had tried to do before, he grounded his tale in a reality that was much easier to believe in then the standard Super Hero fare.  It helps, of course, that Batman is the one Super Hero without any real super powers, but what Nolan did was make a believable Super Hero film that is bigger then the genre itself.  Or at the very least he set up a world in which he would do just that.  This film also contains the greatest Super Villain of them all.  One few people who don't spend a lot of time at comic book shops might not know, Ra's Al Ghul.  Batman's real arch nemesis served a greater purpose in this film, he also helped make Batman who he is.  While it was a reboot, it was also a perfect reimagining for the more realistic world in which this Batman exists.  Christian Bale also did a fine job reminding us how Batman should be portrayed helping to erase the horrific job done by George Clooney (who otherwise I like quite a lot.)

Earle: Why is no one answering the phone?

Bruce: It's Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Earle, I'm sure they'll call back.

Earle: Bruce? You're supposed to be dead!

Bruce: I'm sorry to disappoint.

3. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (released July 11, 2008)

directed by Guillermo Del Toro

Hellboy returned to the big screen with a lot more Del Toro imagination behind him in this amazing, inventive, and utterly gorgeous sequel.  Where the first Hellboy was very much a literal translation of Mignola's creation to the big screen, this film took Mignola's characters, themes, and world and merged them with the themes and worlds that exist only in Del Toro's magnificient brain (which lucky for us translates very well to the movies).  With the magical imagination that helped make Pan's Labyrinth such a surprising hit, Hellboy II was considerably deeper and more thoughtful and incredibly more visual then it's outstanding predecessor.  Again I hope that the fact that Del Toro will be behind the lens for The Hobbit will cause more people to seek out Hellboy and this amazing sequel.  Sadly, like it's predecessor, Hellboy II never got to occupy the top spot as Greatest Comic Book Super Hero Movie Ever Made as it also debuted at number 2.  However, where Hellboy debuted at number 2 behind a movie released almost 15 years earlier, Hellboy II missed being number 1 by a mere nine weeks.

Hellboy: You're in love.  Have a beer.

Abe Sapian: Oh, my body's a temple.

Hellboy: Now it's a playground.

2. Iron Man (released May 2, 2008)

directed by Jon Favreau

A mere nine weeks before Hellboy II would come out, Iron Man was released and blew audiences away.  While many predicted it would be a hit, no one predicted it would be as critically acclaimed as it quickly was.  While Iron Man wasn't the known quantity of a Superman, a Batman, or a Spider-Man, or even as The Incredible Hulk who would be getting a new film a few months later, Favreau showed that a Super Hero doesn't have to already be a house hold name in order to become a movie star, it just needs a really great movie and Favreau delivers on that front.  Much like Superman: The Movie did 20 years earlier, Iron Man was much more then it's genre, it was simply a great film.  Outstanding story, characterization, acting, action, and dialogue all helped turn this into far and away the best comic book super hero movie ever made at the time of it's release (and for a whole 10 weeks after it).  Robert Downey Jr. was pitch perfect casting for the role of rich industrialist/playboy turned super hero Tony Stark due in large part to his empathy of the characters playboy past and new desire to make something greater for himself.  Iron Man was a Marvel comic also created by Stan Lee.

Pepper Potts: What is going on here?

Tony Stark: Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.

Pepper Potts: Are those bullet holes?

1. The Dark Knight (released July 18, 2008)

directed by Christopher Nolan

So many things deserve to be said about this film.  Much like Iron Man and Superman, this film truly is more then just a Super Hero movie or a Comic Book movie, this is a movie about good and evil and how closely the two can be sometimes, about how they are two sides of the same coin, and about how hard it is to remain good while fighting evil, something that this country hasn't always been able to do.  While the story itself is, like Batman Begins before it, a super hero story that is completely believable, with a villain who is so frightening precisely because you can believe that someone like him could exist (much like Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh in last year's best picture winner No Country For Old Men) and there really is no good reason or explanation for him, which is even more terrifying.  Last year, I felt that Bardem so infused Chigurh that he would win the Best Supporting Actor because he had brought to the screen the scariest villain since Hannibal Lector.  This year I have no doubt that Ledger will win Best Supporting Actor (and would have even if he hadn't died) because his Joker is scarier even then Chigurh was.  Despite the fact that he was working with a character that people were familiar with, he was able to reinvent it and make it completely his own.  In fact it made the take that Nicholson had on the character almost completely obsolete.  And that is something that deserves to be awarded, posthumously or not.   As for the story, it works on that level, as a story about Batman verse the Joker, but like I mentioned before, the film also works on an entirely different level in these times in which we live, and it is because of that that this film is so important.  Sure the movie is expertly made, the acting is perfect, the cinematography is stunning, but the messages are so much more.  They are important, they are timely, and they are true.  It's a Super Hero movie, but it also just might win Best Picture.

Harvey Dent: The famous Bruce Wayne.  Rachel's told me everything about you.

Bruce: I certainly hope not.

Until Next Time, the runners up, if you're interested (or the honorable mentions, perhaps) were Spiderman (May 3, 2002 directed by Sam Raimi), X-Men (July 14, 2000), X-Men 2 (May 2, 2003), and Superman Returns (June 28, 2006) (all directed by Bryan Singer).

Michael Crichton, You Will Be Missed

My junior year of high school I was very into the work of Michael Crichton.  I had read everything that he had written, including Travels, his memoir.  I was very into the paranormal, and a large part of Travels had to do with Crichton's thoughts and experiences dealing with some paranormal occurrences (or Fringe science as JJ Abrams might put it).  I would often bring up these experiences of Crichton's as well as other paranormal articles and such that I had found in my Chemistry II class.  Our teacher in Chem II was not fond of the idea of paranormal "pseudo science" and would often tell me how wrong both myself and Crichton were.  "But he was a Doctor, Mrs. Diehl," I would say.  "That's a lot like a scientist."  She would smirk and say, "He's also a writer," knowing full well that a writer is what I wanted to be, implying that we writers were gullible enough to believe anything in service of a good story.

When I heard last week that Michael Crichton had died, I was stunned.  I hadn't even known that he was sick.  As the years have gone by, I'm no longer the huge fan of Crichton's that I once was, but I still appreciated him and remember fondly how much I loved reading Jurassic Park, Sphere, and The Andromeda Strain for the first time.

In that junior year of high school, two new medical dramas started.  Due to my love for Michael Crichton (and Mrs. Diehl's disdain for him) it wasn't surprising that we would be on separate sides of the great Medical Show Debate war.  I was all about ER (created by Michael Crichton) and Mrs. Diehl believed in Chicago Hope.  The entire class took sides.  I was thrilled by ER, as it was very reminiscent of the early part of Travels when Crichton talked about his time as an intern for a hospital.  I loved the characters and how real it all seemed, much more so then any other medical drama before it and certainly more so then the David E. Kelley show Chicago Hope which was less a medical drama and more a Kelley-esque character drama.

For years I watched ER faithfully, sure that this was the best television had to offer, and for a long time it was.  Slowly, however, the show became less a ground breaking medical show and became more of a standard television medical drama dealing more with the home lives of some of the characters then the interesting and realistic cases that came through the ER doors.  It started to become much more soapy then it had been originally, and I didn't like that, but I cared enough about the characters that I stuck with it.

That finally changed 6 years ago, however, eight seasons into the television show when Dr. Greene, the heart and soul of the show, was killed off.  I hadn't watched an episode since.

Then last week, Michael Crichton died, and I began to remember all the works that he had a part in that I had enjoyed so much, and ER was definitely part of that legacy that he had left behind.

It was fitting in my mind that so soon after he died, Dr. Greene was scheduled to return to Cook County General in honor of ER's final (finally) season.

I watched it, and for the small part of the episode that was set 6 years in the past I remembered how good this show used to be (as well as remembering why I stopped watching with all the new characters none of whom I recognized or cared about).  It was short, but it was good to see Dr. Greene, Dr. Weaver, Dr. Romano (still an ass), and Jerry (still awesome).  I was upset it took so long to get to the characters I knew and missed, and upset that it was such a small part of the episode, but it was still nice to spend even a little time with the show that I remembered in honor of the author who helped make Cook County a place to visit every Thursday for eight years.

Thank you for ER, for Jurassic Park, for Sphere, for Andromeda Strain, for Twister, and for all the other works that fired up my imagination.  Although I'm not the fan I once was, I want you to know that you will be missed.  And thanks to the short visit from beyond the grave last night by Dr. Greene, we're reminded that we can always have a little visit with you by revisiting one of the many works you've given us to remember you by.

Until Next Time,

Rest in peace Michael Crichton and thank you.

TV Fall Watch Continues and some thoughts on Heroes

So, I've decided to add a new category.

Back and Still Golden.

Some of the shows that I placed in Back on Track fit better in Back and Still Golden.  Back on Track included My Name Is Earl, The Office, Chuck, Life, Friday Night Lights, and How I Met Your Mother.  I'm moving The Office, Chuck, and Life into the new category Back and Still Golden, as none of them have suffered a bit of a downturn, whereas Earl, Friday Night Lights, and How I Met Your Mother suffered a little bit last season when compared to their overall greatness.

We've also had two other shows return since that post, Eli Stone and 30 Rock.

Eli Stone is unquestionably in Back and Still Golden (and the closest show towards Triumphant Return, but I can't say that this season is far and above last season, merely just as freaking amazing, so only Sarah Connor is far and above it's previous heights and therefore the only show given a spot in Triumphant Return).

If I'd written this after the premiere of 30 Rock, I would have likely been a little negative, as the season premiere really wasn't that good, but last week's episode (the Oprah episode) was fantastic, so it will get placed in Back on Track after the poor premiere.

SPOILERS

Now, I want to talk a little about Heroes as it is greatly disappointing me.  If you aren't caught up and you still want to be, you probably shouldn't read on.

We can all agree that Season 2 of Heroes sucked.  It just wasn't very interesting and that was near criminal based on the greatness that Season 1 had to offer.  The total crap that was Season 2, however, took a lot of the attention away from the problems that Season 1 did have, mainly its gaping plot holes.  In trying to return the show to its Season 1 roots and keep Season 3 from the problems that faced Season 2, the producers have ignored the flaws that Season 1 did have, and ultimately have doomed this show in my opinion.

THE FIRST GAPING PLOT HOLE

Season 3 had Future Peter coming to get Present Peter to help him save the world.  However, in the future, Future Peter is killed by Claire.  This, of course, would be impossible as we know that Peter has Claire's healing ability and his body would heal itself and spit out the bullets (just like Sylar's body did after stealing Claire's power earlier in this very season).  He could be killed momentarily, since the Haitian was there, but the second that the Haitian wasn't around Future Peter, his body would have healed itself.

The sad thing is, this is an easy fix.  They should have beheaded Future Peter (or removed his brain, whichever) while the Haitian was still there and then he could have been killed.  In fact, that's the only sure way to kill him, if his brain is incapacitated, his body can't heal itself.  Shots to his chest would do nothing, however.

THE SECOND GAPING PLOT HOLE

The show really pulled out all the stops last night in going for big plot holes.  Last night we are told that after Gabriel Gray killed his first victim, he tried to kill himself and certainly didn't harm anyone else until HRG and Elle forced him back into it.  This would have been fine if it had happened further back in the story line, but last night's episode told us it happened in between the pilot and the six months preceding with the ultimate end to the story line happening after Mohinder was in America (since HRG gets in the cab).  The problem is, Sylar had killed Mohinder's father, plus enough people throughout the country at this point to have the FBI on him, and would have actually been in LA, not New York, because he had just killed Molly Walker's family.  The timing completely disrupts acts that we already know have taken place.

THE THIRD GAPING PLOT HOLE

Nathan tells his brother and soon after everyone that their father hadn't died of a heart attack as Peter thought, but actually had committed suicide.  Then, this episode shows us that Nathan should have been under the impression that their father did have a heart attack.  There was no way to conclude that Arthur Petrelli tried to commit suicide.

The show has been full of these types of mistakes from the beginning and they are only getting more and more blatant.  Recently they fired some of the producers and new people have been brought in to run the show's second half this season, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep watching to see if it gets any better.  The show has such amazing potential, and yet it infuriates me by not sticking to its own rules.  I wish that it would at least try to remain true to itself, but there is no indication that it will.

Until Next Time, LOST's start date has been announced for the new season, Jan 21st.  It can't come soon enough.

Last season was cut short by the strike, and this season is subtly different then other season's because of that. 

There are far fewer new shows then normal and the second seasons of last year's new shows are being treated as if they are new shows, since it has been 10 months since we've seen many of them, and older shows had to deal with a shortened season, possibly disrupting it's rhythm.  So the question is how are shows stacking up against how they were perceived last year?

I've come up with a few categories to place some of the shows in...

1. Triumphant Return- this is when the show has returned at a level higher then it has ever had, it's better then we could have hoped based on past performance.

2. Back on Track- this is when the show has returned at the level we expect from this show when it is at it's best.

3. Back, but Work Still Needed- this is when the show is back and better then last season's truncated run, but it isn't at the place it once was, although there may be hope.

4. Back but Not Better- this is when the show is back, but it isn't what it used to be.

5. Dead on Arrival- this is when the show is on again, but maybe it shouldn't be.

So, let's start with Triumphant Returns...

Really the only show that belongs here is TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.  Last season it was an interesting show, a show that had promise.  This season, the show has more then delivered on that promise, this is the show we hoped it would be when it started last year.  Each episode so far this season is better then anything they gave us last year.  If this show had been this good last year, it would have gotten serious consideration for Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Year.

Moving on, Back on Track.....

A few shows fit here, NBC's comedies MY NAME IS EARL and THE OFFICE both fit in this category. 

No surprise for THE OFFICE as it didn't hit any lull, but EARL certainly did.  While it had a few moments last year that showed this show still had promise, more often then not it was hard to remember what it was that made us love this show so much.  The four episodes so far this year have reminded us as Earl gets back to the list and Camden is pretty much back to normal (or as normal as Camden can ever be).

CHUCK is back and just as good as it was last season when it finished third in Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Year.  The formula was already perfect and the producers wisely didn't mess with it at all.  The same goes for last year's runner up in the Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Year award...

LIFE, there have already been three episodes of this show and it is just as good as it was last season when it proved to be the best cop show on television right now (and possibly ever).

NBC seems to be the king of Back on Track, as FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is my next show to highlight.  Last season there was a rough start, that kept it from ever hitting the highs it had in it's majestic first season.  Now, with the start of season three (showing on DirecTV 101 every Wednesday starting last week and then on NBC starting in Feb) the show has gone back to the magic that made it Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Year two seasons ago.  Of course, FNL at it's lowest is better then a lot of shows at their highest.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER is firmly in this category as the three episodes thus far are better then anything offered last season.  Although since the return from the strike induced break last season was picking back up, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.  This season so far has felt much like the first two seasons felt, laugh out loud funny and incredibly quotable once again.  "They lived em, Ted, they lived the Star Wars!"

The third and fourth categories are similar.  The show is back, but not up to it's own standards.  With Back, but Work Still Needed, it is better then it was last season, but not up to standards, with Back, but Not Better, it isn't what it was last season.

We'll start with Back, but Work Still Needed....

PRISON BREAK is definitely better then it was last year and very, very close to being Back on Track, but it isn't quite at the place it has on occasion found itself.  This show has been a completely addicting guilty pleasure that just touches on true greatness occasionally, but there's nothing wrong with being an addicting guilty pleasure which it is completely back to this season, but hasn't come close the the occasional greatness displayed at points of the first two seasons.

SMALLVILLE, on the other hand is not even close to the levels that it reached in it's first five plus seasons.  As it went into it's sixth season, there started to be a chink in it's armor, as if someone had slipped in some kryptonite.  Last season bordered on unwatchable.  This season is back to armor chinked, and it might not be too long before I give up the show for dead ERstyle.  (Did you know that ER was actually still on? Shocking!)



Now, Back, but Not Better...

PUSHING DAISIES, this show had moments last year that bordered on genius.  It also had a couple moments that bordered on stupidity.  Overall, though, last season was very, very good and original.  This season so far is somewhere in between the genius and the stupidity extremes that it displayed last season, but it seems to be missing some of the magic that it always had last year.  It's only been one episode so far, but I have to say, I'm disappointed.

Finally, Dead on Arrival....

DIRTY SEXY MONEY, last show this show was a fun mystery/character study.  Sure there were soapy elements, but they never bogged the show down.  Apparently, ABC thought this was to the show's detriment as they have totally amped up the soap.  That isn't what I signed on for and I'm probably done with this show for good.

Until Next Time, there are still a few shows ready to return (Eli Stone and 30 Rock, esp.) and when they do I'll give you the categories I think that they fit in as well as if any of these shows have managed to move themselves into a different category.  Let me know what you think about these shows and any others.

Fringe Review

The reports of no show mythology were greatly exaggerated.

I needn't of worried, after all Fringe is in the capable hands of JJ Abrams.  The same man we're trusting Star Trek to.  Can there be any higher form of praise? (Rhetorical question, but here's the answer anyway, only the person George entrusts Episodes 7-9 to will be given a higher form of praise.)

Last night's 83 minute (after commercials) pilot set the stage for what should be an exciting series very reminiscent of the X-Files.  While mythology driven serials have been increasingly mythology heavy (not that there's anything wrong with this) since JJ's last two shows (Alias and LOST), X-Files set the template for a mythology driven serial that didn't require constant vigilance (as MadEye Moody might say).  Some episodes were "Mythological" episodes (pertaining to the overall storyline of the show, the Aliens and government conspiracy) and some were "Monster of the Week" episodes (one off stories that were completed, well as much as anything ever was in the X-Files world, in the time allotted for that episode).  Chances are good that you didn't miss too much of the overall storyline if you missed one of those episodes and therefore it wasn't imperative that you made sure you were home for every new episode of The X-Files.  When an important episode was upcoming, the previews made sure you knew it and planned accordingly.

It looks like Fringe will follow the same template.  Each week's episode will be a "mystery of the week" that will get solved within the episode.  At the same time, there is an overall mystery, known on the show as "The Pattern", that will be the characters main goal to solve, but the clues to that overall plot will be gained by the weekly mysteries.  The closer you watch the series, the more you'll discover about the overall mystery, but meanwhile, every week will have a one hour mystery that doesn't require knowledge from the viewer on the overall mystery.  It'll just be a procedural, sort of a Sci-Fi CSI.

Whether or not this will work to bring in larger viewers, since an encyclopedia like knowledge of the show won't be required (like on LOST, again, not that there's anything wrong with that), we'll have to wait and see.

Myself, I'm eager to see what else there is to know about The Pattern and what other interesting mysteries the show will throw at us as viewers.

Until Next Time, If you missed it yesterday, there will be an encore showing of the premiere episode on FOX Saturday night.  Do yourself a favor and check it out, JJ Abrams has done it again.

Fringe

FRINGE premieres tonight on FOX.  It's the new show from JJ Abrams (creator of Alias and LOST) and has a distinct X-Files vibe going on.

Tonight's 95 minute premiere opens with a mystery involving a plane landing, but everyone on it is dead.  An FBI agent is tasked to find out what happened leading her to a mad scientist (literally mad, he's in an institution) and his theories about fringe sciences, mind-reading, teleportation, excetra, in other words, all our sci-fi faves.  In order to get his cooperation, she enlists the help of the scientist's son (and the Scully of the show) played by Pacey from Dawson's Creek.  (Joshua Jackson if you insist on using actor's real names.)

By the end of the 95 minute premiere, the first mystery will be solved and we'll get a new one next week.

Apparently, the network is hoping that less of a serialized approach will hope viewers feel more comfortable, as it will allow them to come in whenever and not be too penalized by missing an episode.

I suppose this is a sound theory, but speaking for myself, I'm much more interested in investing my time in shows that ask something of me.  Sure, sometimes it means that I have to hold off after missing an episode and catching up in the summer with the DVD release (although iTunes has made it much easier to catch up quickly for the low, low price of  $1.99, and often times the networks have the episode available for free on their own website, so this is less and less of an issue), but on the flipside, keeping up with a serialized show is tons more rewarding.

I have to admit, I'm excited about Fringe, because of the creators pedigree in part and also because of the storyline and actors attached, but I think that I'd be tons more interested if it were a highly serialized show the way that Alias and LOST were.

After all, if I'm not penalized for missing an episode, isn't it more likely that I will?

Until Next Time, I'll put up my review of the pilot tomorrow.

Fall TV Preview

We're coming up on the return of the network television shows, hoping that an actors strike doesn't impact this season the way the writers strike did last year.  No need to worry about that yet, I suppose, so let's take a look at what awaits us starting in September.  As always, I ignore Reality tv.

-Monday, Sept. 1

I'll be watching the two hour season premiere of Prison Break (because I can't quit this show even when I want to.)

SPOILER ALERT ON PRISON BREAK

If somehow you haven't heard, Sara is back and apparently wasn't beheaded.  I'm not that shocked.  I always assumed that she would be back as I heard her talking about in interviews how she would be off the show for bit while she had her baby.  I am interested in seeing how they bring her back, however.

SPOILER ALERT OVER

Others might be excited about the return of Gossip Girls on the CW or the return of One Tree Hill on the same station.

-Tuesday, Sept 2

The premiere of the CW's big hope 90210.  Yeah.

-Wednesday, Sept 3

The return of Bones on FOX.  (I still don't get how Angel can walk around in sunlight.  I thought Angel destroyed that ring after Oz gave it to him.)

-Tuesday, Sept 9

The two hour premiere of Fringe, the new show from J.J. Abrams, and along with Dollhouse, the front runner for Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Season Award.  I can't wait for this show.
Also, the new show called Privileged on CW.  Doesn't really scream out to me.

-Wednesday, Sept 10

The return of Til Death and the premiere of Do Not Disturb on FOX.

-Tuesday, Sept 16

The return of Hugh Laurie as House (a show I really need to start watching.)

-Thursday, Sept 18

The return of Smallville and Supernatural on the CW.  Hopefully this season of Smallville is better then the last.  Come on Clark.  The exit of Lex and Lana has me a little worried though, not going to lie.

-Sunday, Sept 21

An interesting thing tonight.  The CW leased out thier Sunday night lineup to an independent company, Media Rights Capital who are producing the shows CW will be showing including two that premiere tonight, Valentine and Easy Money.

-Monday, Sept 22

Now things really get going.

CBS premieres Big Bang Theory, the greatness that is How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, the new comedy Worst Week Ever, and the return of CSI: Miami.

ABC brings back Boston Legal for its last season (supposedly).

NBC premieres an entire night of Heroes, hopefully having figured out it's recent slump.

-Tuesday, Sept 23

CBS gives us their Psych knock off The Mentalist in between the return of NCIS and Without a Trace and NBC presents the return of da-DAH (my written interpretation of the Law and Order musical intro) Law & Order:SVU.

-Wednesday, Sept 24

Knight Rider rides again on NBC, but my bet is not for long.  Speaking of NBC, the Seinfeld curse continues to be beaten by Elaine in The New Adventures of Old Christine to be followed by new series Gary Unmarried on CBS, who will then give us the returns of Criminal Minds and CSI:NY (if anyone cares).  Meanwhile, ABC brought back Lipstick Jungle for some reason.

-Thursday, Sept 25

My Name is Earl and The Office each get hour long premieres followed by the premiere of the final season of ER, which honestly probably should have happened about 10 years ago, on NBC.
ABC shows the premieres of Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatamy.

-Sunday, Sept 28

The return of our favorite animated shows on FOX, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.

Also Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters on ABC and Cold Case and more President Palmer kicking A** on The Unit on CBS.

-Monday, Sept 29

Chuck returns and Life, last year's third place finisher in Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Season, is given a Heroes lead-in in order to maximize its viewership on NBC, although that lead-in didn't work for Journeyman, last year's winner of Josh's Choice for Best New Show of the Season.

-Wednesday, Oct 1

ABC owns the night with the premieres of Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money.  Oh yeah, Private Practice will be shown in between them.

-Friday, Oct 3

Ghost Whisperer, new show The Ex-List, and Numb3rs premiere on CBS.  Everybody Hates Chris and The Game return to the CW.

-Monday, Oct 6

Samantha Who returns to ABC.

-Thursday, Oct 9

Kath & Kim joins the NBC comedy lineup.  Time will tell if it keeps the Thursday lineup at must see comedy level like last year (we miss you Scrubs, but maybe you're in a better place, one that recognizes your greatness).

CSI (the original one) returns on CBS followed by the series premiere of Eleventh Hour.  ABC premieres the new show Life on Mars.

-Monday, Oct 13

The new Christian Slater show, My Own Worst Enemy takes over Journeyman's slot.  Hopefully it will do better.

-Tuesday, Oct 14

The return of America's Next Top Prophet, Eli Stone!!!

-Friday, Oct 17

Two hour premiere of Crusoe on NBC.  The previews during the Olympics have me intrigued.

-Thursday, Oct 30

The return of Liz Lemon and 30 Rock.

-Sunday, Nov 2

Bob Saget returns to sitcom-ville in Surviving Suburbia on MRC's Sunday night lineup on the CW.

So, there you have it, the premieres of network television's scripted shows this fall.  As always, times are subject to change.  The networks aren't very good at sticking to plans.

Until Next Time, For ABC's full fall schedule, click here, For CBS's here, For NBC's here, For FOX's here, and for the CW's here.  Enjoy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I heard about this, but I got excited despite myself.  So, as with any other STAR WARS movie, my friends and I found ourselves at Rave for the midnight premiere.
Unlike for Indiana Jones (and I hear for Dark Knight, but I wasn't able to make that one) the line was non existent.  Clearly the majority of the STAR WARS community hadn't been sucked in as I had by the trailers.

Their loss.

Sure it isn't live action, but I thought the animation was pretty good.  The story is different from the main Episodes, but it's very good and it is a lot more action oriented.  The interplay between the characters is very good, like classic STAR WARS good.  And it is a pleasure to see a heroic Anakin and not either the young (some might say annoying, but what 6 year old isn't?) Anakin or the emo (some might still say annoying) Anakin or the evil (some might still say annoying, and I'm beginning to wonder if people have something against Hayden) Anakin.  We've heard about heroic and cool General Anakin Skywalker, but we hadn't seen him yet.  Until now.  (Plus, he wasn't even voiced by Hayden, so there's that).

His new Padawan was a very interesting addition.  There was great interplay between her and Sky Guy (as she called him, one of her many fun nicknames, although R-twoie got on my nerves a little bit, but I did enjoy imagining that R2's beeps and boops were cursing at her every time she used it).

I'm really looking forward to the new animated series that this leads into, and after all that was the point. 

Mainly, the film was a lot of fun.  Good, old fashioned STAR WARS fun.

A couple other little points I noticed... it seemed like the general of the Droid Army that Kenobi and Skywalker were fighting at the beginning of the movie was totally putting on a fake Sean Connery accent, and it seemed like Ziro the Hutt, Jabba's uncle, had a bit of a Cartman (from South Park) accent going.  In fact I called him Cartman the Hutt in my head.  "Screw you guys, I'm going to take over the Hutts."

Until Next Time, I loved Stinky the Hutt, not even going to lie.  "He's really sick.  He's turning every shade of green except for the one he's supposed to be!"

The Dark Knight

First off let me say to Iron Man that you have my condolences.  It's kind of unfair to come out with the greatest comic book movie ever made only to have your title stripped away from you so completely two months later.
Because, yes, The Dark Knight is that good.  It's everything that you hoped that it might be and more.  Very, very rarely does a movie that is this hyped and that has such high expectations ever live up to them, much less exceed them.  In fact, up until now, only Serenity had ever achieved that feat in my mind.  Now it has company as The Dark Knight blew away even the highest expectations.

I didn't get to see the movie until Saturday, but it was well worth the wait.

On the Heath Ledger issue, he was unbelievably good.  It was hard to even remember that the Joker was actually Heath Ledger, because he embodied the character on screen.  He truly was the Joker.

Overall, it was quite a cast.  Even William Fichtner had a small role at the beginning of the film (and I love William Fichtner.)

Until Next Time, I can't believe that we are only a few days away from the greatness that is The X-Files in theaters!

Hellboy II

What an awesome movie.  Once again, I am in awe of the imagination of Guillermo Del Toro and eagerly awaiting his take on The Hobbit.

Going far beyond the fantasy world he introduced in Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II is a wonder to behold, filled to overflowing with fantastic creatures.  Add to that the inventive storyline and the fantastic Mike Mingola characters, and this is a sequel that far surpasses the original (which was also a great movie).

While the characters are strange and eye catching, they are also extremely relate-able, turning the fantastic characters into people that you can't help but connect to.  Even a character formed only by steam is instantly made real and grows on you throughout the film.  (Plus he's voiced by Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame).

While the action is top notch and the film features some amazing fight sequences, it is really the subplots that make this film outstanding.  The ever intriguing plot line of Hellboy's desire to belong remains from the first movie with an even greater potential of a storyline hinted at for a future film.  Then there is the subplot of romance that is handled expertly by Del Toro and the cast fitting in seamlessly with the more action fueled main plot.

And I would be remiss not to add that the romantic subplot allows for the best use of Barry Manilow by any movie ever.  Trust me, it's brilliant.

Until Next Time, I cannot wait for Hellboy III.