Duck Dodgers is Crazy! Season Two DVD Reviewed

If volume two included the sequel, Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century, that would have put this release right on par with the first.

Duck Dodgers S2 DVD Cover ArtThe future is doomed if Duck Dodgers has anything to say about it. Abandoned into a cryogenic stasis for an unknown reason and later discovered in the 24½ Century by the meticulous Dr. Ignatius Q Hi, the only one to blame is but himself. All the tomfoolery that Dodgers engages in this future world could have resulted in seeing him permanently put in the freezer forever, but the people in this era must be extremely patient and forgiving. And fans of this series can finally watch the second season set, Duck Dodgers: Deep Space DuckDuck Dodgers, that’s set for July 23rd release.

A few people were fortunate to find this two-disc release defrosting a day early. And it is worth playing right away to recall all the idiocy that this duck represents. Eight years may seem long for those fans waiting for this video release (which began back in February) but the wait is certainly worth it. Hopefully the third season will not be too long in coming.

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Loki AKA @twhiddleston Recruits SDCC Goers #SDCC2013 #Thor2

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind Up Geek)

The Marvel panel owned the San Diego Comic Con 2013 according to many con attendees and here’s one of the main reasons why, the God known as Loki. With the flashing of the lights on Saturday, British actor and heart-throb Tom Hiddleston appeared on stage as the exile of Asgard. In front of a packed house of screaming fans in Hall H Hiddleston couldn’t help but smile at his welcoming. Like ones possessed con goers chanted the God’s name. Women screamed as he dispatched the Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige with the command “Stand back you mewling quim”.

But one could laugh at the best summing up of Loki’s appearance. As Executive Editorial Director at Marvel Digital Media Group, Ryan Penagos, put it “No, I’m sorry. Loki is here. @twhiddleston is just the vessel.”

 

With files from Desde Hollywood.

Voice of Animated Justice League Dies

DennisFarinaAccording to the confirmation of his publicist through the Associated Press, Dennis Farina, voice of Wildcat/Ted Grant from Warner Bros’/DC’s animated Justice League series and George O’Farrell from 1994’s Little Big League has passed away.

Lori De Waal said Farina died Monday morning in a Scottsdale, Arizona, hospital after suffering a blood clot in his lung. He was 69.

Born in Chicago on Feb 29, 1944, Farina was originally a police officer before he turned to acting in his late 30’s.

He is best known for playing Det. Joe Fontana on NBC’s hit television series “Law & Order” from 2004 – 2006. His more recent work was as Gus Demitriou in the HBO drama series “Luck”.

Farina is survived by three sons, Joe, Michael and Dennis Farina Jr..

Is DreamWorks Turbo Worth the Hype?

Here we meet Theo (Ryan Reynolds) a comparatively small gastropod who dreams big.

turbo-movie%202013%20posterJames Shaw: To be honest, I never expected much from DreamWorks Turbo. The premise is simple: the story takes place in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley of California (although I suspect the suburbia was North Hills). Here we meet Theo (Ryan Reynolds) a comparatively small gastropod who dreams big. He wants to live life in the fast lane like his idol Indianapolis 500 racer Guy Gagné (Bill Hader).

But working at the plant (of the garden variety) daily is slowing him down while his unimaginative brother Chet (Paul Giamatti) is holding him back. Things take a turn for the better when an accident makes Theo realize he’s halfway to his goal. But will a chance meeting with dreaming taco stand co-owner Tito (Michael Peña) help him finish his journey?

Ed Sum: I do not know, but in the teaser trailer, I can not help but liken this snail’s newfound abilities to that of some effects shot used in the Spider-Man movies. To see him affected in a microcellular level made me think of him maybe turning superhero. I am not surprised that the adage of with great power comes great responsibility gets played up in this film.

J: I wondered after Theo became the insect world’s version of the Flash, who is there left to race against? I thought Nascar. I was wrong…but close.

E: There’s actually competing against the speedster himself, but that is not going to happen. DreamWorks does have a good “track” record of putting out entertaining hits. I thought this film would belong on my list of movies to miss seeing, but I had to see this movie before I could believe in the impossible. Even before James and I went to the theatre, he admitted that the concept was ludicrous and it was not worth seeing. I wanted to see some light-hearted animated product and dragged him along. At least in that department, this film delivers.

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Monsters vs Aliens vs the TV

Nickelodeon and Dreamworks’ low-key promotion for Monsters vs Aliens the Animated Series isn’t helping.

monsters-vs-aliens-post-3Dreamworks’ movie Monsters vs Aliens (MvA) was a great tribute to the iconic monster movies from the 50’s. These creatures banded together to fight space invaders. The two direct-to-video sequels, Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space and Night of the Living Carrots played tribute to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Night of the Living Dead. They were hilariously well done. Fans could see that the production teams involved in those products clearly loved the genre, and that fondness is evident in how these three tales are produced.

But what happened to that love in the television series? The television premiere on Nickelodeon was barely passable. The team involved in bringing the series to the small screen must not share the same passion that the story creators of this series, Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, had. The premise of the television show lack punch.

By episode two and three, all the fun drama and humor from the movie and direct-to-video shorts are gone in favor for more derivative product in the style of Spongebob Squarepants. Even when Susan loses her ability to turn into a giant, the depth she expresses for her lost ability is minuscule. Some viewers may well wonder if any of these any decent character development will occur in the series.

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The Rise of the Guardians, A Movie and DVD review

A few ideas have been tossed out from the book version to make Rise of the Guardians work, and it shows.

Rise of the Guardians DVD CaseThe Rise of the Guardians (RotG) is an interesting legends to lore tale that turns characters like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny to superheroes. It’s not like Marvel Comic’s Avengers, but rather a stripped down version of X-Men. The CGI and cinematography are wonderful to behold, especially in high definition, but the story is all too familiar. It’s like watching a re-imagining of Peter Pan.

Jack Frost replaces the titular character of Pan, and Pitch Black aka the Boogeyman (or Nightmare King) is Hook. They have a relationship which can get forged if the two decide to mutually work together. While one story deals with eternal youth and all the irresponsibilities it can represent, the other looks at accepting the consequences of age and developing wisdom. These themes are loosely explored in RotG but the emphasis is on Frost and how well he can work in a team environment.

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