May 2008
The Archives
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Movies
MOVIES: IRON MAN
I took this long to finally put my two cents about this movie because of several spoilers that are in it. That being said, cue obligatory:
SPOILER ALERT
I’m going to preface this by saying I’m a HUGE Iron Man fan. I loved the character since I was a kid, even owning one of the Secret Wars Iron Man figures. I can always say my absolute all-time favorite comic cover is Tales of Suspense #39. My favorite armor will always be “Silver Centurion”. My love for the character waned a bit, but after reading the Civil War story arc I didn’t hate the character, I respected him more because the decisions he made seemed to be the right thing to do in the situations presented. (Let me say am by far and large a BIGGER Cap fan than of ol’ Shell Head. Steve Rogers lives!)
My anticipation for this movie was hampered by everything I had seen up to that point. The trailers were amazing, but I thought that was all there was to the movie. But, after forcing my girlfriend to wait in line (with the payback of I had to watch the “Sex In The City” movie with her in June. *shudders*) I obtained my ticket and eagerly awaited the next showing.
I absolutely loved this movie, it was everything you were expecting, not just from the trailers and the comics, but there was “more” there than you would know. First, I loved the nods to the United States Air Force. Seeing Marine and Navy jets in movies over the past decade made it seem like those branches of the service owned all the jets (or worst, they have the best pilots!) Â I also liked the movie’s real-world feel, in line with the X-Men movies. Robert Downey, Jr. nails Tony Stark’s both playboy side and his tortured weapon’s-designer-with-a-heart underpinnings. The rest of the cast was pretty good, nothing too spectacular, but this was Iron Man’s origin, so nothing was lost in presenting his character prominently.
The pacing was dead-on. Very few movies have no dead spots in them. This is one of them. Downey chews scenery with Stark, and little humorous instances keep the plot going. Some argue that this could have been two movies, and the jump in decades of continuity was a bit much, but I though it was perfect. You didn’t need to tell the story of Iron Man over 5 movies. The ending (the first one) was the best ending to a Super Hero Movie ever. Every hero movie ends with at least one character knowing who the hero is secretly, and invariably that person dies or “keeps the secret safe”. This idea was turned on its head by having Tony reveal to the world who is. Absolutely perfect, and in line with what is going on in the comics now.
Little nods to us fanboys littered the movie, whether it be a reference to Rhodie eventually becoming War Machine, agents of SHEILD running around trying to keep a handle on all the shady dealings with Stane, or the ominous “Ten Rings” terrorist organization that may or may not be the coming of Mandarin in the sequel. Oh, and lets not forget that ending after the credits rolled: Sam “THERE’S-A-M*F’ING-NICK-FURY-IN-MY-M*F’ING-MOVIE!” Jackson. Classic!
I can’t lay enough praise on this movie. If you’re a fan, see it. If you like Summer Blockbusters, this movie is why you wait in line during the Summer time. Highly recommended.
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General
Quick Randumb Thought
This one was too long for Twitter. So, here it is in its entirety:
“I desire to own an American Made car like I desire a hole in the head, preferably in the middle of the forehead, where it would be aesthetically pleasing and serve the same general purpose.”
…in response to a Chevrolet ad.
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Video Games
VIDEO GAMES: Bloom Blox
Every now and then I feel compelled to write a review for a game that’s simply is not getting the attention it deserves.
Boom Blox could easily be billed and sold as a “Stephen Spielberg joint”.Those credentials alone would leave the average Wii owner intrigued enough to buy the game. But, as the game play has proven, there’s more to it than that. Bloom Blox is simple fun. The gist of it is knocking down blocks to earn points in a 3D environment. There’s also special ability blocks that do things such as “blow up real good”. And that’s it in a nutshell. But, where the “more” lies is where the game keeps you back.Puzzles are cleverly designed. Gravity, and throwing power can play a key part in each puzzle, and the special blocks serve to help or hinder you. The ability to edit puzzles and create your own also helps the game’s longevity. Although this game could have easily been ported to the PS2 (or PS3 for that matter), you would miss that satisfying throwing motion that only the Wii mote allows: you simply can’t get that interactivity from the DualShock or DualShock2. Utilizing the Wii mote is a big part of the charm of this game.The graphics aren’t much to write home about, but then again we are talking about the Wii, and they honestly don’t need to be fantastic. The cutesy, blocky, barn yard animals have their own charm that’s too sugary coated to be a turn off. The sound effects and music aren’t overly special either, however, they too have their own charm. You may be driven crazy by the looping music, but you can occasionally take out some frustrations by pelting an animal in the background, either on purpose or by accident, resulting in some funny reactions. Again, part of that charm.Boom Blox has definitely got me loving my Wii again. It’s simplistic game play, addictive puzzles, and quirky art style is a refreshing break from “yet another-Mario-themed-game”. A must-have if you own a Wii.
