Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) finds out that he’s a half breed child of the God Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) or demi-God if you’r one of those politically correct types, after Zeus (Sean Bean) accuses him of stealing his lightning bolt. The awesome weapon wielded by the God of Gods. Knowing that he didn’t steal the bolt and feeling a little cheated that his pops never hung around to play catch with him, Percy sets out on a quest to find the real lightning thief, and plead his case to Zeus himself.

I’m a sucker for Greek Mythology. I love all the different Gods with all their different personalities and character flaws. I find it interesting that these Gods got jealous, angry, and even horny. I also enjoy a good quest movie (when said movies doesn’t focus on walking the entire time). Percy Jackson has everything I mentioned above, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Of course no one can embark on a quest alone, well you can embark alone, but sooner or later you must be joined by others that support your cause or just want in on some action (I’m pretty sure this is a rule in the quest handbook). So, because director Chris Columbus knows the rules he waved his director’s wand and added a few friends to help Percy achieve his goals. Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) a guy that’s half man and half goat and is also Percy’s protector (junior protector) goes along for the ride as does uber-hottie Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario).

I enjoyed the fun pacing, along with the new twists on old mythology. All of the actors are solid and Alexandra is yummy. There’s also a host of amazing actors that round out the cast including, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, and Uma Thurman. In fact one of my only complaints is that many of these stellar actors were underutilized.

If you watched the trailer and you decided that you’d be cool and hate it because it isn’t artsy enough, or because it was based on a children’s book, then this flick isn’t for you. On the other hand if your open enough to just enjoy a flick for what it is and let your self have a great time at the movies, then this flick is definitely for you, because Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is positively a killer film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they’re not happy: Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy’s mother. As Percy adapts to his newly discovered status as a demi-god (his father is Poseidon), he finds himself caught between the battling titans of Mt. Olympus. He and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy’s mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Source: MSN.com

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto – Review

After being disappointed with Zombie’s latest entry in the Halloween series, it was surprising to see Rob Zombie’s perverse animated feature, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto at my doorstep. Considering the fact that the film has taken over three years to come out, I had my doubts as to how this cartoon was going to win over audiences. However, considering the impressive cast of Zombie regulars ( Sheri Moon Zombie, Geoffrey Lewis, Bill Moseley, Ken Foree) and A-list newbies, (Paul Giamatti and Rosario Dawson) it was a temptation this reviewer had to sink her teeth into.  So was this forbidden fruit worth all the hype? Read on to find out!

Synopsis:

El Superbeasto (voiced by comedian Tom Papa) is a washed up has been luchador who is now making his own porn and filming infomercials in his spare time. When the fiendish “supervillain” Dr. Satan (Paul Giamatti) kidnaps potty mouthed and hygenically- deficient stripper Velvet Von Black (Rosario Dawson) to be his unholy wife, El Superbeasto enlists the help of his sexy sister Suzi X (Sheri Moon Zombie) to rescue his latest sexual conquest before the powers of Hell are unleashed.  Animated boobies, Nazi Zombie attacks and hilarity ensues.

The Film:

Move over Trey Parker and Matt Stone! There is a new king of animated vulgarity. At the very beginning of the film in a black and white segment, the host gives a “friendly warning” to the audience that the rest of the film is not for everyone and some may find it “shocking.” The host’s words prove to be a huge understatement, as the next 77 minutes descend into an entertainingly crass and offensive animated feature that explodes into a monstrous riot full of violence, nudity, dirty sexcapades and some bad ass and extremely funny theme songs that surprisingly enough make fun of the events occurring on screen. (All performed by the talented group Hard ‘n Phirm)

Like Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse, Zombie injects references and even characters from his previous onscreen efforts which include “The Devil’s Rejects” crew, The Morris Green show, SS werewolf nazis and even Michael Myers makes an appearance in the film. (And he talks!) Although the film (co-written by Zombie and Tom Papa) probably provides the most random, bizarre and marijuana-induced scenarios and dialogue ever shown and heard in a full-length feature, (let alone an animated one) there is plenty of thought and ingenuity clearly evident in its execution.

The pop culture references also run rampant in this trashy cartoon as filmgoers will be laughing out loud when seeing references to Return to Jafar, Rainbow Brite, The Home Shopping Channel, Faster Pussycat! Kill Kill! and Carrie. However, don’t let the PG references fool you. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is an “adults only” cartoon. Keep children far away from this one, or you will find yourself explaining what hentai porn is and what all the different sayings for a vagina if you do.

Furthermore, the voice talent in this film is phenomenal! All of Zombie’s regulars do a superb job with their characters. (My favorites include Geoffrey Lewis as the elevator bellhop and Brian Posehn as Murray the horny robot) Despite the fact that Sheri Moon Zombie does re-visit her “Baby” voice from House of 1000 Corpses, it is surprisingly enough far more tolerable to hear in an animated feature. Although, the most outrageous performance comes from Rosario Dawson as Velvet Von Black.  Annoying as she came off at times, her character definitely had the best lines in the film. (I’m still chuckling over the “g-string wedgie” part.)

On the downside, the film doesn’t really resolve anything at the end. But considering this film has a threesome involving Medusa, a werewolf and a luchador, it was to be expected that this movie was going to be throw “linear logic” out the window.

The DVD:

Sadly filmgoers, the DVD features are very lacking with this one. All one can expect from this DVD are deleted and alternate scenes that aren’t very memorable. Also, the film comes with trailers for Anchor Bay releases Grace, Not Forgotten and Dead Space: Downfall. I suspect a special edition of this film will be released right around Christmas time. (I learned my lesson after buying 2005’s bare bones copy of Sin City.)

FINAL VERDICT:

Picture Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s Toontown with Tourette’s syndrome and crack and you have got yourself into The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. It is a wildly entertaining and incredibly filthy film that outbeats Heavy Metal as the best adult cartoon feature. El Superbeasto is a dish best served with a hash oil bong hit, good friends and repeat viewings. Guaranteed word of mouth will make this a trashy cult classic!

The Flick: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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When I first got a peep at the trailer for  Seven Pounds I was intrigued.  The trailer itself gave away only small nuggets of the film’s plot, but never revealed its secrets.  This was a tactic that I thought was dead in the world of movie advertising, so as soon as the flick made it’s way into theaters I rushed to see it, and for the first time in a long while, I was impressed with a Hollywood drama.  

Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent carrying around some serious demons.  He walks through life carefully observing the world around him, picking out the good in people, but never able to detach himself from his own internal pain.  What is he doing?  Why gift does he want to give these strangers that he has found to be good people? These are all questions raised by the film, but none of them are answered until the end of the last act.  A huge achievement pulled off with style by director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happiness).  

I was blown away by Smith’s performance from the very first frame of the film.  When working with a talented director like Muccino, Smith is a force to be reckoned with.  He shows a huge array of emotions in the film, and none of them seem forced, I was curious about his actions, but confused by his motives.  But it wasn’t only smith that shined here.  The entire cast is worthy of an Oscar nomination.  Rosario Dawson was extremely impressive as Emily Posa, a woman with congenital heart diseaase.  Emily could have come of as pitiful if played wrong, but Dawson’s Emily was a strong woman doing her best to drink up every last drop of life she has left, yet still able to show her vulnerabilities.  Woody Harrelson was also solid as Ezra Turner, a blind musician with a good soul.  And Barry Pepper is strong as Ben’s best friend Dan.  

It’s not often a film can move me the way that this one did.  Muccino is a master of cinematic timing, and a solid director that makes informed decisions instead of monetarily influenced ones. This film is a beautiful and harrowing drama that, never once questions the intelligence of its audience.  If your looking for a drama that lets you in on the secret from the outset, then this is not the film for you, but if your looking for a film that offers so much more than just a predictable plot, look no further than Seven Pounds.  Seven Pounds is most definitely a killer film.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars