Last of the Doctor Who Reviews

The Satan Pit:
The only really interesting thing about this episode is that the Doctor actually finds himself with a bit of a moral dilemma when he faces the demon in the pit. Unfortunately, the resolution's cheesy. Also, there's no closure or explanation as to what the devil-creature is. The Doctor literally just shrugs and leaves. C

Love & Monsters and Fear Her:
Honestly, I tried watching both of these episodes, but found that I couldn't. David Tennant is what makes this series at all interesting, so an episode he's barely in isn't going to rank very high with me. "Fear Her" is just a typical "modern" Doctor Who story, one with the Doctor lighting the Olympic Torch. What's with that? D both.

Army of Ghosts and Doomsday:
These two episodes give me hope for season three. A tense and competient story directed by Gaeme Harper, the Doctor starts off investigating the appearance of ghost-like creatures. This leads him to Torchwood, and the meat of the story. Cybermen. Daleks. Parallel Earths. While last season's big wolf fell on its face, this really pays off, and I hope that Tennant's second season as the Doctor is better. B

Season Overall: C+

HBO To Make Preacher Series

Mark Steven Johnson, known for the Daredevil and Ghost Rider movies, was recently announced as executive producer for HBO's adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion's Preacher comic book series.

"That to me is my favorite book," Johnson told The Comics Continuum. "It's one of the few that I pick up and read it front to back, all nine graphic novels, I just love it so much." Even though he probably said the same thing about Daredevil and Ghost Rider.

Neglected actor James Marsden was signed on for a movie version of the Preacher, and HBO has made no announcement as to whether or not he will be in the one hour series. If asked to comment, Marsden would have probably said something to the effect of, "It doesn't really matter, if they want me or not. If it comes to the worst, I'll always have the X-Men franchise to fall back on." Followed after a pause by "Crap."

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone is home with their family today and not wasting their time reading this blog or anyone else's. There's so much to be grateful for; I hope you take time to reflect on the good things in your life.

In other news, the second volume of Ultraman DVDs is out. Been out for awhile now, so I apologize that I haven't been pressuring people to buy it yet. I hope that BCI will release other Ultra Series in 2007. If you feel the same, write or email BCI and let them know.

More Doctor Who Mini-Reviews

The Idiot's Lantern:
I suppose the title of last week's episode refers to the televison, though my parents always called it the idiot box, since it's a box that sits in your room and wasn't used to light it. Yet again, the episode takes place in London, although this time in the 1950s, which, I guess, makes it a period piece. I remember liking Mark Gatiss' New Adventures novel, but this episode is lacking with another lame alien invasion story.

I also don't like the new series' British-centric attitude. The old series was much more cosmopolitan: no thick accents, no obscure British references, etc. In other words, the old series was much more accessible, while I feel like an outsider who's out of the loop when I watch the new series. C

The Impossible Planet:
This week's episode, however, is a nice breath of fresh air. It has an air of mystery lacking in many other episodes. The plot revolves around a planet impossibly orbiting around a black hole, thanks to a strange power source at the core of the planet. The whole "we've lost the TARDIS so now we're stuck here forever" thing has been done to death, but the Doctor's finally showing off some of his scientific knowledge instead of sharing a giggle with Rose. Like most episodes, this is mainly generic sci-fi at best, but it has the best cliffhanger done so far. B

Doctor Who : Season 2 Continues...

The Age of Steel:
Despite a lame resolution to a typical cliffhanger (the Doctor just kills the Cybermen), this episode contains a few great moments among a lot of average ones. Tennant's Doctor is still somber compared to past episodes, as if the Doctor's finally taking an episode seriously for once. The confrontation with the Cyber Leader is Tennant at his best and he doesn't look bad in a tux either.

The rest of the episode is pretty standard horror/action film stuff. Cheap scares. Cybermen coming to life. Falling of a blimp into a huge ball of flames. That sort of thing. It's this sort of uninventive storytelling that's plagued the new series, and made me less than impressed with all of it. It's like Russell Davies, ironically a New Adventures alumni, is trying to erase the last ten years of original novels and much better ideas than what's been presented so far. B-

Doctor Who Season 2: Part 2

School Reunion/The Girl in the Fireplace:
These two episodes have two things in common: 1.) They're better than the previous episodes and 2.)both have the Doctor as more of a love interest. I thought we learned from the McGann movie that kissing compassions was a no-no. Reunion features the return of Sarah Jane Smith and K9, and I wish the villains were from the old series, because the whole "My Teachers Are Aliens" thing was lame. Fireplace, on the other hand, had a plot that was original and strange enough to belong to the Who canon, if it wasn't for the overly-sentimental tone of the episode. B each.

Rise of the Cyberman Pt.1
This is my favorite episode so far. Even though it still takes place on (parallel) London, Earth, Tennant's Doctor is less the glib tourist the new Doctors usually are, and acts more like, well, the Doctor. He's pensive, barks at his companions, and much more reserved. Maybe this has to do with the fact that the episodes directed by veteran Whoian Graeme Harper. The villian, bound in a wheelchair, seeks immortality and is more believable than the Werewolf Monks and the Cat Nurses put together. Despite a dull cliffhanger, I can't wait until next week. B+

Doctor Who: Season 2 So Far

Christmas Invasion:
Most post-regeneration stories have the new guy (in this case David Tennant) run around acting weird, but Tennant sleeps through most of the episode, leaving 80% of the show to a weak supporting cast. But when the Doctor is revived (by tea of course) Tennant gives a great performance and shows a darker side of the Doctor. (Finally!) If I overlook that whole hand business, I'd give it a C.

New Earth:
Zombies on Doctor Who? This is almost as bad as the farting aliens. Almost. There's nothing spectacular about this episode, and it feels like it should have been in season one. B-

Tooth and Claw:
The worst thing about this episode is that it's so been-done-before. The Doctor lands in the wrong time. Aliens want to take over the British government via Queen Victoria. And a monster that kills off half the supporting cast. What doesn't help is that neither Tennant or Piper seem to be taking the episode seriously. Why should I? C-

Ultraman Max CD Review

I wrote a new review for Godzilla Monster Music, the second volume of Ultraman Max music. Also, it's my 200th post! Yeah!

Comics: The Good and the Bad

The Bad: Wolverine Origins #5

The problem with this series is that every issue's the same. It promises answers. All we get is a few hints, and it's been going on for five issues. The only real reason I still get this is that he's wearing the brown costume, but Dillion's simplistic art doesn't make even that worth the $2.99 this issue costs. Cap also seems uncharacteristically hostile in general, and Cyclops would not scream like a girl. That being said, the page afterwards is the only worth a peek at. C-



The Good: Buckaroo Banzai #2


This 80s icon cut through red tape and licensing problems to save the world once more from the threat of red lectroids. I don't even know where to begin when it comes to describing the plot and that's part of the beauty. The only problem I have is the sudden appearance of Happy Weiner, but the art's steady and overall pretty impressive. It may not be for everyone, but it's definately something good you're not reading. B+

Ultraman on DVD!

The original Ultraman series is out on DVD! All the reviews I've read (IGN, DVD Verdict) praise it! With both the original Japanese and long-lost English dubs, you can finally have your cake and eat it too. These also are the uncut (or more aptly uneditted) version from Japan. While this probably means that Chaiyo's getting a cut of the profits, I can't express how cool it is for this to finally be out.

Rumors are also hinting that Tsuburaya is considering releasing an official Region 1 release of Ultraman the Next movie, hopefully with extras! And if sales are good, Ultraman Max and Nexus will follow! Please support the Ultras and help bring them back to the States. Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters is the perfect candidate for Tsuburaya, am I right?

More Superman Returns Figure Reviews

Oh, I also forgot to mention another review, this one of "Missile Launching" Lex Luthor and "Solar Flare" Superman. They look like they're one of Mattel's better figures..

遅延のために残念

(I hope that translated correcly...)

Oh, hello. Just playing with a translation widget. Apologizes for no updates. It seems like I don't any free time to endulge the blog, but luckily I have no social life, so here I am. Kudos to Grant Morrison for winning Eisner Awards for Seven Soldiers and All-Star Superman. While Astonishing X-Men never blew my socks off, John Cassady does deserve an award, though it should be for Planetary...

Let's see anything else I miss? Batman 2: The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger as the Joker. Spidey 3 super cool. I think that covers it.

Superman Returns Review

Okay, the movie's out, but is it good? Yes. For the most part. I know that director Bryan Singer is a big fan of the original Donner film, so I expected one or two homages, but there's a lot more similarities that I thought. Even to the degree that some may just want to call this a remake of the original, rather than a sequel.

The cast is one of the stronger elements of the film. Brandon Routh is believable as Superman and as Clark Kent, though I don't think he'll top Christopher Reeve in the hearts of many, again this due to the fact that Routh plays Kent/Superman too close to the way that Reeve did it. If he added more of his own spin, then he might have done an even better job. Kevin Spacey does another great job as the villain, combining charm and twisted anger. Unfortunately, his character is too isolated from everyone else and only has one major scene with Lois and one scene with Superman. The new Lois Lane is okay, but she seems too cold or reserved. Also, I'm older than her, and I'm not even 25.



Two actors deserve acknowledgement: Parker Posey and James Marsden. She's funny; he's sympathetic; and they're both in the movie more than I thought they'd be. Posey provides a more three dimensional Girl Friday to Spacey's Luthor, but she doesn't do anything in the last hour except to look guilty. Marsden, at least, gets to help rescue Lois... and Superman.

The second strongest element is the special effects. All 250 million dollars worth. Breathtaking and spectacular, especially the plane disaster in the first hour of the film. Also, I thought it would worth noting that each of Superman's powers, including heat vision and super breath, are used in this film.

There are only little things that bother me with this film. The beginning jumps around too much, and the last 30 minutes drag on for too long. John Ottman gives us another compelling score, using John Williams' themes, but should have focused on editing the film. It's too long. Seriously, it's too long. Also, there's the kid. Not as annoying as I thought, but he's just an ugly continunity problem waiting to happen.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's an entertaining film, but it had dared to get out of the shadow of the Donner film, it could have be, well, super. B

Kikaida CD Review

Over at Godzilla Monster Music, I wrote a review for the 2 Disc Special Collector's Edition Kikaida/Kikiada 01 Set. While the music may sound dated to you, Kikaida fans, like me, can't get enough of this music. Check it out.

Movie Review: X3

Not a Dream! Not a Hoax!

I'll admit that I admire the sheer guts of this movie, for everything they did in it. Or should I say everything they did to the characters. Phoenix comes off as a very powerful and very destructive force, even though she does just stand about for the second half of the film. There's a much darker tone than I was expecting, but director Brett Ratner just doesn't have the same touch than Singer.

The best way I can describe my feelings for this movie is to talking about the third Patlabor movie. It's well written and has a good Labor VS kaiju battle at the end, but the main characters had only a sparse role compared to the detectives investigating the case. In this movie, all the characters I liked either were died, dying, or not even used, leaving me with not much to cheer on except for Jackman and McKellan who do their usual best and TV's Frasier doing a decent job on Beast.

I wish I could be more positive about this film, but I can't. Comic book purist may agree with me. Definately not recommended for Marsden fans. Like me. C

Godzilla VS Sea Monster Review

(For the record, I watched Sony's uncut, widescreen version on DVD.)

Nothing seemed to be going this movie. It was originally a King Kong movie, rewritten for the Big G, and Jun Fukuda, the new director, had to follow up the famous Ishiro Honda. The story follows Ryota Kane who was convinced that his brother was alive and steals a boat with some total strangers and ends up on an island run by the Red Bamboo.

The weak point of this film is that it's not much of a kaiju film. Godzilla and guest star Mothra both sleep through most of the film. Godzilla's nemesis in this film is a large shrimp assisted by a crazed condo, both employed by a SPECTRE wannabe. The film just isn't ambitious enough for it to be a great film.


But it is a fun film, probably the first Godzilla movie with a sense of humor. I mean, it's nice to have social commentaries. (There's one squeezed into the end of this one as well.) But it's also nice to just watch a entertaining film that's doesn't take itself too seriously.

I have no complaints about Jun Fukuda, and it's almost understandable that he choose to focus on the human aspect since it's his first monster film. Masaru Sato adds a wonderful score, and the special effects were still supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. While it's not the best Godzilla movie, it's still a good start for Fukuda. B-

Superman Returns Detail

Okay, last post for April:

Have you looked really, really closely to the new Superman Returns costume? If you had, you might have noticed thousands of nano-S-Shields imprinted onto Supes's traditional chest symbol. A detail Mattel didn't miss when they made the 10" Roto figure.

10" Superman Returns Figure Review

I apologize for not updating the blog this month. Things have been pretty busy. Meanwhile, I did find another cool review. This one's from Mattel's Superman Returns line. Another victim of low amounts of articulation...

DC Comics Superheroes Series 2 Superman

Here's a nice review of the brand new Superman figure from the second series of DC related figures from Mattel.

Ultraman Max Review

On March 26, I submitted another review for Godzilla Monster Music. While I was disappointed with the length of the CD, the music was overall pretty good. Check it out.

Movie Review: Sin City

While I'm a fan of Frank Miller, I've never had the opportunity to read his Sin City series. And with it being film noirish, I don't have a real good reason why I haven't yet. So, I settled for the movie, a movie that I can safely say captures the feel of a Frank Miller comic. With inky black and white and some stylistic color, it's hard to tell one of Miller's panels from a cell from this movie.


Most of this credit probably for this falls to director Robert Rodriguez, who has to be a diehard fan of the series. With a large cast of stars ranging from Alexis Bledel to Bruce Willis, the film is cut into three stories, all tough loners with a soft spot for dames. There is some overlap between the three tales but not as much as I was expecting. Willis is a cop framed by a corrupt system; Clive Owen is an ex-con protecing a bunch of gun-totting prostitutes; and Marv's a modern day barbarian out to avenge the death of the only woman he loved. Like I said, film noirish.


Which gets us to the movie's flaws. First of all, Frank Miller likes it nice and gory. This movie is no exception. It's like watching a Quentin Tarantino flick. This may be an incentitive for you, but it was a little too violent for me. How many people really needed to get stabbed in the groin? Was there a real need for serial cannibal Kevin? Also, while voiceover narration is a staple of film noir, it was really done to death in this movie, and many times characters started stating the obvious. And all the "fake" death scenes (when it looked like the end of our hero) started to get predictable after awhile.

In the end, it was an okay movie. I liked watching it, and I didn't. Like after I finished, I had to ask myself "What was the point?" I didn't get really attached to any of the characters and nothing changes at the end of the movie. I guess it just didn't strike a chord with me. C

Cute -- But Where's Ultraman Max?

Introducing Ultraman Moebius

New Spidey 3 Picture

Sony's released a new picture for Spider-Man 3: a black-costumed Spider-Man. Comics Continuum reports that this is not a black and white picture but the real deal. The question is: Is Spidey in mourning?

"Ultimate" Avengers DVD

Marvel's released an animated adaptation to "The Ultimates" (Ulitmatized Avengers, hence the title) I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds like how you'd expect it to turn out: an all-ages version of Mark Millar's story. The animation looks promising: clean, smooth, but nowhere near Hitch's detailed artwork.

Cap's Cap. Iron Man looks more Iron Manish. And Thor's looks more like He-Man without his beard. I was surprised to see one of my favs, Black Widow, to get to appear in the movie. I guess it's to smooth out that man to woman ratio on the team.

When I get to see the whole thing, I'll try to post a review.

Ultraman Jazz Review

I recently wrote a review of Ultraman Jazz album for Godzilla Monster Music. Click on the picture to see the review.

Latest Ultraman Immortalized in Die Cast

One of the strangest Ultramen ever created, Ultraman Taro, will be the newest addition to Bandai's Ultra Chogokin series. Chogokin Ultraman Taro will be joining the five previous releases: the original Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Nexus. The figure, like its predecessors, comes with a multitude of joints, a dozen alternate hands, and some extra goodies. (See photo.) The figure is expected to be released at the end of February in Japan.

And yes, he comes with a large bucket.

Another Glimpse at the 40th Anniversary Ultraman

Comic Review: All-Stars Superman #2 (of 12)

Superman revealed his secret identity to Lois at the end of the last issue, and now we find Lois and Superman arriving at his Fortress of Solitude. Lois is still not convinced that Superman is Clark Kent and is suspicious as to why he's telling her now. Lois's tour through Grant Morrison's version of the Fortress is beautifully alien and throughly imaginitive. Baby sun-eaters and the Unknown Superman of 4500 A.D. are just a few of the things Morrison has cooked up for his readers.

But what drives the issue is the focus on the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane. Lois remains perfectly skeptical of Superman the minute she arrives at the Fortress of Solitude and throughout her stay. But that skepticism keeps growing throughout the issue, becoming closer to paranoia, especially since Superman seems to be hiding something from her in a locked room in the Fortress.

It's through this bizarre maniac state of mind that we learn Lois's true fear: "What if there really was some part of him that was bumbling, oafish Clark Kent?" All food for thought as another amazing and throughly entertaining issue by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely concludes. B+

The newest Ultraman?

Go to ultramanlah.com for more details.

Superman Returns... Sort of.

Tim Daly will reprise his role as Superman in a new direct to video movie, "Brainiac Attacks." The EYES star has also recently lent his voice to Disney's new dubbing of "My Neighbor Totoro," which aired on Turner Classic Movies last week. According to imdb.com, Daly is also scheduled to star in "Mr. Gibb" as the title character.

Banzai is Back Too

Here's an update from something I mentioned almost a year ago:

Buckaroo Banzai is back. As a comic book. Thanks to Moonstone Comics, the further adventures of Buckaroo Banzai will finally be revealed this April. Written by Banzai's creator, the series will be loyal to its source material. It looks to be a promising series for one of the 80s' more eccentric cult icons.

Brown is Back

You knew it was going to happen. Wolverine's getting a second series, Wolverine: Origins. The concept is that Wolverine, armed with his complete memories, is going out and righting wrongs and avenging people from his past. And he's wearing the brown suit. I don't know why they chose this over the cartoonish yellow suit or the current ,er, yellow suit, but kudos.

The series will be written by Daniel Way and drawn by Steve Dillon and will come out in April. I look forward to it and hope it doesn't suck.