WABBIT -A Looney Tunes Production Premiere Review

WABBIT is the latest installment in the Looney Tunes saga. I was personally dismayed because it came at the cost of the immensely underrated previous show. Still, Bugs Bunny is almost always engaging and despite comedies on Cartoon Network being terrible 99% of the time, Looney was made for the funny format. So, let's take a look at each segment individually and see if this show is worth continuing...or scrapping.

"Buddha Bugs"

One of the best things about an all-time classic like Looney Tunes is that there's no need to establish the characters. The viewer knows who they are. It's too bad the story here is pretty terribly written. So Yosemite Sam is stealing again, but when he runs unto a temple elder (Bugs Bunny in disguise) he finds out there's better treasure to acquire. Bugs has him do "tests" to prove Sam's worthy of receiving it.

This opening episode is not a good way to start the show. The running gags are annoying and I found myself with not so much a smirk. Yosemite Sam is grating to watch. (And if that wasn't enough, we're reduced to him running around in his underwear...) All the intelligent writing that was present in The Looney Tunes Show is non-existent here in this rather mindless episode. At least Bugs had one good line: "A prosperous journey begins with the first step." Perhaps the next few segments are better?

1/5

"Now and Zen"

This one has this squirrel named Squeaks run into some ninjas. Bugs Bunny is of course thrown into fray. This was much better than the previous one. Bugs had some of his signature humor and it almost felt like a classic Looney Tunes episode. The ninjas though were confusing since they weren't people...but what? The world may never know. The intro had some nice background music.

Let's hope the next two are as good!

4/5

"The Inside Bugs"

This one has Yosemite Sam (once again, hopefully they don't overuse him, cause it seems like that's the case) escape the bank with the "loot" as he calls it. His getaway car isn't what he expected: Bugs Bunny is the driver. This episode was definitely fun as we see Bugs in his traditional trolling persona. Still, there are a couple of needless moments. The running gag of Sam being thrown to and fro in the car got old quick. Really, by the third time a seat belt should have been buckled. And the police looking dumb is so overdone and annoying that the score will be lowered.

3.5/5

Can the last one end on a high note?

"Sun Valley Freeze"

This one has Bugs take a journey to go on vacation at a nice beach. Sadly, when he pops up his head he finds out he's in a snowy mountain. Then apparently a friendly version of Big Foot was following him. Not only that, but hazmat hunters are out to get the monster. This episode was very grating to watch, mostly because of how dumb Big Foot is portrayed. Not only that, but there's this glaring animation error present throughout the entire episode. Most of the time Bigfoot has no hands, but then sometimes they magically appear out of nowhere. It's strange, and I still can't figure it out.

There was virtually no funny moments to speak of here. The running gags are annoying, such as when Big Foot constantly throws Bugs at the mountain, missing the top. It felt like I wasted a good five minutes of valuable time.

0.5/5

Well, "Wabbit" wasn't the worst thing I've seen, but it wasn't anything resembling good either. It's sad because the writers of the previous show put so much thought into the stories. Here it's like the writers of this show decided that only an extremely young audience will be watching, so why bother trying? Parents are better off buying the Golden Collection box sets for their kids to showcase how slapstick in cartoons is really done.

INTO THE STORM Review

"Bad weather" movies have been a staple dating back to the classic Twister. The most recent major one was 2012, which released five years ago. Large scale storms are a source of awe and nightmares for all people, because one cannot control or stop them. We could only endure. That's what makes films like The Day After Tomorrow and Armageddon entertaining in concept to watch, because the viewer knows the characters can't do anything to stop a hurricane or a tsunami. For the most part though, these disaster movies are purely meant for entertainment value without much of a grim tone. 2012 was was an exciting film with perhaps the greatest special effect sequences of the decade, but the viewer never truly felt the characters' dread, because it still felt like a play than something that was actually going on to these people. INTO THE STORM looked to be different. The found footage/faux documentary gets a bad reputation sometimes, but when used effectively it can create some of the most intense and realistic watching-experiences of all time. (A giant monster attack might sound unrealistic, but Cloverfield makes it seem possible.) This movie looked to deliver first hand what it was like to be caught in extreme storm.

At least, that's what the trailers made it appear to be.

By the end, I didn't know if this movie was meant to be pure entertainment or a social commentary on tornadoes. Either way, nothing really works that great. As pure entertainment, there are some intense scenes, (the tornado sucking up the airplanes was very well done) but there isn't much payoff. This is a very closed in event, not worldwide like in 2012, which is fine, but it doesn't have that sense of dread the trailers made it appear to have. There are many scenes showing the devastation of the tornadoes, where one has to wonder if it's trying to remind the viewer of just how deadly these storms are. With characters like idiotic YouTubers somehow living through one and having the final lines of the movie, this perspective is also doubtful. If some of the special effect sequences weren't so good, the Director Steven Quale movie would fit on the SyFy channel.

In the span of just a few hours, the city of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of the most furious twisters they've ever seen. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run toward the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

To be fair, not all of the characters are that bad. The main guy, Trey Fuller (Nathan Kress) is actually pretty likable. Here we have this graduating high school student whose dad doesn't appear to make time for, so the viewer feels genuinely sympathetic. He's respectable, which is rare for a movie with a high school student as the main character. His brother, while providing some funny comic relief, is stereotypical of this type of setting. As a nice bonus, THE WALKING DEAD'S Sarah Wayne Callies appears as Allison Stone, and like her character in the aforementioned show she's good here. I don't have a too much of problem with most of the other characters...expect for Donk and Reevis. As of this writing, I'm still wondering what their overall purpose was other than to be complete fools. Every scene they were in took away from an already dwindling grim atmosphere. The fact that they got the last line still perplexes me.

There are quite a few notable scenes besides the aforementioned airport one. The arrival of the tornado at Silverton High School was very well done. It's scenes like this where one wonders why they didn't go full-on found footage rote. There's so much potential for a truly intense film showcasing what's it's like to be caught in the path of a tornado, yet what we get is basically half that. This is not to say that all the human scenes are bad. The entire sequence when Trey was about to drown felt really genuine and his line at the end of the movie, "Live every day like it's your last, because one day it will be" really speaks volumes. But really, at the end of the day the viewer is here to watch these tornadoes wreak havoc & everyday people caught in it, and while there is that, it just isn't satisfying. (Still, one cannot deny how cool it was to see a tornado catch on fire, which will prompt the viewer afterward to Google and see if that could actually happen.)

INTO THE STORM is a truly missed opportunity. While 2012 was popcorn entertainment, this movie had the potential to be edge-of-your-seat dread. What if a tornado truly struck? That's the film this movie pretended to be, but at the end of the day it's basically just a slightly bigger budget SyFy flick. There's just too many other better films in the genre.

2.5/5

EDGE OF TOMORROW Review

Every year brings a science fiction film that is not part of a franchise. District 9, Elysium and this year's Jupiter's Ascending are such films. Sometimes these films make big money and become critically acclaimed, but sometimes they fade into obscurity after a couple of weeks and then when they release on DVD is when the masses begin to realize how great of a movie they are. (DREDD, though a franchise film, comes to mind.) Director Doug Liman's EDGE OF TOMORROW was last year's sci fi feature. Based on Japanese light novel All You Need is Kill (more of a unique title definitely) the film is on the surface an alien invasion story. It introduces a unique concept, but sadly that quickly becomes old. Tom Cruise delivers a mixed performance as the lead star, and throughout you'll be wondering, "So, what exactly are these aliens?" While definitely not mediocre, one is better off watching the 2005 WAR OF THE WORLDS, another Tom Cruise alien invasion story.

Here's the official description from Warner Bros.:

The epic action of "Edge of Tomorrow" unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop-forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again...and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The last major alien invasion was 2012's Battleship, which was the opposite of quality. What was the last "great"one? Sadly, nothing comes to mind right away. Battle: Los Angeles and Skyline are the more recent ones, but they can't be called "great." Fun maybe, but they wouldn't be in anyone's top 100 films of all time. I doubt Edge of Tomorrow would be there either. While better than Skyline and perhaps LA, this movie suffers from a thing known as wasted potential. The big selling point as seen prominently in the trailers is the concept of reliving a day. While definitely intriguing for an invasion story, it becomes more of a running gag during the middle, descending almost into being a comedy. The most exciting part is the battle in France against the aliens (called 'Mimics') but the film spends a great deal of time showcasing Cruise dying and coming back. Since the film's concept is based around that, it should be a focus; but it just isn't as engaging as the overall idea is.

Tom Cruise portrays William Cage, a public affairs officer who is sent into combat. His beginning appearance was very mediocre; instead of playing a character it appeared he was just playing himself in an army uniform. (Akin to almost every single Nicolas Cage movie.) He becomes more likable as the film progresses, but it's Emily Blunt's character, Rita Vrataski, who proves to be more interesting. (Though overall the writing could have been better for both.) For awhile there I was going to applaud the film for not shoehorning in a romance, since there's virtually no time for it in an end of the world scenario, but like most summer blockbusters, it appears, thankfully briefly. Besides these two, there are no other major characters worth mentioning. Most of the side characters act like this is part comedy or a parody of the military.

Most aliens sadly in these type of movies are very weak one-shots. There's some justification to call them that here, but at least they have a genuinely cool design and are very threatening. (Though since they move so fast it can be often hard to get a good look at them and appreciate their unique look.) The opening montage nicely establishes the terror of an invasion. Though, it must be said that if you hadn't seen the trailer, you wouldn't know it was an alien invasion until someone actually used the word alien. Still, one cannot deny the effectiveness of the intro. The problem is that these 'Mimics' are never truly explored. They only are explored in a little piece of dialogue by Dr. Carter, (who is also pretty underdeveloped) but it just isn't enough. Their goal isn't touched on, and they have virtually no personality to speak of. Basically, they're cool enemies to shoot at in a video game, but for a movie they remain vastly unexplored. If the main characters had been better written, maybe this would have been less of a problem. The film's soundtrack is pretty solid. Nothing great where you'll remember any of the themes afterward, but just about every theme works.

Overall, EDGE OF TOMORROW is not bad enough to be called mediocre, but isn't good enough be called very good. The two main characters aren't terrible, but Cage would have benefited from either another actor or better writing. The concept of "Live. Die. Repeat." might be interesting on paper, but it quickly becomes jarring since the more interesting thing, the battle against the aliens, keeps getting interrupted. The Mimics have a cool design and are genuinely threatening, but are vastly unexplored for being the film's antagonist. This is probably a movie that will fade away like Wrath of the Titans. (Though to be fair, this film is much better than that one.)

3/5

The LEGO Movie Review

LEGO is unarguably one of the most popular toys on the market. In recent years it has expanded itself to video games, TV, and more! Interestingly, there has been very little films. The most popular example is the Bionicle franchise. At its height it was the most popular Lego-related thing. (It's thanks to that series I started playing with Legos.) But those films were straight-to-DVD. The LEGO Movie is the first theatrical film to entirely star...Legos! Not many thought it would end up being in the top 10 movies of 2014. With guest stars, great characters, cool music and an excellent message, it's hard not to appreciate it.

The story follows Emmet, a seemingly nobody who's thrust into an adventure to save the universe from Lord Business. As shocking as it may be for him, he's the chosen one according to a prophecy. He might not think he's special, but he'll have to accept it because the fate of the world depends on him!

The overall message is evident from the start, but it doesn't take away from the powerful speech spoken by Emmet in the climax. It's easy to sometimes think you're not anyone special, but it's important to remember that you are and everyone is. It's quite a lovely moral that the film perfectly portrays. Emmet is a likable character throughout who gets fantastic development within the hour and forty minutes. The first major character he meets is Wyldstyle who is seemingly the complete opposite. The two grow on bond that nicely develops throughout the film. Of course, one of the most hyped things was the inclusion of a lot of guest stars...

How amazing is it to have a movie where Superman, a Ninja Turtle, and Gandalf are all in the same room? It's a true spectacle, though sadly of course some will get the shaft. While these are all parodies of characters, one has to wonder the reasoning for having Superman lose and get thrown in jail, that was disappointing. Still, one cannot deny how amazing and humorous it is to have all of them together. Once Emmet arrives in Cloud Cuckoo Land (try saying that with a straight face) is when the cast is established. We have him, Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, Batman, Benny, Metal Beard, and Unikitty. Batman was of course featured in a lot of the marketing. Will Arnett does an excellent job voicing him. And he was a lot of fun to have around, (surprisingly he didn't steal the spotlight from Emmet) but some of his portrayal was questionable. "Every man for himself" is one thing, but only saving Emmet because Wyldstyle convinced him to? I understand that he was a parody, but still in some aspects it went just a bit far. Still one cannot deny how great it was to have The Dark Knight feature in a film and be funny. (His last film appearance until 2016!)

Benny was a pretty humorous guy you have around. Metal Beard was solid too, contributing some great backstory in the middle of the movie. Unikitty however proved to be the most entertaining, and adorable. The scene where she tried to remain cheerful despite her world crumbling around her was both humorous and emotional. She was basically a Lego version of Pinkie Pie, (the most cheerful character of all time) which is always a great personality to have. Surprisingly, one of the best characters ended up being Bad Cop/Good Cop. Liam Neeson delivers an Oscar-worthy voice portrayal. It's a shame the villain only had a run-in with Batman once cause it was one of the most entertaining scenes of the film. Lord Business was a pretty solid villain. On the onset he didn't seem like much other than being a generic comic relief bad guy, but the scene where he threatened to throw Bad Cop into the oblivion put that fear to rest.

The LEGO Movie definitely had a strong cast! Ultimately though, while it's great to have all these diverse characters and guest starts, it's about Emmet's journey to realizing he actually is special. The climax does a bit of a 180, introducing a new factor. The inclusion of live individuals to contrast what's happening in the Lego world was an interesting move. It was touching to see as it went on, and I can't help but wonder if the story would have been better if the humans were established early on with some cutaways here and there. It's an interesting thought to ponder, but it ultimately doesn't matter. What we got is solid enough.

Like Wreck-It Ralph, the film boasts some unique animation. Since the world and characters are made of Legos, it makes for some interesting sequences. The action is stellar; it actually boasts some of the most impressive fight and chase scenes of 2014. The soundtrack is one of the many highlights of the film. It boasts some impressive disco-video-game-like themes throughout the film. And of course "Everything is awesome" is quite an awesome song. Last year was dominated by "Let it Go," this year it's "Everything is Awesome."

Overall, The LEGO Movie delivers plenty of fun and action. It's a unique film with a compelling protagonist as he learns a valuable life lesson: that everyone is special. The cast is diverse and engaging, with of course Batman being a highlight. It does feature some humor that is solely aimed at an extreme young audience, but nothing too bad. "Everything is Awesome" perfectly describes The LEGO Movie in three words.

4.5/5

Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Heroes Unite Review

Out of all the DC Animated movies to come out in recent years, this one was the most surprising. I don't think many thought we would ever see an adaption of Lego Batman. On the outside it looks like a light, funny parody of Batman and Superman. On the inside...that's pretty much exactly what it is. Is that a bad thing though? Nope! Lego Batman is one of the most fun DC adventures in awhile, great for families and longtime fans alike.

The story is typical Batman/Superman fare, the Joker and Lex Luthor team up. Luthor is running for president, but on the day before election he sees his ratings are seriously low. So to convince the public that they should vote for him, he breaks Joker out of prison and gets him to make poison gas to mind control everyone. As much as Batman hates to admit it, it looks like he's going to need some help on this one.

The story is pretty wacky on paper, but it's what you expect from something called Lego Batman. The Joker is a highlight, right from his stage entrance in the first act you know you're in for a treat. Of course, this being strictly more of an all-ages adventure than previous movies, things are definitely more tame. But, it doesn't stop the Joker from being his crazy self. It never fails to be a great dynamic between him and Luthor. It was great that they got Clancy Brown to voice Luthor, since he voiced him in Justice League and Superman: The Animated Series.

Despite being called DC Heroes Unite, the rest of the Justice League don't appear until about the final 10 minutes. Perhaps a bit disappointing, but Superman makes up for it. He's pretty much a parody of the golden age version of the character, always smiling and acting invincible. The dialogue between him and Batman is priceless. From them walking into Lexcorp to waiting for the bus, (I'm not joking) this movie reminds us why we love seeing these two together. (And it's also great how Superman's classic theme plays whenever he flies in.)

Lego Batman is a fun movie. It doesn't try to pretend and be anything but a funny take on Batman, Superman, and the rest of the characters. It's perfect for a Saturday afternoon with the family, and for longtime fans ready for a good laugh. Definitely a must-see.

4.5/5

Jack the Giant Slayer Review

Jack the Giant Slayer was not a very well hyped film. The trailers did nothing for people. The posters were incredibly lame, showcasing shots of the rather off-putting giants. I'll be honest, I didn't have any real expectations for it. Everything pointed to it being a very generic action movie, like Battleship. (And I didn't have kind words for that film.) Honestly, it should have been rewritten to be Jack and the Beanstalk. It doesn't really know what kind of movie it wants to be. The PG-13 rating keeps it from being called a kids movie, but with some rather odd comedy like a giant picking his nose and one cutting the cheese, you have to wonder what kind of audience the film was trying to attract. It has too little substance for adults to get into, yet Director Bryan Singer didn't seem to have a kids movie in mind either. Nonetheless, Jack the Giant Slayer was definitely better than expected. It's far from being good, but it's at least decent. (Which I really can't call Battleship.)

The story follows Jack, whom goes on a journey to rescue Princess Isabelle. Why does she need rescuing? Well, these magical beans sprouted into a giant beanstalk, taking the Princess into the Kingdom of the Giants. Things take a turn for the worst when the Giants figure out a way to come down and wage war with humanity. The story itself is decent enough. The giants early on are painted as legitimate threats. The whole CGI flashback was a bit odd in a live action movie, but it got the point across. At its core, the story is a fairy tale. It has a handsome young guy rescuing a lovely princess from perils and in the end they get married. (Which was very nice to see.) The best scene is the very first Giant scene. The camera angle, the way it moved and snatched up one of the men like nothing, it successfully captured the threat of these guys, Sadly after that they started to lose their mystique.

Jack, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, is an alright protagonist. (Sadly despite the title calling him a Giant Slayer, he only slays three giants in the course of 114 minutes.) Though, the film doesn't really focus on character development at all. The movie is less about Jack and more about the events happening around him. This is not a bad thing, but character development is rather weak. The lovely Eleanor Tomlinson portrays Princess Isabelle, solid character. But, her plot of not wanting to do an arranged marriage has been done already recently in Brave. It's truly a shame the movie couldn't give her more of a role, she seems like a fighter but was caged up, then on the run for the majority of it. King Brahmwell was a pretty mediocre character. His lines sometimes felt forced, such as not appeasing his daughter. Elmont, the Captain of the Royal Guard, is definitely one of the best characters, with a fun personality. Roderick, the antagonist for half the film, was pretty generic. Thankfully he's killed off so there can be an actual villain to write home about.

The Giants is the main reason why we're here. They don't disappoint early on, but by the end you've just about had it with them. There's only two notable ones, Fallon and Fumm. Fallon is the true antagonist, and ironically had the best acting performance. His opening lines to the Princess were fantastic and pretty funny. Sadly, he is brought down by his second extremely annoying head. Seriously, was there a need for it? And that is the interesting problem with the film. The comedy scenes are greatly juvenile and pretty much out place in what should be a serious story. The climax is mildly exciting, the scene with all the Giants emerging from the forest was pretty cool. It is kind of anticlimactic when Jack comes out with the crown however. The soundtrack is pretty mediocre, you will not remember any of it after you're done watching.

Overall, Jack the Giant Slayer is this year's Battleship, just a little better than the latter. Some scenes are great, such as the beanstalk sprouting and taking Jacks house, the very first scene with a Giant, and some of the climax. Ultimately however it's just another action movie with little redeeming qualities. It's somewhat fun, but lacking substance.

3/5

MAN OF STEEL Review

MAN OF STEEL is the most anticipated film of this year for many reasons. Obviously the primary reason is that it's Superman's first live action appearance since the rather disappointing and boring Superman Returns seven years ago. It makes you think what DC had been doing that whole time with their movies. They had the successful Batman trilogy, but that's it. Green Lantern bombed, and Jonah Hex...you know that story. (It makes you wonder how we got a Jonah Hex movie before Wonder Woman or Flash.) Superman is the original superhero, he will always remain timeless. So it's always the right time for a new movie. This one is a reboot, which is appropriate since by now we could use a clean slate. It's an origin story, which when first announced didn't receive the best response. It's pretty much the same thing with The Amazing Spider-Man, the origin is one of the most well known. Everyone knows how Superman came to be. But, amazingly, after watching it I thought it was actually good they retold the origin. It was done in a whole new way, and thus shows the world what Superman is all about. Zack Snyder directs, he received mixed responses from the beginning. I'm a fan of his work, such as Watchmen and Sucker Punch, but he has a lot of haters. With him and Christopher Nolan of Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight trilogy, this film feels like a combination between the two collaborators. What we have is not only the greatest Superman movie, but a very unique comic book film.

The story follows Kal-El, who was sent away from his dying world Krypton. He crash lands on Earth and is taken in by the Kents, Jonathan and Martha. He learns to cope with his superhuman abilities for 33 years. But when General Zod, escapee from the Phantom Zone, comes to make a new Krypton on our planet, Kal dons the uniform and battles this intergalactic terrorist. This movie could be said as a combination of the first two Donner films and The Dark Knight. It's very serious, much like the Nolan movies. Some may be disappointed since Batman is where the gritty should be, not Superman. But the tone works for this kind of story. The opening on Krypton is one of the best scenes of the entire two hour and 23 minutes. It's remarkable because for the first time in movie history, we get to see a fully realized Krypton. Even in comics has it barely been shown like this. It's truly an insightful and glorious thing to behold. (From creatures to robots, there's plenty to see.) There's some great action here, with Zod and Jor-El. Definitely the most exciting intro in awhile.

Once we head to Earth, things get really interesting. Humanity has always seen Superman as a being above them, someone to look up to and strive to be like. In many cases, as Jor-El states in the beginning, Superman is like a god to humanity. Seemingly invincible and perfect in every way. This reboot spins that in a whole new direction. The story humanizes Superman, showing us he has some of the same emotions we do. The movie does an excellent job showing that through flashbacks to when he was a kid. We see him enjoying the ability to fly, but then crashes like a rookie. This is something that lacked in the Donner films. That's not a bad thing, but it's interesting to see such a take. While this is definitely Superman's story, General Zod's plot is pretty interesting. One of my personal favorite scenes is when the power went out in Metropolis, and Zod appeared on all TV screens throughout demanding that Kal-El surrender. It's reminiscent of the Mandarin's TV screen appearances in Iron Man 3, which is a good thing. It captures the terror of not understanding what's going on.

Henry Cavill plays the titular character. I really liked his portrayal, perfect for a just starting out Superman. Despite having a grim tone, he retains his sense of humor and matter-of-fact way of speaking. (Such as when he uses his x-ray vision in the questioning scene.) It's good to see since the film is such a serious take. Michael Shannon plays the antagonist, General Zod. While he lacks the charisma of the original from Superman II, (mainly cause he doesn't shout 'kneel' once) it's a solid take on the popular villain. Interestingly, the film goes out its way to say Zod isn't truly evil, rather he's doing what he was bred to do, protect Krypton. It's an interesting dynamic, since there comes a point where Superman has to choose between humanity and his own people. Amy Adams plays Lois Lane. She does have more of a fighter attitude, as opposed to always getting kidnapped then being saved by the hero, which was nice to see. However, I'm sad to say the romance aspect of the film could have been handled better. It's Superman and Lois Lane, we know they're going to get together, so the film doesn't do the best job it could have in establishing the relationship. (Well, at least it beats Thor's awful and forced romance.)

Other characters include the famous Laurence Fishburne as Perry White. Much like the Kingpin in Daredevil, ethnicities were changed. He plays the part of Perry well. The other villain is Faora, first officer to Zod. She was definitely a highlight, it's great to see such a strong female villain. There's a third member to Zod's party, but he doesn't do much and isn't named. Kevin Costner plays Jonathan Kent, someone who was influential in Clark's growing up. It's a solid performance with plenty of wise words. But, one part will always bother me and ruin his credibility. He basically tells Clark he should have let the kids on the school bus die as opposed to saving them. I understand what he was saying, but it just came out morally wrong. That will always stick out to me. Diane Lane plays Martha Kent, very solid job. I enjoyed every scene she was in. Russell Crowe plays Jor-El, who has a great presence throughout. Never before has Superman's father been portrayed like this.

The highlight of the movie is definitely the action scenes. The primary problem with Superman Returns was a lack of action, Superman didn't throw a single punch. So when the first blow is felt here, it's monumental. Never before has a movie come close to showing off Superman's power and speed like this. I put emphasis on speed cause it's fully realized here. There are two major action pieces, the one with Faora and the final battle against Zod. Both are amazingly done and extremely satisfying. They put ALL other comic book movie action scenes to shame. Even The Avengers didn't have such great hand-to-hand fights like these. I give credit to Zack Snyder, who has shown he can do some pretty intense action sequences. The soundtrack is pretty solid, nothing great, but acceptable. One of my favorite scenes is when Clark visits a church and asks the pastor for advice. It's rare that we see godliness being portrayed as good in movies today, so it was nice to see.

Overall, Man of Steel is the new definitive Superman movie. This is the most vivid and realistic take on the origin. Never before have we seen Kal-El's journey from confused kid to Earth's defender this well done. The action is by far the best from any superhero movie. It's also great to see the more comic book aspect of the universe, such as the use of the Phantom Zone. The ending is a nice tip of the hat to the franchise and firmly sets up the status quo we all know and love for the sequel. Superman is back, and has never been more real.

4/5