Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Vol. 6

I splurged on a second volume of Twisted Toyfare Theatre. This volume features an introduction from professional wrestler Rob Van Dam. I didn't realize that he was such a geek. Had I, I might have been a fan of his.

I'm noticing in this volume several names pop up. Matthew Senreich and Tom Root among others. Add Seth Green to the list and you might be saying ' Oh, yeah. These are the guys behind Robot Chicken!' That means that TTT is either the father of the Adult Swim series or it's the TV adaptation. That's really interesting considering that DC Comics actually threatened to sue Toyfare for using their characters in satirical ways for TTT but on Robot Chicken, with Cartoon Network being a Warner Bros. property, DC Comics works were skewered almost in every episode. Just goes to show that anyone is willing to have a good sense of humor if they get paid for it. 

As with all the other volumes I have read, there's just too many segments to pay adequate attention to. Daredevil takes actor Ben Affleck to court for the hero's portrayal in the Daredevil movie. Hulk and Spider-Man attend a showing of Episode II: Attack of the Clones while fans also get a chance to see what Star Trek III: The Search for Spock would have been like if it took place in the Star Wars Universe. We see deleted scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and then take a tour of Cobra headquarters after dark, when everybody should be long asleep.

'The Official Handbook to the Twisted Toyfare Theatre Universe' was as usual, a delight. But those 'Slideshow' one-pagers that take screenshots of classic cartoons and rework them into skits was something that the editors should have buried long ago. I feel shame that I ever was a fan of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors...

The main segments were great. A really neat glimpse at the genius behind Robot Chicken. But those creative forces should stick to using toys for the jokes. Riffing on classics just wasn't in their wheelhouse.

Sadly, this will probably be the last volume I'll be able to get my hands on. Volumes 8-11 are out of print. Apparently, the print run was really small as sellers are asking prices that I'd expect to pay for an Action Comics #252. Maybe I'll get lucky some day. But it will probably be a while before that happens.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Justice League

Centuries ago the Apokoliptian war lord Steppenwolf sought to make the earth the latest conquest in the name of the Fourth World. But an alliance between the realms of men, Atlantis, and the Amazons resulted in his first ever defeat. Driven insane with embarrassment of his lost, Steppenwolf was exiled and his three mother boxes, called the Trinity were hidden away from the rest of the world. 

With the death of Superman, the time is right for Steppenwolf's return to conquer earth again. As mankind mourns the loss of the Man of Steel, morale is at an all-time low for the human race. Thus, fear and anguish are just what the New God needs in order to power his horde of Parademons for attempt #2.

Aware of a mounting attack, but hopelessly out-manned, Bruce Wayne seeks a to raise his own army of defenders. Aided by Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, the Batman has a list of potential helpers. But does the aging billionaire playboy have what it takes to recruit a speedster with ADHD and social anxiety disorder, an aquatic hippie, and a cybernetically enhanced teen who can communicate with Steppenwolf's mother boxes?

Justice League was been getting slammed in the press, mostly by critics and amateur online reporters that don't understand comic books. Everyone is making such a big deal of what Rotten Tomatoes has to say. That site is just an average of critics nationwide and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Back in my day, nobody cared what Siskel and Ebert thought about the movies. We just wanted to see them insult each other- and maybe throw a punch. Gene Shalit's mustache was more important to us than what he thought about films. The only critic worth listening to was Leonard Maltin. But he's more like Bob Costas in that his depth of film knowledge is so impressive, he's like the Stephen Hawking of movie history. 

Look, if you don't even want to read my review, that's fine. I do this blog because I like to write about geeky things and this is more like my personal reading and movie journal. If it inspires someone to give something a go- cool. If they decide not to consume something because of my opinion- that's fine too. But I am in now way the only opinion that should matter. I might be considered an expert in comics because of my 40-years of knowledge on the subject, but in the end- it's all up to you on whether to see the Justice League movie.

Anyways, now that I cleared that, here's my take on what went right and wrong with the film. 

Not Long Enough- The movie runs right at about 2 hours. DC is taking a huge gamble putting the League together first and then building solo films around it. They're having to play catch up to Marvel and the speedy pace is off-putting to many. Personally, I would have liked to have seen the movie about 15-20 minutes longer.

 I hope there will be a director's cut. But please DC/ Warner Bros, don't make it for Bluray only! I still have student loans to repay and can't afford one just right yet.

Music To My Ears- Composer Danny Elfman was behind a majority of the tracks in this film. Though he's been a bit of a dick about it, I did enjoy having the 1989 Batman theme and some of the Animated Series peppered throughout the film. It's a been a very long time since I left a movie wishing that the music store was open. I really do want the soundtrack to this. It's pretty great.

Lack of Heavy Hitters- Having Steppenwolf as the main bad guy is really not the best idea. Most people I talk to have actually responded to my naming of him by saying 'That 70's rock band?' I kid you not. Honestly, I was hoping for an appearance by Darkseid, Steppenwolf's master, but even he is less of a household name than the Joker, Luthor, or Penguin. 

Another relative unknown to many is that of Cyborg. Unless you are familiar with the New 52 Justice League or the Teen Titans, not many casual fans are going to be very knowledgeable of him. I had a Cyborg Super Powers action figure as a kid and I remember him from some version of Super Friends in the 80s and I thought newcomer Ray Fisher was really good as the reluctant hero. But for every 1 me out there who grew up with the character, there's probably 3 people who are asking 'Cyborg? Who's he?'

Hail to the King- Tapping into Kirby's Fourth World is smart. Jack Kirby's very short stint at DC sent the publisher into a quantum leap that rivaled Marvel. Honestly, I feel like Marvel's Infinity War stuff is way less interesting than Kirby's New Gods. The House of Ideas is banking on the creations of Jim Starlin to send the Marvel Cinematic Universe into it's next phase of films. But let's be real people- Jim Starlin is no Jack Kirby!

Casting- For the most part, DC got almost every character right. The dup of Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck as Batman and Wonder Woman is perfect. As I said earlier Ray Fisher's Cyborg was great! And man I think I am in love with Jason Momoa. His portrayal as Aquaman finally made the character relevant and not the joke of the DC Universe.

But I have to talk about Ezra Miller's version of the Flash. I really don't think Miller's acting was terrible as that I think Zack Synder vision of the speedster is flawed. Miller's Barry Allen is hyper, socially awkward, and the comic relief of the team. That's not Barry Allen so much as how I would describe Allen's great-grandson Impulse (Bart Allen.) Maybe the heads at DC didn't want people to be confused between the Flash on Justice League with Grant Gustin's superior version of the Flash on the CW. But for a huge Flash fan like myself, I was a bit put off.

The Chuckle Hut- Finally, I want to talk some about the laughs. Apparently, Zack Synder's version of the film was too dark and so when he stepped down after a family tragedy, Warner Bros. called in Joss Whedon to beef up the lighter side of the film. I understand that the Flash was used ad nauseam for a majority of this. But did you have to turn Batman into a heavily armored version of Spider-Man? 

At about the halfway point of the movie, Batman starts making one-liners and kinds taunts both his teammates and the villain in a way similar to that of Peter Parker. We already had a great movie with Spider-Man and a billionaire playboy with lots of tech. We didn't need to morph the two together in the second act of Justice League.

I had a ton of fun with this movie. There's some great Easter Eggs and I personally have a theory about who the seventh member of the League is. All I will say is that he's already made a couple of appearances in the movie. But it will be some time before I post my theory as to not be accused of spoilers.

Despite the negative press, Justice League is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Though a bit scary with those Parademons, Justice League is a lot more fun for the whole family than current comic book movie competitor Thor: Ragnarok, which has quite a bit of innuendo and overt sexual content. So if you desperately need to escape the house with a nephew or cousin this Thanksgiving weekend for a little bit, flock to the theaters and check it out. In the end, after the two bonus scenes, I think you'll be glad you did. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Today I took my godson to see the highly anticipated Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I've spent the last week staying away from spoilers and reviews, but it's been hard. I know that the critics have hated the movie while most fans loved it. That is, with the exception of some DC fans, who just hate it to no end and have even started an online petition to get director Zack Snyder banned from directing the Justice League film due out next Thanksgiving. 

   So what did this Madman think of Dawn of Justice?

   In terms of the cast, I thought it was great. Henry Cavill returns as the Man of Steel. He's okay as Superman but I love his Clark Kent. The same goes for the much maligned Ban Affleck. His Batman was pretty good but his Bruce Wayne was superb. Generally, the previous films get the Dark Knight right but give very little care to getting his billionaire alter-ego right. Not this time! Rounding out the DC trinity is Gal Gadot who appears as the first ever cinematic version of Wonder Woman. She was pretty kick-ass but since there's a bit of mystery about her yet to be determined until her solo feature comes out sometime next year, I wasn't 100% sold on her... YET!

    The role of Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams, whom I hated in Man of Steel was actually better this time around. So was Fishburne's Perry White. But the supporting characters that steal the show are Jeremy Irons and Jesse Eisenberg. 

   Jeremy Irons plays Batman's long-suffering faithful butler Alfred. He's a little gritty and a tad grumpy but he has good chemistry with Affleck. Jesse Eisenberg's character doesn't really work well with anyone. He's really bat-crap crazy and is obsessed with destroying Superman. His Lex Luthor is nothing like that in the comics or other films but as a loose canon type of character rebooted as a kind of evil Mark Zuckerberg- it kinda works.

   The plot of the film in a spoiler-free nutshell is that after the events of Man of Steel, the world is reeling from the total destruction of Metropolis at Superman and Zod's hands. Bruce Wayne is convinced that the Last Son of Krypton is poised to be the end of society and takes it upon himself to bring him down. Added to the mix is Lex Luthor who seeks to use the US government and a newly found glowing green rock as a means of taking down the Man of Tomorrow.

   That's really all I can say about the film without giving away some major spoilers. There are cameos galore and this film does act as an introduction piece for the Justice League films. But DC tries a little too hard to cram about 5 hours worth of film into 2.5!

   DC is behind Marvel when is comes to establishing their cinematic universe. But why does DC have to go the movie route? Their 'Arrowverse' shows are so good, whereas Gotham is wicked fun and Supergirl has that Otto Binder oddball charm. With the DC cinematic universe- something is missing.

   I read that it took Kevin Smith needed2 showings to discover that Dawn of Justice actually has heart. I don't have the money (or time) to go see this film again so soon. But, I would have to agree with Smith, that this film has heart. What is lacking is soul! 

   One reason I love the DCTV programs is that they take me away from the troubles of this screwed up world. With crumbling buildings, terrorist attacks, untrustworthy leaders, and a film-long debate over the roles of God and Man- Dawn Of Justice felt like I was watching the evening news! I thought Marvel was supposed to be the more realistic comics universe...

   Another thing missing from this film is a sense of humor. I love that the DCTV shows can laugh at themselves. Once Batman and Superman were able to start cracking wise I felt like things finally fell into place during the last 45 minutes.

   So, what does the future hold for me and the 'Snyder-verse' as these DC films are referred to? I'm pumped for next year's Wonder Woman. What teasing was done for that film in BVS was awesome! Justice League? I can't give up on my favorite superhero team! I've been a DC person ever since I started reading my dad's old Jimmy Olsens and Lois Lanes when I was 3 or 4. Yes- this film isn't my dad's DC but it's also not something that's unfamiliar to me either. I think like with this film, it's going to take time for everything to finally achieve synergy! 

   And yes- It's worth the wait!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10.