Stargate Primer for Newbies

Stargate for the Uninitiated

If you are a sci-fi fan you likely are aware of Stargate, on the other hand, if you are a sci-fi fan and have never watched Stargate, then you need to read on. The TV show Stargate SG-1 hit the small screen in 1997, based on the stylish and most excellent feature film released in 1994 starring Kurt Russell and James Spader. The television show adopted many of the concepts introduced in the film. The ability to travel to other planets instantaneously through a giant ring - the Stargate. The evil antagonists the Goa'uld from the film become a multi-star system menace in the new television show, a foe which the intrepid cast battled on a weekly basis.

SG1 is Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping), Teal'c (Christopher Judge), Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Colonel Jack O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson). These are the original cast and considered SG1 which simply means Stargate Team 1. Throughout the series we see other teams known as for example SG-12 or SG-3.

Over the record-breaking 10 year span of the SG1 series the story remained fresh and interesting. New baddies were introduced and subsequently destroyed, alliances were made, new technology aquired. The stargate program developed into a full blown alien tech testing ring. Secrets revealed about the original gate-builders lead to the discovery of the gate's ability to 'gate' outside our own galaxy to an abandoned ancient city called Atlantis. This story arc seamlessly lead to the uber-popular spinoff series Stargate: Atlantis. When the decision was made to end SG1 in season 10, the adventure continued with feature films released directly to DVD. The excellent "the Ark of Truth" which tied up a lot of loose story ends, and the truly remarkable "Continuum" which was an action packed nod to essentially every cool plot idea and space battle present in the entire SG1 series!.

Later in the series Richard Dean Anderson withdrawls from being leader of SG1 becomes General O'Neil to replace General Hammond played by the late Don S. Davis, and though Anderson continued to have a major input on the show's direction he likely wanted more time to spend in his glorious pool with his many spacey awards. Farscape lead Ben Browder enters as Colonel Cameron Mitchell in 2005 in attempt to fill the Anderson-sized hole, without the Jack O'Neil character at the helm Browder's job was to lead the now fragmented SG1 - the nod to Blues Brothers is palpable 'I'm getting the BAND back together!'.

Another Farscape refugee Claudia Black - who has to be the most entertaining and adorable onscreen presence I've seen in a long while - comes in as the bad girl / comic relief character Vala Mal Doran – the second alien SG1 member after Teal'c and also like “T” she was formerly involved with evil baddies the Goa'uld - often she accidentally on purpose throws a giant monkey wrench into the team's efforts a la C3P0. It takes only a few episodes before you realize Stargate is much richer and MUCH funnier with these new characters.

By the time SG1 ended in 2007 a new spinoff series was already in production, based on story ideas developed in SG1, Stargate Atlantis takes place on and around a floating 'ancient' city located in the 'pegasus' galaxy. Abandoned by it's builders tens of thousands of years ago, our new SG heroes must battle both new and dangerous external opponents and their own place of residence as they continue to 'activate' new technology and cope with the eventual mayhem which ensues. The interplay between SG1 and Atlantis continues after the ending of the SG1 series. Many popular SG1 characters appear in Atlantis, including former Voyager EMH doctor now working for an irritating bureaucratic oversight committee designed to control and/or limit SG1 in it's propensity to expose earth to invasion by baddies.

The Stargate builders, known as the 'Ancients' left strewn about the galaxies many edifice illustrating their technological prowess, this same race was eventually defeated by the organic and very creepy new baddie the Wraith. A good lesson that technology doesn't always win against determination and sheer force of numbers. Oh, where have we heard that idea lately?

Upon arriving in the Pegasus galaxy we humans waste no time awakening the Wraith and get them all riled up and ready for feeding, interestingly humans are the only item on the their menu. Stargate Atlantis premiered in 2004 to rave reviews. Many fans I've talked to actually prefer Atlantis over SG1. Sadly though, the fifth season will be the last, the producers feel a shift to films - like done with SG1 - is in order, likely since the third Stargate series premiers this fall and they want to “go out while the horse is strong”. I mean who wants to ride a tired stargate horse. ME ME!

In 2009 the third major series based on the Stargate mould will premier. Stargate: Universe follows the 'ancient' theme. This time, a team has 'gated' to a huge starship exploring the universe only to find no way home. A Lost in Space come Star Trek Voyager concept which could actually be quite interesting!

Overall there is approximately 13,866 minutes of Stargate to watch. A good part of this consists of delicious character moments and irreverent and light-hearted humour. You will find obscure cultural references, nods to Vancouver where the series was filmed, and much more. Add to this many impressive sfx moments where the team must battle star-ships, baddies, alien diseases, giant bugs, inter-dimensional creatures, eachother, and much more. Watched back to back, 24 hours a day, you could be Stargating for 9.63 days! Though I wouldn't want to be around you afterwards.

As a long time fan of the genre I would highly recommend trying on Stargate SG1 for size. The early seasons can now be bought for about $25 each at places like Walmart. Highly recommended.

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TERMS

Ancients: (also known as the Alterans) are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are the most advanced race known to have existed. They evolved millions of years ago and developed a space-faring society, long before human life evolved on Earth. They claim to be responsible for the existence of human life in the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxy. They have Ascended to a higher plane of existence.

Wraith: are a hostile alien species from the TV series Stargate Atlantis. They are native to the Pegasus Galaxy. A vampire-like, hive-based humanoid species, the Wraith survive and thrive by using suckers in their palms to extract and consume the life force of humans. The Wraith are extremely long-lived, possibly immortal as long as they are able to feed. A recently fed Wraith is superior in strength to humans and very difficult to kill. Let's just say being fed upon by a wraith will leave you rather dead and much older.

Atlantis: In the fictional Stargate universe, Atlantis is an Ancient city ship built several million years ago, possibly on Earth. It was abandoned in the Pegasus Galaxy for over 10,000 years until it was rediscovered by the Atlantis Expedition in the pilot episode of the series Stargate Atlantis. The legend of the lost city spread through Earth cultures via the Greeks who likely had contact with the Ancients several thousand years ago.

On Stargate Atlantis, the city is the base of operations for the Atlantis expedition. They have occupied the city and the main goal of the expedition is to learn more about Atlantis, the people who built it, and any technology that may help defend Earth. Although the team has been living and working on Atlantis for over two years, there are many mysteries yet to be uncovered in the city.

Pegasus Galaxy: is a fictional location in the Stargate Atlantis universe. Its location is based on a real galaxy called Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy. It is significantly smaller than the Milky Way. The Galaxy is 3 million light-years from Earth.

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Interviews:

SG1:
Christopher Judge | Ben Browder | Michael Shanks
Beau Bridges | Amanda Tapping | Brad Wright


Atlantis:
Amanda Tapping - Q&A - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
David Hewlett - Q&A - Part 1 | Part 2
Jewel Staite - Q&A - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Jason Momoa - Q&A - Part 1 | Part 2
Joe Flanigan - Q&A - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Promo - Episode 507 | Whispers

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Stargate : Feature Film – 1994

Stargate: SG1 - 1997-2007

Stargate: Atlantis 2004 - 2009

geeksofdoom.com - Stargate Atlantis TV series cancelled
www.gateworld.net - Atlantis is going out on top
www.gateworld.net - Actor's reaction to cancellation

Stargate: Universe

www.gateworld.net - Stargate Unverse has a GO
sci-fi and MGM reach for the stars with Stargate Universe

MOVIE REVIEW - Star Wars: Clone Wars

STAR WARS the Next, Next Generation:

Things have changed in the world since Star Wars hit the theaters in 1977. I remember the incredible stir it caused with just about everyone. Suddenly, there was nothing at all to talk about with my friends but how hot Princess Leia was and how skimpy her costume was. We were 12 year old boys, I make no excuses. Later we find out she was born Leia Amidala Skywalker, which would have quickly ruined the whole Luke and Leia romance 'thing'.

Episode IV - which calmly scrolled up the screen, a cool visual effect in itself – we were completely confused and full of pre-pubescent glee! There are FOUR? One Star Wars was enough, but does that mean there is another 3 coming? What next? Even at that tender age I imagined Star Wars making so much money that perhaps Lucas could go back and make all the missing episodes? I fantasized about what the 'clone war' would look like.

For many, the impact of Star Wars on the course of our lives was nothing short of revolutionary. Overnight the entire language of fantasy and science fiction in film was transformed, and with it, the dreams and creative direction of an entire generation of artists and film-makers. It wasn't just about the films either, Lucas practically invented an entirely new form of marketing and before the studio could could say "hand over the cash", he had slapped Star Wars on lunch-boxes, collector cards, toys, games, and anything else he could think of. "Star Wars" deprived 13 year-old fans everywhere just lapped it up like starving kittens! Anticipation for further Star Wars adventure began building to a fevered pitch becoming regular recess conversation. What happened to Darth Vader? Was the empire really kaput? Did millions of voices really cry out in terror and then suddenly were silenced? Many deep and heated conversations ensued over fries and ketchup.

Even though Lucas employed repackaged archetypal characters and ideas, good old good vs. evil and historical figures like the Samurai, it was all presented in a revolutionary 'dirty realism' and a never before seen sense of realism which left us completely agog. By the time the second..err.. fifth film arrived, “the Empire Strikes Back”, salivation and mania were overwhelming! The second film cemented the love affair with the Star Wars universe with many fans; a film many believe to be the best of them all. Empire set new records and since Lucas had been very careful to retain his control it made him an empire unto himself in the process. We also had a new creature to imitate, the asteroid inhabiting slug creature!

As most fans know, after Return of the Jedi -Episode VI - there was a massive Star Wars void. We kept waiting for news of the mysterious 'clone wars' to be fleshed out (no pun intended) but alas it did not appear. Decades passed and suddenly we were not impassioned pre-teens any longer, but when Lucas put Star Wars back into the theaters we all flocked to the theaters once again, giggling in unabashed delight as the big yellow STAR WARS hit us in the face, giving us the same goose-bumps it did so long ago. With the new scenes and effects there was little doubt this was a prelude to the holy grail, Episode I.

When the Episode I was released I remember sitting in the theater watching the yellow words crawl up the screen reinforced once again by William's musical brilliance. I was struck by a sense of wonder and nostalgia so powerful I almost couldn't contain myself from yelling at the screen. “oh ya!” I'm no picky audience like some, but admittedly I found Episode I to be a bit shallow and if I could murder Jar-Jar I surely would. Overall though, I was pleased that it was finally being undertaken, but disappointed in what could have been done and wasn't. Episode I could have been so much more intricate and deep, but Lucas chose to sanitize and pablumize a story that I remembered as gritty and full of life.

Episode II and III were considerably better. Ep.III contained almost the power and mystery I remembered from Ep.IV. My daughter who was about the same age watching E:III as I was watching E:IV in 1977 was equally overwhelmed and I caught her weeping when poor Anakin was de-legged.

So, an entire generation has passed, and the promise has finally been fulfilled of a six part Star Wars extravaganza. What now? Lucas has offered a new view and style with Clone Wars. An episodic snippet from the period before Anakin succumbs to the dark side and loses everything to evil Palpatine. The reviews I read almost mocked fan's devotion and feeling for the story and history of the films. I find it incomprehensible to review with distain an iconic entry in this universe without even being alive when the first one was released. How can one comment on the importance and contribution made to the film industry, the affect on the genre of science fiction and most importantly the hearts and minds of the millions that have been fundamentally changed by it! Watching the trilogy in a retrospective manner on a DVD just doesn't give you the appreciation for how it really did change things for us, and may yet change a young dreaming mind today.

Admittedly in this overcrowded high-tech universe, such trivial things as a new Star Wars film perhaps can not engross and enrapture us as it did in 1977, where the pinnacle offering of the high tech world consisted of 8 track cassettes and rotary dial phones. Now we are seeing technology similar to, or even more advanced then what was shown in the original Star Wars universe. How can we avoid being jaded?

So, am I saying Star Wars: Clone Wars was a perfect film? No. However as an artist I was very impressed. Each scene and environment followed a distinct style and colour palette, akin to the revolutionary and gorgeously stylized Sleeping Beauty by Walt Disney. The characters were heavily stylized and artistically expressed, very akin to Madagascar. The space battles were brilliantly executed and whenever there are large capitol ships involved they have very convincing weight and presence. The camera work is excellent and also very creative! I was extremely impressed with the soundtrack which was both subtle, not at all overdone and with a slight eastern influence which works very well with the Star Wars 'esque' buildings.

There were a few issues though, like for example, Padme was very overtly a caricature and somewhat clown-like in appearance. Yoda was borderline laughable and under normal circumstances he's hard to buy anyway, in this film, a weak character is he! I also still have an issue with the grand master of the Jedi order and the most powerful jedi in the known universe lounging around with Palpatine, the greatest evil ever to grace the galaxy, all the while completely clueless to his true nature. I also found myself wondering how a blueish warthog-like alien ended up with a Scottish accent?

Many have commented on “lame dialog”. I must admit, it was a lot like a Sunday morning cartoon. Hmmm, hold the subspace communicator, could it actually be the pilot for... well, you guessed it... a Sunday morning cartoon?. Don't get me wrong, this is no Pixar film and doesn't actually pretend to be. It's stylized, artsy and complete cheese. However, may I remind that Indiana Jones is not much different. In fact, it follows the formula quite closely. If you enter the theater expecting a sophisticated animated version of Star Wars then understandably you will leave still with a hungry tummy empty of meaty Star Wars, but, if you expect a fun romp with a decent story and dialog aimed at 12 year olds, you will be completely satisfied.

I had a great time watching this film. The space battles are engrossing and the story pretty well told. Overall it's very worthy of the money I plunked down to watch it! This world has become so full of pessimism and overwhelmingly tiring, it's nice to put one's 'life brain' on the shelf for a while and twist and turn through an artistically told Star Wars yarn, one completely unlike anything we have seen so far. I for one am really looking forward to watching the animated series this movie is a pilot for. Apparently the story came together so well Lucas decided to release this as a feature film instead of the afore-planned television pilot. Kudos Lucasfilm. Very daring of you, yet very appreciated by at least this fan. Come on people, lighten up, Star Wars was always about fantasy and fun!

Ian Davis

MOVIE REVIEW - the Dark Knight

Unless you live under a proverbial rock you surely have heard of Batman. The franchise has seen many different styles on both television and in film. The popular television series pushed batman into the 'nice guy' category but most batman fans are fans because of his inherent struggle with the darker forces of his inner morality. Tragically taken from an idyllic life at a young age, Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to combating the same forces that took his parent's life... crime and evil. Operating outside the law and considered a vigilante by the very city he protects, the Batman persona may represent the desire in all of us to acquire justice at any cost, and is in itself a statement about our dissatisfaction with the way the world operates.

Batman in film over the last decade hasn't enjoyed the popularity that the Batman character theoretically should have seen. This film is proof that Batman appeals to us in a very big way. We all yearn for an antihero to settle our scores, and make the bad guys pay. Locking them up for trial is so boring when we have the option for a Gotham City smack down. Sure the criminals go to jail, and sure, Batman doesn't kill his victims, but why is it so appealing to see a bad guy get a little 'back-alley' justice before going off to jail?

Robert A. Heinlein, one of the most famous sci-fi authors of all time considered this form of justice to be mankind's last hope. Anyone actually reading his book Starship Troopers - rather then watching the film, a bug-hunt mashing of the book - would see the Batman philosophy right there on the page. The belief that humans do well with swift and painful justice as a deterrent to crime. Heinlein believed that to arrest and detain was counter to our own natural way of learning. As children we hurt ourselves, and then learn. Even as adults, when physical pain is involved the lesson is channeled directly to the 'oh man, gotta stop doing that' center of the brain. As children, how many stern talkings to and time outs did it take to replace a swift kick in the behind. Many.

Batman represents the swift arm of justice rather then the currently ineffective way of punishing crime. Perhaps Batman's popularity represents a frustration with this perceived ineffectual method of crime deterrent. Perhaps we are frustrated with innocent people being victimized and yearn for a simple time when the town square was for more then then city-sponsored festivals.

To the criminal, Batman represents instant retribution in the form of physical pain for their activities, and a beating modifies criminal behaviour more effectively then the fear of 20 years in jail. When we consider this idea carefully it shines a huge batman shaped spotlight on our carefully constructed model of society, illuminated it's flaws in vivid detail.

So, now we know that perhaps Batman represents to us an answer to our frustration about the criminal element filling prisons, costing us huge amounts of money, generating fear for ourselves and our children. This would explain why the previous Batman films failed so miserably to capture our attention like the Dark Knight has. Just picture 'Doctor Freeze'.

What was the film like? There are many reviews floating around on the web but the general consensus is that the Dark Knight is a true summer blockbuster. There are a couple things that make this film stand above other potential ways of spending movie dollars. First and foremost in my mind is the performance by Heath Ledger.

Though the star of the show I'm told is Batman/Bruce Wayne, it's Ledger's Joker that just wows us. His portrayal of the joker is likely the best villainous film character I've ever seen. This is a thoughtful and downright perfect take on the character and is executed with such panache and style as to leave us just stunned. The horrible part is that we sit there watching this onscreen brilliance with the recent headlines regarding his tragic and pointless end running amok in our heads. Most of us first became aware of Heath in the excellent and stylish Knight's Tale in 2001 which he played the film's title 'knight'. A must see for anyone who liked his performance in the Dark Knight. Batman is not to be his last film. Ledger will appear in the upcoming Terry Gilliam film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus where his character is to be broken into three facets, the other two played by Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell.

The Dark Knight is a long film. Come prepared, and don't drink too much Coke or you will be forced to run off to the little boys/girls room right when the Dark Knight starts going battish on the badguys! The film is a slow starter, filling in the details of the new character Harvey Dent (two-face) played by Aaron Eckhart who has been in many-a-film and in my opinion was a perfect choice for the roll.

This time around I found Christian Bale's performance as Batman to be a little monotone. Though nobody can yell so scary as Bale as the angry bat, I found the constant gruff voice to be somewhat tiring after the first five minutes. I understand the need for the whole 'secret identity thing' but you don't hear superman talking like he's got a hedgehog in his throat. Don't get me wrong, overall his portrayal as the Dark Knight was excellent and he sure works as the billionaire Bruce Wayne.

The weak link in the Dark Knight's armor and the love interest for both Wayne and Dent is Rachel Dawes played by notable actress Maggie Gyllenhaal sister to also-celeb Jake Gyllenhaal. Her character pins the story to her like a linchpin, and in the end I felt that though her performance was excellent she just didn't seem believable as a woman both men would be so much in love with as to risk so much.

The other standout roll is longtime screen gem Gary Oldman who can do no wrong! His rolls in the past have established this man to be one of the most versatile and powerful actors working today, and though Commissioner Gordon doesn't give him much to sink his size 9 fangs into, what he does contribute is the perfect Gordon.

Though in many of the comics Alfred the sardonic and dry family friend and tea bringer doesn't have a pivotal roll, in the Dark Knight Alfred has become the conscience of Batman, the devil's advocate, the one who says "I told you so". In this role Michael Caine was the perfect choice. his short and precise delivery of his lines, mixed with his expert skill garnered from decades in front of the camera once again bring Alfred into the core group of characters.

Morgan Freeman, the man who never ages reprises his role as Lucius Fox, Batman's Q. He supplies Batman with the where, the how and the cool. Without him, batman would be a little less of a flying rodent James Bond and more of a martial arts vigilante with a cool hat. Though Freeman is less versatile and chameleon-like then the likes of Gary Oldman he works well here, simply because he radiates intelligence and power, as usual.

Eric Roberts shows up as gangsta boss Salvatore Maroni. His accent is a big weakness here but overall he did a good job as the mob go-between and helps fill in the blanks for the viewer regarding the Joker's motivations as well as some of the plot points involving the mob.

Anthony Michael Hall, forever the geeky kid from 16 candles, the geeky kid from the Breakfast Club and the geeky kid from Weird Science, all 80s cult films. From the geeky kid Hall has evolved into a startlingly good and accomplished actor with both the very excellent 'Dead Zone' TV show and various film roles. In Dark Knight he plays the 'go getter' news man where seeming without purpose in the plot decidedly adds to the fabric of the film.

Review by Ian Davis

All DC Comics characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are Trademarks & Copyright © 1986 DC Comics, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

LINKS:
Frank Miller - Author of the graphic novel 'the Dark Knight' >>>
Review of 'the Dark Knight' the graphic novel. >>>
Review of film 'the Dark Knight' >>>
For those wanting to read more excellent Batman >>>
Official Batman site >>>
Chicago as Gotham >>>
the new Batsuit >>>

MOVIE NEWS: Next Harry Potter Installment!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
First teaser trailer on Firstshowing.net

Go to Story>>

MOVIE REVIEW - Hellboy II

When I first saw Hellboy I did have that thought. "Wow, this is so cool, I hope there is a sequel!". So, perhaps other geeks and nerds all over the world created so much "Sequel Energy" that the 'movie people' (read: Del Toro) decided that yes, in fact, Hellboy II was a good plan!

Whatever the motivation, when I discovered there was indeed a sequel in production I did a joyful - and somewhat embarrassing - little jig. Now that I've SEEN the film.. My anticipation is on the rise for "Hellboy III : golden army pah, the platinum army cometh?"!

You may ask yourself... and others, "what was this crazy hellboy movie thingy like anyway?" Well, not having to compete for dollars in the currently saturated 'blockbuster shopping season' Hellboy II focuses on what is important the film's director, writer and producer Guillermo Del Toro (!oh the power!) Not caring about strictly making coins Del Toro has made Hellboy II a personal work of love. It can be clearly seen in the final result. Subtle moments between characters, a wonderful attention to detail, continuity with the spirit of the story and the characters. The story in this film is almost secondary to allowing the viewer a glimpse into the personal lives of the inhabitants of this universe. Surprisingly I found the overall theme to be that of love and relationship. Things are "worked out" and new stuff surfaces in the ongoing love affair between Hellboy and Liz. Abe isn't left out this time, and is deeply smitten by the dark princess Nualla whom shares his empathic 'touch'n'read' ability for sharing feelings. The relationship between the antagonist Prince Nuada and his Father follow the archetypal pattern so often seen in film and in life, as he seizes power by force, bent on opening a Secret-World-Sized can of Elvin retribution on poor unsuspecting hedonistic humanity, blissfully unaware of their scheduled extermination at his lily white hands! The idea that humanity has forgotten the whole magical realm doesn't seem to trifle with his motivation one bit. This aspect seemed a bit contrived and was obviously designed to set the stage for cool story conflict and items/beings for our beloved ruddy hero to smash, make sardonic comments about and/or generally endear us to him. (though, not hard really). What would Hellboy be if he didn't have some baddie to mess with.

Ron Pearlman IS the Hellboy character. The other characters are excellent, but Pearlman's work here is superb! Of course, he's excellent in most things, but this character seems to bring the 'hellboy' right out of him. I heard one female audience member exclaim, "Ron Pearlman is SOO HOT... I mean as Hellboy of course." Personally, if my mate had to grind her horns with a power tool to keep from going satanic... I'd have second thoughts. Though, I have experienced that already, but that's a topic for another story.

Selma Blair reprises her role as fiery brunette Liz Sherman. Though I do find Blair to be the weakest link in the Hellboy-clan chain she does work relatively well in the role. Of course, it goes without saying that she presents a certain level of soothing eye candy for the gents. Which has the added bonus of being a "is he really looking at her rather then me?", date film. I do prefer her roles in other films over this one; she was completely amazing in the frilly 2001 Witherspoon vehicle 'Legally Blonde'.
YouTube.com interview

Doug Jones has one of the most difficult roles, that of character 'Abe Sapien' played who also filled Abe's slighty soggy shoes in the first Hellboy flick. His level of accomplishment here is impressive. They obviously have some new animatronic toy, because they all but said, "look into my eyes, aren't they realistic and deep like the ocean?" Though to be fair... they were remarkably 'eye-like'.


Seth MacFarlane is brilliant as Johann Kraus. In fact, he blends with the character so well one would never suspect he voices such iconic idiots as Peter Griffon and Stan Smith! In this roll he takes his extreme voice talent to the limit and completely sells the character. The character is a spiritual lifeform or disembodied energy given the power to interact with the physical world via a custom designed suit (from the BPRD of course). His origin is hinted at in the film but from the comic world it's known that Johann's physical self was destroyed in a strange boating accident. No, just joking, of course, it was a 'psychic explosion' which robbed him of his mortal flesh and bound him to this existence as a 'freak' in the BPRD army of freaks.

Jeffery Tambor has made a career out of playing 'the most annoying man on the planet' roles as well as the 'confounded and confused' and 'helpless witless'. His role here is as top notch as I've come to expect. He brings life and annoyance to the roll of Tom Manning, insecure and needy agent of the fictional - so we assume - BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense). In this film Tom Manning figures that he has a new agent which will actually respect him and follows protocol, something Tom is clearly pretty keen on enforcing though to no great effect. His efforts to control Hellboy have sunk to include bribery with cigars!

Luke Goss as Prince Nuada is most excellent. He manages to be brutal and yet completely identifiable as a 'person'. A driven person with passion and his dogged following of what he believes to be his duty. Del Toro has created a very deep and complex anti-hero which part of us always wants to succeed. Though, not at the expense of our heros of course!

Anna Walton is wonderful and etheral as Princess Nualla. She floats through the scenes, delivering her lines with pause and poise. Her visage resembling a merging of Micheal Moorcock's elves and the android Data from Star Trek. Nualla plays a pivitol roll in the nastiness set in motion by her brother. She sides with the King and flees with the final item required for her brother to awaken the Golden Army and subsequently give humanity a really bad experience.

-
Tom Manning: So, how many escapes, this year alone? Five!
Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm: Tom, he's our guest, not a prisoner!
Tom Manning: Yeah, well, your guest happens to be six-foot five, bright red, has a tail, and is government funded.
(from Hellboy I)




Hellboy Shtuff:

Hellboy II movie site >>>
Hellboy main site >>>
Hellboy: the Science of Evil >>>
IMDB plot synopsis (contains spoilers) >>>
ComicVine Review >>>
Interview with director >>>

RATING: 8.5/10

MOVIE NEWS - Who will watch the Watchman? I WILL.

Discussions about this film's creation went on for what seems like an eternity. The original Watchmen graphic novel was released in 1986 I was all over it. I bought each of the 12 limited series graphic novels, every month waited with baited breath! My little teenage brain feverishly imagined what delectable treats a film version of this story would contain. Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons; the teaming up of these two masters produced a truly groundbreaking, visually stunning, and brutally honest piece of work. To this point Watchmen is the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is on Time Magazine's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present."

The years passed... and no Watchmen feature film materialized. Batman, Spiderman, even DARKMAN paraded through the theaters.. but no Watchmen. Then, a mere 22 years later it has finally happened, Watchmen is in production! The trailer shows a film matching the tone and feeling of the original graphic novel, and I'm currently holding both sets of fingers in a 'crossed' position. Please don't mess this up. Please don't mess this up. Remember Darkman! Jullllieeeeee! shudder.

Check out the trailer, and for heaven's sake read the graphic novel! (yes, all 12) It's likely the finest bit of graphic storytelling produced in the last 25 years.

LINKS:
Alan Moore - Author - Wikipedia




for EdmontonWebPages - Ian Davis - Editor.

MOVIE REVIEW - Hancock

Almost everyone has seen a 'superhero' movie at some point in time. Hancock is a little different then the usual fare, since it wasn't based on an previously established hero-franchise. The movie was written as a screenplay by Vincent Ngo and originally entitled 'tonight, he comes'. I think I like 'Hancock' better.

As the film opens we find our protagonist in the grips of alcoholism and depression. It's clear this is a very conflicted character. On one hand he rouses himself out of a drunken stupor to do his 'job', though in the end most of his actions cause huge damage and mayhem, mostly due to the fact he drinks and flies. In fact, Hancock at the opening of the film is a careless drunk. A careless drunk with SUPERPOWERS.

Then, as the case in many stories, fate intervenes. Between scenes with Hancock drunkenly destroying property we follow an advertising pitch-man failing once again (inferred) in his effort to change the world for the better. His story, and Hancock's quickly merge and what could an out-of-work spin doctor do for an extremely unpopular 'superhero'?

We've all seen the trailers, if you haven't, then stay away! The trailer shows you a clip from almost every major scene in the film! Except a couple key ones that would spoil some of the more cool plot twists. (shhhh)...

This film rather surprised me, though there are elements that made me roll my eyes, overall this is a really unique and fresh telling of the superhero myth. In fact many different concepts about immortality and love are explored. It's deeper and darker then you would expect, with a couple truly surprising twists thrown in to keep you awake.

The acting was excellent. Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron play off each other, making this whole crazy thing seem almost believable. Smith's portrayal of a socially inept super-god barely able to relate to humans is pretty accomplished. Jason Bateman totally pulls off the super-nice, Ghandi-inspired unemployed advertising guru and his wife played by Charlize Theron is a mysterious figure hiding a secret past, also well played by this always superb actress.

Of course there has to be witty, and yet inept bad guys in the mix, someone to fire bullets at Hancock's Achilles heel when the time is right... and they do. Nicely woven into the film their motivation and actions are predictable yet plot-required to resolve all the conflicts, tie up loose ends, and allow Hancock and the rest of the peeps living in this world a rosy Hollywood ending.

If you are an SFX junkie this film wont disappoint. Hancock's interaction with the world is completely believable! A drunken Hancock accidentally flying through roadsigns, buildings and the like, in itself, makes the film worthy of the price of admission! Though, I wish directors would believe that viewers DO understand a child falling from a quarter mile up in the air, and being caught in one arm would very, very fatal! So. Suspension of disbelief highly recommended for some scenes.

Overall a very satisfying film which talked about concepts of immortality.. lots of cool things being smashed (always a crowd pleaser) and in the end it was a fresh take on the superhero film that we have seen so much of lately. Don't go expecting a Spiderman film, because this is more of a 'queen of the damned' + 'highlander' + 'superman' kinda film.

Rating 7/10

LINKS
Hancock a crazy ride, says Charlize




for EdmontonWebPages - Ian Davis - Editor.