After making monthly pilgrimages to the comic book store under the guise of expanding Camille’s library, I’ve begun picking up a few titles for myself. Big surprise, I know.

By far, Justice Society of America has become my favorite read. The JSA is the original super-hero team – a unification of the greatest costumes of the World War II era like Green Lantern, The Flash and Hawkman. In current DC Comics continuity, the JSA is the B-list, behind the Justice League roster of Superman, Batman and the modern age GL and Flash. The ongoing JSA series takes its aging original-universe characters and teams them up with new heroes, expanding the roster and creating quite a bit of culture clash.

The always-amazing Alex Ross is on the creative team behind the book and has been weaving the JSA’s storyline with Ross’ previous epic mini-series Kingdom Come – a tale of a future super-hero arms race between the old guard and young heroes looking to control humanity as much as save it.

Ross’ painted covers are always welcome and they set the tone for the stories within. Always reverential of the characters, their back stories and their limitations, JSA’s conflicts range from close personal tensions to full-scale battles with a ten story tall god. Highly recommended if you’re into dudes in tights, or just good story-telling. It’s a nice reprieve from the superhero darkness of the Dark Knight and its ilk.

Serenity
Rating: 61

Really? This is from the guy that created Buffy?

Serenity is the movie follow-up to the failed TV show Firefly. After watching this, it’s easy to see why the show didn’t gain an audience. Maybe this is an X-Files movie type scenario, in which the film can’t be appreciated without the series’ backstory. Regardless, I found the plot thin, characters transparent stereotypes of long-worn models, and the dialog makes the Star Wars prequels read like Hamlet.  I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer because of the unique characters, smart chatter and it never took itself too seriously. Serenity just felt forced and cheap.

Semi-Pro
Rating: 75

The latest in a long string of movies with Will Ferrell playing the same character in a slightly different sports-related script.  Mostly forgettable – but hey – it does have bear wrestling. And bear wrestling is always good.

This is my current definitive ‘C’ movie. It’s no Judge Dredd, but it’s entertaining enough.

The Dark Crystal
Rating: 94

I last saw The Dark Crystal when I was a kid, and it scared the bejesus out of me. After twenty years, what stuck with me was the basic plot and the character designs for the evil-incarnate Skeksis. On my first adult viewing, what impressed me most was how well the animation, storytelling and effects held-up. Jim Henson was so far ahead of his time, achieving so much without the benefit of CG.

I hope this film never gets remade with “modern” techniques, as the true beauty of this film is illustrated in the making-of documentary. The level of craftsmanship, imagination and skill in the illustrators, puppeteers and crew members is astonishing and inspirational.

Role Models
Rating: 91

Wow, an actual new, in the theater right now movie! As this was co-written and directed by The State alumnus David Wain, I’m pre-disposed to love this flick. And love it I did! The movie eschews a prolonged setup and jumps right into the funny. The first 20 minutes are a bit of a let down as many of the funniest gags and lines are in the trailer. However, the last 30 minutes are epic and the marketing folks made the right decision to leave all references to the movie’s climax out of the promotional material.

Lots of State members make appearances, and Paul Rudd turns in another great everyman performance. The movie slides in with a low ‘A’, as Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer is (so far) the ultimate statement of his work. It’s nice to see him make a more mainstream film, and I hope it affords him the opportunity to make more boundary-pushing comedies in the future.

That being said, I went into Wall·E knowing that I would like it. The bits I had gleaned from the trailers, advance reviews, the production stills and the sheer amount of positive hype meant that I was going to walk away impressed. But even with that foreknowledge I still felt that I had seen a truly remarkable movie and glad that we went to see it on the big screen.

While Camille is still too young to sit through a movie at home, let alone at a theater, this is the type of movie I know that she will cherish. It’s visually stimulating – perhaps with better art direction than any film I’ve ever seen – and it also has charming characters, smart storytelling and a big heart. While the designer in me loved to see the set pieces, the artistic in-jokes and the attention to the tiniest of detail, the father in me loved the film’s many simple messages and themes.

Definitely a must-see and a must-own, as I can’t wait to share it with my daughter. Two weeks until The Dark Knight…

The latest breed of Super Hero films has been a revelation. Going back to 1990’s Batman, the comic book movie has seen a renaissance through better scripts, larger budgets and better acting talent. There have, of course, been stumbling blocks (especially in the Batman franchise) but by and large these films have been enjoyable, if not world-class cinema.  The relaunch of the Batman franchise, Batman Begins, raised the bar even higher and with Marvel’s latest – Iron Man – a new standard has been established.

I enjoyed Iron Man from start to finish. It was a fast, fun movie that didn’t disservice the original material. While it was a cleverly updated version of the character, it bent over backwards to pay homage to the decades of pulp comics that preceded the new vision. The effects were all top-notch and didn’t distract from the (admittedly light) plot and complemented the overall tone of the film. But it was the acting that made Iron Man so different. There were no weak links (although why did director Jon Favreau cast himself as Stark’s driver?) and the A-list talent was able to flirt with camp without crossing the line into parody. I never would have thought of Robert Downey Jr as hero material – but with Iron Man, it’s all suit and attitude. Who knew that Gwyneth Paltrow could so easily play a supporting role without overshadowing the leads? It was one pleasant surprise after another. The relative meekness of Terrance Howard’s character was the only odd portrayal – but not a deal breaker by any stretch.

As a general rule, I consider Marvel’s pantheon of heroes to be strictly B-list. Maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoyed this film so much. I could care less about Iron Man. They could have completely rewritten the character, changed the suit and made him half-zebra and I wouldn’t have gotten upset about it. So I didn’t have anything to lose from a childhood-touchstone standpoint. Instead, Marvel made a fun summer action movie that didn’t leave die-hard comic fans disgusted or scratching their heads. And, it’s gotten me excited about their upcoming slate of films including a Hulk revamp in a few weeks as well as Captain America, The Avengers and (the inevitable) Iron Man 2. It’s time for DC to pick up their game.