Capsule Review: "Insecurity"

South Park used to always make its point by addressing its topic directly, with those sappy “I learned something today” monologues at the end of each episode. But the show’s satire is many times more scathing and effective when they just let the story play out. Be it saving the rainforest or gay conversion camp, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have a way of making a point painfully, brutally self-evident without their characters jumping on a soapbox.

In last night’s case, the target was home alarm systems, as the men of South Park seek to install them to protect their wives from being seduced by the UPS delivery man (a non-problem, only brought upon the town through a misunderstanding involving the bedroom habits of Kyle's parents). Though Cartman let them have it over the phone several times, much of the episode made it clear how Stone and Parker feel simply by showing how the alarms are only effective at creating a nuisance without actually helping to make people safer. Seeing alarms go off over and over got a little grating as the episode went on, as some gags on the show do over the course of an episode, but in this case, it helped hammer the point home even more. In addition, the episode found time to skewer Cialis ads, compulsive online shopping, and all our little insecurities (they have alarm systems for those, too, called “IN-security”).

The main storyline of the misunderstandings involving Kyles’ parents’ roleplay wasn’t as funny by the end as it was at the beginning, and the reference to The Dark Knight Rises seemed more superfluous than funny. Overall, though, this episode was solid, in both the comedy and commentary departments.

Capsule Review: "Raising the Bar"

I am one of the apparently few who have not watched a minute of TLC’s Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. After seeing last night’s South Park, I intend to do whatever I can to keep it that way.

 

Seeing resident fatboy Eric Cartman join the Rascal Scooter brigade made for some big laughs, as well as biting satire on the cultural acceptance of obesity in this country. But the most stinging barbs were directed at us, for accepting such exploitative trash as Honey Boo Boo as entertainment.

 

Through all the years of the show’s shocking gross-out humor that would never fly on live-action television, I always just laughed it off as typical South Park. But this episode marks a milestone: this was the first time the series elicited a real emotion from me, specifically despair.

 

Even in its (I hope) exaggerated cartoon form, the Honey Boo Boo content was horrific.  Despite all the laughs (and Cartman gets a lot of them), the episode still left me with a deep sense of sadness at the state of America (though seeing the First Lady pound the crap out of Cartman made me feel a little better; after all the awful things he’s done, it’s always nice to see Cartman get his).

A clever subplot involved Avatar director James Cameron, who has made a hobby out of exploring the ocean floor, traveling to the depths of the sea searching for “the bar.” By bringing it back up to the surface (“raising the bar,” get it?), he hopes that America’s standards will return to an acceptable level.

If only it were that easy…

 

**I'll be back every week with reviews of each new South Park episode. Stay tuned!**

The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

After Christopher Nolan’s dark, epic take on Batman, it’s hard to believe that the film series ever sunk as low as this. But it’s even harder to believe that at one time, the comic itself had reached such a level of camp. Yet, long ago, well before the superhero movie renaissance, the Caped Crusader had done just that.

That changed in the mid-1980s. One of the biggest reasons for that was the work of Frank Miller. Though he seems to have lost his mind of late, at the time, he was one of the best comic book writers in the business, and he wrote what are easily the two greatest Batman stories ever written. One was 1987’s Batman: Year One, a retelling of the character’s origin updated to a then-modern day realistic setting (Nolan’s Batman Begins was at one point slated to be a direct adaptation of Year One, and the final film contains several references the story).

The other (actually, the one that came first) was The Dark Knight Returns, a four-part graphic novel released in 1986. The story featured an older, meaner Batman, unlike the clean-cut hero he had been for so long. Miller’s gritty story gave the Dark Knight a much-needed shot in the arm, and formed the basis for the character as we know him today.

Year One was adapted last year as one of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies (rolls of the tongue, doesn’t it?), which are direct-to-video adaptations of specific DC Comics story arcs. Now, The Dark Knight Returns is getting the same treatment. Only instead of editing the dense story down to a single 70-plus minute feature, the filmmakers saw fit to give us two to tell the whole story. Part 1, out now, adapts the first two parts of the graphic novel.

The story begins ten years after Bruce Wayne (voiced by the original Robocop Peter Weller) has quit fighting crime as his alter ego. In the decade since hanging it up, he has become a cynical old man, his anger stewing as Gotham City becomes more crime-ridden than ever. When an ultraviolent gang called the Mutants grips Gotham in a fit of terror, Wayne finally dons the cowl once more and returns to save his city (if this sounds familiar, yes, certain elements were borrowed in The Dark Knight Rises).

Watchmen showed that adapting a comic scene-for-scene doesn’t exactly make an effective motion picture. Well, this movie shows how to make an adaptation right. The story is transcribed to the screen very closely, but the filmmakers understand the difference in form between a moving picture and a comic page.

For instance, Miller’s comics are often heavy on first-person narration, with characters going on long internal monologues. This works in a still comics panel, but it doesn’t translate too well to a movie, as film moves too fast for Miller’s amount of narration. This problem was evident in the film of Year One. This time, the narration is dropped completely (save for one introspective scene), or incorporated into the dialogue whenever possible. This makes for a more laconic Batman, but still true to Miller’s story. Another example is the television news reports that pervade the story, which are wisely relegated to the background or placed at cuts between scenes, rather than always hovering over the action like they do in the comic.

It’s great as an adaptation, but for those who haven’t read Miller’s comic, the film is still a fantastic Batman experience.

The animation finds a nice balance between Miller’s gritty, realistic style and a sleeker modern look, creating a Gotham City with a mix of retro/futuristic cityscapes and the hellish urban decay of the comic. The book employed several series of repeating images to create an almost cinematic reading experience; though the art doesn’t move, the story unfolds at the breakneck pace of an action film. Onscreen, these images come to vivid, thrilling (and bloody) life. The action sequences, such as Batman’s final showdown with a surgically-healed Harvey Dent and the battles with the Mutant Leader, are edge-of-your-seat intense, and the flashback to the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents is touching, macabre, and beautiful.

To me, Kevin Conroy will always be the true voice of Batman (I grew up on The Animated Series, and I still read the comics in his voice), but Peter Weller is not bad, either. His gruff vocals fit the older, wiser Batman perfectly. The rest of the voice cast is adequate, but none stand out quite like Weller; this is his Batman’s movie, through and through.

There are a few expository elements from the comics that were deleted, so a few story points might go a little fast for those who haven’t read the comic. Really, though, the only complaint is that we have to wait until next year for Part 2. The Dark Knight Rises was nearly three hours, so why couldn’t they have just made a longer animated film? Then again, Part 1 is so action-packed that an intermission is kind of in order (and the film ends with the perfect scene, moved to later in the story than the comic).

I'll return with a full review in 2013, but as of now, The Dark Knight Returns could very well be the greatest DC direct-to-video movie yet. And apologies to Christopher Nolan: I liked The Dark Knight Rises, but this will always be the definitive final Batman story.

The Avengers vs. The Dark Knight Rises

**SPOILERS HEREIN!**

Easily the two biggest movies of the year were the superhero pictures The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. Both films were major movie events for comic book fans and casual moviegoers alike. Both grossed over $1 billion worldwide, though with a nearly half-billion-dollar lead, The Avengers (released on video today) won the battle at the box office.   

But which is the better movie? Here are my thoughts:

 

Story: The Avengers

The Dark Knight Rises packs in enough storylines to make two three-hour movies, and as a result, a lot of plot points are fleeting. The main story of Gotham City being taken over and cut off from the rest of the world is compelling, but Bruce Wayne lingering in a pit for much of the picture, not so much. The Avengers, however, gives each character a meaningful part, while still managing to tell a coherent, if simpler, story. It has the advantage of all the characters’ individual films leading into it, but that is still quite an accomplishment.

Heroes: The Avengers

Not that Christian Bale is a bad Batman, but he’s out of action for much of The Dark Knight Rises. In contrast, every team member in The Avengers gets a moment to be the hero, drop a one-liner, and advance their character‘s story. Robert Downey, Jr., and Chris Evans are great once again as Iron Man and Captain America, respectively, Chris Hemsworth is even better than he was in Thor, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner develop from background characters into strong leads as Black Widow and Hawkeye, and Mark Ruffalo succeeds in taking over as Bruce Banner (though the real star of this role is the CGI Hulk).

Batman can still take them, though.  Just ask the Justice League.

Villains: The Dark Knight Rises

Despite the mask muffling his speech, Tom Hardy is quite imposing as Bane. When he starts throwing punches, it hurts to watch a little bit, especially when he mops the floor with Batman early in the movie. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is entertaining, but he seems more comedic than evil at times, which Bane never does. Bane also gets an edge for taking over Gotham on his own, whereas Loki’s plan to conquer Earth relied on help from the alien Chitauri (and failed).

Supporting Players: The Dark Knight Rises

Oldman's role as Gordon was one of his best.

The Avengers has Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury looking cool in an eye patch and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) revealed as a giddy Captain America fanboy (though his death is surprisingly more emotional than expected). The Dark Knight Rises has Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt protecting Gotham City in the Bat’s absence, Anne Hathaway capturing Catwoman perfectly (though she could have used some more screen time), and Oscar winners Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Marion Cotillard all in major roles. No contest. While we’re at it, Oldman deserves an Oscar for playing Commissioner Gordon!

Fight Scenes: The Avengers

Both have some terrific action sequences with cool special effects, so this one’s close to a wash. But there is one tiebreaker: In The Dark Knight Rises, Batman subdues Bane in the final battle by simply dislodging a small tube from his mask; after a short respite and plot twist, Bane anticlimactically meets his end from a gunshot. In The Avengers…well, just watch what happens to Loki. Take a guess which one got more cheers at the midnight show.

Humor: The Avengers

This one is easy. The Dark Knight Rises has little time nor place for laughter in its super-dark story. In The Avengers, the whole cast has great chemistry, and keeps us all laughing with one-liners, funny gags, and pop culture references (Captain America’s ignorance in that department is also amusing) between—and during—all the action sequences. The short, silent scene after the credits is also an instant-classic.

Sequel Potential: Even

The Marvel Universe films always leave clues to future movies after the credits, and The Avengers is no exception. The movie shows a glimpse of the supervillain Thanos, so we can expect to see him in a future movie. Christopher Nolan has said that The Dark Knight Rises will be his last Batman picture, but the ending leaves it open for the Dark Knight to return, and suggests Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake will take up masked heroism himself. It’s a compelling prospect, as he held his own in the picture alongside Batman and Gordon.  The film does lose points for straying from continuity, though; “Robin John Blake?” Couldn’t he have just been Dick Grayson?

Hype: The Avengers

The Avengers was the massive crossover event that the whole Marvel film series had been building toward since it started with Iron Man in 2008. The Dark Knight Rises was the follow-up to The Dark Knight, not only the gold standard for comic book movies, but one of the best films of the new millennium on any level.  Both films opened with more hype than any picture in recent memory. Amazingly, The Avengers lived up to every bit of it, maybe even surpassed it. While The Dark Knight Rises wrapped up the series well, it didn’t reach the same level as its predecessor (which admittedly would have been nearly impossible). 
 

Winner:

 

The Dark Knight Rises is a well-made and satisfying ending to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, but it has its flaws. The Avengers is the perfect superhero movie, with just the right balance of humor, character, and action. It’s an excellent example of how to make an ensemble film with so many stars right.

And I say this as a fan of DC more than Marvel. Here’s hoping the Justice League movie is this good (if they finally get the project started already).

Thoughts on Breaking Bad Season Five, Part 1

 **SPOILERS HEREIN!**

I came to Breaking Bad late in the game, only beginning the series earlier this year. But after about three episodes, I became a big fan. I shot through the first three seasons on Netflix in a couple weeks, and I counted down the days until the DVD release of Season Four over the summer, all while doing my best to avoid spoilers online. When it finally came out, I put my life on hold for a few days to watch it. This was partly to be caught up for the Season Five premiere, but mostly because it was just so good. 

The fifth and final season is split into two eight-episode halves, the first of which wrapped up last night. This season seemed a bit different, and not just because I had to watch each episode a week apart, instead of all at once like I had with the previous seasons.

The season began with about as perfect a premiere you could ask for in “Live Free or Die.” After a flash-forward a year into the future (more on that later), things pick up right where Season Four left off, after Walter White (Bryan Cranston) killed drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) with a pipe bomb. With the DEA investigating all the pieces left in the wake of last season’s destruction, Walt, his partner Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and enforcer Mike (Jonathan Banks) look to tie up some loose ends that could implicate them, concocting a plan that involves a giant magnet outside a police station evidence room. Also in the episode, Walt’s wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) realizes her husband’s capacity for evil, as well as sees the results of her actions against her former employer/lover Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins). This premiere did everything right, tying up loose ends while foreshadowing plot developments both near and far, and showcasing some of the great black humor that has become more scarce as the show has gone on.

In subsequent episodes, however, the show seemed to change form. As Walter teamed with Jesse and Mike to not only get back into the meth trade, but to keep the remaining members of Fring’s operation quiet, the show seemed to become more episodic, with each week’s episode seeming like it could stand alone. This was a sharp contrast to the first four seasons, where each episode was part of an ongoing storyline. The show took things slow, building and building the tension to stratospheric levels before paying off with explosive climaxes (the plane crash in Season Two, the finale of Season Four). For the first few episodes, Season Five didn’t reach that level of tension because each episode was relatively self-contained.

Things got better in the fourth episode, “Fifty-One,” as Skyler admitted to Walt several things: that she was not going to let her children be in the same house as them, that she was hoping for Walt’s cancer to return so that her involvement in his criminal activities could end. It seemed like Skyler was just going to become Walt’s loyal accomplice, but giving her a conscience and the will to stand up to Walt made the drama at home a lot more interesting than it would have been if she were just a Carmella Soprano type.

But the following episode, “Dead Freight,” was where things really got good. It started out like another story-of-the-week episode, as Walt, Mike, and Jesse planned to rob a train carrying methylamine, the main ingredient in Walt’s meth.  he train heist itself was like something out of an action movie, entertaining but a little out of place. Then, the tone changed completely after it was revealed a kid had seen the whole thing.

The kid was promptly shot and killed by Mike’s hired hand Todd (Jesse Plemons).

It was one of the most shocking scenes on the show. But even more shocking is Walt’s reaction. Instead of being horrified, he just seems to accept it as a cost of business, which is a measure of just how far Walt has fallen into the abyss.

As Hank (Dean Norris), Walt’s brother-in-law at the DEA, closes in on Walt’s operation in the last few episodes, we really see that the good-hearted chemistry teacher Walt used to be is gone. Walt was horrified when drug dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz) beat his lieutenant to death in Season One. Now, he shrugs off the death of innocent kid, and kills anyone who stands in the way of his business, including series stalwart Mike in the penultimate episode “Say My Name.” In the early seasons, Walt was making meth to leave his family money after he died of cancer (the cancer went into remission, but Walt kept making meth). This season, he admits he’s now in it for himself, and continues to make the drug even after Skyler sends his children out. When Skyler doesn’t return his love, he is openly hostile to her, inviting Jesse over for dinner just to spite her.

It’s interesting to note that there is no real villain this season. There’s no Gus Fring, no Tuco, no cartel hit men, no bad guy to give Walt the status of anti-hero. No, this season, Walt is the bad guy.

In last night’s midseason finale, “Gliding Over All,” Walt pays a gang to murder the last few members of Fring’s operation in prison before they can talk to the DEA. The ensuing montage of death is more horrific than triumphant, unlike the satisfying destruction of the super lab at the end of Season Four.

What follows afterward is even more surprising, though: after a montage showing a decent length of time passing with Walt making tons of money, he suddenly reconciles with Skyler, says goodbye to Jesse, and quits the drug business, and everything seems to wrap up nicely.

After Walt has completed his transformation into a cold-blooded drug kingpin, he suddenly breaks good again? That’s a little hard to believe (I’ll get back to that). But the episode ended on a brilliant cliffhanger, with Hank, after four-plus seasons of not knowing the man he was looking for was his brother-in-law, finally discovering Walt is the elusive Heisenberg, while on the toilet, no less.

Overall, this season never did build to the same level of tension as the previous seasons, and some of the supporting players seemed cast aside in a shortened season. But it advanced the character of Walt down to even darker levels, and Cranston was as fascinating as ever to watch. And the final scene was highly effective, so simple and yet leaving things open for so much more to happen. I’m a little mad I have to wait almost a year to finish the show.

Thoughts for Season Five, Part 2 

 

Hank confronts Walt

When the series began, it was like a comedy of errors as Walt and Jesse were so out of their element in the drug trade. Hank was also more the comic relief than a major character. Then, Hank finding out his brother-in-law was making meth might have had a comedic undertone. Since then, though, Hank has developed into a fully-rounded character, and Walt’s actions have gotten him shot on one occasion (with Walt paying for the ensuing physical therapy with drug money, unbeknownst to Hank) and targeted a second time. The short final scene last night was brilliant, but there’s no way that’s the end of it. When Hank and Walt next meet face-to-face, it has the potential to be great television. It’s almost one of those moments that can’t possibly live up to expectations, but then again, the show hasn’t let me down yet.

 

Is Walt really out?

It’s hard to believe that with all the loose ends left in Fring’s operation after his demise, Walt could just walk away from the business so easily. This might just be a lie he told Skyler to try to get things back to normal in his home life. But it also should be noted that a scene showed Walt getting another MRI, and the results were never stated. Also, the scene where he tells Skyler “I’m out.” seemed a little somber. Could it be the cancer’s come back?

The flash-forward

The aforementioned scene at the beginning of the premiere showed Walter at a diner a year in the future (established when he puts his bacon into the shape of the number 52, his little birthday tradition that Skyler did for his 50th in the pilot and his 51st during this season). He now looks disheveled, with a full head of hair and a beard, and has a New Hampshire driver’s license. He is shown with a bad cough and taking some pills.  After finishing his meal, he buys a new car from an arms dealer. The final shot before the opening credits show that there is also a machine gun in the trunk.

I was looking for little details all season that could lead up to this scene, but the only thing I could think of is that Walt’s cough supports the possibility that his cancer has returned.  

Jesse

Jesse has been a great character throughout the show’s run. Paul and Cranston play off each other very well (I'll avoid the obvious chemistry pun), and his inner turmoil and storylines away from the lab have made for strong drama. Sadly, these past eight episodes, it seemed like he was relegated to the background, as Walt became the focus of the show. I hope him and Walt’s farewell at the end of last night’s episode isn’t the last we see of him.