JUNO

Written by Hombre Divertido

Writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman try far too hard to make this simple story seem like an avant-garde independent film from its quirky animated opening credits to its eclectic sound-track; their efforts are simply too obvious. It’s full of characters that aren’t as developed as they could be, and dialog filled with witty banter that will leave you wondering what you have gotten yourself into in the first fifteen minutes of the film. Luckily the dialog settles to a more realistic level while the performances reach new heights of talent and skill. The performances are what carry this film and inevitably endear the audience to this brilliant cast.

With Ellen Page channeling a young Linda Cardellini from her days on Freaks and Geeks, she gives a solid performance as the quick witted Juno who, along with the majority of the rest of her family and friends, deals amazingly well with the unplanned pregnancy and planned adoption of the child fathered by Juno's friend Bleeker, played by an underutilized Michael Cera. Juno seems to have something interesting to say no matter what the situation, but as the movie progresses you are left to wonder if she is really that much smarter than everyone else, or just too emotionally guarded and immature to deal with the situation in which she has found herself.

With the help of her best friend Leah, played spot-on by Olivia Thirlby, Juno manages to find in the Pennysaver, the perfect couple to adopt her baby. After breaking the news of the impending arrival to her father (J.K. Simmons) and step-mother (Allison Janney), she heads out to meet said couple: Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) accompanied by her incredibly understanding father.

There are predictable aspects to this film, such as the note for Mark and Vanessa left by Juno that is not shown to the audience when it is read, only to be shown at a more significant time later in the film, but like most successful movies, it leaves you wanting more. When Juno comes to realize that it is truly Bleeker she wants, you may be left to wonder where said feelings have been hiding, and want to see more of their relationship. By the same token we are left to wonder what Mark's (Jason Bateman) true motivation was for seeking a divorce from Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and are left wanting more depth to that aspect of the story as well. From a positive perspective we are left wanting more of these people. This cast is amazing and delivers wonderful performances from start to finish. Janney does an amazing job with a limited role as she steals every scene she is in with a subtle portrayal that is worthy of award consideration.

Though some may be bothered by the casual way that such an important issue is dealt with, you can’t help but find favor with this endeavor regardless of which side of said issue you stand on. That in itself is a huge accomplishment.

Recommendation: A simple story filled with performances that should not be missed. This is the type of movie you will want to watch more than once, so see it first on the big screen with the whole family.

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: In The Bedroom & Vegas Strip

Written by Puño Estupendo

It's difficult when Carmen Electra gets mentioned not to think of things in pairs, so it's only fitting that Paramount adds to her video series by releasing not one workout DVD of hers, but two innuendo-ridden showcases of pure teasing power under the guise of aerobics.

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: In The Bedroom begins with an introduction by the diminutive bombshell whereby she thanks you so much for bringing her into your bedroom. A fairly standard “warm up” starts you off and they're mostly pretty standard stretches and such. Great eye candy for sure, but she's also laid a voiceover on this part that I found kind of annoying (it's a fairly short segment, so no worries though).

For the actual workout that follows, she dons a much sexier outfit and the locale changes to her and a bed, both of which look lovely together. Through an endless series of counting (yes, ladies, here's proof that Carmen can at least count as high as eight), she demonstrates an assortment of stripper moves on and around the bed. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...again! If every ligament in your body is as elastic as hers seem to be, you should be able to do just fine.

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: Vegas Strip is “all in the hips, girls.” Carmen is joined by two young women in this one, and they get right into things. Whereas In The Bedroom is just that, Vegas Strip is straight up dance moves with a stripper twist (not that I know what goes on at a strip club by any means). This is definitely a legit workout compared to the previous title's concentration on seduction moves. There’s more counting, more rolling hips, and much more legwork. Think Pussycat Dolls video and you'll kind of get the picture. Vegas Strip is the way to go if you're looking for a real workout while In The Bedroom is all about the titillation. I know, but there was no way I was not going to use that word in this review.

Carmen really is genuinely pleasant in both. The workouts are as low impact as you can get, short of those shows where old people sit in chairs and curl soup cans, and it follows a pretty safe path of sexiness. These are all moves that a guy might try to make light of if his lady actually used them, but he'd just be trying to act cool while he was freaking out at how damn awesome she was for learning them in the first place!

OSWALD'S GHOST

Written by Fumo Verde

JFK was assassinated over forty years ago and still the conspiracy stirs like a watered-down vodka tonic. In late November of 1963 the question on everybody’s lips was “How could someone as inconsequential as Oswald kill someone as consequential as John F. Kennedy?” This DVD doesn’t answer that question nor does it bring to light any new evidence or give us any deeper clues then what we have had over the decades. Director Robert Stone doesn’t uncover anything revealing about Oswald and he isn’t trying to; what he is trying to do is follow the fallout that still breeds with in the American psyche today.

He isn’t trying to side with either camp, though for the first thirty minutes I was little pissed, “Great, another fracking conspiracy flick” I thought, but as the documentary rolled on I got the sense that Stone was showing what happened and how it became what it is now. He interviews people who were there at the time like young news reporter Dan Rather and attorney Mark Lane, who represented Oswald’s mother. Others, who lived through those “dark times” when leaders were being picked off one by one, were authors Edward J. Epstein and Norman Mailer who both first believed conspiracy but have come full circle and know that Oswald was the lone shooter. It was Epstein’s book that asked if the Warren Commission had moved too quickly through the evidence to come up with the lone-shooter verdict. Lane opened up the Pandora’s box of conspiracies with his own book concerning the JFK assassination and gave way to the floodgate of books, well over two thousand have been written telling the real story of who shot the President.

Some of the things that I liked about this film were the way Stone laid down a great background of what the fears, hopes, and aspirations or our nation were at the time before the death of the President. Fears of the Soviets and Red China along with Castro’s Cuba less than ninety miles away, it was the age of the atom and the atom bomb and we were scared shitless. Mailer and Epstein are the voices of reason throughout the film and Mailer, who knew a lot about covert actions, explains one of the many reasons he finally concluded that Oswald acted alone, and I have to agree: after forty years not one person has come forward, not a single shred of new evidence has ever panned out. Computer simulations recounting the direction of the bullets along with scientific forensics have prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the kill shot exited out the front of the president’s head. And yes, a former Marine can get off three shots with a bolt-action riffle within the period of less than five seconds.

We get taken again on the ride that our country is obsessed with and yet while watching this we still don’t know why. Maybe it’s because we want to believe the leaders we elect to speak for we the people are good and honest and as a nation we stand for truth and justice. Even today the conspiracies about 9/11 circulate like bad air in a DC-10. You either believe Oswald did it alone or you don’t, but this isn’t the question. The question should be why don’t we believe our leaders anymore? Oswald’s action has repercussions that reverberate today, and if anything, it’s Oswald’s Ghost that have us asking the questions we ask today.

STARDUST

Written by Puño Estupendo

Being a comic book reader, I'm always curious about any film adaptation of the medium. Most seem to be mediocre at best but I'm usually compelled to see them nonetheless. Sometimes this curiosity can lead me to a bad place. It's quite a kick to the shins seeing a character that you're really fond of on the printed page be watered down or neutered into something that only vaguely resembles the source material. Granted, this story was also in novel form (which was also written by Gaiman) but all of my preconceptions were based on the comic book version, which is very stylish and pleasantly hearkens back to old school fairy tales and myths. Matthew Vaughn's directorial version of this handles itself pretty well.

Stardust tells a tale that begins with a young man that dares to go through to the other side of a wall that borders his village. An old guard is posted by the one place that has a break in it and he reminds him that it is forbidden to cross into the land that lies on the other side. Through a little moment of humorous trickery, Dunstan Thorn gets past the old guard and discovers a village, very unlike his own, on the other side. Carnival like and quite literally magical, Dunstan sees a beautiful girl and is immediately smitten. This quickly leads to a commencement of that passion and then Dunstan must return to his home, leaving his new love behind. Cut to months later and a newborn baby is presented to Dunstan, his son Tristan.

What follows is a tale of Tristan off on a journey that goes in his father's footsteps for reasons of the heart. As clichéd as it sounds, a fairy tale of wonderful proportions plays itself out. Stardust takes the viewer on a welcomed journey of the fantastic and all under the umbrella of classic storytelling. Evil witches, misplaced love, magic, and even a little bit of a coming of age. It's a tale of escapism and is crafted very solidly from Gaiman's well-devised source material.

Though the look of the film could have benefited from more inspired presentation, Matthew Vaughn still delivers a story well worth watching. Everything could have visually been more fitting were it in more of a Terry Gilliam-type fashion, but it still comes through because of the solid plot line. Totally ignore the Robert DeNiro plugs from all of the press; he's miscast and has one of the most poorly delivered takes on a character that I've seen in quite a while, but the film is still solid despite these weaknesses.

You can even watch this one with the kids without having to roll your eyes too much. It'll keep you more than hooked and you'll be glad you followed through with Tristan's journey.

The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Two - The War Years

Written by Musgo Del Jefe

It's hard to know how to classify the latest release in the Indiana Jones universe. The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Two - The War Years is a mouthful to say and even harder to label. When you've got 12 hours of "adventures" and over 13 hours of historical documentaries, which one is the "mother" and which one the "son"?

The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones series has taken a long, interesting road to DVD. The 1989 film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade featured River Phoenix as a 12-year-old Indiana Jones in 1912 as part of the back-story. The possibility of telling these earlier stories of Indiana Jones led George Lucas to outline the treatments for roughly 70 episodes of a show that would take place between 1905 and the start of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. As conceptualized, the series was practical and adaptable. The series would not tell its stories in chronological order. Instead, the stories would primarily take place with Sean Patrick Flanery as Indiana Jones between ages 16 and 20 and with Corey Carrier as Indy between the ages of 8 and 10. Each episode would be book-ended with narration by a 93-year-old Indy played by George Hall. Every two episodes would be filmed in such a way that they could be aired as two one-hour episodes or as one two-hour TV-movie. This allowed for multiple directors to be filming episodes at the same time and for multiple episodes to be completed in just over the time to complete one. The series was shot in stages between 1991 and 1994, with footage shot in 1996 to seamlessly edit the episodes all into feature-film length. In all, roughly 30 of the 70 episodes were filmed.

This latest release, The War Years, includes Chapters 8 through 15 on the series. The remaining episodes will probably be released to coincide with the release of the latest Indiana Jones movie this spring - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. There are eight discs in the set that contain one of the films and at least three documentaries that relate to the subject of the episode. With anywhere from 90-120 minutes of special features for each movie, we start to get to the heart of the series. Each film strives to serve as a mini-history lesson. Young Indiana Jones either encounters famous historical figures or is involved in famous historical events in each episode. The special features on each disc expand upon the history behind the fictional story. So, do the "adventures" become education or entertainment? A quick look at two episodes may give better insight.

"Trenches Of Hell" takes place in September of 1916. The episode was meant to have a lead-in episode where we see Indy and his Belgian troops fighting in Flanders. That unfilmed episode leaves the viewer feeling like you've been dropped into the middle episode of a mini-series. There are references to previous battles and questions about how the Company's officer came to be killed in battle. The first half of this movie plays out like an alternate version of All Quiet On The Western Front. To save money, the series was filmed in 16mm instead of 35mm. The dullness of the colors doesn't work so well in smaller settings later in the series, but here it fits the mood of the battle for The Somme.

Although there is no blood or flying body parts, the horror of war is brilliantly illustrated. The futility of Indy's company taking the same trench two or three times over the course of a few days is exasperating. The scenes are set up well, with the goal (a house on the hill) always seeming close and yet never really attainable as we move from trench to trench. The illustration of the gassing by the Germans and their appearance, like fire-breathing monsters, through the clouds with flamethrowers is terrifying.

The second half of the episode becomes The Great Escape. Indy ends up in two different prisoner-of-war camps. The first half of the movie feels more like an exposition on the horrors of war and Indy plays merely a supporting role. This half is more of the Indiana Jones that we've come to know in the Indy mythology. His pride and sarcasm in the face of danger are present. Indy eventually teams up with historical figure, Charles de Gaulle. Their escape is fun but not on par with any feature film type of budget. It's nicely constructed but the 16mm film here betrays the beauty of the German countryside. We leave Indy at the end of the episode as a free man but deep in the heart of Germany.

The disc has four features. There's a documentary "The Somme - Storm Of Steel" that puts the battle we just saw into perspective and illuminates an important part of WWI. There are two features on poets that Indy met while on leave - "Siegfried Sassoon - A War Poet's Journey" and "Robert Graves and the White Goddess." Lastly, there's an informative piece called "I Am France - The Myth of Charles de Gaulle." The level of detail of these documentaries is so precise that I feel they would've been best watched before the main feature. Knowing more details of the characters and setting would've informed what was going on much more. That's the core problem here. In an effort to meld together historical events and characters with the adventures of our non-historical character, Indiana Jones, the writers have a dilemma of how much back-story to include.

The next film, "Demons Of Deception" starts in Verdun. There is a missing episode that was never filmed that bridges the gap between Indy's escape and appearance with the army in Verdun. Once again, it feels like I've missed a night of the mini-series and that I'm playing catch up the first half hour of the show.

The episode looks better than "Trenches of Hell," but that could be because Nicolas Roeg directed the second half of the episode that was written by Carrie Fisher. The first half again addresses the horrors of trench warfare. This time instead of the horror of the new warfare (gas, flame throwers, etc), we see it from the futility of the officers who are willing to sacrifice their troops when little is to be gained.

The second half takes place back in Paris. Here we get some good clues into the future Indy through his heated love affair with the famous Mata Hari. Our young hero finds that love is another form of warfare without civilized rules. Having his heart broken opens his eyes as much as the war and it's an interesting juxtaposition to the first half of the episode. Loss of innocence is a wonderful theme for the small screen; it doesn't have to take place on the same grand scale as a WWI battle to make its impact.

This disc also has four features including "Into The Furnace - The Battle Of Verdun," "Marshal Petain's Fall From Grace," "Flirting With Danger - The Fantasy of Mata Hari," and "Reading The Enemy's Mind- Espionage in World War I." Once again, these documentaries add a level of depth to the stories that can't be conveyed in just 90 minutes.

So, what's the verdict when the Special Features and the actual Features are so closely intertwined? The series does not hold up well as presented alone. The narration, the book-ending, of the original series is gone and that's what gave the viewer their moral compass. The older Indy had a reason to tell each story; there was a lesson we knew we were to take from each story. Without that voice, we only have the story to lead us. Often we are dropped in the middle of a story and leave before it feels finished (like in "Trenches From Hell").

That's where the special features make the difference. They are all well done and informative. The in-depth knowledge of the historical importance of the settings and the rich backgrounds and futures of the characters that Indy interacts with make for better stories. Knowing that the Germans envisioned the Battle Of Verdun as a battle of attrition, a battle to create deaths, not to gain any strategic ground, is an important turning point in the history of warfare and it informs the futility that Indy feels in the episode.

So, this vision of Lucas' of edu-tainment has come to fruition. One needs to be more informed to enjoy his entertainment and while enjoying his entertainment you can't help but become more educated. It's not for everyone. You have to want to make the effort to learn in order to enjoy. Watch the documentaries first (I know, it feels like eating dessert first to me too) and you'll find the episodes much richer for your effort.

NATIONAL TREASURE (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Written by Musgo Del Jefe

I'm at a crossroads. Is it possible to really like a movie but not have anything substantially positive to say about it? Some movies, it appears, are not wholly a sum of their parts. National Treasure (2004) has been released again to DVD, this time on a 2-Disc Collector's Edition. I knew I had enjoyed the movie on its first DVD release in 2005 but couldn't remember why as I sat down with this new release.

To start, this is a Jerry Bruckheimer production. His previous collaborations with Nicolas Cage (The Rock and Con Air) had both been entertaining but lackluster performances for an actor that once gave us Leaving Las Vegas. I like Bruckheimer's television productions (CSI and The Amazing Race) and he hit the sweet spot with Pirates Of The Caribbean but his resume is filled with more style than substance.

The film starts with one of the plot devices that will instantly take all the momentum out of a movie. The movie starts in a flashback to 1977 and almost immediately flashes back within the flashback to 1832. If starting an action-adventure film is like starting a race, this is the equivalent of running five minutes in the wrong direction before turning around to start running in the correct direction. There's quite a bit of history to be conveyed to solve the clues to this treasure hunt, but most of them are explained without flashback (like the prop of the $100 bill in Philadelphia). This device only accomplishes two minor points. First, we here the "Charlotte" clue that perplexes treasure hunters for 172 years. Well, it's only a mystery for the viewer until the next scene after the credits when we discover that "Charlotte" is a ship. Secondly, the initial flashback to 1977 sets up Benjamin Gates' (Nicolas Cage) passion for hunting this treasure based on a story from his grandfather. This scene would serve as a better marker when he arrives at his father's (Jon Voight) house after stealing the Declaration. There's already a characterization there of the doubting father vs. the faithful grandfather. And it would help explain Dr. Abigail's (Diane Kruger) turn to see him as a romantic figure.

The first scene after the credits serves as real start of the action. Ben, his computer nerd sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha), and his money sponsor, Ian (Sean Bean), are in the Arctic about to find the long-lost Charlotte. Conveniently, the ship is located only inches below the snow. Looking for the treasure in the ship allows for lots of exposition, including Knights Templar history for those that haven't read or seen The DaVinci Code. Ben and friends don't find the treasure but another clue that tells of a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Like the opening scene of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, here we have Ben's partner, Ian turning on him to steal the clue and leave Ben for dead in the Arctic. This is a classic way to set up a rivalry and yet I feel like we never had time to see them as friends/partners so there isn't the same betrayal when Ian turns on him.

This introduction to the plot and characters leads nicely into Act 1: stealing the Declaration of Independence. Ben and Riley are backed into a corner where stealing it is their only choice. No one believes their story. The scene where Ben and Riley are at the National Archives telling Dr. Abigail Chase that the Declaration is going to be stolen is one of the best quiet moments of the film. The chemistry between the three shines through, Riley's "voice of reason" is set up, and Dr. Chase's initial reluctance to believe their story still shows a passion for history that will later allow her to change.

Act 1 comes to a close with the first tent pole of the film. The chase through the streets of Washington D.C. as Ian pursues Ben with Abigail caught in-between is wonderfully constructed but it's heartless. It feels too much like a computer-generated, generic chase. Maybe we don't care enough about Abigail yet or that the plot device of the second Declaration is way too obvious that we aren't concerned about the outcome of the chase.

Act 2 starts with the possession of the Declaration. The fact that Special Agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) has started his investigation gives the plot a bit of a boost. Now, we have a second group to keep track of and stay ahead of. The Declaration sends them to Philadelphia in search of more clues. I like the way the clues build upon themselves, forcing the group to take along the previous clues in order to use future tools. The clue on the back of the $100 bill gives them a time constraint, always a good thing in an action film. The last clue in Philadelphia sends the groups to New York City.

This Act ends with the second tent pole of the film. There's a long chase through the streets of Philadelphia that feels strangely like an on-foot replication of the chase scene in D.C. Once again, the chase seems placed here just to mark the end of the Act, not as a necessary plot device. In fact, I'd argue that after finding the glasses that gave us the last clue to head to Wall Street, that the movie didn't need a chase scene. Let each group figure out where to go and have the race be to the treasure.

The final Act takes place as everyone races to the treasure. The sets are beautifully constructed, if not too influenced by the Indiana Jones series. We've got all of the important characters back together as we approach the end. When it looks like the treasure isn't there, we discover the "real treasure" - the father's pride in his son. This is where I think the scene back at the father's house is wasted. If we build up the son's want of acceptance by his father, then this last scene is a much bigger payoff. Once they discover their family pride, then they are allowed to discover the real treasure of the Knights Templar.

The DVD includes the usual suspects of extras - deleted scenes, on location, on the set, featurettes and an alternate ending that is better than the actual ending in many ways. The actual ending has Ben and Dr. Abigail at their new home talking to Riley about the treasure. The alternate ending builds upon a "new" relationship between Ben and his father. Here they're at the National Archives and hint at more treasure-hunting together. This familial message puts a nice bow on the plot. It was dropped because it felt too much like a set-up for a sequel. What? Since when has that been a problem for a movie? Whether you're planning one or not, it's always good if you can leave yourself that opening.

So, I'm not sold on the producer. I don't think that the lead actor gave his best performance. I think that the main theme of father/son family pride was buried. The chase scenes felt dull and uninspired. And I often felt like it was borrowing liberally from the Indiana Jones series. Yet, I was with the story the whole time. The mystery saves the day. One clue leads logically to another and the clues build upon the knowledge of the previous ones. No blood, no sex, and no foul language allowed me to watch this with my younger children. You can't always put your finger on what makes you like a movie. I find it hard to say anything other than fun.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 (Extended Edition)

Written by Pollo Misterioso

There is something so pleasing about Disney’s made-for-television movies. It is just like watching an episode of one of the Disney shows, but longer and usually with more attractive actors. Delivering on all levels that a Disney-original movie should, High School Musical 2 is a fun, lighthearted film that brings a hip feel to the musical genre, geared towards young adults.

Disney didn’t realize how big of a hit the first High School Musical would be. It spawned a fad, the soundtrack being one of the best-selling CDs of the year. Naturally, they decided to follow it up with a sequel that brings back the entire original cast and surprisingly it stands on its own.

The film picks up where the previous one left off; it’s summertime now and the Wildcats all need to get jobs, even middle-class basketball stars need to work. Apparently it is the only way you get into college. Troy Bolton (Zach Efron) gets a job working at a resort and he brings his entire gang along, getting them jobs too. As for the leading lady, Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) she just wants to have a summer that is worth remembering because this is the first time that she hasn’t moved schools. The favorite brother-and-sister combination, Sharpay and Ryan Evans (Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel) are members of the resort and plan on competing in the end-of-summer talent show, of course there are ulterior motives for Sharpay, she wants Troy.

Unlike the last film, which was about these kids coming out of their shells—which happened to be singing for both Gabriella and Troy— now it is about growing up and being true to yourself. Troy runs into trouble when his dreams of going to college and the future overshadow what is going on in the present, like spending time with Gabriella and playing two-on-two with his basketball boys. Ah, the problems of being a teenager!

Nobody has really difficult troubles in the film. The teenagers get to let off steam through song. Take for instance, Troy’s solo “Bet on It” where he belts out his frustration about his future plans on a golf course. One of the most dramatic duets between Troy and Gabriella ends with her hopping into her mother’s minivan after she hands Troy the necklace that he gave her in the beginning of the movie. But this isn’t real high school, this is jazzed-up, glossed-over, beautiful school—where everyone is good looking and everyone can sing and dance, even when they say they can’t.

The music and the dancing are what this film is about. It is so much fun to watch these cliché and over-the-top characters, and the songs are so catchy, although the music in the first film was more genuine. The High School Musical phenomenon has taken the musical genre, made the problems more relatable to its target audience, and cast fresh, young faces in the roles—its perfect.

Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, who directed the first film, used some of the old set in the beginning of HSM2, the opening takes place in the halls of the school, but got to work with new settings including a baseball diamond and swimming pool which gave the film a different flare. It was a very refreshing twist for the sequel. There is talk of a third film for these characters. They don’t have much more of high school to go, but fans of the first two films will gladly see what they are up to next.

It’s nice to see made-for-television films that deliver exactly the way they are supposed to. This isn’t Sondheim or Fosse but that is why it is so fun. It is just so over the top that you have to watch more, making High School Musical 2 another guilty pleasure.

The DVD for High School Musical 2: The Extended Edition contains a deleted musical sequence that is quite funny and entertaining. The other features on the DVD include karaoke sing-along, where you can follow along to your favorite songs from the movie. One of the most interesting features would have to be the Rehearsal Cam extra, where you can watch the rehearsals and then that song/dance clip from the movie is shown.

The Batman - The Complete Fourth Season

Written by Musgo Del Jefe

The Batman's been around since 1939. In almost 70 years, he's existed in print, on the silver screen, on the television, in video games, and loads of other mediums. It's hard to imagine someone that hasn't interacted with Bruce Wayne's universe in one way or another. The character has essentially remained the same in every incarnation and reboot; it's usually the themes, surrounding cast, and tone that change. I first encountered Batman as a young child, just getting home off the bus and running in to catch reruns of the campy TV show from the Sixties. Batman existed for me in the various incarnations of the Superfriends on Saturday mornings also. The character had never truly crept into my imagination until my college days when I came across The Dark Knight Returns in 1986. This Frank Miller take on the character struck a chord with this young adult at the time. That dark vision of Batman's future was a heavy influence on the Tim Burton Batman films and I was hooked. That fandom led me to the ultimate comic adaptation of this character in the Bruce Timm-produced, Batman: The Animated Series. While following the different incarnations of this universe through the Justice League Unlimited project, another Batman project flew in under my radar.

Since 2004, an animated show called The Batman has been airing on Kids' WB (now The CW). I came to this show fresh with no prior knowledge of the show with the latest DVD release, The Batman - The Complete Fourth Season. As a relatively knowledgeable Bat-fan, I immediately knew that I had dropped into a fan-friendly universe. The Fourth Season starts with the episode "A Matter Of Family." This episode introduces us to Dick Grayson, who'll become Robin by the end of this story and a mainstay for the whole season. It's the little nods to the rich tapestry of Batman's history that make this so accessible. Dick's father is voiced by Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman from Batman:TAS). Tony Zucco is voiced by Mark Hamill (voice of The Joker from Batman:TAS). Dick's origin mostly follows the initial DC Comics story with a slight nod to the wonderful Batman: Dark Victory mini-series, but the core of story remains strong, Bruce and Dick both lose their parents in front of their own eyes and initially seek crime-fighting as a way to find revenge. This link, this understanding is the basis of their relationship. In the end, Robin saves Zucco's life, but the question of "justice" remains.

There are two episodes in this season that illustrate the power of good storytelling. The power of not talking down to kids. The first is "Strange New World." The episode starts with a shot of helicopters, reminiscent of the opening sequence of Batman:TAS. The story starts with Batman surrounded by zombies and we are taken back 48 hours to see how we got to this point. Dr. Strange is behind bars at Arkham Asylum and threatens to turn all of Gotham into zombies. Slowly, Dr. Strange's prophecy starts to come true. Eventually, Batgirl and then Alfred and eventually Robin are turned into fast-moving zombies and Batman is all alone. By starting at the end, we know that Batman is going to come to a point in which he's surrounded by zombies. He has what he thinks is the antidote, but he's not sure. The delicious detective work he pulls and the "Twilight Zone"-ish ending are worthy of some of the best issues of the comic series. It's a rare episode of any superhero series that pulls in both the fun villains like zombies in combination with the great Moriarty/Holmes relationship that Dr. Strange and Batman have.

This episode is followed by the strongest episode of the season, "Artifacts." This story is a fresh break even in a 13-episode season. The story starts in 3027 and flashes back to 2027. In the far future, the Batcave has just been discovered. Investigators follow the clues in the cave to reconstruct what happened in 2027. This episode shares many elements with The Dark Knight Returns. The Batman of 2027 has the same scar as in the book, drives a tank-like Batmobile that's similar to the book and Batman Begins, and Mr. Freeze even utters the line, "the Dark Knight returns." But the plot isn't beholden to the story of the book, nor does it expect the viewer to necessarily have knowledge of that story. It's a testament to the writers that the story is influenced by other projects, but it commands the characters in a way that fits the universe that it exists in. Dick Grayson is now Nightwing and Barbara Gordon is now the wheelchair-bound Oracle.

Like in "Strange New World," there's a time element to add to the suspense. The investigators in 3027 need to find the right clues or New Gotham will be destroyed. As their investigation unfolds, so does the parallel story in 2027 with Batman battling a more powerful Mr. Freeze. The viewers are assembling the clues along with the future cops. And once the 2027 storyline is completed, there's a solution to the problem in New Gotham. Yet, there's a way that Batman, even 100 years later shows us that his "legend" lives on.

The Fourth Season has a nice variety of villains - Joker, Penguin, Clayface (two of them), Killer Croc, and more. The weakest of the bunch is Black Mask (in "The Breakout") who comes across as a very poor man's version of the Red Skull. Some stories are straightforward: bad guy commits crime and Batman and family catch them. There are also a good balance of stories that require more detective work to solve, which has always been an important part of the Batman mythos. This season introduces Harley Quinn in "Two Of A Kind", interestingly written by Paul Dini who created her in Batman:TAS. Here he has the rare opportunity to reboot his own character and does so by making her more of an equal to the Joker instead of his lackey.

The season ends with an interesting two-parter that introduces J'onn J'onnz as the Martian Manhunter. "The Joining Parts 1 & 2" tells the story of an alien invasion of Earth. While a good story, the core invasion story seems to get ignored in order to characterize the great chemistry between Batman and J'onn J'onnz. The aliens are a boring combination of The Borg and War Of The Worlds and their downfall is too easily predicted based on that comparison. All this leads to Batman's invitation to join the Justice League of America in an orbiting tower that looks much like the Hall of Justice from Superfriends.

Season Five will no doubt take place on a grander scale with Batman teaming up with other superheroes and fighter bigger battles. But, for me, it's those little moments in "Strange New World" where Batman is surrounded by zombie versions of his "family" and there's that moment of indecision. Has he solved the mystery, can he save his "family," or will they face the same fate as his parents? This series isn't a dark, adult version of Batman, but it is smart. The Batman doesn't have the best soundtrack, nor is its animated look the most desirable (why does The Riddler look like Marilyn Manson?), but it has something that I didn't expect to find. It has a heart.

THE LAST LEGION

Written by Fumo Verde

In the final days of the Roman Empire the last of Julius Caesar’s bloodline is fleeing for his life to the Empire’s northern-most stronghold in hopes of securing the alliance of a legion to support the boy Emperor. Director Lefler takes these ending moments of antiquity and weaves a tale into the next mark on the timeline of this human race, the Dark Ages. The fall of Flavius Romulus Augustus Caesar was considered the end of the Western Roman Empire and after his capture by Odoacer, the Germanic-Goth leader, the boy Caesar was never mentioned in history again. This DVD is fantasy mixed with history, or as I call it “histasy,” and Lefler stretches it into the story of King Arthur.

Colin Firth plays Aurelius the Legion Commander who has come back to Rome to serve as the Emperor’s special guard. He is loyal to Flavius, Rome, and his Eagle (the Legion Standard). While not really happy with this duty, he understands that Rome’s enemies are at the gates and are ready to over take the city and kill off the Emperor. With help from his most trusted soldiers and a secret weapon from Constantinople, Mira (Aishwarya Rai) a beautiful but deadly fighter. As Aurelius prepares to protect the young leader, the Goths attack and take the boy prisoner.

Flavius has luck on his side in Ambrosinus (Ben Kingsley), who is the boy’s teacher and mentor, and seems to be kind of a mystic. Ambrosinus is taken with Flavius to an old Roman island fort. Once imprisoned on this remote island Ambrosinus realizes their jailhouse actually holds a magic sword made for Julius Caesar back in the day. The sword has great power and has a prophecy that anyone who controls it rules the world. Grabbing the sword and escaping with the help of Aurelius and Mira, the small band make their way to Britain in the hope that the 9th Legion will still hold their loyalty to Flavius.

There are things I liked about this film and things I didn’t. Likeable was Firth who made his role believable in subtle ways, such as being faced with overwhelming odds and giving a look of “you’ve got to be kidding me” rather than the standard Hollywood Hero’s “I like the odds” look. The fight scenes moved too fast for any complexity like in 300 and they weren’t unbelievable. Kingsley’s character at one point looks as if he is throwing fireballs at the enemy, when in reality catapults are launching them. A little comedy comes through here. This movie gave a sense of reality to the story with little things like this. I also fell in love with the beauty and acting of Aishwarya Rai who I hope to see a lot more of.

Some of the things I didn’t like were how the Goths were played. When someone says “Barbarian,” how come Hollywood comes up these dirty, hairy, jacked-up hillbillies who can only speak at decibel 15? Just because someone is barbaric doesn’t mean that they always have to be dirty and can’t talk without popping a few blood vessels in the forehead region.

The last discrepancy I have with the film is the underlying theme, the sword. This sword of power was forged in Britain for Gaius Julius Caesar back when he invaded in 55-54 B.C. Problem is two things: number one, Caesar was there from August to September, enough time to forge a sword, but Caesar was too busy trying to survive. With poor weather holding back his logistical support back on the Normandy beaches and the Britons attacking him. I seriously doubt he would have wasted manpower to make a sword, which brings me to number two. The sword is too long. Every Roman solider has a short sword. It goes with their tactics, and during Caesar’s rise the short sword was a staple for the Roman Legions. The sword ends up in the hands of a future king of Britain and gains the name “Excalibur.” Also, the last Legion stationed at Hadrian’s Wall was 6th Vitrix, the 9th was in York for a time but seemed to have been disbanded after the campaign was over.

The extras weren’t anything special or out of the ordinary. The commentary is always cool to listen too for those interested in making movies. The deleted scenes didn’t add to the movie, so in or out, we didn’t miss them. This movie has its moments but the story is weak and you keep thinking something big is going to happen but never does. It has a semi-typical Hollywood ending but what doesn’t nowadays. If you’re home on a rainy day and this comes on HBO and you have laundry to do, with a fatty and the right munchies this will entertain you for a while.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Written by Pollo Misterioso

Five years ago when someone said Pirates of the Caribbean the classic Disneyland ride came to mind, complete with “yo hos” and “dead men tell no tales.” Now with The Pirates of the Caribbean films, pirates have a whole new association, Captain Jack Sparrow has even been added to the Disney ride. Ridden too many times and a theme park attraction begins to lose its novelty, and like the ride that it takes its title from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the third and (hopefully) final installment the Pirates of the Caribbean films stretches stories and characters so thin, that its hard to remember why you loved it so much in the first place.

Both the writers of the film and I are under the impression that you have seen the previous two films, The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest, because if you have not then you are out of luck. In fact, if you have not seen them back-to-back, it is hard to pick up on all of the references used in the film. As a disclaimer, see the other two first, and with that aside, this is the final chapter to this trilogy.

The last that we left our favorite crew, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) had just been brought back to life to help retrieve Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who is in Davy Jones’ Locker, something like purgatory. We begin At World’s End with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), William Turner (Orlando Bloom) and the rest of the crew trying to find a ship and map to Davy Jones’ Locker. The problem being that Jack must be brought back because he is one of the nine Pirate Lords that complete the Brethren Court. They must unite to fight against the East India Trading Co., which has been slowly taking over the seas with the control of Davy Jones.

The film is about freedom, the freedom of choice, of honor and of the self. Every character wants something different, but in the pirate world betrayal and backstabbing are a part of it, so it gives the themes a little twist. But this is where the problems lie; there is just too much going on in already very long movie.

Will Turner is trying to save his father, so that involves making plans with the British, with Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow. Jack wants The Black Pearl and that involves Davy Jones and his heart, the British and Turner. Davy Jones wants his heart so that he can control his actions and that involves the British and everyone else that is trying to get to it first. This isn’t even getting into Elizabeth’s or Captain Barbossa’s stories. This being my point—there is just too much plot to get through that it doesn’t impact the viewer when important things happen.

The film becomes exhausting on so many levels, but the visual effects are incredible; fantasy merging with reality never looked so good. The most interesting scenes occur in Davy Jones’ Locker, when Jack Sparrow goes crazy, but this strays from the linear story so director Gore Verbinski took some chances with it and it worked. Everything is filmed at such a grandiose scale that it leaves the viewer in awe. In fact, the characters even become larger than life, escaping more than just death, but immortality.

If you liked the first two films, then you should see this one. It picks up where the last one left off and leaves many questions unanswered, but that really isn’t the problem. It is entertaining, made to be a blockbuster hit. And for that, it delivers, giving you the thrill of the first time, but only the first time. But by the end of this movie, there are so many loose ends left to be tied that the fourth film is inevitable, if only anybody knew that three times was too much and I want to get off the ride.

This DVD comes with another disk of all the bonus features. For somebody interested in the making of this film, they will be very happy with some of the options. One of the more interesting features is “Keith and The Captain: On Set with Johnny Depp and The Rock Legend.” It is fun to watch the way that Johnny Depp and Keith Richards interact with one another on and off set. Also, for any CGI buffs, take a look at “Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom” because here they show how the sets of the boats were created, the blue screens used and the time that went into just creating the last scene. Another interesting feature is “The Pirate Maestro: The Music of Hans Zimmer,” which goes into the recording studio to show how they approached this film score different than the previous two films.