Movie Review: The Green Lantern (2011)

Drctd by: Martin Campbell; Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively; Wrttn by: Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, Michael Goldenberg

Released: June 17th, 2011 (USA)

Runtime: 114 min.

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.

***

I'll be reviewing The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, Buried) and Blake Lively (The Town, Accepted) directed by Martin Campbell (Edge of Darkness, Goldeneye) which is based on the DC comic book hero, The Green Lantern, in case you were unaware of that. I love Ryan Reynolds, but I don't love the Green Lantern comic book hero. So, I'm torn on whether I was going to enjoy the movie before I even saw it. The outcome?

I ended up liking it, best movie of the year? I currently hope not, it was good, but not great. There are a lot of minors characters you forget quickly. Anyways, the opening starts with 3 aliens getting stuck on a planet and fall into a pit? I dunno, poor maintenance on Planet Untitled. They have their alien souls taken out of them, in full skeletal form, by the evil Parallax. Now the Green Lanterns are screwed because Parallax (Clancy Brown) is yellow, which is fear, which is the weakness of a common Green Lantern. He finds purpleish/pink Green Lantern, Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), and attacks him, leaving him with a fatal wound, also. Abin Sur was talking to Thaal Sinestro (Mark Strong) when he was attacked, interrupting the call, little rude if you ask me. Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is seen being a airplane pilot and is testing out two new fighter jets that are controlled via controller with his buddy, fighting partner, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively). Hal, being our main character, basically flips off the planes, sacrifices his partner in order to kill the two planes. That does not work and giving your partner up is a big no-no in the plane flying community. So, Hal does the best thing to redeem himself for it, he flies as far up as his plane will go to stall his plane and the fighter drones. He successfully takes down the drones! He is home free, oh wait, except for when you stall, your plane controls stiffen up. Now he has to get out of this jam, but he suddenly has a flashback to when he was a kid and his dad, played by Jon Tenney, goes out to test a new plane, and doesn't get far as the plane crashes. He is okay though he is standing up, explosion. Oh, trauma that we'll never be referenced to again, so sad. So, Hal is pretty much screwed and jumps out of the plane, causing it to crash.

They don't cost much anyways. Hal is given a stern warning and is almost fired, but Carol saves him cause they are buddies. Tear to my eye. Now Hal is going to some birthday party, I guess his kid? I dunno it is never referenced again. Cutting back over to Abin Sur, so he got into an escape pod, ready to die, and basically has his ring go choose the next Green Lantern to succeed him. Now back to Hal, he is leaving, but gets sucked up by a green ball! No one sees this apparently even though the birthday party household was just right next to it, whatever. Hal is carried all the way over to Abin Sur's crashed spacecraft and there he tells Hal of the ring and the Lantern, Hal is confused the entire time. Abin dies and Hal becomes a Green Lantern (sorta). Hal does the next best thing when you're standing next to a dead body and crashed spacecraft in the open, calls his friend Thomas Kalmaku (Taika Waititi) who is a engineer for Ferris Aircraft. Oh man, pointless talk about alien and what not. Helicopters in the background, they hurry to Thomas' jeep and drive away safely. Jordan goes home to try the Oath and says different pledges, we all laugh. Suddenly his eyes go blueish and he says the Green Lantern Oath word for word. Hal then follows that up by going to a bar with Carol Ferris and they talk about flying and what not, I think he dances with her, I don't remember, but anyways. Hal leaves the bar when, uh-oh, three goons who were laid off from Ferris Aircraft attack him. Hal kicks some ass, but gets kicked harder. When they think he is done, Hal grabs a fistful of, I think, nails from a truck, but that is the hand with the ring! He gets up and a giant green fist slams all 3 of the men into different directions. Hal is then taken away to the Green Lantern Corps home planet to get ready for training.

To make a long story short, he sucks at training and quits, but he keeps the ring and lantern for whatever reason, seems like a bad idea by the Corps, but whatever. Meanwhile on Earth, the feds got the alien body and got Dr. Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) to inspect it, but when he places his finger inside of Abin's body, something injects this yellow food dye into his finger. He now has the ability to read minds apparently and is also a teacher, so one day he is giving a lecture about bacteria and how they do something or another. One of his students starts to think bad thinks about Hammond, calling him mean names, and Hammond promptly, with his mind, throws the student, Michael, across the room. That's a method of teaching I could get behind. The scenes by the way get really awkward and the story seems like it was edited and put together by a 10-year old. Weird transitions to say the least. So, let's jump cut to the final encounter in the movie.

Parallax is taking the souls of people on Earth after an encounter with Hal which saw Dr. Hammond (one of my favorite characters in the movie) get his soul sucked out and dies. Parallax takes some souls of humans, but is stopped when Green Lantern Hal Jordan ruins his day. Using a lesson taught to him by Thaal that the sun's gravity is a bitch when you fly and "the heavier you are, the faster you burn." Well Parallax is pretty damn big, so Hal leads Parallax to the sun, and there we see the death of Parallax as he burns, but now Jordan is getting sucked in, oh the sad. Luckily Sinestro and friends saves Hal, bringing him to the Green Lantern planet and they all cheer. Hal gets the girl, Carol, and the movie ends ever so peacefully...OR DOES IT?!


There is a bonus scene after the credits, stick around to see it, sets up for a possible sequel. Why at the end of the movie after the credits? I'll never know.

Ruling: 3/5

Movie Review: The Mechanic (2011)

Drctd by: Simon West; Starring: Jason Statham, Ben Foster; Wrttn by: Lewis John Carlino

Released: January 28th, 2011 (USA)

Run Time: 88 min.

Rating: R

Synopsis: Set in modern times, Arthur Bishop is a professional assassin who sets his kills up as accidental. After the death of Arthur's best friend Harry, he soon finds himself partnering up with Steve McKenna, the son of his best friend as they attempt to take down the boss who set up Harry's death to begin with.

***

Where do I begin? This film is a genuine R-rated action flick - nudity, sex, heavy violence, drugs and alcohol along with a Chihuahua. If you're an action movie buff like I'm am, then you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping out on arguably my favorite Statham film but let's get into that, shall we?

The film never does a good job of explaining anything, although not all movies should. The Mechanic is one that shouldn't, everything that it doesn't explain should be figured out on the spot which helps to advance the drama littered throughout the film. Sounds tough? Don't worry, it gets easier as the movie goes on. The film opens up to Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) killing a drug lord. Simple enough, but the business in which Bishop works in will only pay its hired hitmen if the targets are eliminated as discreetly as possible. Of course the main character is incredibly adept at this job and to kill the drug lord, he hid himself inside of the pool before the baddie ever jumped in, held a shiny watch to attract the criminal deeper into the pool before strangling the poor fellow until his lungs overflowed with water. No one ever sees Bishop enter, no one sees him leave but the body floats to the top as it is ruled an accidental drowning.

Bishop later meets up with his mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) who looks and plays his role very well despite what little screentime he ends up having. They talk about Harry's son who is ruled out as a disappointment but hang on, Bishop has a new target. After meeting with his boss, he's given a very special target to eliminate...Harry McKenna. Shocking, I know. It's revealed to Bishop that McKenna was responsible for the death of three other assassins in a failed mission in Cape Town, South Africa as he reportedly snitched on his partners. Already being paid, Arthur Jason Bishop Statham finds himself alone with Harry only to kill him. Also, did I mention Harry is confined to a wheelchair? Brutal. Harry was also carrying a gun which had the words "Amat victoria curam" embedded onto the barrel, a Latin phrase which roughly translates to "Victory loves prepardness". Bishop-Statham is introduced to Harry's son, Steve (Ben Foster), at Harry's gravesite which begins a relationship between the two. No, not that kind. Steve is later taken up by Arthur to learn the ways of the hired assassin as they take down criminal after criminal.

Everything is going well until Arthur finds one of the men supposedly killed in the Cape Town mission. Sorry, Harry. After dealing with him, Arthur embarks on a road to redemption to kill his own boss for misleading Arthur into the death of his best friend and mentor. Steve just kinda tags along too, it's never explicitly explained that he knows the big boss, Dean (Tony Goldwyn) is the name by the way,  had set up for the murder of his father but that's just the way this movie rolls. While preparing to kill this mongrel, Steve finds out that Arthur had been the one that killed his father. Steve never knew who killed his father as he was led to believe that Harry died while involved in a shoot-out with some carjacker. How does he find out? He finds his father's "Amat victoria curam" gun in Arthur's garage. After disposing the boss in an admittedly disappointing fashion, the movie throws a curveball as Steve sets up the death of his own mentor, by dousing the side of their truck in gasoline (they were filling up, might as well before the prices rise again) and then shooting the liquid with his father's gun igniting flames and exploding the truck they were in. Of course, Statham Arthur Jason Bishop never dies so he instead does a ninja-roll minutes before being engulfed in flames and does a whole switch-a-roo by killing Steve instead in the long-run.

I would rather not delve too deep into details as the movie is good in what it does, R-rated action scenes. Sex scenes, two of them. And a nude lesbian make-out on a computer. Also, a little bit of gay sex. Again, R-rated action film. The acting isn't awful, but it isn't Oscar-worthy either. It's above-average enough to warrant people to say, "Well that wasn't so bad" or even "That was a good movie." I noticed a heavy use of the color yellow in lighting and wallpaper and even clothing. I have no idea on the significance of the color but it does look great on a high-definition display. Ben Foster does a good job at leveling out Jason Statham's rocky attitude by being the comedic, drunkard.

The action scenes are your typical Jason Statham action scenes. A lot of gunfights and quick-cuts hand-to-hand combat. I really dislike the quick-cuts of Statham's martial arts scenes in every single one of his movies. Especially, the Transporter series. It detracts from the impact of the scene, it's chaotic, it's disorienting, and it just doesn't look good. I want to say that I've been spoiled by Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen in the way they set-up their fights by pulling the camera back and carefully choreographing their battles no matter the length of the fight, but I guess it's a lot to ask for and I should just accept Statham for who he is, and that's a Hollywood martial-artist.

The plot is well done, in my opinion, and never really reaches that level of "eye-rolling-ness" (copyrighted) as his previous films especially the Crank films. It's a step-up for the man who's surrounded by solid performances in what hopefully is a rise in quality for his acting and even fighting chops. If you have about an hour and a half to spare and/or want to watch a recent action film, you wouldn't do any harm popping The Mechanic in. Just know that Statham always wins, his fights look crappy, the plot is great, Ben Foster almost has sex with a dude, sex scenes, and you should be fine. Be attentive for the subtle plot advancements too, it'll make the experience move along much more smoothly.

Ruling: 3/5

TV Review: Suits (2011), "Pilot"

Starring Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht

Run-time: 60 minutes

Genre: Dramedy

Station: USA

Synopsis: A young twenty-something boarder-line genius teams up with a lawyer to win cases. Only, this twenty-something hasn't gone to law school, but, instead, consumes knowledge like no one's business.

*minor spoilers ahead*

After watching the pilot, the first three words that come to mind are: Sly, Suave, and Stylish. I was hooked upon arrival.

Mike Ross, played by Patrick J. Adams, is a stoner who is looking for money as his Grandmother's bills become too much, and his small con game isn't supplying enough money. One thing leads to another and he winds up in the office of Harvey Specter, played by Gabriel Macht, during interviewing hours. Knowing that Mike hasn't attended any law school, Harvey gives him the benefit of the doubt after seeing how naturally intelligent he is.

The two main characters are fantastic to watch, and well acted. Patrick J. Adams is the best part of the show so far and is wonderful to watch. He is very believable and a great addition to the USA arsenal. Equally wonderful, but given less to do, Gabriel Macht matches him in every single way. I can't wait for his character to unravel more. Cliche, of coures, his character's stern ways and selfishness will soften as he sees the world from a new perspective. We'll see. 

Just as strong is supporting cast. Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle and Sarah Rafferty were all great to watch.

Gina Torres plays Jessica Pearson, the head-cheese in the firm that has to keep Harvey in check. She plays powerful and sexy, as well as her usual awesome self. 

Rick Hoffman, a wonderfully underrated actor, plays Louis Litt, one of Harvey's associates. This character will be a source of friction in the future. He certainly play bad, well. One of the two antagonists.

Meghan Markle  (who is also gorgeous) plays Rachel Zane, an intelligent  parallegal(?) who just doesn't test well. There is certainly some sexual tension between this character and Mike Ross. However, Mike seems to also have some sexual tension with his ex-best friends boyfriend. Possible plot point in future episodes? Probably.

Sarah Rafferty, playing Donna, was the funniest part of the show. Definitely worth giving a bigger part to.

It has a great full cast, and they all have great chemistry with one-another.

The show managed to balance the drama and comedy well. It made me laugh-out-loud while keeping me interested. Though, I could've felt more emotional investment, but I'll let it slide for now considering we needed to focus on the main character for the Pilot.

Though Harvey and the law fim provide the structure for the show, Mike and the clients provide the heart. I hope to see more of this in future episodes.

The writing could use a little work as it is sometimes cliche' (but what isn't?), and even childish at times. But who says these are necessarily bad qualities?

 You can tell that it is still finding its legs. But I'm not worried, I think it has great potential. So far, it is on par with the first season of White Collar (currently, one of the my favorite shows).

Now, of course, I can't tell you if any of the law was accurate (probably not), but that's why its called fiction, right? RIGHT?

Ruling: 3.5/5

One of the best new shows of the summer.

And to think, I was almost not going to watch it. It will probably end up growing to be one of my favorites.

What do you think?

TV Review: Wilfred (2011), "Pilot"

Starring: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, and Fiona Gubbelmann

Run-time: 30 minutes

Genre: Dark Comedy

Station: FX

Synopsis: Out-of-work Ryan is befriended by his neighbor's dog, Wilfred. The twist? Wilfred is a dog to everybody except for Ryan who sees him as a man in a dog costume. Their friendship blooms with thier sort-of misguided misadventures. Based on a previously produced show in Australia.

*spoilers ahead*

Within the first couple of seconds, FX's newest comedy, Wilfred, made me die laughing. The episode started off with us seeing Elijah Wood's character, Ryan, saving his 3rd revised suicide letter, and mixing a suicide smoothy made of pills and other wonders. Much to my pleasure, Ryan was able to utter such brilliant lines like, "....I hope they find my body before the smell becomes a problem for you" before his suicide *doesn't* happen.

Then, the next moring, his neighbor, who happens to be played by the gorgeous Fiona Gubbelmann, brings her "dog", Wilfred, over, asking Ryan to watch him while her house is being fumigated. And from there, like the milk in the fridge, the show begins to sour.

Wilfred, played by Jason Gann, for me, is the worst part of the show and seemingly brings it down. Now, this may just be me because I hardly enjoy characters like him; however, you may end up loving him. I would've probably have casted somebody else. But Gann is Australian which automatically means he's awesome, so, maybe, he'll grow on me.

Meanwhile, Ryan is being hounded (ha) by his sister who has just gotten him a job in the hospital. However, because of Wilfred, Ryan seems as misguided as ever and throws it back in her face. This will probably be a re-occuring theme throughout the series.

The acting is, over-all, acceptable. Elijah Wood and Fiona Gubbelmann seem to be perfect for their roles, while, as I said, I would've casted somebody else as Wilfred.

The writing seems to be solid, except for the drug-use that they seem to be using as a crutch.

Ethan Suplee is in it, so there is a win. I've loved that man ever since I saw him in Boy Meets World, way back when! Though, he wasn't in the episode for very long, I forsee his character being in it more frequently as the show progresses. All signs point to antagonist.

Though we see the bromance between Wilfred and Ryan blossoming, the dog, of course, seems to have alterior motives. Most likely protection of his owner. We'll see. Should provide plenty of story-lines and friction for the future.

Ruling: 3/5

I will watch this show next week, and maybe the week after. Hopefully, it gets better as it goes because I know sometimes pilots are the worst of the series. As of right now, I would love this show without Gann, as much as it hurts me to say. I see this growing into something special.

Music Review: "EP" by Childish Gambino

I know what you're thinking, Childish Gambino again? Really Hunter? Well, yes really. This 5 track album from Gambino is all kinds of sexy. If you read my "Let Me Introduce: Childish Gambino" you'll understand that I really enjoy Childish Gambino. Here is the link to the post in question: Here!  This album was released on March 8th, 2011 and has a total length of 20:13, pretty short. Short and sweet. With all this and that being said, let's get this review started.

Track One - "Be Alone"
The track starts with Gambino singing "I don't wanna be alone" with some heavy drums behind him. The song then gets real quiet and Gambino lets it all out. Gambino's flow throughout the first verse is smooth and is just great over all. CG continues to rock the mic and by the time the 3rd hook kicks in, it gets heavier, but slows once again. The song was good, but not the best on the album in my opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Track Two - "Freaks and Geeks"
This one is known to be a standout on the album and you can tell why. Gambino spits out his raps with a sick beat and violin combo in the background. This song contains no hooks or bridges, so no catchy part, but that's what makes this song great. Not a whole lot to be said about this song as it just rocks and the lyrics are worth looking up. Also, this song title is a reference to the 90s show, "Freaks and Geeks." Now you know.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Track Three - "My Shine"
People say "Freaks and Geeks" and "Lights Turned On" are the best tracks on here, but "My Shine" is just awesome. The beat is hard and the hook is really catchy. Once again, the lyrics are worth checking out on the track because they are just great. The first verse is really solid with the great beat behind it, but the second verse isn't as good, it doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the track.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Track Four - "Lights Turned On"
The song starts slow and lets Gambino express himself, but the song picks up the speed with Gambino's flow. The hook is pretty damn catchy as well and the second verse keeps the fast pace with a sick synth in the background. The second hook changes, but is still very catchy. Very club dancey song and the outro is where  it is all very rave type and you light stick out of the song.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Track Five - "Not Going Back"
Starting off with some soft, nice piano and Gambino letting it all out. This song, sadly, isn't up to par with the rest of the album, and isn't really memorable, except to hardcore Gambino fans. The lyrics however, are very good and just crazy, because Gambino is crazy. The outro features a lovely vocal track by Beldina Malaika and Gambino soon comes in with the back-up vocals. Nice outro.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
This album is pretty much near perfect, each song is really solid and enjoyable. Gambino is truly a lyrical genius and he puts effort into songs and it shows. You have to give it credit to Donald for all of his hard work. Stand-up comedian, television star, rapper, and he runs his own site where he promotes his stuff and other rappers/artists/comedians. Needless to say, the life of Donald is hard. Anyways, if you want to download the EP, you can find it: Here! If you do download it, enjoy, and if you don't, well. Okay. Uh...awkward. Okay review time over, catch ya next time.

Pro-Wrestling Review: Monday Night RAW (June 6th, 2011)

The second 3-hour edition of RAW in two weeks kicks off with Cole, Lawler and Booker introducing the fans to this week's broadcast and explains the voting process for tonight's "Power To The People" theme. Last summer, the WWE held a similarly themed RAW called the "Viewer's Choice" and it ended up being one of the worst RAWs in recent memory. Save for the debut of The Nexus, nothing ended up being truly memorable for that entire show. The bar was raised for tonight.

- IN-RING: CM Punk comes out to a big reaction from the fans charged with the flurry of online rumors that Punk will be announcing his leave from the WWE tonight. Punk spends his entire time putting himself over due to the fact that he pinned Rey Mysterio at Sunday's Capitol Punishment Pay-Per-View and John Cena on last week's 3-Hour RAW. He then demands to be put in contention of the WWE Title. The Anonymous RAW GM chimes in by basically denying Punk his title shot. After several more attempts by Punk to force the mysterious authoritative figure to change his mind, the GM then decides to book a No. 1 Contender Match between himself and Alberto Del Rio. CM Punk tries to argue again and the GM then adds in that it will now be a Triple Threat Match adding in Rey Mysterio. Punk screams at Booker and the announce team to end the opening segment. No mention of Punk leaving the WWE yet but I can guarantee that everyone was listening real closely as they waited for the big news. WWE throws out a Triple Threat Match to add interest in tonight's show but it's clear who the winner will be anyways, CM Punk.

- Michael Cole then announces an upcoming Divas Title Match to kick off the show competitively. The choices for contenders are Eve, Kelly Kelly, or Beth Phoenix. Lawler then shows how the voting process is done with his iPhone as he chooses Kelly Kelly. Subliminal messaging in the work, folks.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: The Bella Twins come out to some boos as Brie gets ready to defend her title tonight. But against who? Lawler mentions that he felt bad for just voting Kelly and said that he wants to vote for all the choices despite only being able to vote once. So here are the results for the voting:

1st - Kelly Kelly - 53%
2nd - Beth Phoenix - 36%
3rd - Eve Torres - 11%

Kelly Kelly ends up winning the poll which seems obvious to begin with. Strong number for Beth as the fans show great dislike for Eve Torres. That's a confidence destroyer.

Match 1
WWE Divas Championship
Brie Bella (c) (w/ Nikki Bella) vs. Kelly Kelly

Luckily, the WWE put the Divas Match on the first hour of the show meaning that if people were to tune in at the regular time of 9:00 (EST), nothing would have been missed. This match itself was very forgettable. No one in the ring is capable of putting on a watchable match but thankfully, it's kept short. The big surprise here is that Kelly Kelly ends up winning the belt making it her first title win in her WWE career. You might not know that as Michael Cole continued to misinform the TV audience throughout the match calling Kelly a "former" WWE Divas Champion. After the match, Kelly gave a "heart-warming" speech saying that without the fans' votes, she wouldn't have had  the opportunity to win the belt. Good way to add importance to the votes themselves but it was still incredibly cheesy.

Winner: Kelly Kelly at 3:01 with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. (Kelly Kelly wins the WWE Divas Title)
Rating: *

- VIDEO: A video package for Evan Bourne. The "magical" Evan Bourne as Cole puts it.

- That video wasn't without purpose as Cole announces that the following match will feature Evan Bourne but it's up to the people to decide his opponent, will it be Jack Swagger, Mason Ryan, or Sin Cara. Hm, two heel heavyweights or a luchadore, high-flying, impressive, complimentary to Bourne's skills which were shown off in that video package earlier, babyface Sin Cara? Decisions, decisions.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Looks like the WWE are timing their voting opportunities in between commercials to add time for people to actually vote. Good move. Evan Bourne walks out to the ring as he awaits his opponent. Lawler indicates that he'd like to see Bourne and Swagger continue their feud. Booker is partial to Sin Cara, as is everyone else. Here are the results:

1st - Mason Ryan - 51%
2nd - Sin Cara - 30%
3rd - Jack Swagger - 19%

I'm sorry, but what? That's right, the Batista knock-off ended up winning the hearts and money of the WWE Universe as they solidly placed Mason Ryan in first place in the voting. Ignore the live audience booing this decision. Last year, voting was rigged. This year doesn't look any different.

Match 2
Evan Bourne vs. Mason Ryan

The show must go on and we now have Evan Bourne taking on a green giant. Light, cruiserweight versus a heavyweight usually works as long as the right people are involved. There was Hurricane vs. Triple H, Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle, but Bourne vs. Ryan is one better left forgotten. Every time Mason Ryan steps into the ring it becomes aware that the WWE 100% rushed him onto live television from the development territory, FCW. Mason Ryan continues to look lost out in the ring and I can't really blame him for it. What's worse is that the WWE are trying to make the "lightweight vs. heavyweight" idea work in this match but it just ended up looking awkward. This match was two less moves by Bourne away from being a squash match. More harm than good done in the second match of the night.

Winner: Mason Ryan at 4:02 with a House of Pain for the pinfall victory.
Rating: *1/2

- Kane vs. Mark Henry is the next match of the night and the fans choose the stipulation. The options are a Body Slam Match, an Arm Wrestling Match, or an Over The Top Rope Match. These aren't really matches, more like challenges. Mark Henry is then shown walking in some dark corner of the 1st Mariner Arena as he heads towards the ring.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- VIDEO: WWE plugs next week's TWO-hour regular edition of RAW which hails from Las Vegas, Nevada. As with Vegas tradition, the RAW will be themed as a "RAW Roulette" edition. So gimmicks all night tonight and then more gimmicks next week. It's a wonder that the WWE fans don't care about stipulation matches anymore as the WWE churns them out quicker than Cena's next T-Shirts.

- VIDEO: The WWE then uses this time to add interest into this "match" by throwing it back to last Friday on SmackDown where Big Show beat down Mark Henry leaving Henry to be attended by the medics. Then on this past Sunday, Mark Henry returned to slam Big Show through the announce table.

- IN-RING: Mark Henry fills up time with a surprisingly well-done promo. Not to say that Henry isn't capable of good promos but this one really captured everyone's attention. Very well done as Henry puts himself over as a viable threat effectively erasing his happy-go-lucky days as a face in the minds of the WWE Universe. He also said "ass". The WWE then sends it to another commercial break. A lot of time for the fans to vote for these challenges.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- It was then time to find out the results of the most recent poll:

1st - Arm Wrestling Match - 52%
2nd - Over The Top Rope Match - 35%
3rd - Body Slam Match - 13%

So I guess an Arm Wrestling Ma...Challenge it is. I'm not going to list this as a match since it really isn't one.

- IN-RING: Kane makes his entrance to some cheers as he looks to get some revenge on Henry's attack on his former tag team partner. The arm wrestling apparatus is brought into the ring. "This is stupid" chants. Let 'em hear it, WWE Universe. Kane and Henry lock-up and they try to build up some drama but it's just arm wrestling. Unless there's a wager involved, there is no point. Winning this isn't going to elevate someone from a midcarder to a title contender unless it was booked to have that stipulation, then everyone would pay attention. As with every Arm Wrestling Challenge in the history of the WWE, no one takes their loss nicely as Henry attacks Kane before his own defeat causing a DQ. Mark Henry then proceeds to beat down Kane by using the apparatus and ramming Kane out of the ring. After being rammed back first into the steel ringpost, Mark Henry clears off the announce table as he looks to repeat his actions from Capitol Punishment. After a few moments, Kane is sent crashing through the announce table by The World's Strongest Man. A medic tries to check on Henry but Henry chases him off saying that he's going to suffer just like Henry did when the WWE didn't give him respect. Another "black" male being held down by the WWE similar to R-Truth. Perhaps a new tag-team will be formed between them? That could be interesting.

- Michael Cole then jumps to a discussion of R-Truth adding focus on Truth stealing the WWE Title last week on RAW and then bringing it to the PPV. They'll hear from Truth...next.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- Behind the remains of the announce table, Lawler tries a stab at a sob story as he says that his phone may been broken during the altercation between Henry and Kane.

- VIDEO: We enter RAW's regular hours with a video package of R-Truth. It then features the finish of Sunday's championship match as a "Little Jimmy" splashes a drink in Truth's face which cost him the match.

- IN-RING: R-Truth then makes his anticipated appearance as Michael Cole recaps the bonus hour of RAW with the Divas Title Change, Ryan beating Bourne, and Henry's actions. So, people who tuned in late didn't miss out on much. Truth then begins his promo as the fans chant "What?" since they don't have anything better to do."I got got by Little Jimmy!". Christian then interrupts Truth to a huge reaction. He's a heel but the fans still love him. Christian then shares his own problems as he complains that he never lost his PPV match due to the referee not noticing his foot under the bottom rope - they cut to a photo as evidence - and that he should be World Champion right now. The Miz then joins the two men in the ring as he complains about his loss to Alex Riley. Christian adds that Miz lost to Riley while Christian and Truth were featured in title matches. Hey look, the WWE putting importance on title matches, enjoy this rare moment. Cheesy catchphrase shouting moments later, SmackDown GM Theodore Long comes out on-stage to shut them up and announce a 6-Man Tag Match between those three and Cena, Orton and Alex Riley. In keeping with the theme, the fans pick the stipulation. Good segment here as all three men are given their spotlight without Cena, Orton or even Riley breaking their momentum. They all had great chemistry which was a bit funny at some points but overall cheesy. Gone are the days where heels are menacing. Also, having the SmackDown GM come out to announce the possible main event to RAW instead of the Anonymous GM who's sitting at ringside is a little head-scratching.

- Michael Cole then brought the attention back and announces that Dolph Ziggler, who won the US Title belt at Capitol Punishment, will make his first title defense against Kofi Kingston in their millionth match tonight. The fans pick the stipulation as the choices are: Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match, Vickie Is Banned From Ringside....Match, or a Submission Match. It's up next.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Vickie Guerrero introduces Ziggler as the new United States Champion as they make their way to the ring. Kofi Kingston follows with his entrance as he looks very focused. The results are now in:

1st - Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match - 51%
2nd - Vickie Guerrero Banned From Ringside - 31%
3rd - Submission Match - 18%

This shows that the fans care more about WRESTLING than having Vickie Guerrero at ringside. Or maybe it's the WWE showing that they care more about stretching out a match as long as they can to fill up a 3-Hour RAW since they don't have many ideas to fill it up in the first place. I think that sounds about right.

Match 3
WWE United States Championship
Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kofi Kingston

So the billionth encounter between Ziggler and Kofi starts quickly with Kofi looking to tear Dolph limb from limb. Where did all this determination come from? What makes this match much more important than the other ones? I will say that while this match-up is one of the most played out match-ups in the history of the WWE, the two young men still manage to put on watchable after watchable matches. If you don't know what other matches to put on the card, might as well put out the trillionth Ziggler vs. Kofi match. A commercial break interrupted this match-up but when we return from the break, we are shown through a replay that during the break, Dolph Ziggler ended up picking up the first fall from a Zig Zag to the ringside mat. That's disappointing. Kofi then kicks out of a Fame-Asser and follows up with the SOS (which I normally hate but this one look really good) and picks up his first fall to tie up the game. Both men traded moves until the action spilled to the ringside once again. Ziggler out of frustration grabs his title belt and tries to cause a DQ but Kofi ducks and hits a huge Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler. Kofi rolls Ziggler into the ring and goes for a slow cover but Ziggler touches the bottom rope with two fingers to break up the pin. Ziggler then leaves the ring once again and stumbles towards the timekeeper's area and looks to climb over the crowd barricade but Kofi quickly stops him but is met with a microphone out of nowhere. This causes a DQ so Kofi gets the fall and wins the WWE United States Title! No wait, apparently this DQ is special and overwrites any progress made in the match so far and Kofi Kingston wins by the DQ but Dolph Ziggler retains the belt. So everything you just watched for about ten minutes was for absolutely nothing. Solid match with good drama but if the WWE are going to continue matching up Ziggler and Kofi, at least have a clean finish.

Winner: Kofi Kingston at 12:21 by disqualification. (Dolph Ziggler retains the WWE United States Title)
Rating: **1/2

- VIDEO: We are given a replay from last Monday where temporary GM "Stone Cold" Steve Austin announced tonight's theme and smashed the RAW GM laptop, doused it with beer and ran it over with his ATV. There have been so many times where people have broken the laptop only for it to reappear the next week with no repercussions. It's pointless.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- A graphic appears featuring WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels as he's being hyped as next week's special guest. This must have been made very recently in the night as it isn't a hometown appearance, rather the WWE officials must have gotten word that Michaels was in town for next Monday in Vegas and they asked him to make a possible appearance on RAW, HBK accepted the terms and he's now the guest host. Should be good but it doesn't look like he'll have much involvement besides the usual return promo, backstage segments and main event announcement. We then see Alberto Del Rio make his entrance as the announcers continue to fawn over his vehicles.

- IN-RING: Alberto Del Rio then gets into the ring and cuts a promo of his own as he puts himself over Rey and Punk adding interest into the Triple Threat Match giving depth to Del Rio since Punk already had his time to shine earlier in the night, good move but Rey Mysterio is now the only one left without a purpose. We are then abruptly thrown to a commercial break as the fans looked forward to the Triple Threat bout.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK, SmackDown advertisement hyping up the fall-out between Christian and Randy Orton and their title match from Capitol Punishment -

- IN-RING: Del Rio is still in the ring as CM Punk makes his entrance. A graphic appeared hyping Punk's theme being released on iTunes to be purchased through the WWE. Does the band "Killswitch Engage" get anything out of this? Lawler announces that they've received "hundreds of millions" of texts tonight. This is laughably stupid and I bet it was Vince McMahon himself who fed Lawler this line through the headsets. Rey Mysterio was the last to come out to a nice pop. Zack Ryder signs have been shown at ramp-side all night but one got a real good shot when Rey went to embrace a young fan. We are soon met with results of the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match which have been plugged throughout the night:

1st - Falls Count Anywhere Match - 66%
2nd - No Disqualification Match - 23%
3rd - Submission Match - 11%

I thought the No DQ stipulation would have won but I guess Falls Count Anywhere it is. No one appreciates the Submission Match anymore, it's a shame.

Match 4
#1 Contender Match for the WWE Title
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

For a Falls Count Anywhere Match, this match stayed in the ring the majority of the time. This was your usual three way battle. Start in the ring, trade moves first one on one then two on one then back to one on one, go outside, go back inside for more one on one, then another person joins while another drops out, then a barrage of signature moves followed by the finish. Only difference for tonight is that all three men are competent wrestlers so the action never dipped below average. Everyone had their opportunity to shine which is important especially for Del Rio. It's big enough for him to be featured in a match alongside Punk and Rey, two top WWE stars, but also for him to get good offense. What's baffling about having to build Del Rio up this way is that he won the first ever 40-Man Royal Rumble, he should already be considered a top WWE star except he isn't. During the final moments, Rey lands his Torpedo "Extreme Weak and Unexciting" Splash off the top turnbuckle onto Del Rio but failed to get a cover as Punk grabbed the fan-favorite from behind and tossed Rey causing him to slide into the ringpost and out of the ring. Punk then covers Del Rio to get the win and the WWE Title shot. Looks like it will be Punk vs. Cena for the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View which should be a very good match since they've had great encounters on RAW before.

Winner: CM Punk at 11:36 by tossing Rey out of the ring to steal a pin on Alberto Del Rio. (Punk is now the Number 1 Contender to the WWE Title)
Rating: ***

- IN-RING: After the match, CM Punk grabs a microphone and begins to speak as the fans are once again glued to their television screens and hanging onto his every breath. Punk says that July 17 (the day of the PPV) will be the most historic day of his career and one in the history of the WWE. He tells us that he's been brutally honest in his career which has gotten him into more trouble than what it's worth, but July 17th will be the day when his contract with "World Wrestling Entertainment" expires. Wow, I expected a Loser Leaves WWE Match stipulation to be tagged to the WWE Title Match but instead they went with the "Contract is running out" angle. What's more is that CM Punk addressed the WWE by its full name despite the letters no longer standing for anything anymore. Punk adds that when the clock strikes midnight and Sunday bleeds into Monday, he will be leaving with the WWE Title. Big news being announced here as the most important angle in recent months unfolded in a matter of minutes. Will Punk head to Ring of Honor and give them the needed Superstar boost for their new upcoming television tapings?

- The announcers then plug the upcoming match: Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan. Choices are a Paper Bag (On A Pole) Match, A No Count-Out Match, or a Collegiate Rules Match which is basically an Amateur Wrestling Match but they hate saying wrestling so it's called Collegiate Rules.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- IN-RING: Back from the break and Daniel Bryan is shown in the ring already waiting for his opponent. Cody Rhodes soon makes his entrance and his bag men hand out paper bags for the front row audience. Here are the results for the stipulation:

1st - No Count-Out Match - 51%
2nd - Paper Bag Match - 43%
3rd - Collegiate Rules - 6%

I was hoping for Collegiate Rules but No Count-Outs it is.

Match 5
No Count-Out Match
Daniel Bryan vs. Cody Rhodes

This match ended as quickly as it began as two underrated by today's WWE standards wrestlers are given a smidgen of the spotlight tonight. I've just also now realized the presence of SmackDown Superstars. Last week was understandable with the theme being "WWE All Stars" but this week shouldn't need SmackDown stars. I guess with the booking team and Vince's mistreatment of the team being incompetent towards filling up 3 hours using RAW's regular roster, they HAD to use SmackDown stars. This match, for what it was, was good. Both men shared their big spots and neither looked bad. Unfortunately, not much can be gained from such a short bout.

Winner: Daniel Bryan at 2:25 with a Small Package for the pinfall victory.
Rating: *1/2

- THERE WAS A TERRIBLE DANCE CONTEST THAT FILLED UP THE TIME BETWEEN THE LAST MATCH AND THE MAIN EVENT. I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME WRITING ABOUT THIS DANCE CONTEST. I WILL SAY THAT MICHAEL COLE ATTEMPTING THE WORM WAS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS I'VE SEEN HIM DO IN HISTORY.

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

- One more plug for next week's RAW starting at its regular time, RAW Roulette theme, and Shawn Michaels as the special guest.

- IN-RING: The team of heels make their entrances first as the WWE showed a "YouTube" video of the finish to the WWE Title Match at Capitol Punishment which also interestingly gave away the finish, you would think that the WWE would take that down by now. A quick plug for Money in the Bank the PPV on July 17th which sits about three weeks away. Cole notes Miz's MITB win last year which contributed to his first ever WWE Championship win. Alex Riley then comes out as the first for the babyface team who got a nice reaction, Randy Orton then followed to a big pop and finally John Cena came out to a huge pop. While John Cena has been the "poster-boy" of the WWE for half a decade now, the WWE did a good job at preserving his appearance until needed on this edition of RAW which contributed to a huge reaction from the fans who were dying to see their hero. During Cena's entrance, Cole started a plug on Night of Champions which comes out of September. Soon, however, the results of the final voting are received:

- 1st: Elimination Match - 79%
- 2nd: One Fall To The Finish - 15% (why couldn't they just say regular 6-Man Tag Match? This just seems like a misleading way to word it)
- 3rd: 20-Minute Time Limit - 6% (no one in the right mind would vote for a stipulation that would end their main event of the night)

- COMMERCIAL BREAK -

Match 6
6-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
John Cena/Randy Orton/Alex Riley vs. Christian/R-Truth/The Miz

This match was your average multi-man tag main event on RAW. Alex Riley was the first to go by The Miz until The Miz got his by John Cena. R-Truth was sent packing by Orton while Christian speared Orton for his elimination. Orton later slides into the ring to land an RKO on Christian which allows Cena to follow up with the STF for the overall victory. The action was good and the fans were responsive but this still came off as bland. No big advancements, no big moments, nothing but just a 6-Man Tag Match with no hook to keep you interested until next week. Alex Riley got eliminated pretty early in the match which is disappointing considering his recent push and PPV victory over The Miz at Capitol Punishment. I would have rather had Orton get screwed out the match to be the first gone on the babyface team, followed up Cena and then have Riley get the overall victory for his team. Of course, Cena and Orton would need to be involved in some way to assist Riley hitting home the reason that Riley is still "new" to the big leagues but he would have gotten the major win and fans would continue to see him as future big player on Monday nights. Instead, he takes the fall and the focus is placed on Cena who doesn't need all the attention at this point in his career.

Winners: John Cena, Randy Orton, and Alex Riley at 19:58 with Cena locking in the STF on Christian for the submission victory.
Rating: **1/2

OVERALL: While this edition of RAW wasn't as awful as last year's "Viewer's Choice" but nothing really stood out as memorable save for Kelly's title win, CM Punk and maybe Mark Henry's work on the mic. The only big hook to keep fans interested for RAW next week is CM Punk's announcement of his leave seeing as how he and Cena didn't have direct interaction on this episode. Luckily for the creative team, next week's RAW is gimmicked along with the appearance of Shawn Michaels but there really needs to be a complete overhaul of the way the WWE does things creatively.

TV Review: The Killing (Season 1)



 

"Mrs. Larsen, do you have a daughter?" - Det. Linden

Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, and Bill Campbell

Synopsis: The Killing is a TV show that recently aired on AMC, based on a Danish series entitled Forbrydelsen. The show follows the 13 days (1 episode for each day) after the murder of a young girl, named Rosie Larsen -- focuses on the police investigation, the family (and friends) of Rosie, and an on-going Mayoral race in Seattle -- and how these stories intertwine.

*spoilers ahead*

The primary focus  is the that of the police investigation headed up by Det. Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and her new and inexperienced partner Det. Steven Holder (Joel Kinnaman). The two detectives follow and investigate their fair share of clues and suspects throughout the season, only to be decieved by a red-herring usually. This part of the series, was probably my favorite because Linden and Holder didn't follow the same terrible formula that you'll find on your typical police procedurals.

The family was, of course, the most emotional part of the show, often showing sadness, anger, and guilt of Rosie's death. Stan (Brent Sexton) and Mitch Larsen (Michelle Forbes), their sons, and Mitch's sister, Terry (Jaime Ann Allman) were definitely the heart of the show. You could just feel for them, and like the rest of the cast, they felt real.

The campaign was seemingly a side-story that occasionally added clues to the investigation (until we saw the end of season 1, but I won't ruin that for you). Headed by Mayor hopeful Darren Richmond (Bill Campbell), "the integrity candidate" with an extremely saddening past, and his too aids Gwen (Kristin Lehmen) and Jamie (Eric Ladin).

The entire series took twists and turns and had enormous amounts of possibilities and red herrings. But, of course, that's what I want out of a mystery show. The suspects went from Rosie's Ex, to Rosie's Ex's friend, to Rosie's teacher, to Darren Richmond himself, until we settled on a killer (but not really). We were kept guessing the entire time.

The show did move slow at some points, but it was usually able to hold my attention and keep me interested --there was plenty of suspense and some head-scratchers. Seemingly unconnected things were, of course, connected in some crazy way, but it kept the show fun and fresh.

Very intelligent.

It kinda felt like Mystic River, especially in the beginning.

The show was written exceedingly well, and, as previously stated, made the characters feel real. Some of the best on television in recent years. Not to mention, the characters were well acted....I see some Emmys (at least nominations) in the furture:

My 5 Favorite Performances:

Linden (Enos) was a divorced mother who was planning on marrying her current boyfriend and movie with him to another city, but couldn't because the investigation kept carrying over. She was strong and smart, and even vulnerable at times. A very subtle performance, yet powerful. I expect, at least, a nomination for and Emmy.

Holder (Kinnaman) was an ex-undercover cop who got too far in. Throughout the show, he was in revory from from his drug addictions. You could see his emotions all over the board. You can tell you was a street tough, and yet you could feel sorry for him. His back story is, arguably, the best of the bunch. I wish for an Emmy nomination, but I doubt it. Though, he did have to hide his Swedish accent (and he did great at it).

Michelle Forbes' Mitch Larsen was usually torn apart every episode at he death of her daughter. It is understandable. However, from reading other comments, some fans weren't feeling it very much. I enjoyed her performance, especially when paired with Brent Sexton. Emmy? Probably not, though I wouldn't be very surprised.

Brent Sexton (as Stan Larsen) easily was on a level all his own. That man better get a damned Emmy or I will cry for for him. Stan was the father of Rosie, and an ex-mob member. He was the backbone of the family and was in process of moving them forward, until this giant step back. His performance in the pilot alone, was worth everything. A conflicted character, he seems like the nicest man in the world, but then, his mob mentality sneaks up on him and tears him apart emotionally.

Brandon Jay McLaren's (one of the most underrated actors out there) Bennet Ahmed. He was a compllicated character. He was Rosie's teacher, and they connected on a whole different level -- kinda spiritual. He was also tied up in a whole different side-story that made him a red herring...that is...until Stan Larsen bashes his head in, thinking Ahmed was the murderer. But, don't worry, he is still alive and maybe he could make an appearance next season? I'll keep my fingers crossed. Emmy? Most likely not.

Other Stand-Outs: Bill Campbell,  Brendan Sexton III, and Eric Ladin.

Some of the stand-out episodes: "Pilot" (and "the Cage"), "Missing", and "Orpheus Decending"

-The Pilot for obvious reasons.

-"Missing", though hated by impatient fans, was one that showed Linden's true nature, and her vulnerable side. It was a great character episode. Further advanced her relationship with Holder and a phenomenal way.

-"Orpheus Decending", being the season finale, left us with a lot of questions that will make for a great Season 2. It didn't just have one cliff-hanger....it had several. Of course, fans aren't too happy, but I loved the way it turned out. 

If you are into Mystery, Police, Drama, or Cerebral TV shows, this one is for you.

Ruling: 4.5/5.

Watch it (online), so you can enjoy Season 2 with me.

Best new show of the year (thus far), Best show of the year (thus far), Best Characters (and Actors). One of my favorite shows in recent times. Should be nominated for Best Drama at every award show.

I can't wait to see what they end up doing with season.

Movie Review: Orphan (2009)

Released in 2009 and directed by Spaniard Jaume Collet-Serra ("House of Wax", 2005), "Orphan" is a cinematic chiller following the tale of a young couple who, as a means of dealing with the grief of losing a child, decide to adopt a shiny new youngster. To say the very least: they mess with the wrong kid.

Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga)("The Departed", 2006), and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard)("Jarhead, 2005) have felt a nasty strain on their marriage since their third child was stillborn. The painful memories of losing the baby still plague Kate's mind, who is also a recovering alcoholic (which is a key element in the distrust between the couple when things start to get a bit hairy). After much hesitation, soul-searching, and therapy Kate and John decide that it's time to go and "look at kids", as Kate so creepily states it, at the local orphanage.

They instantly fall in love with a sweet little Russian girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) who likes to spend her days painting pretty pictures, singing and smiling ever-so-innocently. Aww, how adorable. Naturally, Kate and John are more than happy to adopt this bundle of red roses and thus little Esther becomes the newest addition to Coleman family.

The early scenes of this flick make for a rather clever set-up. Esther seems adorable. An insightful, creative, unique little girl; and while the Coleman's deaf-mute daughter Max (Aryana Engineer) is elated to have a sister, their son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) is rather less enthused. In fact, he bullies her and makes fun of the way she dresses to the point where you're like "Hey, lay off her dude". Indeed in the early minutes of the story his mysterious new sister plays the part of the perfect little daughter while he just looks like a total jerk; and if you allow yourself to forget that things aren't what they seem, you'll find yourself sitting comfortably in a wonderfully false sense of security.

It builds slowly, you see. An unnerving look here, a playground "accident" there. Eventually, it becomes apparent to Kate that little Esther may have some... issues. She sends her deaf sister on a joyride down a busy street, seriously injures another girl, oh... and then there's Sister Abigail, head of the orphanage, who ends up dead after warning the Colemans that bad shit happens when Esther's around. Of course, considering Kate's deliciously boozy past, nobody believes her when she voices her concerns. As a viewer, you feel desperate for her. She has a geniune concern for the safety of her children and all she gets in response to her worries is a "Yeah that's great. Go to rehab, drunkie".

As the story takes a disturbing turn, Kate's worries become more than validated and not-so-sweet Esther poses a serious threat to the lives and health of the entire Coleman household. And while treehouses burn and our naive couple argue, the ever-manipulative little girl whom they welcomed into their home sets about messing with their lives.

There are some questionable moments, sure. Perhaps it's just my writer mind at work but I'd say there are certainly a few plot problems. But screw that, all small issues are pretty much washed away by the great story and brilliant acting of the cast (and almost-sorta-alrightish acting of Bennett).

The star of the show is undoubtedly Esther. A part magnificently played by young actress Isabelle Fuhrman. Esther is a proper headcase, guys. If this chick was playing in the street.. I'm pretty sure Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chuck Norris, Manbearpig and that creepy trenchcoat guy who stares you down at the bus stop would happily opt to take the long way 'round. To reference the poster tagline: there is most certainly something wrong with Esther. Without being spoileriffic, she's absolutely not what she seems. There's a super delicious twist to the tale that I wasn't expecting and you probably won't expect either. To the credit of writer Alex Mace, this story could've ended with a hundred different cliches but he opted to go in another direction. Plus, the twist itself further champions Fuhrman as an awesome little actress; and one that will undoubtedly be gracing cinema screens for decades to come if she's so inclined to make acting her calling.

In summary, "Orphan" is a highly disturbing thriller that will most likely have you gripped 'til the end. There are some folks out there who will tell you that this film "sends a bad message" and "will discourage people from adopting orphaned children". A valid argument, indeed. And so to those lovely people I simply say "lol, shut up".

THE VERDICT

I, Jin Sane, recommend this film to anybody currently in possesion of working human eyes. Seriously though, watch it.

Rating: 5/5

Movie Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)

"School for the Gifted, Indeed"

Drctd by: Matthew Vaughn; Actrs: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence; Wrttn by: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn

Released: June 3, 2011 (USA)

Run Time: 132 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: The newest addition to the X-Men franchise. Based in the 1960s, it tells the tale of the early friendship of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, as well as their teachings to younger mutants. The two men work together to fend of the dangerous menace that is Sebastian Shaw.

First things first: Go see this movie. Best X-men movie (so far), my favorite movie of the summer (so far), in contention for best movie of 2011. Ranks up there for best comic-book movie, next to The Dark Knight.

For me, I didn't want this movie. And after seeing the first posters and trailer, I really didn't want ot see this movie. But, then, I saw this movie... and I loved it.

*spoilers ahead*

Now, at first, upon hearing the characters they were going to use, I was extremely skeptical, especially because they didn't coincide with the original in the comics, etc. However, I never even read the comics, so after my initial viewing, I was easily won over and forgot all about the technicalities. To me, these choices made sense (at least more than I thought they would). But, if you are a die hard fanboy-ish comic-lover, you won't won't be as accepting as an outsider like myself.

The challenge with X-men: First Class, going in, must have been how to balance the ensemble. Every character is someone's favorite, and every actor is deserving of screen time. So, how do you choose? I'm not sure, but, apparenlty, Matthew Vaghn found out. He gave appropriate screen time to each character -- James McAvoy's Xavier, Michael Fassbender's Magneto, and Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw getting the most, while  their students and associates, respectively, have lesser time, but enough time. This was important to me because in the previous films, Wolverine was given too much screen time to the detriment of such iconic characters like Cyclops, Jean, Storm, or, even, Charles Xavier, himself.

When it comes to acting out these characters: A lot of people are talking about Fassbender, and deservedly so. He was basically a mutated James Bond, kicking-ass without taking many names. Over-all great performance, he managed to balance Magneto's human side with his sociopath. However, James McAvoy stole the show for me. He was just more subtle in his performance. He played intelligent, funny, and charming -- everything really. The rest of the cast was well acted as well.

What really won me over was where the movie focused. Opposed to the original trilogy (and Wolverine), First Class didn't focus on romance and brooding emotional issues just for the sake of drama, it focused on the characters in a sense that made them feel real and left the drama in the bigger picture where it belongs in a movie like this.

Surprisingly, their mutations, actually, made them feel more human. Again, opposed to the oringial trilogy (and Wolverine). There, they felt like the powers consumed the characters; here, the powers were only a piece of who they were and we could focus on more than what was appealing to the eyes. Don't get me wrong, their powers were there in full force, they were just used appropriately.

Sidenote: I always enjoyed the message of the X-men, and this movie portrayed that pretty well.

This movie had an overall intelligent tone, where it was more than meets the eye (wrong franchise >_>). But, in serious-ness, the movie dealt with real human emotion, but, of course, taken to an extreme, considering we aren't walking arournd blue and/or furry. And it did deal with the fact that we all struggle with who we truly are on the inside. Basically, you could see the heart through all the flashes and bangs.

The overall composition was pretty great (at least to me): the atmosphere was great (appropriate for the 60s); the pacing was great (never got bored once); the story was great, but you knew that from earlier.

I was pleased to see that there was also some humor strategically stashed away, which was really enjoyable. But, don't worry, it isn't prominent, thankfully, I know. There is also a hilarious cameo, but I don't want to spoil it for you (there is also a second on that I was pleased to see).

A little in the beginning, but definitely towards the end, it was epic moment after epic moment after epic moment. And I loved every second of it.

And, as I may have said earlier, I was extremely skeptical walking in, but was sold with in the first couple of seconds.

Great heroes, and great villains throughout. Most audiences will appreciate the bad-assery that is Azazel (played by Jason Flemying), Kevin Bacon's Shaw, and co. The heroics are self-explanatory, considering this is an X:men film.

In the end, I didn't think of it as a superhero movie. It more came across as a period drama about the torn and tormented "who just so happen to have super powers". And I never wanted it to stop.

Of course, on the negative side, the film ignored a lot of continuity of the previous films. It seemed as though Last Stand and Origins: Wolverine were totally ignored -- probably for the better. The entire continuity in the film series is screwed up and complicated.

Ruling: 4.5/5

I can't wait for the sequel that is destined to happen. Also, this really shouldn't be a "prequel", this should be a reboot. It allowed for unlimited possibilities for the future.

Sidenote: I just want Cyclops done with justice. Though, Gambit is my favorite.

Movie Review: Thor (2011)

Drctd by: Kenneth Branagh; Actrs: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins; Wrttn by: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne.

Realeased: May 6, 2011 (USA)

Run Time: 115 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: Thor is a mighty warrior God from Asgard, but has a large ego to boot, much to his father's displeasure. In turn, Thor is cast out of his native world and sent down to Earth to learn a lesson in humility. One thing leads to another and Thor, without his powers, must try to help stop a dark force from tearing his home apart.

*spoilers ahead*

Thor was an exceptional start to the summer movie season, if only because it was able to do what most superhero films can't these days: have fun. In a world where superheroes are begged to be more realistic, to the liking of Ironman and Batman, Thor dared to be itself, and in the process, took the viewer on a fun-filled adventure to Asgard and back.

Thor's strength was definitely its ability to properly blend action, adventure, and comedy without it feeling forced. On the action side, Chis Hemsworth kicked some major ass, as the God of Thunder... and as one of us lowly humans. Not to mention, his hoard of warrior-friends who weren't too shabby. Thankfully, the action wasn't used as a crutch, but had a story (as much as you could ask for) and had balance elsewhere. In addition, the action wasn't just 1-2-3, the scenes, while being fun to watch, were also fun to look at -- the entire atmosphere of the film was beautiful.

On the other side, the humor was just as enjoyable as the action. The comedy of the film came mainly from three places. Firstly, Natalie Portman hitting everything with her van: She need her license taken away, like, now. Secondly, Thor becoming human and coming to Earth for the time: The way his Asgardian customs translated (or didn't) was fun to watch. Thirdly, and my favorite, was from "Darcy", played by Kat Dennings: Though she wasn't in it a lot, Kat Dennings was an intern with quick-wit and some hilarious one-liners, and she, basically, stole most of the scenes she was in. But, of course, there was fun to be had elsewhere in the film.

The comedy was most likely so prevelent because Thor isn't one of those "widely known" superhero characters -- the general public had to be warmed to him. And they did a great job.

Now, my favorite part of the movie would have to Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of "Loki", the God of Mischief. He is easily my favorite villain in the Marvel Movie Universe thus far. But, of course, I am usually pro-villain (so I may be a little biased), and kinda wanted Loki to succeed in his plans. I mean, he was smart, devious, and awesome, but, at the same time, you could feel for him and understood where he was coming from. Also, Tom Hiddleston, in my opinion, out-acted the rest of the cast. Don't get me wrong, the movie is over-all approriately acted, but Hiddleston was on a level of his own throughout. Still, thankfully, no actor, or character, felt out of place with the others.

I am also glad that they didn't spend too much time talking about S.H.I.E.L.D and setting up The Avengers. Pretty much what went wrong with Ironman 2.

In total, I have three issues with this movie (though nothing major):

(1) The 3-D didn't add much other than money to the studios. Not a fan of the whole 3-D fad.

(2) I wanted more Loki. I know, I know, this movie was called Thor and not Loki, I get that. Luckily, we get more Loki in The Avengers, coming out in 2012.

(3) Heimdall, played by Idris Elba, was severly underused. The entire movie, they talked about how powerful he was, but they never did anything with him. I don't think we've even scratched the surface with him. Maybe in the sequel.

Believe it, or not, walking in, I did not want to see this movie. I wanted to watch Scream 4, but it had already left my local theater. My biggest concerned was an apparent cheese factor, especially when it came to the costumes. After viewing several posters and trailer, I was still not sold. However, after it was over, I was totally won over.

If you are looking for an oscar-winner, look somewhere else. But, if you are looking for a great popcorn flick, look no further.

Ruling: 3.5/5

Pro-Wrestling Review: TNA Slammiversary IX (2011)

Another year, another anniversary, another TNA Slammiversary Pay-Per-View. I never really enjoyed many of TNA's Slammiversary events in the past especially not the King of the Mountain matches. But despite TNA's best efforts to turn away any possible new fans to their product, Slammiversary IX managed to put on a solid outing.

Match 1
TNA Tag Team Championships
James Storm (c) & Alex Shelley (w/ Robert Roode (c)) vs. The British Invasion (Doug Wiliiams & Brutus Magnus)

The opening moments of the Pay-Per-View saw a championship match as The British Invasion challenged Beer Money Inc. for the TNA Tag Titles with Alex Shelley filling in for an injured Bobby Roode. Leading up this match, TNA has seemingly tossed around the idea of splitting up the longtime partnership between James Storm and Robert Roode several times and their latest effort is no different, but to me this current storyline is only strengthening their bond. Roode has been counting on Shelley to represent his team well and to walk away as champs so if Shelley performs poorly, it's on Shelley. Nevertheless, this match ended up being a solid opener for the entire event. The fans were very much behind both Beer Money and Alex Shelley. Sounds weird? It should but that's how it played out. The fans already love Alex Shelley and his high-flying ways but they also love Storm and Roode and both elements somehow blended together to get the fans on their feet. Credit goes towards Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus as well as they both helped to create a good heel image with a great workrate. The match at some points seemed a little rushed but overall it served its purpose well. Now, what I don't want for TNA to do is to continue Shelley and Storm paired up as a team. It would be best for Roode to heal up and remain with Storm but that's just my preference. Logically, TNA is going to have Storm like teaming up with Shelley so they create their own tag team while Roode becomes jealous on the sidelines and begins a feud with Storm.

Winners: James Storm & Alex Shelley at 10:57 with a Sliced Bread No. 2 for the pinfall victory. (Beer Money Inc. remain TNA Tag Team Champions)
Rating: **1/2

- BACKSTAGE: TNA showed two video clips of both Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle arriving to the arena earlier in the day as they prep themselves for their big match tonight. Nice way to add focus on their bout which means that they'll get a main event slot instead of the TNA World Title Match but I couldn't help but notice that Angle parked in a No Parking Zone.

- BACKSTAGE: Scott Steiner flexed his stuff in a promo as he continues to bash Matt Morgan and promised to take Morgan's girlfriend away and show her what a real man is. I feel like this exact promo may have been used on WWE RAW in 2003 but in any case Steiner does a good job in the mic selling importance to his upcoming match. I'm impressed TNA is putting effort in giving attention to their matches.

Match 2
Matt Morgan vs. Scott Steiner

Two big, meaty, chiseled men brawling in the ring. What else is there to say about this match? There wasn't anything too offensive in terms of workrate and chemistry, however I noticed the fans losing energy as the match slowly continued. Both men put in their share of offense as they continued of storyline of "Who's The Strongest Man?" While, I could have used a few weapons here and there, this match was alright for not having a stipulation attached although if TNA are looking to continue this feud, a Street Fight of some sort is in line for their next battle. Also, don't be surprised to see a bit of quick chains of moves in this match as well as both men somehow traded lighter moves almost seamlessly. Big moment that comes to mind is Steiner pulling off a Victory Roll forwards off the shoulders of Morgan. Matt Morgan picks up a victory which is the right decision in my mind seeing as how Morgan should be built up as a viable main-eventer, something TNA wanted to have happen about a year or so ago along with Hernandez. It might be a bigger climb to the top now with RVD, Sting, Anderson and others in the way but if he's getting solid PPV victories against top names like Steiner along the way, then he should have no problem making his way to a future Title Shot.

Winner: Matt Morgan at 09:20 with a Carbon Footprint for the pinfall victory.
Rating: **

- BACKSTAGE: Jeff Jarrett cuts a promo hyping up his match against Angle. Yeah, definitely looks like they'll get the main event treatment. Jarrett talks about how his focus is on two things, becoming the No. 1 Contender to the TNA World Title and taking the only thing Angle has left (after Jarrett took Karen and kids), his 1996 Olympic Gold Medal.

Match 3
TNA X-Division Championship
Abyss (c) vs. Kazarian vs. Brian Kendrick

On paper, you would think two things: 1, it's an X-Division Match so it should be exciting and the fans should wake up from the last big men match and 2, why is Abyss X-Division Champion? Well to answer number two, Abyss won the belt as a result of Immortal wanting to eliminate the X-Division from TNA for good. Well, they almost succeeded. Abyss in the Impact leading up the PPV mentioned that he's rebranding the belt as the "X-Treme Championship". Fair enough but on this night, Christy Hemme and other supporting graphics still refer to the belt as the "X-Division Title". Confusion aside, the match started off shaky and ended slow. It was basically a 2-on-1 confrontation (with Kaz and Kendrick fighting amongst themselves later on which contributed to the finish) for the majority of the match. The fans seemed torn on who to cheer for, Kaz and Kendrick are both the babyfaces of the feud while Abyss is the heel yet it's the heel who is outnumbered and has to overcome the odds. Think of John Cena as a heel and him doing his usual Superman antics against two faces. Seems out of place. Workrate wasn't much better as while Kaz and Kendrick are both great workers in their own right, they were very sloppy in the bigger parts of the match and Abyss being a big hoss doesn't really help their cause. Abyss picks up the win which will only see the title further change as the X-Treme Title. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that but I'm also not very comfortable with Abyss quoting The Art of War. How about we find Abyss a suitable gimmick instead of giving him tons of awful ones like over the past few years. I miss James Mitchell.

Winner: Abyss at 12:05 by yanking Kendrick out of the ring to steal a pin on Kazarian. (Abyss remains TNA X-Division Champion)
Rating: *1/2

- VIDEO: TNA played a hype video to hype up Joe and Crimson's recent feud as well as the coverage on their "bar fight". Again, TNA putting in effort to make their matches matter.

Match 4
Samoa Joe vs. Crimson

Crimson, in my opinion, is a name to look out for as TNA progresses through the year. He has the look and the build to be molded as a future top star in TNA but it's the experience and exposure that TNA has to give him that will help him out on that journey. That said, he's getting nice exposure through his recent undefeated streak as well as his feud with Samoa Joe (who also had an undefeated streak, a year and a half long streak, when he first debuted). This match was very physical throughout the near ten minutes that it lasted. Fans weren't too hot especially after Steiner/Morgan but with Samoa Joe, a clear favorite amongst pro-wrestling fans, in the ring, people pay attention. Crimson, while impressive for what he's able to do, is still green as it looks like he has a lot on his mind in terms of remembering spots and reading Joe's signals but that's why he's in the ring with Samoa Joe, someone who is capable of helping a rookie like Crimson grow. Crimson picks up the win which helps to build him up (imagine that, TNA gives two future stars in Morgan and Crimson wins over veterans!) but TNA better not let Crimson's rise to the top get out of hand. They need to continue this feud which will not only let Crimson get more comfortable in the ring and with Joe, but also have the fans see him as a legitimate contender and not someone who is slingshotted to the top. WWE has issues with this with Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger and others. TNA needs to avoid their mistakes and carefully pick their future stars when they're ripe.

Winner: Crimson at 10:33 with a Sit-Down Slam for the pinfall victory.
Rating: **

- BACKSTAGE: Winter and Angelina Love share a promo hyping themselves up rather than their title match. The storyline of Love being controlled by Winter continues. I am not a fan.

Match 5
TNA Knockouts Championship
Mickie James (c) vs. Angelina Love (w/ Winter)

With Winter being at ringside, you know she's going to be involved in some way which will somehow contribute to a sketchy finish. But it didn't, surprisingly. That's not to say that he didn't interfere in the match, but the match was seemingly built around her presence and Mickie James being hindered by it up until the point where Winter was neutralized and Mickie and her faithful fans could breathe and focus and eventually pick up the win. What I like about this match is that it wasn't godawful as many past Knockout matches have been and I could actually sit through it. What I didn't like was how weak everything still seemed. The Knockouts Division used to be something TNA could be proud of and further distinguish it from WWE's "Divas Division" with solid wrestling and storylines. Nowadays, everything seems like a last minute decision without much focus. Mickie James is fine as a champion but I'm assuming that this feud is going to be a throwaway feud while TNA finds a better opponent perhaps in the build up towards Bound For Glory if James remains champion for that long which seems likely. Perhaps Sarita and Rosita will feud with Mickie James at Bound For Glory while using a "Mexicans vs. White American Country" storyline or perhaps Kharma (Awesome Kong) will return to TNA as she reveals that her pregnancy was a fluke. Maybe we'll get that Bubba the Love Sponge vs. Kong match TNA fans have been dying for. I should stop now.

Winner: Mickie James at 8:00 with a Mickie DDT for the pinfall victory. (Mickie James remains TNA Knockouts Champion)
Rating: *3/4

- BACKSTAGE: Bully Ray cuts a great promo hyping up his match against AJ Styles. No harm done in building interest to matches but at this point, it looks like TNA is struggling to add emphasis on their matches. What looked like a great idea at first now looks like as if TNA never added hype to their feuds on their regular Impact shows to begin with. In any case, Bully Ray is always great on the mic and this promo is no different.

Match 6
Last Man Standing Match
AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray

What. An. Awesome. Match. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a five star classic but this match ended up being Match of the Night and perhaps a contender for TNA Match of the Year. The match began with Bully Ray in control but after getting busted open, AJ Styles soon took over and the fans were solidly behind Styles (he's getting huge reactions) as he took Ray to town over and over again. Big spot after big spot helped keep the fans on their feet as they are jolted back to life after a slow half in the PPV. AJ Styles continues to throw out jaw-dropping moves further telling TNA's audience that Styles should be in the main event and not Sting or Anderson or Jarrett or even Angle. One memorable spot saw AJ leap off the stage and forwards about 5 feet before landing an elbow on Ray. AJ may have just found the secret to human flight without the use of machine. During the closing moments, AJ climbed up a steel truss about 15 feet high and jumped off landing on Ray who was sent through a table. While that should have been the end of the match, Bully Ray somehow kicked Styles sending the babyface crashing into the side of the stage. In my opinion, that entire move looked very weak and caused Styles to lose the match. It kinda lost any momentum built up by Styles with his big moves which hinders the entire scope of the match. It's like why bother with the big spots if Ray can just lightly shove you into the side of cardboard? This way of thinking keeps me from truly lauding this match as a perfect piece of work but regardless, it is still a great match and this feud is not yet over.

Winner: Bully Ray at 20:18 as AJ Styles could not respond to a ten-count.
Rating: ****

- BACKSTAGE: Mr. Anderson is interviewed by Jeremy Borash as he hypes up the upcoming title match. Again, good move but still looks bad on TNA's part. TNA should have instead used these interview segments for their bigger matches like Styles/Ray, Sting/Anderson and Angle/Jarrett and left the undercard interviews for episodes of Impact where build-up should matter (I guess wrestling should as well).

- VIDEO: TNA fed to a video package hyping up Sting vs. Anderson and what led up to it. They should have just skipped Anderson's interview segment and went to a video package hyping up TNA's rebranded Impact or the next PPV and then followed up with this video package. What they're doing isn't bad by any means, it just seems like it was piled on as a last minute effort to get people to care which looks bad on their part.

Match 7
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Sting (c) vs. Mr. Anderson

Mr. Anderson finally gets his one-on-one title match against Sting after months of waiting. So how did it fare? Not great, but not bad. It was very average which speaks volumes seeing as how this was for the TNA World Title and the months of build-up behind this one match. While Anderson oozes charisma and Sting has the name to draw people in, the workrate in a match is an important part of the equation and this match kept coming up short in many cases. Much of the fault lies with Mr. Anderson. While it doesn't seem like he's being incredibly lazy in the ring, he does show signs of it as it looks like he's just going through the motions. HOWEVER, Mr. Anderson ends up winning the World Championship anyways. Just when you think TNA has their act together, they do not. In the finish of the match, Eric Bischoff who ran out in support of Anderson, distracted the referee in mid-count of Sting's pin on Anderson. Why wouldn't he just count the three and then deal with Bischoff later? Equally as odd was Anderson hitting a low-blow on Sting right in front of the referee but nothing was called. Anderson then followed up with a Mic Check to end the match. Wonky finish but it's painfully obvious that this feud is far from over.

Winner: Mr. Anderson at 15:52 with the Mic Check for the pinfall victory. (Mr. Anderson wins the TNA World Heavyweight Title)
Rating: *3/4

- ARENA: Mike Tenay and Taz then introduced Karen Angle who was live via satellite. She sold the feud between Angle and Jarrett sharing her view of what's happening which is welcomed but may actually be overkill in terms of hype. To the faithful TNA followers, her being "live from satellite" may actually mean she's backstage waiting to interfere in the match. She's not.

Match 8
#1 Contender Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Title
Angle's Olympic Gold Medal On The Line
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett

From a great match in Styles vs. Ray to an average yet eye-rolling encounter in Sting vs. Anderson to a solid finish with Angle vs. Jarrett. This isn't the best match these two men have had but it is the least gimmicked match. Nobody expected this feud to last as long as it has but that's because TNA has hyped the last couple of encounters as the final battle or it at least felt that way. But the fans were once again awake for the main event of the Pay-Per-View and are looking for a clean contest following the TNA World Title Match. They got one. Both men put on a good showing as they continue to sell the feud gripping and clawing at each other. TNA also did a good job at putting importance on the match itself as not only was it to be the Final Battle between these two men in their heated rivalry, but the winner also earns himself a one way ticket to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A lot was riding on the match and the fans became equally invested. I never saw Jeff Jarrett as a fantastic worker by any means but he did his part to keep up with Angle and do his best to make the main event of Slammiversary a good one but I cannot for the life of me fully invest in The Stroke as a finisher. It is incredibly weak looking, very sloppily applied and detracts from the moment in the match. Jeff even tried one from the turnbuckle and it still looked weak. Another thing I noticed about the match is that the main event didn't last over 20 minutes, clocking in at around 18. I'm not saying main-events should be hour-long spectacles but for a match of this magnitude, a nice breathing room for two aging vets would have been nice to further create depth in the match. I know some people would have rather had Samoa Joe or AJ Styles close out the PPV considering the year we are in and how old some of these performers may be, but this feud was well-done and deserves its top billing even just for tonight. Overall, a fine match though it seems like it could have used a little something extra to really make it memorable. Having countless other encounters in the past didn't help make this match stand out from the rest.

Winner: Kurt Angle  with an Ankle Lock for the submission victory. (Angle is now the Number 1 Contender to the TNA World title)
Rating: ***

OVERALL: The best TNA PPV of 2011, so far. I can make that claim without hesitation. With every good step forward TNA takes, they take about five steps back but throughout this PPV it seems like they only took two steps back. It's still an improvement but perhaps not enough to drag them out of the bad habits they've placed on themselves over the past two years.