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Battlestar Galactica – Echoes of New Caprica (Tokyopop)

Now that BSG has quite literally gone of our our screens and into the sunset we need something to battle the withdrawals that we will all be feeling looking at that gap in the TV schedule. Thankfully the comic book world has stepped up to the plate on both sides of the globe and here BSG goes east – Manga Style. In the first ever BSG manga title what we have are three different stories set around season three , in fact these were plots that had to be cut from what we saw on TV due to running time.

The first is I think the weakest, not to say that its terrible but merely average. It focuses on President Roslin’s school that she taught on New Caprica under the menacing glare of the Cylons. The main thrust is that some one in the school is giving intel to the toasters and the path leads to one of the children in the class being a Cylon collaborator. Like I say this is an average story and it feels like the bog standard comic book tie in filler in between what we saw up on the screen. The plot is very basic and to be honest unimaginative but the artwork is of good standard and manages to make it look like BSG and traditional manga at the same time. But my mine gripe is there isn’t that much new in this tale it feels like going over old ground and if you wanted so interesting background info into the whole New Caprica affair then give this a miss otherwise it will pass away an hour or so.

Much like a good three course meal we started with a light entry and now we get to the meat and potatoes. The second volume is a Zarek centric story about the early days of the Cylon conspirator trials held on Galactica immediately following events on New Caprica. This story more than the other two does give us something new and that will enhance your viewing of the TV show. Zarek has always been one of the most intriguing players in the BSG mythos. There is a neat twist to this story when Zarek has to face one of his best friends and hand him over to the mob rule and this does have genuine impact. In the time line this follows immediately on from the liberation of New Caprica during Zarek’s very brief stint as president. Overall this is great little story whilst you could see why it would be dropped from the TV it does add something to the BSG story as a whole.

Like the three course meal we get to the sweet which is probably the best way to describe the third and final story of the book. This time the focus is on Starbuck and the child she accepted as her own on New Caprica. There is nothing much ti write home about here storywise and you won’t learn very much about Starbuck or anything else. Simply put Starbuck is haunted by visions of the child and tracks her down where she sees her on her own, abducts her then child returns to her mother and thats about it. Scrub what I said earlier this is in fact the weakest story of the book as nothing new or exciting happens.

Overall the book is a patchy affair but a decent start as there will be more on the way. I feel though that given the Japanese style of fleshing out characters to the maximum, maybe if the writers stick to the supporting cast of BSG for story lines then we will have something to look forward to in the future. The manga fails when the stories focus on the principal charcters as they seem unable to add anything new to what we know already. Overall I would say this book is for the seasoned BSG fan as the casual fan won’t gain that much from it.

Rating – 5/10

Watchmen

To say this has been eagerly awaited by all at fightrunner TV is a Huge understatement. We all remember the excitement at that first trailer of what ranks as the best comic book series ever made. And since then excitement has grown and grown as each clip and still revealed a movie that was going to be so very faith full to the source material.

The Plot? jeez that is toughie for complex doesn’t do it justice but the main gist of it is as follows in An alternate 1985 the USA has won the war in ‘Nam and Nixon is in power for a third term. Also add into the mix that costumed vigilantes have been operating in USA since post WW2 days and were outlawed in the early ’80s. When one of the ex crime fighters is murdered the brutal Rorscharch a crime fighter unwilling to give up his Identify begins to investigate and discovers a sinister reason behind the killing. Also in the mix is the imminent threat if Nuclear war with the USSR.

Got all that ? Because this is a movie with a lot to take in and digest and think about. Its quite simply is the Mystery wrapped in an enigma. A lot of people will find this movie slow and heavy as it is very faith full to its source material and is also very dark in places, the retired super heroes are a deeply flawed and quite miserable bunch with back stories that are fleshed out in detail. Nite Owl a batman clone can’t get his mojo up, Silk Specter has a relationship with a man who just doesn get her, Rorscharch is a psychopath, Dr Manhattan with his god like powers just doesn’t give a shit, Ozzy Mandias is well I’ll leave that for you to find out. But this is is the strength of the film the characters have their flaws and must overcome them to take down the chief conspirator.

As for the acting it is all nailed to perfection the actors all look and sound exactly like their comic counterparts and nearly all the dialogue is lifted straight from the pages of graphic novel. The notable performances coming from Doctor Manhattan who’s back story is really moving and the dark psychotic Rorscharch bought brilliantly to life. The direction is superb and never before have if seen a comic so amazingly brought to life for sure slight alterations have been made but even the most hardened fan boy will find it difficult to moan.

So does it all work ? yes and no. For fans of the comic this is pure nirvana as the source material is executed to perfection. For casual movie goers a lot of this will be ‘huh’ and ‘why’ as well as Why is that blue guy in the nude?’ and no doubt a lot of head scratching as it is heavy going and you will have to use that grey matter a lot.

But without doubt the this is the truest and purest hit of comic book conversion that we have ever seen. But for the lay person they will want a little more flavor. Not one to miss if you like your comics and if not well how hard do you want to work?. Also another note of praise to the excellent sound track which is spot on.

Rating 9/10

The world will look up and shout ‘What the fuck?’

We will look down and whisper ‘Comic book genius you fucktard’.

Total Recall

Time for a movie that is ingrained in the DNA of every member of the fightrunner team, Total Recall. As you know we all have a soft spot for the mighty Austrian Oak round these parts and when this classic popped up on my TV screen a few weeks ago I realised we had never given it the TLC that it deserves. So, being the moral crusader for justice that I am I have decided to give this piece the treatment it deserves.

Storywise, you should all know this one off by heart and if hear anyone say that they have never watched it I can only conclude three things:

1.) You’re a girl

2.) You’re gay

3.) You’re clinically insane.

So for these three groups I will explain the plot. In the near future Arnie plays Douglas Quaid a construction worker who is haunted by dreams of mars and a mysterious woman that appears in said dreams. Upon visiting a clinic that transplants memories of vacations direct into the human mind, it triggers repressed memories of a previous life on Mars. Being chased by a mysterious team of heavies he runs to Mars to find out his true indemnity and gets wound up in a plot of rebellion against a dictator and a battle to provide free air for the inhabitants of the Mars colony.

Simple but effective as this is essentially one very long chase movie jam packed with that OTT violence violence we have come to expect from both the lead actor and director (Paul Verhoeven). And way too many cool fights, explosions, car chases and gun fights to mention. This is just simply a reminder of why the 80’s was the decade of the action movie as the action is comes thick and fast with non of the irony that seems to fill up modern day actioners. Memorable lines ? way too many here and I bet you have heard them all one minor sticking point may be the absence of ‘I’ll be back’ from the Schwarz. In short there is way too much good stuff packed into the running time for me to mention but one stand out would be the subway chase with Arnie using a dead body as a bullet shield and the literal disarming of Michael Ironsides head goon. One thing overlooked in this movie is the special effects which still hold up to this day and overall this movie hasn’t aged badly.

What you have here is a perfect merging of director and star with the ideal script, a true Action/Sci-Fi classic.

Rating: 9/10

Totally amazing!

Flatland The Film

Remember how I said in my Akira review that it is a plus when films don’t try and explain you everything?. Well here is a movie that goes of the opposite direction. This movie is crammed full of exposition with constant text appearing to explain exactly what’s going on every 30 seconds. The story itself is about 2 dimensional shapes and the world they inhabit, the character A. Square is one day kidnapped by a sphere from the 3D realm and is shown the true nature of reality he returns to 2D land as is villianized for blasphemy and challenging the well held beliefs of his homeland.

Given that plot you would expect this to be a quirky comedy with takes on the modern day evolution v creation debate that rages on. But the problem is the constant exposition of the glaringly obvious not only do you feel you are being treated like a child but it breaks up the flow of would could be an engaging narrative.

Visually for a low budget movie this is pretty remarkable to look at, even the 2D realm is a treat to look at and given the budget they have been very, very inventive with what funds they had. But i bring it up again the constant interruptions with text spelling out what has just happened in a sort of IKEA flat pack kinda way makes this feel like something thrown together on windows movie-maker. It’s a shame because there is some real potential lurking in there somewhere but the makers seemed to afraid of people ‘not getting’ it.

Rating: 4/10

A lot of unrealised potential.

Akira

Before i watched this i was warned by Mcflee to have plenty of beer standing by as he said its ‘Very Japanese’ I did have the beers with me but ended up hardly drinking a drop as I was so astounded by what I saw on the screen. Put simply this is a feast for the eyes and mind like no other and i still have trouble accepting that Akira was made back in 1988 and hand drawn. The animation on display here blows recent stuff like Clone Wars (not difficult) and even Wall-E out of the water. Another thing that mcflee told me when I embarked on my anime a week journey was ‘In Japan animation is a method not a genre’. Akira displays masterfully how that is true.

In 1988 Tokyo is destroyed in WWIII and we then flash forward some 30 years into the future to Neo-Tokyo, a giant metrolpolis sprouting great towers into the sky. All is not well in Neo-Tokyo as crime is rife and dissent against a corrupt government grows and biker gangs wage war with each other on the highways. One gang member, Tetsuo gets involved in a crash after swerving to avoid a strange looking chld on the road and is then kidnapped by the army for some strange experiment. Tetsuo’s life time friend Kaneda is then recruited into a resistance against these experiemnts in the hope of rescuing Tetsuo. In the army/goverment labs Tetsuo develops incredible mental powers but is unable to control them and escapes trying to find the mythical ‘AKIRA’ said to be the source of an extreme energy and also the cause of the WWIII as shown at the beginning of the movie.

I have probably skipped a few details here and there as the plot is so intricate and involving i could type the script word for word here and still miss major details . But this is a movie that combines eye and mind candy into a cocktail of epic intoxicating proportions. The cityscapes are are jaw droopingly beautiful in a Blade Runner noirish style. From the decaying suburbs of the biker gangs to the ethereal golden glow of the government test labs every single frame here is a work of art.

The sound score as well is a marvel especially the authentic oriental drum and synth mix that pounds away during the chase scenes. I am really struggling to find any faults with this movie (And this from a guy who is fresh to the anime genre method).

And then there is the ending. The ending is what will set those who will appreciate Anime and those who still think that animation is a just kids thing. For the ending is stunning and incomprehensible all at the same time. If you go back to our Mark Striton interview on the podcast mcflee, (where’s my money for these references!) said that Japanese audiences aren’t fussed about having everything explained to  them and the conclusion here epitomises that ethos. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but somehow it satisfies on each and every level and will leave you thinking for weeks afterwards.

I think i can now safely say i have fallen in love with Anime. If you are an Anime virgin then Overfiend is like losing your virginity to that not bad looking but very slutty girl, leaving you happy to have done it but unfulfilled. Then this will feel like scoring with that hot East European chick that makes you feel so good on every level.

Verdict : 10/10

Best Animation Ever.

PREDATOR

Straight off the back of the podcast… here is my full review of the greatest Arnie film of all time!

Here at fightrunner you may have noticed we are all men! Men’s men… and we do tend to have a fairly blokey slant on our choice of films reviewed. It’s just how we roll, you don’t like it? Then go fuck yourself! So all things being what they are I have decided it was way past time to review this 1980’s classic stuff that made me what I am today and forged my opinions on how to be a MAN!

The movie follows a band of special forces commandos lead by Dutch (Arnie) that are sent into a central american jungle in order to rescue a band of green berets from a bunch of terrorists. They find the crashed chopper with all the green berets strung up in the trees minus their skin… This fuels the crew to seek out and attack the terrorist base. They locate it and in a scene I can only describe as, the greatest piece of OVERKILL in cinema history, they brutally smite the enemy off the face of the earth, leaving only one prisoner… a woman called Anna.

Sounds run of the mill so far? Well then the team are on their way to the extraction point somewhere deep in the jungle when one by one they begin to get picked off by an unseen terror! As their numbers deminish the team becomes aware that the new foe is no terrorist but is in fact an alien big game hunter… and it ain’t zebra he has a permit for no sir it’s big camouflaged, muscular, sweaty men with even bigger guns! All the team are picked off in brutal and sometimes gory ways until we end up with only Dutch and Anna alive and Arnie must pit himself one on one with the alien.

What makes this film so good is that it is so basic… big men with big guns fighting an even bigger enemy in the big jungle… That’s about it. Films these days are way too caught up in scenes featuring slow-mo bullets and CGI unrealistic fight scenes. This film just lets a load of people go ape shit with huge guns!!!! And fuck me does it work. Watch out for Jessy Ventura’s special weapon… “old painless”. Now normally this gun is mounted on the side of an attack helicopter… but because its Jessy, we can believe that this dude can actually handle the recoil no probs!

the Predator it’s self is just so damn cool… from the groundbreaking (at the time) special effects of the cloaking device, to the heat vision, to the shoulder mounted blaster… and lets not forget when it finally takes its mask off. The Animatronic mask is still among the greatest make up effects I have ever seen.

All in all, this film is one of the greatest action films ever… simple but amazing at the same time. Today A lot of directors could learn from its simplicity and snappy dialog…

Rating 10/10 Go watch it now… and you will become a sexual tyrannosaur… just like me!

Empire is reporting some interesting rumours in the marvel comic world. Fox do still own the rights to several marvel comics and are intending to use them after having a very quiet summer.

First rumour is of a young X-Men movie, showing the mutated super-heroes as teenagers. Mmm High School: The Mutants? not for me thank you very much.

Second is Deadpool an assasin with similar powers to Wolverine who features in the upcoming Wolverine movie. A spin-off of a spin-off? also i am not up to speed on dead pool so maybe our somic expert Mcflee can fill in the gaps.

Speaking of Mcflee he will be intrigued to hear thatone of his fave Marvel characters , Daredevil looks to be getting the re-boot treatment to try and make amends for the Ben Afflek flick a few years back. Seeing as re-boots have worked so far (Batman & Hulk spring to mind) this could be the one to watch.

The latest book – movie conversion has been announed, Richard Doetsch’s The Thirteenth Hour. Described as being a murder mystery/time travel yarn involving a man suspected of his wife’s murder who then travels back in time one hour at a time uncovering clues to the real killer’s identity. Has some ingredients of memento but the studios describe it as “a cross between The Bourne Identity and The Time Traveler’s Wife “

Michael De Luca is the producer currently seeking out a director who can make sense of all the jumpng around in the script.

Eager to follow up his upcoming production of Max Payne , Scott Faye has announced that work will begin on another PC-Movie conversion this time its Duke Nuke ‘Em that will be getting the treatment.  The eager beaver had this to say

“I’m working diligently at making a Duke Nukem movie scenario that will live up to the character and its import in the videogame world,” said Faye talking to Kotaku.com. “As is the case with all of my game adaptations, I’d rather not make the movie than make a poor adaptation.”

We will wait to see if Max Payne delivers on the man’s good intentions but as they said over at empire the imaginf the figure of Arnie playing the Duke? looks like Kev’s not the only one in need of changing trousers on receipt of tantalising speculation. But sad to say as you may know Arnie is too busy working on our podcasts for such things these days.