The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower had recently become available on Netflix.  A close friend had seen it in theaters and highly enjoyed it.  He had read the book many years ago, regaling how he literally couldn't put the book down and read the whole thing in one sitting.  The movie, he opined, was a very good adaptation, which was to be expected.  The author not only transcribed the screenplay but also directed the film.  This was as close as any project would get to be the original author's intended vision.  With all that on the plate, along with a darling Emma Watson, I decided to give it a go.  It took some time but I ended up quite enjoying this one. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows Charlie.  Charlie has just entered the social hell that is High School.  Still reeling from the suicide of his best friend and his own struggle with depression, he sees high school as another punishment for existence.  He casually befriends Patrick, who in turn leads him to his stepsister Sam.  Charlie learns to navigate the world slowly, finding himself in taxing situations he is emotionally unprepared for.  It's a coming-of-age tale for those who are already broken to begin with.

Good - This was a both heartbreaking and heartwarming film.  We know Charlie is struggling right away. That he hasn't figured things out quite as fast as those around him.  And not because he is slow but because he is able to see the grander picture before most others.  Charlie has been dealt some crushing blows, all relatively close to each other.  Still, you root for him.  He hasn't given up.  He is trying and he puts himself out there.  That's more then I do now.   You come to admire him and the simple triumphs he has.  The movie follows his first year in high school and the plot mirrors that in a realistic way.  He has his first crush and then his first girlfriend later.  He goes to the Sadie Hawkins Dance.  He sees his new friends graduating.  It makes the film more true to life. 

I most enjoyed the end.  I was asking at points "So when does the good stuff start happening?" Maybe I didn't get the movie but that was how I felt.  Still, the movie got me to come around near the end.  Things were wonderfully put together.  The story quickly became very real but yet very hopeful too.

Bad - The movie was a bit slow going into it.  I was multitasking while I was watching to so I thought maybe I was simply being distracted.  Once I had finished up though, I still felt a disconnection.  The characters are quite unique and real but something was missing.  Near the end though, I felt much more into the movie and really enjoyed it.  If nothing else, just be prepared for a slightly slow start. 

The gang enjoying their final school day of the year

Overall - I enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  It took a little time for it to build up but it came together quite well in the end.  The placing and foreshadowing were subtle and well placed.  I also enjoyed who the resolutions came about near the end, one after another.  It gave time for each climax to hit and land and settle before going on to the next one.  If you're feeling down or lost, I say this is the film for you.  It's honest and hopeful, insightful and inspiring, all in a delicate and raw voice. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Similar To: The Breakfast Club, Daydream Nation,

Review: Marvels (GN)

After reading Kingdom Come,  I was very eager to read the Marvel equivalent.  Marvels was the answer to that.  I had originally bought this for my friend as a Christmas gift.  He finally let me borrow it and it as worth the wait.
Marvels follows Phil Sheldon, a young man in the beginning his life and career as a photographer.  He is faced with the choice of leaving to cover WWII.  Unexpectedly, he decides to stay in NYC, following a hunch that greater things are to be seen in his home town.  Soon he finds himself witnessing the Torch escaping the cement prison he is entombed in.  Later on, a battle engulfs the city between the Torch and Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Phil begins to see how quickly the public can turn its opinion so quickly.  The books goes on as Phil is there to witness first hand the rise of the mutant menace, the attack of Galactus, and the new era of heroes.
Likes - First off, the art is done by Alex Ross.  If you aren't excited, read more comics!
The story was really fascinating.  For once, we see the world  of Marvel through the eyes of a man, an everyday man, Phil Sheldon.  We see him as we see everyone else at the beginning.  During the unveiling of the Torch, he falls into wonder, awe, and fear.  Later on, the Torch proves himself to be a champion of justice and a creature of virtue.  Soon, mutants begin coming to light.  This was the best part of the story.  Phil plays into the fear of mutants, the normal reaction at the time.  In the same day, events both professional and personal persuade Phil to see things in a different light.  Phil is us, showing us how easy it is to follow the mob and showing us the logic that we all need to follow.  Following Phil is as exciting as seeing Spider-Man foil any caper.  Phil grows so much, you can't help root for him.

Dislikes - I can't really point anything out that I didn't dislike.  This was a solid piece of work.

Overall - This was an amazing introspection into the Marvel Universe. A great read, especially for long time Marvel fans.  You see first hand what life would be like living in a world of "Marvels".  More so, we see Phil grow as a person.  From overcoming his fear of the Marvels, to understanding the reality of mutants, to recognizing that failure even comes to a super hero.  Marvels not only provides a slice of life in an amazing era, it also shows us a man becoming the person he needs to be.  That is the biggest thing you can take away from reading this graphic novel.

Review: Joe the Barbarian (graphic novel)

Joe the Barbarian is a Vertigo title from 2010.  In a list I read for best comics in 2010, this one was mentioned as being one of the top 10.   After getting some recommendations on Amazon, I decided to try this one out.

Joe the Barbarian is about Joe, a young boy with Type 1 Diabetes.  While at home during a storm, Joe's blood sugar gets dangerously low.  At this point ,Joe begins to hallucinate and falls into a fantasy world populated by familiar characters - his toys and his drawings.  As he arrives in this new world, he is believed to be "the Dying Boy", the one prophesied to save the world from Lord Death.  He blindly moves forward on a quest, whose consequences spill over into the real world.

Likes - At first, I wasn't really getting enticed reading this one.  I felt forced to get reading it.  By about half way though, on chapter 4, is when I felt compelled to move forward.  I'm not sure if I was getting to know the characters or the story but I wanted to know what was going to happen next.  The story was fun as well as tried and true.   The most fun was seeing how the hallucinations would match up with the real world, seeing Joe go back and forth constantly trying to figure out was happening.
There was a very big cast in this one.  I felt that there was just enough space and time to let each one develop in their own way  Not only did Joe eventually figure his way out, but so did the Dwarf Prince and Jack the Juggler.  I'm sure with extra issues, more time could have been spent on these guys. Still, the current length was enough to feel like a good pay off.
Lastly, I enjoyed the happy ending.  I wasn't too surprised but it tied things up nicely and left a big smile on my face
Also, my edition came in a nice neat hardcover.  Score!

Dislikes - There wasn't anything in particular that I didn't enjoy about this book.  I thought it was a fun quick read.  I am glad I did buy the collected edition and not the single issues.  I might not have thought the waiting between releases was worth it.

Overall - I think it is a very good comic.  I enjoyed it.  I am left rather blank on how to convey my thoughts though.  It was a good read for what it was, but I think there may be better books out there to spend your money.  For fans of The Lord of the Rings and the like, this is a great novel to snatch.  For others, you may not miss out on not reading this one.  Overall 3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Batman: The Man Who Laughs (graphic novel)

Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a story written by Ed Brubaker, a writer whose work I've been constantly happy with.  I figured this would be an easy graphic novel to review as my second entry. 

B:TMWL is actually two stories, something that surprised me.  The first story is about Batman's first encounter with the Joker.  In Batman's then short career, he had never seen anything as dangerous or confusing as the Joker.  Nor did he ever plan to meet such a manic.  We find Batman trying to make sense of a man who is lost in madness.  The second story is a classic detective tale.  It is a good read because we see Batman team up with the Golden Age Green Lantern.  The contrast between the two is very revealing.

Likes - I was enthralled reading this book.  Both stories are great.  In fact, the back-up story was even better then the main one.

The Man Who Laughs - This story was really fun to read for a longtime Batman like myself.  You see Batman's first take on the Joker, who didn't even have his moniker until middle of the story.  This story let's you see the basic, classic elements of the Joker.  The mass murder, the dark humor, the twisted brilliance.  For as much as I love Batman, I love the Joker so much more.  He is why Batman is so amazing to follow.  Trying to keep your sanity fighting a guy like that time and again is an amazing feat. 

Made of Wood - The back up story really threw me for a loop.  A man is killed with the words "Made of Wood" carved onto his chest.  This murder recalls a series of deaths that occurred during the time of Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott's heyday as a hero.  This was one case he never solved and has haunted him for decades.  Along comes Gotham's current crusader, Batman, has he tries to uncover the truth.  The story does an amazing job of what it means to be a hero versus simply doing the right thing.  Another interesting plot point was what it meant to be a detective.  Batman explains to Scott how to think and act like a detective, something Scott confesses he never mastered.  Made of Wood is a interesting and nuanced story about the different kinds of heroes that exist and the fact these men are simply trying to do whats right in their eyes. 

Dislikes - There is only one thing I disliked about this book.  The overall art for TMWL wasn't that consistent.  There are panels and pages where the madness and paranoia are palpable.  Other parts though show a almost cartoonish version of the Joker.  Since the story was so good I didn't notice it much.  After a second skim though, I picked up on it.  Still, the art is good overall and doesn't hurt the story in any way. 

Overall - I think this book is a steal.  For the $10ish that it was on Amazon, you get two great, unique stories.  I am really happy that I got this when I did.  It has all my favorite elements of Batman in a nice little package!  This is a great buy and should be picked up ASAP.

Review: Batman:Noel (graphic novel)

I owe my friend Lee double.  Not only did he give me this graphic novel as a very thoughtful gift, but he also gave me the bright idea of reviewing it on this blog.  For as big as comics are in my life currently, I never thought to give them any 'print' space. With that said, HERE WE GO!

Batman: Noel is quite simply a Batman-ified take on the Charles Dickens tale of finding one's true worth and purpose on Christmas.

Likes - There were a number of things I liked about this novel.  First of all, I really enjoyed the art.  The whole book was painted. You can really tell this was a work of love.  There is a lot of effort put into the details.  More so, you really feel like you're in the middle of winter in Gotham.  Linked to that was the wording.  There are no speech bubbles.  All the words are white written directly over the pages.  It's a small detail but I thought it smart and novel to take this approach. It gave the book a different feel then your typical comic book.
Lastly, the overall story was really good. The narrative gave one impression of a story while the panels played out something different.  The back and forth between the two created an interesting tale.  What I also enjoyed was that Batman was portrayed as Scrooge.  For as much as Batman is regarded as a hero, he has his own shortcomings.  It was nice to see that even  his heart grow two sizes.

Dislikes - For this particular book, I didn't find anything I didn't like.  This wasn't a stand out, standard changing title but it was a fun holiday read.

Overall - I really enjoyed this book.  Especially reading it around Christmastime, it really had a specialness to it.  It was like watching a TV special unfold in front of you.  Cheesy at time but overall, a great, fun take on a classic.  GO buy it for yourself or anything Batman fans you know!

Review: Sucker Punch

I was bored today.  I had gotten most of my errands done today and I wanted to relax and not exert myself much.  Against my previous vows, I walked into the local video place.  Yes, I know - they still exist!  I walked around and grabbed what looked interesting, which doesn't necessarily equate to good.  Of the batch I got, this was one of films I watched today.

Sucker Punch follows Baby Doll as she transcends different levels of conscious.  After thwarting her new stepfather from taking advantage her and her younger sister, she is sent away to an all girls mental ward...I think.  From there, Baby Doll enters into a world of brothels, sex trade, martial arts, guns, and sex appeal.

Likes - Visually speaking, this movie amazing!  This movie is a fanboy's ultimate wet dream and fantasy.  Young girls scantily clad wielding guns and knives fitting nazi monsters and robo-samurai.  I know it all sounds so over the top that it can't be true - but it is!!!  Zack Snyder did a great job capturing a look that you can't help fall in love with.  The music is spot on too.  Leaning towards the modern, it still packs the fast paced feel that this movie demands.  Also it enhances the action.  It feels less like a commercial for the soundtrack and more good use of a often overlooked peeve of film making.

Dislikes - This film is over-the-top in every way possible, which I find to both it's strong and weak point.  If I had seen this in the theatre, I think I would have been more impressed.  I am watching the Blu Ray and it looks gorgeous.  But my tastes in film and women are about the same - despite how good looking you are, in the end I need some intelligence included in the package.  Sucker Punch fails to deliver that.  The plot feels loosely connected.  In the end, the films feels like an excuse to play out a bunch of random fights with some hotties.

Overall - I wasn't very pleased with this film.  I was impressed by the visuals but the plot was lacking enough that I wasn't too thrilled.  If you're looking for some impressive eye candy, this will pay off in aces. But if you're looking for something with any depth at all, I would move on to another title.  I give this 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

Being a fan of comic books and Captain America, I had to see this film. 'Nuff said.

Captain America: The First Avenger (CA:TFA) follows Steve Rogers from scrawny solider wannabe to a timeless national hero.  Thats pretty much it.

Likes - I enjoyed this film a whole lot.  I went into this film knowing they wouldn't get everything right.  Honestly, they never do with these comic films.  With this film though, you can tell they worked really hard to craft a story as close to the original as possible.  More so, they wanted to keep the characters the same at heart.  And they did that.  For all that Chris Evans has done, this is by far the best role I've seen him play.  You believe he is Steve Rogers.  That's saying a lot!  Bucky and the Howling Commandos are on par too.  With CA:TFA, despite Captain America being such a lone figure, he really is made by the people that support him.  Hugo Weaving also was a great pick as Red Skull.  He gives off the right amount of creepy and fear.  I even liked how they had a nice easter egg during the Expo scene.  

Dislikes -  Nothing in particular sticks out that I didn't like.  Mind you I saw CA:TFA on sunday and it's about Thursday.

Overall - I think it was a good film.  Great film even.  We really saw the trails that helped build the Captain America mythos.  The film really shows how Steve Rogers, not Captain America, is a true American hero!

Four and Half Stars out of Five.