Month: January 2011

Unstoppable (2010, Tony Scott)

It would go a little far to say Scott’s reinvented the disaster genre with Unstoppable, but he’s certainly reinvigorated it. He borrows from the traditional standards (the Irwin Allen is heaviest in the first act, when setting up innocent people–children no less–in peril), then a little from the revisionist standards (the Die Hard approach), while maintaining a brisk pace. The present action isn’t quite real time, but close to it.

Scott maintains his formula (solid composition if you can catch it–he cuts away from his shots every one and a half seconds) and it works out. He and cinematographer Ben Seresin construct a thoroughly acceptable action picture. But–even though Mark Bomback’s script waxes melodramatic for the protagonists’ ground situations–the movie really succeeds because of Denzel Washington.

Why Washington, maybe the most assured movie star of his generation, wastes his time with Scott films is inexplicable. His performance here is outstanding, whether it’s chewing or hopping from train car to train car. It’s so good, in fact, it hurts Chris Pine.

Pine does an okay job. Bomback’s script gives him a stupid backstory and continues it through the entire film instead of just setting him up and leaving him alone. Worst is when Jessy Schramm, as his wife, shows up. She probably has three lines and she’s absolutely godawful.

Great supporting turns from Rosario Dawson and Kevin Corrigan and an excellent score from Harry Gregson-Williams round it out.

It’s easily one of Scott’s strongest films.

2/4★★

CREDITS

Directed by Tony Scott; written by Mark Bomback; director of photography, Ben Seresin; edited by Chris Lebenzon and Robert Duffy; music by Harry Gregson-Williams; production designer, Chris Seagers; produced by Julie Yorn, Scott, Mimi Rogers, Eric McLeod and Alex Young; released by 20th Century Fox.

Starring Denzel Washington (Frank), Chris Pine (Will), Rosario Dawson (Connie), Kevin Dunn (Galvin), Ethan Suplee (Dewey), Kevin Corrigan (Inspector Werner), Lew Temple (Ned), Kevin Chapman (Bunny), T.J. Miller (Gilleece), Jessy Schram (Darcy) and David Warshofsky (Judd Stewart).

RELATED

The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #500

Iim500

Fraction sets up this issue in two parts–first the present, with Tony tracking down Peter Parker to talk about some designs Tony forgot about, and second the future. In the future, Tony’s kid is fighting the Mandarin, who has taken over the world thanks to Tony’s technology.

Fraction plays the future as full action. There’s no time for a break–and he’s got two artists on it, Kano on some, Fox on the rest. Fox gets the most destruction, probably because his scenes of mass destruction look great.

The present material, with Spidey showing up eventually, is played straight, but with some humor.

Fraction needs to do a Tony and Peter series.

What’s so nice about how the issue works is how it embraces a lot of what Fraction’s done already, but doesn’t tie him down. The future’s not guaranteed (you know, after the next crossover).

It’s great stuff.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #136

Dhp136

Another endless installment of The Ark. Verheiden’s writing gets really padded here, especially with the conversations. With the long page count–sixteen pages an installment–I wonder if it was intended to be a limited series then someone at Dark Horse realized no one in his or her right mind would buy it. So instead they stuck it in Presents, figuring by the time the reader got to this issue–with The Ark taking up one half and the awful Western (I’ll get to it in a minute) taking up the other–it’d be too late for them to give up. Randall–who I just remembered used to do Trekker–is a fine artist at this point, sort of an almost Paul Gulacy.

As for Smith and Cariello’s Tres Diablos? I tried having an open mind and Cariello’s artwork’s quite good, but Smith is an awful writer.

This issue stinks.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #135

Dhp135

Macan and Doherty finish Carson of Venus poorly. Doherty’s artwork this installment is particularly bad and, though Macan seems to be trying, the characters are all weak. Macan’s attempts at humor are a woman getting slapped around by her husband.

So it kind of goes well with Brubaker and Lutes’s finish to The Fall, all about a guy who wants to murder women. It’s a good conclusion, but it needs an epilogue. While I can understand why Brubaker finished without resolution, he still needs it. It doesn’t compare to the first few installments though.

I was excited to see early Reis on The Mark, but he’s not particularly good. He’s not bad, he’s just mundane. Barr tells the whole thing in flashback, which seems like a bad choice, especially for readers unfamiliar with the character.

Verheiden goes on, again, forever with The Ark. At least Randall has some good panels.

Dark Horse Presents Annual (1998) 1998

Dhpa1998

The annual opens with Mignola doing a retelling of Hellboy‘s origin. I guess it’s all right. Kind of pointless, but fine.

Weissman finally gets a two page Phineas Page and shows why he should have stuck to a page.

Van Meter and Ross team for the first comic book appearance of Buffy. The writing is more lame than not, but it’s maybe the best Ross art I’ve ever seen.

Watson’s Skeleton Key is a fairly charming little story about a witch and a little kid. I’m assuming the character’s a witch, otherwise it’d be pointless. Some wacky art mistakes though.

The Ark is a long setup with aliens as pay-off. Verheiden’s got some okay writing and Randall’s art isn’t bad.

Guadiano’s art is the primary selling point on he and Seagle’s My Vagabond Days. It’s not terrible though.

Burke and Bolton’s Infirmary is confounding, but Boltan’s art is gorgeous.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #134

Dhp134

Warren finishes up Dirty Pair and I guess it’s good. I mean, it’s a lot of well-drawn action and the jabbering is starting to grow on me. There really isn’t a story though, just scantily clad girls in action scenes. But Warren’s art carries it.

Macan’s writing is sort of better on Carson of Venus and Doherty has a couple good panels. Still, it’s a weak series and it makes me wonder if Dark Horse was just trying every Burroughs license they could get.

The Mask returns to Presents here for the first time in a hundred issues or so. Sibin’s artwork is fantastic so it’s hard to dislike it and Fingerman concentrates on the human protagonist. It doesn’t seem dumb until the very end.

Finally, The Fall. Brubaker introduces the first fantastic element into the narrative and it’s too soon to tell if he can finish it well.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #133

Dhp133

Starting with The Fall, Brubaker introduces some complications and revelations here. I’ve read it before, but I can’t remember how it ends. This installment implies there might be some very bad things about to happen. Brubaker handles the change in tone well and Lutes’s art is great. He does fantastic night scenes.

Macan and Doherty’s Carson of Venus is pretty lame. Doherty seems like he’s just about ready to be doing profesional work… but not quite yet. And Macan’s writing is lame. He plots slow and his dialogue is terrible.

The Dirty Pair continues to be action-packed and sort of boring. The back and forth between the protagonists is occasionally amusing, but the whole thing feels artificial, like Warren was writing down quippy conversations and inserting them here.

Clugston’s Blue Monday is well-composed, but badly written. Would Dark Horse have published it if it were by a guy?

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #132

Dhp132

Cooper brings Dan & Larry to a very disturbing conclusion. I mean, he really goes for it here–after backing down from going too far a few issues ago–but here, Cooper sort of leaps off the cliff and makes the installment just plain disgusting on a dozen levels. It’s great.

As for Warren’s Dirty Pair story, I don’t know what to say. Warren’s artwork is generally good, but since he’s fitting a style for the two protagonists, there’s a limit to it. He lays out his panels well for an action sci-fi comic and I suppose the writing’s all right. Doubt I’m its intended audience.

And then Brubaker starts getting towards the core of The Fall. This installment is particularly nice because it changes so much throughout–the beginning never suggests the end (at least to the protagonist). Lutes does a great job, particularly with on the last page.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #131

Dhp131

Where to even start.

Beto’s got a good girl future story with Girl Crazy. It’s about a lovesick robot. He takes his time establishing it (then has to hurry towards the end) and finishes the story on a good joke. It’s a very cute story, sort of not what I expected from him.

Then there’s The Fall, from Brubaker and Lutes. It’s this amazing dramatic piece about a working schlub who does something stupid and ends up working for his boss’s wife. Complications ensue. Brubaker has very close, careful third person narration and Lutes’s artwork is fantastic rendering the mundane setting.

Cooper goes a little crazy on Dan & Larry, garnering a lot of sympathy for poor Dan here. It’s gross, it’s funny, it’s great.

Then there’s Nixey’s story about a kid who captures the scary monsters under his bed. Nice art, lots of humor. It gets jumbled, but it’s good.

Supergirl (2005) #42

Sg42

I love how Kara’s got a backpack for traveling between New Krypton and Earth. It’s a fantastic detail.

The issue opens on a low point—the revelation Sam Lane served under Sergeant Rock—but it quickly recovers.

First it’s Kara telling Lois about killing Superwoman. It’s an excellent scene, even if Lois is being a bit of a bitch and not particularly smart. I thought she was an investigative reporter and she can’t figure out her evil dad is back from the dead.

Then here’s some superhero stuff with the bad guy getting out. I guess this Reaction guy is a Supergirl villain, not a Superman villain? Because she needed her own Metallo? It goes on way too long, but Gates makes up for it with a lovely close with Lana and Kara.

Igle’s back and he handles everything quite well. He’s got a great finale sequence at the sun.