Let's Review: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

I won’t say I was the biggest fan of the first film. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying it was bad there were just a number of things that I felt were dragging it down from being a great film. So when I found out that a sequel was coming out, I was actually a bit surprised. I had thought that the general opinion of the first film agreed with my own and that it really wasn’t worth a sequel.

The thing is this film is half a sequel. Some of the events from the first film occurred, but I’m not entirely sure if all of them occurred. I got the idea that they were trying to build a new franchise from some of their choices but then there were these glaring issues like why would they hire Nic Cage back, if they were going to try and ignore the first film? The reason I’m explaining this now is because I don’t want to confuse you when I’m comparing the two films. So before I continue spouting off more negative thoughts, let’s review Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The Negative

A big problem with this film is how they represented the Rider.  The way he acted and moved about was more akin to recent demon possession horror flicks. The Rider was more like an animal reacting to instincts and impulses rather than a competent character that was in full control of their actions. At one point I actually thought that the editors were just playing with their CGI model when Ghost Rider gets hit with a grenade and just spins in midair in the same spot for a few seconds. Surprisingly this rather bizarre performance becomes the benefit of the story when at the end he fully gains control of the Spirit of Vengeance and starts operating like a real person showing the progression of his character in the film. Unfortunately it’s these really disjointed moments that take away from every scene with the Rider and ruin the first two thirds of the film. Maybe if Johnny was shown to have even the slightest control over his powers at the start of the film it wouldn’t be as bad, but unfortunately that is not the direction they took it in.

Let’s talk briefly about one of the main antagonists, Blackout. This was an absolute complete waste of a good villain. I think it almost made me cry how pathetic they made his character. In the comics, Blackout was the arch nemesis of the 2^nd Ghost Rider. Blackout was a demonic vampire who had the ability to control perpetual darkness, which allowed him to avoid the sun which was his weakness. Ghost Rider and Blackout had many battles over the course of the book series, which even resulted in Blackout killing some of the Rider’s friends and family. No matter what the Rider did, he couldn’t find a way to finish off Blackout. So the Rider finally figures out a plan of attack. After an epic battle, the Rider chains Blackout to the top of the World Trade Center and then tortured him until dawn so that he was so weak he couldn’t stop the Sun from roasting him alive. This is probably one of the most epic villain deaths of all time in comics. In the film, he is a human thug for hire who is working for the devil to kidnap a kid, he gets killed early on and the devil grants him the powers in the hopes that he will be a match for the Rider. Unfortunately he still acts like a bum loser and gets killed when the Rider burns him and then runs him over with a car.    ……………………………absolutely one of the biggest wastes of a super villain I have ever seen.

Now tying back into the first film, Johnny makes a deal with Mephistopheles in order to save his father’s life. The new film plays out the deal making process differently, but essentially it is the same scene with the same characters. So my problem is…..why did they change Mephistopheles name to Roarke in the new film? Now this is such a minor thing and hardly worth complaining about, but it was a change that stuck with me throughout the entire film, questioning it every time it came up. Why did they change Mephistopheles’ name to Roarke? Did they lose the rights to Mephistopheles’ name? Did Roarke roll of the tongue better? I know this is such a minor complaint, but I really want to know. Why did they ever change his name to Roarke?

The Positive

One of the problems I had with the first film was how much the CGI for the Rider stood out. They did a really good job with the model…most of the time, but some of the time it was really glaringly obvious that what I was looking at was CGI and it looked awful. The character model for the Rider in this film was amazing. I was absolutely astonished at how real he looked. From the way the flames smoked and sputtered, to the way all of his clothing had a burning look to them, this rider was amazingly well put together. I honestly looked forward to seeing it despite the weird acting.

The truth is, that is exactly how the Rider should have looked in the first film. The Rider’s appearance and the use of his powers were exactly how they appear in the comics. I loved getting to see the Rider possessing new vehicles in order to dominate the battlefields and watching him use his chain to disintegrate the criminals into a ball of flame was like getting to watch the comic unfolding in real life. If only there wasn’t the insane acting, this could have made the entire film.

In Conclusion

This darker depiction of the Ghost Rider could have made this film amazing. Unfortunately, like the Rider, this film suffers from being too disjointed and over the top. The success of the film is that we have a really beautiful CGI model of the Rider which clearly they put a lot of work into, but the problem is that the model is put to completely waste by the bizarre mannerisms.  This really is a shame because the story and the characters really aren’t that bad, they’re just all over the place. If this film had just been a little more focused in its goals and had the Rider acting like a competent character, we could have seen another great Marvel movie. 2 out of 5.

Update: Jan 25

Hey Everybody, just want to do a small update. I’m going to be back in school so once again were going to have a shortage on posts. Trust me I am working on the ones I mentioned in my last update. I also wanted to do a shout out towards the request for the Top 10 Fantasy Films of the Past Decade. This was a request done by a good friend of mine, Melian-Alcarime. She is a fantastic artist and an amazing jewelry designer. Check out her store here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/taisirashop

and check out her deviant art page here:

http://melian-alcarime.deviantart.com/

I’m your Guide to Geekdom, thanks for reading.

Let's Talk: Luke Cage

Hello and welcome back to the Guide to Geekdom. Today I wanted to discuss with you the power man, the hero for hire, the strongest man to ever wear a tiara: Luke Cage. I think it was time that one of Marvel’s recent rising stars should get the analytical treatment (and it was a request). So let’s talk about Luke Cage.

History

I wouldn’t say that Luke Cage is one of Marvel better known superheroes, so I will go into the details of his origins. Carl Lucas was a normal man who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. In order to try and get out of jail early he agreed to take part in a scientific experiment. Just before the experiment, a dirty cop sabotaged the process in the hope that it would kill Lucas. Instead the changes to the experiment actually granted Lucas immense strength and invulnerability, and caused that section of the building to explode. Realizing he would probably be blamed for the deaths of the scientists and the cop, Lucas escaped and went into hiding. Lucas then decided to use his new powers to start up a superhero detective agency called Hero for Hire, as well as changing his name to Luke Cage and using the code name Power Man. Eventually he was able to prove his innocence in these crimes and became an Avenger.

It’s interesting to discuss Luke Cage, because he hadn’t really gained heavy popularity and recognition until relatively recently. The reason why Luke Cage starting getting popular was due to Brian Michael Bendis creating a superhero detective series starring Jessica Jones (his own creation). The book was incredibly popular, though the reason I bring this up is that Luke Cage was a supporting cast member and eventually become Jessica Jones’ husband. It was this key act that brought Luke Cage into the public eye again after having relatively nothing important happening for the character over the course of several years.

The Character

Luke Cage’s detective agency eventually got more members, with Cage usually being the leader of the team. Cage is a strong leader within superhero teams; this is something that has carried over to his time with the New Avengers. When Luke Cage first joined the New Avengers he acted as just the side character that was really strong, but when the superhuman registration act was enacted, it was Luke Cage that took over as team leader and successfully led his team through that dark time. Who would have thought that Luke Cage could be as strong a leader of the Avengers as Iron Man or Captain America?

Luke Cage is a very compassionate man. He feels for other people’s problems, it’s one of the reasons why he is such a good hero. On many occasions he has refused the money offered to him by his clients because he felt bad for their conditions. Cage has gone through hard times, and this has caused him to gain empathy toward the down trodden. Luke Cage will always fight for the oppressed because he doesn’t want anyone forced into the situation he found himself in before his transformation. The helpless need someone to defend them, and Cage is just the hero to do that.

Villains

Luke Cage suffers from a similar problem that a lot of lesser known heroes from Marvel suffer from: he has no well established Rogues Gallery. It’s sad but true. Marvel doesn’t put in the time and effort to make well established villains for new upcoming superheroes (I covered this in my Abused Super Villains post. Read that for more information). This is a major problem for setting up film franchises as film makers usually try to write the film around the concept of a main villain and what they mean to the hero. Without a well established archenemy to depend upon, a new superhero franchise could be impossible to establish, which is really a shame because I have been hoping for a Luke Cage film forever.

 If Luke Cage does have a recurring villain it is the Purple Man. In the previously mentioned Jessica Jones series, Jones was kidnapped and tortured by the Purple Man for months before being rescued by Luke Cage. She recovered from the traumatic events, but the Purple Man has been a returning threat for both Jones and her new family with Cage. The Purple Man on a regular basis threatens their family, but Cage has always had something up his sleeve to stop his mind control powers. Cage was manipulated once, and he will be damned before he or his family is manipulated again by some crazed psychopath.  

Supporting Cast

If there is one person that should be mentioned in this section, it’s not Jessica Jones, it’s Iron Fist. This superhero relationship is played down so much by Marvel, but personally I think that these two are one of the greatest Dynamic Duos in comic book lore. Marvel usually just puts them together because they’ve always been a team, but that is exactly the point. These two have been a team forever, and they should be recognized for it. They operate like brothers in arms, being constant partners who always watches the other’s back. It was their close friendship that allowed the two of them to break free of their mind control when Norman Osborn had captured them. These two heroes have both risen to social prominence due to their inclusions in the Avengers; I only hope that someday they can get their own book again.

Jessica Jones is a fairly interesting character. She has gone from superhero, to private investigator, to stay at home mom, and back to superhero all within a small timeframe. Her character has evolved from the love and support given to her by Luke Cage. It was a love that was recently written, but is incredibly strong. Everyone can feel the love and admiration Luke Cage feels for his wife and child. It’s amazing how truly well handled this relationship has been knowing the track record Marvel has for ruining good romantic relations between characters. I sincerely hope that no future writer tries to destroy this love for sales; it is one of the best relationships in comics right now.

One last thing I want to mention about Cage’s supporting cast is how he is a part of most other superhero’s supporting casts. Luke Cage has been everywhere (it happens when you’ve been a background character for too long). He has good relations with a lot of the street level heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil, as well as being a helping hand in training new heroes like the latest White Tiger or the recent incarnation of the Thunderbolts. Luke Cage is an ally to everybody. If you’re in a jam expect Luke Cage to be somewhere right behind you, supporting you all the way.

What Doesn’t Work

What doesn’t work is the original comic. Like I mentioned, it does a poor job at establishing the key elements necessary for long lasting superheroes. He never had a well established archenemy or any recurring villains for that matter. He didn’t have any real supporting cast members (mind you Iron Fist didn’t become his partner until a later time period. Why, he didn’t even have an Aunt May. A well rounded superhero builds up these key concepts. Why do you think most of Spider-Man’s supporting cast is well known? I’m pretty sure most average fans could tell me that Flash Thompson was Spider-Man’s high school bully, and why, because his supporting cast was well established straight from the get go. Luke Cage had to have these things eventually added into his story and that is exactly where the problem lies, with the treatment of his character. The only thing that hasn’t been added in yet is a strong villain, sure Purple Man is a good one, but he feels more like a Jessica Jones villain than a Luke Cage one.

Another problem with Luke Cage is his costume. I’m not talking about the disco yellow with the tiara; they ditched that costume forever ago. The problem is Luke Cage has never had a costume stay for too long. He keeps shifting between what he fights crime in. Sometimes it’s his regular street clothes, sometimes it’s a yellow t-shirt with black pants, and other times it’s a yellow shirt with street clothes with a bunch of chains all over that have his name on them.  As I stated, the problem is in having a well-established hero story, part of that includes the iconic costume they fight in, when you can’t even decide what he wears to fight crime in on a regular weekly basis, you have a problem.

What Can Be Done

Luke Cage needs a major overhaul. As I have stated his story is something that isn’t especially well rounded or established. If Marvel wants to make Purple Man be a major recurring villain for Luke Cage then they should actually establish him as a real threat for Cage to face, so that actual encounters between the two aren’t incredibly one sided. If this is not done, maybe they should establish a new villain or a past villain and work that character into having a strong rivalry with Cage.

Other than that, I actually really like what Marvel is doing with Luke Cage right now. They took one of their more relatively unknown characters and have transformed him into an incredibly strong character who is the leader of multiple super teams. This is exactly how you bring the obscure out of the shadows and make them relevant with today’s comic book readers. I never would have heard of Luke Cage if it weren’t for his inclusion on the New Avengers, and ever since then he has become one of my favorite characters.

In Conclusion

Luke Cage suffers from a lack of establishment that could ultimately cause him to fall back into the unknown recesses of the Marvel Universe. Luke Cage has the potential to be one of Marvel’s greatest superheroes. A little more time taken to round out his personal character arc could change everything for him. Hopefully someday this great character will get the proper treatment a superhero deserves.

Top 5 Films of 2011

Hello and welcome back to the Guide to Geekdom. Entering the New Year I wanted to look back at 2011 and reflect upon which films I enjoyed most in the year. Before I get to 2011 I wanted to mention what my top 5 of 2010 were, I did make a list I just didn’t have The Geekdom yet:
5 –Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
4 -Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
3 -Tron Legacy
2 -The Book of Eli
1 -Inception

So without further hesitation, here are my Top 5 picks from 2011:

5 –Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I am a massive Planet of the Apes fan, so when I heard they were going to be making a new film, I was a little hesitant. Tim Burton really hurt this series and not a lot of people were interested in seeing a new entry. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did this film live up to the original series, it was also one of my favorite movies of the year. I only wish we had gotten to spend more time with just the apes instead of those damn dirty humans.

4 –The Adventures of Tintin

Gasp, a film I have yet to post a review for, and debatable ever will due to attacks of laziness. If me selecting a film I haven’t reviewed yet throws you off, just wait till you get to my number 1. I haven’t talked about this film much yet, but I want to briefly point out what I liked about it. The animation is absolutely one of the best I have ever seen in a computer generated film. I have always been a big fan of adventure films where the main characters could end up anywhere in the world. It was a really light hearted adventure that took its audience seriously, and that’s not something we see too often these day.

3 –Real Steel

This film really took me by surprise. I truly was expecting Rock’em Sock’em Robots the movie, but what I ended up with instead was Rocky with robots. The fight scenes were amazing and actually kept me on the edge of my seat despite the fact that it was all digitally constructed. The dynamic between the inattentive father and the son trying to prove his own worth really made this film for me.

2 –Captain America: The First Avenger

This was originally going to be my number 1 film, until I saw my number 1 film. That being said let me tell you why this originally was going to have the number 1 spot. This is by far one of the most perfect superhero films. I was absolutely not expecting much when I walked into the movie theater. I had liked Thor but it didn’t really thrill me, so I wasn’t too excited to see a film about a character I moderately liked and starring an actor I really wasn’t sure could pull it off. I was sure surprised to be leaving the theater thinking that this was one of my favorite superhero movies of all time.

1 –Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

This film completely and absolutely defeated all of my expectations for it. I wasn’t even going to go see this film. I had liked the first film, but it had disappointed me in many areas, and it didn’t really leave me excited to see a sequel. The trailers really didn’t seem interesting, and it just felt like a repeat of the first. Leaving the theater, I had absolutely nothing negative to say about it. I enjoyed watching this film 100% of the time. Not only did it completely out do the original film, it also found itself on the top of my list.

So that was my Top 5 of 2011. I now boldly go into 2012 with the high hopes of finding good films to watch and enjoy.

I’m the Guide to Geekdom, thanks for reading.

Top 10 Fantasy Films of the Past Decade

Hello and welcome back to the Guide to Geekdom. I’ve been informed by my editors that the following Top 10 list will be controversial, so I’ve decided to clarify what this list is. This list is my opinion and not based upon the quality of the films, but rather how much I personally enjoyed them. This list is also only compiled from the fantasy films that I have seen in the past decade. Please keep that in mind when reading my list. As per usual I have some notable mentions:
-Enchanted
-Coraline
-The Sorcerers’ Apprentice
Now then, let’s get into my Top 10 Fantasy Films of the Past Decade.

10 -The Prestige

A mystery thriller film that focuses on the rivalry between two stage magicians. This film goes in detail on the life of a stage performer and what they have to go through to make a performance illusion work, but the real magic of this film comes in the way the story is told. Christopher Nolan is incredibly well known for having nonlinear narrative to tell the plot, and in a film that is all about the sleight of hand, it’s this form of narrative that lets this film shine.  

9 -Shrek

Before you tell me that this came in 2001, this list was meant to come out before the New Year so don’t judge my laziness. This was DreamWorks Animation’s first big hit and for good reason. This film did an amazing job of parodying the entire fantasy genre, but at the same time it relayed a really good message; that it really doesn’t matter what you look like, true love will love you for who you are on the inside.

8 -How to Train Your Dragon

This was the film that truly convinced me DreamWorks Animation could make a high quality amazing film. This film captures the essence of being the kid on the outside who has the hardest time fitting in anywhere no matter how hard he tries. It isn’t until after he actually proves that he can do something useful do they actually acknowledge him as a person. I saw a lot of myself in this film…..I’m not a sad person…..really.

7 –Howl’s Moving Castle

I know that when it comes to adapting a novel into a film, a number of changes to the story are bound to occur. I am aware of this fact every time I sit down to watch a film that was based on a novel. I hadn’t read the novel before viewing this film, but I did do research and found all the changes they made to the story. What I want to point out is that this film did exactly what these films should; it made me want to find out more. It made me want to go out and read the book. This was an amazing fantasy film and worth checking out.

6 -Harry Potter Series

Has any other project like this been done in films? A near perfect film adaptation of a 7 book series, with almost all of the original actors staying throughout the entire production. You’re probably asking yourself ‘Why is this so low on the list?’ The reason is the same reason why I called this a near perfect film adaptation. The later films removed so much content from the novels and filled it in with overly large amounts of teen drama.

5 –Beowulf

If you were wondering why the last one was so low, you’re probably wondering why this one is so high and or on this list at all. I actually really enjoyed this film for the reason it’s on this list; it feels like an old fairy tale. This tale focuses on the cycle of violence, lust, betrayal, and how we can’t escape them. The film comes off more as a wise tale to warn children of this life lesson. It’s because of these reasons that I put this film so high on the list.

4 –Stardust

The reason I enjoyed this film so much is that it represents a light-hearted adventure into the land of fantasy. You get the feeling that this film can go anywhere and do anything because that’s the kind of magic it has. I can believe that a star can become a girl, I can believe that a pirate can sail amongst the clouds, I can believe that a simple man can become a king, all you have to do is cross over the wall to have your fantasies come true.

3 –The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

It truly is a shame that none of the sequels could really live up to this, because this feels like an epic. This film takes you on a journey with Edmund, Lucy, Susan and Peter that isn’t simply a physical one. You watch as these kids grow up emotionally going from children into the saviors of Narnia. You get the feeling that every time you take a step in this land you’ll end up walking out of it with a lesson.  This mysterious land leaves us with more questions than answers and I kind of wish we had gotten more of this film than the sequels we got.

2 –Pan’s Labyrinth

Remember what I said about Beowulf? This film does it a thousand times better. The entire film feels like an ancient fairy tale is occurring right then and there. The fantastical mythical creatures that haunt the background blend perfectly with the realistic battle of the revolutionaries. It’s not until the film comes to an end do you really question whether or not any of it truly happened or if it was the imagination of a little girl trying to escape her reality.

1 -The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

‘One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them’

Do I need to even explain this one? This is truly an epic tale performed beautifully by the entire cast a crew. You can’t just sit down and watch one of the films, you have to spend that whole day watching all three films in a row because that is the way they should be viewed. Each part feels like a continuation of the last resulting in what feels like one incredibly long journey through Middle Earth. This is truly one of the greatest entries in the fantasy film genre of all time.

I’m your Guide to Geekdom, and thanks for reading.

Top 10 Alternate Realities

Hello and welcome back to the Guide to Geekdom. Having delved deep into the Geekdom I saw the multitude of realities and their alternate copies. Seeing this vastness of universes made me want to create a Top 10 list of all the alternative realities from the original universes, and if you aren’t believing a word of this than it was because it was requested. As per usual I have some honorable mentions:
-The 10 Territories (Pendragon)
-The Multiverse (The One)
-JLA: The Age of Wonders
And without further delay, here are the Top 10 Alternate Realities

10 -Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

‘Time is an ocean in a storm…’  If you could somehow change your fate, would you? What if in the process of saving yourself, you end up losing everything you once held dear? This is the problem faced by the Prince in the final chapter of the Sands of Time trilogy. After changing his fate in order to escape the guardian of time, the Prince returns home to find his kingdom in ruins.

9 -Eureka (alternate timeline)

When you slightly tweak the past, you end up with a slightly tweaked present; at least that’s what happened to Eureka. The shifts in the timeline aren’t even that bad, in fact in most cases it is an improvement from their current lives. This actually makes us ask the question of why even go back or try to fix it? If the current reality you live in is actually better than the original, why go back at all?

8 -Old Man Logan

What would happen if the world’s super villains gathered together in a mass army and went on a full scale assault on every superhero? The world ends up as a desolate wasteland sectioned off to various super villain rulers. Wolverine, one of the greatest superheroes of all time, has become a pacifist and refuses to kill anyone. The man once known as Wolverine is now a shadow of his former self, only known as Old Man Logan. When Logan has to go on a journey to save his family, can he once again become the hero he was meant to be.

7 -Seven Days

What if you could go back in time and prevent a national disaster? A secret government agency has acquired the ability to travel backwards in time due to alien technology. They have the ability to prevent any disaster, but they can only go back seven days. Project Backstep only has enough power to send one human back seven days in order to prevent catastrophe. Time fixes paradoxes by having your previous self be replaced by your current self. Every time jump allows for a better future.

6 -Turtles Forever

This was amazing. If you have no idea what this is, look it up. This was the TV movie that celebrated 25 wonderful years of having Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in our lives. This story spans across multiple alternate dimensions of the turtles. This crossing of the various turtles results in one of the most satisfying films celebrating a very cherished franchise. After seeing this film, I can honestly say I hope to see a sequel around the 50 year anniversary.

5 -The Dark Knight Returns

A dystopian future of the DC universe. The divergence from the regular universe is that Batman retired after taking Jason Todd’s death too hard. The government has forced superheroes into retirement and villains run amok among the streets. A 55 year old Bruce Wayne hasn’t donned the cape and cowl in over a decade. When an old enemy returns, can Bruce become the Dark Knight again and return the world back to the way it’s supposed to be?

4 -Mirror Universe (Star Trek)

When you gaze into a mirror darkly, you may discover that your reflection is that of evil, and has a goatee. The Mirror Universe is a reality exactly like our own, if we all happened to have the disposition of evil world conquerors. While the Mirror Universe hasn’t been heavily touched upon in Star Trek storytelling, the idea of having to contend with an evil version of yourself is one that has become a staple in plot devices.

3 -Star Wars Infinities

‘A future made, event by event, link by link, a living chain of action, reaction … and change. Alter one event, and a new future comes to be.’ Star Wars Infinities reexamines each of the Original Trilogy films if they changed one event in each of their stories. It isn’t so much a new take on the characters, but rather a what could have been if the writers had decided to go in a different direction, resulting in some of the most interesting shifts to the Star Wars universe as we know it.

2 -Star Trek ‘09

A reboot with a purpose. The studios wanted to make a return to the Star Trek franchise, but all the actors have grown too old or too far apart to make another film, so of course that meant a reboot was in order. I don’t see why not either; it’s been years since the original series and nothing was being done with the franchise at the time so why not do a reboot. Except they did the most wonderful thing with this reboot, they made the entire plot be about why this reboot was happening, and even connected it with the original series in the process. What results is one of the most fascinating returns to a franchise that boldly goes where no one has gone before.

1 -Marvel 1602

‘Everything has it’s season. In Spring, the world brings forth blossoms. In cherry season, you get cherries. But a season has dawned over three hundred years early: A season of Heroes and Marvels.’

As you can probably guess from my number 2, the reason I love this story so much, is because the entire plot revolves around why this universe is taking place at all. This story starts off as just another take on some of our favorite Marvel heroes in a different timeline, but suddenly changes into a mystery as to why these things are happening 1602, instead of our time period. If you haven’t read this book, I won’t spoil its ending here, but I do strongly suggest that you go and pick it up. It is after all, my number 1 alternate reality.

Thanks for reading,

-Guide to Geekdom