Iron Man

(Iron Man released on DVD today)

This is one of the very best superhero/comic book movies I have ever seen. Second only to The Dark Knight. I saw Iron Man in the theater this past summer, which is something I reserve for special effects-type movies. (Movie tickets are just too expensive now-a-days.) I wasn't disappointed in this movie one bit. The effects were way cool, the acting wasn't too over the top, the storyline wasn't too corny (as some can be), etc. Of course, it was a bit unrealistic, but it is a comic book movie after all.

I am a fan of Robert Downey Jr. from way back. He was great in Less Than Zero and pure genius in Chaplin. Of course, as the years went by, he spent more time in the news for his arrests and drug addiction. No sign of those problems here. Downey's acting is as stupendous as it ever was, and in some scenes, he even appears to be poking a bit of fun at himself. His sarcastic, smart alec style of humor is perfect for the part of Tony Stark. (And the fact that he's still pretty hot doesn't hurt either.)

With all the flying through the air and such, probably the most unrealistic part of this movie was Gwyneth Paltrow running around in those impossibly high heels. But that's a guy-created comic book thing. And I have to admit, this was one of the few (if not the only) times I didn't absolutely hate the superhero's "love interest." This movie didn't get all into that, as I'm sure the sequels will at some point, and her character was actually pretty likable. But I'm betting her feet were killing her at the end of the day.

If you didn't get to see this in the theater, or even if you did, rush right down and rent it now. Or, better yet, buy it. This is one worth owning so you can see it over and over again.

Paul Newman

On Friday, September 26, 2008, we said goodbye to Paul Newman, one of the greatest actors to ever grace the stage and screen.

One of Newman's best known movies, and the first pairing with Robert Redford.

My favorite Redford/Newman film.

This is not one of Newman's best movies, although he did win the Oscar award for his reprisal of the role he originated in The Hustler, Eddie Felson. I think the award was more for his history of work, as is often the case when it comes to the Academy Awards.

There so many great Paul Newman movies. Hombre, The Towering Inferno, Cool Hand Luke, Cars...the list goes on and on. If I put posters up here for my favorites, this blog would be much too long.

I think it's time for a Paul Newman film festival. What better way to celebrate his life and career.

The Forbidden Kingdom

It's about time someone decided to put together Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

This is one of those "kid gets beat up, kid escapes into a fantasy world, kid returns to own world and beats up the bully" movies. And it's a good one, too. Jason (Michael Angarano) is obsessed with Kung Fu movies. He buys bootleg copies at a shop in Chinatown, where he also comes across a staff belonging to the Monkey King. Through a series of events, he ends up in Ancient China where he teams up with Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) and the Silent Monk (Jet Li) in order to return the staff to The Monkey King (also Jet Li). This is an action-packed ride and well worth renting, even if you've already seen it. The fight between Chan and Li will go down as one of the great martial art movie fights, and both men have some great funny moments as the story progresses. They really looked like they were having fun.

If you read my previous posting about the third Mummy movie, you already know I am a big Jet Li fan, and he doesn't disappoint this time around either. And putting him in the mix with Jackie Chan...well, there is just no way this wasn't going to be good.

Lost Boys: The Tribe

Loved the original so I was set to love this one as well. Boy was I disappointed in this straight to video piece of work. If you like senseless gore, give it a try. I made it about half-way through then gave up. Maybe you'll have better luck.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

Remember this movie? I caught it this morning on one of the movie channels. What a hoot.

From 1984, this movie is about Buckaroo Banzai, a real renaissance man. He is a top neurosurgeon, particle physicist, race car driver, rock star and comic book hero. He is also the last hope of the human race when his latest experiments open the door to the 8th dimension and unwittingly start an interplanetary battle for the world.

And talk about an all-star cast. I did not realize how many "names" there were in this movie. Peter Weller of course is Buckaroo Banzai. Add to him Jeff Goldblum, Clancy Brown, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Christopher Lloyd...way too many to name them all. Wow! I think they just went through Hollywood and pulled in anyone who needed a job at the time. ;-)

This is a silly movie, but a lot of fun. If you haven't watched it lately, I'd dig it up and give it a look. Pop some real popcorn, not the low-cal microwave stuff we eat now, sit back and relive the 80's, Banzai-style.