Everything But Imaginary #312: Movie Ride Maintenance

It’s time once again for The Great Movie Ride, the semi-regular Everything But Imaginary feature where I foolishly attempt to give short reviews of every comic book movie ever made. Today, at the halfway point of 2009, I look back and go over all the comic book movies I’ve seen since January 1.

Everything But Imaginary #312: Movie Ride Maintenance
Inside This Column:

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 115: Wolverine’s Multiple “Origins”

In a few weeks, X-Men Origins: Wolverine will come to your local cineplex. This week, the guys discuss the characters’ origins, some of their favorite stories, the new cartoon show, and their hopes and fears for the upcoming movie. In the picks this week, Mike goes with Batman: Battle For the Cowl #2, Blake recommends 3 Geeks: Slab Madness #3, and Chase is a fan of Crossed #4. This week’s graphic novel pick: American Jesus Vol. 1: Chosen. Write us with comments, suggestions, picks of the week, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 115: Wolverine’s Multiple “Origins”
Inside This Episode:

PLUS: In this week’s Week in Geek, the boys set the record straight about everything. Chase tells you how to survive in Disney World (don’t bring kids), an e-mail corrects both the guys about blunders in the Wonder Man/Beast episode, and Chase explains why he watches shows (and reads comics) he doesn’t like. And somewhere in there, they get around to discussing Lost, Heroes, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, the Green Lantern movie, and some announcements this week from DC Comics.

Week in Geek #17: Setting the Record Straight

Hugh Jackman wants YOU to go to Free Comic Book Day

How cool is this?

On May 2, comic book shops across America will participate in the eighth annual Free Comic Book Day. What does that mean? It means you go to a participating comic book store, you get free comic books. It’s that simple. All of the major publishers and a lot of the minor ones have put together special edition comics to hand out for free. Some of them are samplers of their whole line. Some of them are prequels to major upcoming events. Some of them are free issues of a regular, ongoing series. But in every case, it’s a chance to try something new, whether you read comics every week or if you’ve never picked one up.

And you know who else wants you to go to FCBD 2009?

Wolverine.

I’ve been skeptical about the Wolverine movie, I haven’t made any secret of that, but Hugh Jackman is one of my personal heroes for doing this spot for FCBD. He’s absolutely right about comics being a great tool against illiteracy, which is yet another reason I’m so passionate about finding good comics for younger readers. Hook ’em young, make them enjoy comics for kids, and keep them reading when they get older. And I promise you, guys, kids who read comics are more likely to become adults who read books. The first stories I ever fell in love with reading were the adventures of Archie and Jughead. Now I teach kids about Shakespeare and Homer. Don’t tell me it doesn’t work.

So this message is for everyone, but especially for parents who want to get their kids reading. May 2. If you don’t know where the nearest comic shop to you is, go to www.FreeComicBookDay.comand try the locator service. Just punch in your ZIP code and it’ll tell you where your local shops are.

Get out there and make it happen!

Toy Stories: Johnny, James, and Bruce

Time once again for a Toy Stories feature, friends. This week I’ve got three more Marvel heroes for you, two from the Marvel Universe line, the third from the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine toys. Let’s shall, shall we?

First up is Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. As you may remember, I featured Johnny once before, in his “Flame On” form. Like I’ve said before, I do like variant action figures, as long as the variant makes sense. We’ve seen blazing Johnny. Here he is in his Fantastic Four uniform:

Flaming on… a little.

The FF Johnny isn’t a bad figure, but it does point out the two major problems I have with the basic Marvel Universe male body figure. The posing is awkward in the torso, with no waist articulation and a weird sort of ball socket around the ribcage. Also, the head (as I’ve mentioned before) really is too small for the neck. The only other problem I’ve got here is Johnny’s hair. Clearly, they wanted to used the same head for both figures, but as this is a “normal” Johnny, I would much rather have just had his hair instead of a superfluous burst of flame. Still, I assume the line will eventually put out all four members of the team, and I’d like to get them all in their basic togs.

Next, two guys who were both members of the Fantastic Four for a whopping total of three issues:

Wolverine “Brown”

As you may expect, the X-Men Origins: Wolverineline has about a trillion figures of James Howlett, a.k.a. Logan, a.k.a. Patch, a.k.a. the World’s Hairiest Canadian, a.k.a. Wolverine. This particular version features Wolverine in the costume he wore through much of the 80s and early 90s, which remains a fan favorite. And let’s be honest, this is a more natural look for him than the more frequent yellow-and-blues he wears. This is a pretty good figure, although the torso has the same problems as the standard Marvel Universefigures. And what’s with the sword? I know they want to give him an accessory, and I’ve been told this particular sword comes from a story in the craptacular Wolverine: Origins series, but if you have six blades coming out of your forearms, do you really need another sword?

Hulk smash puny 3.75-inch figures!

Rounding out this group is the man who keeps the Purple Pants Company of Patterson, New Jersey in business, the Incredible Hulk! Clearly, they couldn’ use the basic body for Bruce Banner’s alter-ego, but the basic working is the same. However, the larger size of the body makes the socket ribcage much less awkward than on the usual figures. The sculpt is good too, although I think they could have tried to make him a tad bit angrier. Pound for pound, though, this is my favorite toy of the bunch.

What I’m Watching: 2009 Edition

As I sit here in the New Orleans Airport, waiting to head off to Nashville for a conference on “redesigning ninth grade,” I thought I’d take advantage of the time to post the movie list for the year thus far. Like the reading list I posted yesterday, I’m adding this to the links on the right-hand side of the page for the sake of anyone who’s actually interested in that sort of thing. Now when you feel like asking, “Hey Blake! Have you seen Wanted yet?” you can just click on the sidebar. Ain’t that cool?

Also, like for the books, I’ll include a link for those movies I’ve reviewed.

1. DuckTales the Movie: Legend of the Lost Lamp; 1990-B
2. Futurama: Bender’s Game; 2008-B
3. 24: Redemption; 2008-B+
4. Death to the Tinman; 2007-B+
5. Rated R: Republican in Hollywood; 2004-C+
6. Batman Vs. Dracula; 2005-C
7. Hamlet; 1960-D (Movie); B+ (MST3K Riff)
8. Confessions of a Superhero; 2007-B
9. Storytelling; 2001-C+
10. You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown; 1975-B+
11. You’re the Greatest, Charlie Brown; 1979-B-
12. The Black Cauldron; 1985-B+
13. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown; 1975-A
14. A Charlie Brown Valentine; 2002-B
15. You’re In Love, Charlie Brown; 1967-B+
16. It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown; 1977-C-
17. Howard the Duck; 1986-D+
18. Quarantine; 2008-B
19. Coraline; 2009-A
20. Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder; 2009-B
21. Friday the 13th; 2009-C+
22. The Karate Kid; 1984-B+
23. Wonder Woman; 2009-A-
24. Watchmen; 2009-B-
25. Wanted; 2008-D
26. This is Spinal Tap; 1984-B+
27. Judge Dredd; 1995-D
28. The Gamers: Dorkness Rising; 2008-B+
29. Primer; 2004-B+
30. Sheena; 1984-C
31. Persepolis; 2007-B
32. Surf’s Up; 2007-B-
33. It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown; 1974, B-
34. It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown; 1976, B+
35. Vampirella; 1996-D
36. Tales of the Black Freighter; 2009-A
37. Under the Hood; 2009-B
38. The Norman Rockwell Code; 2006-B
39. Monsters Vs. Aliens; 2009-A
40. Once Upon a Girl; 1976-C
41. Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird; 1985-A
42. Snoopy’s Reunion; 1991-B-
43. It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown; 1984-B-
44. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet; 1997, C
45. X-Men Origins: Wolverine; 2009, C+
46. Star Trek; 2009, A
47. The Phantom; 1996, C
48. Vantage Point; 2008, B+
49. National Lampoon’s European Vacaction; 1985, B
50. Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest; 2007, B-
51. The Odyssey; 1997 (miniseries), B
52. O Brother, Where Art Thou?; 2000, A
53. The Terminator; 1984, B
54. Terminator 2: Judgment Day; 1991, A+
55. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines; 2003, C+
56. Terminator: Salvation; 2009, A-
57. Nightmare Circus; 1974, F
58. Day of the Dead; 1985, B+
59. The Call of Cthulhu; 2005, B
60. The Running Man; 1987, C
61. Grindhouse Presents Death Proof; 2007, C-
62. Partly Cloudy; 2009, B+
63. Up; 2009, A
64. Across the Universe; 2007, C
65. Tropic Thunder; 2008, B
66. Good Luck Chuck; 2007, C+
67. The Hangover; 2009, B+
68. TransFormers; 2007, B
69. TransFormers: Revenge of the Fallen; 2009, B-
70. My Cousin Vinnie; 1992, A
71. 1776; 1972, A+
72. The Rocketeer; 1993, A-
73. Independence Day; 1996, B+
74. Short Cuts; 1993, D
75. Comic Book Villains; 2002, B
76. Riding the Bullet; 2004, B
77. Fanboys; 2008, B+
78. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; 2005, B+
79. Chalk; 2006, A-
80. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; 2009, B+
81. Push; 2009, C+
82. Donald in Mathmagic Land; 1959, A
83. He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown; 1968, B+
84. It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown; 1969, B
85. Charlie Brown’s All Stars; 1966, A
86. Green Lantern: First Flight; 2009, A
87. The Dark Half; 1993, B-
88. Cashback; 2006, B+
89. Flight of the Navigator; 1986, B-
90. Justice League: A New Frontier; 2008, A
91. Ghostbusters II; 1989, B
92. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; 2009, F
93. District 9; 2004, A
94. Ghostbusters; 1984, A
95. Inglorious Basterds; 2009, A-
96. Halloween II; 2009, C-
97. Severance; 2006, B
98. Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters; 1988, C+
99. Countdown to Wednesday; 2004, B
100. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen; 1988, B+
101. Murder Party; 2007, B
102. Hulk Vs.; 2009, B-
103. Graveyard Shift; 1990, C+
104. Saw V; 2008, C
105. 9; 2009, B+
106. Zombie Strippers; 2008, F
107. Return of the Living Dead 3; 1993, C
108. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies; 2009, B
109. Zombieland; 2009, B+
110. Toy Story; 1995, A
111. Toy Story 2; 1999, A+
112. Frankenstein; 1931, A
113. Bride of Frankenstein; 1935, B+
114. Son of Frankenstein; 1939, A
115. Ghost of Frankenstein; 1942, C+
116. House of Frankenstein; 1944, C
117. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; 1948, A+
118. Trick ‘r Treat; 2007, A-
119. Hobgoblins; 1988, F (movie), A (MST3K Riff)
120. The Men Who Stare at Goats; 2009, B+
121. The Time Machine; 2002, B-
122. Animal Farm; 1999, B
123. Planet 51; 2009, B
124. Play it Again, Charlie Brown; 1971, B+*
125. You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown: 1972, B*
126. There’s No Time For Love, Charlie Brown; 1973, B-*
127. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; 1973, A*
128. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown; 1974, B*
129. Garfield’s Thanksgiving; 1989, A-
130. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians; 1964, F (movie), B (MSK3K Riff)
131. A Christmas Carol; 2009, B+
132. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa; 2008, B+*
133. A Chipmunk Christmas; 1981, B*
134. A Flintstones Christmas Carol; 1994, B+
135. A Muppets Christmas Carol; 1992, A-
136. Mickey’s Christmas Carol; 1983, A*
137. The Small One; 1978, A*
138. Pluto’s Christmas Tree; 1953, A*
139. Santa’s Workshop; 1932, A*
140. Prep and Landing; 2009, A-*
141. Frosty’s Winter Wonderland; 1976, B+*
142. Cranberry Christmas; 2009, B-*
143. Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July; 1979, B-
144. A Charlie Brown Christmas; 1965, A+*
145. It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown; 1992, B*
146. Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales; 2002, B-*
147. I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown; 2003, B+*
148. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown; 1985, A-*
149. The Princess and the Frog; 2009, A
150. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; 1964, A*
151. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; 1989, A+
152. Hogfather; 2006, B+
153. Home Alone; 1990, B
154. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas; 1974, B+*
155. Elf; 2003, B
156. A Christmas Story; 1983, A+
157. Avatar; 2009, D+
158. Night of the Creeps; 1986, C
159. Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys; 2005, B
160. Sherlock Holmes; 2009, B

Last Updated on December 31, 2009

Toy Stories: You Are Now Leaving the 616 Universe…

 Once again, friends, I’m here to take a look at a few of the toys I’ve picked up recently. Although I’ve talked quite a bit about the new 3.75-inch Marvel Universe action figure line, it’s worth noting that Marvel has also launched two additional 3.75-inch lines based on its other media projects, the upcoming movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the current cartoon show Wolverine and the X-Men. How this obscure, little known character from a nearly unheard of comic book has garnered both a TV show and a feature film this year is utterly beyond me.

Let’s start with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Not having seen the movie yet, I really have no particular urge to get the movie figures, but Marvel and Hasbro have done something undeniably cool here. They’ve actually launched two subsets of this line — one series of figure based on the characters as they appear in the movies, and a second series based on the characters’ comic book appearance. I won’t get all of the figures in either line, but the fact that the comic versions are available makes it far more likely that I’ll pick up any. For example, check out this guy here:

Deadpool and his lil' friens!

Honestly, I never much cared for Deadpool until about a year and a half ago, when I started getting issues of Cable and Deadpool to review for Comixtreme. The character turned out to be really, really funny. The action figure? Not bad. He came with about a thousand accessories — a machine gun, a pistol, a sai that (proportionately) could be used to skewer a couple of pigs, and two swords for the sheathes on his back. The figure looks good, but there are two major problems with it. First: the legs. As you can see in the picture, their poseability is extremely limited. They don’t close very far, and this was honestly the only posture I could get for him. Second: the swords. One of them fits into its scabbard very nicely. The other… don’t. This may be a problem specific to my figure, I admit, but I tried both swords on both sides, and the same one kept giving me trouble, despite being visually indistinguishable from its brother. Grr.

I’ve passed on the movie version of this character. Maybe after I actually seen the movie I’ll decide to get it. I do think Ryan Reynolds was a good choice for the character, for what it’s worth.

As for the other line, Wolverine and the X-Men is based on the new animated series I haven’t seen yet because I don’t get the Nicktoons network. If anyone knows a (legal) place to watch this show online, please let me know in the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to look at the figures and pick up the ones I like. This guy, for instance:

The Bouncing Beast!

Dr. Hank McCoy is my favorite character in the X-Men universe (as you’ll all hear in this coming weekend’s edition of the 2 in 1 Showcase podcast), and I’ll pick up almost any figure based on him. This animated-style figure is pretty good. I like the style, and his arms are massive. The articulation is pretty good as well. Hank also comes with three widget-type doohickeys that he can hold in either his hands or his feet, which is a nice touch.

Cyclops!... wearin' a trenchcoat for no apparent reason!

Finally, there’s this guy here. Scott Aloysius Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, longtime leader of the X-Men, who for some reason wears a trenchcoat in the cartoon. This is a nice looking figure, although like Deadpool his hip articulation is really poor. He does have one cool accessory, though: a removable optic blast.

This is pretty neat. I’ve never seen a Cyclops figure with a blast before. On the other hand, it’s a pretty short-range blast. This could be quite a liability in some battle situations. Allow me to demonstrate, with the help of my lovely assistant, the Joker.

Clearly, you see how this version of Cyclops may have trouble thwarting evildoers.

Don’t forget, friends, you can scroll back through previous toy blogs at the Toy Stories category of Evertime Realms! More next week!

(Title note for people who are less of a geek than I am, which is just about everyone: “616” refers to the “core” Marvel Universe. In a comic book world with multiple alternate dimensions, Marvel chose to designate their main world as #616.)