Ravy Comics 2010 Movie Deview

I had an interesting little revelation: going to see a movie in the theater is cheaper than buying the DVD, and takes up less space on the shelf. A DVD can cost anywhere from $10 to $20 dollars, and you only typically watch it once. A matinee costs about $7 and if you have the patience the second run theater costs about $4. And you only watch the movie once anyway, unless it was Star Trek.

This year was a banner year for me going to see movies in the theater. I think I saw a total of 15 movies, more than I have seen in the theater in my whole life. I admit, I'm bored and got nothing better to do on a Saturday night. (Which probably explains my comic update schedule.)

I am not going to talk about every movie, just a few that run the gamut from what I thought was good to not so good.

Iron Man 2.

The first thing I like about this movie is that you don't need to have watched the first movie, or read the comic book to get it. It's pretty much self contained. Fortunately the inevitable slow down in the middle, you know, the hero's house has been destroyed, his weapon has been stolen, and the bad guys are running amuck; is kept to a minimum amount of time.

I think it still ran a little longer than it needed to, but it was worth the full price I paid.


The Bounty Hunter.

One of those in which the trailer has all the good parts. Dollar theater.


The A-Team

Let's see how an Eighties TV series can get totally screwed up. I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty good. I got my matinee price for it. I did call B.S. out loud in the theater a couple of times. First of all, a United States Veteran's Administration Hospital in Mexico? Then a UH-1 doing barrel rolls? And, stalling and restarting. AFTER making my thoughts to the annoyance of the other movie goers, I double checked with a friend who spent thirty years flying and fixing UH-1s. He didn't say B.S., he used the whole word and spent the next hour or so explaining the finer details of fixed wing Vs. rotor-wing aircraft.

I also thought the part with the flying tank was hokey.

I loved the shout out to Dwight Schultz's and Dirk Benedict's other T.V. roles.


The Expendables.

I didn't like how graphic the bodies being blown up where. And too much time was spent talking about unrelated back stories.

Other than that I was thrilled to see such a throwback action flick. Good guys stomping a mud hole in the bad guys and walking it dry. Rescuing the girl and saving a nation. All those action stars in one place! Dolph Lundgren! Where the hell has he been? I actually wanted to go back and see it again.

Definitely worth the full price I paid. Wasn't it great to see Stone Cold in movie that didn't tank on its first day?


Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

The commercials I saw.... (okay, fast forwarded through) really didn't prepare me for this. Once I figured out this was a video game universe, I thoroughly enjoyed it after that.

This movie and comic book series has some very positive aspects to it that time is not allowing me get into at this time. Later I will.


Hot Tub Time Machine.

I declared this the first great movie of 2010. Why? Nothing to do with the plot. Certainly nothing to do with the subtle callbacks to Quantum Leap or Back to the Future. The snow bunnies were nice. (I miss Spandex.)

After the sausage-fest of 2009, boobies live on the big screen. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

The scene that had me on the floor coughing up blood over how funny it was: the guy having to listen to his sister have sex with his best friend. Then the kid returning from nowhere after she says she feels pregnant.


Last movie: The Wrath of Tron.

So, they are in this mainframe in the cellar of an abandoned arcade. No connection to the internet. No one knows about the internet. So how did Clu get the page sent? There has been power going to this system the whole time? No brownouts or blackouts? No floods, windstorms, earthquakes, mice chewing through power cords, somebody accidently knocking a boom truck into a light pole, squirrel in to substation? None of that to interrupt power? No parts wear out? Seriously? I just had to re-install Win 7 after just over a year. Sure, it's no Encom O.S. 12, even you have to do that with Linux and Mac when the hard drive quits.

I have more to say, but hey, it's getting late, and I'm much more interested in seeing those snow bunnies on the back of my eyelids.