Making the Team

The first couple of pictures from The A-Team are out! As I've said before, I loved the TV show. I watched it everyday when I was little, and I have lots of good memories that are linked to it one way or another. At first I was unhappy about this remake, but I realized that it doesn't matter what they do with it because it won't alter the original show or how I feel about it. At the same time, I would like this movie to be great, but chances are it won't be. (Still, I want to see it.)

The van looks pretty much the same, and the picture of the main characters is not all that great, but you can see they look a lot like the original characters on the TV show. But I need better pictures to judge, because you can barely tell that's Liam Neeson as Hannibal or Sharlto Copley as H.M. Murdock. As for Bradley Cooper as Lieutenant Templeton Peck, I think that's a great choice, and I don't really know Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, but I hope he makes for a good B.A. Baracus. Plus, Jessica Biel is in the movie! At any rate, let us know what you think of the picture!

La isla de los idiotas

Como todos sabemos, el tiempo en la soleada Jhanna transcurre de forma diferente al tiempo en la Tierra, y ésa es la razón por la que, pese a haber anunciado hace sólo un par de días que me acababa de comprar Harper's Island en DVD, ya he visto la serie completa y estoy listo para comentarla. Y, a diferencia de lo que pasa en esta producción del director Jon Turteltaub, no destriparé nada en los próximos minutos.

La serie no está mal, aunque no es ninguna maravilla. Es entretenida, el índice de mortalidad es espectacularmente elevado, y los episodios (sólo 13) te mantiene en vilo sin saber quién es el asesino hasta el final. (Aunque debo decir que, por una serie de razones, no me sorprendió demasiado.) Como suele ser habitual en este tipo de producto, los chicos son muy guapos y las chicas están de lo más buenas (ah, Katie Cassidy), todos con cuerpos cincelados a base de gimnasio, estricta dieta, y montones de ejercicio que ningún mero mortal está a la altura de duplicar. Los jóvenes actores son competentes, los diálogos están bien escritos, y la música misteriosa acompaña la acción perfectamente. Sin embargo, me molesta que, como en infinidad de otras películas, los protagonistas hagan cosas soberanamente estúpidas que desafían no sólo toda lógica, sino todo lo que hemos aprendido viendo películas y series con psicópatas sueltos durante los últimos veinte años. A saber:

1. Separémonos en vez de ir juntos porque así cubriremos más terreno.

2. Sí, sí: entremos en esos túneles oscuros para ver si encontramos a nuestra amiga desaparecida.

3. ¿Y qué me dices de ese conducto por el que hay que moverse a gatas o a rastras de lo angosto que es? ¿Ese conducto en el que, como te salga el malo estás pero muerto? ¡Sí! ¡Entremos a rastras!

4. Ahora que sabemos dónde NO está el malo y que no puede entrar aquí, vamos a seguir pululando por ahí en vez de quedarnos quietos en este lugar con los rifles en alto para volarle la cabeza en cuanto aparezca.

5. ¡Mira! ¡Ahí está el malo, justo delante de nosotros! Vamos a salir corriendo en vez de dispararle, pese a tener los rifles en la mano.

6. ¡Por fin hemos capturado al malo! Vamos a atarle las manos con estos cinturones y meterlo en una celda en vez de volarle la cara de un tiro a bocajarro. A fin de cuentas, sólo ha pasado a cuchillo a unas veinte personas en los últimos cinco días, y se ha probado de un esquivo, escurridizo, y espabilado que tira de espaldas. ¡Seguro que será incapaz de desatar los cinturones y salir de la celda!

Y ya sé que hay una serie de tópicos y convenciones que casi a la fuerza hay que seguir, pero me niego a creer que la gente sea tan estúpida, y que los personajes que objetan a tal comportamiento se dejen convencer por los demás. Como recompensa, acaban diñándola, y para ese entonces no puedo sino reírme y alegrarme de que reciban su merecido. Por imbéciles.

Limber up

I went to see Zombieland thinking it might be funny… and little else, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I realized I was enjoying myself a lot more than I dared hoping. A lot more, as it happens, than with most movies I've seen this year. Am I exaggerating? Well, perhaps I am still giddy after laughing so much, but what can I say? Zombieland is ridiculously entertaining, absurdly bloody, and spectacularly hilarious.

Jesse Eisenberg is funny as Columbus, but Woody Harrelson steals the show with his ultraviolent character Tallahassee, a southerner on a quest to find a Twinkie and kill as many zombies as possible, and to kill them with style and extra savagery. (There's actually a Zombie Kill of the Week award!) Emma Stone also does a very good job playing Wichita, and cute Abigail Breslin is growing up and starring in what has to be her edgiest movie to date. The interaction between these four characters (pretty much the whole cast right there) is dynamic and funny and sometimes even touching, and their dialogue is quick and witty and feels real and authentic.

But the best thing about Zombieland is that it never takes itself seriously. From bludgeoning a zombie with a banjo to smashing another one with a piano dropped from a window, the ludicrous and obscenely violent deaths combine with great one liners and a devil-may-care attitude that turn the movie into a laugh riot. And let's not forget Columbus's rules to survive in Zombieland, hilariously written on the screen and showing up at the most unexpected times. And talking about unexpected, there are a couple of surprises that I cannot even hint at but that almost made me die with laughter. (Something I can actually reveal: wait until the end of the credits, for there is a hidden scene.)

Does it sound like Zombieland is funnier than the last four comedies you saw combined? (Except for perhaps The Hangover.) Well, that's because it is, and it is even bloodier than Inglourious Basterds, another surprisingly phenomenal movie I saw recently. So go ahead and buy a ticket to Zombieland. If you survive your trip there, you'll find you might have just had the time of your life!

Harper's Island

I am excited about this show. It aired last Fall, and I just got it on DVD and can't wait to watch it. It is a murder mystery that only lasted for thirteen episodes, which is good and bad. I understand the creators of the show wanted each season to be independent but be linked to each other through a common thread. I guess the show didn't succeed in finding an audience, because its first season was also its last. However, since the mystery was supposed to be solved by the end of the season, that means the story will have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it won't drag on and on and on for more seasons than necessary. Plus, at only thirteen episodes, watching the whole thing is an attractive, inviting proposition which I hope proves to be lots of fun. I'll tell you all about it when I'm done with it!

Slow Vengeance

Munich is one of those films best seen while doing something else. As a mater of fact, I am typing this while watching the movie, because, while it is well acted and directed, it is so slow that I find myself wanting to do something else to keep myself entertained. Only, shouldn't the movie be taking care that?

I am an hour and seven minutes into the film, and I find my attention faltering. What a difference from the first episode of FlashForward, a new ABC show I watched online earlier today and that I already told you about here. Still, I wouldn't say Munich is bad, because it isn't. Maybe I'm just not the target audience for this movie, or maybe I don't have an appreciation for really good films, but I want my movies to entertain me and make me forget about everything else. And right now what I'm thinking is: is that French guy the same actor who played the bad guy in Quantum of Solace? Because Daniel Craig is also in Munich, which would be an amazing coincidence. Or maybe not that amazing. Anyway, I think I made my point. Munich is over two and half hours long, and I already think it should be edited down to about half that. But I bet you guys have seen it already, so let me know what you think.

Regreso a Plutón

Después de varios meses de descanso, Plutón BRBnero, la comedia de ciencia-ficción creada por Álex de la Iglesia, vuelve a nuestras pantallas en su segunda -y creo que última- temporada. Hoy he visto el primer episodio (o el número 14, si nos ponemos técnicos), y mi opinión sobre la serie sigue básicamente intacta: es divertida y alocada, me gustan los diálogos y los personajes, pero su naturaleza episódica me hace difícil interesarme por ella a largo plazo. Afortunadamente, puedo ver los episodios en la página oficial de la serie gratis, sin intermedios ni interrupciones de ningún tipo, y los veinticinco minutos que dura cada entrega son el formato ideal para agradar sin empachar. Y la semana que viene, más.

Reading List: September

I read five really cool books this month, and I sprinkled that literary goodness with some entertaining manga and a bunch of amazing Goon pages. This is what I read in September:

Hellsing, volumes 1 and 2
A friend let me borrow this popular manga by Kohta Hirano that I had never read before, and it was a lot of fun. Hellsing is ridiculously gory and violent, and the mixture of vampires, religious agents, and over the top action is a lot of fun.

Smoke and Mirrors
This is a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, and I loved almost all of them. Gaiman is incredibly good at mixing everyday life with magic and the supernatural, and this book was a blast. If you've never read anything by the British author, take a look at these tales. I highly recommend them!

Hellsing, volumes 3 and 4
These were the last two volumes I read because my friend Brock didn't have any more. Once again, Hellsing proved to be a fun read, and now I want more!

R is for Ricochet
Kinsey Millhone returns in her eighteenth adventure, which is, like her previous seventeen outings, terrific fun to read. Can Sue Grafton do no wrong? I certainly hope so!

The Lightning Thief
This is the first book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I loved it. The author mixes Greek mythology and modern-day characters deftly and manages to weave a past-paced tale of adventure, fantasy, friendship, and betrayal. Like the J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, Percy Jackson's adventures are intended for a younger audience, but adults will enjoy them as much as the target audience. As a matter of fact, the movie based on this book (the first of five) opens in February, and you can see the trailer here. If the film is half as good as the book, it will still be great!

El juego del ángel
Carlos Ruiz Zafón's follow-up to his massive hit La sombra del viento, El juego del ángel is as much of a compulsive read as his previous bestseller. The ending of this one is more open than La sombra del viento, and you might want to talk to your friends about what their interpretation is. Regardless of what you decide happened in the end, it doesn't really change the fact that El juego del ángel is a magnificently written story with phenomenal dialogue and great characters, and that you will love every single page. So go read it, and then come back and offer your insights!

The Sea of Monsters
The second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Sea of Monsters is as much fun as The Lightning Thief was. Heavy on mythology, there are many echoes from The Odyssey all throughout the novel, and its fast-pace and non-stop action make its 280 pages a superfast read. I already bought the third one!

The Goon, vol. 7: A Place of Heartache and Grief
Eric Powell's The Goon is back, and this seventh volume is chock-full of quotable lines, dark humor, obscene violence, and laugh-out-loud scenes. At the same time, this book is really messed up, and some parts, such as the incendiary criticism of Oprah and The Secret will leave your jaw unhinged. You must read his book!

The Goon, vol. 8: Those That is Damned
More Goon goodness in this grammatically-challenged volume eight of Eric Powell's fantastic comic book. How could you not love characters like Franky? How could you not die laughing when he explains that karma is "when somebody tries to rip you off and ends with a knife to the eye"? How could you not be reading this book?

And that's what I read this month. Come back in thirty days for more (hopefully) great reads!