Paranormal Activity 1 was pretty scary, if howling noises and inexplicable occurrences intrigue you (I didn’t sleep for three days).

There was no actual ghost figures, except powder footsteps left on hardwood. The movie ends on a cliff hanger and leaves us fully “open” and interested in what happened to the main character after she throws her hero-boyfriend into the camera. Some folks have been lucky enough to see the 2nd thriller and here is how they feel about it:

Click here, for full article.

“With memories of The Blair Witch 2: The Book of Shadows and oh so many bad horror sequels, it is hard not to be a little bit jaded. Yet once the film starts, it is clear that they are not planning on going to some odd place. Much like the first, it is a simple set-up that will draw you in thanks to some strong performances from the family involved. PA2 is an absolute success that is smarter and scarier than the original.”

-IamRogue.com

“Soon after we’ve established the home layout and family relationships of this new family, Katie shows up, and we immediately remember how, um, unwell she looked the last time we saw her. … For the first time, we realize that ‘Paranormal Activity 2′ is a prequel, and that at this point in time (still 2006, the same year that Katie and Micah were terrorized), none of the things we saw in ‘Paranormal Activity’ have happened. … Not to ruin anything (closest thing to a true SPOILER, coming up), but at one point in the story, the action shifts to a post-’Paranormal Activity’ timeframe, and that is something you do not want to miss if you loved the first movie.

-Ain’t It Cool News

“Penned by Michael R. Perry, ‘Paranormal Activity 2′ stays true to the first film’s mythology created by [Oren] Peli. The demon’s arrival and actions are consistent with the first, which may or may not hinder your ‘shock’ experience. Those familiar with ‘PA’ will feel almost at home waiting for creeks, booms and giant pops. … The biggest disappointment for me was that it wasn’t a superior film. I expected things to escalate to a higher degree, like any sequel would, but I can’t help but commend the production team for doing only what was necessary to make the sequel work. ‘Paranormal Activity 2′ literally is the sexy twin sister of ‘Paranormal Activity’; they look slightly different, have a few variant birthmarks, and carry their own personalities — but neither one is better than the other. In fact, they’re tonally so similar that when the film ended I joked about republishing my initial review for the sequel.”

-Bloody Disgusting

“It goes without saying that ‘Paranormal Activity 2′ won’t win over any new fans. If the first film didn’t do anything for you, neither will this one. But if you felt the effects last time, if you hesitated before turning off the light or felt nervous in a room by yourself, prepare to feel the same again. This is a rare sequel that complements and enhances the original without betraying the elements that made it work in the first place, and watched back-to-back, it’s the perfect one-two punch of creepy excellence. Every creak and groan in your house becomes suspect, and going to sleep is that much harder. Believe it, folks; lightning can indeed strike twice, and this flick will hit you with frightening force.”

- Dread Central

The Trailer:

::::SPOILER ALERT::::

“Now we know that this movie is basically a prequel to the first Paranormal Activity, at the end it shows how the sister passed the demon onto Katie which caused the events in Paranormal Activity. Now after she passed it on, Katie goes onto kill her husband, then she waits like a full day or so in her room upstairs until the cops find her. Well in the 2nd PA she is at her sisters house covered in blood, then she kills her Sister’s husband, then her sister, then takes the baby. This is where I’m lost, it says her and the baby haven’t been seen since.

So did the cops really not arrest her? Did she kill them then return to her house and sit until the cops came? but it says her and the baby hasn’t been seen??? So I’m still confused with where they went with the story here, it kind of messed the ending up a little bit. Did anyone else notice this? If so I would really appreciate some insight on it, because I’m still confused, hope I didn’t confuse you with my explanation and thanks to whoever can provide the answers.”

Click here, for full spoiler.

Are You A King Of Paper Chasing?

Eddie Murphy & Della Reese Battle It Out In “Harlem Nights” [CLASSIC MOMENTS IN BLACK CINEMA]

It hasn’t been released to the public yet but we know places, that know places that specialize in that kind of video.

As I sat down in a secluded area to screen said movie for work, I set aside my biased opinion about Montana being too young for the porn industry and my belief that she couldn’t gyrate her way out of a hula hoop.

Immediately you are greeted by a lyrically challenged Brian Pumper whose rhymes are as dull as his backstroke. In the midst of a low budget music video you will find Montana aka Chippy D with her perfectly manicured nails (not very porn like) curly tresses and pink with purple lingerie dancing off-beat in the background. B.Pumper is building  the anticipation of seeing Montana’s performance with his latest track that I care not to give a name. Chippy D’s smile reassures us that she is just as juvenile as we thought.

Right when you’re tempted to fast forward, Chippy D exposes the signature blemishes on her backside that left the world calling her “cigarette butt”(get it?). It was kind of like watching someone get hit by a car, you want to turn away but you just can’t.

By the way if, if the thought that she is Laurence Fishburne’s daughter is still lingering in your head then the next scene isn’t for you.

I’ll say this–she and Superhead have never met, in fact I don’t even think Superhead could help this girl. It takes about twenty minutes of Brian Pumper instructing the novice on how to stand, where to lean and how to move for the movie to be fully underway. By that time you’re turned completely off by B.Pumper’s costume jewelery and squeaky voice.

Chippy D isn’t bad to look at, she’s a change up from your typical porn star showered in body oil, fishnet tights, stretch marks and too much make-up. She’s teen like- hence her age–which starts to roar its inexperienced head round the thirty minute mark(maybe she should have watched Ciara’s “Ride It” video before that scene). She has energy, I’ll tell you that much–Brian just laid there like Kim Kardashian. He seemed to be more worried about how he looked on camera than catching Montana’s booty bounces.

For such a beginner Montana completes multiple positions and accomplishes a very important porn trick(I’ll leave that for you to find out!).

All in all, as we predicted, the Montana Fishburne porno was dry (pun intended!) and all types of wack. Brian Pumper needs to stop rapping and most of all stop telling jokes.

Montana Fishburne should gather what little dignity she has left, admit she made a mistake and patch up things with your dad Montana, cause porn is not for you!

Montana Fishburne: “People Shouldn’t Judge Me”

9 Reasons We Think The Montana Fishburne Porno Will Be Wack

Blowing Money Fast:10 Obscene Hip-Hop Purchases[from TheBVX.com]

Zoe Kravitz Joins ‘X-Men: First Class’ [from Blackvoices.com ]

A New Fight for Ving Rhames in ‘Piranha 3D’ [From Blackvoices.com

Want Notorious film coverage? The Urban Daily has you covered!

Click the image below to read our interview with the ladies of the Notorious film, Angela Bassett, Naturi Naughton, Antonique Smith & Ms. Voletta Wallace.

Click the image below to read the interview with the men of Notorious: Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie and Jamal “Gravy” Woolard.

Read our exclusive review of the film by clicking here:

Watch video of the Notorious Cast from GIANTmag.com

Become Biggie’s friend by clicking on his official BlackPlanet.com page!

BP member mauda said “VERY INTERESTING FLICK. NOT JUST THE ALIEN PART BUT THE SCENARIOS, THE EVACUATIONS, NATIONAL EMERGENCIES, THE MILITARY OCCUPATION.” Tell us what you thought about the movie here. Join the debate.

It’s a safe assumption that there are no gray areas in Kanye West appreciation. Either you consider him a genius or you want to send him on a shopping spree with Sarah Palin using an an expired Amex Black card and a stack of I.O.U’s from MC Hammer. After listening to the leak of 808s and Heartbreak, I won’t be petitioning for his MENSA membership anytime soon.

Mr. West has been tried in the court of public opinion ever since he announced this ambitious (or pretentious, depending on what side you’re on) project. But before you render a final verdict on this most-likely unfinished version of 808s & Heartbreak keep these observations in mind:

The Truth: Kanye West fell asleep with A-Ha’s “Take On Me” playing on his 80 inch plasma and woke up with this album in his head. Realizing that his natural-born vocals couldn’t adequately convey what was burning inside of his soul (or some other part of his anatomy) he enlisted computerized help. Bundle this with some heartache over losing his mother (as he insisted in interviews, though I hear no evidence of such) and some anonymous love interest/supermodel that we’ve never heard of and you have the makings of The Miseducation of Kanye West.

The Secret: The title is actually a typo. The actual title is 80′s Heartbreak and that makes much more sense given the Don Johnson and Punky Brewster-era synthetic sonics that define this disc. It appears Ye’s white blazers and open shirts were not just a fashion statement, that is indeed his state of mind.

The Good: “Heartless.” This is pretty frickin’ dope. Not just because Kanye is rapping for most of it, the beat is simply superior to “Love Lockdown” and when he does use the auto-tune it is actually… in tune. This is a great post-argument-pre-break-up driving to the strip club for a revenge lap dance track. “I’m gonna take oooofff tonight…”

“Anyway” Melody is an inviting example of Reagan-era nostalgia done right. It also helps that he enlists actual back-up singers to fill out the hook and leans off the auto-tune a bit. Again, he’s rapping more but the balance works.

“Tell Everybody That You Know”  You can tell Kanye has been hanging a lot with DJ Toomp and its been rubbing off in a good way (pause).  It’s a good track with a catchy hook but Jeezy would have sounded better on this than “Amazin,” and Lil Wayne’s granola bar : “Girl you think your shit don’t stink but you’re mrs P-U…” pushes it closer to the laughable end of the spectrum.

The Bad: “Robocop.” This is a bad case of “I found this cool sound effect and I really wanna use it, but no theme makes sense.” It reminds me of a chopped & screwed version of that AT&T “zero bars” commercial where the guy is stuck in the hostile with Slad and Veter the Techno Twins and their boombox. Except it’s not funny.

“Love Lockdown” This leak version is clearly the unpolished demo because it’s even more off-key than the official joint. People like this because it reminds them of cheering on your best friend at the high school talent show. You admire their balls for getting on the stage regardless of how they sound and they autographed the homemade burn of their CD to make you feel special. The problem here is that Kanye has already forgotten the little people and the addition of R.Kelly just underlines why Ye shouldn’t be singing.

The In-Between: Kanye channels his inner N.E.R.D for a danceable “Coldest Winter” that would have better served Chris Brown or Omarion. Topically, Kanye taps into some pretty dead-on observations of relationships that few people like to express, it’s just hard to take him seriously sounding like a chipmunk drowning in a toilet bowl.

Verdict: Kanye West can’t deal with our acceptance. He likes being the underdog. When he first came on the scene he won us over and made us see him as a legit MC, not just a producer lip-synching in the mirror. But as he became successful (sales and critically) he just couldn’t chill. Being an asshole is way more fun and it’s hard to be that when people like you. So in the name of pushing the envelope he’s concocted this experiment. The irony is that Ye is doing just the opposite here. For the first time in his career Kanye is a follower and to call the disc derivative is being kind. There are definite bright spots but merely being different does not make you brave or innovative. Manson was different. (Marilyn or Charles…take your pick). Either way the results were mixed, just like this album.

Sentencing: Check out The Death of Auto-Tune on Rappersiknow.com.

To hear a stream of the complete 808′s & Heartbreak go to Kanye’s Myspace page!

Most people in the press are saying that Bernie Mac’s last film is a sad last act for the critically-acclaimed and beloved star. But if anyone knows about folks from Chicago, they couldn’t care less about what you say and more about what they feel. The Southside hometown hero made good with Samuel L. Jackson in Soul Men.

Movie director, Malcolm D. Lee, has had a good run of comedies. From The Best Man to Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, the other star from the Lee family tree has a funny bone unlike his military-minded cousin. After accepting a script by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone, Soul Men offered a promising rundown in how-to comedy with a hilarious tale of two back-up singers – played by Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac. The duo are forced out of retirement when word breaks that their lead singer – in a movie first played by John Legend – passes away.

After decades of inactivity, the duo fall out over a woman and fall on hard times in their own individual ways. Floyd (Mac) is unfulfilled in his retirement after running a successful car wash and Louis (Jackson) has hit upon hard times – serving time and living in a piss-poor manor. The opportunity to reunite and celebrate their musical legacy at the famed Apollo Theater already lays down the groundwork for a pretty good comedy plot, but the road to the promise land was paved with a few holes.

But before they hit the bumps, a series of happenstance from Arizona to Oklahoma find our two pals with plenty of time to argue, bust a few shots, relive some past issues and even meet with the daughter of the guy’s former wife – Cleo. Sharon Leal does an excellent job of showcasing vulnerability under the abusive tone of boyfriend and wannabe rapper – Lester (Affion Crockett). 

A lot of improvisation went into this work and when you have two aggressively funny cats like Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson – the results can be hilariously outrageous or fall flat on its face. A part that audiences will enjoy was Bernie’s romp with a cougar-ish groupie who wants to give him a ‘velveteen rub.’ But on the flip side of the coin, a joke like Sam and Bernie having to share a bed together was kind of unnecessary fodder to help move a lagging film along.

The raunchiness marked a return to prominence for Bernie Mac. After some would say that he was diluted after appearing on his own television show and Ocean’s Thirteen, the Chicago comedian showcased that he never lost a step and the outtakes once the credit roll marked just how great a funny-man Bernie was. With his lost and Isaac Hayes passing the following day, it makes Soul Men a holistic tribute to the Stax era. 

As the duo sing their own songs, dance the routines, the era of the 70s soul groups are celebrated and never overly garish. Jackson and Mac do excellent jobs of complimenting one another and with a colorful array of co-stars, the focus never leaves the headliners and allows the back-ups to get equal billing with a solo or two. After the passing of the entertainment industries giants, Soul Men is fitting tribute to how hard work and staying true to one’s craft will have lasting life after death.

Everyone wants a soundtrack to their life so what does TI.’s latest, Paper Trail, inspire us to do?

I’m Illy
This must be T.I’s version of Lil Wayn’es “A Milli” cuz it’s a landslide candidate for rhyme of the month. This southern-flavored Timberland and hoodie track will have you miming in the mirror like Eminem in 8 Mile.

On Top of The World f/ Ludacris
If you don’t want to go broke hide your wallet while this song is playing. After Luda’s declaration that he “gave Bill Gates some binoculars and said look out for me…” you’ll want to go blow your paycheck on some Wu-Tang Dunks or other dumb shit just to keep up. See also “Every Chance I Get.”

Whatever You Like
Bark like a dog…a big dog. Sorry, can’t get the wedding scene from Coming To America out of my head while this is playing. So I guess you should break out the Honey Do list and clean out the gutters.

No Matter What
Drumma Boy’s organ-wrapped percussion gives this cut a ghetto funeral march feel. So after you’ve loosened the tie on your suit and paid your final respects pour out a little for your homie and let the chorus of “I Ain’t Dead, I Ain’t Done, I Ain’t Scared, I Ain’t Run, so Still I Stand...” play on repeat. See also “Dead And Gone.”

Porn Star
The instructions are pretty clear on this. It’s the end of the night, you’ve been spittin’ game while she’s been sippin’ ‘pagne. So get your man to drive her girl home, tip the valet well and pull over to the nearest dark lot and fog up the windows.

Slide Show
For those of us who don’t have to be mandated by a judge to do community service this is what you play on the way to talk to that group of teenagers at the group home or volunteer at the soup kitchen. Maybe Tip will get a few days shaved off of his sentence for this one. Good deal.

You Ain’t Missin’ Nothing
If you know anyone incarcerated, write them now. Not now, but WRITE now.

Once you get over the Missy Elliott guest spot on the radio hit “Need U Bad” and the overstated Lauryn Hill comparisons, J Records new artist Jazmine Sullivan bodes well amongst the labels other deep throat divas.

The disc’s opening track, “Bust Your Windows,” where the just now legal Sullivan warns of the fury of a woman scorn is bound to become the alibi of plenty sistas from around the way. As will “Call Me Guilty,” where Sullivan sings of taking the life against a man who abused her.

Although it sounds rather heavy, Sullivan actually keeps the party going for much of the set. The best of the CD’s throwback vibe is heard on “One Night Stand” and “My Foolish Heart” which samples GZA’s “Liquid Swords.”

Sullivan’s voice on most of Fearless is mature, powerful and consistent (“Lions, Tigers & Bears,” “After The Hurricane”) yet never outshines her equally respected songwriting. Songs like “Dream Big,” “Fear” and “In Love With Another Man” wouldn’t be noteworthy vocally if they weren’t so deftly written.

Pick any track from Fearless and it is sure to serve as evidence that Jazmine Sullivan is both a talented singer and songwriter. That’s the good news. The even better news is that despite a few loud moments, her songs about giving it up on the first night and vandalizing a brotha’s car earns its rightful place among the same brand of soulful, gritty, realistic R&B to come out of Philadelphia for years.

Being too comfortable in a dress may have helped the new king of black Hollywood to learn a few things about what women desire. Director/Writer/Actor Tyler Perry manages to orchastrate his cast headlined by Academy Award winner Kathy Bates and Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard in this scandally delicious contemporary drama of two very different families being torn apart by greed in The Family That Preys.

The sixth feature film by Perry chronicles the inner workings of two interesting families that have been joined together by love, lies and lust. Bates play Charlotte Cartwright, a wealthy Southern belle who’s socialite status has afforded her to live the American Dream. Her best friend is Alice Pratt (Woodard) is a working class woman with high ideals. Their families are linked upon the marriage of Pratt’s eldest daughter Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) to new husband Chris (Rockmond Dunbar) as provided by the Pratt family trust.

Perry is blessed with this gifted veteran cast and his Madea-free script allows the cast to blossom in their roles. The plot thickens when Charlotte spoiled son, William (Cole Hauser), engages in an elicit affair with Andrea. Unbeknownst to the audience and both families, the affair is mildly hinted with subtle reference that when executed has mixed results.

In one scene, Chris – an optimistic and hopeful construction worker with dreams of having more – comes to see his wife after finding out that she has some money stashed away. Andrea tries to shoo him out of the office, but her boss, William, comes in to spoil the mood. In a dramatic flair of ego and cockiness, William is assured in his confidentiality agreement with Andrea, Chris’ wife, and even takes time to entertain his whimsical dreams of fancy and forward movement. The joke comes where William says, “Tell my 2 o’clock that I’ll be 15 minutes late,” and the secretary conveniently calls Andrea seconds after the two bosom buddies to let her know that “the boss” will be 15 minutes late.

It is with that where Perry wins. Past moments of brillance in Why Did I Get Married and Diary of a Mad Black Woman hint at Perry’s keen sense at being able to punctuate a moment, but in other times, he allows the joke to run on too long. Dunbar is as blind as Stevie Wonder in his role as Chris and cannot see what seems to be in front of everyone’s face until it’s too late. A clear sign that all the character’s development is not balanced and correlating truly to the story.

But the affairs and dramatics aside, love and faith – two of Perry’s most common themes – are the driving force behind The Family That Preys. Bates and Woodard blend seamlessly as women from two different sides of the coin who come together amidst a secret of grave purportions. Their unifed strength goes against the grain amongst two houses divided.

The softer moments in the film are subdued and provide a much needed balance to the ‘Ooooh, no you didn’t!” moments that are subliminally and overtly filled throughout this movie. Taraji P. Henson plays baby sister, Pam, who’s the spiritual and physical motivator within the Pratt family. But when the fireworks go off, there aren’t too many people who can deliver dramatics quite like Mr. Tyler ‘Madea’ Perry.

All in all, if Perry has the keys to Hollywood – no matter how he got in – they can no longer turn him away and if he continues to make films with such diversity and style like The Family That Preys – he may have converted some new followers.

For more on Tyler Perry, check out our I’m Just Saying… blog.

If it weren’t for the fact that Michael Mann would sue their asses, the makers behind the new cop thriller Righteous Kill probably would have titled their film More Heat. After all, the film’s main selling point is that it reunites the stars of that beloved 1995 crime drama, two little-known actors named Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Mann’s movie famously put these screen legends on opposite sides of the law (Pacino with the boys in blue and De Niro with the criminal element) and pared their shared screen time down to a single major scene. In Righteous Kill on the other hand, De Niro and Pacino are rarely apart and both carry a badge. The studio is clearly hoping that the actors’ increased proximity to each other will draw Heat-loving crowds into theaters opening weekend and they may be right. It’s not like the movie has anything else going for it; if Righteous Kill starred anyone besides Pacino and De Niro (like, say, Billy Baldwin and Steven Seagal) it would have gone directly to DVD and late-night cable where it belongs. This is a thoroughly lazy and bland cop movie with few surprises and even fewer moments of suspense. Even Bobby and Al seem bored by the whole thing, as if they’d rather be sharing old war stories about Hollywood in the ’70s over a big Italian dinner instead of having to, you know, act.

If you’ve seen the trailer for Righteous Kill, you already know that De Niro and Pacino play two NYPD officer in pursuit of a serial killer offing criminals that have managed to escape justice. You also know that said killer is a fellow cop and may, in fact, be none other than De Niro himself. The film’s opening scene-which features the Raging Bull star reading a handwritten confession into a security camera-doesn’t do anything to disprove this notion. But if you’ve ever seen a thriller before, you’ll quickly realize that you’re being set up for a climactic plot twist, one that should become obvious about halfway through…unless, of course, you’ve completely tuned out of the movie by then. Prior to the big reveal, we watch Turk (De Niro) and his longtime partner Rooster (Pacino) investigate these killings with the aid of two other cops, Detective Perez (John Leguizamo) and Detective Riley (Donnie Wahlberg), both of whom are convinced that Turk is their man. While trying to keep their names clean, Turk and Rooster are also working another case-bringing down a big-time Harlem drug dealer named Spider (Curtis Jackson a.k.a. the artist sometimes known as 50 Cent). The always stunning Carla Gugino enters the story occasionally in a thankless role as a forensics investigator who makes time (among other things) with Turk when they’re off the NYPD’s clock.

With Jon Avnet behind the camera, it’s no big surprise that the film lacks any kind of distinctive style. A longtime producer who started directing in the early ’90s, Avnet has never met a script he couldn’t turn into generic Hollywood mush. What is surprising is that Righteous Kill was written by Russell Gerwitz, the same guy that penned Spike Lee’s awesome heist flick Inside Man. That script was filled with memorable bits of dialogue and also pulled off the tricky task of taking all the usual genre cliches and turning them on their head. Whatever mojo Gerwitz had while writing Inside Man apparently abandoned him here, because this script is laughably bad, a hodgepodge of would-be tough guy talk with a smattering of lame one-liners tossed in. It’s like the film was written by a high-schooler who scribbled the whole thing out in one night after watching lots of NYPD Blue repeats.

Material this bad requires great actors to make it even halfway watchable and once upon a time Pacino and De Niro may have risen to the challenge. But both actors have been coasting on their reputations for awhile now and sharing the screen for the first time in a decade hasn’t done anything to jolt them out of their late-career stupor. De Niro seems particularly catatonic, which is a problem since his character is the moral center of the story. His co-star doesn’t fare much better. As much grief as Pacino gets for his “hoo-hah!” routine, a little overacting would have gone a long way to making Righteous Kill more fun to watch. Instead, we’re stuck watching to glum ’70s icons go through the motions in a glum movie. If you’re really jonesing for a Pacino/De Niro pairing this weekend, skip Righteous Kill and curl up on your couch for a double bill of Taxi Driver and Dog Day Afternoon.

Fred Durst… really? That was my initial reaction after learning from my press notes that the former Limp Bizkit frontman had directed The Longshots (And yes, we’re talking about the same guy who sang the lyrics, “keep rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ rollin’”). The new knowledge was surprising but I didn’t let it cloud my judgment. Besides, with a cast of Ice Cube and Keke Palmer, it had to have something to it, right?

The Longshots opens up with Palmer as Jasmine Plummer; a nose-in-the-book character who is eventually introduced to the game of football by her feelin’-sorry-for-himself Uncle Fred (Ice Cube). Jasmine and Fred are forced into each other’s company by Plummer’s mother (Tasha Smith) in her desperate attempt to find a babysitter. Although he finds very little in common with his reluctant, smart-mouth niece, Fred soon learns of her ability to throw a football. Inspired by her talent, he trains Jasmine, and she eventually tries out for the middle school football team. During the process he also transforms his hobo ways by getting a change of clothes and asking Jasmine’s teacher (Jill Marie Jones) on a date.

While some parts of the story line have been exhausted several times over, one can’t ignore the transformation that ensues when a town decides to pull together for the sake of its youth and… sports. Even better is the encouragement it guarantees for young women who always wanted to try out for a “boy’s sport.” Palmer’s performance reflects the spirit and determination of Jasmine Plummer as she faces the prejudice of both the coach and team in her initial attempts to play the game.

And what about Ice Cube? Apart from a few misplaced comedic scenes and a cliched role, Cube did his job with passion and skill. I can’t, however, say the same for Jones and Smith. Though their characters were minor, it was still prevalent that those roles did not suit two strong-headed women who once lead the nation with personalities such as Toni Childs and Angela from Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, respectively. A pre-teen audience of girls seems to fit the movie’s aim but with Smith and Jones lacking in their roles, it was left to Palmer to carry out most of the influence.

So Fred Durst, I can’t say I’ll be surprised the next time I see your name alongside “director,” but I will at least hope that all the cliches and not so subtle foreshadowing will be replaced by the realness and substance a movie based on a true story would call for.

Step Brothers is a stupid movie. Sure, the previous collaborations between Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay (Anchorman and Talladega Nights) are both pretty stupid too, but Step Brothers reaches far beyond these films in terms of brainlessness. The premise, plot, and characters are all absurd. That said, Step Brothers is very funny at times. No, this movie is not the next Anchorman, but it is a step up from the wobbly performances of Semi-Pro and Walk Hard.

The plot is simple: A single mom (Mary Steenburgen) with a 39-year-old unemployed son (Will Ferrell) marries a single dad (Richard Jenkins) who also has a 40-year-old son (John C. Reilly) living at home. They all move in under the same roof and the brown stuff hits the fan. Despite being enemies at first, the two stepbrothers eventually band together in an effort to save their parents’ marriage and finally join the adult world.

The first 30 minutes of Step Brothers are rough. Setting up the plot takes a while and the initial Ferrell/Reilly interactions aren’t that funny. Consequently, viewers are forced to pay attention to how ridiculous the plot really is. Instead of laughing, I was just left wondering why these two middle-aged men were acting like 13-year-olds.

However, things improve when Adam Scott (HBO’s “Tell Me You Love Me”) shows up as Ferrell’s younger brother, who is more successful but also a huge jackass. In an unexpectedly hilarious performance, Scott steals the show with a flurry of memorable scenes. For example, he nearly crashes his Range Rover while forcing his family to give a hysterical a capella rendition of “Sweet Child of Mine.” Ferrell and Reilly rush to catch up, and an hour into the movie, I was laughing my ass off just like I did in Anchorman and Talladega Nights. This momentum carries all the way into the final scene, which was awesome.

Also, keep in mind that Steenburgen is really hot for a woman in her 50s, and Step Brothers shows it with some very flattering shots.

If the image of Ferrell pulling out his (hopefully) fake set of testicles and tea bagging his brother’s drum will make you laugh, then you’ll probably like Step Brothers despite its flaws. However, for anyone who will be bothered by a slow start and a total lack of a cohesive or plausible plot, go rent Anchorman and bathe yourself in the warm nostalgia of what Ferrell once was.

If you’re gonna see The Dark Knight here’s some advice: Don’t bring the kids. This ain’t no cartoon. I don’t how in the hell it got a PG-13 rating. The shit gave me nightmares and I ain’t no kid. Secondly, see it on the IMAX. The aerial scenes and fight scenes are crazy. While the story line is a little convoluted, the action and characters make you forget about it.

Director Christopher Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins is the opposite of Joel Schumaker’s Batman and Robin, which was a like a Broadway musical without the music. The movie is also nothing like its predecessor which spent way too much time developing Batman and not enough time showcasing him. The Dark Knight is a grimly realistic modern portrait of Gotham’s great hero. The movie deals with issues like police corruption, money laundering, terrorism and vigilante morality. Nolan, who wrote and directed Memento, offers a way more complex take on good and evil than any previous superhero movie.

Much has been made about Heath Ledger’s final performance as The Joker. I’ve heard things like he’s better than Hannibal Lecter or Jack Nicholson version of the same character. Neither of these are true, Ledger does not possess the dark intellectual intensity of Anthony Hopkins’ Lector or the psychotic sarcasm and cutting catchphrases of Nicholson’s Joker. But what Ledger lacks in personality, he makes up in visual appearance. The tattered make up, yellow teeth and matted green hair make him a much more realistic psycho than Nicholson. Unlike Burton’s Batman, there is no back story on The Joker and he is defined by his manic desire for chaos and utter lack of morality.

The Batsuit, Batmobile and all the other Batgadgets all are very realistic and could conceivably be used in the real world, unlike previous imaginary cartoonish gadgets used by previous Batmen. The action scenes are also intense and realistic.

Christian Bale plays Batman as the same stoic, arrogant and disturbed asshole that he used for American Psycho. Neither Bruce Wayne nor Batman are particularly likeable — Wayne has no love interest or humane factors other than the desire to rid the city of crime. Batman and Wayne are both defined by their vigilante morality and dedication to law and order.

Aaron Eckhart does an excellent job as DA Harvey Dent. His descent into evil makes for an excellent case study on the philosophy of good vs. evil. He plays the goody to shoes role convincingly which makes it all the better when he turns into (SPOILER ALERT) …Two Face. The CGI affect on his face makes him a much more convincing villain than Tommy Lee Jones previous Two Face.

Overall, the movie does an excellent job of putting a comic book character in the real world. There’s enough action to satisfy the summer movie buffs and the debates over morality, terrorism, surveillance and vigilantism are enough to satisfy anyone with any intellectual curiosity.

]]> http://theurbandaily.com/movies/the-urban-daily-staff/the-dark-knight-enters-the-real-world/feed/ 0 http://theurbandaily.com/movies/the-urban-daily-staff/hancock-is-subpar-hero-tale/ http://theurbandaily.com/movies/the-urban-daily-staff/hancock-is-subpar-hero-tale/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:47:39 +0000 The Urban Daily http://theurbandaily.com/?p=20402 I don't know about you, but I feel like I've been watching the trailers for Hancock for ages now. Over and over again in theaters, on TV and online I've seen the title character— a perpetually pissed-off superhero dressed to the nines in the very best homeless chic—mouth off to innocent civilians, toss a little kid miles into the air and hurl a beac... Read more..]]>

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been watching the trailers for Hancock for ages now. Over and over again in theaters, on TV and online I’ve seen the title character— a perpetually pissed-off superhero dressed to the nines in the very best homeless chic—mouth off to innocent civilians, toss a little kid miles into the air and hurl a beached whale back into the ocean, knocking over a sailboat in the process. This stuff is supposed to be funny (and it is…the first ten times anyway) for two reasons: 1) Hancock is basically Superman with a wicked hangover and 2) He’s played by Will Smith a.k.a. The Nicest Guy in Hollywood. That’s right, after years of playing virtuous heroes, the Fresh Prince is trying to dirty his onscreen image a bit. As these kinds of career reinventions go, Smith’s transformation in Hancock isn’t quite as extreme as, say, Denzel Washington in Training Day or Michael Chiklis in The Shield, but you gotta give the guy credit for working so hard at being bad.

It’s just a shame that the movie lets him down. Directed by Peter Berg and penned by Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan, Hancock has some terrific ideas at its core—it just can’t realize them onscreen. The project’s troubled production history, which was exhaustively chronicled in a New York Times piece a few months ago, no doubt has a lot to do with this. Originally conceived by Ngo as a super-dark superhero drama entitled Tonight He Comes, the film was set to be directed by Michael Mann, who eventually opted out and the script passed through the hands of several filmmakers until it ended up with Berg.

Meanwhile, former X-Files staffer Gilligan came onboard to do some rewrites and the new script found its way to Akiva “Batman & Robin” Goldsman, who signed onto produce and almost certainly contributed some uncredited script revisions as well. Goldsman was also responsible for getting Smith involved and the star had some of his own ideas he wanted incorporated into the final product. Changes were still being made during shooting and in the editing room—in fact, early test screening reports indicated that the film was much longer than the 92-minute version arriving in theaters today. We’ll have to wait until the special-edition DVD to see what exactly was chopped out, but I’m fairly certain that those excised scenes would have gone a long way towards clearing up some crucial questions I have about the characters, the world they inhabit and the film’s big plot twist.

Ah yes, the plot twist. Betcha you didn’t think you’d be getting one of those in this movie. Kudos to the Sony marketing team for keeping this secret so well hidden even as they drown the airwaves in Hancock ads. I’m not about to spoil things either, but I will say that the twist is a very interesting development that sends Hancock into unexpected territory for a comic-book movie. Just to backtrack a bit, the first half of the story involves a virtuous PR guy Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), who makes it his mission to reform Hancock’s public image, much to the displeasure of his Hancock-hating wife Mary (Charlize Theron). To that end, he convinces his client to serve jail time as a good faith gesture to the residents of Los Angeles, his primary base of operations. While in lock-up, Hancock undergoes an attitude adjustment and emerges from prison more prepared to protect and serve the public.

It’s at this point that the movie plays its ace in the hole and the revelation opens up a tantalizing history for a seemingly one-dimensional hero. Hancock’s biggest sin is that it doesn’t take full advantage of the possibilities allowed by this plot development. One can only imagine what a skilled comic-book writer like Alan Moore or Brian Michael Bendis would have taken the story (actually, we don’t have to imagine anything—both of those writers already did variations on it in Miracleman and Powers respectively); Hancock’s masterminds just allow it to lie there onscreen. Their negligence robs the movie of any emotional impact and Smith’s performance of any internal consistency. Although the star does his best to keep up with the film’s constantly shifting tone, he can’t fill in the narrative gaps created in the editing room. Hancock is an almost good movie, but when it comes to being a superhero, “almost” isn’t good enough.

Nick Catchdubs, DJ A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold Records partner/fellow DJ, describes A-Trak’s Running Man: Nike+ Original Run mixtape as one with a lot of “untz untz” and “beep beep.” As nondescript as it sounds, it’s hard to pinpoint the 45-minute set any better.

A-Trak, who gained recognition when he became Kanye West’s official tour DJ, is gaining almost as much widespread fame as his Louis Vuitton-donning counterpart. To anyone unfamiliar with his story, you must know A-Trak has been a ridiculous musician for a long, long time. Now 25, he won the DMC DJ Competition when he was just 15, and hasn’t slowed his skills yet. He’s recently gone on world tours with his Fool’s Gold cohorts and even did a solo European tour that wrapped just a month ago. As of late, he’s also produced and made “Pro Nails” (see video below) for his girlfriend and Chicago MC ” target=”_blank” title=”Kid Sister MySpace page”>Kid Sister.

So, its no surprise Nike asked the ridiculously relevant A-Trak to create their latest installment of the Nike+ Original Run series. Prior contributors include Aesop Rock and LCD Soundsystem, and according to A-Trak, he was “smitten” by Nike’s request.

The mixtape begins with a heart-pounding electro beat with some typical synthesized lyrics in the background, which simply say “They hear the bass and they say whoa/Whoa!/And then they get down on the floor.” The mix continues in A-Trak’s usual boom-bap fashion for the next ten minutes or so, before he kicks into a drum-heavy hip-hop beat. The next segment features rapper/singer Kid Cudi spitting a quick verse over Neptunes-inspired production.

After the only lyrics of the set are wrapped, A-Trak eases back into an upbeat electro beat and gets you into the running mood he initially meant to keep you in. While most of the set is lyric-less, A-Trak’s production is downright impressive. Not many techno DJ’s/producers can make a nonstop 45-minute set that will actually keep you interested in what you’re listening to. By changing up the tempo and the styles about a dozen times during the set, he makes it impossible for the listener to get bored.

The clever segues and up-tempo break beats will definitely provide you with great work-out/running music. And if you’re not into the whole “gym scene,” you can just enjoy listening to some great electro with none of that complicated stuff ever getting involved, like bad lyrics or radio-friendly hooks.

From Iron Man to The Incredible Hulk to Hellboy II to The Dark Knight, comic book movies are all the rage this summer, so it’s a little odd that Universal isn’t pushing the comic connection with their new action flick Wanted, which blasts its way into theaters this weekend.

Of course, that marketing decision may have something to do with the fact that the movie version of Wanted bears only a passing resemblance to the Mark Millar-penned six-issue series that was published between 2003 and 2004. In the comic (which, full disclosure, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading) a group of super-villains has taken over the world and wiped all of Earth’s heroes out of existence. Meanwhile, ordinary folks go about their ordinary lives, including one Wesley Gibson, an employee at the kind of dreary office ridiculed in movies like Fight Club, The Matrix and Office Space. But, like Neo before him, Wesley soon discovers he’s got a higher calling. See, his long-lost father was a criminal mastermind known as The Killer, an unsurpassed marksman who was unexpectedly assassinated by an enemy of The Fraternity, the cabal of super-villains that runs things. His wimpy son is recruited to take his place in the organization by super-hot female operative Fox, but once the thrill of being a super-bad gun expert wears off, Wesley starts to wonder whether he’s really cut out of Fraternity life.

Okay, now contrast that plot with the movie’s storyline, which sets up The Fraternity as a secret society of assassins that was established centuries ago by a guild of weavers. That’s right, weavers—you know, the guys that make clothes. Anyhow, these ancient weavers discovered that their loom spoke to them in a kind of binary code, providing the names of targets that “fate” decreed had to die. Over the course of their existence, Fraternity operatives have developed a host of special talents, most notably the ability to “curve” the bullets they fire out of their guns. Once again, the assassination of one of the organization’s top agents kicks the story into gear, leading Fox (Angelina Jolie, in a role she was born to play) to approach the dead killer’s son Wes (James McAvoy of Atonement fame) and convince him to join the Fraternity. After a brief period of indecision, the depressed worker bee happily leaves his life of 9 to 5 drudgery behind and enters the Fraternity’s headquarters in a giant factory on the outskirts of some unidentified town that strongly resembles Chicago. There he meets the leader of the group, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), as well as other operatives who sport names like Gunsmith (played by Common), The Butcher (Dato Bakhtadze) and The Repairman (Marc Warren). Under the tutelage of Fox, the newest recruit enters into an intense training period that involves beatings, shooting lessons, beatings, subway rooftop chases and more beatings. Once he’s finally mastered the art of kicking ass, Wes starts wracking up the body count before coming face to face with the man that killed his father. But wait! Could it be that this guy isn’t his father’s killer but…his actual father? Paging Luke Skywalker!!

As you can tell, the plot of Wanted is derivative nonsense, borrowing elements from a long list of other movies (Star Wars, The Matrix and The Godfather just to name a few) and working them into a screenplay that must have read like gibberish on the page. Fortunately for everyone involved, the task of bringing this script to the screen was handed to Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, whose previous credits include the visually dazzling (if borderline incoherent) fantasy/horror hybrids Nightwatch and Daywatch. Never one to hold the camera still when he could send it hurtling after bullets and falling train cars, Bekmambetov brings a kinetic energy to the picture that helps you forget—or at least ignore—its severely underdeveloped story. Of course, there will be a sizeable number of moviegoers who find the film’s hyperactive visual style completely unwatchable. Here’s a good litmus test: if you got queasy watching The Bourne Ultimatum’s jittery camerawork, you may experience similar headaches and nausea during Wanted. Bekmambetov’s trick is to regularly speed up and slow down the action, all the while letting things like bullets, computer keyboard keys and teeth fly directly towards the camera lens. (One can only imagine how this movie would have looked in 3D.) Naturally, these kind of visual pyrotechnics can wear out their welcome after awhile, particularly if there isn’t a great story to hang them on. Eventually, even I grew weary of the film’s relentless hyperactivity and found myself wishing that I could pat Timur on the shoulder and tell him to just chill out already. With all the craziness going on around them, the actors don’t get much of a chance to, you know, act, but McAvoy and Jolie are able to score a few memorable moments. (I have to admit that the normally svelte Angie looked scarily thin here—an assassin’s arms shouldn’t resemble chopsticks!) As far as this summer’s comic book movies go, Wanted isn’t a crowd-pleaser on the level of Iron Man and probably won’t come close to the grandeur of The Dark Knight or Hellboy II, but at least it’s not as boring as The Incredible Hulk.

It’s a gamma ray-winning week as The Incredible Hulk hits theaters this Friday (June 10th) and the popular Marvel character is getting the red (or should we say green) carpet treatment with a multi-platform video game of the same name.

The angered-fueled game takes place during key moments from the film, as well as adding in plotlines from the Marvel universe. The title also features the film’s cast (Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Edward Norton as David Banner) lending their voices to their on-screen characters.

One of the coolest things to see in this single-player experience is the fact that everything is destructible. From cars to the Empire State Building, New York City is your enemy’s worst nightmare as it serves as your playground of mayhem. And for fans of past games who felt the controls and the limited world environment wasn’t enough for your enjoyment, The Incredible Hulk provides quite the opposite.

Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. The choppy graphics, quick gameplay and online leaderboard are functions and features that really don’t lend itself to being one of the cream of the crop of video games. Maybe a 20-hour game at best, hardcore gamers will splice through this game’s DNA like a Bruce Banner experiment gone wrong.

The game does serve as a better title than fellow Marvel-ite Iron Man, in terms of gameplay and overall fun. But all in all, this game, in the end, is more Bruce Banner than Incredible Hulk.

Check out The Urban Daily’s footage of The Incredible Hulk during th New York Comic Con:

New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom was dense with Making the Band loyalists Wednesday night (May 28) as giddy fans anxiously waited for Bad Boy’s reality rookies to kickoff their first collective tour.

Labelmate Cheri Dennis bolted onstage first, opening with her hit single “I Love You” and transitioning into the jumpier “Portrait of Love.” Clad in a skin-tight black dress and a gold belt, she strutted across the stage rousing the audience into dance mode.

Girls clung to each another with excitement as Donnie Klang—the evening’s second act and the only solo artist from Making the Band 4—took the stage in a black leather getup with female backup dancers serving as accessories. Dispelling the “white-boy-that-can’t-dance” stigma from the show, Donnie flitted in synch (pun intended) to the electro-poppy “Dr. Love.” He then wooed a bevy of screaming women during “Take You There,” revealing his Bad Boy boot camp six-pack to the crowd.

The raucous audience chanted before the spotlight panned to Day26 in black suits, shades and Michael Jackson-esque red gloves. With vocals gelling more than ever, the quintet phased in and out of up-tempo tracks like “Exclusive.” Using chairs as props, Day26’s dance routines were reminiscent of old school New Edition. Mario and Cassie danced along to “Got Me Going” while vocal coach Ankh Ra nodded approvingly. Willie, the crowd favorite, nearly incited a riot when he took off his fitted shirt and tossed it in mid-performance.

Diddy then introduced the evening’s headliners—Danity Kane, his “international superstars.” Draped in racy black and white dresses, the girls opened with “Bad Girl,” grooving in a robotic fashion as flashing lights illuminated their routine. The byproduct of choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson’s “Boom boom caks,” the girls hit every dance move to perfection, baiting the audience with sultry vocals. The biggest crowd pleaser was “Damaged,” from their sophomore album, Welcome To The Dollhouse. Diddy twirled and pumped his fists throughout their set, grinning ear to ear.

After presenting both groups with Gold plaques, Diddy said he nearly had tears in his eyes (along with dollar signs) watching the show.

“Bitchassness” aside, the sold-out venue and fanatical crowd proved that the Making The Band camp is more than a bunch of overnight celebrities.

The Urban Daily crew made its trek out to New York Comic Con a few weeks ago at the huge-as-hell Jacob Javitz Center. While GIANT was talking to all the stars, we hung out with the geeks, nerds and fanboys as they all crowded the place to get a glimpse of their favorite stars and comic icons. Sega made itself known by allowing all to get their fix of the new Iron Man video game.

The game is interwoven into the movie that hits theaters today (May 2nd) and utilizes the vocal talents of the movie’s stars, Robert Downey, Jr. and Terrence Howard, to make this action-packed game leap from the silver screen to your HD one in your living room. Speaking of action, as Tony Starks (aka Iron Man), you’ve turned over a new leaf from megalomaniac weapons supplier to the world to destroying your own stock pile while the powers of evil try and stop you. In a free-range world, you can literally go anywhere in the game during the levels, but expect at every turn an enemy to be coming at you with guns blazing and missiles aimed at your hot rod red armor (pause). The animation of catching missiles in mid-flight, destroying tanks with your own hands and ripping stealth fighter jets in half are some of the crazy things that this game offers. Too bad War Machine hasn’t had his own game, yet.

But can the video game break that dreaded curse of the movie tie-in? While Sega was mum on the additional villains involved and how it affects the movie’s introductory plot, the fans were wowed at Comic Con. Iron Man will be fun for any hardcore fan of the Stan Lee-created comic. The biggest drawback is the aerial controls. As Iron Man, you’re essentially a human airplane and the inverted controls would prove cumbersome for anyone just looking to play the game without being so technical. The learning curve should take you about 20-25 minutes to gain, but the biggest problem comes with the game’s targeting system. There isn’t much of a lock-on function for when in flight or with on-the-ground combat. Your hand/eye coordination better be on point or else this will be a tough game for you to crack.

On the plus side, there are enough unlockable extra to stop you from throwing this game in the scrap heap. As you proceed in the game, you’ll be able to try out new armor such as the Mark III, Extremis and the Hulkbuster. PS3 has an exclusive armor with Ultimate and Xbox comes with the Silver Centurion. With competition coming from in-house (The Hulk game is bananas) and from seasoned veterans (GTA IV, anyone?) – Iron Man: The Game manages to make a dent in the curse, but fails to deliver any new experience worth paying $.99 for.

Before I launch into my review of 2008′s first summer blockbuster Iron Man, I’ve got a confession to make: I’ve never seen the point of Iron Man. Growing up a confirmed comic-book geek, my Top 5 favorite heroes were, in order: Robin (the Tim Drake version), Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman. Compared to those outsized personalities, Iron Man always seemed a little sterile. To be fair, I missed the character’s heyday in the ’70s and ’80s, when the writing staff churned out such popular storylines as the “Demon in a Bottle” series and the whole “Armor Wars” event. By the time I started reading comics in earnest in the early ’90s, Iron Man was something of a B-list hero, an angst-ridden industrialist trapped in a cool-looking, but ultimately stiff suit.

I bring all this up, because the movie version of Iron Man accomplished something I didn’t expect: it makes this erstwhile tin man look like an honest-to-god superhero. From the moment Robert Downey Jr.-who plays Iron Man and his alter ego, brilliant weapons manufacturer Tony Stark-dons his gleaming metal creation for the first time and takes it out for a breathtaking test run, the dude is badass with a capital B. It’s been a long time (arguably since the first Spider-Man flick) that we’ve seen a superhero actually get to enjoy being a superhero. Films like Batman Begins, Superman Returns, Hulk and even the Spider-Man sequels have dwelt instead on all of the emotional trauma and mental strain that comes with dressing up in a colorful outfit and fighting crime. But Iron Man carries no such baggage; fueled by Downey’s live-wire performance, the film hurtles along as if it’s wearing the same rocket-powered boots that are strapped to the title character’s feet.

The plot is standard Issue #1 origin stuff: while showing off his latest weapon of mass destruction to U.S. troops in Afghanistan (updated from East Asia in the original comic), billionaire playboy Stark is captured by a terrorist cell and imprisoned in a cave deep in hostile territory. His captors order him to construct a powerful missile for their own purposes, but Tony-who was badly wounded during his capture and is hooked up to a battery of sorts to keep shrapnel from destroying his heart-instead builds himself a bulky suit of armor (complete with a flame-thrower and rocket launcher) and mounts a daring escape. Back on American soil, he decides to refine the technology through a hilariously disastrous trial-and-error process that’s one of the film’s highlights. After learning that his former captors are harassing innocent Afghanis, Tony suits up for his maiden voyage as Iron Man and, in the process, captures the attention of the world media, not to mention his country’s military brass.

Downey isn’t the only famous face in the movie, of course. Terrence Howard pops up occasionally as Jim Rhodes, Stark’s best friend and future comrade-in-iron (in the comics, the character takes over the mantle of Iron Man for awhile before becoming his own hero, War Machine), while Jeff Bridges is on hand as Tony’s vaguely sinister business partner Obadiah Stane and Gwyneth Paltrow returns from an extended hiatus to play spunky personal assistant/love interest Pepper Potts. Unfortunately, none of these actors have anything particularly interesting to do. Director Jon Favreau is well-aware that the success of the film rests entirely on his leading man’s shoulders and, in fact, there’s barely a moment where Downey is off-screen. That’s great news, because the 43-year-old actor is superb in the role; he owns the character of Iron Man in a way that Christian Bale and Brandon Routh have yet to own Batman and Superman respectively (although the upcoming Dark Knight should change that for Bale at least). In interviews, the cast has talked about how Downey essentially re-wrote most of his dialogue himself and it often feels like he’s coming up with Tony’s razor-sharp quips on the spot. He’s so good, his co-stars often have trouble keeping up with him, save for Paltrow, who scores some of the movie’s biggest laughs. This may just be the loosest, least-mannered performance the Oscar-winner has ever give-perhaps she should think about doing comic-book movies more often.

As entertaining as Iron Man is, it doesn’t solve some of the problems that plague a lot of first installments in comic-book movie franchises. Like Spider-Man and Hulk, it lacks a strong villain to butt heads with Stark and like Superman Returns and Daredevil, the storyline could have used some punching up. There are no plot twists to speak of (at least none that come as a surprise) and no real dramatic conflicts to drive the narrative forward. The movie also might have benefited from a stronger personality behind the camera; while Favreau is clearly skilled at directing actors and assembling an excellent technical crew to handle the production design and visual effects, he’s less sure-handed when it comes to staging epic action sequences. The final battle in particular falls flat, relying too heavily on blurry CGI and pointless explosions. That said, Iron Man’s twin assault on the terrorists and aerial dogfight with the U.S. Air Force are genuinely thrilling. All in all, Iron Man gets the summer movie season off to a rousing start. And while I’m fully expecting The Dark Knight and Hellboy II to top it, for now, this is the strongest comic-book movie to fly into theaters since Batman Begins.

Huddled together in New York’s Legacy Studios yesterday (April 30), Common gave a few choice journalists a sneak peek at his forthcoming album, Invincible Summer. Due in July, the album will be Com’s eighth — not bad for a Chicago MC that has been underrated for much of his 17-year long career. With at least 2 years between all of his other albums, this is also the quickest return of his career as well — his last album, Finding Forever, was released August 8, 2007.

“I just caught the spirit about two months ago,” said Common before playing the first of eight tracks. “I was supposed to be filming this movie [Justice League: Mortal] and it got postponed. I just got inspired.”

Com teamed exclusively with The Neptunes and Outkast producer Mr. DJ (“B.O.B.”) for the 10-track set. He says the title for Invincible Summer came from the wise words of a friend: “In the depths of winter, you have to find your invincible summer.”

While the album is not complete and is subject to change, Common did play the stripper anthem “Sex for Sugar,” an old-school tinged “What A World” and “Changes;” which he describes as an “Obama inauguration”-type song.

While he may not be slipping into Green Lantern’s power ring just yet for the Justice League flick, the MC-turned-actor isn’t done with Hollywood. He will be kicking ass alongside Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in another comic book-inspired movie, Wanted [see trailer below]. “We’re a fraternity of assassins who take out bad guys,” he explains of the actioner slated to open June 27. “If it’s your time to go, we take you out.”

Sounds like Common may just have that right title for his album … and the summer.

This movie marks the hilarious return of slacker anti-heroes, Harold Lee and Kumar Patel. Played with relative ease by John Cho (American Pie I & II) and Kal Penn (Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj), respectively, the two stoners still just can’t seem to get a break.

After their last adventure found the traveling across the country in search of a White Castle, this time the boys get themselves in even more trouble trying to sneak – you guessed it – a bong on board a flight to Amsterdam. With the dynamic duo suspected of terrorism, they’re placed in Guantanamo Bay, forced to run from the law and trying to find a way to prove their innocence.

Interestingly enough, this film can be split into two parts; BNPH (before Neil Patrick Harris) and ANPH (after Neil Patrick Harris). The movie is spammed with jokes. If one doesn’t go over with the audience, then there is one following fast and furiously enough to grab the audiences attention (don’t eat the food in G-Bay!). You’ll find yourself laughing often and hard throughout the film, which is what you want when watching a comedy film.

But with such a hectic and scatterbrained shooting approach to the comedy film, Harris (aka Doogie Howser, MD) explodes onto the scene for a second time, leaving Harold and Kumar to sit in the backseat for this sequel. Every time NPH did something, the theatre went nuts! Stealing the show from the movie’s main actors is not a way to keep this movie from suffering. The injection of a love story between the high times roller’s made the plotline weak and of no real interest to the spazgasms that you experience throughout enjoying the zany adventures of Harold and Kumar.

All in all, this film is a blast to see with a gang of friends in a packed theater. Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay will not disappoint fans of the original flick and new ones shall be converted by Neil Patrick Harris’ mysticism. A nitrous jolt of funniness makes this one to definitely check out. Have yourself a few brownies before you go and make the time that much more enjoyable!