There was a time when you try to say everything you can in three movies and get off the stage. Anything left over, goes straight to video, or DVD, or Blu-Ray, or On Demand. I can’t keep up. Yes there were transcendent franchises like James Bond and Rocky. Now Hollywood is busting down the fourth wall of trilogies with regularity. We’re already at five Fast and the Furious films, and counting. Harry Potter will have six, and I’ve lost count with the Saw movies. The problem with most of these “fourth” installments is that they’re ill conceived because they’re add-ons. They’re the culmination of the ideas that didn’t make original trilogy and made to work. Or at least most seem that way. See the last Indiana Jones to see what I mean. Which brings us to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

It’s not a surprise to see On Stranger Tides get made. The second and third films lowered the bar so low that it could just step over them–and it did–but that’s not exactly a crowning achievement. They stripped away some of the unnecessary actors and characters like Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly, boiled off director Gore Verbinski and replaced him with Rob Marshall (Chicago), and reduced the running time to a relatively brisk 140 minutes. They brought back the essentials in Johnny Depp (The Tourist) as Jack Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) as Hector Barbossa , Kevin McNally as Gibbs and even Keith Richards as Jack’s Father, Captain Teague.The dial on the supernatural elements has been turned down considerably and that too may lure those scorned back. A Pirates re-booty if you will.

Captain Jack Sparrow hit the high seas once again, but it took some time to set sail. Someone has been tarnishing his name, far more than he can do himself. It got Gibbs in a boiling pot and the film opens up with Sparrow disguised as a judge of the British courts to save him from being hung. A seemingly good escape plan lands them in London instead where Sparrow comes face to face with Barbossa who now works for the British Army. They want Sparrow to help them find the Fountain of Youth and as expected he declines and an derring-do escape gets him back in the saloons to gather a crew of his own to find the Fountain.

His search for a boat leads him to his imposter who winds up being his former lover, Angelica (Penelope Cruz, Volver). Knowing that Sparrow knows the whereabouts of the Fountain, Angelica brings him onto her boat, which is actually belongs to her father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane, Deadwood). A prophecy has told Blackbeard will die at the hands of a one-legged man (who we surmise to be Barbossa) in a fortnight. Forced against his will Sparrow has no choice but to help Blackbeard beat Barbossa and the British Army to the Fountain, oh and then there’s also those damn Spainards to contend with. Blackbeard practices the mystic arts, voodoo, and his sword gives him powers that make him very persuasive.

Sparrow and Blackbeard’s journey eventually hits land where before docking, they must retrieve a tear from a mermaid. Legend has it that a tear must be placed in one silver chalices from Ponce De Leon’s treasure. Each chalice must be filled with the fountain’s water and be drunk by two people. The one who drinks the chalice with the tear will steal the years of the other person. Seems plausible enough.

The mermaids are a savvy bunch, seductive but when provoked, and hungry, they turn into rabid piranhas. A colossal battle with them bags them one prize, Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), a mermaid with porcelain skin and hair that flows long enough to cover… well you know. Her tears will not keep through the long journey so they must bring her with them. She is treated like a slave until her honor is kept by a cleric (Sam Claflin) who too is held against his will. It all builds to a finale where the Blackbeard, the British, and the Spanish converge at the fountain.

At times On Stranger Tides reminds me of the fun I had back in 2003 when Curse of the Black Pearl came out. A few fun moments cancel out the incredibly absurd ones. Johnny Depp, who is said to have grown bored of playing Sparrow, doesn’t show it. He’s as lively and playful as ever. And Rush? Well he’s never bad. Ever. McShane’s Blackbeard is on the money. Stephen Graham is also quite enjoyable as Scrum, playing his trademark slimy sidekick role, crooked smile and all.

It is difficult to buy Cruz as the master swordswoman we’re introduced to. We never do see that kind of skill from her character ever again since she’s reduced to the damsel in distress once she’s found out as Jack’s imposter. It’s more difficult to warm up to her when she speaks English. It’s a strange phenomenon with Cruz because she is riveting when she acts in her native tongue. Still, halfway through she and Depp ignite when they’re on camera together, topping each other in whoever can be more over-the-top. And their final scene is well, one of the higher moments of the film.

Unfortunately, the story within On Stranger Tides is awfully predictable and will induce plenty of eye-rolling moments. At times Jack appears as Superman-like, where nothing can harm him or put him at any great risk. The great swash-buckling sword fights are fought in the dark, masking what little face-to-face action there is and the big mermaid set is almost laughable. The love between the righteous cleric and the doe-eyed mermaid is a lazy convention, even by Bruckheimer’s standards but the most interesting relationship is between Angelica and Blackbeard. She loves him but clearly wants him to stop his murderous ways, save his soul yet her devotion to Jack is troubling hers. Is it enough to save this film? Not quite. On Stranger Tides hobbles along like Rush with a peg leg, stumbles a few times but gets back up and mercifully ends before the any inkling to check the watch sets in. It’s hard to see Marshall’s direction or influence. He’s used to high production movie musicals and stage shows, bright and vivid, visually stunning art design. There was none of that here. Too many low-lit scenes make it hard to see most of the action sequences or distinguish similarly clothed characters. It needed a great deal more of Marshall’s razzle-dazzle that’s for sure.

Massive crowds will flock to see if Pirates makes a comeback, and the changes made a noticeable difference; they might even convince many that the franchise is indeed saved. Others though may find this story as uninspiring and unnecessary as your typical add-on accessory, amusing at first but unlikely to be useful to you after the novelty has worn off. Do stay until after the credits though, at least you’ll leave with a smile.

Grade: C

THOR
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenplay: Askley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne
Story: J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 6, 2011

It’s the biggest summer for super hero films and Thor will test the mainstream waters to see how much of the Marvel Universe they’re able to take and accept. Thor opens the Marvel Universe beyond the major cities of America. Radioactive spider, gamma rays? Plausible. People can buy the story of nerds to heroes and Iron Man remains the high bar, a B-grade character that captured the imagination of audiences with slick special effects and even slicker actor beneath the armor. The box office proved Iron Man was a hit, but was rooted in this world.

Thor however, is a challenge. He is larger than what a mortal can comprehend; he is the god of thunder, and Stan Lee, Larry Leiber and Jack Kirby based him from Norse mythology. He talks like he’s been to one too many Shakespeare festivals and he lives in a floating paradise in a galaxy far, far away. There’s magic, science fiction, and fantastic worlds beyond our own. Still, despite all of these leaps of faith, Thor is entertaining enough to overcome these obstacles with incredible action pieces and a tragic story of a bond broken between a father and his two sons.

In a welcomed change, Thor is not an origin story of the title character but instead an introduction of his character to the Marvel Film Universe. After being banished to Earth the story starts by flashing back to how the god of thunder came to land in New Mexico, directly in the path of Jane Foster’s truck.

A brief history lesson told by the god of gods, Odin (Anthony Hopkins, Silence of the Lambs) and his rule over the Nine Realms acquaints audiences with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, led by Laufey (Colm Feore, The Borgias). A war between Asgard and Jotunheim has been waged for thousands of years and many of the battles took place on Earth where Odin and his army eventually seized control of their frost powers by obtaining a magical artifact called the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Back in the present day, a coronation begins in Asgard where a cocky and reckless Thor (Chris Hemsworth, Star Trek) saunters up to the throne, playing to the Asgardians who cheer him on. Suddenly Asgard is infiltrated by the Frost Giants, attempting to steal back the Casket. Thor marks this as an act of war and against Odin’s request to stand down, he assembles an assault team with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleton, Archipelago), Sif (Jamie Alexander, Nurse Jackie), and the Warriors Three: Hogun (Todanabu Asano, Mongol), Fandral (Joshua Dallas) and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson, Kill the Irishman). They beg Heimdall (Idris Elba, Luther) the all-seeing and all-hearing soldier of Odin to provide them a transport to Jotunheim where an incredible battle ensues, mostly by Thor. Odin intervenes and rescues Thor and his team before any more blood is shed.

Thor and Odin have vicious words for each other back in Asgard, like Thor says, “You so old, you knew Jesus.” Then Odin says, “You so stupid, you stole free bread.” No, not really. In fact it was an emotionally charged moment–the best dare I say in any Marvel movie–where Hemsworth stood eyes to eye with Hopkins. In a lesson of humility, Odin casts Thor to Earth, stripping him of his powers amongst mortals. He is separated from his trusted weapon, the magical hammer Mjolnir who Odin blesses by saying that the only one who can pick it up be worthy of its power and the story picks up from the opening scene.

Now on Earth he must find a way to reunite with Mjolnir and get back to Asgard. With the help of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Black Swan), an astrophysicist and her research partner Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard, Mamma Mia) and helper Darcy (Kat Dennings, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) Thor begins to acclimate to Earth while Jane and her friends believe him to be a homeless lunatic. Meanwhile Loki finds out a secret and does his best to ruin the reputation of Thor and Odin, and take the crown for himself.

Thor is the first Marvel film to integrate S.H.I.E.L.D. naturally into the story as opposed to IM 2 where much of it felt shoehorned to (excuse the pun) hammer home the progression towards The Avengers. S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers Mjolnir after an Excalibur-like moment, where everyone tries to yank the hammer out of the ground with no success. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg, Iron Man 2) arrives and put an end to all the fun and builds a lab around the hammer. Jane helps Thor get to the fall site after all of her research and equipment is taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. and she is left with no purpose but to help and fall hopelessly for Thor. He makes short work of the security only to find he cannot pick up Mjolnir, setting up the third act.

As a comics reader, my biggest fear of Thor was alleviated by how well the balance was maintained between the three realms. Thor does a fine job explaining Asgard and how Earth fits into the Nine Realms to Jane, and it should even clear up questions by the most casual comic book reader.

Director Kenneth Branagh does an exceptional job making the archaic and clumsy aspects of Thor more palatable and seductive than repelling. Most of all he was loyal to the characters. Thor’s arrogance is plainly seen as his weakness, while Loki’s elaborate ways to destroy Thor always seem to turn on him and assist his brother in the end. Portman works although it’s not so easy to believe she’s a scientific shut-in and Dennings delivers most of Thor’s moments of levity.

But Thor isn’t Iron Man perfect. It has its flaws, well, nitpicks really. They don’t take away from the enjoyment of the film, but they do hang above it like a storm cloud.

At one point in the movie, everything comes to a halt. Loki sets an elaborate albeit slightly confusing plan of deception and instructs Laufey on how to kill Odin. Thor has accepted his punishment and tries his best to integrate amongst the mortals. It’s not until the Warriors Three and Sif decide to be proactive and rescue Thor that the film begins to pick up the momentum it dropped, prompting Loki to summon the Destroyer to Earth. Branagh managed to tell a story with no real villains, which was both an accomplishment and a contributing factor as to why the story was left floated before the third act began. If felt as if either Thor or someone with pure evil intent needed to drive it home. Loki could be seen as more misunderstood than anything.

There also wasn’t enough of the other Asgardians. Early they seemed to be placed in the film to satisfy the diehards so that they could say, ‘See, Marvel included everyone.’ I wanted more of the Warriors Three in action and in conversation, especially Volstagg. Also severely underused was Frigga (Rene Russo, Ransom)–let’s just say that this is the easiest paycheck she’ll ever make. She may have had fewer lines than Halle Berry in the first X-Men. Seriously. Not surprisingly either is the legion of Asgardians–who we are introduced to in the beginning of the film and see in Thor’s coronation–vanish when Asgard needs them the most.

There were a few fantastic elements that took me out of the moment like when Thor would swing Mjolnir in a circular motion and creatively come up with different ways to use it, but the speed at which he twirled the hammer as compared to what happens as a result don’t match up and no it wasn’t my 3D glasses playing tricks on me. Speaking of which, I do not recommend watching this film in 3D. It was converted, and poorly at that. Scenes were not composed as such and it fails in providing a better experience. This is and always should be, a 2D film.

Thor still manages to work on the big screen well, and he even looks good on camera. Rather than fill the screen with garish color, the costumes sold Asgard as much as the performances under the armor. For example Odin and Loki’s armor looked like gold or silver pieces and then a turn of the body would reveal a green or blue-ish tint. Heimdall especially is one character where the golden armor did the heavy lifting.

Other things that exceeded expectations was the way the rainbow bridge looked and became an integral part of the story, Heimdall’s gateway transportation to the other realms, Hiddleston’s performance as Loki, and Hemsworth is more than worthy to wield Mjolnir. The tug-of-war between gods, mortals and monsters, the lesson of humility, and the genuine mind-blowing visuals are reminiscent of the stories told by Lee, Lieber and Kirby, yet subsequent eras of the mythos work their way into the film, as do cameos and Easter eggs for the eagle eyes in the audience.

Of all of the super hero films slated for release in 2011, Thor was one I had looked forward to the least but I’ve since come away feeling very good about Thor and its potential for a sequel. I am especially looking forward to seeing what happens next (and after the credits) and how that rolls into The Avengers. Word is that Captain America: The First Avenger might even better than Thor–this will be a Marvelous summer indeed.

B+

Year: 2010
Running Time: Legacy 125 minutes / Tron 96 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $79.99
Studio(s): Disney
Release Date: April 5, 2011

Film/Feature: Tron Legacy: C+ / Tron: C

Who would have thought that a film filled with computer-generated effects would influence and inspire so many people? Who would have thought that a sequel was possible nearly 30 years later? This was my second time viewing Legacy as I saw it in a 3D IMAX theater and this had to be probably my fifth time seeing Tron (in full) and one film set out what it wanted to do but for me fell way short of its potential. The other is a classic film for many, and justifiably a landmark in technical achievement but honestly has not aged particularly well.

The original Tron featured Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) as a computer programmer who claims video games he designed were stolen by his old company rival Ed Dillinger (David Warner) of ENCOM. With the assistance of his friends Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) and Lora Baines (Cindy Morgan), Flynn gets access to ENCOM’s mainframe computers and hacks into the system and in the process gets zapped into the server where he’s thrown into a virtual world of where he’s the guest “user” trying to survive alongside other programs as Master Control the ultimate program, which has grown to ultimate power throws Flynn into these wild games of survival. Writer/Director Steven Lisberger was a visionary when he put this film together. Long before the internet and smart phones, Lisberger dreamed of a world that we’ve only begun to catch up to today.

As imaginative and creative as the film is, and how the young actors at the time, and now long-time veterans in the “game” put in a “go for it” effort, Tron is filled with dry and forgettable moments and deplorable bad fashion. But you can’t help but give it up for Lisberger and the foresight to come up with language and speak that rings true today as well as concepts and our own personal usage of computers and games, and the internet. Tron unfortunately is a struggle to watch as something other than those inspirational moments and visual highlights. What people remember most is dazzling and colorful visuals, crazy virtual games, and a bunch of cheese oozing in between. Ironically the sequel is much in the same.

Tron Legacy had the knowledge of where we have gone since 1982 and fell flat when there were infinite possibilities as far as where to take the story, but sadly they chose to mirror much of Tron’s structure. First it was essential one see Tron before seeing Legacy but it does help greatly. Secondly the film mirrors much of the original instead of taking it to new places and that’s where my problem comes with Legacy. The story begins as Flynn knowing he could go to this virtual world and create a vast new world in the basement of his arcade. He enlists two “programs” to help him build while he would go back to spend time with his family. CLU, A computer in the visage of a computer generated “younger” Bridges, and Tron (Boxleitner) the security program that helped him destroy Master Control in the original movie. Unfortunately with all of his trips back and forth to The Grid, Flynn got stuck and his son grew up without his father in 1989.

Since then Sam (Garrettt Hedlund) is a thorn in ENCOM’s side and breaks into the company only to cause havoc on their servers on the days they expect their stock to raise in value. But Alan, now an executive at ENCOM gets word from Flynn inside The Grid to send in Sam. The message was an elaborate trick by CLU to get Sam into the virtual Grid, while opening a portal for anyone to go through back to the real world, including CLU. Sam is thrown into a barrage of death-match games much like his father but the world is a dizzying and dazzling update. Gone are the body suits with Sharpie marker designs drawn on them and in return is a beautiful, sleek and chic new imagining of The Grid. Sam survives the tests and is rescued by Quorra (Olivia Wilde) who takes him off the Grid.

Sam is reunited with his father who has become a stark contrast to the wild and reckless programmer he once was. CLU has grown in power and by staying off the grid, Kevin Flynn remains in the virtual world to keep the real world safe from his creation gone bad. Also, as if discovering a native flower, Quorra represents the last of a native race of beings in the Grid that could be the answer to multiple problems in the real world. Sam being on the Grid brings Flynn out in the open for the first time in a long time and with Flynn’s identity disc, CLU could escape out to the real world to create more perfection.

As I stated earlier Legacy seems to be more of the original Tron amplified, and much of that upping the visual ante can be attributed to first time director Joseph Kosinski who hailed from the architecture world. His prior career shines through the style and art design of the film. It’s a stunning redesign of silhouettes and neon light. It’s chock full of contemporary flair, but there’s also artificial lens flairs galore and atmospheric smoke for the sake of having atmospheric smoke. Legacy lacks the warmth of the original but also lacks the substance to let those spectacular scenes resonate into more than just being eye candy. Hedlund is stiff and rigid, and Bridges has been weathered down to playing The Dude persona instead of what we remembered to be Kevin Flynn. Bridges as CLU is even more rigid, and his disturbing brow doesn’t move even when it’s wrinkled.

Something often found in films like Star Wars: A New Hope and Tron are these character-building scenes that are nowhere to be found in modern sequels. For instance, in Tron, the scene upstairs in Flynn’s arcade where Flynn’s is playing handheld videogames while Allan and Lora try to figure out if he’s embezzling money shows us exactly who these characters are before we see the virtual world. In Legacy we never ever get to really know Sam, instead as we get reacquainted with the archetype of a young adult, who feels abandoned by his father who grows up to be a troublemaker. Then he later realizes the great sacrifice and then tries to live up to his namesake. Outside of riding motorcycles, being brave, and looking like a hard-ass, and talking in monosyllabic phrases, what else is there to know about Sam?

I was hoping for something to the scope of a Blade Runner some kind of new world to explore and to be awed by with a more complex story. Haven’t we seen saving the sole survivor of a race story before? The exceptional Daft Punk gave Legacy a pulse, a beat, even rhythm, but it couldn’t give it soul. Tron Legacy could have had all of the games, but is the only purpose for these games just a gladiator event? I guess I was mislead by the original trailer for Legacy when it showed the Light Cycles going outside of the arena, outside of the grid, but sadly again, this felt more like an update than a sequel. After the light show, the air battle, the story’s conflict seemed to circle itself into a dead end, repeating the clunky, awkward seizure-inducing light-blinding finale that Tron had (minus the obligatory helicopter). When Tron Legacy–and Tron for that matter–electrify they’re stimulating, but when each had they’re stretches where you’re wanting something more to connect to. Tron Legacy satisfied minimal expectations (looks cool, sounds cool, somewhat plausible and logical continuation) but is it too much to hope for more? Apparently.

Tron Legacy Video:A+/ Tron Video: A+

Tron Legacy is to die for on a visual level. It has a flawless1080p AVC-encoded transfer split in two aspect ratios. 2.35:1 was used on all Tron Grid world scenes where the wide action occurred. Scenes in the real world were shot in 1.78:1. Detail is amazing, even with the darkly-lit scenes, one could still see the freckles and age spots on Jeff Bridges’ face (the old one, not CLU), and every puff of smoke or cloud while translucent was clearly distinguishable. You could also see if it was on the outside of a ship or the inside. Colors shot in the real world are warmed by the fading sunlight of San Francisco. It was such a relief after being in the Grid for two hours. Shadows, even in this dark setting could be seen without getting lost. The high contrast of backlit neon colors against the silhouetting blacks was again deserved of the praise. The glow of the colors stops you in your tracks, and there’s no distortion of the colors, nor do they bleed out. I do wish they cut back on all of those artificial lens flares that are littered throughout the feature. They were blurry in the theater on 3D and now that they can be clearly seen and I sort of wish I hadn’t, still it was the sign of a beautiful transfer.

And for a 29-year old film, the Tron Blu-Ray makes the film look like it was shot yesterday. All of those wild psychedelic colors burst onto the screen. The image is cleaned up but there’s not a terrible overhaul of the image, but it’s not a perfect as there are a few scenes where you can see the image or the negative wobble. Grain is still present and that’s a good thing. As for details, this is the clearest I’ve ever seen the film. My last experience of Tron was on VHS and so much of it was lost. Every flicker of light, every polygon is crystal clear and sparkling clean. Not a damn thing to complain about.

Tron Legacy Audio: A+/Tron Audio: B+

Prepare to be blown away by this bombastic 7.1 English DTS-HD audio track that thrives in the home theater set up. Daft Punk’s electric wonderland bursts through the speakers while the sub kicks out a pulsating beat. Sound has been carefully designed to move all around viewers, with plenty of action for the surround speakers. Whether it’s the zipping of Light Cycles, the rush of the air or vapor whooshing behind, and then there’s the crowd in the arena or that incredible score. The weight of the vehicles can actually be felt through the amount of drive in the lower frequencies. There’s a difference in the roar of the Light Cycles to that of the Light Jets. When Clu addresses his legion of programs, you’d swear you were in a cavernous church when you hear his echo travel far past your head. Reference material? You bet. Other audio selections include: English French, Spanish in 2.0 Stereo and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish.

For Tron, the 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track is going to be Zen garden as compared to Legacy however for its time there a immersive sound effects, dialogue though a bit low at times is properly placed up front, and there’s a surprisingly fair amount of atmospherics that are other worldly. There isn’t a hard-driving score filled with bass, there wasn’t storm clouds in the backgrounds but there was a fair share of directional movement in the mix, trembling bass whenever appropriate and the dialogue was clear once you drive the volume up.

Extras: B
On the surface as far as everything that’s thrown in, the five-disc package is an incredible value. But as far as produced extra material, I found most of what’s found on the blu-ray to be too heavy on the EPK material and not long or deep enough for something that’s as technically wonderful as Tron Legacy. Here’s what was in the bundle:

Disc One is the 3D Blu-Ray
Without a 3D TV, I sadly cannot share my views on the experience of the home theater 3D experience. I hope it’s better than the theater experience as I found that there was too much blurring going on and my eyes felt fatigued two-thirds of the way through. I found the regular blu-ray feature presentation to be much more pleasurable experience and wished I had just seen in the theater on an IMAX big screen, but not necessarily in 3D. Still for people who have invested in the 3D capable televisions here’s another film to try that technology out.

Disc Two is the Tron Legacy Blu-Ray:
The Next Day; Flynn Lives Revealed HD (10:25) is an odd extra that bridges the gap in between the Tron movies from the point at which Flynn disappears. ENCOM employees, programmers and the “Flynn Lives” Hacker about what At the end is a High Score list where viewers can enter in initials to access additional clips. (Type “All” to access all of them) These clips are filled with Flynn Lives propaganda from commercials, Tron video games, to protests and rallies, even clips of the unveiling of Flynn’s Arcade at Comic-Con, it’s a hodge-podge of odds and ends that will make Tron diehards grin with delight.

Launching the Legacy HD (10:20) is a solid look at how a sequel for Tron came to fruition, the real scientists who created a plausible world with which to make the film relevant to today. Also the test footage was shown from Comic-Con 2009 where the wonderful test footage was shown to see if there’d be interest in a Tron sequel.

First Look at Tron Uprising HD (1:15) Talk about your teases, this is a teaser for the upcoming animated Tron Uprising series that will air on Disney XD. It featured a star-studded cast and looks like it’s animated in way that will honor the look of the film, and hopefully will reach much deeper into the characters and story than either film.

Visualizing TRON HD (11:46) I wish this featurette was longer since this department is the one that hit it out of the park. From Kosinski using his architecture background to micro manage (just being honest, but the end result was stunning) the production design to using light as the central design element this was one movie where I could have seen a good 45 minute to an hour of extra footage to see how everything was done.

Installing the Cast HD (12:04) Shows all of the cast members patting each other on the back and telling how much they loved working with each other and how nice it was for the cast from the original Tron movie to come back for Tron Legacy.

Disc Roars HD (3:00) shows how Kosinski used the crowd at Comic-Con International Tron Panel to record the crowd noises for the movie.

Derezzed HD (2:58) A Daft Punk music video

Second Screen is an option to use with your laptop or iPad and it syncs up with the movie through Disney’s website, so as the film is playing exclusive supplemental material is accessible.

And that’s it. No commentary, no deeper look at any one aspect of the production or more revealing produced pieces that offer up a sense of what being on the set was like. There is not even a piece about Daft Punk doing the score. The problem in home entertainment releases is the turnaround speed does not offer much time to reflect or allow the audience to dictate what an essential home release should have.

Disc Three is Tron on Blu-Ray
New and Exclusive to Blu-Ray
The Tron Phenomenon HD (9:45) A modern day retrospective on the influence of Tron, by the cast and crew of Legacy. Older actors reflect back while actors who weren’t even born talk about being involved with a film that’s achieved such high cult status.

Photo Tronology (8:05) An excellent feature with Steven and his son Carl Lisberger who make a visit to the Disney archives to go over production and set photos taken for the Tron. Carl has become a devotee to the film and you can really see the love he has that goes beyond being attached to it through his father. Exploring the new extras on both discs, this was one of my favorites.

The rest are a full offering that have been transported over from the DVD and Laserdisc editions

Audio Commentary by Director Steven Lisberger, Producer Donald Kushner, Assoc. Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor Harrison Ellenshow and Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Taylor give an exceptional informative and detailed track filled with anecdotes about the production and principal photography, technical challenges, and understanding the history of how Tron came to be.

Making of Tron SD (88:20) A extremely thorough back to front documentary on every imaginable aspect of the film, a backstage pass if you will to the making of the film and interviews with the filmmakers on the potential of a sequel.

Development SD (8:05) Animatics are shown along with a television report called “Computers are People Too”

Digital Imagery SD (12:10) Testing out the concepts and early CGI for the film.

Rounding out the disc are Two deleted Scenes of Yori and Tron, Galleries full of design, concept and publicity art, a reel of trailers, deleted score pieces, Storyboarding the Light Cycle sequence, and an interview with Syd Mead about the Design of the Light Cycles and other aspects of the movie.

Disc Four is Tron Legacy on DVD

Disc Five is a Digital Copy of Tron Legacy for portable devices or desktop computers.

Tron Legacy on Blu-Ray–Overall Shock Value B–
Who knows what Tron Legacy will go on to inspire but it was one of the few tent pole films of 2010 that made a visual impression on me and I foresee films to cherry pick this and that from this film as well. I still found the story to be lacking substance department, especially with what could have been. There were opportunities left on the floor here. The core audience looking for a Tron sequel will likely be satisfied, if anything it shoots to echo the voice of the original Tron and I believe it does so, flaws and all. Technically, Tron Legacy is flawless in both the audio and video departments and is sure to be bumping through home theaters across the globe in glorious high definition. They’ve included every imaginable legal way to view the film and that goes a long way to satisfy every viewer, die hard or casual, young or old. A much deeper and more intricate plot and a more robust offering of extras would have raised the overall value higher but this giant bundle still comes with Buy It recommendation based on the film’s intangibles.

Tron on Blu-Ray–Overall Shock Value B–
Being honest seeing Tron again didn’t hold up to the film that I remembered, like its sequel, the story seemed to slow down and putter out the momentum built up from the action sequences. Still, it’s a unique visual experience and paved the way for countless other films that relied on CGI heavily. The high def transfer really does make the movie look futuristic, and the extras are complete with mandatory viewing and hearing material. It’s a shame that Legacy didn’t go as far to satisfy that in-depth curiosity. Kudos to Disney for including it in the deluxe package.

With just a week left for Christmas and Kwanzaa, there’s still time to get a gift for your special geek that will keep you high on their short list. Consider this a last minute guide for that loving geek in your life or just a wish list to fulfill for those with gift cards or leftover cash primed for after Christmas sales or post-Hanukkah spending sprees.

Geeks love hardcover comics, giant coffee books, video games, blu-rays and dvds. Why? Because we can spend hours and hours pouring over them. They’re great value for the money and they will get their use out of them. So it’s best not to stray too far from what we like and the following list is some of those perfect gifts that tell a geek that you know what they love.

We’ve listed the suggested retail price to let you know the most you’ll be forking over, as well as the Amazon price (not that Amazon is the cheapest, but it’s a starting point for online shopping and to compare to an in-store purchase).

For the DC Comics Geek and Gamer: Pre-Order DC Universe Online Collector’s Edition Video Game
PS3 & PC Version SRP: $100 Amazon: $88 Non-Collector’s Edition $60
Due out in early 2011, the Massive Multi-Player Online game that allows your favorite geek to create his or her own DC Universe character, be mentored by Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Joker, Lex Luthor, or Circe and develop into a larger than life hero doing good, or a menacing villain. The only way to achieve that highest level of super hero geekdom is to get this game, and if it’s a gift, preorder the special Collector’s Edition with a statue designed by Jim Lee, a comic written by Geoff Johns, and loads of conceptual art by Jim Lee and Wildstorm Studios. This game will have a monthly fee, so take the worry of the cost of the game by pre-ordering the game for them so that they’re the first to get their hands on it.

For the Animation Geek: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam

For my money, the very best of super hero animation comes from DC/Warner Animation. They used to have a distinct style but have switched gears in the last two years to animate some of the modern classics and have the animation echo the style of the artist from the printed comics. The two latest releases in 2010 are some of the best.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
BRD SRP: $30 Amazon Price: $19
DVD SRP: $20 Amazon Price: $14

This full-length feature animates the popular Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner Superman/Batman story that reintroduces Supergirl to the DC Universe. Starring Kevin Conroy as Superman, Andre Braugher as Darkseid, and Summer Glau as Supergirl, it’s a star-studded cast for first rate animated film. The extras are full of extras that tell the history of Supergirl and Jack Kirby’s New Gods. Plus 4 bonus cartoons featuring Darkseid gives viewers plenty of viewing material.

Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam
BRD SRP: $30 Amazon Price: $19
DVD SRP: $20 Amazon Price: $14
If Supergirl doesn’t interest your geek, then Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam is a collection of all the animated shorts that made their debut in the previous releases, Green Arrow, Jonah Hex, and The Spectre, with writer commentaries. Superman/Shazam is a new action-packed release

For the Crime Geek: The Outfit and Vertigo Crime Hardcovers

The Outfit HC
SRP: $25 Amazon Price: $17

Darywn Cooke’s second graphic novel adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s (under the pseudonym Richard Stark) Parker novels is just as juicy as his first one, The Hunter. Cooke’s timeless art style and storytelling puts The Outfit on the highest shelf of achievements in comics in 2010. This is a direct sequel to The Hunter, so make sure your crime-loving geek has the first one or buy it too. The Outfit picks up after Parker retrieves the money he was cheated out of and puts him in harms way after some lowlife scum rats him out. Cooke is a master of composition, transplanting you to a past era, creating one of the greatest thrill rides of the year. It’s smart, sexy, and owning the book alone raises your cool rep points +10. The Outfit rolls into the forthcoming third book, The Score due out in mid-to-late 2011 made by IDW Publishing.

Vertigo Crime HC Books
SRP: $20 Amazon: $15

If your crime lover already has The Outfit, there’s a whole line of Vertigo Crime books out there waiting to be read as well. Priced and sized perfectly as devious stocking stuffers, the Vertigo Crime series an array of pulpy black and white tales full of cons, bad deals, capers, and greed. Of the few handfuls published, I recommend A Sickness in the Family by Denise Mina and Antonio Fuso, Fogtown by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader, Filthy Rich by Brian Azzarello and Victor Santos, and Area 10 by Christos Gage and Chris Samnee.

For the TV and Lost Geek: The Lost Encyclopedia
SRP: $45 Amazon: $25.90

For that TV fan who has yet to find anything to fill the hole that Lost left after its sixth season, The Lost Encyclopedia should fill it plenty as THE quintessential reference guide. For the casual fan or for those who have black smoke running through their veins, authors Tara Bennett and Paul Terry organized every tidbit of the known and the obscure over six seasons of show canon. Be forewarned, it’s not a book to see if all your questions are answered, but it does further the experience of the show and Lost University Experience on the season blu-rays. Check out island maps and blueprints of the various hatches, learn everything you ever wanted about the Hanso foundation, off-island connections between characters, see the complete bookshelf of Lost (and who read what), understand the rules of time travel according to Daniel Faraday, read the list of every nickname Sawyer came up with, read up on the history of Taweret, and even see grizzly pictures of Montand’s torn off arm. This of course is a tiny sampling of an avalanche of information about the characters, items, location, religions, and other show minutiae that will keep your favorite Lostie busy for months.

For the Post-Apocalypse Geek: Sweet Tooth Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
Vol. 1 Out of the Woods SRP: $10 Amazon: $6
Vol. 2: In Captivity SRP: $13 Amazon: $10

If you have brooding and dark geek in your life, then I’m assuming they’ve watched The Road, and worn out their copy of Fight Club. They’ve bought and re-bought Y:The Last Man and The Walking Dead in multiple formats and are still starving for more. Do they have Sweet Tooth? Jeff Lemire’s imaginative tale of a young human/animal hybrid alone in the world after his father is unable to care for him. The scary reality of the world outside his quiet forested home is made easier when a mysterious and violent drifter named Jepperd takes care of him. Unfortunately, Jepperd is not all what he seems. Lemire’s somber storytelling is what keeps the pages flipping furiously while his art is expressive and exciting.

For the Movie and Comic Geek: Multiplex:Enjoy Your Show TP
SRP: $20 Amazon: $15

Chances are that special geek in your life’s interests crossover and finding a gift for those people is even harder. Well this is the perfect crossover gift that’s a little on the obscure side. Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show by Gordon McAlpin is a collection of the first year of the popular weekly web comic Multiplex, which follows the travails of the men and women working at a movie theater. If you liked Clerks with the visual charm of South Park, and are immersed in the film industry, McAlpin doesn’t miss a beat in poking fun at films, the filmmakers who make them, the actors who star in them and most of all, the people who pay to see them.

For the Fantasy and All-Ages Geek: Return of the Dapper Men HC
SRP: $25 Amazon: $17
Archaia just released this exquisite hardcover by Jim McCann and Janet K. Lee, a fantasy where children and robots roam. Ayden is a boy and Zoe is a robot girl and together they try to open the minds of those who would be set in their ways. It’s a simple yet timeless fairy tale set in a steam punk world and opens the imagination of readers young and young at heart. Lee’s art is a fresh sight; it’s intricate and at times leaves you breathless. The book’s large format allows the reader to get lost for hours while McCann’s story is full of whimsical charm. This is a bonus buy for the very young reader being introduced to sequential art.

For the Ultimate Sports Geek: 30 for 30 Limited Edition Gift Set
SRP: $75 Amazon: $46

I’ve raved all summer and fall to anyone who’d listen on the ESPN’s marvelous 30 for 30 series of documentaries originally airing on their various channels. Ranging from the fascinating to the absurd, this set collects the first 15 films from the series: Kings Ransom, The Band That Wouldn’t Die, Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?, Muhammad & Larry, Without Bias, The Legend of Jimmy The Greek, The U, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, Guru of Go, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, Silly Little Game, Run Ricky Run, The 16th Man, Straight Outta L.A., and June 17th, 1994. Many of the films showcase a moment in time in a particular sporting event or era, and shows the cultural ripple sent surrounding said event. There is a ton of bonus material, extended scenes and interviews that is a must-have for guys or girls who loves all sports and the games outside the game itself.

For the Football Geek: Take Your Eye Off the Ball
SRP: $17 Amazon: $12

Watching American football on television has trained viewers to basically follow who’s throwing the football, who catches it and who tackles the receiver or running back; there’s a whole game that surrounds the pigskin. There are 21 other players on the field besides the ball carrier. Diehards who attend games in person often say they like to sit higher in the stands to see a play develop, but this book actually tells you what to look for, deciphers football lingo, and teaches you some of finer parts of the game we’re often not privy to. It’s written by NFL.com columnist and co-host of Movin’ the Chains on Sirius Radio 124. Echoing his writings and radio show, Kirwan has worked nearly every job and takes the complexities of the game and explains it in a way that anyone can digest, increasing the reader’s football IQ by 100. Available in print, audiobook and with a companion CD, the best place to purchase it is at Kirwan’s website where you can buy all three for $30.

For the Fantasy Football Geek: The League Season One Blu-Ray/DVD
BRD SRP: $35 Amazon: $24
DVD SRP: $30 Amazon: $12

There has never been a series done based on the fantasy sports geek. I should know, being one myself. The League legitimizes itself by having the sports angle right and having guest-athletes make cameos; but also manages to capture all of the fantasy player archetypes and situations into this handful of miscreants bonded together by the love of not football but beating each other’s asses. Created with mostly improvised lewd and coarse humor, The League showcases the comedic talents of Nick Kroll, Katie Aselton, Mark Duplass, Jon Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi, and Paul Scheer, the blu-ray/DVD contains extended episodes, cut improvisations and Taco’s music videos. This disc also makes a great gift for the winner of fantasy leagues around the world.

For the War Geek: The Pacific and Generation Kill

The Pacific
BRD SRP: $100 Amazon: $65
DVD SRP: $80 Amazon: $43

Too often the war fought in Europe is the only image of World War II. As a result, people fail to recognize the other half to the war fought in the Pacific Ocean was just as brutal, more physically demanding and psychologically damaging. HBO’s The Pacific does an exceptional job of visualizing the war through three Marines: John Basilone (Jon Sena), Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), and Eugene Slade (Joseph Mazzelo). The HBO mini-series deserves all of the attention it’s getting, using the novels written by many of the Marines featured in the film as the foundation to explore who these soldiers were before the war, their horror, and how their survival shattered their humanity.

Generation Kill Blu-Ray/DVD
BRD: SRP $80 Amazon: $41
DVD SRP: $60 Amazon: $30

Equally deserving of The Pacific’s company is Generation Kill, another HBO mini-series that belongs in the same breath with every other talked about war film. It came out last year but I find most people are in the dark. Released late in 2009, GK is based on Evan Wright’s book of the same name about his experience accompanying the Marine’s 1st Reconnaissance Battalion’s in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The unit survived questionable leadership and multiple intense, harrowing moments. Imagine the Hurt Locker times seven. Several actual members of the unit were supporting cast members to an impressive roster including Alexander Skarsgard, Lee Tergesen, James Ransone, and Billy Lush. Generation Kill is written and produced by David Simon and Ed Burns (the men who brought you The Wire) and Wright was also a writer and creative consultant. It offers a dark glimpse into the trickle down effect of an ill-advised decision by the Commander of Chief and the subsequent poor chain of command that endangered too many soldiers.

For the Western Geek: Deadwood Blu-Ray and Jonah Hex Trades

Deadwood Complete Series Blu-Ray
BRD SRP: $210 Amazon: $125

Quite possibly my favorite blu-ray box set released in 2010 is Deadwood: The Complete Series. Three seasons of gun slinging, swearing, and vicious fun have been collected in a handsome little white box filled with more extras you can shoot at. It includes 17 audio commentaries, historical and factual reference of the real Deadwood, season overviews, extensive Q and A sessions, and much, much more. All of it is in high definition, with sparkling new video transfers an impressive DTS-HD soundtrack that’s full of directional shootouts, thundering rainstorms and a mastering of all that crass dialogue in the quiet contemplative scenes. Trash those @#$*ing DVDs you, #$@%-sucker and get this new box set. It’s well worth the upgrade.

Jonah Hex Trade Paperbacks
SRP: $10-20 Amazon: $10-14

Forget that heap of trash film that came out earlier this year, Jonah Hex lives on in the excellent series of short stories written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justing Gray with a rotating stable of stallions at the art table. The stories are quick, gritty, and they’ll remind fans of their favorite western movies and show just how far comics have gone by proving once again that comics should never be restricted to capes and cowls. There are ten in all, (Full Face of Violence, Guns of Vengeance, Origins, Only the Good Die Young, Luck Runs Out, Bullets Don’t Lie, Lead Poisoning, The Six Gun War, Counting Corpses and No Way Back) but the beauty of the Jonah Hex books is that they don’t need to be read in order.

For the Martial Arts Geek: Ip Man 1
BRD SRP: $33 Amazon: $21
DVD SRP: $25 Amazon: $19

For those that thought Bruce Lee had a fascinating life, his mentor, Ip Man apparently led a more extraordinary life, which has been wildly exaggerated for effect. Master Donnie Yen stars in an epic adaptation of a man devoted to his martial art, his wife, and his country. Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-hung, and Ip Chan (Ip Man’s son) choreograph some of the best fight scenes in film history, but what’s most impressive about Ip Man 1 is the story of his younger, more vicarious adventures as a rich teacher of Wing Chun who soon finds himself in a real test of pride when the Second Sino-Japan war infiltrates Ip Man’s city, Foshan. While most of this is probably fiction, it’s easy to get swept up in the story and be astonished at the action. Ip Man 2 continues his tale to Hong Kong, taking on a Chinese ‘Rocky,’ but don’t proceed there unless the first part is under your belt.

PCS Villain, Colt 45 running across the bay

Recently, Sony Online Entertainment brought PopCultureShock to tour the SOE Studio in Austin, Texas where they’ve put a tremendous effort in creating the much-anticipated DC Universe Online game. After a tour of the office and a debriefing of the game’s inception, creative process, and breakdown of the main elements of the game, I got to spend a few hours exploring the game in Beta, and what follows are my first impressions of the game. Click on images to enlarge

Harley Quinn guards the Joker Suit

DCU Online is not a pure MMO, at least not in what longtime MMO-ers are used to; it’s more of a hybrid of a few game types mixed together. There’s a little real-time strategy, a little bit of RPG, and all of it is encompassed in this MMO world. It’s heavy on the combat and logistically so because DCU Online is getting a simultaneous launch on the PS3 and PCs. Because of the amount of combat that’s involved, I found the PS3 Dualshock controller to be much more natural when dishing out combos and making changes on the fly. I played on a PC, but played with a Dualshock controller after quickly ditching the keyboard route.

Custom Make it Your Own

For those that don’t know, DCU Online has always been about a custom hero that you bring to the table. One of the early misconceptions is that you’d be able to play the classic DCU heroes and villains for an entire campaign, but not so. It’s possible to play a few dozen of them in alert missions, and you can tailor make your character to look like and act like your favorites, but it’s better to make it your own, no? Well you have that choice, regardless. You create a character that exists in the DCU, and you choose to be male or female; design your build and stature including both the look and abilities/powers; and live out the fantasy of a hero or villain. Those choosing the heroic path get to pick one of DC’s classic Trinity: Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman as their mentor, while those who decide the villainous route get to choose from their arch enemies in Lex Luthor, Joker, or Circe.

One of Gotham's finest getting the beat down, or with the red flashing, is it me who is getting beat down?

The name I chose for my super villain was Colt 45. (The creative juices were flowing a little slow that day and I’ll blame it on traveling eastward.) It’s so easy to make a character with the powers you always wanted as a kid, and so I did. I had to go for super speed (I love the Flash and ran track) and had to have sorcery powers because I wanted to see the visuals of comic book magic. Besides super speed, flight and acrobatics are the additional choices in terms of traveling. Given my limited time with the game, the ability to cover a large amount of area in a short time was a luxury I considered heavily.

Other core powers include: gadgets, fire, ice, nature, and mental while even more staple powers can be unlocked and added to your utility belt. You can pick your personality, which you can see in your character’s saunter or posture when you leave your character idle (I chose flirty), fighting style (martial arts), and then the costume. I knew that I could have spent hours just on costumes so I patterned my look after Deathstroke, and then tweaked the colors. You can pick the color for each piece of the costume or you can pick from several three-color palettes that can be helpful in shortcutting this part of the creation. In the end Colt 45 looked a little more early 90’s comics than I ever intended but I think gamers and comic fans alike, are going to love making multiple characters. After about 25 minutes of creating my character, I just wanted to jump into the action but it’s easy to spend an eternity in character creation.

Running down a building

No matter what combination you choose, each campaign starts off in Braniac’s ship where you have to escape out of. Here you’ll get a tutorial and get your feet wet while coming to grips with the controls. Once you exit, you get brought to one of two worlds. All villains and techies go to Gotham. Everyone else is sent to Metropolis to start. Shown here are both images from Gotham, Metropolis and the Legion of Doom and you’ll get a taste of some of the massive worlds created by the design team.

The Dashboard

In Gotham or Metropolis, your mentor will list out your goals to the bottom right of the screen; your map is in the upper right corner; your customized utility and abilities “belt” lies at the bottom center while the health and magic/powers bar is at the familiar upper left. None of the Heads Up Display is overwhelming or covers up the action, just make sure you’re playing with a widscreen set.

A different view of running on water; up close and behind

Feeling the Need, the Need for Speed

I loved playing with a character with super speed. The blur and lightning visuals in combination with the sounds of the Speed Force were awesome as seen in the screen caps. Being able to run up and down buildings was a trip. Camera movement and angles were fluid and it gives you unlimited access to Gotham City and Metropolis. Because I just had to, I ran across the Metropolis Bay, and when I stopped in the middle, I plopped right in and began treading water.

This is not an endorsement for the super speed route for travel powers. When creating my villain, I was torn on choosing flight or super speed. While it’s possible to unlock flight, you just don’t command it like you do if it is one of your main abilities. In speaking with the other journalists, the acrobatics route is apparently a lot of fun too and very intuitive. After about three straight hours of super speed though I can tell you, I had to take a break for my eyes. I was a bit too enthusiastic travelling and fighting in super speed mode, but luckily it’s very simple to toggle that on or off.

The sorcery powers added another level to the combat not normally seen in comic book console games. I could levitate detectives in the distance and knock them out in the middle of the air before they could set their feet down. I could cast spells and make Gotham City Police Department’s finest think they’re on fire. More time would have unlocked even cooler skills for sure.

One of the more exciting parts of the game is leveling up. Whenever I got a notification of a level up or an item grab, I’d race to see what exactly I could add to my fighting or grow my powers tree. The more combos you unlock and learn, the quicker you can get through battles.

When you level up, you get a chance to upgrade your fighting abilities, or your superpower. Also any items you pick up along the way or buy are added to your costume or arsenal on the fly. Because it’s an MMO, I was repeatedly reminded that there is no pause button, so if you want to make a change you can fly up to the top of a building and make the necessary changes.

Another suit in the Legion of Doom to unlock guarded by Mr. Freeze

The Verdict So Far

Essentially, you’re playing to get through 30 levels, the current cap, which amounts to roughly 40 hours of play. My propensity to explore everything would probably extend that period of time. But then the fun really begins because you can then enter the PvP mode where you get to interact with other players. Each month new missions and new worlds are being added to the game, potentially making the game as endless as your favorite monthly comics. There are battle suits (from actual stories) to unlock and use, several skill challenges and missions where you’ll need to team up with others online. For instance, we were shown an Alert Mission that transports you to Smallville where you take on Doomsday and fight beside the Justice League.

Gameplay is extremely smooth. There’s no jerking or staggering in battles, even when there’s as many as 15-20 characters on the screen. I also found no glaring glitches or noticeable areas where the game feels underdeveloped or needing more. The game is so close to completion and understandably, the delays have hurt the buzz, but it’s only because they are taking the time to put the detail that will overwhelm the most ardent DC Comics fan and gamer.

Voice acting for instance is one of the finishing touches needed to complete the game. Kevin Conroy is recording for Batman and Mark Hamill reprises his familiar role as The Joker. Other voices include Summer Glau (Supergirl), Adam Baldwin (Superman), James Marsters (Lex Luthor), Michelle Forbes (Circe), Diedrich Bader (Solomon Grundy), Gina Torres (Wonder Woman), Powers Boothe (Gorilla Grodd), Dwight Schultz (Flash-Barry Allen), Wil Wheaton (Robin-Tim Drake), Tony Todd (Darkseid, Kevin Michael Richardson (Clayface) and Robert Patrick (Hawkman).

The streets of Gotham City

In trying to describe the experience, I’ll compare it to other games I’ve played. The combat is reminiscent of God of War or Batman: Arkham Asylum only with no cut sequences or stoppage of play; just fast, live, and seamless action. It can be intense, relentless, and button-mashing will be mandatory. The mentorship missions remind me of Grand Theft Auto, where you slowly gain skills and experience as you rise through the ranks of becoming a villain, or by doing accumulative acts of heroism. Bribing rookie GCPD cops or strapping bombs to their squad cars may not appeal to everyone, but that’s why you can put a stop to Gorilla Grodd and his apes.

The cities and environments are immersive and overwhelming at first glance. You can go to the Daily Planet, or Metropolis Stadium. The Batcave has the penny, the T-Rex, the Batmobile and a bunch of bats flying around. Comic readers will geek out interacting with artifacts and places that they’ve only read about. One thing I really enjoyed about DCU Online was that the learning curve was small but still presented a challenge. I felt I could come in, drop an hour or two whenever I wanted and not feel like I had to put in several hours at a time on each campaign to feel some sense of accomplishment.

A penthouse view of the Metropolis Bay.

Hardcore gamers may wonder how much they’ll enjoy this game, and I can’t answer that based on what it is each person is expecting out of the game. There’s plenty to see and do, that much I do know. What I can do is let you know what my perspective is on MMO’s, games and comics and how DCU Online fits in with that.

I came in with an open mind and a broad gaming experience, skepticism on paying a monthly fee for a game, and a long love and knowledge of comics. Though I am a console gamer and spend countless hours on my PS3, no MMO has made this comics fan take the plunge so far. I was not just thoroughly entertained with DCU Online; I’m brainstorming ways to shift my monthly disposable income around to accommodate playing this game in the winter. The DC Universe is a world I’m familiar with, unlike World of Warcraft or Everquest. I invest in a portion of the DCU each week in the comics I buy and that’s truly what the draw is for me with DCU Online: the characters, the universe and the license. The fact that the game delivers on multiple fronts is a bonus in my mind.

Hopefully my impressions keep the anticipation high for those waiting for DCU Online, which is now scheduled for early 2011 release. But if this wasn’t enough, throughout November and December we’re going to continue covering the game through to the release date. Check back here for screen shots and videos, an exclusive interview with DCU Online Senior Producer, Wes Yanagi, and a detailed tour of the SOE Austin Studios. We enjoyed what we learned at DC University and think comic fans and gamers alike may want to consider enrolling when Spring Semester arrives.

A glimpse of the massive Metropolis. In the distant skies is one of Braniac's ships

Year: 2010
Running Time: 103 minutes
Rated: G
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): Disney / Pixar
Release Date: November 2, 2010

Film/Feature: A+
If the announcement of a third Toy Story didn’t warm your heart then maybe you’ve grown too old for your own good. Now 17 years old, Andy is ready to move out to college and it’s assumed that he won’t take his box of favorite toys with him.

Woody (Tom Hanks) was chosen by Andy to go to college with him but the rest of the crew including Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusak), and the others are convinced they were meant to be thrown out when Woody witnessed that they were intended to be placed in the attic.

Neither. The Toy Story gang find themselves donated to Sunnyside Day Care where they are welcomed to a place where hundreds of toys live and get played.

Lots-o-Huggin Bear (Ned Beatty) seems nice enough upon introduction but he runs a prison-like environment leaving all the newcomers in the Caterpillar room where the younger children play much rougher with the toys. Knowing he should be with Andy, Woody escapes only to be caught in the house of a little four-year old girl named Bonnie. Woody has to escape and rescue his friends and get back to Andy before he leaves.

What does Andy eventually do at the end?

There are those who thought that a third Toy Story would ruin Pixar, or at least their product. Water it down, make it feel forced or corporate but I didn’t believe it. Everything about Pixar and they way they do business, make films, and tell stories adds to the mystique and charm that’s seen through their films.

Buzz, Woody, The Potato Heads and the rest, had insecurities older audiences could relate to and the fear of mortality is a story that bears repeating in a brilliant and fresh progression, 10 years after the last time we heard Buzz Lightyear said, “To Infinity and Beyond!” Toy Story 3 has no shortage of adventure, laughs, and visuals that will have you shaking your head, amazed and in awe.

Our characters’ fate, their desire to be played, and not forgotten is not only a metaphor for aging and the working environment, but the simplicity and straight forward story of the appreciation of toys and the joy that they can bring to those who can get lost in their imagination is the magic of Toy Story. We all had something to take us back when we were young, when we obsessed, not on their limitations but their endless potential.

Video:A+/Audio A+
Toy Story 3 has another amazing 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It’s a sparkling Disney presentation that showcases every bit of detail laid down by the animators. Every frame is full of stylized delight, tip-toeing the line of near realistic but not so far you forget you’re watching an animated film. It’s cliche to say that Pixar outdid themselves, but seeing is believing. They really did and the high definition transfer in its entirety is reference material. That includes the 7.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track. Make sure you try not to blink in the film’s climax at the landfill. You’ll swear you were in the middle of the piles of garbage. The sound is accurate, and full of activity. The rumbling machinery keeps your subwoofers bumping while the zipping action of the toys keeps your surround channels active.

Other audio selections include: 5.1 DTS-HD ES Master Audio, 2.0 English Descriptive Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX French and Spanish tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:A+
A staple of all Pixar Blu-rays is a toy chest full of extra material that’s geared towards every kind of Pixar fan. The second disc in particular is split into four sections: Family, Film Fans, Publicity and Games and Activities. Fans of the animation process will find the Film Fans section to have everything they are looking for including two fine commentary tracks and looks into the technical challenges addressed in this latest film.

Disc 1
Day and Night Theatrical Short HD (6:02) The short film that aired prior to Toy Story 3 in the theaters. Day and Night is a mixture of classic cel animation and live action video.

Toys! HD (6:39) a featurette about updating the models for the returning Toy Story cast and the gang Stretch, Big Baby, Chunk, Twitch, Ken, and Lots-O-Huggin Bear.

Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs – The Science of Adventure HD (4:25) Continuing the blu-ray series of looks into the various NASA space missions done by real astronauts.

Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on the Go HD (1:04) a quick tutorial on using the Digital Copy Disc

Sneak Peeks HD (3:54) Mater’s Tall Tales – Nine short films featuring Cars’ Mater; Incredibles on Blu-ray; and Disney Parks.

Screen Saver in the settings menu, you can choose to have a screen saver should you want to prevent any risk of burn in on your flat screen TV or monitor.

Disc 2

FILM FANS
Cine-Explore HD Commentary with Director Lee Unkrich and Producer Darla Anderson is an entertaining that’s balanced with good conversation about the story elements, working with the voice actors and pointing out the animators’ dazzling achievements.

Beyond The Toybox Audio Commentary by Leads from Story, Tech, Art and Animation is a brainier and more focused discussion with the Pixar crew commiserating about the minutia of Toy Story 3 and why no one wants to see a garbage bag again.

Roudnin Up a Western Opening HD (5:42) The opening scene of the movie is discussed.

Bonnie’s Playtime: A Story Roundtable HD (6:26) Unkrich talk about creating Bonnie, Bonnies toys and how she plays with them and the connection that would need to be made with this new family and the Toy Story cast. This was a pivotal scene, one which the filmmakers had a lot of problems with.

Beginnings: Seeting a Story in Motion HD (8:13) Michael Arndt wrote the screenplay for Toy Story 3 and talks about the challenges of starting the script. He breaks down the story basics and how he looked at Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and The Incredibles to see how the stories are set up from the beginning. As always, the entire sequence is told in an animated form.

Life of a Shot HD (6:57) shows the evolution of a scene, in particular the opening action sequence.

Making of Day & Night HD (2:00) shows the thoughts behind the aforementioned short film.

Paths to Pixar Editorial HD (4:38) is a collection of the editorial group of Pixar talking about how they came to work there and what they do.

Studio Stories Where’s Gordon HD (2:16) Andrew Gordon and the secret room of Pixar

Studio Stories Cereal Bar HD (1:36) The legendary Pixar Cereal room is revealed.

Studio Stories Clean Start HD (3:05) The animators bond over beginning a new production by shaving heads and beards.

FAMILY
The Gang’s All Here HD (10:24) A look into the voice actors, returning and new.

Goodbye Andy HD (8:02) Toy Story 3 deals with change, and embracing it and getting the aged Andy correct and stylizing him correctly so he doesn’t look creepy. John Morris was also brought back who voiced Andy in Toy Story 1 and 2. It was also important to tell Andy’s story and complete it the right way in this farewell and dealing with mortality.

Accidental Toymakers HD (3:59) How creating characters took small toy company Thinkway Toys into a global player with one movie franchise.

Creating a Whole New Land HD (5:29)Getting Toy Story into the Disney Theme Parks

Epilogue HD (4:22)See the film’s closing sequence without the rolling credits.

PUBLICITY
In the Publicity section of the DVD are tons of shorts, and promo trailers that continue the fun tradition of Pixar and Toy Story. They include:

Grab Bag HD (4:00)
Ken’s Dating TipsHD (1:30)
Lots-o-Huggin Bear Commercial HD (0:30)
Lots-o-Huggin Bear Commercial Japan HD (0:30)
Making of Lots-o-Huggin Bear Commercials HD (1:28)
Internet Chat HD (1:00)
Security Cam HD (1:12)
Gadgets HD (0:58)
Dancing With the Stars on Toy Story HD (2:21) DWTS choreographers Tony Dovolani and Cheryl Burke
TS3 Silence Trailer HD (0:40) Movie Theater Cellphone trailer to asking you to turn off your cell phone.
TS3 Antipiracy HD (1:08) Movie Theater Anti-piracy trailer.
Five Trailers HD
Poster Gallery

GAMES and ACTIVITIES
Toy Story Trivia Dash There’s two thing you need to do well in this game. Know your Toy Story films front to back, even the details. And the second thing you need is, lightning quick reflexes because you’re not given much time to think about the questions.

Disc 3
DVD of Feature Film + Bonus
The DVD of the feature plus a large portion of the extras are included for those who still use portable DVD players in cars, travel or laptops.

Disc 4
And if you you want even more mobility with Toy Story 3, you can use this disc for uploads to your portable media player whether it be iPhone, iPod, Android phone, or laptop. It is compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player.

Overall Shock Value: A+
There was no doubt what this score would be. With the inclusion of the DVD and digital copy of the disc, there is an abundance of value and great potential for several different experiences and repeat viewings. Toy Story 3 is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year, and one of the best family experiences that movies can provide. Even though the themes remain the same, the third installment does not water down the original Toy Story concept, it provides a just close to it and reminder of the joy and memories toys can bring someone.

Film/Feature: C+

With Disney’s big push to get most if not all of its animated films on blu-ray, James and the Giant Peach was next to get the digital treatment, a hybrid film that was part animation, and part live-action. It’s also the second collaboration between directors Henry Selick and Tim Burton, the first being Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton acts as a producer on this 1996 film that used similar stop-motion animation techniques that was used on Nightmare. It’s a beautiful technique that immediately casts an antique, nostalgic feel to the film. The style has this haunting, almost hollow eeriness, resembling something that would come out of the crooked minds of Selick and Burton.

The story is based on a Roald Dahl novel, VERY loosely I might add, and swirls around an orphan boy named James (Paul Terry) who has been forced to live with his evil aunts, Spiker and Sponge (Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes). He is approached by an old man who offers him a way out, gives him a sack of crocodile tongues that have been brewed all sorts of nasty ways to become the key to his escape. On his way home, James spills the tongues onto the ground by an old peach tree, which suddenly bears one fruit, one large, and continuously growing peach.

It’s as if Jack and the Beanstalk grew through the ears and mind of Dahl and Burton alike. You can see the similar arc though in Dahl’s stories, a sense of wonder overcoming a poor boy, down on his luck. And in this wonderland askew, the boy realizes lessons in life.

Here, the Peach stops swelling, and James’ aunts pounce on the peach for a money-scam but James visits the Peach at night and takes a bite of it, while one of the magical tongues enter the piece he’s eating. The enchanted piece transforms the large peach through which James crawls into where he meets a handful of insects: Grasshopper (Simon Callow), Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), Earthworm (David Thewlis), Miss Spider (Susan Darandon), and Ladybug (Jame Leeves) and they are set forth to an adventure over the Atlantic Ocean from London to New York, the place his parents told him they’d visit one day. Tying some of Miss Spider’s webbing to seagulls, they lift off above the ocean on what they hope is a one-way flight to the Big Apple, but it doesn’t work out that way.

It’s a tale of dreaming, and believing, but never limiting yourself to your surroundings. If someone made this film today, perhaps it would have been named King James and his Giant Ego. Burton and Selick unfortunately can’t work the magic they created in Nightmare Before Christmas. Two things hold the film from pushing the boundaries of what could have been.

First, Randy Newman’s music, which is appropriate most of the time, really grates in this film. It just takes you out of the creepy and dark mood the production design worked so hard to establish. Instead when the film breaks into musical numbers, it gets this “gee golly, aww shucks” piano bar feel to it. Secondly, the live action beginning and end to the film were just unnecessary. The aunts looked scary but could have been scarier had they been animated. The film went far, but not far enough and the ending felt like every clichéd Disney movie almost derailing the wickedly fun middle section of the film.

James and the Giant Peach has this strange mixture of animation and live action that places it alongside other older films that haven’t aged particularly well. It could have been better had the live segments worked, but they were too over-the-top, and too corny. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. Selick wanted there to be this separation of the “magic” world and the real world, which is noted, but when the two come together at the end, it’s to put it lightly, rough. The aunts catch up to the James in New York, setting up for a finale that tries too hard to remind you the magic’s gone.

What the film does manage to do is recharge the curiosity in Dahl’s children’s novel, and his work in particular which has gone on to other mediums such as film and TV, like Gremlins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Where those succeeded and this falls short lies in the dark, insidious fun that can be read in Dahl’s work can be felt in those other adaptations. The Giant Peach is almost like wax fruit; looks right, feels right, but you know the difference once you bite into it.

Video: C+

James and the Giant Peach is an imperfect 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.66:1 aspect ratio. As a fan of film grain, I’m glad Disney didn’t scrub it clean of all of its original integrity since there’s plenty of grain, a comfortable level to my eye, but consumers who think everything in high definition needs to look like a 2010 film, is misguided as to what blu-ray is supposed to provide. To those who want to generalize what blu-rays are supposed to look like, the colors will probably leave those uneducated disappointed at the films intended subtle color palette. It’s supposed to be on the de-saturated side.

Now what isn’t acceptable is the inconsistency in the picture like the wavering contrast throughout. Black crush is also rampant too; sometimes the picture is way too dark to see any of the intricate detail of the set designs. It’s a real shame. Details are much more noticeable in the live action sequences from the glittery costumes of the aunts, to the pores on actors’ faces can all be seen, however the pink-orange skintones in nearly everyone’s faces shows that this is not Disney’s best effort. In the live action ending, on the streets of New York, again, too much information is lost in darkness.

Audio: B

Even though the video needed a lot more work, the 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track is remarkable when it needs to be. Dialogue is stable and clear in every scene, while the large action scenes like when things get rough on the water in Chapter 16, burst through your living room with plenty of thunder and crashes for your subwoofer. Sound in the front, left to right is fabulous, though rear channels don’t get much I’m afraid. Don’t get too down on the blu-ray, for its visual shortcomings; it’s not all bad. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD DTS Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:D
The only new and exclusive extras to the blu-ray are the Games and Activities

Spike the Aunts Game is a lame interactive game that I think even kids would get bored of quickly.

Production Featurette SD (4:34) is a very basic ‘making of’ that fares in comparison to the behind the scene extras we see in today’s films.

Good News Music Video by Randy Newman HD (2:29) I’m a fan of Randy Newman but his music just seems like a mismatch with this film. The music video here is a blend of standard definition footage of Newman but all of the film clips are now in high def.

Still Frame Gallery SD a gallery of the concept art, puppets, behind the scenes and live action stills.

Original Theatrical Trailer SD (1:27) SD I’m really let down the lack of effort to give us a high definition trailer. It’s doubtful anyone will revisit this after one viewing.

James and the Giant Peach DVD the film and its original extras are on this DVD which is a great win for parents with players in their vehicles or who have portable players for traveling.

Overall Shock Value: C–

In its time James and the Giant Peach was a great trip back to when there were more stop-motion animated films. Since then we’ve seen Coraline, the Fantastic Mr. Fox, and all of the great Wallace and Gromitt shorts which have raised the bar and have since made James and the Giant Peach look somewhat outdated. The blu-ray release could have shown some more consistency in the video transfer/mastering, but the new audio soundtrack makes the film come alive. Subpar extras and a lack of effort to provide anything new or imaginative makes this Peach lacking in lasting flavor.

Are you a budding filmmaker? Do you carry a torch for Asian American awareness? Submit a 30-second PSA video to the Reel in the Vote Contest, a non-partisan campaign to get more Asian Pacific Islander Americans (AIPAs) and independent voters in the voting booths to make a difference with their ballots. Receiving a major grant from the California Independent Voter Project and CAUSE (Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment).

“Our goal is to generate awareness, excitement, and dialogue about voting in this election year,” says SDAFF executive director, Lee Ann Kim. “One way to do that is to engage artists and the public to create fresh ways to present that important message.”

“The contest is a way to politically empower the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to participate, be heard and get out and vote in this year’s election. We look forward to sponsoring the contest with the San Diego Asian Film Foundation,” says CAUSE chairman Chalie Woo.

While the contest is open to the public and free to enter, videos are required to be no more than 30-seconds in length and must target the Asian Pacific Islander community, promote civic responsibility and democratic participation in the electoral processes. Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and message. The deadline for entries is August 31.

Watch the sample PSA here: http://bit.ly/PSAREELINVOTE

There’s never enough turnout for Asian American voters and this is a great way to get filmmakers some exposure and help in the cause of getting involved in the growing Asian American community.

The contest is again FREE to enter, and the Top 3 entries will be revealed on the SDAFF website in September and screen before every film in the San Diego Asian Film Festival, October 21-28. The three finalists will also get travel and lodging expenses to the festival and the winner will be chosen by a live audience at the Gala Awards Dinner on October 23rd. The winner will receive $1000 and the two runner-ups will get $250.

Feel free to spread this on facebook, twitter, or email the following:

#REELINTHEVOTE w/SD Asian Film Fest @SDAFF 30 Sec PSA Contest! Over $2,000 in prizes! More info: http://bit.ly/reelinthevote

For more info on Reel in the Vote at www.sdaff.org or feel free to contact us at 858.565.1264 | Info@sdaff.org

Year: 2010
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP: $ 29.95
Studio(s): Touchstone Pictures
Release Date: Jun 15, 2010

Film/Feature: C–
I’ll admit it, I reviewed this movie because I’m still hung up on Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars, and yes, I’ve known to dabble in the occasional “rom-com” every now and then; listen, it’s not bad to tune into a film where your expectations are low every now and then. Since her cult-favorite television show ended, I think many had hoped Bell would land somewhere she could let loose her sarcastic, witty, and at times adorably cute charm loose. Unfortunately she joined the Heroes cast when that began to suck, she’s voiced Lucy Stillman on the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, which led to her lead voice role in the latest Astro Boy movie and video game. She’s been mining us fanboys for years now, and even starred in a film that went straight to DVD, Fanboys (2008) where she toyed with our fantasies (Slave Leia) Other than that, she’s played minor roles in this latest tidal wave of rated-R comedies in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010) and Couples Retreat (2009). So who can blame Bell for trying to branch out to a new audience?

Bell plays Beth, a curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York who travels to Rome, Italy to see her sister’s sudden wedding. Beth is a career woman who has always put her job in front of her personal life and has not held men for a long time. So she takes a risk when she meets the best man, Nick (Josh Duhamel) but sees him kissing face with another woman and so we have our hapless, attractive and romantic gal who can’t find a good guy who steps into the Fountain of Love (a lower fi version of the Trevi Fountain) and steals a handful of coins sitting in the bottom meant for wishes of love and instantly becomes the woman of desire of four men: Antonio (Will Arnett) a starving artist, Lance (Jon Heder) a street magician, an over-zealous widower Al (Danny Devito) and Nick. And this is the hook; lots of these romantic comedies have them. A fantasy gimmick that takes you out of reality and into what’s supposed to be the fun part of the movie and the comedy ensues. Beth spends the rest of the film trying to find a way to reverse the curse and get the men to realize they’ve been tricked into liking her and wrestles with her conscience to let Nick off the hook.

When in Rome has a few spots where you might bust out louder than you really should or smile where you’re supposed to be guffawing, but you hang in there, for Bell. Well, that’s why I hung in there. I hope someone gives Bell another chance to star in her own film, because she has the talent to shine in a feature role; it’s just not When in Rome. I’m crossing my fingers that Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) is available to do another love story after Spider-Man.

I’d like to blame director Mark Steven Johnson whose gone on to destroy Daredevil, Ghost Rider and Elektra on the big screen. (Thank goodness the Preacher project died.) It seems his magic of mediocrity has spread here, too. It’s not the hook or the actors per se. Devito, Arnett, Heder, Anjelica Huston and Don Johnson along with Bell try their best, but too many parts have been borrowed from other movies of this ilk. 13 Going on 30 surprisingly works, Devil Wears Prada is flawless, but both of those have parts chopped and blended into When in Rome, along with every other successful romantic comedy. It’s complete with the awful pop music, the canned supporting cast and recycled jokes that make this Kristen Bell vehicle an average paint-by-numbers rom-com instead of its own original film.

Oh Kristen, the fanboys will always take you back.

Video:B
Seeing Rome and New York in high definition never gets old and every ornate piece of architecture or piece of art can be seen clearly in this1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but it’s a romantic comedy, not a cinephile’s dream, so there’s not too many spots to gush over great photography here. Flesh tones are generally warm, rolling a bit too much in the oranges and yellow colors. Things look a bit drab and flat as far as textures and depth. There’s not a lot to anchor your eyes and that’s a bit sad for blu-ray.

Audio: B+
Hear Will Arnett speak terrible Italian in this 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track, a chatty, dialogue-driven film. The center channel will do most of the mild lifting in When in Rome, but the music does get amped a bit. Levels are balanced, and there’s a fair amount of atmospheric surround that helps place the viewer in the middle of crowd scenes or outdoors. The most lively your theater will get is when the storm clouds begin to collect with the impending thunder and lightning crackle across the screen. Anything else would be overkill to be honest. Other audio selections include: English 2.0, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Even Napoleon Dynamite can save this film

Extras: C–
What’s here is a collection of various cut scenes, alternative cuts, and light promotional affair. None of it really enhances the film any, nor makes it any worse but one viewing is more than enough on most of the selections.

Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From the Set HD (12:28) an EPK running down the comedic cast members as they make light of being on the set. This is exclusive to the blu-ray release.

Alternative Opening and Ending HD (7:17) let’s just say the editors made the right decision when it came to using these scenes. This is exclusive to the blu-ray release.

Extended Pain with the Suitors HD (2:39) Three cut scenes with the suitors making their last attempt at Beth at the Guggenheim. I thought these scenes could have been kept in because the appeared to cross the line that the film at times tries way too hard to avoid. And this is the last exclusive extra to the blu-ray release.

Kerplunk! Bloopers from Rome HD (3:07) cast members flub lines and act goofy.

Deleted Scenes HD (7:00) eight more scenes that didn’t make the cut and are a mixed bag of parts that dragged the pace, and bits that told too much.

Music Videos SD (6:47) “Starstruck” by 3Oh!3 featuring Katy Perry and “Stupid Love Letter” by Friday Night Boys. These are two fairly annoying overproduced pop songs with both of them playing on the movie’s gimmick. I will say though, if you are a Katy Perry fan, and who isn’t, you’ll like that first one.

Overall Shock Value:C–
I knew what I was getting into with this film and it didn’t surprise me one bit and that’s when a film disappoints. When in Rome gives your mind a vacation, with a simple but sweet romantic spin, but be prepared for the cheese and corn. It’s a technically fine disc, that leaves much to be desired on the extras, but this probably isn’t a film that you expect to be immersed long after the 90-minute feature. It’s nice to see Kristen Bell branch out and appeal more to the ladies instead of the fanboys for a change, but I think even the most arduous of romantic comedy fans would recommend When in Rome with a Rent It at the very best.

First up is Colleen Atwood who has a mile long list of films to her credit including many of Burton’s films and won two Oscars for Memoirs of a Geisha (2006) and Chicago (2002) and has been nominated for several others. She just finished The Rum Diary (2010) based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel and Johnny Depp’s latest film, The Tourist (2011). She will be teaming up with Depp and Burton again for Dark Shadows (2011).

You’ve worked with Tim Burton multiple times. What has it been like to work with him, and how are his films different to work for than say your next film, The Rum Diary?
Colleen Atwood: Tim is one of a kind, he is really an artist and visually gifted.
The choice of material really determines a lot of design, so in that way, his sensibility would be quite different from that of Bruce Robinson who did The Rum Diary, which is a very gritty journalistic story.

What is the look that you are going for The Rum Diary? What was the inspiration?
CA: The look for The Rum Diary is based on journalistic photos of the time, the budding sixties, contrasting the oil and sugar rich, with the abject poverty of the island.

What is so attractive Burton’s films?
CA: The collaborative process with Tim is a rare gift in the world of film.

How close did you make the costume designs to Tim’s original sketches?
CA: Usually I see the sketches later, as Tim does not just stick a drawing in front of me.

How close do you work with the director?
CA: The director is my first collaborator, even before the actor. For me it is a very close working relationship.

With working with Burton as many times as you have, are there any sort of things that you automatically know to do or to come up with style wise? Or is each film sort of a different beast?
CA: Every film Tim makes is a new experience, there are no givens. I’d say a graphic sense would be the strongest continuum.

Why are (the right) costumes important for a movie?
CA: The right costume determines the character, helps the actor feel who he is, and serves the story.

How much power does the clothing have over the character?
CA: Clothing serves to help create character, along with the writing and acting.

I read somewhere that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp both do sketches of Depp’s characters before filming. I was wondering how their creative process plays into yours?
CA: So far it has been great. With the Hatter, we pretty much all came up with the same vibe.

For these Burton films, but also for movies like Public Enemies, you designed a lot of costumes for Johnny Depp. Does the process get easier if you know an actor?
CA: The level of trust is an important part of collaboration, so I would say that makes it more relaxed, but it also makes it more of a challenge since you always want change it up and come up with new ideas.

When do you know, when a character is finished?
CA: Never.

When you took on the “Alice” project, did you aim to separate the costumes from the Disney animated classic, or did you try to play off the animated movie? Was there a balance that you felt had to be met?
CA: I really didn’t look to the animated version as much as I did to the Tenniel and Carroll illustrations-then I moved on.

How much inspiration did you draw from the original book?
CA: I gave a sort of nod to the young Alice, then departure…oh and the hat…

Which character’s costumes did you find the most challenging to design, and which came most easily?
CA: In Alice, the technical side of Alice’s shrinking and growing were very challenging. Stayne (Crispin Glover) was originally not a real costume, but we couldn’t quite get it right, so we ended up actually making it in order for it to work.

How many dresses did you make for Alice and what have inspired you to create them?
CA: Alice had around 8 looks, and multiples of most of them, so there were around 20 hand-made costumes. The script and idea of Alice as an exploring spirit really inspired me.

What was the inspiration for the red and white world of Alice in Wonderland?
CA: The Red Queen and White Queen were named in the script, so for the Red Kingdom it was the playing card motif and for the White Kingdom the inspiration was more Nordic meets Louis 14

What were the challenges of making costumes for such oddly-shaped characters and CGI?
CA: I love an odd shape, so all the bodies in Alice were wonderful fun for me. The CGI element was interesting because so much of my process is in the actual draping on a body. I swatched all the virtual fabrics, trims and buttons to help in the visual process and give continuity to the world.

What stories would you like to tell with the clothes?
CA: So many. I love the story “Daughter of Fortune”, spanning the 1800s in North and South America. I love anything that is a great tale.

You have also done films like Public Enemies. How is the experience of working on a film with historical references different than that of something that allows more creativity, like Alice?
CA: I love the experience of examining history that my work gives me.
The gritty reality of John Dillinger’s world is as fascinating to me as the fantastical world of Alice. The human factor of the story is what attracts me.

What movie are you most proud of?
CA: I really don’t have that emotion with my work on a one by one basis. I think that I am very lucky to be able to do the work I have done, and am happy to be creating what I create.

What has been your hardest movie to design for?
CA: Planet of the Apes was physically the most difficult movie of my
career. The challenges were vast, and the day to day running of that sort of film is daunting

Designers are often dressed minimalistic and in black, because they’re ‘full’ of clothing. How are you dressing yourself?
CA: I am fond of black, but try to add a little white around my face.
I wear jeans a lot for work because they are good for a 14-hour day, which is my norm.

Any final thoughts on ALICE IN WONDERLAND?
CA: Alice in Wonderland was a dream project. The collaboration between Tim and Johnny, along with the amazing cast, made bringing such a historic piece to the world of 3D animation, one of my favorite projects for life.

Next we have Dermot Power, a conceptual artist who has worked on films such as V for Vendetta, Batman Begins, and the Bioshock videogame. He worked with Tim Burton to help establish the eerie and wickedly fun atmosphere of Alice in Wonderland. This is a virtual presentation of Dermot’s artwork with moderation by Mindy Johnson of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Dermot Power, David Jessen, VP of DVD Productions at WDHE, and Jim Davy, producer of the Alice in Wonderland Blu-Ray/DVD. I am in the conference via phone and ask a few questions at the end of the conference.

Mindy Johnson: Dermot, talk a little bit about, when you first got the call for this film. And we’re going to shift to a couple of your – one of your first images of Alice. But if you’d like to give us some insight into certainly your work with Tim.

Dermot Power: Yes, I got a call from Tim’s assistant, (Derrick). And I’ve worked with Tim in the past on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and – but there was a big team of concept artists on that, and I never actually met Tim himself, but he knew my work. So he sort of asked his assistant to track the guy who did that type of stuff on the other film down, and he wanted to have a chat. He was quite (led) into the production of “Alice in Wonderland,” and was trying to get the design and look of the film you know to match his vision. It was a dream come true for me, because I’m a big fan of Tim Burton, and to sit there and have a chat with him, and I’m obviously a big fan of “Alice in Wonderland.” In fact, I’ve worked on another “Alice in Wonderland” production about 10 years before. It was a great opportunity.

The bonus was that, while I was having a chat with Tim, he said, “Well, where do you want to work?” And he said, you can work here in the editing, where he was, or from home or – and then he said, “But you know – you know Arthur Rackham?” I’m like, “Yeah, of course.” Arthur Rackham is the 19th century illustrator of “Alice in Wonderland,” and I’m a huge fan of his work. Tim was like well, ‘I bought his studio. So do you want to work in the studio?’ So that was where I ended up working for almost a year. Tim bought (Arthur Racken)’s studio which just happens to be very near where he lives in London and he set up an office there himself. And then I was up in the literally in the attic like the artists in the garrot. Yes, it was great. It was great opportunity.

MJ: Brilliant. I can imagine the inspiration you got from that.

DP: Yes.

MJ: We’re looking at one of the early pieces, (Dermot) if you could explain sort of the construct of this – of Alice, as she is first approaching Wonderland.

DP: So that shot I actually one of the very first shots I did. What I did was I did a very quick sketch for Tim of what I felt the woods should look like. Have that feel, the feel for them which he really liked. And then I took distance from an edited sequence so I knew exactly where – I mean Alice is just a figure in a green environment. And there was nothing in it. What was important to me was to have – with all the things that I designed is contrasting forms. So you know Alice is running straight into the woods on a straight path and crossing her path is this straight tree and then off that you have these very curved shapes that the trees, twisting trees and twisting ferns. Of course when you work for Tim Burton you attempt to find spires you know and excuses for drawing them everyplace so that was the thinking there. And very dark and lines…menacing out in the field I wanted to go for. In fact I did a much more detailed visual of the same shot and when Tim saw it he was like ‘yes, that’s cool’ but you know we don’t – he didn’t need me to do that. He wanted me to do the quite sort of very impressionistic – I don’t want to say simple, but minimalist illustrations that go to the point and didn’t hide the point of the design and the detail. I think before I had arrived on the firm there was a lot of beautiful t-frames illustrated by some of the guys like (Dillion Cole) and people like that at Sony. And I think the problem with that is their’s is so finished and beautiful it’s a little distracting so Tim asked me to come in and just do these quite minimalist, but strong concepts for the shapes and the things that she’d see in Underland.

MJ: Great. Let’s move to the next image of Alice as she is miniaturized. And can you talk a bit about the combination of incorporating the live action imagery into at artwork.

DP: Yes, sure because the sequences were already edited. So I had kind of the luxury of working on what was going to be the final edited sequences in the film, which is very unusual. Usually that’s because I came in quite late and into the production I had that luxury. So, again it’s quite simply done. The painting of the various elements around her but their very, very carefully placed if you know what I mean. So those dandelion clocks and all these kind of little elements, I tried to place them so that it’s a very kind of pleasing composition. But again very simply done, not, I think what it is when I design I like to leave a lot of creative input to the person next along the line. So I prefer to work to that level and then people can put their details and colors and everything in afterwards. I think next is maybe the Hatter.

MJ: Is the Hatter in the concept piece?

DP: Yes that’s purely a concept, in that it doesn’t, it’s not taken from any other edit or anything. It’s just a moment that Tim was trying to think about that hat which was on top of the may pole, in the scene where the Mad Hatter is trying to…it’s like a symbol of what has happened. I mean that didn’t end up in the film actually. But it was sort of trying to think about scale of the hat to the Hatter and that’s quite a conversational piece. I love drawing it to engage in a dialog, conversation with Tim about what he’s thinking about the scene. Rather than the previous image, which was very directly drawn to guide the animators and people afterwards as to where things should be in the sequence. This is more kind of a discussion piece. I remember Tim had in mind what he wanted for that sequence where the village is being, Mad Hatters village is being burned out, it was very, very tricky to get what he needed because it needed to be quite minimal. And I was trying to, I was looking for symbols to put across what had happened. And the top hat, the Hatter looking under the hat. I don’t know if you see that little skull under there. That would have never had made it in a Disney Alice in Wonderland. Maybe a Tim Burton one but yes, I don’t know what I was thinking there.

MJ: Definitely, let’s move to the next piece. Now you also did some design work on props as well.

DP: Yes very little. I did a couple of different of pieces of props. My role kind of became whatever Tim would throw at me I would solve it. So if he needed me to do a prop I would do the prop. In fact the dodo, what was quite funny was I did another, maybe I should have sent you that. I did another exact visual of the dodo carrying the flamingos in the caddy, croquet caddy, and I completely got it wrong. In that I had it that the pelicans were trying to burst out of the caddy and they were full of energy and they were, and the dodo was like being crushed by the weight of this and he was sweating and it was completely a different take on it. Tim came in and he looked at it and just was, because he doesn’t say an awful lot. And he just went, ohh ahh, like that. I mean it was completely wrong. He just went, no like this, he drew that essentially, I mean I drew that what you’re looking at but he very quickly did a sketch. What’s wonderful about working for a director who can draw is that he can explain himself, he doesn’t need to say anything he can just do a quick sketch.

MJ: Absolutely. We’re now looking of course at the image with the red queen and the flamingo and the croquet match.

DP: It’s more to the left of the flamingo, but the background, it’s just to design all the shapes that would be behind her head. That’s sort of how I like to design. I don’t think there’s any confusion in about what that background is, even if it isn’t full of photographic detail.

MJ: And moving on to the chambers.

DP: Yes, I think Tim wanted the inside of the palace to reflect the crazy kind of shapes and crazy world that you see from outside. And for inspiration I actually had a researcher dig out as many strange and extraordinary buildings as I could, that I tried to do it myself, I love working with researchers because that way when I’m drawing something else they start digging things out. That’s actually very inspired, now I can’t remember the name but we might have to dig that out, it’s a hotel that (Gaudi) did. It has very similar kind of…it’s got that swirling kind of cast ceiling, it’s based on a real thing. I think Tim wanted everything to look really kind of bonkers and it was really nice to find some actual architecture that was almost as bonkers. I mean it’s not exactly it, but its inspired by it. Yes.

MJ: Well speaking of architecture that’s inspiring, looking at the next slide, if you talk a bit about this.

DP: Yes, again this is part of the sequence where she arrives at the palace and then goes on to the moat of heads. The real sort of doing this is to put across some of that sort of Tim Burton gothiness. I didn’t design the palace though. It had already been done, it was more a case of saying, you know if you guys can find an angle, to give you a flavor of these gothic arches and spiral, that would suit what Tim’s looking for. You’ve moved on to the red queen looking down at the floating heads?

MJ: Yes.

DP: Yes. That’s quite an interesting one because I wasn’t familiar with all of the script and everything that was happening. I mean I read the script and forgot some of it but when Alice was jumping across the heads I got it wrong. I thought it was, that she was jumping across giant heads and not that she was tiny. Which was kind of stupid of me to think that. So I kept, this sequence, I kept drawing the heads quite big and then Tim would come in and go, yes they need to be a little smaller. And then I’d keep making them smaller and smaller and smaller and eventually I was like are these supposed to be human sized heads?

MJ: Yes.

DP: Yes, yes, yes, but because he doesn’t say an awful lot it took me redrawing it, and redrawing it, and redrawing it, but that sequence of her looking in the, down on the moat is, I was really pleased because it’s a lock shot it was almost exactly like that in the film. That’s what Ken Ralston’s team did, which was amazing there, it’s really beautiful. The shot where she’s jumping across again that’s a more finished illustration because Tim was going to the San Diego Comic Con and they wanted some artwork to show from the film and so that was a more simple illustration but I kind of tightened up a little bit. That’s why you’re seeing a rare color one. So I think the other one was as well where the queen was looking down on the head. It’s quite important to Tim as well when I’m doing these visuals that I don’t bring it up to a level of detail that’s trying to mimic the film. Because the film, you don’t want to, I mean for my own personal way of designing I don’t see the point in that, I think designers are trying to inspire and help get to the final vision. But I’m not so sure you need ever to pretend that the frame is the final shot, film sequence, a shot from the film. And I think Tim appreciated the fact that I paid a lot of attention to the kind of light and the mist and everything. You don’t look at that and think oh this is a frame from the film. It’s still quite painterly, which I think he really likes.

MJ: Nice. Moving on to a couple of Jabberwocky images.

DP: They’re actually very late Jabberwocky images, because they already had it done. I think Tim gets notions and ideas and he just wants to explore them and he said oh have a go, because I think what happened is at one point the Jabberwocky that ends up in the film is mostly, it’s very similar to a dragon, traditional dragon but it doesn’t fly in the film. There was decision made at some point by Tim that it wouldn’t fly that it would walk through the woods. He was wondering if he needed to change the design completely. So, again, to help him think about it, I’ll just do a couple of drawings. The one on the left is very much based on the Jabberwocky from John Tenniel’s 18th century illustration, from the original book. When I looked at that illustration, I looked at it as if it was a puppet on strings, if you know what I mean? So when you look at that, if you imagine what my thinking with this, it should be hanging there as if the loose head and limbs have been held by strings. That’s the kind of look I was going for. Also, because every dragon has been done, it’s so difficult to come up with a new one. I just thought I wouldn’t do a dragon. I’d just do something completely different. And the one on the right, again, it’s more like a demon or something. I think Tim liked them, but then they went with the original design anyway. So, fun to do, though, great fun to do.

MJ: Last one for your concept pieces, we do have a few slides of some of the final artwork that, as you mentioned, appeared in the film. Can you talk a bit to these?

DP: During the designing of some of the inside of the palace, I’ve put in a lot of picture frames and then of course they needed to be filled with something. And Tim was like, ‘well, what are you going to do?’ So I was, ‘oh, I’ll just build scenes and sequences from the original Alice in Wonderland book. So that’s the lion and the unicorn and I think represent – I’m trying to get my history right here, but represents the two sides of the British Empire in the 18th century – 19th century. So it was a great excuse for me to just paint some crazy stuff from the originals books. At that point – I’ve been on the film about eight or nine months and I think Tim trusted me to – you know, he knew I got into his mindset. I knew what he liked, and I think he trusted me to just kind of risk on these things. So because they were just going to be a theme in passing in the frames, they didn’t need a lot of art direction from him. The mural, and the red-green on the Jabberwocky, that was because when I revised the throne room and the sequence where the Mad Hatter walks in through the doors and is being presented to the queen, the walls looked a little bit grey and dark and dank, and I thought, you know. So I suggested to Tim, like, I’m going to get the name wrong, but what’s the castle, that palace in Germany?

MJ: Neuschwanstein?

DP: Yes. That’s the one. There are beautiful murals on the walls in that palace, so I said why don’t we do something like that but have it really, really faded, like it’s been up there for years? And so I did. The way the tone and colors are laid out, (embossed) on those little corners and all these things, don’t really mean anything, except that when they were in the sequence, it balanced all the little colors out. So in the red rooms and the blue rooms, it just adds in the shot where you are. Because they were so faded and scrubbed out, you’re just going to get an impression of something being there, these guys are ancestors – very obviously. They had the heart motif, wherever we could put it in. Because it’s something you’re going to see so quickly in the film, of course you can pause the DVD now, but there’s not a huge amount of detail there, but I think it’s just the right amount for a quick little shot. Towards the end of the film, I just thought I’m going to go mad here. I’ll just draw some really crazy shapes and – you know, in the style that I really love to work in and not try to be imitating (inaudible) painter (that kind of thing), just to see what would happen. And Tim really loved that, so he was like, yes, yes. The crazier the better, which is probably not surprising as well.

MJ: Well, beautiful work. And I want to move on to your extraordinary work in the Oraculum. That was a pretty important prop; an important (McGuffin) in this story. Talk a little bit Dermot, about how this was approached. And not only from a design standpoint but in terms of story.

DP: From the design point theory, I think that a placeholder for the Oraculum with some of the Tenniel illustrations. And a couple of other bits and pieces, again it was one of those things where I was chatting to Tim about it and I just said well if you want me to I’ll bash it and illustrating it I’d love to do it, (I’ll have a go).

I think originally we talked about doing it in a kind of John Tenniel style and part of the problem is doing that as illustrations from a book work in the context of the book and it’s weird when you try to ape that style for another thing like the Oraculum. It didn’t quite work as well. That’s my excuse for very quickly just doing it the way I like to draw. So what I did was I said OK this thing is going to end up being a foot and a half or two feet tall by I don’t know maybe 8-10 feet. It’s going to be huge so. I’m not sure how much time we have. So what I did was I started on the sequences that I knew the camera was definitely going to be on. Obviously where Alice is looking at the Oraculum and the sequence where she’s fighting the Jabberwocky, and the idea was that it should look like an illustrator’s version of events and not an exact copy of it. Because I could have taken the actual green screen sequences and traced the Oraculum illustrations over it but I think Tim wanted it to look like it was an artist impression. And so what I did was I did very detailed illustrations of the main part and then for the left and right, because they would end up in the camera, possibly in the camera I then just illustrated whatever.

And again like the, I just randomly picked scenes from the film or characters from the film and just kind of illustrated them in there in a way that, because the viewer in the cinema, in the theater just wants to get an impression that the Oraculum doesn’t stop at that point that you’re looking at. So it was really enjoyable to do. And then I think late in the process it was decided that maybe we should have a 3D element that you can separate out the different layers of the scene. Which meant that the Oraculum took, I don’t know, 3 times longer to do because I then have to cut out Alice and the Dodo and the mushrooms and then put them on a separate layer and illustrate everything behind her. So there’s layered versions of the Oraculum where you can switch each character off and there’s details in behind. Which was it was great fun to do that. Again this film, project gave me a chance to do every kind of art style that an artist is apt to do. From very chunky paintings and murals to these, I end up doing these very tight line drawings. It was great fun.

MJ: A lot of great variety. It is the Oraculum that’s being utilized as part of the living menus on the upcoming blue ray release of Alice in Wonderland and so we’re going to kind of stroll through these particular images that are broken down, not only of your drawings Dermot but also the screen imagery of the menus and, David perhaps if you could talk just a bit about how these were integrated and utilized in the set up of the Blu-ray.

David Jessen: Well when you enter the Blu-ray this is our other menu system and in the U. S., Mexico and Canada currently we call it our living menu system. So if you’re BD Live connected what happens is, the very first thing that occurs is that whatever your weather is in your particular climate Dermot was very generous and gracious to design new Oraculum art for us that features whatever that is, either it’s a sunny day, a cloudy day, a rainy day, a snowy day, a clear night, a cloudy night, a rainy night, a snowy night, and the cool thing is that this is new Blue Ray exclusive material that you can get nowhere else. So it’s pretty cool. Also if you not on BD Live connected the fact that you get to see the Oraculum in its entirety. It’s the first opportunity also a person would have to actually see it laid out for them in the menus and have it and own it.

MJ: We’re running edited sequences of these various illustrations, Dermot if you could talk a bit about these

DP: Oh it’s fantastic, I’m just bowled over by what you guys have done, and it’s beautiful. Seeing my drawings come to life like that, it’s just fantastic.

MJ: (David) if you can just talk a little bit about as to how this works. When you turn on your disk.

DJ: So when if you’re BD Live connected and you put your disk in, it’s automatically going to pin your local weather through the BD Live system in the States and in Canada and the U. S. and Mexico and it will load these pieces of art and these little animations that we have done. Like its right here it’s showing that if it’s raining in your climate it’s going to be raining on screen in the Oraculum magically. And it will depend on whatever it is, if it’s sunny you’ll have a beautiful sunny image, if it’s snowing you’ll have some snow. It’s just a magical way to bring your blu-ray disk to life.

MJ: Two more sequence of these and then Dermot in terms of creating this type of art work, did you have to do anything above and beyond just the standard illustrations?

DP: I think what you guys have done its fantastic to see it now real, it’s the first time I’m seeing it. It’s beautifully realized. The rays of the sun coming out, that’s absolutely perfect. It was difficult because you didn’t have a defined boarder and for ink drawings, you know if you do cloudy night for example it can be a little difficult just knowing where to border what you’re doing and things like that. Really it’s just an excuse for me to feel like a traditional book illustrator for a week or so, or a few days. I really enjoyed doing it. But yes it’s great to see it being used so, so beautiful.

MJ: There’s a sequence of the additional art, Oraculum artwork that is also on the DVD menus.

DJ: What’s wonderful is, we at Disney are always trying to find a way to extend the film experience organically and work with the film talent to do that, and I think this is the perfect example of that.

Jim Davy: When we first saw Dermot’s Oraculum art we just thought what a perfect way to have that be the theme for the menus for the whole disk experience.

DP: Yes that’s great, and to have something made drawn for the film which can be the end of its existence and have another life outside of it is kind of a rare opportunity for me. To tell you the truth it’s fantastic.

Ernie Estrella: Concerning the living menus and these seem to be more the norm back when DVDs were being pumped out and they seemingly been scraped recently–sadly I think, (especially with Blu-Ray). What made the decision to go with the more intricate menus and kind of utilize some of the Blu-Ray technology where it seems like it hasn’t been utilized properly I think enough?

DJ: It’s funny that you say that I mean, because at Disney, and I head up creative productions for DVD and Blu-Ray we’ve been, menus have always been integral to the experience. We always try to make menus organic to the entertainment experience so it’s a holistic experience and with living menus we did use them on “Sleeping Beauty.” We then followed up with “Earth” and we had them on “Snow White” so the magic mirror had artificial intelligence so whenever you put your disk in he would say something new to you and he knew what the weather was and were now continuing it with Alice in a different way. So be sure to check out those other disks.

MJ: As (Jim) mentioned Dermot artwork is so compelling that, and such a key part of the story, that.

JD: One thing I should add actually on these menus we forgot to say is that if your BD Live connected not only does it show your current weather in that very first panel with the White Night, but there’s a little banner there and an icon that Dermot created and it shows you tomorrows forecast. And it has a little temperature, Fahrenheit and Celsius and a little icon of what tomorrow’s weather would be. That wasn’t shown there but on the example that will be there on the actual product.

DP: It won’t work in the UK.

JD: We’re slowly rolling BD Live out.

DP: Yes, yes, I know, it’s always raining here.

EE: Dermot you were talking about the variety that you’re able to do on this film as far as the different styles your able to do. Maybe you can talk about, was this kind of the biggest draw for you or was it more working with Tim Burton or the ability to work with this kind of range?

DP: To me it’s working with Tim Burton really. The thing is when I started, as often happens in film, it was quite late in the production and Tim asked me to help out visualize, come up with the environments behind the green screen edits. I was meant to be in it for, actually I was due to start another production and I had to cancel it because Tim said oh I just need you for 6 weeks maybe and then it just expanded. So I had no idea when I was starting, the range of work I would end up doing and I think what happens is because I was around Tim, he was downstairs or literally in the attic of the (Rackem) Building, whenever it would occur to him, he had an idea or something to do and we talked about it, I would go ‘OK I’ll just draw it.’ Whatever he would throw at me I would just go ‘oh lets, I’ll have a go, I’ll have a go,’ and it was very casual. So from doing the Oraculum I was like ‘I’ll have a go if you like.’ Because I’ve been working as an illustrator for I don’t know 20 years or something, working in the film industry 15 years, I’ve kind of developed a wide range of styles for different things.

So I’m not intimidated by trying anything and because Tim is an artist he’s not fearful about asking for anything. He can read very quickly whether a design or drawing is working. So it’s not as if a director who is not sure is asking you to do things and then is not sure, he’s sure immediately. Not everything worked but most of the things I was doing he was like, ‘Yes-yes! Just keep going!’ It was really, really enjoyable. But the draw in the first place was just to work with him because I know he’s great fun to be around and to work for and he’s a real visionary. He drags the best out of people. We talked about this before we started that a lot of the kind of motion captured, live action crossovers have been done up in them. But I think Tim used the tools that have been developed, including the skills that have been developed over the last few years at Sony for other productions. He just knows how to get the best out of people and I kind of knew that if I was working around that environment was going to be really creative and really energetic and a bit crazy and hard to predict what was going to happen. And it doesn’t get more fun in life than asked to do what you do and then not being absolutely sure what tomorrows going to bring. It was wonderful.

EE: Because of the range that your able to play with what would you say of all the pieces you did for Alice was the most maybe challenging or time consuming piece that you did.

DP: Well the Oraculum was the most challenging but it needed to work on the screen; it needed to work when you saw it very quickly and if you saw it very closely. We didn’t want it to look modern so it was a bit of a challenge. I work completely digitally–and I have for the last 15 years–but I’ve like 8 or ten years before that when I worked traditionally with paint and ink and everything. So I had to go out and buy nibs and ink and draw a little bit in the real world on real paper to make sure it looked and then scanned it in and make sure it looked correct. Doesn’t have that line wave and everything. So that was technically kind of difficult. I think when you work a long time in the film industry you get used to; it’s all about puzzle solving, about doing what’s appropriate. So I never really thought all this was too difficult. Not really.

EE: On the Oraculum, in the blu-ray menus, did you have input as far as what would be animated?

DP: No, no, (Ken Ralston) was and his team at Sony sort of said can you do some layers, well actually they asked me to, can I send over some layers, but I don’t really work in layers digitally. So no not really, and then of course when it came to the Blu-Ray menu, all the ideas were Jim and his team. I’m right about that, not crediting the wrong people?

JD: Yes we took Dermot’s art for the menus and we saw that in the movie the team there animated certain sections and we thought that would be fun to do the same thing for the menus and animate certain things, clock hands moving, leaves blowing through, some subtle details of animation throughout the menus.

DJ: And of course we had Tim’s input along the way.

DP: Yes it’s great, it’s like here’s a crazy idea, go for it. It’s great. Yes.

You can visit Dermot’s website to see more of his powerful conceptual art. And be sure to check out the Alice in Wonderland blu-ray and my review to see both Colleen’s and Dermot’s work on the film. If you haven’t already, make sure you visit the big Q/A session with AIW’s special effects crew, Ken Ralston and David Schaub. Click Here for that article.

Ken Ralston

David Schaub

In the beginning of the month, Disney released their latest spin on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland on Blu-Ray and DVD. Pop Culture Shock is excited to bring to you an extensive Q/A session with Alice in Wonderland’s Animation Director David Schaub and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston. Schaub has been in the industry for more than 15 years and has worked on I am Legend, The Polar Express, Cast Away, Stuart Little and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Ralston is an industry pioneer and has five Academy Awards for visual effects technology while working at Sony Pictures Imagesworks and Industrial Light and Magic. Some of his credits include Contact, the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Return of the Jedi and Star Wars. Together they answer questions about Alice in Wonderland, 3D technology, and the animation industry.

THE GREENPRINT FOR EFFECTING ALICE

The first question on everyone’s mind is, what’s it’s like to work with Tim Burton?

David Schaub: Tim was absolutely great. He is such a visionary and an absolute pleasure to work with. He has an incredible visual sense, and any time that we got stuck in any way he would always have great ideas that would steer us in new and interesting directions. That vision took us places I never imagined we would go. He has great respect for all of his actors and artists, and truly manages to bring out the best of everyone involved. Because of Tim’s involvement, I would have to say that it was one of the most rewarding shows I have ever been a part of.

Ken Ralston: Working with Tim Burton was wonderful, one of the best experiences of my career. We both have a passion for the art of moviemaking and shared an artist vision for ALICE.

How much leeway were you given to add your and your staff’s own personal style of animation when there was also the look and visual style of Tim Burton that was being presented?

DS: Tim was great at giving us lots of creative license to try lots of different things. He would always steer the work toward his particular sensibilities, and rather than completely scrap a performance that was working well in it’s own way – he would always find a way to make the most of the elements that worked and steer the ship forward without completely turning the ship around. I think it was a very rewarding experience for the animators.

What was the storyboard process like? Were the boards very detailed and specific? Or were they more loose and gestural, focusing on mood and general blocking?

DS: Tim is a very visceral filmmaker… and does not like working with storyboards. It is a very interactive process when it comes to animation, and a lot of our performance cues were taken from how he directed the actors on set. When it came to the animation process, it was the typical round of blocking, primary and secondary animation approvals.

For Tweedeldee and Tweedledum you combined footage from faces of a real actor with CG-figures. Who came up with the idea for that and how difficult was it to animate, control and combine the facial expressions?

DS: That was Tim’s idea, and it is something that Ken Ralston always wanted to do; that is, combining live action elements of a face in the render.

One of the more intriguing facets of the animation in Alice in Wonderland were the hybrid characters, like the Tweedles. Many questions were asked about the involvement of motion capture, the challenges of this hybrid process.

KR: To be clear, there are no motion capture characters in the film. They are all animated. As protection, we did capture motion, which was useful as a guide for the animators. For the hybrid characters, such as the Tweedles, we wanted to maintain the brilliant facial performance of our actor, which could never be duplicated by a CG interpretation.

DS: Motion capture became a point-of-reference for us in the end. If you watch the performances of the actors on set – often on stilts (and moving that way), you will see that the essence of movement in the final scene is very different. That is because the performances were animated. We went into this shoot not knowing all the details of how it would shake down, so we covered ourselves by acquiring motion capture, as well as optical data (that’s what those big white/black targets are on their suits). The actors are directed on set to hit their marks, moving from A-to-B and delivering a performance that we ultimately used as reference for animation. If you look at the way the Tweedles move, it is indeed the essence of Matt Lucas’ performance – but it is also stylized in a way that is very different than the way they moved on set. This was a deliberate style choice that evolved once we got into animation. The faces were also fully animated with animation controls, but for an extra level of realism, the eyes and often the mouth were tracked back into the final render. We had to nail those facial performances precisely.

With regards to body replacement, the trick was to stabilize the head (on a card), attach that card to the animated body, and then we were free to move the character anywhere we needed to within the scene. It proved too limiting to leave the head locked in it’s photographed location in the plate.

David, how many man-hours are added with the hybrid characters as opposed to having either live action or fully animated characters?

DS: The hybrid characters were particularly tricky – mostly from a technical point of view. We did not have to make a huge creative leap regarding performances because the essence of the performance is precisely how the actors performed their parts. Stayne was probably the trickiest in that regard because of his proportions. The trick was to replicate the essence of those performances – precisely as Crispin Glover performed – but also imparting a level of gracefulness to his moves which were often difficult to accomplish on stilts. Hours? Many hours! It is just another one of the many animation challenges that we were presented with.

Ken, the film was filmed using green screen. Was it particularly difficult to recreate all the environments with CGI, taking into account the style of Tim Burton that is so overloaded with details? What kind of challenges did you find in this regard?

KR: It was very difficult. Every shot in every scene has many details and textures in the environments. The real difficulty is the size of the data and the rendering of the shot – and the time it takes to do all of that – had to be calculated to take that into account in our schedule.

Does working with a green screen change how you approach things?

KR: Green screen or blue screen is basically the same idea for compositing live action into visual effects. But the green screen color, after long periods of time, seems to create a certain aggravation and irritation after staring at it for a long period. It is effective for compositing, but visually and psychologically exhausting to be surrounded by it for extended periods of time. The overall concept of shooting against green screen enabled us to design our sets and environments after the live action shoot. So it gave us great flexibility.

Its easy to think ‘oh it’s all green screen’ but how complicated were the physical green screen sets you built?

KR: They are deceivingly simple looking but the placement of all of the green props and elements were lined up exactly to the detailed CG designed sets developed by production designer Rob Stomberg. We also had to clothe stunt people, technicians, mechanical effects crew and anyone who was visible in frame but not a principal cast member in green. We shot on 2 large sound stages where portions of sets were constructed. And the green screen also had extensive reference markers so we could track the cameras and know where we were in space.

Dave, were there any traditional camera tricks that helped as shortcuts in the animation process?

DS: There weren’t really any camera tricks that we could get away with on a film like this. The typical tricks that you could pull off in 2D would be revealed in 3D. For example, if you discover that a character is floating off the ground in your render, you could always cheat that contact with a contact shadow in the final comp. Since we are dealing with stereo cameras, all of those cheats reveal themselves in 3D; so we can’t get away with too many camera “tricks.”

THE FACES AND PERFORMERS OF UNDERLAND

DS: In addition to the obvious “fanciful” characters, we also animated all of the animals – really all the “non-human” characters in the film. While we have a lot of creative freedom for the “fanciful” characters (like the Cheshire Cat, March Hare, Caterpillar), animating realistic animals always presents a challenge since everyone knows precisely how a horse, or a dog moves… There is less wiggle room for a creative stretch and if it isn’t right, the animation stands out like a sore-thumb.

Which character was the most difficult to animate?

DS: Each character had it’s own unique challenge. From a technical perspective, Stayne was incredibly tricky, since every shot required an animated CG body underneath a photographic element of Crispin Glover’s head. Creative challenges were the Cheshire Cat and getting the essence of the “creepy” nature of a cat and what that all meant from Tim Burton’s perspective. “Creepy, quiet and …STILLNESS (not over-animated)” was the directive.

Could you explain the technical challenges regarding the animation process of the “staring”, Cheshire Cat?

DS: The eyes and mouth were certainly the biggest challenges. The eyes are so prominent, and we were able to control all of the dilation attributes to make them as real as possible. Also, the smile was a challenge since it spanned from ear-to-ear. The inner palette had to deform as well so that the teeth tracked along with the mouth through it’s full arc.

What about the concept behind the Blue Caterpillar? What was the overall goal for animators with that character? Were there any early ideas that were axed?

DS: The caterpillar performance was truly dictated by how Alan Rickman voiced the character. You don’t even need to see the reference of his performance to feel the disdain in his voice. As with all of the animated characters, the goal was to tone the “animation-knob” way down. Tim wanted to impart an extreme level of subtlety in the performances so that the characters reside in the same world as their live-action counterparts. Again, we took our cues from how Tim directed his actors on set. Nothing is over-dramatized, and if a performance can be sold with absolute “stillness”, with a perfectly timed little dart of the eyes, that’s exactly what Tim wanted to capitalize on. That was a common theme for all of these characters – and the frogs come to mind in that regard as well.

The animation of Bloodhound is incredible and realistic, did you use any special technique or is it just the talent and rigging magic of the animation artists?

DS: Rigging talent and magic of the animators! Indeed, the realistic characters and real animals are surprisingly the most challenging. It needs to be loaded with subtlety and nuance in order for the performances to ring true. Once the animators delivered the performance, the shots went through a “shot-finaling” process where a skin-simulation (including ears and jowls) was applied that gave him that extra level of believability with his saggy, baggy Bloodhound skin.

How much training was involved in putting the actors on stilts?

DS: They spent several days hobbling around the set trying to get the hang of it. The primary reason for putting them on stilts was to get the eye line right on set. You’ll notice that the movement of an actor on stilts LOOKS like an actor on stilts, so those performances were really used as a point-of-reference for animation. The animated version of the Tweedles for example has a different feel about them than what was actually shot. That was a stylistic choice that evolved with Tim over the course of the show.

Ken, which of the actors was presented with the greatest challenge to achieve an effect, over the course of the shoot?

KR: Mia (Alice) probably was presented with the greatest challenge. Mia had to carry the weight of performing opposite many, many characters that were not at all visible on the set as you see them in the movie. It was also her first film like this, so she had a huge learning curve. She did fantastically.

What all went into the epic climax of Alice in Wonderland?

KR: The end battle was shot entirely on green screen. We designed the Jabberwocky as an homage to Ray Harryhausen’s work. There is a tremendous amount of animation and compositing. The sequence is full of many effects and animation tricks – fog, dust, debris – many, many small details that blend together to add a reality to the scene.

David, Could you please name your favorite wonderland inhabitant, maybe one that matches your own character.

DS: My favorites changed through the entire process. You develop close attachments to characters as they develop, but it seemed like each sequence brought new and different challenges and new favorites. Cheshire Cat was probably the first favorite that I could identify with. By the end of the show I was clearly the March Hare – completely frazzled!

Ken, Alice came up with more than 1.700 VFX-Shots! How important was the whole pre-visualization process to cope that massive project?

KR: There wasn’t as much pre-visualization of the project as you might expect. Only the action sequences, like the Bandersnatch chasing Alice, and sequences with less actor input were the ones that could be pre-visualized. The nature of this project was that we had simple versions of the environments available on the set, which allowed Tim and the actors to have the flexibility to create the scenes and action on set.

THIS THING CALLED 3D

Ken, this project mixes old and new techniques. Are there any new filmmaking technologies on the horizon that you’re excited about or that you think will change the game in a big way?

KR: I don’t know there is something on the horizon that will change the game as much as it is about applying the best technique to get the director’s vision onto the screen. Thank you for recognizing that we used a great variety of techniques. Change actually happens somewhat slowly in visual effects. Each film builds on what we learn from the last. While it may seem that certain films are a stunning breakthrough, the imagery is often the result of a steady progression accomplished over many years and through many films. Our technologies are continuously evolving.

Alice was filmed in 2D and then post-produced in 3D… and that this was Burton’s idea from the beginning… Where do you stand in all that controversy between movies filmed in real 3D and those that aren’t?

KR: To me, the style of the movie dictates the approach that you take. It is not so much one or the other. It is what is right for the movie and the director’s style and intention. In the case of ALICE, shooting in 2D facilitated our CG post-production.

David, did the decision to take the film 3D in post take you back to square one in terms of your preparations?

DS: No. We always knew that this film would be done in 3D, so preparations were made to accommodate that from the beginning. In essence, it is only the live action characters that need to be “photographically” converted to stereo. Everything else in Underland is CG (characters and environments), so most of that could be rendered in stereo from our synthetic 3D world. We did not have to make a lot of concessions for the 3D aspect, and really focused on making the story and characters hold up as a 2D film… then the 3D was icing on the cake at the back-end.

Could you explain the 3D animation process a bit for those who may not know that there are animators who add that 3D element to the experience? And how happy are you with the 2D version of the film even though there was that effort done by your 3D team?

DS: When we are inside of our CG world – and if all of our characters were CG, then the process of animating in 3D is really no different than it would be on a 2D film. In the end, the scene is rendered through a left-and right-eye camera. It is a virtual world and everything is already set up with depth relationships. The tricky part is when we integrate live-action elements into that world – like Alice, for example. Before the CG characters can be animated in a scene with her, Alice must first be given “volume” so that the other characters can interact in a believable depth-relationship with her. Basically, a stunt-double version of Alice must be created and animated to match the performance as seen from the camera, then the photography is projected back on to that geometry to give her depth. With regard to “making” a 3D movie, we really only think in terms of 2D (for the most part), and make it the best 2D movie that it can possibly be. The 3D aspect adds depth and places Alice inside this weird and wacky world of Underland… but hopefully people aren’t thinking too much about the effect, but enjoying the ride instead. The goal is to make everything blend seamlessly.

Have the animations been created for 2D and then taken to 3D with the whole movie process, or have they created directly for 3D?

DS: The live-action characters (like Alice, the Red Queen, Mad Hatter) were converted to 3D, while the CG character were native 3D in our virtual worlds. From an animation perspective they were animated like any other CG character then rendered through left-and right-eye cameras. The tricky part comes into play when a CG character is interacting with a live-action character. The photographic element of the live action character must first be “rotomated” in the scene (essentially a CG stunt-double) so that photography can be projected back onto that character. Once a 3D representation of that character is in the scene, the CG characters can interact with that live-action character – keeping depth registration in mind. We now need to take into account the Z axis – not just X and Y like in a 2D film.

Ken, which cameras have been used and which is the source, digital only or also 35mm negative?

KR: It was the Genesis camera, digital only, for any of the Wonderland sequences. And the live action bookends were shot on film.

The Genesis Camera used for Alice In Wonderland has a CCD with a resolution higher than 4K, do you think a 4K 2D re-release of the movie could be possible in future?

KR: While I can’t comment on any release plans, technically, it is possible. Everyone is always advancing the technology to get the best image possible.

Were you satisfied with the use of 3D in the film? What was your favorite scene?

KR: I was very satisfied with how 3D helped us immerse Alice into the world of Wonderland. As for a favorite scene, I love when Alice meets the Cheshire Cat. It works on so many levels.

Have you been surprised by the speed with which 3D has become the norm for blockbuster releases?

KR: Maybe a little surprised but it has been clear for some time that there was a growing appetite. The success of AVATAR really demonstrated the potential of 3D and also accelerated the availability of 3D equipped theaters.

David, you’ve mentioned the small tricks you couldn’t get away with. Do you find it frustrating as an audience member then to see the films that are converting to 3D with far less attention to detail?

DS: Sure. I would hate for the quick-conversions to give the stereo medium a bad wrap. If the audiences get turned off by the experience of a few poorly executed conversions that could be enough to change the course of the future of 3D (stereo).

Alice has – possibly unjustly – been lumped in with a number of other blockbusters that have ‘upscaled’ to 3D in post. How do you feel about the rush to the new technology? Do you feel some of the other films undermined what you had achieved?

DS: We can always hope that the standards remain high. Of course there is always the possibility that the work turned out over the next couple of years will dictate how the industry goes as a direct result of how audience react to the 3D conversions currently underway.

THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY AND CAREER PATHS

Ken, you post quite the impressive resume, a lot of these being American classics. Could you tell me a little bit about your involvement or what you had a hand in with the Back to the Future and Star Wars franchises?

KR: Star Wars was my first feature film and I did motion control camera work on the first film. Ultimately, I became visual effects supervisor, one of 3, on Return of the Jedi. I was visual effects supervisor on all of the Back to the Future films and they were the first times I worked with Bob Zemeckis.

Having worked with Zemeckis, how successful do think mo-cap is as a solution to animation problems, and are you happy with the speed at which it’s growing use in the industry?

KR: Motion capture has a place in specific types of movies. It is one of many available tools. On Alice, we only used motion capture as a reference. All of the characters and animation were actually done through traditional key frame techniques.

Was there ever a moment where you couldn’t achieve what was being asked for, or is that a thing of the past?

KR: Sure – for a variety of reasons, there are always shots that either don’t live up to the initial intent or due to schedule, physical resources or cost have to be re-envisioned. But overall, on this film, what you see on the screen came together even more robust than we first imagined.

David, I know the L.A. area is considered to be the heart of American animation, are there any other U.S. cities that are doing interesting things in animation?

DS: Albuquerque, NM! I’m not kidding. Sony Imageworks has a facility out there, and a large chunk of this work was done out there. We are all connected via video conferencing, and remote desk-top dailies. We have also opened up an office in Vancouver that will operate in the same way – using ABQ as the model since it worked so well. More and more studios are going this way to take advantage of the tax
incentives that are being offered. I love the idea – and I look forward to the day when animators can work remotely from anywhere. And as for LA… yeah, that would get the traffic off the freeways!

Ken, where are the best visual effects companies in the world? Is all the best work done in the US, or are there great boutique effects houses elsewhere?

KR: A lot of the best are in California. However, there is great work being done all over the world. There is a fabulous global community of visual effects and animation artists.

David, how did you first get interested in animation generally and what do you recommend for students looking to begin a career in your area of expertise?

DS: I’ve always had an interest in animation – for as far back as I can remember. Originally it was Saturday morning cartoons, but later it became the Disney classics. I was the kid that drew flip-books in the corner margin of my math book and was always doodling or fiddling with 8mm film projects of my own. My advice to any aspiring animator is to dive in head-first and get involved. There is really no better way to get good at this than to do it. Take every opportunity and make the most of it. There are some great schools out there, and we are seeing a lot of great talent coming our way as a result. In the end it really is about your reel, and a demonstration of your talent that makes an impression. The artistry is what matters, regardless of your particular education. But all that education certainly helps.

Many colleges still offer traditional 2D animation degrees, is there any place for 2D animators in today’s studios or should they go back and study CG?

DS: When it comes to animation, it is the performance that reins supreme – whether it is pencil on paper or hand on a mouse! The VFX world (and films like this) is certainly dependent on CG tools and if that is the realm that a student is interested in, then it is best to focus in that area. But in the end, all of these tools are exactly that – just tools. Choose your medium.

Ken, there is seemingly more work out there with so many films that up the ante as far as fantasy and fan boy movies continue to roll out of Hollywood, but in reality studios keep closing, how tough is it really out there for animation and FX houses?

KR: It is challenging business. The effects films that do well support the idea of these kinds of big movies. And you are right, the ante is continually upped. We are all very conscious of economics and delivering a quality product within the limitations of schedules and budgets.

As technology has advanced to the point where basically anything you can think of can be created on screen, do you think audiences are suffering from “CGI fatigue?” How do you continue to wow audiences who have, in some ways, seen everything already??

KR: CG is a tool like any other tool in making a movie. It can be used correctly or abused. When used correctly, it can enhance the film’s illusion and the audience experience. It is less about the technique and much more about how it is used. When used effectively to enhance a story, stunning visuals and the opportunity to explore something you have not seen is a rewarding experience.

DS: The most important thing is to wow audiences with great stories and great performances. Yes, if a film hinges on spectacular VFX in order to keep the audience’s attention, then it is very easy to get “CGI-fatigue” on a grand scale. Everything we did in this film was in support of the story, and bringing Tim’s vision to life. It was never about creating some spectacular effect that no one had seen before… but the upside is that I think we ended up with some pretty unique things in the film that audiences have in fact not seen before!

Ken, has the Blu-ray image quality forced you to be more meticulous with visual effects in any way?

KR: The Blu-ray image is actually equal to the resolution at which we work. So what you see on Blu-ray is the same as what you see on the big screen and the same as what we see here at Imageworks when we are viewing dailies and making the shots. We are trying to produce the most perfect image and Blu-ray maintains that image quality.

David, Blu-ray technology can bring to new life the old masterpieces of the past, do you think old Disney classics will look as exciting in 2K resolution as to be appreciated as much as new animation movies?

DS: I think the remastered Disney classics look AMAZING on Blu-ray! The level of detail that you see on the old cels is phenomenal – you can even see the shadow of the cel against the background. It brings you up-close and personal to that amazing artwork that has been so hidden in low-resolution renditions.

What’s more satisfying for you Ken, working on a film that makes a Visual FX leap in advancement, or working on something with a such a distinct visual style that defines the overall impression left by the film? I think Alice achieved both of these in spades (pun intended).

KR: It is both. First comes the look of the movie and the requirements of the story. If that leads us to a technical advancement, that is a bonus. But it takes terrific films like ALICE to do all that.

What’s the best visual effect you ever did that no one realizes was a visual effect?

KR: There are many. CONTACT was a movie that had many of these kinds of invisible shots. For example, the mirror shot, in which Jodie Foster as a child runs up the stairs, down a hallway and reaches into a medicine cabinet, is a complicated blending of elements that you have to look hard at to realize that what has occurred is impossible.

What’s your favorite visual effect of all time, one that you did not do, but really admire?

KR: Excellent question. The Skeleton Fight by Ray Harryhausen seen in “Jason and the Argonauts” is my favorite visual effects sequence. This scene, more than any other, stands out as one of the greats of all time.

Did you learn anything unexpected during the massive production-process?

KR: Nothing was really unexpected. After doing these kinds of movies for so long, I was able to anticipate many things and be prepared. It is great when a plan, especially a big complicated plan like this, comes together. I had a great team of super geniuses backing me up at every turn.

Any final thoughts on Alice?

KR: Alice was definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had in my career. Working creatively with Tim Burton was incredibly satisfying. There were many challenges and we had a brilliant team that worked well together. I am very proud of the work and most importantly, it was fun.

DS: This experience on Alice was truly the most creatively fulfilling experiences of my career. It was a huge pleasure to work with Tim Burton, and an amazing opportunity to give life to the characters of Underland. It was also a crew of the most talented animators that I ever had the pleasure to work with – professional and talented on every level. While the schedule was grueling – 9 months in animation from start-to finish, we all realized we were a part of something special. You don’t get such wonderful opportunities very often, so everyone pulled together and gave it everything they had to make the best of this special time that we had. It was great to see the work pan out the way it did, and great to see audiences enjoying the wild and wacky world of Underland!

And be sure to check out the Alice in Wonderland blu-ray and my review to see both Ken and David’s work on the film. If you haven’t already, make sure you visit the big round table interviews with Alice in Wonderland’s costume designer Colleen Atwood and conceptual artist Dermot Power. Click Here for that article.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $ 39.99
Studio(s): Disney
Release Date: June 1, 2010

Film/Feature: C+
This Alice in Wonderland is a reaches a bit to be a “sequel” of sorts, but doesn’t do much to deviate from the conventional structure of what alice is about, except this time she’s older, more independent, sharper and has a nasty wit about her. Alice (Mia Wasikoawska) is free thinker in her day and she’d be cast as an outsider trying to fight the system of arranged marriages and all that is Jane Austen. Spurred by a marriage proposal, Alice has visions of another world, but are they dreams or memories? She follows a rabbit from her dreams down a fifty-story drop in the forest only to be confronted by the “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” concoctions that will make her fit into the spastic world of Lewis Carroll.

Pale as a frequent blood donor, Alice believes “Underland” is a dream, while the everyone she meets is skeptical that she is their savior. There’s the Tweedle twins (Matt Lucas), the March Hare (Paul Whitehouse), the Absolem (Alan Rickman) and the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry). Her reluctance and failure to remember this world goes against the Oraculum a prophecy scroll that shows what’s to come, and Alice is depicted killing the menacing Jaberwocky with the Vorpal Sword; thus resolving the land of the war between the kingdom’s patriarchal sisters: The hot-headed (and bulbous) Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) who has stolen the crown from her younger sibling, the aloof pacifist, White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The creatures of Underland need Alice to remember who she is and grow some courage quick. Once she does, she can steal the sword from the Bandersnatch, find the White Queen and lead an all out attack of the Red Army. That’s not too much to ask from someone who appears to be suffering from amnesia, is it?

While many waited to see Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, it’s been too soon since Sweeney Todd and even Depp played a deranged and spaced out Hatter isn’t as special as it could be. Depp played up the mad angle since many hatters back in the day went crazy from the glue used in the industry. Wasikowska is a surprise treat, portraying such naïvety and sweetness and is contrasted by the vitriolic Carter as the Red Queen stealing every scene she’s in. Hathaway is too bohemian, but Crispin Glover as the Red Queen’s Knave is just right.

The problem with Alice, well actually Wonderland, is that it’s not bizarre enough. Gothic, yes, but such dark and twisted re-imaginings have become run-of-the-mill for Burton, and truth be told, it’s almost mainstream these days. It’s a byproduct of Burton’s success and long tenure as a filmmaker. With Emily the Strange and Twilight gone mainstream, Burton’s goth have become like a passé. It’s odd, I know. Burton walks the fine line of what I consider style over substance. One film he’s just off, the other he’s just on. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney it was just enough Burton, too much in Planet of the Apes and Sleepy Hollow; but it’s so perfect in Ed Wood, Big Fish, and Nightmare Before Christmas so he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.

On a visual and technical level, I have no problems with Alice, I only wish Underland and the darker concepts were taken further and deeper story-wise. Some of the visuals will be permanently etched in such insidious ways, like the Red Queen’s moat. But I should catch myself, since this is a Disney, PG film, so we’re not going to see them go crazy. If only the story had a much more luxurious travel to the end perhaps I wouldn’t have been so content with Alice ‘s decision at the end. It all just felt a bit rushed, like they were trying not to be late to the tea party. If Alice’s adventure was supposed to be like a dream then it worked, just like the dreams where you wake up way too early.

Video: A+
I’ve seen my fair share of blu-rays this year and few can boast a better transfer than Alice in Wonderland’s 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Close ups reveal detail of the white, caked makeup on Johnny Depp’s face. Every strand of the Cheshire cat can be plucked if only you could reach into your screen. One impressive scene of note is the tea party when Alice reunites with the Mad Hatter. There’s layers upon layers of fog billowing in and out each frame and the depth perception is phenomenal. There is a wide scope of colors of eye-bursting hues like the orange in Mad Hatter’s hair, the blood crimson of the Red Army, and there’s a wide spectrum within the range of grays and browns too. In between are clothes with a pastel color palette. It’s stunning that there’s this level of detail, texture, shadow delineation and atmosphere considering most of the film was shot in front of a green screen. It should be interesting to see just how well this picture holds up when the eventual 3D version comes out for the new televisions.

Audio:A+
Not to be overshadowed is the blissful 6.1 English DTS-HD audio track, an active and at times knockout soundtrack that is full of swirling sound effects, a Danny Elfman score and just the right amount of bass during the action scenes to help make you feel as if you were standing next to Alice fighting dragons. Dialogue holds true in each scene, is clear and is never too faint to hear. Disney knows how to Other audio selections include: 2.0 English Descriptive Video, and 5.1 French and Spanish Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras: C
Blu-Ray Exclusive: Living Menus This is no extraordinary extra but it is a cool detail piece. I’ve always felt that blu-ray menus have taken a step back compared to DVD menus in the early 2000′s. The menus here connect to BD Live: and upon loading up, you’ll see your local weather as well as be greeted by a part of the Oraculum that mirrors your local weather. I was able to sample this on a cloudy day and sunny day and confirm these do change with the weather. Readers out there with snowy or rainy weather feel free to post comments if you see different images. I won’t get too many chances in California.

Wonderland Characters HD (27:56) features a selection of characters and their quirks Finding Alice, The Mad Hatter, The Futterwacken, The Red Queen, Time Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen, The White Queen.

Making Wonderland HD (19:29) is a general making-of extra that focuses on primarily the post-production part of Alice in Wonderland including Scoring Wonderland, Effecting Wonderland, Stunts of Wonderland, Making the Proper Size, Cakes of Wonderland, and Tea Party Props. I’m a sucker for anything that involves scoring films, but the bits about the effects and Alice’s changing proportions could have been longer. The cakes and props featurettes are fun too.

DVD Copy a great option for those with DVD players in their cars or portable players for the vacation trips.

Digital Copy another option for those who can stomach watching full-length feature films on tiny mobile devices or on their computer and is compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player.

Overall Shock Value:B–
Alice in Wonderland pushed the edges of Lewis Carroll’s story but it could have been shoved much further. It’s not to take away from the film’s success, but it’s just knowing there was potential for meatier story that keeps it from being a landmark film. What one has to remember is that it set out to be a family film first, and I think it achieved that well enough. The extras department was underwhelming considering the artistry and craft in Alice; it’s certainly one of the most visually memorable films of 2010 so far and a cargo full of supplemental material would have supported that. Despite those shortcomings, this is a visual show-stopper, and the sound is splendid. I’m going to recommend Alice in Wonderland with a Rent It stamp of approval, but it might be a keeper for film students and parents of gothic children who want to see a fairy tale they can stand behind.

And please check out Ernie’s other Alice in Wonderland articles including a lengthy Q/A interview with Ken Ralston and David Schaub, two of the wizards behind the visual effects of Alice in Wonderland, and a two roundtable interviews with costume designer Colleen Atwood and conceptual artist Dermot Power.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 137 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): Paramount
Release Date: June 8, 2010

Film/Feature: B–
Shutter Island explores 1954 when the world of psychology and psychiatry came at a crossroads. Three methods of treatment to those deemed insane were being widely debated. Psycho-surgery (AKA lobotomy), talk therapy and the advent of pharma-therapy, a method some say is being abused today. This psychological thriller is based on the book written by Dennis Lehane novel of the same name is set in this time period.

Set on an isolated island in Boston Harbor, Ashecliff Hospital is known to hold the worst of the worst criminally insane patients with only one way in and one way out. It’s a prison and hospital at the same time. Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) is trying to pioneer new methods in treating his patients with more talk therapy instead of methods of lobotomy, which even in its time, was just beginning to be considered barbaric. He hopes that through alternative methods, he can reach patients easier and leave drugs and psycho-surgery as last resorts. Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow) represents the other side of psychiatry who would rather lobotomize all of the patients and save the time and effort that feels is being wasted on cases so far gone who can’t be reached, when the mind has completely taken over the body.

Our story begins when two U.S. marshals, Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), arrive to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), a patient who is thought to have vanished from her locked quarters. She allegedly killed her three young children and is a widow thanks to World War II. Teddy leads an all-out interrogation of staff and patients while feeling very close to Solando’s case and is haunted by his own history. Just as he is about to break the case open, he is blocked by the hospital to pursue his intuitions and that’s when he becomes suspicious of those in charge at Ashecliff. But this story is just a front for a much larger story; an emotionally-cleansing journey for the U.S. marshall. To find out the truth, Teddy must look within, and confront his secrets and lies before it’s too late.

Lehane’s novels have inspired two other heavily talked-about films, Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, and as in those stories, Shutter Island presents odd folk, trapped in a precarious situation. There is something sinister and ominous here, helped by stark, atmospheric settings, peculiar characters and good old-fashioned camera work. It won’t take long to begin suspecting what’s at play, but it’s how the film evolves from this inauspicious point is what ignites conversation between viewers, not the twist. Only when Shutter Island is fully revealed, does one see the complexity of Shutter Island. It’s a successful translation with the direction of Scorsese, and screenwriter, Laeta Kalogridis whose task was to adapt this narrative for the big screen.

An inevitable second viewing allows the viewer redemption to properly soak in Scorsese’s tapestry. Once again, DiCaprio is dominant in every scene he is in, but Michelle Williams who plays Teddy’s wife Dolores, is equally moving (and tragic); while character contributions by Kinglsey, Ruffalo, Jackie Earle Haley, and von Sydow hit the mark.

If you’re expecting a classic, violent Scorsese film, Shutter Island won’t meet those expectations. Nor will it satisfy those looking for a large supernatural element that could be expected from what I feel were misleading trailers. It’s instead a search and rescue film, of a character disparately needing help. In the backdrop, is the world of psychiatry, during its questionable infancy and is the apt villain as Teddy’s traverse into his lower depths while trying to solve his case.

Shutter Island is a wolf in sheep’s clothing; masquerading as one thing but being something different. Its slow spots restrain the film from being something magnificent, and its secret is thinly shrouded, but the eventual resolution will undoubtedly challenge the audience, but most notably, the rest of the film that precedes it.

Video: A
Paramount put out a fine 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio reflecting the film’s classicism and noir roots. In period pieces, art direction and set production are what makes a story of this kind believable, and shortcuts and shoddy work can be detected in high definition, but this is a Scorsese film, and this film looks near flawless. Whether it was rain-drenched wool or the tweed of a two piece suit, textures look highly accurate and colors are full-bodied, rich, and warm. With such a level of detail, depth perception is tremendous in crane and aerial shots. Also, DiCaprio on a closer look, is no longer the smooth-skinned young man in Titanic. Wrinkles, freckles, and stubble on his face, Ruffalo’s, and other cast members cannot hide from the picture clarity. The drab, real world colors stabilize each scene with the exception of an occasional sunny, outdoor shot that display the lush greens and gardens of the Ashecliff compound. Blacks are extremely solid and stable, with no glaring signs of crush, and are especially impressive when Teddy enters Ward C, that’s full of darkness and prison bars that create artful, shadowed stills with each frame. It’s so nice to see a classic director shoot wide, and capture so much information and spotlight the set designs.

Audio: A
Shutter Island doesn’t resort to predictable music and effects cues to get you out of your seat, but it does have a strong, 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track that serves as the driving force of the audio of the film. Music, sound effects like thunder, are sent to the rear channels, while flashbacks to concentration camps are full of bullets spraying all around you. The movement of sound is accurate and flawless no matter the direction, and the dialogue is balanced at a comfortable level with the rest of the audio. Nothing too booming or bombastic from the LFE .1 channel, it’s just right where it needs to be but the sound design had room to be more dynamic. The score, not originally composed, was rather selected parts of composed pieces, and is heard throughout all five channels. Other audio selections include: 5.1 French, Spanish, Portuguese Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: C
There are only two featurettes to explore after the film, so I can’t give Shutter Island a high grade for an abundant amount of supplement material. The film is in of itself, an extra because you will want to see the film on repeat viewings. But what extras are on the disc, do explain enough about the film that doesn’t take away from the experience, and avoid redundant information that can come with repeating similar EPK interview pieces. Both featurettes are in high definition and stereo sound.

Behind the Shutters HD (17:10)
Author and Executive Producer of Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Kingsley waxes poetic about the cast and their qualities
Scorsese shares how he and Robbie Robertson used composed musical pieces and strategically place parts of them in the film.

Into the Lighthouse HD (21:11) is the best extra of the two and talks about being both violent and mentally ill. Dr. James Gilligan served as a psychiatric consultant to the film and was the director of psychiatry at the former Bridgewater prison mental hospital which the model for the film. Gilligan talks about his efforts to transition Bridgewater into more humanistic and humane methods over the primitive and horrifying practices of old school psychiatry. Lehane also explains further why he picked 1954 as the setting and the pivotal time in psychiatry.

Overall Shock Value: B–
Shutter Island is slow to get to where it’s really interesting, but the film finds its direction about 45 minutes in. This is a film that should inspire some debate or discussion amongst friends and for that alone, it’s worth the overall gloomy experience. Technically, Paramount put out a strong blu-ray disc with a near spotless transfer that preserves the Scorsese’s artful eye and a sound stage that should take a bow. Shutter Island should easily get two or three viewings, and with just two extras on the entire blu-ray, that’s just enough to get a solid Rent It recommendation while Scorsese fans may just want to add it to their expanding library.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 59 minutes
Rated: Unrated
SRP: $19.99
Studio(s): Sub Pop Records
Release Date: May 25, 2010

Film/Feature: B–

On the main menu of David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer DVD, you’d think you’re about to watch a loud and boisterous Tom Jones concert, but instead you get the laid back, bearded Cross and an hour-long standup routine full of mild-mannered (but profanity-laden) observation humor that doesn’t discriminate. The deaf, religion, the airlines industry, green home products, junkies, potential date rape victims, anti-health care, anti-Obama-ists, “patriots,” Orthodox Jews, Mormons, Scientologists, Catholics amongst others are all fair game and many of them deserve the verbal lashing.

The feature is the mashing of two back-to-back concerts in Boston’s Wilbur Theatre, in the very town that Cross dropped out of college after one semester. It originally aired on the Epix Channel on April 10th. Since then Cross has paved a career writing for the Ben Stiller Show and starring in Waiting for Guffman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Tobias Funke in Arrested Development.

Cross is funny, but doesn’t bring the house down and you might find yourself chuckling and giggling through the routine, but not guffawing. Well, okay there is one person in the crowd who couldn’t breathe from laughing so hard because they cut to him often. It’s a funny, relevant standup act but probably won’t have you in tears nor make you feel like you just worked out with the Ab-flex.

Video/Audio: A– /B+
David Cross and his grisly beard can be seen in 480p encoded transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. and there’s not a complaint that can be found with the transfer. Colors like the blue curtain behind Cross stand out with bright and bold intensity. While there is a slight bit of black crush, and graininess in the crowd shots, it’s a fine transfer for what the material is.

There’s a choice between the preferred 5.1 English Dolby Digital audio track or the 2.0 English Dolby Digital Stereo track. There are no subtitles available. Cross comes across clear and understandable, all of the whispers, breaths, and subtle emotive gestures and mumbles can be heard without too much straining. The stereo track is a bit more difficult to pick up on the subtleties and lacks the punch of the surround track.

Extras: C+
Much of the supplemental material are additional scenes from both concerts. Some of them really funny, others remotely so. Just like the rest of the disc. The only problem with all of the extras is the lack of 5.1 surround sound audio, only stereo.

An Existence predicated Upon Manufactured Necessity SD (8:04) Cross dips into the wealth of material that can be discovered in… the Sky Mall.

Live Blogging SD (3:35) Cross gets some help from his assistants to make fun of online critics.

An Unpopular Stance SD (2:15) tries to start out a bit that leads to finding out one of the audience members is a Dane Cook fan.

The Most Surreal Thing I’ve Ever Experienced SD (7:32) A funny closing story about Cross’ path involving getting high, sharpening knives, a cussing taxi driver and a Teddy Ruxpin doll.

How to Make Your Own Yogurt SD (2:42) David speaks with his mother about making hippie food.

Unnecessary Bonus Bullshit SD (7:02) a clip of Cross’ routine in Seattle, Wa in early 2004.

Easter Egg SD (1:57) Another snippet of the show with Cross moving tables and getting his microphone mixed up with his beer.

15 x 15 Poster A 15” x 15” foldout poster of the DVD Cover art is in the packaging sleeve.

Overall Shock Value: C+
Upon a second viewing, Bigger and Blackerer grew to be a stronger performance, especially the religious bits. I do love a good thumping of the bible and its most faithful of followers. The feature itself is on the short side, even for a comedy concert. I was hoping for 90 minutes and then some, but definitely dive into those extras because for one, they’re funny; and two, they help stretch out the short running time.

There is also a CD of the same name which features some different material (such as the sing along song “The Sultan’s Revenge” and Cross’ gastro-intestinal misadventures), as well as some overlap. So if you find Cross tickling your ribs with this dry wit, you may want to give this a spin as well. Given the lack of length, I’m going to recommend this as a Rent It! rating for the casual and curious. But longtime David Cross fans should find no trouble adding this to his other CDs It’s Not Funny (2004) and Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! (2002) and DVDs Let America Laugh.

If you watched the first episode of Happy Town last week, you’ll notice that M.C. Gainey’s character Sheriff Griffin Conroy has a bit of a problem on his hand. Or is it his hand that’s his problem? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here and watch the first episode. In part two of my look into ABC’s Happy Town, we sat down with Gainey at Wondercon 2010 this past April to learn more about his character, Happy Town, and even a little bit of Lost.

Despite spending much of tonight’s episode in a hospital bed, Gainey is just glad that that he’s not playing some miscreant or slime ball degenerate. He most recently appeared in FX’s Justified where he said laughing that he, “Once again reverted to form, as a hillbilly drug lord.”

In ABC’s Happy Town, he plays the father of the show’s main character, Tommy Conroy (Geoff Stults). “I’m a loving grandfather and man of the law. I’m probably a church member if we were ever to go that far with it. So this is a stretch, this is acting in this one, baby. If I have a grand daughter, you know that somebody is taking some chances here.”

In the small town of Haplin, Minnesota, a recent murder brings back bad memories of a string of disappearances several years ago. In the season opener, Griffin reacts to the murder investigation by saying strange things out of context to his son. “I have problems, I have issues,” Gainey said. “I have major issues and as it goes on you’ll find out what those issues are. My character knows way too much.”

I asked the man with the devilish charm and the hearty spirit just how much the peculiar setting of Minnesota (filmed in Canada) plays a part in the show. “It does when it’s cold. When we first started shooting the pilot we were on a frozen lake. I did a movie in Minnesota, The Mighty Ducks back in ’92, and I spent the whole winter in Minneapolis and they have a thing there, a frozen castle with lights in it and they carve it all out. It was still there when I left in April. That is cold! That is a dynamic at work.”

Gainey should still be fresh in people’s minds as one of the Others on Lost, Tom AKA Mr. Friendly. In perhaps the most eagerly anticipated finales, Gainey had this to say about whether or not he’d make a cameo appearance as so many others have in the sixth and final season of Lost.

“That’s still up in the air,” Gainey replied. “The finale is still four episodes away and I have been away working on another series, Justified, and have been unavailable. I’m what they call, ‘Put a pen in you,’ which means they don’t want me to be hired without letting them [Lost] know. So I’m still hoping I get to come back for one more tip of the hat.”

Gainey hopes to bring more to his Happy Town character than he did with Friendly on Lost, Ben Linus’ main man when it came to dirty deeds on the island. Even though he was introduced as a mysterious character, Gainey turned him into someone wanted to get to know more of. “That character was to me a small degree creation of my own–the openly gay character on the island–that came about in the first episode of the third season and I’m trying to get Kate to take a shower. I said, ‘You’re not my type.’ So I thought, if she’s not my type then maybe Jack and Sawyer are.”

“From then on, in my mind I’ve tried to mingle up to them in every scene. For instance the football-throwing scene, the producers came up to me and asked me how could I be so bad with a football? I told them that Tom’s never thrown a football, but if Jack wants to throw one, he’ll catch it. Anything Jack or Sawyer wants to do, he’ll do (it too). “

“So then they write that great scene for me later when I explain to Michael about the boat and my lover is there. The kid who played my lover was cute, he asked me, ‘How do you think we sustain our relationship?’ I told him, ‘Pal, look at you, and look at me. This is on a cash basis, I hate to say. You’re in love with me but I’m on an island 51 weeks out of the year. I’m a little older than you are’… so I took a great deal of satisfaction in that [character]. Gainey’s method acting in Tom unfortunately went unnoticed. “Nobody noticed me thinking about loving Sawyer, and memorizing the way he moves. Nobody cared, they just wanted to give [Tom] a gun, shoot him, where’s the polar bear?”

In Happy Town, Gainey gets to flex some different muscles as an actor and has the liberty and freedom to put in subtle details into a character. He is also reveling in this supporting role because he is often seen or remembered as unsavory characters. “I’ve brought ideas to this I’ve never been able to use. When you’re killing people, raping ‘em, stabbing ‘em, murdering ‘em, and burying ‘em in shallow graves, how much of your personal life do you really get to bring to it? Hopefully you don’t have those things inside you. I think in the fullness of this show, you’ll see that I can actually be a nice guy.”

He’s hoping that Happy Town can be one of those TV shows where its not just known as a show with individual characters and performances but is a complete community that viewers can get to know.

“In my opinion, the one thing that’s missing on television today is a town, a community–where’s the Mayberry? Where’s the towns we used to know? I’m spitballing here, but not since Picket Fences, maybe, or those old shows from the 80’s, have there been a town that people live in. This is a town. A lot of people are urban people, you move to a city and you don’t know anybody, and maybe you came from a small town and you see this and think, ‘I’ve got to go home and see some people.’ That’s one thing it has going for it and everyone there has that in common. Ironically, none of us sound like we’re from the same place. No one even attempted a Minnesota dialect. At first I thought, I’m not going to do one, because I’m going to sound like a refugee from Fargo, but as it went on, it’ll be pretty cool to see if any of the critics notice. Maybe they’ll wonder why all of these people who grew up in one town have different dialects. Ah… Maybe there’s something at work there. “

Realizing he may have revealed something, Gainey added, “You better rein me in here, boy.” Never M.C., you can never say enough.

As longtime running shows like Lost and 24 are singing their swan song this May, the opportunity is ripe for new shows to hook viewers in the late spring/ early summer phase of primetime television, and hopefully beyond. Happy Town is hoping to be one show you’ll gladly slide into your weekly routine. The pilot airs tonight (April 28, 2010) and will run on the Wednesday nighttime slot at 10pm EST/9pm CST.

The show features a long list of veteran actors such as Sam Neill (Tudors), Steven Webber (Wings), M.C. Gainey (Lost, Justified), and Amy Acker (Angel) to name a few and revolves around a murder unravels a small town that was dubbed “Happy Town” is anything but. Acker and a few other members of the cast and crew made it out to Wondercon 2010 in San Francisco earlier this month and will be part of my three-part peek into the new ABC whodunit.

The air may smell of the sweetly baked wheat from the local “Our Daily” bread factory, but there’s something bad brewing in the small, and often cold Minnesota town of Haplin. Geoff Stults stars as Tommy Conroy, a deputy under his father, Sheriff Griffin Conroy (Gainey). Their relatively quiet lives are shaken up when the city experiences its first murder in a long time, unearthing some unhealed wounds in Griffin, and many of the locals.

Meanwhile, Henley Boone, played by Lauren German moves into town looking into her family’s history and using her inheritance to open a small candle store. She meets a distinguished, but peculiar Merritt Grieves (Neill) explains to her how a mysterious person known as the “Magic Man” is linked to the disappearances of several people many years ago.

Acker plays Rachel Conroy, Tommy’s wife, and describes the show as two shows in one. “There’s this October Road-like feel of a small town where everyone knows each other and there are relationships within the town. My husband steps into the role of the sheriff in the pilot and everything in the town starts to falls apart at the same time, and that affects our relationship.”

“There’s one guy we’re trying to find and it’s about the lives of these people. You’ll have to follow from week-to-week. It’s one of those things where you think you know everybody but bad stuff happens so somebody you know has to be the one causing this stuff and then people start to distrust each other.”

Amy Acker is no stranger to television shows that build on every episode. She’s best known for her long stint on Joss Whedon’s Angel as Winifred/Illyria was also on Alias, Dollhouse. So what attracts her to such shows?

“You get to do so much more. I’ve watched procedural shows and you can’t tell if it’s season one or seven. I like that the characters get to evolve, and the journey you get to have as an actor. On Angel for example to go from Fred to Illyria and just even the journey of Fred, these shows for me are so much more fun because you get to challenge yourself more.”

So Acker embarks on another mythological show, this time for ABC on Happy Town hoping that they’ll get an audience big enough, and quick enough to show what the show is all about.

Some longtime TV viewers will want to quickly compare this to Twin Peaks because of the whodunit element and even though she admits never seeing much more of an episode of David Lynch’s cult TV show, she explains what’s different about Happy Town.

“Our show has some quirky characters and one of the things I love is that there are 35 recurring characters there are three guys over 300 pounds on the show and you just don’t see that on T.V. [laughs]. We have all types of people to watch and real character actors. It has the quirkiness but not the quite the weirdness of Twin Peaks.”

Acker says that the hook is the whodunit, but what you really want to see is the interactions between the characters.

“Haplin has been “Happy Town” for seven years but prior to that there were these disappearances. When Tommy gets to be sheriff people start going missing again. As things happen it brings out all of these things people have bottled inside and causes people begin to act crazy and react on fear.”

Which brings to another theme of the show, the scare factor. I asked Acker if the show sets out to really scare TV viewers, a task that’s not easy to do.

“When we were shooting it I didn’t feel that way but then watching the previews, I was like, ‘What? It’s that scary?’ [laughs] And now people are coming up to me saying that they’re a little scared to watch it.”

“It’s more of a puzzle,” Acker continues. “They give you a piece every week. It doesn’t remind me of a horror movie but there are some gruesome parts but that’s not what drives the story.”

Acker admits to being more of a nerd than a geek, perhaps channeling her inner-Winifred, her book worm character in Angel. She likes shows that get her involved so she can try and figure it out, and thinks this show will appeal to those who share her opinion. She still trying to figure out who the Magic Man is.

“I was joking with someone, but I think this is the first time I think I haven’t killed anyone. [laughs] But then again, who knows, I may be the one killing everyone.”

Year: 2009
Running Time: 162 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 23, 2010

Film/Feature: C+
In case you haven’t heard, there’s this film called Avatar, and it’s kind of a big deal because it made more money than Hollywood could ever imagine and now we have 100 3-D films in the pipeline as a result. I’m kidding of course, sort of, and in the same way the Matrix sold DVD players, Avatar will do the same for blu-ray. Both successful and controversial, Avatar quickly comes to consumers in this stripped down movie-only release and is sure add to director James Cameron’s legacy of money-making blockbusters.

Avatar is about a paraplegic Marine veteran named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who enlists in the Avatar Program and infiltrates the Na’vi a sentient race of giant blue-skinned warriors who are connected with everything that lives on the moon Pandora in the Alpha Centauri star system. Pandora is full of hostile creatures but also beautiful things humans can only dream of. It is also full of rich resources like unobtanium that can be mined out and be worth millions back on Earth. Jake is serving two purposes, one for the science exploration and understanding of the Na’vi and the military strategic angle because underneath their home base, Hometree, is the largest known mineral deposit of unobtanium.

Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) leads the Avatar Program and has been trying to bridge a peaceful truce with the Na’vi to learn of their culture and Pandora’s ecosystem. It is under her command that Jake is taken in by the Na’vi, and is the first human to truly be accepted into the Omaticaya clan of the Na’vi. What she doesn’t know is that Jake is gathering information for Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) in exchange for treatment that will restore mobility in his legs. Selfridge is leading the mining expedition, is unsympathetic to the lives they’re trampling on with their mining machines. Jake gets in with the Na’vi under the tutelage of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and is of course suspected by others in the tribe to be trouble as all outsiders are and Jake must prove to them that he is indeed true of his word. Once it is discovered that there is no way the Omaticaya clan will work with the humans or desire anything they can offer, Quaritch and Selfridge decide to take the area by force.

To get it out of the way, let me just say that Avatar is not an original story. I’ve heard all the comparisons to Dances with Wolves. Personally, it reminds me of the wonderful but sad 1986 Rolad Joffé film, The Mission starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons, about peaceful Jesuit missionaries trying to save South American tribes from being enslaved and forced out of their lands by of Portuguese and Spanish plantation owners. That film was based on the events revolving around the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, Avatar is undeniably influenced by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s invasion of Iraq as well as humans’ assault on mother Earth with industrialization and pollution.

Avatar’s pop culture significance stems from our current environmentally consciousness (hence its release on Earth Day), paying respect to few remaining indigenous tribes still left on this planet (and those that have been wiped out completely), and showing the crime of razing native civilizations from their land for the extraction of natural resources for capital gain. The fact that this story remains relevant, shows that no one has learned the lessons of it being told before, again and again. We have gotten to a point where we have forgotten the past sins. It’s no more “white guilt” as some have called it, than it is human history. One group of people trying to impose their will on the other for no other reason than personal gain and to exercise power.

Does that make it a good film, or more importantly an enjoyable film? That’s debatable and left to be discussed by film buffs, James Cameron-ites, and those who come out to see a film three times a year. I’d have loved to have seen Cameron not rest so much Avatar on what he’s done in the past; echoes of Aliens ring throughout from Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Augustine character resembling Ripley, Michelle Rodgriguez’s Trudy Chácon to Jeanette Goldstein’s Vasquez, and Ribisi’s slimy Selfridge to Paul Reiser’s equally despicable Burke. If not for the awesome and creative world that was put before us by the countless animators and artists, the story of Avatar would leave you wanting much more. A special nod goes to Zoe Saldana for giving one of the most convincing and emotional performances as an animated character in recent years. By the end of the film, I cared about what was happening to these overgrown smurfs.

It’s not what you tell, but how you tell it, as they say, and Cameron keeps finding new ways to get us into theaters. Based on the box offices, and the recent numbers on Blu-Ray and DVD sales, Avatar appeals to the masses and I’m not here to convert anyone into liking the film; you either do or you don’t. (I did, but recognize it’s trite shortcomings.) I am here to tell you that it looks fantastic on blu-ray, which brings me to the analysis of the disc.

Video: A+
This will be the most high scrutinized part of the blu-ray because everyone who saw this in the theater will attach their 3-D experience to the film. There’s no possible way this looks good on 2-D, right? Wrong. The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks damn impressive with brilliant colors and loads of high-detailed depth. That high definition in conjunction with the depth in many scenes makes it appear almost three dimensional. There’s not that polarized or stereoscopic three-dimensional feel, but all I can say is that it is a completely different experience and I mean that in a good way. Look, I enjoyed the 3-D moments as much as the next person and when this gets its eventual 3-D release I will understand the need to recreate that original experience but this blu-ray release shows how magnificent a high definition 2-D image can benefit a film that was intended to be seen in 3-D. I could truly ramble on about this at great lengths, but just know that the depth on this film is as good as I’ve seen on any film and is in now way a lesser experience. The size and quality of your television, however, may lessen the visual impact, but everything else is golden. Blacks are immensely deep, primary and neon colors explode on the screen. There are no moments of digital artifacts, halos, or moments when the picture breaks down despite the high speed action. Textures remain true and stable and the gradual swirl of colors in the skin of the Na’vi are reproduced wonderfully. The detail in reflections, strands of hair, the vines of the Tree of Souls, and any scenes where the living plants show their neon colors/energy make for dazzling light show that will light a fire in your senses. I had a feeling it would look good, but not this good.

Audio: A
I can see Avatar being many folks’ first experience into blu-ray. Who knows, maybe it will inspire people to step up to a surround sound set up and for the first time in their lives, experience high definition audio as well. If so, they’ll be greeted to a 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. This soundtrack is aggressive and full of home theater audio moments where front-to-rear and side-to-side sound effects will turn heads all around. It has a punchy bass but I’ve heard films that go to the extremely far end of trying to blast your family room apart. Avatar won’t do that. In some instances I think it holds back. I was expecting a resounding thud when Hometree topples to the ground. There was another scene early when machine guns are spraying bullets and instead of being a directional sound moment, it got pushed to the center channel. Dialogue is distinctive, clear, and easy to understand. It sounds good where it needs to sound good, but I’d be lying if I said it was perfect. Other audio selections include: 5.1 English Dolby Digital, 2.0 English Descriptive Audio, and French, Spanish, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: D

Avatar DVD Avatar in standard definition. Yeah that about sums up the extras. But this does allow you to easily take Avatar on the go, in your van, and on your portable DVD player. I must point out the differences in the two formats because it’s hard to explain unless people have both formats available to compare with.

So here’s a quick run down of the DVD experience. It’s like night and day. With the added clarity of the blu-ray there’s not much that separates the foreground and the background. That’s why even on a 2D level, the blu-ray at times gives the perception that a 3D image is still there.

All of that is absent in the DVD. You still get the story, and some of the technical wonder, but it’s a noticeable step down. And you can live with that with a movie shot on traditional film stock and then transferred, where there’s that acceptable level of grain we’ve all come to love. Avatar though, is rich with technical and visual wonder, extreme color and levels of detail that you want as clean an image as you can get. Should you bring this home, you’ll be able to see the difference.

Now, this is not a shot at DVD, because that technology is great. For this instance though, the experience between DVD and blu-ray is incredible. This disparity is magnified by the type of film visually, that Avatar sets out to be. That gap may be much closer with a film that’s not designed to be as clean, and as detailed, one with much more intended grain. That variance in film to film, transfer to transfer is why I tell people that blu-ray maintains the intended look of the film, preserving how the film was meant to be seen.

There’s also a $25 coupon for Panasonic Blu-Ray disc players or entertainment systems to be used in conjunction with the purchase of the Avatar Blu-Ray or DVD.

Overall Shock Value: B
Avatar is one of those films that achieves such delight on a technical level that it overcomes the been-there-done-that story. There’s going to be a lot of speculation at how the Avatar experience is going to translate at home. I’m here to say that it translates beautifully. I can’t endorse how the film looks on DVD, because this is one of those films where the high definition experience needs to be preserved as close to the original as possible. If it the capacity of one entire blu-ray was needed for the film alone, then that effort was not wasted.

With only the movie and no extras, I’d say it’s hard to be completely immersed into Pandora outside of the nearly two and half hour running time. If you want to wait for extras, then you’ll have to wait this November. They are pricing this release as an affordable purchase for those who want to take the Avatar experience home ASAP, and for those who have been missing out, with a new blu-ray player and see what all the buzz is about.

So whether it’s an impulse buy or just to hold you over until the fall, Avatar on blu-ray is worth a Buy It recommendation if you can score a great sale, or if all you want is the film. Otherwise, plan for the collector’s release this Thanksgiving.

Year: 1994
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Rated: G
SRP: $ 39.99
Studio(s): Disney / Pixar Studios
Release Date: March 23, 2010

Film/Feature: A+
It’s hard to imagine that its first feature film, Toy Story has just been released in high definition this past March. For many people, Pixar’s films inspired many to go out and buy a DVD player or soon after a DVD Player was accepted as a gift, a Pixar film brought home was a common ritual, soon to follow. And now the same thing could be said about blu-ray since Pixar films easily show a night and day comparison, ensuring that jump to high definition is well worth it. But Toy Story isn’t all about cutting technology in animation, there’s a great story about a young boy named Andy and the toys he loves to play with, or make that, loved to play with. If the toys could speak, what would they say? What would they think about? What would they fear most?

Toy Story believes that toys fear being forgotten. It sounds logical when you think about it. Every birthday and holiday when children are given a newly wrapped box, their old toys shake in fear that what’s inside is a toy so cool that all of their insecurities come out. Andy and his baby sister have a Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), a Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Bo Peep (Annie Potts), a Tyrannosaurus Rex (Wallace Shawn), Hamm the Piggy Bank (John Ratzenberger), and an army of Little Green Men (R. Lee Ermey) amongst dozens of other toys stuck in a chest. Word has it that the family they belong to is moving, so like any concerned toy, they are worried about being left behind. But before they can worry about that, Andy’s favorite toy is was Woody (Tom Hanks) but for his birthday this year, he opens up the hottest toy amongst boys, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Buzz is so new that he doesn’t realize that he’s a toy. Nothing more and nothing less. While the rest of Andy’s toys are enamored by him, Woody is unimpressed and does not hid his jealousy well. While Andy is stuck on going to “Infinity and Beyond” Woody does whatever he can to stay in the picture, even if it means compromising his good name among the rest of the toys. Woody’s plans begin to backfire on him while Buzz comes to grips that he’s nothing more than a pre-programmed toy with gimmicky bells and whistles.

The two of them get separated from the rest of the pack and eventually they find themselves trapped by the neighbor’s kid, Sid, who does has very destructive tendencies. This is what I love about Pixar, they have this great hook of a main story and then bring in this interesting character study. Sid reminds you of all of those kids who would do awful things to pets, pull the wings off of insects and do unspoken things to his toys. Buzz and Woody have to escape his grips before they’re blown to smithereens and at the same time get to the moving truck before Andy, his family, and the rest of their toy friends are gone forever.

What Toy Story accomplished with their first film and established from that point on is create adventures; ones that opened the mind of creativity and amazement in the inner child in us all. These qualities that often escape most films, regardless of who they’re aimed at. There’s nothing forced or contrived, this is just unfiltered fun. But Toy Story understood that it’s the details that count, the concepts that have to easily communicable, and the story needs to be flawless and that sums up what Toy Story and ultimately Pixar have since become.

Video:A+
What would the jump to blu-ray be, if there wasn’t a leap in picture quality and boy is there ever one here. Toy Story comes equipped with a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Two things jump out on this blu-ray, first the color looks ravishing. Blistering hues will scream off of your LCD screen or plasma television. I could list off a grocery list of scenes that looks better than the standard definition transfer but I’ll save time by saying that it all looks better. The other thing I want to note is the details in the texture. Plastic looks like shiny plastic, metal looks like metal (Slinky Dog), and fabric is well, you get the picture. Denim (on Woody), shine (on Buzz), lace (on Bo Peep); all look as if they existed in real life instead of being fabricated on a computer. I know there are some skeptics out there who think that the Toy Story DVDs are not chopped liver, but I’m sorry, but those of you who adore this film, need to see it in high definition because in this case, the DVD is a severely inferior product.

Audio: A+
Just because you can blow the roof off your building with an amazing audio mix, doesn’t mean you have to. Toy story picks its spots to show off its 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. When the film opens with all of the toys scrambling to organize a townhall meeting, there’s lots of surround sound chaos. Sound just whizzes by your head, and closing your eyes you can imagine what scene is happening where. And then Toy Story just lulls you with dialogue while the story sets in with front-heavy activity, until Buzz and Woody end up outside the house. The last half hour of the story plays out superbly in 5.1. Dialogue and Randy Newman’s score are also expertly mixed so as not to drown out or overpower any other sound or audio. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX tracks, English DTS-HD 2.0, English DVS 2.0 and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras: A+

When the 10th Anniversary DVD came out a few years back, it was chock full of extras, and the fine folks at Pixar packaged that and much more exclusive stuff for the blu-ray to make it worth buying again.

BLU RAY EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by Director John Lasseter, Co-Writer Andrew Stanton, Supervising Animator Pete Doctor, Art Director Ralph Eggleston, Supervising Technical Director Bill Reeves, and producers Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold. A brand new commentary track by many of the main cogs of the Pixar machine. Even though the room is jammed with speakers, Pixar commentary tracks are always informative, light in tone and full of insight into the animating and storytelling processes.

Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek HD (2:02) A little of the story is leaked out about what the third installment is about.

Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Blast Off HD (3:27) A look into Buzz’s latest adventure into NASA’s space station up in orbit.

Path to Pixar – Artists HD (4:49) a few introductions of some of the cool people who work at Pixar and what they do now and when the started their careers at the famed animation studio.

Studio Stories: John’s Car HD (1:27) a story about John Lasseter’s humble beginnings and his method of transportation.

Studio Stories: Baby AJ HD (1:38) another story from the animators about a Halloween costume contest at Pixar.

Studio Stories: Scooter Races HD (2:16) one last story from the old Pixar studio vault.

Buzz takes Manhattan HD (2:13) Buzz Lightyear finally gets to fly, in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Black Friday: The Toy Story You Never Saw HD (7:34) Lasseter tells the story about the first reel shown to the Disney execs who wanted Toy Story to have a hard edge to it and why it didn’t work. In fact it nearly ended the film.

CLASSIC DVD EXTRAS
For those who never got the 10th Anniversary DVDs, those extras have been ported over in their entirety. They are in standard definition, with may of them in 4:3 full frame and 1.85:1 widescreen.

Filmmakers Reflect (16:56) The four main heads of Pixar (Joe Ranft, John Lasseter, gather around and reflect back over the past ten years and Toy Story and creating an environment to create fun films that everyone would enjoy. They paint a picture of what it was like making Toy Story and beginning what would be the studio that couldn’t do wrong.

Making Toy Story (20:17) Is a step-by-step telling how Toy Story came together from concept to finished film and using the computer as a tool along with the creative human process in making a great story.

The Legacy of Toy Story (11:41) is a series of interview clips from animators, actors, filmmakers, and those associated with films discussing the impact of Toy Story on the film and animation industries.

Designing Toy Story (6:12) detailing the textured world of Toy Story.

Deleted Scenes (18:50) Nine deleted scenes

Design are 11 Galleries of the different set designs (14:03), seven galleries on 3-D Visualizations (5:41), three galleries on the storytelling device of Color (7:54).

Story (13:56) Pixar’s unique and organic storyboarding and script review process is shown in three different scenes and has since been followed in each of the studio’s subsequent films.

Production (13:41) explains the animation process from the storyboards, layouts, animation, to the finished product. And as a bonus is a short reel of Toy Story in the various languages it was translated.

Music and Sound: Randy Newman Demos (17:30) is a collection of songs Newman created for the film. They can be heard one-by-one, or altogether. They are as follows: Plastic Spaceman 1 (3:18) and 2 (3:16), Strange Things (2:58), The Fool (2:09), I Will Go Sailing No More (3:32), You’ve Got a Friend in Me (2:17).

Publicity SD (10:14) a series of promotional Trailers, TV Spots, Posters, and much more.

Sneak Peeks for Disney Movie Rewards, Toy Story 1 and 2, The Princess and the Frog, James and the Giant Peach Special Edition, and Beauty and the Beast.

Toy Story 3 Coupon included is a $8.50 off a single admission ticket for Toy Story 3 which adds a little incentive for anyone who thinks they’ve bought this film enough. Gotta make sure to use it, though!

Overall Shock Value: A+
Chances are you already have the DVD of Toy Story, but as it was an early reference title for DVD technology, it has the same value for Blu-Ray. Looking even better in high definition, Toy Story is a justifiable double dip worth every single penny and you can give your old DVD to someone who doesn’t already have it and won’t make the leap to high def anytime soon. While it is already beginning to look outdated as far as computer-animated films is concerned, Toy Story holds up extremely well because of how good the story still is and there’s plenty of new bonus features and incentives to Buy It again!

Year: 2009
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $ 39.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: March 23, 2010

Film/Feature: A –
If there a were ever an animated film that would be best seen with a glass of beer, Fantastic Mr. Fox would be it. Anthropomorphic animals are always fun, as long as it’s not live action, and especially if they are set in a world created by Wes Anderson (Royal Tennenbaums) and Noah Baumbach (Squid and the Whale). Actually, the story stems from a story by the late Roald Dahl, who authored James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But both Anderson and Baumbach are like two peas in pods, who love making films soaked in dry wit and memorable chatter, odd character idiosyncrasies and set designs as memorable as a timeless photograph. They took Dahl’s short story and put their fallen-aristocrat spin on it.

In their adaptation, the hierarchy of animals and humans exist, but this gathering of wild animals can talk and be understood by humans. Even though they live underground and in the fields and forests, they’ve evolved to to running law firms, schools, newspapers, real estate firms, and more, yest still adhering to their “natural” tendencies every once in a while.

George Clooney voices Mr. Fox, a compulsive chicken thief who makes a deal with his partner-in-crime and wife, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) that he will find a new line of work if they are able to escape the clutches of an enraged squab farmer who has just caught them in the act of a heist. She reveals her pregnancy and convinces a safer line of work should be on order.

The Foxes did escape and Mr. is no longer fantastic, he is just a bored family fox, working as a community reporter for the local rag, putting those tendencies behind him and earn an honest wage. He seeks a better life for himself, his wife and son and longs to live above ground in a high rise pine, but settles for whatever local variety tree is in his price range. His son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), now a teenager, is a short and uncoordinated cub and is everything Mr. Fox is not. Ash looks up to his tall and agile father despite being ignored, but is going through the awkward stages of fpuberty and accepting his short-comings. After moving to higher ground, the family takes in Mrs. Fox’s nephew, Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) and is everything his son is not. Mr. Fox bonds instantly with Kristofferson, admiring his natural abilities and unknowingly creates a rift between he and Ash.

Prior to purchasing his new home, Mr. Fox’s attorney, Badger (Bill Murray), of Beaver, Beaver and Badger advises him not to move into the area because the tree resides near three farmers, the meanest of which is a hard Cider tycoon, Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon). Mr. Fox is tempted by his primal predilections and plans to break into each farm for one last heist. He convinces his possum superintendent Kylie (Wally Wolodarsky) to help him, but when the stakes get higher and the farmers come after him and his family, he puts everyone in danger.

Fox tries to rally those in his community, to accept their nature and do what animals do, be faithful to their Latin names, and not be afraid to embrace those gifts. It’s a cute and valid notion, if living in the wild. Yet the three pieced suits, landscape paintings, and patterned wallpaper tends to contradict all of that. The farmers and their workers, act more like animals than the animals, and therein lies the conundrum. Call it the evolution of the tale of the Tortoise and Scorpion. (Look it up.)

But back to that glass of beer, while I don’t believe it’s a film that’s aimed at youths, the script makes sure that they can safely view it too replacing every swear word with the word, “cuss” adding another whimsical detail in a fully-accessorized world that would put Barbie to shame, down to every piece of miniature china. Not all films that are animated should be aimed at kids or as seen in Where the Wild Things Are, some material is best suited for those who have lived a bit. Animation though, is just another way to tell a story, simple as that.

Aesthetically, by using the stop-motion technique of animation and puppeteering, Fantastic Mr. Fox achieves a hybrid, nostalgic look of the original King Kong and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Every now and then there’s a wave of movement in the fur of the animals, a blustery flap of the collar, or coy shrug of the shoulder that signals Fantastic Mr. Fox is an Anderson film first even though it features the work of endless hours of work done by fabulous countless animators. Clooney is extraordinarily good as the lead (when isn’t he?), Anderson gets the most out of Murray and Schwartzman yet again, and even surprise voices like Willem Dafoe as Fox’s adversary The Rat, and Owen Willson as Coach Skip will tug at the corner of your upper lip. Anderson and Baumbach always makes the droll and cynical perspective so interesting and well, for the lack of a better word, fantastic, wait, scratch that, fun, and that’s why we hang on every single word and take in every single scene like pieces of baroque bark so that packrats like myself can add them to my internal movie scrapbook.

Video: A+
This film is all about texture! Every single texture was captured on this 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio so well that you could see the type of knit in the floor mats, wool looked like wool, and every strand of animal fur could be counted by pausing the screen. The Nikon D3 was used to make this film and it’s a great advertisement for that camera. As heard on the extras, green and blue were, for the most part, taken out of the color palette leaving just the warm reds, oranges, violets and golden amber hues along with lots of brown to convey an autumn feel. For instance, Farmer Bean’s Cider storage is completely lit by passing light through the cider-filled bottles. There’s a lot of detail in the 150 different sets full of miniatures and neatly organized clutters and not a single piece or strand is missed.

Audio: B+
Fantastic Mr. Fox owns a 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track. I was a bit underwhelmed by the amount of surround movement initially as a lot of what I would think would comes from the front, but as the film continued into the later stages, there was much more activity than in the first half. Bass has a balanced thrust in a handful of scenes, more than you’d expect, less than what you desire. Dialogue is clear to understand, even at low levels and as expected, a Wes Anderson film wouldn’t be complete without a moody, eclectic score composed by Alexadre Desplat and a soundtrack that includes the Beach Boys, Art Tatum, Burl Ives. Other audio selections include: French, Spanish, and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Chinese-Mandarin.

Extras:C+
Lots of potential is wasted here but the best we get here is a lengthy and fairly comprehensive Making of and lots of empty room on the disc that could have held some more substantial extras. I know that there has been less emphasis on menu design, but this is about as dull as it gets, folks. One still shot that shows a bit spoiler, no music, or animation. Also I have to take them down a point or two for not having any subtitles for the extras. Hey, deaf people want to be able to enjoy the extras too.

Disc One
Making Mr. Fox Fantastic HD (44:48) is broken into six parts but can be viewed all together as well. They are:

The Look of Fantastic Mr. Fox (8:12) – See how Roald Dahl’s books and Donald Chaffin’s concept art influenced the set designers and puppeteers, in addition to Wes Anderson’s meticulous aesthetics.

From Script to Screen (7:00) – taking Dahl’s one act story into a three-act film.

The Puppet Makers (8:21) – See the step-by-step process of how the puppets are made and how they move.

Still Life (Puppet Animation) (7:23) – the difference in feel of a stop motion film as opposed to a traditionally animated film is explained such as communicating through body language with characters that are covered in fur. The look they were trying to achieve was a bit of the original King Kong look where there was real-looking fur that would ripple in the wind so it’s not as smooth as say how Coraline looked. Also these animators rely on storyboards so much more because there’s a “one take” attitude.

The Cast (6:34) – Not just your typical rundown of the cast, this bit sees how the actors filmed scenes out for the recording of the audio with all of the actors in one shot acting with each other as opposed to recording different audio tracks. In a sense the full movie was shot like a film just to capture that audio for a different sound quality and feel.

Bill and His Badger (7:37)Bill Murray gets to know his character, Badger better and learns a thing or two about stop motion animation.

A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat HD (1:12) In case you missed it in the film, here’s another quick rundown on Whack-Bat.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World of Roald Dahl HD (3:00) Wes Anderson takes you on the tour of Roald Dahl’s life with his Dahl’s wife, Felicity and his estate where Anderson visited to write the screenplay. Dahl’s other books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Mathilda. His quirks and personality made their way into the film after Anderson took a deeper look into the man he was. Sadly, this feature seems like it’s been pulled from the Making of instead of a separate, more substantial biography would have been more desirable here honestly.

Theatrical Trailer HD (2:27)

Disc Two
Included in this combo package is the DVD of the film and I can’t praise this option enough as a consumer who uses a variety of electronics at home and on the road.

Disc Three
As stated above, included is yet another way to view the film and that’s by digitally downloading the film onto your iPod or media player and you’re given a sheet with a code that’s valid for the file transfer.

Overall Shock Value: A–
Here’s the most important question: Do you like Wes Anderson films? If you answered “yes,” then you will enjoy this film. It has all of the charm of his past films, from the title cards in the Futura font to the obligatory Rolling Stones song. It’s hard not to crack a wide grin from the opening credits to the close, because every single minute is likable and so much amusing that I wanted to watch it over and over, and I can, now that it’s on blu-ray. I just wished there was more extras than what we were given. The featurette on Dahl was practically borrowed from the bigger feature, and missing was a Wes Anderson commentary which I’ve grown accustomed to. My recommendation? Cuss Yes Buy It!

Year: 2009
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $ 39.95
Studio(s): Magnolia Pictures / Magnet
Release Date: February 2, 2010

Film/Feature: A-
I don’t know if I’m ready to believe that Tony Jaa is the “baddest mofo” martial arts actor on the planet but in his age bracket, he doesn’t have many peers. After breaking onto the scene with Ong Bak, he starred in Tom-Yum-Goong (AKA The Protector), a cookie-cutter chop-saki films that instead felt like a continuation of Ong Bak, switching out Buddha statues for pet elephants as the driving motivation. I love watching Muay Thai or “Elephant Boxing” as much as the next guy, but I feared Jaa would be a one-trick pony. So when Tony Jaa decided to go back to the Ong Bak franchise to do two sequels, I didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t this.

No connection can be made between Ong Bak 1 and 2 other than they star Tony Jaa, elephants and buddha statues. I know what you’re thinking, Jungle Book is in this kid’s future. The story is set in ancient Thailand and Jaa’s character, Tien, is the son of nobleman Lord Sihadecho (Santisuk Promsiri). Lord Rajasena (Sarunyoo Wongkrachang), an unruly tyrant is trying to take control of Asia and plans to take over Sihadecho’s provinces. Rajasena orders for Sihadecho, his family, and army to be wiped out. Young Tien (Natdanai Kongthong) escapes and is captured by slave traders. For entertainment they then throw the young Tien into a crocodile pit and is saved by the Pha Beek Krut, a gang of guerillas who are well-versed in all forms of martial arts. Pha Beek Krut’s leader, Cher Nung (Sorapong Chatree) takes Tien under his wing to tap his destiny and make him the greatest warrior Thailand has ever seen. Vengeance motivates a now adult Tien (Jaa) to eventually confront Rajasena and his army in an all-out barefoot brawl.

The climax takes place at the Raiders’ Village, and is an awesome sequence that features several more fighting styles than Muay Thai boxing (Ninjitsu, Indonesian Harimau Silat, Wing Chun, Hung Ga to name a few) and that’s a nice change. Credit must be given to Jaa (who serves as co-director and producer) and company to provide a fresh experience that celebrates a variety of different fighting style and more jaw-dropping moments where you have to take an extra breath–as if throwing a young boy into a muddy pool with a live crocodile isn’t thrilling enough.

One fight scene involves Jaa jumping on and all around a stationary elephant that left my mouth open the entire time. There’s also an earlier scene where Jaa is running on the backs on a moving pack of elephants with no safety. This film is all about the variety of weapons in each style from the three-segment staff, staff fighting, kaili, swords, Thai boxing, Chinese boxing, samurai swords and that’s a bit of a deviation away from contemporary kung fu films with are hand-to-hand battles or some sword play. The story, while a bit too convoluted, even for a martial arts film, does require Jaa to find his emotional side which really only a slight change from the man-of-action Jaa. But if you can keep it all straight, it’s a much stronger attempt at a real story than in any of Jaa’s previous films. Not previously-knowing there would be sequel, I was stunned by the abrupt ending which offers no closure except that Tien is not successful in his attack and is sent to endure a torturous ending. Don’t let that scare you away, Ong Bak 2 is easily Jaa’s most exciting film to this date and it’s only halfway done.

Video: A
After watching Ong Bak on blu-ray and its disappointing video transfer, Ong Bak 2 leaps far beyond with a fine looking1080p VC-1 encoded transfer in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Colors are flushed with more than adequate saturation, blacks are nice and heavy, deep and ink black. I do however think some of the night scenes offer not enough contrast or are lit sufficiently because it’s hard to distinguish what’s going on, but that’s the only complaint in an otherwise sharp looking film. Each frame of action is full of depth and detail and clarity. This shows the improvement in equipment and high definition transfer that Sahamongkol Film International Co. Ltd. has done with their films.

Audio: A
From the very beginning Ong Bak 2 proudly shows off its highly active and perhaps a little over-aggressive 5.1 Thai DTS-HD Master Audio track. Thankfully the main effort is the original Thai track, dialogue is clear and surround sound effects are plentiful. Action scenes and music are given a lot of attention, and I admire the effort to give the film a real dynamic push, even if it’s not always accurate. I don’t ever recommend English dub tracks but it’s there for those who refuse to hear it in its original format. Other audio selections include: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, and Spanish.

Extras: C+
The extras that accompany the film are in high def, but have that promotional, EPK feel to them which usually means that they’re lazy, uncreative, repetitive or are too short. In this batch, there’s a little of all of the above.

Alternate Cut HD (88 Minutes) is ten minutes less than the theatrical cut. It’s been edited more, some scenes taken out. One is particularly stronger than the other but I think I like the pacing and flow of the shorter cut, personally.

The Making of Ong Bak 2 Featurettes HD (21:07) has three chapters, The Story and Character of an Epic, Revealing the Majesty and The Art of War, go into the films themes, characters and influences of who and what Ong Bak is striving for. It’s solid “Making of” affair but nothing to really write home about.

Behind the Scenes Featurettes HD (17:50) There are three featurettes Capturing a Warrior, The Kingdom, and The Community each showing that everyone is in fact doing their own stunts and a lot of cameras behind cameras type of footage.

Interviews with Cast and Crew HD (25:21) Eight interviews with different members of the cast and production teams including Jaa, Prachya Pinkaew (Producer), Panna Rittikrai (Co-Director/Producer), Sorapong Chatree (Chernang), Santisuk Phromsiri (Lord Shadecho), Sarunyu Wongkrajang (Lord Rajasena), Niruth Sirijunya (Master Bua), Primrata Det-Udom (Pim). These are a bit more meatier but also very dry. One camera on the subjects doing typical question and answers. If you watch the Making of, then you’ve also seen some of this material, so a bit too much repetition for my taste.

HD Net a Look at Ong Bak 2 HD (2:53) Village Voice’s Robert Wilonsky gives an introduction for the film for On Demand, and is a nice intro for an American audience.

Ong Bak 3 Exclusive Footage HD (1:34) is an unofficial trailer of sorts showing the next installment in the Ong Bak trilogy which picks up right where that ambiguous ending left off which is scheduled to be released later this year.

International Trailer SD (3:50) seems to be a bit more clearer on what the story is about than the US trailer and breaks down some of the various styles of martial arts that are showcased in the film. It’s a long trailer, but unfortunately, this is in standard definition.

US Trailer HD (1:39) is a much more ambiguous trailer that just shows all of the highlights of the action sequences and doesn’t offer much else. I’ve always cried out to trailer makers to keep them shorter

Trailers HD Included are previews for John Woo’s Red Cliff, District 13 Ultimatum, Bronson, Warlords, and HD Net.

No this is not the Jungle Book, just another Tony Jaa film.

Overall Shock Value: B+
Ong Bak was a novelty, a great showcase of Tony Jaa as a newcomer in the martial arts movie genre, but outside of the action it was pretty putrid. By embracing that, and having that room for comedy, Ong Bak’s appeal still outweighed the negatives. In the sequel, which begins a new two-film epic, Tony Jaa and his fellow filmmakers do elevate the action to a new level with a variety of fighting styles and broke the trend of predictable Muay Thai action scripts. I can’t say that this is the cup of tea for every movie viewer, but if you appreciate the martial arts genre and all of its warts, you can’t walk past this film. The choreography and action is a buffet of thrills, with hair-raising stunts, non-stop weapon-fu and noticeable nods to the greats that will leave that grin on your face, ear-to-ear. Even though the plot is a tad convoluted, its an ambitious attempt by Tony Jaa to do something that requires more thought and emotion. The extras aren’t necessary and at times repetitive, but they are in high definition and validates that Tony Jaa can run on top a stampede of elephants. Add that with a lovely video transfer, Ong Bak 2 on blu-ray is a definite Buy It recommendation for Jaa and martial arts fans alike.