Friday, September 30, 2011

Rebooting the Kombat

    Maybe you have heard of a small video game series called Mortal Kombat. It has tried several time to make it's way to the big screen. First in 1995 with the surprisingly titled Mortal Kombat which was met with weak review. But that did stop the sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, from sucking even worse. After that the was even a failed TV series. For a while it seemed like the chances of a new Kombat movie were slim. For a while, at least...





    Then last year the series started up again with Mortal Kombat: Legacy. The webseries was a somewhat test to see if a new Kombat movie would work. Now, it seems New Line Cinema is ready to fight once again.
    Set to be directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Whose other film credits include the Fame remake and Glee: The 3D Concert Movie. Odd choice.) the new film will be released most likely either late 2012 or sometime in 2013.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

2011 TV Review: Tuesday 2

Now as you may have already noticed, Cinema Won has quickly evolved into Television Won and, while that would make a pretty good spinoff website, I will eventually get around to my movie news and reviews again. It's just that these TV post take me literally 5 minutes to write and I've been swamped with school work recently.

Glee- (8, Fox)- "I Am Unicorn": After last week's poor return, it's nice to see that Glee is seemingly back on track. The episode was fun and had some character moments that were honestly nice. However, the whole Brittney/Kurt president was VERY underdone.

Favorite Part: Shue's telling off of Quinn
Least-Favorite Part: Bland songs this week
The Verdict: 4 out of 6

New Girl- (9, Fox)- "Kryptonite": This week's episode follow Jess and her attempts to get her stuff back from her ex-boyfriend. The second episode continues the strong, though not spectacular, humor of the Pilot, while advancing the story just a little. Good, but still miss something to make it great.

Favorite Part: Schmitt. Don't really need to say anything else.
Least-Favorite Part: Jess is a little too annoying
The Verdict: 4 out of 6

Raising Hope- (9:30, Fox)- "Sabrina Has Money": This week the Chance family did the classic sitcom trope: One character is actually rich. This time around it was Sabrina who said she had cut herself off. The episode could have easily become cilche, but thankfully, it took a new spin on the concept. Plus, fancy toilets are just really funny.

Favorite Part: Burt trying to realize Sabrina has money
Least-Favorite Part: The ending was just a little too cheesy
The Verdict: 6 out of 6

See you later

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011 TV Review: Monday 2

Terra Nova- (8, Fox, New)- "Genesis: Parts 1 and 2" Terra Nova is easily the most anticipated show of the fall. It's easy to see why: man-eating dinosaurs on a weekly basis. Awesome. However, as time lead up to the premiere many wonder if the show would really be as good as we'd hoped. Well, it kinda is. In case you don't know, the show is about a family who joins in a expedition into the past in order to make sure the Earth doesn't get destroyed again. The cast is pretty good in their roles and the show is extremely entertaining. However the story just isn't very interesting. Yet. See, I think because the first episode is two-hours long, the story is stretched out more than it should have been. But, once the show gets to it's hour-long format, I think it will work a lot better.

Favorite Part: That dinosaur like totally ate that dude.
Least-Favorite Part: Will a dinosaur eat the son and his friends already?
The Verdict: 4 out of 6

How I Met Your Mother- (8, CBS)- "Ducky Tie": The third episode of season 7 follow the gang as Lily and Marshall bet Barney that he could perform a series of difficult tasks. If he won he could touch Lily's boobs. If he lost he had to wear Marshall's ducky tie for a year. Also, Ted tells Robin about how he ran into Victoria. A good, not great, episode had it's laughs, but felt like a cheat (Get it?) with Victoria.

Favorite Part: Ted and Robin going back and forth while Lilly, Marshall and Barney argued.
Least-Favorite Part: No dinosaurs
The Verdict: 4 out of 6

Castle- (10, ABC)- "Heroes and Villains": On last night episode, Castle and Beckett investigated the murder of a man with a splitting headache (Again, get it?). Along the way they learn their killer is a superhero by the name of "Lone Vengence". A very funny episode, with a weak case that seemed to keep ending and undoing itself.

Favorite Part: The superhero story
Least-Favorite Part: Castle's daughter is kinda really annoying\
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

See you later

Saturday, September 24, 2011

2011 TV Review: Thursday 1: Part 2

Charlie's Angels- (8, ABC, New)- "Angel With A Broken Wing": Remaking a movie is something that rarely gives us a good film largely due to the fact than the movies being remade are movies than were popular, but never good to begin with or remakes of great movies than can never be topped. TV, however, should be able to remake shows with ease because of the large number of shows whose premises can be redone well. But very, very few remakes have found success. Rember Knight Rider? Bionic Woman? Wonder Woman didn't every get out of the pilot stage. However, last year Hawaii 5-0 prove a TV remake can be done well, so now ABC is trying their hand with a new Charlie's Angels. Long story short, they failed. Miserably. The show suffers from a long list of problems, mainly weak acting and shockingly bad writing ("I didn't know my heart could hurt so much" is an actual line from the episode). The one good think the show has going for it is it's nice production values.

Favorite Part: The production value
Least-Favorite Part: The random character killing in order for the show to have a "dark origin"
The Verdict: 2 out of 6

Person of Interest- (9, CBS, New)- "Pilot": I never was a fan of Lost. I thought it was confusing just to be confusing. So it surprises me to see just how little Person of Interest (Made by the same studio as Lost) had to do with Lost. That however, may or may not be a good thing. Interest is interesting (Get it?). The cast is great and the premise is fantastic. So then, why does it feel so average? Because it's a CBS procedural of course. the show, no matter how well made, is just so similar feeling it's kinda hard to take to it. Still, the cast and premise are enough to add it to my schedule this season.

Favorite Part: Michael Emerson
Least-Favorite Part: Isn't Taraji P. Henson suppose to be in this show?
The Verdict: 4 out of 6

The Mentalist- (10, CBS, Returning)- "Scarlett Ribbons": I'll keep this nice and short seeing as how I already reviewed the show in my review of last season's finale. The episode greatly wrapped up last season cliffhanger with a strong case and a nice reveal at the end.

Favorite Part: The interesting case
Least-Favorite Part: Grace's "I-shot-my-fiance-but-I'm-fine" performance
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

See you later

2011 TV Review: Thursday 1: Part 1

Community- (8, NBC, Returning)- "Biology 101": Community is the by far on of the most underrated shows currently on television. The hysterical show features one of TV's most talented casts as they go to community college. The show is incredibly inventive. However, last night premiere focused mainly on the characters. The episode followed Jeff as he tried to rejoin the study group after getting kicked out of their Biology class. The episode, while not perfect, showed just how great the show is.

Favorite Part: The Dean Wars
Least-Favorite Part: Abed's very small (and lame) storyline
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

The Big Bang Theory- (8, CBS, Returning)- "The Skank Reflex Analysis": Where's Community is underrated, Big Bang is very highly rated, even being renewed for the next 2 TV season. Thankfully, unlike some shows *coughAmericanIdolcough*, Big Bang is popular because it is simply good. Often funny and with a great cast, the show entered it's 4th season on Thursday with two new episodes. The first and the better followed the aftermath of Penny and Raj's "hook-up" in last seasons finale. The show wrapped the storyline in a nice and believable way, and remained funny the whole time though. Though, like Monday's HIMYMs, the show never really reached the level of greatness it could have.

Favorite Part: Raj's expaination of what happened
Least-Favorite Part: Leonard's mother's lame cameo
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

"The Infestation Hypothesis": The second story followed Sheldon's attempts to get rid of a chair Penny found in the street. Though as funny as the first, the second episode was weaker due to it's lack of moving characters forward, save Leonard and Pria's online relationship.

Favorite Part: Sheldon is right for once
Least-Favorite Part: The episode ending before we see Sheldon reaction
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

Whitney- (9:30, NBC, New)- "Pilot": Whitney Cummings has two new show on TV this fall. the first, 2 Broke Girls, was an average comedy on CBS. The second, Whitney, stars Cummings as a woman in a long relationship. How riveting. Now, I went into Whitney (That's what she said!) with very low expectations after a series of painfully unfunny and annoying posters for the show appeared everywhere (The silent treatment isn't a reward it's not funny!). And, low and behold, the show sucks. Bland, unfunny and just plain boring, Whitney is a huge miss.

Favorite Part: Whitney's awful doctor role-playing
Least-Favorite Part: Literally everything else
The Verdict: 2 out of 6

See you later and stay online for Part 2 when I review the series premieres of Person of Interest and Charlie's Angels and the season premiere of The Mentalist.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Greatest Movie Ever: "Back to the Future" Review

Ok, this is heavy. Having to pick my favorite movie is a hard choice but, Back to the Future is just so incredible that it's almost not even fair to other movies. The entire trilogy has effected our culture in ways that no other film can say. Ever since the movie was released hoverboards have been highly anticipated, 88 miles an hour isn't just a speed anymore and Deloreans have been coveted by film fans everywhere. For me, Back to the Future has become more than just my favorite movie. It has changed the way I act and think. So, buckle up, because where we're going, we don't need roads.

The main star of this movie is, well, the main stars. Michael J. Fox stars as main character Marty McFly. What makes Fox perfect in the role is not how he act around the strange things that are happening to him. It's how he reacts to them. Fox's deadpan is hysterical. The way he can act completely dumbfounded at what's going on and yet, just goes along with it is an example of writing at it's best. But, of course, the true star of the films is Christopher Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown. The energy Lloyd brings to the character adds to the entire movie. His optimism in the face of trouble is great, but the fact that he isn't just another "mad scientist" character is what makes him so fantastic.

The story is also a major factor in what makes this series so great. With time-travel, plots can become confusing and riddled with holes. But Back to the Future avoids this by being both complex and simple at the same time. The first movie is, at it's simplest, about a guy try to help to friends fall in love. But what it's really about is a guy trying to stop his own mother from trying to date him and have her date his father before he disappears from existance, while trying to get to his home, which is 30 years into the future. Now, that's a lot of plot. But the film weaves it's story so well, that every aspect is given it's fair share of screentime. That what makes Back to the Future so great, and my favorite movie of all time. 6 out of 6.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2011 TV Review: Tuesday 1

Glee- (8, Fox, Returning) "The Purple Piano Project": I for the last two years have been a minor "Gleek". The show's first season is great and is something I am proud to say I like. The second season however suffered majorly from the "Sophomore Slump", when a show's second season fails to live up to its first. However, I went into the third season premiere hoping for the best. And in the end I was left with something worse that it just being plain old bad. I was left with a meh. Glee is still fun and interesting to watch. However, the show feels the need to consantly revert back to square one, throwing almost all previous continuity out the window. This was no exception as every plot point and change for the better that occured last season is quickly thrown aside for more weak character drama and been-there-done-that storylines. Glee may still be fun, but it's losing it's charm fast.

Favorite Part: The musical numbers
Least-Favorite Part: The plot discontinuity
The Verdict: 3 out of 6

New Girl- (9, Fox, New) "Pilot": Now I watched the pilot several weeks ago when it was available early on demand, but I rewatched last night and it reinforced what I already knew. This year has so far failed to deliver any brand new show that have been anything really worth watching from week to week. Not the case anymore though. Zoe Deschanel stars in the infectously fun show, which features a funny cast and well written dialouge. One to watch this season.

Favorite Part: The douchebag jar (If me and my friends had one, we'd all break even. Mostly)
Least Favorite Part: Jess can get a little too annoying
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

Raising Hope- (Fox, 9:30, Returning) "Prodigy": Raising Hope quickly became my favorite new of last year. Smart, funny and with a great cast, the show arguably perfected what shows like Modern Family already had already done very well: create a sitcom about an abnormal family situation. In this case, a man is saddled with a baby after a one-night-stand with a serial killer. The second season doesn't show any signs that the show will be slowing down as it followed Jimmy learning he was a great singer and piano player. Hilarious from start to finish, Hope is a show everyone should be watching.

Favorite Part: The opening song
Least Favorite Part: Can't think of one
The Verdict: 6 out of 6

See you later

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

2011 Fall TV: Monday 1

In the next installment of this new daily(ish) series, I take a look at new episodes of shows on Monday nights, starting with...

How I Met Your Mother- (8, CBS, Returning) Last night the first TWO episodes of Season 7 premiered. The first, "The Best Man" followed Ted at his friends Punchy's wedding, Robin realizing she still love Barney, Barney trying to call Nora and Lily and Marshall try to decide when to tell their friends Lily's pregeant. The weaker of the 2 episode, it still was very funny, but never quite made full use of it's great storylines.

Favorite Part: Barney and Robin's dance. (Though I still can't get that song out of my head.)
Least-Favorite Part: Anything Punchy related. (He's too annoying.)
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

The second episode. "The Naked Truth" followed Marshall as he tried to remove an embarrassing video from the internet, Ted as he dated two women at once (It's nicer than it sounds) and Barney as he told Nora every lie he's told to woman. This episode, especially Beericles, was very funny and a good show over how good HIMYM can be. Plus, Martin Short looks to be a great guest.

Favorite Part: Beericles
Least-Favorite Part: Not knowing who the girl at the end was
The Verdict: 5 out of 6

Two and a Half Men- (9, CBS, Returning) I am not what you would call a "fan" of this show. However, I tuned in to see what would change with Charile Sheen out and Ashton Kutcher in, in the season 9, premiere "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt" which introduced Kutcher's character and killed off Sheen's. Unfortunately, nothing really has changed. Charlie funeral boarded on distasteful and Ashton is just the same character as Sheen, just sadder. Still unfunny as ever.

Favorite Part: The cameo apperances
Least-Favorite Part: How painfully unfunny everything was after Kutcher came in
The Verdict: 2 out of 6

2 Broke Girls- (9:30, CBS, New) One of the most confusingly anticipated shows of the fall was this show. From the previews, for me at least, it looked like a generic "Hey-We're-Girls-Saying-Offensive-Things" show someone tries to do evry year. And, unfortunately, I was right. ThePilot episode introduced the characters and the show's bland and lazy humor. It's pretty much Two and a Half Men with women.

Favorite Part: Leads Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs (They deserve a better show)
Least-Favorite Part: "I hope that's clam chowder" (Didn't see that one coming. No sir.)
The Verdict: 3 out of 6

Castle- (10, ABC, Returning) Castle is definately one of the best show currently on TV. Last season finale set up this season great, and now the 4th season premiere, "Rise", is here! The plot follow Castle and Beckett as they try to find Beckett's shooter. The tension was great and the story was entertaining. However, the cases were both underdeveloped.

Favorite Part: The opening in the hospital
Least-Favorite Part: The cases not really being interesting
The Verdict: 6 out of 6

See you later.

Friday, September 16, 2011

2011 Fall TV Review: Part 1

Right now, all of the big 5 networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox and The CW) are returning from their summer hiatuses with shows new and old. Over the next couple weeks, I will review the return and pilot episodes of these show and give my personal opinion about what you should watch this new year.

RINGER: (Tues. 9, CW, New) Sarah Michelle Geller returns to TV in the new CW series about a woman who steals here better-off twin sister identity after the sister dies. The biggest thing the show has going for it is Geller. Her return is very welcome and fortunately, she is steller in the lead role. Her preformence sucks you right in and makes you want to know what happens next. The same can't be said for the story however. The whole pilot seems rushed, as if the (sometimes overly) complex plot is too much for the show to handle. Geller's character, Bridget, never really is believeable enough. Her motavations for taking her sister life doesn't really make sense. However, Ringer has a way of just sucking you in and for that it gets a 4 out of 6.

H8R: (Wens. 8, CW, New) H8R has a very good premise. Find a celebrity's most vocal "hater" and force them to spend a day with said celebrity. Unfortunately, the too-hip-to-be-good show squanders it's awesome premise by screwing up one part of that premise: the celebrities. The pilot episode's "celebrities" are a former Bacholer and Snooki. Nathan Fillion they ain't. The show feels like it's trying so hard to impress the teenage audience that the whole thing come across as fake (like Snooki. BAH-DUM-PA!). The show is most likely scripted as the "ordinary" people are just a little too writers-room witty for their own good. Still, H8R might be able to work if it can get real celebrities, but, untill then, H8R, gets a 2 out of 6.

UP ALL NIGHT: (Wens. 10, NBC, New) Man, does this show have a talented cast. Chrisitna Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph star in this NBC comedy about a couple who try to raise their first-born daughter, while dealing with the own personal lives as well. The cast make this show very funny and enjoyable from the get-go. The show's one big problem however is Raising Hope. You see, everything Up All Night does, has been done before and done better on Raising Hope. In the end, Up All Night may just be Raising Hope's leftovers, but there really isn't a moment where the show isn't at least enjoyable. 4 out of 6.

FREE AGENTS: (Wens. 10:30, NBC, New) Following Up All Night is this clunker. Staring The Simpsons funnyman Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn. The show is about two recently single people that work together after they have a one-night stand. The only real shining light of Agents is Azaria. He play pathetic and funny well. The rest of the show however can be summed up with the phrase "Well, it didn't suck too much." The show doesn't offer up anything new or particularly interesting. Instead, Free Agents lands firmly in Bland territory, and it ain't getting out any time soon. 3 out of 6.

I will have Part 2 up hopefully next Tuesday. Until then...
See you later.

P.S. TV, please don't bleep swear words out of scripted shows. It's not edgy, it really freaking annoying.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

You Should Get That Looked At: "Contagion" Review

    SPOILERS MAKE PEOPLE SICK. MILD SPOILER WARNING HERE. POSSIBLY.
      The reason Contagion was for me a highly-anticipated film was mostly not about it looking great, but more about the fact the September and October of this year are wastelands of nothing. Other than the occasional bright spot like the upcoming In Time or Killer Elite, the next two months are filled mostly with sequels that shouldn't have been made (Paranormal Activity 3), new films that don't look like anything to look at (Real Steel) or "blockbuster" movies deemed unfit to run in the summer (The Three Musketeers). So, when Contagion, the first honestly good-looking film of the fall was released, I could not wait to see it.
    Turns out I probably should have.
    Contagion is not a great film. Contagion is, however, not a bad film either. Contagion, like this summer's Cowboys and Aliens, walks the line of greatness, but never actually crosses it. The biggest problem is that the film focuses not on what would happen if a virus sweeps the world, wiping out a good chuck of the population and the panic it creates, but rather on the politics behind a virus that sweeps the world wiping out half of the population.
    Of the three major plots that take up this movie, only one follows the story of a regular man (Matt Damon). His story is one that, if given the time and focus that it deserved, could have made for an incredible film. His story follows Damon as he tries protects his protect his daughter from the virus. What make this story so interesting is that Damon's character is immune to the virus. The film rarely touches upon the great fortune and burden this would put on a normal everyday person, who is watching the people he knows and cares about die around him, but he himself can't get sick and can't do anything to help them.
    Instead, the movie shoves this point aside to tell the dull tale of Laurence Fishburne, a member of the CDC as he leads a team to try and figure out just what the virus is. This leads to problems however, because his team is so large that the film can't handle all of the many different storylines going on. This causes the editing to jump all over the place making characters disappear for a majority of the film and creating various plot holes.
    The final of the three storylines is Jude Law's. He play a blogger as he tries to prove that the virus is just, like, one big conspiracy, man. The weakest of the plots, it kind of makes sense, but it still is tough to follow. There is never really anyone to root for and I think the film attempts to add in a twist at the end, but it mainly fall flat on it's face because, for me at least, I didn't realize until I really thought about it that the film hadn't been setting it up from the very beginning.
    And while all of that sounds bad, Contagion makes things even more confusing because the film is just so well-made. All of the actors are bring their a-game, and while I don't think we'll be seeing any of them nominated, I for one, wouldn't at all be surprised if they did. Plus, the film is well written and does from time to time suck you into the story. But, where the film really stands out is the at times beautiful cinematography and direction by Steven Soderbergh. The film really does look nice and is enjoyable to watch.
    Contagion is a very odd specimen. Never has a bad (or more rather, bland) movie been so well made, at least that I've seen. The acting, writing and, above all else, directing is just top notch. However, the editing leaves the film with several plotholes and the story never feels as exciting has it should have or could have been. It's just a well-made missed oppertunity.
                     CONTAGION GETS A 3 OUT OF 6.
See you later.
   
   

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Cinema Won Reviews: Episode 2: Twilight

Here's the second video review me and Liam did. This time it takes us 3 parts to takle Twilight. Plus, a sneak peek at what's to come.

Part 1:
                                      
Part 2:

Part 3:

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Eddie Murphy to Host the 84th Annual Academy Awards



So as many of you probably know, Eddie Murphy has been announced as the host for the Oscars in 2012. This is most likely because of what was seen by many as Anne Hathaway and James Franco's failure at the Oscars last year. I personally liked the two host and Eddie host is more to reinvigorate his career than the Awards. Still, I think he's going to be a great host. So, do you think Murphy will be a good host? Did you like Hathaway and Franco? And who was your favorite Academy Awards host?