Green Lantern: First Flight Review

(I am not a comic otaku, but I will reflect on the connections and links to the original material as much as possible. This is to appease any comic book fans who feel I’m ignoring the original canon or how it makes them feel. Can’t make any promises I’ll agree with you, though)

We saw Hal Jordan’s backstory in more detail in Justice League: The New Frontier, extended over the entire film. This time around, we get more into details of the aftermath of his bestowal of the role of Green Lantern, confronting his nemesis Sinestro and becoming a highly respected member of the Green Lantern Corps and a trusted friend of the Guardians. Without further ado, onto synopsis.

We begin with Hal Jordan flying a jet into the blue sky, in actuality doing a simulation and nearly failing while flirting with his employer, Carol Ferris. The scene shifts to a ship crashing in the desert and a mysterious figure in green and black using a ring to summon someone. As we return to Hal’s simulation, we discover that Hal was the one summoned, ripped from the building by a green light that transports him to the injured alien. He tries to help him, but the alien communicates that the ring has chosen him to be the new Green Lantern, one of the protectors of the universe. He mentions that his superiors, the Guardians, will send for him. The ship then explodes and Hal is left alone to contemplate his destiny. He then returns to the base as if nothing happened, hiding his identity as the Green Lantern who brings the ship back with a mask. Hal then tells Carol he has to go for about a week, seeing new sights (no doubt practicing with the ring a bit), cutting the conversation short as he sees three green beams shooting down to earth. He is attacked by one of them, and discovers they are other Green Lanterns who are looking for one Abin Sur, whom Hal succeeded. Since his body was destroyed in the subsequent explosion after Hal got the ring, Sinestro, the leader of the quartet of Lanterns notes that the Guardians still have to decide whether he’s worthy of the ring. The group then takes Hal to the planet Oa. The Guardians explain that the title of Green Lantern involves a responsibility to an entire sector of the universe, one of 3600, not to mention the power that the ring each is given holds. The Guardians are skeptical due to their distrust of humans and their abuse of power, not to mention the many “atrocities” they have committed. But one of them notes that the ring chose him, so he must be worthy in his own way. Sinestro offers to take Hal under his wing to confront an issue in his sector. The Guardians accept and Sinestro puts Hal through a quick session to gain the information from the Central Battery. Sinestro notes that he likes humans and their contempt for authority, noting that the Guardians are less than impressive as the leaders of the Corps. Travelling to Cadmando to find the person who killed Abin Sur, a squid man named Cuch. We’re first exposed to Sinestro’s methods of coercion and cruelty through interrogating the bouncer and later through the owner of the bar where they investigate for Cuch’s whereabouts. Hal defies Sinestro’s orders to not interfere, suggesting he is too cruel, but they are interrupted by Cuch storming in the bar. Sinestro chases Cuch, losing him in the sewers. Hal is knocked into the sewers through the bar and manages to catch Cuch on his own. Sinestro is frustrated that Hal was being too soft in defying him. He insists that he needs to rule through fear in the chaotic and unpredictable galaxy. His goal is to bring ultimate order to the galaxy by eliminating all the crime and evil in the world, even if he must use less than pleasant means to achieve that end. Other Lanterns appear and Sinestro calms, taking Cuch to the nearest substation for interrogation. Boodikka talks to Hal about Sinestro’s position, seeking out Kanjar Ro, who is in possession of information on the only known weakness to the Green Lanterns, the Yellow Element. She tells the story of the Guardians building the Green Battery and their sealing away of the Yellow Element for fear it would be abused. Kanjar Ro found the Yellow Element and Abin Sur went undercover to find it. He was discovered by Cuch and managed to escape and was then found by Hal when he crashed on Earth. Boodikka is impressed that Hal took down Cuch by himself. Sinestro calls a meeting, revealing he has acquired information from Cuch about Kanjar Ro’s whereabouts and that the group will finally discover him and take him down for good. The Guardians inquire about Sinestro’s methods and accuse him of warping the Green Lantern idea of justice. Sinestro agrees to let the Guardians interrogate him when he is captured. The Green Lanterns arrive at the station, Hal made to watch around the outer perimeter while the others split up. It is revealed that Sinestro is working with Kanjar Ro and needs him in order to discover where the Yellow Element is, being developed into some sort of weapon. Hal is ordered to change to a new location, but in transit, he discovers Kanjar Ro’s men and proceeds to stop them, Kanjar Ro escaping. He creates a disturbance to get the Lanterns off his back, managing to escape, but the Lanterns trailing him with Sinestro’s insistence that the masses can be ignored as a sacrifice to stop the evildoers. In the warp tunnel, some of them die, but Hal gets on the ship, sneaking in. He confronts Kanjar Ro, who knocks him out from behind, Sinestro killing Kanjar Ro and making Hal a scapegoat to cover his tracks. Hal is summarily court marshaled (even with Sinestro’s attempt to defend his actions as self defense) and gives up his ring, while Sinestro revives Kanjar Ro’s corpse to discover the location of the Yellow Element at Qward. Hal, Boodikka and Kilowog, through Hal’s intuition, discover that Sinestro is a traitor in the middle of his act of necromancy. Boodikka reveals she has been working with Sinestro from the beginning. But with Kilowog’s help and a little ingenuity with the unstable yellow element staff Kanjar Ro holds, Hal stops Boodikka, albeit accidentally killing her in the process. Sinestro acquires the Yellow Element and changes to his new yellow and black outfit, proceeding to Oa to wage war on the Guardians. He summarily defeats countless Green Lanterns, returning to Oa and proving the Guardians’ trust in him as mistaken. He continues to wreak havoc on Oa, and even manages to power down the Green Battery, almost killing the Green Lanterns. But Hal manages to power it back on, absorbing a vast amount of its power. He manages to destroy the Yellow Battery by pulling two planets together on it (along with hitting it with a giant golf club and baseball bat) and after a tough battle defeats Sinestro, leaving him all but powerless as Kilowog breaks his hand and his ring in the process. Hal Jordan is then reinstated as a Green Lantern and the film ends with his reciting the Green Lantern pledge and then returning to Earth.

The characters are all portrayed well and conform mostly to the backstory of the Green Lantern canon. Many Green Lanterns don’t even get a name drop and are killed off, but I suppose lack of identity is part of a military group as the Green Lantern Corps. The main characters would be Hal Jordan, Sinestro and Kilowog, though Boodikka could be considered important as well, though mostly in relation to Sinestro. Hal develops as a character, full of wisecracks and a somewhat laidback personality at his introduction. But when it comes to a conflict, he takes action and gets the job done, in the many creative ways he does this throughout the film, surprising even senior members. His interactions with the other Lanterns also speak to his honorable personality, accepting consequences, but also staying true to his beliefs in fighting for what’s right. Sinestro is introduced as he is in Green Lantern, a senior member and trusted by the Guardians, but harboring jealousy and fear of the failure of his ideal, resorting to ill means to achieve his end of complete order in the universe under his power. His conflicts with Jordan are balanced somewhat by his initial respect for him, but his overcoming by the Yellow element’s power serves as his eventual downfall. Boodikka is presented as sympathetic to Hal’s plight in the beginning (even thought of as a love interest by me), but in the later part of the film betrays him and her role is served, being killed off, since she is otherwise unimportant to the rest of the plot, though her potential disagreement with Sinestro or her being overwhelmed and destroyed by the Yellow Element would’ve been points of interest. Kilowog is a fun portrayal, similar to his Justice League series counterpart, but rougher looking, less accessible to children, the film overall being more for teens. He’s very strict and as sergeant at arms is expected to be very devoted to the Corps, which he shows through both words and actions. His resistance to Hal is eventually overwhelmed by both Hal’s rescuing him at one point and his courageous attitude to the mission of fighting evil. He even saves Hal from Boodikka as she tries to kill him and later as he nearly falls to his death after defeating Sinestro, not to mention smashes Sinestro’s hand as well, reflecting on his persistent importance to the plot, even as a secondary character to Hal and Sinestro’s conflict. The Guardians would’ve been more important, but their power was admittedly more evident in the past. Now they’re just short little blue dwarves that can use telepathy, telekinesis and the like.

A primary theme is the conflict between Sinestro and Hal on the methods to achieve order in the universe. Hal progressively questions Sinestro’s methods and eventually figures him out. Sinestro’s persistent desire for power motivated him to deceive everyone around him and betray anyone that was not useful to him, Kanjar Ro serving as a good example. Not to mention he cares little even about Boodikka’s death, showing his callousness even more. Hal is able to win over Kilowog as an ally even though initially he distrusts him, not only because he’s not trained, but that he is a human, which apparently many aliens distrust for one reason or another. The Guardians’ problematic way of managing a universe wide protection force is shown to be problematic at least by Sinestro’s logic, though Hal proves that even an individual Green Lantern is meant to fight to the last breath, even when the situation seems hopeless, only cementing our appreciation of Hal Jordan as a character over and against Sinestro.

The film does a good job of introducing a newcomer to Green Lantern history and setting up one of the greatest rivalries in Green Lantern canon as well. While there are differences from the comics, such as Boodikka not being allied with Sinestro and Kanjar Ro not being the source of Sinestro’s association with the Yellow Element. Kanjar Ro was originally more a villain of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, only indirectly conflicting with the Green Lantern Corps. But all this aside, I would agree with another short review I stumbled across that suggests it could serve as the beginning of a new series. Like Wonder Woman, it gives the character’s backstory and sets up a consistent villain and opponent as well as offering potential for new villains, though admittedly Sinestro’s plight is deeper than Ares’ in Wonder Woman, losing his Yellow Battery. My rating would be another 5 out of 5, with a 70-80% recommendation due to unfamiliarity that many would no doubt feel with Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern to those used to John Stewart. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Justice League: The New Fronter Review

(While I am not a comic otaku, I will strive to reflect on the links this film has to whatever comic it attempts to adapt. This is to pay respect to Linkara, a true comic otaku; he’s not dead btw)

This will be the second Justice League film I’ve reviewed and may be the last titled as such. This one resonates much more with fans of the old DC comics, mostly because it’s called the Justice Society initially. Many would be confused about that state of affairs, not to mention the whole issue with the 50s themes reflected in the context of the film. Anyway, onto synopsis.

We are told a story by an entity that has lived in the center of the earth (somehow) and evolved beyond human comprehension. As it observed humans evolve into more destructive and terrible beings (in its own view), it concludes that humans must be destroyed. The person illustrating the book as it is being communicated to them proceeds to shoot themselves with a revolver. Even the introductory sequence of credits tells a bit of backstory, where the government has begun to regard the masked superheroes as enemies of the state or communist spies. This only further supports the setting of this particular film in the aftermath of the World wars and the Korean War as well. Technically this isn’t a backstory as much as a reference to the original comic this connects to, The New Frontier. Hourman, a somewhat unknown hero in DC is killed and the Justice League starts separating a bit. The next scene introduces one Hal Jordan and Ace Morgan, pilots flying over North Korea and being told by Lois Lane on the radio that a ceasefire has been declared. Unfortunately Hal is shot down, managing to survive, but being attacked by a Korean soldier. He is forced in the heat of the moment to kill the soldier, even after trying to tell him the war was over. Elsewhere, a scientist has had a heart attack from unknowingly teleporting the Martian Manhunter to Earth. J’onn J’onzz then hides the body and takes over his role for a time. We shift to Superman meeting Wonder Woman who has “liberated” a group of Indo-Chinese (?) women, who subsequently killed the men who had enslaved them for sexual purposes. Superman and Wonder Woman argue about the principles they’re fighting for and if this is really helping with superheroes performing vigilante justice. With Batman a fugitive, the Justice Society disbanded and a member dead (Hourman), Superman is concerned that Wonder Woman might be taking her beliefs too far and violating the loyalty oaths they signed. Meanwhile, the Martian Manhunter has integrated into society more and watches TV as any other person would in the evening. Superman talks with Lois about Wonder Woman and Batman’s unwillingness to sacrifice their beliefs for friends, Lois responding that Superman and the others need to stand for what America really is and lead the people. The scene shifts to Vegas where Hal Jordan and Ace are gambling and apparently wasting their time before Ace reveals a surprise for Hal. Meanwhile cartoon Don Knotts (not really) is flirting with what is revealed to be The Flash’s (Barry Allen version) girlfriend (or fiancée), Iris. The nightclub she’s at gets attacked by Captain Cold, whom Flash thwarts after getting the cryogenic bombs that he set around the city. But Captain Cold is taken over by a mysterious presence sounding much like the entity called the Center in the beginning. Flash stops him by having messed with his freeze gun and causing it to temporarily snow in Vegas (thanks to Captain Cold’s bombs). Hal Jordan drives with Ace to a secret military facility where he is told that he is being offered a job to be a test pilot, just like he wanted before he had the incident in Korea. The Martian Manhunter goes out on another mission, taking on the guise of a television detective. Hal meets the daughter of his boss, reflecting that he came out better after his incident in Korea, recovering in a VA hospital, and that he’s ready to start his job in earnest. J’onn and his friend run into Batman stopping a cult trying to sacrifice a child and J’onn is paralyzed by the fire that starts (part of his Martian heritage). Batman stops the cultists and they separate, recognizing that there’s a pattern involving the entity referenced as the Center, even in the cult. Hal continues his training under General Flagg, who reveals to Carol (Hal’s obvious romantic interest) that Hal is training for something very important, though we don’t know what he means quite yet. One guy involved with the testing shows the Center’s influence on people, making them behave erratically and delusional. We shift to Carol driving Hal to a secret base where they reveal that he has been trained to be a pilot to Mars. King Farraday, special agent for the government, is involved in the project, paranoid of what might be on Mars and what has already come to earth. The Martian Manhunter and Batman talk about the cult’s spread and its connection to the Center, Batman willing to trust J’onn but noting that he knows his weakness, just as he knows Superman’s. In Central City (or close to it) Gorilla Grodd rampages and Flash stops him, though it is revealed the ape is a robot decoy. The government tries to kidnap Barry and he manages to narrowly escape. J’onn talks to a scientist in the government who tells him more about the Center’s plans to eliminate all human life as well as the top secret Mars mission the government is keeping tabs on. King Farraday speaks with J’onn, denying the Mars mission, J’onn discovering that the Mars mission is real by touching Farraday’s hand. Flash runs in on the news report and tells the world he is “retiring” from being a superhero because the government is too paranoid of people like him. J’onn leaves to meet Batman, give him the info he has on the Center and the cults, as well as tell him his intention to return to Mars, because he can’t trust humans. Batman wishes him well as he leaves just as quickly as he came. Hal Jordan and Rick Flagg are preparing to launch, while J’onn attempts to get on the ship. He is stopped by Farraday and J’onn manages to get the two clear of the rocket as it launches, knocked unconscious by the effort. The rocket launches successfully, but then suffers complications and begins to crash. Hal is told by Colonel Flagg that there are weapons onboard, in case the Martians turned out to be hostile. Rick nearly presses the self destruct button, but Hal knocks him out, trying to pilot the ship back safely to the ground. Eventually Flagg recovers consciousness, knocking Hal out of the ship. Hal is saved by Superman, while Flagg detonates the ship, killing himself. Meanwhile, Hal is returned home, and the Martian is imprisoned, Superman pointing out the hypocrisy of the government keeping the Martian in prison as opposed to Superman, though they’re both so powerful and both aliens. Wonder Woman duels with a fellow Amazon, who eventually lets her know that she might be taken from her position. But then a giant unknown entity appears at the island and the Amazons prepare to fight it. Hal Jordan is suddenly taken away by a mysterious green aura that transports him to one Abin Sur, a Green Lantern who gives his ring to Hal, knowing that he will do the right thing. Batman and Superman converse about the Center. They then hear a radio broadcast about a giant pterodactyl attacking Cape Canaveral. Superman stops the creature and then helps Wonder Woman after she crash lands in her invisible jet, covered in blood and revealing that a bigger threat is coming to the U.S. Meanwhile Farraday and the Martian speak while playing chess, the Martian concluding that it is best that he stay here and help the Earth in advancing justice so that people won’t have to suffer needlessly. Lois continues to report on the oncoming threat, Flash and Hal both heading for the Cape to stop the enemy. Hal is confronted by Carol about his cowardice and hypocrisy in fighting, responding that he is willing to fight to protect what is right, even if he didn’t kill people in war before. And they kiss in the most romantic spot ever, behind a jet engine. Flash and other heroes meet up with the army, who is trying to stop them from helping, eventually concluding with Superman’s mediation that they need to work together to stop this enemy instead of fighting amongst themselves. Superman goes to recon on the object while the others regroup. Superman fights against the Dinosaur Island form of the Center, but is taken down, the others mourning him while still thinking of a plan. Ray Palmer, otherwise known as the Atom, is recruited for his shrinking device, which turns everything it shrinks into an unstable form of matter. The idea is for the Flash to run around the thing as fast as possible and shrink it to destroy it. Hal Jordan and Ace Morgan volunteer to fly inside the thing to bomb it as well. The attack begins in earnest, planes bombing on the outside initially to distract it so the Flash can begin his task. Martian Manhunter is attacked psychically and saved by Farraday, though in the battle, Farraday is eaten by a dinosaur, though Farraday takes two grenades in with him, blowing its head off. Inside the Center, Hal and Ace are assaulted by acid trip illusions and then ugly red stuff that threatens to kill them. Hal finally understands the power of the ring and saves Ace and flies out. Flash meanwhile manages to run the shrink device around the Center and destroy it. But the explosion threatens to destroy a large chunk of earth. Green Lantern then takes on the task, throwing the giant exploding island into space, saving earth. Superman is revealed to have been saved by Aquaman, who will eventually become a member of the new Justice League. The film concludes with JFK’s speech called “The New Frontier”, various events taking place as the new horizon is presented to the viewer.

There are obvious differences of character depiction, some that were identical in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern again, Martian Manhunter takes on his classical appearance (unlike the more alien appearance he takes in virtually every other version) and Wonder Woman wears a skirt, unlike her more liberated modern counterpart, it seems. Batman is still decidedly dark, but in the concluding scene, he reminds me of the one from the Adam West serials. Superman is a balance of his 50s version and more modern versions, though still the Boy Scout as many would call him. King Farraday’s role is similar, a government liaison, though not as he was in Justice League Unlimited, this version initially skeptical of superheroes and Martians especially. But he at least is redeemed, unlike Rick Flagg Sr., whose son praises him in the ending scenes even though he doesn’t realize his dad was willing to kill himself and cover up the government’s dangerous plan instead of trying to save people and fess up as Hal was doing. That whole issue could comprise a theme, but I’ll keep them brief.

There are three main themes, two of them about character development. The other is the overarching idea that the Justice League is formed by a group of otherwise differing people, ranging from Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and the Flash to Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern as the newcomers, coming together to protect a populace that may initially be afraid of them, but also realizes that they have their best interests at heart as fellow Americans and fellow humans (and one Martian). Hal Jordan’s development from a wisecracking pilot to a changed man after his experiences in Korea are reflected as he begins to question the military’s actions and then confronts his new role as the Green Lantern in the end. Martian Manhunter is more complex, initially coming by accident and causing a scientist’s death, progressively seeing the evils of humanity and nearly leaving, but even with Farraday threatening and imprisoning him, he chooses in the end to protect Earth as his new home. We’ll see a more extended look at Green Lantern in a future film review, btw.

In conclusion, I would recommend this film to any classic fans as well as younger fans of Justice League Unlimited. The history in here is something that can motivate young minds to inquire into the past and the resonance with the nostalgic days will be appreciated by older fans. The plot does shift around a lot, so you have to keep lots of characters straight, but the overarching theme of conquering the Center serves as a guiding point for the converging subplots. The final rating is 5 out of 5 with about a 70-80% recommendation due to the potential confusion that may assault a new viewer with the differing exposures they may have had to the Justice League as well as other unfamiliar figures, such as Rick Flagg and Hourman, much less well known to many fans of DC. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Review

(While I am not a comic otaku, I will make an attempt to reflect on the relation of this film to the comics in their varied forms so as to show my respect to such people as Linkara. Thank you.)

I’ve been a fan of the Justice League in one form or another since I watched the show by the same name that debuted in 2001. While not consistent with older depictions, it did introduce me to the idea of a united group of DC heroes fighting against the evildoers in the world. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is derived primarily from a title JLA: Earth 2 where parallel universe are posited with the existence of reversed states of affairs: the Justice League are the villains and vice versa with the Legion of Super Villains. This film is similar, but not identical, creating its own narrative within the general idea of infinite parallel realities in DC. So without further ado, onto plot synopsis.

We begin with the parallel versions of Lex Luthor and Joker, called Alexander Luthor and Jester, breaking into a facility where they steal a “quantum trigger” which apparently gives them an edge against the evil versions of the Justice League. And as they acquire the device, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter’s parallels begin to track the two. They escape through a grate in the floor and Alexander gets out. The Jester stays behind, wanting to get serious in fighting the villains. He pretty much gets killed, but in his death throes, he pulls out his last trick, a mini nuke, which subsequently kills both him and the two baddies. Alexander is confronted by the rest of the Crime Syndicate, but manages to escape the parallel dimension. Meanwhile the Justice League in the original universe is building their Watchtower and finishing installation of the teleportation module. Alex Luthor then appears in the city and proceeds to contact the Justice League through the police. He explains the situation (while naked) which, with Superman’s x ray vision, is proven to be the case (reversed positions of organs and all). At the Watchtower, Alexander explains further about the situation. He’s the only surviving member of the Justice Syndicate (which I’ll coin for now) that countered the Crime Syndicate, the parallel versions of the Justice League, the roles reversed in Alexander’s dimension. While the Justice League deliberates as to whether they’ll help him (they accept, of course, except stubborn old Batman), Alexander hides the quantum trigger in the Watchtower. Meanwhile, in Earth-Two (they never actually label either, but for simplicity’s sake, the original earth with the Justice League is Earth 1 and the Crime Syndicate earth is Earth 2) Owlman and Superwoman (parallels to Batman and Wonder Woman/Mary Marvel) along with other Syndicate members search the ruins of the destroyed facility and are preparing to leave when Alexander and the Justice League (sans Batman) appear in the middle of the room. A fight ensues and all the Syndicate members are defeated or temporarily delayed. With Alexander’s advice, Superman leads the group outside, where it turns out it’s a floating fortress. Superwoman’s three Made Men (underlings, three guys in yellow and black spandex who are supposed to be parallels to members of the Marvel family) fight against the Justice League while Wonder Woman steals Owlman’s plane and with a little help from parallel Lex, they escape with a cloaking generator. After their escape, the other top ranking members of the Crime Syndicate convene for an important meeting. They decide to divide the duties that were in J’edd J’arkus’ (Martian Manhunter parallel with four arms) division amongst themselves. And Owlman brings up his newest invention, the Quantum Eigenstate Device, which would allow them to threaten to destroy any point in the world that they wanted (life and death power, as he terms it). This is to counter the only threat the world government has against the Crime Syndicate now, nuclear weapons. We see a protest by the President’s daughter (who will be important to one character later) and move on to parallel Lex bringing the Justice League to Jester’s hideout. He explains the basic structure, with Ultraman (Superman parallel) at the very top, with Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick (Flash parallel) and Power Ring (Green Lantern parallel) ruling over other divisions of the world with 7-8 Made Men under them that they grant superpowers to based on rank. Alexander proposes they make a series of attacks in a group of 6, but Superman suggests they do multiple attacks with groups of 2. Lex acquiesces and the attacks begin in earnest. Elsewhere, Owlman reveals to Superwoman that he has created a device that allows him to travel to any other alternate earth just as Alexander Luthor had done in the beginning of the film. Superwoman is ecstatic at first and Owlman implies that he has a bigger plan in store. The attacks progress, with a concluding fight at Ultraman’s building. Alex Luthor brings out Ultraman’s weakness, blue kryptonite, and the battle turns positive, with Ultraman going to jail, for all the good that’ll do. The Justice League and parallel Lex are called to the President’s office. The President (Deathstroke, otherwise known as Slade Wilson to Teen Titans fans) complains that the group is putting the earth at risk, but the group, along with his daughter, argues that they’re doing the right thing and that even if someone is tougher than you, it’s better to fight them head on instead of submitting to them. J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter’s real name) gets involved with the President’s daughter (Ravager parallel) in a subplot that will continue later. The Crime Syndicate continues to build the QED, while Owlman lectures Superwoman on the futility of her plans to try to conquer other worlds. He notes that with every choice we make there is a parallel universe where the choice wasn’t made or the opposite choice was made. In this way, the very existence they have is relative to the series of events that occurred. His goal is to eliminate all existence by destroying the original Earth, what he terms Earth-Prime. Superwoman assents to his plan and we move to the White House, where Ultraman threatens the life of Rose Wilson (Slade’s daughter) and with the threat of a nuke, Ultraman replies that they’re building their own bomb. Meanwhile, Owlman has discovered the location of the quantum trigger and sends Superwoman on an errand to get it. Batman realizes that security has been compromised and after fighting on his own (in a mecha no less), he summons backup to fight against Superwoman’s Made Men, while Batman seeks out Superwoman, who manages to find the quantum trigger and they escape, though Batman manages to travel back with them. We shift to Rose protesting and she is saved from an assassination attempt by J’onn disguising himself as a secret service agent. He gets the Archer (Green Arrow parallel) arrested. Superwoman pushes Batman into a corner, but Batman as usual tricks her into inhaling a cloud of anesthetic and promptly escapes, Superman binding her when the rest of the group returns. Batman inquires about what parallel Lex hid on the Watchtower and he notes that they have to change their strategy. Owlman gets the quantum trigger from Superwoman’s remaining lackey and is expectedly overjoyed (as much as he can be). Elsewhere, J’onn finds that he is attuned to Rose (mentally synchronized) and mind melds with her (I guess) and they become truly one. This is the last we see of the subplot until the end. Rose says that her father knows where the headquarters of the Crime Syndicate is located. At said headquarters, the finishing touches are being put on the QED. The Justice League and parallel Lex infiltrate the hideout. The Crime Syndicate threatens to use the QED, but their bluff is called since they’re on the moon and can’t use it on Earth. A fight ensues between all the Justice League members and Crime Syndicate doubles, eventually ending with Batman the only member to be soundly defeated, Owlman escaping with the QED to Earth Prime. The group discovers Owlman’s plan and devises a way to follow him using Johnny Quick’s supposedly superior speed. Batman goes in to fight Owlman, no one able to follow him without the transmitter device. Batman confronts Owlman and they discuss the chaotic implications of the choices of humanity that result from the origin point of Earth Prime. Owlman concludes as before that the only real choice he can make is to destroy all existence, corrupted by humanity as it is. Batman fights Owlman to stop him, but is almost completely overwhelmed as before, Owlman repeating his mantra that nothing really matters. Batman is beaten up more before distracting Owlman with a bat-bomb to the face. He adjusts the coordinates of Owlman’s transmitter and after outthinking his counterpart, stealing the transmitter and getting him tied to his machine, he sends him to an uninhabited earth, where Owlman then accepts his loss, though he could’ve stopped the QED’s detonation. Back in Earth 2, Johnny Quick stops vibrating and is revealed to have rapidly aged and subsequently dies. The other members then insist on fighting the Justice League despite being outnumbered, but then Martian Manhunter comes in with the Marines and President Slade with nukes, guaranteeing the Crime Syndicate has lost. Back at the White House, everything’s going very smoothly, except that Rose Wilson and Martian Manhunter are in love. But J’onn makes the difficult decision to leave her behind so he can truly protect his home Earth. The group returns and discovers that Batman has been thinking of expanding the League with the 5 members that he brought before. And the story progresses to unknown futures.

The characters are depicted well for each counterpart, though there are distinctions I’ll point out quickly. The Justice League depicted is the older Justice League from the 50s and 60s (roughly). John Stewart isn’t the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan is. Pretty much everyone else is the same. And there’s no Hawkman or Hawkgirl (guess they came in later). The Earth-2 counterparts are somewhat different from the anti-matter universe Crime Syndicates in the comics. Owlman had an enhanced cerebral cortex that allowed him to read minds. Ultraman was not weak to any Kryptonite, but in fact got more powers from each Kryptonite he was exposed to. He was also dependent on Anti Kryptonite, which he needed to consume on a regular basis to maintain his powers. J’edd J’arkus is seemingly original to this parallel earth, since most Crime Syndicates didn’t have one, or the parallel was called the White Martian. The parallel earth Made Men are nice counterparts to their Justice League originals, like Black Canary and Green Arrow among others. Parallel Lex Luthor and Joker are nice characters, actually making one curious about other parallel villains in this universe and what they would be called or what they would do to fight crime (there are more noted in the anti-matter universe, I believe, like Riddler and Gorilla Grodd). Slade Wilson as President is only evident if you automatically associated a guy with an eyepatch with Deathstroke and all. His daughter’s a nice character to maintain the conflict of Martian Manhunter’s emotions and such, not to mention the irony that he’s right in saying her counterpart is evil (Ravager).

The only themes to really speak of are related to the Justice League on the one hand and the Crime Syndicate on the other. The Justice League’s interaction with President Slade emphasizes their desire to protect justice in the world. The Crime Syndicate’s personalities and general behavior are a subtheme of this in the consideration of alternate universes that the film posits to us through Owlman’s explanations. This leads to the strong theme from the Crime Syndicate, mostly Owlman. As noted before, he’s a very strong ontological nihilist, that is, he believes every decision we make is meaningless (he says this at one point verbatim, I believe). And his persistent belief leads him to the conclusion that he must destroy everything through destruction of Earth Prime. Though in hindsight, he realizes right before the bomb explodes that it wouldn’t matter even if he did detonate the bomb on Earth prime, because by his own multiverse logic, his choice to do that would’ve still made a divergence between two Earth primes, one where he made the choice and one where he didn’t. This theme is a mind-twister even if you don’t have any philosophical background. The very fact that it makes you think so much on your choices and what might happen with a series of decisions you make on one world as opposed to another is evidence of the centrality of this idea.

This film is great, all things considered. It deviates from the original source it drew from, but made a very compelling story all on its own, even if there wasn’t a previous premise to draw from. The very notion of a parallel universe where the bad guys are the good guys and vice versa makes me want there to be a future project where such a universe is developed more clearly and without the Justice Syndicate/Guild or whatever it’s called in Earth-2 getting killed off, but still having the challenge. This definitely gets a 5 out of 5 and probably a 90% recommendation, the only thing really killing it for any viewer would be the obvious logical conclusion that the whole film is pointless since it wouldn’t have mattered either way, since even if Owlman detonated the bomb, there still would’ve been the alternate universe where the outcome of the film as it is came to be (where he was thwarted). Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

How to Train Your Dragon Review

Trailers for this film interested me from the beginning, though the experience itself was only mildly stimulating for all it promised me. The resonance with a book series I read, Dragonriders of Pern, was a definite plus. It was adapted from the first in a series of books, though there’s no evidence that any sequels are planned, though they could be fun. Putting Vikings and Dragons in any film would appeal to a good chunk of people. And even in 2D, it was impressive; contrary to what many people would tell you when recommending the film (3D’s so cool, ooh).

We’re introduced to a Viking village named Berk where the inhabitants are all warriors and kill various types of dragons that attack them. Except the son of the chief, Stoick, whose odd name is Hiccup. He’s clumsy, unable to fight dragons with big weapons and is pretty much a walking disaster. In the middle of the night during a dragon raid, he manages to take down a shadowy dragon with an invention shooting off a Batman style binding rope. But in the process, he also causes another minor disaster in the village and his father lectures him about how much he sucks as a Viking. He sneaks away and tracks down the dragon, which turns out to be a rare dragon. He tries to kill it, but after seeing its fear and sympathizing with it, he frees it and is nearly killed, but the dragon runs away. Stoick, through suggestion of Gobber, the amputee Viking who apprentices Hiccup, allows his son to start dragon training classes. Meanwhile, he goes on another search for the Dragon’s nest to try to take them out for good. Hiccup, after his first failure in dragon training, goes to find the Night Fury (catchy name) and discovers it can’t fly, since part of its tail fin was torn off in the crash. He eventually gains its trust and constructs an artificial tail fin and saddle so that with Hiccup’s help, the dragon, nicknamed “Toothless”, can fly again. Hiccup’s experience with training Toothless enables him to excel at the dragon training classes and impress his instructor and fellow students, making the other top student, Astrid (whom Hiccup has a crush on) jealous of his accomplishments. Hiccup discovers that the dragons are not inherently dangerous and are only defending themselves. His father returns and is happy to find that his son has shown a yet unobserved talent with dragons. After finishing the final exam, Hiccup’s pet dragon is discovered by Astrid and with a little time, she begins to accept that the dragons are not bad, just untrusting of aggressive humans. They are drawn in by a flock of dragons and discover the hidden nest, returning for the conclusion of Hiccup’s final exam, where he is expected to kill a dragon. He tries to calm the dragon, but his father’s interruption causes it to run rampant. Toothless hears Hiccup’s cries and manages to get to Berk, fighting off the raging dragon and nearly killing Stoick. Hiccup calms him and he is subdued. Stoick is irate that his son has befriended a dragon and Hiccup accidentally reveals that he’s been to the nest and that only a dragon can find it. Stoick then takes Toothless and chains him to the ship, using him to find the dragon’s nest, even after Hiccup’s warning that there’s a giant dragon there that they’ll never beat. Hiccup manages to round up the other kids and takes the dragons used for training to the island. The Vikings arrive at the nest and are confronted by the giant dragon after the other smaller dragons have left. They’re subsequently beaten back, their boats all destroyed by the fiery breath of the titan. Hiccup has the others look for any possible blind spots while he goes to save Toothless. Eventually the boat with Toothless on it sinks and Hiccup almost drowns, but is saved by his father. Stoick releases Toothless and Hiccup teams up with his friend to take on the dragon titan. The duo draws the dragon into the air and after damaging its wings, spits fire into its mouth where it falls to the ground, exploding with the internal gas the dragons use to breathe fire. Hiccup seemingly falls to his death after crashing into the dragon’s tail, but Toothless manages to save him and the battle ends. Hiccup wakes up with Toothless at his side at home, discovering he has lost half of his left leg in the accident, replaced by a prosthetic, similar to Gobber’s. Hiccup leaves the house to discover that the village has incorporated the dragons into daily life and everything is at peace. He gets a kiss from Astrid, who’s fallen in love with his dragon-riding charms. Hiccup and Toothless then ride off into the sky as we get a nice pan shot of the village’s recovery and the other kids joining him.

There are only four important characters to speak of. Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup. Sarcastic, scientific and otherwise different from the other Vikings, he’s a wiry kid that stands out from the other kids, since he’s relatively balanced and most of the others are too thin or fat to be taken seriously. Hiccup is remarkably insightful and courageous as the film goes on, defying the stereotype that’s been placed on him. His father, Stoick, voiced by Gerard Butler, is a typical Viking; big, brawny, doesn’t talk much about his feelings and ready to kill anything that gets in his way. He’s stubborn and like adults in many kid’s films, is unwilling to take kids seriously or accept them for who they are until the end of the movie. He definitely has high expectations for Hiccup and is a bit odd wearing a helmet made from his late wife’s breastplate (2 breast helmets, yes). America Ferrera depicts the only important female character in the film, Astrid. A major tomboy and probably the best dragon fighter of the kids, she’s unfriendly to Hiccup and jealous of the experience he gains with dragons. But she warms to him and Toothless with a little excitement in the form of a swift flight on the back of the purple-black pet. Overall, she’s both a good romantic interest and foil to Hiccup as a Viking child. Craig Ferguson portrays Gobber, the dragon training instructor. He has one hand and one leg missing, eaten by dragons. But he fights well all the same even with a prosthetic leg and arm. And he serves as a foil to Stoick, actually seeing Hiccup as having some potential, even if he recognizes that it may come out differently than the other kids. The other Viking kids are relatively stock characters: two twins, a macho jerk and a fat tabletop RPG nerd complete the set of 6 that’s common in films these days (though five always is a nice number too). Toothless is the only important dragon. His mannerisms are reminiscent of pets, albeit in a larger form. And as per many animals domesticated, it is initially skeptical of humans, but like Astrid, warms to Hiccup. Although admittedly it’s probably been taken in by getting fed lots of fish; unlike the girlfriend who likes him because of the courage and all.

There are two overlapping themes in the film. The first one is obvious from the set up, a conflict between man and nature, Viking and Dragon. And progressively they learn from each other, Vikings from Dragons mostly. The Vikings regard Dragons as beasts who only desire to kill, but Hiccup shows the others that they’re just defending themselves and are actually in a situation of their own with the seemingly ancient dragon that asks for food from them or threatens their lives. This suggests that the dragons are responding negatively to human aggression and are only behaving as benefits their group, even if it must cause problems for humans. And another lesson learned by the Vikings from the dragons is the need to be more sympathetic to non-humans and their plights. The other important issue that comes about in many films these days, including this one, is the division between human feelings and duty to a cause. Stoick manifests the latter, ignoring his son’s pleas to save the dragons in order to maintain the Viking traditions. Hiccup defies the traditions, not wanting to fight or kill dragons and rejecting the opportunity to killing one for his final exam, even being rejected by his father. With the “us versus them” mentality pushed around by the Viking culture in the film, Hiccup is all the more divided and ostracized by the village when they find he has befriended dragons even after they praised him before for being so amazing at “defeating” them. And we get the idea that adults can learn important things from children; the most important of these lessons being that might doesn’t make right and every perceived enemy is likely just as scared of you as you are of them. This goes double for the dragons that are afraid of their master and also of the humans killing them off. The film really seems to resonate with Avatar, though I have not seen that yet. I might get to it in the future.

While I find the plot progression somewhat predictable, the new and yet familiar medium of a world where humans and dragons interact puts this film in a good position. The romance is not too sappy and is actually a nice reversal of the usual gender roles, the female being more aggressive and the male more submissive. Not to mention father/son interactions and the connection any viewer can make to Hiccup’s dilemmas and development as a character. This film gets 5 out of 5 from me, with an 80% recommendation due to the inexplicable loss of Hiccup’s leg, hardly explained and hardly necessary for a happy ending where the guy gets the girl and everyone’s happy. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Dragonball Evolution Review

(As a huge fan of this, I have potentially unreasonable expectations for this film. I feel it will be more important to focus on whether the film lines up with the spirit of the manga itself more than exact consistency with narrative and canon. There will be spoilers btw, since the manga spoilers are worth keeping secret)

I’ve been distracted from this project by the series of Marvel and DC animated films I’ve reviewed in the last week. But now I’ll try my hand at confronting something more in my area of knowledge, manga. I always wanted to do a review on Dragonball: Evolution. I had heard mostly bad reviews on this and the most positive review said that it was a good action film. This is a difficult task to undertake, since there is a risk that my standards for a film adapting such a great manga/anime could be too high. But I will attempt to take it as it is and note the discrepancies as I go without being overly critical of the film or accusing it to be completely without merit. So then, onto plot synopsis.

We begin with a backstory to what the rest of the film hinges on. Lord Piccolo and his disciple Oozaru waged a war against humanity to conquer the world. And they nearly succeeded, but for the use of the Mafuba that sealed Piccolo in the earth (even though he was originally sealed in a magical rice cooker. This time it’s underground in a metal teapot). And now 2000 years later, Goku, adopted son of Gohan, wise old master, trains with his elder. And afterwards he complains about how he’s picked on at school. His grandfather gives him sagely advice about fighting and a birthday present in the form of the Four Star Dragonball. With all 7, one can ask for one perfect wish; the usual McGuffin subplot. Goku then goes to school (by bike, no less) and is subsequently picked on after the bullies almost run him over and crush his bike. We finally see Piccolo, though a plot killer is that we never get an explanation of how he got out. He just broke the seal after 2000 years for some reason. He’s searching for the Dragonballs too. We shift back to the highschool where Goku is crushing on a girl named Chi Chi. He helps her with mechanical locker problems and is invited to a party. Upon entering the party that evening, the bullies shoo him away, but he decides to try to fight, in a way that ends up with the bullies hurting each other as he dodges every move they make. And their leader, in attempting to beat him with a lead pipe, smashes up his car. Back at the house, Gohan is attacked by Piccolo and the house is collapsed on top of him. Goku, sensing this, returns home and finds his dying grandfather, who tells him to seek out Master Roshi. Goku searches through the house, and runs into Bulma who sneaks in, trying to find her promethium orb, otherwise called a Dragonball. But she confuses the five star for the four star. The two decide to journey together and find Roshi, who gives them his Dragonball and agrees to go with them to find the rest while he trains Goku. They go to a sacred temple, but find it overrun by other fighters training, so they move on to find a Dragonball nearby. But they get trapped in a sinkhole made by Yamcha, the desert thief, who is eventually forced by Roshi to help them find a tunnel. Following it, they find the next Dragonball, but it’s up on a pillar surrounded by lava. Previously elsewhere, Piccolo gets his blood drawn and makes a bunch of ugly reptilian soldiers who intercept the group as they’re trying to get the ball. Goku makes a bridge of corpses across the lava, since they can’t regenerate in lava and gets the Dragonball, knocking away Piccolo’s assistant Mai as she tries to steal it. At Roshi’s suggestion they go to the city where the fighting tournament is to be held, where Roshi gets another Mafuba Jar made by his monk friends, while Goku, Bulma, and Yamcha mill around the town. Goku sees Chi Chi fight in the tournament and Bulma and Yamcha’s romantic moment is broken by a guy cutting a chicken’s head off (true boner killer material). Roshi later trains Goku in the Kame Hame Ha, the highest level of airbending (they use the term, so it’s not me plagiarizing Avatar: The Last Airbender). Goku eventually succeeds in mastering it with Chi Chi’s incentive to make out (yes, that’s the motivation. Teenagers…). Later that night, Mai, disguised as Chi Chi, steals the three Dragonballs and escapes after Goku, unable to tell the difference, hits the real Chi Chi fighting the disguised Mai. He has to be resuscitated by Roshi, since Mai shot him with a green bullet of some sort (Kryptonite? Nah). The group goes after Piccolo, Mafuba Jar in hand and the fight begins. Goku is told by Piccolo that he is Oozaru and as the complete solar eclipse (spoken of while Goku was fantasizing about Chi Chi in a field of flowers eating strawberries) begins, Goku transforms and starts raging out of control. Roshi attempts the Mafuba, but Piccolo interrupts the process and Roshi subsequently dies, though he does help Goku control himself and revert back to human form. Elsewhere, Yamcha helps Bulma as she sucks at her fight with Mai and almost gets her Dragonball (that she picked up during Piccolo’s ceremony) stolen. After Goku fights and defeats Piccolo (not impaling him with a huge Kamehameha powered punch, but handing him his ass anyway) they use the 7 Dragonballs to bring Roshi back to life and they begin their search all over again. Before this, Goku goes to make out with Chi Chi and then in a typical lover’s spat, they have a hand to hand martial arts duel to settle the argument (totally normal). And the film ends abruptly there, but we get an ending credits scene leaving the film open to a sequel.

Characterizations are pretty inconsistent in terms of the canon, but you get the general idea of the character, even if personality is altered in a few cases. Take Goku, who controversially enough, is portrayed by a white guy (which isn’t the real problem). His character reminds me of his future son, who has awkward moments in high school and girl troubles. His father’s toughness and attitude are there, but the fact that they tried to make the film more accessible to a modern audience means they pulled the plot of Dragonball and put it into the Dragonball Z universe where there’s more advanced technology. The original Goku, isolated and innocent, was not one to be concerned with popularity or sex, making many fans of the manga/anime predictably rip on the destruction of Goku’s character. While I agree, it’s probably better for Goku in this modern adaptation to be more accessible to teenage fans and behave like Gohan from Dragonball Z. Piccolo, our main antagonist, is portrayed well, though many fans of Dragonball Z might think he’s Piccolo Jr, who is actually the son of the character in this adaptation, Demon King Piccolo, a primary antagonist in Dragonball. The lust for power and his cold nature come out great. The film makes a reference to Piano, Drum and Tambourine; sons spit out by King Piccolo in the manga/anime and eventually killed. Though the reference is awkward, it helped retain my faith in the film. Grandpa Gohan (namesake of the Gohan referenced previously) is done well, though he reminds me too much of the grandfather from Three Ninjas. His role is minor and yet his influence on Goku is important for how the rest of the film plays out. As important as he was, they didn’t mess him up, which gets kudos from me. Bulma is hardly changed, though she didn’t really take a fighting role in the series. Her personality and balance of feminine charm and technical genius is presented well. Chi Chi, the other female lead, is good even if they rip her father out of the story. Her father in the anime/manga was Ox King, a fellow training partner of Gohan in the past under Master Roshi. She fights well and her relationship with Goku, though rushed, does keep with the canon. On a side note, Goku’s innocence and Chi Chi’s insistence as a 12 year old about getting married would’ve been a fun thing to try to portray if the film was more along the lines of the original manga/anime. Yamcha is a minor character, but not depicted as well as I would hope for all his unimportance to the plot. The original was a badass desert thief that used the Wolf Fang Fist and a sword. This version uses traps and has little to no fighting experience. His surfer accent is out of place as well, but at least they keep his relationship with Bulma so as not to destroy his reputation completely. His partner Puar, the floating cat that can transform, is missing, but I imagine the budget was directed elsewhere so he was cut out to begin with (along with Oolong, the transforming pig anthro). Master Roshi is done well, though my first reaction was “Why does he look like a derelict instead of a hermit?” He’s definitely a modernized version, but his perverted nature is still depicted well with the shirt he is first seen wearing, the bikini magazine in his house and his interactions with Bulma (sexual harassment and all). And his role in the series is the same, training Goku and sacrificing himself to try to defeat Piccolo. The idea of the 7 mystics that used the Mafuba in the past could’ve been avoided and replaced with another reference to the series. Master Roshi’s master, Mutaito, was the original one who sealed Piccolo, so why not inject him in as Roshi’s ancestor or something instead of making a painfully obvious parallel to the other set of 7? Mai’s involvement is important, though she never gets a name drop. Not to mention her depiction in the comics was not able to shapeshift and dodge bullets. And her partner (talking humanoid fox) and her original employer are both absent. Emperor Pilaf was a short little blue goblin like thing and just comic relief in the manga, never a real threat. There are other characters, but not that are in the series. Sifu Norris is odd, not to mention the black bully in Goku’s high school. But moving on.

The primary theme centers on Goku’s journey of self discovery. Progressively you get hints that Goku is connected to Oozaru and then the revelation that he is Oozaru doesn’t surprise you coming from Piccolo’s mouth. His grandpa also emphasizes Goku having faith in who he is; which is the crux of his eventual conclusion that he is both Oozaru and Goku and yet maintain the human form without losing control. There is an initial division between his perceived role as Piccolo’s servant and his familial love for his adoptive grandfather. But as he concludes that he is Goku primarily and that his duty to Piccolo will not rule him, it completes him as a character, however different he may be from Goku in the manga/anime, unaware of his past transformations and only realizing it in DBZ. Either way, the investigation of Goku’s internal conflict and resolution thereof is progressive but not too obvious.

Overall, the film would probably get a 3, my lowest rank so far of films overall. The action is subdued and the romance dominates male/female character interactions. And one of the most difficult to accept things is the unexplained resurrection of Piccolo. The concluding scene involves Piccolo as well, but sequel material is different. If you don’t give an explanation of how the bad guy gets free from his imprisonment, it kind of ruins the viewer’s mood of suspense at the antagonist’s arrival. The modernization of the film is probably what gets it a recommendation from me at all, but I’d have to be fair overall. The differences from the manga are there for expediency’s sake. If you tried to portray all of Dragonball even with cutting out minor scenes, you’d have a trilogy on your hands already. The real objection I have is the lack of resonance the film has with Dragonball as a series. Dragonball Z is the more popular series with many and this film takes advantage of that by making the feel more sci fi than fantasy, which was what Dragonball Z had to appeal. You felt like Dragonball was more like a fairy tale or fantasy quest. With this film, it seems like they tried to give the magical background of Dragonball its place with the concepts of Ki, Elements and of course the Dragonballs granting a wish. But there was a strong intent to root the world more in Dragonball Z, where technology was advanced and the rural areas grew smaller and smaller in importance. The title Dragonball Evolution works, though it does deceive fans who think it is trying to bring Dragonball’s story to the screen, when the reality is that it’s bringing more of a Dragonball Z atmosphere. I could rant forever on how this differs from both Dragonball and Dragonball Z, but my general verdict is that the film is a good mix of sci fi and fantasy action, though admittedly taking a bit too much creative license with the original material. So even if you’re new to Dragonball, you could watch this for the feel of a quest to save the world, not unlike Lord of the Rings for instance. Final rating is 3 out of 5 for disappointments and incredulity factor, but an 80-90% recommendation for enjoyment in general. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Hulk Vs. Thor Review

(I am not a comic otaku, I’m a manga otaku. But to appease the fans, I will try to reflect on the movie’s connection to the comic canon itself so as to demonstrate I do appreciate how it began. And there will be spoilers, since this is Direct to DVD anyway)

Hulk Vs. Thor is an interesting proposition in Marvel Comics, probably because it makes one think of parallels between this fight and the one in Marvel Vs. DC: Hulk vs. Superman, though that’s probably just me. In the comics, Hulk has been one of the few people to be able to fight evenly with Thor, one of Marvel Comic’s top three heroes, equivalent to Superman in DC. The premise of this film is a bit larger in scale, not to mention it involves a cast of characters on a different plane of existence, so we’ll see how it compares.

We begin with an explanation of the situation of things in Asgard, Odin going into hibernation and Thor and the other warriors fighting off the forces of Loki, Thor’s evil stepbrother, who tries to conquer Adgard every time Odin takes his week-long nap. We learn that there is one day left until Odin’s sleep is over and Loki with the help of his lover, Amora, has brought Bruce Banner from Midgard so he can utilize the power of the Hulk to defeat Thor. We shift to the Warriors Three speaking after the conclusion of the battle, while Thor complains to his lady Sif of the pointlessness of the cycle of battle they partake in. Sif comforts him by saying that at least it’s not Ragnarok, the end of all things. Meanwhile, Loki, with the help of Amora, the character also called the Enchantress, separates Bruce Banner from the Hulk and then enables Loki to control the Hulk. The Loki/Hulk hybrid beats the hell out of the Warriors Three along with everyone else around it. Amora notes that the spell is only so strong, since Hulk’s rage is fighting against the spell, indicating it may eventually be broken with sufficient power. Hulk/Loki has sufficiently pummeled Balder and he summons Thor, who tries to reason with the Hulk, thinking he is still Dr. Banner. The fight continues, with Loki revealing he is in control of the beast. After a while, Loki/Hulk manages to overwhelm Thor, but is unable to pick up Mjolnir After Thor retrieves it, the lightning he hits Loki/Hulk with breaks Amora’s spell linking Loki to Hulk, reducing Hulk to pure unbridled rage, making him what they term “a new Ragnarok on Asgard”. The Rage Hulk then proceeds to almost completely hand Thor his ass. Elsewhere, Loki now concludes Bruce Banner is useless and summarily kills him. Rage Hulk continues to beat Thor senseless and brings him to the edge of death, turning to go towards the light of Odin’s place of rest. Amora, in a very apologetic mood, heals Thor and brings him to Loki. Hulk continues to rage through Asgard, while the main plot continues at Loki’s hideout. Amora realizes Loki has killed Bruce Banner and thanks to rules in Asgard, Hela, the closest to Hades you can find in Norse mythology, has claimed Banner’s soul, and without his soul, Amora cannot send him back to Midgard. Thor sends her to defend the sleeping Odin along with Sif, who was left to defend Odin by Thor when he was summoned by Balder. Meanwhile, Loki is commanded by Thor to send his remaining forces to stop the Hulk while they go to Hel and try to negotiate with Hela about getting Banner’s soul back. While Hulk continues to fight against everyone stopping him from getting to Odin, we see Bruce Banner in an idyllic existence with Betty Ross and a child and everything is very pleasant. Little does he know he will be drawn out of the illusion and back into Hel; he is anguished as expected. Hulk continues to fight Sif and Amora, while Thor begs Bruce Banner to take on the responsibility to become the Hulk and stop his alter ego’s rampage in Asgard. Hela magically teleports Hulk to Hel and he fights Loki and Thor, subdued for a moment before he breaks free again. Bruce then confronts the Hulk, merging back with him and falling asleep after the raging his unbridled form had been doing. Hela sends Bruce back to Midgard, since he’s too dangerous to keep and also too precious to lose. After negotiating with Thor and Loki, she takes Loki’s soul temporarily to make amends for relinquishing the soul of Bruce Banner/Hulk. Afterwards, Odin gives a great honor to Bruce Banner for saving Asgard, praising the heroism of the mortal Bruce Banner, while we shift to said mortal walking down the highway, reminiscent of the finale to the 70s TV series.

The characterizations are very good, emphasizing the dynamics between the many characters of Asgard. Thor and Sif’s romantic coupling, as well as the potential romance one could see between Thor and Amora are depicted well for the awkward team of Amora and Sif against the Rage Hulk. Amora’s relationship with Loki is questionable, if only because she misunderstood what his intention was in controlling the Hulk, which only further emphasizes her feelings for Thor and her jealousy of Sif. The Warriors Three are comic relief at best in the film, but they do show the viewer that this is not based on real Norse mythology, but Marvel’s adaptation of it. Hela, based obviously on the goddess sharing the name with the Norse underworld, Hel, towers over Thor and Loki in size, not to mention in personality, her threats of taking their souls and maintaining her grip on the soul of Bruce Banner getting the message across that she is supreme in her realm, though she obviously has some authority she submits to Odin in granting souls passage to Valhalla. The rivalry between Thor and Loki is depicted quite well also, one brother cunning and devious and the other assertive and respected in Asgard. The desire for Mjolnir by Loki only further emphasizes the issues he has with the power Thor possesses. Bruce Banner’s mild mannered and otherwise wimpy mannerisms come out here as well as they did in Hulk Vs. Wolverine, begging people to listen to him as he knows best what dangers the Hulk poses to any world that challenges him. And the relationship implied by Thor with Bruce Banner is remarkable, a god showing such respect and consideration for a mere human. However powerful and nigh uncontrollable he may be as the Hulk, Thor recognizes the virtue in Bruce Banner as a person as well, which is the only theme that exists in the film that isn’t explained by the character relationships themselves.

My rating for this film is difficult to determine, since on the one hand, the plot is short and condensed, the film being under an hour in length. But on the other hand, it does leave one with a sense of completion, unlike Hulk Vs. Wolverine. However, there are discrepancies: Hulk only fights Thor while under the control of Loki or while raging uncontrollably as anger and fury incarnate, which makes one reflect that Hulk Vs. Wolverine was at least consistent with having the normal Hulk fight his opponent, whereas the main antagonists here are Loki and Hela. But all these things aside, it is still a film I’d highly recommend, a solid 5 with 70% recommendation. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.