2013 Movies Revisited

I don't see enough movies - at least not new movies - to warrant a top 10 list. Instead, I rank every movie I saw that was released in theaters this year from the worst to the best. Well, really I'm ranking them from movies I liked the least to movies I liked the most... but that's a pain to type out.

In total, I saw sixteen new movies this year. I'd only describe one of these as bad: the rest were at least decent. The catch is that none of these movies floored me like Avengers or the first Hobbit did last year. Overall, I thought 2013 delivered a large number of good movies, but nothing I saw struck me as great.

Granted, my tastes generally keep me away from most anything that has a shot at Best Picture. Plus, I still haven't seen Catching Fire, which is supposed to be awesome.

Here's the list:


16. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The only thing I expected from this - THE ONLY THING - was that it would be better than the last G.I. Joe movie. Every review I read promised it was, and the trailers made it seem like a slam dunk. So imagine my disappointment when I finally sat down to see it and found it less engaging, less funny, and less exciting than the pitifully mediocre Rise of Cobra.

This movie was a let down on almost every level: I honestly don't know why so many people gave it a pass. The one thing they did right was assemble an appropriate cast. Not that they made use of them.

The first one was bad, but at least it had a few enjoyable scenes.


15. Warm Bodies
I enjoyed Warm Bodies quite a bit, though it's easy to imagine how it could have been improved. The inclusion of the "Boneys" felt like a cheat, and the ending was uninspired. I mean, come on, at least have Julie turn into a zombie and have R help her regain her humanity like she helped him. Sure, it would have been corny, but at least it would have been felt satisfying.

Regardless, the movie offered a great twist on the zombie genre. It was funny, sweet, and - most importantly - as disturbing as a romantic comedy about brain-eating zombies should be.


14. Monsters University
Monsters University wasn't bad. In fact, it was pretty good. It's about on par with Pixar's other release this year, the Toy Story Halloween special. But that's the issue: this wasn't remotely good enough to justify a theatrical release. At one time, Pixar was the company that made a direct-to-video sequel so good, it was released theatrically. Now, they're making theatrical releases that should go right to DVD. They're still producing good movies, but there's no question they've fallen a long way.


13. Thor: The Dark World

I seem to be in the minority here, but I found the Thor sequel a little disappointing. The Loki sequences were a lot of fun, as was the end fight, but I think this is one of the Cinematic Marvel Universe's weakest movies.

12. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Probably the year's most under-rated film, Hansel and Gretel is a good reminder there are some movies out there that critics still can't understand. Yes, the swearing was anachronistic - that was intentional, just like all the anachronisms. It was a steam-punk hard-boiled noir comedy/adventure story set in the middle-ages, and it pulled those genres together in an extremely interesting manner.

In addition, the movie stands out as having an almost unheard female-leaning cast. Not that it scores perfectly on issues of gender: they fridged a character who should have made it out alive and strangely focused on Hansel for the final battle (shouldn't that have been Gretel's fight?). Still, Gretel was a great character and a good example of Hollywood starting to come around on female action heroes.

The movie was fun - a hell of a lot of fun, in fact - and I'm excited they're making a sequel.


11. The World's End
In case you're confused, this is the one about a group friends on a pub crawl who uncover an alien invasion, not "This is the End," which is about a bunch of actors hanging out during the Apocalypse (I haven't seen that yet, by the way).

This was good, but it was also a victim of sky-high expectations. The first Frost-Pegg movie was Shaun of the Dead, which remains one of the best comedies of the past twenty years. Both this and Hot Fuzz were good movies, but neither managed to match Shaun.


10. Star Trek Into Darkness
For the first few days after Star Trek Into Darkness came out, everyone loved it. Then a funny thing happened: someone pointed out that the movie didn't utilize its female leads to their potential. Pretty soon, it was being decried everywhere I looked.

I want to take a minute to defend this, though. While it's true the movie underutilized Uhura, it wasn't really about her anyway. This was about Kirk and Spock. And I think that's all right.

Don't get me wrong: there's something seriously wrong with Hollywood right now. The fact studios refuse to green-light more than a handful of movies with female protagonists is idiotic and sexist. But that doesn't mean that every movie made needs to focus on a female lead to be good. In other words, the real problem is with the industry, not this movie.

Yes, the underwear scene was dumb. A lot of scenes in this movie were dumb, in fact - same with its predecessor. But, on the whole, Into Darkness was dumb and fun, which is why it's as high on this list as it is.


9. Riddick
I really enjoyed this movie, though I can't defend the bizarre direction they took with Katee Sackhoff's character in the last couple minutes. Overall, the movie is a great Conan in space story. The first third is particularly awesome. I just wish they'd been able to make a more faithful sequel to The Chronicles of Riddick, but I've made my opinions on that clear already.


8. Frozen
Frozen is an intelligent film, sometimes to its detriment. It feels extremely intentional, as if every plot beat was debated by a committee of scholars before they arrived at the story line that best outlined their thesis: that true love is that of family and not of flights of fancy.

Its saving grace is its characters: all five of the leads are great, and the character we all expected to despise turned out being the movie's best. The movie didn't fill me with wonder, but it certainly entertained me for an hour and a half.

Plus, it's about time Disney made a princess movie about sisters.


7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Desolation of Smaug is a weird one. On one hand, I was extremely disappointed with it. I don't mind the liberties taken with the plot, but it bothers me that this doesn't feel like Tolkien anymore. The intricate character moments and emotional arcs that have carried us through all the previous Middle Earth movies were missing or felt forced. The love triangle was unnecessary and lacking subtlety. I hope I turn around and eat those words after part three, but for the time being, I thought it was ridiculous.

All that said, as a fantasy-action film, it was still a lot of fun. If you divorce it from its source material, it still buries 90% of fantasy out there. I just wish it felt like part of The Hobbit.


6. Gravity
Gravity is an experience film. Is it gimmicky? Sure, but when the gimmick is that the whole thing is in space and the flow of zero-G is realistically portrayed, it's not something to complain about.


5. Pacific Rim
Depending on who you ask, Pacific Rim is either an example of Hollywood incorporating women at its best, it's worst, or both. There are a few reasons for this discrepancy. The movie deserves credit for having one of its main characters be a woman with extensive combat skill who's not a love interest. But there's a lot of debate over whether she comes off as competent or timid. Then there's the fact that she's almost alone: only one of the movie's minor characters is female.

In the movie's defense, you could pretty much replace every human character with a hamster without seriously impacting the film. Ultimately, this is robots punching monsters and monsters biting robots. The rest is there to fill time.

And the fight scenes are spectacular. Easily the most memorable visual experience of the summer.

But maybe - just maybe - the script could have used some more work. And maybe it's time for Guillermo del Toro to reflect on the fact that he keeps putting women into his movies who are strong... but eerily similar. How many adult female protagonists have been shy, repressed women with a deep inner strength? I hope he continues incorporating female characters in major roles, but maybe it's time he got over that girl he liked in high school.


4. Iron Man 3
I love almost everything about Iron Man 3, but I just like the movie. It's a lot of fun, but - at least for me - it doesn't really come together. I feel like the plot points are there to pull us from bit to bit, but none of it ever adds up to a complete story.

To be fair, the same could be said about Iron Man 2, which is my second favorite Marvel movie after The Avengers. The difference is that IM2 was filled with comic book nonsense, while IM3 contained 80's action movie tropes. Personally, I prefer comics, so I love part 2 and just like part 3.


3. Man of Steel
It's not that I disagree with the criticism being leveled against Man of Steel - that Jonathan Kent's death was idiotic, that the level of destruction was a tad excessive, and that more time should have been devoted to Superman minimizing the loss of life - I just don't think these flaws were enough to ruin the movie.

This was a great Superman movie; in many ways, the one we've been waiting for. We finally got to see Kal-El in a real fight: that's never been accomplished in live-action before. Yeah, I miss the red shorts, but the core character felt right. That scene in the church when he's discussing his dilemma with a priest was perfect. And Lois... they got Lois right in a way I don't think anyone has before. They sacrificed a massive piece of the mythology, but wound up with something far, far better: a version of Lois Lane who's as capable as she should be.

I honestly have no idea whether the sequel will be the most amazing thing we've ever seen, a pile of garbage, or something else entirely, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit.


2. Much Ado About Nothing
Yeah, it's this high. Based on the reviews, I expected to like Joss Whedon's Much Ado. But, when I finally got around to seeing it, I discovered I really, really liked it.

The movie is a hell of a lot of fun. Just about everything about the production is inspired, but the casting is especially fantastic. I loved the take on the characters and setting, and the jazz version of Sigh No More was the best take on that song I've ever heard.

This almost made it to the #1 spot, but then something unexpected happened....


1. The Wolverine
I loved The Wolverine when I saw it, but there's no denying there were serious issues. The issues were things I felt like we had to accept: you can't make an R-rated superhero movie. That's simply a reality of the business. It's impossible to show Wolverine impaling enemy after enemy: you just can't do it.

Here's something you might not know: they managed to make that movie anyway. Turns out, you can make a violent, gritty Wolverine movie. You just can't release it in theaters.

You can, however, release it on DVD. The version of this movie that tops my list for 2013 isn't the one I reviewed last summer. The theatrical cut was already good, but the extended version exceeds it on every level. The action is greatly improved, but so are the characters. Mariko is given a lot more to do here, and Yukio is even more kick-ass.

The extended edition is as good - if not better than - any of the X-Men movies before it, including X-Men 2. I highly recommend you track it down.

Movie Review: Megamind

Megamind is a fine movie; nothing more, nothing less.  To put it in perspective, it is at best the sixth best superhero comedy film which does not feature characters from the Marvel or DC Universe, coming in behind The Incredibles, Sky High, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, The Mask, and Mystery Men.  If we to consider Marvel and DC properties, Megamind also falls behind the direct-to-DVD comedies Wonder Woman and Hulk Vs.  If television programs are included, Megamind is likewise bested by The Powerpuff Girls, both iterations of The Tick, Batman: Brave and the Bold, and Word Girl.
    
That's off the top of our heads.  There are certainly others.

This list is not intended to put down Megamind, merely to illustrate the reality that this isn't exactly unexplored territory.  The filmmakers at Dreamworks Animation can take some solace in knowing that they have indeed produced a film superior to My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

At any rate, beside Despicable Me (a film we'll most likely get around to watching eventually), the most obvious film Megamind needs to be compared against is The Incredibles, and there is a sense of symmetry here that is profoundly significant.  Back in the 1960's, when Marvel emerged as the industry leader in terms of innovation - not to mention sales - there was a period where DC attempted to replicate their success by duplicating their formula.  While this sometimes resulted in good comics, they never came close to their rivals.

So it is with Megamind.

Oh, there's plenty in this movie to entertain us.  The three lead characters are likable and most of the jokes are solid.  With the exception of a prolonged Marlon Brando rift, none of the gags were grating, and even that was tolerable.

The main problem with Megamind was a lack of commitment.  The movie either needed to have some gravitas or it needed to set aside moralizing and play up the dark humor.

For a few brief moments at the beginning, when Megamind is breaking out of prison, unveiling massive devices, destroying property, and just having fun, the movie is at the top of its game.  But we didn't really expected this to last, and indeed, he quickly has a predictable change of heart.

There's nothing wrong with that, either.  When he first realizes the how utterly meaningless his existence is without adversity, there are some fascinating parallels with Wanted (the comic, not the movie).  This "twist" closes the door on darkhearted fun, but offers an opportunity for some actual drama.  Pity they squandered it, opting instead for slapstick.

Watching The Incredibles, it's obvious that Brad Bird appreciates the humor intrinsic to comic book heroes, but he also has a deep respect and understanding of his source material.  The same can be said of every other film listed in the first paragraph of this review.  But not Megamind.  At least not on the same level.

It's clear the writers of Megamind find superheroes funny on a superficial level.  Yes, they wear capes and tights.  Yes, their cities have names like Metropolis.  And, to the writers' credit, they were able to churn out some funny gags.  However, naming the city "Metrocity" only invites comparison to Townsville and The City - two better uses of the exact same joke - and Megamind just can't compete.

The odd thing is that there was room to develop the story into something more effective.  The title character and his best friend, Minion, were fantastic characters, as was the obligatory intrepid reporter.  But there was only one moment in the movie that had any real weight: when Megamind was told off by said reporter, and was asked, quite simply, what he'd expected.  Everything else felt by-the-book.

The character's back story was more cartoon than comic book.  The initial premise - Megamind was the last son of his dying world, rocketed towards Earth to seek out his destiny, only to get shown up by the last son of a neighboring dying world also being sent to Earth - was actually quite inspired.

But as soon as they reach Earth, the premise was merely played for laughs.  It's not hard to imagine why: it is, fundamentally, a parody of Superman's origin.  And it is funny.  Just not for long.

This is a common error among those trying to parody superhero back stories.  While straight absurdity may amuse most audiences, it makes actual fans of comics cringe, not because they're making fun of Superman, but because they have no idea what they're making fun of.

The fact remains, the silver age back story of Lex and Clark in Smallville is significantly more ridiculous and absurd than any superheroes-in-school jokes the makers of Megamind can cobble together.

In place of motivation, Megamind's youth is a montage of slapstick.  He fares better than his nemesis, however, who is grossly inconsistent.  Is Metroman a showboating jackass out for the glory, a self-obsessed idiot who kept saving the day until he grew bored, or a benevolent genius, who perceives more than he seems to?  Any of these could have worked.  Instead, we're left with a character whose entire personality, intellect, and powers are rewritten around each scene.

And yet, despite all of these flaws, the movie works.  This is a solid three star movie against The Incredibles's five.  This is ultimately worth seeing.

The problem is that there are so many other superhero movies and television shows that you should see first.

Underrated, Part 5: Galaxy Quest

The argument goes, "If God exists, why is there evil in the world?"  To which the theologian answers, "Because there is a plan, even if it cannot be seen." 

But, from time to time, we are offered the briefest of glimpses of such a plan. 

Consider the film, Galaxy Quest, which failed abysmally at the box-office and remains unseen by a startlingly large number of geeks.  There is little question as to what caused this tragedy: the marketing campaign is rivaled only by that of The Iron Giant for worst in the history of the universe.

But we've little interest in belaboring that point: it is not the film's monetary situation that elicits theology.  Rather, it is its star: Tim Allen.

There are few activities as depressing as looking through a list of his roles.  Besides being cast in the Toy Story franchise, there is little in his career to celebrate.  He is best known, of course, for his work on Home Improvement, a show we maintain the universe would have been better off without.  Every time we need to sit through a trailer for a movie like Wild Hogs or Christmas with the Kranks, we cringe and find ourselves asking, "Why?"  Why would any God - let alone a good one - force such a string of movies on His children?

But, while rewatching Galaxy Quest the other day, we stumbled on an answer.  Tim Allen's career was necessary to create Tim Allen.  We refer not to his skill as an actor: that is entirely peripheral.  Instead, we refer to his persona and image.

All of his movies and the seasons of Home Improvement were necessary to construct the man who could do the impossible: who could BECOME William Shatner.  Now, it is important to differentiate Allen's role in Galaxy Quest from Chris Pine's in Star Trek.  Pine was not Shatner, nor was he supposed to be: he was merely tasked with becoming Captain Kirk.

But Tim Allen had to be Shatner himself.  It is our contention that his career facilitated this, allowing him to fill the shoes of the legend.

Galaxy Quest did not succeed merely because of Tim Allen's career, but we believe it was necessary to make the character truly resonate.  He had to be a perfect stand in for Shatner.  It wasn't enough to play a washed-up actor: he had to BE a washed up actor.

It's as though his whole life was leading up to this one role.  And, we ask you, what mortal power could ever plan such a thing?

When we first saw Galaxy Quest, we wondered if perhaps they could have made a similar movie using the actual cast of Star Trek.  But, by design, such a thing would have had to be true self-parody.  Like Shaun of the Dead, Enchanted, Elf, and Sky High, Galaxy Quest works because it is not, strictly speaking, a parody.  All of these are as funny as any parody, but at heart they exist to celebrate rather than mock.

This isn't a movie that seeks to mock and belittle Shatner or his crew.  Instead, it tells us why they are truly awesome.  And, if you needed further proof of divine intervention, it demonstrates that, given the right role, Tim Allen is kind of awesome, as well.

DVD Review: Hulk Vs.

Hulk Vs. is a direct-to-DVD project, released last January, which we've been meaning to see for some time. The DVD differs from prior Marvel offering in a few respects. Firstly, rather than contain a single, full length feature, it contains two miniature films.

Secondly, unlike prior direct-to-DVD releases from Marvel it is really, really good. "How good?" you may ask. "DC good," we would answer.

Yes, it has taken seventeen years, but Marvel has finally released an animated picture that rivals the quality of what DC has been making since Batman: The Animated Series came out in 1992. That isn't to say that Hulk Vs. is as good as the BEST of DC's work, but it stands up to the average.

As has already been stated, Hulk Vs. represents two separate films: Hulk Vs. Thor and Hulk Vs. Wolverine. Both titles, we should add, are intrinsically misleading. The Middle Room applauds the makers of these pictures for upholding this tradition from the comics.

Hulk Vs. Thor, while intriguing, is the less of the two movies. Focusing on Asgard, the film is largely a fantasy, and it lacks the strength of design to pull this off. That said, many of the characters are enjoyable to watch. In particular, Loki succeeds in his greatest ploy yet, effectively stealing the show.

The second feature, Hulk Vs. Wolverine, is the shorter of the two. Almost immediately, it moves into slapstick and maintains that tone for most of the movie. Rather than come off as cloying, however, the comedy is absolutely hilarious. It helps, perhaps, that the slapstick involves bone crushing blows, brutal stabbing, and violent dismemberment. It's all in good fun, though.

In a sense, the middle third of this movie serves as a dissertation, explaining in painstaking detail why so many comic book fans love Deadpool. Prior to watching this film, his popularity has always baffled us. But now, we understand.

In addition to the comedy, the film somehow had time to delve into Weapon X and the origins of Wolverine. In a few scant minutes, they accomplished this to far better effect than X-Men Origins: Wolverine did in its entire run time (our memories are a tad hazy, but after careful debate, we believe that movie was somewhere around four hours in length).

Hulk Vs. Wolverine should also be commended on its animation, which involves a complex style blending elements of anime, comic books, and traditional animation. The resulting style is exciting and visually appealing. In addition, both this and the Thor segment contained impressive voice acting, good scoring, and strong directing.

The genre of superhero comedy is a strange one, including such underrated pictures as Mystery-Men, last year's Wonder Woman, and Sky High. Hulk Vs. is a worthy addition to this list.

The epitome of superhero animation thus far is of course The Incredibles, and that's the yard stick we've held others to. Against that, we award Hulk Vs. the same distinction we gave to Wonder Woman: three and a half stars.

While we've enjoyed some of Marvel's previous offerings - namely Dr. Strange and Next Avengers - this is far and above the best of their direct-to-DVD features. Between this and their current line-up of animated programs, they've become an impressive force in animation.

Underrated, Part 2: Sky High

Sky High, unlike Ghost Rider, is not so much under-appreciated by those who have seen it, as it is ignored by those who should see it. While there are many superhero movies we love as much or more, no other live action film has understood the nature of comic book universes so well.

First and foremost, this is a movie about the sheer wonder of superheroes and the worlds they inhabit. Aside from the omission of a magic-based hero, the entire range of powers and abilities is represented. The movie demonstrates a remarkable understanding of how these abilities function and how they can be utilized.

Countless comic book elements are incorporated. From echoes of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier in the school to the complications of secret identities, the world is rich and complex. Particularly impressive, is that these are handled with respect. While there are jokes referencing the use of eyeglasses, they are clever and thought out.

Sky High has flaws, but they are few and far between. There is at least one joke which is simply unforgivable. In addition, like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, the villain's costume could have been borrowed from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The last battle is also somewhat anticlimatic.

But these are minor problems. This is an intelligent superhero comedy with surprisingly complex and realistic characters. The film embraces devices from both comics and teen comedies, but never reduces these to their simplest levels.

The fusion of superheroes and teen comedy is far from new: the idea has been utilized by everything from the X-Men to Teen Titans. But to date nothing else has so successfully developed this into film. There are plenty of epics and adventure stories, but Sky High stands alone.

Sky High remains one of the best superhero comedies ever made. If you're reading this blog and you've never seen this, it's time to remedy that.

Future Market 2009, Part IV: The End of Summer

The Middle Room approaches summer... differently. Here, speculation and prediction are key. As such, I make it a point to offer some reflection on upcoming films, how I expect them to be received, and what sort of critical response is required for me to pay the price of admission.

This is, as the title implies, the fourth and final part of a series. You can find the first three here, here, and here.

July 24: G-Force
Estimated Tomatometer: 45%
Minimum Tomatometer: 85%
Okay, technically this movie should have been considered in the previous installment. In fact, for a time it was going to be. But then I saw the trailer once more, and deleted it. What's happened since? Well, I saw a slightly different trailer; one in which a guinea pig threatened to tear off a young girl's finger. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope emerged, that this could be... the one.

"The one what?" you may ask. Very well. I will explain. Every few years a movie comes out in which animals are implanted into a world of espionage. I've toyed with the idea myself, in fact.

The problem, however, is that no director has been willing to take these ideas seriously. Such films have always descended into comic relief and slapstick. I want to see a film in which rodent secret agents are handled like they're in an action movie. I want to see them infiltrate, investigate, and - preferably - kill those who seek to do evil. Based on the trailers, I estimate there is less than a ten percent chance this will be that movie. In fact, the reviews make the movie look absolutely horrible.

But this is a Disney movie, and while that once meant less than nothing, they've recently produced some exceptional live-action pictures which have blended genres in unexpected ways. I refer primarily to Sky High and Enchanted, two movies which also looked awful from their trailers. This isn't meant to raise expectations, but rather to point out that there is, in fact, hope.

August 7: GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Estimated Tomatometer: 50%
Minimum Tomatometer: 35%
There are movies I expect to be good, movies I expect to be bad, and then there are movies I expect to reject such simplistic labels. This, I hope, will be the third.

After the success of the Transformers, it was inevitable that Hasbro would look to turn their other 80's animated program into a franchise. To do this, they enlisted Stephen Sommers, who I consider entirely appropriate.

While it may be less than accurate to call Sommers a brilliant director, he is something of a specialist with an instinct for adventure. While Van Helsing was a rather large disappointment, the first two Mummy films and Deep Rising are fantastic examples of popcorn film making. Personally, I want nothing more from GI Joe.

The first Mummy movie received a score of 50% on the Tomatometer. This is most likely a good indicator for how movie critics respond to his brand of zany adventure.


August 14: District 9
Estimated Tomatometer: 94%
Minimum Tomatometer: 85%
I've known about this movie for a while now. The premise was certainly intriguing enough, as was the viral marketing campaign. But I had very little interest in the movie, itself. That is, at least, until I caught a trailer. As the preview played out, a single thought emerged: "My God... they made this movie." When I reviewed Watchmen, I observed that, at the very least, it had succeeded in making superheroes feel like they existed. The preview for District 9 makes aliens real and places them in the real world. Nothing feels like fantasy or fiction: nothing.

If I'm wrong about this movie, it will readily become apparent. But, if I'm right, this film may prove to be stronger than expected.


August 21: Inglorious Basterds
Estimated Tomatometer: 80%
Minimum Tomatometer: 90%
Ultimately, I find this less intriguing than Kill Bill. There is an expectation that Tarantino's audience is somewhat constant, that those who have seen his past movies will feel the same about his upcoming pictures.

While I respect him as a director, I find the war movie a less enticing genre. If this turns out to be a masterwork, I may relent. Really though, my decision to see this movie will be based more on the reaction of friends than anything else.

September 9: 9
Estimated Tomatometer: 78%
Minimum Tomatometer: 40%
There are few trailers which have caught my attention as quickly and effectively as the one for 9. This post-apocalyptic fairytale looks absolutely stunning, and, on the heels of Coraline and Up, makes me wonder if there could be real competition at the Oscars this year.

And that concludes the list. Of course, there will almost certainly be at least one movie that I don't know about that gets released and demands my money. Last year, it was Tropic Thunder. We'll see what surprises the summer holds....

A Week of Capes and Spandex

It has been an odd week for geeks and, by extension, for The Middle Room. It has been a week of changes and surprises, some good, some bad.

No one, we think, has had a worse week than Batman. As we reported a few days ago, Bruce Wayne has gone the way of many masked heroes before him and died in the line of duty. Our grief is diminished, however, by our knowledge that there is life after death, or there is in comics, anyway: we certainly don't expect Batman to stay dead long.

But death is merely the beginning of The Caped Crusader's problems. The Academy, it seems, has kicked him while he's down: they have withheld a "Best Picture" nomination for The Dark Knight.

It was our sincere hope that The Dark Knight or Wall-E might receive such an honor, but neither recognized. We take some solace in the knowledge that Heath Ledger's (iD&Di: .45) final performance was at least acknowledged. He is in good company, it seems, as Robert Downey, Jr. (iD&Di: .42) was similarly nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his recursive role(s) in Tropic Thunder. Between the two, it's our belief the award should be given Ledger, whose portrayal of The Joker was truly inspired.

This week was not merely a time for grief, but for celebration, as well. The ten year anniversary of The Powerpuff Girls was this week, and, to mark the occasion, the series was released as a single boxed set.

The Powerpuff Girls, of course, are among the most important superheroines created in the past twenty years. The series balances superheroics and mundane problems with stunning precision. Many of the best superhero creations of the past decade, from The Incredibles to Sky High, seem to have been inspired by Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

Every episode of The Powerpuff Girls, including the original pilot, "The Whoopass Girls" and the ten-year anniversary episode, "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!", are contained in this set, which is being offered on Amazon for $43. Note that this means you will pay approximately $7 per season, a bargain if we've ever seen one.

We have recently received our copy in the mail, and are most impressed with how well it holds up.

While we're on the subject of 10 year anniversaries, recent archival footage has surfaced celebrating ten years of Dr. Manhattan. We discovered this story on Ain't It Cool News, so it seems only fair we refer you there for details.

Movie Review - Tropic Thunder

We in The Middle Room see few parodies these days. This wasn't always the case, of course. When we think of our childhood years, we think of films such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, UHF, and of the collected works of Mel Brooks (iD&Di: .32).

But somewhere along the way things fell apart. We don't recall when we first grew bored with the genre, but, to an extent, we outgrew it. Perhaps that is too generous an assessment: parody has become largely a mockery of what it once represented.

We exclude from this indictment a growing subsection of "quasi-parodies." Movies such as Sky High, Enchanted, Galaxy Quest, and Shaun of the Dead, while certainly containing elements of the parody, are films driven by character first. The references are there, no doubt, but these are peripheral to the main concept of the films. All of these are phenomenal pictures: if you missed any of these, we recommend them wholeheartedly. But they are genre films first. They are superhero movies, science fiction, or horror: the comedy is not the sole point.

But there exists a type of film where the comedy stands at the forefront. When we accuse the genre of faltering, we refer to the trend of reference-driven movies which show no sign of thought or reason. A reference, lacking context or purpose, is the lowest form of comedy, below even the infamous pun.

But there is room in our cineplexes for films crafted of references and jokes, provided there is thought, as well. Tropic Thunder, we are happy to report, is a parody worth watching. What's truly impressive is that this is an actual parody; slapstick even. The characters exist to tie the scenes and jokes together.

What separates this from lesser attempts is the degree of thought that has been invested. Expense was not spared on the effects or the sound design. The movie draws you in then gives you something to laugh at. But the jokes are complex. Rather than go for the cheap joke at every turn, there was actual thought put into this script.

Mike Myers (iD&Di: .41), perhaps, should take notes.

We would also be remiss were we to ignore the acting and makeup work. If you've heard anything about this movie, you've no doubt heard that Robert Downey, Jr. (iD&Di: .42) is hilarious. Between Tropic Thunder and Iron Man, this is certainly a good year for him.

But Downey was aided by some exceptional makeup work. It is our sincere belief that Tropic Thunder is deserving of the Oscar for best makeup. This is not hyperbole: it is fact.

On a scale of one to five, where five stars is equal to the greatness of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we wouldn't hesitate to give Tropic Thunder three and a half. This is an exceptional event: a parody in this day and age actually worth seeing.