Thor Concept Art

Following yesterday's revealed cap concept art, we have Thor concepts today!

I think it's cool, but I wish it was a little less 'techie'. The chest, gauntlet and boots need to be toned down a bit and less 'ultimized' in my opinion. Thoughts?

The Losers Trailer Looks Awesome...

Hell yeah, the trailer for The Losers came out today, and it looks like an awesomely fun flick. Check it out.

I'magunnagoseeitwhenit'sout.

West Coast About Heroes Episode 21: Will Morgan Freeman Make Batsuits For Jesus When He Dies?

X-Men is getting a reboot. Ghost Rider's getting a reboot. Fantastic Four is getting a reboot. There's been talk of Daredevil getting a reboot. Now Spidey's getting the ol' re-boot! So today we're talking about ponies. Wait, no, we're talking about reboots! Like 'em? Don't like 'em? Take a listen? (A little siege-talk at the end as well)

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 21

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com. And as promised...Tobey is ugly.

West Coast About Heroes Episode 19: The Summer of the Robots

So here's our apology for the last episode / your Thanksgiving present. In this episode we discuss the movies that came out in the summer (and fall) and what we thought of them. Transformers 2, Star Trek, G.I. Joe, Harry Potter, Up, Zombieland, Taking of Pelham 123, yadda yadda yadda, we talk about a ton of 'em. Enjoy the super-sized goodness and forgive us for abandoning ship on the last one.

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 19

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET (Feel free to check out our haiku contributor as well: DrQuest). Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.

Walking Out Of The Movies With WEST COAST ABOUT FAILURES, Episode 18

This is a weird one folks. We said we were going to watch Frank Miller's "The Spirit" and damn if we didn't try, but folks, that movie was too much awful for us. We ended up calling it about 36 minutes into the movie. As a consolation prize, we're throwing the next episode at you, that's 50% longer to make up for the shortness and awfulness of the movie podcast. So grab a copy of the movie and suffer with us, or just listen and laugh as we suffer by ourselves, either way, the second one is our summer movie followup and it's a legit podcast.

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 18

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.

Zombieland Review

One of our best and brightest, Justin Quizon, was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening of the upcoming flick "Zombieland." After seeing it, myself and the rest of the Aboutheroes crew tied him up in our basement and worked him over with a blowtorch and a car battery until he agreed to write a review for the flick. This is that review:

(Writers note: This is a review for an early test screening cut of the film “Zombieland”. Some special effects were not done, scenes can be added or taken out before release and the score/music could be temporary.)

Walk into a movie with a title like “Zombieland”, you expect a certain kind of flick. A title like that you would hope the flick should be fun,have a tongue firmly in it's cheek sense of humor, and if they do this right, some scares (being that the movie has zombies and such.)

So, does this flick deliver on such promises with a title like that?

Oh you betcha.

The film set up is fairly simple (what with the help of a really stylish, cool opening credits sequences).

The world's fucked, and a zombie outbreak has destroyed everything. In order for you to survive you need to be smart, cautious, and be a bit of an off kilter person to survive it.

That's how the films narrator Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived. He was already a neurotic shut-in before the zombie outbreak, and strangely being a neurotic shut-in has helped him survive. He has created a list of rules to survive “Zombieland” and with each new incident, he learns and adds to the list just so he can survive.

Soon he meets Tallahassee (Woody FUCKING Harrelson), a crazed badass who apparently having the time of his life in this apocalypse as he found himself to be an effective zombie killer. They team up, fights some more zombies in Tallahassee's strange personal quest (I'm going to let you see for yourself when you watch the flick to find out what that personal quest is.)

They then bump into Wichita (Emma Stone) and her little sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), a couple of con artist siblings. The quartet form this strange team as they travel on their road trip to California in hopes of going to a amusement park that apparently is “zombie-free”.

At first glance, the number one comparison to “Zombieland” would have to be “Shaun of the Dead”, but other then they're both zombie/comedies they don't have much in common.

What “Zombieland” DOES share with “Shaun of the Dead” is the rules on how to portray the zombies in the flick. Like “Shaun”, the zombies in “Zombieland” are treated very scary; they are not silly, goofy monsters. They are deadly predators and are never used in a humors manner. (Note: these are the FAST zombies that 28 days later... and the Dawn of the Dead remake popularized)

The humor thankfully belongs with the characters, and it's a fun cast with some genuine chemistry.( A pretty funny driving montage really showcases this during the middle of the flick) The fun thing is realizing that ALL of the characters actually seem better off in a land of the undead as we get quick flashbacks to their lives before, hell one of the flashbacks proves even more effective by making one of the characters deeper then they appear to be.

While Eisenberg, Stone and Breslin are pretty good in this, the real star is Woody Harrelson. His Tallahassee is just rules in this. The glee he shows killing zombies and his take no shit attitude are real highlight in this and it's just great to see Woody Harrelson have fun in this.

Also, there is a great, great, great cameo that I really hope that they don't even hint in future TV Spots/trailers, because it's so damn great and it's my favorite part of the whole movie.

Director Ruben Fleischer (who's only real credits before this was working on the Jimmy Kimmel Show and a documentary) really proves himself here as he showcases some fun inventive action scenes, a good eye for comedy and some really cool stylish ideas (the way how Columbus's rules pop up through out the film was a nice touch.)

My only real complaints is the inherent rushness the film has so far. In this cut of the flick the movie movies at a real brisk 80+ minutes, but I honestly feel 10 more minutes wouldn't hurt it to give it some more meat. Also there are some ideas that are not really fleshed out that I wish they discussed more. One idea was that each person renamed themselves as the city they came from, but for some reason the sisters Wichita and Little Rock are named two different cities kinda randomly (I know if they're from the same city they can't have the same name for the movie but why these cities in particular?) One of my favorites is the idea of the zombie kill of the week, but we only get one and it would have been awesome to have seen more.

Honestly, I think a lot of the these problems stems from the fact the movie was originally a TV pilot, and you can see how these things would have developed if this was still a weekly show. (Can you imagine how much fun it would have been to tune in each week see a different zombie kill of the week).

Even with these flaws, the movie is still a ton of fun. Personally, this might be my favorite guilty pleasure movie of the year, and I will wait in hopes to hear if they plan to do a "Zombieland" 2, because I think they just gotten started with what to do with this world.

-Justin Quizon

Well there you have it folks! He's a keeper, I tell you! Too bad we had to let him go after he wrote this, but don't worry, we have a plan involving Pocky and Bear Trap that surely will result in him writing another article for us soon! (INSERT EVIL, MANIACAL LAUGH HERE)

WCAH Episode 10: None of us are impressed...

In this episode, we discuss the return of Captain America, The Extensive Bat-Family, How to get girlfriends to read comics, Man-Baskets, Blackest Night, and various other random things. Enjoy!

Also, We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, we decided to get our tweet on to update you when new podcasts are up and to toss out blurbs of comic oriented mirth. Follow us: CLICK.!!

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Coast About Heroes - Episode 10

The Glowing Blue Penis Frenzy Continues...

So, at this time I feel like I should say sorry, but I was cracking up when Max from Streets of Rage 2 makes a fantastic dong-fighting cameo, so now I'm making you watch this.

TECHNICALLY, it's work safe, but it's nowhere near work appropriate.

There you have it.

Kung Fu Panda Movie Review

This review was submitted by Spidey

I love Martial Art movies. Anything with Sonny Chiba, Bruce Lee and Donnie Yen I'll eat up. There's just something about a good ass kicking that gets the blood running and puts you in this fantasy like real world where anything can happen, I love that. I also love me some Animation, The Incredibles has to be my all time favorite American Animated movie, But I have never liked Dream Works Animation movies. I hate Shrek with every fiber of my pathetic mortal soul and anything else they tried just never felt 'right'. Until now that is.

Kung Fu Panda is about the laziest animal in all of the Valley of Peace, a Enthusiastic Fan boy-Panda named Po, who is just a geek that dreams of becoming like one of his Martial Art Heroes. But when he is chosen to be the next Dragon Warrior his dream becomes reality and is soon put through hellacious Training to stop the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung, who escapes from Prison after hearing the new Dragon Warrior has been chosen, to Claim what he thinks is his Birthright.

Now I absolutely love this Movie. Call me a sucker for Anthropomorphic Martial artists but this movie just works. The animation is beautiful and fluid, the Action scenes
are enough for me to geek out over, the Story is pretty decent and the Comedy ain't bad. I actually found myself laughing quite a lot during the movie for it being a kid's movie. Jack Black plays our protagonist, now I really don't like him outside Tenacious D, but he's actually funny in this film. He fits the Character of Po very well, as do all the other Voice actors, not once was I less than 100% convinced this is what the characters would sound like.

If you like Kung Fu or animation at the slightest, Do yourself a favor and Go watch it, you won't be disappointed. Also, Please support this movie before Hulk completely and utterly Smashes(Pun intended, hehe) it at the Box office. This Film deserves a sequel, much like The Incredibles (Come on Mr. Bird!) And it actually is probably now my Favorite American Animated Movie.

A

Transformers: Two Disc DVD Set Review

Written by: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight, Rachel Taylor, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, etc.

My all time favorite movie of 2007 hit DVD on Tuesday. Yes fans, Transformers have finally made it to live action and the DVD is pretty amazing, much like the movie itself. Now before I start this review, this is for the two disc DVD set. There are various different sets out there at different stores with many various special features (Transforming DVD Case, Transformers Beginnings Bonus Disc, etc.) to choose from.

The story of the movie itself is pretty straightforward. The powerful allspark has ventured to Earth. The allspark is the source on unlimited power and both the valiant Autobots and the maniacal Decepticons are seeking this energy source for their own purposes. The allspark is basically kind of like an updated source of energon or maybe even a pumped up version of the matrix from the 80’s animated series.

The allspark landed on Earth many years ago, and is now hidden in a secret military base monitored by the government. The movie begins with an attack on a military base by a Decepticon soldier. This leads to the military becoming aware of these strange beings arriving on Earth, and Frenzy, another Decepticon warrior is assigned to find information about the allspark. This scene comes into play later as the President and his crew flies aboard Air Force One. This sets up all the military involvement in the film along with the computer analysis experts Maggie and Glenn. I don’t want to talk much about the humans and military in this review though, because I’m more into the Transformers themselves. So that’s as far into the military stuff in this movie I want to mention for now. Anyways, the story is basically about Sam Witwicky.

Sam is a high school student who is about to buy his first car. Little does Sam know, the car he ends up with is the heroic Autobot soldier Bumblebee. Sam is in possession of a pair of his grandfather’s glasses.
The glasses have the encoded location of where the allspark resides on Earth. Sam’s grandfather came in contact on an icing expedition years ago which led him to come face to face with a dormant and frozen Megatron. Megatron scanned the glasses belonging to Sam’s grandfather with the location of where the allspark is hiding on Earth. Sam eventually begins to befriend Mikaela who becomes involved in this entire adventure. Sam and Mikaela eventually find out Bumblebee is a robotic alien who is trying to find Sam’s glasses and protect them from further Decepticon attacks. Bumblebee summons Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots by shooting a signal into the stars.

When the Autobots arrive on Earth, they take the form of various vehicles and explain to Sam that they need his grandfather’s glasses. Optimus describes what the allspark is, who Megatron is, and how there are already Decepticon forces on Earth. The entire group goes to Sam’s house to find the glasses, but the military has to get involved once again.

The sector seven main agent eventually takes Sam and Mikalea into custody, and Bumblebee is also taken prisoner. Optimus and crew decide not to intervene in freeing Bumblebee right away and vows that they will protect the humans no matter what. Later on, the government becomes involved with sector seven and everyone realizes that Sam has been in contact with the Autobots and realizes what is going on. Sam and everyone is taken to a secret location where the frozen body of Megatron resides. They also reveal they have the allspark and are keeping it hidden at the Hoover Dam. But like all action movies, hell quickly breaks loose. Megatron is unfrozen, the Decepticons rally and the Autobots roll out. The military and the Autobots do their best to defend the city and humans from a massive Decepticon attack. Sam is given the allspark after it is shrunk down by Bumblebee and he has to make his way to a nearby rooftop. This is a great moment in the movie where all the Autobots and Decepticons fight one another, with the military doing their best to help. Mikaela even hooks the injured Bumblebee up to a tow truck and drives him around, letting him continue to battle despite being blown apart earlier in the film. The real treat of this scene comes in a certain line of dialogue delivered by Optimus Prime, “By the end of this day Megatron, One Shall Stand and One Shall Fall!”

Sam continues to make his way to the rooftop to hand the allspark over to the military in a helicopter.
Megatron is still after Sam, finally confronting the boy on the rooftop. Sam stands strong, refusing to give in to Megatron’s demands. Optimus comes and saves Sam, and Optimus finally tells Sam to shove the allspark into his chest. This will kill Optimus, but it will keep the allspark from falling into Megatron’s hands. Sam realizes that if he kills Prime he will only break the hearts of millions of Transfans once again, so he shoves the allspark into Megatron’s chest. With their leader down, the other Decepticons run away or are defeated/destroyed. By movies end, Sam and Mikaela are about to do it on Bumblebee in vehicle mode with the other Autobots watching. Optimus broadcasts a message to the stars telling his fellow Autobots to come to Earth and help them protect their newly adopted world. This leaves the door open for a sequel, and do any of you other fans really think Megatron won’t be back? All they did was dropping him into the ocean, he can totally come back!

Thoughts/Comments:
The DVD itself is OK. The packaging is very plain. On one side is a picture of Optimus, the other side has a picture of Megatron. But the background is white and not very cool looking. The single disc DVD has a much better cover in my opinion. On disc one, the movie is available for play and there is commentary by Michael Bay. Disc two has three different selections. The first selection is called “Their World” and it has four featurettes about the humans involved in the film. They talk about how the military was involved and how Bay loves the military. There is another feature talking about how they cast Sam, Mikaela, and other human characters in the film. They talk to Steven Speilberg about his love for TF and why he wanted to make this movie. This stuff is OK, but I’m really more interested in the robots.

The next part of the DVD is called “Their War” and features lots of stuff about the Transformers themselves. The best featurette is called Rise of the Robots and talks about the G1 cartoon, how it originated in Japan, how the producers and stars loved TF in their younger days (Shia even mentions the original 1986 animated movie! They even play the theme song to the movie as he talks about it!) and they even show Peter Cullen doing some voice work for the film.

The next part deals with the Autobots and the vehicles used for their earth forms in the movie. Sadly, they don’t mention Cullen or interview him for this segment. The next featurette is about the Decepticons and it is pretty much like the Autobot one in showing which military vehicles were used to bring the cons to life in the film. The final featurette is about the allspark and other elements used in brining the robots to life.
The last part of the second disc is called more than meets the eye, and it is really just showing how they filmed the Scorponok desert attack scene. There is some cool concept art shown, and also a few trailers for the film. The bonus disc is cool, but I wish there was a bit more about the history of the Transformers cartoon in here. I wish they talked to Peter Cullen more, and a music video or two would have been nice.
Also, Wal-Mart sold the single version of the film with a bonus disc called Transformers: Beginnings that was narrated by Peter Cullen. I bought the double disc set and it didn’t have this feature on it. This feels like a kick in the pants to TF fans who wanted all the bonus stuff with their film.

In the end, I give the film an A+. It really was incredible both story wise and computer animation wise. Having Peter Cullen and nods to old TF fans was just icing on the cake. The DVD set however was a bit of a let down, earning it a B-. I’m sure there will probably be an extended DVD set come out later on before the TF sequel hits in 2009 though. So anyways, go buy this movie! You will be glad you did!