Clash of the Titans

Cast
Liam Neeson
Ralph Fiennes
Mads Mikkelsen
Gemma Arterton
Alexa Davalos
Sam Worthington
Danny Huston
Screenwriters
Travis Beacham
Phil Hay
Matt Manfredi
Director
Louis Leterrier
Running Time
105 minutes

In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

As with Kick-Ass, Elizabeth McGovern appeared as the leads mother and dies early on although she got to have lines this time. I saw it in 2D and enjoyed it especially the finale.

July Comics

CBR has the new DC, Marvel and Dark Horse solicitations for June.

This is the stuff I'm thinking about in addition to my regular pull list.


DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM #1
Jim Shooter (W), Dennis Calero (A/Cover), and Michael Komarck (Cover)
On sale July 14
FC, 48 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
Empowered by a thermonuclear catastrophe, Doctor Solar discovers that he can control energy. . Immeasurable strength is his at a whim. Power beyond imagination courses through his body. But he knows that the same kind of science run amok that created him can also empower the wicked. In the aftershock of the cataclysm that created Doctor Solar, ripples throughout space time imbue one Whitmore Pickerel with the power to create life—which he uses to serve his selfish desires and reckless ambitions. His newly created being, Leviathan, invulnerable and immeasurably strong, clashes with the Man of the Atom in a fierce battle that ravages the city. Meanwhile, for his personal amusement, Pickerel creates Glow, a living fantasy of unearthly charms . . . and deadly possibilities!
• Special bonus for this supersized issue: the very first Doctor Solar story from 1962!
• Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #1 is but the first act in an explosive program that will also see Shooter reimagine Magnus, Robot Fighter and Turok, Son of Stone for the twenty first century!
• Jim Shooter (former Valiant Comics editor in chief) returns to the character he redefined in the 1990s!
Features a variant cover by series artist Dennis Calero!

I'm intrigued to see a superhero title come from Dark Horse.


THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS #1
On sale JULY 14
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by ERIC TRAUTMANN & BRANDON JERWA
Art by JULIAN LOPEZ & JOHN LUCAS
Cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
1:10 Variant cover by IAN CHURCHILL
Fellow Americans, we are pleased to introduce you to your official government superhero team – the Mighty Crusaders! The Red Circle has closed, and the mystery around it has grown into a full-blown conspiracy that The Shield, The Web, The Comet, Inferno, Fly-Girl and War Eagle must publicly investigate. But first, the team faces great loss and great obstacles, even when it comes to dealing with each other!
Written by Eric Trautmann (ACTION COMICS, THE SHIELD) and Brandon Jerwa (INFERNO, THE FOX) and drawn by Julian Lopez (SUPERMAN, ADVENTURE COMICS), this new monthly series brings together the Red Circle heroes to investigate a massive mystery in the DC Universe and features action, intrigue and giant robots. You dare not miss it!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

The individual books were $3.99 so I passed but I'll give this a go.

Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang

Cast
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Rhys Ifans
Asa Butterfield
Maggie Smith
Emma Thompson
Screenwriter
Emma Thompson
Director
Susanna White
Running Time
109 minutes

This sequel shifts the story of horrendously ugly Nanny McPhee (Thompson) from Edwardian England to a group of kids evacuated from the city to a farm during World War II.[Empire]

Overall I enjoyed it, there were dull stretches but the ending was strong.

How To Train Your Dragon

Cast
Jay Baruchel
Gerrard Butler
America Ferrera
Jonah Hill
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Screenwriters
Cressida Cowell
Dean Deblois
Directors
Chris Sanders
Dean Deblois
Running Time
97m 49s

Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the action comedy tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn’t exactly fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup's world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges he and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view. (Dreamworks Animation)

I enjoyed it a great deal, the idea is magical the animation was impressive and it had a fun script. I saw it in 3D which added a little to it but not much really.

Kick-Ass

Cast
Aaron Johnson
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Chloe Moretz
Nicolas Cage
Mark Strong
Screenwriters
Jane Goldman
Matthew Vaughn
Director
Matthew Vaughn
Running Time
117 minutes

“How come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” When Dave Lizewski – ordinary New York teenager and rabid comic-book geek dons a green-and-yellow internet-bought wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante, Kick-Ass, he soon finds an answer to his own question: because it hurts. But, overcoming all the odds, the eager yet inexperienced Dave quickly becomes a phenomenon, capturing the imagination of the public. However, he’s not the only superhero out there – the fearless and highly-trained father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy and Hit Girl have been slowly but surely taking down the criminal empire of local Mafioso, Frank D’Amico. And, as Kick-Ass gets drawn into their no-holds-barred world of bullets and bloodletting with Frank’s son, Chris, now reborn as Kick-Ass’s arch-nemesis, Red Mist - the stage is set for a final showdown between the forces of good and evil - in which the DIY hero will have to live up to his name. Or die trying…(Lionsgate)

First if you've read the comic like me you may think the last part of the description taken from Metacritic above is a spoiler, it's not. It was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as the comic which I would give four stars. In the comic a series of mad seemingly unrelated scenarios occur which Kick-Ass gets caught up in but in the movie they spell things out and tie everything together more which seemed unnecessary generally and redacted the Red Mist reveal in particular. The violence and injury is toned down and I do think some decapitations would have helped the fights seem more outrageous and absurd like the comic. Also Hit Girl's mask just seemed badly made, the eye holes stretched out too much, plus the end of her story wasn't as poignant as the comic. Of course had you not read the comic or when I see this again on DVD knowing the changes it may be more enjoyable.