Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time

Cast
Jake Gyllenhaal
Gemma Arterton
Alfred Molina
Ben Kingsley
Toby Kebbell
Reece Ritchie
Richard Coyle
Screenwriters
Doug Miro
Carlo Bernard
Director
Mike Newell
Running Time
115 minutes

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia and based on the video game of the same name. A rogue prince reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world. (Walt Disney Pictures)

It was solid entertainment. Good interplay between the two leads and lots of action.

August Comics

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

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


1 for $1: Aliens vs. Predator
Randy Stradley (W), Phill Norwood (P), Karl Story (I), and Monika Livingston (C)
On sale Aug 11
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
The inhabitants of the colony planet Ryushi are peaceful ranchers—men and women who lead simple lives. But their lives are tragically shattered as they become part of a “coming of age” ceremony for a race of deadly alien hunters—the Predators. However, the Predators’ prey are not the human inhabitants of Ryushi, but rather something far more dangerous—Aliens!

1 for $1: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye
Frank Miller (W/A)
On sale Aug 11
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
Sin City is the place—tough as leather and dry as tinder. Love is the fuel, and Marv has the match . . . not to mention a “condition.” He’s gunning after Goldie’s killer, so it’s time to watch this town burn!



1 for $1: Usagi Yojimbo
Stan Sakai (W/A)
On sale Aug 18
b&w, 28 pages
$1.00
The close of sixteenth-century Japan is regarded as the age of civil wars, as feudal lords fought amongst themselves for land and power. When one leader finally rose above the others and was proclaimed shogun, a peace came upon Japan and the samurai warriors found themselves suddenly unemployed. Many of these ronin turned to banditry to survive; others found work with minor lords. And a small number traveled the musha shugyo—the warrior pilgrimage—to hone their spiritual and martial skills. But whether they took the honest road or the crooked path, the ronin all found one common link—they were generally less than welcome. Such is the tale of Usagi Yojimbo.

Getting the ones I don't have already.


BALTIMORE: THE PLAGUE SHIPS #1 (of 5)
Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Christopher Golden (W), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Aug 4
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Months after a devastating plague ends World War I, Europe is suddenly flooded with deadly vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, is on the hunt for the creature responsible for this chaos and his own personal tragedy. What he uncovers is a terror as horrific and frightening as any he’s seen on the battlefield.
• Based on the novel by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.
• Mike Mignola reunites with Witchfinder artist Ben Stenbeck!
Praise for Baltimore or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire:
“Mythic adventure, midway between Lovecraft and the Brothers Grimm. The book burns with black inspiration.” —Sci Fi Magazine
“Outstanding, gorgeously told and wildly inventive. Mike Mignola's outstanding black-and-white illustrations turn the book into a beautiful object and add to its overall storybook quality. He and Golden have outdone themselves with Baltimore, a gorgeous, haunting tale that may well become a classic.” —Fangoria

Love all things Mignola.


BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: RILEY
Jane Espenson (W), Karl Moline (P/Cover), Andy Owens (I), Michelle Madsen (C), Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Aug 18
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
One-shot
Acclaimed Buffy television writer Jane Espenson is back with answers to one of the surprising twists she and executive producer Joss Whedon introduced in the hit story arc “Retreat”!
In the midst of the battle, Buffy’s former flame, the demon-fighting soldier Riley Finn, seemingly in league with Twilight, was revealed as a double agent working for the Slayer army. Now Espenson and artist Karl Moline (Fray, Willow) uncover the secrets of Riley’s recruitment by Buffy, his infiltration of Twilight’s inner circle, and what’s become of him and his superspy wife, Sam.
This essential one-shot delivers thrilling spy adventure and is filled with major revelations for the story of Buffy Season Eight!
• Buffy TV writer Jane Espenson returns!
• Features key revelations for Buffy Season Eight!

Getting the regular series.


MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER #1
Jim Shooter (W), Bill Reinhold (A), Wes Dzioba (C), Raymond Swanland (Cover)
On sale Aug 4
FC, 56 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
The continent-spanning city of North Am is a miracle of ingenuity and ambition, a technological paradise where “milespires” pierce the clouds and robots perform virtually all labor, freeing humankind to pursue leisure and bliss. But in the shadows of the sun-drenched towers, human mobsters use robot-muscle “thug-bots” to terrorize the citizenry of North Am. Human trafficking, illegal psychoactive substances, violent crime, and corrosive corruption are suddenly epidemic in the glittering utopia, with only the mighty Robot Fighter to stand against them. When a wealthy heiress is kidnapped, Magnus is drawn into the mob’s deepest sanctuary, where Magnus faces the fight of his life against the immensely powerful half robot, half man known as Big Guns.
Dark Horse Comics proudly presents the rebirth of one of comics’ most iconic heroes, Magnus, Robot Fighter! Reimagined for the twenty-first century by superstar scribe Jim Shooter and illustrated by Bill Reinhold (The Punisher, Wolverine: Origins), Magnus, Robot Fighter #1 joins Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom and the upcoming Turok, Son of Stone in the most exciting launch program of 2010!
• Special bonus for this 56-page issue: the very first Magnus story from 1963!
• Written by Jim Shooter!
Features a variant cover by Bill Reinhold!

Like last month DH doing superhero titles is worth checking out.

Robin Hood

Cast
Russell Crowe
Cate Blanchett
Mark Strong
Scott Grimes
Kevin Durand
William Hurt
Matthew Macfadyen
Danny Huston
Oscar Isaac
Eileen Atkins
Max von Sydow
Screenwriter
Brian Helgeland
Director
Ridley Scott
Running Time
140 minutes


The Robin Hood adventure chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard's army against the French. Upon Richard's death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion, a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff. (Universal Pictures)

I get all the film plots from Metacritic which I assume gets them from the official studio information however reading it that is pretty inaccurate.

There's lots of characters and plots in it and the film jumps about not giving them enough time to develop, including the three merry men who don't really get to do much of anything. It put me in mind of the Kingdom of Heaven cinema release whether this went through the same thing I don't know. Near the end characters suddenly became aware of a fact about Robin Hood but the scene where they found that out wasn't there. A couple things struck me as crazy, the French landing craft looking like wooden versions of the WWII allied ones which maybe is accurate but looked mad like something out of A Knights Tale and Marion putting on armour and fighting. I don't think it works as a romance, historical drama or action movie that well really. There's a war with the French Robin takes part in some of it and hangs about drinking and talking when he's not. I liked it more than Iron Man 2 it's longer but it didn't seem to be.

Iron Man 2

Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
Mickey Rourke
Sam Rockwell
Gwyneth Paltrow
Samuel L Jackson
Don Cheadle
Scarlett Johansson
Screenwriter
Justin Theroux
Director
Jon Favreau
Running Time
124 minutes

In Iron Man 2, the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored super hero, Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces. (Paramount Pictures)

It wasn't very good. I really wanted to like it because I love superhero comics and the first one was enjoyable I haven't seen it since but I remember it being good and so I really tried to like it. It seemed much too long, although it's only slightly over 2 hours but felt much longer, ponderous and padded with stuff that's just dull. I kept thinking well when we get to the final battle it will at least have a strong ending but that was a let down too. The Empire review talks about Johansson impressing in the fights but that had to be a fight double. The first time the camera is positioned so that a boxing ring rope obscures her face and in the big fight you never see her face mid acrobatics only before or after. If she really could do it why wouldn't you show her clearly or more to the point using cgi paint her face onto the double so that I would have believed it was her too.