The Comic Critic Reviews "V for Vendetta"

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“Divide et impera” is Latin for “divide and conquer,” which gives you an idea of just how old and how long this political tactic has been in use. In its simplest form, you might think of using it to dilute the effectiveness of your enemy on the battlefield. But what if you think of the general population as the enemy? The same tactic could be applied. And one of the best ways to implement this is to convince one sector of the population that it does not have the same merit or worth as another sector. By installing a sense of superiority into another part of the population, you can then easily create a class system. To reinforce this false superiority, you spread lies and monger fear. They’re told that unless you back the system, what little you have will be taken away from you. And if you are fed this diet consistently, you might believe that it is true. And next, you’re fighting to defend lies and ignorance. Take a look at the history of slavery in the United States. The white sharecroppers of the south were led to believe that what little they had would be taken away from them if slaves were to be given freedom. This instilled such a deep, irrational fear that the country is still trying to battle back to sanity. Look anywhere in history and you will find the seeds of mistrust, fear, hate, and ignorance being sown so that a few can more easily reign over the many. V for Vendetta pulls the viewer into looking at what defines Fascism, Totalitarianism, Anarchy, and Rebellion. The movie’s core message is only true fights should be towards an equal and just society for all. Is it then so surprising to see the mask that character V wore to suddenly spring up and be seen at protest rallies, or worn by the representatives of the hacking group Anonymous? V for Vendetta will retain its legs long into the future as its message is one that counters those who seek to reign unchecked, that is “United we stand.”

The Comic Critic's Review of "The French Connection"

The French Connection has one of the most famous car chases in movie history. Featuring a 1971 Pontiac LeMans, it was carefully choreographed stunt. Part of the reason for this choreography was because the chase was being conducted without the proper permits. That means the streets in which the scene was shot was not cleared of normal traffic. Off duty police and stunt cars were poised to stop traffic, and other stunt cars were arrange to provide the near misses. Some of the shots were angle was set low with a bumper mounted camera capturing all the trash and dirt of the street and as the car raced along. Even with precautions in place some of the near misses became crashes. An one crash was completely unpredicted as a fellow leaving his house didn’t realize that a car chase was being filmed. His vehicle was paid for and all of these lucky accidents went into the final cut of the movie. What you get is a true to life reckless car race lasting five minutes and leaving you shaky at the end of it. The French Connection is also ground zero for numerous cop show tropes used so heavily since then they are considered trite. It was also the first movie that did an excellent job showing the city’s true gritty underbelly and the real nature of police work. All of which have become a genre of entertainment in itself.

Nominated for eight Academy Awards it won five including Best Picture. 

The Comic Critic's Movie Review of "Harry In Your Pocket"

Harry in Your Pocket is an action comedy with an antihero, something new and very popular in the Seventies. While the gathering of this interesting crew is cordial, tension builds between the characters because despite all their smiles and camaraderie, they are all thieves at heart. The tension has us carefully watching to see if it will disrupt their movements. The action in Harry in Your Pocket comes from the audience  actively following the “poke.’’ There are few staged gags to induce laughter. The comedy comes from us chuckling as they get away with it with the finely tuned choreography of a ballet. If both the action and the humor are subdued, we don’t care. The charisma of James Coburn has us smirking every time he flashes his teeth. Coburn built his career playing the stylish rogue in the Sixties. This film is smooth sailing for him and veteran actor Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon’s role as mentor is great fun to watch. His character reflects an illusion of an older, more elegant era in crime. The timing of his career with this movie is perfect and he very nearly steals the show from Coburn. Harry in Your Pocket is not holding up very well with age. The chaotic fashions and lifestyle of the Seventies are pervasive on the screen and look a bit dated. It’s rather fun for me as I grew up near Seattle, and most of the movie is set in that locale. I recognized buildings and restaurants that have long since have been torn down and replaced with high-rises. Harry in Your Pocket is a movie of the Seventies, when the studios were experimenting with what makes movie relevant. It both hits and misses the mark. But if you’re looking for a movie with some hustle and a dash of time capsule, you will find it a good time.

The Comic Critic Reviews The Expendables

Make no mistake: The Expendables is a guys’ movie. Your ears are going to hear far more tendons snapping, bones crunching, knives slicing, bodies impacting, guns firing, blood splatting, and explosions exploding (accompanied with anticipatory music) than they will dialog. What dialog there is I found generally snarky and lighthearted when it’s not busy filling itself with clichés. Don’t get me wrong; clichés are good when it comes to guy movies. Guns. Explosions. Grunting. Men want you to just keep heaping that stuff on the plate like bacon on their breakfasts. It might not be good for you, but it tastes good. This is not a date movie. It is not a chick flick. The Bechdet Test doesn’t even appear on this movie’s radar. In fact, there are only four women in it. The first is crying. The second has to be asked her name. The third, when she’s not crying, draws pictures of women crying. And the fourth is listed in the credits as “Old Woman Bartender.” I spent last weekend at Crypticon. You can see a few of the photos I took, along with photos other people took, at Flickr's Crypticon Group. This coming Saturday, June 2nd, I will be at the Olympia Comic Festival. I hope to see a lot of South Sounders there.