The Current Online

by OREN GAMBLE

After the success of the first X-Men, a sequel was inevitable. X-2: X-Men United brings back everyone from the original and seamlessly continues the story. In fact, X-2 is superior to the first one in every way.
The story this time around involves two evil sides and, of course, the heroes. William Stryker, a government agent, is plotting to eliminate all mutants by using Professor X’s powers. Magneto, being a mutant himself is trying to prevent such actions and deliver a little payback. The X-Men are trying to stop Stryker and rescue Professor X, but they can’t do it without some help from Magneto and Mystique, the villains from the first movie.
The story flows coherently and still manages to offer up some surprises and clever twists. Even an astute viewer may only realize what’s going to happen next a couple of seconds before it happens.
The introduction of new characters doesn’t feel forced, but if you haven’t seen the first film you may feel a little lost. Each character has a unique personality that really affects how much you root for or against him or her. Thanks in large part to the acting in X-2, each character is well-developed and believable. The returning cast members seem to be comfortable with their roles. And the new cast members fit in comfortably. There’s a lot of “star power” behind X-2 and it really helps to make these outlandish characters seem real.
Familiar names from the X-Men comics that weren’t in the first movie advance the story and make it more interesting. Iceman, Pyro, and Nightcrawler all add a greater sense of adventure to the film. Nightcrawler is especially exciting watch. He is a blue, demon-looking, religious teleporting mutant. The way that his teleporting is portrayed in X-2 is stunning. In the opening scene he disappears in a small puff of blue smoke and reappears instantaneously somewhere else; all the while, he is doing acrobatic fighting moves in an attempt to assassinate the president. It’s the first of many great action sequences in the film.

The visual effects are impressive. They do not stand out and draw attention away from the movie as a whole despite the fact that they are spectacular. They simply enhance the film. Bright flashing lasers, invisible force fields, teleporting, shape-shifting, flying, all look as natural as walking, almost.
The movie looks great and flows smoothly thanks to the excellent direction of Brian Singer. No scenes are wasted. The story doesn’t have any holes. The only complaint that could come up would be that the movie doesn’t stay fully true to the comics. But the obligation of the movie is to stay true to X-Men as a movie franchise, and it does this perfect and coherently.
Even the strictest comic book fanboy will have to understand that the movie is probably better though it did stray from the comics. Also, fans of the comic will be treated to cameos by other X-Men characters. Truly attentive X-Men fans should be able to figure out the premise of the next film based on some of the events in X-2, only building anticipation for the third installment.
X-2 is a great movie. It takes all of the greatest components of the first film and builds on them to make a picture that is better than the original. It’s probably the best comic book to movie film yet.

by OREN GAMBLE

In 1997 James Cameron unleashed the mega blockbuster Titanic to the world. Not intent to merely put a love story about the doomed vessel on the big screen, Cameron now brings us Ghosts of the Abyss, a documentary that takes the viewer inside the cruise ship.
A lot can be said about the use of 3-D in this documentary; unfortunately, most of it is negative. This movie was painful to watch, literally. During the entire feature, I felt that I was cross-eyed. At moments, the focal point of the screen would change. And trying to move look over was uncomfortable to say the least (or torture to speak the truth).
The 3-D is also wasted in all but a few portions of the movie. We don’t need to see Bill Paxton sitting and talking in three dimensions. And no one will have to take a step back when James Cameron hands someone his shoe. Some old pictures got a makeover, but the effect makes them look like flat pictures with raised cardboard cutouts. The sheer pointlessness of the use of 3-D screams of a gimmick to make money off of something I probably wouldn’t watch in 2-D on the Discovery Channel.
The redeeming qualities of the technique are actually poor too. The best part is when a rope is thrown that seems to come out of the screen. Watching bubbles floating in the water looks great, but doesn’t really impress. Most of the time it was hard to discern if depth was being conveyed, but the use of flat pictures on top of 3-D images caused the screen to appear sunken in, in a good way. Other small parts look like 3-D power point presentations. They look good but are unfulfilling.
As for the actual information garnered in the documentary, it’s educational and sort of interesting. Still, this feels like a sideshow at a museum of history, not something you want to shell out money for. The facts that this movie’s admission cost is more than normal movies and it is only an hour long will likely frustrate patrons. Honestly, I was ready to leave by the end.

by OREN GAMBLE and BRAD SHELTON

Underground street racing has always been a huge hit with teens and young adults but it seems that Jerry Bruckhiemer’s The Fast and The Furious has given people a false impression of what illegal street racing is about.
The film shows a complex racing scene where cops are monitored by wave band radios and large amounts of money are at stake. The reality is that street races in normal cities are done with little or no organization. People meet up in a designated location, agree on a meeting spot, race each other for the sport of it and call it quits when the cops come calling.
Johnson County Community College student Dan Perdue has attended and driven in several street races. He cautions, “Don’t use The Fast and the Furious as a reference. That’s nothing like the real deal.”
He says, “Street racers like to keep in small groups, usually no more than five to eight cars if possible. The presence of more flashy cars results in more police attention.” Also, he says to avoid cops and maintain a sense of safety, races generally happen at deserted intersections.
From the east coast to the west, the thrill and excitement for more speed has continued to be the factor in this high-powered, popular sport. The racing scene has taken on an extreme sports style, combining attitude and a need for speed. The sport has been updated from its ’50s image. It’s still about the competition but also provides a haven for young adults to stay out of other types of trouble.
With the same breath there are negative effects of this hobby. Several street racers make illegal modifications to their cars. Many engines are modified to a level that can make a car an unlikely weapon. Underground car races are said to be dangerous due to the fact that there are no safety standards for the cars and spectators can find themselves in danger if a car loses control at an unsafe speed.
“A lot of the people who own fast cars keep them on race tracks. It’s the safest environment and it’s done a lot more professional,” Perdue says.
On a normal, weather-friendly weekend, you are almost guaranteed to find an assortment of cars probing the streets of Blue Springs and Independence. In races, cars are grouped in two categories: domestic muscle cars and foreign imports. Due to the scrutiny of police, meeting places vary from week to week. When a placeto meet has been set, cars of all makes and models flood in as a worn out parking lot begins to look like a low rider car show. The domestic cars group themselves away from the imports, as they usually do not race each other. The domestic group includes Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and even the Dodge Viper. Hoods are popped so that anyone with interest can see what that car is working with. As the night progresses and everyone shows up, the group races off to find a good spot, uninhibited by local cops.

Underground street racing has always been a huge hit with teens and young adults but it seems that Jerry Bruckhiemer’s The Fast and The Furious has given people a false impression of what illegal street racing is about.
The film shows a complex racing scene where cops are monitored by wave band radios and large amounts of money are at stake. The reality is that street races in normal cities are done with little or no organization. People meet up in a designated location, agree on a meeting spot, race each other for the sport of it and call it quits when the cops come calling.
Johnson County Community College student Dan Perdue has attended and driven in several street races. He cautions, “Don’t use The Fast and the Furious as a reference. That’s nothing like the real deal.”
He says, “Street racers like to keep in small groups, usually no more than five to eight cars if possible. The presence of more flashy cars results in more police attention.” Also, he says to avoid cops and maintain a sense of safety, races generally happen at deserted intersections.
From the east coast to the west, the thrill and excitement for more speed has continued to be the factor in this high-powered, popular sport. The racing scene has taken on an extreme sports style, combining attitude and a need for speed. The sport has been updated from its ’50s image. It’s still about the competition but also provides a haven for young adults to stay out of other types of trouble.
With the same breath there are negative effects of this hobby. Several street racers make illegal modifications to their cars. Many engines are modified to a level that can make a car an unlikely weapon. Underground car races are said to be dangerous due to the fact that there are no safety standards for the cars and spectators can find themselves in danger if a car loses control at an unsafe speed.
“A lot of the people who own fast cars keep them on race tracks. It’s the safest environment and it’s done a lot more professional,” Perdue says.
On a normal, weather-friendly weekend, you are almost guaranteed to find an assortment of cars probing the streets of Blue Springs and Independence. In races, cars are grouped in two categories: domestic muscle cars and foreign imports. Due to the scrutiny of police, meeting places vary from week to week. When a placeto meet has been set, cars of all makes and models flood in as a worn out parking lot begins to look like a low rider car show. The domestic cars group themselves away from the imports, as they usually do not race each other. The domestic group includes Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and even the Dodge Viper. Hoods are popped so that anyone with interest can see what that car is working with. As the night progresses and everyone shows up, the group races off to find a good spot, uninhibited by local cops.

SEE IT

by OREN GAMBLE

Barry Egan is a strange man. His life seems like it should be happy. But Barry has deep emotional problems.
Growing up with seven sisters may have something to do with his issues. Barry is the kind of man who will exploit something for the sake of exploiting it, not for his own gain. He is a compulsive liar. Mostly though, he is alienated from everyone, even those closest to him.
Barry doesn’t aid his own cause. His behavior would repel most people, even his family. Surprisingly, a woman is attracted to Barry despite his odd mannerisms. Lena Leonard has been smitten with Barry ever since she saw a picture of him carried by his sister. Realizing that Barry is quirky and shy, Lena decides to take the initiative and to ask him out. Although he still acts weird and somewhat ambivalent, Barry is attracted to Lena as well.
An observer would have to say that their first date was disastrous and awkward. So many things went awry that their continuing attraction for each other can only be explained as Punch-Drunk Love.
The plot of this movie is driven predominantly by the mutual love of Barry (Adam Sandler) and Lena (Emily Watson). Another portion of the movie has Barry out for justice against a phone sex scandal, and it’s certainly a necessary component of the movie. The two stories are interwoven so well that it would be impossible to think of them as truly independent; so many circumstances in one part affect the outcomes in the other.
Calling Punch-Drunk Love a romantic comedy would be misleading. Paul Thomas Anderson provides an interesting story with plenty of humor and romance, but it is dark at times, though it really isn’t a dark comedy in the conventional notions of the genre. The movie is unconventional in many respects.
Anderson brings unique direction to Punch-Drunk Love to convey moods. Vibrant colors are used in transitions throughout the movie. Their effect is interesting and fitting in this movie. It is better than the prototypical “fade to black” that other movies generally use (or overuse).
Sometimes the background music comes too far into the foreground. It is annoying and distracting in some scenes and used ideally in others. Fortunately, this occurs only once or twice in the movie and can be consciously overlooked.
The casting is one aspect of the film that likely makes Punch-Drunk Love so compelling and entertaining. The choice to use Sandler as the complicated Barry may have had its skeptics, but they are all silenced now. Sandler proves he is up to the task.