ANI-MOVIES, *Ultimate Avengers

With all the Avengers live-action movie finally here, I figured it was overdue for a review of the original Avengers flick, and I don't mean that crappy one based on the British TV show. Beating out DC Universe by over a year, Marvel Entertainment lauched a series of made-for-video movies based on their comics, which were produced by Lions Gate Films. This was of course before the huge Disney buyout, and what this means for future releases of their line is unknown. But their first one out the gate was a real winner. Taking elements from their alternate universe line of Ultimate, they take their original superhero group which was given an edgier look to it, and then slighty polished it for younger viewers.

It starts out at the end of WWII were Captain America is leading a strike force against the last vastages of known Nazis, where its revealed that the Germans were in cohoots with shapechanging aliens called Chitari, who are the Ultimate Universe equivilent of the Skrull(from Secret Invasion fame). They plan on launching a nuke on America, but Cap manages to climb on the missle and stop it. However, he ends up falling into the North Pole and remaining frozen for decades. Cut to modern day where "General" Nick Fury(the Samuel L. Jackson version)is leading SHIELD on an expedition to find Captain America's body so that they can use his DNA to synthesize the Super-Soldier Serum in their constant feud with the Chitari. Cap is however not dead, and decides to join SHIELD as part of their new Project Avenger team which Fury is assembling to protect the Earth from those obnoxious aliens. They recruit Giant Man, Wasp, and the mysterious Iron Man, along with SHIELD operative Black Widow(rroawr!), although Thor, the self-proclaimed Norse god, rejects them. Dr. Bruce Banner is the reproducing the Super-Soldier Serum, but mainly wants to do it to control the raging spirit that dwells within him which is the Hulk, a monster he turns into from when he first tested the serum on himself. After failing to stop the Chitari infiltration of a military base, the team disbands. But they all manage to come together to stop the Chitari from destroying the main SHIELD headquarters, and then have to then take down the Hulk who goes all "Russel Crow" on everyone. After finally turning Hulk back to normal, the rest of the heroes sign on to be a permanent team called The Avengers(even though in the comics they're called The Ultimates).

As far as a made-for-video feature goes, this was pretty bad-ass. It has acceptable animation, even though its not theatrical quality, and a good selection of voice actors. I'll admit that I was hoping they'd take some of the more mature aspects of the actual Ultimates comic, like Hulk going on a rampage because Betty Ross dates some actor douchebag, and Giant Man using ants to attack Wasp. But since this movie was meant to appeal to a wider audience, most of that material was left out. I'd say this is probably the best superhero team movie ever done(team, not superhero group like X-Men or Fantastic Four), mainly for the way the characters put aside their personal differences to come together and defeat their common foe in the end. This  was followed by the equally fine sequal, Ultimate Avengers 2, and supposedly the totally odious movie of The Invincible Iron Man was a prequal to it. BTW, there's no connection between this and the other Marvel animated movie, Next Avengers, which was more of a What If? story involving the classic Avengers' kids. I'd say that even if you're a moderate fan of superheroes or comics, that you should give this one a look, at least for some "amazing adventures, True Believers"!

Top 5 WORST Superhero Animated Movies

There has been alot of great superhero animatied films have hit the home video market in the last few years via DC Universe or Marvel Entertainment through Lions Gate Films. However, there have been a few of them that were bogus as hell! Not only in recent years, but as far back as the stalwart days in the 80s. So, here's a list of what I consider to be the five worst ones ever done. These are ones that were either released in theatres, or was created specifically for home video(VHS/DVD).
5.Turok: Son Of Stone This made-for-DVD feature was based on the semi-popular comic book series, that gained even more notice as the hit video game series about a Native-American during the old west who regularly hunts dinosaurs. So, a "weird west" story sounds like a good idea for a comic, but the way this crappy movie executed it was totally off target. Shotty animation by former Disney producer Tad Stone with some really bad action sequences that make the old Cadillacs & Dinosaurs TV series from the 90s look better by comparison. There's just some shameless wannabe gore that never goes the route it should, and poor voice acting. Only if you're a huge fan of the games should you even bother checking it out. You'd be better off watching Jurassic Park 2 backwards.
4.He-Man/She-Ra: The Secret Of The Sword Believe it or not, this was put out in theatres in the 80s. It was meant to be a pilot of the She-Ra: Princess Of Power TV series, but is actually just the first 5 episodes compiled into a single feature. If you thought the whole He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe show was gay as all outdoors, then this spinoff was sprouting flowers left and right. Aside from the recycled footage that Filmation is famous for, this is also just limp as hell as a movie. Granted, its the second movie ever made based on a toyline, but even that wasn't an excuse for this to be done as a "movie".
3.Superman: Braniac Attacks Meant to be a followup to Superman: The Animated Series, this made-for-video film actually sat on the shelf for years. It was only after Superman Returns came out that they even bothered releasing it. This features some of the voice actors from the original series like Tim Daly as Superman, but Powers Boothe taking over as Luthor and Lance Henrkisen as Braniac really didn't help, especially since it wouldn't be much trouble to get the original actors for it. The other problem is that this film doesn't match up with the TV series at all, as if its outside the TV series continuity. Plus there's this boring subplot with Jimmy Olsen's lovelife(like we're supposed to care!). So, as this was one of the original DC Universe projects, its totally skipable.
2.Next Avengers Where the less-informed might've thought this was a followup to the Ultimate Avengers movies, it was really inspired by the classic comic book Avengers, but done in a way that was supposed to cash in on the popularity of the Teen Titans animated series by making a younger version of their lead superhero group. In a post-apocalyptic world, most of the Avengers were killed off by the super-android Ultron, so Iron Man takes their children into hiding while Ultron takes over the entire world. This has the Avenger-teens learning how to use their powers in order to survive Ultron, and the robot Avenger clones that Iron Man was retarded enough to let Ultron get control of. The story premise is pretty bad for this which makes you wonder why heroes like Hulk and Thor would just sit back while that planet gets raped up the ass by a genocidal robot. Even the appearance of the rarely seen Vision doesn't help this turd. It might've worked better if it had the "Kidvengers" fighting crime in a future time instead of having them in the Old Man Logan version of the future.
1.The Invincible Iron Man Beating out the first live-action Iron Man movie by over a year, this was meant to act as a prequal to Ultimate Avengers which already had Iron Man as a hero in it. But, anything that would've been cool about an Iron Man movie was completely left out of it. First of all, the whole involvement of the Mandarin is the worst idea ever. If there was a reason for not having this character in a film, this movie is a shining example of it. The sad part is that its not even the "real" Mandarin. He's more like Dormammu from Dr. Strange. In fact, the entire Mandarin plot is almost completely ripped off in the Dr. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme movie. Plus, Tony Stark is just nothing like his comic counterpart. The addition of his father in this makes him a more responsible character, which is what you don't want out of Stark to begin with. That, and where after he and Rhodey come back from China, it turns out that Stark already had a vault full of armored suits was just lazy writing. Plus, can you possibly believe that SHIELD agents wouldn't bother looking over Stark's plane for any incriminating evidence after he's framed for selling illegal weapons, and not find a large robot suit hidden in giant trunk? The worst part is that you barely see the genuine Iron Man armor, which is only used in one scene in the whole movie. The rest of it is mostly all him in the garage kit armor, which is done in computer animation which doesn't work at all. It makes it look cheap and choppy, because it worked way better as regular 2D animation in Ultimate Avengers. For what this movie should have been, it is a big disappointment, and a fail of epic proportions.

MISC. MANGA, *Riot

This limited series was put together by occasional hentai artist Satoshi Shiki back in the early 90s. Viz printed this in comic format at first, and then in to two trade paperbacks. This sci-fi action falls under the category of "post-apolcayptic western" similar to Eat-Man.

A reckless outlaw called Billy the Kid(not the original one!)plans to steal a magical grimoire called the Riot, which is one of several books of spells left over from before the apocalypse with great powers in it. Billy gets nearly killed while trying to obtain it from the book's guardian, Axel. The spirit of the Riot makes a contract with Billy that it will save his life if he becomes Axel's bodyguard. Riot agrees, and now has to deal with heretics from the same order that covet the spell books. Some are from other churches that wish to use the power to rule the world, but Billy has that in mind for himself. After confronting the reckless assassin Ziggy, Billy is reunited with some of his old comrades who join him in his quest.

This manga is fair, although the plot is very much all over the place with the conflicting forces vying for the Riot. The main selling point is Shiki's artwork which makes it at least worth looking up.

Anime That SHOULD Be Re-animated In America!

With anime titles like Akira and Death Note coming to the States as live-action movies, I thought I'd go over a few anime titles that would also make for an okay animated American production. While some of the U.S. remakes of Speed Racer and Voltron weren't all that spectacular, there's the possibilty of us doing decent interpetations of Japanese titles. If they can make anime of Karas, G.I. Joe, Powerpuff Girls, Tomb Of Dracula, Captain Future, Highlander, Lilo And Stitch, and Witchblade, then we could shamelessly take something of there's and make it work for us.

BERSERK
After the total absense of a reasonable conclusion, this was a series that was demanding to be remade(at least by American otaku)! The anime was about a lone swordsman named Guts who joins up with a band of mercenaries in a wartorn fantasy world. This already appeals to fans of Warcraft, or those who thought Lord Of The Rings needed more bloody violence in it. Plus, the fanbase for this series is strong out here. This would make a good animated TV series, probably for HBO. Titmouse would be my choice to animate it. They also did Metalocalpyse, Amazing Screw-On Head, Afro Samurai, and GI Joe: Resolute.


CAPTAIN HARLOCK
Pirates In Spaaaaaace! While alot of people consider him to be a space pirate, Harlock(or sometimes Herlock) is really a pirate in space. I actully have a whole Jeff Foxworthy bit of "You might be a pirate in space if...", but I'll say that Harlock is one of the strongest space heroes ever! He's a moody revolutionary fighting for human freedom in an alien oppressed universe. He even goes up against the Norse Gods! Harlock has had several TV series(including one where he's in the old west), plus movies like the memorable Arcadia Of My Youth, as well as several other "Lejiverse" titles like Star Blazers and Galaxy Express 999. This would make for a great animated epic sci-fi TV series in America on the scale of Battlestar Galactica. I'd vote for Mainframe Entertainment who did Beast Wars and Reboot.

CUTEY HONEY
The original anime android girl, and the original anime superheroine! Playing out as a sexy sci-fi action series, Honey Kisaragi is a teenager who discovers she's really a superpowered android modeled after her creator's real daughter. Honey has the ability to transform her clothes and appearance thanks to her patented "Honey Flash"(which is ripped off by several latter magical girl shows!)which also allows her to create weapons and vehicles out of any molecules. She regularly fights the evil Panther Claw gang, while trying to maintain her secret identity. There's some wonderfully over the top fight sequences. This would make for a saucy superhero series out here, possibly for Sci-Fi Channel(or SyFy), which I'd nominate Adelaide Productions who animated Spectacular Spider-Man, The Boondocks, and Roughnecks.

DIRTY PAIR
Anime's answer to Barbarella + 2. This was an anime TV series, OVA series and specials, and a movie based on sci-fi novels about two sexy bikini-clad special agents in the future who work for an intergalactic originization called WWWA. The fiesty Kei and the lusty Yuri are codenamed "Lovely Angels", but because of their habit for continuously causing chaotic destruction on all their missions, they've been branded as the "Dirty Pair". This show was reinvented in the 90s under the title Dirty Pair Flash, and has also been turned into a popular run of comic book mini-series(s) in America by Adam Warren. For a redone animated version out here I'd suggest Film Roman, whose productions include Hellboy: Animated, Dead Space: Downfall, and X-Men: Evolution.

GUNSMITH CATS
One of the few American-based anime(i.e.: it actually takes place in America), it was originally a manga remake of a profoundly cool title from the 80s, Riding Bean, which was very much like The Transporter without all the "clothes-fu". In it, Rally Vincent owns Chicago a gun store, but part-times as a bounty hunter along with her short partner May Hopkins. There was an OVA mini-series done of this that is considered a cult classic by American fans because of its killer action and Hollywood-styled thrills. For a possible U.S. adaption, I'd have Genndy Tartakovsky because of his great sense of blending action with comedy.

RANMA 1/2
Despite some of the bizarre gender-bending going on in it, Ranma 1/2 is one of the most iconic anime titles from the 90s, and swayed alot of Americans into becoming otaku. Created by Rumiko Takahashi(who also did Inu Yasha), this was a manga and then an anime TV series, OVA series(s), and three movies about a martial artist named Ranma that gets cursed by an ancient Chinese spring that turns into a girl everytime he gets wet. This leads into some strange situations, especially with his rivals and possible love interests. It would make for an intersting "teen-friendly" romantic martial arts comedy series if done by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko who are famous for doing Avatar: The Last Airbender.

BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO
Had to throw in a WTF? choice! This was an anime that Toonami weirdly enough aired the entire series of. Originally done as a parody of Fist Of The North Star, this was a manga and anime series that spoofed nearly every shonen title ever done, including Dragonball, Pokemon, Naruto, and Gundam. In it, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a Johnny Bravo lookalike who fights his appoinents with his mighty nosehairs(that right, nosehairs!), and picks up a group of equally weirder fighters in his quest to take down the farcical Maruhage Empire. For the gaijin adaption of this, I'd go strait to the William Street crew who did Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost: Coast To Coast, and Squidbillies. It would be really funny if they used old footage from vintage anime shows and redid them like in Sealab 2021.

ANI-MOVIES, *Ponyo

From Hiyao Miyazaki(who if you didn't know created the Oscar-winning Spirited Away)is this his latest movie which is an original story, although slightly inspired by The Little Mermaid and some elements of The Frog Prince. This is his eighth film that he's done through Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded, and was fortunate to be released in U.S. theatres through Disney.

A 5-year old boy named Sosuke lives right on the ocean with his parents. His father is a fisherman who usually isn't at home, and his mother Lisa works at a senior citizens center. One day, Sosuke catches a strange looking goldfish he calls Ponyo which licks a cut on his finger and heals him. The fish gets away, but is really the daughter of a strange Willy Wonka-dressed man who is some kind of keeper of peace in the seas. Ponyo uses her magic to transform into a human girl, although sometimes she looses her composure which causes her to change into a slightly frog-like creature. She runs into Sosuke who immeadiately recognizes her as the fish he caught, and is taken in temporarily by Lisa during a huge typhoon which floods the entrie area. Lisa leaves to go look in on the old ladies at the center, leaving Sosuke and Ponyo to set out the next morning in a toy boat that Ponyo makes bigger with her magical powers. They then encounter Ponyo's father who takes them to his underwater refuge, where Lisa and all the old ladies from the center have been kept to save them from the flood. There, they encounter Ponyo's mother who is essentiually a cross between a goddess and Glinda the good witch, and lets them know that Ponyo can stay with Sosuke and his mother. The movie ends with the balance of nature being turned back to normal, because somehow Ponyo accidently caused it to happen with her magic.

I'd have to say I very much enjoyed this movie. It's Miyazaki's first movie intended for children since My Neighbor Totoro, and it comes off as such. There isn't any dark overtone like some of his last films like Howl's Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke, and is done purely for sheer fun. Granted, the plot didn't seem to have too much of a main direction to it, but Miyazaki makes up for it with his stellar visuals. The dub is pretty fair with the usually roster of celebrities that Disney gets for its movies, including Tina Fey as Lisa, Matt Damon as Sosuke's father, and Cate Blanchett as Ponyo's mother. I'd say Liam Neeson was miscast as Ponyo's dad, and it could have done without the Jonas Bros. & Cyrus' siblings being cast as the main characters, but was still acceptable. I'd recommend this film as a mainstay for someone's family, although traditional anime fans might find it a little hokey. So, definately look it up if you want another Totoro-like pump of the "warm fuzzies".

JESI THE GENIE, *Part 5: Page 5

ANI-MOVIES, *Arcadia Of My Youth

You wanna talk about space operas? This here's one of the pinnacle anime space operas. It's also considered the cornerstone of the "Lejiverse". The Lejiverse is the collected continuity that all the works of Leji Matsumoto, this includes Galaxy Express 999, Queen Emeraldas, and Space Battleship Yamato(or Star Blazers). Arcadia Of My Youth is a retelling of Captain Harlock's origin, the infamous space pirate(or "pirate in space").

Captain Harlock(also known as Herlock)is a military officer for Earth in the 30th Century, where our planet has been conquered by an alien race called the Illumidus. After bringing a group of refugees to Earth, Harlock surrenders his battleship to the occupying forces. He later befriends a short Japanese man, Tochiro, who is a part of a secret freedom faction hoping to liberate Earth. This front is lead by the beautiful Maya, who Harlock falls in love with. They also incorporate the bold female trader, Emeraldas(of whose origins you'll see in Maetel Legend), as well as some other Earth soldiers who are tired of the alien oppression. But before they can try and save their own planet, they hear about another human outpost on another world that is facing extinction. Tochiro reveals his life's work, a giant starcrusier modeled after a WWII battleship, the Arcadia, which he and the others use to go and save the other planet. Leaving Maya and Emeraldas behind, Harlock takes charge of the mission, but they reach the planet too late as they find the last female of that race has died. Harlock sadly brings her body back to Earth, but only to have a scuffle with one of the Illumidus leaders, which causes Maya to be killed. This leads into an epic space battle between the Arcadia and the head alien ship. Harlock then sets off with his new crew to become freedom fighters for humanity in the "sea of stars".

This is admittedly a lengthy film, and probably best for fans of old school anime. It features some fine animation, directed by 70s trailblazer Tomoharu Katsumata. Like most stories from the Lejiverse, there is quite alot of dialogue and long shots in space with not much going on, although it makes for a great visual trip. This movie is very reminiscent of Star Trek II, which actually came out about the same time, especially with the space battles and operatic nature involved. This film has been released in English about three different times. One is in the uncut Japanese subtitled version(which is currently no longer in print), another is the British dubbed version titled My Youth In Arcadia, and in an edited version of the UK dub titled Vengeance Of The Space Pirate. Aside from this, Harlock is featured in several other Lejiverse titles, usually just to make some kind of obligatory cameo, but Arcadia Of My Youth is the definative Harlock story, and one of those required classic anime movies.