Miss the Deputy?

Some of you have probably noticed that the Deputy hasn't posted anything on the blog recently. Well, I regret to inform you that him and I have cordially parted ways, blog-wise. He will truly be missed.

However, for those of you who miss his unique brand of blogging, fear not. He is currently spending the summer abroad in Madrid, and is keeping a travelogue blog for your reading pleasure. You can check his near-daily updates here:


http://www.deputyfuriousgeorge.blogspot.com/

On a similar note, I am still looking for new full-time contributors to help me fill these pages with worthwhile material. Check the link above for more information. Happy Memorial Day!

See Spot Fix: Iron Man 2

***SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for anyone who has not already seen Iron Man 2. If you still plan on seeing the movie and want to be completely uninformed about it, turn away now***

There's a strange trend among comic book movies that generally doesn't apply to any other genre of film: the second movie is almost always better than the first. This holds true within my own personal opinion, as well as the opinions of critics. Take these numerous examples as proof: Batman Returns was better than the original Batman (77% to 71% on RottenTomatoes), X2 was much better than X-Men (88% to 81%), Spider-Man 2 was better than Spider-Man (94% to 90%), The Dark Knight was better reviewed than Batman Begins (94% to 85%, though I tend to disagree here), Blade 2 was better than Blade (58% to 55%), and heck, even the awful Rise of the Silver Surfer was better than the original Fantastic Four (36% to 26%). So it is no surprise that hopes were high for Iron Man 2. The first film in the series was a resounding success, pleasing 93% of critics and grossing over four times it's production budget at the box office.  And while the sequel has already seen similar financial success, the consensus among critics is that Iron Man 2 has not lived up to expectations as a film (74% on RottenTomatoes).

I got the chance to screen Iron Man 2 for myself last Friday, and I definitely agree that it had its fair share of shortcomings. However, there were many parts of the film that worked. For one, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is as witty, cool, and confident as he was in the first movie. Watching Stark gallivant like a carefree playboy and banter effortlessly with girlfriend-turned-CEO Pepper Potts is immense amounts of fun. I also enjoyed Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. He was convincing as a rival weapons manufacturer trying to keep his head up after years of being best by Stark Industries, and his performance was at once comical and desperate. Finally, I found that specific parts of the movie were on par with the level of excitement and masterful pacing of the first film. Particularly, the opening and closing acts of the movie were gripping and action-packed, and well worth the price of admission.

All in all, Iron Man 2 was definitely entertaining. However, this article is titled "See Spot Fix," not "See Spot Praise," so let's get down to brass tacks. Here is my list of places where the film stumbled, and how it could have been improved:

Excessive Plotting: There was a LOT going on in this movie. Like, four of five movies' worth of plot. Don't believe me? Well here is my attempt to hit most of the big plot points: Stark struggles with the realization that the device that is keeping him alive is actually killing him. Stark seeks a cure for this problem, forging his own brand-new element. Stark fights pressure from the US government to turn over the Iron Man "weapon" to the military. Stark struggles with daddy issues after learning that his father betrayed the original co-creator of the Arc Reactor: Anton Vanko. Stark seeks to complete his father's life's work. Stark interfaces with SHIELD Director Nick Fury and learns more about the "Avenger Initiative." Stark appoints Pepper as the new CEO of Stark Industries. Pepper wrestles with her new found responsibility. Pepper continues to try and keep Stark, her potential love interest, in line. Stark hires Natalie Rushman as his new assistant. Rushman reveals that she is actually SHIELD super spy Natasha Romanov ("The Black Widow") and has been monitoring Stark for the "Avenger Initiative." Stark and Rhodey's friendship is tested after Rhodey is forced to testify against Stark. Rhodey steals the "Mark II" Iron Man weapon for use by the government. Rhodey enlists the help of Justin Hammer to load the Mark II with advanced firepower. Ivan Vanko, son of Anton, seeks revenge on Stark for his father's wrongdoings. Vanko builds a suit and attacks Stark while racing in Monaco. Vanko is imprisoned, but fakes his own death and his freed by Hammer. Hammer enlists Vanko's help to create a line of suits that would put the Iron Man weapon to shame. Vanko uses this opportunity to improve his own suit and create an army of powerful drone robots to take down Stark during Hammer's presentation at the Stark expo..........exhausted yet? I sure was. The worst part is that the vast majority of this plotting began and finished during the middle hour and a half of the movie, between the excellent opening and closing acts I mentioned earlier. In short, this movie would have benefited from being way more focused. If more time was spent pitting Vanko and Stark against one another, and less time was spent in Stark's workshop as he tried to solve his health problems (which could have been completely lifted out of the movie without affecting the primary plot line whatsoever), the film would not have bogged down in the middle and viewers would have remained engaged throughout.  

The New Rhodey: I thought Terrence Howard did a fantastic job portraying James Rhodes, Stark's best friend and liaison to the US military, in the first movie. Thus I was a bit disappointed when I heard he would not be returning to the role in the sequel, and would be replaced by Don Cheadle. Don't get me wrong; I think Cheadle is a great actor. But I just didn't love his take on Rhodey. Howard's Rhodey was the perfect companion for Downey's Stark: more responsible and militant, yet with the ability to match wits with Stark even at his most quippy ("How was the 'Fun-vee?'"). However, I found Cheadle's Rhodey to be too stiff lipped and by-the-book. Maybe it is just my taste, and maybe it is because I rewatched the original Iron Man the night before seeing the sequel, but Cheadle's Rhodey just wasn't cool enough for me. For example, I could never picture Howard's Rhodey stealing the Mark II suite and screaming "everybody out" during Stark's birthday party. I know this was, to some extent, out of director John Favreau's hands, but I was very disappointed in the new Rhodey, no matter how bad ass he made the Mark II armor (see image). 

The Fight Scenes: I have two major complaints with the fight scenes in Iron Man 2. First, I never got the sense that Stark's physical flesh was in any real danger at any point in the movie. Sure, the Iron Man armor took some beatings, but I don't remember once thinking that Stark was threatened by any actual pain or mortal injury, and this was particularly true during his two standoffs with Vanko. When Vanko had his electric whips wrapped around Stark's neck, the Iron Man armor appeared to be damaged, but when the film cuts to a shot of Stark's actual face within the suit, it doesn't look like he is suffering from any physical pain whatsoever. This removes much of the sense of heroism and danger from the film, and could easily have been rectified by showing Stark himself being electrified by Vanko's whips, or having him scream out or wince in pain once in a while. My second issue with the fight scenes relates to Stark and Rhodey's battle with Hammer's drone robots. They were just too easily disposed. Now, I'm not even talking about that cool red-laser-wrist-spinning attack Stark does to finish them all off. But even when Stark and Rhodey are using their conventional weapons, the drones are simply felled too easily, and I never accepted them as a true threat. While it was assuredly cool to watch, there was no tension during this fight scene, as even one single Repulsor ray blast from Stark blew each drone into scrap metal. Sure, these drones represented a threat to the public, but how big a threat could the really be if they were dealt with so easily by Rhodey's hand-mounted machine guns.

The "Superhero" Factor: As far as superheroes go, Iron Man definitely has a truly awesome array of (mechanically induced) super powers: flight, super strength, bullet proof skin, powerful energy blasts, enhanced vision, and the list goes on. However, it takes more than just having super powers to be a great superhero. You have to actually know how to effectively use those powers in order to be truly super. That was one of the best parts about the Spider-Man movies. Peter Parker gained his abilities early in the first film, but it wasn't until the final act that he had full control over them, and could use them effectively. And it is how he uses his powers that makes him a true hero. Some examples include using his webs to pull a brick wall down onto the Green Goblin, and stopping the runaway subway car in the second film using his webs and all of his strength. But Iron Man 2 never made me believe that Stark deserved to be a true superhero. In other words, I came away from the movie convinced that anyone who put on the Iron Man armor would be just as effective a superhero as Stark is in the movie. We never see him make crafty or unique decisions with how to best put his powers to work. In fact, in most of the battle scenes, Stark simply stands still and fires his basic Repulsor blasts from his hands, just like any other doofus in the suit could. He rarely uses the environment to his advantage or makes split-second decisions. This point is hammered home when Rhodey dons the Mark II armor for the first time and then proceeds to beat Stark one-on-one in a robo-fistfight. As such, the film portrays the actual "Iron Man" superhero to be more part and parcel to the armor alone than the combo of Stark and the suit. And if that is indeed the case, outside of his quick wit, why is Stark so special? Wouldn't we be better off with a trained marine behind the wheel of the armor? In short, the film does a poor job of convincing me that Stark--the human being--is a necessary piece of the superhero puzzle.

So Iron-Man 2 wasn't a complete homerun like the first film. Am I disappointed? Yes. Did I still enjoy watching the film? Sure. If nothing else, the film did a great job getting me excited for the upcoming Captain America, Thor, and Avengers movies set to hit theaters over the course of the next two years.

American Idol: Season in Review

So Season 9 of American Idol is down to its final two contestants: Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox. And after four months, thirteen results shows, over one hundred performances, and even more disgusted grimaces from Simon Cowell, I can safely say that not a single person is surprised. Now, this sentiment leads to two juxtaposed conclusions. On the one hand, we can look forward to a tense finale between two incredibly talented performers and competitors who unquestionably deserve to be there. We are lucky that, this season, America didn't pull a royal pooch-screw a la Chris Daughtry or Latoya London or Jennifer Hudson or Allison Iraheta.

On the other hand, the fact that everyone knew Lee and Crystal would be the finalists since the very beginning directly speaks to how mediocre the other 10 finalists were. Take last season for example: while everyone knew Adam Lambert was a front-runner from the very beginning, anyone from Danny Gokey to the aforementioned Iraheta and even underdog Matt Giraud could have made it to the big show in the place of Kris Allen (even though Allen ended up winning). However, I would be hard pressed to find a single person with a compelling argument for why Casey James or Mike Lynche or Aaron Kelley should be in the final two instead of Lee and Crystal. Put simply, it was clear from the very beginning that these two finalists were leagues ahead of the competition.

As such, it would be a fair assessment to say that Season 9 of American Idol has been pretty disappointing. And now, with only one night of performances left, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the reasons why this season seemed to fall short of expectations, as well as the few pieces of the puzzle that actually fell into place.

What Didn't Work


The first part of this season I took issue with is the job Cowell and his cohorts did selecting the Top 24. Now, I am not strictly talking about the actual talent of the contestants who made the final judge's cut, though that was part of the problem--I mean, how in the millions of people who auditioned was there no body better than the awful Paige Miles and the one-note Lacey Brown. My bigger concern, however, lies within the type of contestant that they chose. There was simply an overwhelming amount of "singer/songwriter," instrument-playing contestants this season. And while being able to play and instrument and have a good voice definitely speaks to a contestant's musical abilities, to me, these guitar playing, folky-folksters don't really embody the true spirit of American Idol. When I think about who should be the American Idol, my mind immediately shoots to post-show success stories like Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, and Adam Lambert. All of these musicians have incredibly powerful voices with great ears and the show-stopping ability to belt the big notes alongside some of the best vocalists in the industry. And while DeWyze and Bowersox undoubtedly have great voices, other instrument-playing contestants of this season were, too me, total snoozefests, placing too much emphasis on their pick-work and not enough on hitting the right notes and making the songs interesting. Idol is about vocals first and foremost, and the judges failed at picking contestants that recognized and respected this golden rule.


Second, the weekly themes this season were, in the words of Mr. Cowell, just terrible, and did the sub-par contestants zero favors. Don't get me wrong, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra were iconic musicians who defined their respective genres and generations. But their music is in no way relevant to the industry today, and is extremely limiting as far as the variety of their repertoire. So forcing the contestants to pick songs strictly from these musician's songbooks is just a bad call that ended up leaving both the judges and America thoroughly unimpressed. Furthermore, a theme like "Inspirational Songs" tends towards the cliche, so it is no surprise that the judges' most frequent criticism that week was that the performances were very cheesy and old-fashioned. The show needs to stick to simple, genre-related themes like R&B week, Classic Rock week, and Country week. This way, it still forces the contestants to show different sides of them, while allowing them enough freedom to pick a song that does the best at showcasing their unique talents and style. And this season, the themes were way too narrow, and really bizarre.

Finally, as the weeks wore on, I quickly lost patients for the judging system in general, and Kara DioGuardi in particular. I found that the four judge panel was too cramped, leaving too little time for any one of them to say anything of value, especially given that Simon is last in the lineup, and often provides the most lucid and valuable criticisms. And if I could cut one, it would most assuredly be Kara, not newcomer Ellen, who was an utter delight. Ellen filled Paula Abdul's vacancy nicely, offering up similarly candy-coated critiques but in a much funnier, much clearer manner. However, Kara was simply intolerable. First of all, she used her allotted comment time to spout off every high-level musical term she could (vibrato, falsetto, timbre, tone-color) instead of trimming the fat down to a criticism that is helpful. Second, she was often hypocritical, one week telling a contestant they didn't have a "moment," and the next advising that they focus more on "connecting" with the meaning of the song instead of belting out the big notes. And finally, she made a bad habit of butting in and silencing Simon when he would say something that she disagreed with. YOU GOT YOUR TURN, KARA! NOW ZIP THE LIP!


What Worked

If there was one thing that really made this season worth watching, it was the observable growth of the contestants, and their individual stories. Many of the top 12 performers began as timid, reserved singers who shied away from taking risks. Take Aaron Kelly for example. After the top 24 were announced, I was convinced this 17 year old crooner would be gone well before the top 12. Safe, cheesy performances like "My Girl" and "Already There" solidified this belief. However, Aaron took his criticisms in stride, and come the Top 11 week, he simply blew me away with his rendition of "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Aaron was able to ride this momentum through a number of memorable performances all the way to the Top 5. The same can be said of finalists Casey James and Lee DeWyze, both of who were truly forgettable at the beginning of the top 12 rounds, but utilized the judges' comments to make vast improvements. Heck, even perennial punching-bag Tim Urban showed marked improvement as the weeks wore on, surprisingly stretching his stay into the top 7. This season more than ever, the contestants needed a lot of advice, and many of them listened diligently. It was interesting to watch who truly improved and grew as the weeks wore on.

Also, many of the contestants this season had heartwarming and encouraging back-stories, making them easy to root for. This is especially true when considering the top 3. Casey James, a construction worker from Texas, was in a terrible motorcycle accident. Doctor's told him he would never play the guitar again. However, he recovered and took the AI stage with by far the best guitar-playing chops of any contestant in the history of the show. Lee DeWyze never finished high school, and passed his days working in a paint store, never dreaming of the stardom that AI provides. And before Idol, Crystal Bowersox, a single mother, found herself struggling to make it as a musician, living off gratuities she made from playing at train stations and on the streets of Chicago. And I think these points hit upon precisely why I've stuck with Idol this season. I truly believed in these contestants, and in my heart I felt for them and wanted them to succeed. They were, for the most part, all underdogs in my eyes, be it because of their questionable abilities, lack of self confidence, or difficult history.

Will Crystal and Lee have long, successful careers and remain in the public eye for a long time to come? Maybe. But regardless, I will have a very difficult time choosing which one to root for come Wednesday night, as I deeply want both of these talented artists to win. So good luck, Lee and Crystal. You have made the most of a sub-par season for yourselves and for the American viewers. I will be watching very closely this Tuesday. Please throw caution to the wind and blow me away.

Now Seeking New Full-Time Contributors!

PopREX fans rejoice! The hiatus has ended! With exams in my past and the summer in my future, I am poised and ready to crank out some quality material for your viewing pleasure. I got some great things cookin' in my overstuffed head, but to really keep the content flowing, The Spot could use some help.

So, if you are big into pop culture and entertainment (specifically television, music, movies, and video games), and think you have the writing chops and dedication to keep Poposaurus chock-full of thoughtful and fun articles, please reach out to me ASAP with a short sample article so we can get the ball rolling. You can send your articles to:

poposaurus@gmail.com

What I am loking for is two or three talented and (more importantly) dedicated writers who have the time and motivation to pump out 2-3 new articles a week. If you have a particular affinity for one of the four "genres" I mentioned above, that is fine, so long as once in a while you can stretch a bit a write something in a different area. The more personality you can show in your writing, the better, though keep in mind I'd always prefer substance over style.

I look forward to reading your submissions. And keep an eye on PopREX, as the new content will start flowing shortly! Spot out.

Quote-osaurus: NBC Thursday Night Comedies, 5/6/10

STUDY BREAK! I know I said I was on hiatusaurus (these dinosaur turns-of-phrase getting old yet?), but I figured I'd throw you all a bone to pick your teeth with in the meantime. So here are my favorite quotes from last night's NBC comedy lineup.

Community- "Modern Warfare" (Spot's Pick: Maybe not the best quotables, but the cliche-happy action sequences and countless tongue-in-cheek nods to movies like Terminator 2, Scarface, Rambo, 28 Days Later and Hard Boiled make this the best episode of the night)

Abed: To be blunt, Jeff and Britta are no Ross and Rachel. Your sexual tension and lack of chemistry are putting us all on edge, which is why, ironically--and hear this on every level--you are keeping us from being "FRIENDS."

Jeff [before shooting the Chess Club with paintballs]: Checkmate, bitches...and tell the Drama Club their tears will be real today.

Abed: Anyone need a pee break?
Pierce: I'll stand guard. I'm wearing a diaper...for the game.
Jeff: Oh yeah, "for the game."

Britta: Oh my g-d, you've been hit.
Jeff: What? Oh no! Oh wait, wait. It's blood. I thought it was paint but I'm just bleeding. Talk about luck, phew.

Jeff [to Britta, about sleeping together]: Absolutely no need to mention it to anyone.
Britta: Right, no big deal, nothing's changed. [They walk into the study room]
Abed: ...something's changed.
Jeff: Oh Abed, crazy Abed...
Abed: No, something's different now.
Pierce: It could be me. I'm sporting a man-thong.
Abed: ...maybe.

Parks and Recreation- "Telethon"

Ron: I like a dog as much as the next guy, but this building does not allow animals. Andy, take him outside.
Andy: And shoot him?!
Ron: No, just take him outside.

Mark: I'm going to ask [Anne] to marry me. I love her and...
Leslie: Horesback! You should ask her on horseback. No, you should ask her in a hot air balloon. No, she should be in the balloon, and you ride up on horseback. Oh, wait. She's in the balloon, you ride up on horseback, point to the sky, and in skywriting it says "Marry me Anne." [...] Can you get five eagles? Get ten eagles!
Mark: Leslie...
Leslie: Right, it's your life. Get as many eagles as you want.

Tom: Does Pawnee Local Access even have hair and makeup?
Leslie: Well, they have a communal lipstick, and a box of combs.

Tom: You know who would be the coolest celebrity to hang out with? Chris Angel. You'd be talking to him and then he'd like just burst into flames.

Ron: I suffer from a condition. It's called Sleep Fighting.
Leslie: Oh my, that must be terrible.
Ron. Only when I'm losing.

The Office- "The Cover-Up"

Dwight: Stop it!
Jim: Stop what?
Dwight: You're talking about me in morse code. Well you know what? The joke's on you because I know morse code.
Jim [sarcastically]: Yeah, that's what we're doing. In our very limited free time and on our very limited budget, we went and got a nanny, and then we went out and took a class on a very outmoded and very unnecessary form of communication just so we could talk about you in front of you.
Jim [confessional to the camera, sincerely]: Yup, that's exactly what we did.

Michael [confessional to the camera]: Things with Donna are going great. We are just clicking on every level. Emotionally. Sexually. Orally.

Jim: Wow, it's a little too early for ice cream, don't you think?
Michael: It's never too early for ice cream, Jim. But we didn't have any ice cream, so this is mayonaise and black olives.
[Jim and Pam cry out in disgust]
Michael: It's comfort food.

Donna: I told you I like you.
Michael: Well you...are bonerific.
Donna: [laughs] Hey if I said we should go away for a couple of days you would...
Michael: Poop my pants.
Donna: Ever been to Vero Beach?
Michael: Oh my g-d. Vero Beach? No. Is that on the water?

30 Rock- "The Moms"

Will Ferrell as "Bitch Hunter": Put the mimosas DOWN, bitch!

Margaret Lemon: Oh yes, we met a few years ago when the girls were living together in Chicago.
Verna Maroney: YOU MUST HAVE ME CONFUSED WITH SOMEONE ELSE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CHICAGO. [Under her breath] I sexually assaulted Scotty Pippen in 1997.

Jack: In the meantime, Kenneth here will, uh, entertain you.
Colleen: Okay, Kenneth. "Entertain" me.
Kenneth [singing and dancing]: Oooooh, the pickles in the creek, and the frog's in the kitchen. [Stops singing] I apologize ma'am, that is not a song. You make me very nervous.

Verna: That's gonna be a problem for me. You see, I already spent that down payment on one half of my boob job. It's not an implant; it's just a little yank-up, you know. I mean I got the meat, Jack. Go ahead, feel them. Feel the difference.
Jack: Very different indeed. Like a cantaloupe, and a zip-lock bag full of mushroom soup.

Tracy: You are way beneath me, Novella. I am a movie star, a television actor, and a Guinness Book of World Record holder for most car accidents in a single year. [...]
Novella: And do you think I want a fake son who recorded an anti-condom PSA?
Tracy: I saved a lot of kids from lame sex!!

Jenna: Tracy, this Mother's Day thing is a disaster.
Tracy: I hear you! Because you are talking in an ear that I didn't lose a button in.