#so Karl I hope I have done you justice my dude

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Don’t Stop Me Now

This Wuha sh*t has me f*cked up but it’s been pretty legit with all the new release flicks on streaming. I’ve seen a ton of movies i missed in theaters here on my couch and it has been glorious. One i decided to skip because of all the little chil’lens was Sonic the Hedgehog. I’m a massive fan of the Sonic from way back when so i was concerned how this movie would be received, especially after that god-awful reveal initially. Dude had human teeth and it was horrifying. Paramount put it back in the cooker for a few months and popped out something a little more accurate, much to my surprise.This thing came out and blew up the theater market, also to my surprise. I couldn’t believe how accepted by the masses this thing was. Since it’s out on streaming now, i finally decided to check it out. After my first viewing, I have a few qualms but so much more to gush about.

The Good

First and foremost, thank god Paramount decided to shelve that original Sanic design. Goddamn was that hing creepy. This new one hits the sweet spot between Classic and Modern Sonic perfectly. F*cking good job.

Sonic the Hedgehog feels like an MCU Spider-Man film and i love. That opening sequence felt right in line with Tom Holland and his ridiculously lovable quips. When he hot me with that “great power” line, i almost sh*t myself.

The usage of the rings was surprisingly dope. When i saw their ability in the previews, i thought it might be stupid but, to my surprise, it was pretty interesting. No spoilers but it’s a nice plot device.

All of those game references are adorable. I mean, that Mushroom World reference, tho. Outstanding.

The contrasting themes of friendship and loneliness, while a little trite, are more than enough to give proper depth to a relatively shallow plot. There’s a ton of soul in this flick which i think is because of these particular themes and how they’re explored.

I have to say, this score is pretty legit. I thought we’d have something special with that opening Queen ballad but it just kind of kept coming with the bangers. did not expect that from a Sonic the Hedgehog adaption.

But that sound design, tho. I mean, the rings, Sonic’s spin dash, and even that little Green Hill remix; I loved al of it!

Ben Schwartz as Sonic is amazing. Dude fills those shoes perfectly. I grew up on the old cartoons with Urkel so dude had to bring the fury to impress and, boy, did he. Schwartz bring this effervescent, lovable energy to Sonic that immediately endears the blue blur to your heart.

James Marsden is quite charming as Thomas Wachowski. Dude is usually rather dry for my taste but i actually enjoy him in this. Dude has an absolutely brilliant chemistry with Schwartz and considering dude is a cartoon, that’s saying a lot. All hail Donut Lord!

Tika Sumpter was surprisingly hilarious as Maddie Wachowski, Tom’s wife. She has a very small amount of screen time but she kind of killed it when she was onscreen. I think she had potential going forward but it might be tricky giving her proper due in the future.

Jim Carrey is absolutely brilliant in his aggressive, manic, self. I miss this Carrey, that Mask/Ace Ventura Carrey. His Robtonik hits all of those nostalgia notes and i love it. I hope he returns for the sequel, if there’s a sequel. His Robotnik is mad insidious and i’d love to see what he can do in Mobius.

Shout out to Crazy Karl!

The Bad

Ugh. That Floss, tho. Really?

The plot to this flick is kind of generic. You’ve seen this buddy cop cartoon shtick before. Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Iron Giant, Peter Rabbit, Bumblebee, the f*cking Smurfs; This type of flick might as will be a trope. Still, Sonic’s execution more than makes up for it’s pedestrian framing device.

The pacing of this movie is a little funky. The relationship between Tom and Sonic feels like they rushed through the necessary milestones but this movie is only a little over an hour and a half so i imagine expedience is necessary.

This is more a nitpick than anything because i actually really like this effect but the way they address Sonic’s super-speed isn’t anything new or innovative. It’s kind of just Quicksilver meets Blue Hedgehog but the way it’s executed is pretty dope.

Sonic is definitely a family film. It’s nothing heavy or super deep, but it is fun as hell. I’ve seen a lot of reviews kind of ding it because of that but i, personally, didn’t have a problem with it. Still, if you go into this looking for some super philosophical dive into the human condition or expect it to be as funny as a Chappelle standup, you’re going to be disappointed. I don’t think this is too terrible but it can be considering a limitation i guess? I dunno. I’m reaching for sh*t to dislike at this point.

The Verdict

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the best video game adaptions i have ever to seen. I thought Detective Pikachu was the clear winner but this one gives it a real run for it’s money. It’s incredibly adorable, has fantastic performances, and genuine heart. Ben Schwartz give a life to sonic that rivals Jaleel White and i say that with all of the nostalgia i have for those old Sonic cartoons. Jim Carrey steals every scene he’s in and even James Marsden is great. Dude is usually kind of iffy in my opinion but he’s great in this. Probably all that practice with the other computer generated, anthropomorphic, animal movies he’s in. Look, i loved this movie. I absolutely did. It has it’s problems but, i mean, its f*cking Sonic and it’s good. It’s a good Sonic the hedgehog movie and that’s saying a mouthful considering the majority of the games that predate this thing. This movie is more Sonic than anything Sonic team has released in the last two decades and that;s absolutely ridiculous. I can’t wait for another one, as long as they maintain this level of quality.

This movie made me smile. Genuinely smile. I love Sonic. I’ve loved Sonic since i was a kid. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of my all time video games. It’s the reason i got a Genesis way back when. In a world where Bayhem corrupted my beloved Transformers and Disney dropped the ball with Star Wars, seeing Sonic done proper justice on film is absolutely blessing. If you love the Blue Blur like i do or just enjoy wholesome family entertainment, this flick is definitely for you.

[comicweek]

My Favorite Comics Things 2018 Part 1: The Creators

The following is selections of my ballot for @multiversitycomics end of the year awards. The ballot is done in a Ranked Choice manner, with placement in relation to the amount of points that vote gets. So 10 is best 1 is least best. I’ll write notes where I can.

The WRITERS

10 - James Tynion IV

Tynion IV  finished up his excellent 47 issue run (and some change) on Detective Comics. This run of ‘Tec was my favorite thing in the Rebirth era, it was so consistent and he ended things on an emotionally powerful note (that is perhaps undone by the nature of BigTwo Comics.) He also started writing Justice League Dark and spot issues of Justice League. An overall good year, which is to say nothing of his continuing adventures of the Backstager with specials and other work at Boom.

9 - Marguerite Bennett

Bennett finished up an 18 issue run of Batwoman, that I vainly hope will get a deluxe collection one day. Bombshells: United also ended in one of the best examples of this is how you do finales

8 - Sarah Vaughn

I was a bit of a late convert to Sleepless, which is surprising since Vaughn did the underrated Alex+Ada with  Jonathan Luna and Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love. Sleepless is a sleeper hit of Image, I hope, it’s not like anything they really publish with its emphasis on fantasy romance that rightly eschews explaining the fantasy except for fantasy that is love. 

7 - Kieron Gillen 

The Wicked + The Divine continued on. He recently launched Die with Stephanie Hans. Finished up work on Star Wars. Uber is still around and he has that new book from Dynamite.

6 - Jeff Lemire

If all he did was Black Hammer, the main book, he’d make the list. But Lemire also wrote several Hammer miniseries as Dark Horse finds a new Mignolaver-esque line to publish (and adapt). He also finished a multi year run on Bloodshot with several experimental issues and kinda killed all my interest in the property for the time being. Which is the sign of a great run.

5 - Bryan Edward Hill

Despite being around and within comics and comics related things for years, 2018 was a bit of a breakout year for Bryan Edward HIll. He finished up work on what appears to be the first “season” of Postal. Wrote a solid fill in arc for Detective Comics, that spins into his forthcoming Batman and the Outsiders relaunch. And was a part of the Vertigo relaunch with American Carnage. He is a good writer and an all around interesting dude, who is a great interview, which is why his proclamation that 2019 might be is last year in comics so freighting.

4 - Jody Houser

2018 was a good year for Jody Houser. By her count she contributed to 48 issues overall (41 as solo writer). She finished off a run on Mother Panic, started a new Faith mini at Valiant. Continued to write Star Wars stuff and other nerd properties like Doctor Who (13th Doctor) and Stranger Things. 

3 - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Black Panther was a big deal with year and Coates run on the series has helped prime things. I’ve largely dropped Marvel but whatever Coates does I’ll give it a look. This includes his run on Captain America. 

2 - Cecil Castellucci

Shade, The Changing Woman, that is all. 

1 -  Magdalene Visaggio

A productive year for Mags Visaggio, new Kim & Kim and one of the real surprises of Young Animal: Eternity Girl.

Artists in General

10 – Alvaro Martinez & Raul Fernandez - Detective Comics and Justice League Dark

9 – Fernando Blanco - Batwoman

8 – Sonny Lieu - Eternity Girl and Milk Wars backups

7 – Karl Kerschl & MSASSYK -Isola

6 – Ed Piskor - X-Men: Grand Design

5 – Sean Phillips - My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies

4  - Ngozi Ukazu - Check, Please!

3 – Dexter Soy - Red Hood and the Outlaws

2 – Linda Sejic - Swing, Punderworld

1 – Stjepan Sejic - Aquaman, Justice League Odyssey,Sunstone: Mercy

Publishers

1. First Second Books

They published my favorite OGN of the year,The Prince and the Dressmaker, and have some of the best YA OGN publishing in the book trade.

2. Drawn & Quarterly

The Berlin trilogy is finally complete and they published a lil book called Sabrina, which got nominated for that there Man Booker Prize

3. Image Comics

Basically the go to place for mainstream independent work.

4. DC Comics

They may be doing some stuff that has made people on the internet angry, but they did a lot of good. Spinning up Zoom and Ink for next year, Bendis and Jinxworld, overall quality of the line. I maybe less enchanted with them in 2018 but they still did a lot of good. 

5. Top Cow Productions

Yes, an imprint within a publisher but their overall offering has me consistent interested and willing to give them a shot. 

My Favorite Comics Things 2018 Part 2: The Comics  My Favorite Comics Things 2018 Part 3: Adaptations   

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Don’t Stop Me Now

This Wuha sh*t has me f*cked up but it’s been pretty legit with all the new release flicks on streaming. I’ve seen a ton of movies i missed in theaters here on my couch and it has been glorious. One i decided to skip because of all the little chil’lens was Sonic the Hedgehog. I’m a massive fan of the Sonic from way back when so i was concerned how this movie would be received, especially after that god-awful reveal initially. Dude had human teeth and it was horrifying. Paramount put it back in the cooker for a few months and popped out something a little more accurate, much to my surprise.This thing came out and blew up the theater market, also to my surprise. I couldn’t believe how accepted by the masses this thing was. Since it’s out on streaming now, i finally decided to check it out. After my first viewing, I have a few qualms but so much more to gush about.

The Good

First and foremost, thank god Paramount decided to shelve that original Sanic design. Goddamn was that hing creepy. This new one hits the sweet spot between Classic and Modern Sonic perfectly. F*cking good job.

Sonic the Hedgehog feels like an MCU Spider-Man film and i love. That opening sequence felt right in line with Tom Holland and his ridiculously lovable quips. When he hot me with that “great power” line, i almost sh*t myself.

The usage of the rings was surprisingly dope. When i saw their ability in the previews, i thought it might be stupid but, to my surprise, it was pretty interesting. No spoilers but it’s a nice plot device.

All of those game references are adorable. I mean, that Mushroom World reference, tho. Outstanding.

The contrasting themes of friendship and loneliness, while a little trite, are more than enough to give proper depth to a relatively shallow plot. There’s a ton of soul in this flick which i think is because of these particular themes and how they’re explored.

I have to say, this score is pretty legit. I thought we’d have something special with that opening Queen ballad but it just kind of kept coming with the bangers. did not expect that from a Sonic the Hedgehog adaption.

But that sound design, tho. I mean, the rings, Sonic’s spin dash, and even that little Green Hill remix; I loved al of it!

Ben Schwartz as Sonic is amazing. Dude fills those shoes perfectly. I grew up on the old cartoons with Urkel so dude had to bring the fury to impress and, boy, did he. Schwartz bring this effervescent, lovable energy to Sonic that immediately endears the blue blur to your heart.

James Marsden is quite charming as Thomas Wachowski. Dude is usually rather dry for my taste but i actually enjoy him in this. Dude has an absolutely brilliant chemistry with Schwartz and considering dude is a cartoon, that’s saying a lot. All hail Donut Lord!

Tika Sumpter was surprisingly hilarious as Maddie Wachowski, Tom’s wife. She has a very small amount of screen time but she kind of killed it when she was onscreen. I think she had potential going forward but it might be tricky giving her proper due in the future.

Jim Carrey is absolutely brilliant in his aggressive, manic, self. I miss this Carrey, that Mask/Ace Ventura Carrey. His Robtonik hits all of those nostalgia notes and i love it. I hope he returns for the sequel, if there’s a sequel. His Robotnik is mad insidious and i’d love to see what he can do in Mobius.

Shout out to Crazy Karl!

The Bad

Ugh. That Floss, tho. Really?

The plot to this flick is kind of generic. You’ve seen this buddy cop cartoon shtick before. Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Iron Giant, Peter Rabbit, Bumblebee, the f*cking Smurfs; This type of flick might as will be a trope. Still, Sonic’s execution more than makes up for it’s pedestrian framing device.

The pacing of this movie is a little funky. The relationship between Tom and Sonic feels like they rushed through the necessary milestones but this movie is only a little over an hour and a half so i imagine expedience is necessary.

This is more a nitpick than anything because i actually really like this effect but the way they address Sonic’s super-speed isn’t anything new or innovative. It’s kind of just Quicksilver meets Blue Hedgehog but the way it’s executed is pretty dope.

Sonic is definitely a family film. It’s nothing heavy or super deep, but it is fun as hell. I’ve seen a lot of reviews kind of ding it because of that but i, personally, didn’t have a problem with it. Still, if you go into this looking for some super philosophical dive into the human condition or expect it to be as funny as a Chappelle standup, you’re going to be disappointed. I don’t think this is too terrible but it can be considering a limitation i guess? I dunno. I’m reaching for sh*t to dislike at this point.

The Verdict

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the best video game adaptions i have ever to seen. I thought Detective Pikachu was the clear winner but this one gives it a real run for it’s money. It’s incredibly adorable, has fantastic performances, and genuine heart. Ben Schwartz give a life to sonic that rivals Jaleel White and i say that with all of the nostalgia i have for those old Sonic cartoons. Jim Carrey steals every scene he’s in and even James Marsden is great. Dude is usually kind of iffy in my opinion but he’s great in this. Probably all that practice with the other computer generated, anthropomorphic, animal movies he’s in. Look, i loved this movie. I absolutely did. It has it’s problems but, i mean, its f*cking Sonic and it’s good. It’s a good Sonic the hedgehog movie and that’s saying a mouthful considering the majority of the games that predate this thing. This movie is more Sonic than anything Sonic team has released in the last two decades and that;s absolutely ridiculous. I can’t wait for another one, as long as they maintain this level of quality.

This movie made me smile. Genuinely smile. I love Sonic. I’ve loved Sonic since i was a kid. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of my all time video games. It’s the reason i got a Genesis way back when. In a world where Bayhem corrupted my beloved Transformers and Disney dropped the ball with Star Wars, seeing Sonic done proper justice on film is absolutely blessing. If you love the Blue Blur like i do or just enjoy wholesome family entertainment, this flick is definitely for you.