Ben Rhodes
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol: A Film Review
Written by Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor
Monday, 13 February 2012 22:27
The thing I was most excited about going in to see Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was the director. Brad Bird has directed some truly wonderful movies, like The Iron Giant (which, I have to confess, I haven’t seen), Ratatouille, and The Incredibles. I was not disappointed. The direction was easily the best part of the movie. The acting was generally serviceable, but the script was pretty poor. The chief complaint I have with the movie is that so many of the scenes seemed to be there because they wanted a cool scene with a Bollywood flair, or a throwback to the first Mission: Impossible. I have no problems when a movie does something because it is cool, because I love action movies. My issue comes when it is obvious. An example of this could be that in M:I 3, I had no problem with the ambush on the bridge, because a bridge is a perfect spot for an ambush. In M:I 2, the motorcycle front wheelie move was designed by John Woo to be cool, and didn’t make sense in any other context. M:I - GP generally had a good reason for the action set pieces, but there were a few that just bugged me.
Timely Reviews: Television Edition
Written by Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor
Monday, 06 February 2012 23:45
This week, I would like to share my enthusiasm for two sitcoms that I have recently come to adore. In my constant drive to keep my finger on the geeky pulse, I have started watching The Dick Van Dyke Show and Cheers. Both shows are well executed sitcoms with sharp writing and great characters.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: A Film Review
Written by Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 04:45
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a tightly-plotted, subtle movie about spies and secrets in the England of 1973. Having read the book twice, I can say with complete confidence that, while there were changes in the film, they were generally small and streamlined the story. For those unaware, the film follows a retired spymaster named George Smiley, as he attempts to track down a mole in the highest levels of British intelligence. Mostly, this is accomplished by interviewing various players and piecing a coherent narrative from several distinct and fragmentary versions of the events. Book report over, what this movie does exceedingly well is take this big broad story and trim it down without appearing to remove anything at all. This movie revels in the deceptions of its characters and rewards close attention from the audience.
Asura’s Wrath: A Video Game (Demo) Review
Written by Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor
Monday, 23 January 2012 22:16
In my role as an occasional reviewer, I believe that my most important job is to recommend content that you, dear reader, might not think to try. So, it is a great honor for me to suggest that any and all of you who like video games try the demo for Asura’s Wrath. This game is loosely based on Asian Mythology, and infused with science fiction, which is nothing new. What makes this game (demo) great is the sheer level of over-the-top crazy that it revels in. And, revel it does. I want to save the biggest surprises for you, but the main character occasionally gets so mad that he grows extra arms. He also catches a missile, and throws it back at the ship that launched it, but my favorite thing in this demo is when you punch a guy so hard that your arms fall off.
The State of the DC Reblaunch
Written by Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics Senior Contributor
Tuesday, 17 January 2012 06:57
Since the DC reboot – or reblaunch – I have only kept up with a few of the new books. I should confess that I didn’t pick up some of the ones I was most interested in, namely Action Comics and Wonder Woman. I did get The Flash, Deadman, Resurrection Man, Detective Comics, Aquaman, Blue Beetle, Nightwing, Teen Titans, The Savage Hawkman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Green Toaster. I think that’s it. Deadman and Green Lantern were interesting, but didn’t grab me. The Green Arrow was boring, predictable, and terrible. I was intrigued by, but ultimately disappointed in, Resurrection Man. I liked Nightwing and Teen Titans enough, but not enough to keep buying. Let us never mention the Green Toaster fiasco again. By my math, this leaves Blue Beetle, The Savage Hawkman, Detective Comics, Aquaman, and The Flash. I put all of these on my pull list.
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