“Green Lantern” glows with action despite dim plot

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When it comes to the hierarchy of the DC Universe, the Green Lantern Corps has always been on the periphery of popularity behind the likes of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But just as Marvel has elevated some of its B-level heroes to blockbuster status over the past few years, DC finally gives the most well-known bearer of the Green Lantern ring, Hal Jordan, the big screen treatment with Green Lantern (opening today).

While most of the other recent comic-to-screen translations have tried to legitimize the genre with accomplished directors, respectable actors, well-written scripts and believable takes on otherwise unbelievable source material, Green Lantern (for the most part) is pure CGI-filled escapism. Plot-wise, Green Lantern is surprisingly similar to that other recent superhero hit Thor, with Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) playing a cocky, arrogant and irresponsible test pilot whose Top Gun-like showboating causes problems for pretty much everyone around him. Despite being a seemingly undeserving wearer of the powerful Green Lantern ring, the ring chooses him after its previous wearer dies after battling the fear-mongering, planet-destroying entity known as Parallax (whose guttural growl sounds like the guy from monster truck commercials, thanks to veteran voice actor Clancy Brown).

Borrowing heavily from the original Superman movie (especially in scenes with Jordan and his love interest Carol Ferris, played by Blake Lively) and Star Wars (with the Green Lantern Corps home base of Oa looking like the Mos Eisley Cantina on steroids), Green Lantern has a hard time establishing an identity of its own. And though Reynolds certainly looks the part of the Jordan character previously seen in comics and cartoons, his portrayal of the character comes across a bit hokey, especially when he finally proves his worth as a Green Lantern by overcoming his own shortcomings and inner demons.

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) learns to wield the power of the Green Lantern

Green Lantern‘s supporting cast, which includes Angella Bassett, Tim Robbins, Geoffrey Rush and British actor Mark Strong as Sinestro, gives the film a little bit of acting clout. And Peter Sarsgaard, who starts off looking a little like Paul Giamatti and ends up looking more like the Elephant Man after being infected with Parallax’s power, definitely turns in an impressive performance as the nerdy professor Hector Hammond. But for some reason, none of that ever totally makes up for the cliched plot and lack of character development.

Oa's intergalactic Green Lantern Corps

Visually, however, Green Lantern has all the makings of a blockbuster summer spectacle, with plenty of glitzy battles that make their way from the deepest, darkest regions of outer space to Jordan’s earthly hometown of Coast City and back out to the edge of the sun’s gravitational pull. Director Martin Campbell is clearly going more for Michael Bay-like action and suspension of disbelief than Christopher Nolan-like seriousness, which reminds us that comic books (and their film adaptations) sometimes still need to be more about escapism than intellectualism.

Green Lantern. Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard and Mark Strong. Rated PG-13. www.greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams

MGCW Champion Andy Anderson prepares for WarGames

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By Jonathan Williams

Courtesy MGCW

This Saturday, Mid Georgia Championship Wrestling hosts its biggest show of the year thus far with Bash at the Bridge. And while the card features appearances by the New Age Outlaws Jesse James and Billy Gunn, “Wildfire” Tommy Rich and the induction of Curtis Hughes into the MGCW Hall of Fame, there are a few other matches that are likely to have a lasting effect within MGCW. The biggest of those matches is the WarGames main event, where Team Anderson (Andy Anderson, Axil Anderson and two mystery partners) looks to settle its score against Team Exotic (the Exotic Ones Simon Sermon and Rick Michaels, “Vicious” Vic Roze and Vordell Walker). Like the old World Championship Wrestling event of the same name, WarGames will feature two rings inside the same steal cage, with participants from each team entering in two-minute inervals until all eight men are in the cage. As he prepares for one of the biggest matches of his career, MGCW Heavyweight Champion Andy Anderson takes a moment to talk about his career leading up to the WarGames match.

This Saturday you’re involved in the WarGames match, which is something we haven’t seen since the WCW days.

Yeah, it’s the same format and same style as the WCW one. It’s me, my brother Axil and two mystery partners we’ll announce Saturday night. We’re taking on Rick Michaels, Simon Sermon, Vordell Walker and Vic Roze. The two team captains start the match, which will be me and Simon, and every two minutes we’ll do a coin toss to see who the next participant will be. Once everyone is in the ring, WarGames will start and the only way to win is by surrender or submission.

How do you prepare for a match like the WarGames match?

It’s probably going to be at least a 45-minute match. So you’ve got to do a lot of cardio because it’s going to be a long match and there’s going to be a lot going on.

You’re title is not on the line in this match. When will you be defending your belt again?

I defend the title again on July 9 in McDonough, Ga. against a guy named Tokyo Monster Kahagas from Florida.

My first time seeing MGCW was when you guys invaded Platinum Championship Wrestling a few months ago. When did MGCW start and how long have you been part of it?

I got my start in Deep South Wrestling, the former WWE developmental school, in ’06. I got my feet wet there then took about a year off. I came back in ’07 and trained here and there with people like Tommy Rich and Ricky Morton. I went out to Texas this past April to train and I’ve done various other training. Then I started MGCW back in ’09 with Jackie Marler, my [business] partner.

 
 
When did you originally win the MGCW title?
 

 

I won the title in October of 2010. Shane Marx took it from me in January, but I got it back in February.

Courtesy MGCW

MGCW is doing a lot of big shows, monthly TV tapings and other things that a lot of other indie promotions aren’t doing. What is your goal with MGCW?

Our goal is to get as big as possible while trying to keep a little bit of that old school tradition. We want to keep it a wrestling promotion and not a production type of thing. We’ve got a few guys in our promotion that try to do the whole WWE mainstream-type work, but most of us shoot more towards the old school style of wrestling.

Is that one of the reasons you bring back things like WarGames?

Yeah. It’s something people haven’t seen since WCW did it in the ’90s. It’s something different for the fans. Before we were all workers, we were all fans, too. So it’s something I’ve always wanted to see and it’s something different. It’s an old concept, but at this day and time it’s kind of new. Other promotions have announced WarGames, but it ends up being only one cage and one ring. We’re trying to go back to the traditional two rings in two cages. We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully it will go well. All of our fans are excited about it and I think it will turn out pretty well.

How often do you wrestle for other promotions? Is that something you’d like to do more of?

I’m actually doing a show in Panama City for the Fourth of July, so I’m definitely trying to venture out more. I’d still like to get my name out more. I’m going to try to go to Puerto Rico in July or August and maybe do a few runs out there. There’s a lot of independent promotions out that way and that’s my next step is trying to really get my name out there.

Ever since the MGCW invasion of PCW, I’ve noticed more and more PCW guys wrestling at MGCW shows. Do you think you’ll ever return to PCW and try to take their title again?

Oh, yeah. I loved working with Steve [Platinum] and Shane was great and I had a great time. We kind of had different ideas and went separate ways, but you might just see Platinum at our show on Saturday night. You never know. The invasion thing honestly never really ended. We’ve got plans for that still and that will all unravel as things play out.

 Bash at the Bridge. $7-$15. 7:30 p.m. June 11. Stockbridge Middle School Gymnasium, 533 Old Conyers Road, Stockbridge, Ga. 678-699-8206, www.mgcwnow.com.

Tyson Dean continues his quest for the MGCW TV title this weekend

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Tyson Dean takes it to "Hard Luck" Harrison at MGCW's first TV taping. Photo courtesy MGCW

 

By Jonathan Williams

With live shows every month or so and monthly TV tapings airing on Saturdays on SBN TV, Mid Georgia Championship Wrestling is quickly becoming one of the most active indie wrestling promotions in the Atlanta area. And even though he hasn’t even been wrestling for a year yet, one of the most promising wrestlers on the MGCW roster is Tyson Dean. With the managerial acumen of “Screamin'” Marty Freeman, Dean has had some impressive showings in MGCW as of late, most notably in the tournament to crown the first MGCW Television Champion. After two impressive victories at last month’s TV tapings, Dean looks to continue advancing in the TV title tournament, which comes to a conclusion at June’s Bash at the Bridge event. In the meantime, Dean will be part of this weekend’s Saturday Night Wrestling event at Stockbridge High School, as well as MGCW’s next set of TV tapings at People TV on Sunday. As he prepares for these two big events, Dean takes a moment to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about getting into the wrestling business and his goal of becoming MGCW’s first Television Champion.

Over the past few months, you’ve really started to make a name for yourself in MGCW. Have you wrestled in other promotions or do you mostly just work for MGCW?

I’ve primarily worked for MGCW. We did a little bit of stuff with Platinum Championship Wrestling a few months ago, when Andy Anderson and Shane Marx [had a feud]. I’ve done a few tag matches, worked with Renegade Championship Wrestling up in Chatsworth and Championship Wrestling Overload down in Milledgeville, but that was really more of just a ringside thing with Andy Anderson than me actually working there.

Did you train with MGCW or did you get your start elsewhere?

Andy and I have known each other for around 20 years now. I ran into him at a show MGCW was putting on and got to talking and he knew that I had a background in boxing and Sambo. I had been a wrestling fan since I was a kid, so he opened the door for me and asked if I wanted to come over and train with them. That’s how I got started.

So has Andy Anderson been the only person to train you?

I’ve done work with Andy and we’ve done a little bit of work with Tommy Rich. The athletic part’s the easy part, but to get the insight of a guy who’s been around that long, that was really cool getting to work with him.

You’re currently competing in the tournament to become the first MGCW Television Champion, and have had a good showing thus far. What would it mean to you to become the first MGCW TV Champion?

Oh, it’d mean everything, especially since it comes so close to the end of my first full year as a pro wrestler. It would be awesome to cap it off by becoming the first MGCW TV Champion.

How would you say that title compares to the MGCW Heavyweight Championship currently held by your friend Andy Anderson?

I think it will be a good stepping stone for the guys on the rise. It will mean a lot because it will primarily be defended at the TV tapings. So for a guy like me who is less than a year in, it would be an awesome stepping stone to one day maybe having a run at the heavyweight title.

You have two shows coming up this weekend. You’ll be competing in the TV title tournament again on Sunday, but do you have a match at the show on Saturday?

There are a couple of names that have been thrown out there, but no one has been confirmed for Saturday yet. The names that I’ve heard are guys that I’m really trying to get in the ring with. They’re guys that I’ve seen work live and seen video of and I think it’s something I’m going to have an awesome time with and the people there should really be entertained by it.

You also recently employed “Screamin'” Marty Freeman as your manager. What role does he play in your career at the moment?

I had seen Marty at the Platinum shows and got to talking to him and just always liked his ring presence and how he handles his guys. He’s just gold on the mic and seeing him pick up and say a lot of things for me better than I could ever say them myself, that’s why I really value Marty.

"Screamin'" Marty Freeman raises Tyson Dean's hand in victory at last month's MGCW TV tapings. Photo by Lynda Davis

Everywhere else I’ve seen him work, he and his wrestlers use some pretty dirty tactics. But with you he seems to take a different approach. Why is that?

What he told me when I approached him about being my manager was that there was a short list of guys in MGCW that he’d be interested in managing and I was at the top of that list. He thought it would be something that would be new for him, but something that we’d definitely both benefit from.

Who do you anticipate being your biggest challenge in the TV title tournament?

Mr. X. He’s like me – new to the sport, hungry and a big strong guy. He moves well for a guy his size and I think it will be a good match should we get matches up.

MGCW’s Saturday Night Wrestling. $5-$10. 8 p.m. May 21. Stockbridge High School, 1151 Old Conyers Road, Stockbridge, Ga. 770-474-8747.  

MGCW TV tapings. Free. 3 p.m. May 22. People TV, 190 14th Street NW, Atlanta, Ga. 404-873-6712, www.mgcwnow.com.

“Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition” smashes the Nintendo 3DS competition

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Since the summer of ’92, I have been spending my quarters in arcades across the country looking for a fight. In that time,  I have punched and kicked my way through countless battles, occasionally throwing in a fireball or flaming uppercut for good measure, repeatedly defeating the Shadaloo crime boss and succumbing to the Raging Demon.

What I have never been able to do, however, is properly execute super moves and ultra combos. Thankfully, Capcom has found a fix for this issue with the use of touchscreen technology in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. In addition to the standard six attack buttons all Street Fighter alum are used to, there are also four touch panels that allow you to pull off regular super moves, super combos, and ultra combos. Gone are the days of ridiculous inputs to pull off anything with Zangief or the deadliest moves of Akuma. With these new controls, this Street Fighter game offers a better user experience than previous editions for newbies and veterans alike.

The good features do not end there, as Capcom has not just ported over the console version of Super Street Fighter IV. In this version, there is also a training mode that works similar to that of the Mortal Kombat or SoulCalibur franchises seen on past PlayStation and Xbox platforms. A series of challenges teach you each of the characters’ moves from the game, starting with simple commands such as fireballs and advancing to the more complex moves such as ultra combos. This is a great way to learn each character’s strengths, weaknesses and advanced moves so touch controls can eventually be phased out. Also included is an over-the-shoulder 3D mode that, despite taking a little getting used to, offers a clearer view of your opponents facial expressions.

If these modes were not enough, Capcom has also included a figure collection mode, allowing you to spend coins and points earned in during gameplay to buy figures via a touch screen roulette game. Thankfully, from the get go, many of the downloadable costumes seen in console versions of the game appear as well.

Capcom has made sure the fighting in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition feels as fantastic as ever, and with the capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, Street Fighter has never looked better. Honestly I was shocked to see how well this game looks. Though I wasn’t expecting Tiger Electronics-style graphics, the 3DS Street Fighter looks as good as any previous console version, with the 3D technology enhancing it even more.

I have played many of the launch titles that the 3DS has to offer and I can honestly say that besides looking the best in graphics with or without the 3D turned on, Super Street Fighter IV also plays better than many other games on the market. This is easily the best handheld fighting game I have played. Whether you’re a Street Fighter vet or new to the fighting scene, this game is the best the Nintendo 3DS has to offer thus far.

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is available for Nintendo 3DS. Rated T. www.streetfighter.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

“Pilotwings Resort” doesn’t quite take flight for Nintendo 3DS

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Launching with the Nintendo 3DS is one of Nintendo‘s lesser known franchises in Pilotwings Resort. While not as well known as the company’s Mario, Zelda, and Metroid titles, the Pilotwings franchise has always been a fun time dating back to the days of the Super Nintendo.

This time around, we get a chance to see the Pilotwings world in 3D. Unfortunately, this is where the issues begin. Of the 3DS games I have played so far, this was the one that gave me the hardest time while viewing in 3D, with landing being one of the most difficult things to manage.

To get around this, I decided to play the game in standard 2D mode and while this certainly helped, game play was not nearly as fun. Though the game itself is not very long, its difficulty level ramps up rather quickly as the game progresses. Upon reaching the silver level (which, including training levels, is only the third stage), I repeatedly failed to get enough stars to advance to the next levels. I tried for hours, changing the controls along the way with little success.

If the game gets too aggravating, you do have the option of a Free Flight mode. This mode allows you to try all the the games flight options for a couple of minutes while collecting balloons and other items, checking out WuHu Island’s sights in the process. There are night and day options, which is neat, but leads to issues because it is hard to tell if you have collected an item already due to a transparent version still appearing. It would be more effective if the items you have collected simply disappeared. In some cases the item appears as a different color, but this is just as confusing, leading you to try to collect unneeded items. Extra
time can be added depending on how many collectibles you can get, but this mode still feels a bit tacked on.

Pilotwings Resort also has some positive elements, however. The hang
gliding sections are great fun and, as you progress through stages, you’re eventually able to take flight in everything from turbojets to flying squirrel suits, adding to the starting options of plane, jet pack, and hang glider. The music is also really well done and, in some parts, very calming.

All in all, this game isn’t what I was expecting from a first-party title, especially from Nintendo. I can’t stress enough how much I could not use the 3D option on the title, which kind of makes it pointless. If you really love previous Pilotwings titles or would like something you can pick up for a few minutes and put down, it may be for you. But there are already other games that use the 3D technology much more effectively. Nintendo is likely to redeem itself with upcoming releases, but this game is definitely not worth the $39.99 retail price.

Pilotwings Resort is available for the Nintendo 3Ds. Rated E.  pilotwingsresort.nintendo.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

Respect for self and others is at the heart of WWE’s “That’s What I Am”

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With recent films such as Legendary, Knucklehead and The Chaperone, WWE Studios has proven that WWE stars can hang with some of Hollywood’s best, and that they are capable of playing more than just tough guy action heroes. But with its latest release, That’s What I Am (available today on DVD and Blu-ray), WWE ventures into more serious topics, allowing the focus to be on the talents of accomplished actors like Ed Harris and Amy Madigan and younger stars like Chase Ellison and Alexander Walters, with current World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton playing a somewhat sinister supporting role.

A film festival favorite, That’s What I Am is a nostalgic and lighthearted dramedy that unfolds like a cross between The Wonder Years and Freaks and Geeks as Andy Nichol (Ellison, who also costarred with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Tooth Fairy) begins to learn the ups and downs of impending adulthood during his final year of junior high. From figuring out how to handle the advances of Mary Clear (Mia Rose Frampton), the prettiest girl in school, to facing ridicule from his classmates after being paired with “Big G” (Walters), the school’s biggest outcast (literally and figuratively), for an English project, Andy is confronted with varying levels of prejudice from multiple sources.

The main conflict arises when accusations about the sexual orientation of Mr. Simon (Harris) come about, with Orton’s character (an intolerant father with a short fuse) threatening to make the rumors about the popular and accomplished teacher public knowledge (a rather damaging prospect in the film’s 1965 setting). From students to parents, everyone is faced with how to handle their own fears and prejudices as the school year comes to an end and the kids find themselves on the brink of high school and all its challenges.

Ed Freel (Randy Orton) talks to Principal Kelner (Amy Madigan) in "That's What I Am"

The latest in the current anti-bullying/accept-me-as-I-am pop cultural trend, That’s What I Am is a somewhat surprising and refreshing departure for WWE, which continues to expand its presence in the overall entertainment world. The DVD/Blu-ray release includes extras such as bloopers, on-set footage with Orton and the movie’s world premeire at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

That’s What I Am. Written and directed by Mike Pavone. Starring Ed Harris, Chase Ellison and Amy Madigan. Rated PG. www.thatswhatiammovie.com. 

Review by Jonathan Williams

“Jumping the Broom”: It’s not “Thor,” but I like it

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So I finally get my first big assignment for Wrestling with Pop Culture and I’m told to do this movie review. Being that I, myself, have superpowers beyond those of normal humans, I figured I would definitely be reviewing the new Thor movie. But no, someone who thinks he is more important had already taken on that responsibility, leaving me to review what looked to be a cheesy chick flick called Jumping the Broom, starring Paula Patton (that really hot chick most recently seen in last year’s Just Wright). Aside from the eye candy, I was dreading the inevitable religious propaganda that was sure to ensue since one of the film’s producers is megachurch minister-turned-Christian author Bishop T.D. Jakes (who also makes an extended cameo as Reverend James).

Once I got past the fact that I was going to a movie about God instead of the one about the God of Thunder, I was surprised to find that Jumping the Broom is less about moralizing and more about a cultural clash. And instead of that clash occurring because of ethnic or racial differences, it’s socioeconomic and cultural differences between a “ghetto” black family and a “bougie” African American family that cause problems. It’s somewhat refreshing to see a story that tackles such topics without falling back on stereotypes between one ethnic group and another.

Laz Alonso as Jason and Paula Patton as Sabrina in "Jumping the Broom"

Instead, these struggles take on a mostly comedic tone as Jason (Laz Alonso) brings his inner city family to the Martha’s Vineyard home of his bride-to-be (Patton). As preparations for the wedding move forward, tensions between the two families (namely the two mothers, played by Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine) escalate, making for some entertaining moments for the viewer. Eventually, however, these tensions eventually bring out long-hidden family secrets and reveal some dastardly character traits that are often misrepresented by some of the film’s more manipulative characters as God’s will. Though it does get a little heavy-handed with the prayer and forgiveness stuff towards the happily-ever-after Hollywood ending, Jumping the Broom, with it’s rich subplots carried out by a talented ensemble cast, ends up being a movie less about God and more about humanity and the foibles it entails.  

Worlds collide in "Jumping the Broom"

While many of you can probably relate to that, I don’t quite get it, being superhuman and all. And as much as I hate to admit it, this movie was actually much better than I had anticipated. Still, if I don’t get to share my thoughts on something with a little more testosterone next time, I may be forced to reveal some of my own godlike powers in order to get my way.

Jumping the Broom. Directed by Salim Akil. Starring Laz Alonso, Paula Patton, Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine. Rated PG-13. www.jumpingthebroom-movie.com.

Review by Flash Gorem