THE MUSIC OF DC COMICS: 75TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

DC Comics was the first huge comic book publisher, and with iconic characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, DC Comics has expanded well beyond comic books to television and movies, animation and live action.  The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Edition is a 31-track sampling of the wide variety of the music (and, often narration) that has accompanies those sound-filled exploits.

While 75 years of music could easily fill several volumes, The Music of DC Comics (released in 2010) does a quite satisfactory job of showcasing the sounds accompanying their superheroes, from 1941's "Superman March" to 2009's "Green Lantern: First Flight."  There are iconic numbers (such as the theme from the Batman television show or John Williams' Superman movie theme) and rarities (introductions to cartoons from the 1960s; the opening to the "Legends of the Superheroes" comedy roast; and who remembers the Swamp Thing cartoon, let alone its opening?).  The first seven songs are all from Superman-based works, the next seven from Batman's body of work, then a variety follows.

The Music of DC Comics is a terrific trip down memory lane -- but it feels like two albums mixed together.  The instrumental songs here are all very well done, quite dramatic and often very powerful.  Then there are the narrated songs, which are often just a smattering of background music while a narrator extols the powers of the hero.  (These are contrasted at the end of the album, where the dramatic instrumental from the end of the Wonder Woman animated movie is followed by the disco-inspired theme song from the live-action Wonder Woman show ("in her satin tights/fighting for her rights."))  Worse, there are no notes on how the album is put together, what determined which songs made the cut (like the intro to the Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show) and what didn't (no Challenge of the Super Friends, though there are two other Super Friends songs).  There isn't even an introduction by one of DC's writers or artists to talk about the impact these tunes have had on the heroes or on them.

But these complaints pale next to the very wide variety of songs collected here.  The Music of DC Comics is far from complete and could have used more explanation, but what this provides is a neat trip down memory lane, a showcase of songs the listener hasn't heard before (I doubt even the most ardent comic book fan has heard all the songs here), and a pretty exciting soundtrack to go along with some of comic books' mightiest heroes (plus Aquaman and Hawkman).

Overall grade: A-
Reviewed by James Lynch

HIS AT NIGHT by Sherry Thomas

It's time for some Regency romance with His at Night, a Sherry Thomas novel that combines mysteries, damsels in distress, and manly males to create a romance that's as much about forgiveness as about love, His at Night has its hero and heroine meetings through a big coincidence. Elissande Edgerton lives, with her Aunt Rachel, as a prisoner of her sadistic, controlling "boo! hiss!" evil Uncle Edmund Douglas. When, through a neighbor's home's sudden rat infestation, several people move temporarily into the Douglas home, Elissande hatches a plan: Find a wealthy single man, get them caught in a compromising position, marry him, and rescue her aunt and herself from the home. This seems easier -- at first -- with her immediate attraction to Lord Vere.

Lord Vere has his own mysteries. Lord Vere is an amazingly intelligent secret agent for the British government, who acts like a moron and klutz to everyone but his fellow agents. His current assignment is to investigate Edmund Douglas for fraud involving diamonds, and he arranges the rat problem to get into the Douglas home to look for evidence. Of course he is also lonely, and when he meets Elissande he thinks she's the fantasy woman he's been dreaming about. Of course, complications ensue. Elissande quickly becomes exhausted by Vere's continual rambling, clumsiness, and stupidity; while Vere thinks Elissande is a shrewd actress out to snare any rich man as her husband -- worse, that she has her eves on Vere's brother Frederick. But soon they are found together, a quick marriage follows, and the two people who couldn't stand each other begin to learn the truth behind each other's facade. And while this happens, more and more dark secrets about Edmund Douglas come to light; and with them, more danger...

His at Night is a bit unusual for a romance novel. Instead of what Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books called "the big mis" (the misunderstanding that must be resolved for the characters to be together), this time the obstacle to the hero and heroine are the very real lies both characters have maintained, and suffered behind, their whole lives; the challenge lies not in straightening out the misunderstanding, but getting past their deceptions -- to others and themselves -- to move forward. There is plenty of comedy, from the swarm of rats to Elissende's reaction to first seeing Vere ("Her heart raced with a burst of nerve-wracking happiness. He rescued young women from plagues of rats; he had lovely friends; he looked like a hero of classical antiquity") to Elissende's attempts at getting Vere to reveal his identity. There's also a sweet, contrasting romance between Frederick and Angelica, two people who have been friends for so long that they have trouble becoming lovers. His at Night also shared some of the excesses of romance novels. Edmund Douglas is the sort of villain who is so evil and without any redeeming qualities, you'd think he ate pure evil for every meal. Both the hero and heroine have tragic pasts which give them nightmares. And Vere shows signs of the alpha male hero, the devastatingly handsome, sexual dynamo whose dominance is thrilling and part of the appeal. The drama sometimes tips over into melodrama, the worries and passions reaching almost ridiculous heights.

But His at Night is enjoyable nevertheless, a tale about two people getting over their initial attractions, and then repulsions, to find love not in physical beauty but in learning about each other -- and revealing themselves in the process. His at Night is a quick read, a romantic roller-coaster ride of mystery and character development.

Overall grade: B-

Reviewed by James Lynch

JOBS

It makes sense that Steve Jobs would be the subject of interest in the movies: He founded one of the biggest computer companies in the world, he gave us the iPod and iPhone, he had a fair share of controversy in his life, and his fairly recent death renewed interest in his life.  Jobs is the first movie to take on this person of so much interest.

Jobs is largely a one-person movie, as Ashton Kutcher portrays Steve Jobs (without any makeup, except for aging him from the later years).  The movie follows Jobs' life from 1974 (when he was a college dropout) to 2001 (when the iPod was introduced).  We see Steve Jobs advance from an Atari employee to the creator of Apple Computers -- and see how his relentless independence and quest for perfection could be both inspirational (as when he motivates employees) and detrimental (as he ignores his stockholders to spend endless time getting something right).

While Jobs includes several recurring characters -- Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad) as Jobs' friend and technical guru, Mike Markkula (Dermot Mulroney) as Apple's first investor -- this movie begins and ends with Kutcher -- and he delivers.  Kutcher brings full passion into bringing Steve Jobs to life, showing how he was both a revolutionary and a very flawed human being.  Jobs would have benefited more if it broadened its scope to show how Jobs was affected, positively and negatively, by the people in his personal and professional life.  But Kutcher carriers the movie well, making Jobs a good portrait of one of technology's greatest minds growing from a rebellious teen to a corporate giant.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch

THE WORLD'S END

Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home -- but the movie The World's End suggests that you can go back, get drunk, and battle identity-stealing robots.  Or something.  This movie is a comedy that's both funny and wildly inconsistent.

Gary King (Simon Pegg) is the textbook definition of an aging loser focused on reliving his youth.  The movie opens with Gary recounting how, on graduation from high school in 1990, he and four friends tried to complete the "epic" Golden Mile: drinking a pint at each of twelve pubs in their sleepy little town of Newton Haven, with the last one being the World's End.  When Gary realizes they never actually finished the Golden Mile, he decides to get his buddies together to try again.  Andy (Nick Frost), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) all have grown-up jobs and families, plus they don't like Gary much; something Gary did led Andy to quit drinking.  But Gary pleads, lies, and fast-talks the guys to meeting him back in their old town to try the Golden Mile again.  They're also joined, off and on, by Oliver's sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), who Steven has a crush on and Gary had a brief fling with.

The trip down the Golden Mile starts as expected, with Gary being a jackass constantly and the others going along (even if Andy only drinks tap water).  But a run-in with some teens in the men's room reveals that some, perhaps many, of the townspeople have been replaced with robots (called "Blanks") filled with blue liquid who attack Gary and his buddies with outstretched hands.  The friends don't know how far the conspiracy goes -- or who are Blanks and who are townspeople going along with them -- but Gary persuades the others that they have to finish the Golden Mile to avoid attracting attention.  And so there's lots of drinking, with frequent robot battles and bits of philosophy -- with the ultimate goal of the World's End.

The World's End is pretty silly, and in some ways quite clever.  Pegg makes Gary a pretty unlikable character, someone who resolutely refuses to grow up -- he even has his car from 1990, complete with the same mix tape that was in it them -- and who gets his friends to go along with him by simply talking and talking until they give in.  There are also jabs at the small towns, from the sameness of the local pubs to the small-town paranoia of outsiders; and the supporting cast all have plenty of comic moments.  But the attempt to switch from a simple drinking comedy to nature of humanity feels like tacking on some unnecessary gravitas to a goofy film.  The movie is also conveniently inconsistent when it comes to the Blanks -- at times the fight like martial arts masters, at other times the guys can beat up dozens of them -- and the film completely glosses over the pretty horrible fate of those who are replaced.  The World's End is a funny movie that would have benefited from more consistency in both its story and its universe.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch

 

YOU'RE NEXT

The horror movie where a group of people are trapped and under siege is nothing new.  You're Next could have been just the latest in this tradition (not to mention the attackers being masked), but this horror movie adds something fairly new: a would-be victim who can fight back.

The Davison family --three sons, one daughter -- is getting together to celebrate their parents' 35th wedding anniversary.  They meet up at the parents' giant, fairly isolated house (there is a house close by, but since the movies opens with those folks getting killed, the isolation factor is maintained) for dinner and conversation.  Crispian Davsion (AJ Bowen) gets the most grief from his relatives, whether teasing from his big brother Jake (Joe Swanberg) or disappointed comments from his father Paul (Rob Moran).  Crispian also brought Erin (Sharni Vinson), his Australian girlfriend, to meet the family.  (Everyone else brought a date or spouse too.)

The family dinner is interrupted in the worst way possible: by crossbow bolts.  Three people wearing animal masks lay siege to the Davison house, using a crossbow, machete, and ax to kill everyone they can.  (And, of course, one of them is inside.)  But it turns out that Erin is good at everything from survival to making booby traps to killing, and soon the victims start turning the tables on the attackers.  But the Davisons weren't chosen at random...

You're Next works quite well as a simple variant of the slasher flick.  There are plenty of nods to horror movie cliches (frequent slow motion, synthesizer music that feels like it came out of the 1980s, slow camera shots that drift closer, the "shock" ending) but they're done well enough that the movie doesn't feel cheap or derivative.  The actors don't have much to do besides scream and run (except for Vinson, who gets to be a kick-ass take-charge hero) but there are plenty of scares (with a decent amount of gore) and twists to keep You're Next entertaining -- and pretty nerve-wracking from start to end.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch

HEROES OF COSPLAY

For me, one of the highlights of comic book/fantasy/sci-fi conventions is the costuming. Some of the attendees are cosplayers (costumed players) who create amazing costumes of characters from all fantasy genres, and some of the work is truly spectacular. The Syfy Channel has taken on this world with their series Heroes of Cosplay, looking at the folks who are professional cosplayers -- or who are trying to be.

Each episode of this series looks at several different cosplayers as they prepare to compete in the cosplay competitions at America's biggest fantasy conventions. Some are longtime cosplayers, some are new (the second episode had someone with an online cosplay program who wanted to experience the world firsthand), some want to make a profession from it (like Jesse -- the show's only male competitor so far) and others want to make their living winning the grand prizes. Then there's Yaya Han, a former competitor who became so famous she retired from competiting and works as a judge at cosplay competitions. She also feels the need to keep creating amazing costumes to maintain her reputation -- and to keep getting the judging jobs, presumably.

While Heroes of Cosplay does a good job of showing how these people put their costumes together (with lots of help from friends, family, and significant others) and approach competition, the show is maddeningly vague in other areas. Are these people geeky in other aspects of their lives, or just when it comes to costuming? How much money can they actually make from competing, and are their other folks besides Yaya who sustain themselves solely through cosplay? How do they balance their friendships (lots of the cosplayers meet for dinner at the conventions the night before the competition) with the fact that they're competing with each other? And what is it like when the conventions end and the real world returns?

Heroes of Cosplay is less manipulative than other reality tv shows and makes less fun of the fantasy world than other shows (such as King of the Nerds), but it still could have gotten a little more in-depth with both the world of cosplay and the lives of these uber-competitors. It's a decent look at the costuming side of conventions, but there should be a bit more. Overall grade: B- Reviewed by James Lynch

RIFFTRAX: STARSHIP TROOPERS

As the years go on, more and more people find out the surprise in The Empire Strikes Back -- one of cinema's biggest surprises -- not from the original movie, but rather from comedies like Spaceballs, Robot Chicken, or YouTube videos. Fortunately, I didn't feel a similar sense of being ripped off from seeing Starship Troopers for the first time while it was being endlessly mocked by the Rifftrax folks. This is a testament to their comedic skill -- and the many weaknesses of the original movies.

Rifftrax: Starship Troopers was the latest live movie theater showing of Rifftrax, the talking-during-the-movie comedy of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. (It's also the first Rifftrax project funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign.) The three mercilessly attack the almost-campy space action/melodrama that is Starship Troopers. Some jokes come from the movie's recurring elements (such as which drags more: the innumerable bug battles or the slow shots of model spaceships gliding through space), some from the cast (from Denise Richards' vapidity to Neil Patrick Harris being the only big successful member of the cast). The three hosts even find a... unique way to deal with the two big moments of nudity from Starship Troopers.

Rifftrax: Starship Troopers is a lot of fun. While there are several times when the explosions and gunfire of the original drown out the jokes, Nelson, Murphy and Corbett keep the funny flying fast and furious. It would have been hard to take Starship Troopers seriously before -- but at least it provided some good fodder for comedy! Overall grade: A- Reviewed by James Lynch

WE'RE THE MILLERS

What happens when a bunch of misfits decide to pose as a wholesome all-American family so they can smuggle drugs? You get We're the Millers, a profanity-filled, predictable comedy.

David (Jason Sudekis) is a small-time drug dealer who winds up getting mugged, losing his stash, his money, and the money belonging to his rich boss, Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms). Normally Brad would just have David killed, but Brad has an alternative: David travels to Mexico, picks up "a smidge and a half" of marijuana in an RV, brings it back to the states, and Brad will void what David owes, plus pay David a hundred thousand dollars.
Too bad David looks like a scumbag drug dealer -- until he realizes that no one looks at families twice, so he decides to hire a family. He recruits Rose (Jennifer Aniston), a stripper, to be his wife; nice-but-dorky Kenny (Will Poulter) and tough homeless girl Casey (Emma Roberts) pose as his kids. Together they become the Millers, head to Mexico, pick up the drugs (a few tons' worth), and return to the U.S. Unfortunately, the drugs belonged to Pablo Chacon (Tomer Sisley), a rival of Brad's who'll kill to get his merchandise back. It also doesn't help that the Millers keep running into the Fitzgerald family (Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Quinn), who are as wholesome as the Millers pretend to be -- and that Don is a D.E.A. agent.

I suppose We're the Millers might have had some sort of commentary about what lies just beneath the surface of everyday society -- but the movie skips that for some very obvious laughs. There are numerous unbelievable action scenes, pretty obvious set-ups (such as stripper Rose not just performing, but with perfectly choreographed moves, lighting, and machines; or someone walking in on Kenny at the worst possible time), a tendency to use cursing as a substitute for jokes, and the sadly inevitable shift towards sentimentality. There are some funny moments in We're the Millers, but overall the movie is more coarse and obvious than amusing. Overall grade: C- Reviewed by James Lynch

Aegis Padlock Fortress

When it comes to moving data around, while a USB flash drive is hard to beat for convenience, when it comes to capacity, a hard drive is what gets the job done. A full drive of data out in "the wild" should make you nervous, and if the data is sensitive, then the Aegis Padlock Fortress is the tool to keep it secure. This is a drive designed specifically to keep data secure for applications including the military, government, and healthcare.

The encryption on the Aegis Padlock Fortress is top notch. It is FIPS 140-2 certified.  To achieve this level of certification requires that is has military grade AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption. The XTS is a newer algorithm, that reportedly uses 2 cipher keys simultaneously, to provide a greater level of security than other algorithms.

Selena Gomez, STARS DANCE (Target Version)

Selena Gomez returns to the music scene (but without her band, The Scene) with her latest album, Stars Dance.

"Birthday," the opening song on Stars Dance, is a mix of  youngish elements (a sing-song delivery combined with hand claps) and some very sexual moaning -- and that's the balance Selena goes for through the whole album.  Unlike her last album, When the Stars Go Down, the singer wants to shed her G-rated Disney persona -- but she doesn't want to scare off the parents of her young fans (or cause enough controversy to get booted from the radio).  So there are some risque lyrics ("'cause we fit/perfectly/when you lay/over me") and talk of staying together all night and into the day -- but nothing too overtly sexual.

The feel of the music is much simpler: party!  The songs all have a upbeat tempo (even the breakup songs "Forget Forever" and "Love Will Remember"), and there's plenty of remixing and synthesizers going on here (which explains why her former band is effectively gone).  There are touches of different styles of music scattered through the album -- Middle Eastern on "Come & Get It," dubstep on "Slow Down," even a little Jamaican for "Like a Champion" -- but this is radio-friendly music for listeners who want to party with friends at a club while feeling older for staying up late.

Stars Dance is fluff -- but it's fun fluff.  The writing is trite (all about romance and partying (and the two together)) but Selena has a pleasant voice (even if it gets a lot of remixing here) and the songs are enjoyable and forgettable.  Also, the Target version (disclaimer: I work for Target -- but I play for keeps!) has two bonus songs and two exclusive songs.  Stars Dance is a nice little pop album.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch

THE CONJURING

It's time for a good ol' fashioned haunted house story with The Conjuring.  And while the often-overused "based on a true story" tag may not push this movie from from fantasy to reality for viewers, there is methodical proceeding to the horror that makes the film more believable that the standard horror movie -- and more effective.

In 1971, Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) work studying the supernatural.  Ed is a demonologist, while Lorraine is a clairvoyant.  They record cases of supernatural occurrences, debunk or explain the mundane events, and store affected items in their home -- including a very creepy doll.  And their latest case is the Perron family.

Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) just moved into a new home with their five daughters, ranging in age from a cute little girl to a surly teenager.  And the warning signs start almost immedictely: The family dog won't enter the house, the youngest daughter finds a music box that she says belongs to her invisible friend (who will appear when the music stops), there's a sealed-off cellar, doors and windows open and close, and so on.  When bruises start appearing on Carolyn, the kids seem to be pulled and attacked, and a creepy being starts appearing, the Perrons turn to the Warrens for help.

The Conjuring is, as much as possible, a paranormal procedural.  The Warrens know there's something evil and want to perform an exorcism, but they need proof to give to the church -- leading to a scientific collection of data while fearing what's attached itself to the family.  The movie is simple, yet quite effective.  While the movie has the usual flying furniture and sudden appearances of decaying ghosts, there are also moments of great tension, such as when a blindfolded Carolyn plays "hide and clap" with an unseen entity, or as Lorraine gets unsettling visions of what happened before in the house.  The acting is solid, the chills are there, and while The Conjuring treads familiar territory, it does so pretty well.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch

Big Star, NOTHING CAN HURT ME soundtrack

Big Star was an artistically infleuntial and commercially unsuccessful music group that was recently examined in the documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me.  To go with the docuemntary, the Nothing Can Hurt Me soundtrack collects demos and new muixes of songs from the band's three albums, plus a few tunes from Alex Chilton and Chris Bell after the band broke up.

Nothing Can Hurt Me is a bit of an oddity.  This isn't exactly a greatest hits collection, as several of the band's bigger songs are missing (such as "Watch the Sunrise" and "Thanks You Friends").  And while none of these songs are the original studio recordings, the songs aren't that different from the originals that die-hard fans will need to hear the different versions.

What Nothing Can Hurt Me does is remind the listener of how amazing Big Star really was.   Big Star could disaplay the rocking feel of the 1970s when they were recording, but they also captured the angst of teen romance (on songs like "September Gurls" and "Thirteen") and they had a musical feel that foreshadowed the college alternative music scene of the 1980s.  The songs are mostly in chronological order, which shows the band's steady movement to both experimentation and disillusionment (the latter highlighted by Alex Chilton's "All We Ever Got from Them Was Pain").  Nothing Can Hurt Me is a great look at a band whose music never took off like they wanted -- but was loved by so many.

Overall grade: A-
Reviewed by James Lynch

PACIFIC RIM

Giant robots fight giant monsters!  This is about all you need to know about Pacific Rim, an action movie that is big on big effects, short on originality, and a waste of the directing talent of Guillermo del Toro.

In the near future, a dimensional rift in the, well, Pacific Rim sends out giant monsters that humanity names Kaiju.  After conventional weapons prove too costly, the nations of the world build Jaegers: giant robots, guided by two pilots connected by a neural interface called the Drift.  At first the Jaegers are extremely effective, but soon more powerful Kaiju emerge, Jaegers start getting destroyed, and the world abandons the Jaeger program for a series of giant walls that don't work at all.

Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) wants to keep the Jaeger program going, so he relocates his resources to Hong Kong with a mission: Destroy the dimensional rift.  He recruits Raleigh Beckett (Charlie Hunnam), a once-successful Jaeger pilot who got burned out when his co-pilot and brother was killed.  Mako Mori (Rino Kikuchi) is a protege of Pentecost's, and she wants to be a Jaeger pilot (not to mention love interest for Beckett).  Scientists Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) are in the program to learn the creature's goals and weaknesses -- and they're in the movie for comic relief.  And Ron Perlman is there as Hannibal Chau, a black-market dealer in Kaiju remains.

All the plotting -- which includes hidden agendas, romantic angles, last-minute complications, and pilot rivalries -- is secondary to seeing the last four Jaegers (all varied in design, and abilities) slug it out with a number of Kaiju (all varied in design and abilities).  While the battles are a little entertaining at first, Pacific Rim soon feels like a high-budget Godzilla movie.  The Kaiju behave inconsistently as the plot dictates, the battles are often confusing (not to mention reliant on suddenly-introduced weapons and slow motion), and the whole thing feels shamelessly designed to please audiences looking for simple pleasures.  Pacific Rim is the stereotypical summer blockbuster -- lots of effects, little else.

Overall grade: D+
Reviewed by James Lynch

ROBOT CHICKEN DC COMICS SPECIAL

Ah, irony.  Back when the "Twisted Toyfare Theater" strips of Mego superhero action figures appeared in the magazine Toyfare, DC. Comics sued to keep their characters from appearing.  "TTT" inspired Robot Chicken, which had no problem showing DC characters in humorous or embarrassing situations.  And now there's the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special, which is nothing but DC characters.  Go figure.

Robot Chicken DC Comics Special is twice as long as the typical Robot Chicken episode, making the special about 22 minutes.  There are both running gags (a kickball, Bane breaking Batman's back, Aquaman finally being pushed too far, goofy real DC characters) and stand-alone bits (multiple ice-based villains robbing the same place, the show's uber-nerd getting a Green Lantern power ring).  And numerous celebrities do voices here, including Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Megan Fox, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alex Borstein.

There are over two hours of extras on the dvd (amazing, considering the main feature is less than half an hour), from deleted sketches and outtakes to the making of the special, a visit to the DC Comics offices on the West Coast, and commentaries on the sketches from both the writers and actors.  Given how brief the main feature is, I would have liked this better if they added some sketches of the DC characters from the regular episodes, as there have been plenty of them and they could have really given us the Robot Chicken take on these heroes and villains.

The special is still pretty good, though.  Robot Chicken DC Comics Special may go for the goofier or simpler types of humor, but there are lots of funny moments ("Protect me, Selena Gomez!") and things even comics fans may have never thought about (like Superman's memory-stealing kiss power from Superman 2).   This is a quick viewing -- and it's not exactly designed for multiple viewings -- but it's fun while it lasts.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch


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THE HEAT

The comically mismatched partners get the comedy-police treatment in The Heat, a movie continuing the trend obnoxious, gross, over-the-top humor starring women instead of men.  The Heat has two great leads, with everything else being forgettable or predictable.


The setup here is pretty simple.  Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is an ambitious, intelligent, successful by-the-book F.B.I. agent hoping for a promotion.  She's also uptight, alienates her co-workers, never curses, and has no social life.  (All of her personal photos are either her alone or with her neighbor's cat.)  Her chance at promotion comes with her new assignment -- going to Boston to arrest a drug dealer no one can identify -- and the chance to show she can work well with others.

Unfortunately for Ashburn, the Boston cop handling the case is Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), a profanity-spewing, play-by-her-own-rules battleaxe who terrorizes her squad and has no filter to her comments or violence.  Can the two work together to stop the bad guy?

The answer to that is as obvious as the rest of the movie.  Bullock and McCarthy are great together, and their polar-opposite characters have a nice chemistry.  Beyond that, though, everyone and everything else is just so much background noise.  The closest thing any of the supporting cast have to character development is Mullins' constant jokes about an albino agent; we also get such familiar scenes as an inappropriate family, getting drunk together in a bar, and quiet moments of bonding.

There are plenty of laughs from the stars in The Heat, but if you stop to think for just a second you'll see that there's almost nothing else worthwhile or original besides them.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch