Early Buzz: Green Lantern Sucks (Anyone Surprised?)

Well, early word is in, and it looks like the new Green Lantern, starring the buffly talentless Ryan Reynolds (Definitely, Maybe; Waiting), is set to disappoint comic book fans everywhere. The movie is being trounced by reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes and even warranted only 2/5 stars from IGN, a website with a penchant for giving high reviews to just about everything. However, let's all admit it: the trailer for the movie sucked, the CG suit looked horribly silly, and Reynolds–while still a buff god–has a history of bad acting and already another shitty comic book movie on his resumé (Wolverine). But, at some level, I was still holding out for this movie to surprise me. Looks like that isn't going to happen, now. 

Oh well, at least I still have X-Men: First Class to see. And hey, isn't there a new Batman on the horizon?

See This: 13 Assassins

Miike's (of Audition and Ichi the Killer fame) new film, 13 Assassins, it a great reshaping of the classic samurai film. As the Coen Brothers revitalized the Western in their beautiful, bloody True Grit, Miike does for the Samurai film. This movie, which is currently enjoying a limited release in NYC and LA, is shot with all of the grace of a haiku and all the bloody violence for which Miike is known. The story revolves around 13 samurai who are hired to kill a feudal lord before he can plunge the country into violence. The honor-bound lives of the samurai are starkly contrasted with the sadistic violence of the lord in a build-up that is slow, but full of tension. However, where the movie really shines is in its 45-minute, final battle. Usually, battles of this length quickly fall into chaos, but Miike's control is staggering, mixing truly unique choreography with stunning and clear camera-work... and throwing in some laughs to boot.

If you have the chance, you should catch this movie while it's still in theaters, as to best appreciate the violent poetry. However, if you don't happen to be in NYC or LA, you will have to wait for a wider release or the DVD.