It will be based in the storyline of the movie, which varied rather substantially from the comic, but bringing in some elements from the original series that didn’t factor into the original movie, Millar said.

Unfortunately, it will most likely be missing something that nearly everybody loved from the first film… find out what after the cut.

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From Friday’s The Oklahoman: 

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

WORD BALLOONS

Unusual superheroes populate “Who Can Save Us Now?,” a superhero prose anthology from 22 writers, including Will Clarke, Jennifer Weiner and Sam Weller.

The anthology was edited by Owen King (“We’re All in This Together”) and John McNally (“America’s Report Card”).

Heroes include the creepy Silverfish, the cuddly-but-deadly Meerkat and dozens more.

“The idea was that superheroes mean really different things to different people,” King said. “And what we hoped, and we’re very happy with the way it turned out, is that would be reflected in the narratives.”

King’s character in the anthology is the Meerkat, a television producer who gains the powers and abilities of a meerkat.

“I was on the treadmill one day, trying to think about anything other than running,” King said. The show ‘Meerkat Manor,’ which he had been watching regularly, popped into his head.

“All of a sudden I had this idea that it would be funny, and it would also present an interesting conflict, to give a character the powers of a meerkat,” he said. “Because they’re cute and cuddly looking, but if you watch the show, they’re really brutal cold-blooded killers.”

He imagined a character with meerkat abilities who would be associated with a cute animal, and wondered what that would do to the hero’s self-esteem.

“I thought it would be interesting to put a character with self-esteem issues into a city that I thought had some self-esteem issues, which was Cleveland,” he said.

King’s co-editor John McNally created the creepy hero Silverfish for the anthology.

“My interest in superheroes was limited mostly to TV as opposed to comic books, so it wasn’t a genre I felt like I knew intimately,” McNally said, adding that he read “The Dark Knight Returns” and “a few other things in the Frank Miller mode” in college.

“Place is always really important to me in my own fiction, and the first thing I thought was I write a lot about the southwest side of Chicago, which is a very blue-collar place,” McNally said. “And I thought, what if we have a superhero who’s living in kind of a small bungalow on the southwest side of Chicago?”

McNally tells the story of the Silverfish — a hero who takes his namesake seriously, going so far as to survive on hair, glue and other silverfish food. McNally’s tale is told from the point of view of the Silverfish’s butler.

“I have this butler who’s living in small quarters on the southwest side of Chicago with the Silverfish, who’s been called the ‘creepiest superhero,” McNally said. “The title, ‘The Remains of the Night,’ is a play on ‘The Remains of the Day,’ the novel by (Kazuo) Ishiguro from the point of view of the butler.”

Other stories take different points of view, as well: “Girl Reporter” by Stephanie Harrell features the point of view of the “Lois Lane” type character, while other stories feature a sidekick or fan of the superhero of the story.

Both McNally and King (son of writer Stephen King) would like for “Who Can Save Us Now?” to lead to more superhero stories.

“It’s piqued my interest in terms of wanting to do something more,” McNally said. “I felt like there was a certain freedom to that story, that I found myself just having a lot more fun with it.”

King agreed.

“My fondest dream is that this will make enough of an impression that we could do it again,” he said. “I can easily think of another set of writers that I’d love to ask, ‘What’s your superhero?’”

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: 

The nine-episode strike-shortened first season of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” kicks in a year after the events of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Sarah Connor (Lena Headley, “300”) and her son John (Thomas Dekker, “Heroes”) have been hiding out, but decide it’s time to move on. They are aided by a new Terminator, played by Summer Glau.

Glau first came to prominence in the television show “Firefly,” created by Joss Whedon, playing the unbalanced psychic River, who stowed away on the spaceship Serenity. She’s excellent in her role, except in the pilot, which has a few issues. The new Terminators are supposed to better be able to mimic human emotions — Cameron (Glau) does that at first, when John doesn’t realize she is a Terminator. After she’s revealed, however, she has a much more “robotic” performance.

Still, as the series goes on, Glau’s the highlight of the show, and should be a breakout star. Headley doesn’t have the toned, steely presence of Linda Hamilton, but she does have her moments. Brian Austin Green (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) shows up about halfway through the season as John Connor’s uncle, and immediately sparks up the series.

If the series fits in with “Terminator 3,” I’m not sure how, exactly. Still, time travel allows for some leeway in events, doesn’t it?

Extras include commentaries, cast auditions, storyboard animatics, featurettes, and a director’s cut of the episode “The Demon Hand.”

– Matthew Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: 

By Matthew Price

Assistant Features Editor

THE NEXT LEVEL

Rocket to other worlds with the primates of “Space Chimps.”

Ham III, grandson to the famous spacefaring Ham, is a circus chimp with great bloodlines. He’s recruited onto a team of highly trained space chimps by a senator eyeing re-election. Ham, however, isn’t sure he’s cut out to be an astro-chimp.

But Ham and his shipmates, Titan and Luna, are nonetheless sent on the spaceship Horizon to another world.

Once there, not only is their mission at stake, but also the freedom of the inhabitants of the planet.

The game doesn’t lay out all this backstory initially — you’ll have to see the movie. But it’s pretty easy to figure out your objectives once you get started.

“Space Chimps” features 11 levels, with puzzles, platforming and co-op play.

The graphics are adequate, and some of the level design is visually interesting.

The gameplay isn’t bad, as the wall-climbing, swinging from rope to rope, and swinging from pole to pole are all fun to execute.

The sound is pretty good, with Patrick Warburton and Cheryl Hines reprising their roles from the film.

“Space Chimps” for the Xbox 360, based on the recent film, ends up being more fun than it has to be, as a game based on a kids’ movie.

It’s still not breaking a lot of new ground, but it’s an acceptable platformer for the younger set.

The game, developed by Brash Entertainment, is rated E10 for players over 10 years old.

The Guardian UK is reporting that “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin is writing a film about how Facebook was developed.  As part of the process, he’s started a group page on Facebook called “Aaron Sorkin and the Facebook Movie.”

“I’ve just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented,” Sorkin wrote in his introduction.

“I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I’ve started this page.”

 – Matt Price

Press release:
Empire Interactive today announced development on Unsolved Crimes is complete. The mystery puzzle solving game will release for Nintendo DS™ on September 23, 2008. Filled with suspense, mystery and intrigue, Unsolved Crimes will be teasing brains on college campuses across the country. The game has an ESRB Rating of “T” for “Teen” and retails for $29.99.

“Unsolved Crimes is more than just a mystery-solving game with brain-teasing challenges and logical reasoning, it’s sure to please brain boosting game and core DS fans alike,” said Karim Farghaly, vice president of sales, Empire Interactive. “The appeal this title has for such a diverse audience strengthens Empire and Atari’s partnership to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.”

Fully utilizing the unique Dual Screen capabilities of Nintendo DS, Unsolved Crimes integrates three gaming elements - an action game, a 3D crime investigation and a crime quiz - to provide players with a distinctive experience. Taking the role of a rookie detective as part of the New York Police Department, players will explore the 1970’s inspired New York environments in the process of solving Betsy Blake’s mysterious disappearance. Crime is rampant in the city and Blake’s disappearance is the latest in a frightening series of events that are slowly bringing New York to its knees. With more than eight independent cases to solve in the interactive environments, players will find themselves fully immersed into the mysteries in Unsolved Crimes.

A “good girl” artist and a hard boiled writer are among the scheduled guests for the year’s last big convention.

Wizard World Texas has announced an initial lineup of guests for this fall’s convention, held Nov. 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center. 

As previously announced, the guest of honor of the show is John Cassaday, artist of “Planetary” and “Astonishing X-Men.”  Joining Cassaday will be writer Brian Azzarello, of the crime drama “100 Bullets,” and artist Frank Cho (”Liberty Meadows,” “Mighty Avengers”), known particularly for his drawings of women.

Other writers attending the show include Christos Gage (”Avengers: The Initiative”), Marc Guggenheim (”Amazing Spider-Man”), writer and artist Phil Hester (”The Darkness”) and Max Brooks (”World War Z”). 

On the artist side, Mitch Breitweiser (”Captain America: The Chosen”), who followed something of a Cassaday style in his Captain America miniseries, is scheduled to attend.   Lee Bermejo, artist of the upcoming “The Joker” graphic novel, will also be on hand.  Also attending: Jacen Burrows (”Crossed”), Shane Davis (”Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns”), Paul Duffield (”FreakAngels”), Marko Djurdjevic (”Mighty Avengers”) and Ben Templesmith (”30 Days of Night”).
 
More information is available at www.wizardworld.com.

– Matt Price

Photos and artwork after the cut.

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ComicsPRO has lined up BAWLS energy drinks as a sponsor for 24-Hour Comic Book Day.  If your location is near a BAWLS distribution point, the store can pick up free BAWLS Guarana Energy Drinks. Seems like a good idea to me. If you’re drawing a comic book for 24 hours, you’re going to want to be able to stay awake for a good portion of it.

 – Matt Price 

Press release: 

ComicsPRO is pleased to announce BAWLS Guarana as the Exclusive Energy Drink Sponsor of 24 Hour Comics Day.

24-Hour Comics Day hosts near a BAWLS distribution point will be able to pick up BAWLS energy drinks (www.bawls.com) to keep their cartoonists’ minds humming and hands drawing through their 24 hours of comic-book creating.

“As the drink of choice for comic book fans, gamers and geeks alike, BAWLS Guarana is thrilled to be fueling 24 Hour Comics Day!” said Marie Navarro, Marketing Manager. “Our refreshing taste and caffeinated kick is just what these comic fiends need to keep working through the wee hours.”

Registered 24HCD venues will be emailed details about picking up their free drinks.

24 Hour Comics Day is an annual challenge for cartoonists to produce a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 consecutive hours.

ComicsPRO, the comic book specialty retailer trade organization, recently assumed the organizational reins for 24HCD with the enthusiastic endorsement of the event’s founder, Nat Gertler, publisher of About Comics.

Register to host a 24 Hour Comics Day event at http://www.24hourcomicsday.com/registration.html

ComicsPRO will continue to add resources to the 24 Hour Comics Day website. Participating artists, host sites, and all other interested parties are asked to bookmark the site and check it regularly!

For more information, please continue to check http://www.24hourcomicsday.com. For further inquiries and to inquire about how your company can sponsor this worldwide creative event please contact ComicsPRO’s Communications Coordinator Amanda Emmert at 24hcd@comicspro.org.

However, there’s an Oklahoman who I think is the best superhero cake maker on the planet.  (Several of you will already know I’m talking about my wife, Annette, so you could say I was biased… but seriously, I think these are the coolest superhero cakes ever.)

Legion of Super-Heroes cake.

Spider-Man bust cake.

Superhero poker hand, starring Golden Age DC Comics heroes.

 Wolverine’s fist breaking through the birthday cake.

A couple non-superhero cakes, after the cut.

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If I had a spare few hundred thousand, I would really have been tempted by this.  Unfortunately, the $110,000 bid failed to meet the reserve.

From the description:

Here it is one of 5 cars that could have been in the “Batman” movie staring Micheal Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Five cars were built for the movie and this car is the number five car. Being that this car originally was owned by Warner Bros productions it is important to note that the buyer will have to sign a contract with Warner Bros.  If you would like to know more about this contact me and I will give you all the details.

The car is 20 feet long and 8 feet wide. The chassis is custom built and the motor is a Chevrolet 350. There are no doors.  To get in you have to be able to enter through the top where the canopy slides opens, just like in the movie. There is no title to this car and will only be sold with a bill of sale.

– Matt Price

Dragon Prince is a five-part miniseries written by Ron Marz with art by Lee Moder.  It stars teenager Aaron Chiang, who discovers he’s the Dragon Prince, heir to the bloodline of all dragons.  This martial arts fantasy epic begins shipping in September.

– Matt Price

Look for episodes of “Firefly,” “Friends” and more at TheWB.com, moving to an open, public beta starting today.  But that’s not all — TheWB.com will have original series as well.

Premiering today are the web series “Blue Water High,” “A Boy Wearing Makeup,” and “Whatever Hollywood.”

The McG-produced “Sorority Forever” launches Sept. 8.  “Downers Grove” will debut on September 29, and “High Drama” will bow on October 6.

Full release after the cut.

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Press release:

Congers, NY (August 27, 2008) - Wizard World has been home to movie premieres, costume contests, A-List creators and big time Hollywood talent. Now the convention tour is adding an academic track to it’s growing list of crowd-pleasing events. The newly created Wizard World University academic track of programming at Wizard World conventions was created alongside the Institute for Comics Studies (ICS) and will allow fans to view their favorite stories in a new light, with help from academics and comic professionals alike.
 
November’s Wizard World Texas (November 7-9) will be the inaugural stop on this tour promoting comics as an art form. The Institute for Comics Studies is currently accepting proposals for presentations, book talks, side talks, roundtables, professional-focus discussion panels, workshops and other panels for the newly created Wizard World academic track, Wizard World University, by September 22nd. Do you have an idea for a study of the mythos behind “The Dark Knight” or the political commentaries in The Watchmen? Think you can deconstruct the Joker as a villain or explain the literary influences of Wolverine in an hour using a nifty PowerPoint? Wizard World University: Texas could be your classroom! Panels that include participation by comics industry professionals are especially encouraged and the ICS will provide assistance with recruiting professionals for participation.
 
If you want to be a part of this bold new frontier in education, please contact Dr. Travis Langley (Texas Local Chair) or Dr. Peter Coogan at the information below by the September 22nd deadline.
 
Submission Form: http://www.hsu.edu/form.aspx?ekfrm=40054

Dr. Travis Langley
WWU-T Provost (Submissions Chair)
Address: Henderson State University, 1100 Henderson St. #7604, Arkadelphia, AR  71999
E-Mail: langlet@hsu.edu
Website: www.workdaycomic.com/ERIICA/

Dr. Peter Coogan
Director, Institute for Comics Studies
Address: 719 Fairview Ave, St. Louis, MO 63119
Phone Number: 314-962-7939
E-Mail: Comicsstudies@gmail.com
Website: www.instituteforcomicsstudies.org

Be sure to go to www.wizardworld.com for updates about guests and programming and to purchase tickets. Wizard World, the largest family-friendly comics and pop culture convention in the central US, returns to Texas November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center near Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Press release:

OKLAHOMA CITY - Visitors will journey across the world’s most beautiful landscapes and back during Science Museum Oklahoma’s annual Film Fest September 11-14 and 18-21. Each with a unique focus, the featured IMAX films reveal the wonders of land and water while addressing environmental issues that influence our everyday lives.

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk follows world-renowned river advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., celebrated anthropologist Wade Davis and their daughters as they embark on an exhilarating journey down the Colorado River. Filmed during a four-week river-rafting journey, the explorers investigate the relationship of changes in the Grand Canyon’s ecosystem and the increased allocation of river water to agriculture and populations that has left no water at the river’s end-the Colorado Delta.

The second film, Wildfire, showcases the gorgeous wilderness of Idaho, California and Australia as it offers IMAX film audiences an up-close experience of one of the most powerful forces in nature and the efforts put forth by trained and dedicated men and women to contain it. From smokejumpers who parachute into blazes to water-bombing helicopters, visitors discover the reason some fires are deliberately set and controlled by firefighters in order to preserve the earth’s natural resources.

A remarkable story of one of the world’s most tenacious species and human’s closest fellow predator, Wolves, presents viewers with intimate and rarely seen footage of this animal’s way of life known only to a handful of scientists. The film demonstrates the important roles numerous recovery-project efforts across the continent and changing attitudes worldwide have played in returning wolves to North America’s most beautiful wilderness-their natural habitat.

This year’s Film Fest features a Sneak Peek opportunity for visitors to see all films during an advanced screening. The Sneak Peek event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 5:30 to 9 p.m., showing all films consecutively that evening. Sneak Peek passes are available for $15 when purchased in advance and $20 when purchased at the door. Seating is limited during Sneak Peek.

Individuals may purchase a regular Film Fest pass that includes one viewing each of the films featured during this year’s Film Fest, plus one viewing of Stormchasers through October 31, 2008. Film Fest pass prices are $30 each for adults and $25 each for children and seniors.

Sneak Peek and regular Film Fest passes are available for purchase at Science Museum Oklahoma’s ticket counter or by calling (405)602-3760. For more information about the museum visit ScienceMuseumOK.org.

Author and editor Henry Jenkins sums up the experience of Comic-Con near perfectly: 

“So there are things that you would have killed to get to in any other context that you pass up because there’s so much going on at once. You can’t get to it all.”

– Matt Price

The company published comics  based on Gotham Entertainment’s Shakti line of comics and with ties to Hollywood creative talent.  Hugh Jackman, Nicolas Cage, Guy Ritchie and others had comics lined up with the company.

Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper is definitely worth seeking out, while it’s still findable, as is Garth Ennis’ take on Dan Dare.  

The company recently announced comic books by Stan Lee and Grant Morrison that now seem unlikely to ever see the light of day.

– Matt Price

Press release:  

Congers, NY (August 26, 2008) – When it comes to cinematic storytelling and masterfully rendered characters, no other artist comes close to comic icon John Cassaday. Now, the Lone Ranger, Planetary and Astonishing X-Men artist is coming to his first Wizard World convention in over a year, and his first ever as Guest of Honor!
 
With his current work on Dynamite Entertainments ongoing series, The Lone Ranger, Cassaday is bringing his trademark realistic style to the hero, who celebrates his 75th anniversary this year. His covers and artistic direction have breathed new life into the Lone Ranger and provided the series with a look that grabs readers’ attention every month. Cassaday will also be tackling the equally legendary Buck Rogers on the upcoming series with Dynamite Entertainment.
 
Prior to his involvement with The Lone Ranger, Cassaday collaborated with hotshot television guru Joss Whedon on Marvel’s critically-acclaimed and award-winning series Astonishing X-Men. During his 24 issues and one giant-size special, Cassaday did everything from resurrect Colossus to pit the X-Men against the combined might of an entire race of aliens bent on putting a bullet through the earth. Because of Cassaday’s epic artwork, Marvel’s mutants looked more compelling than they had in decades.
 
Through his work with Warren Ellis on WildStorm’s Planetary, Cassaday showed the comic buying population his wide range. Chilling horror, campy sci-fi, thrilling espionage and daring super-heroics were all depicted and conquered by Cassaday’s pencil-clutching hand. His work on Planetary has earned him numerous awards and unparalleled respect from his peers.
 
During Wizard World Texas, Cassaday will be meeting and greeting his devoted fans and will be involved in various signings and programming events throughout the weekend. Be sure to go to www.wizardworld.com for updates about guests and programming and to save 20 percent off the price of tickets by ordering now. Wizard World, the largest family-friendly comics and pop culture convention in the United States, returns to Texas November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center. More Information and exclusives to be announced!
 

Feels like a big week this week!  Superman gets the spotlight in “Final Crisis: Superman Beyond,” written by Grant Morrison.  Brad Meltzer returns to comics with “DC Universe Last Will and Testament,” drawn by Adam Kubert.  Marvel brings some heat as well, as Mark Millar’s “Wolverine” continues, the second part of Amazing Spider-Man’s “New Ways to Die” hits, and Spidey is drawn into Secret Invasion with “Secret Invasion: Spider-Man.”  Full list and commentary after the break.

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Cher (AP photo) 

The Telegraph UK is reporting Cher is in talks to play an aging vamp Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s next “Batman” flick.  The site also reports Johnny Depp is on board as The Riddler.

I’d take all this with a grain of salt, since last I heard the movie wasn’t written, yet, but, I suppose we shall see.  If it’s what Nolan wants to do, I assume it’ll be good. I think it’s more likely a goofball rumor someone in the studio is throwing out, though.  

– Matt Price

Click through to find out WHY Lois is wearing a lead-lined box on her head! (It’s even goofier than you probably think.)

The blog, by Dwayne from Oklahoma City, is also working its way through the Jonah Hex issues of the past.  The most recent review is of 1981’s “Jonah Hex” #54.

– Matt Price

Add The Police to your page

The LEGO Batman: The Videogame site gets an upgrade, as users can choose “hero” or “villain” and make their way through the virtual rooftops of Gotham City.

Check out recently revealed characters Alfred Pennyworth and Batgirl, who aid the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin.

– Matt Price

The long-in-the-works sequel to “Marvels,” “Eye of the Camera,” is scheduled for a December release, according to Tom Brevoort at Fan Expo in Canada.

The article on Marvel.com indicates the sequel will be a six-issue miniseries teaming original writer Kurt Busiek with artist Jay Anacleto.

“Once again, our point of view character and the guy we’re with is Phil Sheldon, and we’ll be picking him up sometime after the original ‘Marvels,’” Brevoort said on Marvel.com. “Along with him on this particular story over these six issues, we’ll be walking through the Marvel universe of the ‘70s and of the ‘80s and also revisiting a couple of key moments from the ‘60s that got skipped over in the original ‘Marvels’ series because they weren’t germane to that story. We’re very much of a kind in terms of the story in the original ‘Marvels’ and a direct sequel in that this is all the stuff that happens to Phil after the end of ‘Marvels’ #4.”

– Matt Price

Johns: People are fairly familiar with Prime by now, if they’ve been reading comics at all for the last few years, but even he’s addressed in this issue: Who he is and where he comes from. But the Legion is fairly new to a lot of readers. People haven’t read a lot of Legion in the last few years, and especially the original Legion. So the idea was just to make sure we had the basics at the beginning. For the scope of this, I’m very proud of what we were able to do. 

I don’t think it’s any secret that I loved this issue; if you’re looking for epic superhero action, get to your store and pick up this comic book.

- Matt Price

Possibly unfortunate news for those who, like me, loved “Superman Returns”: The studio plans to reboot the “Superman” franchise, according to the Wall Street Journal (and seen on Newsarama.)

“‘Superman’ didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov told the Wall Street Journal. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned.” “Had ‘Superman’ worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009,” he adds.

“But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.”

Does this mean Brandon Routh is out? Bryan Singer is done? The article doesn’t make that clear, but it’s certainly a possibility.

For those who loved the Richard Donner film (films if you count II as essentially Donner), then “Superman Returns” returned to that world and wrapped those films up admirably. 

I’m a huge “Superman” fan, so I’m likely in line for whatever WB tries to do.  But you don’t have to go far to find out how much Warner’s didn’t understand the Man of Steel in the not-so-distant past.  As I said when I reviewed the excellent book “Hollywood vs. Superman”:

The abortive “Superman Reborn” of the 1990s, to have starred Nicolas Cage and been directed by Tim Burton, has fueled screenwriter Kevin Smith’s college tours for years, but Rossen finds even more dirt on the plagued production. In addition, the dozens of unusual casting ideas for various Superman projects will have even casual fans scratching their heads — Ashton Kutcher and Neil Diamond were considered as possible Men of Steel; Tim Allen came very close to becoming Lex Luthor.

These are not the ideas of people who get why Superman is important. Let’s hope the people making the decision for the next film respect and love the character as much as the creators of “Superman Returns.”

– Matt Price

 Silent Monk (Jet Li), Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), Jason Tripitikas (Michael A. Angarano) and Golden Sparrow (Crystal Liu) in “The Forbidden Kingdom.”

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

A dream team of martial arts stars are on display in “Forbidden Kingdom,” which mixes “The Never-Ending Story” with “The Karate Kid” in a fun film for all ages. The story begins with a scene of the Monkey King (Jet Li), fighting on a mountaintop in the clouds. As the viewers are thinking the scene doesn’t seem quite real, it’s revealed that it’s not — it’s a dream of Jason (Michael Angarano). Jason’s a teenage kung-fu cinephile from Boston. He buys his films from Hop (Jackie Chan), an old man who owns a Chinatown pawn shop. When some young toughs seek to rob Hop, Jason is knocked out — and transported to ancient China.

An ancient staff from the pawnshop seems to be the key to Jason’s situation — he’s thought to be the one prophesied to return the Monkey King’s staff, and end the Jade Warlord’s rule of the kingdom. He’s befriended by a drunken master (Jackie Chan), and later aided by a warrior monk (Jet Li). The master and the monk, of course, first have a misunderstanding, which leads to the Li vs. Chan fight everybody bought their tickets to see. While Chan, 54, doesn’t show the same eye-popping stunts of his younger days, the showdown is still worth the price of admission. A girl bent on revenge, Sparrow (Crystal Liu Yifei) completes the fellowship seeking to dethrone the warlord.

The film is directed by Rob Minkoff (“Stuart Little”), who you might not expect to direct a kung-fu actioner, but he brings in Yuen Woo-Ping (“Kill Bill”) as fight choreographer, which helps add credibility to the production.

Would “Forbidden Kingdom” have been better 10-15 years ago, with Chan and Li at the top of their games? Probably, but as it is, it’s still a fun Valentine to kung-fu cinema.

– Matthew Price

So, while I’ve enjoyed the Olympics, I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Beijing 2008,” the video game based on the Olympic games. As you can see at our main newspaper site NewsOK.com, I thought the game seemed more tortuous than inspiring:

The gameplay is simply hand torture. Quick button mashing is the name of the game. Hitting buttons or moving joysticks in rapid succession is needed to compete in virtually every event. It’s as if it’s 1982, and the developer would receive a quarter every time you failed.

After the tutorials, which don’t really explain anything well at all, the selected team is thrown into the Olympic mix. However, the team members are apparently fat, lazy and stupid, as their qualifying statistics are awful. The gamer must meet several challenges each day, with a subpar team, to gain experience points to upgrade the characters to “not completely horrible.”

You’d think, at the Olympics, any nation wouldn’t just pick the slowest people who happened to be standing around, but that’s the impression you get with “Beijing 2008.” Add to that the carpal tunnel syndrome you’ll give yourself by trying to win all 36 events, and, you’re better off watching the Olympics on TV instead.

So, that said, want a quick recap of the Olympics?  GMS has developed a widget sharing the highlights. Check it out below.