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Traveta reviews
Lion’s Gate Home Entertainment
- Cert: R
- Cat.no: ST8040D
- Running time: 98 minutes
- Year: 2001
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 1, NTSC
- Chapters: 24
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: $24.99
- Extras:None
Director:
- James Robinson
Screenplay:
- James Robinson
Cast:
- Raymond: Donal Logue
Carter: Cary Elwes
Norm: Michael Rapaport
Judy: Natasha Lyonne
Mrs. Cresswell: Eileen Brennan
Kiki: Monet Mazur
Conan: Danny Masterson
Archie: DJ Qualls
Anybody out there, reading this review, may have a confession to make.You read comics.
Now before the world laughs at you for reading “funnybooks” let’s take a minute to laugh at them. I too collect comics andsee them as what every other collector will tell you. Comics nowadaysare for the grown up collector. Stories in some titles said to bekiddiesh are quiet mature. Take for example in New X-Men, written byGrant Morrison. There is a plot development happening now which hasCyclops cheating on his wife Jean Grey!
Then there’s the way comics dealwith important world issues. Take for example Amazing Spider-Man Volume2 No.36 which features an intricate setting around the tragic events of9/11. Anyone still thinking comics are trash should take a look at thatissue.
The comic buisness is not as thriving as it used to be (at least itisn’t here in the US) but that’s given publishers to focus on the adultcollectors who make up a very large percentage of the buyers. Thus, weget mature stories. And, in return, we have a misunderstood artformthat should not be shelved any longer. Anyway, this isn’t a expose on theworld of comics so let’s get to the movie.
Comic Book Villains tells a story that fans can relate to. Small storecomic shop owner, Raymond has stumbled upon the opportunity of a lifetime. A man has died and left behind his entire comic collection whichhe began collecting in the early 60s. Titles like the first appearanceof Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy No.15) among others are included. Talkabout a gold mine. Now he has to figure a way to get those comics byplaying to the mother of the collector. Too bad she won’t sell her son’scollection.
Meanwhile, across town in another comic store (two comic shops in onetown isn’t too bad) the owners, Norm and Judy, have heard of thisoppurtunity as well. They attempt to sucker up to the mother also butneither achieve success.
Now it’s on. Both stores are competing for the attention of thecollector’s mother. A very large fortune is at hand and only one eventtriggers the base to fall.
As a collector, the references and lingo in this movie are good enoughto save this from simply average. But the paper thin plot starts tobreak down early on in the story and becomes increasingly tedious untilthe out of place ending. Comic Book Villians is not a terrible movie byany standards but this is clearly a film made for true comic book fans.
I’ve never been a fan of Lion’s Gates’ picture presentations. A reallygood transfer I’ve seen from them was Monster’s Ball but considering thesmall target audience, we’re lucky it’s not terrible. There is a smallamount of grain apparent throughout and the colors seem just saturated abit. It’s just that it has a murky type feel to it that do not make fora great transfer. Considering the lack of extras, this could have beengreat.
The sound is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and, like the video,it isn’t anything to write home about. Clearly, it fits the movie well,but don’t expect your system to get a work out. I had no problems withdialogue lacing or anything of that matter.
Lion’s Gate gives us a bare bones disc, but wait! There’s somethinghidden here. Find the Lion’s Gate icon on the main menu and you’ll get around of trailers. One is for Comic Book Villians. Why they didn’t justinclude the trailer as a direct link is beyond me. That way, I couldhave least given it a one but since it’s not listed…
The menus sport decent comic book animation but are static andsoundless.
Overall, strictly for fans only. There’s enough references and lingobits in there for collectors while some other people may not bother tocomprehend. Like many underappreciated movies, this one gets a bad DVD.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
0OVERALL
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.