Pads & Panels

Title: WWE Superstar Collection: Sheamus

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Limiting the number of matches to only six, the WWE Superstars series of releases are more akin to a “best of” rather than the time capsule the usual multi-disc sets usually are. For instance, the 2011 John Cena 3-disc set did a great job of catching fans up on his recent activities while completely ignoring the Superstar’s Basic Thuganomics and Chain Gang eras. Sheamus makes a fantastic heel, and this release serves as a great reminder of those qualities before diving into his current run as a good guy. Besides, what better way to begin than by showing Sheamus beat the living hell out of the current WWE poster child, John Cena? (more…)

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Title: Get the Gringo

MPAA Rating: R

Directed by: Adrian Grunberg

Written by: Mel Gibson, Adrian Grunberg

Starring: Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Dolores Heredia

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

A fair warning to those with phobias, the opening scene of this film features clowns. It’s not just a quick look at clowns, no. This is a prolonged chase featuring Mel Gibson wearing a full on clown mask. Some may take this as a sign that he’s got a sense of humor about his recent behavior. Others may view this as a clear sign that it’s all downhill from here.

As the title and cast list would lead you to believe, the film does in fact take place in Mexico. Gibson’s character, who is never specifically named, hops the border to escape US law enforcement after stealing from a crime lord. (more…)

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Comedy Central Round-Up No. 1
Jo Koy, J.B. Smoove, Patton Oswalt

Reviews by: Bill Jones

When it comes to stand-up comedy on television, Comedy Central more or less has the market cornered. And the network’s DVD and CD departments have been pushing out plenty of the television specials in the uncensored and uncut format (really, the right way to watch a comedian’s set) for home consumption. Pads & Panels decided to help its readers wade through some of Comedy Central’s latest offerings.

The Comedian: Jo Koy

The DVD: Lights Out

Rating:

Many may recognize Jo Koy from his roundtable appearances on Chelsea Lately, which may also tell a lot of people whether or not this is a guy they want to check out. But don’t be deterred. Despite that background and some over-animated box shots, Lights Out proves to be an entertaining show. The comedy comes in a decidedly traditional formula, with Koy tackling topics like fatherhood, growing up with Filipino women and sleep apnea. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time watching this one-hour special. The DVD also contains two special features, one of which sees Koy’s mother interviewing him for the radio, which is a fun little twist. (more…)

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Title: Fighting American

Publisher: Titan Books

Written by: Joe Simon

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Like the excuse given for a granddad at Sunday dinner, the stories contained within the Fighting American collection are from a different time. That means it’s littered with classic story ideas and stereotypes that are sure to confuse and offend those who are unfamiliar with the entertainment of the era. Compiling the work of two comic book legends, some of these tales are finally being published for the first time ever. Do the Cold War-era adventures of America’s other patriotic superhero deserve a look? (more…)

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Title: Shank 2

Platform: 360, PS3, PC

ESRB: M

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Klei Entertainment

Rating:

Review By: Eric Stuckart

Klei Entertainment’s Shank was one of the my favorite downloadable titles of 2010, not necessarily because it was one of the best games out on the market, but because it managed to do so many things right. It was stylish, looked great, played great, and despite having more than a couple of unfair difficulty spikes that came out of left field, was very, very fun.

When I heard about Shank 2’s imminent release, I was curious as to how they would improve on the formula. The sequel is a bit of a bittersweet success, because while many of the changes made were done to make the gameplay even smoother than it was last time around, it feels like it ends up coming short in other ways. It’s not enough to throw the whole game off, but there’s still a few coulda, woulda, shoulda moments that popped up in my head while playing it. (more…)

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Artist: Anthony Raneri

Album: New Cathedrals

Label: Gumshoe Records

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Anyone who has heard Bayside, love or hate, can agree that Anthony Raneri’s songwriting and vocal style are unique. So a solo effort seems like the logical next step for the singer and songwriter, and Raneri launched an independent label earlier this year to release his first “solo” effort, New Cathedrals, a five-song EP.

Bayside has already gone acoustic, so the first question on everyone’s mind should be, “What does this offer that I’m not getting from a Bayside album?” And the simple answer is diversity. The core of the Bayside style is there, primarily because it is again Raneri’s unique approach taking center stage, and it is most evident in a track like “The Ballad of Bill The Saint,” which feels like it could have fit in on a Bayside album. (more…)

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Title: The Hangover Part II

Format: Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy

MPAA Rating: R

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Written by: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, Paul Giamati

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Film Rating:

Blu-ray Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Film

If The Hangover Part II had to be described in one word, it would be tedious. Luckily, this review isn’t limited to one word, so it can expound upon that idea to explain that watching The Hangover Part II is a chore. It is something to get through, almost entirely devoid of joy, both on the part of the viewer and seemingly on the parts of those involved in creating it. It is a movie that exists for no other reason than that the success of its predecessor all but guaranteed it would make money. And the parties involved simply showed up to cash in.

The Hangover Part II is, at the core of its plot, the same movie as the original, except it now takes place in Thailand, which makes it wackier and, you know…more foreign, I suppose. Essentially, it serves as a reason to up the ante, to make all the hijinks at that much higher of stakes, the consequences infinitely more disastrous and so on and so forth. The only thing that doesn’t get ramped up in the sequel is the laughter, as it is entirely possible to sit through the 102 minutes of this feature without letting loose so much as a subconscious chuckle. (more…)

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Title: Transient

Publisher: Massive Black

Writer/Artist: Justin “CORO” Kaufman

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

To me, the greatest thing about comics is their ability to allow the reader to suspend his or her disbelief in a way that other forms of storytelling, mainly film, ever could. I think that’s the greatest asset that it has, because in a certain way, it’s still tied to the imaginative, ‘anything’s possible’ belief system that books are so very good at conveying. The mind’s eye can fill in the blanks, per se, and all we need is a little nudge from the book’s artwork.

In that sense, a book like Transient probably wouldn’t be able to work in any other form of popular visual media. Its concept most certainly wouldn’t work in a video game, what with the heroic lead character not being enough of an antihero or a hero; hell, he’s not even close enough to being what many would view as a regular guy. And with that, it probably wouldn’t work too well as a film either, for much the same but entirely different reasons. Why, you ask? Because the hero’s name is Bob, and he is a homeless man living on the streets of San Francisco. Bob has a secret. He can see multidimensional beings — some good, some evil — and because of that, he must stay living on the streets, as a ‘guardian of humanity.’ (more…)

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Title: Pushmo

Platform: 3DS

ESRB: E

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Intelligent Systems

Review By: Eric Stuckart

Rating:

The Nintendo 3DS really didn’t have that great of a launch, did it? With its poor offerings in terms of launch titles, the lack of an online store for the first couple months, among other problems, for a while there, gamers were starting to think that the Big N’s luck has finally run out. Fortunately, these fears are finally starting to appear as unfounded. Despite being slow on the uptake, Nintendo took some opportunities to make amends with their consumer base by cutting the price of the system, giving early adopters a bunch of free games on the eStore, and most importantly, finally releasing some games worth playing.

With that, we have Pushmo, a puzzle game that hits all the sweet spots that any mobile puzzle game should strive for, and it does it with ease. Not only is it the first great title to hit the Nintendo 3DS’ eShop, it’s a great 3DS title in its own right. (more…)

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Title: Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2011

Format: Three-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

World Wrestling Entertainment continues its now-annual tradition by releasing its own collection of Best Pay-Per-View Matches, this time for 2011. The latest three-disc set from WWE features the company’s picks for the best matches previously shown on pay-per-view in the 2011 calendar year, starting January 30 with a World Heavyweight Championship Match between Edge and Dolph Ziggler and ending Oct. 23 with a World Heavyweight Championship Match between Big Show and Mark Henry. (more…)

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