Like Warhammer, Monsterpocalypse stands out amongst most tabletop games as having a rather well fleshed out mythology. Mixing elements of Godzilla, H.P. Lovecraft, Transformers, and Ultraman Monsterpocalypse tells a frantic story of the world on the brink of destruction. Apparently this has caught the attention of Dreamworks studios, who announced today to Deadline Hollywood that they had acquired the rights to the popular strategy game. Even more interesting is the rumor that famous director Tim Burton is toying with the idea of helming the film. Either way, this is certainly exciting news for monster fans.

The Super 8 trailer is finally online. While it does not lighten the mystery surrounding the film, it is certainly an exciting and evocative look at what has become one of my most anticipated films for next year.

Yup. It's Monday again, and that means.....more moderately funny videos! Here's what I managed to find this week. Also, it might be worth noting that from now on there will be more structure to this segment. The first video will be a new viral that cropped up during the week. The second will be a classic meme or viral for old times sake. The third and final will be a random video I feel like posting. Yes, I know. Really organized right?


1. Phillies Fan Gets Tazered
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So this was a big deal this week. Some poor guy decided to have some fun and ran on field during a Phillies game. Then the mean people who keep order at these types of events tazed him. How dare they? I know, right? The cruelty. Regardless, this was the biggest video of the week. I also apologize for the quality. There are better versions on the web, but embedding on them has been disabled.

2. Classic Viral-Japanese Flash Mob
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This is an awesome video. Seriously, further proof that the Japanese are just really amazing people. I want to do this now. AC readers, feel like storming some alley ways?

3. Marvel and DC: Iron Man and Jonah Hex
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Itsjustsomerandomguy is famous throughout the internet for having some of the best commentary on comic books on the internet. His latest video parodying Marvel and DC's summer blockbusters Iron Man 2 and Jonah Hex doesn't fail to deliver.

Yes my friends, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will returning to fight interstellar terrorists in a third Men in Black movie. Details as of now are sketchy, but Columdbia Pictures has announced that they plan to shoot the film in 3D and release it May 25, 2012. Yes, another 2012 release date. I guess Hollywood took that Mayan calendar thing seriously.

For all you Predator fans out there. Here are some new videos regarding the sequel due out this summer. Courtesy of ign.com

(Apologies. I saw this film opening day, but have been unable to post a review until now.)

Arguably the most anticipated film of the summer has landed, Iron Man 2 hit theaters last Friday, and has already had one of the largest openings for a film ever. Does it live up to the hype?

Opening six months after the first film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. )is now settling into his role as the metallic crusader Iron Man. He has more then doubled his stardom and lowered his image at the same time. Stark is now seen as a protector of people as well as the playboy industrialist that characterizes him. Stark soon draws the attention of the US government who demand that he hand over the Iron Man suit to the military. Joining the side of the government is rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who is secretly creating his own robotic weaponry. Luckily, Stark has the help of Air Force Captain Rhodey Rhodes( Don Cheadle) and his new CEO Pepper Potts ((Gwyneth Paltrow). Yet things spiral out of control when an enemy from Stark's past, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) rises to challenge the now unstable hero.

Iron Man 2 is a perfect example of a sequel that just cannot quite find its footing. While it excels on many levels, it sputters along at things that it should be accustomed to.

The story itself is crowded, but for the most part well executed. Unlike comic book films such as Spider-man 3, Iron Man 2 manages to juggle numerous plots without feeling disjointed. Despite the wide range of plot aspects and numerous villains, director Jon Favreau manages to keep all the elements connected and relevant. The real problem is in a lack of pacing. Iron Man 2 is fun and exciting for the first third, boring and disjointed in the second, and finally returns to from in the final act. Despite this the ending feels hackneyed and forced, leaving numerous plot points with poor resolution.

The acting in Iron Man 2 is phenomenal throughout. There is hardly a poor performance in the entire cast. Downey Jr. and Rockwell work as perfect counters, playing each others weaknesses and strengths. The two have great chemistry and deliver some of the films best laughs. Paltrow is just as strong as in the previous film, but feels overshadowed by the explosions and effects. Cheadle plays the role of Rhodes well, but struggles with some of the more humorous scenes. Rourke also feels like his character has fallen by the wayside when compared with other plots, but manages to add a great level of menace and evil. However, these are minor complaints in an otherwise spotless cast of actors.

One area that has improved from the first film is the level of action. Many viewers and critics (myself included), felt that Iron Man truly suffered when trying to show more intense action sequences. The sequel improves on almost every level. Despite a rather disappointing early scene on a race track, Iron Man 2 uses its sense of humor and spectacular special effects to create exciting and creative action set pieces. The final twenty minutes of the film are so well crafted and choreographed that it almost makes up for the numerous narrative short comings in the films middle act.

However, where Iron Man 2 truly fails is in delivering that spark that sets it apart from the numerous other blockbusters and comic book films being released these days. While it certainly a very good comic book film, it lacks the shine of the original. Neither does it have the gritty realism of the newer Batman movies, or the romantic charm of the first two Spider-man films. The first Iron Man excelled of its political commentary, great acting, emotional story, and charming humor. It even was listed by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2008. However, its sequel just cannot seem to live up to that. In the end, Iron Man 2 is simply a very good summer movie.

Score: B+

Yesterday, I ran a story regarding the top secret JJ Abrams project Super 8. One popular rumor was that this film was connected to the 2008 monster film, Cloverfield. However, Abrams himself has reported to New York Magazine that the project is actually completely unrelated to his earlier hit. This only furthers the mystery regarding this highly anticipated project.