/Film found a great interview that the BBC Radio (click to listen to the full broadcast!) had with Mr. Guillermo del Toro. During this interview, most of the topics associated with del Toro were covered: The obvious being his two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit; as well as Frankenstein, Hellboy 3, and others.

Most importantly is of course The Hobbit. The interviewer asked Guillermo if Andy Serkis would be returning for the role to which he confirmed what we all pretty much knew already: Serkis, Sir Ian McKellen, and Hugo Weaving will all be returning in their Lord of the Rings roles. The director also admitted that one of the most intriguing of the characters from the novel, Smaug, may take fourteen to fifteen months before film-ready; they’ve been working on him for eight months already and are just denting the surface. This attention to detail and quest for perfection now promises amazing things for Smaug. We already know that an announcement is expected soon in regard to who will fill the younger shoes of Bilbo Baggins, so it’s nice to have official confirmation of the returning faces.

X-Men: Manifest Destiny
Written by Jason Aaron, Mike Carey, Frank Tieri
Drawn by Michael Ryan, Stephen Segovia, Takeshi Miyazawa
Marvel Comics
Release date: May 13, 2009

Having been decimated, become an endangered species, and developed a Messiah Complex, it is safe to say that the X-Men have had a rough couple of years. The years have not been kind to the merry mutants as their population dwindled and the hatred toward them increase twice fold. In their latest storyline, Manifest Destiny, with their home in ruins and with no allies to be found, the X-Men have decided to abandon their home in Westchester and set up shop in mutant friendly San Francisco. It is there with Warren Worthington’s (aka Angel) money, they set up a new facility to house any mutant in need of shelter, sort of like a new age Xavier Academy.

The storyline is actually pretty entertaining but too bad it is not in this hardcover. X-Men: Manifest Destiny hardcover does not collect the main story but rather the back stories and various mini-series that spun off from the storyline itself. One of the mini-series that it collects are Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, where fists fly and kung fu chops are thrown as Wolvie must confront his past in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. In Nightcrawler: Manifest Destiny, our favorite elf heads off to a museum dedicated to him and the monster that lurks the area. Other back up stories revolving around Iceman, Mystique, and Boom-Boom that were presented as back up stories are also published in this book.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Directed by Tony Scott
Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro
Rated R
Release Date: June 12, 2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name, which also spawned a made for TV remake in 1998; all of which were based on a novel. So there’s a book, two movie versions, and a TV version. The most obvious question beyond why it was even made in the first place is what was being brought to the table to make it worth my time? Let’s try and forget for a minute that this is yet another cog in the wheel of the Hollywood remake machine (an argument for another day) and focus on the specifics of this current incarnation.

The problem with a movie like The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is that it is not the type of movie you can just like on its own merit. It’s a heist movie — and a fairly boring one at that — so you have to find something else to like about it. Because the film isn’t strong enough on its own to let this happen, your level of appreciation will be strongly dictated by any comparisons you are able to draw from the pieces of its construct.

There is potential to be found in that this is the fourth time director Tony Scott has teamed up with Denzel Washington (Déjà Vu, Man on Fire, and Crimson Tide). With the exception of Déjà Vu, this pairing has been pretty good. Washington is usually as reliable as it gets. Even in an inferior film he has the ability to rise above a mess and stand out. And while one could argue that substance isn’t a spice Scott often takes out of the pantry, when he’s on his game and the project warrants his spastic style, he can turn out a decent movie.

Dungeons and Dragons, 4th Edition
by Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls, James Wyatt
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Released March 17, 2009

So, the last time I told you about the Second Player’s handbook, this time I’m going to go into what it feels like to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons in it’s new style, that we like to call 4th edition. I’m also going to go into what you need to start a game of your own, and where the best resources are, and if there are any good places I don’t mention, feel free to leave a comment, because I can always use them myself.

The first thing you’ll notice when actually playing a game of 4th ed is the strategic and board game elements that have been added to the game. This is the first time that the D&D miniatures game has been fully integrated into the game-play of the RPG, and I kind of enjoy it, but I can see the problems. Gone are the days when you had to picture the entire scenario of battle in your head, and then move and attack according to that picture. Now all the players have a pseudo-3D representation of where the enemies are, exactly how many there are, and where they are in relation to the players. You might say that half of the fun of the game was the imagination you put into creating the environments in your head, and I’d be forced to agree with you. However, what you get for more reliance on the miniatures is an increase in strategic elements for battles. Positioning has become very important as there are many bonuses that come from being certain distances from characters, bonuses for flanking enemies, you have to be aware of how many spaces you are away from enemies, and so on. If you’ve ever played a collectible mini-game such as Heroclix or Mage Knight, you’ll have a good understanding of what battle looks like now. Getting back to the player’s use of imagination to establish the action, I’d say you still use it to a certain degree, just that some of the heavy thinking has been removed. This is going to be a recurring element in 4th edition.

UFC Classics, Volumes 11 & 12
Directed by Mark Lucas
Starring, Tank Abbott, Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, Jerry Bohlander, Vitor Belfort
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 10, 2009

For all of you hybrid geeks out there, such as myself, who love sports as much as they love movies and games — here’s some more good old fashioned Ultimate Fighting Championship action for you. This time we’re looking at the 11th and 12th volumes of UFC Classics.

The last time I reviewed UFC Classics, it was for volumes 5, 6, 7, and 8. When I did that review, there was oh, so much I could say about the UFC as a very passionate fan of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that I would have the chance to do more of these reviews, which leaves me with much less to say. This becomes a problem, as it’s very difficult to actually review fights. You can read my previous review here to catch up: DVD Review: UFC Classics Collection Volumes 5-8.

These classic events are still back when the UFC was still a no rules competition that was banned in many countries. Being a big fan of the sport, I can watch these and find entertainment, but if you’re not a super-fan, you may not be as impressed. The current UFC is such a well-oiled machine with the best athletes and fighters on the planet, that it’s amazing to go back and witness this sort of primal early stage before the sport evolved.