Tag: Alan Tudyk

Con Man: Alan Tudyk for the Win (Review)

Bobbi, Wray and Karen in Wray's room in Con Man.

Having come late to the Con Man Web Series (which started as an Indiegogo project a mere  six months ago), it was with keen excitement,  and not a little fanboy giddiness, that the entire first season was rented via Vimeo online. This project, which is being written and directed by Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Serenity, Tucker and Dale Vs Evil), is a great “spot the guest star” series that is an epic  win for the performer.

Con Man, which is short for Convention Man (“Because it sounds cooler” according to the show’s publicity campaign.) follows the adventures of Tudyk’s character who, like Alan, played a pilot in a very short-lived television science fiction show. Wray Nerely (Tudyk) is an actor who, like the name implies, is nearly a star.

While the science fiction conventions Wray attends allow him to be adored by the fans of Spectrum, the Con Man version of Firefly, his career has stalled out. Frustrated and anxious Nerely has issues with his convention organizer, the fans, his aide, friends and just about everyone he meets and interacts with.

Nerely’s co-star from the cancelled series, Jack Moore (Nathan Fillion) has the success that Wray dreams of.  Films, fame and rubbing elbows with the world’s celebrities make up the life of Moore post Spectrum.

The first four episodes of Con Man take place prior to, during, and just after a science fiction convention. Guest stars are: Sean Astin, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, Nolan North, Will Wheaton and  Mindy Sterling.

The dialogue is brilliant. Obviously Tudyk has written the lines based upon comments heard at conventions.  In episode one, Stalled, the  exchange between Nerely and a fan, while both are on the toilet  in adjoining stalls, is priceless. The obnoxious fan, who will not take no for an answer, is voiced by The Greg Wilson:

“Did you ever see that show Spectrum?”

“No.”

“Greatest canceled TV show ever.”

While that exchange screams Firefly, it also has that element of truth about the fans who inhabit the convention world.  References to the Joss Whedon series abound, as do other film nods and winks. Nolan North appears in what looks suspiciously like one of the soldiers from Galaxy Quest (a comedy film about another popular canceled science fiction series).  There is also a fan who clearly is a reference to Mystique from X-Men as well (she drops off some bourbon balls).

Fans of Nolan North will be impressed to see that not only is the man hysterically funny at Comic Con but he can do “proper comedy” as well. Granted the man is an actor of great skills and range, but to many he is the “video game’ voice of Nathan Drake – Uncharted, Desmond Miles – Assassin’s Creed, The Prince  – Prince of Persia and about a million other video game characters.

Felicia Day plays the “con” volunteer (who dresses exactly like Nerely) and does her usual perfect job with precise comic delivery that many only dream of. In some ways, Con Man feels like it belongs firmly  in The Guild territory. Fans of that web series will remember that Fillion also appeared in an episode of the long running show that Day created,  wrote and starred in. The web series made Day the pinup girl for geeks and nerds everywhere.

Fillion has a cameo in Con Man where he gets some great lines, delivered as only the Castle star can. Nerely gets a call from his now very famous former co-star and Wray asks Moore to put in a good word for him with Clint Eastwood (He has an audition for an Eastwood western):

Moore: “All famous people don’t know other famous people, Wray…But yeah I know him. He borrowed my lawn mower. He owes me a favor.”

Tudyk is the real star here, his comic timing is superb and his character’s visit to the convention is one long comedy of errors. From his booking agent not putting him in first class to his mixing a pain pill and alcohol before a platinum member meet and greet, the performer sails through each catastrophic event with ease.

In Retarding It All Up Wray tries to recover from the platinum party and his “I hate Science Fiction gaffe” from the night before. As Nerely begins his talk at the scheduled Q&A the actor in Tudyk appears to channel his “inner Joss.”  He speech pattern and tone appear to be a spot on imitation of Whedon that is truly funny.

Available on Vimeo, Con Man is geek gold. Fun to watch, amusing enough that if one watches it in a crowed public place they should prepare to be embarrassed (not shooting your drink through your nose embarrassed but close).  This is an epic “win” of a web series where spotting the celeb guest stars is almost as much fun as the show itself.

Kudos to all involved. There is not one clunky performance from any of the actors on this series.  Special mention goes to Mindy Sterling and while all the scenes were funny…The Nolan North monologue about Mo-Cap was hysterical as was the laptop gag with Tudyk and the cup of coffee.

Head over to Vimeo and check this out, as if fans needed urging,  and prepare to laugh hard and a lot. Con Man; Alan Tudyk as Wray Nerely  from Spectrum (a thinly disguised Tudyk from Firefly) is comedy brilliance on demand.

 

Big Hero 6 Disney Firing on All Cylinders (Review and Trailer)

Big Hero 6 Disney Firing on All Cylinders (Review and Trailer)

Disney has taken a solo journey into a more esoteric Marvel verse with Big Hero 6 and the studio is firing on all cylinders with this very entertaining film aimed at not just the younger members of the audience but their parents as well. This is the Disney of old, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Up, and so on. The soft happy-ish start, the suckerpunch – guaranteed to make the most cynical viewer take that sharp inhaled shocked breath – and the young hero, excuse the pun, making good. This big 3D spectacular will keep audiences enthralled and excited about what transpires on-screen.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) Hillbilly Hilarity

Tucker-Dale-vs-Evil4

I really should learn to stop underestimating the choice of films on Netflix. Although it may take me awhile. I’ve only just learned to listen to my daughter when she recommends a film, despite the fact that we both vehemently differ on our opinions of Baz Luhrmann‘s Moulin Rouge. She recommended Tucker & Dale vs Evil and I immediately decided to watch it, but only after learning that the wonderful Alan Tudyk was in it.  I’m glad that I did, as it is full of hillbilly hilarity from start to finish.

I adore Tudyk’s acting ability and my only complaint about the film Serenity was his character’s fate. I won’t say anymore, but it almost spoiled the film for me!

Written and directed by Eli Craig, who actually co-wrote the film with Morgen Jurgenson, Tucker & Dale vs Evil stars the aforementioned Tudyk as Tucker and teddy bear cuddly Tyler Labine as Dale and it is a great re-imaging of the 1980s slasher films that featured lots of vapid young people being hacked and slashed by some inhumanly strong psycho killer.

Tucker and Dale are on their way to fix up Tucker’s “vacation home” and when they stop for food and other supplies they come in contact with a group of young university students who are on their way to the lake near Tucker’s property. When Tucker urges his large best friend Dale to approach one of the girls to talk to her, he fumbles his way into a misunderstanding and “freaks” the kids out.

While the two groups go their separate, yet close, ways, the youngsters wind themselves up about hillbilly inbred murderers and one of the group, tells the story of the Memorial Day Massacre that took place in “these very same woods” back before any of the students were born.

In a plot that works on the base level of mistaken intent and the youngsters paranoia, things go from bad to worse for both the students on holiday and Tucker and Dale. Through a series of events that leaves dead bodies all over Tucker’s property, the two country men cannot figure out why, “all these youngsters are killing themselves all over my property.”

While I watched this film primarily because my daughter recommended it and the presence of Alan Tudyk, I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone in the film did a brilliant job and I’m now a fan of Tyler Labine as well as Katrina Bowden who plays the student Allison who inadvertently causes all the death and mayhem.

The film makes fun of all those “inbred country yokels” who are deadly to strangers, and it does it extremely well. This is a real gold mine of fun and everyone works together to make this a very enjoyable film to watch. Sight gags and misunderstandings are in every scene and if you can’t see the humour in this film, perhaps you should stop watching films and take up knitting.

I give this film a full five out of five stars for Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine and Katrina Bowden alone, I’d give it another star if I could for the hilarity of the script. In films the hillbilly has become a stereotypical slasher in a genre that has been done to death, this refreshingly funny film takes a humorous look at just how “deadly” stereotypes can be. Tucker & Dale vs Evil is available on Netflix in the UK.

By Michael Smith

Katrina Bowden in Oscar de la Renta.
Katrina Bowden in Oscar de la Renta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

15 July, 2013

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Wreck-It Ralph (2013): 3Delightful Destruction

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After much deliberation this afternoon, it was decided that my daughter, her boyfriend and I would watch Walt Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph (the 3D version) at the cinema. It was close though, I was holding out for A Good Day to Die Hard but after a little discussion about how Ralph was really a film for gamers, which I am, I went with the mass consensus of two to one.

I’m glad I did.

I got so into the film that not even the kid’s feet behind me bashing into my seat could take me out of it. I did expect to see a few more characters from the “arcade-style” game world; there was mention of Super Mario, but no sign of him, but I was not bothered about the lack of what I expected to see.

Directed and co-written by Rich Moore (along with an amazing 6 other ‘credited’ writers, probably the first time I’ve not seen a “too many cooks spoil the broth” in films) Wreck-it Ralph follows the story of Ralph as he tries to change his very nature and standing in the game he’s a part of.

The game is actually called Fix-It Felix, Jr. and it has been a firm favourite at Litwak’s Arcade for 30 years. But Ralph is tired of being a ‘bad guy’ and he has joined a Bad Guy Support group that he’s talking to at the beginning of the film. He tells the group that he’s tired of Fix-it-Felix, Jr getting medals and pies and being loved by all the other characters in the game. When he returns after his ‘bad guy’ session he see’s that all the characters have thrown a party, without him.

Ralph's world and his cross to bear.
Ralph’s world and his cross to bear.

After “gate-crashing” Felix’s 30th anniversary party, he decides he’s going to get his own medal. He takes a character’s uniform from the first-person shooter game Hero’s Duty so he can win a medal. After discovering that this game is nothing like his, he learns where a medal is from the rough-tough Sgt Calhoun. Once he gets the medal, he’s attacked by a “Cy-Bug” and when he escapes, the Cy-Bug escapes with him to the racing game Sugar Rush.

When Ralph (and the bug) land in Sugar Rush the story takes off as he helps Vanellope win her race and finds out if he really is a good-guy in a bad-guy’s role.

John C. Reilly could have been born to voice Wreck-It Ralph. There is no other actor that I can think of who could have brought him so brilliantly to life. He has the right sort of pathos and misery to his voice to make you really pull for Ralph as he searches for his ‘real’ calling in the game world.

 Jane Lynch  as Sgt Calhoun from Hero’s Duty absolutely rocks it as the tougher than nails space trooper who has a sadder-than-sad back story.

The real joy of the film’s casting (besides Reilly) was Sarah Silverman  as Vanellope and  Alan Tudyk  (from Firefly/Serenity) as King Candy. Silverman enchants and amuses while she tugs at your heartstrings and Tudyk does the best Ed Winn impression in the world. Incidentally if you don’t know who (the late) Ed Winn was, just check out Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins.

Vanellope and Wreck-It Ralph. Sarah Silverman and John C. Reilly.
Vanellope and Wreck-It Ralph. Sarah Silverman and John C. Reilly.

Considering that the main character’s name is Wreck-It Ralph, it will come as no surprise that there is a whole lot of destruction going on in this delightful film. And I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t tearing up with a huge lump in my throat as the film reached its climax.

Gamers will love the film and small children will enjoy it, but, not as much as the older gamer’s in the crowd. The 3D version was very good and you felt at times like you were right in the middle of the action. Great stuff that will appeal to the “big-kid” in us all.

If you see it in the cinema, you’ll also get a chance to see the award-winning animated short Paperman.

My final verdict is a full 5 out of 5 stars, mainly because the interaction between Vanellope and Ralph made me laugh and almost cry. Add Felix, Jr’s  (Jack McBrayer) total infatuation with Sgt Calhoun and you have a really funny bit of romance in the game-verse’s air as well.

If you love gaming, don’t miss this film.

Sgt Calhoun, Commander Shepard's ethereal twin.
Sgt Calhoun, Commander Shepard’s ethereal twin.
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Serenity (2005): Firefly Rides Off Into the Sunset

In 2005 fans of the television series of Firefly were finally able to get some closure. Joss Whedon’s western space show, Firefly had been cut off at the knees before it could really take off. Fox network (who I think should win the ‘We Hate Joss Award’) axed the new series almost, it seems, out of spite.

Firefly had a good solid fan base and characters that appealed to the audience. The show played well and the whole first season set up what should have been season two and beyond. The question has to be asked. Did Joss piss off Fox in some obscure way? Or was Fox annoyed that Firefly wasn’t another Buffy? We will never know.

That Whedon has a good track record on television is a matter of fact. You cannot have two programs that run for years and have an almost rabidly faithful fan base without having done something right. Of course you cannot talk about early cancellations without mentioning Dollhouse (2009). Fox called the shots on Joss’s next television baby and their guidance doomed the show to a quick death. By following Fox’s guidelines Joss took too long to build up the show and started losing the viewing wars before the show could build up steam.

But with Dollhouse, Joss was able to give fans of the show a bit of closure. The second season was allowed to finish and so finished the story. Perhaps not to a very satisfactory conclusion, but it was a conclusion of sorts, not like the hasty death of Firefly.

I won’t waste time going into the plot and characters of Firefly. If you have stopped to read this article you will already be familiar with the verse as presented on television.

Firefly (TV series)

Serenity is just Firefly grown up. Despite the small budget, the film feels bigger, more expansive and more dangerous than the tv show. All the show’s regulars are there. It felt a little like a class reunion. All the familiar folks are here, just a little older and perhaps not any wiser but their performances have aged like a fine wine.

The cast list is as follows:

Nathan Fillion as Mal

Gina Torres as Zoe

Alan Tudyk as Wash

Morena Baccarin as Inara

Adam Baldwin as Jayne

Jewel Staite as Kaylee

Sean Maher as Simon

Summer Glau as River

Ron Glass as Shepard Derrial Book

Chiwetel Ejiofor as The Operative

David Krumholtz as Mr Universe

The film opens with the rescue of River by her brother Simon. We find out that what we are watching is security footage of the River’s escape and the man watching the footage is the scary “The Operative” a deadly government man tasked to bring River back.

The rest of the film is the crew of Serenity trying to stay one step ahead of The Operative. There are brilliant scenes in the movie. The “I swallowed a bug.” scene aka “All right, let’s be bad guys.” This opening ensemble piece shows the group dynamic and introduces us to Reaver’s, bloodthirsty man-monsters who torture, rape, and kill everyone they come in contact with.

I won’t go too much into the film as there might just be someone out there who hasn’t heard of Browncoats, Firefly, or Reavers. But I will mention my second favourite scene in the film.

The crew of Serenity land and disembark on a planet. The whole crew is upset because Simon and River are going to leave. Mal and Jayne go to deal with their fences. River goes to watch a televised commercial for fruity oat bars. She sees something in the commercial that prompts her to murmur the word, Miranda.

The second she says the word, the ninety pound girl proceeds to kick every conceivable ass in the bar. She incapacitates Jayne and is in a ‘Mexican Stand off’  with Mal, when Simon saves the day.

This entire scene is a show stopper. The choreography for this fight scene (designed to show just how dangerous River is) is balletic and beautiful. It takes my breath every time I see it.

Of course, later in the film, we see why River is so deadly.

Even if you are not a Firefly fan and need some sort of closure, watch this film. I actually saw Serenity before I watched the television show. It is the best example of why Joss is boss and why he was the only choice to helm the Avenger’s Assemble film.

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