Green Lantern: First Flight Blu- ray. In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight.. Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, July 1. Remember when "debating the issues" involved arguing about which 1. The Super Nintendo, with its Mode- 7 graphics and colorful sprites, or the Sega Genesis, with its lightning- fast hedgehog and vast library of games? Outlining the key differences between Coke's crisp, refreshing bite and Pepsi's smooth, sugary goodness?

Going toe to toe to determine which comics industry publisher - - Marvel, with its bruised and battered scrappers, or DC, with its flawed demi- gods - - offered the greatest stable of characters and the best lineup of books? Sigh.. those were the days.

Firefly's cast grabbed our hearts quickly and then disappeared way too soon. Watch Bottle Shock Online Fandango. What have the stars of Serenity been up to since the movie's release? Full Anime List - Anime Tycoon is dedicated to bring you the best anime streaming to watch in english dubs for free and in the best quality and speed. Green Lantern: First Flight is the second 4th Dimension steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia in California. The ride opened to the public on. Green Lantern is a 2011 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark.

It's these nostalgic debates of yesteryear (For the record: the Genesis, Pepsi, and Marvel. Flame on.) that flooded my brain as I sat down to watch the fifth DC Universe animated original movie, Green Lantern: First Flight. I was never a big Green Lantern fan in my youth - - space- faring heroics didn't thrill me as much as Earth- based scuffles - - but after warming up to Wonder Woman earlier this year, I decided to put aside my preconceived notions, and simply soak up everything First Flight had to offer. Having watched it twice now, once alone and once with my four- year- old son in tow, I'm happy to report it's a fantastic little flick. Cleverly taking its cues from films like Training Day and shows like The Shield, First Flight presents the Lantern mythos in the guise of a police drama, one in which an upstart rookie Earthling by the name of Hal Jordan (voiced by Christopher Meloni) is given a probationary stint in the Green Lantern Corps under the watchful eye of a respected, albeit corrupt intergalactic peace officer named Sinestro (Victor Garber). After meeting fellow Lanterns Boodikka (Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer), Kilowog (Michael Madsen), and Tomar Re (John Larroquette), and failing to impress any of them with his innate skills with his newfound power ring, Hal is dispatched alongside Sinestro to track down the criminal (Kurtwood Smith) responsible for killing his beloved and famed predecessor, Abin Sur. However, the young inductee invites Sinestro's fury when he publicly disagrees with his pink- skinned superior's questionable interrogation methods.

Before long, Hal finds himself at odds with the Guardians of the Universe (a race of blue- hued immortals who govern the Corps), accused of a murder he didn't commit, and faced with the sudden revelation that Sinestro has been working behind the scenes to obtain a super- weapon capable of destroying everything the Corps holds dear. After an extremely brief opener involving Jordan's encounter with Abin Sur, his acceptance of a power ring, and his "one week later" emergence as the Green Lantern, First Flight lurches forward and never lets up. I met Sinestro and his brothers in arms, visited the Guardians' chambers, received a full briefing on the universe's social and political unrest, and set off to accompany Hal on his first interstellar mission long before director Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman) and Emmy- winning screenwriter Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond) gave me a chance to catch my breath. Even so, I never felt confused or rushed. Breezy, effortless, and engrossing, the rapidfire pacing is exhilarating - - it not only allows viewers to digest a massive amount of information in a relatively short period of time, it makes all the necessary exposition feel like a natural extension of the tale (rather than a cheap storytelling device), and immediately bonds viewers to Jordan since both are being forced to absorb every detail in tandem.

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It helps that Sinestro is a thoroughly cerebral antagonist who, like every compelling villain, is convinced he's the good guy. His conquest is as much about principle as it is about power, and it provides Burnett with plenty of fertile thematic ground on which to plant seeds of betrayal, resentment, and pride. Sinestro's inevitable clash with the Lantern Corps is wonderfully conceived, and the third act becomes a rousing, at- times mesmerizing clash of the proverbial titans. I was also thoroughly pleased with casting director Andrea Romano's efforts, as well as each one of her actors' performances.

Meloni infuses Hal with the same confident, no- nonsense temperament he brings to Detective Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He doesn't simply read his lines, he puts his back into each one, transforming a two- dimensional cartoon into a living, breathing, occasionally desperate hero that, quite frankly, supersedes previous animated incarnations of the Big Three (Supes, Bats and.. Woms). Garber's portrayal of Sinestro is just as effective, offering fans a cold and calculating officer of the law who forges his own moral highground. Whether he's in control of an interrogation or losing control amidst a crumbling plan, Garber never allows Sinestro to become a one- note monster. Even when the script focuses on mundane plot details, the inflection and expressiveness of his voice adds another layer of villainy to each line. Helfer, Smith and, yes, even Madsen are excellent as well.

Helfer brings a sultry throatiness to her lyrical intonations, Smith fully inhabits his gravel- tongued rogue, and Madsen injects genuine humor and soul into a character that could have been nothing more than a gruff block of lifeless muscle. In fact, I only have a handful of complaints, most of which are connected to aspects of the Green Lantern universe fans of the comic will probably find terribly entertaining. I know it's part of the character's patented schtick, but every time Jordan would use a giant green flyswatter, boot, golf club, or baseball bat to smash an enemy, it made me cringe. Granted, these so- called "creative" uses of his power are few and far between, but they suck all of the intensity and drama out of an action scene when they appear. Likewise, Hal's near- instant mastery of his power ring is a stretch, regardless of the film's limited runtime. It seems to me his fellow Lanterns would have picked up quite a few tricks over their years Hal wouldn't think of within a week's time. Yet, miraculously, he's able to stand his own against a pack of venerable veterans, even surprising them with the manner in which he uses his ring.

Last but not least, the animators occasionally rely on CG animation - - specifically to render battle mechs, space ships, and massive lantern power sources - - that looks completely out of place with the film's hand- drawn elements. I adore the animation style, particularly the manga- influenced character designs and the fluidity of the various showdowns, so I have a hard time understanding why the animators felt certain objects would be best served in the hands of a computer.

Regardless, I had a blast watching First Flight. It even made me want to pick up a few Green Lantern comics to see if writer Geoff Johns (who's featured prominently in the supplemental package) is handling the characters as well as Montgomery and Burnett have. And what of my second viewing with my son? Just like his dear old dad, he loved the non- stop action, the flashy endgame, and the budding conflict. The film works on a variety of levels, allowing younger viewers to easily follow the gist of its seemingly simplistic story, and giving more mature minds the opportunity to sink their teeth into its more subtle nuances. And despite the MPAA's PG- 1.

I didn't encounter anything kids couldn't handle - - there are some minor cuts and wounds, a brief but admittedly bloody impalement, and a few choice words in Madsen's vocabulary, but Coraline was far, far more frightening, graphic, and unnerving. I have a feeling we'll be popping this one in again before the week is over. Surprised as I was to enjoy it as much as I did, First Flight is a remarkable animated superhero adventure that should entertain comic fans and mythos- newcomers of all ages.

Samsung Galaxy S8's Killer Feature Lands Months Late. Samsung’s AI assistant Bixby is finally available in the US—months late.

But, hey, at least it doesn’t explode. Akin to Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, Bixby is a voice service that lives inside the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus smartphones. It was first announced in March and was supposed to arrive by the end of spring, but the feature kept being delayed because Samsung, allegedly, didn’t have enough data to teach the assistant English. Since April 2. 1, people who bought a Galaxy S8 phone have been walking around with an unfinished product. The device comes with its own dedicated Bixby button, but until today it didn’t properly work for most users.

It’s unclear how functional the AI is today, but Samsung has said it will grow with users the more often it’s used. In its original press release, Samsung set expectations sky high for Bixby, claiming it would excel at understanding natural language, unlike its competitor Siri.

So if you were to ask Bixby, “what’s the forecast like today?” or any other variation of the question, it (Samsung claims) would still show you the weather. Bixby is also supposed to be better at working with third- party apps. So if you were to tell it to change your destination in Google Maps, Bixby would do it—Siri wouldn’t. Late to its own party, Samsung is now attempting to coax people into using Bixby by offering them points. S8 users who use Bixby will earn experience points (XP) the more they engage with it. Those points can then be exchanged for prizes such as Samsung products, gift cards, and trips.

It’s the least Samsung can do after bungling Bixby’s launch. The promotion will last until September 1.