Samurai Champloo is the follow up to Shinichiro Watanabe's much revered Cowboy Bebop. Champloo, roughly translated as "mix" in Okinawa, takes a step outside of the usual and frankly stale samurai genre. Infusing an awesome hip-hop soundtrack to back up classic Edo era back drops.

The action sequences are arguably some of the best that I have seen in a series full stop. The animation itself is vibrant, crisp and down right incredible. I applaud Watanabe's decision to steer clear of Gonzo-esque CG sequences. This decision made way for some of the best and most beautiful classically animated sequences and in particular back grounds of recent years. Certain shots of water at night time are amazing.



Character designs are exceptional and varied with supporting characters receiving just as much attention from their conceptual designers and animators as our three main protagonists Mugen, Fuu and Jin. While the story itself is strong, strengthening from the first quarter onwards before tying up all loose ends for the finale, something rarely achieved by most anime series.

History buffs may very well turn up their noses at the historical inconsistencies abounding from Champloo. Just keep in mind, it's an animated TV show, not a documentary. Taking artistic liberty is easily forgiven for a series that rivals, but not quite outshines, its predecessor Cowboy Bebop.

Champloo is available across 7 individual discs or in a perfect box set from the Comic Shop.

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The Fullmetal Alchemist feature film, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa, picks up two years after the last episode of the TV series left off. Alphonse Elric attempted to sacrifice himself to save his brother Edward Elric from certain doom, transporting Ed to the year 1923, post World-War I Munich, Earth. He lives with Alphonse Heiderich, an engineer with a striking resemblance to his brother Al. The Alphonse from "our" world works for the Thule Society, a group of Nazi's who plan to cross dimensions to Shambala (Ed and Al's home world) to assist them in obtaining weaponry to help them to victory in the ongoing war. On the plane of existence where the series took place, Al tries to right his wrongs and return his brother to their world with a combination of science and alchemy.

The Conqueror of Shamballa is able to be watched as a stand alone film although viewers who haven't watched the series may struggle to understand who's who. One way to combat this is to go and get the series as well!



Not unlike Neon Genesis Evangelion's The End of Evangelion, Conqueror of Shamballa ties the series up into a nice little bow, which is nice as the series kinda left things hanging in limbo ala Dragon Ball Z and Neon Genesis Evangelion. It also touches base as to what your favourite characters have been up to since the series end.

The film in itself provides a moving score and production values superior to that of the series. As usual, Studio Bones continues to delight with some of the sharpest and most aesthetically appealing art I have seen in a long time.

The DVD itself comes as a one disc standard edition or a 2 disc special ultra super kawaii edition. Of course any anime fan worth their salt would own the 2 disc set and no less.

Go get Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa at the Comic Shop now!!!

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Pricey is the first thing to kick in when looking at the tickets for Puppet Up! Uncensored from afar. And no joke, the rate is high. And with no-name brand puppets behind the Jim Henson Company's banner fronting the programme and cast, it's a hard sell to take in.

After all, where's the filthy cussing Kermit, the cantankerous Waldorf and Statdler. The racial epitaph spewing Swedish Chef?

Not part of this crew. That's Disney's lot now.

But, the stars are not the puppets, but the puppeteers and improv artists that have their hands stuck up the rears of the varied felt cast on stage. Hosted by Patrick Bristow, it's a veritable swag of comedic talent that is just a gut ripping experience to watch.



Cutting up the suggestions from the audience for each skit, with one almost goer in a scene in a comic shop, it's a quick and clean affair. Scene after scene of absolute laughter break in the 90 minute show with a speed that's leaves a question on time travel and beckoning for more.

Jokes are naturally born from the situations and the skill of the performers and artists. Inevitable cussing and lowest common denominator options fly from the seats in the dark and it's a quality of dismissing them for the more challenging that really leaves a lot to admire from the troupe.

Hard not to laugh out loud and long. Tears well and form with the option of having the ribs break out and split from the side of the body. Pricey for sure, but entirely worth it.

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Bleary fusion of Sunday night crossing over and into the state that appears after chewing on disgust. However, anything in a state of wondrous angst finds a way out after watching a good Bollywood movie.

And when it's Main Hoon Na as part of the "Hooray For Bollywood" season at SBS, it's just a glorious mix of action, comedy, drama, romance, dance and song that picks the brain right up from the slumber.

The Matrix and Mission: Impossible 2 are featured as heavy riffs with the style of action—and even the not so really action packed scenes—picking up and wringing everything they can from these two films in terms of dirty faced style. Nobody hides this fact of overt homage either, referenced right in the dialogue.

Extended uses of bullet-time get bawdier with each play and the fact that it looks so serious is obscenely fantastic. Watching it, there's the thought that it can't possibly better itself. And then they throw in a song and dance number and that suspicion is dragged knuckle deep through a bed of nails.

Final fight scene features the villain, who looks a lot like Dominic Purcell, catching the first of Major Ram in his neck. Now, if that isn't some kind of skill in arm-to-arm combat worth admiring, what is?

Hilarious and heart-felt with all sorts of issues, watching clean subtitles as they swear their heads off only adds to the charm.

Clearly the best Bollywood movie ever in existence.

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Since the 60's, Marvel Comics have been inking pages with the action filled adventures of Tony Stark, cashed up playboy and superhero.

Lions Gate and Marvel Comics team up again (Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2) for the straight-to-DVD animated movie The Invincible Iron Man. Doctor Strange will be the next collaboration between the two entertainment giants. When I first heard of the plans for this flick I thought that it would be nothing more than a marketing ploy to gauge interest for the release of Jon Favreau's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised as this film definitely holds its own.

Iron Man is arguably one of the most real and almost familiar characters in comic books to date. He has had battles with real-life issues such as addiction, confrontations for and against the law and a constant struggle with his alter ego's ego.

The film itself rewrites Iron Man's beginnings preferring to omit his involvement in the Vietnam War in favour of an existence surrounded by little to no responsibility outside of overseeing the operation of his multi-billion dollar company, Stark Enterprises. The film also includes his friendship with long time comrade and fan favourite, War Machine aka Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes.

Other small differences between the comic book and the film pop up throughout. Such as Mandarin's rings in the film are powered by magic whereas in the books they are powered by advanced alien technology.



The Invincible Iron Man is a great mix of classic animation and CG sequences that seem to blend reasonably well although the CG at times was too sharp for the hand painted backgrounds but all in all it worked well.

The action took quite a while to kick into gear. Not seeing the Invincible Iron Man kick butt until halfway through the movie was painful. What made up for this were the geek-friendly scenes that showed of the multitude of Iron Man suits that have featured in the comics throughout the years.

All in all The Invincible Iron Man is a great animated movie with a reasonably complex story line touching on issues of paternity and cultural phenomena. Filled with great action, animation and a great score, The Invincible Iron Man will make a great addition to any comic fans' DVD shelf right alongside The Ultimate Avengers and UA2.

The Invincible Iron Man is available at the Comic Shop now.

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If Shaun of the Dead is known as a Rom Zom Com, Versus, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, should be classified as a Rom Zom Com Mar SciFi Fant Act... A romantic zombie comedy filled with martial arts, sci fi, fantasy and action up the proverbial wahzoo! In fact I would go so far as to just call it nuts!!!

As a comparison, Versus is best described as a raucous mish mash of Peter Jackson’s Brain Dead, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy and Shinsuke Sato's Princess Blade with a liberal dose of Sony PlayStation style videogame-esque action. In certain parts of the film I felt as though I was watching a cut scene from the Capcom favourite, Devil May Cry.

The acting in this film isn't the best, although in a film that doesn't take itself too seriously this isn't always a negative. Tak Sagaguchi plays the lead as our dark, brooding ex-inmate KSC2-303. Throughout the film he takes it upon himself to shoot, punch, kick, hack and slash the heck out of as many new inductees into the "Forrest of Resurrection's" zombie fraternity. He does this with the help of a trusty six shooter and a mysterious sword with a laser sight... see... nuts!



The soundtrack to Versus is just as hyper active and frantic as the film itself. Thumping electro/metal and industrial beats permeate the action scenes with little disturbance although does little to build suspense.

The movie is crazy and that is exactly why I loved it. It was simple yet confusing, amateur yet polished and ... just NUTS!

If you are an action fan, a horror fan or just keen on a laugh give Versus a watch.

Versus has been released by Madman's live action Asian cinema arm Eastern Eye and is available at the Comic Shop now!

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