Review round-up: Ludo, Wanted, Hellboy 2

Once again trying to keep up with all the entertainment I've been consuming, here's a quick review of some of the most recent this and that's I've given a go.

Ludo:
That's right, a music review. It seems less and less CDs are coming out these days that interest me. I'm a fan of music in general, so I count this less a matter of taste and more a matter of poop finding its way to the market on a regular basis.

I'm definitely open to suggestions, so feel free to leave them in the comments.

Here we have Ludo: You're Awful, I love you. Aside from the amazing title, the album is actually pretty dang good, if not a bit too poppy from time to time. I only say this because half the tracks show signs of genuinely good musicianship and clever wordsmithing. The other half, while fine to listen to, feel like Ludo are trying too hard to be radio friendly.

This is a shame, since it's Ludo's twisted sense of humor and eclectic sound which make them so enjoyable. Then again, if it wasn't for the poppy bits, I probably never would have heard them on the radio and thus never picked up the album. It's a conundrum, I tell ya.

Wanted:
...I'm sorry. I was trying not to think about Angelina Jolie long enough to give this movie a proper review. Not gonna happen.

Wanted is exactly what it should have been- a high octane, white knuckle thrillride with little room to worry about story or just how ridiculous the shiny things going on on-screen actually are.

A popcorn movie in every sense of the word, Wanted had me grinning from ear to ear from the opening monologue to the closing...well...monologue.

The bullet dueling got a little repetative, but otherwise, the action is fresh, beautiful and a joy to watch.

Did I mention Angelina Jolie?

Hellboy 2-The Golden Army:
I gave it my "Movie of da week" recommendation about seven days ago and it turned out to be a very safe bet.

To be honest, I was hoping for a bit more. A bit more of what, I couldn't tell you, but there was definately a feeling of incompleteness when I headed out of the theater. I know that's not very helpful, but there you have it.

Other than that nagging feeling, though, Hellboy 2 was every bit as good as the first. Picking up shortly after the first film, the new instalment jumps right back into the action as some drow wannabes get ready to wage war on the human race.

Wildly imaginative and oozing with style and beauty, Hellboy 2 also boasts an extra bit of umph in the heart department. Red and his cohorts have a lot to cope with (both emotional and physical) and the film does a good job of taking the audience along for the ride.

A good example of how a sequel should be made, I'd easily re-reccomend Hellboy 2 to any who have not yet made it out to see it.