Tony Stark's Lab: June 2008

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Jennifer Hudson - SPOTLIGHT Video

Spotlight
by yardie4lifever2

Saturday, June 14, 2008

PCD - When I Grow Up Video

The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up [New]
by Yannicklord

The Verdict: The Incredible Hulk

Marvel's first attempt at a Hulk movie sucked by most people's accounts. I did not HATE it, but it surely was not the Hulk film I wanted. This time - with Edward Norton, Tim Roth. and Liv Tyler on board - could the make a flick that could fill those purple sweat pants?

Just in from seeing "Incredible Hulk", I have to say YES. This kicked ass, just like I wanted it to. This one TOTALLY throws away everything from the first Hulk film, and this is a good thing. The action was well paced, the story bits all fit and never seemed forced, and the CGI was tons better than the first flick. Edward Norton is a great actor and he throws his all into bein Bruce Banner.

For the comic fans, there are tons of nods to the upcoming Avengers film - littel easter eggs all around, especially during the opening credits and at the end of the flick. I won't spoil this one either - just go see it!

A-, for those who like grades.

The Verdict: The Happening

M. Knight Shyamalan is back again. This time, with star Mark Wahlberg at the center of his paranoid thriller "The Happening".

As with any of Shyamalan's flicks, this is hard to review, because part of the enjoyment is in the not knowing what to expect. This is why I went to an early show on opening day - so that there was no way I could hear anything about the flick other than what was in the trailer.
All that to say - I am not giving away a single plot point here. No spoilers.

What I will say is that I gave this flick a "B".

Whats Good: the hard R (I looked away at least twice), the warped deaths (wow to the sound effects team), the performances (Wahlberg plays the punk-ass hero better than most), the quirky little bits of brilliant direction from Shyamalan.

Whats Bad: the ending, some errors in common sense from the characters, some predictability in the plot, down right painful exposition at some points, the ending, the similarity to other films (Cloverfield, War of The Worlds) . . . THE ENDING . ..

Its a B for what is good. I like Wahlberg, and this is the first of his films that M Knight does not have a cameo in!

COMMENT AWAY!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Verdict: Ashanti - The Declaration

WOW.

After all these years of waiting for a new album from Ashanti (ok I was not really waiting but someone was) and this is what we get? This is a pretty lackluster grouping of songs. I like "The Way That I Love You", "In These Streets", and "Struggle" . . . and "You're Gonna Miss" is not bad . . . but its like something is generally missing from this. Its boring. Even the track with Robin Thicke ("Things You Make Me Do") is off to me - the production is hot and Robin Thicke delivers, so maybe with another singer - like maybe Beyonce or even Janet (its whispery)- it would have been tight. "Body On Me" with Nelly and Akon should be a banger, but its just . . ehh. Thats it - this whole album is ehh . . . I am turning it off and playing the Weezy again.

Maybe I need to hear this a few more times . . . I will force my self to listen to it and maybe retract this if my opinion changes, but on the first impression this is not a good album and Ashanti is not on her game on "The Declaration". She looks sexy on the cover, though.

Bootleg this.

The Verdict: Lil Wayne - The Carter III

This is at least the second time Wayne has tried to release the third installment of his "Carter" series. The first time it was released online over a month before sheduled street date, so he pulled the plug and mostly started over.
Bosting production from Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Cool & Dre, Just Blaze, Wyclef Jean, Streetrunners, David Banner, Alchemist, and Play-N-Skillz; PLUS guest stars Robin Thicke, Jay-Z, Bobby Valentino, Babyface, T-Pain, Pitbull, Static Major (RIP), Bust Rhymes, Juelz Santanna - this is Weezy's most ambitious project to date. Cash money used to use only inside producers and inside guests.

But is it banging? YES.

The lead single "Lollipop" is already huge on the radio (and has been remixed about a zillion times). It is great to hear Wayne trade verses with Jay Z on "Mr Carter", the reunion with Robin Thicke on "Tie My Hands" is totally out of character for Wayne and shows that he is growing up, the David Banner produced "Phone Home" and the Swizz Beatz assisted "Dr Carter" are the strangest and most unique tracks I have heard in a long time, and "Let The Beat" is an instant HIP HOP CLASSIC in my book - much props to Kanye on the production and to Wayne for being able to do it justice. Wayne is never outshined by his co-stars - just check how he anchors "Nothing On Me" after Fabolous and Juelz do their best to rip it, and how he makes T-Pain's vocorder into his own thing on "Got Money". SO many of these tracks could be hits as singles.

Back when 5 MICS in the Source meant something, this would be a 5 MIC album.

Wayne may still have some growing to do, but he is killin em on this album. The industry knows Wayne is a beast - check Kanye's line on his remix to "Lollipop" - "Its a song with Wayne/So you know its gone' melt/But you aint finna murder me like everybody else/I'ma rap like I got some type respect for myself". And what other artist gets Babyface to sing a hook on a Kanye produced track ("Comfortable")?

Cop this.