Movie Review: The Forty-second Bureau

Finally, Hollywood has turned out a strong movie adaptation of an online  multiplayer role-playing game.

The Forty-Second Bureau

Cast, Crew, and Other Info:

Directed by Joss Whedon.
Written by Joss Whedon, Annalee Newitz, and Neil Gaiman

Cast
Kevin Smith as Dave
Samuel L. Jackson as Fiziko
Adam Baldwin as Hitch
Michael Rosenbaum as Timeshredder
David Prowse as theangrymob
Shia LeBeouf as AceCaseOr
Orlando Bloom as Eldhrin
Dennis Hopper as Dr. Charbidis
Mark Hamill as Chad
Zachary Quinto as y42
Angelina Jolie as TechnoGirl
Max Baer, Jr. as Jethro
Criss Angel as GrimSean
James Callis as octa
John Hodgman as TwistyHat
Justin Long as jayhawk88
William Shatner as J_W_W
Tomohisa Yamashita as tsunayoshi
Alyson Hannigan as MsJaye
Alan Moore as UncleJam
Turhan Bey as Fez
Ellen Page as Singularity Girl

Full Cast and Crew information is available at the imdb

Premise:

When an evil scientist unleashes an army of killer spambots, a band of superheroes who have hitherto only known each other through an online social networking site must join forces to save the world.

High Points:

1. “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

2. The first appearance of the Bureaumobile, emerging on the icing-coated freeway at night.

3. The return of TechnoGirl.

Low Points:

1. Several key members of Bureau42 were left out of the film.

2. The score generally works, but the theme seriously needs work.

3. What? Solar radiation increases molecular density and allows you to fly?

The Scores:

Originality: 3/6. This represents an original take on the “team of heroes learn to get together for the greater good” concept, with a cool villain. Certain aspects of the conclusion borrow rather heavily from the works of both Jodi Lipper and Benjamin Nugent

Effects: 6/6. The flying camel scene was especially impressive, and they handled themob’s many heads effectively.

Story: 6/6: This may be the greatest superheroic adventure since the first installment of Star Wars.

Acting: 5/6: The cast give top-drawer performances. First-time actor Alan Moore is memorable as a crazed but lovable genius. I could have done without Brittney Spear’s rather silly cameo as Fiz’s girlfriend.

Production: 6/6. The Bureaumobile should become the hit toy of the next holiday season.

Emotional Response: 5/6. I laughed. I cried. The guy next to me wet his pants, which wasn’t so cool.

Overall: 6/6.

In total, The Forty-Second Bureau receives 37/42.

21 replies on “Movie Review: The Forty-second Bureau”

  1. I loved it.

    It was better than ‘Cats’.

    I’m going to see it again and again.

    • My favorite was the sex scene with Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Connelly. I mean your dance number was cool, but you know…not that there’s anything wrong with that.

      • I can’t believe I forgot that part! You’re totally right…that was by far the best part. And when Jennifer Garner showed up…well…let’s just say you need to see this film.

  2. James Callis?? Really? :D

    The best part was Fiziko proving the physics were all wrong causing the movie to implode.

  3. Yeah, I was cut from the theatrical release. Yeah, I’m bitter, but you can still catch a glimpse of me at the 1:13 mark. Stupid editors and their “time constraints” and their “characters that don’t really move the plot forward” and their “your acting SUCKED.” Bite me.

  4. I was supposed to be in it too but they couldn’t find any actors attractive enough to convincingly play me and I didn’t think it was good form to steal all the scenes by playing myself.

    • I’m not sure if being excluded is better or worse than being played by someone almost three times my actual age ;-)

  5. I’m glad they went back to the original script rather than the “improved” one with the walkie-talkies, it made so much more of the story to have fiziko take on Timeshredder once he returned from saving TechnoGirl…

  6. Well, I went into this upset, and I have to apologize to everyone. I know I fought the whole Criss Angel thing tooth and nail, but in the end he really did nail me. Popping in and out the whole movie, being involved at one point then gone for what felt like hours on end – he really grasped the GrimSean character (I just wish they hadn’t let him do his own makeup!).

    Oh, and bravo to TechnoGirl, wherever she may be!

  7. Are you sure you didn’t mean to reply to the thread about the sex scene just above?

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