The latest straight to DVD DC animated movie came out on DVD a while ago and I didn’t really have a moment to talk about it. So here goes…

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was what I was waiting for to be the animated movie to elevate Superman on my list of DC animated movies. While Superman:Doomsday is at the bottom of my list, it didn’t mean that it was bad just that it wasn’t as good as Batman: Gotham Knight and the rest of the movies.

This, on the other hand, was bad.

Ok, ok, not terrible, just not as good as I wanted it to be.

Here’s the story - Superman is framed for murder by President Lex Luthor to get him out of the way for, um, something. But no worries, because Superman’s bro is on the case! That’s right, despite the fact that he said he wouldn’t help Superman out of what was obviously a trap, Batman shows up in a nick of time to save Superman from Metallo who, incidentally, is the one Superman is framed for killing. (Might I point out that although Superman didn’t actually kill Metallo, it sure seemed like he had wanted to?)

Anyways, the two heroes spend the duration of the movie not only trying to clear Superman’s name, but to also figure out why he was framed in the first place. After 66 minutes, it was all over. Yeah, that’s right, the whole thing was only 66 minutes. Most of that time was spent on Superman and Batman fighting against various superheroes and supervillains with a bit of plot dropped in here and there. I admit, the movie had it’s moments though, like when Superman called Batman his best fwend. Awww. Hehehe.

The only cool thing about this movie is that it had the original voice actors - Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tim Daly as Superman, and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. Other than that, it wasn’t that great. This movie officially holds a place below Superman:Doomsday on my list of the DC animated movies.

Here’s hoping the next straight to DVD feature DC throws at us is better than this one. Look for Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths in 2010.

I remember back when Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005 in New Orleans. I heard about the lawlessness that took over New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit and I saw the images of destruction on TV, but in no way was I prepared for Dave Eggers’ new book Zeitoun. Syrian born Abdulrahman Zeitoun, or ‘Zeitoun’ as he is called, and his family were among the New Orleans residents whose lives were affected by the flood and its aftermath. In his latest work of nonfiction, Dave Eggers chronicles the Zeitoun family through Hurricane Katrina, the days leading up the event, and the ensuing weeks that forever changed them.

Eggers opens the book with Zeitoun and his wife Kathy as they go about the day to day. Together, they have raised a family while establishing a successful business in New Orleans. When we are first introduced to these characters, the hurricane has yet to strike. However, the ominous warnings regarding the increasing strength of the hurricane are prevalent throughout New Orleans media, ensuring Zeitoun, Kathy, and all of the New Orleans residents become aware at the dire nature of the situation, especially with the news that the levees may breach. And yet, Zeitoun elects to stay in the city as his wife and kids evacuate despite his wife’s pleas for him to join them in the exodus to a safer area.

When speculation becomes reality and the levees break, the city is flooded and Zeitoun somehow makes the most of it. He navigates the city with his second hand canoe and becomes a savior of sorts to people around the city as he rows around, offering his help when he can. At first, he embraces the calm spell the city falls under. Then, the unthinkable happens and Zeitoun finds himself apprehended and placed in a makeshift prison. Meanwhile, Kathy goes through her own personal hell as she can’t contact her husband and is left to wonder if he is among the rising number of dead bodies floating around New Orleans. One will feel a rise of indignation as they read on about the atrocities committed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, all in the name of justice.

In the end, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Not only was I completely immersed in the story, but it’s important that we learn about one of the most defining events in recent U.S. history. Also, I loved how Eggers goes back and forth from the present to the past with events that provide insight on the people he documents throughout his book. The reader learns about Zeitoun growing up in Syria and his life at sea, what led Kathy to Islam, how Zeitoun and Kathy met and got married, and a multitude of other events that truly define these people and make them easy to relate to, making their struggle our struggle, whether one is Muslim or not.

Further reading: - Check out Wajahat Ali’s interview with Dave Eggers: Dave Eggers Interview: Zeitoun - An American Muslim Hero. This interview has also been featured in Huffington Post and Variety.

I was able to catch a screening of the new film Slumdog Millionaire last night. The movie, directed by Danny Boyle, tells the story of Jamal Malik, an impoverished youth in India as he progresses through India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

I know, I know. That’s the premise? It’s a bit more than that. At the start of the movie, Malik has already accumulated 10 million rupees on the game show and is thus arrested for suspicion of cheating. As the police inspector says, doctors and lawyers are on the show and do not go past 16 thousand rupees. What does a slumdog know?

So as Jamal is sitting in the police station, questioned by the inspector about his response to every single question, the audience watches as Jamal gives his story and we see how his path in life revealed the answers. We see him as a young boy with his brother Salim and friend Latika. We see him grow up and try to make some kind of living. We’re with him on his journey to find Latika, who he had lost track of. We find out about the events in his life that ultimately bring him to the hot seat of the popular game show.

I read that they couldn’t find a decent person to play Jamal Malik in India and that’s why they went with British actor Dev Patel, who turned out to be perfect for the role. The cast also includes Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor playing himself (or a smarmy version of himself. I’m not entirely sure), newcomer Frieda Pinto playing Latika, and Irfan Khan as the police inspector. Khan has made a name playing in non-Bollywood movies like A Mighty Heart, The Namesake, and Darjeeling Limited and now, this.

Slumdog Millionaire depicts an India that Bollywood usually tries to steer clear of. Boyle shows us the life of kids in the slums and the brutal reality that a lot of them face. It’s not light hearted and fluffy. Also, while the score is composed by A.R. Rahman, one of Bollywood’s most notable composers, there are no songs that the leads spontaneously break out to from 6-8 times during the movie. Instead, the score complements the visuals to give us a really good story that sticks with you after you leave the theater. Highly recommended.