Bond, Bourne and Batman By Garth McLennan Wit superhero movies and 1 high-profile action films being so 4 popular now, a new sort of hero has emerged: the anti-hero. The three biggest examples of the new anti-hero are Matt ¢ Damon’s Jason Bourne, of the = Bourne trilogy, Christian Bale’s Batman and most recently, Daniel Craig’s version of the enduring James Bond. All three of these exceedingly popular figures have proven to be a license to print money for the movie studios they represent. And from all evidence, that’s exactly what they’ll continue to do. The Dark Knight shattered almost every box office record in existence and set the standard for a generation. It ends on a cliffhanger and a sequel is already in the works with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Johnny Depp rumored to be involved. A new Bourne movie is being prepared and Craig is signed on for at least three more Bond films. Batman and Bond have completely revamped their traditional, rather campy styles and have modeled their title characters after the much darker and brooding Bourne. After too many movies with Chris O’Donnell and Batman characters that never really fit the part, the producers have really hit the mark with Bale and director Christopher Nolan. Together, they’ ve created a Gotham City and Batman almost identical to the ones found in the comics. With 2005’s Batman Begins, they re-booted the franchise with a much darker, edgier Batman. The re-creation of James Bond has likewise been brilliant. Before Casino Royale, Craig’s first Bond flick and the fabled series’ own re-boot, the Bond set had grown more than stale. After the decision was made not to retain Pierce Brosnan as Bond, they went in a new direction with Craig. He is quite possibly the best Bond of all time, and so far he’s been a huge hit as he’s redefined the character with his own dark and edgy persona. In the re-boot, Bond hasn’t lost anything worth keeping. The action is better than ever and there is now a complex and much more interesting motivation for Ian Fleming’s creation. Gone are the ridiculously over- the-top fight scenes, the incredibly cheesy lines and the sigh- worthy gadgets. In their place is a newer, more realistic and tougher James Bond. Jason Bourne is practically Bond’s American cousin. He also came from a book series, Robert Ludlum’s, and like Bond and Batman, he’s got a tortured past and he’s just sooo cool. Again. like Bond, Bourne doesn’t rely on flashy gadgets to get the job done. He’s a bad-ass super spy who does what he has to and doesn’t care who gets in the way. This new version of action hero is a welcome change up. Since the inception of the Bourne franchise and the Batman and Bond re-boots, none of them have faltered in the slightest. The Dark Knight was easily the best movie of 2008 and Quantum of Solace wasn’t far behind. It’s a safe bet that this will continue for years to come. Chloé Bach arts@theotherpress.ca Fork This Hon’s Wonton By Garth McLennan Foun at 408 6" street in New Westminster, Hon’s Wonton Soup House is one of the best places to eat in the entire city. Hon’s is a family owned and operated restaurant, but they have food as good as anywhere you can find. No matter how hungry you are, you will not leave Hon’: with an empty stomach; it just isn’t possible. Virtually everything they have on the menu is priced fairly and mouth-wateringly delicious. Their sweet-and-sour pork with pineapple makes me hungry just thinking about it and their pot stickers are the best you'll be able to find this side of the Pacific. Heck, even their white rice tastes better than average. Hon’s is one of the most popular places to eat in all of New West. If you head in around noon or one in the afternoon, there is usually a line out the door and winding around the corner, and for good reason; What the hell is Pumping Iron anyway? soul, blood, guts, ity of muscle oe bodybuilding documentaries, Pumping Tron is considered a classic, perhaps because it is one of the only films of this nature or perhaps because it makes girly-men cry themselves to sleep. Set just prior to the 1975 Mr. Olympia body building competition, the film focuses on three mighty protagonists: Franco “five- foot three-inches” Columbo, Lou “I was the Hulk in the 1970s” Ferrigno and Arnold “I’m Conan the Fucking Barbarian” Schwarzeneggar. Pumping Iron documents what is commonly referred to as “The Golden Age” of bodybuilding. This has nothing to due with the level of tanning involved at the time. It refers to a simpler time, when steroid use was not as rampant, when male bodybuilders were not judged so much on their grotesque size but rather on definition, symmetry and heart. The documentary follows both amateur and professional Mr. Olympia 1975 competitions in Pretoria, South Africa. Schwarzneggar is the main protagonist in this meaty yarn; however, many notable bodybuilding greats also share screen time: Mike Mentzer, Robby Robinson, Mike Katz, Albert Beckles, Frank Zane, Ed Corney, And Serge Nubret. Not surprisingly, a lot of this extra beef appeared as notable extra brawn in the 1982 mythical epic, Conan the Barbarian. ica Lsa Kris | Watrich F . “what the hell?” One very important thing not mentioned on the dust jacket to this 1977 classic is that the film itself is hilarious. Arnold mercilessly wages a constant war of mind games against all other competitors to propel himself to the top of the bodybuilding world. He quietly tells jokes during pose downs, destroying other bodybuilders’ concentration. He pokes fun at others’ physiques during the pre-competition, diminishing their self-confidence. At one point he mocks Lou Ferrigno, who has been deaf since the age of three, while Lou’s father translates Arnie’s words in sign language. One notable passage is when Arnold attempts to describe how bodybuilding is like sex: “The greatest feeling you can get ina gym or the most Satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump. Let's say you train your biceps, blood is rushing in to your muscles and that’s what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling like your skin is going to explode any minute and it’s really tight and it’s like someone is blowing air into your muscle and it just blows up and it feels different, it feels fantastic. It’s as satisfying to me as cumming is, you know, as in having sex with a woman and cumming. So can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like getting the feeling of cumming in the gym; I’m getting the feeling of cumming at home; I’m getting the feeling of cumming backstage; when I pump up, when I pose out in front of 5000 people I get the same feeling, so I am cumming day and night. It’s terrific, right? So you know, I am in heaven... “ Three words: Pure. Comedy. Gold. I honestly everyone who tries Hon’s loves it. It’s in a good locatio smack in the middle between uptown and downtown New West, and it is more than affordable for students. Hon’s is also the perfect place to go for lunch with a group of people. The tables are large enough to accommodate big parties, but for some reason it is also crammed just enough that you still feel connected to everyone. The inside of Hon’s isn’t outstanding, but really, it doesn’t need to be. Once you get food from Hon’s, the rest of the world just falls away. You’re too focused to even notice what’s going on around you. The staff is decent, but not overly friendly. I guess part of the reaso1 would be because it is always jam-packed to the rafters in there; they just don’t have time to spend with every table. Hon’s is highly recommended! wonder if the 61-year-old Governator looks back and realizes how rad he is. Or maybe just looks in the mirror every morning and whispers breathlessly “I am cumming all the time... I am in Heaven.” Pumping Iron supposedly documents Amold’s road to retirement after being crowned Mr. Olympia for the sixth time. However, in 1980, Arnold was training for his role in Conan through an intensive regimen of running, horseback riding and sword training. He simply decided that he would win the title one last time. Originally hired by network television to provide colour commentary during the competition, Arnold waited until the last possible moment to announce he was competing. Simply saying “Why not compete?” and slipping into his speedo, Arie crushed the other contenders, winning his seventh Mr. Olympia title.