For a movie that makes mention, nearly every five minutes or so, that this is Detroit, it seems odd that they would offer almost no evidence beyond cars. The Metropolitan? No, you silly bastards, the paper of Detroit is the Free Press. We drink Vernor’s and wholly expect to get shot exiting to both Joe Louis and Metro.

No mention of 8 Mile? Nothing of Motown? Not a word of Comerica Park. Hell, I don’t even live in Detroit, and — oh, and nothing about the Red Wings, either — and I know to reference all that.

There’s a point to that rant — as Brick Mansions is a movie about not quite getting there. The name, which is iterated an reiterated so many times before the title actually appears that I thought it had already appeared when it finally does, is Detroit 2018…or Arkham City: Detroit, a walled slum that is a world unto itself.

It has its own economy, the nature of which is never elaborated upon, and controlled largely by drug-lord Tremaine Alexander (rapper RZA) — how he became so rich and powerful selling to bums is also not very clear — who is presently engaged in catching the feisty Lino (David Belle), a slippery parkour enthusiast whose job is, apparently, swiping drugs from Tremaine’s operation and disposing of them at inopportune times.

The film opens with an impressive display of Belle’s agility, as he tumbles, glides, wall jumps, belt-lines, and neutralizes Tremaine’s thugs with minimal prejudice throughout his run-down apartment complex. It’s a good set piece, and director Camille Delamarre has a steady enough grasp of geography that you don’t get lost following Lino’s escape, but the camerawork, being yet another lift of Bourne‘s shaky cam, often makes it difficult to see what Belle is actually doing. It doesn’t ruin the sequence, and subsequent set pieces, but they’re innovative and skillfully executed by Belle, they deserve more.

I had a soft spot for 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and I have a soft spot for this, even with its flaws. If you remember the end of the last film (and never mind if you didn’t), Zartan is impersonating the President of the United States in one step of Cobra Commander’s grand plan for world domination.

I think this is supposed to take place right after the last film, but no matter. All you need to know is that the President is not the real President, and the Joes are not aware of it. They’re busy raiding a nuclear arms facility in Pakistan — a mission devised by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo/Jonathan Pryce) to wipe out the Joes when they call for transport after the mission.

All of them, save for Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Roadblock (The Rock), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) are killed. Fortunately Snake Eyes (Ray Park) is away on another mission training with Jinx (Elodie Yung) and quite possibly the worst actor in the entire film, RZA as the aptly named Blind Master.

We like to stay on our A-Game when it comes to new films hitting theaters and what to expect from studios on a regular basis. Then a trailer for a film like G.I. Joe: Retaliation hits the web and completely takes us by surprise.

The film picks up the hints from the first film, in which Zartan infiltrates the White House. Remember that? Neither do we. It seems that Paramount, however, does. Here’s the premise to the new film.

Little has been revealed about the plot other than that it will feature the G.I. Joe Team coming into a conflict with Zartan, Storm Shadow and Firefly. Zartan (who is last seen in disguise as the President of the United States) has now got the world leaders all under his thumb, warheads headed towards innocent populaces, and some new heavies on the payroll to keep G.I. Joe at bay.

This time around, we’re getting some new old characters to join the fight, such as Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, and Adrienne Palicki as Lady Jaye. Oh, did we mention that Bruce Willis shows up as John Colton? Yea, we’re as confused as you are.

Take a look at the trailer after the jump, and catch the film in theaters on June 29th.

With October 19th fast approaching, DJ Hero 2 keeps ramping up the ante with more and more superstar DJs being added to the mix. Yes, pun intended.  Deadmau5, David Guetta, DJ Qbert, and Tiësto have already been confirmed. Now added to the list is the Wu-Tang Clan’s resident MC and producer RZA. Check out the video below showing the real RZA alongside his digitalized version where he talks about what got him into the world of DJing in the first place.

For DJ Hero 2, the RZA has contributed two exclusive tracks. The first is LL Cool J’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” mixed With Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s “The Message”. The second is “Welcome To Jamrock” by Damian Marley paired with “A Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy.

When asked about his involvment in DJ Hero 2, RZA said, “I’m very excited to be involved with DJ Hero 2. As both a DJ and gamer from an early age, the game combines two of my passions…. I loved working with the team and am excited for the fans to hear the two brand-new mixes I put together just for this game. Bong bong!”

It’s official. DJ Hero 2 has gotten the biggest lineup of dance and hip hop artists all into one place at the same time (and thankfully no one is getting shot). Just to name a few, DJ Hero 2 will feature 2Pac, 50 Cent, The Notorious B.I.G., Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, Tiësto, Deadmau5, Eminem, Puff Daddy, Metallica, Stevie Wonder and a slew of others.

Though the full song list of mashups featuring these all-star artists hasn’t been released yet, you can already tell it is going to be big when looking at the level of talent being used in the game.

Take a peek below at the full list of artists coming to DJ Hero 2 and stick to the Flickcast for more news on it as it becomes available.

• 2Pac
• 50 Cent
• Adamski
• Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
• Armand Van Helden
• A-Trak
• B.o.B.
• Basement Jaxx
• BlakRoc
• Bobby Womack
• Bruno Mars
• Busta Rhymes
• Calvin Harris

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For the longest time, the world of rap music and Kung Fu cinema were as separate as one would think they could be. A bridge was then formed by the popular group Wu-Tang Clan, and more specifically, The RZA.

Wu-Tang showed appreciation for all-things Kung Fu in their music, their wardrobe, and even their name, which derives from a fictional martial arts sect, known as the Wudang. They even produced a few Kung Fu-style music videos.

Later, The RZA teamed up with Quentin Tarantino to score his epic homage to Asian cinema in Kill Bill Vol. 1. That’s when RZA first got his taste of big-budget films. Since then, he has gone on to compose for other action films such as War, Smokin’ Aces and composing just about everything to do with Afro Samurai.

Now, RZA is stepping behind the camera, with two brand new projects. His first, entitled The Man with the Iron Fist, is said to be a brand new martial arts-action, starring RZA, and is set to shoot later this year. The other film, is an impressive looking send-up to classic Shaw Bros. films in Wu-Tang Vs. The Golden Phoenix.

There are some parts of the trailer that may come across as campy to the untrained eye, but rest assured that they are most definitely RZA’s way of paying homage to some classic Kung Fu films. Check out the trailer after the jump, and be sure to keep an eye out for Wu-Tang Vs. The Golden Phoenix, as it’s planning to be released later this year, as celebration for RZA’s 20th Anniversary in the music business.