Super excited to welcome a new student author, reviewing, of all things, a contemporary movie which came out less than a week ago. For the future, if we do not have a review of something you're looking for, you can usually find something at Plugged In.
Title: Captain America: Civil War
Author: Marvel
Release Date: 2016
Genre: Action/Adventure, Superhero, Sci Fi, Fantasy, drama
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!!! (****)
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 13&older
Summary:
Helmut Zemo’s family was killed by one of the Avenger’s exploits, making him vengeful. To try to get even, he devises a plan to tear the team from the inside, which would prove much more effective than trying to kill them himself. When certain events happen resulting in deaths of innocent people (including the king of Wakanda), the world starts seeing Superheroes as more of a threat than a safety. In an attempt to make things right, the United Nation’s government makes the Avengers decide between letting them govern their actions or to retire as a superhero. The team divides themselves, with one side for the idea of the government judging whether an emergency is important enough for them to save people, and the other against. After multiple epic battle scenes, Tony Stark finds evidence that the Avengers were framed just so they would fight each other. Though there were multiple plots and countless twists, the Avengers managed to resolve it all without killing each other.
Word of Warning:
Swearing: Actually, not much swearing considering this is a Marvel movie. Compared to most others, this one is pretty clean in this aspect.
Blood: Lots of blood and gore.
Violence: Considering most of the movie is fighting, lots of violence.
My Thoughts:
Man. This was a great movie. I’d heard good things, I’d heard bad things, but nothing that prepared me to what I saw in the theater. Sure, there was some questionable scenes where I was like, um, what just happened, but overall it was just a really good movie! It had everything I wanted: Action, adventure, comedy, even some feels! The fight from the inside had me on the edge of my seat, and although I was on Cap’s side, there was a couple times during the movie where I second guessed myself and thought that Iron Man had some pretty valid points with his argument. Like any Marvel movie though, the pace was too fast and multiple times during the movie I was left with that feeling where you go, what the heck just happened, and then just forget it because the next scene is playing. I loved how there were a lot of super heroes, ranging from Ant-Man to Spider Man to even Black Panther! And as always, Marvel never fails to impress me with it multiple plotlines and how everything ties together at the end even though you have no idea what is going on in the middle. This movie was really good, much better than I thought it would be.
Author Bio:
Hello! I am a decent author, with a number of literature and writing classes under my belt. In my free time, I like to experiment with my awesome tree power and my sweet Super Ninja Monkey Magical Dragon skills. I have Master’s degrees in weirdness and eating sugar from the U of Me, and hopefully at least a minor in awesomeness. Don’t know for sure about that one though. You can find me fishing, hanging out with friends, being weird, eating sugar, practicing how to be awesome (have to take lessons), and perfecting my Super Ninja Monkey Magical Dragon. My newest accomplishment is granting wishes.
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Movie Review: Antman
Title: Antman
Author: Marvel
Release Date: 2015
Genre: adventure, action, superheroes, science fiction, family, fathers, romance
My Rating: ****
Brother's Rating: **** */2 (4.5)
Official Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence)
Age Group: 14+ (that's probably over cautious, but there's one line that makes me uneasy)
Summary
Scott isn't a robber, he's a burglar. He doesn't like violence, and honestly, the only time he stole was for the greater good. Rich people were ripping off their clients, so he hacked the system and got the money back.
Then he went to jail, leaving his daughter and a woman he loved behind.
But now he's out, and he's determined to stay on track and be a good guy. Unfortunately, life is hard for people who spent time in jail, and he finds himself doing just one last job with some buddies for money, desperate to see his little girl again but unable to do so without money.
Then he steals something he isn't too sure he wants. Then he returns it and goes back to jail. Then he is rescued from jail by the man he stole from.
And told there is a mission he needs to complete, to "be the hero his daughter already knows he is." He's got to break into a super secure facility and steal a tiny little suit that can shrink the wearer to the size of an ant. After all, we can't have bad guys getting their hands on that suit.
And to do that, he's got to team up with a strange old man, an apparently cold young woman, and a whole awful lot of ants.
And he has to shrink down to the size of an ant and lead the attack. No problem. Right?
Word of Warning
My Thoughts
Bear with me for a moment as an apparently-nonapplicable story becomes applicable.
Over the summers, I teach writing classes to local students. In "Fiction 2" this summer we delved deep into all sorts of devices, techniques, and ways to form a story. One lesson spent much time on how to deal with plot holes in a story. Plot holes can never completely be avoided, my premise was, and we can never meet fully a reader's expectation of narrative fidelity (taken from Walter Fischer's Narrative Paradigm Theory of Communication). The trick, then, is to do what we can so the reader believes us anyway. Engaging style, fast story, something just a tad too complex for the reader to completely follow, engaging character, and others. Or, you can own it.
Well this film has an awful lot of plot holes. The plot itself is honestly ridiculous, when you really think about it.
And the writers owned it. It was like they said, "Yeah, we know we got a crazy story for you that doesn't make any sense, but we're going to own it and still be totally awesome." They knew the plot was weird and fell apart almost right away. They were probably painfully aware that this worked much better as a comic (I assume, as I am sadly unfamiliar with the Marvel comic universe, other than what the screen tells me).
Well they succeeded fantastically. I had that idiotic "teacher/English nerd who is super stunned and impressed" grin on on my face the whole time.
I watched it twice. I'd watch it again, and probably laugh just as hard.
It wasn't all laughter. There were moments of heroics. Moments of great fathers learning to be great. Moments of reconciliation between characters who had no reason to be reconciled save for a little girl. There was seriousness.
But there was also an awful lot of craziness. And the writers owned it--brilliantly.
Author: Marvel
Release Date: 2015
Genre: adventure, action, superheroes, science fiction, family, fathers, romance
My Rating: ****
Brother's Rating: **** */2 (4.5)
Official Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence)
Age Group: 14+ (that's probably over cautious, but there's one line that makes me uneasy)
Summary
Scott isn't a robber, he's a burglar. He doesn't like violence, and honestly, the only time he stole was for the greater good. Rich people were ripping off their clients, so he hacked the system and got the money back.
Then he went to jail, leaving his daughter and a woman he loved behind.
But now he's out, and he's determined to stay on track and be a good guy. Unfortunately, life is hard for people who spent time in jail, and he finds himself doing just one last job with some buddies for money, desperate to see his little girl again but unable to do so without money.
Then he steals something he isn't too sure he wants. Then he returns it and goes back to jail. Then he is rescued from jail by the man he stole from.
And told there is a mission he needs to complete, to "be the hero his daughter already knows he is." He's got to break into a super secure facility and steal a tiny little suit that can shrink the wearer to the size of an ant. After all, we can't have bad guys getting their hands on that suit.
And to do that, he's got to team up with a strange old man, an apparently cold young woman, and a whole awful lot of ants.
And he has to shrink down to the size of an ant and lead the attack. No problem. Right?
Word of Warning
- The beginning scene is a fist fight between men in jail. One is much bigger than the other, but no serious injuries are received. There are several other fist fights throughout the movie, all resulting in something similar (unfairly matched opponents, no serious injuries).
- A man mentions that "those were the first boobs I touched." (this is the line that makes me bump up the age recommendation)
- A woman died by shrinking into eternity forever.
- A character is caught in a bug zapper.
- Women in tight clothes and low shirts and short skirts. This is usually in scenes when on character is story telling (twice, that I recall) because the other times they are wearing business clothes. Also one kiss, more implied than seen.
- People get knocked out, kicked around, etc. Typical superhero violence, but nothing graphic or even that serious. However, a few people are shot (again, not graphic).
- A building blows up.
- A woman and her fiance are living together with her little daughter (who has a different father).
- A man calls another an "a**hat". S*** is used a few times, as well as d***, a**, and b****. God's name is used in vane about three times.
- An ant gets supersized. So does a toy Thomas the Train engine, which promptly tears a whole in the roof.
- A man is shrunken unsuccessfully and turns into a blob of gooey organic matter. The same happens with a really cute lamb.
- Scenes are shown where a super tiny man punches bigger men with serious power, knocking them out (or possibly killing them. this is unclear, as it is an old recorded war scene).
- A man is shrunken piece by piece until he explodes or disappears (it's unclear which).
My Thoughts
Bear with me for a moment as an apparently-nonapplicable story becomes applicable.
Over the summers, I teach writing classes to local students. In "Fiction 2" this summer we delved deep into all sorts of devices, techniques, and ways to form a story. One lesson spent much time on how to deal with plot holes in a story. Plot holes can never completely be avoided, my premise was, and we can never meet fully a reader's expectation of narrative fidelity (taken from Walter Fischer's Narrative Paradigm Theory of Communication). The trick, then, is to do what we can so the reader believes us anyway. Engaging style, fast story, something just a tad too complex for the reader to completely follow, engaging character, and others. Or, you can own it.
Well this film has an awful lot of plot holes. The plot itself is honestly ridiculous, when you really think about it.
And the writers owned it. It was like they said, "Yeah, we know we got a crazy story for you that doesn't make any sense, but we're going to own it and still be totally awesome." They knew the plot was weird and fell apart almost right away. They were probably painfully aware that this worked much better as a comic (I assume, as I am sadly unfamiliar with the Marvel comic universe, other than what the screen tells me).
Well they succeeded fantastically. I had that idiotic "teacher/English nerd who is super stunned and impressed" grin on on my face the whole time.
I watched it twice. I'd watch it again, and probably laugh just as hard.
It wasn't all laughter. There were moments of heroics. Moments of great fathers learning to be great. Moments of reconciliation between characters who had no reason to be reconciled save for a little girl. There was seriousness.
But there was also an awful lot of craziness. And the writers owned it--brilliantly.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
TV Show Review: The (Green) Arrow
Title: The (Green) Arrow
Author: DC Comics
Release Date: 2012 (season 4 showing now)
Genre: action, adventure, superheroes, science fiction
My Rating: **
Official Rating: TV-14 (probably PG-13)
Age Group: 16+ or 18+
Summary
Oliver Queen and his father died on a yacht trip years ago, a rich teen cut down in his prime. Well, then there was Sara Lance, Oliver's girlfriend's sister, who snuck aboard at the last moment at Oliver's urging. But that's complicated.
So they died.
And then Oliver appears again, apparently not dead after all. And what happens with billionaires who disappear for a long time? They continue their playboy lives by day, and by night they turn into epic bad-guy-beating heroes who have crazy combat skills. Far be it for Oliver to do anything but live up to our expectations. Of course, he forms a team around himself, mostly consisting of cute tech genius Felicity Smoak but suplimented by friend John Diggle, former army man.
And while others come and go, ultimately it's up to these three to save the world of Starling City from the rather messed up crime lords.
Word of Warning
Please note that while I am not reviewing specific episodes (for the most part), I am commenting on trends the show carries. I will also do my best to comment on any problems that really stand out, even if they were only in one episode.
My Thoughts
I remember describing this show to Stacy when I first discovered it. I tried to give her the intro shpeel, but eventually, since it was identical to Batman, I reached for something else. How about Oliver's character and his relationships? Five minutes in and I had lost count of the girls I'd mentioned. And while Bruce Wayne is in love with Rachel but pretending with the girls he plays, it's super hard to figure out what Oliver is doing. The one thing we know is that he's in love with Felicity (spoiler alert really isn't necessary since this is so obvious), and she's in love with him.
So of course that never actually works out for them.
Oliver's problems with girls, as well as his inner darkness, it all just hits me the wrong way. Sure, I've enjoyed the series, since I usually enjoy a DC or Marvel story, but the enjoyment is usually in the moment and mixed with so much frustration and darkness that when I step back and actually think about it, I wonder why I watch in the first place.
It's dark, very dark, and just keeps getting darker. Oliver is no hero, just as Batman and Katniss aren't heroes. Oliver does try, but not hard enough.
Author: DC Comics
Release Date: 2012 (season 4 showing now)
Genre: action, adventure, superheroes, science fiction
My Rating: **
Official Rating: TV-14 (probably PG-13)
Age Group: 16+ or 18+
Summary
Oliver Queen and his father died on a yacht trip years ago, a rich teen cut down in his prime. Well, then there was Sara Lance, Oliver's girlfriend's sister, who snuck aboard at the last moment at Oliver's urging. But that's complicated.
So they died.
And then Oliver appears again, apparently not dead after all. And what happens with billionaires who disappear for a long time? They continue their playboy lives by day, and by night they turn into epic bad-guy-beating heroes who have crazy combat skills. Far be it for Oliver to do anything but live up to our expectations. Of course, he forms a team around himself, mostly consisting of cute tech genius Felicity Smoak but suplimented by friend John Diggle, former army man.
And while others come and go, ultimately it's up to these three to save the world of Starling City from the rather messed up crime lords.
Word of Warning
Please note that while I am not reviewing specific episodes (for the most part), I am commenting on trends the show carries. I will also do my best to comment on any problems that really stand out, even if they were only in one episode.
- Comic book violence. Can get pretty graphic. People die a lot, to the point where you're numb against it.
- Torture. Sometimes this is done by the bad guys, sometimes by Oliver.
- Oliver is a playboy. Like, a lot. We get passionate kissing scenes and more than once a trip to the bedroom is implied. The only scene I can remember where we actually saw the characters in bed is in season 3 and is discrete as to what is shown, but there is no doubt what is going on.
- Evil mentors. Deception. Dark themes (death, killing, manipulation, torture, etc).
- Injuries. Blood, broken bones, etc. While painful, Oliver is somewhat superhuman in that he can take injuries pretty well (usually).
- Drinking to the point of getting drunk.
- There is a whole cult thing (the League of Shadows, I believe) where the people are very cruel. They have a Lazarus Pit which brings people back to life, but when they come back they're usually pretty messed up and go kind of crazy (having what is called a "bloodlust").
- This show has so many problems it's hard to be as specific as I was with the other show.
- I don't watch this one as closely or carefully as I do The Flash, partially because I don't like how its dark themes affect my thinking (not that I would do any of these things, just that it skews my view of the world).
- It's so dark there is no end to the problems.
- There are a lot more seasons here to deal with.
My Thoughts
I remember describing this show to Stacy when I first discovered it. I tried to give her the intro shpeel, but eventually, since it was identical to Batman, I reached for something else. How about Oliver's character and his relationships? Five minutes in and I had lost count of the girls I'd mentioned. And while Bruce Wayne is in love with Rachel but pretending with the girls he plays, it's super hard to figure out what Oliver is doing. The one thing we know is that he's in love with Felicity (spoiler alert really isn't necessary since this is so obvious), and she's in love with him.
So of course that never actually works out for them.
Oliver's problems with girls, as well as his inner darkness, it all just hits me the wrong way. Sure, I've enjoyed the series, since I usually enjoy a DC or Marvel story, but the enjoyment is usually in the moment and mixed with so much frustration and darkness that when I step back and actually think about it, I wonder why I watch in the first place.
It's dark, very dark, and just keeps getting darker. Oliver is no hero, just as Batman and Katniss aren't heroes. Oliver does try, but not hard enough.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
TV Show Review: The Flash
Title: The Flash
Author: DC Comics
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, adventure, superheroes, science fiction
My Rating: *****
Stacy's Rating: *****
Official Rating: TV-PG (I propose a PG-13 rating)
Age Group: 14+
Summary
Harrison Wells built a particle accelerator because, well, he's brilliant.
And Barry Allen's role model.
But let's back up. Barry Allen is an orphan adopted by a police detective after his father apparently murdered his mother (Barry believes differently). The 10 year old whose mother died is now in his twenties and working as a forensic scientist--a very good forensic scientist who, in his spare time, still tries to prove his father innocent.
Alright. Forward now.
Wells' big scientific thing explodes. That same night, Barry is hit by lightening and goes into a coma. Nine months later, he wakes up with abs and the ability to run super super fast.
Cool.
But he also discovers his first love (who he never actually approached on the topic) is dating someone else and apparently does not return his affections.
Bummer.
It keeps going! Barry discovers other people have been changed by that explosion too and now they have powers. Unfortunately, he's having a really hard time finding anyone who doesn't want to use their powers to do evil.
It's a known fact that selfish people get more selfish when big sci-fi explosions happen. And nice people like Barry?
They become superheroes.
Word of Warning
Please note that while I am not reviewing specific episodes (for the most part), I am commenting on trends the show carries. I will also do my best to comment on any problems that really stand out, even if they were only in one episode.
All these problems are very spread out over two seasons. I would like to point out that the second season is more violent, a little darker (though really, you can't be the happy go lucky hero in a city with a vortex to another world with super villains for every long), and more intense. Not so much that I need to change the rating from season 1 to 2.
General:
My Thoughts
If there's one thing I do when life gets crazy and I'm super busy with homework and work, it's to watch The Flash. While I may be a few days ahead of Stacy, she's usually right on my trail.
Do remember we're both full time students. I have two jobs, Stacy has one really big one. And we have various other things going on in our lives.
So when we say this is a really good show, and we make sure to stay up to date on it, you should know that it is, in fact, fantastic.
DC seems to have a dark brooding side (think Batman and Arrow) and a lighter side (think Superman). Well, the Flash falls on this lighter side. This isn't to say that horrible things are made small, or that good moral points are not made. The opposite, in fact. They're there, they're just not shrouded by all the other messy things.
Stacy says: Watch it. It's awesome. Also, it's addicting. So expect to lose half your life to Netflix. But you won't regret it.
I agree.
Author: DC Comics
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, adventure, superheroes, science fiction
My Rating: *****
Stacy's Rating: *****
Official Rating: TV-PG (I propose a PG-13 rating)
Age Group: 14+
Summary
Harrison Wells built a particle accelerator because, well, he's brilliant.
And Barry Allen's role model.
But let's back up. Barry Allen is an orphan adopted by a police detective after his father apparently murdered his mother (Barry believes differently). The 10 year old whose mother died is now in his twenties and working as a forensic scientist--a very good forensic scientist who, in his spare time, still tries to prove his father innocent.
Alright. Forward now.
Wells' big scientific thing explodes. That same night, Barry is hit by lightening and goes into a coma. Nine months later, he wakes up with abs and the ability to run super super fast.
Cool.
But he also discovers his first love (who he never actually approached on the topic) is dating someone else and apparently does not return his affections.
Bummer.
It keeps going! Barry discovers other people have been changed by that explosion too and now they have powers. Unfortunately, he's having a really hard time finding anyone who doesn't want to use their powers to do evil.
It's a known fact that selfish people get more selfish when big sci-fi explosions happen. And nice people like Barry?
They become superheroes.
Word of Warning
Please note that while I am not reviewing specific episodes (for the most part), I am commenting on trends the show carries. I will also do my best to comment on any problems that really stand out, even if they were only in one episode.
All these problems are very spread out over two seasons. I would like to point out that the second season is more violent, a little darker (though really, you can't be the happy go lucky hero in a city with a vortex to another world with super villains for every long), and more intense. Not so much that I need to change the rating from season 1 to 2.
General:
- Comic book violence. Relatively non-graphic. Few deaths. When they do die, it's generally very heartbreaking.
- Dead parents. Both Barry and Iris have death mothers.
- Injuries. Blood, broken bones, etc. While painful, these clear up pretty quickly (super fast healing and all that).
- There's a running joke that Barry can't get drunk, and this seems to be a disappointment to everyone.
- Very mild swearing. So much so that Stacy had to remind me it was there.
- One character often makes rather veiled inappropriate comments. One or two are more obvious than the rest.
- Kisses here and there.
- A mother is kicked out of her house and daughter's life due to a drug problem that puts the daughter in danger more than once. This is all in the past and is only verbally related.
- At a low point, Barry breaks a bad guy out of jail, threatens him, and then leaves him to be caught and sentenced more harshly than before.
- A man shoots himself to save the city. Heroic, but still suicide.
- Barry watches his mother die in a horrible tear-inducing scene.
- Barry's romantic relationship gets a little too physical in two episodes. Passionate kissing and, in one scene, both characters lose their shirts while kissing passionately on the couch. This is ended rather abruptly (but by chance, not because someone was actually thinking).
- A female character gets very drunk and undresses down to her underwear in front of a male character. While this is awful (and her "did you take a peek at my goods?" comment is worse), this is also one of my favorite scenes because the male character does everything right.
- It's implied that a woman and her fiance are living together.
- A few really big violent moments: a man's head is smashed against a wall and a huge blood smear is left (season 2); people's heads get blown of by implanted bombs, we see only the stumps (season 2); an innocent girl blows up off screen after dying (season 1).
My Thoughts
If there's one thing I do when life gets crazy and I'm super busy with homework and work, it's to watch The Flash. While I may be a few days ahead of Stacy, she's usually right on my trail.
Do remember we're both full time students. I have two jobs, Stacy has one really big one. And we have various other things going on in our lives.
So when we say this is a really good show, and we make sure to stay up to date on it, you should know that it is, in fact, fantastic.
DC seems to have a dark brooding side (think Batman and Arrow) and a lighter side (think Superman). Well, the Flash falls on this lighter side. This isn't to say that horrible things are made small, or that good moral points are not made. The opposite, in fact. They're there, they're just not shrouded by all the other messy things.
Stacy says: Watch it. It's awesome. Also, it's addicting. So expect to lose half your life to Netflix. But you won't regret it.
I agree.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Published: between 1903-05 (that's a bit unclear)
Genre: action, adventure, romance, historical fiction, war, politics
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: Historical fiction (adult fiction)
Age Group: 14+ (for reading difficulty. It's probably appropriate, though not much appreciated, for 10+)
Summary
Horrible things are happening in France. All those who once had power are being tracked down and killed at the guillotine.
There is, however, a man in England who will not stand for this. He is known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and he will do whatever it takes to rescue French aristocrats before they lose their lives.
But Chauvlin, one of France's best, is going to track down that man, and he is going to bring him back to France, and that man will pay dearly.
Word of Warning
My Thoughts
The Scarlet Pimpernel and the Virginian--my two biggest literary crushes.
Both married.
But once upon a time, Stacy and I found the English language particularly constricting and redefined/clarified "crush" as an attraction to the God-given beauty and goodness in another human being, and a desire to partake in it (of course, that lead us to creating a whole bunch of "crush" subsets, but that's irrelevant).
Yes, I know neither of those characters is a real human, but they were created in the image of humanity and given beauty and goodness by an author who (whether knowing or not) was influenced by God.
My point? My point is that this is a fantastic book about fantastic adventures undertaken by a truly awesome character.
On a more literary note, it's interesting that the author chooses to tell the story from the perspective of a character who is not the Scarlet Pimpernel. It makes it especially tricky to really figure out who is and also pin down the personality of that character. But it's very well done and, honestly, a brilliant choice.
Fun Facts
This being a book my British Literature students read, I did more research on this book than I usually do. Might I add that this (and Prisoner of Zenda) were very popular among both the boys and the girls?
Interesting things about the author:
Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Published: between 1903-05 (that's a bit unclear)
Genre: action, adventure, romance, historical fiction, war, politics
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: Historical fiction (adult fiction)
Age Group: 14+ (for reading difficulty. It's probably appropriate, though not much appreciated, for 10+)
Summary
Horrible things are happening in France. All those who once had power are being tracked down and killed at the guillotine.
There is, however, a man in England who will not stand for this. He is known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and he will do whatever it takes to rescue French aristocrats before they lose their lives.
But Chauvlin, one of France's best, is going to track down that man, and he is going to bring him back to France, and that man will pay dearly.
"They seek him here,
They seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
That demmed elusive Pimpernel!"
Word of Warning
- The biggest challenge I see with this book is that it's considered a classic, and is written as such. This means as far as reading goes, it can get a bit long, it can get a bit confusing. It also has French words in it that are not translated.
- One of the nobles tends to favor the word "demmed"
- Blackmail.
- Kidnapping.
- Two men are hit on the head, knocking them unconscious. There is little to no drama in this scene and everyone is fine.
- A young man was beaten for sending a love note (know this is before the French Revolution, so the note was probably appropriate for any eyes) to an aristocratic young woman. This all happens in the past, before the book begins.
- Parents are reported as dead (in the past). One man's mother apparently went insane.
- People are in danger of being killed quite often, but this is more of a theme and less of a dramatic reality (such as one would get if there a knife or gun in play).
- A main character is beaten brutally by soldiers. This scene is narrated by a woman who can only hear the man's cries but cannot see the beating.
My Thoughts
The Scarlet Pimpernel and the Virginian--my two biggest literary crushes.
Both married.
But once upon a time, Stacy and I found the English language particularly constricting and redefined/clarified "crush" as an attraction to the God-given beauty and goodness in another human being, and a desire to partake in it (of course, that lead us to creating a whole bunch of "crush" subsets, but that's irrelevant).
Yes, I know neither of those characters is a real human, but they were created in the image of humanity and given beauty and goodness by an author who (whether knowing or not) was influenced by God.
My point? My point is that this is a fantastic book about fantastic adventures undertaken by a truly awesome character.
On a more literary note, it's interesting that the author chooses to tell the story from the perspective of a character who is not the Scarlet Pimpernel. It makes it especially tricky to really figure out who is and also pin down the personality of that character. But it's very well done and, honestly, a brilliant choice.
Fun Facts
This being a book my British Literature students read, I did more research on this book than I usually do. Might I add that this (and Prisoner of Zenda) were very popular among both the boys and the girls?
Interesting things about the author:
- Hungarian immigrant to Britain.
- Wrote short stories of a woman working for the Scotland Yard, similar to Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, these stories never took off.
- Novelist, playwright, and artist
- Her crime stories were based on real-life instances
- Happily married woman with one known kid. This son (John Montague Oczy-Barstow) wrote a book titled The Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel (also known as "The Gay Adventurer") which is meant to be the biography and family history of the man who is the Scarlet Pimpernel. He published this under the name John Blakeney, and his mother wrote the forward.
- Often seen as the inspiration for today's espionage heroes (think James Bond, Jack Ryan, etc), as well as our dual-identity superheroes (Arrow/Oliver Queen, Flash/Barry Allen, Batman/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Clark Kent--hopefully I didn't ruin any of these for you).
- Originally written as a play. The Baroness's husband helped with the writing.
- Sequels were not as popular.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Movie Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began
Title: Tomorrow, When the War Began
Author: Caitlin Stasey (Lady Kenna in Reign series), Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis, etc. Basically people I recognized by face, but not name. All with awesome Australian accents.
Release Date: 2010
Genre: war, drama, romance, coming of age, action, adventure, survival
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: R (according to IMDb, but that seems a little high, which is odd given MPAA ratings tend to be too low in my opinion); proposed rating: PG-13
Age Group: 16+ (could be 14+ if not for mention of teens having sex)
Summary
Seven unlikely friends go camping in the beautiful wilderness of their native Australia. Two best friends from childhood, a boyfriend, the rich (but sweet) girl, the town trouble-maker, the boy whose family owns a restaurant, and a church girl (because the parents wanted 8 to go, but they decided 7 would be fine as long as one was a church girl--keep them all in line and whatnot).
They're having a great time on their last big hurray before graduation and moving on to bigger responsibilities. Sure, there are deadly snakes and they have to hunt rabbits, but really, small price to pay for such a great adventure.
Then they go home. And no one is there. The kids eventually learn Australia has been invaded and everyone has been rounded up into camps. Trying to avoid being killed themselves, the kids flee back to their campsite, bringing along yet another unlikely member (a sweet guy who smokes pot).
Guilt eats at them. Finally, they decide to wage guerrilla warfare on the enemy until help comes.
Word of Warning
As noted above, I find the MPAA rating a little high. Granted, I advised the movie not be watched by anyone younger than 16 (mainly because of my first bullet point below), but I am used to MPAA ratings being a bit young. What I see in this movie is horrible, yes, because it is war, but not what I've seen in the very few R rated movies I've seen.
My Thoughts
The movie took a little while to get anywhere, which frustrated me. Then again, they were dealing with seven (then eight) characters, so I can understand why it took a little while to establish any character development. When it does come, I appreciated the raw look at killing and how it changes the soul. The poor teens propose different views of this but ultimately cannot come to a conclusion: only that it seems to be necessary given the circumstances, and that it's awful. Who gets to decide who dies? Why is one person's life more valuable than another? Good moral questions, and the movie does not shy away from them.
My biggest objection (aside from the completely unnecessary mention of sexual intimacy at the beginning, and the apparent glorification of it) is the ending.
Which simply isn't.
I realize this is a movie based on a book series by John Marsden, and this is probably how the first book ended. But still. If you watch it, you'll see what I mean. However, don't avoid the movie just because of the dissatisfying ending.
Fun Quote:
"That a good book?"
"Yes. Better than the movie."
"Books always are."
Author: Caitlin Stasey (Lady Kenna in Reign series), Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis, etc. Basically people I recognized by face, but not name. All with awesome Australian accents.
Release Date: 2010
Genre: war, drama, romance, coming of age, action, adventure, survival
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: R (according to IMDb, but that seems a little high, which is odd given MPAA ratings tend to be too low in my opinion); proposed rating: PG-13
Age Group: 16+ (could be 14+ if not for mention of teens having sex)
Summary
Seven unlikely friends go camping in the beautiful wilderness of their native Australia. Two best friends from childhood, a boyfriend, the rich (but sweet) girl, the town trouble-maker, the boy whose family owns a restaurant, and a church girl (because the parents wanted 8 to go, but they decided 7 would be fine as long as one was a church girl--keep them all in line and whatnot).
They're having a great time on their last big hurray before graduation and moving on to bigger responsibilities. Sure, there are deadly snakes and they have to hunt rabbits, but really, small price to pay for such a great adventure.
Then they go home. And no one is there. The kids eventually learn Australia has been invaded and everyone has been rounded up into camps. Trying to avoid being killed themselves, the kids flee back to their campsite, bringing along yet another unlikely member (a sweet guy who smokes pot).
Guilt eats at them. Finally, they decide to wage guerrilla warfare on the enemy until help comes.
Word of Warning
As noted above, I find the MPAA rating a little high. Granted, I advised the movie not be watched by anyone younger than 16 (mainly because of my first bullet point below), but I am used to MPAA ratings being a bit young. What I see in this movie is horrible, yes, because it is war, but not what I've seen in the very few R rated movies I've seen.
- Two girls at the beginning of the movie talk about sex. There is nothing graphic. One girl says she and her boyfriend did it, and the other girl responds. Both seem excited, and nothing negative is said.
- Clothing. Low cut shirts, short shorts, and a girl wearing a bikini (a guy ogles her unashamedly).
- Kissing. The couple mentioned above is seen kissing a few times. One girl says she kissed a member of the group and claims he is "a really good kisser." Another kiss is shown that starts to get passionate (and, quite honestly, is grossly loud with headphones on).
- Injuries. One kid gets shot in the leg (we don't see it, only blood, and the healing is fast). A girl cuts her leg pretty badly. One kid is shot in the abdomen and is rushed to a hospital (that is the last we see of this character). A person is shot through the head, scene is a far-off shot but still very disturbing.
- This is war. There are guns, people get shot at (and hit sometimes), buildings are bombed, and things blow up. The kids barely escape more than once.
- In a heartbreaking scene the most innocent of the group mows down three enemy soldiers with a semi-automatic to save other members of the group.
- One character lights a stick on fire and causes an explosion that lights several enemy soldiers on fire. We see one soldier in a close-up, her face melted, and she presumably dies. The character who caused the explosion rightfully has a very hard time getting over this.
- A dead dog is shown, eye clouded, flies buzzing about. I realize in the grand scheme of this movie, this really isn't a big deal. But the scene is disturbing and startling based on where it is put in the movie.
- A car chase involving a garbage truck and two to three little zippy cars (no clue what to call them). Cars blow up and flip and the chase is rather harrowing. It's also a good point, because really, a garbage truck and speedy car chase?
- One character smokes pot. In one scene he talks about being stoned, but he's clearly still high.
- Kids lie to their parents, particularly a religious figure.
- Language. I didn't write down the words or the numbers. I hadn't even intended to review the movie originally. Basically, if you deem the other stuff in this list appropriate, the language content should be fine too.
My Thoughts
The movie took a little while to get anywhere, which frustrated me. Then again, they were dealing with seven (then eight) characters, so I can understand why it took a little while to establish any character development. When it does come, I appreciated the raw look at killing and how it changes the soul. The poor teens propose different views of this but ultimately cannot come to a conclusion: only that it seems to be necessary given the circumstances, and that it's awful. Who gets to decide who dies? Why is one person's life more valuable than another? Good moral questions, and the movie does not shy away from them.
My biggest objection (aside from the completely unnecessary mention of sexual intimacy at the beginning, and the apparent glorification of it) is the ending.
Which simply isn't.
I realize this is a movie based on a book series by John Marsden, and this is probably how the first book ended. But still. If you watch it, you'll see what I mean. However, don't avoid the movie just because of the dissatisfying ending.
Fun Quote:
"That a good book?"
"Yes. Better than the movie."
"Books always are."
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Book Review: The Prisoner of Zenda
This book, like Peter Pan, is one of the books I have included in the British Literature course I am teaching. I hope that, even if I do not have much time to review books I have read in my free time, I can always turn to the literature courses I am teaching for material.
Title: The Prisoner of Zenda
Author: Anthony Hope Hawkins (commonly just "Anthony Hope")
Release Date: 1894
Genre: action, adventure, drama, fiction, Ruritanian Romance (like The Princess Bride!), politics, romance
My Rating: *****
Students'* Rating: Unanimous "Awesome!"
Official Rating: fiction
Age Group: 12+
Summary
Rudolf Rassendyll has never done anything productive with his life, and his sister-in-law can't take it anymore. Go see the crowning of the king of Ruritania, she says. Go rub elbows with the big shots. Have fun.
Fine. To keep his sister-in-law happy, Rudolf wisely heads off to Ruritania. However, on the way, he finds himself caught up in a political war and impersonating someone, the threat of death always upon him.
Best (worst?) of all? He falls in love with the woman he is courting--while impersonating her real betrothed.
Will Rudolf be caught in his impersonation? And how to rescue the man he is impersonating?
And what is he to do about Princess Flavia?
Word of Warning
My Thoughts
This is possibly one of my favorite books of all time, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when my students liked it too. Maybe I wasn't biased after all!
No, in all seriousness, this is a fantastic tale. It's so good that it established the Ruritanian Romance genre (courtly romance in a fantasy setting). There is danger, impersonation, sword fighting, break-ins, and very interesting moral musings about what is right and what is not.
It's not the easy-going style of more contemporary writing, but it is intriguing enough and not too complex, making it readable, just a bit of work for younger readers less experienced in the classics.
The main character is fun, witty, and a great adventurer. And while he might start of careless and fun, he develops into a self-sacrificing man who ultimately does the right thing, no matter how heartbreaking that ends up being.
Fun Fact(s)
In addition to establishing a whole new literary genre, Hope/Hawkins earned the praise of Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island.
Anthony Hope Hawkins is much better known as simply Anthony Hope, it is fun to note that he has the same last name as Stevenson's protagonist Jim Hawkins.
Though he wrote 32 works of fiction in addition to plays, Hope/Hawkins is best known for The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau.
*Students in this particular case range from grades 8-12, class contains nearly even number of boys and girls.
Title: The Prisoner of Zenda
Author: Anthony Hope Hawkins (commonly just "Anthony Hope")
Release Date: 1894
Genre: action, adventure, drama, fiction, Ruritanian Romance (like The Princess Bride!), politics, romance
My Rating: *****
Students'* Rating: Unanimous "Awesome!"
Official Rating: fiction
Age Group: 12+
Summary
Rudolf Rassendyll has never done anything productive with his life, and his sister-in-law can't take it anymore. Go see the crowning of the king of Ruritania, she says. Go rub elbows with the big shots. Have fun.
Fine. To keep his sister-in-law happy, Rudolf wisely heads off to Ruritania. However, on the way, he finds himself caught up in a political war and impersonating someone, the threat of death always upon him.
Best (worst?) of all? He falls in love with the woman he is courting--while impersonating her real betrothed.
Will Rudolf be caught in his impersonation? And how to rescue the man he is impersonating?
And what is he to do about Princess Flavia?
Word of Warning
- Characters get drunk. We don't see them acting drunk, they just are drunk.
- A character is drugged and kidnapped.
- People get hurt, but nothing graphic and usually not serious.
- A few chaste kisses.
- Sword fights. Guns. Excitement!
- A character impersonates another.
- Someone dies.
My Thoughts
This is possibly one of my favorite books of all time, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when my students liked it too. Maybe I wasn't biased after all!
No, in all seriousness, this is a fantastic tale. It's so good that it established the Ruritanian Romance genre (courtly romance in a fantasy setting). There is danger, impersonation, sword fighting, break-ins, and very interesting moral musings about what is right and what is not.
It's not the easy-going style of more contemporary writing, but it is intriguing enough and not too complex, making it readable, just a bit of work for younger readers less experienced in the classics.
The main character is fun, witty, and a great adventurer. And while he might start of careless and fun, he develops into a self-sacrificing man who ultimately does the right thing, no matter how heartbreaking that ends up being.
Fun Fact(s)
In addition to establishing a whole new literary genre, Hope/Hawkins earned the praise of Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island.
Anthony Hope Hawkins is much better known as simply Anthony Hope, it is fun to note that he has the same last name as Stevenson's protagonist Jim Hawkins.
Though he wrote 32 works of fiction in addition to plays, Hope/Hawkins is best known for The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau.
*Students in this particular case range from grades 8-12, class contains nearly even number of boys and girls.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Movie Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Title: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Author: Starring Chris Pine and Keira Knightley
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, drama, romance, war, thriller
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 14+
Summary
After a horrific accident in a helicopter, Jack Ryan works for the CIA undercover. He has possibly one of the most boring jobs out there: watching numbers on a screen. But one day those numbers show something frightening, and Ryan reports to his boss. Who promptly tells him to go to Moscow and fix the problem.
Now, Ryan's not supposed to be an agent in the field, but he's the only one who really knows what the data says or what he's looking for. Plus, this mission should really just involve looking at a few accounts and coming home.
Yeah, no. That never happens in these kinds of movies. And while we're at it, let's throw in a girlfriend who thinks Ryan is cheating on her because he's suddenly keeping things from her, and a surprise trip by this girlfriend to join Ryan in Moscow.
Things can't get much worse, can they?
Oh yes, they can.
Word of Warning
My Thoughts
Well, that was good. I love a good action movie, far more than I like other genres, and on a Sunday afternoon this one did not disappoint. I don't think I'd watch it again, but action movies in general are not very enjoyable to re-watch. I also don't regret watching it. It was relatively clean and not very gory, intelligent in its premise, but with enough action to do what every good action movie does: make you think the movie is over a good hour before it is. Because you're so sure that's the climax, and then it's not, so that must be it, but that's not it either and so on.
Basically, it was good. I appreciated that the language wasn't a big issue and that, compared to other movies in this genre, the content wasn't too bad.
I'm rambling, and I know that. That's because I liked the movie, but it doesn't stand out enough for me to say, "This is the most amazing movie I've watched!" nor does to say "I really regret wasting my time on this."
So there you have it. It was good. It wasn't the best, or the worst. It just fell in a nice place somewhere in the midle.
Author: Starring Chris Pine and Keira Knightley
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, drama, romance, war, thriller
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 14+
Summary
After a horrific accident in a helicopter, Jack Ryan works for the CIA undercover. He has possibly one of the most boring jobs out there: watching numbers on a screen. But one day those numbers show something frightening, and Ryan reports to his boss. Who promptly tells him to go to Moscow and fix the problem.
Now, Ryan's not supposed to be an agent in the field, but he's the only one who really knows what the data says or what he's looking for. Plus, this mission should really just involve looking at a few accounts and coming home.
Yeah, no. That never happens in these kinds of movies. And while we're at it, let's throw in a girlfriend who thinks Ryan is cheating on her because he's suddenly keeping things from her, and a surprise trip by this girlfriend to join Ryan in Moscow.
Things can't get much worse, can they?
Oh yes, they can.
Word of Warning
- The helicopter is hit by what looks to be an RPG. This seriously injures Ryan and those inside, and we see Ryan on a stretcher, skin singed, two broken vertebra and in serious pain.
- An unmarried couple living together and presumably having sex. A few kisses, more desperate (since people are almost dying) than passionate.
- A man pretends to be drunk and insults his fiance. This might not merit being mentioned, but it was just really sad and horrible to see how he treated her verbally.
- People die. A lot. A man drowns, others are shot, and Ryan barely escapes with his life more than once. There is mention of torture (waterboarding and others), specifically that of inserting a lightbulb into a young woman's mouth with the intention of breaking said bulb while it is in her mouth. One man likes to kill people with a metal sheers (like the one you use to sheer sheep). While silent and not very gory, there's something very disturbing about this.
- Guns. Jumping off crazy heights. Car chases. Car crashes. A bomb. Basically, all that you would expect from this genre.
- Language? I don't remember it being a big deal, but I know there was some in the movie.
- The end of the movie is the death of a main character. It is silent, with classical music playing in the background, and not dramatic, but heartbreaking.
My Thoughts
Well, that was good. I love a good action movie, far more than I like other genres, and on a Sunday afternoon this one did not disappoint. I don't think I'd watch it again, but action movies in general are not very enjoyable to re-watch. I also don't regret watching it. It was relatively clean and not very gory, intelligent in its premise, but with enough action to do what every good action movie does: make you think the movie is over a good hour before it is. Because you're so sure that's the climax, and then it's not, so that must be it, but that's not it either and so on.
Basically, it was good. I appreciated that the language wasn't a big issue and that, compared to other movies in this genre, the content wasn't too bad.
I'm rambling, and I know that. That's because I liked the movie, but it doesn't stand out enough for me to say, "This is the most amazing movie I've watched!" nor does to say "I really regret wasting my time on this."
So there you have it. It was good. It wasn't the best, or the worst. It just fell in a nice place somewhere in the midle.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
TV Show Review: Flashpoint
(Please note that while I will not be reviewing specific episodes, I
will be commenting on the specific trends that most of the episodes
followed.)
Title: Flashpoint
Author: ION Television, CTV Television Network, CBS (a Canadian police drama)
Release Date: 2008-2012 (5 seasons)
Genre: crime, violence, drama, family, friendship, action, thriller, romance
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: N/A
Age Group: 16+
Summary:
IMDb describes it simply as "The missions and trials of a Toronto police tactical unit."
I guess so.
But this is the story of the Team 1 of the SRU (Strategic Response Unit). People who face death every day and are forced to kill become really close, so this isn't your typical idea of the word "team." People come and people go, both on the team and in team member's lives, but the story goes on. A threat is called in, and off the SRU goes to face whatever it is and save the lives of anyone put at risk. Anyone. Even the drug dealers and murderers and people they don't like. And they do it at the risk to their own lives. Every time.
But this isn't something you can do and then go home and forget about it. Because you can't forget about when you shot a man threatening to blow up a building, nor a girl threatening to shoot her father. You can't forget watching the girl you love get shot by a sniper buildings away. A man stealing a baby. A teammate's death. Bombs blowing up. Stuff. Life--to those on the team.
Word of Warning
It's good. It's also really hard to stop watching. While I really did find the action part of it interesting, I appreciated that attention was given to the mental state of the SRU officers. I think that was my favorite part, aside from the on-again-off-again romance on the team (which drove me crazy sometimes). My only objection is that there seems to be a disconnect at times between episodes. After doing some research on the web, it appears the disconnect (storylines not being carried over to the next episode when they should have been, etc) is because this is a Canadian show so the US only has most of the episodes. I haven't found anything to confirm this, but it would make sense. The whole thing is so well-written I have a hard time believing they just decided to forget about key storylines when writing the next episode.
I like that the focus is on the lives of the SRU officers, not the calls themselves. And I really like the bond of the team, how it flexes to work with new situations or nearly breaks when it cannot get over the old.
Overall, there's really not much to say about this show. It's just good. And if you have some free time, you might want to watch all of it. Because once you watch one episode, you'll be watching all of them.
Title: Flashpoint
Author: ION Television, CTV Television Network, CBS (a Canadian police drama)
Release Date: 2008-2012 (5 seasons)
Genre: crime, violence, drama, family, friendship, action, thriller, romance
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: N/A
Age Group: 16+
Summary:
IMDb describes it simply as "The missions and trials of a Toronto police tactical unit."
I guess so.
But this is the story of the Team 1 of the SRU (Strategic Response Unit). People who face death every day and are forced to kill become really close, so this isn't your typical idea of the word "team." People come and people go, both on the team and in team member's lives, but the story goes on. A threat is called in, and off the SRU goes to face whatever it is and save the lives of anyone put at risk. Anyone. Even the drug dealers and murderers and people they don't like. And they do it at the risk to their own lives. Every time.
But this isn't something you can do and then go home and forget about it. Because you can't forget about when you shot a man threatening to blow up a building, nor a girl threatening to shoot her father. You can't forget watching the girl you love get shot by a sniper buildings away. A man stealing a baby. A teammate's death. Bombs blowing up. Stuff. Life--to those on the team.
Word of Warning
- Crime. There is a whole awful lot of crime going around. This might surprise you, it being a cop show and all, but there's a lot of it. Theft, murder, attempted murder, blowing things up, kidnapping, rape, gangs, drugs, the list goes on forever.
- Death. People die. Sometimes they are shot by SRU officers, sometimes they are not saved in time. Sometimes they try to kill themselves. There are a few major deaths that keep popping up during the series, so I will mention those. 1) a man is shot in the first episode by an SRU officer, right in front of the man's teenage son. 2) a girl who is threatening her father with a gun is shot by an SRU officer. There is a slow-mo shot of her falling, but no blood is shown. 3) one of the officers shot his friend by accident while in the military. 4) one member of the SRU dies in an explosion (off screen).
- Injuries. People get hurt a lot too. Gunshot wounds, getting punched and shoved around, stab wounds, etc. Rarely is there any gore shown. Blood, yes, but that's not the focus of the show so it is not dwelt upon. Even when there is blood just enough is used to make the point. Three instances stand out to me where there was a lot of blood: when a woman is hit in the arm with a piece of shrapnel, when a woman is shot by a sniper on a rooftop, a man is shot in the abdomen.
- Romance. It's not necessarily a problem, unless it is. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you this, since it establishes itself pretty early on, but two of the SRU team members quickly form a romantic relationship even though it is against regulations. They sleep together often. Aside from the SRU couple, some of the violence revolves around couples (abuse, rape, divorce, cheating on spouses, etc). There is more than one out of wedlock pregnancy.
- Stress. Sure, this is a big deal for the minor characters committing the crimes, but the focus is on the SRU. There's a lot of mental stress that goes with the job, and that's not ignored. Flashbacks, freezing up, PTSD, all that good stuff. The mental stress is there and it's acknowledged.
- Drinking and drugs. People go and get drinks all the time and rarely get drunk. Sometimes minor characters get drunk and that's involved in the SRU call. One officer had a history of being drunk, resulting in his wife taking their young son and moving to a different state. Drugs are not a problem on the SRU team, but are involved in a few different calls.
It's good. It's also really hard to stop watching. While I really did find the action part of it interesting, I appreciated that attention was given to the mental state of the SRU officers. I think that was my favorite part, aside from the on-again-off-again romance on the team (which drove me crazy sometimes). My only objection is that there seems to be a disconnect at times between episodes. After doing some research on the web, it appears the disconnect (storylines not being carried over to the next episode when they should have been, etc) is because this is a Canadian show so the US only has most of the episodes. I haven't found anything to confirm this, but it would make sense. The whole thing is so well-written I have a hard time believing they just decided to forget about key storylines when writing the next episode.
I like that the focus is on the lives of the SRU officers, not the calls themselves. And I really like the bond of the team, how it flexes to work with new situations or nearly breaks when it cannot get over the old.
Overall, there's really not much to say about this show. It's just good. And if you have some free time, you might want to watch all of it. Because once you watch one episode, you'll be watching all of them.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Movie Review: The Prince
Title: The Prince
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, thriller
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: R for violence, drug content, and language
Age Group: 18+
Summary
Paul is just a simple mechanic who loves his daughter very dearly. When Beth goes missing from college, instead of calling the police (since they will claim she is just a runaway teen), he sets off to find her himself. The road leads him back to his past where he must face the horrible reality of what he had done. Old enemies raise their heads and threaten to kill Paul's daughter, and Paul is only human.
Or is he?
The Romans tried to conquer Scotland but discovered a people so crazed they built a wall and let the Scottish live their lives unhindered. The people of a city down south saw Paul as a Scot, a wild one it would be a bad idea to fight, and called him the Prince.
Or so they say.
Word of Warning
I did not keep a list for this one since I did not plan on doing a review. Since this is an R rated movie, the list would have been too extensive anyway and I would have summerized, so I suppose this was a good movie to forget to take notes on. Interestingly enough, the official rating hits on the problems of this movie, just not with much detail.
My Thoughts
What to say? I just made this movie sound very unattractive, but in truth I do not regret spending my time watching it. I might regret it during the school year, but not on 4th of July weekend.
And now I step back and wonder why I did not regret watching a movie with so many problems in it.
It was because of the father. The father has horrible secrets from a horrible past life, but he comes off as a normal concerned father who loves his daughter very deeply. He does not look intimidating, does not have a deep scary voice, nothing implies that he should be associated with gangs and drugs and guns.
Flashbacks do. But his character does not. His actions sometimes do, but there is a strange disconnect between the actions he must take to save his daughter and who he really is. It's like he is still capable of that but he no longer is that.
I think I liked it for the disconnect, and the fatherly love. Because nothing quite gets me like a story where a father is shown being a real father (not a Disney father who was allowed to live)--especially for a teen son or daughter.
Release Date: 2014
Genre: action, thriller
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: R for violence, drug content, and language
Age Group: 18+
Summary
Paul is just a simple mechanic who loves his daughter very dearly. When Beth goes missing from college, instead of calling the police (since they will claim she is just a runaway teen), he sets off to find her himself. The road leads him back to his past where he must face the horrible reality of what he had done. Old enemies raise their heads and threaten to kill Paul's daughter, and Paul is only human.
Or is he?
The Romans tried to conquer Scotland but discovered a people so crazed they built a wall and let the Scottish live their lives unhindered. The people of a city down south saw Paul as a Scot, a wild one it would be a bad idea to fight, and called him the Prince.
Or so they say.
Word of Warning
I did not keep a list for this one since I did not plan on doing a review. Since this is an R rated movie, the list would have been too extensive anyway and I would have summerized, so I suppose this was a good movie to forget to take notes on. Interestingly enough, the official rating hits on the problems of this movie, just not with much detail.
- Violence. There is a lot of violence, though hardly any of it is graphic. A scene in which a woman and her daughter are in a car which blows up is shown multiple times. People are shot and die, some more dramatically than others. There are one or two car crashes. A lot of people die senselessly. A man is shot (not seriously) and stitches up his own wound while the camera watches closely. A man retells a story in which he had a gun to his head and nearly died, but did not. He later finds out the only thing that saved him in this theater shooting was the assassin running out of amo.
- Drugs. The whole movie centers around a girl who gets into drugs and a father who goes to save her. We see the girl rarely, but drugs are mentioned often and are never glorified by the good characters (and, interestingly enough, even the bad). The climax involves a man going into a house full of people who are taking drugs. Many of them are high. Beth is also shown on drugs and looks very sick and hardly aware of what is happening around her.
- Language. The f-word is used so frequently I would have lost track even if I had been counting. I do not remember vividly any other words, but I would not be surprised if they are in there.
- Sexuality. Women are shown pole dancing in a club in a very sensual scene. A man is shown shirtless. A younger woman approaches a man who could be her father in a sexual way, high on drugs, but he pushes her away, disgusted but gentle. Low cut shirts, short shorts and skirts, etc. It is implied that Beth's friend was planning to go home for the night with a man at the bar. Lots of sensual flirting.
- Drinking. Beth's friend gets drunk often and when she is first shown she openly admits that she is drunk. Men drink all the time. Multiple bars are shown where people are drinking and are often drunk.
My Thoughts
What to say? I just made this movie sound very unattractive, but in truth I do not regret spending my time watching it. I might regret it during the school year, but not on 4th of July weekend.
And now I step back and wonder why I did not regret watching a movie with so many problems in it.
It was because of the father. The father has horrible secrets from a horrible past life, but he comes off as a normal concerned father who loves his daughter very deeply. He does not look intimidating, does not have a deep scary voice, nothing implies that he should be associated with gangs and drugs and guns.
Flashbacks do. But his character does not. His actions sometimes do, but there is a strange disconnect between the actions he must take to save his daughter and who he really is. It's like he is still capable of that but he no longer is that.
I think I liked it for the disconnect, and the fatherly love. Because nothing quite gets me like a story where a father is shown being a real father (not a Disney father who was allowed to live)--especially for a teen son or daughter.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Movie Review: Divergent
Title: Divergent
Genre: dystopia, drama, action, adventure, romance, science fiction
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG-13 (intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality)
Author: Summit Entertainment
Age Group: 16+
Summary:
At a certain age, people in Beatrice's world take a test (a mental simulation of sorts) that tells them whether they tend toward one of five different ways of being, broken into five factions where people live: Candor (truthful), Erudite (smart), Amity (kind), Abnegation (selfless), and Dauntless (brave). Then, the next day, they choose (hopefully based on their test results) where they will spend the rest of their lives. It's simple.
And doesn't work for Beatrice. She shows the ability to live in more than one faction. One would think this is a good thing, but in her world it means she can't be easily controlled by the government. She's divergent--and constantly in danger of death.
Beatrice chooses Dauntless and changes her name to Tris. It's there that she encounters a crazy world where kids court death and thrive on the rush of adrenalin. Can she survive this way of life? Will she be found out as a divergent and killed?
Word of Warning
It was better than the book. Wait, did I just say that? Me, the one who always fights for the movie to follow the book as closely as possible? It was better in the sense that it was more appropriate and properly handled. I really did enjoy the movie, though the story line left it feeling like there was something lacking. It picked up at the end as the problem with the government became a main point and I believe the next installment won't feel quite so flat.
However, a warning to those who have not read the book. I saw the movie twice, both times with friends who had not read the book. I found myself explaining plot points to them not so they would understand what was going on, but so they would understand the deeper implications which were not made clear. I'm not telling you to go read the book, just trying to clarify what you'll be getting into if you go see the movie.
One final note: people have compared the kids fighting in this movie to the kids fighting in The Hunger Games books and movies. I object. In this movie, fighting is for training purposes or under the control of others through mind control. In The Hunger Games the kids know exactly what they're doing and, though they don't choose to enter the games willingly (for the most part), their actions are voluntary.
I reviewed the book this movie is based off of. You can find that review here.
Genre: dystopia, drama, action, adventure, romance, science fiction
My Rating: ***
Official Rating: PG-13 (intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality)
Author: Summit Entertainment
Age Group: 16+
Summary:
At a certain age, people in Beatrice's world take a test (a mental simulation of sorts) that tells them whether they tend toward one of five different ways of being, broken into five factions where people live: Candor (truthful), Erudite (smart), Amity (kind), Abnegation (selfless), and Dauntless (brave). Then, the next day, they choose (hopefully based on their test results) where they will spend the rest of their lives. It's simple.
And doesn't work for Beatrice. She shows the ability to live in more than one faction. One would think this is a good thing, but in her world it means she can't be easily controlled by the government. She's divergent--and constantly in danger of death.
Beatrice chooses Dauntless and changes her name to Tris. It's there that she encounters a crazy world where kids court death and thrive on the rush of adrenalin. Can she survive this way of life? Will she be found out as a divergent and killed?
Word of Warning
- Mind control. Lots of characters enter a city of innocent people and usher them out, intending a mass execution. Those who resist die. Later, when the mind control ends, the characters who did this are horrified by their actions.
- Mental simulations that are induced by the injection of a serum. These are often frightening and intense but rather short scenes that feel real to the character. More on these later.
- In the simulations: a dog tries to attack Tris, then a little girl; Tris almost drowns more than once; she is attacked by birds; she walks along a few poles over a very high and dangerous chasm; she is nearly squished to death (along with another character) in a shrinking box; a man tries to beat his son (more later); she is approached in a sexually aggressive way (more later); a character is forced to kill an innocent girl (more later); Tris is forced to shoot her family and though we see nothing it is assumed that she does so; Tris is tied to a stake and nearly burned to death (she escapes before receiving any real damage).
- There is a rumor that a man used to beat his son. In a simulation, Tris encounters the same situation. The father approaches his son (now about 18) with a thick leather belt saying that it's for his son's own good, that he's just trying to make him better. The young man is clearly afraid and does nothing when Tris steps in front of him and takes the blow. Then he punches his father and the simulation ends.
- Tris is afraid of physical intimacy. In one of her simulations, she is approached by her love interest who kisses her, then starts to slide his hand up her shirt. She slaps him, and he responds by pushing her backward onto a bed. He pins her there, crouching over her, holding her down by her arms. She fights back and asks him to stop but he taunts her, asking if she's brave or not. He forcefully kisses her a few times before she kicks him (presumably in the groin) and he releases her. The simulation ends.
- Tris is practicing punches when her trainer comes by and tells her to "keep tension here" putting both hands on her abs for a moment longer than necessary. Later, Tris slips while climbing and her love interest catches her, putting a hand on her side to steady her. We see a close shot of his hand on bare skin but when the camera moves out, we see his hand on her shirt, not bare skin.
- Characters are killed (too many to count). We never see a death on screen, but we see dead bodies with blood (usually a little blood from the corner of the mouth or on the head). Most of the deaths are for shock value and not dwelt upon. However, there are five that get some screen time: a character is killed by a friend in self-defense; two parents are killed (both times when at least one child was present); a character commits suicide (unlike the book, the movie does not show the other Dauntless glorifying this act); a character in a simulation is forced to kill an innocent girl by shooting her in the head which he does, though we see nothing but her limp body (not her head). Tris shoots one character in the leg, then another in his side (presumably a graze, as he doesn't sustain serious injuries and recovers pretty quickly), all the while complaining that people over-estimate her character because they don't think she will shoot.
- Tris is shot on the shoulder but for the most part we're not even aware she's in pain. At one point someone cruelly presses down on the wound and Tris cries out. The person draws her hand away, blood on her fingertips.
- Tris is nearly executed. She comes close enough that she's on her knees, subdued, and looking up at a gun. One of her friends is lead away, presumably to be experimented on. We don't get any details, but some experimentation has been done because the character who was formerly uncontrollable is now under the influence of mind control.
- Characters beat each other up for training purposes. Bruises, bloody noses, and knock-out punches abound. All things considered, they survive with unrealistically mild injuries.
- Tris is attacked and characters try to murder her by throwing her into a chasm. She is rescued and stands aside as the other characters are beaten (some being slammed against a rock wall more than once).
- A woman is stabbed in the hand with a knife. We see the knife lodged in her hand, then her hand later, covered in blood.
- Tris is forced to stand in front of a target while a young man throws knives at her. He purposely cuts her ear (not seriously).
- Characters cut a little slice into their hands to draw blood, which is then used to show which faction they have chosen, dripping it into the appropriate bowl.
- Words: b*tch and a**h*le more than once. God's name is used in vain more than once as well. The whispered f-word.
- Dauntless people nearly all have tattoos. Tris and her friends run off for a wild night to do just that.
- A very intense zip-line trip through the towers of a city and a near-death ending (no injuries).
- As mentioned above, one of the characters commits suicide. This is very upsetting for the characters who knew him, and rightly so. It closely follows a scene in which he seeks forgiveness from Tris for attacking her (as mentioned above), to which she angrily refuses forgiveness and threatens to kill him if he ever comes close. She later feels guilty for his suicidal action.
- Tris' love interest, under simulation, beats her up. She tries to fight back but he's taller and stronger and basically throws her around the room and punches her numerous times. It ends with her holding a gun at him, which she then turns around, pressing it to her own head (in no way is this meant to be a suicidal action). He grabs the hilt of the gun and reaches for the trigger.
- Tris removes her jacket and one of the boys behind her yells "Take it off, Stiff!" (Stiff refers to her former faction), then follows up with a weak, "Put it back on" in a mocking tone. Later, she takes her shirt off to change into the clothes she is given and we see her in her bra. This scene is set up to be uncomfortable for her and in no way sexual.
- Tris and other characters wear tight fitting shirts and pants.
- All Dauntless initiates sleep in the same room (boys and girls) and share the same bathroom (which has no privacy what-so-ever). One of the male initiates says something to the effect of, "That works for me" but the other characters are wary of this set up. Nothing more is shown of this situation, only that it exists.
- Several male characters remove their shirts. Most of this is for the purpose of changing (as Tris did in the point above). One scene involves Tris' love interest removing his shirt to show her his tattoo. She runs her fingers down his back along the tattoo and we can see from his facial expression (more alert and a little tense) that he's aroused by this.
- Tris falls in love with one of her leaders. They kiss passionately once. She sleeps in his bedroom a few times. The first time, he lets her take the bed and disappears (apparently to another corner of the room), saying he'll take the floor. The rest of the times it is implied that the same thing happens.
- Tris tells her love interest she doesn't want to go too fast during their passionate kiss. He backs off and assures her that's ok, then adds that he's "already got my spawn on the floor."
- A young woman is left to hang over a chasm to teach her never to give up. She nearly lets go and falls, but does not and is pulled up. The scene is not long but feels like forever.
- Characters jump onto and off of fast moving trains, sometimes onto rooftops (some almost fall). They are shot with darts that stimulate the pain of getting shot for real--this is part of a game of capture of the flag. Characters jump into a dark pit not knowing what is at the bottom, suspecting they might die.
- Government officials are corrupt.
- For all the action, there is very little blood and gore. I'm not complaining and asking that it be added, but it feels unbalanced.
- Other minor problems.
It was better than the book. Wait, did I just say that? Me, the one who always fights for the movie to follow the book as closely as possible? It was better in the sense that it was more appropriate and properly handled. I really did enjoy the movie, though the story line left it feeling like there was something lacking. It picked up at the end as the problem with the government became a main point and I believe the next installment won't feel quite so flat.
However, a warning to those who have not read the book. I saw the movie twice, both times with friends who had not read the book. I found myself explaining plot points to them not so they would understand what was going on, but so they would understand the deeper implications which were not made clear. I'm not telling you to go read the book, just trying to clarify what you'll be getting into if you go see the movie.
One final note: people have compared the kids fighting in this movie to the kids fighting in The Hunger Games books and movies. I object. In this movie, fighting is for training purposes or under the control of others through mind control. In The Hunger Games the kids know exactly what they're doing and, though they don't choose to enter the games willingly (for the most part), their actions are voluntary.
I reviewed the book this movie is based off of. You can find that review here.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Movie Review: The Hunters
Title: The Hunters
Genre: action, adventure, family, fairy tales, romance
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: PG (action/violence)
Age Group: 8+
Summary:
Brothers Paxton and Tripp Finn have a good life. Aside from going to boarding schools all their lives and not really seeing their parents very often, they have a huge house, a stable with horses, Pax has a boat he's going to sail off in, Tripp's got an awesome phone, and, well, basically their family has money. Plus, the boys do have each other, which they're grateful for.
But when Interpol agents show up at their house one day and tell the boys that their parents are international thieves, not researchers, well, that turns everything upside down. Just when things can't seem to get worse, Dylan (the girl Paxton went out with a few times because his parents set them up) arrives. She's got a different story. Something about an ancient society protecting fairy tale items and their magic?
Yeah, the boys really aren't entirely sure what's true anymore. Until they're thrown into a crazy adventure. Can they figure out who to trust before it's too late? And are their parents even alive anymore?
Word of Warning
I admit it. The better and more acceptable a movie is, the more picky I am with the "words of warning." Why? Because instead of mentioning the aspects which would cause more concern than others in order to keep the list down to a few pages, I can mention every single little thing and still end up with a decently short list. That is what happened with this movie. I was incredibly impressed by it. It was one of the few PG non-animated movies I would happily watch over and over. It could easily capture a wide range of ages for its audience.
And it's so good. The family dynamics, the brothers' friendship, the romance, and the adventure. Granted, it's a little cheesy when I sit back and think about it. But during the movie, I very rarely found myself thinking that. Of course, after watching it a good three times within two days (rentals....) I did find the cheesy parts without too much trouble. Even then, they didn't bother me very much.
Putting it simply: a great movie night movie for nearly the whole family.
Genre: action, adventure, family, fairy tales, romance
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: PG (action/violence)
Age Group: 8+
Summary:
Brothers Paxton and Tripp Finn have a good life. Aside from going to boarding schools all their lives and not really seeing their parents very often, they have a huge house, a stable with horses, Pax has a boat he's going to sail off in, Tripp's got an awesome phone, and, well, basically their family has money. Plus, the boys do have each other, which they're grateful for.
But when Interpol agents show up at their house one day and tell the boys that their parents are international thieves, not researchers, well, that turns everything upside down. Just when things can't seem to get worse, Dylan (the girl Paxton went out with a few times because his parents set them up) arrives. She's got a different story. Something about an ancient society protecting fairy tale items and their magic?
Yeah, the boys really aren't entirely sure what's true anymore. Until they're thrown into a crazy adventure. Can they figure out who to trust before it's too late? And are their parents even alive anymore?
Word of Warning
- Giant half-clothed statue
- The Finn boys are led to believe their parents are thieves--something far too easy to believe given the circumstances
- The whole movie consists of adventure and near-injury (the kids are never actually harmed)
- Hand-to-hand combat throughout, along with people being shot at with little crossbows. The only people who are hit are two bad guys, and this is off screen.
- Characters use a zip line to get across a canyon. The second time, they fall in and are assumed dead. By the end of the movie, we are aware that they both survived.
- One character uses a stick to pretend he has a spear through his middle. It's quick and overly dramatic, basically unbelievable (which was probably the point).
- A wife suggests that if she didn't know better, she'd think her husband was flirting with their business partner. He assures her this is not the case.
- Wife figures out a puzzle, and her husband mutters to her, "I am very attracted to you right now" to which she responds with feigned annoyance.
- There is a suspected intruder in the barn, character goes up to see what it is with a pitchfork, finds his brother.
- Tripp is apparently an expert when it comes to running away from his boarding school. This includes telling the headmaster he has a nose hair (in Latin) and needs treatment. He refers to his school as juvenile detention.
- The brothers tease each other good-naturedly but they clearly do care for each other.
- The Finn boys clearly feel cut off from their parents even though the family is held together by a strong bond. When Paxton tells his mom this, she admits she didn't know until then and is very sorry. Part of this cut off feeling comes from the boys not being told about their ancestry, which the mother claims was done to give them a regular childhood. They feel hurt by this as well.
- The mirror in the story of Snow White has the power to give a person his/her deepest desire. According to the legend, the only thing anyone who wants the mirror wants is power.
- Tripp refers to a stone as "this sucker" twice. This is the only language problem in the whole movie.
- The kids choose to save the world, then their parents (reasoning doing it backward might not work). The mother praises them for this hard choice.
- A drugged apple makes a character weak and eventually causes unconsciousness.
- A hench-woman clearly wants to kill the people she is following even though her boss tells her he needs them alive. This includes the mother character, as well as three "kids" (ages probably between 19-15 but not clearly stated).
- The kids climb a rock wall. At the top, one of the boys is almost killed by a rake-like device that flips up toward his chest/face.
- The kids come across a skeleton with an arrow through it. They take its torch and move on.
- A car is shown chasing down the three kids.
- A girl tumbles down a hill, landing on top of a boy, and then the other boy crashes in and breaks up their tender moment which consists of the boy tucking the girl's hair behind her ear and asking if she's ok.
- The mother character is tied up and kept prisoner.
- The girl tries on various moderately immodest evening gowns. We see both the boys without their shirts on, briefly. One of these moments results from the girl looking for the boy and walking in on him while he's apparently changing. She leaves quickly and looks shocked. He doesn't seem to be a big fan of the situation either.
- Moderately immodest evening gowns worn by characters at a party (we see very little and they are not important to the plot, just there for the party).
- Betrayal by trusted family friend.
- Characters enter a graveyard at night and eventually enter a tomb to find the mirror.
- The bad guy claims traditions are a sort of slavery and power is the way to go, not being afraid of things like the traditions advise.
- Girl is taken captive by her hair and dragged off. She is later punched in the stomach by the woman that she just kicked.
- A man turns to stone and crumbles. A woman is hit by an evil beam of light and knocked out. The whole castle implodes and we assume she's dead, but we find out at the end of the movie that she survived.
- A brief kiss.
I admit it. The better and more acceptable a movie is, the more picky I am with the "words of warning." Why? Because instead of mentioning the aspects which would cause more concern than others in order to keep the list down to a few pages, I can mention every single little thing and still end up with a decently short list. That is what happened with this movie. I was incredibly impressed by it. It was one of the few PG non-animated movies I would happily watch over and over. It could easily capture a wide range of ages for its audience.
And it's so good. The family dynamics, the brothers' friendship, the romance, and the adventure. Granted, it's a little cheesy when I sit back and think about it. But during the movie, I very rarely found myself thinking that. Of course, after watching it a good three times within two days (rentals....) I did find the cheesy parts without too much trouble. Even then, they didn't bother me very much.
Putting it simply: a great movie night movie for nearly the whole family.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Movie Review: Fantastic 4
Title: Fantastic 4
Genre: Action, adventure
Author: Marvel
My Rating: **
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 16+
Summary -
Reed is a brilliant scientist with awesome ideas and no money. Which basically means that unless he can obtain funding from someone rich, he won't be able to do anything with his ideas.
He's able to get Dr. Victor Von Doom to agree to fund an expedition into space to analyze a cloud of cosmic energy that may be able to trigger evolution, and so with his trusty friend Ben, the overconfident Jonny, his ex-girlfriend Sue, and Victor, Reed heads out to space to do brilliant science-y stuff.
But something goes terribly wrong: the cosmic energy is stronger than Reed calculated, and the expedition is caught in a solar storm that morphs their DNA into something... inhuman.
They all develop super-powers and are able to do amazing things, but the effects aren't all good. And Victor, whose carrier is ruined by the accident, decides to take revenge.
The Bad -
- Victor cheats Reed out of a fair share of the profits for his "cosmic cloud" idea.
- There is obvious bad blood between Reed and Sue, and we get the impression early on that their romance ended sourly.
- Jonny (who is incredibly reckless throughout the whole movie) kisses a woman (an underwear model) in a sports-car while driving down a highway on a motorcycle.
- Sue shows cleavage in her space outfit, and obviously tries to gain Reed's attention with it. We see him staring, but it turns out he's interested in something else.
- Jonny plays a very mean trick on Ben by making him think he's deformed after an accident.
- Jonny flirts shamelessly and inappropriately with his nurse.
- Jonny's clothes burn up and he accidently creates a "hot tub" in the snow with his body heat. He then proceeds to invite his date to join him, and she does very willingly. We see Jonny later with only a coat around his waist.
- After the space accident, Ben turns into a "rock monster", and his wife (whom he loves very much) rejects him.
- Sue can turn invisible, but has to strip her clothes off in order to be effective. The first time she does this, she accidently reappears wearing only underclothes.
- Sue mentions wanting to share an apartment with Reed.
- Victor kills a doctor and many others in cold blood.
- Reed walks in on Sue while she's in the shower. He's obviously embarrassed.
- Jonny cheats during a drag-race by burning his opponent's wheels off.
- Jonny takes advantage of the popularity he and the other heroes have gained to cruelly tease the other team members. His worst joke is blatant innuendo about Reed (who has the ability to stretch) expanding any part of himself.
- A character comments about Reed playing "Twister" with Sue.
The Good -
- While the Fantastic 4 are really dysfunctional in the beginning of their relationship, they eventually learn to work together and actually begin to care for each other.
My Thoughts -
Honestly, there's not much to say about this movie. It's so cheesy that it's comparable to filling the space between your ears with CheezWhiz. The only intelligent thoughts that crossed my mind while watching it were:
1. I like Jonny.
2. There's no plot.
3. There's no good dialogue.
4. MY BRAIN IS MELTING!
Adding all the inappropriate (but slightly funny) innuendo to the cheese just makes the movie all the more painful.
The weird thing is, while I honestly didn't enjoy Fantastic 4, I didn't hate it either. In fact, I'd be willing to watch it again. I don't know if that's a commentary on the movie, or a commentary on my taste in movies - either way, it's probably not good.
My verdict? Only watch this movie if you honestly have no brain left to care about.
Genre: Action, adventure
Author: Marvel
My Rating: **
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 16+
Summary -
Reed is a brilliant scientist with awesome ideas and no money. Which basically means that unless he can obtain funding from someone rich, he won't be able to do anything with his ideas.
He's able to get Dr. Victor Von Doom to agree to fund an expedition into space to analyze a cloud of cosmic energy that may be able to trigger evolution, and so with his trusty friend Ben, the overconfident Jonny, his ex-girlfriend Sue, and Victor, Reed heads out to space to do brilliant science-y stuff.
But something goes terribly wrong: the cosmic energy is stronger than Reed calculated, and the expedition is caught in a solar storm that morphs their DNA into something... inhuman.
They all develop super-powers and are able to do amazing things, but the effects aren't all good. And Victor, whose carrier is ruined by the accident, decides to take revenge.
The Bad -
- Victor cheats Reed out of a fair share of the profits for his "cosmic cloud" idea.
- There is obvious bad blood between Reed and Sue, and we get the impression early on that their romance ended sourly.
- Jonny (who is incredibly reckless throughout the whole movie) kisses a woman (an underwear model) in a sports-car while driving down a highway on a motorcycle.
- Sue shows cleavage in her space outfit, and obviously tries to gain Reed's attention with it. We see him staring, but it turns out he's interested in something else.
- Jonny plays a very mean trick on Ben by making him think he's deformed after an accident.
- Jonny flirts shamelessly and inappropriately with his nurse.
- Jonny's clothes burn up and he accidently creates a "hot tub" in the snow with his body heat. He then proceeds to invite his date to join him, and she does very willingly. We see Jonny later with only a coat around his waist.
- After the space accident, Ben turns into a "rock monster", and his wife (whom he loves very much) rejects him.
- Sue can turn invisible, but has to strip her clothes off in order to be effective. The first time she does this, she accidently reappears wearing only underclothes.
- Sue mentions wanting to share an apartment with Reed.
- Victor kills a doctor and many others in cold blood.
- Reed walks in on Sue while she's in the shower. He's obviously embarrassed.
- Jonny cheats during a drag-race by burning his opponent's wheels off.
- Jonny takes advantage of the popularity he and the other heroes have gained to cruelly tease the other team members. His worst joke is blatant innuendo about Reed (who has the ability to stretch) expanding any part of himself.
- A character comments about Reed playing "Twister" with Sue.
The Good -
- While the Fantastic 4 are really dysfunctional in the beginning of their relationship, they eventually learn to work together and actually begin to care for each other.
My Thoughts -
Honestly, there's not much to say about this movie. It's so cheesy that it's comparable to filling the space between your ears with CheezWhiz. The only intelligent thoughts that crossed my mind while watching it were:
1. I like Jonny.
2. There's no plot.
3. There's no good dialogue.
4. MY BRAIN IS MELTING!
Adding all the inappropriate (but slightly funny) innuendo to the cheese just makes the movie all the more painful.
The weird thing is, while I honestly didn't enjoy Fantastic 4, I didn't hate it either. In fact, I'd be willing to watch it again. I don't know if that's a commentary on the movie, or a commentary on my taste in movies - either way, it's probably not good.
My verdict? Only watch this movie if you honestly have no brain left to care about.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Book Review: Stormbreaker
Title: Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series)
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Teen, Action, Thriller
My Rating: *
Age Group: 14+
Summary -
After his uncle dies in a tragic car accident, Alex has nothing to look forward to in life. He's a fourteen-year-old orphan with no friends and no real knowledge of his uncle's past. But when he begins to suspect that his uncle's death wasn't an accident and starts to investigate, he's picked up by the MI6. Apparently, his uncle was more interesting than Alex thought; he was actually a spy whose last mission killed him.
And now MI6 wants Alex to complete the mission. They don't really give him much of a choice in the matter. So he's packed off to a computer manufacturing facility to discover why his uncle died and what Herod Sayle, a technology mogul, is doing. Neither MI6 or Alex realize just how dangerous the mission will be.
The Bad -
- Ian Rider is killed by an assassin (not described).
- Alex gets into various dangerous situations, either purposely or accidently, most of which you would expect to find in a spy book. Some are: sneaking into a junkyard and getting trapped in a car about to be destroyed, various fistfights, gunfights, climbing dangerously high buildings, sneaking around a high-security facility, being dropped into a jellyfish tank to die, etc.
- MI6 blackmails Alex into joining them, knowing full well that he might not live. This is made more serious because he's only 14.
- A man at the training camp that Alex is sent to purposely sabotages him.
- A remark is made in a description of a fat man about his buttocks.
- A remark is made about how jellyfish have no anus.
- There is a mention of drug smuggling.
- There are several uses of the euphemism "bliddy" for a popular British swearword.
- Herod Sayle, the bad guy, is genuinely evil, with many evil sidekicks. They all threaten Alex's life at some point. Sayle's evil plot includes killing thousands of children in order to get revenge for bullying he received when he was in school.
- An assassin kills a man for dropping a box (described).
- While Alex tries to avoid killing anyone in cold blood, he does cause quite a few accidental deaths as he escapes from various dangers.
- Alex shoots a gun in a crowded room. He misses everyone but the bad guy, whom he wounds.
- Sayle is assassinated.
- Alex states his intention to kill the man who murdered his uncle.
- While this does not become more apparent until later books, the characters of the Alex Rider stories have very little moral sense of right and wrong. Their general philosophy seems to be that as long as everything ends up alright, anything can be done to get to that conclusion. Alex himself seems to have at least an inclination toward good, but his irresponsibility and selfishness tends to drown this out in later books.
The Good -
- In this story at least, Alex tries to do what he thinks is right.
- Alex shows great resourcefulness and bravery.
Conclusion -
I'll admit that I've read quite a few of the Alex Rider books, though it's been a few years since I bothered to pick one up. And rereading this book reminded me exactly why I stopped bothering.
No matter how hard he tries, Anthony Horowitz cannot write. I don't know how these books became popular, or even sold to a publisher, but it's like Horowitz wrote them in his sleep and published them without editing them at all.
Outside of the utter sloppiness of the writing, the Alex Rider books don't really tell an uplifting or enlightening story anyway. The "get it done" attitude of the characters leads them into doing many things which would disgust many sensible readers, and while this first book in the series is relatively clean, you can still pick up hints of this attitude, particularly in the adult characters.
Would a younger reader enjoy it? Maybe, if they're the sort who can overlook a bad writing style. But should they read it? The first book is innocuous, but as it ends on a semi-cliffhanger, parents should probably be wary of introducing the series, because the later books become much less innocent.
Please Note: This is the first book in the Alex Rider series, and while it is relatively appropriate for a 14+ age group, the rest of the series is not. I would suggest that parents read the series before giving it to anyone under the age of 16.
Maria has also written a review of a movie based off of this book: Operation Stormbreaker
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Teen, Action, Thriller
My Rating: *
Age Group: 14+
Summary -
After his uncle dies in a tragic car accident, Alex has nothing to look forward to in life. He's a fourteen-year-old orphan with no friends and no real knowledge of his uncle's past. But when he begins to suspect that his uncle's death wasn't an accident and starts to investigate, he's picked up by the MI6. Apparently, his uncle was more interesting than Alex thought; he was actually a spy whose last mission killed him.
And now MI6 wants Alex to complete the mission. They don't really give him much of a choice in the matter. So he's packed off to a computer manufacturing facility to discover why his uncle died and what Herod Sayle, a technology mogul, is doing. Neither MI6 or Alex realize just how dangerous the mission will be.
The Bad -
- Ian Rider is killed by an assassin (not described).
- Alex gets into various dangerous situations, either purposely or accidently, most of which you would expect to find in a spy book. Some are: sneaking into a junkyard and getting trapped in a car about to be destroyed, various fistfights, gunfights, climbing dangerously high buildings, sneaking around a high-security facility, being dropped into a jellyfish tank to die, etc.
- MI6 blackmails Alex into joining them, knowing full well that he might not live. This is made more serious because he's only 14.
- A man at the training camp that Alex is sent to purposely sabotages him.
- A remark is made in a description of a fat man about his buttocks.
- A remark is made about how jellyfish have no anus.
- There is a mention of drug smuggling.
- There are several uses of the euphemism "bliddy" for a popular British swearword.
- Herod Sayle, the bad guy, is genuinely evil, with many evil sidekicks. They all threaten Alex's life at some point. Sayle's evil plot includes killing thousands of children in order to get revenge for bullying he received when he was in school.
- An assassin kills a man for dropping a box (described).
- While Alex tries to avoid killing anyone in cold blood, he does cause quite a few accidental deaths as he escapes from various dangers.
- Alex shoots a gun in a crowded room. He misses everyone but the bad guy, whom he wounds.
- Sayle is assassinated.
- Alex states his intention to kill the man who murdered his uncle.
- While this does not become more apparent until later books, the characters of the Alex Rider stories have very little moral sense of right and wrong. Their general philosophy seems to be that as long as everything ends up alright, anything can be done to get to that conclusion. Alex himself seems to have at least an inclination toward good, but his irresponsibility and selfishness tends to drown this out in later books.
The Good -
- In this story at least, Alex tries to do what he thinks is right.
- Alex shows great resourcefulness and bravery.
Conclusion -
I'll admit that I've read quite a few of the Alex Rider books, though it's been a few years since I bothered to pick one up. And rereading this book reminded me exactly why I stopped bothering.
No matter how hard he tries, Anthony Horowitz cannot write. I don't know how these books became popular, or even sold to a publisher, but it's like Horowitz wrote them in his sleep and published them without editing them at all.
Outside of the utter sloppiness of the writing, the Alex Rider books don't really tell an uplifting or enlightening story anyway. The "get it done" attitude of the characters leads them into doing many things which would disgust many sensible readers, and while this first book in the series is relatively clean, you can still pick up hints of this attitude, particularly in the adult characters.
Would a younger reader enjoy it? Maybe, if they're the sort who can overlook a bad writing style. But should they read it? The first book is innocuous, but as it ends on a semi-cliffhanger, parents should probably be wary of introducing the series, because the later books become much less innocent.
Please Note: This is the first book in the Alex Rider series, and while it is relatively appropriate for a 14+ age group, the rest of the series is not. I would suggest that parents read the series before giving it to anyone under the age of 16.
Maria has also written a review of a movie based off of this book: Operation Stormbreaker
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Book Review: Rapunzel's Revenge (Graphic Novel)
Title: Rapunzel's Revenge
Author: Shannon and Dean Hale
Illustrator: Nathan Hale
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy Tale, Fantasy
My Rating: ****
Age Group: 12+
Summary -
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rapunzel who was raised by Mother Gothel in a grand, beautiful villa, surrounded by the woman's growth-magic. But the villa was encircled by a great wall, and Rapunzel, being curious, wanted to see over that wall, even though Mother Gothel had forbidden it. One day, Rapunzel found a way to the top of the wall and saw that Mother Gothel's villa was surrounded by death and ugliness.
Enraged by the girl's inquisitiveness, Mother Gothel imprisons her in a tree, and for four years, Rapunzel remains in the tower with only her thoughts as company.
Rapunzel escapes. After years of imprisonment, her hair has grown long... and she is able to use it as a lasso. Her time in the tree has changed her in other ways as well; she is now quite willing to do whatever it takes to bring down the tyrannical reign of Mother Gothel and free the poor slaves under her rule. With the help of thieving Jack and his pet goose, she's ready to take on her arch-nemesis.
The Bad -
- Mother Gothel is a thoroughly bad villain, who uses threats and violence to keep the people under control.
- Rapunzel's travels lead her into many violent adventures, and we see images of wild dogs, run-away buffalo, bad guys being conked out, guns waved at people, frightening outlaws, and various other images of the Wild (with a great emphasis on wild) West.
- As the story is set in a Wild West setting, we hear various Western exclamations (nothing too bad), and several scenes contain swearing (off-scene) that Rapunzel reprimands the characters for.
- Jack is an incorrigible thief, and while Rapunzel adamantly refuses to willingly participate in the thieving directly, she is often forced by circumstances to go along with Jack, though she insists that they pay back whoever they wronged later.
- Jack makes underwear jokes, especially after Rapunzel is forced to go around in (extremely conservative) underclothes.
- While planning an attack, Jack suggests that Rapunzel uses her feminine wiles and "do a sultry little dance" to distract the bad guys. Rapunzel immediately vetoes the plan, and mockingly brings it up later in the story.
- Jack has a female admirer who makes a few (rather veiled) advances.
- Mother Gothel learned growth-magic from a witch-doctorish man, who tells Rapunzel that Gothel's power comes from a sort of totem. This is never fully explained.
- Jack sees a couple kissing, and gets it into his head to kiss Rapunzel. He succeeds at the end of the story, saying that he has been "dying to steal" the kiss for a long time.
The Good -
- Rapunzel had a good upbringing, and she expects to see good in everyone. She's disappointed by the ugliness of the people in the world around her, and wants them all to stop being greedy and nasty.
- While maintaining a jokingly-teasing relationship with Jack, Rapunzel manages to actually begin to care for him as a good friend, and often risks her safety for Jack. Jack does the same for Rapunzel.
- During all their adventures, Rapunzel and Jack never forget their ultimate goal: to defeat Gothel and free the people.
My Conclusion -
I am not a big fan of graphic novels, and it is rare when I actually am able to enjoy one. I picked up Rapunzel because I had read the author's other books, and I expected it to be at least diverting, if not particularly good.
I wasn't completely wrong, but I underestimated the book just a bit. While the illustrations and the narration certainly lacked polish, the story itself was quite a different take on the classic fairy tale than I was accustomed to. It was clever and interesting, if rough. I suppose putting any fairy tale in the Wild West is going to get rather unexpected results; and while many scenes were more violent than they really needed to be because of the setting change, it certainly gave a new spin to an old story.
Erring on the side of caution, I'm putting the age range at 12+, but I think (if you parents out there don't mind wading through a graphic novel) that it could be given to younger children depending on the maturity of the reader.
Author: Shannon and Dean Hale
Illustrator: Nathan Hale
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy Tale, Fantasy
My Rating: ****
Age Group: 12+
Summary -
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rapunzel who was raised by Mother Gothel in a grand, beautiful villa, surrounded by the woman's growth-magic. But the villa was encircled by a great wall, and Rapunzel, being curious, wanted to see over that wall, even though Mother Gothel had forbidden it. One day, Rapunzel found a way to the top of the wall and saw that Mother Gothel's villa was surrounded by death and ugliness.
Enraged by the girl's inquisitiveness, Mother Gothel imprisons her in a tree, and for four years, Rapunzel remains in the tower with only her thoughts as company.
Rapunzel escapes. After years of imprisonment, her hair has grown long... and she is able to use it as a lasso. Her time in the tree has changed her in other ways as well; she is now quite willing to do whatever it takes to bring down the tyrannical reign of Mother Gothel and free the poor slaves under her rule. With the help of thieving Jack and his pet goose, she's ready to take on her arch-nemesis.
The Bad -
- Mother Gothel is a thoroughly bad villain, who uses threats and violence to keep the people under control.
- Rapunzel's travels lead her into many violent adventures, and we see images of wild dogs, run-away buffalo, bad guys being conked out, guns waved at people, frightening outlaws, and various other images of the Wild (with a great emphasis on wild) West.
- As the story is set in a Wild West setting, we hear various Western exclamations (nothing too bad), and several scenes contain swearing (off-scene) that Rapunzel reprimands the characters for.
- Jack is an incorrigible thief, and while Rapunzel adamantly refuses to willingly participate in the thieving directly, she is often forced by circumstances to go along with Jack, though she insists that they pay back whoever they wronged later.
- Jack makes underwear jokes, especially after Rapunzel is forced to go around in (extremely conservative) underclothes.
- While planning an attack, Jack suggests that Rapunzel uses her feminine wiles and "do a sultry little dance" to distract the bad guys. Rapunzel immediately vetoes the plan, and mockingly brings it up later in the story.
- Jack has a female admirer who makes a few (rather veiled) advances.
- Mother Gothel learned growth-magic from a witch-doctorish man, who tells Rapunzel that Gothel's power comes from a sort of totem. This is never fully explained.
- Jack sees a couple kissing, and gets it into his head to kiss Rapunzel. He succeeds at the end of the story, saying that he has been "dying to steal" the kiss for a long time.
The Good -
- Rapunzel had a good upbringing, and she expects to see good in everyone. She's disappointed by the ugliness of the people in the world around her, and wants them all to stop being greedy and nasty.
- While maintaining a jokingly-teasing relationship with Jack, Rapunzel manages to actually begin to care for him as a good friend, and often risks her safety for Jack. Jack does the same for Rapunzel.
- During all their adventures, Rapunzel and Jack never forget their ultimate goal: to defeat Gothel and free the people.
My Conclusion -
I am not a big fan of graphic novels, and it is rare when I actually am able to enjoy one. I picked up Rapunzel because I had read the author's other books, and I expected it to be at least diverting, if not particularly good.
I wasn't completely wrong, but I underestimated the book just a bit. While the illustrations and the narration certainly lacked polish, the story itself was quite a different take on the classic fairy tale than I was accustomed to. It was clever and interesting, if rough. I suppose putting any fairy tale in the Wild West is going to get rather unexpected results; and while many scenes were more violent than they really needed to be because of the setting change, it certainly gave a new spin to an old story.
Erring on the side of caution, I'm putting the age range at 12+, but I think (if you parents out there don't mind wading through a graphic novel) that it could be given to younger children depending on the maturity of the reader.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Author Alcove: Homer
Homer is assumed to be the author of The Iliad and its sequel The Odyssey. Legend has it that he was blind. We do know Homer was a Greek poet who sang his epic poems from memory, probably while playing the lyre as accompaniment. These are extremely long poems, and having them memorized is incredible. Reciting them would have taken days. Homer's work is some of the oldest we have left today. It has been translated left and right, but to really get a feel for its beauty (without learning Latin or Greek), one should read a translation which keeps his work in poetic form and does not change it to narrative.
Homer treats the Greek mythological stories like any other Greek of the time did. They are matter of fact, not glossed over, and full of al the scandal they are known for. Homer does not avoid the parts of Greek mythology that push it toward a PG-13 or even R rating. There are prostitutes, married people having children with those they are not married to, characters who are the children of both god and human, and more. Enter the world of Greek mythology. It was, and still is, a huge mess.
As he sings of great wars and conquests, glorifying heroes in a warrior culture, Homer does not stay away from including as much gore as humanly possible. If the man-woman relations do not push his work to an R rating, the gore certainly does. On the battlefield, the fighting is brutal and disgusting and Homer describes it with all the eloquence that a Greek poet can muster. People lose their insides even as they are still alive, teeth are knocked out the back of a man's head, bodies are mutilated, and that's just the beginning. There seems to be no end to the gore he includes.
Homer sang in what is called the dactylic hexameter, a type of meter for poetry. This results in the repetition of phrases such as "swift-footed Achilleus" and "rosy-fingered Dawn", phrases the author was aware would help him keep the meter. There is no rhyming, but if one pays attention, there is a sort of beat. He is incredibly clever. In the original Greek, he made all sorts of clever moves with words meaning two things. I know these are noted in Penguin's translation of The Odyssey by Robert Fagles and I do recommend you skim the notes after each chapter to really get the most out of the story.
Homer also happens to be a classic author. Not only has his work been read since he wrote it (a good long time ago!), but it teaches the reader about the culture he was living in. Reading his work is valuable as an introduction to Greek culture, Greek literature, history, mythology, epic poetry, and so much more. In addition, because he is so classic, other classics make hidden references to his writings and Greek mythology in general. If these references are missed by the reader, the full power of the story is lost.
While his writings may be particularly gruesome when it comes to their content, when the reader is old enough to encounter such things, it would be a great loss not to read at least one of his works.
Homer treats the Greek mythological stories like any other Greek of the time did. They are matter of fact, not glossed over, and full of al the scandal they are known for. Homer does not avoid the parts of Greek mythology that push it toward a PG-13 or even R rating. There are prostitutes, married people having children with those they are not married to, characters who are the children of both god and human, and more. Enter the world of Greek mythology. It was, and still is, a huge mess.
As he sings of great wars and conquests, glorifying heroes in a warrior culture, Homer does not stay away from including as much gore as humanly possible. If the man-woman relations do not push his work to an R rating, the gore certainly does. On the battlefield, the fighting is brutal and disgusting and Homer describes it with all the eloquence that a Greek poet can muster. People lose their insides even as they are still alive, teeth are knocked out the back of a man's head, bodies are mutilated, and that's just the beginning. There seems to be no end to the gore he includes.
Homer sang in what is called the dactylic hexameter, a type of meter for poetry. This results in the repetition of phrases such as "swift-footed Achilleus" and "rosy-fingered Dawn", phrases the author was aware would help him keep the meter. There is no rhyming, but if one pays attention, there is a sort of beat. He is incredibly clever. In the original Greek, he made all sorts of clever moves with words meaning two things. I know these are noted in Penguin's translation of The Odyssey by Robert Fagles and I do recommend you skim the notes after each chapter to really get the most out of the story.
Homer also happens to be a classic author. Not only has his work been read since he wrote it (a good long time ago!), but it teaches the reader about the culture he was living in. Reading his work is valuable as an introduction to Greek culture, Greek literature, history, mythology, epic poetry, and so much more. In addition, because he is so classic, other classics make hidden references to his writings and Greek mythology in general. If these references are missed by the reader, the full power of the story is lost.
While his writings may be particularly gruesome when it comes to their content, when the reader is old enough to encounter such things, it would be a great loss not to read at least one of his works.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Movie Review: Man of Steel
Hello all. While Stacy did nearly all the work on this post (and did a super amazing job!), we agreed that I (Maria Gianna) might add some things in italics. Not really necessary, but the movie's awesomeness makes a review very challenging to write.
Title: Man of Steel
Author: DC Comics
Genre: Action, Adventure
My Rating: *****
Brothers' Rating: After intense discussion, our two brothers decided to give it (Pi x 1.5) stars, which, I have calculated, equals about 4.7. So I've determined that they also give Man of Steel 5 stars.
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 15+
My Summary:
Krypton is a dying planet. The Kryptonians have exhausted its resources, and have destabilized its core during the process. They have become an immoral race, and Jor-el, realizing his planet's impending doom, attempts to save his beloved people by sending his only son, Kal-el, to the thriving planet Earth. He also sends the Codex of the Kryptonians, which holds the genome of the race, for future reproduction.
General Zod also wants to save his people, but his way is much bloodier - he is willing to do anything to get the Codex back and reestablish his race, even if it means annihilating humanity.
Kal-el crash-lands in Kansas and is raised by two loving people who try to hide his real identity from the world. It's kind of hard to do, though, when Kal-el (now named Clark) develops superpowers and unsubtly uses them to save lives. When he grows older, Clark starts town-hopping: doing good here, saving someone there, always disappearing when someone notices his extraordinary powers.
Lois Lane, however, isn't easily deterred. As a nosy journalist, she insists on finding this Superman who may be the first alien life on Earth. And after being personally saved by him, her determination becomes insatiable.
But General Zod is determined too. He's searched for over 30 years for Kal-el, knowing that Jor-el has given him the key to the Kryptonian race. When he finally discovers Earth, he issues an ultimatum: surrender Kal-el, or Earth will be destroyed.
The Bad: (In no particular order)
Lots and lots of violence. Basically, if you see a building, expect it to be destroyed. There is not really any blood, per se, but there is definitely death.
General Zod attacks the Kryptonian capitol in an attempt to take over - we see him shoot several people with a laser gun, and they all die.
General mayhem ensues as Krypton self-destructs.
A tornado rips through Kansas, and the death of one man is presumed.
Clark faces some frightening situations in the beginning of his career as a hobo/lifesaver, including an exploding oil rig and a violent trucker.
Both Clark and Lois are attacked by a robot. Lois is wounded, and Clark cauterizes her wound (off-screen). She screams.
Zod is an unscrupulous killer. He is willing to destroy the human race in order to save his own. We see visions of this desire, including one of Clark sinking into a sea of skulls.
The last half of the movie is basically all destruction and violence, and so I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail. Essentially, a whole town is destroyed during a fight (we don't find out what happened to the people there), Metropolis is semi-destroyed, we hear people screaming, both from a distance and, in one case, as a close-up. We do not see too much death up-close, except in a few cases, but death is certainly presumed (pretty horrifically). A man drives a plane with several people in it into imminent danger; all the people die. Superman and Zod fight almost constantly in various circumstances. Because this violence isn't bloody, it isn't too hard to take, but it will pose a problem for some people.
One particular instance of violence is more remarkable. Superman must kill an evil man in order to save a family. His action is totally justified, but hard to watch.
Beyond violence, there are only a few objectionable issues. Several swearwords are used, including various forms of a**, two or three h**ls, and one very noticeable and crude comment about d**ks. We see a baby boy naked several times, and Clark is shirtless and almost pant-less during one scene (not awkwardly, however). A trucker makes unwanted, inappropriate advances on a girl in a bar. Superman, when exposed to a Kryptonite atmosphere, begins coughing blood.
Minor problems include Clark stealing out of necessity and wrecking a truck out of revenge/annoyance. He also is disrespectful to his adopted father (who has questionable views when it comes to morals and Clark's actions) in one scene. Superman and Lois kiss. There are a few slightly inappropriate pick-up lines used by male characters, and Lois makes an awkward comment about the bathroom situation in the Arctic Circle. We see a woman giving birth.
Things I'm not sure about: Jor-el's "consciousness" exists outside his body. The Kryptonians use artificial means to reproduce - Kal-el is the first person in centuries to be born naturally. This is obviously wrong, but the problem is never fully addressed in the movie. While I agree that this problem was not entire developed, Jor-el did blame the fall of Krypton on their decision to put into place this artificial reproduction system, citing a sort of chain reaction which, according to him, started with the unnatural births. Unfortunately, this sub-plot remained entirely too "sub" so that it nearly disappeared altogether.
Note: I know I'm missing things in this list. I think I've covered most of the main stuff (except for the violence), but be forewarned that there might be more. I apologize for this.
The Good:
For all its imperfections, this is a good, moral movie. Honestly, I don't know where to begin on this one. There's courage. There's manly strength. There's awesome father figures. There's awesome wisdom from the father figures. There's strong, loving, really cool women. There's self-sacrifice. There's respect for life. And the whole story is an allegory (albeit an imperfect one) for the Christ Story. Superman's story has always been this way, but never have I seen this particular connection made so strongly before, even with his story. It was clear and the movie never let the viewer forget it. In a word, it was beautiful.
Soooo... I'm not even going to try and dissect the awesomeness.
My Thoughts:
I firmly believe that every story that has ever been written is Christ-centered in some way. Many stories are so warped that their reflection of Christ is almost impossible to decipher. However, the same number, if not more, portray Beauty as it really is. And Beauty is Truth, and Truth is Christ.
Fairy tales and myths, I think, come closest to this ideal. And in some ways, modern superheroes are our attempts at new fairy tales and myths. Some are more Christ-centered than others, but in general, the awesomeness of self-sacrifice shines through our heroes. Superman, however, is probably the epitome of modern myth. Superman is probably most Christ-like. And this definitely comes through in Man of Steel. I think that's why I liked this movie so much.
There can only be one Christ, nevertheless. Nothing can beat His Beauty. And so every fairy tale and myth falls short of His ideal. Superman does too. He is utterly human (in a Kryptonian sort of way), and he fails. He's willing to take petty revenge for an insult, he's disrespectful to his father, he initially rejects the reality of his superpowers, and he kills a man. I think there's an important lesson in this, too: while lauding heroes who do good, it is utterly necessary for us to remember that Christ is the real Hero.
Aside from the Christian aspect of this movie, it honestly was completely cool. The plot was intriguing, the characters awesome, the soundtrack beautiful, and everything else sorta added to the awesomeness. There were some very cringe-worthy moments, violent or otherwise, but the overall arc of the story made up for everything.
Do I recommend this movie? With a resounding YES.
Title: Man of Steel
Author: DC Comics
Genre: Action, Adventure
My Rating: *****
Brothers' Rating: After intense discussion, our two brothers decided to give it (Pi x 1.5) stars, which, I have calculated, equals about 4.7. So I've determined that they also give Man of Steel 5 stars.
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 15+
My Summary:
Krypton is a dying planet. The Kryptonians have exhausted its resources, and have destabilized its core during the process. They have become an immoral race, and Jor-el, realizing his planet's impending doom, attempts to save his beloved people by sending his only son, Kal-el, to the thriving planet Earth. He also sends the Codex of the Kryptonians, which holds the genome of the race, for future reproduction.
General Zod also wants to save his people, but his way is much bloodier - he is willing to do anything to get the Codex back and reestablish his race, even if it means annihilating humanity.
Kal-el crash-lands in Kansas and is raised by two loving people who try to hide his real identity from the world. It's kind of hard to do, though, when Kal-el (now named Clark) develops superpowers and unsubtly uses them to save lives. When he grows older, Clark starts town-hopping: doing good here, saving someone there, always disappearing when someone notices his extraordinary powers.
Lois Lane, however, isn't easily deterred. As a nosy journalist, she insists on finding this Superman who may be the first alien life on Earth. And after being personally saved by him, her determination becomes insatiable.
But General Zod is determined too. He's searched for over 30 years for Kal-el, knowing that Jor-el has given him the key to the Kryptonian race. When he finally discovers Earth, he issues an ultimatum: surrender Kal-el, or Earth will be destroyed.
The Bad: (In no particular order)
Lots and lots of violence. Basically, if you see a building, expect it to be destroyed. There is not really any blood, per se, but there is definitely death.
General Zod attacks the Kryptonian capitol in an attempt to take over - we see him shoot several people with a laser gun, and they all die.
General mayhem ensues as Krypton self-destructs.
A tornado rips through Kansas, and the death of one man is presumed.
Clark faces some frightening situations in the beginning of his career as a hobo/lifesaver, including an exploding oil rig and a violent trucker.
Both Clark and Lois are attacked by a robot. Lois is wounded, and Clark cauterizes her wound (off-screen). She screams.
Zod is an unscrupulous killer. He is willing to destroy the human race in order to save his own. We see visions of this desire, including one of Clark sinking into a sea of skulls.
The last half of the movie is basically all destruction and violence, and so I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail. Essentially, a whole town is destroyed during a fight (we don't find out what happened to the people there), Metropolis is semi-destroyed, we hear people screaming, both from a distance and, in one case, as a close-up. We do not see too much death up-close, except in a few cases, but death is certainly presumed (pretty horrifically). A man drives a plane with several people in it into imminent danger; all the people die. Superman and Zod fight almost constantly in various circumstances. Because this violence isn't bloody, it isn't too hard to take, but it will pose a problem for some people.
One particular instance of violence is more remarkable. Superman must kill an evil man in order to save a family. His action is totally justified, but hard to watch.
Beyond violence, there are only a few objectionable issues. Several swearwords are used, including various forms of a**, two or three h**ls, and one very noticeable and crude comment about d**ks. We see a baby boy naked several times, and Clark is shirtless and almost pant-less during one scene (not awkwardly, however). A trucker makes unwanted, inappropriate advances on a girl in a bar. Superman, when exposed to a Kryptonite atmosphere, begins coughing blood.
Minor problems include Clark stealing out of necessity and wrecking a truck out of revenge/annoyance. He also is disrespectful to his adopted father (who has questionable views when it comes to morals and Clark's actions) in one scene. Superman and Lois kiss. There are a few slightly inappropriate pick-up lines used by male characters, and Lois makes an awkward comment about the bathroom situation in the Arctic Circle. We see a woman giving birth.
Things I'm not sure about: Jor-el's "consciousness" exists outside his body. The Kryptonians use artificial means to reproduce - Kal-el is the first person in centuries to be born naturally. This is obviously wrong, but the problem is never fully addressed in the movie. While I agree that this problem was not entire developed, Jor-el did blame the fall of Krypton on their decision to put into place this artificial reproduction system, citing a sort of chain reaction which, according to him, started with the unnatural births. Unfortunately, this sub-plot remained entirely too "sub" so that it nearly disappeared altogether.
Note: I know I'm missing things in this list. I think I've covered most of the main stuff (except for the violence), but be forewarned that there might be more. I apologize for this.
The Good:
For all its imperfections, this is a good, moral movie. Honestly, I don't know where to begin on this one. There's courage. There's manly strength. There's awesome father figures. There's awesome wisdom from the father figures. There's strong, loving, really cool women. There's self-sacrifice. There's respect for life. And the whole story is an allegory (albeit an imperfect one) for the Christ Story. Superman's story has always been this way, but never have I seen this particular connection made so strongly before, even with his story. It was clear and the movie never let the viewer forget it. In a word, it was beautiful.
Soooo... I'm not even going to try and dissect the awesomeness.
My Thoughts:
I firmly believe that every story that has ever been written is Christ-centered in some way. Many stories are so warped that their reflection of Christ is almost impossible to decipher. However, the same number, if not more, portray Beauty as it really is. And Beauty is Truth, and Truth is Christ.
Fairy tales and myths, I think, come closest to this ideal. And in some ways, modern superheroes are our attempts at new fairy tales and myths. Some are more Christ-centered than others, but in general, the awesomeness of self-sacrifice shines through our heroes. Superman, however, is probably the epitome of modern myth. Superman is probably most Christ-like. And this definitely comes through in Man of Steel. I think that's why I liked this movie so much.
There can only be one Christ, nevertheless. Nothing can beat His Beauty. And so every fairy tale and myth falls short of His ideal. Superman does too. He is utterly human (in a Kryptonian sort of way), and he fails. He's willing to take petty revenge for an insult, he's disrespectful to his father, he initially rejects the reality of his superpowers, and he kills a man. I think there's an important lesson in this, too: while lauding heroes who do good, it is utterly necessary for us to remember that Christ is the real Hero.
Aside from the Christian aspect of this movie, it honestly was completely cool. The plot was intriguing, the characters awesome, the soundtrack beautiful, and everything else sorta added to the awesomeness. There were some very cringe-worthy moments, violent or otherwise, but the overall arc of the story made up for everything.
Do I recommend this movie? With a resounding YES.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon
Title: How to Train Your Dragon
Author: DreamWorks Animation
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: PG
Age Group: 10+
Summary
Hiccup has a bit of a problem, and that doesn't even include his name (hey, it beats Fishlegs and Snotlout). See, Hiccup is a small Viking who really doesn't have anything in common with other Vikings aside from an awful name and living in a miserable place on a cliff. He can't even fight without getting himself almost killed. To top it all off, he doesn't really get the parental support he should have. See, his mom is dead. His dad is the chief of their little village. Which means he's tough and doesn't have much time for a son who isn't what everyone expects him to be.
All Hiccup wants is to be like everyone else. And that seems to be the only thing he can't do.
But when Hiccup captures the rarest dragon of all time, things change--for everyone. See, Hiccup doesn't kill the Nightfury. He feels bad for it and feeds it. Once you feed something, it never goes away. This thing needs help flying, and Hiccup steps up and does just that. He also learns all sorts of interesting bits of information about dragons.
Unfortunately, just when Hiccup has a change of heart, his dad does too. He decides to sign Hiccup up to be a dragon killer just like all the other Vikings and their teenage kids. This just proves Hiccup's point: his dad doesn't listen to him.
Hiccup also has another problem: a girl. See, he sort of gets in her way (the spotlight) by accident. Which is too bad, because he's got a crush on her. Then, she finds out his secret. What's he going to do with a girl who seems to have him, a dragon that's so mysterious all that is written in the dragon book is to hide and pray to the gods, and a dad who doesn't listen?
A lot, actually.
Word of Warning
My Thoughts
It's nearly impossible not to fall for Toothless, the Nightfury Hiccup captures. And how can one keep from looking at Hiccup and seeing self? It's also nearly impossible not to feel a little sore after laughing at a good portion of the movie. And as for Hiccup and his father, well, that should strike home even for those with a good relationship with their parents. Because doesn't everyone, at some time, feel like people just aren't listening? The beautiful part is that both father and son try hard to solve the problem, but their solutions just don't always go in the right direction. Eventually all is solved.
This is a great movie that should be watched over and over. It's funny, the animation is very well done, and it's got a great hits-you-right-there [insert single tear and little sniff here] story that leaves one feeling ready to burst after watching something that is full of such greatness.
Author: DreamWorks Animation
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure
My Rating: ****
Official Rating: PG
Age Group: 10+
Summary
Hiccup has a bit of a problem, and that doesn't even include his name (hey, it beats Fishlegs and Snotlout). See, Hiccup is a small Viking who really doesn't have anything in common with other Vikings aside from an awful name and living in a miserable place on a cliff. He can't even fight without getting himself almost killed. To top it all off, he doesn't really get the parental support he should have. See, his mom is dead. His dad is the chief of their little village. Which means he's tough and doesn't have much time for a son who isn't what everyone expects him to be.
All Hiccup wants is to be like everyone else. And that seems to be the only thing he can't do.
But when Hiccup captures the rarest dragon of all time, things change--for everyone. See, Hiccup doesn't kill the Nightfury. He feels bad for it and feeds it. Once you feed something, it never goes away. This thing needs help flying, and Hiccup steps up and does just that. He also learns all sorts of interesting bits of information about dragons.
Unfortunately, just when Hiccup has a change of heart, his dad does too. He decides to sign Hiccup up to be a dragon killer just like all the other Vikings and their teenage kids. This just proves Hiccup's point: his dad doesn't listen to him.
Hiccup also has another problem: a girl. See, he sort of gets in her way (the spotlight) by accident. Which is too bad, because he's got a crush on her. Then, she finds out his secret. What's he going to do with a girl who seems to have him, a dragon that's so mysterious all that is written in the dragon book is to hide and pray to the gods, and a dad who doesn't listen?
A lot, actually.
Word of Warning
- The gods are mentioned, I believe two by name (Odin and Thor).
- At least two characters have lost limbs but this is common in this society.
- Hiccup's dad doesn't listen to him, but he really does try to turn things around. At one point, he disowns the boy.
- Hiccup, lacking parental...anything, does whatever he pleases and disobeys his father at times.
- Two siblings are constantly fighting.
- This is the culture of warriors, so there are very few gentle characters. Those who are hide it. Characters get tossed around, fight violently with dragons, and so forth. All that can be expected from a war with dragons happens--except deaths of course.
- Hiccup's dad gives him a helmet made from part of Hiccup's mother's breastplate. The other half is worn by Hiccup's dad.
- There is a kiss on the cheek and one on the lips. All animated of course and quick as well.
- In the midst of a life-or-death battle training sequence, Astrid falls on top of Hiccup and someone remarks "Love on the battlefield."
My Thoughts
It's nearly impossible not to fall for Toothless, the Nightfury Hiccup captures. And how can one keep from looking at Hiccup and seeing self? It's also nearly impossible not to feel a little sore after laughing at a good portion of the movie. And as for Hiccup and his father, well, that should strike home even for those with a good relationship with their parents. Because doesn't everyone, at some time, feel like people just aren't listening? The beautiful part is that both father and son try hard to solve the problem, but their solutions just don't always go in the right direction. Eventually all is solved.
This is a great movie that should be watched over and over. It's funny, the animation is very well done, and it's got a great hits-you-right-there [insert single tear and little sniff here] story that leaves one feeling ready to burst after watching something that is full of such greatness.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Movie Review: Superman Returns
Please note that while I (Maria Gianna) wrote the first draft of this post, Stacy C. has added her thoughts in italics (not that I really needed to... Maria did a pretty awesome job already. :D).
Title: Superman Returns
Author: Warner Brothers
Genre: Action, science fiction
My Rating: ***
Stacy's Rating: ****
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 14+
Summary
Have you ever heard the story of Prometheus, the Greek Titan? Well, he stole fire from the gods and brought it to the humans. Lex Luther says he wants to be like Prometheus. He wants to rule the world by bringing something to the humans. His sidekick Kitty promptly points out that he is not a god (he sort of neglects to specify that Prometheus was a Titan, not a god). He says gods are selfish beings who fly around in red capes and don't share their powers with mankind. Lex wants to share--and he wants his cut.
There is one more thing he forgets to mention: Prometheus's punishment for disobeying the gods was to hang from a mountain by chains and have his (immortal) liver eaten out every day by a vulture. The liver would grow back every night, and be eaten the next day. Lex sort of neglects to mention this in his account of Prometheus.
What a mistake he made. Superman, who has been gone for years, returns. And he's going to give Lex a run for his money. Lex wants to create land ("It's the one thing they're not making anymore") and then sell it. A small glitch in the plan is the deaths of billions of people, but Lex can move on.
Superman can't. And he doesn't. Because Superman has always stood for justice and truth and he never tells a lie. But what's he going to do when Lex builds his land out of crystals?
Out of kryptonite.
Word of Warning
All things considered, I was very impressed by how clean this movie was. The PG-13 rating is for violence, and even that is low. Very few people die. Here is a short list of the biggest problems in the movie:
My Thoughts
All things considered (including the date this movie was made--2006) this movie was very clean and a great adventure. The beginning is rather slow and boring, but it really picks up and keeps going at high speed until the very end. One thing that was neat was Superman's similarities to Christ. He comes from a father who sent him, he is different from everyone else, and he suffers to save the world. Really, it's a great reference--until we find out that Superman has a son. Oops. Yeah, that sort of went in the wrong direction. As the wonderful people over at PluggedIn pointed out, we all expect Superman to be above that sort of thing. Not having kids (nothing is wrong with that happening--within wedlock), but having them without getting married and then leaving. I guess this particular instance of Superman's weakness reinforces a really cool truth: true heroes can reflect Christ, but Christ is the only one who can be a Perfect Hero. Our superheroes' weaknesses only magnify His Perfection. For the record, I though Superman's story was one of the best modern secular allegories for Christ I've seen in a while. :)
One particular line was especially beautiful. Lois Lane wrote in an article that the world doesn't need a savior. Superman objects, saying that he hears the world crying for one.
Yes, we cry for a savior like Superman. If only we could see we already have one.
Title: Superman Returns
Author: Warner Brothers
Genre: Action, science fiction
My Rating: ***
Stacy's Rating: ****
Official Rating: PG-13
Age Group: 14+
Summary
Have you ever heard the story of Prometheus, the Greek Titan? Well, he stole fire from the gods and brought it to the humans. Lex Luther says he wants to be like Prometheus. He wants to rule the world by bringing something to the humans. His sidekick Kitty promptly points out that he is not a god (he sort of neglects to specify that Prometheus was a Titan, not a god). He says gods are selfish beings who fly around in red capes and don't share their powers with mankind. Lex wants to share--and he wants his cut.
There is one more thing he forgets to mention: Prometheus's punishment for disobeying the gods was to hang from a mountain by chains and have his (immortal) liver eaten out every day by a vulture. The liver would grow back every night, and be eaten the next day. Lex sort of neglects to mention this in his account of Prometheus.
What a mistake he made. Superman, who has been gone for years, returns. And he's going to give Lex a run for his money. Lex wants to create land ("It's the one thing they're not making anymore") and then sell it. A small glitch in the plan is the deaths of billions of people, but Lex can move on.
Superman can't. And he doesn't. Because Superman has always stood for justice and truth and he never tells a lie. But what's he going to do when Lex builds his land out of crystals?
Out of kryptonite.
Word of Warning
All things considered, I was very impressed by how clean this movie was. The PG-13 rating is for violence, and even that is low. Very few people die. Here is a short list of the biggest problems in the movie:
- Five sexual references. An old woman mentions Lex has shown her "pleasures she had never known", though this reference is easily missed. Mr. White says that three things sell newspapers, one of these things being sex, but Ms. Lane cannot "write a d**m about sex." Ms. Lane wrote an article titled "I Spent the Night With Superman" but insists it was only the title of an interview when her fiancé asks (SPOILER: turns out it wasn't, but more on that later). Ms. Lane says "I did Superman" but intends it to mean that she interviewed him and worked on his story. She clarifies this quickly. A woman is referred to as a hooker, but in passing and it is not entirely clear what the word means (for those viewers who don't know).
- The words a**, h**l, and d**m. A few were used more than once (maybe three times?) but I believe that was all of them. God's name was taken in vain one or two times.
- A man uses a huge automatic weapon to shoot at police officers and their cars. We don't actually see their deaths, but we can assume the outcome.
- The same man shoots at Superman but the bullets do nothing. He then pulls a handgun and shoots right at Superman's eye, but the bullet crumples upon impact in a beautiful slow-motion moment and falls to the ground.
- People fall from buildings but are saved by Superman.
- A plane full of people ends up in space after a technology problem and Ms. Lane is tossed about the plane rather violently but never actually injured. She does pass out at the end, but it is assumed to be from shock, not from injuries.
- Ms. Lane and Jason (a young boy) are caught. Ms. Lane is beaten (but, strangely, physically fine) and a gang member is killed by a flying piano. Later Ms. Lane, her fiancé Richard, and Jason are trapped and almost drown. Ms. Lane is knocked unconscious and it looks like it's all over.
- Superman is kicked and beaten very badly and is stabbed twice. He is left with a piece of the weapon in his body and falls, drowning. He is rescued and the piece of the weapon is pulled from his body with a pliers--this does not go over well (as can be expected) and he cries out more than once.
- Superman is rushed to the hospital where his super suit is stripped off (at least, the top is) and they medical personnel attempt to poke him with a needle and shock his heart--both of which fail. They remove a small piece of the weapon which had been embedded within his side.
- It is implied that a dog eats another dog.
- Superman uses his X-ray vision and super-hearing to do a few questionable things, including observing Lois' personal life; this is more sneaky than really wrong. He also uses his X-ray vision to "scan" a hurt woman for internal injuries, which ends up being kinda awkward.
- Lex, in a fit of anger, says he would trade many things, including all of Kitty's blood, in exchange for a quart of gas for his helicopter.
- A gang is killed by a falling rock, but they are under it and no sound is heard.
- Ms. Lane is not married to Richard but lives with him. She has a son--who turns out not to be Richard's (though both the son and Richard are unaware of this).
My Thoughts
All things considered (including the date this movie was made--2006) this movie was very clean and a great adventure. The beginning is rather slow and boring, but it really picks up and keeps going at high speed until the very end. One thing that was neat was Superman's similarities to Christ. He comes from a father who sent him, he is different from everyone else, and he suffers to save the world. Really, it's a great reference--until we find out that Superman has a son. Oops. Yeah, that sort of went in the wrong direction. As the wonderful people over at PluggedIn pointed out, we all expect Superman to be above that sort of thing. Not having kids (nothing is wrong with that happening--within wedlock), but having them without getting married and then leaving. I guess this particular instance of Superman's weakness reinforces a really cool truth: true heroes can reflect Christ, but Christ is the only one who can be a Perfect Hero. Our superheroes' weaknesses only magnify His Perfection. For the record, I though Superman's story was one of the best modern secular allegories for Christ I've seen in a while. :)
One particular line was especially beautiful. Lois Lane wrote in an article that the world doesn't need a savior. Superman objects, saying that he hears the world crying for one.
Yes, we cry for a savior like Superman. If only we could see we already have one.
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