Because I said so... Jason King on Entertainment.

Warbreaker

2012-01-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this art - while good in its own right - captures none of the essence of the story. In fact, it put me off and I only read this because of my man-crush on Sanderson. Excellent writing, and a good story, but needs a new cover.

View all my reviews

Alloy of Law Review

2012-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

So no clever title for this post. It probably has to do with the pain meds I am taking for a surgery I just had, so if something in this review doesn't make sense...Eh. Alloy of Law takes place three centuries after the closing scenes of Hero of Ages, the world now in a technological state comparable to the late 1800's in the U.S. The plot centers around Waxillium, an allomancer frontier law-man who returns to the city of Elendel after the tragic death of his lover. Now returned to the life as a nobleman he rejected, Wax struggles to find his place in high society. Unable to leave crime fighting alone, he quickly becomes involved in working against a gang of train robbers calling themselves "The Vanishers" - something that draws the condemnation of his noble peers. What can I say? I love Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and Hero of Ages. Those are my absolute favorite Sanderson titles, and he has proved time and again that he won't disappoint me. While Alloy of Law does a decent job of explaining the rules of Allomancy and Feurochemy, this book really is for those already familiar with the Mistborn novels. As with Sanderson's other works, Alloy of Law has a thoughtfully planned plot that unfolds with plenty of twists and turns and endearing characters. My only real complaint about Alloy of Law was that it was too short. If you liked the Mistborn Trilogy, Alloy of Law is a must-read. "A" for the short, but enjoyable Alloy of Law.

The Story that Might Have Been...Part One

2011-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

Journey back with me if you will to May 1999, before internet ticket buying, and assigned seating (God bless those who invented assigned seating). You are standing in line outside the newest multi-screen theater, publicly ridiculing but secretly admiring those who dressed up. After about two hours, the ushers start letting you into the theater where you will wait another half hour illegally saving seats and buying overpriced candy and soda. The enthusiasm of the crowd is electric, and you can't help but feel like a kid on Christmas, especially if you have waited twenty years for this moment. The lights go down, the familiar music blares out of the DTS sound system, and your entire childhood seems to return in an instant. But about ten minutes into the movie, your heart starts to sink, and you realize that, as flashy and pretty as it is, this is not YOUR Star Wars.

Yes, I was describing my experience at the opening night of The Phantom Menace, and with the 3D version soon hitting theaters, all of that old pain and disappointment has been drudged up. So, I am finally going to put all of my complaining and criticizing to a constructive use in order to help others see the story that might have been. Think of this as my "Ninety-Five Thesis" except less important, and not as long - although because I have a lot to say, I will split it into parts, this being the intro.

Why the Hero's Mentor Has to Die.

2011-11-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Obi Wan Kenobi, Dumbledore, Brom, Kelsier, and Gandalf. What do these fictional characters have in common? Well, they were all mentors to great heroes, but each of them also did not live to see their protégé’s win the day (well Gandalf cheated and came back to life). So why does a hero’s senex have to die? Do they have to die? What would happen if they didn’t die or leave the hero to finish their work? I believe the answer to this question is yes, the mentor must die (or leave) in order for the hero to rise to his or her full potential. Why? Well, let’s look at an everyday example.

Stevie is a 25 year-old, single male who lives in his parent’s basement. He has a part time job at the local burger-joint, but doesn’t pay rent, buy groceries, or worry about dependents. The only way Stevie will see the need to go to college, save money, or get a full time job is if he is forced out of his moocher’s, comfort zone. In short, Stevie’s parents have to kick him out in order for him to develop ambition or go anywhere in life. You get the point.

When a hero embarks on his journey, he or she is usually weak, vulnerable, and always inexperienced. Consequently, they need protection, training, and an education. They need someone to give them a reason to fight, a reason that is driven home by the sacrifice of their mentor. Think about it. How much more motivated did Luke Skywalker become in fighting the Empire when Ben Kenobi was reduced to a pile of robes by Darth Vader? He didn’t really start growing up until everything Obi Wan taught him about the evil of their enemies was illustrated in his being slain by those very villains. Therefore, the mentor capstones all of his preaching and moral instruction with an object lesson – one that says “this is what you’re fighting and this is how important it is for you to fight it.”

But how does the death of the mentor make the hero stronger? Aside from galvanizing the hero into determined action, the absence of the mentor exposes the hero to the full threat of his enemies (Harry Potter 7 is an excellent example of this). Like the resistance of weight-training, the facing of death and danger forces the hero to stretch, draw on all of his or her resources, forge their own alliances, and ultimately grow stronger. Without this, the hero would never rise to the challenge of changing the world.

So the next time someone says, Dumbledore shouldn't have had to die, you can answer; if he didn't Harry would've never saved the world.

Night Angel 3

2011-09-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Brent Week's compelling Night Angel tale wraps up in the final installment of the trilogy, Beyond the Shadows. Having helped save Cenaria from Khalidor and it's god-king, Kylar Stern goes to make good on his promise to the Wolf to find Curoch and hurl it into Ezra's wood where it will be safe from those who would use it for evil. From there he becomes involved in the power struggle between Ceura, and Cenaria's unlawful (and incestuous) queen. But that is just the beginning of a journey that will conclude in a Return of the King-style battle against legions of undead creatures. Weeks continues to demonstrate that he is better at characterization than he is at story mapping. What do I mean by that? Well, while Weeks excels in creating likable and endearing characters, the flow of this story sometimes felt inorganic and disharmonious. This wasn't a problem in the first volume of the Night Angel Trilogy, but seems to become prevalent in the second and third installments. Let me be clear. I liked this book - a lot. But I finished it feeling like Weeks hadn't taken full advantage of the intriguing world he has created (parts of which he borrowed heavily from Robert Jordan). It is only in the end of the third book that the characters encounter another Kakari, and that is a vague scene that left me with several unanswered questions. Also, the strongest story thread of Beyond the Shadows was not the main character’s journey, but that of the prophet Dorien. Having rejected his birthright as successor to god-king Gareth Ursuul and using the dark magic of Khalidor’s goddess, Khali, Dorien returns from exile to rescue his future wife. Unfortunately, while trying to escape from Khalidor, Dorien is cornered and forced to draw on the Vir to defend himself, thus taking his first step to becoming what he hates, a tyrant like his father. The story of Dorien’s fall from grace and ultimate redemption is so compelling, that it alone made this book worth reading.
B minus for the compelling, but disappointingly thin, Beyond the Shadows.

What motivates your villain?

2011-09-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, there really aren't that many different kinds of villains, not when you get down to the basics of it. For example; there are those bad guys who want power, those who want revenge, those who act on uncontrollable impulses, those who have noble intentions but use evil means to reach their goals, and then there are those that just want to cause mayhem and destruction for the sheer thrill of it. If you think about it, all the villains in our favorite stories are really just variations or mixtures of these archetypes. The key, then, to crafting a compelling villain, is not to invent a new type of antagonist (which really isn’t possible), but to put a fresh spin on one or more of these themes. I will illustrate using five examples.

Those who want power: In my opinion, this is the default villain of choice. It's easy to create someone who just wants to "rule the world." Therefore, the trick is to give your power-hungry baddie an interesting motive for wanting ultimate power. A good example of this would be Anakin Skywalker from Revenge of the Sith. Anakin starts out a hero, but turns to the dark side because he believes it will give him the power to save his wife. But the price of that power ends up being Anakin's soul (and ironically his wife) and he becomes iconic, space-boogieman, Darth Vader.

Those who want revenge: Two Face from the Dark Knight is a great example of this. Once a hero, tragedy filled him so full of grief and hate that his moral boundaries collapsed, and the only thing that ended up driving him was the desire to make someone pay for his loss.

Those who can't control their evil impulses: Whether it be anger, lust, or addiction to something, these villains have turned their wills over to external forces. An example of this would be Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Like real-life junkies, Smeagol innocently finds his addiction, the ring of power, and instantly becomes enslaved to it, so much so that he strangles his brother to get it. From then on, all he cares about is the ring and all the evil and vile things he does are to the end of serving his desire.

The "ends justify the means" villain: These characters are usually not depraved psychopaths, but normal, well meaning people who have made deals with the devil in order to accomplish something good. I like Walternate from Fringe as an example of this. He is simply trying to save his world from a plight caused by someone else. Sure in the process he has to annihilate a parallel universe to do it, but he's willing to make that sacrifice. And that's how he really sees it, a sacrifice and himself a sort of moral martyr.

And finally there is my personal favorite, the villain who wants to cause chaos and death because it's just so darn fun! I thought of several examples of this (the Joker gets an honorable mention), and came up with two flavors of this villain; the sociopath who gets his jollies from causing pain and suffering, and the nihilist who wants to destroy because he believes it a preferable alternative or an inevitability. My two examples come from the Wheel of Time. First, we have Padan Fain, a wretched creature who becomes the embodied antithesis of life. Fain has no agenda save to kill Rand al'Thor and joys in being a living blight upon the world - a truly compelling, and frightening villain. We have our second example in Elan Morin Tedrona AKA Ishamael/Moridin. Elan was once a respected statesmen and philosophical genius who came to believe that fighting against the Dark Lord was futile, because the turning of the Wheel of Time and the Dark One's eternal nature made his victory inevitable – he could just keep waging war on mankind until he got it right. Thus, without desire for power or glory, Elan became the betrayer of hope, because for him, there was just no other option.

Are you sensing a theme here? To make a villain truly compelling, your audience has to be able to connect with them on some level. This makes them believable and in some cases even pitiable. You want your reader to think "Holy cow, what if that was me? Would I have made those choices? Would I have ended up like him/her?" You do this by showing the good, and humane side of your villain. I don't believe there are many people who are "pure evil," and most people consider mankind generally good. So what took your antagonist from a decent human being to a crazed cannibal that likes to target practice with puppies? Like Anakin Skywalker, the power of a villain to standout is rooted in the journey that took them to villainy. It is also in showing their humanity. Even serial killers sometimes feel bad about what they do, so make your villain human. Shiny, perfect, Boy Scout heroes make a story bland, and so do villains that dance around and sing about just how bad they are and how much they love it. Complexity, gray areas, moral stratification, and self deception are the keys to crafting good villains.

Night Angel 2

2011-08-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Having really enjoyed the first book in the Night Angel Trilogy, I decided to see where the story was going next, and so I spent my August Audible credit on the second book in the series: "Shadow's Edge." After killing Roth and becoming the Night Angel, Kylar Stern wants to get out of the Wetboy (magical assassin) business and settle down with his lifelong love, Elene Cromwyll to raise Durzo's daughter, Uly. To show his commitment to Elene, Kylar promises to never kill again. However, his Night Angel instinct to bring justice to evil doers prevails, and he is unable to hold to that promise. His secret crusade against evil in his new home city makes it possible for his past and new enemies to find him and destroy his new life. After losing everything, Kylar finally decides to take on the ultimate hit - killing the tyrant god-king, Garuth Ursuul. Like it's predecessor, Shadow's Edge features some very endearing characters, as well as a strong hook, and plenty of action scenes. Unfortunately, Weeks also continues to use the F-bomb to excess, often in the oddest and most "story-inappropriate" moments. Shadows Edge is also a great deal more gritty than the first Night Angel book, with a significant amount of sexual content and disturbing violence. However, it wasn't the content issues that disappointed me (after reading the first book, I just expected it). Shadow's Edge starts out very strong, but seems to lose it's way in the middle, and features some bizarre plot twists. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but felt like I was reading (listening) to a rough draft that could have used one more revision. B- for the intriguing, but unpolished "Shadow's Edge."

A new level of epic epic-ness.....

2011-07-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to even try to summarize the plots of Sanderson's first installment of The Stormlight Archive. I say plots because there is a whole mess a things going on in this book. For the sake of brevity (and my sanity) I am going break this review into bullet points:
- What I liked
- What I didn't
- My rating and recommendation
What I liked: I am one of millions of overweight Americans. I like to eat big and I like my stories the same way that I like my food - rich, robust, and slowly killing me... That's what I got with The Way of Kings (well except the ‘killing me’ part). The scope of this story is epic and it's characters are some of the most well developed in any book that I've read. The action scenes are worthy of the great battles fought in Mistborn, and the drama and mystery are compelling. And of course, in true Sanderson fashion, there are unexpected plot twists that I should have seen coming but didn't - especially at the end.
What I didn't like: The book opens with a killer, fast-paced action scene and then....nothing…. for a very long time. If you're looking for another Mistborn then you will be a bit disappointed. The Way of Kings seems to have a very different motive than to wow action-fantasy nerds. That's not to say it's not good, it's just a different kind of story with very different pacing - more like Elantris. Another thing that bothered me was that there were a few scenes that felt like they ought to have been cut. One in particular where a man with magical tattoos is introduced, and then never heard from again. I understand Sanderson is world-building for ten books, but some of the Way of Kings felt like information overload.
My Rating and Recommendation: The Way of Kings is a book you definitely do not want to miss. It's level of character development and drama is excellent. However, be warned, not a lot of action with an ending that deliberately doesn't satisfy. A- for the Way of Kings.

My First Novel

2011-07-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, this isn't my first novel. I've written others. It's just the first one that has been released to the public. It's the first that I have felt confident is good enough to publish. This post may seem self-serving........and it is. After all, what good is investing years of your life and pieces of your very soul in a project if you don't share it? My wife taught me that (the longer we've been married the more I'm starting to see just how much smarter than me she really is). Ok, enough rambling. About my book:

Valcoria, Children of the Crystal Star is a fantasy story told from the points of view of several characters. However, the story centers around Yuiv, a fourteen year-old street-thief who's kind and honest heart seem incongruous with the criminal's life he is leading. But growing up on the streets of an Amigus border-town has developed his sense of self-preservation to the point that he is able to ignore his sensitive conscience when the situation calls for it. This gets Yuiv into trouble when, for a bag of silver and the promise of freedom from prison, he is tricked into helping a corrupt governor betray his own country by secretly admitting an enemy army into the town. Yuiv is then double-crossed by his employer and thrown back into prison to await a secret (and horrific) execution. There he meets a captured Amigus soldier named Sitrell. Freed from prison by an anonymous sympathizer, the two escape the conquered town and embark on a desperate quest to warn the leaders of Amigus of the invasion. Sitrell is wounded during their flight and starts to fade. This crisis awakens something inside Yuiv and he taps an unknown power which he uses to save Sitrell from death. Thus begins the first step Yuiv takes on realizing his destiny as a Kalyra, a word that means Child of the Crystal Star. The Kalyra can tap what's called Jia - the substance from which a person’s soul is made, and use it to exercise supernatural control over themselves and their environment. Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will recognize a similar style of narrative, but with more action. Make no mistake, this is an action fantasy with plenty of large scale battles as well as exciting duels. And while I intend to make Valcoria a seven volume series, Children of the Crystal Star stands on its in own with a distinct and satisfying ending. Check it out. I think even non-fantasy fans will find it interesting and enjoyable.
Thanks,
Jason

The Way of AWESOMENESS!!!

2011-07-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Eleven year-old street thief, Azoth, has aspirations to be something more than just a petty criminal. He wants to be a Wetboy - an elite group of ninja-like assassins that can use magic. To accomplish this, Azoth decides to apprentice with Durzo Blint, the city's most notorious and dangerous Wetboy. Reluctant to take an apprentice, Blint challenges Azoth to prove he can be a Wetboy by killing the abusive leader of Azoth's thieves’ guild, Rat - a sociopath with a sick interest in young boys. Azoth kills Rat, proving to Durzo that he can kill and thus begins his Wetboy training. The Way of Shadows hooked me from the first chapter, and I quickly became emotionally invested in the story. Brent Week's characters are complex people with believable struggles and varied outlooks. With plenty of action, and superb storytelling, The Way of Shadows feels like a melding of Wizard's First Rule, Mistborn, and Nolan’s Batman. Be warned, however, for this book has a gritty edge that at times is very disturbing and is full of adult content. While there are not really any actual sex scenes, the story is full of sexual references and inferences, and Week's has a weird habit of dropping the F-bomb, so much so that it detracted from the story. If you have a strong stomach, and aren't offended by strong language, then this book is a must-read. A- for The Way of Shadows!

The Truest of Grit

2011-07-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jeff Bridges takes on the role of "Rooster" Cogburn, a down-on-his-luck, alcoholic, US Marshall with a reputation for having an itchy trigger finger. Cogburn is hired by 14 year-old Matti Ross to hunt down the man who killed her father, and the two of them are joined by Matt Damon who plays a "by-the-book" Texas Ranger named LeBeouf. Bridges redeems himself for participating in Tron by delivering a performance as entertaining and endearing as Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. And newcomer Hailee Steinfeld compliments Bridges sloppy, dereliction as his spunky, resourceful, and uninvited sidekick. The film starts out very promising, but a thin and uneventful plot kills its momentum, and True Grit finishes slow with a sloppy, dissatisfying ending. Like Pirates, this movie is made by the performance of its star, but is otherwise unremarkable.
- 2.5 stars for True Grit.

Now I know what I want to be when I grow up!

2011-06-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

When street fighting, sharp-shooting accountant, Owen Zastava Pitt's boss turns into a werewolf and tries to kill him, he is recruited to help fight monsters and get paid for it - a lot of money. If you like Men In Black, Hell Boy, or Big Trouble in Little China (or guns), you're going to love Monster Hunter International. Larry Corriea tells a funny, action packed, and at times disturbing tale of one man's awakening to the supernatural and its dark side. I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to blow stuff up. B- for Monster Hunter International.

Best Internet Video Ever!

2011-05-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ferrets....

Top 10 Super Nintendo games you should play before you die

2011-03-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Awe the days of 16 bit gaming, when cartridges boasted of their megabyte capacities to impress the gaming public. For me this was probably the golden age of video gaming, and so here is my top 10 list of SNES games that anyone who likes games should play before they die;

10.Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
9. Final Fantasy 2 (or 4 as it is now called)
8. Mortal Kombat 2
7. Super Mario All Stars
6. Star Fox
5. Contra 3
4. Mega Man X
3. Final Fantasy 3 (or as its now called, 6)
2. The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
1. Chrono Trigger

What's your picks?

History 1700 the way it should have been!

2011-03-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter may sound like a joke, but that's part of what makes seth grahame-smith's novel so brilliant. You begin reading it without much more expectation than a good chuckle, but soon discover a compelling, emotionally engaging (at times disturbing) action/horror story expertly woven into actual historical events.
Supposedly taken from a collection of secret journals, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter tells of how Honest Abe, enraged at his mother's murder at the hands of vampire, became one of the most dangerous vampire hunters of all time, and how the blood drinking demons played a part in his political career, the Civil War, and his ultimate assassination.
Cleverly written with a quirky charm, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is one of the most original takes on vampire lore that I've ever seen.

B+ for this clever treatment of American History.

The END of Harry Potter........part one.

2010-11-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well, we all knew that this was coming. I swore I would never fall in love with another fantasy movie series since the Lord of the Rings (my fragile heart just can't take the let down), but here we are at the end of the Harry Potter saga with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one. First, let me just say that all of the controversy over the "nude scene" is ridiculous and blown out of proportion (is it wrong that I was disappointed by that?). In a surreal vision presented to Ron by part of Voldemort's soul in order to make him jealous, we see Harry and Hermonie passionately kissing - apparently nude. The shot is brief and absolutely nothing is shown. Would I let my kids watch this movie? Probably not unfiltered, but not because of that scene. Deathly Hallows is quite dark, creepy, and has more violence than the other Potter movies.

Once again, Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint are at their best, portraying believable relationships that are strained by the impending end of the world. Deathly Hallows is also one of the most faithful film adaptations of a novel that I’ve seen – it varying little from the book and bringing back several characters from the earlier films. Although I was glad the movie was being split into two parts, this turned out to be the film’s greatest weakness as the end offers no resolution whatsoever and feels more like a T.V. cliffhanger than a two part movie. Three stars for the entertaining, but horribly teasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one.

Oh yeah, for those who might’ve been at the showing with me, I was NOT crying when a certain house elf died. I wasn’t!!!

This movie has TWO Iron Mans!

2010-05-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

The season of summer blockbusters has officially started, and what better way to kick it off than with a super hero movie! I loved the first Iron Man (3 stars) and have been eagerly replaying Iron Man 2 trailers to intentionally stoke the fires of my enthusiasm. After seeing the movie on opening night, I am happy to report that it didn't disappoint...for the most part. The movie begins very soon after the first Iron Man ended with Tony Stark (played by my new man crush, Robert Downey Jr) riding the tide of his increased fame as a super hero while trying to hide from his friends and the world the fact that his arc reactor is slowly poisoning him. Add to the mix the government threatening to take his armored suit technology, his company in chaos, a mad Russian (Mickey Rourke) trying to kill him with a knock off of his own technology, a greedy rival with an inferiority complex, and a falling out with his best friend, and you have Tony Stark's very complicated life and the plot for Iron Man 2. That sounds like a lot to fit into two hours, but director Jon Favreau manages to make it work. Still, while Iron Man 2 doesn't lack for substance, it ironically is slow getting started and stingily doles out the action scenes - the last fight with "Robo-Ivan" is disappointingly short. This and a flimsy resolution for solving Stark's palladium core poisoning problem make the movie slightly inferior to the original. However, even in spite of its flaws, Iron Man 2 delivers enough thrills, intrigue, and impressive visuals (that includes Scarlett Johansson) to qualify as a worthy sequel. 3 stars for the satisfying, but not glorifying, Iron Man 2.

It’s good Avatar has looks…

2010-01-02T20:58:00.001-08:00

To be honest, I didn’t see Avatar in 3-D. I tried, I really did, but it was sold out. I think this turned out to be an advantage as I had the opportunity to judge the movie without being overawed by its stunning visual effects. And stunning they are, so much so that I think I can safely say that they are probably the best I’ve ever seen ( it’s creepy how the actor’s alien counterparts really look like them). And that’s really the reason Avatar is a “must see in the theater” movie. Unfortunately, the plot is far less impressive and can be summed up thus: Evil corporate people and blood thirsty space marines want to get their hands on another planet’s natural resources, but in order to do so they must either re-locate or destroy the peaceful natives (the Na’Vi) and only a benevolent science team led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) joined by former Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) can help the natives avoid the destruction of their world using a technology that allows them to move among the natives in genetically engineered alien bodies. I admit, the sci-fi Avatar idea is fascinating and original, and had the movie actually been more about that, it might’ve risen higher than it does. Instead, Avatar ends up playing out as a heavy handed “anti-Thanksgiving” pageant with strong environmentalist overtones (it actually reminded me a lot of the 1992 animated film FernGully….yes FernGully). While the majority of the acting is good, most of the characters don’t achieve any real depth - like the character of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who is laughably cliché as the stereotypical evil military man complete with Texas style drill sergeant accent. And Giovanni Ribisi’s portrayal of the ruthless corporate executive in charge of the space mining operation, Parker Selfridge, is something out of an episode of Captain Planet. Still, in spite of all its hang-ups, Avatar delivers an action packed feast for the senses. Three stars for three hundred million dollars well spent.

It's Sherlock Holmes and he's kicking butt!

2009-12-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Forget everything you thought you knew about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, for director Guy Ritchie has given us a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century. It sounds like a stereotypical Hollywood marketing tag line, and maybe it is, but it's true, it works, and the result is a fresh, funny, and exciting spin on a genre icon. Robert Downey jr proves that he's here to stay (out of rehab - man, I promised myself I wasn't gonna go there) as he portrays an eccentric and slightly anti-social version of the world's greatest gumshoe, one who street fights for money, performs drug experiments on his pet bull dog, and spends a good portion of the movie drunk. Brilliantly complimented by his bromantic sidekick Dr. John Watson (played to excellence by Jude Law), Holmes takes on the occult in an effort to stop a murderer who has returned to life after being hanged. Although cleverly written, and directed, Sherlock Holmes probably would've ranked as mediocre without Downey's charm and his natural chemistry with Law. The film also suffers a few painfully cliche and cheesy moments. Still, Sherlock Holmes is one of those rare movies that will appeal to a broad audience while successfully achieving what it sets out to do. Three stars for the thoroughly entertaining Sherlock Holmes!

Stargate in a different universe.

2009-10-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so let me get one thing out in the open before I tell you what I think of the new Stargate series. I passionately believe that it was an unforgivable mistake for producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper to abruptly end Stargate Atlantis (with a very mediocre series finale I might add) just so that they could start running Stargate Universe. At best it was an obvious case of unrestrained project A.D.D. At worst it was a complete stab in the back to faithful Atlantis fans. That being said let us move on. And really that’s what SGU is about, moving on and taking Stargate to the next level. From its intentionally muddled opening (a sequence intercut with flashbacks leading up to the opening events) SGU clearly tries to differentiate itself from its predecessors (SG-1 and Atlantis) and steer the franchise in a new, more dramatic and mature direction. It would seem that gone are the days of miraculous technological escapes made possible by idiosyncratic genius’s and snarky military tough guys. Gone are the black and white good versus evil morality plays inspiring the audience to cheer when the bad guys get blown up. And gone is the Indiana Jones-eqsue adventure flavor that’s been so much an integral part of the Stargate franchise. Instead we have a much tenser and grittier disaster survival story whose characters are great deal more conflicted and serious than anything we’ve seen in Stargate before…..and it works, at least so far. From the beginning to the end of the pilot I was hooked, much more so than even while watching the pilots for SG1 and Atlantis (and now I can’t wait to watch the third part this Friday night). And while it was nice to see some old school characters make cameo appearances (Daniel Jackson, General O’Neil, and Colonel Carter) it definitely wasn’t necessary to convince me that I was watching Stargate, the show effectively retaining enough familiar elements to successfully appeal to the fan base while it reaches out to broaden its audience. Will this series top SG-1 and Atlantis and make Sci-Fi (that’s how you really spell it) television history? Only time will tell. But Stargate Universe is definitely off to a great start and I am excited to see where the series goes.

A Labor of Love: Making Thomas Destiny

2009-09-12T23:24:00.001-07:00

Nearly eight years ago I got together with my good friends Jon Grundvig and Zach Bjorge at a diner not too far from my home to begin planning a feature length film project (something we had attempted several times with only marginal success). Infatuated at the time with Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, we began putting together a story that would blend elements of fantasy adventure with Simpsons-esque comedy. That was the beginning of Thomas Destiny which premiered two and a half years later on April 16th 2004 at the Organ Loft theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah.
What is Thomas Destiny about? Thomas Destiny is a classic story much in the spirit of the Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of OZ, and The Lord of the Rings about an unlikely hero far removed from home who gets called upon to save the world. Along the way he meets companions who aid him in his quest all the while struggling to overcome his own weaknesses and self doubts. But instead of meeting the normal (operative word here) types of fantasy allies and enemies, Thomas is thrown into a world where the bizarre is commonplace and many of the fantasy genre’s cliché’s are mocked.
So what’s the big deal about a bunch of film maker wannabe’s getting together to shoot a home movie about swords and sorcery? It’s not like that hasn’t ever been done before. True, and much of the movie’s value is sentimental. However, there was a certain magic about the project that clearly shines through on screen. First of all, this film was produced by an all volunteer cast and crew for an estimated two thousand dollars. No one got paid, yet from pre-production to principle photography to post, everyone made sacrifices to bring the story to life. All of us had regular full time jobs and would get together after work and on the weekends, drive all of over Utah (sometimes for hours) just to work on “our” movie. It was an impressive thing to consider the level of dedication to something we all knew was being undertaken simply for the love of film making. And although Thomas Destiny has some minor production quality faux pas, it looks and feels like a professional production with a unique mixture of comedy, drama, action, and adventure. Enjoy the Special Edition!

"No man should have to outlive his fictional wizard"

2009-07-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Half Blood Prince was my favorite installment of the Harry Potter book series, so needless to say I have been looking forward to this movie for quite some time (I was really disappointed that it was not released in November 2008 as originally planned…thank you very much stupid Twilight). First off, let me just say that HBP successfully accomplishes something that few film adaptations of popular novels are able to do, that is make a movie that is enjoyable to the casual theater-goers while at the same time staying true to the many endearing details and overall spirit of the book. In addition, HBP’s dark look is masterfully suited to the tense ”gathering storm cloud” theme of the story, effectively broken up by some beautifully lit scenes of warmth and humor. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint comfortably play their larger than life alter egos making you really believe that these three young people are close friends as you empathize with their struggles, both the remarkable as well as the mundane. Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman give effectively dramatic performances, and Jim Broadbent is hilarious as the loveable coward, Horace Slughorn. I was also impressed with Tom Felton’s portrayal of a sympathetically desperate Draco Malfoy as well as Helena Bonham Carter’s playfully sadistic Bellatrix Lestrange. Unlike some of the previous Harry Potter installments, HBP comes off as the most believable of the series while at the same time retaining the wonder of its fantastic setting. The effects and score are topnotch, but I was disappointed with a somewhat pointless action scene that takes place in the middle of the movie, one that really did nothing to advance the plot, but just seemed clumsily inserted as a device for waking up the audience and making sure that the studio’s recommended dose of action was dispensed. Also, in the third act, some of the editing felt a little choppy and the narrative a bit rushed (can’t really blame the studio as the movie already runs long at two and a half hours). Overall though, this could arguably be the best of the Harry Potter movies thus far. Three and a half stars for the emotionally involving and truly excellent Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince!
Because this is a series for which I have not posted reviews, I wanted to list my ratings of the previous Potter films:
Sorcerer’s Stone: Two stars.
Chamber of Secrets: Two and a half stars.
Prisoner of Azkaban: Four stars.
Goblet of Fire: Two and a half stars.
Order of the Phoenix: Three stars.

Eating metal can give you magical powers....

2009-05-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Being a fan of the Wheel of Time series, I wanted to make sure I sampled Brandon Sanderson’s writing before The Gathering Storm (part one of the Memory of Light trilogy-finale to the Wheel of Time) is released this November, to see if Sanderson really was a worthy choice to conclude the late Robert Jordan’s epic masterpiece. And so I decided to read Mistborn: The Final Empire. Mistborn is the story of Vin, an orphaned teenage girl who is trapped in the criminal underworld and seemingly consigned to a life of thievery and abuse. However, all that changes when Vin meets the infamous adventurer-thief, Kelsier “the survivor of Hathsin.” But Kelsier is no ordinary rogue. He is an Allomancer – a person who can burn certain ingested metals giving them supernatural powers. Kelsier recognizes that Vin has the same gift and recruits her to participate in a mad scheme to overthrow a virtually immortal tyrant, one who has ruled the world for a thousand years, oppressing Kelsier and Vin’s people, the Skaa. Thus begins a rich fantasy drama that introduces a freshly original system of magic and an intriguingly dismal post-apocalyptic world. Mistborn could be the perfect fantasy-fiction novel, complete with emotionally involving characters, an expertly mixed dose of humor, exciting action scenes, and an intelligently organic plot. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book and was thoroughly impressed with Sanderson’s writing ability. Thus I am pleased to report that the future of the Wheel of Time series is in good hands. On a scale of 1-10, Mistborn: The Final Empire gets a perfect 10!

Star Trek do-over

2009-05-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, this will come out sooner or later so I might as well confess it here and now. I am a Trekkie. Surprise! Mom and dad are crying and blaming themselves, and the wife now knows where I’ve been secretly spending all my free time. It’s been a long time since we had new Trek, so I’ve been excitedly drooling over the trailers for the past six months. This can be dangerous as hype is a double edged sword, sometimes raising expectations to impossible levels. But in this case, Star Trek paid off the promotion, and for the most part I was pleased with J.J. Abram’s interpretation. First, let me say that Star Trek’s special effects are glorious! Gone are the days of stationary space battles where two ships have to be facing each other at point blank range in order to trade blows. All the ships, planets, phasers, and torpedoes look amazing. The score is emotionally charged with an epic flavor, and the new actors are all topnotch. The added dose of humor will help general audiences swallow the geekier elements of the movie, and the action and pacing are artfully executed. Yet as much as I enjoyed Star Trek, I did feel let down in a few areas. My biggest problem with the film is Abram’s deliberate abandonment of the hallmark Trek techno-babble and scientific approach to problem solving. I know, I know. That’s part of the barrier that kept Trek from previously being this widely accepted. However, that element of intelligent science fiction that is the very spirit of Star Trek was all but eliminated, leaving me feeling like the geeky friend who gets snubbed when his other friends want to impress the cool kids (yes, that analogy is autobiographical). Another thing that disappointed me was Leonard Nimoy’s surprisingly terrible performance. I realize that he’s never been an Oscar worthy actor, but he seemed to be at a personal worst, his lines sounding read from cue cards. And then there was the weak plot line (the recycled premise of the Star Trek Enterprise series), with its two dimensional villain, Nero, who seemed like a re-hash of old Trek bad guy Khan Singh. I do have to give Paramount and Abrams credit for their brilliant marketing strategy of using the alternate timeline template to clear the slate, making possible a total Star Trek re-invention. And although I am as attached to the old Trek history as I am to my wife and children, I am interested to see where Abrams will take the franchise. Three stars for the dumbed-down, yet thoroughly entertaining Star Trek!

Haunted by the ghost of unoriginality....

2009-04-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have a morbid affinity for movies that freak me out. I'm not talking about slasher films - I've never really cared for or been scared by those - but movies that send me home with a creeped-out feeling that makes me want to hug a teddy bear and sleep with the lights on. Such was my experience watching the Haunting in Connecticut. When her son begins an experimental treatment for his cancer, Sara Campbell (Virginia Madsen) moves her family to an old house in upstate Connecticut so that they can be closer to the hospital where her son is receiving treatment. Unfortunately, the former funeral home has a dark history that includes corpse desecration, necromancy, and ectoplasmic séances (sounds like Never land Ranch). True to form, the family begins experiencing the classic symptoms of a haunted house (self breaking plates, disappearing figures, and homicidal shower curtains), all culminating in a fiery climax that reveals dozens of mummified corpses being used as wall insulation. Although loaded with several wet-your-pants level "boo" moments, Haunting is disappointingly mediocre and predictable and comes off more as a low budget Poltergeist meets the Messengers. Two stars for the creepy, but woefully unoriginal "The Haunting in Connecticut."

Fablehaven Grows Up

2009-03-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

A shining star among the recent proliferation of Mormon fantasy novels has been Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series. And now with the release of the fourth installment, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, Mull raises the stakes of his story, as well as the quality of his writing. In Dragon Sanctuary, Kendra and Seth Sorensen spend most of their time away from their grandparent's preserve for the protection of magical creatures, as Kendra is kidnapped early on in the book and then ventures to the forbidden Dragon Sanctuary, Wyrmroost, to search for a key to finding one of the artifacts that can unlock the great demon prison. As with the previous Fablehaven novels, Dragon Sanctuary hooked me from the first chapter, but this time I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mull's writing had significantly improved. There was a noticeable decrease in the embarrassingly silly character banter that has afflicted the series, the narrative was smoother, and the overall feel of the book was more professional. Dragon Sanctuary is also more intense and exciting than its predecessors - Mull throws a dramatic curveball toward the end that I didn't see coming, but which I thought worked surprisingly well. It’s been a while since I enjoyed a book as much as I did Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary earning it a 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Love isn't supposed to hurt, that is unless you're dating a vampire.

2009-03-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

First, let me start by apologizing to my readers (all three of them) for not posting anything for a few months. I've been occupied with two important projects which I am happy to say are about finished, which should give me enough free time to again afflict the blogosphere with my rants and raves.

So what do you get when you mix 1 part Romeo and Juliet, 1 part Smallville, 2 parts clever Hollywood marketing, and a whole bucket full of estrogen? The answer of course is the movie adaption of Stephanie Meyer's hit vampire novel, Twilight. With all the buzz, hype, and millions of dollars generated by this movie (as with Phantom Menace I know these things aren't a guarantee of quality), I honestly expected something a little better. The premise is interesting enough - a forbidden human/vampire romance - but the movie never seems to rise above its basic plot line and achieve any kind of depth. Robert Pattinson does a quality job of playing the conflicted vegetarian vampire, Edward (I can just hear the collective female sigh), but Kristen Stewart doesn't quite find her footing as the uncomfortably co-dependant Isabella Swan. The appearance and mood of the film is effectively Gothic, but I was surprised by the cheap TV quality look of the special effects (what is up with that constant fast motion crap?). The bad vampire, James - played by Cam Gigandet from The O.C. - made a serviceable villain, and the end fight was exciting, but overall this movie just never seemed to draw me in. Fans of the book will no doubt love it, but any serious vampire enthusiast will probably find the film's departure from traditional lore conventions irritating. Two and half stars for this two dimensional 120 minute book promotion.

P.S. - To any teenage girls or twenty something housewives who might stumble across this review, please don't send me any threats or letter bombs - I really am a decent guy, I promise.

Indiana Jones and the Retirement Center of Doom

2008-10-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the first movie I ever saw on opening night. I was ten then, now I'm twenty nine, and Indiana Jones is old. Too old perhaps to be cracking his whip and escaping from Nazi's, or was it Russians, or does it matter? George Lucas is credited as being the driving force behind this story, and once again we see that this man is a menace and needs to be stopped. However, his multimillion dollar creative rant is a bit tempered for this film, no doubt by Spielberg who is actually a good film maker (does anyone else get the feeling that Spielberg only hangs around Lucas out of a sense of buddy pity?) Crystal Skull starts out strong, but seems to get lost along the way in its own nostalgic vanity. Unlike some critics I didn't mind the alien theme, but the whole plot just falls apart in the third act. And what is Cate Blanchett doing in this movie with her ridiculously cliche Russian accent. This movie was entertaining, but not a worthy conclusion to one of film's iconic series. Two and half stars for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. By the way, whatever happened to that short Chinese kid that used to hang around with Indy?

Brisingr means fire...

2008-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Brisingr is the sequel to Eldest and the third installment in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy, oops I mean Inheritance cycle...(I wonder how many early editions of Eragon were published with that subtext). Despite Paolini's amateur predictability, lack of originality, and the transposing of his weird quirks onto his fictional characters, Brisingr was compelling and very enjoyable. Mind you, it's nothing special, but as I've said before, I'm a sucker for swords and sorcery and dragon action (that sounds a bit sordid). And there's plenty of that in this novel, climaxing with an exciting battle between the ancient rider Oromis and his gold dragon Glaedr against the traitor Murtagh and his red dragon Thorn. And for the first time we get to encounter the infamous dark king, Galbatorix - albeit through his possession of another character viewed at a distance by means of a psychic link. Hmm that seems unnecessarily complicated. Anyway, the book is better paced than its predecessor Eldest, but still falls into stretches of irritatingly boring chapters this time concentrating on Varden and Dwarf politics. The scenes with Roran's rise to prominence among the Varden are compelling and well done, but all of the focus on the Varden leader Nasuada is little short of worthless (she is really one of the most uninteresting characters that I've ever read in fantasy fiction). The battles and scenes of magic are sufficiently exciting, and the plot feels well planned. But what is up with Eragon's wussy, momma's boy relationship with Saphira? Makes me wonder if Paolini feels his mother didn't give him enough attention when he was little. And you gotta love the awkward attempts at humor personified in the character of Angela the fortune teller, all of which reinforce my conclusion that home schooling your children socially retards them. In spite of its weaknesses (probably more apparent to me because I am insanely jealous of the author's quick success at such a young age) Brisingr is an enthralling story which I very much enjoyed. On a scale of 1-10, Brisingr scores an 8.

I confess, I was disappointed...

2008-10-03T19:28:00.003-07:00

To be fair, I haven't read this entire series. I loved Wizard's First Rule (I'm really pumped for Legend of the Seeker) and Stone of Tears, but Goodkind's bizarre obsession with graphic sadistic rape and his self righteous philosophical rants really put me off. So I skipped volumes three through seven (I wiki'd the stories), and resumed with the Chainfire trilogy (I actually started reading Goodkind with Naked Empire). I believe what makes an author stand out among his/her peers is the ability to deftly wrap up an epic in a way that harmonizes with the plot details of previous stories and makes the audience say "that ending felt right." Unfortunately, that is not how Goodkind ends the Sword of Truth series. This book was compelling and exciting pretty much up until just before the end, where it's thoroughly established rules for the boxes of Ordon (the talismans of ultimate power) that were so central throughout the first book and in the first two installments of Chainfire are pretty much just thrown out the window and the heroes win simply by being passively lucky. And in each previous novel, one of the Wizard's rules is explained. In Confessor the Wizard's eleventh rule, the rule unwritten, is introduced but NEVER explained. At least if it was, I didn't catch it. Jigang's death was clever, but Kahlan's compelling rising plot was extinguished just before it got good, and Zedd, Nathan, Nicci, and the other regulars were pretty much reduced to jumping off agents for Richard/Goodkind's rants about the fallacies of faith and the value of your one and only life. That being said, Confessor was still a good read, containing some of the intense feel of Goodkind's brilliant first novel, and the Jala (a lethal version of football) scenes were some of the most exciting scenes I've ever read. In spite of its let down ending, I would recommend Confessor and the Chainfire trilogy to anyone who loves fantasy. On a scale of 1-10, Confessor gets 7.5. (I give Phantom an 8 and Chainfire a 9).

Star Wars the way it ought to be!

2008-10-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

The recipe for creating a great Star Wars story is to take the settings and characters that Lucas created and let someone else run with it (so I hear about the Timothy Zahn sequel trilogy to R.O.T.J.). Such is the case with Star Wars the Force Unleashed. In this hack and slash game, you play Darth Vader's secret apprentice, a Sith called "Star Killer" (I guess Sky Walker was already taken). As part of proving to Vader that you are ready to aid him in overthrowing Emperor Palpatine, you are assigned to hunt down the Jedi that escaped the infamous "order 66." In an ingenious Star Wars plot twist, you turn from the dark side and eventually become a Jedi and are actually the one who founds the Rebel Alliance. I could sum up my feelings for this game by simply saying "IT ROCKS!" From the time I was little, I always wished I could wield a light saber and blast things out of my way with the force. While that isn't likely to happen anytime soon, this is the next best thing. Force lightning, sweet light saber duels, and throwing storm troopers out into space with a wave of your hand make this one gaming experience one you do NOT want to pass up. And being released on five different systems (each game a little different), you won't have to. The only negative thing I thought about this game was, why didn't we see this kind of Jedi/Sith action in the movies? Learn what a force warrior really can do by playing the Force Unleashed! In my not so humble opinion, this game gets a perfect 10! Oh yeah and the story and acting are great for a video game.

I can't remember where I parked my artifically intelligent battleship...

2008-09-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

At the recommendation of one of my best friends, I made my first trip into the world of hardcore science fiction with David Weber's Mutineer's Moon.
After hiding inside the moon for fifty thousand years, the abandoned imperial battleship controlled by the A.I. Dahak finally selects (abducts) a new captain in the form of Lt. Commander Colin MacIntyre who is conducting a test of a new sensor technology over Earth's moon. Dahak needs Colin's help in dealing with a group of bio-enhanced extra terrestrial humans that mutineered aboard Dahak thousands of years ago, and who have now clandestinely infiltrated the governments of Earth and are continuing their covert war against another group of "Imperials." As Dahak's new captain, Colin is given the best in bio-enhancements, and is assigned to return to Earth and figure out a way to defeat the mutineers and thereby finally resolve Dahak's fifty thousand year old dilemma. Many Sci-Fi stories seem to have the problem of not being able to "think outside the box" and go beyond the established templates, but Weber successful weaves a refreshingly original and intelligent story in this novel published by BAEN books. Now be warned. This is not your father's Star Trek tame brand of science fiction. Mutineer's Moon is rampant with R-rated language and graphic violence, which I found a bit distracting. And although the story is strong and fast paced, I found Weber's writing style a bit vague and at times confusing. In some areas of the narrative he seemed to neglect explanation and detail, except when it came to the descriptions of superior imperial weapons technology(I gotta get me some warp grenades). Overall the book is strong and in a way has the same military sci-fi flavor as Stargate SG1. I rate Mutineer's Moon a 7 out of 10. A good solid read.

Shadow Plague Contagious

2008-08-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of the effects that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series had on the world was the proliferation of dozens of "wanna be" novels giving rise to a new genre of "Bubblegum Fantasy." Books like Leven Thumps, Eragon, Twilight, and many others all fall into this category. And while a lot of these are just two dimensional attempts to cash in on Potter's success (see Leven Thumps), some of them actually have a bit of substance. Such is Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series. The latest installment and third volume in the series, Grip of the Shadow Plague, continues the adventures of fourteen year old Kendra Sorenson and her mischievous twelve year old brother Seth as they work to protect their grandparents "preserve for the protection of magical creatures" from a demonically inspired plague spreading amongst the creatures of Fablehaven and turning them darkly feral. From the first chapter, Grip of the Shadow Plague hooked me and didn't let go until the book's exciting climactic battle with a tragic villain that you can actually feel sorry for. However, in spite of Mull's impressive Rowling-like ability to hijack the imagination, Fablehaven 3 continues to suffer from the series's patches of embarrassingly amateur writing (some of the descriptions are really awkward) as well as some painfully unsuccessful attempts at humor that dragged on and made me wince. Yet in spite of its narrative blemishes, Brandon Mull has made a substantive and imaginative contribution to the Harry Potter genre. I really enjoyed this book and would call it the strongest in the series thus far. On a scale of 1-10, Fablehaven Grip of the Shadow Plague gets an 8.

The Wheel of Time Turns

2008-08-07T19:56:00.001-07:00

So you're probably asking yourself, "Why is Jason posting a review for a book that is almost three years old?" Because I just finished it for the first time, so back off! Actually, I only got into the Wheel of Time series last year, so like my experience with the Harry Potter books, I've had the opportunity to enjoy the series almost all at once and it has easily become my favorite fantasy saga thus far. In this the eleventh installment of the Wheel of Time, we get to experience the "calm before the storm" suspense of Rand, Mat, and Perrin along with WoT's numerous cast of characters preparing for The Last Battle. This being said, there is little calm about Knife of Dreams, the story being rich with emotional drama, intense confrontations, and epic battles. Which was a relief as the previous book, though a solid WoT adventure, was quite sedentary and dragged in places. In Knife of Dreams Robert Jordan again proves himself the master of the epic as dozens of subplots are artfully woven together throughout the narrative (or pattern), and its several characters and their world are brought to life by Jordan's unique thoroughly descriptive style. Tragically, Jordan passed away late last year before he could complete the final installment in this bestselling series. And so now we wait for homegrown hero Brandon Sanderson of Provo Utah to finish the story in the final volume due out next November. Thousands of fans will be eagerly awaiting the epic conclusion, especially those who've been following the series from its beginnings in 1990. No pressure Brandon. On a scale of 1-10, I rate KoD a 9. A worthy last work of an incredible story teller.

Stargate: Continuum, A Paradox of Medocrity

2008-07-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

When the Star Trek TV series's ended, I had a painful Sci-Fi void that needed filling. I found that fulfillment in the Stargate television franchise (I love Atlantis). Consequently, I was thrilled when I learned of the two direct to DVD movies that were released this year: The ARK of Truth and Continuum. For those who aren't familiar with the series, ARK of Truth (released this past March) completed the ten season SG-1 TV series story line, making Stargate Continuum the franchise's first stand alone movie. Unfortunately, the creative forces behind Stargate decided to make yet another story about time travel and alternate realities. This wouldn't be a big deal except that SG-1 has been down this road at least five times (AT LEAST, and I am seriously not exaggerating). And each time its the same old plot: heroes thrown back in time or into an alternate realty, must convince bizzarro versions of friends and allies to help them get back, and lots of people die but are alive again by the end of the episode because none of it really happened. And I couldn't help but notice the plot's uncanny resemblance to that of Star Trek First Contact. Having said that, I must admit that it was fun seeing all my favorite characters come together again for more Stargate. And that's really this movie's saving virtue. It's more Stargate. Fans won't be disappointed as the time apart hasn't eroded the chemistry between the SG-1 cast one bit, and it's always cool to see Richard Dean Anderson back in action (although not very much of it, he being only in about a half hour of the 100 minute film). If it weren't for the nostalgic factors, this film would hold little appeal. But because it's more Stargate, I enjoyed it. Makes me miss the series. Oh well, I still have Atlantis. Two stars for Stargate Continuum.

Disgustingly Cute

2008-07-25T21:18:00.001-07:00

Let's face it, Pixar knows what they're about- virtually everyone of their films being a success. And while WALL E is not the strongest addition to their expanding CG film library, it won't disappoint. I mean how can anyone not like a story about a kind, child-like, garbage robot (one who bears a striking resemblance to Johnny-5 from the Short Circuit films) falling in love with a sleek, futuristic, space droid (was it weird that I found EVE kinda hot?). In WALL E Pixar does what they do best, delivering gorgeous animation with a creatively original plot, and lots of laughs and even some tears (I DID NOT CRY! - even though I wanted to). In spite of the film's environmentalist agenda (Al Gore would be proud), WALL E is a harmless, heartfelt adventure the entire family can enjoy. Two and a half stars for WALL E.

The Dark Knight Delivers

2008-07-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

The first thing that came to my mind when the credits rolled was, wow! From beginning to end The Dark Knight draws you in and doesn't let go. Moody and intense, Christopher Nolan's second Batman movie delivers an emotionally charged plot punctuated by plenty of caped crusader action (and lots of neat bat-gadgets). But what really makes this movie is Heath Ledger's Joker. His chilling portrayal of the clown prince of crime is worth the price of admission alone and adds to the tragedy of the actor's untimely death. This man had a brilliant future, and after this role could've gone anywhere he wanted to in Hollywood. Christian Bale effectively reprises his role as Batman, but definitely shares more of center stage with Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, and of course Ledger. But I must disagree with some of the critics who are hailing this as the "perfect movie." Although sufficiently long, the Dark Knight sometimes felt as though it were going too many directions at once and was only barely able to pay off all of its subplots. The heartfelt chemistry between Alfred (Michael Cain) and Wayne from the first movie seemed lacking - Alfred's character becoming little more than Wayne's cheerleader and comic relief - and Maggie Gyllenhaal is the movie's weak link as the new Rachel Dawes ( although I must say she did a much better job than Katie Holmes). I was disappointed with the Scarecrow's cameo capture early in the film, and Eric Roberts is ugly (well he can't help that). Despite its flaws, The Dark Knight is an above average film, especially for its genre, and definitely wins the title of this summer's must-see movie. Three and a half stars for The Dark Knight.

Stop it George! Just stop it!

2008-07-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Ohhhhkayyyy. I think I've just about had enough of George Lucas defiling Star Wars with his reckless incompetence. Let's face it, this guy is really only good at one thing, special effects. Oh he did have a glorious story idea that he worked with other writers and directors to develop (the original trilogy), but let's face it, once he took back the reins it was all down hill from there. The prequel trilogy is what happens when someone with billions of dollars goes senile! Why I am ranting about Star Wars? Because I saw the Clone Wars trailer, and while Lucas didn't direct or write the movie, it's clearly his fault. What continues to baffle me is that he still has millions of rose colored glasses wearing devotees, paying their tithes in the millions to this fallen entertainer. Earth to nerds, THE STAR WARS PREQUELS SUCKED!!! Why I ask? Why another Star Wars prequel? I am well aware of the Cartoon Network series, having seen it, but no! NO! NO! NO! Bad Lucas! Bad!!! Mr. Lucas, admit that you are a terrible writer, director, and person. Well ok the last was a bit much, but I really think this man has gone mad with power. However, I am willing to give him one more chance if he will abdicate the writer/director's chair and produce a sequel trilogy to the original Star Wars. That could be really cool. Could be...

Life After Harry Potter: An Epilogue

2008-07-01T19:43:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a year since I was standing in line outside Barnes and Noble with a bunch of freaks and weirdos waiting until midnight for the release of the last installment of the Harry Potter Series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Admittedly, I am not one of those who was with Harry from the beginning, having become a fan in 2005 after giving into the persuasions of one of my best friends. But like so many other embarrassed adults (I think I now know what it must be like to go into a store and ask for an adult magazine after going into Barnes and Noble and reserving my copy without a ten year old escort), I got sucked into the world of Hogwarts. However, I have to confess, I was disappointed with J.K. Rowling's finale, and don't give me the "How can anyone live up to the expectations and hype" excuse. Peter Jackson did it! Return of the Jedi did it! SG1 did it! David Eddings did it! I just don't buy it. As good as it was, and I still class it as good, for the first half of the book I felt like Rowling didn't have a planned direction. Some of the narrative felt rushed, several payoffs from setups earlier in the series were ignored or only superficially addressed, and I felt like I needed a pad of paper to keep track of the arbitrary body count. Again, I really did like this book, but felt that maybe if Rowling had taken a little more time, perhaps made one more review of the rest of her series, it might have been a much more satisfying capstone to what truly is a "magical" epic. So in summary, here's what I think Rowling did right, and what she did wrong.
Virtues:

Harry was a Horcrux (any other explanation would've been terribly disappointing).
Snape was not evil (The Prince's Tale was my favorite chapter).
Doby's heroic death (that almost made me cry).
Harry had to die...kinda.
THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS!!! (can't wait to see that on film!)
Neville Longbottom goes toe to toe with the dark lord.

Vices:

Hallows? Why haven't we ever heard about this before? Was this really necessary?
Dumbledore's dubious past. Not that interesting (at least not until Rowling outed him.)
Ridiculous number of deaths. After a while, I just didn't care who died.
Months of unsuccessful Horcrux hunting. The characters were bored, and so was I.
Snape's death was anti-climatic.
Harry essentially tricked Voldemort into killing himself. What a let down! Everyone in the book was always talking about how much hidden talent Harry had, and after he repulsed hundreds of dementors I thought that we would see that talent re-emerge in his final conflict with Voldemort. Harry and Ron have ANOTHER falling out. Come on, been there done that.
The epilogue. WORST EPILOGUE EVER.

Now that the series is complete, I think Half Blood Prince ended up being my favorite. Well, that's all I have to rant about tonight. Let me know what you think. I dare you...

It begins...

2008-06-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have a blog! So why does the blogosphere need another self righteous know-it-all spouting out their opinion about things only they care about? It doesn't. But my wife (sorry ladies, I'm taken) is getting tired of my ramblings and so I decided to inflict my opinions upon the masses. This blog is going to be about all things entertaining. From the epic budget breaking summer blockbusters to the dog chasing his tale, if it is entertaining I'm going to write about it! That sounds ambitious, but I assure it really isn't. Mostly I'm just gonna complain about bad movies, and applaud those things that make geeks drool. So without further ado, I present.... MY BLOG!

....so where's the applause?