It seems like I've been telling a lot of folks about my blog lately, but I just realized that I haven't actually even looked at it in a few weeks.... How can I brag about something I don't even devote any time to? As I've said before, I have one of those minds that make me wander around a bit and do different things with my time. I'm a go-with-the-flow type (see Personality Template #12: Pisces) and I have many angles and interests. I have a tendency to focus on one thing for a while, and then spontaneously shift gears and work on other projects. This leaves a lot of loose ends, but they will eventually get all tied up in the end. Life is a work in progress, and it's about the journey, not the destination and all that.... I'm not making excuses. This is how I live my life.
Here's an attempt to get back into the flow with some 100% new content - some movie reviews.
AVATAR (James Cameron - 2009)
First off, I have to distinguish this as "James Cameron's Avatar", because as good as this movie was, in my mind it is not the "Real" Avatar. That distinction should go to Avatar: The Last Airbender, the groundbreaking animated TV show, the movie version of which will be released shortly in theatres. The producers of that film had to take the word Avatar out of the title because JC owned it like 10 years ago. I am personally 10 times more excited to see The Last Airbender than I was to see this movie.
OK, so all that hoo-ha aside, after seeing this film on DVD (not in 3D), I can see why everyone went nuts for it. It's a beautiful piece of work. Amazing visuals, great music, good acting and lots of action and excitement. I think I said wow at least 5 or 6 different times - keep in mind that it wasn't even in 3D. Yeah, it was definitely cool. It just took me a long time to getting around to seeing it.
Now here's the fun part - complaining about what I didn't like. You've probably already read this somewhere before, but it was basically the same storyline as Pocahontas, The Last Samurai, Dances With Wolves and Dune - ie:Main character dropped into a strange new world first as an enemy, then changes sides and fights for the people he was originally there to destroy. Along the way he manages to accquire "Chosen One" status (see Kwisatz Haderach) and later leads the population in rebellion against the opressors (even though he screwed them over in the first place). There's of course some variations in each of the above mentioned films in terms of settings and details, but in all of them, Avatar included, there are always those same predictable scenes - the 'learning to be one of us' scene (Silly human can't even ride the neck-breathing blue horse! Hah! Comedic moment, but he's so different...and suddenly attractive!), the scene where he's first accepted into the society (We must learn more about this strange newcomer. The attractive princess will instruct you in our ways!), the revelation (I never meant to hurt you. I was wrong! I love you!), and of course the final confrontation, just like the Fremen vs House Harkkonen and the Emperor. At least this one had dragon dogfights and floating mountains instead of Sting with a knife in a blue leather jumpsuit.
As predictable as it is, it's definitely a must-see. The only other thing I didn't care for was Sam Worthington. Pretty wooden performance, I think. I don't know what it is, but I don't like the guy. Maybe it's just me.
Overall grade : A
Story : B-
Acting : B
Direction : A
Visuals : A+
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
(Tim Burton - 2010)
I'll be short and sweet with this one. Firstly, I like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, but it seemed that this movie existed only as an excuse for the two of them to cook up some new outfit for Depp to wear, and some familiar-but-zany character to become. Personally, I think he looked stupid, and his acting was a little below the expected level (he was better as Willy Wonka, or especially Hunter S. Thompson). What was with the crappy fake Scottish accent?
Still, it was good. Not as scary for the kids as I was expecting...all of the action and creatures were pretty tame, on par with something like the Narnia movies. It was great to look at, and produced all the great characters we all remember in a fresh new way (I liked the psychotic March Hare who's always throwing things). There wasn't a lot going on in the story, but it fit well with the whole Wonderland theme, and didn't stray too far from its roots.
Watch it, and let your kids watch it if they're old enough to be okay with seeing an evil dragon (Jabberwocky) get its head cut off.
Overall Grade : B+
Story : B
Acting : B
Direction : A-
Visuals : A+
CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010)
This is a film that showed great promise for me. Remake of a classic fantasy movie with new special effects, and in 3D, no less! I actually went out of my way to see this in the theatre, but I think I should have just waited for the DVD. It was okay, but I was somewhat disappointed. I guess I always am when they change stuff from the source material in remakes and sequels and stuff, because I always feel I would have done it differently. In this case, I would have hired a different lead actor, instead of the guy who happened to be in the most successful movie ever (see Avatar, above) but couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. No personality there - at all. Might as well have hired the Rock, or at least the latest UFC guy, since that's probably going to be the new trend.
They didn't mess with the story too much, but a few other things bothered me. I didn't like how Zeus wore metal armor, which didn't even exist in ancient Greece as far as I know. He looked too much like King Arthur in Excalibur (which I'm sure someone is dying to remake soon).
Call me crazy, but this:
is less gay than this:
At least the first one looks more like Zeus has always looked in every book, comic or cartoon that I've ever seen.
Also, Pegasus was pointlessly changed to black (maybe just to seem 'edgier'), the Kraken was neat but looked like a cross between the Cloverfield monster and the American Godzilla (the blasphemous Godzilla), and one of my favorite character actors ever (Pete Postlethwaite) dies in like the first 5 minutes.
Hades was cool (but wasn't in the original at all), Medusa was weird and creepy, they kept the giant scorpions, and it even had a cameo by Bubo! There was good, there was bad, but overall it was just not bad, I guess.
Overall Grade : B
Story : B-
Acting : C+
Direction : B-
Visuals : A
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I have a lot more movies that I'd like to review, and a lot more other stuff to say about .... other stuff. I'm sure I'll get to it all eventually. I just put up my photography website (check it out here: Rebel Alliance Photo ) and I'm going to be a vendor at the Central Canada Comic Con in October (see the banner above). I'll fill you in on those things very soon.
Thanks for listening!
May the Force be with you...
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