Fan-fiction: Doctor Who
You knew it was coming, fan-fiction is just awesome.
So whovians, I'm proud to sometimes associate with these people, and I get a little jealous every time someone has a sonic screwdriver or can pull off a bow-tie. However, the recent installments of the series (which in a sense was never "rebooted" because it hadn't ended, just saying that as a warning if you are not a whovian and you encounter a hard core one) haven't really impressed me. Seasons 1 through 4 of Doctor Who (not classic) stunned me. It was awesome and sciency and wobbly-wobbily. But the new big budget and shift to a new director (or screen writer) left some gabs.
I'm actually a fan of Matt Smith and he does have a talent to act. I just don't feel that the writing and storyline is up to par with the idea. Also, the pictures of the new Doctor Who look like a magician. So the best idea to save the series is to create an alternate timeline with fan-fiction that hopes to keep true to lore or to have an American Doctor Who. I'm good with both. Only if I knew how to get in contact with those people and present the series. Anyone know?
What I would like to see in Doctor Who more than anything is that dark side of the Doctor, and how everyday he remembers the weight of being responsible for destroying the Timelords. I like seeing how the people that tag along with him, like Rose or even Donna, help him stay sane, stay human. So what are your thoughts? What would you like to see in a new Doctor Who? (not the magician looking guy)
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Maleficent
Hopefully no spoilers
This is a movie were if you need to teach somebody what "exposition" is and what it looks like. The first half of the movie is in an exposition phase. It takes a while before the story actually begins and the plot happens. When things begin to happen it's right when Aurora appears. With that said, what happens between Maleficent and Aurora is quite enjoyable. And the take away message that love exists is done fairly well. And with your focus on the main theme, which might be a little hazy at times, the film is on high grounds. Just don't pay attention to the CGI or acting, there's too much of one and not enough of the other. And don't listen to the narration at all.
My inquiry here is how can a film do an impressive origin story? Origin stories are very important, and it feels that a lot of movies are focusing on that theme. Spider-Man reboot, the up and coming Cinderella and Superman all have that feel to them.
Hopefully no spoilers
This is a movie were if you need to teach somebody what "exposition" is and what it looks like. The first half of the movie is in an exposition phase. It takes a while before the story actually begins and the plot happens. When things begin to happen it's right when Aurora appears. With that said, what happens between Maleficent and Aurora is quite enjoyable. And the take away message that love exists is done fairly well. And with your focus on the main theme, which might be a little hazy at times, the film is on high grounds. Just don't pay attention to the CGI or acting, there's too much of one and not enough of the other. And don't listen to the narration at all.
My inquiry here is how can a film do an impressive origin story? Origin stories are very important, and it feels that a lot of movies are focusing on that theme. Spider-Man reboot, the up and coming Cinderella and Superman all have that feel to them.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Warning: Spoilers.
Although this movie had Wolverine go back into the past instead of Kitty Pride, like the comics, this movie was quite enjoyable for its genre.
I felt the movie had a great focus and even though there were so many other mutants to focus on, the film made sure to keep the story centered around younger Xavier, younger Magneto and a younger Mystique. Of course the construction of the Sentinels and the uncertainty of whether mutants should be annihilated helped to move the film along.
One of the most spectacular parts of the film was that the set designers were on top of things. The seventies were probably never cooler than this. Especially with the introduction of Quicksilver. My favorite part was when Quicksilver had the opportunity to show off his mutant power of speed. I kind of wanted the film to do a repeat of that scene over again. As Quicksilver nonchalantly runs around the room to knock out the security to protect Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto, Quicksilver manages to get a taste of food, put on a hat (and continue to wear it) as well as deflect the bullets. All to just be able to say that he broke into the Pentagon. The music of Time in a Bottle added to the humor and the personality of gray haired Peter AKA Quicksilver.
Back to the plot. It turns out that Mystique is essential to the plot. Her being in existence actually threatens the mutant race. If the bad guys get her, then they will know how to defeat the mutants. And so Magneto's reaction of 'shoot her' kind of makes sense. But he's a bad guy and he can't win that fast. Plus Mystique is a resourceful woman and is able to escape with a bullet wound. She also is able to make her own decisions and won't let Xavier force her to do anything. With that said, Xavier had to learn a lot, which made his growth interesting as he tries to figure out how to communicate to Mystique in a way that is respectful.
Of course all this is taking place as the future falls apart. The switch between the two worlds was a smooth transition. Even Mystique's shape shifting was smooth and exciting. However, Beast becoming a blue furry monster brought me out of the film and reminded me that I was watching a movie.
All in all the movie holds up even though the sentinels could beat Ice Man with fire, but then Pyro couldn't beat the ice powered sentinels. The language and naked Wolverine weren't my favorite either. But the appearance of Quicksilver and the growth of Mystique and Xavier make this movie a solid one to watch. It's also a little thought provoking to boot.
Warning: Spoilers.
Although this movie had Wolverine go back into the past instead of Kitty Pride, like the comics, this movie was quite enjoyable for its genre.
I felt the movie had a great focus and even though there were so many other mutants to focus on, the film made sure to keep the story centered around younger Xavier, younger Magneto and a younger Mystique. Of course the construction of the Sentinels and the uncertainty of whether mutants should be annihilated helped to move the film along.
One of the most spectacular parts of the film was that the set designers were on top of things. The seventies were probably never cooler than this. Especially with the introduction of Quicksilver. My favorite part was when Quicksilver had the opportunity to show off his mutant power of speed. I kind of wanted the film to do a repeat of that scene over again. As Quicksilver nonchalantly runs around the room to knock out the security to protect Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto, Quicksilver manages to get a taste of food, put on a hat (and continue to wear it) as well as deflect the bullets. All to just be able to say that he broke into the Pentagon. The music of Time in a Bottle added to the humor and the personality of gray haired Peter AKA Quicksilver.
Back to the plot. It turns out that Mystique is essential to the plot. Her being in existence actually threatens the mutant race. If the bad guys get her, then they will know how to defeat the mutants. And so Magneto's reaction of 'shoot her' kind of makes sense. But he's a bad guy and he can't win that fast. Plus Mystique is a resourceful woman and is able to escape with a bullet wound. She also is able to make her own decisions and won't let Xavier force her to do anything. With that said, Xavier had to learn a lot, which made his growth interesting as he tries to figure out how to communicate to Mystique in a way that is respectful.
Of course all this is taking place as the future falls apart. The switch between the two worlds was a smooth transition. Even Mystique's shape shifting was smooth and exciting. However, Beast becoming a blue furry monster brought me out of the film and reminded me that I was watching a movie.
All in all the movie holds up even though the sentinels could beat Ice Man with fire, but then Pyro couldn't beat the ice powered sentinels. The language and naked Wolverine weren't my favorite either. But the appearance of Quicksilver and the growth of Mystique and Xavier make this movie a solid one to watch. It's also a little thought provoking to boot.
Monday, June 16, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Warning: Spoilers.
The good thing that can be said about the second installment of the rebooted Spider-Man series is that it follows closely chronologically the graphic novel. I'll comment more about how that is not the best direction for a movie with substantial potential.
This is a darker rendition of Spider-Man as the movie opens and ends with death. Even in the middle there's another death. Hence why I warned you about spoilers. My qualm however is with the portrayal of the Green Goblin. In the series of the Amazing Spider-Man, although the movie follows more closely the concept of the Ultimate Spider-Man (Great job on Andrew Garfield's acting by the way), the Green Goblin has different reincarnations and it's a pity that Norman wasn't the first. When Harry takes on the persona of the Green Goblin in the comics he is livid with Spider-Man, yet the best friend of Peter Parker. So the Green Goblin lays a trap to kill Spider-Man and it was a very good plan. The backfire? Harry finds out that Peter Parker, his best friend, is Spider-Man. And even thought Harry hates Spider-Man, he loves his friend and so the Green Goblin ends up saving Spider-Man. In the movie I didn't ever feel that Harry had that strong of connection with Peter and so it was hard to believe that Peter was friends with Harry who didn't really care about other people (and with a ridiculous haircut nonetheless).
Another critic was Electro. I felt pity for this lonely man and when he turns super villain, I can't make that connection happen. I continue to feel sad for this misunderstood man and his obsession with Spider-Man. Good thing he was justified in targeting all his anger at Spider-Man who didn't bully him at work, or make him work overtime, or shoot him for no good reason, right? Oh, yeah. That seems like a bad logic. Maybe if Electro, the electrified ghost (who you gonna call?), took a moment to consider who his enemy was he could have recognized that Spider-Man from the get go was trying to help him out. Also, you can't be mad at someone for not coming to your birthday party if you didn't invite them. Let's be proactive people. The good news about Electro was that Sony was able to show off their cool graphics.
The biggest mess was the death of Gwen Stacy. Man, there is another spoiler. (Although, I'm surprised if this is a spoiler by now. She was wearing the "death outfit". Also, her senior speech was pretty evident that she had to go). What I don't like about this is that Gwen Stacy is a new concept. A lot of the comics focus on Mary Jane and Peter Parker's relation. So Gwen to me was something fresh (especially for a reboot). She was fun and smart. Without her, Spider-Man would have become a crisp against Electro. But, that's not important I guess, because she is dead on the movie screen. Depressing. Anyway the big mess here is when she dies. In the comics, she is captured by Norman, the Green Goblin at the time, and is on a bridge. When Spider-Man arrives she appears to be passed out, but he never really knows. Because she gets tossed off and when he pulls her up, she is dead for certain. Spider-Man doesn't know if his web snapped her neck or if the Green Goblin had already killed her. He struggles for years of with this uncertainty. In the movie, the fall alone from the clock tower would have been enough to kill her. It didn't feel like there was anything Spider-Man could do to save her. So when her back snaps from his web, it's just the only other way she could have died. So yeah, it's still sad.
Remedy:
Well after critiquing a movie that leads up to wanting the sinister six I suggest a different view. There is a villain that contributes to Spider-Man in a different way. It's the Jackal. He isn't that big of a villain. Some creep of a high school teacher. It's what he does that is cool. He creates clones. And let's be honest, the idea of clones hasn't really been used in other franchises besides Star Wars. The Jackal makes a clone of Gwen Stacy as well as Peter Parker. The cool thing is that the clone of Peter Parker also has the spider superpowers. An interesting part happens when there is an explosion as the real Spider-Man appears and he awakes to another Spider-Man. Neither know who the original is. Also, Gwen Stacy is back and she seems to have more spunk and personality than any Mary Jane I've come across.
All in all the movie is about a six. Worth seeing once. But hasn't become a topic among friends.
Warning: Spoilers.
The good thing that can be said about the second installment of the rebooted Spider-Man series is that it follows closely chronologically the graphic novel. I'll comment more about how that is not the best direction for a movie with substantial potential.
This is a darker rendition of Spider-Man as the movie opens and ends with death. Even in the middle there's another death. Hence why I warned you about spoilers. My qualm however is with the portrayal of the Green Goblin. In the series of the Amazing Spider-Man, although the movie follows more closely the concept of the Ultimate Spider-Man (Great job on Andrew Garfield's acting by the way), the Green Goblin has different reincarnations and it's a pity that Norman wasn't the first. When Harry takes on the persona of the Green Goblin in the comics he is livid with Spider-Man, yet the best friend of Peter Parker. So the Green Goblin lays a trap to kill Spider-Man and it was a very good plan. The backfire? Harry finds out that Peter Parker, his best friend, is Spider-Man. And even thought Harry hates Spider-Man, he loves his friend and so the Green Goblin ends up saving Spider-Man. In the movie I didn't ever feel that Harry had that strong of connection with Peter and so it was hard to believe that Peter was friends with Harry who didn't really care about other people (and with a ridiculous haircut nonetheless).
Another critic was Electro. I felt pity for this lonely man and when he turns super villain, I can't make that connection happen. I continue to feel sad for this misunderstood man and his obsession with Spider-Man. Good thing he was justified in targeting all his anger at Spider-Man who didn't bully him at work, or make him work overtime, or shoot him for no good reason, right? Oh, yeah. That seems like a bad logic. Maybe if Electro, the electrified ghost (who you gonna call?), took a moment to consider who his enemy was he could have recognized that Spider-Man from the get go was trying to help him out. Also, you can't be mad at someone for not coming to your birthday party if you didn't invite them. Let's be proactive people. The good news about Electro was that Sony was able to show off their cool graphics.
The biggest mess was the death of Gwen Stacy. Man, there is another spoiler. (Although, I'm surprised if this is a spoiler by now. She was wearing the "death outfit". Also, her senior speech was pretty evident that she had to go). What I don't like about this is that Gwen Stacy is a new concept. A lot of the comics focus on Mary Jane and Peter Parker's relation. So Gwen to me was something fresh (especially for a reboot). She was fun and smart. Without her, Spider-Man would have become a crisp against Electro. But, that's not important I guess, because she is dead on the movie screen. Depressing. Anyway the big mess here is when she dies. In the comics, she is captured by Norman, the Green Goblin at the time, and is on a bridge. When Spider-Man arrives she appears to be passed out, but he never really knows. Because she gets tossed off and when he pulls her up, she is dead for certain. Spider-Man doesn't know if his web snapped her neck or if the Green Goblin had already killed her. He struggles for years of with this uncertainty. In the movie, the fall alone from the clock tower would have been enough to kill her. It didn't feel like there was anything Spider-Man could do to save her. So when her back snaps from his web, it's just the only other way she could have died. So yeah, it's still sad.
Remedy:
Well after critiquing a movie that leads up to wanting the sinister six I suggest a different view. There is a villain that contributes to Spider-Man in a different way. It's the Jackal. He isn't that big of a villain. Some creep of a high school teacher. It's what he does that is cool. He creates clones. And let's be honest, the idea of clones hasn't really been used in other franchises besides Star Wars. The Jackal makes a clone of Gwen Stacy as well as Peter Parker. The cool thing is that the clone of Peter Parker also has the spider superpowers. An interesting part happens when there is an explosion as the real Spider-Man appears and he awakes to another Spider-Man. Neither know who the original is. Also, Gwen Stacy is back and she seems to have more spunk and personality than any Mary Jane I've come across.
All in all the movie is about a six. Worth seeing once. But hasn't become a topic among friends.
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