The Hangover Part III

In 2009, The Hangover took theaters by storm.  It was the tenth highest grossing film in that year and took the second highest grossing rated-R film spot from Beverly Hills Cop.  The most important statistic, though, is I enjoyed it.  I watched The Hangover countless times in the first year or so after its release.  When I read they were making a sequel I knew that if the writers took the characters and told a different story the movie would be awesome, but, alas, what did they do?  They basically remade the first movie.  The Hangover Part II was not just a rehashing of the first story, but a plot point by plot point redo.  Did I laugh at the second one?  Yes.  Did I buy the Blu-Ray?  No.  Will I watch the second one again?  Probably not.  So, I had obvious reservations on the third, and from what I hear final, installment on a film that didn’t have to be a trilogy. 

All that being said, I really enjoyed myself.

The Hangover Part III wasn’t as fun as the first Hangover, but the creators finally did what I said they should’ve done for the sequel.  They took the characters and created a story that built off the first movie, but didn’t rehash the same scenario.  In this movie, the gang is forced to hunt down Chow under the orders of Marshall, who is Black Doug’s boss and John Goodman, who I love.  There was no night of partying leading to a mystery adventure the next day, Stu didn’t have his face harmed, the story continued in a logical progression to an interesting new adventure.   The Hangover Part III strove to be its own story instead of copying the preceding movies, which they should’ve done before, so I must applaud them.

Not to say there were no call backs to the earlier movies, but all the call backs were justified and didn’t feel forced.  One of my favorite scenes is the cameo of Carlos, the baby from the first movie.  I don’t want to spoil the joke that scene revolves around, but it was hilarious.

My favorite character is probably John Goodman’s Marshall.  He is dangerous and funny and…well, John Goodman.  I’m not going to lie, I love everything John Goodman does, he’s like a third grandpa to me.  It’s strange, but true.  Maybe that comes from watching Rosanne every morning before school, maybe I have issues, but either way John Goodman is awesome.

So, if you are holding out on seeing The Hangover Part III, stop.  Go see it today.  Part III introduces new challenges for the characters pushing them in new directions and creating comedic moments that almost live up to the first.  I highly recommend this movie, surprising myself in the process. 

P.S. Stick around for the post-credit…mid-credit…whatever side of the credits it appears on, scene.  It is one of the funniest moments in the trilogy in my opinion.

Community “Course Listing Unavailable”

The death of fellow classmate “Sideburns” in a tragic meth lab explosion has dramatic consequences for Greendale Community College.  Chang uses Sideburn’s (Alex’s!) death to leverage power with the Dean and, when a riot breaks out at Sideburn’s (come on, it’s Alex!) wake, he uses this leverage to stage a coup, taking over the school by force with his “Changlorious Basterds.”

Probably one of my favorite decisions the writers made was to kill off Sideburns.  Not that I didn’t like the character, I actually enjoyed how he always had to remind people of his name, but I think killing him was an unexpected move that has consequences within the story.

In one of the only parts of this episode that I completely enjoyed, Chang uses information on Sideburn’s death to leverage the Dean into signing a new agreement with security, involving the ability for Chang to use martial law.  I thought this was brilliant and bringing back the “Changlorious Basterds” was definitely cool, unfortunately other parts of the episode fell apart pretty heavily.

Recently, the conversations the gang has around their study table have been agonizingly bad.  I get what they are doing with the characters, and the choices make sense considering each character, but I feel the reactions are completely wrong, and don’t get me started on Pierce’s character work.  I don’t know where the change in the show happened, but in the last few episodes every time the gang is sitting around the study table I feel as if I’m watching someone sarcastically recreate the characters that originally got me interested in the show.  As if the writers are abusing character tropes to try and get a laugh.  This is completely off base from what they should be doing.   I didn’t get interested in this show because seven characters tried to make me laugh.  I started watching Community because the characters were hilarious being themselves, not pretending to be a character of themselves with a wink toward the camera.

Along with the study room scene, the riot scene and the aftermath felt false, almost like they were just an excuse to give Chang control of the school.  (ahem).  I don’t think the characters were really driven to this bold action and instead were placed there and caused a riot because the writers needed to happen.  Then, in the aftermath while they are being patched up, the Dean visits the gang in the hospital, which is empty except for them which I don’t understand, and because Jeff instigated the trouble and they didn’t want the audience rooting against him, he apologizes for causing a riot, without having to come to an epiphany, without having to grow.  He just causes a riot, and then feels some sort of remorse, which he doesn’t show at all, and apologizes like he spilt the last carton of milk.  I didn’t really believe that he wanted to start the riot in the first place, and I didn’t believe that once he did it he wanted to apologize.  I sense Deus Ex Machina.

After those weak scenes the show picks back up as the gang gets expelled from school because Chang has the school board in his back pocket, and then they sit around Troy and Abed’s table discussing whether their timeline (referencing an earlier episode when Abed theorizes that every time they rolled the dice to see who would go get pizza would make a new different timeline) is the darkest and if they made the right decision that night, which, I guess, is an interesting thought.  They then eat pizza and the episode ends.

This wasn’t a horrible episode, I still laughed and I still enjoyed a good portion of it, but I’m starting to see the cracks in Community.  Hopefully they can stop the leak and get back to making consistently fantastic episodes.

Mad Men “Babylon”

Tuesdays are normally theater days, but this week my work schedule was changed so to compensate I’ve switched my trip to the theater to Thursday moving Mad Men up to today.  Enjoy!

Mad Men likes to delve into the duality of the human psyche, every character and most of the 

episodes that I’ve seen thus far explore the themes of superficial identity versus true identity.  This week is no different and it holds many surprises about the characters.  Roger Sterling gets more attention this episode along with Joan, which is refreshing to get into the lives of other characters. 

I’m going to go ahead and jump into SPOILERS.

The scene that depicted the conflict between this duality of identity was the brainstorming scene.  Basically, a group of secretaries are brought into a room to try on lipstick and fill out a survey to help create an advertising campaign.  Unbeknownst to them, on the other side of a one way mirror, they are being watched by the men to judge their reactions.  This scene depicts, with success, the contrast between our public personas and our private personas.  While the women are putting make-up on, the guys judge the girls, circling some crossing out others.  Very similar to the how we might think while we meet people at a party.  We instantly form perceptions of the people around us.  So, in essence, one way mirror is like an eye and the men are the thoughts happening in the head as they assess the people they see. 

I believe there is also a connection between superficial beauty and intellectual beauty in this episode.  This also involves lipstick as a symbol, but in the brainstorming session none of the men are very impressed with the women more than in a superficial way.  After the brainstorm, as she helps clean up, Peggy stumbles upon an intriguing marketing strategy.  As she is explaining her thoughts she is seen in a different light.  Her attractiveness has passed beyond just a superficial lust.  Similarly, Don seems disinterested with his wife, who loves to gossip and judge other house wives, and his fling, who takes him unwillingly to an artsy bar where they don’t even have a place for his coat.  Don, who is longing for more than a superficial connection, makes an excuse to call Rachel, a successful business woman who owns and runs a clothing store, about an Ad campaign that’s giving him problems.  The women who are driven and business savvy are depicted as holding more than a superficial value, they are sexy independent thinkers.  This conflict also pushes against the sexism of the time, which is a theme of the show.

I really like where this show is going, character studies of this caliber are rare in television today and I’m enjoying the change of pace.  This show challenges me to think deeper than explosions which I can always respect.

A Week Without Game of Thrones?! NOOOOO

Game of Thrones didn't air last night, so, since I have nothing to review, I'm going to tell you guys about an awesome show that I've recently discovered.  Get on your computer machines and sign up for Hulu plus, if you haven't already, and type in "Spy."  

Spy is a Hulu exclusive about a loser who, in an attempt to impress his son, leaves his dead end job in search for a career.  He inadvertently gets hired into the MI5, which if you don't know is the british secret service, where he is considered the top of his class by his possibly psychotic, no...not possibly-definitely, "examiner."

This show is brilliant.  It is smart, fun, and addicting.  The brand of comedy is very similar to Shaun of the Dead or Spaced, so if you like those shows or if you just like to laugh, definitely check out Spy.  There are only 17 episodes at 20 minutes long so you can get current on the series with the free trial of Hulu.  There are no excuses!

Be back tomorrow with an actual review.  I'm either going to see The Hangover or Fast and the Furious 6 (probably Hangover since I haven't seen FatF1-5).

Inspector Bellamy

Inspector Bellamy sells itself as a mystery and thriller, but it fails at both promises and instead prefers to lumber listlessly through an unimportant and unsurprising mystery that doesn’t capture imagination and their attempts at twists unravel slower than a season of Dragonball Z.  The mystery itself is actually an afterthought to the drama Bellamy faces at home when his hated younger brother joins him and his wife on their holiday.  I guess the biggest mystery of the movie is why would Bellamy invite his younger brother in the first place?  Sadly that mystery is never solved.

The biggest let down was the marketing of the film.  The cover depicts Bellamy walking purposefully down a street with a handgun held at his side.  This badass depiction set up a story of an aging detective that is about to take people down in the name of justice, but instead Bellamy spends the movie maneuvering his mass around screen in a wheezing mess.  The most action seen in this film is when Bellamy almost falls down into a large manhole, but he’s saved by his wife and awkwardness ensues.

One positive for Bellamy is the complex characters that inhabit this world.  They might not be interesting or do anything worthwhile, and one of them is an unfortunate looking homeless man, but they all have distinct goals and needs and we get to see different aspects of their personalities.  Unfortunately this isn’t enough to save Bellamy.  I didn’t actually feel for any of the characters and some of them outright annoyed me.  Chief among them is Bellamy.  This man makes absolutely no sense.  He destroys his holiday with his wife by inviting his brother, which boggles my mind because he’s always groping his wife wouldn’t he want to be alone with her?  This makes even less sense when you learn that he hates his brother and proceeds to argue with him for the duration of the movie, but lets him borrow the car whenever he wants to.  He doesn’t even say anything when he basically catches them having sex.  Of course his wife doesn’t admit to it, but when you come home to your brother walking out of your bedroom with no shirt, your wife looks disheveled, and the sheets are all messed up you don’t have to call Sherlock Holmes to figure out that they’ve been throwing their sex parts together.  So either he chooses not to see or he is a shit-ass detective.  I’m not sure either way.

The mystery which takes up less time in the movie is a dull affair.  Bellamy is contacted by a man, Gentil, who confesses to murdering somebody, and then learns that this is the ex-insurance investigator who is all over the news for faking his death.  He’s undergone surgery, but it’s the same guy.  You learn through slow reveals that Gentil was having an affair and wanted to fake his death to run off with his mistress while leaving his wife a nice sum of money.  He’s eventually acquitted after his lawyer sings through his opening statements (I imagine the lawyer sang through the whole trial because that would make this movie better) because I can only assume the judge has major brain damage. 

Want to know what happens with the gun in the poster?  It was taken out of a drawer, then put in a drawer, then taken out of a drawer, then put back in the drawer.  And then near the end of the film the drawer was empty!  The brother stole the gun and ran off in Bellamy’s car…only to drive off a cliff.  NO CLIMAX.

If you enjoy watching paint dry or growing grass you might enjoy this movie, but if you don’t it is an agonizing character study on bad writing.  Maybe I'm missing something.  I want to believe there is part of this movie that went over my head, but as of now I wasted two hours.

Hannibal “ Trou Normand”

This show, yet again, has created a situation where a simple answer doesn’t exist.  Stories with this level of writing are my favorite, because they give you a character that you root for, but you know you shouldn’t.  And then you have to look inside yourself and come up with how you feel about it.  Genius.  If you haven’t seen Hannibal, go watch it now.  I’m serious.  The episodes are online (except for the first three) at www.nbc.com/hannibal.  Go.  Watch.  Then come back.  If you haven’t seen this episode I’m going to delve right into spoiler territory so turn back if you don’t want the surprise ruined.  For everyone that is still reading.  Here…We…GO!

Holy mother-flippin’ crap balls, Abigail Hobbs helped her father kill the other girls.  She would approach the future-victims and becomes friends with them to lure these young girls into her father’s trap.  Now, because society frowns upon assisting in murder just as much as the actual act of taking another human’s life, we shouldn’t feel sympathy for Abigail.  She made her bed, let her sleep in it, right?  Well, what if you knew that her father killed all these girls so he wouldn’t have to kill her.  Messed up, right?  She helped her father kill, mount, stuff into pillows, and eat girls so she could survive.  How can you not feel bad for her?  Think about what she’s going through.  She has survivor’s guilt, having dreams of the other girls telling her that they could’ve lived if she had died.  On top of that, she is faced with the reality that her own father wanted to kill her.  Why?  What is it about her that made her father want to kill her?  She’s only, what, eighteen I think they said?  She is just becoming an adult and having to deal with all of these things.  On top of that she’s haunted by Nicolas, who she killed in self defense, and the media who are stirring up the belief that she’s just like her dad.  She’s dealing with so much that an unstable character steals your heart.  Fantastic. 

Eventually, Will Graham figures out that she killed Nicolas and Hannibal Lecter helped her hide the body, but he is stuck in a catch twenty-two.  If he goes to Crawford and tells him of Abigail’s crime the media will have all the proof they need to start a feeding frenzy on Abigail, slandering her as a serial killer because her dad was one.  So he enters into a secret with Hannibal and Abigail, because he feels responsible for her well being since he basically orphaned her,  that will eventually come to a head, I’m sure. 

Meanwhile, the killer of the week was interesting.  An old man who kills fifteen people then erects a human totem pole out of their body parts has got my attention instantly.  I really enjoy the duel storytelling of this series.  The killer of the week gives an interesting mystery to be solved (which is important to this franchise considering the two good books out of the series are based on a mystery) while sending Will Graham further down the crazy road, which needs to happen for the story to go further.  Then, while they are solving that mystery, they deal with character problems like Abigail’s secret about killing Nicolas or Will’s lapses of time and hallucinations.  This structure gives each episode a clear ending while allowing the character driven pieces to move more organically.

In an otherwise great episode, there is one lapse of logic that I can't pass up.  How did that old man erect that totem pole all by himself?  One, that's a gigantic tree trunk he used as a base to attach everything to, and two, all of those bodies on that gigantic tree trunk are going to be heavy as shit.  Unless he's being assisted by Dwayne Johnson, I don't think the old man could do it.

That being said, I cannot wait until next week’s episode.  I’m seriously in love with this show.

The Following “Chapter 2”

"Do you smell that?"

Two episodes into The Following and I’m already finding problems.  This show suffers from ineptitude.  I like the premise of the story where a serial killer creates a cult to do his bidding while he’s locked up.  I even like some of the characters despite their lack of originality, but I can’t overlook the fact that everyone in that world (except for an exceptional few) is completely idiotic.  The police are the worst offenders.

In the first episode when Joe Carroll escapes the prison.  He kills four guards in one room and then wears a guard uniform out of the prison with nobody asking questions.  I one major problem with that: more guards are on duty outside of that room and I would bet money that those guards know their co-workers and probably have gone out for drinks with them before.  That being said, how does somebody not get noticed as he leaves?  Sure, he was in a cop’s uniform, but wouldn’t somebody say “hey, that’s not Steve,” and stop him?  Someone would notice.  Other occasions raise eyebrows as well.  When a police officer is guarding the bedroom door of Joe’s ex-wife, why would he pace the hallway leaving himself open to being flanked?  I’m not a cop, and I haven’t been trained in this field, BUT if somebody told me to make sure nobody got into a room, and the door to said room was at the end of a hallway, I would stand in front of the door looking down that hallway.  Why?  Nobody could possibly sneak up behind me unless they came from inside the bedroom (which he checked dismally: Seriously, who doesn't check the bathroom?  THAT’S CLASSIC KILLER HIDE-OUT ZONE).  Instead of following logic, this cop clomps up and down the hallway like an idiotic robot when the killer, in this case a police officer named Jordy, lowers himself from the ceiling (seriously, he hid against the ceiling of a hallway) behind the cop and kills him.  Do I need to tell you that if the cop would have used my advice he would have seen the hefty Jordy lower himself from the ceiling like a sweaty bowl of jello?  No, you guys are smart.

Pictured here: Jordy aka "Killer Ninja"

The police aren’t the only people at fault, though.  At the beginning of the episode Jordy uses his status as a cop to awkwardly search a sorority house to “keep them safe.”  The girl allows this cop upstairs, for no reason, and lets him into a sorority sister’s room.  The girl, not satisfied with her level of idiocy yet, doesn’t respond when Jordy says he knew her sister was away because he’d been watching the house for awhile and lets him open a window and bring in a bag of knives before she asks what he is doing.  I don’t know about you fine readers, but if a cop says he’s been watching my house for a while I have some freaking questions.  And I’m certainly not letting him bring in a bag of knives before I start running.  I can suspend disbelief to a pretty great extent, but when the writing is this lazy I have a hard time forgiving it.

That is who is to blame in this scenario, the writers.  This show has some very strong scenes and some great character work, but important conversations are breached with more awkwardness than a sixteen year old asking for a BJ and the killers succeed, not because of their ruthless ingenuity or cunning plans, but because everyone around them obviously has no danger radar or logic processors.  They act like robots with overloaded circuit boards.

Oh, and what was the deal with the guy in the Edgar Allan Poe mask?  He escaped earlier in the episode because of, yet again, police ineptitude then shows up casually setting a man on fire at the end of the episode…in public.  Who lets a guy in an Edgar Allan Poe mask just walk around with a can of gas and a lighter?  Doesn’t that scream crime?  One look and you can tell that guy isn’t stable.  CALL THE COPS!  Okay, I’m having too much fun.  I need to move on.

Mad Men “5G”

Private and public lives collide as the characters struggle to keep both aspects balanced in this episode of Mad Men.  Donald Draper is visited by a man from his secretive past, Kenneth has a short story published in The Atlantic which draws envy and contempt from his peers, Pete Campbell attempts to use leverage in his private life to get a story published, and Peggy struggles keeping a secret for Don.  All of these scenarios show how our public and private lives can intersect and the consequences that follow.

Donald Draper stands to lose the most in this episode.  He is so secretive even his public life is a mystery to most, especially his wife.  When Peggy accidentally overhears him talking to one of his paramours she decides her job would suffer if she told anybody so she keeps the secret, but when Don’s wife comes into the office for family pictures Peggy is put in an awkward position.  Meanwhile, Don is dealing with his own problems when someone from his past comes to Sterling Cooper to see him.  Don has worked hard to keep his past a secret so this man is an imminent threat to his way of life.  Don’s struggle to keep this man at bay affects his job performance, which sums up his difficult multiple leveled secret life.  Damn you Donald for being so difficult.

On the other side of the coin, instead of trying to keep his private and public lives separate Pete Campbell talks his wife into approaching an old flame to get his short story published in a magazine.  This leads to problems when her old partner decides he wants back on the saddle and uses the short story as leverage to make her cheat on Pete.  Obviously this low attempt to connive his way to success explodes in his face.

In another instance, Kenneth’s private life affects his public life when he has one of his short stories published.  This brings forth animosity with his co-workers who are all working on books of their own.  This leads to a climax when Paul rips the story from the pages of The Atlantic in front of Kenneth as Kenneth is telling a group of secretaries about his work.  This, to me, was the quintessential scene that displayed the idea of public and private lives fully colliding.

I’m slowly being drawn into Mad Men with another great episode.  I can’t wait until next week.

Community “Basic Lupine Urology”

As a Community episode, I don’t really like “Basic Lupine Urology.”   This episode contains no character growth, no interesting relationship dilemmas; it is a satire of Law and Order.  Plain and simple.  That being said, I loved it.  Law and Order is one of those shows that I never watch religiously, but I love it.  If I see Law and Order on the TV guide those images are going to bless my television whether I’m paying attention or having them play in the background.  So, naturally, a Law and Order episode of Community is highly enjoyable for me.

The tone was spot on, creating the atmosphere of L&O with the goofiness of Community.  I normally judge the effectiveness of a comedy by how much I laugh out loud, keep in mind I normally watch these episodes by myself so getting me to laugh is more difficult, and this episode had me cracking up.  The character choices were spot on; Troy and Abed as the weary detectives, Annie and Jeff as the lawyers with the rest of the cast supporting them.  That is genius.   The topper for me was Star-Burns stealing beakers from the school’s lab for his personal meth lab.  That was great because I always suspected it from him. 

If you are looking for a classic Community episode that will explore friendships and humanity look somewhere else, but if you want a hilarious stomp through Law and Order watch this episode.

Star Trek Into Darkness

The sequel to 2009’s Star Trek has been anticipated for quite some time now, mainly because of the “mystery” surrounding the villain John Harrison.  Now, the big twist in this movie was very thinly veiled considering the day that Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as John Harrison everyone knew who he was going to play in the movie.  I’M GOING TO SPOIL THIS RIGHT NOW SO IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE, TURN AWAY!  No, Cumberbatch isn’t playing a man named John Harrison, he is playing no other than Khan, the infamous Star Trek villain.

I’ve read many reviews that question Abram’s decision to withhold Khan’s true identity.  The popular consensus is Abrams should have been up front about Khan in hopes to drawing in more people using his name, but I see this from a different angle.  Abrams answered a similar question in an interview and rationalized his decision by referencing the knowledge of his characters throughout the movie.  More specifically, half of the movie passes before the crew learns they are holding the genetically engineered Khan onboard their starship.  If J. J. Abrams told the audience about Khan they would be ahead of the characters for half of the movie which would alienate the audience and pull them away from the emotional journey of the characters.  I tend to lean more towards Abrams in this argument, although I have another rationalization.  Even though this film shares many visual cues and plot points from The Wrath of Khan, the story feels more like “Space Seed,” which was the episode of the original series that introduced Khan when they found him and his crew asleep aboard the Botany Bay.  In “Space Seed,” Khan is awakened by the Enterprise crew and tries to take over the ship.  After being subdued, Kirk exiles Khan to Ceti Alpha V to start his own civilization.  Into Darkness already has Khan awake from his cryogenic sleep, and angered over Admiral Marcus’ treatment of his crew is on a warpath against Starfleet, and after being captured by the Enterprise crew, is sentenced to more time in his cryogenic tube.  It’s a stretch, I know, but I think this is just the beginning of Khan.  If he is brought back with his crew, I think we will see the new incarnation of The Wrath of Khan.

Star Trek Into Darkness is a blast, with plenty of heart and explosions to fill anybody’s movie going needs.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays a frightening Khan who is not to be messed with; his skull crushing scene is especially shiver-inducing.  Other than needless Starship musical chairs, killing off a character just to bring him back five minutes later, and trouble with a tribble set-up, this movie is very enjoyable.  It has plenty of heart and many moments that will leave your knuckles white.  Into Darkness is a solid sequel to the new Star Trek franchise.  

Game of Thrones “Second Sons”

SPOILERS ABOUND IN THIS ARTICLE!  TURN BACK IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOKS!!!!!

Season 3 is coming to an end.  Only two more episodes left and I’m left wondering where different plot points are going to be situated along the rest of the season.  I have predicted since they decided to split the third book between two seasons that the Red Wedding and Jofferey’s wedding would occur at the same time at the end of this season.  They have been building up to my prediction being true, but I’m still unsure if they will have the weddings in the ninth episode or the tenth.  In previous seasons, the big climax happens in the ninth episode with the tenth being a build up to next season.  In season one it was the beheading of Ned Stark.  In the second season the battle of Blackwater Bay occurred in the ninth episode.  So I feel like next week we will witness the brutal murder of the Stark family and the wonderful death of Jofferey Baratheon, which I personally can’t wait for.

The episode did bring up an interesting point that I didn’t consider while reading the book.  The arranged marriages of Tyrion & Sansa, and Cersei & Loras would have made a mockery of both families’ trees.  Jofferey would have been Loras’ brother-in-law AND his son-in-law, making himself his own uncle.  Margaery has the same predicament, just swap the genders.  This family tree tomfoolery was missed by me in the book so it was interesting to think about.

Other than that, it was business as usual in the Game of Thrones camp.  I can only scream great writing and amazing acting so many weeks before it gets old.  This show rarely stumbles, and when it does the stumble isn’t even that bad, you just get a mediocre episode.  Although, I think they would’ve had more room for interesting scenes if they would have moved some plot points up to take place during “The Climb,” although that would muddied the thematic point of that episode.  I guess I can’t complain too much.

TITLE CONTAINS SPOILERS! (Watch Star Trek: Into Darkness)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

In honor of the new Star Trek movie hitting theaters on Friday, I’ve decided to watch The Wrath of Khan.  This movie inspired J.J. Abrams’ second entry to the franchise and, as I realized while watching Wrath of Khan, was a major influence on his 2009 movie as well.  The Wrath of Khan is often referred to as the best Star Trek movie and gave popularity to James Kirk’s most vile enemy, the aforementioned Khan of course.

Khan is a genetically advanced (possibly engineered) human who was exiled to Ceti Alpha V in the “Space Seed” episode of the original series.  He is ruthless, cunning, and bent to exact revenge upon (now) Admiral Kirk.  Their chance reunion leads to an all out battle pitting two aging adversaries against each other in a test of resolve that will force each combatant to sacrifice all to win.

Echoing themes of death and rebirth and emphasizing the theme of technology as a double-edged sword, Genesis, a scientific experiment to create life on lifeless planets, is one of the most interesting aspects of this movie.  The scientists aboard Regula 1 are developing Genesis in order to create more resources like food and land on dead planets (rebirth), but Khan steals the Genesis missile and realizes the missile’s potential to destroy an inhabited planet by completely restructuring every genetic code (death).  What I find interesting is how Khan chooses to wield the power he possesses with Genesis.  He could be altruistic and use the missile to bring life back to Ceti Alpha V, but because of his character and his motivations he uses the technology for evil which actively brings about his demise.  That is the danger of holding a grudge.  One overlooks the obvious decision that would lead to a better life and instead follow a path of destruction.

Notable to this movie is the death of Spock.  I’m sure this was a shock to the people first watching The Wrath of Khan back in 1986.  The idea to kill off one of the main characters was definitely a ballsy decision although I wish filmmakers had the cajones to keep characters dead.  Am I sad and angry when a main character dies in movies or television series that I watch?  Yes, but I also respect the filmmakers the much more.  I watch Game of Thrones and from week to week I don’t know who will die and who will live.  The story is that much more exciting.

Star Trek continues to impress me with great characters and storylines that push interesting moral questions.  Who knows, if this keeps up I might start watching the TV show.

Hannibal “Fromage”

Hannibal continues to present quality work week in, week out.  The writing is fantastic, maybe the best on television, with a killer-of-the-week format that somehow finds a way to feel fresh every week.  In this episode, a man is murdered to catch the attention of Hannibal by a man who knows his secret.  Obviously, Will Graham and Jack Crawford don’t know this, but the episode ends in a showdown between Hannibal and this killer.  Cool idea, although I never knew Hannibal was so good at hand to hand combat.  I guess everybody has to be in order to appear on TV nowadays.  Oh well, looking past that it was a fun scene.

Speaking of serial killers, the world that Hannibal inhabits seems to be full of them.  One can’t walk down the sidewalk in this show without encountering at least three psychotic killers.  This doesn’t detract from the show at all, at least for me it doesn’t, but at one point thoughts drift to how paranoid these writers are that killers lurk behind every corner.  I’m going to keep watching though, seriously this show gets better every week, although I will just see serial killers in this world like mutants in X-Men, they are everywhere.

The Following “Pilot”

Serial killers are an area of interest with our society.  Maybe it’s their lack of humanity or maybe their pension for the theatrical that amuses us, but they keep popping up in our culture and we gobble them up like Hannibal Lecter.  Joe Carroll, The Following’s deleterious killer, is an impressive addition to the list.  He’s charismatic and dangerous, like all serial killers should be, and has an interest in Edgar Allan Poe and movies which brings humanity to his character.

Kevin Bacon plays detective Ryan Hardy who barely survived his last encounter with Joe Carroll, which left him with a pace maker and a thirst for alcohol.  His past comes back to haunt him when Carroll escapes from prison and as Hardy hunts for the mole inside the prison Carroll hunts the only woman to survive his killing spree, Sarah Fuller, played by Maggie Grace.  The Following impresses with the attention every character gets.  Each piece of the puzzle is fully formed, even Sarah Fuller who was so well rounded I believed she was a main character until

SPOILERS

She dies.

SHORT SPOILERS AMUSE ME.

I liked everything about this show from the writing down to the directing and music, but I had one problem.  Joe Carroll’s escape from prison seemed WAY too easy.  I know the scene was a cold open and meant to be short, but I feel like killing four guards in one room and taking one of their uniforms then simply walking out is a little convenient.  Where were they keeping this dangerous criminal?  It’s harder to escape from daycare.  Other than that I like my decision for a new show.  The Following seems full of twists and scares, just like I like it.  Bring it on.

Mad Men “New Amsterdam”

Finally, Mad Men starts getting good.  This episode revolves mostly around Pete.  Introducing Trudy, his wife played by the beautiful Alison Brie, and creating sympathy with the audience by showing his cold father and his lack of control with his wife.  On top of those problems, he almost ruins his future at Sterling Cooper by overstepping his responsibilities with a client.  He is only saved by his name, which is coincidentally the only thing his father will consent to him getting from his parents.

I like the decision to set up an episode around the character who, I believe, is supposed to be one of the main antagonists of the story, or at least this season.  He has been at odds with Draper since the first episode.  This episode gives the audience a reason to sympathize with the person who will be challenging the main character throughout the story.  This creates less of an evil presence and allows you to understand Pete’s motivations as he further complicates Draper’s life.  In fact, I did feel a little sorry for him at the end as he stands in his empty apartment looking on as his wife entertains the neighbors with a story of his heritage, him coming from a popular family must make this interesting to them.  Anyway, you can feel his loneliness and inefficacy as he stares from his own empty corner at the people around him.  If he wasn’t such a dick most of the time I’d feel worse for him.

This series is starting to pick up for me.  The synopsis of the next episode promises secrets, so hopefully that will be the episode that solidifies Mad Men in my collection of shows that I must watch.

Community “Virtual Systems Analysis”

At first, I was going to say “Virtual Systems Analysis” is a weak outing for Community, but I read an interesting summary of the episode that shed some light where I didn’t catch it before.  My main problem with the episode was I didn’t have much fun in it, yes, that is a lot of points off for a sit-com, but beyond that is where the genius of the episode lies.  We get a chance to see into the inner-workings of the most withdrawn person in Community’s study group.  We get to tap into what makes Abed tick, and we see the frailty behind the emotionless “robot” of his character.

Annie breaks Abed’s mind when she is allowed into his Dreamatorium.  She gives him pure empathy by moving around the components of his engine room and forcing him to consider other peoples’ feelings before he makes decisions.  She then has to go through the layers of Abed’s mind guarded by his projections of the group.  When she finally gets to Abed, the true Abed hidden behind his games, she finds a lonely man chained up in a locker where he protects himself from loneliness.  The conversation they have is the first true glimpse at Abed as a human.  Usually he is working to recreate movie moments or imagine his friends as characters in a television show, which I believe is his way of keeping himself safe.  His love for movies comes from the comfort that none of the characters in the movies or TV shows he watches will ever leave him.  He can always go back into those worlds and see his friends.  In reality though, his friends could leave him at any time, so he feels a loss of control that he doesn’t experience with his safe imagined world.

That very touching and insightful view into a reclusive character makes this episode worthwhile.  Was it very fun on the surface, I didn’t think so, which caused me to dislike it at first, but I’ve come around. I might watch it again soon to view it with my new knowledge and appreciation.

The Great Gatsby

Gatsby is mysterious, enthralling, and captivating just like the movie surrounding him, a tragic tale of lost love and the misguided effort to build a life around an unobtainable goal, surreal and fantastic, filled with glamour and longing.  In the end, all of the events lead to a violent conclusion all watched over by the eyes of a bygone optometrist’s billboard, ever watching eyes that float on a blue field like a judgmental god.

The beginning of the movie plays almost like a music video with dialogue coming in quick clips and images racing across the screen, especially the early party scenes with their elaborately controlled chaos of the roaring parties at Gatsby’s house.  These sequences are used to set up the beginning of the story where the plot runs the slowest, a smart decision considering the run-time and the amount of story that needed to be told before the plot really kicks in.  If not for this, the beginning of the movie had the capacity to be snore inducing.  Combine this breakneck breeze through the set-up with the movie’s unique style, blending old style with modern sensibility, creates an interesting canvas to tell this personal story on such a large scale.

One of the most interesting choices in this movie is the use of modern music to depict the continuous-party atmosphere of the roaring twenties.  Not only does it create a further stylized atmosphere for the 1920’s depicted in this film, but it also forces you to make a connection with the empty lifestyles of the characters and the perceived moral decay of our current society. 

All in all, I enjoyed The Great Gatsby.  I almost want to read the book to get further perspective on this telling of a timeless story.

Game of Thrones “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Ah, back to the greatness.  This episode brings back the action and drama with a bang.  Daenerys sets her sights on Yunkai, Tywin asserts his power over Jofferey, and Jaime saves Brienne from a mother freaking bear.  When Game of Thrones is good, it’s great.

George R. R. Martin proves his ability as a storyteller in this episode, which he wrote.  Sure, he wrote the books so he’s already written the story, but in the TV series there have been subtle changes and extra scenes that Martin traverses with ease and effectiveness.   His writing in the scene between John Snow and Ygritte, where he warns her of the wildling’s fate if they attack Castle Black, or Daenerys’ meeting with a slaver of Yunkai showcased his ability to create new scenes that weren’t depicted in the book and because they came from the creator of the world himself they ring true. 

Speaking of Daenerys, her scene with the slaver was my favorite of the episode.  The dragons were flawlessly depicted and the tension could be cut with a knife.  In fact, I’m hard pressed to think of many weak scenes in this episode.  The only story that seems to have stalled is the drama in King’s Landing involving the marriage of Tyrion to Sansa and Cersei to Loras Tyrell.  Two weeks have gone by and nothing has transpired other than people talking about the arranged marriages.  A decent scene did occur between Sansa and Lady Margaery where Sansa voiced doubt over marrying Tyrion, but that was the only one.

Tywin asserts his power over Jofferey in another tense scene expertly shot by Michelle MacLaren.  Tywin tells Jofferey how to run his kingdom and when Jofferey voices his displeasure with being told what to do, since his is the king, Tywin climbs the stairs to the Irone Throne and towers over Jofferey while he puts him in his place.  The camera work was fantastic during this scene.  When Tywin is standing over Jofferey, the high angle of the king in the Irone Throne says all there is to be said.  He is shown as weak under Tywin.  It’s fantastic.

My predictions for the rest of the season aren’t concrete, but I think I have a grasp on what will happen.  Next episode, expect to see Tyrion married to Sansa.  Episode Nine, will be the revelation of the spy around Daenerys and the married life of Tyrion and Sansa.  I’m unsure when the Red Wedding will occur.  In the past, Game of Thrones has put the major climax of the season in the 9^th episode, but in this case, I don’t think enough has been built up yet.  Also, the tenth episode has been a build up to the next season, but as this is only half of the book, even the climax will be a build up so I don’t know.  If I’m to trust my instincts, the Red Wedding and the Lannister wedding will occur in the tenth episode in a “Holy Shit they just ended the season with that?”  ending.

SPOILERS

Jofferey and King Robb die.  BUM. BUM. BUM!!

WELCOME BACK

I can’t wait for the rest of the season.  It’s going to be fantastic.

P.S. I have a better idea of what show will take Person of Interest’s place.  Boardwalk Empire.  Not 100% yet, but that is a good possibility.  As always, leave comments if you have something to say.

The Raven

In 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died of mysterious causes.  The imagination soars with possibilities as to the demise of one of the most influential American writers in history, especially one so drawn to the macabre and mystery.  What dark story surrounds his death?  Why did he cry the name Reynolds from his deathbed?  These mysteries have naturally fueled a movie offering a grand theory to Poe’s last days, a dark, bloody murder mystery that pits Poe against his greatest fan, and his greatest enemy.

Movies depicting a grandiose assumption about a mysterious historical character are not rare.  From Hell was a captivating and chilling retelling of Jack the Ripper’s rule of terror over London, which depicted a government cover-up involving the slaughtering of hookers.  Anonymous was a story about Shakespeare being a facade for a ghost writer who couldn’t be in the spotlight.  These movies were good (well, Anonymous moderately so) because they had heart and an interesting story to tell, while The Raven just felt contrived.  The whole plot was perfunctory and the second act was needlessly drawn out, with each clue basically having the same message without adding anything to the story.  The best way I can describe this is with Mario.  Mario goes to these castles because he is told Princess Peach is there, but in every castle he’s told that she’s in the next castle.  This works in videogame form because there are new challenges for the gamer to overcome, but without this tension in a movie we start to get bored.

Not to say they didn’t attempt to add the tension and suspense, their attempts just didn’t work well. 

SPOILERS

One of the clues leads Poe and the police to a church.  Due to the lack of building suspense in the mystery, the writers feel the need to add an action beat into the story to keep everything rolling along.  Now, the clue is a sham.  The killer/kidnapper has said Emily will be at this church, but she isn’t, what the police find is just an empty grave with a wooden cross bearing Emily’s name.  As the police are searching around the building the killer is found on top of a low roof and he slits a police officer’s throat and shoots another before riding off making Poe take chase with his horse.  My problem with this logic lies in the killer’s intentions.  This killer had an end game.  He wanted to break Poe down and force him to drink poison so when he finds Emily he will die shortly anyway (why? I don’t know.  He’s a douche).  If the killer had this end game in mind, why would he allow himself to get caught at the church?  You can’t make the claim that he was interrupted because the false grave was in perfect condition, plus this killer planned this whole scheme out.  Why would you wait until the last minute to set up this grave?  Unless he’s really bad at planning in which case the whole scheme would’ve fallen through anyway.  See, the logic falls apart.  It’s maddening.

SPOILERS OVER

What bothers me the most is the premise is fantastic.  Who wouldn’t want to hear a story about Edgar Allan freaking Poe solving a murder mystery during his last days?  That’s genius.  Unfortunately, the story wasn’t handled correctly.  The characters weren’t strong, the mystery was weak, and the whole story felt robotic.  It’s sad when a movie with such potential turns out so lackluster.  The creators never meant for a lackluster tale.  Those writers worked for weeks, maybe a year, putting this story together (I’m not sure on the exact timing because I don’t know how this project was started), the director spent months story boarding and planning, crews spent weeks building the sets, the actors spent countless hours developing their characters and practicing their lines all for a lackluster performance.  It’s sad, but I respect the artists that created this movie and hope they do a better job next time.  As for this flick, I hate to say it, but I will probably watch it nevermore.

Hannibal “Sorbet”

Finally we see Hannibal’s true nature.  With NBC still deciding whether to sign Hannibal for a second season an episode like this was needed, an episode that gives the fans what they want, more of Hannibal killing and eating people.  Hopefully this episode will draw more attention to the series because this isn’t a show I want cancelled.  Its intellect and class are hard to come by in television today.

“Sorbet” pits Crawford and Graham against The Chesapeake Ripper, who, unbeknownst to them, is Hannibal.  This show handles their character arcs really well.  In this episode Crawford is haunted by The Chesapeake Ripper because he lost an agent in the search for the killer.  Crawford suffers from hallucinations and nightmares driven by his need to catch The Chesapeake Ripper.  The show makes it clear what is troubling Crawford, but they only mention it in passing, which is more subtle than most shows.

Out of all of the disturbing images on Hannibal, the images that have affected me the most is him preparing the organs for cooking, which Hannibal is wont to do.  In this episode he hosts a dinner party that is not for Vegetarians, which is so much fun. 

Short blog tonight, but I have public events to attend.  In short, every episode draws me further into this show, and seeing it end now would be heartbreaking so I ask NBC to KEEP HANNIBAL RUNNING.  Please.  For the love of everything holy.

Person of Interest “God Mode”

God Mode indeed.  The machine is wide open to Root and Reese for twenty-four hours and they are playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse.   This episode was fast, enthralling, and highly enjoyable, no mysteries this week, just plain old action at its finest.  There is no room for mystery, really.  Reese’s and Root’s access to the machine not only gives them all the information that they want to know, but The Machine even tells them when and where enemies are coming from.  “God Mode” was like watching a videogame where you had the cheats to show enemies on the radar, but way more fun. 

With God Mode, Root wants to find The Machine so she can “set it free,” even though I’m not completely sure what that means, so she kidnaps Finch to help her hunt The Machine down.  Racing to stop her are Reese and Shaw, who follow close behind her, hindered by The Machine playing games with Reese (The Machine has a personality, by the way) and continuing to send him on missions to help the irrelevant.  These side missions were un-needed and pointless, but lots of fun because there is no mystery.  The Machine tells them who’s in trouble and where, and Reese and Shaw shoot the people with guns and drive off, usually in a comical sequence. 

There are many twists and turns along the way and they wrap up Carter’s sub-plot, which seemed to stall the sprinting pace of the show.  Not to say that Carter’s story is uninteresting, in fact I was very satisfied with her character arc, but I think her story should’ve been summed up before this mach 8 speed episode.  Her character has come a long way.  I’ll leave it at that.  You’ll have to watch the show to understand.

Also, the flashbacks in this episode were awesome.  Finch’s past, and more specifically how his back was injured, is revealed in this episode.  Finch is probably one of my favorite characters on TV right now, partly because Michael Emerson is awesome, and because he was a mystery from the start.  The show doesn’t even acknowledge his injury out right, but as the show progresses you notice that he doesn’t have the limp or stiff back in flashbacks.  His character has been handled wonderfully and I’m interested to see what happens with him going forward.

If you aren’t watching Person of Interest you are missing out.  I really need to come up with a grading system for this blog…maybe next time.  Take my word though, this show is great.  Check it out.

P.S. This was the season finale of Person of Interest and I still haven’t made up my mind about the next TV show so if you have suggestions or requests leave them in the comments section.

Mad Men “Marriage of Figaro”

More Booze, more broads, more…family life?  This episode centers around a birthday party for Don’s daughter with sub-plots furthering the drama between Peggy and Pete and Don’s relationship becomes personal with a client.  Sympathy is built up for Don as we witness the cold relationship between him and his wife, Betty, who spends her day at the party being a nag and a catty wench.  The other wives are attracted to Don, but she doesn’t seem to care that much.  I believe love still exists in their relationship, but it is buried under baggage that I don’t think we know about. 

I railed on last episode pretty hard for not being entertaining.  I’m happy to say that this episode got me back into the show, I’m still waiting for the “holy shit” moments people keep telling me about, but it took me a few episodes to get into Breaking Bad so I’m willing to be patient.

The mystery of Don’s past gets a little more interesting this episode when he’s mistook for someone else, an old war buddy of the over-weight guy that approached Don by the sound of it.  Don plays along which makes me wonder, is Don this other man the guy seemed to know?  I don’t think Don would just play along for shits and giggles, he’s a straight forward guy who doesn’t have a problem interacting with people so all signs point to him forming a new identity during the war.  He has a purple heart under his current name so he couldn’t have done it after the war.  Interesting indeed. 

Even though I’m not enthralled with Mad Men thus far, I will say that the show is very well written and directed.  The characters are complex and the drama interesting with enough mystery of the lead character to keep you guessing.  I’m hoping to have my mind blown in the next couple of episodes though.  Come on Mad Men, live up to your hype.

Community “Origins of Vampire Mythology”

“Origins of Vampire Mythology” is a study on how self-hatred can affect relationships.  Throughout the episode different relationships are stressed because of self-hatred.  Jealousy drives a wedge between Jeff and Shirley when Jeff spends $300 dollars at a carnival game because he is jealous of the man running it.  Pierce finds a new friend in Chang until Chang, waiting for the friendship to fail, starts a fight.  Britta pines for an ex-boyfriend, a carnie named Blade, until he’s nice to her (or so she thinks, it was really Annie because she switched their phone numbers, you’ll have to watch to understand).   Is it any wonder the episode revolves around the Blade movie which is about a half-vampire who hates vampires (an aspect of himself) which leads to a lonely life of vampire slaying?

I actually have a critique for this episode that doesn’t come up often with Community.  The first scene was really weak.  The dialogue was choppy and sometimes on the nose and it was kind of boring until the arrival of The Dean dressed as a conductor because he’s recently into trains (oh, the double entendre).  After that the episode got up to the normal quality, but I think the writers had a lot to set up in a short time and the writing itself suffered, which is sad.  This one qualm was not enough to ruin the episode, though, it quickly bounced back and made a solid entry into the series. 

Iron Man 3

The time has come, folks.  Phase two of The Avengers is upon us with Iron Man 3, the self-contained Marvel thriller that really puts their tent post character through the wringer.  Shane Black takes the audience through an adventure that sees Tony Stark outside of the Iron Man suit for most of the film proving once and for all that the suit doesn’t make the Iron Man, Tony does.

SPOILERS.  GO SEE THE MOVIE.  RIGHT NOW.

SERIOUSLY.  GO.  I’LL WAIT.

Marvel deserves a lot of praise for keeping secrets and surprises in their movie from the general audience.  In a time where one leaked photo can completely ruin a good twist (see: The Dark Knight Rises) Kevin Feige and Shane Black have kept most of the story secret.  I didn’t see the second half with the kid coming and I definitely didn’t see the Mandarin twist until it smacked me in the face like wet salami.

Shane Black’s tone fits Iron Man perfectly.  His directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, was fantastic and I always thought Robert Downey Jr.’s dialogue in that movie fit Tony Stark so seeing this match-up was definitely rewarding. 

On my initial viewing, The Mandarin twist angered me.  Not the fact that the twist exists, for that I believe the filmmakers should be clapped on the back and given medals, but I, and I might be alone here, really enjoyed Ben Kingsley’s version of The Mandarin.  It was just fun to watch.  Yes, it might be a little corny and over the top, but what good super-villain isn’t?  I know this would never happen, but how unbelievably cool would it be if in the next movie Ben Kingsley comes back as The Mandarin and reveals that he just Hans Gruber-ed everybody.  Just think of how vile a villain he would be.  He just pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes for years.  He would reach a new high for super-villain.  And I can think of some clues to back up this conspiracy theory, since they are all the rage now-a-days.  When Tony Stark breaks into his room, Trevor (the actor portraying The Mandarin) has fake beards on foam heads.  Now, when he comes out of the bathroom he has his beard, and when he’s arrested he has his beard.  I’ve never been arrested with a fake beard, but I think the authorities would take that off lickity-split.  Secondly, he killed a man on live TV.  I know, in the cheesy seventies credits the guy got up, but that makes no sense.  How did you fake a man’s death on live TV?  I don’t think a prisoner is going to play along and I don’t think you could use another actor because that guy is obviously going to show up to work tomorrow, or at the very least his friends and family members that watch The Mandarin’s broadcast will know that’s not him and they will tell authorities who would then start looking for the missing man.  So, all of that being said, I don’t think Trevor, a stage-actor drug junky, has the capacity to shoot a man in cold blood on TV and keep a menacing face.  There.  I’ve said it.  Let me know what you think.

As a post-script to that theory, I do want to say that I loved Guy Pearce’s performance and I would totally accept him as another villain, but come on man.  Ben Kingsley’s character was awesome.

Anyway, leave a comment.  Let me know what you think or if you have any requests or suggestions.  Until tomorrow, friends.

Game of Thrones “The Climb”

This season of Game of Thrones has been epic.  The third book is my favorite so far, as with many people I talk to on the issue, and the show is standing up to the material.  While the season has been epic I don’t expect every episode will be epic, some will obviously fall to being a set-up for the better episodes. This week’s episode falls into the latter category, a space filler.  That’s not to say it was a bad episode.  With Game of Thrones even the weak episodes are good, but compared to its predecessors, and what I know is coming, nothing really happened this week.

Two scenes made this episode in my mind, the wildlings climbing the wall and the torture of Theon Greyjoy. 

I’m finding Theon’s story especially interesting because I haven’t gotten that far in the books yet.  I think this is something that happens in the fifth book, I’m not sure, but I’m experiencing one of these stories for the first time since the sixth episode of season one and it’s exhilarating.  The climbing of The Wall is an interesting case because if I remember correctly from the books it was told almost in passing, but they played the scene up in the show which I think was really effective.

But, that’s pretty much all that happened.  The drama of who is marrying who is carried on although no further information is given, just discussed.  We learn that the Tyrell’s really don’t agree with it, but Tywin is forcing their hand, which is no surprise really.  Cercei and Tyrion discuss their displeasure with their marriage assignments.  The only new information revealed in that scene was that Jofferey ordered the murder of Tyrion during the battle, no Cercei.  This could come as a surprise, I guess.

The end of the episode was mildly interesting.  Petyr and Varys discuss the reality of the realm.  Petyr argues that the realm is a lie, just as religion or love, all illusions made to protect us from chaos, but chaos is a ladder and all that matters is the climb.  It’s a beautiful speech.  Maybe a little melo-dramatic and a little hard to follow on the first listen, I personally had to rewind and have a second go to pick up on what he was saying, but Petyr does use chaos to his advantage and I believe he could be one of the most dangerous players in the Game of Thrones, even though he hasn’t shown his hand…yet.