Megaforce – Motorcycle

I’m just going to let the clip speak for itself.  Oh, and PURE CINEMATIC MAGIC!

Tags: film, Megaforce, Motorcycle, movie, Terrible

STOP SOPA

The internet goes dark today.  STOP SOPA.

Tags: SOPA, Stop

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5: Review!

Surprise! This issue is actually better when the turtles are NOT in it.  In fact, they only grace the frames of roughly 5 pages.

Primarily, the issue follows the tale of Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki.  Both characters belong to the Foot Clan, but Yoshi leaves due to Saki extending his powers too far.  Naturally, Saki seeks revenge for Yoshi disgracing him.  This leads to Yoshi running off into the woods to train his four sons.  Thus, the comic hints at the turtles and Splinter being the reincarnated forms of these past figures.  This connection would explain how the turtles’ skills come so naturally to them. (How turtles come to embody previous spirits instead of humans is beyond me).

I have to say that the feudal Japan parts of the tale far outweigh the effort shown for the rest of the series so far.  I’m a turtles die-hard and yet I found myself ready to lay down some cash for a feudal Japan comic instead of a ninja turtles comic.  The art by Mateus Santolouco during these parts blow away Dan Duncan’s New York parts despite Duncan improving on this issue over the ones previous.

On to my least favorite part… I’m going to assume it was mandated by Nickelodeon – the bandannas, they are back to their cartoon colors.  The reasoning for the colors is decent, but I still cannot get past the fact that it’s merely for turtle beginners to tell them apart.  The beauty of the Mirage issues was that they were in B x W allowing for the reader to have to figure out which turtle was which based upon their personalities (and, for the beginners, their weapons).  Oh well.  I’ll get over it, but it’s still bothersome.

The writing was okay.  What’s new?

IDW, if you come out with a spin-off series of the Ninja Turtles, please be with it in feudal Japan.  Those were the best parts of the issue and I’m sad that they probably won’t come back that often.

Tags: comic book, Dan Duncan, IDW, Kevin Eastman, Mateus Santolouco, review, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Tom Waltz

“Studying” in New Zealand

New Zealand.  Home to hobbits, kiwis, and HBO’s Flight of the Concords.  Just looking at their calendar will have you pining for a vacation, and I was self loving enough to indulge in that vacation.  There was a façade that I would be studying for five months but that is hardly the truth.

Even the clouds are prettier there.

When people ask me about New Zealand I describe it as a painting.  Almost every place you go the landscape is unbelievably gorgeous.  I’ve looked out at miles of endless hills and thought, “This can’t be real.”  When I look at my pictures I wonder if someone sneaked onto my computer and photoshopped them.  It’s truly breathtaking and sometimes even I can’t believe it.

More specifically I think New Zealand is a surrealist painting.  Not only is the landscape “unreal” but so is everything else.  Let’s be honest here, and I hope I don’t offend any kiwis, New Zealand doesn’t exactly hold any major international importance.  They’re a peaceful, tree-hugging, and sheep shearing bunch of folks.  I’ve looked at plenty of maps where the makers forget to add the islands at all. Therefore, when I was in New Zealand it felt like a break from the harsh reality and constant worries I feel in the US.  My world was completely tweaked – in a good way.

Even parliament seemed like the wacky imagination of an artist.  Who would have thought that grown men and women would behave like a bunch of kindergardeners fighting over the last cookie.  There was even name calling, forced apologies, and threats to remove the politicians from the building.  In the end, I can’t really take New Zealand seriously but living in a painting is a great experience especially when studying abroad.

The lack of reality in New Zealand let me ease up on my usual tenaciousness.  I consistently got more than five hours of sleep every night of the week; that hasn’t happened to me for the last three years.  I was almost always relaxed and planning my next adventure.

This trip holds a hilarious story, but Rayce had forbidden me to tell it...he'll change his mind in 20 years.

Through my studying abroad program I went wine tasting (twice!), ATVing, white water rafting, ate tons of great food, and went to a Maori meeting house.  With other friends I went canoeing for three days straight barely seeing a dozen people total; it was a true scene out of Lord of the Rings or Jurassic Park.  I rented cars and drove across the islands.  I saw wild and rare penguins while kayaking.  I went on four hour tramps (hikes) and slept in tiny huts.  I saw the gaseous Milky Way Galaxy from a totally different perspective.  I got a sore fanny from biking around a lake.

Most memorable of all, I got a flat tire and had to wait nearly five hours for rescue.  But, with a good friend at my side and the car conveniently breaking down next to a lake with a picnic table, I have no complaints.

This is the lake where our car broke down. It's also the place where I got attacked by several angry birds.

I admit studying abroad didn’t consist of a whole lot of academic studying; it also set me a little behind towards my biochemistry major (Yay science!).  However, what I got from New Zealand was a whole new perspective about life.  Before going to New Zealand I had never once thought of myself as patriotic.  Now, due to simply living abroad and taking an International Politics class I’m actually proud to be an American.

My suggestion for those of you considering studying abroad is just do it!  It may not be for those stubborn students who are completely stuck in their ways and hate change, but for the majority of people it will be a major turning point in your life.  Go into a new country with a sense of adventure and openness to other cultures…oh, and don’t forget to have fun!

This entry was originally written for my friend Rayce’s new blog called Found in Translation.  You should go check it out!

Tags: kiwi, New Zealand, Studying Abroad, travel

TMNT Micro-Series: Michelangelo – Review!

Let me go on record saying that I miss Klunk the cat.  In the original Micro-Series one shot involving Michelangelo, we received a Christmas tale with the fateful meeting between Mikey and everyone’s favorite pet (not Krypto or Ace).  This issue mixes things up for turtles history and involves Mikey incidentally getting involved with a jewel heist.

The issue follows the usual conventions of a character getting into something a little too over his head.  Mikey finds a costume party, enters the party as himself, jumps through some lasers, and ends up stealing a precious jewel that is jokingly hinted at being Kryptonite (but might come into play later).  Once you get over the typical premise by Brian Lynch, the comic is actually a pleasant, action romp.  Mikey is a naive guy (turtle) who hasn’t really experienced much of the world but yearns to walk among humans.  Unlike the Raph Micro-series (review here), the writing doesn’t seem so stilted.  It’s more loose and fun.  Though, some of the jokes like “Don’t wanna buy a guy a drink first?” seem a little out of place for a teenage anthropomorphic turtle who hasn’t experienced much human contact let alone alcohol.  Other than that, the plot and words are basic but enjoyable.

The art by Andy Kuhn is pretty basic with a thick, solid line and some shading, but what really shines is the choice made for coloring by Bill Crabtree.  The colors really compliment the art well by being solid colors without much fuss.  They bring the art to life in a splendid way, and I like their boldness.  Two problems I had with the art were 1. the size of Mikey differentiates from one frame to the other – he can be skinny one moment and very broad in the next 2. his bandanna is colored orange.  I’m pretty sure IDW is sticking to their all red bandanna mandate for the turtles (that the classic fans cherish).

The issue is nothing special, by any means, but it is a drastic improvement over the previous Raph one-shot.  It’s fun but slightly forgettable.

**Apparently this takes place after issue 5 of the main series where IDW has resorted to using the cartoon colors of the turtles. *sigh*

Tags: Andy Kuhn, Bill Crabtree, Brian Lynch, comic book, IDW, Michelangelo, Micro-Series, review, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT

Swamp Thing #5: Review!

Reading Swamp Thing provides a deliciously creepy experience.  The comic continues to thrill as the action picks up.  Things were bubbling in the story up until this point, but the final splash page amps the intensity to a whole new level.

Scott Snyder continues to be brilliant in the writing by not being too flashy in the dialogue, but huge in the ideas.  He has a grandiose plan to the story and it’s fascinating seeing him place the pieces together and move them forward.  The antagonist William Arcane, the master of the Rot, is a chilling compliment to Alec’s insecurity at joining the Green and embodying Swamp Thing.  Alec does accept some of his fate and power which combines in a stunning chain of events.

Yanick Paquette comes back on as the full-time artist on this issue.  I didn’t mind the fill-in work before because I thought it matched Paquette’s style, but it’s nice to see him on every page.  Paquette is a genius at framing and general creepiness.  The beast William rides in on is something out of the sickest (best) imagination by being revolting and jarring. The extra component to Paquette’s greatly detailed art is the attention he adds to merely separating the frames.  As the Rot and Green face off,  the silhouette of a twig or the burns of the rot separate all of the frames.  These blend between panels in creative combinations that adds to the overall sense of the art as a whole making this extra detail mean so much more.  Paquette really puts his all into the art and its great seeing his heavy lines and solid cross hatchings come alive on the page.

I’ve never read a single Swamp Thing comic before, but I am eager for when the next issue comes out for this one.  With almost no knowledge of the characters or the story beforehand, Snyder and Paquette have informed me enough to compel my interests and capture my imagination.  If you haven’t been reading this comic, you are missing out on a great, visceral, horror experience.

Tags: comic book, DC comics, review, Scott Snyder, Swamp Thing, The New 52, Yanick Paquette

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – Review!

The problem with foreign movies is that they can be so popular overseas that they warrant an American/English version.  This isn’t really a problem for the foreign movie itself, but more so the remake/or re-imagining English version.  It will always be compared to the one that came before it especially if it was only two years ago when the first one came out.  Therefore, this review is directly interconnected with the Swedish film that came before it.  I have found that I cannot judge this English version for itself, and it seems that the only reason it exists is because English people have a fear of subtitles.

The film follows disgraced journalist Mikhael (Daniel Craig) as he investigates a 40 year old disappearance of a young girl who may or may not be dead.  He eventually joins forces with computer hacker Lisbeth (Rooney Mara) in order to solve this mystery that has plagued a family for years.

The opening credits of the film really kick ass and show some high aspiration.  What’s clear is that David Fincher’s new collaboration with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor kicks major ass once again with the score.  It matched directly with the notes of the film and paced it quite well.  The credits are Reznor showing off his talents with some really interesting black oil creations.  The credits attempt to foreshadow a very edgy, punk film.  Unfortunately, this rocking opening fails to last throughout the rest of the film.

That’s the issue with film, it fails to live up to its hype.  The Swedish film has so many layers and depth while this English version remains rather stagnant with its two story lines.  Sure, they interconnect, but the nuance of the Swedish film with multiple themes that intersect seems lost.  Luckily, the film picks up steam once Lisbeth and Mikhael meet up, but, up to that point, it plods along.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander

The performances in the film are fairly strong by themselves.  Daniel Craig as Mikhael works well in the film and he carries the screen on his shoulders in a performance that makes him seem quizzical in his search for the answers while also very vulnerable.  Rooney Mara has a stilted performance of Lisbeth, but it works well for her character.  However, Noomi Rapace’s role of Lisbeth in the Swedish trilogy is so perfect that it’s hard to see anything but imitation.  Mara tries hard, but she has large boots to fill with smaller feet, and she does not come off as punk as Noomi.

The director David Fincher has some of his stylistic flare, but he doesn’t take too many risks with his shots or camera angles when this is the type of story that could allow for that.  Plus, those opportunities could help distinguish it from the previous films.

The film by all means is good, but, once you’ve seen the near perfect Swedish films that came out only a few years before the English version, there’s really no comparison for which one triumphs.

Tags: Daniel Craig, David Fincher, review, Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, US Version

The Adventures of Tintin: Review!

The first thing that you notice about Tintin is the slightly off-putting motion capture style the film is presented in.  It’s slightly unsettling when something looks so real but has exaggerated features (in the tradition of the original Hergé comics the movie is based off of).  After getting past the strangeness of motion capture, it turns out that this technique only benefits the film as a whole.

The pace of the film helps ease you into both the style and the story.  It’s classic adventure with the MacGuffin of model ships based after the legendary Unicorn that used to sail the seas leading to greater mysteries and treasure.  The film fits neatly in the style of Spielberg’s previous Indiana Jones films without ever seeming like a repeat of something already done.  It’s a fun film and something that gives you laughs and smiles even if it’s slightly predictable within its genre.  The voice acting is great and the film hits all of the right notes.

There are some problems that are hard to miss.  The most obvious is the lack of women in the story.  Basically, the only woman on screen for any significant time is an opera singer who only makes loud noises and breaks glass.  I would have liked to see some more female supporting characters who weren’t bubbling buffoons like Thompson and Thomson or villains like Sakharine.  Not necessarily a love interest, but someone who can keep up with Tintin and Captain Haddock.  Perhaps there is some potential in a sequel.

The other problem which may just be more personal is that the action never seems quite so awesome when it’s animated.  I find that I accept that animated films have their own logic, so they do not really blow my mind with action.  I find that when it’s classic stunts or special effects which are not computer generated, I’m much more enthused and interested.  Nevertheless, the single shot that lasts for a good couple minutes as the characters race down a hill trying to get the valuable pieces of paper that hold the clue to the treasure is pure movie magic.  It’s fascinating how the action weaves in and out with so many variables happening at the same time.  For anyone lesser skilled, the audience could get easily lost, but Spielberg pulls off the feat masterfully.

Tintin, in theaters, did not have that “wow” factor.  But, while thinking back and writing this review, I have realized how charming and enjoyable the film is.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an action film that is appropriate to all ages and leaves you with a certain sheen after you leave the theater.

Tags: film, MacGuffin, Motion Capture, review, Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin, Unicorn

1000 Things We Hate #215: Dirty Glasses

Preview a new 1000 Things We Hate post – Dirty Glasses!

Less than half of you readers will be able to relate to this, but that doesn’t matter.  Those who have glasses have more than enough hate to cover the entire world population.   Dirty glasses suck.

Maybe the Chinese will come up with a solution.

Perhaps you, the glasses wearers, are super obsessive or paranoid like me.  Obsessive because I always have to have clean glasses.  Paranoid because I’m always afraid of eye gunk and wipe my eyes causing glass smudges.  The combination is a vicious cycle between beauty and vision.  However, even if I stopped wiping my eyes I’d still have dirty glasses.  Why?

To view the whole post, jump on over to 1000 Things We Hate and read about Dirty Glasses!

Tags: 1000 Things We Hate, dirty, glasses, vision

My Week With Marilyn – Review!

My Week With Marilyn opens with an eager, young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) attempting to get into the movie business.  He shows commitment and zeal until he gets a job as a third assistant director (the errand boy for everyone) on the set of Sir Laurence Olivier’s newest film co-starring Marilyn Monroe (played by Michelle Williams).  The film follows starry-eyed Colin as he becomes enraptured by Marilyn.  The film gives us a peak into the ups and downs of Marilyn’s life and how much of a tortured soul she seems to be.

Unfortunately, that’s part of the problem with the film.  Marilyn seems to be so unpredictable that she becomes a caricature of herself.  Michelle Williams handles the role well by handling a fragile character, but everything seems to be slightly overdone.  However, I am no Marilyn Monroe expert.  So, I can’t really base my review upon how accurate the portrayal is.

Colin Clark, on the other hand, comes off as a selfish jerk.  The story is seen through his eyes, but we see him making bad decisions for the sake of Marilyn’s well-being.  He loses a relationship, puts his job at risk, and undercuts many of the other characters.  He seems to transcend the boundaries between movie stars and third assistant directors.  The film constructs itself to always be in favor of Colin even while his actions show poor judgment.

Sir Laurence Olivier played expertly by Kenneth Branagh showcases the difficulties of working with Marilyn Monroe.  The film positions the audience to be in the opposite boat of Olivier, though.  He does not understand Marilyn and thus acts brashly, and we, of course, are meant to side with Marilyn.  However, I believe that many of us, in his position, would act similarly to how Marilyn functions.  He admits it when Marilyn gets it right.  It’s beautiful to behold, and Olivier agrees.

The best parts of the movie was when Judi Dench showcased her talents on the screen.  As Dame Sybil Thorndike, Dench shines whenever she is on screen.  Thorndike is the expert actress that helps and encourages Marilyn to act through Marilyn’s many moods.  She is an understanding person who wants to ease Marilyn into a better actress through support rather than criticism.  The worst part of the movie was when Thorndike disappears for the entire second half.  She is so powerful in the beginning that you wish the character would stick around.

The film is a good film.  It’s not great, but it has good acting even if some of the characters come off as constricted or construed.  The film may slightly be preposterous and over-the-top in believability, but it serves to entertain and you walk out feeling good.

Tags: Eddie Redmayne, film, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Marilyn Monroe, Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn, review