THE NEW HOME FOR "PAETER'S BRAIN"!

Paeter is no longer posting to this blog. His new reviews and thoughts on geek entertainment (including all those previously posted here!) can now be found conveniently organized and archived at The Spirit Blade Underground!

Friday, May 30, 2008

"Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" (Review)



I revisted the previous three films before watching this one and found that they were much less interesting than I remembered, so take that into account. Because of this, I wasn't terribly let down by this movie, although it has it's flaws. First the good, though.

Great performances by all involved. Ford seemed to need a couple scenes before he felt like Indy, but got into his groove soon enough. The film acknowledged the character's age with good effect, though Ford still seemed to do a very surprising amount of his own stunts. (That or the face replacement was REALLY slick!)

Cate Blanchett was especially enjoyable as the quintessentail "communist Russian bad lady".

The film was served well by modern special effects and the sets were great in number and textured in design. Some great visual material.

On to the bad. As my wife pointed out, "no one ever seemed to really be in danger. It was like they were at an amusement park going on a bunch of fun rides." This is true. The logic of this film, even more so than previous Indy films was: If it's cute or funny, it doesn't have to be believable. Unfortunately, if you don't appreciate the "cute" or "fun" sense of humor in this movie, you'll just be frustrated at the obvious lack of realism. A refrigerator, a snake, some groundhogs, ants and a "tarzan" scene all come to mind. (You'll see what I mean.)

The film also departs from its supernatural roots to explore themes of science fiction. This is probably because of the time period the story is set in (indicated by an iconic image of Indy and a mushroom cloud early on) and didn't bother me much, but know going in that the concept driving the movie is different from the norm.

The movie is very aware that it is a sequel and often seems more interested in reminding us of previous films than in making a new one. It's not as overdone as it might have been, but it's enough to be slightly less than charming in the big picture.

In terms of Truth to be found, one idea came to mind about the franchise as a whole. By giving legitimacy to the Bible(Raiders, Last Crusade), an African tribal legend(Temple of Doom), and now the Crystal Skulls, what philosophically must be true according to the worldview of these films? Seems to me it must mean that all ancient religious stories are true, or none of them are. Smells like relativism. Nothing intentional I'm sure, and these movies have never felt preachy. Just a little observation.

The film might also lead to some interesting discussion about the ancient Mayan calendar and its prediction of the world's end just a few years from now.

Quality- 7.5

Veracity- 6.5

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Technology Is Cool Except When It Sucks



Today I was really hoping to have a new background for this blog. I went to Pyzam.com and started looking through their stuff but the website was having issues and I've now run out of time.

Anyone know of another good place to get cool backgrounds for blogger? Something representing comics would be sweet! (not a specific hero, but superheroes/comics in general)

Hopefully I'll have something soon!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Second Coming!!

Don't miss the second coming of the "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon network animated series. Volume two will be released this Tuesday and I'm already starting to foam at the mouth....

...seriously, my wife has just called 911. They think it could be rabies, but my money is still on this DVD.

Friday, May 23, 2008

J.S. Earls Interview!


Hey, if you dig cool comics with kickin' art, check out part one of the interview I did with J.S. Earls, creator of "Pistolfist".
J.S. also did official comic adaptations of some of Ted Dekker's work. If you dig comics, this interview is not to be missed!
It's on the podcast this weekend, which I'll be posting sometime tomorrow (Saturday).
Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Nocturnal Thoughts

In a effort to scratch the console RPG itch, I've decided to give Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne a try. Pretty long title, huh? I haven't tried this one before because I was not impressed with Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga, and this one seemed similar.

Despite my reservations, I've been enjoying the game for the most part. It's dark and serious, with a touch of the right kind of humor.

The only problem I'm having is with the load times. I suspect it may be my PS2, but it could also be scratches on the disc. I've readjusted the laser lense on my PS2, but without much improvement. I know the game can load faster than it has been for me, because I've seen footage on YouTube that proves it. So as my 7-day no hassle return policy ticks away, I have to figure out if the slower load times are hampering the experience enough for me to take it back for a refund.

So far, the good qualities of the game are outweighing this factor, so it's likely I'll keep the game. Or maybe I'm just desperate for a good old fashioned turn-based battle system RPG.

Monday, May 19, 2008

The Amazing John Daker!!

This is one of my favorite videos. The first time it made me incredibly uncomfortable. Every time since it makes me laugh. Enjoy!!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Prince Caspian (Movie Review)


Andrew Adamson returns to direct this second adaptation of C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy series, with pretty good results. I've read and enjoyed all of the books, but it's been about 15 years. Since then, however, I've listened through most of the series in audio drama format in the series produced by Focus Radio Theatre. (I can recommed this series both for its production quality and faithfulness to the original books.) After seeing "Prince Caspian", I flipped back through my copy of the book to check my memory and verified that some pretty significant changes were made.

I'll admit that I saw the changes coming. First, there were several action sequences added to the the first movie and second, the "Prince Caspian" story, like many of the books in this series, is not "action packed". It's driven by the exploration of events and ideas. It's not a thickly spread allegory, but is still undeniably an allegory. The original story also doesn't have the four main characters interacting with Prince Caspian until near the end of the book, when he is King Caspian. About half of the book is a flashback as a dwarf catches the children up on events that have taken place in their absence.

Disney may have thought that the four children are the centerpiece for these stories, and so didn't want to stray from them too far. This would explain the tremendous amount of plot juggling done to keep the kids active in the story from start to finish. Purist fans of the books will likely be bummed that much of the allegory is lost, replaced by standard movie plot elements. As one who enjoyed the symbolism found in the first film, I missed its absence in this one.

Although there were significantly fewer moments of Biblical symbolism, there were one or two that still proved very meaningful.

(SPOILER WARNING)
Lucy had been spotting Aslan throughout their journey, but the other kids couldn't see him, and didn't believe her when she told them he was out there in the forest. Eventually, Lucy finds Aslan and complains that she had a difficult time with the other kids not believing her. Aslan then asked her, "Why did that keep you from following me?" To which Lucy replied "I was afraid to follow you alone." A true reflection of what it means to be a genuine Christian. Following Jesus, especially when our friends and family do not, can take us far outside of our comfort zone. People can think we're crazy or stupid. But the challenge to press on remains.
(END OF SPOILER)

The material added, although not wonderful, isn't bad. Some battle sequences and witty banter here and there round out the script nicely.

In terms of straight up film quality, this movie is pretty good. Not amazing, but definately enjoyable. It continues in the visual style of the first film, giving a serious "adult" tone to the film despite its PG rating. Colors are muted and dark. Violence is present, but without any gore. Several cuts and shooting angles are designed to represent violent moments, but without showing anything that will "upset the kiddies". The sound effects do a great job of implying violence, making it gripping for adults, but visually, this movie is pretty kid friendly. Adamson continues to take cinematic inspiration from Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy. The battle scenes, while not as intense, certainly have some of the epic scale of the Rings flicks. If this trend continues, I'd imagine these movies will become a great "LOTR junior" for kids that aren't ready for Jackson's movies yet.

The performances are all sufficient, but no one's getting any trophies for this one. A favor the director could do for everyone would be to recognize that "ideas", not drama, are the strengths of these stories. You absolutely need the drama, but give us a little more to think about, too. Additionally, there were some action sequences and other moments that didn't serve the characters or move the story forward, resulting in a slow pace just once or twice.

Special effects and scoring were great. No big steps forward from the first film, but that's okay. Things looked and sounded great in the first film, too!

To sum up, I'd say that the absence of potentially richer symbolism combined with the "kid friendly" action make this one weighted a little more for kids this time around, and so not as interesting to me. That said, it's still a very good movie and one I will use someday to prepare my kids for "daddy's even better movies".

Quality: 8.0

Veracity:8.0

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

New Console RPG?








I may be feeling the early stages of 360 hunger. I'm still really diggin' Neverwinter Nights, but miss some of the charm of a classic console turn-based RPG. I'm about 1/3rd of the way through Rogue Galaxy for PS2, but that's much more of an action rpg and doesn't scratch the itch.
I've started up a new game of "Shadow Hearts: Covenant", one of the very best RPGs in my opinion. But there's nothing like starting a brand new game that you've never played.
Currently, I've got one eye on "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne". Never played it, but did a little research and it's on my rental list.
Part of me is wondering, though, if my hunger will only be satisifed by getting a 360 and Lost Odyssey. Don't know if it's turn based or not, but it looks pretty frickin' cool.
Time will tell I suppose. In any case, I don't have time for daydreaming. I've got mixing to do!


Monday, May 12, 2008

Mudslide!!



Don't know if it's food poisoning or the flu. But something inside me has summoned a brown storm of liquid fury.

Do you ever pray and thank God for all the little blessings, like indoor plumbing?

I'm told there is a traditional Jewish prayer thanking God for a healthy bowel movement.

Anyway, I better end this quick before I start to feel the first rumblings of the next avalanche.

See ya!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Off The Wagon


Okay, I fell of the wagon for releasing my home-made movies. I was originally planning to be much more regular with them, but got busy and forgot.
I'm not saying I've got anything to show you. Just saying oops.
Hopefully later this summer, if not before, you'll once again be able to thrill to the adventures of C-FOS!!
Meanwhile, if you're a geek like me, I'm sure you'll find, oh... one or two neat movies to see this summer in theatres.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Donner Needs Some Superspeed



For some reason, Richard Donner and Geoff Johns couldn't pull it together enough to finish their first story arc in Action Comics on time. So we get an unresolved story (when was that, like six months ago? A year?) that we have to wait for the Action Comics Annual to finish. Lame.

I liked how the story began, but the next story arc they did together about the Bizarro world, could have been scrapped to finish this one on time, in my opinion. Then again, I haven't read this issue yet today, so maybe it'll suck, too.

Either way, I can only hope Geoff learned his lesson and will not choose to partner with the famous Superman director again.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Dune: Reading, Whispering or "Hurting"



I picked up a used copy of the "Extended Edition" of David Lynch's "Dune" movie from the 80's. Y'know, I think I've only seen the extended version. I started watching the theatrical version and it had some stuff that's oddly missing from the extended version and that I totally dig! Although I'll have to get my money back because of defects I discovered, I probably won't feel the need to find another copy of the extended version.

I'm also keeping my eye out for the sci-fi channel version(with William Hurt) in the director's cut. I think both versions really have their merits. The "sci-fi" version doesn't have any stupid "mental whispering", but it also lacks the dark visual style of the Lynch movie, which I love!

Maybe my perspective will change after I finally read the book. I picked up a copy yesterday and plan to read it after I finish the book I'm currently working on. I tested out the first chapter and was pretty impressed! It felt character focused and not so obsessed with "world building". We'll see if that continues however. If the movies are any indicator, I've got a long, complicated way to go.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Iron Man (Spoiler Free Review)



I'm so glad I avoided trailers for this movie like the plague. I'll just start by saying that this flick is impossibly cool. Robert Downey Jr. was perfection in the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man, bringing his sense of wit and charm to the screen that embody this character so well. Gwyneth Paltrow perfectly compliments Downey Jr., creating romantic interest and tension that plays well and fittingly never gets resolved. Jeff Bridges is another great choice for an antagonist in this flick. Watching his character's path is enjoyable throughout.

The main thrust of the movie is as follows: Playboy Tony Stark's multi-billion dollar company produces weapons of war that find themselves in the hands of terrorists. After a very close call that leaves Stark with potentially fatal "scars", Tony turns around and designs the "Iron Man" suit to find and destroy Stark weaponry in the hands of terrorists. You won't find arch-nemesis "The Mandarin" here, although he is likely the leader behind the terrorist organization known as "The Ten Rings".

Despite the subtle "anti-violence" beat in the film(which offers only a little potential for meaningful discussion afterward), this movie has no shortage of explosive action. In just the first few minutes, audience members are thrown into a military encounter gone bad, and we feel the fear right along with Stark. There are no "mindless explosions" for pure eye candy in this movie. The action is surprising and you're never quite sure what will happen next. This is also true of the film's sense of humor. There are several great comedic moments as Stark tests and develops his armor.

Director John Favreau has admitted a nod to "Robocop" during development, and a few moments play as subtle remakes of signature Robocop moments if you know where to look. The sound design makes you cringe as bullets bounce and shrapnel flies. The armor does pretty much all the things fans could hope for. (I won't spoil it here, though.) And the special effects look great. Not perfect. CGI still has an obvious "look" to it, but when it's used to create machines and not living things, it's much easier to forget about.

The score is a perfect blend of heavy metal and traditional scoring, with emphasis on the former. Favreau also allows the actors to play and improvise, resulting in some wonderfully "real" character beats. This attention to both character and action continues and even improves upon the balance we've come to expect in our modern superhero films.

Above all, despite the great humorous bits in the film, the movie takes the character concept seriously. It translates the source material into a cinematic framework that feels real, but without short-changing the spectacular fantasy of a comic book.

Although it's a very close call, I believe this film is the greatest modern ('98-'08) Comic Book Superhero movie ever made. A sequel seems like the most obvious thing in the world. The last line before the credits role left me with an open-mouth smile that stayed for close to 30 seconds. And whatever you do, stay for the bonus scene that comes after the credits are done. The rumored "cameo" is not just a rumor, and left me with another dropped jaw when the last line of the scene had been spoken.

If Marvel keeps their head on straight, they could create a cohesive movie universe like nothing seen since the classic Universal monster movie crossovers.

Every fan of superheroes simply MUST see this movie. It's WAY too fun to miss out on. It will be all you talk about on Monday, so go grab your ticket and repulsor boost your way into the theatre!

Quality: 10/10

Veracity: 7/10