The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. What everyone is saying.

     Everyone was excited to see what would happen next in the second movie of The Hobbit. As December rolled in people had their tickets ready, and had their cosplay set for The Desolation of Smaug. Fans, and nerds, and geeks were on pins and needles, theories were created, spoilers posted. Everything was prepared.
      Since this review is so late in the making after the release of the movie I am not bothering about spoilers, and my post will mostly be about the likes and dislikes of the movie that everyone is talking about. Not just my likes/dislikes, but in general the arguments and opinions of what I have read, or some of what my friends and family have said or heard.

~Random female Elf! Personally, I did not like that Peter Jackson threw Tauriel in to ‘appeal to the female audience.’ I think the fact that he made the dwarves so handsome was enough for the drooling girls. That does not mean I dislike her altogether. I have heard said she was like a stereo-typical side female character; strong, good fighting, and of course falls in love.
   While other sources liked her as a character and thought she intertwined with the story very well. She was a very good warrior, and a rather fun character with a sassy sense of humor. Even though made up they had a history for her and even an age, (600 years).

 ~ Legolas Appears! At the beginning when we heard they were putting Legolas in the movie, there was a boom in the fandom. A lot of controversy about whether he should be there or not stretched long. I was one that thought he should not be put in. There was already too much drama around him for my liking.
    My friends argued with me that Legolas might have actually been there, if Mr. Tolkien had invented him beforehand. You see, Legolas did not exist until The Lord of the Rings, which was written after The Hobbit. We know from the book that he was Thranduil’s son. Since Thranduil is in the book, The Hobbit, they said naturally Legolas would be there. So logically Legolas could have been there.
    They did stretch his roll dramatically in the movie, considering he was not in the book, to the joy of his devoted girl fans.

~Tauriel + Kili = love. So that was awkward, where did that come from? The group of friends I saw the movie with was all in shock and wondering the same thing, as we watched Kili flirt and Tauriel apparently enjoying it, and then that moment when Kili is hurt and she is healing him and she starts to glow. Many of my friend’s heads were bowed and shaking with disbelief, or hiding their eyes in embarrassment. It was a big shock to us all.
   Also considering how hard it is for dwarves and elves to get along at all ever, I think the saying: that escalated quickly, applies.
   For the romantic type they found the love interest touching. Some romance needs to be in every movie right? I guess to appeal to a wider audience they decided to toss it in there.

~That was definitely CGI. In The Lord of the Rings it was usually hard to tell they had used CGI (Computer-generated imagery), and sometimes they did not, and the makers of the movie worked hard to make it look as real as they could. In The Hobbit however it was clearly visible that half of it was CGI, I could say it disappointed us nerds quite a bit. I certainly was a bit upset, until my brother brought up a good point to me. He said that The Hobbit was written for a younger audience, so it made sense that they would make the movie a bit less realistic--almost cartoon like if you would permit me to say--. Even if it does not look as real as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, we can still enjoy the beautiful scenes and designs, and the world of Middle Earth.

~That was not in the book. I think everyone would agree that the first movie was closer to the book than the second. The producers added so much of their own creation to the second movie. Personally speaking, I did not mind the change. Of course we were already expecting and preparing ourselves for great changes –as movies always do-- so it was not really surprising. They added things with Gandalf and the White Council from the book Unfinished Tales, but the producers also added their own things, like Legolas’s importance, and Tauriel, and the fight with Smaug.
   I did not hear much complaining or gripping about the changes in the movie, as a matter of fact a lot of people liked it, thought it interesting.
   A friend of mine said while watching the movie it felt like they were using this movie as a build up for the third and last movie, as if it was going to get better for the last adventure.

     There is a lot more topics people are talking about with this movie –even about the colour of Tauriel’s hair?-- I just wrote about the most popular and most spoken of topics of this movie.
   We all have J.R.R Tolkien to thank for creating a world so many people and so many generations love, and enjoy, and can discuss over constantly.

   Now we wait for the extended edition of The Desolation of Smaug and then, and then here comes the last movie. Fans, nerds, and geeks alike are anticipating, predicting, and gathering their new costume for the next Hobbit Movie: There and Back Again. With the cliffhanger they gave us, I am on pins and needles to see the next movie, as I am sure so many people are.

Always at your service, and thanks for reading.

Voronwe's Pacific Rim Review: Seid ihr das Essen? Nein, wir sind der Jäeger!

Pacific Rim

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro.

Rated PG in Canada, 12A in the United Kingdom, and PG-13 in the United States, for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language.

I feel the need to preface this review with a confession about myself: I am hard-wired to nitpick.

It's not something I'm always proud of. There are many works of cinema, literature, and games that I really want to love and go nuts over, but so often there are just those nagging issues within that prevent me from enjoying them as much as I want to. Minor things like an inconsistency in sci-fi technology, an underdeveloped character, a poorly choreographed action sequence, a cheesy romance; issues that to many moviegoers, do not and should not matter. 

'Tis a far better thing, in my view, to accentuate the positive. There are flawed works with so much good in them; and alas, my mind forces me to feel those nagging flaws even as I talk about the wondrous aspects.

Why can't I be like a little child again? My heart filled with youthful, boyish wonder at the sight of a mighty dragon, a giant robot, a well-choreographed sword fight, a funny or just plain likeable character -- the simple joy of being wrapped up in a story that has some issues, yes, but remains brimming with heart, excitement, and that unidentifiable "awesomeness factor".

Pacific Rim is the movie that freed me from my curse.

On the surface, there are some logical fallacies and pacing issues, but I simply can't bring myself to care when all that sticks out in my mind are the surprisingly likeable, if stock, characters, and the epic scale of the action and story.

The story begins with a lengthy backstory describing how the giant monsters we named Kaiju (japanese for monster) suddenly emerged from a dimensional rift in the Pacific ocean, subsequently spreading mass destruction, and prompting the people of earth to build giant mechs called Jaeger (german for "hunter") to fight them off before they destroy us all.

After a stunning and emotionally involving opening battle that I won't spoil, the film spends much time focusing on the characters and minutia involved in the Jaeger program, with very little action for the first third. This lull didn't bother me much, as despite the fact that the characters *are* somewhat generic (the haggard commander, the young hero, his love interest and co-pilot, the wacky scientists) they were nevertheless incredibly likeable and well-written. The character of Mako Mori (played by Rinko Kikuchi) in particular had a fascinating backstory, and was well-worth the time they devoted to it.

I would also like to comment on the romance aspect of this film, and how well it was handled. Where most action films like this would use it merely as a token aspect of the film, replete with cheesiness and far too much physical interaction between the two characters, here, it is carried mainly through their learning from each other and sharing their memories as they battle the Kaiju together. In a big departure from most Hollywood romances, they don't even kiss. The only major physical display of affection is a single hug.

Well… there was also that scene where they engaged in an intense bout of hand-to-hand combat… Even so!

Of, course, none of these are the main reason most people, myself included, saw the film. The real draw is seeing giant monsters fighting giant robots, and when the movie gets there, it does not disappoint.

The action scenes are enormously impressive in scale, very tense, very creative, and overall, I could not have asked for much more out of them. They do get (surprise) rather violent, and I can definitely empathize with people who will avoid the movie because of it. They are nevertheless very, very impressive, and true to the kind of action to be expected of the mecha animes that clearly inspired it.

It's not for everyone, and it won't be taking home any oscars, but for anyone that loves a well-written action-sci-fi film with likeable characters and an epic scale should give it a watch.

Anything that can get me to stop nitpicking for two-hours is well worth celebrating.

"Seid ihr das Essen? Nein, wir sind der Jäeger!" 
("Are we the prey? No, we are the hunters!")

BBC Sherlock

I've been putting off writing this review because when I write reviews about things that I really love, it feels like I'm just fangirling about the chosen subject for several paragraphs.
However, I am now going to attempt to write a decent review of this show without geeking out on you all (too much).

I first discovered Sherlock in January of 2011, just a few months after the first series aired. At that point, I was already a big Sherlock Holmes fan from reading the books, but had been greatly disappointed with the only on-screen adaption I had seen thus far, that being the 2009 movie starring Robert Downey Jr. (I will be going further into that in another review).
I was instantly intrigued by the idea of a present day adaption and watched all three of the episodes in the first series. I loved it.

The casting was perfect, the character portrayal was very well done and tweaked just the right amount to fit into the modern setting, and even though every episode was based on one or more stories from the original canon, the plots were cleverly done and changed enough to make it as much of a mystery for old Holmesians and new watchers alike.
Holmes and Watson are wonderfully acted by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. They have great chemistry onscreen and it's a pleasure to watch them play out the famous friendship and partnership between their characters.

As far as ratings and age appropriateness go, it is rated 14A and I suggest keeping to that rating.
Several characters are shown using various weapons. There is some language, smoking, and references to drug use. There are also some scenes in episode one of series two that have suggestive content, and episode two of that same series has some scenes that could be frightening for younger children.

I honestly could say so much about this fantastic show, but I think it's best to let Sherlock speak for itself. I don't want to give away any spoilers.
As a whole, the show is brilliantly done and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (No Spoilers)

When I first saw an advertisement on the television for this new series, I must say I was instantly excited and interested in what they were going to do with it. I was not disappointed.

First of all, I'd like to make my opinion known on a subject that I've already seen some negative feed from. The fact that they brought Agent Coulson back honestly did not
bother me in the slightest. I thought it was a clever move on their part to have an already well-established and well-liked character to start with, something that any good spin-off should have anyways. I look forward to seeing how that story line will play out.

My overall impression of the first episode was that I felt satisfied with it. I was pleased with how they started, and was already interested and invested in the various characters by the end of the 45 minutes. A promising start.

The clever and witty dialogue was very enjoyable. Seeing some more of the inner workings of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the day to day stuff that happens after all the supers have headed back to Stark Tower, Asgard, etc. was pleasing to see, as well as quite a few shiny new gadgets for the sci-fi and tech geeks to appreciate.

The one thing which threw me a bit was the few instances where there was stronger language than I had anticipated. This being a television show rather than a movie, they do have a bit more freedom in that area.

All in all, I liked what I saw, and I am definitely going to be watching the upcoming episodes.

Guns of Icarus

This review was created by my brother, I asked his permission to share it here.
He also has his own blog with his gaming ideas and projects from his school at VFS (Vancouver Film School) here. Firmus

Please enjoy, and as usual; thanks for reading. 

   I just started playing the Guns of Icarus online, and I must say that it is probably one of the best team based games I have played yet. I must admit that I have not played many team games, but the ones that I have played made me feel like my team was just multiple people wanting the same thing and running around on their own, or in pairs to get it done rather than being one unit. in this game teems consist of two or more dirigibles, and each one has 4 people on it. Unlike other games, a single person does not carry the whole team, but all of the players must work in unison to get the job done. Each person is crucial, there is the Pilot: who steers the dirigible in and out of combat, the Gunner: who mans the different guns on the dirigible, and the Mechanics: who run around fixing the ship, and who man the guns when needed. Each job on the dirigible is fun too; I have just as much fun being a mechanic, and flying or shooting.

*in short, Guns of Icarus is a great game.

City of Bones Movie

   My expectations were low for this movie, and the real reason I had gone to it was for my younger sister and friends. To my surprise and enjoyment I found this movie very well done.
   I have not read the book for this series, and my only knowledge of it is a friend who told me it is very accurate to the book with some of her favorite quotes.
   My negative feedback is one major problem parents should look for. There are slight hints here and there, and then Clary (the protagonist) implies outright about one of the characters being gay, which he is. That did set me off and I wonder what the world is coming to when we even have gays in our movies.
   It can be rather violent with slaying of monsters they call "demons" and can be very scary for younger viewers, although I would not rate it as high as the X-men movies when it comes to violence.
   One more thing to watch out for is that near the beginning Clary's mother uses Jesus' name in vain. I only caught it that one time otherwise it is a clean speaking movie.
 

 It is a fast action movie, with terrific graphics, and set design. The costumes were very creative and the characters were well picked for their parts.
   The movie does take a twist that I did not predict to my enjoyment, and kept a good pace all the way to the end. It really drew out our imagination and had humor we could laugh out right at. 

   I would definitely say younger kids should not watch this movie, but is something teens can enjoy and be drawn into the world, as long as they are careful not to accept the world view of "Believing in yourself," and being gay is okay. 

Thanks for reading.

Divergent: Different

   I have read the first book of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. At first I thought it far too similar to Suzanne Collins Hunger Games trilogy: Based sometime in the future. The government was corrupt so sections of people were created. The protagonist is a teenage girl that hardly knows anything about what is going on. With those similarities, the rest is all different and more to my liking. 

    What were not very much appreciated from a Christian view was the all the killing and deaths. Some of it I realized was unavoidable, some of the deaths actually happen in real life now a days and can be understandably put in. However when there is a gun in a fourteen year old girls hand, shooting people, I cringe. Some of the deaths she caused I believe could have been avoidable, thus sparking my dislike.
   My second disapproving remark would be the kissing. Lots of lovey-dovey kissing whenever possible, that I am sure could have been left out.
   Now on to the good stuff.
   I did approve -to my surprise- the love interest. At first I thought the inevitable love triangle would appear, but Miss Veronica snatches that away quickly. The love interest between out protagonist "Tris" and an older boy called Four, do not spend an annoyingly long time figuring out they like each other. So besides all the smooching it was rather touching to see-I mean read. 

   My second compliment would be for the protagonist Tris, as she is called. She is not overly beautiful or tall. She is just like any normal girl. She knows she is not perfect (Not just in looks) and that she is hard to deal with, making her a character a lot of girls can enjoy and relate to.
   Lastly I would like to say cheers to the creator of this world, Veronica Roth. Unlike the Hunger Games which looked to be sloppily put together, Miss Veronica delved deeper. I learned that she actually studied in college to be a creative writer, which gave her the writing style and skills something to appreciate.
  

 On a side note coming from a regular classic books reader I would say Veronica Roth has been one of the best popular modern writers I have read that I really enjoy, and I look forward to reading the next two books in the Divergent cycle, Insurgent and Allegiant. 

     Thanks for reading.