Movie Review - Wonder Woman 1984

I've loved Wonder Woman for as long as I can remember. She is my favorite superhero. I loved the Lynda Carter TV series and never understood why Wonder Woman never had a theatrical film or animated series. Then Gal Gadot came onto the scene and started in an amazing movie and I thought, "Finally! Wonder Woman is getting the treatment she deserves. I can't wait for the next movie." Oh, how dreams can be so quickly dashed.

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 live-action action superhero film. It is rated PG-13 for violence and intensity and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Gal Godat. GalGodat is excellent in this film. She perfectly embodies Wonder Woman just as well as Lynda Carter. She is flawless in this.

80s Nostalgia. This film feels like the Lynda Carter series was brought back as an 80s TV movie of the week. I really enjoyed that.

Concept. The concept is similar to that of the short story The Monkey's Paw. Characters in the film find a magic wishing stone, and it grants wishes but at the price of taking what you value most. This is pretty original for a film and offers so many great directions to go. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't do that.

The Bad

Story. While the concept was great, the story was really weak. The director did not choose to explore any really clever or interesting story possibilities but decided to go with the obvious and tired nuclear war, Armageddon, blah, blah, blah.

Execution. This movie was not well filmed, the dialogue was stilted and forced, the acting was over the top, the message wasn't clear but was still shoved down the audiences throat in a very heavy-handed manner. The action scenes were slow motion on wires that defied the laws of physics so none of them looked cool or were engaging.

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish someone else had written the story and screen play. Patty Jenkins can direct, but she can't come up with interesting stories.

Overall

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 live-action action superhero film. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen all the best parts, all the actions scenes, and almost all of the jokes. GalGodat is excellent in this film. She perfectly embodies Wonder Woman just as well as Lynda Carter. She is flawless in this. This film feels like the Lynda Carter series was brought back as an 80s TV movie of the week. The concept is similar to that of the short story The Monkey's Paw. Characters in the film find a magic wishing stone, and it grants wishes but at the price of taking what you value most. This is pretty original for a film and offers so many great directions to go. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't do that. I really enjoyed that. While the concept was great, the story was really weak. The director did not choose to explore any really clever or interesting story possibilities but decided to go with the obvious and tired nuclear war, Armageddon, blah, blah, blah. This movie was not well filmed, the dialogue was stilted and forced, the acting was over the top, the message wasn't clear but was still shoved down the audiences throat in a very heavy-handed manner. The action scenes were slow motion on wires that defied the laws of physics so none of them looked cool or were engaging. I wish someone else had written the story and screen play. Patty Jenkins can direct, but she can't come up with interesting stories. I give this film 3 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

 

Audiobook Review - Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong

 

I love history. I love mythology and folk tales. I love learning new things. And I love to find books that bring all of these interests together

Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong is a series of lectures about British history, King Arthur, Robin Hood, mythical creatures, and their connections. It is available as an audio book from Audible.

The Good

Lots of Information Packed into a Brief Read. Reading the description and seeing the runtime of this audio book, I wasn't expecting all that much. Boy was I wrong! This book covers so many topics and covers it in an amazing amount of depth and detail I couldn't stop listening.

Conversational Tone. While this book is very scholarly and informative from a content point of view, the presentation feels like a casual conversation with a friend. It's very easy to follow and understand, and very enjoyable.

Relevant Information. I really appreciated how the author picked the most interesting topics to cover and answered common questions that haven't been satisfactorily answered.

The Bad

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What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Medieval Myths & Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong is a fascinating series of lectures about British history, King Arthur, Robin Hood, the Holy Grail, mythical creatures, and the connections between them. This book covers so many topics and covers it in a surprising amount of depth. While this book is very scholarly and informative from a content point of view, the presentation feels like a casual conversation with a friend. It's very easy to follow and understand, and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this audio book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

 

Movie Review - Aladdin (2019 live action film)

I remember seeing the original Aladdin cartoon in theaters and enjoying it, but not as much as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. I was excited to see the live-action remake until I heard Guy Ritchie was the director. He does some awfully strange things, so I wasn't sure how this would turn out.

Aladdin is a 2019 live action fantasy family film. It is rated PG for action and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Aladdin. I really enjoyed the Aladdin character. He was very likable and did a lot of cool stunts and amazing dancing.

Story. The story was solid. The filmmakers did a good job filling out backstory and motivation that was lacking from the animated feature.

Dancing. This movie featured quite a bit of great dancing. I just wish there had been more.

Visuals. This movie was visually stunning to look at. Everyone from the art director to photographer to production designers to costume designers did a top-notch job.

The Bad

Jafar. It has been said that a hero is only as good as his villain. Fortunately that isn't true or this movie would have been a disaster. Jafar was not charismatic, whily, menacing, or anything else a great villain needs to be. He was such a pushover.

Singing. The singing was good, but not as good as the animated feature.

Shoehorned Political Message. It's 2019 so the producers felt obligated to shoehorn the current political fad into the movie in a way that felt forced and uninspired. There are a lot of different ways they could have shown Jasmine to be a strong character other than seeking ultimate political power. That actually made her character look weaker, not stronger.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the singing had been better and the forced political message had been left out.

Overall

Aladdin is a great adaption of a classic animated film and a lot of fun for the whole family. Most of the cast was excellent and the story was solid with good additions filling in backstory and motivation the original lacked. The film was visually beautiful to watch, and the dancing was really impressive. The singing could have been stronger and more on key. The biggest problem was Jafar and what a weak, uninteresting, nonthreat they made him. Fortunately, the Aladdin character was great and carried the movie with his charm, great stunts, and amazing dancing, even if he seemed to overact his awkwardness. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Movie Review - Thor: Ragnarok

I really enjoyed the first two Thor movies and felt they were two of the strongest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I know there are many of you out there with opinions to the contrary, but I think a couple of decades of time will change your opinions), and I loved The Incredible Hulk movie. So I really excited for the latest Thor film prominently featuring the Hulk. But would it live up to my expectations? Was I setting myself up for disappointment?

Thor: Ragnarok is a 2017 superhero, action, adventure film from Marvel Studios featuring characters by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. It is rated PG-13 for language, some sexual jokes, and violence. It is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Chris Hemsworth. Chris does a great job portraying the God of Thunder. He's very likable, serious when he needs to be serious, and is very powerful in this role demanding attention like a Norse god should.

Planet Hulk scenes. I enjoyed the Planet Hulk animated movie from a few years back, and thought the producers did a great job integrating that with Thor and making it feel like both stories belonged in the same movie. And the scenes were fun, entertaining, visually delightful, and funny. This was without question the best part of the film.

The Bad

Plot and Pacing. This movie was thin on story and dragged until they reached the Planet Hulk scenes.

Hela. The villainess Hela was supposed to be this all powerful goddess of death that couldn't be stopped. Instead she was this shallow, prancing, two-dimensional character that was all talk and very little action. She just wasn't strong enough to provide real menace, nor interesting enough to be memorable.

Special Effects. I'm not sure if it is the director, the producers, or the special effects houses dropping the ball, but this movie felt very cgi and very cheap video game like. The leaps, flying, and fighting all looked badly rendered and cheaply put together. It took away from the film.

Humor. This movie had the usual Marvel movie jokes, except they weren't that funny. Every one you saw coming, and none were impeccably delivered.

Music. This film had some good music, but there were several different styles that didn't mesh well together, and several of them didn't fit the mood or feel of the film. I found myself conciously noticing the music, which you should never do. It should seamlessly blend with the visuals and other audio for a complete experience that you don't notice.

End Credit Scene. I don't expect a lot from the end credit scenes these days. The early ones always revealed something cool, but lately they've been desperate. The end credit scene for Thor: Ragnarok scraped an all new low that makes bottom of the barrel look elevated. Don't waste your time sticking around for it.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I would like to have seen more originality instead of following the Marvel Movie Formula so closely. Thor is a unique character with a unique backstory different than most superheroes that gives you options to break out of the Marvel Movie Mold and do something new. I also wish the villain had been stronger and that they had shown more Planet Hulk scenes.

Overall

Thor: Ragnarok is an entertaining film that continues the story began in earlier films and advances the characters and the story to the next chapter. The Planet Hulk scenes were so much fun and so entertaining and by far the best part of the film. The villainess Hela was weak and not a serious challenge. I give this movie 3.5 boxes of popcorn out of 5.

    

Movie Review: Wonder Woman

I have loved the character Wonder Woman for as long as I can remember. I loved the Lynda Carter 1970s television version, and I loved the 1980s SuperFriends version. I loved the original comics by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter, and I loved the George Perez and John Byrne reinventions. I even liked the New 52 version. But she is such a hard character to get right. Too many people either make her too silly and girly (like most of her comic appearances from the mid-40s to the 80s) or too witchy (like Bruce Timm's Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and the DC Original Animated Feature). But when she is done right, no one can compare.

Wonder Woman is a 2017 live action superhero action film based on DC Comics characters. It's rated PG-13 due to violence and a few sexual innuendos, but is appropriate for most ages.

Overview

Diana grows up on Paradise Island not knowing her true destiny until an American officer, Steve Trevor, accidentally crash lands on her island causing her to leave her home and travel to man's world to end World War I.

The Good

Gal Gadot. Gal Gadot was definitely the best part of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. After such a strong introduction, I was pretty sure this movie would be good. Her portrayal of Diane is spot on. She's sweet, kind, loving, compassionate, strong, and just. She never becomes witchy or disrespectful. Her strength isn't just physical but stems from her character.

Chris Pine. Chris Pine is great in everything he does. He's strong and powerful in this movie but also loyal and kind. His character isn't some Lois Lane weakling that needs saving and does quite a bit of saving on his own.

Story. The story is solid, interesting, and well told with nothing that would make you roll your eyes.

Pacing. The movie is long and doesn't rush anything, but it never drags

Action. The action is amazing! Even as spoiled as I've become watching so many Marvel movies, I was still blown away.

Humor. There isn't a lot of humor in this movie, but what little there is is incredibly funny, some of the funniest dialogue I've heard in a motion picture in quite some time. And it's spaced throughout the movie to provide relief from such heavy themes and settings.

Respect. This movie respects the characters. They all have an important roll to play and are treated like people and not plot devices (except for a couple of villains as you'll read about below).

Message. The movie has a very clear message that is relevant and important today about war, conflict, and human nature. While it is very clear and well developed, you never feel like you're being beat over the head with it.

True to the Comics. The filmmakers did a brilliant job incorporating so many elements from the comics (even the New 52) without any of them feeling forced.

The Bad

Villains. The General and Dr. Poison are played a little too cartoony and silly in places. The point of the movie is Wonder Woman and her discovery, so the filmmakers were wise not to spend too much time on developing the villains, but they could have made them more interesting.

Jumping and Strength Special Effects. Wonder Woman is shown several times jumping inhuman distances and lifting objects only Superman could lift. Unfortunately, these weren't done well. They look very fake and video gamey, and not in a good way. I wish the filmmakers had spent a little more time staging them so they felt more believable.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the special effects had been a little more carefully rendered and the villains weren't so cartoony. Otherwise it was everything I could hope for.

Overall

Wonder Woman is everything you could hope for in a superhero movie. It had a strong story, amazing action, beautiful visuals, and most importantly they got the character right. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

   

Book Review - Meet Me in Atlantis: My Quest to Find the 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City by Mark Adams

I've been a lover of mythology since I first heard listened to the tales of gods and heroes as a little child. The fact that many of these stories were likely based on real events intrigued my young mind at the time and continues to intrigue my old mind making it wonder what really happened all those thousands of years ago.

Meet Me in Atlantis: My Quest to Find the 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City is a nonfiction adventure / travelogue written by Mark Adams. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

Meet Me in Atlantis: My Quest to Find the 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City is the story of one man's journey to discover the lost city of Atlantis. He begins by summarizing the myth as told by Plato and then travels to several possible locations and explores the pros and cons of each.

The Good

Writing. This is really a fun book. The writing sounds like a buddy has just returned from a great adventure, and he is so excited to tell you all about it. It's crisp and clear and never drags or gets bogged down in scholarly prose.

Explanation of the Myth. The author does an excellent job retelling the original tale first told by Plato and then elaborated on by later writers and philosophers. He presents several new interpretations from scholars and experts on ancient ways and how they constructed myths and hid messages using numbers and placement. It was very fascinating and gave whole new meanings to familiar old tales.

Travelogue. I love traveling. I love travelogues. A good travelogue makes you feel like you've truly experienced a distant local, and this book does that marvelously. The author's descriptions are so vivid with concrete, relevant details. Each place he spends an appropriate amount of time painting the milieu, introducing the reader to the people and cultures and history. I feel like I've been to Morocco and Crete and locations in between.

The Bad

Purpose/Point. The title of this book is "quest" which naturally leads the reader to suppose that at the end of the journey he will discover something wonderful. There's nothing wonderful at the end of this book. It just ends. We're no closer to finding Atlantis than when the author started. I was pretty sure the author wouldn't be walking the streets of the ancient city situated beneath a dome at the bottom of the ocean or in another dimension, but I had hoped at least something would have been accomplished by the end. 

Guides along the road. At each stop the author meets with an "expert" who believes his or her location is the site of Atlantis. The idea of such a guide is great, but I question his choice. They aren't the most interesting of souls and are pretty blind to contrary evidence. 

What I Would Like to Have Seen

As much as I enjoyed the journey--and many people will tell you that the journey is more important than the destination--I still like a meaningful destination, and this book really didn't have one. We're no closer to finding Atlantas or even knowing if it ever really existed than we were before the author took his journey. I wish he had added something to the search.

Overall

Meet Me in Atlantis is an incredibly enjoyable ride with stops in several interesting and exotic locals and a fascinating look at history and possible history I'd never heard of before. Though nothing is really accomplished or discovered by the end of the book, the journey itself is enchanting enough to make the trip worthwhile. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review: The Iron Druid Chronicles

Normally I don't enjoy fantasy. I used to love the world of swords and sorcery, but after a while it all become more of the same with nothing new or original. And the worlds are always so far away with their own elaborate sets of rules that I find it hard to get into the story and care. And most of those types of books are long with numerous volumes that flow from one into another, which is a major commitment of time that rarely pays off. But if the fantasy is mostly rooted in this world with a few mystical elements, then I find it fascinating. The Iron Druid Chronicles is just such a series.

The Iron Druid Chronicles is a series of action, adventure, contemporary fantasy novels and short stories written by Kevin Hearne. It's available as eBooks, Audiobooks, and those old-fashioned paper book things.

The Good

Characters. The main characters were all very interesting and well developed. I felt like I understood what made each one tick, and I cared what happened to them. The author gave each of them a full back story with unique quirks that were fun to explore. The "bad guys" were engaging and I felt something when they met their ends. Even the generic creatures like Vampires and WareWolfs and familiar gods like Thor were given unique spins that made each feel fresh and fun. I never felt like I was reading something I'd read before. And somehow the author makes the minor characters who only appear for a single scene interesting and somewhat memorable.

Writing. The writing is very strong. The protagonist is Atticus O’Sullivan (not his real name), the last druid who has lived for thousands of years. The story is told in first person from his point of view. This allows us to explore the world thru his eyes and see it from his unique perspective and comparing the world of today to past civilizations.

Use of Setting. Having lived in Tempe, Arizona for several years, I am a little biased. I really enjoyed the use of actual locations, street names, etc. It brought back a lot of fond memories. But even for those who've never visited the Valley of the Sun, the use of an actual city helped to ground the story and add a nice element of reality and believability to a fantasy story, something that really helps engage the reader.

Adventures. The story was fun and exciting. The first story was a little small in scope, but they become more epic as the saga progresses. The short stories are fun little side trips that add to the overall story while providing a nice break from the epic.

Less Known Mythology. The story is about a druid and the ancient religion of what is today the United Kingdom, a mythology I'm not very familiar with and rarely see in fiction, which was really refreshing. The author spends sufficient time explaining the myths completely enough you understand the story and characters without turning it into a boring lecture.

Use of Mythology/Religion. The author took a very different approach to mythology, legends, and religions by saying they are all true and can interact with each other. This isn't a new idea, (I've seen it in several comic books a few novels), but in this story he made the idea of different pantheons existing in the same universe work much better and much more harmoniously than past efforts. They basically exist based on the faith of their believers (again, an idea that has been done before, but not often and not as well). When characters from other pantheons are introduced

Messing with History. The main character has been around for a couple thousand years, and the author uses this to put a unique retelling of fairly well known events. We're all very familiar with the quest for the Holy Grail, but this version of that story is completely different and yet works and is really fun and exciting.

Audiobook Narration. I listened to most of this series as audiobooks read by Luke Daniels. Luke Daniels is a brilliant reader and the reason I picked up the first book. He does an excellent job of bringing all the characters to life and sounding like different characters without making it silly. I pick up a lot of titles because of his reading.

The Bad

Heavy-handed bias. I'm fine with authors having strong opinions and expressing them as long as it doesn't become propaganda. This book crossed the line into propaganda with the author presenting his liberal view on the world as superior fact and showing those who disagreed as cartoonish idiots who immediately meet their demise. If you want to be an animal lover, that's fine, but that doesn't make you superior to those who aren't, nor are people who don't care for animals horrible people or ignorant fools. The writing and story were so strong that such obvious propaganda was out of place and annoying.

Overly powerful hero. The author makes the druid and his mythology superior to all other mythologies and characters. This causes a couple of problems. One, it's contrary to the established mythology. And two, the character becomes next to invincible so the stakes aren't that high. I found myself getting kind of bored during the dramatic epic battles, because I knew the druid would win and suffer no real loss. For example, when the main character's ear is cut off, it's healed in the next book, then cut off again, then healed again.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

The first few stories took place in Tempe, which was a fascinating setting. Arizona rarely appears in fiction, and when it does, it's never explored. This book actually explored it which added to the story. Then the characters have to move away to an isolated area and suddenly the stories feel like a stage play without scenery. I would have preferred the author to either keep the story in Tempe or find an equally interesting setting to move it to. The stories lost some of the magic when the setting disappeared.

Overall

The Iron Druid Chronicles is one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. I don't like fantasy, but I liked this. Each novel and short story added something to the saga and was not superfluous. The world the author created and the unique spin on well known and lesser known mythologies was refreshing and fun. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 eReaders.