Movie Review - Bill and Ted Face The Music

I enjoyed Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey in the 80s, but I was never a huge fan and thought they covered all the ground that needed to be covered. But I was curious to see where filmmakers would go with this three decades later.

Bill & Ted Face The Music is a 2020 science fantasy comedy based on Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure from the 80s. It's rated PG-13 for language and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Fun. This movie is a lot of fun and is true to its 80s roots.

The Bad

Absurd. This movie is pretty silly. None of the actions any of the characters make makes any sense.

Breaks the Rules. This movie breaks all the rules it sets for itself and throws any sort of logic and reason with time travel out the window.

Change of Premise. The original movie stated that Bill & Ted's music touches the whole world in such a way it brings about a new era of peace and harmony. This movie raises the stakes unnecessarily by saying they have to play a great song or all of existence ends.People in the future should have known this the first time.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the movie had make a little more sense.

Overall

Bill & Ted Face The Music is an absurd film that feels like a couple of fans sitting around saying, "Dude, do you know what would be awesome?" and then throwing out every crazy idea that comes to their heads. This story is absurd. None of the actions any of the characters make makes any sense. The original movie stated that Bill & Ted's music touches the whole world in such a way it brings about a new era of peace and harmony. This movie raises the stakes unnecessarily by saying they have to play a great song or all of existence ends.People in the future should have known this the first time. This is not a well made movie, but it is a fun conclusion to the 80s films for those who wax nostalgic. I give this film 3 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

  

 

Movie Review - Tenet

It's nice to have new movies in theaters again, even if they aren't the films I was excited to see.

Tenet is a 2020 science fiction espionage film. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Entertaining. Despite its flaws, this movie is very entertaining and I enjoyed myself up to the end.

Robert Pattinson. I'm not a big fan of this actor, but he did a great job in this film adding much needed levity and rationality to an otherwise confusing and somewhat tense film where everyone else acts oh so seriously.

Unique Take on Time Travel. I'm sure this isn't an original take on time travel, but it's the first time I've seen or read it, so it was a nice change. It wasn't necessarily that clever, and I don't see people copying it like they did Star Wars or The Matrix, but it helped make the film more entertaining.

Not A Video Game. Christopher Nolan likes to do as much of the film in camera and with practical effects as possible, and it is really refreshing to watch a movie and not a video game (where most of the movie is created digitally).

The Bad

Protagonist. The protagonist in this film is very boring and not especially likeable. His character is never developed, and he doesn't do anything to make him especially heroic.

Pacing. Christopher Nolan has a bad habit of using a constant pace in all his films--the same pace for exposition as for action scenes. While it's fast enough it never drags, it also never has you at the edge of your seat.

Poor Storytelling. The plot and concept of the film is very simple. It's the poor storytelling that purposely obfuscates information and what is going on that is complicated--a contrived, forced complication.

Twist was Not So Twisty. All the twists and reveals being very meh, because the concept was pretty simple.

No Suspense. There was not a single instance in this film when I felt the protagonists might have a chance of losing, so there was never any real suspense or peril.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I would have loved to have better action scenes, more suspense, and a more clever use of the unique concept. There are so many places the filmmakers could have gone, and they picked the most obvious ones.

Overall

Tenet is an entertaining science fiction espionage film. It offers a unique take on time travel, Rob Pattinson is an interesting character, and it's so nice to see a film and not a video game (meaning Christopher Nolan likes to do as much of the film in camera and with practical effects as possible, while most other movies rely too heavily on digital effects). Unfortunately, John David Washington is a very boring protagonist who is never developed and never does anything especially heroic, the pacing is very metered, the twists are not very clever, and there is never a moment you don't think the good guys will win. The plot and concept of the film is very simple. It's the poor storytelling that purposely obfuscates information and what is going on that is complicated--a contrived, forced complication. I would have loved to have better action scenes, more suspense, and a more clever use of the unique concept. There are so many places the filmmakers could have gone, and they picked the most obvious ones. I give this film 3 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

  

 

Audiobook Review - Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by

I love short stories and radio dramas! And I love stories that focus on concepts. And I love original stories that take a different angle on stories.

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a science fiction short story anthology. It is available as an eBook, audio book, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Today I Invented Time Travel. 3.5/5 This was a fun idea that needed more development.

End Game. 5/5 Video game addiction and its effects on society. Even without this twist, the story is really entertaining and fun.

November 8, 2016. 4/5 A look at people's inherent worth vs. the perception of their worth.


Horatio Breathed His Last. 4/5 An author and his creator. A story I've heard before, but well told.

Purgatory. 5/5 Suicide and alien abductions that don't go how you think they'll go.

Out of the Blue. 4/5 Reality is a giant computer simulation which explains why things that have happen happened.


Rose. 2/5 Miracle plant that can bring the dead back to life and a disappointing romance.

Red Parka. 4.5/5 A new take on psychics that can see the future. Fun story.

Mister Personality. 4/5 This is a story about AI. It takes a different twist on what it means to be human.

Christmas in Silver Peak. 4/5 This is a first contact story at Christmas. While the ending isn't original, I didn't expect that twist with this particular story.

The Bad

Dakō. 1/5 One person looks for a deceased loved one. The "twist" is obvious and been done too often.

Quick Fix. 2/5 Science opera engineering that had potential but didn't go far enough with it.

Tick Tick Tick. 2/5 Man gets a tick which transform him. Okay, unoriginal, and doesn't really go anywhere.

Bloop. 2/5 An alien contact gone wrong, almost as wrong as this story went. Clever approach.

Their DNA Was No Longer the Same. 2/5 This is an exploration of a recent discovery about time in space changing DNA.

The Last One. 2/5 The apocalypse and inborn talent that goes nowhere interesting.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out.

Overall

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a great science fiction short story anthology. I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out. This collection has more good than bad and covers a wide range of science fiction and science fantasy with several commenting on society. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

     

 

Book Review - Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines

I am a huge lover of short stories, especially science fiction short stories. I buy and read a lot of anthologies, but find myself disappointed by a good number of stories in almost any collection (Edmond Hamilton collections being an exception). The two books I've read by Peter Clines were both excellent and original, so I thought I'd give his short fiction a whirl.

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories is a science fiction short story anthology by Peter Clines. It's an Audible original and exclusive.

The Good

Mulligan. This story involves time travel and changing history so different species become the dominant species told thru a police interrogation.

The End of the Experiment. This is a time travel story in England.

Flesh Trade. This is a monster story mixed with a slave trade.

The Apocrypha of Gamma 202. This is an android story that explores deity.

Dead Men Can't Complain. This is another zombie story about what life is like for the undead.

Forged. This is a very short story about magic and immortality.

Contraption. This is a story about the dangers of an addictive game.

The Not-Quite-As-Good

Bedtime Story. This story is a dark version of Superman showing what would happen if he decided to make everyone safe.

The Long, Deep Dream. This story is a detective story where the private eye finds out about a secret the whole world is controlled by.

Red Neck Romancy. This is very short horror story.

The Hat Box. This is a zombie story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More stories!!

Overall

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines is an incredible anthology of science fiction and horror stories, each taking an original angle on a tried-and-true troupe of the genres. Even though the stories are short, they don't feel rushed or cut short. Each feels fully realized and left me satisfied while wanting a sequel. Even the not-quite-as-good stories are well done. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review - Fight and Flight, Magic 2.0 Book 4 by Scott Meyer

I've been reading this series since it debuted and have enjoyed every installment. Somehow the author has found a way to bring something new to the saga without changing the basic premise or any of the things that make the stories so much fun. When I reached the fourth book, I read a lot of negative reviews about this story, so I hesitated to pick it up. Would it be an epic fail like so many readers had reported?

Fight and Flight, Magic 2.0 Book 4 by Scott Meyer is a satirical, comedic, science fiction fantasy. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Premise & Execution. The author has a really clever premise--there is a text file that dictates the makeup of the universe, and altering that file alters reality. People that find the file end up going back to Camelot and pretending to be wizards. The author has also done a masterful job of executing the premise. It's fun, it's clever, it's enjoyable. And four books later, the author hasn't spoiled the stories nor repeated himself.

Characters. The characters are so enjoyable and so likable. They are well developed and while they grow and learn things, they stay basically the same so the stories never drift from what we like.

Narration. The narrator does a brilliant job giving each character a unique voice and reading the stories in the appropriate tone of voice. He's as responsible for the success of the series as the author.

The Bad

Content. This story was as long as others, but very little happened. The story is about dragons. I think the author could have spent a little more time thinking up cool thinks to do with them.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish more had happened.

Overall

Fight and Flight, Magic 2.0 Book 4 by Scott Meyer continues a fun, clever series with lots of pop culture references and video game like adventures. The author has managed to once again bring something new to the saga without changing the basic premise or any of the things that make the stories so much fun, something. The story does not feel like a remake or version of any of the previous stories while still retaining everything about them that made them so much fun. This one didn't have quite as much story or adventure as previous stories. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

The first book I ever read by Peter Clines was really good, and the next one blew me away. I kept reading more and more by this author until I got to his Ex-Heroes series that was so awful I didn't dare read anything more from this author. This book had been in my wish list for a long time, before I decided to give it a chance.

Paradox Bound is an time travel mystery adventure. It is available as an eBook, audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters were so distinct, well developed, and likable, even those that appeared briefly.

Original Take on Time Travel. I love time travel, but most of the time it's the same half dozen stories being retold. This was a fresh and clever take on the idea that I've never seen done before. And yet it makes so much sense that I can't understand why I haven't seen it before.

World. The author creates a really wonderful world with clearly established rules he never breaks. Exploring the world was a lot of fun.

Twist. I never saw the twist at the end coming even though it was foreshadowed and made perfect sense.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a master of reading audiobooks. I buy audiobooks just because he reads them, and even mediocre ones he elevates to pretty good.

The Bad

I've got nothing

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I've got nothing.

Overall

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines is pure perfection. It is one of the best books I have ever read. The characters are all so distinct and so likable. The original take on time travel was both refreshing and clever. The twist at the end I never saw coming even though it was foreshadowed and made perfect sense. I give this series a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

    

Movie Review: Your Name

I enjoy anime. Most of it is mediocre to boring, the good stuff is REALLY good. Anime is known for being original, experimental, and breaking new ground. It is film first, animation second. That's what I like so much about it.

Your Name is a 2016 romantic adventure anime involving time travel. It is rated PG and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Animation. This film is gorgeous. The visuals alone are worth watching this movie for.

Exploration of Themes. This film tackles very common ideas of identity, time travel, and love, but does it in such an original way that I was truly inspired by it. It' so original and fresh.

Pacing. This movie started off slow (like most anime), but it picked up the pace and felt like a western film early on.

The Bad

Exposition & Setup. This film began a little slow and confused. I wasn't sure what was happening. The director could have shown what time it was to better orient the viewer. Also, the characters figured out they were switching bodies pretty quickly and just accepted it. As realistic and the characters and motivations were, that part was a little far fetched. No rational person would ever think that or accept that without mountains of evidence.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the beginning had had more development, showed how the characters discovered they were switching bodies, and explored the differences of boys and girls. All of that was rushed thru.

Overall

Your Name is a fascinating, beautifully animated film that after a slow start had me at the edge of my seat. It explored relationships, identity, and time travel in ways I've never seen before. I give this movie 4.5 boxes of popcorn out of 5.

    

Book Review: Replay by Ken Grimwood

I'm a big fan of time travel stories, but find myself disappointed that every story has been done at least four dozen times and there are no new twists or takes on the genre. Then I read Replay.

Replay is a character-driven romantic drama written by Ken Grimwood. It's available as an audiobook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

Jeff dies of a heart attack. Then he wakes up in his younger self decades in the past with the chance to live his life again with all of his previous knowledge. And he takes full advantage of it and even finds out he isn't the only one.

The Good

A New Take on Time Travel. I was really surprised to find a new take on time travel. While it isn't radically different or original, it's different enough that it felt fresh and new and I didn't know exactly what was going to happen.

Characters. The characters felt very real and developed. I felt like I was reading about actual people going thru actual experiences in a biography. It's rare an author can write characters that aren't obvious versions of himself.

Ending. The ending wasn't a huge shock or twist, but it wasn't what I was expecting. And it added a really nice close to the story.

The Bad

Melancholy. The only minor quibble I have with this story is at times is got a little too melancholy with the characters spending too much time moping.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author had revealed how the characters were able to relive their lives. It wasn't necessary to the story, but inquiring minds want to know.

Overall

Replay by Ken Grimwood is a really intriguing character-driven romance that takes a fresh approach to the time travel genre. The characters are so real it feels like reading a biography at times. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.