Book Review: John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger

I've studied quite a bit of US History, but one period and one figure that often gets overlooked is John Quincy Adams and his time in government. Aside from the "corrupt bargain" and his relationship to the country's second president, little is said about the numerous other contributions he made. He fought with Washington, served as minister to six countries, served in Congress, as Secretary of State, and as President, and helped negotiate an end to the War of 1812. He argued cases before the Supreme Court and spoke up against slavery when such a thing was prohibited.

John Quincy Adams is a biography written by Harlow Giles Unger. It's available as eBooks, Audiobooks, and those old-fashioned paper book things.

The Good

The Writing. Harlow Giles Unger's prose were crisp, clean, and clear. The narrative never dragged, nor did I feel like it moved too quickly. I never found myself bored or wished the book had spent more time on a certain event. I would definitely read more from this author.

Linear Telling. One complaint I have with tellings of true events is how authors like to jump around in time to try and make a point and/or force their interpretation of history on the reader by manipulating the telling and order of events. This book doesn't make that mistake. It tells the story in a linear fashion letting the reader draw his own conclusions for the most part.

Completeness. The novel covers John Quincy Adams life completely. Nothing important is left out or brushed over too quickly.

Objectivity. John Quincy Adams was quite a controversial figure in his day with scandal following him from one post to another. From a floundering law practice to dissatisfaction with his work overseas as minister to various countries to the "corrupt bargain" that won him the presidency, and the "gag rule" in Congress, he was quite a despised character. But many later historians look back at his ideas that were eventually adopted such as the US funding the arts and sciences, the end of slavery, and more and see him as a visionary figure. The author does an excellent job of presenting all points of views and giving amble explanation of why he received such praise and such venomous attacks without forcing his personal opinion on the reader. For a biography, this is important.

The Bad

Audiobook Narration. I listened to this as an audiobook, and while the reading was proficient, it didn't do the story any favors. It didn't ruin the story, but it didn't add to it either. It was the weakest part.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I've got nothing.

Overall

John Quincy Adams is a well-written book about an intriguing character and his fascinating life and impact on the destiny of this nation. The story is always interesting and never feels rushed or dragging. John Quincy Adams' life is presented thoroughly and objectively without a personal agenda being forced down the reader's throat. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Movie Review: The Lego Batman Movie

I loved the original The Lego Movie and Batman's appearance in it. So when I heard he was getting his own film, I was pretty excited (especially considering Batman's last two appearances on the big screen left me a bit disappointed).

The Lego Batman Movie is a 2017 action, comedy, superhero film. It's rated PG and is appropriate for most audiences.

The Good

Humor. The humor was brilliant. The jokes were all so funny and original and covered such a broad spectrum of subjects and types of humor. Every single one worked.

References. This movie made more references than I thought possible to stick into two hours. It made references to every big screen appearance of Batman (including the original black & white serials from the 40s), the numerous TV appearances, and several classic comics. It included over two dozen Batman villains from the major players to the minor ones most people have probably never heard of. It also included references to other movies from Harry Potter to Gremlins to Iron Man. It also had references to music and other genres. I doubt anyone could catch all of them on the first or even second viewing. I can't believe the number of SuperFriends that made cameos.

Opening & Closing. This movie broke the fourth wall at the beginning and the end to make a comment on action movies, epic movies, and movies in general that was so funny and perfectly set the tone.

Action. The action does not disappoint. It was everything one could want from a Batman anything (movie, cartoon, comic). I can't see any live action movie even coming close to the level and fun the action in this movie achieved.

Visuals. This movie was gorgeous to look at from set design to costume design to character design. The colors, the lighting, the camera angles, and ever other visual was so well thought out and composed. I loved all the versions of the characters and settings the filmmakers used with the exception of Harley Quinn. They used the current comic book look which is one of my least favorite versions, but that's a personal matter of taste.

Music. This movie uses many different popular songs, well-known soundtracks, and a slew of original songs. The original songs were so fun and catchy. The popular songs were so well used. And the tracks from the original Superman movie was fun and a nice touch.

The Bad

Heavy-handed Moral. This story had a message underneath all the jokes that was literally spelled out several times in both words and images. You'd have to be brain dead not to have caught it the first time or the seventh time. It got annoying fast.

Robin. Robin was obnoxious from the lame character design to the poor characterization. He was obnoxious and kind of weird. With such likable characters, I'm shocked and saddened that they couldn't have done more with Robin. He's one of the best characters in the comics and cartoons. This was probably the worst version of him I've ever seen.

Prosaic Moral of the Story. The resolution to the emotional conflict was so prosaic and tired. For such a clever, original movie it felt out of place and kind of insulting. It wasn't enough to ruin the movie, but it did cause me to groan and shake my head.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they hadn't beaten me over the head with the moral of the story. All the humor, the references, the jokes, etc. weren't heavy handed. So not only was it annoying, it was out of place.

I also would have enjoyed slowing down the action scenes a little more so I could have enjoyed all the characters and references. It was a little too frantic.

Overall

The Lego Batman Movie is a masterpiece. It was funny, it was clever, it was original, it included so many villains and other parts of Batman's world that we've grown to love. The action was exciting, the story solid, and the pop culture references brilliantly done. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

Book Review: Jonathan Quinn Series

I don't read a lot of spy thriller-type novels, but I do watch a lot of that genre of movies. They tend to work better as movies than books, because it's more interesting to see exotic locals than to read about them, and it's more fun to watch action and fight scenes than read about them. 

The Johnathan Quinn series is a series of action, spy thriller, drama, novels and short stories written by Brett Battles. It features a cleaner (someone hired to bury the body after a government or other entity assassination) who finds himself involved in a lot more than he ever signed up for. It's available as eBooks, Audiobooks, and those old-fashioned paper book things.

The Good

Main Characters. Most of the characters are interesting and developed enough that I care about them, but only the main three characters are developed enough that I feel I really know them and are fully fleshed out. There is a whole slew of secondary major characters that feel a little generic and undeveloped, but that's okay because character development isn't the main focus of this type of story.

Writing. The writing is clean, crisp, and precise. Brett Battles could easily write for radio with his uncanny ability to paint such vivid and precise pictures of both settings and action. I can literally see the book as a movie in my mind without even trying.

Exotic Locals. The adventures of Quinn and crew take them all of the world to places I've heard of and some I never have. The author spends sufficient time describing each location in enough detail that you understand the context but not so much that you feel like you're reading a travelogue. He also describes the locations from the point of view of the man on the street and not a travel channel, so you feel like you are there observing the scene in person and not like you're watching it on tv from a helicopter.

Same but Different. There is a definite formula to these books that makes each one immediate feel familiar and comfortable and you aren't surprised at what you're getting. But the stories and characters evolve from book to book enough that each story feels new and different and not like a remake of a previous one. 

Understands this is a Novel and Plays to those Strengths. The author understands that these are novels to be read, not a movie to be watched. He understands that we can't see the locals or the action--we have to read it. So he does an excellent job focusing on the parts that work best in prose--discussions between characters, internal monologues, and suspense--and keeps the action to a minimum with vivid descriptions of fights that tend to end quickly. 

Audiobook Narration. Most of the novels are read by Scott Brick, who I really enjoy. (The official second novel of the series has someone else reading that does a terrible job, so I haven't bothered to read it. The short stories are not yet available as audiobooks.) He has a very measured, serious tone that works well for this type of story. I know a lot of people don't his style, and if you are looking for a more dramatic style with lots of variation, this isn't it. His voice never changes for different characters so you do have to pay attention to who is speaking. But for this type of story his style works well. I pick up a lot of titles because of his reading and have enjoyed all of them.

The Bad

Formula = Predictability. Each book in the series follows a very similar formula, which is typical of a lot of series. The problem with the formula in these books is it makes it too easy to predict what is going to happen and when. Suspense, twists, wondering what is going to happen next are all essential elements of the spy thriller genre and the reason people read them. When you follow a strict formula, the reader can easily predict what will happen next and how situations will turn out which is counterproductive to the genre. The author also has a bad habit of regularly killing off major secondary characters at the end of his books, so when the deaths come, they lose a lot of impact because you knew it was coming.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author would stop killing secondary major killers in such a predictable way. It cheapens their deaths. And I wish he'd mix up the formula a little more so the action wasn't so predictable. There is a lot of suspense, and I enjoy it, but there could be more.

Overall

The Johnathan Quinn series is one of the best spy thriller series I've ever read (or watched if we include all formats of entertainment). The books are well written with interesting characters, and the series is constantly evolving to keep the stories fresh but never straying far from the roots of the original novel losing the magic that hooked me from the beginning. 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.

 

Movie Review: Passengers

I've really enjoyed Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence in the various Marvel movies they've starred in separately, which is why I wanted to see Passengers. The trailers show great chemistry between two, and it's that chemistry and the natural charm of each that makes this movie so successful.

Passengers is a 2016 adventure, romance, drama, science fiction film. It's rated PG-13 for language, brief nudity, and sensuality and is appropriate for teenagers and up.

The Good

Visuals. This was a beautiful film to watch from the backgrounds to the set design to the costumes. Very well designed. I had a lot of fun exploring the world with the main characters and seeing possible technological advances that may come about. And the cinematography was extremely well done showing off the beautiful visuals.

Actors. I wasn't sure if a movie with basically only three characters in a closed environment could really be interesting enough for a two hour movie, but with the right characters, it is very possible. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence were both perfectly cast. They are both charming and likable on their own, but together have such great chemistry that even the quietest scenes of sitting were entertaining. And while Michael Sheen is supposed to be a mere machine, he is a delight and adds greatly to the story.

Dialogue. The dialogue was well written and well delivered. I could have guessed the characters' history and occupations from what they said and how they said it.

Pacing. The film moved at a very steady, gingerly pace that never felt rushed while never dragging.

Story. The story was an excellent story and well told. It fully explored all of the ideas that the premise set up without every getting lost in unnecessary diversions.

World. The producers created a really fun world to explore, and the story was set up in such a way that exploring the world made sense. I really like the optimism and brightness of the future. Such a contrast to so many other shows that have come out in the last several decades.

The Bad

Convenient Plot Twist. I understand the necessity of having a member of the crew wake up to make the saving the ship possible, but that's really the only reason it would happen. In real life, several people would probably have awoken because of malfunctions or maybe another passenger instead of the crewman. And having him die just at the right time was pretty contrived. It wasn't so unbelievable that it spoiled the movie, but it was pretty convenient with little justification.

Action Sequence / Climax. I understand that this is an American film and so there are certain things that have to go into it including a clear and present danger that just barely gets resolved at the end with the fate(s) of the main character(s) hanging in the balance. This really wasn't necessary to the film and was probably the weakest part. Still, they did a really good job of filming it and, while gratuitous, it was entertaining.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied, and didn't feel the movie was missing anything.

Overall

Passengers was probably the best flick I've seen in years with solid casting, acting, and storytelling. I was entertained from start to finish and never felt like it dragged or my intelligence was insulted. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

TV Show Review: Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 (Netflix Original Series)

I've been not so patiently waiting for the second season of Daredevil, at times wondering if it would ever come. I was a little nervous--actually A LOT nervous. I mean, how often does a sequel live up to the hype and expectations created by the original? And what about the new characters? I'm not a big punisher fan, and I've seen Elektra done both well and about as far from well as one can get. So how would this new season stack up? Fortunately all my fears were for not and my expectations shattered.

Daredevil is a 2016 Netflix original series from Marvel Studios. It is a 13-episode action drama about a blind lawyer with uncanny abilities and mad fighting skills based on the comic book published by Marvel Comics.

The Good

Returning Characters. I really enjoyed the characters from the first season, and they did nothing to change that opinion. Each one was still very likable, very true to who they were in the first season, and yet we saw growth and expansion in each. I even liked the Kingpin this time. In the first season he was very disappointing, but this season he was much more in line with the comic book version and the deadly schemer worthy of Daredevil.

New Characters. I was nervous how Elektra would be handled and whether Punisher would be compelling. Electra took me a couple of episodes to warm up to, because this is a slightly different spin on her than I've seen in the comics, but it was a good spin that worked in this universe and context. I've only read a few Punisher comics and wasn't a big fan of the character, but I'm a big fan of this version of him and would gladly watch a Punisher series if they decide to create one.

Story. The story could not have been better. Even thought there were actually two stories going on, they flowed from one to the other seamlessly. Both grabbed me by the collar and wouldn't let go until the very end. There was so much going on when the final episode began I worried they would rush it, but they didn't. It happened at just the right pace.

Pacing. The pacing was a lot better in this season. It never moved too fast so every scene had maximum drama and impact, and yet it never seemed to drag which is impressive considering it runs for over 12 hours. I watched the first 6 episodes and it felt like maybe an hour or two had passed, not 6.

Same but Different. This season looked and felt like a continuation of the first season. It didn't look like some reinvention had happened in the intervening months. And yet everything was different and new. Nothing was a rehash or a back remake of the first season, something I've never seem before (yes Star Wars, I'm talking about you). It felt like the same world, but a different corner of that world.

Easter Eggs. For a comic book fan like myself, I always appreciate little nods to the comics and other versions of the characters, and this season supplied them in spades from the pulp-styled poster of the gladiator hanging on the wall that looked awfully similar to a Frank Miller/Dave Mazzucelli cover to several nods and direct swipes from Frank Miller's run.

The Bad

The Red Suit. The red suit still looks stupid. Early in the season Daredevil's suit is damaged by the Punisher, and he is forced to ask the Gladiator to fix it. I was hoping they would use this opportunity to put Matt in the black and red suit from the current comics, but no. Maybe season 3.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

This time around I was completely satisfied with everything. I never found myself wishing they had done anything differently.

Overall

Overall, I loved this series. It had me hooked from the first minute and didn't let me go until the last. I didn't mean to watch all 13 episodes in one day, but I couldn't help myself. The characters, the story, the acting, the action, the tight plot, and the faithfulness to the comics made this a true classic. The Punisher and Elektra both added to the story and gave up great versions of each character. I highly recommend this series and give it a solid 5 out of 5 remotes.

     

Movie Review - Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

I enjoyed the Mission Impossible TV series from the 80s or 90s and loved the first Mission Impossible movie, but felt the movies had gone downhill from it. This one redeems the franchise.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a 2015 action, adventure, spy film. It's rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for teenagers and up.

The Good

Action. This is an action movie first and foremost, and the action doesn't disappoint for the most part. The fighting was interesting and intense. The fights were short enough they didn't get boring, but long enough I felt real struggle. They were also filmed so I could see what was going on. Too often directors trying and make them chaotic and confusing so the viewer will feel like they are in the middle of the fight, but I'd rather watch it than be part of it.

Stunts. The stunts were fun, especially the motorcycle chase at the end. I've seen a lot of car chases and motorcycle chases, but never one like that. I actually felt like I was on the motorcycle. It was great!

Pace. The movie was really well paced. I never felt bored, nor did I feel the film was moving too quickly to keep up with.

Story. This movie actually had a pretty good story with international intrigue and espionage. It was nice that it returned to the spy genre instead of being just another over-the-top action flick. They story was actually entertaining a more than an excuse for mindless action scene after mindless action scene. There was some real character development.

Twists. I won't say that the twists were completely unexpected, but there were several satisfying reveals at the end that I didn't completely see coming.

The Bad

Underwater scene. The underwater scene did not convey how difficult it is to hold ones breath for several minutes while swimming.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I really feel very satisfied with everything in the movie and didn't feel I was missing anything. It would have been nice to see a little more chemistry between characters, but it didn't hurt the film not to have that.

Overall

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation was an entertaining flick and reminded me a lot of the first one. I'd describe this as a really good remake. I was entertained from start to finish and never felt like it dragged. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

Movie Review: Marvel's Ant-Man

I've been an Ant-Man fan since I first discovered the character in the pages of a reprint of The Avengers comics from the 1960s by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. I thought he was a really interesting character with fun adventures, but I never imagined he could carry his own movie. And I was sort of right.

Marvel's Ant-Man is a 2015 sci-fi, action, adventure, comedy, superhero, heist film based on the Henry Pym and Scott Lang versions of Ant-Man. It's rated PG-13 for language and few intense scenes. It's appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Comedy. I think what makes Marvel movies stand out from every other movie is the intelligent humor they pack each film with. This movie is no exception. There are original jokes from the beginning to the end that add to the story and character development and aren't the same old jokes we've heard a million times.

Characters. The characters are all really interesting (minus the main villain) and well developed. I genuinely cared for all of them and wanted to know what happened to them. Even the cameos that appeared on screen for just a minute or two had character and personality. Well done, Marvel. Well done.

Action/Special Effects. The action was fun, and the use of the shrinking power was handled really well. The shrinking power was used in a clever way that made Ant-Man a unique hero. The special effects were not just another Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, but had their own style and flair. There was lots of action, but it didn't take over the film like in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Cameos. It was nice seeing Howard Stark and Peggy Carter at the beginning of the film to tie this into Marvel's history and put Henry Pym in his proper place as a key figure and brilliant scientist. And the fight with Falcon was fun.

The Bad

Villain. The main villain is little more than a bad caricature of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com. He might as well of had a thin mustache to stroke while tying young women to train tracks. Usually Marvel villains are misunderstood and genuinely believe they are the good guys, but in this film the bad guy revelled in how bad he was.

The Heist. This film is little more than a heist film, and it's a pretty typical, predictable heist. From Marvel I was really expecting a fresh take, and I didn't get that.

Twists. One of the interesting things about heist films is how things don't go as planned and unexpected twists come up. Maybe I've just read too many comic books or watched too many movies, but the twists in this film I saw from a mile away. Nothing was a surprise, not even the two codas during and after the credits or what happened to the original Wasp.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this had been more than a heist movie. There so much more that could have been done. There have been several characters who have worn the suit and called themselves Ant-Man, but Henry Pym in the 60s battling spies was by far the most interesting, and that's really what I was hoping this film would be. The heist approach was fine if it had had some really intriguing twists or a wholly original take, but it didn't.

Overall

Marvel's Ant-Man is  a solid, entertaining flick. It has the heart and humor we've come to expect from Marvel films. I highly recommend this film and give it a solid 4 out of 5 popcorn boxes.