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.

    

 

Book Review - Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane

I absolutely adore early newspaper comic strips by the great masters like Milt Caniff, Roy Crane, and Hal Foster. And I find the story behind the comics and their creators tend to be worth exploring.

Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane is a biography of the man and his work. It is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.

The Good

Telling of the Story. Biographies can be incredibly fascinating or painfully dull depending on who is doing the storytelling, and this author did a good joy of keeping the story moving while including a lot of information, details, and background information to set the story in the proper time and frame. While there is a ton of info, I never felt bogged down by it because of the quick page, conversational tone, and numerous visuals.

Artwork. This book does an incredible job of including a lot of photos and artwork, especially photos and artwork that have probably never been seen outside the family or since they were produced. I was really impressed with all the Christmas cards, sketches, doodles, advertisements, paintings, etc. and the quality of their reproduction.

 

The Bad

 ...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

While I appreciate all of the extra matter included, it would have been nice to see a few more examples of the actual comics Hal Foster was so famous for. There were a few panels in black and white from his color comics run on Tarzan, but no full page comics which would have been really nice to see.

Overall

Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane is a biography of the man and his work. It is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. Biographies can be incredibly fascinating or painfully dull depending on who is doing the storytelling, and this author did a good joy of keeping the story moving while including a lot of information, details, and background information to set the story in the proper time and frame. While there is a ton of info, I never felt bogged down by it because of the quick page, conversational tone, and numerous visuals. This book does an incredible job of including a lot of photos and artwork, especially photos and artwork that have probably never been seen outside the family or since they were produced. I was really impressed with all the Christmas cards, sketches, doodles, advertisements, paintings, etc. and the quality of their reproduction. I highly recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Movie Review - Lupin the 3rd: The First

Lupin the 3rd is an interesting manga and anime. It's been around for half a century and has had so many different interpretations for different age groups (everything from family friendly to mature adults only) and yet has not changed its essence or even style. And there have been so many adaptions from TV series to movies to live action movies to the most recent cgi film. The most modern and recent versions look very similar to the original. What other franchises can claim this?

Lupin the 3rd: The First is a 2019 cgi action adventure Japanese film. It is unrated, contains action and mild violence, and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Characters. The characters in this film are true to the versions we've been enjoying for the past half century, and they're still interesting.

Action. The movie had tons of action. It's really well done and all of it advances the story and is fun to watch.

Visuals. This film looks really nice. The characters look just how you would expect them to look, the scenery is well designed, and the cinematography is well done with a lot of movement and different angles to keep things interesting.

The Bad

Concept. This is another film about former Nazis looking for a superweapon to resurrect the Third Reich yada yada yada. It's a very tired concept that while well done in this film is still a tired concept.

What I Would Like To Have Seen

A more original concept.

Overall

Lupin the 3rd: The First is a 2019 cgi action adventure Japanese film. It is unrated, contains action and mild violence, and is appropriate for tweens and up. The characters are classic and are true to the versions fans have been enjoying for half a century. The movie had tons of action. It's really well done and all of it advances the story and is fun to watch. This film looks really nice. The characters look just how you would expect them to look, the scenery is well designed, and the cinematography is well done with a lot of movement and different angles to keep things interesting. The main negative is the concept. This is another film about former Nazis looking for a superweapon to resurrect the Third Reich yada yada yada. It's a very tired concept that while well done in this film is still a tired concept. I recommend this film give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

     

 

Merry Christmas 2020 - Joy

 Each year I create a Christmas card with an original illustration and poem. For many years I used the titles of Christmas carols as inspiration, but I eventually ran out of carols. So then I started going for themes, phrases, and words related to Christmas. This year's word is JOY. Enjoy!

Movie Review - Vanguard

Do you remember a decade or two ago when movies used to be good and going to the theater was enjoyable? I do, and now I don't have to just remember.

Vanguard is a 2020 live-action action adventure Chinese film. It is rated PG-13 for action and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Execution. The story is pretty basic: an international security firm has to protect one of its clients from terrorists and action ensues. What makes this film special is its execution. It was perfectly cast, scripted, acted, filmed, and edited. It was chuck full of fun and entertainment.

Casting. This movie couldn't have had a better cast. Everyone was perfect for his roles, and the cast as a whole had great chemistry together.

Fun. This film was so much fun! While most of it seemed pretty grounded and realistic, it had some signature Jackie Chan parts that were just fun and silly and you know would never happen, but you don't care because it's just so cool to watch.

Action. The movie had tons of action, and it varied so it never became stale or repetitive.

Visuals. This film takes place around the world from London to Dubai and several places in between, and each location couldn't have been shot better.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like To Have Seen

 A sequel.

Overall

Vanguard is a 2020 live-action action adventure Chinese film. The story is pretty basic: an international security firm has to protect one of its clients from terrorists and action ensues. What makes this film special is its execution. It was perfectly cast, scripted, acted, filmed, and edited. It was chuck full of fun and entertainment. It was serious but fun. This movie couldn't have had a better cast. Everyone was perfect for his roles, and the cast as a whole had great chemistry together. The movie had tons of action, and it varied so it never became stale or repetitive. This film takes place around the world from London to Dubai and several places in between, and each location couldn't have been shot better.This film was so much fun! While most of it seemed pretty grounded and realistic, it had some signature Jackie Chan parts that were just fun and silly and you know would never happen, but you don't care because it's just so cool to watch. I highly recommend this film give it 5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

     

 

Book Review - Star Runner by B. V. Larson

I'm a big fan of science fiction, but it's getting harder and harder to find something in the genre that is interesting and not just a rehash or bad remake of something I've already seen or read.

Star Runner by B.V. Larson is a science fiction space opera drama. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters are really likable and not the usual suspects. The main character is a clone of the smuggler captain which is just different enough to make him unique. One of the characters is a symbiotic life form, but they author puts a twist on her I hadn't seen before. They all have great chemistry together and each is developed enough you care what happens to them.

Story and Pacing. The story is a twist on the weapon smuggler space opera story but with twists and turns you don't normally see in that sub genre. While the science is important to the story, the characters and their missions in life and interactions with each other make up the majority of the plot and story. The book moves quickly and holds the reader's attention.

Use of Biology and Technology. Most science fiction focuses on a single area of science and usually follows a common use of that science. This book uses several and uses them well and uniquely. It was a surprise to encounter advanced travel technology, military technology, and biological systems all used together and each used in a unique way.

The Bad

Ending. The book felt like it just stopped instead of ended.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the ending had felt more like an ending and not just the end of another chapter. When the book was over, I wasn't sure the story had ended.

Overall

Star Runner by B.V. Larson is a science fiction space opera drama. Most science fiction focuses on a single area of science and usually follows a common use of that science. This book uses several and uses them well and uniquely. It was a surprise to encounter advanced travel technology, military technology, and biological systems all used together and each used in a unique way. The story is a twist on the weapon smuggler space opera story but with twists and turns you don't normally see in that sub genre. While the science is important to the story, the characters and their missions in life and interactions with each other make up the majority of the plot and story. The book moves quickly and holds the reader's attention. The characters are really likable and not the usual suspects. The main character is a clone of the smuggler captain which is just different enough to make him unique. One of the characters is a symbiotic life form, but they author puts a twist on her I hadn't seen before. They all have great chemistry together and each is developed enough you care what happens to them. The only negative is the book felt like it just stopped instead of ended. When I finished reading the book, I wasn't sure the story had ended. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - The House Guest by Mark Edwards

I really enjoy mysteries and psychological thrillers, but it's hard to find one that's really good and takes surprising twists.

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller mystery. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Concept. The concept was one I had never heard of quite like this. A couple is house sitting for friends they had met previously on a cruise. One night a young lady appears at the door claiming she's there to visit the owners of the house and charms her way in. All seems to be fine until the husband wakes up one morning with a terrible hangover and his wife and the house guest are no where to be seen. And it only gets better.

Twists. While none of the twists were completely shocking or original, only one of them was obvious, so that made for an enjoyable read.

The Bad

Conclusion. The conclusion wasn't bad, it was just a little too quick, neat, and easy. It relied on betrayal of which there was absolutely no hint of before it happened, so it felt like a bit of a cheat.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the solution had been as well thought out as the rest of the novel. It seemed to end just a little too easily and a little too neatly.

Overall

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller mystery. The concept is one I had never heard of quite like this. A couple house sits for friends they met previously on a cruise. One night a young lady appears at the door claiming she's there to visit the owners of the house and charms her way in. All seems to be fine until the husband wakes up one morning with a terrible hangover and his wife and the house guest are no where to be seen. And it only gets better. While none of the twists were completely shocking or original, only one of them was obvious, so that made for an enjoyable read. The conclusion wasn't bad, it was just a little too quick, neat, and easy. It relied on betrayal of which there was absolutely no hint of before it happened, so it felt like a bit of a cheat. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

TV Show Review - Dash & Lily

I feel bad for broadcast television and cable TV, because all the good stuff seems to be going to streaming lately.

Dash & Lily is a 2020 8-episode teen-angst romantic comedy on Netflix. It is rated TV-PG and is appropriate for all ages.

 

The Good

The Concept. The concept is pretty cool and one that hasn't been done to death. A girl leaves a diary with a literary treasure hunt for some boy to find and find her. They use the diary to write back and forth and create dares to get each other out of their comfort zone while never meeting in person.

The Characters. The characters are very likable and very relatable with realistic concerns and challenges and just enough zaniness to make them fun.

The Pace. This series moves along at a great pace.

The Journey. A lot of shows talk about a journey and make a big deal about the participants' journey, but this show actually has a journey worth following alone and enjoyable to watch.

The Bad

The Wrap up at the end. This series doesn't follow the normal cliches, which is nice, until the very end when everything is wrapped up, even things you don't really care about. It was just a little too tidy and felt forced.

 

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was satisfied.

Overall

Dash & Lily is a 2020 8-episode teen-angst romantic comedy on Netflix. The concept is pretty cool and one that hasn't been done to death. A girl leaves a diary with a literary treasure hunt for some boy to find and find her. They use the diary to write back and forth and create dares to get each other out of their comfort zone while never meeting in person. The characters are very likable and very relatable with realistic concerns and challenges and just enough zaniness to make them fun. A lot of shows talk about a journey and make a big deal about the participants' journey, but this show actually has a journey worth following alone and enjoyable to watch. This series doesn't follow the normal cliches, which is nice, until the very end when everything is wrapped up, even things you don't really care about. It was just a little too tidy and felt forced. I highly recommend this show and give it 4.5 out of 5 remotes.