007 in... Meh

Not to long ago I went to the movies to see the latest instalment of Ian Fleming's James Bond in Spectre.  In my overall opinion without there being any spoilers... it was okay.  The main issues I had at a glance were the villain and the love interest.  Though I don't feel particularly cheated after seeing the film (having liked the visuals, music, and other characters), there were some things that could be improved upon and that shall be the main concentration of this post.

Note: below may contain some spoilers.  If you have plans on seeing the movie and don't want to have you're viewing experience, please skip this post.

What Worked:
-The Characters
     The characters were great as always.  It was nice to see M and Q have a larger role in this one and (in my opinion) being the actual heroes of the day.  Ralph Fiennes and and Ben Whishaw did a great job in how they portrayed their characters.  Fiennes was convincing of portraying M as a person who is trying to not only run the organization, but also have to convince the world that there is still a place for the Double O organization in the modern world, a theme that continues from Skyfall.  Whishaw was great as Q and was very reminiscent of Desmond Llewelyn's Q, cantankerous and fussing over the state that Bond left the gadgets.

     Bond was... well... Bond.  I've been on the fence on how Daniel Craig fairs as 007 but he met my expectations in Skyfall but this time, it wasn't as good as I hoped.

     I have to say I was impressed by Christoph Waltz as Blofeld.  He was fantastic job at giving us a villain who thinks himself superior to his adversary and does not tolerate being out smarted.  I would very much love to see Waltz return to the role so long as the plot is right.

     I did enjoy Andrew Scott as Max Denbigh, I liked how he did a great job at being a smug character who has all the power in his hands and knows it.  That said, it would have been nice to have seen him as the main villain rather than sharing the spot light with Blofeld (an issue I will discuss later).

-Cinimatography
     Before I start, I'm not an expert on this topic but I thought the film work was spectacular.  I find this is often done well in Bond movies (with some exceptions obviously).  I'm not sure how to properly describe it but everything looked great, I really loved the long shots of the scenery, the desert looked beautiful in the shots shown.


What Didn't Work:
- The Plot
     I found this part to be confusing to be honest, almost like there were two plots going on.  First Bond is trying to find out what's going on with a new program being introduced that would compromise the privacy of the whole world but then there's this plot to stop Blofeld, who is the mastermind behind the organization and has been orchestrating this whole thing.  To be honest, the writiers should have taken a page out of Thunderball, one of my favourite of the Sean Connery movies.  In that Blofeld is the villain but he isn't the main villain, that's reserved for his No. 2, Emilio Largo.  What could have been done (if they wanted Blofeld in the movie) is have Blofeld act as the man in the shadows like in Thunderball while having Max Denbigh be the one Bond is always at odds with, not Bond chasing Blofeld and M and Q dealing with Denbigh.  Or, just make Blofeld or Denigh the main villain.

-Chemistry with Bond and love interest
     This part felt flat to me.  Neither Bond nor Dr. Madeleine Swann seem actually interesting.  I got really annoyed during the scene where Swann wants to stay behind.  That scene felt poorly paced and awkward.  This aspect in the movie felt, as a whole, to be just shoe horned in at the last minute because they wanted Bond to have a love interest this time since there wasn't much of one in Skyfall.

-Music
     Again not an expert in this area so it's gonna be short.  Not as energetic as in the past.  The opening song Writing on the Wall just felt depressing and the score not the greatest but it did have those moments where it worked well so it wasn't all bad.

Closing Remarks
     Overall, not my favourite Bond movie.  The disjointed plot and the lack-luster chemistry and music make it difficult to enjoy.  Despite this, I would be still willing to watch it because of the spectacular scenery and the actual charaters like M, Q, and Blofeld.  I would still say see it if you're a Bond fan as it still comes with all the usual fixin's and you can still make scene of what's going on despite the battle-of-the-two-plots.

References

 "SPECTRE Teaser Poster." James Bond 007. Accessed November 18, 2015. http://www.007.com/spectre-teaser-poster/. 

Alternate Christmas Message

Ladies and Gentlemen, fish people, Margaret Thatcher and all things in between,

    I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Dwali, and <Insert Holiday Here>.  Since Her Majesty the Queen of Canada can have a Christmas speech (which can be seen here) I figured maybe I should also get in on this message thing.

     Let's be honest, 2015 was crap... well, not as bad as 2014... but crap none the less.  There's been some good stuff.  I've moved out on my own for a spell and have had to deal with some anxiety.  I think you can tell the year is not going to pan out well when not even the new Bond film is that good.  Despite that: Avengers 2, Antman, and Mad Max were pretty good.  Harper's gone too... but now everyone hates Trudeau even though they didn't like Harper and voted him out...

    Well, that's all I got for now.  Merry Christmas to you and your family and a Happy New Year.



References:

 "History of Christmas Trees." History.com. Accessed December 25, 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees. 

Sunday Sweetness: What's so Funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding

In the wake of the events that unravelled in Paris on Friday, it seems the stupidity of society has come out of wood work to try and label blame on people who are of Muslin faith.  In the town where I lived a mosque was vandalised by what could be only described as barbarous bigotry.

What's the point of calling this a Western Civilization if no one can be civil?  I see most of my Facebook feed full of anti-Muslim trash and the only defence these posters can come up with: "Well, they aren't doin' a good job trying to defend themselves or distancing themselves from it."  (*Sarcasm*) Yeah, cause everyone associates Christians with the Nazi Party and K.K.K. (*sarcasm*).  Where is sanity? Where is the courtesy and and respect?  What happened to love thy neighbour and love the sinner not sin?  I've had about enough of the insipid and pugnacious stupidity.

Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: A Review

This year, fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends are treated to not one but two specials this year.  The first, The Adventure Begins, told of how Thomas made his start on the North Western Railway.  The second, the one I will be talking about,  known as Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, tells of the construction of a new branch line with treasure hunting in tow.

Before I start, I need to let off some hype.  THIS is how you do a special/movie.  The stakes are made a little higher with Thomas losing his branch line and a HUMAN villian in the form of Sailor John.  We get to see old friends and new(ish) faces as well, making it a treat for fans.

Story:
In a nutshell, after disgracing himself, Thomas is stripped of his branch line and sent to help building a new branch line with Duck, Oliver, and the Scottish Twins Donald and Douglas (did I mention old faces were coming back?).  After another chaotic accident, an old pirate ship is found, attracting the attention of the villainous Sailor John, who is after the ship's treasure for his own greedy ends.

Sailing!  Sailing! Down the tracks we go!  Will Thomas stop Sailor John?  Watch the special and you'll know!

Andrew Brenner did a great job with this story.  Though just a simple redemption plot, Brenner  utilizes this by upping the stakes.  For starts, Thomas loses his branch line.  Up to this point, such a thing only happened once when Thomas fell down a mine and so he would have had to have really messed up to force the Fat Controller to make such an action.

My only two complains with the over all plot was the motorized crane Kevin and accident at Knatford.  Kevin is a fun character, his clumsiness complements the seriousness of Victor.  The problem is that as the series is moving to the more realistic style of the Railway Series, Kevin becomes more of a hindrance than comedy relief.  Granted, I've read from some people that Kevin's model type had been notorious for falling over and such, which could be interesting to have mentioned on the show in some form.

The major accident at Knatford that leads to Thomas' situation could have been avoided.  Since he was given his branch line, Thomas was relieved of shunting duties.  Percy and Duck's arrivals were based on the need to fill in his place but both were soon promoted from such work (Percy joining Thomas' branch and Duck getting one of his own).  It could be argued that Thomas now takes on both responsibilities since there is no one to do so.  That said, it's not established in the plot to why Thomas would be taking care of Gordon's coaches and makes this incident a bit confusing.

Characters:

-Thomas: We definitely get to see the classic Thomas in this special.  He cheeky, rude but still wanting to do what's right.  His accident at Knatford shows Thomas' classic mentality in how he refuses to put up with Gordon's high and mighty attitude and deciding to take the express himself.

-Marion: Though mostly a secondary character for the most part, Marion's hilarious curiosity over the Arlesdale engines (thinking they are magic and grant wishes) allows for some cute humor while also helping move the plot such as the case of finding the treasure.

-Ryan: I found Ryan to be an interesting character.  He's really keen on trying to befriend Thomas (who feels threatened by Ryan's arrival).  He has some personality in that he wants to please everyone, which could prove to have potential in future story-lines if done properly.

Ryan's arrival doesn't bode well with Thomas the Tank Engine.

-Skiff: Unique to say the least.  Inspired by the real sail boats that were often used by hobbiests (one can even be found at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highlands Railway in Wales.  One thing I liked about Skiff was the fact that they emphisied the fact that he was powerless without someone to drive him, making the poor sailing train trapped in the control of Sailor John

Skiff the Sailboat.

-Sailor John: When watching this special, Sailor John is basically your archetypical gravel-voice villain.  That said, it works for this special.  Since HiT started releasing these specials, the villain was often some engine but John not only changes this by being a human but also causing some harm in his path to find the treasure.  This is something that I have not seen in a special and makes me feel a little bit cheated when I remember watching Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

-Arlesdale Railway Engines: I won't say much about these three as I want to wait until they appear in the TV series to draw a better opinion on Rex, Bert, and Mike.  Their appearance in the special was very welcomed and definitely played a part in the climax.  I'm hoping stories like "Tit for Tat" and Really Useful Railway" will make it to television after this appearance.

Left to Right: Mike, Bert, and Rex

Visuals:

Before I begin, I am going to say something about the CGI.  IT WORKS.  Don't get me wrong, I miss the models and I will always enjoy that period the TV series.  That said, the use of CGI has allowed for better scope and angles that could not be done with the models.  People who ramble about CGI looking fake forget that a tin can was used for a shed support in the "Diseasel".  Plus, you're going to ague that models are more real even though CGI can introduce more textures and angles that were not seen in the series.

Rant over.  ARC did a great job. The scope and intensity of some of the scenes were great.  I've put one of my favourite moments for just an example of ARC's work in the special (and to support my argument for my rant above).  As a side note: one of the most important people to Thomas the Tank Engine appears on a bike at the end.

Closing:
     To make it short: Sodor's Ledgent of the Lost Treasure was well done.  Brenner was able to make a story that was in line with the spirit of the series and also playing homage to the 70th Anniversary.  For that reason alone, I would recommend this special to any Thomas fan.


Bibliography:

http://rattlerjones.deviantart.com/art/Mike-Rex-and-Bert-546235537

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/08/eddie-redmayne-thomas-tank-engine-movie

http://www.myvue.com/latest-movies/info/film/thomas-friends-sodors-legend-of-lost-treasure.  Accessed August 28, 2015.

http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/File:Sodor'sLegendoftheLostTreasure33.png

http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/File:Sodor'sLegendoftheLostTreasure49.png

"I'm a President. I'll do What I Want"

  

The Legendary
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

     In my final year at Laurentian University, I took a class on the history of Protest and Political Change.  One of the topics we looked at was the abolition of slavery in the United States.  My professor told us an interesting incident that occurred during the reconstruction period.

The wigged, sassy,
and awesomely named
Thaddeus Stevens
(1792-1868)

     Let me set the stage.  The Civil War is over and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is dead, assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.  His successor, the Democrat Andrew Johnson, is at odds with Congress for favouring the South, even claiming that the South never seceded as they were never allowed to in the first place (prompting the Republican Thaddeus Stevens to reply that it was like saying one could never commit murder as it was against the law).

The Untouchable
Andrew Johnson
(1808-1875) 

     The United States Congress, disgruntled by the actions of their President, took it upon themselves to try to impeach Andrew Johnson.  The Congressman John Ashley claimed that Johnson was connected to the assassination of Lincoln.  Both attempts of impeachment in July and December of 1867 were failures due to a lack of evidence.  Despite this, Congress was determined that they soon had their smoking gun.

The Bearded and Awesome

Edwin Stanton

(1814-1869)

     Around the same time Congress was trying to remove Johnson, the 17th president of the United States decided to fire Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War. Stanton refuses to leave (citing that the Senate need to approve of the termination), even when Johnson appointed Ulysses S. Grant to the posting. Stanton quickly set up camp in his own office to prevent Johnson from having the locks changed with whiskey and crackers to keep him company.   Johnson approached the infamous General William Tecumseh Sherman (the one who set the South ablaze during the war). Sherman quickly fled town and told his brother tell anyone who asked for him that he was dead! Johnson was still determined and appointed General Lorenzo Thomas as the new Secretary of War. Thomas planned to storm the War Department and but on the morning of the attack he was arrested by the police, had a warrant issued by the Secretary of War (can you guess who it was?).  The incident gave Congress the chance they needed to impeach Johnson.  Tragicaly, they were short by one vote and the tired Congress returned to reconstruction.

     What was the point of all this?  Nothing.  I just thought it would be a fun story to share.


Bibliography:

"Abraham Lincoln." Wikipedia. Accessed August 19, 2015.

"Andrew Johnson." Wikipedia. Accessed August 19, 2015

 "Edwin Stanton" Wikipedia. Accessed August 19, 2015. 

 "Thaddeus Stevens." Wikipedia. Accessed August 19, 2015. 

1949: Europe gets out of Achor

     Some time ago one Christmas, I can remember my Grandfather telling us what Christmas was like for him as a kid in Western Germany just after the Second World War.  Amid the antidotes, I remember him saying that everything got better after 1949.  Of course in Europe that would be the case.  Policies like the Marshall Plan allowed for Europe to rebuild from the ravaging war that had taken lives and homes across the continent, it's safe to say that after 1949 things really did start to get better.

     Thinking about that makes me remember that bad stuff isn't going to to last for a long time.  There has to be a point where it turns around.  The Bible tells the story of the prophet Hosea, who was commanded by God to marry a prostitute named Gomer.  Hosea saw his life as an example of God's relationship with Israel.  Just as Gomer was disloyal to Hosea and sleeping with other men, Israel was rebellious to God.  Despite this poor relationship, both God and Hosea were forgiving, each leading the other from a valley of trouble to a door of hope.

     Things will turn around... at least that's what I keep telling myself.  Does that work all the time?  Nope.  But it helps a lot sometimes, sometimes a little.  If your in a valley of trouble, don't worry.  There should be a door of hope some where ahead.



Bibliography:

http://acciolacquer.com/notd/lucky-13-lacquer-softening-the-bad-things/

http://www.theseedofhope.com/post.cfm/when-god-opens-a-door

"Back and there again: The Vexing Problem with Prequels"

Vol. 1 of Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takai 

One of my favorite parts of the Manga Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takai is found in  volumes 19 and 20.  These two volumes take a break from the main plot (Yoh droping out of the Shaman tournament by order of Lady Jeanne in order to save Ren's life) to look at the background of Yoh and Anna's relationship.

What makes this story work is how it tries to provide background information without trying to ram down your throat the fact that it is before the main story, which is common problem among prequels and why I'm not a big fan of them.  I had this same problem with The Hobbit movies when they came out.  It's one thing to have references and little Easter eggs about but it shouldn't be the main focus.  The Hobbit is a separate story with only a few connections to Lord of the Rings.  Nobody cares about the stuff going on with the ring, in fact Jackson ruins the whole mystery of the ring by reveling that it is Saron's ring in The Hobbit  as it spoils the suprise of some silly old magic ring being something so powerful and dangerous (whether you saw Lord of the Rings or not).  The prequel break in Shaman King works because it is telling a separate story that has only a few connections to the main plot, which is what a prequel should be. 

Bibliography 

http://shamanking.wikia.com/wiki/Shaman_King