Blogging for Tumbleweeds

I should start finding people to read this blog instead of just mindlessly throwing my thoughts on things into the world.

First step is to do an edit of some poorly written previous articles, then I shall start regularly posting and advertising this blog on a few sites I go on.

Just thought I'd let the few tumbleweeds on this site know.

Super Cinema Review: Thor: The Dark World

The second film in Marvel Studios's Phase 2 series, Thor: The Dark world continue's the adventures of the eponymous wacky character, Thor. With a new director and a new direction, TDW strives to give the viewers an fun, epic adventure while conjuring up various emotions. Does it succeed in doing so? Yes, in a a surprisingly awesome way

The Story:

The Dark World opens up with some well needed exposition, where Odin explains Malekith's backstory and the crucial plot piece 'The Aether' which threatens to bring the world into darkness. We then catch up on Thor and all his supporting cast. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three are setting about to bring peace to the Nine Realms. Jane is having a rough time getting over Thor while also trying to find him along with Darcy, Erik (who's gone nuts since Avengers) and newcomer 'Intern'. Loki is in prison, and we learn that he may actually have somewhat of a bond towards his foster(?) mother, Frigga.

The plot is extremely straightforward, though this is not necessarily a bad thing. The movie clearly set out to develop its main cast, and as such didn't focus much on a complicated conflict. There's a bad guy, he wants to blow up the world, yadda yadda yadda. Despite Christopher Eccleson's best efforts, Malekith falls short of being an interesting villain. Rather, the focus and power of the movie is within it's main cast. Thor has grown from the reckless, childish warrior he was in the first film. This time around, he's matured and is proving himself worthy to be a leader.

Malekith the Accursed

The relationship between Jane and Thor is developed too. Jane is the center of the entire ordeal, and is thrown into the midst of the conflict. In the aftermath of it all, Thor and Jane truly realize their love for each other. A love triangle between Jane, Thor, and Lady Sif was hinted at in the movie, though quickly brushed aside. This may become of importance again in a later installment.

Above all, it was Tom Hiddleson's performance as Loki who stole the show. Loki lived up to the name as the 'Master Trickster' in this movie, as just when you think you understand him, he surprises you. We learn that he has some personal connection (and possibly was even related to) Frigga, his foster(?) mother. Her death breaks him, and puts him on the path to redemption as he joins Thor on a quest for revenge. He dies an awesome death, taking Kurse with him in a very emotional moment. Just when we believe him to have died a hero, the ending happens, and everyone is shocked.

While the movie had an archetype plot, it makes up for it with profound character development. If Malekith or Kurse had been more 3-dimensional, it may have distracted the focus of the movie from the relationships of Thor and Loki/Thor and Jane. Overall, I think the plot, though simple, was well executed, and the screenplay was the perfect mix of humor, drama, action, and excitement. Thor: The Dark World is a fun, wacky adventure that weaves you through a variety of emotions.

The dynamic sibling rivalry between Thor and Loki is a critical part of the film

The Design

One thing that stood out about this movie was the design. Things looked somewhat different than they did in the first Thor. In the first film, everything was shiny and fake-looking. The Dark World has a much more LOTR style gritty feel that most likely comes with the new director. Things feel medieval, yet also very science-fiction. For instance, in the battle of Vanaheim at the beginning of the movie, you have Viking/Elvish looking warriors with swords and bows facing off against strange looking aliens with laser guns. The Dark Elves have mystical powers, but also alien spaceships. It sounds strange, but it works beautifully. 

Some examples of the more Viking-ish feel to the design, my favorite example being the bottom picture of Kurse. 

Another thing I loved was the differentiation in all of the realms. Thor: The Dark World explores the worlds of Asgard, Svartalfheim, and Midgard (Earth) with quick visits to Vanaheim, Jotunheim, and glimpses of Muspelheim. Each realm is familiar,yet foreign, and helps shape the mood of the story. Asgard is beautiful, shiny, and looks hopeful and dreamy. When Asgard is attacked and you watch the beautiful city crumble, it hits you. Then you visit Svartalfheim, the dead, shadowy wasteland, shrouded in mystery and sadness. The realm flows with the tone of the story as Loki 'dies', and the audience feels. The final conflict takes place in our very familiar Midgard, and the threat of our homeworld pumps up excitement in the viewer. The use of the realms to help carry the mood of the story is done so very nicely. 

Aint that just beautiful. 

Overall

This was a truly great film. In all of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, this is second to only The Avengers. It was fun, exciting, sad, humorous, and overall a very enjoyable ride. The costumes and environments are creative, gritty, and both earthly and alien. The acting is superb, the character developments are stupendous, and although the antagonist lacked much significance, the simplistic plot worked well for the movie.

Rating: 8 (out of 10)

Till next year, kiddos. I believe the next Super Cinema will be The Winter Soldier, but I may do some 'flashback' reviews and take a look at some past films. We'll see. 

Batman #24 Review

6.99?!

Hot Damn! If that isn't a punch in the wallet if I ever saw one. Not even for anything special, either. Just another retelling of Bat's origin. How can they expect us to possibly pay 7 bucks for this?

Well buddy, you better cough up that green anyway, because this is a damn good issue.

If you've been on the fence about Zero Year for the past 3 issues, you'll be happy to know that Issue 24 finally gives us what we want; Bruce putting on the suit and kicking ass. You'll see some Red Hood peeps get their asses kicked, you'll see Batman do his crazy flips and jumps and kicks, and you'll see Bruce shove the Batman motif in the strangest of places for shits and giggles. It's wonderful.

Cover A

And while some people were skeptical of Snyder maybe for once confirming that Joker was Red Hood, fear not! The multiple choice scenario is still intact, although it's a bit shakier. We still don't know who exactly the Clown Prince of Crime truly was, but we did get a spectacular story with an awesome climactic fight scene between Batman and Red Hood One that was not only thrilling, but left us wondering.

And the art! My oh my, it was fantastic! Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Greens, Purples, everywhere you look! This book has some wild colors that shift perfectly with the tone of the book! I especially love the point where Red Hood One points a gun to Bruce's head, and the colors become colder and grayer, signifying that this is a chilling moment. I also loved how shadowy and mysterious Batman looked when the point of view was shifted towards the Red Hood Gang, but was then crystal clear when from Bruce's point of view. Greg Capullo and Danny Miki really outdid themselves!

So while it may be a pricier book, it is well beyond worth it. I've re-read it about 4 times now, and I think I'm about to go for a 5th. If Zero Year keeps being this awesome, I'll be a happy customer.

Cover B

Cover C

Cover D

The Star Wars #2 Review

Here we are at Issue #2 of the comic book adaption of George Lucas's first draft of Star Wars. Last issue laid the foundations for a familiar yet different story than the one we're all accustomed to. Though much time was spent simply setting up the story, it promised an action-packed second issue. And it did deliver.

Cover A

The Empire certainly did strike this issue, with a large battle between the Rebels and the Death Star taking place. Still, it feels as though this comic suffers from the same problems as the Star Wars prequels did; poor writing and too much politics. A considerable amount of time in this issue is spent on intergalactic political issues that are very hard to care about, let alone understand. Some of the dialogue is also extremely cheesy, and sometimes even pointless. Now, whether Rinzler is to blame or George Lucas himself is unclear to me.

Mike Meyhew's art continues to be incredible. His hyper-realistic, cinematic style works perfectly, considering this comic almost was a movie. All in all, I'm still tuned in, but with 25% of the story over with I'd like to see some improvement and for some of the sub-plots to take off already. However, it's very likely that won't happen if this story was written over 40 years ago. We shall see.

Also, I much preferred the concept art pages to the letter column. Hoping to see that return.

Cover B, which shows events that have yet to actually happen within the story. 

Felina

Beautiful.

Each week, after every episode, I've said the same thing. Breaking Bad is the most beautiful show to have ever come to television. I don't think there is any need to elaborate on that this week; it's been said enough. Therefore, for once, I shall cut right to the chase.

This episode could have been a bit better

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved this episode. I've never been disappointed by an episode of Breaking Bad. However, I've always been disappointed in finales, as many people have. We get ideas in our head of how our favorite shows should end, and its hard to let go of them. I had a very ideal ending In my head that I hoped beyond hope would end up true, but as with most cases, it was not. I'll share that idea in a bit, but first, let's analyze this episode in full.

The episode opens with a scene in Walt's car, almost praying as the police drive by to let him get home. It shows how desperate he is to finish why he's started. We then see him at a gas station, on the road home, using a pay phone to call someone. He poses as someone else, and its unknown at first what its all about, but it soon becomes clear. He the leaves his watch on the pay phone, and its left to the viewers imagination as to why (though I've heard it has to do with continuity)

We then cut to Gretchen and Elliot, coming home to their huge, fancy house. Walt lurks in the shadows behind them. They don't see them, so he wanders around their house, looking at all their nice things, imagining what could have been his.  He is then spotted, but rather than killing them, he uses them. He scares them into  promising to deliver his 9 odd million dollars to Flynn on his 18th birthday. To top it off, he claims to have hired hit men to ensure they go through with it, and puts on a show with laser targets shining through he windows. Of course, we later discover that these hit men are merely Badger and Skinny Pete with laser pointers.

We then see Jesse, in a wood shop, happy. He looks at his work with the kind of pride only a artist can appreciate. He turns to walk, but snaps back. We then see the real picture. Jesse, shaggy and weary, holding a batch of meth, chained.

We then see Walt In the desert, building some contraption hooked up to his car keys. Next we see Walt interrupt one of Lydia's meetings with Todd, asking to cook for them again. Lydia lies and agrees to meet him, actually planning to kill Walt. She won't get the chance however, because a shot of her stirring sugar confirms exactly what I was thinking.

Walt then goes to talk with Skylar. He gives her the location of Hank's body, and then proceeds to say the most important line his character has ever spoken.

"I did this for me. I liked it. I was good at it. It made me feel....alive."

He has finally come to terms with who he is and what he loves to do. He knows now why he does it. This whole time, he's been telling himself it's for his family, but now he finally understands that it wasn't to leave behind a fortune for his family, though that was a bonus, but it was to satisfy a man with a bruised ego whose life didn't turn out the way he had planned. Skylar breathes a sigh, knowing that he is finally telling the truth, and depressingly realizing that it's far too late. Walt then visits his daughter one last time, watches his son walk into the house, and then departs.

At last, we get to the end. Walt goes to the Skinhead's facility to discuss his 'new cooking techniques'. We as an audience know that the Skinheads and Walt are really planning to kill each other. Walt is almost dragged away, but calls Jack out by reminding him that he owes him Jesse's death. Jack, hating to be called a liar, brings Jesse to Walt, in chains. Walt then tackles Jesse to the ground, and presses the button to unlock his car. His trunk flips open, and reveals a machine gun hooked up to the rotating device. It rotates back and forth, mowing down all the skinheads from outside. When it finally stops, Todd, Jesse, and Walt appear unscathed, with Jack very seriously wounded. Jesse then strangles Todd to death with his chains, and in homage to Hank's death, Walt shoots Jack in the head mid-sentence.

Then, the big showdown. Walt slides a gun over to Jesse, telling him to kill him if he wanted. Jesse, the broken, battered, shell of the man he once was, replies "Nothing happens until you say you don't want this". Yet Walt insists that he wants this, and Jesse sees that he's already been shot in the gut, so Jesse drops the gun, says "Then do it yourself", and leaves. Walt then hears Todd's phone ring and answers it. It's Lydia, who we see is not looking so hot. Walt tells her that he poisoned her, says goodbye and throws the phone away. He walks outside, him and Jesse exchange looks, and then Jesse gets in a car and drives off, laughing and screaming.

Walt then walks into the skinhead's meth lab. He looks at all the equipment, Baby Blue plays, and he seems at peace. He then balances himself on one of the large pieces of lab equipment. You see his reflection fall to the ground, and his hand tracks blood on the equipment as it slides down. We then get a final shot of Walt's body, with a peaceful, happy expression on his face. He died where his heart was from the beginning: a meth lab.

And while this was probably the most fitting end for a television show like Breaking Bad, and while it filled me with feels, I felt like it lacked the emotional punch the show is known for. Things wrapped up too nicely; too much closure. For a show that had me going "Holy Shit!" for most of its run, the last episode felt a little less dramatic.

There were rumors of the show ending in a scene where it flashes back to Walt teaching Jesse's high school chemistry class. It's the last day of school, and Jesse and Walt argue a bit before Jesse storms out of the classroom, saying "Thanks for nothing, Mr. White".

I believe that had the show ended on such a gut-punching emotional line like that, it would've been a much better episode. Had they not shown Walt's body, and had only shown  his reflection falling to the floor, giving the viewer that tiny bit of interpretation, and then cutting to the flashback to give the gut-puncher, it would've been the perfect ending.

That's not to say I wasn't satisfied with the show's conclusion. Everything came together nicely, and while I wish a little more was left off-screen, I was happy with the way it ended. I'll say it one more time, since it's the last time I'll get to say it: Breaking Bad is the greatest television show ever made and one of the most spectacular narratives of all time. Each episode has been exciting and interesting, all while toying with my emotions and sense of morality. Vince Gilligan is truly a mastermind of the likes of Heisenberg for creating this masterpiece of a series. I'll miss it, but there is no way I'll ever forget it. 

Granite State

If Ozymandias was the fall of kings and the collapse of characters, then 'Granite State' is the critical point in character development that shows how they respond to their downfall.

In this (once more) incredible episode, we see the what the characters have become after everything went to hell last episode. We see who they transform into after all the death, pain, and drugs that have consumed their lives. It is one of the most crucial points in their development. Their actions in this episode determine how they go out as.

Skylar is an empty shell of who she once was. All the care, all the passion, all the independence has been beaten out of her until she's nothing more than a mindless robot that sulks through events carelessly. She has nothing left. Walt has destroyed everything she cared about. She has given up. It's sad to see a woman so passionate and defensive of her beliefs be broken down and deteriorate to this state of mindlessness, but it is all a consequence of the choices Walt made.

When the episode began, Jesse wasn't broken. He had some motive left in him. He attempted to escape the clutches of the Neo Nazis and the psychopathic Meth Damon, but he failed. And he payed the price. With Andrea's death, Jesse no longer has anything left. Or rather, he has so little left that he's too scared to fight back any longer. Brock is the only thing keeping him going, but he's too afraid to disobey anymore in fear that he'll lose him too. But I tell you, when Jesse broke down during Andrea's death, I was genuinely disturbed. Aaron's acting is incredible. Rarely am I ever this affected by a death scene. I didn't even really care about Andrea, but Jesse's hopeless wailing made this one of the show's best death scenes to date.

Finally, we get to Walt, who also started the episode off with much hope, but it was gradually beaten out of him, as with everyone else. He starts off believing he can save his family, but a conversation with Saul that ends in a coughing fit demotivates him. Still, after hiding away in New Hampshire for months, he is determined to get the money to his family some how. It's the tearful conversation with Flynn that finally destroys him. His own son, that he started the meth empire for in the first place, telling him to die already. Him, frail and weak, realizing that he has failed, and the past two years of murder and tears was all for nothing. He literally sits and waits for it all to be over.

But unlike all the others, Walt gets re-inspired. A television broadcast reminds him of Gray Matter, the company that he poured his soul into that was taken from him. The very people that bruised his ego and helped spawn his dual identity of Hiesenburg. Somehow, what's said on that television encourages him to go on one last crusade. What exactly he took from the television and what he's going to do is being debated, but in truth no one will know until next Sunday.

This episode was brilliant in terms of character development and acting. One episode remains, and I personally am jizzing in excitement. The greatest narrative of the generation is culminating, and the supposedly polarizing end is soon upon us. What last step will the series take us? God only knows.

Ozymandias

When we're on the internet in the year 2013, I don't think it's required of me to describe how amazing and beautiful the cult phenomenon Breaking Bad is. Anyone who regularly goes on social networking or forum sites are well aware of its popularity. 

That said...

Breaking Bad is the one of the greatest shows in television history and quite possibly the most spectacular narrative of the decade. Each episode, especially in the final season, has been edge-of-the-seat drama, fantastic story-telling, fascinating character development, and has brought out more emotions in me then any television show I've watched before. The easily missed symbolism, unique camera work, and other little quirks to the show just add to the show's beauty. While those who aren't fans of the show may be tired of hearing it, I'm far from done saying it: Breaking Bad will go down in history as the greatest stories of all time.

 

And if there is one episode that every event in the show has been leading up to, then it was 'Ozymandias'. It was the culmination of every mistake Walt's ever made, every choice he chose wrongly, every action he took to further satisfy his ego while telling himself its for his family. His brother-in-law, the one person he wanted more than anything to keep away from all the shit he started, is dead. His partnership with Jesse has finally ended with his reveal to him that he watched Jane die. His family has finally fallen apart after his wife and then his son turned against him. Everything he has ever worked for has gone to shit.

The use of the flash backward in the beginning of the episode perfectly shows it too. He's just begun his new lifestyle, completely oblivious to how fucked up his life is to become. He has a normal, happy conversation on the phone with his wife, and we witness them deciding on the name Holly for their daughter. Flash forward to the end of the episode, and he's having a different conversation with his wife. Arguably in an effort to toy with the police, he insults her and blames her for everything that's happened, with Holly still being the center of the conversation in a twisted way. 

One can only wonder what direction they'll take in the next two episodes, now that every part of Walt's life has crumbled from beneath him. The king has fallen; all that's left is revenge and retribution. Ozymandias has been one of the greatest episodes of Breaking Bad thus far, and I hope that 'Granite State' can earn that title as well.