Thursday, July 30, 2009
Why?
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton to Vamp It Up in 'Dark Shadows'
Don't get me wrong, I think Johnny Depp is a good actor, but I already know he excels in creepy, quirky roles, which he has proven in Edward Scissorhands, three Pirates of the Caribbean movies (so far), Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, and the soon to be released Alice in Wonderland.
He keeps doing the same types of roles over and over again, usually alongside Helena Bonham Carater, and director Tim Burton. To see him in yet another freaky role alongside the other two will simply be meh. Can Tim Burton give two other actors a chance in one of his films for once? It would be interesting, it would be different and a nice change of pace for once.
I'm also getting bored with Helena Bonham Carter, yes she is good, yes she plays a certain type of character very well, yes I enjoyed her way back in Fight Club, but it is time for her to play something different from the roles she usually plays, branch out as an actress. I should not have been having flashbacks to Sweeney Todd during Half Blood Prince. During the scene where Bellatrix LeStrange destroys The Burrow, I should not have been thinking "oh my god, it is Helena Bonham Carter"?
Well, at least these two haven't been cast in the next Batman movie. There has been talk about Depp playing the next Riddler, and frankly I'd rather see the role re-imagined by Jim Carey.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Torchwood Children of Earth
Finally had a chance to digest and rewatch Children of Earth, and still have very mixed feelings. When separated from the series as a whole, the story was compelling; a tale of what the government would do in an un-winable situation. The visions at the end of Gwen, Rhys, and Ianto's family running to protect the children were moving. The same can be said about the ultimate sacrifice which Captain Jack is forced to make.
In terms of the Torchwood series as a whole, writer Russell T. Davies threw the baby out with the bathwater. Not that the underlying series was perfect, most of the time it was pure over the top sci fi schlock, or derivative sci fi schlock. Many episodes seemed like rejected X-Files, or Angel scripts. I'll go as far as to say that for the second season premiere, they even cast James Masters to essentially play his Angel/Buffy character, Spike.
But beneath all the bad storylines, and inconsistent characterization there was still the sense that there were relationships between the group of characters who eventually became somewhat of a family. The characters were characters with personalities, and histories, and not plot devices as you might see in something which was more symbolic science fiction. There was still some hope that the show could develop into something excellent, the seeds were there. The biggest phenomenon to come from this show was Janto (aka the relationship between Jack and Ianto) which to me seemed to be one of online sci fi fandom's most popular pairings.
Children of Earth is an Alan Moore style morality tale and to some degree it worked. Those who are not regular Torchwood fans, those who do not have much invested in the characters and certain relationships, or those who knew what type of a ride Torchwood could might get great enjoyment out of it. But those who watched the first two seasons, and got to know the characters will be nitpicky and see that Jack's daughter and grandson, who we never heard as much of a word about during this series or Doctor Who, were really nothing more than convenient plot devices for the ultimate downer ending. The same can also be said for Ianto's sister and her family.
Would this storyline would have been just as effective if Russel T. Davies had used completely new characters who were not the Torchwood characters we knew and loved? Would it have been better had he invented a few new characters to serve as plot devices leaving the rest of the show intact for more of the Torchwood we love? I honestly feel that if this had been done with completely new characters, and the Torchwood team in the background, waiting for another series, it would have been just as effective.
If they were going to do this storyline, things would probably have been better if they had an entire season, or few seasons, to gradually build up to the entire storyline. Have an episode with a B plotline where we meet Ianto's family, and get to know a bit more about the character and things he holds back? Another episode where we get to meet Jack's daughter, and grandson? Perhaps if this were all spread out over several seasons, or perhaps if these details had been written about these characters from the inception, it would not have seemed as bad.
There is also the ultimate issue of the death of Ianto. I'll go as far to say that I felt it was completely unnecessary, and didn't need to occur. Russel T. Davies seemed to be doing it to deliberately dump and anger the rabid fan following for whatever reason. Perhaps because he didn't want the show being associated with the kind of "sci fi" fan following her felt was laughable. Perhaps he didn't want this show known as a sci fi soap, and more a serious sci fi show. Whatever his reasoning, it was a cruel thing to do to some of the show's most loyal fans.
In terms of the Torchwood series as a whole, writer Russell T. Davies threw the baby out with the bathwater. Not that the underlying series was perfect, most of the time it was pure over the top sci fi schlock, or derivative sci fi schlock. Many episodes seemed like rejected X-Files, or Angel scripts. I'll go as far as to say that for the second season premiere, they even cast James Masters to essentially play his Angel/Buffy character, Spike.
But beneath all the bad storylines, and inconsistent characterization there was still the sense that there were relationships between the group of characters who eventually became somewhat of a family. The characters were characters with personalities, and histories, and not plot devices as you might see in something which was more symbolic science fiction. There was still some hope that the show could develop into something excellent, the seeds were there. The biggest phenomenon to come from this show was Janto (aka the relationship between Jack and Ianto) which to me seemed to be one of online sci fi fandom's most popular pairings.
Children of Earth is an Alan Moore style morality tale and to some degree it worked. Those who are not regular Torchwood fans, those who do not have much invested in the characters and certain relationships, or those who knew what type of a ride Torchwood could might get great enjoyment out of it. But those who watched the first two seasons, and got to know the characters will be nitpicky and see that Jack's daughter and grandson, who we never heard as much of a word about during this series or Doctor Who, were really nothing more than convenient plot devices for the ultimate downer ending. The same can also be said for Ianto's sister and her family.
Would this storyline would have been just as effective if Russel T. Davies had used completely new characters who were not the Torchwood characters we knew and loved? Would it have been better had he invented a few new characters to serve as plot devices leaving the rest of the show intact for more of the Torchwood we love? I honestly feel that if this had been done with completely new characters, and the Torchwood team in the background, waiting for another series, it would have been just as effective.
If they were going to do this storyline, things would probably have been better if they had an entire season, or few seasons, to gradually build up to the entire storyline. Have an episode with a B plotline where we meet Ianto's family, and get to know a bit more about the character and things he holds back? Another episode where we get to meet Jack's daughter, and grandson? Perhaps if this were all spread out over several seasons, or perhaps if these details had been written about these characters from the inception, it would not have seemed as bad.
There is also the ultimate issue of the death of Ianto. I'll go as far to say that I felt it was completely unnecessary, and didn't need to occur. Russel T. Davies seemed to be doing it to deliberately dump and anger the rabid fan following for whatever reason. Perhaps because he didn't want the show being associated with the kind of "sci fi" fan following her felt was laughable. Perhaps he didn't want this show known as a sci fi soap, and more a serious sci fi show. Whatever his reasoning, it was a cruel thing to do to some of the show's most loyal fans.
Am I the only one who didn't love the new Star Trek film?
For the standard summer popcorn flick, it was watchable and better than X-Men Orings: Wolverine. Unfortunately, it lived up to my lowered expectations and worst fears of what would happen if they were to make a big screen Trek movie. They catered to the lowest common denominator, in order to bring the traditional non sci fi audience on board, with a cast full of up and coming familiar, pretty actors, lots of explosions, battles with generic CGI monsters, and contrived plot devices. In doing all this they lost the essence of a Star Trek film and failed to leave any kind of interesting moral, something which even the worst of the previous Star Trek films, Final Frontier managed accomplish. I'm willing to admit that most of the time Star Trek The Next Generation was often annoying with the anvil of morality. However the anvil of morality did add something to the show and to the big screen films.
Kirk wasn't quite Kirk. It wasn't until Boston Legal where I realized that for all his ego, Shatner has a certain gravitas which he brings to most of his performances, he really did give the Captain Kirk character a certain edge. Chrisotpher Pine lacks the charisma possessed Shatner, and the character comes off as just a bit too much of an arrogant prick, instead of the James T. Kirk we have come to know and love.
I'll give this a second chance, and hope that perhaps that the next film will iron out some of the kinks, and feel more like a Star Trek film. I also hope that by the second film the ensemble is able to develop the same chemistry I sensed in the TOS and TNG movies.
Fans of Doctor Who have always complained about Star Trek ripping off ideas, something which to some extent I've never paid attention to, until now. The destruction of Vulcan, and the Spocks being the "last of their kind," is just too much of a rip off of The Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. Could Sci-Fi please stop using this cliche?
Talking about Doctor Who was it just me or was Simon Pegg channeling David Tennant in his portrayal of Scotty? There was just something about his performance which seemed like David Tennant's natural accent, mixed with the Tenth Doctor's wild boyish enthusiasm.
Also was that beer I saw Kirk drinking in the "not cantina"? I know this is a reboot, but things seemed to be fairly parallel both versions of the 23rd century. However I seem to recall once scene in The Voyage Home where Kirk is taken to dinner, sips a Michelob, and clearly isn't used to the taste of 20th/21st century beer.
For the standard summer popcorn flick, it was watchable and better than X-Men Orings: Wolverine. Unfortunately, it lived up to my lowered expectations and worst fears of what would happen if they were to make a big screen Trek movie. They catered to the lowest common denominator, in order to bring the traditional non sci fi audience on board, with a cast full of up and coming familiar, pretty actors, lots of explosions, battles with generic CGI monsters, and contrived plot devices. In doing all this they lost the essence of a Star Trek film and failed to leave any kind of interesting moral, something which even the worst of the previous Star Trek films, Final Frontier managed accomplish. I'm willing to admit that most of the time Star Trek The Next Generation was often annoying with the anvil of morality. However the anvil of morality did add something to the show and to the big screen films.
Kirk wasn't quite Kirk. It wasn't until Boston Legal where I realized that for all his ego, Shatner has a certain gravitas which he brings to most of his performances, he really did give the Captain Kirk character a certain edge. Chrisotpher Pine lacks the charisma possessed Shatner, and the character comes off as just a bit too much of an arrogant prick, instead of the James T. Kirk we have come to know and love.
I'll give this a second chance, and hope that perhaps that the next film will iron out some of the kinks, and feel more like a Star Trek film. I also hope that by the second film the ensemble is able to develop the same chemistry I sensed in the TOS and TNG movies.
Fans of Doctor Who have always complained about Star Trek ripping off ideas, something which to some extent I've never paid attention to, until now. The destruction of Vulcan, and the Spocks being the "last of their kind," is just too much of a rip off of The Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. Could Sci-Fi please stop using this cliche?
Talking about Doctor Who was it just me or was Simon Pegg channeling David Tennant in his portrayal of Scotty? There was just something about his performance which seemed like David Tennant's natural accent, mixed with the Tenth Doctor's wild boyish enthusiasm.
Also was that beer I saw Kirk drinking in the "not cantina"? I know this is a reboot, but things seemed to be fairly parallel both versions of the 23rd century. However I seem to recall once scene in The Voyage Home where Kirk is taken to dinner, sips a Michelob, and clearly isn't used to the taste of 20th/21st century beer.
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