Category Archives: Television / Movies

The Witcher – A Review

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I’ve been a fantasy fan for a long time, but I haven’t played video games since the days of Atari. When the Netflix series “The Witcher” was announced I had no idea what was headed to the screen. While a long time fan of fantasy I’ve drifted away recently and read in many other genres. I still love it, but missed anything related to this series. I started watching the show with a blank slate, just really hoping for some excellent, accessible fantasy.

Before I get to the spoilers I will say that I did in fact like the series. I can’t say that I loved it, but it is swords and sorcery and that usually works out well for me. If you’re a fan of swords and sorcery it’s worth watching. There is a book series. I thought I would go and grab up the books, then I read this review. Perhaps I’ll hold off. Maybe it’s better to let the show stand on its own.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Why didn’t we get more of *this* Witcher?

Yes, it’s swords and sorcery. It’s got a ton of standard fantasy tropes in there. Eleves, dwarves, wizards, and even dragons. There are castles and wizard battles and swamp monsters and ghouls and…

and all those things are rammed in and around the plot in just 8 episodes.

The problem with epic fantasy is rarely the fantasy part. The problem is the epic part. There is SO much world building and background that it’s almost impossible to cram it all in to anything less than a massive series. The writers tend to do exactly what I said ~ they cram. The push and mash and squeeze as many of the eye catching ‘cool’ fantasy things into as short a span as they can in a desperate grab for eyeball time. The Witcher suffers from this. There is so much there and very, very little of it is actually the main character doing his job. Geralt is a magically created warrior designed to hunt and destroy monsters. The series opens with him battling a swamp dwelling giant spider with human features, then shows his fighting powers against people, then that fades away in order to start stacking in story.

As I wrote that I had to stop and really think about it. How could I complain about building in story? It’s exactly what I always say that I want. That is the part about cramming in the ‘epic’ part. The story is named for Geralt’s job, but then we spend huge amounts of time on Ciri, Yennifer, Jasker the bard, The Brotherhood (that is mostly women?) and a jumble of other bits. We see Geralt’s part in things, but only just.

Witchers are supposed to be constructed to have no human emotions. I suspect this is not the truth and much like the manner in which Spock is portrayed in the modern updates of the Star Trek series the character is deeply emotional, simply repressed to the point of psychological damage. I believe the emotions will burst forth in the form of rage at some point. A truly emotionless character would be far less interesting. What this emotionless warrior does is drift through the story. I want to like Geralt, but he’s flat. On purpose? Maybe.

So a flat character and a jumble of story. At least the whole thing will make sense when it’s fully rendered on screen, right? Wrong.

The time line jumps all over the place. I could never tell when in the story we were supposed to be. Were we in the past, the distant past, the present? It was almost impossible to tell for sure. Flashbacks to dead characters that have been replaced by magic shape shifters only made this worse. Apparently both the sorceress Yennifer and Geralt are supposed to be significantly older? Sorcerers are supposed to have greatly expanded life spans, but we’re only getting vague references to that? It was very frustrating.

The other part I found frustrating was the indecision of what the nature of the show wanted to be. Getting past organizational aspects of how the story was made, what were they trying to portray? There were tons of gratuitous nudity scenes. Generally speaking I am in favor of that sort of thing – if it advances the story in some way. These scenes all gave me the feeling that what they were aiming for was trying to take over the space vacated by Game of Thrones. The show wanted to be dark, and mysterious, violent and sexy… and then they added in Jasker the bard. Jasker should have been Joxer from Xena: Warrior Princess. They could have gone for a much lighter, entertaining version of the entire series. There were still monsters and fighting and love stories just with added camp.

I don’t know if I would stay on board for campy epic fantasy and that’s the show’s biggest issue. It can’t decide what it wants to be or where it wants to go. It’s a retro feel stuffed in a modern package that doesn’t quite fit.

There are other issues associated with the show as well. Yennifer as hunchback and deformed never sat quite right with me. Something was off about that portrayal. When she was transformed it confirmed my fear. This was actually a gorgeous Hollyweird actress that they’d made up to look that particular way, then magically transformed. I do not fall into any category other than ‘able’ so it’s not for me to discuss the depth of this, but despite truly excellent make-up and special effects it just didn’t sit right.

For more depth on this you should check out this article.

I’ve spent quite a few words picking this show apart. These issues are what distract me from flat out loving a successful fantasy series. There are really excellent parts to this show and good stories within the larger story. The series has been announced as having a second season already. My hope is that the story lines get sorted in better order, the actual power of Geralt comes forward (there was a lot of hype around the black eyes in the promo stuff and we almost never see that in the series) and the writers decide to make this story it’s own, not just a GOT replacement.

I do recommend watching the series. As always, supporting something new is vital to showing that we, the consumer, are actually interested in new and exciting shows and that we want something more than another remake.

Watching – on MY demand

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I am not a Luddite, but I am often accused of being one because I tend to express very negative opinions about tech and the issues that result from it not working correctly.

I spend an exceptional amount of time working with technology, specifically digital tools, at my day job. I am part designer, part modeler, and part film maker when I’m working on a project. I absolutely depend on having up to date hardware and software. I am connected all the time while I am working having three screens and up to a dozen windows open at any given time on my computer. I live in the future when I’m working. When I am not at work, totally different take on things.

I have a deep seeded need for technology to simply work when and where I want it to. This is where the problem starts. There are a multitude of technology based things for any and all parts of the home these days. I find that most of them amount to solutions gone looking for a problem. Could I have voice commands turn all the lights on and off in my house? Yes, yes I could. Will I ever do that? Not a chance. I can walk over and flip a switch to complete a circuit. The only times I’ve ever had a problem with that is when the light itself failed to work. How many people can say they never have a problem getting their automated things to work properly every single time without more effort that flipping a switch? I’ve witnessed it at the office I work in. One office’s lights are connected to a digital assistant. Guess what set of lights constantly has issues? Good guess.

So, why am I on about digital tools and connectivity? I am also one of the people that still has the Netflix DVD by mail service. Yes, actual discs in the good old postal delivery service. I can’t say I’m a constant on the mailing list, sometimes not getting to my new disc for a couple of weeks, but generally I get to at least three or four per month. I also still buy actual discs of the movies that I know I really enjoy and want to go back to.

When I really want to watch an older movie that I love I follow a procedure that’s remarkably similar to the light switch… I get off my ass, walk to the shelf where the movie sits, then take the disc back to the DVD player and watch my movie. Relatively little failure there.

What if you wanted to watch Dogma tonight? Could you? Even with Kevin Smith out there all over the place promoting stuff you still can’t just get it if you don’t own the disc. Sure, there may be some digitally savvy folks out there that could come up with it, but at what cost? What system? Do you have the right service?

This article in GQ has some really excellent points on this.

My bottom line is this – If I own the disc, there’s not a service out there that can stop me from watching it when and where I want to. I don’t have to depend on Netflix having it in their rotation. I don’t have to worry that there’s some kind of transmission problem that’s bogging down Hulu. No buffering on my computer. I just watch it. Pause it, come back to it… basically all the things associated with streaming, without the need to worry about what service has the movie or IF my digital library copy is still available or not… or worse, if it’s been altered for some kind of directorial re-write (thanks for that Lucas).

IF that makes me a Luddite, so be it. I’ll still watch my movies whenever I want and not depend on some service to do it.

The Dragon Prince

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The Dragon Prince main characters

I am a long time fan of the fantasy genre. Yes, I was first hooked by The Hobbit a long time ago, but since then the heroic sword and sorcery story has always had a place in my heart. I love it.

I admit, for a while I wandered away. I’d seen plots that looked, felt and moved the same way for a long time. Before I began writing and learning what a trope was I began to see and understand the commonality among my favorite stories. I still like them.

Since then I have always hunted for fantasy stories that could give me the heroic journey without making me bored while doing it. Subtlety, nuance, shifts in the way things are presented or the way worlds are constructed are all things that catch my attention. I am a particular fan of changes to world building.

IF you’re of a similar mindset, I humbly suggest you find a way onto Netflix and watch The Dragon Prince. It is excellent fantasy – the best I’ve seen in a long time. You might look at it and think it is a show aimed at children. That is and is not true. This show takes on a number of very deep themes and issues. These affect people no matter how old they are and we all still need to deal with those things.

This article: How The Dragon Prince Became the Best Fantasy Show on Television, Animated or Not has a number of very good things to say.

This article:
The Dragon Prince Ended Season 3 With a Battle That Could Rival Any Lord of the Rings Movie is full of spoilers but also covers a lot of excellent points about the show.

My quick hits from the show?

The characters are strong and complex. There are good examples of behavior and bad examples of behavior. Both examples show the consequences of those actions, and it’s not always black and white. Clear cut answers are few and far between in this show.

The story is stronger because it can’t take short cuts. There’s something to be said for avoiding the cheap method of getting a point across. The romance isn’t punctuated with explicit sex – that’s not an option. There is no violence simply because an ‘action scene was needed’. The story needs to carry the day.

Things that are considered divergent to many people are shown in this show without needing to sledge hammer the point home. Nobody bats an eye at the fact that one of the best generals for the humans is deaf. I don’t know ASL, but I’m betting those lines are actually animated with real words. There is a creature missing a leg (trying not to be spoilery) that has been made to look ‘normal’ because of preconceived viewpoints. It’s there, but it’s not the point and that’s what I really like about it. You can’t use your standard assumptions because they might not be the case. I think that’s a very strong argument for world building and quality story telling.

IF you’re not worried about spoilers, check out those articles. Either way, do yourself a favor and go check this show out. Totally worth your time.

More of what everyone is talking about…

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I was excited. I’m still a little excited… but it’s dulled now.

Spent some time with Disney+ last night. Guess what you can’t binge? That’s right – they’re not dropping the Mandelorian all at once, they’re spacing it out and dropping one episode at a time.

I watched the first one. It’s good. It’s the Star Wars Universe. SPOILER ALERT – there are storm troopers in there too. As I was watching the show I caught a couple of very disturbing things. Things that make me question certain aspects of the show – and exactly how appropriate it is for kids.

IF you don’t want spoilers, turn away now.

There’s a scene in one of the bars where a fight breaks out ~ like it would in any movie frontier situation. Then one of the individuals involved in the fight gets cut in half. Yes, they allowed that to happen mostly off screen, but it was pretty clear what went down. Episode 1, right off the bat. Dude was cut in half by one of those iris doors. I suppose all the safety measures had been removed because frontier or something. I guess if it’s mostly off screen that’s fine.

The part that really bothered me was a passing little piece in the market. You remember this guy from Jabba’s place?

Salacious B. Crumb

They’ve got one of them in a cage in the market… watching another one of their race being cooked on a spit. A sentient creature – able to express emotion – being cooked on a spit in front of another of it’s race. I’m not sure I’m OK with that. I need to give it some real consideration.

Other people are far less circumspect. There has been a ripple of backlash against Disney and how… dominating? overpowering? destructive? they’ve been in the entertainment industry for a very long time. IF you get a chance you should check out this article in Variety about the warnings that are popping up on some of the cartoons / movies they’re playing on their channel.

I have to agree that the folks at the WB seem to have handled that a lot better. I wonder what their thoughts are on sentient being rotisserie as torture…

Disney +

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It started yesterday. I went out and pulled the new Roku streaming channel and signed in. It was actually really simple. My house now has Disney+, the new streaming service.

Let’s be honest, this was the biggest draw for me:

Binge!

Then I started scrolling through all the choices available on the channel. Two things became apparent right away… first – Disney owns a HUGE amount of entertainment. Second, we’ve seen a HUGE amount of what they have to offer.

We immediately fell down the rabbit hole so to speak (there are 2 versions of Alice In Wonderland on there). We looked at a number of the Pixar short films right away. Some we remembered, some we didn’t, some we couldn’t say we’d ever seen. IF we had started the channel on a weekend I think we’d still be sitting there.

There were two disappointing things. First – the short film that I presume accompanies Toy Story 4 is on there, but the film is not. I don’t know how the powers that be determine when stuff goes to streaming – but having one and not the other seemed odd. Second – I thought that ESPN+ and HULU were part of the package when I signed up. That is not the case. If I want those things, they cost extra.

I have a feeling that we’ll be spending a disproportionate amount of time on this channel in the very near future… and I can’t wait to binge the Mandalorian!

Disney+

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I did it. A few weeks ago I saw an article talking about Disney+, the next big streaming service that was coming out. I had heard rumors of it for quite a while, but figured I’d wait and see if anything actually came of all the noise. Something DID come of all the noise, and when I looked at the absolutely massive offering from all the things Disney now owns I had to check it out.

The article sent me to a link, the link made an offer. It was one I couldn’t refuse.

What a collection, just on the front images, right?

I actually paid for 2 years up front to receive some kind of crazy discount thing. I did it. Anyone that’s read here for some time will realize that I’m not usually an early adopter of this sort of thing. In this case, I couldn’t resist.

I’m hopeful that it will be worth the investment for more than just the collection of things I’ve seen before, but given my past experiences with Disney if there’s one thing they DO know how to do it’s entertain.

I really can’t wait…

Far From Home

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Non spoiler review of the movie right here

The family and I went to see Far From Home on this opening weekend. I’m going to hit potential spoiler stuff in here. I’ll try to avoid it, but if you don’t want spoilers you should see the movie before you read my review.

Going to see this movie felt different than other super hero movies since Endgame did what it did. This movie had a lot of ground to cover that wasn’t about Spiderman at all. In the end, it did exactly what it needed to do in that department. There was an explanation of why after 5 years these kids were still in school. There was (albeit brief) discussion of what happened when people “blipped” and found the world they returned to completely changed. It was a good thing to see these questions addressed.

It was also interesting to see the film makers continue to use “what people will believe” in the story line. It maintains all the crazy that has gone before and uses that to advantage in pushing this story forward.

Not being someone who read the comics or watched a great deal of preview stuff worked to my advantage on this film. I didn’t know Mysterio or anything about that character other than a vague recollection of a cartoon involving him in the distant past. I was able to take what was given and just enjoy the ride. I didn’t think too hard about it, and was able to be surprised at little turns the film took.

The biggest thing I can’t say I enjoyed landed right at the end in the first post credits scene. The bad guy pulls something off that did NOT sit well with me. It’s exactly the sort of thing that shows how well a character is written ~ because I loathed that it happened and wrecked the happy ending. I like heroic movies with happy endings and this dug under my skin. I could have done without it at all and been much happier.

IF you’re invested in the MCU, this movie definitely continues that work. IF you’re not, this is still a decent Spiderman movie, but you’ll miss a huge amount of the emotional impact without some background. I hope they get as many of these movies filmed as they can before Tom Holland moves on. I’m now impatiently waiting for the next one…

Here are two spoiler filled links about things to love and lingering questions.

Endgame – Part II

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I recently posted about a small moment in the juggernaut movie that is “Endgame” that my daughter related to.

I was not the only one that noticed this scene. Others were not impressed but did not have the same perspective I did. While my post has one specific spoiler moment, these posts have many. In my last post I was not trying to claim victory for the MCU. They’re a business (stupidly successful) and will do what makes money. IF they’re as smart as this long movie arc says they are, you’ll see more and better.

Given how politics have played out recently, I know we need more attention to this sort of thing. We MUST do better. I think we will. For my daughter’s sake, I hope we do.

Tor – long way to go for women:  https://www.tor.com/2019/04/29/avengers-endgame-shows-us-a-universe-that-still-cant-do-right-by-women/

io9 – deserved more:  https://io9.gizmodo.com/avengers-endgames-women-deserved-more-1834388344

Endgame

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Fierce

There are a lot of reviews out there for Endgame. There are vast numbers of opinions about the movie. I’m not going to dig into plot holes. I’m not interested in dissecting the merits of this giant movie on the basis of critical storytelling or decry a movie that will clearly crush all records.

This was more than a movie. This was an event. This lands in the same place as Harry Potter premiers. It was more than that even – the last time I genuinely recall people clapping and cheering and openly weeping in a theater like this was WAY back when I went to see Rocky IV in the theater. There were huge lines and nobody was arguing or pushing or being rude – we were all desperate to see the story. Where were we going? Who was going along for the ride? We sat in the aisles and nobody cared, it was just about packing in everyone to see the event.

I WILL PUT SPOILER MATERIAL IN HERE – TURN AWAY NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE IT.

What I am going to talk about is something very specific. During the huge battle between Thanos with all his forces and the Avengers with all the people they “snapped” back into existence – there is one particular scene where a large number (all?) of the female characters on the Avengers side of the battle stepping up into the heroic line up pose – you know the one, where they’re all shoulder to shoulder with the wind blowing their hair while they look fierce – they pose, they say something to the effect of, “she won’t be alone” and then they go and kick ass.

It’s a super contrived moment. It actively pulled me out of the battle scene. I found it startling that they would do something so completely… I want to call it pandering. I do. That’s a strong word, but I’m not feeling too generous right now. That bit stands out to me as a blatant money grubbing, make people happy because we think this is what they want kind of nonsense that turns me off to films.

BUT

You know who that moment wasn’t for? It wasn’t for me. Just like when I talked about Black Panther not being a film that was directed at me. I am not the demographic they’re looking for. The big Jedi mind trick right here. This is not the moment you were looking for… It was NOT for me.

Who was it for? It was for my 14 year old daughter. My amazing, wonderful, fierce daughter who has not spent years being jaded by shabby story telling or dissecting plot lines looking for weakness. Guess what happened when she saw that scene? She clapped and cheered and whooped like I have not seen her do before. THAT was the target demographic. She was the one meant to see that scene, just like thousands and thousands of other amazing young women out there that have somebody on screen that is like them. They have heros now. I believe this will be a film, and a particular scene that will stay with my daughter for a very long time and that alone makes the entire thing worth while. She is going to have so many worlds filled with imagination and stunning stories to take with her as she grows and ventures out into the world.

I hope she keeps that moment. I hope it gets stuck in her head and gives her a place to go when the world becomes its shitty self and I can’t shelter her. I hope she has some joy and tears and fun that was the event of going to see Endgame.

That would make it all worth it.

Just to avoid ending on a completely serious note – there was one other thing about this movie that I am really happy about. One blonde wig, one pair of sunglasses and one bathrobe and I can totally cosplay Thor now.

Nerd Pub and Robots

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Last week I had the opportunity to sit and chat with fellow fans on a YouTube show called Nerd Pub. Being on the show was a very interesting experience. I don’t think I’m cut out for video. As slow as I am with writing, I still think it’s a better place for me to express opinions. If you have some time on your hands you should head over to their channel and subscribe (click here).

Let’s drop fuel into a vat of acid and chat…

One of the things we chatted about was the Netflix show “Love Death + Robots”. This is a series of animated stories based around that theme. I recommend this, there are some good stories and amazing artwork. I was blown away by the art of these shows. There was more than one time while watching that I forgot I was watching animation. It’s that good. Be prepared – these are violent, sexual and graphic. They do not shy away from any of it.

The stories you say? Sort of an ‘oh by the way…’ moment on that one. One of my favorite stories was ‘Lucky 13’ by Marko Kloos. It’s edge of your seat military science fiction action combined with love and superstition. Great stuff.

I’ve read may of the other authors work as well. You’ll find Ken Liu, Joe Landsale, John Scalzi, Peter F. Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds and others. For anyone that hasn’t read their longer fiction – you should. Go find them. A number of these short stories are also available on line for free.

We talked some on the video about this being the next ‘Heavy Metal’. I understand why people would want to give this new series that title, but this is an anthology. There is no Loc-nar to follow through each story. There is no connective tissue between the stories. It is easily on the same graphic / sexual level but it’s just not quite the same. I’m willing to call it ‘inspired by’ or ‘in the tradition of’, but I am not ready to give it the crown yet. Give it longer than a month before we declare it the next coming.

While we’re giving things, let’s hope that Netflix digs up another set of stories and gives us another series of animated stories like this. I’d watch every single one.