Movie Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange (2016) co-written and directed by Scott Derrickson

Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a hot-shot neurosurgeon at the top of his game. He takes high-profile and high-challenge surgeries for the glory and the money. His skills and photographic memory are unmatched. Unfortunately, he's also full of himself, so much so that he disrespects his fellow surgeons and won't bother with ER emergencies. A car accident severely damages his hands. All his attempts at a Western medical solution fail to restore his physical abilities so he turn East in desperation. He is drawn into a world of mystical arts and abilities, where he is trained by the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) in hopes he will join their forces and protect the Earth from multi-dimensional and mystical threats.

Superficially, the story is a carbon copy of Tony Stark's character arc--the cocky but competent loner who is humbled into seeing the world differently, learns to work with others, and sacrifices himself for the greater good. Even so, Strange is his own person and Benedict Cumberbatch gives both charm and honesty to the character, making him a compelling hero who must overcome his flaws (one of them being his self-unawareness).

Cumberbatch also has the comedic ability to match the tone of the Marvel films. The film's lightness buoys the viewer through the tougher parts. The theme of accepting your situation is mostly tied to Strange's hands, which shake visibly after his accident. He is determined to undo the damage done to him so he can return to his normal, comfortable existence. Learning to accept how things are and that new possibilities could be even better is a long process for him. He is able to work through some issues and come to a much better place by the end of the movie. Other characters also struggle with this issue, giving a well-rounded feel.

Visually, this is by far the most impressive film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When Strange enters into other dimensions of reality, the special effects are beautiful and breath-taking--as amazing as the visuals in Avatar. The movie includes the city-bending from Inception and the energy whips from Iron Man 2, but raise both to a new level. Plenty of other amazing effects are included. The 3D is worth the extra cost.

Even though the film has so many bits of other films in it, enough new and original material and characters are introduced to make this a fun and captivating watch. The actors all do great jobs. The story has enough spin on the usual formula to make it enjoyable and fresh.

Highly recommended!

Dice Masters: Archers Monthly OP

Our friendly local game store, The Family Game Store, hosted the DC Dice Masters Archers Open Play event. We drafted cards and dice from the Green Arrow and The Flash set, which was totally new to me.

The swag offered during the event

Without any experience, I had to guess on which characters would make a good team while we were drafting cards. Sometimes I chose cards for their rarity but didn't get any of the super-rares. I made a mostly villain team from what I drew.

My team (click to enlarge)

The team is also all fist and bolt characters so I chose the action cards Invulnerability and Casualties, both of which have global abilities using bolt and fist energy. The star of my team was the Justice League character Firestorm, who was able to hold the field and keep me covered (most of the time). His special ability required me to have character from every energy type, so I would never get to use it, but this version of Firestorm was cheaper than the other card I drew. He was easy to field and strong enough to knock out other characters and not get knocked out himself.

I won two of the three games I played. In the one I lost, my opponent was able to get a big, tough character, Gorilla Grodd, whose special ability gave +1 attack to his other characters and, more importantly, Overcrush, which allows extra damage to be inflicted on the opponent. I couldn't overcome the onslaught.

Even so, I tied for second place (with two other players) and received some nice prizes.

OP awards from the contest

I had a great time and look forward to the next contest.

Book Review: Black Widow Vol. 1 by N. Edmondson et al.

Black Widow Volume 1: The Finely Woven Thread written by Nathan Edmondson and art by Phil Noto

Natasha Romanov, former KGB-trained assassin now known as Black Widow, is trying to make up for her past sins. In addition to working with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., she does free-lance assignments. She has an accountant to manage the finances and get the jobs. The money goes to families she hurt in one way or another. The stories here mostly focus on her free-lance work. The jobs are varied and very shady, often requiring the killing of evil people (which she is okay with). Sometimes plans go south or the target isn't exactly what she was told, so she has to improvise. A couple of times improvisation costs her the fee, which the accountant balks at because of all the expenses they have to maintain an international spy. These stories are stand-alones and work to give some character depth to Black Widow. They also have fun action sequences. And there's a bit of Black Widow's home life, dealing with a neighbor and a stray cat trying to become her pet.

The last half of the book is devoted to a job she does for S.H.I.E.L.D. An embassy in America is blown up, which could be construed as an act of war, but really the target was one person in the embassy. Black Widow has to follow a trail of clues across the globe which pits her against an extremely difficult opponent. This story was more interesting to me than the first half's stories.

The art looks more like water colors than like typical comic book art. The shift suits the more somber mood of the book. Happily, Black Widow herself is not drawn as some pin-up girl who doesn't know how to zip up her shirt (though two of the alternate covers in the back of the book do treat her that way). She is much more realistic and thus easier to take seriously as a character. She does bleed and she doesn't always win but she always does what she thinks is right. I look forward to more of her  adventures from this creative team.

Movie Review: Idiocracy (2006)

Idiocracy (2006) co-written and directed by Mike Judge

Lackluster military librarian Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected for a test of a human hibernation system in 2005. He's only supposed to be under for a year but a snafu leaves him in hibernation until 2505 when he's accidentally released. In the meantime, the world has become astonishingly dumb, thanks to the influence of brainless television and rampant consumerism. He's now the smartest man in the world, which is a big relief for the president of the United States (who is also a popular wrestler and porn star). Crops aren't growing, dust storms are everywhere, and the economy is tanking. Can an average Joe save the world with his unconventional ideas like using water instead of Gatorade to water plants?

The social satire is fun and nicely over-the-top. Joe's ability to make it through the strange and unfamiliar future is certainly based on the fact that he's smarter than everyone else, not necessarily on the fact that he is smart. Even a modicum of common sense can go a long way in overcoming corporate and political stupidity. Future politicians and cabinet members are all products of popularity contests and corporate endorsements. Most everyone wants to look cool on TV or in front of everyone around them. The prediction of extreme shallowness is surprisingly resonant only ten years after the film was made.

Mike Judge is the creator who brought us Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill, and Office Space. Some of the comic bits lean more towards Beavis and Butt-Head in their outrageous vulgarity which I found a little disappointing (though I did laugh). The other satire (of the legal system and the government) was much sharper and more enjoyable. This film isn't as funny as Office Space, but it is as biting.

Recommended and refreshing in this abysmal political season.

Cute Kid Pix October 2016

Here's some more pictures of the kids from last month that didn't make it into their own posts.

The toddler tried to an apple au naturel. Usually he has sauce or slices or bites of pie. Here he is biting through the skin!

Trying an apple in its skin

More apple love

Proof of success

We picked the apples at Larriland Farm.

We attended a fun Halloween party at a neighbor's house. The family had a trampoline in the back yard, which the toddler and my daughter enjoyed the most.

Fun on the trampoline

Trick-or-treating on Halloween was also a lot of fun. My older son had a hard time choosing a costume. Grandpa took him shopping. After a long journey, they came home with a pirate outfit. It looked great, especially with Granny's home-crafted cutlass.

My son the pirate

The other two were in re-run costumes. My daughter's Rapunzel dress from last year still fit so she wore it again (thanks, Aunt Vickie!). The toddler wore the same Winnie the Pooh outfit that the other two children have worn in years past.

Showing off her glow stick

What's that smell?!?

They had a pretty big haul. We are still working our way slowly through the stacks of candy.

Too serious?

Taking a photo over Grandpa's photo

Too silly?

Enjoying a lollipop right away!

TV Review: The Hollow Crown: Henry VI Part 1 (2016)

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses: Henry VI Part 1 (2016) directed by Dominic Cooke based on Shakespeare's plays

For the previous Hollow Crown series, see my reviews of Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2, and Henry V.

Following the death of King Henry V, his infant son is crowned king. Naturally Henry VI cannot rule so his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester (Hugh Bonneville), becomes Lord Protector. Henry V's conquests in France begin to slip away. Henry VI grows up but hardly seems like an adult among the lords of Parliament. Gloucester always acts with his nephew's best interests. Others strive to undermine his influence and take his place as trusted advisor. Some even maneuver to become king of England. The reconquest of France goes poorly (thanks a lot, Joan of Arc!), enabling further mischief and machinations in the royal court. Somerset (Ben Miles) finds a French noble wife for Henry, though she is more in Somerset's sway and has many more ambitions beyond being Henry's wife. Henry himself is a weak king. His interest in religion and prayer are a detriment to his royal duties. Like his father before him, he seems unfit to wear the crown. Unlike his father, he does not have a transformative experience into a warrior king, leaving Henry VI subject to whatever  political wind prevails. It's not a good situation and leads the country into civil war.

This second series of The Hollow Crown is subtitled The Wars of the Roses. In an early scene, Richard Plantagenet confers with a handful of other nobles. He has a claim to the throne and wants to find out who would back him. He plucks a white rose from a nearby bush. Others pluck white roses in support of him or red roses in support of Somerset from the house of Lancaster. The Duke of Gloucester is not there and he does remain the king's true servant, even after his wife is banished for consorting with the occult against Henry. Gloucester's enemies use this as an excuse to implicate Gloucester, with tragic results. By the end, Plantagenet makes his claim for the crown and rallies his sons, including his hunchbacked son also named Richard (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The political intrigue is more fascinating than I was anticipating. Backstabbing nobles don't always make the most interesting or compelling characters, but the writing is excellent and the characters well drawn. The actors are uniformly wonderful and deliver the Shakespearean dialogue with naturalness and conviction.

I can't wait for Part 2!

Book Review: Neil Gaiman's Lady Justice Vol. 1 by C. J. Henderson et al.

Neil Gaiman's Lady Justice Volume 1 based on a concept created by Neil Gaiman, written by C. J. Henderson and Wendi Lee, penciled by Michael Netzer, Jim Web, et al.

Neil Gaiman was involved in the formation of a comic book publishing house in the mid-1990s, mostly contributing ideas. One such idea was Lady Justice. Inspired by the famous statue of a blindfolded woman with scales in one hand and a sword in the other, Gaiman's idea was that the spirit of justice is searching for a human avatar (always a woman) in situations where a grave injustice occurs. The spirit gives the woman powers to visit justice upon wrongdoers but leaves the exact method to the woman. Some women are more bloodthirsty than others.

In the first story, Janine, a woman in a wheel chair, witnesses the death of both her brothers. When the spirit of justice comes, Janine accepts the offer to be justice's avatar and is able to walk again once she puts on a blindfold. Queue the dramatic violence and action as she works her way up the organized crime syndicate that's responsible for her brothers' deaths. She is viciously efficient, though the spirit of justice leaves her at the end because Janine is more about revenge than justice.

In the second story, a young African-American girl is initiated into an inner-city gang, a tradition in her family. Gang life is pretty rough and soon enough the spirit of justice comes to her to avenge a drive-by shooting. Certainly the cops can't get anything done about it. The story is sadder and more painful than the first.

The last story involves a young district attorney who is swept up in an attempt to take out a drug lord. She's a small town lawyer and the FBI is interested in the man she's prosecuting, though they want to plea bargain him to get bigger criminals. Plea-bargaining doesn't interest the spirit of justice (nor the lawyer) and the FBI guy has his own agenda.

The overall set-up is interesting and the characters are developed enough that they are sympathetic. Occasional conversations about the nature of justice give the book some depth but aren't too deep. Unfortunately, the focus really seems to be on the violence and there are a lot of underdressed women running around. The book looks like an exploitation shocker, which is less interesting to me. Maybe if Gaiman had written some of the stories or had some editorial oversight, the book might have more appeal for me.

Unless you're okay with lots of blood and boobs, I can't recommend this book.