The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (Novel) [Revisited]

Rand, Mat and Nynaeve journey from Tear to the Aiel Waste to fulfill the part of the prophecies that say the Dragon Reborn is also the Aiel’s Car’a’carn.  To prove their worth Rand and Mat must enter the ancient and sacred city of Rhuidean and be tested. Nynaeye will train with the Wise Ones (the Aiel version of the Aes Sedi) about Dreaming.  Meanwhile Nynaeve and Elayne head to Tanchico to hunt down the Black Ajah taking Thom Merrilin and the thief catcher Juliin Sandar with them.   Yet the two story lines that most entertained me in this volume were those with Perrin and Min.  Min arrives at the White Tower to inform the Amyrlin Siuan Sanche of Moiraine’s progress advising Rand and upon her arrival sees a vision that something very bad is about to happen at the White Tower.  The best part of this terrifically dense book is Perrin’s journey to his home town of Two Rivers where he becomes the leader he was born to be and unites his people to battle a siege of Trollocs.  To assist him for the task is Loial and Faile Bashere.  It’s Perrin and Faile’s love story that gives book its emotional punch.  Considering all the story threads Mr. Jordan is weaving here it’s an impressive achievement.  Under a less skilled storyteller this chunk of epic writing could have been a logistic nightmare of unfocused subplots and underdeveloped climaxes.  The development of the Aiel culture and their tribal customs alone is enough to upstage the most accomplished writers out there.   Just when I was thinking the last book was the best one, this one reigns supreme.  There’s just so many memorable moments.  As anyone knowledgeable with The Wheel of Time knows, it is a bit long winded but in this case there really isn’t a section you can remove.  It’s a fantastic book.  Grade: A

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

First off, any film where you have a talking Raccoon flying a space ship and blasting people away with a big gun is a must-see for me. Top that with a space opera setting that’s tied into the Marvel Universe and it’s shocking that people thought this was a “gamble”. I knew this film was going to be fantastic and I didn’t need psychic powers to know it. Chris Pratt plays Starlord, Zoe Saldana plays the sexy green bounty hunter Gamora, David Bautista is the muscle Drax and Bradley Cooper voices Rocket the talking raccoon and Vin Diesel voices the walking tree Groot. Together they’re criminals (a team of Han Solos) who must save the Universe from a tyrant named Ronan the Accuser played by Lee Pace, a vengeful villain set on wiping out an entire planet. Add in a great ‘60s/’70s soundtrack to the mix and this is an extremely entertain film. The only issue I had with it in general was that the villain, Ronan, is menacing enough, sure, but he’s pretty one-dimensional. I’m not saying every villain needs to be multi-layered but they should stand out somewhat. While Mr. Pace does what he can, and he looks great, I felt he was a pretty forgettable character. In many ways it doesn’t matter because it’s the team-up aspect of the plot that drives the story. I just hope for the next film, and let’s green-light the sequel now folks, Marvel gives us a much more interesting bad guy. The villainous character that steals the show in this one is Yondu played by Michael Rooker. I doubt he could ever be the main villain but he’s the kind of bad guy they need in the second one. The villain needs to be a real threat while at the same time engaging. Ronan was a stiff God-like character with no personality. Ultimately I want to applaud director and writer James Gunn. He did a wonderful job bring this comic to life. This is a terrific example of how to make a fun Summer movie that doesn’t feel stupid. Every film maker of these kind of films should be taking notes. Grade: A

The Family (2013)

You look at a film like this and you shake your head and wonder what the heck happened. Great cast: Robert De NIro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron and more. You have a decent director in Luc Besson. The premise isn’t that bad either; American Mobster in hiding is transplanted into a small French town by the FBI. It even starts off well, showing this tough, uncompromising family deal with bullies and rudeness like a group of bad-asses. It’s actually kind of funny. Then everything unravels before your eyes and what is left is an inconsistent film. For example, Dianna Agron starts off as a unflinching American teenager but at some point she becomes some weak timid girl. Everyone in it does a good job, the acting isn’t the problem, it’s the writing. Based on a French novel (so I’ve learned) I can’t help but wonder how close of an adaptation it is. Regardless it’s one of those below average movies you might watch late at night and enjoy it somewhat but won’t be able to remember it the next day. I’d suggest just skipping it. Grade: C

Snowpiercer (2014)

Korean director Bong Joon-ho directs an English language science fiction film based on the French graphic novelLe Transperceneige. And the result is a brilliant, dark, a sardonic film for an international market. I loved this film. It takes place in the future after a new ice age pretty much wipes out the planet. The only survivors that we know of live on a super train that speeds around the globe nonstop at high speeds. Our hero, played by Chris Evans, lives with the poor in horrid conditions and must band together to fight their way up the train in a revolt against Wilford, the mysterious Engineer of the train. Tilda Swinton hams up the screen as the second in command, a tyrannical dictator who keeps the poor in check. I don’t want to ruin any surprises so all I will say is just watch it. It’s a cinematic gem with fantastic themes about those who have none and those who have a lot. It’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s visually poetic and it’s morbidly satisfying. Grade: A-

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (Novel) [Revisited]

Ironically Rand, who is the Dragon Reborn, isn’t a primary character in this book. Sure he’s very much a centerpiece of the story with Perrin and Moiranie chasing after him toward the Stone of Tear and Eqwana, Nynaeve and Elayne trying to protect him from the Black Ajah. But I found this book to be where Mat becomes his own hero. Mat is taken to the White Tower for healing and finds himself gifted with luck and on a quest to deliver a letter from Elayne to her mother Queen Morgase in Camlyn. It’s also fun to see Aes Sedi in training with Eqwana, Nynaeve and Elayne becoming friends before getting assigned a secret and dangerous mission from the Amyrlin Seat herself. This is such a satisfying book. Mr. Jordan really keeps upping the ante that you’d think he’d at some point fail to improve upon what he’s doing so well here, and that’s create a memorable and rewarding epic. This one also has the start of the book’s best love story with the introduction of Zarine Bashere (Faile). Another wonderful achievement in long form storytelling that just makes you want to keep on reading, no matter the size of the next book. Grade: A

The Americans (Season 1)

The premise of the show alone entertains. Two Russian spies live as an American couple during the ‘80s Cold War. Not even their kids know their true vocation. This might be the most complex love story on TV for even though they’re married they consider themselves coworkers more than lovers. Yet the sexual tension is very much present and as the FBI tries to find them, they do what spies do and that’s deceive, collect information and kill. Something tells me this show is only going to get better. Is this the show that’s going to take over for Breaking Bad? Only time will tell. Grade: A-

No Hellboy 3

I read some sad news today. Guillermo del Toro stated that he doesn’t believe a third Hellboy film will happen. I still hold out some hope, because anything is possible, but if true this would be one of the most disappointing things I’ve heard in movie land. I love the Hellboy films and with the way the second one ended it felt like a great epic ending was foretold. Now we’ll just have to use our imaginations. It irritates me to no end that del Toro doesn’t have the creative freedom to make the kind of films he wants to. I know making films is a business and his "works of art" aren’t bringing in lots of money but for me he should be allowed to finish this Hellboy trilogy. He should be allowed to make At the Mountain of Madness. I won’t state he’s a genius (for that term is overused a lot) I do consider him one of the most creative forces in the industry. And we need people like him to give our cinematic landscape bursts of inspiration. While it’s unlikely a conclusion to the Hellboy cinematic world will be delivered to us, I know Ron Pearlman wants to do it. Maybe, maybe if del Toro had a big hit (Pacific Rim 2?) the Hollywood moneymen will change their minds. Maybe. I will be crossing my fingers, always.