Yes. More Graphic novels. I'm way behind, and these books are awesome!
Vol. 8: Wolves - Remember 'Munich'? This is kind of like that, Except the Bigby wolf represents the Israeli military in this metaphor. He goes all Rambo and wipes out a huge military asset of.....you know what, go read the books and come back to I can SPOIL THE BIG REVEAL.....you done? Good, Gepetto! Gepetto is the big bad guy, and The big bad wolf totally blows his enchanted trees to kingdom come! It's awesome, then Bigby gets his own place and finally marries Snow White and meet his 6 cubs. And Cinderella is a super secret agent.
Vol. 9: Sons of Empire - Bigby wolf and family visit his estranged father, the North Wind. They have unresolved issues. On the evil guy side of things, Gepetto gathers a meeting of his generals, including the Snow Queen and Hansel (a psycho witch-hunter) to discuss plans to destroy Fabletown. It's a lot of violent imagery and shows us that things are about to get real. Also, Red Riding Hood has a crush on the Frog Prince. He's the Janitor. It's cute.
Vol. 10: The Good Prince - This is my favorite story by far. After two volumes of escalating violence, we get to see a beloved side character take on a staring roll and go all "the meek shall inherit the earth" on the bad guys. He wins an enormous victory with out spilling a drop of blood. It's a beautiful tale that gives a stark contrast to the way things have been playing out for a while now. While the Fables in our world and the adversary's forces keep escalating the violence, we get to see a peaceful third option emerge.
I've left a lot out. The books contain a level of subtlety and deft storytelling that can't be easily described. The best I can say is that there is a reason this series as one over a dozen Eisner Awards. The characters, stories, and the artwork are all top notch. If you hate comic books or have never even picked one up, this is the series to start with.
10/10
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
100 by 30 Book 18 - Fables
Fables, vol. 5-7 by Bill Willingham
Fables is one of the best Comic book series I've ever read. Seriously, just go to the bookstore or library, grab volume 1 and thank me later. If you don't know, Fables is about a group of your favorite fairy tale characters secretly living in New York. Turns out they are refugees from their homelands, which have been over taken by a mysterious adversary. The stories take on a noir style, led by the sheriff, who is the big bad wolf. Oh, and the popularity of the characters in our world directly relates to how easy they are to kill. So Snow White can get her brains blown out and splattered across the page and she will slowly, painfully recover. So little kids will love these books.
Anyway, Fast forwarding to vol. 5 Fabletown has just survived an attack by the Adversaries forces, Snow White is pregnant, and there is going to be an election. We also get a great story of the Big Bad Wolf's time during world war II. Seeing as this volume follows a major event, most of this boo is fallout from the previous one, so It's not a great way to start.
Vol. 6, however, is awesome. We get to see Boy Blue head to the Homelands. He's good at two things, kicking ass and chewing bubble gum....and playing the trumpet. THREE things, he's good at three things... It's late and I don't remember how jokes work....So he sneaks into the homelands and, using some super awesome magic stuff, kills everything and everyone who gets in his way until he gets to the adversary, and....we finally learn who the big bad really is! I'll give you a hint, you've heard of them, and I've made disparaging remarks about him/her in a previous blog post about Disney movies. Meanwhile, back in Fabletown, Prince Charming has become mayor and he and his new staff are adjusting to their new jobs. It's actually a nice bit of character development. We get to see woefully unqualified people actually learning and improving. It's like the opposite of what happens in Game of Thrones.
In Vol.7, the Arabian fairytale world is under attack, and Sinbad is sent with a delegation to meet with Fabletown. Oh, and they bring a D'jinn in a bottle, which is basically the magical equivalent of a WMD. It's an interesting spin on Middle Eastern relations, and the problem of how to stop a D'jinn is solved in a really neat way.
So yeah, these books are great, you should check them out.
9/10
Fables is one of the best Comic book series I've ever read. Seriously, just go to the bookstore or library, grab volume 1 and thank me later. If you don't know, Fables is about a group of your favorite fairy tale characters secretly living in New York. Turns out they are refugees from their homelands, which have been over taken by a mysterious adversary. The stories take on a noir style, led by the sheriff, who is the big bad wolf. Oh, and the popularity of the characters in our world directly relates to how easy they are to kill. So Snow White can get her brains blown out and splattered across the page and she will slowly, painfully recover. So little kids will love these books.
Anyway, Fast forwarding to vol. 5 Fabletown has just survived an attack by the Adversaries forces, Snow White is pregnant, and there is going to be an election. We also get a great story of the Big Bad Wolf's time during world war II. Seeing as this volume follows a major event, most of this boo is fallout from the previous one, so It's not a great way to start.
Vol. 6, however, is awesome. We get to see Boy Blue head to the Homelands. He's good at two things, kicking ass and chewing bubble gum....and playing the trumpet. THREE things, he's good at three things... It's late and I don't remember how jokes work....So he sneaks into the homelands and, using some super awesome magic stuff, kills everything and everyone who gets in his way until he gets to the adversary, and....we finally learn who the big bad really is! I'll give you a hint, you've heard of them, and I've made disparaging remarks about him/her in a previous blog post about Disney movies. Meanwhile, back in Fabletown, Prince Charming has become mayor and he and his new staff are adjusting to their new jobs. It's actually a nice bit of character development. We get to see woefully unqualified people actually learning and improving. It's like the opposite of what happens in Game of Thrones.
In Vol.7, the Arabian fairytale world is under attack, and Sinbad is sent with a delegation to meet with Fabletown. Oh, and they bring a D'jinn in a bottle, which is basically the magical equivalent of a WMD. It's an interesting spin on Middle Eastern relations, and the problem of how to stop a D'jinn is solved in a really neat way.
So yeah, these books are great, you should check them out.
9/10
Thursday, July 18, 2013
100 by 30: Book 17 - DC comics' New 52
Batwoman Vol. 1 & 2, and Batman: Court of Owls, Vol. 1
As promised, in order for Graphic novels/comic books to count for this project, I need to read 3 before it counts as one novel. Today we have 3 volumes from the recent resetting of the DC comics universe. It was my understanding that this would be a way for new readers to jump in at the beginning without have to worry about decades of back story. I thought I'd test that theory by reading about one hero I knew nothing about (Batwoman) and one that I was very familiar with (Batman).
I had a vague knowledge of a lot of the member of the batman family (Batgirl, Robin(s), Nightwing, Oracle, etc..) but I had never heard of Batwoman. After reading the first two volumes of the New 52 series, I have to say, I still feel a little lost. I now know her name is Kate Kane, she was a standout at West Point before being dishonorably discharged because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, her father was some big shot in the military, and she had a twin sister. At some point, her mother was killed and her twin sister went evil and she somehow blames her father for this. What I don't know is how she became Batwoman, and why she chose that name. What is her connection to Batman? As of right now, I have no idea. The story is based on a mystery, but I feel like I'm missing to many of the pieces to get invested in the answers. There's something about myths, and an Asian wizard guy using people's fear to create the monsters of folktales. For example, Mexican children are shown a woman who seems to be the weeping woman from a Mexican folk story. They believe it, and the woman becomes the real weeping woman (a water ghost that drowns people with her tears) We also see Bloody Mary brought to life and we get to see Killer Croc mutated into some Egyptian Crocodile God. There's also some shady government agency I've never heard of run by some guy who is just a skeleton in a suit. It's a whole lot of myth building thrown out too fast to process. It barely leaves time for us to care about Batwoman's troubled relationship with her girlfriend who is a detective for the Gotham City PD or for her cousin the sidekick who almost gets gutted at one point. I will say that there is just enough here to keep me mildly interested in where the story goes. I was also pleased that the DC writers seemed to care about trying to accurately portray a same-sex couple without sensationalizing it. It's actually pretty understated as far as comic book romances go. I think I'll give it one more volume before I give up on it.
6/10
Batman, on the other hand, is a character I know much more about. I've seen all the movies, played the two most recent (and outstanding) video games, and I've read a few of the major stories. While my familiarity with the character seemed to help a lot, I did get the sense that this is a world much easier to jump into. The plot is much more straight forward too. Batman is helping Commissioner Gordon with a case when he discovers a hidden threat on Bruce Wayne's life. The next day, he barely survives an attack by a mysterious assassin known as the Talon. He represents a secret society known as the Court of Owls. They supposedly run Gotham City from the shadows, and have been behind the death of at least one member of the Wayne Family. The story throws into question everything Batman thought he knew about Gotham. It's a much tighter story, and the artists really utilize the comic book medium to put you in Batman's disoriented state of mind. There's a section of the book, as Batman is trapped and slowly going crazy, where everything is rotated 90 degrees. It stays like this for several pages, and when you think the art has rotated right side up again, you turn the page only to realize you are know holding the book upside down and flipping the pages backwards. It was a really cool little trick that threw me off guard and added to the creepiness of the moment. The story is tight and engaging, the characters are well fleshed out, and the world is much clearer than in the Batwoman series. So far, this is turning out to be one of the best Batman stories I have ever experienced in any medium.
10/10
As promised, in order for Graphic novels/comic books to count for this project, I need to read 3 before it counts as one novel. Today we have 3 volumes from the recent resetting of the DC comics universe. It was my understanding that this would be a way for new readers to jump in at the beginning without have to worry about decades of back story. I thought I'd test that theory by reading about one hero I knew nothing about (Batwoman) and one that I was very familiar with (Batman).
I had a vague knowledge of a lot of the member of the batman family (Batgirl, Robin(s), Nightwing, Oracle, etc..) but I had never heard of Batwoman. After reading the first two volumes of the New 52 series, I have to say, I still feel a little lost. I now know her name is Kate Kane, she was a standout at West Point before being dishonorably discharged because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, her father was some big shot in the military, and she had a twin sister. At some point, her mother was killed and her twin sister went evil and she somehow blames her father for this. What I don't know is how she became Batwoman, and why she chose that name. What is her connection to Batman? As of right now, I have no idea. The story is based on a mystery, but I feel like I'm missing to many of the pieces to get invested in the answers. There's something about myths, and an Asian wizard guy using people's fear to create the monsters of folktales. For example, Mexican children are shown a woman who seems to be the weeping woman from a Mexican folk story. They believe it, and the woman becomes the real weeping woman (a water ghost that drowns people with her tears) We also see Bloody Mary brought to life and we get to see Killer Croc mutated into some Egyptian Crocodile God. There's also some shady government agency I've never heard of run by some guy who is just a skeleton in a suit. It's a whole lot of myth building thrown out too fast to process. It barely leaves time for us to care about Batwoman's troubled relationship with her girlfriend who is a detective for the Gotham City PD or for her cousin the sidekick who almost gets gutted at one point. I will say that there is just enough here to keep me mildly interested in where the story goes. I was also pleased that the DC writers seemed to care about trying to accurately portray a same-sex couple without sensationalizing it. It's actually pretty understated as far as comic book romances go. I think I'll give it one more volume before I give up on it.
6/10
Batman, on the other hand, is a character I know much more about. I've seen all the movies, played the two most recent (and outstanding) video games, and I've read a few of the major stories. While my familiarity with the character seemed to help a lot, I did get the sense that this is a world much easier to jump into. The plot is much more straight forward too. Batman is helping Commissioner Gordon with a case when he discovers a hidden threat on Bruce Wayne's life. The next day, he barely survives an attack by a mysterious assassin known as the Talon. He represents a secret society known as the Court of Owls. They supposedly run Gotham City from the shadows, and have been behind the death of at least one member of the Wayne Family. The story throws into question everything Batman thought he knew about Gotham. It's a much tighter story, and the artists really utilize the comic book medium to put you in Batman's disoriented state of mind. There's a section of the book, as Batman is trapped and slowly going crazy, where everything is rotated 90 degrees. It stays like this for several pages, and when you think the art has rotated right side up again, you turn the page only to realize you are know holding the book upside down and flipping the pages backwards. It was a really cool little trick that threw me off guard and added to the creepiness of the moment. The story is tight and engaging, the characters are well fleshed out, and the world is much clearer than in the Batwoman series. So far, this is turning out to be one of the best Batman stories I have ever experienced in any medium.
10/10
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
100 by 30 - Book 16: Tolkien Care of Business
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Book 2.
Book 2 of FotR covers everything from Rivendell through Frodo and Sam leaving the fellowship. It does NOT include the orc attack leading to Boromir's Death.
This is one of my favorite sections of the entire LotR story. It sets the tone for the rest of the book, and, most importantly, answers the question, "Why Hobbits?" During the Council of Elrond, we learn much more about the nature of the One Ring. It gives one the power to dominate others. This is why you cannot give the Ring to Gandalf or Elrond, or any of the other powerful characters. The Ring will use their power always toward evil, therefore, it takes great weakness to overcome great power. Frodo is the chosen one because of what he is not. He is not a leader a great people, he does not possess great strength or magical power, he has no desire for power of any kind. Because of Frodo's natural disinclinations, the One Ring has very little to work with to corrupt Frodo. He is the perfect antidote to Sauron's evil. It's kind of like giving the nuclear launch codes to a puppy. This is also why the other hobbits are allowed to join Frodo. Gandalf tells Elrond that while it may seem wise to trust in strength, we should rather trust in friendship. The decision to go against what seems to be the obvious choice is what will save Middle Earth. Turns out, you can counteract great violence and evil with love and friendship...it's a shame we keep forgetting that.
There is a lot of talk about "fate" in the LotR and in The Hobbit. It seems very obvious to me that in the case of these stories, "fate" is code for the divine. This "fate" is what turns tragedy into triumph. The Moria sequence to me is the most important series of events in the whole story. In fact, if the fellowship at not gone through Moria, the quest very likely would have failed. In Moria, Pippin throws a pebble down a well. This is what causes their presence to be noticed. While this seems to be a tragic mistake, I want to jump ahead in the story to look at what happens because of this one little act.
1. Gollum finds the Fellowship and begins to follow them. Those who know the story know how crucial Gollum is to the fate of Middle Earth
2. The Balrog is awakened and defeated. Those who have read the appendices and other writings know that there was also a war in the north that we never hear about in the LotR. The elves, dwarves, men, and Beornings join together to drive an army out of Dol Guldur and defeat an attack on Dale and the Lonely Mountain. Had Pippin not alerted the Balrog, it would be alive to lead the armies of Sauron against Rivendell, Lothlorien, and Erebor.
3. Gandalf is killed. The showdown with Gandalf and the Balrog is the coolest fight ever. Both Gandalf and the Balrog are Maiar, which is basically an equivalent to being angels/demons. His physical death allows him to return to the undying lands, where he can report Sauroman's betrayal. He is then given Sauroman's power and authority and sent back to once again aid Middle Earth.
So the choice to send Pippin with the Fellowship leads to a seemingly innocuous incident which causes the balance of power to shift to a staggering degree to the side of good. Gollum will aid in the destruction of the ring, the Balrog will not be a factor in the War in the North, and Gandalf gets a power upgrade and replaces Sauroman. If that isn't divine intervention, I don't know what is.
Anyway, book 2 has a much better pace than book 1, and the asides and meetings all seem to have much more to do with the main plot and less to do with what hobbits eat. Galadriel is even more awesome/kinda scary in the book, and we get to see much more of Boromir's slow corruption by the ring. I wish book 1 was this good.
9/10
Book 2 of FotR covers everything from Rivendell through Frodo and Sam leaving the fellowship. It does NOT include the orc attack leading to Boromir's Death.
This is one of my favorite sections of the entire LotR story. It sets the tone for the rest of the book, and, most importantly, answers the question, "Why Hobbits?" During the Council of Elrond, we learn much more about the nature of the One Ring. It gives one the power to dominate others. This is why you cannot give the Ring to Gandalf or Elrond, or any of the other powerful characters. The Ring will use their power always toward evil, therefore, it takes great weakness to overcome great power. Frodo is the chosen one because of what he is not. He is not a leader a great people, he does not possess great strength or magical power, he has no desire for power of any kind. Because of Frodo's natural disinclinations, the One Ring has very little to work with to corrupt Frodo. He is the perfect antidote to Sauron's evil. It's kind of like giving the nuclear launch codes to a puppy. This is also why the other hobbits are allowed to join Frodo. Gandalf tells Elrond that while it may seem wise to trust in strength, we should rather trust in friendship. The decision to go against what seems to be the obvious choice is what will save Middle Earth. Turns out, you can counteract great violence and evil with love and friendship...it's a shame we keep forgetting that.
There is a lot of talk about "fate" in the LotR and in The Hobbit. It seems very obvious to me that in the case of these stories, "fate" is code for the divine. This "fate" is what turns tragedy into triumph. The Moria sequence to me is the most important series of events in the whole story. In fact, if the fellowship at not gone through Moria, the quest very likely would have failed. In Moria, Pippin throws a pebble down a well. This is what causes their presence to be noticed. While this seems to be a tragic mistake, I want to jump ahead in the story to look at what happens because of this one little act.
1. Gollum finds the Fellowship and begins to follow them. Those who know the story know how crucial Gollum is to the fate of Middle Earth
2. The Balrog is awakened and defeated. Those who have read the appendices and other writings know that there was also a war in the north that we never hear about in the LotR. The elves, dwarves, men, and Beornings join together to drive an army out of Dol Guldur and defeat an attack on Dale and the Lonely Mountain. Had Pippin not alerted the Balrog, it would be alive to lead the armies of Sauron against Rivendell, Lothlorien, and Erebor.
3. Gandalf is killed. The showdown with Gandalf and the Balrog is the coolest fight ever. Both Gandalf and the Balrog are Maiar, which is basically an equivalent to being angels/demons. His physical death allows him to return to the undying lands, where he can report Sauroman's betrayal. He is then given Sauroman's power and authority and sent back to once again aid Middle Earth.
So the choice to send Pippin with the Fellowship leads to a seemingly innocuous incident which causes the balance of power to shift to a staggering degree to the side of good. Gollum will aid in the destruction of the ring, the Balrog will not be a factor in the War in the North, and Gandalf gets a power upgrade and replaces Sauroman. If that isn't divine intervention, I don't know what is.
Anyway, book 2 has a much better pace than book 1, and the asides and meetings all seem to have much more to do with the main plot and less to do with what hobbits eat. Galadriel is even more awesome/kinda scary in the book, and we get to see much more of Boromir's slow corruption by the ring. I wish book 1 was this good.
9/10
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
100 by 30 book 15 - More Tolkien!
The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien
True story: The Lord of the Rings is actually 6 books, not 3. And I'm counting all 6 because I have that much to say, and because this is my fun project, and also I needed away to balance out the fact that I'm also reading the 900+ page A Dance With Dragons right now too. (side note: way less creepy sex happens in Middle Earth than in Westeros, unless you count the Very Secret Diaries of the Fellowship of the Ring, which I don't)
Anyway, Book 1 of FOTR for you movie fans out there covers the section from the beginning of the movie all the way to that part where the river turned into horses and swept away the Black Riders. It's not much time as far as the movie goes, but the film does skip a lot of stuff in order to get the plot moving along. In Fact, there is a 17 YEAR gap between Bilbo's 111th birthday party and Frodo actually leaving the shire. Because the time frame is considerably stretched out, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have much more to do with Frodo's plans. Merry and Pippin are much smarter in the book and enlist Samwise as a spy to find out what Frodo is up to so they can help him. The three friends conspire with another hobbit to aid Frodo on his journey. It was very nice to get to see Frodo's other companions treated as intelligent characters rather than just sidekicks. The other major omission from the movies is the journey through the old forest on the edge of the shire. This is where the hobbits are nearly killed by old man willow before being saved by Tom Bombadil.
When I read this book in high school, I Hated Tom Bombadil. I had already seen the first film and I wanted the book to get moving to the adventures. Instead we wait 17 years, then when we do finally hit the road, we have to take a detour with some crazy old guy in the woods who jumps and sings nonsense all day. Upon my second reading, Tom has grown on me considerably and I was more appreciative of the fact that Tom Bombadil is the oldest thing in Middle Earth, and one of the most powerful. In high school I had no time for the introduction of a character with that much power who never used it to punchkill all of the evil in Mordor. Instead he saves our heroes from Old Man Willow and the Barrow wights (a much cooler little side event) mostly through the power of silly songs. I guess I'm much more receptive to any character who has immense power and no interest in using it to do anything other than tend his forest and enjoy time with his wife. While Tom is a great literary character, he would have been impossible to include faithfully in a live action movie without losing 90% of the audience.
After the incidents in the old forest, things continue much as they did in the film for most of the rest of this book. Everything takes longer of course (if you thought there wasn't enough walking in the movies, you're in for a treat) but all the major events are the same. The biggest difference is that Arwen is not the one who finds Aragorn and company in the wilderness. Instead they are aided by Glorfindel, an elf so powerful he slew a Balrog in single combat during the first age (see The Silmarrillion or Wikipedia for details). I understand using Arwen in the movies since the books give us almost no female characters, but logically it makes much more sense for Elrond to send out the biggest baddest elves he can to find Frodo rather than send out his only child. (Nothing against Arwen, but she's never killed a balrog in single combat as far as I know)
Anyway, the book ends as Frodo passes out on the other side of the riverbank. Overall, this first book has some really great moments, and some unbearably boring moments. We start out with a great introduction to the world and then we are made to sit and wait through 30 pages of travel planning, which is less interesting than it sounds. Then we hit a spooky forest, but we have to stop and have tea and sing silly songs with some weird guy, list everything we eat and drink, sleep, dream, wake up, get ready to leave, realize it's rainy, go back inside and wait another day, then we finally leave only to get trapped in the one place Tom told you not to go....it's frustrating. Once we get to Bree, the story finally picks up momentum and really flows through the end of the first book.
Pacing/plot: 4/10
world/character building: 9/10
total: 7/10
True story: The Lord of the Rings is actually 6 books, not 3. And I'm counting all 6 because I have that much to say, and because this is my fun project, and also I needed away to balance out the fact that I'm also reading the 900+ page A Dance With Dragons right now too. (side note: way less creepy sex happens in Middle Earth than in Westeros, unless you count the Very Secret Diaries of the Fellowship of the Ring, which I don't)
Anyway, Book 1 of FOTR for you movie fans out there covers the section from the beginning of the movie all the way to that part where the river turned into horses and swept away the Black Riders. It's not much time as far as the movie goes, but the film does skip a lot of stuff in order to get the plot moving along. In Fact, there is a 17 YEAR gap between Bilbo's 111th birthday party and Frodo actually leaving the shire. Because the time frame is considerably stretched out, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have much more to do with Frodo's plans. Merry and Pippin are much smarter in the book and enlist Samwise as a spy to find out what Frodo is up to so they can help him. The three friends conspire with another hobbit to aid Frodo on his journey. It was very nice to get to see Frodo's other companions treated as intelligent characters rather than just sidekicks. The other major omission from the movies is the journey through the old forest on the edge of the shire. This is where the hobbits are nearly killed by old man willow before being saved by Tom Bombadil.
When I read this book in high school, I Hated Tom Bombadil. I had already seen the first film and I wanted the book to get moving to the adventures. Instead we wait 17 years, then when we do finally hit the road, we have to take a detour with some crazy old guy in the woods who jumps and sings nonsense all day. Upon my second reading, Tom has grown on me considerably and I was more appreciative of the fact that Tom Bombadil is the oldest thing in Middle Earth, and one of the most powerful. In high school I had no time for the introduction of a character with that much power who never used it to punchkill all of the evil in Mordor. Instead he saves our heroes from Old Man Willow and the Barrow wights (a much cooler little side event) mostly through the power of silly songs. I guess I'm much more receptive to any character who has immense power and no interest in using it to do anything other than tend his forest and enjoy time with his wife. While Tom is a great literary character, he would have been impossible to include faithfully in a live action movie without losing 90% of the audience.
After the incidents in the old forest, things continue much as they did in the film for most of the rest of this book. Everything takes longer of course (if you thought there wasn't enough walking in the movies, you're in for a treat) but all the major events are the same. The biggest difference is that Arwen is not the one who finds Aragorn and company in the wilderness. Instead they are aided by Glorfindel, an elf so powerful he slew a Balrog in single combat during the first age (see The Silmarrillion or Wikipedia for details). I understand using Arwen in the movies since the books give us almost no female characters, but logically it makes much more sense for Elrond to send out the biggest baddest elves he can to find Frodo rather than send out his only child. (Nothing against Arwen, but she's never killed a balrog in single combat as far as I know)
Anyway, the book ends as Frodo passes out on the other side of the riverbank. Overall, this first book has some really great moments, and some unbearably boring moments. We start out with a great introduction to the world and then we are made to sit and wait through 30 pages of travel planning, which is less interesting than it sounds. Then we hit a spooky forest, but we have to stop and have tea and sing silly songs with some weird guy, list everything we eat and drink, sleep, dream, wake up, get ready to leave, realize it's rainy, go back inside and wait another day, then we finally leave only to get trapped in the one place Tom told you not to go....it's frustrating. Once we get to Bree, the story finally picks up momentum and really flows through the end of the first book.
Pacing/plot: 4/10
world/character building: 9/10
total: 7/10
Sunday, July 7, 2013
I've never seen: The French Connection
So, I'd heard a lot about the French Connection. Somehow I was under the impression that this was a spy thriller. It's not. It's a hard boiled cop movie starring Gene Hackman and the always underrated Roy Schieder as his partner. The movie follows the two cops as they try to stop a major drug deal. Hackman's Popeye Doyle is a complicated antihero who makes you love and hate him at the same time. Unlike many cinematic rogue cops who seem to operate on a steady diet of cliché flakes, Hackman creates a fully developed human being. He's arrogant and damaged, trying to prove himself after a hunch of his got another cop killed. The guilt causes his self destructive behavior and recklessness that leads to one of the most intense car chases ever put on film. His actions at the end of the chase hint at a cop who has lost part of his humanity and foreshadows a brutal moment later in the film. The movie is inspired by real events and contains a gritty realism (the real kind, not the Zach Snyder kind) I wasn't expecting. If fact, I think if I had had a better idea of what this movie was about I would have liked it even more. Still, this movie is one of the best cop movies I have ever seen and it is a masterpiece.
Best scene - The car chase
Best moment - Gene Hackman's wave to the bad guy. It's the most badass little wave in movie history.
8/10
Best scene - The car chase
Best moment - Gene Hackman's wave to the bad guy. It's the most badass little wave in movie history.
8/10
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