Thor finally made it onto Netflix, so when H announced she needed to go to the mall for something I took my rare opportunity to watch a full length geek boy movie. I enjoyed the pure escapism for a couple of hours.
Make no mistakes, Thor is not a great movie, but it is a good popcorn super hero movie. It lacks the depth o f Nolan's Batman, the edge of Iron Man, and the heart of X-Men. However, it is significantly better than either of the recent Hulk outings, the last few Superman outings, and the last Wolverine movie.
It pulls off a delicate balancing act. The principles clearly know that this is comic book movie, but they take it seriously enough to give solid performances based on a well written script. The big set pieces and special effects are first rate. The plot moves along at a decent clip. It does feel a little jumbled when switching between locations and the script never does anything to explain it away. The love story doesn't really ring true. It is hard to see how a smart woman would fall for a big lunkhead in the time provided, but it never really matters much to the story. Perhaps in the sequel the love story will matter and become more flushed out.
Hemsworth does a great job as Thor. He certainly looks the part. His wooden acting style fits the character's haughty nature. Portman does her usual good work. She is believable as a scientist.
The true star of the movie is Loki. He is deliciously malevolent. Even before he turns completely dark, you can see his mean streak and his underlying shifty nature. Yet he still retains a small morsel of my sympathy because he really does love Thor and his family. He wants to be loved, trusted, and honored for his strengths. It is his insecurity and jealousy that get the best of him.
I'm torn about wanting to see the inevitable sequel. While not a classic, Thor was a solid piece of escapist comic book fun. Sequels, think Iron Man 2 and the X-Men sequels, usually fall short of the original. For a movie like this falling short puts it squarely into rubbish category. On the other hand, there have been sequels that surpassed the original such as The Dark Night. If Marvel can pull that off, the result could be an excellent movie. There is certainly enough material to work with.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Pirates!
After nearly two years, H and I finally got out to see a movie in a theater. Instead of jumping into something heavy, we decided for lighter fare: The Pirates! Band of Misfits (In the rest of the English speaking world, where they are not afraid of science, the subtitle is Adventures with Scientists.
It is an Ardman claymation film. Ardman are the people who created Wallace and Grommet, Chicken Run, and Sean the Sheep. As one would expect from Ardman, the film looks incredible. I am always amazed at how detailed and lush their films look. The characters are amazingly expressive. They have facial expressions, body postures, and movements that are, in some cases, even more expressive than what you can get from a human actor. The backgrounds were equally detailed. Some of them are digital, but they all flow together seamlessly. We saw it in 2D and I cannot see how 3D would do anything to improve the visuals. It would probably detract from the experience by being a distraction.
The story was OK. It had a good number of laughs and a wicked portrayal of Queen Elizabeth. Overall, it is a pretty standard issue story for a family movie. The writing will appeal to kids and adults alike. H felt like the first part of the movie dragged a bit, but I didn't mind the beginning at all.
The most impressive thing about the movie was the craftsmanship. It was clearly made by people who care about turning out high quality products. The movie was years in the making and it shows. It is a stark contrast to a lot of the poop that studios crank out simply for a buck. If you want to support quality, skip Transformers, John Carter, G. I. Joe and all of the cookie cutter romance movies spit out from the Sparks factory, and see Pirates!.
It is an Ardman claymation film. Ardman are the people who created Wallace and Grommet, Chicken Run, and Sean the Sheep. As one would expect from Ardman, the film looks incredible. I am always amazed at how detailed and lush their films look. The characters are amazingly expressive. They have facial expressions, body postures, and movements that are, in some cases, even more expressive than what you can get from a human actor. The backgrounds were equally detailed. Some of them are digital, but they all flow together seamlessly. We saw it in 2D and I cannot see how 3D would do anything to improve the visuals. It would probably detract from the experience by being a distraction.
The story was OK. It had a good number of laughs and a wicked portrayal of Queen Elizabeth. Overall, it is a pretty standard issue story for a family movie. The writing will appeal to kids and adults alike. H felt like the first part of the movie dragged a bit, but I didn't mind the beginning at all.
The most impressive thing about the movie was the craftsmanship. It was clearly made by people who care about turning out high quality products. The movie was years in the making and it shows. It is a stark contrast to a lot of the poop that studios crank out simply for a buck. If you want to support quality, skip Transformers, John Carter, G. I. Joe and all of the cookie cutter romance movies spit out from the Sparks factory, and see Pirates!.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Habenaros
For H's birthday we got a sitter and did "adult" things: eat, drink, and see a movie. Our initial plan was to eat at Bison County, but H wanted to go to Tempo. Tempo is closed on Sundays....
Then we remembered that there was a new Mexican place, Habenaros, on the corner of Moody and Newton. We were initially skeptical that it would be any good since most of the restaurants that have occupied the space were take out joints that lasted about six months.
We felt adventurous and checked out the menu. The menu looked good and the insides made it clear that the joint was a sit down eatery. We decided to take the risk. Bad Mexican food is still pretty decent. It is hard to totally ruin.
The first thing we did was checkout the drink menu. It was fairly standard save for one thing: infused tequila. The take top shelf tequila and add in fresh cut fruits and other things to add a twist to the flavor. We decided on Margaritas with infused tequila. H went with a peach and I went with a spicy jalapeño, mango. They were both yummy. The infusions were subtle and added to the drink without radically altering the basic flavor.
The food was basic, but good. We got nachos with chicken, mole chicken enchiladas, and a vegetable burrito. The nachos were the most interesting thing we got. The chicken was grilled over an open flame and had a little bit of a kick. The enchiladas and the burrito were both excellent, but basically what you would expect from a high end Mexican restaurant.
The prices were pretty reasonable. We managed to get out for around $50. I felt it was reasonable for two top shelf drinks, an appetizer, and two entrées.
I would definitely go back.
Then we remembered that there was a new Mexican place, Habenaros, on the corner of Moody and Newton. We were initially skeptical that it would be any good since most of the restaurants that have occupied the space were take out joints that lasted about six months.
We felt adventurous and checked out the menu. The menu looked good and the insides made it clear that the joint was a sit down eatery. We decided to take the risk. Bad Mexican food is still pretty decent. It is hard to totally ruin.
The first thing we did was checkout the drink menu. It was fairly standard save for one thing: infused tequila. The take top shelf tequila and add in fresh cut fruits and other things to add a twist to the flavor. We decided on Margaritas with infused tequila. H went with a peach and I went with a spicy jalapeño, mango. They were both yummy. The infusions were subtle and added to the drink without radically altering the basic flavor.
The food was basic, but good. We got nachos with chicken, mole chicken enchiladas, and a vegetable burrito. The nachos were the most interesting thing we got. The chicken was grilled over an open flame and had a little bit of a kick. The enchiladas and the burrito were both excellent, but basically what you would expect from a high end Mexican restaurant.
The prices were pretty reasonable. We managed to get out for around $50. I felt it was reasonable for two top shelf drinks, an appetizer, and two entrées.
I would definitely go back.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Keeping Track of Everything
It is no secret that I suffer from gadgetophilia. What is a little surprising to me is my love of data. I always thought that tracking a paddle on GPS was useful while on the water, and it was fun to see your speed at the end of the trip. I never really thought I'd be interested in that data later.
A few years ago I got a Garmin Forerunner as a cycling computer. It track cadence, speed, heart rate, and your course. It also let's you down load the data to a computer for tracking your workouts. I figured what the heck, it would be cool to see where I've been riding. Now, I have three years of ride data and I constantly compare new rides with past rides to track my progress. It is a little bit of an obsession.
I've also been keeping track of my weight because my doctor told me it was the best way to diet. Seeing the trend line would keep me motivated. It never really worked, but I did it anyway. The graph was sort of neat. When our scale died a few weeks ago, I wanted one that would automatically track my weight. I ended up with the Withings scale. It records weight, BMI, and body composition data and automatically uploads it to the Web. I find this super cool and love looking at the graph.
This obsession with data extends to photos as well. I love the way iPhoto can show where a picture was taken and I love the fact that my iPhone automatically ads that information. It save me from compulsively adding the data manually. If I have to I do while I'm adding face data, because that is super cool too.
Initially I worried that maybe keeping track of all this stuff was unhealthy; it was just another time killing obsession. As I thought about it more I realized that it was just another form of journalling in a sense and that some of the data was actually helpful. In fact, human beings have been obsessed with keeping track of things forever. Technology just makes it easier.
I have always been a journal keeper. Writing things down started out as a crazy teenage dream about having source material for an autobiography for when I was famous. Then it became a creative outlet and a way to work out the stresses of life. The journal is also a good way to keep things in perspective. It provides a window to the past, both good and bad, that can help refocus what is happening in the present. It can also provide clues as to what is happening in the present-sort of like medical records.
The face and places data with the photos serves a similar role. It provides context for the pictures. It adds to the memory. It also makes the photos easier to find.
The workout data and the weight data doesn't serve a real memory purpose, but they do help in keeping track of your health. I can easily see that last summer I was in better shape than I am now. That is no surprise since the stationary bike is easier than a real bike. I can also easily see that I am in better shape at this year than I was at the same time last year. So, when I drag the real bike out of the garage, I will be able to gage what is a good starting point for training. When my health anxiety gets going good I can see proof that I'm in good physical shape.
I think that the data craze is here to stay and not just for me. Anyone can keep and track reams of data about themselves cheaply and easily. For a hundred dollars you can buy a wrist band that monitors your activity throughout the day and monitor the quality of your sleep. With a smartphone you do even more.
Applications like Facebook, Pintrest, and Intagram are more ways we keep records of our lives. They are taking the place of journals, folders, and photo albums. Just easier to update, store, and share.
Of course the downside of all this is that companies now have access to all of this information too. When it was written on paper in your drawer or in your bookcase, you controlled access to the information. Now Facebook, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and other companies can use the data for their own ends. You just have to trust them to be good shepherds and not sell your data to the wolves.
That is probably easier with companies that view you as their customer instead of their product.... So it pays to know the business model of the companies who have your data.
A few years ago I got a Garmin Forerunner as a cycling computer. It track cadence, speed, heart rate, and your course. It also let's you down load the data to a computer for tracking your workouts. I figured what the heck, it would be cool to see where I've been riding. Now, I have three years of ride data and I constantly compare new rides with past rides to track my progress. It is a little bit of an obsession.
I've also been keeping track of my weight because my doctor told me it was the best way to diet. Seeing the trend line would keep me motivated. It never really worked, but I did it anyway. The graph was sort of neat. When our scale died a few weeks ago, I wanted one that would automatically track my weight. I ended up with the Withings scale. It records weight, BMI, and body composition data and automatically uploads it to the Web. I find this super cool and love looking at the graph.
This obsession with data extends to photos as well. I love the way iPhoto can show where a picture was taken and I love the fact that my iPhone automatically ads that information. It save me from compulsively adding the data manually. If I have to I do while I'm adding face data, because that is super cool too.
Initially I worried that maybe keeping track of all this stuff was unhealthy; it was just another time killing obsession. As I thought about it more I realized that it was just another form of journalling in a sense and that some of the data was actually helpful. In fact, human beings have been obsessed with keeping track of things forever. Technology just makes it easier.
I have always been a journal keeper. Writing things down started out as a crazy teenage dream about having source material for an autobiography for when I was famous. Then it became a creative outlet and a way to work out the stresses of life. The journal is also a good way to keep things in perspective. It provides a window to the past, both good and bad, that can help refocus what is happening in the present. It can also provide clues as to what is happening in the present-sort of like medical records.
The face and places data with the photos serves a similar role. It provides context for the pictures. It adds to the memory. It also makes the photos easier to find.
The workout data and the weight data doesn't serve a real memory purpose, but they do help in keeping track of your health. I can easily see that last summer I was in better shape than I am now. That is no surprise since the stationary bike is easier than a real bike. I can also easily see that I am in better shape at this year than I was at the same time last year. So, when I drag the real bike out of the garage, I will be able to gage what is a good starting point for training. When my health anxiety gets going good I can see proof that I'm in good physical shape.
I think that the data craze is here to stay and not just for me. Anyone can keep and track reams of data about themselves cheaply and easily. For a hundred dollars you can buy a wrist band that monitors your activity throughout the day and monitor the quality of your sleep. With a smartphone you do even more.
Applications like Facebook, Pintrest, and Intagram are more ways we keep records of our lives. They are taking the place of journals, folders, and photo albums. Just easier to update, store, and share.
Of course the downside of all this is that companies now have access to all of this information too. When it was written on paper in your drawer or in your bookcase, you controlled access to the information. Now Facebook, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and other companies can use the data for their own ends. You just have to trust them to be good shepherds and not sell your data to the wolves.
That is probably easier with companies that view you as their customer instead of their product.... So it pays to know the business model of the companies who have your data.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Troll Hunter
Troll Hunter is a low budget Scandinavian found footage movie about a three college kids who are making a documentary about a troll hunter. I know it sounds totally pants, but it is actually quite good. (Full disclosure I was sick on the couch with a stomach flu when I watched it.) The story is surprisingly interesting and the characters are surprisingly well realized.
The whole idea is that this group of friends set out to film a bear hunt, but instead stumble across a giant government cover up. Trolls are real, the government knows, and has an agency dedicated to keeping trolls and humans safe from each other. There are designated troll habitats and as long as the trolls stay on their own land everything is fine. When one leaves and starts causing trouble like killing cows or hikers, the TSS sends out Hans to deal with the troll. Once the troll is taken care of clean up crews come in and make things look like say a rabid bear or a tornado. It is vaguely Men in Blackish.
The movie looks good too. The shots of the Norwegian countryside are spectacular. The effects for the trolls are the perfect blend of cheap and well done. Trolls are clunky creatures. The interior shots are sufficiently bleak to set the tone of Hans. The found footage trope mostly works. The chase scenes early on are enhanced by it, but by the end it was a little distracting.
The movie also has an underlying moral message about living in harmony with nature. Trolls aren't evil. They are just wild animals whose habitat is threatened.
I'd recommend Troll Hunter as a pay rental. It was good fun for a sick day.
The whole idea is that this group of friends set out to film a bear hunt, but instead stumble across a giant government cover up. Trolls are real, the government knows, and has an agency dedicated to keeping trolls and humans safe from each other. There are designated troll habitats and as long as the trolls stay on their own land everything is fine. When one leaves and starts causing trouble like killing cows or hikers, the TSS sends out Hans to deal with the troll. Once the troll is taken care of clean up crews come in and make things look like say a rabid bear or a tornado. It is vaguely Men in Blackish.
The movie looks good too. The shots of the Norwegian countryside are spectacular. The effects for the trolls are the perfect blend of cheap and well done. Trolls are clunky creatures. The interior shots are sufficiently bleak to set the tone of Hans. The found footage trope mostly works. The chase scenes early on are enhanced by it, but by the end it was a little distracting.
The movie also has an underlying moral message about living in harmony with nature. Trolls aren't evil. They are just wild animals whose habitat is threatened.
I'd recommend Troll Hunter as a pay rental. It was good fun for a sick day.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Chuck is Over
Chuck was one of my favorite shows of all time. I know it was often ridiculous and had plot holes a space shuttle could fly through, but the show's heart was in the right place. It offered up likable characters that I genuinely wanted to succeed. Even the superfluous characters like Jefster and Morgan had a certain charm.
I am sad that the show is over and even sadder at the way it ended. I wasn't expecting a great ending that displayed all of the best parts of the show. Finales usually don't hit that mark and most wouldn't work if they tried. A finale is for wrapping things up and sending the heroes into the sunset. On one level the Chuck finale succeeded in that it wrapped up the spying and sent the characters into the sunset.
The thing that really got me was that they didn't let Chuck and Sara have their happy ending. All of the other characters, even Jefster, saw their dreams realized and moved onto the next stage of their lives. Meanwhile Chuck and Sara are left wondering if they will ever get their life back. The writers do drop a lot of hints that it will all work out and Sara will get her memory back, but they leave the question hanging. I choose to believe that the kiss is the key and that, like Morgan, Sara will get the important parts of her memory back. However, it would have been better if the writers answered the question before the sunset. It is not like there will be a sequel or a movie to finish things up. Chuck was generally a show that showed all of its cards. Leaving this key card hidden feels gratuitous and out of character for the show. Chuck and Sara were the center of the show and deserved a neater bow.
I am sad that the show is over and even sadder at the way it ended. I wasn't expecting a great ending that displayed all of the best parts of the show. Finales usually don't hit that mark and most wouldn't work if they tried. A finale is for wrapping things up and sending the heroes into the sunset. On one level the Chuck finale succeeded in that it wrapped up the spying and sent the characters into the sunset.
The thing that really got me was that they didn't let Chuck and Sara have their happy ending. All of the other characters, even Jefster, saw their dreams realized and moved onto the next stage of their lives. Meanwhile Chuck and Sara are left wondering if they will ever get their life back. The writers do drop a lot of hints that it will all work out and Sara will get her memory back, but they leave the question hanging. I choose to believe that the kiss is the key and that, like Morgan, Sara will get the important parts of her memory back. However, it would have been better if the writers answered the question before the sunset. It is not like there will be a sequel or a movie to finish things up. Chuck was generally a show that showed all of its cards. Leaving this key card hidden feels gratuitous and out of character for the show. Chuck and Sara were the center of the show and deserved a neater bow.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Fighter
H and I watched The Fighter on Netflix this past weekend. I found it to be Rocky for the artsy crowd. The plot is the typical stuff. Without knowing any of the real life story of Micky Ward, I knew the basic plot five minutes into the movie. It didn't matter much since I like a good zero to hero redemption tale. I like it even more when there is fighting involved.
What makes The Fighter special are the performances. The male leads, Whalberg and Bale, are excellent.
Whalberg plays Micky with deft physicality. It would have been easy for Micky to be seen as dull or even a tool, but Whalberg brings the character's grace and strength to the fore.
Bale does the opposite. He takes a manic and overly verbal joke and humanizes him. Dicky could easily have become annoying and unlikable. He talks too much and sucks the oxygen out of the room. In Bale's capable hands, however, Dicky becomes human. Even early in the movie, you can see the love and loyalty alongside the fear and desperation in Dicky. It makes the transformation at the end of the movie believable.
I recommend seeing this movie. It has a good, if predictable, story that showcases several great performances.
What makes The Fighter special are the performances. The male leads, Whalberg and Bale, are excellent.
Whalberg plays Micky with deft physicality. It would have been easy for Micky to be seen as dull or even a tool, but Whalberg brings the character's grace and strength to the fore.
Bale does the opposite. He takes a manic and overly verbal joke and humanizes him. Dicky could easily have become annoying and unlikable. He talks too much and sucks the oxygen out of the room. In Bale's capable hands, however, Dicky becomes human. Even early in the movie, you can see the love and loyalty alongside the fear and desperation in Dicky. It makes the transformation at the end of the movie believable.
I recommend seeing this movie. It has a good, if predictable, story that showcases several great performances.
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