Various Stuff
Apr. 25th, 2010 02:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shipperxYesterday the string of thunderstorms (and tornadoes) pretty much kept me inside. This morning looking at my indigo outside the kitchen, some plants suffered from the wind. I'll have to find something to stake them upright.
Oh well, the rain allowed me to catch up with my reading and to watch a few movies.
Finally finished The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris. I enjoyed the premise of a man hired to be the ghost writer for a famous man's (Britain's ex-Prime Minister... clearly intended to be Tony Blair) memoirs. It was a good set up and Harris always writes well, unfortunately I think Harris may have allowed his views to eclipse the plot. On a plot level, some things didn't make a great deal of sense, foremost of which is why someone as apolitical as the ghost writer would keep digging himself deeper into the mystery rather than taking his own advice and backing away slowly. There wasn't much character-wise that supported that this particular person would feel compelled to find out the truth either for reasons of morality or because he couldn't stand to not have his curiosity quenched. A little more character development would've been helpful. Plus, the ending was somewhat weak because if he'd just kept his mouth shut, played dumb, and not run away no one would've realized that he'd discovered anything. Also, having the truth hidden in the opening lines of each chapter? This was supposed to be cryptography that the CIA, NSA, and MI5 couldn't crack? Really? Although I can't say I'm totally surprised by there being a weak ending. I also greatly enjoyed Harris's Pompeii, but that enjoyment was despite the fact that the ending of that novel was patently ludicrous. Everything else was good so I was willing to overlook the fact that he had his leads survive the eruption of Vesuvius by climbing into the aqueduct. Yeah... no. That wouldn't work.
Also finally got around to seeing Avartar. Eh. I'm sure it was pretty in the theater but the plot... well, first I thought I would say that (with the addition of aliens and special effects) it was emulating A Man Called Horse, but the closer and more cutting truth may be that strip it of aliens and you basically have a gender reverse of any number of 1980s Cassie Edwards romance novels. And I have to say that within this genre... I preferred Dustin Hoffman's more comedic (and yet still tragic) Little Big Man
Next, I watched Terminator Salvation and liked it better than I thought I would. I loved, loved, loved Terminator, liked T2, and enjoyed The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I hadn't heard great things about Terminator Salvation. Overall, I enjoyed it. However, since I seem to be nitpicking today, I have a few. Again, I thought an ending was somewhat weak I found the quick acceptance of Marcus's offer of "take my heart..." to be a bit hard to accept. It's one thing to accept a sacrificial death. It's another for a doctor to remove the heart of a living (heroic) being to save someone else. That should have moral qualms for the doctor, and there were none. Plus, though the mythos of Terminator may be "save John Connor", nothing in the story shown in this movie really gives a great reason why they would sacrifice someone else's life to save his. Had they won against the machine? How was he still essential to winning the war? I has half expecting Marcus to assume the mantle of "John Connor" or for Kyle Reese to create the legend of "John Connor" as the main thing Bale's Connor seemed to really represent was a voice on the radio that provided inspiration. I think more could have done with "the legend of John Connor". That, or they could have built John up a bit more. Next, I wish there had been more of a moment of emotion in John meeting Kyle. I always loved Kyle's sacrifice in Terminator, so I would've liked them to linger a moment. Finally, why did Marcus have a heart to sacrifice???! I understood it in terms of story style, but really, the whole thing doesn't make sense. Why would they manufacture a Terminator with that sort of vulnerability? We aren't ancient Egyptians. We know that a person's soul isn't in their heart. The heart is a pump. Why would they manufacture a Terminator with a human pump? Yes, clearly Marcus's consciousness was in the Terminator and that was essential to the plot. But the heart is a stretch. Still, overall I enjoyed it.
Also watched 500 Days of Summer. I really liked it. No nitpicking. I just liked it.
Finally, watched this weeks' (UK) episode of Doctor Who with the return of the Weeping Angels. Not a lot to say (other than I vastly prefer the Angels to Daleks as villains. I'm pretty damn sick of Daleks). My primary reaction this season is that I really like the new Doctor, but I freaking love Amy Pond. I need icons.
Prettier weather today, so probably a lot less lazy viewing of stuff. :)
Oh well, the rain allowed me to catch up with my reading and to watch a few movies.
Finally finished The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris. I enjoyed the premise of a man hired to be the ghost writer for a famous man's (Britain's ex-Prime Minister... clearly intended to be Tony Blair) memoirs. It was a good set up and Harris always writes well, unfortunately I think Harris may have allowed his views to eclipse the plot. On a plot level, some things didn't make a great deal of sense, foremost of which is why someone as apolitical as the ghost writer would keep digging himself deeper into the mystery rather than taking his own advice and backing away slowly. There wasn't much character-wise that supported that this particular person would feel compelled to find out the truth either for reasons of morality or because he couldn't stand to not have his curiosity quenched. A little more character development would've been helpful. Plus, the ending was somewhat weak because if he'd just kept his mouth shut, played dumb, and not run away no one would've realized that he'd discovered anything. Also, having the truth hidden in the opening lines of each chapter? This was supposed to be cryptography that the CIA, NSA, and MI5 couldn't crack? Really? Although I can't say I'm totally surprised by there being a weak ending. I also greatly enjoyed Harris's Pompeii, but that enjoyment was despite the fact that the ending of that novel was patently ludicrous. Everything else was good so I was willing to overlook the fact that he had his leads survive the eruption of Vesuvius by climbing into the aqueduct. Yeah... no. That wouldn't work.
Also finally got around to seeing Avartar. Eh. I'm sure it was pretty in the theater but the plot... well, first I thought I would say that (with the addition of aliens and special effects) it was emulating A Man Called Horse, but the closer and more cutting truth may be that strip it of aliens and you basically have a gender reverse of any number of 1980s Cassie Edwards romance novels. And I have to say that within this genre... I preferred Dustin Hoffman's more comedic (and yet still tragic) Little Big Man
Next, I watched Terminator Salvation and liked it better than I thought I would. I loved, loved, loved Terminator, liked T2, and enjoyed The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I hadn't heard great things about Terminator Salvation. Overall, I enjoyed it. However, since I seem to be nitpicking today, I have a few. Again, I thought an ending was somewhat weak I found the quick acceptance of Marcus's offer of "take my heart..." to be a bit hard to accept. It's one thing to accept a sacrificial death. It's another for a doctor to remove the heart of a living (heroic) being to save someone else. That should have moral qualms for the doctor, and there were none. Plus, though the mythos of Terminator may be "save John Connor", nothing in the story shown in this movie really gives a great reason why they would sacrifice someone else's life to save his. Had they won against the machine? How was he still essential to winning the war? I has half expecting Marcus to assume the mantle of "John Connor" or for Kyle Reese to create the legend of "John Connor" as the main thing Bale's Connor seemed to really represent was a voice on the radio that provided inspiration. I think more could have done with "the legend of John Connor". That, or they could have built John up a bit more. Next, I wish there had been more of a moment of emotion in John meeting Kyle. I always loved Kyle's sacrifice in Terminator, so I would've liked them to linger a moment. Finally, why did Marcus have a heart to sacrifice???! I understood it in terms of story style, but really, the whole thing doesn't make sense. Why would they manufacture a Terminator with that sort of vulnerability? We aren't ancient Egyptians. We know that a person's soul isn't in their heart. The heart is a pump. Why would they manufacture a Terminator with a human pump? Yes, clearly Marcus's consciousness was in the Terminator and that was essential to the plot. But the heart is a stretch. Still, overall I enjoyed it.
Also watched 500 Days of Summer. I really liked it. No nitpicking. I just liked it.
Finally, watched this weeks' (UK) episode of Doctor Who with the return of the Weeping Angels. Not a lot to say (other than I vastly prefer the Angels to Daleks as villains. I'm pretty damn sick of Daleks). My primary reaction this season is that I really like the new Doctor, but I freaking love Amy Pond. I need icons.
Prettier weather today, so probably a lot less lazy viewing of stuff. :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-04-25 07:54 pm (UTC)I took my nephews, age 12, to see avatar in 3D over christmas break. They loved every minute; one has told me repeatedly that it was "The best movie I've ever seen." I enjoyed it in 3D. Spectacular effects! But I have to say I have no particular desire to rewatch it. In retrospect it's just too preachy.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-25 08:15 pm (UTC)IMO Kyle "is" the story, he knows he's going to die and he goes back in time anyway. Now that's heroic and it really shouldn't be treated lightly.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-25 08:44 pm (UTC)I'm liking Doctor Eleven quite a bit; Moffat's doing a fine job with his fairy-tale view and I'm once again intrigued by River Song (be interesting to see the meeting which will have to come eventually where she doesn't know the Doctor yet). Barb twigged on the "two-headed natives" about three minutes before the Doctor caught it.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-25 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-26 08:29 am (UTC)