Green Lantern

by | Jun 24, 2011 | Films, Geek

Before I review the Green Lantern film, I should point out my history with the Character. I personally think this is an important fact that should be supplied before people review comic inspired movies. Since Your prior experience will affect your personal views on the film. So for fairness, I shall start off with the following statement:

I never read any of the comic’s, Graphic Novels, or anything like that. My whole understanding of the character is from the two animated films “Green Lantern: First Flight” and “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights“. So I started the film with just the basic understanding of the origin of the Green Lantern.

The film starts with an ancient evil escaping from his prison, and heading out for revenge (As ancient evil’s tend to do). Which invariably leads to the death of some Green Lanterns, the destruction of several planets, and a short fight with the “Apparently” Greatest living Lantern, injuring him beyond repair and forcing him to crash on earth to find a successor to the ring. Enter “Hal Jordan” a cocky, young, risk taking, unreliable  test pilot. As you can guess, the ring picks Hal since it can sense something in him that he doesn not realise is there.

I shall stop here and say that Ryan Reynolds plays the part well, But then does he ever fail at a role?

So Hal gets given a ring and the instructions that he should hold it to the lantern and say the oath. You know the oath “In brightest day, in blackest night,: No evil shall escape my sight: Let those who worship evil’s might,: Beware my power… Green Lantern’s light!” Only the alien dies before he can tell Hal the actual oath, which leads to several attempts like the “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America“, “To infinity and beyond?“, “By the power of Grayskull!” Eventually I think the ring gets bored and plants the correct oath into his mind.

So our Hero ends up being transported through space to the home of the Lanterns, where he finds out what’s going on, starts his training which he fails miserably, is told he is a waste, and an insult to the memory of his rings previous owner. Disheartened but believing he is not worthy, Hal returns to earth. Unfortunately a scientist who examined the body of the x-lantern has become infected with the ancient evil, and things start to go wrong on earth. “how wrong?” oh, the ancient evil decided he would eat earth to gain more power before going to get his revenge.

“Don’t worry right? The Green Lantern Core, the Universes defenders will help us?” No. sorry, they are gathering their forces to defend their base and have one last fight, it’s not all bad they said they would be upset at the loss of earth, but its not like its a decent planet or anything.  If only earth had a defender!

Yes, you guessed it, Hal man’s up. He finally realises that even hero’s know fear and its OK. so he single-handedly takes on the ancient evil. WOO HOO.

So all in all this is your typical movie, Guy is a unreliable person whose going nowhere in his life, something happens, he learns an important life lesson and saves the day. Only all that with super powers, aliens, and space 🙂

There is a nice setup to a second film in the series, with a end clip of a lantern switching from Green to Yellow. Yes I know if you are a comic book fan you spotted a lot of “other” possibilities like the Sapphire core logo, sapphire herself, and other things, I did not since I have never read the series, although in looking things up after watching this movie, I am tempted.

So I enjoyed this film, it had action, excitement, good effects, and an actual plot. The acting was good, it had Ryan Reynolds, just the right underline of comedy and slight throwaway geeky references. I know you can enjoy this film if you are not already a fan of the franchise, and I would think if you were a fan it sticks close enough to the cannon that you will not be disappointed. Hey you can also go see it with a newbie (Such as myself) and help point out the Easter eggs.

Let me end by saying this movie has inspired me to consider reading a few of the graphic novels.

Weekend Wanderings

by | Apr 18, 2011 | Films, Wales, Travel, Friends & Family

This weekend I went a wandering. Well not really far wanderings, but wanderings nether the less. And wanderings covering two countries (Three if you count Bala as its own country) So I thought I was share my wanderings to you dear Readers (And it helps me remember where I was, and what I was doing). (more…)

Sometimes doing the Sensible thing bites you in the Arse

by | Dec 13, 2010 | iPhone, Films

I recently installed an application on my iPhone called “System”, Its a handy little app that gives you information on you phones memory, processes, disk, batter, and general info.  It’s a handy Application for checking your phone, or getting info from it.

The first time I used it, after installation it told me off. “Apparently” I had never done a “Full Charge” since having the phone. What my phone explained to me was this, “Batteries degrade with time, and the memory and life of the battery is constantly getting smaller. So over time the charge lasts less and less. Now if you do a full charge every so often you can extend the life of your battery” This is a good thing, so I read the instructions which were as simple as 1)let your battery get below 20% charge, 2)start system, 3)plug in charger and accept full charge. So I made a mental note to do this at some point.

Last night was that point. I noticed about 10pmish that my phone was down to 6% battery and needed charging, so I figured why not do a full charge. On plugging in the phone and accepting the prompt for full charge, I was given a message saying “Time to full charge 1h 50m”. So I left the phone plugged in and went to watch Star Trek (the reboot one).

<Sideways Tangent>

So the reboot Star Trek ends with Spock Prime going off with the few surviving Vulcan’s to try and build a new world. Now am I the only one thinking this is a stupid ending?

How many times in the TV series & Films has Spock gone back in time? He’s almost a big a time traveller as the Doctor! And he just lost his homeworld, and most his race. Surely that would be a good reason to go back in time and fix it. You could go back a few weeks and evacuate the planet so that no Vulcan’s die in the attack?

Or he could jump back a few years and use his knowledge of future technology to help build a starship with weaponry & shielding to defeat the attacking ship?

Hell he could even just go destroy Romulus now, which means Nero would never be born, and hence be unable to come back in time to change the future. Or do nothing since now Vulcan has been destroyed, then they will not be the technologically advanced race in the future, and so will not be able to invent and build a red matter powered ship, thereby preventing the wormhole being created that brought Nero back into the past to destroy them. Of course If they don’t invent the red matter ship, then they will not get destroyed allowing them to advance to the point they create the red matter ship.

Arggghhhh. This film just created an unending time loop.

</Sideways Tangent>

Before going to bed I checked the phone, it claimed the full charge was done, and it was just doing a trickle charge test which would not take long. So I left the phone plugged in and went to sleep.

at 4AM I was woken by a large siren going off. Turns out that there’s a hidden option on “System” to have a full charge finish alarm or not. And that the soon to be finished trickle test goes on for quiet a while. *mutter* *mutter*

So, where as I recommend people to do their best to extend the life of their phones battery, I suggest they turn off any annoying alarms.

Captain America: A strange symbol of liberty and justice

by | Aug 11, 2010 | Films, Entertainment

Captain America Film 1990

Captain America Film 1990

Monday night I was in the mood for some good old fashioned cheesy superhero action, so  I watched the 1990’s film “Captain America”

Plot Synopsis from IMDB

During World War II, a brave, patriotic American Soldier undergoes experiments to become a new supersoldier, “Captain America.” Racing to Germany to sabotage the rockets of Nazi baddie “Red Skull”, Captain America winds up frozen until the 1990s. He reawakens to find that the Red Skull has changed identities and is now planning to kidnap the President of the United States

Sounds good right. Bit of action with good ole Cap’ the symbol of Liberty & Justice & The American Way? A beacon light to lead the way, an inspiration to generations of Impressionable American Teens? Only. Watching the movie, The Captain was shown in a rather different light, and I wonder how many people saw past the Red, White & Blue and saw the Dark evil beneath?

Let me explain. Film starts with the Nazi’s making a super warrior with augmented strength, speed, agility, intelligence (AKA The Red Skull), The Yanks countered with their own SuperSoldier program and made a Soldier with  augmented strength, speed, agility, intelligence (AKA Captain America). Now both are about 18 to 20 years old at the start of the film.  They meet up in Germany, get into a fight and Cap is beaten and fixed to a ICBM, just as it fires he grabs the hand of the Red Skull forcing the Skull to cut off his own hand to escape. The missile fires, crashes into an ice field in Alaska and stays there undisturbed for 50 years.

Time moves on, To hide from the forces of good the Red Skull has plastic surgery and changes his name from the give-away name of Red Skull. He is the head of an international organisation of bad guys, and planning on kidnapping the President of the USA and implanting a brain control chip in him. Luckily the good ole boy The Cap is found in Alaska and revives from his frozen sleep. After sever Adventures we come to the climatic end of the film, the fight between the evil Red Skull and the Heroic symbol of all the Good in America, Captain America!  The captain beats up the Red Skull, and finishes by smashing him out to his death of the top of a cliff with a full on smash from his shield. Woo Hoo, Chalk up a victory for America!

Only…. There’s something niggling at my mind. You have Captain America, a man of 20 in the peak of his abilities. Abilities which have been expanded by secret techniques. And he is fighting the Red Skull, a man of 70ish, who has only 1 hand. Its not really much of a fair fight is it? The best champion of america fighting to the death against a geriatric amputee?

Come on America, Pick better a better Hero to represent your colours. You’d never catch Captain Britain doing something like that!

GN

Don’t go out tonight, It’s bound to take your life. There’s a bad moon on the rise.

by | Feb 11, 2010 | Films, Vampire

Last night I did something I regret, now I am not going to go into the details as to why I did what I did since the reasons are slightly questionable on the legal front.  I will only say in my defence I did it to be Helpful and nice to someone else.

“What was it I did?” I hear you ask……………………

I hear you ask……………………

I can wait all day!……………..

R: ::mutter:: “What was it you did? Happy Now“

I watched the film “Twilight – New Moon”.

I have not read the books, So I did not know what the big hype was about. I had seen the first film since I am a fan of the Vampire genre, and did not realise its a teen angst emo mopey pile of depression.

And I have to say, the second film was even worse. I kid you not, after the two hours I was happily considering hanging myself to make the depression go away.

Seriously. at one point they just had the mopey girl sitting in a chair moping as they put month names up on screen to show how long she could keep a good mope up for. And it was infections all the other characters caught it.

At one point they stopped the teen emo angst for an action scene (about two minutes long out of the two hour film) This they then ruined by doing it to a mopey soundtrack.

At one point a friend who had read the books asked on  IM  what part of the film I was up to, and got the following plot description “The annoying mopey werewolf just told the annoying mopey vampire that the annoying mopey girls dad was organising a funeral”  I think that sums up the whole film nicely.

The film needs a health warning at the start.

WARNING: If you suffer from depression do not watch this film as it contains scenes of a depressing nature which could cause suicide.

GN

Push the button….

by | Dec 14, 2009 | Films

My finger is on the button
My finger is on the button
My finger is on the button
Push the button
The time has come to…    Galvanize
Galvanize By The Chemical Brothers…

Sunday night I went to the cinema with friends to watch “The Box“. I wanted to see Avatar 3D, unfortunately you have to wait for films to be released before you can watch them. Who knew!….   In case you are not familiar with the film “The Box” here’s the plot summery from IMDB :-

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

So. Someone gives you a box with a button. If you press the button you will get $1million (say £500,000) But someone somewhere will die. Would you press the button?

“Well would you?”

Turns out, everyone in the group I was with would not press the button, Neither would the selection of people I have asked over IM, or IRL.  In fact so far I am the only person who has admitted to the fact that I would press the button with no second thoughts.

I am now worrying I may have slight sociopathic tendencies.