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tolliver11
Reviews
The Last Airbender (2010)
A Movie Worth Seeing
I almost didn't see this movie because the reviews were so awful, both from the public as well as the "professional" reviewers. I am glad I followed my instinct and my own judgment opposed to following the opinions of others who appear to be influenced by special effects, gratuitous violence and story lines that are completely influenced by western thought.
I loved this movie. I loved the concept of the original Nickelodeon Cartoon, Avatar – The Last Airbender and I loved the movie's direction under M. Night Shyamalan. Mr. Shyamalan is a story teller that puts the story on the screen, not just with words but also through visuals. You have a world that is naturally balanced with the four classical elements reflected by Earth, Air, Water and Fire. You have a people that have evolved to become one with the Classical Elements that define their society. The Air people live in the mountains and have a natural symbiotic relationship with the wind, Earth People within the midlands, Water people along the coasts near seas, rivers, and the Fire people in dry, hot climates. Each people are one with their environment and together there is a balance within their world. There would be a natural rivalry between people of different cultures and beliefs but the rivalries historically had been minimized with the evolution of an Avatar – an embodiment in human form of all the Classical Elements. Each generation an avatar was born cycling through the four people in order to maintain balance. During the generation that the Air People were to host the spirit of the avatar, a child is identified as the reincarnation of the avatar but runs away from his responsibilities prior to his complete development. With a void in the balance of nature one nation of people, the Fire People, take advantage and begin their conquest of the world. They go unchecked for at least a century until such time as the avatar is revitalized.
There are concepts within the movie that many movies do not directly deal with, such as consequences of not acknowledging responsibilities, the inability to cope with anger and grief, the fact that vengeance is not a solution to a problem and mercy can be a stronger weapon than sheer force and destruction.
I thought the movie was refreshing and stayed true to the concept of the original series on Nickelodeon. The acting was OK, (I really liked Shaun Toub who played Prince Zuko's Uncle Iroh – the voice of this character was played by Mako in the cartoon) the scenery was breath taking, the story line was up lifting and calming. The young actor who plays Aang will grow into his acting role, but more important his movements and grace are beautifully captured on the screen. I look forward to Book 2. I am just so very sorry that our American culture didn't understand the story line and were unable to evaluate it on its own merits. It really doesn't take much of a leap to parallel modern cultures and their quest for power and glory and how those actions brings unbalance to the entire planet.
Derailed (2005)
Don't Like Aniston But will Probably See Film Because of Cassel
Just a comment on the reviewer who wanted to know if Vincent Cassel always used such a cheap French accent in his films - I think he does since he is French. I have enjoyed every film I have seen with Cassel in it. He can play villains as well as heroes very convincingly. I have never seen a film with Jennifer Aniston in which I thought it was a keeper. I guess I was actually one of the few people in American who didn't watch Friends. Hopefully, this movie will the exception to the rule. With such a dismal slew of movies at the box office the last several weeks - it will be a pleasure to see something that actually may have a plot. I am looking forward to seeing Derailed and it was a good move to release the movie prior to the holiday releases.
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (2003)
I Have Seen Worse, Just Can't Remember When
The older I get the more I realize that I really can not deal with blatant stupidity, regardless to who the perpetrator is. I like Jake Busey, Kari Wuhrer, and C. Thomas Howell - the main characters in this movie. This movie did have me on the edge of my seat because it was unbelievable that one character could have been so stupid as to continually be written to make the wrong choices throughout the entire movie. She was relentless in her ability to fall into the trap of her torturer time after time again. I agree this movie is not well done, and the only reason they kept the woman continually making bad decisions was due to the showdown finale, which was again incredibly stupid.
Static Shock (2000)
Wonderful Cartoon which mixes Super Heroes of the 1960s with the New Millennium
Premise - Static - real name Virgil Hawkins lives in Dakota City, just outside of Gotham City. His mother died of an illness when he was younger. He is a teenager that lives with his father a social worker who heads up a neighborhood community center and his sister who is a couple of years older than him.
He appears to have received his super powers from some nuclear industrial accident that impacted a lot of the young people in a certain area (an economically depressed) section of the city. I think they are referred to as bang babies. The children that were exposed to the toxins have mutated into something similar to the x-men. Virgil is one of the few kids who decides to use his newly found powers - the ability to control electricity - to the benefit of others. So he becomes a teenage, African-American crime fighter.
The most interesting episodes I have enjoyed are those in which he runs into Batman and Robin. Robin wasn't in the episode this Sunday, just Batman because he (Robin) was off with the Teen Titans (smile). There is even an episode in which he (Static) time travels into the future and hooks up with an old Bruce Wayne and the new teenage Batman of the Batman Beyond Series.
The reason that I am sharing this with you is because in a recent episode I viewed on Sunday morning, Static goes to Africa, specifically Ghana on a vacation trip with his father and sister. Pops has been educating the kids all through the beginning of the episode on trivia regarding Ghana such as; when they got their independence, a look at the history of Ghana and a fact that approximately 16% of slaves sent to America that were taken from the African Continent came from Ghana. Anyway, there is a scene in the episode in which Static is surfing on his electric surf disc through the forested areas outside of Accra and he calls his best friend back home, a white teenager and tells him of his feelings of exhilaration and exuberance that he is experiencing while visiting a country with all black folk in it. The kid says, yeah he understands because his Dad went back to experience his Irish roots and was just as goofy as Static. Static told him no that wasn't it - he said here - in this land I am just a kid (didn't even have to say I am just a kid - not a black kid). He then tells his friend, this is what you must feel like all the time. I can only dream of a place in which when people see me for the first time they will just see me as a woman and not a black woman. Wonderful cartoon - thought you might enjoy watching it if you are not already hip to this series.
Static Shock may be currently seen daily on the Cartoon Network.
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
For Lovers of Sci-Fi and Classics I recommend The Chronicles of Riddick
I loved Pitch Black. I thought it was a wonderful sci-fi horror movie that kept me on the edge of my seat. So when the sequel (The Chronicles of Riddick) came out I was determined to see it. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chronicles of Riddick. I loved the way the writers and producers blended sci-fi with classical literature. It was pretty interesting to see how the theme of Shakespeare's Macbeth was woven into the story with Karl Urban playing Vaako, equivalent to the Macbeth character, and his wife (Thandie Newton) playing the power hungry Lady Macbeth. I thought Judi Dench was also good in playing the sooth sayer witch, which reminded me of the three witches in the beginning of Macbeth.
The quest of the necromongers was similar to a jihad (reminded me a little of Frank Herbert's Dune), with most of the followers willing to die for the leader (Colm Feore) without question on his maniacal quest to conquer the universe. In order to get to their Promised Land they either destroyed entire civilizations or converted them along the way. The politics of the necromongers' court was somewhat Machiavellian; in such that political intrigue was constantly present and an incentive concept for upward mobility existed which was simply put "You Keep What You Kill."
In the original movie, Pitch Black, Vin Diesel played an uncompromising man of few words; a walking killing machine. He had no ties with humanity but his human side prevails in saving two of the crash victims and not just thinking of himself. In the sequel, he continues that role, but he again shows his humanity by saving/attempting to save those he appears to care for.
Finally, the movie seemed to have milled a scene from the New Testament in which an entire generation of innocents (children) were killed to prevent a prophecy from occurring. As Herod the Great ordered the deaths of Jewish Children to prevent the taking of his throne by Christ so did the Lord Marshall (Colm Feore) attempt to destroy the entire race of Furions (Riddick's mysterious race) by killing all Furion infant males at birth. The special effects are great; the action scenes are great. The movie had a segmental ending which left the door open for at least another sequel. I recommend this movie to anyone who has an appreciation of science fiction, classical and historical literature.