So here's the deal. Internet had been really spotty in Palawan so I couldn't update consistently, hence the long winded stuff you'd gotten. I apologize as reading over it I realized how crappily written those entries truly were. So, no more line items for everything that went on in the day. Rather, I'll just jot down highlights and memories.
Palawan
After day 1 and 2, day 3 had the Honda Bay in store. Bad part was that I woke up with a burning throat, post-nasal drip, and a bit of congestion. I popped a Mucinex and was off to the BEST PART OF OUR VACATION thus far.
After renting a water proof case for Courtney's camera and a few snorkels, we boarded a boat and went to the 1st of 3 destinations on our tour. It was this floating bamboo structure that didn't look too impressive as we approached. But beneath the water was this incredible coral reef with all sorts of fishes. We took tons of pictures beneath the waves and really just tried to take everything in. Breathtaking.
Back on the boat and off to the next destination, this time a white sand beach with plenty of swimming and lunch. Swam with the fishes a bit more and was able to stretch out and properly swim without a life jacket. I forgot how much more buoyant one becomes in salt water. Oh, and how salty it is. I mean, I know it's supposed to be salty (it's the bleeding OCEAN for godsakes) but jeez.
Our last destination was another beach and more swimming. This time the sand was fine and soft like baby powder. There was a little section in a clearing of palm trees where you could get massages. We went back into the water and this time fed the fishes with some bread. Suddenly, we were surrounded by schools of all kinds of fish life: blue ones, striped ones, little ones with pointing noses. They were even eating the bread out of my hands. Crazy.
Honda Bay was incredible. It was the one part of our trip thus far that I would DEFINITELY do again. In a heartbeat.
We had one day of rest in Palawan which we had intended on spending at the pool. Instead, Courtney and I spent in our room, the both of us feeling under the weather, much to the chagrin of my sister. Oh well, on to...
Cebu
The hotel in Cebu was nice if a bit on the older side. Didn't matter too much since we weren't staying in Cebu for very long.
CJ and I took Courtney to my family's hometown of Naga, to the house where we spent parts of our childhood. It was a bit sad to see the place so rundown as it was about 20 years old without anyone living in it for the last 7 or so. But still, you could see the potential in the place. Courtney did too. She wanted to see how much it would cost to renovate the place. We might just look into it as it would be kind of a waste to lose the place.
Other than the visit to Naga, we did a lot of shopping. That part of the trip was definitely a complete 180 from our Palawan trip. A bit more upscale but not as upscale as our next destination...
Manila
Our hotel in Manila is the nicest of the three we've been to. Courtney actually said that besides the hotels she's worked in, this one is the classiest ones she's ever stayed in. And I would be inclined to agree.
Got in in the evening and decided to get some grub. Of all places, we end up at Outback Steakhouse. All the way to the Philippines, and we end up at Outback. I think by this time we were all getting a bit home sick and wanted a taste of home.
Today is more shopping and possibly some massages and pampering at the spa. Haven't fully committed. The cool part is that our hotel is literally across the street from TWO MALLS. The bad side? Super-Typhoon Juan might be passing through Manila. Might. Praying that it doesn't.
Until next time...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Philippines: Day 2
We had a wake up call due at 6am. I, however, was awake at 4am since I wasn’t adjusted to the time difference yet. I spent the morning on the internet blogging about the previous day, which I am hoping you all have read.
The complimentary breakfast was impressive. It was buffet style with omelettes, pancakes, Filipino sausage, and fried fish. Yes. Fried fish. Traditional for these parts. We all loaded up on the food, excited for our plans for the day: The Underground River. Breakfast was leisurely, listening to The Eagles’ greatest hits for the umpteenth time. For some reason, that disc is playing every time we go to the restaurant.
If you’ve seen the episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern where he went to the Philippines, you’ll be familiar with The Underground River. Our ride there was bumpy, with the driver going as fast as he could over windy roads with steep drops. Holding onto breakfast was definitely a challenge. The scenery was incredible, with the van taking multiple stops to take pictures. I’d almost forgotten what the color green was since it is near impossible to find in Vegas. But here it was in abundance, crowding into your view from all sides.
After an hour and a half in the perilous van, we got to the wharf. We had our first encounter with a “native” bathroom, that is, one that doesn’t have toilet paper. Confusing to say the least. After a bit of a wait, we boarded our little boat that would ferry us to the Underground River.
The water was crystal blue and clear enough to see the coral underneath. After about 20 minutes, we rounded a bend and there was this pristine beach. The boat pushes up on the shore, we disembark into warm water, and we wait for the tour.
So the Underground River is kind of crazy. It’s about 8 kilometers long with about 4.3 of it actually navigable. But that would take about 4 hours each way. We took a truncated route that covered about 1.5 km. And let me tell you, that was enough. The cave is pitch dark. The only light is by this one searchlight at the head of the boat that one of the passengers uses. The boat is piloted by one tour guide is somehow navigates through the cave from the back of the boat while also pointing out all of the formations. Pretty crazy stuff.
In addition to the encroaching darkness that threatened to swallow you whole, there was also the constant threat of bats flying around you. Not that we really had anything to worry about as they were insect eating bats and most of them were asleep. But still, the sound of their cries and the flapping of their wings sent the creepy crawlies down my back every time. Plus, there was always the off chance that they would poop on you. And really, who wants that?
Was the Underground River Adventure worth it? Absolutely. It is an amazing feat of nature. I am glad that I have the memories of traveling down its dark maze with Courtney and CJ. Do I ever have to do it again? Not really. Once in a lifetime is enough, methinks.
After the river, we got back on the boats and got ferried to a small beach where we were having lunch. Again, trés cool. Looked like a beach straight out of Lost, except without the threat of those pesky Others to ruin the fun. Lunch consisted of grilled pork and chicken adobo, a vegetable stir fry, and coconut milk drunk from a baby coconut. For reals. Sitting on the beach with a coconut with a straw in it. How island is that?
After lunch, it was back to the hotel. Amazingly, the weather held out though the entire adventure and lunch and it started raining on our way back. Of course, this meant that the already perilous drive was made 10x scarier. But we all made it back to the hotel in one piece, though with one of us having to stop the van to lose our lunch. And it wasn’t me!
Once we got back, the rain had let up a bit and we decided to hop in the pool. Again, The Eagles filled the air. We just enjoyed the water and the serenity of our surroundings. As Courtney put it, “Yeah, this certainly does not suck.” Amen to that.
We decided to try a restaurant in town for dinner. Kinabuchs Grills and Bar came highly recommended by both our tour guides so it seemed in easy bet. CJ had the tuna sashimi and the sizzling shrimp platter. Courtney had the lumpia shanghai and the chicken fingers. I had the lechon kawali and the sizzling beef platter. All in all the meal was tasty. Courtney was surprised as her chicken was not of the fingers variety but rather had bones in them. She did, however, like the lumpia.
Unfortunately, my head had started feeling congested, as it had in the previous weeks before. It had felt like I’d been fighting a cold on my last two weeks of work before vacation and I think the combination of the days events and the jet lag finally took its toll. That, and the greasy fattiness of the lechon kawali did not agree with me and the fine meal made its way out of me. Yes, I threw up this time.
Well, that ended Day 2 of the Palawan leg of our vacation. Day 3 involves an adventure island hopping in Honda Bay!
The complimentary breakfast was impressive. It was buffet style with omelettes, pancakes, Filipino sausage, and fried fish. Yes. Fried fish. Traditional for these parts. We all loaded up on the food, excited for our plans for the day: The Underground River. Breakfast was leisurely, listening to The Eagles’ greatest hits for the umpteenth time. For some reason, that disc is playing every time we go to the restaurant.
If you’ve seen the episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern where he went to the Philippines, you’ll be familiar with The Underground River. Our ride there was bumpy, with the driver going as fast as he could over windy roads with steep drops. Holding onto breakfast was definitely a challenge. The scenery was incredible, with the van taking multiple stops to take pictures. I’d almost forgotten what the color green was since it is near impossible to find in Vegas. But here it was in abundance, crowding into your view from all sides.
After an hour and a half in the perilous van, we got to the wharf. We had our first encounter with a “native” bathroom, that is, one that doesn’t have toilet paper. Confusing to say the least. After a bit of a wait, we boarded our little boat that would ferry us to the Underground River.
The water was crystal blue and clear enough to see the coral underneath. After about 20 minutes, we rounded a bend and there was this pristine beach. The boat pushes up on the shore, we disembark into warm water, and we wait for the tour.
So the Underground River is kind of crazy. It’s about 8 kilometers long with about 4.3 of it actually navigable. But that would take about 4 hours each way. We took a truncated route that covered about 1.5 km. And let me tell you, that was enough. The cave is pitch dark. The only light is by this one searchlight at the head of the boat that one of the passengers uses. The boat is piloted by one tour guide is somehow navigates through the cave from the back of the boat while also pointing out all of the formations. Pretty crazy stuff.
In addition to the encroaching darkness that threatened to swallow you whole, there was also the constant threat of bats flying around you. Not that we really had anything to worry about as they were insect eating bats and most of them were asleep. But still, the sound of their cries and the flapping of their wings sent the creepy crawlies down my back every time. Plus, there was always the off chance that they would poop on you. And really, who wants that?
Was the Underground River Adventure worth it? Absolutely. It is an amazing feat of nature. I am glad that I have the memories of traveling down its dark maze with Courtney and CJ. Do I ever have to do it again? Not really. Once in a lifetime is enough, methinks.
After the river, we got back on the boats and got ferried to a small beach where we were having lunch. Again, trés cool. Looked like a beach straight out of Lost, except without the threat of those pesky Others to ruin the fun. Lunch consisted of grilled pork and chicken adobo, a vegetable stir fry, and coconut milk drunk from a baby coconut. For reals. Sitting on the beach with a coconut with a straw in it. How island is that?
After lunch, it was back to the hotel. Amazingly, the weather held out though the entire adventure and lunch and it started raining on our way back. Of course, this meant that the already perilous drive was made 10x scarier. But we all made it back to the hotel in one piece, though with one of us having to stop the van to lose our lunch. And it wasn’t me!
Once we got back, the rain had let up a bit and we decided to hop in the pool. Again, The Eagles filled the air. We just enjoyed the water and the serenity of our surroundings. As Courtney put it, “Yeah, this certainly does not suck.” Amen to that.
We decided to try a restaurant in town for dinner. Kinabuchs Grills and Bar came highly recommended by both our tour guides so it seemed in easy bet. CJ had the tuna sashimi and the sizzling shrimp platter. Courtney had the lumpia shanghai and the chicken fingers. I had the lechon kawali and the sizzling beef platter. All in all the meal was tasty. Courtney was surprised as her chicken was not of the fingers variety but rather had bones in them. She did, however, like the lumpia.
Unfortunately, my head had started feeling congested, as it had in the previous weeks before. It had felt like I’d been fighting a cold on my last two weeks of work before vacation and I think the combination of the days events and the jet lag finally took its toll. That, and the greasy fattiness of the lechon kawali did not agree with me and the fine meal made its way out of me. Yes, I threw up this time.
Well, that ended Day 2 of the Palawan leg of our vacation. Day 3 involves an adventure island hopping in Honda Bay!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Philippines: Day 1
First off, let me continue from my last entry. In Canada, we get on the plane, right? So far so good, right? The plane starts taxiing down the runway. We're getting ready to take off. Suddenly, the pilot comes on the PA and says that one of the passengers is not feeling well and we need to go back to the gate. So we do.
We wait until Paramedics come in and give her the whole once over. Blood pressure, thermometer, the whole nine. Determination? Really high blood pressure. Which will only go up as the plane climbs in altitude. Not a good sign at all. But the paramedics can't tell her to get off the phone as "technically" she is ok. "Just great." I'm thinking, flashes of my dad's episode the last time I was on a trans-Pacific flight start playing in my head. Fortunately, the big wigs with the Airlines tells her, in so many words, that she needs to get off the plane, and this plane needs to get off the ground.
So total time lost? About 1 hour. Fantastic. Add another hour on the plane to an already 13 hour flight. So anyway, once she's off the plane, we start over again with the taxiing and finally, LIFT OFF.
We get a little bit of dinner that tasted pretty good for real food, let alone airplane food. First movie on the trip: Twilight Eclipse, much to Courtney's pleasure. I pop in a Tylenol PM and knock out. For people flying on long trips, I strongly recommend doing this as it helps you sleep and also passes time. I slept for about 8 hours so only had 5 to really contend with. Woke up, had breakfast, then sat out the last 4 hours til we touched ground.
Manila was a bit of a blur. Got our transfer stuff, hit customs, then basically got on another plane. Pretty soon, we were in our destination: Palawan.
Our hotel is a bit on the rustic side. It's on the beach. No AC in the lobby and the hallways. Giant windows allow a good bit of airflow through the place, with fans providing back up. We check in and they present us with iced orange juice and a cold hand towel to refresh us. So cool.
The room is pretty standard. Two queen beds. Bathroom. Flat screen. But most importantly, AC. The beds are comfortable enough and the view is fantastic. We look right out onto the beach and the ocean. It looks like paradise here.
We got some lunch at the little restaurant on the property. Overall, the food was great. I had some fried chicken, my sister the grilled shrimp skewers, and Courtney had this chicken in a mushroom and dijon sauce. It tasted incredible. After that, we took a shower and got ready for our tour. I might do a restaurant review later on in the week.
First stop on the tour was this Politicians ranch. The view overlooked the city and the countryside. It had begun raining at this point so things had cooled down but surprisingly the rain didn't mar the view at all. You could still see miles away.
Next stop was this combination penal/farming colony. Talk about odd. Palawan is all about progressive thinking, particularly on ecological matters. So they have made this prison that has this huge farmland attached where the inmates actually work the farm. They also recycle plastic and styrofoam from the local fastfood places to make souvenirs, which they sell at a gift shop. All inmates get stipends from this work that they in turn send to their families. Kind of cool.
After that was the crocodile farm. Saw all kinds of freshwater and saltwater crocs. The highlight of the place? Taking pictures holding a baby crocodile. I didn't know that they would be so warm and soft. It was really expecting something rough, scaly, and cold to the touch. We got a bunch of cool pics of both me and Courtney with the baby croc. CJ was too chicken to actually hold the thing so bleh.
We then drove through the city with a stop at this old Cathedral. By that time, we were pretty exhausted and hungry so we just went back to the hotel. The rain had stopped so we lounged in the pool for a while. Got up to take another shower then back down to dinner at the hotel restaurant. After that, bed time. Hitting the sack never felt so good.
Tomorrow is our adventure to the underground river. Can't wait for that!
We wait until Paramedics come in and give her the whole once over. Blood pressure, thermometer, the whole nine. Determination? Really high blood pressure. Which will only go up as the plane climbs in altitude. Not a good sign at all. But the paramedics can't tell her to get off the phone as "technically" she is ok. "Just great." I'm thinking, flashes of my dad's episode the last time I was on a trans-Pacific flight start playing in my head. Fortunately, the big wigs with the Airlines tells her, in so many words, that she needs to get off the plane, and this plane needs to get off the ground.
So total time lost? About 1 hour. Fantastic. Add another hour on the plane to an already 13 hour flight. So anyway, once she's off the plane, we start over again with the taxiing and finally, LIFT OFF.
We get a little bit of dinner that tasted pretty good for real food, let alone airplane food. First movie on the trip: Twilight Eclipse, much to Courtney's pleasure. I pop in a Tylenol PM and knock out. For people flying on long trips, I strongly recommend doing this as it helps you sleep and also passes time. I slept for about 8 hours so only had 5 to really contend with. Woke up, had breakfast, then sat out the last 4 hours til we touched ground.
Manila was a bit of a blur. Got our transfer stuff, hit customs, then basically got on another plane. Pretty soon, we were in our destination: Palawan.
Our hotel is a bit on the rustic side. It's on the beach. No AC in the lobby and the hallways. Giant windows allow a good bit of airflow through the place, with fans providing back up. We check in and they present us with iced orange juice and a cold hand towel to refresh us. So cool.
The room is pretty standard. Two queen beds. Bathroom. Flat screen. But most importantly, AC. The beds are comfortable enough and the view is fantastic. We look right out onto the beach and the ocean. It looks like paradise here.
We got some lunch at the little restaurant on the property. Overall, the food was great. I had some fried chicken, my sister the grilled shrimp skewers, and Courtney had this chicken in a mushroom and dijon sauce. It tasted incredible. After that, we took a shower and got ready for our tour. I might do a restaurant review later on in the week.
First stop on the tour was this Politicians ranch. The view overlooked the city and the countryside. It had begun raining at this point so things had cooled down but surprisingly the rain didn't mar the view at all. You could still see miles away.
Next stop was this combination penal/farming colony. Talk about odd. Palawan is all about progressive thinking, particularly on ecological matters. So they have made this prison that has this huge farmland attached where the inmates actually work the farm. They also recycle plastic and styrofoam from the local fastfood places to make souvenirs, which they sell at a gift shop. All inmates get stipends from this work that they in turn send to their families. Kind of cool.
After that was the crocodile farm. Saw all kinds of freshwater and saltwater crocs. The highlight of the place? Taking pictures holding a baby crocodile. I didn't know that they would be so warm and soft. It was really expecting something rough, scaly, and cold to the touch. We got a bunch of cool pics of both me and Courtney with the baby croc. CJ was too chicken to actually hold the thing so bleh.
We then drove through the city with a stop at this old Cathedral. By that time, we were pretty exhausted and hungry so we just went back to the hotel. The rain had stopped so we lounged in the pool for a while. Got up to take another shower then back down to dinner at the hotel restaurant. After that, bed time. Hitting the sack never felt so good.
Tomorrow is our adventure to the underground river. Can't wait for that!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Vacation: Day 1
Today is a travel day. As such there is not much to report. I am feeling extremely exhausted. The last couple weeks at work were the very definition of killer. Frankly, I'm surprised I didn't just collapse. But that's ok since I've got a LONG plane ride ahead of me.
Dropped the dogs off at the Pet Hotel at around 1pm. As always, it was a sad affair. It's really getting harder and harder to part with the little critters. Courtney and I love them so.
After that, finished packing, mom picked us up, said goodbye to my dad and made our way to the airport.
Walking to the ticket counter, this dude was being escorted out by a cop. He starts screaming, "Don't you hurt me! I'm cooperating!" Making a total scene. It was bananas!
Of course, as per our luck, the ticketing agent we get is the new girl. She was nice and everything but it was her third day and she wasn't quite sure how to navigate through the menus. To make matters worse, we had to complicate things with an additional transfer that was booked by different means. Of course.
Plane ride to Vancouver was fairly uneventful. Read some stuff in GQ about tailoring your suit and finding the perfect tie. Tried to play Megaman Zero only to have it hand me my ass. Then settled on the USA Today Crossword Challenge, only to have it, too, hand me my ass. Fortunately, by that time, we were descending into the land of maple leaves and Tim Horton's. And this holding tank.
Now just the wait to get back on the plane and on to the long leg of our trip. Next time I blog will be in the Philippines!
Dropped the dogs off at the Pet Hotel at around 1pm. As always, it was a sad affair. It's really getting harder and harder to part with the little critters. Courtney and I love them so.
After that, finished packing, mom picked us up, said goodbye to my dad and made our way to the airport.
Walking to the ticket counter, this dude was being escorted out by a cop. He starts screaming, "Don't you hurt me! I'm cooperating!" Making a total scene. It was bananas!
Of course, as per our luck, the ticketing agent we get is the new girl. She was nice and everything but it was her third day and she wasn't quite sure how to navigate through the menus. To make matters worse, we had to complicate things with an additional transfer that was booked by different means. Of course.
Plane ride to Vancouver was fairly uneventful. Read some stuff in GQ about tailoring your suit and finding the perfect tie. Tried to play Megaman Zero only to have it hand me my ass. Then settled on the USA Today Crossword Challenge, only to have it, too, hand me my ass. Fortunately, by that time, we were descending into the land of maple leaves and Tim Horton's. And this holding tank.
Now just the wait to get back on the plane and on to the long leg of our trip. Next time I blog will be in the Philippines!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
How to be a Better Customer
How to be a Better Customer
Or The Guide to Improve Communications with a CSR
Let's all face facts. More and more interactions are being handled over the phone or over the internet rather than face-to-face. Our society has become a much more white-collar, customer service oriented environment than ever before. As a result, there will be many times that you will speak to a CSR or Customer Service Representative to resolve an issue for you. How can you ensure that you get the best possible service? How can you make these interactions as smooth as possible, keeping it positive and light and ensure you get the correct resolution? This handy guide will help you answer those questions and it can be applied to any interaction over the phone, whether you are speaking to technical support, a billing agent, or just general customer service. In short, it will help YOU become a better customer.
1. Don't Call When You're Angry
Everyone's first instinct is to call right when they find out something is wrong. More often than not, this leads to a worse call for everyone involved. At this point in time, you are irrational and will not listen to reason. In short, you are The Hulk, more Lou Ferrigno than Bill Bixby. More than half of the call will be spent listening to you vent rather than resolving your issue, which in turn, may cause more frustration as it's taking so long to resolve the issue. CSR's are trained to let personal issues go during a call. If they are not ready to take the next call due to heightened emotions, they are instructed to give themselves a time out or a breather before moving on. You should do the same. Chill out instead of Hulk-out.
2. Have Applicable Information Ready
Always have your applicable information ready at the start of the call. If you are making a payment, then have your bank and account information in hand. If you are calling for technical support, have your account information and the problem device accessible to recreate the issue. A common misconception is that all systems have a way to auto-populate your information or account status. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, CSR's have to verify and re-verify basic information. It may be a limitation of their technology. It may be a requirement of their process. Either way, having the information ready will help shave off time on a call and make it start smoothly, setting the tone for the rest of the call. Not having the information makes you look unprepared and not at all serious about resolving this issue.
3. Fix the Problem
In most cases, you are calling a CSR because you are having an issue that needs to be resolved. Always keep this goal in mind. You want the problem to go away as quickly as possible. The CSR wants the exact same thing. Many people lose sight of this focus either because they are irrational (see number 1), too concentrated on assigning blame (see number 7), or too proud to admit when they may have done something wrong (again, number 7). Remember that you and the CSR have the same goal in mind. Keep that focus and it will be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Now, if you're goal happens to be to rip some CSR a "new one" then please see number 1.
4. The Dynamic Duo
Problem resolution can only be accomplished by both parties. You need the CSR's help to resolve your issue. The CSR needs your help to get information on how to resolve your issue. Just as you cannot get the resolution you want/need if the CSR is difficult to work with, so it will be if you are the same way. Most times, CSR's are completely reliant on the customer to get information. After all, CSR's cannot actually see what you see so they must rely on your ability to communicate. In most technical related CSR training, they will do an exercise where CSR(A) must explain how to put together a puzzle to CSR(B) who cannot see the final picture. Imagine if CSR(A) could not or refused to communicate with CSR(B). Solving the puzzle, thus resolving the issue, becomes infinitely more difficult. Plus it makes CSR(A) look like a dick.
5. The Customer is NOT Always Right
Whatever you do, don't ever say the phrase, "The Customer is always right." CSR's, and truly any customer facing employee, have had this mantra drilled into their head. They don't need to be reminded. If you are indeed right, the CSR will usually find that out in the course of probing and investigating your issue. In most cases, the customer that actually uses this phrase is actually wrong and is trying to force their opinion using a lame slogan designed to engender a false sense of importance in a feeble attempt at retaining repeat business. There are many things companies will do to try to keep a customer but there are always limitations. It doesn't matter how much a customer says that the sky is green, they will still be wrong as the sky is most definitely pink.
6. You Get More Flies with Honey
This goes along with entry number 1. Remember that when you call in for Customer Service, you are asking for help. This is not the time for you to instruct the CSR on how to do their job and to berate them. While it is the CSR's job to help you, it makes it more difficult when you are rude about it. When you begin to lose your cool, scream, and generally act in a vulgar fashion, you just appear like a child throwing a tantrum. People will be less inclined to work with you and help if you act in this manner. Remember that this interaction is a professional one for the CSR. It is best for you to carry that professional mindset as well. You will get better results this way. And unless you skipped that day in Kindergarten, there shouldn't be a reason why you don't know this rule. But then again, common courtesy is about as common as common sense, which is to say, not common at all.
7. Curses!
This is basically a continuation of number 6. Cursing at the representative is never appropriate, unless you are calling a phone sex operator, in which case cursing is not only appropriate but also encouraged. However, in the non-fetish related world of Customer Service, cursing has no place. It is perfectly understandable that you are emotional, and possibly angry, in which case you should follow number 1. And while you’re at it, check out number 3 again. Cursing does not help fix the problem. It doesn’t make the CSR go any faster. It doesn’t achieve resolution any sooner. It doesn’t even help make your point as a simple explanation would. In all actuality, the only thing cursing actually accomplishes is make you look ignorant and unable to express yourself intelligently. If that, and not fixing the problem, is your goal, then by all means, have at it. No one is going to stand in the way of you achieving your goals.
8. The Power of Humility
There is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting you are wrong if you are indeed wrong. The best CSR's are trained to accept accountability for an error even when it is not their error. The same should go with you. Be honest with the CSR and yourself and accept that there may be a chance that you are wrong. Far too many times, time is wasted on playing the blame game, which then impedes the problem resolution process. The usual mentality for Customer Service is to resolve the issue first and assign blame later. The usual mentality for a Customer is to assign blame first and resolve the issue later. The intended result should always be fixing the problem (see number 3). If blame needs to be assigned, it can wait until the more important issue is addressed. In most cases, the truth of who created the problem will come out in the course of investigation anyway. So if it was you, they will find out. And at that point, you had better not respond with "The Customer is always right." See number 5.
9. Ignorance is Bliss
There is nothing wrong with being ignorant of different processes or policies that may affect your account. The issue is when you think you know or you pretend to know. It doesn't matter how educated you are or how much customer service experience you have. You will never know the ins and outs of a company's policies and processes more than the CSR that works for that company. For some reason, customer's always have the uncanny ability to become the "expert" at whatever they are complaining about. For instance, being an "expert" at Customer Service or suddenly knowing "all about computers". FACT: if you were such an expert then you wouldn't need to call someone for help. No amount of failed experiences at call centers that litter your resume changes that. Listing your work history or educational background just makes you appear pompous and wastes time that could be better spent fixing the problem rather than vainly inflating your ego.
The next time you are calling into Customer Service for help, keep these guidelines in mind. Follow them and your interactions will go much more smoothly, much more quickly, and with greater success for resolution. If not, then you are free to contact me with any complaints. I'll have a customer service representative standing by.
The next time you are calling into Customer Service for help, keep these guidelines in mind. Follow them and your interactions will go much more smoothly, much more quickly, and with greater success for resolution. If not, then you are free to contact me with any complaints. I'll have a customer service representative standing by.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Video Review: Batman: Under the Red Hood
There's something that you should know about me, and if you're reading this blog, you probably should know this already since we're probably friends. I love Batman. Comics. Graphic Novels. Cartoons. Video Games. Batman is my favorite "super'hero of all time. And The Joker? My favorite villain. I could wax intellectual at length about how these polar opposites are perfect examples, metaphors if you will, of the age old battle of Order vs. Chaos, Society vs. Anarchy, Logic vs. Madness.
In the last 30 years, there has always been some kind of Bat-presence in the media, keeping the Dark Knight Detective alive and well in the consciousness of the people. Whether it was the 80's which birthed The Dark Knight Returns and Year One (both essential Bat-readings by Frank Miller) to Tim Burton's first Batman film in 1989, or the 90's which may have seen the decline of the movie franchise but the rise of Batman in animated form in Fox's Batman: the Animated Series, or even the new millenium which saw the rebirth of the Batman films with Batman Begins, there has always been the Batman in one form or another to varying degrees of success.
And that brings us to now. From the animation studio that brought to life the DCU comes Batman: Under the Red Hood, which adapts Judd Winick's run "Under the Hood" in the Batman comics. How does it stack up to other Batman movies? Read on to find out.
The Plot
The movie begins with a scene taken straight from the famous Batman story "Death in the Family" which featured the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. The Joker beats Jason senseless, as Batman speeds to his rescue. Before Batman can get to the warehouse where the violence is taking place, it explodes in front of his eyes. He sifts through the rubble to find the lifeless body of Jason Todd and he falls to his knees, a raging howl of pain erupting from within him.
Right from the opening sequence, you know you're in for a dark film. This isn't your normal Saturday Morning cartoon. There is violence. There is death. There is murder. As the film continues, we meet the mysterious Red Hood, a newcomer who is performing hostile takeovers of the Black Mask's assorted gangs. He offers mob bosses protection from both Black Mask and the Batman. In return, they agree not to sell drugs at schools. He's a villain with a soft spot for the kiddies.
Of course, this puts him in a crash course with Batman. You see, the Red Hood believes that he and Batman are the same: both vigilantes protecting the city. The difference is that the Red Hood doesn't have a problem wtih killing villains. He is an anti-hero in the strictist sense, someone who is convinced he is doing the right thing, willing to cross any line, as long as it is done for the greater good. Batman, the hero who will bend rules but never break the cardinal one: to murder, stands in the Hood's way. And whenever they meet, there are fireworks.
The Good
1. Complex characters: We have a very flawed Batman in this movie. From his failure to save Jason at the beginning of the film, to his arrogance and obsession through the later part of the movie, we see a Batman who is haunted by his greatest failure and his single-minded tenacity with rectifying that mistake. We see a father wrestling with the burden of losing a son, even to the detriment of his first son, Dick Grayson (Nightwing) who is trying to help but gets shut out. The Red Hood is a great character, a perfect foil not only to Batman but to Nightwing as well, showing how approaches to vigilantism can really differ.
2. Voice Acting: I love Kevin Conry as Batman's voice. He is the bar that others must attempt to reach. After being disappointed by Jeremy Sisto in the Justice Leage: New Frontiers animated movie, I was a bit wary of Bruce Greenwood tackling the role. But Greenwood does the role proud, equalling Kevin Conroy in many ways, and in my opinion, bettering it in others. Greenwood just has a very authorotative and gravelly voice naturally that his Batman has a lot of gravitas just by whispering. Incredible performance. I was also wary of John Di Maggio as The Joker but he done the remarkeable, he created a Joker that was not Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, or Heath Ledger. He gives him almost a drawl when he speaks (not the manic pace I have come to expect) that is really unsettling so that when he cracks into laughter, it's all the more disconcerting. His Joker comes off as mad but very calculated, a very lethal combination. He actually reminds me a bit of Hannibal Lecter, someone who speaks with such a deliberate pace but has complete and utter madness just boiling underneath. Another much deserved shout out goes to Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing. Someone needs to make a Nightwing movie with this guy. Seriously. His voice and intonation is perfect. He reflects Nightwing's more lighthearted outlook with every line he does, a perfect juxtaposition with Greenwood's Batman. You can tell that this guy was once Robin, the flamboyant boy wonder who grew up to be his own man.
3. The animation: The style in the movie recalls the look of the Animated Series, with the deco designs of the buildings and the extensive use of angled shadows. CGI is used sparingly and it really blends into the work. The character designs are really well done, with my favorites being the Batman, the Joker, and the young Jason Todd.
4. PG-13: This is the first of the DCU Animated Movies that I feel really earns the PG-13 rating. This is not really a movie I would recommend for little kids. While there is a lot of action, there is also a lot of drama which might lost kids. They might also be put off by the Joker as he's played much more like a serial killer and not as the cartoony Clown Prince of Crime that he's usually portrated as. There is also a lot of violence in the movie and while most of the murders happen off-screen, the impact is still there.
The Bad
1. Where did Nightwing Go: Bad plotting has Nightwing appear literally out of nowhere and then disappear halfway through the movie. I would have liked them to really delve into the Batman-Nightwing-Red Hood triangle much more. Actually, what would have been really great is a scene with Batman and Nightwing speaking after Batman finds out the truth about the Red Hood. This would have been some great dramatic fodder: the son confronting his father about his father's greatest failure.
2. The Black Mask: He was just played a little too over-the-top. Bruce Timm and company may have been going for a 40's Gangster feel with the guy because he would fit perfectly in something like the original Scarface, but he sticks out when compared to the realistic portrayals of everyone else.
3. Not enough Joker: This is really just a nitpick since I love The Joker. I always want more Joker.
4. Not enough Ra's Al Ghul: Really I just wanted to hear more of Jason Isaacs awesome voice for the Demon's Head.
Overall, I loved Under the Red Hood. It was dark, dramatic, action packed, and exciting. Everything I would expect from a Batman film. I would say it is better than Mask of the Phantasm (i.e. the best Batman animated movie). I would even go so far to say that it can hold its own with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, though may pale a little bit due to the fact that its running time is only 75 minutes. Imagine adding another 20 minutes. You could add even more complexity and the aforementioned Batman/Nightwing scene and you would have a perfect Batman movie. As it is, any self-respecting Batman fan should watch this movie. Just like how Batman Begins erased the bad taste left by Batman and Robin, Under the Red Hood erases the atrocities of the WB's Batman Adventures from the later 90's early 2000's that skewed to a much younger audience. It goes back to the feeling of the original Batman: Animated Series with a sprinkle of Nolan's Bat-films for good measure. How could you go worng?
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Confession
I don't have very many vices. I drink occasionally, but really only when I'm at a party or we are entertaining family. I don't do drugs, except for the odd over-the-counter sleep aid here and there. I don't gamble, which is strange considering where I live. But I do love to shop.
I love shopping for almost anything but clothes and DVD/Blu-Rays in particular. My movie collection has risen above the 1400 mark. My closet is bursting at the seams, pun fully intended. I'm crazy about it. I have clothes I probably haven't touched in years. I have a stack of about 250 DVD's that are still unwatched. It's like a disease.
And like any addiction, I go from high to high, looking for my next score. An Elie Tahari tie? Sure, why not? Ooh, wing tips from Florsheim. I don't have those. Terminator 2 has another release on Blu-Ray? The feeling, the high, I get is hard to describe. It's like you've got these nagging thoughts, this weird empty feeling in the pit of your stomach, and this noise is talking to you...no, yelling at you. Your palms get all sweaty. Your neck feels clammy and your senses are heightened. Sometimes its so bad, it feels like I might puke. But then I buy that thing. That Old Navy scarf. Or that discounted DVD of the Karate Kid. And suddenly it all goes away. It's all quiet and puppy dogs and sunshine. Sick, I tell you. Sick.
Part of me wants to figure out where this sickness came from. Psychoanalysis would probably point to growing up in the Philippines comfortably but by no means rich. Going further back, you could probably trace it to my parents spoiling me as a child with Voltron toys and almost any Transformer I wanted. If you believe in Nature versus Nurture, then you could probably say I got it from my grandmother who is kind of a hoarder. Whatever the reason, I am afflicted and have to deal.
What I really think it comes down to is that I'm a collector. I like to have fullsets of things. Anything else would be positively uncivilized. This would explain why I had to have Terminator Salvation on Blu-Ray, since I already had the other 3 movies. That goes for X3 too since I loved the first two and had to complete my set. The good news here is that I've pretty much gotten all the DVD's I could possibly want thus my purchases have become fewer and farther between.
Now, clothes are a different story since there are always new styles and trends coming out every season. And for a bit there, I was hooked on that too. But as I've grown a little older and I've learned more about fashion, I've realized the power of classic pieces more and more. An Yves St. Laurent grey wool tie will always be in style. The same goes for a Polo Ralph Lauren dark blue heavy cotton tie. You get classic pieces like a pair of good khakis, a couple pair of dark wash jeans, and a grey v-neck sweater. These aren't just clothes, disposable bits of fabric that rotate in and out of your collection. These are investments that you can wear year in and year out because they are timeless.
As a result of this, I'm not really into buying trendy things. I'm more focused on versatile and timeless pieces. The good news is that I already have most of that so my collection is almost complete. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Now if I could just find a good navy blue blazer.
I love shopping for almost anything but clothes and DVD/Blu-Rays in particular. My movie collection has risen above the 1400 mark. My closet is bursting at the seams, pun fully intended. I'm crazy about it. I have clothes I probably haven't touched in years. I have a stack of about 250 DVD's that are still unwatched. It's like a disease.
And like any addiction, I go from high to high, looking for my next score. An Elie Tahari tie? Sure, why not? Ooh, wing tips from Florsheim. I don't have those. Terminator 2 has another release on Blu-Ray? The feeling, the high, I get is hard to describe. It's like you've got these nagging thoughts, this weird empty feeling in the pit of your stomach, and this noise is talking to you...no, yelling at you. Your palms get all sweaty. Your neck feels clammy and your senses are heightened. Sometimes its so bad, it feels like I might puke. But then I buy that thing. That Old Navy scarf. Or that discounted DVD of the Karate Kid. And suddenly it all goes away. It's all quiet and puppy dogs and sunshine. Sick, I tell you. Sick.
Part of me wants to figure out where this sickness came from. Psychoanalysis would probably point to growing up in the Philippines comfortably but by no means rich. Going further back, you could probably trace it to my parents spoiling me as a child with Voltron toys and almost any Transformer I wanted. If you believe in Nature versus Nurture, then you could probably say I got it from my grandmother who is kind of a hoarder. Whatever the reason, I am afflicted and have to deal.
What I really think it comes down to is that I'm a collector. I like to have fullsets of things. Anything else would be positively uncivilized. This would explain why I had to have Terminator Salvation on Blu-Ray, since I already had the other 3 movies. That goes for X3 too since I loved the first two and had to complete my set. The good news here is that I've pretty much gotten all the DVD's I could possibly want thus my purchases have become fewer and farther between.
Now, clothes are a different story since there are always new styles and trends coming out every season. And for a bit there, I was hooked on that too. But as I've grown a little older and I've learned more about fashion, I've realized the power of classic pieces more and more. An Yves St. Laurent grey wool tie will always be in style. The same goes for a Polo Ralph Lauren dark blue heavy cotton tie. You get classic pieces like a pair of good khakis, a couple pair of dark wash jeans, and a grey v-neck sweater. These aren't just clothes, disposable bits of fabric that rotate in and out of your collection. These are investments that you can wear year in and year out because they are timeless.
As a result of this, I'm not really into buying trendy things. I'm more focused on versatile and timeless pieces. The good news is that I already have most of that so my collection is almost complete. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Now if I could just find a good navy blue blazer.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
If the Internet had Existed: Star Wars
Here's a little thing I like to call "If the Internet had Existed", something I hope to revisit every so often in the future. The basic concept is that I write blogs and reviews for things from the past as if the Internet had existed back then. Just to make this absolutely clear: I don't write it from the perspective of someone today reviewing something from the past. I write it from the view of someone in the past writing is as someone would on the Internet of today. Still with me? Without further ado... my Star Wars Review.
Well, I’m back y’all and I’ve got news. I was lucky (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) enough to be part of the preview audience for an upcoming science-fiction movie called Star Wars. A WARNING to everyone: there are SPOILERS contained within. Now, mind you, I use the phrase “science-fiction” loosely. The Day the Earth Stood Still is science fiction. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is science fiction. 2001: A Space Odyssey is science fiction. Star Wars, despite the title, is not. It’s more like those Buck Rogers serials from the 1940’s? Remember those? Chances are most people want to forget them, which is exactly the problem with this movie. It’s 1977 for god’s sakes. No one wants to see stories of hotshots gallivanting around space with their “laser swords.” (Will somebody get Mr. Lucas a physicist? Light doesn’t just stop at a certain point!) People want to see movies about evolution and alien invasions. We want to see movies about giant bugs and nuclear radiation. If we wanted to get our fix of adventures with buckled swashes, we’d stick with pirate movies.
The Plot:
I’ll try not to spoil too much of the plot, not that it had very much of it. There is an evil empire set loose in a galaxy “far, far away” that is looking to create the ultimate doomsday weapon. A small gang of rebels are trying to smuggle out the plans for this weapon to find its ultimate weakness. The fate of the entire rebel movement lies on the shoulders of a young farmboy, an old mystical Samurai wannabe, and a gunrunning space pirate. Oh yeah…and they have to save the princess too. How original. Is it a bad plot? Of course not. It's just not very...new. In fact, I've seen it or some variation of it so many times before.
What worked:
1. The special effects were incredible. They have space battles better than…well…the're better than any movie I’ve ever seen. No paper plates with fishing line here, no sir. The space battles look real. And I mean real. The final sequence in the trenches of the “Death Star” is a sight to behold.
2. I also enjoyed the performance of relative newcomer Harrison Ford (American Grafitti). His character, the space pirate, was both funny and very believable. I think that we might have a breakout star in this guy.
What didn't work:
What didn't work:
So on to what I didn’t like. God…where do I start?
1. The main character, Luke Skywalker played by freshface Mark Hamill. He has to be the whiniest protagonist I have ever seen put on film. You don’t want to root for the guy. You want to shut up his incessant whining. “But Uncle Owen…” It’s like nails on a blackboard I tell you. Which leads me to...
2. His sidekick, a robot named C3-PO. I bet the PO stands for Pissed Off because I can tell you that’s how people felt anytime he was on-screen. Is this the kind of thing that passes as comic relief because I can tell you that he was neither funny nor his appearance a relief.
3. Alec Guiness (Bridge on the River Kwai). Why oh why did you decide to be involved in this obvious B movie? You are so much better than this!
4. My final nitpick of the movie involves the music. Of course, we were given a temp track to listen to, so it might be an unfair evaluation. Taking a cue (pun intended) from Stanley Kubrick, Mr. Lucas decided to use a score of classical music. This just didn’t work for the movie. As if the movie wasn’t hokey enough, to see it played to Wagnerian opera was just too over-the-top. But maybe that’s what Lucas wanted. Maybe he really wanted this movie to be a farce. Somehow, I doubt it. I hear a rumor that John Williams might be scoring the movie. Maybe he’ll be able to spin some Jaws magic on the sucker. I still think he should go for my number one choice: Jerry Goldsmith. Now there is a good composer.
Anyway…to sum up. I predict that this movie will just come and go in the theater. I mean, there is a reason that the studios stopped making those sci-fi serials in the 1940’s. Audiences are just too sophisticated for that kind of story. I mean, seriously. Laser swords? A mystical energy called “The Force?” It’ll never fly. If it's lucky, it may achieve cult status, though I pray that it doesn’t. The last thing the world needs is a sequel to this tripe. Here is a message to Mr. Lucas if you are reading this: Go back to doing stories about 50’s teens in diners. Or if you have to do Science-Fiction, at least do it right. I mean, you are the guy that did THX-1138 after all. Don't waste your time on this juvenile fairy tale.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Back in Time!
Just checked out Hot Tub Time Machine. Overall, a pretty funny flick that had its moments. A few too many gross out things but hey, what are you gonna do? I think the movie was a bit rushed. There could have been a little bit more characterization in it to make these guys really seem like best friends who had lost touch with each other. For me, it was a pretty good 2.5 out of 4. If they worked on the character bits instead of trying to skip from one funny scene to the next, it probably would have been a 3 or higher.
The movie did make me think, however. No, not in the way that Inception did. Or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I was trying to boil think of a pivotal moment in my life that I would go back to and relive and possibly change. Would it be some moment in High School? Probably not as I generally dislike that period of my life, save for my senior year, which was awesome.
Would then be some time in college? I'm not too sure about that either as I generally really liked college. I mean, even the bad spots were better than some of those in High School. Plus, I'd met some really great friends then, friendships that I still hold dear today.
I dunno. Maybe I'm just not old enough to be able to look back on my life and find a "What could have been if..." moment. What did John Cusack call it in Say Anything? A "dare to be great" moment. Or maybe I didn't have any of those types of moments. How sad would that be? Living my life still waiting for that "dare to be great" moment that may never come.
Or maybe it's simply that I am happy and content where I am right now. And I realize that everything leading up to this point was simply prelude to this exact moment. That regardless of if I grabbed that "dare to be great" moment or not, it still led me to this exact time and place. And this is exactly where I want to be.
Have I don't some stupid things? Of course. We all have. And I will probably continue to do stupid things. But I've also done great things. Sure, maybe not "Oscar worthy" great, but great nonetheless. And I would never trade those for anything, not even for the opportunity to erase the bad stuff. So please, you can keep your time travelling Hot Tub to yourself. I'm cool.
Well, how about that DeLorean?
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Death of an Icon: The Arcade
It seems growing up that I took Arcades for granted. I always figured they'd be around. I mean, I have very early memories of playing Pac-Man at Straw Hat Pizza. Of course, there was the odd birthday at the Tully Road Chuck E. Cheese, which is the biggest one of its kind, a 3 story monstrosity with a gigantic rat mascot that one can see from the freeway and something like 5 different birthday rooms.
But it wasn't until about 1991 that Arcades took a much bigger part in my life. For those who aren't into Arcade history, that was the year that Street Fighter II was unleashed upon the world. The sequel to Capcom's 1987 release Street Fighter, Street Fighter II introduced us to 8 playable characters, 6 more than the first. It also gave us 4 "boss" characters, who would later become playable in an upgrade. It was a fighter that was deceptively simple. You had 3 punch buttons and 3 kick buttons. But there was a much deeper fighting engine lying beneath that simplicity that brimmed with complexity. Each character played differently and people could find the one that best matched their personalities.
Funny. In those days, I was drawn to Ken, the Shotokan fighter from the USA who was very similar to the main character Ryu except that he was a bit weaker but faster. Nothing really changes. To this day, Ken is still the character I main. Does that mean that I haven't really grown up? Hmm, I probably have to ruminate on this one.
Street Fighter II soon became a right of passage, a way for boys to transition into manhood. Sure, you may laugh at it now but all the tell-tale signs were there. Before that, boys would prove their masculinity by getting into schoolyard fights, or by joining various sports, eager to exercise their competitive natures and show they were the best. The same thing happened at the arcade. The better you were, the longer you played. Because the machine was set so that you could continue playing until you were defeated in a best out of 3 match, either by computer or by human opponent, you could theoretically play until you didn't have any more challengers. You'd see kids line up their quarters on the arcade machine, forming a type of queue, calling it "Next game" or "I play winner" to mark their intentions. Those whose talents weren't up to snuff played their matches, lost, turned around dejected, only to return with another quarter and lining up at the back of the queue waiting for their next chance. The winners? Well, they had bragging rights. Each successive win, each opponent defeated, just added to the intensity in the atmosphere, with each player frothing at the mouth to get a chance to take the guy out. It was like a gauntlet. Only the strong survived.
There were many days of cutting school to go to the 7/11 around the corner to get a couple of rounds in. Many days spent at the arcade at Eastridge mall, or again on the top floor of Chuck E. Cheese. And even though Street Fighter II became available on the home systems, there was still nothing quite like the arcade experience. I mean, it's nice playing against your friends and family. But that gets stale pretty fast. You get to see how people play. You understand what their weaknesses and strategies are. You begin to read them. But going to the arcades...suddenly you were playing strangers. You were putting your reputation on the line in front of people you didn't know and you had to save face. Losing was certainly a humbling experience. Victory, on the other hand, was always sweet.
After Street Fighter II and all its variations, there was Mortal Kombat. Then Killer Instinct. It's funny that the arcade boom of the 90's started with Street Fighter as it would also be responsible for its demise. Arcades used to have varied games but with the success of Street Fighter, they became overwrought with me-too fighters and even worse, other Street Fighter type games like Marvel Vs. Capcom and Darkstalkers. They pushed aside shooters and racers, two genres that normally flourished at arcades. Instead, everyone wanted a fighting game and it wasn't too long that people got bored at the lack of variety. Coupled with this was also the fact that the home systems had become powerful enough to produce arcade perfect translations. Pretty soon, publishers were skipping the arcades altogether, finding greater and more stable success with a home release.
Of course the final nail in the coffin was the advent of online gaming. Now, people can play other players all over the world and not just at their neighborhood arcade all from the convenience of their living rooms. You have access to people 24/7 waiting to play and find a game at any time of night. But is that necessary better? While there have been great strides recently, especially with the "arcade mode" in Super Street Fighter IV that closely mimic the "I've got next" arcade experience, it's still not quite the same. There's nothing quite like proving your mettle to the person standing right next to you, playing the psychological game, and being able to read their actions. Until someone can recreate that experience perfectly, Arcades will always have a special spot in my heart.
Post-script:
All hope is not lost. If you live in Japan, that is. The Arcade is alive and well in the land of the rising sun. Hmm, maybe I should visit my cousin Gemma.
But it wasn't until about 1991 that Arcades took a much bigger part in my life. For those who aren't into Arcade history, that was the year that Street Fighter II was unleashed upon the world. The sequel to Capcom's 1987 release Street Fighter, Street Fighter II introduced us to 8 playable characters, 6 more than the first. It also gave us 4 "boss" characters, who would later become playable in an upgrade. It was a fighter that was deceptively simple. You had 3 punch buttons and 3 kick buttons. But there was a much deeper fighting engine lying beneath that simplicity that brimmed with complexity. Each character played differently and people could find the one that best matched their personalities.
Funny. In those days, I was drawn to Ken, the Shotokan fighter from the USA who was very similar to the main character Ryu except that he was a bit weaker but faster. Nothing really changes. To this day, Ken is still the character I main. Does that mean that I haven't really grown up? Hmm, I probably have to ruminate on this one.
Street Fighter II soon became a right of passage, a way for boys to transition into manhood. Sure, you may laugh at it now but all the tell-tale signs were there. Before that, boys would prove their masculinity by getting into schoolyard fights, or by joining various sports, eager to exercise their competitive natures and show they were the best. The same thing happened at the arcade. The better you were, the longer you played. Because the machine was set so that you could continue playing until you were defeated in a best out of 3 match, either by computer or by human opponent, you could theoretically play until you didn't have any more challengers. You'd see kids line up their quarters on the arcade machine, forming a type of queue, calling it "Next game" or "I play winner" to mark their intentions. Those whose talents weren't up to snuff played their matches, lost, turned around dejected, only to return with another quarter and lining up at the back of the queue waiting for their next chance. The winners? Well, they had bragging rights. Each successive win, each opponent defeated, just added to the intensity in the atmosphere, with each player frothing at the mouth to get a chance to take the guy out. It was like a gauntlet. Only the strong survived.
There were many days of cutting school to go to the 7/11 around the corner to get a couple of rounds in. Many days spent at the arcade at Eastridge mall, or again on the top floor of Chuck E. Cheese. And even though Street Fighter II became available on the home systems, there was still nothing quite like the arcade experience. I mean, it's nice playing against your friends and family. But that gets stale pretty fast. You get to see how people play. You understand what their weaknesses and strategies are. You begin to read them. But going to the arcades...suddenly you were playing strangers. You were putting your reputation on the line in front of people you didn't know and you had to save face. Losing was certainly a humbling experience. Victory, on the other hand, was always sweet.
After Street Fighter II and all its variations, there was Mortal Kombat. Then Killer Instinct. It's funny that the arcade boom of the 90's started with Street Fighter as it would also be responsible for its demise. Arcades used to have varied games but with the success of Street Fighter, they became overwrought with me-too fighters and even worse, other Street Fighter type games like Marvel Vs. Capcom and Darkstalkers. They pushed aside shooters and racers, two genres that normally flourished at arcades. Instead, everyone wanted a fighting game and it wasn't too long that people got bored at the lack of variety. Coupled with this was also the fact that the home systems had become powerful enough to produce arcade perfect translations. Pretty soon, publishers were skipping the arcades altogether, finding greater and more stable success with a home release.
Of course the final nail in the coffin was the advent of online gaming. Now, people can play other players all over the world and not just at their neighborhood arcade all from the convenience of their living rooms. You have access to people 24/7 waiting to play and find a game at any time of night. But is that necessary better? While there have been great strides recently, especially with the "arcade mode" in Super Street Fighter IV that closely mimic the "I've got next" arcade experience, it's still not quite the same. There's nothing quite like proving your mettle to the person standing right next to you, playing the psychological game, and being able to read their actions. Until someone can recreate that experience perfectly, Arcades will always have a special spot in my heart.
Post-script:
All hope is not lost. If you live in Japan, that is. The Arcade is alive and well in the land of the rising sun. Hmm, maybe I should visit my cousin Gemma.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Life: A Terminal Condition
Life. It's like a good horror movie: no one gets out alive. It's a miracle that human beings don't just sit in fetal positions, giving up, resolved to the fact that sooner or later, each and every one of us is going to bite the big one. But I guess that's kind of the point. It isn't about how much time we're given but what we do with that time. Sounds like the inside of a Hallmark card. Or a graduation speech.
They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. They say that God only gives you what you can handle. They say a lot of things. I'm convinced that "they" don't really know their ass from their ears. But if what they say is true, then I am Superman. Not in the Jungian sense. No, in the "Last Son of Krypton", "Faster than a Speeding Bullet", invulnerable to everything but Kryptonite, sense.
Thing is, when's it going to stop? I've long since accepted that I'm now getting to the age where the people I've grown up around, the people I've looked up to, are going to die sooner rather than later. Does that make it any easier? Is that realization supposed to calm you when you lie awake at nights, worried that the next one...the next one, will be someone closer?
Or do you just resign yourself to the fact and, as I said above, you make do with the time you have? You know what's extremely apropos this time around?
They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. They say that God only gives you what you can handle. They say a lot of things. I'm convinced that "they" don't really know their ass from their ears. But if what they say is true, then I am Superman. Not in the Jungian sense. No, in the "Last Son of Krypton", "Faster than a Speeding Bullet", invulnerable to everything but Kryptonite, sense.
Thing is, when's it going to stop? I've long since accepted that I'm now getting to the age where the people I've grown up around, the people I've looked up to, are going to die sooner rather than later. Does that make it any easier? Is that realization supposed to calm you when you lie awake at nights, worried that the next one...the next one, will be someone closer?
Or do you just resign yourself to the fact and, as I said above, you make do with the time you have? You know what's extremely apropos this time around?
Do No Go Gentle Into That Good Night
by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
It's a dirty world we live in. No one ever said it would be easy. I never expected it to be. I guess I just never expected it to be so rough. Maybe that's the big cosmic joke. You don't get the peace you want until its your time to go. A dirty, dirty world.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Comic-Con 2010
It's been 5 years since I've been to Comic-Con in San Diego. And it's not like I've been missing it all this time. I mean, even when they were going to be showing stuff from The Dark Knight, I didn't blink an eye. I'd already been to Con something like 7 or 8 times since starting college. So, dammit, why have I been following the Con coverage this year like a crackhead sitting at a street corner, lips powdery white, jonesing for his next fix? Why indeed.
I'm not a huge Marvel fan. My favorite Marvel character is Daredevil, who despite the awesome work by the likes of Frank Miller and Kevin Smith, wasn't exactly a top tier character. I also like Ghost Rider. Again, not top tier by any means. Of course I've read the X-Men and familiar enough with its history to wax intellectual about the Dark Phoenix or the allegory of MLK vs. Malcom X translated in human/mutant relations. And, of course, I loved Spider-man when I was a kid (but then again, who didn't?).
But growing up, my heart was always with DC. Whether it was watching the Super Friends on a Saturday morning, or reading the latest issue of Detective Comics, the heroes of DC just clicked with me. I know Marvel prides itself on its character's having "normal human" problems. Peter Parker has to find a way to pay the rent. Tony Stark not only has to deal with the fact that he's a total douche but also that pesky alcoholism that he's afflicted with. And Matt Murdock has to not only deal with the fact that he's blind but that his girlfriend is freakin' hot! I mean, how unfair is that? It's like At First Sight, that movie starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, only Karen Page is hotter. You know, for a comic book character. Oh wait. Did I forget to mention that she's a heroin addict, becomes a porn star, and sells Murdock's identity for drug money? Man, Marvel's peeps got problems. See, DC heroes seemed larger than life. I hated when DC tried to "humanize" their heroes, or as I like to call it, "Marvelizing". I didn't want to read comics to see Spider-man struggling to pay his rent? I wanted to see Batman take down the Joker's latest dastardly scheme!
Now, the movies have been a totally different story. While I still love Christopher Reeves' Superman, and Nolan's work on the Batman movies, I also loved Singer's X-Men films, Spider-man 2, and the first Iron Man. So I guess this is why I was really looking forward to Con this year because I knew one of the panels was going to be devoted to Marvel's slate of upcoming movies. I probably would have been more excited if my excitement wasn't tempered by my lukewarm reaction to Iron Man 2. Or the fact that not only is Joe Johnston (not exactly an A-list director despite Jurassic Park III being a guilty pleasure) directing the Captain America movie (probably one of my least favorite comic characters), but that he cast Johnny Storm himself, Chris Evans as the lead character. It kind of seemed like a recipe for disaster.
I had more confidence in the Thor movie (despite the fact that I'm not really a fan of that character) especially after seeing Hemsworth's bulk and that he looks like a picture perfect Thor. It also doesn't hurt that Kenneth Branagh is directing. But no, what I was more interested in was the Avengers news. Though I am not a fan of Joss Whedon (I know. Firefly was awesome. Buffy was awesome. I've heard it. I just don't get it), I am excited at the prospect at putting together Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth as the Avengers.
So that brings us to today's Con coverage. I am officially disappointed that I didn't go this year. Not only did they show stuff from Captain America. Not only did they show stuff from Thor. But they actually brought out the cast of The Avengers. RDJ. Hemsworth. Evans. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. And the newly announced Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk(taking over for Ed Norton who, like Tony Stark, is a complete douche and who also took over for Eric Bana). I'm sorry but that's just a stellar cast. I'm really hoping that Whedon can pull this off.
I guess there was also a Green Lantern panel. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the character. I mostly know him from his adventures with The Flash in The Brave and the Bold or in various Justice League stories. Of course, there was his whole Zero Hour thing where he became Parallax and started creating worlds. Or whatever. But this is a movie I'm not that excited about. I like Ryan Reynolds but I picture him more as The Flash, what with the fact that he tends to be more humorous. And while I like Martin Campbell as a director (after all he did two of my favorite Bond flicks in Goldeneye and Casino Royale) I'm just not sure how he's going to pull off a dude with a ring that creates giant green fists to knock people out that just won't seem like something out of Jim Carrey's The Mask. So I find it really weird that I'm more looking forward (looking farther forward?) to a Marvel movie than a DC one.
Last but not least, Capcom had a huge announcement at the Con. Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Street Fighter. And while I'm looking forward to the new Marvel vs. Capcom game coming out, my heart actually belongs to the slower paced gameplay of the main Street Fighter series and the Alpha line. It's why I played Street Fighter III a hell of a lot more than I did Marvel vs. Capcom 2. So what do they announce today? Street Figher X Tekken! I'm not quite sure how that's going to work out as Tekken is mostly a brawler game and Street Fighter tends to be projectile based, but I am interested in seeing how they pull this off. Apparently, Capcom is doing SF X Tekken in a style similar to Street Fighter IV (cue complete nerdgasm) and Namco is going to be doing Tekken X SF in a style similar to Tekken.
I know that I'm probably one of the few people that actually liked Arika's Street Fighter EX series (where SF was redone in complete 3d to compete with the likes of Tekken) but I can see this working. If they can balance the fighters well enough, I think both games have the potential of being really good. I am not really a huge Tekken fan but I might become one of Capcom can translate the gameplay well enough into the SF world.
So Comic-Con International. I missed you this year. Maybe one day, I will once again grace the hallowed halls of Exhibition Hall H. And who knows what'll be announced then? The Justice League movie (yes, please). Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat? Or better yet a Capcom/Namco/SNK/Midway royal rumble? How awesome would that be? Cue change of underwear.
I'm not a huge Marvel fan. My favorite Marvel character is Daredevil, who despite the awesome work by the likes of Frank Miller and Kevin Smith, wasn't exactly a top tier character. I also like Ghost Rider. Again, not top tier by any means. Of course I've read the X-Men and familiar enough with its history to wax intellectual about the Dark Phoenix or the allegory of MLK vs. Malcom X translated in human/mutant relations. And, of course, I loved Spider-man when I was a kid (but then again, who didn't?).
But growing up, my heart was always with DC. Whether it was watching the Super Friends on a Saturday morning, or reading the latest issue of Detective Comics, the heroes of DC just clicked with me. I know Marvel prides itself on its character's having "normal human" problems. Peter Parker has to find a way to pay the rent. Tony Stark not only has to deal with the fact that he's a total douche but also that pesky alcoholism that he's afflicted with. And Matt Murdock has to not only deal with the fact that he's blind but that his girlfriend is freakin' hot! I mean, how unfair is that? It's like At First Sight, that movie starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, only Karen Page is hotter. You know, for a comic book character. Oh wait. Did I forget to mention that she's a heroin addict, becomes a porn star, and sells Murdock's identity for drug money? Man, Marvel's peeps got problems. See, DC heroes seemed larger than life. I hated when DC tried to "humanize" their heroes, or as I like to call it, "Marvelizing". I didn't want to read comics to see Spider-man struggling to pay his rent? I wanted to see Batman take down the Joker's latest dastardly scheme!
Now, the movies have been a totally different story. While I still love Christopher Reeves' Superman, and Nolan's work on the Batman movies, I also loved Singer's X-Men films, Spider-man 2, and the first Iron Man. So I guess this is why I was really looking forward to Con this year because I knew one of the panels was going to be devoted to Marvel's slate of upcoming movies. I probably would have been more excited if my excitement wasn't tempered by my lukewarm reaction to Iron Man 2. Or the fact that not only is Joe Johnston (not exactly an A-list director despite Jurassic Park III being a guilty pleasure) directing the Captain America movie (probably one of my least favorite comic characters), but that he cast Johnny Storm himself, Chris Evans as the lead character. It kind of seemed like a recipe for disaster.
I had more confidence in the Thor movie (despite the fact that I'm not really a fan of that character) especially after seeing Hemsworth's bulk and that he looks like a picture perfect Thor. It also doesn't hurt that Kenneth Branagh is directing. But no, what I was more interested in was the Avengers news. Though I am not a fan of Joss Whedon (I know. Firefly was awesome. Buffy was awesome. I've heard it. I just don't get it), I am excited at the prospect at putting together Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth as the Avengers.
So that brings us to today's Con coverage. I am officially disappointed that I didn't go this year. Not only did they show stuff from Captain America. Not only did they show stuff from Thor. But they actually brought out the cast of The Avengers. RDJ. Hemsworth. Evans. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. And the newly announced Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk(taking over for Ed Norton who, like Tony Stark, is a complete douche and who also took over for Eric Bana). I'm sorry but that's just a stellar cast. I'm really hoping that Whedon can pull this off.
I guess there was also a Green Lantern panel. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the character. I mostly know him from his adventures with The Flash in The Brave and the Bold or in various Justice League stories. Of course, there was his whole Zero Hour thing where he became Parallax and started creating worlds. Or whatever. But this is a movie I'm not that excited about. I like Ryan Reynolds but I picture him more as The Flash, what with the fact that he tends to be more humorous. And while I like Martin Campbell as a director (after all he did two of my favorite Bond flicks in Goldeneye and Casino Royale) I'm just not sure how he's going to pull off a dude with a ring that creates giant green fists to knock people out that just won't seem like something out of Jim Carrey's The Mask. So I find it really weird that I'm more looking forward (looking farther forward?) to a Marvel movie than a DC one.
Last but not least, Capcom had a huge announcement at the Con. Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Street Fighter. And while I'm looking forward to the new Marvel vs. Capcom game coming out, my heart actually belongs to the slower paced gameplay of the main Street Fighter series and the Alpha line. It's why I played Street Fighter III a hell of a lot more than I did Marvel vs. Capcom 2. So what do they announce today? Street Figher X Tekken! I'm not quite sure how that's going to work out as Tekken is mostly a brawler game and Street Fighter tends to be projectile based, but I am interested in seeing how they pull this off. Apparently, Capcom is doing SF X Tekken in a style similar to Street Fighter IV (cue complete nerdgasm) and Namco is going to be doing Tekken X SF in a style similar to Tekken.
I know that I'm probably one of the few people that actually liked Arika's Street Fighter EX series (where SF was redone in complete 3d to compete with the likes of Tekken) but I can see this working. If they can balance the fighters well enough, I think both games have the potential of being really good. I am not really a huge Tekken fan but I might become one of Capcom can translate the gameplay well enough into the SF world.
So Comic-Con International. I missed you this year. Maybe one day, I will once again grace the hallowed halls of Exhibition Hall H. And who knows what'll be announced then? The Justice League movie (yes, please). Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat? Or better yet a Capcom/Namco/SNK/Midway royal rumble? How awesome would that be? Cue change of underwear.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Great Mind**** or: The Inception Review
It has been a few days since I've seen Inception. I didn't feel up to writing an actual review until I'd let the movie sink in a bit. I didn't want to just give some offhand impression to sully the reputation of this film, that by not devoting enough time to a review that it would be an insult to Nolan and company. Or maybe it's just that the movie messed with my mind a bit and I needed the time to clear up the cobwebs. Either way, I am here with the review.
The Summary
Honestly, I can't say much about the summary of the movie without giving away the movie itself. The tagline, "Your mind is the scene of the crime" is probably the most apt and concise description of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a man with a troubled past (does he ever play any other kind any more?) who leads a team of thieves. The hook? They steal secrets and ideas. And I'm not talking about simple corporate espionage here, like an Enron meets Jason Bourne kind of thing. They steal secrets and ideas FROM YOUR MIND (dun dun dun!). That's really all I can say about the movie. Watch it for yourself to see how it plays out.
The Good
1. The effects - a movie that takes place in dreams should have an appropriate feeling of unearthliness, almost, dare I say, dreamlike. Inception has this in spades and it is pulled off very well. From locations that don't look "quite right" and gravity that doesn't move "quite right", this movie really nails an alternate reality that may look much like our own but does not function by the same rules.
2. The performances - the cast all turned in top notch performances. While this is obviously DiCaprio's show, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, and Ken Watanabe all put in incredible work. Of particular note is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I'm keeping my eye on this guy. After impressive turns in Brick and (500) Days of Summer, and then a really good one in Inception, this guy is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
3. The concept - Nolan hits the ground running with the whole "dream" thing and pulls it off really well. He walks the fine balance of reality and dreamstate and creates a very cohesive world that feels real even when it's not "acting" real. Excellent work.
4. The action - the action set-pieces are all well done and mostly shot using traditional techniques, from the spinning room made famous by Fred Astaire to good old ski chases as popularized in James Bond movies.
The Bad
1. The Dialogue - there were parts in which the dialogue just seemed too cheesy or forced. While the characters did the best they could with these lines, the fact that so much was so good really drew attention to the lines that were bad. Also, there were moments in the first 45 minutes that were packed so full of exposition that it was hard to swallow it all. I know Nolan was establishing the rules of the dreamworld, but large blocks of exposition are difficult to digest.
2. The pacing - this mostly refers to the first half of the film. The pacing grinds to a halt whenever the above-mentioned exposition blocks come up. Once they get to the main job, the main part of the story, the movie hits its stride and runs at a very tense, perfectly plotted pace.
Overall, I loved this movie. While it was by no means perfect, I found the balance of thought, emotion, and action to be well done. I loved that the movie didn't talk down to the audience (even with all the exposition). It wasn't as pretentious as The Matrix (particularly in the sequels) about the concept of reality versus simulation. Instead, the movie takes a very intellectualized concept and interprets it in an emtional fashion, lending it a sense of gravitas. I think if Nolan had trimmed about 10 minutes off the top of the film, he would have a perfect movie on his hands. As it is, he has a great movie and one of the best I've seen in a while.
As an aside, I've realized that I'm really a big fan of Nolan. I loved Memento (which I daresay, was a hair better than Inception simply because it was paced much better). I enjoyed Insomnia. I adored The Prestige. And of course I loved his Batman films. Courtney even asked me if I liked Inception more than The Dark Knight. That was a difficult one to answer but ultimately it came down to the fact that it featured two of my favorite comic book characters of all time, my favorite hero (Batman, duh) and my favorite villain (Joker, double duh). I really need to get around to watching Following, his first film, which I have but has been on the list of unseen films I've been meaning to tackle. But when I do, you can bet I'll review that too.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Once more unto the breach : Predators Review
I want to make one thing abundantly clear before I get started with this review. I liked the first Predator. I didn't love it. I just liked it. I was a bigger fan of the Alien series, particularly the first 2. I guess it was probably because the Alien movies were very character driven, with Ridley Scott and James Cameron both creating very memorable characters and Predator was more about archetypes and testosterone. So anyway, let's get on with it.
The movie starts off with a bang. Adrien Brody snaps awake in freefall and his parachute won't open. Within 10 minutes, we meet the whole ragtag group. In the tradition of the first Predator, you get your archetypes. You get the nerdy guy. You get the quiet guy. You have the leader. They are all being hunted.
Sound familiar? Yes, it's much like the first Predator. Which is a good thing. There really isn't much to the plot. But then again, I don't think it has to. This is a movie that knows what it wants to be. It wants to be like the first Predator, which really didn't have much of a plot but really just an excuse to string together action scenes and awesome kills. It was all about guns, muscles, and gore. This movie carries on in that tradition. And while I would normally rail on a movie for lack of plot, I somehow find it fitting.
I do have to say that I found the characters in this film to be quite a bit more endearing. Yes, they are still archetypes, but the movie spends a bit more time (albeit superficially) giving them genuine moments to shine. We're not talking about Hamlet here but for what is there, it works.
The Good
1. The Opening - I've already described it. What an awesome way to start a movie. Let's drop the audience right into a scene of a guy dropping in the sky.
2. Laurence Fishburn - his character was HILARIOUS and kind of sad at the same time. His appearance really adds something different at just the right time.
3. Japanese Dude w/ Katana vs. Predator - What a cool fight scene. Very reminiscent of the opening fight between Ryu and Sagat in the Street Fighter Anime.
The Bad
1. Predictable - yes I know that the plot and that it was trying to be like the first Predator, but it is a little too familiar. You can see the beats and reversals from a mile away.
2. Pacing - the movie has two settings - bat**** insane and snail pace. I'm not sure if it was bad editing or what but sometimes the movie just ground to a halt.
Overall, I liked the movie. After being disappointed with Terminator Salvation and the last 2 Alien movies, not to mention Predator 2's concrete jungle, I didn't have high hopes for this film. Thankfully, the movie instead goes back to the original to great success. But as Aliens built on the original Alien while adding more interesting characters, so too does this film. Which is probably why they decided to name it Predators, adding an S just as Cameron's entry into the Alien series did.
If you're looking for a great action movie, see The A-Team. But if it's not playing any more, go see Predators. But go with this caveat. Do not see this movie if you don't like the original Predator. It may not be your cup of tea.
The movie starts off with a bang. Adrien Brody snaps awake in freefall and his parachute won't open. Within 10 minutes, we meet the whole ragtag group. In the tradition of the first Predator, you get your archetypes. You get the nerdy guy. You get the quiet guy. You have the leader. They are all being hunted.
Sound familiar? Yes, it's much like the first Predator. Which is a good thing. There really isn't much to the plot. But then again, I don't think it has to. This is a movie that knows what it wants to be. It wants to be like the first Predator, which really didn't have much of a plot but really just an excuse to string together action scenes and awesome kills. It was all about guns, muscles, and gore. This movie carries on in that tradition. And while I would normally rail on a movie for lack of plot, I somehow find it fitting.
I do have to say that I found the characters in this film to be quite a bit more endearing. Yes, they are still archetypes, but the movie spends a bit more time (albeit superficially) giving them genuine moments to shine. We're not talking about Hamlet here but for what is there, it works.
The Good
1. The Opening - I've already described it. What an awesome way to start a movie. Let's drop the audience right into a scene of a guy dropping in the sky.
2. Laurence Fishburn - his character was HILARIOUS and kind of sad at the same time. His appearance really adds something different at just the right time.
3. Japanese Dude w/ Katana vs. Predator - What a cool fight scene. Very reminiscent of the opening fight between Ryu and Sagat in the Street Fighter Anime.
The Bad
1. Predictable - yes I know that the plot and that it was trying to be like the first Predator, but it is a little too familiar. You can see the beats and reversals from a mile away.
2. Pacing - the movie has two settings - bat**** insane and snail pace. I'm not sure if it was bad editing or what but sometimes the movie just ground to a halt.
Overall, I liked the movie. After being disappointed with Terminator Salvation and the last 2 Alien movies, not to mention Predator 2's concrete jungle, I didn't have high hopes for this film. Thankfully, the movie instead goes back to the original to great success. But as Aliens built on the original Alien while adding more interesting characters, so too does this film. Which is probably why they decided to name it Predators, adding an S just as Cameron's entry into the Alien series did.
If you're looking for a great action movie, see The A-Team. But if it's not playing any more, go see Predators. But go with this caveat. Do not see this movie if you don't like the original Predator. It may not be your cup of tea.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Game Night 7/17
Had a small get together last night. I find that as I get older, it gets harder and harder to get groups of friends together for a simple night of gaming. Invariably, work, kids, LIFE gets in the way. But no matter. It's not like my apartment can really hold that many people any way.
Started the night out with Mario Kart Wii, which always seems to be a crowd pleaser. Alcohol and go-karting just seems to be a match-made in Mushroomland heaven. Of course, this also leads to much hilarity. By the team we got to Bowser's Castle in Star Cup, we were a bunch of giggling spazzes that didn't even end up placing above 6th. But whatevs, right? It's all in the name of fun.
After that, we got our Super Street Fighter 4 fix. Now, I am not too proud to say that while I may not be the best at Street Fighter, I also am far from the worst. I've gotten quite used to being middle of the pack. Growing up, I could usually hold my own at the arcades but my cousin, Rhem, would always dominate at the game.
I realize now, much later of course, what was wrong with my play-style. As with most teens, I was fairly bullheaded. I had difficulty adapting my strategy and fighting style so people would often be able to telegraph my moves. I was overly aggressive and barely ever blocked. Forget about anticipating your opponent and playing the footsie game. No, instead I thought I was content with small two hits combos and the occasional connecting Super. Going into college, I continued to follow the main Street Fighter and Street Fighter Alpha series while my cousin branched off to the VS. series with Marvel vs. Capcom. At that point, my SF fix was only quenched by my small college playgroup, none of whom ever dedicated that much time to the game. It wasn't until Street Fighter IV came out and I was playing on Live that I realized how crappy my playing actually was. And I did what any self-respecting player does. I gave up. Because online SUCKS.
...
Well, not entirely true. I still play online and often get my rear handed to me. But as a result of this and the sheer variety of play-styles I've encountered, I too have learned to adapt. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.
So there we wee last night, playing Super Street Fighter IV and I was kind of dominating. I don't mean this to be boastful in the grandest MotherTrucker way (shout out to my Cox peeps, you know who I'm talking about). I'm just stating facts. I was holding onto my control stick while the other pad was making its rounds. I lost one match, with the victory going to my friend Eric, which was a bit surprising because he made it clear that he "sucked" at the game. It was a well-deserved win on his part.
After the game, I showed the guys the famous video of Daigo Umehara vs. Justin Wong at the EVO 2004 Street Fighter 3 finals in which he makes an incredible comeback in the last round of the last match of the tournament. If you have not seen this, you must.
Overall, the night was a success, despite the lack of attendance. A good time was had by those gracious enough to make it this time around. Hopefully the next one will be even better.
Started the night out with Mario Kart Wii, which always seems to be a crowd pleaser. Alcohol and go-karting just seems to be a match-made in Mushroomland heaven. Of course, this also leads to much hilarity. By the team we got to Bowser's Castle in Star Cup, we were a bunch of giggling spazzes that didn't even end up placing above 6th. But whatevs, right? It's all in the name of fun.
After that, we got our Super Street Fighter 4 fix. Now, I am not too proud to say that while I may not be the best at Street Fighter, I also am far from the worst. I've gotten quite used to being middle of the pack. Growing up, I could usually hold my own at the arcades but my cousin, Rhem, would always dominate at the game.
I realize now, much later of course, what was wrong with my play-style. As with most teens, I was fairly bullheaded. I had difficulty adapting my strategy and fighting style so people would often be able to telegraph my moves. I was overly aggressive and barely ever blocked. Forget about anticipating your opponent and playing the footsie game. No, instead I thought I was content with small two hits combos and the occasional connecting Super. Going into college, I continued to follow the main Street Fighter and Street Fighter Alpha series while my cousin branched off to the VS. series with Marvel vs. Capcom. At that point, my SF fix was only quenched by my small college playgroup, none of whom ever dedicated that much time to the game. It wasn't until Street Fighter IV came out and I was playing on Live that I realized how crappy my playing actually was. And I did what any self-respecting player does. I gave up. Because online SUCKS.
...
Well, not entirely true. I still play online and often get my rear handed to me. But as a result of this and the sheer variety of play-styles I've encountered, I too have learned to adapt. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.
So there we wee last night, playing Super Street Fighter IV and I was kind of dominating. I don't mean this to be boastful in the grandest MotherTrucker way (shout out to my Cox peeps, you know who I'm talking about). I'm just stating facts. I was holding onto my control stick while the other pad was making its rounds. I lost one match, with the victory going to my friend Eric, which was a bit surprising because he made it clear that he "sucked" at the game. It was a well-deserved win on his part.
After the game, I showed the guys the famous video of Daigo Umehara vs. Justin Wong at the EVO 2004 Street Fighter 3 finals in which he makes an incredible comeback in the last round of the last match of the tournament. If you have not seen this, you must.
Overall, the night was a success, despite the lack of attendance. A good time was had by those gracious enough to make it this time around. Hopefully the next one will be even better.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Into the New
I was feeling adventurous on Thursday so I decided to try a new Phờ and a new FroYo place.
Little Saigon
Just opened on Eastern and 215. Because it is so new they didn't even have an ATM/Debit machine at the register so I had to trek around to find the nearest ATM machine to pull out cash. I know right? Cash! Anyway, the place is one of those Vietnamese/Chinese restaurants, probably since Vietnamese food isn't as prevalent around here so offering Chinese gives more options for people who aren't very adventurous. They had a pretty extensive menu ranging from soups, rice dishes, fried noodle, fried rice, and various meat dishes. Not particularly feeling like soup in the face of 103 degree Vegas heat, I decided to stick with a rice dish off the Vietnamese side of the menu.
I played it safe by ordering the Combination Vegetable and Seafood with Rice. It's basically a sitry fry that includes Baby Chinese Greens, Celery, Broccoli, Carrots, Green Peppers, Cabbage, Squid, Shrimp, and Fish Balls in a savory sauce. I am not quite sure what is in this sauce but it's like crack to me. I've gotten this same basic thing at most other Phờ places that offer it, starting with the old TK Noodle on Tully Road in San Jose, CA. This dish did not disappoint. The flavors were spot on. The sauce wasn't too thick or runny and it complimented the rice. I'm not a huge fan of fish balls so I could have taken them or left them. The surprise of the dish was the squid. It was soft and only slighty chewy which was a really good texture and consistency. Overall, a really good dish.
I played it safe by ordering the Combination Vegetable and Seafood with Rice. It's basically a sitry fry that includes Baby Chinese Greens, Celery, Broccoli, Carrots, Green Peppers, Cabbage, Squid, Shrimp, and Fish Balls in a savory sauce. I am not quite sure what is in this sauce but it's like crack to me. I've gotten this same basic thing at most other Phờ places that offer it, starting with the old TK Noodle on Tully Road in San Jose, CA. This dish did not disappoint. The flavors were spot on. The sauce wasn't too thick or runny and it complimented the rice. I'm not a huge fan of fish balls so I could have taken them or left them. The surprise of the dish was the squid. It was soft and only slighty chewy which was a really good texture and consistency. Overall, a really good dish.
The restaurant itself is really nice for a Phờ place. There are the traditional paintings on the walls, though they don't all have the same type or even color frame so it was a little distracting. I was impressed by how big the space actually was as I am accustomer to smaller, hole-in-the-wall type places. Of course, since it had just opened, there really wasn't a wait to be seated, nor was there a problem with the service as there were 3 servers on duty. The only true issue, which I have been assured will be rectified soon, was the aforementioned absent ATM/Debit machine.
Yogels
After having such a savory dinner, I really needed something sweet to offset the saltiness. I decided to try out Yogels rather than go one block the other way to Yogurtland.
Yogels is a very inviting place. It's small but the layout maximizes the space well with a topping island in the middle and the yogurt dispensers about against the wall with tables on the opposite wall. When looking at the toppings and yogurt, you notice little signs that show the nutritional information by recommended serving size. I also noticed that the cups weren't nearly as big as those found at Yogurtland or uSwirl which is good for those trying to control their caloric intake. Rounding out the good stuff was the price. The yogurt is already $0.30 an ounce. If you go for Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm (since when is an hour 3 hours?) then you also get an additional 30% off your purchase. As a result of this, my entire cup only cost $2.50. Not bad for what I got.
Of course, not all is picture perfect at Yogels. The quality of the Yogurt itself was fairly poor. It was too much like the the type of soft serve you would get at a buffet, that is it say that it wasn't smooth at all. I picked my traditional toppings of a drizzle of fudge, strawberries, and almonds. The strawberries weren't fresh, instead opting for what looked like canned and extremely sweet strawberries cut in slivers. A personal dislike of mine are almonds cut in slivers which is what was on offer. Completely disappointed in the toppings.
So yes, I got the yogurt for really cheap but it wasn't really worth the price. I really should have ended the afternoon on a high note after Little Saigon and just gone to Yogurtland, even if they do have slivered almonds. At least the yogurt itself is good and the berries are fresh.
Of course, not all is picture perfect at Yogels. The quality of the Yogurt itself was fairly poor. It was too much like the the type of soft serve you would get at a buffet, that is it say that it wasn't smooth at all. I picked my traditional toppings of a drizzle of fudge, strawberries, and almonds. The strawberries weren't fresh, instead opting for what looked like canned and extremely sweet strawberries cut in slivers. A personal dislike of mine are almonds cut in slivers which is what was on offer. Completely disappointed in the toppings.
So yes, I got the yogurt for really cheap but it wasn't really worth the price. I really should have ended the afternoon on a high note after Little Saigon and just gone to Yogurtland, even if they do have slivered almonds. At least the yogurt itself is good and the berries are fresh.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Too Early
"Bugs!" She yells clear across the office, loud enough the walls shake. It's too early for this. It's too early for bugs, or rodents, or any damned thing. It's too early for this.
She comes over, shaking like she's on the losing end of a crack withdrawal, her eyes bleary from lack of sleep but jammed open wide with fear. "Bugs!" she yells again, this time her voice as shaky as she is. It's only 5:02. Too damned early.
Too damned hot too. The lady with the voice like cotton candy said it was already 92 degrees. At 5 in the damned morning. I think back to mornings in Santa Cruz, down at Natural Bridges, the cold of the sand as it rubbed between my toes. It was cool then. A damned sight cooler than 92 degrees at 5 in the AM.
Bugs. She's never even seen bugs. Not like I've seen them. Roaches as big as small birds. And flying too. The flap of their wings like the sound of a miniature radio helicopter, like the kind some poor guy pawns on some infomercial long after everyone's gone to sleep and way past the time that anyone actually cares. Now those were bugs. They were mean suckers too. Afraid of no man and just as soon bite you as look at you.
I remember New Year's Eve back at the house on the beach in the P.I. There's me and my cousins, standing in the dust, watching as M80's blow through a tin can. The air smells like smoke and sweat and the sulfur smell of firecrackers that tickles the nose and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. And above the cracks of fireworks, above the drunken laughter that would soon make way to tearful confessions as old friends reminisce of far younger days, you hear the steady hum of bugs. Like miniature helicopters.
I tell her to calm down as best I can, all nice-like. She ain't never seen bugs. No like I've sen them. I tell her to sit at another station and she hesitates. You can see the gears turning. She's not even awake enough to really think this through. She finally walks aways and I get a slice of quiet.
*RING* It's only 5 in the AM and already I've got to take this call. It's a live one. You can hear it in the rep's voice. Only 5 in the AM. It's too early for this.
She comes over, shaking like she's on the losing end of a crack withdrawal, her eyes bleary from lack of sleep but jammed open wide with fear. "Bugs!" she yells again, this time her voice as shaky as she is. It's only 5:02. Too damned early.
Too damned hot too. The lady with the voice like cotton candy said it was already 92 degrees. At 5 in the damned morning. I think back to mornings in Santa Cruz, down at Natural Bridges, the cold of the sand as it rubbed between my toes. It was cool then. A damned sight cooler than 92 degrees at 5 in the AM.
Bugs. She's never even seen bugs. Not like I've seen them. Roaches as big as small birds. And flying too. The flap of their wings like the sound of a miniature radio helicopter, like the kind some poor guy pawns on some infomercial long after everyone's gone to sleep and way past the time that anyone actually cares. Now those were bugs. They were mean suckers too. Afraid of no man and just as soon bite you as look at you.
I remember New Year's Eve back at the house on the beach in the P.I. There's me and my cousins, standing in the dust, watching as M80's blow through a tin can. The air smells like smoke and sweat and the sulfur smell of firecrackers that tickles the nose and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. And above the cracks of fireworks, above the drunken laughter that would soon make way to tearful confessions as old friends reminisce of far younger days, you hear the steady hum of bugs. Like miniature helicopters.
I tell her to calm down as best I can, all nice-like. She ain't never seen bugs. No like I've sen them. I tell her to sit at another station and she hesitates. You can see the gears turning. She's not even awake enough to really think this through. She finally walks aways and I get a slice of quiet.
*RING* It's only 5 in the AM and already I've got to take this call. It's a live one. You can hear it in the rep's voice. Only 5 in the AM. It's too early for this.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Movie Review Round-Up
It's been a disappointing year so far in Cinemaland. I don't know if it's just that I've gotten older but year after year I find myself less excited for the new batch of film releases. That's not to say that the movies are necessarily getting worse (that argument opens a really big can of worms that I may get into in the future) as I find good and bad movies every year. It's just that I haven't really been blown away by a trailer or gotten caught up in any one movie's hype machine. In any case, here is a rundown of the high profile films I've seen so far in 2010.
Alice in Wonderland
I have to admit that I was tentative about this film. I have a strange relationship with Tim Burton. I like most of his movies but I find him to usually favor style over substance a little too much. And most times, I find his style a little too over-the-top and distracting. Plus, I still haven't forgiven him for Batman Returns (Batfans, don't bother getting your panties in a bunch. I like the movie for what it is, a Tim Burton movie and not as a Batman film). So it was with much trepidation that I approached his reimagining of Alice in Wonderland.
Burton has been at the top of my list for directors to tackle a remake of The Wizard of Oz if it were ever to be made. I felt that his weirdly gothic style would be an interesting fit for Oz. That and I think he's at his best when handling fairy tales. I also really wanted to see him tackle the flying monkeys. So I find it out that I never considered him for Alice in Wonderland. Having now seen the film, I don't even know why I was tentative. His style probably fits Wonderland more than Oz, with the wonderfully bizarre creatures and people populating the world.
Overall, I liked the movie. I thought it was a good "sequel/reimagining". Johnny Depp was typically bizarre as the Mad Hatter but the movie was stolen by Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen. It's hard to steal a movie from the likes of Johnny Depp AND bizarro nutzoid Crispin Glover but she succeeds in every scene they are in together. My main complaint with the film is Mia Wasikowska. I find her performance fairly flat and overly understated. I understand that this may have been intentional to balance out the hijinx of the previously mentioned actors but it didn't work for me.
Clash of the Titans
This was a movie I actually was excited to see. I had read about a year ago that Lawrence Kasdan (one of my favorite screenwriters) was handling the script. My excitement was cooled a couple weeks before release when I found out that Kasdan was replaced by the dude that wrote Aeon Flux. Major disappointment. Although the visuals were good, none of the movie made any sense. they decide to make Perseus a tough hero who hates the Gods but then has him turn on a dime for no real good reason. He literally receives gifts "out of nowhere". They introduce characters that go nowhere and serve no real purpose. I just don't understand how they could go from a writer like Kasdan (who wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark and co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back) and go with the Aeon Flux guy. This movie could have been something really great but missed the mark by an incredibly wide margin.
Iron Man 2
Even though I really liked the first Iron Man, one of my favorite films from the summer 2008, I wasn't really that hyped for this movie. I think it was because the first image I saw associated with it was of Mickey Rourke in full Whiplash regalia on the racetrack and I thought it looked terrible. Surprisingly, his character and look in the finished film didn't really bother me. I thought it fit well in the established universe. I also thought that Robert Downey Jr turned in another good performance has Tony Stark, with equally good turns by Gwyneth Paltrow and Sam Rockwell.
My major problems were with Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. Don Cheadle just seemed to be sleepwalking in the role, with none of the bluster or fire that I've come to expect from him. I'm not saying that Terence Howard was necessarily better but I found Cheadle's performance flat in this movie which is disappointing because he is capable of so much more (and honestly I was expecting more because I love his work in other films). Although Scarlett Johansson certainly looked good in the leather catsuit as Black Widow, she felt oddly out of place in the movie. Maybe it's because I was expecting her to actually BE RUSSIAN which is a major part of her character and I thought would tie in especially well since Rourke's character was also Russian. But alas, it was not meant to be and I wasn't impressed. Last is Sam Jackson who is the perfect physical embodiment of Nick Fury from The Ultimate line of Marvel comics. So why does he now just play a parody of himself? At no point did I ever feel like he was Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. He just seemed like Sam Jackson saying lines as Sam Jackson would. For a perfect example of this, check out the scene with Tony Stark in the donut shop. Terrible.
Also, enough with the Iron Mav vs. other "Iron Men" thing. I'm ready to move on. Please have the Mandarin next.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of TIme
This was a movie I was teetering on whether to see it or not. I loved The Sands of Time as a video game. It had memorable characters, frustratingly smart puzzles, and an excellent action and control system. Overall, I thought the movie was good. It was an entertaining way to spend 2 hours. Sure the plot was hokey but at least it made sense. No one's performance really stuck out as particularly bad with almost everyone putting in a good effort. The action (particularly the Parkour stuff) was really well done as was the cinematography. I thought that the banter between Dastan and Tamina was well-written, though tthe chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton could have used some work. It was definitely a light-hearted and breezy affair, the kind of movie that is perfect for pure escapism.
The A-Team
I can't say enough how much I liked this movie. To me, it's the sleeper of the summer. I went in with very low expectations and was really impressed by the performances, the story, the characters, and the action. I have some familiarity with the show, enough to remember the personalities of the characters and I thought that this movie really embraced them. Murdock was just the right amount of looney tunes, with Face quite the narcissist. I loved Hannibal Smith's commitment to his men and his country, something that I thought would feel really out-of-place in today's cynical world but was embodied perfectly by Liam Neeson. The only sour point would be "Rampage" Jackson as BA Baracus. Unfortunately, the dude had some big gold-plated shoes to fill and he just doesn't have the same charisma or bravado as Mr. T. He plays his part well enough but you feel that he is completely out of his league with the actors around him.
Paramount needs to take some notes from Carnahan and company on how to approach Mission Impossible. I say reboot the whole thing and fire Tom Cruise. Do an actual remake that features Jim Phelps, Rollin Hand, Cinnamon Carter, etc. But now that Neeson is playing Smith, who could play essentially the same type of role with Phelps?
Toy Story 3
I am not ashamed to say that this movie made me cry. Twice when I saw it the first time and once more on the second viewing. Toy Story was a fun movie, introducing the world to the first fully CG full length feature film. It was a really good buddy movie that was funny and sentimental in all the right places. Toy Story 2 improved on this by really focusing on the concept of forgotten toys and the obsessive nature of collectors. The flashback in part 2 that shows Jessie's owner Emily finally moving on, set to the Randy Newman penned, Sarah McLachlan sung tune "When She Loved Me" was heartbreaking, really making you feel the sadness and the longing of a toy abandoned by her owner. I remember seeing this scene in the theater and was amazed at how effective the combination of music and animation was and how moved by it I was (I had choked back a few tears). None of this could prepare me for Toy Story 3.
While the pacing of the film wasn't as tight as its prequels, it more than made up for it by expanding the roles of the other toys. There is a "jailbreak" scene that occurs in which all the toys must play a part, akin to the roles in Ocean's Eleven. This all leads up to a very emotional conclusion as the toys must face the fact that Andy has grown up and is moving on to college. Again, I was surprised by how moved I was by this film. The animation was incredible (the detailed fur on Lottsa Huggs bear in particular), the performances were pitch perfect, and the music was top notch. But really, it just came down to Pixar's uncanny ability to pull at the heartstrings in a very honest, natural way. And again, they really made you feel the moment from a toy's perspective.
Eclipse
I've already written a full review of Eclipse that you can read below. Overall, I liked it. It was the best film out of the "saga" so far. The action and direction really knocked it out of the park in this one. Now if they could just work on the wigs.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Eclipse Review
I find it... odd...that the first review I'm doing for my new blog happens to be about Eclipse, the new entry in the Twilight "saga". See what I did there? It's in quotes. Because I hardly think that it counts as a saga. Star Wars? A saga. The Arthurian legends? A saga. Twilight? Teen angst at its worst. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.
I am absolutely certain of 3 things. One, Twilight is not a Saga (dammit, there I go again). Two, there is a part of me that is inexplicably drawn to these movies (and not even in a rubber-necking at a crash site sort of way), and three, I have not, nor do I ever intend to, read the books these flicks are based on.
So pretty much, in a roundabout way, I'm telling you that I'm probably one of the best people to give you a critique on the films based on the merit of the films alone. Some people will scoff at that and say that I am not getting the full experience of Twilight. In response I digitally spit on your face. It is my firm belief that any adaptation needs to be able to stand on its own, its creators taking advantage of all facets of the new media and imbuing it with its own distinct sense of identity. If I wanted to read the books, I would read the books. If I want to see a movie based on a book, I want to see a movie and not some weird mutant creature that can't decide if it wants to be a book or a movie. So let's get on with it shall we?
As a general rule, I try not to post any spoilers. Considering that this is the third film in a series, I cannot help but possibly spoil incidents in the first two movies. If you cannot handle that for some ungodly reason, then please click elsewhere. Possibly to www.levelupfilms.com. I hear they do great work there.
The Summary
Eclipse picks up where New Moon left off. Edward and Bella are reunited and Jacob is kind of left to the side. Bella still wants to become a vampire and Edward is all torn up about the morality of it all. "Should I or shouldn't I take her soul?" The lame love triangle set up in the last film continues here with Bella and Edward flaunting their obsessive infatuation with each other and Jacob trying his best to mark his territory on Bella's heart. Meanwhile, mysterious killings are happening in Seattle, a mere hop, skip, and a giant leap away from Forks. True to the clueless idiot she is, Bella, of course, cannot put two and two together to see who is behind the killings. I mean, it's not like mysterious killings didn't just happen TWO FREAKING MOVIES AGO.
In any case, the killings are actually the first stage in a developing War Machine. Hitler started with Austria. Twilight has new vampires. The point of this War Machine? To kill Bella Swan. Why? Well...because revenge is a dish served cold. Cold as ice. 'Cause vampires are dead and don't generate body heat. Whatever.
Quick Aside
At this point you might be getting the impression that I don't like Bella Swan. You would be correct. She's a terrible protagonist. She is weak. She isn't particularly smart. She's completely reactive. And she's nothing more than an object to two boys. Basically, she is the stereotype that women have been trying to destroy for the better half of the last century. I guarantee you that if a man had written the Twilight books, he would have been raked across the coals for writing such a pathetic character. But anyway...
The movie culminates in a giant showdown in a meadow somewhere. The vampires and wolves join forces, facing the common enemy. Bella is protected and finally makes her choice, which wasn't really much of a choice since she ALREADY BLURTS IT OUT IN THE FIRST FEW LINES OF THE FIRST MOVIE.
The Good
1. The Direction - David Slade knows how to make a movie. The cinematography and pacing were all top notch. I've heard complaints that it was a little slow for some people but I liked it. It gave the movie room to breathe which lent more gravitas (if I can even apply that word to this movie) to the drama and the action.
2. Improved CGI - the wolves looked much better this time around as did the transformations. It looked much more natural and didn't stick out as they did in the first two films.
3. Less focus on Bella - after her incessant whining in New Moon, it was very refreshing to get to know a lot of the other characters, such as Jasper and Rosalie, in this film. I also appreciated the scenes between Edward and Jacob, particularly the one in the tent. There was something very honest in that moment and just good character work overall.
4. The Action - the battle scene in the meadow was fantastic. It was really visceral and choreographed well. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat with a big smile plastered on my mug through the whole scene.
The Bad
1. Taylor Lautner sucks at acting - Well, maybe he doesn't suck, but he's not well suited to the part. I don't know how Jacob is written in the books but from what I see, I think he should be the polar opposite of Edward. Where Edward is kind of withdrawn and distant, I picture Jacob as being very passionate, almost impulsive. I hate to say it, but I feel like we should get the feeling that there's this beast inside him that is always threatening to get out. Lautner is far too soft-spoken for Jacob. When he's telling Bella that he knows she has feelings for him, I just don't believe it. Which is too bad since I think the tension between the fire of Jacob and the coldness of Edward would play off well.
2. Bad wigs - It's not like Twilight is known for good hair but Bella's wig in the movie was almost as bad as Jacob's in New Moon. My wife brought up a good point after the movie. Slade used a lot of close-ups in the movie which wasn't done in the others. I actually appreciated that because it made it feel more intimate. Courtney felt it was too claustrophobic. I think that it's because of this that the crappiness of the wigs are all the more visible. The camera is even closer than normal so you see the flaws.
Another Aside
My friend Casper did a v-log about the idiocy of casting brunettes as blondes and vice versa. I kind of wonder if that was intentional to give the characters a more...otherworldly quality to them. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it.
The Bad - con't
3. The Music - I didn't find the soundtrack of this movie to be a strong as the first film. Or at least it isn't as immediately memorable.
4. The Writing - I can't speak for Stephanie Meyer and her novels, but all the movies are filled with a list of "things not to do" in storytelling with the biggest offender being that the writers spend too much time telling things instead of showing it. Too often people wear their hearts on their sleeves and say exactly what they are thinking and doing, instead of playing in subtext and showing action. Which leads me to...
5. The Love Story - I guess this is kind of unfair that I'm putting this because this really applies to all three movies but I just don't buy the love story. Which is kind of sad because the whole "saga" hinges on this love story. The problem is that Bella always says she's in love with Edward but I don't really see it. I don't see it in her actions (if anything she seems selfish and self-absorbed) nor do I see it in any chemistry with Edward. No. I don't see love there. I see obsession. I see infatuation. I see co-dependency. But I don't see love. I mean, how good can there love be when Stephanie Meyer has to resort to the character having to tell you in the first few lines of the first book that she's in love with Edward rather than showing it develop?
In Conclusion
Believe it or not, this was my favorite of the Twilight movies. Despite my litany of "bad" things, I still enjoyed the hell out of the movie. This was the first of the flicks that I thought felt like an honest-to-God movie. It didn't feel like some feeble attempt at cramming events from the book to appease fans. The other films felt disjointed, like someone had gone through and picked all their favorite scenes from each book and just loosely tied them together. In this one, it felt organic and focused. I still have major problems with the love story and Bella, but I feel that Slade did a good job of trying to add as much subtlety as the material would allow. Again, the scene in the tent between Jacob and Edward was an excellent example. It bristled with tension and oneupmanship. But it also had a healthy dose of compassion and understanding. Now if only they didn't spend the entire scene saying everything they were thinking and feeling, and the scene would have gone from a 7 to a 10. Overall, not the worst film I've ever seen, and certainly not the best one I've seen this summer. But I was entertained for two and a half hours and I feel like I got my matinée money's worth.
I am absolutely certain of 3 things. One, Twilight is not a Saga (dammit, there I go again). Two, there is a part of me that is inexplicably drawn to these movies (and not even in a rubber-necking at a crash site sort of way), and three, I have not, nor do I ever intend to, read the books these flicks are based on.
So pretty much, in a roundabout way, I'm telling you that I'm probably one of the best people to give you a critique on the films based on the merit of the films alone. Some people will scoff at that and say that I am not getting the full experience of Twilight. In response I digitally spit on your face. It is my firm belief that any adaptation needs to be able to stand on its own, its creators taking advantage of all facets of the new media and imbuing it with its own distinct sense of identity. If I wanted to read the books, I would read the books. If I want to see a movie based on a book, I want to see a movie and not some weird mutant creature that can't decide if it wants to be a book or a movie. So let's get on with it shall we?
As a general rule, I try not to post any spoilers. Considering that this is the third film in a series, I cannot help but possibly spoil incidents in the first two movies. If you cannot handle that for some ungodly reason, then please click elsewhere. Possibly to www.levelupfilms.com. I hear they do great work there.
The Summary
Eclipse picks up where New Moon left off. Edward and Bella are reunited and Jacob is kind of left to the side. Bella still wants to become a vampire and Edward is all torn up about the morality of it all. "Should I or shouldn't I take her soul?" The lame love triangle set up in the last film continues here with Bella and Edward flaunting their obsessive infatuation with each other and Jacob trying his best to mark his territory on Bella's heart. Meanwhile, mysterious killings are happening in Seattle, a mere hop, skip, and a giant leap away from Forks. True to the clueless idiot she is, Bella, of course, cannot put two and two together to see who is behind the killings. I mean, it's not like mysterious killings didn't just happen TWO FREAKING MOVIES AGO.
In any case, the killings are actually the first stage in a developing War Machine. Hitler started with Austria. Twilight has new vampires. The point of this War Machine? To kill Bella Swan. Why? Well...because revenge is a dish served cold. Cold as ice. 'Cause vampires are dead and don't generate body heat. Whatever.
Quick Aside
At this point you might be getting the impression that I don't like Bella Swan. You would be correct. She's a terrible protagonist. She is weak. She isn't particularly smart. She's completely reactive. And she's nothing more than an object to two boys. Basically, she is the stereotype that women have been trying to destroy for the better half of the last century. I guarantee you that if a man had written the Twilight books, he would have been raked across the coals for writing such a pathetic character. But anyway...
The movie culminates in a giant showdown in a meadow somewhere. The vampires and wolves join forces, facing the common enemy. Bella is protected and finally makes her choice, which wasn't really much of a choice since she ALREADY BLURTS IT OUT IN THE FIRST FEW LINES OF THE FIRST MOVIE.
The Good
1. The Direction - David Slade knows how to make a movie. The cinematography and pacing were all top notch. I've heard complaints that it was a little slow for some people but I liked it. It gave the movie room to breathe which lent more gravitas (if I can even apply that word to this movie) to the drama and the action.
2. Improved CGI - the wolves looked much better this time around as did the transformations. It looked much more natural and didn't stick out as they did in the first two films.
3. Less focus on Bella - after her incessant whining in New Moon, it was very refreshing to get to know a lot of the other characters, such as Jasper and Rosalie, in this film. I also appreciated the scenes between Edward and Jacob, particularly the one in the tent. There was something very honest in that moment and just good character work overall.
4. The Action - the battle scene in the meadow was fantastic. It was really visceral and choreographed well. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat with a big smile plastered on my mug through the whole scene.
The Bad
1. Taylor Lautner sucks at acting - Well, maybe he doesn't suck, but he's not well suited to the part. I don't know how Jacob is written in the books but from what I see, I think he should be the polar opposite of Edward. Where Edward is kind of withdrawn and distant, I picture Jacob as being very passionate, almost impulsive. I hate to say it, but I feel like we should get the feeling that there's this beast inside him that is always threatening to get out. Lautner is far too soft-spoken for Jacob. When he's telling Bella that he knows she has feelings for him, I just don't believe it. Which is too bad since I think the tension between the fire of Jacob and the coldness of Edward would play off well.
2. Bad wigs - It's not like Twilight is known for good hair but Bella's wig in the movie was almost as bad as Jacob's in New Moon. My wife brought up a good point after the movie. Slade used a lot of close-ups in the movie which wasn't done in the others. I actually appreciated that because it made it feel more intimate. Courtney felt it was too claustrophobic. I think that it's because of this that the crappiness of the wigs are all the more visible. The camera is even closer than normal so you see the flaws.
Another Aside
My friend Casper did a v-log about the idiocy of casting brunettes as blondes and vice versa. I kind of wonder if that was intentional to give the characters a more...otherworldly quality to them. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it.
The Bad - con't
3. The Music - I didn't find the soundtrack of this movie to be a strong as the first film. Or at least it isn't as immediately memorable.
4. The Writing - I can't speak for Stephanie Meyer and her novels, but all the movies are filled with a list of "things not to do" in storytelling with the biggest offender being that the writers spend too much time telling things instead of showing it. Too often people wear their hearts on their sleeves and say exactly what they are thinking and doing, instead of playing in subtext and showing action. Which leads me to...
5. The Love Story - I guess this is kind of unfair that I'm putting this because this really applies to all three movies but I just don't buy the love story. Which is kind of sad because the whole "saga" hinges on this love story. The problem is that Bella always says she's in love with Edward but I don't really see it. I don't see it in her actions (if anything she seems selfish and self-absorbed) nor do I see it in any chemistry with Edward. No. I don't see love there. I see obsession. I see infatuation. I see co-dependency. But I don't see love. I mean, how good can there love be when Stephanie Meyer has to resort to the character having to tell you in the first few lines of the first book that she's in love with Edward rather than showing it develop?
In Conclusion
Believe it or not, this was my favorite of the Twilight movies. Despite my litany of "bad" things, I still enjoyed the hell out of the movie. This was the first of the flicks that I thought felt like an honest-to-God movie. It didn't feel like some feeble attempt at cramming events from the book to appease fans. The other films felt disjointed, like someone had gone through and picked all their favorite scenes from each book and just loosely tied them together. In this one, it felt organic and focused. I still have major problems with the love story and Bella, but I feel that Slade did a good job of trying to add as much subtlety as the material would allow. Again, the scene in the tent between Jacob and Edward was an excellent example. It bristled with tension and oneupmanship. But it also had a healthy dose of compassion and understanding. Now if only they didn't spend the entire scene saying everything they were thinking and feeling, and the scene would have gone from a 7 to a 10. Overall, not the worst film I've ever seen, and certainly not the best one I've seen this summer. But I was entertained for two and a half hours and I feel like I got my matinée money's worth.
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