Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Zoë Kravitz, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: J.K. Rowling
Warner Bros., 2018
PG-13; 134 minutes
3 stars (out of 5)
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Well, I liked it more than the first one. But... There are still a lot of problems here. At least for me.
This film picks up six months after the last one ended. Grindelwald escapes during his extradition from New York's Ministry of Magic to London's. Three months after that, we discover Newt has been confined to the UK, his... travel pass or whatever the Ministry of Magic gives out... revoked. He's given the chance to travel again if he'll join his brother Theseus, the auror, in his work to find Grindelwald. Newt says no.
But then Dumbledore asks Newt to go to Paris to search for Grindelwald anyway. Um... I dunno. All the motivations in this film crisscross into knots. People want to find Grindelwald, they want to find Credence (remember him?), they want to find their girlfriends and sisters and... 🙄 There are a lot of unnecessary flashbacks and subplots, a lot of hitting the audience over the head with information, and not a lot of actual tension. Plus the action scenes are so heavily edited that one can't follow them; you just sort of sit and wait for them to play out. Very little sense of wonder here, or amazement at what we're seeing. And the big reveal can be spotted miles away—and contains some revisionist history so heavy handed that I just couldn't swallow it.
All this and yet, as I mentioned, I did actually like it more than the first one. Which isn't saying a ton, since I found the first one pretty meh. This one is meh, too, in other ways, and a bit irritating (again, with that revisionist history), but the story overall was more interesting. Though it had almost nothing at all to do with "The Crimes of Grindelwald."
And if you were one of those people who anticipated that Jude Law would only be on screen for about ten minutes... You were right. Pick up your prize at the door.
What did I like, then? Leta LeStrange. I think her story would be fascinating. And I like Theseus Scamander, too (what little I've seen of him). I think younger Dumbledore is cool and wouldn't mind more of that, either. Even Nagini's story might be interesting to read or watch.
But. Newt + Tina does nothing for me. Jacob + Queenie does nothing for me either. ::shrug:: I'm not sold on either of those relationships or plot lines. Not feeling the chemistry there.
So. I know I'll be in the minority. But I'm no huge Harry Potter fan to begin with; I only ever thought the series was okay. So this movie isn't aimed at me, and my lukewarm feelings toward it won't douse the fire of all the fans who are sure to love it.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
11.13.2018
Vote for Faebourne!
10.17.2018
Television: Doctor Who, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"
I really agonized over whether to suck it up and watch the remaining Capaldi episodes or just pick up with this one. In the end, I wasn't interested enough to finish out Capaldi's season. I couldn't muster the enthusiasm, or even the basic sluggish energy, to pull it up on my DVR (where it has been sitting... and sitting... and sitting...) But people kept asking me what I thought of Whittaker as the Doctor, so I decided to fire this one up and dive in fresh.
Long story short, I don't have the Capaldi backstory, though based on this it hardly seems necessary?
In the interest of playing fairly, let me acknowledge that I'm one of the people who find Moffat to be a terrible show runner. And I really like Chris Chibnall's work. Well, I adored Broadchurch anyway. And Torchwood. So I was primed to really like this, too, because (a) sweet release from the Moffat era, and (b) Chibnall has shown to be competent and compelling in his work.
So, yeah, as expected, I really liked it.
Spoilers Ahead, Sweeties
Not just Whittaker's Doctor, but the entire supporting cast. And even though we'd only just met Grace, I felt the impact of losing her because she'd already left such an impression. This is what Chibnall does so well—characterization. And really good, tight stories.
What was this story about? Well, Ryan Sinclair is... I don't know how old he's supposed to be, actually, but seems like 20s? And he lives with his nan Grace and her second husband Graham. When Ryan discovers something strange, he phones in to the police, and they send Yasmin, who just happens to be someone Ryan went to school with way back when. Meanwhile, an alien attacks the train Grace and Graham are on, and the Doctor shows up, and things pretty much go from there at a fair clip.
Whittaker's Doctor is a tad manic, but many of them have been to some extent. And sometimes they start off that way after regeneration and then calm down a bit. We'll see what happens, but I don't mind this take on the character. It's fun. And she has a depth of compassion that we haven't seen in recent Doctors.
Mostly I'm just glad to be excited about Doctor Who again. To be enjoying it again because I honestly haven't liked it in years. It became more of a chore than something to look forward to, which is why I eventually quit watching at all.
Now I'm back, fresh, and it seems like I needn't worry too much about what I missed, which is good. It will allow new viewers to catch on, too, so that's a smart move. Looking forward to seeing more.
Long story short, I don't have the Capaldi backstory, though based on this it hardly seems necessary?
In the interest of playing fairly, let me acknowledge that I'm one of the people who find Moffat to be a terrible show runner. And I really like Chris Chibnall's work. Well, I adored Broadchurch anyway. And Torchwood. So I was primed to really like this, too, because (a) sweet release from the Moffat era, and (b) Chibnall has shown to be competent and compelling in his work.
So, yeah, as expected, I really liked it.
Spoilers Ahead, Sweeties
Not just Whittaker's Doctor, but the entire supporting cast. And even though we'd only just met Grace, I felt the impact of losing her because she'd already left such an impression. This is what Chibnall does so well—characterization. And really good, tight stories.
What was this story about? Well, Ryan Sinclair is... I don't know how old he's supposed to be, actually, but seems like 20s? And he lives with his nan Grace and her second husband Graham. When Ryan discovers something strange, he phones in to the police, and they send Yasmin, who just happens to be someone Ryan went to school with way back when. Meanwhile, an alien attacks the train Grace and Graham are on, and the Doctor shows up, and things pretty much go from there at a fair clip.
Whittaker's Doctor is a tad manic, but many of them have been to some extent. And sometimes they start off that way after regeneration and then calm down a bit. We'll see what happens, but I don't mind this take on the character. It's fun. And she has a depth of compassion that we haven't seen in recent Doctors.
Mostly I'm just glad to be excited about Doctor Who again. To be enjoying it again because I honestly haven't liked it in years. It became more of a chore than something to look forward to, which is why I eventually quit watching at all.
Now I'm back, fresh, and it seems like I needn't worry too much about what I missed, which is good. It will allow new viewers to catch on, too, so that's a smart move. Looking forward to seeing more.
10.14.2018
Books: Faebourne
Those who enjoyed Brynnde will, I hope, enjoy this book as well. However, this one is less typical of the Regency romance genre. I call it a "Regency fairy tale" because there are fantasy elements to the story. Also, more conservative readers should know there is a homosexual relationship in this book. If that makes you uncomfortable, you might want to skip this one.
Blurb:
Duncan Oliver was in every respect an unremarkable gentleman.
When mild-mannered Duncan Oliver is abducted by the Milne brothers and taken to their legendary home of Faebourne, his unexciting life becomes much more interesting. Adelia Milne has been cursed, and Duncan is her chosen champion to break the spell. Duncan may not be a hero, but he is a gentleman, and he refuses to leave a lady in distress. He becomes determined to take on the quest on Miss Milne's behalf.
Meanwhile, an unlikely rescue team forms in the pairing of Duncan's best friend George and valet Davies. As they set out for Faebourne—and also perchance to learn more about Davies' obscured family history—what begins as an unequal partnership quickly blooms into friendship... and possibly something more.
7.17.2018
Books: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
I'm so sad now because I know anything I try to read next will pale in comparison to this series. It's been a long time since I've felt so impacted by a book, much less a series of them. And while I still think the first book is the best in the series, it's easy to speculate that might simply be because the shock of being introduced to such wonderful characters becomes something one takes for granted the more one reads about said characters.
Still, this is my second favorite book in the series. [SPOILERS] This is because of Adam and Ronan. I adore them as a couple.
At the same time, the introduction of ever more characters who then seem to do very little was . . . I dunno. Not well planned. Between the previous book and this one, there are so many characters that had to have their stories tied up, so many that were hanging around except for one or two key scenes, that the whole thing felt cluttered. And the plot just breezed by. I still don't fully understand what Cabeswater did to revive Gansey. I mean, I think I do, but we don't see how this effects Gansey's life or changes him (and it must have, right?). We don't even find out what explanation he manages to give his family for missing the big fundraiser.
And I know these are things that the author probably felt would constitute over-explaining, but . . . I dunno. It's possible my lack of satisfaction comes from not having more. It's possible—likely, even—that I'm just being greedy.
My copy of the book included the short story "Opal," and I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to read it. Greediness won out, and I did enjoy the window on Ronan and Adam. Like Opal, I'm a voyeur, I guess. But again, that story gave the sense of there being more (the strange woman going through Ronan's computer and notebook?). Some unresolved plot lines hang in the air here.
Overall, however, I just adore this book and this series, and I'm incredibly sad now that I've read them all. On the other hand, I'm now reading them aloud to my kids, and it has been fun reliving the stories and characters and seeing my kids (and husband, who listens in) fall in love with them too.
Still, this is my second favorite book in the series. [SPOILERS] This is because of Adam and Ronan. I adore them as a couple.
At the same time, the introduction of ever more characters who then seem to do very little was . . . I dunno. Not well planned. Between the previous book and this one, there are so many characters that had to have their stories tied up, so many that were hanging around except for one or two key scenes, that the whole thing felt cluttered. And the plot just breezed by. I still don't fully understand what Cabeswater did to revive Gansey. I mean, I think I do, but we don't see how this effects Gansey's life or changes him (and it must have, right?). We don't even find out what explanation he manages to give his family for missing the big fundraiser.
And I know these are things that the author probably felt would constitute over-explaining, but . . . I dunno. It's possible my lack of satisfaction comes from not having more. It's possible—likely, even—that I'm just being greedy.
My copy of the book included the short story "Opal," and I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to read it. Greediness won out, and I did enjoy the window on Ronan and Adam. Like Opal, I'm a voyeur, I guess. But again, that story gave the sense of there being more (the strange woman going through Ronan's computer and notebook?). Some unresolved plot lines hang in the air here.
Overall, however, I just adore this book and this series, and I'm incredibly sad now that I've read them all. On the other hand, I'm now reading them aloud to my kids, and it has been fun reliving the stories and characters and seeing my kids (and husband, who listens in) fall in love with them too.
7.15.2018
Books: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
This one felt a little jumbled, tbh. Like there were a lot of good ideas but the author didn't have time to fully flesh things out. So the book went from plot point to plot point very quickly and didn't delve into characters as much as past books. Or was selective about which characters it examined, almost like playing favorites.
I read this one in three days, so you know it was good. But I still walked away a tad unsatisfied. I wanted more. I'm hoping the last book will give me that something more.
At the same time, this book gave me more in ways I didn't like, namely in a character that is introduced that is irritating and seemingly has no purpose. (I won't spoil things by naming who this is, but those who've read the book are welcome to guess in the comments.)
This all sounds very critical, but I think it's the old problem of having written an amazing first book in a series and then trying to sustain that level of awesomeness. It's difficult, if not nigh impossible, to do. So BLLB is a really good book, better than many others out there. But compared to its own predecessors, it feels a bit rushed and isn't (imho) quite as stellar. Still loved it, just not as much.
I read this one in three days, so you know it was good. But I still walked away a tad unsatisfied. I wanted more. I'm hoping the last book will give me that something more.
At the same time, this book gave me more in ways I didn't like, namely in a character that is introduced that is irritating and seemingly has no purpose. (I won't spoil things by naming who this is, but those who've read the book are welcome to guess in the comments.)
This all sounds very critical, but I think it's the old problem of having written an amazing first book in a series and then trying to sustain that level of awesomeness. It's difficult, if not nigh impossible, to do. So BLLB is a really good book, better than many others out there. But compared to its own predecessors, it feels a bit rushed and isn't (imho) quite as stellar. Still loved it, just not as much.
7.14.2018
Movies: The Endless
I honestly can't decide what I think of this movie.
Mostly I liked it?
Partly I'm not 100% sure what was going on.
Well, no, I think I know what was going on . . .
This is an indie sci-fi/horror film that claims to be "Lovecraftian," which I guess it is. I don't really enjoy Lovecraft, so I wasn't sure I wanted to see this movie. But the trailer intrigued me, and reviews said it was really good, so I decided to give it a go.
Two brothers named Justin and Aaron (because the writers/directors are Justin and Aaron and they also play the main characters, so why learn a whole new name, I guess) grew up in a weird kind of cult. Some ten years before, however, Justin took Aaron away from said cult. When they receive a video message in the mail from the cult, Aaron begs Justin to just go back for a quick visit. He doesn't remember much, you see, and he wants to go . . . I dunno. See if he can remember more? See what's going on with this group?
Justin insists the group is sort of like Heaven's Gate—namely, preparing for mass suicide. But he finally relents and agrees to drive out to "The Camp."
Incidentally, the cult brews and sells beer as their way of financing its members' livelihoods.
Uh . . . So then Aaron starts to feel welcomed and at home in this cult while Justin continues to feel on edge. And there are three moons, and it turns out that people can't leave certain "loops," which are circular areas of physical land (which makes me wonder how they sell their beer if they can't leave The Camp, or how Justin and Aaron managed to leave the cult in the first place). So after a series of strange events and weird characters, the movie becomes about Justin and Aaron needing to get out of there before the third moon is full and they're stuck there forever.
Oh, and there's a big, unseen monster that kills everyone at the end of each loop. Or something.
The Endless is well paced so as not to drag at any point. It's just weird enough to be engaging, and there are some truly tense moments. Also, I appreciate that they didn't make it very gory. At the same time, however, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed it. But I don't know why I have that feeling. I can't put my finger on what causes that slight disconnect.
Still, overall I would recommend it. Because I think most people would enjoy it (if they like this kind of thing), and I suspect whatever impediment stands between me and The Endless is personal and not something from which others would suffer.
Mostly I liked it?
Partly I'm not 100% sure what was going on.
Well, no, I think I know what was going on . . .
This is an indie sci-fi/horror film that claims to be "Lovecraftian," which I guess it is. I don't really enjoy Lovecraft, so I wasn't sure I wanted to see this movie. But the trailer intrigued me, and reviews said it was really good, so I decided to give it a go.
Two brothers named Justin and Aaron (because the writers/directors are Justin and Aaron and they also play the main characters, so why learn a whole new name, I guess) grew up in a weird kind of cult. Some ten years before, however, Justin took Aaron away from said cult. When they receive a video message in the mail from the cult, Aaron begs Justin to just go back for a quick visit. He doesn't remember much, you see, and he wants to go . . . I dunno. See if he can remember more? See what's going on with this group?
Justin insists the group is sort of like Heaven's Gate—namely, preparing for mass suicide. But he finally relents and agrees to drive out to "The Camp."
Incidentally, the cult brews and sells beer as their way of financing its members' livelihoods.
Uh . . . So then Aaron starts to feel welcomed and at home in this cult while Justin continues to feel on edge. And there are three moons, and it turns out that people can't leave certain "loops," which are circular areas of physical land (which makes me wonder how they sell their beer if they can't leave The Camp, or how Justin and Aaron managed to leave the cult in the first place). So after a series of strange events and weird characters, the movie becomes about Justin and Aaron needing to get out of there before the third moon is full and they're stuck there forever.
Oh, and there's a big, unseen monster that kills everyone at the end of each loop. Or something.
The Endless is well paced so as not to drag at any point. It's just weird enough to be engaging, and there are some truly tense moments. Also, I appreciate that they didn't make it very gory. At the same time, however, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed it. But I don't know why I have that feeling. I can't put my finger on what causes that slight disconnect.
Still, overall I would recommend it. Because I think most people would enjoy it (if they like this kind of thing), and I suspect whatever impediment stands between me and The Endless is personal and not something from which others would suffer.
7.09.2018
Books: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
This is the second in the Raven Cycle series. I liked it, but not as much as I did The Raven Boys. I'm not sure why, though I could make educated guesses. For one, I do really enjoy the character of Ronan, but I think he's the type who is more interesting in smaller doses. After a while, he gets a little monotonous. I mean, he's still cool, but he doesn't have a lot of character development. At least not in this book.
Adam has a somewhat interesting arc here, but I wanted a little more. It still felt like skimming the surface with him while we delved a bit with Ronan.
Kavinsky is an asshole with exactly one joke that he tells over and over. We get it; Ronan is [probably] gay. ::shrug:: Being beat over the head with it is not very entertaining.
And we all saw where the Gansey/Blue thing was headed. So no surprises there.
Then the whole hit man subplot . . . Sigh.
Also, this book had places that I could see needed more editing. The first one did too, but this one more so. Which makes me feel like these books were rushed into production.
All that aside, these books—the ones I've read, anyway—are still some of the best I've read in a while. It took me longer to get into TDT, but once I was about 40% in, I couldn't put it down. (For reference, I was hooked on TRB from the start.) Every series has stronger and weaker books, and so long as you don't lose your readers by being hugely inconsistent, you're good. And these books are pretty consistent. That is to say, even "weak" ones are strong relative to a lot of the market. So I'll certainly continue with the series, and I'd definitely recommend them.
Adam has a somewhat interesting arc here, but I wanted a little more. It still felt like skimming the surface with him while we delved a bit with Ronan.
Kavinsky is an asshole with exactly one joke that he tells over and over. We get it; Ronan is [probably] gay. ::shrug:: Being beat over the head with it is not very entertaining.
And we all saw where the Gansey/Blue thing was headed. So no surprises there.
Then the whole hit man subplot . . . Sigh.
Also, this book had places that I could see needed more editing. The first one did too, but this one more so. Which makes me feel like these books were rushed into production.
All that aside, these books—the ones I've read, anyway—are still some of the best I've read in a while. It took me longer to get into TDT, but once I was about 40% in, I couldn't put it down. (For reference, I was hooked on TRB from the start.) Every series has stronger and weaker books, and so long as you don't lose your readers by being hugely inconsistent, you're good. And these books are pretty consistent. That is to say, even "weak" ones are strong relative to a lot of the market. So I'll certainly continue with the series, and I'd definitely recommend them.
6.17.2018
Movies: Incredibles 2
Voices By: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner
Directed by: Brad Bird
Written by: Brad Bird
Disney/Pixar, 2018
PG; 118 minutes
4 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
Directed by: Brad Bird
Written by: Brad Bird
Disney/Pixar, 2018
PG; 118 minutes
4 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
A lot of people are loving this movie, and I agree it's pretty cute. But I wasn't as wowed as I expected to be.
I2 picks up right where the first movie left off 14 years ago. The Underminer is attacking, the Parr family must work together (along with Frozone) to neutralize the threat. It doesn't go quite to plan, and superheroes are again slapped with the blame for massive destruction despite their best efforts and intentions.
Then in steps siblings Winston and Evelyn Deavor. (It wasn't lost on me that both first names end in a sound to almost make it "endeavor"? Which feels kind of pointless, but whatever. Ha! "Whatever, Deavor.") Anyway, these two run a huge telecomm company, and they want to find a way to make superheroes legal again. Cue nostalgic back story about how their dad had loved supers and not long after superheroes were made illegal, their dad was killed in a break-in. (I also noticed the dad in the flashbacks looked a wee bit like Ed Catmull? Might've been my imagination though.)
The Deavors choose Helen/Elastigirl as the new face of superhero-dom. Which leaves Robert/Mr. Incredible home with the kids. Hilarity ensues, except not really. At least, not for me. Plenty of people around me laughed, but I was only kind of amused.
My chief problem was the way the film leaned so heavily on Jack-Jack. Sure, he's a cute gag (and in some cases a deus ex machina), but I find it funnier in smaller doses like in the first movie. Meanwhile, Violet and Dash had nearly nothing to do.
Also, the "twist" wasn't one. It was heavily telegraphed, so maybe it wasn't meant to be a surprise. I don't know.
All that said, let's talk about the subtext. One of the arguments in the movie is that people do less when superheroes are around because they expect those heroes to save them. It's a message that feels relevant right now. We all mutter about the problems in society, but we don't act because we expect others will do that for us. Which is a bit backward for a film in which we're supposed to be rooting for the supers, but maybe the flip side is that THOSE WITH POWER SHOULD USE IT TO THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY. Rather than, say, selling it to the highest bidder? Just a thought.
On the whole, I enjoyed it. Just not as much as I thought I would. But that probably would have been asking too much. The first Incredibles movie was such an unexpected delight, so different from pretty much anything else out there. Now superhero movies are a dime a dozen, and the 14-year hiatus gives us time to build [potentially unrealistic] expectations.
I2 is a good movie. It's making a ton of money, too. Not that box office has ever been a very good indicator of quality. But I can recommend this one as a fun and entertaining diversion, even if it doesn't reach the higher heights.
5.26.2018
Movies: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover
Directed by: Ron Howard (mostly)
Written by: Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan from characters created by George Lucas
Lucasfilm/Disney, 2018
PG-13; 135 minutes
3.5 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
I wasn't enthusiastic about this going in. I've never once when watching any Star Wars movie (and I watched them often in my youth, especially Empire) looked at Han Solo and said to myself, "I'd like to know his story." Because honestly, I think a character like his is fine with an undefined past. More fun that way. Someone who wanders in and out of a scene, hot-footed. You don't know where he came from or where he's going, but he's great to have around when he is around.
Also, the trailers had not inspired confidence. Alden Ehrenreich as a young Harrison Ford didn't scan. And nothing of what I saw him saying or doing felt right either.
So I went in with a list of detriments already tallied against the movie. Probably not fair, but I want to be honest.
The first part of the film confirmed my fears. Ehrenreich is too earnest to be the Han Solo we all know and love. Not that Ford's Solo didn't have an earnest streak from time to time, but that was never his foremost characteristic. Here, it is. And it doesn't work.
I know, I know—the point is to show how Solo went from earnest to jaded, right? Yeah, well they failed on that front, too. By the end of the film he still comes off as more sincere than cynical.
That said, I didn't dislike the movie as much as I expected to. Yes, the first part is a trudge, but once Woody Harrelson shows up, the story picks up steam. The supporting cast does most of the heavy lifting in this movie; they're far more interesting than the titular Solo. In particular, Paul Bettany as villain Dryden Vos is classic. But Phoebe Waller-Bridge voicing the droid L3 and Jon Favreau likewise voicing Rio are also great.
The story itself is heist upon heist and double-cross upon double-cross. Nothing you wouldn't expect when dealing with Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, really. And none of the twists surprised me. If anything, things that were clearly meant to "land" fell flat. Though there are a lot of easter eggs in this film. A lot.
End result is a so-so movie, at least for me. The first part nearly tanked it, but it got better by degrees as it went on. I guess that's all anyone can hope for: to end up better than where and how you started.
Directed by: Ron Howard (mostly)
Written by: Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan from characters created by George Lucas
Lucasfilm/Disney, 2018
PG-13; 135 minutes
3.5 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
I wasn't enthusiastic about this going in. I've never once when watching any Star Wars movie (and I watched them often in my youth, especially Empire) looked at Han Solo and said to myself, "I'd like to know his story." Because honestly, I think a character like his is fine with an undefined past. More fun that way. Someone who wanders in and out of a scene, hot-footed. You don't know where he came from or where he's going, but he's great to have around when he is around.
Also, the trailers had not inspired confidence. Alden Ehrenreich as a young Harrison Ford didn't scan. And nothing of what I saw him saying or doing felt right either.
So I went in with a list of detriments already tallied against the movie. Probably not fair, but I want to be honest.
The first part of the film confirmed my fears. Ehrenreich is too earnest to be the Han Solo we all know and love. Not that Ford's Solo didn't have an earnest streak from time to time, but that was never his foremost characteristic. Here, it is. And it doesn't work.
I know, I know—the point is to show how Solo went from earnest to jaded, right? Yeah, well they failed on that front, too. By the end of the film he still comes off as more sincere than cynical.
That said, I didn't dislike the movie as much as I expected to. Yes, the first part is a trudge, but once Woody Harrelson shows up, the story picks up steam. The supporting cast does most of the heavy lifting in this movie; they're far more interesting than the titular Solo. In particular, Paul Bettany as villain Dryden Vos is classic. But Phoebe Waller-Bridge voicing the droid L3 and Jon Favreau likewise voicing Rio are also great.
The story itself is heist upon heist and double-cross upon double-cross. Nothing you wouldn't expect when dealing with Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, really. And none of the twists surprised me. If anything, things that were clearly meant to "land" fell flat. Though there are a lot of easter eggs in this film. A lot.
End result is a so-so movie, at least for me. The first part nearly tanked it, but it got better by degrees as it went on. I guess that's all anyone can hope for: to end up better than where and how you started.
4.28.2018
Movies: Avengers: Infinity War
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and just a whole bunch of people, I mean really, was this necessary?
Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
Written by: Like, 12 Guys and Not a Single Woman, So F*** Off
Marvel, 2018
PG-13; 149 minutes
2.0 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
THE SPOILER-FREE PART
People are going to like this movie, so I know I'm swimming upstream. And it's not because I want to be "different" or "contrary." I just really didn't enjoy it.
I mean, there were a couple moments I enjoyed, and a couple times I actually laughed, but overall this felt like it was trying way too hard.
And then I heard—as we were driving to the cinema—that there's going to be another one, so this isn't even, you know, the entire story. It's just a really long movie that gets you, what? Halfway there?
Sigh.
I'm no longer impressed by all the spectacle. And I've read fan fiction that's better and more engaging than this script.
The story, which we've sort of known for a while now, is that Thanos is trying to collect the six Infinity Stones and put them in his gauntlet. His goal is to save the universe by eliminating half the population in it. Similar to culling seals or whatever, I guess, the idea being that we don't have enough resources and therefore must cut down the burdens on those resources.
The one thing I can say for the movie is that Thanos is actually an interesting villain. He has depth and feeling, so that's a nice change.
The attempts to play up emotions in the protagonists, however, fell flat. These characters no longer have personalities.
SPOILERS BELOW, SWEETIES
Yes, there are deaths. We lose people who I call JIEs: "just important enough" (without being the headliners). Anyway, there's a Time Stone, so we know that eventually all these people are coming back. That's the problem with Marvel movies; there never really are any stakes.
A villain who basically has all the power actually makes things less interesting, too. I said above that Thanos is an interesting villain, and he is interesting—as a character. But his having all this power makes every fight feel feeble and unnecessary. Oh, he can change reality? Well, then, if reality can change at whim, then there is no longer any such thing as reality, is there? Whee! Nothing matters anymore!
Such stupid decisions, too. Why try to pull the gauntlet off Thanos? Why not just destroy the Stones, or take them, or cut Thanos' arm off or something? (Do not give me a lecture about how the Stones can't be removed, or the gauntlet is impervious, or anything like that. At the very least, Thanos' arm is certainly not indestructible.)
Meanwhile, I think they were trying to have Dr. Strange and Tony Stark out-ego one another, but it just didn't scan. Why didn't Strange use the Time Stone to, I dunno, stop time or something? Do another infinite loop until they won the fight? Like, anything useful?
On the plus side, Thor kept calling Rocket a rabbit, and that was amusing. For a while. But the writers leaned into what they thought was an emotional core to this movie—namely the relationships between characters—and therefore went light on the levity, which I found sorely lacking, and somewhat forced in the places it did occur. The funny is what makes Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok some of the best movies in the series. And while this one is certainly tackling a more sober story line, they could have used more laughs, if only to break up the monotony.
That said, two dramatic moments gave me chills: Cap stepping out of the shadows in Scotland, and Thor arriving in Wakanda.
Bottom line: I was underwhelmed. Not that it matters what I think; this movie will make its money and people will be in line for the next one, too. Those same people who overeat at buffets because they insist on getting their money's worth and figure it's worth the bellyache.
Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
Written by: Like, 12 Guys and Not a Single Woman, So F*** Off
Marvel, 2018
PG-13; 149 minutes
2.0 stars (out of 5)
_______________________________________________________
THE SPOILER-FREE PART
People are going to like this movie, so I know I'm swimming upstream. And it's not because I want to be "different" or "contrary." I just really didn't enjoy it.
I mean, there were a couple moments I enjoyed, and a couple times I actually laughed, but overall this felt like it was trying way too hard.
And then I heard—as we were driving to the cinema—that there's going to be another one, so this isn't even, you know, the entire story. It's just a really long movie that gets you, what? Halfway there?
Sigh.
I'm no longer impressed by all the spectacle. And I've read fan fiction that's better and more engaging than this script.
The story, which we've sort of known for a while now, is that Thanos is trying to collect the six Infinity Stones and put them in his gauntlet. His goal is to save the universe by eliminating half the population in it. Similar to culling seals or whatever, I guess, the idea being that we don't have enough resources and therefore must cut down the burdens on those resources.
The one thing I can say for the movie is that Thanos is actually an interesting villain. He has depth and feeling, so that's a nice change.
The attempts to play up emotions in the protagonists, however, fell flat. These characters no longer have personalities.
SPOILERS BELOW, SWEETIES
Yes, there are deaths. We lose people who I call JIEs: "just important enough" (without being the headliners). Anyway, there's a Time Stone, so we know that eventually all these people are coming back. That's the problem with Marvel movies; there never really are any stakes.
A villain who basically has all the power actually makes things less interesting, too. I said above that Thanos is an interesting villain, and he is interesting—as a character. But his having all this power makes every fight feel feeble and unnecessary. Oh, he can change reality? Well, then, if reality can change at whim, then there is no longer any such thing as reality, is there? Whee! Nothing matters anymore!
Such stupid decisions, too. Why try to pull the gauntlet off Thanos? Why not just destroy the Stones, or take them, or cut Thanos' arm off or something? (Do not give me a lecture about how the Stones can't be removed, or the gauntlet is impervious, or anything like that. At the very least, Thanos' arm is certainly not indestructible.)
Meanwhile, I think they were trying to have Dr. Strange and Tony Stark out-ego one another, but it just didn't scan. Why didn't Strange use the Time Stone to, I dunno, stop time or something? Do another infinite loop until they won the fight? Like, anything useful?
On the plus side, Thor kept calling Rocket a rabbit, and that was amusing. For a while. But the writers leaned into what they thought was an emotional core to this movie—namely the relationships between characters—and therefore went light on the levity, which I found sorely lacking, and somewhat forced in the places it did occur. The funny is what makes Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok some of the best movies in the series. And while this one is certainly tackling a more sober story line, they could have used more laughs, if only to break up the monotony.
That said, two dramatic moments gave me chills: Cap stepping out of the shadows in Scotland, and Thor arriving in Wakanda.
Bottom line: I was underwhelmed. Not that it matters what I think; this movie will make its money and people will be in line for the next one, too. Those same people who overeat at buffets because they insist on getting their money's worth and figure it's worth the bellyache.
2.25.2018
M Reads High Fantasy pt. 2
Okay, okay, okay . . . More about this book I'm reading:
So that guy who went to kill that king? He did. But only after jumping on walls and ceilings and stuff. Sort of like Spider-Man?
And that was just the prologue! The book finally started some five years later, and there's a war. The general or whatever, he's really popular with his men because they never lose. Except this time, of course, they do. And the general becomes a slave.
Oh, but then there's this Tinkerbell kind of fairy thing that is annoying the general/slave guy. That's where I'm at now. He thinks he's going crazy because the fairy creatures in this world aren't supposed to be intelligent, but this one is talking to him. So that's fun.
I don't know if I'm supposed to like any of these people. So far, I don't really. I'm waiting for personalities to happen. But I'm only 40 or so pages in, and there are 1200+ pages, so . . . Yow. Hope it doesn't take that long for characters to get interesting.
Anyone want to take a guess as to what book I'm reading? 😉
Meanwhile, I'm seeking beta readers for my latest book. It's YA contemporary, an update of Shakespeare's Hamlet with a full-on snarky [female] MC. Let me know if you're interested!
So that guy who went to kill that king? He did. But only after jumping on walls and ceilings and stuff. Sort of like Spider-Man?
And that was just the prologue! The book finally started some five years later, and there's a war. The general or whatever, he's really popular with his men because they never lose. Except this time, of course, they do. And the general becomes a slave.
Oh, but then there's this Tinkerbell kind of fairy thing that is annoying the general/slave guy. That's where I'm at now. He thinks he's going crazy because the fairy creatures in this world aren't supposed to be intelligent, but this one is talking to him. So that's fun.
I don't know if I'm supposed to like any of these people. So far, I don't really. I'm waiting for personalities to happen. But I'm only 40 or so pages in, and there are 1200+ pages, so . . . Yow. Hope it doesn't take that long for characters to get interesting.
Anyone want to take a guess as to what book I'm reading? 😉
Meanwhile, I'm seeking beta readers for my latest book. It's YA contemporary, an update of Shakespeare's Hamlet with a full-on snarky [female] MC. Let me know if you're interested!
2.23.2018
M Reads High Fantasy
My friends insisted I need to read this book. I'm not going to name the book, but points to you if you can figure it out from the following description. I'm, like, not even 20 pages in, I don't think. And I haven't gotten to, you know, the story yet because there is a Prelude and a Prologue. WTF kind of book needs two head starts?
You have to understand, I like fantasy in concept but tend not to read epic or high fantasy novels because they require so much damn work and all feel more or less the same to me. There are a bunch of names and different races or kinds of creatures. Something or someone is evil and a band of oddballs usually have to go on a quest to stop the evil. This is my entire understanding of fantasy, even though I did enjoy Greg Keyes' Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series and got partway through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. I think maybe I prefer fantasy rooted in more contemporary things, like Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books.
Okay, so this book. It starts with . . . a guy? He's not human, though, I don't think. Apparently he has to keep fighting a battle over and over again for eternity, and sometimes he wins and sometimes not? Not just him but, like, nine others like him. Between the battles he goes to be tortured in a hell-like place. But then after this one battle, he and some king guy decide they're not going to do this any more. And the guy feels kind of guilty about that, but he really doesn't want to go back to being tortured, so they all just leave.
Oh, and there are swords. But they leave the swords, too.
THEN. Fast forward some 4500 years, and there's an assassin at a feast. He's going to kill a king. He has to wear all white because the people who hired him say it's only fair that the victim see him coming.
That's as far as I've gotten. I'm in the Prologue, waiting for the murder part. BUT. The assassin did pass through some hall or something that had statues of the guys from the Prelude? He called them Heralds, but for some reason one of the Heralds doesn't have a statue. I'm guessing this is a cultural thing since they've already made a big deal about the differences in the cultures here. That's another thing about high fantasy—the world building is incredible (when done well), but it's quite a burden on the reader when the info is being shoveled at you. These people have black skin and dark eyes, these ones are white with light eyes . . . I'm never going to keep all the names straight either. It's really overwhelming.
That said, I'll keep reading. My friends are so into this, I just have to see what it's about. Perhaps I'll update you as I go along.
You have to understand, I like fantasy in concept but tend not to read epic or high fantasy novels because they require so much damn work and all feel more or less the same to me. There are a bunch of names and different races or kinds of creatures. Something or someone is evil and a band of oddballs usually have to go on a quest to stop the evil. This is my entire understanding of fantasy, even though I did enjoy Greg Keyes' Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series and got partway through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. I think maybe I prefer fantasy rooted in more contemporary things, like Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books.
Okay, so this book. It starts with . . . a guy? He's not human, though, I don't think. Apparently he has to keep fighting a battle over and over again for eternity, and sometimes he wins and sometimes not? Not just him but, like, nine others like him. Between the battles he goes to be tortured in a hell-like place. But then after this one battle, he and some king guy decide they're not going to do this any more. And the guy feels kind of guilty about that, but he really doesn't want to go back to being tortured, so they all just leave.
Oh, and there are swords. But they leave the swords, too.
THEN. Fast forward some 4500 years, and there's an assassin at a feast. He's going to kill a king. He has to wear all white because the people who hired him say it's only fair that the victim see him coming.
That's as far as I've gotten. I'm in the Prologue, waiting for the murder part. BUT. The assassin did pass through some hall or something that had statues of the guys from the Prelude? He called them Heralds, but for some reason one of the Heralds doesn't have a statue. I'm guessing this is a cultural thing since they've already made a big deal about the differences in the cultures here. That's another thing about high fantasy—the world building is incredible (when done well), but it's quite a burden on the reader when the info is being shoveled at you. These people have black skin and dark eyes, these ones are white with light eyes . . . I'm never going to keep all the names straight either. It's really overwhelming.
That said, I'll keep reading. My friends are so into this, I just have to see what it's about. Perhaps I'll update you as I go along.
2.12.2018
Books: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
As much as I adored A Darker Shade of Magic . . . This book didn't do it for me.
This is, of course, subjective. But here are the things I didn't like:
As I mentioned, all subjective. I know many people love this book. But it took me forever to finish because I just couldn't get into it.
This is, of course, subjective. But here are the things I didn't like:
- So much focus on Lila. I know lots of people love her, but she's a bit Mary Sue for me.
- Repetitive words and phrases. If Lila has a smile "like a knife" or "sharp smile" one more time . . . Seriously, stop. Find other words and ways to describe things.
- Kell wasn't the character I fell in love with in the first book. I understand that characters change and grow, but he wasn't very likable in this. He's moving in the wrong direction.
- The "Magic Olympics" (or whatever they called it, but that's pretty much what it was). I don't like stories about contests, so this did not interest me at all. Long passages describing battles? I skimmed. Actually, I didn't even skim, I just skipped to the end to see who'd won.
As I mentioned, all subjective. I know many people love this book. But it took me forever to finish because I just couldn't get into it.
1.24.2018
Index: Ongoing Star Wars Story ("Documents" posts)
In order to make things simpler for readers, I'm going to index this story so that you can bookmark this post and check for new "documents" (chapters) as we go.
For those of you just arriving, my 9-year-old daughter asked me to write a Star Wars story with her. My 12-year-old son has had some input too. We're having a lot of fun with it, and we hope you enjoy reading it as well.
I'll add links as new parts get posted.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
For those of you just arriving, my 9-year-old daughter asked me to write a Star Wars story with her. My 12-year-old son has had some input too. We're having a lot of fun with it, and we hope you enjoy reading it as well.
I'll add links as new parts get posted.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
"Documents" pt. 11
Part 10 is here.
__________
Easier said than done given the thick metal. The Resistance had not been on Edowan long enough to automate everything, and many doors were manual, this one included. As Finn struggled with the heavy bolt, he wondered how many people it had required to close the thing in the first place.
“Never mind,” said Rey. “I’ll just—”
Finn stepped back, watched as Rey tilted her head slightly as though listening to something on the other side of the door. He listened, too, but heard nothing.
The silence felt ominous. Finn tensed, ready to spring if Ren should try anything. Not so alone now, am I? he thought and wished Ren could hear him… Then immediately hoped that wasn’t true.
Seemingly satisfied with whatever she did or didn’t hear, Rey made a motion with her hand and the massive bolt slid smoothly—though not soundlessly—aside.
“Damn,” said Finn.
Rey smiled. “I’m starting to really enjoy it, actually,” she admitted. “I feel like I’m getting the knack for it.”
“Yeah, well don’t get cocky,” Finn warned. “Because he—” he nodded at the door, “has more than a ‘knack’.”
Rey swallowed and her expression became serious. “I know.” She took a deep breath, and this time her smile was strained. “You’ll be here?”
“Right here,” promised Finn. “The whole time.”
Rey nodded and with another motion of her hand pulled the impossibly heavy door open. Finn only caught a glimpse of Kylo Ren seated on his thin mat before the door swung shut again.
***
Rey stopped just inside the door and stared down at their captive. He stared back unflinchingly and unmoving. She could feel the Force emanating from him, however, pushing against her like myriad unseen hands as though to force her off balance, knock her backward.
“Why are you here?” Rey asked.
For the first time, he blinked. Still, he didn’t speak, only shifted a little where he sat.
“Does the First Order know we’re here?” Rey asked. When he only continued to stare, she said, “They want to kill you. The Resistance. So you’ve got to give me something, Ben, or—”
“My mother is dead, isn’t she?”
His words stopped Rey short. She folded herself to sit across from him, only just resisted taking his hands in her own. “Yes,” she said gently. “Is that why you’re here?”
“I knew,” he said. “I felt it.”
Of course he had. But Rey reminded herself that he’d killed his own father, too. So how much had his mother really meant to him?
Another thought occurred to her. “Is that how you found us?”
Ben—she couldn’t think of him any other way, or maybe she didn’t want to—looked confused.
“When you felt…” Rey said, “could you tell where it was coming from?”
He huffed slightly, as though annoyed by her ignorance. “It’s not that specific,” he said. “The Force doesn’t work like a tracker. If it did...”
“You would have found us much sooner,” Rey finished, understanding her mistake. “Then how did you find us?”
He didn’t answer.
“Are they coming? For us? For you?”
Nothing.
Rey stood up again. “You must be hungry. I’ll see to it you get something to eat.”
As she went to the door, he said, “You know I can break out of here if I want to.”
She turned to look at him. “So why don’t you want to?”
He stared, and for a moment Rey felt as though she were being drawn forward, like she might tip and fall right on her face. She forced herself to break eye contact. “Okay then. I guess that’s…”
She opened the door and escaped, feeling his eyes burning into her back. Ben might have been the one in the cell, but Rey felt like somehow she was the hostage.
__________
Easier said than done given the thick metal. The Resistance had not been on Edowan long enough to automate everything, and many doors were manual, this one included. As Finn struggled with the heavy bolt, he wondered how many people it had required to close the thing in the first place.
“Never mind,” said Rey. “I’ll just—”
Finn stepped back, watched as Rey tilted her head slightly as though listening to something on the other side of the door. He listened, too, but heard nothing.
The silence felt ominous. Finn tensed, ready to spring if Ren should try anything. Not so alone now, am I? he thought and wished Ren could hear him… Then immediately hoped that wasn’t true.
Seemingly satisfied with whatever she did or didn’t hear, Rey made a motion with her hand and the massive bolt slid smoothly—though not soundlessly—aside.
“Damn,” said Finn.
Rey smiled. “I’m starting to really enjoy it, actually,” she admitted. “I feel like I’m getting the knack for it.”
“Yeah, well don’t get cocky,” Finn warned. “Because he—” he nodded at the door, “has more than a ‘knack’.”
Rey swallowed and her expression became serious. “I know.” She took a deep breath, and this time her smile was strained. “You’ll be here?”
“Right here,” promised Finn. “The whole time.”
Rey nodded and with another motion of her hand pulled the impossibly heavy door open. Finn only caught a glimpse of Kylo Ren seated on his thin mat before the door swung shut again.
***
Rey stopped just inside the door and stared down at their captive. He stared back unflinchingly and unmoving. She could feel the Force emanating from him, however, pushing against her like myriad unseen hands as though to force her off balance, knock her backward.
“Why are you here?” Rey asked.
For the first time, he blinked. Still, he didn’t speak, only shifted a little where he sat.
“Does the First Order know we’re here?” Rey asked. When he only continued to stare, she said, “They want to kill you. The Resistance. So you’ve got to give me something, Ben, or—”
“My mother is dead, isn’t she?”
His words stopped Rey short. She folded herself to sit across from him, only just resisted taking his hands in her own. “Yes,” she said gently. “Is that why you’re here?”
“I knew,” he said. “I felt it.”
Of course he had. But Rey reminded herself that he’d killed his own father, too. So how much had his mother really meant to him?
Another thought occurred to her. “Is that how you found us?”
Ben—she couldn’t think of him any other way, or maybe she didn’t want to—looked confused.
“When you felt…” Rey said, “could you tell where it was coming from?”
He huffed slightly, as though annoyed by her ignorance. “It’s not that specific,” he said. “The Force doesn’t work like a tracker. If it did...”
“You would have found us much sooner,” Rey finished, understanding her mistake. “Then how did you find us?”
He didn’t answer.
“Are they coming? For us? For you?”
Nothing.
Rey stood up again. “You must be hungry. I’ll see to it you get something to eat.”
As she went to the door, he said, “You know I can break out of here if I want to.”
She turned to look at him. “So why don’t you want to?”
He stared, and for a moment Rey felt as though she were being drawn forward, like she might tip and fall right on her face. She forced herself to break eye contact. “Okay then. I guess that’s…”
She opened the door and escaped, feeling his eyes burning into her back. Ben might have been the one in the cell, but Rey felt like somehow she was the hostage.
1.22.2018
"Documents" pt. 10
Part 9 is here.
__________
“He can be turned,” Rey insisted. “For all we know, that’s the reason he’s here.”
“For all we know,” Captain Markwell said, “he’s here to destroy us.”
“If the First Order knows we’re here,” Commander D’Acy put in, “we need to evacuate before they return in force.”
A collective groan went up from the assembly.
“Go where?” someone asked. “We’ve been all over the galaxy already!”
More grumbles and murmurs circulated through the room.
“Even if he is here for… some other reason,” said Rey, “He’s a valuable prisoner. He has information, influence—”
“And powers we can’t contain,” inserted Poe. “As it is, the cell he’s in probably won’t hold him for long once he wakes up.”
“Just let me talk to him,” Rey said, and when skeptical looks flew through the group, she added, “I’ve defeated him before. And I’m much more skilled now.”
“You can’t bring a weapon in there,” Poe told her. “If he—”
Rey cut him off. “I won’t need a weapon.”
Another round of glances, these ones startled and uncertain. Then D’Acy said, “All right. If only for his mother’s sake.” The people around her nodded solemnly as D’Acy told Rey, “See if you can determine why he’s here and what he knows. But if—” She stopped, either unwilling or unable to put the possibility into words. “Well, he won’t be given another chance to cooperate.”
“Let’s hope he does,” Poe sighed under his breath.
***
Tap, tap, tap.
Finn look left then right down the long corridor.
Tap, tap, tap.
Slowly, Finn turned to look at the door.
“I know you’re out there.” Kylo Ren’s voice had an oddly muffled yet hollow sound from behind the thick metal and wall of rock. “Alone.”
Finn lifted his comm. “Uh, guys…”
“You will open this door.”
Finn cocked an eyebrow at said door. “No I won’t.” Into his comm, he hissed, “Guys! He’s awake!”
Motion at the far end of the corridor drew Finn’s attention. Rey was coming, and by the looks of her, she had a definite purpose. As she neared, Finn said, “He’s—”
“I know,” Rey said. “Open the door.”
__________
“He can be turned,” Rey insisted. “For all we know, that’s the reason he’s here.”
“For all we know,” Captain Markwell said, “he’s here to destroy us.”
“If the First Order knows we’re here,” Commander D’Acy put in, “we need to evacuate before they return in force.”
A collective groan went up from the assembly.
“Go where?” someone asked. “We’ve been all over the galaxy already!”
More grumbles and murmurs circulated through the room.
“Even if he is here for… some other reason,” said Rey, “He’s a valuable prisoner. He has information, influence—”
“And powers we can’t contain,” inserted Poe. “As it is, the cell he’s in probably won’t hold him for long once he wakes up.”
“Just let me talk to him,” Rey said, and when skeptical looks flew through the group, she added, “I’ve defeated him before. And I’m much more skilled now.”
“You can’t bring a weapon in there,” Poe told her. “If he—”
Rey cut him off. “I won’t need a weapon.”
Another round of glances, these ones startled and uncertain. Then D’Acy said, “All right. If only for his mother’s sake.” The people around her nodded solemnly as D’Acy told Rey, “See if you can determine why he’s here and what he knows. But if—” She stopped, either unwilling or unable to put the possibility into words. “Well, he won’t be given another chance to cooperate.”
“Let’s hope he does,” Poe sighed under his breath.
***
Tap, tap, tap.
Finn look left then right down the long corridor.
Tap, tap, tap.
Slowly, Finn turned to look at the door.
“I know you’re out there.” Kylo Ren’s voice had an oddly muffled yet hollow sound from behind the thick metal and wall of rock. “Alone.”
Finn lifted his comm. “Uh, guys…”
“You will open this door.”
Finn cocked an eyebrow at said door. “No I won’t.” Into his comm, he hissed, “Guys! He’s awake!”
Motion at the far end of the corridor drew Finn’s attention. Rey was coming, and by the looks of her, she had a definite purpose. As she neared, Finn said, “He’s—”
“I know,” Rey said. “Open the door.”
1.20.2018
"Documents" pt. 9
Been a while since we had some more Star Wars story!
Part 8 is here.
__________
Kylo opened his eyes. Everything hurt, more than before if that was even possible. That damn Stormtrooper… The pilot...
Kylo sat up, his body protesting in a dozen places. The room—cell—was nothing but hewn rock with a couple of sconces affixed to the wall that did little to light the room. They hadn’t even given him a bed, just a thin mat.
He looked at the door. Thick metal, but he could open it, he was sure. How many guards? Kylo concentrated.
Only one?
Surely he was worth more than one guard?
Did they think he was dead? If so, why put him in a cell? A cell clearly stripped of anything they thought he might use as a weapon. No, they knew he was alive. Maybe they were relying on his injuries to make him slow, weak.
Kylo weighed his options. Break out and… Go where? He could steal a shuttle… Then what? For all his powers, all his abilities, he had nothing.
Hux.
The name slid across his brain like a sharp edge. He would find Hux and destroy him, return to his rightful place as Supreme Leader of the First Order.
But there were easier, better ways than just stealing a ship. After all, the Resistance had no love for Hux, either.
A common enemy.
All he had to do was show a little bit of remorse and the Resistance would be eating out of his hand. Rey in particular.
It would take time. He couldn’t just switch sides abruptly. A Jedi wielded patience as one of his greatest weapons.
You are no Jedi, a voice whispered. It sounded an awful lot like Uncle Luke.
I am more powerful than any Jedi, he answered. And I will use the Force against them.
Kylo got to his feet, took a deep breath, stepped to the door… and knocked.
Part 8 is here.
__________
Kylo opened his eyes. Everything hurt, more than before if that was even possible. That damn Stormtrooper… The pilot...
Kylo sat up, his body protesting in a dozen places. The room—cell—was nothing but hewn rock with a couple of sconces affixed to the wall that did little to light the room. They hadn’t even given him a bed, just a thin mat.
He looked at the door. Thick metal, but he could open it, he was sure. How many guards? Kylo concentrated.
Only one?
Surely he was worth more than one guard?
Did they think he was dead? If so, why put him in a cell? A cell clearly stripped of anything they thought he might use as a weapon. No, they knew he was alive. Maybe they were relying on his injuries to make him slow, weak.
Kylo weighed his options. Break out and… Go where? He could steal a shuttle… Then what? For all his powers, all his abilities, he had nothing.
Hux.
The name slid across his brain like a sharp edge. He would find Hux and destroy him, return to his rightful place as Supreme Leader of the First Order.
But there were easier, better ways than just stealing a ship. After all, the Resistance had no love for Hux, either.
A common enemy.
All he had to do was show a little bit of remorse and the Resistance would be eating out of his hand. Rey in particular.
It would take time. He couldn’t just switch sides abruptly. A Jedi wielded patience as one of his greatest weapons.
You are no Jedi, a voice whispered. It sounded an awful lot like Uncle Luke.
I am more powerful than any Jedi, he answered. And I will use the Force against them.
Kylo got to his feet, took a deep breath, stepped to the door… and knocked.
1.07.2018
"Documents" pt. 8
The kids are about to go back to school, which alters our ability to write together. But we're determined to finish this story! So please keep checking back.
Part 7 is here.
__________
“He is too dangerous to let him live!” Finn insisted. He and Rey stood outside the door to the cell in which they’d left the unconscious Kylo Ren. They’d removed everything from the room except a thin pallet on which they’d laid him, but Finn wasn’t convinced those precautions were enough. “He could pull this whole mountain down right on top of us!”
“He won’t,” Rey said. “He’s not even awake.”
“Yeah, but once he is—”
“He won’t,” Rey said again. She took a deep breath and marshaled her arguments. “We don’t know why he’s here. It’s possible he . . .” She swallowed her hopes. “Maybe he heard about or . . . or felt his mother . . .”
Finn grimaced. “He killed his father. You think he’d care about his mother?”
Rey changed tack. “Suppose he’s here scouting for the First Order, though honestly I don’t know why he’d be here alone, or at all. But for the sake of argument,” she went on, forestalling Finn’s burgeoning protest, “even if he is here on some First Order business, he’s more useful to us alive. We can get information from him.”
“How?” Finn demanded. “You can’t break him! I know you have abilities, Rey, amazing abilities, but . . .” He shook his head. “He’s been doing this a lot longer than you have.” Finn narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you know that the rest of us don’t?”
Rey found she couldn’t meet Finn’s eyes. “It’s just a feeling.”
“A feeling. And does this feeling have, like, a name?”
Still unable to look at Finn, Rey gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
“Well, I think you’re going to need stronger evidence,” Finn told her. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the long, empty corridor behind him. “Because they’ll be coming. I’m surprised there aren’t people lined up to view the execution already.”
As though on cue, Poe appeared at the far end of the hallway. Rey swallowed her anxiety as he approached. “We need to make a decision here,” Poe said. “Everyone’s waiting.”
Rey glanced at the bolted door. It was made of a slab of metal as thick as her upper arm. But was it enough?
Probably not.
“Someone should stay,” she said, “in case he wakes up.”
“You should go,” Finn told her. “You’re the one with the . . . feelings.”
Poe frowned. “We need you, too, Finn. We can set a guard in front of the door.”
“I have the most experience with him,” Finn said, and he thought he saw Rey flinch. “Indirectly, but still. I was with the First Order. I know how they do things.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ll know how to deal with Kylo Ren, especially when he wakes up cranky from his nap,” said Poe.
Finn turned to Rey. “Leave me the lightsaber.”
“What?” she asked.
“A blaster clearly doesn’t do enough,” said Finn. “If things go wrong—”
“And if he gets hold of a lightsaber—if he manages to take it from you—” Poe said.
“I can’t stand here defenseless,” Finn told him.
“You can’t go in with a weapon,” Poe contended. “He’ll pull it right out of your hands.”
“Poe’s right,” said Rey.
“Then what do I do if he wakes up?”
“Nothing,” Poe said. “Don’t go in, don’t engage him.” He held up his com unit. “Just call us immediately if anything changes.”
__________
Part 7 is here.
__________
“He is too dangerous to let him live!” Finn insisted. He and Rey stood outside the door to the cell in which they’d left the unconscious Kylo Ren. They’d removed everything from the room except a thin pallet on which they’d laid him, but Finn wasn’t convinced those precautions were enough. “He could pull this whole mountain down right on top of us!”
“He won’t,” Rey said. “He’s not even awake.”
“Yeah, but once he is—”
“He won’t,” Rey said again. She took a deep breath and marshaled her arguments. “We don’t know why he’s here. It’s possible he . . .” She swallowed her hopes. “Maybe he heard about or . . . or felt his mother . . .”
Finn grimaced. “He killed his father. You think he’d care about his mother?”
Rey changed tack. “Suppose he’s here scouting for the First Order, though honestly I don’t know why he’d be here alone, or at all. But for the sake of argument,” she went on, forestalling Finn’s burgeoning protest, “even if he is here on some First Order business, he’s more useful to us alive. We can get information from him.”
“How?” Finn demanded. “You can’t break him! I know you have abilities, Rey, amazing abilities, but . . .” He shook his head. “He’s been doing this a lot longer than you have.” Finn narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you know that the rest of us don’t?”
Rey found she couldn’t meet Finn’s eyes. “It’s just a feeling.”
“A feeling. And does this feeling have, like, a name?”
Still unable to look at Finn, Rey gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
“Well, I think you’re going to need stronger evidence,” Finn told her. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the long, empty corridor behind him. “Because they’ll be coming. I’m surprised there aren’t people lined up to view the execution already.”
As though on cue, Poe appeared at the far end of the hallway. Rey swallowed her anxiety as he approached. “We need to make a decision here,” Poe said. “Everyone’s waiting.”
Rey glanced at the bolted door. It was made of a slab of metal as thick as her upper arm. But was it enough?
Probably not.
“Someone should stay,” she said, “in case he wakes up.”
“You should go,” Finn told her. “You’re the one with the . . . feelings.”
Poe frowned. “We need you, too, Finn. We can set a guard in front of the door.”
“I have the most experience with him,” Finn said, and he thought he saw Rey flinch. “Indirectly, but still. I was with the First Order. I know how they do things.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ll know how to deal with Kylo Ren, especially when he wakes up cranky from his nap,” said Poe.
Finn turned to Rey. “Leave me the lightsaber.”
“What?” she asked.
“A blaster clearly doesn’t do enough,” said Finn. “If things go wrong—”
“And if he gets hold of a lightsaber—if he manages to take it from you—” Poe said.
“I can’t stand here defenseless,” Finn told him.
“You can’t go in with a weapon,” Poe contended. “He’ll pull it right out of your hands.”
“Poe’s right,” said Rey.
“Then what do I do if he wakes up?”
“Nothing,” Poe said. “Don’t go in, don’t engage him.” He held up his com unit. “Just call us immediately if anything changes.”
__________
1.04.2018
"Documents" pt. 7
My daughter wanted to get back to Hux and whatever he's been doing.
(Part 6 is here.)
__________
“Who are you to interrogate me?!” Hux bellowed.
The lieutenant took a couple quick steps backward. “No one . . . Supreme Leader?” The last part came out wobbly, questioning.
“I told you—I told everyone—things are well in hand,” said Hux. “We will return to Edowan when the time is right.”
The lieutenant bowed. “Then we will continue to formulate an invasion plan. The terrain makes it very difficult.”
“If the Resistance can land there, we can,” Hux told him. “They have taken our Supreme Leader from us. We will finish them.”
“Long live the Supreme Leader,” the lieutenant said with another bow.
Hux waved a dismissal and the man retreated with unseemly haste. Though Hux had taken the mantle of Supreme Leader with equal speed, he had yet to sit on Kylo Ren’s throne. Not out of any sense of honor for Ren, but because Hux thought the throne and the room itself were ridiculous. All of Ren’s dark brooding condensed into a single space. A tactical room would be much more suitable. Hux made a mental note to get someone in to change things over.
What he wasn’t in any hurry to do was return to Edowan. Not because he harbored any feeling for the Resistance; Hux wanted to see them crushed as badly as ever. But besides the strategic difficulties, Hux had the nagging, bothersome feeling that his blast had failed to kill Ren. If he sent troops to Edowan and they discovered Ren . . .
The Resistance was failing in any case. They could not last much longer. And if they found Ren first, they’d surely finish him off. Give it a little time, then swoop in and put an end to everything. Both Ren and the Resistance would be extinct.
(Part 6 is here.)
__________
“Who are you to interrogate me?!” Hux bellowed.
The lieutenant took a couple quick steps backward. “No one . . . Supreme Leader?” The last part came out wobbly, questioning.
“I told you—I told everyone—things are well in hand,” said Hux. “We will return to Edowan when the time is right.”
The lieutenant bowed. “Then we will continue to formulate an invasion plan. The terrain makes it very difficult.”
“If the Resistance can land there, we can,” Hux told him. “They have taken our Supreme Leader from us. We will finish them.”
“Long live the Supreme Leader,” the lieutenant said with another bow.
Hux waved a dismissal and the man retreated with unseemly haste. Though Hux had taken the mantle of Supreme Leader with equal speed, he had yet to sit on Kylo Ren’s throne. Not out of any sense of honor for Ren, but because Hux thought the throne and the room itself were ridiculous. All of Ren’s dark brooding condensed into a single space. A tactical room would be much more suitable. Hux made a mental note to get someone in to change things over.
What he wasn’t in any hurry to do was return to Edowan. Not because he harbored any feeling for the Resistance; Hux wanted to see them crushed as badly as ever. But besides the strategic difficulties, Hux had the nagging, bothersome feeling that his blast had failed to kill Ren. If he sent troops to Edowan and they discovered Ren . . .
The Resistance was failing in any case. They could not last much longer. And if they found Ren first, they’d surely finish him off. Give it a little time, then swoop in and put an end to everything. Both Ren and the Resistance would be extinct.
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