Video Game Review: Doom (2016)

"Weaponizing demons for a better tomorrow."—UAC slogan.
---------------------
Video games have come a long ways in 23 years. In the 90s, Doom was one of the biggest game-changers of the industry. It was a smooth, rip-roaring demon-slaying experience, with its own unique texture and style. It paved the way for hundreds more FPS games to follow in its wake. Isn't it strange that after all this time, there's only been two official sequels? Since the release of Doom 3, shooting games fell into a pretty generic niche, thanks to a plethora of military-themed titles. We've seen more innovation out of Bioshock, Tomb Raider, The Last Of Us, Heavy Rain, and other odd places. Where has Doom been all this time?

As it turns out, Doom 4 was in development for a while, but had to be scrapped because it just wasn't cutting it. Developed from the ground-up, 2016's Doom is made as a return to form. It's not the harrowing horror/survival ordeal that game #3 was, this was designed to tap into the energy and spirit of the original saga. So the question now is, did id and Bethesda succeed?

I was honestly afraid to play this game, remembering how unsettling Doom 3 was. I wasn't sure I could handle the new Doom, especially after hearing that many levels would force you to clear out hoards of demons in large arena-style levels before being able to move on. It sounded punishing.

It's not. Like all great games, 2016's Doom is empowering—the game offers you immense firepower, speed, and abilities to turn you into a fast and vicious demon-slayer. It's challenging, but hardly impossible—the game is smooth and fast, and you have to stay fast to make it past each area. You get a pretty nice arsenal of guns (everything from a puny pistol to a chainsaw to the Super Shotgun to the BFG and everything). You get upgrades that can make you a faster and better marine. You get powerups at key spots. One really wicked feature that makes this game even more empowering is "glory kills," which allow you to rip demons apart with your bare hands. The game might seem imposing when you start, but once you unlock weapons and upgrades, it's a breeze (unless, if you're a real hardcore gamer who craves a challenge, you can always play the campaign on nightmare mode). Each level is immaculately detailed and well-designed, with secrets in many interesting corners, and a lot of awesome scenery to behold. Populated by so many recognizable creatures (everything from imps to the Spider Mastermind), the game is a massive throwback, but its experience is genuinely fresh and awesome.

The games wastes little time in developing its story. From the opening onwards, you snap into action, finding yourself in the middle of a ruined Martian base overrun by demons. As you progress, you'll catch on to what happened. There are just a few characters to the game—there's not much development to them. I wish there could be more substance to the story, but for Doom, it's fine for what it is. Just like the original two games, story is not the main draw, its just a way to string levels together. In this case, the story's a little better than the original game, but not quite as complete as Doom 3.

On top of that, the game offers a few solid multiplayer options. The classic game modes—deathmatches and such—are available and are fine for what they are. It's pretty standard: you join a match, you shoot people, you level up and keep going. You can choose some loadouts, but it's far simpler (and less refined) than a Call of Duty game. A far more interesting feature is the Snapmap mode, which allows you to construct levels with modular tools. The array of rooms and objects available is limited, but logic tools let you design games with countless possibilities. It can be quite adventurous and intriguing to see what inventive levels users have published using these simple features.

The game itself looks pretty sharp and polished. It sports decent textures, lighting, rendering, and very smooth animation. Sounds and voices are good—music is smashing. This game is well-written, more in the sense that the game shows you its ideas through the gaming experience rather than dialogue.

Just when I thought Doom wasn't for me, this game comes along and reminds me of what it is that made the originals so appealing. Far less clunky and more polished than its predecessors, I'd say this is the best one of the lot. It successfully empowers and immerses you in the hellish fantasy of a demon-stomping marine. It can't get much more awesome than that.

4.5/5

Film Review: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

"The light — It's always been there. It'll guide you." - Lupita Nyong'o
--------------------
It's easy to become burned out over Star Wars. 38 years ago, the original film whetted audiences appetites for escapist adventure and fantasy, with spectacles the likes of which had never seen before. The original magic and charm became buried beneath the vitriol and controversy surrounding the sequels, prequels, revisions, spin-offs, and more. With George Lucas selling his company to Disney in 2012, the floodgates suddenly opened for a wave of new talent - writers, directors, actors, and more - to pick up the legacy of this troubled series and take into the next generation.

The Force Awakens is certainly the experience Star Wars fans crave. It has spectacular action - it starts off hard and fast with stormtroopers razing a village and fighters clashing in the skies. The most spectacular sequences include a breakneck chase scene over deserts and through the heart of a crashed spaceship. The last act is an all-out battle that shows X-Wings battling TIE fighters while the characters duke it out with blasters and lightsabers. It's all fast and it's some of the biggest scenes in the series.

Fortunately, it's not all that exhausting either - the film finds a decent balance between the spectacle, humor, and rolling the story forward. Most reviewers have generalized this as a remake of A New Hope. Undeniably, the film banks quite a bit on nostalgia, and it does repeat the broad story beats of the original films. Despite the notable similarities, I never once felt that I was being beaten over the head by nostalgia. It's merely a knuckle in the overall fist that smashes the face of Star Wars apathy. Even with familiar faces returning, the film's focus is firmly set on new characters, and they are truly a lovable bunch. Finn and Rey are heroes who elicit great empathy in their struggles, and show a lot of personality and character through their various nuances (which is especially phenomenal given the short amount of time they actually have to develop in the midst of so much action). Kylo Ren may come off as a whiny emo kid, but he is far more volatile than any before him, and he's clearly a conflicted soul with depth to him that's begging to be explored. Once the motivations are clear for these characters, one can't help but to wonder what directions they will go next.

Unfortunately, that leads me to wonder what else is left unsaid in the film. Many questions won't be answered until the next episode. Others can only be speculated in the gap between this and Return of the Jedi (I personally wish more was said about the New Republic, the New Order, Snoke, and other odd things). Characters like General Hux and Captain Phasma are great to behold, but are the shallowest characters of the lot and receive very little screen time.

Despite the even flow and attention to characters, the plot itself is fast and loose (come to think of it, all of JJ Abrams' films are like that). There are a few gaps and plot holes that can either be shrugged off, or may become points of contention for fans.  Parts of it seem to be rushed.  The film's biggest issue is that, like a Marvel movie, it is built to bridge a franchise, rather than to craft an original story. It requires knowledge of what happened before, and it sets up what will happen next. The film does its job admirably to revitalize the series with new faces, an expanded universe, and the old-fashioned sense of adventure. With recycled scenes and archetypes, however, some audiences won't be so easily swayed.

Of all the Star Wars films, this may be one of the best-looking ones of the lot. Filmmakers took great care to craft a plethora of authentic new creatures, sets, props, weapons, vehicles, costumes, and more. The film is packed with real-looking places and things, lending it the same sense of realism that made the original so jarring. What computer-generated effects the film has are spectacular and take nothing away from the experience. An even more pleasant surprise is in the acting and the script. Dialogue is often sharp, witty, and provides enough depth to make the story feel more relevant (even if it is a retread). Daisy Ridley brings Rey to life beautifully, with a commanding presence and emotional range. John Boyega's performance is superb and fun to watch. Oscar Isaac is surprisingly playful as Poe Dameron. Adam Driver portrays rage and tragedy very well in his part. Despite his age, Harrison Ford inhabits the body of Han Solo like wearing an old jacket, and he's surprisingly endearing that way. Carrie Fischer still plays it tough as Leia. Lupita Nyong'o plays an alien, and it's interesting. With so many players going all at once, what matters the most is that all of them pull their weight so that every little face, gesture, and word contributes to their respective characterization, giving much more depth to them through the art of showing more than telling. John Williams' music score is notably different, but I believe it lends the movie its own unique style and feeling.

Some might call this an unoriginal sellout, lacking in the boldness that the other films presented. However, it is a well-crafted crowd-pleaser. It entertains not only through its action, but also captivates with its characters. What I like about it the most is that, like many of my other favorites (including the original Star Wars), its nuances show more than tell, to capture and let our own imaginations fill in the gaps. With my own imagination filling with the possibilities of what could happen next, my appetite is now whetted for the next episode, and any Star Wars fatigue I had is gone.

4.5/5

Eyes of the Dragon: How I Would Have Written It

I just finished and reviewed Stephen King's novel, The Eyes of the Dragon.  Much unlike the man's previous works, it's far less about horror or the macabre, and much more of a fantasy adventure.  It has some dark moments, but the prose has a strong flair for the storytelling, which makes it read like a fairy tale.  And it's a good in its own right; I would not be presumptuous to assume that I could have done anything better with this story.

It is still fun to consider though; the book has a good, simple plot with a group of decent characters.  I couldn't help but to find myself wishing that I could have thought up of this plot.  If I did, what would I do with it?

I've dabbled with fantasy stories before.  In fact, reading The Eyes of the Dragon, I wondered if King's experience mirrored my own when I wrote The Garrison, which was my first foray into the fantasy genre.  It also has a pretty simple plot.  Even the character archetypes are similar, especially in regards to the classic good-vs-evil setup.

From my own experiences and the way my imagination bends, here's  how The Eyes of the Dragon would have probably been if I had written it.  I would never suggest that I could make it a better book than King did; it's purely a fun thought exercise, thinking about how I'd handle the plot and characters.

Spoilers for the book are ahead.

Original Synopsis:  In the kingdom of Delain, an evil magician named Flagg plots to murder King Roland.  Roland is a rather crude man, but he married a lovely woman and they had two sons.  At some point, Queen Sasha died.  Roland took a great liking to his son Peter, and Peter was sizing up to become the next best choice to be heir to the throne.  Thomas, however, felt shunned, and every attempt he made to win his father's affections failed.  One day, Flagg showed Thomas a secret area behind a stuffed dragon's head, allowing him to spy on the King's chambers through the eyes of the dragon.  Inevitably, Flagg manages to poison Roland, and Peter takes the blame for it.  Peter is imprisoned in the Needle (a tall stone tower) for life.  Thomas becomes the new King, and he sucks at it.  For the next so-many years, Delain goes through a troubled time, full of awful taxes, endless executions, and misery.  For the whole time, Peter sets up an elaborate plan to escape from the Needle by convincing the higher-ups to give him napkins with every meal (which is important to him, because Sasha taught him the importance of civility through the use of napkins), and a dollhouse which has an actual working loom.  It takes Peter years to gather enough thread and spin it through a really tiny loom to make a thin rope, which he can use to climb down from the tower (and the rope is made of tough stuff).  Meanwhile, Peter's best friend, his butler, and an exiled lady with an awesome dog figure out the truth of what happened, and conspire to free Peter.  After a lot of running around, they eventually coordinate with Peter to rescue him.  Flagg figures out what's happening, and starts a rampage up the tower to slay Peter.  Peter makes his escape; Flagg busts into the cell all Jack Torrence style, and sees that the rope won't hold.  He sits there and lets Peter fall, not realizing that Peter's buddies were at the base of the tower with a huge pile of napkins ready for him.  Peter lands safely.  Everybody heads to the king's sitting room to grab Roland's bow and arrow, and are confronted by Flagg, who turns out to be some kind of wicked demon.  Thomas confesses that he saw Flagg kill Roland, and uses the bow and arrow to shoot the bad guy.  Flagg vanishes, Thomas and Peter make up, Peter becomes the rightful king, and it's a right happy ending.  Thomas leads a party to confront Flagg, but the narrator doesn't get into what happens, leading us all to wonder when the sequel will be made.

What Would I Have Done?

• First and foremost, the prose of The Eyes of the Dragon is very unique.  King words everything in the book as if he's the storyteller telling you a story before you go to bed or something.  Thus, he addresses himself in first-person, he addresses the readers at times, and he's able to draw comparisons between real-world modern things and things in Delain.  Personally, I found a few parts to be a bit awkward because of this, although it does have the merit of matching up with the story's content well.  If I wrote the book, my prose would probably be more straightforward, omitting anything that says "I" or "you." There wouldn't be a storyteller's voice to guide the readers; I prefer to let the story and scenery speak for itself.
• One of my complaints about King in general is that he sometimes describes things in too much detail, and the trend occurs in this book sometimes, often because of the prose described above.  With his storyteller's voice, he dives into great detail about how people in Delain do certain things, or what the significance of other things are.  Some of the asides are important for the plot and themes, but there are instances where it's not necessary.  I don't think I'd go into nearly as much detail or digression as King does; I'd describe something once, then move on.
• Flagg is pretty much revealed to be the villain from the start; the book makes no pretense about who he is.  He becomes a villain we can love to hate, but the disadvantage I see is that there's missed potential for suspense and mystery.  I believe the book could have left Flagg's involvement with Roland's murder a secret up until the end, which would leave the characters/readers to wonder more about who it could have been.  Flagg's interactions with Thomas could have painted him as a seemingly good-natured fellow, but it could have been quite the twist to reveal that he's really a demonic, immortal puppet-master.  There might even be a chance to mess around with reader's heads by focusing on Peter's thoughts; suppose he has a guilt complex, which would lead readers to think he really did murder Roland, which would make the twist around Flagg more surprising.  As it is, there is no twist; you know Flagg did it the whole time, and I feel it's a little less interesting that way.
• Knowing me, Flagg would probably have some kind of crazy magic that allows him to summon fireballs in his hands and throw them at people.  Or lightning.  Or maybe he could levitate stones and hurl them.  Maybe he has astral projection powers, or can shapeshift, or something else cool.  The man's a demon, after all, the possibilities should be endless.
• One of the biggest things about Flagg, however, is that his motivation was always ambiguous.  Without motivation, Flagg never becomes much more than a one-dimensional evildoer.  I believe the book suggests that Flagg wants to control the way the country's being run, maybe to spread evil around and stuff, but the question of "why" never does get answered.  If it was me, I'd like to answer the "why," perhaps by suggesting that Flagg wants power of his own, or maybe he wants a country of his own, or maybe he gets pleasure from spreading misery, or (what I might do to broaden things up) maybe he's working for someone or something else (like, the Devil perhaps?).  In any case, there could have been more to him.
• I'd prefer to keep the narrative linear.  For the first chunk of the book, King doesn't just tell the story, but diverges into multiple flashbacks to explain how the two princes grew up, what they learned, what their experiences with their parents were, and so on.  Because he revealed that Flagg was evil and Roland dies, there's no build-up to the regicide; the story seems to meander up to that point.  In fact, as the first huge plot twist, I think it might be better to start with the regicide, as the story's hook, and then use flashbacks through Peter's or Thomas' thoughts to reveal all the necessary details.
• At some point, it looks like Delain has a resistance movement, because people can't put up with Thomas' s&#t forever.  It never materializes into full-blown conflict.  If I wrote this story, it probably would have; if there's a chance to show some street-level strife and misery, I could have the unrest slowly reach a boiling-point until full-blown revolution happens.  I think these types of scenes would be exciting, especially in the midst of Peter's escape.
• Peter's actual escape is whimsical, but it's probably not the route I would have taken.  Possible alternatives to creating a rope from the threads of thousands of napkins could be:
• Peter got to beat the snot out of Beson expertly; with those skills, Peter probably could have lured a guard in, beat him up, dressed up in his armor, and walked out like he owned the place.
• Peter did find a loose brick in the floor of his cell, which had some hidden stuff in it.  Who's to say that he couldn't have found other cool stuff behind the bricks in his cell? What if Peter pulled out some more bricks and found the skeleton of somebody who was bricked in, with maybe a possible way out?
• If there is a stronger resistance movement, and they become dedicated to freeing Peter, they could start finding ways to communicate with Peter discretely (as some characters did in the book anyway for certain things).  They could organize a daring breakout operation.
• Classic prison break scenario:  Peter find a tool (like a spoon) and digs his way out little by little. 
• The book ends happily enough, but doesn't really provide closure in regards to Flagg, who just escapes and is said to be confronted later on by Thomas and the gang, but no details are given.  We don't even know if Thomas was successful.  In the Stephen King universe, you can assume that maybe something happened that caused Flagg to be banished from Delain to either our world (as he did in The Stand, and was nuked in the end) or in the world of the Gunslinger..  If I was writing this story, I would be compelled to write the full Thomas-vs-Flagg journey and battle; it could be enough to constitute a whole new novel (and maybe that was King's intention at first), but I see the potential for a lot of peril, more worldbuilding, and the possibility of having a grand finale as the climax.

First-Person POV Alternative
I could also see the book working in the first-person point-of-view, most likely from the perspective of Peter.  Writing in first-person will limit the scope greatly - I wouldn't have been able to write scenes with Flagg or Ben or the other characters when they're alone - but this does have the advantage of getting inside Peter's head, and emphasizing the breakout from the Needle as the source of all the conflict.  The book could be engaging if it dwelled on Peter wondering who was responsible for Roland's murder and why he was wrongfully imprisoned.   Once he makes his escape, there could be a whole new act to the story where he has to find out the truth, and possibly evade authorities.  I could even see such scenes emphasizing other aspects of the story; Peter's interaction on the street could show how kingly he can be, while his observations could hint at how bad of a ruler Thomas is.  The story's conclusion would still work well in Peter's perspective.

Conclusion
If I wrote The Eyes of the Dragon, chances are that it would be vastly different than what King wrote.  By my hand, the prose would be totally different (for better or for worse, you decide), and above all, the narrative and the way the story unfolds would be different.  I'd be more interested in trying to keep the reader invested by mixing up the timeline a little, so that the reader would be hooked by a more fast-moving plot, and would have to keep reading to get the details and answers to any unanswered questions.  In spite of that, I probably would have focused a lot more on Peter's imprisonment and escape, and probably a bit more on Thomas' and Flagg's oppression and their effects on the kingdom.  Chances are that I'd pump it up with more fighting and combat, especially if I were to make the people of Delain revolt.  And, I'd be interested in writing what happens to Flagg after all this.

I see a lot of exciting potential in such a project, but as it is, King's final product is perfectly fine as it is; the man excelled by focusing not on the plotting and conflict as I would have, but through characterization.  He was clearly most interested in giving a strong motivation and background to his characters - so much so that it sucks up half the book.  Even though it may have stalled the plot a little, he made a fine story as it is.  It's fun to think about the alternative directions, but there's no beating Mr. King.

Book Review: Eyes of the Dragon (Stephen King)

Stephen King may be best known for his plethora of quality horror writing, but with his early novel The Eyes of the Dragon, the man attempted to deviate into the realms of high fantasy.  The book takes place in a kingdom of King's own making, complete with legends of dragons and magic.  Some things remain dark and wicked, but it's hardly scary; this is fantasy of the purest sort.

Most of the book is breezy and easy to digest, thanks mostly to King's own ethos.  He tells the story quite literally in a storyteller-type of voice, leading the reader headlong into the lore and details of the world of Delain.  I wouldn't say it's a perfect experience though; as common with King's stories, he sometimes spends pages and pages describing minute details, and it can be a bit tiresome in some scenes.  Fortunately, it's not quite as laborious as other books I've read of his, and it is perfectly-readable all the same.

The story is a simple one:  it focuses on two princes, whose father is slain under diabolical circumstances, which causes one prince to become wrongfully imprisoned and the other to become an inept king against his will.  With this setup, the book has plenty of thrilling parts, as Peter is forced to stage a daring escape from prison, and other characters gather to confront the story's villain.  There are a few things I could nitpick about; the story goes through a pretty long and random introduction, and thanks to King's narration, he tends to spoil the plot twists well in advance.  You'll always know who the villain is and you'll always know that King Roland dies eventually, and I believe it kills some potential suspense.  However, King does lay out this story with a lot of nuance and attention to thematic detail, going so far as giving significant meaning to a lot of different elements (including napkins, of all things).

As I mentioned repeatedly, King uses a pretty blatant storyteller's voice in this book, and I believe it's a hit-and-a-miss.  The wording is often good, but I find it weird how he occasionally breaks the fourth wall by referencing himself as the storyteller (in our world nonetheless, causing him to draw parallels between modern things and fantasy things, which I found a bit distracting), and by addressing the reader directly (which I'm not necessarily a fan of).  However, I can't deny that the prose does lend the book a level of authenticity that befits the story, and it is elegant most of the time.  Quality illustrations add to the experience pretty well.

The Eyes of the Dragon is a simple story, but it is elegant and told in an interesting way.  It's clear to me that it's an experimental work, featuring some elements (and even characters) that would influence other works (such as my favorite, The Stand, and The Dark Tower series).  For such an experiment, I think King handled the fantasy storytelling pretty well, and fantasy fans should find this rewarding.

4/5 (Experience:  Good | Story:  Good | Book:  Pretty Good)

Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (Revisited)

"Why would you want to save the galaxy?"

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!" - Bradley Cooper and Chris Pratt
--------------------
Back when Marvel kicked in Phase 1 of its cinematic universe, we all knew who Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America were. All these films were destined to be hits to some degree. But...the Guardians of the Galaxy? Who are these a-holes? If you're like me and never read comics, you may be asking the same question. Seriously, a gun-totting raccoon? A walking tree? David Bautista? WTF?

If box office numbers are any indication, the risk paid off tremendously. The film wastes little time in plunging the audience into the deep end of the most outlandish and far-out reaches of the Marvel universe. From the desolate ruins of an abandoned planet to the thriving heart of an interstellar civilization, this space-faring adventure cuts across colorful nebulae and imaginative worlds, the likes of which have only ever been topped by the Star Wars universe. The film has no shortage of action, as characters fight with their fists, knives, and futuristic guns against an onslaught of bad guys. There is a huge all-out battle in the end, with thousands of space ships filling up the screen. In between the exciting parts, the film moves fast and fluidly with plenty of spot-on comedy, and just enough drama to give the characters a little more depth.

The story covers pretty basic ground, using the same old type of Macguffin that Avengers and Thor: The Dark World used. The villain of this film is a pretty flat, one-dimensional fellow who's best remembered for his presence, and little more. What makes this film stand out will be the protagonists. Peter Quill (the self-proclaimed "Star-Lord") has charm, but thanks to the film's opening scene, he provides an emotional anchor we can all latch onto. Drax is a warrior driven by vengeance, but is so blunt that he can't comprehend metaphors, and hilarity ensues. Gamora is a fierce fighter as well with an allure of her own. Rocket is a hard-drinking gun-happy raccoon with attitude. Groot is a walking tree, who can kick some butt, but also provides some of the most lovable moments. This whole gang is very much in the same vein of space outlaws as in Firefly or The Cowboy Bebop; each character provides enough emotional investment and attention so that they stand out and become heroes we can root for, no matter how bizarre or unlikely this union seems. The film is also loaded with a plethora of side characters, who all stand out in their own ways, to the point where I wished they could have had more to them (especially Thanos, who's obviously going to be a major player somewhere down the line; Nebula, who I thought was cooler than anything; the Collector, who's not given that much to do here; and Yondu, who clearly shares a history with Quill, but it's hard to tell where his loyalty is). Through the character interactions, the whole team emerges as a dysfunctional crew that stands up to tyranny in their own rebellious way, and their evolution from bickering individuals to literal Guardians of the Galaxy is quite the fun trip.

This film is crafted with solid and precise photography and editing. Acting is top-notch; you'd probably never expect much from this cast, but everybody does their best to make the characters stand out. Chris Pratt is not too shabby as the main hero; I enjoyed watching Zoe Saldana; Dave Bautista's performance is surprisingly solid; voices by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel get the job done well. Everybody else contributes admirably. Writing is pretty good. This production spares no expense on the outlandish and imaginative sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is decent.

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most well-rounded blockbusters since Marvel's own Avengers. It balances action, comedy, and storytelling very well. It defies all the odds and presents this obscure group of misfits as a thrilling new franchise for the masses..

5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Content: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Film Review: Thor: The Dark World (Revisited)

Thor - Norse God of thunder and perhaps one of the most surprising additions to Marvel lore - returns to his fantastic universe that blurs the line between ancient myth and science fiction. Kenneth Branaugh's film has always felt like a "good but not great" affair, so this sequel had nowhere to go but up.

Naturally, there are loads of great action scenes throughout the film, with Asgardians, humans, and dark elves fighting on land, sea, air, and space. Among the film's highlights, the elves' raid on Asgard is a fantastic sequence with spaceships zooming around the city with dazzling laser beams and mass destruction. The final act presents a wildly imaginative sequence with characters duking it out across multiple worlds. In between, the film goes through plenty of compelling drama, but a lot of it is ultimately crushed by the comedy; hardly a moment goes by without something funny or ridiculous.

The story continues after the first Thor film and The Avengers in a logical manner, continuing the established character arcs. The plot goes through a pretty standard structure, but it is far from predictable; there are a few surprising twists and turns, and the film takes the characters to bold new directions. A lot of the characters are fairly one-dimensional (especially Thor himself, the main antagonist, and the scientist characters, who are there mostly for comic relief), but everybody's favorite supervillain, Loki, easily steals the spotlight. Fortunately, most of these characters are likable (save for Darcy, who I think is cute, but many complain is overbearing). It's largely the villain who comes out as the weakest link, lacking in depth or range.

This film pretty standard photography, with some good movements and angles, which let the action scenes flow and speak for themselves. Editing struck me as being a little screwy in a few scenes, but is mostly spot-on. Acting is good: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins all reprise their roles admirably (Hiddleston has especially grown into his role most comfortably). Natalie Portman continues to play a rather ditzy love interest, but she is given more to do in this film. Everybody else is decent, although I don't think Christopher Eccleston stood out much at all. Writing is not bad, although I felt that the film's explanation of the Aether and its connection with things like dark matter and the universe in general was pretty weak (pretty much technobabble just for the sake of it). This production has decent-looking sets, props, and costumes. Most special effects are cool, but I thought that some of the backgrounds and starfields looked a little low-rez. Music is alright.

I find Thor: The Dark World is a grade more enjoyable than the first film, and it's worth seeing to see the characters' progression and plenty of otherworldly action. It's an easy recommendation for fans of the Marvel films.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)

Film Review: Thor (Revisited)

Thor: Norse god of thunder, and one of Marvel's most formidable heroes. Coming from a universe that surpasses the scope and understanding of a mere Earthling, Thor has the power to command the elements and vanquish foes with his incredible hammer. After Marvel introduced us to Iron Man and the Hulk, a series of Thor movies was inevitable.

Thor throws us into a world where Norse myth collides with science-fiction in a surprisingly sublime fashion. In this unique universe, we are introduced to the title character, who battles giants and mortal men alike with thunderous force. There is plenty of action throughout this flick, and lots of beautiful special effects. Even when Thor isn’t bashing the hell out of things, there’s enough character-driven drama to keep it strong. And of course, nothing’s more amusing than watching an archaic deity walking among modern men, acting like a total Viking in the modern world. Action is not quite as huge of a standout as it is in other Marvel films, but there's enough spectacle, humor, and dramatic tension to satisfy.

The story’s a little predictable, especially if you’re already familiar with the comics or Norse myth. The story has the merit of introducing Thor as a bit of a brute, who has to learn humility and control in order to realize his full potential. He learns these things on Earth, before taking the fight back to Asgard to resolve a larger struggle. In the end, it's a fine and satisfying fantasy adventure with just enough character building to make it endearing.

The film has good photography for the most part. The frost-giant battle shows some rather jittery camera work and editing, but afterwards it’s all solid. Some shots have some really funky crooked angles, but I think it’s cool. Acting is great; I loved Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in their roles, and Anthony Hopkins is a naturally good choice for Odin. Writing is not terribly sophisticated, but it gets the job done. Production value is phenomenal, with loads of excellent sets, props, costumes, and some very imaginative settings. It’s especially impressive how the designers have adopted Norse myth into the story and designs to fit into a sci-fi niche, and still make sense. Special effects look great, but they aren't always the best. The music score is not bad.

Thor's first feature film has its moments, both exciting and cute. It won't blow anybody away, but it is entertaining all the same.

3.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Okay | Film: Pretty Good)

The Garrison: Excerpt Chapter 6: The Strovnik Army Arrives

Below is a small part of my novel, The Garrison, a fantasy epic about a small castle struggling to hold out against a huge invasion force.  If you like what you see here, buy the entire book on Amazon!
--------------------
    Seth, Ghorman, Fastblade, and Leon were at the gatehouse, observing [the Strovnik army's] activity.  Seth had a torch ready at the gatehouse. He hoped that the oil he laid on the grass earlier in the week had not evaporated completely.  As the sky grew darker with gray clouds, he also hoped that it would not rain.
    Seth noticed Harmony standing at the walls.  He wondered if she could she command the skies and hold back the rain.
    His thoughts were interrupted by General Grumman’s approach. Reaching the base of the gatehouse, he shouted, “Defenders of Myriam! I am General Grumman of Strovnik! King Dorrel has sent us to claim what is rightfully ours, and if you hand it over now and surrender everything to us now, you will all be spared!”
    “You shall never have the greater half of the Dark Stone!” Seth taunted. “Nor will you ever see any of us surrender to you! This castle is the final line of defense for Tennence, and it will stand against your entire army!”
    “This is folly! Do you not understand that if you hand over a simple little rock, you will keep your lives, and ensure that you are treated well in Dorrel’s new kingdom! Do you all have a death wish?”
    “There shall be no new kingdom! This is where we draw the line!” Seth shouted back.
    “Be aware that this is your final chance–”
    “No! This is your final chance!”
    “So be it, defenders of Myriam! This castle shall fall!”
    Retreating to the ranks of his men, he raised the Strovnik flag.  As he did so, the entire Strovnik army erupted, clamoring for blood.
    The catapults were set into place, each one loaded with a giant boulder.  Seth knew that it would take many boulders to take down the walls of Myriam, but they were still the biggest concern.  He withdrew his longbow and nocked an arrow on the string.  Fastblade, Ghorman, and Leon did the same, all four of them dipping their arrowheads in oil and setting them ablaze.
    Seth sent an arrow soaring into the air, and it landed on the army below.  It fell on the oiled grass as he had planned, but failed to ignite the grass.
    Seth was perplexed.  Ghorman, Fastblade, and Leon followed suit, with perfect landings on the oil-soaked grass.  The flaming arrows lay burning on the ground, but the grass still failed to ignite.
    “This plan of yours is not working,” Ghorman complained.
    Without a response, Seth nocked another arrow, lit it afire, and released it.  As it plummeted to the ground, it was intercepted by the arm of an enemy soldier, setting him ablaze.  The Strovnik footman tried to flee from the flames, only making the burning worse.  He was forced to the ground by another soldier, who helped him extinguish his burning flesh.
    By that time, the two enemy catapults had fired their first rounds.  Their huge slings hurled the boulders soaring in the air like rockets.  The first boulder hit the base of the castle’s wall, producing an earsplitting crack, but the wall still held together.  The second boulder soared over the wall, clipping it and sending rock chips crashing down its side.
    Seth reloaded his longbow, lit it afire, and attempted to ignite the grass again.  The arrow flew wildly into the enemy formations and hit one of the catapults, lodging itself in the wooden frame.
    Fastblade and Leon unleashed a torrent of arrows onto a group of enemy footmen as they were lugging a battering ram towards the castle’s gates.  Two of were killed, but more men took their places and picked up the ram.
    Seth fired another arrow towards the catapults, killing one of the workers who was loading a boulder into the machine’s giant sling.  Crashing to the ground, it pinned another worker beneath it, killing him instantly.
    The boulder started to roll.  A few nearby footmen stood fast against the giant rock to keep it from rolling.  The stone gained momentum and flattened them as it sped through enemy lines.
    Most of the footmen were able to dodge it, clearing a path for the rolling boulder.  Several of them were still crushed by it.  Those carrying the battering ram were directly in the rock’s path.  Abandoning the ram, they darted out of the way as the boulder snapped it in half like a twig.
    The impact made the boulder stop.  Several footmen tried to salvage either the rock or the ram, but with the ram broken and the boulder so far away from the catapult, they didn’t bother to move them.
    Seth fired a flaming arrow at the fallen battering ram.  The arrow soared towards the log, but instead it ricocheted off of the boulder and it landed at an enemy soldier’s foot.  The Strovnik soldier stamped on the arrow, trying to beat out its flames.
    Suddenly, an explosion of flames burst from the arrow.  The oil had finally ignited.  Fire spread across the grass, encircling the castle.  Dozens of Strovniks were caught in the blaze.  Chaos ensued, as entire squadrons of soldiers were burned alive.
    Several footmen were trapped between the flames and the castle.  Fastblade and Leon showered them with arrows.  The rest of the Strovnik army retreated away from the fire, to their encampment nearby.
    Seth, Leon, Ghorman, and Fastblade joined the rest of the garrison on the wall walk.  A cry of victory resounded through the air as they witnessed their enemy’s demise.
    Seth’s victory cry was brief, however.  The dark sky threatened rain.  How long could the fires last, if dampened by a summer rain?

New Fantasy Novel: The Garrison Now Available!

One of my earliest fantasy novels, The Garrison, is now available to buy on Amazon and CreateSpace!

Synopsis
This short, breezy fantasy epic is all about one small castle with a small group of defenders, all struggling to hold off against massive waves of infantry and siege warfare from an invading nation.  Within the small castle is a relic - half of the mysterious Dark Stone - which the evil King Dorrel covets above all else.  After waiting for years, he launches an all-out invasion on the nation of Tennence, slaying their king and subjugating the kingdom.  One paladin - Seth Chamberlain - collaborates with the wizard Rellore and the garrison of Myriam Castle to muster a defense.  For weeks, the small garrison uses all their might, wit, magic, and strategy to ward off waves of enemies.  In the midst of the combat, Seth falls in love with a witch named Harmony, which strains the tension among the garrison even further.

This novel is briskly-paced with lots of combat and action, scenes of war, drama, romance, magic, and more.

This novel contains quite a bit of graphic violence.  Cursing is mild and there's one sex scene that doesn't go into too much detail.  I would think that teenagers and young adults can handle it, but for all intents and purposes, it's meant for mature audiences.

Background
This novel was originally drafted in 2002.  At the time, I visited Helmsley Castle in England, where they had a medieval reenactment to demonstrate how medieval life, combat, and warfare would have occurred.  This included some fighting demonstrations with daggers, swords, clubs, and bows.  Among the things I learned, it was mentioned that castle garrisons were not all that big at all:  small groups of men could fend off against huge odds using the natural defenses, strategy, terrain, weather, and resourcefulness of a castle.  Sieges could linger on for months like this, and history is full of cases where small groups of men had to fend off against attackers.

In high school, I learned about the different tactics used during siege warfare.  The objective was to force a surrender through attrition; attackers would surround a castle to block it off from the rest of the world.  They could raze all the surrounding farmlands and villages, further separating the castle from resources.  Attacking armies used to use all manner of siege weapons to take down a castle wall or gate.  Catapults and trebuchets would not only hurl stones, but could also toss filth and cadavers into a castle to spread disease.  Siege towers were built as moving towers on wheels, allowing infantry to gain access to the castle's ramparts and interior.  Siege ladders could do the same.  Battering rams could knock down gates.  However, defenders had the ability to throw anything they had at their enemies:  rocks, hot oil, etc.  Castles were often designed to deflect catapult bombardments, usually by making the towers rounded.  Gatehouses served as a highly effective killzone by trapping enemies in between gates and providing vantage points for archers to shoot down on them.  In any given battle, the weather and terrain can affect how armies approach a castle, or how effective the defenders are.

For the battle of Myriam Castle in the book, a whole plethora of these techniques are utilized, in addition to equipping the attacking army with grappling-hooks, and granting liberal use of magic among the defenders.  It took a year or two to draft this novel.  In 2004, I attempted to get the book published through an agent; it went so far as getting edited by a company called My Saint Is An Editor.  I backed out of a contract with the literary agency, after doing more research and finding that the agency didn't necessarily guarantee results.  The book remained in my files for the longest time while I kept busy with my day job and worked on various other projects; only within the past few months did I manage to put the finishing touches on the book by doing more editing passes and getting the graphics finalized.

I drew up maps on MS Paint originally, and they were always rather plain and dorky.  Last month, I posted a contest on Freelancer.com for graphic artists to take my maps and make them better.  After a number of great entries, I picked Sandra Sreckovic's entries as the winner.  Her work is featured in the first few pages of the book, showing in stylish detail how the lands of Tennence and the Realm of the Allied Kingdoms are laid out.

I published the book through Amazon and Createspace.  It took a matter of days to format the book properly, for both print and kindle.  Even though I could probably hire an artist for really good cover art, I opted to make my own cover using a photo I took a few years ago from a MacBeth play in Ripley Castle.  It was a picture of a man sitting by a tree, with a sword sticking up from the ground; I used Corel software to make it black-and-white, to blur out much of the background, and turn the photo into a type of pencil art.  Amazon's cover art software had a theme that cropped and framed the picture with black on the top and bottom of the cover.  This is probably not the best cover in the world, but I felt it was eye-catching, and I did it for free using my own files.

Inspirations
This was the first fantasy novel I attempted, but I had plenty of influences to draw upon at the time.

I've always been a fan of films like Braveheart, which may have subtly influenced my imagination to begin with.  The Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers was newly-released at the time, so watching the Battle of Helms Deep was quite the inspiration for writing a book based entirely on a siege.  The film The Craft gave me the idea to include four witches in The Garrison, with each one representing a different natural element.  I tried to replicate the events of the novel using the level editor for the video game Warcraft III, but I could never get the scripts to work all that well.  I got to admit that King Dorrel may have been inspired by Arthas in the Warcraft series.

While writing, a few pop songs (primarily Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" and Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful") and a lot of orchestral music provided some ample inspiration (especially the film scores for The Lord of the Rings and Requiem For a Dream).  For some odd reason, Enya's brief track "Epona" is one of the tracks I attribute the most to the project; I think it's a very lovely melody and sound that matches up well with the book's setting.  You can listen to select tracks that inspired me on 8tracks.com.

That's just about all there is to the novel.  It's not the biggest or best thing I ever wrote, but I think it came out well and it is something I'm proud of.  I hope you'll give it a chance and enjoy it.

Video Game Review: Dragon Age: Inquisition

After all the events of the last two Dragon Age games, the entire land of Thedas is thrown into peril.  A giant hole appears in the sky.  Rifts start forming all over the world, with demons sprawling out of them.  The Divine is dead, leaving the Chantry in shambles.  The war between mages and templars rages on, and Red Templars start their own invasion.  There are dragons to kill, Orlesian plots to foil, Venitori agents to hunt down, and Darkspawn to kill.  And in this third game, it's up to you to lead the Inquisition to resolve all these problems and become a new hero of the realm!

DA:  Inquisition takes all the best aspects of the last two games for a more refined gameplay.  As before, you can customize your character and build him/her up as you see fit, and you have a bunch of charming companions to control as well.  Controlling four people at a time, you travel through multiple open-world maps to slay hoards of enemies, find loads of secrets and treasures, and discover more of the story.  The amount of ground you get to cover is huge, and you can easily spend hours upon hours combing through each map and completing all their tasks.  Among the activities you can engage in, there are artifacts, landmarks, collectibles, puzzles, dragons, keeps, camps, rifts, secrets, and more to find.  As you progress, you'll eventually unlock huge potential in your skills, your crafting abilities, and your resources.  When you aren't going around killing things, you can send out dispatches across the land (much like the Assassin missions in the Assassins Creed games), which will net you even more rewards.  The game gives you a ton to do, and it empowers you with enough flexibility in shaping your characters and their gear to make them a force to be reckoned with.

What makes the game even more rewarding is the story and characters.  It is a basic premise, but it is also a grand and epic tale that incorporates many different subplots sprawled across the entire land.  Each character adds a bit of color and personality to the mix - there are a number of companion quests that help build them up even more.  The main character can be played either gracefully, aggressively, or with a sense of humor, and all personalities make him/her appealing in their own ways.  At this point, all of the myth and events of the last two games carry over and contribute to different parts of the story, tying up the entire franchise really well.  It also leaves enough open for a possible fourth game (which I'm sure is inevitable).  Choices made in the last games can be carried over or built up from scratch using the Dragon Age Keep website, although it only amounts to small, subtle changes.

On the PS4, this game looks gorgeous, especially in regards to the settings and locations, which look very detailed, clean, colorful, and fantastic.  Most movements are smooth, but some far-away creatures can get suttery for some reason.  Character animations are good and all the different people look good.  Each area is designed really well, with a phenomenal attention to detail.  Gameplay is easy and smooth throughout, with a lot of consideration put into the systems for skills and crafting to make it manageable and empowering.  Voice acting is decent, the writing is good, the sound design is good, and the music is great.  Unfortunately, the game is still not flawless; glitches are common, with plenty of instances where characters tend to float in the air or get stuck in places.  I've seen the camera do dumb things.  It also seems like some quest icons can be glitched on the map or they may not register properly.

The other issue with the game is that, eventually, you will run out of things to do.  Once you've spent 100 hours going through all the quests you can and exploring every inch of the maps, you might find yourself growing bored.  Regardless, most of the game is a smooth and high-quality RPG experience, with a great immersive world and a fun cast of characters.  It's a definite must-play for franchise fans.

4.5/5 (Experience:  Very Good | Story:  Very Good | Game:  Very Good)

Film Review: Jupiter Ascending

There are some sci-fi films that take viewers to strange new worlds, but there aren't many at all that take viewers on a roller-coaster ride through a fantastic universe full of intergalactic kingdoms so huge that they make the Earth look puny. In the Watchowskis' latest film, they dive into the staggering possibility that there are interstellar dynasties much larger and older than the Earth, which remains totally oblivious to their ancient schemes.

As expected, the spectacle is huge, lavish, and larger-than-life. Some of the special effects are beautiful, showing incredible spaceships and planetscapes. There are a lot of fights and chases that involve high-speed alien ships, bizarre weaponry, and huge setpieces. As epic as the film is, it still takes the time to pace the characters through their discovery of the larger universe, allowing the plot to unfold at a laid-back pace. Through it all, the film never fully takes itself seriously; there's enough mild humor in the mix to keep the tone upbeat, without being overly silly. It's every bit as much of a fun thrill ride as movies like John Carter, or 1980's Flash Gordon. If that sounds like fun to you, then you'll likely enjoy Jupiter Ascending as well; if not, then don't bother.

The story for Jupiter Ascending is basically a fairy tale set in space, following in the same formula as Cinderella. It also borrows some cues from The Matrix, especially in regards to featuring a main character who discovers that there's a larger truth that everybody else is oblivious to. As various mysteries are solved and the overarching conflict is revealed, the villains' plot proves to be a pretty smart "what if" idea that can stagger the imagination. Unfortunately, these ideas tend to be sidestepped by the characters and the action. I felt the characters were fine for what they were; Jupiter Jones has enough of a backstory and motivation to make her story halfway interesting. However, relating to her and the other characters tends to strain some viewers' abilities, making the experience a hit or a miss.  In the story's efforts to draw out suspense, it goes through several peaks where the main heroine is thrown into peril and has to either fight or be rescued; the repetition of it can be tiresome.

The film looks marvelous, with good photography and editing. The actors seem to get a lot of criticism in this film. I could take or leave Channing Tatum's typical tough-guy wolfman role, but I was fairly enamored by Mila Kunis (although not everybody will enjoy her performance). Other actors can be a hit or a miss, but they all show some color and flair. Writing could be more focused, but the dialogue does carry the signature brand of Watchowski wit, intelligence, and charm. This production boasts pretty good-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is quite bombastic and adventurous.

While not everybody will enjoy this film, I felt it was a perfectly fine piece of adventurous escapism, which taps into the same energy and sense of fun I've always enjoyed in films of the genre. I'd even say that if this film was more serious, it'd be dull. If you're a fan of the genre or directors, this is worth seeing at least once.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)

Film: First Thoughts on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

It's finally here:  the first teaser trailer for the next Star Wars film.  It's been almost ten years since the prequel movies were rounded off, fifteen years since they were first released, and 37 years since the original came out and rocked most of everybody's world.  Since the prequels, LucasFilm has left Fox and joined up with Disney, much the same way as Marvel left Fox and Sony to join Disney.  You might think it's weird for Disney, the company best known for animated classics like Mickey Mouse, would take the reigns for the Star Wars franchise.  Truth is, George Lucas probably can't ask for a better studio partner, given that Disney will leave creative control to him, but still provide a proactive role as producers, marketers, and distributors.  They are currently planning for a whole slew of new movies, which not only include Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, but also a number of spin-offs for all the different characters (such as Yoda and Boba Fett).  As for the next episode, Lucas has relinquished the director's chair to JJ Abrams, the man responsible for 2009's Star Trek and its sequel.  I know Abrams gets a lot of flack for his jittery camera work and use of lens flares (and fans have griped a lot about the storytelling decisions in the new Trek films), but if Super 8 was any indication, the man has a certain heart and energy that's on-par with the early works of Spielberg.  Letting Abrams direct may be the best decision Lucas has made of late, not only because Abrams will undoubtedly make an exciting film, but also because Lucas' direction has not been all that endearing; the prequels undoubtedly still leave a bad taste in people's mouths, due to the acting, writing, and massive use of CGI.

Even I will say that it's easy to get burned out on Star Wars.  I've always been a shameless fan, and I've ignored most of the movies' shortcomings up till now.  Only now will I admit that, yes, the prequels are rather bland, the acting is rather bad, the Ewoks are kinda dumb; I think it's only my personal maturity as a film viewer that has allowed me to put aside personal preference and recognize the films' critical shortcomings. Above all though, the whole saga has been spread so far and wide, across all manner of films, TV shows, books, games, and more, that it can become hard to get enthused about something that's been done and redone repeatedly.  All that being said, I do think the saga overall has been the brunt of a lot of undue hate, thanks to fans ravenously complaining about the prequels and changes in the original films, causing them to all cry out against George Lucas himself like he's the son of the devil or something.  Seriously, one of the sentences I hate the most is  "George Lucas raped my childhood," and it's regurgitated day after day across the Internet.  Although I understand the meaning - that a person's most influential childhood film has been defiled - I personally think it's flaky that one's entire childhood can be nullified by something new.  As I see it, childhood is an intangible essence that's come and gone, and can never be taken away from someone (unless we develop the technology to alter memories).

In light of the love/hate relationship people now have for Star Wars, I have no doubt that people will look at the upcoming film with reservations.  I do believe that we shouldn't have anything to worry about.  Lucas' role in the next film has been purely in the creative process, leaving the actual film-making to other hands; the things that made the prequels weak shouldn't carry over.  Folks may have their own reasons to hate Abrams' direction, but aside from how he handles the camera, I think we can all count on him capturing the same nostalgic magic that has been desired since the original films.  We can always count on the films looking good, with no expense spared on each set, prop, costume, vehicle, weapon, or special effect.  If there is anything to worry about it's where the story's going.  Rumors about the sequel trilogy have been floating around since the 80s, but from the few who've read the story treatments, the feedback has always been positive.  The real icing on the cake may be the return of the original cast and crew members - they may be aging a lot, but they will be familiar faces playing familiar roles, and they will undoubtedly stir up some kind of emotional fervor in all us fans.

Filming has been ongoing over the past year, with extreme secrecy and a lot of rumors floating around (the same tactics Abrams used in the Trek films to dissuade leaks; any rumors you read online should be dismissed as disinformation until you hear otherwise).  Finally, we have a first glimpse of the upcoming film, thanks to the following trailer:

My reaction to this trailer is naturally positive.  It's short and doesn't reveal much, but I personally prefer it that way, so as not to ruin too much of it all when I finally see the film.  I'm especially enamored by the way the camera focuses on a desert, before John Boyega's head appears (it's almost like the way The Good The Bad and the Ugly started off).  The look of panic on his face definitely warrants interest.  The scene with the X-Wings over water is a thing of beauty.  And, of course, the final shot of the Millennium Falcon is incredible.  It does prove that Abrams will use some pretty wild camera moves here, but I was personally impressed by the way the camera tracked it upside down and everything, while still giving us a good view of the ships' details.  It's exactly the kind of thing that made the original films so good - the slick combination of unique camera work, editing, and special effects.  That scene in the trailer generally reminded me of the Falcon's approach to Yavin IV, or the Death Star battle, all of which had pretty wild camera moves for their time.

Here are some more specific thoughts on what I've seen in this trailer:

• John Boyega's brief scene seems to suggest that he's in distress (some would even joke that he's really one of the troopers in the first film, still looking for those droids).  It may be speculation, but the current belief is that he'll be one of the main characters - a stomtrooper who defects and joins the main characters.  Could this mean that he's part of a unit that goes through some kind of traumatic event? Could it be connected to the next shot showing advanced stormtroopers on a dropship?
• I got to admit, the "football" droid is pretty weird.  Not sure what to think of that at this time.
• The design of the new stormtroopers look great; it's just like the classic design, but seems sleeker and more futuristic.  The question now is, can they actually shoot straight?
• Not sure who the woman is who mounts the flying hovercraft and takes off, but it is a cool-looking vehicle, and she looks like an interesting rough-around-the-edges character.  Could she be a merc? A bounty hunter? An assassin? A heroine? Just another working-class citizen of Tatooine?
• The shot with the robed figure seems to have caused some controversy, thanks to his bizarre lightsaber with the added blades on the hilt.  Many people are asking what the point and practicality of that is; others defend it saying that practicality in Star Wars is a moot point.  I personally do think it's a cool-looking lightsaber; it is something new and unique.  I also learned that it's been used before in other media.  The bigger question should be directed at the figure himself.  Who is he? Some have speculated that Darth Revan will be the villain of the movie.  Others have suggested Darth Plagueis.  In any case, it sounds like the Sith are definitely going to be the source of the overall conflict.
• The various designs of the pilots and X-Wings look on-par with the original films.  It is quite refreshing and exciting to see things match up with the older films (I've read plenty of people griping about how the prequels looked "too shiny and new").
• You may notice that the Millennium Falcon now has a square radar dish.  You might think that's odd, but do remember that the original dish was knocked off the dorsal hull while Lando flew inside the Death Star II.
• You may notice that the words "Episode VII" don't appear anywhere.  It remains to be seen whether those words will appear in the film's opening crawl (they most likely will), but the omission in the marketing will likely keep it in line with previous sequels (Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi never had episode numbers; they were really only needed in the prequels, to let people know that they are in fact prequels).  I personally like the way the secondary title squeezes in between the Star and Wars.

That's pretty much all we can extrapolate from this brief one-and-a-half minute clip.  There's still no telling how this new storyline will play out, but after thinking it over some more, I have my theories.  Given that all the trilogies up to now have followed the same basic pattern, then it may be safe to say that Episode VII will follow after Episodes I and IV.  Meaning, it will likely start with some kind of battle, causing a spaceship crash on Tatooine (it was confirmed in some news I read that a ship does crash on a desert planet).  Given that we see a troubled stormtrooper in the middle of the desert, perhaps it's the stormtrooper dropship that crashes or suffers some major incident, causing this specific trooper to desert and find help elsewhere on his own.  Maybe he'll group up with a bunch of new heroic characters.  Of course, the Falcon is seen flying over Tatooine, so maybe it's the ship that crashes (or maybe multiple ships crash, and the stormtrooper winds up allying with Han Solo and other heroes).  In any case, the heroes will undoubtedly gather on Tatooine, before taking off on some new adventure.  There are rumors that Luke Skywalker will become a Jedi so powerful that he can move mountains (which may be true, given that everybody in the original films claimed that he would be more powerful than Darth Vader).  He may even be a recluse up to this point (which seems to fly in the face of what's in all the books, but unfortunately, it is confirmed that the Extended Universe will be ignored for the next batch of films).  Above all though, I realize that the film will have to go above and beyond the normal scope of previous Star Wars films to confront the main antagonists who have always existed, but never really made a full-blown appearance.  The other movies have been about the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire; I believe this next film (and probably the two that follow it) will indicate that the Empire is just a small part of a larger Sith conspiracy to defeat the powers of good or light.  The most well-informed fans will know that Anakin Skywalker was actually the result of a Sith plot by Darth Plagueis, who manipulated life (midichlorians) to create "The Chosen One." Chances are that this will play into the next few stories to create an overarching conflict between good and evil.  This could be similar to the scope of Mass Effect, which started off small (colonies under attack), but eventually ballooned into a galaxy-wide struggle between various forms of life; I can easily see Star Wars going the same route, starting off with the galactic politics scene, but ballooning into a much larger struggle that will put earlier events into a new perspective.

I think it is exciting-looking stuff, I do believe Episode VII will be a great film to look forward to, and I already can't wait for next year when it comes out.  It remains to be seen whether general audiences will embrace the new film or not, but the film will surely make millions no matter what.  As the hype continues to build and I'll undoubtedly be geeking out over every other detail that emerges, I am confident that this will be one of the biggest movie events since Marvel's Avengers (although Avengers:  Age of Ultron will be a huge competing force next year).  I'm certain that I'll love Episode VII all the same, and I'm sure that other devoted fans will too.  It's an exciting time as ever to be a Star Wars fan.

Film Review: Dracula Untold

Dracula's story has been told and re-told so many times in so many different ways that the mere thought of having a "untold" Dracula tale comes off as ironic. But there is potential, especially in the historic roots of the character (as inspired by Vlad III "The Impaler," or "The Son of the Dragon," considered a hero of Wallachia, but also an infamous butcher everywhere else). Regardless, very few films have explored exactly how Dracula became such a cruel bloodsucking vampire.

The film kicks off with a prologue sequence that spells out who Vlad is and what the Turks are doing to his kingdom, in a style that feels like a moving graphic novel. From then on, the film wastes little time in pitting the titular prince against the Turkish army. Naturally, the prince resorts to fighting evil with evil, consorting with a vampire to gain supernatural powers. From then on, Vlad goes on to crush waves of Turks almost single-handedly. Most of the time, he's either transforming into a swarm of bats that rushes through his enemies, or he's slicing necks with expert swordplay. Scenes in between the action rarely drag; there is a fair amount of drama involved between the prince, his wife, his son, his followers - adding vampirism to these relationships offers a few intriguing twists and implications worth exploring.

However, the story is pretty standard fare; it's as if they took 300, took out the Spartans, replaced Leonidas with Dracula, and used Castlevania as a backdrop. As cool as it is to see a medieval Transylvania in action, the story is very simple and straightforward, and can be quite predictable. Most of it feels like it could have used more refinement; plot holes can undoubtedly be found, and more character development would be quite welcome. The whole film breezes by in a formulaic fashion, entwining bits of history with bits of vampire legend, but it amounts to very little that feels fresh, new, or invoking.

The film generally looks okay, with mostly-good photography and editing. Some of the action scenes have horrid camera work. Acting is okay: I enjoyed watching Luke Evans as the main character, and other actors can be a hit or a miss. Writing is quite simple and unrefined. This production uses pretty fine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects offer some good-looking views of fantastic places, and are good with some of the creature effects, but are rougher in the action scenes. Music sounds like more of the same.

Dracula Untold is certainly action-packed and takes advantage of some of the original lore of the character, but it also feels like just another typical swords and sorcery flick. Fans of the character or genre may find it worth renting.

3.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Average)

Novel Excerpt: Dark Fairy Chronicles

My latest project has been a rather bizarre and experimental idea.  The novel I've started working on now has two plots:  one in the past (1999) and one in the present (sorta:  it's 2009).  Together, they constitute the Dark Fairy Chronicles:  the outlandish case of a fairy and her daughter from another world crossing over to modern America to escape persecution.  In the past, the young daughter faces the hardships and pressure of high school, and begins to dabble with the lore and magic of her home world to overcome the challenges, and to perhaps seek vengeance against those who hurt her.  Ten years later, the town has been consumed by the dark forces of magic, with the town in ruins and overrun by vicious monsters.  In all that time, the military has been struggling to quarantine the corruption.  To end it once and for all, they launch an operation to exterminate the Dark Fairy.

Much of this writing as been touch and go for me, but over the past several months it's been coming along smoothly.  I find myself most comfortable in the 2009 scenes, where everything is pretty wicked and it's been playing out like a modern-day war story with a fantasy aesthetic.  I have a pretty good idea as to how these scenes will roll.  The 1999 plot is being laid out in a kind of flashback fashion, and I've always been weary that I may not be able to piece this together right (because high-school drama is something I never really wrote of before).  It's been coming along little by little though.  In a way, it's a bit like Stephen King's Carrie (or, cheesy as it may seem, the film The Craft), but coupled with an overarching quest plot; I don't even know how to describe the present-day story, except to say maybe it's what you get if the Shadow of Mordor video game was crossed with Saving Private Ryan.  The Dark Fairy herself is heavily inspired by characters like Maleficent.

This is being written as an epistolary novel, patched together from faux journal entries and memoir excerpts from the different characters involved.  Later on, I hope to include news reports and official documents as well.  This style of writing is great for giving a book a more realistic texture, but I believe it's ideal for showing multiple viewpoints and insights on the characters, making things well-rounded.

Below is the first major segment of the book, told as an excerpt from the memoir of a sergeant in the National Guard (his name is currently Jake Gildenberry, but his name is subject to change, because it does seem a little silly to me).  It jumps right into one of the major battles between the Guard and the Dark Fairy's forces; as such, it is a pretty grim and gnarly battle scene.  I hope it captures the horror and inhumanity of the battle, while stimulating interest in the rest of the tale.

WARNING:  This story contains liberal amounts of blood and gore.  Cursing is censored.

-------------------- 

July 10th 2009

                The Dark Zone:  the place didn’t get its name for being all flowers and sunshine.  At one point, maybe it was.  All that changed ten years ago, out of some crazy circumstance that nobody in the world truly understood.  Somehow, the small, sleepy town of Clearmont had turned into a Hell-on-Earth.  And I was standing right at the brink of it, along with several hundred other Guardsmen, just waiting to slaughter whatever it was that was stirring deep in the corrupted landscape.

                I had always heard stories about the DZ, but none of it could have prepared me for this.  There was a definite line in the grass where the world as we knew it ended and the corruption began:  it was fresh and green where I stood, but just a few feet away, it was all black as ink.  There was a line of dead trees in front of us; from the gnarled branches, scores of bones and skulls hung from twisted ropes.  Most of them weren’t human, but the ones that were undoubtedly came from our own countrymen, who fought and died to contain the corruption ever since it started.  God knows how many men died fighting in the DZ.

                The sky above the black land was always dark; gray clouds always swirled over the area ominously, and sunlight hasn’t even touched the land in years.  Several UAVs circled around the edges of the perimeter, scanning the dense mass of twisted trees and thorny underbrush.  They fed intel back to the forward operations center; command made their final decision based on the drones’ readings.  Moments later, the first stage of the attack commenced.

                From the distance, five A-10 Thunderbolts appeared and zoomed over our heads, their twin engines leaving behind a deafening roar.  Soaring over the DZ, the planes launched a myriad of air-to-surface missiles.  Upon hitting the tainted land, the missiles exploded in giant plumes of fire that ripped through the trees and set the grass on fire.

                Through the roaring of the flames, we could hear shrieking:  hundreds of vicious, inhumane shouts.  We all became tense and alert, gripping our rifles and waiting for the enemy to be flushed out.  This was my first engagement with the enemies of the DZ; I had always heard stories about them, and I read the reports, but even when knowing what to expect, I couldn’t stop the anxiety.  I watched intensely as the foliage ahead of us moved, and the enemy surged out of the woods with renewed rage.

                Suddenly, there was one monstrous roar that drowned out all the other noise of the battlefield.  From the middle of the forest, we all watched in awe as a huge monster rose up over the burning trees and took flight.  It was a black dragon, well over a hundred feet long.  Its scaled, spiny body glistened like oil in the daylight; its huge leathery wings flapped with enough force to produce a strong blast of air on the ground.

                The A-10s circled around the DZ and started another run.  Three of them continued to bombard the ground, but two trained their cannons on the dragon.  A constant stream of bullets ripped into the beast.  Some of them tore holes in the beast’s wings, and some cut through its thick hide, but most bounced uselessly off of the thing’s body.  Thousands of rounds were pumped into it within a matter of seconds, but the dragon showed no sign of being affected at all.

                Then, the beast lunged at one of the planes.  With a quick flap of its wings, it zoomed into the aircraft with a swift burst of speed; its talons clamped onto the fuselage, and it snapped at the cockpit with its jaws.  The plane’s canopy was crushed; pieces of glass and metal flew from the crunched hull, and the pilots inside were smashed to a bloody pulp.  The dragon swung its body before releasing the plane’s wreckage; the wreckage flew toward one of the other planes, but it banked and narrowly avoided a collision.  Falling into the woods, the destroyed A-10 slammed into a cluster of trees, becoming nothing more than a twisted heap of smoldering metal.

                Ahead, the foliage continued to move, as the enemy’s ground units drew closer.  I could tell that we were all disturbed after seeing the dragon; it was just a small taste of the madness that we were about to see coming out of the corrupted land.  No level of training and experience could prepare us for the unnatural things we were being asked to fight.   The fear in all of us was so palpable, it hung in the air around us like a dark veil.

                Next to me, a fellow guardsman couldn’t take it.  In a panic, he turned and fled.  Our unit commander shouted at him to fall back into formation, but he continued to run.  Some of the other men exchanged looks, clearly wondering if they should also take a chance and desert, rather than to face the terror of the Dark Zone.  The bravest ones merely shook their heads in pity and kept their guns pointed forward.

                Finally, the enemy broke through the line of trees and foliage in front of us.  The first one we saw was set on fire from the planes’ bombing run; the creature was nothing more than a short, black humanoid shape with charred skin, and an unnatural shriek coming from its lips.  Several of us opened fire immediately, putting the thing out of its misery.

                As the burning creature collapsed, with black blood gushing from its wounds, dozens of them rushed out at us.  They were orcs:  a vicious and ugly rabble of gray, green, and black-skinned monsters.  They were the size of normal men, but nearly twice as bulky in muscle.  Their bodies and faces were strangely gnarled and twisted, to the point where no two were alike.  They are all clad in various forms of crude, makeshift armor; some were made of wood, others pieced together from metal scraps.  They all had crude weapons in their meaty hands; jagged swords, warhammers, and huge clubs.

                In one huge wave, the orcs rushed at us screaming their inhuman war cries.  We fired on them, sending a volley of bullets that cut through their entire front line.  The sounds of endless gunfire filled my ears, and orc bodies collapsed in front of us on a pile.  More of them continued to come out of the forest, jumping over their fallen comrades and rushing toward us in a blind rage.

                From overhead, the four remaining A-10s made another pass.  Their cannons pelted the battleground, with thousands of bullets streaming into the creatures and ripping their bodies to pieces.  Even the most heavily-armored orc became riddled with holes; they all collapsed in front of us in a bloody heap.  The planes continued to circle around, and the black dragon followed.

                There was a short-lived boost in morale as we watched the monsters fall before us.  More of them came out of the woods, and we opened fire again.  More of them were shot down, but some slid and took cover behind the bodies of the others.  From there, they brandished crossbows and fired arrows at us.  One of the men next to me was hit in the face, an arrow sticking out of his eyeball.  His body slumped to the ground; watching him, I realized right away that there was nothing I could do for him.

                More of us were hit with the arrows.  Our barricades and body armor were able to repel a lot of them, but some men fell with arrows in their arms, legs, and heads.  Despite the losses, we maintained the suppression, firing thousands more bullets into the woods and slaying more of the orcs.

                One group of orcs rushed out, holding up a large metal shield.  Our bullets ricocheted off of the metal wall uselessly; the creatures crept closer to us with while holding up the barrier.  As they encroached, one guardsman tossed a grenade, which landed at their feet.  The explosion ripped through the orcs; frags shredded their flesh, splattering their blood all over the place.  The shield fell to the ground uselessly.

                Our commander shouted words of encouragement, and we continued to hold the line.  The orcs seemed to continuously spawn out of the woods, throwing themselves at us in a blind, animalistic rage.  I started to wonder if there was more to their strategy; even primitive brutes like these must know that we had the upper-hand in sheer firepower.  Even the dumbest of enemies would know by now to spare their men in a senseless frontal assault and seek an alternative, but the orcs just kept coming.  They had to have been up to something, using this attack and throwing away their most disposable soldiers as some kind of distraction.

                I wondered if command would be considering the same thing.  Just as soon as I contemplated these things, our unit was ordered ahead.  There was a break in the enemy waves, and we needed to push forward into the woods and start our incursion into the DZ.  All at once, we ran from the cover of our barricades and charged forward.  More orcs appeared in front of us, but were quickly cut down in a barrage of bullets.

                Pushing through the first line of trees, we found ourselves treading across a gnarled landscape of thorny bushes and dense underbrush.  Ahead, we could see the remains of the orc burrows, collapsed and set on fire from the bombings.  Dozens of burnt bodies were strewn around the surrounding woods.

                Our objective was on the other side of the burning settlement:  a glade that we could use to set up a base camp.  We traversed around the burrows, trudging through a thicket of gray prickly bushes.  Just as we stepped through the tough foliage, an orc jumped out from behind a tree and swung a warhammer.  The massive weapon smashed into the man in front of me; I could hear the brutal crunching of bones.  The soldier collapsed, coughing up blood, and the orc raised his weapon up to deliver a fatal blow.  I didn’t even stop to think; I squeezed the trigger and shot the enemy in the head.  A hole exploded in the creature’s cheek, gushing black ooze.  He staggered and fell, making grotesque gurgling sounds.

                Somebody crouched down by our fallen comrade, and started to deliver first aid.  Then, we heard noises ahead of us:  moving foliage and the grunting of orcs.  Knowing that this was not the time or place to help our man, two of us picked up the wounded soldier and hauled him back out of the woods.

                The rest of us pushed forward.  After just a few steps, arrows started whizzing through the trees.  Some of them hit the men behind us, who were carrying out our wounded comrade.  If that man had a fighting chance to live, that chance was obliterated, as an arrow struck him in the gut.  Men were falling all around me, with arrows sticking out of their bodies.  I took cover behind a tree; I heard a hard thunk as an arrow wedged itself in the bark.

                Several others took cover, behind trees, hills, and rocks.  I peered cautiously from the side of the tree, to see if I could spot the enemy.  An arrow grazed the tree close to my face, and I had to withdraw.  Others took a chance to fire their guns from behind cover; our bullets cut through the foliage and hit a few of the enemy.

                While the guardsmen continued to fire, I realized that they were drawing the orcs’ attention away from me.  I took a chance to run from cover, moving deeper into the woods.  I dived into a cluster of bushes, just as an enemy spotted me and let loose an arrow.  It flew over my head, as I took cover in a shallow ditch.  I remained prone and flush against the soil, well out of sight from the enemy.

                We heard the A-10s overhead again.  One of them made a pass over the forest, and launched ground missiles into the enemy lines.  The forest ahead of me became engulfed in flames; a dozen orcs were incinerated, and they shrieked in pain.

                As the planes passed by, the dragon continued to chase them.  The beast closed in on one of them and snapped its jaws at the plane’s rear wings.  Its teeth crunched the metal, and the dragon yanked away a huge chunk of the fuselage.  Out of control, the A-10 spiraled and plummeted to the ground some miles away.

                As the fire and smoke cleared, the land ahead of us was scorched, and parts of the woods were still ablaze.  All of the guardsmen regrouped and pressed forward, cautiously treading over the charred land and passing by the burning woods.  I tailed behind the main group; we moved for another fifty yards, before reaching the clearing.

                The glade was circular and flat.  There were some wrecked cars along the edge of the woods, but were completely covered in vines and overgrowth.  As we stepped on the grass, our unit commander started giving orders to secure the perimeter.

                Suddenly, an arrow flew into his back.  Its shaft pierced through his body, and the arrowhead poked out of his chest.  He didn’t even stand a chance, as the arrow punctured his heart; he collapsed, with blood spilling on the grass.

                We all ran retreated to the woods, but it was too late; in the clearing, there was no cover, and no time to find cover.  Arrows criss-crossed each other in the air and landed all over the glade, turning it into a confined killzone.  Dozens of us were caught in the cross-fire, with arrows cutting through our bodies.  We all fired back into the woods, but it was impossible to see where the enemy archers were.  They had us surrounded and outnumbered; we had stepped heedlessly into a trap.

                None of the arrows hit me, and I considered myself lucky.  The enemy stopped their attack briefly, before they came out of the woods all around us.  There were maybe twenty of us left in the glade, and the orcs formed a circle around us.  They closed in, wielding bows, blades, and clubs menacingly.  We held up our guns, but hesitated.  It was a brief and uncertain break in the fighting, and nobody wanted to make the first move that could get us all killed.  After all, they had us outnumbered now, and it looked like they wanted us alive.

                One of the orcs stepped closer to us, cocking his ugly brown head at us and sizing us up with his blood-red eyes.  He barked at us, “Stupid humans! You dare trespass on tainted soil.  Don’t you know that corrupted lands belong to us? You will all pay for your insolence!”

                In the heat of the moment, one of the guardsmen shouted back, “F#&k that! This is American soil!” He held up his gun and was about to shoot the orc in the face.

                In one swift move, the orc closed in on the soldier thrashed his arms out, pushing the soldier’s rifle to the side.  He then slashed down with his sword, cutting the guardsman’s hands off.  As the man’s hands and rifle fell to the ground, he screamed in agony, regarding his bleeding stumps in disbelief.

                “Anybody else want to be a hero?” the orc seethed. “I eat heroes for breakfast!”

                With the orc formation closing in on us, there was little more choice.  Fighting back would only get us killed; one by one, we all surrendered, dropping our weapons.  Regarding the ugly faces that closed in, I asked, “What are you going to do to us?”

                “That depends on what the Dark Fairy says,” the orc spat.  Turning to the others, he shouted a phrase in the strange, foreign orc language.

                In the next instant, the orcs were upon us, pushing into us harshly and clubbing us with their weapons.  A mace came down on the back of my neck; I felt a sudden stab of pain, before everything went dark.

Yep, I drew this from the above scene.

UPDATE:
I recently received some feedback from a friend, who was formerly in the National Guard.  He informed me that it is highly unlikely that an A-10 can be taken down by a dragon; the planes' guns would likely rip the beast to shreds.  However, the A-10s are not the fastest and most maneuverable, so it is still possible for a dragon to latch onto one, possibly from behind and over the dorsal side so it's out of range of its guns.  The issue also came up concerning radar, but there are ways for a dragon to evade detection.  It will either be the case that the dragon is cold-blooded and doesn't emit enough heat to be picked up.  More than likely though, I will need to explain that the entire DZ dampens and disrupts radar and other scanners due to the presence of magic (although that will mean that the UAVs at the beginning will also be affected).  Also, the A-10s should deploy countermeasures (probably flares) to ward off the dragon; I imagine that a flare could cause some harm to the creature.

I will plan on revising this scene with the above considerations in the rewriting phase, to improve creditability.