Book Review: The Expats (Chris Pavone)

The Expats - or rather, expatriates, referring to people who live in a country other than the one they were raised in - in this case refers to a family that moves to Luxembourg on a business venture, with the thrilling prospect of seeing Europe and experiencing its culture.  However, beneath the family facade, buried secrets emerge.  As it turns out, the wife was once employed in the CIA as a spy and assassin, though her family is oblivious to her previous transgressions.  Things gradually get more and more intense when she suspects that her husband may be doing shady business in Europe.  What follows is a huge amount of mystery and intrigue, as secrets and lies are slowly and methodically revealed.

There isn't a whole lot of action to this novel, but it is definitely a fun read, given the constant cliffhangers, the somewhat cheeky narration, engaging dialogue, and the methodical unraveling of the mystery overall.  The book is pretty fast and easy to read.  It finds a good balance between being wordy and being trim.  Parts of it are quite witty, especially as the book often harps on the differences between living in the US and living in Europe.  Having lived in Europe for a while, I found much of the book to be really spot-on with its descriptions and details; it's clear to me that Mr. Pavone wrote this novel from the actual experience of living overseas.

The story is decently-told and well-built.  It builds a tremendous amount of suspense with the way it reveals each new suspicious thing, and through the main character's perspective, we are made to relate to her paranoia and doubts.  Through this, a subtle inner conflict runs through the entire story and makes it really engaging.  The book presents a decent group of characters, all pretty distinctive and realistic.  If there's anything to complain about it's that the book is jumbled up a bit, using flashbacks and flash-forwards frequently, and it can appear convoluted at times.  I also felt the ultimate climax was surprisingly anticlimactic; it's an okay ending, but I was left wanting more to it.

The writing is generally good.  This writer has an interesting tendency to list descriptions one after another, as a barrage of sensation and thoughts, and it is pretty effective that way.  The style is unique and fun, and I think it does a good job of matching up with the main character's thought patterns.

Overall, I would say this book is good, not great, but definitely a fun and easy read.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Very Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Book:  Good)

Film Review: Cyborg

"The last scientists were working on a cure that would end the plague and restore the world. Restore it? Why? I like the death! I like the misery! I like this world!" - Vincent Klyn

Not to be confused with Manborg.

Cyborg is a film that tries so hard to be wicked and awesome.  It is at least partway successful; set in a cruel violence-ridden apocalyptic landscape, the characters fight bad guys at every turn, with knives, big guns, and their fists! The overall look, style, and tone of the film would make it a fine compliment to the Mad Max series, but Cyborg is a grade meaner and more intense.

That being said, the film is still very much on the cheap side.  Many of the fights are cheaply-edited and choreographed.  There are laughable moments to be had.  Dialogue and writing are pretty cheesy, and the whole film feels pretty short and insubstantial.

The film's story is pretty basic, lacking in any deep characterization, depth, or emotional resonance.  It's very short and small-scale overall.  The plot consists of a man meeting cyborg woman, and they fight their way to a specific destination.  There are moments in between the action where characters try to warm up, with some flashbacks and touching scenes, but it never feels like we really get to know these characters in depth.   It's all just a fine excuse to see Van Damme kicking a lot of butt.

This film does have quite the style though, with some impressive camera angles and cool photography.  Editing is pretty good.  Acting can be quite cheesy, not only with the occasional silly line, but also with the exaggerated movements and the way everybody likes to scream at each other.  Writing is alright.  This production uses pretty cheap sets, props, costumes, and locales, although it doesn't show that much; the film plays within its limitations pretty well.  I personally don't like the music score, but I see that other viewers love it.

Cyborg is pretty wicked, but also quite cheesy, with a short and small-scale story attached to it.  It does have its moments though.  If you're a fan of cheesy action, gritty post-apocalypse sci-fi, or a Jean Claude Van Damme fan, then this film may satisfy.  Otherwise, you'll probably dismiss it as something trashy and dumb.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Marginal)

Film Review: The Wolverine

"What kind of monster are you?"

"I'm the Wolverine!" - Hiroyuki Sanada and Hugh Jackman

Wolverine still stands as one of the most prolific, most popular, and most badass superheroes of Marvel lore.  The man is literally immortal:  he heals instantly, even from mortal wounds, and thanks to that he was grafted with an invincible metal skeleton, complete with retracting adamantium claws.  Wolverine kicked plenty of butt in the three main X-Men films, but a stand-alone Wolverine film has always been in the cards, to give fans another chance to see this awesome character in action.  So, they made X-Men Origins:  Wolverine...and it kinda sucked.  Oh sure, it had action and style, but with a mixed-up storyline and poor editing, the film proved to be an epic mess.

To rectify things, The Wolverine was made to finally give us a movie that not only gives us the title character on a rampage, but also tells a compelling story.  This film is nowhere near as overblown as other X-Men films:  the action is confined to a series of fights.  Some of the highlights include a fight on top of a high-speed bullet-train, confrontations with a small army of ninjas, and a final showdown with a giant armored samurai suit.  Not much terribly large-scale or explosive, but the film does satisfy in the same way thrillers like The Man From Nowhere, Kill Zone, or Crying Freeman do.  The fights are pretty cool, showing quality choreography, cool weaponry, and fast moves.

The story is a massive improvement over X-Men Origins:  Wolverine, which tried too hard to cram in so much.  The Wolverine takes its time to breathe, giving a steady focus on the title character.  It is a much-needed character study; as a sequel to X-Men:  The Last Stand, Wolverine is a broken man, tormented by guilt and deprived of purpose.  As he travels to Japan and becomes caught up in a major conspiracy, he is revealed to be a figurative ronin:  a master-less samurai struggling to regain his honor, perhaps even through death.  Due to these issues, and with the threat of taking away his healing powers, this is Wolverine at his most vulnerable, and it makes for a very intense struggle.  The conflict runs good and hard throughout the story, and the plot is well-structured.  The story has a dense layer of conspiracy that's not exactly easy to comprehend, especially with so many side characters, but other parts are predictable.  At the film's core, however, strong parallels are drawn between Wolverine and the Bushido code, and it makes for a rather compelling show.

This film uses pretty straightforward photography and editing, and it's refreshing that way.  Acting is good:  Hugh Jackman is still perfect as Wolverine, and the rest of the cast is decent and feels authentic.  Writing is good.  This production uses good-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Locales in particular look authentic, and it helps, since the setting plays a major role in this story.  Music is not bad either.

The Wolverine is the film the character deserves, with emphasis on "THE" to indicate that this is not just another plain ol' superhero flick, but an exploration on the character and his quest for absolution.  To be honest, I expected this film to be rather dull, and many viewers will probably dismiss it as being dull.  Personally, it exceeded my expectations, if for no other reason than I enjoyed watching the character, both in action and for the drama.  If you're an X-Men fan or Wolverine fan already, then this film should be a no-brainer.  For everybody else, this would be a decent rental when it comes to disc.

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

Film Review: Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

"Welcome to the newest chapter in the history of iron!" - some TV announcement

Tetsuo: The Iron Man - A film so manic, hyper, weird, and stylish, it represented the epitome of an experimental film. David Lynch would have gouged his eyes out.

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer - A sequel so intense and crazy, it took the strange visions of the first film and spat them out at the viewer in a refreshing barrage of insanity.

The third Tetsuo film, The Bullet Man, is pretty much more of the same. You can certainly expect the film to break out in hyperactive bombardments of flashing rapid-fire images. You can certainly expect the main character to mutate into a metal monster and wreak some havoc (and this time, he spits bullets!). You can certainly expect this to be weird and crazy.

However, this Tetsuo film is notably different, and not in a way that's refreshing or necessarily good. In between the manic freak-out scenes, the film slows down drastically, trying its best to weave in some semblance of an actual story with actual characters and actual reasons behind the madness. With the terrible dialogue, short runtime, and overall freakiness of the film, I really don't think this story works as well as it wants to. The film really wants to give a compelling vengeance story (the exact same type that went into the last two films), it really wants to give us emotional characters, and it wants to give us some kind of background to the "Tetsuo Project" and its connection to the characters. In the end though, it comes off as being too short and underdeveloped for its own good.

The experience of the film overall is pretty agitating. Granted, the other Tetsuo films are agitating as hell, but The Bullet Man seems to be a grade worse. Nearly every scene is shot with a camera that never sits still. Given the other issues listed above, I was rather apathetic about the film overall. I actually value the other two films for their remarkable styles and visions, even though they are pretty hyperactive in their own right, but this third film never felt like it brought anything new to the table.

In addition to being really hyper and annoying, the film is rather drab-looking, with lots of dark lighting and gray settings. Photography is among the worst I have ever seen, and the editing is crazy. I was personally appalled by the acting and writing; most of the dialogue is terrible, with very stupid lines and absurd delivery. On the plus side, the sets, props, and costumes are pretty decent, and it's especially cool to see that the filmmakers preferred to use practical effects rather than cheap CGI. Music consists of lots of airy noises and metallic banging, further adding to the annoying experience.

As much as I value the first two Tetsuo movies, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy The Bullet Man as much as I wanted to. I halfway wonder if Shin'ya Tsukamoto is purposefully trying to make the most annoying movie possible. Established Tetsuo fans will probably enjoy The Bullet Man, but casual viewers will probably want to keep their distance. I personally recommend the first film, if at all interested.

2/5 (Experience: Annoying | Story: Very Poor | Film: Marginal)

Video Game Review: inFamous 2

Some of the funnest games are those that empower the player with awesome (and perhaps destructive) superpowers.  The first Infamous game offered players power, through the character of Cole MacGrath, a man who can harness and manipulate electricity.  You're given the choice to use your powers for good or for evil, and you're given free-reign throughout Empire City to fight bad guys, save (or punish) the citizens, and slowly unravel the truth.  The game ultimately ends with a heck of a twist; if you're familiar with what happens, then you'll know that what happens next will be something fresh, new, and epic.

Infamous 2 is pretty much the same game as #1, only a grade better.  The gameplay is sleek and fast.  The powers you get to use are refined to offer a perfect arsenal of empowering abilities.  Parkour and climbing are still essential, but are smooth and glitch-free.  You're still given free reign over a city (Cole moves from Empire City to New Marais, which seems to be inspired by New Orleans, and even includes a flooded-over area that echoes the Hurricane Katrina disaster).  As you make your way through the two large islands, you can spend many fine hours completing side missions, hunting down collectables, playing through the story, or just exploring.  This game also introduces a neat feature in which users can create their own levels and publish them online; the user-generated levels appear all over the map and can be played by anyone.  It all makes for a fantastically addicting experience; best of all, the game is never frustrating, and it's never over or under challenging.

The story you get to play is not quite as mind-blowing as the first one, but it is a decent continuation.  Parts of it seem to mirror the first game, but it does introduce a cast of great new characters (many of which are superpowered), and plenty of new territory is covered (not only as a setting, but also in regards to the game's concepts, ideas, and background).  Characters are as endearing as ever, and the common themes of good-vs-evil and moral choice are as strong as ever.

The game looks really great too, with superb graphics.  Textures, renderings, animations, and lighting are great.  It's especially remarkable compared to the first game, which looked rather low-rez; the characters receive a magnificent boost in quality, and everything else is a grade better.  The open-world cityscape is designed really well.  Designs for all the settings, characters, and objects are good.  Voice-acting is good, sound designs are good, music is good...heck, the whole game is good.

Go play it.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Good | Game:  Perfect)

Film Review: What Dreams May Come

It's strange to me that there just aren't that many films that actually show Heaven or Hell in great depth. Perhaps because of that, I often look upon What Dreams May Come as the closest we have to seeing the afterlife on a grandiose Dante-esque scale. The film's biggest selling point are its special effects, which bring Heaven and hell to life in an extremely vivid fashion. Scenes in heaven start off as a literal painting, which is stylish and whimsical; every other scene is ordained with beautifully lush and sunny landscapes and architecture. Later on, the film shows a fantastic cityscape with magnificent domes, arches, spires, with flying people and waterfalls all around it. Then, when the characters make their epic journey to Hell, they tread upon freakish landscapes ordained with shipwrecks, heads in the ground, and a sea of bodies. Scenes like these are brilliant and lovely, for they appear like living, moving Renaissance paintings.

However, the experience of What Dreams May Come is a strangely uneven one. The film's narrative is cut up, interjecting flashbacks and dialogue at odd places. In doing so, the pacing becomes herky-jerky. The film will be drop-dead serious one moment, sentimental the next, then slappy, then corny, then beautiful, and so on. It also takes a little while to get to the good stuff; the actual plot of the movie doesn't kick in until ten minutes or so, during which time nothing much really happens. I think if the entire film was focused on the afterlife, rather than jumping back and forth and focusing so much on the characters' sentimentality, it would have been more effective. As it is, the film is strangely uneven.

The story generally works, but thanks to the way it's broken up, I feel the plot suffers tremendously. Conflict is slight as it is, but with the frequent flashbacks and interruptions, the plot stalls most of the time. When the plot does take momentum, it covers rather predictable ground. Characters are generally likable and emotional, and are a pleasure to watch.

A few concepts are challenging though: the film takes the safe path through its theology, with its mention of reincarnation, with having certain characters take on the attributes of different races and creeds rather than being themselves. The film is also very Swedenborgian, given its assertions about love, punishment in the afterlife (or rather, the lack thereof), and the notion that Heaven and Hell are derived from the characters' minds or the state of their soul, rather than being real places. The film portrays an afterlife that's non-threatening and all-encompassing, which is nice, but runs contrary to established beliefs in theology and religion. At its worst, it's pure Hollywood surgar-coating.

The film generally looks good, with a varied mix of interesting photography and vivid imagery. Editing is pretty wonky, given the way it cuts up different scenes in one giant meatloaf-style narrative. Acting is decent though: Robin Williams eeks out a few of his signature silly lines, but other times he's really earnest. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s presence is somewhat bewildering, but he seems to have fun with his role. Max Von Sydow comes off as a Virgil wannabe, and Annabella Sciorra nails her role. Writing is a mixed bag; it's sophisticated in some places, simplistic in others, and really sentimental throughout. This production has magnificent sets, props, costumes, special effects, and locales. Music is nice too.

The story's pretty random, and some of the ideas seem to be watered-down for mass audiences, but What Dreams May Come does offer a worthwhile experience, as it literally paints visions of the afterlife before our eyes. At the moment, it's the best we have to actually seeing what Heaven and Hell could look like, and that alone makes it worth seeing at least once.

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

Film Review: The Rock

"You're stuck between a rock, and a hard case." - Sean Connery

The Rock opens with a military funeral, intercut with explosions, and with Hans Zimmer's dramatic score in the background.  Yep, it's pure Michael Bay:  just about all of the man's films feature huge, overblown action scenes, big fiery explosions, energetic car chases, silly humor, and a hyperactive style.  It's made for a rather shallow experience for some of his films, but in his second full-length feature film, all the excesses align perfectly, crafting one of the purest and most thrilling action movies of all time.  You can certainly expect lots of action:  the shootouts are loud and intense, there is one awesome car chase, and there are quite a few major explosions.  Characters often exchange witty lines throughout.  And when the bullets aren't flying, the film still maintains furious momentum with its suspense and political intrigue.  It's a perfectly loud and explosive picture, but without being too overblown (especially not as much as Bay's Transformers trilogy).

Thankfully, The Rock is not all about endless gunfire and pyrotechnics.  The film utilizes pretty common elements of action movies:  terrorists take some hostages, good guys have to rescue them and stop the chemical missiles from causing widespread death.  The Rock offers some clever variations though, especially by having the terrorists take over Alcatraz, turning the titular prison (and in some parts, San Francisco) into a massive action setpiece.  Above all, the characters propel the film into above-average fare:  the protagonists are an unlikely pair, sharing entertaining chemistry, and each one has likable traits and personal stakes attached to them.  The villains are especially noteworthy, because they're not just mindless nameless bad guys:  they have a patriotic motivation, and they show surprising humanity at times.  The plot overall is pretty well-built and evenly-paced.

This film has solid photography, which includes a lot of cool-looking camera angles and movements.  It gets really shaky during the big car chase, but it's far from unbearable.  Editing can be fast at times, but once again, it's not too unbearable.  Acting is solid:  Nicholas Cage dishes out a lot of humor, but he's appropriately serious when he needs to be; Sean Connery is at his most badass here, and Ed Harris really nails his role.  Writing is pretty good.  This production uses some very cool and real-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Hans Zimmer's music score is the essence of action-movie music.

In fact, the movie overall embodies the essence of an action movie.  Recommended!

4.5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Good | Film:  Very Good)