Writing: National Novel Writing Month 2015 - Thoughtless

It's time once again for National Novel Writing Month! This year will be my fifth year in a row.  For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a worldwide event in which writers all over the world attempt to pump out 50,000 words in one month.  It's a personal goal more than anything - a way for writers to motivate themselves and improve their productivity.  There are write-ins to attend, where writers can meet face-to-face in their local regions.  It's a rather informal, casual affair to promote the creative spirit.

Realistically, I find that 50K words in a month is more than do-able - it amounts to 1,667 words a day (a few pages).  It doesn't have to be pretty - editing while writing is actually counterproductive and unwise during this period of unbridled drafting.  It doesn't even have to be finished.  As long as you can pump out 50K words by November 30th, you're a winner.  You can always use December onwards to finish, edit, and rewrite the novel.

Technically, there's nothing stopping you from copying and pasting one word 50,000 times and calling yourself a winner.  The problem is, if you do that for whatever reason, you're doing a disservice to yourself (unless you truly believe 50,000 of one word is actually sell-able as a novel - in that case, good luck).  It's all for a writer's personal benefit.

This year, I plan on tackling a story idea I've had in mind since 2012 or so.  This is an idea that came up out of a conversation I had about how technology often does our thinking for us, and removes our own capacity for thinking.  As technology becomes more convenience and intelligent, what reason does a person have to learn or exercise existing skills? If the mind doesn't get exercised often enough, it is bound to be come dulled, leading to a society of people who can't think or function without technology.

Out of that line of thinking, my new novel will be about a future where everything is run by an omnipresent artificial intelligence.  It is called NORA - the Neurological Oligarchy of the Reformed America.  It is a future in which NORA runs every department in the government, and it uses implants in every citizens' brain to analyze their lives and make their decisions for them.  It would tell everybody what to eat, what their careers are, who they should socialize with, who to marry, what to say to people, and everything else.

In this setting, the story will be about Tom Guilding, who works as a police officer in an elite first response team called D-40.  He will become involved in a case in which a terrorist named Lucifer has stolen funds from NORA, and plans to destroy the AI through some unknown, nefarious means.  In order to catch Lucifer, NORA takes out Tom's implant and sends him undercover.  It is up to Tom to find Lucifer, uncover evidence, and learn what his plan is in order to stop him.  However, without the guidance of NORA, Tom will have to exercise his mind for the first time.  He will have to operate and overcome challenges on his own.  The more he learns, however, the more he questions his loyalty and questions who the real villain is.

This novel will be entitled Thoughtless.  It will take after a lot of sci-fi classics that I know and love - stories like Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell's 1984, and films like Logan's Run, Equilibrium, The Matrix, Swordfish, Point Break, and The Dark Knight.  Tom is a character inspired by the heroes of these various stories - usually authority figures who are made to see the evils of a dystopian society.  Lucifer is an unhinged, unstable villain originally inspired by the various villains that John Travolta played in various films, but at this point Lucifer has become a much more menacing figure in the same vein as The Joker or Fight Club's Tyler Durden.  Altogether, my story will carry some pretty heavy-duty themes concerning the dangers of allowing technology to take over responsibility over our lives, and at its heart this will be a story about a man freeing his mind.

Some music to inspire me for this project can he heard on 8tracks.  My playlist includes a ton of electronica - bands like Kosheen, BT, the Chemical Brothers, Phutureprimitive, The Crystal Method, The Glitch Mob, Celldweller, and more - and some soundtrack music, such as the film scores for The Dark Knight, Takers, Transformers, The Social Network, Ghost in the Shell, Lucy, and more.  There's a ton of beat to it all.

This is one of those projects that's been bouncing around in my head for a while, and it'll be quite a blast to finally manifest it into a tangible form.  My progress can be tracked at the NaNoWriMo website, and I should be able to get this whole thing completed before the end of the year.

Short Story: Server

I've been sorting through some of the short stories in my folders of late, and submitting some to literary magazines to see if I can get any published.  I had this story among them; it was a short little ditty I had:  a sort of messed-up premise with a messed-up setting that I thought was compelling enough. 

The reason why I'm putting it here on my blog and not submitting it for publication is that I think it has the potential to be something bigger - maybe a novella or full-length book.  The biggest potential I see is that there can be more to the characters (I never explain what Li does for a living, and after all this there's plenty of directions this can go), and there's more to the whole thing that can be fleshed out better (I hope you'll catch on that the "service providers" are gangstas, but I probably should explain more about their operations, who runs it all, and how Li becomes involved).  On top of that, I may have to change some names around (Binju might be an actual city name already; I wound up using Aezu in another story).

As it is, this is more like a demo for a larger story.  Feel free to check it out; it could be a glimpse of a much broader cyberpunk crime thriller with some intriguing potential.
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    As Li Varakai crossed the threshold and treaded into Space 5x303, he felt his feet pressing on cool, dew-laden blades of grass.  The air was warm and humid, with a gently balmy breeze sweeping across the field.  It was quiet, save for the soft trickling of water nearby.  Beneath a blue sky with bright orange and pink clouds, Li could see the ocean in the distance.  Turning around, he faced a mountain with towering rocks.  Hot steam wafted around the mountains, as a telltale sign that there were hot springs all around it.
    Moving toward the mountain, Li walked through the hazy steam.  There was a warm pool at the base of the rocks.  As expected, Li found the girl he loved the most there.  Her name was Aezu; she was young, skinny, and petite.  Resting in the water, Aezu’s tanned skin was rendered smoothly, and it glistened in the sun.  Her short black hair was plastered on her soft round cheeks.
    Regarding him with her hazel-colored eyes, Aezu smiled warmly, flashing her perfect white teeth.  Entering the pool, Li immersed himself in the hot water.  It made his skin tingle.  It tingled even more when Aezu grasped his arms and pulled herself closer.
    Suddenly, Li tasted her lips moving across his.  He felt her skin pressing and sliding on his.  Feeling excited and aroused, Li’s hands stroked Aezu’s whole body, and gently tugged away at the lightweight strings that held up her bikini.  As enthralled as he was, he yearned to take Aezu’s beautiful, naked body and devote every inch of his essence to her.  He never wanted to leave her embrace.  If he had things his way, Li would never leave her.
    With the thoughts of making profound love flooding his mind, Li groped Aezu’s small, pert breasts.  He felt her wet kisses on his face, and he could smell her scent of flowery perfume.
    Then, she was gone.  Li was startled when he no longer felt Aezu’s body in his arms.  Then he noticed the glitches:  the water that flowed down the rocks stopped flowing, the grass of the surrounding landscape became pixilated, and the sky turned to strange colors.  All of the sound was cut out.  Li cursed, for he knew that the server running Space 5x303 was clearly malfunctioning.  It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
    The entire island de-rezzed, leaving Li alone in a blank void.  Crossing the threshold, he left Space 5x303 behind.
    Opening his eyes, he beheld his true home once again.  His five-foot by eight-foot capsule apartment encased only his mattress.  The small shelves on his walls had just enough room for the neurological equipment that allowed him to connect to his favorite Space, and be with the girl he loved.  It took him months to save up the money for that equipment; the cost of renting the network bandwidth sucked up most of his paycheck every week.  His Space and his time with Aezu was all he wanted and cared about in his life; it irked Li to no end that his connection was interrupted.
    He took the time, squirming in his capsule to check his equipment.  All the lights were green, all the wires were securely connected, and all the network signals pinged back to him perfectly.  Whatever the problem was, it wasn’t on his end.
    Opening up the panel over his head, Li moved his scrawny fingers over the glowing desktop.  He twitted to his service provider, complaining about the issue in full.  A few uncertain moments later, he received a confirmation message.  There was nothing wrong with the network, according to them.  The problem must have been with the server that stored Aezu’s intelligence.
    Li was not deterred; he should have realized that the issue stemmed solely from the third party that supplied the Space service.  On top of his network fees, Li gave up a good chunk of his salary to rent Space 5x303.  He knew the company only by name:  Sun-Tsar Limited.  It took Li just a moment to pull up the company’s webpage and find its contact information.  He shot them an e-mail, and waited.
    The wait was long and agonizing.  Without the use of Space 5x303, Li had nothing to fill his time, much less the empty gaps in his life.  After spending thirty minutes waiting for a response and toying with the desktop games, he gave up and left the capsule.
    When Li slid the metal curtain open, the full stench of Binju City’s air hit him in full force.  It was the combined scent of smog, machine oil, burning electronics, and the body odor of the city’s ten million inhabitants.  Standing on the concrete floor, Li stood up in the hallway; the entire corridor was lined with rows and rows of other capsule homes.  There were fifty residents in this hallway alone; the building must have housed over fifty thousand.
    Having spent the last thirty hours in his capsule, Li’s legs were weak, and they wobbled uneasily as he strolled to the end of the corridor.  A door opened automatically for him, leading to the dimly-lit lobby.  There was a dirty glass wall in the middle of the lobby, where a series of vending machines stood and diligently provided sustenance.  A number of cheap tables and chairs were set up, where dozens of residents ate their manufactured meals.
    On the other side of the glass wall was the elevator.  Shuffling to the elevator, Li took it down to the building’s main entrance.  Exiting the apartment complex, he stepped onto the main street.  It seemed perpetually packed with hundreds of people moving along the sidewalks and cars constantly clogging the roads.  All of the city buildings stretched up to over two thousand feet in the air, forming an urban canyon that channeled all the traffic down its narrow streets.  As tall as the buildings were, and with all the bridges and highways far overhead, the lower levels of Binju City never saw any daylight.  Even in the city’s upper levels, smog and clouds obscured the sun; Li has never seen sunlight in person.
    As it was, he was comfortable in the dark confines of the city.  It was as comforting as his capsule.  The only source of discomfort for him were the crowds; even as he walked down the street, he hated having to brush so close to everyone else, smelling their odors and seeing their faces as they passed by.  Li was far more comfortable in his capsule with his neuro-sim setup, where he could have everything he ever wanted and needed without having to leave the building.  The longer he went without his neuro-sim hookup, the more agitated he felt.  It bothered him to no end, wondering what happened to his connection and what he could do about it.
    The only other thing he could think of was to meet the man who initially told him about the Spaces in the first place.  Just a few blocks down from his apartment building, he passed by a series of nightclubs.  Their walls glowed as electronic images flashed and danced on them, bathing the streets in colors.  Many of the pedestrians lined up at the clubs, waiting for entrance.  While they lined up, the deep, throbbing boom of loud electronic music filtered from the clubs and made the roads vibrate.
    Passing by the clubs, the streets became notably less crowded, and Li moved more fluidly down the sidewalk.  His legs felt stiff, but they weren’t as hindered as they used to be.  Turning down a narrow street, he reached his destination in short time.
    Li came to an apartment tower.  It was much more upscale than his building; these apartments had actual rooms and furnishings.  It even had a lobby with a desk and working clerks.  Walking across the lobby, Li took the elevator to the tenth floor and went straight to apartment 10099.  It occurred to him that the man he was looking for could be out; Li didn’t even know what the man did for a living.
    Decisively, Li knocked on the door and waited for a response.  A few short seconds later, the electromagnetic deadbolt unlocked, and the door swung open.  Li faced the very man he was looking for.   The overweight tenant – Fröde Schuzhen – looked down at Li with a sneer and stammered, “You…you’re that guy living in the pod, right? Li…Vykara, was it?”
    “Varakai,” Li dully corrected. “Do you remember that you told me about the Spaces?”
    “Yeah, so what?”
    “Mine cut out on me.  It must be a problem with the server.  I want to know where Sun-Tsar’s headquarters are.”
    “Are you kidding me? Do I look like a directory to you?”
    “You helped me get the contract with them.  You must know something, right?”
    “Look, you don’t just go strolling into Sun-Tsar’s turf! What do you think you’ll accomplish? What, do you think you can do their tech support or something? If they pulled one of their servers, they did so for a reason! You don’t go to them and f%*k around with their goods!”
    “What do I pay them for, if they can’t even maintain a good connection?” Li insisted.
    “You’re such a noob! Did you even read the contract before you signed up with them? Payment doesn’t guarantee connection!”
    “What’s it to you? Just tell me where to find them, and they can tell me all this in person.”
    “I’m doing this for your own protection, Varakai,” Fröde said, regarding Li with suspicious eyes. “What’s so important about your Space anyway? Don’t tell me this is all about a virtual woman!”
    “That’s none of your business.”
    “It’s none of yours either, idiot! V-girls are not real! Just do yourself a favor and get laid for real! It’ll save everybody a lot of trouble.”
    “It’ll save you trouble if you just tell me what I need to know.”
    “Whoa, what the f@#k is this? Are you threatening me? You’re just a scrawny punk! I could sit on you, flatten you like a sandwich, and eat you for breakfast!”
    “Try it, bastard.”
    Mumbling obscene curses, Fröde stepped through the doorway and balled his big meaty hand into a fist.  He swung and brought the fist down on Li’s head.
    In an instant, Li swung his body to the side, and Fröde’s fist sliced through the air beside his head.  Grabbing Fröde’s arm, Li pulled hard and yanked him downward.  Despite his size and stature, Li’s strength surprised Fröde.  With a gasp, Fröde found himself stumbling toward the ground; his body tumbled down and his head hit the pavement.  When he looked up at Li, Fröde felt blood trickling from a gash on his head.
    Reaching into his pocket, Li pulled out a syringe full of nanodrenaline.  Bringing the needle to his arm, Li warned, “You don’t want me to hurt you, do you?”
    Fröde knew all too well the consequences of nanodrenaline.  He realized that Li’s unnatural strength stemmed from his body’s tolerance toward the nanite-ridden drug.  With enough uses, Li’s body produced far more energy than that of a normal human being, and it allowed him to move faster and stronger using less nutrients.  If he injected nanodrenaline now, Li would have the strength to literally tear Fröde limb from limb.
    “You crazy nano-head!” Fröde cried. “Listen, I’ll tell you what you need to know.  Just put that s#!t away, will ya?”
    Li kept the needle in hand, but listened intently.  Fröde explained, “Sun-Tsar owns place, like a network hub, over in Kaiong-Odan District.  That’s where they keep all their servers at.  Problem is, it’s their headquarters, so the boss and all his men guard the place tight.  There’s no way you can sneak in, and there’s certainly no way you can expect to walk up to them and ask for their hardware.”
    “We’ll never know until we try,” Li remarked, walking away from Fröde.
    As Li continued on, Fröde shouted, “Are you crazy? Is this worth dying over?”
In his head, Li answered that it was worth living for.
    He knew exactly where Kaiong-Odan District was.  Taking the metro, it took only ten minutes to reach the dense industrial sector.  Coming out of the subway, Li stepped onto the street and beheld a tight road with tall metal walls extending up on either side.  Metal walkways, gantries, pipes, and wires criss-crossed each other overhead.  Dim streetlights provided just a faint amount of light.  The place smelled of oil, metal, and poisonous gas.
    Spotting the Sun-Tsar territory was easy for Li, since he understood what he was looking for.  Wandering down the cramped alleys, he saw a thug standing guard by a small doorway.  The man was clad in street clothes and he sported a pistol in his pants, but the cybernetic implants in his head gave away his affiliation.  The metal casing around the man’s skull had the Sun-Tsar markings imprinted on it.
    Approaching the man, Li demanded, “I need to speak to your boss.”
    “Beat it, punk,” the man sneered.
    “Let me in, or there will be trouble.”
    “You want trouble? I’ll give you trouble, you scrawny son of a-”
    As the thug pulled the gun out, Li suddenly grasped his hand and squeezed hard.  With a shout, the thug dropped the gun.  Li released him and bent down to pick up the gun, while the thug danced around and caressed his aching hand.
    Holding the pistol up at the goon, Li demanded, “Let me in now!”
    “You crazy fool! Fine! Just, hold on a minute.”
    The thug used his head implant to send a digital message to the others inside the building.  When it was done, the man nodded and said, “Okay, go in.  Just be cool:  the boss ain’t happy right now.”
    “That makes two of us,” Li muttered, shoving the man aside and stepping through the doorway.
    Inside, Li walked through a large room filled with racks of hardware.  There were hundreds of routers, switches, computers, and databanks that hummed softly and glowed with flashing blue and green lights.  Webs of cables were sprawled all around the room, connecting all of the devices to the local networks.  Despite the amount of hardware, it was a sloppy and messy arrangement.  Li always suspected, but now he was certain:  there was nothing professional about Sun-Tsar.  It was a small-time two-bit operation run by hoodlums.
    At the other end of the room, there was a staircase.  Li took the stairs to the next level, and entered the gang’s headquarters.  It was a spacious room, dark and filthy.  There was a couch facing a giant wall-sized TV, where a few thugs lounged with their drugs and liquor and laughed inanely at the screen.  Between Li and the couch was a table, where a pile of guns, drugs, and software chips were haphazardly arranged; a pair of goons stood nearby, cleaning pistols and staring at glowing data tablets.  In the corner of the room, there was a man in a chair with dozens of cables coming out of him.  He was tall, bald, muscular, and covered in colorful tattoos
    Rising from the chair, he disconnected all of the cables that were protruding from his arms, neck, and head.  Walking across the room, he faced Li and challenged with a scowl, “You got a lot of guts, coming to my place, interrupting my free time, and messing around with my men.  You better have something good for me, or I’ll be using your skull as a new breakfast bowl!”
    Undeterred by the boss’ threats, Li demanded, “Space 5x303:  I pay good money to use it.  It is mine.  It cut out on me recently, and I want it back.  If you can’t get it back online, I’ll gladly buy the server containing the Space from you.”
    The boss scoffed, “You’re kidding me, right? You come all this way and cause all this trouble just because you can’t get into your little piece of virtual heaven? What, you can’t stand being away from your Space for more than a few minutes? That’s not my problem, you pathetic rezz-head! You should have read our user agreement:  we can’t guarantee total connectivity, and you do not have exclusive rights to a given space! We can and will switch things up when we need to! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re not exactly a top-level company here!”
    One of the thugs held up his data tablet and explained, “Boss, Space 5x303 was the one we were going to transfer.”
    “Oh, so that’s the one with the girl,” the boss cried in realization. “That cute, sweet, small young thing.  Is that why you’re here?”
    “She’s all I have,” Li emphasized. “For the last three months I’ve signed up with this company, I’ve spent all my free time connected to the Space, so I can be with her.  She’s the only thing that makes my life worth living.  I need that Space! Without it, I have nothing!”
    “Dude…get a f$&king life! If that’s is all you have to live for, you know what that tells me? It tells me that you’re just some scumbag at the bottom of the food chain! Me and my boys here:  we got the real thing going on here.  If we want women, we get real women! If we want to live a good, meaningful life, we get wasted and party like there’s no tomorrow! And you know what else? We don’t plan on running this operation all that long; it’s just a stepping stone to even greater things.  I don’t want to run this rat-infested hole forever and deal with lowly pukes like you! I want to get out of this dump and live on the top level! I want to be able to walk into the high-roller clubs, shoot the s&*t with millionaires, and stuff my face with caviar and ten-thousand-dollar ice cream and s@#t! That’s just another difference between you and me:  I have ambitions, and that makes life worth living.  You don’t have any, so that tells me your life is worth jack s!*t!”
    Suddenly, the boss and the two thugs at the table grabbed guns and pointed them at Li.  The men at the couch watched them, but were too intoxicated to do much else.
    The boss threatened, “If I kill you, I’ll bet nobody would even notice you’re gone.”
    “Same goes for you:  you’re just the boss of a rat-infested low-level network hub.  I could take you down and nobody would ever notice you’re gone.  Look, all I want is the server.  Give it to me, and we can both walk away from this.”
    “Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are, coming in here and trying to steal my equipment? I’m the one with all the guns, idiot! You know what, f#*k this! Waste this rezz-head!”
    All three men brought their guns close to Li’s head.  Reacting, Li rushed forward and rammed himself into the boss.  Throwing the man against the table, Li dashed past him and vaulted over the couch.  Taking cover there, he pulled out the syringe of nanodrenaline.
    The two drunken thugs at the couch fled in confusion and panic, before the other two goons approached the couch and started pelting it with gunfire.  A score of bullets hit the couch, ripping holes in it and tossing up fluffy pieces of cotton and linen.  The constant roar of gunshots filled the room with ear-piercing noise.  Li watched as several bullets cut through couch completely, continuing past his body and hitting the floor and wall across from him.
    Without any further hesitation, Li injected the nanodrenaline into his arm.  As the nanites fused with his cells, they pumped energy to his mitochondria.  He felt more alert, more awake, and more powerful.
    Rushing into the couch, Li threw his arms up and tossed it in the air.  The couch flew up and rammed into the two thugs; they were knocked down and pinned to the floor.  Their weapons left their hands.  The third henchman was pushed by the flying furniture.  The boss stepped back in surprise.
    The one goon left standing scrambled for his gun on the floor.  Circling the couch, Li flanked the man and kicked him in the gut.  Li’s kick was strong enough to throw the man across the room.  He smashed against the wall with enough force to crack it.  With his spine fractured, the thug screamed in agony, as he fell to the floor and writhed in pain.
    Li kicked one of the men pinned down by the couch, before he could do anything else.  The blow knocked the man out cold; if Li had kicked any harder, he could have snapped his neck.
    Then, the boss raised his gun and squeezed the trigger.  As a stream of bullets exploded from the gun’s barrel, Li jumped out of the gun’s path.  All of the bullets sprayed the room randomly, striking at the couch, the TV, and all the computer equipment that was in the room.  Pieces of each item flew out in all directions.
    The boss swept his arm, bringing the gunfire to bear down on Li’s head.  Li watched as the gun barrel turned toward him, still emptying bullets in succession.  Each shot impacted the wall behind Li, forming a deadly line of smoldering bullet holes that crept toward him.
    Decisively, Li took five rapid steps toward the boss, and grabbed onto the gun’s casing.  He threw his foot out at the boss’ leg, hitting his knee and making it crack loudly.  While the boss staggered and shouted in pain, Li held up the gun with one hand, and threw his fist into it.  It was a strong enough punch to dent the metal and knock its components loose.  The gun’s ammo clip, firing pin, and part of its casing clattered to the floor uselessly.
    Tossing the damaged gun aside, Li loomed over the boss and demanded, “All I want is the server.”
    Cursing at Li, the boss cried, “You know what? You can take it! I don’t care! Just get out of here! It’s not worth killing me over!”
    “Yeah, it is worth it.  You don’t mess with me, and I’ll let you keep your poor, wretched life.  Tell me, where is it?”
    “The basement! There’s a whole bunch of server rooms, and they’re all marked.  You can’t miss it!”
    “Thanks,” Li muttered, before punching the boss in the head and knocking him out.
    Leaving the room, Li took the stairs down.  Passing by the equipment room that he came in from, he continued down into a dimly-lit basement.  It was warm and damp in the basement corridor; the walls were cracked and covered with grime and mold.  There were pipes and wires all along the ceiling, and they were slick with moisture.  On either side of the hall, there were dozens of doors, all marked with spray-painted numbers and letters.
    Toward the middle of the hall, Li found the room he was looking for:  it was marked as 5x303.  Feeling satisfied, he opened the door.
    It was pitch black inside the server room, save for the small green, red, and blue lights that blinked in the corner.  Li touched the walls near the door, hoping to find a light switch.  When his fingers touched the light switch panel, a soft iridescent light came on and provided a dim orange glow on everything inside.
    When Li saw the server, he was taken aback.  It dawned on him that it was not just a piece of hardware that he was looking for, and Aezu was not an artificial intelligence like he originally thought.  He realized that the server he sought was literally one who serves.
    Thus, he beheld Aezu in the middle of the room, in the flesh.  She was far paler and more fragile than she was as a virtual incarnation.  However, she had the same face, the same body, and the same hair as the girl Li knew in his rented Space.  There was a powerful Ethernet hub attached to the wall, with cables stretching from it into the back of Aezu’s neck.  Next to the hub was a canister full of nutrients, which was fed intravenously into Aezu’s arm; it was just enough to keep her alive and fit, but she still looked sickly thin and malnourished.  Next to the monitor was a canister of weak synthetic morphine, which was also intravenously fed into her, to keep her in a constant stupor.  A faded monitor next to the canisters kept track of her pulse and health.
    The emotions that came over Li were a mixed rush of incompatible sensations.  Even though he was excited to see Aezu in a mortal form, it appalled him to see her in this wretched condition.  It angered him to think that petty criminals could kidnap people and turn them into virtual playthings.  Shame soon washed over him and overwhelmed every other feeling, when he realized that he directly supported these activities; his time in the Space with Aezu was nothing more than a form of virtual prostitution.
    Li was compelled to make things right from that moment on.  He wanted nothing more than to rectify his actions and liberate Aezu from her bondage.  As strongly as he felt for her, he knew that it was his duty to save her.  From that moment on, it would be his responsibility to take care of her.
    He started by unplugging the cables from her neck, and pulling out the needles that fed her drugs and nutrients.  Upon disconnection, Aezu’s body became slack, and what small amount of consciousness she had slipped away.  The monitor on the wall informed Li that she was still alive, and she had just passed out.
    Picking up her small, frail body, Li left the building with Aezu in his arms.  Carrying her back to his capsule apartment, he vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to care for her and protect her.   After seeing Aezu for who she really was, Li felt that he loved her more than ever, and he was determined to give the woman of his dreams everything he could.

Film Review: Casino Royale (007) (1954)

You may know the man and you may know the story, but have you ever seen the first ever James Bond motion picture? Technically, this hour-long made-for-TV feature is the first time Bond was adapted for a medium outside of the original novels.

Despite that notoriety, this really isn't much to scream about. Maybe it was exciting TV back in 1954, but after the onslaught of bigger and more prolific James Bond pictures, this little feature has not aged well at all. Even on its own merits, the film offers a small smattering of struggles and thrills, but it's all really small-scale, bland, and not that exciting.

This is also a rather lame adaptation of Ian Flemming's book. At its core, the film uses a very simple structure: Bond enters casino, plays off against Le Chiffre, gets tortured, fights his way out, and that's it. In both the novel and 2006 film, there is a lot more to it; both represented a more pronounced introduction (or re-introduction for the '06 film) for the iconic character, it marked the first encounter between Bond and SMERSH, and he has a significant relationship that would give the story more weight and mold him for future stories. None of that carries through in this version. There are many small changes and a lot of huge cuts to the story, which trims this whole affair down to something barebones, shallow, and flimsy. Among the various changes, James Bond is made into an American dude named Jimmy, Felix is renamed to Clarence for some reason, Vesper Lynd is nowhere to be seen, and is replaced by a female Mathis. Worst of all, none of these people have any ounce of presence or charisma. Yeah, at its best is just simple-minded throwaway entertainment; at its worst, it's a mess.

The film naturally doesn't have much of a style to it, given its limitations as a TV production. Filming and editing are straightforward, if not rather bland. Acting is a hit and a miss; Barry Nelson is easily the worst actor to play Bond in the history of Bond, but he does have a few unintentionally funny lines. Peter Lorre, on the other hand, is effective as Le Chiffre. Nobody else really stands out much. This production uses simple sets, props, and costumes. Music adds little to the experience.

If you're a diehard James Bond fan, this feature is worth a look just so you can say you've seen it. Other than that, you're better off sticking with the Eon productions.

2/5 (Entertainment: Poor | Story: Poor | Film: Poor)

Film Review: Natural Born Killers

"It's just murder. All God's creatures do it. You look in the forests and you see species killing other species, our species killing all species including the forests, and we just call it industry, not murder." - Woody Harrelson
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This might be the most psycho movie ever made. Not just because it's a movie about a couple who gleefully mass-murders people, but because of the relentless style. The movie is such a zany and noisy audiovisual presentation that it can be exhausting and nerve-wracking.

Presentation is a large part of what makes this film memorable; from start to finish, it is a rapid-fire onslaught of images upon images that collectively tells the story of murder and mayhem. The editing is often brilliant in the way it juxtaposes related images in an expressionistic manner. It can also be very weird, especially when animation, black-and-white photography, stock footage, overlays, and bizarre background effects are used in such short proximity. If you can stomach the craziness, the film does have plenty of memorable scenes, including a kick-butt opening sequence, and a finale filled with all-out rioting and bloodshed.

The story is pretty simple, but the characters take the front stage. You might think it's hard to relate to these brutal, twisted people, but their romance, rebellion, and carefree attitudes make them the most charismatic pair of criminals since Bonnie and Clyde. Thanks to the way the film is shown, and the way it dispenses pop-culture images all over the place, the film delivers an underlying theme of violence, and the way it's constantly exploited in the mass media to be delivered to the whole world as a product. It might be seen as pretentious and hypocritical that it's a violent movie preaching against violent movies. However, I don't see this as glorifying violence, since there's nothing glorious about it. It's a trashy and ugly affair, full of ugly characters and ugly acts. In the end, the film serves as a bold and shocking descent into the pathology of the minds of mass murderers, and perhaps also an exploration of the people who idolize them.

This film has some incredibly crazy photography; the camera tends to float around each scene, with a lot of skewed angles. Editing is very fast and relentless, with each scene intercut with a myriad of different images. Acting is intense; Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis inhabit their characters perfectly, while Robert Downey Jr and Tommy Lee Jones are extremely batty in their roles. Writing is good. Half of the sets, props, and costumes used are rather cheesy and fake-looking, but then the other half tends to look gritty and more real. Music is often pretty loud and obnoxious, but it matches up with the film well.

The style and violence of this film is incredibly dense and zany, but it is a heck of an experience that provides a stark expression of unbridled psychosis. If you can handle this kind of poignancy, then it's worth seeing at least once.

4/5 (Experience: Mixed | Content: Good | Film: Extreme)

Film Review: John Wick

If it's one thing action movies can teach us, it's that you don't mess with people who have nothing left to lose. John Wick hinges on the simple premise of a retired hitman who plows through the Russian mafia and leaves a mile-long body trail, all because they killed his puppy. And stole his ride. Somebody has to pay!

As silly this may sound, the film plays it all with a straight face, and it works because there is a good amount of heart to the setup. In the opening scenes, we see that this is more than the story of a man, his car, and his dog; it's the story of a loss and betrayal. Once the appropriate pathos is established, John Wick rises as the tough and skilled action hero we can root for. It doesn't take long for the butt-kicking to commence, but once it does, it's densely-packed, fast-paced, relentlessly-brutal, and very well-executed. Whether shooting, punching, stabbing, or running bad guys over, it is quite a rush to watch Wick descend into the criminal underworld and find payback.

As exciting and stylish as the film is, what really keeps it from falling into mediocrity is the title character. The film successfully evokes sympathy for Wick - the man who lost his wife, before losing everything else - and it provides a solid reasoning for why we should care about whether or not Wick succeeds. As the film goes on, Wick's journey takes him through a bizarre criminal world with its own set of rules, codes, and even currency. It turns out that it's a world Wick is already familiar with, and he has a history with most of the minor characters that pop up. Thus, the film unearths stark themes of how the past, present, and future are entwined.

This film is well-shot, with great-looking photography and editing. It is especially refreshing that the action scenes are solid and steady, with no fast-cutting or camera shake. I also think the color schemes and nighttime cityscapes lend the film a dark and grimy type of neo-noir appeal. Acting is fine for what it is; you may not think much of Keanu Reeves, but this film is proof that the man can act. His portrayal of John Wick is quite spot-on. And he can kick a lot of butt very impressively. Writing is not the best, but it gets the job done. This production has pretty good-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music choices, and the music score, feature really heavy beats and hard rock cues, and I found it awesome that way.

John Wick, much like A Bittersweet Life, is a dark crime movie with lots of action, but also a lot of emotional backing behind its characters. It's a simple story that's told well and features plenty of satisfying setpieces. Recommended for at least one viewing.

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

Film Review: Lucy (2014)

Popular scientific myth claims that human beings only use ten percent of their brains. Modern research tells us that we really use every part of our brain in subtle ways. And yet, isn't it remarkable to consider the possibility that there is room for human consciousness to become something greater than it already is? In this film, Lucy is an average person who unwittingly becomes the next step in human evolution, who uses more and more of her brain capacity in a struggle to survive and evolve. As she exponentially grows in power, she becomes able to control her mind, her body, other matter, energy, space, and ultimately time. Which, of course, is completely ridiculous and unbelievable, no matter how many neurons Lucy fires off. But it does make for a whimsical "what if" scenario, doesn't it?

The movie's biggest selling point will be in watching Scarlett Johansson kicking a lot of butt with wild superpowers! And there is plenty of action scattered all about: the movie is pretty evenly-littered with big-scale shoot-outs, car chases, and off-the-wall mental powers. However, butt-kicking is not really the movie's primary focus; it's more about chronicling Lucy's journey. Moments in between the action slow down a lot, but it's rarely dull; the film dishes out a plethora of intriguing situations and implications. In doing so, the film will lay out a ton of exposition, which may bore the most critical of viewers, but engage those with a more open mind. Regardless, I found the picture to be trim, to-the-point, and it has just enough momentum to keep it rolling smoothly. I felt it struck the perfect balance in terms of pacing and structure.

Ultimately, the story is an interesting affair, but falls short in numerous ways. The science behind the film's premise is totally unfounded. Other observations are interesting on the surface, but they amount to a few simple messages that audiences may or may not care for. Personally, I was intrigued by the way the film juxtaposed scientific lecture and imagery next to the events. As far as the plot goes, it's a short and simple affair, but with plot holes to be found. The film jumps right into the events without much background to the characters or events (seriously, who manufactured CPH4 to begin with? Who is Lucy and why is she in Taipei to begin with?). A few good scenes keep the characters from becoming total cardboard cutouts, but the film becomes increasingly whack as it goes along, until it reaches a really absurd ending. It leaves off with a rather blunt and empty message.

On the plus side, the film is as slick as they come, with superb photography and editing. Acting is swell: I loved watching Scarlett Johansson, even when she does become monotonous. Morgan Freeman pretty much phones it in, serving the same role as he did narrating Through the Wormhole. The various cops and gangsters are decent. Writing is rather unrefined and blunt, but it gets the job done. This production uses good-looking sets, props, costumes, and locales. Special effects look good in some scenes and bad in others. Music is pretty cool.

Lucy is a pretty neat "what if" scenario. It's not quite as big of a rip-roaring actioner as you might expect, but it's also not nearly as intellectually challenging as top-tier sci-fi pictures. However, as a crime thriller with a scientific commentary, I believe it's a blast.

4/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Marginal | Film: Very Good)

Film Review: Kill Bill Volume 2

"I've killed a hell of a lot of people to get to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill." - Uma Thurman

Quentin Tarantino channels the manic, ultraviolent, stylized energy of cheesy kung-fu cinema, American westerns, and a slight twist of Italian horror, and he uses it all like threads to weave one of the greatest revenge stories ever made. Both Kill Bill movies collectively form a coherent, cohesive, sublime storytelling package; ideally, they should be watched back-to-back to understand every nuance of the story and the characters, since there is so much depth to them.

Volume 2 of this saga fills in the gaps that its predecessor left behind, not only in following up on the rest of the Bride's rampage, but also in revealing her full back story.  But while Volume 1 had tons of rip-roaring action and an extremely vivid style, this follow-up is much more toned-down and mellow, laden with more dialogue than swordplay.  In a way, this falls more in line with Tarantino's other work, but I personally favor the first film more for being sublimely entertaining.  As it is, Volume 2 tends to be a bit long-winded and dry.

That being said, it still has a lot of brilliant moments that are worth seeing, including the burial scene, the fight between the Bride and Elle Driver, the brutal training scenes with Pai Mei, and the last half-hour or so, which builds up to a beautiful bittersweet ending.

For the most part, it's the story that counts, and it excels at taking characters we already know and love, and taking them to the next level.  The full reasons for both sides of the conflict are finally revealed, generating empathy for both Bill and the Bride.  Any other movie would be content in leaving things as a plain, straightforward black-and-white affair, but in this case, there's much more insight to the characters and the overall plot.  It all builds up to the inevitable climax, which pulls out one of the most heart-wrenching twists imaginable.  Through it all, the film provides the most satisfying ending possible, and it makes the entire Kill Bill saga one of the most endearing and complete storytelling experiences made.

This film is crafted with superb photography and plenty of flashy editing.  A few title cards, flashbacks, and asides are thrown into the mix for a stylized effect.  Acting continues to impress:  Uma Thurman is effectively perfect in her role, and it's especially notable how physically demanding her role must have been.  David Carradine exhibits an interesting presence as Bill, while Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah excel at being villains we love to hate.  Writing is very sharp and interesting.  This production boasts some good-looking sets, props, costumes, and locales.  Music is pretty good at times, though I enjoy the music choices of Volume 1 better.

While Volume 1 excels at the action and style but comes up a little shorter on substance, Volume 2 is the opposite, subduing the action to favor the dialogue and storytelling.  Some people may like one over the other.  I personally prefer Volume 1, but this sequel is essential for the complete experience, and it adds up to a satisfying saga.  If you can handle the violent bits, the whole affair is highly recommended.

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

Film Review: Kill Bill Volume 1

"Silly Caucasian girl likes to play with Samurai swords..." - Lucy Lui

Quentin Tarantino channels the manic, ultraviolent, stylized energy of cheesy kung-fu cinema, Japanese anime, and a slight twist of American westerns, and he uses it all like threads to weave one of the greatest revenge stories ever made. Both Kill Bill movies collectively form a coherent, cohesive, sublime storytelling package; ideally, they should be watched back-to-back to understand every nuance of the story and the characters, since there is so much depth to them.

Even if you decide to watch it separately, Volume 1 doesn't disappoint on its own merits. In fact, this is the most entertaining of the two films; it starts off fast and hard and hardly lets up.  It focuses a lot less on words and story-building, drip-feeding the audience just enough to understand what's going on, before diving headlong into a gory rampage (Volume 2 is the opposite, so if it is dialogue and storytelling you're after, you might want to follow up on the sequel). There are a number of good fight scenes throughout the first hour, but the film's last act is a host for one of the longest and finest fight scenes ever filmed. It starts off with a number of one-on-one engagements, before busting all out with a massive one-vs-fifty brawl. The katana-wielding Bride proves herself to be a triumphant heroine, as she hacks and slices her way through an army of enemies, gradually honing in on her ultimate target (who is, of course, a dude named Bill).

If you're wondering what on Earth could warrant such bloodshed, rest assured that the story for Kill Bill is sound. This first film does a marvelous job of using strong visual imagery, flashbacks, and narration to establish the groundwork for this revenge plot. You can really get to feel for the character, given all the torment she suffers under the hands of Bill and his assassins; it makes it easy, and dare I say enjoyable, to watch her rise from adversity and get some payback. At its core, the film brings to life some brilliant characters with a solid amount of depth (especially after watching the sequel, which answers a lot of unanswered questions) and lots of personality.

Even by Tarantino standards, Kill Bill stands as one of the most stylish films made. It features excellent photography, some very unique editing, and plenty of strange artistic effects that help accentuate the film's given style. You can expect plenty of title cards and subtitles flashing across the screen, along with some occasional asides and digressions. One of the most notable stylistic choices will be the anime segment, brought to life by Production IG with a style that's sketchy, but visceral. The film overall carries the same tone and style as a 1970s Japanese gangster movie, and it's cool. Acting is impeccable; Uma Thurman puts on her best performance of her career, for she brings the Bride to life in a way that nobody else can (and she endures a lot of heavy physical work in doing so). Lucy Lui plays it cool as the villain, O-Ren Ishii. Cameos by David Carradine and Sonny Chiba don't hurt either. Every other actor fulfills their parts well, no matter how minor. This production has good-looking sets, props, and costumes. The film uses a varied mix of music, including a rockin' live performance by the Japanese band the 5.6.7.8.s; it's all pretty darn cool.

Out of the two films, Volume 1 is my favorite. It represents everything I enjoy in films:  the slick combination of style, action, and storytelling.  For me, it never gets old, and I've grown to love all the characters and nuances of these films.  If you can stomach the extreme violence, then it comes highly recommended.

5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect)

Film Review: The Wolverine (Revisited)

Wolverine has been through so much. In spite of that, he remains one of the biggest superheroes of comic-book legend, and thanks to Hugh Jackman's performance in four previous X-Men movies, he became one of the biggest cinematic icons of modern times. Even though the character received his stand-alone film in 2009, filmmakers wanted to go farther and deeper with the character. Taking after Chris Claremont's and Frank Miller's comic, The Wolverine would test the character's limits in Japan.

This film is nowhere near as overblown as other X-Men films: the action is confined to just a few 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. These are fairly cool fights that show off quality choreography and a few cool weapons, but there's very little wow factor. The film does satisfy in the same way thrillers like The Man From Nowhere or Crying Freeman do, but it feels far less like a superhero movie, or even an X-Men movie. Those searching for big, explosive action might be let down, but there is still merit in this moody, slow-burning drama.

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. Viewers might find this dull, but it exceeded my expectations in spite of the dramatic aspects. In the end, I enjoyed watching the character, both for the action and for the melodrama. It is a worthwhile experience overall.

This film has an extended cut available on specific home video editions. It is an evenly-paced cut that boasts some longer dialogue and longer action scenes (primarily with the ninja fight toward the end), including a little more R-rated cursing and a bit more bloodshed. For mature audiences, it's not a bad cut of the movie.

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

Film Review: Fight Club

"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." - Brad Pitt

I am Jack's review of the movie Fight Club.  If you don't know what that means, it's just a small taste of how sardonic this whole film is.

At first, I assumed Fight Club was just a movie about a bunch of guys beating each other up.  From the moment it starts, however, it proves to be much more than that.  It's actually a very strangely neurotic and mesmerizing descent into a testosterone-fueled madness.  Actual fighting is limited; what you get instead is a storytelling experience that's so warped, it will challenge your perception of what is and isn't real in the film.  The film itself even gets warped, with such bizarre effects as having single frames of images mixed into random spots, and one frenetic scene where the negative appears to come undone.  Throw in some wild computer-generated modelling effects and some brisk editing, and the film becomes a highly stylized and entrancing experience.

The story is a real doozy.  It kicks off strong and hard, showcasing the insomniac protagonist and chronicling how he went from being an average office worker with everything into a deviant with nothing (and nothing to lose).  Things get thrilling when the actual fight club takes off and anarchy starts to spread, but the main focus is always on exploring the characters, and it all builds up to an unpredictable climax.  There is a massive plot twist in the mix, but it's one of those that holds up extremely well on repeat viewings (even though it can be a little hard to believe).  Characters shine really well, thanks to their nuanced performances, their sharp dialogue, their convoluted relationships, and the nature of the plot, which really makes us stop and think about what's going on in their heads.

There are a number of themes that can be extrapolated from this crazy story.  The most blatant messages concern anarchy, as the characters constantly criticize the modern consumerist culture and emphasize "letting go." Much of the story is really about them abandoning the common goals of wealth, success, or material things, and just being yourself.  There are moments where the film also seems to dig up deeper metaphysical questions and meaning, especially regarding morality and the perception of reality.

As noted above, the film has one heck of a style.  The camera work is very solid and good, while the editing tends to be very inventive and wild.  Acting is great; Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter are effectively perfect in their roles.  Writing is awesome, and there are tons of great lines.  This production uses some very great and detailed-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Music by the Dust Brothers can be a bit nutty, but is mostly pretty awesome.

Fight Club is a movie with some serious attitude and style.  The experience of watching it is like going through that feeling of wooziness after being punched in the face, for it is that trippy.  I could say more, but the first and second rules of Fight Club forbid me...

5/5 (Experience:  Perfect | Story:  Perfect | Film:  Perfect)

Video Game Review: Sleeping Dogs

There's the old saying "let sleeping dogs lie." In the context of this game, you play a cop in deep cover, working to infiltrate and take down the Sun On Yee Triad gang.  Naturally, you become the one to awaken sleeping dogs, and all hell breaks loose.

The game plays out a bit like a Grand Theft Auto game; you get free reign in an open-world city (in this case, Hong Kong, which looks beautifully vibrant, colorful, and detailed), where you can run, drive, and fight pretty much anywhere.  The main story gives you about thirty action-packed missions, where you can use martial arts and guns to wipe out your enemies.  There are also a bunch of side missions, street races, and random events you can engage in.  You could spend quite a bit of time hunting down collectables.  You could even just run around randomly, exploring and causing trouble.  The game is addicting, and you can spend hours on all that it has to offer.

The main story is pretty cool; the missions string together a solid narrative that chronicles the clashes, the downfall, and the brutal vengeance of rivaling gangs and the police.  In the shoes of the protagonist, Wei Shen, you're constantly on the edge.  One one hand, there's always the fear that your cover will be blown, so you have to always prove yourself to the gang.  On the other hand, the police worry that you're in too deep, and you've become "one of them." It's a fine line that pushes the character into all kinds of emotional strain, making his struggles compelling.  The other characters are pretty endearing, and it gives their actions and reactions some weight.  The game's last few missions have some pretty brutal twists, and it leads up to a really gnarly climax.  In the end, the game plays out like a Hong Kong crime film, and it is pretty awesome to be able to play that type of drama and excitement in a game.

The game runs smoothly and reliably.  I've seen some funny glitches here and there, but nothing that ever made the game unplayable.  Graphics are decent enough; texture and rendering aren't a big highlight, as they seem a bit rough around the edges.  The frame rate is smooth though, and the cut-scenes looks really nice.  Sound and voices are great; the game is well-written.  The city is laid out really well, and the level design is good.  Designs for all the settings, costumes, props, weapons, vehicles, and everything else is cool.  Music is pretty cool too.

Sleeping Dogs is a smooth and addicting experience with an emotionally-driven story and lots of hardcore urban violence.  It's perfect in the way it submerses the player into the streets of Hong Kong, and into the heart of the Triads, and it makes for one of the finest games available.

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

Film Review: RoboCop (2014)

Chances are that you know RoboCop, even if you've never seen the original films.  The cyborg, with his distinctive metal suit and silver helmet, has been one of the most iconic cinema heroes for the past 27 years.  The first film, directed with serious energy and edge by Paul Verhoeven, is still lauded as a phenomenally entertaining classic.  Just as it is with 2012's Total Recall (also a remake of a Verhoeven film), the new RoboCop offers a flashy update with modern effects and production designs, but to remake a classic would seem like sacrilege.

While many fans have been upset over this remake, I personally expected worse.  There are a few things I found likable about the new film.  Even though the film doesn't divulge in satire as much as the original did, it does spit out a few bits of faux media that underscores issues concerning drone warfare, foreign policy, corporate greed, manipulation of the media, and technology - all of which are pretty relevant to modern times.  The transformation of Alex Murphy into a machine is a pretty harrowing sight, but once it is complete, RoboCop exhibits some interesting new abilities (including access to CCTV, wireless networks, and the complete police department database, all at a whim).  The film maintains a steady focus on the character and his family (drama that was never really explored in the original films), and Alex's internal conflict of man and machine factors into the film's most interesting scenes.

Of course, there is also plenty of action to be had.  RoboCop busts through with all guns blazing in several scenes.  At one point, he even takes on several ED-209 drones all at once.  The shootouts are loud and the chase scenes are fast.  However, the filming of these scenes tend to be erratic, and the scenes themselves don't leave much of an impact.

The story covers some interesting ground, given the focus on Alex's constant struggle to maintain human emotion within his mechanical shell, and the focus on his wife and son.  However, the plot twists can be seen coming from miles away (especially for those already familiar with the tale).  The actual conspiracy involved only makes sense to a point, but it never feels as tight or relevant as it did in the original film.  The actual plot structure seems jerky and loose, before reaching a rather flat climax.  Given the serious tone of the film, all characters are pretty lacking in personality, and it only accentuates how flat and one-dimensional they are. 

Some of the most grievous complaints about this film, however, stem from the sheer lack of edge.  This film pushes on the boundaries of its PG-13 rating, dishing out only as much curse words and violence as it's allowed to.  While a film certainly doesn't have to be hardcore-R-rated to be good, this rendition of RoboCop glosses over the violence and candy-coats things to a more unrealistic degree.  Paul Verhoeven made it a point to show violence on-screen, with extreme gore and pain, because he felt it was dangerous to shy away from those things and give audiences an unrealistic interpretation of violence.  2014's RoboCop might as well be living proof of his notion; a child is murdered in the opening scenes, but you don't see it, because of the way the film is edited and shot.  Thus, the film loses its impact, and the scene just breezes by without invoking much of a response.  The movie doesn't just gloss over the blood and guts though; it's also stripped of most of the satire that populated the original film, and I also found it odd that very little crime and crime-fighting is shown.  I mean, this is Detroit, right? Why does it look so shiny and modern? You'd never guess there was a crime problem in the film, if it wasn't for the characters talking about it.

This film is made with some pretty shaky photography.  Editing is okay, but it felt like some scenes were chopped off a little too short.  Acting won't really knock anybody's socks off; Gary Oldman easily provides the best performance of the lot.  I wasn't sure about Joel Kinnaman at first, but as he went on as RoboCop, I felt he handled the emotional and robotic sides of the character pretty well.  Michael Keaton is fine and dandy playing a slimeball character, Abbie Cornish is okay as Mrs. Murphy, didn't care for Jackie Earle Haley's character, and Samuel L. Jackson pops in on occasion to yell some stuff at us.  I really didn't care for anybody else's performance in the film, but it is notably disappointing to see that nobody has any lasting stature, especially when compared to the original film.  Writing is not that great; it's able to get things moving along, but without really filling anything with good meaning.  Occasional references and lines from the original film do little to mask the shortcomings.  This production has some slick-looking sets, props, costumes and locales.  Some of the choices (like the black RoboCop outfit, or the revamped ED-209) will not sit well with everybody.  Some of the music choices seemed really odd to me; I didn't mind the actual music score, but it seemed pretty random.

There are things I enjoyed about the RoboCop remake, but the film is not without its issues.  The most glaring of which is that it's rather watered-down.  Paul Verhoeven originally showed us a gritty world of corruption and crime where people really bled and died in the name of justice; José Padilha shows a slick-looking dramatization with a few neat ideas, but it doesn't have nearly as much weight.  It's pretty much on-par with the Total Recall remake, which also had its share of neat ideas, but was not nearly as memorable.  The best that can be said is that this version of RoboCop might be the closest thing we have to a Metal Gear Solid film.

I'd only recommend this as a rental to interested sci-fi fans.

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

Film Review: Only God Forgives

For much of 2013, it seemed like the movie's poster, with the dragon in neon lights, was beckoning me, perhaps even taunting me and daring me to watch this film.  Since Drive was such a big hit just a couple of years earlier, this follow up from Nicolas Refn and Ryan Gosling looked like it'd be more of the same, but fans may find that Only God Forgives is a totally different animal of a film:  many find it distasteful, weird, shallow, and just plain bad.  I would have agreed with those assessments at first glance as well, but as with most works of art (especially in film), it took a fresh new viewing to look past the initial expectations and appreciate it as it is.  This is not Drive; this is Valhalla Rising, with all the same primal brutality, but swapping out the lands of the Norse with the seedy grungy streets of Bangkok.

This film moves with a slow and brooding pace, which will strain the patience of many viewers.  For those with the patience, the film will be mesmerizing and hypnotic, thanks to the film's beautiful compositions and vivid lighting.  Despite the pacing, most scenes rarely linger, and the film is pretty short overall; I think it's actually pretty notable that the film uses just as many scenes as it needs, cutting out the excess and keeping things simple.

The story is pretty simple and small-scale, but the narrative is not easy to digest.  Few words are spoken, and when they are, they're pretty quiet and they reveal very little.  Most of the film's story is relayed best through its imagery and the characters' expressions; the burden of the pathos rests purely on the way the characters regard each other, the way they treat each other, and the way they take revenge on each other.  Paying attention to these small nuances can reveal much about the characters, but without any straightforward answers, a lot of the story is left wide open to interpretation (and many viewers would probably dismiss it all as pretentious nonsense).  As I regard the story, I believe it lays out some basic archetypes (especially on a theological level) and sets up a massive series of eye-for-an-eye conflicts that lead up to an expressionist finale.  Ultimately, the characters go on to express themes of temptation, sin, vengeance, and authoritarian terror.

All that being said, the story is hard to take at face value.  Parts of it are hard to believe, if not outright unrealistic.  Parts of it make little sense, and the finale is pretty weird.

The film is as beautiful as they come.  It boasts some superb photography and editing.  Color and lighting are extremely vivid and powerful, painting each scene with bold imagery that drives the story and gives the whole thing meaning.  Acting is notably odd; most actors are statuesque and silent, but their expressions, movements, and compositions are very nuanced.  Writing is pretty minimalistic.  This production uses some very good-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Locales are authentic.  Cliff Martinez's music score is pretty awesome and accentuates the visuals beautifully.

Only God Forgives:  it looks like the companion piece to Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void, and it feels like Stanley Kubrick.  Its narrative and pacing is not nearly as palatable as Drive, and if you're expecting something on that level, you will likely be disappointed.  But what the film lacks in narrative or straightforward dialogue, it makes up for with pure expressionism.

Since the film is so polarizing, I'd only recommend renting this film first, to see if it can captivate you the way it's captivated me.

4.5/5 (Experience:  Good | Content:  Good | Film:  Perfect)

Film Review: RoboCop 3

The part-man-part-machine-all-cop hero is back! Unfortunately, he's not the same.  The third film in the franchise swaps out Peter Weller for Robert Burke, and director Fred Dekker doesn't have nearly as much guts his predecessors.

The good news is that the film is still pretty fun.  There is plenty of action to be had, with lots of shoot-outs, chases, and explosive scenes of all-out revolution.  RoboCop continues to beat the snot out of bad guys (including samurai robots), and in one daring scene, he even straps on a jetpack and flies!

However, the experience of this film is substantially fluffier and more lightweight than the last two films.  As a PG-13 film, all the pulp and gore is stripped away, setting a totally different tone and style.  This also leaves the door wide open for a plethora of scenes that are silly and cheesy.  Even though the film maintains a decent pacing, and it can be serious when it wants to, most of it is ridiculous to the point of being unamusing and daft.

The story has a few bright spots:  it is pretty interesting to see how OCP becomes so Nazi-esque that they incur RoboCop's wrath.  However, the film takes a few liberties that might be upsetting for fans (especially concerning one of the series' most beloved characters).  Aside from that, the story plays out in a pretty standard fashion, and little is added to the established characters.  Despite a few interesting ideas, there's little satire or thematic depth to be found.

This film uses good, but rarely great, photography and editing.  Acting is pretty silly and over-the-top from the whole cast; it worked great under Paul Verhoeven, but with Dekker's direction, this level of excess is not nearly as effective.  Writing is average at best.  This production has some okay-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  The music score brings back the classic theme of the first film, but doesn't really much variation on it.

RoboCop 3 is the film where RoboCop commandeers a pimpmobile, catches a bullet with his bare hands, and where ED-209 becomes loyal as a puppy.  This is pretty much on the same level as 1995's Judge Dredd; both films have the potential for some serious edge, but it is dulled pretty heavily by simply being too cheesy and lightweight.  It's easily the worst of the original series, but still entertaining as a guilty pleasure.

Recommended only to the most diehard of RoboCop fans.

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

Film Review: RoboCop 2

After a phenomenally exciting and bloody debut, who wouldn't want more of RoboCop? While this sequel doesn't quite carry as much manic energy or thematic strength as Paul Verhoeven's film, it does continue in the same vein and deliver more of the same.  It's still a wild, ultraviolent world full of rip-roaring action and pulp.

RoboCop 2 boasts some decent standout moments.  Its opening is an intensely seedy sequence that tracks multiple people getting attacked and mugged, one after another, setting things up for RoboCop to bust in and take care of business.  There are a few decent chases and shootouts, especially during the finale, which pits RoboCop against a robot criminal.  The film suffers just a little bit of drag, but it manages to maintain the same tone and spirit of the original film, making it consistently entertaining.  Yep, there are even a few great fake commercials thrown in.

The story takes a few random tangents, but they are good ones.  If you ever wondered what was going on with Murphy's family, this film expands a bit more on that.  The film takes a pretty amusing turn when OCP decides to transform RoboCop into a less violent crime-fighter, focusing more on community service and being all goody-good.  The film's main track, however, dives into a conflict surrounding drugs, gangsters, corporate greed, and OCP trying to find a better RoboCop.  It all adds up to a pretty decent expansion on the original story, and it's quite fun overall.  When it comes to the finer points, however, the satire, social themes, and themes of humanity will come up a little dry when compared to the first film.

Irvin Kershner directs this film competently, with solid photography and editing.  Peter Weller and Nancy Allen reprise their roles comfortably, and everybody else does a decent enough job.  It can be a little startling (maybe even offensive) to see a kid playing a serious gangster role, complete with adult language.  Writing is okay.  This production uses good-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Music is okay.

Not quite as tight or deep as the first film, but this sequel still offers a satisfying follow-up, and it is pretty darn fun.  Recommended for anybody who wants more RoboCop.

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

Film Review: RoboCop (1987)

Things will get worse before they get better (if they ever get better, especially in Detroit).  In one possible future, it could become a mad world of ecological, economical, political, and commercial excesses.  It could be a terrifying breeding ground for more extreme and violent crime, which would call for a more extreme and powerful type of police officer.  Enter RoboCop:  a hybrid of man and machine to make a perfect cop.

This film starts off hard and fast, and remains perfectly entertaining throughout its short run-time.  It's jam-packed with pulpy hardcore action, with loads of shootouts, chases, and some really gnarly kills.  The film strikes a perfect pace, never lingering too long on any of the action or drama, but still offering just enough to satisfy.  The film gets really extreme with its exaggerated (perhaps cheesy) level of acting, its level of bloodshed, and its satire, but it's awesome that way.

Most of the film's appeal, however, is that it's so fundamental and simple.  It goes through a basic death-and-rebirth storyline, which provides the origin of the character and drives the rest of the story through retribution and corporate conspiracy.  There is just enough attention to the characters to make them relevant and endearing.

On top of that, however, the film also packs in a lot of thought-provoking ideas.  Some of the funniest and most memorable scenes include faux news reports and commercials with a strong satirical edge, which provides more background on the crazy world RoboCop inhabits.  The film breezes through numerous themes regarding capitalism, the mass media, gentrification, and overall dystopia.  The film also raises a bunch of pertinent questions regarding technology and its application, especially with a strong man-vs-machine theme at work.  Alex Murphy proves definitively that law enforcement can't be fully automated; an officer needs human compassion and free-will.  No matter how hard the enemies try to destroy all that makes Murphy human, he triumphs every time, over the machine of society and the machine within him.

This film features some crazy and intense photography, the likes of which only Paul Verhoeven can direct.  The shots are often tight, with some scenes that use wild and unusual angles.  There are a number of point-of-view shots, which are ingenious.  Camera movements are solid and smooth.  Editing is decent.  Acting is over-the-top and exaggerated, for fantastic effect; Peter Weller and Nancy Allen are pretty earnest and great to watch, while Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox, and Miguel Ferrer all excel at being bad guys we love to hate.  Writing is concise and sharp, and there are quite a few good, memorable lines.  This production uses some cheap and outdated props and sets, but the architecture and technology is often used to create a unique post-modern look and style.  Costumes are great, and the special effects hold up well.  Music is pretty catchy too.

RoboCop is one of those films that feels longer than it is, because within the confines of its simple and fundamental story, it crafts a dense storytelling experience that's full of energy as it is full of ideas.  Best of all, it's a film with some serious guts:  a piece of pulp sci-fi the likes of which you probably won't find too often in Hollywood anymore.

Over the film's home video history, there has been both the original R-rated cut and the unrated director's cut available.  Really, it only amounts to 30 seconds of additional footage (mostly violence).

Recommended for mature audiences.

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