There's not a lot I can say about this movie that hasn't been said already by Derrick Ferguson Jack Badelaire and Mark Bousquet (who is also writing a series of character specific reactions) and a lot of others.
I thought Guardians was a clever move by Marvel Studios - it builds on elements introduced in The Avengers (Thanos and The Other) and Thor 2 (The Collector), and does so in a way that takes us beyond what we've seen previously and explores a whole new direction. The movie opens with the abduction of young Peter Quill from Earth and he's our point of view character in the story. That opening takes us from the familiar (Earth) and lets us explore the galaxy.
Chris Pratt in a lot of ways reminds me of Harrison Ford's Han Solo (and this probably makes Disney's Han Solo film that much harder). But Pratt's Quill is not the only character who we meet and develop a bond with. There is one scene that had both my daughters in tears, so much did they come to care about the characters.
Rocket Racoon and Groot are the Jay and Silent Bob of this movie and I would cheerfully plonk down my cash for a movie starring them.
Gamora is an interesting character, in spite of her messed up upbringing by Thanos, she is willing to betray him to do what is right. The movie offers her in direct contrast with her sister, Nebula.
Drax the Destroyer is a focused character and is literalism is played for laughs, but his partnership with the Guardians causes him to grow. Actually, that holds for all the characters, alone they couldn't achieve their individual goals but together they move beyond their limitations and become better and more effective in achieving their goals.
The Guardians are getting a major push by Marvel in the comics and appearances in Hulk and The Agents of SMASH and Ultimate Spider-Man animated cartoons.
I loved this movie.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
The Musketeers (2014) season 1
I heard about the latest version of The Three Musketeers and was interested. I saw that it would be on the new channel, BBC First, which was billed as a premium drama channel - which left me cursing - premium means "charge you a ton of money". The Musketeers was a ten episode season, so even if we got a free sample I would only get to see a few episodes. So I figured that I wouldn't get see the show.
However, BBC First was included in my package, happy days. Next I find that the first ten hours of BBC First would be the entire season of The Musketeers. Even better. Except for Peter Capaldi (the latest Doctor Who) I'd not heard of any of the actors. (However, I later discovered that the actor playing Aramis, Santiago Cabrera, had been Lancelot in The Adventures of Merlin)
It's been awhile since I last read Dumas but this version contains a great deal of expanded information about our four heroes. I also liked the hints about the shared history between Captain Treville and Cardinal Richelieu, such as Marie de Medici's attempt to overthrow her son the King.
Each episode was a stand alone adventure, and was a crackling good swashbuckling adventure.
With Capaldi, off to play Doctor Who, season two will have to find a new schemer to work in the background. I really enjoyed his Richelieu - he is not only the Cardinal of France but he is the First Minister, and we see something of the drive and ambition of the man - he seems to always be working in the best interests of France. I suspected in the episode The Exiles, had Marie de Medici offered him a better deal he might have taken it.
Ryan Gage as King Louis was a treat, the King is this strange mixture of ruler and little boy. He relies heavily on the council of the Cardinal .
The series as a whole was beautiful and I loved the Musketeer Uniforms.
Well worth watching.
However, BBC First was included in my package, happy days. Next I find that the first ten hours of BBC First would be the entire season of The Musketeers. Even better. Except for Peter Capaldi (the latest Doctor Who) I'd not heard of any of the actors. (However, I later discovered that the actor playing Aramis, Santiago Cabrera, had been Lancelot in The Adventures of Merlin)
It's been awhile since I last read Dumas but this version contains a great deal of expanded information about our four heroes. I also liked the hints about the shared history between Captain Treville and Cardinal Richelieu, such as Marie de Medici's attempt to overthrow her son the King.
Each episode was a stand alone adventure, and was a crackling good swashbuckling adventure.
With Capaldi, off to play Doctor Who, season two will have to find a new schemer to work in the background. I really enjoyed his Richelieu - he is not only the Cardinal of France but he is the First Minister, and we see something of the drive and ambition of the man - he seems to always be working in the best interests of France. I suspected in the episode The Exiles, had Marie de Medici offered him a better deal he might have taken it.
Ryan Gage as King Louis was a treat, the King is this strange mixture of ruler and little boy. He relies heavily on the council of the Cardinal .
The series as a whole was beautiful and I loved the Musketeer Uniforms.
Well worth watching.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles (2011) Kim Newman Titan Books
Every now and then there come a fresh idea/perspective that in hindsight is so brilliantly obvious that it comes as a surprise that it took so long for someone to come to that conclusion. I remember thinking "why hadn't someone thought of that before." when I read the premise for 30 Days of Night.
The same thought came to me when I read Hound of the D'Urbervilles, if Professor Moriarty was the dark reflection of Sherlock Holmes, then it stood to reason that Col Moran was his Watson. This was something Doyle never used and certainly it hadn't appeared in any of the Moriarty centred pastiches I had read, certainly not in the two John Gardner works The Return of Moriarty and The Revenge of Moriarty.
Kim Newman is a genius. This fresh perspective on Moriarty and his organisation was a breath of fresh air and Newman manages to make a number of connections to other works of fiction the obvious one from the title is Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I regret not reading this sooner it was so much fun. I loved the appearance of Irene Adler, with her getting the better of Moriarty. "To Professor Moriarty she was always That Bitch" tells Col Moran.
Newman has long been a favourite writer of mine.
If you enjoy Newman's other works, Sherlockian fiction or literary mashups this this book for you
The same thought came to me when I read Hound of the D'Urbervilles, if Professor Moriarty was the dark reflection of Sherlock Holmes, then it stood to reason that Col Moran was his Watson. This was something Doyle never used and certainly it hadn't appeared in any of the Moriarty centred pastiches I had read, certainly not in the two John Gardner works The Return of Moriarty and The Revenge of Moriarty.
Kim Newman is a genius. This fresh perspective on Moriarty and his organisation was a breath of fresh air and Newman manages to make a number of connections to other works of fiction the obvious one from the title is Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I regret not reading this sooner it was so much fun. I loved the appearance of Irene Adler, with her getting the better of Moriarty. "To Professor Moriarty she was always That Bitch" tells Col Moran.
Newman has long been a favourite writer of mine.
If you enjoy Newman's other works, Sherlockian fiction or literary mashups this this book for you
Sunday, August 3, 2014
The Green Hornet Casefiles (2011 )edited by Joe Gentile & Win Eckert Moonstone
originally posted Sunday, February 19, 2012 8:01:03 PM
The second volume of short stories
from Moonstone based on The Green Hornet TV series. I will repeat what I said
about the first volume - this could be considered as another season of the TV
series.
The stories are all excellent. Matthew Baugh’s Auld Acquaintance and Howard Hopkins Sting of The Yellow Jacket serve as direct sequels to their stories in the first volume and utilise an ally and an enemy for the Green Hornet with connections to an earlier crime fighting member of the Reid family.
Another theme that runs through several stories is the Detroit riots of 1967. In some stories, The Green Hornet and Kato merely acknowledge the riots happened and in others the crime fighters attempt to become involved. These stories add an layer of authenticity to the world of the Green Hornet.
I enjoyed Ron Fortier’s introduction talking about his time writing the Now Comics Green Hornet series and the afterwords about Raymond J. Meurer.
The one thing that comes through in these stories and the package as whole is the love for the character of The Green Hornet. I would recommend grabbing this (and the first volume if you haven’t already got it)
The stories are all excellent. Matthew Baugh’s Auld Acquaintance and Howard Hopkins Sting of The Yellow Jacket serve as direct sequels to their stories in the first volume and utilise an ally and an enemy for the Green Hornet with connections to an earlier crime fighting member of the Reid family.
Another theme that runs through several stories is the Detroit riots of 1967. In some stories, The Green Hornet and Kato merely acknowledge the riots happened and in others the crime fighters attempt to become involved. These stories add an layer of authenticity to the world of the Green Hornet.
I enjoyed Ron Fortier’s introduction talking about his time writing the Now Comics Green Hornet series and the afterwords about Raymond J. Meurer.
The one thing that comes through in these stories and the package as whole is the love for the character of The Green Hornet. I would recommend grabbing this (and the first volume if you haven’t already got it)
Thursday, July 31, 2014
The Green Hornet Chronicles (2010) edited Joe Gentile and Win Scott Eckert published by Moonstone
originally posted Sunday, April 10, 2011 2:33:26 PM
Previously, I had reviewed Win's
story in this volume and raved about it and when the complete anthology arrived
I raced through the contents. All of the stories are set in the world of the
1960s TV series and I would say that all the stories would make excellent
episodes of the series. indeed the book serves as a much belated second season
to the TV show. (One can presume that the forthcoming The Green Hornet
Casefiles will be season 3)
I enjoyed all the stories in this volume with several stories alluding to The Hornet’s relationship to The Lone Ranger with Matthew Baugh’s The Inside Man offering a clever riff on the connection. All of the stories were excellent with The Night Car By Will Murray, I had the Green Hornet’s Love Child By Greg Cox, Fang and Sting by Win Eckert and The Inside Man by Matthew Baugh as stand outs for me.
The volume includes three essays Reflections on The Green Hornet by Van Williams, Life at 90MPH by Dean Jeffries and The Soul of Solomon by Harlan Ellison.
I think Van Williams introduction shows the love that the actor has for the character and the role that will likely be part of his legacy.
The Jeffries essay is an interview with Jeffries who built the Black Beauty and many other custom cars for the screen and offers a insight into the process he used to design and build the car.
Harlan Ellison’s contribution is the one controversial entry in the book. Ellison starts telling us that he had an idea for The Green Hornet to meet The Phantom. He managed to sell the idea to the rights holders writes the start of the story and then decides that the story shouldn’t be written and turns the whole thing into an essay about why the story should be written. All I have to say is Ellison must have some good lawyers as this appeared here and in The Phantom Chronicles Vol2.
Overall The Green Hornet Chronicles is an excellent anthology with excellent stories and of you are a fan of the character grab a copy and then preorder the follow up volume.
I enjoyed all the stories in this volume with several stories alluding to The Hornet’s relationship to The Lone Ranger with Matthew Baugh’s The Inside Man offering a clever riff on the connection. All of the stories were excellent with The Night Car By Will Murray, I had the Green Hornet’s Love Child By Greg Cox, Fang and Sting by Win Eckert and The Inside Man by Matthew Baugh as stand outs for me.
The volume includes three essays Reflections on The Green Hornet by Van Williams, Life at 90MPH by Dean Jeffries and The Soul of Solomon by Harlan Ellison.
I think Van Williams introduction shows the love that the actor has for the character and the role that will likely be part of his legacy.
The Jeffries essay is an interview with Jeffries who built the Black Beauty and many other custom cars for the screen and offers a insight into the process he used to design and build the car.
Harlan Ellison’s contribution is the one controversial entry in the book. Ellison starts telling us that he had an idea for The Green Hornet to meet The Phantom. He managed to sell the idea to the rights holders writes the start of the story and then decides that the story shouldn’t be written and turns the whole thing into an essay about why the story should be written. All I have to say is Ellison must have some good lawyers as this appeared here and in The Phantom Chronicles Vol2.
Overall The Green Hornet Chronicles is an excellent anthology with excellent stories and of you are a fan of the character grab a copy and then preorder the follow up volume.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
"Fang & Sting" by Win Eckert (2010) in THE GREEN HORNET CHRONICLES
Originally posted Thursday, February 3, 2011 10:28:06 PM
All Pulp are very crafty. They give you a free sample and get you hooked. In a recent Moonstone Monday post we are given the complete text of Win Eckert's contribution to The Green Hornet Chronicles which can be read here
Go and read it I'll wait. Back? Okay.
Like all stories in this anthology, Fang and Sting is set in the 1960s Green Hornet TV series (the one starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee) Eckert gives us an exciting tale that would have been a brilliant episode of that show. Not only that but Eckert manages to explain how and why Lenore Case was able to discover that Britt Reid and The Green Hornet are the same person. Win manages to include several other pieces of Hornet Trivia into his tale such as the fact that Mike Axford first appeared in the radio shows Warner Lester Manhunter and Dr Fang and making a reference to The Evil in Pemberley House.
The Green Hornet and Kato roll to investigate the reappearance of the Mysterious Dr Fang who terrorised Detroit in the 1930s. The diabolic Doctor Fang is killing local politicians and implicating The Green Hornet as an accomplice. The fact that Kato is Asian makes the connection quite plausible in some people's eyes. Once again we see The Green Hornet as the master strategist and Kato as his swift right hand.
Eckert is true to the characters as presented in the TV show and makes a exciting tale offering a connection between Dr Fang and another villian. Eckert has indicated that the next Green Hornet Anthology will have a direct sequel to this story.
If the rest of the stories in the anthology are half as good as this story then the anthology is well worth twice the price. I've ordered my copy and as soon as I get it from Pulp Fiction. I'll review it here.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
The Green Hornet (1939) Serial - starring Gordon Jones and Keye Luke
After watching the second serial, I found that the library had the first serial.
Overall, I liked The Green Hornet Strikes better. Gordon Jones is okay in the role of Britt Reid and The Green Hornet but his voice as the Hornet is dubbed and the face mask doesn't cover his jaw line so it is obvious that he is just moving his jaw randomly reminding me of a talking animal like Lancelot Link. I wonder if he wasn't the first choice because Hull fits the mask better in the second serial.
On the plus side Kato gets more to do and it is stated that Kato invented the gas gun, the Black Beauty as well as the secret garage and ways in and out of the garage. Compared to Bruce Lee, Keye Luke does very little but here he gets to karate chop a few people.
I didn't mention in the last review but I love the outfits that The Green Hornet and Kato wear in these serials, they are effective disguises that are easy to take off which is used at least once in this serial to allow The Green Hornet to escape.
Each instalment is pretty much self contained as The Hornet tackles the rackets. The head racketeer communicates through a speaker, during one of the meetings I jokingly referred to it as Charlie's Devils as it serves as a twisted precursor to Charlie's Angels.
After this I'll be hunting down more serials as I enjoyed both these.
Overall, I liked The Green Hornet Strikes better. Gordon Jones is okay in the role of Britt Reid and The Green Hornet but his voice as the Hornet is dubbed and the face mask doesn't cover his jaw line so it is obvious that he is just moving his jaw randomly reminding me of a talking animal like Lancelot Link. I wonder if he wasn't the first choice because Hull fits the mask better in the second serial.
On the plus side Kato gets more to do and it is stated that Kato invented the gas gun, the Black Beauty as well as the secret garage and ways in and out of the garage. Compared to Bruce Lee, Keye Luke does very little but here he gets to karate chop a few people.
I didn't mention in the last review but I love the outfits that The Green Hornet and Kato wear in these serials, they are effective disguises that are easy to take off which is used at least once in this serial to allow The Green Hornet to escape.
Each instalment is pretty much self contained as The Hornet tackles the rackets. The head racketeer communicates through a speaker, during one of the meetings I jokingly referred to it as Charlie's Devils as it serves as a twisted precursor to Charlie's Angels.
After this I'll be hunting down more serials as I enjoyed both these.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)