Man of Steel

Man of Steel delivers everything a Superman movie should.  If anything, it tries to do too much, but more on that later.  The movie works like an apology for Superman Returns, where the main complaint was that nothing really interesting challenged Superman and he didnt even throw a punch.  In Man of Steel, both of those problems are fixed in impressive ways.  General Zod and his team are a menacing threat to a "still finding his way" Superman.  The fight scenes, especially the first big one, are probably the best Superman fight scenes to hit the screen.  You feel the speed and impact of each punch in flashy and stylized camera movements.  Director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) gets the action and the spectacle right.

The structure of the film feels a lot like Batman Begins, you could almost feel producer Christopher Nolan's guiding hand on the project.  Like Batman, Superman is shown first as a traveleving wanderer, lost in the world and trying to find his way.  During his journey, the movie jumps back and forth between present time and key events in his childhood.  The tone is also similiar to Batman Begins.  Superman is morally confused and super serious.  I kind of missed the playfulness and joyful wonder of the old Superman movies, but I can see why they went with what they did.  We get a serious science fiction movie out of Man of Steel, about the potential identity crisis someone would have if they landed on Earth and didn't know why.

If I had a criticism about the movie, it would be that it tried to do too much.  There are developments in the film that happen pretty quickly and abruptly, leaving us to question some of the logic of the characters or the situation.  For instance, Lois Lane becomes an important character in about two or three scenes.   The film is overambitious, covering a lot of territory and feeling rushed in certain scenes, then feeling slower in others.  I appreciated that they tried to fit everything in they could, a fault that I can't really blame the movie for too much.  

Overall, a big, bold and technically impressive Superman film.  

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 10: "Mhysa"

So how does Game of Thrones follow up last week's episode? Apparently with a busy and somewhat entertaining wrap up episode.  As for season finales go, this is probably the most underwhelming of the three.  Can't fault the show runners though, this season of Game of Thrones only covers the first half of the third book in the series and ends somewhere in the middle of "A Storm of Swords".  This episode also had the burden of going on after last week's "Red Wedding", which was probably the most shocking moment of the show to date.  Naturally, this episode felt a little slower and uneventful, as it dealt mostly with the aftermath of last week's gamechanging deaths.

One of the responsilibilites of a Game of Thrones season finale is that we check in with all of the characters before the 9 month haitus.  Although the episode worked like efficient clockwork in the way we caught up with everyone, there was some pretty amazing scenes with particular characters.  Starting off, I was happy with the initial council meeting, which was basically Tyrion and Tywin putting Joffrey in his place and sending him to his room like a little boy.  Then we see how differently the two Stark sisters deal with the news of the loss of their brother and mother.  Sansa sits near a window and cries in her room.  Arya (in my favorite sequence of the night) plays pretend lost little girl and then proceeds to kill a Lannister bannerman by repeatedly stabbing him in the neck.  

It was also nice to see some of the characters meeting and reuniting with each other after spending the whole season apart.   Even though I do not like Cersei at all, I still felt happy for her and Jaime when he showed up like a dirty creeper out of nowhere in her bedroom.  I don't think we've seen them together since season 1 and almost forgot they where a couple/siblings.  Jon Snow writhing in pain and smiling to see Sam was also another nice moment.  In the offseason, I'd like to imagine that the characters are spending a lot of time with each other exchanging stories of their adventures.

Overall, a good episode that has the burden of wrapping  up this half season.  It does its job as a season finale by resolving certain storylines as well as setting up new ones.

Observations:

- That half Robb/half wolf thing was stuff nightmares are made of.  Poor Arya, you could even tell the Hound thought that was too much.

- Speaking of the Hound, it was pretty funny to see him start eating food in the background after Arya killed that Lannister soldier.

- Arya uses her coin to summon Jaqen :D

- I like Theon's sister. Her quest to rescue her little brother looks like it'll be pretty exciting.  

- Hopefully Theon wont have to spend another season just repeatedly getting tortured. Seriously, thats all his storyline was this season.

- A lot of Davos this episode, but he had some good scenes.  "Do you know how to swim?" "No." "Don't fall out." Haha.

- I was happy to see Brienne again and with Jamie at King's Landing.  I wonder if she knows about Catelyn yet and whats to become of her.  

- Daenerys popped up out of nowhere at the end to look cool and epic for the last scene.

So that does it for Season 3 folks!  It's been a wild ride.  Thanks to everyone who's been keeping up, it warms my heart to know people are reading these :D  

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 9: "The Rains of Castamere"

The best episode of the season and maybe the show's best episode yet.  As I'm writing this, I'm getting emotionally exhausted thinking about what happened.  I haven't fully processed my thoughts yet.  I feel like I was gut punched in a way only Game of Thrones could do.  I had a feeling something bad was about to happen, but not at this level.  

They're all dead.  Two of the major players of the series, Catelyn and Robb, dead.  Talisa and her unborn child, dead.   Talisa repeatedly getting stabbed in the stomach was horrific in a way most horror movies never even come close too.  For me, that was the most brutal killing I've seen in a tv show or movie in a long time.   Catelyn slitting the the throat of Frey's wife and then screaming as she spews blood from her own throat getting cut, is something that'll be etched into my memory for probably as long as tv show goes on.

And everything seemed to be going so well.  Poor Arya was about to reunite with her family only to have them die when she was literally at their doorstep.  That sense of fear she talked about with to the Hound was confirmed.  Good foreshadowing by the showrunners.  There were even moments of joy and comedy at the wedding ceremony.  Turns out the Frey girl to be married is actually pretty, you could see Edmure's face lighten up.  Things were going too right...  

So some other stuff happened this episode right?  Pretty significant things actually, but are ultimately overshadowed by that ending.  Jon Snow kills some of the wildlings and rides off on a horse, leaving Ygritte behind looking like she had a broken heart.  Bran and his group get surrounded by wildlings, then goes full Jedi and helps Jon win his battle.  Jorah, Daario and Grey Worm sack and win a city for Daenerys.

Overall, a masterful episode of TV I will never forget.  I'm still in shock.

Observations:

-“A man can’t make love to property”, you could almost see Daenerys swoon.

“Someday, I’m going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull”, badass Arya line of the day.

- Speaking of Arya, I'm kind of glad the Hound knocked her out.  She's going to be in a dark place now.

- Hodor is afraid of lightning, it appears. Hodor, Hodor, Hodor.

- Grey Worm fights with efficiency and badassery.

- The Lannisters have won.  

- I usually watch episodes twice before I write my review.  I couldn't bring myself to watch this again so soon...

The Great Gatsby

A mixed bag.  First, the good.  This is probably the best looking movie I've seen in a while.  If you've seen any of Baz Luhrman's other movies (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge), you'll have an idea of what to expect.  Everything looks good, amazingly good.  The party scenes are overloaded with glitz and glamour, the outdoor scenes resemble something from a fairy tale.  Lurhman also knows how to make his actors look good.  Its no surprise that the last time Leonardo DiCaprio and Baz Luhrman together (Romeo + Juliet in 1996), it launched DiCaprio's career and made him an international heart throb.  The music accompanies the hyper stylized direction of the film with lush scores and energetic samples of its diverse soundtrack throughout the whole movie.  If I could only rate this movie on how it looks and how it sounds, I'd probably give it a 10/10.

But then there's the plot and the character relationships.  I'm not going to criticize F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, because that novel is a masterpiece.  Unfortunately, the plot doesn't translate as well on screen.  The first half was okay, the second half seemed to drag for me.  The movie's resolution isn't as good as it's setup.  The motivations of the characters seem hinted at but not thoroughly explored.

Overall, probably worth seeing just for the visuals and the music.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 8: "Second Sons"

A good episode, which seemed light on drama but heavy on entertainment.  I'm a little worried because there's only two episodes left this season and things dont seem to be moving fast enough for anything substantial to happen the remainder of Season 3, but I'm probably wrong.  With that said, I enjoyed this episode because the main focus was on three main characters that I like spending time with: Tyrion, Stannis and Daenerys.

At King's Landing, we get out first wedding of many planned weddings with Tyrion and Sansa. Everyone involved in the affair seemed miserable and looked like they were contemplating their doomed arrangements.  The only one seeming to have a good time is Joffrey, until Tyrion awesomely tells him off and blames it on the alcohol.  In the end, Tyrion demonstrates he's a decent husband to Sansa by telling her she never has to "consume their marriage" unless she wants to.

Meanwhile, we get some nice scenes of Stannis and Davos having a heart to heart about Melisandre.  Stannis explains to him that he's seen things Melisandre has done that he can not deny, of which Davos has no answer for.  Gendry gets brought into the mix and Melisandre cruelly tricks him into thinking that he's going to have sex with her, only to have him take off his clothes so she could unleash some leeches on him. Daenerys meets with the "Second Sons" and things go very well for her, she somehow gets one of their leaders to turn on the others and pledge his allegiance to her.

Overall, the episode went by super quick and left me wanting more, which is usually a good sign.  Bad news is that there won't be a new episode next week and we're gonna have to wait two weeks until Episode 9.  Good news is that Episode 9's of Season 1 and 2 were the best episodes of their seasons.  Season 1 Episode 9 was Baelor (aka Ned Stark dies), Season 2 Episode 9 was Blackwater, which I consider to be the best GoT episode so far.  See you guys in two weeks!

Observations:

-Arya and the Hound are the new odd couple.  I look forward to her reunion with Catelyn and Robb if that's going to happen.
-The first "Second Son" guy who talks to Daenerys had the demeanor of a douchebag meathead.
-Davos teaching himself to read was somewhat adorable.
-"If you ever call me sister again I"ll have you strangled in your sleep".  Cersei don't play.
-Does Joffrey suddenly have a thing for Sansa again or what?
-Why didn't Sansa bend down for Tyrion to cloak her instead of waiting until he asked her, seemed like an obvious thing to do after Joffrey took away his chair.
-You would think everyone in the Knight's Watch would know how to start a fire.
-Did Sam leave that dagger behind? It seemed so cool and useful.

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 7: "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"

A talky midseason episode that has its ups and downs.  It felt busy, with some character's arcs' more interesting than others.  The best was definitely saved for last.

New relationships seemed to be the focus of this episode.  We start off with Robb Stark and his newlywed bride Talisa in a session lovemaking/war planning.  It's been a while since we've seen an intimate scene with these two characters, and we're reminded of why Robb ultimately chose marrying Talisa over doing what's best for the war.  He seems ecstatic when Talisa tells him that she is preggers, which is not surprising if all she does is lay around naked and distract him.  The ultimate metaphor for their marriage and the war.  Meanwhile, Tyrion and Sansa separately discuss their anxieties about getting married, and Joffrey summons Tywin in frustration of not being involved in his plans.

All the way in the North, Jon Snow and Ygritte ponder their relationship and what they're currently doing.  Jon gives Ygritte a history lesson, in which he tries to convince her that they will ultimately fail in their planned attack.  She responds by reiterating her love to him and then they proceed to kiss.  Ahh young love.

And finally, Jaime and Brienne.  In one of the most rousing and exciting sequences of the season, Jaime realizes Brienne is in trouble and rushes back to save her. From a bear pit!  He even jumps into the pit, unarmed, and wedges himself in front of her.  Their odd relationship is finally proven to each other like it was the end of some buddy comedy.  His character's finest moment so far in the series, and biggest indication that his journey with Brienne has changed him.

Overall, an uneven but forward moving episode with an exciting ending.

Observations:

-Weird to see the Wildlings not surrounded by snow.
-Ygritte points out that Jon Snow is a prettyboy.
-Even Margaery knows Tyrion is the best Lannister.
-Joffrey complains about climbing stairs to Tywin.
-Daenerys, "Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons"
-Shae is kinda annoying.
-Gendry learns he's Robert Baratheon's son, epic music plays.
-Arya is a badass, the only true god she believes in is "Death".
-The Theon torture show continues, disturbingly.
-Ygritte needs a dictionary to learn new words.
-"All girls see more blood than boys."
-Jon Snow and Ygritte basically said "Yolo!" and did it on that hill.

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 6: "For Immediate Release"

My favorite episodes of Mad Men involve Don Draper and the firm being in crisis.  The show is at its finest when all the chips are down and then suddenly, Don gets a quick and sudden stroke of genius that changes everything in its path.   This is an episode that starts off seemingly like any other episode, and then during a pivotal scene, Ted sits down for a drink with Don.  By the end of their conversation, we know that everything at SCDP has changed.

The episode starts off with Bert and Pete discussing their stock value if they go public.  Unfortunately Don is not aware of Bert’s motivations and gets pulled into a dinner with Herb, the representative at Jaguar. Don tells Herb off, something that’s been boiling in Don and with us ever since Herb got his way with Joan last season.  Meanwhile, Pete runs into his father in law at a whorehouse and assumes everything is okay because Ken explains to him that they’ll both be harmed if the truth is revealed.  Everything isn’t ok, Trudy’s father care more about his daughter than harming his own self image.  SCDP ends up losing Vicks and Jaguar when they need them the most.  That’s when Roger and Don basically come in and save the day.

The last time business at SCDP was this exciting was in the Season Three finale “Shut the Door, Have a Seat”, which is universally regarded as one of the show’s best episodes.  If you don’t remember, this was the episode where Sterling Cooper was on the verge of being sold to the English, so Don convinced Lane to fire him and all the important members of the firm and thus, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was born.   Now the firm is changing again, but this time merging with Ted and Peggy’s ad firm.  There are changes in store for almost all of the characters from this.  Much like its main character, Mad Men is a show that takes risks and just like with Don, those risks usually pay off.  

Observations:
-Was Pete hitting on Joan and trying to get her drunk?  Pete couldn’t handle that.
-Roger shows us why he’s a good businessman; it’s good to see him successful again.
-Megan got kinky this episode, at the suggestion of her mother.
-“I love puppies.”- Don
-“If I could deal with him, you could deal with him. And what now? I went through all of that for nothing.”  I liked Joan telling Don off.  Its pretty much true, Don does whatever he wants without thinking about the firm.
-I knew it, Peggy and Ted have a thing for each other.
-How weird must have it been to be Peggy, getting called into her boss’s office and seeing Don there.
-Bonus:  Here’s a gif of Pete stumbling on the stairs.  http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2013/05/oQnzqR3.gif