Vulcan Stev Family movie review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Starring:
Georgie Henley … Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes … Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley … Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell … Susan Pevensie
Tilda Swinton … White Witch
James McAvoy … Mr. Tumnus
Jim Broadbent … Professor Kirke
Kiran Shah … Ginarrbrik
James Cosmo … Father Christmas
Judy McIntosh … Mrs. Pevensie
Elizabeth Hawthorne … Mrs. Macready
Patrick Kake … Oreius
Shane Rangi … General Otmin
Brandon Cook … Boy on Train
Cassie Cook … Girl on Train
Synopsis from IMDb: Based on the classic novel by ‘CS Lewis’ . Four London children are sent to a professor’s country home in order for protection during World War II. There they find a magic wardrobe which leads to a mystical land called Narnia, which is being ruled by an evil witch. To defeat the witch, they must join forces with Aslan, the lion God of Narnia.
Walt Disney Pictures * 143 mins * PG * 2005
VS: 2 pointed ears
In all honesty, I had never read the Narnia books prior to seeing this film. Because I enjoyed the movie so much, I did, after seeing this film go read the entirety of the Narnia series. After my reading of the C.S. Lewis novels I can say that this movie is a very faithful adaptation of the novel. The things added to the film, like the prologue, are derived from narration in the novel and are not out-of-place in the movie. The action sequences may be a little too intense for younger viewers. Overall a very nice tale of good triumphing over evil.
This is definitely a movie you can watch with the family. By the same token it is a movie that adults need not “borrow” kids in order to have fun watching it.
Mrs. VS: 2 pointed ears
This motion picture followed the book very well. I was impressed with the faithfulness shown to the setting, characters and story. I actually will sit and watch this movie with the family when it gets pulled out.
Pvt. Black Spartan is on an FTX and will be sending us her review later.
PIT #2: 1.8 pointed ears
I loved the entire Narnia series of stories. Most of the movies I’ve seen based off of novels do a severe injustice to the source material. Not so with TLtWatW. I was very impressed with the overall integrity of the source material as presented on-screen. The “movie” that plays in your head when you read a good novel was not damaged at all by the movie that Walden Media produced. The two movies, mine and Walden’s, intertwined to the point of harmony. A must see.
PIT #3: 1.5 pointed ears
I liked this movie. I wish there could have been more action in this movie. It seemed to be a very talky motion picture. Mommy has read the Narnia stories to us. I guess I remember more action in the stories mommy read to us. It’s not a bad movie, it just doesn’t compare with what I always pictured in my head.
7.3 pointed ears out of 8
Highly recommended. This family friendly film is must have for your collection.
Vulcan Stev family movie review: The Incredibles
Starring:
Craig T. Nelson … Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible
Holly Hunter … Helen Parr / Elastigirl
Samuel L. Jackson … Lucius Best / Frozone
Jason Lee … Buddy Pine / Syndrome
Dominique Louis … Bomb Voyage
Teddy Newton … Newsreel Narrator
Jean Sincere … Mrs. Hogenson
Eli Fucile … Jack Jack Parr
Maeve Andrews … Jack Jack Parr
Wallace Shawn … Gilbert Huph
Spencer Fox … Dashiell ‘Dash’ Parr
Lou Romano … Bernie Kropp
Wayne Canney … Principal
Sarah Vowell … Violet Parr
Michael Bird … Tony Rydinger
Walt Disney/Pixar * 115 mins * PG * 2004
Synopsis from IMDb: Fifteen years ago, superheroes walked the streets of Metroville, performing acts of great heroism and inspiring many to follow their example. But a string of lawsuits by disgruntled people they’d helped lead to political and public outcry, and the Supers were forced into retirement and government-funded anonymity. Bob Parr used to be Mr. Incredible, one of the greatest and strongest Supers; now, he lives a mundane life as a suburban insurance agent. Although his wife Helen (formerly Elastigirl) has moved on and is more concerned with raising their children Dashiell (who is super-fast and super-confident), Violet (who can turn invisible – and is super-shy) and baby Jack-Jack than battling evil, Bob still yearns for the good old days – and his chance comes when he is approached by a shadowy government organization and asked to join their numbers. But all is not as it seems, and Bob will find himself trapped by Syndrome, an embittered enemy who in his youth once idolized Mr. Incredible – and only his family will be able to save him now…
VS: 1.5 pointed ears
This is the first Pixar film to receive a PG rating. The rating is mostly for the intense action sequences that might be a little much for an impressionable child. Nothing really bad happens to the main characters and the deaths happen off-screen. As an adult watching a film that is marketed to and directed at children, I appreciated the in jokes the producers placed in the movie to entertain the adults. The other thing I liked is that the heroes are human beings with human faults. Mr. Incredible talking to the audience, “Sometimes I just wish the Earth would stay saved,” this is something we would never expect to hear Superman or Spider-man admit out loud.
This movie is a fresh take on the superhero archetype. I enjoy it each time I watch it.
Mrs. VS: 1.5 pointed ears
This a good family movie that adults will enjoy as well. I’m not particularly “in to” action adventure movies, but when the family saw this in the theater and again we bought the DVD I sat and watched with my family. This isn’t a movie tat I’d go see because I want to see it but I can sit through it without feeling lost.
Pvt Black Spartan is on an FTX her review is coming.
PIT #2: 1.2 pointed ears
Only because my younger cousin watches this movie every time he comes over. I’m getting a little tired of watching it. One or two viewings every couple of years or so would be fine. The first time I watched it I was very impressed with Pixar’s take on the whole super-hero genre. How would public react to super heroes? What happens to a hero when it’s more than just his own life in jeopardy?
I liked the way Pixar dealt with these questions. I just don’t want to see the movie once a month.
PIT #3: 1 pointed ear
This is a Disney movie. Cartoons are for kids (editor’s note PIT #3 is 11 and therefore wa-a-ay too cool to be watching cartoons). Mr. Incredible is a Superman wannabe who can’t fly. Elastigirl an the rest of the superheroes are ripoffs of characters in both Marvel and DC. Super-villian puts the world in jeopardy and it’s up to our heroes to save the world. Blah blah blah… I’ve seen it all before.
5.2 pointed ears out of 8
Rated PG for intense scenes of action and comic book-style violence. This is a nice family friendly film.
Vulcan Stev family movie review: 2012
Starring:
John Cusack … Jackson Curtis
Amanda Peet … Kate Curtis
Chiwetel Ejiofor … Adrian Helmsley
Thandie Newton … Laura Wilson
Oliver Platt … Carl Anheuser
Thomas McCarthy … Gordon Silberman
Woody Harrelson … Charlie Frost
Danny Glover … President Thomas Wilson
Liam James … Noah Curtis
Morgan Lily … Lilly Curtis
Zlatko Buric … Yuri Karpov
Beatrice Rosen … Tamara
Alexandre Haussmann … Alec
Philippe Haussmann … Oleg
Johann Urb … Sasha
Summary from IMDb: Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth’s core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world’s population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world’s leaders race to build “arks” to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.
2009 * Columbia Pictures * PG-13 * 158 minutes
Vulcan Stev 1 pointed ear
This film has got to be filled with some of the greatest special effects I’ve ever seen. It is not however, one of the greatest films ever. 2012 has a double meaning for this film, not only is it the year the movie takes place it also the number of disaster movies it rips off during its two and half hour run time. If you like special effects for special effects sake and are longing to see all of your favorite disaster movies in one setting then by all means, this is a must see movie. However, if you need a plot that actually makes or characters that you really care about, then I advise you to watch Volcano, The Day After Tomorrow, Earthquake, or The Poseidon Adventure.
Roland Emmerich has proven himself to be the quint-essential “Disaster Movie” director of our time. However, not only did he try to shove too many disasters into this movie, his personal beliefs colored far too many scenes. Based on this movie, I would have to guess that Mr. Emmerich is an atheist. Every single character who takes time out for prayer or to exercise their religious beliefs (with the notable exception of a neophyte Buddhist monk) ends up dead. In fact out of all the world’s monuments or symbols that Mr. Emmerich gleefully destroys on screen, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio gets a significant amount of screen time. The heavy-handed message of religion can’t save you couldn’t have been more obvious unless Mr Emmerich had made it part of the title.
There are lots of nice footage of global destruction. It does nothing to rescue this film. My boys and I had accurately predicted all but one of the deaths. This movie is so full of clichés that the 2012 title could be referring to that as well.
PIT #2: 1 pointed ear
As a movie it made a bit of sense. The quote on the front of the DVD packed reads “The Best Disaster Movie Ever”. If by ”Best Disaster Movie” they mean highest body count or most destruction then yes. If they mean it has the bt story or best characters then no. This is not movie in the strictest sense. It is a series of special effects strung together by a weak plot.
Danny Glover would be a better President than Barack Obama
PIT #3: .5 pointed ears
The special effects were cool. However this movie made no sense. I didn’t understand it all. 2012 is also the number of times I asked Daddy why we were watching this movie.
2.5 pointed ears out of 6
Was this movie a complete WOT (waste of time)? no. Will it be replayed over and over at the V.S. house? no. Not recommended.
Vulcan Stev family movie review: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Starring:
Logan Lerman … Percy Jackson
Brandon T. Jackson … Grover
Alexandra Daddario … Annabeth
Jake Abel … Luke
Sean Bean … Zeus
Pierce Brosnan … Mr. Brunner / Chiron
Steve Coogan … Hades
Rosario Dawson … Persephone
Melina Kanakaredes … Athena
Catherine Keener … Sally Jackson
Kevin McKidd … Poseidon
Joe Pantoliano … Gabe Ugliano
Uma Thurman … Medusa
Maria Olsen … Mrs. Dodds / Fury
Julian Richings … Ferryman
20th Century Fox * 118 mins * PG * 2010
Synopsis from IMDb: It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they’re not happy: Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy’s mother. As Percy finds himself caught between angry and battling gods, he and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy’s mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.
VS: 1.55 pointed ears
Greek mythology has always fascinated me. When I first heard about this movie I was intrigued, however, part of me wrote it off as a Harry Potter rip-off. I was surprised to discover that there is in fact a book series upon which this movie is based. So it can’t be a complete riff on the Harry Potter-verse. Let’s face it, coming of age stories are coming-of-age stories regardless of the genre or the characters which inhabit them. Similarities are going to abound regardless. So we’re going to skip the fact that there’s a trio of heroes (two males and one female). We’re not going to mention the act that our protagonist knows nothing of the world that he’s going to be pulled into. And we’re going to gloss over the fact that our hero just happens to be one of the more powerful members of his new-found group.
Aside from a brief mention of the stolen lighting bolt bringing about a war of the gods,very little of e movie is actually devoted to the title piece. Zeus automatically assumes that Percy (Poseidon’s son) has stolen it. So naturally every mythological bounty hunter begins attacking Percy in the hopes of recovering it for Zeus. Doesn’t Zeus lo-jack his lightning? Persephone allows her pearls to be tracked via the Marauder’s… er a mystical map that Luke just happens to have in his collection. For an all-knowing god, Zeus seems to be awfully short-sighted. But the maybe it’s a good thing that Zeus doesn’t have a magical lightning tracer considering where the dumb thing finally shows up.
Percy also seems to be blessed by Fortuna the Geek goddess of Luck. He doesn’t get in trouble for leaving the camp and embarking on his little solo quest. Even though he and his friends are the subject of a nationwide manhunt nobody ever seems to recognize them or call America’s Most Wanted tip line. Nobody seems to mind that Percy and his friends destroy at least one national landmark. It’s also probably just a coincidence that the casino left the keys in that car.
I see a lot of complaints on the net about Olympus being attached to the Empire Sate Building. The novels make it known that Olympus attached to the mortal plane a nonlinear fashion instead being anchored to the ”Center of Civilization”. I wish the movie had explained that little feature. I’m also seeing complaints about the actors not being the age the characters are in the novels. Director Chris Columbus has been quoted as saying that after Harry Potter, he was NEVER going to work with that many ten-year olds again. Given the way the Potter actors have aged beyond their characters, I’m not going to fault Mr. Columbus on that one.
If this movie has one redeeming feature. It is in the fact that both PITs have expressed an interest in actually reading the Percy Jackson novels. I enjoyed the movie and cannot wait for the DVD.
Pvt Black Spartan: (coming) she’s on an FTX and will get us her review later.
PIT #2: 2 pointed ears
I liked the fact that the writer was able to bring the Greek myths and legends to life in 21st century America. By using these archetypes there wasn’t a whole passel of exposition that need to be made. The characters were believable.
PIT #3: 2 pointed ears
I didn’t hear any bad language in this movie. I liked the fact that there was ZERO kissing in the movie. This movie had awesome special effects. I thought it was cool that they got James Bond to play Percy’s teacher.
I was so impressed with this movie that I actually want to go read the novels that this movie is derived from. I can’t wait for Percy Jackson 2.
5.55 pointed ears out of 6 – A nice popcorn family friendly flick. Take the time to see it while it’s in theaters but this a definite must-see on video. Despite my complaints I really did enjoy the movie. I sincerely hope that 20th Century Fox has the next “Potter” series here.
Vulcan Stev family movie review: Godzilla: Final Wars
Starring:
Masahiro Matsuoka …
Earth Defense Force Soldier Shin’ichi Ôzaki
Rei Kikukawa …
UN Molecular Biologist Miyuki Otonashi
Kazuki Kitamura … The Controller of Planet X
Don Frye …
Douglas Gordon (Captain of the Gôten)
Akira Takarada …
UN Secretary General Naotarô Daigo
Kane Kosugi …
M-Facility Soldier Katsunori Kazama
Maki Mizuno … Newscaster Anna Otonashi (Miyuki’s older sister)
Masami Nagasawa … Shobijin (Twin Fairy)
Chihiro Ôtsuka … Shobijin (Twin Fairy)
Kenji Sahara … Paleontologist Hachirô Jingûji
Kumi Mizuno …
Earth Defense Force Commander Akiko Namikawa
Masakatsu Funaki …
M-Unit Commanding Officer Kumasaka
Masatô Ibu … The Xilian General
Masanobu Takashima … Major Kita
Mick Preston … New York Co
Toho Pictures, Inc./Sony * 125 mins * PG * 2004
Synopsis from IMDb: Evil Space Aliens called the Xilians unleashes all the Earth’s monsters to lay waste to most of the world’s major cities, including Tokyo, New York, Sydney, Shanghai and Paris. It is up to Godzilla and the Earth Defense Force to vanquish the monsters and aliens to rescue the world in the ultimate “Save the Earth” battle.
VS: 1.75 pointed ears
I’ll admit that this is only the second Toho Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen. There is something to be said for the sheer enjoyment of watching the direct ancestor of the Power Rangers. Guys in rubber suits destroying miniature buildings. This is pure camp. To be honest the “story” left me flat. I didn’t buy this DVD to listen to bunch of Japanese (at least it was subtitled). I bought this movie to watch Godzilla duke it out with every monster in the cannon.
The two biggest complaints I had with this movie were the stereotyped view of New York (pimps and cops) and the fact that the English speakers in the movie seemed to understand Japanese and vice versa. If it’s an Earth Defense Force, the unit all needs to be speaking the same language.
The mutant sub-plot is not a complaint but rather a distraction from the true purpose of the movie.
I know that I’m going to anger Godzilla purists but I actually prefer the American version of Godzilla over the Toho series. I’m not taking anything away from the studio that gave birth to this worldwide phenomena but I just cannot take the rubber suit version “seriously”. It’s pure fun.
PIT #2: 1.2 pointed ears
This movie followed the plot of Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters for the Gamecube. If it hadn’t been for the game I wouldn’t have been able to understand what was going on at all. It was very hard to follow the dialogue from subtitles. Nice effects in cheap sort of way but nothing to rush out and see.
PIT #3: 1.75 pointed ears
I love the whole concept of the movie. It reminds me of the GameCube game Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters. That’s one of my favorite games to hog the TV set with. I like the fact that Godzilla is the hero of this movie. It would’ve been nicer if the producers had done all the monsters as either people in costumes of CGI. The mixing of the two just didn’t work. It als would have been nice if the DVD had included an English language dub of the whole movie.
I found it VERY difficult to believe that if the characters could understand both English and Japanese that they would not use the same language when talking to each other.
Overall 4.7 pointed ears out of 6.
Unless you’re a serious devotee of Godzilla or there’s nothing else to rent or watch then by all means enjoy yourself. If you have trouble following subtitled movies than leave this one on the shelf.
Stump the Vulcan: Ask me anything.
Play stump the Vulcan.
Ask me anything. click the link.. http://formspring.me/VulcanStev
This little game has garnered some response. Here’s some recent questions and my answers.
What was the worst place you’ve traveled to?
Some sleazy hotel on Mackinac Island. They gave us a wonderful view of their garbage dumpster and then proceeded to steal from our luggage while we were in town.
Who’s the sexiest woman alive?
My wife.
Who do you think should be the next president of the United States?
Nope, I refuse to get drawn into that argument with three years left on the current administration.
You’ve just manifested a super power. What is it and how would you really use it?
I have the super-human ability to put people to sleep by just talking to them. With these powers I could be… a superhero. I’d fight crime, protect the innocent… work for world peace. But first. …
If you had to throw away either your TV or your computer, which would you choose?
TV in stone cold second. I can watch DVDs on my computer, I can watch most TV shows on my computer. I cannot write my fiction on the TV.
Do people expect you to have a Vulcan demeanor, given that you have that username?
I’ve been writing the character of Stev the Vulcan for the better part of two decades. Folks do expect a cliché Vulcan demeanor, but then Stev is anything but the cliché Vulcan.
If I gave you a big budget and put you in charge of producing a new Star Trek TV series, what could I expect?
An anthology series. This week we might have a show about the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Next week we might have an all Klingon Episode. What happened to the crew of the USS Voyager after it got home? There’s endless possibilities.
What household chore do hate to do the most?
Dishes. Standing at the sink for too long makes my back hurt.
How much does a sliver deck cost for magic the gathering?
Google lists them from $20 to $59.99
What’s your favorite game you’ve never played?
That would have to be Munchkin.
If you could only listen to one song for the next month, which would it be?
The Sound of Silence
What did you eat for breakfast today?
Nothing. That’s normal.
Do you want to be buried or cremated?
Don’t know. Don’t care. I’ll be dead. Do whatever is cheapest.
What was your first paying job?
Paper carrier for the Des Moines Register
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Husband, Father, Geek
What did you dream about last night?
Actually, I dream about the stories I’m currently working on.
If you could only read one magazine for the rest of your life, which would it be?
One magazine? Whatever I pick it’s gonna be pretty dog-eared after 40 years.
Mambo dogface down the banana patch?
A mad Fonda be Abe than chomp cag town or Steve Martin. Take your pick.
If you could go on vacation for the next month with an unlimited budget, where would you go?
My beloved wife has never been to Hawaii? She’s been to the other 49 states.
Would you rather vacation at the beach or in the mountains?
Which one has the better WiFi?
Gaming in the Universe of: G. I. Joe
Recently I asked for some help from fellow RPG Bloggers writing these articles. The response was larger than I anticipated. Quite a few folks volunteered to write some GitUo articles. Michael Morrison of the Rhetorical Gamer was the first turn in this little gem. He’s mining G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for your D&D campaign
G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra as reviewed by the family.
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra is one of those over-the-top, wild action blockbusters that resonates with fans and non-fans alike, for the explosions, the new takes on old characters and the obvious invincibility of its main characters. No matter your opinion of this current movie incarnation of the 80s military cartoon, the movie offers up some interesting inspirations for a DM.
Feeling lazy? You could just “steal” a huge chunk of the plot and have a mini-campaign for your players. Imagine if you will, the characters are travelling the countryside, looking for adventure, and they enter a Barony where the old Baron died a while back and his Baroness (yes, that’s right…) is now ruling the area with an iron fist. She has taken a new lover, a knight who goes into battle wearing a shining silver helm, and they have begun building up their power. They are taxing the locals into the dirt, building up their military and performing terror raids against their neighbors. And then, just when the PCs get really into the fight, when they really think this Baroness is the worst of the worst… You spring the surprise.
She’s being dominated/blackmailed/cursed by a powerful cult of serpent worshippers. What fantasy world doesn’t have an evil snake cult or two? And you’ve layered on the next set of challenges for the PCs to face.
This idea works well in the new D&D 4e “Points of Light” type settings, because without a central authority it is a lot easier for small nobles to fight one another in this way. And with the Yuan-ti, and now psionics have joined in with the release of Player’s Handbook 3, you have a custom built mindbending snake cult. Also, the transition between fighting the Baroness and fighting the snake cult is a good transition from heroic to paragon tier. A solid turning point for a game.
Without being so blatant, the movie has much more to offer. Imagine a kingdom, recovering from a devastating war, a young king in need of champions. He goes to the veterans of this war and forms a team of the finest warriors, heroes, mages, and everything else to protect the kingdom. You would be spies, diplomats, undercover operatives, warriors, and whatever else the kingdom needs. Sounds very much like a group of adventurers. Now imagine what happens when you are captured, in an allied city, after failing to protect that city from the destruction wrought by the people you were sent to stop? Who bails you out? And of course, who doesn’t want to be a ninja?
GI Joe has far more to offer than I can reasonably go into here… Watch it again, think about your game, or your next game, and see what might fit. You might be surprised.
Vulcan Stev famliy movie review: Live Free or Die Hard
Starring:
Bruce Willis … John McClane
Timothy Olyphant … Thomas Gabriel
Justin Long … Matthew ‘Matt’ Farrell
Maggie Q … Mai Linh
Cliff Curtis … FBI Deputy Director Miguel Bowman
Jonathan Sadowski … Trey
Andrew Friedman … Casper
Kevin Smith … Frederick ‘Warlock’ Kaludis
Yorgo Constantine … Russo
Cyril Raffaelli … Rand
Chris Palermo … Del
Mary Elizabeth Winstead … Lucy Gennero McClane
Sung Kang … Raj
Zeljko Ivanek … Agent Molina
Christina Chang … Taylor
20th Century Fox * 2007 * 128 mins * PG-13
Synopsis from IMDb: When someone hacks into the computers at the FBI’s Cyber Crime Division; the Director decides to round up all the hackers who could have done this. When he’s told that because it’s the 4th of July most of their agents are not around so they might have trouble getting people to get the hackers. So he instructs them to get local PD’S to take care of it. And one of the cops they ask is John McClane who is tasked with bringing a hacker named Farrell to the FBI. But as soon as he gets there someone starts shooting at them. McClane manages to get them out but they’re still being pursued. And it’s just when McClane arrives in Washington that the whole system breaks down and chaos ensues.
VS: 1.7 pointed ears
I’m not going to harp on the dysfunctional McClane/Genero family. John and Holly are divorced and his kids don’t listen to him. One again McClane is in the wrong place at the wrong time, however this time he’s on the job before things start to unravel. This film proves that an action flick doesn’t need to have the F*bomb dropped in every scene. The scenario is plausible, but I doubt it’s likely. My only quibbles with this film were the indiscriminate destruction of the highway to go after the “terrorist” and the lack of ability by the pilot to take out the target. The whole jet scene is enough in some folk’s opinions as to sink the whole movie. I won’t say the scene was that bad, but it did manage to take me out of the movie.
PIT #2: 1.9 pointed ears
I like the Independence Day takeover of America. It was a unique twist to not have a Die Hard movie take place at Christmas. Again the language (ed note we watched the Director’s Cut) was a problem. The cyber-terroism and the concept of a fire sale was right for the time. I thought it was cool that the computer hacker was played by Justin Long as he is more famous for playing “Mac” in the “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ad campaign.
PIT #3: 1.75 pointed ears
This is definitely a Die Hard movie. I like the notion that John McClane acknowledges that being a hero is nothing more than being “That” guy when everything hits the fan. The downside is that most of the “terror” is simulated (ed. note: spoken like someone who constantly eats the food in the fridge and then wonders why the fridge is empty). The other thing is that Bruce Willis is getting kind of old. How much longer can he keep doing these movies?
5.35 pointed ears out of 6
I don’t necessarily see this franchise as having “jumped the shark”. Some of the action sequences seemed forced as the producers tried to give us “more”. Maybe it’s just the V.S. family, but we all acknowledged that this film left the “realism” of the previous three. The theatrical release of this film was more friendly to families than the director’s cut on DVD.
Vulcan Stev family movie review: Die Hard with a Vengence
Starring:
Bruce Willis … John McClane
Jeremy Irons … Simon Gruber
Samuel L. Jackson … Zeus Carver
Graham Greene … Joe Lambert
Colleen Camp … Connie Kowalski
Larry Bryggman … Insp. Walter Cobb
Anthony Peck … Ricky Walsh
Nicholas Wyman … Mathias Targo
Sam Phillips … Katya
Kevin Chamberlin … Charles Weiss
Sharon Washington … Officer Jane
Stephen Pearlman … Dr. Fred Schiller
Michael Alexander Jackson … Dexter
Aldis Hodge … Raymond
Mischa Hausserman … Mischa
1995 * 20th Century Fox * 131 mins
Rated R for language and violence
Synopsis from IMDb: John McClane is now almost a full-blown alcoholic and is suspended from the NYPD. But when a bomb goes off in the Bonwit Teller Department Store the police go insane trying to figure out what’s going on. Soon, a man named Simon calls and asks for McClane. Simon tells Inspector Walter Cobb that McClane is going to play a game called “Simon Says”. He says that McClane is going to do the tasks he assigns him. If not, he’ll blow off another bomb. With the help of a Harlem electrician, John McClane must race all over New York trying to figure out the frustrating puzzles that the crafty terrorist gives him. But when a bomb goes off in a subway station right by the Federal Reserve (the biggest gold storage in the world) things start to get heated up.
Vulcan Stev: 1.7 pointed ears
Probably my favorite of the four Die Hard films. Yes, it still has gratuitous violence. Yes it still drops the F*bomb, but it’s an engaging story. The two big problems I have with this film are the once again strained relations between John and Holly and the fact that the dump trucks are woefully underpowered to be carrying the stated amount of gold. I understand the producers didn’t want to make a third film of John saving Holly and the only solution the director and writers can come up with is that John and Holly are having problems again. Yup, there’s an original solution. This couple has seen death up close and personal not once but twice. This couple has been brought together by the events of the first two films. Yet they’re shown as having problems which lead to their eventual divorce. I guess John McClane has got to be a stubborn S.O.B. to throw away his marriage like that.
The Dump truck problem is glaring but it’s not necessarily a ‘what the…’ moment that completely drags you out of the film. At least not in my case.
PIT #2: 1.9 pointed ears
The dump truck escape was one of the more ingenious escape routes I’ve seen in a motion picture. The fact that the “terrorists” were willing to use kids as a dodge to their true objective but not really put the kids in harm’s way was also pretty cool.
PIT #3: 2 pointed ears
I liked this movie. McClane isn’t such a loner in this movie. It reminded me of the Lethal Weapon buddy movies. I also liked the fact that John had to think in this movie. Not everything was solved by shooting guns.
5.6 pointed ears out of 6
Aside from one scene, the blood and gore in this movie have been toned down from the predecessors. The language is still a problem. Kudos to the producers for the attempt at opening up the “dungeon” just a bit. It might be a little telling about the prevalence of swearing in today’s society that my 11 year-old does not notice the swearing going on in the movie.
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Starbase RPG Bloggers Network- Beyond the Quick Primer for Old School Gaming from RetroRoleplaying: The BlogWhat is “Old School” Play? If you are interested in old school gaming, you may have read the Quick Primer for Old School Gaming by Matt Finch. It's "a quick introduction to playing Original D&D or Swords & Wizardry (the 0e retro-clone). Thi... [...]
- Medieval Castle in the Ozarks from The Troll DensFor reasl. This project is awesome as all get out and trumps anything else being built today. If you have any interest in castles or castle construction, peruse this site! They are building a castle in the ozarks. I wish we could have troll con near t... [...]
- My Fellow Gamers, Stay Classy from The Dread GazeboHatorade, Vancian Magic, Tactics, and Other Things I’m here at DDXP and after yesterday’s Class Design Seminar, the internet has seemed ablaze with irrationality. I’d like to quell this uprising somewhat by pointing out a few key factors. First and foremost please watch the video... [...]
- [TEKRALH] Round-Up Of The Week… from I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters...
- Reavers on the Seas of Fate – Season Two, Twentieth Session from Geek Related » RPGTwentieth Session (18 page pdf) – “From Shore To Sea” – The crew drops into the village of Blackcove to check in on their old buddy Jaren the Jinx. Apparently his jinxiness has gone nuclear as tentacle horror erupts shortly after … Continue reading → [...]
- Caves of Myrddin con session 1 from Jeffs Gameblog
- One Ring to Rule Them All? – GGG Reviews the Latest Middle-Earth Based RPG from Geek's Dream Girl» Dungeons & Dragons / RPGsAlthough I love RPGs, and I love Tolkien’s fictional setting, I have never been a fan of RPGs set in Middle-Earth. I’ve tried, honestly! ICE’s Middle-Earth Role-Playing (MERP) was just a watered down version of Rolemaster, a game I really didn’t care for. To add insult to injury, the game only went... [...]
- On Alchemical Items, Philter of the Bifurcated Mind from Hack & Slash
- Zatannurday: Year One from The Other Side blog
- Haunted Temples from Treehouse: » RPGWithout any real fanfare, there’s a nice new release from WotC just arrived through the post. It’s Haunted Temples, a map pack for playing out larger encounters. These are big double sided colour poster maps, that you’ll have seen in … Continue reading → [...]
- Beyond the Quick Primer for Old School Gaming from RetroRoleplaying: The Blog
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Order of the D30
