Road to Bali is one of the most "Sketchy" movies I have ever seen. Up there with anything Monty Python has done. And just as funny.
There's not a lot to say about it, though. It is obvious that they had a lot of fun making it. It's full of jokes, most of them small, and has a very good singer (Bing Crosby) who likes to show off his talent. Bob Hope can sing pretty good too. It is irreverent humor at its best, mostly plotless, but that doesn't hardly matter.
Ok, it doesn't matter at all. That's not the point. The plot arcs are barely connected threads of thought. If that bothers you, then you will miss out.
Watch the movie if you like to laugh.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wall-E (Disney-Pixar movie)
I find Wall-E to be a very "Disappointing" film. Not because it's bad. It's not. It is a good movie. A very good movie, really. But it is still disappointing because if it continued as it did in the beginning all the way through the movie, it would be Great! Spectacular! And Instant Classic and one of my very favorite movies, I think.
I like dialog. I really do. But the beginning of Wall-E, even though it has no dialog, is amazing to me. Perhaps because it manages to be at once artistic and entertaining and thoughtful without it. What more could you want?
Dialog. Okay, fine. It comes later. It's slowly introduced. As slowly as the movie declines. I didn't really notice when the movie lost its luster, but by the end, it definitely wasn't what it could have been. And, of course, has to have the perfect ending. Everything is hunky-dory. Uh huh. Right.
That's the biggest problem. It is not a nice situation. It cannot have a perfect ending. Happy, perhaps, but only in a way.
Perhaps there shouldn't have ever been people in the movie. It could have been all about robots. But I do kinda like the fat worthless people. It's a pretty realistic, don't you think, of what people would be like without gravity or excessive and instead coddling technology. Maybe not. They'd probably be dead. In any case, it is just absurd that they have any part in 'saving the day'.
Besides that, he is an abridged list of plot holes (Spoiler Alert!) that could have been avoided:
Where do they get all that trash from anyway? How would they not repeat their failures and blast back off into space after a few years if they are still generating that level of trash? How do you suppose the world is sustainable after one tiny plant sprouted after 700 years? And where did it come from? How's the cockroach survive?
See, none of this would have been a problem if the movie progressed differently. If the ship was run differently. If the Eve probes weren't revealed as having traveled to earth often.
I like dialog. I really do. But the beginning of Wall-E, even though it has no dialog, is amazing to me. Perhaps because it manages to be at once artistic and entertaining and thoughtful without it. What more could you want?
Dialog. Okay, fine. It comes later. It's slowly introduced. As slowly as the movie declines. I didn't really notice when the movie lost its luster, but by the end, it definitely wasn't what it could have been. And, of course, has to have the perfect ending. Everything is hunky-dory. Uh huh. Right.
That's the biggest problem. It is not a nice situation. It cannot have a perfect ending. Happy, perhaps, but only in a way.
Perhaps there shouldn't have ever been people in the movie. It could have been all about robots. But I do kinda like the fat worthless people. It's a pretty realistic, don't you think, of what people would be like without gravity or excessive and instead coddling technology. Maybe not. They'd probably be dead. In any case, it is just absurd that they have any part in 'saving the day'.
Besides that, he is an abridged list of plot holes (Spoiler Alert!) that could have been avoided:
Where do they get all that trash from anyway? How would they not repeat their failures and blast back off into space after a few years if they are still generating that level of trash? How do you suppose the world is sustainable after one tiny plant sprouted after 700 years? And where did it come from? How's the cockroach survive?
See, none of this would have been a problem if the movie progressed differently. If the ship was run differently. If the Eve probes weren't revealed as having traveled to earth often.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (movie, rewatched)
I've always like the Turtles. And I've always liked this movie. But it is not meant to be viewed critically. (Caution: might be spoilers for the people who haven't seen this movie:) Like, how can the cops not find these kids at all? There are thousands of them. If it's that easy to join, it'd be pretty easy to find. Right?
But that's OK. It's not a serious movie. If is fun for me, still, even if there isn't much substance to the movie. Jim Henson puppets are always awesome. My rating for this movie: "huh! hy-yah huff huh wahh yooo ya ka!"
But that's OK. It's not a serious movie. If is fun for me, still, even if there isn't much substance to the movie. Jim Henson puppets are always awesome. My rating for this movie: "huh! hy-yah huff huh wahh yooo ya ka!"
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns is, um, unique. I haven't read The Kite Runner, his debut book, and don't intend to for a little while (I'd like a rest from the depressing subject; I know about it, I don't need to lose hope, ya know...) It's design is quite effective, but there are times when it almost seems as though Khaled Hosseini is just trying to describe the most horrible things you could possibly imagine.
But I guess that's the way it is.
Though the book is fiction, it is intended to give us in the United States an idea of what it is like in Afghanistan. The author can establish his credibility because he has worked with for UN in Refugee camps around the world. So I believe it. It feels realistic, though I have never experienced life in that part of the world myself.
However, I am skeptical about how distraught so many characters would get after one death. Maybe I'm wrong to be so callous about human emotions, but when the death rate is as high as it is in Afghanistan, I wouldn't think it would quite derail your own life. You have to keep living, and helping the other survivors continue. Not dwell on deaths in the past. I would think it necessarily. But I sure hope I never have to find out. I'd much rather read this emotional train-wreck of a book.
But, before I mislead: the book is very good. "Somber and Mournful", but good. There are times when the book kept me up at night; times I put it down not because I was falling asleep, but because I didn't want it to be the last thing in my mind before slumber. I recommended it, actually urge people to read it, but I don't like it. I find it a bit weird that there is anyone who says they "like" the book. That's a little sadistic.
The book does not set out to offend, nor to depress, nor to coddle. It very patiently, dryly, very straight-forwardly describes the world, the characters, and the plot. It is forgiving writing of an unforgiving world; not embellishing atrocities for dramatic purposes, but rather softening the gaze so the reader doesn't have to see it quite so harshly as they know it is. But the writing style is a little off for me. If I read it out loud, I would not end up saying, verbatim, what is written but would, instead, move periods around and add connecting words. Also, there are changes in character that I didn't expect; especially with Mariam in the beginning.
Read the book. You might regret it, but you will be glad you did.
But I guess that's the way it is.
Though the book is fiction, it is intended to give us in the United States an idea of what it is like in Afghanistan. The author can establish his credibility because he has worked with for UN in Refugee camps around the world. So I believe it. It feels realistic, though I have never experienced life in that part of the world myself.
However, I am skeptical about how distraught so many characters would get after one death. Maybe I'm wrong to be so callous about human emotions, but when the death rate is as high as it is in Afghanistan, I wouldn't think it would quite derail your own life. You have to keep living, and helping the other survivors continue. Not dwell on deaths in the past. I would think it necessarily. But I sure hope I never have to find out. I'd much rather read this emotional train-wreck of a book.
But, before I mislead: the book is very good. "Somber and Mournful", but good. There are times when the book kept me up at night; times I put it down not because I was falling asleep, but because I didn't want it to be the last thing in my mind before slumber. I recommended it, actually urge people to read it, but I don't like it. I find it a bit weird that there is anyone who says they "like" the book. That's a little sadistic.
The book does not set out to offend, nor to depress, nor to coddle. It very patiently, dryly, very straight-forwardly describes the world, the characters, and the plot. It is forgiving writing of an unforgiving world; not embellishing atrocities for dramatic purposes, but rather softening the gaze so the reader doesn't have to see it quite so harshly as they know it is. But the writing style is a little off for me. If I read it out loud, I would not end up saying, verbatim, what is written but would, instead, move periods around and add connecting words. Also, there are changes in character that I didn't expect; especially with Mariam in the beginning.
Read the book. You might regret it, but you will be glad you did.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
American Gods made me want to be able to read faster because I was impatient to find out what happens! I couldn't wait. I suppose that is a good sign that the book is pretty good. It's also a good sign if you anticipate the book to be one of those that you are really sorry to finish because you'll be sad to leave the characters and the world behind to start reading some inferior story.
Both these were true reading American Gods However, I anticipated incorrectly: American Gods ends a little like The Lord of the Rings about 15 times before there are no more words. Even though I didn't read the author's preferred text version (with 12000 more words) I was pretty ready for the end by the time it really came. Wither this was good or not, I can't decide: it was drawn out and annoying, but at least I was spared the separation anxiety from finishing a great book.
A brilliant book in so many ways. I haven't referenced a novel so much in conversation, or outright read quotes to people because it was applicable to the conversation, since I read Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. The difference between this book and that 'classic' being I actually enjoyed reading Gaiman's work. Though philosophical in nature, I never found it preachy. It has an intricate and well-woven plot skillfully told and unafraid or anything it may encounter. But didn't seem to seek offense. It is a pretty long book, but doesn't take long to read.
It seems apparent that Gaiman knows a lot about gods from a lot of different pantheons, whether he actually does or not. There were a lot of them in this text. But it also appears that he has twisted who they were (are) a little to fit his story and to fit our land, rather than their world of origin. He also put in a lot of his own gods, which I find amusing.
The work is highly "Charismatic"; as much as Mr. Wednesday. For a more full knowledge of what I mean by that, look up the etymology (Hey, it's a little clever. Maybe...) Though it is not a 'character driven' book, I found the characters believable; they didn't change dramatically or unbelievably to fit the plot. I highly recommend it and will be reading more Gaiman in the future.
Both these were true reading American Gods However, I anticipated incorrectly: American Gods ends a little like The Lord of the Rings about 15 times before there are no more words. Even though I didn't read the author's preferred text version (with 12000 more words) I was pretty ready for the end by the time it really came. Wither this was good or not, I can't decide: it was drawn out and annoying, but at least I was spared the separation anxiety from finishing a great book.
A brilliant book in so many ways. I haven't referenced a novel so much in conversation, or outright read quotes to people because it was applicable to the conversation, since I read Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. The difference between this book and that 'classic' being I actually enjoyed reading Gaiman's work. Though philosophical in nature, I never found it preachy. It has an intricate and well-woven plot skillfully told and unafraid or anything it may encounter. But didn't seem to seek offense. It is a pretty long book, but doesn't take long to read.
It seems apparent that Gaiman knows a lot about gods from a lot of different pantheons, whether he actually does or not. There were a lot of them in this text. But it also appears that he has twisted who they were (are) a little to fit his story and to fit our land, rather than their world of origin. He also put in a lot of his own gods, which I find amusing.
The work is highly "Charismatic"; as much as Mr. Wednesday. For a more full knowledge of what I mean by that, look up the etymology (Hey, it's a little clever. Maybe...) Though it is not a 'character driven' book, I found the characters believable; they didn't change dramatically or unbelievably to fit the plot. I highly recommend it and will be reading more Gaiman in the future.
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