Reviews by Elfflame

All reviews - Movies (29) - TV Shows (2) - Books (8) - Games (11)

Douglas would have loved it

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 26 July 2008 06:29 (A review of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

This was a movie I've been looking forward to for a very long time. My family used to listen to it every night when it was on NPR, and I've always adored it. I have two things to say before I go on to the spoilerish stuff. One is that it was fabulous, and if you like the series in any form, you should go see it. The other is that Douglas Adams would have loved it. And that, beyond anything else, is a great reason to see the film.

Let's start with what I wanted from this movie. I didn't expect a faithful recreation of either radio-play or book, as both end on cliffhangers, and wouldn't work well for a movie. I did expect most of the same basic storyline. Man wakes up to find house about to be smashed down, friend comes to save him, house gets smashed, Earth gets blown up, he and friend are captured, he and friend are saved via ship, ship takes them to strange planet, where they learn that Earth was just a construct. It was all there. And more.

As for the actors, the actor they chose for Arthur (who played one of the body-doubles in Love Actually) was perfect. Maybe not as exclamatory as he could have been, but bewildered and funny, and there. Alan Rickman, who did the voice of Marvin, was great, but was cheated again, as there were so many great Marvin lines that had to be cut to make way for the changes in the story line. Zaphod (who acted with Rickman in Galaxy Quest as the "extra"), was really pretty much perfect. Obnoxious, egotistical and brainless. Exactly how I see Zaphod. Trillian, on the other hand, just seemed wrong to me. I didn't want a brainless bubblehead like the had in the BBC TV show, but I would have liked someone with a bit more energy, and a British accent, at the very least. She wasn't bad, I just wanted her to fit better into the cast, and particularly with Arthur, since he's her love interest. Oh, and for those who care, the original Arthur Dent, as well as the BBC TV Marvin show up in the movie. No, I won't tell you where, but keep your eyes open. :)

On to the storyline changes...The storyline is much the same, but they took the overriding storyline that was the main focus of the first three books (the idea that Earth was a giant computer built to discover the ultimate question), and made that the ultimate focus of the movie. I thought they did an exceptional job keeping everything leading to that point. A few things got dropped along the way, and a few things had to be added, but not one scene felt like it couldn't have come from the books.

For me, though, the most important thing about this series, and the thing I was most waiting to see and hear, was the Guide. After all, it is the title of the movie. And they did several entries, but there were whole sections of the movie where this idea seemed forgotten. The thing that made the original radio show stand out for me were the frequent breaks in the story where all action stopped, and the Guide took over. It was so different from anything that had come before it. It made the show more fun, and more interesting. Now, the entries they did were fabulous, but it quite disappeared in most of the sections where they'd created new scenes to explain some of the action. I think that to make this movie perfect, they would have had to add at least three more Guide entries.

Other bits and bobs...Loved Ford arriving with the trolley full of alcohol and peanuts, and bribing the demolition crew with them. Loved the inclusion of the stories about how Arthur and Ford met, and how Arthur, Trillian and Zaphod met. Adored the Vogon Constructor Fleet, part, particularly the pub patrons lying down on the floor with paper bags over their heads. The Vogons were fabulous, but the poetry wasn't nearly dreadful enough (maybe needed more of a book entry, like in the BBC TV version?). "Resistance is useless" written seven years before Next Gen, thankyouverymuch... The Heart of Gold (and the sighing doors) was adorable. Trillian showing off the kitchen, with the particular highlight of the mini-lightsaber used to toast bread as you cut it. :D Eddie wasn't quite as up as he could have been. The Pan-galactic Gargle-blasters were perfect. I loved the inclusion of Zaphod's arch-rival, who turns out to be the leader of a certain church mentioned in the Guide... Slartybadfast (sp?) was excellent as well, and another actor who was in Love Actually, to boot.

The ultimate scene, though, was when Slartybadfast took Arthur through Magrathea's planet-construction chamber. The scenery was amazing through the entire sequence.

All in all, if you go with an open mind (or a Douglas mind?), I think you'll very much enjoy the experience. Go see it.

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A pleasant surprise

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 26 July 2008 06:17 (A review of The Butterfly Effect)

To be honest, I do not like Ashton Kutcher. But I remember seeing the preview for this movie and going, hm, that doesn't look too bad. But I stayed away.

When I finally watched it on TV, I was completely blown away. Very well done. Possibly one of the best modern thrillers since Hitchcock's death. Some of the ideas weren't fully explored, but they did an excellent job with what they did explore, given the time constraints on a feature-length film.

By the end, I'd totally forgotten the main character was Ashton Kutcher. And that's a very good thing, if I can forget who the actor is and start to enjoy the film in spite of that. And the ending was perfect. Not happy, but not sad, either. Just a touch melancholy. Perfect. I highly recommend it for those who don't mind a bit of time travel, and like thrillers.

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Bride & Prejudice review

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 26 July 2008 05:59 (A review of Bride & Prejudice)

Having not seen Bend It Like Beckham, or anything that was even close to a Bollywood flick, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I had two thoughts while watching this movie. First, that it was similar to My Big Fat Greek wedding on the romance side, as it was a love story which dealt a great deal with the culture one of the love interests is from. I loved the glimpse it gave into the non-commercial world of Indian culture, and how the creators weren't afraid of laughing at the silliness of Bollywood movies. The other was that despite the change of location and time from the original subject matter, Pride and Prejudice translated amazingly well, and I was often surprised at the bits that translated almost directly from the original story.

Characters: the lead ingenue, Lalita, is lovely, and quite believable. Her sisters are all lovely as well. The eldest, Jaya, has her own little love story, with Balraj, who is played by Naveen Andrews, aka Sayid from Lost. One of the younger sisters, Lakhi (Lucky) has a love story as well, though if you know Pride and Prejudice, you'll have some clue as to how well that turns out.

A surprising bit they managed to pull from the original story was the youngest daughter's artistic talent. In this case, she does a dance for their guests. Absolutely hilarious scene.

The suitors were well-chosen. Darcy was perfect, a rich outsider who just doesn't get it, but keeps trying. Balraj was sweet, though I would have liked to have seen more of him. Mr Kholi (the suitor that their mother wants Lalita to marry) is obnoxious and overwhelming, and just utterly perfect. I had honestly forgotten that Wickham even existed until he'd appeared on the screen, but the actor that they got to play him was perfect, sleezy and sweet in turns, and always believable in each role.

One surprising bit from the book that did not appear in the movie: in the book, Darcy's friend's sister is trying to get him to court her, and she is constantly getting in between him and Elizabeth. While Kiran (Balraj's sister) did seem to be headed this way (she flirts with him a bit at the beginning of the movie), they never did much with that part of the storyline. I assume they probably intended to have it in there, but decided it complicated the plot too much. No big, as I didn't particularly miss it, but it did surprise me that it wasn't there.

Favorite bits: the wedding dance, with Balraj egging Darcy to dance with Lalita so he can dance with Jaya. The snake dance mentioned above when Darcy, Balraj and Kholi are there for dinner. The spontaneous choir on the beach when Lalita begins to fall for Darcy. And Wickham's "You've always been the only one," after Lalita slaps him for absconding with her sister, at which Lucky turns and slaps him as well before the two girls leave with Darcy.

It is a Bollywood film, which means two things. One, that there will be lots of music, singing, and dancing. But all of the numbers are done in good-hearted fun, and they're quite willing to laugh at themselves (cross dressers in the scene where the girls are wandering around downtown before the first of the best friends is to be married and move to England!). And two: no kissing. It wasn't until the Bakshi family were in Hollywood attending the wedding of Lalita's best friend that I realized there had yet to be a single kiss in the entire film. But honestly, you never miss it.

Just trust me, if you like romances, particularly if you liked My Big Fat Greek Wedding, go see it. You'll love it. :D


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The Phantom of the Opera review

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 26 July 2008 04:50 (A review of The Phantom of the Opera)

First, let me say that I loved the stage version. And I went to the movie with every expectation of enjoying it, knowing that there would be differences. I was even sure I could avoid the inevitable “they were no…” syndrome. And I’m glad I went. But the movie I saw wasn’t the one I was hoping for.

The actors were generally well-chosen, and didn’t feel as though they were out of place, though I could have wished for a Christine with a stronger voice, and Raul was a bit too milquetoast. I didn’t have the trouble with the Phantom that most people seem to be having. He was older than Christine, and that’s all I really needed on that line. I did have two problems with him, though. One wasn’t the actor’s fault: the makeup they made for him made no sense. Throughout the movie we see his right eye looks exactly the same as his left. Until the mask is removed, and then suddenly, the skin underneath the eye is pulled away from it, and the eyelid seemed saggy. Wouldn’t we have seen this through his mask? The other was that, as nice as the actor was to look at, I do not see the Phantom as buff. Not in any way, shape or form. It just doesn’t work.

I was also mildly annoyed by the fact that they took part of the Phantom’s story and toned it down. The Phantom was the one who designed the Opera house. Madame Guiry says that he was an architect, and he’s constantly referring to the place as his. So why did they feel the need to take this from him? I realize that the little story they made up for him was nice and dramatic, and put Madam Guiry more firmly in his camp, but it bugged me anyway.

I found the faces I recognized in the movie quite interesting. Miranda Richardson was a lovely Madam Guiry, and Minnie Driver was perfect as Carlotta. A particular favorite scene of mine was the “Prima Donna” scene, where she’s about to leave the opera house, and they see the crowd waiting, and all assume it’s for her, and she opens the door, and a man hands her a rose, saying “Could you give this to miss Daae?” and she shuts the door and says, “I’ll stay.” Perfect. She plays to the hilt, which is exactly what the role needs. Oh, and the stage-hand mooning her as she prepares to leave was priceless, too.

Scenes: I liked the interspersed bits with Raul in 1919, particularly seeing the woman who I assume was Meg Guiry. And I remember thinking, “How can they possibly make the chandelier going up exciting in a movie?” But what they did was perfect, turning the chandelier into a time-machine, and sending us back to the opera at its height. The managers being introduced to everyone, and drooling over both Meg and Christine was amusing, and Christine’s first solo was lovely, if a bit weak.

They had me, right up to the point where the Phantom appeared in the mirror, and then suddenly I was watching a very bad rock video version of the Phantom of the Opera. Particularly the multiple images of Christine as she approaches the mirror, the arm-candelabra-filled hallway, and the (wtf?) horse. I couldn’t help but laugh. And for that scene, that simply wasn’t okay.

The chandelier’s crash being moved didn’t bug me too much, surprisingly, as I always kind of thought it was an odd place to put it, though I suppose it makes sense to have it end the first section of the play. Gives it a dramatic finish that simply isn’t needed in the movie. The duet between Christine and Raul on the roof was a touch nauseating, mostly because it went on too long.

The masquerade, which has always been my favorite part of the soundtrack, and which I expected great things from, fizzled. The costumes were lovely, but why weren’t Raul and Christine wearing masks? And as for the Phantom, if anything, his costume should have been bigger and flashier than the one in the stage production, if for no other reason than that this is a movie, and they can blind us more. But no, you barely even noticed his entrance, which could have gone unnoticed if the screen hadn’t shifted to show him. The change in the lyrics here worked surprisingly well, given that it was the combination of two scenes, but I was wondering if he was even going to notice the ring Raul had given Christine.

I was pleasantly surprised by Past the Point of No Return, however. After the muck they made of the title song, I was expecting more of the same, but this time, it worked, and the scene was perfect.


All in all? I’d say if you’re a big fan, do go see it, but if you’ve seen the stage production, understand that it’s definitely not as good.

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Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow review

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 26 July 2008 04:45 (A review of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow)

I highly recommend Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. If you haven't seen it yet, all I can say is that if you like serial-style movies, or Max Fleischer cartoons (the old superman cartoons), or movies set in a Pre-world war II era, go see it. Or even if you like Gwenyth Paltrow or Jude Law. That's all I can say without spoiling anything.

This movie is amazing. Angelina was fun, but wasn't in it much, and what they did with Olivier...I'd forgotten it was him until after the movie was over, and my husband pointed it out. You wouldn't even guess that the actor never actually played the part. Scary.

The flaws I saw were all of the kind that made me go, "did they do that on purpose, or to copy the style of the serials?" Jude Law was great, and Gwenyth was perfect. The thing that makes it especially amazing is that the entire movie, aside from the actors (minus Mr Olivier, of course), was all computer generated. If you sit through the credits, you see that just about every effects studio in Hollywood was involved with the making. And Gwenyth and Jude never make you feel like they're not seeing what's on the screen. I personally think that this stretches Ms Paltrow's talents as much as Shakespeare in Love did, and I thought she was excellent in that.

The movie could basically be split into three different sections: The beginning is the Max Fleischer bit, with the robots invading New York City (which was a touch too realistic after 9/11, despite the fact that it was robots). This was the "superhero" bit, with Jude Law as someone outside the usual official channels who helps the world in extreme situations.

Then, when his base is attacked, it falls into a war-hero serial mode, with the two main characters off to save the world from the evil forces before it's too late. Again, the scenes of destruction here are so realistic that it's a bit overwhelming. But the style keeps it from being to hard to handle. Just as everything gets to be too much, the hero or heroine pop up with a comment, or an action that is straight out of the old serials that could be considered a touch silly nowadays. It keeps the movie from getting too heavy.

The last section of the movie is when they wake up in Nepal (okay, I'm still not going to say exactly where, in case someone didn't listen and is still reading this without having seen the movie first). This is the Adventure/Fantasy type serial, and leads all the way through to the end of the movie, with glimpses of Dragons, underwater architecture, and even a space-ship.

I think what's most amazing to me is the fact that even though I can see the movie in those three forms, it still felt seamless. The scenes blended perfectly from moment to moment. This is a great movie, following the traditions started by Lucas and Spielberg in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and continued by Universal with the Mummy series and Van Helsing. I think, though, out of all of those movies, that this is the one that sticks closest to the original source material. And in doing so, it becomes the most intriguing of the lot.

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The revival of a Classic Game

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 21 July 2008 09:02 (A review of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy)

I never got the chance to play this game much as a kid, so when it came out for Playstation 2, I really wanted to try it out. I wasn't in any way disappointed at all. And in fact, trying out other version has been something of a letdown, this version was so out of the ordinary.

The gameplay is simple enough for most basic users to be able to pick it up in a few minutes, and there's enough to do that even experienced players will get hours of play.

So what was it that made this really rather simple game so playable? Soundtrack. Graphics. Variety. Especially the variety. Just when you're getting to a point where you're getting bored with the creatures you're currently going against, you get enough crystals to move on to the next level. And some levels are quite creative in setting and creatures and puzzles.

And then there are the playable characters. You start off with a limited selection, but as you play, you gain access to more. Some of the extra characters are little more than a different skin on one of the basic characters, but others are fun and quite amusing. It's worth checking them out when you can.

Definitely one of my favorite games for the PS2. I highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't tried it.

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One of a kind, now lost to the ages

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 20 July 2008 03:39 (A review of Anvil of Dawn)

I originally bought this because it was a New World Computing product. I'd already been a huge fan of Jon Van Caneghem's Might and Magic series for several years, and was trying to find something interesting to play. I'd already bought a few other titles from their company with some minor good results, so I felt safe enough buying this one. To my shock, this game was not only good, it was in many ways better than Might and Magic. In a lot of ways, it almost feels to me like a precursor to Bethesda Software's Elder Scrolls series.

It's unique in so many ways, not the least of which is the battle system, or the fact that the limited core of characters you're given to choose from at the beginning of the game show up later on as you continue on your quest. The graphics for the time were highly intensive, and the spell system was pretty unique, too. And the ending (which I never managed to get to--my husband got there first) was pretty unusual as well.

My one regret is that I never finished, and that I can't manage to get it to work in XP, unfortunately. The two systems just don't mesh. Still, if you can manage to find a way to get it to work, it's a game worth checking out.

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A great game released too soon

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 20 July 2008 03:22 (A review of Betrayal At Krondor)

I was a fan of the Riftwar saga when this was released, and I've always been a huge fan of RPGs in general, so when I heard this was being made, I was thrilled. And it didn't disappoint. Not only was it a good game, but between the graphics (fairly ahead of the times then) and the story, it was possibly one of the best games I have ever, or will ever, play.

One of the major issues with this game was that it was brought out right about the time games were switching from floppy disk to CD ROM, and so it kind of disappeared in the onslaught of new stuff to buy. Either because people didn't have the new technology to play it with, and didn't want to deal with loading it from that many floppies, or because they were too distracted by everything else coming out about the same time.

Though it is out of date these days, it is still one of the best games out there, and even better? You can now download the entirety of the game for free as Sierra (the owner of the series at the time) released it for free on their website when the sequel (which is also a nice game, but not quite as great) was released. There's a link for the download here if you're interested in playing it.

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A piece of my heart

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 17 July 2008 09:33 (A review of Elfquest)

Before it was Star Trek, and after it was Harry Potter, but for me, Elfquest took up a significant chunk of my heart once I found it. Still does. This is one of those comics that I feel like everyone should read, at least once. Wendy Pini created a masterwork when she came up with this original idea. I'm just so glad she decided to share it with the world. (Or maybe I should thank her husband? :) )

For those who don't know the story, let me just tell you that it transcends its setting. Yes, it's a fantasy world setting with elves and trolls and humans, but there's so much more to it than that. This isn't just sword and sorcery like we've come to know it. There's a depth here, and a spirituality that you just don't find in most fantasy. The characters are rich and vibrant, and the story is much more complex than the simple title suggests.

It taught me a lot about acceptance, and being who you are, and being happy with your own talents. And more, it pulled on my creativity. Elfquest was the first world I deigned to write in that was not my own. None of the stories from that period are worth the paper they were written on, but it expanded my creativity in so many ways.

And all I have to do to remember it all is pick up this book and read it all over again.

If you're a fan of elves, fantasy, or spirituality, I highly recommend this book. And if you enjoy it? The rest of the series is just as good.

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As you wish

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 11 July 2008 03:37 (A review of The Princess Bride)

Every so often, someone comes up with an idea that's different from everything else that's come so far. A new take on an old idea, with its own new twists and catchphrases that just works. The Princess Bride was one of those movies.

It starts out so simply that at first it's not even obvious what you're seeing. But then, it takes you by surprise. The sense of humor, the acting, the action... What is it the grandfather says in the movie? "Adventure, fighting, Pirates, Romance..." Something along those lines.

I have to admit to being a sucker for great dialogue, and this movie has some of the best dialogue in the last thirty years. Not only clever and witty, but also lines that really make you think.

And then there's the casting. At the time, Carey Elwes and Robin Wright were virtually unknown, and both have shown themselves to be supurb actors. And then there's the likes of Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, and Chris Guest, not to mention Peter Falk, Andre the Giant, Peter Cook, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane. So many amazing people.

A classic, and one I intend to keep in my collection for all time.

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