For The Love of Dragon Ball: The Wonderous World of Akira Toriyama

 When I was about eight years old, I remember watching this particularly unique scene of a television program. Saturday morning cartoons were one of my favorite things, as with many children of the 90s I suspect. I was a big fan of them, mostly the superhero ones (Spider-man and X-Men in particular). However, this scene was unlike any I'd ever seen before. 

In some vast desert area, seemingly a dry wasteland made up of quarries and plateaus, several people were engaged in combat. More than that, these people were fighting for their lives. Even though there were no other people around beyond the combatants, I still sensed there was much at stake. The characters emoted with such gravitas (the rock and synth soundtrack certainly amplified the emotions) and intensity it made the battles of Spidey and Wolverine seem childish by comparison. 

A short bald man (with no nose, although I never really noticed or cared until many years later), a young boy not much younger than myself and that boy's father were engaged in a battle of life or death with a giant armored gorilla who was cackling madly. I can't remember many of the specifics of the episodes beyond that point, but I quickly gathered that these people were superheroes of sorts. Each of them had powers. These included, but were not limited to: super speed, super strength, flight and (coolest of all) shooting destructive energy beams from their hands! 

Somehow this was all connected with martial arts and the heroes could sense the presence of others like them, and increase their power (usually by flexing and screaming). Also, the bad guy they were fighting had many of the same powers but he was from space. They were fighting a giant evil gorilla from space. Maybe my early love of Godzilla movies helped provide some insight into that concept. After all, those usually involved giant monsters sent from space. Except, usually the humans couldn't tangle with those beasts. So, these guys were on par with Godzilla. Little did I know, they could probably outclass my favorite radioactive lizard.

Yes, that was my first introduction to Dragon Ball Z and eventually Dragon Ball as a whole many years later. It was so bizarre and unique compared to anything else American kids were watching at the time. It was imaginative and had a little bit of everything. There were aliens, magic, superpowers, martial arts, robots and talking animals. Honestly, it was also much more violent and with stakes of such magnitude that it easily dwarfed other shows. The characters also talked and moved and looked so different that all the other stuff. Many years later I would learn that this was my introduction to a style of storytelling called anime. 

Most importantly for me, and probably for most of the other viewers as well, is that for as bizarre as the show seemed, there was something truly captivating about it. The world was wacky but had a rich lore that I simply wanted to tune in to find out more. Perhaps most importantly though, some of the  basics of age-old storytelling were expressed in a grand and operatic fashion. It was a struggle of good and evil. The good guys working together to protect each other and their world from a seemingly more powerful and truly evil force. A tale that young people can grasp and, in its simplified way, represents a struggle we all feel we deal with in some capacity throughout our lives. Even if these evils aren't exactly individuals we can easily label as such, they can be tragedies or difficult situations or even our own internal struggles to overcome. The characters were archetypes to latch onto but still so well-defined. You wanted to fight with them. You wanted to be them.

Beyond the coolness factor of whatever undetermined factors make something more popular than something else, Dragon Ball had that unique blend of fantasy and science-fiction mixed with a wholesome core of optimism. The characters were often simple but memorable. The action was fast-paced and on scales that pushed the boundaries of the ridiculous. Even when the show did go to dark places, there was always a reminder not to take it too seriously. Few series I've seen have maintained such a balance of fun while consistently sustaining tension. "Next time on DRAGON BALL Z!"

I have so many memories of the series that stand out to me that I'll have to limit myself so this blog entry doesn't go on too long (it might be though anyway). 

Since I didn't have access to many channels growing up, I rented them from the video store. This was usually about 3 to 4 episodes per tape. Eventually, my mom was kind enough to start buying them for me when Hollywood Video stopped at the Garlic Junior Saga. I owned all the episodes up to Cell reaching his final form. I watched from Trunks's arrival all the way up to this point I have no idea how many times. Before then I had watched the Ocean dub on WB in the early mornings at a neighbor's house. In those days I looked forward to the mornings purely for opportunities to watch and record these episodes (along with Beast Wars of course).

Anyway, my first VHS purchase was with the arrival of the Ginyu Force. Immediately, I could tell something was different. The music was different (good old Bruce), the voices were different and the characters were bleeding! I couldn't exactly figure it out, but something about the early Funimation Dub revealed that DBZ could indeed be more intense, dark and deliver riveting storytelling. It's interesting to think that even beyond all the translation errors, censorship issues and musical changes, something about the core essence of Dragon Ball would reach its viewers in all the versions (well maybe except for Big Green). I think that speaks to the true magic of the work of Akira Toriyama and all the other artists and creators behind the franchise.

Ginyu punches a hole in his chest. Goku's lost his body. Freeza arrives. He transforms, causing the planet to flood as his flexes his power with his aura of energy. Vegeta weeps. Krillin is lost. Super Saiyan transformation. The planet tears itself apart. Freeza begs for his life. Trunks arrives. Androids. Cell. Piccolo fuses with Kami. 

So many great moments. 

Beyond all these though, I think what's most important is in how the series impacted me outside of the confines of its own wonderful story. 

Like many other authors and artists, Toriyama inspired me to use those creative parts of my brain. Even since I was very young, I loved exploring these fantastic worlds. My earliest memories of storytelling were little mini-arcs I had in my mind of future Dragon Ball stories and battles. Usually, these were the return of old villains, but I enjoyed using my imagination to explore these new possibilities. In a way, the origins of my inspiration as a writer and storyteller started with some fanfiction of my own based on these characters I loved so much.

Many years later, I finally got around to writing a fantasy novel, The Black Tree. Much of that story is really modeled on various classical high fantasy stories. Although there is probably more Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and even Stephen King than Toriyama in that book, there is one key element that I was very much inspired by Dragon Ball. This was the titular tree itself.

As anyone with even a casual knowledge of the franchise knows, Dragon Ball has a dense lore. Not to mention, there are various spin-offs and alternate universe fan theories and all types of conversations to be had about many aspects of the story and characters. Anyway, there is a Dragon Ball movie called The Tree of Might. You can probably guess where this is going.

In this non-canon movie (which is one of my favorites of these wonderful tidbits of DB), the villain, Turles, plants a giant evil tree which slowly sucks the life force out of the planet. The evil Saiyan then consumes the fruit of the tree, thereby increasing his power. That's kind of the end of it, but the visual of the giant tree of evil sucking the life out of the planet was such a frightening and riveting visual and overall concept to me. That's pretty much all of Dragon Ball that I incorporated into my first novel, but it's the main plot point of the book and reflective of some of the basic themes. 

For over a decade, I have been making video essays, vlogs, podcasts and various other videos on YouTube and writing blogs about pop culture. The origin of this comes from Dragon Ball too. I started the channel to talk about comics that I liked and discuss the themes and characters of the series. In college, I rediscovered the series and finally learned about the manga and started exploring various aspects of the series. I made connections with many people online including subscribers who shared the love of the show and other anime series. I made friendships with people across the country and world and collaborated on projects. We had many great conversations and had some good laughs. I became part of a community and made some great memories. 

This all stemmed from a show that my sister and I watched together all those years ago. This was all before we knew about anime or manga or dubs vs subs ect. We probably didn't know much about Japan beyond the general concept, and yet we connected with that show. Dragon Ball (and a bit of Sailor Moon) was the connection that led to my sister introducing me to anime as a concept. Then came Inuyasha, Toonami, Adult Swim and then Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Berserk and so many more. Dragon Ball was the gateway to a medium that my sister and I would bond over and discuss the merits and faults of. Eventually, I would share such discussions with friends in D&D sessions and movie nights. 

So, Dragon Ball has inspired and impacted in many ways much as it has other people throughout the years. It is a series that I loved probably more than anything else, at least at that very young age. In some ways, it may be most important series in my life. I might even be so bold as to say that it's my favorite show of all time. Heck, it's my favorite fictional world of all time. That's not to say Spider-Man. Star Wars/Trek, X-Files, Sopranos or Breaking Bad are necessarily worse things to love. I think Dragon Ball might be the one I loved the most. Or at least, I've loved the longest and most consistently. 

No matter how many years go by, I seem to always come back to it. It makes me happy. It's made many people happy. 

I'm glad to have made this connection to this work that came from the mind of creative human being. 

I wish I had been able to have met Akira Toriyama. In a way though, maybe I already have. Thank you so much. 

Stay magical everyone.

Joe

Dune: Part Two Review (I Am Speechless)

 After watching Denis Villeneuve's' sequel to his wonderful adaptation of one of my favorite science fiction novels, I found myself in a strange and unique position. Nothing really came to mind in terms of what to write about. I've raved about the previous movie enough and suspect the movie has enough praise as it is. So much so that I struggled to consider what I had to add to the conversation. With that being considered, instead of a myriad of thoughts swimming through my brain, something else became much clearer in its place. This was simply, a feeling.

That feeling was a comfortable sense of satisfaction and overall happiness after the viewing. I'm just genuinely happy that we now have some really great adaptations of Dune out there. I think it's honestly inspirational. For a long time, the novel was considered unfilmable (which I've never really understood) and these movies stand as a testament to never commit to such a philosophy. With enough money, talent and a director which great insight into the original work, we see that such complex texts can be made accessible without compromising the essence of the original piece. 

Sure, there are some very minor complaints I could comment on throughout this masterpiece if I wanted to be a stickler to the novel. For one thing, I was pretty amazed that we did a full adaptation of Dune without really discussing in any real detail what the spice does or why it is so important to the galactic economy. I mean, the spice does many things and some of them are kind of strange, but I admit that it would have been cool to have a scene demonstrating how the space travel element works. I also see that this film (oddly similar to the Lynch version) really simplifies the Harkonnens, particularly the Baron and Feyd (Rabban was fine). 

As I said though, these are things I wished had been tweaked for me, but the vision of this film as it is doesn't require those things. This version has been focused on the characters and their struggles and the power (and danger) that religion can play in bringing about great change. The director has wisely focused on the hero's journey while still touching on some of the bigger thematic points Herbert suggested. We don't need to know how space travel works because it just works as a source of conflict (insert powerful weapon or magical item here). The villains are evil space Nazi barbarian people because sometimes it works to have a powerful antagonist force. Do I wish they had gone deeper into these things (or even deeper into the question of prophecy and political machinations)? Of course, but it's all so beautifully crafted that I honestly didn't even care about my own nitpicks. (Actually it kind of annoyed me that Fenring was there but only for a few minutes. Why bother having her there at all? Anyway, I digress...)

I could rave as I had before about the technical aspects of the film such as: sound design, costumes, production design, lighting, fight choreography, soundtrack, effects ect. I think that's kind of unnecessary though. All that speaks for itself pretty well. Although my wife and I got a little confused about the visual look between the Sardukar and the Baron's forces. I think there was some crossover there...

Actually, I want to talk about something I think probably won't be brought up in too many conversations. There is a part of this movie, that I prefer (at least elements of) the 1984 version. Now, anybody that knows me would be rolling their eyes at me at this point. Hear me out though.

Although I definitely have some love for the movie that introduced me both the world of Dune and the filmography of one of my favorite directors, I can admit the original does have some issues.  In most ways, I think the Villeneuve films are superior or at least more easily digestible. I have some personal preferences, many of which are probably influenced by my nostalgia. Honestly though, I really do enjoy the final attack on the emperor in Lynch's version. It's bombastic and operatic to be sure, even a little campy, but it certainly has an epic tone where the newer version is a little more understated. 

In this newer version, the Fremen ride the worms into battle, with the monsters sticking slightly above ground. This creates some potential symbolism though the visuals of the warriors literally using the desert itself as a means to victory. The practical effects of the original are still fantastic though, with the animatronic worms attacking models, really selling the dwarfing size difference. I particularly loved when one worm rears its head in serpent-like fashion. The Baron also getting stabbed with the gom-jabbar and getting sucked out of the ship and eaten by a worm is pretty hard to beat for me. I guess he didn't pass the test!  While the newer version does pretty well in balancing the operatic nature of the story with some nuance, I would have liked to have been wowed a little more here. 

Feyd-Rautha is another similar area I could echo these feelings on. The villains in general, as I previously mentioned, don't really stand out that much as characters. They are really just representations of evil. Lynch's version wasn't much better in this respect, but his villains had more personality and were just more memorable. Feyd is sort of creepy, but not much is done to distinguish him from the rest of his culture. Then again, it's hard to compete with Sting.

Really though, these are mostly nitpicks and matters of preference. These films are truly wonderful, and they make me feel truly contented. Not only am I contented as a Dune fan, but as a fan of science-fiction and movies that truly warrant the theater going experience. I'll definitely be watching these again. Long live the fighters!

Joe

The Boy and the Heron: Miyazaki Says Farewell (A Heron Song, you could say)

 

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the greatest directors in the history of film, particularly in the field of animation, at least as far as I and many other people would probably agree. Which is why this review has been one of the more difficult things I've had to write in a long time. In fact, this article has a bit of a narrative of its own. As a hint of what you are to read here, I will first say that upon viewing the film a few weeks ago, I left the theater without much of an impression at all really. Any impression I had honestly leaned more into the negative category. Then, a few days ago, I finally found the time and direction I wanted to go. I honestly go into a groove. I wrote probably about four or five good paragraphs before it accidently got deleted. (As I type this, I will now make sure that I've saved at least up to this point.)

Needless to say, I was pretty angry. Anyone who's been working on something for a period of time, whether writing a piece or some other project, having it all get destroyed that quickly can be pretty disheartening. That fact that I worked and lost something I had been putting a fair amount of thought into (despite struggling to find the passion/motivation to do so) was irritating, to put it mildly.

Even so, I find myself driven to write this article. The truth is that I just didn't like the movie all that much. I was disappointed. Whenever you have an emotional investment in an idea, it's kind of hard to not have any expectations. Miyazaki has made some truly wonderful films to warm the heart and stir the soul. Princess Mononoke is one of my favorite movies of his and I would rank several of his films as some of the greatest ever made. So, naturally I probably had some expectations even though I don't think these were on the forefront of my mind. 

Before going to view the film, I didn't really know too much about it. My sister, who had seen the movie previously, invited me to watch it with her. This was her second viewing and she said she wanted my perspective on it. Props to her for not really revealing how she felt, as she didn't really give me any preconceived notions about it. She only gave me impression that it was kind of a surreal movie. I would agree that it does have some of the dreamlike qualities of his previous films but lacking that aspect of wonder or a strong sense of drama at its core.

Probably the best thing about the movie is the imaginative premise which allowing for the plot to take place. This is one of the rare times in which Miyazaki places with sci-fi elements. The ancestor of our protagonist discovered a meteor, which he uses his fortune to build his massive structure. This area becomes sort of a reality warping time bubble, where any person or creature who comes into it affected by his willpower. Basically, he can use the power of his imagination to create his own fantastical world. Much of this is bird themed, such as a civilization of parrots who become sentient and anthropomorphic. It also plays with horror elements, as the birds often want to eat our heroes and the parrot king sort of serves as a secondary antagonist, attempting to make a claim on the old man's power. This is also probably driven by a need to preserve their world, but unfortunately none of this is delved into in any great detail.

One could make the argument that the trappings of this world aren't the point. After all, Miyazaki is excellent at using visuals for world building without really delving too much into explaining details. All the spirits in the bathhouse of Spirited Away make it seem like a truly living place. The war going in the background of Howl's Moving Castle conveys enough for use to understand the stakes. However, one other thing those films have that this one does not is a strong character driven narrative. 

I had heard that this supposed to be a more personal story for the director. With the destruction of World War II in the forefront, the loss of childhood innocence and the salvation of a young boy through his imagination within the retreat to the Japanese countryside, it certainly has some of those themes that have become the staple of his filmography. Unfortunately, most of the movie doesn't really explore those ideas in a great detail. This is primarily because we don't really get to know Mahito that well. He sort of falls into this bigger world and kind of gets lost in it.

It didn't really help my viewing in that the main message of the movie was kind of clear to me, to the point that I thought it was almost transparent. Mahito is asked by his ancestor to take over for him (his tools fittingly look like shape blocks young children use, a cool metaphor for early creativity) as he simply can't keep his imaginative world together anymore. Ultimately, Mahito is not the one to take the reins and this world just literally and figuratively falls to pieces. I couldn't help but draw parallels to the director's first attempt at retirement and his son's less successful attempts at filmmaking and how Studio Ghibli having had a difficult time getting beyond the shadow of the man at its center. Truthfully, it just seemed kind of like a downer of an ending in that respect and a blatant echo of sadness and disappointment from the man about his own legacy. It's basically like him saying, "I was hoping would step up and keep this going, but nobody is able or willing. I guess it's time to close up shop."

From what I understand, the movie has generally pretty high ratings, so I think I may be in the minority on this one. That's another reason I was compelled to write this, as I don't understand how it doesn't have a more mixed reception. Part of me suspects that, much like me, some people are so attached to the director that, knowing this will be his last movie, they didn't want to bash it. 

Of course, it's possible I missed a few details, and it could benefit from another viewing.  I'm also pretty sure that I wasn't in that box of "I didn't get it". I was pretty sure I got it. I just wish we had stronger characters at the center, even if the world isn't as vibrant as some of the others he's created.

To end on a more positive note, I do think the first act of the film is the strongest. Miyazaki has always been good at the transporting people into fantastical worlds, and the establishing elements did work well. Mahito's loss of his mother and struggles after the move are great starting points. The Heron early on is a haunting figure, making the early parts of the movie delve a little into elements of horror. I found myself wondering what deal he is going to make with this creature he obviously can't trust. What tasks is he going to have to do to save his mother's spirit? I really liked the direction this seemed to be going. it reminded me a bit of Pan's Labyrinth, expect with the satyr stand in being perhaps more blatantly malicious in classic folk tale fashion.  Once we full on encounter the Heron, the movie goes a very different, albeit more familiar direction. Once we got there, the movie does have touches of that brilliance we had seen in previous films, but never delving in with quite the amount of visual detail.

Ultimately, while I'm happy with the idea of Mahito's journey and growth, it didn't feel earned. It was like we skipped a few steps. Perhaps it would have benefited with a longer runtime to flesh some things out. 

Despite my feelings on this, Hayao Miyazaki has nothing to prove to me or anyone. His legacy is in no danger at all. I really respect his work and truly love some of his films. He's made some truly great movies over the years. I just don't think this is one of them. 

Godzilla Minus One: The Most Human Godzilla Film

 

I had the privilege of being invited to a showing of Godzilla Minus One this past week. I'm thankful the trailers kept much of the content of the film a mystery. Upon finishing the film, one of my friends cheekily remarked, "Well of all the Godzilla movies, that was definitely one of them." Though this was partially in jest, we all agreed it was a pretty accurate statement. We all enjoyed the movie pretty equally. Now that I've had some time to ruminate, I will give you my more detailed thoughts.

I titled this review based on what I think is pretty accurate. Both thematically and in the literal narrative, this movie is a very human Godzilla movie. Depending on your point of view (probably the majority of Godzilla fans) this could potentially be a negative. Comments thrown towards kaiju films tend to be more negative if there isn't enough monster action, as that is the primary draw for these movies. Even so, the human stories have to take up some of the runtime, as special effects are costly and we would probably tire quickly of them if there was no context for the actions. I look to Michael Bay's Transformers series as the most obvious example. 

However, I have often enjoyed the varying human plots and would argue that since Godzilla films are very human in terms of their commentary. Cautionary tales of scientific progress and anti-war imagery is very much at the core of the series. It's why the original is one of my favorite movies. It manages to convey the effects of such devastation through the lens of a very effective monster and contributing effects, lighting, soundtrack ect.

This movie brings things back to the origins of why Godzilla movies were made, but making it even more personal. Our main character is a kamikaze pilot who did not want to die for supposed honor and avoids it. His fear for his own life interferes with his ability to fight against Godzilla in their initial encounter early in the film. He blames himself for the deaths of all the mechanics, although we know his plane's machine gun probably wouldn't need much of a difference. Guilt continues to follow him, as he is given the photographs of the families of all the victims by the only other survivor. Then he returns home to a war-torn town where he is made a scapegoat for the deaths of the civilians there. I would imagine this was a feeling many soldiers can attest to. 

As the plot progresses, our protagonist (Koichi), slowly begins to connect with others. He creates a family of sorts with a woman from the village and a baby they adopt. Though they become a family unit, Koichi refuses to fully commit to the idea and fully accept his role as a potential father and husband. In one tearful scene, he bluntly tells the young girl to stop referring to him as her father. Koichi doesn't seem to think he deserves to be happy or really to have a life at all. Godzilla acts here as a physical representation of the man's guilt and inability to move on from the trauma of the war. Godzilla is really more of a ghost or presence throughout much of the movie, basically haunting our hero. Even when he takes on a job to support his new family, it is a dangerous one, removing mines from the surrounding ocean. Once again, the remnants of the war haunt the man and the country. As if this isn't enough, our filmmakers continue to torture Koichi as Godzilla makes himself more present to the Japanese countryside, causing the devastation we expect. 

This certainly isn't the only movie to focus more on the suffering caused by the giant monster on a more personal level. I do think it is one of the ones that does it best. The characters in the film are all very believable and sympathetic. There are moments of humor, particularly from the former sailors who work with Koichi to destroy the old surrounding mines. They all have distinct personalities, but none of them misses the war. In fact, they all seem to be dealing with it in different ways. 

I do like how the sailors all band together as a rag-tag group of underdogs, taking on Godzilla directly without the aid of Russia or the United States. I think this was purporting the idea that Japan has to face its own demons and move past the aftereffects of war by itself. Koichi's personal struggles are mimicked by the people around him, so the message is pretty clear here. Not that this means that the struggle will be easy, but there is an undercurrent of hope despite the fairly bleak tone for most of the movie.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned Godzilla much yet. You may think that would be a problem in a Godzilla movie. Sometimes that is the case, but not really for me here. I suspect some take issue with it, but the human story is just so strong and emotionally palpable I really didn't notice much. When, Godzilla is on screen, he is used very effectively.  My favorite moments include his first appearance, where he hasn't been mutated by radiation but looks much more like a T-Rex esque dinosaur, his chasing our protagonists in their little excavation boat, and his heat ray causing explosions that look pretty similar to the destruction of a certain type of atomic weapon. 

I will say that in terms of design, Godzilla looks pretty standard compared to the slightly eldritch-looking being of Shin Godzilla. He looks good though and harkens back to the classic villainous presence of some of his films. It's Godzilla in classic fashion.

My only potential negatives in the movie might be in the direction it takes towards the end. With the tone of the film seeming pretty bleak and grounded (all things considered), I was expecting it to go a different direction than it did. Let's just say it has a much more happy ending than it seemed to be building up to...and then makes it even more uplifting. It bordered a little on the schmaltzy side, but I didn't mind too much as it felt like our heroes deserved a bit of a win. That being said, Koichi's final battle with Godzilla makes him one of the most awesome in Godzilla film history, even if I would have preferred a slightly more bittersweet resolution. 

Overall, I would honestly say that Godzilla Minus One is both very true to the idea of Godzilla (well one half of the series anyway) and also delving deeper in this regard than any previous film has. It is the most human Godzilla film and also one of the best. I still think I like Shin Godzilla a little more though, but that's a story for another time.

A

P.S. I didn't get the title towards the end of the movie. Even how they take Godzilla down is very unique. I have a strange desire for an Ice Godzilla action figure. 

Ridley Scott's Napoleon: I Guess I Don't Know Much About History

I am happy to say that I went into Napoleon with virtually no knowledge of the film, which is pretty hard to do these days. I finally broke down and watched a trailer to entice my wife into accompanying me to the theater. We've recently gotten married and were invited to see the film along with some fellow teachers from MovieMindsPodcast. Our plans for a local honeymoon were interrupted, so we weren't able to see any new movies in the theater. With prices increasing, the school year in full swing and a lack of movies which enticed us, we just don't get out there as much. So, Napoleon is my first theatrical experience as a married man. This is perhaps fitting (maybe?) that the narrative is sort of a tragic romance of sorts. That's not to say I recommend it as a typical date night movie, by any means.

The film was not what I was expecting. Well, in a general sense it was (pun was actually not intended there but I'm keeping it anyway). The specifics of the thematic elements were more the surprise. As I suspected, the movie follows Napoleon Bonaparte through aspects of his political rise to power and several major chapters in his military campaigns. As my wife and I were discussing, it's often difficult to fit any person's life (let alone a towering historical figure's) into a few hours. Usually they focus on one major element or event, or just give brief intercuts throughout the most notable moments. 

We see Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) as an adult, although no real effort is made through make-up or digital effects to signify any aging throughout the story. This biopic opts for lightly breezing through major events but breaks them up with sprinkles of intrigue by various statesmen and nobles. Most notably, the filmmakers spend several scenes putting together recreations of several major battles. While I think think the most love and care was put into those aspects of Napoleon, the juxtaposition of this is what I suspect is core of the story. This being Napoleon's relationship to his wife, Josephine. 

I will confess at this point with some embarrassment that, despite considering myself something of a history buff, I don't really know a great deal about Napoleon or his wars. I guess I've never been super drawn to that period of Europe between the Renaissance and the First World War. That is one of the film's greatest positives, in that it genuinely made me more interested in learning more about the man.

Unfortunately, the desire to read more about this period is driven by a lack of real depth to many of the specific facts and a kind of unclear theme which seems to contradict itself in a number of ways. I honestly applaud the less obvious approach of focusing much of the film on Napoleon's passion and accompanying frustrations with his wife, who seems rather unfaithful in conjunction with the two having a kind of unhealthy relationship. Josephine is a character who confuses me, as she is portrayed as being both at Napoleon's mercy but also very aware of her power over him. I'm not saying love can't be messy and I'm sure the actual events brought their own unique complications. However, since the film doesn't really make the intentions or the motivations of these characters very clear, I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to feel about them. Simply put, despite all the scenes with them, I don't really know them. 

While I really admire this idea of Napoleon being very devoted to his wife, with all the imperfections of the relationship included, I don't think it really works well as presented. I think the idea seems to add some feminine power as a motivating force behind the French general, but it feels like no real clear statement is ever put forth. Not that it necessarily has to, as Phoenix does a great job of portraying the complex emotions Napoleon feels for his wife, especially upon hearing of her death. However, we are never really sure why. Then again, maybe he doesn't know. Love is complicated. I guess I can look past that a bit. Unfortunately, the lack of any real dialogue or scenes clarifying this make the character study on Napoleon himself even more confusing.

His love for Josephine is implied to be intertwined with his eventual downfall. This is an interesting idea, as if the man's drive is directly connected to his love for this woman. Between their marriage being made null and her death, Napoleon's victories dwindle. Once again, I really like the general idea of this theme, but I couldn't really see any direct correlation between these two ideas. As one of my fellow podcasters pointed out, "It's two films." I agree.

While I did find some of the ideas of the romance and surrounding political atmosphere moderately intriguing, where this movie shines the most is in the battle sequences. While I'm not sure if Phoenix would have been my first choice for Napoleon (based on my admittedly limited knowledge), I really liked the contrast between his soft spoken demeanor and his decisiveness in combat. He portrayed a man who was quietly confident. I appreciated that. The overall production of France circa 1800 was fantastic, with amazing sets and costume design. It's in the battles that these elements, combined with other special effects really bring you into the time and place of the battle. It feels larger than life but also rather gritty and realistic, with hints of that movie magic greatness I love. 

I will say I think the violence is honestly a bit much, as it is placed deliberately enough to draw attention but with a lack of frequency that allows it be a surprise when it happens again. One one hand, this film shows the horrors of war while on the other kind of glorifying it through the bombastic presentation of other classic war films. This is understandable, since the concept of war has often been shown to be both horrifying and oddly intriguing. It's why films like these exist and a complicated issue probably worthy of another blog or two. I'm sure some experts with much more authority on the subject than me have written about it somewhere.

Regardless, this movie leaves me uncertain about how to feel about Napoleon and I think there may be some clunky aspects of the script or production that diminished some of the fine polish of the cinematography and costumes. Napoleon dies and his last words imply a devotion to his men, his country and his wife. These are among the final texts at the end of film, along with the number of casualties caused by his wars. From what I understand, Napoleon is a controversial figure, as the text suggests. I can understand Scott not necessarily having an answer or taking a stance (although I think it helps to). Regardless, I can't help but feel like I didn't really know this version of Napoleon as well as I could have.

Scott has his place in film history for sure, having made some truly great films. Alien is one of my favorite movies, so I really appreciate his work. While I did not like Napoleon nearly as much as Gladiator or The Martian, I think it had some true moments of greatness. Ultimately, the film's overall themes and objects felt as undercooked and enigmatic to me as the title character. There are some gorgeous shots though.

C+

STAR TREK: Lower Decks (First Impression)

I suppose an alternative title to this post would be, "Oh yeah, I have a blog." 

I've been keeping busy working on some other writing and posting videos on the channel, but it seems I'm definitely due for a post here. Might as well talk about some Star Trek stuff.  

To be honest, my feelings have been pretty mixed with the CBS All Access shows from the past few years.

I'll admit I haven't fully caught up with Discovery, so I can't give a more formed opinion on that show yet. I had some issues with certain characters in the first season (mostly how Burnham was handled) and I couldn't really get past their interpretation of the Kingons. However, I did like the visuals, Michelle Yeoh, Saru, the Mudd episodes and some aspects of the Mirror Universe.

So far, it seems the second season is better (?). When I get fully caught up I may do a more fleshed out post or video. 

I only watched one episode of Picard. I know people have been upset about the contractions with canon and established character motivations. I think are problems, but I tried to watch the show on its own merits. Based on the first episode, my friend Gimli and I felt no strong desire to watch more. 

So now I guess I should talk about the two episodes of Lower Decks I viewed. 

I like Rick and Morty. I like Star Trek. I think these two have some overlap for sure. When I heard about a Trek show in this style I was actually kind of excited. From what I watched, it as mostly what I expected. 

The characters seemed reminiscent of how many Trek fans would react if they found themselves in Starfleet.  They'd be geeking out and making references and namedrops. I know I probably would. The more adult and self-referential humor was pretty charming to be honest. I found myself smiling through the episodes, but not really laughing that much.

My friend Dan reviewed the episodes and pointed out a problem he noticed. There weren't many jokes. While this didn't bother me that much in these two episodes, as I enjoyed the overall production and performances, I did kind of agree with him. While I think these episodes are fine, this show can't rely on references and Easter eggs for very long. There needs to be stronger original narrative and more jokes relating too it. 

It's still early though, and I found much of the first season of The Orville to have similar issues. Now I can't wait for season three (my favorite "Trek" show right now, to be honest). In comparison to the other Trek shows of the last few years, this was pretty enjoyable. Maybe I was just happy to see something not super dark thematically (and darkly lit), being very different than Discovery or Picard. 

I'll probably watch more of the season. I'm curious to see if other people enjoyed it. There are certainly better Trek parodies out there, but this one needs to build more on its own story. 

Hellboy 2019 Review and Star Wars Episode 9 Trailer

Hellboy is a superhero that I can't say I'm overly attached to, but I am still very fond of  the 2004 film, as I think it was a great blend of practical effects, fun fantasy action and a very charismatic performance from Ron Perlman. I went with some friends to see the film, several of them being fans of the older films. With a third  no longer happening, this reboot seemed like it would capture a similar feeling. The trailers did a good job of getting me hyped. Usually, I'm skeptical. However, I went in with fairly high expectations and found myself a bit disappointed. This is partially due to a stronger attachment than I realized to the style and performances of the previous films, but with some pretty glaring issues I was not expecting.

David Harbour of Stranger Things fame certainly fits well into the new, slightly more realistic looking make-up, and he certainly adds some energy into the performance. I believe this more bumbling interpretation is closer to the comics, but I found he often lacked the presence of Perlman. At first, I was unsure if this was a reboot or sequel, as the pace of the film immediately dumps a massive amount of exposition regarding Arthurian lore and the sealing away of an evil sorceress (Milla Jovovich). Hellboy, after being forced to kill a vampire bitten friend, is sent to England to stop giants and becomes involved in the struggle to prevent her return.

There are some pretty big issues with the movie, but most of them probably could have been fixed with one word. Pacing. It's been a long time since I felt almost entirely overwhelmed by the constant action and scene changes. The experience wasn't seamless though, as you still feel the two hour run time. In a similar way to Aquaman, we observed that this movie had too much plot going on, with so little time to actually developing it. This creates the feeling that there is much less plot than there is and you sort of become numb to the action. The introduction of other characters to support Hellboy could have been handled better, as the backstories of the antagonistic British agent and a young psychic are both clumsily handled.

The effects work and the soundtrack are also a bit uneven, as the blaring heavy metal music and the very over the top gore (which is pretty well done) left me questioning what I was supposed to take seriously or when.  There were some jokes that got me to chuckle, but they didn't give them much time to land before the next action sequence.

I can't say it was all negative though, as the most frustrating part for me was that there were obvious pieces of a much better movie. Some of the creature design was pretty inspired, the costuming in particular for Hellboy himself stood out the most. If the action had been spaced out with more time to just breathe and let the characters interact more, the experience would have been much stronger. My favorite scene was when Hellboy encounters the villainous Baba Yaga, who is perfectly disgusting in an unsettling way in common with the other  creatures he faces. He makes a deal with her in exchange for information, being in much more control but still resolving it in a slightly silly fashion. Had the whole movie been like that scene, it would have been closer to the Hellboy I wanted.


As I was planning to write this, I saw that the trailer for the next Star Wars film has been released. I actually don't care much about obviously jumping on the bandwagon of every other person who will jump to conclusions based on a single trailer. Then again, I'm doing it anyway since I have the time. Actually, more than trailer itself, it was a comment by one of my online friends that accompanied the post that made me want to write about it. She stated she isn't really that excited for Star Wars anymore but she was glad for new additions. At least among many of my friends, we're somewhat disillusioned with the franchise for several reasons.

I think it's the lack of unity of vision that makes it the most frustrating these days. The films are no longer the vision of one man collaborating with others, but seem much more tied to what the studios want to drive profits up. Perhaps that's just how it feels these days and it was always that way. I'm not sure, although the transparency between fans and creators has its downsides. One director wanted to be bold and change things. It was risky and it offended some people. Instead of rolling with that, we've heard rumors of backtracking. It is difficult with any beloved franchise and Star Wars may be the best example. People are invested in these characters and change is very hard to pull off without seeming disrespectful.

Much like that post, I don't have much enthusiasm for the films either. This is a combination of the obvious over saturation and just a change in taste over time. My love for this universe is far from dead though, as I've really been enjoying Rebels lately.

I do hope this new trailer can resolve some established plot points. Otherwise, why have them? I also don't want it to cater too much. Some creators, like recently with J.K. Rowling, tend to overcorrect when it is unnecessary. Also though, fans need to keep an open mind. There will be light sabers. There will be battles in space (Star Wars?). Lando is back. Nice. Palpatine is back? Maybe. I liked Snoke but I kind of wanted him to be his own thing. I guess that's the question I'm hoping gets answered. I like my maniacal villains and Palapatine/Snoke (same guy?) both fit that mold.

Oh and I am excited for the final season of Game of Thrones. We'll also probably be watching the Fruits Basket remake. There may be some videos, podcasts or blog post on these topics in coming weeks. I might even talk about that movie with Thanos. I think that's a big deal. Right?

Thanks for reading everyone. Stay magical.