Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 105
June 4, 2012
Mind Sieve 6/4/12
Recovering from the con but prepping this before hand. Heh heh heh.
Michael Shanks!!!! Saving Hope - new series from NBC. Woot!
Cool new Prometheus poster from Total Film.
More Prometheus extra content. It's almost here!
Arrow Teaser Trailer - new TV series for the CW. Not starring Justin Hartley :( Though Stephen Amell looks like he can pull it off. Also has Paul Blackthrone (Dresden!).
Medieval Mondays: Cursing Stones from A J Walker.
An Imperial Walker walker from 22 Words.
Beauty and the Beast trailer another CW Fall additions.
Designing From Bones - Royal Mountains Majesty from Gene Lempp.
From Jami Gold - What Are You Looking For In An Agent? Good food for thought here!
Author Platform? But I'm Just Starting To Submit from Darcy Pattison.
From Chuck (NSFW) Wendig - Revisiting The Fevered Egos Of Self-Publishing.
Literary Devices: Foreshadowing from Amy Rose Davis.
From Marcy Kennedy - How To Use Taste To Make Your Readers Hungry For More.
The Four Types Of Dramatic Tension from The Writers Alley.
Wheeee![image error]
Michael Shanks!!!! Saving Hope - new series from NBC. Woot!
Cool new Prometheus poster from Total Film.
More Prometheus extra content. It's almost here!
Arrow Teaser Trailer - new TV series for the CW. Not starring Justin Hartley :( Though Stephen Amell looks like he can pull it off. Also has Paul Blackthrone (Dresden!).
Medieval Mondays: Cursing Stones from A J Walker.
An Imperial Walker walker from 22 Words.
Beauty and the Beast trailer another CW Fall additions.
Designing From Bones - Royal Mountains Majesty from Gene Lempp.
From Jami Gold - What Are You Looking For In An Agent? Good food for thought here!
Author Platform? But I'm Just Starting To Submit from Darcy Pattison.
From Chuck (NSFW) Wendig - Revisiting The Fevered Egos Of Self-Publishing.
Literary Devices: Foreshadowing from Amy Rose Davis.
From Marcy Kennedy - How To Use Taste To Make Your Readers Hungry For More.
The Four Types Of Dramatic Tension from The Writers Alley.
Wheeee![image error]
June 3, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Star Wars The Old Republic 6/3/12
Pre-prepped this for while I'm off at A-kon. Heh heh.
All Republic pics on Hoth.
White, so much white!
There are more wrecks on Hoth than you'd ever imagine.
Some funky battle droids
Fun quest where the Empire and Republic are forced to work together.
Pirate hideout with their own pirate jail. Eek!
Bad tempered pirates too!
Looking down this cliff gave me vertigo. :P
Ran across some crystal formation. There is a whole valley of them which will show on the next post.
This male has two humps. Even bigger than the others. Glad they're peaceful creatures.
Ice cats. And no, they're not nice kitties.
Close up of one of the cats.
Wampa - dead.
Wampa - lots!
Should be Zombie Sunday at A-kon today. heh heh.
All Republic pics on Hoth.
White, so much white!
There are more wrecks on Hoth than you'd ever imagine.
Some funky battle droids
Fun quest where the Empire and Republic are forced to work together.
Pirate hideout with their own pirate jail. Eek!
Bad tempered pirates too!
Looking down this cliff gave me vertigo. :P
Ran across some crystal formation. There is a whole valley of them which will show on the next post.
This male has two humps. Even bigger than the others. Glad they're peaceful creatures.
Ice cats. And no, they're not nice kitties.
Close up of one of the cats.
Wampa - dead.
Wampa - lots!
Should be Zombie Sunday at A-kon today. heh heh.
June 1, 2012
Movie Review - Men In Black 3
(Well, this is super late due to computer issues. Eventually gave up and decided to post it while I was off at A-kon. Wheee!)
Men In Black 3
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, Michael Chernus, Alice Eve, and many more.
Premise: An alien criminal that Agent K captured forty years before escapes from prison and is looking to change the past to a better outcome. When K won't tell J the details of the case, their partnership is put in jeopardy. But then K suddenly disappears and so does everyone else's memories of him except for J's. J must now take a leap into the past to rescue K and the Earth's future. (Rated PG-13)
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld Based On The Malibu Comics by: Lowell Cunningham Written by: Etan Cohen Original Music by: Danny Elfman Cinematography by: Bill Pope
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin all had great chemistry. Josh Brolin did an awesome job as Young Agent K. Not only did he bring a lot of the mannerism of the familiar older Agent K, but he also made the younger agent a different man on several levels, the better to contrast with the events which made Agent K the somber, seemingly withdrawn man he is today.
In a fun turn of events, I loved watching Agent J dealing with his altered future's younger partner, switching J and K's usual roles, and making J look at his own partnership in a slightly different light. Too cute! Tommy Lee Jones also imparted a lot of emotion and subliminal information once he realized his old nemesis Boris had escaped. Great job!
Not all of the old friends from the original MIB film are back, but those not present are definitely represented. Loved how they sneaked Frank into the film though his character was not involved. It was very creative and cute. But don't worry, the worms are there, throwing out their usual fun one liners.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects team did a wonderful job. Boris is in many ways as disgusting, if not more so, than Edgar was in the original Men In Black film. Boris may look human, but as the movie progresses we are shown more and more that it is but a veneer of a strangely symbiotic creature. Totally fascinating!
The weapons, vehicles, ships and more were outstanding. The same look and feel as the modern tech used by MIB, but in a more developmental phase.
The time traveling itself was not in your usual way and incredibly impressive. The fact they were even able to throw in some dark humor into the whole process made it even better. The unexpected visitors right before J goes back in time were all in the background yet spoke volumes in presentation. Nicely done!
The scene with the baseball park was marvelously done.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story works with serious issues served up with lots of great one liners and comedic bits. A lot of foreshadowing, which is in itself a 'red herring', the outcome not the one you'd expect.
The story did have some fun with J being sent back to the 60's on several levels. But also didn't overdo it and even twisted one cliche around for a funny moment.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: With a ton of action comes a ton of stunts and they were all excellent. From attacking aliens, to prison escapes, to the street chases, they were all very visual and smoothly carried out.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Several gorgeous views of the New York landscape from multiple times. The Cape Canaveral shots integrated with original footage and recreations were great.
It was also fun seeing the differences between the MIB headquarters then and now.
6) Costuming/Make-up - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on this category as well. Lots of attention paid to 1969 to make it look and feel as it would have back then. Also between the make-up department and Josh Brolin's acting acumen , you never doubted the actor was a younger K.
Conclusion: MIB 3 is a fun, fast paced film which brings back all we loved from the original MIB film and more!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again)
[image error]
Men In Black 3
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, Michael Chernus, Alice Eve, and many more.
Premise: An alien criminal that Agent K captured forty years before escapes from prison and is looking to change the past to a better outcome. When K won't tell J the details of the case, their partnership is put in jeopardy. But then K suddenly disappears and so does everyone else's memories of him except for J's. J must now take a leap into the past to rescue K and the Earth's future. (Rated PG-13)
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld Based On The Malibu Comics by: Lowell Cunningham Written by: Etan Cohen Original Music by: Danny Elfman Cinematography by: Bill Pope
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin all had great chemistry. Josh Brolin did an awesome job as Young Agent K. Not only did he bring a lot of the mannerism of the familiar older Agent K, but he also made the younger agent a different man on several levels, the better to contrast with the events which made Agent K the somber, seemingly withdrawn man he is today.
In a fun turn of events, I loved watching Agent J dealing with his altered future's younger partner, switching J and K's usual roles, and making J look at his own partnership in a slightly different light. Too cute! Tommy Lee Jones also imparted a lot of emotion and subliminal information once he realized his old nemesis Boris had escaped. Great job!
Not all of the old friends from the original MIB film are back, but those not present are definitely represented. Loved how they sneaked Frank into the film though his character was not involved. It was very creative and cute. But don't worry, the worms are there, throwing out their usual fun one liners.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects team did a wonderful job. Boris is in many ways as disgusting, if not more so, than Edgar was in the original Men In Black film. Boris may look human, but as the movie progresses we are shown more and more that it is but a veneer of a strangely symbiotic creature. Totally fascinating!
The weapons, vehicles, ships and more were outstanding. The same look and feel as the modern tech used by MIB, but in a more developmental phase.
The time traveling itself was not in your usual way and incredibly impressive. The fact they were even able to throw in some dark humor into the whole process made it even better. The unexpected visitors right before J goes back in time were all in the background yet spoke volumes in presentation. Nicely done!
The scene with the baseball park was marvelously done.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story works with serious issues served up with lots of great one liners and comedic bits. A lot of foreshadowing, which is in itself a 'red herring', the outcome not the one you'd expect.
The story did have some fun with J being sent back to the 60's on several levels. But also didn't overdo it and even twisted one cliche around for a funny moment.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: With a ton of action comes a ton of stunts and they were all excellent. From attacking aliens, to prison escapes, to the street chases, they were all very visual and smoothly carried out.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Several gorgeous views of the New York landscape from multiple times. The Cape Canaveral shots integrated with original footage and recreations were great.
It was also fun seeing the differences between the MIB headquarters then and now.
6) Costuming/Make-up - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on this category as well. Lots of attention paid to 1969 to make it look and feel as it would have back then. Also between the make-up department and Josh Brolin's acting acumen , you never doubted the actor was a younger K.
Conclusion: MIB 3 is a fun, fast paced film which brings back all we loved from the original MIB film and more!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again)
[image error]
May 30, 2012
Picture Kaleidoscope 5/30/12
Happy Wednesday!
You've heard of Jack-In-The-Box? This is Cat-In-The-Box. :P He stayed in that thing for hours! Also made him think he was invisible to the dog. Hmmm.
Real funky cloud formation and HUGE!
Found an awesome spot to have breakfast on Memorial Day. It was gorgeous and the wind felt nice and cool.
Now for other pics around the web.
Photographer Richard Mosse's Best Shot. Interview and article. It's a cool shot made more so by who and where. And look at the gorgeous view behind them.
From NASA - Saturn's Highly Reflective Moon Enceladus.
[image error]
Ships Sailing Across Seas of Sheets from Peta Pixel. Fascinating idea! Photography by Luis Gonzales Palma.
May the rest of your week flow smoothly![image error]
You've heard of Jack-In-The-Box? This is Cat-In-The-Box. :P He stayed in that thing for hours! Also made him think he was invisible to the dog. Hmmm.
Real funky cloud formation and HUGE!
Found an awesome spot to have breakfast on Memorial Day. It was gorgeous and the wind felt nice and cool.
Now for other pics around the web.
Photographer Richard Mosse's Best Shot. Interview and article. It's a cool shot made more so by who and where. And look at the gorgeous view behind them.
From NASA - Saturn's Highly Reflective Moon Enceladus.
[image error]
Ships Sailing Across Seas of Sheets from Peta Pixel. Fascinating idea! Photography by Luis Gonzales Palma.
May the rest of your week flow smoothly![image error]
May 28, 2012
Mind Sieve 5/28/12
Happy Memorial Day!
Skyfall Official Teaser Trailer. Oooo!
The Bourne Legacy Official Trailer. Yay, no shaky cam!!!!! And so glad to see Jeremy Renner getting so much work. Woot!
Argo Official Trailer - Ben Affleck's new film. Looks interesting. Because no one would think a weird. cheap SF film to be a government sting. Lol
From Total Film - New Dredd Images. Ooo a remake!
An R2-D2 Coffee Maker! How cool is that?!?!
The Most Brilliant Printmaker You've Never Heard Of - Hercules Seger - from the History Blog.
Art In My Coffee: A Collection Of Foamy Awesomeness. Some definite cool coffee art!
Chuck (NSFW) Wendig On The General Weirdness Of Having "Fans". Heh heh heh.
3 Ways To Fix Your Broken Marketing from Copy Blogger.
Pro Tips For Published Authors Pt 1: Website Tips from Jennifer Represents. Went and immediately added the info to the blog pages. I had it for the website but not the blog. Makes sense once you think about it. :P
From Jennifer Represents - On Establishing A Good Line Of Credit With Agents. Love the analogy!
Understanding Your Agent from Rachelle Gardner. Good to know!
5 Undying Myths About Published Writers And Their Eerie Powers from Brian Hodge.
Hope you all have a great holiday![image error]
Skyfall Official Teaser Trailer. Oooo!
The Bourne Legacy Official Trailer. Yay, no shaky cam!!!!! And so glad to see Jeremy Renner getting so much work. Woot!
Argo Official Trailer - Ben Affleck's new film. Looks interesting. Because no one would think a weird. cheap SF film to be a government sting. Lol
From Total Film - New Dredd Images. Ooo a remake!
An R2-D2 Coffee Maker! How cool is that?!?!
The Most Brilliant Printmaker You've Never Heard Of - Hercules Seger - from the History Blog.
Art In My Coffee: A Collection Of Foamy Awesomeness. Some definite cool coffee art!
Chuck (NSFW) Wendig On The General Weirdness Of Having "Fans". Heh heh heh.
3 Ways To Fix Your Broken Marketing from Copy Blogger.
Pro Tips For Published Authors Pt 1: Website Tips from Jennifer Represents. Went and immediately added the info to the blog pages. I had it for the website but not the blog. Makes sense once you think about it. :P
From Jennifer Represents - On Establishing A Good Line Of Credit With Agents. Love the analogy!
Understanding Your Agent from Rachelle Gardner. Good to know!
5 Undying Myths About Published Writers And Their Eerie Powers from Brian Hodge.
Hope you all have a great holiday![image error]
May 27, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Star Wars The Old Republic 5/27/12
Computer problems have been corrected! Yay! Now I can post again!
My Imperial Spy on Alderaan:
One of the cool things on Alderaan, integration of nature and tech.
Finally made it inside House Cortess. Well, to a room or two anyway. Proud house wouldn't you say?
These were signs next to the skill trainers. I thought them rather cute though I still had to mouse over each one at the time. lol. Sith trainer.
Fighting Sith Trainer
Spy/Rogue Trainer
Trooper trainer.
The healing sequence HUD visual.
Okay, this Jedi died in the worst way. Head first into this bonfire. So weird.
Now to Hoth and the Republic
Neat cave system
A Wampa, couldn't get too close. Also some wild Taumtaums to the right.
Funky ice and snow formation.
This area was pretty large.
Had these cool looking snow vehicles.
Another weird death. Not only did he impale his own head with his stick weapon, he was glowing.
Heat Exchange cave system.
Looks like that's it. Had hope to spend some time in Minecraft but the computer going nuts cut that possibility off. Sniff. (When the software you're about to install says it might have a compatibility issue...Don't install it! You'll be sorry! Waaaahhhh)
[image error]
My Imperial Spy on Alderaan:
One of the cool things on Alderaan, integration of nature and tech.
Finally made it inside House Cortess. Well, to a room or two anyway. Proud house wouldn't you say?
These were signs next to the skill trainers. I thought them rather cute though I still had to mouse over each one at the time. lol. Sith trainer.
Fighting Sith Trainer
Spy/Rogue Trainer
Trooper trainer.
The healing sequence HUD visual.
Okay, this Jedi died in the worst way. Head first into this bonfire. So weird.
Now to Hoth and the Republic
Neat cave system
A Wampa, couldn't get too close. Also some wild Taumtaums to the right.
Funky ice and snow formation.
This area was pretty large.
Had these cool looking snow vehicles.
Another weird death. Not only did he impale his own head with his stick weapon, he was glowing.
Heat Exchange cave system.
Looks like that's it. Had hope to spend some time in Minecraft but the computer going nuts cut that possibility off. Sniff. (When the software you're about to install says it might have a compatibility issue...Don't install it! You'll be sorry! Waaaahhhh)
[image error]
May 23, 2012
Picture Kaleidoscope 5/23/12
Have got pics from around the internet and also some for Dallas Comic Con 2012 this time around.
First the internet:
Bees: Your Green Shoots Photographs from The Guardian. 20+ pics of UK bees.
May 11 Photo of the Day from Peter Burian. There are several other pics on the same page that are breathtaking!
[image error]
Photographs of East Germany Locations Captured Decades Apart from Peta Pixel.
[image error]
Creative Macro Photographs Of A Fun Loving Fly from Peta Pixel. Uhm???
Now for a few pics from the Dallas Comic Con!
Love the tats!
The tabs for the armor were totally black. The light's reflection makes them look brighter on the pic
Cobra!
Scarecrow time!
Yes, the time traveling Delorean was there!
Chewie!
Sleestak!
Several families dressed together. So cute!
More Delorean!
This was the line on Saturday morning. Went around BOTH sides of the building!
Dealers' Room right before opening.
That's all folks!
First the internet:
Bees: Your Green Shoots Photographs from The Guardian. 20+ pics of UK bees.
May 11 Photo of the Day from Peter Burian. There are several other pics on the same page that are breathtaking!
[image error]
Photographs of East Germany Locations Captured Decades Apart from Peta Pixel.
[image error]
Creative Macro Photographs Of A Fun Loving Fly from Peta Pixel. Uhm???
Now for a few pics from the Dallas Comic Con!
Love the tats!
The tabs for the armor were totally black. The light's reflection makes them look brighter on the pic
Cobra!
Scarecrow time!
Yes, the time traveling Delorean was there!
Chewie!
Sleestak!
Several families dressed together. So cute!
More Delorean!
This was the line on Saturday morning. Went around BOTH sides of the building!
Dealers' Room right before opening.
That's all folks!
May 21, 2012
Mind Sieve 5/21/12
Greetings! Let's see what I have for you this week!
This side of the Pond has decided to do like the BBC and make a modern Sherlock Holmes rendition. CBS is backing it and has called it Elementary. I'm a Sherlock sucker so I will definitely check it out. Besides with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, it should be a blast~!
From Dreamworks - Rise of the Guardians. Looks funky!
Science Fiction and Fantasy Icons Look Downright Dashing In 19th Century Russian Regalia from io9. (Yes, yes they do!)
A Fantastic Fear of Everything with Simon Pegg. Looks trippy!
For all those who've only recently discovered Josh Hutchenson, he's got a new movie coming. This must be the week for trippy trailers - Detention.
A cute/sad stop motion music video - Delta Heavy - Get By.
Designing From Bones - Stories Hewn From Rock: Tombs and Temples from Gene Lempp.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Twitter Chats from Mark W Schaefer.
From Kaye Publicity - Can't Afford To Be Aloof. Why we must do social media and more.
3 Tips - Double Posting On Social Networks Is Missing Opportunity from Bindle Post. I thought this article was about one thing when I click and it ended up being something else entirely, but still pegged me! Doh!
From Rachelle Gardner - What If My Agent Doesn't Like My Next Book?
Villains vs Antagonists from DIYMFA. Some nice definitions!
Does Every Scene Need a Goal? From Jami Gold.
Have an awesome week! And see you next time!
This side of the Pond has decided to do like the BBC and make a modern Sherlock Holmes rendition. CBS is backing it and has called it Elementary. I'm a Sherlock sucker so I will definitely check it out. Besides with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, it should be a blast~!
From Dreamworks - Rise of the Guardians. Looks funky!
Science Fiction and Fantasy Icons Look Downright Dashing In 19th Century Russian Regalia from io9. (Yes, yes they do!)
A Fantastic Fear of Everything with Simon Pegg. Looks trippy!
For all those who've only recently discovered Josh Hutchenson, he's got a new movie coming. This must be the week for trippy trailers - Detention.
A cute/sad stop motion music video - Delta Heavy - Get By.
Designing From Bones - Stories Hewn From Rock: Tombs and Temples from Gene Lempp.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Twitter Chats from Mark W Schaefer.
From Kaye Publicity - Can't Afford To Be Aloof. Why we must do social media and more.
3 Tips - Double Posting On Social Networks Is Missing Opportunity from Bindle Post. I thought this article was about one thing when I click and it ended up being something else entirely, but still pegged me! Doh!
From Rachelle Gardner - What If My Agent Doesn't Like My Next Book?
Villains vs Antagonists from DIYMFA. Some nice definitions!
Does Every Scene Need a Goal? From Jami Gold.
Have an awesome week! And see you next time!
May 20, 2012
Virtual Tourist 5/20/12 - Star Wars The Old Republic
Dallas Comic Con is this weekend, so I may not have as many items to share as usual. But we'll see. :P
Hoth on the Republic side.
It is very very cold on Hoth as this gentleman will attest.
Video glitch gave me some groovy pics. Look at that weird sky.
Base camp on Hoth.
Reached a new level on Legacy which unlocked three new emotes - /map /holocom and one more. Pretty nifty.
Video glitch gone! Now all is blindingly white again.
My Imperial Spy on Alderaan.
Toxic lake with Killick eggs in that small island
Looks like Alderaan had some large beasties like Tatooine at some point.
Aggressive and now dead fauna.
A different House clan - Costova? that rules in Alderaan.
Their crest.
Cool ceiling at the Thull Palace.
Some armor. :P
Looks like that's it. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Hoth on the Republic side.
It is very very cold on Hoth as this gentleman will attest.
Video glitch gave me some groovy pics. Look at that weird sky.
Base camp on Hoth.
Reached a new level on Legacy which unlocked three new emotes - /map /holocom and one more. Pretty nifty.
Video glitch gone! Now all is blindingly white again.
My Imperial Spy on Alderaan.
Toxic lake with Killick eggs in that small island
Looks like Alderaan had some large beasties like Tatooine at some point.
Aggressive and now dead fauna.
A different House clan - Costova? that rules in Alderaan.
Their crest.
Cool ceiling at the Thull Palace.
Some armor. :P
Looks like that's it. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
May 18, 2012
Movie Review - Battleship
Battleship
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson, John Tui, Jesse Plemons, Gregory D Gadson, and many more.
Directed by: Peter Berg Written by: Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber Original Music by: Steve Jablonsky Cinematography by: Tobias A Schliessler
Premise: Six years after an advanced form of communication is used to send a message to a planet very much like Earth, aliens descend on the planet. Unfortunately for them, they can't see Earth's tech and their long distance communications ship hits a satellite and crashes in Hong Kong. Now the remaining four ships land in the Pacific and place an energy shield over a huge area so they can use the communication relay in Hawaii to call their planet. The only thing standing in their way is a Lieutenant on his way to getting booted out of the Navy, a scientist who fears just about everything, an admiral's daughter, and an army man trying to adjust to life with prosthesis. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Great job by all, especially the supporting actors. Rihanna was a lot of fun as Petty Officer Raykes. A lot of the extra personnel were actual navy, so it was a nice touch to have them do what they've trained to do, lending a layer of authenticity to the film it might not otherwise have had.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: As can be seen in the previews, there are a lot of special effects and they were excellent. From the different alien ships, the different technology, the aliens, and the destruction they caused, they were super detailed and entertaining. I was fascinated by the alien ships and their odd manner of movement on the ocean surface - very reminiscent of water bugs.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This film is from Hasbro, who puts out the long played game called 'Battleship'. A game where two opposing fleets try to guess the location of their opponents and sink their ships through strategy and narrowing of their possible locations on the board. The film tries to integrate bits and pieces of the game, but not blatantly so. The shape of the alien's bombs resemble the white and red pegs of the game. For unexplained reasons, neither side's tech is capable of seeing the other through instruments, only through visual means. The ingenious way Captain Nagata comes up with to try to track their movements, gave us the grid of the game. Too cute.
There's some iffy science involved in a couple of places and some 'suspension of disbelief' is called for on several occasions. On the other hand, the story also had growth arcs on several of the characters. So there was some substance to the plot and that was a plus.
Also surprisingly, there were many comedic moments in the film. One skit sequence was done to the Pink Panther theme. It was hilarious!
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: With all the explosions and destruction happening around them you have navy personnel being thrown left and right and they made it look convincing. Kudos to the stunt person used during the totally hilarious skit at the convenience store - priceless.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Some very beautiful shots of the ocean and of the Hawaiian islands crossed the screen throughout the film. And what better place to film a movie dealing with the navy than on actual destroyers and battleships? Genius.
Conclusion: The previews of this film give audiences a very different idea of what it will be about than what it actually is, which unfortunately won't work in their favor to get people into the theaters to see it. Despite the bad science in a couple of places, the film moved at a good clip and was very entertaining. The comedic moments were priceless.
Make sure to sit through the credits! There's a cute bit at the very end.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson, John Tui, Jesse Plemons, Gregory D Gadson, and many more.
Directed by: Peter Berg Written by: Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber Original Music by: Steve Jablonsky Cinematography by: Tobias A Schliessler
Premise: Six years after an advanced form of communication is used to send a message to a planet very much like Earth, aliens descend on the planet. Unfortunately for them, they can't see Earth's tech and their long distance communications ship hits a satellite and crashes in Hong Kong. Now the remaining four ships land in the Pacific and place an energy shield over a huge area so they can use the communication relay in Hawaii to call their planet. The only thing standing in their way is a Lieutenant on his way to getting booted out of the Navy, a scientist who fears just about everything, an admiral's daughter, and an army man trying to adjust to life with prosthesis. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Great job by all, especially the supporting actors. Rihanna was a lot of fun as Petty Officer Raykes. A lot of the extra personnel were actual navy, so it was a nice touch to have them do what they've trained to do, lending a layer of authenticity to the film it might not otherwise have had.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: As can be seen in the previews, there are a lot of special effects and they were excellent. From the different alien ships, the different technology, the aliens, and the destruction they caused, they were super detailed and entertaining. I was fascinated by the alien ships and their odd manner of movement on the ocean surface - very reminiscent of water bugs.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This film is from Hasbro, who puts out the long played game called 'Battleship'. A game where two opposing fleets try to guess the location of their opponents and sink their ships through strategy and narrowing of their possible locations on the board. The film tries to integrate bits and pieces of the game, but not blatantly so. The shape of the alien's bombs resemble the white and red pegs of the game. For unexplained reasons, neither side's tech is capable of seeing the other through instruments, only through visual means. The ingenious way Captain Nagata comes up with to try to track their movements, gave us the grid of the game. Too cute.
There's some iffy science involved in a couple of places and some 'suspension of disbelief' is called for on several occasions. On the other hand, the story also had growth arcs on several of the characters. So there was some substance to the plot and that was a plus.
Also surprisingly, there were many comedic moments in the film. One skit sequence was done to the Pink Panther theme. It was hilarious!
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: With all the explosions and destruction happening around them you have navy personnel being thrown left and right and they made it look convincing. Kudos to the stunt person used during the totally hilarious skit at the convenience store - priceless.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Some very beautiful shots of the ocean and of the Hawaiian islands crossed the screen throughout the film. And what better place to film a movie dealing with the navy than on actual destroyers and battleships? Genius.
Conclusion: The previews of this film give audiences a very different idea of what it will be about than what it actually is, which unfortunately won't work in their favor to get people into the theaters to see it. Despite the bad science in a couple of places, the film moved at a good clip and was very entertaining. The comedic moments were priceless.
Make sure to sit through the credits! There's a cute bit at the very end.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
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