Book Review: The Liveship Traders

Title: Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny

Author: Robin Hobb
Year Published: 1998-2000

Genre: Fantasy

The Liveship Traders is the second trilogy set within the world of Robin Hobb’s ‘Realms of the Elderlings’, for which there are currently fifteen books. While you don’t need to know anything about the first trilogy – The Farseer Trilogy (a.k.a. the Assassin books) – in order to understand this one, The Liveship Traders contains major spoilers for its predecessor so you may want to read The Farseer Trilogy first. In fact, if you’re a fantasy fan and you haven’t read the Assassin books, don’t bother with this review and just go read them now. The first book is Assassin’s Apprentice. Go on. You can thank me later.

Anyway, back to The Liveship Traders. Though it’s comprised of three books (Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny), The Liveship Traders is better characterised as one somewhat very large novel. To put it another way, what you have here are three books, each being some 900 pages long, none of which work as standalones – so be ye warned.

The name of the trilogy essentially describes its premise. In the Cursed Shores, there is substance known as wizardwood – a sentient wood that can only be sourced from the Rain Wilds. A ship built from wizardwood will “quicken” and come to life only after three family members from successive generations have died upon its deck. At the start of the trilogy, the liveship Vivacia is about to quicken – an event to set in motion everything else in the series. The plot is almost impossible to describe without spoilers, so pro-tip: don’t read the blurbs. The Liveship Traders involves multiple plots and characters and is a slow burn sort of deal in the bestest sort of way. If you like seafaring adventure stories, fantasy, and being patient, this is the series for you.

Hobb has built a fully realised fantasy world both traditional and unique; its features are rich but not obnoxiously so; everything in the world, from its seal hunters, its religions, its cultures and its magic, simply belongs. Hobb brings a spark to traditional fantasy elements like mythical serpents, to innovations like wizardwood and even to the small domestic rituals shared between Bingtown folk and the Rain Wilders. The Rain Wilds in particular inspire a sense of wonder – something all too often lacking in fantasy fiction.

In addition to a multitude of settings, we are witness to a multitude of points of view. As a sample of this variety, we have Wintrow, the boy in training to be a priest; Althea, the tomboyish daughter of the Vestrit family; Kennit, the ambitious pirate; Paragon, the mad ship; Ronica, the pragmatic Vestrit matriarch; Brashen, the disgraced Bingtown son; and Malta, the girl you want to smack in the face. Personal, political and fantastical plot lines are woven together masterfully for all these characters, and if you ever get weary of one story-line, you know that a fresh point of view is not far away. Similarly, there is a mixture of light (ooh~ island exploration~) and dark (sexual violence) material. The Liveship Traders is one of those rare series where the tone, plot, setting and characters are balanced, so that you rarely feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed by any one aspect.

My only issue was that the ending seemed way too unrealistic (and yes, I do realise this is a series about talking ships).

Being a human myself, I found it very hard to believe the way everyone just capitulated to Tintaglia’s demands – I mean, I understand why, but these people seemed happy to cause and ensure the eternal subjugation of their entire species forever. I may be exaggerating a bit, but well, as far as I can tell, this does not seem like people at all.

Well, most people anyway.

While this plot-point is a minor proportion of the story as a whole, it altered my esteem for the entire series – a series that, up to this point, had been pretty consistently awesome. Otherwise, The Liveship Traders wrapped up in a relatively satisfying, albeit open-ended way.

<Spoiler alert, obviously>

While this may be a tired comparison, I’d say that if you enjoy Game of Thrones, you’d probably like this series too. It’s similar in that it covers a broad scope of characters, settings and dilemmas and it’s different in that it’s actually finished. In any case, your priority here should be to read The Farseer Trilogy – not only will it enhance your reading of The Liveship Traders, but it’s also excellent. I mean, it’s less “balanced” than The Liveship Traders, but if I’m to be completely honest, its wildness is precisely why I like it better of the two.

Alex’s Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Goldfinch

Title: The Goldfinch

Author: Donna Tartt
Year Published: 2013

Genre: Drama, Crime, Contemporary fiction

Recently named winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, The Goldfinch tells the story of Theo Decker, a boy who survives the bombing that takes his mother’s life. In the chaos that follows, Theo is taken in by a posh New York family and, well, suffice to say that a painting of a bird is involved, and things don’t get easier for our teenaged hero.

Tartt has a gift for language and detail – based on her descriptions, I find myself wanting to see New York in real life. From the very beginning, when Theo and his mother are caught in the rain through to Theo’s time spent alone in Hobie’s furniture store, you can almost believe you’re there with Theo himself. Theo’s remembered places and experiences are both dreamlike and solid at the same time; they feel real even when they’re unrealistic. Despite its heft, the book is easy to read; there’s a cushiony feel about the prose that makes it easy to sink in to; it’s almost comforting in a way.

Any yet, there were many times I found it hard to immerse myself in his story. Why? Multiple reasons, really. Perhaps dumbest of all is the whole business with the timeline. When is the book set? It’s not clear. Such a simple matter, and yet so irritating. We start with Theo as a grown man in Amsterdam before the narrative segues into his childhood. I had thought that this meant that the Amsterdam stuff was happening present-day-ish, but then aspects of Theo’s adolescence felt too modern. Instead of concentrating on Theo’s story, I found myself distracted by thoughts like: So the accident happened after 9-11? Is the Amsterdam stuff happening in the future then? When did Unleashed come out? Isn’t that kind of text-speak outdated? Why is there old digital clock font in a modern-day text? What?

Similarly, other aspects of the writing threw me out of the story. Particularly during the accident at the start, I wasn’t sure if Theo was retelling a story or if we were living it with him in real-time. This might seem trivial, but it does change how you interpret events. Another issue I had was with Theo himself. He’s meant to be a teenage boy, but there’s something about his observations that make him sound like a mature, well-to-do white woman. It’s more than precociousness (and boy is he precocious); I mean, improbable art history expertise aside, what thirteen-year-old boy recognises when someone is dressed in Valentino and knows that the lipgloss stick thingy is a “wand”? It would seem that this book was written by someone even more out of touch with today’s youth than yours truly, and that’s a worrying thought.

Another aspect of Theo that felt unrealistic to me was his ordeal with drugs. I can’t place my finger on it, but something about the casual but meticulous way things are described feels very researched and calculated. It’s as if the author’s trawled Internet forums about substance abuse and included her findings in the book as something ~edgy. Now, I know nothing about the author and her history. For all I know, she’s had experience dealing with substance abuse and knows what she’s on about. As a reader, however, something about it just did not feel genuine.

So too did the parts of the book dealing with art and art appreciation. The detailed and technical art discussions sounded like excerpts from someone’s essay rather than actual thoughts or experiences of actual people. Unfortunately, I got the impression that the author wanted to show off how cultured she was – which is sad, as I suppose the intent here was to inspire.

Other than the style, I also found the plot and characters a little unsatisfying. I am fine with the whole concept of this being one of those direction-less, that’s-how-life-is sort of books, but what I did not expect was for the narrative to jump from setting to setting and genre to genre. On the one hand this was exciting. You got new characters and drama and action and humour and a bildungsroman crime caper all in one – the book was never boring. On the other hand, it was also frustrating. Every time I thought the author was going to go deeper into a relationship or situation, things moved sideways instead. As a corollary, many of the characters never rise far above their stereotypes.

I’ve complained a lot, but a lot of this comes from how good the book is. I was so captivated by Theo’s experience that it became really noticeable when things felt unnatural and wrong. And here, I guess, I come to the controversy that is the ending. Feel free to skip this paragraph now, but I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that there is no ending. In the last chapter, Theo engages in some navel-gazing that does nothing to wrap up the plot. To me it felt like a cop out. It’s as if the author couldn’t or wouldn’t decide how she wanted things to go, so they didn’t go anywhere at all. Instead, we get a discussion on the book’s ~themes~. The worst part of this is that Theo’s undergraduate introspective philosomaphising isn’t even riveting, though I may have been blinded by anger at this point. The words sound pretty though.

The Goldfinch is a richly detailed account of one troubled boy’s life, tenderly and lovingly drawn. However, I find it hard to recommend: it annoyed me too much with its pretentiousness, its implausibility and its failure to provide narrative closure. In short, The Goldfinch a good book, but it’s not great, and you can probably find something better. Then again, what’s my opinion worth? There’s only one Pulitzer winner here and it sure as hell ain’t me.

Alex’s Rating: 3/5

Book Review: The Lions of Al-Rassan

Title: The Lions of Al-Rassan 

Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Year Published: 1995
Genre: Historical fantasy

I was desperate for a standalone historical fantasy set somewhere other than in ye olde generic medieval European village, and I picked this one up on the basis it was set in an analogue of Islamic Iberia. Knowing nothing about the author, I could only hope that the book did its setting justice. Not one chapter in, I knew I’d made the right choice when I stumbled upon the words “urine flask”.

Full of rich and evocative detail, The Lions of Al-Rassan is a sweeping epic about the lands of Al-Rassan and (former) Esperaña. The Asharites, who conquered the peninsula in years past, have splintered after the fall of the khalifate, and the once united Al-Rassan is now a collection of warring city-states. In the north, three Jaddite kingdoms have emerged after Al-Rassan’s decline. Of Al-Rassan’s petty kings, King Almalik of Cartada is on the rise, and this stirs tensions throughout the entire region. It is in this volatile environment that our story begins.

To describe the plot would be to spoil the novel – even the events of the blurb don’t happen until a good way into the book – so I will only say that it involves political manoeuvrings both at court and on the battlefield. Kay moves masterfully between matters of state and matters of the heart, allowing you to follow the broader history of Al-Rassan as well as the personal journey of its protagonists. There are battles, quiet family moments, verbal smack-downs and daring escapes. The balance between all these different elements is done so well, the transitions so natural, that it’s all a joy to read. Overlaying all of this is an almost painful sense of poignancy. The transience of power and greatness is a recurring theme. The fall of an empire is mourned even as it is celebrated and wars are inescapable even before they begin. In my opinion, this exploration of war, politics and human nature is really what sets The Lions of Al-Rassan apart from your typical fantasy novel.

The book features a large cast of colourful characters, though the story largely revolves around three. The first is Jehane bet Ishak, a Kindath physician and owner of the aforementioned urine flask. As a “neutral” and relatively apolitical figure, we are introduced to the Asharite/Jaddite conflict through her eyes. The others are the legendary assassin/poet/diplomat Ammar ibn Khairan of Cartada and renowned military leader Rodrigo Belmonte of Jaddite Valledo. Our trio develop deep friendships in a time of unrest, and one of the most interesting aspects of the book was how their personal, religious and political affiliations influenced their relationships and vice versa. As I feared, however, a dreaded love triangle did emerge – though thankfully not as the focus of the novel.

All three are improbably super special awesome and yet, shockingly, remain likeable. In fact, so many people in this book are so super special awesome that it beggars belief. Despite this, I found it hard to dislike most of the characters in the book. Kay allows you to relate to those on different sides of the conflict and I believe that this help balances out the Sue-ness to some degree.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I’d recommend The Lions of Al-Rassan to you with reservations. There are barely any fantasy elements in this story, with the closest thing to “magic” being a boy’s (rarely used) psychic abilities. The focus, rather, is on politics and people and a world that is ours but not. Kay draws heavily from Spanish history but refuses to be bound by things mundane as ‘facts’. It’s fantasy after all, and Kay has been able to pick and choose all his favourite bits and shape them into whatever story he wants. However, being so close to history, Kay’s Al-Rassan may seem overly simplistic. For example, the Asharites, Jaddites and Kindath are quite overtly analogues of Muslims, Christians and Jews. The relationship between these three groups is surprisingly complex and layered – when compared to other fantasy worlds – yet as soon as we compare these dynamics to real life it feels like history-lite. Adding to this historically superficial feeling is the sizeable number of tropes and clichés (action girls, a masked carnival, prostitutes with hearts of gold) as well as the improbably advanced state of medical knowledge evinced throughout. Similarly, some of the characters – particularly the women – and their interactions and values feel very, very modern. Again, this is fine if you read the book as a fantasy, but it sort of falls apart if you’re trying to picture an historically sound 11th century Spain.

The writing itself is very descriptive, drawing a rich picture of Al-Rassan’s sumptuous palaces, lively cities and crowded markets – which, funnily enough, are a refreshing change from ye olde forests and castle towns. At the very beginning, all the various terms, characters and historical references might feel overwhelming, but it gets a lot easier once you become familiar Kay’s world. The writing style is a little on the dense side, and the author seems to like telling us about some event upfront, then going back and describing how things got to be there. For this reason, I found it easy to put down the book at times – I enjoyed the read, but didn’t always feel compelled to read on.

The Lions of Al-Rassan wormed its way into my affections very quickly. I really loved reading about an Islamic-influenced world and I was also glad at how richly that world was developed. Further, the story and its characters are vibrant, and this, in addition to all your favourite tropes, lends some fun to what otherwise could have been a dry and serious piece of historical fiction. Granted, the cheesy bits made me roll my eyes at times, but being in the perfect mood for this, I found myself charmed overall. There is a lovely, bittersweet mood that suffuses the book. Despite seemingly endless warfare, Kay paints a vision where the common bond of humanity offers hope for the future. If you’re after something different from the usual fantasy fare, definitely give this one a try.


Alex’s Rating: 4.5/5

TV Series Review: Merlin (2008)

Title: Merlin (TV Series 2008)

Creators: Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy

Original broadcast: 2008-2012
Series length: 5 seasons, comprising 13 x ~45 minute episodes per season

Status: Complete

Classification: PG

Genre: Historical fantasy, Family, Action/Adventure, Comedy

Man. Where do I even begin?

This show. This show. I invested five years of my life in this show and what started out for me as light-hearted squee morphed into some sort of rabid hate-watch towards the end. The finale made me so mad that instead of sleeping I spent a night rolling angrily around in bed. When I finally fell asleep, I woke up the next day, still mad.

So yeah. If you’re looking for a rant, you’ve come to the right place.

(Review behind the cut. Warnings for foul language and major spoilers, including the finale. For those who haven’t seen the show but are thinking about it, they’re the sort of spoilers you’d want to know about before you decide to watch. Trust me.) 

Movie Review: Despicable Me 2

Title: Despicable Me 2

Directors: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud

Year Released: 2013

Running Time: 98 minutes

Classification: PG

Genre: Comedy, Kids and Family, Animation, Action/Adventure

(Note: this review contains spoilers for Despicable Me (the prequel))

2010’s Despicable Me stands out as one of the more original kids’ films of the last five years. In that movie, evil genius Gru (Steve Carell) attempts to steal the moon. Because of plot reasons, Gru adopts three little girls. Because it’s a kids’ movie, Gru relinquishes his villainous ways to become a good father. All in all, it’s a pretty cute film, full of laughs and “awww”.

Understandably then, you had to wonder where they’d go with Despicable Me 2. It necessarily lacks the villainous glee of the first movie, which is both good and bad: good, because it means there’s character development; and bad, because it’s not as original. In the sequel, Gru has his hands full being a parent and intends to start a business making jams and jellies. All seems well until he is suddenly kidnapped by Lucy (Kristen Wiig), an agent from the Anti-Villain League. Apparently, someone has created a chemical that turns its victims into mutant purple killing machines. The AVL “recruits” Gru in the hope that his expertise in villainy will enable him to uncover the identity of the villain responsible. Personally, I liked that they made Gru an “ex-villain” rather than a sudden, all-out hero.

Like the first movie, there are plenty of laughs to go around, whatever your age. The humour ranges from slapstick, mostly played out by Gru’s adorable Minions, to send-ups of stereotypes, like the improbably tough Mexican wrestler villain El Macho and the fitness freak blonde girl with whom Gru goes on a date. I actually laughed out loud a lot during this movie, which is more than I can say for most comedies.

From the promotional materials and from the moment she shows up on screen, you know that Lucy is Gru’s designated love interest. Gru’s daughter Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) also gets a love interest in the form of the dashing Antonio (Moisés Arias). Sadly, the romantic plot developments in the film felt exactly like that: they were moments I felt I had to endure in order to get to the rest of the story and were only palatable when intertwined with comedy, like when Gru goes all overprotective dad over Margo’s new boyfriend.

The animation is cute and colourful and I found myself admiring Gru’s home décor more than once. The 3D is used effectively: I liked that I was able to look into the sets, rather than at them, particularly in big, busy locations such as the mall. If you want to get the “most” out of the 3D, then you may want to stay for the credits as you’ll get to see some Minions shoving stuff at you through the screen.

Conceptually, Despicable Me 2 is “less” than its predecessor: the villain protagonist angle is gone, a predictable romance plot has been added and there’s less interaction between Gru and his kids. That said, I think I liked this film more. While Gru’s relationship with his daughters is more static, there are still plenty of heart-warming “family” moments of the kind that made the first movie so memorable. There’s also a greater sense of chaos compared to the very plot-driven prequel and I’m pretty sure it’s funnier as well. The cute little Minions also get to play a bigger part, which, admittedly, may or may not be a good thing, depending largely on whether you’re a parent who’ll now have to fork out on Minion toys (now available at a store near you).

Despicable Me 2 is a fun, funny, fluffy family movie and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. It’s no masterpiece of cinema, but with the current crop of movies out right now you could easily do worse.

Alex’s Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review: The Serpentwar Saga

Title: Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown
Author: Raymond E Feist
Year Published: 1994-1998
Genre: Fantasy

The Serpentwar Saga is a series of four books set in Feist's Riftwar Universe. I warn you now: if you haven't read The Riftwar Saga, then I strongly suggest that you go read that before you even consider this series (a lesson I learned the hard way). That said, The Serpentwar Saga is a complete epic in its own right. It tells the story of the Kingdom and its war with an invading army led by the serpent-like Pantathians. None of the books really work as standalones, so once you start you're in for a four-book commitment, which is pretty much how I got sucked into reading all four books.

(Full review after the cut. No spoilers other than what can be inferred from the existence of four books and their titles.)

Book Review: Stormdancer (The Lotus War - Book One)

Title: Stormdancer (The Lotus War - Book One)

Published: 2012

Author: Jay Kristoff

Genre: Steampunk, Japanese fantasy, action adventure

In a world where mythical creatures exist along side sky-ships and metal clad samurais protect the last heir of the Kasumitsu Dynasty, a young girl and her father are sent to hunt the once thought extinct Arashitora in the high mountains where no men venture.

This book would be fantastic on the big screen.

This was my first steampunk novel and, oh how I loved it. For the people who aren't sure what steampunk is, think the Victorian age, clockwork fittings, goggles, machines run on steam and hot air balloons. Stormdancer is based in a Japanese steampunk fantasy world. Basically steampunk with swords and samurais.

The story surrounds Yukiko, our heroine. She lives in Kigen, ruled by the ruthless Shogun. It is a city filled with smoke, sweat and death. Yukiko's mentality is just to follow the Shogun's rule even if morality isn't on his side and to stay alive. Her belief is 'one cannot change the world'. Of course what good is a heroine without some character development?

Like any good fantasy novel, the main character is thrust into a situation she does not want to be in and thus allow for adventure and character development. Yukiko is no different. She is stubborn but honourable. She grows into a strong young woman but still carries enough faults to make her a 16 year old. I found her likable and relatable. I don't believe I can change the world by myself and I like the idea of a peaceful life. But underneath my content exterior is a wannabe heroine trying to break through. Also, she can wield a sword as good as any man and *spoilers* talk to animals. What makes her the bit more special than your average fantasy character is her story begins rough and tough rather than being the typical ‘princess’ having to save herself by allying and forming a ‘hero guild’ whilst on a perilous journey. (I use the word princess loosely).    

I enjoyed all the characters regardless of whether they were big or small. Their histories and relationship help give rise to the background story and nature of the Shogun's rule. I am happy to say the romance does not interrupt or cause any indentation in the plot. It sits well for the 16 year old girl Yukiko is. One of my favourite characters is Katsumi. She doesn’t get as much mention as I wish in the book but I think her story is subtly bittersweet. She is a 'more than close' friend to Masaru (Yukiko's father) and carries a sense of sorrow and pity with her love story. She is dedicated, torn but as true as she can be. She fell in love with someone who does not share the same feelings back. Katsumi might be a hunter, but underneath she is just a woman in love.

I do want to applaud Jay Kristoff for creating strong female characters in Stormdancer without them loosing their female identity. This is quite hard to do especially from a man’s perspective. As Alex has mentioned in a previous post, it can go 2 ways. A too strong female lead which leads to suspicion as to whether the writer is doing it on purpose to prove they are not sexist, or a too feminine lead that eventually needs a hero (love interest usually) to save the day.

What makes Stormdancer so great is its thoroughness. The book stays true to the Japanese culture (well to the extent that I understand) but also adds elements of a ‘might have been by-gone era.’

Everything fits in to the story perfectly. Jay Kristoff has created a history and country with its own wonders and faults. There is an evil ruler, the innocent peasants, a conspiracy, revenge, a reluctant heroine, even a religion with its own motto. The introduction of Buruu, the Arashitora and the demons open up the gate way to the mythical world. I look forward to and hoping this will be expanded on in the following books.

The writing is descriptive and simple. Jay Kristoff does not feed the reader too much that can’t be carried out throughout the novel. Only annoying thing with Stormdancer is it is the first book in the The Lotus War. Book 2, Kinsalyer will be released in September this year.

Don't let the foreign words or the late release date of book 2 deter you. If you are looking for a steampunk fantasy book, Stormdancer is a must read. I love this book and cannot wait for the second book to come out.

Terri's Rating: 4/5

Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Title: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Director: Peter Jackson
Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 169 minutes
Classification: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure

This was probably the movie I was most looking forward to in 2012. Nothing has matched Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy since its release a decade ago and if something were to come close, this would be it. I watched the production videos, read the kerfuffle about The Hobbit becoming three movies rather than two and heard tales of nausea caused by the newfangled 48fps. So yeah. Whatever the reviews were going to be I knew I'd be watching this regardless.

A prequel of sorts to LOTR, The Hobbit tells the story of hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who finds himself on an unexpected journey with thirteen dwarves setting out to reclaim their mountain home. Compared to LOTR, the scope is a lot less epic; it's an adventure story, essentially, though other material has been inserted into the original story to beef it up. As a result, the movie manages to be some three hours long and is comprised largely of set-up for the next films.

There's a lot in the way of action, not much in the way of story progression. A good half hour or so into the film and we're (probably) still in the Shire. The pacing is very slow and I literally almost fell asleep. Orcs attack, trolls attack, elves talk and dwarves walk. Stuff happens but we don't really get anywhere. Some scenes are genuinely riveting, the highlight for me being the appearance of the delightfully creepy Gollum (Andy Serkis). The film does improve as it goes along, which is just as well or I would have left the cinema quite unhappy. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the dwarves don't get to reclaim their mountain home in the end – not in this movie anyway. Consider yourselves warned.

Half of my enjoyment of this film came from the nostalgia brought on by revisiting Middle Earth – from hearing the familiar score and from seeing Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and everyone else, including Figwit (Bret McKenzie). Like LOTR, the film looks fantastic; the scenery and the design of the locations are simply majestic. Even the costumes and make-up are works of art.

My only disappointment – in terms of visuals – lies with the dwarves. First, I had been hoping to see some dwarven women in the flashbacks (because beards), but alas no (as far as I know). Second, and I am probably alone in this complaint, but Thorin (dwarf leader Richard Armitage) and Kili (hot dwarf Aidan Turner) were too attractive. Don't get me wrong – I liked the both of them, but they just looked like men and only strangely shortish men when standing next to Gandalf. Given that the film is largely populated with monsters and comical looking dwarves, I suppose you can see why they'd want to insert some eye-candy. If you compare The Hobbit with the LOTR films, Thorin is like a more formal/sombre/angsty version of Aragorn and Kili, if you squint, is a rugged kind of Legolas. A key criterion of both LOTR roles is, of course, the ability to explode ovaries at twenty paces. So there you go, we have ourselves some hot dwarves.

As for the new 48 frames per second technology, I just thought it made things really really clear, sort of like when we made the transition to HD or when you upgrade your glasses after a trip to the optometrist. I can't decide if I like it. Sometimes everything on screen looked really stunning and beautiful, sometimes I felt that I was looking at a movie set, and I can't pinpoint why. I personally didn't find it nauseating at all, but then again I have always been fine with 3D and so on.

I liked so much about this movie: the visuals, the characters, the music – but it was just so darned slow and I wanted them all to hurry up and get to the mountain already. I've found that my enjoyment of the Lord of the Rings movies is increased when I watch them all in close succession and I hope the same will be true of The Hobbit trilogy. For now, however, I can only feel vaguely underwhelmed and wait for the next film.

Alex's Rating: 3/5

Movie Review: Looper

Title: Looper
Director: Rian Johnson
Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 118 minutes
Classification: R (MA15+)
Genre: Science fiction, Action/Adventure, Thriller

It was the premise that hooked me: a hitman's next target is his future self. Will he kill himself or let himself go? Whatever the outcome, it's a great concept. Thankfully, it's also a concept done well. Looper is one smooth sci-fi caper and a welcome breath of fresh air in an era of sequels, prequels, reboots and remakes.

So the year is 2044 and Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who looks strange but fairly convincing in Bruce Willis-ifying make up with extra thick eyebrows) is a looper, an assassin who kills and disposes of mob targets sent from the future. The world is a grim place, with rampant crime and poverty, but it's also close enough to ours to seem possible. Life is pretty routine for Joe until he finds out that the future crime king, the Rainmaker, is “closing the loops” - that is, sending the loopers' future selves back in time for assassination. When Joe's future bad-ass self (Bruce Willis) is sent back, he escapes assassination. The various conflicts between young Joe, old Joe, the mob and eventually Sara (Emily Blunt) provide rich fodder for suspense and moral dilemmas, making for a smart and intriguing film.

If the time travel aspect seems daunting – don't worry; the film is easy to follow and explains what you need to know. As old Joe says, you can just figure out the diagrams and stuff later on. I'm just going to say that I love time travel stories and have noticed that there are usually two types (as depicted in fiction). First, there's the closed system kind (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gargoyles), in which there is only one reality – any attempt to change the past is impossible, as it will just bring about the things that were meant to happen. Second, there's the infinite possibilities kind (Back to the Future, The Lake House), where you can change the past, but this creates paradoxes or alternate realities. Looper belongs in this second group and it has paradoxes. My advice? Don't think too much about it unless you're a fan of headaches or you like playing “spot the paradox” or “why don't they just do [x]?”. Whether this bothers you is a matter of taste, but I'll say that it's closer to Back to the Future than The Lake House in terms of making sense.

The film has a slick feel to it, but it's not like your typical Big Action Movie. Sure, it's fast-paced and most of Bruce Willis' scenes involve him being Bruce Willis (in a good way), but there are also slower moments and sparse-looking shots that bring an almost art-house or dramatic vibe to the movie. The world-building is solid as are the performances, including child Cid (Pierce Gagnon). I liked that all the characters had their own motivations, were interesting, and worked well with and against each other in the grand scheme of things. As an aside, one aspect I should warn you about is the violence and gore – the fate of Seth (Paul Dano) is the stuff of nightmares oh my god.

However, I get the feeling that Looper won't stick around in my consciousness for too long. Not sure why, but I felt like there could have been something more, or that something was missing – it felt a little cold, almost clinical. Despite the moral and emotional issues at hand, I didn't really connect with the characters. The plot somehow felt too straightforward at times, despite the time travel and the twists (only a few of which were obvious to me). I also feel like it's the kind of movie I don't need to rewatch any time soon. I can't put my finger on why this is so and am willing to chalk it up to subjective taste.

Looper is fresh, intelligent and definitely one of the better movies I've seen in recent times. I'm probably biased towards it since I've been craving some original high concept sci-fi, but I don't care, it hit the spot like a cool glass of lemonade at the end of a hot day. Rian Johnson's done a fine job and I'll definitely be watching out for his future projects.

Alex's Rating: 4/5

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Title: The Dark Knight Rises
Director: Christopher Nolan
Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 165 minutes
Classification: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Science fiction

The Dark Knight Rises is the last of Christopher Nolan's dark and gritty Batman films, and though it may not surpass the excellent The Dark Knight (2008), it at least matches the standard of Batman Begins (2005). While some may argue about whether the film is true to the Batman character, I would say that Nolan's interpretation should be appreciated for what it is, and for me, The Dark Knight Rises is a satisfying conclusion to one of the better movie trilogies in recent times.

The first thing I'll mention is that it's best to have seen the previous movies (or at least know what happened) before watching this one. It's possible to follow the film without the prior knowledge, but it'd be kind of a waste, and you'd be confused for at least part of the film.

So what happens? To sum up the premise without giving too much away, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a crippled recluse since the events of the last film, but finds himself being drawn back into the Batman persona when Gotham is terrorised by a masked fellow named Bane (Tom Hardy). A partially recycled Inception (2010) cast play out the other parts in the drama, and the story is enriched by the fact that each character has their own story arc and motivations.

The style and feel of the previous films is maintained, which is to say The Dark Knight Rises is stylish and serious and leaves you with the impression you just watched something intelligent. The relevancy of Gotham's (fictional) social issues to our reality has always been one of the trilogy's great strengths, and this aspect is played up in The Dark Knight Rises. The epic, monologue-y dialogue is still there, and again it somehow works. The story itself is cleverly structured in that typical Christopher Nolan way, bringing together various characters and story-lines to create various conflicts and reveals. It's the kind of film that warrants discussion, the kind of film that rewards you with subsequent viewings.

However, a few days later, when the dazzle of the film's cleverness and stylishness had worn off, I found myself thinking about its flaws. These mainly have to do with the world of Gotham, which straddles the line between fantasy and reality when compared to ours. For me, The Dark Knight Rises crosses the line too far into fantasy, which is jarring given the world established in previous films. Amongst Gotham's gritty realism, you get someone as cartoonish as Bane, who is a physically menacing but often incomprehensible brute with a speech pattern somewhere between Darth Vader and a corny Bond villain. You also have a vehicle that looks like it belongs in Transformers, and then there are Batman's miraculous powers of recovery and the whole thing with the Pit. Especially the Pit. And especially Bane. I realise this is a subjective thing; to others, such aspects may fit perfectly into a world in which something like the League of Shadows exists.

In essence, my problems with the film have to do with the fact I keep comparing it with its predecessor. For all its structure, it felt like the film was composed of a hodgepodge of ideas and plots which fit together as part of a grand scheme, but which don't play off each other in the way that they did in The Dark Knight. This is especially true of the characters. In that movie, the three central characters Batman, the Joker (Heath Ledger) and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) worked wonderfully together, with each character holding a unique moral position that was challenged by the others. In The Dark Knight Rises, Batman has to deal with the ridiculous Bane and cat burglar Selina Kyle (who I can't help but see as Anne Hathaway, with the usual Anne Hathaway perkiness/snarkiness combo), neither of whom prove to be as interesting or challenging as Harvey Dent and the Joker.

In the end, the only characters I cared about were the ones who had been in previous films and maybe Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I liked this movie, but when you compare it to The Dark Knight, it's a bit of a let down. While you've still got an intricate plot and dark realism, the characters – particularly the villains – just aren't as compelling. But hey, it's still a good film and a good ending to the trilogy. I, for one, will be looking forward to marathoning all three movies in years to come.


Alex's Rating: 3.5/5

Movie Review: Brave

Title: Brave
Director: Mark Andrews
Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes
Classification: PG
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Kids and Family, Animation

From the trailer, I thought Brave was about how a princess avoids marriage by defeating an evil bear, or something. What the movie is actually about is how Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) “changes” her mother via witchcraft so that her mother doesn't push for her to get married. The film in essence is about this mother-daughter relationship. This adds a original spin to the usual “hero's quest” story, and provides a refreshing change from the usual romantic focus in princess stories.

I am perhaps showing my age here, but I found it problematic that I sided with Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) pretty much from the get-go. I did not find Merida to be very likeable, at least at the beginning, and indeed thought her rather selfish for being so resentful of her (privileged) life. However, I doubt many others will have this same problem. I had expected a bit more historical realism and I realise that I was wrong to do so. Brave is a children's movie after all, and it will of course result in a happy ending in line with modern values. I suppose it's meant to be a celebration of ~girl power~ and ~independence~, but for me this message didn't carry any real weight: Merida's life isn't exactly horrible to begin with and her problems are mainly self-inflicted. On the flip side, the mother-daughter opposition allows for both characters to grow during the course of the film, and this was one of the film's strengths. The heroine is brave and all, but her journey, like her mother's, is ultimately one of learning to compromise. I suppose “Taking Responsibility” or “Humility” just aren't nearly so catchy as “Brave”.

Though it's an interesting enough story, I didn't particularly like the way it was told. As soon as I got a sense of what the film was about, the narrative structure became so obvious that I was often just waiting for things to happen – things like the “What Have I Done?” moment and the Bonding Activity Montage. While being predictable is not of itself a bad thing, I felt in this case there was a lack of wonder to make up for it. There was a sense of rigidity to the plot, a sense of “this is what has to happen next” rather than “oh no, that event has caused this other thing to happen”. I suppose I'm making it out to be worse that in it is, but frankly I'd expected better storytelling from Pixar.

Still, it's a fairly funny film, with many physical gags that both kids and adults would enjoy. In this instance, the trailer does a fairly good job of showing the flavour of humour that's in the film more generally. It also looks fantastic. Everything, from Merida's hair to the forests to the fabric of the queen's dress to the snowy landscapes, looks great. The Celtic music also added to the feel of Ye Olde Scotland, and there is a charming, cheerful atmosphere to the whole film. Further, it was also pleasant to hear Scottish accents all around (rather than just for a couple of old people – you know how it is when there's an animated film involving an ethnic group... *cough* Mulan, Gargoyles, Avatar: The Last Airbender *cough*).

Enjoyable as it was, however, I didn't like this movie as much as I hoped I would. There's a lot of charm in the window dressing, but the business-like plot drags things down somewhat, and the characters so compelling so as to negate this. It's not Pixar's best, but it's still pleasant and fun.

Remember to take my review with a grain of salt as I am clearly not the film's intended audience. I believe that kids will find much to enjoy this film, as they are highly unlikely to be as cynical and genre savvy as I am. Though... if your kids are like me, then, well, good luck with that. 

NOTE: If you're watching this in the cinema, be sure to get there in time. The short film La Luna is shown before this one, and it's just the most adorable thing ever. I enjoyed it much more than Brave itself.


Alex's Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Scarecrow Series

Title: Scarecrow Series
Author: Matthew Reilly

Year Published: 1998 - 2011

Genre: Action, Thriller

                                                      

Scarecrow series:

• Ice Station
• Area 7
• Scarecrow
• Hell Island
• Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves 

Before I start, I just want everyone to know that all these books can be read as standalones. But I recommend reading Ice Station first in case you enjoy the book and want to continue reading.

This series is based on a Marine by the name of Shane Schofield, call sign Scarecrow. It follows his missions and adventures which include:

Ice Station – Lieutenant Shane Schofield is introduced. He is sent to the arctic to secure an amazing discover under 100 million year old layer of ice

Area 7 - Schofield accompanies the President of the United States to a secret base were hostile forces await

Scarecrow - Schofield’s own head is on the line when a group of international bounty hunters search him out to kill him, the bounty being $20 million

Hell Island – four special force units, one lead by Schofield, are sent to an mysterious island where an experiment has gone horrible wrong

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves – a group of terrorists and fugitives, who call themselves the Army of Thieves take over an abandoned base in the Arctic and threaten to re-activate a weapon powerful enough to wipe out half the world. Schofield is sent to stop the Army before it’s too late

My first thought when writing this review was: these books are AWESOME! They are action-packed!!! Gun slinging, hungry crazy polar bear tearing, bombs blowing AWESOME!!! Please excuse my excitement. As you can see I really enjoyed this series.   

From start to finish, you will be on the edge of your seat, holding your breath wondering what will happen next! I mean that for all 5 books.

(Ok, I admit I’m a big Mathew Reilly fan.)

Matthew Reilly writes with the sole intention of entertaining, and entertain he does. Every turn of the page you will be wondering how our hero gets out of this one. And when you get the answer, you will think “how is that possible?”, then reality hits, “it’s a book, that was cool, who cares if it’s possible or not.”

What I love about Matthew Reilly is, as an author he can translate complicated locations or items into more simple terms without them losing their integrity.

Example: a gigantic complex base. There will be a simple diagram of the base at the front of the chapter for you to use as a reference. The diagrams are simple enough to understand and do not compensate for the description written in the book.

When reading an action novel, there may be times when you lose track of where the characters are. These diagrams will help tremendously. It helped me a lot since I have the “memory of a gold fish” according to some friends of mine.

I’ve read some negative reviews on these novels. Most are about the “depth” of the books. It is an action/thriller novel.” Not a "dramatic family story expanding over 6 decades.” So don’t expect something emotional to change in you. Matthew Reilly does over use italics and exclamation marks but I believe it helps with the emphasis of every action and urgency.

   

Sure, we all know the hero will survive. Sure, we all know the hero will always save the world, but isn’t the fun part, the journey of it? Trust me, this journey is worth taking.

So I recommend this series to anyone who loves an action-packed adventure. If you’re into “dramatic family stories expanding over 6 decades” then I still say give it a try. You never know. You might want more after finishing the first book.

Just remember to breathe.

Terri's rating: 4.5/5