Drabble Reviews Blog

[Mr. Tweedy]

My understanding was that the "totem" would only show you if you were in someone else's dream. The physical characteristics of the totem are unique and only known by the user, therefore it could not be accurately represented by the mind of another person: It wouldn't "work" in someone else's dream, but it could still work in your dream.

Spoiler:

My conclusion after the first viewing is that 1.) the "real" world really was real, but 2.) that Cobb does not wake up at the end. Cobb and Sieto were both still trapped in limbo, and then suddenly they appeared to be in the real world, but that should have been impossible, according to the rules established earlier: They should have had to wake up from the nested dreams in sequence, and they both missed that opportunity. I think that Cobb enters into Sieto's dream at the end. Sieto fulfilled their agreement in the only way possible to them, by creating a dream where it had been fulfilled. Cobb enters that dream, which is why the top does not fall: The totem will not "work" in Sieto's dream.

An interesting possibility occurs to me: What if Mal did not really die? Suppose that she and Cobb are both still trapped in limbo the whole time, and Cobb's experiences are orchestrated by her. She is grieved that he is trapped in a world he can't believe in, so she creates a dream which will deceive him. That would be consistent with Mal's ability to appear seemingly anywhere, in any dream: She's the one who's really doing the dreaming.

Must see it again.

I had exactly the opposite impression as Bo: I felt that there was not enough time spent on exposition. In a story where the "rules" are supremely important, it seemed like they glossed over a lot of points and left the viewer to guess at things that should have been explicitly stated. (Or maybe I just missed some details and watching it again will fill them in.)

As I commented to Mrs. Tweedy after the movie, it struck me as very "bold." In time when Transformers 2, Twilight 3, and Shrek 4 dominate the cinema landscape, I'm impressed that a movie as brainy, unique and unexpected as Inception got greenlit. The arts are not dead quite yet.

[StalinSays]

Rule identification might edify you, but it doesn't exactly entertain. The exposition, for me, was pretty brutal, and waits like a thick sludge to trudge through on any re-watch. I make this point a lot - know your media. The story of Inception, in many ways, would make a much better book than it did motion picture. Better yet a video game, with back story available as a user accesses it, but whatever. I felt like when it was 'rolling,' being visually engaging, it was strong, but it was weighted by a tremendous complexity. Which isn't to decry complexity, the alternative is Transformers 2 and no one wants that, but to say in this specific instance I see it as a detraction. One to drop it to a 9 from a 10 (clearly I like the film).

Spoiler:

The totem point is a good one. You scared me off the 'Leo's dream' branch, over to the 'Mal's dream' branch. I like the Seito's dream branch as well. However it goes, I'm not down from the tree: to my mind, no part of the movie takes place outside of a dream space. The real lingering question being: in what dream did it take place. Also, Decker was a replicant.

[Mr. Tweedy]

It would make a badass video game.

[StalinSays]

It would make a badass video game.

Seriously. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the game, is ready for simultaneous release with the film. Inception, with an amazing array of conceits for the gameplay ("I'd defeating your subconscious with whatever weapon I can imagine!") - non-existent.

[Mr. Tweedy]

Probably for the best. You know they'd just make it into a generic third-person shooter. "Kill 25 shotgun projections to open the garage door. Shoot down 12 projection helicopters with your rocket launcher. Defeat über-Mal, who has eye lasers for some reason."

The game would have to be unique and thoughtful. If it wasn't those, it would be an abomination. Not likely to get that sort of effort put into a movie tie-in. (Maybe if Nolan took on the project himself...)

[strawman]

Just returned. I can appreciate the comment that if there's a seam or hole somewhere, you need to watch several times before you're able to see it, because It's so fast and complex. Doesn't rely on 'willing suspension of disbelief'. It is apparently also possible to 'outrun disbelief'.
I love MC Escher. Escher would have loved this movie.

[Goldenrat]

Saw Inception as well, and it has that District 9 afterglow. I know it's good, that rare bird, an original, intelligent sci-fi movie - I'm struggling with 'how good.' My instinct is to slap on a 9 out of 10; the 'first watch' was rapture. But so many sections are burdened with explanation and establishing rules that I fear it won't be as compelling over multiple viewings. I don't know, do you knock it for that?

Instead of trying to put together a cohesive commentary about the movie I'll just second what StalinSays says. He hit the nail on the head. Will have to see it again I thought I "got" it but after reading up on it I'm not so sure. Great stuff. Good sci-fi in the theater is hard to find.

[dreamrock]

Inception

I'm going to skip doing a full review. Lots has been said, I don't see a whole lot to disagree with.

Inception is a damned fine movie. Works the brain, makes you wonder what the ending really was, and had some of the most beautifully executed CGI I've ever seen. I kept wondering if Nolan had pulled a Gondry and somehow managed to do the movie without CGI.

I didn't feel like the exposition was too heavy to kill repeat viewings, but if the DVD comes with a "watch Inception with abbreviated exposition," I'll probably watch it that way. I don't really buy DVDs since I got Netflix. Wanting to buy it even though I'm not so sure about the exposition is a testament to how much I enjoyed it.

Numbers kind of irrelevant at this point, but I'll go with Bo. 90/100.


Date Night

If you cringe at the very thought of normal comedy, it's probably best to skip this one. It's not as low brow as Talladega Nights (which I loved, by the way), but it's not high art comedy either. I suspect the trailer will give you a pretty good idea of what it's like but one of my sisters watched the trailer and couldn't figure out what was going on. So, maybe not.

I didn't bother with the trailer, so I was completely surprised when it took that left turn. It worked for me. I laughed a lot, which is all I ask out of a comedy. Well, that and not be insulting. It wasn't insulting so, good jerb.

Steve Carrell and Tina Fey have good chemistry, the cameos in the movie didn't feel tacked on, and there wasn't much of the "Steve Carrell playing an obnoxious moron" shtick that I've come to loathe despite liking Steve.

Dreamrock's score: 64/100 ... ish
Guess for others: 0-70 (read the first paragraph of the review for clarification)


Up

Why the crap didn't some loving soul tie me down and make me watch this movie forever ago?

Totally amazing. Pixar has turned the art of extracting tears from me into an art. Also, Dug is the greatest character ever and should be in everything from now on.

Dreamrock's score: 95/100
Guess for others: Uhhhh ... 60/100?

[Goldenrat]

This might help you understand Inception (and Toy Story 3) better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHJwgA54Gqk

[dreamrock]

If by "help understand" you mean "melt my brain."

[Mr. Tweedy]

The Wheel Darkness by Preston and Child Link.

I was unaware when I picked it up, but this is apparently the 8th in the series of book about Aloysius Pendergast. If I had read any of other books (or known they existed) this review might be different, but I haven't, so it isn't.

This book starts off great, and I was thrilled by the first two thirds of this genuinely thrilling thriller. The books the enigmatic Pendergast and his only slightly less intriguing "ward," Constance Green. Pendergast is awesome. There is no other way to describe him. He is MacGyver, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Morpheus all in one dude. The chief joy of the story is just observing his genius as he plows through mysteries banal, arcane and gruesome alike with confident ease. He laughs at riddles and yawns at blood, and impossible odds are just enough to keep him from falling asleep. And yet it all seems strangely plausible because his only superpower is his intelligence. One feels that if someone really were that quick witted and that brazen, they could really do this stuff.

Pendergast is chasing an ancient artifact of Tibetan origin that may or may not be supernatural and may or may not have the power to kill all humanity. What is it? No one knows: It's never been taken out of its box. He tracks the mystery box to the world's largest ocean liner, which is just departing England for America. He has a week to figure out how has the box before the ship arrives in New York. And then people on the ship start being murdered.

With this great setup and great characters, the story sails along for the first two thirds, and then…

Spoiler:

Pendergast uses magic to kill the baddies. Yes, magic. In a blatant deus ex machina, all the clever sleuthing and building tension is suddenly dashed aside, and instead of defeating his enemies with his wit and tenacity (or even a heroic uppercut), Pendergast dispatches all guilty parties at the last minute by sicking a magical monster on them.

This ending was so lame that it made the greatness leading up to it seem like deliberate misleading. I may have actually sighed. If I had read the other books in the series, I might not have been so shocked by this unexpected twist, and not so disappointed. But I hadn't and I was, and it was a lazy way to end a story in any case.

Tweedy Score: 57

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor and Lupe Fiasco's The Cool Link

I don't know if you like rap, but even if you don't like rap, you should give Lupe a listen. A world removed from the hedonistic lyrics and "boom boom" beats that are the genre stereotype, Lupe's music is real art.

This being rap, the emphasis is always on the vocals, and Lupe has a great flow and a great vocal range. The lyrics are quick, clever, relevant and intellectually fulfilling. In one song a giant robot that the speaker doesn't know how to pilot is a metaphor for baseless confidence and shallow pride afforded by the thug life. In another "the box" is a television, a safe, a prison cell, and a hospital room as Lupe reflects on how memes from media and pop culture enslave people's minds. Another song features a man who rises from his grave, digging out like a "reverse archeologist" whose "buried treasure was sunshine." In another, evil is a virus that's spreading, and everyone points fingers, trying to pinpoint the source of the virus and quarantine it, but no one ever suspects that they themselves are a carrier.

The beats are varied and the music is complex and diverse, with ideas taken from just about every musical genre and woven into creative loops that still sounds fresh after numerous listens.

Listen to Lupe.

Tweedy Score - 90

[Mr. Tweedy]

Battlefield, Bad Company 2 (PS3)

This is an excellent shooter. I actually feel comfortable saying this is the best shooter I have ever played. The graphics produced by DICE's Frostbite engine are jaw-dropping, rendering battlefields that are enormous yet full of tiny detail. Helicopters kick up dust and make waves with the wind of their rotors. Shell casings falling out of that helicopter roll and bounce on the ground. Distant cliffs are shrouded in mist, desert sandstorms obscure the landscape, and the landscapes are genuinely beautiful, sometime so much so that you just want to stop and look around. Bullets take a realistic amount of time to travel and gravity drops them with distance. If you want to hit someone a mile away (and some maps are that big), you need to arc your shot and aim ahead of them.

Easily the coolest single feature of BBC2 is the destructible buildings. Almost every building in the game can be completely destroyed with explosives, and this adds immensely to the tactical possibilities. In maps containing a large number of wooden structures, the battlefield topography can change completely over the course of a round.

BBC2 also encourages teamwork by putting players in 4-person squads and giving you 4 classes of soldier to choose from. Each class can do something the others can't, and cooperation between players of different classes is essential.

Bad Company 2 is the most realistic shooter I have ever played, and that realism translates into infinite variety and therefore infinite fun. I actually haven't finished the single-player campaign because the online multiplayer is so satisfying.

Tweedy Score - 90


Killzone 2 (PS3)

This, in contrast, is one of the most boring shooters I have ever played. I traded this in for Mario Galaxy 2 after playing it for only a few hours. Environments are monotonous, bland and claustrophobic. The game is entirely linear, and you shoot the same faceless enemies over and over again with the same tiny selection of rifles. The sci-fi setting demands an interesting story, but there isn't one, save that you're invading some planet for some reason. You're supposed to be invading the enemy's homeworld, but the complete lack of any civilian population (or signs of their residence) makes the premise seem flat.

This game is only for you if you enjoy running down gray hallways shooting gray enemies with gray guns for gray reasons.

Tweedy Score - 50

[dreamrock]

Thirst (2009 Korean film)

This is one of the oddest vampire movies I've ever seen. The cover they have for it on Netflix streaming makes it look like normal horror fare, but it's not. In a sense, it's a dark comedy hidden inside a drama with horror elements.

The basic setup is that a do-gooder priest defies the Catholic church in order to have an experimental procedure tested on him in the hopes that having the procedure tested on a healthy person will lead to a cure for unhealthy people. He's infected with an illness that can't be cured and is fatal in a very short period of time.

He gets all of the fatal affects and appears to die. Shortly after that, he's clearly alive, though physically deformed by the illness he was infected with. His vampirism comes on slowly, much like in Bram Stoker's Dracula (book, not movie; I haven't seen the movie yet). He accidentally discovers that drinking blood makes him beautiful again.

The problem is that he's still a good person. Still a priest. How can he survive as a vampire who doesn't want to leech off innocents? And how will he deal with the strange new desires he has?

And that's just a vague outline of the first half. This is an excellent movie.

Warning: there are a few sex scenes. There's also some gruesome violence.

Dreamrock's Score: 90

[Mikes]

I only just saw this thread. OK people, prepare to be deluged!

Battlefield, Bad Company 2 (PS3)

I've been playing BC2 on the PC since release, and I agree. To my mind this is the best online shooter out at the moment... and probably will remain so until Battlefield 3 comes out at come point. It's the more open maps that do it, along with teamplay being pretty much a requirement for victory.

Plus being able to log on for quick game while I wait for my son to finally fall asleep it passes the 'dad has little time for games' tes.

5/5

Kraken by China Mieville

I like China. No, I really do. And I really wanted to like this book (I even got a copy signed for my son while he was in melbourne for World Con), and if I was completely honest I did enjoy it. However, I enjoyed it even more the first time around when it was called Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Kraken is pretty much Neverwhere for adults. For which read 'lots of swearing and even more violence'. The story and even the major characters follow those from gainman's book near perfectly, but what saves the book is the imagery China imbues in the story. I don't want to give anything away, but I was blown away when I found out he wrote this simultaneously with The City and The City. I just don't know how he could find this stuff in his head and keep it seperate from TC&TC.

Anyway, if you're a fan of China, I would recommend, if not it's not the best introduction to his work.

3/5

Inception

Awesome/5 That is all, move along.

Stories, edited by Al Sarrontonio and Neil Gaiman

A collection fo short stories from a diverse range of writer. Where else could you find Jeffrey Deaver, Jodi Picoult and Joe Hill in the same book? The only link between each story is each one has to have an element of the fantastic to it. The pieces themselves are hit and miss, and most hit. I was a little disappointed by Gaiman's own story though, which is a shame as I reckon he's the best short story writer around today. The show was stolen by Deaver's story 'The Analyst', which unfortunately is too short to give any real info on it, but rest assured it's awesome.

4/5

The Time Traveller's Wife, film, not the book.

In an effort to get the missus into scifi I bought her the book. I skipped it as it looked way too chick lit for me, but I've heard nothing but good things about it. We watched the film last weekend and I was very impressed by it, and it's possibly the saddest story I've seen on film.

4/5

Laputa; Castle in the Sky 3/5
Ghost in the Shell 4/5
Ghost in the shell 2 5/5

I went on an anime bent recently, starting off with a film I saw once when I was 8 and remembered since: Laputa. Mmh, maybe a bit of rose tinting going on here, but I wasn't as blown away by it this time around. I think it wasted too much time on the set up before they actually get to Laputa, and when they're there too much is left unanswered. Definately more one for the kids who don't ask too many questions.

Ghost in the Shell(s). Loved em. The sequel wins out a little more due to better presentation, but the portrayal of a slightly distopian future where everyone is constantly hooked up to the net and robots have evolved to near sentience is fantastic.

Hot Tub Time Machine

I saw the ads on TV and made myself the promise I would never see it. Unfortunately I was at a friends house and they wanted to. I wasn't disappointed. It sucked monkey nuts.

No jokes worth relaying around a hackneyed plot and the recent trend of too much vulgar language. It was bad I think it gave me cancer.

1/5

[Phenopath]

Kraken by China Mieville

I like China. No, I really do. And I really wanted to like this book (I even got a copy signed for my son while he was in melbourne for World Con), and if I was completely honest I did enjoy it. However, I enjoyed it even more the first time around when it was called Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Kraken is pretty much Neverwhere for adults. For which read 'lots of swearing and even more violence'. The story and even the major characters follow those from gainman's book near perfectly, but what saves the book is the imagery China imbues in the story. I don't want to give anything away, but I was blown away when I found out he wrote this simultaneously with The City and The City. I just don't know how he could find this stuff in his head and keep it seperate from TC&TC.

Anyway, if you're a fan of China, I would recommend, if not it's not the best introduction to his work.

3/5

I am currently being disappointed by Kraken, I hope that it picks up. I have a lot going on at the moment and have not been grabbed by the book.

I am a big China Mieville fan, and would either recommend The City and The City (for a mind-bending crime thriller), or Perdido Street Station (for astounding grotesque fantasy).

[Mikes]

Same here. Like I said, to me it's about the imagery he draws more than anything else, but it's far, far from his best.

[StalinSays]

Throw a Bo ditto on Thirst being good, and Hot Tub Time Machine being very bad.

On the animated comic book movie tip, DC continues to impress, I enjoyed Batman: Under the Red Hood quite a bit. Casting Bender as the Joker was odd (he was more gruff and sedate, I prefer prancing and bombastic), but toying with the formula is acceptable.

I've been enjoying HBO's series Boardwalk Empire. First episode was a bit drab, but it has perked right up since. Scorsese'eriffic, for those who like epic crime drama, placing somewhere between Gangs of New York and Goodfellas on that meter.

[Mikes]

Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

I love Cornwell. No really, I'd have his babies. I don't know what I'd have them do, but it's a testament to how much I like his writing that I'd baby sit.

Tiger is the first, in chronological order, of the Sharpe series of books with Reichard Sharpe being a private in the British army fighting in Mysor, India under Colonel Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington.

Like most other Cornwell books, Tiger is based around actual events and throws Cornwell's fictitious characters into the action, and action there is. In the first three chapters we see a battle, a flogging and a desertion. Cornwell is a master of keeping the action flowing or boiling without ever making it seem forced. You get severe buckle for your swash here.

Second book already ordered.

5/5

[themorg]

Soul kitchen

Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLD1PmR4cFU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have watched every movie from Fatih Akin and each time i questioned if things could get worse or more sad in a movie. While each one before soul kitchen was about being Turkish in modern Germany this one is a fun comedy that i waited 4 years to see. In a strange coincidence i was on a flight with a writer of a Swiss film magazine (no gone) and he told me about this director and this film he was trying to fund. so i watched everything by Fatih Akin and waited for this movie this swiss guy talked about.

My review of the film

Spoiler:

Fun fantastic journey through an interesting year of a dive restaurant. It harkens to the gentrification of modern German cities and (yes) the Turkish immigration. It plays with subtle points rather than in his other films that it yells the point "Hey we are Turkish and you German fucks are not taking us seriously." The music is fantastic and it blurs the lines of diegetic and non diegetic sound scape. (pun intended) The food prepared made me very hungry and reminded me of the film Eat Drink Man Woman by Ang Lee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eat_Drink_Man_Woman" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That movie i give a 99 out of 100

I give this 96 out of 100

This was the only movie this year i have paid 9$ per person and went a second time to see.

For others i would say 80 of 100

because while a great movie i understand an english speaking audience will miss much of how funny it is reading the subtitles. Also, Gastroenterology aside, the food will make you jealous and hungry.

[Phenopath]

Ham in Coca-cola

Delicious 5/5

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/ch ... e_p_1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;