by rodvanblake | Jan 12, 2017 | Blog
When it was announced that there would be an upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie coming out I was really excited to see what they would do with it. After all I had played a few of the games and was familiar with some of the lore. I also know that a lot of viewers who never played any of the games would not be so familiar and therefore 20th Century Fox would have to make an effort to bring folks up to speed which unfortunately was not done. Movie goers in this case are treated as if they are already in the know which hurts this film. For those of you who aren’t familiar the basic premise is that there is an ancient brotherhood of assassins who have been at war with the Templars over various relics that if found could lead to taking away free will from society. The Templars try to get these relics and through assassination the brotherhood tries to safeguard them. Sounds simple right? Here’s where things may get a little confusing if you haven’t went through the adventures with Ezio or Captain Kenway from the game series. Time periods are kind of fluid in the game as well as the movie in that the protagonists for both are descendants of people from the past who were a part of the brotherhood of assassins with a strict code they believed in...
by rodvanblake | Jan 4, 2017 | Blog, Storyline
Everyone was in an uproar when Vader wrecked shop at the end of Rogue One myself included! I reviewed the film and left thinking what an awesome movie featuring just Darth Vader after order 66 would make. Two hours of Jedi hunting mayhem sounds like a good thing to me. After posting my review I looked at other reviews online and most people were excited about the small doses of Vader we’ve been given but ultimately felt a feature film would be a disservice to both fans and the character. That surprised me. Then I thought of one of my own characters Malice who is used sparingly throughout my book, and it is meant to add some punch to the story but he’s definitely not featured. When he enters a scene it adds more weight to it which would not have the same effect if readers are used to seeing him all the time. Another character similarly used in the Star Wars universe is Darth Maul. Side note there is a novel featuring him which is no longer canon called Darth Maul Shadowhunter which I loved, but for the most part I am talking about the use of that character in Phantom Menace which I know many fans hated because of Jar Jar. Boba Fett would be another great example and he is rumored to be getting feature film as well. Fett has I believe one speaking line in the original trilogy and those who unashamedly read most of the EU before it was relegated...
by rodvanblake | Dec 19, 2016 | Blog
Just like many other Star Wars fans out there I approached this latest installment with equal parts trepidation and feverish anticipation. After all I grew up with the original trilogy and it was rumored that Rogue One would be a throwback to those films. There were also whispers that this was an experiment where Disney would find out if a stand alone film not featuring main characters from the previous works would be well received. In my humble opinion the motley crew introduced to us were obviously expendable (we know they’re not in episode IV) was very well done. The ride for once was real. Knowing it wasn’t Luke, Leia, or any of the other main characters we have come to know and love that it was quite possible they could be taken out at any time. That element alone along with all the familiarity we were given is well worth the price of admission. The stakes seemed more real here than in most films but again it was tempered with the knowledge that somehow we all know the rebels get the plans to the Death Star. K-2SO and Jyn Erso This movie is darker and feels more like Empire Strikes Back than any of the other films but does still give us some deadpan humor from an unlikely source. K-2SO is a reprogrammed Imperial droid and a gem in this film. Another point is they put the WAR back in Star Wars. Large scale space battles, a new antagonist along with some old ones that are also surprisingly well done. The death troopers here are not the inept...
by rodvanblake | Nov 6, 2016 | Blog, Storyline
I’m a day late with my review but here it is. I got a chance to go check out Marvel’s new adaptation of Dr. Strange and for the most part it was well done. Benedict Cumberbatch looks the part and plays a good arrogant, self absorbed neurosurgeon. Most people familiar with the comic book origins will be familiar with this story and newcomers will find things easy to understand and it’s all very well presented. The special effects were what can be expected of a sci-fi/fantasy film of today. I have never indulged but often wondered how the experience would have gone if I had been tripping on acid or some other neuro-tropic drug while watching this in 3-D. I bet I would likely be freaking out quite a bit as the characters repeatedly bent time and space to manipulate the environments during the fight scenes. It was a fun ride and the writers for the most part remained faithful to the source material, but for some reason added a casting change that has been a topic of hot debate since the release of the cast some time ago. First let me go through the casting choices I liked aside from the aforementioned Cumberbatch casting. Mordo is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor whom I have liked a lot ever since seeing him in Serenity. The rigidity and at times uncompromising aspects of this character are well portrayed and he seems to have...
by rodvanblake | Aug 29, 2016 | Blog, Storyline
Should have had this written weeks ago when I went to see the film but here we are. I went to see this film with very little resonance left from the 1959 Charlton Heston version. I mean that film was before my time but they did have old reruns of it for me to see as a kid. The one thing that surprised me about this latest reboot was the focus on Jesus Christ. Not that I minded it’s just that for the most part all I remembered was the chariot races and gladiatorial aspect. Talking it over with some family they informed that even the 1959 version had a good helping of Jesus Christ in it and there’s even a silent version from the 1920’s. Interesting but I don’t think I’ll be going back to catch those anytime soon. In the latest version Jack Huston plays Judah Ben Hur, a Jewish prince living in Jerusalem as Rome is coming to the height of its’ power. His family adopted a Roman boy Messala Severus played by Toby Kebbel. The characters are familiar and so is the plot. Pseudo sibling rivalry ensues as one leaves to climb the ranks as a Roman soldier as he did not feel quite at home with his Jewish foster family only to return later to clash with his brother. Ilderim played by Morgan Freeman is who helps Ben Hur make his comeback after his betrayal. He is also a wise Yoda-like character who advises Ben Hur on how to go about it. Not going to spoil this for any of you but that’s basically...
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