Thor (2011)

Title: Thor

Year: 2011

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Rating (by MPAA): PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence

Official Synopsis: The epic adventure "Thor" spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. (marvel.com)

Official Page

Official Trailer




STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

No substance. That is the reason behind the low rating. It was a watch like any other action movie: little plot, flat characters, fights and flashy colors. The movie didn't have many, long battles, or dramatic scenes, or comedy fillers, or much character development. I really can't tell on what were the two hours wasted. This movie was definitely made, only as a prequel to The Avengers. Thor is going to be in The Avengers, so the audience need to know who he is, and where he came from. And that's what the movie is. “This is Thor; this is Loki. You'll see them in The Avengers”. That's it. The movie didn't have any other purpose.

There wasn't much of a story to tell. Thor is banished to Earth and loses all his powers. Within two days’ time he recognized the wrong of his way and becomes a worthy man. Loki on the other hand became villainous within two days’ time, with no apparent goal or purpose. He may have said it was to prove his worthiness to Odin, but he has lied so many times before I doubt that was his real intention. Two hours, and two days, served to only “develop” the personality of a flat character, Thor (see below); and to ignite a fire within Loki. 

Most of the characters were flat, including the title character. Thor is a bratty prince who is banished from home to learn a lesson. There, I explained who Thor is in one sentence. Definitely a flat character; there is nothing else to him. Jane, Erik, and even Odin are also flat characters, able to be described in one sentence. What you see is what you get. (In fact, it was really weird to see Natalie Portman acting as a love-struck teenager hiding behind the face of a scientist.) The other characters are even more flat, if that is even possible. Thor's Asgardian friends, his mother, and Darcy are in the movie to fill space. 

Loki was the only character that had some substance, that was a round character, and thus, was interesting. You thought you knew what he was up to, and then he'd surprise you by doing the exact opposite. I still don't know what his intentions were and are. He is so good at deceiving people that I don't know what to expect from him. He could seem a conflicted bad boy with a sensitive heart – I bet most girls think (wish?) this – but I don't think he is that simple.

In the end, Thor exists to have another character in The Avengers, to span their horizons. And, as we will see, to have a villain good enough to round up a bunch of people with superpowers. There is no other reason to it. The movie in itself was a plot device. Looking at it in the light of the whole MCU, I can let slide a plot device. But, seeing as it is a stand-alone movie, it is just a waste of everyone’s time.

Alphabear (App)

Title: Alphabear

Developers: Spry Fox

Official Page

Alphabear is available for Android phones and iOS devices.



STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

Alphabear gives a new twist to puzzle word games. You have to create words with the small number of letters you have available. Each letter you use is one space where bears can grow, giving you points and power ups. Each letter you don't use gets a number from its countdown subtracted. Once a letter reaches zero, it turns to stone and a bear can't grow in its place. You also get cute, squared bears on each level. You can use them later to give you boosts. 

It is simple, yet challenging and addicting. Having a small amount of random letters to choose from makes you think hard for clever ways to use most of the letters in one go.  The timed version is even harder. So, you are exercising your brain without even realizing it. As an added bonus Alphabear has beautiful graphics and an easy to understand interface.

The only thing I don't enjoy is the currency to play games. You have to use honey to enter a game, but even if you have the full amount of honey you can have at one time, you'll only be able to play two games in one go. Then, you'll have to wait for the honey to fill up again. Which means that when I want to play, I can't, and when I can, I don't remember to. You can always buy more honey with real cash, of course. 

Doctor Who (2005) – Series 5

Title: Doctor Who

Series Number: 5

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Number of Episodes: 13

Original Release: 3 April 2010 – 26 June 2010

Official Site








Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

With a new Doctor, a new companion, a new Tardis, a new sonic screwdriver, as well as a new showrunner (Steven Moffat), this season feels like another reboot of the series. And let me tell you, I like Doctor Who a lot more now. Moffat is doing wonders for this show. It is young and fresh, and its fast pace makes you feel like you are living an adventure yourself. As opposed to Davies’ series which were more slow and dramatic.

After watching the first episode of the season, “The Eleventh Hour”, Matt Smith’s Doctor became my favorite Doctor yet. This feeling was only strengthen after each episode. He is energetic, smart, witty and super crazy. I love how Matt Smith has made a more physical Doctor. With his constant hand gestures and his moving about you get a glimpse of the craziness inside his head.

Amy is also a really good character, worthy companion for The Doctor. I don’t like the sense of ownership she has over The Doctor, but I can deal with that. She is strong, decided, and unafraid. She leads The Doctor more than he leads her. Their friendship is a story for the ages.

The other traveler in the Tardis this season, Rory, caught me by surprise. He seemed like an ordinary scrawny doofus in the first episode and I didn’t give him much thought. Until the very end of the series. His love and loyalty towards Amy left me speechless. The sacrifice he made for her brought tears to my eyes. I will not look at him the same way again, no matter how dorky he still looks.

It was also super fun to see River Song again. That one-off Moffat character that knows The Doctor’s name. Her flirtations with this younger, super awkward Doctor are hilariously cheeky but cute. She is a sexier female version of The Doctor and I love it. Still, the mystery continues. We don’t know who she is or how she knows The Doctor. We know that she likes to order him around and that she flies the Tardis like a pro, better than The Doctor himself. But that’s not much.

Moffat has changed Doctor Who for good. This whole season was amazing, full of remarkable character, laughs, and feels. It has many extraordinary episodes like the one where you meet The Doctor: “The Eleventh Hour”; the laugh-out-loud funny: “The Lodger”; and the one that makes me cry every time I watch it: “Vincent and The Doctor”. Not every episode in this series is grandiose, but they are all really good. And even the ones that I consider a bit slow, (like “The Vampires of Venice”) are way better than most of the episodes of previous series. Moffat is definitely off to a great start.

Marvel's Jessica Jones

Title: Marvel's Jessica Jones

Season: 1

Broadcasting Station: Netflix

Official Page and Netflix's Page

Official Synopsis: After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.

STEPH SAID
Rating:

Review:

Stupid is too little a word to describe Jessica Jones, both the character and the TV series. I’ve used stupid so many times that it has lost all its meaning  I changed to rubbish in honor of David Tennant’s British English, but I still feel like a need a stronger word to describe this series.

Yes, the acting is really good, still Jessica Jones has many problems, and the biggest one is Jessica herself. I can’t believe that the most annoying character in the series was the one to express the simplest yet most powerful truth of the whole series. “Would this Kilgrave cat have hurt any of you if Jessica Jones hadn't pissed him off? […] Each of his atrocities can be traced back to her.”

Every problem in this season could have been prevented if Jessica were smart enough. For example, she knew that Kilgrave’s effect lasted 12 hours, so she should have left Hope in her house for 12 hours until the effects wore off. Just like she did with Luke later on. She was free from Kilgrave’s influence ever since she killed Reva and she hadn’t noticed. She needed a big reveal, ten episodes in, to know it. Jessica had Kilgrave unconscious after he had proven that Hope was to be released. She could’ve killed him, but instead decided to tie him up and make a call. She was also knocked unconscious by the weakest character in the series, which meant that Kilgrave got to Hope first, after her release from prison. Jessica had Kilgrave eating from the palm of her hand and decided to screw that and torture him into confessing, something that was obviously never going to happen. And so on and so on.

Jessica is just so idiotic and ignorant! Kilgrave’s parents said he was going to die so they injected him with an experimental virus that could prologue his life and all she thought to say was “So you infected him?” in an accusatory tone. She’s supposed to be resourceful yet she lets Kilgrave deceive her in every turn. And she is followed everywhere she goes. She’s resourceful but she can’t even get an address right or a doctor to stich her up when her ribs are broken. She’s resourceful but she can’t get herself locked up in maximum security even after delivering a human head to a police officer. She’s resourceful yet Kilgrave escapes due to a cut wire.

Kilgrave and Jessica’s relationship is also questionable. She hates him because he made her kill someone (even though, as he mentioned, all he said was take care of her, not kill her). I believe this made Jessica romanticize their relationship. And she turned all her guilt for Reva into hate for Kilgrave. He gave her the opportunity to escape, the opportunity she had, apparently, been waiting for since the first day. She had it and decided to contemplate the street and do nothing. Thus, I believe Kilgrave is not as evil as Jessica tries to make him. At least at first he isn’t. I’m not saying he’s good. I’m just saying he’s not evil either. He is in the gray area. It was Jessica who turned him into the monster he was at the end. 

The “plot” was so thin that the writers had to recur to lots and lots of fillers to make 13 50-minutes episodes. However, they didn’t even create full blown plots. They only managed to introduce characters that talked enough to consume time. Like the drug addict that turned out to be the spy, (I saw that one coming). Like the annoying twins that served no purpose. Ruben’s death could’ve been replace by an unnamed character and the effect would’ve been the same. And Robyn does nothing but complain about her brother through the whole series. Hope did nothing but kill her parents in the first episode. Hope was actually Jessica’s frustrations personified. She was an ideal. Therefore, she was not needed. Luke, was kind of cool, I admit. But again, did nothing for the plot of the series. Hogarth and her story was the only proper subplot, yet it was unrelated and unnecessary to the story. I know Simpsons will turn out to be important, but so far nothing. The only sub-story I enjoyed was Jessica and Trish’ origin story. That was a worthy subplot. That should’ve been the primary story: Jessica as a teenager, living with Trish and being kidnaped by Kilgrave. Yet, they reduced that plot to a couple of scenes.

People probably like Jessica Jones because is different, but different doesn’t mean good. She drinks hard and has powerful sex, but that’s all she really does. Well, that and whine about her crappy life. She’s considered good because she wants to help people but people without superpowers do more every day than she ever did in this TV series. Think of cops, firemen, caregivers. The only persons Jessica helps is Trish, because they are sisters, and Hope, because Jessica sees herself in Hope. And no Daredevil cameo? Come on! This series turn out to be so bad, that not even David Tennant’s performance could save it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Year: 2015

Director: J. J. Abrams

Rating by the MPAA: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence

Official Page








Official Trailer




STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

*This review contains spoilers.*

I heard this movie was great, and knowing that it was Disney and directed by J. J. Abrams I didn’t doubt it. I left the theater disappointed. The first half of the movie is wonderful. The new characters are brilliant, funny, brave and strong. They defy categorization; they break gender boundaries. And, I care for them deeply. However, once Leia arrived, the movie only went downhill.

When I realized that this was another destroy-the-death-star plot I was furious. This is the same plot of Star Wars 4 and 5. This is the third time this plot is used! The third time! After this I began drawing parallels between this story and a new hope. A droid is trusted with critical information from a rebellion sympathizer. The droid is then acquired by the main character, who lives in a dessert. The main character, with the help of a friend, sets out to deliver the droid to its destination.

Also, after Leia’s return I realized the travesty of her relationship with Han Solo. They lost a kid to the dark side! I understand that can drive a couple apart. But they weren’t even sad, it was like “We are so distraught and disappointed that we are living our separate lives. And when we see each other for the first time in years, let’s pretend nothing has happened. Let’s talk normal and make jokes, even when talking about our kid who drove us to be separated.” They were so low-key, all the time. I couldn’t help but think, “They are so old!” I believe Han Solo and Leia deserve so much more. They don’t deserve that story line, but if that is what they got, at least make it powerful, sentimental. Make us ache for their pain. Give us the feels.

Another similitude with previews Star Wars movies was the death over the great chasm. The minute Solo stepped on the bridge I knew he was going to die. It was no surprise at all. Every moment after that, until his death, I was asking “really?” “really?!”

On top of this, the main character’s story doesn’t even gets peeked at. Just some vague images of her being a little kid and that’s it. Her ending was just as vague. She was just standing there, literally. That ending had so much potential. A movement, a word could’ve changed the whole movie, but instead everyone just stood there. And then roll credits.

All of this without getting technical. For example, why couldn’t any computer identify the map BB-8 had? How did R2-D2 discover the rest of the map? Who is Snoke? How is he the Supreme Leader? Who are the knights of Ren? How exactly does the Death Star work? Does it move next to the stars it will use? Why would J. J. Abrams make the First Order resemble the Third Reich? Why wasn’t Leia’s base destroyed along with the resistance planets? How did a janitor became a stormtrooper? How exactly did Poe survive? How did Leia know what was happening inside the Death Star? And while we’re at it, how did Finn find Rey inside the Death Star? He went to where he saw her, but she should’ve been long gone. Who made the map to Skywalker? He certainly didn’t. And, why was Rey sent after him? So many things left unexplained!

I think they were trying to pay homage to previews Star Wars movies, and join the best of the first and second trilogy in one epic movie. And probably that’s why so many people love it. However, the lack of a developed and consistent plot, and the fact that they recycled so many things I have already seen, without making an effort to renovate them, left me feeling utterly bored and annoyed.

how i met your mother - Season 2

how i met your mother - Second Season

Number of Episodes: 22

Broadcasting Station: CBS

Original release: September 18, 2006 - May 14, 2007

Official Synopsis: How I Met Your Mother Season 2 depicts the next steps in Ted's hilarious quest to find the perfect romance. His friends Marshall and Lily are getting married, Barney is still happily single and Ted is looking for Ms. Right. (cbsstore.com)

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

I can't believe this season is better than the previous one! I thought the first season of how i met your mother was great and flawless, yet, this season is even more hilarious, more dramatic and more story-rich than its predecessor.

The best part of this whole season is, without a doubt, Barney Stinson. He was at the center of some of the season's funniest moments like: the “Slap Bet”, when everybody started calling him Swarley, or the time he had a “relationship” with Lily. At the same time, he was the author of the season's most heartwarming moments like his encounter with his “father”, and when we discover the real reason for Lily's return to New York.  I love how he has taken a more central role; his personality has been evolving and every few episodes we see a new layer of him.

This series has something that I had never seen before on TV or movies, and love: the ability to revisit old stories and develop them. On the pilot episode of this series Ted said that he was present during Marshall and Lily's first time. He said that he was on the top bunker, and that was that. More than a season later, we revisit that story and what Ted said is put into context. Many instances of this phenomenon occurred during the season and every time I was left happily impressed. 

how i met your mother has given us two unbelievably amazing seasons in a row. Let’s see if it continues to deliver.

Cinderella (2015)

Title: Cinderella

Year: 2015

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Rating by the MPAA: PG for mild thematic elements

Official Synopsis: The story of Cinderella follows young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, she finds herself at the mercy of her jealous and cruel new family. (movies.disney.com)

Official Page

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

This movie is a beautiful enhancement of a classical story. I can’t find any fault in it. Both the rather new talent and the veteran actors excelled. Although, Cate Blanchett is my favorite. Her beautiful looks, mixed with her cold and stern attitude make for an intimidating woman. 

The movie made some tweaks here and there to help the audiences understand the story better. Yet, the story is exactly as it was before. The small changes explain the reasons’ behind the stepmother’s actions. I love that those reasons don’t justify her or present her as misunderstood. What she’s doing is wrong, but now you know why she’s doing it. Also, the relationship between Cinderella and the prince is seen from a different perspective. Though, most important to me is the explanation of Ella’s decision to stay in her house, enduring the mistreatment. She was keeping some promises she made to her parents years earlier. She could have escape, but decided not to. Marrying the prince was not an escape route either, she didn’t see it as a chance to improve her life or her monetary situation; it was a decision based on mutual attraction. 

Disney has taken a lot of heat in recent years for creating unreasonable expectations for little girls, as well as for creating weak, female characters whose sole purpose is to marry a man. Yet, this movie is all about girl power and freedom of choice.