Jurassic World

I cannot describe how thrilled I was to hear that a new Jurassic Park movie was coming out. Twenty-two years after the original was released, Jurassic World premiered, and practically on the same day as well. I was so excited to see the movie, even though we saw it at 10:30 p.m. opening day. I have to say that I was not disappointed. Jurassic World was an incredible movie and instantly one of my favorite movies of the year.

For those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, stop reading and go see it. Seriously, right now. I'd go myself and I've already seen it in theaters twice. And if you're going to see it, do it in IMAX 3D. You will not be disappointed. I can't explain enough how wonderful this movie is. It's an instant classic for my family, not the least of which is because it's a Christmas movie. We do love Christmas movies.

So, a quick rundown of events before everything goes wrong. Zach and Gray are going to Jurassic World for a week. Their parents see them off at the airport (with a lovely statement of foreshadowing: "If something chases you, run"). Their Aunt Claire works at the park, and we soon learn she is actually the operations manager of the park. She is really the main character of the movie but more on that later. Claire is promoting a new dinosaur that the lab created called the Indominus Rex. She brings Owen in to inspect the paddock and everything goes wrong from there. The Indominus escapes and wrecks havoc and kills people. During all this, Zach and Gray were missing so Claire and Owen search for them. They all come together again and Owen, who works closely with the Velociraptors, attempts to use the Raptors to track the Indominus. Of course, it doesn't work and the Raptors turn on the humans. But everything works out in the end, one way or another, and most people are able to escape the island alive.

First of all, I loved the nods to the original movie. Obviously the theme plays a huge part in the movie. It's very sentimental and they clearly use it to their advantage. It works perfectly during the parts that are a link to the original movie. One such moment is when Zach and Gray discover the old welcome center. It's completely overgrown and wild but so recognizable still. Inside, they find the old welcome banner, a pair of night vision googles, and the old park vehicles. There are also other less obvious nods. The T-Rex in the park is the same one from the original movie. Yes, she's still alive and still kicking (or killing). And of course, the whole flare scene is obviously a mirror image. It's such an iconic scene; how could they not repeat it?

Now, for the characters. The younger brother, Gray, is me. Really he's probably all of us. His complete awe and excitement about everything dealing with the park is exactly how I would react if I was in his place. Dr. Wu, the main scientist, actually dies in the book and I was a little disappointed when I first read the book that he hadn't died in the movie. I was really hoping he would this time. Instead, he's evil and doesn't die. He's creating dinosaurs like the Indominus, dinosaurs that are dangerous and deadly. They plan to use such dinosaurs as weapons in war, which doesn't exactly work when the dinosaurs eat you instead. Wu gets away with a case of samples, strongly hinting at a sequel. As far as the owner goes, Mr. Masrani is infinitely better that Hammond. Hammond in the movies is bad enough but in the book he's even worse. Mr. Masrani actually tries to do the right thing once he realizes that the Indominus is a threat. Unfortunately, he is killed in a helicopter crash.

I can't really talk about Owen without also discussing the Raptors. I know some people were hesitant when it was alluded to that the Raptors had been trained and "domesticated". However, for years people have been training wild animals and using them in circuses and the like. Lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) are popular circus animals and also capable of eating your face. So why not train Raptors? They will always be wild animals and never be domestic but that doesn't mean they can't be trained. And honestly they were totally awesome and Owen's relationship with them was brilliant. Of course, part of what made Owen so great was that Chris Pratt played him.

As for the rest of the dinosaurs, they were wonderful and magical as always. The baby dino petting zoo was a brilliant touch, and my sister is totally scarred because one of the Pterodactyls tried to grab one of the Triceratops. One of the saddest moments was definitely watching the Brachiosaurus (or whichever long-neck it was) die after being attacked by the Indominus. It was so sad and heartbreaking. The Indominus was pretty cool, despite the whole murdering people thing. I was glad to see they made her able to camouflage, as the main villain dinosaur in the Jurassic Park sequel book can camouflage. And overall, the Indominus was absolutely terrifying.

Lastly, we come to Claire. She is really the main character throughout the movie. She is the person who goes through the biggest change in character. Claire begins the movie as very structured and focused, the perfect businesswoman. She is more worried about her career than being a mother, and more worried about numbers and stats than about feelings. But between watching the Brachiosaurus die and loosing her nephews, Claire grows as a person. I know some people find her outfit (skirt and heels) ridiculous but as a businesswoman that's just how Claire would dress. And Bryce Dalls Howard actually wore those heels and did all that running in them. I personally find that impressive because I know I'd break an ankle. So if Raptors can be trained, then why can't a woman run in heels?

Simply put, I loved Jurassic World. Even though I've seen it twice in theaters I would go see it again in a heartbeat. It was fun and terrifying and had a lot more blood than the original. I grew up with Jurassic Park and cannot remember a time when I didn't watch the movie. The sequels are good, but Jurassic World easily rivals the original. It's an adventure only 22 years in the making, instead of 65 million.

In Remembrance of Sir Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee recently passed away. It should not have been a surprise; he had just celebrated his 93rd birthday after all. But somehow it's always shocking to learn that someone has passed, regardless of their age or health. And for someone who had lived a full life and been an incredible actor, it's especially disheartening to hear of his passing.

Lee was born in 1922, right after the end of World War I. His early history is rather fascinating. His mother was a Contessa, he met various Kings and Princes from multiple countries, and he became the step-cousin of Ian Fleming, author of James Bond, through his mother's second marriage. By the time World War II was starting, Lee was an adult and old enough to fight. He volunteered to fight for the Finnish in the Winter War of 1939 but the volunteers were kept away from the fighting. However he did eventually see action, in South Africa and Italy. He was a part of RAF Intelligence and what would become the SAS. When asked about what he did, he often remarked that he was part of Special Forces and would let people draw their own conclusions. Lee did assist with searching for Nazi war criminals and saw some of the concentration camps. 

"I've seen many men die right in front of me - so many in fact that I've become almost hardened to it. Having seen the worst that human beings can do to each other, the results of torture, mutilation and seeing someone blown to pieces by a bomb, you develop a kind of shell. But you had to. You had to. Otherwise, we would never have won." 

It was after the war that Lee began pursuing an acting career. For a while it was a struggle for him; at 6'5" he was frequently taller than the leading actors. But as we all know, his career eventually took off. Lee was a brilliant actor, and an even better villain. From Dracula to Count Dooku to Saruman, most of his roles were as the villain. And while it may have been typecasting, he was perfect for it. His deep, distinctive voice lent itself wonderfully to dark characters. Throughout his career, Lee appeared in over 200 movies (the exact number is somewhere around 280). He worked with many icons over the years: Peter Cushing, Tim Burton, Vincent Price, Peter Jackson. Many who have worked with Lee have expressed recently how deeply they will miss him and how special he was as a person. 

And he was special. Of the people who worked on The Lord of the Rings, Lee was the only person to have ever met J.R.R. Tolkien. He was a huge fan of the books and read them almost every year. Not only was Lee an actor, at one point he wanted to do opera. He may not have, but he did release a few metal albums, mostly about Charlemagne but also a few metal Christmas songs. He lived a long life and accomplished many things. It's sad that he has passed but he will be remembered fondly by his family, friends, and fans. 

"I don't want to sound gloomy, but, at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life every again."

Lee on his friendship with Peter Cushing

Avengers: Age of Ultron

I love superhero movies. They're fun, unrealistic, and exciting. And even though you have to suspend disbelief with a lot of what occurs in superhero movies, there is a lot in said movies that is relatable. The characters, the politics, the idea of right and wrong. It's those aspects that make the movies so enjoyable even though aliens and superpowers aren't real. And if Avengers: Age of Ultron was anything, it was enjoyable.

Marvel does sequels very well. In my opinion, both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, while good movies, were weak. Their sequels, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, were much stronger movies and a great deal better. I think part of the reason is the first movies were introducing the characters so we had no attachment to them yet, while in the sequels we already knew the characters and loved them. However, The Avengers was strong from the beginning because we knew the characters from their individual movies. Now we get to see them interact with each other. All that being said, Age of Ultron was just as good as the first Avengers, if not better.

A little recap for those who may not know what the movie is about. And there will be spoilers. The movie begins with the Avengers attacking a base where they believe Loki's scepter is. The first scene is awesome. I love the action right off the bat, although I did wonder how they all came to be together from where we last left them individually. They retrieve the scepter and Tony realizes he can use it to create artificial intelligence. He and Bruce work on the "Ultron" program (science bros, which is totally awesome and adorable). They think it's not working but it accidentally does and Ultron "wakes" up with a twisted sense of peace. He believes the Avengers must be destroyed because they are not peaceful (he's not entirely wrong but it begs the question of good and evil). Ultron builds a robot army and they all share a single consciousness so you can't kill one body and kill Ultron. Ultron also tries to create a new body for himself, but the Avengers steal it and attempt to put J.A.R.V.I.S. consciousness inside the body. They succeed thanks to Thor, who realized that Loki's scepter held one of the Infinity stones and it was being used to create the body. The Vision, as they name him, says he is on the side of life and agrees to help them defeat Ultron. Obviously, they manage to and save the world.

Now, I left out several major details in that summary because I want to fully discuss a few things. First, I have a really girly moment that I need to get out of the way. Although I love these movies for many reasons, I will admit that the attractive men do help. And goodness, the biceps and Thor's hair. I love it. Moving on, I continue to love the chemistry of the team. They play off each other so well and I adore it. Part of it is Joss Whedon's writing and brilliance, but it's also the actors and how well they interact with each other. For example, the after party in the beginning. You probably saw parts of it in the advertising, where they all try to lift Thor's hammer. The way they tease and goad each other is great. I loved Thor's face when Steve tried to lift the hammer, because he was able to move it just a little. Thor lost his cockiness for a second there. Speaking of lifting the hammer, the laughing that went on when the Vision was able to lift the hammer. If the Avengers needed a sign that the Vision wasn't a threat, that is certainly a good one.

As for the other new characters, I love Scarlet Witch/Wanda and Quicksilver/Pietro. The twins are great. And they did a good job changing their backstory to allow them to be in the movie. As mutants, Marvel and Disney do not "own" Wanda and Pietro, but they are still a part of the Avengers. So the storyline was just twisted to give them powers and allow them to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really like Wanda. She may be one of my new favorites. And I loved how Clint didn't even give her a chance to mess with his head. He was not about to deal with more mind control. As for the visions Wanda creates, Natasha's may have been my favorite. I was very excited to see more of her backstory as she is such a mystery. It was very intense but I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into her past.

One of the biggest surprises was learning about Clint's family. Yeah, he's married with two kids and a third on the way. Didn't see that coming. Age of Ultron really gave us a chance to learn more about Clint and see who he is. Plus, in the middle of the battle he is giving Wanda a pep talk and basically tells her "None of this makes sense. We're fighting robots and I have a bow." Regardless, Clint rocks and he's certainly a very sassy character, which is wonderful. The other major surprise dealt with Clint as well. Whedon definitely set the movie up to make you believe that Clint was going to die somewhere in the movie. Instead, Pietro dies while saving Clint. It was very upsetting and Wanda was certainly not happy about it. It should be interesting to see how she continues to handle his death (if he stays dead because it's Marvel). As for other dead people, Fury made an appearance but not Coulson, and I really want to know if the Avengers know he's alive.

Last couple things. I continue to find the new version of "I've Got No Strings" very creepy but I kind of like it. As for the ending, Tony, Clint, Thor, and Bruce have gone their own ways. Steve and Natasha are helping create the new Avengers, which is an exciting prospect. You see them enter a training area, where The Vision, Wanda, War Machine, and The Falcon are waiting for them. I'm interested to see where it's going to lead. We know Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok are both coming, which are certainly going to shake things up. And Infinity War is not going to be a picnic. Which reminds me, Thor mentions before he leaves that four of the Infinity stones have been found. Two more are needed for the Infinity gauntlet. In case you, like me, couldn't remember all the Infinity stones found, they are Loki's scepter/Vision's headpiece, the Orb from Guardian's of the Galaxy, the Tesseract, and the Aether.

I can already say that Age of Ultron is going to be one of my favorite movies this year. It was funny, action-packed, and pulled on your heartstrings just enough to make a truly good movie. I definitely recommend seeing it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Furious Seven

I grew up around cars, or at least with the idea of cars around. We lived in Detroit, the Motor City, and my family has worked in the automotive industry for almost 100 years. I went to car shows all the time, especially the Detroit Autorama. So cars have always been a part of my life. And naturally, car movies come into play as well.

I haven't watched The Fast and The Furious series from the beginning; when the first movie came out I was too busy seeing The Fellowship of the Ring to notice anything else. But I started paying attention when Fast & Furious came out. I'm not sure if I started watching the movies then or if it took a little longer. I know the first one I saw in theaters was Fast & Furious 6. I have come to love the series. It's not just about the cars; it's really about the characters. As my sister likes to say, "Character development!". And really, watching the characters grow and change is part of what I like about the movies. And like any fan, I was heartbroken when I heard that Paul Walker had passed. For me and so many other people, seeing Furious Seven was a very emotional yet rewarding experience.

I'm not even sure where to start. I loved the movie, let me say that. I really did like it. I thought they did an incredible job. Oh, and before I really get going, I'm not holding back so there are SPOILERS ahead. You've been warned.

Brief summary is as good a place as any to start. The movie begins with Letty and Dom going to Race Wars. Letty still doesn't have her memory back and she's really struggling. She tells Dom she needs to find herself. Brian is now driving his son to daycare/school in a minivan, and he's struggling with domestic life. Mia is pregnant again but doesn't want to disappoint Brian so hasn't told him. And then the house blows up. They have a funeral for Han (which is the first place I almost cried) and they all realize that they are being hunted by Shaw's big brother. The group gets recruited by a secret government agent, who needs them to recover a device that lets you find anyone anywhere in the world by using all the technology around. They are told they will be allowed to use it to stop Brother Shaw. They rescue the creator of the device, a woman named Ramsey. And then they head to Abu Dhabi to find the device. Obviously things don't go according to plan right away. Lots of things go wrong, Mia tells Brian she's pregnant, they defeat the bad guys, and then Dom almost dies. Throughout the movie Letty has been having flashbacks and slowly starting to regain her memory. When they're all huddled around Dom, afraid he's dead, she tells him she remembers everything. Including their wedding in the Dominican Republic and that they used the cross necklace Dom wears as their rings. So Dom doesn't die and everyone lives. The end.

Right, that's a short summary, leaving out a few details that I'm going to get to shortly. First, I loved the location shooting. They were in LA again, and in Abu Dhabi. One of the coolest scenes was them driving through the desert. I loved the bright colors against the sand, which was clearly the point.

And of course, I can't get far without mentioning the stunts. Yes, cars were dropped out of a plane. Yes, a car flew through 2 buildings. And it was really awesome and impressive. Let's be honest, half of the reason you see these movies is to see what crazy stunt they're going to pull next.

As for the characters, I loved them all, as always. And I've decided I want to be Letty when I grow up. She rocks, simple as that. She's brave, loyal, strong, stands by what she believes and who she loves, knows her cars and how to drive them, and looks great in a dress. She may be a damsel but she is never in need of rescuing as she can fight for herself. Plus, I think she's a good role model. She's the only woman who has been part of Dom's crew throughout the whole series. She's "one of the guys" but at the same time she isn't. And she is able to show off her femininity without wearing almost no clothing. Letty is definitely one of my favorite characters in the series and I hope to be half as cool as she is one day.

Now for the elephant in the room. Paul Walker's death could not have been handled in a more graceful and touching manner. Family has always been a major focus of the series, and now that Brian and Mia have two kids it's become even more important for them. In the end, Brian realizes that his place is with his wife and kids, and that he can't continue pulling heists or rescuing damsels. The last scene takes place on a beach, where the group has gathered. Mia calls Brian over to play near the water with their son. As he joins them, Dom gets up to leave, letting Brian go. Dom drives off and is stopped at a light when Brian pulls up. They drive together for a stretch and then go in separate directions, with Brian driving off into the sunset.

What really killed me about the scene was the song in the background, Dom's monologue, and the cars. The song playing is "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa, written as a tribute to Paul. It's a beautiful song but very heartbreaking in context. The cars Dom and Brian are driving are basically the same cars from the end of the original movie, just updated versions. Not to mention that the Supra was Paul's personal car, used to create more feelings of sadness.

And lastly, there is Dom's monologue about Brian, and by extension about Paul.

"I used to say I live my life a quarter mile at a time and I think that's why we were brothers - because you did too. No matter where you are, whether it's a quarter mile away or halfway across the world, the most important thing in life will always be the people in this room, right here, right now. Salute mi familia. You'll always be with me. And you'll always be my brother."

I will gladly admit that I cried about the moment "See You Again" started playing. It was a difficult ending to watch because it was a last reminder that this is the end for Brian. Even if they make more movies, Paul Walker will not be in them. And that's a hard concept to fully grasp. Personally, I think the movie was the perfect ending for the series as a whole. It's been a wonderful series over many years, and I think they ended Furious Seven in such a way that it could stand as an end to the series. However, it's such a popular franchise and so successful that I'm sure they'll try to continue it without one of the founding members.

Was the movie a little over the top? Yes, always. Was it extra emotional in light of Paul Walker? Absolutely. Was it still a very well done and enjoyable movie? Without a doubt. And if nothing else, it was a way for us to finally say goodbye to Paul.

"How could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?

Everything I went through you were standing there by my side.

And now you gonna be with me for the last ride.

So let the light guide your way.

Hold every memory as you go.

And every road you take will always lead you home.

It's been a long day without you, my friend.

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

We've come a long way from where we began.

Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

And now we come to part 2 of my series: the movie version of Fellowship. There are many things that I love about the movies. The biggest thing is that the movies feel like home. They are so familiar to me and so much a part of me. I honestly do not have the words to describe how important these movies, and Tolkien's works as a whole, are to me. That being said, I will do my best to describe what I love about these movies.

First, I want to point out that I only watch the extended versions. I cannot watch the theatrical versions without feeling like things are missing, which there are. So if you have not seen the extended versions then be warned as I will likely discuss things from them. And, in the spirit of honesty, I will admit that I once again took notes, although my notes for the movie were significantly shorter than those for the book.

 I only pulled out the movie discs; there are still more discs of special features. And again, underneath are my notes.

So. Beginning. Well, to start with, the movie begins with a 7:31 long prologue. That's right. Over 7 minutes of introductory dialogue to set up the story. However, it's awesome and I love it. I think it's a very good introduction without getting too in-depth. Plus, it's become such an iconic opening (well, at least among my friends and family). It's one of my favorite opening scenes of any movie. 

Now, I will cover the cast, music, and scenery later on. Before that I want to mention some of the plot points that I really like. The first is the little George Washington hobbit child. I don't know if you've ever noticed her, but one of the hobbit children looks like a little George Washington. And the poor child is a little girl. She is the second from the right, in the yellow dress, in the following picture.

I also love knowing that Gandalf hitting his head in Bilbo's house was a complete accident but they kept it in because it was so perfect. That's not the only time they did something like that in this series. In fact, near the end of the movie, when Aragorn is fighting the Uruk and he throws the knife at Aragorn, the knife was actually supposed to hit the tree behind Aragorn. The armor messed with the throw and Aragorn had to deflect it for real. 

It's interesting how much quicker things move in the movie. Once Gandalf determines that Frodo does indeed have the One Ring, he makes sure Frodo begins his journey. You can also see how much Isengard changes. It begins the movie as a beautiful place with lots of trees and grass but Saruman quickly changes that and it becomes dark and evil. 

"Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

I find the small character personality changes fascinating. I spoke in the book post about the changes made to Arwen so I won't reiterate those here. However, I do want to talk about Aragorn and Boromir. In the book, Aragorn leaves Rivendell having claimed his birthright and with Narsil reforged and renamed Anduril. In the movie, he is much more reluctant to claim his birthright. He is more afraid of becoming like his ancestors and failing the same way they did. I think it makes him more likable as a person because you can see more character development over the whole of the series. With Boromir, there is also a build-up, although in his case it's a build-up of the Ring's influence on his thinking. In the book, he is very focused on returning to Minas Tirith and helping his people, but it isn't until the end that he actively seeks the Ring as the means to do so. In the movie, there are several instances, from his first appearance at the Council all the way to him trying to take the Ring, where you can see how the Ring affects him. It makes it a little harder to like Boromir because he seems more "evil" but you still feel sorry for him when he dies. What you have to understand about Boromir is that he's tired. He's tired of watching Men fall, of seeing their struggle to survive. He will do anything to see the glory of Men restored, including use the Ring against Sauron. That's what makes his death so sad. Boromir is a good man with a good heart but the Ring corrupts even the best of Men. And he sincerely cared for the Hobbits and the rest of the fellowship. He wanted to protect those weaker than him but he was not able to protect himself.

"They will look for his coming from the White Tower. But he will not return."

I find it interesting that most of the fellowship knows Frodo is leaving alone for Mordor near the end of the movie. In the book, only Sam guesses and follows him. In the movie, Aragorn, Pippin, and Merry all know what choice Frodo has made. The ending of the movie is also a bit different, as it actually is the beginning of The Two Towers book. Fellowship ends with Frodo and Sam leaving for Mordor and The Two Towers begins with Aragorn finding Boromir near death and then hunting the Uruk-hai to save Merry and Pippin. I like how the Fellowship movie ended, though. I think it wrapped up the first part nicely and set it up for the next part. 

I do have one point of contention. When Galadriel is handing out the gifts, she tells Aragorn that they will not meet again. This is not true, as Galadriel is part of the group that brings Arwen to Gondor so she can wed Aragorn. It is after their wedding that Galadriel eventually departs for Valinor. While their were some other minor changes and a couple of major changes, that comment by Galadriel is one of the things that really bothers me.

Now, on to the cast, sets, music, costumes, etc. Well, to start, I adore Howard Shore, the composer for the movies. His music is so beautiful. Just hearing a bit of any song from the movie is almost enough to make me cry. His scores perfectly capture the feel of the movie and of every scene. One of my favorite songs is in Moria, when you can hear the chanting in the background. Not only does each place have its own feel through the music, but each place is also perfectly captured through the sets and scenery. New Zealand was the perfect place to build Middle Earth. Both the sets and music help make The Lord of the Rings the definition of "epic". I also love how intricate the costumes are. They are so beautiful and I really wish it was still acceptable to dress that way. I love the cloaks and long, flowing dresses. It's all so regal and enchanting. As for the cast, I cannot imagine any of the characters played by different people. I think the whole cast, throughout the whole series, is simply perfect. They are all able to capture their characters and convey their thoughts and feelings.

There are certain scenes throughout the movies that are my favorite. In Fellowship, one scene would definitely be the Balrog scene. First, I love that Legolas refers to it as a "Balrog of Morgoth" when they are in Lothlorien. Any allusion to The Silmarillion makes me very happy. What helps make the Balrog scene one of my favorites is Legolas' initial reaction when Gandalf names their foe. Legolas, as an Elf, would have heard stories of Balrogs and their origins. He would have understood exactly what they were facing. And Orlando Bloom is able to convey that fear and terror perfectly. And let's not forget Gandalf's final speech.

"You cannot pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow. You shall not pass!"

And so ends the first part. It seems all hope is lost but there is still a glimmer of it left. And there are still those willing to fight for it. The Two Towers moves much more quickly than Fellowship and it is my favorite of the three movies. I'm excited to share why that is with you so be on the lookout for the next two parts of the series. 

Link to post on Fellowship book: http://turningpages92.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-lord-of-rings-fellowship-of-ring.html