X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

Ever since The Avengers made all of the money two summers ago, every other studio with rights to a superhero property has been trying desperately to catch up, whether it’s rushing reboots into production to keep the rights from falling into Marvel’s hands or figuring any movie that does well can be the foundation for an Avengers sized franchise.  The results have been iffy: The Amazing Spider-Man was unnecessary and forgettable (and apparently the sequel wasn’t much better) and the more I hear about Batman V Superman, the more I’m convinced it’ll be the film that’ll burst the superhero movie bubble.  However, Fox is the only one doing it right with their treatment of X-Men.  X-Men made some pretty lousy movies (Last Stand & Origins: Wolverine) to keep the rights, but ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe started gaining traction, the X-Men series has stepped up their game.  X-Men: First Class was the type of relaunch any franchise owner dreams of: while the prequel format could’ve easily just been a reboot, they decided there was enough good from the previous films (namely the first two) that they could build upon it.  While I would still love to see some type of collaboration with Marvel Studios and Fox, I am OK with them keeping the rights, so long as they continue to make films like First Class and its latest, Days of Future Past.

Days of Future Past, arguably the most famous X-Men story, is the perfect story to mine for inspiration.  It ties the original trilogy cast, stuck in a dystopian future where they are being hunted down, to the new series, as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, the constant between the two casts) is sent back in time to stop this darkest timeline from ever beginning.  Specifically, he has to stop the assassination of an anti-mutant scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the inventor of robotic mutant hunters the Sentinels, by Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), who has gone rogue after Magneto (Michael Fassbender) was detained.  Needless to say, Magneto isn’t detained for long and both sides race against time to change the future, albeit directed by their different philosophies.  On top of that, Wolverine is working on a deadline: he has to avert this dark timeline before the sentinels (in 2024) arrive and take out the surviving X-Men.

As you can imagine, DOFP is ambitious because it is so risky: they have two large ensembles, a complicated timeline & the rules of time travel and they have to update us on what the First Class crew have been doing in the decade since their first movie.  Luckily the source story is so short.  It could’ve easily failed under the tremendous weight, but manages to be breezy fun, in part of knowing what to emphasize.  While the original cast serves as a framework, it is more a film continuation of First Class.  Unfortunately they run into the problem of trying to cram so many characters into a movie, like Mystique’s arc is a little underserved (perhaps a result of how far Lawrence’s star power has risen since the first film) and I would’ve loved to see more between Xavier and Magneto, whose relationship has always been the X-Men series’ most compelling story.  However, it never becomes a significant problem.  Not to mention having Jackman as the top billed and ostensibly the main character helps: 14 years on and he is still fun to watch.

As much as this film is about averting a disastrous future, it is also about a broken man finding his purpose again.  When Wolverine finds Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) in the 70s he is a broken man: a man who saw his ambitious dreams crumble.  He’s getting loaded on a drug that allows him to walk, but at the expense of his telepathy.  Unlike the usual hero’s journey many comic book films employ, prequels give us a chance of seeing the modern day elder statesman as one plagued by many of the same doubts his future students will grapple with.  However, unlike Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels, we see Xavier on journey bouncing back from his disappointment.  While I wanted to see a little more between Xavier and Magneto, as their long, complicated history is the richest element of this world, seeing Xavier get his mojo back was satisfying.

After the disappointment of Godzilla and skipping Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past feels like the real beginning of the summer movie season.  Although it isn’t as good as First Class, it pulled off a difficult arc and shows the prequel’s quality wasn’t an accident and like everyone else, they are setting up plans for the next one in this film.  Certainly I would love to see Wolverine pop up in an Avengers movie (like just about anyone), but if Marvel can’t have the rights, I’m OK with Fox keeping it.  There’s no need for them to catch up: they’re already there.  All they have to do now is maintain it.

Grade: B+

Miscellaneous (SPOILER ALERT!)

-I don’t want to get into the scandal director Bryan Singer is involved in (the whole art from the artist is a can of worms), but I wonder how it will affect the series going forward.

-As for the question who is the better Quicksilver (the character is the only one so far in both non-Marvel and Marvel films not counting the possible Scarlet Witch cameo in this film), Fox is off to a promising start with Evan Peters.  The “Time In a Bottle” sequence was a high point.  Like many people I had issues with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Godzilla, but maybe with Joss Whedon’s touch he could be a formidable version.

-I guess one of the selling points Fox has with their properties is they go a little further content wise.  Marvel’s movies are generally mild PG-13, knowing full well a good chunk of the audience is under 13.  DOFP has more swearing (including the one PG-13 f-word PG-13 movies can use), the violence is a little more graphic and I think this is the first PG-13 comic book movie with nudity in it.

-It was kind of nice to have all those excessive characters from the first one bumped off in between movies.  I guess Emma Frost had to go because her planet needed her (and she subsequently died on her voyage back).

-So Anna Paquin is on screen for like 10 seconds, has no lines, and gets billed above Ellen Page.

-Magneto and Xavier must be in their 90s in the darkest timeline portion.

-The timeline for this, needless to say, is pretty confusing.  Besides whatever they retconned from The Last Stand and Origins (before Wolverine seemingly retconned the whole thing), I’m not sure where The Wolverine, and it’s mid credits scene, stand in the chronology.  I’m sure someone is creating a fun video detailing the timeline.

-I don’t think the post-credit scene, which features a young Apocalypse single handedly building a pyramid and being worshiped as a god, is going to resonate much with casual filmgoers.  Certainly he is powerful, but we also saw Magneto lift an entire football stadium and drop it over The White House.

-To be honest, I bumped up the grade because it more or less means The Last Stand & Origins: Wolverine are no longer canon.  Even if this is the swan song of the original cast, I’m OK with it.  It’s hard not to read this film as an apology for those two other films.

Godzilla (2014) Review

Well this summer is off to a rough start, huh?  First we had The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is fading fast at the box office due to toxic word of mouth.  Now we have Godzilla which went from being one of the summer’s most anticipated films to being one of the most polarizing.  A lot of people are simply happy it isn’t the 1998 version, which admittedly I’ve never seen, but going in having seen only one Godzilla movie (the 1954 original) I have to say this one left a lot to be desired.

The reboot of the iconic movie monster series brings the franchise into the modern era, though this film owes a lot to the series’ origin.  The original, which came out 60 years ago, was a serious reaction to the atomic bomb dropping in Japan at the end of WWII.  They even had Takashi Shimura, a mainstay of Akira Kurosawa’s films, star as the lead.  While the Cold War is over, incidents like the one in Fukushima in 2011 show that our fears about nuclear power are alive and well.  From the beginning it’s clear that was a key influence on the new one as nuclear tests and power plants help bring about the title monster, along with some as far as I know new ones to do battle in several metropolitan areas.

The script is a mess.  Though it has two people credited (one for story, one for screenplay), it has the feel of a script that went through a few doctors to polish it up.  It’s not really clear who the main character is until around a half hour in, when they finally get around to his nonsensical “save the cat” moment.  His arc at the beginning shifts dramatically when the main motivation for his character gets tossed out, after that he’s a mostly forgettable hero archetype (for a better version of what they were going for, look no further than Chris Evans’ Captain America).  Certain characters, like Ken Wantanabe’s & Sally Hawkins’ characters, just pop up here and there as if the writers forgot they were in the movie and needed to put them back in occasionally.

The only time the movie came to life was when Godzilla was on it, especially doing his signature roar.  When the camera pans up, it’s hard not to think “Oh man, here we go!”  But it never pays off satisfactorily.  Unlike the 98 version, this version’s appearance is true to the Toho version, but brought to life with some stellar effects.  Sadly, Godzilla isn’t in a whole lot of the movie (we don’t see him until about the hour point).  I knew that coming in, but I didn’t know just how little Godzilla we were getting.  As the film wore on it really felt like the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead of monster movies, which would be OK if the characters were worth investing in.  The shark isn’t in much of Jaws, but this Godzilla has no Brody, Quint or Hooper.  As much as I don’t want to be the guy who complains about not seeing a lot of action, it’s called Godzilla, and we go see Godzilla movies to see monsters fight.

Perhaps this is a result of timing: it’ll be hard to see destruction like the kind featured here and not think of 9/11, and although it is not as overt as the nuclear themes, the idea of global warming devastating civilian areas (we see several areas flooded as the monsters create massive tidal waves) is extremely potent idea the film taps into, although it never quite gets there.  Maybe, like the original film, it will be different in tone to future installments, which will be more about who Godzilla is fighting and what other monsters are there.  Whatever the case is, I just want to see more of him next time.

Grade: C-

Observations: (SPOILER ALERT)

-When you have a character who has a contentious relationship with his father and set it up to be a huge part in the story, don’t kill off the father a half hour in, especially when he’s played by Bryan Cranston.

-That Cranston has such a small role really reinforces my usual behavior of avoiding trailers.  It’s hard not to think he would playing a pivotal role in the entire film based on it and the part he’s in.  Not to mention the rather unceremonious way they dispatch him.

-Not to mention Juliette Binoche is in the movie for what couldn’t have been more than five minutes.

-I kinda wish Godzilla had been a villain in this one as he was in the original: that would’ve been truer to the mission statement the film set out with.  But then again, it’d put the kibosh on sequels.  Although the way he killed the MUTO by opening his jaw and breathing that electric fire or whatever was the kind of awesome moment this film needed more of.

-The film in general looked very good.  In particular the scene where the soldiers parachute in to the city with the streams of red smoke lead to the best imagery.  The score in this scene was also very effective.

-So does Aaron Johnson’s character Ford just get in with the troops because they take him at his word?  I’m sure they could do some background check off camera, but this still felt very weird.

-I see Godzilla has followed Pacific Rim’s example of shooting many of the creature fights at night and/or in the rain.  Godzilla’s effects were better and there were a few more scenes during the day, but c’mon, I want to see some more action like in Pacific Rim.

-Random detail that bothered me: BS on there being a news report on in a casino.  Casinos are designed so you have no idea what time of day it is, much less what’s going on in the outside world.

-I couldn’t quite see it, but there was a Mothra Easter egg when they’re in the abandoned city (it’s a sticker on a fish tank).

-This issue I had with Ford’s “save the cat” moment was while he was concerned about helping the kid, he didn’t seem as concerned about the other people in the train car who plunged to their deaths as he did about this kid, not to mention there really wasn’t any satisfying payoff to this bit.

-Better luck next summer Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olson.

The Grand Budapest Hotel Review

As I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel, I was reminded of something author Stephen King said about the rock band AC/DC.  Although he is aware of the criticism that all their music sounds the same, he dismisses it with a “What’s your point?”  Wes Anderson is a similar artist.  His films are stuffed with eccentric characters, showy cinematography, unique set design and a sense of melancholy.  His quirkier instincts have been more pronounced in his recent films, but his films rarely deviate too far from that auteur vision on which Anderson has made his name.  His style isn’t for everybody, and it’s unlikely to change with this film.  Generally I have enjoyed his work, unchanging as it may be, because I won’t get that style anywhere else, and any time I can spend more time in his world is time I look forward to.  While it doesn’t reach the levels of his previous films Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a solid entry into his canon.

The film is a weird set up, as the bulk of the story is under a few layers of flashbacks: a girl (layer 1) reads a book by an author (layer 2) who remembers a time when he interviewed a man (layer 3) who remembers the times he spent as a Bell Boy to a concierge of a legendary hotel (layer 4).  Layer 4 is the bulk of the story, with layer 3 serving as a framing device.  It gets a little more complicated from there, as concierge Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) takes the young Zero (Tony Revolori) under his wing after swiping a piece of art from one of Gustave’s departed friends.  His psychotic family gets wind of this, and whimsy and madcap antics ensue.  I’m not sure why the first two layers are here, maybe it’s meant as some critique of films that rely on the person reminiscing about the past structure.  It just made the beginning a little cumbersome.

As expected, Anderson’s cast—and all-star one—delivers.  Fiennes, showing again he has a gift with comedy as well as drama, proves to be very compatible with the regular Wes Anderson players.  Similarly, Anderson newbies Revolori and Saoirse Ronan work well inside the world Anderson has created, which has its difficulty considering the stable who know how Anderson works.  It’d be shorter to list of the Wes Anderson regulars who aren’t in the film and part of the fun for fans is spotting them as they pile through.  One segment later on in the film feels like an excuse just to trot them out for cameos (not that I minded too much).

His art direction shows no sign of waning.  The film is set in the fictional country of Zubrowka and Anderson’s eye for detail helps make this place feel lived in and real.  With a cinematic world so covered in movies tinted blue and orange, Anderson’s color palate is a refreshing change of pace.  Grand Budapest is more violent than typical Anderson, with significant bump in body count as the characters face the creeping Second World War.  It never goes near Tarantino level gore, but it may turn off some of his fans.

It is a Wes Anderson film through and through.  The thing that I gravitate towards Anderson’s films is that no matter how hard others have tried to imitate his style, it seems to always come naturally from him.  Copycats wouldn’t think to shoot some scenes the way a silent film director would, down to the slight camera shakes, as Anderson does several times.  Each segment is signified by a change in aspect ratio too!  Of course his critics will likely find stuff like that infuriating, but for his fans, doing what he knows and doing it well and unlike anyone else is enough.

Grade: B

Miscellaneous Notes:

-The birthmark shaped exactly like Mexico right on her cheek?  That feels more like something that would appear in a parody of Wes Anderson.

-I hope in his next film he can use some pop music needle drops, since he’s done so well with that in the past.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

With the recent news that Marvel has slated films as far out as 2028, as well as rival studios planning out similar franchises on the properties they own, it seems safe to say that we won’t be seeing the end of superhero films any time soon.  Personally, these news bits have made me a little weary: The Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel and Thor: The Dark World have left me feeling full on superhero movie fatigue (it doesn’t help that Spider-Man & Man of Steel are now foundations for franchises).  While I am going to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, I was ready to cut loose of the other parts of this mega-property, especially with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fiasco.  However, Captain America: The Winter Soldier brought me back on board and showed why Marvel is the envy of the rival superhero movies.

Of the Avengers who’ve had their own films, Captain America was the one with the most potential story-wise.  It’s touched upon briefly in The Avengers, but here it gets more development.  The world Steve Rodgers knew is gone; the people he knew when he was frozen are either dead or elderly, and the mindset of America has changed significantly from the WWII era to the post-9/11 one.  Cap is mostly alone, despite flirtations from a neighbor (Revenge’s Emily VanCamp) and S.H.I.E.L.D. co-worker Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) attempting to play match maker.  He befriends a fellow vet (Anthony Mackie) in part because soldiers are the closest type of person he can relate to.  On top of his personal life, he also bristles with the closest thing he has to home, S.H.I.E.L.D., trying to establish peace through elaborate preventive measures and not being forthcoming with all the details he needs for missions.

One of the strengths that has kept The Marvel Cinematic Universe fresh is the fact that each franchise has a distinct genre, and even that can change between films.  While Captain America: The First Avenger was a war film, Winter Soldier mixes it up with a political thriller.  S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised and our heroes find themselves targeted by the eponymous Winter Soldier, a mysterious, legendary assassin who has been working for decades.  It owes a bit to 70s thrillers—albeit with more explosions—as well as the Bourne series.  There is some sharp commentary on surveillance and governmental power, but it doesn’t preach.  What it says for the future of the MCU is definitely promising.  It is the darkest of the MCU films so far, but it never forgets the importance of levity.

There are a few problems: like a lot of superhero films of late, it goes a little too long.  The staging of the action sequences, particularly early on, was a little hard to follow.  There are also a few elements that needed a little more development like the eponymous Winter Soldier, and as much as I enjoyed the Falcon, the film never really bridged the gap from Falcon as a soldier to a guy with an elaborate mechanical winged apparatus.  Wouldn’t Tony Stark be knocking on this guy’s door or did I miss something?

Watching The Winter Soldier, it’s clear Marvel knows what it’s doing with its empire, which is practically a well-oiled machine.  They make films that largely respect the source material with tons of Easter eggs and shout outs to the fans, yet remain easily accessible to the casual filmgoer (a necessary element for these films to make hundreds of millions of dollars).  Despite my issues with the length and a few underdeveloped bits, The Winter Soldier is a ton of fun and a nice precursor to the summer movie season.

Grade: B

Miscellaneous (SPOILER ALERT):

-I also really like what they’ve done with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow.  They could have had her get together with Cap at the end (they definitely have some chemistry going), but instead keep the relationship platonic.  They could still get together, but withholding that helps show she’s not just the love interest because both Johansson and Chris Evans are good looking.  Hopefully those looking to take Marvel’s crown take note of this with their female characters.

-I’m definitely curious as to how Guardians of the Galaxy will do, the first non-sequel they’ve done since the original Captain America.  It looks like it’ll be fun, possibly a refreshing chaser to what looks to be like a disappointing summer movie season.

-I definitely want Falcon’s wings for Christmas.

-Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce was a decent villain.  That’s usually the weak point of the MCU so far: excepting Loki, the villains haven’t been all that great, but Pierce was solid.

-Zola’s fate, having his intelligence replicated into a computer and using it to continue HYDRA’s agenda, reminds me a lot of a somewhat obscure 1970s sci-fi film called Colossus: The Forbin Project.  It certainly ties into the idea of technology asserting control over people.  If you can find it, it’s worth a watch.

-As usual, the mid-credits scene is the important one for the continuity, giving us our first glimpses of Quicksilver (now the only character to appear in both MCU and non-MCU films with this summer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Scarlet Witch.  But the actual final scene at the end offers maybe a hint at what’s to come with Bucky’s character.  I’ve read he signed a multi-film deal, so it should be safe to say this isn’t the last we’ll see of him.

-I kind of wish they didn’t make Garry Shandling’s Senator (from Iron Man 2) a HYDRA supporter.  Would’ve been nice to have someone just be a jerk and not flat out on the bad side.

-Troy and Abed joining HYDRA!  Hard to believe the Russo Brothers, who directed this film, also work on Community.

Best Documentary Film Nominees Mini-Reviews

Oscar season can be a frustrating time for the average movie fan.  Trying to see all the best picture nominees can be nearly impossible (a friend of mine was able to do it) with work and day to day life getting in the way.  Fortunately streaming video has made it a lot easier to catch up.  Although I’m woefully behind on my best picture viewing and won’t get there in time for Sunday night, I have been able to see all five nominees for best documentary.  All but one of these (20 Feet from Stardom) are available on Netflix (it is available for rental via disc or from other digital rental sites) (UPDATE: 20 Feet, as of March 21st, is available on Netflix Instant), so it’s pretty easy to catch at least one of these before the big ceremony.  As to which one you should watch, here are my quick reviews of the five nominees:

20 Feet from Stardom

First up is a look at African American back-up singers from the early 60s through today, profiling legends like Darlene Love and up and comers like Judith Hill.  It’s the lightest of the five, but it still goes in depth into how they helped artists like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Sting.  They also talk about how the role of back-up singer has changed with the business and their attempts at taking center stage, as well as why so few of them achieved big success.  I’ve always been a fan of the supporting people who help the superstars be as great as they can be, but never get the glory.  Thankfully this film gives these talented ladies their due.

Grade: A-

The Act of Killing

My.  God.  This documentary follows two men who set about reenacting the murders of suspected communists they committed for the Indonesian government in the 60s.  It also goes into how the actions of these men—who never received any punishment for their actions, but rather became national heroes—shaped a country that openly discusses its brutality and corruption without any belief that it’s wrong.  Joshua Oppenheimer doesn’t resort to cheap tricks to demonize the subjects (it’d be pretty easy to).  Rather he lets them speak for themselves, and what they say is shocking both in its content and how casually it is said.  Unbelievable and unforgettable, The Act of Killing is easily one of the year’s best films.

Grade: A

Cutie and the Boxer

Zachary Heinzerling’s look into the lives of eccentric Japanese artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara is my least favorite of the bunch, but still worth checking out.  Ushio is an established Dadaist while Noriko is trying to make a name for herself as Ushio’s work becomes the subject of an art show.  There isn’t much more to it than they are from Japan, living in New York and have struggled for decades on art that usually doesn’t sell, but they are interesting characters to follow and Heinzerling takes what they do seriously.  After some of the more serious contenders, this would be a good way to break the tension.

                                                         

Grade: B

Dirty Wars

Dirty Wars, Richard Rowley’s film about Jeremy Scahill’s investigation into covert operations the United States have undertaken, specifically raids that have left a lot of civilian casualties.  His argument that the US is finding itself plunged into a state of perpetual warfare, is well made and non-sensationalistic, which makes it all the more chilling.  If you want to feel really bad about American foreign policy, this is the one to watch.

Grade: B+

The Square

Jehane Noujaim’s street eye view of the Egyptian Revolution that unseated President Mubarak in 2011 is a compelling portrait of a revolution and the struggles that come with non-violet protest.  Focusing on a small group, including a charismatic and passionate young man named Ahmed Hassan, as well as Kite Runner actor Khalid Abdalla, The Square manages to show a lot about Egypt so even those of us who didn’t follow this story can follow what’s happening.  It’s hard not to be rooting for them as they seek reform in their country.

Grade: A-

It should be safe to say my should win is The Act of Killing.  As to what I think will, I’m more split.  Killing is innovative in how it tells its story and has a good chance of bringing home the trophy, but there is also a chance 20 Feet from Stardom will take it, as it is lighter fare and more crowd pleasing.  Regardless, this is a pretty solid batch of films and I think whatever you pick will be at least interesting.

The Lego Movie Review

There was no reason this movie was going to be good.  It was based on a toy in what could be considered a cynical move by a creatively bankrupt Hollywood.  To make it worse, it comes out in February, recently uncovered as the worst month for wide releases.  On top of that the last film based on a game, Battleship, was a huge bomb both critically and commercially.  Of course we often make these prejudgments because we only have so much time to watch movies, so why waste it with one that’s likely to be bad?  So it’s always nice to see a film defy those low expectations and completely surprise you, like The Lego Movie.  Not only is this film watchable, it is one of the most purely fun films I’ve seen recently.

The film centers on everyman Emmet (voiced perfectly by Parks and Rec’s Chris Pratt), who lives his life according the instructions in an idyllic Lego world.  Only problem is things aren’t as perfect as they seem: President Business (Will Ferrell) runs Legoland as a dictatorship, with lackey Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) making sure the piece of resistance—which would threaten Business’ master weapon the Kragle—isn’t uncovered.  Emmet finds the piece after encountering Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), and Emmet’s by the books existence is shattered forever.  It is a classic hero’s journey story, but doesn’t at all feel stale.

The world of The Lego Movie covers several different types of worlds with incredible detail.  It’s this year’s Wreck-It Ralph as far as cameos from established properties are concerned.  However, the painstaking detail of the worlds, trying to represent everything on screen by its Lego equivalent, never ceases to impress.  Where stop motion ends and live action begins feels very blurry, another testament to how well made the film is.  This will likely be a really fun film to watch on bluray.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, when this was announced it was easy to write it off as a cynical cash in, but it is far from cynical as they could be.  The film is continually inventive and clever, from the reveal of what Business’ weapon really is to something in the third act I won’t get into here that opens up a whole new world to the film.  Writer/Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and the beloved cult TV show Clone High fame, have developed a film with layers no one could’ve expected.  The film is certainly silly, but it embraces that silliness in a way that respects its audience.  Clearly you can tell this film was made by fans of Legos and no doubt played with them a lot as kids and/or with their kids today.  It makes sense a film about toys is all about celebrating fun, creativity and playing.  With growing criticism of kids spending too much time on smartphones, game consoles and tablets, it’s good to have The Lego Movie encourage kids of all ages to think outside of the toy box.

Grade: A-

Miscellaneous (Spoilers):

-It is pretty brilliant that they put this out in February.  It could easily be seen as someone put this in the dead zone by accident, but considering this time of year is bereft of worthwhile choices, I imagine The Lego Movie is just going to steam roll the next couple weeks of new releases.  It’s the new Frozen.

-This will probably be the better movie with Batman and Superman in it.

-I love the title cards that show up to denote the passage of time.  My favorite is when Emmet yells how he could sing the insanely catchy “Everything Is Awesome” all day, cut to a time card reading “5 ½ hours later” and it cuts back to them still singing.

-Really the real world twist could’ve sunk the movie, but luckily it just reinforces a lot of what the movie is about (nonconformity, playing).

-Lando!  C-3P0!

-Will Arnett’s performance as Batman is basically Gob from Arrested Development, but a bit smarter and more competent.

-If you really think this movie is anti-business, you’re dumb.  Or you really want businesses run by sociopaths.

-EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

... 30 ...

To commemorate the 10^th anniversary of Facebook, the website launched a retrospective “Look Back” feature.  Being a sucker for nostalgia, I’ve watched every one that’s popped up on my feed.  I don’t want to say they triggered an existential crisis, but right after I got an invitation to play chess with the ghost of Bengt Ekerot.  Many of my friends’ videos had major milestones under their most liked posts like marriages, babies, houses and new jobs.  Mine had pictures of my Nanowrimo wins (I’ve never shared what I’ve written with anyone) and two posts that could be boiled down to “Breaking Bad is awesome”.  Don’t get me wrong, Breaking Bad is awesome, but it’s hard—even when you try not to sum up your life in likes and retweets—to see that sum up how you spent your twenties on Facebook as you are about to hit 30.

The day this posts, I hit the big 3-0.  Since I don’t drink, 30 is the first age I’ve had any interest in since 18.  It is pretty much the last major post where you can consider yourself young.  I am still younger comparatively speaking to a good chunk of the population, but I don’t associate being in your 30s as a decade of youth.  Your 30s are generally the decade you settle down: you figured out what you’re going to do with your life in your 20s and now it’s time to move from there.  Well, my 20s weren’t like that.  There were a lot of things that I won’t get into here, but suffice to say I didn’t expect to be where I am now and I didn’t expect to have made as little progress as I did.

It hasn’t helped that I had a series of difficult years through most of my 20s.  It culminated last year, which was defined as the year I lost my dad.  While it isn’t as intense as it was when it started, the death of my father is still often in my thoughts, and the grieving process has affected those thoughts more than any other problem I’ve been dealing with lately.  Then there were two of my high school classmates who died this past fall.  I wasn’t close to them (I don’t think I spoke to either of them after graduation), but the reality check was still powerful.  With these reminders of mortality, it’d be hard for it not to affect how I think about what I’m doing right now.

However, I don’t want this post to be a pity party.  I’m reminded of Conan O’Brien’s monologue at the end of his last show as host of The Tonight Show.  “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get,” he said.  “But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.”  I still believe that’s true.  Even the people whose Plan A worked out for them, it’s unlikely it played out exactly as they expected.  Not to mention sometimes failing can be the best thing to happen to somebody.  So while most of my 20s was unsatisfying, it could pave the way for a better 30s.

Those who know journalistic terms (or just fans of HBO’s The Wire, whose last episode is called “- 30 -“) will know journalists have used “-30-“ to denote the end of a story.  30 could be considered the end of a story, but as Dr. Manhattan said in Watchmen, “Nothing ever ends.”  This isn’t Logan’s Run where life literally ends at 30.  30 is a beginning.  There’s still a lot for me to experience in this life and things for me to do: I hope 30 is the year I finally finish a draft of my book that I could show my beta readers to list an example.  It is hard not to get hung up on other people’s progress compared to our own, especially as time goes on and we hit these milestone numbers, and social media makes it easier to see everyone else’s achievements.  All we can hope to do is play the game as best as we can, because ultimately that checkmate will come for us all.