Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)

A science fiction classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the tale of the Nautilus, an impressive submarine constructed and run by the mysterious Captain Nemo.  Mistaken for a sea monster, it is pursued by many vessels around the world.  One, the Abraham Lincoln, sinks after attacking her; three survivors are taken upon the Nautilus.  These three (a professor, his aid, and a lifelong seaman) are allowed to stay and enjoy themselves, as long as they appreciate that they can never leave- they will be forever imprisoned aboard the submersible.  This understood, they proceed to have any number of adventures in the deep, witnessing amazing landscapes, creatures, and ruins (shipwrecks- and more) as they travel over twenty thousand leagues beneath the waves.  As their time aboard lengthens, however, it becomes increasingly clear that Captain Nemo is a man with a troubled past, occasionally prone to actions the prisoners find reprehensible.  Can they escape this underwater marvel?

This book is good, not great.  Written in the mid-1800s, I can understand why it would appeal to audiences of the time- Verne's descriptions of the marvelous submarine (with technologies that wouldn't be realized for decades) and his cataloging of the varied flora and fauna of the depths must have been captivating to a people who could only speculate at the mysteries of the oceans.  For today's audience, I found these portions overdone and boring at times (pages of descriptions of different types of fish weren't uncommon).  Still, the adventure portions are good, the prose is well-done (love those Victorian writers), and Captain Nemo's background and intentions are kept sufficiently mysterious to provide suspense and thirst for more.  The ending was unsatisfying, though, leaving me feeling let down.  A sequel (The Mysterious Island) was produced some years later; I found it telling that I immediately read the wiki overview of that, and didn't have the desire to read another full-length adventure.

Rating: B

In the Shadow of Yavin & From the Ruins of Alderaan (Various)

Today's review is of the first two trade paperbacks of the new story arc, simply called Star Wars and set immediately after Episode IV.

In the Shadow of Yavin

The Rebels have destroyed the dreaded Death Star, but at great cost: their previously-secret base has been exposed, forcing them to flee and search for a new home.  As X-wing starfighters (piloted by notable characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia (!), and Wedge Antilles) scour various worlds, and Han Solo conducts a secret mission to Coruscant, the Empire consistently seems one step ahead.  Is there a spy in Rebel command?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B-

From the Ruins of Alderaan

The story started in the prior volume continues: Leia goes undercover and off-the-record to try and unearth the spy in their midst and find a new Rebel base; Han tries to get himself out of hot water on Coruscant, running into Boba Fett in so doing; Luke & Wedge get deliberately captured by a Star Destroyer in hopes of finding the traitor.

Rating (art): B+
Rating (story): C

Overall

As the newest and, sadly, last Star Wars story arc to be published by Dark Horse (the license goes to Marvel in January), both trade paperbacks are great in concept but lacking in execution.  The time period and theme are great- the stories attempt to fill in some gaps between movies, and in so doing give more background to Vader's pursuit of Skywalker, the seeking of a new base, and more.  Some plot elements are super-cool (like Leia returning to the remains of Alderaan, and what she encounters there).  The art is very good for the people (though the starfighters leave something to be desired).  I wanted to like this- I really did.  But, in the end, the same elements that plagued some stories in the Rogue Squadron story arc come up here- confusing or unbelievable plots, big plot holes, twists without relevance . . . in short, they dropped the ball.  Good concept, poor execution.  There are a few more paperbacks released in this arc, but I doubt I'll read them.

Rating (overall): B-

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Anne Berthelot)

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table attempts, in 150 pages, to introduce and summarize the legend's historical, political, religious, and literary backgrounds and development through the centuries.  Rich in illustration and including a section of excerpts from key texts, it has the opportunity to be a succinct yet comprehensive overview.  Unfortunately, it falls flat.  While the author certainly does cover a lot of ground, too much is omitted for a laymen to follow.  As I read, I found myself mentally filling in gaps or questioning generalities presented.  She makes some good observations, but in short, a lot of background knowledge is necessary to follow this, which nullifies its stated objective.

Rating: C

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 3 (Various)

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 3, and collects the final story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: In the Empire's Service, The Making of Baron Fel, Family Ties, Masquerade, and Mandatory Retirement.  Each is reviewed below.

In the Empire's Service
Nine months after the Battle of Endor, the Rogues take on some new members (to ireplace those lost last time) and are sent to help capture Brentaal IV, a world being run by an incompetent local Imperial leader.  Sate Pestage (currently acting Emperor after Palpatine's death) and his top admiral, Ysanne Isard, use the situation to manipulate other Imperial factions vying for power and send Baron Soontir Fel, the feared ace Imperial TIE Fighter pilot, to the planet in an attempt to save it.  The Rebels are victorious and capture Fel in what seems to be a large blow to the Empire.  But is there more to the story?

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): B+

The Making of Baron Fel
In this short story arc ten months after Endor, the recently-captured Soontir Fel shocks Wedge Antilles by revealing that he is married to Wedge's sister, who has fled per Fel's orders to safety.  Soontir proceeds to provide Antilles with this tale, starting from childhood through to present day.  He concludes by agreeing to join the Alliance if they help him find his wife.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

Family Ties
Another short story set ten months after Endor.  This time, a few Rogues are sent to Corellia to look for Fel's wife.  They find instead that her nephew has been kidnapped in an attempt to get to her.  Can the Rogues help Corran Horn (who features heavily in other novels) and Corellian Security crack the case?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): C+

Masquerade
Eleven months after Endor, the Rogues are sent to Axilla to find Princess Leia after she is kidnapped from a diplomatic event on Eiattu.  New Rogue Baron Fel features, as does Rebel agent Winter, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.  Meanwhile, Imperial leader Sate Pestage senses treason from Ysanne Isard, and takes steps to ensure his safety that could have long-reaching consequences for the galaxy.

Rating (art): C-
Rating (story): C-

Mandatory Retirement
One year after Endor, Sate Pestage is believed to have committed treason and gone over to the Rebellion.  As Ysanne Isard seeks to find him and consolidate her power with the Imperial Council, the Rogues are sent to Ciutric to retrieve Pestage and bring him in.  One Rogue pays the ultimate price . . . can the rest of the team overcome the loss and accomplish the mission?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

Overall
The third and final volume in the Rogue Squadron saga is the best.  The stories and characters (Soontir Fel, an honorable Imperial, is a personal favorite) are better this time around, and the relevance of the tales to the greater Star Wars canon is much higher.  It's no longer just random stories about pilots; you see the greater struggle for ascension to the Imperial throne and its implications.  Some stories (like Masquerade) are still poor, but overall, this is better.  A nice way to conclude the series, which would have been nicer if they had tied up the side tale about Fel's wife.

Rating: B

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2 (Various)

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 2, and collects three story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: Battleground: Tatooine, Warrior Princess, and Requiem for A Rogue.  Each is reviewed below.

Battleground: Tatooine
Six months after the Battle of Endor, members of Rogue Squadron go on a mission to Tatooine to help a Rebel agent (Winter, who appeared in The Rebel Opposition and other Star Wars novels) get information as warlords vie for control of the planet after Jabba the Hutt's demise.  Winter's attempts to retrieve an important data disk (containing information on Imperial weapons caches in the area) from Biggs Darklighter's father go awry when another agent gets the information first.  As the Rogues pursue the data, they (eventually) come across a hidden Imperial base on the planet.  Can they overcome against overwhelming odds?  Probably . . . afterwards, Elscol decides to leave the Rogues and pursue freedom fighting elsewhere (presumably, her native world).

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C-

Warrior Princess
Seven months after Endor, the Rogues (with new additions Ibtisam, Nrin, Herian, and Feylis) are sent to planet Eiattu to return a long-lost princess (Plourr Ilo, hard-hitting and -talking Rogue squadron member since the start of the series).  There, Plourr is asked to end the Civil War between the nobles ("Prims") and resistance ("PLB"), all while fighting off the Empire as well.  With traitors on all sides, can Plourr and the Rogues save the day?  Seems likely . . . afterwards, Plourr leaves Rogue Squadron to assume the throne of her world.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C+

Requiem for A Rogue
Eight months after Endor, the Rogues are tasked to find a missing spaceliner of Bothan tourists.  Their search takes them to the Malrev system, where they find the (grounded) ship- and an ancient temple full of Sith evil.  Can the Rogues overcome and save the passengers- even if some aren't who they seem?  Two Rogues pass away in this one, and Plourr comes back to help at the end.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): C

Overall
As with volume 1 of Rogue Squadron, I wasn't overly pleased.  The stories were at times confusing, the pace still too fast, and the plots again had elements of the cheesy or ridiculous.  This collection was a little better, but only marginally so.  So far in the overall story, I don't understand why a series on Rogue squadron pilots would focus so heavily on ground-based, seemingly-random or unnecessary adventures.  There are better Star Wars tales out there.

Rating (overall): C

X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1 (Various)

In comic books, stories are often told over several issues (called story arcs).  The general trend is to have one story arc consist of 5-6 individual issues, but then have an overall story that encompasses several story arcs.  After the individual issues are released, story arcs are often re-published in one volume as a trade paperback.  Sometimes, several trade paperbacks are re-published in one volume called an omnibus.  One or more omnibuses can contain the overall story.

Today's review is of a Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume 1, and collects three story arcs from the Rogue Squadron comic series: Rogue Leader, The Rebel Opposition, and The Phantom Affair.  Each is reviewed below.

Rogue Leader
Set shortly after the Battle of Endor in the Return of the Jedi, members of Rogue Squadron (a collection of X-wing fighter pilots, to include Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles) go on a mission to Corellia to collect information in the Rebellion's effort to snuff out remaining segments of the Empire.  There, they get more than they bargained for.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): B-

The Rebel Opposition
One month after Endor, the Rogues (captained by Wedge, as Luke has moved on to other adventures) are unexpectedly attacked while escorting a convoy to Mrlsst, and put down on the planet Cilpar.  There they meet up with a weary and leary group of Rebels fighting Imperial remnants in the area.  With the Empire consistently a step ahead, both groups suspect a traitor is in the midst of the other.  And the end, one of the Rebels (Elscol) joins up with Rogue Squadron.

Rating (art): B-
Rating (story): D

The Phantom Affair
Two months after Endor, the Rogues finally get to Mrlsst, where they bargain with the Empire for a cloaking device the locals claim to have invented.  While Wedge is negotiating with an Imperial who had a hand in his parents' deaths, data on the cloaking device is stolen- apparently by a Rogue.  Can they clear their name in time?

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): D

Overall
I love the space combat element of Star Wars, and enjoyed Michael Stackpole's X-wing series of novels.  He wrote these, too, but I wasn't nearly as pleased.  The stories were confusing, the pace too fast, and the plots had elements of the cheesy or ridiculous (my favorite is when a Rogue impersonates an Imperial, and they let him into base- and give him a TIE fighter to fly- without asking questions or for identification).  There are better Star Wars tales out there.

Rating (overall): C-

The Wolverine

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character has been a fan favorite for over a decade now, and has appeared in no fewer than seven movies (X-men, X2, X-men: the Last Stand, X-men: First Class, X-men: Days of Future Past, X-men Origins: Wolverine, and now The Wolverine).  The Wolverine is his second stand-alone (in other words, non-X-men) movie.  Here, Wolverine travels to Japan to visit a dying soldier he saved during WWII.  While there, the soldier reveals that he yearns for Logan's immortality, and wants to take it from him.  Wolverine refuses, and the soldier dies shortly thereafter.  Logan's about to leave, but finds the soldier's family embroiled in organized crime and deception and decides to help the soldier's granddaughter.  As he seeks to protect her, he gets involved in something far more serious than he realized.

"That's two hours of my life I'll never get back."  So said my wife, after watching this with me, and I regrettably concurred with her bleak assessment.  I'm trying to find something positive about this movie and I'm coming up with nothing.  The plot was confusing, inconsistent, and poorly developed, with characters switching sides with no warning or logic and odd things happening rather frequently.  The surprises of the movie are easy to see coming, and there appears to be no overall point (i.e. this flick doesn't move the overall X-men story arc forward at all).  Not recommended.

Rating: D

The Difficulty of the Return

By Gene Ritchhart, from this website

Today marks six months since we've been back in the USA after seven years overseas.  We were told when we left in 2007 that it would be harder coming home.  That's proven true, and I can't say we're re-adjusted yet.  We've gone through the initial stages- reuniting with friends and family, finding a home, and getting acclimated to a new job- but we're still not settled.  Since those initial emotions have now worn off, I find it noteworthy that six months in, I find myself enjoying (or missing) the following:

What we enjoy

1. Family & Friends
This was the primary reason we returned, and there have been no regrets here.  We missed several significant milestones in our families while overseas- weddings, births, deaths, etc.- and we're so happy to be back in a place where we can experience the good (and the bad) together.  We're also delighted to reunite with 'old' friends.

2. Space
Though we got used to the European lifestyle of tightly-spaced houses, parking, and storefronts, we've really enjoyed the space here in America.  We have our own yard, and it's wonderful to run around outside without having to go to a park.  We enjoy wide parking spaces, huge stores, and other features indicative of a nation that really has more space than we know what to do with.  It has its downsides, too, but it is a nice change.

3. Sun
I now find rainy and/or cloudy days atypical, and expect sun 90% of the time.  It's easy to get used to that.  In fact, we've been noticeably healthier since we've been home- a fact I attribute largely to the weather.

4. Convenience
The 'short' opening hours of European stores are now a distant memory.  We can now take care of most anything during a much wider range of hours, which is nice.  As an aside, I've also re-learned that it's okay to wear absolutely anything to some of these stores (especially Walmart).

5. Familiarity
It's nice to be in a place where you understand the culture.  In Europe, we got used to being clueless and requiring explanation for many probably-mundane things we witnessed.  You could assume nothing, and had to learn 'how do they do it here?' for even small matters (like how much to tip at restaurants).  Here, we're back where we know (largely) what's going on and why.

What we miss

1. 'Walkable' Towns
Interestingly, this is the number one thing we miss.  Having individual space is nice, certainly (as I state above), but that comes at the cost of a community where we can walk anywhere.  And we really miss being able to walk everywhere- even the children have asked 'can't we walk?' when we tell them we're going out.  America just wasn't built to be 'walkable'- we have space and use it- and only in cities can walkability reasonably be expected.

2. Expat Communities
When overseas, Americans experience the unfamiliar together, and as a result band together and form some good communities.  We help each other and hang out with each other- we're a family away from home.  We miss our friends from overseas, and we miss communities of geographic proximity in general.  In the States, we're finding that everyone has their own community, often based on work, common interests, or family, and 'breaking in' to one has proven difficult- people are already busy, and not necessarily looking out for new folks.  Many more moms work here, meaning it's harder for my wife to arrange play-dates for our children than it was overseas.  I found it telling that, when we hosted a neighborhood block party to get to know the neighbors, about half of them didn't know each other- and they've been neighbors for decades.  Here, our closest friends may be 20 miles away, while we may never speak to those next to us.

3. Castles
You could term this tourism in general, but America has her own share of things to see.  What I mean here is specifically Medieval-type things- Ancient ruins, Victorian cities . . . we really miss the 'oldness' of Europe.  My daughter broke my heart the other day asking if we could visit a castle . . . America is just so young.

4. Pace of Life
The DC corridor is not the most laid-back place in the States, and we really miss the tranquility of the Yorkshire Dales and (before that) the Rhein river valley.  People here are rushed, and that creates an atmosphere of tension and anger that we really don't enjoy.

5. Access to the Foreign
America is so big.  So big.  As we look at things to do in our area and beyond, we're struck by the fact that a few-hour drive will now get us only to adjacent states, where it used to get us a country or more away.  This, again, is just the reality of how big America is.  We got really used to 'foreign' things- new sites and people with different backgrounds/perspectives- and we really miss that.  In fact, as we talk to people here, I find myself drawn to those who look & talk differently from us- who obviously aren't from around here.  I miss that element of life overseas- having different cultures present on the same street.  One good thing about being in the DC corridor is the number of immigrants in the area- so there are places to find this here- it just will take deliberate effort on our part.

Conclusion

The transition home has gone about as I expected it- enjoying some elements while missing parts of our past.  We'll get there, in time.  No place is perfect, and it's foolish to look at only the good stuff of our time overseas.  It was fun, certainly, but had its own share of challenges.  With time and the right attitude, we'll fit in here, too.

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting is a genius.  A reluctant and reclusive genius, though, due to years of abuse as an orphan, who would rather waste his life fooling around and keeping a healthy [emotional] distance from others.  While working as a janitor for MIT, his brilliance comes to the attention of a professor, who sets him up with psychologist Dr. Maguire (who has problems of his own).  Can Will come to grips with  his past and who he is?  Will he stop keeping people at a distance and live up to his potential?  Or is the past pain too great?

I never saw this 1997 film until today, and I really enjoyed it.  Matt Damon and Robin Williams (Hunting and Maguire, respectively) do an excellent job playing flawed but gifted individuals.  The myriad themes of the movie- calling, potential, responsibility, priorities, love, flaws, and loss- are explored poignantly and well.  The movie gives you a lot to think about, and does a good job doing it.  I see why it's considered a classic.

Rating: A

Emissaries to Malastare (Various)

Set shortly after Star Wars: Episode I, Emissaries to Malastare has several members of the Jedi council mediating a peace settlement on the neutral world of Malastare between the Prince of Lannik and the Red Iaro terrorist organization (who has been vying for the throne of Lannik for years).  Something is amiss, though, and some at the negotiation table aren't who they seem.  Can the Jedi keep the peace?

Regrettably, this was another lackluster Star Wars story.  The best parts were the brief scenes featuring three very cool Expanded Universe characters- the tusken Jedi A'Sharad Hett, the mysterious Dark Woman, and Quinlan Vos.  Those scenes aside, the dialogue is cheesy, the story 'blah,' and the ending(s) unsatisfying (strangely, about two-thirds of the way through, the story veers onto another course entirely, and seems more like two below-average stories pasted together, neither of which is acceptably concluded).

Rating: C

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

The 2007 sequel to 2005's Fantastic 4 (reviewed here), Rise of the Silver Surfer sees our heroes confronting . . . the Silver Surfer, who is a herald of Galactus, who eats planets.  The team verifies that Earth is, technically, a planet, and decides that its destruction would negatively affect their chances for more movies.  So, when the surfer comes and says the Earth will be eaten in a few days, the Fantastic team is like "oh no!" followed quickly by "please tell him not to!"  The surfer, after reflection and jail time, agrees, and decides to confront Galactus about his widely-criticized diet.  He then effectively blows himself up and Galactus along with him, after bringing Sue Storm back to life (she had been stabbed by Dr. Doom, who had also come back to life earlier for some reason).  I'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist of the plot.

The original Fantastic 4 movie wasn't great, and this was in the same vein- though perhaps a little worse.  On the plus side, some humor is still there; on the downside, plot consistency and character development isn't.

Rating: C-

Ghost Rider

Back in 2012, I reviewed the second Ghost Rider film, Spirit of Vengeance (here).  Today I discuss the first- 2007's Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider is an origin tale, telling how Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) made a deal with the devil to save his father from cancer.  The devil heals his dad, only to kill him in an accident immediately thereafter.  In return for Satan's "service," Blaze is obligated to become his bounty hunter, the Ghost Rider, and track down souls that escape hell.  Satan eventually sends him after his son, Blackheart, who wants to unseat his father from the underworld throne.  If the Rider can defeat Blackheart, Satan will set him free, and return him to 'normal.'

Ghost Rider is a movie abounding with poor dialogue, impressively bad theology, and so-so action/effects.  Still, it has a few things going for it:
- a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle (always a plus)
- Sam Elliott as the Caretaker
- some music by Karen Carpenter

The  movie failed to deliver on its potential (theological elements could have been interesting), certainly, but the above saves it from a failing grade.  It's better than its 2012 sequel, but not by much.

Rating: C

The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson)

In The Haunting of Hill House, four people (an investigator of the supernatural and three people he's chosen to accompany him based on their past experience/exposure to the same) inhabit unoccupied Hill House for a summer to experience, discuss, and analyze any phenomena found therein.  They experience several harrowing events, to include what you'd expect- strange laughter, banging doors, areas of extreme cold, and other creepy happenings- but one of them comes to believe she was destined for Hill House and takes steps to make sure she never leaves.

I had never heard of this book, but Stephen King (among others) has called it a classic and one of the defining works in the haunted house genre.  It was made into a movie two times (in 1963 and 1999).  With that sort of background, I had high hopes, but wasn't overly satisfied.  Some portions were excellent, but others seemed overly odd and hard to follow (perhaps that was intentional).  The tale could be interpreted different ways, and left me wanting more resolution (I wanted to know why these things were happening, which was never made clear- though again, perhaps the ambiguity was deliberate).  Overall, it's okay, but I think others may be more interesting.

Rating: B-

Fantastic 4

Released in 2005, Fantastic 4 is an old film as modern (CGI-enhanced) superhero flicks go.  It's an origin tale, showing how Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, and Johnny Storm were subjected to massive amounts of radiation in space, which altered their DNA and made them the Fantastic 4 (and now Mr. Fantastic, Thing, Invisible Woman, and Human Torch).  As they struggle to come to terms with their transformations and work on a method to reverse them, they run afoul of Victor Von Doom- the rival of Reed, who was also subjected to the rays and so transformed, becoming Dr. Doom.

This movie was largely panned, and after viewing it for the first time in a while, I see why.  Some of the dialogue/plot elements/character developments were cheesy or rushed.  The humor was pretty good- Human Torch in particular had some good lines- but that aside, this film doesn't quite meet the bar.  The franchise is to be rebooted next year, and it needs it.

Rating: C