Hulk

Bruce Banner is a scientist, working with Betty Ross in a research center in California. When he shockingly survives an accident involving radiation, he wonders what makes him different. Lurking in the shadows is the man who has the answer (and was indeed the cause) . . . and he'll stop at nothing in his quest to improve humanity. Bruce is about to unwillingly explore his tragic and suppressed past . . . and you won't like him when he's angry.

Released in 2003 to mixed reviews, I was pleasantly surprised how this film departed from the mainstream superhero flick. Director Ang Lee presents the story in a unique visual style, with multi-frame components sprinkled throughout, but it really shines in its psychological exploration. Some critics argued that there was "too much talking and not enough smashing" . . . but that's exactly what I liked about it. The film centers around Banner and his father, whose self-experimentation led to the unintentional genetic transmission onto his son. It explores the themes of improving humanity, exceeding the boundaries God created, and the reality of how our failures affect others. While I wish the movie had tied things up better (the ending was hard to follow, inconclusive, and unsatisfying), and that the Hulk wasn't quite so big or so green, it earns a decent grade for focusing less on "Hulk Smash" and more on "how/why did this happen?"

Rating: A-

Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien)

This books collects pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien "which were published in a series of six calendars from 1973 to 1979, with a gap in 1975," plus a few others by the prolific author and amateur artist. The focus, as you'd expect, is on the events and locales concerning Middle Earth. Often, his original art is on the left-hand side of the page and a colorized version (done later by another artist) is on the right. A paragraph explaining the picture accompanies each print. A volume very similar to this was published in 1979, with republished versions (with mild updates/changes) coming in 1992 and 2021, respectively. I have the 2021 version.

I enjoyed this short volume. With only 48 prints (many of which are presented twice, as described above), you'll get through it fast, but it is a tantalizing glimpse into what the author envisioned when he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While it is clear that art is not his forte, I was nevertheless impressed with the skill he did possess in this area. (Below is his view of Smaug, for example.) I also appreciated how subsequent artists (and Peter Jackson) held to the essence of what Tolkien envisioned when they produced the movies. If you're a Tolkien fan, you'll enjoy this.

Rating: A-

Big Hero 6

Hiro Hamada is a robotics nerd in San Fransokyo, living with his brother and Aunt. Intent on getting him out of robotics league fighting, his brother introduces him to Baymax, his own healthcare provider robot. Inspired, Hiro creates his own powerful technology. Things are looking up, but trouble is afoot . . . and when an accident upends Hiro's world, he'll need Baymax—and some friends—to save the day.

Funny, poignant, and heavy in places, this is a solid film. Apparently based on Marvel characters. Unfamiliar with that, I can speak only to the movie itself. It explores common themes of coping with pain and revenge vs. sacrifice. Intended for kids, it moves fast. Initially light-hearted, it seems to re-vector fast into a more serious offering. That jarred us at first, and it's not my favorite Disney film, but it's solid nonetheless.

Rating: A-

Amulet Volume 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse (Kazu Kibuishi)

Though Emily and Navin were able to rescue their mom last time, she is poisoned and fading. They travel (in a moving house) to the city in search of a cure, where they learn that hope lies in a fruit found on a desolate mountain. A place where many have ventured, but none have returned. With a new companion to help but foes on their tail, can they possibly succeed? The answer may lie in Em's ability to control the amulet's power . . . without it controlling her.

Volume two in this series was like the first: basic story, captivating presentation (meaning artwork). The message was mixed; some good stuff, but other typical worldly (and inaccurate) messages.

Rating: A-

Daredevil (Director's Cut)

Matt Murdock was blinded as a child, but the accident heightened his other senses. Passionate about justice after his father is murdered, he is a pro bono lawyer by day and the vigilante Daredevil by night. And a new menace is in town . . . Kingpin looks to run the city, and he'll kill anyone who gets in his way.

Among the first wave of superhero movies, I recall fond memories of seeing Daredevil in college. Re-watching it now, it doesn't hold up. In a word, the film is inconsistent. It oscillates between gritty and disturbing and cheesy/over-the-top. It tries to be dark and 'cool' but ends up being disappointing. It's rushed yet boring; there are too many stories to explore in the main characters (Daredevil, Elektra, Kingpin, Bullseye), and none are done well. There are some outstanding musical tracks, but most of the film has an underwhelming score. The message is mixed; the dialogue cliché. And this is a review of the director's cut, which runs 30 minutes longer than the theatrical release and was (in general) more highly regarded. 

Rating: C-

Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse

Miles Morales is back at home after his previous multiverse adventure. He lives his typical existence, hiding his identity from his parents and trying (unsuccessfully) to juggle school, life, and Spider-man responsibilities. But then Gwen returns, and Miles is launched back into the world of various Spider-men (many of whom have joined the Spider-Society). And she's not visiting for kicks . . . Spot, a new menace, is on the scene. And he'll do anything to destroy everything Miles loves.

The sequel to Into the Spider-verse, this movie is like the first: outstanding animation and humor with bizarre/confusing elements and so-so message. The ending ("to be continued") is agonizingly unsatisfying, but shows how engrossing the movie is.

Rating: A-

Deeper (Dane Ortlund)

"How do Christians grow?" That we must grow is evident in the Bible . . . so how do we do it? Dane Ortlund discusses how in his work, Deeper. A summary follows.

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"The basic point of this book is that change is a matter of going deeper." "Growing in Christ is not centrally improving or adding or experiencing but deepening. Implicit in the notion of deepening is wthat you already have what you need. Christian growth is bringing what you do and say and even feel into line with what, in fact, you already are."

In the next nine chapters, Ortlund looks at facets of growth, to include:

1. Jesus. We need clarity on who Jesus is. Here, Ortlund looks at the "ruling, saving, befriending, persevering, interceding, returning, and tenderness" aspects of Jesus. And know that "you will spend the rest of your life wading into the unsearchable riches of the real Christ."

2. Despair. We are evil to the root, and so "fallen human beings enter into joy only through the door of despair." We are "impoverished and powerless" in our own strength. We need to look our evil straight in the face. We need "the healthy necessity of despairing of ourselves time and again if we are to get growing in our walk with Christ."

3. Union. Believers are in Christ; God is in us. "Your Christian growth is a matter of divine grace. You cannot crowbar yourself into growth. You must be lifted into growth. But the divine grace that brings about change is a divine grace that fuels and fills our own efforts. For we are in the Son." 

4. Embrace. "We grow in Christ no further than we enjoy his embrace of us." God loves us. And "the love of Christ is his settled, unflappable heart of affection for sinners and sufferers—and only sinners and sufferers."

5. Acquittal. "We grow in Christ as we go deeper into . . . the verdict of acquittal that got us into Christ in the first place." We need to keep returning to the doctrine of justification—that we have been "given a right standing that comes to us from wholly outside us." And "we grow in Christ by placing our sanctification in the light of our justification." Put simply, God made us okay. Our actions, status, successes, or skills do not (and never could). To love God and conform to His image is a response, and not what justifies us.

6. Honesty. Christians are called to walk in the light, which means (among other things) "honesty with other Christians." And it is important: "You are restricting your growth if you do not move through life doing the painful, liberating work of cheerfully bringing your failures out from the darkness of secrecy into the light of acknowledgement before a Christian brother or sister."

7. Pain. "pain is a means, not an obstacle, to deepening in Christian maturity. The anguish, disappointments, and futility that afflict us are themselves vital building blocks to our growth."

8. Breathing. There are many important tools for growth, but there are two vital ones that need special mention: "Bible reading and prayer. And the way to think about these two practices is by the metaphor of breathing. Reading the Bible is inhaling. Praying is exhaling."

9. Supernaturalized. "The Father ordains salvation, the Son accomplishes salvation, and the Spirit applies salvation. In other words, there is no Christian life without the Spirit." And "the Spirit changes us by making Christ wonderful to us."

"The final conclusion, the deepest secret, to growing in Christ is this: look to him. Set your gaze upon him. Abide in him, hour by hour. Draw strength from his love. He is a person, not a concept."

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As with Ortlund's other book, Gentle and Lowly, this book is a treasure. Encouraging, hopeful, powerful, insightful, humbling, helpful, Christ-centered, amazing. Read it.

Rating: A

War of the Ring: The Card Game

Today's review is of the 2022 release, War of the Ring: The Card Game. For 2-4 players, it takes 90-120 minutes.

Overview

The Free Peoples take on the Shadow in War of the Ring. The Free Peoples' goal is simple: destroy the One Ring and defend their homelands. The Shadow's goal is to stop, corrupt, or burden them beyond hope. Who will prevail?

This simplified overview is for the 4-player 'trilogy' scenario. Here, two players represent the Free Peoples, and two the Shadow. Each player has cards of one or more factions for their side shuffled in their own decks (for example, one Free Peoples player has Hobbit, Dwarf, Wizard, and Rohan cards, while the other has Elf and Dunedain). Players on the same side sit opposite from each other around the table, and turns go clockwise, so the sides will always alternate.

One key concept is cycling vs. eliminating cards. Cycled cards go to a cycled pile, which is shuffled when the draw deck is empty to re-form the draw deck. Eliminated cards are removed from the game.

This is a game about fighting over locations. There are two types, battlegrounds and paths, simulating both the epic battles and perilous journey of the books. After preparing the decks (both for players and locations), each player draws 7 cards, cycles 2, and the rounds begin.

Game in progress; image from here

In a given round, the following occurs: 

1. Location Step

The first player  'activates' one battleground and one path from the appropriate location decks, placing them in the center of the table. 

2. Action Step

Players take turns taking actions or passing. When all players have passed consecutively, this step ends.

Actions include playing characters, weapon, or item cards from the hand to the table (at either the battleground, path, or reserve areas), moving characters from reserve to a battleground or path, cycling a card, performing an action, or a few other things (see below summary card).

In the Action Step, it is important to note the limitations of playing cards: certain cards/factions can be played only to certain battlegrounds are paths.

3. Combat Step

Combat is resolved at each battleground and path active in that round. The attackers' collective offense is compared to the defenders' collective defense. The higher total wins that location (ties go to defense) and it is placed in the appropriate side's victory pile. All attacking characters and 'used' defenders are placed in the eliminated pile; 'unused' defenders go to the cycling pile. The victory points per location are either printed on it or (if the Shadow wins a path) based on the delta between 

4. Victory Check

Each sides' victory points are totaled. If the delta is 10 or greater, or the path is at 9, the higher point total wins. Otherwise, keep playing. The next player clockwise becomes the first player.

5. Draw Step

Each player draws cards based on their side (Free Peoples draw 3, Shadow 4). The next round begins, and the first player starts at step 1 above.

The summary card from the game; image from here

Review

This one is a mixed bag for me. 

- On the one hand, the overall concept is good. The game is simple enough to explain succinctly, the mechanics seem solid, the art is outstanding, and it is fun. 

- On the other hand, the limitations placed on battlegrounds and paths (limiting the factions that can participate), combined with the randomness of card draw, made for frustrating rounds. Some rounds, one player from a side might not be able to do much—or anything. I had one round with only Rohan cards, for example, when the battleground permitted only other factions. It feels odd to have a battle with only one side participating. In some cases, locations were resolved without any participating armies on either side.

In the end, I'd like another try. And maybe look at the 2-player variant. 

Rating: B

Green Lantern

Hal Jordan is a hotshot fighter pilot, like his father. He lives for himself and appears fearless. But all he knows is about to change . . .

The Green Lantern Corps, intergalactic peacekeepers, have protected galaxies for ages with their rings (powered by will). Years ago, the Lantern Abin Sur imprisoned Parallax, a powerful being fueled by fear. When Parallax escapes, attacks Sur, and defeats a squadron of other Lanterns, the Corps know they are in trouble. Must they turn to fear to defeat fear?

Abin Sur, injured, crashes to Earth. His ring chooses Jordan to take the Lantern mantle. But Hal is secretly afraid . . . is he worthy? He won't have time to find out . . . Parallax is coming.

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I watched this film when it released in 2011. I didn't care for it then, and it hasn't aged well. My two criticisms are plot speed and message:

- Plot speed: there is far too much going on for one film. There are two villains, plus Hal, plus the Corps, plus the foreshadowing of a third villian, plus the Guardians (immortals who rule the Corps). The backstory required was hastily covered, leading to some mystifying plot leaps or omissions. The climactic fight is hardly that. And while I don't normally put a lot of value in the action scenes, I found that disappointing.

- Message: a bit scattered, but the general point is "will overcomes fear." I think. But also "be fearless" (which is supposedly the only requirement to be a Lantern). But also "it's okay if you're afraid, but courage means overcoming that fear." Whatever the case, there are few if any redeeming messages.

This movie was panned by critics and audiences alike; supposedly it wasn't true to the source comic material, and the changes were not for the better. My children liked it better than I did, granting it an A- or B, respectively. For me, I say:

Rating: C- 

Amulet Volume 1: The Stonekeeper (Kazu Kibuishi)

Two years after their father died in a car crash, Emily, her brother Navin, and their mom leave the city to start fresh in their ancestral country home. But it is quickly apparent that the old house has its secrets, from a powerful amulet to mysterious monsters. When mom is captured, Em and Navin pursue into a whole new world, with surprises and perils around every corner. Can they rescue her before it's too late?

It is nice to get back to reading after spending a few months finishing the basement (see previous posts). This one was an impulse buy for my son's eighth birthday. He read it in a day and encouraged me to do the same. The first of many volumes (they've released eight so far), I found the story basic but the delivery captivating. I loved the artwork and am intrigued enough to read the second volume. But most of all, this book got my son reading, and for that, I give it high marks.

Rating: A-