Time Travelers Never Die (book)

I haven't written a review in quite some time (almost three years). Truth be told I forgot I had this blog. :)

Yesterday I finished the book, Time Travelers Never Die, by Jack McDevitt. If you know me, you know I love stories about Time Travel. This novel, by an author I'd never read before, was extremely fun and enjoyable.

I'm not going to pretend that it was a masterpiece of literary genius, but it was a story I couldn't put down once it began. As always, no spoilers, so read on.

The book read, at times, like a travelogue that didn't advance the plot. Even so, I found those sequences interesting due to the nature of where (or when?) they were traveling.

The time travel theory was pretty solid and stayed consistent throughout the book--something difficult to find in fiction. The author found a creative, if not trivial, way around paradoxes that I had never thought of before. Perhaps it was a plot device, but it worked.

If I had to point out one main flaw in the book, I would say that it was extraordinarily predictable. Throughout about 60 percent of the book, I already knew what would happen next, or down the road. Some things were plainly (and painfully) obvious. The main characters didn't seem to be able to figure out how to solve problems they were encountered with until chapters (or even half the book) after I had already figured it out.

Don't get me wrong. It may sound like I'm being nothing but negative about this novel. In spite of the predictability I found it extremely enjoyable to read. It was, as I said, a very fun story. It was not overly nail-biting or suspenseful but it was an adventure that I didn't want to end.

The final few pages were a bit confusing, and there's one major point that was so confusing that I actually went back to re-read the chapter. It didn't help. Still, it wasn't enough to ruin the book for me. It left me wondering a bit, but did not affect the overall story.

One thing that struck me about the book after I had finished it was how clean it was. Hardly any bad language (if any), and no sexual content. Just an overall fun adventure through time with a few small mysteries mixed in. I enjoyed this book, and the author, enough that as soon as I put it down, I went to the computer and bought another book by the same author.

As it turns out, the author is 81 years old and has written many novels (and won many awards). His newest book (which sounded very interesting) turned out to be book 6 in a series. So I went and ordered book 1 of the series: A Talent for War (Time Travelers Never Die is a stand-alone novel and not related to this 6 book series). I'm excited to find a new author to read and hope this next book of his will be just as good.

My Rating: 4.2/5

My Recommendation: Read this book if you enjoy time travel stories. It was well thought-out and well executed. I didn't give it a 5 only because, while I loved this book, I can't say it's on my top list of best books ever. I just can't bring myself to categorize it with other great books that I've given a 5 to. This is likely due to some sections that seemed a bit slow in travelogue style. But don't let that sway you. It is fun and WORTH READING! :) Enjoy.

Invasive Procedures (book)

After reading Empire, I was hesitant to read another OSC card so soon. But I'm glad I did. I actually "read" this one in the form of an unabridged audio book. I'm putting that out there but I must acknowledge the possibility that I enjoyed this book so much simply because the reader was excellent (I've noticed that some audio book readers are better than others and enjoyment of the book can, unfortunately, be solely based upon that).

Invasive Procedures took place on our real, present, everyday world, but touched upon unlikely (science fiction) ideas. This is right up my alley. Any of you that know my taste in fiction, know that I really want to be able to believe that what I'm reading (or watching) could, on some level, actually happen. This novel did not take place in a distant future or in an alternate reality. The main character was just as mystified by the fantastical events taking place as you or I would be had we actually experienced what he did in real life. I really like that in story telling.

This novel dealt with advanced medicine, a crazy doctor wanting to change the world, and bio-chemical warfare. Very cool stuff.

I can't say that the story itself was extremely original, but it was mostly original.

Also, I did find a few times in which OSC would leave the reader hanging, as if he didn't want us to know the answer to some of his riddles, but to me they were obvious. Then, when the actual riddle is revealed (hypothetical example: THIS is what he was REALLY doing with the vaccine!!!!), I was like... DUH! Wasn't that obvious?

I've been realizing this more and more lately as I read fiction. I wonder if it's because I'm a writer as well. I can sometimes see right through the writer's plot devices.

Another plus for Invasive Procedures was that it grabbed me from the beginning. That's always a good thing.

My Rating: 4/5

My Recommendation: If you want a good relaxing read, pick it up. Relax out in a hammock under a palm tree. You'll enjoy it.

Get Smart (movie)

General Zod, Hiro Nakamura, Steve Carrell and the Rock... Best Cast Ever.

I LOVED Get Smart as a kid. Even though it was before my time I loved watching the old series. This movie adaption did not disappoint. It was clever, funny, creative and paid the right ammount of homage while keeping real with the times.

The types of jokes in Get Smart could have easily been over the top and silly/stupid rather than funny, but (thankfully) the director had a good eye for when too much was too much. The end result was an amazingly funny movie.

Steve Carrell is brilliant as he is in every movie. General Zod (known on some planets as Terrance Stamp) is just awesome because he is Zod. Hiro Nakamura is awesome because, well, DUH! And the Rock, Dwayne Johnson.... I've got to say this was my favorite performance of his. It was very real and believable.

I can't say that I saw the "twist" at the end coming, but then again I wasn't really looking for one.

If I had one complaint it'd be a couple of "yeah right" moments throughout the film. Like when Zod pulls out a key chain that has a little laser that cuts through concrete or titnaium or something like that: YEAH RIGHT.

All in all, I am still in shock a day later that this movie wasn't cheesier than it was. Given what they had to base a film off of, and given today's ideas about what is "funny" in a family film, it could have been a disaster. Thankfully it was far from disaster; it was a success.

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Recommendation: See it. Rent it at least. If you're the kind of person that likes to pop in a random comedy every now and then, buy it.

Wall-E (movie)

I finally got around to seeing this. I've been wanting to ever since it came out in the theaters. It was well worth the wait. Wall-E is a fantastic movie.

I don't know how they did it, but they managed to make robots cute. And I just loved every time Eva would say "Wall-E." So cute!

The movie was extremely entertaining. The plot was thin (humans dirty and fat, they destroy planet, they feel bad and try again), and the acting... well... not only was it CGI but there were hardly any words in the movie at all so I can't really comment on acting.

If there was one downfall, it'd be the blatant Dan Quail-ism. It was like the movie was screaming at me to stop being so fat and lazy. Oh, and if you litter or don't recycle, you're the scum of the Earth.

Sounds like I'm saying only "bad" stuff, but... it's really not. Good CGI, very entertaining, continuous movement of story....

I don't know what else to say about this movie. It's good. Watch it.

My Rating: 4/5 (I give a lot of 4 out of 5's don't I? I think I want to reserve the 5's for stellar, nearly-perfect, favorite movies. A 4 is any other really great movie that I wouldn't classify as a top 10) p.s. I reserve the right to have more than 10 on my top 10 list. :P

My Recommendation: Get it, rent it, buy it, watch it, see it

The Day The Earth Stood Still (movie - 2008)

I was very excited to see this movie when I saw the preview and, while it wasn't the most epic and fantastic movie of our day, it did not dissapoint.

Keanu Reeves, interestingly enough, is probably one of the worst actors ever, but he makes great movies. I must admit that I've pretty much liked every movie I've seen him in even though he himself pretty much sucks (Bill & Teds, Speed, Matrix Trillogy, and this movie).

This modern day adaption of the 1951 movie kept to the original story line fairly well but deviated enough to keep modern day audiences interested. As a matter of fact, while interesting, I found the original movie mostly dull and boring. This one, however, I would buy and add to my collection.

All that said, I would also agree that this movie is perhaps for a more sci-fi discriminating fan. Those who are not avid (or at least moderate) sci-fi lovers might find this movie a bit odd or strange, and perhaps even slow at parts.

I found it to be a great mixture of story, special FX, acting, emotion, and culture.

There is one major flaw, however, and it involves a spoiler. So if you plan on seeing it (and you should) then stop reading here.

The Flaw (spoiler alert): At the end of the movie, Klaatu agrees with the woman and the scientist that Earth deserves a second chance because it is only in the face of annilation that a culture can change. They assure him that they can change. So Klaatu stops Earth from being destroyed. But this informtion NEVER gets out to anyone! So far as the rest of the BILLIONS of people on the plannet, some weird things happened inexplicably and then they suddenly stopped and now everything is back to normal. What's to make them change??? No one ever told them that they SHOULD change! In this respect, the original movie was much better.

Also, the Earth "standing still" played little to no part in this movie. That was dumb.

My Rating: 4/5

My Recommendation: Buy it, See it. If you're not into sci-fi, rent it, you still may enjoy it.

The Road (book)

I actually read this book before I started blogging, but it was a good book and I wanted to put my short review out there.

This was an Oprah book of the month, which made me really hesitant to read it. But the premise behind the book (post apocolyptic world) made it interesting enough for me to pick it up.

It was very strange how the whole book was written without any quotation marks. But after a few pages I got used to it.

It's just a father and a son, trying to survive in a world where it rains ash and people would kill you if you had two beans in a can. It was very real and I really got to know the characters. There was one really touching scene in which the two find an old storm cellar full of food. I never thought I would cry when I read that a 10 year old ate a canned peach, but I did.

I would say that the style of this book is more for the literary fiction crowd and not so much the sci-fi crowd. But I do think both parties would enjoy the book.

My Rating: 4.5/5 (minus half a point for some drag, and seemingly repeated scenes)
My Rating: Get it. Read it.

James Bond: Quantum of Solace (movie)

I love Bond flicks. Who doesn't? No matter how many they make, they are always entertaining and somehow, suprisingly, they manage to drum up newer and newer ways for action scenes to be at least somewhat original.

This was the "chase" movie in my opinion. They had some pretty good chases on foot, in cars, on boats, and even one in airplanes. These writers didn't let any idea pass over thier desks without snatching it up.

Daniel Craig did a great job, of course. But I do miss the nonchelant, nothing worries me, suave smile of Pierce Brosnan. I didn't start watching Bond movies until Pierce's first movie so for me, he is my Bond in the same way that Christopher Reeve is my Superman. I love Daniel Craig, but he just seems so emotionally distraught by everything around him. It's like a new side of Bond: inner termoil.

Now for the negative stuff. The movie took place in La Paz Bolivia, where I lived for 2 years. The problem is that none of the movie was actually filmed in Bolivia, and it was very apparant to someone like me who spent so much time there. Thankfully these things would not be noticed by others. The hats the "Bolivian" women wore were so obviously peruvian. The streets in the movie were all paved (95% of Bolivian streets are stone or dirt, rarely do you find a paved road).

And one more thing: What the heck is "Quantum of Solace" and what does it have to do with this movie? It was never explained (or if it was, it was brief and not obvious). I would have rather this movie been called: "Bond Blows Up Bolivia." That would fit nicely.

My Rating: 4/5

My Recommendation: Rent it. Buy it if you're a Bond fan, Rent it if you want a good popcorn flick for a night.

The Incredible Hulk - 2008 (movie)

Well let me start out by saying that this film far surpassed its 2003 predecessor--but I expected no less from Edward Norton.

The Incredible Hulk did something AMAZING in the first 5 minutes of the movie. It did something that Superman Returns sorely lacked. This was, in fact, a sequel to the 2003 film, which I was not expecting (I thought it was going to be a reboot). But instead of just assuming that everyone knew the back story and going on (like Superman Returns did), they spent about 5 minutes flashing newspaper headlines and flashbacks to remind (or even tell) audiences what the upcoming move was based on. After seeing this superbly played out, I sincerely believe that if Superman Returns had used this same tactic, it would have been twice as successful as it actually was.

The Incredible Hulk was super entertaining, had pretty good (though not perfect) cgi, and some awesome action and fight scenes, but it was not without its flaws.

Edward Norton is pretty much great in every movie he's in, and while this was no oscar-worthy performance, he did a fine job. The movie was complete with a great King Kong scene on the cliff in the rain, a cameo by Lou Ferrigno (original Hulk from the 1978 TV series), and of course a cameo by Stan Lee, and even paraded Liv Tyler's pouty-face, slow-walking, teary-eyed poor excuse for acting.

If I had to find flaws in the movie (other than Liv Tyler), it would be, one, why on earth can't the Hulk talk when he becomes the Hulk? He suddenly becomes Frankenstein or something. Weird. And two, the plot. While a pretty awesome movie, the plot was basically: "Me am green monster, Army chase me. The End." Aside from VERY small side stories here and there, that was basically the premise of the movie. Oh well, guess you can't win them all.

My Rating: 4/5 (for poor plot and some bad cgi -- though most of it was good)

My Recommendation: See it! Great movie. Maybe rent it. I'm on the border between rent and buy. I guess it depends if you're a super hero fan or not. If you're not huge into super hero movies, then just rent it, you'll still like it. If your a hero-nerd like me, buy it.

The Recruit (movie)

When this movie came out I really wanted to see it but never got around to it. Some friends told me it wasn't as good as it looked in the previews. I, however, like to make my own judgments as I have hated many movies that most people liked (a la Phantom of the Opera) and I've liked many movies that most people hated (a la Starship Troopers).

The Recruit was a good movie. It kept me guessing throughout. The setup of the movie is that Colin Ferrel goes through CIA training camp where he's given lots of tests. Then he's put on a real assignment but, no, it's a test. Then he's put on a REAL real assignment, but is it really a test?

The premise itself seemed to be predictable. About halfway through the movie felt I was being really clever in determining what was fake and what was real. I thought I had it all figured out. But, thankfully, the direction and writing did in fact keep me guessing. I won't venture to say that it was the most unpredictable movie ever, but it held its own.

It's tough to say too much about the movie without giving things away. But I will say that the ending was quite anti-climactic. The buildup was intense and deep. Twists and turns seemed to be the norm right up to the end. When you find out who the bad guy is and who is really behind everything it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth. It didn't live up to the expectation that they promoted, in my opinion.

Colin Ferrel and Al Pacino both gave great performances, but if you want a REALLY GOOD movie that keeps you guessing as to what is fake and what is real, I recommend: The Game. Now THAT was a fantastic movie.

My Rating: 3.9/5 (I was all ready to give this a 4/5 for it's entertainment, acting, direction, execution, etc, but that ending was anticlimactic enough to send it into the "3" realm for me)

My Recommendation: Rent it. It's worth a viewing. It's a fun movie for a night at home.

Hancock (movie)

This movie was full of poor special FX, little to no character development, a lack of motives for anything, cheesy sequences, and too much information packed into a short movie, not to mention it wasn't the deepest plot in the whole world.

I loved every minute of it.

From my comments above you can see that I won't pretend that it was a perfect movie. It had a great deal of flaws but I have two things to say: Will Smith, and Superhero. I love both of these things and this movie brought them together.

The special FX were poor only in thy flying sequences. Apparantly it is difficult to make it look like a man can actually fly. the other FX were actually quite good--especially the downtown fight scene with lighting and tornadoes happening. It was great.

There was a lack of character development and character motive and this was my biggest complaint. Characters just seemed to appear out of nowhere and we were supposed to care about them but there was no time given to developing these characters enough to accomplish that. Here's an example: Hancock bad. He mean. "hey Hancock, you should be good instead." Okay, I try that too now." There you go, I just gave away the first 15 minutes of the movie.

Last but not least, I felt the movie went too fast. Things were just happening left and right. Scenes changed and characters moved on to different ideas and events before you could digest the event that just occurred. The filming and direction seemed too clipped and edited and I would have liked a bit more time spent on each event.

Now that that's out of the way: the movie was great. While it was not Smith's best performance, i would say that it is a nice addition to his portfolio. When compared his other movies such as Legend of Baggar Vance, I am Legend, the Pursuit of Happiness, i Robot, etc etc.... it rounds out his amazing acting ability. Just take a look at his movie list and you'll realize what a stud the Fresh Prince really is.

I loved seeing Hancock do all the things that we all wished Superman could do on the big screen. You know, things like mess with the bad guys, or stop a train by simply smashing into it. That was pretty cool. Not to mention that Hancock seemed immensely more powerful than Superman.

The story line wasn't terribly deep, but it wasn't the kiddie pool either. The guy's got amnesia and you slowly learn about his past. It was a good enough story to keep the interest going.

I must also admit that I found the movie unpredictable. Every turn of events was something that I could not have seen coming.

Over all I'd say great stuff. If you like Will Smith, see it. If you like superheroes, it's a must-see. If you're a movie critic with acute criticism and no taste for rubbish or sub-par literary works... then skip it.

My Rating: 4/5 (maybe 3.7/5 but the extra 0.3 points are for superheroes being cool)
My Recommendation: See it. Rent it. If you're a superhero fan or a Will Smith fan, buy it.

Ocean's 13

The Ocean movies are very fun. I just finished watching this one. First, I would have to say that it was very entertaining and better than the second movie. Honestly I thought it paralleled the first movie.

In this one they go back to Vegas and rip off another big casino billionaire. But this time they're not really in it for the money themselves; they just want the casino manager to get screwed.

The way they set the whole thing up is, as expected, very detailed and meticulous. It was far from predictable (except for the fact that you know from the start that Danny Ocean and his crew are going to come out victorious), but if you know the format of these movies, you know that things aren't what they seem. When someone is caught by the gaming commission and exposed, you know that it's a setup. When a plan fails, you know they have a backup plan, etc.

Still, the pace was fast and steady. Drawbacks? Julia Roberts wasn't in this one. I thought she was very good in the first two movies. I also didn't like that they don't really explain how they seem to have access to EVERYTHING. They can get into every room in the casino, they can get ahold of any uniform they need, etc. Also, Danny Ocean and his crew are basically known for having ripped off Terry Benedict in the first movie; there's no way they'd be allowed to just walk around in a new casino and not questioned. It was weird how they just seemed to brush over all of that.

Still, a very good movie and worth your time. A great popcorn flick.

My Rating: 4.5/5 (almost a 5, but hey, I can't give every movie a 5)
My Recommendation: Get some friends together, pop some popcorn and rent it or buy it.

Cocoon (Movie)

Last night Megan went to a Pampered Chef party so I had a few hours to kill. I haven't seen Cacoon for probably 15 years or so, so I popped it in. It was like watching a completely new movie. I literally remembered nothing about it.

It was very cute. A bunch of old people in a retirement community discover the fountain of youth (alien cocoons in a swimming pool). It's funny and entertaining to see these old folks become rejuvenated. It's also a touching movie about the sanctity of life and the heartbreak of death.

I'd say this is a great family flick, but there is some vulgar humor and even a random (completely unnecessary) butt scene. So save it for the adults, but it's worth a view.

By the way, I just learned that there is a sequel to this movie. Guess I'll have to go check that one out now.

My Rating: 3.8 (maybe 4) out of 5 for it's entertainment value and great soundtrack.
My Recommendation: See it, but I don't know I'd spend $5 to rent it. Get someone else to rent it, or find it in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart.