This week's episode of The Office seemed uneventful compared to the previous one. It simply consisted of two gags being drawn out for a long time. The episode becomes serious where it should be funny when Michael begins to regret spying on a family business, and the argument concerning whether Hilary Swank is hot seems silly compared to the raucous slapstick of the duel over Angela.
I do, however, understand, that this episode is merely an ordinary episode in the season, and not one of the major ones. The finale for the show will be worth looking forward to. I predict that Jim will definitely marry Pam, and Angela will most likely become reunited with Dwight. Although she has earned her current state of being rejected by both Dwight and Andy, if the series is to end this season, all conflicts will be resolved. Dwight will most likely take an interest in her again, for whatever reason, because that will be the most fulfilling ending for the major struggle in Season 5. I think that Michael, though, who has had a different girlfriend every season, will remain single, and end the finale giving an awkward remark to the camera.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Remarks Concerning The Mummy III
Last night, I watched The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor for the first time. It was definitely an enjoyable movie to see, but there seems to be a drastic decline in the quality of the Mummy movies. The original The Mummy had an excellent storyline, an element of horror, and was set in Egypt. It had a dark and mysterious feel to it. The Mummy Returns was a good movie as well, although taking more of an action-adventure flavor. This flavor has repeated but has unfortunately become distasteful in the third installment of the series.
The movie begins with probably the most commonplace introduction possible. Telling of a warrior conquering the known world and then becoming cursed is an introductory sequence already used in the series, and using it again simply makes the film seem repetitive. The focus then switches to the retired hero of the previous films, portraying him as finished with his adventures. Unfortunately, necessary character development is lacking. A different actress portrays the heroine of the previous films, disconnecting the series by disallowing the audience to easily picture the recurring characters in their minds. And before this major change in casting can be adjusted to, the focus switches again to the O'Connells' son, who was only a boy in The Mummy Returns. This transition is made with absolutely no character development, showing him immediately opening the Emperor's tomb and fighting a female ninja. He immediately recognizes this enemy the next time he sees her, but they suddenly join forces against the general trying to summon the Emperor. For a story portraying retired heroes and starring a different cast than the prequel, the plot seems rushed to the action, with nothing spectacular. The characters are simply created and then thrust into the plot.
The plot of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is also quite below average. The summoning of yetis to defeat the Chinese commandos is obviously an enormous deus ex machina. The Emperor's general is thrown down two flights of stairs by a yeti and is later crushed by an avalanche, yet miraculously survives without breaking a single bone. The final battle lacks the climatic tension one would expect it to have. The terracotta army intends to become invincible by reaching the Great Wall, but they never even come near it. The army of undead holds them off easily, and most of the Emperor's remaining forces are easily broken into pieces by bullets. Jet Li's character is the only villain in the entire movie who ever seems to pose a real danger. The general's miraculous powers of survival return at the end, when he survives a direct hit to his motorcycle from a bomb, and must be crushed and juiced between two turning wheels to be killed off. Essentially, the plot exists as an excuse to show overdone action sequences.
The third Mummy does not measure up at all to its prequels, and is basically a series of fights that the heroes never come close to losing. There is no horror at all as there was in the first movie, and the final battle does not have the desperate feel of the battles in The Mummy Returns. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is unfortunately somewhat of a B-movie action flick, despite its great potential.
The movie begins with probably the most commonplace introduction possible. Telling of a warrior conquering the known world and then becoming cursed is an introductory sequence already used in the series, and using it again simply makes the film seem repetitive. The focus then switches to the retired hero of the previous films, portraying him as finished with his adventures. Unfortunately, necessary character development is lacking. A different actress portrays the heroine of the previous films, disconnecting the series by disallowing the audience to easily picture the recurring characters in their minds. And before this major change in casting can be adjusted to, the focus switches again to the O'Connells' son, who was only a boy in The Mummy Returns. This transition is made with absolutely no character development, showing him immediately opening the Emperor's tomb and fighting a female ninja. He immediately recognizes this enemy the next time he sees her, but they suddenly join forces against the general trying to summon the Emperor. For a story portraying retired heroes and starring a different cast than the prequel, the plot seems rushed to the action, with nothing spectacular. The characters are simply created and then thrust into the plot.
The plot of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is also quite below average. The summoning of yetis to defeat the Chinese commandos is obviously an enormous deus ex machina. The Emperor's general is thrown down two flights of stairs by a yeti and is later crushed by an avalanche, yet miraculously survives without breaking a single bone. The final battle lacks the climatic tension one would expect it to have. The terracotta army intends to become invincible by reaching the Great Wall, but they never even come near it. The army of undead holds them off easily, and most of the Emperor's remaining forces are easily broken into pieces by bullets. Jet Li's character is the only villain in the entire movie who ever seems to pose a real danger. The general's miraculous powers of survival return at the end, when he survives a direct hit to his motorcycle from a bomb, and must be crushed and juiced between two turning wheels to be killed off. Essentially, the plot exists as an excuse to show overdone action sequences.
The third Mummy does not measure up at all to its prequels, and is basically a series of fights that the heroes never come close to losing. There is no horror at all as there was in the first movie, and the final battle does not have the desperate feel of the battles in The Mummy Returns. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is unfortunately somewhat of a B-movie action flick, despite its great potential.
Monday, December 29, 2008
A Movie I Watched
I saw Casablanca for the first time yesterday. It is, suffice to say, one of the best movies I have ever seen.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Comparison of the Homeric Epics
On my Classical Literature final last Tuesday, there was an essay question asking which of Homer's epics, the Iliad or the Odyssey, I preferred. This question has come up again several times in conversations with various people. But how can such a question be answered? The epics are equally famous, equally great and have each made an impact upon society. Each one is interesting and inspirational in its own way. To prefer one over the other should therefore require a more careful analysis of the story itself, and not merely a personal opinion.
The question of the preferred poem becomes more difficult when the genres of the poem are taken into account. The Iliad is a war story, and a tragedy: Achilles' tragic flaw is his bitter anger, which causes the deaths of many of his men, including his best friend. Achilles avenges Patroklos, but his actions have caused him to fall into a state of mourning, and he awaits his foretold death. The Odyssey, is a plot-oriented, adventurous story of Odysseus' journey and return home. It has a complete story with an ending favorable to the protagonist, with Odysseus' return and the restoration of his defiled household. One reader may prefer one or the other based on the structure of the plot, but since the plots are of different genres, they cannot be the sole cause of one's opinion concerning the superority of either epic.
Perhaps it is better to analyze which of the epics utilizes its given structure in a better way. A good story, indeed, needs a strong, gripping plot. The Iliad may be a tragedy, but much of the action has little to do with the story's conclusion, instead being detailed descriptions of every battle. While these battle scenes may be exciting to the reader, they are not plot driven, and do not add to the tension of the story. The Odyssey has a more prevalent plot throughout the story, with each event adding to the tension. Each time a servant recognizes Odysseus, it adds to the reader's interest in the story as the hero prepares for the inevitable battle. The battle at the end is the climax of the plot, not merely another bloodbath, as it is the awaited scene that has been foreshadowed throughout the previous chapters. The detail in Odysseus' battle against the suitors is not simply to add to the excitement, but to tell the reader how the story ends.
The ending of the story and the author's use of foreshadowing is another factor that differentiates the epics. In the Iliad, it is declared halfway into the story that Patroklos will be slain by Hektor and avenged by Achilles. This blatant foreshadowing gives away the plot twists before they happen. In the Odyssey, the prophecies point to Odysseus' battle with the suitors, but the plot does not rely on these prophecies: it develops independent of them, with Odysseus suffering many trials while disguised as a beggar, and choosing to whom he ought to reveal his identity. The reader of the Odyssey knows of the inevitable battle, but the outcome is not openly revealed, allowing tension to rise up to the climax.
The Odyssey can thus be declared the better story. Although it has perhaps less action than the Iliad, it has a well-constructed plot, with every element leading to a climax. The Iliad explains what events will happen and then allows them to happen, but the Odyssey is more vague about these things, focusing instead on how Odysseus cleverly makes his return. I therefore prefer the Odyssey for its being a more complete, plot-driven story.
The question of the preferred poem becomes more difficult when the genres of the poem are taken into account. The Iliad is a war story, and a tragedy: Achilles' tragic flaw is his bitter anger, which causes the deaths of many of his men, including his best friend. Achilles avenges Patroklos, but his actions have caused him to fall into a state of mourning, and he awaits his foretold death. The Odyssey, is a plot-oriented, adventurous story of Odysseus' journey and return home. It has a complete story with an ending favorable to the protagonist, with Odysseus' return and the restoration of his defiled household. One reader may prefer one or the other based on the structure of the plot, but since the plots are of different genres, they cannot be the sole cause of one's opinion concerning the superority of either epic.
Perhaps it is better to analyze which of the epics utilizes its given structure in a better way. A good story, indeed, needs a strong, gripping plot. The Iliad may be a tragedy, but much of the action has little to do with the story's conclusion, instead being detailed descriptions of every battle. While these battle scenes may be exciting to the reader, they are not plot driven, and do not add to the tension of the story. The Odyssey has a more prevalent plot throughout the story, with each event adding to the tension. Each time a servant recognizes Odysseus, it adds to the reader's interest in the story as the hero prepares for the inevitable battle. The battle at the end is the climax of the plot, not merely another bloodbath, as it is the awaited scene that has been foreshadowed throughout the previous chapters. The detail in Odysseus' battle against the suitors is not simply to add to the excitement, but to tell the reader how the story ends.
The ending of the story and the author's use of foreshadowing is another factor that differentiates the epics. In the Iliad, it is declared halfway into the story that Patroklos will be slain by Hektor and avenged by Achilles. This blatant foreshadowing gives away the plot twists before they happen. In the Odyssey, the prophecies point to Odysseus' battle with the suitors, but the plot does not rely on these prophecies: it develops independent of them, with Odysseus suffering many trials while disguised as a beggar, and choosing to whom he ought to reveal his identity. The reader of the Odyssey knows of the inevitable battle, but the outcome is not openly revealed, allowing tension to rise up to the climax.
The Odyssey can thus be declared the better story. Although it has perhaps less action than the Iliad, it has a well-constructed plot, with every element leading to a climax. The Iliad explains what events will happen and then allows them to happen, but the Odyssey is more vague about these things, focusing instead on how Odysseus cleverly makes his return. I therefore prefer the Odyssey for its being a more complete, plot-driven story.
Welcome to this Blog
I have, at last, started the blog that I have been planning to write. I have decided to create this blog to post thoughts and ideas for discussion. Obviously, being young and foolish, some of my ideas may be inaccurate or incorrect, so feel free to correct me where I am wrong.
If you are posting comments, please do not post any offensive material, or flame anyone. Thank you.
If you are posting comments, please do not post any offensive material, or flame anyone. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)