Thoughts on Warehouse 13 & Clash of the Titans
Since its too warm to sleep and I was in a movie-mood, I watched and am watching a few of those that are still in my queue. But first I want to mention a tv series I discovered for myself: Warehouse 13. Anyone who likes Fringe, Torchwood or even Doctor Who (yay!) and the likes should have a look into that one. Season 2 has just begun and the old episodes as well as - of course - the new ones can be found with the usual suspects for those that unfortunately are unable to get British or American Channels. Basically it has your two main generic characters (not -too- happy with those as they are a bit cliché, but they are nice for some comic relief) that hunt down what they like to call 'artifacts'. There is almost always some lovable technobabble involved that explains how an artifact -can-, actually, make people... say... (minor spoilers) think they can fly which is of course what reminds me the most about Doctor Who. So, yeah, although the artifacts aren't ALIEN, per se, imo it doesn't really make that much of a difference. There are still bad guys *shrugs*
My personal favourite is the couples' Boss (although technically, he is more of the tech support than the 'Boss') as he provides the most technobabble so far and is even a bit... Well, Doctor-ish :) He tends to ramble and go on about how fascinating and brilliant an artifact is and the couple just stand there going 'huh' or are annoyed as he is not getting to the point. I <3 him and want him as a stuffed toy nao.
Ahem. On to not-so-nice thingies. Like Clash of the Titans.
Come on.
I mean, I know that we are working with Lore and Fantasy and Action here, so I don't EXPECT realism, but how about some -good- storytelling and less irritating scene cuts? It was confusing! *grumbles* Well, not confusing as in I didn't get the whole plot and everything, but it kept me, personally, from enjoying most of the action scenes for what they were. Spoilers and specific scene descriptions ahead. You have been warned.
- The main characters (MC in the future) family. So they pull up this big scene about the MC being worried that he won't be loved and everything once his sibling is there (which he knew for some reason as his mother didn't even have a baby bump yet) and then they never even establish a connection between him and his sister. Not. a. word. Same with the mother. They both don't even -touch- him! Wth? Character development, anyone? It would have added so much more flavour if they added just a bit more to that scene with the mother or later on the ship that the sister made something for him or whatever... Something he keeps as a memento around his neck or something once they are dead. Details, flavour, ya know?
- So MC is a speshul snowflake and all that jazz and there is nothing different about him? I mean, no one noticed anything whatsoever? Oh, but suddenly a GOD's ability doesn't work on MC, right? Uhm................. WHY? God trumps halfgod any day in my book. Just sayin'.
- MC and his group of redshirts (unfortunately) manages to cut off bad pawn A's hand. A scene follows with said cut off hand - being left alone - sort of mutates. Cut to a giant scorpion emerging. Whoa, the hand changed into THAT? Cool. Cut cut cut cut cut... Wait... was that just a weird cut or do we have two scorpions now...? cut cut cut... Those ARE two scorpions. Huh... What... but... cut cut cut cut cut 2 scorpions dead. 3 more (and bigger) scorpions show up. WHAT? Later on we see scorpions used as transport animals. The hand does not come up again. EVAR. So either each digit of the hand devleoped into a different scorpion (but then why the 3 different sizes... 2 small, 2 medium, 1 big?), or... the hand had no significance at all and the scorpions belong to the desert area (which sort of makes sense since we are talking about legends and fantasies here with Hydras and whatnot). Keep in mind that the hand definitely sort of mutated in that short visible scene, but never split up or anything. Its just weird... Kept distracting me from the action on screen.
- In general I was disappointed that every single one of the MC's troops had to die in the 3 fights they fought at his side (exception: the two that bailed on him that were a bit funny :) ). I mean... come on. Veteran soldiers and one even deliberately looks into Medusas' eyes to get turned into stone? One deliberately EXPLODES himself AFTER realising that he can not be turned into stone despite (sort of) being a man, damaging her just slightly or so it seems? Really? You could not, you know, do something else that would have... you know... kept you -alive-?
- The MC gets neither the other half-god girl nor the princess because... he is busy riding into the sunset. No, I am serious. He is literally riding across the screen over a beach in one of the last scenes... off into the sunset ARGH!
- And during all this time, he constantly claims that he is doing this as a man, not a demigod. Yeah, right. ANYONE could do this, thats why ALL of your guys are -dead-... because ANYONE can do this... -.- Are you fucking serious? Even Zeus is all like "ha, but now the world knows a man can stop him" (bad guy) at the end... No, it doesn't! A demigod did it! A demigod with a sword from the gods and a pegasus! A sword that he didn't even want to pick up because darn, it might have saved some of his troops' lifes after all! *nerdrage*
Last but not least: There were no Titans in that movie. Misleading title is misleading :-/
The good points, you ask?
- Medusa is absolutely beautiful and stunning. I would kiss her in a heartbeat. And I am safe from her stone gaze! Yay :)
- The old soldier is pet-material.
- A scene involving a flute that is broken, upon which promptly a new flute is produced. Cute :)
- One of the guys that bails yelling 'wheeeeeee' (might have been 'huiiii' instead) and rushing forward at the prospect of riding on a giant scorpion. Epic.
- Beautiful Pegasi are beautiful.
As a not so relevant side note: the movie (in my opinion) did not pass the Bechdel test thingie...
Are there two or more women in it (who have names)? Check. Andromeda and the demigod girl have names.
Do the women speak to each other? Andromeda and her mother talk very briefly and technically, her mother only talks -about- her, not with her
Do they talk about something other than a man? See above.
----
Going to watch A-Team now *hrhr* Murdoc! *roots*
My personal favourite is the couples' Boss (although technically, he is more of the tech support than the 'Boss') as he provides the most technobabble so far and is even a bit... Well, Doctor-ish :) He tends to ramble and go on about how fascinating and brilliant an artifact is and the couple just stand there going 'huh' or are annoyed as he is not getting to the point. I <3 him and want him as a stuffed toy nao.
Ahem. On to not-so-nice thingies. Like Clash of the Titans.
Come on.
I mean, I know that we are working with Lore and Fantasy and Action here, so I don't EXPECT realism, but how about some -good- storytelling and less irritating scene cuts? It was confusing! *grumbles* Well, not confusing as in I didn't get the whole plot and everything, but it kept me, personally, from enjoying most of the action scenes for what they were. Spoilers and specific scene descriptions ahead. You have been warned.
- The main characters (MC in the future) family. So they pull up this big scene about the MC being worried that he won't be loved and everything once his sibling is there (which he knew for some reason as his mother didn't even have a baby bump yet) and then they never even establish a connection between him and his sister. Not. a. word. Same with the mother. They both don't even -touch- him! Wth? Character development, anyone? It would have added so much more flavour if they added just a bit more to that scene with the mother or later on the ship that the sister made something for him or whatever... Something he keeps as a memento around his neck or something once they are dead. Details, flavour, ya know?
- So MC is a speshul snowflake and all that jazz and there is nothing different about him? I mean, no one noticed anything whatsoever? Oh, but suddenly a GOD's ability doesn't work on MC, right? Uhm................. WHY? God trumps halfgod any day in my book. Just sayin'.
- MC and his group of redshirts (unfortunately) manages to cut off bad pawn A's hand. A scene follows with said cut off hand - being left alone - sort of mutates. Cut to a giant scorpion emerging. Whoa, the hand changed into THAT? Cool. Cut cut cut cut cut... Wait... was that just a weird cut or do we have two scorpions now...? cut cut cut... Those ARE two scorpions. Huh... What... but... cut cut cut cut cut 2 scorpions dead. 3 more (and bigger) scorpions show up. WHAT? Later on we see scorpions used as transport animals. The hand does not come up again. EVAR. So either each digit of the hand devleoped into a different scorpion (but then why the 3 different sizes... 2 small, 2 medium, 1 big?), or... the hand had no significance at all and the scorpions belong to the desert area (which sort of makes sense since we are talking about legends and fantasies here with Hydras and whatnot). Keep in mind that the hand definitely sort of mutated in that short visible scene, but never split up or anything. Its just weird... Kept distracting me from the action on screen.
- In general I was disappointed that every single one of the MC's troops had to die in the 3 fights they fought at his side (exception: the two that bailed on him that were a bit funny :) ). I mean... come on. Veteran soldiers and one even deliberately looks into Medusas' eyes to get turned into stone? One deliberately EXPLODES himself AFTER realising that he can not be turned into stone despite (sort of) being a man, damaging her just slightly or so it seems? Really? You could not, you know, do something else that would have... you know... kept you -alive-?
- The MC gets neither the other half-god girl nor the princess because... he is busy riding into the sunset. No, I am serious. He is literally riding across the screen over a beach in one of the last scenes... off into the sunset ARGH!
- And during all this time, he constantly claims that he is doing this as a man, not a demigod. Yeah, right. ANYONE could do this, thats why ALL of your guys are -dead-... because ANYONE can do this... -.- Are you fucking serious? Even Zeus is all like "ha, but now the world knows a man can stop him" (bad guy) at the end... No, it doesn't! A demigod did it! A demigod with a sword from the gods and a pegasus! A sword that he didn't even want to pick up because darn, it might have saved some of his troops' lifes after all! *nerdrage*
Last but not least: There were no Titans in that movie. Misleading title is misleading :-/
The good points, you ask?
- Medusa is absolutely beautiful and stunning. I would kiss her in a heartbeat. And I am safe from her stone gaze! Yay :)
- The old soldier is pet-material.
- A scene involving a flute that is broken, upon which promptly a new flute is produced. Cute :)
- One of the guys that bails yelling 'wheeeeeee' (might have been 'huiiii' instead) and rushing forward at the prospect of riding on a giant scorpion. Epic.
- Beautiful Pegasi are beautiful.
As a not so relevant side note: the movie (in my opinion) did not pass the Bechdel test thingie...
Are there two or more women in it (who have names)? Check. Andromeda and the demigod girl have names.
Do the women speak to each other? Andromeda and her mother talk very briefly and technically, her mother only talks -about- her, not with her
Do they talk about something other than a man? See above.
----
Going to watch A-Team now *hrhr* Murdoc! *roots*