Dauntlessmedia.net will be on hiatus for the next week. Summer has arrived and I’ll be taking a weeklong break from writing and posting reviews. See you on the flipside!
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Just what is the nature of love and relationships? How do we find our place within society’s expectations? And what happens when who we are is not what we are trying to be? “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is a movie that explores these ideas with very few definitive answers, save one: You must be true to who you are as a person – and discovering who you are is vital to finding true fulfillment. On that level, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is profound and provocative. Add in solid performances from the principle cast as well as some beautiful cinematography, and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic film.
Topics: Film Review
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“Sanctuary” is solid episode, weaving a subplot about Bajoran culture with a bigger plot about a civilization of refugees who suddenly appear through the wormhole. The overall writing of the episode successfully comments on themes of prejudice, tolerance, hope and despair. And while the pacing may occasionally stumble, and while the final climactic scene is a bit too hokey to be taken completely seriously, the end result is a classic installment of Deep Space Nine.
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The episode begins with a wonderfully framed musical performance from Vanari – a Bajoran who is attempting to revive Bajor’s cultural heritage following the Cardassian occupation. Aside from its aesthetics, the scene also establishes Bajor as a wounded, fragile civilization, struggling to regain its sense of self and even self-esteem. It’s a seemingly minor point which later plays a major role in the culmination of the episode’s story.
Following this, we get the first arrival of the Skrreeans – refugees from the Gamma Quadrant who managed to escape servitude when their masters were conquered by the Dominion. The initial sequences feature an impasse due to language – a problem which, it would seem, is far too uncommon in Trek. At any rate, despite a few too many scenes involving the Skrreeans doing something they shouldn’t, the language barrier helps establish the theme of finding common ground between cultures. Eventually the problem is overcome and Sisko and Kira learn that the Skrreeans have three million refugees waiting on the other side of the wormhole.
As it turns out, the Skrreeans believe that Bajor is none other than the long-prophesized “promised land” that was meant to be their home. The Bajorans, however, aren’t exactly thrilled at having three million aliens suddenly move onto their planet. The conflict is very real and plausible. And while the solutions may be emotionally unsatisfying, they certainly are realistic. In the end, the Bajorans reject the Skrreean petition for sanctuary on Bajor.
What’s interesting about the episode is that its own commentary on the subject is left rather vague. The Skrreean leader, Haneek, certainly has a valid point that much of the Bajoran decision was driven by their rather vulnerable self-identity. But Kira’s point about the Skrreeans having a very suitable homeworld to their own is also valid. Haneek’s point might carry a bit more weight, but her fanaticism with respect to Bajor nicely balances the equation.
Along the way, the situation inside DS9 is likewise adept at portraying the various perspective of those suddenly facing a large influx of “different” people. There’s prejudice and tolerance on both sides and the result is a solid texturing of the overall story.
The episode’s most awkward moment, though, is a climactic space battle (which takes place offscreen) between a Bajoran planetary patrol and a Skrreean ship piloted by Haneek’s son, Tumak. The scene blatantly reinforces the xenophobia of the Bajorans and the fanaticism of the Skrreeans. It’s superfluous and to the detriment of the episode.
“Sanctuary” is a classic episode of DS9, demonstrating the ability of the series to present a multi-faceted, richly textured story which takes an honest sincere look at relevant and often controversial issues. Despite a few bumps along the way, the episode’s main strength is its ability to use its characters in plausible ways to explore the episode’s ideas and concepts.
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Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is one helluva film. For starters, it’s not nearly as bad as the majority of critics make it out to be. But, then again, no one should mistake this for a really good film, either. The writing and acting are, at times, overly frantic and, at others, rather humdrum – often combining for some rather cheesy and awkward moments. The film is decidedly juvenile. And it slightly overstays its welcome. But it’s also fun. The action and effects are breathtaking and heart-pounding. And if big-action, shoot’em up–blow’em up flicks are your thing, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Revenge. It sure pleased the crowd at the theater. And for what it’s worth, I enjoyed myself, too.
Topics: Film Review, Sci-Fi
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“Valiant” is a more tightly focused narrative than its predecessor. It’s also not quite as good. Merlin, now Arthur’s manservant, is charged with helping his master succeed in a tournament designed to celebrate twenty years of peace in Camelot. Along the way, he must confront the nefarious magic of a tournament challenger, as well as the prejudices of the Royal Court. It’s not a bad story, or episode, but it’s hardly a classic, thanks to some obvious plot contrivances.
Topics: Fantasy, TV Reviews
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Think of a world in which prejudice is law. Imagine that the oppressed are, in fact, not only worthy, but also powerful. What if the folly of youth gave way to the potential for greatness? What if you had gifts, but did not know how to utilize it? The opening salvo of Merlin embraces these elements and forges a narrative out of them – one which is at once compelling and spellbinding. All told, the episode is notable for being something akin to a prequel – a precursor to the already legendary tales of King Arthur and the Wizard Merlin. To see the two as young, inexperienced, foolish men is a interesting, especially considering where the two are destined to find themselves.
And this is an episode about Destiny.
Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“Heart of Gold” is a surprisingly emotional episode, despite being filled with almost as many mistakes as successes. But by the time it is finished, this episode will most likely be remembered for what it does well. And rightly so. Because despite the missteps and awkwardly placed moments, the episode does indeed have a “heart of gold” — one that seems to be pulled in several directions at once. And by the time all is said and done, this still-beating heart is liable to be pulled right out.
Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“Second Sight” is a significant letdown. Rarely does an episode start so promisingly and end so miserably. Sadly, that’s the case here. You can certainly see what the episode was trying to accomplish –between the ideas of romance and dreams, between sacrifice and duty. But everything is undone by a plot that is so hopelessly obscure that it sabotages and undermines the emotional heart of the story.
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The episode begins with Sisko’s remembrance of the anniversary of his wife’s death at Wolf 359. It’s deep in the wee hours of the morning and his thoughts are touching and revealing about the depths of emotion he still has about his wife. And when Jake comes out to share a bad dream, the scene between father and son becomes quite touching – ending with a plausible and memorable shared “I love you.” Jake returns to bed and Sisko decides to stroll the promenade, lost in his thoughts. It’s here that he meets Fenna – a remarkably attractive and engaging woman who immediately sparks feelings within the widower.
The idea of Sisko finding the possibility of love again, following the death of his wife, is an intriguing concept. And the character of Fenna (at least initially) certainly does justice to the storyline, conveying a wonderfully captivating personality. The problem, however, is that she just keeps disappearing. In truth, she’s merely a psychological apparition, generated by the wife of a visiting terraforming scientist. The whole plot-twist element is simply dreadful. As a result, the benefits to such a twist are, like the character of Fenna, illusory.
True, it can be said that this allows the episode to explore how love can exist even in dreams – and it’s an interesting connection back to Jake’s original bad dream. But with all of the various ways to portray the romance between Sisko and Fenna as, essentially, an impossibly unrequited love, this was perhaps the worst possible choice. The whole psychological projection idea is just too esoteric. It involves far too much technobabble to even explain. And while it’s certainly plausible for those in an unhappy marriage to fantasize about a true love beyond their marriage, the story simply does no justice to the real emotional trauma that people in such situations feel.
About the only thing the episode might have had going for it was the insufferably arrogant scientist, Seyetik. He’s so self-aware of his conceit that it’s almost disarming. And the guy certainly proves to be jocular enough to pull a few scenes along out of sheer charisma. But he, too, is a victim of the overwrought plot. In the end, he sacrifices himself in his experiment to reignite a star to release his wife from her oath (conveniently for the episode, her species doesn’t believe in divorce, hence her despair).
“Second Sight” sets itself up to be a wonderfully introspective episode about love, dreams, and moving on from trauma. Instead, it devolves into contrivance and hollow twists. Not even the solid Sisko and Jake scenes can provide enough help to make this episode average.
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Kinetic.
That’s probably the best way to summarize Twister, a film that feels more like a thrill ride than a motion picture. Indeed, the picture is more concerned with creating a visceral response from its audience than it telling a truly artful or emotionally compelling tale. And it works. The dialogue is hokey. The characters are cliché and silly. And juvenile. The plot is preposterously implausible. But the whole damn thing works because it throws you in the midst of a natural phenomenon that very few of us have ever seen – let alone up close. And Twister gets you up close and personal with the star of the film: The tornadoes that seemingly haunt the land, appearing and disappearing like malevolent specters.
And despite the constant whirlwind, the film almost never lets you catch your breath.
Topics: Action, Film Review, Sci-Fi
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“Necessary Evil” features a surprisingly successful ending to an episode that begins with a great deal of difficulty. The episode itself is loosely modeled after film-noir, with its murder-mystery, voiceover work from Odo, and austere lighting from flashbacks to the time when the Cardassians ran Deep Space Nine. But the setup is a bit too cliché and a bit too slow and a bit too awkward to convincingly pull the audience in to the story. The result is that by the time the episode really gets into its more worthy segments, too much time has passed to really capitalize on them.
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The episode begins with Quark receiving a business proposition from a Bajoran woman whose husband ran a chemistry shop on DS9 during the Cardassian occupation. The husband had been murdered years earlier, but she wants something retrieved from the shop. Quark does the job and is promptly shot by a Bajoran accomplice. This sets Odo onto the trail of the would-be murderer. The present case bares some striking connections back to Odo’s first case as Constable on DS9 – the murder of the woman’s husband. And so the episode unfolds with both crimes as a focal point, making use of flashbacks. Of course, both crimes are connected – and solved – but the final resolution is what saves the episode and makes it a worthy installment.
The twist, of course, is that the original murder had been perpetrated by none other than Major Kira. Back during the occupation, she had managed to fool Odo into thinking her mission was one of sabotage, rather than assassination but, as it turns out, she was sent to uncover the names of Bajoran collaborators. The man had walked in on her and, in her own words, she “had no choice” but to kill him. Kira ends the episode by asking Odo if this means that their friendship is at an end. He says, “perhaps not” but it’s clear that the trust that the two had shared has become damaged. One wonders, though, if this moment will have any consequences beyond the episode.
Be that as it may, the character revelations and connections between Odo and Kira are certainly engaging enough – and worth exploring. Unfortunately the whole film-noir angle just doesn’t muster enough tension, suspense or even atmosphere to really be effective. Odo’s voiceovers seem unnecessary and out of place. And the lighting in the Cardassian flashback scenes is just too austere to be taken seriously – as if any large-scale operation could be successful or efficient under such conditions.
“Necessary Evil” is an episode more about style than it is about substance. The fact is, the episode takes far too long to really get into any deep character work. Even Odo’s comments about Justice don’t hold up because while they are interesting and relevant, they are conveyed against the backdrop of a near-comical presentation.
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The Curse of the Judas Chalice is a return to form for The Librarian series – to whatever extent The Librarian has a form worthy of returning to. In a sense, Judas Chalice is a much more immersive experience than its immediate predecessor, Return To King Solomon’s Mines. The humor is smarter, the story itself is much more coherent, and the characterizations are both plausible and engaging. All told, for a cheesy, silly film, The Curse of the Judas Chalice is worth the time – if you’re willing to put up with the nonsensical ploys.
Plus, this one has vampires.
Topics: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical
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“Rules of Acquisition” is the second episode to feature the Ferengi and their Grand Nagus. And like the first one, this installment is a mixed bag. The results here are slightly better, thanks to the episode’s rather obvious message against Ferengi misogyny – as well as the introduction of the mysterious Gamma Quadrant entity known as The Dominion. But the pacing, characters, and primary story are either too weak or too silly for the episode to be taken seriously. As a result, it doesn’t quite work either as a comedy or as a serious commentary.
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The episode begins with a Ferengi betting game in which Dax, of all people, is a participant. Her stated and continued fascination with the Ferengi is an interesting element to her character. But it also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, either – given the inherent sexism of the Ferengi. More to the point of the episode, though, is the introduction of a new waiter at Quark’s: a Ferengi named Pel who is well-versed in the Rules of Acquisition and who desperately wants to impress Quark. And when the Nagus himself arrives, the opportunities for profit will lead to a couple of revelations.
The first, and most significant to the episode, is the fact that Pel is, in fact, a Ferengi woman, masquerading as a male so that she can participate in activities other than waiting naked at home for her man to return. As a sideways commentary on the importance of gender equality, it’s an important point to make. But the episode doesn’t successfully make use of this revelation, instead opting for a quasi-romance between Quark and Pel.
But while Quark is said to also have feelings for Pel, the onscreen interactions between the two characters hardly demonstrate any real romance. And, in the end, Quark simply wants her off the station because he doesn’t approve of her decision to pretend to be a male – despite his stated “love” he still wants her to be naked and waiting at home, unseen by anyone else.
The other revelation comes by way of Quark’s negotiations with the ridiculously conceived Dosi race from the Gamma Quadrant. Their look is simply laughable – complete with red body paint and rhinestones (yes rhinestones) attached to their faces. Embarrassing would be too kind of a word for it. But they do point Quark in the direction of the Dominion – an important development for the future of the series.
About the only reason that “Rules of Acquisition” fares any better than Season One’s “The Nagus” is the inclusion of The Dominion, and the commentary about gender equality. But the rest of the episode is difficult to wade through.
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What’s that old saying? “There’s a thin line between love and hate.” Well, there seems to be a razor thin line between silly and lovable and flatout groan-inducing stupidity. After the unremarkable, but amusing Quest For The Spear, The Librarian returns with Return to King Solomon’s Mines. Whereas the first installment of this series found a happy medium between hokey humor and adventure, this particular installment is hopelessly cringeworthy, filled with moments that are more likely to induce groans than laughs. About all that this incarnation has going for it are the on-location visuals of Africa – which present a wonderfully panoramic backdrop for what is, otherwise, an extremely terrible film.
Topics: Adventure, Fantasy, Film Reviews, History, TV Reviews
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The problem with “Melora” is that it is both too obvious and too uncertain. The episode does everything but smack you in the head with its intent and yet it cannot seem to find a consistent message from start to finish. As with most DS9 episodes to date, the take on the episode’s central conflict – in this case the question of what it means to be disabled – is handled with some unexpected developments. And there are, in fact, a number of enjoyable scenes. But the whole production fails to gain any traction thanks to its unfocused plot and characterization.
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The episode is titled after Ensign Melora, an Elysian woman who, because of the low gravity of her home world, is confined to a wheelchair in the “normal” gravity of DS9. The setup is brutally transparent and while you have to give credit to the creators of DS9 to confront an important topic such as disabilities, you have to wonder about crafting an episode that is almost gratuitous in its approach.
It doesn’t help, either, that Melora’s character initially comes across as self-righteous, strident and outwardly insulting to anyone who even bothers to be friendly, much less offer help. The problem here is that the performance is just a bit too convincing. True, this is designed to help setup her subsequent change in attitude, thanks to Bashir (the scene where he confronts Melora is quite engaging), but instead of helping to develop any connection to Melora, the barbed exterior can easily turn viewers away from the character.
More to the point, Melora learns from Bashir that she can let people into her life and can rely on others – particularly in Starfleet where missions can be life-threatening. And yet, how could Ensign Melora have survived, let alone graduated, from Starfleet Academy with such a gruff exterior – with such a deep resentment of any collaboration with anyone? Wouldn’t a part of learning to be a Starfleet officer necessarily involve teamwork? Which, it would appear, is central to any Starfleet operation? And yet it’s left to Bashir to teach her such lessons. Of course, all of this is done to provide some dramatic heft to the episode, but again, the transparency leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Be that as it may, the two begin to share romantic feelings for one another (again, all too transparent) but this leads the episode’s second enjoyable scene: a conversation between Melora and Dax about love in Starfleet – with a wonderfully conceived musical piece in the background. But the episode simply isn’t content to stay with this plotline and shifts, yet again, to a technobabble procedure that Julian discovers will help Melora walk without her chair – for the price of not being able to go back to her homeworld again.
It’s this shifting of characterizations which really undermines Melora’s character. Instead of an evolving and growing character, we get one which is inconsistent. In the end, Melora moves on, convinced that it’s simply better to accept herself as she is – without needing to be “altered” to fit in. It’s a fine commentary, but it’s also the obvious one. And the roundabout way in which the episode arrives at what was so evident all along doesn’t help, either.
The subplot comes from Quark who is playing host to an old business partner. Unfortunately for Quark, the old business deal went sour and the partner has spent the past eight years in prison. Now that he’s back, he has one idea in mind: to kill Quark. Outside of Odo’s indulgent smile at the news, this plot is rather dull. Eventually Quark’s “friend” hijacks a shuttle, shoots Melora (who survives) and is captured by Melora (after she shuts off the shuttle’s gravity). It’s just a bit too perfunctory.
“Melora” is a slightly less-than-average episode thanks to its rather obvious and blatant plot, inconsistent characterizations and contrived ending. There are some enjoyable scenes and ideas, but they aren’t enough to overcome the episode’s detriments.
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