Change of mood

[bookzombie]

Okay, even I have to admit that my postings have been a bit wingy recently (and I'm not going to mention the thing that happened at work today which could potentially double my work load over the next three or four weeks...).

So, on a different theme some more fun stuff.


A week or so ago we saw two very different superhero films. First was the cinema for <i>X-Men: The Last Stand</i>. I think I'd sum it up as rather better than I was expecting from the reviews but still not a patch on the second one. It pushed all the summer blockbuster buttons competently enough but overall it was just a bit too <i>busy</i>. Trying to do the Dark Phoenix saga and the 'Mutant Cure' story in the same film meant that you had a bit of DP stuff at the beginning and the end but just had Jean Grey standing around looking moody for the rest of it (mind you, was I the only person who found the Phoenix destruction effects really unpleasant given the certificate?). As other people have mentioned, Angel just wasn't muscular and, well, <i>pretty</i> enough and Kitty Pride looked far too young for Iceman. I'm not steeped in X-Men mythology enough to know if I was supposed to know who half the minor cannon fodder were supposed to be (there was a little too much stuff to please the fans - like the pretty much superfluous appearance of Moira McTaggert). And the less said about Juggernaut the better. Mind you, unlike others I rather liked Henry McCoy (not called 'Beast' at any point that I noticed in the film). Anyway, not a bad way to while away a couple of hours.

Of a very different sort was <i>Sky High</i> which we caught up with on DVD. Could a teen movie have been more predictable? Teenager with father problems? Check. Best friend who is in love with him? Check. Most popular girl in school turns out to be a complete bitch? Check (and that's another modern meme: beautiful and popular means that you are not allowed to be nice. Discuss). Gets in with popular crowd and neglects geeky friends? Check. Geeky friends save the world? Check. Rough kid with grudge turns into good friend? Check
Okay, putting this aside I have to say that I found it thoroughly entertaining. The teenage characters are likeable, Kurt Russell obviously having a ball, not to mention Lynda Carter ('I can't do anything to help you. I'm not Wonder Woman you know!'). Just a nice, unpretentious piece of fluffy entertainment that doesn't try to be anything other than what it is.

After many recommendations we have just watched the first two episodes of <i>House</i> on DVD and it is great fun: medical drama as detective series with Hugh Laurie on great form. Looking forward to watching more of that.

Comments

[rawdon.livejournal.com]

You did stay for the very last scene of X3, which occurs after the closing credits, right?

[bookzombie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes - still isn't enought to make the inclusion of McTaggert strictly necessary though (especially as most people don't stay until the end of the credits!).