Guardians of the Galaxy

So I was finally able to watch Guardians of the Galaxy this past Wednesday while on my vacation. (From my full time job, I mean, not this website. This hiatus is no one's fault but my own.) And before I begin with my review there are a couple things I'd like to state for the record.

First, I had never heard of the graphic novels before this film came out, and I still haven't read any. So this review will be based purely on my experience of watching the story/characters for the first time with no set up whatsoever. Going in, all I knew was what I got from the first trailer: Some group of expert criminals, or perhaps just criminals, were needed for something or other. That's it. Honestly, the trailer did nothing for me so I wasn't even going to watch the thing if it weren't for everyone singing its praises from the rooftops.

Which leads me to my second note. I feel that the film may have been inadvertently oversold to me, since all the rooftop praising made my expectations high (and I'm pretty tough on movies to begin with). However, I'll still be reviewing the film as objectively as I can, with notice of where certain expectations were disappointed or reached.

As always, my reviews are spoiler free... and long.

Directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy tells the story of a group of criminals forming an unlikely alliance (of sorts) in order to fight against a being who aims to destroy the galaxy and all life as they know it.

The film is a sci-fi fantasy epic, not unlike the Star Wars series, only with less humans. Well, less traditional humans. During fantasy films centered in space I have always found the ratio between humans and aliens to be important. To be more specific, I have always found it more important for there to be more alien races than humans. I find this helps submerge the viewer (or reader) into the universe much easier and more quickly because it prevents us from getting comfortable seeing humans on screen to then suddenly have a jarring introduction of a being or creature that has tentacles coming out of its eyes (for example). In that, the film half achieved the goal. I was quickly submerged and given more alien races than humans... However, so many of those alien races -- the vast majority in fact -- were humanoid. Meaning they look just like humans except for one or two differences. This isn't the only film to do this -- and seeing as it is based off graphic novels it is not merely the film's choices either -- but I could never help but feel cheated when given a sci-fi/fantasy universe where the creators have free reign over their imagination and the best they give us is: "Here is a pink human... Now a blue one, but he has a horn-like bump on his head. Yeah. That's good."

Rainbow spectrum of humanoids aside, the visuals in this film were stunning. Both the physical and computer generated (but especially the computer generated) scenery and effects were top notch which made this film a captivating watch. There isn't much I can say here without going into spoilers so I'll just leave it with this: They used the physical when they could, and it made a difference, and when they had to resort to computer generation it looked real and natural even. So, galactic kudos to the men and women on that graphics team. Four for you, Graphics Team. You go, Graphics Team.

The characters, however, I felt could have used more work and attention. This is one of those areas I mentioned before that didn't meet my raised expectations. Going in, I figured the characters where going to be knocked out of the park, because the key to a successful story (and therefore film) is for the characters to be solid, complex, and engaging. Basically, they have to make us care. To be fair, my brother (with whom I saw the film) did warn me that Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana) was very flat and lacked proper character development. All of which I found to be painfully true. Moreover I don't believe this was Saldana's best performance. Perhaps I'm just growing jaded (i.e. bored) by seeing the actress in these roles, but I didn't believe her half the time. But she wasn't the only one I had qualms with. I felt Drax (played by Dave Bautista) had similar problems, though he at least had a more developed character arc (but not by much).

And I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I wasn't won over by Groot (the tree) either. Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) was fun to watch and provided a lot of laughs, but I didn't have the bond with him that I should have. And, looking back, I can't even recall what his back story was, if he even had one. I feel that he did but the fact that its not memorable is a problem in itself. Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt) were the two most developed and well done characters, in my opinion. They each had a memorable backstory that propelled them forward and provided continued motivation for their actions. Also (and I don't know how much of this is Cooper's work or Sean Gunn's, who is credited as being the "On Set Rocket") the mannerisms and expressions that Rocket had made for a very entertaining and engaging character, which, needless to say, is an important quality to have in a character that is not actually there.

Pratt, as the songs went, stole the show. In that, the film did not disappoint. Though he's been acting since at least the 2000s, I had not seen him in much before this film, and the roles I have seen him in were from over half a decade ago. So it felt as if I was watching a new actor making his debut. And damn if he did not blow up the scene. He was very natural in his portrayal of the character and I felt the most connection to him than anyone else on cast. Coupled with Rocket, he was the source of the humor, jokes, and drama that actually landed.

Speaking of which, a lot of the dialogue hit my ear wrong. They were either forced jokes (as in trying too hard to be funny), painfully obvious observations (looking at you, Gamora), underdeveloped/chopped romance, or failed attempts at badass one-liners. Thankfully, it was not the majority of the film that suffered these flaws, which allowed for the film itself to still be a fun watch. But I do feel that a lot of moments could have been better and bigger if a line(s) were different or cut out all together. On the other hand, there were a lot of small moments that were made better and bigger due to priceless dialogue (that'll be the work of Rocket and Peter, mostly). I just wish the film were made completely of the latter rather than suffering so much from the former.

The villain of the film, Ronan (played by Lee Pace), was your typical genocidal foe. His backstory was explained and referenced throughout, though I felt like it was almost unimportant. This could have been purely my take, but it felt as if they said: "Okay, so this is why this dude is so angry. [insert exposition] Now back to the main characters!" Also the film had the classic insufferable elements so many others do with their villains. You know the ones: Monologuing; villain clearly has ability and opportunity to kill the heroes but doesn't; bad dialogue; childlike tantrum attitudes, and so on. Though that last one was actually called out by another character in the film, so it's not so much a developmental flaw as it is a personality flaw the character possesses. Which is unfortunate, since that's what kept me from taking the villain seriously. Due to my nonexistent knowledge of the comics, I don't know how much of that is a reflection of Pace's work and how much is just Ronan.

Overall the film was an enjoyable experience, and I would see it again, but I hope they get rid of their crutches before any sequels. Because of the weak character development and all the lines that made me drop my head in disappointment or annoyance, I give the film 3.5 stars out of 5. Sorry, guys. I just can't give you that full 4 stars. Can't do it.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

Okay, I know the word "vampires" has acquired a bad taste in everyone's mouth thanks to films such as the Twilight series making such a joke of the lore -- or at least it has to me. In my opinion, vampires have become another gimmick in the movie and television business rather than a classical (as in respected) horror creature/race.

But in 30 Days of Night? It's the real deal.

Based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night is the story of a small (and I do mean small) Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for thirty days every year. Many of the citizens are in the habit of leaving town prior to the last sunset -- but this year, those that are left behind after the airport closes are left to face an unthinkable horror...
One that they're unable to escape from for thirty days.

Let me begin by saying that this film was genuinely and extensively creepy, and that's saying something because not only have horror flicks failed in actually scaring the general public lately, but vampires have been done to death (pun not intended).

David Slade's adaptation of the graphic novel left me burrowing into my seat, eyes wide open, and heart racing (witnesses can confirm) -- and it had everything to do with the direction and cinematography (shout-out to Director of Cinematography, Jo Willems. We'll get to him later). While the vampires' physiques in the film weren't completely unlike previous interpretations (pale, blood stains around their mouth, pointy teeth, black eyes), their movements and mannerisms were definitely worth the title "creatures." Each actor and actress portrayed their vampiric roles as if they were animals: primal, predatorial, and organized hunters. Seeing them moving through the shadows and rooftops, communicating in their own language, made me feel like I was watching a pack of wolves on a hunt. It was a very interesting choice and -- with the many talented men and women actors executing it perfectly -- it paid off.
Not to mention Slade and his writing crew (shout-out to Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Niles) were able to give us something that is getting increasingly difficult to pull off in this day and age: A twist ending that I truly didn't see coming. Kudos to you, boys. You did good.

Jo Willem's cinematography, as I said before, is what really made this film cringe-worthy. Nearly every shot sent a chill down my spine. The most impressive and effective shots were from above, looking down on the blood-stained streets and chaos as the vampires fed. It was heartbreaking.

Now that isn't to say that this film isn't without its flaws. As the unofficial requirement goes, a romantic connection was attempted between the two main characters, Eben and Stella Oleson (a separated married couple). While their relationship was, thankfully, downplayed, it still felt forced into the story and I didn't find it believable, nor did I care to see it delved into further. I was much too preoccupied with their struggles for survival. Also, I wasn't too impressed with Melissa George's performance as Stella Oleson. Throughout the film I kept trying to feel connected to or emotionally invested in her, but couldn't quite believe her to be someone I should care about. Every time her marriage to Eben (played by Josh Hartnett) was brought up in conversation I could feel myself rolling my eyes and hoping it would be brushed over.
I'll give them both the benefit of the doubt, though. Film adaptations of novels tend to rush or butcher at least one aspect of the story along the way so Stella's importance and the Oleson's relationship could have been one of them.

However, while George's performance wasn't spectacular, Josh Hartnett's was. Admittedly, he didn't look it at first, but Hartnett's character, Eben, quickly captured my attention and sympathy. I have to say his performance was by far the best in the film.

Overall 30 Days of Night was an incredible watch and I highly recommend it at your next late-night viewing. Just don't forget about the bowl of popcorn like I did. ;)

30 Days of Night 4 out of 5 stars.

The Record of a Fallen Vampire Vol. 1

Title: The Record of a Fallen Vampire (Vol. 1)

Story By: Kyo Shirodaira

Art By: Yuri Kimura

Publisher: Viz Media

Rating: T for Teen [Due to themes of Death and Violence]

Manga Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, Vampire King Akabara "Red Rose" Strauss lost both his kingdom and his queen. Since humans were unable to kill the queen, they sealed her away, erecting thousands of fake seals so that the king would never find her true location. Despite being pursued by relentless dhampires, Akabara continues to search for his queen to this day...

Volume One Plot: Akabara's quest takes a sinister turn when an entity called the Black Swan appears. The Black Swan inhabits the body of a young human girl every 50 years, giving her the power to destroy the Vampire King and his queen. With each incarnation the Black Swan grows stronger-- will the 49th Black Swan mean the end of Akabara?

To prevent confusion, let me clear up two main points.
As you read this manga, please note that this story does not center around the 49th Black Swan, but rather it focuses on the vampire king Akabara.

As I started reading Vol. 1 for the first time I was noticing how rushed the story seemed to be and so I couldn't really develop a connection to every character. At first I wrote it off as a flaw in Shirodaira's writing, but soon realized my mistake. Shirodaira rushed this segment of the story because the reader isn't supposed to focus on the 49th Black Swan, but on the Vampire King instead. This is his story, the Black Swan is just another character.

Also, these are not your conventional vampires. They are confined to only travel by night, yes, but they do not feed off humans, and they cannot be killed with a steak to the chest. These are magical beings whose powers are the real threat. To kill them you have to fatally wound them with magic and/or weapons.

Keep those two points in mind, and it'll be an easy read.

Record of a Fallen Vampire tells the story of vampire king Akabara who lost his kingdom and queen in one night. The Vampire Queen's magic had gone out of control and nearly destroyed the Earth and so a group of humans sealed her away forever. On top of that, they erected thousands of fake seals so that Akabara would never know the queen's true location -- In fact so many were created that the humans themselves have forgotten which is the real one. However, Akabara is determined to find her and so he searches for centuries, destroying thousands of seals, hoping the next will be the real one. 

In an effort to stop him, both humans and dhampires alike hunt after Akabara -- hoping to kill him before the queen is released. Dhampires are humans with vampire blood and so they also have magical abilities, including the ability to heal severe wounds. But their forces combined have still not been enough to kill the King.

To help in the battle, a magical entity called the Black Swan possesses a human girl every 50 years. Each generation of the Black Swan inherits the skills, memories, and abilities of her predecessor. So, in turn, each generation is stronger than the last.

I picked up this manga a couple of weeks ago when the storyline caught my eye. I fount it all makes for a very interesting plot and as I learned more details about the story I grew to enjoy it more and more. The quick progression in the beginning was necessary to move the story along appropriately, and then from there it continues at a normal pace. And just when you think it all might get repetitive with Akabara fighting against a dhampire from seal to seal, Shirodaira throws in a surprising twist! 

This is Shirodaira's first time writing a vampire story so I'm really impressed about how he made it his own. It's definitely different, but not necessarily bad. Some of the dialogue seems a bit... off by word choice but he was still able to establish a great foundation for all the characters. It allows the reader to be really stumped by the sudden twist in the story. Kudos to him because thanks to that cliffhanger I will definitely continue to read this series. 

Just like graphic novels, not all manga writers do their own art. In Fallen Vampire's case, the art is done by Yuri Kimura. Kimura's style of drawing reminds me of DN Angel, where the bodies are lean but the hands are slightly larger than they should be. Usually the disproportion annoys me and distracts me from the story, but in this case her style actually helps the story. With stories that use magic as the main focus it can be hard to follow the battle scenes. Most of the panels are filled with "moving wind" and symbols and since mangas don't have the advantage of color that American comics have, it can get confusing sometimes. I know I've been lost dozens of times while reading Juvenile Orion. 

However, in Fallen Vampire it's actually a lot easier to follow each magical blow because the source of all the magic is made easier to see. And with none of it being distracting I can safely say that Kimura's style is not a flaw. If that weren't enough, Kimura is very skilled at drawing expressive eyes and faces which brings the characters alive.

All in all this manga is definitely worth looking into. I've already started reading its second volume and I'm sure it wont be my last.

The Record of a Fallen Vampire 4 out of 5 stars.

Full Moon (O Sagashite) Vol. 1

Title: Full Moon (O Sagashite)

Story & Art by: Arina Tanemura

Company: Shojo Beat Manga

Rating: T for Teen [Due to Themes of Death]

Manga Synopsis: A bitter-sweet tale of puppy love, tragedy, and aspirations of pop star fame. A spark of hope ignites to a blaze in twelve-year-old Mitsuki Koyama when a comical pair of magical beings appear to prove to her that dreams really do come true. 

Volume One Plot: Young Mitsuki loves singing and dreams of becoming a pop star. Unfortunately, a malignant tumor in her throat prevents her from pursuing her passion. However, her life turns around when two surprisingly fun-loving harbingers of death appear to grant Mitsuki a temporary reprieve from her illness and give her singing career a magical push start.

Now I know the main plots sound a little stale, but I have read many other bad synopsis that turned out to be interesting mangas. So I figured I'd give Full Moon a fair chance; Death, tumors, magical beings? Sounds good to me.

Yea. Not so much.

The story tells of Mitsuki's dream of singing. Her tumor causes pain for her whenever she speaks--let alone sings--too loudly. She then meets two Shikigami (same idea as Grim Reapers only they are crossed with animals **like they get wings or cat ears etc** for some reason) who inform her that she only has a year to live. Upon hearing this, Mitsuki feels more determined than ever to accomplish her dream before her time is done. Her new "friends" enchant her to have the appearance--and health--of a sixteen-year-old so that she can go out into a singing competition to be the next up and coming pop star.

For a story that centers around the fact that the main character is going to DIE in a year.... it's pretty goofy O_o.
There's really no real drama or seriousness in the story. I'm all for humor but you have GOT to have a balance. ESPECIALLY if the main character is facing death. 

The characters are almost always laughing about something (again, odd due to the theme) and our so-called Harbingers of Death are not the least bit intimidating. I realize it's a manga, so the cross over of human with animal ears/tails is common, but Tanemura didn't give them any depth, any essense.

Ironic of me to say, I know.

The story had all the makings for some potential but Tanemura didn't take it seriously at all.

I'm pretty sure Full Moon Vol. 1 will be the first and last volume I'll pick up.

Full Moon (O Sagashite) 0 out of 5 stars.