The Secret of NIMH (1982)

***

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

“In the beginning,” Nicodemus recalls, “we were ordinary street rats, stealing our daily bread and living off the efforts of man’s work.” Since that time, they have been given the gift of intelligence, received at the hands of the men of NIMH. But with that intelligence came the awareness that certain actions, even if beneficial to the actor, are wrong. As long as the rats continue to steal, they will only ever be smart rats. If they want to be something more, something nobler, they must be not merely intelligent but moral. It is not intelligence or self-awareness that makes a man, but honor and integrity and right living—using that intelligence to learn about and conform to morality. Nicodemus wants to lead the rats to a new, moral life, where they live not as the rats they were, but as the men they can be. 

Jenner, on the other hand, is more than happy to use his intelligence for his own self-interest with no regard for right, wrong, or the interests of others. He is happy to continue stealing from Farmer Fitzgibbons as long as it benefits him, and is even willing to escalate to murder if anyone stands in the way of those benefits. His intelligence thus functions as little more than a kind of elevated animal cunning, and he remains a rat. Because the intelligence of Nicodemus and his followers leads to moral knowledge, and because they submit their intelligence to conscience and in fact put it to work for conscience, they become something more than rats. They are men.

Full review available here.

Jurassic Park 3D (2013)

****

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

Man, I forgot how much fun this movie is. 

I don’t think I ever actually saw it in theatres. Twenty years ago (yes, it really has been 20 years), I was … ok, not that young, but still young enough that I think my folks may have had misgivings about letting me see a dude get ate up by a T. Rex on the big screen. Sure, I saw re-runs on cable, but there’s no doubt that Jurassic Park is one of those precious few films that really deserve to be seen on a 50+ foot screen. I am supremely grateful to Universal Pictures for giving the chance to rectify this tragically missed opportunity. 

If you haven’t yet seen Jurassic Park on the big screen, go see it. Now. 

If you have seen Jurassic Park on the big screen, go see it now anyway. It’s been 20 years, and you probably forgot how awesome it is. You may think you remember, but you don’t. Besides, this time it’s in 3D, and if you thought the dinosaurs were scary before … well, you’re in for a treat. I almost kicked the guy in front of me, is what I’m saying. Thank goodness I didn’t have popcorn in my lap, or I would have been wearing it. 

Full review available here.

Domination (C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy #3), by Jon S. Lewis

***

Colt McAlister and company continue to battle the forces of evil, personified here (as elsewhere in the trilogy) as shape-shifting aliens with nefarious and deadly plans for planet earth. See, portals keep opening up to allow these six-armed 'Thule' and their ships to cross over to earth from ... whatever crummy planet they currently call home. Wherever the Thule appear, they leave a swath of death and destruction in their wake. Humankind is woefully outgunned, despite the efforts of the super secret C.H.A.O.S. military academy and its crackerjack cadets, of both the human and (friendly) alien variety. Colt and his squad know the odds are against them,but they refuse to give up hope and are determined to put and end to this portal business--and these walking, talking, mind-reading, shape-shifting monsters--once and for all. But Colt is wrestling with an internal demon of his own ...

The Top Shelf: Best Reads of 2012 Edition

As 2012 draws to a close, the interwebs are flooded with year-end lists: the best-dressed, the worst-dressed, the best and worst movies, the most memorable moments, etc. I am not in a position to offer an opinion on the best books of 2012, since I don't keep up with the latest publications, but I did make my own list--the best books I read in 2012, broken up by genre--which was recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost. Here's an excerpt:

Best Romance: A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott 

Did you know that Louisa May Alcott, she of the quaintly wholesome Little Women, also wrote insanely outlandish romance novels? Well, she did, and they are awesome. A Long Fatal Love Chase is full of improbably named villains with nefarious intentions and a lovely heroine whose flight from said villain takes her from yacht to convent to mental institution, through an assortment of disguises, forbidden love, and daring escapes. In short, it is flat out bonkers, and I loved every minute of it. 

Honorable Mention: A Modern Mephistopheles, by Louisa May Alcott

Full post available here.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

***

In this fairly creative update of the classic Jules Verne story, Brendan Fraser is Trevor, kid brother of the long-missing Max, a vulcanologist who disappeared years before. Now Trevor is following in his brother's footsteps--or he would be, if the university wasn't cutting his funding and converting his lab into storage. Fortunately, Max's wife shows up to drop off 13-year-old Sean (Josh Hutcherson, long before Katniss Everdeen broke his heart) for a visit, and delivering a box of Max's old belongings. Tucked alongside the old baseball mitt and yo-yo is a heavily annotated copy of A Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Trevor soon realizes that Max used it as a field journal to record his findings, and that current volcanic conditions are a perfect match for those recorded in the journal around the time of Max's disappearance--including a long-dormant site in Iceland. So of course, the boys head off to follow in Max's footsteps. With the help of a (conveniently attractive) mountain guide named Hannah--herself the daughter of a vulcanologist--Trevor and Sean trudge up Sneffels and soon find that maybe Verne's story isn't science fiction after all ...

Cloud Atlas (2012)

****

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

For the Wachowkis, the unifying theme of the stories is a sense of community and human connectedness. I was struck, however, by the portrayal of injustice as a universal experience. In each story, an injustice is being committed, and in each story, the characters involved must decide how to respond to that injustice. Some characters choose selfishness; others engage with circumstances in an attempt to bring about justice. So the fabricant/clone, when confronted with the horrible fate inflicted en masse on others like herself, chooses to take a stand in defense of those whom society as deemed ‘less than human’ and thus undeserving of basic human rights, or even life itself. This decision proves costly, yet the film clearly embraces the sacrifice of self for the pursuit of justice as honorable and right. This idea of self-sacrifice for the sake of justice recurs across several story lines—a young lawyer helps an escaped slave; a freedom fighter saves a helpless girl; a man risks his life to help the daughter of a friend; a woman risks her life for truth and to save thousands, perhaps millions; and a man undertakes a dangerous journey in exchange for a cure for a sick girl. In two of the story lines, this theme is rather muddled, as the victim and the savior are the same person, and, in one story, the perceived solution to the injustice is apparently self-salvation through suicide. 

Regardless of whether we agree with the means used to combat injustice—or even with the filmmakers’ characterization of certain events and actions as unjust—this experience of injustice makes an excellent theme, for it is common to all. If there is any universal constant in a fallen world, it is injustice.

Full review available here.

We the Underpeople, by Cordwainer Smith

****

This collection includes five short stories and one full-length novel by Cordwainer Smith, all of which take place in his Instrumentality of Mankind universe and involve 'underpeople'--humanoid creatures derived from animals for the purpose of completing various menial and/or skilled tasks. These underpeople look like human beings, more or less (some retain certain animalian features--noses, whiskers, unusual size, etc.) and have enhanced mental abilities, but at root they are still dogs, cats, bulls, birds, and so on and think accordingly. They are also treated accordingly--that is, treated like animals. And in many cases, worse than animals, for there are rules against caring for sick or injured underpeople; it is easier--and more economically sensible--to just destroy them.

This universe, then, is peopled by true humans, who now have pretty much nothing to do other than run the political worlds (and even that is done only by a few powerful individuals). The underpeople (and robots--there must always be robots) handle almost all the tasks, chores, and other jobs that need doing. Coupled with the complete victory of medical science over illness and the discovery of the life-lengthening drug 'stroon', this means that people live a standard 400 years completely free from danger, hardship, illness, or anything else that might impede their happiness. In fact, they're so consistently happy that they're dying of boredom and misery. Meanwhile, the underpeople are becoming increasingly self-aware and are uniting in an effort to establish their rights.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

***

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

From the minds of geek favorite Joss Whedon and frequent Whedon (and Abrams) collaborator Drew Goddard comes this delightfully comedic (yet nonetheless horrific) send-up of the slasher genre. Whedon, fed up with the modern trend toward ‘torture porn’, describes this film as a ‘loving hate letter’ to the horror genre. The Cabin in the Woods is equal parts thrilling, horrifying, smart, gross, hilarious, visually impressive, and incisive. [...] 

Longtime Whedon fans will be pleased to see actors Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse) and Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) on the big screen—Kranz in particular is a joy to watch as a perpetually stoned and, as it turns out, justifiably paranoid pothead. For me, however, the high point of the film was Bradley Whitford, who won my heart in the hilarious-but-short-lived (and, for reasons unclear to me, still unavailable on DVD) series The Good Guys, and who is utterly delightful here as a callous, arrogant technician at the forefront of the assault on the unfortunate college students.

As I’ve said, this movie is smart, fun, and totally worth checking out; but be warned, it is a horror flick. Awful, gory, disturbing things happen to each and every one of the college students (among others), so if you’re squeamish and/or prefer to avoid excessively violent films, then this is likely not the movie for you. That being said, I do think the film provides some (likely unintentional) commentary on the gospel.

Full review available here.

Looper (2012)

***

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost [WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]:

At the heart of this highly enjoyable film is the idea that Love Conquers All. Future Joe waxes eloquent about his wonderful-but-now-dead (then-dead?) wife and how by her love she saved him from his awful life of drugs and crime. Similarly, Sarah is determined to love Sid unconditionally, and is convinced that her love will shape him and will enable him to control his temper and use his considerable powers for good. In this world, love is the greatest agent of change. How sweet. 

But difficulties arise. (Don’t they always?) Future Joe’s wife is murdered, and he is determined to avenge/save her, no matter the cost. He is perfectly willing to gun down all the little John Connors, even though he knows only one of them will become the man responsible for his wife’s death.  And we learn that watching Sarah’s death will be the major factor contributing to Sid’s ‘bad dude’ future. This love, the love that was supposed to save both Sid and Future Joe, turns out to have the power to corrupt and destroy.

Full review available here.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

****

An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

To Sarah Connor, an ideal father is defined by what he does. Love is action. And as Christians, we might agree; after all, ‘greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And [spoiler] that is precisely what the Terminator does—he endures a wince-inducing beating in order to protect John, and, when push comes to shove, he sacrifices himself in order to save mankind from the horrors they would otherwise endure on Judgment Day.  In many ways, this is a striking picture of the gospel—of God’s love for His people and His willingness to take on Himself the penalty for their sins in order to reconcile them to Himself and save them from the wrath to come. 

But there’s something missing, isn’t there? After all, the Terminator, as honorable as his actions may be, is only doing what he has been programmed to do. We want to believe he loves John Connor, but the truth is, he’s all action and no heart.

Full review available here.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

***

Hellboy (a.k.a. 'Red') and the B.P.R.D. are back for another installment--this time facing off against the elf prince Nuada, who is hell-bent (heh) on reviving the long-dormant 'Golden Army', a horde of indestructible mechanical soldiers built by goblin blacksmiths long ago. The Golden Army is more than capable of wiping out the human race, but is held in check by the longstanding truce between men (who agreed to keep to the cities) and elves (who retained control of the forest). But times have changed, and the humans aren't living up to their side of the bargain, and Prince Nuada has had enough. Hellboy--with an assist from his pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz, the amphibious humanoid Abe Sapiens, ectoplasmic medium Johann Krauss, and Nuada's twin sister Nuala--must keep Nuada from collecting the three pieces of the ancient crown that, once united, will reactivate the Golden Army. Meanwhile, Liz has to make some tough decisions about her future . . . and Red's.

From the Corner of His Eye, by Dean Koontz

***

On one momentous day, a woman loses her husband and gains a child. Another woman loses a sister and gains a daughter.  A man murders his wife and is almost immediately--and inexplicably--haunted by a name without a face: Bartholomew.  But just who is Bartholomew?  And what is his connection to the other families?  How are all these disparate lives connected to one another?  Could there be some purpose behind the tragedy and violence and injustice and pain that has plagued them?

This is an incredibly difficult book to describe.  There is no single story arc that can be summed up in a few words ("A man is unjustly accused of his wife's murder and must clear his name before it's too late"; "The prince must rescue the princess from the dragon before the witch's spell turns them both to frogs"; etc.)  Instead of a single plot arc, it is a story about people--about families, whether bound by blood or merely shared experience and love.

There are bushels of interesting theological and philosophical concepts lurking in the background of this story: life born of death, love growing in the shadow of violence, the possibility of alternate realities and parallel dimensions, the power of fate, sowing and reaping, life after death, and even some vague understanding of a benevolent and sovereign being working through all life's twists and turns.

Total Recall (2012)

***

An excerpt of a review posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:

Let’s start with the basics: This is a fun movie.  Yes, Colin Farrell spends the bulk of the movie blundering about with a bewildered look on his face.  Fortunately, Farrell does bewildered extremely well, and his wide-eyed innocence and natural charisma endear him to the audience from the get-go.  Kate Beckinsdale has apparently not aged a day since Underworld, and it turns out she makes a far better villainness than a rom-com queen.  The screening audience reacted audibly every time she burst into a scene, hot on the trail of our leading man and ready to beat him to a bloody pulp.  Which she did quite believably on more than one occasion (take notes, Angelina Jolie in Salt).  Jessica Biel was sweet enough, but was ultimately a rather uninspired choice as the mysterious ‘dream woman’.  Bryan Cranston appears to have a gift for villainy, and Bill Nighy is utterly wasted on an unfortunate bit of speechifying.

 Full review available here.

Inferno, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

***

After spending unknown hours (days? Weeks? Months?) is some sort of limbo state, deceased science fiction writer Allen Carpentier finds himself plopped down in the middle of a deserted wasteland, which he is informed is “the Vestibule of Hell.”  Carpentier is understandably skeptical, and persistently resists the assistance of his rescuer/guide, a mustachioed gentleman by the name of Benito.  Benito is intent on coaxing Carpentier into Hell (here an updated version of Dante’s nine-circle geography), in the hope that once he reaches the depths he will be able to emerge into Purgatory and thence to happier places.  Carpentier, on the other hand, would rather stay in the pain-free First Circle with the virtuous pagans than attempt the dangerous (and painful) journey deeper into Hell.  Also, Carpentier persists in his increasingly far-fetched belief that this is all some sort of hoax.  However, Carpentier agrees to accompany Benito further in, in the hopes that he can collect the supplies that would enable to build a glider he can use to re-enter the First Circle.  Along the way, Benito and Carpentier meet a host of past and future personalities and witness torment upon torment.  But will they ever make it out?  Will Carpentier succeed in making his glider?  Or will he have to join Benito in his downward trek?  And just who is Benito, anyway?  And what happens when you get to the bottom of Hell?

Titus Alone, by Mervyn Peake

***

The final entry in the Gormenghast series picks up where Gormenghast left off--with young earl Titus, fresh from his hard-fought victory over Steerpike, headed off into the wilderness, leaving his family, friends, and responsibilities behind in a quest for . . . well, it's not terribly clear exactly what he's looking for, or what he hopes to accomplish.  Seeing the world, I suppose, or having some adventures before returning to the drudgery of Gormenghast.  He is able to accomplish both goals by leaving Gormenghast and promptly falling into a completely different book, peopled by a whole mess of loony characters living in a sort of futuristic, sci-fi, steampunk world.  The book pretty much goes off the rails from there --and stays off the rails, at that--though we do meet some interesting characters along the way.

This is deeply weird book.

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, by H.P. Lovecraft

****

A collection of 16 stories by the master of classic horror/science fiction/weird fiction.  If you're not familiar with Lovecraft's work, well, shame on you (though I confess my own belated discovery of his genius occurred in the not-too-distant past, so I won't judge you too harshly).

Why should you know and love Lovecraft?  For starters, a lot of really cool people like him--he has influenced a number of writers, including Neil Gaiman (American Gods), Alan Moore (Watchmen), Robert Bloch (Psycho), Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian), and Stephen King (everything), as well as directors Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and a variety of metal bands.  Also, the man has left an indelible mark on popular culture, and you'll find yourself catching Lovecraft references in Army of Darkness, Babylon 5, The Real Ghostbusters, Night Gallery, and pretty much every Batman movie ever, just to name a few. You need to know this man's work.

Fortunately, this collection is an excellent means of remedying your tragic under-exposure to to Lovecraft's eerie prose.

Ringworld, by Larry Niven

****

200-year-old Louis Wu and his girlfriend-of-the-moment Teela Brown are invited to join an expedition to a far-distant world.  With their companions (a large, ferocious cat-like warrior Kzin and a superintelligent three-legged, two-headed Pierson's Puppeteer, they head off beyond the limits of Known Space to explore the Ringworld--a mind-bogglingly enormous, artificial ring-shaped world built around a sun-like star.  Unfortunately, they arrive via a near-fatal crash landing on the seemingly abandoned world, and the rest of the journey is plagued by similar mischances, as they try to learn about the Ringworld and repair the damaged spacecraft so they can return home.  Who built the Ring? Is it inhabited?  What happened to the inhabitants?  And will they ever get back home again?

This is what is usually classified as a 'hard' science fiction novel--which is to say, it features a lot of scientific detail.  Which makes sense, since Niven has training in mathematics and what-have-you.  The details and descriptions get a bit hard to follow (especially in the audiobook version), but fortunately you can get the gist of it even if the details are hazy.

There's not a ton of plot here.  The adventurers head off to the Ringworld and . . . stuff happens.  And they try to get home.  So plot-wise, it's a bit of a nonstarter.  Somehow, though, the writing is good enough that I didn't really mind it.  I wasn't desperate to know what happens next, but I still enjoyed the book and wasn't ever tempted to quit reading (unlike some other hard sci-fi, cough*RedMars*cough).

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

****

Arthur Dent is having a very bad day.  City employees want to raze his house, and now his friend Ford Prefect is telling him the world's about to end.  Before he knows it, Arthur is off on a wild adventure through the galaxy, where he encounters a two-headed egomaniac, a pathologically depressed robot, an old man with an unusual (and unimportant) name, a terrible poet, a cheerful computer, and a couple of very irritable white mice.  Fortunately, he also has The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

This book is genius.  Clever, hilarious genius.  Adams' style can be overwhelming for some, but I find this particular book utterly enchanting.  There are tangents galore, but there's also, you know, a plot (sort of).  Still, it can be an acquired taste.  The whole thing reads like a dialogue between Eric Idle and John Cleese.  So if you like Monty Python, or if the news that the audiobook is narrated by Stephen Fry excites you, then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this delightful little book.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

***

Scrawny Steve Rogers wants nothing more than to serve his country by fighting in World War II.  Unfortunately, his slight stature and numerous health problems have led to his rejection by the Army not once but four times.  His determination catches the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine, a German doctor working with the United States military.  Rogers is accepted into an experimental 'super-soldier' training, where his compassion and courage set him apart from other, stronger candidates who tend toward bullying.  Rogers is selected to undergo a super secret procedure, which transforms him from frail bully-bait into . . . Captain America, super-soldier.  Initially, Captain America/Rogers is used as a PR stunt, performing with chorus girls in an effort to boost war bond sales.  However, a trip to the front lines reminds him of his desire to serve his country, and when he finds out that his best friend has disappeared behind enemy lines, nothing will stop him from leaping into the fray.  However, his best friend is not being held by run-of-the-mill Germans, but by the psychotic Johann Schmidt, a Nazi officer obsessed with harnessing 'the power of the gods' to create impossibly powerful new weapons.  Will Captain America/Rogers be able to rescue his friend (and the other soldiers) from Schmidt's clutches?  What nefarious plot is Schmidt hatching, and can he be stopped?  And will the lovely-but-stern Agent Peggy Carter ever give our hero the kiss he's longing for?

This was, in all honesty, one of the better superhero movies.  Not the best, mind you, but better.

A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

****

The adventures of Confederate Civil War veteran John Carter, who is mystically transported to the planet Barsoom (Mars), where he encounters violent, six-limbed Tharks, wild thoats, an incredibly loyal calot, vicious white apes, a moss-covered desert, flying machines, and (of course) a beautiful Red Martian princess by the name of Dejah Thoris.  Time after time, Carter's physical prowess and southern sensibilities enable him to save the day . . . and the planet.

The first time I read this book, I remember being rather underwhelmed.  It was just so . . . cheesy.  The adventure was ok, I guess, but John Carter is so conveniently good at everything.  And the love story is just ridiculous.  It reads like an 8th grade boy's (non-pervy) fan fiction.

On this second read through, I realized . . . that's the entire point.