Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

I wasn’t too sure about Amazon’s new Jack Ryan series at first. But then came a moment in the first episode that completely won me over: Ryan, played by John Krasinski, is at a fancy birthday party that he didn’t want to attend. As soon as he arrives, Ryan is pressured by his former Wall Street boss to reveal government secrets about the current strategy toward North Korea.

Politely, Ryan refuses to answer his old boss. Ryan then turns his attention to an attractive woman, Cathy (Abbie Cornish), who also happens to be his ex-boss’s daughter. But in the middle of a promising conversation, everyone at the party looks up to see a Coast Guard helicopter that soon lands on the lawn. Military personnel leap out, sprint out looking for Jack Ryan. Before being pulled away, he turns back to Cathy. “I dunno, maybe I could …?” he tries, apologetically, as the helicopter pilot cuts him off: “Sir, we have to go.”

From that scene on, John Krasinski became Jack Ryan, and I was onboard for the ride.

Amazon’s “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” aims to capture the spirit and the tone of films like “Patriot Games,” “Clear and Present Danger,” and “The Hunt For Red October.” The show succeeds at this, and it’s a welcome change from the version of Ryan we saw in “Sum of all Fears” and “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” But the series distinguishes itself in other ways, like the way it presents its title character as a humble, and smart CIA analyst, who is hiding the fact that he’s a formidable Marine with a back full of scars to prove it.

John Krasinski is easy to like in the role, and very believable as a guy who just wants to help make the world safer. I also liked that Ryan is given more back story, including a moment during his time in Afghanistan that still haunts him today. There are multiple layers to this Jack Ryan, and John Krasinski is able to handle them all extremely well.

The new show has plenty of action too, and multiple episodes feature big explosions or large action sequences. But the nice thing is that this show doesn’t rely on the action scenes, it’s all about Jack Ryan’s story. How ge got into this line of work, why he does some of the things he does, and who his mentors are. For me it was also fun seeing this version or Ryan grow from a somewhat quiet CIA agent, to the glove trotting leader.

As for the res of the cast, I enjoyed the scenes where Ryan is at odds with his new boss, James Greer (Wendell Pierce). Greer is on his last leg at the CIA after an incident at his last assignment made him persona non grata at the agency. At first, Greer doesn’t get along with Jack, and the two go at it a few times. But after Greer realizes Jack knows his stuff, the relationship becomes more of a mentor type. The way Greer handled Ryan, even gived the show some of its funniest moments.

Abbie Cornish was good as love interest Cathy Mueller. As I mentioned earlier, Cathy is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist who wants to use Jack’s talents for some inside trading or something. However, past the scenes at the party, none of this is mentioned again, which I found odd. However, I did appreciate how Mueller’s story linked to Jack Ryan’s later on.

This season’s villain is Ali Suliman, who stars as Mousa Bin Suleiman. For the first few episodes, Suliman was a riveting character. It was almost as if he played two different characters one who is a family fan with a quiet life. The other is the world’s most dangerous terrorist. However, by the last couple of episodes, I thought the character fell  back on the usual terrorist stuff you see in movies and tv.

The big surprise in the cast was Dina Shihabi as Hanin Ali, Suleiman’s wife. I thought Shihabi was brilliant, and her story arc led to some of the show’s most tense, and dramatic moments. Shihabi is a terrific actress, and I hope her work here only leads to bigger and better things for her.

The one thing I didn’t care for in “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” was a subplot involving a drone pilot. At first, I thought this story would link up somehow with the main plot, but it never really went anywhere. I think exploring the lives of drone pilots would be interesting, but here, it slowed everything else down.

In the end though, I really enjoyed “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” season one. The show built of what came before, but it also created its own world and characters. John Krasinski is great as Ryan, and with a stong supporting cast, he shines as the show’s lead. This usn’t your dad’s Jack Ryan, but its perfect for today. Now that the stage is set, I can’t wait to see what season two brings.

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” score: A-

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Con Games: Charlotte Comic Con

The summer season is winding down, with some people already back to school or works in parts of the country. That’s not me though, I’m still in the middle of summer, and my 2018 convention season rolled on this past weekend with the first ever two-day Charlotte Comic Con. This meant a lot of nerdy goodness including comics, cosplayers, artist alley, and lots and lots of great deals.

I’ve been to a few Charlotte Comic Cons in the past few years, but those were held at the old venue in Executive Park. This was my first time at the Embassy suites in Concord NC. I was surprised how big the location is, easily three times the size of the old venue. Of course this meant more vendors, and a ton of more comics that will fill my long boxes.

My first stop of the day was artist alley, where I searched once again for the one and only Andy Smith. For a while now I’ve been trying to get him to sign my copy of Quasar #50, but every time I had the chance to see Mr. Smith, I kept forgetting the comic at home. This time, Quasar #50 was the first thing I packed. Smith was kind enough to sign the book, a copy of Demi-God #1, and a paperback art book. So thank you Andy!

I also purchased a ton of comics from the cheap bins. One vendor by the entrance had about 10 tables of dollar boxes, or 12 books for $10. From him I bought Justice League Europe #1-50, WWE #1-10, The Champions (the 70’s book) #1-12, and a bunch of other Bronze Age Marvels. From his wall display I bought a second print of New Mutants #87. Yeah, it’s a second printing, but I got it cheap, and I just wanted to read Cable’s first appearance.

The next vendor had fifty cent boxes, so there I loaded up on a few Deadpool issues, 15 issues of Batman Adventures, and issues #1-18 of Aquaman’s New 52 title. I even bought around 30 issues of Venom. Funny how those are going up in price lately. From the vendor’s wall rack, I grabbed a sealed copy of Superman #75, Flash #1 (1987), and Uncanny X-Men #150.

All in all, this was a great Charlotte Comic Con. This was their first two-day show, and if the attendance is anything to go by, it won’t be their last. The place was packed, without a doubt the most people I’ve seen at CCC. Good thing the venue is larger than before. The only bad thing is that the hotel/convention center is further away from me. But I cna’t complain too much when I’m getting such good deals.

Better late than never review: Ready Player One

Possible spoilers ahead!

“Ready Player One” takes place in a dystopian future where much of the world has been dealing with issues like overpopulation, environmental degradation, and rampant corporate take overs. Hoping to escape the real world, people spend most of their time interacting and in the OASIS, a virtual reality world created by the late James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and his partner Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg).

The OASIS is heavily informed and powered by Halliday’s love with pop culture of the late 20th and early 21st century. This includes everything from movies, tv, music and more. This allows its users to create avatars of their own design, which then can then use to compete in all kinds of games with other players; work for a living in the OASIS; or simply explore the limits of their imagination in a never-ending virtual reality world.

Following his death, it’s revealed that Halliday created one final game in the OASIS known as Anorak’s Quest. The mission calls for players to track down three keys through a series of smaller quests, in order to find Halliday’s last Easter Egg: an item that will grant the winner full control and ownership of the OASIS and its assets in the real world and VR world alike.

No one has been successful in the Anorak’s Quest, until a young man named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), who goes by Parzival in the OASIS, becomes the first person to complete one of these three mini-quests. Perzival becomes an instant celebrity, and draws the attention of a famous player known as Art3mis (Olivia Cooke). But more importantly, Wade makes himself a target for the Innovative Online Industries CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), who is determined to gain control of the OASIS at any cost.

Adapted from the novel by Ernest Cline, “Ready Player One” is the latest effort from legendary director Steven Spielberg. He’s a director that’s hit or miss for me. For the most part, I either love his movies or hate them. There’s rarely any room in between. But “Ready Player One” is unlike anything Spielberg has ever done, and thus, it doesn’t feel like a Spielberg movie. Perhaps that’s why I ended up enjoying “Ready Player One” as much as I did.

But let’s be clear about one thing: the OASIS is the true star of “Ready Player One,” and a ton of credit has to go to Spielberg and his special effects team. The filmmakers created a world filled with mo-cap characters, and a ton of easter eggs for fan boys like me. There’s so much going on in these scenes that its likely I missed a bunch of stuff. But it was still a thrill seeing the Iron Giant, Batman, Voltron, the “Back to the Future” Delorean, and more together.

If “Ready Player One” fails in one area, it would be in making the real world characters likable and engaging. I don’t think its the actor’s fault, but the script could have done better by them. I never felt much of a connection with lead character Wade Watts, especially since the character of Art3mis was more fully developed than he was. She’s a more complicated character than I expected, and just as capable (if not more) than Wade.

One aspect of the cast I did enjoy were Wade Watts’ friends in the OASIS, including his good buddy Aech (Lena Waithe) and the siblings Sho and Daito (Philip Zhao and Win Morisaki). Some of my favorite moments int he film were the scenes in which this group of players join forces to battle Nolan Sorrento and his goons.

For the past six years my friend Nick has been telling me to read this novel. I still haven’t, despite his nagging, so I’m not sure how closely Steven Spielberg stuck to the source material. But I’m guessing he took a few liberties here and there. Regardless, I found “Ready Player One” to be a fun, fast paced trip down memory lane. Add to that the incredible world of the OASIs, and I was hooked. This is one movie I’ll be watching again.

“Ready Player One” score: B

Trailer Park: The Girl in the Spider’s Web

 

Well, I’m impressed. “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” looks quite good, and stylish. Plus I like Claire Foy, so I’ll be seeing this in the theater. Who knows?, maybe they got it right this time.

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web” hits theaters this November.

Better late than never review: Annihilation

Possible spoilers ahead!

“Annihilation” is the story of army veteran turned academic biologist Lena (Natalie Portman), who is stunned when her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), returns home from a mysterious mission one year after he was presumed dead. Although happy to have him back, Lena quickly realizes Kane isn’t quite the same man who left her one year ago. Soon after his return, Kane becomes gravely ill, and he and Lena are taken to a place called Area X.

This place is run by an organization called Southern Reach, the same group that sent Kane’s army unit on their last mission. Here, Lena meets Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who reveals the phenomenon known as the shimmer.

Ventress explains that all they know for sure is the shimmer started at a lighthouse and has been expanding for the last three years. Southern Reach have been studying it since, but no one they’ve sent into the shimmer has everreturned – that is, until Kane.

In an effort to save her husband, Lena joins the next expedition into the shimmer. The group is led by Dr. Ventress, who is determined to reach the lighthouse and discover the source of the shimmer. They’re joined on the expedition by Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), and Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny). However, none of them are prepared for what they encounter once they venture into the shimmer.

Holy cow, this movie was an experience! I’m not sure exactly how to describe “Annihilation,” other than to say it was like witnessing a surreal dream. This movie is gorgeous all around. The film’s visual effects are out of this world, and it seemed to me that the filmmakers paid attention to every detail when they developed the look of the Shimmer.

The film wastes no time in getting to the main plot. However, the story is not told in a completely linear manner, as it jumps between two points in time to keep the audience just a little disoriented. But I didn’t mind this, because the characters are also disoriented for much the film, so it felt like I was going through the same stuff they were.

The cinematography and Alex Garland’s direction helps the movie shift between sequences with ease. None of the jumps are jarring between scary and drama. All of it works well in telling the overall story. Additionally, the set design of “Annihilation” keeps the surrealist landscape of the shimmer grounded thanks stunning practical effects.

 

The cast of Portman, Leigh, Thompson, Rodriguez, and Novotny are solid throughout the film. The five women are the viewer’s guide through this strange world and the emotions that come with visiting this place. Natalie Portman is of course, the main star of the film and she delivers a complex performance as a soldier/scientist who must balance the good of the mission with her goal of saving her husband’s life.

I really liked what Natalie Portman brought to me movie. However, maybe it’s me, but I can still hear the Jackie Kennedy accent she used in “Jackie.” I know it sounds strange, but I can still hear that voice. This was noticable in the early part of “Annihilation,” but it did improve as the movie went along.

Also of note is Jennifer Jason Leigh as the enigmatic Dr. Ventress. She’s a strange character to say the least, but through Leigh’s performance, she’s a likable character who is also fearless. Even though Venresss and Lena don’t agree on much, the two seem to form a quick bond and the two play well off one an other.

Unfortunately, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Tuva Novotny get the short end of the stick. All three cast members deliver strong performances, with each given their moments to make their character shine. But unlike Ventress and Len, their characters are underdeveloped. I think we get one or two lines of dialogue telling us about their backgrounds. But the three make up for it with compelling performances.

When all is said and done, “Annihilation” isn’t a movie for everyone. And I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not quite as good as Alex Garland’s “Ex-Machina.” But “Annihilation” is still a beautifully show, well acted, and thought-provoking sci-fi film about humanity. This film delivers on thrills and scares, and tops it all off with exceptional visuals.

“Annihilation” score: B

I paid to see that: The Horse Whisperer

Ahh, the crazy things you do for a girl.

Twenty years ago I was a young 20-year-old college student who had just asked a new girl out on a date. Shockingly, she said yes, and suggested we go to the movies. Being a gentleman, I told her she should pick out the movie she wanted to see the most. Unluckily for me, this was the same week
a little movie called “The Horse Whisperer” opened in theaters.

The film was directed by Robert Redford, and was based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Nicholas Evans. In the movie, Robert Redford plays Tom Booker, a talented trainer with a remarkable gift for understanding horses. He’s hired by Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) to help her injured teenage daughter Grace (Scarlett Johansson), and her horse following a tragic accident.

One thing I have to admit, is that “The Horse Whisperer” had one hell of a cast. The supporting cast includes: Chris Cooper as Redford’s brother Frank, Dianne Wiest as his wife, and Sam Neil as Kriistin Scott Thomas’ husband, Robert. And in a very small role, Kate Bosworth plays Judith, Grace’s friend who died in the tragic accident which opens the film. Like I said, this flick had an impressive cast.

So what did I think of “The Horse Whisperer”?

Well, Let me put to you this way: By the time Robert Redford turns down Kristin Scott Thomas over the phone, I was already looking at my watch. During the trip Kristin Scott Thomas and Scarlett Johansson take to Montana, I’d gone to the concessions stand twice, and took the scenic walk back to my seat.

When I sat back down with my new bucket of popcorn, my date said to me, “Don’t leave again, it’s about to get good.” I wondered how she’d know that, and over the dinner later I found out she had read the book. But sitting in the theater that afternoon, I didn’t believe this movie was about to get any better.

Sure, the performances were solid. Especially by Kristin Scott Thomas and Robert Redford. And the cinematography was stunning. Montana is a beautiful place, and looked great in the movie. But as for horse whispering, as far as I could tell, all it involved is Robert Redford staring at the horse until the horse gets what Redford is trying to accomplish. And let me tell you, there are a lot of scenes of people staring at the horse.

But eventually the horse succumbs to Robert Redford’s charms, and so does Kristin Scott Thomas who ends up falling in love with him. I think she considers staying in Montana, but cooler head prevail. Redford even gets to Scarlett Johansson, who seemed to have a better relationship with his character than with her dad played by Sam Neil.

Clocking in at 170 minutes, “The Horse Whisperer” was a marathon of a movie. But as far as first dates go, it was definitely memorable. So was the first kiss that night when I dropped her off at her place. So while the movie wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, the rest of the date was.

 

 

 

Book Review: Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .

Synopsis:

In À Bientôt, delivered, along with his own hand-drawn sketches, to his publisher mere days before he passed away, Roger looks back on his life—and gives it his trademark sideways glance. Nostalgic, funny, charming and, most importantly, very human, his reflections on age and aging encompass all aspects of this universal experience, from reminiscences on childhood and “what might have been;” keeping abreast of the everchanging times; senior moments, memory and getting to grips with technology; the joys—and frustrations—of travel; work and play.

Along with these he tells of the intense happiness—and some equally intense sadnesses—of family life. Featuring his own sketches throughout, this book sees Roger at his most open and forthright. The true stories and situations he shares in this warm and intimate book reveal a “Bond unbound,” the human being inside the action-adventure character that made him so famous the world over. Always upbeat and—as ever—endearingly self-effacing and unpretentious, he shares the joys he experienced every day along with the tiny triumphs that life brings to us all at the most unexpected times

A Brief History:

I have been a fan of Roger Moore’s work on the big and small screen for most of my life. Whether it was as The Saint, James Bond, or even in “Boat Trip,” Moore was always great. But over the last few years, my attention was turned from his acting, to his books.

In fact, some of my favorite books over the last few years have been written by Roger Moore. So being a fan of Mr. Moore, there was no way I was going to pass on his final book, “Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .”

My Thoughts:

If you’re expecting a play by-play account of Moore’s time as James Bond, you’re out of luck. This time, Roger Moore focuses more on family, relationships, and some fun stories he had before, during, and after his time as 007. In this book Moore writes quite a bit about his wife Kristina, his kids, and the res of his family. I would say “Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .” is easily the most personal book Moore wrote.

Throughout the book, Moore has these interludes he called “What if,” which detail roles he passed on, or missed out on. I don’t want to spoil any of these stories, but I will say that many of them were fascinating, and thought-provoking. A few of these “What If” moments left me wondering what might have been, or what we might have missed out on if Roger Moore had chosen a different path during his long career. And at least one “What if” left me scratching my head wondering how Roger Moore would have been in that particular role.

Final word and score:

It saddens me that “Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .” is the last book I’ll ever read by Roger Moore. I’m going to miss reading his funny stories about something that happened to him at airports, or as he got older, or something took place at home with his wife Kristina. But most of all I’m going to miss his wit.

As sad as his passing was, I have to admit “Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .” was a perfect way to end. This is one of those rare books that I will definitely read again, and again. So thank you Roger Moore for the fun 007 movies, the Saint, and all the great laughs your books always brought.

“Roger Moore: À Bientôt . . .” score: A+