An Outsider's Response to LOST (Spoiler Alert)

I can perfectly relate to an individual’s commitment to a element of pop culture. I have devoted a serious portion of my time for the past handful of years reading, viewing, researching, and pondering Harry Potter. If someone tells me who gets voted off Survivor before I’ve viewed the episode it takes all of my willpower to keep from decking them. However, I did not follow Lost. The concept always intrigued me and others swear by its “awesomeness” but for whatever reason I ignored those who preached its graces.

Since my family has tuned in every week since I got home from school, I’ve been passively watching the lead-up to the finale, and then the marathon final episode. It was quite exciting for me as I’m sure it was for everyone who knew all of the cameos and tidbits shown throughout. But, I can’t help but wonder if the fact that I understood the outcome with such a minimal knowledge of the show speaks against the intricacy of the resolution. I know the show had so many questions on a weekly basis that the end was a kind of easy way out.

Please don’t get me wrong. I thought it was a strong finish that allowed a happy ending out of an impossible conflict, and gave every character a positive resolve to end their story arch. It was just that I was shocked that they actually answered the program’s main question of why are they there? I’m glad they did. If Harry Potter ended right before Harry’s final battle with Voldemort I would have ransacked the Barnes & Noble. So, even if you Lost fans are disappointed with the ending just be happy you got one. Sopranos fans weren’t as lucky.

I commend the writers for the amount of religious symbolism planted throughout the script. The finale especially saw quite a bit of not-so-subtle iconography, which I think is bold in 2010 network television. The characters were not saints or anything, but when it all ended they were good people. They chose to have the happy ending, well all except for one. But the happy ending wasn’t even that ambiguous. They were clearly in heaven with the white light and all. It’s hard to believe 15 million “equal rights” Americans watched a sci-fi show that concluded with being in heaven. I wonder if they’ll show an atheistic alternate ending on the DVD extra features. I sure wouldn’t want anyone to be left out.

So, I will cave. I am going to watch the complete six seasons of Lost this summer. Yes, I know the ending but I’m o.k. with that. If the plot, characters, and entertainment value are there I will still enjoy the show. If not, then it was all a cheap gimmick.

Lastly, don’t spoil the end for anyone who’s trying to catch up before they watch the finale. That’s just annoying and not funny. In that situation just tell them a more shocking spoiler… Snape kills Dumbledore.

Robin Hood

Fans of the Errol Flynn incarnation of Robin Hood might want to steer clear of this new rendition. Russell Crowe stars as the title character in the film, which is loosely a prequel to the commonly told Robin Hood storyline. Most of the familiar names are there with Little John, Friar Tuck, and the Sheriff of Nottingham but it’s definitely different than any other Robin Hood I’ve seen.

The story kept the comradery of the merry men with the intensity one would expect from a period film based during the crusades. Crowe is an actor who I always think won’t fit in his roles but like usual he did well. And what can be said of Mark Strong? He seems to be the go to villain these days and was more sinister in Robin Hood than he was in April’s release, Kick Ass.

Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Marion provides a depth that the character does not always have. Her support for Robin is at times unbelievable due to the strange identity crisis plotline but sometimes the viewer just has to go with it. The visually compelling fight sequences are strong enough that I think the rare moment of slow pacing is acceptable.

I am not that well educated on English folklore, but it seemed that the film was a prequel when it wanted to be and then dipped into the traditional timeline for some of the more exciting plot points. I’m all for re-imaginings but this combination has made a sequel seem questionable even though the ending almost begs for one.

Robin Hood was promoted as the new Gladiator but it was definitely more mainstream and acceptable to the masses. A lot of that had to do with the story. Robin Hood is probably more popular than the gruesomely bloody gladiators. Luckily, the Pg-13 rating let me know before hand that I didn’t need to bring my barf bag… although there were a few arrows through the neck in the film, and those are always fun. (8.3 out of 10)

'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' Response

After ten years of watching Survivor I had no doubt that bringing back the supposed greatest heroes and villains would deliver and I was right… kind of. It’s a formula that is destined to succeed. Bringing back America’s favorite players ensures the long time fans are happy and the fans who have left the survivor camp for other shows will return, at least for a little while.

One of the weakest points in the CBS staple every season are those first few episodes where the audience has no idea who the people are and have no attachment to the players who are voted out. The all-star seasons skip that aspect, as there is a previous attachment to every contestant.

With that being said I was almost in physical pain every time one of my favorites was voted out. I was too attached. Stephanie, Tom, Tyson, Boston Rob, I continually faced situations in the season where I was rooting for nobody because I wanted everyone to stay. However, I have watched 20 season of this ridiculous show and I know that screaming obscenities at the screen is part of the experience.

Survivor 20 was the first time that I’ve looked at returning castaways and said it’s time for them to hang it up. They have been great players, and some of my favorites but Colby, Rupert, Amanda, Jerri and probably some others have worn out their welcome. I just resent them now. Luckily, I have their former seasons on DVD so I can relive their pre-washed up moments whenever I want.

The opposite can be said for Boston Rob and Russell. The entertainment level these guys provided during their runs showed the true craft of the game and the intellectual aspect that is usually masked by the fake boobs and whining of other contestants. The masterminds made this show what it is for the first decade and I hope they can come up with another strategist this fall for Survivor: Nicaragua.

I found that this past season did live up to the hype. The noticeably larger budget made some amazing looking scenes, larger than life challenges, and the editing was as good as anything I’ve seen on television. When the dust settled Sandra won, and I was bummed. I thought she was a genius for how she got it done in the Pearl Islands but this time around I was bitter that the jury didn’t recognize the unbelievable moves Russell made during the 39 days. But as Tom said during the reunion show, whomever wins played the right game and deserves to win.

In his back-to-back seasons, Russell has leaped his way to the top of craftiest players in Survivor history ahead of Richard Hatch, Boston Rob, Johnny Fairplay and others but still doesn’t have that title of sole survivor. Oh well. There have only been 19 winners of this game, and to be honest, a good number of those winners were not the story of their season.

So, the villains won. I look forward to bringing in some ignorant first timers this fall. I’ll be watching religiously like always, taking notes for if I ever get my chance to play. But, what am I supposed to do all summer with no Survivor? “I got nothing for you. Head back to camp.” Dammit!

Iron Man 2

Films based on Marvel comics always hold a special place in my heart. I try to be objective but the characters are just so cool. When the first Iron Man was released, the character replaced Spider-Man in a lot of ways as THE superhero that was considered to be the best by the American public. We saw with the release of Spider-Man 3, and the eventual drama that ensued with the studio, that the hype can get to be too much, even with a fictional character. Luckily, The Dark Knight came out and took away all expectations for a comic book film and Iron Man 2 can just exist for what it is.

The Iron Man franchise’s strength lies with its acting. Robert Downey Jr. has become one of the most popular actors in the world and usually has the performances to back it up. His second time out as Tony Stark was good but I could have used a little more development from the first film. Mickey Rourke stole the show, portraying Whiplash, a poor scientist hell-bent on revenge with intelligence close to the level of Stark’s. He was creepy, but even creepier than the real life Mickey Rourke so there was some acting involved.

The rest of the main actors were strong, as expected, except Scarlet Johansson. I seem to be the only one complaining about her performances, but it was as if she was reading off of cue cards.

The pacing and overall plot was also well built, while being a bit fragmented at times. The very funny and entertaining first half of the film lost a few steps at the end when the plot fell victim to “Transformer-esque” robot battles. I would have preferred a more intimate fight, like the one Whiplash, and Iron Man had at the racetrack, earlier in the film.

Lastly, I have to mention the hidden puzzle pieces featured throughout the movie. I am very excited about the Avengers spin-off that is in the works, but I feel that if I can’t catch the references, non-comic book fans don’t stand a chance. We want to be in on the game, but it’s awfully hard to pause the movie and rewind when we see it in the theaters

Now comes the moment of truth for director John Favreau, and everyone involved in the next installment. How can they make Iron Man 3 live up to hype and not fall victim to the “Spider-Man 3 effect?” The most likely solution they’ll use is throwing more money at it. (8.8 out of 10)

Kick Ass

As a longtime comic book fan I tend to stay more with the established super heroes because I know of their quality. The Kick Ass story had the credentials of writer Mark Millar, and illustrator John Romita Jr. working for it, but I still never read it. I wasn’t even that hyped to see the movie but, I figured it would be a good warm up or Iron Man and the other summer blockbusters.

The combination of unknowns and familiar faces made a solid cast, but it’s hard to say that anyone stood out. Chloe Moretz, who played Hit-Girl was probably the most unexpected, and bad ass of performances, but no complaints with any of the actors.

The fight choreography in the movie lived up to the title and I would say even went a step further. I would categorize it as Earth Shatteringly Bad Ass… too much? Oh well. What made it stand out as realistic was that every character that was a strong fighter had the credentials to do so. Kick Ass, who was relatively untrained, fought that way.

The storyline was not terribly original but did not come off as a rerun of other super hero stories. Regular people try to make a difference by dressing up in costumes and taking on criminals. The result is different than the usual. People get tortured, mangled, and killed, which makes sense and would probably be the case in real life. Add that to the abundance of potty mouth dialogue and I would say Kick Ass earned its R rating.

Overall, kick ass was an above average action movie with great potential to become a cult favorite. It was definitely a smart move to release it April, however. Even though Nicholas Cage is awesome and put in a solid performance his star power couldn’t have carried this movie against iron Man or Robin Hood, but then again neither of them have McLovin... I mean Christopher Mintz-Plasse. (8.2 out of 10)