Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Movie Review: Avatar (3D)

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On March 28, 2010

In Movies, Reviews

[rating:5]

Avatar takes place in the future, on a planet several light years away called Pandora. A multi-billion dollar company is excavating rare materials from the planet to take back to Earth to process and return a rather ludicrous profit. The natives are resisting, and with just cause. A paralyzed marine (Sam Worthington) is sent to the planet to resume control of his recently deceased brother’s avatar. These avatar’s are modeled after the local natives, the mission for these scientists and marines is to study and negotiate with the natives to the benefit of the corporation. As with all plans of mice and men, something goes awry. The details of that I will leave for you to discover on your own.

I saw this movie in 3D; I haven’t seen a movie in 3D since Captain Eo at Epcot Center and to be honest, I wasn’t really on the 3D bandwagon when we were preparing to see this movie. I was hoping to catch a regular digital 2D version of the film. Apparently the 3D was the most popular medium for viewing the film because all of the theaters in the area had already removed the 2D version, much to my chagrin.

I really enjoyed this movie. I think it certainly lives up to all the hype and expectations. A lot of people were saying that the movie has kind of a hippie anti-big business undertone but I disagree. I think its there if you are looking for it, but if you just watch the movie for its intended entertainment purposes I don’t think you are going to walk out hating big business because of some subliminal subtext. The digital artwork is phenomenal and the storyline keeps you intrigued for the entire 2 hour 42 minute runtime.

Regarding the 3D aspect of it, I would agree that watching this movie in 3D was a unique experience,  however, 3D is just a gimmick. It’s an excuse for the theaters to charge you an extra $2-3 per ticket. Honestly, when this movie comes out on Blu-ray, watching it on an HDTV via HDMI is going to be more spectacular then watching it in 3D.

(P.S. Avatar is coming out on Blu-ray April 22nd).

Movie Review: The Invention of Lying

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On March 21, 2010

In Movies, Reviews

The Invention of Lying takes place in an alternate reality where the concept of truth and lie do not exist; nor does deceit or fiction. Everyone says anything that is immediately on their mind. There is a man (Ricky Gervais) who, one day, tells the first lie. The consequences of his lies take him down many awkward and humorous paths in search of meaning and love.

I watched this movie on a whim. The concept was intriguing, it seemed pretty low budget, not too many big names and I was pleasantly surprised. It was witty and clever. I wasn’t expecting the film to be Oscar worthy drama because the premise just alluded to entertainment and that’s exactly what I got out of it. I’ve actually seen the movie twice now and I enjoyed it just as much the second time through. I do think that this movie won’t be for everyone but if you are looking for some mild entertainment with a few cameos from Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Edward Norton I would say to give this movie a shot. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Back from Vegas

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On March 16, 2010

In General Cogitation

I have returned from my trip to Vegas; it was my first time in Vegas but I wasn’t there to gamble, I was there for a friends wedding. I can sum up my impression of Vegas in one word: expensive. We spent a whole $1 gambling but money spent on food also makes things quite expensive in Vegas. I believe that is why people gamble in Vegas, to attempt to replenish the money they spent to eat.

At any rate, like I said, I wasn’t there to gamble, I was there to attend a wedding. This may sound odd but I had never met these friends face-to-face but I have known them and I have known their voices for over 2 years. They are friends we have made from playing World of Warcraft. It was well worth the time and money to fly out there and finally put a face to the voice. It was actually extremely comforting to learn that we all get along very well even when we are not playing the game. We all got along as if we had known each other before the game even existed.

The ceremony was fantastic, Tiff looked extraordinary in her wedding dress. This union between Rich and Tiff was a long time in the making; in my opinion they were already married, this was just the formality. I had so much fun that I really hated to see the weekend end. Again, congratulations to Rich and Tiff to a match made in heaven; may your love never fade and may you both have a long and fulfilling life together. Thank you very much for giving me the honor to attend your wedding.

I definitely think that a real life guild gathering will have to be organized sometime in the future.

Biggs On: Turning 30

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On March 1, 2010

In Biggs On

It is now March and by the end of this month I will be 30 years old; an age that some might denote as the first major milestone as an aging adult. I am certain, without a doubt, that I will get the question (or some derivation of this question) “How does it feel to be (turning) 30?” I could quote some cliche but I feel like cliches are often used to mask one’s true feelings, therefore I’m not going to respond with “You’re only as old as you feel” or “30 is the new 20” because its not representative of my true cogitation on the matter.

Honestly I don’t understand the hype many place on turning 30. The way I perceive it, God willing I haven’t even reached half my lifespan. What is it that I should be depressed about after having been alive for 30 years? There are infants, children and teenagers whose lives are tragically cut short; often by circumstances that are beyond their control. After 30 years I have completed high school, completed college (with 2 degrees), secured a job, and I am married. Granted I don’t have any children yet, but personally that isn’t a pre-30 requirement. Children could lead me down a tangent that is better reserved for its own topic (however, children are in the game plan … assuming it coincides with His plan).Honestly even having completed college or getting married isn’t necessarily a pre-30 requirement for everyone. I’m not here to diminish those who may have chosen different goals and acolytes in their first 30 years.

The way I see it your birthday isn’t something you should ever dread whether you are turning 30, 40, 80, or 100. It’s a celebration of life. You have survived. You have succeeded. You have seen the origin of things; might have even seen the demise of things. So embrace your birthday; embrace your age. Don’t think about how old you are getting; think about how long you have survived. You know what I’m going to do on March 26th, the day I turn 30 years old? I am probably going to get plowed! Why? It isn’t because I loathe getting older, it’s because I’m excited to celebrate turning 30.

And that’s what I think about that; take it how you want it.

Movie Review: Gamer

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On February 8, 2010

In Movies, Reviews

Gamer is about a megalomaniac (Michael C. Hall) who gives prison in-mates the option of participating in a video game controlled but other human beings in real survival of the fittest combat. Gerard Butler plays Kable, the best one to play the game. If the in-mates can survive for 30 games, they are given their freedom back. Michael C. Hall has hidden agenda’s that Butler is trying to foil with the help of his player, Simon.

Personal Review

I rented and watched this movie the same night I rented and watched Inglourious Basterds. If you are familiar at all with any Quentin Tarantino movie, he is often violent and grisly in his films. Gamer turned out to be much more violent then Inglourious Basterds, so consider that if you decide to watch Gamer. Now, I am a big gamer myself and my current preference is MMO games (Massively Multiplayer Online), so naturally the concept of this movie appealed to my gamer geek. The movie is an interesting concept but its not really a stellar film. The film is only 92 minutes, and that’s probably appropriate considering the quality of this film.

It has geek appeal, which is probably the biggest strength this film has, but definitely not something Gerard Butler should place high on his list of film acolytes. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that he was in this film because I’m becoming a bit of a fan of a majority of his work.  If you are interested in seeing this film, its probably best if you are something of a gamer and you can acquire the film at minimal to no expense, then maybe take 90 minutes and see what you think, but don’t expect to be blown away. Otherwise, I wouldn’t waste your time or money because I don’t want to receive any blame for possibly having wasted 90 minutes of your life.

Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds

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On January 29, 2010

In Movies, Reviews

Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s latest film which takes place during World War II when the Nazi’s occupied France. A group of Jewish-American soldiers form a small task force whose only objective is scalping and killing Nazi’s. There is also a German soldier who has been deemed a war hero for having killed 300 enemy soldiers in 3 days from a bell tower; a movie has been made to commemorate this feat. The film is to debut in a small cinema in France with several high ranking Nazi officers, including Hitler, scheduled to attend. I will stop the synopsis here, I do not wish to unveil to many more details about the plot of the movie to avoid spoiling the movie for anyone who has yet to see it.

Personal Review

I am a fan of most of Tarantino’s work so I was anxious to see this film and I was not disappointed. I feel like this film is classic Tarantino from beginning to end. The biggest caveat is this film contains some grisly content so if you have a weak stomach for blood and gore you might want to avoid this film or turn your head. The gore does not dominate the film, in fact if I were to compare this to some of his other films, its mild. I’m not really a Brad Pitt fan but I did enjoy his role as Lt. Raine, the leader of the crew killing the Nazi’s and the only big ticket name in this film. There are a few cameo’s (I will let you watch the movie to find out who) but most of the actors in the film are unknowns but don’t let that deter you, the acting is very good.

I’m not a history buff nor do I know anything about specific events that happened during World War II but the movie credits said that the film was based on true events. Personally I feel that the only parts of this film that were based on true events was World War II. As you progress through the movie there are events that obviously do not depict actual historical events but that doesn’t, nor should it, take away from the film. I’d say if you are a Tarantino fan, or even if you are not, I would recommend this film; I really enjoyed it.

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