The Wolverine (Film Review)

                I wasn’t looking forward to another X-men themed adventure, beside “First Class.”  The last time there was a film involving Wolverine, it was 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and it was a sore sight to see. So, I’m happy to report that The Wolverine is significantly better than the film that was intended four years ago and is has a lot more depth than advertised.

Logan has disbanded from his teammates after the events of “The Last Stand” and is a shell of his former self. He can’t live himself after impaling Jean Grey (Dark Phoenix) to prevent further casualties all those years ago and has recurring dreams about his former love periodicity throughout the film. He meets up with a girl named Yukio, who then brings Logan to Japan to meet up with an old friend from the past who heads one of the biggest corporations in Japan: The Yashida Corporation. Back in 1945, Nagasaki was attacked by the United States during World War II by an Atomic Bomb. Logan proceeds to save Yashida from the impact of the bomb and is rewarded with the opportunity of having mortal life. His healing powers are a thing of the past, at that point. What becomes more than a simple thank you, turns into a fight against death and Yashida will stop at nothing but to live forever.

What makes The Wolverine such an engaging film is how Hugh Jackman is able to convey Logan’s conflict of not be indestructible anymore and the imbedded guilt that has traumatized this soldier. It’s a nice change of pace for a series longing for ingenuity. The fight scenes are elaborately designed with good techniques and aren't reliant on much use of CGI; easily the film’s best moment comes aboard on top of a high-speed train, which features good direction from director James Mangold throughout most of the entire film. Other parts within the film seem like filler, for example, the Viper character is given little to do here. Her act was tired right after she poisoned the 3,457^th character in the film and the last half-hour tends to fall apart with odd twist and turns, especially with The Sliver Samurai making its presence felt, and, also, while the minor sub-plot of having Logan protect the Mariko Yashida is fairly good, that love story is a bit forced. That said, The Wolverine is an enjoyable movie, which makes up for the suckage that was 2009's "Origins." 

Nonetheless, The Wolverine is a satisfying movie with enough action and story to keep you invested throughout the film and is a nice prelude to next year’s Days of Future Past. If you've managed to stick around for during the credits, there’s a nice surprised in-store for the most patient.

The "All or Nothing" Man of IMS (A NASCAR analysis)

 

6 finishes of 9th or better (top) vs. 6 finishes of 18th or worse (bottom). Take your pick.

     

Jimmie Johnson has a record-tying 4 wins alongside with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon. He has led 302 laps to go along with the 4 victories & 6 top-tens. Strangely, he can also be considered a liability there with 6 finishes of 18th or worse in those 12 starts, as well. Pretty weird for an all-out exceptional driver like Johnson, but these results DID happen. Whether it was a tire problem or an engine failure, he has been unfortunate, as well. In order to bring his results into further context, I decided to dissect the seven races that he didn't win ('02, '03, '04, '05, '07, '10, '11 & '13).

2002: (Started 37th, Finished 9th)
   
     A hard-fought 9th place finish started with a drive from the back of the field for the driver of the 48, who managed to avoid all of the incidents throughout the day and used clever pit strategy to ascend through the field.  It was a quiet top-10 finish for the rookie.

2003: (Started 9th, Finished 18th)
   
     Jimmie spent most of his day inside the top 10 until a long pit stop put him in the 13th position with little time to get back to the rest of the top cars. A restart with 16 laps saw a multi-car accident down the backstretch between turns 3 and 4. Jimmie Johnson was among those involved in the incident; and, while he did drive away unscathed, he ended the day with a disappointing 18th place finish.

2004: (Started 9th, Finished 38th)
 
      Spent the first 30 laps inside the top 10 until the 48 spun coming off of turn 3. Got as high as 22nd after the spin before the engine expired on lap 89.

2005: (Started 42nd, Finished 38th; Driver Rating: 58.8)
   
      In its inaugural year, sites like racing-reference.info implemented a driver rating system, which tabulates how a driver is running throughout a race. Sort of like how Quarterbacks are scored for interceptions, touchdowns, passing yards, etc. Drivers are scored on green flag passes, quality passes inside the top 15, laps spent in the top 15, laps led and so on. Jimmie Johnson, for example, was scored with the driver rating of 58.8. The average equivalent would be above a 70.0 driver rating.  Starting in the back because of a bad time trial speed, JJ slowly made his way towards the top-15 only to spin out off of turn 2 on lap 79 and then, proceeded to restart his march towards the front again. Jimmie's team decided later in the race to bargain for track position as he restarted 7th on lap 121 and managed to stay within the top-15, until, a hard crash off of turn 4 ended his day on lap 144.

2007: (Started 19th, Finished 39th;  Driver Rating: 66.1)

     The winner of the 2006 Brickyard 400 was caught in a multi-car accident on lap 47 after running as high as 4th early in the running. As the carnage ceased, Jimmie went to pit road to fix some of the damage from the accident and fell a lap down, due to the extensive repairs. When the race was restarted on lap 60, JJ was in a position for the "free pass" (when the first driver is a lap down, he or she receives that lap back) then, alas, the left front tire gave way,
sending him into the wall on lap 62, effectively ending his day.  

2010: (Started 2nd, Finished 22nd; Driver Rating: 75.9)

     After winning back-to-back Brickyards in 2008 & 2009, respectively, the 48 team pretty much missed the setup two-thirds of the race after racing among the leaders early on. Despite starting on the outside pole, Jimmie Johnson's crew kept adjusting the car to improve the handling throughout the event to no avail. Things got so bad that the crew opened the hood to tinker with the steering of the car. He fell a lap down because of this and needed the aid of a "wave around" (Once the leaders pit, cars laps down must stay out to regain a lap, but you can't pit until the restart) to catch up to the competition, but was mired back in traffic only pick up 22nd.

2011: (Started 3rd, Finished 19th; Driver Rating: 99.9)

     Probably the best showing by the driver despite not winning in this installment. Johnson and a lot of other contenders were mired back in traffic due to the final laps being determined by fuel mileage. Jimmie spent most of the day in the top 10 and looked to reclaim Indy supremacy until a final pit stop put him far behind the rest of the cars who could stretch their fuel load more so then guys like Jimmie. He ended the day 19th, despite an average position of 10th throughout the day.

2013: (Started 2nd, Finished 2nd; Driver Rating: 138.3)

    Looking to become the first-ever 5-time Brickyard, Jimmie was perhaps on his way towards another back-to-back feat. Leading a race-high 73 laps, the only things against JJ was Ryan Newman & lots of pit strategies for track position. With 30 laps to go, Johnson's bid for a 5-peat was slowed by a pit stop, ceding the lead to Ryan Newman, who eventually won the event.  

Film Review: Oblivion

Oblivion is set many years in the future, where the Earth was all but lost in a war that pitted Scavengers vs The Humans, in which the war was won, but left the earth and its moon literally in ruins. The Scavs own the ground, as they stake out for any suspicious activity. Jack Harper (played by Tom Cruise) is one of the few survivors left with the sole duty of tracking day-to-day operations of alien drones, ocean-borne power stations and any enemy movement. He and his partner, Victoria (Andrea Risenborough), are set on Tower 49, where they work as a team to do this on a constant basis towards being effective with one another. He handles the gruff work, while she offers assistance from that very tower. Sally (Melissa Leo) is the station commander and the head of the "Tet" a massive space station that orbits around the earth. Then, suddenly, things go awry when Harper discovers that everything isn't what it seems, even his purpose comes into question. He has these strange memories of a past before the war and memories his wife (Olga Kurylenko). And this is where the film loses it, as far as a decent story goes. The film just sits idle, failing to give the audience an idea of what is happening in its empty construct. The characters aren't any better, either; as Cruise and Risenborough have little resemblance of chemistry with one another, considering the importance of their own objectives. Morgan Freeman is seemingly out of place once we're introduced to his one-note character Malcolm Beech, who does tell Harper what exactly happened to this world but it all feels so bare, thanks to the underwhelming character development. Beech is perhaps the weakest character here because he's played straight by Freeman, which can be blamed more on the weak script rather than the execution. I say this despite the best part of the film being Kurylenko, who does enough to make the scenes her own (Yes, the bland Bond girl from Quantum of Solace was, ironically, the best character here). Yet, what gets Oblivion far is it fantastic vision set by Director Joseph Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who captures the war-torn Earth with shots of destroyed landmarks, like The Pentagon and the Washington Monument, for example, it's by far, the best thing about this film. Most of the filming takes place in Iceland, while the rest of it is set in parts of Louisiana and California (namely with scenes set in June Lake). But, the magnificent locales can come off as filler to compliment a movie stuck in...well, Oblivion. Pretty much, there's hardly one other thing that is redeemable of this film. It's empty, lifeless and most of all, it's underwhelming.

A Good Day to Die Hard (Movie Review)

Perplexing to think that there have been five of these films and the formula still works, bargain if you care for middling supporting characters that fail to rival the genius of Hans Gruber from the original Die Hard. A Good Day to Die Hard (yes, that’s the actual title) is the latest installment of the series that has managed to outlive its worth. While I didn't enjoy the character depth of the supporting cast nor the forgettable plot, I was able to forgive the insipid activity of the action sequences; they do have a charming place within the franchise. The setting is in Russia, where John McClain’s son, Jack, is on a mission from the CIA to prevent the prosecution of a whistle blower. Then, like in every Die Hard film, McClain Sr. has to welcome us all back into the party and witness wise cracks, one-liners and charm. Bruce Willis, to his credit does a good job of making his venerable protagonist relevant in a digital age and looks good doing it too at the spry age of 58; Pretty impressive. Though, the biggest flaw with the setting is that we never get a proper introduction to Moscow (the film’s setting); and, there’s no sense of patience as there seems to be no kind of stoppage in the action; it’s as if the writer infused no pacing. Director John Moore tries too hard at modernizing a dying genre with outplayed elements (i.e. slow-motion) to exists as a destructive playground for us to witness. There’s a chase scene that, at times, defies the laws of physics with weight distribution and collision detection. Example, say you’re chasing down a 4x4 monster truck and an SUV challenges it to a game of bumper tag. The SUV, amazingly, manages to take down the four-wheeler by trapping it into a ramp. But, yeah, that really DID happen in my verbal dramatization of the sequence that I referred to. Logic officially left my mind, from that point; and, when I didn't care for a proper introduction or a decent plot device, Die Hard 5 manages to be entertaining, regardless. That scene and its visually distracting climax are funny in their individual inanity. Jai Courtney, who plays the son of John McClain, is serviceable without being too much of a burden to the McClain legacy, so to speak. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does return from the fourth film, though in a lesser role here. German actor Sebastian Koch plays the whistle blower and does an OK job with what he has to deal with, it’s just too bad that he’s bare. Now that I've covered, exhaustively, how confusing things are in this film and how it distorted my perception of reality, I did like it, despite how ridiculous things turned out, overall. The core villain (if you can tell who is the main antagonist) underwhelmed and the same for Jack McClain. The film does pay homage to the original film in sequences, which was cool, if unnecessary; but, if all you’re looking for is something that’s big, dumb and absurd, you’ll enjoy this film. Just be sure to turn your brain off in order to enjoy the nonsense.

Victory Lane's Long Lost Surname...

According to Stats LLC, Dale Earnhardt Jr. went 55,446 miles before winning Sunday's Michigan race. That mileage is more than 2 laps around our planet's equator. I didn't know when his drought was going to end, and didn't think he'd have two victories at a track that usually isn't his finest (he currently averages a 15.2 at the 2-mile oval) but he's been better since 2006 with only two finishes outside the top 20. (From 2001-2005, he averaged 21st compared to the 2006-2012 span, where he averages a 10th place.) His winless drought spanned for 143-races and four agonizing years, which is very hard to do in any profession. Initially, his car was very loose (over steering) and due to a left side tire adjustment prior to the race, the 88 crew was in a bind early on in the running. From that point on and restarting as far as 37th, the 88 was passing cars at will and any ill-effects from earlier quibbles were non-existent. His car was among the fastest for the race and was flawless in the closing stages of the rain-delayed event on that Sunday. He didn’t luck into this victory like he did in 2008, where he benefitted from a timely caution when he crossed the white flag with a crash on the front stretch. I thought this drought would've persisted long after Michigan and maybe he’d be good enough for a great finish, but not a victory. This is shaping up to being a great season, thus far for Dale and I’m overjoyed with this victory for a variety of reasons. Suffering through losses at Charlotte, Martinsville, Daytona and Pocono come to mind, recently, where he's in contention, albeit (and unnecessarily) no cigar. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has perhaps shocked himself that he has a top-10 average finish (7.4, at the moment heading to Sonoma, California), this season. The guy that I was accustomed to seeing win races at DEI (formerly Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, now Earnhardt-Ganassi) was in full form. As for the rest of this season, I don't know if I want to put him in the discussion of championship contender and if he can beat the best in NASCAR; but, this win shocked me as I'm sure it did for all Junior fans. With 20 races remaining in the season, more is certain to come and it’ll be interesting to see if Dale can back up this result for the remainder of the season with more wins, perhaps. I have my trepidations for the remainder, but racing is at least enjoyable again with an Earnhardt winning again....just don't take another 4 years, please.

Shame (Movie Review)

I can say flatly that Michael Fassbender gives a brave, honest portrayal in this dark, brutal, engaging film. In the movie "Shame", Mike portrays Brandon Sullivan, a sexually, hyperactive person who struggles with these urges of images of women. Deep down inside, he's a very insecure man that can't combat his increasingly difficult problem. He can't avoid his persistent problem at work, as tech personnel find gigabytes of smut on his hard drive, daily; though, the blame is put on his intern rather than himself. His workplace is hardly explained throughout the film and we never know what he does at his job. Also, for such an attractive guy, he has rarely given relationships a chance, due to his high dependency of "getting off"; so, when he goes on his date with one of his co-workers, his confidence is shaken and isn't into committment, which leaves his date to question his ideology of relationships as he's geniuely passive. His way of feeling better besides pornography is call girls to help him cope. The movie does a great job examining one man's struggle with his sexual prowess and those deep flaws he doesn't share with others. He eats, sleeps, and sees sex, in any cycle. He doesn't talk to his also troubled sister, played by Carey Mulligan and within that poisonous circle lies a deepening struggle between the two; especially, when it comes to Brandon's boss (James Badge Dale) that essentially destroys the modicum of whatever good there was from an otherwise tainted relationship. She tries to reconnect by calling him repeatedly, only for his estrained brother to never answer the phone. Brandon isn't comfortable with his sister because he claims that she's not dependable as well as being his "burden" throughout his life. However, the film doesn't discuss their childhood the viewer and it leaves that element vague with viewers; and, also a missed opportunity, too. Concerning Carey's role as Brandon's sister Sissy, I wish more of her story could've been further deconstructed since, she herself self-mutilated herself and has bad boyfriend issues, which we never see as an audience, only her deep longing for someone to have a mate. She sings as a job, but like Brandon, the problems are too much. The direction by Steve McQueen is superb and uses it to focus squarely on Fassbender's character. The one scene I enjoyed was him running on the sidewalks of New York to get away from his twitchy boss and his needy sister. It's in that very scene, he doesn't seem cluttered with his growing frustration, he can focus without ogling at women on the web; and, for once, we don't see him with his omnipresent scarf that he wears religiously. Plus, he doesn't have to hear his boss and sister fooling around. When it comes down to it, "Shame" is a character study of one person descent towards a dark place of porn and uncommitted to a fair relationship with women. The film is unafraid of being graphic; since, the film is rated NC-17; and, is filled with strong performances. It's worth a look, if you have an open mind and aren't grossed out by the film's salacious content. The film can be tedious because a lot of the film is subtle, despite its unhinged nature and, aside from being bare (excuse the pun), it can all get to be a bit repetitive with the main character routinely repeating the same things every day. It does tend to go on and on, occasionally. That aside, this is definitely worth a look, if you're into a film that isn't afraid to be what it is. I mean, the film is called "Shame", for Pete's sake.

A Movie Within a Game (The "Metal Gear Solid 2" Retrospective)

     Hideo Kojima is a brave individual for exchanging series star Solid Snake (voiced by David Hayter) for neophyte Raiden. A risk so stunning, that it created a rift among the most devoted MGS fans, as a beloved favorite was placed in, essentially, a co-starring role. While Raiden demonstrates moments of petulance, I really don't have much ill-will towards him, only to say, his backstory is very melodramatic, and, at times, overwrought. I could deal with his VR training and his cursed childhood, but; it's the bouts of dialogue he and Rosemary (Raiden's girlfriend voiced by Lara Cody) exchanged that lack flair. It didn't hurt my overall impression of the already complicated story, but, it was forced in moments. He and Snake are negligible as far as controllability goes, only their animations are different. Snake runs like a football player, while his predecessor looks like a pouty ballet performer who lost a competition.

     The talented cast of voice-overs also helped the narrative, tremendously; because, even if the player had a difficult time understanding the history of the "La-Le-Lu-Le-Lo" or "The Wisemen's Committee" they kept things moving along without overcooked their lines. My favorite moment involves Revolver Ocelot (Patric Zimmerman) confronting Col. Sergei  Gurlukovich (Earl Boen) and Commander Jackson (Kevin M. Richardson) inside the hold of the tanker. It wasn't just the stirring music by Harry Gregson-Williams that moved that particular scene, but the camera work by Kojima to illustrate the parameters of the sequence. The lighting, the textures, the stakes of the entire scene set in that one place, which is punctuated with the destruction of the entire tanker, thanks, in part, to Ocelot successfully stealing (or, in his words, "taking back") Metal Gear Ray.

     There were many other scenes in the game that stood out and were epic in scale, like, the moment when Snake, Fortune, Solidus (MGS2's main antagonist and brother of Solid and Liquid Snake) and Raiden (the son of Solidus) finally learn of the purpose of The Big Shell, as told by Ocelot revealed to be the brains behind this “simulation.” The entire idea was to produce a re-orchestration of the Shadow Moses, that Solid Snake took on four years preventing a nuclear strike & destroying Metal Gear Rex in the process.The same goes for the virus that killed Liquid Snake in MGS1, FOXDIE, a retrovirus programmed to kill specific people via DNA, was used as a computer virus to mimic the program. This was also in turn Raiden's first official mission sanctioned under a fictional group disguised as FOXHOUND; the same group Snake took down in MGS1. Where does Raiden fit into this? The idea was to create a soldier that was the equivalent of Snake or to create the perfect simulation, like Shadow Moses. The exposition that I’m describing here doesn't do the game justice, because, it’s all so vastly complex.

     For its time, the game-play was astonishing. Stealth mechanics were improved and so was the AI in the game, too. For example, if you left a trail of footprints or blood, they would follow it to wherever it leads them; solo or back-up personnel. They're also equipped with walkie-talkies to notify guards if an area is clear or if an intruder has appeared. Finding a hiding place became more crucial than before and if you didn't, the game will be over, if you aren't careful. Aiming became more improved with the incorporation of targeting in first-person and the controls were even better than they were in the first game; sure, you had to use a couple of buttons to do certain things, though, it was nearly flawless, just like everything else with the entire production.

     The gameplay just makes it easy to forget that there was such narrative and composition to follow, because when you actually had the opportunity to play it. While long-time Kojima fans were upset for some differing views of where the franchise was heading back in 2001, they missed out on one of the best gaming experiences during the era of the Playstation 2.