Category Archives: Sci-Fi

(Originally published May 6, 2009)

like superhero movies, revenge movies, and movies with swordfighting. Smoosh all three of those together and the end product will probably come out looking a lot like this summer’s most-anticipated action film – “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” I had the chance to take in this film last weekend after the Regional Invitational debate tournament, and figured I really ought to put down a few of my thoughts while I was still thinking about it. (If you were tagged in this review, it’s because you were either there with me at the movie theater, or because I thought you might be interested in hearing about it)

Since I haven’t seen any of the other “X-Men” films, I was a clean slate (or, as my debate friends might say, a tabula rasa :-P) going into “Wolverine.” I’d seen the explosive trailer that was released earlier this year, and was quite intrigued…especially considering that the character of Wolverine was an influence on the creation of “Soul Flare.”

The film follows the titular character, Wolverine (played compellingly by Hugh Jackman), a mutant with the ability to extend razor-sharp bone protrusions from his forearms. He and his half-brother, Victor Creed, are endowed with unnatural longevity, and fight in several major wars before being conscripted into an elite fighting force led by a certain Colonel William Stryker. Stryker’s fighting force is comprised of powerful mutants like Wolverine and Victor…but without any form of moral restraint. Eventually, Wolverine refuses to take part in the massacre of innocent Africans and disappears into the night.

He reappears six years later, working as a lumberjack. Stryker offers him the chance to return to his old job and track down his missing brother Victor. Wolverine refuses…only to find to his horror that Victor has embarked upon a bloody crusade of vengeance against his former companions, even going so far as to murder Wolverine’s lover. In despair, Wolverine accepts Stryker’s offer and becomes a powerful superhero – his bones strengthened with adamantium so as to render him virtually impervious to attack.

Things really take off after that.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” has some of the best effects and action sequences I’ve seen in any movie, ever. There is a lot of combat and action, but it is seamlessly integrated and beautifully choreographed. Within the first 20 minutes, viewers have watched mutants storm the beaches of Normandy, deflect bullets with twin swords, and take out security guards in a blur of kung fu flips and gunfire. Despite the over-the-top nature of many pivotal scenes, the action is never disorienting or unpleasant. The final battle, which takes place atop a nuclear reactor, is truly dazzling.

Fortunately, there’s more than just eye candy in “Wolverine.” The film is well acted and has some thought-provoking moments, including a few solemn reflections on the nature and consequences of revenge. Although not quite as rich in complexity and symbolism as last year’s “The Dark Knight”, “Wolverine” still contains a powerful and ultimately positive message.

You may not want to bring your younger siblings to this one…the “Matrix”-esque violence, although almost completely bloodless, is still pretty brutal. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend “Wolverine” to nearly all of my friends – both as a great action movie and a potent meditation on the nature of justice.

VERDICT: 8.5/10
A great summer action movie. Certainly worth watching.

Normalized Score: 6.9

(Originally published January 23, 2009)

If you’ve been to the movie theater lately (or, like me, saw “The Dark Knight” when it came out) you’ve probably seen the trailers for the upcoming superhero film “Watchmen.” At first glance, it appears to be little more than another CGI extravaganza in the tradition of movies like “Spider-Man” and “Iron Man.” However, as the film’s trailer proudly proclaims, its source material is allegedly “the most celebrated graphic novel of all time.” Normally I don’t read graphic novels, but this one piqued my interest. So, being the literature nerd that I am, I promptly borrowed it from our local library.

Suffice it to say that I was not impressed.

(Note: In order to explore this graphic novel’s theological and philosophical underpinnings, this review contains spoilers)

The graphic novel asks the question “what if ordinary humans attempted to enforce justice for themselves?” And yes, these vigilantes do dress up in superhero costumes. They suffer from many of the flaws of ordinary humans…unlike characters such as Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four. The premise is slightly bizarre, but still held my interest enough for me to keep reading.

The one real superhero in the story is Dr. Manhattan – a man transformed by an atomic accident into a being of virtually limitless cosmic power. In effect, he is the God of the “Watchmen” universe. However, this God is a flawed deity – afflicted by a myriad of insecurities. What’s worse is the fact that he abandons Earth in the early pages of the novel and returns only when he chooses to. Author Alan Moore, an avowed anarchist, obviously views the true God in a similar light: a cold, emotionless sentinel oblivious to the struggles of humankind. This deistic worldview is developed throughout the story.

Another character of note is the enigmatic Rorshach – a nihilist who wears a mask speckled with black ink-blots that change shape as the story continues. His thoughts and writings are peppered with biblical phrases: “sin” “defiled” “godless” and other such verbiage. However, his moral absolutism (odd coming from a character who professes to believe in nothing at all) is ultimately shown to be futile and hopeless.

Set in the 1980s, the novel explores the final days of the Cold War, when nuclear war sometimes appeared imminent. With World War III looming on the horizon, the people of New York are desperately searching for some way to avert the impending disaster. Enter the “villain” – a handsome costumed hero named Ozymandias with a genetically modified lynx for a pet. In his personal crusade to stop the threat of nuclear war, Ozymandias creates a monster and infuses it with the brain of a psychic. (I am not making this up) He then proceeds to unleash it upon the people of New York City. About two-thirds of the city’s population are killed in the first assault, with many more going insane from the psychic reverberations. All of this gets explained in the final pages of the graphic novel…a very, very weak ending to a novel that started out promisingly.

Apparently, the New York disaster drew the world’s attention away from nuclear war – deferring, if not concluding, the apocalyptic standoff. Upon learning of Ozymandias’ actions, Rorschach storms away in an attempt to bring the truth to New York and tell them that Ozymandias was responsible for the deaths of millions. Dr. Manhattan destroys Rorschach before he can betray Ozymandias.

This blatant display of situational ethics and moral relativism is “Watchmen”‘s greatest flaw. Instead of displaying an example of courageous self-sacrifice (like the one that was so beautifully demonstrated in this summer’s “The Dark Knight), “Watchmen” takes the easy route with a disappointing, morally weak ending.

And that’s not the only problem with “Watchmen.” The very first image is of blood being washed off a sidewalk. And the violence doesn’t stop there. We’re not talking about a few drops here and there – “Watchmen” contains gallons and gallons of gratuitous gore. What’s worse, there’s very little point to the copious carnage. This distasteful trend gets worse and worse as the book proceeds, finally seguing into a hyperviolent, slaughter-happy finale. When Ozymandias’ monster finally descends upon New York, six or seven full-page illustrations of mutilated corpses follow. Rorshach’s gruesome backstory is even worse. The amount of violence alone would push the boundaries of even an “R” rating…without even mentioning the prevalent foul language and suggestive overtones.

So is “Watchmen” really worthy of the title “the most celebrated graphic novel of all time”? The answer is a resounding “No.” While the novel does contain some interesting thoughts on the depravity of man, the story quickly descends into a bloody, morally murky labyrinth of evil. The amount of gore alone should put this one off-limits for most readers. While violence can sometimes be used to effectively illustrate man’s desperate need for redemption (example: Ted Dekker’s novel “Showdown”) “Watchmen” contains no such positive values. The novel is sickeningly depressing…a portrait of a hopeless universe desperately needing salvation.

VERDICT: 2/10
A disturbing mashup of graphic violence and flawed morality.