Book Review: The Martian

Posted in Reviews by Rachael C Marek

*Spoiler Free Review*

I enjoy reading and watching stories of a character navigating an extreme situation – being left on Mars, alien invasions, the apocalypse – and hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I think it has something to do with human nature that we want to see ourselves tested beyond what we think we can endure and overcoming insurmountable obstacles.

What would I do in this situation? What would I do to survive? What would I do to help someone else?

The 2011 novel, The Martian by Andy Weir explores the idea of an astronaut left behind on an unforgivable planet and having to figure out how to survive it…for four years. Mark Watney is hit by debris during a mission on Mars and presumed dead. The crew aborts the mission and Watney is left behind, no dead weight. Luckily he has some tools at his disposal from the mission: a habitat, a couple of rovers, and a bit of food and water. Now he has to learn how he can make it all last the length of time it will take for the subsequent mission to reach the planet and hopefully rescue him.

I enjoyed the continued raising of the stakes. If something could go wrong, it did, and although the science and math of figuring out how to fix things and extend the life of equipment, etc. sometimes went over my head, I didn’t study physics or engineering, reading about how Watney calculated how to solve all the problems sent his way was interesting. Given he only had so many resources at his disposal, he had to rely heavily upon his wits and use those things around him in unexpected ways.

There are, of course, a few things that stood out that bothered me at times. Watney keeps a journal, and although sometimes it comes off a bit juvenile in language and context, he’s alone without anyone to talk to so I felt it was a way of keeping himself amused. I let that slide. Once he’s able to establish contact with NASA, we meet all the people who are working towards bringing him home, among them, Annie, the media relations rep who’s been written as the foul mouthed, short tempered female amidst a slew of calm, brilliant men, and this trope always bothers me. Maybe it’s representative of the misogyny that still exists in these types of environments, because there are a few comments made in regards to the looks of one of the female astronauts on the mission, and that is so irrelevant. And in this near future, can’t we have moved on from this?

My only other complaint is how little we get to know Mark. His journal entries are mostly about fixing things and a few personal notes. We get a little information from the crew and the team at NASA that he’s clever, has a good sense of humor, and the mental fortitude to survive such an ordeal, so while I was rooting for him, I never felt like I knew him, and maybe that’s okay. He’s a fellow human, in a dire situation, and in a bit of a moral quandary. What are we willing to do for one person?

I enjoyed this read. It was quick, it was entertaining, and it was unexpected.

If you have a book to recommend for my 2023 reading challenge, please leave a comment below, or join me on Goodreads so we can share what we enjoy.

Happy Reading!

16Jan2020

The 2019 “One Movie A Week” Challenge Completed

Posted in Reviews by Rachael C Marek

MovieReel I did it! I accomplished my goal of one new movie a week! I actually slightly exceeded it with 53 movies, the last just narrowly sneaking in on New Year’s Eve.

I’m sticking with the “ABC” grading scale and will give just a simple overview as many of my posts recently have been rather long and involved. Looking back on all I’ve watched this year, it’s rather sad to find how few of them were stellar endeavors.

31. What Happened to Monday: An interesting premise of septuplets born when overpopulation has mandated a one child per regulation. Noomi Rapace plays all the siblings who must discover what happened when one goes missing. My rating: B-

32. Ralph Breaks the Internet: When Vanellope’s vintage game is broken, she and Ralph must find the part to keep her racing. A cute follow-up to the original, with some clever references to keep all ages entertained; I just didn’t think it had as much heart as the first. My rating: B

33. Crazy Rich Asians: The clichéd story of a woman marrying a wealthy man and concerns about the family not accepting her is exactly that. While everyone was thrilled with the representation, that shouldn’t overshadow the lack of a well rounded story. It’s also a bit too long, and feels it. My rating: C

34. Aquaman: What can be said about the origin story of one of the least liked DC characters nobody asked for? The movie is too long, too convoluted, and an assault of CGI “magic”. The only reason anyone even bothered is Jason Momoa. My rating: D

35. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Every once in a while you just need a sweet movie without a lot of substance, which is surprising given its setting. Set after the German occupation of Guernsey, a Channel Island during WWII, a young writer befriends villagers who started a book club and of course, finds love. My rating: B

36. Bad Times at the El Royale: I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. Desperate to follow in Tarantino’s footsteps, this film about strangers converging at a strange motel that straddles state lines is a bit of mess that doesn’t tie up all its loose ends. My rating: C-

37. Bohemian Rhapsody: There is no dismissing Rami Malek’s performance as the charismatic lead of the band Queen, but it felt like the filmmakers played it safe. Not wanting to, possibly, turn people off from any negativity associated with Freddie’s life, they jump cut around instead, showcasing the music, without a lot of substance. My rating: B

38. Fighting with My Family: I grew up watching the WWF, now WWE, with my grandfather. I still tune in every now and then, and Paige, for whom the film is based on, is among one of my “newer” favorites. As the youngest wrestler to be signed, it was touching to see how it all began. My rating: B

39. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum: Not my favorite in the franchise, but still a pretty entertaining shoot ’em up movie with a few new twists to keep it interesting. Since the films continue in sequence, it’s hard not to appreciate Wick’s skill as the formidable hit man on the run. My rating: B-

40. Tall Girl: I, myself, am a tall girl. I’m 6′ and have been since I was 16 years old. I’ve heard all the same jokes, and had to deal with feeling like the jolly Green Giant among pretty much everyone I know while wearing men’s jeans because they had an inseam measurement. While I appreciate the message of accepting who you are, because you really can’t do anything about your height, the movie is just…blah. My rating: C-

41. The Favourite: Courts are notorious for their backstabbing and conniving, but I was hoping for more from this film than just that. Women have a reputation where other women are concerned, and in a time when we need to be more supportive, on the whole, this film about taking advantage of an already fragile person, was uncomfortable to watch at times. Olivia Colman is an amazing actress, and fully deserving of the accolades. My rating: B

42. Spider-Man: Far From Home: First off, I want to put Tom Holland in my pocket. In the wake of Avengers: Endgame, poor Peter is struggling to find his place and just wants to spend some time with his friends, but where superheroes travel, chaos is soon to follow. An entertaining follow-up in the MCU and development for a beloved character as he comes into his own. My rating: B+

43. Mary Queen of Scots: If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m fascinated with Queen Elizabeth I. This film takes a look at the relationship between the queen and one of her biggest rivals, Queen Mary of Scotland, played by two wonderful actresses, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie. I’ll watch anything where the Queen is concerned, in spite of uneven storytelling. My rating: B-

44. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part: Another sequel that lacked the heart of the first. The Lego citizens face a new threat and must find a way of coexisting with their “enemy”. While still a cute movie with a sweet message, it was fun to watch, if not sort of forgettable. My rating: B

45. Glass: Having not seen the original in this strange trilogy, Unbreakable, I don’t have all the information to grade this film as part of a whole. I found some aspects entertaining, a film with a variation on the comic book figure, and I appreciate some of the risks taken, but overall there felt like there was something missing. My rating: B-

46. Fallen: I knew this was going to be a bad movie, and it was. I’ve always enjoyed the tale of the star crossed lovers, but this story, based on a YA series of novels was unmoving, the actors were dull, and just when it started to move in a slightly interesting direction, it was over. My rating: D

47. Shazam: I was unfamiliar with this superhero character prior to the film. My only reference was from the TV show Archer on a few occasions. The story of a young boy who gains powers which transform him into a fully grown, muscle bound man was more interesting than I would have guessed. There’s also a sweet message about family. My rating: B

48. It Chapter 2: The story of the child eating clown continues as the Losers, now grown up, must return to the beginning to finish what they started as a new cycle begins. Casting did a great job with the grown versions of the children, but this movie failed to recapture the fun of the first one. My rating: B-

49. Dumplin’: I love me a drag queen, and in the preview for this movie, a few help to inspire a teen girl overcome body image issues and compete in a beauty contest run by her once beauty queen mother. My rating: B+

50. Let it Snow: This teen holiday film about a group of friends finding love was a story that didn’t really do anything different and was actually fairly dull and forgettable. My rating: D

51. Knight Before Christmas: I followed one bad movie with another. A knight is sent forward in time on a quest and finds love with a modern day woman who’s been romance deprived. Meh. My rating: D

52. Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of the Skywalker: Oh, where to begin…if you’re not a fan, you’ve probably still seen some of the reviews, or heard the hubbub over how fans are disappointed. This fan included. The final episode in the latest trilogy initially seemed better than reviewed but as I continued to think on it, I realized how much was missing among so many other things. My rating: C

53. Love and Friendship: A Jane Austen story I wasn’t familiar with, Lady Susan – surprising, I know. Upon the viewing, I wish I did know more because the way it was filmed was a bit confusing. Lady Susan is conniving and manipulating. It appears as if she’s out for herself, which she is, but she also is looking out for her daughter, in a strange way. I’ll give it another watch after a read and see if it improves. My rating: B-

If you’d like to see what else I watched this year, here are parts One and Two of the series. Do you agree with my ratings? Would you like to offer any recommendations as I endeavor into the new year?

27Dec2018

Breaking Down the Dragon Age 4 Teaser Trailer

Posted in Posts, Reviews by Rachael C Marek

With the announcement, finally, that there would, in fact, be a Dragon Age 4, fans everywhere sighed with relief. At least there was confirmation, despite the few years’ wait for its release, and it gave fans hope. Some have wondered how it was that I had nothing to say about it. Believe me, I was ecstatic at the news. As you may have noticed with my limited posts this year, I’ve continued to be busy.

By the way, hi! Happy Holidays!

So about two weeks ago at the 2018 Game Awards, Bioware treated fans to the following teaser:

To the casual observer, or non-DA fan, it doesn’t seem like much, but for the devoted, myself included, there are plenty of small details to analyze and get excited about. Fan theories soon followed as each frame of the video was scrutinized, and I have done my best to avoid it all. After all, I have my own theories.

The Dragon Age games have been amazing at connecting events and characters, history and lore to create an immense, immersive world, and this trailer I believe does that as well. And while there are easter eggs galore, to explore each one would cause me to write a treatise, I’ll pick 3 topics to break down.

Let the wild speculation begin.

The Opening Image: It looks like a sunrise/sunset over mountains, which is a familiar landscape from Inquisition. Since the events of the third game were left open ended (which is why fans always believed there would have to be a fourth installment, I mean we just got around to who Solas actually was), this image could be interpreted a couple of ways. It could be symbolic – a sunrise is often considered a new beginning while a sunset is referred to as an ending. With the fate of the world dependent on the success of Solas’ plan to return the elves to their former glory by tearing down the veil, a new beginning for some results in an ending for pretty much everyone else. It could also be representative of a location of the next game. Skyhold, the Inquisition’s base of operations, is located within the Frostbacks, and regardless of your choice at the end of Trespasser about what to do with the Inquisition, it’s unlikely the keep would have been abandoned, and therefore still an element to consider in the next installment.

The Idol: The camera continues to move across a number of connected pieces – a skull, the pained face of, what looks like, Andraste – evident by the crown upon her head – and then red veins creeping upward. As the camera pulls back to take in the whole of the twisted idol, fans are offered an “ah-ha” moment that harkens us back to the days of Dragon Age 2. The red lyrium idol found in a primeval thaig that caused people to go insane is the same idol shown here. In DA2 just a shard from the idol caused Bartrand, Varric’s brother to do unspeakable things. What remained of the idol was repurposed into Commander Meredith’s sword, so we know that idol no longer exists, so why show us the idol at all?

Red lyrium was a major factor in Inquisition; the source of it and its effects were explored at length (finding it growing out of people was horrifying), so it’s a good guess that red lyrium, and the images represented within the idol will play a role in DA4. Andraste is the founder of the Chantry, and one of your companions from Inquisition is now Divine. Red lyrium in small, measured doses offers superhuman abilities, and is considered an anti-magic substance, and with the tenuous peace between mages and templars, perhaps by using red lyrium, those against mages will try to finally rid Thedas of magic.

The red veins also reminded me of blood magic, a much frowned upon use of magic in Thedas, with exception in the Tevinter Imperium. With the Inquisitor thrusting a dagger into the mapped region of Tevinter at the end of Trespasser, it’s also possible that the story of DA4 will finally take us there, to not only explore this other world and the magical freedoms and politics associated, but also to see our old friend, Dorian again. If you remember, he was part of a group looking to reform Tevinter, and we can be sure there are many opposed to the idea. And powerful mages going head to head definitely sounds like at least a side quest with perhaps another excuse to use red lyrium?

The Mural: The camera draws back further and a painting appears behind the idol; one that resembles artwork Solas once painted upon the walls in his space within Skyhold. The Dread Wolf appears on one side, the idol remains in the middle, and an elf stands in opposition. At first glance, I thought it might be Solas warring with himself, but upon closer inspection, the elf is white haired surrounded by fire. What we learned about Solas aka Fen’Harel during Trespasser was that he’s considered a god, and not just any god but the one that created the veil and tricked the other gods, trapping them behind it.

My guess? It’s another Evanuris, the god-like Elgar’nan finally released from his captivity. Known as the all-father and god of vengeance, whose symbol is associated with fire, wouldn’t he be the most logical choice to seek revenge upon Solas? With the idol between them, the theory that red lyrium could play a major part in DA4, possibly swaying the outcome, feels like an understatement.

I lied. I can’t end this without talking about…

The Words: And then finally, Solas speaks. “So, you found me at last. I suppose you have questions.” Each game in Dragon Age has a new protagonist, and because of the spoken words in the trailer, words that echo those already spoken to the Inquisitor during Trespasser, I believe we’ll be playing as yet another new protagonist in search of Fen’Harel…among other things. My reasoning, while I’d love to see my Warden again, that’s a dissertation for another day, is because Solas’ words feel as if he’s speaking to someone he doesn’t personally know. While Solas will most likely be aware of this new protagonist, they will be searching for him after all, they probably won’t meet until these fateful words are spoken.

And then the teaser ends with #TheDreadWolfRises. ((chills)) Boom! It’s all about Solas. I may have squealed a bit. Many fans have a love/hate relationship with Solas, but I find him interesting and the possibilities are so exciting!

A new Dragon Age is on the way! Eek! Sorry. I can’t help it.

Oh, there’s so much more to talk about, and this is already much longer than intended because you know I can talk Dragon Age all day long, but I’d like to hear your thoughts. Are you excited about what DA4 has in store? Do you agree or disagree with any of my theories? What did you see in the teaser? Let’s chat!

2Apr2018

Rambling Review: Valerian

Posted in Reviews by Rachael C Marek

Valerian

I have a soft spot for Luc Besson’s films. La Femme Nikita was my introduction to his work (thankfully, the intro was a good one), because there’s been the occasional let down, and yet I still get excited when I see his name attached. Which is why I had high hopes for his latest project, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, aka France’s most expensive movie ever made, by a lot.

There was a lot of press on this film surrounding its release, and I remember Luc being unhappy with the state of the film industry at the time. Other comic book stories translated to the screen had been dominating the scene, with some of them being overwhelmingly well received, while his comic book tale fell flat. He felt his movie didn’t get its rightful due, not taking into consideration that maybe his film just wasn’t that good.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful to watch, but that doesn’t (and shouldn’t) compensate for a lack of story and boring characters. I mean, when the lifeless portrayal of a shape shifting alien, played by Rihanna is one of the best performances, that’s saying something. Because the movie is based on a comic series, I’m sure there were other stories to choose from, so I have to wonder, why did he choose this one?

Valerian offered us a glimpse into an amazing world, but the lack of a compelling introduction and the lack of interesting lead characters had me contemplating turning it off within the first 15 minutes, but I believed, and hoped, that sticking it out would lead to a satisfying end. It did not.

Major Valerian played by Dane DeHaan and his partner Sergeant Laureline played by Cara Delevingne are basically special ops officers sent in to recover sensitive material in an illegal transaction. They later learn that their mission was part of a cover up of a shameful military commander’s actions from years earlier – the decimation of a planet and its inhabitants.

Pearls Known as Pearls, these beautiful, androgynous aliens, thought to be primitive because of their simple existence are nearly extinguished during a war they aren’t even a part of. I think they’re the best part of the entire film. We soon discover they’re basically geniuses, learning advanced math and science theories and practices in a matter of years not only to survive, but also because they wish to return to their way of life. But as clichéd villains go, the ol’ commander doesn’t want any reminders of the past.

That’s the plot in a nutshell.

The side story is the uninteresting love connection they’re trying to force on us between the Major and the Sergeant. There is absolutely no spark between the two leads. Their performances, for me, were flat and dull. Valerian, as we learn through a quick recap, is a womanizer, and most likely for sake of the film and in the hopes we’ll root for them, becomes fixated on his partner. There is absolutely no cause for this other than their close proximity to one another.

Suddenly, he’s proposing, and that dominates nearly every conversation between them the rest of the movie. Ugh. And this coming from a romantic.

I was bitter that such a beautiful, overachieving movie would fall so flat, especially in such capable hands – those same hands are responsible for The Professional. The advances in technology have allowed us unlimited potential in our imaginations in regards to translating that to the screen, and I think that Valerian relied too heavily upon this. Enamored with their visuals, they forgot that some of us were paying attention to why we were there in the first place – the story.

Ah well, not every time out can be a winner. Will I continue to support Luc and his visions? Of course. But whereas I was disappointed that I didn’t initially see this in theaters, I’ll probably weigh this endeavor against any future films and the feelings of immediacy at seeing it in theaters in way of support.

Twoandhalfstars

What I’ve learned recently is that when my expectations have been high, I’ve been disappointed, like 99% of the time. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by films I had low expectations of, and that’s a sad truth to face, especially in light of the fact that I want to be a part of said industry.

Do you agree or disagree with my take on Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets? Share your thoughts below.

17Jan2018

Rambling Review – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Posted in Reviews by Rachael C Marek

*Spoiler free review ahead.

Witcher 3

This “more than just a piece of eye candy” is Geralt of Rivia. Swoon. He’s from a fantasy land where once upon a time, a conjunction split the veil between worlds, allowing mystical creatures to spill into his. In an effort to battle the “forces of evil”, the Witchers were created by terrible means, Geralt among them.

This 2015 Game of the Year winner has all the facets of well, everything, not just gaming, I’m drawn to – Medieval-like fantasy world, old world order of potential do-gooders, magic, sweeping backdrops with a rich, layered history – it was without fail that this would become my new favorite thing.

I was nearing the end of my first playthrough when for Christmas this year, The Sis bought me a series of books, and that’s when I learned a bit of the history of The Witcher. I had no idea the game was based on novels by fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski. The first book, The Last Wish was published in 1993. That’s a long time to be clueless about something I was destined to love. There are currently eight books in the series, three games, a failed Polish movie and tv series, and a new show by Netflix was just announced. Now that could prove interesting as everyone is on the hunt for the next Game of Thrones-like series.

I started the game completely oblivious to the storyline as I had not played the previous two. Not the best idea when the world you’re walking into is already so established. Maybe it was because of this, I felt a bit of disconnect initially from Geralt. I didn’t know who he was, where he had been, or why people hated him because he was a Witcher. His purpose seemed like a good one.

There was war brewing on all fronts and with monsters running amok, no one seemed concerned with the other impending threat, the Wild Hunt. Frightening, almost unstoppable warriors with skeletal armor from another world, the Wild Hunt appears with a frost that dramatically affects the world around them. And these “things” were chasing after my (Geralt’s) ward-like daughter, Ciri. Ciri

The beautiful girl with an interesting background and the voice of a Dragon Age character (Hawke from DA2) immediately became my concern (and I do mean mine). And that became the true purpose of the game – find and protect Ciri.

I had to force myself to play the game the first few times, which did not thrill me because I had been so excited to play after watching a trailer. This one, specifically: (*Be forewarned that this includes content not suitable for all ages.)

After those initial attempts, I decided to just follow the main storyline objective and things became more clear. I was still a bit lost when it came to matters of politics and the hatred towards witches and non-humans, but the further I delved into this world, the easier it became to navigate, and then suddenly, I was in love.

The game is beautiful and expansive. Cut scenes are cinematic, and there are a lot of them. Many times I felt like I was in a movie that I was lucky enough to be able to move around in.

*Helpful hint: Unlike some games, you can not put the controller down and walk away during conversations. Often times there are timed responses, so you don’t want to lose out on that choice.

There were a number of comments made by people in-game who thought they knew who Geralt was. I chose to make him more kind, almost out of spite because no one was going to talk about my boy like that in front of me and get away with it. Also, in part because I always play the “nice guy” when morality meters are involved. Sometimes we chose to fight, but sometimes we were merciful, giving our enemies reason to pause. The more I played, the more I liked him. The mutagens given to him as a boy to make him a Witcher made his hair turn white and stripped him of his outward emotion, but he has a good sense of humor, is loyal, and cares deeply.

As the game progressed, I learned why people both liked and feared him. Witchers are considered freaks themselves, unnatural. As a hired monster slayer known as the White Wolf, not only is he a fearsome warrior with a bloody reputation, he’s also known as being quite the womanizer. There are a few women to romance in the game, and Geralt, looking the way he does and having women throwing themselves at him took each opportunity. Although to be honest, I’m not sure how likely this all would have been back in 2007. Thank the advances of technology!

Geralt's Gaming Versions

Helpful tip: Romancing multiple characters can bite you in the a** if you’re not careful.

The witch in the trailer is Yennefer, Geralt’s long time, on again-off again lover. Triss She’s powerful and self-assured with a biting wit, and it’s easy to see why she and Geralt are continually drawn back to one another. While she aligns herself with powerful allies, like kings and emperors, the adorable and sweet Triss Merigold is helping witches escape the fires as hunters close in.

There’s history with each of these women, and more of their pasts are divulged as the game continues, making it understandable why Geralt, and I, had a hard time choosing. 😉

There’s a great deal to discuss with this game. There are many facets and intricate details that made this game so mesmerizing and engaging, but I will draw my rambling review to a close. Perhaps in the near future I will post a Witcher Review: Part II.

Like Dragon Age, where your character’s decisions influence the world around you, I failed on occasion to complete certain side quests in a timely fashion and that ended up shaping the world for the better or worse (Eh, it was my first playthrough after all, and it’s all a learning curve.), but because of the immersive quality, this is a game that has definite replayability. It’s a word.

If you enjoy the fantasy trope RPG, this will, without a doubt, speak to you…as it did me. By far, one of the best games I’ve played. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s up near Dragon Age. And now that I have a few books at my disposal, let the new obsession begin.

5stars