Pacific Rim - A Lot Like Godzilla -vs- The Transformers - Movie Fun.

Pacific Rim – 2013

I couldn’t get a lot done outside today. So I figured that I would go and take in Pacific Rim this afternoon at the local cinema.  The length of the film is 131 minutes and I must say that it went by very quickly.

A race of monsters known as the Kaiju manage to open a trans-dimensional rift at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and begin ravaging the costs of the countries that are on the rim of the great ocean.  This, of course, starts a war and the world unites to fight this menace.  It is soon found that no conventional weapons can fight these super monsters, so an armored weapon is developed.

The development results in the Jaegers (German for Hunter).   Jaegers are giant robots that are controlled by two pilots that work in tandem through a neural link; in effect, they are actually in each other’s minds.  At first, the Jaeger program is quite successful in defeating the Kaiju as they are only coming through the rift one at a time.  But the Kaiju are getting more and more powerful as they come through the rift.  The Jaegers suffer more casualties and seem to become less effective and the governments of the Pacific Rim decide to scrap the Jaeger program.  Feeling that the Jaegers are the answer, the commander of the program decides to freelance and moves the program to Hong Kong.

 

A scientist determines the nature of the rift and figures out that it is a wormhole between dimensions and can be closed by the use of a nuclear device.  After several battles with very powerful Kaiju, the hero manages to deliver the nuke into the rift and save mankind from certain destruction.

This film is very predictable as it follows an old formula and tells a story that has been told many times, but it is told very well.   There is no moral to the story, no philosophical rambling, and no political message.  It’s just a fun movie to watch and lose one’s self in.  If you are looking for deep character development, it isn’t here, but it is well acted by the well-directed cast.  The effects and the CGI are top notch and really contributes to how the film flows.  And it flows very smoothly.  It is all topped off by a score that thumps.

Pacific Rim is a great film for what it is, a good diversion on a hot summer day.  It is full of action, fighting, and wrecked buildings.  It doesn’t ask the audience to take it too seriously, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.  Go see Pacific Rim, you won’t have to think, just enjoy.

Well, there it is…

QaplaH’!

The Red Planet Made Green - Review of Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1994)

At the end of Red Mars, the first of the trilogy, after the revolution of 2061 which resulted in the massive flooding of parts of the planet mars, Green Mars takes the story up some 50 years later with the controversial terraforming of Mars continuing apace.  The flooding of 2061 found the last of the First One Hundred settlers of mars taking refuge in the underground settlement of Zygote.  The story continues by following the activities of those remaining First One Hundred, their children, and their grandchildren.

While the Transnats (Trans-National Corporations) on Earth continue to try to find ways to exploit the resources of Mars, the people who have moved to, or were born on Mars contemplate their bid for independence as a sovereign planet in the solar system.  As this would be a threat to the planned exploitation of the red planet, they attack the Zygote encampment to re-assert their authority over Mars.  The remaining First One hundred and their offspring move to places of safety, or have their appearances changed to continue to survive.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, a major crisis is taking place as the oceans rise; not because of Global Warming though, but rather as a result of volcanic activity near and around Antarctica that is melting the ice and causing huge icebergs to fall into the ocean.  So not only is there the possibility of another revolution taking place on Mars, but there is also revolution taking place on Earth as people scramble to survive in their rapidly changing environment.

Mars’ continues to change more rapidly than expected because of genetically engineered plant life that is thickening the atmosphere by taking out carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen, and the engineers that are working the terraforming machinery are also adding nitrogen to the atmosphere.  Mars’ surface isn’t able to support human life, so people either life underground or in huge tents, either with environmental controls.  Another goal is to warm the planet’s surface through the use of giant orbiting mirrors that focus more sunlight on the surface.

The most interesting aspects of this book though are the interactions between the characters, the philosophical considerations and the political ramifications.  But be warned, this book, as well as the first of the trilogy, Red Mars, are not for the casual reader.  These are difficult books to read in that you actually have to immerse yourself in what you are reading.  Let your mind wander for any short length of time and you will miss something important.  These stories are like a high level jigsaw puzzle, but if a piece is missing, you will never understand the whole picture.

Well written, extremely detailed, well researched, and highly imaginative.  I would recommend this for anyone who loves an intricate tale.

Well, there it is…

QaplaH’!

What Class Are Your Children? - Book Review: Children of the New Era by Meinos Kaen

Children of the New Era (S-Class) by Meinos Kaen - 2012

Not long ago, I acquired a new Twitter follower, one Meinos Kaen.  In one of his posts, I noticed that he is an author and was promoting a book called Children of the New Era.  Well, since I am a reader who enjoys reading new stuff, I checked it out on Amazon.com, found that it was available for the Kindle, and the .99 cent price was right so I downloaded it and forgot that I had bought it because I was in the middle of another very long novel.  This morning, I was checking my library and found it and thought I should give it a try, and I am glad that I did.

This story is set in a dystopian distant future.  It takes the form of several blog posts on a fictitious blog called The Proud Parents Blog.   On this blog, parents write in about their gifted, or un-gifted children.  The gifts the children have are not seen now, because this is after “DHE,” or the “Day Humanity Evolved.”  This evolution takes place in many different ways including high mental functioning, enhanced physical abilities, telepathy, and the most dreaded skills held by the S-Class children, or the ability to harm others with thought.

Naturally, the children of the S-Class are eagerly sought by the government’s Home Department.  Many parents take their children to Evaluation Centers to be tested for their abilities, and one is found to be of the S-Class, they are removed from their homes to facilitate further training.  It is presumed that these children are taken by the military for obvious reasons.

In the story, the Home Department shuts down the Proud Parents Blog when they discover that parents are talking about their S-Class children and how they are taken away never to be seen again.

What appeals to me most about this book is the format.  I have never seen a story told almost entirely in the form of blog posts and responses to those posts.  I found it innovative and fresh.

This book is very short, one can read it in about two hours or less, and at the price of $1.99, it’s worth a look.  Actually, this would seem to be a preamble and prequel to a new novel entitled S-Class which is promised for release later this year.  It is well written and quite articulate.  If there is a criticism, it is that Kaen writes the blog’s responses almost  too well; meaning that the characters that are responding to the blog are too intelligent, but this only helps to make the story more concise.

The last part of the book, a chapter titled “???” is a preview of the upcoming novel.

I did enjoy this short story and am looking forward to the release of S-Class.

Podcast News

Following the second episode of Under the Dome on CBS, Wayne Henderson and Troy Heinritz released their latest review on UnderTheDomeRadio.com.  Wayne and Troy give you reviews, news, observations, and listener feedback on episode 2 of the television series entitled “Fire.”  And if you watched that episode on July 3^rd, 2013, you will have been introduced to a new character named Randolph, one of the policemen in the town of Chester’s Mill.  Troy and Wayne made a great catch and was able to secure an interview with Kevin Sizemore, the actor that portrays Randolph.  It is a great interview and you can get some good insight on his take on his character and the show in general.  Click HERE to listen on the UTDR website or download from numerous sources like iTunes. 

Scott and Miles at the Scifi Diner Podcast released an episode that is full of news goodness.  They announce some upcoming shows including a Man of Steel show and a Rewind of Jurassic Park.  Also there is a new trivia question that will allow one to win a signed print of Rob Paulsen, a voice actor from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, and Transformers and others.  They also present an interview with Paulsen.  Miles presents his This Week In Star Trek on the real life tricorder prize of one-million dollars to the first who invents it.  There is also discussion of Man of Steel, Independence Day sequels amd more.  Click HERE to listen to Episode 177 of the Diner.

On Starbase 66, Rick and his crew tackle a load of listener feedback on Episode 125.

I have also recently subscribed to Hank Davis’ Falling skies podcast, but haven’t had a chance to listen yet.  But I know Hank is doing a fine job and I will report when I get caught up.

Well, there it is…

QaplaH’!

Tangled Webs - A Review of Star Trek: TNG: Cold Equations: Silent Weapons by David Mack

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Cold Equations: Silent Weapons by David Allen Mack (2012)

Set just a little over four years after the events of the motion picture Nemesis, and picking up where the first book in the Cold Equations trilogy left off, this second installment is another good story by the celebrated Star Trek author, David Allen Mack.

Just to briefly recap the events of the first novel, cyberneticist Noonien Soong has transferred his memories and essence into a superior android body and goes on a quest to restart a relationship with his estranged former wife, Juliana.  He learns about Data’s death while saving Picard from Shinzon and that Data had uploaded his memories into the android B4.  Knowing that B4 would soon suffer a cascade failure as he was not designed to handle the information given him by Data, Soong sacrifices himself by uploading Data’s information into himself from B4.  Thanks to this sacrifice, Data is “reborn” in a highly advanced android body.  But not only does he Data possess his own memories, but he also has retained all of the memories and knowledge of his creator, Soong.

In the midst of this, the crew of the Enterprise discovers and destroys a Borg installation that Data’s brother, Lore, was using to create Soong-type androids.  After the Borg were destroyed, it was learned that the Breen were using the installation to create an unlimited supply of android soldiers to aid their attempt to take over the Alpha Quadrant.

Data was offered to have his commission reinstated, however he refused to go off in search of another cyberneticist named Vaslovik, also known as Flint; an immortal who spent centuries perfecting his technique to create the perfect companion for himself.  Data believes that with Vaslovik’s help, he might be able to bring Lal back into existence.  Lal was the daughter created by Data in the TNG television series who suffered a catastrophic cascade failure of her neural network.

Now we pick up with Silent Weapons.  Data is on the planet Orion working to find the whereabouts of Vaslovik.  In the meantime, the Bank of Orion is attacked by an android and an intelligence officer that is aiding Data in his search is murdered by an android.  Being that Data is the only known android on the planet, he is accused of the crime and arrested.  Using a small but powerful transmitter, Data summons Geordi La Forge aboard the Enterprise-E.  The crew of the Enterprise was currently engaged in the investigation in the disappearance of a small Starfleet patrol vessel and the two-person crew aboard.  When Picard learns of Data’s distress signal, and realizing that the patrol vessel’s crew would have ran out of air, the rescue mission had turned into a salvage mission.  Picard decides that he owes Data his life and must head to Orion to aid his former officer.

 

As the Enterprise arrives at Orion, it is discovered that another starship, the USS Atlas is already in orbit.  In no uncertain terms, Picard is informed that he and the Enterprise are not welcome and should leave immediately.  Picard soon learns that Federation President Bacco is on Orion in negotiations with representatives of the Gorn government.  Since the events in the first Cold Equations novel, the Enterprise has been under close scrutiny by the Breen. 

We learn that the Gorn government has been instructed by the Breen to drag out the talks.  At some point the president’s most trusted advisor is murdered and replaced with an android who shoots a weapon at an official reception in an apparent attempt to assassinate the Gorn and Federation leaders.  Data and La Forge capture the android and discover that it doesn’t have a positronic brain, but rather uses a telepresence system which allows it to be controlled by telepathy.  It is also determined that the Breen are behind this plot.  This gets the Gorn ambassador thinking that the Breen might be willing to sacrifice his people at the talks, so he tells the Federation president all about the duplicit nature of the talks.

The crew follows the signal that the Breen are using to control the androids but find that the controllers that send the signals have been killed.  Starfleet tracks down more androids that are being controlled by the Breen but Picard figures out that that almost everything that has happened to this point has been a ruse to divert attention from the real goal; a crashed ship that is capable of creating artificial wormholes.  Picard orders the ship destroyed.  The Breen Domo (their political and military leader) is deposed, thus apparently ending their attempt to usurp power in the Alpha Quadrant.

 With all that done, the Gorn and Federation reopen their talks on an apparently more serious note.

 Data again departs from the enterprise to continue his search for Vaslovik only to learn from his “mother,” Juliana, that Vaslovik has been abducted and his whereabouts are unknown.

David Mack gives us a look into the wheeling and dealing of the Typhon Pact, a conglomeration of powers that have been known to be hostile to the Federation.  Perhaps he is giving us a look into the beginnings of the breaking down of the Pact as some of its members begin striking out to advance their own agendas of power grabbing.

Silent Weapons also gives us a look into the personal lives of Picard, who tends to live a very private life.  Picard and Beverly Crusher are married in this series and have had a son, and we see how Picard is now reassessing his role in life while he struggles with the responsibilities of captaining the Enterprise, and being a father.  It would seem that he is actually thinking of taking retirement.

As it was in the case of the first Cold Equations novel, the voice of the characters is clear and Mack has them down so well that I could actually hear them as I read the book.  I am very much looking forward to the final installment of the series in which I assume Data searches for and finds Vaslovik. 

This is a good quality story that I really enjoyed and would recommend.

Podcast News

The Scifi Diner Podcast has released Conversations Episode 83.  In this episode there are further thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness as well as talks about the Arrow finale, Once Upon a Time, and After Earth.  I have also learned that the Diner will soon be releasing an interview episode with Mike Schilling who will discuss the this year’s Shoreleave  Convention.

With the imminent opening of the new CBS series, Under The Dome, based on the novel by Stephen King, Wayne Henderson and Troy Heinritz are planning to release an episode in which they discuss the book and will discuss how aspects of the book may be included in the series, or not due to the extremely graphic nature of the novel.

Admiral Marius (Rick) at Starbase 66 is planning the release of another of his Round Table discussions on the subject of Dr. Who.  He informs me that this should be coming out quite soon, so watch for it.

As for me, I am planning to next read the next novel in the Red Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson: Green Mars.

Well, there it is…

QaplaH’