American Idol Final 8, Results Show

Well, two out of three isn’t bad. With yesterday’s review I estimated that it would be Scott, Lil, and Kris in the bottom 3, but America surprised me by sending Anoop to the bottom. With Seacrest’s usual cruel shenanigans, he led Matt Giraud on and then mercilessly let him sit back down. With the few that were left, it was obvious that the bottom 3 would be rounded out with Lil and the new piano man, Scott MacIntyre.

I usually don’t care for results nights because it so painfully obvious that the producers are trying to stretch out the full hour. Perhaps I am alone in that, but tonight was no exception. Extended behind the scenes Ford commercial anyone? Although I must say that this was the first one of their commercials that I didn’t just fast forward though. I even had a big grin when Scott tried to get reassurance that they weren’t trying to put him in pink.

With a quick release of Lil, we were left with Anoop and Scott to sweat it out during the interlude. I will probably get a lot of comments about this, (like the guy who roasted me for not being a Lambert fan), but I never enjoy the group performances. My opinion is that all the contestants are trying to stand out, and therefore, they never blend in well together.

We also had an appearance from Flo Rida. Not my usual type of music, but not bad. Although, was I alone in only being able to understand about 5% of his lyrics. I didn’t care much for the Kesha features; great voice, but it didn’t seem to fit. (By the way, have you ever surfed on a Flow Rider? Too cool! I did last weekend, but I’ll have to save that for another review.) I guess I was lucky I didn’t understand the lyrics, as they are pretty suggestive (Bill Clinton’s theme song, perhaps). Frankie Avalon was a fun addition and I thought Kellie Pickler did a pretty good job, until she started wandering around the stage and it seemed like she struggled a little.

Finally we got back to Scott and Anoop. I was at least right in one thing, that Anoop did well enough to save himself from elimination and was sent back to the couch. Scott delivered an encore performance of Survivor's ''The Search Is Over,'' and arguably did better than the previous night, until he reached the falsetto portion, which once again proved not to be his forte. Simon tells Scott that only two of the judges are in favor of saving him, which ultimately prompts a final plea to the judges, that he would show them that he could be better.

I hate that they string people along so much. When we were first introduced to the Judges’ Save, we were told that the decision had to be unanimous. If the judges were split, then why were they pretending that they were deliberating on saving Scott? It seems cruel. Also, it seems to deprive the contestant of their dignity. Just lower the boom and let them get on with it. Scott had a great run, but I don’t think he could have lasted much longer. I do hope he is able to find an audience though, perhaps as the new Piano Man.

American Idol Final 8

Arg, why can't American Idol ever end on time. I finally had to set my Tivo to record a few minutes longer. Tonight I totally missed the last singer, Adam, which I wouldn't have been sad about, if I wasn't going to review the show. I finally found it on the computer and watched though.

The theme for the night was songs from the year the contestants were born. Wow, another fat topic giving the contestants tons of songs to choose from.

First up was Danny Gokey, who sang "Stand by Me." Some people seem like indulgent posers when they try to riff on a lick. I never get that from Danny. His performances are always true to himself and he puts his soul into every note. Danny had 3 transitions to his song and every phase of the song was great. Like the judges, I wasn't too thrilled about the opening segment of his song, but he so put himself into it, that it worked out great. He brought it home with a fabulous ending. For the first time this season, here was a song I would consider buying. Well not totally true. I really want Matt Giraud's version of Georgia, but sadly it is not on iTunes.

Next was Kris Allen with "All She Wants To Do Is Dance." The very beginning seemed a little rough with the microphone and perhaps a little of the nerves. The horn section was a great addition to the arrangement. It reminded me of a little Tower of Power-esque arrangement. While I don’t think it was one of his greatest performances, it was still probably enough to skate him through. I really don’t see the point of his guitar either, it really didn’t add much. I also don’t like when the singers stand in the middle of a crowd either, like Randy said with the band, I think the singer gets lost when they get to into the crowd.

One of my problems with Lil Rounds who sang "What’s Love Got To Do with It," is that in the last few performances she has come out and basically been somewhat of an imitator. While she didn’t come off as a Tina Turner imitator, the performance was not stellar. It was highlighted by unsupported notes and not much different from the original version. While I think she has a great voice, I fear she may find herself toward the bottom. I had high hopes for her. Kudos for her hair and outfit though, she finally got that part of her stage presence down.

Every year there are one or two contestants that just creep me out. Anoop Desai is one of those for me. So, from the start of his song, "True Colors," Anoop had one strike against him. Then he sang a song from a female artist, difficult to pull off. Strike two. But despite that, Anoop went back to his strength this week, ballads. Usually Anoop tries to pretend to be something he is not, a tough guy. That always ends horribly. But other than a couple of notes that he blooped on, it was a solid performance.

Scott MacIntyre sang "The Search Is Over." Somebody finally got Scott’s hair under control. So much of a better look for him. Usually I don’t care too much for Scott’s performances, but tonight he wowed me. This is the first time I could see him as a contemporary artist rather than a Billy Joel copy cat. While I was totally fine with his look and movements with the guitar, I really think his rhythm detracted. I agreed with Paula though, that the high notes should have been left behind. I thought it was a decent rendition.

Great job Allison Iraheta, with her rendition of "I Can’t Make You Love Me." I usually don’t like her harder gravely voice. Tonight though she laid a out a heart-felt ballad that totally suited both her personality and her voice. I finally heard the creamy notes from her. Speaking of suits though, if you look at her from the waist up, she looked fabulous, but the lower half with the skirt was horrendous. All in all, I could see myself making some memories with that song at a high school dance. Oh wait, I think maybe I did 20 years ago.

When they announced Matt Giraud's song, "Part Time Lover," I thought "Oh no." There are some artists you don’t touch. Stevie Wonder is usually one of them. Matt was one of my favorites from the beginning, but this performance was not one of my favorites. I thought he threw in too many licks, runs, and embellishments and tended not to support the lower notes very well. But what did I miss? Everyone around me plus the judges loved it. Ok, I will admit I started to like it a lot better toward the end.

The final competitor, Adam Lambert sang "Mad World." I hadn’t heard this song from Tears for Fears before, but I don’t think I would have liked their version either. While you can tell that Adam has skills, I just don’t enjoy his performances at all. I will say though that most of the time he had a pretty solid performance, with the exception of the final note and that is the one that sticks in my mind. Annoying falsetto, punctuated with an unsupported final note. To me, he just seems like such a Glamor Rock poser that I have a hard time getting into any of his songs. But at least he didn't scream this week.

So the bottom three is tough for me to pick. I think I am going to have to put Lil Rounds in there with Scott MacIntyre, and Chris Allen. While I just don't think any of them really did too horribly, I think those three performances were forgettable enough to get theses contestants into trouble. Until tomorrow, when we see the results.

Battlestar Galactica: Daybreak, Part 1

In this week’s episode of Battlestar Galactica: Daybreak, part 1, I couldn’t help the feeling of dread from creeping over me. We have essentially 2 episodes left (technically a two hour finale, but I think of it more as part 2 and part 3) and they spend a major chunk of this episode in flashbacks to Caprica before the attack. The current storyline creeps forward very little. Frustrating. I will say however, that since I am expecting to be disappointed in the finale, I am secretly hopeful of being pleasantly surprised.

One of the first images we see is of a pigeon trapped indoors. Trapped inside what we later learn, in the continuation of the scene, is Lee’s (Jamie Bamber) apartment. I just can’t help thinking that this is some sort of metaphor for the human race. They are trapped and can’t escape their past unless they come to take responsibility for their actions. The “stupid frakin’ bird” never does make it out of the apartment when the door is wide open. So where does that leave us?

In his weekly podcast on iTunes, the creator of the Sci Fi channel’s Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore explains a constant theme of the series, “you don't get to play God and then get to wash your hands of all the things that you've done. It's about having a sense of responsibility and a sense of trying to look at things truthfully. To say, 'How did these things happen? Oh, they didn't just happen. I've participated in them happening. And what's my responsibility in participating in having these things happen?”

Moore also states that “the seeds of their own destruction always seem to be carried within all the characters. The things that will ultimately harm them and harm everyone always seems to come from within.” Food for thought. For example, how will Helo’s (Tahmoh Penikett) desire to rescue his daughter be his downfall? Will Gaius’ (James Callis) self preservation ultimately be his destruction?

Caprica Six (Tricia Helfer) gives us another possible metaphor. “I found your father a new place to live. His things are being moved this very moment by the staff. They’ll be set up in his new room exactly how he had them in his apartment. He loves it. Your father is a very complicated man Gaius, but there’s a few simple things that make him very happy.” Could this mean that she or the Cylons will find the place where humanity will ultimately be happy? Will that be a planet or state of being?

Anders (Michael Trucco) in his “hot tub” flashback, clearly is talking about things how they are in the current storyline, “well, right now I am just focused on getting stronger; helping out the team in any way I can.” The reporter even asks him if he feels that his career is incomplete. As stated on earlier reviews, I think that Anders will take a part in piloting or crewing the Galactica as its hybrid. “Find the perfect world for the end of Kara Thrace.”

So now we are on a mission to rescue Hera. Hurray! But the exact reason she is the key to the survival of both races, I am still not clear on. As Adama (Edward James Olmos) and Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) draw a huge line in the proverbial sand down the Galactica’s deck, they wanted it very clear that each person was choose his destiny. For me, this seemed to be a clear allusion to God on judgment day, separating out the faithful and placing them on his right side.

Although it felt a little sappy to have President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) stagger across the deck to Adama’s side, I was actually very proud of her. That is the kind of valor I wish to see from a president. Although short-lived, it was also nice to see Laura happy for once in her flashback.

I am also very pleased that I get my wish for the Galactica. It seems that we are poised for an epic battle in which the “old girl” will at least go out in a blaze of glory.

Castle: Flowers for Your Grave

*Caution spoilers Ahead*

"Tell me you saw that!" -Richard Castle

I must admit up front that I am a fan of Nathan Fillion. I have liked him ever since I first saw him in the sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.” I further came to appreciate his talents in Firefly, a short-lived comedy/drama, which in my opinion, was drowned by the bungling maneuvers of the Fox network. It has since become one of my all-time favorite series.

Castle is not a fortress, but an individual. In a new dramedy from ABC called Castle, Richard Castle is played by Nathan Fillion and is somewhat akin to his character Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly. Castle is a cocky, handsome, novelist who trades quipy lines and flirts with most every girl. Fillion’s character is played almost to the point of being over the top; almost. The series is in the tradition of recent comedic dramas such as Psych and Life that deal with murder and other serious subjects, but on the lighter side. They don’t take themselves too seriously.

The show opens at Richard Castle’s latest book launching party, where his ex-wife/publisher questions his wisdom of killing off the successful main character of his murder/mystery books. Castle answers by saying that he killed off the main character because he got too predictable.

Enter unpredictability. A killer has staged 3 murders that mirror scenes from Castle’s books. Castle is then paired with an attractive, pseudo-hardnosed, female detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to help solve the crime. Beckett just happens to be a fan of Castle’s books and is the one who first makes the connection. This is where one of my few complaints comes about the series. In my experience, most professionals do not enjoy entertainment that deals with their profession. My brother-in-law doctor, for instance cannot stand to watch shows that deal with medicine. So, I find her interest unlikely, but I guess not impossible.

For that matter, Castle seems a little too perfect to be real. Almost a genius when it comes to his powers of observation and conclusion. It is the old; the cops can’t solve this on their own and need the help of a smarter outsider to solve the crime. But in my opinion, Fillion pulls off the roll successfully and will probably be the make-or-break element of the show. If you enjoy him, you will enjoy the show. Most likely, the show will do well with the female audience, if you know what I mean.

Castle soon becomes enthralled with detective Beckett and uses every excuse to come back and see her. But when the murder mystery was solved, I wondered what could bring the two back together again. After all, the copycat murderer was caught. In a somewhat cliché, but believable turn of events, the series takes a page out of Michael J. Fox’s playbook from the movie The Hard Way. Castle creates a new character for his new detective series, a character based upon, you guessed it, Becket. Pulling a few strings at the mayor’s office and Castle gets himself a ticket to a ride-along partnership for “research.”

The chemistry between Fillion and Katic is not quite effortless or polished yet, but it is there. In the end, it was a fun show that promises to entertain with interesting mysteries and strings of one-liners. I plan to give it a shot and see where it goes.

Battlestar Galactica: Islanded in a Stream of Stars

I am still willing to trust Ronald D. Moore and the writers of the Sci Fi channel’s Battlestar Galactica, but I am getting worried that they will not be able to wrap up the series with any meaningful satisfaction. Here we are with only 2 episodes left and we still seem to be introducing more twists and questions than answers.

Hera is increasingly becoming the key for both sides of the conflict to obtain salvation. The episode starts off with a projection of Hera perched atop the information management table in the Combat Information Center (CIC), positioning Galactica next to a basestar and several heavy raiders.

I don’t know whose projection it was, but it seems likely that it was Laura’s since we peer into her dreams several times during the episode. The other mystery was whether or not this symbolic foreshadowing gesture was a symbol of union or a symbol of conflict. I tend to think it is the latter, since the scene takes place in the Combat Information Center. And I for one would much rather see Galactica go out in a blaze of glory rather than see her abandoned and parted out to the rest of the fleet’s vulture captains.


I am totally confused as to the role that Baltar will ultimately play. He has been a scientist, a traitor, a politician, a religious zealot, and will he ultimately become a savior? I had forgotten until this episode of the dream shared by Six, Baltar, and Laura. What does it all mean? Will they somehow be the catalysts to bring Cylons and humans together with Hera’s help? I do think however, that Starbuck knew deep down that Baltar would somehow expose her “secret.” Either way, he made her come to terms with it.

In Boomer’s first scenes with Hera, I completely despised her. She was an unfeeling monster as she threatened to inject little Hera on board the raptor. I don’t know how they got the little actress who plays Hera to show such emotion, but I totally fell for for heart wrenching sobs. Boomer must have too as she seemed to soften. Hera further brought out Boomer’s motherly instincts as they shared the projection of Boomer’s dream house. I expect this relationship will come into play later as evidenced by Boomer’s reaction when she drops Hera off at Cavil’s daycare center.


There were some odd moments in the episode as well. The first was with Starbuck and Lee in the hall of death. Both actors just seemed uncomfortable in this scene and a little out of character to me. Perhaps they are setting the stage for a re-coupling of Lee and Starbuck, but I hope not. Although I feel for Lee being essentially alone now, I just like the relationship between Starbuck and Anders so much better.

The next out of character moment was when Helo was pleading with Adama to let him go looking for Hera. I don’t know if Tahmoh Penikett just didn’t convince me in this scene or if it just seemed too far out of Helo’s mindset. I will just have to chalk Helo’s mental state up to losing his daughter and being on the outs with Athena.

The medicinal marijuana scene was also a little unbelievable to me. I just don’t see a hard-nosed military man like Adama sitting around smoking a joint in the middle of sick bay. But hey, Doc Cottle walks around smoking all the time, so what the heck. I guess I just didn’t find it dignified to see the president and the Admiral getting high and sharing secondhand smoke with the rest of the patients.

So Sam has essentially become a hybrid now. I am thinking he could save the Galactica or at least pull her back together for a final fight. The Cylon goop didn’t seem to work, but my bet is that with a higher intelligence directing it, it will do the trick to strengthen and repair the ship. But what did Anders mean when he called Starbuck the harbinger of death? A harbinger is someone or something that foretells or foreshadows the coming of something. What or who is Starbuck foreshadowing death for? Another one of those mysteries that needs to be answered.

My prediction however is that not everyone will be satisfied with the wrapping up scenes. There is no way to satisfy everyone. So, prepare yourself to be thrilled and disappointed. Hopefully the void created by Galactica’s absence can be filled by upcoming Galactica movie “The Plan” and the spin-off series Caprica.

TV Review: Battlestar Galactica

Deleted Scenes and a Theory

I have been working on a theory about Battlestar Galactica from the Sci Fi channel, that I hope you will indulge me on and give me your comments. Follow me for a second while I walk through the evidence and then give my analysis.

In the episode “No Exit,” Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) shows the damage in Galactica’s hull that he discovered in “Blood on the Scales” to Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos). He warns him that they shouldn’t even attempt a jump until it is repaired because the ship may not survive it. Tyrol believes that corners were cut when building Galactica, things that now are compromising its structural integrity.

When Adama reinstates Tyrol as Chief, he gives him specific instructions that the repairs be carried out by an all human repair crew. Later though, we find out that the damage includes extensive micro fractures. Tyrol believes that the only solution is to use a Cylon compound, an ORGANIC, as in living, compound, to repair all of the “fracturing.” Adama, of course refuses this. And why wouldn’t he? He has massive mistrust of Cylons, forged from many years of fighting them. However, when he discovers fractures in his own quarters, he relents and instructs Tyrol to use the compound on Galactica.

Also in "No Exit,” we realize that the Cylons are also deeply split. Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell), as we now know is considered to be one of the 1st “children” of Ellen Tigh (Kate Vernon) and the rest of the Final Five. But, he is resentful of his body and even of his maker. He is a man/machine bent on revenge.

The Five are also split. Since Ellen has returned to them, in “Deadlock”, they take a vote on whether or not to leave the humans or to stay with them (BTW, does anyone know how Boomer (Grace Park) knew where to find the fleet? And if she can find them, why hasn’t Cavil attacked?). Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma) and Tyrol vote to leave (interesting, since we have come to believe that Tyrol is once again invested in saving Galactica), while Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco), based upon his pre-operation comments, and Colonel Tigh vote to stay. Ellen is the swing vote.

After the whole love triangle with Ellen, Caprica Six (Tricia Helfer), and Saul, Ellen decides that the Cylons should leave. Her decision was based on emotion and spite rather than rational thought and she later recants. You will also remember that it is believed that Cylons can only conceive if love, twoo wuv, is what bwings them toogethuh (oops, sorry, wrong show). Jane Espenson, who wrote "Deadlock," was asked why Caprica Six’s baby died. She answered with another question: “Did the baby die because Tigh, witnessing Ellen's gesture of sacrifice, fell in love with her all over again and deprived Six of his love in that moment?”

I think the Cylons are just as emotional and irrational at this point as the humans are. Ellen even accuses Tigh of not wanting to leave Galactica because he loves the ship and Bill more than he loves her or Caprica Six.

Now for some things you may not have known. There were some deleted scenes from "Deadlock" that I think are pretty critical. You remember the scenes with Gaius Baltar (James Callus) in Dogsville. They were a little confusing. In the deleted scenes however, it is explained that many marines were lost during the mutiny and there are just not enough of them to maintain order. The marines were forced to retreat from Dogsville. Adama is finding it difficult to maintain order aboard Galactica.

In the absence of the marines, the Sons of Ares seize most of the food supply, with the exception of the small stash controlled by the cult formerly led by Baltar. Adama needs a force to help keep the civilian population under control. Adama and Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) debate the possibility of bringing Centurions on board to provide security. Adama is firmly opposed to this, even though the ship is slowly being infused with Cylon material, because he fears, among other things, a civilian uprising.

Enter Baltar with “the last human solution;” to arm the cultists. The decision facing Adama is to either allow criminals to control the food supply, or allow Baltar and the crazy cultists (good name for a band?) to act as a civilian security force. Adama obviously believed that the human solution was better or at least the lesser of two evils and arms Baltar’s followers to the teeth.

What is a fracture? A split, a rift, a parting of two entities that were once a whole. Cylons and humans once lived together. Bringing in the mythology of the tribes, Cylons, or at least the skin jobs, are referred to as the 13th tribe since they are "children" of the Final Five.

Galactica is a representation of the human-Cylon relationship. I believe the writers are trying to tell us that Humans cannot survive without bringing their lost children back into the fold. Just as Galactica was deteriorating and would have eventually been lost without an infusion of Cylon, so too will the human race be lost without a reuniting of Cylons and humans.


Cylons too are lost without the humans. Resurrection technology is lost. Perhaps it could be rebuilt, but it is lost for now. Cylons once had the ability to procreate but have lost that ability. They are missing something that can only be obtained from the humans. Whether that be technology or a Cylon/human baby, who knows, but it seems to me that Galactica, once again is showing the way for human and Cylon alike to survive.

To me, this indicates that Cylons and humans will unite and become one race with a shared destiny. After all, Anders did reiterate a theme during his bullet-induced visions that has been common throughout the series: “This has all happened before, and it will all happen again.” The Five were all once human, perhaps a thousand years ago, but they were all once human. (BTW, where is Hera?) And if you needed any more convincing, we have the words of Adama himself. At the end of “Deadlock,” he and Laura see a Cylon putting up pictures of Cylon dead. In classic deadpan Adama delivery, he states that the integration has already happened.

Only time can ultimately prove me right or wrong, but I think that the separatist Cylons will not leave the fleet and we will see a further blending of Cylon and human technology and ideology. Cavil and his group will have to come around to the point of view of the separatists and rejoin the Final Five “makers.” If he doesn’t, he and his followers will be lost, spiritually and physically.

Does this mean that together they will find another planet to live on? Personally, I don’t think they will find one before the end of the series. But in my opinion, they don’t need to in order to bring closure to the series. Now that Earth is gone, all they really need is to eliminate the threat of Cavil (either by conversion or destruction) and then find a New New Caprica.

TV Review: Chuck

"Chuck Versus the Best Friend"

Don’t get me wrong, Chuck on NBC is one my favorite shows, but I never know when to take it seriously or to just laugh something off. There was a little bit of that going on last night. Do we take the spy game seriously or do we take it as a comedy and laugh off the inconsistencies?

The show opens with a flashback to young Morgan (sporting an Alf t-shirt, awesome) getting beat up by a girl he likes. Chuck comes to his rescue even back then. That sets up the pattern for the entire show: Chuck has always rescued Morgan, who has never grown up.

Back in the present, we find Morgan still troubled by his breakup with Anna Wu, where he and the boys are planning a little spy mission of their own. The real spies, Casey and Sarah must then engage in a little spy vs. spy action; scratch that, make that spy vs. nerd action. Two of the best lines of the whole episode come during this scene, the first when Jeff informs us that 80% of his female encounters have been without the nerd herd’s knowledge (Chuck is more worried about the other 20% . . . rightly so). The second, Casey’s line, comes during the surveillance mission:

Morgan: “We have visual acquisition of the target.”
Lester: “The subject is on the move.”
Casey: “The idiots are on the move.”

During their spy mission, Chuck flashes on Anna’s new boyfriend, who is a major smuggler, so much so, that he is on the CIA’s radar and in the Intersect. Ok, is Chuck just a major magnet for trouble, or is LA just that dangerous that everyone routinely rubs shoulders with smugglers, spies, and other assorted terrorists. This is one of the areas that I am willing to suspend belief, as it is the premise for the show. I do think the writers mix up this formula enough that it doesn’t get too monotonous. Either way, the mission parameters are great; Chuck must “befriend his best friend’s ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend.”

This episode also has the return of Captain Awesome. I love his mix of confidence, laid back attitude, braininess, and naivety. I laughed so hard when they first introduced him in the Pilot. BTW, did you know that Captain Awesome has a blog?

Here come the little nitpicky comments. Chuck always blows the “covert ops” sections. Why would Sarah ever task Chuck with planting a bug? A little too formulaic to me. Next, after Morgan is discovered as the spy/stalker, a Triad member walks right up to the bug. How did he even know that he should look for a bug? Are all smugglers that sophisticated? Speaking of the Triad members, I for one didn’t buy that Morgan was ever in any real jeopardy. The 2 male Triad members just didn’t come off as very threatening in their actions.

As for being in jeopardy, did anyone ever believe that Chuck was in danger of being blown up? Ok, I was surprised that he was driving the remote, but why wouldn’t he have just stayed in plain view to drive the car away? Obviously it was just to set up the whole cheesy hand-holding scene between Chuck and Sarah (formulaic). Don’t get me wrong, I want to see them together as much as anyone else, but it just came off as a little too easy.

Speaking of easy, why did the Chinese ambassador’s guards focus on Casey and just let Chuck by to uncover the bomb? And why did they believe Sarah was CIA when moments before they didn’t believe Casey’s credentials? It didn’t add up . . . too easy, too neat, but hey, you have to tie up the loose ends quickly in a 1 hour show. That’s why I don’t know when to take the series seriously. I am willing to overlook things in the name of comedy, but other things seem to be glaring holes.

To wind up the show, I liked the idea of the continuing bromance between Morgan and Chuck. It was mostly believable and a nice relationship. Chuck seems to be dependant on Morgan as his only “family,” but Chuck has a sister. What about her? If there is a family relationship between Morgan and Chuck, it would be one with Chuck as the older brother who always has to rescue his younger brother from his own stupidity. Not much of a two way street.

As always though, an entertaining show with plenty of action and comedy to keep me coming back for more.

Thoughts on Amazing Race: 14

"Your Target is Your Partner's Face"

I have to start this off by saying that I am impressed with anyone who makes it on the hit show from CBS, Amazing Race, but the last two episodes have left me, shall we say, less than impressed with Steve and Linda, the county bumpkins. They seemed to get confused at seemingly simple tasks that everyone else breezes through. In their defense, I have been in stressful traveling situations in foreign lands with my wife, and it can be downright exasperating (no offense honey). That said, during last week’s episode, I was thinking, “if you come in behind the bumpkins, you deserve to be eliminated.” This week, Steve and Linda seemed doomed from the start. I felt empathetic for Linda when she lost her way and was impressed that they got it together enough to finish the leg. Too bad that Steve realized too late that he should stop criticizing Linda and start working as a team.

Lawyers Tammy and Victor put up an impressive run and never gave up the lead once they took it. They seem to know how to work as a team. Tammy may talk about how Victor always makes the final decisions as the big brother, but I think he respects Tammy’s input and contribution to the team. This is in contrast to another sibling team, Lakisha and Jennifer (does anyone else think that Jen got gypped in the name department?). These two sisters better get things together or they will soon find that their sibling rivalry will get them into trouble. Teams that gel always seem to do better.

I’m sorry, but I don’t see what all the big hype was about Margie and Luke winning last week’s leg. Sure he has a hearing handicap, but he is a smart, strapping young fellow. In most situations, it doesn’t seem like verbal communication would be that much of a requirement. I guess I just have always found deaf people to be just as capable as anyone else. We have a friend who plays on the high school tennis team; if it has been a problem for her, she doesn’t show it. To me it is impressive when anyone wins a leg, no matter who they are. It takes equal doses of smart playing, physicality, and a lot of good luck. Now if Steve and Linda had won a leg that would have been impressive!

Other teams that impressed me were Mel and Mike and Mark and Michael. I felt bad for Mel, that he had no choice but to wait for the wind to change up on that mountain. I agree with him that it isn’t really right for someone to pray and expect God to help you to win. I don’t think something as trivial as a game really registers on the “miracle” radar. However, I will say that it was a miraculous bit of editing for their scene. Mel kept saying how grateful he would be, and then immediately the wind changed. Amazing. Kudos to the editors.

As for Mark and Michael, something about them is endearing to me. Perhaps it is their cheerfulness or maybe their can-do attitude. Either way, I expect them to go far. On the opposite end, Christie and Jodi have been disappointing. What happened to their “insider-travel-secrets” advantage? I will be surprised if they make it another week.

TV Review (series available on DVD): Dead Like Me

Calling all fans of Pushing Daisies

What’s that you say? You’ve never heard of Dead Like Me? Not surprising, I hadn’t either until by chance one day my Tivo (not DVR, my TIVO) recorded it as a suggestion for me. The show originally aired on Showtime in 2003, which is probably why I didn’t catch it. The free movie channels are usually enough for me.

If you were a fan of Pushing Daisies though, then chances are you will like Dead Like Me. Brian Fuller, who is the creator of both shows, seems to have a fascination with death, as he continues to examine how we look at death with dark comedies. So, with the follow-up, directly-to-DVD movie released today (Dead Like Me: Life After Death), which is rumored to bring closure to the story, I bring you a review of the series.

In the series pilot, we are introduced to 18-year-old, completely unmotivated Georgia “George” Lass (Ellen Muth) who lives in Seattle. George’s mom soon gets fed up with her after she drops out of college and sends her out to find a job. She applies at a temp agency where supervisor Deloris “as in her-big-brown-eyes” Herbig, brilliantly played by Christine Willes, reluctantly gives George a job.



While on lunch break from her first day at a meaningless job, George is vaporized by the flaming toilet seat from the space station Mir as it reenters the atmosphere. How’s that for being born under the wrong sign? Suddenly seeing the scene from outside herself, she realizes she is dead. It is then explained to her that she has a new “job.” Her lack of direction and affection has left her designation to either heaven or hell undetermined. The reaper who extracted George’s soul has now fulfilled his own spiritual quota and is able to move on, but George must become his replacement. She now joins the ranks of the undead grim reapers, led by Rube (Mandy Patinkin, best known for his role as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride), who receive daily assignments (on Post-it Notes of all things) to extract the souls from the bodies of people who are about to die and escort them to their afterlives. Whew, now I’m out of breath.



Like Pushing Daisies, there are rules and twists. First of all, the reapers only receive the first initials and last names of their targets. This has comedic results at times, as in episode 5 of season 1 “Reaping Havoc,” where George must collect the soul of M.J. Bowers at the park. When she gets to the park, she finds a Bowers family reunion is underway and she must quickly find the right M.J.

Reapers have bodies and can be seen by mortals, but do not look like they did when they were alive. That aside, they are not supposed to interact with their loved ones from their former life. But reapers don’t get a free pass either. They must either get a job that will allow them to take frequent breaks so they can go collect souls, or they get money by other means, such as Mason (Callum Blue). Sticky-fingered Mason takes money from his dead assignments, and even knocks over parking meters, which sets off another reaper Roxy (Jasmine Guy, A Different World), who is always pissed-off anyway, but just happens to work as a meter maid too. To save money and keep a low profile reapers squat in the houses and apartments of the recently departed until they are kicked out by the living.



Comedy aside, I believe the series is really about the growth of George, as seen in one of my favorite lines from the pilot episode:

George: “I want my life back.”
Betty: “It's not like you were doing anything with it.”

Slowly over the series, she is forced to examine the relationships in her life. She realizes that her pushy critical mother actually loved her and shock of shocks, George loves her mother too. George also learns that she loves her little sister Reggie, who has really been affected by her big sister’s death and begins to steal toilet seats in homage. George reluctantly starts to care and starts to mature throughout the series, but all the while keeps her annoyed demeanor.

Like kissing cousins, Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me are completely dark comedies with very dry delivery. In my estimation, dark humor is more brainy than the humor purveyed by sitcoms and this is why neither series lasted very long. I have grown tired of laugh tracks. To me, it is like the show is trying to tell you what is supposed to be funny, where you should laugh. Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies not only don’t tell you what to think, sometimes they pass over comic situations so quickly and deliver lines in such a deadpan manner that you don’t realize the humor until after the moment has passed (thank you for pause and rewind on my Tivo). This type of show does not spoon feed you, but requires you to think a little for your reward. If you want to just sit back and veg, Dead Like Me may not be for you. After all, death shouldn’t be funny, right?

Footnote:
I must warn you that I saw this series entirely on family friendly cable television, so this review is for the edited version of the series. The DVD version likely contains language and situations not safe for family viewing, so please keep that in mind.

Book Review: Viking Warrior

My Strongbow Saga

It has been quite some time since I have been unable to put a book down. I can’t even remember the last time I finished a book in less than a week. But that is precisely what happened with the series I discovered written by Judson Roberts, the Strongbow Saga.

I first picked up book one, Viking Warrior, on the recommendation of Orson Scott Card's review. Card calls it a “serious historical novel,” but you would never know it. Although the story is extremely well researched, set within the context of actual 9th century events, and uses vivid details to bring the world of the Vikings to life, you are too caught up in the main character’s whirlwind journey to take notice.

So here’s the scoop. Halfdan, a young slave has really never known comfort in his life. The only comfort he has is occasionally spending time with his mother, who is a slave in the chieftain’s own house. This one comfort is suddenly ripped from him when he learns that his mother is to be sacrificed in order to accompany the chieftain on his journey to Valhalla, the Viking afterlife.

In a bold bargain, Halfdan’s mother uses her death to buy a new life for her son. On her deathbed, his mother reveals that she was once an Irish princess and was captured and then made a slave by the chieftain. Halfdan is not only a descendant of royalty but also the illegitimate son of the chieftain. The bargain is struck. If Halfdan’s mother is to make the journey to Valhalla, her son must be recognized as a full son and heir. Thus begins the change of fate for the 15-year-old Viking Warrior.

There are so many conflicts in this book that they are difficult to enumerate: the caste society, love and hatred, Christianity and paganism, duty and survival, honor and revenge, sacrifice, romance, betrayal, blood, and battle. There is a little bit of something for everyone.

With all of these themes and elements, it could almost be called the Viking version of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart or perhaps the lesser known Tristan and Isolde (read Dennis' Review), starring Spiderman’s James Franco. In these two films, a young boy is taken from the comfort of his home life when his parents are killed and he is then raised by others who teach him honor, values, and of course combat skills. But this is no rehashing of a tired story, it is rich with its own culture and real-life history as a boy struggles to find himself in a man’s world. It doesn’t hurt either, that Halfdan is clever, strong, brave, and probably the best shot with a bow that anyone has ever seen. Thus the series gets its name, the Strongbow Saga.

Actual battle campaigns and historic figures are perfectly blended with clothing, weaponry, and 9th century religion and culture to weave a gripping tale. Parents should be warned that at times some of these battle scenes are gruesome but they were never gratuitous. The Viking’s everyday world was filled with violence and warfare. Still, parents of children under 12 may want to preview the books first or better yet, read it with them.

Viking Warrior was the first in the series, but I made short work of it. Truth be told, the books are all part of the same overarching tale that has yet to be concluded. When I finished Viking Warrior, I was mostly satisfied with the ending, but I had to have more. I jumped right in to book 2, Dragons from the Sea, and before I had completed that one, 2 days later, I had to have book 3, The Road to Vengeance. I was like a junkie, I had to have more; now! So be warned, book 1 could probably stand alone, but books 2 and 3 seem to be a single story split into two books. You may have to buy book 2 and book 3 at the same time.



Judson Roberts is a masterful storyteller. If I were to point out a fault in these books it would probably be that the titles tend not to attract much attention and may even scare some readers away. Viking Warrior is an especially bland title that did little to interest my 12-year-old. It has also suffered from being a book without a proper place on the shelf. As Orson Scott Card points out in his review, there isn’t much of an audience these days for historical fiction, so the book has been relegated to YA fiction obscurity, where it hasn’t quite found the right audience yet. In my opinion, this is merely due to lack of publicity.



Look on Amazon, and you will find that nearly every review for Viking Warrior, Dragons from the Sea, and The Road to Vengeance have been rated 5 stars. Orson Scott Card calls Mr. Roberts “a terrific writer.” In an e-mail conversation with Mr. Roberts, he told me that he hopes to ultimately make this series into 5 books and has “already sketched out rough outlines for the plots of books four and five” and submitted them to his publisher. But these two books may not come to life unless more people find this wonderfully written tale.

I plan to give gifts of Viking Warrior to some of my prolific reading friends. If you are even slightly intrigued by this review, I urge you to run down to Barnes & Noble or go on over to Amazon and buy it. Yes, I am shamelessly trying to get you hooked on the series, so that there will be a book 4 and 5. Save Halfdan, save the Saga. You won’t be disappointed.

By the way, if you want to try before you buy, the first chapter of all 3 books are posted at Mr. Robert’s Web site http://www.judsonroberts.com/previews.asp

Movie Review: Night at the Museum

Our Night at the Museum

I must admit that after seeing the previews for Night at the Museum, I was genuinely worried that this would be another one of those weak movies with a weak plot that ruins the movie by packing all of the funny parts into the preview. I am pleased to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is one of those movies that takes into account that adults will be seeing the movie alongside their children. When I saw it in the theater, there were several places where you could hear adults laughing out loud. Ok, I admit it. I was one of them. But when I heard an 81-year-old Dick Van Dyke deliver the line, “No, Mr. Fredricks was my father,” I couldn’t help myself.

The premise behind the script is that because of an Egyptian curse, everything in the museum comes to life each night with the setting of the sun. When the rays of the sun once again peek over the horizon, all of the museum pieces return to their inanimate state. Now, this does present some inconsistencies at times. For example, at one point, the information desk is completely destroyed by a tyrannosaurus skeleton on a rampage, but then the desk is magically restored when the sun comes up. However, in another case, our hero Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) gets in trouble when the museum director spots fire extinguisher foam on a caveman display. However, the writing is so clever and entertaining, that you are willing to overlook these “reality” breaks.


Another thing that makes this movie work is the actors. Ben Stiller is able to keep the movie grounded while everything around him is in utter chaos. Stiller is always good at playing the straight man in the midst of ridiculous situations. If you liked him in Meet the Parents, you will like his performance in Museum. Another refreshing surprise was to see Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs as the retiring night watchmen. These gentlemen still have their comedic gifts even in their twilight years. Owen Wilson and Robin Williams also play their parts perfectly, and if you can believe it, Robin’s character is actually quite subdued, playing the part of the wise sage, Teddy Roosevelt. If there was one performance I did not enjoy, it was Ricky Gervais (The Office, UK version) as the museum director. His performance was just too overacted to be believable.


So overall, this movie does not have a life-altering message, except perhaps to never quit and always do your best, but I must say that we were definitely entertained. From the moment my 6-year-old daughter grabbed my arm when the T-Rex came after Ben Stiller, to the car ride home where all my kids kept repeating the lines delivered by a giant Easter Island head, (“Hey dumb-dumb, give me gum-gum.”) We had fun. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this movie. That is, unless you happen to spend your free time sitting on your porch in a creaky rocking chair yelling at kids to “Get off the lawn!” By the way, the scenes with the monkey were still funny even though I had seen them hundreds of times in the previews.

Book Review: Nurse Matilda (Nanny McPhee)

The Nanny You Need is . . . Nurse Matilda?

Some of you loyal readers may recall that Dennis and I both reviewed Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, and Angela Lansbury), a little while back ( Dennis’ review ) ( Bryan’s review ). If you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. This charming tale of a homely nanny with a magical walking stick is a masterful adaptation of the book it is based on and in my opinion actually improves upon the source material. I consider it a must-see; a real gem that only comes along once in a while. Run out and rent or buy the Nanny McPhee DVD. This is one that I have now added to my collection even though I rarely buy movies anymore.

If you are anything like me, you often find yourself saying, “The movie was good, but the book was so much better.” After seeing the movie in the theater (or should that be theatre in honor of the book’s British origin), my kids and I were so excited to read the book that was the inspiration for the movie, Nurse Matilda. That said, this is one of those rare instances when I will say that the movie was superior to the book.

The copy I read was Nurse Matilda : The Collected Tales, which has all three Nurse Matilda books in one. The first thing you notice in the book are the many “Briticisms.” The most obvious is the use of the word nurse, which is more akin to the American use of the word nanny. In other scenes, the children eat swedes and roly-poly pudding with treacle . . . doesn’t sound very appealing to me, but they seemed to like it. These terms do however tend to create a foreign-feeling, which enhances the atmosphere of the story.

There are other differences between the book and the movie as well. One of the most glaring differences is that in the book, Mrs. Brown is alive. While there is a lopsided trend in children’s movies for portraying single-parent families (Toy Story, Land Before Time, The Iron Giant, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, etc.), in Nanny McPhee, Mrs. Brown’s absence and Mr. Brown’s preoccupation with providing for his large family, explained the rotten behavior of the children. In the book however, both parents are present and seem to be scratching their heads as to why their children are so ill behaved. This made them into complete dunderheads to me (and yes, I do realize that for the era the book is set in, it was common among the wealthy for both parents to be at home and still have a live-in nanny who takes care of them).

Another element that was introduced in the movie was the love interest between the widower Mr. Brown and Miss Evangeline. In the movie, this was a tender love interest that kindled warmth for the story. In the book, while Evangeline is sent off to live with wealthy Aunt Adelaide, she still comes off as just a pinhead and little more.

Also in the book, the Browns have so many kids that they can’t even keep track of them. They even mention in the second book, Nurse Matilda Goes to Town, that the Browns have adopted more children. While this might be funny (or perhaps just irresponsible) it made the children indistinguishable. There are so many kids that there are no distinguishable characters. One of the most heartwarming elements of the movie was to see the growth of the children in general and Simon (Thomas Sangster) in particular. That element was sadly missing from the book.

Along those same lines, in Nurse Matilda, the children never seem to learn any lessons at all. While there is some marginal progression in their lessons, you don’t really feel that they have learned to behave, but just to fear Matilda. In fact, in Nurse Matilda Goes to Town, the children are right back where they started and might even be worse. To me, this completely robbed Nurse Matilda of her power as a teacher and a mentor. All in all, the lessons they “learned” just seamed to become repetitious after a while.

I will say though that I enjoyed the illustrations. The pen and ink drawings added a charming feel to the book, placing it squarely in the time frame it was set.

Despite all of these issues, I didn’t hate the book. My children and I enjoyed reading it together and shared a few laughs as well. Emma Thompson just hit a home run with a screenplay that in my opinion far outshined the book. Overall, Nurse Matilda was enjoyable, and has been an endearing tale for generations of children. I will likely not finish the sequel though, as I was turned off after the first few chapters seeing the children right back where they started.

Movie News: Star Trek 11

It seems that another SciFi franchise is jumping on the prequel bandwagon. I must admit that I was sorry to hear of the cancellation of Enterprise with Scott Bakula. I actually enjoyed that series. I was even willing to overlook the fact that much of the technology appeared to be more advanced than the original Star Trek. After all, it was close to 40 years ago. To their credit though, the writers for Enterprise did attempt to put in technology limitations, such as extremely limited use of the transporter.

So, that is why I am optimistic about an upcoming Star Trek feature film slated to be released in 2008 and distributed by Paramount Pictures. According to Daily Variety and other news reports that picked up the thread, there is as yet no title for this eleventh film in the Star Trek universe, but it will feature scenes about Kirk and Spock meeting at Star Fleet Academy and their first mission into space.


Another reason to be optimistic is director J.J. Abrams, creator, writer, director, and producer of the two ABC series Lost and Alias and writer on Forever Young and Regarding Henry. I have really enjoyed the intrigue, characterization, and pace of Lost, but I reserve the right to withhold final judgment on Star Trek 11 until I see his upcoming movie Mission Impossible III staring Tom Cruise and Philip Seymour Hoffman (did anyone else loathe MI-2 as much as I did?). Joining Abrams in writing the Star Trek script will be Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci, writers for MI-3, The Legend of Zorro, and several episodes of Alias, among other things.

It's also interesting to note that Rick Berman is not involved in this project. Berman has been with Star Trek since The Next Generation and has been involved with every Next Generation movie. Some people attribute the decline of the Star Trek franchise to him. Those same people often credit the late Michael Piller with infusing new excitement into The Next Generation series, starting with season three.

Piller came into Star Trek, The Next Generation in season 3 and was also heavily involved in the creation of Deep Space Nine, but that's where his Star Trek tenure ended. Piller also gave Ronald D. Moore, the developer of the new Battlestar Galactica series his start in the television industry when he brought Moore onto The Next Generation. Piller then utilized the talents of both Ira Steven Behr and Moore in the creation of Deep Space Nine. It will be interesting to see if this theory proves to be true with this Star Trek film.

If Star Trek 11 can focus on story rather than trying to dazzle us with amazing special effects, like some other prequels, this could be an interesting movie. And this comes from someone who is not that much of a fan of the original Kirk series. It could be interesting to see some background into Kirk and Spock (I have always been interested in the way Kirk passed his Kobayashi Maru test). It could also be fun to see a cameo of an aging Captain Archer or perhaps some appearances from other actors from the original series such as George Takei.

I remain optimistic, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

Book Review: A Wizard of Earthsea

The other day, I was helping my son do some pull-ups on the chin-up bar. He asked me, “Dad, how come we do these every day?” I simply told him it was so he could get stronger and beat his last score on the school fitness test. “Do you think we could just practice a couple of days before your test and that would be all you would need?” I asked him. I was surprised when he answered yes.

I remember when I was his age though, I couldn’t wait for anything. I was even born a month premature and my mom said it was because I kept bugging Heavenly Father if I could go yet, and finally he gave in. I guess I still am a bit short on patience in some situations (I can hear my wife's voice . . . "SOME situations?").

Perhaps that is why I so readily aligned myself with the main character Ged in Ursula K. LeGuin’s coming-of-age novel, A Wizard of Earthsea. Ged is a precocious child who shows above average aptitude for magic and can’t wait to gain more knowledge, ultimately to his own detriment. The world he lives in is an island-based land with nothing but boats and sea-based cultures. Magic is ubiquitous and wizards are highly respected members of society.

I first picked up A Wizard of Earthsea because my current favorite author ( Shannon Hale ) included it in a list of her must-read books. As I read it, I found that I couldn’t put it down, despite the little things that bothered me about it.

In some circles, Earthsea is compared to Harry Potter, but other than dealing with a boy who goes off to wizard school, they are nothing alike. First off, the language of Earthsea (written in 1968) is somewhat detached, for lack of a better word. You tend to see things from a narrator’s point of view instead of getting inside the characters’ heads.

Another thing that bothers me about many fantasy books are all the impossible-to-pronounce made-up names of people and places. Oh, and the maps that are included to help track the action. Unfortunately, Earthsea has both. The good news is that the story is strong enough to get you past these things.

In the world of Earthsea, magic takes real exertion. You can’t just keep casting spell after spell, because you become week drained. Not to mention the fact that the world must maintain balance. If you change the weather by magic here, you could be affecting the weather adversely in another part of the world. This lesson of balance is lost on Ged as he brings a horror from the world of the dead into the realm of the living. Ged is a flawed hero who learns to combat his pride, arrogance, and above all, he learns the value of patience. Ursula allows Ged to make bad choices and then he must live with the consequences of those choices.

As Ged battles the darkness he has unleashed, he learns that this enemy is a part of himself. He ultimately learns that he must confront his problems instead of avoiding them, as his shadowy enemy only has power when Ged is afraid and retreats from it. It is difficult to admit that we each have darkness within us, but only by confronting these problems can we triumph over the evil things within ourselves.

No, this book is no Harry Potter. It is definitely for teens and adults. The journey Ged faces kept me up reading late into the night on several occasions. I even finished the book in record pace for me. In language and world creation, Earthsea is more Tolkien-esque, but a bit faster paced. Still, I am a little uncomfortable making that comparison as well. Overall, I could not put down this book and have already gotten the sequel (there are 4 books in the Earthsea saga, plus a prequel). I highly recommend picking this one up. But don’t take my word for it. Read the first chapter on Amazon and decide for yourself. You can get it for .75 cents.

Author’s note: you may remember that the SciFi channel did an Earthsea mini series a while back. Ursula hated it ( read her article ) and felt that it was untrue to her book and her characters.

TV Review: Cash Cab

Ok, we don’t often review TV shows, let alone game shows, but there is one game show that no one I know has heard of and we love it. It is called Cash Cab.

Cash Cab is a game show that is apparently a transplant from the United Kingdom. Here’s how it works. Unsuspecting passengers hail a taxi on the streets of New York. When they get in the cab and tell the driver their destination, they find out that this is no ordinary taxi. Suddenly, the ceiling of the cab flashes with checkerboard lights and bells go off. The host then informs the passenger(s) that they are now on a game show that takes place right there in the cab. The driver/host is comedian Ben Bailey. Currently, reruns air twice each weekday beginning at 6 PM PST on the Discovery Channel, but apparently a new set of episodes is set to be taped in Spring of 2006.


The driver/host of the Cash Cab, then states the rules of the game and offers them the chance to get out of the cab if they do not wish to play. Passengers are asked a series of trivia questions on the way to their destination. If they get three questions wrong the host pulls over and makes them get out of the cab, empty-handed of course. In other words, three strikes and you’re out . . . of the cab that is.

The first four questions are worth $25. The next four questions are worth $50, and any question after that (until they reach their destination) is worth $100. Another fun feature is that if a contestant has won more than $200 and the cab is caught at a red light, a Red Light Challenge is given. In the Red Light Challenge, the host asks a question with multiple correct answers (for example, “Name 5 major American-based airlines”), the passenger then has 30 seconds to list them. If they name all the items in the list, they win $250. If, however, they don’t get all of the answers they don’t get a strike against them or lose any money.

Passengers are also given two "Shout-Outs" during the ride, a Mobile Shout-Out, where the contestant can make a phone call to a friend, and a Street Shout-Out, where the driver pulls over and the contestant flags down a passerby and asks them the question they are stuck on.

When the cab reaches the contestant’s destination, the host then gives them a chance to double their money by answering a video double-or nothing question (one of the seat-backs has a video monitor). The passenger does have the option of just taking the money and running. They usually are able to play 3 different rounds per show.

Overall, this is such a fun show. Even my kids, who don’t know many of the answers (you can take a sample quiz at Discovery online) love to watch it and ask for it by name now. If you have cable, check it out on the Discovery channel. You’re in for a fun ride.

Book Review: The Princess Academy

You Can Be a Princess Too

When I was in 8th grade, my family built a house and moved to a housing development up on the hill. The houses in this area were typically a bit larger and a bit more expensive than the neighborhood we moved from. This also meant that I had to go to a different junior high school. After a while, I heard all kinds of comments from people, like “The kids at that school are all stuck up.” I couldn’t understand how someone could be so prejudiced against people they had never met. I was the same person I had always been, but by association, they were calling me stuck up too. That hurt.

Prejudice/misunderstanding is just one of the threads running through the latest book by Shannon Hale, Princess Academy, though she doesn’t hit you over the head with it. Now before you start thinking strange things about me for reading a “Princess” book, you should know that it was selected as a 2006 Newbery Honor Book (awarded to authors of the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children), so you know it has to be fairly decent. That said, I still felt a bit self conscious letting people see what I was reading. So, I guess that would be one of my complaints. Putting “princess” in the title alienates so many readers, especially in the youth fiction circles.

That title is great if you are a young girl who longs to be Cinderella or Ariel, like my daughter, and yes, they will love it. But, you should get your boys to read it too, if they are masculine enough to read a book where all the main characters are girls. I wasn’t way back then, but I guess I am now . . . kind of.

Let me also echo one of my favorite authors, Orson Scott Card who gave glowing reviews to all three of Shannon’s books, “Some of the best contemporary literature is being written and published for children. And I'm not just talking about Harry Potter . . . I just read a book that is, quite frankly, better than any of the Harry Potter books . . . The title is, of all things, Princess Academy.”

While Princess may not match Harry Potter’s level of excitement and probably won’t sell as many books, I have to say that Shannon Hale has become my current favorite author (sorry Orson). I have now read all 3 of her books and have been thoroughly engaged in all of them. And so have all of my friends that I have gotten to read them, oh, and their friends too.

Shannon is a master of characterization. She gets you to care about and invest in the characters she brings life to. For me, this is a hard thing to do in a fantasy book, since I am not much of a fan of “traditional” fantasy. I can’t wait for her next book, which gratefully will be in September of 2006, a book called River Secrets (The Books of Bayern), a follow on to her first two books The Goose Girl and Enna Burning.

As with her other two books, it took me a couple of chapters to get into Princess, but when I did, I was completely hooked. In Princess, the priests of the king prophesy that the future princess will come from an obscure corner of the kingdom. The problem is that only rough, uneducated villagers who quarry stone for a living make their homes there. Thus it is decreed that an academy must be set up on the top of Mount Eskel to bring these girls up to an acceptable level, if possible. But not all of them WANT to become princess. On the flipside, the villages look down on the “lowlanders” with the same amount of contempt. Neither side can concede that any good thing can come from the other land.

There is also an element of magic in the story that can be compared to mental telepathy. It is so believable that you have no problem accepting that it could be true. The story also shows that through education, the villagers are able to unlock their potential and seize their own destiny. The lowlanders and mountain folk alike learn that you can’t use an overgeneralization to characterize a group of people.

Ok, now on to the few criticisms I have. Toward the end of the story, a love connection is revealed. While it was believable, it felt quite rushed, given the pace of the rest of the book. That to me was just a bit unfulfilling, and left me feeling slightly cheated.

Also, while I did come to love the main character Miri, she seemed a bit of a Pollyanna. She never seemed to have any internal struggles with right or wrong. She did have confidence issues, which made her real enough, but I guess I just wanted more.

Overall, Hale makes you feel like you belong with the rest of the villagers and are part of their world. She makes you invest in her characters and causes you to yearn and agonize along with them. I love to read her stories and can’t wait for her next book. Although I didn't feel that The Princess Academy was quite as good as The Goose Girl, I still highly recommend it. If you are a lover of good writing, read this Newberry Honor Book, then share it with children and friends alike.

Book Review: The Rule of Four

The Ruling: What’s This Book Four?

I had been looking forward to reading The Rule of Four for a while, ever since my brother-in-law had sung its praises. I ravenously tore into the book only to grind to a halt. The book is written in first person point of view (here’s an example from the book, “I’m lying back on the old red sofa in our dorm room . . .”). My reading pace slowed, and then it slowed again as the reading got more tedious. There are very few people who can pull off first person narrative. The main problem with it is that it constantly plays tricks with your brain. The words are saying “I am, or “I go,” but your brain is saying “No I’m not. I’m lying in bed reading this book.”

This style, along with additional elements, turned me off very quickly. So, if my brother-in-law ever reads this, I apologize up front, but I didn’t much care for the book.

The story is of four undergraduate roommates who are drawn into the obsessions of several characters toward the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a book published in 1499. The book is a cryptic story, part illustrated encyclopedia, part odd novel. Scholars have been trying to unravel the secrets hidden in its pages for 500 years. As the Hypnerotomachia starts to yield its encrypted secrets, murders occur for no compelling reason.

Ok, so you’re sitting back thinking it sounds like Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Although the book jacket draws comparisons between the two novels, they have very little in common. The stories behind The Rule of Four and The DaVinci Code are based on secret codes hidden in old texts and works of art, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The main problem with Rule of Four is that it can never make up its mind if it is a suspenseful action thriller (a la DaVinci Code) or a coming-of-age story.

Quite often, the book interrupts the head of steam it has built up only to delve into extended flashbacks into the characters’ past relationships with each other. Sometimes these tangents would last for a chapter, derailing any action that had taken place. What’s more, the timeline of these events is so close to the present action that it leaves you wondering why the authors didn’t just tell the whole story from beginning to end. I must confess that all these flashbacks did was confuse me as to which time I was reading about, the present or the near present. Did that that scene just happen or did it happen a week ago?


Another problem: so the authors went to Ivy League schools . . . I got it. Now why do I care? The authors do a great job at painting a picture of banal college events like eating clubs and other places at Princeton. The problem is that these scenes do little to move the story along or to enhance character development. Even toward the end of the book, I had trouble remembering which of the four friends did what, “now was that the EMT guy or the orphan? Or are they the same person?” What’s more, I cared very little what happened to the characters because of this lack of development.

I didn’t care if the narrator got the girl or not. I didn’t care if a friend of theirs was killed or this professor or that. I just didn’t care. At one point the main character is forced to choose between his girlfriend and the Hypnerotomachia. I just didn’t buy that at all. Some people trumpet that level of dedication as being “intellectual” (the novel is touted as an intellectual DaVinci Code). If that’s what it is to be an “intellectual,” you can keep all that. I call that an unhealthy obsession akin to alcoholism.

So why did I finish it. Well, first because I wanted to give it a fair chance, after all, my brother-in-law loved it, so I kept reading hoping that it would get better. Second, after you have invested all that time in a project, you want to have something to show for it. I had to finish it.

Go read the Amazon reviews; people either love it or hate it, just like me and my brother-in-law. Can I recommend it? Definitely not, but you might like it (by the way, you can pick up a used hardback on Amazon for .01). I for one am left scratching my head as to how this made it to the New York Times bestseller list. Brilliant marketing, I guess.

Book Review: Where the Red Fern Grows

His Only Pet Experience

My son and I just finished Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls (1961). We started out reading it as a family, but my 5-year-old daughter didn't seem to have much interest. That was when my son (age 9) and I switched to the audio book. We listened to it about 2 times a week in the car as we drove to and from karate practice (a 20 minute drive in each direction).

I remember reading Red Fern when I was a kid. It was one of the first big books that I read entirely on my own. We also read it as a class in grade school, I believe. Even though the main character, Billy Colman's backwoods world of the Ozarks was completely foreign to me, I could totally see this barefoot boy running through the woods with his beloved hounds. Rawls has a way of making young readers feel empowered by making Billy so determined and relentless in his goals.

For those who haven't read it, the book is about a boy (Billy) growing up in rural northeastern Oklahoma during the Great Depression. Billy works two long, hard years to earn enough money to buy a pair of coon hunting dogs. The trio becomes the best of friends and the best coon hunters anyone has ever seen.

Largely autobiographical, Rawls' story is infused with a strong sense of integrity and a 1960's black and white sense of right and wrong. To me, this kind of "morality tale" is very refreshing in this day and age of grey areas and ambiguity.

Although the milieu of this story was utterly foreign to my son too, he embraced it from the beginning. He had never heard of coon hunting nor did it ever enter his mind that there were people who couldn't afford shoes. He can't even really relate to being so enamored with a pet, as almost everyone in our family has allergies including him. Since he breaks out after just petting a dog, this book will likely be his only pet experience (unless you count our Chinese fighting fish named Sagwa, but he wasnít much fun).

(SPOILER ALERT- if you don't know the plot of the book—yeah, right, like who doesn't—do not read this paragraph) The most touching moment of the book came when we were driving across town to my son's wrestling tournament. We were in the final chapters of the book where both of the dogs died. I noticed that my son had his faced turned to the window and he wouldn't look at me. I figured he was sad and decided not to bother him. Sure enough, it wasnít long until he was wiping his eyes. I felt for him, but at the same time I thought it was cool. "How many books make you care so much about a character that you get choked up when they die?" I thought, as I swallowed to make the lump in my own throat go away.

Go pick up a copy of this classic today and read it with your kids or give it to them as a gift. They will likely love it as much as you did. If you haven't yet read it, you will be glad that you did. I also plan on watching the 2003 version of Where the Red Fern Grows (there is also a 1974 version), so look for that review to come soon.

Movie Review: Escape to Witch Mountain

Can't Escape the Classics

It’s nice to know that the classics still span the generations. One movie I remember loving as a child was Escape to Witch Mountain. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my wife loved it too. I don’t quite remember why we decided to show it to them, but we rented the DVD for my son and daughter (age 9 and 5 respectively). My kids love to just sit down with a bag of microwave popcorn (or two) and noisily crunch away.

Escape to Witch Mountain was a Disney film made back in 1975. It was about a pair of orphans, Tia (Kim Richards) and Tony (Ike Eisenmann), who have psychic powers, mostly telekinesis and telepathic abilities. An evil millionaire discovers the children’s powers and plots to exploit them for his own nefarious plans (heh, heh, heh. “Mine is an evil laugh.”). Tia and Tony have one chance for freedom, Escape to Witch Mountain.

Ok, I must admit that one of the most endearing qualities of this movie is the chemistry created by the two siblings. Ok, so maybe I had a crush on Tia when I was little. But I have read other reviews by women who were equally as impressed by Tia. Admittedly though, they were both decent kid actors, no Haley Joel Osment by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad.

When the movie was over, my son said, “Thanks for renting that. We love movies where kids have powers.” I think we all at one time or another wished we had powers. Somehow, when so little is under your control, it is just cool to imagine that you have an ability that no one else has.

One cool feature on the DVD is an interview with Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann as Adults. Kim has changed a little bit (although her voice didn’t) but Ike looks just like he did as a kid. Reminiscing with former child actors is always cool, even if you didn’t have a crush on them.
Needless to say, this is a film that both children and adults can watch together and enjoy. The sequel however, “Return to Witch Mountain” left a little to be desired in my mind (but my kids still liked it).

McPhee Wins My Vote Too

When President’s Day rolled around and my wife, children, and I found ourselves with a day off, we decided that we’d go see a movie. Wait a minute. That line seems really familiar.

Unbeknownst to either of us, Dennis and I went to see Nanny McPhee on the same day, at back-to-back showings. Let me echo Dennis’ statements. This is a delightful show if you have any portion of a kid left in your heart at all.

We ended up at the theater a little late and found our seats in the middle of the previews. Then, of course my kids had to have the obligatory bucket of popcorn. Needless to say, I missed the first couple of minutes of the show (I can’t wait until all theaters have an armchair ordering system I saw on TV or at least a pre-ordering system) No matter though; it was mere seconds before I was totally entranced.

In an attempt to get the attention of their widowed father (Colin Firth), seven deliberately naughty children chart their success in getting their nannies to resign their positions (usually running and screaming from the house). Finally, when the agency has run out of nannies, Nanny McPhee (delightfully played by Emma Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay) mysteriously arrives on the scene.

This situation is compounded by an edict from wealthy benefactress Great Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) who insists that the children must have a mother by the end of the month, else she will not support them any longer. With this income gone, Mr. Brown would be forced to sell the house and would then be sent to debtor’s prison. The children would then be split up and sent to orphanages. All of which Mr. Brown neglects to tell his children.

The way in which Nanny McPhee teaches the Brown children their “lessons” reminds me so much of my father. Instead of spoon feeding the answers to them, she allows them to experience the consequences of their actions and requires them to think through their own problems. In our house, when we asked my Dad how to do something, he would say something like, “Well, remember your physics here. How could you best apply a lever?” It drove me insane at the time, but I think I am better for it. By the way, he still does that today.

To keep this review balanced however, I will voice my only two very minor complaints. The first is the choice of color schemes for the Brown house. In an Edward-Scisorhands-esque palette, their home sticks out in stark contrast to the stodgy countryside (but perhaps that is the point). To me however, it tended to emphasize that this movie was just a fantasy and ripped me from the daydream. I tend to like fantastic elements that are embedded in a real world. This lets me believe, at least for two hours, that the story actually could have happened.

The only other issue that pulled me out of the McPhee universe was the CG animation of baby Brown’s mouth. While I understand that mouths are hard to animate, I just had a hard time believing that a baby could say the things it did. But hey, I loved the dancing donkey, so what do I know?

Overall, this was a delightful movie that I would love to see again. It was one of those rare movies that you leave wishing there was more. But there is! We were surprised to find out that the movie was an EXPERT adaptation of the Nurse Matilda books written by Christianna Brand. On Sunday, we read the first six chapters and only stopped when it was time to eat dinner. When we finish, perhaps I’ll update you on that as well. Nanny McPhee expertly weaves together comedy, reality, and genuine storytelling. Do not miss this movie if you consider yourself young at heart.