LOST Rewatch: Season Three, Disc One

WARNING: These “LOST” write-ups are a REWATCH. As such, they are written with the end in mind (the end of the series, not the end of the episode). So, if you’ve not seen the end of the series, you should be careful reading these, as there will be series spoilers.

3.01: A Tale of Two Cities
For all the criticisms the beginning of Season Three gets (pretty much deserved, I'll say), it's a great opening scene for the season, and nice introduction to Juliet, who became one of my favorite characters and my favorite female character on “LOST” overall. Anytime I hear “Downtown” now, I think of Juliet and of Elizabeth Mitchell's emotional beginning on “LOST.”

And then we find out that this suburban scene is taking place right on the Island!

There's some intriguing on-Island stuff, here such as Ben's creepy breakfast with Kate.

But the psychological game Jack and Juliet play in this episode is perhaps the best about “A Tale of Two Cities” (other than its killer opening). We see an Other with a seemingly friendly personality but wonder what her true intentions are – it's an aspect that'll drive the character for a long while, propelled by Mitchell's subtle but chilling performance.

Jack's flashback, which focuses on him trying to find out who Sarah is seeing now that they've broken up, says a lot about Jack, but it somewhat on the bland side (perhaps because we already know Jack's obsessive about fixing things; we don't need to see another episode that dwells on that), though it's both funny and sad to see that Jack suspects his own father.

All in all, a pretty good beginning to Season Three, especially considering the overall distaste “LOST” fans have for the first six episodes of this season gets.
Rating 6.5

3.02: The Glass Ballerina
Another Jin and Sun episode means more boredom. Sun broke a glass ballerina when she was a kid and blamed it on the maid... meh. Sun's having an affair with Jae Lee, the man who taught her English … more meh. But the scene where Mr. Paik finds Sun and Jae Lee in the hotel room at least feels real … we see Sun's shame, Paik's disgust, and Jae Lee's fear.

Another good flashback scene is when Jin beats up Jae Lee and tells him to flee the country. So it's not all boring... just mostly.

And on top of that, the on-Island stuff is also mostly boring. Sawyer and Kate being forced to break up rocks. They kiss. Yawn. Pickett does add a nice bit of flavor there … it's easy to hate him.

And the Sayid, Jin and Sun stuff also just felt like the writers were trying to figure out what to do these three they put together at the end of last season.

But Sun shooting Colleen and the confrontation with the Others finally adds some excitement to a painfully boring (at times) episode.

And this episode gets a small boost from Ben's speech at the end when he tells Jack that the Others have contact with the outside world, and he tells him that in the 69 days our castaways have been on the Island, the U.S. re-elected George W. Bush, Christopher Reeve died and the Red Sox won the World Series. … Naturally, Jack doesn't believe that until Ben shows him a tape of the final game.

And it ends with a promise from Ben (but we all know how much we can trust Ben): “I'll take you home.”

So a great beginning and a good ending, with a bunch of painful to mediocre to almost good stuff in between.
Rating 3.5

3.03: Further Instructions
This may be the worst John Locke-centric episode of “Lost,” though I should reserve making a final judgment on this until I see some of the later ones again. It's not necessarily horrible, but it's a little odd, and his flashback is mostly boring. We see him be part of a marijuana compound and hippie commune. And he ruins his relationship with this “family” because he allows himself to be suckered by undercover cop Eddie.

The flashback also only has a loose-at-best thematic connection to what's going on in the Island time line. There's a sweat lodge. And Locke made a mess of the life of someone close to him. But there's a nice final flashback scene between Locke and Eddie, as Eddie challenges Locke with the truth – Locke is just a farmer, even if he yearns to be a hunter.

And there's a funny opening scene between Charlie and Locke, as they play charades so Charlie can figure out what a mute Locke wants of him. It's the first time we go back to the main camp of our Losties for Season Three, so it's great to see some of these characters again.

And the dream sequence – with Boone leading Locke around an airport, trying to let Locke figure out which of his friends is in need of help – is quite eerie with great production design.

We also get our first hint of Desmond's new power of future-seeing, as he talks about Locke's speech before we hear Locke's speech.

It's a bit of a waste, though, that the entire A-plot of this episode is about Locke saving Eko's life … when Eko's going to just die in a couple of episodes anyway.
Rating 5.0

3.04: Every Man for Himself
Again, another boring episode with a boring flashback. Sawyer's in jail. He's conning a fellow inmate, working with the warden to get his sentence shortened. Blah. But we find out he has a daughter and see that Sawyer had a heart even back then … even if he didn't want to admit it. A small bonus.

On Island, Ben's playing mind games on Sawyer with the fake pacemaker and the talk about “Of Mice and Men.” Some nice stuff. Some boring stuff here. As a whole, this episode's more boring than I remember.

We also get Jack trying to save Colleen, which doesn't have a great impact, but Jack also finds the X-rays with Ben's spinal cord tumor. That brings a nice touch to the mostly bland episode.

And we get more of Desmond's future-seeing, as he saves Charlie from lightning striking Claire's tent.
Rating 4.5

COMING UP: Mr. Eko (unnecessarily) dies (“The Cost of Living,” 3.05), Kate (big surprise) runs out on her short-term marriage but won't run away from the Others (“I Do,” 3.06), Juliet gets recruited (abducted) by the Others (“Not in Portland,” 3.07), and Desmond (prepare for headache) remembers the future (“Flashes Before Your Eyes,” 3.08).

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Sky High (2005)

Sometimes a film truly surprises you. Like the tortoise besting the hare in a race, an easy-to-overlook film you're not expecting much from brings more enjoyment than that one trying its best to win as many Oscars as it can.

And maybe lower expectations help “Sky High” shine, but director Mike Mitchell's film brings a lot of laughs and some endearing moments. And that should not be overlooked.

In a world where superheroes are somewhat commonplace, Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) – the son of two of the world's greatest superheroes, The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jestream (Kelly Preston) – struggles with the embarrassment of being powerless, all while embarking on the difficult journey of high school. Did I mention it's a high school for kids with powers?

Imagine adolescents with superpowers. Bring on the destruction – and the hilarity. And, of course, the supervillain with the evil plot.

Then add on in the high school stuff. Will's group of “loser” friends (aka “the sidekicks”), the gal pal who has a major crush on Will (Layla, played delightfully by Danielle Panabaker), the bullies, the recluse with a vendetta against Will, the in-crowd finally deciding Will's worthy once his power's discovered, the big party, the climax at the dance.

Sound cliché? True, it's hard not to see some plot points coming, but “Sky High” does the predictable with style and humor. It's campy goodness when The Commander “punishes” his son for abuse of his powers by giving him an Xbox or as Dave Foley has the courage to poke fun at his own career by playing Mr. Boy, the now-forgotten sidekick who teaches “hero support” classes.

And there's tender moments, too. Angarano and Panabaker exude a wonderful chemistry that leaves viewers rooting for them to hook up. But it's never that sickening sweet that can leave a bad aftertaste.

Ultimately, “Sky High” proves a film can be both formulaic and fun.

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LOST Rewatch: Season Two: The rest of the season

Well, sorry, it's been so long. Real life gets in the way, but I finally just decided to group the rest of Season Two into one super-long post, so here it is...

WARNING: These “LOST” write-ups are a REWATCH. As such, they are written with the end in mind (the end of the series, not the end of the episode). So, if you’ve not seen the end of the series, you should be careful reading these, as there will be series spoilers.

2.09: What Kate Did
I remember feeling this way and still do... the flashback was a bit of a letdown... too much buildup with wondering “what Kate did.” I suppose it shows she has a heart and cares about her mother, but Kate acts on impulse and doesn't think things through. Which has led and will lead to trouble for the Losties.
And, after having seen how it all plays out, I strongly believe the black horse Kate sees on the Island is none other than Smokey.
Overall, an average episode of “Lost,” but perhaps that's good for a Kate episode.
Rating 5.0

2.10: The 23rd Psalm
Mr. Eko was, and in some ways still is, a great character, but now that we know he doesn't last for much longer than this season, he seems a bit overrated.
But this is still a really good flashback episode, as we get a glimpse of the dark secrets of Eko's past but also learn that his life as a drug lord only came about because he was protecting his brother.
And the on-Island stuff was also quite nice, as we got to see the origins of the mysterious yellow plane. And I still do really like the end when Eko recites the 23rd Psalm (with Charlie joining in) as the plane burns.
Rating 7.0

2.11: The Hunting Party
With the exception of Kate's stupidity and Jack's power trip, the on-Island stuff is pretty great here. I still love the campfire chat with Tom “Zeke.” It still sends chills when he asks Locke if, when he's going to someone's house, he'd “open the doors to rooms you ain't got no business opening?” The Others are watching them … and can our Lostie really claim to be in the right here?
And this episode has one of my favorite Sawyer lines ever, as this chat comes to a close: “You and me ain't done, Zeke.” It's an early hint at what's to come at the end of Season Three.
Another hint in this episode... Locke talks to Sawyer about the choice of “Sawyer” as a name. It's early foreshadowing of the “real Sawyer” being none other than Anthony Cooper, Locke's conman father.
And there's still some nice humor, with Sawyer noticing his “favorite leaf” and Hurley pointing out Libby's cuteness in that “been terrorized by the Others” kind of way.
But the flashback was a bit dull with Jack having an affair. And the end is now a letdown, as Jack asks Ana Lucia how long it'll take to build an army. I remember being so excited about that, but now that I know it never went anywhere, it's just a tease, a throwaway line.
Rating 6.5

2.12: Fire + Water
This episode's mostly bad. Charlie's flashback (oh, the diaper commercial!) was just very blah. And the whole episode makes Charlie seem dumb and pathetic. I guess maybe he was at his lowest at this point, but we know Charlie's better than this, so it (now especially, after Season 3) comes across as poor writing.
It's a nice baptismal scene near the end, but it's cheapened by what it took to get there. And the Hurley and Libby side story is cute and sweet, even if Libby's story falls far short of what it could've (and should've) been.
Rating 4.0

2.13: The Long Con
This is still a great episode, even if it's never going to be quite as good as it was the first time.
Love Sawyer's “new sheriff in town” speech, so here it is:
SAWYER: That's right, Jack. He's as stupid as you are. You were so busy worrying about each other you never even saw me coming, did you? How about you listen up because I'm only going to say this once. You took my stuff. While I was off trying to get us help -- get us rescued -- you found my stash and you took it, divvied it up -- my shaving cream, my batteries, even my beer. And then something else happened, you decided these two boys here were going to tell you what to do and when to do it. Well, I'm done taking orders. And I don't want my stuff back. The shaving cream don't matter. Batteries don't matter. The only thing that matters now are guns. And if you want one, you're going to have to come to me to get it! [He looks at Sayid.] Oh, you want to torture me, don't you? Show everybody how civilized you are. Go ahead, but I'll die before I give them back. And then you'll really be screwed, won't you? New sheriff in town, boys! You all best get used to it.
This episode also shows how much Sawyer needs to grow as a character, but we all know he does. At the end of this episode, he talks about how a tiger don't change his stripes, but Sawyer will. And that's awesome. He's easily the character with the biggest/best arc in “Lost.” And the flashback here was pretty cool to, as we see Sawyer pull a long con on Cassidy, even if it hurt him some.
Rating 8.5

2.14: One of Them
This episode is still excellent, and it's the introduction of Henry Gale (or the soon-to-be-named Benjamin Linus). Ben turns into one of the greatest characters on “Lost” (even if it doesn't last). And it's creepy and crazy to get into his mind and stare into those bulging, bug eyes. This episode is just the beginning, and it's a wonderful turning point for “Lost.”
And I really like Sayid's flashback here as, in a twist, we learn that he gained his skills as a terrorist from the U.S. – not Iraq.
Rating 9.5

2.15: Maternity Leave
Claire's freaky on-island flashback actually works quite well, as we get glimpses of what happened to her. Sure the amnesia plot line may be cliched, but “Lost” pulled it off mostly well. And it was nice to see the story of her missing time begin to be pieced together. And creepy to see another (almost scarily sweet) side of Ethan.
And it's a nice moment when Claire realizes that Rousseau was trying to help her. And when Rousseau learns that it was likely her daughter who helped Claire. Nice character moments, something “Lost” can really do right … when it wants to.
Rating 7.5

2.16: The Whole Truth
This episode is mostly blah, but it has its moments. Perhaps because it's a Sun-Jin episode, I don't care as much. Sun finds out she's pregnant (seriously, who brings pregnancy tests with them on a plane?!) and is worried it might not be Jin's, because of his fertility problems and her affair.
But the episode earns a bonus for having one of the show's greatest closing lines. It's Henry Gale's “You guys got any milk?” (Michael Emerson can make anything sound creepy).
Rating 6.0

2.17: Lockdown
This is really an excellent episode of “Lost,” one of Season Two's best. We see the food drop. Ana Lucia, Sayid and Charlie find Henry Gale's balloon. And the hatch has a lockdown, and Locke sees the map on the hatch door, which of course, led to a lot of theorizing/excitement among the fans. It's still fun, ... but it's hard to believe Locke would've been able to remember as much of it as he did, but I can let that one go.
Meanwhile, in the flashback, Locke is going to propose to Helen, but then learns his father died. But, of course, his father only faked his death to get away from people who are out to kill him. Locke gets all wrapped up in this – because he still wants a father and actually thinks (for some reason) Anthony Cooper will want to be one. It leads to Locke destroying his relationship with Helen.
It shows a pathetic side of Locke. But this isn't a poor-writing “pathetic” character (like “Fire+Water”); it's showing the man's greatest character flaw – the desire to be needed, wanted, loved (“special”) makes him blind and foolish.
Rating 9.0

2.18: Dave
This is another fun Hurley episode. And it also works to crush fan theories that this is all just in somebody's head.
Some great moments – though I knew from the first time I saw Dave at the hospital that he was part of Hurley's imagination there. But now I also believe that on-Island Dave is none other than Smokey. And when he's trying to convince Hurley to jump off the cliff, he's trying to get rid of one of the candidates. Makes perfect sense.
Rating 8.5

2.19: S.O.S.
Wow. This episode has grown on me. I remember groaning through this the first time and thinking it was one of the worst episodes of “Lost,” but now it's not even among the worst episodes of the season.
It makes sense that Bernard would be upset that no one was doing anything to try to get rescued, and it also makes sense – considering Bernard's attitude – that his helpers would all abandon him.
And while I've never been a big fan of Rose and Bernard, they did grow on me as characters, and so it's nice to revisit their back story, which is both sad and sweet.
Rating 7.5

2.20: Two for the Road
Shocking ending. But damn. We really could've used more time with Libby and Ana Lucia, especially Libby.
How can we kill this character two episodes after a big reveal about her without explaining that reveal or apparently having any plans to do so?! Damn show!
And really, Michael, wasn't there a better way to do this?
And in Ana Lucia's flashback, we see her connection to Jack (via Christian Shepherd) … and Jack and Claire's true relationship is hinted at.
Rating 9.0

2.21: ?
I still really like the Locke and Eko interactions in this stuff, as we see Locke's faith crushed. Is the button pressing just a psychological experiment?
Yet, seeing the pearl hatch and what it's all about, somehow makes Eko believe pushing the button is more important than ever before.
This episode pits these two men's faiths against each other, and, for better or worse, Eko's wins.
We also see Eko investigating (in the flashback) a miracle of a girl who'd “died” and came back to life, only to learn from Claire's (fake) psychic that there was no miracle … or was there? She has a message for Eko from Yemi.
So his faith's restored, despite the “evidence” presented by the girl's father. And that is the stronger faith – one that will withstand the poking and prodding.
But is this unquestioning faith the better faith? Keep in mind, Eko wasn't in “heaven's waiting room” in the final episode.
Rating 8.0

2.22: Three Minutes
It's nice to see Michael's motivations for the brutal murders he committed, and it's good to see more on-Island flashbacks, but this doesn't feel like enough. The leap from what the Others ask Michael to do to what he actually does is really hard to grasp.
It's to point out he'd do anything for the safety of his kid. And maybe it's because I don't have a kid that I don't fully get it, but instead of shooting Ana Lucia and Libby, couldn't he have just gone to the four on the list and told them what was up, and then work out a plan?
Something akin to what they actually did, but then Michael wouldn't be a murderous traitor?
And Desmond's back!
Rating 7.0

2.23: Live Together, Die Alone, Part I
A good set-up but not as exciting as I originally remembered, and the previous question – of why Michael couldn't have just gone to Jack in the first place, instead of being revealed as a traitor – kept nagging at me.
It made it harder to enjoy this episode as much as I did the first time.
But it's great to see more of Desmond and start to get into his back story.
Rating 7.5

2.24: Live Together, Die Alone, Part II
This is an excellent ending to the second season. The hatch implodes, and Locke whispers, “I was wrong.” Wonderful moment. And while the hatch stuff didn't bother me as much as it did other people, I do think the show couldn't have lasted with having to worry about a character pushing the button, so it was probably good to get rid of it when they did. Even if the “fail-safe key” seemed a little convenient.
And then, of course, there's the Others: Jack, Kate and Sawyer are captured, Hurley's set free to warn their friends. And Michael gets to leave the Island … but at what price?
And then there's the very end with the phone call and Penny Widmore. Seriously, one of the best endings of “Lost,” and since I did get into the Penny-Desmond love story, it was great to see she was looking for him.
Rating 9.0

SEASON 2 CLOSING REMARKS:I think on the original watch, I thought I liked Season Two better than Season One, but now I believe the second season has fallen some in my eyes. And that's shown by the averages: Season One (7.13) edges out Season Two (7.06). I think it's because Season Two, while it's mostly pretty good, doesn't have as many great episodes. But still a really good season.

COMING UP:Onward to Season Three!

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Deep Space Nine: The Wrap-up

It's been a long time coming, but here it is (as promised) – my final thoughts on “Deep Space Nine.”

It's a great series, one of my favorites ever. It's right up there with “Lost” and “Battlestar Galactica” (and has a better ending than either of those).

As I've said before, though, I think DS9 was too ahead of its time. It should be a post-9/11 show, but at the time it wrapped, worries were just surfacing about Y2K. So perhaps people weren't ready to embrace a show with such dark themes as DS9. Perhaps people weren't ready for an allegory on terrorism, occupation, cultural imperialism or interventionism. DS9 touched on all this without being overwrought, pretentious or boring. On the contrary, DS9 was often engaging, intriguing and funny.

Through all these deep subjects we get to know some great characters. It's the only way sci-fi can truly be great. Fantastic and extraordinary plots seem cheesy and cheap when there's not some connection with the people involved.

That being said, let's examine some of the characters of DS9, including my new favorite character and my ruling in the Jadzia vs. Ezri (Who is the better Dax?) debacle.


Some character highlights:
Kira Nerys: Kira probably wound up being my favorite character, probably because she had the greatest, most noticeable arc. She grows from being a resistance fighter who hates Cardassians to being part of the occupation of the station (finding her self too closely resembling the very people she once hated), to aligning with Cardassians to teach them how to lead an uprising.

Odo: Don't worry, Odo's still up there – a close second favorite. He grew from being someone who didn't understand humans and their emotions to becoming human himself (both literally and figuratively). It's when he embraced and accepted his emotions that he was able mature into a better person (with some big missteps along the way). And, I for one, was a big supporter of the Kira-Odo relationship; it felt so genuine and so sweet.

Benjamin Sisko: Probably the best captain of “Star Trek,” Sisko is fair yet flawed, good-natured yet emotional. He lets his heart get in the way of his head many times, and that just shows he's human. And his relationship with Jake is one of the show's best.

Jake Sisko: At first, I thought Jake to be somewhat of a boring character (though not overly so), but it was great to see his relationship with his dad and how that strengthened through the years, which makes the final shot of the series all the more memorable.

Dr. Julian Bashir: Bashir had some fun moments, but he was a mostly boring, forgettable character.

Quark: Quark brought a lot of fun and humor to the show, and he was at his best when he was going against the Ferengi way. However, too often he followed the Ferengi way. In a show of outcasts, Quark was too much of a typical Ferengi; would've loved to see him break the mold some more. Oh well.

Jadzia Dax: I didn't hate Jadzia's character, but I didn't love her either. The most interesting quality about her was her race, and I enjoyed knowing about Trills and the joined life style. However, Jadzia herself was somewhat bland.

Ezri Dax: I believe I'm in the minority here, but I must say I preferred Ezri to Jadzia, for one main reason: She had far more personality. From the beginning when we see her struggling with being a joined Trill, we see someone with more depth than her predecessor. Ezri has Jadzia's most interesting aspect (being a Trill), but with Ezri, we get to see more of the struggle and see a person with flaws but who tries to make the most out of life. I remember laughing within the first couple of moments of meeting Ezri and her bringing me to laughter throughout the rest of the final season, however I can't recall a single moment when Jadzia made me laugh. And laughter goes a long way. I only wish we could've had more than one season with Ezri, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Worf: While I didn't watch a lot of TNG, Worf was one of my favorite characters – I think because it was just interesting to see a Klingon as a main character and not a villian. But on DS9, Worf's not very memorable. Yet his realationship with Jadzia allows him to grow and see another side of Worf. As was said about Jadzia above, here Worf's a tad boring on his own, but with Jadzia, he becomes intriguing again.

Miles O'Brien: O'Brien is an everyman. As such, it's difficult to pick him as a favorite, but he's also someone who is easy to relate to. He's probably the character I indentify most with in the series: He's an average guy, with a big heart and a deep loyalty. He may not grow much as the series progresses, but that's because he starts the series already as a pretty stand-up guy.

Elim Garak: While not a main character, Garak easily became one of my favorites. He had many humorous moments, and it was never really clear where his loyalties lay. He's truly a memorable character.

Gul Dukat: I once heard Gul Dukat described as the most-layered villain of any “Star Trek” series. I haven't seen enough to make such a claim myself, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. He's a very layered character, and it's odd – and almost chilling – when you find yourself sympathizing with him at parts. When his daughter is murdered, wow, what a fantastic turn for both the character and the show.

And so there's my thoughts on the biggest/best characters. Now to end this write-up with one final list of favorite episodes. Below are my top 9 episodes (hey, the show isn't called “Deep Space 10”) of the series, in order of original air date.

The Top 9 of DS9
Necessary Evil (2.08)
The Visitor (4.03)
Call to Arms (5.26)
Sacrifice of Angels (6.06)
Waltz (6.11)
Far Beyond the Stars (6.13)
In the Pale Moonlight (6.19)
Tacking Into the Wind (7.22)
What You Leave Behind (7.25-26)

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DUELING REVIEWS: Unconditional Love (2002)

I can't have unconditional love for “Unconditional Love.” I can't even love it. I'm not even sure I can like it. But the good news: I can't hate it either.

Much of the problem lies in an unfocused screenplay by Jocelyn Moorhouse and director P.J. Hogan. The story itself has potential to be something quite charming: After her husband leaves her, Grace Beasley (Kathy Bates) spontaneously travels to Europe to attend the funeral of singer Victor Fox (Jonathan Pryce) and winds up meeting his lover, Dirk Simpson (Rupert Everett) and having a bit of an adventure.

Sounds like a possibility for some fun, and it's there – if you're willing to look. But the film meanders between being a goofy comedy, a commentary on homophobia and a mystery story. Hogan handles some of these better than others here but does none greatly. It's too mismatched.

The film's failures do not lie with either Bates or Everett. They have good chemistry. Yet it's hard to get fully engrossed in their relationship as the film takes way too long to get to their adventures together. But it picks up some there.

And Meredith Eaton has a lot of fun with her role as Beasley's daughter-in-law/friend, and it's a pleasure to watch her scenes. And the two bits where Julie Andrews plays herself bring on a lot of laughter – and it's where the film's at its best.

But, at other times, it's a meandering mess with too many pointless characters and going in several directions, instead of spending quality time trying to improve one area. The action near the end – when “Unconditional Love” suddenly becomes a murder mystery – picks up, but it's at the expense of good story telling.

If Hogan had just sat back and thought about what he wanted his film to be and say a little more, “Unconditional Love” could've been something much better than the sometimes mediocre and forgettable film I watched.

At other times, though, the film proves quite good and thus not a waste of my time.

Now check out Amanda's thoughts on her rewatch of “Unconditional Love.”

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Review Roundup 2011

So I've fallen behind some in my film reviews. I've seen quite a few movies but haven't written a full film review in awhile. So, as a way, to quickly (and mostly) catch up, I decided to do one review roundup of most (6) of the films I've seen thus far in 2011.

I've only written a few sentences about each, so here's my brief thoughts on “The Kids are All Right,” “Shattered Glass,” “Red,” “Easy A,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Catfish”:

The Kids are All Right (2010)
Strong and sincere performances – especially by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore – propel “The Kids are All Right” to near greatness. And Lisa Cholodenko's script and directing style feels so true, painting a portrait of a typical family (just one that happens to be headed by a lesbian couple). Yet something about it didn't quite resonate with me. It's likely not the film's fault; perhaps I'm just not the target audience.

Shattered Glass (2003)
Journalism's a fragile industry (trust me on that), but director Billy Ray's “Shattered Glass” doesn't really concentrate on the economic side. Instead we get a look at a cutthroat world where truth becomes a victim of one's dream of success. Hayden Christensen lays on the charm as Stephen Glass, a young man with great aspirations and a long way to fall and become broken. Peter Sarsgaard's wonderfully subdued as the villain-turned-stalwart editor of “The New Republic,” Chuck Lane.

Red (2010)
Some adventure and humor can be found in director Robert Schwentke's “Red” about former spies and assassins but not enough. It feels like there should be a lot of laughter and excitement in a movie with this premise – and there's certainly some – but “Red” doesn't live up to its potential. Helen Mirren's a delight though.

Easy A (2010)
There's a lot of fun (quite a bit more than expected anyway) in this unique adaptation of “The Scarlet Letter.” Much of that's due to Emma Stone's quirky portrayal of the lead, but many of the supporting characters also deliver funny and memorable performances, especially Stanley Tucci as the cool and understanding father. Who wouldn't want a father like him?

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
In “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” the audience wins with lots of laughter. Michael Cera plays his typical Michael Cera-role here, but it works nicely. And director Edgar Wright inserts clever video game gimmicks that add to the fun.

Catfish (2010)
The filmmakers of “Catfish” stumbled upon a great and moving documentary about social life in the age of technology. To say more would spoil it, so just see it.

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“Dragons of Winter Night” by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

“Dragons of Autumn Twilight” by Margraret Weis and Tracy Hickman surpassed the first novel of the “Dragonlance Chronicles” (“Dragons of Autumn Twilight”) in almost every way – making the journey even more satisfying that the enjoyable “Autumn Twilight.”

“Winter Night”does what any good second of a trilogy should – makes one really want – or need – to move onto the third.

At one point, while reading this novel, I found myself “blabbering” about it for a good 20 minutes with a fellow fantasy fan. So unlike me, but it shows the passion I'd developed for the stories and the characters.

This talk happened shortly after I'd reached the novel's quarter-point. Only 100 pages into a 400-page novel, and I found myself not wanting to walk away – for it was so gripping, so exciting. It was as if I were at the story's climax, yet still had much to go in the way of story.

And part of the reason it feels so intense at this time (aside from the fact the war's growing) is due to Weis and Hickman's ability to create emotional connections between the characters, and likewise the audience.

Some of my favorites get better play here. Laurana, the elf-maiden warrior, has grown, matured and is ready to sacrifice so much for only a small hope of saving the world from evil. Flint, the old dwarf, grows soft as events turn grim. Sturm Brightblade, the aspiring knight, shows the true meaning of honor to a knighthood that's lost perspective. Tasslehoff Burrfoot, the fear-immune kender, gets into more trouble but also begins to see things are quite serious.

There's comedy and tragedy mixed in this great story. Unfortunately, the action never quite builds up to the level of the novel's early part (making it slightly anti-climatic), but that doesn't mean the climax of “Winter Night” is unsatisfying. Quite the contrary: What it lacks in action and suspense, it makes up for in emotion, and it takes an intriguing turn that doesn't feel cheap or unbelievable.

Some powerful stuff happens between the characters, and it's hard not to feel something when at the end we hear a character make a vow to unite feuding races to come together to fight against a greater evil – the Queen of Darkness and her dragon army.

One bit near the end of “Winter Night” flawlessly moves from total despair to a tinge of hope.

And so we as readers get sucked in. There's almost no longer a choice: We must read “Dragons of Spring Dawning.”

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