The movie version of The Lord of The Rings is quite different from the book version of The Lord of The Rings, but they’re both very much The Lord of The Rings. It’s the same story, and the movie does an incredible job at adapting the book by not adapting the book. Let me explain.… Continue reading The Spine
Tag: adaptation
Bebop, Live!
I’m wary of live-action adaptions of animated stuff. Sometimes, it ends up pretty well, like Speed Racer (which is a kinetic flurry of fun that, even though it is live-action, does feel in many ways as if it is still a cartoon). Sometimes you get the disaster that was The Last Airbender. It’s a tricky… Continue reading Bebop, Live!
Adaptational Change
There’s a delightful twist late in Captain Marvel that adds a nice layer of added depth to the narrative. It’s one that I didn’t see coming, but a friend who’s less familiar with the comics thought it was well telegraphed. The reason I didn’t expect it is arguably because of how used I am to… Continue reading Adaptational Change
Adaptation By Someone Else
One game that got some press at last week’s E3, the game industry’s annual event where games are announced and/or demo’d, was the upcoming Total War: Three Kingdoms. Apparently it was announced back in January, but I hadn’t heard of it until now. And I am intrigued. The Total War series are strategy games that… Continue reading Adaptation By Someone Else
Letting Lara Down
I was pretty excited for the Tomb Raider movie that came out a couple weeks ago. I’m a huge fan of the game it was based on, the Tomb Raider reboot that came out in 2013. The game was an origin story for Lara Croft, one that gameplay-wise took cues from the Uncharted series it… Continue reading Letting Lara Down
We Don’t Need No Adaptation
Your Name is an anime film about a couple teens that randomly wake up in each others bodies. One’s a guy at an elite school in Tokyo, the other a girl who lives in a more traditional, rural town. Naturally, hijinks ensure, and I’m left weepy in the cinema as the credits roll. It’s very… Continue reading We Don’t Need No Adaptation
What’s The Point of Movies?
I’m replaying Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (and it is wonderful) and I can’t help but to be reminded that there’s supposed to be a movie adaption of this game happening. Like, it’s been in development since 2010. Every now and then there’ll be some announcement (apparently Tom Holland is playing a young Nathan Drake… Continue reading What’s The Point of Movies?
Feels Like It
Ever played Star Wars? No, not Force Unlesahed or Rogue Squadron, we’re talking the Star Wars game, the original 1983 arcade game from Atari. It’s not the most complex game out there. In lieu of sprites the game uses crude vector graphics to give you an outline of TIE Fighters (that shoot fireballs), laser turrets,… Continue reading Feels Like It
Why The Last of Us Should and Shouldn’t Be a Movie
Big news broke on Thursday: The Last of Us is becoming a live action movie. Now, you have to understand, I love The Last of Us. I wrote a final paper on it (see notes here), I wrote about its characters and convictions, and I wrote on how it’s a grownup video game. I’ve said… Continue reading Why The Last of Us Should and Shouldn’t Be a Movie
Heart of a Child
I grew up in the 90’s with a steady diet of Lego, Jedi, superhero cartoons, mecha anime, Power Rangers, and Ninja Turtles. All this was peppered in with bedtime stories from my Dad, some of which were about the Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang, others were about Han Solo and Luke Skywalker going on adventures, and… Continue reading Heart of a Child
Essays, Not Rants! 