rainwaterspark | More Reviews

Well, the CGI and the atmosphere were quite lovely, as to be expected. Johnny Depp was also brilliant as the Mad Hatter.

Other than that, however, I found myself disappointed by the film. The main character, Alice, seemed to me to be very bland and uninteresting, other than a sarcastic rebellious streak. I was also confused about the movie's message--is it about growing up? Facing challenges? Making your own decisions? If it was about making your own decisions, how come Alice ended up following her prophesized fate and slaying the Jabberwocky? I thought the Jabberwocky should have embodied some metaphor or symbol, but it didn't, as far as I could tell. I was also really expecting the Mad Hatter to make some sort of real-world appearance, and Alice's conversation with the Mad Hatter before she left Underland seemed to set up for it, but it never happened.

To sum it up: oftentimes, the plot is only as strong as the main character is, and if the main character isn't strong enough, then the plot isn't, either.

I've been an avid fan of the first two books in the Knight and Rogue series, of which Player's Ruse is the third. But Player's Ruse just wasn't as compelling as the previous two. The character development was pared down to the bare bones, which really sucked the life out of the story for me. The protagonists, Michael and Fisk, don't seem as funny and engaging as they were before. In addition, the mystery this time around was extremely long and complicated, with sideplots branching off at all angles, yet not everything was wrapped up neatly by the end.

(spoiler) During the final confrontation, Michael is pushed off a cliff. Barring the fact that I knew the series wasn't over, and that protagonists hardly ever truly die by falling off cliffs, there was something else that indicated Michael wasn't really dead--Fisk's reaction. It was so shallow and unemotional, even though he (supposedly) believes Michael is really dead, that I wasn't convinced for a second. It also killed some more of the depth of their partnership that had been explored in the previous books. (/spoiler)

Borrowed Trauma Center: New Blood from the library (because I just figured out I could borrow video games through my local library network). It's fun and engaging, but I really dislike the sci-fi viruses. I know some people like the viruses and are outraged that the next Trauma Center game doesn't have them (I think), but I, for one, am extremely annoyed by having to chase a stupid bug with a laser around someone's liver. I also hate the time limit, which can really kill the fun if I'm on the verge of finishing the operation and my time runs out, and then I have to start the entire 10-minute-long string of operations again. The Healing Touch, another supernatural addition that allows you to slow time/freeze a patient's vitals, is cool, but not as useful as I thought it'd be--it only lasts for like what, 10 seconds?