August 31, 2011 The Signal page 15
Arts & Entertainment
The good, the bad and the robots
A look at this summer’s must-see movie and its biggest flop By Justin Mancini Correspondent Listen, “Transformers” franchise, I get it. You cater to people who like giant fighting robots. Hell, that’s the reason I went to see the first movie back in 2007. What I got instead was muddled, noisy, robot roughhousing. Sadly (and perhaps predictably) not much has changed. This time, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) rejoins his robot allies as they face an extremely convoluted plot, which eventually boils down to defeating the evil robots and rescuing Sam’s girlfriend (Rosie Huntington-Whitely). I have to wonder if screenwriter Ehren Kruger recruited conspiracy theorists on some shady forum to devise the backstory (“and then, Kennedy sent us to the moon to find the giant talking robots!”). There’s no doubt about the special effects; they are top-of-the-line. But
what good are effects if we can barely make out which bot is fighting which? While some sequences are impressively mounted, more times than not the action devolves into a flurry of metal and combustion. Another gripe about giant fighting robots: Do they really have to talk? Say goodbye to any intimidation factor they’ve earned from battle sequences. The dialogue, which mostly consists of Saturday morning cartoon clichés, certainly doesn’t help matters. Neither can the human actors improve the film. Most of Shia LaBeouf’s performance involves him running wildly and shouting things like “Optimus!” and “Bumblebee!” and “Nononononono!” Rosie HuntingtonWhitely fares little better than predecessor Megan Fox, proving that a British accent does not an actress make. I’m reminded of a much better
Paramount Pictures / AP Photo
Brendan Gleeson stars as Sgt. Gerry Boyle, a cop who must fight a drug cartel within his own police force, in ‘The Guard.’
Sony Pictures Classics / AP Photo
Bumblebee returns to save the world (again) in the summer blockbuster ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon.’ Predictability ensues. movie involving fighting robots called “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” It says something when Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing a robot, generates more life than this recent “Transformers” turkey. “The Guard,” on the other hand, is written the way I wish more comedies were written — fast-paced, acidically witty and with an attitude that just doesn’t give a bleep. John Michael McDonagh’s film is a heavy reminder of what’s sorely missing from American comedy these days. The film centers on Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), an Irish police officer (the eponymous “Guard”). He is a seemingly apathetic and irreverent law enforcer, more likely to dole out wisecracks than justice in the course of a typical workday. After a series of mysterious murders within his jurisdiction, Boyle meets with FBI Agent
Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle), who informs him about an international drug smuggling ring within his area. Later, the two team up to eliminate the cartel amidst corruption within Boyle’s own force. But there’s really no reason for me to belabor plot details any further: This is a movie more concerned with funny than anything else. Hijinks ensue. Hilarious hijinks, particularly in scenes where Gleeson and Cheadle share the screen. Conversations between the two utterly demolish political correctness, paving the way for laughs. Funny is the primary goal of the film, and funny it is. That said, this is not a film that seeks to entertain a mass audience. It’s going to make humor on its own terms, whether you like it or not. And if that’s not your cup of tea, you’ve got to at least respect the film for having some real cojones.
Book examines biblical imagery, Plato’s influence in ‘Halo’
By B.J. Miller Correspondent
After the adrenaline rush of a successfully maneuvered killing spree in any typical match on “Halo,” the ensuing celebration usually does not begin with, “Nice moves, let’s keep up this lead. By the way, do you think Master Chief thinks about whether his life is worth living? I mean, think about it, he was stolen from his family and genetically engineered to be a super-soldier. That’s gotta screw with a guy’s head, you know, when he’s not thinking about navigating through hordes of angry Covenant troops, that is.” These are the types of questions that Jeff Sharpless, contributing author of “Halo and Philosophy: Intellect Evolved,” proposes to his teammates between virtual fire-fights. Since the original release of “Halo: Combat Evolved” in 2001, the pearlescent green of the Master Chief’s MJOLNIR body armor has shone through popular culture, marking this
iconic game as much more than just another first-person shooter. Clearly understanding this, the authors of “Halo and Philosophy” explore the rich narratives of the “Halo” series, contemplate the meaning behind aspects of its gameplay and relate philosophical theories through the pop—culture lens of “Halo.” The novelesque storyline presented in the game’s campaign harkens back to a tradition of video games using intricate narratives to engage players, predominant before the advent of the mass online multiplayer networks that now define gaming. The chapter titled “Apocalypse Halo” interprets the overall tenor of the game to resemble the biblical genre of apocalypse. It compares the story of the Master Chief and the Flood to that of Noah and the Flood, stating, for one thing, that it is more than just coincidence that the inhuman threat to all life in the universe is thus named. One focus of the book is to delve deeper into the Master
Chief’s persona, and how in looking through the heads-up display of this silent and faceless enigma, a sense of ambiguity and yet relatability allows the player to project his or her own thoughts and feelings onto it. Even so, contributing author Shane Fliger emphasizes that the Master Chief’s persona is that of a space-aged knight in shining armor, embodying the ideals of just war theory. On the other hand, Fliger identifies the protagonist of “Halo 3: ODST,” a less-thanidealized portrayal of the average soldier, as a provider of counterpoint, filling in the blanks of the glorified tale of the Master Chief by rendering a gritty representation of absolute and total war within the “Halo” saga. Reading through the book, there is a nearly endless supply of thought-provoking perspectives on “Halo” lying between the cleverly titled sections: “Easy-er,” “Normal,” “Heroic” and “Legendary.” These include the idea that, in the act of virtually mimicking the heroic and selfless acts of
the Master Chief, one may be gaining these virtues in the same way Plato suggested citizens should be trained to create an ideal society in “The Republic.” They also include a look into the commentary that the popular “Halo” farce “Red Versus Blue” provides on war, identity and how all meaning in these and other areas eventually seem to erode. Overall, this book is an
enjoyable read for those who often find themselves looking beyond the crosshairs and into the subtext of “Halo,” or anything else for that matter. This book is only one of many belonging to the “Popular Culture and Philosophy” series, which includes other titles like “Star Wars and Philosophy,” “The Matrix and Philosophy” and even “The Grateful Dead and Philosophy.”
AP Photo
Contributing authors argue that ‘Halo’ is more philosophical than initially meets the eye.