Category Archives: Stories

Stories

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Lazy Kind of Movie Review

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Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite Marvel movie. I didn’t even watch the sequel for years, because I knew it couldn’t live up, but I finally broke down and watched it a few months ago.

Generally speaking, I was disappointed. Way too crude for my taste, and the dialogue was lazy and made no attempt at subtlety. However, it had a very decent plot for a sequel, and some truly golden moments with this found family, so I made a list of all the things I liked, because I need some positivity after Infinity War and Endgame treated most of these characters like dirt.

Spoilers included. Fair warning.

Please note: I don’t say much about Starlord (although I love him), because his arc in this movie felt very clumsy to me, and I’m focusing on what I liked.

  • Rocket secretly loving Peter’s music.
  • Peter and Gamora bonding over how stupid their children are.
  • Rocket stopping mid-fight to keep Baby Groot from eating something.
  • Just, everyone parenting Baby Groot was so wholesome?
  • Especially Rocket being a Dad.
  • Baby Groot pounding on Drax for accidentally stopping the music–I love it when children in movies are nuanced, instead of being perfect angels, okay?
  • Rocket and Drax being chaotic best friends instead of fighting.
  • Gamora and Nebula’s enemies-to-allies storyline. We never see this with female characters, guys! I found the action scenes a little over the top, but the dialogue was beautiful: “You were the one who wanted to win; I only wanted a sister!” and Gamora being able to express I’m sorry you got hurt even though I’m not the one that hurt you, I was also just trying to survive. (On this note, let’s bring Thanos back to life and kill him again. I hate him.)
  • Peter, Drax, and Rocket all basically think of themselves as the Dad Friend of the group, and it’s hilarious.
  • Gamora dancing with Peter? Adorable. I’m going to cry.
  • Baby Groot reeeeally wanting to push the wrong button. . .
  • Mantis’ empathy magic was awesome–she feels someone else’s emotions if she touches them. As an empathetic person, I appreciated this (and I’m kinda’ jealous she can just stop touching them and quit feeling all the things. . .)
  • Drax and Mantis both repeatedly calling each other ugly and disgusting while also bonding and making eyes at each other? I ship these idiots so hard. They’re both equally freaky and incomprehensible.
  • That scene where Drax tells Mantis about his family and his face and tone are without any emotion whatsoever, but Mantis touches his shoulder and immediately breaks down in tears. Such a good depiction of silent/invisible grief.
  • Just everything about Mantis honestly. I love weird girl characters. 🙂
  • When Yondu just gave up and said he deserved to be betrayed, and Rocket, completely unfazed and optimistic, just saying “well, I don’t” and making an escape plan.
  • Baby Groot hating hats because he always mistakes them for part of someone’s head. Understandable in a universe with so many aliens, but also hilarious.
  • The fact that Rocket the Dad already knew Groot hated hats but didn’t know why, and got distracted from the escape plan because oh, that’s why you hate hats??
  • Gamora admitting there’s an unspoken thing between her and Peter. Which isn’t unspoken anymore. . . I guess. . .
  • “And he stole batteries he didn’t need.” (Peter needed a better line after this, but it was a moment of the subtlety and self-awareness I was missing in this movie.)
  • Yondu’s magic arrow getting snapped in half and Rocket just casually fixing it? Homeboy is a genius and I love him. (He should have kept the arrow too, but Marvel was afraid to make him that powerful. I said what I said.)

And I suppose that’s that. I’ll probably think of more things tomorrow that I should have added, but I’ll never post this if I keep up like that. I’m going back to pretending that the Guardians of the Galaxy are still running chaotically around the galaxy following Starlord’s lead into shenanigans. . . I hope this post made someone smile.

Stories

Movie Review: Just Mercy

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Did I watch Just Mercy mostly because it was all over Instagram? Yes. Was it Michael B. Jordan that pushed me over the edge? Yes.

But the peer pressure was well deserved: this movie is high quality, well-made, and very moving. It took very little screen time to get me rooting for the main characters. Not to mention, my family and I have done a little research since we watched it, and as far as we have seen, it is scary accurate to what really happened.

Just Mercy is based on a true story. It follows lawyer Bryan Stevenson and focuses on his work with one client, Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian, who is on death row. The storytelling is beautiful, as is the cinematography. Although this story is dipping its toes in the “murder mystery” genre, the filmmakers included zero graphic imagery, which I appreciate so much; that would not have added to this movie. I am very happy that they fell back on the story’s depth and suspense, and didn’t even think about unnecessary jump scares.

There is a good bit of strong language, in case that bothers anyone. Not terrible for a PG-13 movie though. (If you watch Marvel, it won’t be any worse than what you’re used to–unfortunately, in my opinion, but here we are.) It is pretty intense too, simply due to the story and content.

Another thing that helped sell me on this movie? The acting! These were raw and emotional performances–the kind that make you feel almost embarrassed to be watching, because they feel so incredibly personal. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx truly outdid themselves. (And however Brie Larson stayed on top of that beautiful southern drawl, I could listen to it all day.)

One last thing before I talk about Just Mercy‘s accuracy: After Tolkien came out, I heard several people complaining that the movie sidelined Tolkien’s catholic faith, or even ignored it. I think Just Mercy should get some credit for doing the opposite and not shying away from the characters’ Christianity. They talk about faith, they are shown in church, we see them pray together. Just Mercy isn’t a “Christian movie,” but they portrayed the faith of the characters accurately.

And speaking of accuracy, one of my favorite things about Just Mercy is how close they stuck to the true story. I was shocked when I started researching. (And the actors look surprisingly like the real people they portray, for once!) Below are the resources I’ve found in my albeit limited research, however,

Please note: I do not recommend looking at these until after you watch Just Mercy–it’s so accurate that research will, in fact, spoil the movie!

The movie shows a re-make of the “60 Minutes” story that was done on the McMillian case. This Youtube video posted by the 60 Minutes channel is the original.

This PDF is a transcript of a judiciary hearing where Bryan Stevenson gave statements describing some of the details surrounding his work with Walter McMillian. (Stevenson’s comments on McMillian’s story are on pages 21-27.)

And if Michael B. Jordan’s opening scene in Just Mercy got your attention, you’ll probably be interested in this video, in which Bryan Stevenson himself tells how that scene is almost entirely true–although this video is from years before the movie’s release.

If you’ve seen Just Mercy or know of other real-life resources, let me know in the comments! (And yes, I do plan to read Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy–don’t worry. It’s just that the library hasn’t yielded it up yet. I’ll have to fight several family members for a turn with it anyway, so I’m posting this review now.)

In conclusion, this movie has 10/10 from me. Would recommend.

Stories

Tifi: a short story

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I miss sharing my fiction words on here, so I decided to share a link to a short story I’ve had sitting around for a while:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p43TXV444j4Qi4TFibCkNpL7X7HPgosJW7nTwNxiqD4/edit?usp=sharing

When I asked my Dad to read it, he said, “It’s kind of brutal.” So I feel compelled to add:

Audience discretion: it’s kind of brutal (compared to my other writing).

This is unsurprising, since I made it up while laying in bed at 3 a.m. completely miserable and running a fever. My muse is a strange animal.

Happy Sunday. Hang in there.

Stories

The Seventh Short Story Guest Post: “The Star-Catcher” by Micaiah Saldaña

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Look, a guest writer (those always makes me happy), and a long, lovely story!  The Seventh Short Story is back!  Be sure to catch Micaiah at her own blog, Notebooks and Novels, where she posts writing tips and lots of other fun stuff.

~*~

The Star-Catcher by Micaiah Saldaña

All of the best stories start with “once upon a time.” This, dear reader, is not one of those stories. Instead, this story will begin with a star-dance, a wandering knight, and a star-catcher with a cloak as black as night. For you see, a long, long time ago, in the age of kings and castles, one could lay on one’s back, look up at the sky, and watch the stars dance.

The lords and their ladies would watch from their castle windows. Knights would beg for guard duty, if only to see the silver-haired star-maidens skipping about on feet that had never touched a thing called ground. Peasants would peek out of their homes. Wide-eyed children would clap at the sight. All people watched. All people stood in awe at the star-dance.

There once was a star who danced more beautifully than any of the other stars. There once was a blue-eyed boy with a restless soul. There once was a man who wanted nothing more than to catch a falling star. This, dear reader, is their story.

~~~

“Do you want to see the stars tonight, dear one?”

Little eyes blinked open, and cracked lips spread into a smile as bright as the sun. “Yes, please, Daddy.”

Luca Medici picked up his little Gabriela from her bed. He, unlike his daughter, was not smiling. Luca had never been one for smiles, but now that his sweet girl was ill, he was sure that a smile would never grace his lips again. But, smile or no, he picked his ailing child up and took her to see the star-dance.

While wonder flitted through her eyes at the silvery swishing of star-folk, his own were blind to the spectacle above. For how could stars dance when his daughter was dying?

Continue reading The Seventh Short Story Guest Post: “The Star-Catcher” by Micaiah Saldaña →

Stories

A Good Movie

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You know it was a good movie when you have to think about it for days before you find the plot-holes.

You know it was a great movie when you find the plot-holes and still love it just as much.

Stories

A Spoiler-Free Review of ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’

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You a Star Wars fan?  Considering going to see Solo?  My dear friend got me a ride to the theater yesterday, so here’s my thoughts:

We had high expectations for this movie, before anyone knew anything about it.  Meddling with a character like Han Solo was incredibly dangerous.  Did they pull it off?  I’m not so sure.

I walked into the theater, hoping they just wouldn’t do this one thing.  And less than five minutes into the two-hour movie, they did it.  I was still willing to give it a shot, but I don’t think they redeemed themselves.

Considering they were replacing Harrison Ford, they picked a great actor.  Alden Ehrenreich is good at what he does, and I think he did a phenomenal job with what he was given.  The acting was not at all a deal-breaker for me; my complaints are with the writing.  The characters all felt shallow, most of them felt completely unnecessary, the story-line felt rushed, and the ending dissolved into a messy web of unexplained plot-twists; not to mention, it did not mesh well with the already-existing Star Wars galaxy.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t regret buying that ticket!  It was entertaining and funny; as a stand-alone action movie, it was pretty well done.  The fight scenes were cool–twirling fantasy weapons and throwing them at each other–and I enjoyed all the flying.  I also approve of a certain, large “living thing” that they bump into (almost literally) while they’re making the you-know-what.  I love that kind of thing in Star Wars–things with lots of eyes, and tentacles, and an insatiable appetite.  That’s what we watch sci-fi for!  Sadly, I found most of that sequence confusing and anticlimactic.

It just did not say Star Wars to me.  If you are going to mess with something that classic and well-loved, at least respect the characters involved!  I actually came home and asked my parents if George Lucas was dead–because why would any living storyteller let people botch their characters like this?

My big complaint?  Han Solo was too heroic.  Look at how he behaves at the beginning of A New Hope.  (Han shot first–am I right??)  In his backstory, Han Solo should be a lying, thieving, mercenary scoundrel, right?  But in Solo, Han was this sincere, super conscientious, overly naive young man, that switched into “smug Han Solo” mode every time there was a snarky line.  It was almost unbearable.

Chewbacca delivered pretty well, but he certainly didn’t get the interesting backstory we all wanted–we still know nothing about him!  I can only think of one added character I really liked.  The antagonist was the lamest attempt at an SW villain to ever fall short of Darth Vader.  Lando Calrissian is the only character I’m almost perfectly happy with (and even he had some cringe-worthy moments).

So my bottom line is this:

If you have two and half spare hours, $5 burning a hole in your pocket, and a hankering for an action movie (explosions, sarcasm, sci-fi beasts, some good blaster-action), there’s no better way to spend your afternoon.

But if you’re a fan of the original trilogy, and you’re looking for a nostalgic ride and a more complete understanding of your old friends, I think you’ll be disappointed.

Life, Literature, Stories

The Liebster Award

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Good morning, hobbits!  Micaiah has tagged me for the Liebster Award!

Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Answer the 11 questions they gave you.
Name 11 facts about yourself.
Nominate 11 bloggers to do this tag, and let them know.
Give them 11 questions to answer.

Thanks, Micaiah!  And thanks, Jaidyn, for letting me steal your questions as well!  So I’ll be answering 22 questions. #rebel

This’ll be a good chance to get to know some random facts about yours truly! 🙂

Continue reading The Liebster Award →

Family, Stories

“I Am Groot” (and High School Biology)

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Confession time: I have never seen an Avengers movie.

But if it can redeem me, I have seen one Marvel movie (which I am very grateful to have seen!) and that was Guardians of the Galaxy.  Which I loved.  Since I don’t have space, in one post, to analyze all five beautifully crafted lead characters, I want to talk about one: Groot.

Almost everyone can appreciate a good humanoid tree.  I have yet to talk to anyone who doesn’t love Groot, but really now, what’s not to like?  He is a walking, talking tree who can regenerate from one twig, whose vocabulary consists of I and am and Groot (in that order).

But my favorite thing about Groot is the way he grows.  From his habit of shooting up twice his original height to reach things for people, to the flower he spontaneously grows out of his palm for the beggar girl on Knowhere–I love the way he is simply bursting with life.  There’s a special place in my heart for the glowing firefly-like things he generates at the end.

What I did not realize until just recently was how appropriate this attribute was for a (sort-of) talking tree.

~*~

I’ve spent this school year finishing my high school biology course (“Exploring Creation with Biology” by Dr. Jay L. Wile), and I’m really enjoying it.  The latest chapter I finished was all about plants, including (of course) trees.

One thing Dr. Wile discussed was stems.  He pointed out that the stem you would typically think of as a plant stem (herbaceous stems) cannot grow any larger after they mature.  This is because they will crack the skin of the stem, and expose the inside of the plant to the elements.

Tree trunks (or woody stems), however, are another story.

Underneath the outer bark of a tree trunk is a layer called the cork cambium.  Its job is to produce new bark, underneath the old layer of bark.  This allows the tree to continue growing as long as it can and simply break through the bark, since there is always a new layer underneath.

~*~

Whether the makers of Guardians of the Galaxy were aware of this or not, I love how accurate their depiction of a “human tree” is; trees are literally cracking their own skin with the pressure of the life inside them!

Groot’s unquenchable, thriving growth is actually quite congruent with his real-world counterparts.

~*~

‘When that happens to a tree, you find that some have bad hearts.  Nothing to do with their wood: I do not mean that.  Why, I knew some good old willows down the Entwash, gone long ago, alas!  They were quite hollow, indeed they were falling all to pieces, but as quiet and sweet-spoken as a young leaf.’ (457)
The Tower Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

Alright, we storytellers just love trees.