In with the new

So, it's a new year. Is it over yet?

Here's a good article on blogs over at Fortune magazine.

Caught I, Robot and Collateral over the past couple days. They were both quite enjoyable. In some ways surprisingly so. I hadn't heard a lot of good things about I, Robot, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Admittedly I haven't read the series of short stories upon which it's based, but it seemed to explain some of the same themes. Actually it reminded me a lot of the back story for The Matrix. I suppose that's at least in part because the revolt of the machines is a fairly common sci-fi topic, but in this case, it was handled pretty well. It certainly had enough action, but it wasn't just an action flick - the characters had a decent amount of characterization. Admittedly, they relied pretty heavily on stereotypical backgrounds to flesh them out some, but by the end there was some growth and you enjoyed the ride.

And speaking of not-just-action movies, Collateral fits the bill there as well. I've seen a couple of Michael Mann's films (Heat is the one that pops immediately to mind) and this one ranks up there as one of his most enjoyable. I will admit to a certain letdown at the end. After watching the extras that came with the DVD, I realize why he tied things up the way he did, but upon first viewing it certainly stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief. This is a movie that's all about characterization. It's predictable in the sense that the story's been told before, but that doesn't make the characters any less believable or less powerful. The scene in the jazz club is worth the price of admission alone. And it's quite mesmerizing to watch - filmed almost completely in high-def it's a sight to behold. L.A. at night is just as much a character in this film as any of the actors. And Cruise and Foxx are great.

So, that covers movies of recent note. As for New Year's itself, I was blissfully asleep. Hey, New Year's with a newborn - you take what you can get. I even turned off the phones and the answering machine. Absolutely nobody was getting in between me and some z's. So the year changed and I was blissfully unaware. Eh, they all feel the same anymore anyway.

In the next couple days I should have some thoughts on Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Unfortunately, I expect the experience to be marred by the subtitle track. Apparently Dreamworks decided that a closed caption track could fill in for a proper subtitle track. Which is strange as this movie was in the theater and I suspect a proper subtitle track exists. Oh well, keep your eyes on the Glitch Disc forum over at Anime on DVD and wait for the recall.

And I'd contemplate mocking Crichton's new book, but this does it just fine. And I like Crichton's stuff. Not sure I'll make it through this one...