Tron: Legacy

broderic on December 19, 2010

At work, I had to take a training class on writing good requirements. Although, not directly involved with writing requirements, my software functional manager believed that it would help us lowly software engineers to identify terrible requirements that make our lives difficult. Once done the training class, I am now able to identify good requirements.

Good requirements are succinct, feasible, and unambiguous. Tron: Legacy makes a case for good requirements. Flynn says to CLU, “Let’s make the perfect world!” Those are terrible requirements. And from there, you have the downfall of the Grid.

Like the seed, I too am not totally bowled over by Tron: Legacy. The seed notes that the narrative was thin at times. It’s like they had the idea of making Tron 2, but never got around to understanding they needed a story for it. If you’ve seen the original, you’ve seen most of the latest iteration. Get sucked into the Grid. Check! Play games to the death. Check! Ride light cycles. Check! Hot computer chick. Check! Go to i/o! Check!

Lots of story beats from the original movie showed up in this movie. Problems arose when it tried to find its own way to tell the story. Is this an adventure film? Is this a father-son reunion film? Is this the Matrix? It’s all and none and the audience is left to marvel at awesome action set pieces, but can’t fathom the main story line. In the original, Tron there was a thread of a plot: get out of the Grid while attempting to find out the mysteries of Encom power. This movie pulled at one too many threads and didn’t place one in the forefront. Is this about the Grid or about the younger Flynn finding his father. Is this about father Flynn and his creation? Is this about playing Grid games? It’s all and none.

I am a fan of the original. This one gives us something short. Its not as innovative as the original. It needed a better story. I wish we had gotten one.

3 of 5 stars.

The Death of the DVD

broderic on December 18, 2010

I sent in my latest Netflix DVD yesterday and remembered that I have only a couple of movies in my queue. I decided to fill it out to the minimum 6 movies. Hitting up the Netflix site I am greeted with all their recommendations. I find some movies look interesting. I like the fact that the genres and categories it shows me are super specifc. I hate the fact that the major action you can do with each recommendation is to instantly stream a movie.

Listen, Netflix, you know that I am on the cheapest plan and that plan limits my streaming to one movie. Why would I want to stream when I just want to add DVDs to my queue? I just want DVDs. Two a month if I can watch them.

So I have to click on the movie title to get the “add to queue” feature back. Too many clicks. I may have to just cancel.

Frankly, madam, ….

broderic on December 18, 2010

‘Im gallop. ‘Im gallop. ‘Im gallop. but ‘e couldn’t buss de tape.

broderic on December 16, 2010

Alright! A spinning record for you and some rocksteady. Or can we call this reggae? Perhaps, but it still a little bit too fast for reggae riddims. Totally, digging it, but The Selecter do a cover that Pauline Black sings sweetly.

“Why? Why? ‘Ow me goin’ home tonight?”

Sway to the songs rhythm while at your desk. You’ll thank me later.

Link of the Day [12.15.10]

broderic on December 15, 2010

I entitle interesting links I find while surfing the web, "Links of the Day," because it makes it easier to email links. If I came up with a clever title for each link of the day or as a regular post, then I would have to be able to log into blogger and use their posting functions. Sadly, when at IniTech, I am blocked from social networking sites, so I can't use blogger from work. And that app I bought for iPhone is good, but typing on iPhone is tedious.Today's link takes you to a maid café in Tokyo. It's a detailed description of the shenanigans that occur as a guest in a maid café. I laughed at some of this, and I cried at some of this. A great point was made that the clients are also being exploited for their need of love and affection. She pointed out that visiting a café is akin to visiting a strip club, but where the latter feeds off your sex drive, a maid café taps into your need for flirty, kawaii (cute) affection. Now would I visit a maid café if I ever went to Japan? I do sometimes crave some kawaii affection, but like going into a strip club here, I don't think I would enter one. It's just not my cup of tea. I'd be too embarrassed to admit my need for kawaii affection, and the need to spend money on it. Although, I just did.Anyway, the writer's experience fascinates and scares me. I always wondered what goes down in a maid café. Finding out what happens is the scary part. Does it make me want to go or to stay away?http://io9.com/5713121/i-paid-a-woman-to-be-my-friend-at-a-tokyo-maid-cafe

Be it your sister. Be it your brother.

broderic on December 15, 2010

Let’s get some music up in this place starting with a little bit of Pauline Black and the Selecter covering The Specials AKA’s “Racist Friend.” If you search youtube for the title you’ll also get the original, but also They Might Be Giants’ song as well. They are not the same song.

More ska please. Less racism.

Get up and dance at your desk if you enjoy this…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1

broderic on December 12, 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 opened while I was on the Hawaiian vacation and I couldn’t leave paradise for the three hours it takes for this movie to finish. And after three hours, there is still probably another 3 hours to come.

The problem with the later Harry Potter films (the Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows) is the novels. The books after Goblet of Fire had a lot of exposition of when, where, and why of Voldemort that needed to be explained. Reading of such is a more natural experience with the story and history of Voldemort. Unfortunately, the last few films tried to condense these stories into two and a half hour movies. Plot points were lost and sacrificed for the sake of movie telling. Threads that made sense in words didn’t when filmed, because of the missing information.

The Deathly Hallows novel gets the privilege of getting stretched out to two films so that all its information can be filmed. And this part was two and a half hours long but got through about two thirds of the book. Yet, the early part of this book was nothing but Hermione, Harry, and Ron wandering the wilderness. They were supposed to find Horcruxes, but did a terrible job at it. So did, Rowling as she just abandoned that thread to get to the ultimate battle.

I thought they could’ve gotten rid of the wilderness parts, but upon re-reading the book, it needed to be fully fleshed out so that the story can continue unabated.

These last few Harry Potter films have been slightly confusing because of all the exposition. This one isn’t, but I can’t wait for the second half.

3 of 5 stars.

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