Cars 2: Pixar's Now 12 For 12

Ever since I was thoroughly unimpressed by the trailer for Wall-E, and then wholeheartedly impressed by the feature film, I've given pixar the benefit of the doubt. I saw the original Toy Story in theaters, and a few of its sequels on DVD, but I can't say I've been a true pixar fan until that lovable robot came onto the screen. Since then, I can't wait for pixar's new installment every year. And their pre-film shorts.

Pixar topped themselves last year with TS3, and it's probably a bar that won't be beat anytime soon. Part of that is nostalgia for the older movie, and another part is that it catered to people with my age and my mentality: realizing that you're growing older, yet all you want to truly be is a kid again. While most pixar films make you feel like a kid again, TS3 made you actually want to be a child, especially that scene with Bonnie playing with her toys.

This year, pixar released a sequel to their arguably lowest film to date, Cars. But pixar's lowest is better than most films out there. I think the original may have appealed more to kids, but on a repeat viewing on blu-ray recently, it was actually a very enjoyable film. I wasn't particularly excited about C2, but given that it's pixar, they got the benefit of the doubt. The pre-film short was a treat, picking up from TS3's ending. There were not major plot developments, just a nice story with the toys all to themselves. It was enough to cause an unexplained emotional reaction.

C2 itself was a wonderful movie. It started in 007 style, with Finn McMissile (an instant favorite for me, just like Mr. Prickepants) spying on some no good lemons. Some reviews for C2 were negative, stating that barely any time was spent in Radiator Springs. To me, this was actually a benefit. I like Radiator Springs, but that's somewhat been there, done that. The TS movies always took us to new locales, so why shouldn't C2? Seeing the different countries, and the unique pixarian ways of depicting those countries, was wonderful. I will admit, once Mater was captured and went to Italy, there was a bit of a slow dip in the film. But it definitely picked up once they reached England (London 2012 hype alert!), and the final action scenes was up there with pixar's best action scenes, including the fights in The Incredibles. And right at the start, when we were reaquainted with all the cars from Radiator Springs, somehow I felt really happy to see them all again.

I don't know what the reviewers of this film wanted. Pixar is quality, and continues to remain so. Maybe they need to get in touch with their inner kid a bit more. Pixar is arguably 12 for 12 now. I didn't get the preview for Brave at my showing, although I did get the very well-done 3D intro to The Lion King. But, just based on the unique teaser poster, I can't wait for Brave. But pixar, when's that Incredibles sequel coming our way?

PGY-2

It is so weird seeing the new interns coming in. I remember just a year ago, being confused, out of my mind, and not knowing what I was getting myself into. And here I am, a year later, hopefully a year stronger. MICU went a long way to helping me feel more confident. It's just funny, how fast a year can go by in hindsight.

London 2012!

London 2012! Getting tickets was a bit of a hassle, but I'm glad I was able to get them. The first time around, tickets were obtained via a lottery. It seems that the British got the most ticket allotments, and the rest were divvied up among different countries, each with a selected organization in charge of obtaining tickets. For the US, that company was called cosport.

Around April or so, tickets went on sale for the lottery. One can choose any amount of events they wanted, although individual events did have a limit on the number of tickets. You choose events knowing that if you are given tickets, you are required to pay for them. You even give your credit card number (visa only, the choice of London 2012).

Late in May, those that were awarded tickets found out. Now, London was my dream vacation for the short term, especially during the olympics time. I love watching the summer olympics on TV, and actually being there in a country I want to visit (again) anyway would be stellar. Unfortunately, I was awarded no tickets. I looked online to see if anyone else didn't, and it turns out many people were not awarded tickets. And those that did get tickets only had some of the monies they intended to pay taken out of their accounts, indicating only a few tickets were given to them. I was hoping to at least get a swimming event. Apparently, though, if you paid for a higher priced ticket, they'd give you an available lower priced one, but not vice versa. And tickets being as expensive as they are, I pretty much went exclusively for low price tickets.

Cosport let us know that in June, the remaining stock of tickets would go on sale, first-come first-served, to those who failed the lottery. I expected there to be nothing for swimming, and nothing for the opening ceremonies, which I tried to obtain in the lottery despite the high price ($300 or so each). Tickets went on sale at 12 noon for US customers on June 24th, 2011. I was called in to cover someone in the CCU at LIJ, so I was up bright and early. I was nervous, though, that I'd be rounding when tickets went on sale.

So, using my trust sonic screwdriver (aka iphone), I went to cosport's website to see how to log in and access the ticket page, so I can do it on rounds at noon, if need be. To my surprise, tickets were open, at 6am! I went through and found swimming to my surprise, and a few events at that. I chose one that had a medal or two in it, and also chose football, gymnastics, beach volleyball, and tennis. However, I couldn't remember my credit card number offhand, and was probably somewhat lazy to go get it and check, so the time ran out before I put the right number in. And I lost the tickets.

I went on the mac to log into cosport and order them that way, but I couldn't access the ticket page. I had to leave for CCU, so on the walk there from the parking garage, I kept trying to go to cosport, but nothing opened up. No tickets. I was quite upset. Then, on another attempt at trying, probably at 7:30AM, I was able to access them again! I quickly added swimming, football (at Wembley), and tennis (at Wimbledon), remembered the right credit card number, and got the tickets. A bit later, I went back, found beach volleyball, and added that! I checked out the closing ceremonies (opening ceremonies was sold out), and with tickets at around $1200 a pop, I declined.

Just for fun, I went on at noon, and the site was very, very slow. Not only that, but once I was able to log in, swimming was totally gone. Tennis was also gone, but there was some football left. I was thinking of adding something else for cheap ($44 was the cheapest), and handball was available, on the one day I had free; however only one ticket was available, so I didn't go for that. I'll use that free day as a sightseeing and/or family visiting day.

I'm so thankful I got swimming, and thankful I had to go to CCU that day, so I was up early to check. I can't wait for this trip! I just want to walk around London and take it all in. And eat fish and chips every day. And go to baker street. And cardiff, near that torchwood thing. Just gotta get an ipad beforehand (hopefully the ipad 3 is out by then), as I imagine there'll be a lot of good olympic stuff out for it at the time!

Doctor Who Series 6 Episode 7: A Good Man Goes to War

River Song = Melody Pond! So now we know who River finally is.... aside from the fact that we don't know why she's in jail, if she's married to the doctor, and why she died in "Forest of the Dead" if she can regenerate.

And who exactly was that army, with eye patch lady? Why were they trying to fight the doctor?

So, we start with a rapid pace, as the doctor gather people who owe him favors to join him in battle. No blood is shed, but in the end, good people die, and a baby is lost. Lost to the orphanage, somehow linked to the silence. A baby who can regenerate, and who becomes River Song. This threw the whole River storyline into something totally different. Does she kill the doctor in the end, as the astronaut? Ah, the questions.

I found the episode to be somewhat odd. It's as if I missed something beforehand, as the doctor gathered for war. I'm not exactly sure where this came from, but it seemed rather sudden. Still, the pregnancy was a major plot point this season, and that part of it was resolved. But where did the doctor go? Why so fast?

Melody will likely be raised by the silence in the creepy orphanage, but I wonder if she will ever be raised by Rory and Amy. And some speculation online is whether the "good man" River kills is actually Rory, her father. So much is left up to speculation at this point.

Remember a year ago, when Moffat said the cliffhanger involved a decision Rory made based on the doctor's relationship with Amy? Guess not.

On a first viewing, I don't think this is Moffat's finest story. Of course, we have to see where it goes from here. But it felt as if the plot was somewhat rushed, River just appeared out of thin air at the end, and she had to reveal who she was. Maybe there's a reason. Also, she said she had a promise to keep, in "Day of the Moon," which is why she is in prison supposedly. Answers again for another day. But I don't think that Octavian's line from "The Time of Angels," that the doctor wouldn't help River is he knew who she was, referred to the fact that she has some gallifreyan DNA, or is Amy's child. There's something else we just don't know yet. Can't wait to find out!

Next time: Let's kill Hitler! In September :(

Doctor Who Series 6 Episode 6: The Almost People

What an ending! I'm glad they explained that weird eye patch lady finally. And when exactly was Amy captured? Must have been before "The Impossible Astronaut." But I'm getting ahead of myself.

So, we continue from before, with a ganger doctor and a war between gangers and humans. The majority of the episode was decent, with gangers being both deceitful and becoming human. I was hoping the ganger doctor wouldn't survive, because that'd be an easy way to explain why the doctor died in the first episode. Although they did say he can come back, so who knows. As for that lady with the blood clot, I want some of that burned onion fluid. Imagine the medical breakthroughs that would cause.

And who captured Amy? And when was she pregnant? And was that positive/negative thing the giveaway for the doctor, and made him investigate the flesh? That means eye patch lady must have created a ganger to fake the doctor. And I'm guessing Amelia's baby is gonna be the regenerating kid. But then that means that the doctor's the dad, right?

And now, onwards to a good man going to war....


Next time: Who is River? Where is Amy? What does Rory do? The questions! The answers (hopefully)!

Doctor Who Series 6 Episode 5: The Rebel Flesh

After a long month in the ICU, it's back to the TARDIS for the last three episodes of series 6.5! After seeing the TARDIS come to life, the doctor, Rory, and Amy are sent to a planet that apparently mines acid, using dopplegangers to do the dirty work. Not a bad idea, considering the fatal nature of an acid accident. However, they didn't quite expect the solar storm to bring the dopplegangers to life permanently, causing them to become virtually a clone of the real person.

This wasn't an original concept, but it was executed in an original way. The end, with the doppleganger doctor, bodes for some interesting scenes next week I think. I hope, though, that this doppleganger doctor isn't a leeway to explain how the doctor died in "The Impossible Astronaut." I think that would be somewhat of a letdown.

The episode also raised an interesting dilemma. What would you do if a your doppleganger was here? It's technically not just a machine or a disposable object; it's a real, breathing person that shares the same memories as you. And it's not like you can send them to another planet and be done with it. If you have family, friends, and so on, they belong to your doppleganger as well. In the end, perhaps we would just go to war against ourselves.

These types of episodes aren't my favorites. And it's mostly a lighting issue. Just like "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood" from last series, the lighting here is really dark, which to me isn't my favorite. I hope "A Good Man Goes To War" is brighter. And if that BBC trailer was only for this half season, then I'm expecting to see some clowns and weird dolls, and to find out who River finally is!

Next time: doctor vs doctor!