Warning: This blog post contains spoilers for the new X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie.
The extent of my X-Men knowledge was limited to the few episodes of X-Men: Evolution I watched when I was younger. I never read any of the comics or even watched any of the movies in the trilogy so I didn't know what to expect when I went to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine yesterday at the movie theater. I went hoping to be impressed. To see something that would draw me into the Marvel Universe and spark my interest in X-Men. The movie failed to do that completely. The best movies are the ones that draw you in emotionally and keep you on the edge of your seat, but X-Men Origins was one of the most predictable movie I have seen in a while.
Within minutes of the movie's start, Wolverine as a child kills both the man he thinks is his father and his true father. He and his brother, also a mutant, make a pact to stick together and they fight together through all of the major american wars. So begins the life of an anti-hero. After being arrested for killing an officer and failing to be executed, the brothers are offered an alternative to prison by Colonel Stryker who has started a special military unit comprised of mutants. Working for Stryker is a grisly business though, so eventually Wolverine decides he has had enough and leaves not only the unit, but his brother as well. Fast forward to five years later, Wolverine has created a new life for himself complete with a job as a logger, a girlfriend, and a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Then the trouble begins. Wolverine's girlfriend is murdered and, hungry for revenge, he goes back to Stryker for help. The help he offers is in the form of a painful operation that makes Wolverine indestructible.
The rest of the movie is basically a series of action sequences as Wolverine hunts down his brother and Stryker to exact his revenge. I thought all of the dialogue was repetitive, with people either reminding Wolverine he can be good or Wolverine going on about how he's an animal and is out for blood. And surprise! Near the end of the movie it is revealed that not only was his girlfriend not killed but she's also a mutant, something I had guessed the moment of her first appearance in the movie.
Hugh Jackman's portrayal as Wolverine was as lackluster as the rest of the movie. From what I had heard and based on the opening sequence, he was obviously supposed to be a deeply troubled character who yearned for normalcy and contentment. From what his girlfriend had said to him, he was also supposed to be someone who was capable of being a decent person and a complete animal, but if it wasn't for all the times it was said throughout the movie I would never have known. He even failed to seem all that hungry for revenge which is what made up the majority of the movie. To be honest, Jackman just seemed really grumpy.
The ending was quick and fairly anti-climatic. Another action sequence and the two brothers even go so far as to make up, or something like it, which made very little sense to me after the rest of the movie. Overall, X-Men Origins came across as a movie made to milk the X-Men franchise for all it's worth. It isn't one I would want to see again or would recommend to any of my friends.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Course Evaluation
I first signed up for ENG 111 because it is a required course. I chose which section I’d take based on it’s time slot and paid absolutely no attention to the instructor name. Even if I had, it would not have had any impact on my choice. I was new to TCC and college in general, so I really didn’t know much about any of the instructors. I also assumed the course would be incredibly dull with loads of essay writing and so figured the teacher would make little difference. If all else failed, I could switch sections. It turned out I was half right in my assumption. There really has been quite a bit of essay writing in Mr. Gasparo’s class, but it wasn't nearly as boring as I first thought it would be.
Mr. Gasparo catered to numerous learning styles which made it easy to listen, learn and participate in the class. Even someone like me, who is so shy it's almost crippling to speak to anyone unfamiliar, was able to feel comfortable enough to occassionally muster up the courage to contribute to the class. There were many open discussions which could get very lively whenever students were so inclined to participate although they could often veer off topic. The assigned readings were usually interesting enough for me to actually read without complaint, and were always relevant to the day’s lesson. The videos, music, and movies shown ranged from funny to informative and always helped strengthen my understanding in whatever was being taught that day.
My only real problems with the class were ones I created myself. I am a terrible procrastinator, and I was at my worst in this class. I would often wait until the very last moment to write an essay, and ended up missing out on peer reviews because of it. I was constantly stressed, and often had to stay up late to complete an assignment which would leave me cranky and tired the following day. It also left me time for little else. When I wasn't working I was putting off work, which often seemed nearly as bothersome. My memory of the last semester seems to be nothing more than a blur of cramming, staying up late writing, and worrying.
I’ve tried to excuse it to myself by saying that it’s because I’m new to college and not used to the workload. It's not untrue, but I realize it's also not the right way to think about it. Any time over the semester I could have attended a time management or study skills Knowledge is Power session on campus. I could have easily given myself more time for any of the assignments. I have no job and even though I am a full time student, most of my classes don't assign very much homework.
I would definitely not suggest any future students in Mr. Gasparo's ENG 111 class, or any class, use my method of getting work done. Because of my experiences over the last semester, I am definitely going to work on cutting down on procrastination from here on out so I don't have to worry so much.
Mr. Gasparo catered to numerous learning styles which made it easy to listen, learn and participate in the class. Even someone like me, who is so shy it's almost crippling to speak to anyone unfamiliar, was able to feel comfortable enough to occassionally muster up the courage to contribute to the class. There were many open discussions which could get very lively whenever students were so inclined to participate although they could often veer off topic. The assigned readings were usually interesting enough for me to actually read without complaint, and were always relevant to the day’s lesson. The videos, music, and movies shown ranged from funny to informative and always helped strengthen my understanding in whatever was being taught that day.
My only real problems with the class were ones I created myself. I am a terrible procrastinator, and I was at my worst in this class. I would often wait until the very last moment to write an essay, and ended up missing out on peer reviews because of it. I was constantly stressed, and often had to stay up late to complete an assignment which would leave me cranky and tired the following day. It also left me time for little else. When I wasn't working I was putting off work, which often seemed nearly as bothersome. My memory of the last semester seems to be nothing more than a blur of cramming, staying up late writing, and worrying.
I’ve tried to excuse it to myself by saying that it’s because I’m new to college and not used to the workload. It's not untrue, but I realize it's also not the right way to think about it. Any time over the semester I could have attended a time management or study skills Knowledge is Power session on campus. I could have easily given myself more time for any of the assignments. I have no job and even though I am a full time student, most of my classes don't assign very much homework.
I would definitely not suggest any future students in Mr. Gasparo's ENG 111 class, or any class, use my method of getting work done. Because of my experiences over the last semester, I am definitely going to work on cutting down on procrastination from here on out so I don't have to worry so much.
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