'Furious 7' is Not the Franchise's Best, but Proved That It Still Has a Lot Left in the Tank

Furious 7 has received from critics the highest rating ever given to a Fast and Furious movie.  However, I think that it’s being overrated a bit.  I think – with all due respect – that if we get rid of the sentimental value of this film serving as a Paul Walker tribute, and we can just be a bit more honest about it, and judge this movie on its own merit, we’ll arrive at the conclusion that this movie is not as great as Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6.  Seriously.  In my personal opinion, the past two Fast and Furious movies are better – the best two in the franchise. 

Furious 7 featured clever humor and one-liners here and there, but there was also some noticeable bad writing done on a couple of eye-roll inducing dialogues.  There were plenty of exhilarating and goofy action scenes to enjoy, but the climactic action sequence felt bloated and cluttered (hence, looked inferior compared to the action scenes during the early acts of the movie).  And the Rock – who lights up every scene he’s in and has a lot of scene-stealing lines ever since he joined the franchise – lacked screen-time.  Also, the camera work and editing were bad at times. 

Don’t misinterpret however that I didn’t like the movie.  I did.  It was a very fun watch.  For all its flaws, Furious 7 has ample good stuff to easily make up for it.  Firstly, again, most of the action scenes – both those involving cars and close-combat – were fantastic (I just didn’t like the climax – except for Paul Walker’s fight sequence.  That was awesome).  Secondly, I genuinely laughed whenever its attempts at humor hit the target (Tyrese Gibson’s character provided a good dose of comic relief once again).  Thirdly, the new characters were great.  It was a thrill to see The Transporter clash with Dominic Toretto; Jason Statham’s character has been, by far, the greatest, most badass villain of this franchise.  And Kurt Russell’s “bureaucratic badass agent” character was a delightful addition to the Fast and Furious universe – the guy was easily likable.  And, lastly, just like its predecessors, Furious 7 also has a lot of heart.

Moreover, I also have to applaud the work done on Paul Walker’s character.  I approve that instead of being killed off, he was instead retired in the most satisfying way possible.  I was also amazed by how the scenes that Walker was unable to shoot (because of his untimely death) were flawlessly accomplished by means of his brothers serving as stand-ins, strategic camera angles, and – most importantly – CGI.  Cinema magic has indeed come a long way.  The not-so-subtle, heartwarming tribute sequence at the end – to establish Brian O’Conner’s retirement from the franchise – was also a nice touch (though it was kind of funny how the manner of the characters’ behavior towards Brian’s retirement was as if he actually died). 

Furious 7 is dumb (as expected of this franchise), but immensely entertaining (as expected of this franchise since Fast Five).  And this latest Fast and Furious installment simply proved that this franchise still has a lot left in the tank. 

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Top 10 (Non-Western) Gunslingers in Fiction

I already made a list out of my favorite Western gunslingers in fiction (check it out).  This list is now exclusively made of fictional gunslingers that are not cowboys or gunfighters functioning in a Western setting.  However, it’s fine if these characters have some subtle references to or took some inspiration from the “Western cowboy” trope – they will still be considered for this list if so.  To qualify as a “gunslinger”, the character’s trademark weapons should be handguns, so anyone who regularly wields a weapon aside from handguns is disqualified for consideration.     

10.) HELLBOY

 

Hellboy, whose real name is Anung Un Rama (which means “and upon his brow is set a crown of flame”), is a demon that was summoned from Hell when he was still a baby by Nazi occultists.  He was rescued by the Allied forces and Prof. Trevor Bruttenholm, who took it up for himself to raise him as his own son.  Thus, Hellboy would grow up like a normal human, familiar with and engaging in human culture and practices.  He would also develop a knack for humor, gab, and sarcasm.  

Hellboy joins the organization founded by Prof. Bruttenholm – the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) – and uses his innate demonic strengths to fight in humanity’s behalf against occult threats.  Though he carries a variety of paraphernalia to combat supernatural evil forces, his primary weapon of choice is a large-ass revolver named “Good Samaritan.”  However, he’s only number ten in this list because he himself admits that he is a lousy shot and prefers to fight close-range.  

Ron Perlman killed it when he portrayed Hellboy in the film adaptation.   

9.) JUDGE DREDD

This character originally appeared in comics, but was also given a terrific live-action portrayal by Karl Urban in an underrated film adaptation back in 2012 (let’s pretend the one starring Stallone never happened).  In a dystopian future, Dredd is a “Street Judge” – a law enforcement officer who is literally a police, judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one.   Hence, once he apprehends a criminal, he can immediately convict and sentence him, and carry out the appropriate execution when necessary.  Being a Street Judge, Dredd possesses the standard issue “Lawgiver pistol” – which is designed to be exclusively handled by him and has six kinds of ammo.        

8.) THE PHANTOM

 

“The Phantom” is a masked crime-fighter persona that has been passed from father to son.  Because of this, the Phantom is thought of by people as immortal and has been given nicknames like “The Ghost Who Walks.”  The current Phantom, who is  being featured in the popular comic strips, is Kit Walker, the 21^st Phantom in line.  He has no superpowers, but uses his skills, wits, and his reputation as a “ghost” to fight crime.  The Phantom doesn’t particularly seek criminals and then shoot them, often choosing to beat them up instead.  But he will use his two M1911 pistols when the occasion calls for it. 

7.) DAISUKE JIGEN

Jigen is a character from the popular manga/anime series Lupin III.   Jigen is often by Lupin’s side when he’s on a heist.  Though his primary function in Lupin’s crew is that of a “trigger man”, he also fulfills duties as Lupin’s aide-de-camp or unofficial “number two.”   He is adept in a variety of firearms, but his preference is that of a Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver.   He possesses amazing quickness and accuracy as a shooter, and is known to use the notch of his fedora to improve his aim.      

6.) THE SHADOW

The Shadow originated from the pulp era of comics and novels, and is just one of several Zorro-inspired “wealthy gentleman by day, masked crime-fighter by night” adventure heroes that emerged during that time (one other example of which is Batman).   My first encounter with the character was in the 1994 film starring Alec Baldwin.  I was impressed by how “unique” of a superhero he was – particularly, how he will laugh maniacally like a villain to intimidate his opponents.  He possesses psychic powers and can also make himself invisible.  But even with these superpowers, the Shadow still arms himself with a pair of pistols.

5.) JOHN PRESTON

What if you can mix close-combat martial arts with gun-slinging?  That is what the movie Equilibrium explored with “Gun Kata”, a fictional fighting style that I adore.  John Preston (played by Christian Bale) is the main protagonist of the movie.  And in this movie’s universe, he is considered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Gun Kata fighters there are.  Equilibrium is a must-watch, not necessarily due to its story, but because of John Preston’s awesome close-combat gunfights.   

4.) SPIKE SPIEGEL

I admit that when I wrote my list on fictional Western cowboys/gunfighters, I forgot about Spike.  He would have qualified for that list since Cowboy Bebop is a “space western” and Spike is even referenced as a “space cowboy.”  So I intend to make it right with Spike, and make a little exception for him here (besides, I also established in the introduction that it’s acceptable if the character has “some subtle references to or took some inspiration from the ‘Western cowboy’ trope.”  Moreover, Spike isn’t really a complete “cowboy/gunfighter character in a Western setting”).  

Spike used to work for the Red Dragon Syndicate, but after faking his death so he can leave the syndicate, he found himself working as a bounty hunter with former cop Jet Black.  Spike shows proficiency in several skills, including martial arts, sleight of hand, piloting, and – of course – shooting.  Spike’s trademark gun is a Jericho 941.      

3.) ALUCARD

This reinvention of Dracula is my choice for the greatest “vampire hunter” character in fiction (read my “vampire hunters” list for a more detailed analysis of the character).  He can easily tear apart his opponents by means of his viciously powerful vampire powers, but favors engaging in battle with a pair of large, badass handguns:   the Hellsing ARMS .454 Casull Auto (or “The Casull” for short) and the Hellsing ARMS 13 mm Auto Anti-Freak Combat Pistol, Jackal (or “The Jackal” for short).  The Joker-like, “badass gunslinger” persona is what initially drew me to this character. 

2.) VASH THE STAMPEDE

Vash is one of the coolest anime characters ever.  As what I had written about him in the past:

At face value, Vash has one of the coolest get-ups or appearances found in anime.  Just one look at him and you can easily tell that he’s one kickass, badass dude.  And the appearance is not at all deceiving.  At the first episode, we learn how awesome he is when the fact that he’s a guy with a high bounty on his head was presented.  And then we got acquainted with his superhuman agility, reflexes, and eyesight, which are combined with his superior gunslinging skills.  More than that, the reason the anime is titled “trigun” is because Vash has three guns in his disposal: his revolver, a cybernetic left arm that turns to a machine gun, and his “Angel Arm” – his right arm, when activated by his revolver, turns into a powerful cannon that can level cities with a single blast.

Awesome dude.

1.) GENJO SANZO

I’ve been an anime fan for many years now, and Genjo Sanzo has remained as my most favorite anime character all this time.  A large part of it is because of the unparalleled depth and charisma of this gunslinging monk.  After being crowned as the 31^stSanzo and tasked to travel to the West to recover his late master’s Holy Sutra, he was led to a weapons room to arm himself for his mission.  Without any further thought, he proceeded to make a sole pick: a “banishing gun” – a five-shot Smith & Wesson revolver.   However, he was not only a gunslinger by his choice of weapon.  He truly embodied the personality of a gunslinger – terse but crusty; lonely; dogged; an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude; and never backs down from a necessary challenge, no matter how formidable and grim it is.

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The ‘Daredevil’ Web TV Series is Simply Batmanly

Just finished watching Daredevil’s first season.  And I have one word for it:  “Batmanly.”  It’s a word I kind of invented (though it’s very much likely that I’m not the only one who was able to “invent” this word; it’s not that hard to think of, really) to describe something that has the same kind of badassery, angst, and/or awesomeness – or any other quality for that matter – as Batman.  In the past I’ve made use of “Batman-like” or “Batman-esque”, but “Batmanly” certainly has a better ring to it.  (Which is understandable, really, for Daredevil has always had the same tone as Batman – or, rather, Frank Miller’s respective runs on both comic book characters have put the same distinctively grim and gritty tone on their characters.  Hence, providing Daredevil a “Batmanly” adjective is simply appropriate.)     

The first season of Daredevil served as a slow-paced, 13-episode origin story.  Heck, Daredevil was only officially born – name and costume and all – in the second half of the last episode!  It would have been tedious if it had not been so well-written, and so well-directed, and so well-acted – so well-everything.  The fight scenes were brilliant, the themes were thoughtful, and there were a lot of great character developments.  It was simply too engaging to find something complaining about.  Though I would have loved for it to have shown more concrete connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than the subtle ones featured, and to see Matt ditch the crude ninja outfit for the Daredevil costume sooner, and to see Matt’s walking stick being converted into Daredevil’s trademark billy club, and for Ben Urich to have not been killed off (because he’s an important character in the Daredevil/Spider-Man universe, and could still have been probably used in future MCU stories), but those are mere preferences rather than actual complains.    

    

Others are already saying that Daredevil is the greatest superhero TV series now.  Now, I wouldn’t go that far.  I still think The Flash and Arrow are better.  And, again, the first season has merely been an origin story for Daredevil.   We’ll only really know once we get to see some actual superheroing being done, which we’ll have to wait until the next season.  However, if this fantastic first season is any indication, I think that it has a good chance of getting there.  Daredevilis Marvel’s real first step into taking TV dominance from DC. 

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In ‘Batman vs. Robin’, Batman Faces One of His Biggest Challenges Yet – Being a Father

Batman vs. Robin is set months after the events of 2014’s Son of Batman.  Damien Wayne – now permanently staying with his father, Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman, and serving as his Robin – is struggling with the paradigm change.  Raised and trained by his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul to kill without hesitation but is now being taught by Batman to avoid it – “Justice, not vengeance,” as Batman constantly reminds him – Damien has a difficult time keeping his grim, murderous instincts in check when dealing with criminals, but overcomes the temptation because of a sincere desire to honor his father. 

However, with both Bruce and Damien suffering from flawed and damaged personalities, friction between them is inevitable.  Bruce, concerned for Damien’s safety as well as the chance of him succumbing to the darkness inside him, wants to keep him in a tight leash.  On the other hand, Damien is deeply frustrated of his father’s lack of trust.

Batman and Robin’s strained, “powder-keg” relationship is inevitably set to explode.  All it takes is a spark.  And that spark came in the form of the Court of Owls – a sinister, secret society of Gotham’s rich and elite, who has manipulated the city from the shadows for generations to advance their agendas and preserve their power.  A part of their plans involves recruiting the rich Bruce Wayne into their ranks, but, ironically, also involves destroying his alter-ego, Batman, who they consider a great threat to their operations (I have no idea, though, why they didn’t do it sooner in Batman’s career).  The Court of Owls plans to attack Batman by exploiting the rift between him and Robin, and create conflict between the two (hence, the “Batman vs. Robin” title).  They intend to do this by sending their lead henchman, Talon, to win over Robin and manipulate him into joining their side. 

Batman vs. Robin’s plot made it possible for a compelling father-and-son drama unfold in its storytelling. And I believe the movie has successfully fleshed out what I think is the most powerfully unique thing about the whole “Damien Wayne as Robin”: the father-and-son drama it brings to the “Batman and Robin” dynamic – Batman struggling to be a father, Robin struggling to be a son.  Sure, Bruce Wayne also served as a father figure to Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake.  But it’s different with Damien because he’s his biological son.  The connection between them is much significant – as well as any chemistry and conflict that can develop – due to being their own flesh-and-blood with each other.  Batman’s struggles as a father put additional depth to the unique “humanized” charm that makes him stand out in the DC superhero pantheon.  And Damien being tormented in his search for identity, acceptance, and redemption makes him distinctive above all the Robins that came before him.  Above its enjoyable action and beautiful animation, this aspect, for me, is what makes Batman vs. Robin a great film. 

Miscellaneous musings:

• Observation: Batman animated films > Justice League animated films.  So far, I haven’t disliked a Batman animated movie yet.     
• I would love to see Grant Morrison’s “Batman and Robin” – wherein Dick Grayson was Batman with Damien Wayne as his Robin – adapted into an animated film.  But since that happened pre-New 52 and DC is seemingly adapting New 52 concepts exclusively for their current direct-to-video animated features, I don’t see this a likely thing happening.  Bummer.
• I like Damien Wayne as a character.  The fantastic development of the character made him my choice as favorite Robin.  Yes, he’s an arrogant brat, but he’s a lovable arrogant brat.  However, I noticed that some annoyance was being provoked by the quality of the voicing of Damien in this movie.  The experience was like hearing Sarah Silverman’s Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph.  
• The cameo of future Damien Wayne Batman from Batman #666 was much appreciated.
• Next on DC Universe Animated Original Movies: a dark, Elseworld-style story titled Justice League: Gods and Monsters, wherein Superman is the son of Zod (not Jor-el), Wonder Woman is a New God, and Batman is a vampire.  I recently saw the teaser trailer.  And it looks pretty godawful.  And the worst thing is that this is produced by Bruce Timm, the man who created the beloved “Timmverse” – the greatest animated adaptation of the DC universe.  I wish he opted for a more lighthearted project.

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China's Invasion of the Philippines Will Happen in Our Lifetime

Satellite photo of the development of a Chinese military base in the West Philippine Sea

I have joked in the past that the Philippines is more or less ready for Chinese occupation due to the reality that most of our rich people have Chinese ancestry and surnames, numerous Chinese temples are scattered across the country, and Filipinos are fond of buying cheap, China-made knockoffs.  But, seriously, I extremely hate to see a Chinese invasion happening – to have the Philippines go to war with China, lose, and be occupied.  It’s a troubling scenario. 

Besides, if the Philippines will go to war, I will be probably be drawn to the conflict – whether by being conscripted to the Philippine military, or helping in the resistance.  It’s something I’m not particularly equipped for.  I’m awfully out of shape.  And after experiencing riding or witnessing some rides in Enchanted Kingdom about a year and a half ago, I learned that I’m pathetic in facing life-threatening danger.  I will arguably be useless in a fight.

I wish I’m just fooling around with the title of this article.  But there’s half of me that really believes the Chinese will make a move to invade us.  Probably not soon.  But maybe within the next two decades.  Yes, China has been historically controversially aggressive, but it seems that the communist country has been more so recently.  Sure, other countries are presently threatened by China, too.  But, looking at the signs being shown by our current status quo, if ever China decides to go an invasion spree, the Philippines is the likeliest first target.        

For years, China has constantly disrespected the sovereignty and boundaries of the Philippines.  But its recent construction of artificial islands and military bases within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone is its most disturbing action so far.  Some of those bases are only a little bit over a hundred kilometers away from Philippine mainland!  If ever China decides to invade the Philippines, its military logistics will easily flow through those military bases as entry points.  Definitely, China’s behavior is a clear prelude to invasion.  In fact, by clear violation of the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone set by UNCLOS, it is already, technically, an invasion.        

This issue regarding China’s penetration into Philippine waters and its building of military bases should be dealt with ASAP.  I’m a bit upset that there seems to be a general ignorance and apathy about the matter, not only in the international community, but among Filipinos as well.  It is a matter that I believe deserves everyone’s utmost attention and should be addressed urgently.  Here are some things that I would like to see happen right now:      

Filipinos should be more attentive regarding the matter.  I understand that our country is dealing with countless problems internally.  But I still believe that the issue with China deserves a top priority.  I hope that the Philippine government and media will provide the attention that the issue deserves.  How can other nations see the urgency and magnitude of the problem if we Filipinos aren’t giving it the concern it deserves?  I understand that P-Noy wants to leave a great legacy.  And there’s probably no greater legacy than managing to address this matter, or at least, laying the groundwork for the next president to do it.

The Philippines should start lobbying for other countries’ support.  If the Philippines fall, other countries in the region is also open to invasion.  As early as now, the Philippines and other countries (India, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc.) that have problems with China should openly declare an alliance already.  I want all these countries to strongly imply that they will gang up on China if necessary.

Strong reassurance from the US.  Our main military ally is the US.  The US promised that it will take military response if China continues to push its aggressiveness.  But, more than this, I hope the US will tangibly provide military assistance now by giving (or loaning) the Philippines a couple of modern military hardware.  A couple of drones, especially.  Such gesture will not only provide us some valuable weapons when time comes, but it will send the message to China that the US is committed on aiding us if they continue their aggressiveness.  In fact, I wouldn’t even mind if the Philippine government will officially declare what the Chinese are doing now is an invasion (which technically is exactly that anyway) and then request US aid in destroying those bases.

A US military base in Mindanao.  It has always been one of my realistic – because I also have a couple of far-fetched ones – dreams for this country, up there with a modern rail system operating in Luzon.  Let that sink in.  Think of the huge effect that a US military base will provide.

The US and the UN declaring an ultimatum for China to remove those bases.  If China refuses to comply, sanctions should be given.  The Philippines had already filed a case against China in the world court.  This case is a sure win for the Philippines (since simple common sense shows that China is at fault here), but China has made it clear that they won’t adhere to any decision in favor of the Philippines.  UN should grow a pair, and make a clear, firm statement right now of the actions they will take to enforce their ruling on the matter.

Diplomacy and taking legal action – which are the only things the Philippines is doing at the present – are of course the ideal ways to resolve this.  But the Philippines should, at this point, seriously consider what should be done once this channel is exhausted.  I’m not asking the Philippines to make a strong, hasty mobilization for war against China right now (besides, we don’t have the firepower to back it up).  But I believe it is necessary for the Philippines to relay the message that, regardless of our limited capability, we are prepared to make a move and destroy those Chinese bases once UN makes a resolution regarding the matter and China refuses to comply.  Moreover – and most importantly, because we can’t do this alone – the Philippines should also actively request the UN, the US, and our other allies to make official statements and pledges on what they intend to do if China will choose to disregard UN decision and continue their aggressive behavior.             

There’s the saying, “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.”  China’s bases within Philippine waters are the metaphorical “inch” we can’t afford to yield.  Therefore, what I would really like to see is for the Philippines to prioritize this matter and make substantial, calculated moves right now.  We should not wait until China is already comfortably positioned to take the metaphorical “mile.”    

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"Celebrate!" 2015 VBS Songs

This is the recording of our renditions of the featured songs of this year's VBS -- the Filipino-themed Celebrate!.  

click here for more videos

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‘Monsters: Dark Continent’ is Another Angsty War Drama… But With Cthulhu Aliens!

I greatly liked the first Monsters movie back in 2010.  It was a beautiful, thought-provoking film which depicted the USA-Mexico border having been transformed into an “infected zone”, wherein Cthulhu-like aliens have surfaced and settled after a space probe crashed in the area.   This sequel, Monsters: Dark Continent, is set ten years after the events of the original film.  Another “infected zone” has emerged in the Middle East, and American troops are deployed to fight an all-out war against the alien monsters.  But aside from the alien monsters, American troops also have to deal with the typical armed insurgencies in the region (so it ended becoming a chaotic “three-way war”).  

The different setting and premise of Dark Continent from its predecessor gave it a very different tone, too.  For one, Dark Continent was action-packed.  It was also apparent from the cinematography and visual effects that it enjoyed a bigger production budget.  Most importantly, while the first movie was a thoughtful drama, this sequel is an attempt to be a thoughtful action-drama in the vein of American Sniper.  But the political theme allegorized in it is not as clever as its predecessor’s.  Besides, it felt like such themes are too worn-out at this point.  Still, though Dark Continent’s depth suffered from that – the first movie is definitely more thought-provoking – I still appreciated how the clichéd themes are uniquely portrayed by the fact that Cthulhu-like aliens are involved in the metaphor. 

The beginning and middle acts were truly engaging, although the weak last act exposed to me how derivative the movie really is.  I was just too entertained by the previous acts to notice the fact earlier.  When the narrative started slowing down, it gave me time to reflect, and I quickly realized how lacking the movie really is.  I think if it were a bit more action-heavy till the end, it would have distracted me from its flaws; I would have liked the movie more.      

Monsters: Dark Continent has its problems, but I liked it overall.  If one expects this to be as rich as the first movie, one will be easily disappointed.  But take the movie as it is – like I did – and it’ll be an interesting watch.

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