Favorite Fictional Couples Part Two

Last week I started off the countdown of my personal favorite fictional couples, in honor of Valentine's Day and being single (pftt, boyfriend? Nope, not for this crazy cat lady).  We saw some truly epic couples last week, (not to mention every Disney couple EVAH), but brace yourselves readers, because this list is only going to get even more intense.

Bring it.

So without further ado, let's get right to it, with number...

15. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase
Book: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & The Heroes of Olympus

What's awesome about this couple?  Well, for one, they're both demi-gods.  Percy is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Annabeth is the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom.  What this means is that they are one badass, powerful couple--Percy can control water, talk to horses, (so cool!) control ships with his mind, navigate on open seas through instinct, and even breathe underwater (again, I say, so cool!).  And Annabeth is really, really, really, smart. (um, so cool? YES! YES IT IS!!) You'd be surprised how even though Percy apparently has all these badass superpowers, it's usually Annabeth who saves the day by coming up with a clever plan.  They start off by irritating each other, but of course it turns into love, and by the second series, their relationship is so strong that Percy willingly falls into Tartarus (basically, Greek version of hell) with Annabeth, rather than be separated from her.  If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Romantic Fan Art, awww...*

14. Sawyer and Kate
Show: LOST

For me, my favorite couple from LOST will always be Sawyer and Kate--there was just something about them, their intense chemistry, how they were both broken down people who had criminal backgrounds, and how Kate was really the first person to look deeper than the persona Sawyer presented and find that even though Sawyer acted nasty, he actually had some good in him.  Unfortunately for me and Skater shippers everywhere, they don't wind up together--(spoiler alert!) Sawyer ends up with Juliet, which while it was a very sweet romance, to me it wasn't nearly as exciting or interesting as his relationship with Kate in the earlier seasons.

Sawyer's and Kate's Relationship in 5 Pictures

*fans rejoicing*

Sawyer and Kate: I think we make better friends.
Fans: *ugly sobbing*

There was an entire love triangle over whether Kate would wind up with Sawyer or Jack--arguments over this destroyed many lives and may have caused an international diplomatic incident.  In other words, it was serious business for the fans of the show.  In the end, Kate declares her love for Jack, but they don't wind up together, as Jack is stuck on the island.  So, alas, Kate is denied both the attractive, noble, doctor that is Jack and the smokin-hot, scruffy, bad-boy conman that is Sawyer.  Life is cruel.  But for me, her relationship with Sawyer was one of the best things about LOST, which is why the early seasons always have a fond place in my heart.

13. Josef and Sarah
Show: Moonlight

What's crazy about this couple is they literally have one scene together where we get to see them interact with each other.  For the rest of the episode devoted to some of Josef's backstory, all we see of Sarah is in a few scenes at the end, where she is in a coma.  Because of this, we know very little about her, except for that one brief scene...how brief you say?  Glad you asked. (also, as a bonus, some gratuitous Spanish in the beginning.)

That's all we got basically, of their relationship--one quick kiss outside.  Theirs is a tragic story--they fell in love, and since Josef is a vampire, he tried to turn Sarah into one, so she could be with him always.  Instead, something went wrong and Sarah is trapped in an immortal coma (No, I'm not crying! I've just got some dust in my eye! Okay?!).  It's this loss that many fans believe is responsible for the way Josef acts in the show--keeping a wall up, acting aloof and sometimes even downright angry or rude--because he doesn't want to let people get close to him again.  But even though the onscreen time was short, it has inspired many a fanfiction for those who want to see more of their relationship.  What is so sad about their relationship is Josef has to live on without her, and the show was cancelled before we could find out if she ever woke up.  I like to think that if the writer's strike hadn't happened to mess with the ratings, somewhere down the line they would have woken Sarah up and explored her and Josef together a bit more.  Even in that brief scene, they had something that looked incredibly sweet and heartwarming.

12. Wolf and Virginia
Mini-Series: The 10th Kingdom

This is the only relationship on this list that begins when the man tries to eat the woman's grandmother.  Promise.  Some friends of mine sat me down in college and made me watch 10th Kingdom and for that, I'm forever in their debt.  Besides for sometimes really bad special effects, 10th Kingdom is an absolutely hilarious, fun and unexpectedly romantic adventure that takes a twist on classic fairy tales and shows you them like you've never seen before.

Wolf is a half-man, half-wolf, and he starts off a minion for the evil queen, sent to find the prince and recapture him.  Instead he runs into Virginia in New York City, and falls hopelessly in love and lust for her.  Virginia ends up accidentally stumbling into the fairy tale realm, and Wolf (after rescuing her from some trolls) becomes her guide through the land, while at the same time, tries to win her affections.  This can be difficult, as you can imagine, when their first meeting was Wolf shoving her grandmother into an oven.

Actual scene from the mini-series.

Wolf is a fantastic character--he's unpredictable (which leads for some drama later on), energetic, surprisingly sensitive, even more surprisingly loyal, and hysterically funny.  Virginia is also wonderful--she's smart, independent, very stubborn, and very confident, which I love about her.  She is also capable of being very kind and caring.  Throughout the mini-series Wolf gradually chips away at her angry exterior, and she comes to depend on him.

Nothing says 'Sorry for trying to eat your Granny,' like a bouquet of flowers.

In the end, they go off to New York together, firmly in love and ready to take on anything. *cheers*

11. Killian Jones (aka, Captain Hook) and Emma Swan
Show: Once Upon A Time

I never in a million years would have predicted that Captain Hook would wind up being one of the good guys, and on top of that, a definite love interest for the main character, Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.  Although, when Captain Hook looks like this:

*swoons*

 maybe it's not so surprising after all.  Emma could do a lot worse.

What I like about their relationship is it shows how love can redeem someone.  Hook starts off as a villain--he betrays Emma multiple times (though, to be fair, she also betrays him), he works for Cora, one of the most despicable characters on the show, and he's actively trying to murder Rumpelstiltskin, to the point that he shoots Belle and causes her to lose all her memories.  Karma repays him for these actions and he gets hit by a car.

Pictured above: Justice.

Unfortunately, the lesson doesn't take right away, and he still pursues his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin.  But in the meantime, he also interacts quite a bit with Emma, and she gradually begins to rub off on him.   They share amazing chemistry, which started when they met, where Emma sourced out his deception with her spot-on instincts, and impressing Hook in the process.  While at first he just causally flirts and teases her, over the course of the show it begins to become more and more genuine.  His love for Emma inspires him to be a better man, to be worthy of her, to the point that he puts aside his revenge to help her save her son.  And while Emma isn't sure how she feels, she definitely is attracted to him, as this moment shows:

Whoa! Get a room you two!

Once Upon A Time is still airing, so we've yet to see how their relationship will play out.  But I, for one,  am really hoping that they'll get a happy ending.

Well, there you have it!  First ten done, ten more to go!  The list of personal favorite fictional couples continueth next week!  If you have a favorite couple, I'd love to hear from you--until next week readers!

Fun Fact of the Day: The character of Sawyer was originally meant to be an older, slick, suit-wearing city con artist from New York. However, when Josh Holloway forgot a line at his audition, and subsequently kicked a chair in frustration and loudly swore, the writers liked the edge he brought to the Sawyer character and decided to write Sawyer as more of a Southern, darker grifter instead.  Also, Kate was intended to be an older business woman separated from her husband in the crash.  Imagine what the show could have been like if they had gone with these original ideas. Yikes!

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!

Favorite Fictional Couples Part One

Last Friday was Valentine's Day, and in the great tradition of single people everywhere, I celebrated it by ordering a pizza, and stocking up on some Ben and Jerry's while watching romantic movies.

Ben and Jerry's understands my soul.

Like many single people, along with ice cream and cats, I also turn to fictional couples to fill the gaping void of loneliness in my heart.  So in honor of the past holiday, and for all you single people out there looking for some great romantic couples to live vicariously through, here is a list of my Top 20 Favorite Fictional Couples.

This couple above?  One of my favorites.

Honorable Mention: EVERY DISNEY COUPLE EVER

Seriously, I decided to include Disney couples as an honorable mention, because otherwise, over half of the list would be couples from their movies.  Belle and Beast? Yup.  Aladdin and Jasmine? Check. Flynn and Rapunzel? Definitely. Ariel and Eric? Aw, so sweet.  This includes non human couples as well, like Simba and Nala, and Pongo and Perdita, not to mention Lady and the Tramp, which is just about one of the sweetest, most romantic movies ever.

Yes, I ship fictional dogs.  Don't judge me, I judge you!

Disney is what I grew up on, and so all their couples will always have a special place in my heart for teaching me unrealistic expectations of what falling in love should be like. : )

20.  Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
Show: The X-Files

Ah, The X-Files.  You would think that a show about government conspiracies, aliens, and freaky monsters wouldn't be the ideal setting for a romance.  Well, GUESS WHAT?! You'd be wrong! It turns out, that solving unexplained mysteries is the perfect setting for building a relationship. Mulder and Scully had friggin TONS of chemistry, (what professionals call unresolved sexual tension (UST)) so much so that the overall emotional arc of the story became about whether or not they would ever get together.  Yes, they spent most of the series not acknowledging their feelings for each other, but that's also what I kinda like about them.  It's the slow building of their relationship that draws you in and makes you root for them to succeed--which is why when they FINALLY kiss in the first movie it's so satisfying, because as a fan of the show, you've been waiting for this moment forever.

If you don't see the sexual tension in this picture, you're lying.

Mulder and Scully always had each other's backs; they were partners in the truest sense of the word.  I also liked the believer/skeptic dynamic between them, with Mulder pushing Scully to open her mind to new ideas, and Scully keeping Mulder grounded in reality.  So because of their steadfast friendship and amazing chemistry that lead them to something more, they easily make it into my top 20 favorite couples.

You know it would make the bestseller's list.

19. Monica Geller and Chandler Bing
Show: Friends

Suck it losers!

What I love about Chandler and Monica is that they were a surprise hookup on the show that made perfect sense and worked beautifully, so much so that I think they are more beloved than the show's main 'on-again, off-again' couple of Ross and Rachel. Monica and Chandler were quirky, hilarious, but best of all, they were in a stable relationship and eventually became happily married.  Their lives weren't perfect, and they went through some ups and downs but that's why I like them so much, because they stuck with each other through everything.  That's what love is, staying together for better or for worse, and Monica and Chandler really showed this throughout the show.

18. Simon Tam and Kaywinnet Lee Frye (Kaylee)
Show: Firefly

Simon and Kaylee was a romance of rich city doctor meets cute country mechanic. Also, said rich city doctor is a fugitive on the run with his mentally unstable sister who is wanted by the government.  And did I mention that Kaylee is the mechanic of Serenity--a spaceship that isn't above taking jobs outside the law? Theirs is a romance of awkward conversations, foot-in-mouth moments on Simon's half, and gentle flirting.

D'aaaw.

Unfortunately, the show was cancelled before we could see them overcome their awkwardness and officially become a couple.  Fortunately, we got a Big Damn Movie, that finally gave the fans what they were hoping for.

And there was much rejoicing.

17. Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire
Book: The Time Traveler's Wife

This is one of my all-time favorite books.  Henry and Clare's relationship is so touching and heartbreaking.  Henry is an involuntary time-traveler who Clare first meets when she's a little girl.  Later when she's grown up, Henry meets her for the first time in Chicago, at the library where he works.  Their relationship is always all out of order, and that's only one of the difficulties they face throughout the novel.

Like a lot of novels, it got made into a disappointing movie.

Their marriage is often stressful due to Henry's condition, and as the novel goes on, they are further worried by the fact that they have never seen a version of Henry who is older than his early 40's.  However, despite the knowledge of the future, they stay with each other.  Clare takes care of Henry, when he's hurt from time-traveling, and Henry takes care of Clare, when she suffers multiple miscarriages.  Their love story is a tragic one, but it's also beautiful. The novel examines ideas of free will and destiny, and what impact that would have on a relationship.  The results are often both unexpectedly heartbreaking, but sometimes also greatly heartwarming.

Don't worry, it's not what it looks like.

 16. Mick St. John and Beth Turner
Show: Moonlight

Mick.  Beth.  One an immortal vampire, and one a mortal woman journalist.  But it's waaaay better than Twilight.  For one thing, Mick is a really cool Vampire Private Detective, and for another thing, Beth actually has a life outside of Mick, which includes a human boyfriend. (Say what?!) Over the course of 16 episodes we get to watch the relationship between Mick and Beth grow into something very sweet. Mick sacrifices a lot for Beth, and Beth in turn, struggles with the knowledge that Mick is a vampire.  What I liked about the show is they surprisingly had Beth discover Mick's true nature in the 2nd episode.  This led to some great moments where Beth helps Mick start to accept who he is, and show him that even though he's a vampire, he still has humanity in him.

Mick: I'm feeling a bit peckish.
Beth: Oh look at the time...

They had fantastic chemistry together, and I liked that Beth was the confident, outgoing one, while Mick was the more reserved, quiet one.  In the last episode, when Mick decides to walk back into the room and tell Beth he loves her, fans of the show everywhere cheered. : )

Well, there you have it, the first 5 of my Top 20 Favorite Fictional Couples.  What are some of your favorite couples?

Fun Fact of the Day: I ate way too much chocolate on Valentine's Day this year.

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!

Once Upon A Time--A Video Game Please?

It should be no secret by now that I love television.  There are so many great shows out there, and new ones are being produced every day.  My most recent love is ABC's Once Upon a Time.  This is a lighthearted fantasy series about fairy tale characters being cursed to the "real" world, and forgetting their fairy-tale selves. The series focuses on Snow White's daughter, who escaped the curse, but grew up in our world, unaware of her true heritage.

This series came out a couple of years ago, as fairy tales are the new "in" thing in Hollywood right now.  You just have to look at all the movies being produced off of fairy tales to see my point--the latest movie being Maleficent, with Angelina Jolie.  The trend is to make them darker and edgier, in an attempt, I suppose, to appeal to today's youth and more cynical audience.  When I first heard about Once Upon a Time I was only slightly interested, and I assumed it would be more of the same.  I didn't bother to watch the first season when it aired, and later I caught a couple of episodes on Netflix, but it was never must-watch television for me (psh, got better things to do, like sort my socks).  A lot of the characters seemed whiny, and for whatever reason, I didn't find the story-line compelling.

However, I would watch it occasionally when I wasn't in the mood for anything else, because a part of me did really like the idea of all these fairy-tale characters interacting with each other.  The fairy-tales have a definite Disney influence to them, and I love Disney (if you don't love Disney, I don't know if we can be friends).  So part of me liked to see my favorite Disney characters interpreted into live action tv-show.  Getting to see Snow White interact with Jiminy Cricket (who owned a Dalmatian named Pongo) was fun.  Disney crossover is why Kingdom Hearts is one of my all-time favorite video games.

Different Levels.

Same Game.

Awesome.

So episode by episode I made my way through the first half of the first season.   Then something happened.  First, they added Alice in Wonderland  characters into the show--specifically, the Mad Hatter, one of my favorite characters.  The addition of him automatically made Once Upon a Time more interesting for me because I adore all things Alice in Wonderland.  Then, secondly, the storytelling began to pick up some pace and develop.  Characters died.  Other characters became involved in an affair.  Things changed and the show wasn't afraid to shake up the status quo.  Combining this with some serious character development is what ultimately got me hooked.

And I mean 'hooked' in the literal sense.

The show's characters are definitely its greatest strength.  They are so well developed--hardly anyone is pure good or pure evil.  For example, take Captain Hook.  Introduced in the second season, he starts off a straight up villain, but then we later learn that the only reason he's a villain is because he wants to take revenge on Rumpelstiltskin for murdering his true love.  Come third season, he's actually an ally and love interest to the main character Emma.  We get to see Hook develop from a revenge obsessed villain, into a man trying to change his ways and redeem himself.  Likewise, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Snow White, who is goodness and pureness personified, until, angry and upset about events that have happened, tricks the Evil Queen into murdering Cora, the Queen's mother.

DID YOU SAY SNOW WHITE COMMITTED MURDER?!

Watching the fallout of her decision is fascinating, as is the back-and-forth feud between her and her stepmother.

Once Upon A Time also brings in characters from classic literature and myths, such as Doctor Frankenstein, Robin Hood, and the King Arthur legends.  It's such a fun show, one of the only show where you can type a sentence like this: Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Prince Charming, and Captain Hook, along with the Evil Queen and Emma (Snow White's daughter) head off to Neverland to rescue Henry from the villainous Peter Pan.  With the help of Ariel and Tinkerbell, will they succeed?

The Evil Queen and Tinkerbell.  This ain't your typical Disney movie kids.

What I wish we could have one day, is a video game of the show.  Think on how awesome that would be if it was done well.  You could play as different fairy-tale characters, fight monsters, and different levels could take place in different worlds--for example there could be a level in Snow White's Castle in the Enchanted Forest, a level in Storybrook, Maine, and another level in Neverland.  And this is only scratching the surface of all the potential.  There is a reason why Kingdom Hearts is so popular, and a large part of that is getting to play with some of your favorite Disney characters.  Think how cool it would be here to do the same?

  In fact, Once Upon A Time isn't the only television show that would make a sweet video game.  I honestly don't understand how Supernatural hasn't produced a kick-ass video game yet.  I wish television studios would wake up and realize the potential profits these games would bring them.  Alas, it is yet to be.

Fun Fact of the Day: The Kingdom Hearts series has sold over 17 million copies world-wide.  So there's definitely a market for crossover Disney video games.

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!

Some Geeky Thoughts for the New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!  I hope that you all had a fun and safe holiday, whatever one you celebrated.  The general craziness of Christmas and New Year's Eve for me, derailed my blogging schedule a bit, mainly because I was like this all last month:

IT'S HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS?!

So I thought I'd start off my first post of 2014 by sharing some things that, as a geeky person, I'm looking forward to this year.  I'm also thinking that many of my posts this year will be containing a list of some sort, just because I always like reading list articles--I think they create a state of excitement (WHAT WILL BE NUMBER ONE?!?! I MUST KNOW!!).  But this post, I think I just plan to ramble my way through various topics, because I can. : )

So right off the bat I have to say one of the things I'm looking forward to the most this year is more British television.  If you read this blog at all, you know I am a serious Doctor Who fan, so it is killing me slowly inside that I have to wait until August (possibly longer!) for a new episode.  I can't wait to see what Peter Capaldi's Doctor will be like.  The glimpse we had of him in the Christmas special wasn't enough time to really establish anything about him (other than that he doesn't know the meaning of personal space).

Personal space?! What's that?!

But Doctor Who isn't the only British television I'm excited about.  Nope.  This month we get the return of Sherlock--which I streamed through my computer on New Year's Day.  It lagged a bit, and my laptop got infested with malware, but it was totally worth it.  No way I could wait until the 19th for it to air in America (that's just crazy talk).  I have mixed feelings about the episode, but overall I'm very happy to have the show back.  (And so is tumblr, judging by the way it blew up after the episode aired.)

I'm planning on continuing to watch all of Merlin on Netflix--such a great show and also family friendly.  And the BBC has got a trailer out for a new series, The Musketeers, which I definitely plan on checking out, (and not just because Peter Capaldi is playing Cardinal Richelieu).   Check out the trailer:

I'm not sure when it will air in America, but I can't wait.  I've always loved costume dramas, and this production looks really fantastic.

2014 also looks to be a great year for geeky movies.  I'm particularly excited to see Captain America: Winter Solider, the new X-men movie, Veronica Mars, and of course the conclusion to The Hobbit.  (Not until December!! *dies*)  How to Train Your Dragon 2 is also coming out this year I believe, and the animation looks just as great as in the first one.

Of all those movies, the one I most want to see is The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  My love for anything Middle-Earth knows no bounds.  Because this is the last year of the trilogy, a big part of me is thinking of going to Comic Con again this summer.  The pros of that is it's Geek Paradise, there's a big chance Peter Jackson will be there with the cast of The Hobbit and I could potentially fulfill my lifelong dream of meeting Orlando Bloom, and then I might stumble into Benedict Cumberbatch and kiss him.  The cons of Comic Con is that last summer it broke my bank account, and I can't afford to do that again. (Dang adult responsibilities.)

This year I'm also going to get back to writing--continuing this blog, which I've been having so much fun with, even though I'm pretty sure my mom is the only one who reads it.  (Thanks mom! I love you.)  But I also want to get back into the fanfiction scene, as well as maybe finally get around to working on, and *crossing fingers* finishing a first draft of my own novel.  The hardest part for me about writing, is getting away from all the distractions of other stories that I love.  I'll sit down, say to myself, 'time to write,' and then the next thing I know I'm on chapter 35 of one of the best Harry Potter fanfics I've ever read, and also, it's 3am.  (sadly, I'm not making that up.)

This year is also the year I plan to get to know the Eighth Doctor better.  Ever since I saw The Night of the Doctor, my love for the Eighth Doctor (and consequently, Paul McGann) has exploded.  I've already bought quite a few Big Finish Audio Adventures with him.  They are AMAZING!!  If you are a Whovian, and you haven't checked out Big Finish, stop reading this right now and go to their website.  They have many adventures with the Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, Fifth, and are now starting episodes with the Fourth Doctor--all voiced by the original actors.  It's a very fun way to get more stories with some of your favorite Doctors, and in Eight's case, one of the only ways.

I'm looking into a way to expand my blog a bit, so I can have a separate section dedicated to me exploring both the Big Finish adventures with the Eighth Doctor, and also reading and reviewing his novel series.  There are 73 books published starring the Eighth Doctor--I plan to read them all.  So if you are a fan, I recommend you check it out once I figure out how to get it up and running.

You want to blog...about me? 

Looking back at 2013, I think it was a fantastic year.  I discovered Doctor Who in time to celebrate its 50th Anniversary.  I still can't believe that I got to be in the same room as the Doctor at Comic Con.  I also made some new geeky friends and reacquainted myself with some old ones. I battled a skeleton king and came out alive (okay, so maybe it was on a video game, but still!).  I dressed up as Harry Potter at work on Halloween and wasn't fired (always a plus). 2013 was a good year.  I'm hoping 2014 will be just as wonderful!

Happy New Year!!

Fun Fact of the Day: Peter Capaldi was the lead singer of punk rock band, Dreamboys, which included Craig Ferguson (notable Doctor Who fan) as the drummer.  Basically, Craig is friends with the Doctor--so jealous!

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!!

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

So, something you all should know about me is that I am a HUGE fan of Lord of the Rings.  No really.  I saw Fellowship of the Ring THIRTEEN TIMES in theaters when it came out.  So, I'm not over-exaggerating when I say that I love these movies.  I knew at some point The Hobbit would be made--the first three movies were waaaaaaay so successful that this was inevitable.

I have always loved reading.  Growing up found me often with my nose in a book.  And one of my favorite books to this day remains The Hobbit.  So, it is with mixed feelings that I watch Peter Jackson's adaptations.  I find that the plot changes he is making irritate me, in a way that they didn't with Lord of the Rings (though, part of me thinks that is because I didn't read the books until after I saw Fellowship.  I tried, multiple times, but just couldn't get past the beginning of the first book.)

Too much exposition...*dies*

However, now these books remain some of my all-time favorite reads--and it was with great excitement that I looked forward to Peter Jackson's take on my beloved childhood novel.  After all, he had done such an amazing job with Lord of the Rings--surely it would be the same with The Hobbit.  Even the news that the movie was being split into three parts didn't deter me from my glee--if anything, it only added to it, because there's no such thing as too much Middle-Earth. (duh)

And yes, I liked the first movie very much.  I don't understand all the critics who complained that the beginning dragged.  To me, the movie was over way too soon.  It killed me to know that I had to wait another year until the next one...

I WANT IT NOW!!

Well, a year has now passed, and it found me at the midnight showing for Desolation of Smaug.  Yay!  Midnight showings are the best, because there's nothing like watching a movie late at night, when you're high on exhaustion after getting up at 6:00am to work all day, and then heading straight over to the movie theater to wait in line for over 5 hours so you can have the best seats in the house.  (Totally worth it).

Here are my thoughts on the movie, for what they're worth.  I both liked it and didn't like it at the same time.

BE WARNED!! SPOILERS AHEAD FOR DESOLATION OF SMAUG!!

Let's start off with The Good:

* Smaug was awesome!!!  Smaug was easily the best thing about this movie.  Peter Jackson nailed him.  He looked fantastic--one of, if not the best, dragons I have ever seen on film.  He looked real--he had a very palpable presence on screen.  Seriously, outstanding job on the special effects.  *gives standing ovation*  Benedict Cumberbatch's voice acting was supurb, though I expected nothing less.  I can't wait to see more of him in the third installment.

Might I trouble you for a cup of sugar?

* The spiders in Mirkwood were wet your pants terrifying.  One of my favorite parts in the books, is when the dwarves are captured by the spiders and Bilbo has to rescue them.  While in the movie it doesn't play out exactly the same, it's close enough, and the spiders are freaky enough that you don't care.  Shelob didn't scare me too bad in Return of the King, something about her never really felt real to me.  But these Mirkwood spiders, oh man, I was cringing back in my seat from fear.  Again, amazing job on the special effects.  Great action, and I gave a bit of a cheer when Bilbo named his sword Sting.

Meep!

*Martin Freeman as Bilbo is perfect.  Once again, he just is Bilbo.  I love him to bits, and he does another excellent job in Desolation of Smaug.  Watching Bilbo come into his own as a valuable member of the group is great and heartwarming.

*Gandalf and the Necromancer--OMG, SO COOL!!  Gandalf was badass this movie if you don't mind me saying so.  The scenes where he went to investigate the Necromancer were spooky, and the Necromancer himself was really cool as this thing of shapeshifting shadows.  I have always preferred Gandalf the Grey over Gandalf the White, and this movie really lets us see how awesome the wizard is.

*Bard was a great character.  I liked that the movie fleshed him out a bit and gave him a bit more of a backstory.  Luke Evans was a good surprise, and the movie has set him up nicely for some epic heroic moments next film.

*Thranduil and Legolas were both very awesome.  It made the high school girl in me who had an extreme crush on Legolas and by extension, Orlando Bloom, very, very happy to see him again in this movie.  The moment with Gloin (Gimil's father) was wonderful.  I liked that Legolas's personality was different, in that he is a lot more arrogant and close-minded than when we see him in Lord of the Rings.  I'm really hoping the third Hobbit movie will show a bit of character development for him.  It would be great to see him go from this version of him, to something a bit more closer to how he was in Fellowship.

And his father Thranduil--perfection.  It was exactly how I imagined his character to be from the books.  Lee Pace was excellent.  He is aloof, dangerous, regal, and otherworldly as the Elven King.  The only bad thing about him was that he didn't have a lot of screen time.  I hope we get to see a lot more of him in the third movie.  I always like characters who are more complicated than just 'good' and 'evil.'  Thranduil is one of these characters--he clearly is on the side of 'good,' yet he often doesn't come across as a good person.

Also, he's gorgeous.

And now, for The Okay:

*Tauriel.  I liked her character a lot, I just didn't see the point for her to be in the movie, other than to mess up the plot with an unnecessary love triangle.  Yes, she's a strong, kickbutt, You-Don't-Tell-Me-I-Tell-You-How-It's-Done female, but adding her character seemed to be more about being politically correct than about adding anything to the story.

No, I'm not Katniss--Why do people keep asking?

*Mirkwood overall, I felt was okay.  I think part of this had to do with the pacing of the movie--but in the book, the psychological impression of Mirkwood is that it's this dark, dark place, where the dwarves and Bilbo are forced to spend quite a long time.  In fact, I believe it takes them so long to get through the forest that they start to slowly starve to death because they run out of food.  There is really none of that in the movie.  I'm hoping we'll get to see more of Mirkwood in the extended edition, but overall it was a bit disappointing how little time they seemed to spend in the forest.  I thought for sure the majority of the second movie would take place there, but it didn't.

*Beorn--he was pretty cool, but again, we hardly got to see him.  They also changed a lot from his scenes in the book which was again, disappointing.  I hope we get to see more of him in the third movie as well, in the Battle of Five Armies.

*The Dwarves themselves for the most part were just eh this movie.  I still can't tell them all apart, except for Thorin, Balin, Kili, and Bombur.  And I'm a superfan--imagine how the general public are faring with them all.  This is a common criticism of the movies, but it's a valid one.  This movie wasn't very interested in developing the dwarves as distinct individuals.  I wish Peter Jackson could have found a way to maybe cut some of the action and in it's place put in some more scenes with Bilbo and the dwarves.  Maybe them interacting in Mirkwood?  That would have been cool, and allow us to get to know the characters better.

I believe that's Thorin on the accordion.

Finally, the dreaded, The Bad:

*Major Plot Changes from the book really, really bugged me in this movie.  It's like sometimes we weren't watching the Hobbit at all.  Kili gets wounded and must stay behind in Laketown with some of the other dwarves? Um...why? Bilbo stealing the Arkenstone, and riddling with Smaug was no where to be seen. Instead we're treated to major action set piece.  I get that a book doesn't always translate to the big screen and sometimes plot changes are necessary, but the changes Jackson made, especially with the care he put into Lord of the Rings, really irritated me.

*The Love Triangle.  This is one of those major plot changes that bugged me so much, I felt it deserved it's own separate bullet point.  I'm sorry, but the Tauriel/Kili romance is so completely out-of-nowhere.  Why do we need this in the film?  It felt forced and artificial, and I can't buy that these two characters, raised in their respective cultures, could overcome those cultural prejudices so quickly and fall in love.  Just no.  Sorry, but no.  I know this pairing already has fans, but I'm not one of them.

Tauriel: There's something I have to tell you...
Legolas: I bet you fell in love with a dwarf, didn't you?
Tauriel: I fell in love with--Hey!
Legolas: Called it.

*The special effects were also at points, I felt, really, really bad.  I read another review that compared this movie to watching a trailer for a really cool video game and I can totally understand that point of view.  Where as in Lord of the Rings everything always felt so real, in The Hobbit to me, everything looked really fake and CGI, none more so than in the barrel sequence.  I actually thought while I was watching the movie, 'Wow, that looks really bad.'  Which is a shame, because when the special effects were good (aka Smaug, the Spiders,) the movie was amazing.  But when they were bad, they were bad.  It's ridiculous, because a movie with this budget shouldn't be anything less than perfection when it comes to special effects.

*The pacing felt incredibly rushed to me.  It was like, 'Hi Beorn! Bye Beorn! 'Hi Mirkwood! Bye Mirkwood!' Hi Laketown...Bye Laketown!'  I wanted the movie to slow down, and show that this is an long, difficult journey.  Distances don't seem to mean anything here--the Orc Azog goes from Beorn's to Dol Goldur in a single scene.  There's no sense of time passing like in the book.

So overall, did I like the movie?  Yes, I did, but to me, it's no longer really The Hobbit, it's more like an Alternate Universe fan film version of the Hobbit. Despite that, am I excited for the third film?  Heck yes!  This movie was still lots of fun, and overall I feel the good things outweighed the bad.  I can't believe I have to wait another year to see what happens next--where Peter Jackson ended this movie was particularly cruel.  If you're a big fan of the book like me, prepare yourself for some disappointment, but if you enjoyed the first Hobbit movie and the Lord of the Rings films, chances are, you'll still enjoy Desolation of Smaug too.  I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Bravo!

 Fun Fact of the Day: Stephen Colbert has a cameo in the Laketown scenes.  If you look closely, he is the character with the hood and eye-patch that knocks on some wood to alert some spies of Bard's movements.  This is just one of many reasons why I love Stephen Colbert.

TTFN! Ta Ta for Now!

A Look Back at Whovember

I apologize for my absence these past two weeks--but real life conspired against me in the form of an old friend coming into town for a very brief time, and then Thanksgiving weekend and all the family craziness that comes with that.   I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as I did.  Growing up, Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday, but now it is one of my favorites because I get to see all my family.

My Three Brothers

Before I move on from Whovember, I wanted to dedicate a post to looking back at the 50th Anniversary, review the "The Day of the Doctor" and talk about my overall experience watching the episode at the theater.  In that, it was perhaps the most fun I've had at the movies ever, and that includes marathoning all three extended editions of Lord of the Rings in a single day (Yup, I'm that hardcore when it comes to LOTR).

So, "The Day of the Doctor," did it live up to its insane levels of hype?  Where the minds of Whovians across the world blown by the sheer awesomeness of the episode?  Did I literally jump up and down in front of my mom's television and squee with joy?  The answer to all three of those questions is, for me, a resounding "OH MY GOD, YES!!"  It's been two weeks, and I'm still riding the episode high.  Just, gah, this episode made me so unbelievably happy.  

Me, after watching the episode.

Warning: Major Spoilers for the "The Day of the Doctor" ahead.  Steer clear, Cap'n, if yar don wish to crash into one. 

I don't really intend to summarize the episode, because I figure if you're reading this blog, you've already watched it at least 5 times and probably don't need a summary.  All I can say generally about it is that I was in love the moment the original credits appeared on my screen.  I want to talk about briefly, my favorite moments from the episode, and then, afterwards discuss things I wish had happened, and what this episode might mean for the future of the show.

Really, the whole episode was one big favorite moment from start to finish, but especial highlights include:

1. The Fez

Clara: One day, you're just going to walk by a fez...

Doctor: Never gonna happen. 

I burst into laughter at that line.  At the theater, people were too busy clapping and cheering from when the Doctor put the fez on, that they missed the lines, but it's okay, because they can watch it later. 

And then later, when Ten put on the fez, that was a fantastic bit of humor.

I'm wearing a what?!

2. The 10th Doctor

Everything about David Tennant in this episode was wonderful.  It was so great to get to see him as the 10th Doctor again.  He plays the Doctor so effortlessly, so many of my favorite lines from the episode came from him.

The Doctor: [pulling out a device] DING

Elizabeth I: What's that?

The Doctor: It's a machine that goes...ding.  Made it myself.  Lights up in the presence of shape-shifting DNA. Also it can microwave frozen dinners from up to 20 feet.

3. The War Doctor Speaking for the Classic Fans

War Doctor: Are we having a mid-life crisis?

Every other line out of the War Doctor's mouth was priceless.  From his initial mistaking his future selves for companions, to him asking the 11th Doctor if he was capable of speaking without flapping his arms about, the War Doctor was able to fondly poke fun at the 10th and 11th Doctors.  But in the end, he recognized that they were great men in their own ways, and I loved the three of them coming together to figure out how to save the day.

4. All the Doctor's Cameos

I literally jumped up off the couch and shouted with excitement when all the Doctors began to appear at the climax of the episode.  The footage of Nine particularly made me squee with delight.  Just the sheer rush of seeing all the TARDISes come swooping in to save the day, with the archival footage of doctors 1-8,--Moffat really delivered on this episode.

5. Peter Capaldi's Eyebrows

Just when you think the climax can't get anymore awesome, we are treated to a brief shot of Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor! *faints from awesomeness overload*

Yes, his eyebrows have a tumblr.  They're that intense.

I seriously cannot wait to see what Capaldi will bring to the role.  I will miss Matt Smith, but I'm ready for an older, more mature Doctor again.  One who obviously knows how to harness the supreme power of the intense gaze.  Just look at that gif.  *faints again*

6. Tom Baker/The Ending

What a perfect note to end the 50th Anniversary on.  Tom Baker (the 4th, and arguably, the most popular and iconic Doctor) sharing a scene with Matt Smith.  I was spoiled on Baker's appearance before watching the episode, so I knew he would be there, but I wasn't sure how he would appear.  I adore the little whimsical scene between him and Matt.  And what a treat for Classic fans to get to see Tom Baker again.

And then the ending, with all the Doctors lined up in the sky, just, wow.  So heartwarming.  I felt all fuzzy and happy inside watching the 11th Doctor stride out to stand among his past selves.  It was the perfect way to end the episode.  

I promised myself I wouldn't cry... *sniff*

So overall, yes, I LOVED the episode.  It is easily now my favorite episode of Doctor Who of all time. Steve Moffat really came through for the fans, both Classic and New, and delivered a story that was both hilarious and game-changing for the show.  Brilliantly done sir!

Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be back to hating you soon.

However, as much as I love the episode, there were a couple of things I wish it could have done...

1. More than anything else, I wish we could have gotten a full regeneration scene of the War Doctor regenerating into the 9th Doctor.  That tease was really, really, cruel.  Especially, since after The Night Of the Doctor, when we all got the surprise appearance of the Eighth Doctor, a surprise appearance of the Ninth Doctor suddenly seemed like it could be possible.

When the War Doctor begin to glow with the regenerative light, I was literally on the edge of my seat, saying "Ohmygod, pleasepleaseplease..." Even more so than seeing Peter Capaldi, seeing Christopher Eccelston would have been the absolute best.  So when the scene cut without showing the complete transformation, that was the single most disappointing moment in the show's entire history.

*sobs* Why do you play with my heart so?

2.  While I enjoyed John Hurt's take on the Doctor--overall I am disappointed that they didn't have Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor in the role.  Was a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor really necessary?  Now all of our counting is screwed up, because technically now Hurt is the 9th, Eccelston is the 10th, etc. (except they're not because Hurt doesn't call himself the Doctor, (except he does in the episode, soo...what? *confused face* )).  

Fans have long assumed that the Eighth Doctor was the one who fought in the war.  Imagine how much more awesome the episode would have been if it had been the Eighth Doctor interacting with the Tenth and Eleventh?  It makes me want to cry for that missed opportunity.  Plus, McGann has always shown a love for the show and an willingness to appear if asked.  At 54 he would be old enough to be the gruff, older Doctor that Hurt played to Tennant's and Smith's younger ones.  We have so little actual footage of Eight, this could have been his chance to really shine, without being bogged down by a terrible movie.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Hurt did a wonderful job--it just didn't seem necessary to me.

No hard feelings War Doc...

But Eight would have been more awesome.

(Paul McGann's striking good looks plays no part in my reasoning, I'll have you know.)

(Okay, so maybe it does.)

(A lot.)

(Like, he is ridiculously good looking.)

Other than those two points, I really found I didn't have a problem with the episode at all.  I was definitely surprised by the decision to 'un-destroy' the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey, but it was handled in such a way that it doesn't screw up the continuity of the previous seasons, and I admit I am very curious to see where this plot development  takes the show in the future.  Will the Doctor be able to find and rescue Gallifrey?  I suspect eventually he shall, as the story-lines that would open up would be intriguing and exciting.  Imagine getting to see different Time Lords?  Then maybe we could have a Time Lady travel with him again, and shut up all this crazy talk about how the Doctor needs to regenerate into a woman.  Speaking as a strong, independent woman, the last thing I want is to see the Doctor portrayed by an actress.  But I digress... 

Overall, I feel fans couldn't have asked for a better celebration of our beloved show.  Watching it in the cinema, (sold out showing at 10:00pm!) was so much fun.  People were cosplaying, there was the buzz of sonic screwdrivers in the air.  I wore my TARDIS t-shirt and earrings. : )  I met my friend who got me hooked on Doctor Who in the first place and hugged him. (He was cosplaying as the 10th Doctor and looked awesome.) 

I'm seriously jealous of his Cosplay powers.

Though, my TARDIS t-shirt is pretty sweet.

It was an absolute blast.  I always love watching a movie with true fans, because they aren't afraid to express emotion when watching.  All throughout the episode we were clapping and cheering, laughing, gasping, and when Ten said his final line of "I don't want to go," an 'Awwww' swept through the audience. There was a definite sense of camaraderie in the room.  We were all Whovians and all super excited to be at the theater with our fellow fans. As I said, most fun I've had at the movies in a long time. : )

Happy Anniversary Doctor Who!!  Here's to another 50 years!! 

Fun Fact: "The Day of the Doctor" set a Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV show.  It was shown simultaneously in 94 different countries.  Whovians rock! : )

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!