Book Review: Dune: The Lady of Caladan (Dune #12) #Dune

 

The Lady of Caladan is the 12th book in the Dune Saga (when read chronologically) and is the second book in the Caladan trilogy set in the years immediately before the events of the original Dune novel. The book was published in 2021 and was once again written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. While the title suggests that Jessica is the focus of the book, like most of the other prequel novels, it has several storylines going on at one time, specifically involving Leto, Jessica, Paul, Baron Harkonnen and his two nephews, Count Fenring, and to a lesser degree Emperor Shaddam. The only major characters who do not appear are Chani and Irulan. The events of the book pick up immediately after the prior novel, The Duke of Caladan, with Jessica having been recalled to Wallach IX by the Bene Gesserit and Leto having been offered to join the group of Nobles working against the Emperor. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. While there are only a handful of new characters in the book, since it jumps between storylines every chapter or two, it can sometimes be a bit slow to read. The book does a good job of escalating the Harkonnen-Atreides feud and setting the stage for why the Emperor reassigns Leto to oversee the spice production on Arrakis. It is absolutely worth the time to read, especially if you want the backstory of the original Dune novels. 

Book Review: Dune: The Duke of Caladan (Dune #11) #Dune

 

The Duke of Caladan, published in 2020, is the 11th book in the Dune Saga (when reading them in chronological order) and the first in the Caladan trilogy. It is one of now four novels (the other two in the Caladan trilogy and the new novel, Princess of Dune) set in the two years immediately before the events of the original 1965 novel Dune. This one was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. Like the other prequel novels, this one has several storylines. The major storyline set on Caladan involves a drug that is being manufactured from one of Caladan's native plants and is killing people throughout the imperium (unbeknownst to Leto). The second storyline is set on Arrakis and involves illegal spice production and smuggling after Emperor Corrino imposes a surcharge on spice. The final storyline involves the Sisterhood and a warning about Jessica and Paul. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 320 pages long. While the book is centered around the character of Leto Atreides, Paul, Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho, Baron Harkonnen, Mother Mohiam, and Emperor  Corrino are all featured prominently. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that will carry over into the next books in the Caladan trilogy as the authors set up the events of the original novel. If you are a fan of the Dune series, the book is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Princess of Dune (Dune #10)

 

Princess of Dune, published in late 2023, is, as of this writing, the newest book in the Dune Saga and the 10th book when read chronologically. It is set 2 years before the events of the original 1965 novel and was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert (the original author's son) and Kevin J. Anderson (who have written all of the prequel novels).  As the title (and cover image) of the book suggests, the storylines in this book are focused on Princess Irulan (and her sisters) and Chani. Irulan and Chani have mostly separate story arcs in the book, but their stories do intersect briefly about 2/3 of the way through the book. Irulan's story involves a potential marriage to a military suitor, and Chani's storyline involves trying to free Dune from the grip of the Harkonnens and Emperor Shaddam. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 400 pages, which is a little shorter than many of the other prequel novels. The pacing is good (even with jumping back and forth between the two main storylines), and unlike some of the other prequel novels, it does not have a ton of characters to keep track of. None of the Atreides characters appear in the book, and only a handful of Harkonnen characters appear very briefly. If you are a fan of the Dune saga, this is well worth the time to read. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Avatar (4-Disc Collector's Edition)

 

This is the second 4K release of 2009's Avatar. The other version (which is misleadingly labeled as the Ultimate Collector's Edition) is a three-disc set that just has the theatrical version of the movie on UHD and regular blu-ray and then a regular blu-ray disc with special features. This set (just labeled Collector's Edition) is a four-disc set that has the theatrical and the two extended editions of the movie on UHD and regular blu-ray and then has two regular blu-ray discs with special features. 

The movie itself is very good. The first extended edition (which adds about 8 additional minutes to the theatrical version) basically just extends a couple of the scenes a bit. The second extended edition (which runs 178 minutes, adding 18 minutes of additional footage) is the best version of the movie (in my opinion). That version adds the most substance and backstory to the theatrical version, which definitely helps flesh out the overall story. You can also watch the additional footage for each extended edition as separate deleted scenes accessible from the menu. Each version of the movie is visually stunning in UHD. The audio track on the theatrical edition is wonderful. The tracks on the two extended editions are not available on Dolby Atmos, so they do not sound as good.

Where this set blows the Ultimate Collector's Edition release away is the extras. It includes all of the extras that were released with that one (including the new extras on that set and a few new ones exclusive to this set) and all of the legacy content included with the 2010 blu-ray release. The only difference between this release and the original blu-ray release (excluding the brand-new content) is a new line of added dialogue from Giovanni Ribisi's character (which is added to each version of the movie).

I have two issues with this set. First, it was not released at the same time as the original 4k release. So, if you bought that one early, you would have to double-dip to get all of the bonus content. Second, the packaging, while great to look at, is awful. It has a wonderful hard slipcover that holds a cardboard book-style case that holds the discs in very tight pockets (If you have the House of Cards individual seasons on blu-ray, it is like those). The discs are very hard to get out of the pocket without ripping the pockets and/or smudging or scratching the discs. So, if you get this, you want to watch it right away in case you get damaged/unplayable discs. I ended up putting the discs in their own individual blu-ray cases (I get extra cases to replace damaged cases if the discs are in otherwise good condition) and did not put them back in the book-style case. 

If you love the movie and love watching the bonus content, this is the version to get. You get hours of bonus material (even more if you redeem the digital code on Movies Anywhere or Vudu). If you stop the movies before the end you can resume where you left off, but that is not the case if you are watching the bonus content. If you stop in the middle of one of the featurettes on discs 3 or 4 and then restart the disc, it will go back to the main menu, and you will have to figure out where you left off. That is a relatively minor point, but worth noting.  Overall, this is absolutely worth the pickup if you are a more than just a casual fan of the movie.

Book Review: Dune: House Corrino (Dune #9)

 

House Corrino, published in 2001, is the ninth book in the series of Dune novels (when read chronologically) and is the third book in the Prelude to Dune Trilogy, the third of the prequel trilogies leading to the events of the original novel. The book was again written by the combination of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The events of this book are set about 15 years before the events of the original novel, with Paul's birth occurring at the end of the book, Chani being about eight months old, and Princess Irulan as a young girl. The book mostly involves those who are adults in the original novel and includes three main plotlines, each of which has ancillary plotlines. In the first, Shaddam is trying to perfect the synthetic spice and break the Harkonnen hold on the spice trade. In the second, Leto devises a daring attack on the planet Ix to restore Prince Rhombur to power. In the third, the Harkonnens plot to kill Lady Jessica and/or her unborn child. 

The hardcover version of the book is about 500 pages long. The book is a faster read than the prior novels since all of the main characters have been established. There are some new characters in the book, but their involvement is tangential to the storylines. The end of the book does not lead directly into the events of the original Dune, as there are another four novels that, by their titles, seem to be centered around Paul, Chani, Irulan, and Jessica just before the events of the original book. This book (and the trilogy of novels it is a part of) does, however, provide a lot of context for what is in the original novel. The book is mostly about political maneuvering between the Houses, but there is quite a bit of action in the last third. The book is absolutely worth reading, but definitely has to be read in sequence with the other books to follow its plotlines. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Ultimate Edition)

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilerish material from the end of the movie but does not give away the ending+++

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment of the Harry Potter movie (and book) franchise. The movie was made in 2009 and again was directed by David Yates. The storyline is advanced a lot in this movie and it ultimately sets up the climax of the story. Most of the cast remained the same for this movie, with the biggest addition being Jim Broadbent, who plays the new potions teacher, Horace Slughorn. By this time in the series, if you stick with the movies, you know there are substantial portions of the books that are cut out and even some changes to the storyline. I can generally look at the two separately, but the one thing I dislike about this movie is how they change the reason that Harry does not intervene in the climactic scene. Although most people have likely seen the movie several times and know how it ends I don't want to give away too much just in case someone reading this does not know the ending. In the book, Harry is stunned and covered with his invisibility cloak. That makes a far better explanation of why he does not help than hiding in the shadows.

Like the Ultimate Edition release of the prior film, Order of the Phoenix, this is another two-disc set. The first disc includes the movie, and the second disc has most of the extras. The only extra on disc 1 is the ability to play the film in Maximum Movie Mode, which is a picture-in-picture track with a lot of behind-the-scenes material and interviews that play along with the movie. There are also focus points that can be played within the picture-in-picture track or separately from the main menu. On the second disc, you get Part 6 of the Creating the World of Harry Potter documentary, which focuses on the special effects, a Behind the Magic television special, deleted scenes, a documentary focused on J.K. Rowling, theatrical trailers, a sneak peek at The Deathly Hallows, and a few other small featurettes. So, again, you get a ton of bonus content if you like watching that (which is really the main reason to get this set). The set also comes with another hardcover booklet and collectible cards. Again, there is no extended edition of the movie. The deleted scenes are available in the special features, but they are not incorporated into the movie itself. For some people, that will be a deal killer. Certainly, if you have already purchased the theatrical editions, you have the same movie.

The movie is very good, and the A/V quality of the blu-ray is outstanding. There was a lot of material cut from the book, but the film (aside from what I mentioned above) does seem to follow it fairly well. I do like that Draco does get to do a lot more in this movie than just sneer at Harry. Tom Felton proved himself to be a very good actor, which is not something you would have really known from all the other movies because his job has been just to be a pain in the ass. The set is spectacular (other than the lack of an extended edition of the movie) and is a must for anyone who is a die-hard fan of the franchise. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Ultimate Edition)

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the 2005 installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise. It brought back the entire main cast and again expanded the cast. The major additions to the cast in this movie were Evanna Lynch, Imelda Staunton, and Helena Bonham Carter. Some of the characters had smaller roles in this movie, while the roles of other characters were expanded. The movie was directed by David Yates, who would go on to direct the rest of the Harry Potter movies in the series and the three Fantastic Beasts movies. 

This time, the Ultimate Edition set is a two-disc set. One disc contains the movie and the other the bulk of the bonus content. Again, there is not an extended edition of the movie, but you can play the movie with a picture-in-picture in-movie experience that is hosted by Daniel Radcliff, and within that, there are focus points that provide an even deeper look at specific scenes or locations. On disc 2, the fifth part of the Creating Harry Potter documentary is included, as well as eleven minutes of deleted scenes, several more behind-the-scenes featurettes, and the trailers for the movie. And, there is another commemorative hardcover booklet included with this set. So, again, if you love the bonus content, this has a lot for you.

The movie is very good, and as has been the case throughout the series, the young actors continue to get better. Harry Potter is a series that (for the most part) got progressively better with each movie, not only because the child actors got better as they grew up, but the books got better as they transitioned from being "kid's books" to the darker more adult-themed books. This movie has a lot more violence and death than all the others up to this point and includes the first death of a major character. This movie also introduces the characters of Luna Lovegood and Delores Umbridge. Both parts are cast perfectly, and Imelda Staunton conveys the sense that Umbridge is borderline evil, definitely sadistic, and always up to no good. I liked the final battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore, but I think they could have made it longer. Given that this was the shortest of the films, they should have put as much as possible into that battle. Plus, they certainly could have added in some other elements from the books, like fleshing out the Snape and Lilly Potter storyline.

I feel that all the Ultimate Editions should have extended versions of the films offered as the first two did. Yes, the deleted scenes are included in the special features, but it would be nice to see them incorporated into the movie itself. The movie does set up a lot of the remaining storyline, but not as much as the book does so you have to look at the movies as their own thing, separate from the books. The Ultimate Edition is really only something that hardcore fans are going to be interested in since most casual fans are not likely to want to sit through hours of behind-the-scenes material. If you are a hardcore fan, however, this is worth the pickup even though there is not an extended edition of the movie included.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Ultimate Edition)

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth movie in the franchise. It was released in 2005 and brings back all of the major characters (and actors) and has a few additions. First, Ralph Fiennes is added to the cast to play the adult version of Voldemort, and Robert Pattinson is added to the cast as Cedric Diggory. The other new cast members include Miranda Richardson, David Tennant, Brendan Gleeson, and Clemence Poesy.  This is the movie where the dark part of the story takes hold. It is also the book where they had to cut the most out. The book is over 600 pages long, and they would have had to split the movie into two parts (something that was considered) to get it all in. Eventually, they just decided to cut the ancillary storylines and just tell the story following Harry and nobody else. 

The Ultimate Edition set is another 4-disc set that also includes collectible cards and a hardcover book with behind-the-scenes pictures and information. The first disc just has the theatrical version of the movie, which can be played with a picture-in-picture in-movie experience that has interviews with the cast and crew members. There is no director's cut/extended edition, which as I said in my review for the Prisoner of Azkaban, UE set, it should have had. While the deleted scenes are available in the extras, it is far better to see them incorporated into the movie than just throwing them together out of order. The other extras include Part 4 of the Creating the World of Harry Potter documentary, with this segment (which is nearly an hour long) devoted to the music. Then there are more cast interviews, over two hours of TV specials, trailers, and the legacy DVD features. 

The movie is very good, even though a lot was cut out from the book. One thing that I think the movie suffers from that is we do not get to see enough of the character of Cedric, and thus, the emotional impact later on in the movie is lessened because his character is barely on screen for a lot of the film. Aside from that, the big reveal at the end of the movie when Voldemort finally returns in the flesh was great. Ralph Fiennes does a wonderful job bringing Voldemort's sinister aspect to life. He is not on the screen for a long time in the movie, but for the amount of time he is, he gives the sense that he is going to be the perfect "big bad" the rest of the way. Brendan Gleeson does a great job playing Mad-Eye Moody. In this movie, he has to play a character who is playing a character. The version of Mad-Eye he plays in this one is more over the top than in the later films. Miranda Richardson is wonderful, playing the slimy journalist Rita Skeeter, who is a gossip columnist who plays fast and loose with the truth.

Ultimately, as is the case with the other UE versions (especially for the first two movies), the extras are great and provide hours of great content. If you like going through the bonus content and can live without having an extended version of the film (and do a little price shopping), this is a great addition to your collection.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Ultimate Edition)

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, released in 2004, is the third movie in the franchise and represents the darker turn in the story. The main cast members return to their roles, with th exception of Richard Harris who passed away between movies. The role of Dumbledore was recast with Michael Gambon taking over the role. The other major cast additions were David Thewlis, who joins the cast as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.  

The Ultimate edition is another three-disc set, two blu-ray discs, and one DVD disc. The first blu-ray disc just contains the theatrical version of the movie. The second blu-ray disc and the DVD disc contain the bonus material. There is another hardcover booklet and collectible cards in the set as well.  All the extras that are included are great. The documentary series that runs throughout the course of the ultimate editions gives a great behind-the-scenes look at the series as a whole, and then there are a lot of features that are just specific to this movie. One of the best parts of the first two UE sets was the option of seeing the extended edition (which essentially just incorporated the deleted scenes into the movie). You do get the deleted scenes here, but they do not flow as well just seeing them one after another. That is the only drawback to the set and what drops it down a star for me.

As for the movie itself, it is great. By this time in the series, you kind of know how the movies flow and feel in comparison to the books. You have to expect that a lot is going to be cut from the books to make the movie. Since this was the point at which the books started getting longer, more is cut from this movie than was cut in the first two. The story introduces three characters that are essential to the rest of the story. Sirius Black, Lupin, and Wormtail. Lupin gets the most screen time and is great as the favorite teacher who takes Harry under his wing to start to prepare him for what lies ahead. The story continues to get darker, and the characters are put in more and more peril. Basically, this is the film where the shift from introducing the world and the characters to getting to the meat of the Harry vs. Voldemort story begins.

The big change in this movie is the addition of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. Gambon plays a far less soft-spoken and more eccentric version of Dumbledore than Harris dis. When I first saw the movie I did not like his version as much, but after this film you get used to him more, and his presence feels more natural by the end of the series. I did prefer Harris's version of the character, but I do not think it would have worked for Gambon to try to be a carbon copy of Harris. Had Gambon been cast as Dumbledore from the start, his portrayal would have been fine, but switching from one actor to the other was grating. Of course, the character of Dumbledore was too essential to the story to kill off after the second movie, so the role had to be recast.

The lack of an extended version of the film aside, the movie is great, the A/V quality of the movie is excellent, and the extras are very good (although not quite as good as the extras in the Ultimate Editions of the first two movies). If you are more than just a casual fan of the franchise and can find this for the right price, it is worth adding to your collection.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Ultimate Edition)

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second movie in the franchise (and adapted from the second book), released in 2002. The movie was again directed by Chris Columbus and brought back all of the main cast members. The additions to the cast in this movie include Kenneth Branaugh who is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, Jason Issacs as Lucious Malfoy, Toby Jones as Dobby, and Christian Coulson, who plays a young Voldemort. Bonnie Wright's role in this movie is expanded as Ginny plays a larger part in the story than her minor appearance in the first movie. 

This part of the story got much darker than in the first movie/book. It was imperative that the actors playing the main (child) characters improved from the first and they did. They were still quite young in this movie since it was shot basically right after the first one. But you can tell that their performances were far less forced and came more naturally than in the first one.

Like with the first movie they had to cut material from the books out of the movie. More material was cut for this movie than in the first one, but since the second book was still fairly short, they did not have to cut a ton of the material from the book, and they did keep the important parts of the story. Thus, the story flowed very well. The standout character introduced in this film was Lucious Malfoy. Jason Issacs had the sinister, evil slimeball character down. There was not an ounce of sincerity in anything that Malfoy said or did (aside from the evil parts) and Issacs played it perfectly. Dobby's role in this movie is true to what was in the book, but that does change in subsequent movies. He did provide some comic relief and helped to move the story along.

This is another three-disc set with one disc containing the theatrical and extended editions of the movie. The Ultimate Edition of the movie has a picture-in-picture director commentary, and the rest of the bonus content is on the second and third discs. As for the extras, like the first Ultimate Edition set you get a lot of behind-the-scenes material. The second installment of Creating the World of Harry Potter (which runs just under an hour and a half) focuses on the various characters. Again they discussed characters from all the films, but the slant was toward the second movie. There are also a lot of deleted scenes (most of which ended up in the extended version of the movie), screen tests, a conversation with J.K Rowling, and then some interactive material. There are also character cards and a booklet devoted to creating the characters.

The A/V quality is wonderful again, and the special effects look even better and more seamless than they did in the first movie. Again if you are a fan of the movies and books (more than just a casual fan) and want the most extras you can get then you want to add this to your collection. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Ultimate Collector's Edition

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone is the 2001 movie starring Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, and Richard Harris. The movie was, of course, based on the wildly popular series of books written by J.K. Rowling and was directed by Chris Columbus. If you read the Harry Potter books before seeing the movies, the movie adaptations will take some getting used to. A lot of the content from the books got cut from the movies (especially in the later movies). The book version of The Sorcerer's Stone is short, so the least amount was cut when making this movie. Even so, not everything in the book made it into the movie. Once you get a feel for how much they have to cut from the books to make the movie and get used to the characters (and the actors playing them), the movies are almost perfect. 

The Ultimate Edition blu-ray set is a three-disc set. The first disc has both the theatrical and extended editions of the movie. The extended edition adds about 7 additional minutes to the total runtime. It basically incorporates some of the deleted scenes into the theatrical edition but does not add anything all that substantial. The only bonus feature on the first disc is a picture-in-picture video director's commentary track that can be played with the theatrical edition of the movie. The other two discs just contain the other special features. The A/V quality of the movies is great. The special effects look amazing, even though they are a bit dated, but the CGI characters look almost like real characters. The big ticket item on the Ultimate Edition is the extras, specifically the five-part documentary series that is the focus of the second disk. In this set, it is Creating the World of Harry Potter. In it, the production staff talks about finding the cast, filming, and how they created Howart's, the Quidditch arena, the various locations used, etc. Not just in the first movie, but throughout the series. You also get things like trailers, TV spots, Deleted Scenes, and a bunch of interactive content.

The only drawback to this film is that the kids were so young and inexperienced as actors that their performances were very inconsistent and forced at times. The veteran actors had to do a lot of the heavy lifting in this movie, but luckily those who did the casting found actors who could learn quickly and develop great skills so that even by the second movie they had their characters down and really became those characters. Of course, all of the adult casting was great. Snape is played perfectly by Alan Rickman, and Richard Harris is perfect as Dumbledore. The only bad thing about the movies was that Harris passed away before they were complete and the actor they brought in to replace him (Michael Gambon) while good, was just not the same. He played Dumbledore differently and did not give the character the same feel as Harris did.

All in all, this movie sets up the series well. It introduces the characters, blends the humor with elements of the dark material that would come in the subsequent films, and tells the story from the book as well as could have been done. As I mentioned, there are portions of even the first book that had to be cut out, and as the books got longer and longer more would have to be cut. So, you have to look at the movies as their own entity and the books as their own.  

If you love the books and want to get the most out of the movies (or if you just love the Fantasy genre), this is a must-have for your collection. Even though it is probably the weakest of all the movies, mainly because the kids were all so green as actors, it is still an excellent film and absolutely worth the time to watch.

Book Review: Dune: House Harkonnen (Dune #8)

 

House Harkonnen is the 8th novel in the Dune series when read chronologically and the second in the third overall prequel trilogy (aka, the Prelude to Dune series) to the original novels written by Frank Herbert. The book was published in 2000 and was again written by the combination of Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian. Like the first book in this trilogy was not entirely focused on the Atreides, this book is not focused solely on the Harkonnens. The story jumps between Caladan, Corrino, Arrakis, Geidi Prime, Ix, Wallach IX, and Lankiveil and tracks Leto, Vladimir and Abulurd Harkonen, Emperor Shaddam Corrino, Duncan Idaho, The Fremen (with the focus on Liet Kynes), and the Benne Gesserit. To the extent that the book is focused on the Harkonnens, it mainly deals with Baron Harkonnen's maneuverings against all of the other major players.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages, and as I said above, the book jumps from one storyline to the other. Most of the storylines are separate, but some elements intersect with each other here and there.  The events of the novel are set a few years down the line from the end of the novel House Atreides and it has a couple of short time jumps throughout. Most of the book is relatively slow-paced, but the story picks up a lot in the last handful of chapters (which was enough for me to bump it up to five stars). The big points in the book are the development of Leto and Jessica's relationship, Baron Harkonen's plots to take down House Atreides, Emperor Corrino, and the Bene Gesserit, Emperor Corrino's attempt to produce spice independent of Akkaris, the Bene Gesserit's plans to create god-like bloodlines, and Duncan Idaho's swordmaster training. Ultimately, the book is setting up the original Dune novel and laying out the backstory for the two original trilogies based on Frank Herbert's notes and unfinished works. It makes what was already a sprawling story even larger. It is not an easy book to read because of the fact that it has a lot of characters and jumps between storylines. But, if you are a fan of the sci-fi genre, this (and the other prequel novels) are worth your time to read. I am reading the novels in chronological order so I have not yet read the two original trilogies written by Frank Herbert, and I am not sure how this compares to those books, but this is written in pretty much the same style and tone as the other prequel novels, so if you like those, you will probably like this one.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Serenity

 

Serenity is the 2005 movie that serves as a finale to the short-lived but awesome (and very much screwed over by FOX) series, Firefly. The movie stars Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Ron Glass, AB, and Summer Glau, reprising their roles from the TV series. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sarah Paulson join the cast for the movie. If you have not seen the series Firefly, you should do so before watching this. When I first saw this in the theater I had not watched the TV series, so it did not make as much sense and the moments that were supposed to have an emotional impact just did not have as much of one since I had not experienced the character development from the show. Most people reading this will likely have already seen the series, but for those who have not, it was originally a show on FOX, that the network totally screwed over by airing episodes out of order and changing when it was aired so it could never gain a foothold. Then it was canceled basically without warning.

The movie basically wraps up the series to show where the story would have ultimately gone had the show not been canceled. The movie begins with River (Glau) breaking out of the facility she was in when she and Simon (Maher) started running from The Alliance, and we ultimately find out what she knew, and what was causing her mental instability. From the outset, River does a lot more than she had in the series up to that point, and Summer Glau does a great job in the movie.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is outstanding, especially if you are watching it on a big screen. There is a ton of bonus content including multiple commentary tracks, one with Whedon, and one with Whedon and the cast members, deleted scenes that can be played with commentary by Whedon, several behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, a visual commentary that can be played while the movie runs, and more. Personally, I will not listen to anything that prominently features Whedon since what an asshole he is, especially to female writers and cast members has come out, but they are there (and he does provide a lot of insight into the story) if you want to listen and/or watch them.

Like pretty much all of Joss Whedon's TV shows and movies, this blends action, comedy, and drama. There are funny moments within tense moments (that are even funnier if you have the background from the series), and the acting and writing are both top-notch. The movie on its own is very good, the movie after having watched the series in the order the series was meant to be seen is awesome. For what it was trying to do (tell the entire story of what could have been spread out over multiple TV seasons in two hours), the movie accomplished that very well. Unfortunately, this and the series are all we are ever likely to have of this story, especially since what has come out about what a jackass Whedon has been behind-the-scenes.  As a result, the series and the movie will forever be relegated to cult classic status, and we will never get the entire story that was intended to be told. But, even so, the movie is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Book Review: Dune: House Atreides (Dune #7)

 

House Atreides is the 7th book in the Dune series (if read chronologically) and the first in the Prelude to Dune trilogy/House trilogy (which is chronologically the third prequel trilogy to the original Dune novels). It is also, in publication order, the first prequel novel to the original Dune series that was written by the duo of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The book, published in 1999, is set a generation before the events of the original novel when characters like Leto Atreides and Duncan Idaho were children, and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was early in his rule of Arrakis/Dune. Despite what the title of the novel suggests, this is not solely about the Atreides, but alternates between different storylines that intersect at different points. The book hints at the origins rivalry between the Atreides and the Harkonnen Houses (although those stories had not yet been fleshed out so if you read the books chronologically you know the backstory that was not presented in this book), and the circumstances of Leto becoming Duke of Caladan and of Shaddam IV becoming Emperor are also detailed in this book. The book also includes storylines about Pardot Kynes and the Fremen and the maneuverings of the Bene Gesserit. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages. It is not an extremely quick read since there are several new characters introduced in the book and the chapters jump between the different storylines. Even so, the overall story flows very well and never seems to drag. Plus, the chapters are kept relatively short, so there are many natural stopping points. I am reading the books in chronological order, so I have not yet read the original Dune novels written by Frank Herbert, so I cannot say how this book (or the other prequel novels) compare to those. But, if you have read the other novels in the series written by Anderson and Brian Herbert, then you will likely enjoy this one. And if you have read the original Dune novels, this will provide a lot of good backstory. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Navigators of Dune (Dune #6)

 

Navigators of Dune is the 6th book, chronologically, in the Dune franchise of novels written by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. It is the third book in the "Schools of Dune" trilogy, which is the second prequel trilogy (again chronologically) to the original Dune trilogy. This book, published in 2016, is set about 10,000 years before the events of the original Dune storyline. The book ties up some of the storylines that were started in the earlier novels and sets up the origins of storylines that will have consequences and/or be instrumental down the line such as the Sisterhood's breeding program, the Spacing Guild, and the human computers. And, of course, the Harkonen-Atreides feud continues to play out. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages long. There are a lot of characters in the book, but thankfully, most of them carry over from the prior novels in the trilogy so it is not very hard to keep track of who is who. Like with the prior books, there are a few different main storylines. Two of them are interrelated and intertwine quite a bit, and the third is on its own. The book has a good balance of action and downtime (which is mostly used to set up the next action sequence). The book does a good job of continuing the backstory to bring the readers to the original Dune novels while still being suspenseful and entertaining. It is absolutely worth reading.

Book Review: Mentats of Dune (Dune # 5)

 

Mentats of Dune, published in 2014, is the fifth book in the Dune series chronologically, and the second book in the "Schools of Dune" trilogy. It was again written by Brian Herbert, the son of the creator of Dune and author of the original Dune Trilogies, Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson.

This book does have a time jump from the prior novel, but not as large as the time jumps that occurred in the Butlerian trilogy. In this book, the sisterhood is picking up the pieces after the Butlerians and Emporer Salvador Corrino's forces attacked the school. Gilbertus is trying to walk the fine line between keeping his background secret and appeasing the Butlerians so he can continue to operate his school, and Josef Venport is working to try to take down the Butlerians and their leader, Manford Tornodo. Valya Harkonnen and her sister Tula are trying to figure out how to hurt Vorian Atreides, who is trying to finally live a normal life. Anna Corrino is living at the Mentat school with Gilbertus vowing to keep her safe and try to fix her mind from the effects of the poison she consumed at the end of the last book. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 450 pages. It does take longer (at least for me) to read than other books of a similar length because, as has been the case with the prequel novels, the book jumps from storyline to storyline and has a lot of characters to keep track of. Sometimes storylines intertwine with one another and some of the storylines stay separate. The climax of the book involves a cat and mouse escape within a standoff and is very well done. The book definitely sometimes feels like the middle chapter of a trilogy, but it does advance the storylines very well and continues to set up themes in the original Dune novels. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Sisterhood of Dune (Dune #4)

 

Sisterhood of Dune is chronologically the 4th book in the Dune series of novels, and the first in the Schools of Dune trilogy. The book was published in 2012 and written by the duo of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 

This novel is set approximately 80 years after the victory over the machines at the Battle of Corrin. Some of the characters from the Butlerian era such as Vorian, Raquella, and Gilbertus do carry over into this book. There are two major themes in the book. The schools run by Raquella, and Gilbertus, and the hatred of Vorian by the heirs of Abulurd Harkonnen. Raquella formed the Bene Gesserit School (or the Sisterhood) and Gilbertus formed a school for people (known as Mentats) to learn to think like the machines did. The anti-machine Butlerian movement is still around and trying to destroy all remnants of technology, while underground groups are trying to bring machines back.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 500 pages long. The authors do a good job of moving in and out of the various storylines and intersecting them at key points. The authors do give signs as to where some of the storylines will go in the subsequent novels but do not telegraph the exact direction for any of the main arcs. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Dune #3)

 

The Battle of Corrin is the third novel in the Legends of Dune trilogy. The book was written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and published in 2004. The book's events start approximately 60 years after the events of the prior novel, The Machine Crusade, and conclude the war between humans and machines. There are some time jumps in the book that make keeping track of characters a bit tricky.

The hardcover version of the book is long. It is a little over 600 pages and could have easily been split into two smaller books with a bit tighter storylines. In fact, it is separated in the novel into Book I and Book II, but there are really three stories in the book that kind of interweave. The first is the thinking machines deploying multiple weapons to kill off humans, the Titans working against the thinking machines and the humans, and the humans trying to take out both groups of machines while bickering among themselves. I will not go into the fine details to avoid spoiling the plot, but it is not spoiling anything to say that the humans ultimately win. By the end of the book, it is revealed how the three main "Houses" in Dune came about and why the Atreides and Harkonens are rivals in the original Dune novel. 

The book is good, but it seems like it would have been better had it been split into two books. The actual defeat of the various machines is detailed in the last few chapters and felt a little bit rushed to me. Had the book been split into two novels I do not think the authors would have had to jump from storyline to storyline as much and would have made everything a bit easier to follow. That said, it is still worth the time to read to find out how the events that would set up the original Dune novel played out.

Book Review: Dune: The Machine Crusade (Dune #2)

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior novel, The Butlerian Jihad+++

The Machine Crusade is the second book in the Dune series (if you read the books in chronological order). It is the second book in the Legends of Dune series, which was written by Brian Herbert, who is the son of the author of the original Dune novel and its follow-up novels, Frank Herbert, and Kevin Anderson, and published in 2003 that chronicles the war between humans and machines that is alluded to in the original novel. 

The events in this book start out about 25 years after the events of the first book, The Butlerian Jihad, in which the war between the machines and humans started when the "thinking machine", Erasmus, killed Serena Butler's young son, Manion. We find out that Serena has become almost a recluse and basically a figurehead for the Jihad which is really being spearheaded by Iblis Ginjo. Xavier and Vorian are Primeros (basically generals) in the war, sacrificing a normal life to fight the machines. The war is essentially at a stalemate, with both sides scoring victories but neither able to strike a winning blow. Like the first book, this one alternates between multiple stories, characters, and different worlds. We find out that there is infighting between the machines and between the humans. One of the big storylines in this book is the work being done by the characters Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva to "fold" space and make interstellar travel instant. We also learn the origin of the Fighters of Finaz, who are "led" by Jool Noret, who has been training against a re-programmed machine to learn how to efficiently kill the machines and fights with reckless abandon anytime he can.

The hardcover version of the book is about 700 pages long, and that is with the use of a relatively small font. The book is not what I would call a quick read as there are a lot of characters and the book is constantly shifting from one part of the story to another. I am a fast reader (I can normally read about 150-200 pages in 2-3 hours) and it took me about ten days to get through this one (mostly reading for an hour or two before bed). I am reading the books in chronological order so I have not read the original Dune trilogy that was written by Frank Herbert, and don't know how this compares to those books, but if you a fan of Sci-Fi and liked the first book, then you will probably like this one. 

Book Review: The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One

 

Rise of the Dragon is an illustrated and condensed version of the novel Fire & Blood, detailing the history of the Targaryen rule of the 7 kingdoms in the Game of Thrones universe created by George R.R. Martin. It is the primary source material for the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon. In fact, if you have watched the first season of House of the Dragon, that story appears about halfway through this book. This book will, in broad strokes, spoil what is likely to be the ending of that series (depending on at what point in the story the showrunners decide to end the series), as it outlines what will come next. Given that the book did not include all of the details that we saw in the first season of the show, it is not likely to spoil everything that will be seen in the show, but you will get an idea of where the story will go. This is probably the first of what will be at least two books, as this one ends before the events of Danyeres' father's rule and his downfall.

The hardcover version of the book is 342 pages, a lot of which are illustrations. As was the case with the book Fire & Blood, it can be hard to keep all of the characters straight, especially since many of the Targareyn characters have similar-sounding names, and names get reused over and over. Having illustrations that show some of the scenes that are being described in the text does help a little bit, but it definitely makes this a slower reading book than it would normally be. 

The book is very good, and the illustrations are great. Of course, many of us would prefer that Martin focus his time and energy on actually finishing the final two books of the Game of Thrones story, but the reality is that he is going to jump around from project to project and he seems content to finish GoT in his own good time. One good thing about this story being mostly finished is that the House of Dragon TV series will have a clear guidepost for where it is going whereas the later seasons of GoT did not, which will hopefully allow that series to end in a more satisfying manner.