Raptor in Black

Really and truly, this could be the plot of one of the more "high-brow" types of porn. I watched this with a bunch of other girls for a class, and we could not stop laughing the entire time.

See Jane Fonda meet men from around the galaxy, and have sex with them! Dare your friends to count how many times she changes her costume!! Sparks deep philosophical discussion, like what exactly the writers were on when they wrote this. Great fun, not to be missed!

I watched this movie for a science fiction class, thus I went in well prepaired to analyze philosophical themes and discuss the post-modernist elements in a genre of cyberpunk blah blah blah...

I have to say my overall reaction is that I don't like the movie, but I can appreciate it. It is kind of a cliche Mess With Reality movie (or at least cliche by today's standards) but it does it in such an unusual way. I was disgusted and intrigued by the organic pods, as well as that mutant-bone gun. I love scifi that deals with the ideas of genetic and organic technology, so was hoping for more. Unfortunately, besides the glowing thingy that Law pulled out of his pocket, there wasn't anything else.

The problem that stuck out most to me was that all these futuristic elements are juxtaposed against a regular, redneck-country backdrop with barns, farmhouses, and crappy cars. It was confusing and jarring. My guess it that they didn't get much of a budget, or spent it all on the pods, so made do by location-shooting in one town for the entire time. Many of the extras, expecially the people in the church during the testing, look like just a bunch of locals they hired.

I would have been much more engrossed if they had taken the pains to make it a real futuristic society, with plot twists more dramatic than going to a chinese resturant. It would make the videogame aspect of it mesh more with today's ideas of what an escapism game should be, as well.

I've been a fan of sci-fi and fantasy since the first time I ever picked up a book. But years ago, when I honestly tried to read the LOTR books, I just couldn't get into them. The first book was pondorous and slow and I couldn't get a feel for who was who. Thus, I gave up. And so, when this movie came out, I expected a computer-graphics and cinemegraphic feast, but a plot that would only get the true, long, hard-core fans of the books engaged.

I was totally wrong.

I sat through most of the movie with my mouth open. Literally. The plot is epic, archetypcally epic, and I was astounded by the great sense of scale that the movie conveys. The dialouge, which had once confused and bored me in written form, made much more sense with skilled actors dictating it on screen with emotion and emphasis.

And the eye-candy...sweet gods, the eye candy. The landscape was perfectly chosen, and the cinematography literally the best I have ever seen in a movie. Ever. All the flyover shots and battle-scenes were visionary. The CGI was exquisite, in my expert opinion. When the Balrog came on screen, I sat up in my chair with an open, shocked smile on my face the likes of which I haven't done since I saw Jurassic Park in the theater in 3rd grade. The movie had me totally engaged, and I vivdly remember glancing at my watch half-way in and thinking to myself, "Excellent! We still have another good hour or so to go!"

Afterwards, over Winter Break, I went to the library and checked out the books again. Now the plot made much more sense, as I had mental images of the characters and places. I am anxiously awaiting the next two movies, and am proud to say that I am a Fan.