Congo - Book Review

Author – Michael Crichton

A review of Congo

I liked this book and it kept to Crichton’s usual ability to keep you interested throughout.  The thrill of adventure soared more than any other aspect I would have to say.  I wouldn’t say you’ll learn much about Africa by reading this but it was neat for me to find about it in some ways.  I’m sure there are plenty of books that discuss the rainforests, village life and illegal trafficking in Africa but in this book you still get a decent concept of it.  Of course I’m not very knowledgeable of the continent in general so learning about it in a Crichton novel made it fun for me.

If you enjoy treasure seeking journeys with added technological advances then you should find this read welcoming.  What I liked most about the story was the actual travel time within it.  Crichton had travelled in his lifetime and it’s easy to tell by the way these occurrences are described.  For me it was the mystery of what was to happen next and when it happened it wasn’t the greatest.  It ended well but it felt the rush was on to do so.  Considering the circumstances of the story I suppose it had to be that way.

What I loathed about the book can be summed up in the science part of the story you could say.  I normally like to read about science and what can be done in the present or future with it.  In this book though the explanations for it get lengthy and actually occur at moments you want the story to push forward.  I understand that the input of the science is important to include but usually Crichton incorporates it much better.  I found myself forcing to read through talk of this corporation trying to do this with, that to, this other one, hoping I’d get back to the adventure side of things.  I don’t want to mislead and will add this doesn’t occur often.  It’s mostly toward the beginning during the setup so you have an idea of where said corporations are coming from which makes sense.

If you’re a reader of Crichton I’d say you would enjoy this one easily enough.  If not or never having read one of his then it’s not a bad place to start either.  The back stories on the characters are short and to the point while allowing for adventure to take over much of the book.  The one thing I hoped for but alas didn’t read about was Tim Curry making a surprise appearance.  If you saw the movie adaptation of this novel you’d know just what I mean, long live Tim Curry.

Book Review Master List

Night Game

Episode 21

A brief introduction is given by the writer before the episode and its neat how she incorporated her love of baseball into the show.  In the episode Winston is a fan of the sport but that stands to reason considering he is the only one who would probably have an interest in it.  She mentions a goof in the script where Ray refers to the score as points rather than runs but takes the blame for making the mix up.  It’s not a big deal but it’s unusual to see people take blame for something they did wrong.  Anyway I enjoyed this one as a kid and find out now that it still holds up very well.  The question is will Winston be able to save the day with his baseball skills or will the Ghostbusters strike out?  I know a poor pun but would anyone be able to resist saying that for this particular episode?

It begins at night on a minor league baseball field.  I’m guessing its minor league since there isn’t even a stadium.  From the pitcher’s mound come streaks of blue and red spectral energy I dare say.  The streaks dart around the field and eventually return to the mound but clearly something supernatural is stirring.  The music is added perfectly to provide that feeling of otherworldly phenomena.

Ghostbuster policy = bribery

Winston comes strolling into the firehouse in full baseball attire flashing around two tickets.  He asks Ray and Peter if they want to go to the game with him but Ray dismisses the invitation once he finds out the Jaguars are playing.  Apparently they are a very terrible team as Ray would prefer to see the Yankees or Red Sox.  Peter declines as well but does he like anything?  Janine in turn refuses the offer opting to stare at her exciting magazine instead.  Egon comes downstairs with a huge stack of books but declines only offering Winston the story that he knew someone in college who studied the curveball.  Alas Winston is left to bribing Slimer with food to join him.  Slimer agrees by taking Winston’s ball cap off and wearing it.  A wink to the camera by Winston and we’re off.

In the stands Slimer is eating wildly while wearing a jacket and hat.  I usually find nothing remotely interesting about Slimer but it’s a funny brief scene.  The blue and red streaks appear during the game as Winston watches on.  Again they came from the pitcher’s mound.  Curiosity is pulling at Winston’s soul right about now.  Let’s face it its far more interesting than watching a crappy baseball team play.

Don't mess with a forearm like that

Back at the firehouse the guys raze Winston about the Jaguars.  “A jag player dropping a pop fly isn’t exactly a supernatural event.”  Ray states.  “Now if he caught the ball that’d be supernatural.”  Peter adds.  Winston slams his fist on the table claiming, “I know what I saw.”  It’s awesome to see him sticking it to the guys for their disbelief in his story.  He brings out a book he checked out from the library, ah the good old days, and explains to the guys about an old Indian legend.  It states once every 500 years the forces of good and evil battle at the very same spot the Jaguars play their games.  That basically shuts up the mockery from them and they agree to check it out in the morning by visiting the mayor for a permit.  Winston is afraid people may get hurt in the meantime because it could take days to get legal permission to check out the baseball field.

Winston decides to take matters into his own hands without the others knowledge and drives up to the field alone in his car, which is styling.  A security guard lets him in because he’s so excited to meet a ghostbuster in person.  That’s when the spirits come out to play so to speak.  Winston tells the guard to take off and he’ll follow.  The guard calls the ghostbusters and the others come quickly.  “He’s in there.  I gotta tell you this guy is brave.”  The guard informs the ghostbusters who look at the supernatural event surrounding the field.  I always liked that line by the guard, don’t know why.  Egon suggests they all fire their beams at the same spot at the base of the dome now covering the field.  That allows a tunnel to be formed and entry possible by the guys. 

Which side was the umpire on though?

As they arrive inside they notice a supernatural baseball field in place with Winston playing as the shortstop.  I love the creativity of the spirits and the layout of the field, in particular the bases.  They have eyes and a mouth with sharp teeth that look downright creepy.  Winston explains he suggested good and evil play a game of baseball this time since they always conform to their surroundings and do battle based off of it.  It’s a fun idea actually.  Winston has to play in the game since he was present when the spirits showed up, makes enough sense.  The umpire wants the rest of them to go and explains this game is being played for one human soul.  Peter overacts and refuses to leave as the guys think Winston’s soul is on the line.  The umpire allows them to stay but they can’t play, that’s probably a good thing.  Can you imagine Egon, Ray or Peter playing baseball, it couldn’t be pretty.  If evil wins the human soul must do evil’s bidding for 500 years, high stakes.

The game goes on with the score being tied at 0 in the 8^th inning.  Evil gets a hit and Winston catches a pop fly where about 50 or so balls fall toward him, although he makes the play and catches one for the out.  Peter informs the umpire that evil cheated.  I love the response by the umpire as he explains that evil is allowed to cheat because it’s their nature but if good cheats they will forfeit the game.  Good can’t take the ways of evil and still be good.  Basically evil can do whatever they want to win while good must play by the rules, it’s an awesome little speech.  Ray says as they walk away, “I wonder if good is allowed to steal bases?”  Peter replies, “Maybe good just borrows them Ray.”  Amazing dialogue is all I can say.

Cheater's never prosper guys

As evil goes up one run Winston comes over to say how much it means to him that the guys are letting him do this.  They in turn encourage him to go back out there and do his best more or less, what else can they say?  They’re worried he will lose his soul for 500 years!  Good eventually gets a couple of hits prompting evil to call for a relief pitcher, a giant one eyed, long elephant-like trunked beast.  It doesn’t look good for, well, good.  With the pressure mounting and good down to their final out Winston comes up to bat.  The music is on mark as well which adds to the tension.  The umpire informs the guys that evil’s best pitcher is up and Winston may do better against another pitcher.  The guys ponder over cheating since they haven’t been forced to leave.  Peter hates the idea of a game determining Winston’s fate.  Egon remembers everyone must be on a side.  Peter wants to trap the pitcher to save Winston.  It’s apparent they are on the side of good with Winston though as Egon stops Ray and Peter from blasting the pitcher.  Cheating isn’t an option even for them.

Used to be a woolly mammoth?

Cue the theme music as the pitcher prepares to fire and Winston stares it dead on.  It’s a powerful scene as he smashes the ball straight back to the pitcher with supernatural velocity (appropriate I’d say) sending the spirit into the scoring post.  He rounds the bases to the exciting thrall of the music and the celebration of good winning the game.  Evil melts away in defeat for another 500 years while good gets the classic fade out.  Egon wishes he could have studied the umpire a bit more while Peter says, “At least we saved our buddy here.”  Winston says, “What?..  Oh no, you got it all wrong it was your soul we were playing for Peter.”  Peter collapses in the reality if he cheated it would have been his soul suffering instead.  It’s a great little twist ending to a fantastic episode.

I’m not a fan of baseball but this was one of the best episodes yet.  It’s not the top but it earns its points, runs or whatever you want to call it.  The minimal and effective use of Slimer was great while integrating baseball and ghostbusting flawlessly.  I recommend this one to anybody new to the show that is curious about ghostball.

Rating: 10 of 10

Links

The Real Ghostbusters Episode Listing

Next Up: Venkman’s Ghost Repellers – Episode 22

Previous: Adventures in Slime and Space – Episode 20

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Next - Book Review

Author – Michael Crichton

A review of Next

I’m a reader of Michael Crichton’s books and so far he’s still my favorite author.  I enjoy many things related to science fiction which includes reading material so that should make it clearer as to why I enjoy his work.  For now I’m going to give a review of what I thought of Next.

Genetics can be broken down into two forms of interests, fascinating or boring.  I’m in the former category while I’d take a guess as to most people being in the ladder until one day when their health deteriorates enough to turn to genetics as a last ditch escape from possible death.

The idea of who we are and what we will be has always been of interest to anybody that has self reflected.  Genes can provide us what we may become before we would know it for sure.  They can lay dormant for years waiting for that one trigger effect in our life to awaken and cause an inherent disease.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could stop the inevitability of such an occurrence?  What if you could reverse the effect of an addiction dominating your life?  How many people smoke cigarettes while almost all of them desiring to quit at some point in their life?  An addiction gene has been discovered that causes such behavior in people.  Its general findings such as this that comprise the main focus of this book and if genetics is something you’re curious about it will hold your attention.

Let’s put it this way if you enjoy Crichton’s style and genetics then this book would right up your alley.  Now there is a difference in this book that isn’t commonplace in his other novels.  He has many ongoing stories from different people and situations throughout the majority of the book before it focuses more on one particular story that is the culmination of the others.  The slight drawback and only one I have for this book is how it ends.  Crichton, however, usually doesn’t have great wrap ups to his novels so if you’ve read his material than you won’t be too surprised.  I have yet to read all of his books but so far off the top of my head I’d say about a handful of them have that icing on the cake to provide closure for the book. 

How is he my favorite author if he doesn’t end books well?  It’s possible some of you are thinking that and to answer, I really enjoy the ride throughout the book.  He mostly writes page turning books that make me wonder what is going to happen next and by the time you reach the end it tends to whither off.  If you combine that with many science fiction type topics then it’s enough for me.

I recommend Next to any who are into science, particularly genetics.  I wouldn’t say its Crichton’s best work but it still gets the job done.  I trust I didn’t spoil anything and provided you a decent overview of what to expect.

Book Review Master List

Adventures in Slime and Space

Episode 20

On the Time Life DVD’s of this series you get to watch a commentary with David Gerrold.  I love commentaries especially on the shows or movies I really enjoy.  This is the first episode written by David Gerrold that I got to watch in this series so far.  I never liked this one much, even as a kid and after hearing what the writer thought about it now I still don’t.  It does have its funny dialogue from time to time but the entire concept of referencing anything you can think of is lame.  The writer seemed proud to claim that.  I’m for some references but to do an entire episode on it just takes away from what you could be getting from the characters in the meantime.  From Star Trek, King Kong, The Three Stooges and gobs more it feels like I’m half watching a show about what other show we can put into the viewers brain instead of The Real Ghostbusters.  It has lots of Slimer in it but thankfully it’s not as bad as you might think it would be because of it.  It’s time to go through this episode.

Egon is up to some mad scientist like work at Ghostbuster headquarters.  He is attempting to create a machine that will disintegrate ghosts instead of containing them which is rather neat.  Before we get to the storyline of that let’s point out that an old couple walking on the street below would rather a dynamite factory be in place of the Ghostbusters firehouse.  Why do you ask?  Well an explosion did blast out through the roof of the firehouse but it didn’t seem too bad.  Their reason is they claim to have felt safer when it was a dynamite factory, apparently in past years.  I know it’s supposed to be a joke but it’s lame and really spearheads what this episode is full of, below standard material.

In the firehouse Peter is fully geared up, proton pack and all.  Does he normally do that?  I’d tend to think not and suggest he be loafing off someplace else.  I could see Ray doing it though.  It’s not a big concern but it stood out to me.  In the wake of the explosion as Peter is hanging from the ceiling he mentions they might be able to get a deal working slum clearance.  That’s something I never picked up as a kid and it’s rather funny now.  Egon goes on and on in ridiculous terminology of how he created this new machine.  I know I’ve stated before that I like the “techno-babble” but this is simply too much.  It’s really plain silly and over the top.  Ray also has a blue electric field around him for some reason.  Peter manages be funny enough to get you through this scene but he usually does up to this point in the series.  “Ray I think you’ve been sniffing your capacitors again.”  I don’t know if Peter is referring to the electric field around Ray or the excitement he is portraying but it’s another great line.  He goes on mocking Egon and Ray when Slimer enviably shows up and mumbles incomprehensible words.  “Him I expect to talk like that, not you two.”  Another joke right on target as he is basically blasting that “techno-babble” talk that already went too far.  The lack of a serious attitude Peter portrays is what keeps the overall environment of what’s going on interesting.

The Scientific Approach

Ray has developed a machine to communicate with Slimer which is stupid.  Slimer types what he wants to say into the machine and a voice speaks it.  Why not read what Slimer typed?  I have an even better idea, teach Slimer to write on paper, give me a break.  Peter does rag on it by wondering why they would want to communicate with the green goo in the first place.  It does have some kind of advantage I could imagine but it’s still nice to see Peter’s dislike of Slimer.  Peter slightly threatens to blast Slimer which causes the spook to bounce off the walls and right into Egon’s new machine.  As Slimer exits the machine the green goo multiplies into a bunch of small Slimer’s, great.  One of the dumbest ideas in this show up until now occurs.  The guys try to catch all of these Slimer’s with nets, yes nets.  Why?  Who knows let’s just push on.  Egon explains Slimer has become molecular unstable which is why Slimer is multiplying upon hitting anything.  Obviously they have to clean up this terribly slimy mess which is already spreading faster than diarrhea but Winston has the best idea.  He recommends going out and rounding all the Slimer’s up with the ecto Slimer nets.  Do you see this episode spiraling downward?  That leads to talk about Howard the Duck which anybody born after the 1980’s will never know about and those that do will possibly turn this particular episode off.  The off base references make this one the episode you skip over on the DVD.

After a series of unsuccessful standing without moving their feet the guys, along with Janine, decide to go see the mayor.  The scene in the mayor’s office is full of bad dialogue I’d rather spare you from and me from writing.  It does conclude with the entire gang sliding out the door on slime though, they really push that gag beyond the limits.  Egon comes up with an idea to reverse the effect of the multiplying Slimer’s so they all become magnets to each other.  It’s a good enough solution so they head back to the firehouse to begin.  Once again they slip and slide, yawn, all over the place with their stupid nets.  I did enjoy the part when Egon crashes into the door with his behind sticking out!  He’d have to be knocked out or loopy after that.  One of the little Slimer’s floats right into the machine by itself, way to go guys, I was sure the nets would eventually catch one though.  It comes out blue though, a blue Slimer.  Why is it blue though?  It’s not explained in the show but the writer said just to separate from the other Slimer’s so as to see the change.  If one is absorbing all the little Slimer’s, I’m sick of typing “Slimer”; I think the viewer could tell because that one get’s larger and larger. 

They let Slimer out the window to collect the other ones and wish him good luck.  It’s silly dialogue again except when Peter tells him not to come back.  Eventually the blue Slimer comes back about fifty times bigger than when it left.  It’s also meaner due to the shock therapy from Egon’s machine Ray claims.  Why is it so big though?  There must be a scientific explanation for that too.  Egon states it’s because all the little slimeball’s were feeding on anything they could find so when they merged it all added up basically.  No footage of any of the Slimer’s eating though, pity.  While evil blue Slimer watches Egon says they need helicopters to fire at Slimer in small bursts to reduce its size.  They head to the mayor’s office, again, to ask for said helicopters.  Janine gets snatched up by evil Slimer straight out of the office window.  The mayor whines and complains about the entire situation like a baby, grow up and face the problem man.

 

The guys get their helicopters and can fly them, somehow.  I didn’t much like how they could just fly a helicopter all of a sudden, is this the matrix and they downloaded that information?  There wasn't even a line stating, “Well I’m glad we took all those flying lessons, I hope it pays off.”  That would at least explain it somewhat.  The theme music doesn’t even kick in for the finale, come on their flying four helicopters straight at the empire state building with mounted proton guns!  In the end they reduce Slimer back down to size and color along with plenty of King Kong references for the situation, boo.

I don’t like this episode much which is why it took me so long to get around to finishing this review on it.  Aside from the jokes Peter makes in it it’s not very watchable and I don’t recommend it for anybody new to watching the show.

 

Rating: 3 of 10

Links

The Real Ghostbusters Episode Listing

Next Up: Night Game – Episode 21

Previous: Cry Uncle – Episode 19

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Gremlin and Australia Dreams

The final two dreams are in this one blog.  They’re a bit vaguer and less interesting but the details are erasing themselves from memory by the minute.

Gremlin toy coming to life

In my room I’m staring at my dresser with a flat screen TV resting on top.  The TV is a few inches away from the wall in which the dresser stands against.  It could easily be reality if it weren’t for the blu ray player balancing on top of the TV.  It didn’t seem to make sense how it was doing that but it was.  It normally sat on the top of the dresser so how did this happen?  I ask my wife if she did this but she didn’t answer me.  I searched around and noticed that my Stripe Gremlin figure was just underneath my bed.  It didn’t look quite the same as usual.  I picked it up and it began to move in my hand.  The arms and legs moving about and I dropped it in surprise.  I’m not sure what anyone would do in that situation but I reached down and picked it up again.  The dream phases in and out for awhile giving me glimpses of the Stripe Gremlin running around but not doing much else.

As the dream shifts I’m still in my room but now General Traag, rock solider from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, is on the move but not really causing trouble.  That’s when a vapor or gas leaves its toy body and goes back into the gremlin.  I’m now convinced there is some sort of ghost or spirit in my presence.  As I reach down and pick up the gremlin again it moves its arms and legs trying to escape.  I stare at it in amazement but almost seemed paralyzed as I merely watch.  The dream sadly ends without figuring out what was really going on.

Delivering in Australia and being asked to paint a house

A man approaching a door with pizzas is the beginning of this final dream.  I can’t confirm its anything special except when the man takes the food from the other man and asks him to paint the interior of his home.  Of course I’m the delivery guy.  The homeowner was Mexican which seems a bit out of place considering the dream takes place in Australia.  Why there?  It’s odd in dreams when you just know but there isn’t really any proof to verify it, it’s my mind so my rules for now.  The Mexican man insists I help and that he will pay me well for it.  I naturally find myself wondering if I should help, how much were we talking about.  Another man walks up in a rush and dismisses me quickly telling me to go away.  It could be the homeowner’s brother or friend I’m not sure but I do get a nice tip which is sad that I’m dreaming of work.  I enjoy time away from my job so it’s almost a nightmare when I do dream of work.

The more interesting part of the dream occurs now.

As I’m leaving I have no car and head out into the street.  Above the road is a giant net with red poles lining the ends, sound familiar at all?  The net mirrors the road below and runs off in winding turns and such.  I knew exactly what to do.  I jumped up and grabbed the net and climbed along.  I didn’t know where I was going but perhaps a certain fat plumber who is partial to red hats with the letter M on it would.  I go on climbing around when stuffed animal toys begin to appear on the top of the net.  I don’t recognize any of them then the dream fades, ends.

Dreams Master List

Space Dream

It seems when I get my most memorable dreams they all come in one night.  I had three this last night and my featured dream occurred in space.  I have others that will follow but you’ll have to wait to see what they contain.

The dream fades in as four people are travelling through space in a small spacecraft.  The cabin space for the pilot is occupied by all the passengers as they gaze out toward the stars and a distant futuristic space station.  It’s very cramped and it’s a wonder nobody complains about elbows being lodged in one another’s bodies.  This is when I recognize, through first person of course, that I’m sitting in the back.  My wife is next to me on the left and we now account for half of the crew you could say.  The pilot is none other than Ripley, if you haven’t seen the Alien movies featuring Sigourney Weaver than I’m sorry but your imagination will need to work extra.  It’s her from the first movie back in 1979, with the longer hair.  I scan in front of me and notice a smaller female with dark hair but I can’t really make out who it is.  It was rather dark in the spacecraft.  There is one more life-form in the spacecraft and I recognize it immediately, it was Bishop.  I had an eerie feeling come across me at once, only imagining how that poor android gets ripped apart in the movies.  That’s when the event happened. 

The small spacecraft had a longer wingspan than I thought and it even had some firepower I didn’t know about until we had no choice but to fire at our incoming enemy.  How would we know that something drifting through space would be our enemy though?  As we neared the space station, which I’m certain we were going to dock at, four aliens in a horizontal pattern were floating toward us.  It’s a bit of a blur but I remember three booming sounds and three exploding aliens being the result.  Alas one alien remain and it was headed straight for us, alive and ready to attack.  I’m not sure these could be alive in space and the laws of a dream can alter anything.  It’s possible they were dead but floating through space.  As we all knew we had no more shots to fire upon the remaining alien which is a shame.  Bishop yelled out to ram the alien to finish it off however I didn’t like that idea at all.  Ripley went forward and crashed into it causing it to splatter all over the front window.  I guess in space it’s still possible to need washer fluid and wipers.  I wish it was as simple as that.

The window melted in, the acid blood spilled all over Ripley.  I fear she didn’t make but I have no memory of her after this moment.  One final alien breached the spacecraft and how we didn’t get sucked into space to our deaths is beyond me.  Remember dream worlds always differ.  The alien approached the small dark haired female then went for Bishop.  I knew it, even in my dream I knew.  My wife and I trapped with no escape watched on as the alien opened its mouth toward Bishop.  It wasn’t the standard you’re used to seeing in the movies though.  A dark tube raced down Bishops throat and convulsing occurred.  I don’t remember what happened after except waking up in the space station.

I could see into the small spacecraft that I arrived on.  Bishop laid out on it in a dire state.  Tests were being run on him by the workers of the station.  He appeared fine and could still talk and function.  He leaned up to look at me and noticed a wide spread gash showing his innards in his belly region.  He laughed that he may not be as well as he hoped.  It was somewhat disgusting.  The typical white colored insides with a creamy fluid spilling over his body was all I needed to look away.  I noticed the melted window in front but never again saw an alien.  This part of the dream fades away as I pick it up walking down a corridor with my wife.

I’m not sure how my mind created such a magnificent space station but it did.  It was massive with level after level of high tech machinery.  People were walking around everywhere; some were working while others seemed to be on leisure time.  My wife mentioned she wanted to stay here which she referred to be home to her.  I was amazed to learn this is where she grew up and lived before we apparently left or she herself left.  It’s possible we were returning here but from where?  Her dad worked here as she stated but we never saw him.  We were heading to be scanned for infection of our encounter with the alien.  We arrived at a public area with an indoor park that had grass and a playground.  Across from that not too far off was the scanning area where I noticed someone already being treated.  The man was naked and almost hovering over a table.  Green line like lasers scan him over and over penetrating deep within his body.  We could simply watch from a short distance in public eye, even people from the park could clearly view it although nobody did.  In this place a naked man by a park with kids being scanned with lasers didn’t seem wrong in anyway.  Upon closer viewing I recognized this man, it was Scott Bakula.

If you don’t remember Mr. Bakula then try to recall one of the old shows, Quantum Leap or one of the Star Trek series.  I liked Quantum Leap growing up and perhaps that’s how he showed up, naked, why naked?  Anyway on a holographic representation of his body which displayed in mid air off to one side you could clearly see no signs of infection.  I’m assuming they were scanning for the little alien babies that grow inside of the body.  He had a clean bill of health except that half of his butt was gone.  I have no idea how that happened but they healed it using the method of creating the Fifth Element.  The movie with Milla Jovovich, why couldn’t she have showed up naked, no I get Scott Bakula.  As I watched each slice of his butt get put back into place with precise quick movements by the small robotic arms the dream ended.

Election (2005)

This is a Hong Kong film and it’s about triads.  If you know anything about triads then you know they’re usually the bad guys.  In this movie though, it’s more than just cops vs. triads because that would probably be so boring.  Simon Yam plays a lead character and you can be grateful he does because he can actually act.  Don’t get me wrong the movie isn’t filled with bottom feeding acting but a few guys could use some more classes if you get me.  Anyway I like Simon Yam he was in IP Man and that’s my favorite martial arts flick.  Now it’s not about martial arts, I don’t want to mislead you.  I can see the action fighting junkies drooling now but let me stop you.  Don’t beat me up just watch Flashpoint it’s probably more for you.  Enough of my antics let’s just get to the movie.

The story is about the inner turmoil the triad society is going through.  In the triad system a man gets elected by vote to be chairman, a very prestigious position.  Well this guy (Big D) loses out to Lok (Simon Yam) and he goes bananas.  He wants to deny tradition and thrust himself into sole power of the triad society.  That starts fire that will burn throughout the movie and it moves along very well.  The cops nab them for causing so much trouble.  The cops know they can’t stop or end the triads so they basically tell them to get their society back in line.  If the triads have a correct organization at least the cops won’t have to work as hard, they will govern themselves.  It’s the “in-fighting” the cops actually can’t stand. 

A main catch to the plot is the ‘Baton’.  It’s a sacred item that the chairman must have in his possession to prove he is the leader.  Each side within the triad is trying to get it and eventually Lok does.  Big D never wants to give in until he finally accepts Lok’s proposal to gain more territory in Hong Kong to improve the society and those within financially.  It would seem all is well near the end until Big D gets some fresh ideas that don’t go over too well with Lok.  What happens?  I’ll save that for you to watch and trust me it’s worth it.

I’ve visited Hong Kong a few times and it’s great to see some of the places and streets I’ve been down.  The memories that creep back out of my mind are a welcome joy to experience.  I encourage you to give the American cinema a break and test foreign waters and you’ll discover that there truly is another world out there.  Adam Sandler’s latest idiotic comedy can wait, give Hong Kong a chance.  The director of ‘Accident’ also directed this one so if you did watch that one then you should be hurrying to Netflix now.

Rating: 8.5 of 10

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