Day: June 14, 2006

I’m recording every single game in the 2006 World Cup, and watching whatever I can. Most of the games, I skim for goals, or watch a few minutes here and there. During the morning, before going to work (thank you, Pacific Time Zone), I watch a bit of the first game of the day. Then, I avoid news about the games (most of the time) and come home and devour a bit of the best sporting event on earth. The World Cup is better than the Olympics (which I adore) because the television is better, with no advertisements interrupting the flow, and the competition is wide-open. I wouldn’t pretend that all 32 teams are of similar quality, but any one of the top 8-10 teams could take this trophy and revel in that glory forever. Even the usually disappointing powerhouse (yes, I mintend the oxymoron) of Spain looked devastating in their 4-0 spanking of the Ukraine. We’ll see what happens.

It’s actually a bit draining to have this much soccer available, and of such importance and interest to the entire world. The Premier League games I watch most of the year are high quality, and the rhythm of the season draws you in. But it’s not quite so frenetic, with its highs (Australia’s last 7 minutes against Japan) and lows (the entire United States – Czech Republic debacle). Thanks to a tip, I’m enjoying the Tunisia-Saudi Arabia match right now in full. This is normally one I would have skimmed through at triple speed. It’s not the best soccer of this past week, but it’s not one-sided. Game ended 10 hours ago but I don’t know the final score, yet. Live TV is so 20th century!

On a technical note, I’m feeling fortunate that our previous 40 hour Series 2 TiVo had hard drive troubles several weeks ago. The 80 hour replacement is being utilitzed more completely during this tournament! I do wish I had HDTV for this tournament. I haven’t seen a single game in that format, though every single game is being broadcast that way for the first time. Maybe by 2010, in South Africa.

X-Men: The Last Stand, otherwise known as X-Men 3, was playing to a mostly empty theater on Sunday night. I’ve watched the second one earlier this month. I think it’s helpful to have seen the earlier films; I’m not sure anyone would care about these characters without a bit of the back story.

I would see this film if you enjoyed the first two, but not otherwise.

The only character interaction which pulls you in is between Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen). The two British actors do a lot for this film, which is why one of the plot twists bodes ill for future films. (Slight spoiler.) Still, we can all hope that Ian McKellen continues to thrive and is available for the next film. Aside from the obvious point — this is a comic book serial, so it will continue, the director leaves us with a hint of Magneto’s future possibilities.

The camera also lingers a bit more on Mystique in this film, despite an early “departure” from the main story. Villians are more fun, and a good-looking woman (Rebecca Romijn) in blue body paint and little more doesn’t hurt the comic-book audience (read: males from 15 and up).

My one major disappointment was in continuity. I’m not a very “close reader” of film; bluntly, I’m not one for details, usually. But a critical part of the film was as jarring as the difference between night and day. Literally. The climactic battle begins with a team of mutants marching in daylight, but the battle minutes later is in pitch black night. The daylight was sunset, surely, but if I noticed the switch, you know it’s blatant. I was with two friends at the movie, one of whom makes films, and he suggested that the major battle had to happen at night for cost reasons. The special effects would have cost much, much more if the background had to be filled in with something other than the night sky. So be it… just start the battle a bit later next time?

Metacritic score of 58 feels a touch low, at first…I’d say mid-60s. But I suppose judged on its own, not as part of the series, X-Men: The Last Stand needed to do more to earn kudos. The Metacritic summary points as this film as the “climax of the trilogy,” but I would expect another one. (I don’t read film trades, so no idea if this is already a certainty one way or the other.)

Update: Thanks to Rex (comment below), I was reminded that I should have stayed all the way through the credits. Here’s a link to what I missed on Google Video (not sure how long it will stay online; it’s 24 seconds long): X-Men: The Last Stand… credits