Author: Gary Varner | Page 9

Abandoned railway tracks in the desert, Namibia

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Gary Varner
Date
September 24, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Featured, MacGuffin plot device}

The MacGuffin: Big Fuss About Nothing Is Not Good Science Fiction

_{A MacGuffin creates a lot of action but doesn’t in any way advance the plot} _{Gary Varner
September 24, 2022

7

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

As with Time Travel, the MacGuffin plot risk comes in a variety of flavors. People bicker about the term, but Alfred Hitchcock (1863–1942) summarized the gist of it: A MacGuffin is “the thing the characters on the screen worry about but the audience don’t care.” The MacGuffin creates a lot of action but doesn’t in any way advance the plot. The action is not the problem. If the item contributes to the plot in a significant way — the One Ring from Lord of the Rings or the Dragon Balls from the Dragon Ball Series, for example — then it isn’t a MacGuffin. But if the item is inert and chased mainly because the characters want it, then it is Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
September 17, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Featured}

Storytelling: The Liar is Revealed! But Does Anyone Still Care?

_{Stories where the central character lies about something important often waste audience time without building tension} _{Gary Varner
September 17, 2022

8

Arts & Culture}

If there was one storytelling device (trope) I would call the bane of all good writing and a general waste of everyone’s time, it’s The Liar Revealed. With that trope, the dramatic tension is driven by the fact that the central character (the protagonist) is not who or what the others suppose. Pretty much every other trope can be made to work properly with the proper setup. But if a writer chooses to go with this cliché, just expect the movie to stop until the trope is finished playing out. Everything is on pause until the truth is revealed. What is the Liar Revealed? Well, as a trope, it’s not just whenever a character lies. The lies are not really Read More ›

The Butterfly Effect - Big Blue Butterfly appearing to create ripples in pink green water surface with plenty of copy space below

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Gary Varner
Date
September 10, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Featured, Terminator (1984) and time travel, Time travel in science fiction}

Science Fiction: Time Travel Can Work — If Clear Rules Are Chosen

_{I despise the Butterfly Effect in time travel stories because there is simply no way to establish what is at stake} _{Gary Varner
September 10, 2022

9

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Time travel is such a familiar story element (trope) in science fiction that it has a name, the Time Travel Trope. It annoys me — though much less than others — is the Time Travel trope. These story elements can drive classics such as The Terminator (1984) and utter garbage like A Sound of Thunder. (2005). Establishing the rules for time travel The main reason is that there are many different types of Time Travel stories as well as a variety of rules to go with them. The rules depend on which approach to time travel the writer chooses to take. The writer can chooses to go with the idea that the present and future are fixed, and regardless of Read More ›

the rainbow colorful multiverse art background

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Gary Varner
Date
September 3, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Brandon Sanderson, Featured}

Madness: Why Sci-Fi Multiverse Stories Often Feel Boring

_{In a multiverse, every plot development, however implausible, is permitted because we know it won’t affect our return to the expected climax} _{Gary Varner
September 3, 2022

9

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Filmmakers communicate with audiences using common and accepted story devices (tropes) that viewers identify with — maybe the “average person takes the crown” or “love triangle.” Some tropes are overused or used in ways that undermine the story. In discussing what I think went wrong with Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and some similar films, I’ll use the word trope to refer to any story element that is used to push the plot. I find four tropes particularly annoying: the Multiverse, Time Travel, the Liar Revealed, and the MacGuffin Chase. Because I’ve just finished reviewing Multiverse of Madness, let’s start with the Multiverse trope. Before reviewing the Dr. Strange sequel, I’d written an essay, “Dr. Strange: Can Read More ›

Futuristic multiverse world concept. Downtown with skyscrapers skyline under and cityscape over. Two parallel worlds. Alternative reality dimension

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Gary Varner
Date
August 27, 2022

Tagged
America Chavez (character in Multiverse of Madness), Christine (Multiverse of Madness character), Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Kamar-Taj in Marvel Universe, Professor X (Multiverse of Madness character), Scarlet Witch (Marvel Universe character), Souls of the Damned (characters in Multiverse of Madness), Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character), Wong (character in Multiverse of Madness)}

Multiverse of Madness?: It’s a Letdown for the Marvel Universe

_{I can’t really recommend it because spectacle trumps any sense of the story hanging together and we can infer nothing from past events} _{Gary Varner
August 27, 2022

10}

The Multiverse of Madness ends with America Chavez training at Kamar-Taj while Dr. Strange and Wong have a final conversation.All the Characters say their goodbyes and Dr. Strange returns home, prepared to move on with his life. Thing’s are looking pretty chipper — that is until a third eye opens on his forehead. This isn’t a big deal but I did think it was a little ridiculous to have a cliffhanger ending followed by a post-credits scene. At any rate, the post-credits scene includes a mysterious woman played by Charlize Theron show up out of nowhere. She tells Dr. Strange that he’s caused an Incursion — a collision between two universes, possibly as a result of multiverse travel. And together, Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
August 20, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
America Chavez (character in Multiverse of Madness), Book of Vishanti (in Multiverse of Madness), Christine (Multiverse of Madness character), Darkhold (Multiverse of Madness book), Darkhold Castle (Multiverse of Madness), Defender Strange (in Multiverse of Madness), Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Incursion (in Multiverse of Madness), MacGuffin plot device, Marvel Universe, Souls of the Damned (characters in Multiverse of Madness), Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character), Wong (character in Multiverse of Madness)}

It’s the End of the Multiverse — And Yet No One Is in a Hurry?

_{Until close to the end, everyone continues to behave as if previous events and circumstances have no consequences and vital information is optional} _{Gary Varner
August 20, 2022

11

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Where were we? After the Mouse decided to disappoint the fans and humiliate a large portion of the Marvel Universe, we find Wanda chasing America Chavez, Christine, and Dr. Strange. She’s bloody and limping because she walked on a bunch of broken glass — and yet, our heroes are terrified of her. The scene looks great, and the concept was terrifying, so long as one forgets the fact that Wanda can fly and doesn’t ask why in the world she’d walk on glass when she could just float over it… At any rate, they reach the door leading to the Book of Vishanti, figure out the combination, and hop onto a platform where the book is resting on an odd-looking Read More ›

First person perspective shot from a hiker sitting at the edge of a cliff at Angel's Landing in Zion National Park.

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Gary Varner
Date
August 13, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Featured, Illuminati (Multiverse of Madness characters), Mordo (Multiverse of Madness character), Professor X (Multiverse of Madness character), Reed Richards (Multiverse of Madness character), Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character)}

Multiverse of Madness Skirts the Edges of Story Collapse

_{Oh well, it IS a multiverse, so maybe, in this reality, all the heroes stink} _{Gary Varner
August 13, 2022

9

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Just as Wanda Maximoff is about to catch America Chavez, she is met by the Illuminati, a team of superheroes which comprises Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, Black Bolt, Reed Richards, Mordo, and Professor X. Mordo and Professor X are not present, but Wanda must still face four heroes at once. There is only phrase which can describe the ensuing scene and that is missed opportunity. To understand why, we must first look at two major factors at play. First, the actor chosen to play Reed Richards is none other than Jared Krasinski, who is famous for his roles in the TV series (2005–2013) The Office and the film A Quiet Place (2018). Now, anyone remotely familiar with comic book films Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
August 6, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Dr. Strange, Illuminati (Multiverse of Madness), Multiverse of Madness, Professor X (Multiverse of Madness), Wanda Maximoff}

Dr. Strange Finds a Universe Almost Like the One He Left…

_{But, like Schrödinger’s famous Cat, he is alive in one universe and dead in another} _{Gary Varner
August 6, 2022

8

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

In the Multiverse of Madness, where were we? Ah yes, Dr. Strange and America Chavez finally find themselves in the multiverse. They teleport through several universes until they land in a reality similar to their own. The first thing Strange wants to do is return to their reality, so he can save Wong, who is still trapped in the temple. However, America reminds him that she cannot control her powers, so they decide to visit the Dr. Strange of this world to see if they can find a way to help America. When they arrive at Strange’s home, they discover that the Dr. Strange of this world is dead. A monument to the fallen hero says he died defeating Thanos. Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
July 30, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
America Chavez (character in Multiverse of Madness), Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Kamar-Taj in Marvel Universe, Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character)}

Marvel Universe: Being All Powerful, It Turns Out, Is Very Boring

_{The Mirror Dimension in Multiverse of Madness dispenses with sharp intellectual conflict, opting for unexplained power plays instead} _{Gary Varner
July 30, 2022

8

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Last time, we talked abut the absurdity of the way the conflict between Wanda Maximoff and Dr. Strange is set up. That’s the conflict which leads us to the attack on the ultimate fortress of the Sorcerer Supreme, Kamar-Taj. Considering what we’ve been told, the temple and its defenses are lackluster, to say the least. Wanda breaks through them with ease but there is a more fundamental problem with the struggle as a whole: The writers appear to lack a proper of the understanding of how the magical characters in the Marvel Universe operate. Marvel’s original genius in developing superheroes included giving every character different strengths and weaknesses. The game is somewhat like Rock–Paper–Scissors where Superhero A can beat Superhero Read More ›

Fantasy landscape with fog, water and stone.

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Gary Varner
Date
July 23, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Ethics, Science Fiction

Tagged
America Chavez (character in Multiverse of Madness), Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Scarlet Witch (Marvel Universe character), Science fiction, Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character)}

The Only Mad People In Dr. Strange’s Multiverse Are The Writers

_{We don’t know why Wanda has morphed into a villain or why good and evil have become morally equivalent} _{Gary Varner
July 23, 2022

8

Arts & Culture, Ethics, Science Fiction}

On our last delve into the Multiverse of Madness (2022), we followed Dr. Strange to Wanda Maximoff’s house. As the scene opens, it is clear that, controversially, Wanda has faced no repercussions for the events depicted in WandaVision. (2021). Tragically, Wanda has chosen to follow the words of the Dark hold — and those of us who watched WandaVision on Disney Plus will never get to see her struggle. So we don’t understand why she chose to listen to the words of the book. Nothing is accounted for. Wanda is just bad now, and we must accept it. Except — this is and isn’t true at the same time. On the one hand, the writers want us to understand that Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
July 16, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character), Wong (character in Multiverse of Madness)}

Do Life History or Moral Choices Matter in a Multiverse?

_{In this third part of my extended review of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, I look at how characters suddenly alter with no accounting} _{Gary Varner
July 16, 2022

9

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Last week we covered the first scene of Multiverse of Madness (2022). This week, we’ll try to move a little faster. After a travesty of an opening scene, Doctor Strange wakes up from his dream about the multiverse just in time for his former girlfriend Christine’s wedding. Strange tries to be happy for her but it’s clear he’s not in a good humor. However, he doesn’t get to brood for long because a sudden attack from a random monster occurs in the city, and he flies off to save the day. During this fight, he discovers America Chavez. With some help from Wong, they manage to slay the monster and lead her to safety at a local restaurant… because, apparently, Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
July 9, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
America Chavez (character in Multiverse of Madness), Defender Strange (in Multiverse of Madness), Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Multiverse as plot device}

Dr. Strange’s Multiverse of Madness Features Infinite Problems

_{The extensive edits to Sam Rami’s work as a director have left it riddled with plot holes and inconsistencies} _{Gary Varner
July 9, 2022

9

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

In my review last week, I ranted about the multiverse as a concept in storytelling, and how the Mouse has used it an excuse to turn Wanda Maximoff into a sorry shadow of her former self. If I could describe the problems overall with the movie in one word, that word would be laziness. The multiverse is used as an excuse for all kinds of incoherent nonsense. Before going into detail, it is important to note that Multiverse of Madness (2022) went through massive reshoots before its release. Film aficionados have said that, while there are hints of Sam Rami’s directing style, they were very few in number and it is evident that the edits to the film were extensive. Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
July 2, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Tagged
Brandon Sanderson, Dr. Strange (character in Dr. Strange), Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review, Featured, Multiverse as plot device, Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Universe character)}

Dr. Strange: Can the Multiverse Really Work as a Plot Device?

_{That’s a question Disney's Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness begs us to ask — though but the screenwriters’ answer might be disturbing} _{Gary Varner
July 2, 2022

11

Arts & Culture, Science Fiction}

Before reviewing the movie in detail, I wound up writing this little prelude regarding the problem with the multiverse plot device in general. It spilled onto the page before I could stop it but then other viewers might be asking some of these same questions. Disney, or as I like to refer to this hell-spawn of a company, the Mouse, is at it again. Where is the Pied Piper when you need him? There are many bad movies in the world, but very rarely does one deserve the term, cinematic abomination. The last time I used that loathsome title, I was watching Luke Skywalker suck green milk from an alien walrus. What is the common factor between The Last Jedi Read More ›

AI, Machine learning, Hands of robot and human touching on big data network connection background, Science and artificial intelligence technology, innovation and futuristic.

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Gary Varner
Date
June 25, 2022

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Environment, Science Fiction

Tagged
Evelyn Caster (character in Transcendence), Featured, Max Waters (character in Transcendence), Will Caster (character in Transcendence)}

Transcendence Review, Part 2: Spoonful of Water with the Nanotech

_{When Will — now an AI — “possesses” a tradesman so that he can touch his wife Evelyn again, Evelyn begins to have second thoughts…} _{Gary Varner
June 25, 2022

7

Artificial Intelligence, Environment, Science Fiction}

Last Saturday, we reviewed reviewed the first half of Transcendence (2014); now, wrapping up, here are some final thoughts. Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) builds her now-AI husband Will (Johnny Depp) his facility, and he begins a variety of experiments using nanotech for rejuvenation. Things seem to be going well enough until a construction worker is mugged outside the facility. Will witnesses the mugging through the cameras and Evelyn has the man brought inside where Will heals his wounds using the tech developed on site. Things seem to be going well… at first. But two problems arise. First, Will allows a video of him healing the man to circulate so that he can attract others to the facility. Second, he puts a Read More ›

Portrait of a man with pixel dispersion effect

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Gary Varner
Date
June 18, 2022

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind, Science Fiction, Transhumanism

Tagged
Evelyn Caster (character in Transcendence), Featured, Max Waters (character in Transcendence), Ray Kurzweil and Singularity, Will Caster (character in Transcendence)}

Review: Transcendence — The Soul Meets the Singularity

_{In Part 1 of my review of the 2014 classic, we start with the question: Can a human mind be completely transferred to a computer?} _{Gary Varner
June 18, 2022

6

Philosophy of Mind, Science Fiction, Transhumanism}

Since Johnny Depp has been all over the news lately, this would be a great time to review his contribution to the world of sci-fi, Transcendence (2014), or as I like to call it, “Oh Great. Now, We Have to Kill the Internet.” The movie plays on two themes. First, there is the idea that futurist Ray Kurzweil calls the Singularity, a moment where AI surpasses humanity. Second, the movie explores two closely related questions: Is there a soul, and does this soul reside within the brain? Johnny Depp’s character, Will Caster, does not believe in the soul, but he does recognize that there is some unmapped region within biological life that allows a human to distinguish between right and Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
June 11, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Malcolm Reynolds, Mr. Universe (character in Serenity), Operative (character in Serenity), River Tam (character in Serenity), Simon Tam (character in Serenity)}

Serenity Review Part 3: Final Thoughts on the Movie and TV Series

_{Despite some lapses that made me wonder if the same crew was doing the writing, they are on a par with Star Wars and Star Trek} _{Gary Varner
June 11, 2022

10

Arts & Culture}

In Part 2 of my review last week, we talked about the events of the film Serenity (2005) and the impact of the deaths of two major characters during the movie. This time, we’ll finish the review of the film, and I will give my thoughts on the story as a whole. After Wash’s death, the crew finds a hallway in which to make their last stand against the Reavers while Malcolm Reynolds goes to meet with Mr. Universe so he can relay a transmission from one of the last survivors of the planet Miranda. But Mal finds Mr. Universe dead in his chamber, with his equipment destroyed. Thankfully, Mr. Universe had a robot wife through which Mal records that Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
June 4, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Featured, Firefly (TV series 2002-2003), Joss Whedon, Mr. Universe (character in Serenity), Operative (character in Serenity), River Tam (character in Serenity), Science fiction (Wild West theme), Serenity (film), Shepherd (character in Firefly), Simon Tam (character in Serenity)}

Serenity Review Part 2: Great Scenes Dogged by Bad Plot Choices

_{We meet fresh villains and finally learn River’s secret: She knows the origin of the malevolent Reavers and it is not neat or pretty} _{Gary Varner
June 4, 2022

16

Arts & Culture}

Last time, I began my (now) three-part review of the film Serenity (2005) with a defense of creator and director Joss Whedon’s character development choices. I have issues with some of his plot choices, however, so let me pick up where the first review left off. In order to get more information on River, Wash suggests speaking with a galactic hacker known as Mr. Universe. Mr. Universe tells them that the Alliance had indeed used a subliminal signal to activate River’s programming. He also points out that River mentions the word “ Miranda”. At the same time, Simon checks on River and, as he speaks with her, she tells him that “Miranda” is a memory, but it isn’t hers. In Read More ›

Exploration of new worlds, space and universe, new galaxies. Planets in backlight. Exoplanets. Solar systems. 3d rendering

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Gary Varner
Date
May 28, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Ambassador (character in Firefly), Featured, Firefly (TV series 2002-2003), Joss Whedon, Malcolm Reynolds, Operative (character in Serenity), River Tam (character in Firefly), Science fiction, Serenity (film), Shepherd (character in Firefly), Simon Tam (character in Firefly)}

Serenity: My Defense of the Film’s Initial Choices (Part 1)

_{Some viewers have complained that director Joss Whedon changed the characters’s behavior in the film vs. the TV series. I believe they are mistaken} _{Gary Varner
May 28, 2022

12

Arts & Culture}

I watched the movie Serenity (2005) long before I ever watched the series, and I fell in love it. Some people have complained that, because Joss Whedon couldn’t decide between writing the film for the fans of the preceding TV series Firefly or for a new audience, the movie was hard to follow. This was not my experience, although I didn’t know the backstory and thus didn’t understand the significance of some of the events of the film. But these events help explain why the movie Serenity never got its long-desired sequel. The movie opens with Simon rescuing his sister River from the lab where she was held captive. This event had actually been recorded by the security archives and Read More ›

Magic Forest at Night under Fullmoon with Fireflies VR360

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Gary Varner
Date
May 21, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Featured, Science fiction}

Firefly: What Worked, What Didn’t… and WHY Was It Cancelled?

_{When all is said and done, Firefly is one of those classic series that any sci-fi fan should watch} _{Gary Varner
May 21, 2022

11

Arts & Culture}

When everything is said and done, Firefly is an excellent series. So the question remains; why was it cancelled? Many opinions have been aired in the entertainment media. In my view, three major reasons stand out. Number 1: The Friday night death slot. That;s what they call it when a show targeted at a younger audience runs in that slot because that audience was usually not at home on Friday nights. So, when the show aired, there was nobody to watch it. Number 2: Bad marketing. It’s said that the promos advertised the series as more or less a zany comedy. While Firefly does have moments of levity, it is more of an action-adventure series. There are plenty of serious Read More ›

Abstract scientific background - planets in space, nebula and stars. Elements of this image furnished by NASA nasa.gov

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Gary Varner
Date
May 14, 2022

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Malcolm Reynolds, River Tam (character in Firefly)}

Firefly Episode 14: Ending on a High Note

_{River proves to be a telepath but highly unstable, as she mistakes a gun for a stick and Mal must get it away from her} _{Gary Varner
May 14, 2022

10

Arts & Culture}

It’s been a wild ride as we’ve reviewed the first and only season of Firefly. During the last half of the season, we had three incredible episodes back to back, then two that were awful. But thankfully, the last episode is said to be one of the greatest. In fact, whenever the series comes up in discussion, this episode seems to be the one people point to as a favorite. It opens from River’s perspective. We see that she can indeed read people’s minds. The way this is done is very interesting. As she is watching the crew talk about various issues, their words and thoughts are spoken side by side as if they are all a part of one Read More ›