Monday, April 12, 2004

Saturday I saw Hellboy, which was quite good. It was exciting, and funny, and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, it also had some comic characters who were a bit too fantastic for live action. There are certain things that just don’t work when you see them on film. And, ironically, Hellboy himself wasn’t one of them. The main evil villain was essentially Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe, and it just didn’t work.

The film was also weak because of lack of character exposition, ironically enough. There was a lot to these characters, which the film could only hint at. Perhaps the characters would have seen stronger if I’d been able to see them build over time.

I also read Orson Scott Card’s Hart’s Hope. It’s only the second Card book I’ve read (the first was his amazing SF novel Ender’s Game). I was blown away, mainly because I’ve never read anything quite like it. Which, ironically, is something I don’t say much about fantasy.

In Hart’s Hope as in Ender’s Game, Card showcases his abilty to write about truly horrible things, without either sensationalizing it or trying desperately to make a Point. He simply portrays these acts as horrible, and leaves them as they are. Which, in a way, shows tremendous respect. He lets those acts speak for themselves.