By the time we finished watching season one on DVD season two was only days away from starting. Our home did not have a connection to watch regular TV. We are movie fans and so only had a projector, DVD player, and surround sound. When that fateful Monday night came along we forsaked Monday Night Football and traveled to my parents house to watch the season premier with the rest of my family. Of course, we were not disappointed. Not that we expected to be after the intense roller coaster ride season one took us one.

Monday after Monday we gathered together to watch the next episode, certain not to miss a second. Each of us had our favorite hero that we cheered for as the series went one. But come on, who could deny the child-like awe we all had as we watched Hiro go back in time; when it was revealed episodes later that Hiro was Takezo Kensai, his childhood hero?

Our elation was sadly short-lived. As the writer’s strike went into full swing we were no longer able to watch our favorite Heroes try once again to save the world and bring down the big bad guy Sylar. There were rumors that the show would not come back once the strike was over. I, however, held on to hope. I remembered those last three words I read on the screen as they brought season two to a premature end.

To be continued…

I had faith and fought steadfastly on the side of their return. After all, true heroes would never let their fans down.

And they did not disappoint.

You can imagine my glee as I watched Sunday football and saw the first preview for season three of Heroes. I jumped up and down in my chair and started cheering. My husband, thinking Green Bay had scored, came running back into the room. Though he was disappointed that it was not a touchdown cheer, he was also excited that it was a Heroes preview.

The weeks leading up to the premier seemed to crawl by. When at last the night came we all watched, together again, for the next great Heroes adventure to begin.

Now, I have to say in candid honesty that I was disappointed. The characters were far different from the way they were at the end of season two. Peter, who I enjoyed watching for his wholesome, boy-next-door, ready to sacrifice himself to save the world, had become dark. The same happened with Claire. Even Hiro was different! Despite my several disappointments I trudged on. After all, they are called Heroes for a reason, right?

As long as there are heroes there is hope…

As a writer I understood that diving headlong back into a story after months of nothing is not feasible. Fans have to be eased back into the story. They have to start feeling compassion toward the characters all over again. Old habits die hard, but feelings are easily dismissed. For that reason I waited patiently, week after week, for the story to start to blossom.  Friends and family alike stated that they had started to lose interest. The story had just not caught them. Afraid, I once again rallied for Heroes, begging that they just give it a couple of weeks, insisting that my experience as a writer was sound. Thankfully, they listened.

And they were not disappointed.

Sure it took five weeks to get the story moving, but they had a lot of ground to cover, a lot of plot to refresh, and a lot of characters to introduce. But once that was said and done, the Heroes began to return to the normal heart-rending/gut-clenching excitement they were known for. And let’s face it, some of the twists — like what happened between Claire and Sylar — were far overdue. After all, a villain can only chase his prey for so long and still keep viewer interest.

If Heroes, Season Three, has one fatal mistake, it is leaving Hiro at the end of an episode — after spending weeks creating tension between him and his sidekick Ando — having just murdered his one and only friend. Now, I know that Hiro could travel back in time and do what he needed to do to change it, but I was so disgusted by the act regardless that I almost refused to watch again on principal alone. Even though I knew as well as everyone else that Hiro would just travel back in time and set things straight. It was a corruption of the last “pure” character on the show. What a relief it was to see him go back to being himself again the next week.

Entertainment Weekly says that Heroes has fallen from grace. You know what I think? I find it hard to take seriously a weekly magazine that is obsessed with the personal lives of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  ET, you need to phone home and get a clue. You are a gossip magazine. Don’t try to do reviews. Your assessment is too harsh and premature. Us fans know the truth.

Heroes are not susceptible to newspaper and magazine print.

True heroes never leave their fans hanging. They will always come through, in the end. All we have to do is have faith.

A friend of mine owns the entire series in hardcover and told me that I could borrow them at any time, so I decided to take her up on the offer. She promptly produced books one and two and the adventure was underway.

Sorcerer’s Stone was a fun, getting to know the cast adventure that did a wonderful job at introducing the wizarding world to readers. I assume most people have at least seen the movie if not read the book. In this book Harry finds out that his parents were wizards and that he has been welcomed into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Harry learns about the wizarding world, so do the readers in a very plain and simple format. I do have to say that both Ron and Harry are a bit… short in the memory department in both the first and second book.

The conversion to the big screen was fairly accurate, with a few changes that were understandable and did not in any way alter the overall Harry Potter story.

Chamber of Secrets took the readers a little deeper into the wizarding world while Harry started to learn more about the darker side of magic. For those who have not read the books or seen the movies I will say only this, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir of Slytherin beware. The biggest pieces of the plot were the introduction of house-elf Dobby, and the bond that forms between Harry and Dumbledore.

Again, the conversion to the big screen was fairly accurate. The biggest faux-pas in the conversion was the battle against the basilisk at the end. Chamber of Secrets built a solid relationship between key characters in the series, whether for good or bad.

Prisoner of Azkaban was more meaty than the first two books. The level of reading had obviously advanced, which I think puts credit to JK Rowling for progressing the reading level of the books as the readers and characters grew up.

In the third book, Harry’s darker side starts to come out a bit as he finally begins to crack the shell of innocence  that followed him to this thirteenth year. The truth about how his parents died comes to light, testing his strength and goodness. In the end he wins the fight and saves at least three lives.

As far as the conversion to the big screen goes here… There were many more liberties taken by the writers as they cut elements of the story that I believe are important to the future of the series. They do not explain the reason that Harry produces a stag for his Patronus charm, which is very important. They also do not tell you the origin of the Marauder’s Map (here’s a secret, it has to do with Professor Lupin). But, all in all, not the worst culprit. I would give it a B for the conversion.

Goblet of Fire was far and above my favorite movie, so naturally I was eager to get to the book. It was just as thrilling from start to finish as I had anticipated. Maybe even more so.

In book four, Harry is mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament, which is reserved exclusively for students age 18 or older. The school shuns him for entering, which he never did, and pushed Harry into even darker feelings than he had to face in the previous book. At first I took this as being a moody teenager, but after a while Harry just comes off as a touchy jerk. He snaps at everyone and looks down his nose at everything.

There is far too much depth to this book to summarize as easily as I have the other three books. Suffice it to say, the book was better. Oh, and the Dark Lord shall rise again.

Now, as for the conversion to the big screen… Disappointing. So far it is the only movie I have had to say this about, and number five is seeming to be included in that. There are several character in this cinematic version that are all together left out. For one, Dobby, who is actually responsible for giving Harry the Gillyweed for the second task. Ludo Bagman. Who? Oh, you must have only seen the movie, because he wasn’t even spotted. Bagman is in change of the sports department within the Ministry of Magic. He organized the Quiddich World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, and he is a thorn in Harry’s side the entire year.

Let’s see, what else… Oh yeah, they cut out Hagrid getting sacked for being a half-giant (temporarily of course). Rita Skeeter is anim-whatever and works very hard to ruin anyone who crosses her. The Quiddich World Cup was much more in depth than ten minutes of movie. Whimsy (?), the Crouch’s house-elf, is the one who is caught for setting off the Dark mark. The third task was riddled with creatures that were completely omitted from the film… I think I will let you read the book to find out the rest. Overall, I would give them a C for the silver screen conversion, and that is because at least they kept the major storyline the same.

Now, as I said before, this was my favorite movie before reading the book, and it still is after. I am just disappointed.

On a side note… After three straight years of having issues with Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, why would no one — not even the bright little witch Hermoine — start questioning them first when they suspected something was amiss? Why do they always turn their eyes first to Professor Snape. Granted, he is a worm of a man, but they are far too quick to see him as the bad guy.

I understand that the books were written for kids, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed with how quickly I have zipped through them. I was hoping for something to pass months of my reading time (at least four or five). But it has been two months and I’m nearly done with book five. I guess if that is my only complaint about the books, then JK Rowling did a good job.

Nothing sums up this movie better than that line from Batman Begins. Every character undergoes a life-changing moment where their actions define their character. Some for the better, a couple for the worst, but all in all, everyone changes.

In 2006, Batman Begins hit the box office with a bang. Actor Christian Bale received rave reviews for his portrayal of both Batman and Bruce Wayne. It was hard for anyone to fathom a better Batman movie… Until now.

The Dark Knight began with an action packed robbery scene, true to the original Joker, that set the pace for a thrilling ride. From the opening sequence to the closing credits, The Dark Knight was a roller coaster of excitement and suspense.

Since the age of two, the Caped Crusader was my favorite superhero. I watched old Batman shows and cartoons and have seen every Batman movie, but never in all my years of admiring the Dark Knight have I seen anyone play the role of Joker better than Heath Ledger. Though the real story of how Joker came to be was not portrayed in this film, the story they gave him in The Dark Knight was more realistic. As with the original Joker, Ledger’s version was just as shady about his past. He tells several different stories in the film about how he received his scars, as the original Joker did.

There is no doubt that Heath Ledger did a phenomenal job for his last ever on-screen appearance. The usual spontaneous, fun-loving, and sinister Joker was by no means over the top. He was very obviously once a normal guy who simply snapped one day, making the character more believable and easier to connect with. Over and over he managed to one-up both the Gotham Police Department and Batman by always remaining a step ahead. The look in his eyes–that of pure pleasure and knowing smiles–was both comedic and frightening. Ledger’s performance left me with chills.

Joker never “joins forces” with Batman, but mid-film he suddenly realizes that he needs Batman. He believes that he is the yin to Batman’s yang and desperately tries to keep him alive just to play with him.

The famous line from this movie, “Why so serious?” gave me chills every time it was delivered, leaving me anticipating the unexpected–another of Joker’s crazy plans.

“Because he’s the hero that Gotham deserves.”

As I mentioned before, everyone underwent changes… Including Gordon. In this film he finally became the inside man to Batman that he was in all of the comic books. He put incredible effort into supporting and believing in Batman, despite the leers he received from his peers in the Police Department.

Gary Oldman does a fantastic job with Gordon’s battle against his inner demons and personal choices. In this film the viewers finally get to understand the real Gordon. There is nothing he would not do to help the city, and there is nothing that could ever make him turn his back against Batman. He believes in the Caped Crusader with blind faith that sets an example for all of Gotham City.

I don’t want to say too much about Gordon, but this movie was groundbreaking for his character. I guarantee you will not see what’s coming next for him!

“People are dying, Alfred. What would you have me do? “

“Endure. You can be the outcast. You can make the choice that no one else will face – the right choice. Gotham needs you.”

What would Bruce Wayne do without Alfred Pennyworth? From start to finish Alfred is Bruce’s voice of reason, stating clearly and concisely what Bruce is unable grasp. Following with the serious theme of this film, Alfred forgoes most of his usual jokes (probably not finding them funny since their foe is called Joker) and adopts a more serious and concerned persona.

Alfred truly comes Bruce Wayne’s father figure. He watches over him, advises him, and does everything within his power and ethics to protect Bruce from whatever harm comes.

Alfred was always my favorite character in the Batman series. Michael Caine does a smashing job at filling the shoes for this role. His wit, kindness, and intelligence are a perfect compliment to Bruce Wayne’s personality and needs. Alfred lightens the heavy load with just a word and speaks frankly when the need arises. If only everyone had friends as loyal and caring as him.

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Such poetic words coming from Harvey Dent… The White Knight; Gotham City’s valiant defender.

Harvey Dent, Gotham’s premier District Attorney, works side by side, by side, with Batman and Jim Gordon to clear the mob off the streets and help the streets of Gotham become a little safer. Harvey is a good man with a great heart, and he’s completely clueless that the woman he loves, Rachel Dawes, is in love with Bruce Wayne.

But to anyone who knows about Batman, and anyone who saw the trailer, we all know what happens to the White Knight of Gotham. Though the accident is not true to the comics–Dent is scarred by sulfuric acid in the real story, not fire–the writers did a great job at making the accident truly tragic for Dent. It is not long after, when he loses hope and is filled with anger, that Dent takes on the dramatic persona of Two Face.

Aaron Eckhart made Dent both a sympathetic character, and a downright stubborn politician whose way is the only way. Though the character was not created to fact, Eckhart did justice to the injustice done to Dent.

“You know that day you once told me about, when Gotham would no longer need Batman? It’s coming.”

Ah, Bruce Wayne. The gadget man, the brain, the strongman, the heart of what is good and just in Gotham City. Over the years we have seen many men try and fill the shoes of Batman, but none ever filled the shoes of Batman and Bruce Wayne… Until now.

Christian Bale proved himself as a perfect fit for Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, showing the spunk and class of the young heir to Wayne Enterprises… Not to mention the fact that he actually looks like he could be a play-boy. However, the role of Batman was small in the first film, giving Bale little chance to show his flare as the Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight has made up for that.

The second film was primarily about Batman, with only a few plot elements relating to Bruce Wayne. Bale not only fits the bill for Gotham’s prince, but also for the Dark Knight of the city. His acting was superb, as always from Bale, and he gave Batman more depth than anyone else ever has. He struggled with conscience when the city wanted him to turn himself in to Joker to save them all. It took Harvey Dent and Alfred both to convince him that, regardless of what the people thought, they needed him.

I have followed Bales career closely for years and have yet to be disappointed with a performance, regardless of the quality of the film itself. He doesn’t just act the part… he becomes the character.

Though there are some instances in The Dark Knight that will leave you scratching your head, such as why a man who has no superpowers can bend and break shotguns, overall this film gets 10 out of 10 stars.

Regardless of whether you are a fan of Batman, this summer blockbuster has proved its worth in numbers alone, breaking every opening weekend record. The Dark Knight is a heart-pounding, edge of your seat adventure filled with human need and estranged social interaction that will have you squirming in your seat from start to finish. There are few movies that I enjoy enough to spend the money to watch in the theater again, but this one certainly has me itching for a second peek. If you haven’t seen it, go.

But is that really such a bad thing? In recent times of comic book after comic book converting to the big screen with your typical “good guy, chummy” superheros with super powers it’s a relief to see a superhero that steps outside the box.

Hancock is far from perfect. He is cocky and reckless, unappreciated and careless. He drinks all the time and treats people with as much or little respect as they treat him. Nearly everyone views his disregard as brash and constantly call him an “asshole”. This attitude only makes him act more thoughtless. In one sweep he takes out blocks of the city… Until one day he saves the right person.

Ray Embrey, a local PR man, is rescued from a runaway train by Hancock–who manages to create quite a disaster during his rescue attempt. As the people around the scene boo and hiss at Hancock, Ray stands up for him, thanks him, and shakes his hand. Bond made, they work together to make the people find a reason to love Hancock–much to Hancock’s chagrin.

Though I don’t want to give away too much, I will say this. Hancock has every reason to act the way that he does. Years before he was abandoned and left for dead. This event left him scarred and alone. In the end Hancock finally finds a reason to do what he does and enjoy it–thanks to Ray and his family.

This film received more bad reviews than I believe it was due. Though Hancock is by no means an exceptionally great movie, it was entertaining and worth the money. Some of the ideas behind his powers and the way they affected the world around him were far more believable than a boy getting bit by a spider and suddenly having spider-like powers (Don’t get me wrong, I love Spiderman) or a hero from another planet that comes to save us all. Hancock is believable, human, and most important… normal.

Blood porn. Gruesome, awesome, messy, blood porn.

That is the best way to describe the setting of 300, a graphic novel turned film based on the famous Spartan Battle of Thermopylae.

We are swept in to the legendary tale by a story of King Leonidas’ training with the Egogi warriors. It is a tale that leaves your heart leaping to love the famous king along with the rest of the men listening on the field of Plataea. A tale that has you ready to stand up and fight alongside the Spartans.

King Xerxes is bearing down on the Spartans and the senate is unwilling to move to war because the Oracle of Delphi, a drugged young maiden speaking in tongues, says there will be no fighting in the time of the Carnier. King Leonidas, however, knows that this army led by the God-King Xerxes will be the end of Sparta.

All in all the acting was done fashionably well. (Okay, maybe fashionably is not a proper word to use when describing grown men running around in speedos and capes, nor a Greek king with a Scottish accent.) The facts about the real Battle of Thermopylae were fairly close to the Hollywood portrayal, more so than Hollywood is known for anyway. They even used actual lines taken from historical documents, such as: “Our arrows will blot out the sun.” “Then we shall fight in the shade!”

Still, for a two and a half hour movie about war, 300 was a fun experience. I was pleasantly surprised when I left the theater, so much so that I purchased the film as soon as it came out on DVD. For the action-adventure junkies out there, there is only one way to describe it…

Blood porn. Gruesome, awesome, messy blood porn.

Recently I watched one of my favorites, a film I have seen near fifty times, yet it stirs feelings every time I watch it. This particular viewing of V for Vendetta had my mind racing more so than usual because of the current state of the American economy. I realized that it was one speech and one statement that strike me every time.

For those who have not seen V for Vendetta, the premise of the film is not far fetched, despite the anti-hero who sneaks around London in a Guy Fawkes mask, plotting the revolution that eventually blows up Parliament.

Near the beginning of the movie he takes over the London TV station in order to broadcast message to the people that he feels is far overdue.

“The truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?” he stated. “Where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.”

Since September 11th, 2001, the leaders of our country have taken steps to ensure that such a disaster never happens again. In response they started a war they don’t know how to finish, much like Vietnam. However, during the arrangement of their precautionary steps and war mongering they ignored certain articles of the Constitution, the very foundation of our country. Now, as V stated in the movie, we have censors and systems of surveillance coercing our conformity and soliciting our submission. Words like bomb now put us on a list for investigation. I have friends afraid to do research for papers on the topic because they are Muslim and don’t want to be marked by the government.

“How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense.”

Who is to blame? The American people? We re-elected our president. We elected the senators and congressmen. In short, the state of our country, the fear we live in, and the gradual loss of our constitutional rights is our own fault. Taken by the horror of what happened on September 11^th and how swiftly our government reacted, we did the only thing we saw fit to do… Let them continue their destruction of our democracy.

“Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot.”

The United States was built on an idea over two hundred years ago, brought into being on the fourth of July. The history books of today do not tell students a lot of what happened leading up to and during the revolutionary war. We didn’t just fight the British. We were the British. A state of siege and repression of rights and liberties had existed for many years and a state of war had existed for two years prior to the signing of the Declaration. We fought our own government for independence!

All governments progress from liberty to tyranny and despotism, unless carefully watched and circumscribed. Much is to be learned in today’s times from the events of that time, the causes and the reasons for the uprising and indignation of the citizens in opposition to tyranny. Many parallels can be drawn as we review the happenings of today. If we do not stand up and force changes happen now, it is not far fetched that there could yet again be a revolution.

The movie is set in Great Britain in the near future. Under the guise of several terrorist acts, a totalitarian government is elected to Parliament to save the country from these terrorists. The price? The people must give up a lot of their freedoms for safety. Can we see a parallel already? It is eventually uncovered that the government created the attacks in order to secure their power.

Driven by a personal vendetta, a mysterious individual known as V comes to the forefront to take up the cause for freedom. He wears a mask of Guy Fawkes to cover his burned and scarred face. V’s mission is to kill those who had tortured him at the detention center, those who instigated the attacks, and bring justice back to the country. He invites the people to join him in one year, on Guy Fawkes Day, to see him complete what Guy Fawkes couldn’t… Blow up Parliament.

In the end V is asked, “Why won’t you die?”

His response is simple and eloquent. “Behind this mask there is more than a man. Behind this mask there is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof.”

One could only hope that our country, our Constitution, can stand up to that kind of fantastic belief.

The idea that a small group of men could provoke such terror in their own people, a terror that only they could save the country from, is not very far fetched. It makes one wonder how far any government, American included, would go to secure its power.

Overall, the lesson that I come away with every time, the lesson that makes me want to stand up and fight for what is right and just, is V’s profound statement, “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

Regardless of what your views are about government, or how you feel about the brash comparison I have been bold enough to write on paper for our government to one day find, V for Vendetta is no less than heart-pounding, thrilling, inventive, and a pure joy to watch. If you have not seen it, you have no idea what you are missing.

No matter what you think of my diatribe or this movie just remember that, while Homeland Security may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?