Utter Stupidity or Vast Genius?

     

     The final ten minutes of 2014's Royal Rumble was met with "Booooo."  Not even the reliable Rey Mysterio could turn the crowd from disappointment.  The newest golden boy of the WWE, Daniel Bryan, had been left out of the Royal Rumble match and missed an opportunity to be in the main event at WrestleMania 30.  
     The outraged was clear.  Daniel Bryan's victory felt nearly common sense to all the fans.  Even though the signs were pointing in every other direction.  Bryan had never been advertised for the match.  He even tweeted they didn't want him near it.
     Also, days before the Rumble a leaked WrestleMania card came to light, showing Batista challenging for the title.  It meant only one thing, Batista would be winning the Rumble.
     Sure enough, Bryan was not involved and Batista won.
     Was this poor booking?  Did the producers believe that the returning Batista could outshine the rising Bryan?  For over a month beforehand crowds have been chanting for Bryan throughout the main events involving both Randy Orton and John Cena.  It was clear as day who the fans wanted to see.
     Now, the WWE Network is looming.  The speculation is growing on how much of a game changer it will be.  PPV's will certainly never be the same.  WWE fans will have the option of buying the Network for six months at $9.99 a month and get every PPV included.  
     It is the time to take risks.  But what if the risks the WWE are taking are not in the superstars themselves?  It's undeniable Daniel Bryan is ready for bigger things.  The risk isn't in him.  The risk is in the way the WWE presents its stories.
     Social media has become a major tool in the WWE mindset.  The WWE app shows matches during the commercials and behind the scene footage.  Twitter keeps everybody updated with what is going on in the characters lives.  Their stage has expanded into the digital realm.  
     The WWE is learning from their mistakes.  They have turned the fans greatest weakness into their strength.  Spoilers.  People are always looking for spoilers.  So, send some out and then make your stories start to build towards those red herrings.  
     Make it obvious that Daniel Bryan is not going to be in the rumble.  (It might have turned uglier than they planned, but it was the reaction they wanted).  They weren't playing it safe with their main events superstars.  They were risking their PPV storytelling.
     Think back to the night after WreslteMania 28.  Daniel Bryan had just lost his title in 18 seconds.  The crowd went nuts showing their support.  Flashforward to Sumerslam 2013.  Bryan wins the WWE title only to lose it in a few minutes to Randy Orton.  This time around he chases the title for a couple of months before being diverted by the Wyatt Family.  The crowd was behind him for his title chase, but the destination was expected.  It wasn't until Bryan left the chase did the crowds start to turn fowl.  They cheered for him louder than ever because he was not involved.
     The Royal Rumble was the same thing only planned for.  He was absent because they wanted him to be.  The crowds are behind Daniel Bryan even more than before.
     Now, just because Batista won the Rumble does not mean he will headline WrestleMania or alone for that matter.  WrestleMania 2000 saw the match change several times.  John Cena cashed in his rumble victory for the No Way Out a month before.  
    Maybe I'm a dreamer, but nothing has been set in stone and the story is still unfolding.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

     It's a sad thing when the title, the release date, and the advertising do their movie no justice.  Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is actually a pretty good movie.  There are no ridiculous twists to keep track of.  It's a the simply the fifty year old tale of America vs. Russia.  Keep in mind this isn't your parent's Jack Ryan.
      This time around, played by Chris Pine, Jack Ryan is brought into the modern post-911 world.  Ryan who was studying economics before the attacks enlists into the marines, and is soon injured on the field.  He slowly recovers and finds himself still a valuable asset now for the CIA looking into money trails of their enemies.
     Ryan is sent on a mission to uncover a Russian plan to destroy America where he must use his brains ad fighting skills to stay alive and save the day.
     The action is great, nothing too over the top.  The dialogue does get a bit spotty at times, it holds strong in the end leaving you rooting for more American heroes.

4/5 stars

Frozen

     Disney returns to a classic formula in their newest release of Frozen.  Don't be fooled though, they have once again updated their character development, no longer allowing the women to need to be rescued by a dashing prince.  Frozen is an ensemble of new, wonderful songs, and delightful side characters that will surely be popping up throughout the Disney universe.
     The movie centers around Anna and Elsa, two sisters and princesses that have been locked away in their castle their entire childhood because Elsa has a magical power.  She can turn things to ice and the danger of her hurting others like her sister could make her a monster in the eyes of the people.  After an incident with Elsa's power turning the kingdom into an eternal winter, Anna joins with Kristoff to find her and fix everything.  Along the way the lovable snowman, Olaf, joins the groups for pure entertainment.
     The movie turns out quite enjoyable.  At first, it seems like the biggest problem is simply bad parenting.   But in the end villains are revealed, and Anna must find a way to convince Elsa to save the day.
    Olaf will be a welcomed new addition to Disney's character line-up.  His spunky attitude and ability to manipulate his snow body steal the show in ever scene he's in.
    Check out Frozen in theaters while you still can.

4/5 stars

The Movie that Christmas Forgot

Gremlins

     Turn on all your lights, and start the fire.  Gremlins are here.  Gremlins is the tale of a father trying to surprise his son with a wonderful Christmas gift, a mogwai.  But this creature comes with rules.  Never get it wet, do not let it out in the sun, and never ever feed it after midnight.  One mistake and before you know it your life is falling apart gremlin by gremlin.

     What better way to celebrate Christmas than a story of greed, consumerism, and the way it brings us all together.  

With Christmas just around the corner you're probably thinking to yourself, "What movies should I watch?"  You can dust off the old classics, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, and more.
But if you're looking to change it up a bit, here could be a new addition to your line up.

Rocky Balboa must defend the honor of America against the red enemies of Russia.  It's a heart breaking journey for the Italian Stallion as he loses a friend and has to leave home for Russia to confront the dreaded Ivan Drago.  They will main event Christmas day and the fate of the cold war itself lies in his gloves.

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th part 7: New Blood

     Celebrate this wonderful holiday with one of the overlooked Friday the 13th sequels.  I have to hand it to the 13th franchise.  Six movies behind them all consisting around the story idea of a murder at the same camp.  Granted two of them had non Jason Voorhees killers, but seriously people need to stop going to that area.  

     This time around they don't change up the killer.  They change up the hero.  Tina Shepard goes to Camp Crystal Lake to relive her childhood trama only to discover she has telekinetic abilities.  Then she unknowingly releases Jason from his chains at the bottom of the lake.  It's up to her and her new found powers to put him back.

     It's really brilliant.  The villain is indestructible for no real reason.  You might as well even the playing field a bit for our hero.  It also features my favorite look for Jason from any of the other 13th films.  (Jason X comes in a close second.)

    New Blood marks a changing of idea in the series.  While the rest of the films were mostly misses it certainly doesn't lose points for lack of trying.  

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

      Settle in, folks.  You'll be in the theater for a while.  Bilbo, Gandolf, and company have returned to continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain and help Thorin claim his throne as King Under the Mountain.
      If you've seen any of the previous Lord of the Ring trilogy or the first Hobbit film then you know what to expect from The Desolation of Smaug.  The action bounces from exciting to comical almost on the turn of a dime.  We're taken to several towns further world building of Middle Earth.  And new characters arise that steal the show.
     Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as the dragon Smaug.  Like Andy Serks as Gollum, Cumberbatch will be the talk of the show.  The smugness and self-righteous oozes out of Smaug.  Which is also a testament to the cgi creators.
     The only problems with the film are Gandolf's side story.  He splits off to journey across the land to discover the return of Sauron.  While the drama is played up its less impactful.  We know he is not going to be able to prevent the return of Sauron.  All Gandolf is doing is explaining to the audience character set-ups for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  Most of which are, "This is really evil."
     Also since this is only two of three.  Do not get excited for any kind of conclusion.  While the first Hobbit may have ended on a low note in the journey.  Desolation of Smaug ends with a massive cliffhanger.
   
4/5 stars