I can safely assume that most people in America have seen the Disney movie Frozen by now, and are very familiar with the characters. We can all agree that the character of Hans is one of the lowest lifeforms they ever animated. What made him unique as a Disney villain was the depth of his deception, and how hard it hit us when we realized just how evil he is. In addition, he has inadvertently become the face of a stock character for the role that he played!
I came to this realization the other night when my sister and I were watching the film Austenland (don’t worry, no spoilers!), and she said this about one of the protagonist’s romantic prospects: “I hope he’s not a Hans!” Now we've seen guys like Hans in films for decades now who drag the female love interest along, only to break her heart or betray her in some way, and vice versa with femme fatales and their male victims; but Hans hit the internet almost as hard as his betrayal of Anna in the film. Everywhere you looked on Disney affiliated fan sites were memes about how Hans is a jerk. When watching a film (romantic, animated or otherwise), Hans can be used as a reference to who the types of characters we suspect are only putting up an honorable front.
For those of you who aren’t too sure what a stock character is, they are characters that are imbued with specific character traits and roles. They first originated in Renaissance Italy with a form of theater called commedia dell'arte (which is a blast to do if you get the chance!). These characters were always portrayed as the same types but in different and very wacky and irreverent situations. For example, there was Patalone, who was the dirty old man who likes to chase after younger ladies, such as Groucho Marx. Another was Dottore, who was generally a slow moving character who spouted useless and often confusing information to make himself sound smart, like Cliff Claven of Cheers. There was also the innocent, perky ingénue, known by names like Isabella or Clarice, who was hopelessly in love with her boyfriend and generally not too bright, like Juliet. There are many others, but you would have to look into these plays and characters yourself to see how much they influenced writers in their character development.
In today’s television and films, we see modern stock characters arise and show up in what we watch: the socially awkward nerd who can’t make it with the ladies, the hooker with the heart of gold, the badass biker boy who’s really a softy, the mean cheerleader, or the sleazy businessman who can charm everyone around him but is totally obvious to the audience, to name a few. Stock characters are everywhere, and we can usually find them in just about everything we watch and read about. Characters like Hans are few and far between, which is why he is spearheading the new type of stock character that bears his name.
Hans is the typical love interest: he is a prince, handsome, easy conversationalist, and easy on the eyes. When we first meet him, he assumes the role of the stock character of the Disney prince. He and Anna fall madly in love upon first meeting each other and want to marry right away. We've seen this happen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid for starters: true love happens right away for these way too lucky Disney princesses. Anna seems like no exception. And for all our judgments, he seems like quite a catch! When Elsa’s powers are exposed and she runs, Hans doesn't immediately take her as the threat the rest of the kingdom does. When Anna leaves him in charge to follow after Elsa, he assumes the role of caring steward by making sure all of the citizens of Arendale are warm and protected from the harsh weather. Seriously, how could we see this coming?
The introduction of Kristoff to create a love triangle (for my views on this overdone plotline, please see this blog) for Anna does appear as a dilemma at first. Kristoff doesn’t come off as the very warm type, and doesn't treat Anna so well at first. We’re made to root for Hans and Anna despite the fact that Kristoff is pointing out the obvious fact that Elsa also pointed out earlier: true love doesn't happen in one day! As the film progresses, we do soften toward Kristoff, and Hans begins to look more extreme as he takes more drastic actions to ensure Anna’s safety. Hans comes off as more of a leader who is willing to make the difficult decisions rather than a jerk. He even orders his men to keep from harming Elsa as they try to detain her.
When Hans’ men bring her back to the castle and lock her in the dungeon, all he does to confront her is ask her to stop the winter. He doesn't make any threats or try to manipulate her; it almost seems clear that he’s holding her in chains not because he thinks she’s a criminal, but because he’s trying to keep her from harming anyone else. When Elsa tries to explain that she doesn't know how to stop the winter, he appears to believe her! Even when the dying Anna is brought back, he reacts with all the relief we would expect to see from any boyfriend.
Now here’s where we catch a very slight glimpse of his intentions: the Spanish diplomat tells Hans that he would lead the kingdom if Anna isn't found. He appears to be considering that options, but not so much that we would suspect anything. It’s when he refuses to kiss Anna for the saving act of true love that we find out his true intentions. Though the audience would halfway expect it from the earlier mention from the Spanish diplomat, Hans proceeds to monologue about being the youngest of 13 sons and never having a shot at ruling in his lifetime, and had come to seduce Elsa so he could be king!
Hans’ reveal is so drastic, it’s nearly impossible to see it coming. Any Bond villain would be proud to see the lengths of deception he pulled off. However, unlike any Bond villain (let’s face it, those dudes are pretty memorable), he came off as the good boy until that moment. Again, characters like Hans have appeared in films before, like Benny in the 1990 version of Total Recall, or the Butler character in just about any murder mystery. This is a plot twist that does happen. In fact, betrayals like this are quite popular in today’s less creative entertainment environment in order to keep the viewers engrossed. How about the Red Wedding from Games of Thrones? This plot twist is everywhere.
Hans is different because of the way he is written epitomizes the term “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Not only was that wolf dressed up like a sheep, he may as well have been bleating and acting as stupid as one of them. Thanks to the keen writers of Frozen, we can recognize any turncoat character who fools the audience this thoroughly as “The Hans.” Maybe the older viewers of this film felt it more personally because it came from a Disney movie, and this is a more adult issue to tackle when the target audience is supposed to be children.
As they say in the movie, Hans is “a bit of a fixer upper” now, but he’ll probably never be able to escape this label that he now has. Hans is now the poster child for the charming, traitorous stock character. Do you think we’ll see more villains like him now? Probably. The question is whether or not that character will be able to keep up fooled as well as Hans did!
The thing about geek culture is that there are so many moments that are creative, daring, disgusting, wonderful and lovable and it all somehow seems to work when it's done right. So if you haven't read my previous blog, then you'd better do so before continuing. I'll also try to cut back on the Star Trek moments.
So, without further ado, here are more awesome moments in geek history!
Awesome Moment: Paul rides Shai-Hulud
Source: Dune (1984 David Lynch version, any edit)
Awesomeness classification: coolest mode of transportation without propellers or wings
The book is weird. The movie is screwed up (Patrick Stewart adds the coolness element). There are also two other edits out there that both add to and screw with your head more than the theatrical cut. However, one scene rules supreme in both book and various cuts movie: Paul Atreides rides the sandworm.
Even with the 80s special effects and music, this scene is cool in terms of bringing the character of Paul to a new level of development. By conquering the incredibly dangerous (albeit mightily cool) task of riding Shai-Hulud, he is establishing himself as one of the Fremen, the natives of Arrakis, as well as a tactical leader. If only we had tasks like this to establish decent leadership!
Also, the Syfy channel version of the movie, which was arguably easier to follow, wasn't even able to get that first sandworm ride down as good as this one. And they used CGI!
Awesome Moment: One of the best twists in PC Game history
Source: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Awesomeness classification: George Lucas proving that his plot twists are his strength
When you first start out in this game, you're an amnesiac Jedi who is trying to find and destroy the Star Forge and find out what happened to Darth Revan, a Sith Lord who has been missing for years. Your ragtag crew includes Bastila, a Jedi who is unusually passionate about this mission. Through a series of missions, you get to choose to go Light Side or Dark Side. Either way, it always comes to this: Bastila confronts you and says, "What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause?"
Regardless of your character's gender or alignment, when Revan's mask comes off, the face is revealed as your character. You are the very person you have been seeking. This particular plot twist brought the term "game changer" to life, hearkening back to the old "I am your father" twist back from Empire Strikes Back.
Awesomeness Moment: Loki becomes Captain America
Source: Thor 2: The Dark World
Awesomeness classification: Loki at his very best!
A lot of my blogs will just rave about Tom Hiddleston. I love that man. This scene was almost a toss up with the (SPOILER ALERT!) scene where Thor is fighting his way through portals and Mjolner can't figure out where to go next.
What makes this scene so amazing is that, according to this article by CinemaBlend, Hiddleston donned the Cap's uniform and did the scene as Loki would spoof Captain America. Then Chris Evans studied the shot and did Captain America as Loki as Captain America. A bit of a headache to explain, but the end result is a fantastic movie moment that tickled fans worldwide. Looks like great teamwork really can transcend between squeaky clean heroes and diabolical villains!
Awesomeness Moment: Robin kills Brian
Source: V: The Final Battle, Part 3
Awesomeness classification: Revenge is a dish best served by a woman's cold fury
The original V Miniseries and TV show were classics that did not need to be rebooted (shame on you, ABC!). While the two miniseries were full of awesome moments, there is one to bring to attention, focusing on one of the most annoying characters in sci-fi: Robin Maxwell. Robin is a teenager who tends to cause nothing but trouble which in turn leads to all sorts of horrible aftermaths, not the least of which is the death of her mother. In the process of her multiple crises, she slept with one of the Visitors, Brian, not knowing he was ordered to for a specific purpose: interspecies breeding. After she learns she's pregnant, we learn that she can't have the abortion she's demanding due to the alien DNA linking to her internal organs, and that Brian and his superior officer lover, Diana, watch the video of his and Robin's encounter to both study and poke fun at. In the clip below, the scene I am referencing for the awesomeness factor can be found below, at the 20.30 mark, as only the full episode can be found.
Robin winds up giving birth to twins: the full alien twin dies from exposure to Earth's atmosphere and the half human hybrid twin, Elizabeth, experiences abnormal growth, shooting her from a newborn to 5 years old in a matter of days. In the meantime, the resistance captures Brian, as he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, to test a serum derived from the dead baby's DNA that Julie developed as a biological weapon against the Visitors. Robin exacts her revenge on Brian in one of the most delicious and evil ways possible: by telling him she'll let him out of his cell to hug the daughter he didn't know he had.
As he slowly succumbs to the deadly affects of the serum that she throws at him, Robin sinks to the ground outside of his glass cage, watching in satisfied shock at what she's done. And not once, during the rest of the miniseries or the TV show that followed, does she express regret or guilt at what she did. In her mind, she did the right thing. Whether or not it was is still open for debate. She never reached this level of awesomeness before or again.
Awesomeness Moment: Aidan's allergic to garlic!
Source: Being Human, Season 1, Episode 7: "I See Your True Colors, and That's Why I Hate You," US version
Awesomeness moment: vampires need to pay attention to what they fake eat!
The US version of Being Human is one of the very few TV series from Britain that made it across the pond as a better show. In this particular episode, the vampire, Aidan (who, in actuality was named after Aidan Turner, who played the vampire in the BBC version), drops by his werewolf best buddy/roommate Josh's family's house for moral support. To hide the fact that he's a vampire, Aidan partakes of dinner.
Without thinking of the consequences, Aidan starts to sputter and gag in reaction to his dinner. It turns out Josh's mom cooks with garlic, and Aidan is now going nuts. Garlic doesn't kill vampires in this universe, but acts as a catalyst to get them buzzed into a blood fever. The dialogue and the interaction between Aidan and Josh is fun, and brings a better twist to vampire lore than Stephanie Meyer could ever wish to sneeze out.
Awesomeness Moment: Meet Marion
Source: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Awesomeness moment: introducing a new type of female lead
This classic knocks you on your butt in the first 10 minutes with the incredible awesomeness that is Indiana Jones. Just when you think you've met the best character ever, we get zipped over to Nepal, and this is who we meet:
We meet Marion Ravenwood, a young lady who owns her own bar and can outdrink chubby dudes who look like they have a huge alcohol tolerance. At this point in history, stronger women characters were few and far between, and none of them gave an introduction like Marion. Some movies featured women kicking butt or sweeping the attention of every man in a room with her good looks, but knocking back shots with the guys was something completely different. To top it off, when Indy drops back into her life, she gives one of the best introductory lines ever: "Indiana Jones. Always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door." Karen Allen kills it. And she keeps it up, even after 30 years in the horrible 4th movie.
Awesomeness Moment: The best "NO!" you'll ever hear
Source: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Awesomeness moment: reboots done right!
While I hate the excessive reboots that are invading our movie theaters these days (seriously, what's next? An Escape From L.A. reboot?), RotPotA was a good idea. Andy Serkis does a fabulous job, as always, bringing animated characters to life onscreen. This movie is chalked up with many amazing scenes, but the best one comes from the scene that both reboots and pays homage to the original: "take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!"
This scene could have been way cornier. The lines weren't over done, and Caesar's "NO!" was the perfect length. Had this been any other director, this particular scene probably would've been ruined with a very long and drawn out "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" instead, but that's not what happened. It's short, it's direct, and it changes the entire feel of the rest of the movie. Also, seeing Draco Malfoy get his butt roasted by humanistic apes is also regarded as being very satisfying to watch.
Awesomeness Moment: Contractions on the battlefield
Source: Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004)
Awesomeness moment: momma ain't going down without a fight
Yep, another birthing scene. Farscape can be summed up as being one of the more surreal and weird TV shows of the sci-fi genre, but those little factors didn't make it any less fun. So what do you do when you're pinned down with enemies all around, you're outgunned and outmanned, and your best fighter, who is pregnant, suddenly experiences water breakage and goes into labor? Well, don't tell Aeryn Sun what, she has her own plans!
Instead of getting herself out of harm's way, like any normal woman would in a situation like this, she grabs her big gun and starts firing away. Even when the doctor and her comrades tell her to get out of the way, she keeps firing until she possibly has to let someone examine her. And after she gives birth, she and John fight their way back to Moya and survive. Don't tell Aeryn that women who have just given birth are supposed to take it easy. She won't rest until everyone is safe, including her kid.
Awesomeness Moment: Best exit EVER
Source: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (film)
Awesomeness moment: the quickest awesome moment
For those of you who aren't familiar with Scott Pilgrim, he dates a high schooler, Knives Chau, when he falls for Rowena Flowers and has to battle her 7 evil exes to win her over. This movie is chalked FULL of amazing moments from pre-opening credits to end, but the award goes to this particular scene:
No matter how incredible or surreal his battles are, none of them compare to Scott's quick exit when Knives suddenly drops by. If only all movies could be this clever!
Awesomeness Moment: The barrel scene!
Source: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Awesomeness classification: bringing an aspect of a book to a level of epicness that even the biggest sticklers can enjoy
The most recent installment of The Hobbit featured a lot of things that many Tolkien fans did not appreciate. The barrel scene was not one of them. In the book, they just escape in the barrels and that's that. In this film, the dwarves are being hounded by orcs and battled by elves. The action is intense, the teamwork between the dwarves shows a connection between all that is difficult to make in any film, and let us not forget Bombur as he Donkey Kongs more critical hits in 30 seconds than you can make in a full game of Mortal Combat.
This particular clip only features 2/3rds of the actual scene, but if you pause it at 1.42, you can clearly see Kili showing genuine delight at the fun he's having!
Awesomeness Moment: Changing history for a best friend
Source: Frequency
Awesomeness classification: the best usage of production placement
This movie isn't considered a geek classic, but it definitely holds its own. Long story short, police officer John finds out he can communicate with his late dad through a portal in time via an old timey radio connection. During of these conversations, John's younger self comes into the room with his dad and best friend, Gordo. John is still best buds with Gordo in the present, and he is struggling financially and ruing the day he didn't invest in Yahoo stock. The clip itself is unavailable, but here is a trailer for the film:
Back to the scene: younger version of John and Gordo come into the room while John's dad is on the radio. John asks to speak with younger Gordo, then tells him he's Santa Claus and that's he's going to give him and early Christmas present, and it's one word: "Yahoo." The end result is Gordo winding up extremely rich at the end of the movie. If ever product placement was used for good, it was here.
Awesomeness Moment: The perfect song for the fateful moment
Source: Warm Bodies
Awesomeness classification: an unlikely song used at the most appropriate moment
Another young adult book-turned-film-featuring-annoying-love-triangle, Warm Bodies depicts zombies learning to love and beginning to turn back to their human states. The main character, R, comes across Julie as she, her boyfriend Perry, and their squad repel the hungry zombies. This is what happens when R sees Julie for the first time:
This clip is a bit long, but you can zip to at at 1.28. R watches as Julie slides out and shoots a zombie through the head as John Waite's hit "Ain't Missing You" plays. It's not the first song that comes to mind when that fateful first encounter occurs, but Warm Bodies isn't your typical romance. The song works the scene brilliantly and you'll never be able to hear that song again without thinking of this first encounter.
Awesomeness Moment: Do your homework on your clients before insulting them
Source: Game of Thrones, Season 3, Episode 4: "And Now His Watch is Ended"
Awesomeness classification: how to take the first step in invasion....and leave a message no one will forget!
Games of Thrones may have a lot of gore and gratuitous nudity, but it is one of the few shows out there that does produce strong female characters. People who are not very familiar with the show know who Daenerys "Khaleesi" Targaryen is because she's the one with the dragons. In her rise to power, she uses a translator to buy an army in exchange for one of her precious dragons.
Daenerys is shrewd in her purchase, as she already speaks the language of the seller, who has been insulting her. By then turning her army on slave holders, as her house was against slavery, she shows how brutal she can be, and how serious she is with her political moves. In this game, you win or you die. We may not know if she will win, but she will definitely make it to the end when she plays her cards like this!
Awesomeness Moment: The "gun kata"
Source: Equilibrium
Awesomeness classification: boldly using guns as they've never been used before
Sean Bean bites the dust 15 minutes in. I just had to put that in there :) Anywho, Christian Bale has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, and before he did Batman Begins, he introduced the "gun kata" in this futuristic film about global emotion suppression. Guns are common in films, both in sci-fi and realism, but generally the purpose of using them in aiming, firing, and praying that you hit the guy who's trying to kill you. Equilibrium turns using a gun into pure art.
With the gun kata, the shooter doesn't just aim and fire. The shooter lets instinct and training take over and executes every movement with various forms of martial arts. The shooter keeps moving, shooting and fighting until all of the enemies are dead. Not only is it effective and deadly, but also incredibly stylish. Whether or not the gun kata is possible in our future, Bale sells it so well that you want to learn it too.
Awesomeness Moment: Flukeman
Source: The X-Files, Season 2, Episode 2: The Host
Awesomeness classification: creating a monster that never ceases to give you the chills
The X-Files was pretty much a "monster-of-the-week" show, and it gave us lots of chilling, weird, and grotesque monsters, and sometimes even normal people with those qualities. The one that stood out the most is the "flukeman" from the episode "The Host." He inhabits the sewers and infects hosts with his spawn, similar to the Xenomorphs in the Alien films.
This is another one where clips of the monster aren't available, but the preview for the particular episode is. The flukeman is disgusting and terrifying, leaving you feeling thoroughly filthy afterwards because you know you want to throw up but are scared to go near the bathroom. Even with this episode turning 20 soon, it still leaves those eerie feelings, no matter how old you are when you see it.
Awesomeness Moment: Sam turns the tables on Kevin
Source: Quantum Leap, Season 4, Episode 6: "Raped"
Awesomeness classification: a defeat becomes a victory that makes you cheer
Quantum Leap was a TV show that had no problem tackling controversial subjects, as many sci-fi shows are known for doing. In this particular episode, one of the few where Sam leaps into a woman's body, he finds his host, Katie, having just been a victim of rape. Through some extreme alterations to the quantum leap computer, Al is able to bring the girl in holographic form to Sam as he gives her testimony in a trial against Kevin, the alleged rapist, who claims it was consensual and that she's trying to destroy his reputation. Sadly, he wins the case. Sam isn't ready to leap yet because he feels there's something else he can do. This clip briefly shows how in depth they went in the subject:
The tail end of the video shows a brief clip of the scene where Sam gets his revenge. He is still in Katie's body, but if there's anything we've learned about Sam over the last 4 seasons, it's that no matter whose body he is in, he still possesses his own strength and skills. He, in Katie's body, is sitting by himself when Kevin returns to screw her over again for trying to make sure he got what was coming to him. Since Sam is in her body, and he has combat experience, he beats the living crap out of Kevin just as Katie's parents come out to witness that Kevin was out to repeat what he did before. And then he leaps. It's a huge relief to see him take out Kevin after the intensity of this episode, and it pegs Sam as one of the best kind of men out there to endure what he did for Katie's sake.
Awesomeness Moment: Sisko deletes his log
Source: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 6, Episode 19: "In the Pale Moonlight"
Awesomeness classification: Seeing what a good man will do to tip the scales in war
Every Star Trek captain was unique in their greatness. Benjamin Sisko was handed a lot of crap to handle in his series, and we all knew him as an upstanding human being. However, every man has his breaking point. His comes in this episode, as the Federation takes devastating losses in the Dominion War and even loses a planet to enemy occupation. He secretly strikes up an alliance with Garak, a Cardassian who is, quite literally, a tinker-tailor-doctor-spy. The guy even has his own dress shop. Anyways, the choatic neutral Garak is one of the most slippery, conniving, clever, and well-written anti-heroes ever created in TV history. Sisko and Garak team up to bring an enemy who has chosen to remain neutral in this war, the Romulans, to the Federation's side by convincing them that the Dominion has plans to invade them after the Federation is defeated. In the process, they lie, cheat, and murder their way into succeeding with their crazy plan. Sisko, needing to tell someone about this after it's over with, tells it to the computer as a log entry. Here is the ending of his log:
In the remarkable performance by actor Avery Brooks, Sisko confesses that everything he did is something that he will not feel any guilt about. "I can live with it," he says several times, almost to convince himself of this revelation. And then, when he's finished with his log, he deletes everything. Garak is not the kind of man to exploit the things he does in secret, so only Sisko is the other person who could have shed the light on what really happened. By deleting his log, he is erasing what happened from history. No one is ever going to know how the Romulans were coerced into fighting a war that didn't involve them. Sisko was willing to get his hands dirty when he reached his breaking point, showing just how far he will go to ensure the survival of his fleet.
Awesomeness Moment: Joss Whedon rises to royalty in geek culture
Source: Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog (2007)
Awesomeness classification: creating a brilliant piece of geekiness and putting it out there all by himself
Joss Whedon reigns supreme in the geek universe, and when the Writers' Guild of America went on strike in Hollywood in 2007, he set off on his own little project called Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, Nathan Fillion and a pre-Big Bang Theory Simon Helberg, Whedon launched a web sensation that took the internet by storm.
This less than an hour long film focuses on Dr. Horrible, a villain, as he tries to complete a crime so diabolical that it will get him accepted into the Evil League of Evil. Filled with catchy songs, memorable quotes, and one of the strongest casts ever assembled, Whedon officially became the king of geeks. Since then, community theaters have done their own productions, movie theaters have done shadow casts, and there have been rumors abounding that it would come to the big screen or even Broadway. Without taking the initiative that he did, Whedon would not have risen to the respect he earned that would eventually land him as the director of The Avengers. Whedon changed the face of geek culture with this one film and finally got the respect he deserved as a film maker and writer.
Awesomeness Moment: The 10th Doctor Regenerates
Source: Dr. Who, "The End of Time Part 2"
Awesomeness classification: taking an absolutely heartbreaking moment and transforming it to something exciting
I could probably do an entire blog about the awesome moments that came from Dr. Who, but I would have to watch every episode and I don't have the time for that yet (someday!!!!!). We all knew in this episode we would be losing David Tennant, but we hadn't realized it would be so sad. Having been fatally infected with deadly radiation, the Doctor says goodbye to all of his former companions and friends, not expecting to come out of this alive. At first he is resigned to his fate, and then, at the last second he utters this line that is still resounding throughout time and space: "I don't want to go."
We're all in tears as his regeneration begins because we feel in twice as hard in our own hearts because the Doctor has his two that can each handle its own pain and we only have the one to take double the pain. But in the midst of our tears, we get Matt Smith, who gleefully attacks his new form with excitement at the prospect that he is still alive. We always feel sad and excited when the Doctor takes on a new face, but for the record, I think it's time we get a ginger after Peter Capaldi!
That does it for this edition! I'm going to do a little more research for my next one because while I am familiar with a lot of fandoms, there are a few I haven't seen as much of and I want to incorporate them as much as I can.
If you have read the book The Hobbit and have seen the latest movie installment, The Desolation of Smaug, you probably have some pretty strong opinions on the changes that are not in either the book or any of the other writings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Hollywood in this day and age feels the need to embellish on already good works of literature, but The Hobbit was unique because it actually had other sources to draw on to give the story more meat. There were other aspects, however, that fell rather flat.
The main aspect of the film that everyone was skeptical on was the addition of the female elf, Tauriel, played by Lost lead Evangeline Lilly. Now the book came out in the 1930s, and that was a different age for everyone, not just fantasy writers. Strong female characters were, unfortunately, not very common in literature or film in those days. While the Lord of the Rings trilogy introduced the butt-kicking Eowyn, The Hobbit was all men. A testosterone filled cast isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for a movie of such long standing geek appeal to reach out to younger generations and to women, adding a girl character helps in bringing that missing element which finalizes something for everyone.
Most everyone who saw the trailer for the film expected Tauriel to be a possible love interest for LOTR alum Orlando Bloom's Legolas. To the mixed reactions of audiences everywhere when the film was released, she also became a love interest for the new heartthrob in town: Aiden Turner's Kili.
This blog is going to focus on three different perspectives of this odd and rather disliked love triangle. The first will be from the perspective of the Tolkien fans, the second from the sci-fi/fantasy geeks, and the third from the hopeless romantic side. My focus will be on the particular strengths and weaknesses of these changes, and a verdict of how this story ultimately weighs in the film. If you have not read the book and have only seen the movies, then please be prepared for spoilers. It's not like the book has been out for 70 years or anything.
The Tolkien Fan Perspective
I'm not one of those die-hard Tolkien fans, but I am a Trekker so I know how it feels to watch the stories you love get rebooted into something you can appreciate but also feel betrayed about. I have also played The Lord of the Rings Online for over 4 years now and have more than 10 main avatars. Now I play this game because it's free to play and I have successfully unlocked 90% of the playable areas without spending one penny. What makes this game unique is that it not only effectively creates the geography of Middle Earth, but many of the quests are taken from Tolkien's other works. You also learn the history of not only the different races, but other factions including the Dunedain, the Dunlendings, and the Angmarim who follow the Witch-King. If you play often enough, you can easily learn about the histories of these other peoples simply by reading your quest log. You can also follow the forums online and in the game chat rooms. If there is anything that I have learned about Tolkien fans, it's that they are extremely picky about one thing and one thing alone: canon.
Tolkien wrote so many books and histories of Middle Earth that if they were all eventually put on screen, you'd probably wind up with enough watchable material to keep you occupied for an uninterrupted half year. The details are so intricate that you can tell what he wanted you to imagine while reading. However, his work was not perfect. There are plenty of instances throughout his works where he goes into such detail that it's almost too much for a brain that is not used to such writing to handle. There are also instances where he just gives you a brief description and moves on. The Hobbit does have such instances. Take for example Bard the Bowman.
The book merely puts Bard in the right place at the right time. Smaug comes? No problem. Just load that iron arrow in the ballast, wait for the opportune moment, and fire. We get almost nothing else from him in the book except that he slew Smaug. In the film, he is introduced (played by Luke Evans, who looks suspiciously similar to the aforementioned Bloom without his makeup or wig on) as a bargeman who struggles to support his children. Adding more to the story so we get to know him as a real person instead of a deus ex machina is a nice move. In the process, we also learn about the people of Laketown and how the political system is affecting its subjects. This particular back story alone adds to the film instead of making any major changes, as it fills in time between the barrel sequence and reaching Erebor. The changes that aren't as appreciated mostly don't involve Bard and the Laketown citizens, but the dwarves.
Now for the subject of this blog: Kili and Tauriel. Tauriel is an original character, so the writers could do whatever they wanted with her. Kili, on the other hand, does appear in the book. He is the youngest of the dwarves, doesn't speak very much, and is mostly alluded to in the action sequences, or that he's with his older brother, Fili. Like most of the other dwarves, he's just there. There isn't much of a character description about him. What we do know is he is second in line to the Throne of Durin behind Fili. On screen, there is a deleted scene in An Unexpected Journey that pegs Kili as a flirt. That little trait added a layer to his character, but didn't alter the story line. Yet.
When Kili and Tauriel first meet, Tauriel merely appears as a slight change to this portion of the book. She slaughters spiders left and right while the defenseless Kili looks on, not quite sure what to think of it, but definitely smitten right away. Here is where the problem begins. Having Tauriel as a love interest for Legolas alone may have been tolerated by the Tolkien fans because it would have added to the story instead of altering the main premise of the book. By turning Tauriel into the center of a love triangle, being the object of affection from Legolas and Kili, it began to change the original story.
Peter Jackson does do a wonderful job in making the dwarves in his film distinct characters. By giving the dwarves real personalities, it enriches the movie and the story, and generally doesn't change much. Kili, on the other hand, would helm the changes first in Desolation of Smaug with his relationship with Tauriel and the poisoning result from the orc arrow he takes to the leg. The wound and residual poisoning did not appear in the book; and while it brought an excuse to bring Legolas and Tauriel into the action, it changed the fact that not all the dwarves enter Erebor. Kili, affected by the poison in the film, is ordered by Thorin to stay behind, and Oin opts to stay with him because he has healing skills, and so Kili won't be alone. Then Fili, being the best big brother in Middle Earth, stays behind as well because family comes first for him. Later, a hungover Bofur appears, having slept through the early morning alarm (another change which will undoubtedly be explained in the extended cut. Can't wait to see that!) and missing the dwarves' boat as they push off for their former home and treasures.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a big deal, but we are dealing with Tolkien here, and his chronicles of Middle Earth are so intricate that changing his works is not a welcome idea to his fans. In the book, all thirteen of the dwarves were present for the hidden door to be opened. From there, we have the encounter with Smaug, and some drama between Bilbo and Thorin regarding the Arkenstone (which was also changed), and then goblins attack and there's an epic battle. Considering how long the first two movie versions of this book are, the third film is expected to be around three hours long like its predecessors. Well, at the end of Desolation of Smaug, Smaug is heading for Laketown to do some serious damage, and there are four dwarves there, two of which are not going to make it out of the upcoming goblin battle alive. Since we have to wait a year to see how this is going to work out, Tolkien fans are left to stew over how Peter Jackson is going to satisfy them after all the changes he's made.
The love story between Kili and Tauriel is the headliner for all these "problem" changes. Many Tolkien fans aren't appreciative of the fact that the new heroine has completely modified part of the lore they have loved for so many years. It's not the actors' faults, as Turner and Lilly are excellent in their roles and do have good onscreen chemistry, but since the love story involving their characters is the most notable change and addition, it does make them a target for much frustration. Their love story is seen as an unnecessary change, which disrupts Tolkien's canonical history. To many Tolkien fans, this is not okay.
The Multifandom Geek Perspective
This particular viewpoint covers the fans of fantasy. There are some who love fantasy but aren't die hard Tolkien fans. There are also multifandom geeks out there who are into sci-fi, fantasy, anime, cosplay and other similar geek venues (that's where I fall). Many who prefer the fantasy aspect can admit that Tolkien was the one who set the standard for most modern fantasy.
First off, let's cover the two main points of the Kili/Tauriel relationship: 1) it is a love triangle that also involves Legolas, and 2) it is an interracial romance that is not often found in fantasy.
Most geeks out there can admit that love triangles in just about any film, geek related or not, are extremely overused these days. A lot of these love triangles can be traced back to the popularity of the young adult Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. The popularity of this supernatural series focusing on the love triangle between very unlikable characters. As this series grew in popularity, other young adult books and series rose to popularity as well. Some of the popular series and books that have been made into movies in the last few years include Beautiful Creatures, Warm Bodies, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (in which Turner plays a supporting role as a werewolf), and, of course, the blockbuster hit, The Hunger Games.
Many films such as these brought in millions of dollars worldwide, whereas others just barely broke even. Regardless, each of these popular series had a love triangle involved. Young adult books and films are not the only ones that are guilty of overusing this plot device, but they are what many people, geek and otherwise, tend to think of today when a love triangle is mentioned. Which brings us back to the Kili/Tauriel/Legolas love triangle.
The trailer for The Desolation of Smaug made sure to focus on a potential love story between Tauriel and Legolas. In some ways, it almost seemed like that would be Tauriel's sole purpose in the film. When sparks ignite between Kili and Tauriel instead, it almost feels like overkill. The Lord of the Rings trilogy had a slight love triangle going on when Eowyn clearly had a crush on Aragorn despite his love for Arwen. To bring in another love triangle when we've already had one almost feels cheap.
However, this brings me to the second point of this section: the interracial romance. Kili is a dwarf, and Tauriel is an immortal elf. Ask any dungeon master about this and most will make this statement: dwarves and elves are not compatible together. The list of playable races for just about any version of Dungeons and Dragons does not include half-dwarf, half-elf. The popular half-elves that are playable are half human, and sometimes elves can be cross-bred with other races, but dwarves are never included. It almost never happens.
What Peter Jackson has done by linking Kili and Tauriel together can almost be considered groundbreaking. There are probably other works of literature and fantasy that do allow for elves and dwarves to marry and have children, but to many, it does seem rather implausible. This makes Jackson first one to really shed some light on this almost controversial topic in fantasy realms, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Fantasy and science fiction has the unique ability to cloak social and political issues in metaphors that are not always obvious to the reader or viewer.
One of the reasons why fantasy and sci-fi are so appealing is because writers can make anything happen in this genre. To quote the amazing Rod Serling, creator of the TV series The Twilight Zone: "Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible." (Geek Wisdom, Stephen J. Segal, Quirk Productions, 2011. Page 211) Jackson is merely putting into practice what Serling makes reference to: the impossible made probable. Are dwarves and elves incompatible? Maybe, maybe not. But that's what makes fantasy just that!
As mentioned before, Tolkien is one of the "fathers" of modern fantasy. If you take a look at the many definitions of the word itself in the Oxford English Dictionary (a Shakespeare buff's best friend), one of the meanings of the word fantasy is "an idea with no basis in reality." Fantasy is completely separate from reality, which means there are no bounds. Tolkien may have spearheaded the parameters used in most fantasy lore today, but he merely introduced the ideas. As long as a fantasy writer has an imagination, they can do whatever they want! Jackson is clearly exercising this right by pairing Tauriel with Kili, and I must say, it's about time someone finally tried to popularize such a pairing!
In a way, the Kili/Tauriel story line is almost an oxymoron in terms of multifandom: it uses the overworked plot device of the love triangle, but it also introduces an almost completely unused fantasy aspect. The middle ground lies in the the heart of the story, which brings me to my third and final perspective:
The Hopeless Romantic Perspective
As a geek girl, I do enjoy a well written love story that transcends normal romance from time to time. The romance genre? Not so much. I find it way too predictable to be satisfying. In my DVD collection, the number of romance films I own is second to last in the category list. So taking a look at Tauriel and Kili, how strong is their romantic story line?
Let's take a look at Kili, which every fangirl is currently doing right now. We met him in the previous film, An Unexpected Journey. He is royalty, a direct descendant of Durin, and his brother, Fili, is overprotective of him. He has a tendency to be reckless, isn't the sharpest ax in the shed, very savvy when it comes to weapons and using objects around him as weapons, a bit of a ladies' man, and has no appreciation for furniture but is adept at handling china. He is also noble, in that he will not turn from danger so long as his friends and family are in harm's way. He is handsome and daring, and does not give up easily. He seems to know exactly what he wants from life and from the adventure he embarks on. And then he meets Tauriel.
They first meet as a weaponless Kili is being chased by giant spiders and Tauriel literally swoops in and slaughters them effortlessly. Though she refuses to give him any weapons for him to defend himself, he is still taken by her. If you watch Kili, he looks at Tauriel like she is a beautiful type of butterfly that he's never seen before. Then, as she's locking him up in the dungeon, he pulls a dwarvish innuendo to get her to frisk him: "I could have anything in my trousers!" Her cool reply of, "Or nothing." is the best put down to his boldness, but that still does nothing to keep him from watching her. When Legolas brings up the subject, it's clear that she is flattered by Kili's interest, and possibly intrigued. If you ask me, Legolas' statement that Kili is "no less ugly" than other dwarves is just Orlando Bloom's realization that, for the first time, his title of "hottest guy in Middle Earth" is now threatened.
Tauriel then meets with Legolas' father, Thranduil, who tells her not to encourage his son, as he has now taken a liking to her. Considering how she has worked with Legolas for over 600 years, it's probably too late for them already. Tauriel's behavior implies that she once had feelings for him, and the fact that he's noticing her now after so many centuries is something she probably didn't expect. Though Thranduil has given her orders, she demonstrates later that she won't always adhere to his commands. When she goes to the dungeons to check on the dwarves, it is possible she does so in part for her interest in Kili.
Though Kili's teasing her about his mother's runestone is clearly a bad method, he remedies it immediately, gaining her attention. The other dwarves are oddly silent in this scene, so they may be asleep or just silently watching this whole thing (there'd better be an explanation in the extended cut!). Instead of Kili trying to bargain and flatter his way out of getting her to help him escape, they manage to connect. He tells of his promise to his mother (oh, the heartstrings! How they hurt!), which most women would take as him being a mama's boy. Tauriel doesn't think so; she finds Kili's promise to her sweet. Then she talks about her love of the starlight, to which he says, "I always thought it was a cold light." He isn't trying to start an argument with her, but is merely stating what he thinks. Tauriel is smart enough to realize this and further explains why the starlight makes her feel alive. Then Kili remembers some astronomical phenomena and tells her of that.
We have already seen how differently the Mirkwood elves treat the dwarves in comparison to the Rivendell elves in An Unexpected Journey. The Mirkwood elves are fierce and defensive, and handle the dwarves rather roughly for trespassing on their territory. We witness through Thorin's meeting with Thranduil how proud the dwarves are too, even in dire situations. Kili and Tauriel step around these established traits of their kin and manage to connect. Their chemistry isn't forced, but comes naturally. There are no undertones of seduction, manipulation, or coercion; they are merely taking time to get to know each other. Though it probably wasn't either's intention to establish a relationship of any kind, their personalities make it so. But was it enough?
When Bilbo springs the dwarves from the dungeon, Kili shows no remorse in leaving Tauriel behind, nor does Tauriel seem ready to show mercy to the dwarves as she and the other elves hotly pursue them after the escape. It seems like their moment together was all for naught, until Kili takes the poisoned arrow to the leg. Tauriel watches him float away in his barrel down the river, but shows no impulse to follow Kili. It is when the captured orc reveals that Kili is already dying from the poison that she makes her flight to follow.
Now here's where we get a good look at who Tauriel really is. It's clear that she is loyal enough to her king that she will do what she needs to fulfill her duty honorably. She probably had no intention to follow the dwarves after their totally awesome escape because they were already too far gone. Once she learns of Kili's critical wound, she high-tails it out there against her king's wishes, knowing full well that Legolas will follow her. When Legolas catches up to her, she tells him she knew he would follow; it is unclear whether she knew he would follow her because she knows he is taken with her now, or because he is duty bound and will not allow his best captain to break his father's orders. In any case, she brings forth the argument that they need to stop the orcs because it is their duty as the people of Middle Earth to watch out for each other. She has lived most of her life bound to the protection of her people alone, and this is probably a trait that all of her kin are very much aware of, since they've spent hundreds of years together. She also knows Legolas well enough and can use his knowledge of her to give a convincing reason why she's taking on a squad of orcs on her own. She was forced to leave the orc interrogation after learning of the poisoned arrows, so she didn't hear about the impending war. This would make her reason for going off on her own be to catch up with Kili in time. Her hundreds of years of experience makes her shrewd.
When Tauriel and Kili finally reunite, the poison in his system is this close to killing him, but he's still fighting off orcs with Oin and Fili, while Bofur runs off to find some kingsfoil to counteract the affects of the poison. Tauriel and Legolas wipe out orcs left and right, and as they retreat, Legolas tries to get Tauriel to follow. However, she stays behind to help Kili when Bofur returns with the kingsfoil. Legolas, for the first time in all of Jackson's movies, gets his butt kicked, but still doggedly follows Bolg as he flees. His actions here show that he is bound to duty rather than his feelings.
Thanks to Tauriel, the kingsfoil is applied just in time to purge the poison from Kili. As she tends to his wound once the danger has passed, Kili, in a delirious state, begins to talk of her, not believing that she is really there with him. As he talks of her, he says one of the best lines in the movie: "She walks in starlight in another world." His fingers gently brush hers, and she barely entwines her fingers around his. Then he asks her, "do you think she could have loved me?" She does not answer.
Okay, that's done with! All in all, Kili and Tauriel have a decent love story. They care for one another, but have different goals that take precedence over pursuing a relationship. They don't obsess about each other, and they don't try to force each other into something they don't have time for. Kili fell first, but Tauriel made the move when she defied Thranduil and Legolas. Their feelings for each other come naturally.
Those of us who read the book know that Kili dies in battle, so the potential for a happy ending for these two is almost nil. The only thing I can come up with for these two to have some sense of a happy ending is if Kili suffers a mortal wound, but Tauriel manages to take him west to the undying lands. With that ending, it would stick with Tolkien's canon and remove Tauriel at the same time. Their particular love story in this film is a refreshing one, not only due to the naturalness of their actions toward one another, but also due to the acting done by Turner and Lilly. They manage to create compelling characters that romantics roots for, and their chemistry is impeccable. Although it is a change to the well-loved story, we still want to see them get together and have a happy ending.
Final Verdict
Having seen the movie three times, this particular topic kept me weighing the three perspectives, trying to find the best way so categorizing Kili and Tauriel's love story in The Hobbit films. Ultimately, it was unnecessary. While it is a good love story, the book did not have it initially, and it brought too many changes to the beloved story. There were already enough additions that didn't change much, but the love story couldn't be ignored. It is forgivable to many, but the movie could have done without it.
However, there is still the fact that it is a decent love story. What's done is done, and I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
As the year comes to a close, geeks reflect on the greatest moments from the year. There were very many this year, but one of the best, hands down, was when Tom Hiddleston crashed Comic-Con as Loki. Not only was it a surreal experience for all the attendees who were lucky enough to witness it, it also showed just how much Hiddleston embraced his character. If you watch the Thor and Avengers movies, he stands out as one of, if not the, best characters. But, unlike many actors out there, Hiddleston is having a ball playing that character!
As an actress myself, I know how important it is to immerse yourself in a character. But sometimes, it's not enough to simply be someone else. You have to have fun with it! When you're having fun, no matter if you're the hero, villain, or comic relief, you stand apart from the rest of the cast. I have compiled a list of actors who are worth watching the movies they do because they're having fun. Apart from one, there is no particular order.
And as much as I love Loki, I have to give the number one spot to one man and one man alone:
Cary Elwes in Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Cary Elwes reigns true in this genre. While this particular Mel Brooks film isn't considered to be as much of a classic, Elwes carries this entire movie. The other actors are great as well, but you can see it in every frame: Elwes is having the time of his life!
Just watch his face as he battles Little John. He'd probably do this role for free. And don't forget that he also brought the character to life with a single line:
"Because, unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent."
The rest will be done in no particular order.
Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz
This is one of the earliest recorded roles of an actor having a ball with their role. Margaret Hamilton, while purely evil, is totally loving this.
Tell me now that she's not having fun! The downside though is now her performance is being underminded by the Broadway version in Wicked. Oh well.
"I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!"
Sam Rockwell in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Rockwell sells every part he plays. This movie didn't follow the book as well as it could have, but Rockwell is the best part of this movie. He actually takes the character of Zaphod past the extraterrestrial limits that Douglas Adams penned out and made it work. No one else could have done that!
Very best part? When he falls through the portal to Magrathea and just lands with a splat. No stunt double, Rockwell did the whole thing himself. Now that's commitment!
"Honey, I'm the president of the galaxy. I don't get a whole lotta time for reading." Christopher Plummer in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Trek is known for its bad guys. They're just awesome. But none of them can add up to Plummer as Chang in the sixth installment with the original cast for enjoying his role the most. Even in his interviews you can tell that Plummer is particularly proud of this role.
Best of all is his quoting of Shakespeare. Nice touch, adding a little bit of nerdiness to this role!
"You have not heard Shakespeare until you've heard it in the original Klingon." Raul Julia in The Adams Family and The Adams Family Values
Even in bad roles, Julia was great. *coughStreetFightercough* This, one of his (tragically) last roles, is the very epitome of charm and psycho. This guy has no place in the real world, and nothing Julia does puts him there. He and his family are in their own screwed up world, and he leads it with a dynamic machismo that you'll never forget.
No wonder Morticia Adams is so besotted with him!
"I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss!" Chris Evans in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
In my opinion, Evans is one of the most underrated actors out there. Exhibit A: his performance as Lucas Lee, one of the 7 evil exes that Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has to defeat to win over Ramona Flowers. Evans, who is most notable now for his role as Captain America, sells the crap out of his brief role in this wacky flick.
His presence on the screen gives off the vibe that he was born for this role, and he'll be danged if you think otherwise.
"'Sup. How's life? He seems nice." Eva Green in Dark Shadows
Green doesn't really strike as the type who would have a place on this list, but by golly, is she enjoying her role as the villainess Angelique in this Tim Burton reboot. Every time she steps into the scene, that sexy smirk shines with a bit of genuine delight in everything she says and does in this film.
I wouldn't normally draw attention to this, but the love scene with Johnny Depp? Just about any woman would want to be in her position but there's a little bit of "yeah, well I get to do this!" attitude to it.
"Sleeping flame, I summon thee, to your form return. Make the night as bright as day...and burn, baby, burn!" Yul Brynner in The King and I
Brynner was so good at this role he did it both in film and on Broadway. He makes King Mongkut out to be a guy who can command the attention of world leaders...and be a child at the same time. His battle of the sexes banter with Deborah Kerr is some of the best out there. He even got an Oscar for this role!
Oh yeah, he also pokes fun at another one of his other projects in this: The Ten Commandments. He played Pharaoh Ramses, the arch-nemesis to Moses in that film. In this one, he's poking fun at Moses after reading his story in the Bible. LOL
"I make mistake. The British not scientific enough to know how to use chopsticks." James Nesbitt in The Hobbit Trilogy
When I first heard the cast of this film, I went nuts because I'm a sucker for that dreamboat Richard Armitage. But after I saw the first movie, it wasn't him I remembered best, it was the floppy hat wearing dwarf Bofur that I remembered best. Yes, the whole cast appears to be having a blast, but Nesbitt tends to outshine the others because his delight is more genuine. Even in the promos for the film, he's almost always smiling, and that's not just a character smile you're looking at.
And, quite frankly, it's interesting having an Irish dwarf in the bunch.
"Oh, that's a lovely game. If you have the balls for it." Susan Sarandon in Enchanted
Half of this role was voice acting, but even in that, Sarandon is having fun. She goes from being animated, to being three dimensional, to becoming an old hag with a severe dental problem, to her final form as a dragon. For one of the best examples of how to ham it up at just the right flavor for a villain, watch her in this. She really should have been in it more.
Seriously. Those teeth as the hag? It almost like she's enjoying that. That's commitment!
"Hello, worthless. Miss me?" James Marsden in Enchanted
This is the only time I will give a dual award for the same movie. Even in the previews for this one, when he gets run over by cyclists, you can tell that he is going to sell this movie. Everything from his voice, stride and wardrobe just screams, "aw, yeah!" Not to mention he finally gets the girl, albeit a different one than is expected.
This is probably a film his grandchildren will love for him and him alone.
"It appears this tiny box controls the magic mirror!" There are plenty more actors out there who are enjoying their roles, but I don't have enough time to put them all into one blog. So keep an eye out, there'll be another list soon!
I recently came back from a road trip from which I had a little too much time to think. So I have compiled a list of what I believe are some of the best geek moments in history. Each one is rated a different way, and has a brief explanation as to why it is so awesome.
This is yet another reason why I should not be left with too much time to think.
Awsome Moment: "To Serve Man"
Source: The Twilight Zone
Awesomeness classification: The first great sci-fi twist
The Twilight Zone opened Americans up to the coolness of geekiness. While there are many great episodes of this series, this particular episode was one of the best and arguably one of the best twists ever to come out (excluding Empire Strikes Back, of course).
Friendly aliens visit earth with a book titled "To Serve Man," which shows how Earthlings can grow better food in inhospitable climes. It turns out the book is really a cookbook on how to turn humans into tasty morsels!
This particular scene set the standard for plot twists in geek culture, and we've been mastering them ever since!
Awesome Moment: "Sandworm!"
Source: Chuck season 1 episode 6: "Chuck vs. The Sandworm"
Awesomeness classification: Near-ultimate geek level you probably have yet to achieve
How many of you even considered doing a Dune character for Halloween? They're not quite the easiest cosplay outfits, but Shai-Hulud?????????
Yep, best buddies Chuck and Morgan have their two-man sandworm costume. And it's pretty darn good considering how big those suckers are supposed to be in the books. If you have ever made a sandworm costume like our pal Chuck here, then you are an ultimate geek.
Thanks, Chuck, for showing us how high-ranking of a geek you are and still be considered cool.
Awesome Moment: Wall-E and Eve's Dance
Source: Disney Pixar's Wall-E
Awesomeness classification: Best interspace romance
This may have been considered a kid's movie, but Wall-E is one of the best pieces of sci-fi to come out in the last 10 years. The particular standout scene is when Wall-E and Eve connect in outer space.
Wall-E, the Chaplin-esque protagonist, shares a romantic moment with Eve, the out-of-your-league sophisticated robot. In this scene, they share a "kiss" and dance throughout space using a fire extinguisher. The scene is a mastery of CGI effects, simple music, and imagination of how two unlikely characters can fall in love.
Awesome Moment: Mulder in the Mirror
Source: X-Files season 6 episode 4: "Dreamland, part I"
Awesomeness classification: Best homage to classic film
David Duchovney switching bodies with Michael McKean? I'm sure McKean wasn't complaining. Mulder has been aware he's not in his body for a while, but now gets to see what he looks like.
This is what happens:
And here's the inspiration for this scene:
It is so hard to pull of comic styling like this one without being a Marx brother, but doggonit, Duchoney and McKean did it. Waytago, boys!
Awesome Moment: Spiderman reveals his mask has the power
Source: The Amazing Spider Man (2012)
Awesomeness classification: True heroism is finally shown correctly
Personally, I hate reboots, but if there was one genre that needed an almost immediate reboot, it was the Spiderman franchise. Not only is Andrew Garfield a better actor than Tobey Maguire, he was able to show how Spiderman is a real human being who is imperfect.
What makes this scene more awesome than the high school fight behind a music blaring Stan Lee (it was a tough call) is that Spiderman is able to show a particular strength of connectivity. By telling Jack that when he puts on the mask it'll "make [him] strong," it gives the boy enough of a boost to face his fear of the fiery car to reach out to the one person who can save him. Nothing else Peter Parker could have done would've convinced Jack to climb up to him. This awesome geek moment shows how sometimes you have to go beyond heroics and have to tap the inner strength of those who need rescuing to really save someone.
Awesome Moment: Picard's response to surrendering
Source: Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3 episode 15: "Yesterday's Enterprise"
Awesomeness classification: Most badass moment
"Yesterday's Enterprise" is considered by Trekkies to be one of Star Trek's masterpiece episodes. To sum it up, the crew of the Enterprise D encounters the previous Enterprise C, who was supposed to have been destroyed in battle defending the Klingons, which is turn causes them to not help the Klingons and changes history to have the Federation losing a war with the Klingon empire. Wow, that's a lot of info. And it probably didn't make sense. Oh well.
Anyways, Picard considered by many geek to be "lawful neutral" when it comes to his decision making. He has a lot of great moments, but one particular moment overshadows them all. As the Enterprise D engages the Klingons in a no-win battle, with the ship falling apart and his crew dropping left and right, he gets that message from the Klingons: "Surrender, and prepare to be boarded."
Picard's response: "That'll be the day!"
Then, he leaps from his chair over the console behind him and gives the Klingons every last ounce of firepower his ship has.
WOW.
This clip has various moments from this episode, so you can scroll to the end to catch this amazing moment. Even in the face of certain death, Picard won't give his enemies that satisfaction. This is also why, in the ever popular "Kirk vs. Picard" debates, Picard takes the cake for me.
Awesomeness Moment: Al becomes the leaper!
Source: Quantum Leap season 3/4 cliffhanger "Shock Theater" and "The Leap Back"
Awesomeness classification: Finally giving a character a taste of his own medicine!
Most sci-fi and geek shows give us great cliffhangers that all left us at the edge of our seats, but Quantum Leap gave us one we could laugh over. Sam leaps into a new person at the beginning of every episode, and when he realizes where specifically he is (varying from performing at rock concerts, getting launched into space, stripping and other wacky situations), he lets out the iconic "oh boy!" before trying to adjust. His sassy buddy, Al, gives him info on his new host and anything else he needs to know in holographic form, so only Sam can see him (most of the time).
We all love Al's goofy antics and the way Dean Stockwell is able to mesh with Scott Bakula's personality. At the end of the season 3 episode "Shock Theater," Sam is subject to extreme electroshock due to his previous hosts' personalities splitting his own. Al is nearby as he gets shocked, and while a thunderstorm is going on. The result?
Sam leaps to a new time, but is in Al's body, and Al is in Sam's body who is inhibiting a new host! Kinda complicated, but Al has been both helping and needling Sam with his leaping for years now. It's about time he found himself having to deal with Sam's craziness!
Awesomeness Moment: Shoot 'em up to the Beatles
Source: The Prisoner
Awesomeness classification: The most bizarre but effective show ending ever
The Prisoner is hands down one of the weirdest shows you will ever see. It's mind-boggling, it's surreal, and they threw out some of the strangest plot twists out there (there was even an episode of Pinky and the Brain that tried to reference it). Though short lived, these methods were maintained throughout the entire show. And by golly, they certainly ended the show just as enigmatic as the rest of the show!
Patrick McGoohan's character, who is simply referred to as "Number 6," throughout the show, has been subject to being imprisoned without cause, attempts at being brainwashed, and even being nearly murdered in several different ways. The series finale, as shown above, has him and several buddies shooting their way to freedom. While playing the Beatles' tune "All You Need is Love."
Pardon my French, but WTFrak?????
Of all the songs in the 1960s, that one was selected to close a series and show a bunch of bad guys getting gunned down. If that ain't just the most messed up geek finale you've ever seen, then I don't know what is.
Awesomeness Moment: Zoe shuts down
Source: Serenity
Awesomeness moment: The stuff that strong women are made of
There are always debates on which women dominate the geek world, and there will probably never be one that everyone can agree on. I will bring to attention the one I believe dominates them all: Zoe Washburn. She is a fiercely loyal soldier who can shoot you with little to no remorse, and also speak as your conscience. And she's married to a dweeby pilot who goes by the name of Wash and is definitely out of her league. It's clear that in their family, she wears the pants.
Sadly though, as the clip above shows, he dies very quickly. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a clip showing the point I am trying to make, but this is her reaction to when her lovable husband dies (oh, it still hurts! *sniffle*).
The awesomeness comes as the rest of the crew of Serenity are setting up a blockade to defend themselves against the Reavers, cannibalistic psychopaths that you do not want to meet. We got to see how Zoe reacted when Wash was killed by the Reavers. As Zoe prepares for battle, you see her walls go up. She has just lost the love of her life, and if she doesn't focus, she'll die too. She shuts down.
Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one knows it's one of the hardest things to experience in life. Zoe is no different than anyone else, but she needs to focus on the now. Before Mal runs off to expose the 'verse to the truth behind the Reavers, he asks Zoe, "are you here?" to which she replies, "Do the job, sir." Her time for grieving will have to wait until she and the rest of the crew are safe. In the end, she is badly wounded, as are the others in her party, but no one else dies. Her ability to focus in the midst of tragedy makes her stand out as the strongest woman in geek history.
Awesomeness Moment: Hellboy and Abe Sapien sing Barry Manilow
Source: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Awesomeness classification: Doesn't need it. It's just awesome!
Oh, Ron Perlman. The guy can sell just about any geek role you put him into. Hellboy is no different.
Two friends, neither one of them human, decide to get hammered and sing Barry Manilow. The scene just works. It's so unlikely, and probably even looks ludicrous on paper, but Guillermo del Toro sold this scene from start to finish. Well done, sir!
Awesomeness Moment: Alien's first encounter with Eve Ensler
Source: Stargate SG-1 season 10 episode 18: "Family Ties"
Awesomeness classification: The best depiction of interspecies awkwardness
Teal'c, a Jaffa soldier and fighter who protects Earth, has just been given theater tickets from Jacek, an established con artist, who told him it was called the "Virginia Dialogues."
He finds out very quickly that the title of the play was wrong. Teal'c is smack dab in the middle of the play "The Vagina Monologues." Not only is he the only alien at this play, he is also the only man! This scene was excellently done by Christopher Judge, especially with his sinking into his chair in utter embarrassment.
Awesomeness Moment: Meet Bones
Source: Star Trek (2009)
Awesomeness classification: Casting done right!
The new Star Trek movies have been the subject of debate amongst Trekkers since the first one was released in 2009. Personally, I enjoy the movies, but I regard them as fan pieces and not part of the series' canon. I find that the most redeeming quality of these films is the casting. Each actor does their predecessors' character justice, and my personal pick is for Karl Urban as Leonard "Bones" McCoy.
When I saw this movie in the theaters in 2009, I just about had a nerdgasm right there as Urban started speaking without even being on screen. In the space of 2 seconds, the guy who was best known for playing Eomer in The Two Towers and Return of the King nails the infamous character immortalized by Deforest Kelly. I was pretty skeptical about the casting when I first heard, but this former Rohirrim does Kelly justice and definitely outshines the rest of the cast in staying true to the original character.
Awesomeness Moment: Don't Screw with the Doctor and the Centurion!
Source: Dr. Who season 6 episode 7: "A Good Man Goes to War"
Awesomeness classification: Rory raises standards for men that are nearly impossible to reach
Dr. Who is just chalked full of so many awesome moments, it's hard to pick just one. I decided on this particular gem:
Rory is somewhat of a dope, but his devotion to Amy Pond transcends both time and space. Right here, both he and The Doctor show what she means to the both of them. What sells this particular scene, however, is the delivery of the message. Without looking or blinking, and with a simple twitch of his head, Rory shows what he is willing to do to get his wife back. Geek women's standards have never skyrocketed faster than after watching this scene.
Awesomeness Moment: Daffy Duck goes Intergalactic
Source: Babylon 5 (episode unknown, saw it when I was like 8)
Awesomeness classification: Boldly going where no duck has gone before!
Try as I might, I was unable to find a clip of this particular scene. Michael Garibaldi is the geek in this series, and has an affinity for Daffy Duck. He even has a poster of the cartoon character in his quarters! In the first season, he introduces Delenn, who is at that time a Minbari (for full explanation, please watch the series), and has never seen an Earth based cartoon before. Her expression is incredulous.
So why not Bugs Bunny? Well, to quote Daffy's best known episode, Duck Dodgers in the 24th 1/2 Century, "This planet ain't big enough for the two of us so, off you go!"
Awesomeness Moment: The Second Moon Ride
Source: E.T: The Extraterrestrial
Awesomeness classification: Showing every possible reaction to the coolest ride ever
Every 80's and 90's kid has seen E.T. It's just not right if you haven't seen it and you're from that era (same goes for Breakfast Club, but I digress). The scene where Elliot and E.T. are crossing past the moon as they fly through the sky is one of cinema's most recognized and classic moments. However, as magical of a scene that is, I prefer the second, where it's not only Elliot, but his brother Michael and Michael's buddies Steve, Greg and Tyler cycling past the moon.
The reason why this one is better is because thus far we've only seen Elliot's reaction to sky-biking. Each one of the boys who ride with him gives a different reaction: wonder, disbelief, awe, and general wussiness. Elliot conveyed all of those emotions earlier in the first moon ride scene, only with a sense of innocent exuberance. It's a good way to capture different perspectives all in the same situation. Well done, Spielberg!
Awesomeness Moment: Loki Crashes Comic-Con
Source: 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Awesomeness classification: The true embodiment of a geek icon brought to life
This is the only reality clip I will post here. The internet geek forums went nuts earlier this year when Tom Hiddleston, best known as Loki in Thor and The Avengers, showed up at the Thor 2 panel without being announced and did a bit as Loki onstage. Just watch:
Most fans of the Thor movies will admit that it's Loki that steals the films. Here, Tom shows his commitment to his character and how much he loves it. There are several instances where he is ready to break character because he's having too much fun. Right here is the reason why we would rather watch Loki rather than Thor (no offense, Chris Hemsworth, you're great too!), Tom is the living embodiment of this character. He IS Loki. Now kneel, you mortals!!!!!
Awesomeness Moment: Star Warners
Source: Pinky and the Brain season 4 episode 9: "Star Warners"
Awesomeness classification: the perfect cartoon spoof
Most people think that Family Guy did the best spoof of Star Wars. However, long before Family Guy, Pinky and the Brain did their own spoof as their series finale, utilizing characters from the parent show, Animaniacs, and guest stars like Ben Stein.
The show Pinky and the Brain itself wasn't as great when it became a spin off, but their use of using Star Wars as their main plot device and throwing in references from other sources such as Casablanca and Seinfeld made for a great swan song. From start to finish, this episode is poking fun at something, whether Star Wars related or not, and giving you a fun ride with it!
Awesomeness Moment: Riker Flirts with Guinan
Source: Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode 10: "The Dauphin"
Awesomeness classification: making Wil Wheaton uncomfortable
There has already been a TNG moment on this list, but it is regarded as the best of the Star Trek canon and I think this particular scene is one of them. Trek usually tackles hard subjects like slavery, racism, human testing and other controvercial topics, but TNG has Wesley Crusher, who is regarded as one of the most hated sci-fi characters ever. In fact, one of the most re-used lines in the first 3 seasons of this series was, "Shut up, Wesley!"
As is a part in every TV show adolescent boy's journey, Wesley finds himself falling in love for the first time and is asking for advice all over the ship. When he comes to Commander Riker, Riker decides to work his charms on Whoopi Goldberg's Guinan. Their banter is flawless and fun, and seeing Wesley this uncomfortable is a real treat. And Guinan's "Shut up, kid!" is the one of the best variations of that line.
Awesomeness Moment: Lister is Pregnant!
Source: Red Dwarf season 2 episode 6: "Parallel Universe"
Awesomeness classification: the "now that's just wrong!" moment
British sci-fi is awesome. Red Dwarf is no exception, and is quite adept at going to places that not even Star Trek considered. In this particular episode of Red Dwarf, the boys on this ship travel to a parallel universe and find that in this universe, their counterparts are women (with the exception of Cat, who instead finds Dog). After getting drunk, Lister wakes up to this:
Yep, he's just spent the night with the female version of himself. And when he gets back to his universe, he finds that he is, indeed, pregnant. And the mother of his children is in fact himself. How screwed up is that?
Awesomeness Moment: Mal brings "Friends" into Battle
Source: Serenity
Awesomeness classification: best sci-fi battle entrance
The crew of Serenity is on its own against a huge fleet of Alliance battleships. So Cap'n Mal aims to misbehave and does this instead:
Pulling one of the greatest stunts in sci-fi ever, Mal leads a fleet of Reavers into battle. The reavers are one of the best baddies to ever grace sci-fi villainy, and Operative's reaction to Mal's response to his threats is classic. Malcolm Reynolds ain't going down without a bloodbath.
Awesomeness Moment: Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
Source: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Awesomeness classification: a redeeming moment to a horrible series
There are many geeks who refuse to even acknowledge the prequel trilogy of Star Wars. While there were some good aspects to the films, such as Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Christopher Lee, the series as a whole was poorly done and a huge disappointment. And then there's this moment:
While this battle doesn't redeem the trilogy, or even this particular movie, it is one of the scenes that showed that good could come out of these movies. Anakin Skywalker, now turned to the dark side, faces off against his friend and former mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The mood of this scene is clear all the way through: one will kill the other and nothing will stop them. What also makes it better is that there's very little dialogue for Hayden Christensen to screw up, and the hatred he portrays as he battles Ewan McGregor is finally real.
Awesomeness Moment: Shatner can Score Anything
Source: Fanboys
Awesomeness classification: crossing the Trek and Wars barrier
The film Fanboys has a running gag that Trekkies are evil and the Wars fanboys are good. While it's all in good fun, the Trekkies are sadly portrayed as mostly jerks. Two of the film's protagonists, Eric and Linus, are off to meet an unknown contact for security clearance to the Skywalker Ranch. After being shoved by an alien into a deserted room full of slot machines, they are met by this:
William Shatner, aka James T. Kirk of Star Trek, provides these hardcore Star Wars fanboys with everything they need to break in George Lucas's, aka the creator of Star Wars, high security home and business office. Oh, the irony!
Awesomeness Moment: The Miracle Baby
Source: Children of Men
Awesomeness classification: how a powerful symbol of hope can stop even a war
The post-apocalyptic docudrama focuses on Theo, a man charged by his late wife to get Kee, the first woman in 18 years to get pregnant, to safety. Kee gives birth on the way and is abducted by terrorists, but Theo gets to her in time and tries to escort her safely out of a war zone.
The film is a masterpiece from start to finish, and this scene grips you and doesn't let go. When the baby's cry cuts through all the mayhem and violence, everything stops. All anyone, refugee and soldier alike, knows is that for the first time in years, there is hope for the future. And no one will do anything to destroy that hope until it is out of immediate harm's way.
Awesomeness Moment: The tables are turned
Source: Warehouse 13 season 4, episode 7: "Endless Wonder"
Awesomeness classification: the tormented becomes the tormentor!
Years before this episode aired, lead actor Saul Rubinek appeared as Kivas Fajo in an episode of TNG called "The Most Toys," in which he kidnaps Data, played by Brent Spiner, to make him part of his collection. Kivas threatens, manipulates, and even kills to keep Data in line. Now, almost 20 years later, the tables are turned! Rubinek's character, Artie, finds himself being mentally and psychologically tormented by an evil in the form of Brother Adrian, who is played by none other than Brent Spiner.
Now plenty of Star Trek alums appeared on this show, but the history between Rubinek and Spiner makes this episode, as well as the season, extra nerdy for Trekkies like myself who get excited about these crossovers. It is very clear that Adrian is going to relentlessly drive Artie nuts, which almost seems like revenge for what Kivas did to Data. Only in sci-fi can revenge like this be fun!
And for the final awesomeness moment:
Awesomeness Moment: Classic Rock is Sent into Space
Source: Star Trek: First Contact
Awesomeness classification: the best use of classic rock
Classic rock is my favorite genre of music, and I also love it when movies use the absolutely perfect song for specific moments (that list will be made later). Since sci-fi usually doesn't incorporate popular music, it's rare for moments like these to come along, unless time travel is involved. In this case, it is.
If you're going to change earth's future by breaking the warp barrier, what better song to use than Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride"? The film version isn't Steppenwolf performing it, but their version does appear on the soundtrack. Regardless of who performs it in the film, it is the perfect choice for the scene and the event it depicts.
So this is my current list of awesome moments. They may favor Star Trek more than the others, but I plan on making notes of non-Trek sci-fi that has awesome moments. With sci-fi, the sky isn't the limit, and there's much to be done in addition to what's already been achieved. Yay geek moments!
