Paul (2011)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Alien movies are nothing new.  You have E.T., Starman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and all sorts of other titles.  I had wanted to see this one in theaters, but not having much money kept me waiting until it came out on DVD.  Part of the appeal was that it had Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings.  They're friends that have come from Great Britain to the United States to attend Comic-Con.  Afterwards, they decide to take an RV to various paranormal/alien sites such as The Black Mailbox.

Their journey is cut short by Paul, an alien on the run from a secret government facility.  (Paul is voiced by Seth Rogen, in case you can’t quite place it.)  Paul has been giving the United States Government all sorts of information, contributing to everything from technology to movies.  Since Paul has given up every bit of useful information, the only thing left to do is harvest stem cells for biological research.

Shortly into their journey, they meet Ruth, a very religious woman that can’t accept the existence of aliens, even after meeting Paul.  Paul, Graeme and Clive are forced to take Ruth with them as they continue to run.  Because of this, they not only have federal agents, but Ruth’s fundamentalist father, Moses, after them.  Eventually, Paul, Graeme, Clive and Ruth make it to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, a reference to the aforementioned Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  This is where Paul intends to meet his rescue ship.  I don’t want to give away the ending, as it’s probably best not to know.

If this isn’t your first alien movie, you should catch a few references like Devil’s Tower.  There are all sorts of in jokes and mentions.  I even missed one or two.  Because of this, the movie isn’t necessarily all that original.  I’m not say that this is wrong.  It’s probably one of the few cases where they can get away with it.  Even if you don’t get the references, you can still usually laugh at the jokes. Some of the humor is crude, high-school stuff.  Anal probes are mentioned a few times and Paul does like to use drugs.  There are maybe one or two scenes that wouldn’t be appropriate for small children, but nothing that would scar anyone for life.

This is the third movie I’ve seen staring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.  You may remember them from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.  If you liked those movies, you’ll probably like this one, although I’d say that this one is the most different of the three.  I’m not saying that it’s better or worse.  It just has a slightly different feel, probably owing to the sci-fi theme.

I’d definitely recommend seeing it, even if you’re not a big sci-fi fan.  Like Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the dead, much of the movie works because it’s not being shoved down your throat.  It just works.  There were maybe one or two jokes that were seemed a little random.  (I spent the whole movie wondering what kind of last name Zoil was.)  Either way, it’s definitely worth watching. 

IMDb page

Nikon ML-L3 Remote Control

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

A wireless remote for a camera is a difficult thing to review, mostly because your experience is going to vary greatly depending on which camera you have.  You will have to set your camera up, but the exact menu path is going to vary slightly with each model and there are several models of Nikon that this remote works with.  I have only used this remote with the Nikon D50, so a lot of what I write in this review is going to be affected by that.

The other reason is that you don’t generally get much of a choice of remotes.  Each camera only takes one remote.  Which remote you buy will be determined by which camera you have, essentially making it Hobson’s choice.  Either you buy a remote or you don’t.

There are a few reasons why you would buy a remote.  If you want to take a picture of yourself, but don’t want to use the timer function, you have two options:  get a remote or bring a friend to take the picture.  You may also want to reduce shake if you’re taking a long exposure or using a telephoto lens.  If you decide that you want to get a remote, your instruction manual should say which model you’ll need.  If not, the manufacturer’s web site should have that information.

The remote itself is pretty simple.  It’s a button and a transmitter connected by a body with a battery.  They only thing that it does is trigger the shutter, much like the button on the camera.  You can’t change camera settings with the remote.  You can’t use it to compose or review pictures.  You can’t order takeout with it.  It acts just like the shutter release on your camera.  Setting up the camera to be triggered by the remote will depend on your camera; the instruction manual should have a section on it.  (This is one of those things that I just can’t help you with.)

The range is pretty decent.  I can stand back maybe 10 or 20 feet and still have the remote trigger the camera.  The angle will matter on the build of your camera.  Each camera has a remote sensor that receives the remote’s signal.  If something’s blocking it, the camera won’t take the picture.

Range has rarely been an issue for me since I usually use the remote for long exposures.  I’m generally standing behind the camera.  In fact, I’d actually recommend using the remote for long exposure.  Without the Nikon D50, I have to hold down the button on the camera if I’m not using the remote.  With the remote, I press the button to start the long exposure and again to end it, which really cuts down on blur as a result of shaking.

I have tried to take pictures of myself with the remote.  I know with the D50, I have three options.  I can either set the camera on a 10-second delay, use the remote with a 2-second delay or simply use the remote.  If I use the remote to take a picture of myself, I’ll probably either look funny or be shown pressing the button on the remote.  The advantage of using the remote with a 2-second delay is that I can take several pictures without running back and forth to the camera.  The only problem I’ve had is setting up the picture.  I’ve never been able to do a decent self-portrait.

The battery is an odd size, but you get one with the remote.  Before using the remote, you’ll have to take off a protective plastic strip.  (It took me a few minutes to figure out why it wasn’t working straight out of the box.)  This brings me to the only major drawback of the product.  Getting the battery door off of the remote is a real pain.  You have to pinch two things that go in so that you can take off the battery door.  It’s fairly difficult to do.

I bought the ML-L3 for $20, but the price has since dropped.  The last time I checked, it was going for $17.50.  The D50 has since been discontinued, but there are still camera models available that use this remote.  If you want a remote, it’s really not a big deal to get one.  The one thing I will warn you about is that since the remotes are small, they’re easy to lose.  Keep yours in a secure place or you will have to replace them often.

The Monster Squad (1987) = Had Mentor's Quest

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

This is one of those movies that I remember from my childhood.  I’d catch it occasionally on one of the broadcast networks or something.  I decided to get it from Netflix just to see what it was like what I remember.

The movie starts with Abraham Van Helsing trying to put Dracula in limbo.  He has everything he needs:  the special amulet, the special chant and a virgin to recite the chant.  Dracula manages to avoid limbo with the help of Frankenstein’s Monster, a werewolf, a mummy and a fish monster.

Cut to the present day, where  Sean and Patrick are part of a monster club.  Actually, they are a monster club.  Sean’s little sister, Phoebe, keeps trying to horn in, as little sisters will tend to do in movies.  There’s also Rudy, an older boy that Sean and Patrick look up to.  They’d love him to join, which he does.  However, he has other motives.  (Read: attractive female next door.)

When Sean’s mother gets Van Helsing’s diary at a yard sale , it’s almost the best thing on Earth.  I say almost because it’s in German.  This forces him to seek the help of the Obligatory Nice Guy That Everyone is Scared of.    It turns out that the diary explains what the amulet is and how to use it.  It’s still possible to open the portal, so Dracula is kind of bent on getting it.  It’s up to the kids to get the amulet and dispatch with the monsters before the monsters get the amulet and have their way.

It’s kind of like a teen version of a horror film.  Dracula is kind of scary, but he’s the worst of the bunch.  Frankenstein’s monster is presented as being lovable and sympathetic, like in the book.  The werewolf is aware of what he can do.  While in human form, he wants to be locked up.  He’s even suicidal.  The mummy and fish monster are kind of generic.  I get the impression that they were thrown in to have a few more monsters.  (I would like to have seen more of Dracula’s brides, but I won’t get into that here.)

The movie is a little goofy.  I think it may bee a little too goofy for most adults.  I do remember liking it as a kid.  It wasn’t really too scary.  You knew everyone was going to be ok.  There are no complicated plots or things to incredible things that will blow your mind when you realize what they meant.  It’s a fun 80-minute movie. 

IMDb page

 

Timequest (2000)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.


I had such high hopes for this movie. I like time-travel movies and I also have a passing interest in alternate history. I can’t say I mind the occasional gratuitous nudity. Timequest looked like a good idea at the time. I have to say that I was sorely disappointed.

The story goes that a man, presumably from a time close to our own, goes back to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy hours before his fateful trip in Dallas. While there, he also takes the liberty of warning Robert Kennedy about his assassination as well. The rest of the movie is about the history that results.

Time-travel movies fall into two categories. With some, the resulting history is very similar. With others, the resulting history is as close to the opposite as possible. This movie was basically a series of historical in-jokes. For instance, the Beatles never went anywhere after appearing on the Ed Sullivan show. Dan Rather is shown as being noting more than a local correspondent. Those that don’t know much about history will probably be lost throughout the movie.

Even at 92 minutes, these jokes were used as a lot of filler. What’s left is Robert Kennedy trying to figure out who the time traveler is. You see, he deliberately didn’t give his name because he knew that the person that his alternate self would grow up to be might also invent time travel. What you’re left with a corny, hokey movie. Instead of a movie with a powerful ending, I was left just wondering why I just wasted an hour and a half of my life.

The movie doesn’t hold up as a time-travel movie and it especially doesn’t hold up as a movie in general. I’d recommend it only if you’re interested in JFK’s assassination and other historical stuff. The entire movie had a very amateurish look to it. The movie jumped around a lot and the graphics were somewhat low budget. Also, the actors didn’t really look like the people they were supposed to be representing. I didn’t even realize that it was supposed to be Martin Luther King, Jr. that was Robert Kennedy’s Vice President until I read the credits.

Ultimately, I have to give the movie two stars. It was a decent movie, but it wasn’t really something I would find myself recommending. When it was over, I didn’t feel like it was anything momentous. At least it wasn’t a long movie.

IMDb page

Nikon D50 6.1 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Body Only)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I can remember getting my fist point-and-shoot camera with my brother. It was the Fuji FinePix MX-1200. The thing was so old, it actually used Smart Media cards. I’ve come a long way since then. Last year, I decided to get a digital SLR. I knew I wanted Nikon, but was debating between several different models. Should I go with the D200 and spend a lot of money or should I go for a lower-priced model and spend the money on the lenses?

I had made the decision to get an SLR mostly because I wanted the better lenses, so I decided to buy a Nikon D50 used from my manager. I didn’t have any lenses prior to the purchase, so you may be wondering why I chose Nikon over another brand. Part of it was that I know a lot of people that shoot Nikon, which makes it easier if I need help.

You may also be asking why I chose the Nikon D50. Even when I bought it, the camera had been discontinued for a while. I was looking into the Nikon D40 which had a low price, but it couldn’t use film lenses on fully automatic. I was also looking at the D80, but the price was out of my range at the time. My manager was willing to sell the D50 at a low price and it would work with the film lens that he was selling with it. (More on that later.)

The D50 was meant to be an entry-level camera for those that had never really owned a digital SLR before. It has different scene modes, such as for portrait or for landscape, but also has automatic, Program, Aperture value, Shutter priority and Manual settings. (Very rarely do I do anything other than Program and Manual.) I have been trying to learn to use a few of the other modes, but it depends mostly on what you’re shooting.

For instance, I’ve been doing a lot of nighttime shooting, which requires a certain setting. I leave it on Manual adjust the settings as I see fit. In other cases, I leave it on Program so that I can make just a few choices, like whether or not to use the flash. It’s very easy to adjust; all you have to do is turn a wheel.

The resolution is also pretty good. I’m not making posters, so 6.1 megapixels is more than enough. It’s 2000 x 3006, which puts the aspect ratio very close to the aspect ratio for a 4x6 print, whereas point-and-shoot cameras tend to be closer to 4½x6.

The down side to the image sensor is that it’s the APS-C size. This means that it’s smaller than a regular 35mm frame. This means that if you’re using a film lens, there’s light falling outside where the sensor can detect it. You may have heard about the 1.5x conversion that film lenses have. This is where it conversion comes in. I have a 50mm f/1.4 lens. On a film camera, this would be considered normal human perspective. The angles will look the same, but it will effectively be a 75mm f/1.4 lens on the D50. The 35-135mm lens that I bought with the camera is now like a 52.5-202.5 lens. It’s great if you want telephoto, but not if you want wide angle. You can get nice wide-angle lenses, though. I bought a Sigma 10-20 which works great on it, but I’ll save that for another review.

Startup time on the camera is effectively instant. I turn it on and it’s ready to go. Lag time depends on certain things like flash usage, but you can usually get the 2.5 fps advertised. Focusing and the speed of the actual photograph will depend on the lens. Nikon lenses are going to be better, but you can get some great Tamron and Sigma lenses out there.

As for menu settings, I tell people it’s like driving a car. The buttons are usually the same, but you have to figure out where they are. For instance, the camera has white balance. This tells the camera to compensate based of the type of lighting. Grey cards were used to do this in the days of film. I’ve been able to leave the white balance on automatic and get great photos 95% of the time.

As for accessories, the camera uses an EN-EL3 battery and the corresponding charger. The battery will last for a long time. I’ve taken over 5000 shots with it and only had to charge it at most a half a dozen times. I’d only recommend a spare battery if you’ll be away from a power outlet for long periods of time.

You will need to get a memory card. The D50 uses the SD card, which is by far the most common in use among all cameras. You should be able to find one anywhere. If you’re looking to get something bigger than 2GB, you’ll need to get several cards, though, since the D50 can’t use the new SDHC cards. This was actually an issue when my brother wanted to borrow the D50 and all he had was a 4GB card. I had to lend him one of my memory cards.

You’re also committed to buying lenses, especially if you’re buying just the body only. When it was available, it was available with a basic lens. I would recommend using something like an 18-55 to start out with and seeing if you need anything more than that. I started out with the aforementioned 35-135 and a sigma 28-90. Between the two, I was able to get a lot of shots. However, I soon realized that I needed something wider, so I bought a Sigma 10-20 for $500. That lens will get you wider shots than any point-and-shoot…if you have the money.

As for other accessories, I would recommend getting an SB-600 flash. You’re going to notice a difference in photo quality indoors and with the ultrawide-angle lenses. When I used the Sigma 10-20 with the onboard flash, I could actually see lines that the flash made. Also, when taking pictures indoor, it removes any sort of yellowish tint at all. You can also use it as a bounce flash, creating much more even tones among other things. (But again, that’s for another review.)

You might also want to get the ML-L3 remote, but this is not a necessity. You could easily survive without, but you can pick one up for under $20. I’d say get one if they’re available in store. If not, you’ll be able to tell pretty easily if you need one.

I will say that the camera does have a small LCD. I don’t mind so much for several reasons. First, a bigger LCD is going to drain the battery more quickly. Second, you can’t always trust the LCD to tell you if you have a good picture. It’s usually a good idea to take two or three pictures if you can. And, no, there’s no live view. This is something that’s just now becoming popular and is not something I really like. It’s better to compose your picture through the viewfinder.

The only drawback is that you can’t get GPS coordinates automatically embedded in the pictures EXIF data. I do have the Eye-Fi Explore SD card, which uses waypoints, but it’s not as accurate. You need a D200 or better to do this using a GPS device and I’m not quite willing to drop $999 on a camera.

If you can get a good deal on it used from a friend or if your local store happens to have one in stock, I’d definitely recommend getting one. If you’re looking to see examples of what a D50 can do, go to Flickr. There are plenty of D50 photos there, a few of which I’ve taken. (You can see them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/seacow_99/.) The D50 gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Lens

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

When I got a digital SLR, I knew that there were a few lenses that I wanted to get.  I got my Nikon D50 with 35-135 lens, which was good for longer shots.  I got a 28-90 lens, which was better for objects closer to me.  I decided that I wanted to get a 50mm lens, mostly because I wanted something with a good f-stop.

You may be asking what a 50mm f/1.4 is good for.  The 1.4 means that it’s good for lower light.  This is because the lens can open up, thus letting more light in.  You don’t need as long of an exposure, which is great with people.  On a film camera, 50mm is considered to be normal perspective.  (On a digital camera, like mine, it’s effectively 75mm.)

Since it’s a prime lens, it does one thing and it does it well for a low price.  (Last I checked, the lens retailed for about $280.)  It’s also a small lens.  Putting it on a camera leaves it very light and easy to hold.  This is the biggest advantage of getting a lens that has just one focal length.

It’s worked fine on my D50.  (If you have one of the newer cameras that don’t have a focusing motor, like a D40 or a D60, you won’t be able to use this lens on auto focus as it doesn’t have a focusing motor.)  Depth of field is great.  I’ve taken several pictures of my cats, all of which have come out great.  The subject has come out clear while the background has come out blurred, just as I wanted it.

If you’re taking a picture indoors and of a person or animal, you’ll want to use a flash.  Outdoors, I’ve never had to use a flash.  I’ve been able to get great shots of plants and trees.  I have a few pictures up on Flickr.  (My user name is seacow_99.  I’ve tagged the pictures with Nikkor 50mm f/1.4.)

To focus properly, you have to be a few feet away.  I’ve gotten a set of close-up filters which allows me to get within a few inches, but it gives the pictures a tilt-shift effect.  (You should be able to pick them out if you go to my Flickr account.)  This effect has made it a tradeoff.  Yes, I can get stuff close and I can minimize the effect, but it’s still there.

I’d recommend getting this lens.  You’re going to want a 50mm lens and you should definitely get a Nikkor lens if you do get one.  (I don’t think this particular lens is still in production; I bought it used from my brother.)  It’s a 52mm thread, which is fairly common for 50mm lenses.  I’d recommend getting a UV filter and a circular polarizer.  (I’d also recommend getting the close-up filters if you can get them for a good price.)

If you do find this lens, buy it.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Many years ago, a game called Grand Theft Auto came out. I didn’t remember hearing much about it, but it was successful enough to warrant a sequel, aptly called GTA 2. Then game GTA 3. GTA 3 was the one that got all of the attention. There was violence, sex, crime, prostitution, gang warfare and all sorts of stuff that conservatives didn’t like. The game got a lot of publicity, which generated more sales. Had it not been for this publicity, I probably never would even heard of the game; instead of never knowing about it, I got a copy.

You’d think that with all of the negative publicity, that would have been the end of it, but there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Rockstar games came out with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, set in a fictionalized version of Miami, Florida. Tommy Vercetti has been released from prison in Liberty City and is sent down to Vice City, Florida, to take part in a drug deal for the Forelli crime family. Things go horribly wrong and Vercetti loses both the money and the drugs. To boot, he has a paranoid lawyer named Ken Rosenberg as his contact in Vice City. Both of them go back to the lawyer’s place to sort things out. Vercetti is set up with a place to stay while in town. Vercetti calls back north to explain what happened. He swears vengeance on those that did this.

That’s where you come in; you are Vercetti. You start out helping the lawyer with various things. (You intimidate jurors, for instance.) Eventually, you star meeting other people, such as Avery Carrington, who’s in the construction business. You eventually meet Lance Vance, who also wants vengeance; his brother was killed in the deal that went bad. You’ll meet several major characters that will have missions for you. The characters are represented on the map by either a letter or an icon on a minimap located at the bottom of your screen. Usually, you’ll have more than one at a time, allowing you to alternate if you get bored easily.

As with GTA 3, you can’t save while on a mission. While on a mission, you’ll be given instructions as you go along. If you die or get caught by the police, you’ll fail and have to start over. (You can try as many times as you need to.) As with After you complete a mission, you’ll get a reward. (Remember that the game takes place in the 80’s. You’re being rewarded in 80’s money.) When a person has run out of things for you to do, that icon will disappear.

There are two main islands with three smaller islands. As with GTA 3, you have to unlock certain parts of the map, but this is done much more quickly. Also, the overall area is much bigger. You won’t find yourself running out of places to go any time soon. Also, the number of random people has increased. There are even several types of prostitutes. (Yes, they’re back, but they don’t seem to do much for your health this time.)

You can also buy properties. (Each of the available properties will have a circle with a house in it. You stand in this circle and press tab.) Some of them will have a set of missions similar to the ones that the major characters give you. (Kaufman Cab Company has several taxi-related missions. The Moneyworks location has you getting things like plates so that you can counterfeit money.) Those that have missions will usually generate money once you’ve completed all of your missions. You have to collect this money every day, or else it will max out. Eventually, this gets to be a nuisance. You’ll eventually have so much money that you’ll find that you won’t bother. It would be nice if you could collect all of the money at Vercetti Estates or something.

So far as I know, the Malibu Night Club and Moneyworks are the only ones that are necessary for you to buy. If there’s any mission location that still has necessary missions for you to do, the icon for that location will be present on your minimap at all times. Otherwise, it will only be visible when you approach it. All of the locations that you buy will also serve as a save point and some will even allow you to park cars there. (Once you purchase a property, it will be indicated by a cassette, just like your first property except for those that have missions, such as the Malibu Night Club.) Once you buy a property, it’s yours. I recommend buying as many as you can find. You’ll need as many save points you can get.

As in GTA 3, there are also side missions you can do, such as getting a police car and doing vigilante missions, getting an ambulance and bringing injured people to the hospital or getting a taxi and finding fares. There’s also delivering pizzas, which wasn’t available to you in GTA 3. If that wasn’t enough, there are still rampages hidden throughout the map. Look for the circle with a skull in it and you’re given a weapon (or told to find one) and kill a certain number of a certain type of person. For instance, you may be told to find a car and run over 25 gang members. You may be given a katana and told to kill 20 pedestrians. This point raised even more controversy than GTA 3 because you’re told which gang to kill. (The two main gangs are the Cubans and the Haitians.)

Most of the missions are more than just following the instructions. You’ll be told what you have to do, but you’ll find that the obvious strategy doesn’t always work. You may have to try two or three times to get it right.

To get around Vice City, you always have the option of walking. If you get tired of walking, as I often did, you have the option of stealing a car. There is a huge variety to choose from. (Everything about Vice City is much better than GTA 3.) You have full-sized cars, motorcycles, emergency vehicles and three types of cab to choose from. (Be careful using the motorcycles. If you run into something, you go flying off and get hurt.) Each car has its advantages and disadvantages. (Some are great at acceleration while others handle better.)

There are also helicopters and boats if you are so inclined. I have to warn you that helicopters are difficult to master. However, you will want to get used to flying the helicopter. (What they don’t tell you in the instructions is that you have to use the keypad to go forward. It took me a while to figure this out.) Although the skill isn’t necessary to beat the game, it does help. There are also several side missions that require the use of a helicopter.

While I’m on the subject of cars, you have a better radio selection, including two talk stations. Rockstar games was able to use a lot of 80’s music for the game, including “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson and the German version of 㧏 Red Balloons”. Again, PC users have an advantage over the PS2 users in that we can have an MP3 station. I’d suggest listening to all of the radio stations. The credits listed a lot of people involved into putting the stations together and they did a great job. I hope that they’re reading this because I’d like to be able to tell them how many hours of enjoyment I got out of the stations. (Actually, everyone involved with this game did a great job. Players that pay attention to details will get a lot of enjoyment out of Vice City.)

Your selection of weapons has improved, also. You now have several blades to select from. The down side is that you can only have one of each type of weapon. For instance, the baseball bat, chain saw and blades are included in one type. If you want to change that type of weapon, you stand on the new weapon in that category and hit tab. (I liked it better the old way, too.) To scroll through your weapons, you can use the mouse wheel.

Speaking of weapons, Vice City, like Liberty City, has hidden packages. As the name would indicate, they’re hidden. For every ten packages that you get, a weapon will appear in one of three locations: Your original save point, one of the buildings that you buy and Vercetti Estates. (The property that you buy is the one with roof access. As for Vercetti Estates, you get that later in the game.) This is another area that the helicopter comes in useful. Some of the packages require a helicopter to access. I highly recommend getting at least 70 of the hidden packages. (The last 30 lead to vehicles.) The first ten, if I’m not mistake, leads to body armor. The next set of ten leads to a chainsaw. After that, you get other weapons like guns.

There are also weapons scattered throughout the map. You’ll come to learn where these are. In any mission that you do, you will be given access to weapons if you need them. There are also stores like Ammu-Nation, where you can buy weapons if you want. I absolutely loved the katana, which was only available in one location. Unfortunately, I had to give up access to it in one of the missions. (Oh, well. It’s just a game.)

As you play, you’ll learn different things that you need to play the game. The wanted level is one of the first things you learn about. You have anywhere from zero to six stars, indicating your wanted level. With one star, police will only chase you if you happen to come across them. With six, the army comes after you. There are three ways to get rid of stars. You’ll see circles with a police badge in side. This is referred to as a cop bribe and will reduce your wanted level by one. (Learn where these are.) If you have either one or two stars, you can get a change of clothes to get rid of your wanted level. These are indicated by circles with a blue shirt inside. Finally, any level can be made to go away by visiting a Pay-And-Spray, which gives you a new coat of paint and a new engine. The disadvantage is that you can’t use certain cars, such as police cars. The alternative is either getting busted or dying, either of which will cost some money and you’ll lose all of your weapons.

The graphics and interface are very similar to GTA 3. Those that have played it will take to this game very quickly. If not, you might want to mess around at first to get used to the controls. You don’t have to have played GTA 3 to play this one nor will playing this one ruin GTA 3 for you, should you decide to try it. (Actually, having played Vice City first, GTA 3 might look like a stripped-down version of Vice City.) My only major complaint is that there’s still no multiplayer. I’m hoping that San Andreas has this problem solved in the PC version. I really want a multiplayer version of GTA.

I would suggest watching “Scarface” before you play. You’ll be amazed at how many similarities there are. Everyone that I know of that’s played this game and watched “Scarface” agrees that the makers of this game must have been a fan. (Those that have played GTA 3 and seen “Scarface” will notice a marked similarity between the soundtracks.)

Now, you may be wondering exactly how similar Vice City is to Miami. After all, I’ve spent most of my life here. I have to say that I’m impressed. I even recognize a few of the landmarks. Washington Mall is similar to Bayside Marketplace. North Point Mall, with its cheesy muzak, reminds me of Aventura Mall. If you’re willing to take a boat out, you can find Stiltsville near the marina. (For those that don’t know, Stiltsville is the name given to a collection of houses that were built out in the water. They’re propped up by wooden stilts. They gained notoriety a few years ago because the city wanted to condemn them and tear them down. I highly recommend that you visit this area.)

Another point of interest is Sunshine Autos. If you go behind and below the showroom, you’ll find a place to bring stolen cars. You’ll be given a list of six cars at a time. There are four lists, which you can either get from friends or find online. If you find a car on a list you’re not on yet, you can use the garage to save them, assuming you’ve purchased the property. You’ll also find drag races that you can enter. This is great practice for one of the missions that I found extremely difficult. Towards the end, you have to race someone so that they’ll be your getaway driver during a bank robbery. Despite all of the advice and tips, they only way to win this race is to simply win it. No amount of trickery or cheating seems to help.

I hope that I covered enough. I couldn’t possibly do the game justice with words, even though this review contains over 2,000 of them. As I indicated before, it pays to pay attention to the details. There are a lot of jokes dealing with the 80’s and with Miami. There are all sorts of scooters, which are still popular on Miami Beach. In the intro, you’ll also see a screen that resembles the Commodore 64. Also look for stores like Gash. The real fun of the game is in such details. You can go through the missions and that may be enough for you, but you’re missing half of the fun. All I can say in closing is that you shouldn’t buy into the negative hype. After all, it’s just a game.

IMDb page

Maxell HP-550F Headband Headphones - Black/Gold

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

For a while, I had been using earbuds. Anyone that's used those knows how uncomfortable they can be at first and how poor the sound quality is. I wanted some earphones that would cover my ears. I had owned pairs like that and they not only produce better sound quality, but are also better at blocking outside sounds. I came across the Maxell HP-550 headphones at Best Buy. They were $20, which made them the cheapest of the kind that I was looking for. (I paid $15 for them using a $5 coupon.) I guess I got what I paid for.

They worked well at first, but I started to notice that the sound varied. I sometimes couldn't hear anything in the left ear, but I was getting sound in the right ear. This is especially confusing since the one wire from the portable CD player to the actual earphones goes into the left ear. I found out that the problem has to do with the volume control that the headphones have. I find these to be a total waste, but I wasn't willing to spend more on one that didn't have one. If the volume on the control is set to the maximum, there usually isn't a problem. However, if I turn it down even a little, the audio from the left ear starts to phase in and out. This is something I've noticed as happening regardless of which device I'm using the headphones on.

The built-in volume control also a switch for stereo and mono. I keep it on stereo since that produces better quality. Fortunately, this is the position it was in when the switch broke. It doesn't look like it will accidentally switch on me, but it doesn't look that difficult to switch back if I ever have to.

Assuming that I have everything working right, the sound quality is what I expected. I can't hear much sound from the outside and people that I'm around can't hear what I'm listening to. I've noticed that I get better sound quality than earbuds and I've even been able to pick up detail that I hadn't noticed before. Occasionally, it sounds like the headphones are muting the sound just a little. Normally, putting the headphones on max volume and putting my portable CD player on max volume produces a volume just above what I would consider normal. Occasionally, though, the volume is just below what I would consider normal.

The fact that it folds in is nice, but not a major consideration. Rarely do I ever have to carry the headphones in something like a backpack and when I do, there's usually enough room. It's almost more of an annoyance to have to unfold them occasionally. Sometimes, they even look funny when one side is collapsed and the other isn't. You end up with the earphones tilting at an odd angle.

I've had these for a few months now and I don't expect that I'll have to replace them any time soon. They're worthy of four out of five stars. They're not perfect, but they'll do for now.

Logitech MX-400 (931638-0403) Mouse

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone who owns a desktop has used a mouse at some point in their lives.  I’ve never been to a library or school computer lab that didn’t have one hooked up to every computer they had.  If you’ve never used one, you’re probably Amish or have been in a coma for the last 30 years.

If you own a desktop computer and use mice, you know that you have to buy one every few years.  With the old mice, you had balls that had to be cleaned until they could be cleaned no more.  This led humor-list moderators to systematically ban mouse-ball jokes.  (If anyone has any of these, please let me know.  I have yet to actually hear any.)

Eventually, companies developed mice that used optical technology instead of balls.  This meant that there was nothing to clean.  You simply replaced the mouse when it got too dirty.  Fortunately, optical mice have a very long life span if you get a name brand.  This is good because your mouse is not something you want to have to worry about.

If it works well, you won’t really notice it.  Unfortunately, I‘ve noticed this mouse on a few occasions.  One of the features of this mouse that I hadn’t seen before was two buttons on the side where my thumb rests.  (I’m right handed.)  These buttons are to be used with a web browser as forward and backward buttons.

When I first got the mouse, it was way too easy to hit, usually resulting in me going back a few pages.  I got used to it pretty quickly, but I do still occasionally hit them.  Anyone who has had to use the mouse has had the same problem.  It gets pretty annoying if you’re filling out a form or survey that spans several pages.  From what I can see, there’s no option to change this in the control panel.

Everything else about it seems to work fine.  I’ve had the mouse for about 2 or 3 years and it’s just now getting to the point where it’s not moving the cursor properly.  If I wipe the opening where the little hole is, it will work fine again for another few days.  It’s not really an issue, but I do have another mouse on standby if it fails catastrophically in the middle of something important.

The mouse that I got to eventually replace this one doesn’t have the buttons on the side.  I’d never buy another mouse like that and wouldn’t recommend this one based solely on that.  If I was constantly filling out forms on the web, it would probably be enough to drive me insane. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 26 (The Neutral Zone)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account..

The Enterprise is waiting for Captain Picard to return from somewhere. As the ship is waiting, an old Earth probe of some sort passes by. Commander Riker thinks nothing of it and is willing to simply let it fall into a star and be incinerated. Data, pointing out the opportunity to study something of Earth’s past, wants to go over and see what’s there. What Data finds is more than ordinary. He actually finds three cryogenically frozen humans. Before he can contact the ship for a decision, Picard’s shuttle comes back. Data makes the decision to bring the three people back to the Enterprise.

Dr. Crusher examines them and finds that all three are from the 20th century. They all died of problems that were pretty serious in our time, but are easily treatable in the 24th century. Both Riker and Picard question Data’s decision; the three people on the probe were already dead. Data pointed out that it would have been wrong to leave them there if they could be helped.

The problem is that the Enterprise is due to go to the Neutral Zone. This is an area between the Federation and the Romulan Empire used as a buffer; entry into the Neutral Zone could be considered an act of war. Several Federation outposts along the Neutral Zone have stopped communicating and there are reports of Romulan activity. It’s a dangerous mission, meaning that the three ‘survivors’ might have been just as well off on the probe.

For their part, the people brought back have varying degrees of difficulty. One is a housewife who’s distraught at the thought of not having her family any more. Another was a businessman who’s almost giddy at the prospect of how much interest he’s earned over the course of 370 years. The third was a country singer who’s just as happy to be singing in the 24th century as he was in the 20th. One venue is just as good as another.

Everything goes well with the Romulans, which is to say that neither the Enterprise nor the Romulan ship destroys the other one. The Romulans report similar instances of their outposts simply vanishing. (Both sides recognize that the other side doesn’t have the capability to do something of this magnitude.) The three survivors are told that they will be sent back to Earth to find new lives. Troi even helps the housewife find a few descendants. And so ends the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The episode, by itself, wasn’t much to look at. We never find out what happened with the three people from the probe or exactly how the probe got so far out. Apparently, it was lucky enough not to hit anything while it was drifting, but it’s amazing that no one else found them first. Also, it was mentioned that cryogenics was popular, but there’s no mention of other probes or ships other than the Botany Bay from the original series. I guess we’re just lucky that not all cryogenically frozen people turn out to be evil, genetically modified dictators like Khan. It would have been nice to revisit one or two of them in the series later on.

Also, how is it that Troi was only able to find one family for that woman? 370 years translates into 15 generations, give or take. Figuring that both of her children were to marry and each couple were to have two children, the number of descendants should be somewhere to the order of 30,000-65,000 people or more. Even if we were to figure far less, Troi should have been able to find quite a number of families. It seems possible that one of her descendants might even be on the Enterprise.

This episode was supposed to accomplish two things, really. First, it was supposed to bring back the Romulans. According to the episode, they had been missing for 50 years. Now, they were back and would be paying close attention to the Federation. The second thing was to set up the Borg. They were never expressly mentioned in the episode, but it would turn out that the cybernetic race was the real reason that the outposts disappeared. The Ferengi hadn’t shaped up to be the enemy that they were supposed to be, so the writers had to think of something else.

The acting was pretty good, but not spectacular. The writing was decent, but not great. The episode does set up later episodes, but could very easily be skipped. It’s a two-star episode. The only thing of any real importance that the episode does is to establish the year as 2364. I really can’t recommend this episode based on that alone. If you’re collecting the series on VHS, don’t waste your money on this one. (Actually, if you’re collecting the series on VHS, you might want to look into the DVD sets and a DVD player.) I suppose that it’s really a fitting end to the first season. It’s worth watching if it comes on TV, but it’s nothing remarkable.

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 25 (Conspiracy)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

If you’ve been reading my reviews of the first-season episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, you may have gotten the impression that I don’t care for them much. That would be a pretty accurate impression; there weren’t too many episodes from the first season that I liked much. However, “Conspiracy” had promise.

Earlier in the season, there were hints that not all was well at Starfleet Command. Now, Captain Picard receives a message from friend and fellow captain, Walker Keel. Keel doesn’t know who to trust. He tells Picard to report to a remote and deserted planet. Picard tells his crew nothing. When the Enterprise arrives, Picard beams down and meets with Keel and two other Captains. While they have no proof of anything specific, Keel has noticed very odd transfers and orders coming out of Starfleet. Officers that are otherwise rational people are giving orders that make no sense.

Picard is dismissive of it at first, but when Keel’s ship is destroyed, Picard decides to head back to Earth. He tells Data to analyze all orders coming out of Starfleet. (Being an android, Data can take in and evaluate large quantities of information quickly.) Data does find very odd patterns. It looks like Picard will have to confront several admirals about this. It turns out that several admirals are infected by parasites. I don’t want to say too much more than that; it would ruin the surprise.

This episode, taken alone, was a lot better than the rest of the first season. It was dark and seemed to have consequences that would last well beyond that episode. In that respect, it was a disappointment. The series never followed up on this episode. There were hints of an invasion, but the parasites were never seen again.

The acting was great, but the graphics left something to be desired. The effect for the parasite looked a lot like claymation. Also, there is some gore in this episode. The effect for that scene also didn’t work very well. When you see the effects in that scene, everything will look a little off. It will also look out of place for the series. Looking back, I find it hard to believe that the series even attempted anything like this.

I can give this episode four stars, mostly because I don’t want to give it just three. I can’t really use the lack of follow-up as an excuse to take away from this one. That doesn’t mean that the quality of this episode is diminished. It really takes away from the overall quality of the series, if anything. I would have liked to see some future episode that dealt with the ramifications of this episode. Even a passing mention would have been something. I’d definitely recommend this episode.

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 24 (We'll Always Have Paris)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation was hit or miss for me. There were a few good ones, but a lot of them were lacking in at least one area. “We’ll Always Have Paris” is a prime example of that.

The Enterprise is going about its business when everyone onboard experiences the same moment over again. (For Picard, this anomaly happens while he’s fencing.) When Picard gets to the bridge, the Enterprise receives a distress call on behalf of a scientist named Manheim. Captain Picard recognizes the voice; it’s Jenice, a woman that he was in love with many years ago. He was supposed to meet her at the Blue Parrot Cafe in Paris, but he left her waiting there in favor of joining Starfleet. Now, she’s married to the scientist that’s in trouble. He’s been working on the relationship between gravity and time; in so doing, he’s ripped the fabric of our universe and it’s up to the Enterprise to figure out how to fix everything.

It’s not often that I can do a plot summary in one paragraph. In this case, it’s due mostly to the lack of any real plot. The relationship between Picard and Jenice isn’t really done well. It looks like it was done to show that Picard had to make a choice between being a Starfleet officer and being “ordinary,” as it was put in the episode. (A recurring theme in Star Trek seems to be the choice Starfleet officers have to make between career and family.) Picard would go on to have other love interests, pretty much all of which were done better.

Then, there are the time-related anomalies. The one at the beginning of the episode wasn’t the only one. Picard, Commander Riker, and Science Officer Data meet their doubles when entering the turbolift. All three enter without incident. When the turbolift stops, the doors open to reveal the three of them waiting for the turbolift. (It helps not to think about it too much. Why didn’t they see themselves the first time they were waiting for the turbolift? Also, after the doors close, the three that are waiting for the turbolift have a conversation about the anomalies getting worse. So far as I can tell, this is only for our benefit.)

The episode deals mostly with the anomalies. As with the relationship aspect of the episode, there will be other episodes that deal with anomalies and time-related issues better than this one did. Overall, this was a very skipable episode. The acting by the regulars is beginning to take shape as the actors are becoming more familiar with the roles and the roles are becoming more defined. The guest actors weren’t that great. A lot of the other Epinions reviewers complained about Michelle Phillips as Jenice. I had more of a problem with Rod Loomis as Dr. Paul Manheim. He was supposed to be torn between two worlds. Granted, it’s not something that most people have a lot of experience with, but his performance seemed to alternate between overdoing it and trying not to overdo it.

The only reason I thing that it’s memorable is that it’s so not memorable. If you’re watching the episodes on tape, do yourself a favor and don’t buy this one. If you’re watching them on the season set, you might want to save this one for when you have nothing else to watch. 

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 23 (Symbiosis)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinuions account.

The Enterprise is studying a solar storm when they receive a distress call. Things are tricky as the solar storm interferes with the ships equipment. They’re barely able to make the transporter work; the first transport turns out to be the cargo they’re carrying. Because of this, the Enterprise is only able to get 4 of the 6 crewmembers off before it explodes. Unfortunately, the payment for the cargo was left on the ship, which leads to a dispute.

The two races are the Brekkans and the Onarans. The Brekkans grow a medicine for a plague that the Onarans have suffered from for about 200 years. The cargo turns out to be a shipment of the medicine that can help several hundred people, thus making it understandably valuable. Since the payment was lost with the ship, the Brekkans claim that the medicine is still theirs while the Onarans claim that since they already gave the Brekkans payment, the medicine is theirs. The whole thing seems strange to Dr. Crusher. She and Capt. Picard do some investigating and find out that production of the medicine accounts for all of the Brekkans’ economy.

The Brekkans on board the Enterprise decide that they’re going to give the medicine as a one-time gift since so many people are suffering. However, it turns out that what seemed to be a symbiotic relationship is actually a parasitic one. Dr. Crusher realizes that the plague had been cured by the medicine a long time ago. The medicine is now nothing more than a narcotic; the Brekkans got over it out a long time ago, but the Onarans didn’t. They’ve been addicted ever since. (The drug is called Felicium, which sounds a lot like “fleecing” to me.)

The Onarans make convincing, yet stereotypical addicts. The withdrawal symptoms are very evident and the joy they get from the drug is equally as apparent. The Brekkans make convincing, yet stereotypical drug lords. All they care about is making as much money as they can off of the Onarans’ suffering. Wesley Crusher asks why anyone would stay addicted to a drug. Tasha Yar is there to answer him with what sounds like a commercial.

It’s interesting to note that Symbiosis was filmed after Skin of Evil, but was aired before it since they couldn’t have a dead character on the bridge. However, since the production numbers are what counted for the release of the videos, this does happen. I suspect that this may be the origin of the whole “Kenny’s dead” routine on South Park. While I can’t be certain, I’ve caught a few other Star Trek references.

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 22 (Skin of Evil)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Warning: I’m about to give away major details about the plot. If you want to be surprised, don’t read this review.


The Enterprise is supposed to meet Counselor Troi, who’s coming back from a conference. The shuttle crashes on a near-by planet, but the Enterprise can’t make it in time since they’re working on the warp drive. When they do get there, the shuttle has already crashed. Troi is all right, but the pilot is badly injured.

A landing party beams down to attend to Troi. When they get there, they find this big puddle of some sort of black liquid. The puddle is able to move to block their access to the shuttle. When Data points out that it may be a life form, it addresses them. It reveals its name to be Armus and says that it won’t allow access to Troi. When Chief of Security Tasha Yar tries to go to the shuttlecraft anyway, Armus kills her with an energy blast. The landing party beams up, but Dr. Crusher can’t do anything for her; Yar dies.

The remaining members of the landing party return to negotiate with Armus, who has been tormenting Troi while they were away. He seems to take pleasure in hurting people, but grows bored quickly. He engulfs Riker and tortures him. He also uses Data to point a phaser at the other members of the landing party. Eventually, Picard beams down and is able to enrage Armus enough to let the Enterprise beam both him and Troi back to the Enterprise.

This episode is the epitome of everything that was wrong with the first season. First off, the effects were horrible. When Armus is seen moving, the effect is very cheesy. I can’t even describe to you how cheap it looks. It’s like it was airbrushed on or something. Also, after Yar is brought into sickbay, you can see what I assume is blood. It looks like Halloween makeup that someone found in a remainder bin at a dollar store. It not only looks fake, but it looks cheap. I guess they ran out of effects money.

The idea of pure evil is interesting, but they should have held this episode until they could write it better. Armus is what you might call a one-dimensional villain. His only purpose is to kill Yar. I understand that it was at her request, but if she had made that request just a little earlier, she could have been killed off in the previous episode. At least for a senseless death, it would have been at least believable. A lot of the first-season episodes missed the mark in terms of writing, but this one was way off. If I were to make an analogy to playing darts, this is the attempt that misses the board completely and hits someone where the sun doesn’t shine.

There’s also one major mistake that a lot of people have pointed out. After Armus engulfs Riker, Armus covers the shuttle. However, Armus remains very flat. There’s no lump that would be big enough to be Riker. What happened to Riker?

One thing of note is that this episode aired out of order. Episode 23 aired before this one did because the anti-drug message of “Symbiosis” appealed to Denise Crosby. She wanted to appear in that one, so the powers that be decided to hold off on airing this one. However, the episodes are numbered (and sold on VHS) according to production order. This is why the episode where she dies comes before another episode where she lives.

Other than the fact that Yar dies, this episode has nothing of any real interest. Not only can you skip this episode, but I also would have recommended that the series do the same. As I said, Yar’s death could have been put in another episode, making this one meaningless. Even if this episode comes on TV, you’re better off reading a book. 

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 21 (The Arsenal of Freedom)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The U.S.S. Enterprise is looking for another ship, the U.S.S. Drake. The come across a planet called Minos, where the ship is likely to have last been. As they're assessing the planet, which seems to be devoid of animal life, they receive a hail. The hail is from an automated holographic salesman trying to pitch a weapons system. When a landing party beams down, they come under attack from a drone. The drone’s easily destroyed, but the landing party is on edge.

To make things more interesting, Commander Riker meets Captain Rice, who commanded the Drake. Riker soon figures out that what appears to be Rice is nothing more than a holographic projection designed to pump Riker for information. Another drone appears and is more difficult to destroy. Shortly after beaming down, another drone attacks the ship. It’s now apparent what happened to the Drake.

Also, with the shields up, those on the surface can’t be brought back up. The shields would have to be dropped, which would leave the ship vulnerable to attack. Geordi La Forge, who was left in charge of the ship, decides to evacuate rather than get pummeled by the drone. Chief Engineer Logan, who technically outranks La Forge, wants to take command, but La Forge won’t relinquish it.

In the end, Picard has to say that he’ll buy the system in order to get the demonstration to stop. That still leaves La Forge to deal with the drone in space. He’s able to send most of the people on the ship to safety with Logan in charge of that task. He then figures out a way to destroy the drone and beam back the people on the surface.

There are several things that I don’t get about this episode. First, Logan is the Chief Engineer of the week. Until La Forge takes over, I don’t think that one person ever played the chief engineer more than once.

Speaking of the chief engineer, Troi technically outranks both La Forge and Logan. I believe that it was established in the pilot episode or shortly thereafter that Troi holds the rank of lieutenant commander. She could have assumed control and maintained order. It’s too bad that the writers didn’t think of this.

The entire episode was about defending against the automated system. Those drones could have really hurt someone. They were attacking the landing party and even encased Riker in force field. For some reason, the entire thing seemed like filler. It was all action, but no real substance or plot. It’s enjoyable, but I don’t think that it would have much replay value. Watch it if it comes on TV or if you get it as part of the first-season set, but I can’t recommend buying the VHS tape of the episode.

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 20 (Heart of Glory)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Warning: I’m going to give away major details about this episode. If you’re not into reading everything about the plot, you might want to wait before reading this review.


When The Next Generation first appeared, there was this Klingon named Worf that served on the bridge. This was a bit unusual to those familiar with the original series because there was always a sense of hostility between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Now, we have a Klingon serving on a Federation ship. It’s since been firmly established that there was a peace between the two governments. This was the first episode to really deal with it in any form.

The Enterprise encounters a freighter in the Neutral Zone. (This presents a problem since entering the Neutral Zone is considered an act of war.) When a landing party beams over, they find three Klingons. The story that the Klingons give the landing party is that a Ferengi ship attacked the freighter. The Enterprise can’t tell much, but they do know that it wasn’t Ferengi weapons that damaged the freighter. When Picard calls them on their story, the Klingons say that the Ferengi were using Klingon weapons.

Not having reason to suspect the survivors, they are given quarters on the Enterprise. While there, they talk to Worf, who has lived most of his life among humans. (Worf was orphaned when the Romulans attacked a Klingon outpost.) His adoptive father was in Starfleet, so Worf joined Starfleet when he was able to. The two surviving Klingons question Worf’s loyalty to the Empire, but Worf insists that he is a Klingon.

Eventually, a Klingon ship finds the Enterprise and, when the Klingon captain finds out about the survivors, demands that the two Klingons be given over to him. It turns out that the two survivors are renegades. They apparently aren’t too happy with the peace treaty. They feel that it’s robbed them of their heritage. (Notice that this is the only time in The Next Generation that the Klingon home world is referred to as Kling. After this episode, it’s referred to as Qo’nos. I don’t recall what it was referred to in the original series.)

Worf has a choice to make. He’s loyal to the Enterprise, but he’s also a Klingon. He understands the Klingons’ reasons for not liking the treaty and pleads with the Klingon caption for consideration. Ultimately, it’s not up to him; his job is to simply escort the two renegades back to the home world. The two renegade Klingons know what’s up. They attempt to flee, but both are killed. With nothing left to do, the Klingon ship goes back to Klingon territory.

There are several interesting points in this episode. First, it’s established what Geordi La Forge sees. For those not familiar with the show, he’s the one wit the finny-looking eyewear. It’s a mechanism that allows him to see, but his vision isn’t really like normal vision. Instead, he sees all sorts of strange patterns. The device that transmits to the ships main viewer doesn’t last long and is never used again in the series. (A lot of technology is only seen once or twice in the series, but I won’t get into that here.)

Another thing I noticed is that one Klingon fell through a glass floor in Engineering. (The floor is supposed to be made of transparent aluminum or some other 24th-century stuff, but in reality is nothing more than modern-day conventional material.) I don’t think that I’d be willing to break that easily. Also, there were these skirt-like uniforms that appeared in the first few episodes of The Next Generation. Yes, they were ugly, but I think that the glass floors in Engineering were what really did them in.

The Klingons underwent a major redesign for the series. There was never any official explanation for it. (When prompted in a Deep Space Nine episode, Worf simply says that it’s not something that Klingons like to talk about.) The Romulans, who are mentioned in this episode, were also updated, although to a lesser extent. The truth is that it’s simply a matter of having enough of the right kind of makeup. It does provide for a few continuity problems, but I’ll save those for other episodes.

This one is three stars and recommended. 

IMDb page

Star Trek The Next Generation - Episode 19 (Coming of Age)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise is orbiting Relva III, primarily to allow Wesley Crusher to take the entrance exam to Starfleet Academy. He’s very bright and expected to outperform against three other competitors for the same spot. Admiral Quinn happens to be on Relva III; he wants to beam up, but won’t say why. When he and his assistant, Lieutenant Commander Remmick, beam aboard, Quinn announces that he’s going to perform a thorough investigation of the Enterprise.

The admiral won’t explain what he’s looking for. This puts the crew on edge. To further make matters worse, someone steals a shuttlecraft and nearly crashes it on Relva III. The captain gets the pilot safely back to the Enterprise. However, Remmick is still persistent to find something out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, Wesley is acing his tests. The only thing he has to worry about is the psychological evaluation. In it, he’s supposed to face his worst fear. He can’t prepare because even he doesn’t know what it is. In the end, he just barely misses the cut, which allows him to stay on the Enterprise for a few more seasons.

As for investigating the Enterprise crew, Remmick finds nothing wrong. I won’t go into the exact details, but this episode is a setup for a later episode. If you were to buy this episode on VHS, you’d have a complete story. However, I’d recommend renting this as part of the entire DVD set.

Partly, it’s so you can see the other episode, Conspiracy. Mostly, it’s because this one episode alone isn’t really worth the purchase price. The acting was pretty good, but you can make out the use of forced perspective in several scenes. (That’s when they paint a wall to make it look like an area extends further than it really does. In one scene, you can see where a wall was painted to make it look like a corridor continues on.)

The main problem that a lot of the first-season episodes suffered was that they weren’t that great. Even the good ones tended to be rather plain and, on occasion, were used to establish later episodes or themes. (Those that weren’t good simply served no purpose.)

I thought “Coming of Age” was only worth three stars. It was interesting to watch, but the replay value is very low.

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 18 (When the Bough Breaks)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Throughout the original series, it was only ships that cloaked. During the first season of The Next Generation, we were shown a race that can make an entire planet invisible. The Enterprise is led to a location in space that seems empty until a planet appears. It turns out to be Aldea, a myth not unlike Atlantis. It’s the stuff of legends; it’s supposedly out there somewhere.

The Aldeans have a proposition for the Enterprise. They want the ship’s children and they’re willing to give up a considerable amount of information for it. They’ve become sterile over the millennia and they need the children to carry on their heritage. Picard won’t hear of it. He tells the Aldeans that the children are too valuable to their respective parents. Seeing that negotiation won’t work, the Aldeans simply take about a half dozen children and restate their offer.

When that doesn’t work, they push the Enterprise so far away that it takes them three days to get back. On the way back, the crew tries to find a way to get through the planet’s defenses. Once back, Captain Picard stalls long enough to allow Commander Riker and Lieutenant Commander Data to beam down and mess with the planet’s computers. Eventually, when the leader of the Aldeans realizes the game is up, he submits to Picard. By then, Dr. Crusher has had a chance to figure out what’s wrong with the Aldeans and has an idea for a cure. The children get to go home and the Aldeans have a cure, but can’t use the cloaking device or their shields any more.

The plot was seemed very weak. I don’t know if this was due to poor writing or simply time constraints. I think it has to due more with poor writing. The first thing I want to know is how the Aldeans can hurl a shop away, but never thought to look for a cure for sterility. Granted, they depended on a computer and its possible that whoever created the computer never foresaw the need for medical information. If this is so, why didn’t the Aldeans ask for the Enterprise’s help? It was obvious that Picard didn’t like the idea of giving up any children. (Picard could have insisted on helping to find a cure for the sterility.)

Also, why did the Aldeans kidnap so few children? You’d think that they’d want a bigger genetic base. It’s possible that there weren’t enough Aldeans left to care for a large population. (It was never stated how many were actually left, but there didn’t seem to be that many.) It’s also possible that the Enterprise didn’t have that many children onboard, but I doubt it. It’s been stated that there are about 1,000 people on the Enterprise. This isn’t all crew. There have to be more than six or seven children on the ship. The only thing that I can think of is that there were other groups of Aldeans and that other children were taken and sent to these groups and simply not talked about.

Speaking of which, why just the children? Why not just abduct everyone? The only thing I can think of is that it gives Wesley Crusher his first real ‘command’ situation. He is said to be something special and has great potential. However, I would still think that the writers could have done better.

The episode isn’t worth more than two stars. The acting is great and the set-up for Wesley’s development is there, but the plot seems too artificial and basic. It just doesn’t seem right. 

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 17 (Home Soil)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

In the 24th century, there’s a government called the United Federation of Planets, of which Earth is a member. It covers a wide area and would seem to include a lot of uninhabited but habitable planets. Still, the Federation has decided to teraform a planet. This involves the Federation first sending a ship to investigate candidates to make sure that they meet the right conditions. One of these conditions is that there be no possibility of life existing or developing on said planet.

The Enterprise is sent to check up on an operation that’s teraforming a planet that met all of the criteria. When speaking to the director, Counselor Troi (the ship’s resident empath) knows that he’s hiding something, and its something major. Of course, you wouldn’t need an empath to know that. The director is hostile towards Captain Picard, who insists on sending an away team unless the director outright refuses.

When the away team beams down, everyone is friendly and the director even apologizes for his earlier behavior. Everything seems to be in order until one of the teraformers is wounded by a laser drill. (He makes it back to the Enterprise, but doesn’t live very long.) When Data has the laser drill reactivated, the drill goes after him. He’s able to save himself, but only by destroying the laser drill.

Data and Geordi La Forge discover that the drill has been reprogrammed with a very complex set of instructions that allows the drill to adapt to someone’s movements. The remaining three teraformers are Picard’s first suspects, but Data and La Forge soon find a blinking light down a shaft that was being drilled. It turns out that the planet does have life. It was simply silicon based and thus not detectable by any known test or scan.

One of the silicon-based life forms is brought back to the Enterprise where the life form accesses the ships computers and declares war on the “big ugly bags of mostly water” that attacked it. Eventually, the crew of the Enterprise is able to appease the life form and it allows itself to be transported back to the surface. Picard agrees that there will be no contact by the Federation for 300 years.

The story for this episode was weak. It took elements from “Devil in the Dark” from the original series and the second Star Trek movie. Given that Kirk’s Enterprise encountered silicon-based life in “Devil in the Dark,” how could a ship looking for life not think to check for some sort of silicon-based life? There is at least some reference point. Also, all four of the teraformers saw signs, but couldn’t bring themselves to think that the Starfleet vessel was wrong about the planet being lifeless.

My biggest concern was that the life form was able to reproduce on the Enterprise with no apparent access to additional materials other than the inferred energy emitted by the lights in sickbay. Granted, one could argue that since it had access to the ships computers that it had access to the replicators, but it seems like a long shot.

One minor point was when Picard first contacted the teraforming operation. Picard wanted to talk to Troi without the director hearing what Picard was saying. The computer said, “Channel closed” when it was really muted in one direction. (The director said something that came through to the Enterprise.) I’ll admit that this could simply be a misinterpretation on my part. It caught my attention, though.

I think this might be the only episode where a restroom is mentioned. (Someone actually mentioned a programmers’ restroom, I think.) Also, it’s the only time that I can recall a translation request being announced. Usually, the translator either works or it doesn’t work.

It would be interesting to see what happens in 300 years. There were very few episodes that dealt with a timeframe that far into the show’s future and there was usually some ban on mentioning future events to people of the 24th century.

The episode is a two-star episode. The story was interesting, but wasn’t developed too well. I think it could have been done a lot better. 

IMDb page

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 16 (11001001)

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

The Enterprise is docked for repairs. It’s a fairly simple procedure, so most of the people onboard have taken the opportunity to go to said starbase and relax, taking advantage of things that a starship can’t provide. Four Bynars, an alien race who are short and work in pairs, are taking care of the upgrades, starting with the holodeck. (The holodeck is capable of creating any three-dimensional representation that the user can think up.) Two of the Bynars decide to show it off to Commander Riker, who calls up a New Orleans jazz club. The only fictional people he conjures up are a band and a woman named Minuet. After a while, Captain Picard joins them. Minuet insists that he stays and Riker doesn’t seem to mind.

Meanwhile, everyone else is going about their business. The other two Bynars are working on the bridge, chattering in a high-speed chatter that is their native language. (When talking in English, they alternate every few words, which shows how dependent they are on each other.) When the space station observes a warp core breach, the ship is evacuated. Everyone except Picard, Riker and the Bynars get off the ship. Picard and Riker don’t seem to hear the sirens and the Bynars are the ones creating the diversion. It causes Data and La Forge to program to ship to go as far away from any inhabited planet as possible. (As soon as the ship is about to clear the station, the problem goes away.)

The Bynars program the ship to go to their home planet, Bynus, and to allow for all of the information in the Bynar’s central computer to be transferred into the Enterprise’s computers. The reason is that their sun is about to go nova and that will wipe out their memory banks. When Picard and Riker realize what’s going on, they leave the holodeck. When they figure out that no one is left on the ship, they try to make it to the bridge, but they find themselves locked out. They have to beam onto the bridge, where they find the four Bynars lying on the floor unconscious. Two of them manage to wake up just long enough to ask for the help of Riker and Picard. (Without their computer, they cannot function on their own.) The Captain and First Officer are able to figure out what to do and save the Bynars. When Commander Riker goes back to find Minuet, she’s gone.

This episode had potential. The Bynars weren’t really that well developed and never appeared in another Next Generation episode. (There was a reference in Star Trek: Enterprise, but that was about it.) I would have liked to learn more about this race. All we know is that they work in pairs and only think in terms of yes or no.

There’s also Minuet. I don’t see why she had to not be there when Riker came back. I think that she would have made for a nice recurring character. I suppose that since she was no longer necessary, the Bynars saw no point in keeping her around. (She did come back for another episode, Future Imperfect, but that’s another story.)

Also, the Bynars got really lucky when Picard decided to stop by the holodeck. Otherwise, Riker would have been the only one that could have saved the Bynars, and they needed two people to work the computers. (Minuet couldn’t leave the holodeck; being a computer-generated image, she had to stay within the holodeck’s confines.)

In terms of the characters, the only weak point was the Bynars. I think most of the problem was that they were supposed to be emotionless characters. What little emotion came through wasn’t enough to really like them. They were acted well, but stood out too much to make the episode truly seamless.

Overall, I give this episode three stars. (Or 11 stars, if you prefer binary.) 

IMDb page