Spider-Man 3: Crap

Mon, 07 May 2007 02:19:26 GMT

Like too many other cattle looking for entertainment this past weekend, I went with some friends to go to Spider-Man 3. Boy, was that a mistake. A lot of people seem to be charitable saying that the movie, despite its flaws, was entertaining. I can't even say that much. I was close to walking out of the movie a handful of times, and it takes a lot for me to do that.

The script was horrendous and, in general, delivered poorly by the principals. The plot was held together by day-old chewing gum. The special effects were, admittedly, quite special, but the moviemakers forgot something: a great story! I couldn't believe that this, likely to be the biggest box office hit of this year, was a disappointment on so many levels. Weak story? Check. Crappy script? Check. Actors with no on-screen chemistry? Check. Crap singing and dancing? Check. Incoherent plot? Check. Waste of time? Check.

I imagine the bulk of the $250 Million budget went towards the special effects, and they were quite good. However they only seemed to look for an excuse to use more special effects instead of focusing on the damn story! I was also disappointed by the opening credits, as I have come to expect from many movies to deliver a really cool opening or ending credits sequence. At the end of the day, it really makes it clear that no amount of special effects can replace a good script and story.

What was up with Tobey Maguire? I have a lot of respect for him as an actor, but he really just brought his B-game. Same with Kirsten Dunst. I couldn't bring myself to really empathize with either of their characters, so I didn't care what the hell happened to them! Bruce Campbell, playing a French maitre d', was genuinely entertaining. Topher Grace also seemed to pull his part together quite well. But I would have to place most of the blame on the script and the directing, as ultimately these actors could only do so much with what they were given.

If you haven't seen it, don't waste your time. If you absolutely must (just because everyone else seems to have seen it), catch a matinee and leave your brain in your car. You'll need it more on the ride back home.

Zune Unveiled

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 06:20:34 GMT

Microsoft officially unveiled Zune! Here are a couple articles from MSNBC and the Seattle Times. Expect to hear more details about our new venture over the coming weeks.

Here's a link to the Zune Insider Blog where you can get a lot more details on the device, software, and service. He also has links to the first videos of the device UI.

One of the things that Cesar says in his blog is that Zune Marketplace will use Microsoft Points, the same system that people are currently using in Xbox Live Marketplace. To date people have purchased over 2 billion points and have done over 50 million downloads from Xbox Live! So if you've got an Xbox Live membership you can use the same points in your account in Zune. So you can choose to spend those points on the newest Xbox Live Arcade title, or the latest hit from your favorite band. Cool, eh?

I can tell you that there have been a whole lot of people smarter than I who spent a lot of time and effort figuring out this whole Microsoft Points thing. I was involved in a lot of discussions and meetings leading up to launch last year where we were figuring out the nitty gritty details of how this new system was going to work. I was mostly involved in how it would work in Xbox Live, but we needed to make sure that it was a system that could work in other Microsoft ventures. Why do you think it's called Microsoft Points instead of Xbox Live Points? At any rate, it seems like the idea has been well-received.

Edit: Additional information and links.

Wildchicken: Entertainment

Spider-Man 3: Crap

Zune Unveiled