Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a quick witted intellectual and engineering prodigy, is the head of Stark Industries, a big name in weapons manufacturing. When he pitches his newest creation, the Jericho, in Afghanistan, he is taken captive by a terrorist group, led by Raza (Faran Tahir), known as the “Ten Rings”. They hold him in an underground cell with a man named Yinsen (Shaun Toub) and tell him to build them the Jericho missile, or he would be killed. He agrees to build it, but instead builds a high-tech power suit and quite literally “busts out” of his cell and goes on a rampage on the terrorists, finishing off by launching himself off into the desert with his rocket boots. He is found by Rhodey (Terrence Howard) and the US military and taken back to the US. Upon his arrival, he immediately tells his assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), to schedule a press conference. At the press conference, he sits down in front of the press eating a cheeseburger and proceeds to tell them that being help captive for 3 months like that had opened his eyes and that he was shutting down Stark Industries weapon manufacturing. The press roars and Tony is quickly hurried out by his business partner Obadiah Stane ( Jeff Bridges) who tries to cover for him by saying that he’s a little shaken from the trip and just needs some time to relax. While on his extended leave of absence from Stark Industries, Stark continues working on his power suit in his shop. He perfects the suit and uses its power to destroy the weapons his company was selling under the table to the terrorists in Afghanistan. But Stark discovers corruption within his own company, and fights to put an end to it.

Iron Man has a brilliant plot. It is action packed and full of all the things viewers expect to find in a superhero movie, but it lacks the clichéd, predictable aspect that is common to many in its genre. The real strength in the believability of the plot is that Tony Stark is really just an ordinary human being with no actual powers. He gets his powers from the high tech suit that he built. In addition, the suit doesn’t have extraordinarily far-fetched powers either. Everything the suit does is not actually that far beyond the realms of possibility with the technology we have today, making the plot that much more believable. Also, while it retains some elements that hint at a love story, there are no clichéd kiss shots between the damsel in distress and her unmasked hero or anything like that.

The acting in Iron Man is phenomenal. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark is one of the films great strengths. His trademark sense of humor and sharp wit fit the character of Tony Stark perfectly. Truly a magnificent performance on his part. Iron Man is a new direction for director Jon Favreau, whose past works include: Elf (2003), and Zathura (2005), both of which were more directed towards a young audience. Iron Man is indisputably his best work yet, and he has plans to release a sequel, Iron Man II, in 2010.

The animation and special effects in Iron Man are stunning. A perfect example of their mastery is the scene where Stark escapes his prison cell in his first Iron Man suit and goes around torching everything with dual flamethrowers. There are explosions going off everywhere, fire burning everything, and twin jets of flame spewing from the suit, and it all looks fantastically lifelike.

The music in Iron Man is also one of its strengths and the Iron Man soundtrack received a nomination in the 2009 Grammy Awards for “best score soundtrack album for motion picture, television, or other visual media”.

This film drives home an overall theme of justice. Tony Stark finds himself conflicted between his job and success, and what he feels is “responsible”. He finds that he has been helping the very thing that he is trying to fight against and makes it his own personal mission to fix what he started.

Overall, Iron Man is a fantastic film. It offers something new and different to the superhero genre, and it does it magnificently well. The amazing special effects work puts audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch a real man flying around in a suit that he engineered and constructed. A must see for anyone who enjoys fast-paced action and really anyone who is just looking to see a really great movie. Iron Man goes out with a bang and is sure to leave viewers wanting more and waiting excitedly in anticipation for Iron Man II.

Nick Trotin

Honors Science Fiction

Mr. Bailey

12/18/08

Jon (insert at page 39)

Jon awoke to the warm sensation of Ghost’s tongue licking his face. He ruffled the pup’s fur and buried his face in it. Ghost was unique, different from the other five pups. Unlike his brothers and sisters and their coats spattered with browns, grays, and the deepest of blacks, Ghost’s fur was of the purest white. White as snow. His eyes were of the deepest red, red as blood. At times they gave him a ferocious, bloodthirsty air, and other times, they shone sweetly like freshly glazed candied cherries. When Jon had found him, he’d been apart from the others, struggling alone in the snow. Jon felt the deepest empathy for the pup, as he himself was an outcast. He was a bastard. He had always been different from his own brothers and sisters, and Lady Catelyn could never truly accept him as her Lord husband’s son. And while Arya, Bran, and Rickon accepted him as their own brother, Sansa and Robb stilled turned up their noses at their half brother when they had the chance.

Jon gave Ghost a playful shove and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He changed out of his night clothes and splashed his face with water, Ghost nipping playfully at his heels the whole time as Jon tried to ready himself for the day ahead. “Enough, Ghost.” he said firmly. He remembered the words of his Lord father, “You must train them. And the gods help you if you neglect them, or brutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man’s arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat.”

Jon loved Ghost deeply, but it was not a love without respect. He knew that although it seemed now as though Ghost was just a playful little ball of fur, he would grow into the vicious reputation that preceded him. He knew that if he continued to train him as he had been, Ghost would grow to be his unfailing companion, faithful to the end. And since, when fully grown, Ghost would be roughly double the size of a fully grown wolf, and ten times as vicious, he would also make a formidable force in any skirmishes Jon may find himself in. Incidently, the Winterfell kennelmaster had scheduled a training session with the Stark children and their wolves in the courtyard after breakfast. Ghost seemed to know and was acting excitedly.

The sounds of chatter and the clatter of forks and knives on plates echoed through the hall as Jon walked down the corridor, and then down the stairs to the Great Hall. He smelled what he thought to be smoked bacon, roasted ham, boiled eggs, warm biscuits, and fresh cheese. A veritable feast! Jon remembered a time not so long ago when Ghost would have bowled him over by now, racing after his nose to the kitchens. But he had since trained him to walk to breakfast calmly, at his heels. Jon came down the stairs and took a seat next to Arya on the long wooden table in the center of the Great Hall, eying the roasted suckling pig on the table near her. He sat down and watched Ghost walk over to the hearth and lay down by the warm fire.

“Morning sis’,” he beamed at her.

“Morning Jon,” Arya smiled.

 ”Are you and Nymeria ready for today’s training?” he asked, ”And speaking of Nymeria, where has that little furball gotten off to?”

 ”Well she was laying at my feet, but now that you mention it, I’m not really sure.”

“You’d best keep an eye on her Arya, theres no telling what sort of mischief those pups will get in to if you give them the chance. Remember the time little Rickon left his door open when he went to sleep that night?

Arya laughed. “Yes,” she giggled, ” And the next morning they found Shaggydog up to his ears in lemon cakes!”

“Well I have to admit, that was pretty funny, but the chef didn’t seem too amused. Rickon had to keep Shaggydog chained up at night for two weeks!” Jon replied.

The grin left Arya’s face. “Yeah. And then he was sick to his stomach for a week after all those lemon cakes. The poor thing. He looked so sad.”

“Exactly. Now you’d better go quickly and find Nymeria before she ends up getting herself into trouble,” he mussed up her hair, “See you later sis.”

Arya sprung from the table and ran towards the courtyard. Jon smiled as he watched her go. Out of everyone in Winterfell, he felt closest to Arya. She was not like her sister Sansa, who loved being all ladylike and proper, and had even named her pup “Lady”. Arya hated sitting through the hours of ”lady lessons” with Septa Mordane and would much rather be outside with a wooden sword in hand, playing in the mud with the boys. Jon loved Arya, and shared her wild spirit. He shook his head and eagerly cut into the suckling pig in front of him.

After Jon had eaten his fill, he drank down one last glass of milk and left the table. Ghost was up in a second and at his heels again as they headed for the courtyard. Ghost seemed to know what was in store for him and he grew restless. Jon saw Ghost’s excitement and smiled at him, “Free wolf, Ghost.” And at the sound of those words, he was off like a cannonball into the courtyard.

Jon walked out into the mid-morning sun and saw Ghost playing with Nymeria and Grey Wind. Arya and Robb were chatting happily and enjoying the beautiful sun. Jon was about to go over to them when a speeding blur of black fur knocked him off his feet and ran towards its brothers and sister.

“Bad Shaggy!” cried Rickon as he emerged running from the Hall. “Sorry about that Jon. I couldn’t keep him calm any longer and he just bolted away from me.”

Jon chuckled as he rose, “It’s okay Rik, I know it’s not your fault. Just be glad it was me he knocked over and that grouchy old Septa.”

Jon and Rickon walked towards the others as the kennelmaster entered the courtyard. They lined up and called their wolves. “To me Ghost!” Jon yelled. And, obediently, each wolf ran to his or her master’s feet and sat attentively.

“Okay so we have Arya, Jon, Robb, Rickon and Sa… where’s Sansa?” asked the kennelmaster.

“She and Lady have opted not to attend today’s lesson. Sansa doesn’t think it’s proper for her Lady to be learning how to attack on command.” Robb answered.

“Well what does she plan on doing if she finds herself in trouble? Charm her attacker to death?” laughed the kennelmaster.

“She says that’s what gallant knights like her future husband are for.” said Robb as he rolled his eyes.

The kennelmaster frowned, “Very well then. So as Robb mentioned, today we’ll be training those beasts to attack at your command. Also, I’ll make sure that you can call them off if they ever decide to attack something, or, gods forbid, someone, without your telling them to. Now, to begin the lesson.” And as if on cue, a reluctant stableboy appeared clad in a padded boiled leather bodysuit. “Rylynn here will be playing the role of their unfortunate victim. Robb, why don’t you and Grey Wind go first. Simply point at the target and shout out ‘Attack, Grey Wind!’”

Robb took a step forward and did as he was told. “Attack, Grey Wind!” he said firmly, pointing at the shaking stableboy. Grey Wind rose and moved in front of Robb, giving him a confused look.

“That’s alright Robb, you can work on that, but we’ll be needing some of the pork juices from the kitchen which I’d rather not get immediately if not entirely necessary. I’m not sure little Rickon could restrain Shaggy once he gets a whiff of that stuff, and I don’t fancy being torn to pieces this morning.” said the kennelmaster, “Jon, why don’t you and Ghost try instead?”

“Alright.” Jon answered. He looked Ghost in the eyes, “Okay Ghost, are you ready?” Ghost stood and barked in approval. Jon raised his arm and pointed at the boy, “Attack Ghost!” Ghost looked up at Jon and seemed to know what he meant. He charged at the stableboy and leapt on him. He bit viciously at the boiled leather and managed to tear off a small chunk of it. The boy’s face was fraught with terror. “Ghost, to me!” Jon shouted. And the instant Ghost heard him, he let go of the quaking boy and padded proudly back to Jon.

“That was frighteningly impressive Jon and Ghost.” the kennelmaster gaped. “It seems as though you two have established quite a bond with each other. Have you, by any chance, been doing extra training aside from my lessons?

Jon responded with a hint of pride in his voice, “Yes we do. I usually try to find some time every day to train him. He still has a ways to go, but he’s definitely well on his way.”

“I had a feeling you two had been working a lot together. I see in you two a special bond that I have not seen many times in all my days of training the dogs. Continue your training and you are sure to have quite the companion. He will likely save your life someday.” the kennelmaster added, “You two are free to go for today, if you wish.”

“Thank you sir. I think I’m going to go take Ghost to the wolfswood. He could use a good run and I’ll take my bow and maybe take him on a little hunt.” Jon answered. And with that, he turned and left the courtyard, Ghost excitedly following at his heels.

III. In the Leader’s fascist society, women are given next to no power and are treated more like the pawns of men or sexual objects than thay are people. England is now a patriarchal society ruled and run entirely by men. The role of women is to serve men. For example, “The Kitty Kat” is a prime example of how women are used in “V for Vendetta” simply to entertain and please the men.

IV. V subjects Evey to extreme physical and psychological torture to “break her”. She has been influenced by the government for too long, and V wants to break away any lasting impressions. What better way to do this than to torment her and torture her, branding her mind with a horrible experience so terrible that it would render her a new person, it would consume her mind and wipe away any residual memories. This way V is “freeing” Evey from the “prison” of her own apathy. He opens her eyes to what is happening, and personally, i think his method is cruel, but it serves its purpose quite well.

In the film, a young prince named Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) is trying to defend his village from an angry boar god that has been posessed and turned into a demon. It hates the humans blindly and seeks to destroy them. Ashitaka kills it, but not before its tendrils grab his arm, and leave him scarred with a deadly curse. He is banished from his tribe and told to go west to find the source of the boar god’s hatred and anger. He travels there and finds Iron town, an industrial village that is destroying the forest for resources. Iron town is looked over by Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver), an evil woman who wants to destroy the forest and kill the forest spirit. San (Claire Danes) is a girl who was raised by Moro (Gillian Anderson), a wolf god, and thinks she is a wolf. She has tried many times to assassinate Lady Eboshi and put an end to her destruction of the forest, but to no avail. Ashitaka acts as a kind of mediator between the two, not really siding with either one of them. Jigo (Billy Bob Thornton) is a greedy traveling monk who has a strange connection to Lady Eboshi and her efforts.

Princess Mononoke has a brilliant, well thought out plot. It is full of allegory and very thought-provoking. The plot expresses an overall theme of the balance between light and dark, day and night, and life and death. Along with that, it shows the need for balance between technology and nature.

The plot is very believable in general. Granted, there are a few scenes where even for a fantasy plot, it kind of stretches believability. For example despite being under heavy arrow/gun fire, Ashitaka manages to never get hit by anything, and the projectiles fall harmlessly to his left and right. Despite this, the characters are believable and well developed overall.

A big aspect to take into consideration for this film is that it was originally in Japanese; and the English version is dubbed. But surprisingly, unlike most dubbed Japanese films (need we mention Godzilla?) the dubbing is largely unnoticeable. It does seem as if some aspects of certain characters were lost with the change in voice actors. For example, the choice of Billy Bob Thornton to voice the character of Jigo is questionable. Jigo is meant to be a complicated character who is not easily fully understood, and the voice of Thornton does not suit him very well, in that it is kind of flat and almost shallow.

Miyazaki has produced many films similar to Princess Mononoke in regards to the animation style and character profiles, and has been called the “Walt Disney of Japan”. In most of his films, Miyazaki generally imposes the concept of flight, which is not evident in Princess Mononoke. But it does resemble most of his other works overall.

Princess Mononoke is arguably of Miyazaki’s greatest works, second only to Spirited Away, the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan. Spirited Away also won a number of awards including the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was the first anime film ever to earn this award.

Visually, Princess Mononoke is stunning. The entire feature is hand drawn, with the exception of a few special computer generated effects. The animation lends itself to traditional Japanese culture, and the mists and hazes are reminiscent of old Japanese paintings. When coupled with the insightful musical choices, it becomes a true feast for the senses.

Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that in Princess Mononoke, “good and evil are not clear-cut.” This is certainly true. While most films will offer a clear boundary between good and evil, Princess Mononoke blurs that line. While there certainly are some characters that are purely evil, such as the demon-possessed boar god, some characters cannot rightfully be labeled as either good or evil. It isn’t even possible to truly delineate a “good” side and an “evil” side. Some might argue that the forest and all that fight for it are the good side, but the leader of the forest, the forest spirit, is clearly both good and evil as he can both give life, and take it away.

Princess Mononoke is a brilliant creation that tells a deep, full plot with a powerful message. The film can be interpreted in many ways and some may argue that certain things were lost or added in the dubbing process, but none would argue against the fact the Princess Mononoke is a truly revolutionary film and a pleasure to experience.

That’s one for each Stark child, you know.

The direwolf is the sigil of the house of stark,

The pups’ dead mother means their omens are dark…

.

Jon Arryn was brutally slain by a foe,

So to pay his respects, Ned stark did go.

Princess Dany to Khal Drogo was brought,

For she was the sort of “mount” that he sought.

.

Jon Snow is the bastard son of Ned

He sat not with family, but with peasants instead.

After a big scene he had a talk with “the Imp”

He’s the Lannister dwarf who walks with a limp.

.

Arya is the adventurous Stark kid,

Who does as she wants and not as she’s bid.

She has a strange bond with her brother Jon,

And doesn’t know yet that soon he’ll be gone.

.

The Stark child Bran climbed up on the wall,

And after a push, through the air he did fall.

All the Stark women and all of the men,

Wondered if poor Bran should e’er wake again

.

At the barbaric wedding of Drogo and Dany,

The Dothraki behavior was not so uncanny.

After their vows they slipped away from the fight,

And Drogo “rode” Dany long into the night.

.

An assassin was sent to kill Bran in his sleep.

But Bran’s direwolf tore out the throat of the creep.

Jon Snow went to The Wall to take “The Black”

He swore to serve them, and never look back.

.

Sansa and Joffrey went out for a ride,

The found Arya and Mycah who then tried to hide.

Arya hit Joffrey in the back of the head,

And due to their fight, Sansa’s wolf lost its head.

.

Catelyn and Rodrik sailed off to King’s Landing,

The boat got there fast, at Moreo’s commanding.

In Winterfell Bran finally opened his eyes.

He awoke when his wolf had leapt on his thighs.

.

Jon Snow began to train under Ser Allister Thorne.

He no longer wishes he had never been born.

He was a fine swordsman, the best in his class.

He hit Grenn’s wrist, and it shattered like glass.

.

Tyrion Lannister decided he had to leave “The Wall”

He took a walk with Jon Snow and told him all

Jon told him his plan to find Benjen Stark

Tyrion answered “Then who will go to get you in the dark?

.

Dany humiliated her brother in front of all the Dothraki

“That should teach him!” she said; and he wasn’t so cocky

Dany and Drogo went off and made love in the wild

A few days later, Daenarys was with child

.

Tyrion paid a visit to Bran in Winterfell

He had plans for a saddle that ought to work well

For since he fell, Bran longed for the wild

He was always outside, e’er since he was a child

.

A fat boy named Samwell came and took “the Black”

He had no skills with a sword and got hit in the back

Samwell became hated by all of the others

But Jon took pity on him, and they call themselves brothers

.

Kign Robert held a tourney to honor “the Hand”

Knights came to fight there from all across the land

Jeyne and Sansa were there and looked on in dismay

As a young knight got skewered, then dead did he lay.

.

Sandor walked Sansa back to her room, ’twas not far

He told her then of the burns that gave him his scar

King Robert had been drinking far too much

He longed to fight in the melee and ordered it such

.

Catelyn gave Tyrion a menacing axe

He cut down down some foes in a flurry of hacks

Tyrion is not as dumb as Cat thought,

He seems to be quietly scheming a plot

.

Robert wanted the pregnant Daenerys dead

He feared her child and wanted its head

Ned begged and desperately reasoned with him

But the king is stubborn and her future looks grim

.

The Lannisters mercilessly killed Ned’s men

He fell from his horse, which toppled on to him then

His horse fell on his leg and it painfully shattered

So Ned lay there unconcious, his clothing all tattered.

.

Dany and the khalasar went to Vaes Dothrak

It’s the city of the Dothraki horselords of way back

Viserys grows impatient as he waits for his crown

Daenerys could do nothing but look at him and frown

.

Robb and Bran rode into the woods,

There they were ambushed by bandits in hoods

One grabbed Bran, his chances now narrow,

’til the chest of the fiend got pierced by an arrow.

.

Tyrion demanded to be tried for his crimes in court

Lady Lysa laughed, and saw it as sport

His fate was to be determined by a battle of knights

Bronn stepped up for the Imp, and said that he’d fight.

.

Bronn was sent forth to fight Ser Vardis Egen

He dodged all Vardis’ blows again and again.

A well aimed stab brought Ser Vardis to his knees,

Lady Lysa, chagrinned, told Tyrion to do as he’d please.

.

Villages had been pillages and burnd all throughout the lands,

The victims and witnesses placed the blame on Lannister brigands.

The leader of the brigands was said to be Ser Gregor Clegane,

He’s “The Mountain That Rides” and many a man’s bane.

.

Lord Eddard met with Queen Cersei in the godswood,

He questioned her about her relationship with Jaime, if it was good.

She could tell that he had found out about her incestuous affair

But she played it down cooly, as if she didn’t give a care.

.

Viserys grew impatient, wanting his crown.

Drogo got word of his impatience and struck back with more than a frown.

Viserys’ screams from the molten gold screeched higher and higher

Dany looked away, and she knew he was no dragon; he was killed by fire.

.

King Robert took a fatal wound from a crazed wild boar.

He’d never come out with even the smallest scratch before.

Joffrey usurped the throne with the help of the Queen

And called Ned a traitor, tarnishing his regal sheen.

.

Queen Cersei summoned Sansa to have a little chat

She called Ned a traitor but Sansa knew “He’d never do that!”

But Sansa’s love for Joffrey clouded her mental quarters

And so she wrote a forced letter to Winterfell, at Cersei’s orders.

.

Ghost returned one day with a torn, blackened hand.

This shocked “the brothers” and they scoured the nearby land.

They found two of their rangers lying there dead; their blue eyes gleamed.

Little did they know, the dead they found there were not as they seemed.

.

Dany’s child was prophesied to be “the stallion that mounts the world”

But at the mention of conquering land over the sea, Drogo’s lip curled.

He thought that he sea was poison, a menace to all.

Dany hoped that such thoughts would not be her son’s downfall.

….

Tyrion and his host of sellswords met his father in an inn

They were all eager for loot for them and their kin.

They pledged their fealty to the Lannister Lord.

And in return, each was promised a shiny new sword.

.

Lord Eddard lay torturously wasting away in his cell

The stench was so bad, he’d lost his sense of smell

Varys told him to tell Cersei he’d confess his treason

He responded bitterly that his accusations were without reason.

.

Lord Robb led his troops to the gates of the Frey

Catelyn met with Lord Walder and found him old and gray.

After much persuasion he finally agreed

To allow them safe passage in their time of need.

.

Lord Mormont gave Jon a blade of legendary lore

It was forged of Valrian steel, the finest of ore.

The majestic weapon left all who saw it in awe.

Jon wore it all the time, and named it “Longclaw”

.

Drogo’s khal fought a bloody battle with a rivaling clan

They had started the fight without much of a plan.

Drogo received a grevious wound to the chest

It opened up a large flap of skin like a vest

.

Days went by and Drogo’s infection was bad

He drew near death, which made Dany mad.

She summoned the maegi to give him back “life”

But she knew not what she did, and her decision brought strife.

.

Jon Snow left The Wall in the middle of the night,

His father was murdered, and he wanted to fight.

Luckily, his friends brought him back to his senses,

They knew deserting The Wall was the most serious of offenses.

.

In a triumphant battle, Jaime Lannister was taken captive

The Stark’s battle force was proving to be quite adaptive.

They cunningly used the wolfswood to ambush their foes

Who had no choice but to flee and ponder their woes.

.

The stallion who mounts the world was ready to be born

But the maegi’s dark magic has altered his form

He was not born into the world a strong, normal child

When that demon came out, no one could have smiled.

.

Dany’s life was now filled with misery and shame

Her husband was alive but he wasn’t the same

She mercifully put her husband out of his pain

It tore her apart because she knew that she was his bane.

.

A CLASH OF KINGS

.

Shireen has been troubled by dreams of dragons returning to life

Cressen tells her that dragons are gone and no longer rife

The red women whisper about comets and dragonbreath.

This makes Shireen worried, and she dreams of her death.

.

Tywin pronounces Tyrion Hand of the King in his stead

Tywin is busy fighting and needs his enemies dead.

Cersei was furious and threatened to lock him away

But Tyrion used Jaime’s safe return to make her sway

.

Bran lay awake listening to the wolves bay

He almost believed he understood what they’d say.

Osha said they howl because they feel something strange

One thing, for certain, is that times were to change.

.

Aerion the monstrous died of drinking wildfire

He thought it would turn him into a dragon, a flyer.

Sam tryed to teach Jon the history of The Wall

But Jon clearly didn’t really care at all.

.

Tyrion and Lord Janos Slynt meet together and jest

They talk of successors to the throne and who they think best

Tyrion eventually suggests ser Jacelyn Bywater

But Lord Janos thinks that that man has seen too much slaughter.

.

Lord Janos wanted ser Allar Deem to follow instead

But Tyrion pointed out that he mercilessly beat a baby dead.

The baby was a bastard of Robert the King

But of the boy’s mother was said not a thing

.

When Drogo’s body burned on his funeral pyre,

From Dany’s three eggs emerged dragons of fire

One was golden, one was green, the last black as night.

These dragons would be a powerful force, as soon as they take flight.

.

Dany named the dragons after the ones that had died

They’re names were Rhaegon, Viserion, and Drogon, her pride

Drogon rode perched on her shoulder wherever she went

She had a special bond with it, and it always seemed content.

.

Lies about children ran rampant across the Seven

Nowhere in the future did the tension seem to leaven

Tyrion is scheming to dethrone Joffrey and put him in chains

He plotted for himself and his own evil gains.

.

 Jon was rising through the ranks in the Brotherhood of the Black

He was now a head ranger, and planning attack.

Riding around with his trusty longsword in hand,

Jon Snow, the bastard, was king of his land.

When Neville approaches the dog, he is very cautious and wary. He is aware that he might not get another chance to have a companion like the dog, and he doesn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize that. He feels a connection to the dog and thinks that it will satisfy his deep-down need for companionship. He is emotionally attached to the dog.  Nevilles approach to the dog is a better picture of the way he used to be. On the other hand, Neville approaches Ruth in a very different way. Neville is in disbelief that he has found another human alive, out in the sun, and he doesn’t want to have to relive the pain he had to endure with the dog. He immediately goes after her to make sure she doesn’t get away and wind up infected. He tries to keep himself emotionally unattached so that if it turns out that she actually is infected, he can dispatch her without any feeling. He doesn’t want to have to go through killing someone he loves again like he had to do with Virginia. Neville appears to have lost the ability to feel emotions as he did before, and he does not let his feelings rule him. Even more odd is that previously, he would have thought of violating Ruth, he even considered vampires, and satisfying his sex drive. Now, he feels no physical desire for her, and deep down, just desires companionship.

Mercedes is crouched over on the floor over a loose floor stone covering a vacant space in the floor. Her back is turned to the door. There is light coming from the door, while the foyer area is dark.

Mercedes is a middle-aged woman wearing old, dirty clothes. She serves as a maid/ housekeeper to Captain Vidal.

The threshold of the door darkens as a silhouette of a man enters.

FERREIRO

Excuse me madam, I didn’t mean to interrupt; but if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing?

(Mercedes jumps, surprised to hear the man’s voice)

MERCEDES

What are you doing here? I don’t recognize you.

(At this moment, Dr. Ferreiro steps over the threshold, entering the room; and the light from the door shines on him, revealing his face)

FERREIRO

Forgive me, I should have introduced myself. (He extends his hand to Mercedes) My name is Dr. Ferreiro, I was recently called here to care for the Captain’s pregnant wife. She is not in good health and she will be arriving here in a couple of days. The Captain wishes that his son be born here.

(Mercedes stands nervously, attempting to conceal the hole in the floor.)

MERCEDES

It’s a pleasure to meet you Doctor. My name is Mercedes. I serve as a housekeeper to Captain Vidal.

FERREIRO

The pleasure’s all mine madam. How long have you been here?

MERCEDES

I have served the Captain for three years, and since you seem like a trustworthy gentleman, I have secretly resented every moment of it.

(Ferreiro chuckles softly)

FERREIRO

*sighs* …you know, the first time I met him, I got the sense that he was not the most pleasant of men to deal with. Then again, so are most men in uniform.

MERCEDES

Not all of them…

FERREIRO

Does your husband serve?

(Mercedes laughs)

MERCEDES

No no. My brother.

FERREIRO

Oh! My apologies madam. Then does your husb…

MERCEDES

I have no husband Doctor, I’m not married.

FERREIRO

(*blushes*)

Once again madam, my apologies.

(Mercedes looks around her warily, making sure they are alone)

MERCEDES

Dr. Ferreiro… there’s something I would like to ask you, but first; I need to know if I can trust you.

FERREIRO

Of course Ms. Mercedes.

MERCEDES

(Gravely)

Doctor the information I wish to share with you is dangerous. If this gets out, I could be in mortal peril.

FERREIRO

(Smiles)

Mercedes, I assure you that your information is safe with me. I would never do or say anything to endanger you in any way.

MERCEDES

In that case, Doctor you are aware of the frequent guerilla resistance attacks, yes?

FERREIRO

Yes…

MERCEDES

Do you recall how earlier I said that not all men in uniform are like Vidal?

FERREIRO

Of course

MERCEDES

Well my brother Pedro is one of the guerillas and I am secretly aiding them with supplies from the mill. I also give them letters and other such things… One of the men has a gruesome wound on his leg. He is in desperate need of medical help, but, until you came, there would be no way of getting him the help he deserved. Would you be willing to help me, and in doing so help the guerillas? Are you all right with that?

FERREIRO

I would be honored to help Mercedes. No-one with a need for medical assistance should ever be denied it. And I would be happy to assist anything that opposes Vidal. I do not like that man.

MERCEDES

(Overjoyed)

Oh thank you Doctor, thank you so much!

(she embraces him and kisses him on the cheek, not out of love, but out of gratitude)

Doctor, the vacant space in the floor behind me is where I hide the supplies. But be careful, if it is discovered that we are helping the guerillas, we are both as good as dead.

FERREIRO

(solemnly)

Yes madam, I understand the risks, and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to assist you and aid you in any way I can. (smiles)

Let us go as once to the men and give that poor man a proper medical examination.

MERCEDES

Of course. Follow me doctor, and make sure no-one sees us leave

Set in 1944, the time of the Spanish Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth tells the story of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who often lets her mind wander away from the cruel events that surround her, into a bright fantasy world full of magical things. When she is forced to accompany her sick, pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) to the house of her selfish stepfather, fascist Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), both her and her mother’s situations worsen. Wandering about the forest, she stumbles upon a labyrinth where she meets a faun (Doug Jones) who convinces her that she is the princess of a magical netherworld. He tells her that in order for her to return to the underworld and claim her place among her people, she must do a series of tasks, presented to her by a magical book. Meanwhile, a war between the guerillas and the fascist government is unfolding, and scenes of this plight intermittently interrupt Ofelia’s fantastical quests. The guerillas hide in the hills surrounding the mill, launching random attacks, and persisting with the aid of a concealed source working from the inside of the mill, conspiring against Captain Vidal and all he stands for. Del Toro weaves a brilliant plot with the contrasting scenes of Ofelia’s adventures, and Vidal’s fight to suppress the guerillas. Del Toro clearly contrasts the worlds of light and dark with these transitions, and provokes the viewer to stop and consider this drastic contrast. As far as believability, overall, the plot is very believable with only a few minor flaws that, analyzed intently by the viewer, can go unnoticed and without taking away from the masterful creation as a whole.

The acting in Pan’s Labyrinth is fantastic! Ivana Baquero had a breathtaking performance as Ofelia, one of the few, rare, legitimately talented child actors. On top of that, Sergi Lopez created a demon of a man, having a humanoid exterior, but an inner being sent straight from the pits of hell. Outstanding performance! The plot can easily be followed by even the most absentminded individual. In essence, Pan’s Labyrinth is a children’s movie written for adults. Not in the sense that the premise of the movie is at all childish or sophomoric, but in the sense that everyone can easily understand it like a children’s movie, but it is directed at adults. As aforementioned, this work stands alone as del Toro’s greatest piece by far. Compared to the cheesy vampire films of his past, Pan’s Labyrinth is like a beautifully assembled tray of barbecued ribs compared to half a crusty chicken wing with hair growing on it.

The sets of Pan’s Labyrinth grab the viewer and pull them in, immersing them in both the horribly twisted, and stunningly gorgeous cinematography of the film. The sets of Ofelia’s various tasks clearly broadcast a beautiful, magical feel that emanates from the golden sunbeams filtering through the glowing trees of the forest, making it very easy for the viewer to tell the difference between the two plots, and their scenes. Then the horrific inverse of the bright forest rears it’s brilliantly ugly head. The bloody, gut-wrenching, scenes of heartless violence are incredibly well executed, effectively shooting wounds without looking like a McDonalds after closing. The gorgeous sets and amazing special effects are complemented with expertly assembled music. The eerie melodies echoing through the woods during some of the more foreboding scenes really add to the overall effect.

Pan’s Labyrinth broke the mold of the stereotypical dark fantasy film with its brilliant set design and masterful directing. It came in the guise of a children’s movie, but transcended its initial impression and delivered a powerful film for adults and youth alike. Truly a magnificent film!

Sentence combining exercises force you to use your grammar skills.

Mr Bailey is a pro at sentence combining.

Mr Bailey has a bulldog named Daisy.

Daisy doesn’t like going to the vet.