Inferno by Dan Brown (2013)
This was immediately better than The Lost Symbol, and perhaps the best novel in this series. It’s a proper thriller and Brown makes it almost to the end in style before ruining his anti-climax with a lecture on over-population, the benefits of genetic manipulation, and forcing another romantic relationship between the protagonist and a woman he’s known for a traumatic few hours. The only comparison I have for Brown’s exposition and problematic proclivities is Hideo Kojima. Both men have very specific ideas rattling around in their heads and will dump those ideas onto the audience in full. This extends to their respective protagonists. Robert Langdon is like Solid Snake in that their creators make them complete idiots as a means to dump lore and explanations on the reader/player.
Origin by Dan Brown (2016)
I’m convinced Brown’s people hire ghost writers to flesh out every other Brown novel on schedule, but I can’t say if Brown himself writes the awful ones or the almost good ones. This one returns to awful town with the same kind of pacing and exposition dump issues that recurred in Lost Symbol. Nothing happens until a quarter of the way into the book, and there’s no semblance of the enjoyable aspects of a Robert Langdon story until nearly the end, after which the reader is back in a TED Talk. The philosophical and sociological aspects are ultimately more hopeful about the future than Inferno, even if none of that novel’s consequences are mentioned in relation to this novel’s consequences. Like Langdon, I feel like I want to get as far away from the events of these books as possible.
“Mother Whale’s Funeral” by Taishe (2021)
May we all be as nutritious.
“Breaking the News” by Cosmignion (2021)
Windows into the soul might be good, from time to time.
Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman & Rob Guillory (2009)
The concept of seeing the memories of a living being by eating their remains is cool and obvs morbid, though some of the humor feels quite dated.
The Da Vinci Code: Helix dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)
I closed out the year playing all of the games based on the Langdon novels by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code: Helix is a prequel in which the player attempts to join a secret society… by completing a lot of puzzle levels. It’s actually a fun little bubble shooter for mobile.
The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins dev. Sandcastle Studios, Inc. (2006)
The Da Vinci Code: The Quest Begins is the first of two adventure games they made exclusively for mobile, and which inexplicably only includes part of the story. This one is so simplistic that I couldn’t really get much out of it. There are no puzzles, just point A to point B.
The Da Vinci Code 3D dev. SouthEnd Interactive (2006)
Then there’s The Da Vinci Code 3D, another adventure game that ends before they complete the story. The PS1-style chunky polygons and textures made this game appealing, as well as the inclusion of some more complex puzzles and mini games.
The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle dev. Impressionware (2006)
The missing ending of the story in the mobile adventure games was leveraged for The Da Vinci Code: Light Puzzle, in which the characters solve a series of light redirection puzzles. Like Helix, this one was surprisingly fun and challenging, though best played in short bursts.
The Da Vinci Code dev. The Collective (2006)
I compared the expositional styles of Dan Brown and Hideo Kojima in relation to the books, but the video game based on the book of Dan Brown thankfully spares the player much of what Kojima likes to place up front. Instead, the game designers made the wise choice to place much (though not all) of the exposition and history in a sort of encyclopedia for the player’s optional perusal. There are some Kojima games that also put much exposition in optional databases, and I imagine those were all cases in which the power to make the main characters spout it all was wrestled away from him. But anyway, this last game based on The Da Vinci Code has decent adventure game elements and neat little puzzles to solve, and dreadful combat to make sure it’s not as enjoyable as it could have been. The game released in the “grim dark” era of video games when all was washed out and dark, and video games were out to prove they’re just as mature as their movie or literature brethren.
Angels & Demons dev. Glu Mobile (2009)
The number of games based on subsequent books/movies drops precipitously. Angels & Demons from 2009 only got one game in the form of this marble solitaire puzzler, and just like earlier pure puzzle games, it’s both challenging and engaging.
Inferno: Journey Through Hell dev. Part IV (2016)
Inferno released in 2016 and didn’t seem to have any game adaptations, then I discovered the Journey Through Hell ARG based on finding answers to riddles from Dante’s Inferno. Thanks to the developers archiving it, it’s still (mostly) playable online: https://inferno.part4.com.
“Little Fella Farms” dir. Alec Smith (2021)
Sexy little fellas.
House of Gucci dir. Ridley Scott (2021)
Kind of a marvelous trainwreck. Not quite Scorsese-level intrigue (as it intends).
Looper dir. Rian Johnson (2012)
An intriguing possibility for time travel narratives. Going somewhere and staying there just doesn’t pop up much.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie (2017)
Too franchisey for Richie.
Spider-Man: No Way Home dir. Jon Watts (2021)
I enjoyed it and how they managed to accomplish something so bloated, but in hindsight the bloat is a drag and something we all expect from Marvel movies. It’s like an indulgent meal.
Midnight Run dir. Martin Brest (1988)
A refreshing road trip movie. Just two characters who have to get along on a difficult journey.
Encanto dir. Byron Howard, Jared Bush, & Charise Castro Smith (2021)
Upbeat and uplifting with a different take on the antagonist.
El Camino Christmas dir. David E. Talbert (2017)
This harkens back to Copshop. I’m digging these crime-focused chamber dramas.
The Matrix Resurrections dir. Lana Wachowski (2021)
Doesn’t hit as hard as the original, but good to see everyone up and about. Perhaps they went too far to bring back the beloved old-timers, though.
Don’t Look Up dir. Adam McKay (2021)
I’m most intrigued by the fact that people either love it or hate it. I thought it was fine, if heavy-handed.
Nightmare Alley dir. Guillermo del Toro (2021)
This was some especially dark del Toro vibes. I have to keep thinking on it.
Vencer el pasado – “Lo que nos define ante los demás” (2021)
That a novela is dropping some real talk about people’s life choices is heartening. The audience needs to hear it.
La desalmada – “El hijo que espera Isabela es mío” (2021)
I suppose the past catches up.
La Rosa de Guadalupe – “La vendedora de ilusiones” (2021)
A preachy show about preaching that still feels like it should be on Christian channel.
Hawkeye (2021)
Trying to redeem someone who doesn’t feel deserving of it.
The Lost Symbol (2021)
For a TV show based on the worst Langdon novel, it’s okay. They include more characters but needed to make them more central… which I suppose defeats the purpose of basing a TV show on a novel with a decidedly central character.