John Carter

    My first thought when hearing of this movie called John Carter was, “did they make another terminator!?!” It turns out though that it is just a coincidence that both main characters have the same name. The movie John Carter is nothing like the terminator. It is about a human who somehow got transported onto the planet Mars. And Mars, having a less gravitational pull than Earth, helps Carter to become a “super human.” He ends up saving the planet from a takeover of an evil villain and his magical power... so far, your typical story.
    However, there were two significant things that made this movie appealing to me and unique from your usual super-hero movie. First off, the special effects of the beasts of mars were spectacular. The “white apes” were intensely real seeing the hair, teeth, and saliva just as you would if you were an ant looking up at a dog. You will see one of these creatures at the end of the movie trailer.
    The second thing that made this movie so great and unique was the ending and how everyone and everything connected clearly, perfectly, and unexpectedly. There are numerous characters that don’t make sense at all at the beginning of the movie on the planet Earth. This leads you to wonder what their role is and who they are. Soon after that the Mars adventure gets underway and before you know it, you have forgotten about all that was going on on Earth, just as John Carter forgot in the movie. Then while you think everything is said and done, and the planet is saved, you are hit with the realization that the adventure is not over yet. This is where everything comes together to make an unexpected ending. Overall I would give this movie a strong rating due to its well done qualities and surprise ending.

The Boondocks

    “Everyone is worried about kids and violence, right? And kids using guns... So why don’t they go after the gun manufacturers and gun dealers instead of people who make video games.” What is this person saying about what causes gun violence in kids. McGruder, as it seems, believes that video games are not the source of gun violence. The source that needs to be fixed is the gun manufacturers and the gun dealers. He makes a very interesting point saying that the people who are trying to fix gun violence in kids should focus more on the physical getting of the guns (gun dealers and manufacturers) instead of the emotional desire to use the guns (video games). I believe that this comic is trying to say that what is being done about gun violence and students with video games is not working.
    He portrays his point, obviously, through humor, being in the form of a comic strip. These two kids have a humorous yet mind probing conversation that gets you thinking. One of the kids states, “who would you rather start a beef with - some nerd who makes video games or some dude with a warehouse full of AK-47s?” He is making “them,” the people who are trying to stop gun violence, look like scared wimps who aren’t dealing with the real problem because of fear.
    He also throws some irony into the comic strip. The issue approached is about kids, gun violence, and video games, and in his comic the two having the conversation are kids who are playing video games and are from the Boondocks. This leaves one under the impression that they are probably playing some sort of violent video game.
    Overall, Aaron McGruder does a great job at making you take a second look at how gun violence is being handled in our society all in one, small, entertaining, comic strip.