Author David Robbins talks about fun stuff.

WAY OVERDUE UPDATE!

2022-12-05T15:53:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

Time for a way overdue update.

Some have been asking when more ebook and print versions of earlier books will be coming out. They noticed that Mad Hornet started to do so....then inexplicably stopped.

Unfortunately, yours truly came down with COVID, ended up in ER, nearly died, and after that had some issues. Combined with other factors, things slowed to a turtle crawl. (My apologies to all turtles! Yes, I realize you can only go as fast as your genetics allow. :)

The new plan is to up the game with the New Year! Keep everything crossed that it works out! In the meantime, thank you to all those who continue to like my books!

Most sincerely,

David

SHADES OF FUTURES PAST!

2020-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

©2020 David Robbins

Hi everyone.

Mad Hornet Pub. is in the process of reissuing the early ENDWORLD and WILDERNESS books. One of the first up is the single most requested of them all: FRONTIER STRIKE.

FRONTIER STRIKE is a crossover between the two series. Hunters from the future must join forces with pioneers from the past to stop a madman from reshaping reality.

It is the foundation, if you will, for the entire ENDWORLD Universe. Which, for those who aren't aware, is the first-ever
genre-bending genealogical epic.

By that I mean that the ENDWORLD Universe embraces five
series that run the gamut from Mountain Man to Westerns to Contemporary thrillers to Apocalyptic Science Fiction.

Specifically, the Mountain Man in the WILDERNESS series, which is set in the 1800's, is the ancestor of a Warrior from ENDWORLD, which is set a century after World War III.

If it sounds like your cup of action, pathos and mayhem, here are the series involved:
THE WILDERNESS SERIES
(75 books and counting)
BLOOD FEUD
(2 books)
WHITE APACHE
(10 books)
THE 'A GIRL' SERIES
(3 books)
THE ENDWORLD SERIES (and a spin-off series, BLADE)
(43 books)
And in a class all by itself
FRONTIER STRIKE.

I hope that helps those looking to dive in or complete their collections.

And here's a new release of the first ENDWORLD.

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

BOOKS GALORE!

2019-11-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Copyright © 2019 David Robbins

Looking for some great reads? Over the past couple of months,
yours truly has had nine books come out. Two are brand new.
The others are new editions of earlier novels.

If you're into Horror and scares, HELL-O-WEEN is your cup of chills and thrills.

If you like Mysteries, check out this one.

Or maybe you enjoy Science Fiction. Specifically, tales
that have to do with the Apocalypse.

When you're done with those, you'll be hungry for more.
Here you go.

Or it could be you love to read about angels and demons and the fate of human souls.

And since we started with a Horror cover, let's end with one.

There you go! A lot of fun reads! Order yours today!
https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

WILDERNESS #70

2019-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

©2019 David Robbins

WILDERNESS fans!
     WILDERNESS #70: LOVE AND COLD STEEL has been released. If you're a fan of the series, you'll find it brimming with the usual thrills, action and drama. The generational saga continues as Evelyn King decides enough is enough. She is going to marry the man she loves come hell or high water. The only problem is that the frontier is a dangerous place---and some of those dangers are out to get her and her man.
     The book also marks a landmark of sorts. Counting the giant editions, it's the 76th book in the WILDERNESS series, which has been going strong now and in continuous publication for 28 years!
     If you're one of those who likes to find a good series and binge, might we recommend you give WILDERNESS a try? Based on the journals of Nathaniel King, it tells the story of a Mountain Man from the early fur trapping days to the settling of the frontier. Along the way, Nate marries a Native American and they have children who have children---all their stories intertwining to form a sweeping tale of of an era long gone but fondly remembered.
   WILDERNESS #70: LOVE AND COLD STEEL. Where love is put to the test and not found wanting!

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

THE SYNTHEZOIDS ARE COMING!

2018-07-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

© 2018 David Robbins

     ENDWORLD fans! The newest in the series in out! ENDWORLD #30 brims with the usual thrills, chills and humor!

     Several Warriors are stricken by a strange illness. Their bodies are petrifying. Little by little they are slowly dying.

     The only way to save them is for another Warrior and four trainees to venture deep into the Valley of Shadow. Perpetually shrouded by a vile fog, it harbors creatures born of nightmare and dementia.

     Set in the not-so-distant future after humankind has barely survived the Apocalypse, SYNTHEZOIDS will keep you on the edge of your seat.

     As timely as it is evocative, it highlights the dangers of mixing human and not-human. Sometimes the best of intentions produce the worst results.

     SYNTHEZOIDS! Order your copy today! Immerse yourself in a chilling future as near as tomorrow!

David Robbins Bibliography

2017-10-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

David Robbins Bibliography
© David Robbins

For those who might be interested, below is a list of most of the books yours truly has had published. A reader recently pointed out that given I’ve written under nine different pen names over a span of decades, it can be a challenge for those who like my stuff to track it down. This should help.

First up:
As David Robbins:

The BATTLEFIELD MARS series:
     BATTLEFIELD MARS
     COLONY DOWN
     SPECIES WAR

The ANGEL U series:
    LET THERE BE LIGHT
    DEMIGOD

              ENDWORLD Series
     THE FOX RUN
     THIEF RIVER FALLS RUN
     TWIN CITIES RUN
     KALISPELL RUN
     DAKOTA RUN
     CITADEL RUN
     ARMAGEDDON RUN
     DENVER RUN
     CAPITAL RUN
     NEW YORK RUN
     LIBERTY RUN
     HOUSTON RUN
     ANAHEIM RUN
     SEATTLE RUN
     NEVADA RUN
     MIAMI RUN
     ATLANTA RUN
     MEMPHIS RUN
     CINCINNATI RUN
     DALLAS RUN
     BOSTON RUN
     GREEN BAY RUN
     YELLOWSTONE RUN
     NEW ORLEANS RUN
     SPARTAN RUN
     MADMAN RUN
     CHICAGO RUN
     DARK DAYS
     THE LORDS OF KISMET
     DOOMSDAY (A prequel)

                 BLADE Series
             (An ENDWORLD spin-off)
     FIRST STRIKE
     OUTLANDS STRIKE
     VAMPIRE STRIKE
     PIPELINE STRIKE
     PIRATE STRIKE
     CRUSHER STRIKE
     TERROR STRIKE
     DEVIL STRIKE
     L.A. STRIKE
     DEAD ZONE STRIKE
     QUEST STRIKE
     DEATH MASTER STRIKE
     VENGEANCE STRIKE

            WILDERNESS SERIES
                                  (as David Thompson)
1. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN    24. MOUNTAIN MADNESS
2. LURE OF THE WILD                      25. FRONTIER MAYHEM
3. SAVAGE RENDEZVOUS                  26. BLOOD FEUD
4. BLOOD FURY                                27. GOLD RAGE
5. TOMAHAWK REVENGE                  28. THE QUEST
6. BLACK POWDER JUSTICE             29. MOUNTAIN NIGHTMARE
7. VENGEANCE TRAIL       30. SAVAGES
8. DEATH HUNT       31. BLOOD KIN
9. MOUNTAIN DEVIL    32. THE WESTWARD TIDE
10. BLACKFOOT MASSACRE        33. FANG AND CLAW
11. NORTHWEST PASSAGE    34. TRACKDOWN
12. APACHE BLOOD    35. FRONTIER FURY
13. MOUNTAIN MANHUNT 36. THE TEMPEST
14. TENDERFOOT       37. PERILS IN THE WIND
15. WINTERKILL     38. MOUNTAIN MAN
16. BLOOD TRUCE    39. FIREWATER
17. TRAPPER'S BLOOD         40. SCAR
18. MOUNTAIN CAT        41. BY DUTY BOUND
19. IRON WARRIOR        42. FLAMES OF JUSTICE
20. WOLF PACK        43. VENGEANCE
21. BLACK POWDER    44. SHADOW REALMS
22. TRAIL'S END        45. IN CRUEL CLUTCHES
23. THE LOST VALLEY          46. UNTAMED COUNTRY

   47. REAP THE WHIRLWIND
   48. LORD GRIZZLY
                         49. WOLVERINE
                                   50. PEOPLE OF THE FOREST
                                   51. COMANCHE MOON
                                   52. GLACIER TERROR
                                   53. THE RISING STORM
                                   54. PURE OF HEART
                                   55. INTO THE UNKNOWN
                                   56. IN DARKEST DEPTHS
                                   57. FEAR WEAVER
                                   58. CRY FREEDOM
                                   59. ONLY THE STRONG
                                   60. THE OUTCAST
                                   61. THE SCALP HUNTERS
                                   62. THE TEARS OF GOD
                                   63. VENOM
                                   64. DEVIL MOON
                                   65. SEED OF EVIL
                                   66. GARDEN OF EDEN
                                   67. THE GIFT
                                   68. SAVAGE HEARTS
                                   69. THE AVENGER

        WILDERNESS GIANTS
         (As David Thompson)
     HAWKEN FURY
     SEASON OF THE WARRIOR
     PRAIRIE BLOOD
     ORDEAL
     THE TRAIL WEST
     SPANISH SLAUGHTER

                 WHITE APACHE Series
                 (As Jake McMasters)
     HANGMAN'S KNOT
     WARPATH
     WARRIOR BORN
     QUICK KILLER
     BLOOD BATH
     BLOOD TREACHERY
     BLOOD BOUNTY
     THE TRACKERS
     DESERT FURY
     HANGED

                 BLOOD FEUD series
                  (As David Robbins)
    BLOOD FEUD
    BLOOD FEUD: HOUNDS OF HATE

                ENDWORLD/WILDERNESS crossover
    FRONTIER STRIKE

[Note: The ENDWORLD and BLADE series, the WILDERNESS series, the WHITE APACHE series, the BLOOD FEUD series, and A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING are all part of the Endworld Universe. Characters and story elements are linked in a genealogical timeline. For more information, check out an earlier post here at the blog.]

                                           HORROR
               (As David Robbins)
     A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD ANY EVERYTHING
           (An ENDWORLD prequel)
     THE WERELING
     THE WRATH
     SPECTRE
     HELL-O-WEEN
     PRANK NIGHT
     SPOOK NIGHT

                                     OTHER NOVELS
                                   (As David Robbins)

                                    WESTERNS
     DIABLO
     THUNDER VALLEY
     TOWN TAMERS
     RIDE TO VALOR
     BADLANDERS
     GUNS ON THE PRAIRIE
     THE RETURN OF THE VIRGINIAN

                        THRILLERS
     HIT RADIO
     BLOOD CULT

                SCIENCE FICTION
       (With Eric S. Brown)
     KAIJU SPAWN

                          DAVY CROCKETT Series
                           (As David Thompson)
     HOMECOMING
     SIOUX SLAUGHTER
     BLOOD HUNT
     MISSISSIPPI MAYHEM
     BLOOD RAGE
     COMANCHE COUNTRY
     TEXICAN TERROR
     CANNIBAL COUNTRY

                                     COMPTON Series
     DO OR DIE
     NOWHERE TX
     BUCKED OUT IN DODGE
     WEST OF PECOS
     FOR THE BRAND
     BY THE HORNS
     RIO LARGO
     A WOLF IN THE FOLD
     BLUFF CITY
     BLOOD DUEL
     BULLET FOR A BADMAN
     RIDE THE HARD TRAIL
     FATAL JUSTICE
     THE EVIL MEN DO
     BROTHER’S KEEPER
     THE LAW AND THE LAWLESS
     TEXAS HILLS
     OUTLAW TOWN

                               TRAILSMAN Series
                                (As Jon Sharpe)
118. ARIZONA SLAUGHTER           173. WASHINGTON WARPATH
120. WYOMING MANHUNT             174. DEATH VALLEY BLOODBATH
122. GOLD FEVER                           177. COLORADO WOLFPACK
123. DESERT DEATH                       178. APACHE ARROWS
125. BLOOD PRAIRIE                      183. BAYOU BLOODBATH
127. NEVADA WARPATH                 184. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NIGHTMARE
128. SNAKE RIVER BUTCHER        187. SIOUX WAR CRY
131. BEAR TOWN BLOODSHED      189. MISSOURI MASSACRE
135. MOUNTAIN MAYHEM              190. PECOS DEATH
138. SILVER FURY                          192. DURANGO DUEL
141. TOMAHAWK JUSTICE             197. UTAH UPRISING
144. ABILENE AMBUSH                  199. WYOMING WILDCATS
146. NEBRASKA NIGHTMARE      201. SALMON RIVER RAGE
149. SPRINGFIELD SHARPSHOOTERS   205. MOUNTAIN MANKILLERS
152. PRAIRIE FIRE                          208. ARIZONA RENEGADES
155. OKLAHOMA ORDEAL            211. BADLANDS BLOODBATH
158. TEXAS TERROR                      214. TEXAS HELLION
161. ROUGE RIVER FEUD               216. HIGH COUNTRY HORROR
164. NEZ PERCE NIGHTMARE        217. DAKOTA DECEPTION
166. COLORADO CARNAGE            220. MONTANA GUN SHARPS
169. SOCCORO SLAUGHTER          222. COLORADO DIAMOND DUPE
170. UTAH TRACKDOWN                226. NEBRASKA SLAYING GROUND
                                 228. WYOMING WAR CRY
232. PACIFIC PHANTOMS               322. APACHE AMBUSH
235. FLATHEAD FURY                    327. IDAHO GOLD FEVER
237. DAKOTA DAMNATION           328. TEXAS TRIGGERS
244. PACIFIC POLECATS                329. BAYOU TRACKDOWN
247. SEVEN DEVILS SLAUGHTER 333. BLACK HILLS BADMAN
251. UTAH UPROAR                        340. HANNIBAL RISING
257. COLORADO CUTTHROATS      341. SIERRA SIX-GUNS
261. DESERT DEATH TRAP 342. ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVENGE
264. SNAKE RIVER RUINS    343. TEXAS HELLIONS
272. NEVADA NEMESIS                   347. DAKOTA DEATH TRAP
275. OZARK ONSLAUGHT             349. NEW MEXICO GUN-DOWN
278. MOUNTAIN MANHUNT            350. HIGH COUNTRY HORROR
284. DAKOTA PRAIRIE PIRATES 351. TERROR TOWN
288: GILA RIVER DRY-GULCHERS 352. TEXAS TANGLE
295. OASIS OF BLOOD                    353. BITTERROOT BULLETS
300. BACKWOODS BLOODBATH     356. GRIZZLY FURY
303. TERROR TRACKDOWN            357. STAGECOACH SIDEWINDERS
306. NEBRASKA NIGHT RIDERS     359. PLATTE RIVER GAUNTLET
310. ALASKAN VENGEANCE           360. TEXAS LEAD SLINGERS
312. SHANGHIED SIX-GUNS           362. RANGE WAR
315. MISSOURI MANHUNT             363. DEATH DEVIL
317. MOUNTAIN MYSTERY             365. HIGH COUNTRY GREED
321. FLATHEAD FURY

   366. MOUNTAINS OF NO RETURN
          367. TEXAS TEMPEST
          370. BLIND MAN'S BLUFF
          371. CALIFORNIA KILLERS
          373. UTAH TERROR
          374. FORT DEATH
          375. TEXAS SWAMP FEVER
          377. BOUNTY HUNT
          378. WYOMING WINTERKILL
          380. TEXAS TORNADO
          381. BOWIE'S KNIFE
          382. TERROR TRACKDOWN
383. HIGH PLAINS MASSACRE
          385. THUNDERHEAD TRAIL
          387. APACHE VENDETTA
          389. OUTLAW TRACKDOWN
          391. NIGHT TERROR
          392. COLORADO CARNAGE
          393. SIX-GUN INFERNO
          394. BURNING BULLETS
          398. ARIZONA AMBUSHERS

                                   Giant TRAILSMAN
                                    (As Jon Sharpe)
     WOODLAND WARRIORS
     NEW MEXICO NIGHTMARE
     MENAGERIE OF MALICE
     ISLAND DEVILS
     IDAHO BLOOD SPOOR
     DESERT DUEL

[Note: The TRAILSMAN list is missing a few.)

                        EXECUTIONER Series
                        (As Don Pendleton)
     169: WHITE HEAT
     178: BLACK HAND
     191: EXTREME FORCE
     199: ROGUE AGENT
     230: DEEP ATTACK
     267: INVISIBLE INVADER
     294: SCORPION RISING
     313: LOCKDOWN
     322: TIME BOMB

                    Super BOLAN Series
                    (As Don Pendleton)
     44: SHOCK TACTIC
     46: PRECISION KILL
     51: THERMAL STRIKE
     61: BLOOD FEUD
     68: CODE OF CONDUCT
     75: EVIL ALLIANCE
     82: WAR LOAD
     90: AGE OF WAR

                  MOUNTAIN MAJESTY Series
                      (As John Killdeer)
     7: FIRE ON THE PRAIRIE
     8: THE SAVAGE LAND

                PREACHER’S LAW Series
                (As Dean L. McElwain)
     5: SLAUGHTER AT TEN SLEEP

           HARDY BOYS Casefiles
                 (As Franklin W. Dixon)
     75: TERROR ON TRACK

                 OMEGA SUB Series
                  (As J.D. Cameron)
     2: COMMAND DECISION
     4: BLOOD TIDE
     5: DEATH DIVE
     6: RAVEN RISING

               MOVIE NOVELIZATIONS
                  (As David Robbins)
     MEN OF HONOR
     PROOF OF LIFE
     TWISTED

          NONFICTION
                 (As David Robbins)
     HEAVY TRAFFIC (A history of the DEA)

And there you go. More or less. This doesn’t take into account magazine articles and other stuff.

Throw in the missing TRAILSMAN books and novels I’ve done that I can’t talk about----sometimes writers ‘ghost’ for others and agree to never, ever, tell anyone---and it would put the total at about 350. For the two or three people who have expressed an interest in collecting ‘everything’, good luck in your hunt.
:)

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

SPECIES WAR: BATTLEFIELD MARS

2017-08-10T16:30:00.001-07:00

David Robbins
© 2017

The third book in the BATTLEFIELD MARS trilogy is out! It’s species against species in an epic struggle for supremacy.

Earth has established three colonies on the Red Planet. All goes well until indigenous life is discovered. And the natives don’t want us there.

In the first book, BATTLEFIELD MARS, a small detachment of United Nations Interplanetary Corps troopers must defend their colony after a young boy stumbles on a Martian. A simple act that triggers an increasingly savage series of events, resulting in the colony being besieged by a swarm of incredible creatures.

The Martians, it turns out, are remarkably similar to Earth’s crustaceans, and highly intelligent. Every Earther they come across, they literally rip the victim to pieces. Strangely, they also take the heads.

COLONY DOWN, the next book, escalates the war as the Martians turn their attention to the second colony. The mystery of the head-taking is uncovered. Even more shocking is the revelation that the Martians have weaponized one of the most basic of human urges.

SPECIES WAR ramps the conflict to new heights. Earth has rallied and sent a fleet to aid the colonists. Genetically engineered BioMarines are unleashed on the Martians. Robotic Armored Man-Of-War suits provide incalculable firepower. A flying Thunderbolt dominates the skies. Even so, the Martians have a few tricks up their shells that puts the outcome of the war in grave doubt.

There are a lot of homages to other writers. One of the colonies is called Wellsville, after H.G. Wells. Another is Bradbury in tribute to Ray Bradbury. Streets bear the names of more authors who have penned stories about our celestial neighbor.

In fact, SPECIES WAR kicks off with an homage to one of my favorites, Robert A. Heinlein. His novel THE PUPPET MASTERS, has nothing to do with Mars but is in my top three of all time. It ends with the rousing battle cry Death and destruction! I thought it would be cool to start SPECIES WAR the same way.

BATTLEFIELD MARS, COLONY DOWN and SPECIES WAR. Nearly 500 pages of spectacular clashes, chills and thrills.

THE HORROR OF IT ALL

2017-07-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
© 2017

A few readers have expressed curiosity about my Horror books. Yes, Mad Hornet intends to make them available in print and ebook editions. One has already been reissued with more to follow.

In the meantime, I’ve been asked what inspired me to write the Horror novels I did. So here are some tidbits about the Horror of it all.

Do you love scary books? Movies? Comics? Back in ‘the day’ scary was everywhere. From the classics like Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN and Stoker’s DRACULA to the Universal Monsters and more, pure Horror was around long before Jason and Freddy and Michael Myers came along.

As a kid I watched every horror movie on TV. I devoured every issue I could find of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Others like CREEPY, EERIE, and VAMPIRELLA were steady fare.

All that is by way of explaining how much I love Horror. It was only natural I would write some. A lot of my books, especially my science fiction but also ANGEL U and several of my Westerns, are steeped in fear. Of the several hundred I’ve had published, about half a dozen are pure examples of the genre. They were written to scare you silly.

My first Horror book was a werewolf story entitled THE WERELING that went through a big change before it saw print. As I originally conceived the story, it revolved around a mass-of-muscle weightlifter who is gonzo over werewolves. So much so, he buys a realistic mask and claws and takes to prowling around Ocean City, New Jersey---where yours truly hung out over a number of summers---and he gets so into the werewolf persona that he starts tearing people to pieces. Think PSYCHO in a werewolf costume. The first publisher I sent it to wanted to publish it---provided I made a change. The editor insisted werewolf stories ‘have to be supernatural’. I suppose I could have stuck by my literary guns, such as they were, but I had a family to feed, so I agreed. I added five pages, and presto, instant supernatural. If you come across a copy, try reading it without the prologue and the epilogue and see what you think.

My next Horror book stemmed from my interest in cryptozoology. Way back in 774 A.D. in the Assyrian Empire, they experienced what they described as a ‘plague’ of ‘creatures’ that attacked anyone and everyone. Another factor was a news article about seeds found in an ancient tomb, seeds that sprouted when planted. So I got to thinking. What if.....archeologists discover a buried tomb. What if.....when the archeologists open the tomb, they unleash a long dormant virus---the very virus that caused the Assyrian Empire plague? Those kernels became THE WRATH.

My third Horror novel stemmed from the exploits of a French lady by the name of Alexandra David-Neel. She was into mysticism and Tibet and fascinated by the concept of a tulpa, an entity or ‘thought form’ created by the human mind. She supposedly created one. So I got to thinking. Suppose a tulpa reflects the nature of its creator? And what if one were created by someone who reeked of pure evil? The result: SPECTRE.

HELL-O-WEEN was my fourth pure Horror. The premise for this one was easy to come up with. You know all those movies that show teenagers being hacked to bits and turned into bubbly goo by a sundry assortment of human-and-otherwise killers and monsters? In HELL-O-WEEN, I take some teens and toss them into a version of Hell. Do any make it out alive? That would be telling.

In PRANK NIGHT something from ‘out there’ comes here to feast on us, but not in a way you might expect. It’s not our flesh the alien consumes---it’s the ‘sweet nectar’ of our very souls.

Finally, there’s SPOOK NIGHT. In my childhood I loved THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. So much so, I had long wanted to write my own Headless Horseman scarefest and did so in SPOOK NIGHT. With a crucial plot twist. This time, the goblin of the night is a Confederate soldier. For some, that should make him twice as scary.

There you go. Chills and thrills for those nights when you are home alone. Just don’t blame me if the cat rubs up against you while you are reading and you shriek like a banshee.

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

ENDWORLD and WILDERNESS: THEIR UNIVERSE EXPLAINED

2017-07-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
© 2017

In recent weeks some new readers have asked for more info on the Endworld Universe. I’ll get to a few of their specific questions after bit. First, the Endworld Universe explained.

The ‘universe’ currently consists of seven series that form a genealogical timeline. Three of the series are set in the past, two in the present, and two more in the future. All connected by bloodlines.

Imagine your own. There’s you and your father and your grandfather and your great-grandfather, and on back it goes. Project ahead. There’s you, your kids, your grandchildren, and on into however many generations your family tree persists.

That’s the basic concept. The main characters in the series in the past are the ancestors of the main characters in the series set in current continuity and the series set in the future.

[The first books in WILDERNESS and ENDWORLD. That guy on the left is the great, great, great, great, great, great....you get the idea....grandfather of that guy on the right.]

Here’s the breakdown:

                                                       ENDWORLD UNIVERSE

      PAST                                          PRESENT                                       FUTURE
WILDERNESS series                      DOOMSDAY                                 ENDWORLD series
      (75 books)                                     (1 book)                                         (29 books)
BLOOD FEUD series                 A GIRL, THE END OF                     BLADE series
      (2 books)                               THE WORLD, AND                             (14 books)
WHITE APACHE series                 EVERYTHING
      (10 books)                              (1 book so far)


One of the most asked questions is about the sequence. Do they have to be read in any particular order? Absolutely not. The Past and Present series stand alone. The series set in the past make no mention of anything having to do with the series in the present or the future. (With a single notable exception. More shortly.) The series set in the present do foreshadow some of the things to come, but it’s only when we get to the series set in the future that we discover the links connecting everything.

[Two of the PAST series. WHITE APACHE and BLOOD FEUD]

Although the Future series can be read as stand-alone’s, there is a sequence to the stories. Here’s the reading order for ENDWORLD and BLADE:

ENDWORLD 1 through 14
BLADE 1 through 3
ENDWORLD 15 through 19
BLADE 4 through 6
ENDWORLD 20
BLADE 7
ENDWORLD 21
BLADE 8
ENDWORLD 22
BLADE 9
ENDWORLD 23
BLADE 10
ENDWORLD 24
BLADE 11 and BLADE 12
ENDWORLD 25 through 27
BLADE 13
FRONTIER STRIKE
ENDWORLD 28 and 29

FRONTIER STRIKE, is pivotal. It directly links ENDWORLD to WILDERNESS. It connects the future to the past. You might say it is the linchpin to the entire timeline.

[The two PRESENT series. DOOMSDAY and A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING]

Now for a few of those questions:

Why call it a ‘Universe’? It’s a common convention for interrelated books, comics and movies. Just a few examples. ‘The Marvel Universe’. The DC universe”. The STAR WARS universe’. And so on.

Why a ‘genealogical universe’, of all things? Why not? Plus, as the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction site astutely notes, one of the ‘persistent patterns’ that ‘dominate’ my writing are ‘primal family values’.

Why mix genres? I mean, you have Westerns and science fiction and contemporary. Why not do them in a single genre? Because the stories don't fit in only one genre. Keep in mind that some people don’t like to mix genres. A lot of readers who, for instance, like Westerns or Science Fiction will ‘only’ read Westerns or Science Fiction. I want readers in whichever genre to enjoy the books on their own merits.

Then why bother creating the EU? Because it’s fun. Because it adds an extra layer---multiple layers, actually---to the series. Because those in the know get a little extra kick in the knowing.

Besides, who wouldn’t want to create their own universe? Just look at the Book of Genesis. :)

[The first BLADE and the linchpin to everything, FRONTIER STRIKE}

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

DREDD: FUTURE PERFECT

2017-05-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
© 2017

We’ve been talking about favorite actors and actresses recently---and one of mine is Karl Urban. You might know him from the reboot of the STAR TREK franchise or DOOM or PRIEST or RED or PATHFINDER or THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK or....well, you get the idea. He’s been in a lot of stuff.

My very favorite thing he’s been in is a movie called DREDD. It’s based on a character known as Judge Dredd from British comics. Sylvester Stallone starred in another movie version years ago. The two are not related.

[Dredd on his Lawmaster motorcycle from an early scene in the newest movie.]

DREDD came out in 2012. It slipped under a lot of radars so this is yours truly, yet again, giving you a heads up. If you enjoy unrelentingly intense action flicks with great acting, DREDD is for you.

Karl Urban plays the character to spot-on perfection. He ‘really’ got into the role, to the extent of going through some heavy physical conditioning and extended weapons training. As if that weren’t enough, he insisted on doing his own stunts, including the motorcycle scenes. He’s also wonderfully adept at conveying emotion with his mouth and his tone. Why does that matter? you ask. Because nearly the entire movie, he wears a helmet. That he does such a masterful job of letting us know his feelings and thoughts is a tribute to his talent.

[Karl Urban as Dredd, wearing the sweetest helmet ever. Boba Fett, eat your heart out.]

Olivia Thirlby costars as Judge Anderson---sorry, ‘rookie‘ Anderson---and she, too, is terrific. In a cool twist she’s also a mutant. Anderson is paired with Dredd on a pass-or-fail evaluation that finds the pair trapped in a 200-story tower with a legion of baddies out to do them in.

[Olivia Thirlby, quite frankly, is awesome. She brings great depth to her role.]

The movie also has Lena Headey (300, GAME OF THRONES, etc. She is 'such' a good actress) and Wood Harris and others, but there’s a case to be made that the third big star is the Lawgiver. No, we’re not talking the wise anthropoid from the original PLANET OF THE APES. The Lawgiver is the name given to the gun the Judges use. The filmmakers actually made working models, in 9mm. The weapons fire a variety of rounds, can be voice activated, and are DNA-specific.

[A Lawgiver. Come on. You know you want one. If only.]

You don’t need to know anything about the Judge Dredd mythos to appreciate the movie. In fact, watching it cold, as it were, might enhance your enjoyment.

Have I mentioned the soundtrack? You know how every now and then you go to a movie and the score blows you away? Say hello to Paul Leonard-Morgan. He’s a Scottish composer. His music for DREDD fits so perfectly, and is so catchy, you might end up doing like I did and buy the CD and listen to it 27 times while writing your latest Mars novel.

On Rotten Tomatoes the movie earned a 78% rating, which is way above average. A lot of moviegoers gave it a ‘B’, which is still above average. Me, I give it an A+++, but then I’m into dark and gritty sprinkled with wry humor. See it for yourself and be your own judge. And jury. And executioner. :)

POWERS BOOTHE: ANOTHER ONE GONE

2017-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
© 2017

We’ve talked before about how every now and then an actor or actress we like will pass on and we frown and sigh and wish it weren’t so.

I sighed when I read that Powers Boothe died. I liked his acting, a lot. You might remember him from the stellar Western TOMBSTONE. He played Curly Bill. Or his turn in SIN CITY or maybe as Philip Marlowe or DEADWOOD or his Emmy-winning role as Jim Jones in THE GUYANA TRAGEDY. He was in a lot of things.

[Powers Boothe back before his hair turned grey. I can relate. :)

There’s one role of his I’d like to give you a heads-up on. It’s more than likely you haven’t seen it or even heard of it since it came out way back in 1981. Directed by Walter Hill (ALIEN, THE WARRIORS, many more), it costars Keith Carradine. You might know him from his recent stint as Penny’s dad on BIG BANG THEORY or his superb portrayal of Wild Bill Hickok in DEADWOOD or any of his many other roles.

The name of this terrific movie you might have never seen? SOUTHERN COMFORT.

It’s an action flick about a squad of Louisiana National Guardsmen who take part in weekend maneuvers in the bayou and everything that can go wrong does, to the extent they find themselves being hunted by some locals who are upset the Guardsmen took their pirogues without asking. It doesn’t help that one of the Guardsmen shoots at them as a prank---with blanks. The locals decide to shoot back---with real bullets.

[Yes, that is Fred Ward with the knife at his throat. You might know him from TREMORS or REMO WILLIAMS.]

The movie becomes a sustained chase through the swamp, with the lost Guardsmen, most of them city boys, struggling to stay alive.

Powers Boothe and Keith Carradine are great. Boothe is mesmerizing with his intense persona of a man driven to his limits by the stupidity of others. The final ten minutes or so, when their relentless pursuers close in, makes for riveting suspense.

The movie was shot on location, which adds to the realism. And the score, by Ry Cooder, is sensational. Over the years the film has gained a dedicated following. On Rotten Tomatoes it garnered an 88% rating.

[The Guardsmen when they see a helicopter and are desperate for help.]

It should be noted that some took the film as a metaphor for the Vietnam War, which it was never intended to be. Read what Walter Hill has to say. It’s not about Vietnam or ‘war’ per se. It’s about what happens when people do stupid stuff, make assumptions based on that stupid stuff, and then set out to kill each other based on their false assumptions. In other words, it’s about ‘life’. You see it in the news every day.

So if you’re up for a cool movie with a more profound subtext than your usual Hollywood fare, snag a copy of SOUTHERN COMFORT. You might be glad you did. And don’t blame me if that haunting Ry Cooder score sticks in your head for a long time to come.

WILDERNESS #69: A PRIMER

2016-12-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

David Robbins
©2016

Way back in 1990 I started a series that has been going strong for 27 years. It’s called WILDERNESS, and it’s the generational saga of a Mountain Man and his family in the Rocky Mountains of the mid-to-late 1800’s. The series is also part of the ENDWORLD Universe. (More on that in a bit.)

[The very first WILDERNESS. Nearly thirty years, and the series is still going strong.]

Young Nathaniel King heads west at the urging of his uncle, thinking he will strike it rich in gold or silver, and instead discovers something vastly more precious: freedom. He also finds love in the person of a Shoshone maiden. Together, they start a family, and together, they brave the many perils to come.

WILDERNESS is all about ‘family’. (So is ENDWORLD. Again, more on that soon.) About how devotion and love can endure anything and everything life throws at you.

The Kings have a boy and a girl. The son is a hellion who lives to count coup. The daughter is as independent as they come. Between them, they are forever getting into situations that put them at risk.

Over the course of about 80 books---counting the GIANT editions----the young Kings grow and mature. Each novel stands alone, but taken as a whole, they weave a seamless tapestry of high adventure.

[A book from about the midpoint of the series, and a fan-favorite cover.]

In WILDERNESS #69: THE AVENGER, young Zach King has a wife of his own, and she is about to give birth. Ideally, it should be a time of wonder and bliss. But unknown to Zach, he is being stalked by the brother of a bandit he was forced to slay. This avenger is out for blood---and what better way to make Zach pay, than to strike at those Zach cares for most?

Now, about that ENDWORLD business. It’s a science fiction series set in the future, after the Apocalypse. There is a genealogical link between it and WILDERNESS in that Nate King is an ancestor of Michael King, otherwise known as Blade, in ENDWORLD. When you read WILDERNESS, you are reading about a family linked to the characters of the far future in ENDWORLD. When you read ENDWORLD, you are reading about a Family linked to the characters of the far past in WILDERNESS.

[The latest ENDWORLD. Part of the timeline series that includes WILDERNESS.]

There are three other series in the ENDWORLD Universe but we won’t go into that.

For now, the important thing is that WILDERNESS #69: THE AVENGER is out! Treat yourself. And see why so many people like the King family saga so much, they keep coming back for more.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: A KILLFEST BONANZA

2016-10-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
©2016

Stick around along enough and Hollywood remakes everything. Which is why it shouldn’t surprise you that, fifty-seven years after the original The Magnificent Seven hit the theaters, saddle up, partner.

The original is considered a classic. One of the greatest Westerns ever. It’s been preserved in the National Film Library as culturally significant.

You probably already know it’s a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. That the cast includes legends of the silver screen. That it is the second-most shown movie on American TV. (Sorry, fellas. Dorothy and Toto beat you out) Despite its age, it holds a 93% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which, if you don’t know, is ‘really’ good.

It’s already been remade a gazillion times. There was The Return Of. The Guns Of. The 7 Ride. There was a TV series. The theme has been carried over into more movies, novels and comic books than you can shake your six-shooter at. (Yours truly is one of them. Endworld #7: Armageddon Run is dedicated to the makers and the cast of the original.)

All of which brings us to the current incarnation. Uber popular Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt head a multicultural cast of badasses who go on a killing spree of literally epic proportions. Not that 7 movies have been shy about blowing bad guys away. In the original, they killed 40. In Return of the Seven they killed 74. In Guns of the Magnificent Seven, George Kennedy and his crew do in sixty-three. The Magnificent Seven Ride, it's 72. (Yes, there are people who count these things.) In the new movie it seems like five hundred although the total is more likely closer to 150.

They’re calling this a ‘reimagining’, which basically means it’s the original with a few elements from others thrown in. You’ve got your ‘man in black’. You’ve got your cooler than cool guy. You’ve got your guy who has lost his nerve. Your knife guy. Your Mexican. (Hey, that’s how they describe him in the movie. And unlike the original, where we had white guys pretending to be Mexicans, this guy actually is, well, ‘Mexican’.) You have your adorably quirky squeaky-voice guy. (You’ll understand when you see the movie.) And a Native American.

[The guy in black and the cooler than cool guy.]

A word about the ‘bad guy’. In the best of the 7 movies, the villain is memorable. Eli Wallach is great as Calvera. In Guns, Michael Ansara is so vicious, you can’t wait for George Kennedy to kill him.The other movies? The lead villain is a cypher.

Not here. They make Peter Sarsgaard into the most vile, despicable, oily, twisted, corrupt fiend since, well, forever. They rub your face in his evil. When he is on screen, you half expect it to start oozing slime. It’s that overdone.

[See the guy in the middle? He's human fungus. When you leave the theater, remember to wash between your toes.]

All of this aside, you might be sitting there wondering, ‘But did you like it? Is it worth seeing?’

It’s okay, so yeah. ‘Okay’ in the sense, that, say, Attack of the Clones was okay. It didn’t rock you, like, say, Return of the Jedi, but it was entertaining in its own right. (Sorry to mix the Western genre with Star Wars but when you get right down to it, Star Wars is a Western set in the stars. You don’t think so? Replace ‘Jedi’ with ‘gunfighter’ and space ships with horses and what do you get? Duh.)

[The lost his nerve guy. Ethan Hawke is outstanding in the role.]

On my personal appreciation meter, I’d rate the new 7 as third, after the original and Guns but way ahead of Return and Ride. That’s just me. You might rate it a lot higher.

I will say the thing I like the most about it is how Denzel draws his pistol. If you know me, you’ll know why. If not, visit the Facebook page, or, easier yet, got to, oh, Google Images, type in my name and Thunder Valley. One of the pics that pops up will make it clear.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll rewatch the original. One never tires of excellence.

[Threw this in for old time's sake. Cue one of the best scores in movie history.]

HOUNDS OF HATE: WESTERN FICTION REVIEW

2016-08-31T10:43:00.001-07:00

David Robbins
© 2016

Western Fiction Review, one of the premier sites for reviews of Western novels and series, has done one on HOUNDS OF HATE. Check it out below. Then go to their site for more great reviews.

                                                            BLOOD FEUD #2
                                                            By David Robbins
                                                   Mad Hornet Publishing, July 2016

The feud between the Shannon family and the Harkey clan continues. Chace and Cassie Shannon head to New Orleans to put the bloodshed behind them. But the Harkeys have other ideas, and bring along a pack of bloodhounds trained to kill to track the twins down.

Brought to bay hundreds of miles from their kin, Chace and Cassie must rely on their wits and each other if they’re to survive the vicious hounds of hate.

Way back in October 2010 Signet published a book by David Robbins called Blood Feud, this story introduced us to Chace and Cassie Shannon and told of their blood feud with the Harkey clan. Although this was a great stand-alone novel it did leave the way open for a sequel and that has finally happened with the publication of Hounds of Hate.

The story begins where the previous book finished with Chace and Cassie and their followers heading into New Orleans. Chace has a plan but keeps everyone in the dark about it, something I’m going to do too so as not to spoil this aspect of the tale.

The book contains plenty of action that often comes without warning and in one case proving how cold and vicious Chace can be. Dialogue is believable and often had me laughing out loud, as did some of the antics of Tallulah, a young girl who is one of the Shannon gang, with her dreams of marrying Chace someday, making her fiercely protective of him, much to the astonishment of others and Chace in particular.

David Robbins switches from character to character regularly and often leaves them in peril at a chapter end encouraging you to keep reading. The story flows smoothly towards its final showdown between Chase, Cassie and the Harkey’s that have trailed them to New Orleans, the hounds giving a viciously deadly twist to this last gunfight.

Everything concludes neatly and satisfactorily but, like before, the story does leave the way open for another book. Let’s hope David Robbins doesn’t keep us waiting quite so long to find out what happens next.

[The original BLOOD FEUD. The story that started the saga.]

ENDWORLD #29: THE SERIES ROCKS ON

2016-07-14T09:33:00.001-07:00

© 2016 David Robbins

     THE LORDS OF KISMET is out! And ENDWORLD fans have greeted it with great enthusiasm. It’s #29 in the basic ENDWORLD canon (more on that in a bit) and sets a whole new tone for the series. The tone that I initially was going for. Permit me to explain.

     I originally conceived ENDWORLD as pure science fiction. The first book was 500 pages of mutants and mayhem. When I submitted it, the publisher said they liked the concept, but would I be interested in doing a series instead of a single novel? Of course I was. I love to tell stories. I love to write. I had a family to feed. They asked if I could break the novel down into three separate books. Thinking fast, and since it meant clothes on our backs, I said I could break it down, with a little extra added, into four. ENDWORLD was off and running.

     But....and this is one of those big but’s.....they wanted me to tweak things a bit. They wanted to market it in the Men’s Adventure genre, not as science fiction. I reluctantly agreed. Remember, food on the table and clothes on our backs.

[The first ENDWORLD. Since all the timelines converge in the future, I've dubbed them the Endworld Universe.]

     Fast forward a couple of decades. All the rights reverted and I could do with ENDWORLD as I pleased. And it pleased me greatly to take the series back to its science fiction roots and expand on them. #28 DARK DAYS was the bridge that brought the old tone, if you will, to an end, and launched the new direction. Which is on full display in THE LORDS OF KISMET.

     It also does something more. Something I had been contemplating for a considerable while but held off doing until the time was right. It explains a few things that might have mystified those of you who like my books. The biggest being the crossover between ENDWORLD and WILDERNESS.

     In case you are unaware, I’ve been writing the WILDERNESS series under the pen name of David Thompson for 27 years. The publisher always billed WILDERNESS as an authentic Mountain Man chronicle. Which is why some readers were puzzled when I threw in things like a lost world, creatures out of Native American legend, and other elements that tended to blur that ‘authentic‘ distinction. They were even more mystified when, in FRONTIER STRIKE, I sent the Warriors from ENDWORLD back in time to meet the Mountain Man from WILDERNESS.

[The first WILDERNESS. From Mountain Men to mutants in a timeline spanning centuries.]

     Now all that has been explained.

     MINOR SPOILER ALERT. Don’t read on if you’re an ENDWORLD fan and haven’t read THE LORDS OF KISMET yet. I’m about to give the big reveal away.

     All my series---by ‘my‘ I mean exclusively mine, not the many books I did on other series for various publishers---are part of a self-contained universe. Everything is connected in a genealogical timeline that stretches from the 1800’s into the far future. Imagine a spider’s web of DNA strands, all connected and interrelated, and you have the basic concept.

     Here are a few examples.

     Nathaniel King, the Mountain Man from WILDERNESS, is the great, great, great, great, great, etc grandfather of Blade, a.k.a Michael King, from ENDWORLD.

     Clay Taggart, the main character in WHITE APACHE, is a forebear of Geronimo, another of the Warriors. It explains why Lone Elk, whose mother was of the Blackfeet nation, chose the name of the legendary Apache at his Naming ceremony. His ancestry includes both.

[The first WHITE APACHE. Another strand in the DNA timeline.]

The Shannon twins from BLOOD FEUD also play into the ancestry. They comprise part of the family tree of Hickok, one of the more popular Warriors. Another ancestor is Courtney Hewitt from A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING, which is actually an ENDWORLD prequel.

[The Shannon twins. Even they are factored in. (Due out this month, BTW)]

And on it goes. If you’re a fan of any of the series or of all of them, there’s now an added aspect for you to enjoy.

THE LORDS OF KISMET! Get your copy today and join in the excitement.

BATTLEFIELD MARS: THE WAR WIDENS

2016-07-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

© 2016 David Robbins

     I have a couple of new books out and thought I’d give you a heads up. First off the launch pad, if you will, is BATTLEFIELD MARS: COLONY DOWN. The second in a science fiction series.

     It’s set in the future. Earth has established colonies on the Red Planet and all is going well. Then indigenous life is discovered. And the indigenous life takes exception to us being there. Suddenly things aren’t well at all.

     The first book introduces readers to the principal characters. Captain Archard Rahn, of the United Nations Interplanetary Corps, is the head of security at New Meridian. Dr. Katla Dkany is a physician and an exobiologist.

     Events start to unfurl when a young boy at an outlying agrifarm goes missing. Captain Rahn take his squad to investigate. They assume the boy wandered off. But when they arrive, they discover the gruesome remains of the parents. Which leads to an even more startling discovery.

     It’s a fun read. Goes along at a breakneck pace. And while it stands alone as a complete story, it leads directly into the next.

     Which brings us to COLONY DOWN.

     Archard and the survivors from New Meridian must trek hundred of kilometers to reach Wellsville, the second colony. The harsh environment, the rugged terrain, are the least of their worries. Because the Martians are out to stop them.

     But reach Wellsville they do. Once there, they desperately try to warn the colony’s leaders of the Martian peril. Their superiors are confident they can handle the situation. Little do they know.

     A word about the Martians. They aren’t anything like those from the H.G. Wells masterpiece. Nor are they cast in the ‘Alien‘ mold so popular in recent fiction. They are consistent with what we know about the planet, and are much more complex, and dangerous, than anyone initially suspects.

     The story unfolds in a linear fashion until we get to the second book. Then things explode in a way that hopefully will have you grinning and saying, ‘This is cool’.

     BATTLEFIELD MARS and BATTLEFIELD MARS: COLONY DOWN. Buy them today. The covers alone are awesome.

Comments:
To Terry: I've tried half a dozen times to reply to yours. Checked the settings and everything is at it should be. Instead, I'll respond here. Yes, life willing, there will definitely be a third. Wouldn't want to leave the war in mid-mayhem. Don't have a date yet but it is on my to-do list. :)

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN: LIVE-ACTION DISNEYVIBE

2016-07-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

David Robbins
© 2016

    First, an aside. As one of the hugest Edgar Rice Burroughs fans ‘ever’, I was excited to hear that, once again, the ape-man would hit the silver screen. The animated versions were fun but they hardly count in the realm of Tarzan cinematic canon, if you will.

    How is the new movie? you might be wondering. The short and the true of it: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN is terrific. It’s not ERB’s Tarzan but it comes close. Closer than many others. It shows the civilized side of Tarzan better than most. Yet in its efforts to appeal to current cultural sensibilities, it forsakes the core of Tarzan’s wild side.

    Let me explain. In ERB’s books, which to a purist are the pinnacle of everything Tarzan, he is a living dichotomy. He is ape and man. He is beast and human, living in the same skin. He is a cultured English lord but he is also a denizen of the jungles in which he was raised by his Mangani mother. He is immensely strong, incredibly agile, lightning quick. He has enhanced senses. His sight, his hearing, especially his smell. He can track someone by scent, which you rarely see in the movies. But his most telling jungle traits usually only come out in the heat of combat. He growls. He snarls. He sinks his teeth into the jugulars of his enemies. He never goes anywhere without his knife, which he wields to deadly effect.

   [Tarzan and a Mangani go at it. No, the Mangani aren't gorillas. They are a separate species.]

     We don’t see much of that in the new movie. Yes, Tarzan’s wild side is there but it’s been toned down. Time and again I was hoping for him to bust loose, but no. There are some spectacular fight sequences, to be sure, but you get the sense that Tarzan is holding back. He doesn’t fully unleash his ‘inner ape’, if you will, as the Mangani do a number of times.

    Even so, again, the movie is superb. They manage to meld Tarzan’s upbringing, his first meeting with Jane, the Leopard Men aspect, and some other elements from the books, into a seamless whole. They tweak things, yeah. The whole ‘Tarzan as Dr. Dolittle’ is a trifle overdone, but what do you expect?

[Tarzan as Dr. Dolittle. To be fair, in the books Tarzan does make friends with a number of lions.]

    What they get exactly right is the love between Tarzan and Jane. This movie is a romance as much as anything, exactly like the early ERB novels. And this Jane is no damsel in distress. She is more like the Jane in the books. She can hold her own with anyone. Don’t believe me? Read TARZAN’S QUEST, #19 in the series. She is one tough lady.

[It surprises some people to learn that there is so much romance in the early Tarzan novels.]

    So gather up the kids, and treat yourself. There’s very little gore. And back in Victorian times, they didn’t drop an F-bomb with every other word.

    Again, what you have here is fine cinematic fare. You might have heard that the critics disagree. But they’re, you know, ‘critics’. A lot of them have agendas and base their reviews on their mindsets rather than be objective. You might have heard the movie is racist. Its not. Neither were ERB’s novels. You might have heard it’s sexist, which is sheer bullpatty.

[Tarzan vs Leopard Man. In the books, Tarzan would rip his throat out with his teeth. In the movie, they bound.]

    THE LEGEND OF TARZAN. One of the best Tarzan movies you are ever likely to see. What are you waiting for? :)

THE JUNGLE BOOK: FROM STORY TO SCREEN

2016-05-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

David Robbins

Disney has a new live-action version of THE JUNGLE BOOK out. Heavy on CGI, it’s become a huge hit. Estimates are it will reap over a billion dollars. A sequel is already in the works.

THE JUNGLE BOOK has been on the screen before. At least nine times, ten if you count 1937’s JUNGLE BOY. Disney studios alone produced two earlier adaptations. There was an animated version way back in 1967, and a live-action that came out in 1994.

To complicate current matters, Warner Brothers is coming out with their own live-action version, slated for 2018.

So why so much interest in making THE JUNGLE BOOK into movies? Simply because their source, stories by Rudyard Kipling, are some of the most beloved in not just the English language, but everywhere around the world.

Which brings us to the point of this post. Shortly after seeing the new movie, a couple of people mentioned that they loved it so much, they planned to run out and get the book. When I remarked that the stories are considerably different in tone, they wanted to know in what way.

A little background. The first JUNGLE BOOK, released in 1894, contained three tales, among others, of the orphan boy, Mowgli, who was raised by wolves. The Mowgli stories proved so popular that Kipling came out with THE SECOND JUNGLE BOOK in 1895. It contained five more Mowgli stories.

All of them have since been collected and republished many times by various publishers.

So if you’re thinking of getting a copy, they’re easy to find. As noted above, Kipling’s version and Disney’s latest adaptation do not have a lot in common besides the names of the characters and a few of the plot elements.

That’s because Disney has done what Disney always does. They’ve taken their grim and sometimes dark source material and turned it into what one critic described as a ‘feel-good one-world progressivism’ film.

[Mowgli and Kaa the python. In Kipling's stories, Kaa is Mowgli's ally and close friend. In the movie, look out!]

Make no mistake. Kipling’s stories are not light fare. Their message, their very subtext, is in many instances the complete opposite of the subtext Disney frames its movies around.

Let’s look at a few examples.

First: How about if we start with the ending? (SPOILER ALERT!!! Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the new movie and intend to.)

Disney Version: The film ends on an upbeat note with Mowgli uniting all the animals to defeat Shere Khan and save the jungle.

Kipling Version: Mowgli is cast out of the wolf pack, and when he goes to live with Man, he is cast out of the village. He defeats Shere Khan largely through his own efforts, with a little help from two of his friends.

In the Disney version, universal brotherhood prevails, and the world is well. In Kipling’s, the death of Mowgli's enemy is a personal vendetta.

Second: That brotherhood aspect.

In Disney’s version---the drought sequence aside---the animals coexist in amiable harmony. There are exceptions. (The monkeys, for instance.) But you don’t see the wolves or tiger or panther kill game. Which isn’t surprising. In THE LION KING, Disney would have it that lions can get by eating grubs.

In Kipling’s version, you get more of the true and the real. Predators kill prey. Meat-eaters eat meat. There is a truce during the drought, but the carnivores are kept on one side of the river, and those they would like to devour on the other.

Disney turns the jungle into a fairyland. Kipling underscores the savagery of tooth and claw.

[King Louie. This guy isn't in Kipling's tales. The Jungle Folk wouldn't take well to a power-hungry Gigantopithecus.]

Third: Those pesky monkeys.

In both the book and the movie they kidnap Mowgli. Disney has them do so as part of a plot by their leader to steal man’s most destructive force---in this case, fire---so the monkeys can set themselves up as a rival superpower, as it were. Yes, it’s a thinly disguised nuclear war analogy.

Kipling wrote his stories decades before nuclear arms were invented. For him, the monkeys---the Bandar-log, as they are known---are the issue. They are an analogy for…..well, here. Read his words for yourself.

‘They are very many, evil, dirty, shameless, and they desire, if they have any fixed desire, to be noticed by the Jungle People.’

And again:

‘But whenever they found a sick wolf, or a wounded tiger, or bear, the monkeys would torment him, and throw sticks and nuts at any beast for fun and in the hope of being noticed. Then they would howl and shriek senseless songs, and invite the Jungle People to climb up their trees and fight them, or would start furious battles over nothing among themselves…..’

Kipling stresses several times that above all else, monkeys want to be noticed.

Hmm. Who could Kipling be comparing them to?

Anyway, this gives you some idea of the differences. The movie is fun make-believe. Kipling’s stories are make-believe, too, but with a mature and darker tone that most everyone finds equally enjoyable, if not more so. Except perhaps the monkeys.

[The version yours truly read as a boy. It has been a top favorite ever since.]

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF SWEETNESS

2016-04-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

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David Robbins

This review is going to be longer than usual. To spare you from wading through it if you’re not inclined, we’ll jump right to the crux: it’s a great movie. Go see it.

Before we get to the expanded crux, a few words about those who are savaging the film. This isn’t surprising. Every time director Zack Snyder comes out with a new flick, it sends those with agendas into a critical frenzy.

Here are a couple of examples. His recent MAN OF STEEL was lambasted for its ‘religious subtext’. How many scores of movies have religious subtext? How many hundreds of movies have anti-religion subtext? But hey, let’s jump on Snyder.

WATCHMEN. Written by Alan Moore, the comic book version is considered by many a masterpiece. Snyder took a reverential approach. Many of the scenes in the movie are panel-for-panel reproductions from the comics. So what did the critics have to gripe about? Basically, that Snyder reproduced Moore’s vision on-screen. If you’re scratching your head and thinking, ‘That makes no sense’, welcome to the warped world of movie critics.

[Superman is in the title but this is essentially a Batman movie. Fortunately, the Batman elements rock.]

Which brings us back to BATMAN VS SUPERMAN. Let’s take a look at some of the things the complainers have been whining about.

It’s too long. B vs S pegs at 2 hours and 33 minutes. By comparison, let’s take, oh, THE AVENGERS. The run time for that was 2 hours and 23 minutes. Did you hear anyone complain then? B vs S is ten minutes longer and suddenly it’s a crime against cinema. Given that in some cities tickets can go for up to twenty bucks, you’d think they’d be happy to get more movie for their moola.

[Pity poor Supes. Always trying to do the right thing in a world full of wrong.]

It’s too complex/dark/humorless. Complex? The basic plot is that Batman is out to nail Superman for the collateral damage---i.e. lives lost and people crippled----in Superman’s fight with Zod in MAN OF STEEL. Too dark? Did the same critics not see Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy? Hello? And as for the humor, given that Batman is out to ‘kill’ Superman, they were expecting a comedy? There are plenty of chuckles and grins.

Lex Luthor. Specifically, Jesse Eisenberg in the role. He’s been reamed as the least appealing element in the movie. In his defense, an actor is only as good as the script. In this instance, though, the critics are right. A large part of it has to do with the fact that while the movie spends a lot of time explaining Batman’s and Superman’s motivations for the big fight, we get virtually zilch about Luthor. Yeah, he’s a psycho. They make that clear. But ‘why’? At least Batman has a personal reason for wanting Superman dead. Luther’s rationale for wanting both of them dead is never explained. Unless we’re supposed to buy that he was under the influence of an even worse villain---a possibility thrown in at the end, almost as an afterthought.

[Hi. I'm Lex Luthor. I'm about as intimidating as a rabbit. And I'm going to try and take down Superman 'and' Batman. Can we all say 'rabbit fondue'?]

All right. That’s enough about the alleged and actual negatives. Is the movie perfect? No. Name one that ever was? (Besides THE AVENGERS) Could it have done with a few less dream sequences? Absolutely. But what about the positives? They are many.

Ben Affleck as Batman. Arguably the best Batman ever. More screen time is devoted to him than to any other character. His action scenes are superb. When he goes hand-to-hand to rescue---well, don’t want to give it away---‘someone’, the audience was cheering.

Henry Cavill as Superman. He nails it again. That Smallville goodness. Here is a decent being who wants to help others. No dark side to his nature. No grim and gritty, like Batman. He’s just ‘nice’. In a world that too often isn’t.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She’s one of the highlights of the entire film. DC was smart to include her in a supporting role. She’ll ramp up enthusiasm for the Justice League movie, and for her own.

[What's that? You don't like strong, independent women who can hold their own with anyone? Here. Let me kick your ass.]

We’re given glimpses of a few other superheroes; Cyborg, the Flash and Aquaman. They’re supposed to pump our enthusiasm, too. Mileages will vary, but my reaction to the Flash was, well, ‘That’s the Flash?’ My reaction to Cyborg was, ‘No clue what’s going on here’. And my reaction to seeing Aquaman---bear in mind I like Jason Momoa---was ‘This is Aquaman? Where’s his blond hair and yellow-and-green costume?’

Doomsday. A little short in the setup. But spectacular battle scenes. Especially those involving Wonder Woman. She’s an Amazon. As in ‘warrior’ women. Seeing her in action is like seeing Brad Pitt in action as Achilles in TROY. It’s just plain eye candy.

[Doomsday. If this is what happens when you mix human and Kryptonian DNA, Supes and Lois might want to hold off on having kids.]

So there you go. DC has done itself pretty proud in setting up its movie universe. If you’ve been debating whether you should go because of the critics, you might reconsider.

As a footnote, I’ve noticed something. Namely, the number of people I’ve talked to who saw the movie and plan to see it again. We’re talking three to four times the usual.

Says a lot, right there.

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE: SPOOKY GOOD

2016-03-17T19:15:00.001-07:00

David Robbins
© 2016

Before we go any further, I need to warn you at the outset that this contains what is apparently a major spoiler. I say ‘apparently’ because some people are going to see this movie thinking it is one thing when it is something else.

As we were leaving, a couple behind us were complaining that they had been deceived. They were upset that the advertising for the movie misled them. Evidently they expected it to be a psychological thriller, and the last ten minutes threw them for an angry loop.

[Trapped in an underground bunker with two guys you don't know. Can you spell p-a-r-a-n-o-i-a?]

Here comes the Spoiler Alert. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the second in what is being billed as the Cloverfield franchise. The first movie, Cloverfield, came out in 2008. It’s a horror movie with strong science fiction elements. Anyone aware of that would know going in that 10 Cloverfield Lane isn’t an ordinary thriller. But more than a few people had no clue. It’s not their fault. The ads don’t make it clear that it’s a sequel, of sorts, to Cloverfield.

Now that you know, how does it stand up? First thing you should get a heads up on is that it’s not another found footage film. None of that jerky camera work and chaotic feel. And not a lot in the way of monsters or aliens, either. We’ll get to that in a bit.

[Ever notice how you can't get cell phone reception when you really need it?]

Movies are taking weird turns these days. We’ve got Deadpool breaking the fourth wall. We’ve got Hardcore Henry, in which we see much of the movie through Henry’s eyes, as it were. And we have 10 Cloverfield Lane, about an alien invasion that, basically, isn’t about the alien invasion.

How can that be? Because the first 90 minutes of the movie or so have nothing to do with the aliens except in a peripheral sense. A young woman is in a car accident. She wakes up in a bunker with a couple of guys who claim some sort of Apocalypse has taken place and she needs to stay in the bunker for her own protection. What would you think if you were her? ‘Yeah, right!’, pretty much sums it up.

[That moment when you think the worst is over and then you look up in the sky.]

    This movie is a gem. The tension at times is almost palpable. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is sensational. John Goodman is good and John Gallagher, Jr. is good but it’s Winstead who must carry the movie, and she does so in riveting fashion.

    If you’re a monster buff or a science fiction fan and you’ve been holding off because you’ve heard only the last ten to twelve minutes actually involve the aliens, you’re missing out. Because those last dozen minutes kick ass. They go from one scare to the next, escalating into a climax that has you holding your breath.

    So go see it but don't expect Alfred Hitchcock. Or, for that matter, War of the Worlds. Except for the part where Cruise and his daughter are trapped in the basement with that crazy dude. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 'so' there.

[What's this? you ask. Not going to tell you. But I've given you plenty of hints.]

RISEN: CSI JERUSALEM

2016-03-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

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David Robbins

Let’s start by being honest. Hollywood isn’t held in high regard when it comes to religious movies. Especially Christian-themed. They don’t make a lot of them. When they do, the ‘Christian elements’ they insert leave many Christians scratching their heads and going, ‘Say what?’

Take The Last Temptation of Christ as but one example. Jesus is portrayed as a vacillating wimp. He doesn’t die on the cross. He marries Mary Magdalene. When she dies, Jesus marries Martha ‘and’ Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. To redeem itself---pardon the pun---at the end of the movie, Jesus ends up at the site of the crucifixion, begs God for forgiveness, and presto, he’s cast back in time and on the cross again, dying to fulfill his mission. The best way to describe this concoction is that it takes everything you know about Jesus and doesn’t just throw it out the window, the movie tosses it over a cliff. And Hollywood wondered why Christians didn’t flock to the theater in droves.

[A battle scene from Risen. The phalanx tactics remind you of 300 and Troy.]

All that aside, the anathema toward Hollywood isn’t entirely justified. They do manage to make less controversial religious movies now and then. Take their Bible Extravaganza Era, when big-budget Biblical-themed movies like The Ten Commandments and King of Kings were produced.

Hollywood recently, and rather accidentally, discovered that if someone makes a Christian movie that’s actually, you know, ‘Christian’, Christians will go to see it. So now we’re being treated to a new spate of religious movies.

God’s Not Dead had a lot to do with it. Made for about $2 million, it grossed $60 million at the box office. Suddenly Hollywood was seeing dollar signs. In the coming months moviegoers will be treated to a range of religious films, everything from movies about the relentless assault on Christianity in contemporary culture to Young Messiah, based on the Anne Rice novel.

[Cliff Curtis as Yeshua on the cross. Reportedly, he took a vow of silence and lived monastically for a month to 'cleanse' himself for the role.]

Which, finally, brings us to Risen. The story revolves around a Roman Tribune who is tasked with finding out what happened to Jesus’ body after it mysteriously disappears from Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb.

For starters, the movie is ‘very’ respectful towards its source. Jesus doesn’t run around in clown makeup (Godspell) or marry anybody (see above). Yes, it tweaks a few things. For instance, John doesn’t mention a Tribune being present when Jesus showed his crucifixion wounds to Thomas and the other Apostles. And you’ll find no mention anywhere in the New Testament of a Tribune preventing the Romans from killing them.

These are minor elements, framed within the context of the story. And the story is about Jesus rising from the dead, as well as the clear and unequivocal assertion that Jesus was who he said he was.

[Roman CSI. Trying to figure out how Yeshua's image was imprinted on his burial shroud.]

The movie is superbly well done. Given their budget, they have crafted wonderful settings. The acting, overall, is fine. Some criticism has been directed at Joseph Fiennes, the actor who plays the Tribune, as being too ‘stoic’. But he’s portraying a hard-as-nails soldier who worships Mars, the Roman god of war. What did the critics expect? Mister Rogers with a short sword?

For a Christian, one of the big questions revolves around the portrayal of Jesus. The actor is Cliff Curtis. You might know him as the father of the dysfunctional family in Fear The Walking Dead. We don’t see a lot of him, and when we do, Curtis is effective within the constraints of the script. This isn’t the somber Jesus of The Greatest Story Ever Told, or the grand Jesus of King of Kings. Risen’s Jesus is one of near-constant good cheer. His basic message is that all men and women are brothers/slash/sisters and should love one another. Atonement aspects are minimized.

Parents of young children should know that the movie begins with a terrific battle sequence pitting the Romans against some Zealots. We’re not talking, say, Deadpool-level violence, but there are some brutal moments.

If you’re a Christian who has been holding off going to Hollywood’s fare because their religious movies always leave you grimacing, you might give Risen a try. Or if you’re a non-Christian, you might go to appreciate the movie on its own merits.

Which are considerable.

[The crucifixion scene. Little does Clavius, the Roman Tribune, realize that reality as he knows it is about to be forever changed.]

BATTLEFIELD MARS: BRING ON THE MAYHEM

2016-02-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

David Robbins
© 2016

Imagine......
    Earth has colonies on Mars. Several, in fact. Protected by their domes, Bradbury, Wellsville and New Meridian are flourishing.
    No indigenous life has been discovered. The colonists believe they have the planet all to themselves, and can do with it as they please.
    Captain Archard Rahn of the United Nations Interplanetary Corps has been tasked with protecting New Meridian. With nothing to protect the colony from, he spends his days filing routine reports and overseeing the menial tasks his small unit performs. For a soldier and a warrior, it’s a dull life.
    Then a young boy goes missing.
    Archard figures the child has wandered off. It should be a simple matter to find him. But Archard is wrong.
    Something has emerged from out of the depths of a long-extinct volcano. Something that doesn’t like what it finds.
    Indigenous life does exist. Intelligent life. Mars has its own inhabitants. They have existed, literally, under the colonists’ feet.
    And now the Martians are out to reclaim what is theirs.
    Archard and his U.N.I.C. troopers must stop them. Four soldiers, pitted against an enemy unlike any other. With the fate of Earth’s colonization hanging in the balance, Mars is turned into a battlefield.
    And Archard learns a terrible truth.
    They don’t call it the Red Planet for nothing.

https://www.amazon.com/David-Robbins/e/B000APTFDI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579322372&sr=8-1

{Order your copy today from Amazon or another retailer.}

[An image of an actual Martian, courtesy of NASA.]

[The Martian enlarged. Any resemblance to the Martians depicted in BATTLEFIELD MARS isn't coincidental.]

THE REVENANT: GRIZZLY CLAWS AND BISON LIVER

2016-01-17T13:37:00.002-08:00

David Robbins
© 2016

     If you’re a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, going to see THE REVENANT is a no-brainer. If you’re a Tom Hardy fan, the same. And both have a lot of fans. The movie is supposedly a retelling of an excruciating ordeal undergone by mountain man Hugh Glass. With the stress on ‘supposedly’. This is Hollywood, after all. And they have never yet come across a real-life incident they believed they couldn’t ‘improve’.

     First, ‘Just the facts, ma’am?’, as Joe Friday used to say on Dragnet. Hugh Glass, who was part of a fur-trapping expedition, was attacked by a grizzly and severely mauled. Believing Glass wouldn’t live, the rest of the men moved on, leaving a trapper named Fitzgerald and another who might have been Jim Bridger (there is debate over that) to stay with him until he died. They didn’t. They took Glass’s rifle and other effects, and left, later saying they had to because hostiles were closing in.

     Glass revived. Through sheer iron resolve, he wrapped himself in the hide of the bear they’d slain, and set out for the nearest fort, which was 200 miles away. It’s claimed that eventually he caught up with Jim Bridger and forgave him because Bridger was so young. He apparently caught up to Fitzgerald, too, but didn’t kill him, either. He did get his rifle back, and went off into the wilderness again, only to be slain by hostiles a few years later.

[Never get between a mother bear and her cubs. The consequences won't be pretty.]

Which brings us to THE REVENANT. (SPOILER ALERT! I’m about to mention a few aspects you might not want to know about in advance! Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want any of its elements spoiled!)

The movie is beautifully filmed. DiCaprio and Hardy, among others, give riveting performances. As it is intended to, it tugs at the heartstrings. There is a measure of balance in that not all the whites are ‘bad’ and not all the Native Americans are ‘bloodthirsty savages’.

[Tom Hardy gives whole new meaning to being 'totally despicable'.]

As for the liberties the film takes with the facts, we did mention this was Hollywood, right? To list them all would take an entire page. So here are just a few of the major ‘make-believe’s’: Glass didn’t have his son with him. There were no vile French trappers involved. Nor an abducted Arikara woman. Fitzgerald didn’t murder the leader of the expedition. And as previously mentioned, Glass and Fitzgerald didn’t have a great climactic fight.

[Lavishly filmed, some of the scenery is spectacular.]

     You might be thinking, ‘Who cares? This isn’t a documentary.’ And you know what, you’re right. On its own merits, THE REVENANT is an outstanding movie. You will be thoroughly entertained.

   I certainly was. As one point, DiCaprio takes a few bites out of a raw bison liver. (In case you are unaware, DiCaprio is reportedly a vegan.) I might have been the only one in the audience who laughed. The Tom Hardy character must have rubbed off on me, because I was thinking, 'Maybe now he’ll man up and eat a hot dog now and then.'

   Yes, if you are an enraged vegan, feel free to throw broccoli.

[Raw bison liver. Yummy. Chomp down and dig in. Or you can toss it on the barbie.]

BONE TOMAHAWK: TOP-NOTCH HORROR

2016-01-16T05:30:00.002-08:00

With all the hype over Hollywood’s endless stream of blockbusters, you might have missed a gem that bucks the tide of gazillion-dollar CGI. No, I’m not talking about THE FARCE AWAKENS. I’m referring to a movie that seamlessly blends the iconic Western with riveting Horror.

First, my up-front admission that this film rang all my bells. If you’re a fan of my WILDERNESS series, you’ll understand why. Remember mountain man Nate King going up against the ‘red-headed cannibals’ of Paiute legend? Well, someone has taken the essence of the Native American accounts and infused them into a Western set in the traditional milieu.

[Troglodytes in the Old West. They not only kill you, they eat you.]

That someone is a gentleman by the name of S. Craig Zahler, and he has done a superb job. It helps considerably that he was able to round up a cast that includes Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins, among others. Those four form the core ensemble, as it were.

Logging in at over two hours, this isn’t a mind-numbing blitzkrieg of unrelenting action. BONE TOMAHAWK builds slowly, letting you get to know the characters. You care about them, which makes the final half-hour of suspense and terror absolutely riveting.

[The cowboy poet. Sort of. Take his wife and he will come for you. Count on it.]

Imagine a town at the edge of unexplored wilderness. Imagine that ‘something’ has cause to pay the town a visit in the dead of night, and several people are abducted. The sheriff forms a posse to save them, and ventures into the heart of darkness.

Kurt Russell plays the sheriff with the same forceful presence he once played Snake Plissken. Patrick Wilson is a cowboy who will stop at nothing to rescue the one he loves. Matthew Fox is a gunman in the Bat Masterson mold, although far more cold-hearted. Richard Jenkins, as Russell’s motormouth ‘backup deputy’, alleviates the tension with bursts of hilarity.

[Ring his bell and he will shoot you. Seriously. Watch the movie to see what I mean.]

The script is above-average. The dialogue at times crackles. The characters are richly drawn, and the acting is excellent. I’m not the only one who thinks so. The movie has a score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, which, if you don’t know, means it’s really good.

So if you’re up for something different, try BONE TOMAHAWK. And the next time you hear something howl in the wilderness, don’t blame me if it gives you a shiver.

P.S. Did you happen to catch the second season of FARGO? (Patrick Wilson was in it) Then you might like to know that the actor who played the 'ultimate badass', Hanzee---Zahn McLarnon---has a cameo in BONE TOMAHAWK.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE SNOOZES

2016-01-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

David Robbins
© 2016

(Before we get to the review, it’s only fair you have some idea of where I’m coming from. Like a lot of people, I loved the original three movies. Well, except for the Ewoks. Seriously, we went from the outstanding grim and gritty of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to Teddy Bear City. Then along came the next three films. My reaction? To coin a term from the 17th century: ‘Egads!’ I did like the second. But then I’m big on anything having to do with Boba Fett.)

Which brings us to the newest installment, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. It’s making a gazillion dollars, and everybody and their Wookiee praises it to high heaven.

Before you read any further, I should let you know I’m going to try and do this review without giving away any major spoilers. Even so, if you haven’t seen it yet and plan to, stop here. I don’t want to taint your possible enjoyment.

They don’t tell you this going in, but THE FORCE AWAKENS is a remake of A NEW HOPE. In both you have a ‘bad guy’ who wears black. In both you have a cutesy robot carrying an important piece of information. In both you have a young innocent drawn into a greater conflict. In both the young innocent discovers ‘the Force is strong’ within them. In both you have an evil empire out to crush rebels. In both you have a Death Star. Need I go on?

Yes, I can hear you saying, ‘The Nostalgia Factor is strong with the Makers’. Well and good. But if you’re going to remake a movie, don’t make the remake worse.

There are more than a few stupid moments in THE FORCE AWAKENS. But the single-most detrimental factor---and keep in mind I’m not picking on the actor here, he did what he could with the script he was given---is the villain.

[Darth Vader. He makes everybody's Top Ten list of all-time best movie villains.]

Be honest. From the very first moment you set eyes on Darth Vader in the original STAR WARS, you knew he was a badass. Just seeing him walk toward you on-screen, you thought, ‘Whoa. Don’t mess with this guy.’

In THE FORCE AWAKENS, the opposite takes place. Not long after first setting eyes on Kylo Ren, you realize that compared to Vader, he’s a candyass. Your surmise is confirmed when he throws not one but two world-class temper tantrums worthy of a five-year-old. Think about that. This is supposed to be someone who has been trained in using the Dark Side of the Force. They don’t teach self-control? To put it in perspective, could you ever imagine Darth Vader or Darth Maul behaving like this guy does?

Even more to the point, could you ever imagine either being nearly defeated in combat....by a sanitation engineer? Or by a newbie to the Force who has virtually no experience whatsoever?(Yes, in Finn's case, he was also a stormtrooper, but he had no real combat experience, and he's handling a light saber for only the second time in his life.)

[Kylo Ren. He may look cool but you can't judge a crybaby by his posing.]

And about the Force. Does it come with its own internal instruction manual? Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I seem to recall Luke had to undergo a ‘lot’ of training from Obi-Wan and Yoda before he became proficient. So how is it that Rey, who has never used the Force before, and to our knowledge had no idea she could, out of the blue uses ‘the Voice’ on her guard?

In no particular order, here are a few observations worth your consideration:

Sooooooo.....you’re the First Order. And you make this gigantic new Death Star. And you design it so that its most vulnerable point can be accessed from the surface with a few measly explosions?

Sooooooo....you’re the First Order #2. How is it all the stormtroopers ended up working for you? After the Empire was defeated, didn’t the New Republic take up the mantle of government? Wouldn’t the stormtroopers be part of their army?

And speaking of the New Republic, if it still exists, why are Leia and the others known as ‘the Resistance’? Who are they resisting, besides the First Order? By rights, shouldn’t she and the rest be part of the New Republic? Or are they resisting that, too?

And what’s with all the abandonment issues? Han runs out on Leia? Luke runs out on everybody because a pupil goes bad? Rey was abandoned.....by somebody. Does everyone in this movie have the same emotional maturity as candyass?

[Wait a minute. Luke abandoned his lightsaber, too? Now it's getting ridiculous.]

There are more points I could raise. The ambiguous ending. How predictable the ‘great dramatic scene’ was. None of it matters. THE FORCE AWAKENS will be a stellar success.

And before you ask, yes, there were parts of THE FORCE AWAKENS I enjoyed. The very best moment was when a stormtrooper with a stun baton wails on Finn. This guy was a genuine badass. ‘He’ should have been the main villain. It would have made things a lot more entertaining.

[The best part of THE FORCE AWAKENS. Otherwise known as TR-8R.]

Addendum: Less than an hour after this was posted, three people took me to task for, basically, presuming to criticize the movie when 'everyone else' is saying how wonderful it is. Thank you for pointing that out, but I don't do 'lemming'. And to set the record straight, here's my reply to one of them: I didn't say the movie completely stinks. I simply pointed out elements that either diluted my personal enjoyment or left me scratching my head. There are a few entertaining elements: Han and Chewie, seeing Leia and Luke again, the homage scenes to earlier films. But if all I did was wax giddy---you can find scores of reviews on-line that do that----objectivity would have been sacrificed to fanboy enthusiasm.

Addendum #2: If you take a look around the net you'll find others who point out the movie's glaring flaws. From its plot holes to the agendas of the makers to what some perceive as the loathsome subtext, the critics cover the gamut. And, of course, you'll find rabid fans who defend it with minionistic zeal. Just as with any franchise. Same old, same old. Bottom line: what did 'you' think? That's all that counts.