Terminator 3 Review

I have a confession that I haven't watched the very first Terminator movie, but I have at least seen Terminator 2. Although not my favorite movie of all time, it was interesting to watch Arnold protect the young boy and cool to the see the interesting effects. I decided to see what this one was all about, and see if it lives up to at least Terminator 2 with how well done it was. I was really impressed with the acting by Clair Danes and Arnold in this movie. This was a movie that Arnold really shines in. I was also impressed with how in shape he was in this movie. He hardly looks a day older from when Terminator 2 came out (about 14 years ago). Very impressive for a man of his age. Anyway, Terminator movies are kind of strange because although they try to spin them as action movies, they almost make them mild horror movies. This movie was no exception - lots of killing, lots of explosions and a lot of cool robots battles. In one sense, this movie was similar to Transformers. But in my opinion, Transformers was so much better. Perhaps it was lighter. Maybe because Transformers didn't take itself so seriously. I'm not sure- but Terminator 3 didn't disappoint. More of the same type of stuff as Terminator 2, but with newer more explosive special effects, and some great acting by Clair Danes and the young man (not to mention Arnold). Good high-budget special-effects action movie, but not a relaxing movie to watch. The ending also made plenty of room for a Terminator 4 movie. Decent movie, but not a must see unless you love the Terminator series.

GoldenEye Review

Another James Bond I decided to try. This was one of Pierce Brosnan's first movies as the new James Bond. To me, this movie seemed kind of LONG! There were some cool gadgets, and some action-packed parts, not to mention some glamorous women and ultra-nice cars, but the plot was too thin. There wasn't enough character development of James Bond to really like his character that much. I don't know - maybe I'm used to Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond and liked the amount of emotional attachment he had toward his girlfriend vs. Pierce's portrayal of 007. This movie was over two hours, and there were definite parts that you wondered why they had to add it to the movie. All in all, I don't think it was edited that well, and even though the special effects were well done, the whole plot leaves something to be desired. I recommend skipping this one. "Casino Royale" seemed much better to me for a different look at James Bond. One thumb up and one thumb down on this one.

Prayer - Does it Make Any Difference? Review

Most of what I post on this blog is movie reviews, but I just read a book that I highly recommend and thought I would share my thoughts on it. The book is by the author Phillip Yancey and is all about prayer. I have read many, many books on prayer and most of the books would fall into the motivational category as the authors encourage through using Scripture and testimonies the practice of prayer to God. Phillip Yancey takes a different approach... he humbly acknowledges that he isn't an expert and honestly invites us to ask some challenging questions about how prayer really works. What struck me so much about this book was its deep honesty. Why doesn't prayer work all the time? Does God still do miracles? If God knows everything and knows all we need, why do we still have to ask Him? I really enjoyed this book because I think, deep down, I ask myself many of the same questions. It is really easy to say "just believe in prayer and do it" but the questions sometimes still linger. God never says we can't be honest (from my understanding of the Bible) so to hear how Phillip Yancey processes these questions and the way He reconciles them with what the Bible teaches was inspiring to read - AND also motivating. I do believe in prayer and I believe that God does listen to us and answers our prayer when prayed in faith and love, and I think this book offered some well thought-out encouraging answers to the questions of many people who claim to believe in the power of prayer. Well worth your time to read.

Family Ties Review

One of the reasons my posts have been less, is that I have been pretty busy watching a classic sitcom from the 80s - Family Ties. I used to watch this show growing up and love remembering the stories of Alex, Malory, and Jennifer and their hippy parents. This show was not only funny, it also really showed a family that cared for one another and were willing to talk out tough contemporary issues. That is the beauty of this show in my humble opinion. It wasn't all about making fun of others, and talking about sex and nothing but sex (as some other sitcoms seem to dwell on). This show was about a family that loved one another and were willing to put differences aside and care for one another. It was a sitcom with a heart, and people obviously loved it by the fact that it went on for about 8 seasons (if I'm not mistaken). Although Michael J. Fox is pretty much the star of this show, the entire family were well-casted, and to me I find the episodes fun (not off-color for the most part), challenging and nostalgic as I remember when TV used to have much more substance and scripts used to be witty not just stupid and inappropriate. I recommend this show for a refreshing look at what the American sitcom used to be all about.