Tropic Thunder Review

This movie is getting a lot of press. So I decided to rent it and see how funny it really was. Ultimately, I came away feeling like it was big let down. Now I know a lot of people won't agree with me, but this was one movie that it seemed the previews have almost given away the most funny scenes. Overall the humor was just comprised of actors cussing up a storm and yelling at each other, overcoming drug addictions and just plain being stupid. Some movies are very good at being so stupid that they are funny. I didn't feel that way for Tropic Thunder. It was amusing seeing Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise in this movie, yet they failed to save a movie that seemed too stupid to really be worth a rental. Granted, there aren't too many movies that actually spoof a war movie, yet this one could have been much funnier in my opinion - and ended up being overtly offensive for too few laughs. Not recommended in my opinion.

Hollywoodland Review

This movie "Hollywoodland" is the story of George Reeve's mysterious death. Allegedly he died by suicide, yet some have speculated that he was murdered. For those who may not know who George Reeve is, he is the original guy who played the "superman" character in the 1950's - 1960s. He also played in a few movies, but was kind of stereotyped as the hero character in the red cape. This movie was pretty interesting. Some people have described this movie as long and slow, but I disagree. It seemed to move along pretty well and for me, it was a pretty interesting biography of a man I know little about. George Reeve evidently had his share of problems and this movie did a great job showing how badly he wanted to be known for more than a blue spandex hero, yet couldn't seem to break out of that stereotype. Also did a good job showing the possible ways the actor could have died, yet let the viewer ultimately decide. Fairly intelligent way of handling this mysterious death. I thought the movie was well made, and had good character development. However, there was also some parts that showed George Reeve's womanizing ways, which is why I don't give it a higher rating. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior and George Reeve was no exception. All in all, this showed what a hard life "Hollywoodland" really does boil down to in the movie business. 1.5 thumbs up.

Christmas with the Kranks Review

With Christmas around this time of year, I taped this movie off of TV and I have one statement to sum this up - I'M SURE GLAD I DIDN'T RENT IT. This has the potential to be funny, yet it just doesn't deliver. Tim Allen has one or two very funny scenes - that is it. Jamie Lee Curtis has some funny parts, but overall I think this movie is just a sad attempt to make a memorable Christmas movie that hasn't already been made. It does offer a few parts that may make you chuckle, but overall I would recommend you save your money and your time on this one.

Farce of the Penguins - So Much Potential, Yet...

OK this movie was also on HBO and having seen and enjoyed "March of the Penguins", I thought this might be worth a watch. Basically it is a bunch of footage about Carl - a penguin who thinks he has an eating disorder and is depressed about the meaning of his life. He trudges along with his buddy penguins in search of a mate. First of all, let me say - this movie has a TON of potential to be funny and entertaining at the same time. Bob Saget however, seemed to delight in potty jokes and adult-oriented humor throughout the whole movie. Do you enjoy watching penguins fart and tell off-color jokes? If so this may be your type of movie. However, for me it got old and distasteful very quickly and I didn't even finish this movie. I am kind of surprised that movies like "March of the Penguins" became so popular. That's why a witty script with some good jokes and voice-overs could have been a hilarious documentary. Unfortunately, this movie is all about potty-mouth penguins talking about reproduction. Not that funny. I would recommend skipping this one.

In the Land of Women - Not Your Average Movie

I am currently getting HBO free for a month, so I stumbled on this movie "In the Land of Women" which actually came out in 2007. I must have completely missed this one, since I don't even remember it being in the theatre. Or maybe I just thought it would be a chick flick and showed no interest in looking into it further. However, as Chrystal and I started watching it, we gradually grew more and more involved in the story. This is a drama with a slightly humorous parts at times. The acting is top-notch. I did read that the previews misrepresented this movie, so I advise anyone who has watched the preview to FORGET anything they imagined this film would be like. Basically the story is about a young man who comes to take care of his grandma (who is getting older and need helps to live). As he moves in, he ends up meeting several women (one of them being Meg Ryan) and strikes up a friendship with them. I normally feel so-so about romantic comedies, yet this one was different. I was intrigued by the young man's character and how well he listened to women. The women in the movie all seemed to really show an interest in this sensitive young man because he was honest with them, and he really listened to their hearts. The script in this movie is very well-written in my humble opinion, and I found the story refreshing compared to many Hollywood love stories. In fact don't even expect a love story with a predictable ending. Just expect to see a honest look into real life through the eyes of the characters in this movie. As long as you don't come with any expectations, I think you will find this movie very uplifting and worth a watch. Two thumbs up.

Some Research that Might Help You to be Happier

I was browsing around http://www.lifehacker.com and noticed this article about those who watch TV : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/health/research/20happy.html?_r=1&em I highly recommend you take a look at it. TV and movies seem to be watched more and more. No I don't have any stats for you about this, but I do know that my tendency is to watch more of it, rather than less of it. However, unhappy people seem to watch MORE TV than happy people (at least according to the article above referenced). So come on people, turn off that television and go visit your neighbor or go for a hike. Do something other than allow yourself to passively watch hours of programming. I've thought of writing a novel someday in my life. However, watching TV seriously impedes any chance of starting my novel. Speaking of good novels - I just read one called Shoefly Pie by Tim Downs. Excellent book that was very well-written in my opinion. If you like murder mysteries, you might want to check it out.

The Enforcer Review

After reviewing the first movie of "Dirty Harry" and finding some major problems with the characters and plots (please see previous post), I wasn't sure how the sequels of Dirty Harry would be. However, I was curious enough to tape them when they were on TV. This movie "The Enforcer" is actually the 3rd in the series, and caused me to really start liking the series again. The first one left me skeptical, but Clint Eastwood does seem to really own this role, and the script writing is not bad at all. The clever comments and funny situations that Harry gets himself into and out of make for some good movie moments. In this movie, Harry gets a female partner (whom he doesn't quite trust) and itsn't thrilled about it. However, over time he grows to respect her and she proves to be a great partner for him. There are some great one-liners in this movie, and the acting is very well done in my opinion. Although Harry Callahan seems to be kind of arrogant and adopts an the-end-justifies-the-means mentality, movies like this make it hard not to like him anyway. Recommended if you have an interest in Clint Eastwood or good cop movies.

Incredible Hulk Review

This is the new Hulk movie that was released this summer 2008. I finally got around to renting it, and was expecting something a little more classic in the action-hero comic book made movie genre. Edward Norton does a wonderful job playing Bruce who becomes Hulk when he is angered. The other actors and actresses also did a decent job and the computer effects were very heavy and well-done. However, I still didn't walk away thinking it was a great movie as I did when I watched other movies such as the "The Dark Knight" or even "Spiderman 2". Maybe it just had too much action and not enough plot or perhaps I was just not emotionally drawn into the characters as I become in some other movies. I'm not sure what it was, but I would judge this merely as a good movie, and not a great one. Of course that being said, it could be I find it hard to be fascinated with the green hero. I'm glad he wants to help people, but he just doesn't win my support. Anger usually always leads to bad things, and I usually have more respect for superheros who can control their power rather than be controlled by it. Sure, most of them struggle with their abilities from time to time, but the bottom line is that hulk doesn't win my respect. 3 stars out of 5.

Cinderella Man Review

I have actually seen this movie when it was released in the theatre and really like the character development and overall story. Since Chrystal has not seen it yet, and I would consider it one of the better Russell Crowe movies, I decided to rewatch it. Basically it is the story of a caring husband and father that has the talent to be a boxer during the time of the Great Depression. Although he was injured and had a difficult time providing for his family, the movie does a great job showing his care for his family as well as the basic desire he had to keep his family together no matter how hard it became. This movie also does a fine job making the competing boxer a genuinely fearsome character. Although not scarry in a horror movie way, it was interesting to see how they built up the danger of taking on a heavy-weight champion boxer. Similar to the time when Apollo got killed in the ring which really caused Rocky to want to take on the man who killed his friend. Don't ask me what Rocky movie that was. It may have been Rocky 4, but with 6 of them, I may have gotten confused. All in all, I found "Cinderella Man" a movie that is worth your time to watch. Although it may not be completely historically accurate, the acting in it is credible and the story worthwhile in my opinion. Two thumbs up.

What I'm Reading

I thought I would take a small break to let you know that I am in the process of reading the book on the left by A.W. Pink. Although I don't agree with Pink's views on all of Scripture, I was impressed by the notes this guy has put together on Hebrews. Hebrews in the New Testament has always been fascinating to me because other than the Historical books (the Gospels and Acts), it is one of the longer books in the New Testament and people are still not postive who was the human author. Pink believes that the Apostle Paul was, but I'm not so sure. I tend to believe that Apollos may have written it, but of course, I have no proof. Anyway - this book so far is very good. I'm about 100 pages (out of 1312 pages) into it, but I find it very detailed and informative as well as practical. Pink was great at emphasizing the sovereignty of God and magnifying Jesus in his writings. I don't believe I am quite as Calvinistic as he was, and I'm definitely not a cessationist like he was, but overall I think this a book that is worth a read if you are interested in learning more about the book of Hebrews. Of course, the best way to learn about it is to read it yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit for insight on the book He inspired, nevertheless if you are looking for a good commentary to add to your study - I would recommend An Exposition of Hebrews by A.W. Pink.

The Outsiders Review

This movie is a classic teen movie of the 80s starring Patrick Swayzee, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, and some other big name actors. I rented this one because it is considered a classic and directed by the same guy who directed "The Godfather" movies. Overall, I was slightly disappointed. It was a sad movie about kids in gangs and probably did a pretty good job showing how much kids are looking for something to do when their home life is sad. I would say the stars of this movie would be Matt Dillion as the bully who stops caring about the world, and Ralph Macchio (who is famous for his role in "The Karate Kid") as a young boy who ends up making some bad choices early on and becoming a legend throughout the movie. Although there are some good performances in here, I felt that there was almost too much star power with all the young actors that played in this movie. It almost seemed that there was so much acting talent in this movie, that no one actor could really shine through. Besides that, I didn't feel that I grew to know the characters well enough to feel anything for them when tragedy hits. So I would not recommend this movie unless you want to see some well known actors in their early years. Half a thumb (singular) up for this movie in my opinion.

3:10 To Yuma Review

I'm not a huge fan of western movies. To me they have had their time in the spotlight, and just mention the character John Wayne and I'm sure about 7 westerns pop into your mind. However, this movie was recommended, and after watching it I was blown away by how well-done it was. The basic story is a poor farmer who has no respect from his son decides to help bring in a killer (Russell Crowe) for a $200 reward (and to earn respect from his son). The story is about his trek with the killer to the train that leaves at 3:10. This movie is very rich in character development and has some great action scenes as well. Russell Crowe was suberb in this movie, and for me I think it was one of the best movies I believe he has ever played in. Christian Bale also has a fine role. I was so impressed with this movie that I ended up buying it shortly after watching it. Great acting, great story, and a worthwhile ending. This movie has actually made me have hope that good western movies can come back. One note: although most of the bad characters in this movie quote the Bible, I didn't detect it as mocking Christians at all. People have been twisting the Bible and taking it out of context since it has been written, and I don't think that disproves it at all. As Romans says in chapter 3 verse 4 : "... Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.. ". God's Word will continue to stand regardless of evil men misusing it. That being said, I found this movie fantastic and look forward to watching it again. Two thumbs up. Way up.

August Rush Review

This movie was recommended to me by several people as a great heart-warming story with a wonderful music soundtrack. I have to agree with the soundtrack aspect. This movie really does have some great original music and is fun to watch. The basic story is that a boy was born due to the union of two musicians having a one-night stand. They get separated and kind of go on with their lives not realizing that the father of the girl has signed the kid off for adoption and to stay in foster care not wanting his girl to become a mother. Long story short - and I must warn you that spoilers will be forthcoming - the boy uses his musical genius to help find the musical genius of his two parents so that they are all reunited over the love of music in the end. The one thing I didn't enjoy about this movie was that I found it kind of slow to get started. It definitely had good plot development, yet I found it almost boring in the beginning as I'm waiting for the story to unfold. However, the acting was very good, and as stated before the musical score is one of the best I've heard in recent movies made. Recommended for all those who have even a passing interest in music.

Why the Internet is not responsible for the decline in printed press subscriptions

I was thinking about this topic for a few days and have come to the realization that the Internet is not solely responsible for the decrease in printed newspaper subscriptions. Why, you ask? Well it is true that more and more people get their news from online sources, and less and less people actually take the time to read non-electronic media on a regular basis, but I have become convinced that the real reason people are less inclined to pay for the printed news page, is because of the decline in journalism. Journalists today (especially of the major newspapers and publications) seem to have a real hard time presenting articles from an unbiased point of view. Not that journalists are supposed to be neutral on every issue, but let's face it people - their viewpoint is no longer even trying to creep into most of the printed articles today - it is probably 75% of the entire content of the article!!! I for one, am not interested in reading liberal viewpoints about the world today and definitely not interested in PAYING for those viewpoints to be delivered to my home. I believe at one point the newspapers were more interested in the truth of their articles than in publicly writing their viewpoints of current events, but I think in this day and age, that has not been the trend. I really think more people would stay with newspaper subscriptions if the subscriptions were actually more factual than opinionated. However, today the average journalists can't restrain him/herself from heavily peppering their articles with bias in one form or another. I just want the facts people! While I don't believe this is the only reason printed newspapers have declined in sales, I do think much of journalism has become a soapbox to promote liberal viewpoints and have ceased being concerned about reporting unbiased facts. So that is my rant. I'm not saying all journalists are this way, it just seems most of the large publications have a good number of the journalists I described above. I invite any comments you may have.

Wild Hogs Review

I watched this movie last weekend and found it pretty amusing for a "buddy flick". The basic story is that four guys who's lives are falling apart, decide to take to the open road and go on a motorcycle road trip to feel "young and wild" again. One of the guys is a complete wimp at home and always has the last word of "yes ma'am" to everything his wife tells him. The other guys is an unfulfilled dentist who can't seem to connect with his son. The third guy (John Travolta's character) is a wealthy guy whose model wife is leaving him and filing for divorce, and the fourth guy is a geek who never married and has trouble initiating relationships with women. Overall there are many funny parts to this movie, and Chrystal and I both agreed that the 4 main actors do a good job of not stealing the show from each other. However, that being said, please don't watch this movie thinking it will be a classic movie for the whole family to enjoy. Their seems to be quite bit of off-color humor throughout, and although that wasn't played out in every scene, there was still too much for me to deem this a "family film". That being said : what do I think about the moral of the story? Well basically it was be honest with your spouse and take to the open road when you need to feel like a man and ride a motorcycle. Not sure I agree that the motorcycle is the best way to express your masculinity, and I definitely found the family solutions offered in the end as shallow and way too easy to solve to resemble any real life situation. That being said, as long as you don't seek deeper truth for how to be a real man in the real world, you will probably enjoy this movie with four very talented actors.

Shrek 3 Review

I have always been a fan of the Shrek movies. Not a die-hard fan where I wait in line on the opening day of the theatre release, yet still someone who likes to enjoy making fun of several Disney movies once in a while. So we got HBO for a few days on our cable box, and I was conveniently able to watch this movie and make a comparison compared to the other two (which I also enjoyed). My overall verdict? 4 Stars out of 5. In this movie, Shrek is about to become a dad, and he faces the fears that most fathers-to-be experience of how that is going to change his life and his wife's. Yet, even though this has standard Shrek humor throughout, I enjoyed this movie because it also had some creative moments and I never really thought "been there - done that" while watching the story unfold. Considering that this is the third movie about a green ogre that I have watched, I consider that impressive. I was also impressed by the new voice talents that they pulled in to play the characters. Shrek has always been top notch with hiring good voice actors, and they continue to impress. Great movie that has some unexpected twists and turns but overall is very well executed in my opinion.

The Marine Review

Chrystal and I had a chance to tape this one off the TV and this is another instance of a movie that I am sure glad I didn't pay to see. Basically John Cena is the marine and he definitely is a big guy and looks the part perfectly. He gets discharged from his duty as a marine and tries to make it as a rent-a-cop. Then as a rent-a-cop he gets into a fight and throws one of the disorderly clients through the building window and loses his rent-a-cop job. After this, some bad guys bump into him at a gas station and in the process kidnap his wife and steal his SUV. Now, the marine must track them down and get his wife back! That is the set-up for this movie, which borders on the comedy action level. It has a lot of action, but the special effects are just over-the-top. For instance, one of the bad guys in the movie fires a bazooka at a cop car in the movie and blows the car about 30 feet into the air with fire going all over the place. The bad guy then looks at one of his cohorts and says "What? Too much?". CHEEESY! One interesting thing is that the bad terminator actor from the movie Terminator 2 is back as the bad guy in this movie (not as a robot bad guy). This just isn't a very serious action movie. If you want cheesy lines and effects that are over the top, you will love this movie. However, if you are looking for another interesting action movie like the Bourne Identity you probably will want to stay far, far away from this one. Half one thumb up for this.

Failure to Launch Review

We caught this movie on TV, so I decided to review it for the blog. After seeing many previews, I wasn't necessarily sure I was really interested in plunking down money to rent this one, so I'm glad that I merely caught it on TV. Failure to Launch is the story of a guy who is about 35 years old, and still lives with his parents. They are really getting tired of supporting him, so they listen to some of their friends and hire a young lady that specializes in starting romantic relationships with guys that live at home and then helps them to move out of their parent's home. This movie wasn't quite as predictable as I guessed. There were definitely some plot twists, but overall many of the jokes were fairly funny and Chrystal and I liked the end product overall. Unfortunately, there is some inappropriate content that I didn't deem necessary to make the movie funny, but overall it was a cute story. If you are looking for a decent (I won't say "great") romantic comedy, you may want to check this one out. Not as good in my opinion as "Wayne's World 2" yet definitely more on the romantic side of things. One thumb up.

Facing the Giants Review

Chrystal added this movie to our list and we ended up watching it yesterday afternoon, since it was raining pretty hard in our area of town. I have to say, I wasn't expecting too much, but I thought this movie was very well done for a low budget movie with a strong Christian message. Basically it is the story of a football coach in Georgia who coaches football at a Christian school. He and his wife are fairly poor and not doing so well, when he decides to turn his life over to God and pray for some serious help. Things then begin to change, and overall the movie takes a turn for the better. One thing I really liked about this movie was how they showed that whether the team wins or loses, they still need to thank God and give Him glory. This is a message that never gets promoted in most sports movies made today. Winning becomes what it is all about, and thanking God for losing is almost unheard of. I liked that this movie was so different in that respect, because whether we win or lose games, God is still worthy to be praised. This movie also showed the power of prayer, and how influential coaches can be in the lives of students. Overall, the positive messages and the Gospel in this movie were very well presented, and it was refreshing to actually see a movie where winning isn't all the movie is about. Two thumbs up.

Wayne's World 2 Review

This was my (Paul's) pick due to the fact that I enjoyed the first movie so much. This one was also funny, so I wouldn't judge it a complete dud, yet it still lacked as much comedy as the first one contained. Basically Wayne and Garth are back in this one, and have to tackle situations like Wayne meeting his girlfriend's Asian father, Garth getting his first girlfriend, and Wayne having to fight a greedy music producer who is trying to steal his girlfriend. Some of the parts I did laugh out loud to, so I'm not going to judge this movie too harshly, yet you do have to be in the right state of mind to enjoy this movie. Don't watch this movie expecting profound moments of life illumination. Also don't watch this movie if you didn't like the first "Wayne's World" as I don't think you will think it is much better if any. However, I personally do like the "Wayne's World" movies better than any of the "Austin Powers" movies that Myers went on to do in the future. For some reason I just found them funnier and more clever in my opinion. Wayne's World 2 does feature actors like Charleton Heston, and Chris Farley (both who have since died), and it has a cameo of Drew Barrymore. It was neat to see how many famous actors and actresses decided to play small parts in this movie, and the jokes are pretty much non-stop. If you liked the first one, you should definitely check out this one.