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.

Hot Shots Part 2 Review

OK, maybe it is time for another type of comedy. I just keep getting this wacky ones with sight gags and spoofs of famous movies hoping for something as original as the Naked Gun. I watched the first Hot Shots and found it pretty funny. It was great to have Charlie Sheen poking fun of the Maverick character in Top Gun. Maybe it is just because I think Top Gun was to overdone and too stereotypical of an action movie where the guys never flinch in the face of danger. For instance, beach volleyball with a bunch of tanned Navy guys? PLEASE!!!! I'd rather skip that scene. More of Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise than I care to see. Anyway this movie on the right seems to make fun of Rambo and Rambo 2 almost the whole way through. For that I could see humor, but it just wasn't that funny. As I said above, maybe this type of comedy is starting to get old for me. At the right time I may have found it funnier, but when I watched this one, I barely laughed and found the story so stupid it wasn't funny. Lloyd Bridges can be funny, but in this one he was just plain dumb and his lines were lame. I thought the original Hot Shots movie was funnier. 2 stars out of 5 for this one. Skip it.

The Naked Gun 33 1/3

The final movie in the series, and I will say I found this one funnier than the 2nd one. It was interesting because it did star Anna Nicole Smith who has been in the news so much in the past, and of course O.J. Simpson is back again. Overall there were definitely parts in this that seemed like filler, but the academy awards show seemed to be the funniest part for me. There were some obvious movie spoofs, but all-in-all I found I laughed enough in it to not make it a complete waste of time (unlike the 2nd one). Again they seem to up the off-color humor which is unfortunate, but it did have its hilarious moments. Not the worst out there, but definitely not the funniest either. I probably wouldn't rent this one again, but I did find it the better of the two sequels they made in this series. If you want to save some time, skip straight to this one after renting the 1st one if you want to see what the series is about.

The Naked Gun 2.5 review

Well I said I would rent this, and rent this I did! What a disappointment. After watching the first one, I was expecting more of the same, and I guess it was - but the jokes just seemed to fall flat much more in this sequel. It had maybe two parts in the whole movie where I chuckled out loud. That isn't much compared to the first movie where I was almost crying it was that funny. Maybe because I was expecting more of the sight gags, and the humor seemed to be more off-color which didn't strike me as funny at all. For instance, there is an audience at this one show, that is falling asleep and they want to get their attention to warn everyone of a possible danger, so they decide to read sensual stories to get everyone perked up! Come on people, you can do better than that for humor. Sorry this was a Naked Gun movie that struck out in my opinion. You are better off re-watching the first - it is 10 times better.

Serpico Review

I decided to rent the classic 70s movie Serpico to see why it is hailed as one of the greatest movies about the police force (or something like that). I found it interesting (not very action packed) and kind of sad. It is based on a true story of a guy that wants to do the right thing (not take bribes and look the other way), and who loved being a plain clothes police officer. However, soon the other guys on the force decide they don't like what someone like Serpico does to their conscience. I liked what Serpico stood for, but I didn't like how he handled the conflict he dealt with. As the movie progresses, Serpico becomes very cynical and consumed with how much corruption seems to triumph. It ends up making him depressed and costing him his relationship with his girlfriend (who wanted to move on from talking about how corrupt things were). All in all, it was an interesting story, but I believe Serpico should have done something this movie fails to portray. Find good friends, keep living with integrity, depend on Christ for salvation, and don't underestimate the justice of the final judgement in life. Even though things may look bad, everyone will one day give an account before God. That is something to take comfort in.

Stand By Me Review

What the heck is all the hoop-la about this movie for? I had heard so many shining reviews, and was looking forward to a great story about some young boys with some moving emotional parts where the song "Stand By Me" plays resounding in the background. Instead I ended up watching a movie that was sad, and depressing about 4 childhood friends that swear like sailors even though they aren't even 14 years old, and that battle an evil Keifer Sutherland so that he'll leave them alone. Keifer Sutherland is no Jack Bauer in this movie. He is an immature dangerous teenager that thinks he is above the law and can do anything he wants to. Jack Bauer occasionally thinks he is above the law to protect others, but he isn't the punk character he portrays in this movie. Good thing, or 24 would probably have died out in the first season!!! On top of that, there isn't even one main part where the song "Stand By Me" is played in a moving manner!! Sorry, I'm gradually learning that when the critics say "Two thumbs up" you are better off skipping the movie, because most likely it is a sad, depressing movie that doesn't fit the normal encouraging flick that everyone loves but it deemed "artistic and different". They didn't quite say that about this movie, but I would definitely watch one of Rob Reiner's better movies like "The Princess Bride" or "A Few Good Men". Those seem much better directed and a heck of a lot more fun to watch.

Transformers Review

I went to the theaters for this one. I grew up with GI Joe and Transformers in the 80s, so I was curious what they did in the remake! Oh MY GOODNESS, this is one well-made movie!! The special effects are second to none, and I can honestly say I don't think I've seen effects this good since the Matrix movies came out. The story line is interesting, the effects are mind-blowing, and the music is rocking! This is a great summer blockbuster that is worth watching and very exciting for an action-adventure. Well done by Michael Bay.

Highly recommended if you have any interest in cool robots or remember the 80s toys at all. Well actually this is highly recommended regardless of your interests. Well done!

The Naked Gun Review

I know this movie has been around for a while, but I decided to rent it and see why they made 3 movies in this series. I can honestly say after watching the first one, I definitely want to watch the 2nd and 3rd movies - I was laughing so hard in this movie I was crying. A lot of the humor is sight gags, or just plain stupidity, but whatever they used, it worked very well in this movie to make a very funny result. I have also watched the Airplane I and Airplane II movies, and I was expecting this movie to be more of the same. However, having seen them both now, I think this movie is quite a bit better than the Airplane movies. I certainly laughed more, and even replayed a few scenes it was that good. I don't recall ever doing that with the Airplane movies. One of my favorite parts in this movie was the way the bad guy goes out!!! I found it laugh-out-loud hilarious the way the bad guy meets his end! The only drawback of this movie was some of the sex humor used throughout. Overall, the movie is very funny, but I wish they didn't have to resort to off-color humor. I still plan to watch the 2nd and 3rd movies as well.

Meet Joe Black Review

Ok, this movie was on TV and I have to admit it drew me in even though my wife and I started watching it about 1/3rd into the movie. It was actually better than I expected. I had seen some previews for it, and never really was interested enough to rent it, but I thought it had some great acting, great scripting and overall was a good movie with a memorable ending. What I liked so much about it was the deeper spiritual content that was found in this movie. Brad Pitt was supposed to be death personified, and some of the characters wouldn't even give him the time of day. They had a hostile approach to his character and found it annoying that Anthony Hopkins would be so attentive to his schedule and likes/dislikes. That to me is a pretty accurate picture of how people in our society feel about death. They don't want to think about it, they don't want to acknowledge that they will one day have an appointment with death, and they ignore it as much as possible even though death is inevitable in all of us. This movie was definitely geared toward the romantic side of things, but I found it entertaining enough to finish the 2/3rd I watched. Recommended for a creative look at the response of people toward death.

Fearless Review

A great martial arts movie if you are prepared for some great fight sequences with some good morals in the fighters. Jet Li played a lengendary fighter who took revenge without knowing all the facts. After he brutally killed someone, he realizes that revenge just means more blood and violence (which turns into an endless cycle). Jet Li played the character very well, and this movie showed true sportmanship in fighting and martial arts. It wasn't only fight scenes either. There is some good character development and even a touch of romance. Not as deep as a drama such as Stranger than Fiction, but still a good movie with a good moral, no bad language, and excellent acting. Recommended if you like martial arts movies.

I rented this movie after hearing that it was a pretty big blockbuster. I didn't realize that the guy who directed Glory also directed this movie. In my opinion this is a very well acted, very well directed movie after the price people pay to mine diamonds in South Africa. Although it has some brutal parts, it really makes you think about the cost of getting bigger and bigger diamonds in the diamond industry. I don't know if it is all true, but I did really make you think even if part of it is true. DiCaprio is really an excellent actor and even though I wasn't thrilled with his image in Titantic, he has done a great job getting other roles to play in and acting well in everything he has been given. This movie is very moving and a sad tale of how materialism has become so prevalent in western society. It made me think in new ways about the concept of diamond engagement rings. Some of the movie did seem to almost be too strong and almost preachy, but all in all I think it was an exceptional performance, and a movie that is worth watching. Very action-packed, but also moving, much like the movie Glory which is also directed by the same man. Recommended.

Night At the Museum Review

I had heard this movie was pretty funny, so I decided to rent it and see. Not as great as I was expecting. Decent movie and very politically correct and obvious in an attempt to make history come alive, but maybe I just was expecting too much. It did have some great actors like Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, and Owen Wilson (Ok maybe that last name is a stretch), but it just seemed kind of cheesy and silly and some of the story lines just didn't seem to get developed enough. The plot was thin, the acting was decent (Robin Williams seemed to have the best part and acted the best in my opinion), but all-in-all, not a movie I would necessarily rewatch. If the kids want to see it, it is a pretty safe bet, but otherwise watch Stranger Than Fiction (see my review below) for an exceptional movie with a great script and high quality acting.

Rocky Balboa review

Yes, I know Rocky movies seem to go on forever, but I had to go out and rent this one. I have seen all his other movies, and I had actually heard positive things about this one. I will say Sly Stallone has improved over some of his sequals in this series, but still nothing can top the first Rocky movie which I love and own. Anyway this movie picks up with Rocky in his retirement years owning his own restaurant and telling stories of when he used to box in the ring. All of sudden with the modern day technology of computer opponents the news has decided to set up a computer match and pit him against the current champion to see who would win. This of course gets everyone remembering the wonderful days when Rocky used to fight and a real fight is set up between him and the reigning champion (in some ways very similar to the first round in Rocky I). This movie definitely wasn't as bad as Rocky IV and Rocky V, but considering how many movies there are of this guy, the story is starting to get old. I did like the fact that much of the movie is developing the characters rather than just showing the two opponents jumping rope and running up steps. However, I still probably won't buy this one. Decent movie, but again - not as great as the original.

Stranger Than Fiction Review

It seems like it has been forever, since I have penned a review, but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching movies. I just saw a very well made movie on the right which really was surprising in how well written and acted it was. I have seen several Will Ferrell movies and usually after watching one I wonder if I could have used the time better than to sit through a movie watching him be a clown. I do find him funny, I just don't expect him to be in deep movies. He really showed his acting talent in the movie Stranger Than Fiction. This movie had an exceptional script and really made me think about life in a deeper sort of way. I guess you may classify this movie as a feel-good thinker movie, but whatever the recipe and genre it falls into, I liked it a lot. Two thumbs up for an interesting look at why we live life in less-than-ordinary ways. Highly recommended. I may have to go out and buy this one.

Bond.... James Bond

Well after hearing much about how the new Daniel Craig plays James Bond so well, I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised at how well he does fill James Bond's shoes. I found this movie entertaining, surprising at times, and action-packed (but not in an over-the-top way), and all-in-all very satisfactory to watch. It really showed how James started out and how he faced huge ego issues in the start of his career (I mean when you are a 007 you are allowed to do so much!). There was excellent character development, which I really appreciated because it made James Bond a little more real and helped to seperate him from his cool gadgets and beautiful girlfriends which I believe he so easily gets associated with. I also liked the fact that in this movie Bond seemed more interested in doing his job then having sleep-overs with his girlfriends which seems all too common in prior movies. He is on the clock after all. I give this movie an "A" for a well thought out action movie.

We are back in business!

Well that was a lesson in keeping tabs on your domain! As some of you may have noticed our domain name of paulandchrystal was temporarily taken over due to my lack of care in renewing it. However, after seeing the takeover for so many days, I decided to see if I could renew it, and happily I could. I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I thought I would post a message that I have not given up the blog, and if we ever do lose the domain name again, please try http://paulandchrystal.blogspot.com . We are both happy to have it back. Blogging becomes fun after a while. When you realize that you are posting to the world, and that people are interacting with your posting by leaving comments, it really creates almost an addicting way of trading thoughts and idea over the world wide web.

I have my DVR taping the 2nd installment of Pirates of Caribbean tonight. I have yet to see it, so I will probably be posting a review of it soon. The 1st one seemed to be OK, and I hear the 2nd one made a ton at the movies. Plus, this summer the 3rd Pirates movie is due out. Not that I'm expecting a wonderful triology, but I do hope the 2nd one is worth watching.

Is anyone still reading this? It would be encouraging to hear if anyone has realized we now own www.paulandchrystal.com again. Leave a comment, we love to hear from you.

Music and Lyrics Review

She said:
Yay, my husband finally comes out of the video store with a romantic comedy. After the fiasco of the previous rental (see post) I was very excited. I actually vaguely remembered seeing previews for this movie, but had no idea what it was about. The introduction to both of the characters is very comical and odd ball. Basically, Hugh Grant plays a has-been 80's rock star trying to write a hit song. I really enjoyed this comedy because it was family friendly and a very interesting story of how songs are written and recorded. I really liked the music through out this movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone!

He said:
OK, I haven't seen Spider Man 3 yet, so I can not fully comment on that movie, but I did go out and rent Music and Lyrics (much to my wif'e's delight). This movie had gotten a lot of good reviews by reviewers and I thought it had potential and all in all, I was not disappointed. Hugh Grant is a bit older than Drew Barrymore, but they both had a neat chemistry on screen, and I think it was well written and funny rather than just stupid. Throughout the movie there is also some pop star that dances and has the sex appeal of a very well-known female pop star, but I wasn't sure if the writers were actually trying to make fun, or just make a comparison to show how music has changed from the 80s to the present. Another interesting point of this movie, is that they wrote some of their own songs (from what I know), and the songs are actually decent. All in all I think I would give this movie a B+ to an A-. Well written, good story and not too mushy or stupid for a romantic comedy. Recommended.