So when "Captain America: The First Avenger" was announced, I had some reservations. It had to be good, because not only was it the final set-up before "The Avengers" movie came out in May of 2012, but also as it followed some great successes like both Iron Man movies (and yes, I liked them both) and Thor.
The movie starts with the familiar Marvel opening (the animated flipping pages) but now a Disney graphic as well, which is a little weird, and anyone who knows anything about Captain America knows right from the first scene how this movie will eventually end. I won't spoil it here, in case you truly have no clue, but it's almost as known as the Superman lore of coming from Krypton.
Quickly, though, the movie moves to the early 40s, in the height of the US' involvment in World War II, and we see a young Steve Rogers trying desperately to get into the Army. He wants to serve his country so, so badly, and it is even worse when he sees his best friend Bucky Barnes get taken and go overseas.
So when Stanley Tucci shows up and tells him to volunteer for an expiramental program that the military is developing, one that will counteract Hitler's science program called Hydra, Steve Rogers immediately jumps on board. Hydra is being led by Johann Schmidt, and he's captured a mysterious cube full of energy which has allowed the Nazis to create a super weapon.
Of course, Steve Rogers becomes Captain America, but to do so, he has to go through the expiramental program, which he does, develops a love interest, SSR Peggy Carter (played wonderfully by Hayley Atwell), clashes and follows Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones, who just eats up the screen with this type of character), and of course, The Tuch. The Lovely Steph Leann and I love The Tuch.
Neal McDonough as Dum Dum, looking alot like the character in the comic books.
And, of course Cap becomes a hero in the war, but not before he takes the long way around, in a scene that I didn't expect yet found hilarious and fitting to the story. Cap also collects a band of soldiers to go into battle with him, including Dum Dum Dugan (That Guy Neal McDonough in a really-grown handlebar mustache and bowler hat) and Gabe Jones (Derek Luke, the Biker Boyz Boy himself). And at some point, you know Cap and Johann Schmidt--more commonly known as The Red Skull--will go toe to toe in the climax.
My thoughts on the film? Absolutely fantastic.
First, the story itself is solid. It does veer into camp-territory at times, but its purposeful and light when it does. The jokes aren't hokey or corny, except when they are, and when they are, its an homage to the comics.
Secondly, there are lots of references to the comic and its lore. Everything from Tony Stark's father Howard being a major player in the development of the serum to the program itself--Captain America is actually Weapon I... for a point of reference, Wolvering is Weapon X, the tenth in the line of expiraments trying to make a super soldier.
Forget Elrond the Elf King Guy... Hugo is best when he's a bad boy
Hugo Weaving is such a good bad guy too... borrowing his sneer from The Matrix, he's completely believable as a crazy, crazy guy wanting to take over the world, and the "cosmic cube" he finds is going to help him do it--if you saw "Thor", and stayed for the credits, thats the same cube that makes an appearance in the extra scene.
Finally, Chris Evans does his triple duty in comic book filmdom... first, he was The Human Torch in both the good Fantastic Four movie (the first one) and the bad Fantastic Four movie (the second one), and then last year's not great, yet still enjoyable "The Losers", and here, he's just great as Steve Rogers. Scrawny at first, then bulking up to fill the costume and be the hero, he is great as someone who knows what its like to be powerless, which gives him the respect for the power he gains. Word is that the F/X people couldn't replicate Chris Evans' movements via CGI, so they just filmed him, then shrunk his body on screen. They used green screen to fill in the backgrounds where his body used to be before it was shrunk.
Its a little over 2 hours long, and its wall to wall fun, with very little language and the violence runs along the lines of comic-book-violence only. As in, would I let a 3 year old Campbell Isaiah see this movie? No. Would I let a 7 year old Campbell Isaiah see this movie? Probably. Cause it rules.
Don't forget to stay through the credits, because there is the obligatory extra scene... and this one is a doozy... it's the actual "The Avengers" trailer for the May 2012 film. I thought I was going to pee myself when I saw Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark talk to Thor, with The Black Widow in the background, Hawkeye with his bow and arrow and Captain America with his shield.
Loved it. Saw it in 2D, wouldn't recommend 3D unless you are just jonesing to pay the extra.
ps... do not... I repeat, DO NOT, watch the 1990 "Captain America" film. Its awful. Its terrible. And I don't mean bad like, "its so bad its awesome", or bad like "guilty pleasure" or even bad like "its so bad its craptacular", I mean "bad because its terrible". You have been warned.
So, here are some random films I've seen that I wanted to review...
THOR Personally, I was not excited to see this movie. I just wasn't. In Marvel Comics, I'm a huge, huge X-Men fan, and I love The Fantastic Four. I also enjoy The Avengers (thus, a love for Iron Man) and I dig Spider-man as well... but even though Thor is a member of The Avengers, I wasn't really pumped for this one. Never been a big fan of Thor and his mythology...
That being said, I did enjoy the puddin' out of this movie. Taking place on the mythological realm of Asgard, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is protecting the Nine Realms of the Universe, of which Earth is one. Thor, Odin's son, is set to ascend to the throne when all sorts of things go bad, including an attack of The Frost Giants (a name so stupid its actually kinda cool, no pun intended) and a set-up for failure by Thor's brother Loki. Anyone who knows the comics at all knows that Loki is bad news, so I know I'm not ruining it for anyone really.
Thor ends up getting banned, and through a porthole in space (perhaps the best way to travel through dimensions), he ends up in New Mexico, right in the backyard of scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her fellow scientists Darcy (Kat Stevens) and Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). Of course, all sorts of comic booky things ensue, and if you don't like X-Men, Spidey or Iron Man, you won't like this one...
However comma
Its a great movie. Chris Helmsworth is fantastic as Thor, and Tom Hiddleston is perfect as the weaker, yet smarter Loki. The effects are quite stunning, with the color and splendor of Asgard, the superhero explosions and superpowers you'd expect to find in a super hero movie, and to top it all off, the story is solid too. Again, I wasn't expecting nearly as much as I got out of the movie.
Even Natalie Portman was good--yes, we know she's a good actress, yes, we know she won an Oscar for "Black Swan", but in movies that aren't serious, she tends to mail her performance in (see: prequels, Star Wars), but she actually isn't that bad. Of course, there is stuff at the end of the credits, so stick around for that...
Something fun too, if you see the very end scene after Iron Man 2's credits, you'll see Thor's hammer, and if you look close, there's a little red truck. You'll be able to spot that same red truck in a fun little scene near the beginning of the film--and there is even an Avenger cameo (look for the guy trying to take out Thor in the rain).
Bottom line... if you liked Iron Man and the Marvel Comics stories, you'll enjoy this one as well.
DEVIL M. Night Shimalamala is at it again... this one, from the "mind" of M. Night Shimalamala, though directed by John Dowdle (who also directed the epic Quarantine, sarcasm included for free). Now, after "The Village", I am a little wary about anything that M. Night Shimalamala comes up with... granted, "Lady in the Water", while no masterpiece, was actually a decent film, I will say "The Happening" should have never happened. That movie was an atrocity of American cinema, so bad that its star, Mark Wahlberg, denounced it.
One of the five is The Devil in human form. Can you guess who? If you watch the movie, you kinda figure it out.
Of course, "The Last Airbender" was also a commercial failure, and I personally have no interest in seeing it... but then, there's "Devil".
The premise is, five people are on an elevator when it stops... they each have a past, they each have sins they either are committing or have committed and haven't atoned for... the movie actually starts out with a narration that tells you that when he (the narrator) was a kid, his mama would tell him the story of The Devil. The Devil would seek out individuals who have sinned on Earth, and take the form of a human, make his presence known by a death (the suicide at the beginning of the movie), then trap these individuals in a confined space (an elevator), make them turn on each other, and kill them off one at a time. The last one to die will die in front of a loved one, but in the end, everyone dies.
Thus begins our story... five people get into an elevator, and it gets stuck. A detective is brought in due to the suicide, but he gets sucked into the elevator drama when bad things start happening in the elevator car. And bad things start happening to the people who get sucked into the elevator drama. Bad times all around, bad times indeed.
The movie itself isn't bad. Its a tense film, with its suspenseful moment, though half way through I had deduced how it would probably turn out... moviegoers not as smart as I happen to be (wink wink) might not get it until closer to the end, but if you pay attention, you will figure it out long before the final moments. Of course, the detective has his own backstory, and I just don't feel like I'm spoiling anything if I tell you that that backstory will intertwine at some point with the elevator drama. It has to.
Anytime one of the lead characters has something tragic happen to them in their lives, but happened to them before the movie takes place, more often than not that tragedy will directly affect their interaction with someone in that movie... sometimes even across multiple movies (as described in "Kung Fu Panda 2") That's the way it works.
So, if you enjoy a suspenseful film with bad effects, kind of a hokey plot and a decent cast (I forgot to mention, the cast is actually solid... a bunch of no names and That Guys, but Bokeem Woodbine, Matt Craven and Chris Messina lead a great group), and a willingness to forget that according to The Word, this ain't how The Devil operates, then you might enjoy it.
Just close your eyes when the words "PRODUCED BY M. NIGHT SHAMALAMALA" appear, and you'll feel better.
THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR Don't ask me why I watched this movie. And don't ask me while I took the time to actually get it delivered on Netflix... I think I just heard it was good, and I put it in my queue.
And.... it was pretty good. Story goes that Robert Redford is a CIA Researcher in New York who returns back to his office to find everyone there has been killed... and had he not taken a back way out of the office to avoid traffic, he would have been one of them. Suddenly, he realized he can't trust anyone, and everywhere he turns, people are dying. The only ally he ends up with is a woman he befriends, Kathy, played by Faye Dunaway.
Released back in 1975, it was directed by the late Sydney Pollack, who also directed "The Firm", "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa", and it does have that very dated feel to it. The movie seems like it drags on a bit too long, perhaps 20 minutes or so, but overall, not bad.
So, to sum up, if you are looking for a great flick to catch at a matinee, then go check out "Thor"... and if you are looking for anything to watch and find "Devil" on Starz, or "Three Days of the Condor" on AMC, then give it a few minutes.
Reading this on Facebook? Then I'd invite you to head to Clouds in My Coffee's website, where you'll see the pics that go with the posts, the video that go with the movies and a few other fun things you won't get on Facebook. But before you go to Clouds in My Coffee... click the "like" button here on Facebook. Do it for me.
I had one really long list (and subsequently, long post) of movies that I've seen in the last few months--some are new and recently in theaters, some are just on dvd, and a few are movies that I haven't seen in a long, long time that I gave another crack at.
So, I figured I'd break this up into a two part post in that very fashion... today, its the movies that are currently in the theaters and maybe Monday, a few new movies I've seen on DVD and a few random movies I've (re)watched and can give my now somewhat refined movie critique on...
But let's start with ones I've seen in the theaters in the last few months... you can read my review of "Iron Man 2", which I thought deserved its own post, by clicking here, and in this post, we're going to talk about "Losers", "Kick A**", "Robin Hood", "Date Night ", "The Book of Eli" and my favorite movie of the year so far...
"How To Train Your Dragon" Okay... so, this was a film that I wasn't sold on leading up to its release date. Call me a Disneyphile, or a Pixar snob, but DreamWorks animation doesn't do it for me. From "Antz" to "Shark Tale" to "Over the Hedge", then toss in movies that everyone tells me I should love but don't, that being "Madagascar" 1 and 2(and 3 when its released), and Shrek 1, 2, 3 and Fourth, and you've got a studio that I'm just not wild about. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-Dreamworks, as I enjoyed "Kung Fu Panda" and have heard good things about "Monsters vs Aliens", but put it all together, and "How to Train Your Dragon" was a film that I'd just see when I got around to seeing it.
And if the opening numbers were any indication, I was right. It opened slow and seemed like another also-ran in DWA's studio. But... as the weeks wore on, the gross for the film kept going up and up and up, and everyone and anyone who told me about this movie didn't just like it, they loved it. Kids, adults, old and young, everyone I know liked, if not loved, this film. So, at some point, I figured The Lovely Steph Leann and I should go see it... we were even told that this is a rare case where 3-D enhances the film, not just enhances the ticket price. "Avatar" was the only other film I'd seen in 3-D where that was the case, but we went ahead and went 3-D.
"How to Train Your Dragon" follows the story of Hiccup, who lives in a Viking village where the life of a Viking is to hung and kill dragons of every size--and they are aplenty in this movie. Hiccup is a loser that is made fun of by most of the clan, mostly because his heart is not into hunting anything, much less dragons, but to please his father--who happens to be village chief, no less--he does what he can.
Hiccup ends up taking down a rare Night Fury dragon, but upon finding it in the woods, cannot bring himself to finish him off... and there, the adventure takes flight, pun intended.
I loved it. I loved every single second of this movie. I loved the main character, Hiccup, I loved his love interest, a spry pixie named Astrid, I loved the dragons, including the main one nicknamed Toothless, I loved the setting, I loved the creativity, I loved the story... I thought this movie was brilliant. This was the first time I'd ever seen a non-Pixar animated movie and thought, "This should have been a Pixar film."
The Lovely Steph Leann loved it too. As the credits began to roll, she piped up and said, "Wow. DreamWorks finally got it right."
Its one of those rare movies that I feel like was just the right length, and had very little, if any, wasted minutes. And, in another rare instance, I fully recommend 3-D glasses on this one, even if you have to see it in a matinee. Its vividly colored, and I don't feel like the 3-D dampens that, but there's something about the depth of the film and the scope of the picture that you get from the 3-D that you might not get otherwise... again, like "Avatar".
Great movie, my favorite so far of the year.
“The Losers” Okay... so, this group of guys who make up this elite fighting force are framed for a village slaughter and left for dead. And what do they do? They are on a mission to find out who framed them.
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the best thing about “Watchmen” not named “Jackie Earle Haley” or “Malin Akerman” (mmm), is Clay, the leader of this group of “Losers”. Based on a DC Vertigo comic of the same name, its full of guns, explosions, cool vehicles and betrayals, and seriously—it’s a hoot. I think all the actors, including Zoe Saldana(“Avatar” and “Star Trek”), know this movie isn’t to be taken too seriously, and in knowing that, they can really camp it up with not just the one-liners but even with the action sequences which are improbable, ridiculous and at the same time, just plain fun.
Two standouts in this movie make it worth a glance, one being Chris Evans, who played The Human Torch in another comic book adaptation, “Fantastic Four” and its sequel. He’s right on par with the snappy come-backs and comic relief. The main villain is Max, played by Jason Patric, who I can’t decide if he’s mailing it in completely or having the time of his life cause he’s got a job. Either way, Jason from “The Lost Boys” has come a long, long way.
You might remember the director of this film also directing the Oscar winning classic that rivals “Avatar” in its splendor and majesty, that being “Stomp the Yard”, and like his actors, he films in a classic comic book camp style. I’ve never read the original material, so I don’t have a reference point as to how true this film is to the graphic novel… but if you can catch it at the Ghetto Buck Theater, or pick it up on cable, do so. Its worth a 90 minute viewing.
“Kick A**” Okay... so, for every reason I shouldn’t, I thought this movie was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Its title that I feel very uncomfortable saying (and don’t, especially on a website that I like to keep PG), its got the same language you’d find in equally as funny movies like “Superbad”, its got comic-book style violence that still produces blood spatter like crazy, and it’s got a bunch of teenagers trying to get some. There is no redeeming quality to this movie.
But still… man this was funny. Dave Lizewski is, like most protagonists of movies such as this, a dork. A nerd who has nerd friends and does nerd things. He decides that there is too much evil in his own hometown, so what better way to combat it than to make himself a “superhero” suit and become a superhero. Never mind that Dave has no skills of any kind, no athletic ability and really no fighting training of any sort. He just wings it, to sad and funny avail.
This amateur crime fighting doesn’t go down to well with two real superheroes in town, Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Big Daddy is played to the hilt by Nic Cage, who you’d think based on recent works, would be in this for the paycheck… not so, I would say, as Nic Cage is an avid comic book fan—this one really might be a labor of love. The controversy comes in with Hit Girl, who is Big Daddy’s daughter and is played by 11 year old Chloe Moretz… and who says some things in this movie that no 11 year old, nay nay, no 21 year old or anyone who keeps a clean mouth, should say. She doesn’t swear a lot, but when she does, its kinda uncomfortable.
Let’s skip that part, shall we? Anyway, Dave calls himself “Kick A**”, a… well, a stupid name for a superhero, but a name that… okay, well, it kicks… you know. Through the course of the movie, Dave figures out he’s in way, way over his head, when a crime boss comes after him. His son, Chris (a “don’t call me McLovin, even though all the characters I do now are like spin offs of McLovin Christopher Mintz-Plasse), fosters his own secret identity as Red Mist. Violence and hilarity ensues.
Anyway, I cannot in any way fathomable recommend this film. It is NOT Emmy Turnbow Safe, and sez Wiki: Australian Family Association spokesman John Morrissey, "the language [was] offensive and the values inappropriate – without the saving grace of the bloodless victory of traditional superheroes". In response to the controversy, Moretz stated in an interview, "If I ever uttered one word that I said in Kick-A**, I would be grounded for years! I'd be stuck in my room until I was 20! I would never in a million years say that. I'm an average, everyday girl.” Moretz has said that while filming, she could not bring herself to say the film's title out loud in interviews, instead calling it "the film" in public and "Kick-Butt" at home. Christopher Mintz-Plasse expressed surprise that people are angry about the language but do not seem to be offended by the many people killed by Hit-Girl.
Let's be clear here... this movie is NOT for children. As a Christ-Follower, this movie is a prime example of the topic of "what do you place in front of your eyes?", which is another conversation for another day. I've tried to give you the rundown on the film as best I can, so now its up to you as to whether to see it. Cindy Jo is probably not going to see this film. Hurricane Rhett might go out tonight and catch it.
“Date Night” Okay... so, the Lovely Steph Leann and I were in Pensacola recently, and that evening, were desiring something to do. We had just had dinner at a restaurant called Hemingway’s Island Grill, and it was fantastic. The best calamari I’ve ever, ever eaten, and I’ve eaten lots and lots of calamari.
Anyway, we decided to catch a movie, one of our favorite things to do as a couple (I say that, and half the movies on this list I saw alone…). “Date Night” was one we had our eye on, and after shooting down “Letters to Juliet”, despite my slight affinity for Amanda Seyfried(is she pretty? Is she not? I dunno).
“Date Night” stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey as a married couple who love each other, but just need a night out, something special, away from the kids. They try to get into an exclusive uppity restaurant named Claw, and after being laughed at when they ask for a table, they sneak in and take someone else’s reservations (the idea of which becomes a running gag throughout the movie)… but when the bad guys arrive and think they are the people of who’s reservations they stole, things get crazy.
What follows is kinda formulaic, kind of been-there-done-that sort of plotline… but Carrell and Fey are awesome. Both are just plain looking enough to be believable as an average couple, but good looking enough, and likable enough, to root for. Throw in the fact that Mark Wahlberg shows up as a former client and former security agent, plus he’s not wearing a shirt, making for total comedy, and you’ve got a winner.
You know how there are movies that you can turn on, and just use for background noise, knowing that if you look up at any point, you’ll enjoy whatever you see because you kinda liked all of it. This would be “Date Night” for me when it comes on HBO in March of 2011.
I really, really enjoyed this film, and The Lovely Steph Leann laughed heartily all the way through. Its got some language, including one F-Bomb dropped at the expense of Mark Wahlberg not putting a shirt on, and the violence is cartoony and silly… catch this one on a matinee.
This was the story of Robin Hood before he became Robin of the Hood. Russell Crowe broods through this film like he does most films, and Cate Blanchett, so ravishing and Sydney Ellen Wade-esque in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, merely passes as Maid Marian. It was rather enjoyable to see LOST’s Martin Keamy and his creepy yet wildly fascinating grin as Little John, though, and in the credits playing “Will Scarlett”, I saw the name of none other than “Critters” and “Critters 2” star Scott Grimes. Looking at his iMDb page, the not often recognized Grimes has made quite a career for himself in bit parts and television appearances, even getting a recurring role in ER.
Neither The Lovely Steph Leann or I loved it, but she liked it more than me I think. Of course, she digs any story that takes place in old England where dudes are wearing chain mail and carrying big swords, while the chicks are in frilly, frumpy dresses and do things like wash clothes in a basin. Not saying she wants to live there, but she loves that crap.
Best Robin Hood? Dunno… never seen the Sean Connery version, but I’d have to give it to Errol Flynn, the original, though Kevin Costner’s merits could be argued. Best Maid Marian? Would be a tough battle between Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio, Audrey Hepburn (because she’s Audrey Hepburn) and that foxy one in the Disney version.
"The Book of Eli" Okay... so what an amazing movie... the only thing I knew about this going in was Denzel Washington was a man protecting the last Bible on Earth. And the setting was some sort of a apocalyptic, everything-as-we-know-it-has-been-destroyed, cars burned up by the side of the road and rotting kind of civilization.
Denzel is Eli, a drifter who is following a vision to go to the coast, taking with him the last copy of the Bible... all others have been destroyed. If it had been said what happened, I might have missed it, but this is a world now where books are scarce, grown people can no longer even read, and communities are many times held under rule by whoever has the most power. Sex is a bartering tool, and violence is the answer for most conflicts.
We see right away that Eli is not a guy to be messed with... he's got somewhere to be, and he's headed that way. And when people try to stop him, he stops them from trying to stop him in the most convincing "don't bother me" way possible. Trouble comes when he drifts through a town and its discovered by the town's "ruler", Carnagie (played by Gary Oldman, who excels in this type of role), that Eli is carrying with him last copy of the Bible.
Carnagie then determines that he must have this Bible... not because its a collectors item, not because he is a Bible scholar... but because he declares it "a weapon, and civilizations have been built on this book." That is... well, refreshing. I'm sure the producers of the film didn't intend on making a religious statement, but they did. The world sees the Word of God as a work of fiction, but this movie hits it dead on--its a weapon. A holy, righteous, hope filled, Christ inspired weapon used to tell the stories of our Creator and guide those wo follow Hiim.
Denzel Washington, a Christ follower himself, is fantastic in this movie, and like Robert Downey Jr being irreplaceable as Iron Man, so to is Washington in this film... you take him, out, the movie falls apart. The supporting cast, though perhaps not irreplaceable, it still strong, including Oldman, Mila Kunas and Jennifer Beals.
Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to see the ending coming, with the final twist. Most people I know predicted the little surprise in the last few minutes, but that doesn't make the journey there any less entertaining.
The film is bleak in color, as many of the movies with this setting are, and language pervades throughout. The sexual moments are very few, with only a couple of allusions to it, mostly within the context of the town's danger. Violence is also heavy in this film, so expect lots of knives and gunshots and big armored vehicles. All that is to say that this movie is NOT for kids. I dare say its not Emmy Turnbow safe, but at the same time, I think Emmy Turnbow would like this movie--at least, an edited version that might come on the USA Network in June of 2012 or something.
My third favorite film of the year, following "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Iron Man 2".
Another take on this movie can be found here, by Chandler Wallace, a staff member at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship)... he also liked the film immensely.
Tomorrow... reviews on "Crazy Heart" with Jeff Bridges, "Orphan" with Vera Farmiga and a few older films that I've re-watched... including... "Money Train"...
Okay... so, what I hear from everyone who has seen this is "Oh, I liked it okay, but I liked the first Iron Man better". I liked the first one a heckuva lot... in fact, its on my short list of films that might be considered for entry in the 2015 edition of The Dave100. That being said, I like this film a whole lot...
Let's dispel with the thought that this would be a superior film to the first... the X-Men and Spiderman franchises both had their second movies surpass the first, but overall, the first film in a series tends to be the best. And perhaps its that way with Iron Man--I'm on the fence, unlike most people.
Robert Downey Jr is exceptional as Tony Stark, and this movie pulls no punches in showing that Stark is a man with many issues and demons to wrestle with, not only like the comic Stark, but like Downey Jr himself. This villain here is a so-bad-he-is-fantastic Mickey Rourke, in the midst of a career renaissance a 'la "The Wrestler"(itself an exceptional movie), and he's all geared up as Whiplash, with these wicked electrical whips that cut through Formula One cars. Seriously.
I've never been a huge Gwyneth Paltrow fan, but she fits nicely here as Pepper Potts and Jon Favreau, the film's director, returns as Stark's driver and assistant. If there are two weak spots in the film, one is Don Cheadle. I like Basher Tarr as much as the next guy, but he just seemed out of place in this movie... there was a big stink about Terrence Howard being in the first film, but being replaced by Cheadle due to a disagreement with the film's producers. Cheadle still works, though, as he takes the role of War Machine which leads to some pretty cool metal on metal fisticuffs.
My biggest complaint, though, is probably Scarlett Johansson's character Black Widow. She looks great, which for me is a first to say that about ScarJo, but she just... well, she wasn't important in this movie. There's a chance this movie is just her introduction to the series leading up to a possible appearance in 2012's Avengers movie...
SIDEBAR... I'm not sure there has ever been a film I've been looking more forward too that's two years away than The Avengers. I mean, we're actually talking since 2008 when the little snippet at the end of both "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk", when Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury showed up... I thought I would wee in my britches. As an avid fan of comics, I love The Avengers, Captain America, Thor and all those guys and gals, so my anticipation for The Avengers movie is high... which means in mid-2011, something stupid will happen, ScarJo will not come back as Black Widow, we won't have a War Machine, the guys playing Thor and Captain America will be in disputes with Joss Whedon, the director... and it will all fall apart, depriving us of what will be an awesome film...
Also rumored to possibly be in the film is Nathan Fillion as Ant Man and Malin Akerman (mmm) as Wasp and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye?? I think my head just exploded.
...but truly, I just didn't feel like she had enough to do. She wasn't a factor, and she didn't matter. And for all the hype, that was a disappointment.
But, beyond all that, I was thrilled. The opening sequence, the introduction to The Stark Expo, Whiplash shows up and lashing his whips, bad accent and hair and all, Sam Rockwell being awesome like he always is, Iron Man fighting, and don't think I didn't notice the similarities between Stark's dad's plans for a futuristic community and Disney's old Epcot plan... in fact, there's a song over the ending credits called "Tomorrow Today", and it was written by the famed Sherman Brothers, the same guys who wrote "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" for the Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World, amongest other great Disney classics.
Speaking of the ending credits, stay til the very end. Its worth it.
By the way, Wolverine and Spiderman both spent time as part of the Avengers crew at one point in their careers... I know Tobey Maguire wouldn't be up for a Spidey appearance (though I don't know why not... I mean, has the success of "Brothers" put him above such frivolity?) how awesome would it be to at least have a Hugh Jackman appearance? I think he'd dig that vibe.
Seen several movies since the year began... figured it was time to talk about 'em...
First... "The Watchmen", a much ballyhooed adaptation of the classic graphic novel from the mid 80s... 1986, I think. The comic was so beloved and heralded, it ushered in a new, darker tone of comics across the board, and still remains the only graphic novel among Time Magazine's 100 Best Books of Like, Ever, or whatever they call the list.
I knew very little about this storyline to begin with, and rather than rush out to Barnes & Noble or Target and buy it for $20, then try to read it and absorb it all in a matter of days, I just figured I'd go see it, storyline unbeknownst. Or at least, not knownst to me. It would make me understand what Harry Potter movie goers go through when they haven't read the book.
The movie was... well, weird. I can understand why people who love the comic maybe wouldn't like it, as its always hard to translate certain things to screen via special effects when you can pretty much make anything happen on paper and make it look good. I can also understand, though, when I hear people say that this movie was about as good as you are going to get when adapting the book itself... I flipped through the graphic novel a few days later, and really, some of the dialogue is exactly the same.
To me, there were two stars of this movie... one was Jeffery Dean Morgan, who became famous for being Denny in "Grey's Anatomy". I always liked the guy in that show, and as the anti-hero The Comedian, he's just awesome. Got just the rough and tumble, careless personality and look that the character seemed to require.
The other bright spot? Jackie Earle Haley, playing Rorschach, the shape-shifting mask wearing guy. His voice is gravely, his words are dark and to me, he ends up being the best part of the entire feature. Also pretty good is Patrick Wilson (The Nite Owl) and Malin Akermin (Silk Spectre II). The names are a little oddball, if anything.
The NOT star of the show? Billy Crudup, who I'll forever know as Russell, the lead singer of Swampwater, plays Dr. Manhattan, and likes to be naked. Alot. I mean alot alot. And he's blue. So there was a whole lot of blue wang going on in this film. Its like a train wreck, really... you can't look at it. But you still end up looking at it, mortified, horrified and bewildered, all at once. Such is "The Watchmen." Totally Rated R for boobage, language, violence and lots of blue wang.
Another film The Lovely Steph Leann and I went to see was "Race to Witch Mountain", starring my boy The Rock. Well, he kinda goes by Dwayne Johnson now, having dropped "The Rock" nickname, but really, who is he kidding? He'll always be The Rock. The movie poster stood behind the box office at The Happiest Place in the Mall for a month, and when guests come in, I'd hear them mention things like, "Have you heard about that Witch Mountain movie?" "What movie?" "You know, the one The Rock is in?"
The plot is simple... two aliens crash to Earth, and are looking for their missing spaceship. The aliens are kids, and are being tracked by a bounty hunter, seeking to stop them from getting what they are after. The kids get into The Rock's cab, cause he's a cab driver, and literally, the race to save the world begins.
This movie is everything you think it would be, and nothing more. Its got action, its got jokes, its got a pretty good story and such... it doesn't think too hard, it doesn't ask you to believe too much or suspend too much disbelief, other than whats already suspended... I liked it alot. It's a silly popcorn movie that was worth the price. Rated PG with nary a trace of language, and only alien violence.
Not the trailer to the movie... but a clip from The Rock's storied WWE career...
A couple of days ago we saw "Sunshine Cleaning". This was one I had been waiting on, as the previews looked wonderful and it helps that I'm in love with Amy Adams. Amy plays Rose Lorkowski, a 30 something woman who's life hasn't turned out like she hoped. Rose is not making much money, her son is a problem child, and she's having an affair with a guy that she knows down deep will never leave his wife. She's a maid for a maid service, and realizes that her life has really hit a wall when she ends up cleaning a house for someone she went to high school with.
Her sister Norah isn't faring much better, having just been fired and spends her nights being lazy and amounting to very little. Rose gets a tip, though, about crime scene cleanups... being the girl that goes in, cleans up the blood and guts after the bodies are removed, and Sunshine Cleaning is born when Norah is pulled in.
Ya know, The Goddess ain't gettin' any younger. It might be sooner than later that Amy Adams ascends to that top spot... she's already becoming one of my favorite actresses, and in a very tiny group of actors that make me say, "I'll go see her next movie, whatever it is."
I loved this movie in every possible way. It was charming, it was fun and there aren't a thousand subplots to try and tie up at the end. Some of the cliched stuff that you think would happen in a movie like this never does, which was refreshing, and Rose is such a lovable character that you root for her the entire time--and its heartbreaking when the major "event" happens that seems to ruin everything late in the movie. You even end up really liking Norah, despite some of the stupid things she does. What I also loved about this movie is it doesnt' feel the need to resolve every little issue with a Hollywood happy ending. Some things are... well, just done when they are done. Rated R for language and some Amy Adams underwear shots.
When The Lovely Steph Leann and I were at the movies Friday night, I commented on silliness of the catch-phrase movie titles... Steven Seagel and Jean-Claude Van Damme were the worst about this... "Hard to Kill" or "Sudden Death" or "Out for Justice" were some examples. I remember when Jenn Mullturp and I went to see "Titanic" together in early 1997, and they showed the previews for this new Christian Slater movie coming out... "Hard Rain". Originally called "The Flood", a far superior title in my estimation, when the title card came up, I thought Jennifer was going to absolutely pass out from laughter. I had to calm her down to keep her from distracting other patrons of the theater.
That being said, "State of Play", despite its stupid title, was excellent. Absolutely excellent. The all star cast was just part of it--Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren--when many times "all star casts" just don't work, especially in political thrillers (See "Lions for Lambs". Or better yet, don't).
Just kicks off immediately with a couple of deaths that seem unrelated, which of course, you know have to be related somehow... but what drives this movie is Crowe, who is great as a reporter who just wants to dig for the truth, no matter where it takes him, including taking him to his friend, Congressman Collins, played by a surprisingly good Affleck. Rachel McAdams is Della Frye, a blogger for Crowe's newpaper and who resists learning from Crowe--but ends up assisting him all the same. And thankfully, there wasn't a "Peacemaker" ending, that being a pretty good movie ruining by a sudden romantic gesture between its two leads when nothing during the movie was leading to that.
The twists kept coming, the dialogue was sharp, the humor was in-line and the plot, though thick, was very, very good. I always look at The Lovely Steph Leann as the credits begin to roll and ask, "How did you like it?" This time, I looked at her, and said, "I really liked that. How about you?" Rated PG-13 for language and violence.
And because its my blog...
This is Goldberg's debut on WWE, after WCW shut down. The spear is fabulous, and The Rock sells it perfectly--he was never a great wrestler, but he was the epitome of an entertainer.
I always thought that The Lovely Steph Leann should have let me have wrestlers entrance music at the wedding. Mikey Nipp could have run down to Motorhead's "The Game", and Wook-Fu could have totally entered in under Goldberg's music, then stood in the smoke and blew smoke out. It would have... well, Rocked.
The Super Bowl was awesome this year... scroll down or click here to read the annual running diary...
One more note... if you are on Facebook, the numerous videos are not going to show up. Click on over to Clouds in My Coffee, then bookmark the page. Then check it daily. You never know what might pop up.
20. Rhett Barnette He's this guy I know in KidStuf, the children's theater program at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship). He's married to Amarylis, he's got a daughter named Catalina, and Rhett, without going on and on, gets the title for Funniest. Guy. Of the Year.
He's dry, he's a hick kinda guy, he's just hilarious in a room. He's the kind of guy that, when watching The Jesus Painter, stood and made quiet jokes about the program while many were in deep worship. Seriously, funniest guy of the year.
And somehow, this picture fits him perfectly
19. ESPN's Pardon the Interruption Podcast Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon... Tony... the Celtics just won the world champion over the Lakers! How hard did party and who did you party with?
Oh, I partied alone... unless you count that tryist with Bea Arthur!
So begins an episode of ESPN's PTI, via podcast. Typically, the hosts--Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser--start off bantering back and forth on the hot topics of the day, mostly sports but sometimes will dive off into other topics of the day. They will spend about 1:30 on each one, but may go over or under. The topics are listed on a scroll on the side of the screen.
Mike and Tony, discussing the woman who tried to use a fake One Million Dollar Bill at Wal-Mart
Next, they'll usually do "Five Good Minutes" with a guest, or they'll just keep talking sports, but in the middle of the show is my favorite. They'll do various bits weekly, sometimes Over/Under (they predict the over/under of a certain number like "Over/Under on the number of home runs Pujols will hit this season") or they'll do Oddsmakers (guessing the percentages of a certain event happening, like "chances that Roger Federer will win two or more Grand Slams before he retires") or my personal favorite, Role Play... they'll play a few beats of what can only be described as "porn music" and one will assume the role of a sports figure--Mike will "be Aaron Rodgers" and Tony will say, "Aaron, how mad are you that you were booed off the field this week at Lambeau?"
I downloaded it every day, missing very few episodes, and would sometimes go back and listen to a day or so old episode in case I missed something. You can get it on iTunes via a podcast... in fact, I very seldom every actually watch the show. Its always on iTunes.
18. "The Dark Knight" Much to the dismay of my friend Lori Land, there are a couple of films I hold in higher regard than this one, but finishing the 18th coolest thing of 2008 is not too bad.
This was an amazing movie. You've heard the hype, you've heard about Heath Ledger's performance, and you've probably heard the mystique surrounding the film. And I am here to say... its all true and its all deserved.
"Batman Begins" was a re-start of the Batman franchise that succeeded on so many levels, and so the anticipation for "The Dark Knight" was only building to crazy heights. When Heath Ledger died in January of 2008, it only further fueled the anticipation for the movie. And the entire time, I was enthralled by what I was watching.
Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is absolutely brilliant. No attempt is made to really discover where he came from, he's just The Joker, a super villain to Batman. If I had any complaints about the movie at all, it is first that I think the Harvey Dent-into-Two-Face story was rushed... I think he would have been a great villain alone, but he did compliment The Joker well. Secondly, that Rachel Dawes met the fate she met. I mean, its Maggie Gyllenhaal... she's awesome!
Maggie rocks
Did you know that Katie Holmes was set to reprise the role of Rachel, a role she did well in in "Batman Begins"... but she dropped out to make... "Mad Money" with Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah. Yes, Katie, how'd that work out for ya?
Anyway, I'm going on the assumption that just about everyone reading this has seen the movie, so I don't much to add to it, other than it was a slambang awesome film, and Ledger is an incredible Joker.
17. FaceBook Connections I wrote about this not too long ago.. well, it was July of last year... and I said simply, "So, on Facebook, somehow I've managed to find almost everyone that I ever met. Well, actually, I've met a ton of people, so the 508 people whom I call friend on Facebook probably doesn't come close to the amount of people I've met in real life."
Well, since that time, 508 has turned into 774 friends, and just when I think that there can't be many more, another one sends me a friend request. I have now decided that I just don't send friend requests anymore, they can find me...
Over the year, as mentioned in the note from July, I've managed to find The Official Clouds in My Coffee Troy State Crush Tiffany Abbott, The Angel (click to read The Angel Mud Boxer Story), Blair Andress, Dixon Brock, Dayla Ellison, Spring Tolson (also click to read The Spring Tolson Moment) and even more, and though the bigger "friend" news lately is the addition of The Official Clouds in My Coffee Samson High School Crush Julie Wise, that didn't happen until about a week or so ago, so it will be mentioned on The Coolest Things of 2009.
But there's more than that. This seemed to be the year Facebook just exploded, at least to me, from my perspective. More local friends joined--Cindy Warner, Melissa Clark, Emmy & Jason Turnbow--and more Troy friends joined--Amanda Hawkins Casey for one--and more Samson Friends joined--Claudia Sorrells, Jennifer Lambert... Jennifer Herdon--and then there was the Great Rejection of 2008, that being Angiejay, who told me after knowing me for 20 years, "I can't accept your friend request, because I don't know you very well". But I'm not bitter.
However, therein lies the danger, as mentioned last week... I will have to make some slight changes to some previous posts, as now I'm aware of who's on the site.
Also have to say a big hello to Mindy D'A, this incredibly cute and at the time unapproachable Alpha Delta Pi at Troy State, who I had spoken about two words to ever... and now she's a Coffee Drinker. Who knew?
17A. The Official Clouds in My Coffee Troy State Crush Tiffany Abbott McCauley She rocks. Through Facebook, not only have I been able to chat with The Official Clouds in My Coffee Troy State Crush Tiffany Abbott, we were able to have lunch a couple of times as she came through town. She's just as short as I remember, just as cute as I remember, and just another reminder of Garth Brooks' "Unanswered Prayers" song. Anyway, she was worth mentioning. Hope to see you again soon, one day to meet The Lovely Steph Leann.
Found this adorable pic of The Official Clouds In My Coffee Troy State Crush Tiffany Abbott, though it was before I really knew her.
16. ESPN's College Football Podcast Like the PTI podcast mentioned at #19, this was also one I listened to daily. A 30 minute show hosted by Andy Gresh, it gave a rundown of the college football headlines and news to know after a weekend's worth of games, and leading up to more games the next weekend.
The show would start with "The Playbook", which was a report from different ESPN bloggers, each giving news of the six major BCS conferences--SEC, Big XII, Big 10, Pac 10, Big East and ACC--and one blogger, Graham Watson, talking about The Independents & More, which mostly, at least this season, gave news on the sorry state of Notre Dame football and the rise of the Mountain West's Utah, BYU and TCU's programs.
Andy Gresh would have different guests on certain days, like Bruce Feldman on Mondays, Ivan Maisel on Tuesdays, Todd McShay on Thursdays and Mel Kiper Jr on Fridays. On Wednesdays, the show would be hosted by Ivan Maisel and would feature the Dean of College Football, Beano Cook. Personally, though I enjoy Ivan and Beano's take on the games and appreciate their love of the history of the games, I liked Andy hosting much better.
It makes me sad, though, that Andy Gresh left the podcast after this past season and will join Sirius Radio's NFL channel for a new show. You will be missed.
The podcast continues even in the off season--it is available for download every other Wednesday all the way through the spring and summer, to pick back up for daily podcasts in August--presumably with a new host. I'm rooting for Todd McShay.
15. Rush Limbaugh Ya know, I'm not going to do into detail on this one. I don't feel like defending him. I know he's right, and I agree with about 98% of what he says. He's critical of just as many Republicans as he is Democrats. He plays the audio of who you need to hear, he gives you the resources to listen to the entire bite, and honestly, listening to three minutes of his show isn't enough. You've got to listen to it regularly. Only then will you get the humor, only then will you understand what conservatism is, only then will you figure out that really, liberalism fails.
And then you'll be free. You won't be a mind numbed, believe everything the media tells you, if its written in the NYTime or if Keith Olbermann says it it must be true, robot. You'll get it. And we need as many people to "get it" as possible.
14. WalkAbout Dinner Theater During the 2006-2007 season, I was highly disappointed that the dinner theater we had planned for that June. I was losing talent like Courtney Maddox and Jess Heckman, and I felt not only defeated, but like a failure.
By that time, I had been doing middle school drama for about 8 years, and we had pulled off 5 dinner theater performances. The reason we didn't do the other 3 years is because either I couldn't, or was not doing drama that summer. Some of the kids grumbled, some of the kids understood, but either way, I had no confidence in our team. We cancelled it because really, many of the kids didn't learn their lines on time.
So, when the new team came around, my "seniors" this time were Hannah Robillard, J Pinky, Grace Mintz, Erin Taliaferro, Davis Reynolds, Grant Adams and Emily Griner... one of the strongest line ups we've had since the murderer's row of Scotty Latta, Jana Blackwell, Laura Posey and the like.
We had a great year, and planned for our dinner theater, entitled "By Faith", in July. And it was masterful. It was a one-night-only affair, done in our middle school area known as "the Big Room", and we had a completely sold out audience. Some of our drama moms, including WalkAbout Mom of the Year Melissa Robillard, helped put dinner together, while the WalkAbout Asst Director and Mom of the Year in 2007, Paula Maddox, helped get the show done.
Awesome. Grace Mintz did this monologue called "Unafraid", and brought the audience to tears, but strangely, I think the skit of the show was a little ditty called "Debbie Gibson & the Foolish Chick", based on the parable of building your house on rock and sand. Starring Kimmy Hasha, Hannah, Emily and a special appearance by Matt McG and Algore, it brought the house down.
14A. Paula Maddox She's was given the 20th Coolest of 2007 rank last year, and I went back and forth as to whether have her appear on this list or not... after all, she did get a rank last year. She was on the list of possible nominees for a Hannah Pruitt Cool Award as well, but I went differently with that.
Here's Paula, singing with a very waxy Celine
Anyway, she's awesome. She was totally my lean-on during the WalkAbout season, and my venting post as well (as she vented to me her own thoughts). I'm proud to call Paula my friend and if WalkAbout opens up to high school as well, as we are discussing, I am excited that she'll be back to help out. Well, she and Melissa Robillard.
13. "American Girl" by Estelle, feat. Kanye West Take me on a trip I'd like to go someday... take me to New York I'd love to see LA... I really want to come kick it with you, you'll be my American Boy, American Boy.
I really don't care for Kanye West all that much... and whoever Estelle is, I'm not really sure I'll dig on her music all the much either. But this song? Love it? Got played a ton on my iPod this year, and its just cool. Here's the Wiki on it.
12. "Ironman" Yes, yes, I thought "The Dark Knight" was great. But I am a Marvel fan through and through, so when I found out that Tony Stark would be played by Robert Downey Jr, I was sold. I was eagerly anticipating the film, and was not disappointed at all.
Its got a perfect mix of humor and action, with a great story and effects, and never gets dark and brooding like "The Dark Knight" was. As a matter of fact, I think I liked just about everything about this movie.
In case you didn't stick around after the credits, here's what you missed. Any comic book fan will be elated at this 35 second scene.
Haven't seen the movie? Here's the rundown... Tony Stark gambles at a Las Vegas casino, leaving his deceased father's friend and business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) to accept a prestigious award for him. As Stark leaves the casino with his entourage, he is approached by reporter Christine Everhart (Leslie Bibb), whom he charms into a one-night stand at his Malibu house. When she awakens the next morning, she is asked to leave by Pepper Potts(Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark's personal assistant.
Waking up hours later in an Afghan cave, he discovers an electromagnet embedded in his chest, placed there by fellow captive Dr. Yinsen(Shaun Toub). It is powered by a car battery and keeps shrapnel from working its way to his heart and killing him. Stark has been captured by a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings, whose leader orders him to build a Jericho missile for him.
Instead, during the three months of his captivity, he and Yinsen begin secretly building a crude suit of power armor, powered by a miniature "arc reactor" invented by Tony's father, Howard. Finally, the terrorists grow impatient and give Stark 24 hours to finish. Unfortunately, the armor isn't quite activated when the deadline expires, so Yinsen makes a suicidal attack in a desperate bid to buy time. Once the armor is ready, Stark charges through the caves. Near the entrance, he comes across a dying Yinsen, who tells him not to waste his life. Forever grateful to Yinsen, Stark burns all the munitions the terrorists have accumulated and then flies away, only to crash in the desert. Stark survives, but his suit is in pieces. After being rescued by Rhodes, Stark declares at a press conference that his company will no longer manufacture weapons. Stane tells him shortly thereafter that his decision is being blocked by the board of directors of Stark Industries.
Stark focuses his energies on building an improved version of his power suit, while making an improved arc reactor for his chest. Potts gives Stark a gift: his first miniature reactor encased in glass and bearing the inscription, "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart". (courtesy of the interweb)
See this movie!
11. Joining the VCM Way back in the day, Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) had an awesome college ministry. It was called Common Ground, and there were, on any given Sunday morning or a typical Monday Bible study night, anywhere from 25 to 40, maybe more, college and career minded folks. This is the place where I met some of my best friends and most cherish people, like McQ, Valdmanis, Shawn Sharp, Jenn Adams, The Good Doctor Earl, Amy McL and so on...
But over time, and a few various events, things happened here, things happened there, and Common Ground was no more. The subsequent attempt at the college ministry following Common Ground wasn't successful, and for years, our church languished without it. You could go all the way through preschool, grade, middle and high school and have a ton of groups and activities to be involved in. When you are in your 20s and single, or "young married" or beyond, you have tons of things to do. But the gap between high school graduation and your single mid-20s, nothing.
So it was exciting when Philip and Jill Waters, Jillip, was going to re-start the college ministry. The Lovely Steph Leann and I had been reading in our church bulletin that it might be starting up, so in service, I looked over and asked her, "Do you want to help? Should we get involved?"
Sometimes, The Lovely Steph Leann gets excited, sometimes she doesn't, but usually when she is excited, it usually involves choir or singing. Imagine my surprise when she says, "Yes. I think we should go!"
We walked down to the new college ministry room, and were excited a few of the kids there already, along with Jillip, who expressed excitement that we were there.
The Lovely Steph Leann and I talked with the group, and just told how much the ministry had impacted our lives--heck, we met there--and how we wanted it to impact their lives too. Over Christmas, we saw attendence leap up to over 20 per Sunday, and the word was spreading of the fact that Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) had invested in the college groups.
And so The Lovely Steph Leann and I are here now, in the VCM (Valleydale College Ministry). Its a little sad that we have left the Turnbow class on Sunday mornings, because of how many people there we just love, but we're happy to at least be helping in something that we know is going to grow and make a huge impact! Yay God!
So that leaves 10 more spots. And several events that rank among them... find out the Top 10 Coolest Things of 2008...
