Jack Taggart: Life as He Sees It

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: The Simians Strike Back

2011-10-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Movies in general, and Summer movies in particular, seem to be less and less surprising to me. Stories often feel recycled and their execution is tired. At the very least I feel like I already know what to expect when I get to the theater. That last issue is my own fault. Too often I get excited about films and I spend hours researching them and reading reviews. Before I ever get to the theater I already know what's going to be good and what will disappoint. This summer was no exception. Super 8 was fun, if a little derivative. Harry Potter was climactic and exciting (but a little too quick). Cars 2 was a bust. I knew this going in and in a way it lessened my appreciation or excitement for these films. Then at the end of the summer, along comes Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A film that should've been dismissed simply for its title, but surprisingly wasn't. Critics and moviegoers began to take notice and respond well. Like other movies of the summer I followed the reviews and the box office for ROTPOTA and was shocked as anyone else that it was doing so well; until I saw the film.

Even after high expectations and review overload I went to see Apes and went bananas for it! It was thrilling, emotionally involving (weird right?) and it left me wanting more in the best way possible. The story is simple enough. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist trying to discover a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but loses his funding after one of the apes he was testing the drug on goes berserk. Turns out the ape's reaction wasn't to the drug, she was simply trying to protect her baby. The baby, Caesar (played amazingly well by Lord of the Rings' Andy Serkis) becomes Will's new test subject when he discovers Caesar inherited the effects of the drug . Will secretly begins to study Caesar at his own home. Why does Will have such a desire to cure Alzheimer's? Turns out his father suffers from the disease.

Caesar begins to develop faster than other chimps. He has an increased vocabulary (in sign language) beyond any other ape. He soon becomes a part of Will and his father's family. But after Caesar attacks a neighbor while defending Will's dad, he's sent to a facility for apes (think ape prison or an ape pound.) It doesn't take long for Caesar to realize not all humans are as friendly as Will and his dad. He also discovers that not all apes are as smart as he is. Using his advanced intellect, Caesar frees himself and his counterparts at the pound. He also exposes the apes to the same serum that made him hyper-intelligent. Now Caesar has become the leader of the revolution of evolution. The apes are free to take revenge on their human captors.

The premise is a bit silly, but it's fun and extremely well executed and it ties in nicely to the original film. The genius, however, lies in the amazing special effects and above all the brilliant performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar. I was a little upset after Lord of the Rings that Serkis got no Academy recognition for his role as Gollum. Sure it was a CGI character, but Serkis was on set same as all the other actors and his movement and facial features are what we saw on screen. Sadly, I feel Serkis won't get any recognition for POTA either, but he definitely deserves it. It's exciting to watch him perform.

Sure the movie has its weaknesses as well. The human characters are much less interesting than the apes, but the actors do a great job of playing their types (particularly John Lithgow as Will's dad). I feel bad for Freida Pinto, the lovely actress from Slumdog Millionaire, who plays Will's girlfriend. She really has no point except to remind Will that Caesar needs to have a normal life. Pinto is much more talented than the material allowed her to be. The film also can go over-the-top with some of the action scenes, but I forgive that offense, because it's so cool to watch apes terrorize San Francisco.

I can't wait for the sequel to this movie, provided it is as engaging as this film. I think the idea of showing the war between humans and apes could be very fun, but it needs to be handled delicately. We all remember how bad a Planet of the Apes movie can be, right? However this movie is my vote for best of the summer 2011! Bring on the War for the Planet of the Apes! (I call dibs on that movie title!)

4/5

X-Men: First Class - A Mutant's Revisionist History

2011-07-09T16:34:00.001-07:00

I didn't know what to expect going to see First Class. The two most recent X-men films, Last Stand and Wolverine, left some to be desired, the last one in particular. The trailers for this film looked decent, but I was still wary. I also don't really like the idea of restarting established series so soon after the las entry (*cough*Spider-man*cough*), but the reviews I had read seemed to speak highly of it so I took the chance. And I wasn't disappointed, at least not fully.

The film starts off exactly (I mean, shot for shot) as the first X-men movie did. We see young Erik Lehnsherr, being dragged from his parents in a concentration camp. The scene was, I believe, recreated using a new actor and not actually the exact same footage. The opening goes one step more, though and introduces us to our villain Sebastian Shaw (played by Kevin Bacon). Shaw forces Erik to us his power to save his mother's life, when he is unable to do so, Erik taps into his true potential, much to the pleasure of Shaw. Thus begins a life-long hatred of Erik for Shaw. The prologue also introduces us to young Xavier and Raven (Mystique), but it's not that interesting.

The story follows Xavier and Erik (later known as Magneto) teaming up as friends with the CIA to stop the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is being masterminded by none other than Erik's nemesis, Sebastian Shaw. Shaw has an army of minions (Emma Frost, a mindreading vixen who can turn into...diamonds?, Azazel, a devil look-a-like transporter and some guy that makes tornadoes with his mind, IMDb tells me his name is Riptide) which he enlists to help him start WWIII against all humankind. He believes that mutants are the future and therefore superior to weak humans. Xavier, however, believes it is possible to coexist peacefully with humans, once they get to know each other. So he joins the human CIA people to battle Shaw. Erik is just in it to kill Shaw. But, the good guys have to enlist help, so they find a group of young kids with special abilities (sonic voice, ape feet, some laser firing power, flight, etc) to help them.

The film is set in the sixties and that is one of the best parts of the movie. The cool clothes and sets give the movie a throwback feel that suits it well. I was impressed with how real the setting felt and how the filmmakers were able to make technology and fashion that was so dated, still look cool.

While the setting helped the film a great deal, the greatest asset this film has is the chemistry between the two leads. Erik and Xavier's battle over how to deal with humanity is interesting and Fassbender and McAvoy (the actors) do a brilliant job making it feel real. I've always thought the idea of X-men is intriguing, especially the idea that two nemeses could have been great friends. This film seems to imply better than the others, in fact, that these two care for each other even after they go their separate ways. It begs the question, how can you fight your best friend. They both understand each other perfectly, they just have different approaches to their collective problem.

The strength of First Class also is its undoing. Since the leads are so strong, the peripheral characters don't get a fair treatment. Sure, there's a little pathos with Henry McCoy (Beast) struggling with his identity, but it isn't enough. Most of the gang just seems to be there to fill a very specific roll in the climax that Erik and Xavier couldn't have predicted would have been necessary (even for those who can read minds). But the biggest weakness by far is the writing. The story is okay, straightforward, often predictable (how can it not be when you know the outcome of the Missile Crisis), and the dialog suffers. Only the scenes between Xavier and Erik have any real heart. Some of the lines are just laughable, especially Mystique's lines. I wished they made her more of a character instead of a caricature. Also, I was miffed with the ending. Seemed too all-of-a-sudden.

Despite weaknesses, though, this film is exciting and enjoyable summer fun.

3/5

Super 8: A Blast from the Past

2011-07-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes for this movie. I mean a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams? I'm in no matter what they're selling. I was also wary that my personal hype would cloud my judgement. But I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. This film felt like Goonies, ET, and Cloverfield all wrapped together in a perfect package. It was suspenseful, heartwarming, nostalgic (in the best way), and hilarious. Being Abrams first film that was not a franchise (see: MI:3 & Star Trek) studios took a big risk with this film, but it definitely paid of both critically and commercially. (Most films these days really make their money overseas, but Super 8 made over double its budget back with little help from foreign sales.)

The story follows Joe Lamb and his friends as they attempt to make a zombie movie for a small film festival. One night while filming near some train tracks (for "production value") the kids witness a massive train wreck which they miraculously survive (They have to right? Otherwise there's no movie!). The train wreck seems like an accident, except to Joe who saw a truck drive head-on into the train. Soon Joe's small town is swarming with military and government officials who don't waste time in covering up the train crash. Something is missing from the train and it doesn't appear to be friendly.

Abrams is a huge fan of mystery and, for the most part, that mystery serves him well in this film. Like Jaws, the threat of the creature is scarier than the creature itself. But, the thing that gives the film its most suspenseful moments, also robs the film of its deserved emotional climax. At the end of the film we're supposed feel empathy for the creature, but we've spent so little time with it that we don't really feel anything. At the end of E.T. when he tells Elliot, "I'll be right here!" we're on the verge of tears. Joe's moment with the creature at the end of Super 8 feels contrived and simplistic. But it can be forgiven since the rest of the film is so well done.

The acting, for me, is what really makes the movie special. Anytime you work with younger actors you run the risk of, very quickly, wearing out your welcome. Making kids the stars of your movie only ups the stakes. Abrams did a brilliant job of casting mostly unknown kid actors. Instead of being irritating and juvenile, the kids are endearing and funny. Abrams walks a thin line and succeeds. My only qualm (expressed clearly by a friend of mine) was the amount of foul language used by the kids. I don't like swears as a general rule and younger kids using them doesn't help anything. I think it's difficult, but better, to find other ways of expressing frustration.

Overall, I loved this movie. It's the perfect film for anyone who grew up watching Spielberg's Amblin-esque films or who was an amateur filmmaker themselves.

4/5

Memorial Day in Philly, PA - Part the First

2011-05-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was able to spend some time with my sister and her family in the City of Brotherly Love. So what did I do in the city of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin? The birthplace of American Independence and our nation's first capitol? Well it was Memorial day so of course I...toured filming locations from the Rocky movies!

Jim's friend Dalyn Montgomery took us around and we had a great time.

The first stop was a local boxing gym. It wasn't featured in the movies, but it gave us a feel for what the movies were trying to do. As you can see I got into the spirit pretty quickly.

Jim gets schooled by the hunger newcomer.

Next stop: Little Marie's House from Rocky Balboa. We couldn't decide if this was the house or another one on the block, but we got the street right for sure.

Next we took a stroll down Rocky's block. 1818 Tusculum Street. See the screenshot below.

I Know How You Feel, Bear!

2011-03-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

Lego-ception? Incept-Lego? Legception?

2011-01-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

Where was you? Where was you at?

2010-12-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

For my birthday-eve I got to go to see Brian Regan! It was amazing. He came to perform for all NuSkin employees and their guests. My brother-in-law, Danny, just started working there so he invited Jo and I to attend. It was a great treat. I laughed so hard my stomach, throat and head hurt. It was brilliant. He had a lot of new material and he did some oldies I'll insert some videos below of his First Class versus Coach stuff. Very funny. (Sorry if the videos get shaky, I was laughing)

He had a new hairdo he poked fun at:

And of course he pulled all kinds of faces:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part the First

2010-11-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

In an act of willful defiance of bedtime Jo and I decided to catch a midnight showing of the penultimate Harry Potter film. Having been a fan of the books and movies for over ten years now I was looking forward with great anticipation for this movie. However, after sitting in front of what may have been the nerdiest group of Potterites in Utah County (they played Would You Rather - HP style. "Would rather ride a hippogriff or a thestral, etc?") I realized I was barely excited for the movie compared to the groupies behind me. Perhaps one day I will repent, but for now I must be content with being a mere initiate in the world of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the unfortunate realization of my incompetence as a Harry Potter fan, I still enjoyed the film quite a bit. Despite slow parts and missteps the seventh movie lives up to the glory of the precursors and sets us up incredibly well for an amazing finale.

Anyone familiar with the book knows that this film was going to be the slower of the two finales. And just as you would expect the film has it's slow bits. I mean most of the film is Harry, Ron and Hermione walking around being grumpy with each other, but the director, David Yates, does a fair job at keeping the pacing quick enough to hold your attention.

Different from the previous six films, Deathly Hallows takes place entirely outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With Voldemort back in power and Dumbledore dead, nowhere, especially his beloved school, is safe for Harry Potter. After a few attempts on his life that endanger his friends Harry decides (along with Ron and Hermione) to go on the lam to keep those he loves safe and simultaneously continue his search for Voldemort's Horcruxes (cursed items in which the Dark Lord has hidden bits of soul in an attempt to be immortal). During this search there are many moments of looking out across the vast wilderness longingly and hissy fits among the trio due to the evil effects of one of the Horcruxes.

The search isn't all bad, though. There are some beautiful moments quiet (Harry and Hermione's dance) and otherwise (a creepy run-in with a Bathilda Bagshot impersonator). The film is beautifully shot and very well put together. I wouldn't be surprised to see this on the Oscar list for Cinematography just like other films in the series. The script has it's weak points, but I believe most of that comes from omissions in previous films. Now the writers have to introduce characters that haven't been in previous movies (even though they're in the books) so that important plot points can come out. This isn't to say that the script is bad, for the most part it's very strong, but whenever a movie goes into, "The reason why this is..." mode I tend to do a mental eye-roll.

So while this movie may be slow, it was expected and to be honest I really enjoyed some of the slower moments. Maybe there was a bit too much pining, but even some of those could be poignant. The film's final act picks up and leaves you hanging in excruciating agony. Of course they would end it where they did. Not leaving you sad, happy or angry, just extremely anxious for the final film. We know the direction things are going and it was nice to have this methodic, deliberate film before the director puts the pedal to the metal in the final film. Bring on July!

A-Team: I Love It When A Plan (Unexpectedly) Comes Together!

2010-08-27T15:12:00.001-07:00

What is more fun than being surprised at the movie theater? In our age of internet, Rotten Tomatoes and discotheques I am rarely pleasantly surprised with movies. Now I almost always enjoy movies I see, but that's because I know what to expect going in. Toy Story 3 was great and I knew this before going to see it. Inception was mind blowing and I had read this probably 20 before stepping foot in the theater. So whenever I can go into a movie not expecting much and be fairly well blown away, I love it. Such was the case with this year's underappreciated movie: The A-Team.

I was not a fanboy of the original series. I may have been if I was in the proper age group, but I was about five or so years too late to really be a part of the fanbase. None of that matters, though, because I know enough about the show to enjoy this movie. And besides, the movie is an origin story anyway so you can come to it knowing nothing and enjoy the ride. I'm sure there are references I miss, but I'm fine with that.

The movie is an action/comedy that actually has great action and superb comedy. The story follows Liam Neeson as Col. Hanniball Smith an Army Ranger who leads a team of crack soldiers on ridiculous missions. The team consists of Lt. "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper), Cpl. B.A. Baracus (Quincy "Rampage" Jackson) and Cpt. H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley). Each member has their speciality. B.A. is the driver, Face is the point man and Murdock is the pilot/resident insane person. The story starts with the explanation of how the team got together in a chance meeting in Mexico and goes on to show how, eight years later, they were framed "for a crime they didn't commit." After breaking out of four individual high security prisons they go on a mission to clear their names. The crime they were imprisoned for is something about plates used to print money stolen by some other army like guys. Ultimately it doesn't matter it is a revenge story.

The story is convaluted. I don't know that I can fully explain it, but it doesn't matter. Like the original show (I'm told) the movie and the characters in the movie specialize in the ridiculous. Never for a second are we supposed to say, "That is so unrealistic." Of course it is! And that's the beauty of it all. We don't care that you can't actually fly a tank by shooting the turret to direct it while it falls. Sure helicopters probably can't doo barrel rolls and pull out of a free fall. Who cares! They say funny stuff while it happens.

By far the stand-out performance comes from Copley as the pilot, Murdock. We meet him masquerading as a doctor and stitching up B.A.'s arm in the shape of a lightning bolt. We're told several times that he is certified insane, but also the best pilot around. We also get plenty of opportunities to see both claims during the course of the movie. Copley plays the part so well I have a hard time believing he's not like that in real life.

While Murdock is the source of most of the humor during the film, the other characters hold their own. Each character has their moments. Face is the ladies man and has some great moments with that, B.A. is hard core, but can be very funny when you get him talking about his fear of flying, and Hanniball demands your attention as the leader of the group. All do well with the material they have. Jackson (as B.A.) is probably the weakest link, but he's a UFC fighter and reprising the role made famous by Mr. T so you can't fault him too much.

The greatest weaknesses come from the action scenes. While they are fun and fast paced they follow the same idea as a lot of action movies do now. The idea is that action scenes aren't shot so much as edited. Most of the time I knew someone had a gun and then shot that gun (because I heard it go off) and then some got hit, maybe? Sure it may be more realistic but in a movie sometimes I just want to see the action that's going on. Also you don't have to say, "I love it when a plan comes together!" everytime a plan comes together. Even if they said it in the original show.

This movie was such a surprise to me because it knew so well what it was. It never takes itself too seriously while simultaneously making the action scenes compelling and fun. The humor is derived in large part from the dialogue, so it doesn't feel worn or forced. The actors work well together and in the end you realize that you just watched something people had fun making. I would love to see a sequel, but alas poor reviews and a niche target audience may have made that impossible. Here's to hoping my unknown blog can make that a reality.

Rating: 56 Barrel rolls in a helicopter

Toy Story 3: Don't Cry They're Only Toys

2010-08-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

When will Pixar fail? Not this year, that's for sure. Lately it seems that anytime someone announces the third movie in a franchise we roll our eyes and say, "Omygoshnotanotherone." We've just been jaded too many times in the past (I give you Spider-man 3, Shrek the Third, Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, etc.) and while I have no particular problem with trilogies Hollywood tends to forget what made the first two movies great when making the third. Even with a company as great as Pixar I was worried about this movie. The trailers looked good, but not great, yet I kept an open mind. After all How to Train Your Dragon looked awful and turned out to be fantastic. So I went to see Toy Story. I even sprung for the 3D show. And I have to say, it's fantastic. It was touching, funny, and action packed. I was not expecting it to be any good. Part of Pixar success must be in playing down expectations. For the last several movies (Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3) I have seen the preview and said, "Meh. Doesn't look that great." Each time I have been surprised at how fantastic the movies are. Maybe Pixar is the one studio that honestly doesn't know how good they are. If that's the case I hope they stay aloof for much longer.

This latest (and perhaps final) entry in the Toy Story saga takes place as Andy is preparing to go to college. His toys (Woody, Buzz and the gang) are all there waiting for Andy to play with them. Children's toys they may be, but naive they certainly are not. They know their time is running out and they begin to contemplate their various fates. In the toy world it seems you have three options: Trash, donation, or attic. None of them is ideal, but the consensus around the toy box is attic is preferred. At least there they can watch TV and hang out with the Christmas decorations. However after a mix-up Andy's Mom throws out the toys Andy was going to put in the attic. Once they figure out where they are they decide going to a day care may not be such a bad idea, so they escape and stow away in the Sunnyside Day Care donation box.

Upon arriving at Sunnyside the Toys decide they are in heaven. Toys get played with everyday and when the kids get too old they leave and new ones show up. It doesn't take too long, though, before the dark side of Sunnyside is revealed. It seems that the long time toys get special treatment while new recruits have to prove their worth by spending time with the destructive toddlers of the Caterpillar Room. Quickly the movie turns into a prison escape film that borrows heavily from classic and modern escape movies.

The story is great, the humor is strong (especially Buzz Lightyear as "Spanish Buzz" and anytime Ken is on the screen) and the heart is felt. I dare you not to get choked up as the gang faces their own mortality in a Dante-esque moment (Okay, I've never actually read Dante, but I have to imagine "Inferno" has some similar imagery). The movie is ultimately the purpose of toys, which is to be played with. It'll make you want grab your favorite toys from days gone by and be a kid again for a few minutes. Check it out, but don't waste the money on 3D. Not necessary, the story is good enough.

Rating: A Whole Ken's Dream House

Inception: Down the Rabbit Hole

2010-07-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

Christopher Nolan has done it again. He has managed to make a thought provoking, exciting summer blockbuster that has you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I really enjoyed this movie, though I recognize it has its flaws. It seems that people are divided on whether they loved or hated this movie. I haven't come across too many lukewarm reviews of this film. I can safely say I fall into the "Love it" category. Going in I was looking forward mostly to the visual aspect of the film and was happy to find that it had a good story to go along with it.

The story is simple enough, on paper at least: Don Cobb (Leo DiCaprio) and his team (Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, et. al.) go into people's dreams and steal their most guarded thoughts. That is until a businessman, Saito, (Ken Watanabe) asks Cobb if, instead of extracting an idea, he could implant an idea (this is known as inception). Cobb says he could even though others on his team disagree. Cobb takes the job because Saito promises he can get Cobb back to his kids if he does. Why can't Cobb get back to his kids on his own? Because he's a wanted man back in the states. Wanted for what you ask? You'll have to watch the movie to find that out.

So Cobb and his crew take the job. The mark is Robert Fischer Jr. (Cilian Murphy), heir to an energy empire whose company is Saito's rival and only roadblock to global energy control. The idea the team has to put into Fisher's mind: Break-up daddy's company after he dies. It seems simple enough, but it will require traveling to deep levels of Fischer's subconscious to achieve. If the team can't go deep enough the idea won't take. The problems: Fischer has hired extractors to train his subconscious to protect itself against other extractors. This causes problems for the team because the have to fight off "Projections" that work as assassins and these projections get more vicious the deeper they go. Also, the team has to travel through three levels of dream states (a dream within a dream within a dream), something that takes exceptional skill I'm sure. Finally, Cobb can't seem to shake his own unconsciousness within other people's dreams. He almost always comes face to face with his deceased wife, Mal, in every dream he enters and she always seems bent on destroying his work. Why? Well that's another gotta see it to understand it things.

In a nutshell there's the plot. As I said earlier I loved the movie even though I recognized its faults, but I want to highlight here the good and the bad. What worked and what fell short.

First, the good.

I loved the themes presented in the movie. As a film student I usually look past the basic plot to see what the movie is saying (intentionally or otherwise). As an LDS film student I like to see ways that "unbelievers" attempt to explain death and loss and life and meaning. This film makes a great attempt to understand the meaning of loss and what is reality. I think often people who don't believe in an afterlife or struggle to explain pain and suffering tell great stories that say, "Wouldn't it be cool if..." Inception does this. Wouldn't it be cool if we could create our own dreams and even our own worlds within those dreams. They even go so far as to say that we can be "like gods" when we create these worlds. (Where have I heard that before?) They toy with the idea of waking from those dreams thinking that the dreams are the reality and our lives our the dream. I think the characters, Cobb in particular, try to make this reconciliation. Like LOST I think Inception takes a stab at explaining our existence. Both fall short, but that's what happens when you aren't quite sure of what things mean. Yet in falling short they both touch on some beautiful truths that if only they understood they could move from, "Wouldn't it be cool if.." to "Isn't it cool that..."

Also a major plus, the visuals! I have never seen something this sharp and beautifully done. The fight scene between Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt) and Fischer's Projections is amazing. If this film doesn't win best visual effects I'm not sure what will.

And you can't leave out the ending! What great ambiguity! Is he? Isn't he? You want it to be true, but is it? This makes no sense of course and even if I told you the ending it wouldn't make sense without seeing the whole movie. Christopher Nolan, for the ending alone you win Best Picture of My Heart.

Yet with all its greatness there were some missteps:

The logic. It must be very difficult when creating a world with its own rules to stick to those rules all the time. A few examples:

1. The kick. If the sensation of falling wakes you up even from sedative induced sleep how did they not wake up when the van rolled? Also, how did they "miss the kick" I understand Arthur not kicking the group from the third level to the second, but how did Arthur miss the kick from the second to the first? (None of this makes sense without seeing the movie of course, but it will once you do)

2. The floating. Again Arthur floats in level 2 because the van is falling. Why are the guys in level 3 not floating? Sure they're asleep in level 2, but guess what? They're floating in level 2 also!

Another short coming for me was the dialog. Too much of it is exposition. It seems like they said, "We need to explain to our audience what's going on. Let's put a new character in the mix, Ariadne (Ellen Page) so the pros can explain the rules to the newbie and then everyone knows." It's a good workaround, but also a bit of a cheat. I think we're smart enough to get most of it on our own, spare us the chatter whenever you can.

All in all a great film. One I plan to own one day and one I wish I was good enough to make right now. I want to learn how Nolan did it all.

Rating: 18 Totems

Lost: The End

2010-05-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

So most people on planet USA know that the sci-fi/action adventure show, Lost, finished its 6 year run last night. I was among the millions who watched the finale and I have to say, I was deeply impressed. It's not often that a show can be about time travel, polar bears, smoke monsters and plane crashes can be so universally enjoyed, but Lost figured out how to do it. I think it owes its success to the strong characters on the show. Good guys and bad and everyone in between had their moments. We sympathize with criminals and con men, doctors and rock stars, mothers and fathers (or fake mothers and fake fathers at that). There are no (or at least very few) shallow one-dimensional characters in Lost. Everyone got a chance to show the good and the bad about themselves. With that in mind let's examine (as best we can without giving too much away) the last episode of Lost: The End.

The biggest strength of the Lost finale was that it was about the characters. Over six years this show has raised a lot of questions and introduced a lot of mysteries. It would be foolish to try and answer all of them in the last episode. Many of the big questions of the series have been answered in the last season (what are the numbers, what is the black smoke, why did Oceanic 815 crash on the island), but still several were left unanswered. If the writers wanted to just answer questions the finale would have been a lot of talking and not as effective. They chose instead, wisely, to focus on the characters and Jack in particular. By doing this the writers let us say our goodbyes in the most poignant and meaningful ways. We get to see them interact with each other and come to terms with their destinies. The reunions expected and unexpected were sweet and charitable. Bad guys get some redemption and the good guys get their just reward. It was a surprisingly Christian/Spiritual ending for a mainstream TV show with lots of elements of forgiveness, redemption, and even resurrection. Two moments that stick out in my mind: Jack to the Man in Black: "Locke was right. I wish I could've told him that while he was alive." and Someone to Someone else (names hidden in case those who haven't finished it yet read this) "For what it's worth, I forgive you." "Thank you [name], that means a lot. It means more than you know." Powerful stuff for primetime television.

Lots of reconciliation happens in the finale. Not least of which is the reconciliation between the sideways world and the island world. Since the beginning of the last season audiences knew that there was some relationship between the two, but not until the last moments do we understand why. All I can say about the last few minutes is, "WOW!" I was floored when I realized what had happened and how it was all going to end. I never considered that it would end this way, but in retrospect I realize it was the only way it could end. It was so complete and final that it wrapped everything up nicely. We still have questions, but at the same time everything feels resolved. Maybe my religious background helped me appreciate the sweetness of the ending, but whatever the case may be it was touching.

Well finishing this show was like leaving at the end of a long family vacation. It was fun and you know you have to go back to regular life, but you're just going to miss everyone. Sure it may be silly, it's only a TV show, but as someone going into this field for a career it's nice to think the things your doing could have some meaning. Lost was great, the ending was pitch perfect for me and I'll miss it, but hey, there's always Lost on DVD!

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: It really is quote/unquote Fantastic

2010-02-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

I pick this movie as my favorite from 2009. It is just so great. Subtle, dry and hilarious. Even upon a 2nd viewing at the dollar theater I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. Maybe even more because there was a larger, more responsive audience on try #2. Really, though, if you haven't seen this yet, go check it out. If it's gone you'll have to wait until March 23rd when it comes out on DVD. It is worth your time.

Now after that glowing praise a word of caution: this movie is definitely not for everyone. If you're a fan of the book, you might like it. If you are a fan of Wes Anderson (the director. See also: The Royal Tenebaums, Life Aquatic, Bottle Rocket, et. al.) you most definitely will like it. It is so classic Anderson it's not even funny, or rather it IS even funny. His characteristic dry wit and quirky family relationships abound in this stop motion piece of wonderfulness.

The animation is jumpy and awkward, but that's just the charm of it all. I love stop motion and Wes Anderson and his team have done a great job with it. But the heart of the film is in the voice-acting. With George Clooney leading the pack (intentional pun) it's hard to go wrong. He does great as the title character, but I will have to admit my favorite character is Ash, Fox's son (voiced by Jason Schwartzman). Schwartzman is so monotone and pitch perfect as the neglected son of Fox. For examples of this brilliance reference scenes where Ash and his cousin Christofferson discuss sleeping arrangements or Ash and his coach (Owen Wilson) discussing his potential as an athlete.

I could go on, but too many thoughts run through my head. Just go see the movie and if you don't like it, that's fine. Just don't be like the girl in the class I TA who, every time I mention this movie, says, "Ughh, mgoshthatwastheworst, ugh, mpfht, ugh, thists, thsihft." But you should like it. Cuss yeah!

For the very interested: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1571554585/

Rating: 73 Boggis Chickens, 67 Bunce Geese, 85 Jugs of Bean's Cider

Where the Wild Things Are: Welcome to my Childhood

2009-12-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Since it has been awhile since I last posted I figured I would skip the end-of-summer movies I saw (My Sister's Keeper, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, etc.) and skip to the beginning of fall.

I was really excited to see this movie, especially after seeing the trailer sometime last spring. My wife (she's really cute) and I decided to go see this movie at midnight and it was quite an experience.

The movie is based on a children's book that only has like ten words in it, so you wonder what they're going to do. Director/Writer Spike Jonze took some liberties with the story (including making it nearly two hours long) and succeeds incredibly well. Now I need to clarify a few things. First of all this movie is weird, the dialogue is odd and the plot is jumpy. For these reasons a lot of people were put off by it. I LOVED it. The reason being that all of these "inconsistencies" were intentional. Spike Jonze knew exactly what he was doing. Sometimes movies fall flat because of problems like these, but Where the Wild Things Are uses them very well.

The plot is pretty simple. Max lives with his single mother and older sister. He feels left out because his sister is starting to hang out with boys and his mother is doing the same. Since he's left behind Max starts to act out. One night after a fight with his mother Max runs away, finds a boat and travels to an island where the Wild Things Live.

The Wild Things are led by Carol, a passive aggressive monster with abandonment issues. He is upset over his (girl)friend, KC, leaving. Max steps in and becomes the king of the monsters. The rest of the story revolves around his trying to help the Things build a perfect city where they can all live together. But Max faces his own problems of having to grow up too fast and be a leader too soon. He wants to stay with the Wild Things and be their friend, but he also has to lead them and he learns quickly that in order to do that he has to be the grown up. This moment of realization came for me when Max and Judith get in a shouting fight and Judith tells Max he's not supposed to do that. She tells him he's supposed to be better than that. A great (albeit weird) scene.

As I said, the plot is jumpy and the dialogue odd. Even with these unorthodox storytelling methods I found a lot of ways to connect with this story. To me each of the Wild Things is an aspect of being a child. There's Alexander (Paul Dano), the shunned one, Judith (Catherine O'Hara), the know-it-all, Douglas (Chris Cooper) the loyal friend, etc. Each of the Things is me. And I'm betting they're you too, even if you won't admit it. And they're each Max, which is why he gets to be their king and control everything, because it's his imagination.

The plot jumping around did not bother me in the least. That is probably because I have the mind of a child and this movie basically is Max's mind. Anyway, the point is I connected with and understood this movie very well. So if you're still connected to your inner child, or you want to get re-connected with it, see this movie. If you end up not liking it, you can't say I didn't warn you.

Rating: 50 Wild Rompuses.

Night at the Museum 2: Battle for More of the Same

2009-07-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

This was a fun movie to see on a weekday afternoon. Nothing spectaculr about it. The story is simple. The characters are ridiculous. The comedy is clean and the pacing is quick. So I have little to complain about, but also little to rave about. It is as I expected it would be. I liked the first movie. It was surprisingly good to me. I thought it was funny and unique. I enjoyed it. This new one was pleasant enough, but it was just the same idea redone with some extra characters.

The plot is easy enough. Ben Stiller's character, Larry Daley is no longer a night guard at the museum, but a successful inventor and owner of his own company. But, as you probably guessed, he is not happy. He longs for the old days of wandering the halls of the museum at night with his friends, the exhibits from the museum. From here the movie wastes no time in getting to the thick of the story.

Larry finds out the museum is being upgraded and all the exhibits are being shipped to the Smithsonian Archives. He wants to save them, but doesn't know what to do. When they are about to be shipped that tricky monkey from the first movie steals the tablet that makes them all come to life. So when they get to the Smithsonian all the exhibits come to life, including Kamunrah the brother of Akmenrah (that Egyptian from the first movie).

Kamunrah is bent on world domination so he tries to steal the tablet from Larry's friends. So Jedediah (Owen Wilson) calls up their old pal Gigantor for help. The chaos ensues. There are funny parts. Larry's encounter with Brandon (pronounced Brunden) had me cracking up. Part of it is in the trailer, but most of it isn't. The other stuff is pretty standard. Some of the charcters are dumb (The Thinker and Gen. Custer) others are cute (Able the Space Chimp and the Singing Cheribum) others are sassy (Amelia Earhart). At times it gets a little too sentimental (Jed telling Gigantor, "I didn't call you because we needed you. I did it because you needed us!"), but hey it's family entertainment.

There's a lot going on in this sequel and it comes at you fast. Before I could even tell, they had started into the story. I guess with summer sequels you don't need exposition. It's fun, it's harmless, it's nothing special.

Rating: One Wax Teddy Roosevelt

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

2009-06-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Reviewing this book on its own wouldn't do much good. It's the fourth in a series, so a plot analysis wouldn't do much and reviewing it alone isn't quite fair. I guess I'll just review the series as a whole.

Overall, these are fun books. They don't have the best writing (Brandon Mull the LDS author is a new writer), but the stories and the characters are fun. As a film student I get taught, "Story is everything!" I get taught that a lot and in movies and books that's true. Think of all the movies that should have been great. They have the actors, the budget, the effects, but they fail because the story wasn't good. It's the same with books, and these books have some really good stories. It would be fair to say that the strength of the stories makes up in part for some of the weaker writing.

It's always a good sign when I read a book and I can see what's happening in my head. It's an even better sign when I think a book would make a great movie. Such is the case with the Fablehaven series. They are simple children's fantasy books that are filled with enough excitement, adventure, comedy and suspense that they seem ready-made for the big screen.

The story follows Kendra and Seth, a sister/brother team that go visit their estranged grandparents one summer. Soon they realize, however, that their grandparents are caretakers of a preserve for mythical creatures (fairies, satyrs, golems and the like). Kendra and Seth have several adventures in which they have to protect the preserve and those who work there.

Each book has a new chapter in the ongoing saga, and near the end of the first book or beginning of the second they learn about the Society of the Evening Star. The Society is an evil organization that is bent on world domination (or something like that). From then on out Kendra, Seth and their compatriates have to fight the Society and stop them from getting things that will help fulfil their purposes.

It would take a long time to tell everything that happens in the books. So I will simply say that the books are fun. A quick read if you're looking for a filler book between reading Tolstoy or Hugo. They may not be as good as some children's fantast books are (*cough* harrypotter *cough*), but they're good. My one wish is that the stories stuck out more in my mind. After reading a Harry Potter novel I can wait the year or two before the next book comes out, pick up the new book and not be lost. When reading this latest Fablehaven book I had a hard time remembering what had happened before and who some of the characters were. Luckily the author gave me enough in the book to jog my memory a bit, but a lot of the details were still hazy.

So, take a chance on these books. You won't have to invest too much time and they go by fast. I wasn't lying when I said these would make good movies. I plan on making them one day.

Rating: 54 Golems (Golemi?)

Up: Why Pixar Rules!

2009-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hollywood needs to learn a lesson. A lesson I get taught almost everyday as a film student. The lesson: Story is King. Pixar knows this lesson. They act on it. And that is why they are the best at what they do. Sure they have beautiful films that are fun to look at. They even have exciting action sequences and funny moments, but first and foremost for them is the story. Believe me, UP has a great story.

The movie starts out with Carl Fredrickson as a child. He is a quiet, short, little guy with a big imagination. He roams his streets imitating his hero, adventurer Charles Muntz. Later he runs into a spunky girl named Ellie. She makes Carl 'cross his heart' and promise to take her to South America one day to see the Forgotten Falls. Carl and Ellie eventually fall in love and get married.

The film flash forward and takes Carl and Ellie quickly through life and some challenges. This part of the film is surprisingly sweet and poignant. It's hard not to quickly fall in love with Carl and Ellie. When Carl loses Ellie later in life he becomes a bit of a crumudgeon. He sits on his porch and gets the mail and that's about it. Carl lives in the same house he has for all those years with Ellie, but a land developer is building all around him and wants to buy Carl's home, but Carl won't sell.

Things change when Carl strikes a worker in anger. He is forced to move into a retirement center, but Carl's not going to go quietly. He decides to finally take that trip to South America and does so by lashing thousands of balloons to his house that easily pick it up and carry it away.

Carl is accidently joined by Wilderness Explorer and nuisance Russell. Russell is trying to earn his last merit badge for assissting the elderly when he is lifted up with Carl's house. Carl and Russell soon get to South America and make their way towards the falls. Along the way they meet up with an exotic bird, Kevin (named by Russell) and a talking dog named Dug. Both of these charaters add some great comedy to the film (listen to Dug's "joke" he tells, I died laughing). Later the villain is introduced, but I won't ruin all that for you.

The film is just plain fun. It's a good story, with some touching moments, great comedy, and pretty good action (the fight scene at the end between two old men is pretty great). You'lll love the characters and the gags, they're just so much fun. As far as pure entertainment value goes, I would rank this film in my top three Pixar movies along with Toy Story 2 (P.S. There's a Toy Story 3 teaser trailer at the beginning of the film) and The Incredibles. Pixar wins the year again!

Rating: 99 Luftballoons

Terminator Salvation: Sometimes Critics Should Just Shut-Up

2009-05-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. This was a cool movie. Going in I didn't have very high expectations because I had read so many poor reviews of the film. I agree with a lot of what the critics say, but not to detriment of my enjoyment of this movie. It was an action movie. It does what action movies do best, provide great action sequence with a decent plot and acting. The performances and storyline are nothing spectacular, but they were good enough for me.

Unlike the Star Trek revamp this year, Terminator Salvation is absolutely for those familiar with the original trilogy because it follows the same storyline. So maybe it's best if I give a brief synopsis of the original Terminator movies.

The first Terminator is the story of Kyle Reese who is sent from the future to protect Sarah Conner from a killer robot (a terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). The terminator has been sent to kill Conner because her unborn son, John Conner, is the leader of the resistance against the robots in the future. Conner doesn't believe Reese since she is not pregnant and it isn't likely she will be so anytime soon. Turns out Reese is the father of John Conner. The film ends with the terminator destroyed, seems like all is well.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is about another assassination attempt of John Conner, who is now a punk teenager. A new killer machine is sent to do the work and Schwarzenegger's T-800 is the good guy this time, sent to protect Conner. At the end of this film it seems as if the war in the future has been avoided.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines proves that theory wrong. It's the same idea, robot killer (this time a girl) is sent to take care of John Conner. Schwarzenegger is back to protect, but this time it ends with a twist. John Conner is sealed in a bunker right as Judgement Day (the first attack of Skynet, the bad robots) happens. The future, it seems, is unavoidable.

So we finally get to the movie at hand, Terminator Salvation picks up some years after Judgement Day. John Conner (Christian Bale) is leading the resistance against the machines and discovers they have begun to replicate human flesh in preparation for their newest model of terminator the T-800 (in other words the bad guy sent to kill his mother). Conner becomes worried when this has happened sooner than he thought it would.

Things become more complicated when Conner realizes he is second on the machines' hit list. First place? His not yet father, Kyle Reese (currently only a teenager). So now Conner has to find a way to stop the machines from killing Reese and theoretically ending his life as well as destroying the entire resistance.

More complications come as Marcus Wright, is introduced to Conner. Wright was put to death in 2003 (15 years prior to the story), but is now alive a mostly machine. Conner does not know whether he can trust Wright to help the resistance or if he is just part of Skynet's plan to kill himself and Reese.

Most critics complained about lack of story, it's true, it's not the most thoughtful or deep of the Terminator films, but it's good enough. Plus, it sets you up for a sequel in a great way, because you know more has to happen to finish the story. Some also complain abut acting, that there's no real depth to the characters. That's mostly true. Bale mostly screams at people and robots and doesn't get as much screen time as you would think. But then there's Marcus Wright (played by Aussie Sam Worthington). His character is cool. He doesn't know where he's come from. He remembers being killed and has no memory of Judgement Day or the resistance. His story is interesting and it takes up a good part of the film.

So take it for what it's worth. It's a summer action flick. It's supposed to fun. It is. It's supposed to make you want to watch the original three. It did. It's supposed to get you prepared for a sequel. I know I'm waiting for one. It may not be your cup of tea, but if you've seen the originals this one is worth checking out. Besides it's better than any Wolverine or Transformers out there!

Rating: 74 Robot Motorcycles

Star Trek: Remember the Space Times?

2009-05-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

All I have to say about this movie is, "AWWW YEEAH!" I just got back from seeing this for the second time. It was just as good as the first time, maybe better because it was in IMAX. This is the movie of the summer. Sadly it comes out so early in the season that there's not much else to look forward to (Terminator will be okay and Harry Potter will be great, but is so far away). So by mid-May we've hit the peak of summer greatness, but it's quite a peak.

First of all I need to say this film is for Trekkies and for initiates into the Trek world. You need no previous knowledge of Star Trek to see it, although if you do it will enhance your experience (see more on this subject later). The new Star Trek was directed by the genius, J.J. Abrams (LOST, Alias, Felicity, Mission Impossible III) and was designed to reignite the series by starting from the beginning. So let's start there, shall we?

The film starts with a bang. A huge battle between a ginormous Romulan (bad alien) ship and a small Starfleet (good guys) ship. The battle is intense, the ship is destroyed as the acting captain, George Kirk, sacrifices himself so the rest of the crew (including his wife who is at that moment giving birth to their son, the soon-to-be James Tiberias Kirk) can escape to safety. The scene is both epic and touching and gives a great prologue to the movie. From the start of the movie you are sucked in, it's exciting and you love it.

The movie goes from there to a brief introduction to the two main characters (James T. Kirk and the Vulcan (smart aliens) Spock as children. Kirk is a rebel acting out against authority and Spock (who is half Vulcan half human) is a angst ridden youth in a culture that doesn't believe in being angst ridden. Not a lot of time is spent on the background of the characters, but the time that is spent is effective. The movie really starts moving when Capt. Pike of Starfleet convinces Kirk to join up and be a man like his father was.

On the shuttle to Starfleet Academy Kirk meets Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (my favorite, played by Karl Urban), the cantankerous medical officer. The night before he met Uhura (Zoe Saldana), the communications and xenolinguistics expert. Later we're introduced to Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), the helmsman and Ensign Pavel Andrevitch Checkov (Anton Yelchin). Each character gets their moment to shine and it's great. Engineer Montgomery Scott comes in later and while his appearance is a little more than a cameo actor Simon Pegg makes the most of his limited screen time. All the original crew, with a facelift. Each actor is great at being true to their original counterparts, while also bringing a new style all their own. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

With all the necessary crew in place the movie is set for pure fun. If you're familiar with the old Star Trek, you'll love the references and in-jokes, if you're not familiar with it you'll love getting to know all the old crew with all their new jokes. Bones has all his obligatory "Damn it man I'm a doctor not a_____." lines. Scotty tells Kirk he's "Givin' it all she's got." Checkov has trouble with his V's. They even have the scene where Kirk beats the infamous Kobayashi Maru test. Top it all off with a great cameo by Leonard Nimoy and you've got all the right parts. (If none of this means anything to you, no worries, they're just nerd-talk inside jokes from older Star Trek films.)

Yet there is plenty here for newcomers. There is plenty to enjoy in this reboot. First timers to the series will enjoy the fast paced action, menacing villany of Eric Bana's Romulan Capt. Nero, and funny dialogue that keeps the movie light-hearted just at the moments when it starts taking itself too seriously. It's the epitome of a perfect summer movie. I wanted to see it again as soon as it ended. Now I want a sequel.

So if you haven't seen it yet, go now. See it in IMAX if you can. (On that note, since going to the IMAX I have to ask myself, why do they keep building normal theaters.) Anyway, go see Star Trek, it's great. You'll laugh. You'll gasp. You'll hold your breath at the stunning space jump sequence. Have fun and "Live Long and Prosper!"

Rating: 7 Billion Warp Drives!

17 Again: Another Evidence That Lightsabers Make Movies Better

2009-05-12T11:36:00.001-07:00

It's outlandish. It's ridiculous. It's implausible. It's...a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The formula for 17 Again is not a new one. It's been done before as Big, 13 Going on 30, and in other variations like Hot Chick (haven't actually seen this one). But 17 Again, is still fun and it has a lightsaber fight and that makes it all worth it.

I was worried that this movie was going to be terrible at the start when Zac Efron (as Matthew Perry in 1989) got up before his big basketball game and started dancing with the cheerleaders. "Oh no! High School Musical 4," I thought, but the film got better as it went on. Efron and Perry play Mike O'dell. In the "future" Mike is on the verge of a divorce from his high school sweetheart, his kids hardly know him and he lives with his best friend the uber-nerd, multi-millionaire Ned Gold. By some magic Mike gets the chance to be 17...again. He comes back as his fit, good looking high school self to do it all over... again. At first all Mike wants to do is play basketball and be popular... again, but he soon realizes his son is picked on and his daughter is dating the school jock/jerk/idiot. So he decides to fix everything and woo his wife...again.

The story sticks to formula, but with funny moments along the way. The best part of the movie is Ned, Mike's best friend. Ned is a super nerd and he's rich. He lives in a sweet house with a sweet car and all the nerd memoribilia you could hope for. Ned ends up falling for Mike's principal, Jane Masterson (played by Jan from The Office). Their "courtship" is hilarious. I laughed lots.

Overall an enjoyable movie, but nothing groundbreaking or spectacular. A fun movie to watch with your significant other at the dollar theater or at home on DVD.

Rating: 11 Hubcaps

The Soloist: Mental Health and Life on the Streets

2009-05-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

So I have been looking forward to this film for awhile now. It was supposed to come out in November/December of last year, but got bumped to April. This is not a good sign since most studios have their "dumping" period from about January to April. I was worried that the film wouldn't live up to the expectations I had from reading the book. I was not disappointed, though, the film was just fine. The performances of its two leads (Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx) were great, the story was strong enough, and the film didn't go too long.

The film is based on the true story of Steve Lopez (Downey), a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, who, while searching for a story, comes across Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Foxx), a homeless, mentally unstable musical prodigy. Steve begins to write Nathaniel's story of how he went to Julliard and studied cello, had a nervous breakdown, left school and began a life on the streets. Steve is soon consumed by Nathaniel's situation and tries to help him get back on his feet. He takes Nathaniel to concerts and tries to get him off the streets and on medication. Each of these tasks is met with resistance of some kind by Nathaniel. At times Nathaniel is calm and coherent and takes Steve's advice and at others Nathaniel is violent and irrational.

Ultimately this film is about Steve coming to terms with his own incapacity to love and be responsible for another person. It's also about educating the public on homelessness and mental illness and the kinds of people these things affect. It's touching and sappy, but effective and compassionate to its subjects.

Foxx's performance of Nathaniel is especially good. He does well at conveying the absent-minded Nathaniel as well as the musical genius Nathaniel. He's likable and we feel bad when he has outbursts, because we know he can't help it. Downey is also great as Steve. He is able to make his character likable, even though he's not the greatest guy. Steve's character arc, his change from the beginning of the movie and the end, is great; due in large part to Downey's performance.

Though the film is strong there are some qualms I had with it. It should be noted, however, that these are only problems because I read the book and know the full story. The first is that Steve Lopez is married with a young daughter in the book, in the movie he's divorced (from his editor?) and has a college aged son. This change kind of helps the story, but not really. There were touching moments in the book, like Nathaniel coming to Steve's house and meeting his family. Also, there is not enough about Nathaniel's time at Julliard and how he came to leave the school. The film makes Nathaniel out to be this perfect genius, but in the book it's clear he was good, but he still struggled in school. Minor problems for sure, but significant ones. (If that makes any sense at all).

Overall, I recommend this film. It's touching, uplifting, and at times eye-opening to the situation of people on the streets, particularly those in large cities. I'm fairly certain the director used some actual homeless people in the film.

Rating: 12 Barrels of Monkeys

A Swiftly Tilting Planet: L'Engle is Almost Good Again

2009-05-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be familiar with the brilliant writer Madeline L'Engle. She wrote the children's classic, "A Wrinkle in Time." That book has long been a favorite of mine and I recently re-read it and then promptly bought the four other books of her Time Quintet series. I had high hopes for these books, but was sorely disappointed by the second book "A Wind in the Door." The book tried to be smarter than the first, but ended up just being confusing and convoluted. She liked to have her dragon-like (but NOT dragon) character say to the earth-children, "You don't have a word for it in your language, but it's almost like _______." A lot. The next book, however, gets better, but has its flaws too.

"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" starts Thanksgiving day with the Murray family from the previous two books. Meg Murray is now married to Calvin O'Keefe (who is giving some lecture in England during this time), Charles Wallace is 15 and the twins Dennys and Sandy are becoming lawyers and doctors and the parents are there too. Also with the family is Mrs. O'Keefe, Meg's crumudgeon of a mother-in-law.

After a disturbing phone call from the President himself (Really?) the family begins to worry that the earth will end in 24 hours because of nuclear war. Then Mrs. O'Keefe spouts an old Welsh rune and Charles Wallace knows it is his destiny to save the world.

Charles Wallace then goes to his favorite star watching rock to find out what he needs to do it. It turns out he has to travel through time with a Unicorn named Gaudior to find a "might-have-been", a time in the past that could change the events of the future. While he does this Meg (and the new family dog) "kythe" (telepathecally communicate) with Charles.

The book started slow, but it got better, but ended quickly and anti-climactically. The best parts of the book were the times when Charles Wallace would see the events of the past through the eyes of someone who lived during that time. These little vignettes were neat little stories in and of themselves.

So, if you want to read a great story pick up "A Wrinkle in Time" and if you're OCD like me and have to finish the entire series read the next couple, they're fine too. I look forward to reading the fourth one because I remember reading it as a child and really enjoying it. The twins go back in time in this one to Noah's day. Exciting!

Rating: 13 Unicorn Horns

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Marvel Mutants Meander in Mediocrity

2009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well I waited anxiously. I watched trailers. I even went to a midnight showing. Was it worth it? No. Not at all. A movie that was so hyped and anticipated should have been good. A movie that took about three years to get made should have been great. A movie with this cast of characters should have been mindblowing. The special effects should have been flawless. The story should have been intriguing. A lot of things should have been. Alas, they were not to be.

The film follows the early life (lives) of one of the favorite X-Men, James Logan "Logan" "Wolverine". Already you're probably confused, as was I, since he has like 15 names in the movie. Wolverine has long been a favorite because he has a cool history (he's lived since the 1800s and fought in every major war, since he can't be killed). This history would have been cool to see, but instead they just showed about a minute and a half of him in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam over the credits.

The film starts out showing how Wolverine and his brother (Really?) Victor (a.k.a Sabertooth) come to work for the governement as part of a secret team of mutants under Commander Stryker. The team consists of Deadpool (although in the movie not really) played by Ryan Reynolds, Will I. AM (a rapper who can teleport), Charlie from Lost who can read minds, the marine from lost who killed Ben's daughter (his power is being strong and getting fat later on) and some Asian they call Zero who can shoot real good. All these characters had some great potential for being cool. Too bad Logan leaves the team on moral grounds and becomes a lumberjack in Canada. The team ends up getting killed off one by one.

The film progresses and Logan trades his bone claws in for Adamantium (sp?) ones. So now he's indestructible and on a rampage against the ones who built him (because somehow during the underwater surgery he gained super hearing and heard their plot against him). Anyway more mutants come along. Like Gambit who is now Southern instead of Cajun (and pretty useless) a girl who can turn into diamonds and a young Scott Summers (a.k.a Cyclops). All of these characters are glorified cameos and serve no real purpose.

In short, this film was disappointing. It had potential, but suffered in the execution. The most embarassing thing about this movie was the special effects. At one point Wolverine is trying out his new claws and they look like the singing sword from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". So if you're dying to see this movie, catch it in the dollar or on the redbox. One can only hope that "Star Trek" will be better.

Rating: 8 Cereal Box Toys

Artificial Intelligence: Searching for the Soul

2009-04-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

The first thing that has to be said about this pretty amazingly well-made Spielberg pic, is that it is neither as good as the die-hards say, nor is it as bad as the naysayers...say. It is extremely beautiful, but lacks a cohesive story, at least for me.

The film follows David, a 'Mecha' or robot created to love unconditionally. He is given as a test to a woman, Monica, whose son is in a coma. Monica begins to love David back, until her son, Martin, wakes from the coma and David accidentally hurts Martin. Monica leaves David in the woods because he can't be at home, but she can't bear to have him destroyed.

David then begins his journey to find "the Blue Fairy" who will turn him back into a real boy. His adventures take him to "flesh fairs" where humans destroy mechas for fun, to the end of the earth Man-hattan with his new pal Joe a Mecha gigalo.

Haley Joel Osment is a great child actor and he does well as David. Jude Law as Gigalo Joe is funny, but not necessary. The other supporting roles are great. Especially Teddy, David's robotic Teddy bear. The design of that robot is amazing.

The story obviously parallels the fairytale Pinocchio. Sometimes the parallels are too much for me. The ending was weird. It involved aliens and being frozen for 2,000 years. Overall it was an enjoyable, well made, if lacking in parts, film.

Rating: 12 circus clowns

"State of Play": A Romp into the Political

2009-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finals time. A time for stress and studying, that is, if you're a "normal" college student. We in the film world, however, are not normal (just ask my roommates). Most of our classes are hands-on, project-oriented. By the end of the semester we're done. For me finals is more about running, reading, and watching movies. So, in the spirit of finals I saw a movie this afternoon with a friend, that movie was "State of Play" the new conspiracy theory, political thriller starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. (See Left)

The movie starts off well. Two men are shot in an alley one survives, but is in a coma. We see the face of the shooter, but have no idea who he is. Let the mystery begin!

The story follows Cal McAffrey (Crowe) a reporter for the Washington Globe as he investigates the two murders. He soon discovers, with the help from Della Frye (Rachael McAdams) that these murders are related to the death of Sonia Baker, the aid to Congressman (who was also the college roommate to Cal) Stephan Collins (Affleck).

Cal and Della begin delving in, only to find a conspiracy involving PointCorp, an independent war contractor who happens to be under investigation by...you guessed it Rep. Collins and his House buddies. The plot thickens the closer Cal and Della come to the truth.

Performances are good by most of the cast. Crowe is good, but he's usally great. Affleck is bearable, but he's not very good. McAdams is good, but I didn't feel her character was necessary. My favorite supporting cast was Jason Bateman. He plays the owner of a PR firm involved in the conspiracy. He's sleazy. He's a drug addict. He's greasy. I was worried he couldn't pull it off, but he did well. It was a nice turn for Bateman.

In short, a nice way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.

Rating: 16 Golden Bananas

A New Direction

2009-04-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

So it has been a few months since I have been in the Blogsphere, but I'm back. I think I don't blog often enough because I really don't have that much to say. So I have decided to change my blog. It will no longer be about random things I choose to rant about, or about my love life, or family. Instead I'm going to write about things I love to do, watch movies and read books. Now I don't want anyone getting the idea that this is all I do, but it is what I do with my leisure time, so as part of that leisure time I will write reviews of the media I have taken in recently.

Now I'm not complaining about family life blogs. I look forward to having a cute family blog when I get married (in 66 days, but who's counting) but I also want a blog that is more unique to me. So if you want family cute look for Jo's and my blog this summer as we detail the wonderful world of newlyweddedness. In the mean time if you want sweet reviews of the films and TV shows I've seen or the books I've read tune into this site. Enjoy!

Turkey Day and other things!

2008-11-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

So the holidays have arrived and I am grateful. I can finally start singing and listening to Christmas music without a bunch "bah-humbug" holiday haters jumping down my throat. So I listen to Christmas music nine months out of the year. So sue me! (Actually don't I don't have anything worth taking).

But honestly, aren' t the holidays the best? What could be better than gathering with family members and being asked the same question 8,883,890,098,125 times? Yes, I am still in school. Umm, film. Yes, it is a lot of fun. I want to write and direct. Yeah, it is a competitve industry. Of course you can be in one of my movies someday. Yes, I am dating someone. Her name is Joanna. Yes, she is cute. Yep, she's tall. How did we meet?

I think you get the picture. But hey, that's what family is for.

It's interesting having a girlfriend for the first time and simultaneously being the only child in your family not married. You are no longer yourself so much as a way for your family to talk about you without ever mentioning you. Not that I mind of course, Joanna's much more interesting to talk about. I think, though, that I am fading from my family's collective conscious. It was Jack, now it's our son/brother and his girlfriend and soon it will be Joanna and that guy she hangs out with who may or may not be related to me. Such is life.

So it's Thanksgiving day and soon I get to eat with, greet, and meet family members. I thought about printing up a t-shirt with the above responses to save time, but I thought it might be a little tacky, so I boldly go where many men have gone before me. They have survived so I think my chances are pretty good. Happy Thanksgiving everybody and good luck on Black Friday! May you stuff yourselves silly and then shop until your cards are declined!

Here's a little Thanksgiving cheer for all to see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptLD0kCoHg4

I hate thinking of titles

2008-10-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for goals. I meant well the last time when I promised more consistent writings, I really did. I was going to tell the tale of how my nephew Wes was born several weeks before he was actually due to emerge and how that birth coincided with a massive overhaul of my parents house and how my brother-in-law had to move to Philly shortly after the birth. But too much time has past and the story isn't even cool anymore.

So here I sit in History 202, bored out of mind, typing in my blog. History is fascinating subject that most teachers have learned how to suck the very life out of. Now it's not all that bad all the time. For instance, today we have been talking about John Locke and Rousseau, both early 19th Century philosophers. That was fun because the whole time I was debating on whether or not to raise my hand and say, "Did you know John Locke and Rousseau are characters on Lost?" In the end I decided not to. That sentiment would have been lost on my professor. He just wouldn't get how significant that is.

Over the past couple of weeks I have had a cool experience. I have been working on a film that is being shot at the LDS Motion Picture Studio. That has been a lot of fun in spite of early mornings and long days coupled with spastic shifts in weather. The project is a very small one (it's just a 15ish minute student film) but it has been a learning experience nonetheless. If you ever think the Hollywood-types have it easy, spend one 12 hour day on set. I think you'll find your thinking was quite silly.

Besides that, life goes on as fantastic as usual. I have a blast with my roommates. Poor Scott gets the brunt of most of our pranks as you can see by the picture below with his bed on top of his desk and dresser. Life is good, the laughs are frequent and the food is above average. Until next time!

Uhh...I dunno

2008-07-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been as consistent as I had hoped I would be and I am sure there are many out there in the cyber-sphere that are heartbroken, but buck-up I'm back! I wish I could say my days have been too packed with thrilling adventures and archaeological expeditions to far-off places, but sadly, I cannot. My summer thus far has consisted mostly of work and weekend trips to the moving picture viewing theatre (Dark Knight anyone? Yes please!)

Now I should be fair. While I have not been galavanting around the globe, work certainly has (or rather had) become more interesting. You see, I was put on a project to audit mortgage loans underwritten by a certain company that will herein remain nameless. With the recent mortgage crisis that has gripped the nation the company I work for has decided to investigate certain loans that it has insured, that have defaulted to see if there was any foul play on the part of the loan officer approving the loan against company and industry guidelines. The part I took in this project was data geek. I navigated the important people throught the loan files and various excel spreadsheets while they determined if the loan could be rescinded or if there was not sufficient documentation to determine or if needed further investigation. Makes perfect sense right?

I don't really expect anyone to really follow all of that I just wanted to show off how much I knew, just in case any eligible ladies happened to be reading. I like to wow women with my intellectual prowess. Actually I just keep a thesaurus (not the dinosaur) next to me so I can look up cool sounding words. I don't even know what they mean.

Really I brought up all that insurance nerd-talk to simply say I had part in an interesting and actually important job and to segue into my next thought. I learned something very important while working here this summer and that is: If you have a job that someone can learn in a week you need to diversify your skill-set. You see last week I decided to take a week off to go to the beach with some friends. I figured it was a pretty safe bet. I was wrong. I returned to work this week to find they had trained someone else (who was supposed to be my replacement after I left) and changed the process just enough so it wouldn't be worth training me again for only 2 weeks of work. So here I am sitting at work, updating my blog. Gotta love summer jobs.

This entry is really boring, so sorry to all my die-hard fan. It lacks a certain "pictureness" to it. I will make up for later when I tell the tale of "Wes the New Nephew and the Gutted-House". Stay tuned!

Catchin' Up

2008-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I may not be the most consistent blogger in the cyber-world these days, but I think I make up for it with my wit and intelligence. I have no valid excuse for not updating my die-hard blog fans on the terribly exciting goings-on of my life. I could say it was because not much has happened, but that would not be completely truthful. Quite a bit has happened in fact since my last entry.

For one I shaved my head. No, I didn't get a buzz cut, I shaved my head. Beyond my eyebrows and the occasional, yet faint, 5 'o clock shadow, there was no hair on my head. Many ask what my motivation was. Some jump to the quick conclusion that I did it to better portray John Locke in our second Lost video. This, I am afraid to say, is simply not true. I feel I am a dedicated actor, but I am not that method in my, well, method. The Lost video did however inspire me to cut my hair. It was getting long anyway and I needed a summer cut. I was planning on only a very short buzz cut, but I was convinced by my roommate Dave's infallible wisdom ("Dude, you should Bic your head") and the promise that my roommate Taylor would follow suit the next day. So it was done. And as they say, "What's done is done and it cain't be undid," or something like that.

Reactions to my new (lack of)hairstyle were varied. Friends at school said they liked it. Many said I should keep the look. Yet my family members at home were...let's say less than enthusiastic. Let me illustrate my point with a true scenario involving me and my (usually) supportive sister. The scene went as follows:

My Sis: (In reference to a friend who did NOT shave his head when Taylor and I did) He was the smart one!

Me: Hey! A lot of the girls in my ward said they liked it!

Sis: They lied to you. (Maniacal [or at least interpreted thus] laughter)
So the jury is still out on the hair. I prefer it short, though maybe not so, how do you say? Non-existent.

While the hair fiasco is quite compelling it is not the only thing that has happened since my last entry in the cyber-sphere that is blog-world. As was mentioned previously the cast and crew of BYU 164th ward reassembled to film the sequel to the Internationally Acclaimed (Did I mention the entire nation of Finland thanked us?) Lost Spoiler! Season 4 Episode 9. It was aptly named Lost Spoiler! Season 4 Episode 10. It, as its predecessor, was a hit both domestically and internationally. It is longer and I think more thrilling than the previous installment. All fans of the first should definitely check this one out, it is worth a view if nothing else to see Hurley (played by an actor who looks strikingly similar to the man who played Tom) and a spot-on Sawyer performed by none other than James Clifford Greene III (Cliff); he is simply spectacular.

Sadly, we were not able to celebrate the 1,000 views of Episode 10 as the semester had already ended and many of us had left for home. The milestone (along with the 10,000 view mark of Episode 9) was celebrated in my heart, though.

After finishing Lost, life sank into mediocrity for a time with nothing but finals and flying home to fill my time. Now I am back in NC and counting down the days until my triumphant return to Happy Valley. Life is not terribly disappointing though. I have a good job at Genworth Financial where I work in a Temp/Legal Analyst/Jack(pardon the blatantly obvious pun) of all trades. It is enjoyable, if for no other reason than I earn a fat paycheck every week. Friends are always around, family is enjoyable, and the summer movies are incredible. So life is not terrible, but part of me pines for the days of video-making and late night fun that so often occupied my time in P-town.

One spectacular happening has occurred since I have been home, though, I got into the Film program at BYU! I was overjoyed, though not unto the shedding of tears, at hearing this news. Finally my ADD induced energy and under-appreciated sardonic wit will get put to (arguably) good use. Get ready Hollywood, here I come! If that doesn't work though I might try Bollywood, I understand that industry is doing quite well.

So life continues on. Things are going well and I am happy. Especially due to the fact that very soon I will be feeling 7 years old again. You see in a few short hours I will be sitting next to my Dad in a darkened theater filled with child-like wonder as I watch this man

crack a whip again. Man Indy, how I have missed you! Now some of you may mock, but the Indiana Jones movies defined my life for several years. As a child I would oft run around my home in my denim jacket and an old German/English pocket dictionary as my "Grail Diary" fighting Nazis. I was, nay, I AM Indiana Jones.

So there you have it, past, present, and future for me. Hopefully I will be more consistent in my blogging so as to spare my loyal readers from having to read such an epically long entry. Until next time!

1,000 Views!

2008-04-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

So over the past five days my friends and I have been keeping an eye on our You Tube Lost video. We've been waiting for it to reach the 1,000 views mark, and April 6 it reached that mark. It has been viewed by people from all around the globe. We've had comments made about it by people in the UK, Mexico, and France. Someone even went so far as to thank us on behalf of the entire nation of Finland. Yeah we're basically famous. For those of you who haven't seen it yet check it out at: http://youtube.com./watch?v=HPt61zoiZFc. It is pretty funny. So we decided to celebrate tonight with the cast and crew!

Lost Sweded and Festival of Colors!

2008-03-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

So I am new to this whole blogging deal, but I think I have valuable wisdom and important things to teach people. Who am I kidding? I'm just a college student, but there are some funny things that happen to me.

For instance, this weekend myself and about eight others decided to make a film. Most of us are avid Lost fans and since the show has gone on hiatus for three weeks we took it upon ourselves to continue the story. I played the part of John Locke, complete with cargo pants and bald cap. It was an awesome experience, I laughed, I cried, I ate Carl's Jr.

After a long day of production a group from the BYU 164th Ward went to the "Festival of Colors" at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, UT. I heard the festival is a celebration of the beginning of Spring. I, however, could not find any such symbolism in the rites performed. The basic idea is thus, you go to the temple (a Taj Mahal like structure in the middle of acres of cow fields) and for one or two dollars (depending on the desired quality) you buy bags of powdered chalk. The chalk is then taken to a large courtyard where hundreds, perhaps thousands, of grungy dressed college students are huddled together. Then on some unseen, unheard cue everyone in attendance begins to yell at the same pitch while simultaneusly shaking their bags of chalk into the air and on their fellow festival participants. The result is a multi-colored haze that descends on the crowd both envigorating and asphyxiating them. In short it is a great time. (Please refer to pictures below)

Here is the Hare Krishna temple and the results of the Festival of Colors. Impressive No?