Movie Review: Batman Begins

Movie Review: BATMAN BEGINS
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

I have watched alot of movies this weekend.  I will be watching several others as I recouperate.  I have already done one posting with a massive list of all the movies thus far.  So now I get to do some one shot reviews.

BATMAN BEGINS is a damn good movie.  I have watched all the previous Batman movies and enjoyed most of them (Swartzenegger as The Iceman pretty much sucked though).  They were primarily considered to be entertainment to me, not a good interpretation of the comic books or the character of Batman in my mind.  I liked Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer as Batman, not George Clooney.  I laughed my butt off when they put nipples on the Batsuit.
BATMAN BEGINS is a different slant.  It tells the story of the creation of Batman.  Christian Bale does a very good job in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.  It is a dark film, as all the Batman movies should be.  I loved seeing the creation of the gadgets, the suit, Bruce Wayne’s training in the martial arts in the far east – all of it.  Michael Caine is brilliant as Alfred the butler.  Morgan Freeman does a good turn as the inventor of the bat gadgets.

This movie has become my favorite movie of the weekend!

However, I am watching Good Night, and Good Luck as I write this, and you kids KNOW I love a good anti-establishment “my cause is just” movie.  This is EXCELLENT so far…

A quick review of movies watched in a short time…

Again, while I was convalescing, I got to watch a lot of movies. I came up with a quick list and short review of them after the fact. Here is that post…

 

Hmmm where to begin? Being laid up gives me opportunity to view many movies. So, I did so this weekend. Here is a quick list of movies I have been watching this weekend, and some quick thoughts on them. I guess I need some sort of rating system…popcorn is taken, thumbs up/down also…movie reels are out. How about smiles? Ok, smiles it is. Total range is 1 smile to 5 smiles.

SHREK 2: How can you go wrong with an animated ogre and talking donkey? You can’t! I love this series and am looking forward to seeing #3. I give it 4 smiles =

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL: My oldest daughter’s favorite series of movies right now. It was my first viewing of this effort from Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. I was actually quite entertained by it. There was a decent mix of adventure and humor. Depp was brilliant in his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. I would actually recommend this one. I’m gonna go with 4 smiles here too :):):)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – DEAD MAN’S CHEST: Not as good as the first one, but still highly entertaining. Depp puts Sparrow over the edge a bit more in this one. He is by far the star of this series. I will give it 4 smiles, only because it is consistent, just a smidge lacking in comparison to the first one.

ANIMAL HOUSE: One of my all time favorite “Stupid Guy Comedy” movies. John Belushi demonstrating his brilliance, a strong script that really amounts to nothing. EVERY guy wishes they had a fraternity experience like this. NO denying it lol. Without a question, I am going with FIVE smiles

DIRTY DANCING: Yep, it’s cheesy. I do like it though. It falls under the “Guilty Pleasure” category. I get a kick out of the dancing believe it or not. “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Three smiles

THE WATERBOY: Another stupid guy movie. Adam Sandler as the “challenged” Bobby Bouchet who becomes an incredible linebacker for a fictional Louisiana university. Again, never an award winner, but a funny guy movie. Three Smiles

THE WEDDING SINGER: A better movie than The Waterboy. Mixing romantic comedy with 80’s music and cheese, Sandler and Drew Barrymore hit a home run. Absolutely fantastic movie. This is one of my all time favorites. I’m gonna give it 5 smiles

THIS IS SPINAL TAP: Campy mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band named Spinal Tap. The music is corny but fun. The story line is funny – the band can’t keep a drummer around because they always die somehow. This is another guy movie. I am beginning to see a trend here… 3 Smiles

MYSTERY, ALASKA: This was a great, great movie. It revolves around the town of Mystery, Alaska and its tradition of a municipal hockey team. A native of the town arranges a game with this team and the New York Rangers of the NHL. One of the critics referred to this as the Rocky of Hockey. I would agree. It is one of those movies where you cheer each goal and hit. Being that I love hockey, and comedies, I am gonna give it a 5 smiles rating by default. Hey, it is my review, I can do it if I want.

MYSTIC RIVER: This was absolutely the best movie I saw all weekend. An intense drama showcasing the skills of Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. Penn plays the father of a murdered 19 year old girl with Bacon being the lead investigator. Oh, by the way, Penn and Bacon’s characters grew up together, along with Tim Robbins’ character. Very hard to describe it, except for powerful. I am going to go with SIX SMILES on this one…it was THAT good. :):):):):)

ANCHORMAN – THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY: This one was a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting a goofy guy comedy, completely devoid of value or redeeming qualities. I got just that, but not to the level that I thought it would be. Steve Carell STOLE this movie. Every scene he was in, he was outstanding. I don’t know, maybe I was just hoping for too much. There was ALOT of hype about this movie. I just didn’t see it though. 2 smiles

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT: A movie that I truly enjoyed. I have ALWAYS liked this movie from the time it came out. I thought it was absolutely brilliant how they interspersed the animation with live action. The jokes are well written, the effects are excellent. Overall, I LOVE THIS FILM! I am going with 5 smiles on this one too. Can’t help it. I love cartoons and this showed some of the qualities of old school cartoons.

Ok, so there we have it. Agree with me or not. Movies are different things for different people. Take care!

PROGRESSO SOUP ROCKS!

During my recent convalescence after an operation, my food intake was restricted. I got to eat a LOT of soup during this time and have become a bit of a soup freak. While I was medicated, I posted a review on my MySpace page and my other blog. I failed to transfer the other blog over when I created this one, so I am just now getting to copy and paste. So, here is my review thingy!

Alright, I am officially a Progresso Soup fanboy now. I mentioned to My Lovely Wife that I threw a quick post about my love for Progresso on here, she asked me if I broke it down by flavor. I had to admit that I didn’t. So, here we go!

1. Chicken & Herb Dumpling: This was what I had the day of the surgery, so my memory is a bit clouded. This was a good start to my weekend of soup. The little dumplings were very yummy and firm. The chicken came in large chunks (which I believe is the calling card of Progresso) and was very flavorful. The secret is in the broth. Light and tasty, the broth brings it all together.
2. Chicken & Sausage Gumbo: Being a fan of Cajun food, I was looking forward to this. Without the sharp bite of traditional gumbo, this soup sort of pays tribute to gumbo. -The broth had a distinct gumbo flavor without being overpowering. It is sort of a gumbo-lite or beginner’s gumbo. There were nice little slices of mini-sausages. If there was an improvement, I would make these sausages more of a firmer, spicier sausage.
3. Sirloin Steak & Vegetables: Bringing the basic beef and veggie soup to a new level. The broth
   was thick and rich. Again, the veggies were in large chunks (except for the peas – they don’t chunk well). The sirloin steak was in the form of discs. One complaint, and this is consistent throughout any veggie soup – the carrots are always soft to mushy. I would like to see some form of advancement in soup sciences that would allow soup makers to keep carrots more firm and crispyish. That said, it is still an outstanding soup.
4. Hearty Chicken & Rotini: This is a soup I have had in the past and LOVE it. The trademark broth is there – light and flavorful with the perfect seasoning to keep it all together. The rotini noodles are thick and firm. One of my favorite soups.
5. Minestrone With Chicken: The surprise of the weekend! I have had minestrone before, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t do much for me. I was a bit concerned when I saw that My Lovely Wife had purchased two cans of this one flavor, but was thankful for everything she was doing for me. So, yesterday I tried it for lunch. I have to say, I LOVED IT. The broth had a rich tomato base to go with the two types of noodles and veggies that this soup contained. I was absolutely shocked with how good this soup was. So happy in fact, that I had it again for dinner! And, as My Lovely Wife knows, I do not eat the same thing for consecutive days, much less consecutive meals.
6. Steak & Roasted Russet Potatoes: Another rich beef broth. This time, the steak was in smaller chunks and slices – this method fit the soup well. The potatoes were the focal point of this soup. Lots of large pieces, interspersed with some carrots (still soft). Some of the potatoes still had the peel on. This brought a bit of “authenticity” to the soup. I enjoyed it very much.

So, there we go. A quick review of my soup consumption from this weekend. Earth-shattering? Philosophically alarming? Nope. But kind of fun to do.

Movie Review: The 40 Year-Old Virgin

First of all, I actually went to the theater and paid money to see it with My Lovely Wife. I apparently liked it enough to purchase the DVD to add it to the collection. The 40 Year-Old Virgin is one of those movies with a goofy plot, one KNOWN actor/comedian, and ALOT of innuendo. Really, the movie is filled with one-liners and silliness. Is there a main theme? Yep. Steve Carell plays a guy who is 40 years old and still a virgin. Carell falls in love and eventually loses the title of virgin after he gets married. The rest of the movie is spent with the guys at work trying their best to get him laid. There is ONE scene, where the guys decide to take Carell to get his chest hair waxed. Carell is very hairy chested. In the press tour to promote this film, Carell admitted that the waxing was done for real in the movie. They didn’t come in and shave it or anything, just wax away. Carell ends up with a smiley face on his chest. The screaming and obvious pain involved with this scene are hysterical. Knowing it wasn’t scripted makes it even more fun.

If you are an adult who doesn’t mind a bit of ribald humor, this is a movie for you!

Oh yeah I forgot: 4 smiles

Movie Review: An Inconvenient Truth

 

Hmmm, how to do this review….

Ok, well, there really isn’t a “safe” way to do this. I will say this…I enjoyed this movie very much. I am a believer in Global Warming. It is documented and supported by scientific research. Some say there is research to debunk these theories. That is fine. I go with the fact that there is more research proving the concept of global warming than debunks it.

In “An Inconvenient Truth” Al Gore presents his case on Global Warming. This stuff is dry and hard to sift through by your average person. Meaning me. In order to spread the message, Gore came up with a more user-friendly way of getting it out there. Gore came up with an incredible Powerpoint presentation. Now, presentations typically suck. This was a bit different. Instead of your basic charts and graphs, Gore brought in animation and backed it all with a natural speaking style that is simply outstanding. If Gore brought this presentation to Kansas City, I would absolutely attend the presentation.

I fully believe that we, as a society, have GOT to make some changes in how we impact our planet. How am I changing things? Well, just a little bit here and there. My Lovely Wife and I are starting to replace our light bulbs with Compact Flourescent Bulbs, we recycle with the City of Olathe, and a few other small things. If everyone does just a little bit, I have no doubt that it will impact our footprint on our planet.

So, bottom line: I fully recommend this movie to everyone. Why? Well, it is part of the biggest controversial topic facing us today. This movie can explain it in simple terms for those having problems understanding it. For another, if a person does not agree with the concept, then it will offer people a common discussion ground. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to rent it or borrow it. You don’t need to purchase it if you disagree with it, that way you aren’t supporting the cause financially. But, if you don’t watch it, you can’t argue against it.

Oh, I give it 4 smiles simply out of my beliefs.

Movie Review: Good Night And Good Luck

In the early 1950’s, there was a Senator Joe McCarthy. Senator McCarthy was, to put it kindly, a zealot. Some picture him as a patriot, but I do not. McCarthy is known for his quest to root out Communists from the US. How did he do this? By engaging in a major witch hunt. McCarthy would brand people as communists before a national stage and would ruin their careers and their lives. Is that an accurate description? Not exactly. It is devoid of fact or anything to back it up. Which is exactly how McCarthy did his thing…

Good Night, and Good Luck is a movie based on Edward R. Murrow’s on-air battle with McCarthy. Murrow challenged the constitutionality of McCarthy and his hearings. Why was this important? Murrow was THE most powerful journalist of that time. He was Cronkite before there was a Cronkite. This movie shows the behind the scenes activities that led to his editorials. It also showed the ramifications of these editorials. Murrow and his team showed a level of courage and strength of convictions based on ethics and faith that is rarely seen or demonstrated in today’s society.

This movie is very strong. It is well produced. The script is well written. The acting is first class. The fact that it was done in Black & White adds to the power of the movie.

In my pathetic scoring system, this movie gets 5 smiles out of 5

I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quality drama.