movies

Let me tell you a story. They say that’s what blog posts are made of. 

Last night my sister Heather and I went to a screening of John Carter.  The lead actor is Taylor Kitsch aka “Tim Riggins” aka “Riggins” aka “Riggs” aka “33” from Friday Night Lights.  I walked in very skeptical of the movie and walked out and told someone named Sarah what I thought of the movie.  But then they said I couldn’t tell you what I said to Sarah until next week.  So this morning I wrote a very long blog post expounding on what I told Sarah.  And then I watched every YouTube video I could find involving the words “John Carter” “interview” and “Taylor Kitsch”.  And then, I had absolutely nothing else to blog about except how I watched a movie and had some thoughts about it but couldn’t share them. 

The End

Oh, and go ahead watch this trailer.  And maybe make plans to go see a movie next weekend.  Just sayin’.  Or actually, not.  I’ll be saying it all next week.

Twilight and Twilight Merchandise

Heather and I went to see Breaking Dawn last night.  To be honest, even though I have been at the midnight showing of every Twilight movie thus far, I was not in a hurry to see it.  But a week into the premiere and I was ready to see what all the hype was about. 

And I have to say, I LOVED it.  I really, really did.  In fact, I would happily have sit through another showing right after the first.  And here’s what I loved:

• Edward.  Edward, Edward, Edward.  And not really Edward like you think.  It’s more Rob.  You can tell he has grown as an actor so much.  After watching Water for Elephants, I was thinking wouldn’t it be nice for him to actually act well like that in Twilight and wow, he certainly did in this movie.  Edward was finally the Edward he was supposed to be.  Confident, protective and happy with Bella.
• I felt like Kristen finally played Bella well.  She was nervous at the wedding and on the honeymoon but not so much she seemed like she was having a nervous breakdown.
• The wedding was amazing.  The dress was GORGEOUS.  The shoes were amazing.  The decorations were beautiful.  Charlie saying goodbye was heartbreaking.
• We didn’t get to see much of the high school kids but they were funny and added just the right touch.
• I liked that the other vampires were a part of the story but not the center of attention.
• I preferred the honeymoon of the movie to the book.  I was always disappointed they didn’t have more in the book.  And no, not just the bedroom scene.  I loved them playing chess and going on walks.  And I loved them in Rio.  I loved Edward taking them in the boat to Isle Esme.
• I liked that the conflict in this movie was with the pack and not the Voulturi.  I loved that Jake was confident and yet still torn about Bella.  I loved him standing up to Sam. And him imprinting on Renesmee?  SO much better than the book.  I like that we got glimpses of the teenage Renesmee instead of picturing him solely imprinting with an infant.
• They did a fantastic job of makeup with Kristen while she was pregnant.  Wow, she looked amazingly awful.  It was just perfect though.  You really got the sense of how serious the pregnancy was.  And I appreciated the conflict within the family about the baby and how Kristen held tight to what she wanted.
• I loved when Edward could finally hear the baby and saw that she was pure and wonderful and not the awful creature he was imagining.
• The birth scene was, well, the birth scene.  I don’t know of any birth scenes real or fake that are particularly pretty to watch.  I liked that the movie stayed true to the book but we didn’t ever have to see anything beyond Bella’s face.  They seriously could have made that scene disgusting but I really don’t feel like it did.  And how beautiful is Renesmee?
• I’ll preface this point in saying I don’t care for vampires.  I don’t read or watch this movie for that part of the story.  For me, and a lot of people, this story is about the love of two individuals that live in a world of different rules.  You could leave out the vampire stuff and I’d be happy.  BUT.  A lot of the book is Bella wanting to be a vampire so she can live with Edward forever.  It’s not the actual vampire stuff she’s after, it’s the forever part.  So when she turned at the end, well, it was just EXCITING.  She was beautiful and everyone was just waiting.  I’m not excited that she’s a vampire, per se.  But I am excited she’s now like Edward and they can be together forever.  Yes, it’s that cheesy.

So yes, count me in, I’ll be watching this one more than once.  I’m just so happy this series keeps getting better and better and simply cannot wait until Part 2.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a pre-screening of the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  I’ve attended similar pre-screenings before but this time we were press!  I have to say I smiled inside a little when we went straight to our reserved seats in an otherwise packed house where some had admitted to standing in line since 4pm!  Thank you, Disney!  AND I didn’t realize it at first but we sat right in front of local radio celebrity Paul Schad (in the morning).  Charlotte folks, can you say his name without saying the rest??  I realized after he helped me get my stubborn arm rest down that I recognized his voice way before I saw his face.  Also fun?  Seeing his co-host Meg show up a few minutes later.

And while we’re speaking of local celebrity, I got to meet Sarah Pinnix!  Sarah and I have been online friends for a while. She even jumped on Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt last fall and made an awesome video during her turn at Blissdom.  Anyway, all that to say there were no introductions as soon as we spotted each other, just a big hug, lots of chatter and of course, a picture. 

I also got to meet a few other bloggers while were there.  So great to meet some other local bloggers.  Check out @maricrisg, @sweetsadiemarie.

.

Ok, ok, yes, there’s a movie review in here somewhere!

Just going to be honest and say I went into this knowing that the last few Pirates of the Caribbean had not lived up to the original for me.   I was quite the skeptic.  But I have to say, this is a must-see-in-theaters installment of Pirates of the Caribbean.  Jack Sparrow was charming as ever.  I enjoyed every single new cast member as well as how they used some familiar faces.  It was a strong, interesting storyline.  In fact, I’ve been debating whether or not I enjoyed it more than the first. 

That’s the short version. For those of you who are going to see it, come back here after you see it and let’s compare notes or if you don’t mind spoilers, keep reading! 

I thought Penelope Cruz was a perfect match for Johnny Depp.  I enjoyed her with him more than Keira.  While tenuous, it was good to see some more of his history.  I loved that she matched his deception and lies and even he was impressed with her pirating ways.  I enjoyed the chemistry they had while at the same time not turning Jack Sparrow into a softie.  Hey, I enjoy my softies but that’s not Jack Sparrow!  One of my favorite scenes his him describing his “stirrings”.

I loved the action-packed scenes.  While hard to believe most of the time, it’s still always interesting to see how Jack gets himself out of situations.  The tree scene was probably the least likable while the scene with King George was so entertaining.

I love, love that they put Barbossa as one of the King’s men.  Did you not love King George??  I love that they ended up having Barbossa and Jack nearly working together.  They are a perfect match of pirates.  Although I still liked that Barbossa had his own agenda and parted ways with Jack at the end.

I loved the missionary they introduced Philliip.  I think he was able to keep the movie grounded as much as possible in a pirate movie.  There was a good good vs.evil storyline with him.  It really gave you someone to root for besides Jack.

The mermaids!  Those were some scary mermaids.  In fact, the only part that I felt uncomfortable in was that.  They were almost a mermaid/vampire combo and it was just…ugh.  I’m glad they really only lasted that one scene, unlike the Kraken and zombies we were introduced to in previous films.

And to combine the last two points, I super-duper loved the Phillip/Syrena storyline.  They fill the spots of Will and Elizabeth with perfection and I just loved how their storyline played out.

I think most of all I liked that this was just straight-up pirating.  There weren’t too many mystical characters or plot points.  Just a few great pirates fighting over a good ‘ol fountain of youth.

In summary, great, great movie.  Like I said, probably the strongest out of the four.  I’d pick up some tickets and a babysitter now for the weekend!

Here’s the short version: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

I felt like the movie deserved a review since I lambasted Princess and the Frog for all the eeevil.  Tangled deserves a review for how GOOD it was.  I would definitely put this up there with my favorites, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.  I’m not sure I’m ready to call it my favorite but, yes, this one I can get behind.  What I loved:

• Flynn.  Ah, Flynn.  Flynn is voiced by Zachary Levi, better known as NBC’s Chuck.  It is a show that is quickly becoming a favorite as I work through the DVD’s.  He is a crazy talented guy.  Actor, singer, comedian and Christian to boot.  Having him voice Flynn added a layer that my kids couldn’t appreciate but my Chuck friends and I couldn’t ignore.  Flynn was over the top full of himself, clever, caring and funny.  And his character shifted from fully self-focused thief to caring prince.  LOVE when characters can grow, even in an animated movie. 
• The faux-dog horse was a fantastic comedic element to the movie.  One that had Scott guffawing in the theater.  Trust me, that’s a big deal.  The scene between Flynn and the horse pushing each other on the bridge into town still makes me laugh when I think of it. 
• I’m torn on this but I think I like that Flynn’s relationship with the horse was more touted than him and Rapunzel’s.  While I was always rooting for more Flynn and Flynn/Rapunzel, I think it was more appropriate for the kids this way.  The romance was there but it wasn’t over the top.  I thought it was pretty smart and amusing of Disney to be self-aware that it was a fairytale and ending by saying we lived happily ever after. 
• Rapunzel was a wonderful princess.  I loved how innocent, caring and selfless she was.  She was respectful to her mother (even though she didn’t deserve it) and was willing to lay down her life for Flynn.  She was creative and talented.  And yet, she did disobey her mother.  BUT I loved how torn she was about it (one of the best scenes) and how much trouble she got into because of that decision.  Also, through that she was able to uncover her mother’s true identity and follow her heart to her parents.  She also grew, out of innocence and naivity, opening her eyes to the truth and sticking up for herself. 
• The chameleon was also very funny but also supportive of Rapunzel as her only friend.  He reminded me of the Meeko and Flit in Pocohantas.
• So there was evil and magic in this movie.  So what’s the difference?  The mother was selfish, greedy, worried about her looks and kidnapped Rapunzel.  All which was looked down upon and eventually led to her death.  These are real struggles that I’m happy to talk to my kids about.  Very appropriate for little princesses.  The only scene that seemed to bother Lexi was when the mother died.  She said it was sad.  And it’s true, no matter anyone’s condition it is sad to see them die.  But in the context of the movie, I can say, yes, but that’s where all her bad decisions led her.  Also, I liked that Rapunzel’s magical hair was used for healing and not evil.

Overall, even though this was an old story, the storyline felt new and unique and special.  Great pacing and turns in the movie.  Action-packed and yet full of heart and comedy. 

Have you seen it yet?  What’d you think?

OK, gut reaction while watching the first half of the movie:  This is boring.  I wonder if there’s somewhere I can lay down.

Gut reaction while watching the second half of the movie:  OK, now I don’t have to completely slam the movie.

Gut reaction while walking out of the movie: That was a dumb movie.  Can I see Jac0b again?

Ok, yes, maybe because I’m sick but ya’ll, that was disappointing.  Yes, there were many redemptive qualities but it completely missed the mark of setting up any kind storyline between Edward/Bella/Jac0b.  Any kind of work New Moon did to establish the connection between Jac0b and Bella was completely obliterated.  For the first half of the movie, you wouldn’t have even known any of New Moon existed.  Bella seemed to have made up her mind.  It wasn’t until the kiss after the tent scene that there was any connection between them. 

I guess I just felt like they stuck a bunch of our favorite scenes and put them together. I mean, the Florida trip was completely forgettable and pointless.  Why even have that?

However, there was some really, really good stuff.

• Taylor Lautner.  Wow.  Can I get a couple screenshots of that please?
• I enjoyed Edward so much more in this movie.  He actually smiled and I felt like Edward really loved Bella in a normal, non-stalkerish non-Ihatemylife kind of way.  Rob really was Edward in this movie for me.
• The meadow scenes were fantastic
• The bedroom scene at Edward’s was great.  I particularly awed over the proposal.  Hello, ring!
• I gladly give major props to Jackson Rathbone finally.  He nailed Jasper this time and I really enjoyed him.
• Ditto for Rosalie.
• The guy that played Riley and the girl that played, well, the girl that they saved were spot on.  Loved them.
• Tent scene was my most anticipated scene and it did not disappoint.  It delivered my favorite line of the movie, “I’m hotter than you.”  Fantastic line.  I also enjoyed the discussion between Edward and Jac0b instead of all glares or threats.

As you can see, there are many things I did like about the movie but I just don’t think it holds together as a movie very well. 

For those that have seen it, what’d you think?

I’m unapologetically on a soap box for this one.

Do you know how much I wanted to love this movie?  Really love it and not just for my kids sake but for mine?  I LOVE Beauty and the Beast.  I LOVE Aladdin.  I LOVE Little Mermaid.  I still have the Pocahontas cup I collected from Burger King round about 1993.  I’ve been glad to watch Beauty and the Beast 25 times straight with my girls and happy to take them to the play at Disney.  I wanted so much to like it.  I wanted so much for my girls to love it.  I loved that they are old enough to remember opening night and I wanted so much for them to buy the movie on DVD and watch it over and over.  But on the way home I declared to my girls I was sorry but we would not be buying it.  I’m feeling disappointed and let-down by Disney.  And here’s why…

Here’s the thing you have to understand.  I’m conservative but I get the fact that there is good guy/bad guy thing in Disney movies.  Ursula always kind of scared me but it’s easy to explain she’s just mean and octopuses aren’t really like that and it’s all fake.  Jafar always was just kind of stuffy to me.  Gaston was just full of himself and rude.  Even the witch in Cinderella can easily be explained away because there just aren’t witches like that for real.  But the bad guy in this movie?  Was just a guy and he was downright evil.  And I do mean EEEEVIILLL.  My problem with this movie boils down to the fact that the evil was just too evil. I’ll have to give you some background of the movie to understand but bear with me I don’t think I give away any huge spoilers.

The movie takes place in New Orleans.  The prince from another country has been cut off from his family and has come to America to live the good life.  Tiana is simply the daughter of hardworking parents with a dream to own a restaurant.  The prince is taken in by the bad guy in the movie Dr. Facilier down an alley into wait for it…a VooDoo shop .  The entire scene is standard Disney where the bad guy gets his scene/song.  Dr. Facilier reads the prince’s tarot cards and paints this grand picture of what his life could be like if he’d just make a deal with him.  The prince, still greedy and wanting to live the high life again, agrees.  The doctor then uses voo doo on him which is what eventually turns him into a frog.  It may not sound too bad on paper but you don’t just get the idea of voo doo..the words are literally written on the walls and it’s mentioned a few times by the doctor and the tarot card readings are the center of attention of the scene.  Emma closed her eyes on her own because the scene was so scary.  It just dripped with evil.  That’s really the only way I can explain it.  My sister Heather was there and I looked at her at the end, feeling very uncomfortable and said I didn’t like that..she mouthed Me either!

The movie went on and I have to say the good parts were good.  But intertwined were these scenes with the doctor that made me very uncomfortable and to me were unnecessary. At one part, they go see Mama Odie, another voo doo doctor in the bayou who has a good message to them and refuses to turn them back to humans so they can “dig a little deeper” and find what they NEED (he needs love, not money and she needs someone to share all her hard work with) and not what they want.  But in the midst, she is using basically witchcraft to look into the future to see what that might be that they need.  So even the person pointing them towards good is using witchcraft to do so.

At one point, Dr. Facilier needs reinforcements and goes to see some sort of almighty evil voo doo mask and agrees to hand over all the souls of New Orleans for them to torture if he’ll just release some more demons to help him find the prince.  They agree and these evil spirits are running rampant to find the frog.

And at the end, Dr. Facilier actually has a voo doo doll of the man he’s trying to harm and has a needle, getting ready to stick the voo doo doll.

All of it was just TOO MUCH.  I did not feel good about the fact that I had to walk out of a DISNEY movie, a CHILD”S Disney movie and even THINK about voo doo and tarot cards.  It was very unnecessary and disappointing that Disney felt the need to tie those themes in so heavily to the movie.

I GET that my kids are just kids.  I GET that that gave me the opportunity to talk about these things that I feel are evil.    I GET that my girls aren’t going to run out and start witchcraft. I GET that the voo doo and tarot cards were something that they BAD GUYS were doing.  But when kids watch something over and over, those things become comfortable and familiar and honestly, I just don’t think it was appropriate for them to be learning about them at their age  from a Disney movie.

All that said, I don’t want to totally bash the movie.  There are many redeeming qualities about it.  They were very clear through Tiana that hard work and love and family are important.  It was clear that how you look doesn’t mean as much as who you are on the inside.  The movie was very funny in parts, sweet in parts and just plain beautiful in parts.   Tiana, in fact, is the one that ended up smashing the voo doo necklace and saying “it’s not right”.  I applaud them for that.  I really do.  But again, why should a Disney princess be fighting against a voo doo doctor to begin with?  I think I would have even been ok with a “generic witch” casting a “generic spell” on them to turn them to frogs.

As a conservative parent, I feel it’s necessary to tell parents to proceed with caution.  You may not feel that it’s necessary to talk about to your kids about it but I did.    Even as an adult, one that loves books about vampires and werewolves and even one that loves other Disney movies I was UNCOMFORTABLE watching it and I honestly don’t plan to see it again.  Which is a shame.  Because Tiana is a lovely princess and the moral lessons are worthy.  Walking away though, I just can’t seem to wipe the uneasiness from my gut.  I just can’t.

Heather and I were discussing this at 2:30am on the way home from the midnight showing….can someone please explain this reaction by a vampire when there is a threat?  Why the claw?  Don’t vampires BITE?  Shouldn’t he be baring teeth or something?  The only thing I could think is there getting ready to grab someone to bite them.