tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64828813611010454352024-03-14T09:01:45.704-07:00Marc's Achievementsdisco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-32781247113396121862016-11-11T17:21:00.003-08:002016-11-11T17:25:04.158-08:00Reviews #15 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCYjy78bF-ISYcKcl69e2V56OfQ5GrlLMPsRRWgn9uuyend1yMXhf7dcm8aOGFbZOA5yb-vCnV3QjWjauPDWamUaOod_MaDv__LOpybCM_F08SQpONxV-KcBkPh3w76R0nQCKdpgiM7M0/s1600/miss+perigrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCYjy78bF-ISYcKcl69e2V56OfQ5GrlLMPsRRWgn9uuyend1yMXhf7dcm8aOGFbZOA5yb-vCnV3QjWjauPDWamUaOod_MaDv__LOpybCM_F08SQpONxV-KcBkPh3w76R0nQCKdpgiM7M0/s320/miss+perigrine.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: Miss Peregrine hosts a school for
children with special abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: I’ll admit that once this movie
started and I saw that Tim Burton directed I was very surprised; I did not
realize that this was his movie. But once you start watching it you can notice
his gothic and quirky style. The movie is a mix of Harry Potter and X-Men. A
lot of it feels familiar. It has a bit of it’s own spin to it but it’s nothing
extravagant. The acting by everyone involved is decent enough. It’s mostly
young actors so you get what you get. The story tends to drag for a while until
Samuel L Jackson shows up and even after that it’s moderately interesting. It’s
not a terrible movie but it’s a meh on ten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-7141718405770301622016-11-06T16:58:00.000-08:002016-11-06T16:58:10.220-08:00Reviews #14 - Cheers Season 1 (1982-1983)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOltOOE-VHFi4v4EplL76s2pnIDZ1_evNeXIvm3kGTOhCNiSYAIPhO8EMw8BtKV00EE0iZISSMH0FplkmUPJ4OSiHSRRfeQv20QtXEYj8UoDXrTjlOk3Y9r953XMCaGs5Z49f0k_CdKgVr/s1600/cheersS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOltOOE-VHFi4v4EplL76s2pnIDZ1_evNeXIvm3kGTOhCNiSYAIPhO8EMw8BtKV00EE0iZISSMH0FplkmUPJ4OSiHSRRfeQv20QtXEYj8UoDXrTjlOk3Y9r953XMCaGs5Z49f0k_CdKgVr/s320/cheersS1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: <i>Cheers</i> is one of, if not the, most popular sitcoms of all time. It’s
iconic characters and setting marked a generation of TV viewers and the
characters are still recognizable today. The reason it works is because of the
characters. It really is a place with people you want to hang out with where
everyone knows your name. It’s the romanticized version of bar life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
main character is ex Major League Baseball pitcher Sam Malone played by Ted
Danson. He is extremely likeable and charismatic. You have waitresses Carla and
Diane, played by Rhea Perlman and Shelley Long, who both can be annoying in
their own way. Sam’s right hand man Coach is a character I was not familiar
with but he ends up being really funny. He’s the butt of many jokes since he doesn’t
tend to catch on to things quickly, a symptom of getting hit on the head with
baseballs too much. Bar regulars Cliff and Norm are funny guys as well that you
just want to be friends with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
show is a great watch. While some of the jokes may be a little dated, for the
most part they are still very funny. It’s the kind of show you don’t get
anymore today. You can relax and have a good time, almost like you are there
with them. The show even tries to tackle some more serious subjects from time
to time, like acceptance of homosexuals, which might have been taboo back then.
I will definitely keep watching. There are still 10 more seasons to go through
and I look forward to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-82934522505072197672016-11-04T20:05:00.000-07:002016-11-04T20:05:23.759-07:00Reviews #13 - The Fugitive (1993)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GZliCWvBA5HKlLgiBzX5pMu0Oav_FmG5ThWlw9o0uFhnRXaMeQdtr4zHTtLRZjtjHn-WO2OT-WkO6SBEtmN3pZBtIqVQ47NdjvzifK0V2UiaDYIIts6F-zFJ9BLm0ZNgJQt8647SWfUK/s1600/fugitive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GZliCWvBA5HKlLgiBzX5pMu0Oav_FmG5ThWlw9o0uFhnRXaMeQdtr4zHTtLRZjtjHn-WO2OT-WkO6SBEtmN3pZBtIqVQ47NdjvzifK0V2UiaDYIIts6F-zFJ9BLm0ZNgJQt8647SWfUK/s320/fugitive.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: Doctor Richard Kimble is framed for
murdering his wife and must find the one-armed man to clear his name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: A remake of the 60s TV show, <i>The Fugitive</i> casts Harrison Ford as the
main protagonist Richard Kimble. On his trail is a team of US Marshalls headed
by Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). At this time in the 90s you could say that
Harrison Ford was at the peak of his star power. This movie also revitalized
Tommy Lee Jones’s career. When it was released it was a big deal but
unfortunately I was too young to appreciate it so it was time to revisit it
with adult eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
plot about a man trying to prove his innocence is of course one we have seen
before. The take on the familiar plot in this movie is well done. It’s not too
over the top, although you could say that the bus crash as well as the water
fall jump are exaggerated, but they do give the movie iconic moments that are
still remembered to this day. In the current era where everything is done with
CGI, these actions scenes hold much more impact because they are done with
practical effects and it keeps the sense of realism and maintains the viewer’s
involvement. The sense of being on the run is constant throughout, it feels
like the police are always a second away from catching Kimble.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Harrison
Ford does well in his role but he doesn’t blow the roof off the place. In the
beginning scenes he does well as a man both grieving for his wife and trying to
defend himself. As the movie goes though he becomes action movie Harrison Ford,
which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The true star though is Tommy Lee Jones.
His constantly cranky and sarcastic US Marshall is entertaining throughout. The
man is on a mission to catch Kimble and will not stop until he gets him. In the
years that follow this movie he often would play very similar characters, even
reprising the role itself in the 1997 sequel <i>US Marshalls</i>. Don’t let the cast list fool you about Julianne
Moore. She is listed second or third in the actors list, but she is barely in
it and only has a minor role. It appears like they were trying to bank on her
name despite the limited role. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
movie is good but it never reaches that upper stratosphere. It very much is a
movie of it’s time. The pacing is good, never too slow nor too fast. It just
never reaches that boiling point where the stakes are really high and you are
on the edge of your seat. It’s a safe, relaxing time which is a good watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-26382942209254566552016-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:002016-11-03T17:47:09.984-07:00Reviews #12 - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN2UDWIjIdBoBey7MLHqpNIFUgeAckLDws6caXCOjHqUeLOuDAv7ATZOhfgSMUY8VlA4v9hibNvUOlI_Q5FTjwPkvV6Q3NPcAa-O5L0D4JupUC1Gy3CuwhFGm_vqzM377uRxiHGLV_jLl/s1600/power+of+habit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN2UDWIjIdBoBey7MLHqpNIFUgeAckLDws6caXCOjHqUeLOuDAv7ATZOhfgSMUY8VlA4v9hibNvUOlI_Q5FTjwPkvV6Q3NPcAa-O5L0D4JupUC1Gy3CuwhFGm_vqzM377uRxiHGLV_jLl/s320/power+of+habit.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: If you ever wonder why we do
what we do without thinking, this is the book for you. Author Charles Duhigg
explores what makes habits and how the brain can do things without us even
thinking about it. Through various interviews and stories, we see how habits
affect our lives in ways we don’t even realize. All of these stories are
interesting, informative and at times infuriating. We explore the
cue-routine-reward cycle and see how it applies to various actions of people as
well as communities and even companies. The best part of it is that it makes
you think about your own habits. Once you understand how it works, you can
think of ways of changing your habits to be more positive. It’s a fantastic
read that makes you think and is entertaining at the same time. Definitely
worth your time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Score: 8.5/10</span>disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-41183516995971022252016-10-25T20:02:00.003-07:002016-10-25T20:02:55.712-07:00Reviews #11 - Luke Cage Season 1 (2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnLJzgaIlfOWoHtlqr9YA3rQqxCtvrV_g7adKx0x_GUWdxJDZjL77V51m2kBewrL_1O_loUmarz0uIbrfD7RTmL0KQ5jS55mbH3ABF5kVOsc0TkJj4Tez9ih7jRXdrHnOpYhPZ_1Lx21Z/s1600/marvel-luke-cage-poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnLJzgaIlfOWoHtlqr9YA3rQqxCtvrV_g7adKx0x_GUWdxJDZjL77V51m2kBewrL_1O_loUmarz0uIbrfD7RTmL0KQ5jS55mbH3ABF5kVOsc0TkJj4Tez9ih7jRXdrHnOpYhPZ_1Lx21Z/s320/marvel-luke-cage-poster.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: <i>Luke Cage</i> is the third Marvel character to get his own Netflix
series after being introduced on <i>Jessica
Jones</i>. As with <i>Daredevil</i> and <i>Jessica Jones</i>, <i>Luke Cage</i> has its own unique feel to it. This series takes place
for the most part in Harlem and has a 70s blacksploitation feel to it. The
music very much helps accentuate that feeling. There is also a good amount of
live music sung by known artists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
story itself is about Luke Cage cleaning up some crime in Harlem. The storyline
changes a bit in the second half of the season and goes in a different
direction while still somewhat keeping the initial focus. Mike Coulter does a
fantastic job as the titular character. He plays Luke as calm and cool but gets
angry when the time is right. The show has a large cast of supporting
characters. Simone Missick as detective Misty Knight becomes a stronger
character as the season goes along. Her character is a good folly for Luke as
she is at times an ally and an adversary. On the villains side it is hit and
miss. The main villain Cottonmouth, played by Mahershala Ali, is sometimes an
intelligent criminal mastermind, but then he’ll fly off the handle and do
something stupid. His cousin Mariah (Alfre Woodard) is the super fake
politician you love to hate. Theo Rossi as Shades is the most interesting one.
He’s like the devil, whispering in everyone’s ear to do evil acts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
action on this show is smaller scale. There isn’t much grandiose superhero fighting.
It keeps in line with <i>Daredevil </i>and
is hand to hand without being overly superheroey. Granted Luke Cage has
bulletproof skin and is super strong, but everything happens with guns and hand
to hand fighting and not flying and eye lasers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
show splits in 2 sections. Unfortunately, I found the first half better than
the second. The first part focuses on Cage trying to take down Cottonmouth, whilst
the second part looks into Cage’s origin and brings in another villain. The
second half was less strong primarily because it felt like it was a different
show. There were long stretches that took the characters away from the elements
that made the show what it is. It wasn’t that bad but it was a sidetrack that
took us away from the action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Overall
it is a good show but not quite as strong as <i>Daredevil </i>and <i>Jessica Jones</i>
were. The season does end conclusively but it does leave some open ends for
another season that are quite interesting and I do look forward to the show’s
eventual return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-42060174262836948912016-10-23T20:20:00.001-07:002016-10-23T20:20:33.123-07:00Reviews #10 - Transmorphers (2007)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoRpcMSsNTONRSSyM6X9XCYB-Eb6nvIw3n0FWkiRaJMX1va_OOGorbtpyv62_IBhVdl4mvuR5x2_mcr6dIfho6S8cNR0fGFFvG1BJzBXFgrDsDS_MyiuXH_yAddRnG8n__FRv33n57Vu8/s1600/Transmorphers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoRpcMSsNTONRSSyM6X9XCYB-Eb6nvIw3n0FWkiRaJMX1va_OOGorbtpyv62_IBhVdl4mvuR5x2_mcr6dIfho6S8cNR0fGFFvG1BJzBXFgrDsDS_MyiuXH_yAddRnG8n__FRv33n57Vu8/s320/Transmorphers.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Humanity
has been taken over by a race of alien robots and a group of underground
fighters look for a way to defeat them once and for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you watch an Asylum movie, you need to look at it
with different eyes. You cannot expect the same quality as you would in an A
class Hollywood movie. The acting will be much worse, the special effects
garbage and the plot and dialogue written by a 10-year-old. In Transmorphers,
they try to go with the post apocalyptic dark world. Truth be told, it just
looks like they are filming under an overpass. They purposefully keep
everything dark and rainy so that you can’t tell what is happening. But that is just the beginning of the lack of
budget showing through. The characters are supposed to be soldiers but their “uniforms”
just consist of a grey shirt and a leather jacket. The sets are for the most
part just hallways or offices in a concrete building. At one point they try to
create a bar area but they just threw a fly net over an section and called it a
day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The acting is truly hard to stomach. The actors seem
to confuse acting serious and acting bored. Almost everyone looks like they are
about to fall asleep at any moment. If they are not acting bored, they are over
the top. There was only one actor, Matthew Wolf who played the leader of the
group Warren, who seemed to have taken some kind of an acting class. The rest
looked like newbies hired off the street. Apparently one of the main actresses,
Amy Weber, had done some work with the WWE on the Divas Search in 2004, I’ll
have to find out more about that. They throw in all kinds of subplots about a
revolution some people once started, a lesbian couple, androids, etc. It’s a
staple of the Asylum to just throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let us not kid ourselves, the reason anyone came to
watch this was for the robot fighting. The robot CGI was of course low quality.
It looked like something you would see in a commercial in the late 90s. By
Asylum standards though, it was not that bad. At least they had steady shots of
the robots moving, transforming and there was a fair amount of animation for
the moving parts. It would have been a good semester projects for someone
starting animation school. The real problem is that, at no time, do you ever
feel that the actors and the CGI are in the same area. One thing that bothered
me was the inconsistency of how tough the robots were. At some points, they go
down in one shot. At other time they will shoot at one for minutes and do no
damage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It may seem like I am going easy on this movie, but
truth is I have seen much worse, unwatchable trash. This one is not that bad
and if you are able to rate is along the Asylum scale you will find elements to
appreciate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Worst Scene <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At one point, one of the
women goes to her sleeping quarters and finds that one of the pilots has taken
over her bed, figuring that she will not return from the battle she is going
to. A couple of other women show up and
a girl fight erupts, all over the top part of a bunk bed. The fight has some
very bad slow motion parts and the punches are some of the softest, non
realistic looking punches I’ve ever seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lawsuit Potential?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This movie manages to offend not one, but two sci-fi
franchises. Its title is an obvious rip-off of Transformers, but it’s plot is
more in line with the future scenes from the Terminator franchise. The story
though is different enough that it can say it’s not copying Terminator (although
it definitely is) but the title is blatantly trying to get some of that
Transformers money. This movie was released in 2007, the same year the first
Transformers movie came out in theaters, not a coincidence in any way. There
does not seem to have been a lawsuit directed towards this movie however, they
got away scot free with this one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score:
4.5/10 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-45313542622672354732016-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:002016-10-12T20:40:03.107-07:00Reviews #9 - WWE Armageddon 2002<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9eixYz6660DCAjZGkcENwDzApIdeQkEHHAOmQdA7aHMwptQAS0JWSuq_F-P3tupLpL5a-OtJtDcxjN3RLf2FlxH1pHt9yCzB5wKKSDvu61VPvJ4WVFagVwm72dAIO7Daa6XwlYF4nl0f/s1600/Armageddon02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9eixYz6660DCAjZGkcENwDzApIdeQkEHHAOmQdA7aHMwptQAS0JWSuq_F-P3tupLpL5a-OtJtDcxjN3RLf2FlxH1pHt9yCzB5wKKSDvu61VPvJ4WVFagVwm72dAIO7Daa6XwlYF4nl0f/s1600/Armageddon02.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> By
the end of 2002, the WWE was changing. Some of the bigger names of the Attitude
era, like The Rock and Steve Austin, were rarely around. The company was
building a new mega star with Brock Lesnar but what is possibly the biggest story
was the return of Shawn Michaels. After a 4-year absence, he returned to the
ring and won the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 2002. He had
an intense feud with Triple H and the 2 would collide at this event as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> One thing I truly miss in WWE is
some of the creativity. In this event, they made a little computer generated
animation of helicopters attacking a robot running from the Armageddon logo. I
don’t know what it’s supposed to mean but at least it’s a little cool something
to start the show off with. We never get those anymore. The set was also
impressive, with different stages of walls and flames bursting all over the
place. Now it’s just the same set as Raw, lame!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">World Tag Team Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4 Way Elimination Match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Chris Jericho and Christian (c) vs
William Regal and Lance Storm vs The Dudley Boyz vs Booker T and Goldust</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This match did not stay a 4 way for
very long. After a few minutes, the teams of The Dudley Boyz and Regal/Storm
were quickly eliminated in succession, leaving only the 2 other teams, so it
was basically a regular tag match. Once it’s just Booker T/Goldust vs
Jericho/Christian, they pull every tag team trick in the book. Ref
distractions, hot tag, attacking with the belt, they use it all. And it worked
fairly well. The 2 teams gelled well enough together but it didn’t feel quite
perfect. It seemed like Christian was constantly getting knocked off the apron,
looking a bit like a fool but he was a heel so that’s ok. In the end Booker T
finally hits his finisher for the win and a happy story to the comedy duo of
BookDust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winners: Booker T and Goldust (new
champions)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Edge vs A-Train</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> A-Train or Albert or Tensai or
whatever you want to call him, is currently the head trainer at NXT. After
seeing this match, I have a better understanding why. Whilst his moveset may
not have been as varied or exciting as Edge’s, he still managed to use his
power and strength to have a good match. He and Edge worked really well
together. The only problem with this match is that it did not go on for long
and ended in a disqualification once A-Train attacked Edge with a chair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Edge (by disqualification)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> 2 legends that are unfortunately not
with us anymore. What can be said about their matches. Benoit may have been one
of the most intense wrestlers of all time and he brought a sense of realism to
his matches. Guerrero was a great showman and a fantastic wrestler. Together
they put on great matches and this is another very good one. They both knew
each other so well and could tell a great story in the ring. In the end, Benoit
got Eddie in the Crippler Crossface and forced him to tap out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Christ Benoit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s now a segment that
is basically Jerry Springer trash TV. It’s the whole Dawn Marie getting engaged
to Torrie Wilson’s dad but really she wanted Torrie all along. This leads to a
scandalous video of the 2 women in a hotel room disrobing and then kissing.
It’s just an excuse for 2 hot chicks to kiss. It’s a Raw segment that somehow
made it to PPV and I’m never a fan of these kind of segments on PPV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Batista with Ric Flair vs Kane</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> As the announcers state at the
beginning of this match, this is Batista’s first PPV appearance. Kane is always
a good opponent for larger guys to face early on in their career because he can
be beat and give a mini push to them. This match is kept fairly short. There is
nothing particularly special about their encounter but it’s not bad either. The
most entertaining part was Ric Flair, who was constantly distracting the referee
and Kane, which eventually led to Batista hitting the Batista bomb for the win.
I would say that there was a little too much distracting of the referee, they
made him look like a fool but then again this was never meant to be a classic,
just a starting point for Batista’s multiple world championship career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Batista<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> There’s next a segment of John Cena
rapping. Again, this is something that belongs on Raw, not during a PPV. It
doesn’t feel like it adds anything to the show and it’s a distraction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Women’s Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Victoria (c) vs Trish Stratus vs
Jacqueline</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> 3 women that can work very well, 2
of them are current hall of famers. The main problem with the match though is
that I don’t think it even lasted 5 minutes. They were just getting warmed up.
I enjoyed what they were doing, but it needed to go on longer to tell any kind
of in ring story. Luckily there was a video package before the match to tell
the story of the feud, but they really should have had more time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Victoria<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WWE Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Big Show (c) with Paul Heyman vs Kurt
Angle</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In the pre match package, it was
explained that Heyman betrayed Brock Lesnar, which allowed the Big Show to
become WWE Champion. Lesnar attacked Big Show and other wrestlers and got
himself suspended. Angle got Lesnar’s suspension overturned, on condition that
he help him win the championship, which leads us to this match. It’s not a
particularly good match. Big Show and Angle don’t gel that well together here.
Angle does he damndest to get the most he can out of the Big Show but their
styles just aren’t that compatible here. Surprisingly there isn’t that much
interference by Paul Heyman since he gets taken out early on but there is interference
by A-Train for some reason and then as expected Brock shows up to give Big Show
an F5 and Angle the win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Kurt Angle (new champion)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">World Heavyweight Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2 out of 3 falls match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Shawn Michaels (c) vs Triple H with
Ric Flair</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Right from the beginning Ric Flair
takes a bump and gets himself thrown out by the referee, great start. During
the match announcer Jerry Lawler keeps asking whether we are seeing Shawn
Michaels or the Showstopper. After watching this, I can say that at this time
he was still the Showstopper. Great interactions between both competitors who
know each other super well at this point. The first fall was a street fight and
they brought out garbage cans, tables and flaming barbed wire on a stick. It
was violent and personal; they were out to hurt each other. After a long match
Triple H gets the pinfall after a pedigree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The second fall is a cage match. Ric
Flair comes back, gets hit by a chair and immediately starts bleeding. The
action is a little slower here but it should be because both men are tired
after the first fall. Good use of the cage as Triple H is constantly trying to
escape and Michaels has to bring him back in. Near the end Michaels hits the
sweet chin music on Triple H, puts him on a table and does a splash from the
top of the cage to get the win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The third and final fall is a ladder
match. It was shorter than the other 2 matches. Both men are exhausted at this
point, barely able to climb up the ladder. Early on in the match, 2 tables were
set up outside the ring. Later on Ric Flair added 2 more to the top, you knew
at some point, someone is going through those. It came at the end of this
match. Michaels got up the ladder and just as he was reaching for the belt,
Triple H pushes the ladder, sending Michaels through the 4 tables. Triple H
climbs up and grabs the belt to become champion once again. This match is a
very good example of how to use violence effectively to tell a story. It’s not
the best match of it’s kind but it very solid and doesn’t overdue the high
spots and have guys kicking out of crazy moves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner: Triple H (new champion)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Overall the event was decent but not
great. There was a fantastic main event but the WWE Championship match was
so-so. There were a few matches that needed more time and suffered because of
it. Instead of wasting time on segments that belong on Raw that time should
have been used on these matches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rating:
6.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-23404525307784935032016-10-06T20:35:00.001-07:002016-10-06T20:35:42.032-07:00Reviews #8 - Where to Invade Next (2015)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dvn3bBEj0sDUXEz-uSWqgVEjfwHMNbdubdXZzs6YNSoUJL8SKSSDPwhcOTR21qOYVxXxpngRGRd3KzlrXzQMlNbIyPYE2cbPtuxW0CAKG8cbpxMV4C9fw_8WuBkYQPnxC-Q9h9kmw1gL/s1600/where+to+invade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dvn3bBEj0sDUXEz-uSWqgVEjfwHMNbdubdXZzs6YNSoUJL8SKSSDPwhcOTR21qOYVxXxpngRGRd3KzlrXzQMlNbIyPYE2cbPtuxW0CAKG8cbpxMV4C9fw_8WuBkYQPnxC-Q9h9kmw1gL/s320/where+to+invade.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: Documentarian Michael Moore visits
several countries in order to find ideas to bring back to America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: Michael Moore is a divisive
personality. Whilst his documentaries are always well done and great at
bringing a point home, sometimes he pushes his agenda too much and does not
leave interpretation. Because of this most of his movies are for those who
share his world view and leaves nothing for those who don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In
<i>Where to Invade Next </i>however, his
approach is not quite as up front. His goal here is to explore how people in
other countries live and bring those ideas to integrate them to the American
lifestyle. It is difficult to argue that the United States is often closed
minded when it comes to different ways of living. So maybe, if they see how
people live these lifestyles in different parts of the world, they might become
more open to those ideas. And in most of the places he visits, there are great
ideas. Having more vacation days, higher quality of food to be fed to children,
helping drug addicts rather then throwing them in overcrowded jails, etc. These
are all things that should, in the very least, be up for consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It’s
in the second half of the movie where Moore starts to push his agenda. He
visits countries where the prison system is much more liberal and prisoners
have large amounts of freedom. Like the previous ideas, this one is definitely
something that should be considered. But there are a lot of societal and social
differences in these countries where some of these ideas may not work
everywhere. This is where Michael Moore says that the war on drugs that United
States wages is an excuse to throw black people in prison. Not only is this a
far fetched idea, but it just does not logically feel correct either. Of
course, this is an opinion and the man is entitled to it, but it can be a
slippery slope to believe these ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> As
he has proven before, Michael Moore is a great documentarian. He knows how to
get you invested in his battles and follow his ideas. Whilst he is very
convincing, he at times goes too far in pushing his beliefs. Fortunately, it is
toned down in this film but it does rear it head from time to time.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-80274867163587081192016-10-05T20:06:00.002-07:002016-10-05T20:06:43.780-07:00Reviews #7 - Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z4dE2GBVotz8uARMPokqmStEG1IQh5IKnpRr_r3O9bZiWXHZxQm-w4ygkOEr205occc323yQmogcHbo3Fw0t_jU-hNcGLOfh4UoU2_Kvmvh_-TawsNVODAf1xgqbQwoWlKK3Ei2OYoEg/s1600/Good_Morning%252C_Vietnam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z4dE2GBVotz8uARMPokqmStEG1IQh5IKnpRr_r3O9bZiWXHZxQm-w4ygkOEr205occc323yQmogcHbo3Fw0t_jU-hNcGLOfh4UoU2_Kvmvh_-TawsNVODAf1xgqbQwoWlKK3Ei2OYoEg/s320/Good_Morning%252C_Vietnam.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: An eccentric radio DJ gets stationed
in Vietnam during the war and clashes with his superiors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: Robin Williams has both the
ability to be the funniest man alive as well as the most annoying. How you feel
about him in a certain role will dictate how you feel about the movie. In <i>Good Morning, Vietnam</i> Williams is a
loud, eccentric DJ who does imitations and talks really fast. Now some of his
jokes landed and were pretty funny, but most of them kind of felt like the
droning on of a crazy person. Now this of course is a subjective opinion and
some may love this aspect of him, but I thought he was just going too crazy, all
over the place and just throwing everything at the wall and hoping something
sticks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The movie wants us
to sympathize with Williams character Adrian Cronauer as he constantly clashes
with his superior Sgt. Major Dickerson (J.T.Walsh). However, Major Dickerson
might be a jerk who doesn’t want any silliness in his unit, but the only times
he actually disciplines or talks down to Cronauer are warranted instances where
he gets into bar fights or other kind of trouble. After a few of these infractions,
you start siding with the Major.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is also a
very bizarre love story between Adrian and a young Vietnamese woman. He literally
just picks her randomly in the street and now she is the love of his life and
he must have her. It appears very arbitrary, like they just needed to throw in
a love interest. Now I did find that it led to some of the funnier scenes of
the movie with Williams teaching English to a class of Vietnamese people which
was also quite endearing at times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The supporting
cast has some fairly known names, including Forrest Whitaker, Robert Wuhl and
Bruno Kirby. They are all fine with what they are doing, Whitaker still in the
quiet, shy faze of his career and Kirby is providing laughs with his officer
that nobody respects. There’s also Noble Willimgham, who some of you may
recognize as the bad guy from The Last Boy Scout. Here he’s a lovable general
with a fantastic southern voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course in the
end you have to recognize that this is a war movie and bad things will happen.
There are some scenes of violence and brutality but they are not that blatant.
They show the cost of war without going into graphic details. There is a
subplot near the end regarding espionage that doesn’t really pan out to
anything but it does feel like a big deal at that moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Your level of
enjoyment of this movie will live and die based on how funny you find Robin
Williams in this role. He’s the centerpiece here and everything else is
dressing on the side. In my case, I did not find him particularly funny except
for a few instances, therefore I did not enjoy this movie all that much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-54073066099661171622016-10-02T16:05:00.000-07:002016-10-05T20:07:01.461-07:00Reviews #6 - Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD (2009)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1e_CAdiCk6FSuwd9Vq88iWUlJFtFWiMdPzDcS9AmQF1Z3SRMgyxUXcTuW9pkmhVDAyigt3QmjjEULkzET-nwJCRDZ5__rC9WsBGTJmiqIBmfeHkru9T80u4uhNktW0wAg4sLg6og53CE/s1600/spider-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1e_CAdiCk6FSuwd9Vq88iWUlJFtFWiMdPzDcS9AmQF1Z3SRMgyxUXcTuW9pkmhVDAyigt3QmjjEULkzET-nwJCRDZ5__rC9WsBGTJmiqIBmfeHkru9T80u4uhNktW0wAg4sLg6og53CE/s1600/spider-woman.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: This 5-episode mini-series is
based on the aftermath of the Secret Invasion storyline in Marvel comics from a
few years back. Now, herein lies one of the big issue with the series; it
assumes we all know what exactly happened in that storyline. Myself, I know
some of the bullet points but not everything. Those who do not know about the
Secret Invasion will be completely lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> To
sum it up, the Skrulls, an alien race of shapeshifters, infiltrated the Marvel
Universe and impersonated several important members of government and
superheroes. They slowly began a worldwide takeover and Spider-Woman was
captured and impersonated by the Skrull Queen. This is the basic scuttlebutt of
the story without going into too much detail. This series picks up afterwards,
where Spider-Woman is recruited to hunt down the remaining Skrulls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
visual style is very different than any sort of traditional animation. It’s
more like a motion comic. In essence, it is all still pictures where certain
elements move. It’s a style that works in certain moments but not in all cases.
When it’s a grand well lit scene it looks good, but when it’s a dark closed in
area it becomes difficult to tell what is going on. The voice actors become key
in helping narrate the story. The main characters, especially the voice actress
playing Spider-Woman, do a great job at this and she in particular kept me
interested. However, some of the smaller characters had really annoying voices
and felt like caricatures more than actual characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
story is a confusing one. It feels like you’ve been inserted midway through a
series and don’t know how you got there or where you are going afterwards.
Characters appear that we are supposed to recognize but there is very little
explanation of who they are or what their connection to Spider-Woman is. Unless
you’re a well versed comic reader from this time period, you will be confused
as well. The ending is something that feels like it would happen midway through
a story, not the conclusion to the whole series. In essence, it is treated like
a comic book series where it is assumed that the reader knows what is going on<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> If
you are a fan of the motion comic art style, this series could be interesting
to you but make sure you read up on the Secret Invasion storyline beforehand
because you will end up confused and only understanding certain parts of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 6/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-32916647502678747422016-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:002016-10-05T20:07:58.195-07:00Reviews #5 - Smallville Season 2 (2002-2003)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZc5jTAYRU7z2wfUflY0jodzCPqsW2OUrq_yKEuTF5aX20AKcdST5vXDQHoR0sBnrQBM082EeyMUlgxIl01YB6wZiVes-OvJ0CIdxIlqvccHA-bDAZ-_CXHQPCfFEBdU1D4kKvIA79zS/s1600/200px-Smallville_s2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZc5jTAYRU7z2wfUflY0jodzCPqsW2OUrq_yKEuTF5aX20AKcdST5vXDQHoR0sBnrQBM082EeyMUlgxIl01YB6wZiVes-OvJ0CIdxIlqvccHA-bDAZ-_CXHQPCfFEBdU1D4kKvIA79zS/s1600/200px-Smallville_s2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: Smallville as a show has a very
good slow progression. It may be frustrating how long it takes for new elements
to be revealed, but that makes them feel all the more special as they happen.
In the second season, we get a lot of new revelations. We find out more about
Clark’s alien origins, he discovers heat vision and my favorite of all, the red
kryptonite!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
season still has the monster of the week but they are not quite as common. The
focus of the story shifts more to Clark discovering where he is from. This
makes everything seem more important because in the end these additions to his
character will carry forward whereas the villain of the week will be forgotten
by next episode. In addition to this Pete, Clark’s best friend, learns of his
secret. This completely changes their dynamic together. It is also great for
Clark since he now has a friend to whom he can speak to openly about his
powers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Clark
isn’t the only character that grows. Lana becomes more of a 3 dimensional
person. She’s not just the smiling pretty girl anymore. She opens her own
business and overall becomes a more independent and well rounded person. She
also has more legitimate gripes when she gets mad at Clark, unlike in the past
where it was over trivial matters. Mrs. Kent grows as a character as well. Not
content with just being a farmer, she gets a job working for Lionel Luther,
which both allows her to be closer to him to learn more information and allow
her to use her brain more often.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> As
for Clark’s evolution, the cave discovery is what drives a large part of his
growth. Here he meets his father Jor-El and finds out that he is really Kal-El
from Krypton. He is forced late in the season to make a critical decision that
will affect him greatly in the season to come. Now, the red kryptonite, as
stated before, is my favorite new element. It causes Clark to be become the
complete opposite of what he is, a completely selfish jerk. It’s a great new
threat that brings out the dark side of him and gives us fun and compelling stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
season was one where we learned more about what will make Clark Superman. It
didn’t sacrifice what made the first season what it was. It expanded it in
order to allow growth for the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-71680267833841552522016-09-11T14:10:00.002-07:002016-10-05T20:08:29.382-07:00Reviews #4 - National Treasure (2004) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdnUFTzsTr8A8SnA7UAXPXIN_LCxhmVSymcwdlrCjlsWq0epd9Jshu3-zrDCIDEoYcYVFKvN2QiEWYzB3-KnMSlGkjdIBnzB-4gIYKhF3iI2Cjma4FxQ3Hd7A0Yx3QwlimCXZnp2rQll2/s1600/national+treasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdnUFTzsTr8A8SnA7UAXPXIN_LCxhmVSymcwdlrCjlsWq0epd9Jshu3-zrDCIDEoYcYVFKvN2QiEWYzB3-KnMSlGkjdIBnzB-4gIYKhF3iI2Cjma4FxQ3Hd7A0Yx3QwlimCXZnp2rQll2/s320/national+treasure.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: A historian tries to find a hidden
treasure whose knowledge was passed down to his family generations ago that could
be a worth a fortune.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: An adventure movie, when done
right, can be extremely fun but when it’s done wrong, it’s a huge mess. <i>National Treasure</i> falls somewhere in
between. The movie has an interesting treasure set up. Most adventure movies
take place in far away and distant countries, but this one is set right in the
USA. It’s a good change and it lets the viewers explore a different side of American
history that they may not be familiar with. Believe it or not but there a lot
of interesting secrets, especially in the older cities in the east.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
plot is fairly simplistic and by the numbers. Historian Benjamin Gates (Nicolas
Cage) along with his financial partner Ian Howe (Sean Bean) try to seek the
treasure that Gates family has kept secret for hundreds of years. Howe betrays
Gates, they race to steal the Declaration of Independence which has the map to
the treasure, adventure ensues. Along the way Gates and his sidekick Riley Poole
(Justin Bartha) meet up with the curator of the Declaration (Diane Kruger) and
together they try to beat Howe to the treasure. Standard plot, but it’s not as
if it’s one that needs major tweaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
characters have their good and their bad. Nicolas Cage is subdued here, not
being his crazy self that he is known for. In fact, he is very calm, to the
point that saying “We are going to steal the Declaration of Independence” does
not phase him one bit, it’s like ordering lunch. Justin Bartha is for the most
part annoying. His quips and jokes are lame and unfunny, but he’s got fantastic
facial hair, so he’s just barely bearable. Diane Kruger is good at her role,
she’s not a total damsel in distress and her intelligence shines through when
the scene calls for it. Sean Bean is always great as a villain, although at
times here he seems to be falling asleep. We also get Jon Voight in on the fun,
and Harvey Keitel as well. They bring a good veteran presence and its always
nice to see them. Voight looks like he’s having fun and Keitel seems to act the
same way as his character Winston Wolf from <i>Pulp
Fiction</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
actions scenes are decent but nothing grandiose. It mostly consists of Gates
and his crew running away from gunshots. There is a sort of an ancient treasure
location near the end, but it doesn’t come anywhere near rivaling anything you’ve
already seen in other movies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdB4m-7MMUCtyQjvAMrZbeh4HshFI5OioQSy8K1r47jZB3uVAk_ErjozbHvza9efdpvm9zM8ZlqfuDZ1m1TAHMdmEvVUEKKEd829HaJxQK0I3OllJ55qc72XW63wBdHSiv-gHAaRpUdj7/s1600/DI-National-Treasure-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdB4m-7MMUCtyQjvAMrZbeh4HshFI5OioQSy8K1r47jZB3uVAk_ErjozbHvza9efdpvm9zM8ZlqfuDZ1m1TAHMdmEvVUEKKEd829HaJxQK0I3OllJ55qc72XW63wBdHSiv-gHAaRpUdj7/s320/DI-National-Treasure-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
movie overall is an ok time, but it won’t blow your socks off. Cage’s
performance might be disappointing for those looking for crazy Nic Cage, each
individual viewer will have their own opinion on him. If you’re bored and
looking for something to watch at 1 AM on Netflix, this is a choice that should
keep you just satisfied enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 6.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-21802520850441167952016-09-04T11:30:00.000-07:002016-10-05T20:09:02.174-07:00Reviews #3 - WWE Royal Rumble 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC95RDKJ9JCTDGD0qTktvt-QSWZlHyQa12SCOx3VIWfkAbGjx0uD3hrAFdCccPgnQN9daHojHUUTC2FXheVxSMjCoqIpbcIdSYfhq6vte9rWMrDBjagA7yPX1sRGZkOzcVrPx1rx9tqx_p/s1600/wwe-royal-rumble-2009-dvd-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC95RDKJ9JCTDGD0qTktvt-QSWZlHyQa12SCOx3VIWfkAbGjx0uD3hrAFdCccPgnQN9daHojHUUTC2FXheVxSMjCoqIpbcIdSYfhq6vte9rWMrDBjagA7yPX1sRGZkOzcVrPx1rx9tqx_p/s320/wwe-royal-rumble-2009-dvd-cover.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> 2009
was during my long hiatus from watching the WWE, so this is my first time
seeing this PPV. Based on the opening video montage, the story of this event is
Randy Orton vs the McMahon family. We see Randy talking smack at Stephanie and
then attacking Vince, giving him a punt kick and laying him out. It was
surprising for me to see a much more violent and vicious Randy Orton. The
character as I know him now is fairly plain and stale, so this is an
interesting look into the character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ECW Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jack Swagger (c) vs Matt Hardy<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> During my time off, the WWE added a
third brand, ECW. Now, in no way, shape or form was this anything like the
original ECW. It just seemed like an excuse to add another show to their
lineup. They tried to push that ECW Championship as a world title but if
anything it was just a slightly elevated mid card title. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Jack Swagger never really had any
charisma. He was good enough in the ring and could wrestle a decent match, but
his character was just there, never anything special. This match with Matt
Hardy had the same characteristics as Swagger. It was good, not great, but did
not have any lasting impact or feature anything that special. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Jack Swagger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WWE Women’s Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Beth Phoenix (c) with Santino Marella
vs Melina</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This encounter was the story of Beth
Phoenix’s strength vs Melina’s agility and craftiness. Apart from a few timing
issues, the 2 styles meshed well together. It ended up being more violent than
expected, with one sequence where Phoenix forced Melina’s foot to kick her in
the back of her own head. Currently being in one of the stronger eras of
women’s wrestling, you hear that everything was bad just a few years ago but
this is not the case. The match was short but sweet, effective in what they
were trying to tell. Santino Marella walked to the ring with Phoenix but he was
a total non factor in this whole thing. In the end, Melina found a clever way
to counter one of Phoenix’s moves into a sort or roll up to get the pin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Melina (new champion)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">World Heavyweight Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John Cena (c) vs John Bradshaw
Layfield with Shawn Michaels</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Now hold on a second, Shawn Michaels
is with JBL?!?!?! I really did miss a lot of storylines during those years.
Luckily there is a video package, explaining that Michaels lost a lot of money
during the 2008 financial crisis and JBL offered to bail him out, but Michaels
had to help him win the World Heavyweight title. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The match itself is average at best.
Mostly slow power moves, nothing too thrilling. The most interesting aspect of
all this is storyline with Shawn Michaels. Throughout the whole match he is
conflicted. Does he help JBL in order to financially aid his family, or stick
it to him since he can’t stand him? You end up paying little attention to Cena
and JBL, you are watching Michaels the whole time. This just illustrates how
good HBK is in his role and why he is a legend, he just proved himself more
important than a match for the World Heavyweight Championship. In the end,
Michaels superkicks both JBL and Cena after the referee gets knocked out and
places JBL to cover Cena and leaves. A new ref comes in and Cena kicks out. He
then hits the attitude adjustment on JBL and wins. It’s worth noting that Cena
is actually being cheered in this match, no 50/50 cheers and boos. This is
indeed a whole different era that I missed out on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
John Cena<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WWE Championship<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No Disqualification Match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jeff Hardy (c) vs Edge with Chavo
Guerrero</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDa21YtH6BDkqTRfRyzm71T0wDnZq4zay8-NyKZZWCCykGLKLXeIM6DRyJh0KGGIH4bdazyyP8Lm6RJSNQjqafLMN6nN6GC15GLvYlNcJiXmaIA5vF7t079mC9iTDs30oDDpT4Ezac6a3/s1600/RR09+EdgeHardy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDa21YtH6BDkqTRfRyzm71T0wDnZq4zay8-NyKZZWCCykGLKLXeIM6DRyJh0KGGIH4bdazyyP8Lm6RJSNQjqafLMN6nN6GC15GLvYlNcJiXmaIA5vF7t079mC9iTDs30oDDpT4Ezac6a3/s1600/RR09+EdgeHardy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I’m so glad they were doing these
video packages, otherwise I’d have no idea what the storyline was. Apparently
Edge was sabotaging Hardy’s life by running his car off the road and detonating
his pyrotechnics early and burning him (which is something that actually happen
to The Undertaker the following year). This story is, well odd. I’m not sure
where it all started or why Edge is such a dick, but it’s bleeding into weird
territory and just doesn’t feel right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This match is the opposite of the
previous one. The story here is not that strong and Jeff Hardy and Edge are not
the actors that Shawn Michaels is. While the in ring action is fairly decent,
it’s doesn’t create enough emotion or attachment. It’s a match that happens,
that’s about it. In the end, Matt Hardy comes in and hits Jeff with a chair,
giving Edge the victory and the WWE Championship. The mystery is why Matt
betrayed his brother, which I’m sure was revealed later on since it set up a
Wrestlemania match between the two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Edge (new champion)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Royal Rumble Match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner gets a World Title shot at
Wrestlemania XXV</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The WWE made it very clear that
Randy Orton was going to win the Royal Rumble. This whole match was centered
around him. The opening promo to the entire pay per view was about Orton and
his problems with the McMahon family. I don’t think they even mentioned any of
the other participants in their promos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The match started off with some high
flyers in Rey Mysterio and John Morrison. At entrants 5 and 6 we got some big
guys in The Great Khali and Vladimir Kozlov and then the main eventers Triple H
and Randy Orton came in at 7 and 8. The ring starting filling up after this and
this rumble had a very full ring for most of the event. At certain points it
seemed that there were a dozen wrestlers in there at once. The Legacy stable,
consisting of Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, was working together
for most of the match but had little success eliminating entrants. Late in the
match we had the now legendary spot where Santino Marella lasted 1 second and
we had several other participants who lasted less than a minute. In the end the
final four, usually my favorite moment of the rumble, were the entire Legacy
group and Triple H. Helmsley was eventually able to fight his way to
eliminating DiBiase and Rhodes before being tossed out by Orton, the winner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The Royal Rumble overall was a good
match. There were a lot of participants that lasted a long time and there were
some cool spots, like when Mysterio jumped on the back of 2 guys who fell out
in order to avoid elimination. The only problem is that there was absolutely no
mystery as to who was going to win. Generally, there is one favorite, but there
are usually a few others who have a possibility of winning. Here, the WWE told
you right at the beginning of the show that Orton was winning, everything else
is a formality. That would be the main negative of the Royal Rumble itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Randy Orton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55DmAEqMDP83hHLtDLbIVGuhyTX0bsepDiToENh9RLr8wlA3xSw8Uss4kboGrAqPobOYZPI6OP7S7f32GTd9DsqPD-QXa_Is77xnuf9hRNTMVR2tHY1I_aAAah26nnhkVIyqfniYeAimr/s1600/RR09+Orton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55DmAEqMDP83hHLtDLbIVGuhyTX0bsepDiToENh9RLr8wlA3xSw8Uss4kboGrAqPobOYZPI6OP7S7f32GTd9DsqPD-QXa_Is77xnuf9hRNTMVR2tHY1I_aAAah26nnhkVIyqfniYeAimr/s320/RR09+Orton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conclusion</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This event was a fairly decent one.
Most matches were ok but none great. The opening contest was serviceable but
nothing special. The women’s match was actually pretty good and enjoyable. Cena
vs JBL did not have great action but it told a good story, whereas Hardy vs
Edge was the complete opposite. The Royal Rumble match is among the better half
of all the rumbles but the ending was way too predictable, at least leave some
mystery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Final
Score: 7.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-89470641759554830262016-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:002016-10-05T20:09:26.855-07:00Reviews #2 - Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhZXiBefbqn27USm5SQ57VITlk1GMIDT88wj5vjyXRMTTiUQYAKjz2g90F6lq_FbM0qkwEM-yhAmiDOqwOz7j9TEbhvJdFq4CwAEZchZ1qjMjUoRnFzgFufjMK2b1NyHEhM20g8lzIctJ/s1600/fight+club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhZXiBefbqn27USm5SQ57VITlk1GMIDT88wj5vjyXRMTTiUQYAKjz2g90F6lq_FbM0qkwEM-yhAmiDOqwOz7j9TEbhvJdFq4CwAEZchZ1qjMjUoRnFzgFufjMK2b1NyHEhM20g8lzIctJ/s320/fight+club.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: A white collar office worker
meets a strange man and together they start an underground fighting ring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: I have seen the movie Fight
Club a million times, but up until recently I had never read the book. The
movie was very influential in my life and for a long time it was my favorite
movie of all time. As the years went by I started to find some cracks in it
that became more and more glaring. It’s not my favorite movie anymore, but I
still hold it in very high regard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
book itself is different than I had expected. Whilst the story is the same as
the movie, the way it is told is disjointed. It is not a linear narrative. It
is more of a series of events that occur, with no semblance of how much time
has passed. This may have been done in order to question the reliability of the
unnamed narrator. The book is also fairly short at just over 200 pages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
story describes a person who is bored with his life. He has everything he needs
to get by but he lacks any enthusiasm. It’s a problem many of us can relate to,
living in the white collar world with office jobs. There can be a certain lack
of adventure in life and the narrator finds it in Fight Club. While this is an
extreme look at finding excitement, it’s an effective simile for normal people.
Of course, just like in real life, sometimes things can go way too far and this
story is one where strong feelings can push a group of people to do very dangerous
activities in order to remain in a group and share that sense of belonging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
am keeping the story points fairly vague for anyone who may not have seen the
movie or read the book. I will have to say that I did prefer the movie over the
book in this case. The movie flows more smoothly with its more linear narrative
whereas in the book, things just seem to happen. It’s an ok read but one where
you need to find your bearings constantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 6/10</span>disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-79811926317672791592016-08-21T13:25:00.000-07:002016-10-05T20:09:43.137-07:00Reviews #1 - WWE Royal Rumble 1994<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVqhW2kzh-oB78njdTid1A_gg2WLsMV14TsA3RU7y7laqHnpaN57h9VxtIbUt68VncQTKB2ZQ_gHyzLmspnsP7O-M3_VSbbk6KuILo17Kp98-IXU_11Iz_AZVovR4QCN9wJwLiF_b43tN/s1600/RoyalRumble1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVqhW2kzh-oB78njdTid1A_gg2WLsMV14TsA3RU7y7laqHnpaN57h9VxtIbUt68VncQTKB2ZQ_gHyzLmspnsP7O-M3_VSbbk6KuILo17Kp98-IXU_11Iz_AZVovR4QCN9wJwLiF_b43tN/s1600/RoyalRumble1994.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WWE
– Royal Rumble 1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> 1994 was a strange time for the WWE.
They were transitioning out from the Hogan 80s era style and heading into a new
generation with wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart who were more
athletic in the ring. The event starts with a very 90s graphic and Vince
McMahon’s over the top announcing. I believe he said 1994 Royal Rumble at least
a half dozen times before the first match even begins. The Million Dollar Man
Ted DiBiase comes in as his co-announcer, interesting choice. Throughout the
show Dibiase would throw jabs at certain wrestlers he feuded with in the past
and talk about how much money he had. It was a nice touch to have a former heel
wrestler as announcer, still in character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tatanka vs Bam Bam Bigelow with Luna
Vachon<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> For a man his size, Bam Bam was very
athletic. He moved quickly and could do a moonsault, something hardly anyone
did at the time. Tatanka was a fairly big guy too. He was more of the steroid,
muscle bound freak kind of big but he too moved well. This match had a good
pace and some good action. It never slowed down to take a breather. A good
opener to a pay per view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Tatanka<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tag Team Championship: The Quebecers
(Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Karl Ouellette) (c) with Johnny Polo vs Bret and
Owen Hart</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Before the match there is a segment
about Bret and Owen’s tumultuous relationship over the last few months but it
seems like they are now ok with each other. The match itself is awkward. It
feels like there is a lack of communication between the participants. And is
that Raven? Was he once known as Johnny Polo? The point of the match however
was to focus on the Bret and Owen relationship. After having his leg attacked
the entire match, the ref calls for a stoppage and awards the match to the
Quebecers. Owen gets frustrated at Bret and hits Bret in his leg, injuring it
further. There is no possible way Bret can compete in the Royal Rumble later
tonight!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winners:
The Quebecers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16lAvoy3Wj8YVCKmrcAyHeIefWdlx-0PK8wBflcb8yyFMgxL6Phm6tjYFR3XAIKnFTR2UUvnS96ppdA2k4QQ9IhBT0jiKSpcV54HFSlD7LmR6WrZNk1QhMmDxkaEXhcKsjytue5NcaJp6/s1600/RR94+Bret+Owen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16lAvoy3Wj8YVCKmrcAyHeIefWdlx-0PK8wBflcb8yyFMgxL6Phm6tjYFR3XAIKnFTR2UUvnS96ppdA2k4QQ9IhBT0jiKSpcV54HFSlD7LmR6WrZNk1QhMmDxkaEXhcKsjytue5NcaJp6/s320/RR94+Bret+Owen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Intercontinental Championship: IRS vs
Razor Ramon (c)</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This is an ok match but let’s be
honest, did anyone expect IRS to win? The finish gets a little screwy, with
Shawn Michaels interfering and hitting Razor with the fake Intercontinental
belt and IRS pinning Razor. Then another refs comes, points out what happened,
then Ramon hits the Razor’s Edge on IRS and gets the real pin. The kind of
finishes are frustrating because they point out the lack of consistency in
wrestling. Why does the decision get overturned this time, but not the hundreds
of other times there’s interference?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Razor Ramon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7_kCUvstgIqJ6Y-d0kqb418koKExbjhTU4a94ZRKJuFDB5c9andEdmMw_TQbgzkLiBUhyphenhyphen5Z944bJpLHkKGzgWJVpOCL4oTIok6TaBeATTZ6K6sS73yemWRO58hZID7oyq_UI1nlXrc3K/s1600/RR94+Razor+IRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7_kCUvstgIqJ6Y-d0kqb418koKExbjhTU4a94ZRKJuFDB5c9andEdmMw_TQbgzkLiBUhyphenhyphen5Z944bJpLHkKGzgWJVpOCL4oTIok6TaBeATTZ6K6sS73yemWRO58hZID7oyq_UI1nlXrc3K/s320/RR94+Razor+IRS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Casket Match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WWF World Championship: Yokozuna (c) vs
The Undertaker<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This encounter itself wasn’t much to
scream about. Most of it was The Undertaker bouncing around and attacking the
champion Yokozuna. Undertaker could really move fast back in the day; I was
surprised by his athleticism. The story here is what happens at the end. About
a dozen other heels show up to beat down The Undertaker and eventually weaken
him up enough to put him in the casket and give Yokozuna the win. As they cart
the casket away, The Undertaker appears on the screen and all kind of magic and
theatrics happen, ending with what appears to be The Undertaker ascending to
heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> What happened here was definitely
over the top but not excessive, especially for the time period. It gave The Undertaker
a good way to disappear for a bit while still remaining strong even in defeat. Looking
at it now, yes, it is ridiculous, but you can look at it with a nostalgic view
and enjoy it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner:
Yokozuna<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL6goSe1lgzwBNbUEG96Rw_N3N9rBDAhq9rc0ibbpFSp25EFpyrwWInrRp2fnXNANJOsmlBYXZw0_A9e3G73vysTG-MDhgvZ578WVhKvCp-7R8bxcJsTVylz95rbU6J9ADEN4HvFHy-dg/s1600/RR94+Yoko+Taker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL6goSe1lgzwBNbUEG96Rw_N3N9rBDAhq9rc0ibbpFSp25EFpyrwWInrRp2fnXNANJOsmlBYXZw0_A9e3G73vysTG-MDhgvZ578WVhKvCp-7R8bxcJsTVylz95rbU6J9ADEN4HvFHy-dg/s320/RR94+Yoko+Taker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Royal Rumble match<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winner gets a World Championship
title shot at Wrestlemania X</span></u></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The early parts of my favorite match
of the year were dominated by Diesel. He looked like a star, eliminating
everyone for a while until he ran into the Macho Man Randy Savage. From there
the match went its normal route. There were a lot of punch and kick spots in
order to allow the ring to fill up. When Bret returned, it was a great moment and
he did an excellent job selling the leg injury from earlier in the night. The
most exciting part of the rumble happens once all 30 participants are inside
because every elimination means you are one step closer to finding out who the
winner is. One of my favorite spots is when they get down to the final four and
they stare at each other and give the crowd a moment to take in that we are
near the end. For the finale, Lex Luger and Bret Hart tumble out of the ring at
the same time. After conferring with then “President” of the WWE Jack Tunney,
it’s determined that both Luger and Hart are winners. This created a new
interesting scenario for the Wrestlemania world title match, something that had
never been done before. It also gave the company room to change their minds if
either Luger or Bret did not turn out to be what they wanted for Wrestlemania.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winners:
Bret Hart and Lex Luger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi97TQ5b2SG07NXiqaIDh7kI_45pwOw9FmcdNZba_GGx_q7jCx86YqLdRBxzd1C375BCEAr_jAKl4XDa3EHUKieFnU_AVuB0lUvOSDhbn_vJEy8Q8TweKOwooe1NtRvTvsJ5kFMn-KNke0/s1600/RR94+Bret+Luger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi97TQ5b2SG07NXiqaIDh7kI_45pwOw9FmcdNZba_GGx_q7jCx86YqLdRBxzd1C375BCEAr_jAKl4XDa3EHUKieFnU_AVuB0lUvOSDhbn_vJEy8Q8TweKOwooe1NtRvTvsJ5kFMn-KNke0/s320/RR94+Bret+Luger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Overall this event was good but not
great. The Tatanka vs Bam Bam match was good, but the other preliminary
contests were not that thrilling. The Rumble match itself was good, middle of
the road quality and it gave us a finish that had never happened before. It
also made Diesel look like a star, using the rumble to show him as a badass. It
lacked a bit of star power since they were in a rebuilding phase at that time
with many of the stars of the 80s having already left the company. They did
what they could to push the new generation forward but there was a little
something lacking to make it spectacular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score
: 7/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-82307301913771948262016-08-17T14:19:00.000-07:002016-08-17T14:19:01.527-07:00Site Update August 17 2016Hello World!!!<br />
<br />
It's been a while since the last site update. There have been a lot of things happening in my life and that prevented me from putting out reviews that I would of been proud of. But now it's back, and it's going to be rebooted. I'm starting over with the numbering system. There have been too many reviews in the past that I am not proud of. A lot of them I wrote just because I felt I needed to, not because I wanted to. So, from now on here is what is going to happen. Every Sunday, you can expect a new review on the site. I am also bringing back the Wednesday Night Ramblings. So that's 2 posts a week, minimum. If there is time and if I feel up to it there may be an extra review here and there. But the goal is to write quality stuff, not just fluff to fill up space. I'm going to be working harder than ever to bring out the best of myself.<br />
<br />
One thing I'm looking forward to is announcing the next review during the Wednesday Night Rambling. And since this is Wednesday, allow me to present the next review. Coming on Sunday, August 21st;<br />
<br />
Royal Rumble 1994<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIXnZuCSl88cUtJRiLix9sJ7EMr4LCedfdeIvJl14lY7MVOMHtTB2Jogj21s4now8okP_9ojELbH7NgKbPRHZ9isxwL4ZZk-A4QYyjRM6cQZeoPiiHiqhQjX6ObL97RYfS8sjMxPHROKQ/s1600/RoyalRumble1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIXnZuCSl88cUtJRiLix9sJ7EMr4LCedfdeIvJl14lY7MVOMHtTB2Jogj21s4now8okP_9ojELbH7NgKbPRHZ9isxwL4ZZk-A4QYyjRM6cQZeoPiiHiqhQjX6ObL97RYfS8sjMxPHROKQ/s1600/RoyalRumble1994.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
We're starting things off with a WWE review. It's a weird event with a lot to talk about.<br />
Hope you all enjoy reading this blog. Looking forward to the new future.disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-79966566165514105722016-07-10T18:19:00.000-07:002016-07-10T18:19:36.407-07:00Movie Reviews #61 - 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXVkiqi323THHBQIkF5wT_loiz2aOnhDCzU0a1B0FhubFYtzUhsoPnvbqZw2Y8hXOWAr9qjLMQDaZiYc5hpEIExegNePZ0-RYEIDPjnU7QNd5xLaUL1xO7elJCIGBwou9pOt85aL0VwD9/s1600/Two_fast_two_furious_ver5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXVkiqi323THHBQIkF5wT_loiz2aOnhDCzU0a1B0FhubFYtzUhsoPnvbqZw2Y8hXOWAr9qjLMQDaZiYc5hpEIExegNePZ0-RYEIDPjnU7QNd5xLaUL1xO7elJCIGBwou9pOt85aL0VwD9/s320/Two_fast_two_furious_ver5.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Plot: Former undercover cop Brian O’Connor
(Paul Walker) is brought back in by customs to catch an international drug
dealer in Miami.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Review: Two years after the first film,
Paul Walker came back for the terribly named 2 Fast 2 Furious, he was basically
the only cast member from the first film to return. You can’t really blame
them; this movie was weak and forgettable. The plot felt like they were trying to
copy the first one but without any of the charm of that original film. It also
had a somehow even weaker villain Carter Verone played by Cole Hauser. It’s
strange as Hauser is generally a good actor, but it really felt like here he
was just sleepwalking. He was supposed to be a threat and I didn't quite
understand if he was meant to be a South American drug dealer, and it didn’t
matter to the story anyway.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Standard">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> Our
hero Brian had the whole movie to himself without a strong co-lead like Vin
Diesel as he did in the original. This time he has enlisted Roman Pearce played
by Tyrese Gibson to help him out. Tyrese is of course completely different from
Diesel, their characters are completely different, and when he was in badass
mode he was a good addition to the film. However, when he started getting into
'gangsta' mode and be funny, he just did not work. His comedic antics did
improve in the franchise's future sequels, but at this point he hadn’t
perfected it. Eva Mendes plays a fellow undercover agent Monica Fuentes and
potential love interest for Walker, unfortunately she was just there though. It
felt like they needed a love interest, and that felt like that was the only
reason for her to exist.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> This
movie had to also shoehorn in some street racing, isn't that meant to be the
point originally of The Fast And The Furious films? It didn’t make all that
much sense to be honest, but at least we got Ludicrous and his crew added to
the movie, they were a decent comedic addition and made the cast feel larger
and more complete. At one point near the end they help orchestrate this
distraction that feels like it came from a kid’s movie, with stupid cops who
just aren’t cool enough to catch these smooth criminals.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Standard">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> Ultimately,
this movie will be forgotten not long after watching it. There were some half
decent action scenes but nothing that was as good as in the first one. They
tried to go bigger and crazier with some of the action but it did not have the
impact that the first did and felt silly for the most part. Of course the
series becomes even more insane as time goes on but they totally own it with
those films, whereas here they are sheepishly trying to repeat the formula as
the first one was such a big hit.</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="Standard">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Score: 4.5/10</span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-77158089551702943772016-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:002016-07-03T12:13:42.362-07:00TV Reviews #15 - Smallville Season 1 (2001-2002)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fZssxSM_NN09Mfzcc2zVDJ7qSnzCDG2mG-EmP61RQIQbwcS9svzqn8M9FkLX4jMI4X_62vp1zYtQhVgzpHV60LJoeytmuethxP6jdeoAaglV0-_h2i-oOClgXvEsbuayM14I2-X8-Rvg/s1600/smallvilles1_cover_1084989392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fZssxSM_NN09Mfzcc2zVDJ7qSnzCDG2mG-EmP61RQIQbwcS9svzqn8M9FkLX4jMI4X_62vp1zYtQhVgzpHV60LJoeytmuethxP6jdeoAaglV0-_h2i-oOClgXvEsbuayM14I2-X8-Rvg/s320/smallvilles1_cover_1084989392.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: Smallville was a show that was a
big deal back in the day when it first started. There hadn’t really been
anything like it before, and it brought the superhero TV show back to
audiences. As is customary for me, I hadn’t seen the show until recently, which
is 15 years after it premiered. Did the show live up to all the hype?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> There’s
no denying that Smallville was a cheesy show, it was basically Dawson’s Creek
mixed with X-Files. Most of the story for this first season was based around
teenage problems and the villains/monsters of the week. They seemed to be more
of a distraction for Clark to deal with, rather than anything else. Many
episodes begin with someone gaining or using their powers to do something bad,
usually brought on by the kryptonite that landed in Smallville with Clark's
arrival. The rest of the episode would be people trying to convince others that
these super powered people really did have these abilities, which was
essentially what almost every X-Files episode was about. The villain would
somehow find out about Clark`s secret (his own abilities, which he learns
throughout the season) and by the end of the episode they would accidentally
get themselves killed, get amnesia or something else to keep the status quo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Interspersed would
be teen problems of Clark wanting to tell Lana how he feels, or Chloe wanting
to tell Clark how she feels, or the usual teenage dramas. In that respect, I
never understood what Clark saw in Lana, she’s pretty but other than that she
didn’t have much personality or much else to actually offer. She also
constantly questioned Clark and made a big deal about the smallest thing he
would do or not do. Clark should have chosen Chloe; she was better than Lana in
every way described above, they are complete opposites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtORB3PONdj3ZeJ6cUSCMRxisn44HIpkWvIkhE4jcntZLDAR8K7SXOfG11dvck27bIENQNLHueDt4arC0MYUVSM6tSCfg82tF5Jl9bju-S9n-6hNnMZiPvCZdIN81vFilxbQSNwzwFNE9/s1600/lana+lang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtORB3PONdj3ZeJ6cUSCMRxisn44HIpkWvIkhE4jcntZLDAR8K7SXOfG11dvck27bIENQNLHueDt4arC0MYUVSM6tSCfg82tF5Jl9bju-S9n-6hNnMZiPvCZdIN81vFilxbQSNwzwFNE9/s1600/lana+lang.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Lana is the worst</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
most interesting character of the show by far was Lex Luthor, where you know
that at some point he will turn evil, but at this juncture in the series he is
a good friend of Clark’s. However, you know there is a dark side to him, his
relationship with his father is layered with distrust and deceit but it was
also a challenge for him to rise up and better himself. Some old school
Shakespearean things are absolutely at play with their dynamic as father and
son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxKEDwNe8Fwp45DlD7xFTu384_kUqZDHRiNxyuPcY3_J1HKQp2v74pfUc8GZXH7h3uuA5EuBy4IMnR408ArDotr9GV6e2Y6onnXnoCItSqZwc0bx052k1J1ayrceDZmAE2xlJrYbTVYxT/s1600/lex+luthor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxKEDwNe8Fwp45DlD7xFTu384_kUqZDHRiNxyuPcY3_J1HKQp2v74pfUc8GZXH7h3uuA5EuBy4IMnR408ArDotr9GV6e2Y6onnXnoCItSqZwc0bx052k1J1ayrceDZmAE2xlJrYbTVYxT/s320/lex+luthor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>What Lex lacks in hair he makes up in being interesting</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Finally,
we have Martha and Jonathan Kent, the adoptive parents to Clark. They were the
definition of the wholesome mid western American family, who prided themselves
on values and hard work. Except that Jonathan would constantly lose his temper
and get mad at people, most of the time it would be at Lex Luthor, for things
he should not have or when people were being nice to him. Martha was the
concerned mother who always worried, but of course by the end of every episode
everything would ultimately turn out fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
show had an innumerable amount of unintentionally hilarious moments, whether or
not these moments were that way when first aired or whether it has just become
that way when viewing it now. However, that was of course part of the fun of
watching it for me. If you don't take it too seriously, it is actually an
enjoyable experience. I’m looking forward to the future adventures in the town
of Smallville and seeing where the show goes with this interpretation of Clark
Kent the man who would become Superman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7/10</span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-56698571275955871942016-06-26T16:53:00.002-07:002016-06-26T16:53:41.959-07:00Movie Reviews #60 - The Man from UNCLE (2015)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR50jIavZR6WYd5F44EW5sAHFnfo8drX3kitIz_vLMXdZd7fqNmprf1kPE8L3XQ7ZL70U1pkHGCWv1WBsexAUP8J50wJKhaucD787X8gS2YOM4KV1jEmpTf_zt9BNknOsx9x-5iI4dHE-/s1600/man+from+uncle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR50jIavZR6WYd5F44EW5sAHFnfo8drX3kitIz_vLMXdZd7fqNmprf1kPE8L3XQ7ZL70U1pkHGCWv1WBsexAUP8J50wJKhaucD787X8gS2YOM4KV1jEmpTf_zt9BNknOsx9x-5iI4dHE-/s320/man+from+uncle.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: Two spy’s, one American, one Russian, must stop
terrorist from acquiring a nuclear bomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: This movie was extremely fun. Henry Cavill and
Armie Hammer have great chemistry and back and forths. The action is the usual
enjoyable Guy Ritchie style. The 60s aesthetics is very well done and you
actually feel like you’re there. There’s no need to talk about this movie any
longer, just go see it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 8/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-16301244089570068952016-06-22T20:08:00.001-07:002016-06-22T20:08:40.829-07:00Movie Reviews #59 - X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D9vnMeKacbevr5QlH4g6V9qACR7Z5KefzFtwNx9KYeUC_lY-hn4muoC7QPt_6YoLgwrmumo4FnW61n4UMz00DAf_RwG9hvZn73Aoj7CvNut_imQTHVB8EGBtxRWyUcaeKw-VUS_WrVzJ/s1600/I_Want_to_Believe_poster_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D9vnMeKacbevr5QlH4g6V9qACR7Z5KefzFtwNx9KYeUC_lY-hn4muoC7QPt_6YoLgwrmumo4FnW61n4UMz00DAf_RwG9hvZn73Aoj7CvNut_imQTHVB8EGBtxRWyUcaeKw-VUS_WrVzJ/s320/I_Want_to_Believe_poster_2.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Plot: Mulder
and Scully are brought back by the FBI to solve a case about a missing FBI
agent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Review: At
this point, the X-Files had ended 6 years earlier. And this is how they bring
it back? This seems like a way too understated way to resurrect the series. No
wonder it took another 8 years to get the series back on television. If this
were the first episode of a new series that would be ok, but this is not enough
for a movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> The movie does not involve aliens in
any way. It’s about a former pedophile priest who now gets visions of where a
missing FBI agent went. Oh and also the agent was kidnapped by organ
traffickers. At least Mulder and Scully have good interactions and the magic
comes back. This movie just seems like a waste of time. It does not forward the
actual plot of the X-Files series. Nor was it that interesting. This movie
never had a chance since it came out around the same time as The Dark Knight.
We’ll see what happens when I get to watch all of season 10.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Score: 4.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-25415043825372986332016-06-15T18:38:00.000-07:002016-06-15T18:38:06.280-07:00Movie Reviews #58 - That Awkward Moment (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UQZr0hf0eLDRW__Jv4NAOstPBvCq9ovO71hKR_-wzZl6dLk-VHlCXo-47t_B0GP3dR2ah6XfOBIsBygzYMS97GUQdImLyrImb1LQ6Pxdjh7rHVKobx55XIY1opJA4gQIokA8thkKSqpZ/s1600/That_Awkward_Moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UQZr0hf0eLDRW__Jv4NAOstPBvCq9ovO71hKR_-wzZl6dLk-VHlCXo-47t_B0GP3dR2ah6XfOBIsBygzYMS97GUQdImLyrImb1LQ6Pxdjh7rHVKobx55XIY1opJA4gQIokA8thkKSqpZ/s320/That_Awkward_Moment.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: Three friends decide to make a pact that none of
them will get into a relation and enjoy the single life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: This movie is a mix between old school teen
movies and Judd Apatow movies. The main focus of the 3 friends (Michael B
Jordan, Miles Teller and Zac Efron) is also the funniest part of the whole
story. They have some good chemistry between them but they are not as funny as
in the aforementioned Apatow movies. Other than that, the rest of the movie feels
like the teen movies and go through similar beats. It’s a decent enough movie.
It won’t blow you away but it’s a fun time for something to watch on a Wednesday
night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 6/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-56864201404906820872016-06-12T16:05:00.001-07:002016-06-12T16:05:17.787-07:00Movie Reviews #57 - The Fast and The Furious (2001)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZPrRIVvN-1_g5tEFraRDt9sTdYZL-h7yXvikFJl9RBSTS5uHL_fmBt9xZezdFXGet4pOM-LjuzDEa6IBH3SJBL1JPJHvPUPFuc_94yTmu1nzJTRJTgV7mknJ1Viy4_bV1evsmbG6ba26/s1600/fast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZPrRIVvN-1_g5tEFraRDt9sTdYZL-h7yXvikFJl9RBSTS5uHL_fmBt9xZezdFXGet4pOM-LjuzDEa6IBH3SJBL1JPJHvPUPFuc_94yTmu1nzJTRJTgV7mknJ1Viy4_bV1evsmbG6ba26/s320/fast1.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: An undercover cop infiltrates a gang of street
racers in order to stop truck thieves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: It has already been 15 years since the first
Fast & Furious movie came out. In that time a lot has changed. The focus of
the series went from street racing to heists and stopping international
threats. And with at least 3 more movies to come, who knows where the series
will go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Fast and The Furious started off with fairly humble beginnings. The story was
basically the same as Point Break, but instead of surfing it was focused on the
world of street racing. While the story was one that we have seen before, the
racing world was different enough that it felt fresh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
acting, surprisingly enough, was not that bad. Before he became a low-voiced
one-liner machine, Vin Diesel actually spoke like a normal person. It was
strange going back and seeing him this way, it was a pleasant surprise. Paul
Walker was fine too. I wasn’t expecting an Oscar worthy performance, but he did
what was necessary. The rest of Diesel’s crew were there to play their role,
nothing more. The villain, played by Rick Yune, was bland and uninteresting; he
and his gang were just a distraction. In the grand scheme of the movie they
were unimportant and showed up to add a threat that was easily resolved. Of
course it was necessary in this kind of movie to have some sort of villain, but
I would have preferred he have some meaning and menace, instead he was just
there. The truck driver near the ending heist kicked more ass than any these
guys did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
street racing was thankfully real for the most part. There was some terrible
blur effect CGI going on during some of the races, but when they pulled the
camera away and showed the cars actually racing it was real. All of the crashes
looked good and the races were well done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Of
course, as in any Fast & Furious movie, there were huge leaps in logic. How
could a hundred or more flashy and loud cars be able to close down a ton of
roads in order to have a race and the cops only respond 20 minutes later? Even
though the movie was hip at the time, there were many outdated elements. The
music featured the likes of Limp Bizkit and Ja Rule. The main items that were
being stolen from the trucks were DVD players. All of this though just made it
more nostalgic and fun to watch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
movie was surprisingly much better than I thought it would be. When I first saw
it back in the day, I wasn’t a big fan but it grew on me. It was just one of
those fun dumb movies you can enjoy if you don’t think too hard. Another thing
I learned, there was an after the credits scene! They beat Marvel to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-49767918325228604252016-06-06T19:58:00.002-07:002016-06-06T19:58:26.393-07:00Movie Reviews #56 - The Aviator (2004)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe70pvDCH6BPP0s40nOTo_rfI3uKVhl9Mq64eLQ5RoIv-IdI-UDUBpp1IUXYXZ9x_pmm8jHJaMUZt7IP2XcVhNWiTJVHxI55c8g-DIjQv45A_ksuXfuCZESbM1mZFz7v44Dj3yFY5cpXV/s1600/aviator_ver2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe70pvDCH6BPP0s40nOTo_rfI3uKVhl9Mq64eLQ5RoIv-IdI-UDUBpp1IUXYXZ9x_pmm8jHJaMUZt7IP2XcVhNWiTJVHxI55c8g-DIjQv45A_ksuXfuCZESbM1mZFz7v44Dj3yFY5cpXV/s320/aviator_ver2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: The life story of aviation innovator and filmmaker
Howard Hughes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor for whom I’ve
had 2 differing opinions of. When Titanic came out I though he was just a
pretty boy. But as the years went by he’s proven himself more and more to be an
excellent actor. His collaboration with Martin Scorsese have been for the most
part excellent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Howard
Hughes is a personality that I only knew as a weirdo who isolated themselves. I
basically learned all my knowledge of him from The Simpsons and the James Bond
movie Diamonds are Forever who each had parodies of him. In this movie we get a
better understanding of who he was. Of course, this is a movie so I never
assume everything I see is pure biographical, I understand there are embellishments,
omissions and downright made up stuff. Despite this, seeing a glimpse of how
old, old Hollywood was is compelling. His relationship with female celebrities
of the time was reminiscent of how things are today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Cate
Blanchett’s interpretation of Katherine Hepburn is infuriating. No one actually
talks like that all the time. It gets really on your nerves after a while. The
other portion of the movie, about Hughes aviation developments, is a different
tone but the character stays the same. His deteriorating mental health becomes
a focus near the end and DiCaprio does a great job on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Aviator is a good movie but it is not great. The characters are interesting and
the acting is excellent. It’s just missing a little something to be put in the
same category as other classic biopics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Score: 7.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-31515882989976349092016-06-05T17:11:00.001-07:002016-06-05T17:11:18.138-07:00Movie Reviews #55 - Strike! (1998)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil18Tn-UE1NpS1pIy9Y0bEm4z-d3Is1HZBsFJrtw-aqBsJgWxAD0QjwXN_uF7W6dg2-dKelu9D9PTOril7xNJ5Av_G5vUv6BsBWXawJ5AW2Witlh3eaRyuPpM2aVZqRRKR2r7kbJ4fghBk/s1600/strike.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil18Tn-UE1NpS1pIy9Y0bEm4z-d3Is1HZBsFJrtw-aqBsJgWxAD0QjwXN_uF7W6dg2-dKelu9D9PTOril7xNJ5Av_G5vUv6BsBWXawJ5AW2Witlh3eaRyuPpM2aVZqRRKR2r7kbJ4fghBk/s320/strike.jpeg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Plot: An all-girls
school in the 1960s is about to merge with an all-boys school, prompting the
students to strike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Review: When
you’re on a plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean, you end up watching movies
you normally wouldn’t. So I decided to check this teen chick flick from the
late 90s. And to be honest, it wasn’t all that bad. Sure, it’s girly for the
most part but it is fun. The cast which includes Kirsten Dunst, make you feel
like you’re in the setting it’s supposed to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> The plot described in the film
actually only takes place near the end. The rest of the times it’s the students
trying to understand their place in the world. It’s a movie very much of it’s
time, which is both good and bad, depending what you are looking for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Score: 6/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482881361101045435.post-40158116580015490642016-06-02T20:15:00.000-07:002016-06-02T20:15:39.379-07:00Book Reviews #11 - Inferno (2013) by Dan Brown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L2jcCiL1T1Fd6qLSlTf3Ja2GUxa8zvo7Ghjx1jGpjRlsJtzLDMmcYuD7AT50NY0KXh6fXLIhNRNUXbIs_Mw6R1ygkjBuosNVeQnATa_OPe0mHY023pGG8Ymn8d30uxJDZbtkfFhoyzk_/s1600/Inferno-Book-Cover-June-13-p146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L2jcCiL1T1Fd6qLSlTf3Ja2GUxa8zvo7Ghjx1jGpjRlsJtzLDMmcYuD7AT50NY0KXh6fXLIhNRNUXbIs_Mw6R1ygkjBuosNVeQnATa_OPe0mHY023pGG8Ymn8d30uxJDZbtkfFhoyzk_/s320/Inferno-Book-Cover-June-13-p146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plot: In this fourth entry of the series, Robert Langdon must
find clues inside Dante’s Divine Comedy in order to stop a plague.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Review: In short, if you like the other Robert Langdon books.
The mystery is intriguing and the short chapters keep you going on since it’s
easier to continue. The setting is in Italy once again, however this time they
travelled to Florence and Venice whereas in Angels & Demons they were in
the Vatican. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Part of the
appeal of these books is that it makes interesting. I want to visit all the
locations they visit. Once you get the history of why certain things happen it
makes everything seem like more than just some old stuff. The main threat here
is a little bit different than the previous ones. Bertrand Zobrist believes
that the world is on the brink of overpopulation, which could spark the end of
humanity. He plans on unleashing a plague that will stop it. In a way the
villain has a good point, which creates ideas to be discussed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Inferno is
definitely worth a read. It will be interesting to see how the movie version
will turn out, hopefully it will be better than Angels & Demons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Score: 8/10</span>disco162http://www.blogger.com/profile/00306198186564175728noreply@blogger.com0