Pastor Mike and i just returned home from a 3 day conference on prayer, church and goals. I have gone to the conference twice and while the material is fairly similar, the importance and "freshness" of the experience is great. I was stoked to go with Pastor Mike, as we have spent a lot of time together in prayer, but we had never gone to a conference together. When i went 3 years ago, i was excited to implement what i had learned, praying that it would impact my life more, making me a better teacher and man. This time, I'm pleased to say, that both Pastor Mike and I have come back with a renewed sense of what God is pushing us towards, as well as setting up some goals for church and personal growth. Folks, it is impossible to separate this list from the fact that our Awana leaders have been praying for "Revival" in Glide for the past 2 years. While i can't put Pastor Mike's goals up, I am pleased to give my goals for 2015. The rules: You have to have one B-HAG ("Big Hairy Audacious Goal") that pushes you, along with 2-5 spiritual goals...and one CANNOT be "pray with my wife" OR "I'm going to read my Bible more." Goals must be written down and yet remain flexible to life circumstances that could come up. Since we are expecting our first child in September, we have plenty of goals for our child, therefore, i'm slightly excluding those until the baby is born (BTW, we will not be discovering the sex). With that said, here they are...
1 Half marathon each month= 12 for the year (Have already done 2 in Jan.)
Run North Bank Road before baby (My marathon this year--17 miles)
Preach 1 Sunday a month
Read 2 Verses before each meal with Tonya
Read 6 parenting books, 3 with Tonya
Blog 1 per week (25 movie reviews in the year)
15 minutes of prayer a day
52 sermon illustrations
40 pushups and 5 minute "plank" by end of year
Read 2 Theology Books
Learn Baby "lingo" (sleeper, receiving blanket, etc.)
1 journal entry by Tonya and I per month
52 thank you letters
1 new recipe a month
Heading towards the "Big Goal": Don't have to act like i feel
There is an "end point" to my goals. It is an inside joke, but everyone knows i married way above and beyond my league by being blessed with Tonya. What most folks don't know is that she has quite litearlly never gotten angry. Despite a job that works with people and being married to me, she has
never once been angry. So, my goals this year, both physical and spiritual, are aimed at being more Christ like in example as seen by my wife--to not act like a i feel. While i have gotten angry and said things i haven't, i have never seen such a godly example of self control with one's emotions. Therefore, i am dedicating 10 minutes every morning to simple prayer of this goal, to "not act like i feel." I would like to go one year without getting angry. To be clear, this is different than frustrated or annoyed. Those are different.
There they are...i hope they inspire you, dear reader, to put your own goals down...When you have goals and they are written down, they inform you as to where you want to go, a dart board that you can actually hit. Without them, you can easily forget what you did last year, and can be unsure of what you wish to accomplish this year.
-to god be the glory for great things he has done!
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Thursday, January 29, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
To Our Child
We began praying for you last night. Of course we prayed to be good parents and godly people you would be proud of, but most importantly, we prayed for you and your salvation. You will be born into an amazing and powerful world, one that has reshaped many things and advanced the world because of technology. And that is part of the problem. We prayed for you, as Jesus did, that you would lead and live in a world that is directly opposed to the things of Christ. We rationalize and scheme in our hearts, denying that we are, in fact, sinful, fallen beings. When the prophet Jeremiah wrote that "the heart is decietful and desperately wicked, who can understand it?" there is a sense that even this verse cannot adequetly describe how bad a human being can truly be or become. So, we began praying for you, and for the salvation that is so freely available to you; for the salvation that can change your life and eternal destination. We prayed that you would be so amazed by the love God has for you, that HE, seeing your broken and evil intent in your heart (as well as ours), sent His son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for that sin. We prayed that you would be filled with that love, and in faith, turn your life completely over to Christ. That you would worship, fear and serve His mighty hand and power.
As your parents, we began praying for revival. We prayed that the Lord would change and "bring to life" our passion for His word, for His direction and His priorities. Without His revival in our lives, "we labor in vain" in raising you. It pains me to say this, but i will fail many times in raising you, and i need help, plain and simple. I need God. I need His word. I need His revivial if i am to lead you to the things of God.
To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that you would KNOW "it is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atoning sacrafice for our sins. If God so loved us, we ought to love one another."
As your parents, we began praying for revival. We prayed that the Lord would change and "bring to life" our passion for His word, for His direction and His priorities. Without His revival in our lives, "we labor in vain" in raising you. It pains me to say this, but i will fail many times in raising you, and i need help, plain and simple. I need God. I need His word. I need His revivial if i am to lead you to the things of God.
To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that you would KNOW "it is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atoning sacrafice for our sins. If God so loved us, we ought to love one another."
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
God working, movie review and prediction!
Most folks send out Christmas greetings and a card for the
end of the year festivities. Since
I am currently unsure of what to tell folks in a generic letter, I thought I
would do so via a typical blog.
2014 has been a solid, up and down year, as most typically
are. My wife and I have grown and
learned a lot. The biggest
highlights would fall under the category of “God working--get out of His way.” In February, as Tonya and I were
helping YMI train students that were headed to the mission field, we found
ourselves with the opportunity to go on our first mission trip as a married couple. We were originally headed to Ukraine,
but obviously, with bombings and plane issues, we were rescheduled to South
Korea. While many will say, “the
mission trip changed my life,” I will merely say with a ton of enthusiasm, the
trip left a huge impact on my life.
I want students to go on these trips, to be prepared—thoroughly—by
training, bible study and fundraising.
I want to feel the physical exhaustion of helping another culture learn
the most about God and His word as possible. I want to take as many students from Glide on a mission trip
as possible. And I want to learn
more about my wife that I am unable to do so when in the states. There is something unique about being
on foreign soil that is hard to quantify or grasp unless you go. I am now one of those privileged few
that has seen God working in another country and am blown away by our great
Creator.
When it comes to ministry, again, an up and down year. But, with the UP, it has been WAY UP! In Awana, as leaders, we simply began the year with
prayer and one word on every leaders lips: Revival! When
looking at the Bible, almost every use of revival comes through God’s word, as
well as the literal power of God coming down upon an area or people. When reading Psalm 119, we can see that
only God’s Word will revive—bring to life—someone. Not programs, not cool furniture or a hip youth pastor. Only the power of God’s word! So, as Awana leaders, Tonya and I
simply served food once a month for the 6 months of Awana with the express
purpose of leaders praying for Revival.
That the Spirit of God would come down upon us as we worked with each
child, that the WORD would complete revive that dead soul and make it alive for
Christ. What happened? (Preface—I’m the first to say that
“numbers” for any church program can be manipulated or tweaked to mean whatever
or stay very ambiguous. However,
this was clearly God...) We had over
80% book completion, which our Awana missionary Ed Gossien will say, is nearly
unheard of. We had a physical
increase in attendance, as well as an increase in leader and parent
participation. My personal
favorite: we had 9 kids go to Awana camp in June, our highest margin by
far. Out of that, we have 3
students that have signed up to go on a mission trip through YMI. To quote Henry Blackaby, “there is
never a shortage of resources when the presence of God comes upon a
people.” We literally experienced
that this past Awana year.
Obviously, we are praying that the Lord would bless us this year, which
so far, He has. As I reflect on
this “event,” to think of a home filled with people praying for children,
parents and their salvation, I’m humbled and blessed to know and feel what the
early church felt like. They ate,
prayed and then got back out there for Jesus.
On a personal level (not like the other events are not
“personal," but I digress…), I was able to complete 2 more marathons with my
sister. I’m very blessed by her
willingness to give up her time (running and literal) for me, as well as train for a very different
and slow runner. While I did not
have issues staying hydrated as in races past, I did well in Tacoma, WA, but
not so well in Sacramento. So,
that can only mean, I have to try to do another one for a better time. Tonya and I continue to try to work out
and stay in shape as best we can.
We love playing basketball at the local high school with the teachers…it
has been great for relationship building with these students, to see them in a
different life.
Since I enjoy movies and reviewing them, I have to throw in
one final movie for the year, as well as a Top ten list and pet peeve about movies currently be promoted by Hollywood.
I’m not sure which, so I will do a combination of both.
First, The Hobbit.
I hate to say it, so I will ask:
Is anyone else sick of seeing Middle Earth? I mean, the first 3 films were solid and came out and made sense and then were
done. Since then, man, there have
been video games and posters and conferences and rumors….AND 3 more movies that
have very little to do with the quick, excellent novel called the Hobbit. In fact, while the movie is solid (you
will not regret going), I find something interesting going on in Hollywood
recently: Calling something one
thing, but adding way too much to it that the original would be insulted. For example, I took our youth group to
Noah and Exodus. The movies were
great for getting discussions going in regards to what the Bible (the actual manuscript from God) actually said. However, that is about it. They weren’t great films and by
deviating so much from the original material of the books, the movies were actually worst. Noah had a guy build a boat and he was
named Noah, but that is it when it comes to what Hollywood took from the
Bible. Same could be said of
Exodus, only worst. There was a
white guy name Mo- something, and
there were some plagues in it, but even that is pushing it. Why deviate so much from the
Bible? When it comes to the
Hobbit, why add so much more? I
mean, there were what, 4 major characters added to these films? I understand that Hollywood wants
money, but dang, this is pretty bad.
With that said, The Hobbit does a good job in all facets of action, CGI
and story to move things along that you won’t hate going, but the nerd or
purist in you will wonder, “Huh, this sure is long…I wonder why…” 3.5/5
My Top Ten movies of the year:
1—Despicable Me 2
2—How to Train your Dragon 2
3—Guardians of the Galaxy
4—The Equalizer
5—Captain America: Winter Solider
And to those who are still reading, hoping, with baited
breath, for my prediction for what will come, here it is: while 2015 will have ups and downs, as
all years do, there is one thing that will trump all: Tonya and I will be welcoming our first child into the world
sometime in August, thereby being the greatest present and gift we could ever
have. Here’s to the new year!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Vainglory...the excellent IOS MOBA game
As many of my friends know, I am not what you would call a "gamer." Yes, I love board games, but I seem to be unable to take that "skill" to the TV and video games. I have my moments, like when I beat the Nintendo Wii Playground Games series, or when I beat Red Dead Redemption. However, the victories are few and far between. In fact, unless students are over hanging out, I rarely play video games by myself...or with Tonya. I usually relegate myself to a few moments passing the time on a various app or Sukoou puzzle on my Ipad. But, on November 17th, all that changed. The game Vainglory came out, and changed how I view my Ipad and games in general. It isn't that it "came out" as in was launched, so much as it "came off my Ipad/Iphone screen" and demanded attention.
"Vainglory" falls into the genre known as MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, where players compete 3 vs. 3 for supremacy of land. Basically, a fancy way of saying they are playing "Capture the Flag." In this case, the "flag" is the crystal that your team must destroy. However, before this can be destroyed, your team must make its way down the "lane" destroying small minions and turrets that are protecting the enemies territory. This genre, as i just discovered, has been famous for years, made popular by League of Legends, which can be played on the PC. Anyway, what makes the gameplay fun is the fact that everyone starts at "ground zero" in their abilities every single game. Yes, you may have played and know how to use certain items, but you are not, by default, more powerful at the start of a game than a noob like me. We all must gain experience points throughout the game in order to buy more items and better weapons and defense equipment.
While League of Legends has hundreds of characters and countless/endless ways to join teams and make your way through a game, Vainglory keeps things simple, but unique. For starters, having 10 characters that can slowly be earned and played for free (depending on the week), helps gain new players, while forcing the great players to focus on learning just a few characters. In other words, it may upset the die-hards among us, having so few cahracters, but new players, like myself, quickly adapt to this new genre without feeling completely overwhelmed by too many choices. Let me focus on how to play and which skill my character is proficient at. Too many times, i am unable to play certain games because frankly, they require way too much time to learn the basics. With Vainglory, it is easy to play, yet difficult to master. But, after only 3 games, i truly felt like i was becoming a better player and teammate. I may not be great, but when it comes to team games, i have always had the motto, "I don't want to cost my team the game when i play." With Vainglory, that quickly became the case, as i was dying less, finding specific points where i could get easy kills or assists without worrying about dying. This is huge when it comes to attracting new players, as well as giving confidence to the noobs among us. Yes, kills must be hard to come by, but not at the expense that i give up quickly. There will always be those players that do nothing but want "the kill" or stats that allegedly show one being a great player, but just remember, the point of the game is not kills, but to win. When you win, you gain more "Karma" points, which helps you get into better and more intense games.
Vainglory was made specifically for the Apple release of the iPhone 6, which means the gameplay will be a lot different than the PC. However, for the most part, Vainglory surpasses anything i thought could be done on a touchscreen device. The controls are easy and the game quickly becomes second nature to any who play, yes, even the noobs like myself. I had played, and still enjoy "Fates Forever," but Vainglory has quickly supplanted it. Not only is it fun to play, but the graphics are truly amazing. With the iPhone 6 Plus, the game actually looks and feels like true HD. Having grown up with Atari and the original black and white Gameboy, i never thought a day would come when the device i'm holding looks better than my TV. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we all have that moment when we realize what we possess is transcending time for just a brief moment. For me, picking up this game and just looking at the lush colors and fun characters, and their idiosyncratic voice overs, was all i needed to enter that video game bliss so many dream about.
As for the actual playing of the game, not only are the graphics great, but gameplay is seamless and requires just tapping the screen to move around. When you tap an enemy, your character will quickly move in and begin attacking automatically. Where gamers need to be aware is the fact that these games will take at least 20 minutes to complete. While this may not seem like much in the grand scheme of video games (Hello, Skyrim?), since the game is played on IOS devices like the phone and Ipad, whenever you have a call or text, however, this quickly can ruin or change how you are playing the game. You will lose "Karma" points for leaving a game, no matter the circumstance and this will help prevent "AFKers" in future matches. So, beware of which device you are using when playing as every little text or notification can truly impact your game, stats, and ultimately, victory. Otherwise, tap away fellow warriors.
Superevil Megacorp, the company that created Vainglory, apparently raised over $15 million to finance and get the game up and running. Obviously, becoming the Keynote speaker or video demonstration as Apple releases the Iphone 6 will help anyone get on the business map. But, these guys have taken the principles of so many MOBA's and made one that is all their own. I see no reason as to why this game will not only grow, but thrive, gaining new fans of this great genre along the way.
Bottom Line:
It's free, amazing and doesn't require gigs of your hardrive, so why not download ASAP?!
Pros:
Great game, amazing graphics and cool characters
Strategy is vital to match
Just plain FUN!
Cons:
Game can feel "different" on Iphone compared with Ipad
Noobs will feel overwhelmed for the first 5-10 games before feeling more comfortable
AFKrs are still out there, ruining great competition
"Vainglory" falls into the genre known as MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, where players compete 3 vs. 3 for supremacy of land. Basically, a fancy way of saying they are playing "Capture the Flag." In this case, the "flag" is the crystal that your team must destroy. However, before this can be destroyed, your team must make its way down the "lane" destroying small minions and turrets that are protecting the enemies territory. This genre, as i just discovered, has been famous for years, made popular by League of Legends, which can be played on the PC. Anyway, what makes the gameplay fun is the fact that everyone starts at "ground zero" in their abilities every single game. Yes, you may have played and know how to use certain items, but you are not, by default, more powerful at the start of a game than a noob like me. We all must gain experience points throughout the game in order to buy more items and better weapons and defense equipment.
While League of Legends has hundreds of characters and countless/endless ways to join teams and make your way through a game, Vainglory keeps things simple, but unique. For starters, having 10 characters that can slowly be earned and played for free (depending on the week), helps gain new players, while forcing the great players to focus on learning just a few characters. In other words, it may upset the die-hards among us, having so few cahracters, but new players, like myself, quickly adapt to this new genre without feeling completely overwhelmed by too many choices. Let me focus on how to play and which skill my character is proficient at. Too many times, i am unable to play certain games because frankly, they require way too much time to learn the basics. With Vainglory, it is easy to play, yet difficult to master. But, after only 3 games, i truly felt like i was becoming a better player and teammate. I may not be great, but when it comes to team games, i have always had the motto, "I don't want to cost my team the game when i play." With Vainglory, that quickly became the case, as i was dying less, finding specific points where i could get easy kills or assists without worrying about dying. This is huge when it comes to attracting new players, as well as giving confidence to the noobs among us. Yes, kills must be hard to come by, but not at the expense that i give up quickly. There will always be those players that do nothing but want "the kill" or stats that allegedly show one being a great player, but just remember, the point of the game is not kills, but to win. When you win, you gain more "Karma" points, which helps you get into better and more intense games.
Vainglory was made specifically for the Apple release of the iPhone 6, which means the gameplay will be a lot different than the PC. However, for the most part, Vainglory surpasses anything i thought could be done on a touchscreen device. The controls are easy and the game quickly becomes second nature to any who play, yes, even the noobs like myself. I had played, and still enjoy "Fates Forever," but Vainglory has quickly supplanted it. Not only is it fun to play, but the graphics are truly amazing. With the iPhone 6 Plus, the game actually looks and feels like true HD. Having grown up with Atari and the original black and white Gameboy, i never thought a day would come when the device i'm holding looks better than my TV. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we all have that moment when we realize what we possess is transcending time for just a brief moment. For me, picking up this game and just looking at the lush colors and fun characters, and their idiosyncratic voice overs, was all i needed to enter that video game bliss so many dream about.
As for the actual playing of the game, not only are the graphics great, but gameplay is seamless and requires just tapping the screen to move around. When you tap an enemy, your character will quickly move in and begin attacking automatically. Where gamers need to be aware is the fact that these games will take at least 20 minutes to complete. While this may not seem like much in the grand scheme of video games (Hello, Skyrim?), since the game is played on IOS devices like the phone and Ipad, whenever you have a call or text, however, this quickly can ruin or change how you are playing the game. You will lose "Karma" points for leaving a game, no matter the circumstance and this will help prevent "AFKers" in future matches. So, beware of which device you are using when playing as every little text or notification can truly impact your game, stats, and ultimately, victory. Otherwise, tap away fellow warriors.
Superevil Megacorp, the company that created Vainglory, apparently raised over $15 million to finance and get the game up and running. Obviously, becoming the Keynote speaker or video demonstration as Apple releases the Iphone 6 will help anyone get on the business map. But, these guys have taken the principles of so many MOBA's and made one that is all their own. I see no reason as to why this game will not only grow, but thrive, gaining new fans of this great genre along the way.
Bottom Line:
It's free, amazing and doesn't require gigs of your hardrive, so why not download ASAP?!
Pros:
Great game, amazing graphics and cool characters
Strategy is vital to match
Just plain FUN!
Cons:
Game can feel "different" on Iphone compared with Ipad
Noobs will feel overwhelmed for the first 5-10 games before feeling more comfortable
AFKrs are still out there, ruining great competition
Monday, June 16, 2014
Edge of Tomorrow and 22 Jump Street
It seems everyone has an opinion about Tom Cruise. Yes, he has been married numerous times. Yes, he may be involved in one of the biggest cults in America. AND YES, he knows how to do action films; good, bad or otherwise. When it comes to his new film "Edge of Tomorrow," Tom Cruise does a good job balancing an unusual story with aplomb. It would seem, when it comes to action films, there are few stars that are game for them, as audiences "have seen it all" by this point. From Arnold, to Bruce Willis, we have few names we can trust. We may not be able to trust Tom Cruise, but at least you know it should be interesting. He just seems to have "it" when an action film comes along. The film may be cheesy (MI2), rotten (Oblivion) or down right nasty (Collateral), but Tom Cruise cares about the work he puts into his films.
"Edge of Tomorrow" revolves around Cruise and his character Cage, as well as a host of other films to make this action film work. The film revolves around the military day repeating itself via "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray. I kept hoping Bill Murray would put in a cameo in this film, but it is not to be. Anyway, the day repeats itself because Cage is killed by an alien being known as an Omega. An Omega, as we find out, is a strong being that is using our memories and intellect to learn more about our military strategies, and thus, destroy us in a worldwide war for humanity. Cage goes into combat reluctantly and as a "deserter," but is able to redeem himself, as well as train and become a better human being because the day repeats itself, much as Bill Murray did in "Groundhog Day."
The alien beings that Cage and the world must fight against are interesting, but they bring about a point that must be addressed: while this film is fun to watch, it "borrows" from so many movies, it feels like a retread instead of something new. The aliens look like beings from the "Matrix" films, and the ending scene is so similar to the 3rd "Matrix" film that i'm surprised reports have not sprung up about "copyright infringement." Also baffling is the planes, cars, SUVs that soldiers are transported in. They look like they came from "Aliens" and instead of Ripley, we get Emily Blunt. Emily Blunt has been on the rise in the past few years, coming to fame through various roles, most recently in the film "Loopers," where she plays a distraught mother trying to protect her child from Bruce Willis. Anyway, Emily Blunt plays Rita, who looks like a tough trained fighter dressed in Final Fantasy gear, with the giant sword and back pack to match. Rita, it seems, has also been impacted by an Omega, and she is the only person that Cage can trust and relate to. Cruise and Blunt spend a huge portion of the film training and fighting in order to get farther in combat, hoping to encounter and kill the Omega, thereby keeping the world's military secrets and strategy safe. How this happens will be left up for you to, of course. However, the ending is eerily similar to scenes from the first Captain America and Pacific Rim, so beware.
You have to hand it to Tom Cruise. Even when a film borrows numerous scenes, ideas and even a movie premise, you never get tired of seeing Tom Cruise and his earnestness in the film. He does a good job, has some fun, laughs and great scenes that remind us, "Hey, Tom Cruise has another action film out." And that's a good thing.
3 out of 5
22 Jump Street
Two years ago, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum teamed up for the surprise hit of the year and summer. They were cops that got in trouble and found themselves going undercover at a high school, looking to "Infiltrate the dealers, find the suppliers." They did so with flare, hilarious jokes and a cameo appearance by Johnny Depp. "21 Jump Street" was a truly fun and stupid film, much like Dumb and Dumber. Who hasn't seen two opposites join forces and become a truly unstoppable duo? But, wow, did those two make it work. They left the world with a lot of new catchphrases and highlights (doves anyone?). And now, "22 Jump Street" comes along.
There is a really easy way to describe this film: if you liked the first film, you will like this one. In fact, there is no way to not like this film if you liked the first because they are nearly identical, which sounds weird, but actually works.
"22 Jump Street" seems to know and revel in the fact that sequels are usually worst and more ludicrous than the original film. So, why not do the same thing, but make fun of it instead? This seems to be the premise that 22 deals with, and you know what? It totally works. Throughout the film, characters and situations cry out for "we know it's the same" and that's okay. Several media outlets have referred to this as "sequelitis."
With "sequelitis" in mind, this film revolves around Schmidt and Jenko "going to college" and searching for who the big drug person/dealer is. As their initial captain points out, "but now, people actually are spending money and expecting results for this job." The pun upon the movie and dare i say "franchise" is awesome and beautifully executed. If you know you are getting the same film, why not enjoy it again...just at college. The usual college cliches are there, from stupid roommates, to drunk frats and hazing. Insert a football team instead of a drama team from the first film and you have everything you need. Oh, you liked the bad guys from the first one, then bam, Jenko and Schmidt must get "information" from suppliers that know about this stuff. Insert cameo by Dave Franco and Rob Riggle. Ice Cube returns and is just as angry and funny as he was in the first. Be ready for his daughter and an awkward dinner with Jonah Hill during the "Parent Week" of school.
Does it actually matter if the "case is solved?" Not really, so long as Jonah Hill keeps making fun of himself and his non-athletic side, while his buddy Channing Tatum exhibits his muscular body tone and funny attempts to learn and play professional sports: "He's the Mexican Wolverine."
The film ends brilliantly, as the credits make fun of all the future "installments" of Jump Street. From a cameo by Seth Rogen as "Priest Street" to Jonah Hill saying, "What contract dispute?" the film just nails the nature of Hollywood wanting to make money, meta-films, and being self aware. It's refreshing and great to know that as much fun as these actors have being in a silly buddy movie, it is still just a movie, so why not have fun? Enjoy this one, just like you did with the first one!
4 out of 5
"Edge of Tomorrow" revolves around Cruise and his character Cage, as well as a host of other films to make this action film work. The film revolves around the military day repeating itself via "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray. I kept hoping Bill Murray would put in a cameo in this film, but it is not to be. Anyway, the day repeats itself because Cage is killed by an alien being known as an Omega. An Omega, as we find out, is a strong being that is using our memories and intellect to learn more about our military strategies, and thus, destroy us in a worldwide war for humanity. Cage goes into combat reluctantly and as a "deserter," but is able to redeem himself, as well as train and become a better human being because the day repeats itself, much as Bill Murray did in "Groundhog Day."
The alien beings that Cage and the world must fight against are interesting, but they bring about a point that must be addressed: while this film is fun to watch, it "borrows" from so many movies, it feels like a retread instead of something new. The aliens look like beings from the "Matrix" films, and the ending scene is so similar to the 3rd "Matrix" film that i'm surprised reports have not sprung up about "copyright infringement." Also baffling is the planes, cars, SUVs that soldiers are transported in. They look like they came from "Aliens" and instead of Ripley, we get Emily Blunt. Emily Blunt has been on the rise in the past few years, coming to fame through various roles, most recently in the film "Loopers," where she plays a distraught mother trying to protect her child from Bruce Willis. Anyway, Emily Blunt plays Rita, who looks like a tough trained fighter dressed in Final Fantasy gear, with the giant sword and back pack to match. Rita, it seems, has also been impacted by an Omega, and she is the only person that Cage can trust and relate to. Cruise and Blunt spend a huge portion of the film training and fighting in order to get farther in combat, hoping to encounter and kill the Omega, thereby keeping the world's military secrets and strategy safe. How this happens will be left up for you to, of course. However, the ending is eerily similar to scenes from the first Captain America and Pacific Rim, so beware.
You have to hand it to Tom Cruise. Even when a film borrows numerous scenes, ideas and even a movie premise, you never get tired of seeing Tom Cruise and his earnestness in the film. He does a good job, has some fun, laughs and great scenes that remind us, "Hey, Tom Cruise has another action film out." And that's a good thing.
3 out of 5
22 Jump Street
Two years ago, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum teamed up for the surprise hit of the year and summer. They were cops that got in trouble and found themselves going undercover at a high school, looking to "Infiltrate the dealers, find the suppliers." They did so with flare, hilarious jokes and a cameo appearance by Johnny Depp. "21 Jump Street" was a truly fun and stupid film, much like Dumb and Dumber. Who hasn't seen two opposites join forces and become a truly unstoppable duo? But, wow, did those two make it work. They left the world with a lot of new catchphrases and highlights (doves anyone?). And now, "22 Jump Street" comes along.
There is a really easy way to describe this film: if you liked the first film, you will like this one. In fact, there is no way to not like this film if you liked the first because they are nearly identical, which sounds weird, but actually works.
"22 Jump Street" seems to know and revel in the fact that sequels are usually worst and more ludicrous than the original film. So, why not do the same thing, but make fun of it instead? This seems to be the premise that 22 deals with, and you know what? It totally works. Throughout the film, characters and situations cry out for "we know it's the same" and that's okay. Several media outlets have referred to this as "sequelitis."
With "sequelitis" in mind, this film revolves around Schmidt and Jenko "going to college" and searching for who the big drug person/dealer is. As their initial captain points out, "but now, people actually are spending money and expecting results for this job." The pun upon the movie and dare i say "franchise" is awesome and beautifully executed. If you know you are getting the same film, why not enjoy it again...just at college. The usual college cliches are there, from stupid roommates, to drunk frats and hazing. Insert a football team instead of a drama team from the first film and you have everything you need. Oh, you liked the bad guys from the first one, then bam, Jenko and Schmidt must get "information" from suppliers that know about this stuff. Insert cameo by Dave Franco and Rob Riggle. Ice Cube returns and is just as angry and funny as he was in the first. Be ready for his daughter and an awkward dinner with Jonah Hill during the "Parent Week" of school.
Does it actually matter if the "case is solved?" Not really, so long as Jonah Hill keeps making fun of himself and his non-athletic side, while his buddy Channing Tatum exhibits his muscular body tone and funny attempts to learn and play professional sports: "He's the Mexican Wolverine."
The film ends brilliantly, as the credits make fun of all the future "installments" of Jump Street. From a cameo by Seth Rogen as "Priest Street" to Jonah Hill saying, "What contract dispute?" the film just nails the nature of Hollywood wanting to make money, meta-films, and being self aware. It's refreshing and great to know that as much fun as these actors have being in a silly buddy movie, it is still just a movie, so why not have fun? Enjoy this one, just like you did with the first one!
4 out of 5
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Maleficent Review: Hell hath no fury...
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is a phrase we have
all heard and been intimated by…okay a phrase men are scared to physically
encounter. However, in the new
Disney movie, Maleficent, Angelina Jolie
takes this phrase and exhibit her wrath upon all those who try and betray her.
The
movie Maleficent is based upon the Disney film “Sleeping Beauty.” The original story has a sweet 16 year
old girl living with 3 fairy godmothers, hoping they can protect her from a
spell that has been cast on her.
Only “true love’s kiss” will reverse this spell. Flash-forward to the current film and
we have the exact same premise, with a great twist—the Maleficent perspective
and motive.
The film begins with a young girl, Maleficent, living in her
own fantasy world, trying out her powers and wings. She is a sweet girl and commands other creatures to follow
and obey her. For the first 15
minutes, the movie has a distinct Guillermo del Toro feel. Many of the creatures look like they came out of the film
Pan’s Labyrinth or even del Torro’s modest film Hellboy. The creatures and special effects are a
wonder to behold, as is Maleficent.
As beautiful as the world and CGI may be, living in utopia was not to
be. One day, a young boy shows up
in young Maleficent’s world, forming a friendship and bond that the film
revolves around.
The two friends, Maleficent and Stefan (Sharlto Copley) grow up, each seemingly caring for the other, until one
day, a King decides he wants more land and a bigger kingdom, which involves
Maleficent’s land and kingdom.
This puts her dear friend Stefan in a tough spot. He, along with many other powerful men,
is allowed to rule after the King if they deliver the powerful Maleficent to
the King.
Stefan lures Maleficent
out by claiming to warn her of the vicious King, but uses the guise of a
friendly date to drug and then cut off her wings. When Angelina Jolie wakes up, realizing she has been
betrayed and has lost her wings, her acting is truly horrifying. It was one of the few scenes where I
not only was moved, but would have been concerned had I any small
children. It is great acting, but
a bit much for young children.
Somehow, knowing that Jolie went through breast cancer issues in her
family made this scene and its “date rape” implications very powerful; Men, in
this case, Stefan, using a woman to get what he wants. Stefan does indeed become the
next king. While Jolie clearly
owns the movie, the great, but underrated Sharlto Copley gives another great
performance as a nefarious “bad guy.”
If you have seen Elysium, then
you know what I mean when I say he can be a brutal villain when he wants to
turn up the heat. If he isn’t careful, Copley will soon by typecast whenever a
villain is needed.
As Maleficent tries to grow without her wings, and as
Stefan begins ruling his new kingdom, a welcome celebration is brought fourth,
bringing the two “frenemies” together—the birth of Stefan’s daughter. Kingdoms are brought together, as are
the festivities. But this also
brings the wrath of Jolie, I mean, Maleficent, and it is at this party that
Maleficent renders her now famous curse that “nothing can undo….except love’s
true kiss.”
From this point, which is around the 30 minute mark, we
know where the movie will go:
there will be a cute girl that fails to avoid a curse, but is still
saved. There will be battles and
there will be a happy ending because Disney made the film. However, what makes this film a solid
and special one is how these events are molded and seen through new light. Jolie does a fantastic job in this
role, as both villain, but then sympathetic character, one that many will
relate to when it comes to a life of regret. Many of us go through life, knowing that one mistake can
come to define us. We pray for a
chance to make things right or to “go back and start over.” Jolie, as she gets to know the young
Aurora, has these same feelings in regards to her curse upon “the little one”
and her life. You can see the
changes she wants to make and why she tries to seek forgiveness, which is a
great motive and thing for all ages to see.
The
movie, while PG, has a few violent spots should parents be considering taking
the little ones to the theatre. However,
a positive message ends the film, and the 3 fairy godmothers are quite humerous
in their various roles as “protectors.” After seeing Jolie do a great job, I wondered
why she doesn’t do more films. She
is a household name and has her own marketing circus due to “Brangalina.” But there is another famous phrase she
probably lives by when it comes to films: “Quality, not quantity.”
Saturday, May 24, 2014
X-Men: Finally, a good one...
Director Bryan Singer, the man behind X-Men and X2 is back after a three "X-Men" break. Since his return, the world has seen numerous Wolverine films as well as three additional X-Men films. With all of these films involving mutants and various world conflicts, many are probably asking why should i go see this one OR what does this one do that makes it stand out? Well, it's Memorial Day weekend and with the extra time on hand, it would be a solid investment when it comes to the movies. For what it's worth, i give the movie a rating of 3.5/5.
At the end of X-Men First Class, we saw a young Professor X crippled due to a bullet that ricocheted off of Magneto and into his spine, paralyzing him. This film, set in the present day, involves many of those same mutants and friends squaring off against an entity known as Sentinals. If you are a nerd like me, you remember the comic books and think, "The big red/purple guys that are stupid, slow and can be killed by Wolverine." Well, as it turns out, no. These are machines that have been implanted with programs about mutants, as well as Mystique's DNA, allowing them to morph into or avoid the powers of other mutants in order to avoid being killed. Bottom line: they are Terminators with mutant powers. In order to avoid total destruction as a race, mutants must rise together, go back in time and stop the production of Sentinals from ever taking place. They are able to do this by sending Wolverine back in time (because he can constantly heal) and fight/discuss/be a BA with mutants in the 1970's. Wolverine has one task, get Mystique to avoid killing a man named Trask. Trask is played by our favorite Game of Thrones character, Peter Dinklage. Trask doesn't hate mutants like many of his peers, but he does want to make a lot of money destroying them with weapons he creates. Basically, he is Tony Stark without a conscience for good.
Anyway, Wolverine makes his way through the 70's meeting old and new mutants, while also avoiding his temper. Hugh Jackman knows his roll in these movies and he does a good job helping keep the plot moving forward. Among the characters that he meets along his journey is Quicksilver. Quicksilver is a mutant that can move super fast. In this movie, he is the only character that has fun with his role. He helps Wolverine and others save Magneto from prison. As a nerd, i was disappointed that Magneto was not told that this was his son, but i digress...
While the movie has good action scenes, fun characters and the right director back at the helm, I have the same problem with this movie as I had with Godzilla: too many "stolen" parts from other movies. I'm not saying that every movie must be original and knock our minds out of the world like Inception. However, when most of the movie is giving credit to previous films, even films done by the same franchise, it takes away from what it was once trying to add to the current film. Any time you deal with TIME TRAVEL, you must go up against any Terminator film, which this one does. Even the "End of the World" scenarios seem like they came from T2. Wolverine encounters so many "flashbacks" while he is in time travel mode that it seemed like Mr. Singer had a chance to throw insults at the other X-Men films that he had nothing to do with, as well as try to close gaps between films. This all may be fine, it just seems a bit forced.
With all that said, the movie has a good pace, is solid and has a great cast from all the films, so there is that. The film does bode well for the future of the franchise, which couldn't always be said. The film simply ends, leaving the next director a lot of leeway in where they take the next film. That may be good, but with the X-Men franchise, while the films are solid, the company or studio doesn't seem how to plot the course or have a plan with where to take these films in the future, unlike The Avengers and their characters. They have a specific plan with where they go and in turn, they are able to give their films a bit more identity.
At the end of X-Men First Class, we saw a young Professor X crippled due to a bullet that ricocheted off of Magneto and into his spine, paralyzing him. This film, set in the present day, involves many of those same mutants and friends squaring off against an entity known as Sentinals. If you are a nerd like me, you remember the comic books and think, "The big red/purple guys that are stupid, slow and can be killed by Wolverine." Well, as it turns out, no. These are machines that have been implanted with programs about mutants, as well as Mystique's DNA, allowing them to morph into or avoid the powers of other mutants in order to avoid being killed. Bottom line: they are Terminators with mutant powers. In order to avoid total destruction as a race, mutants must rise together, go back in time and stop the production of Sentinals from ever taking place. They are able to do this by sending Wolverine back in time (because he can constantly heal) and fight/discuss/be a BA with mutants in the 1970's. Wolverine has one task, get Mystique to avoid killing a man named Trask. Trask is played by our favorite Game of Thrones character, Peter Dinklage. Trask doesn't hate mutants like many of his peers, but he does want to make a lot of money destroying them with weapons he creates. Basically, he is Tony Stark without a conscience for good.
Anyway, Wolverine makes his way through the 70's meeting old and new mutants, while also avoiding his temper. Hugh Jackman knows his roll in these movies and he does a good job helping keep the plot moving forward. Among the characters that he meets along his journey is Quicksilver. Quicksilver is a mutant that can move super fast. In this movie, he is the only character that has fun with his role. He helps Wolverine and others save Magneto from prison. As a nerd, i was disappointed that Magneto was not told that this was his son, but i digress...
While the movie has good action scenes, fun characters and the right director back at the helm, I have the same problem with this movie as I had with Godzilla: too many "stolen" parts from other movies. I'm not saying that every movie must be original and knock our minds out of the world like Inception. However, when most of the movie is giving credit to previous films, even films done by the same franchise, it takes away from what it was once trying to add to the current film. Any time you deal with TIME TRAVEL, you must go up against any Terminator film, which this one does. Even the "End of the World" scenarios seem like they came from T2. Wolverine encounters so many "flashbacks" while he is in time travel mode that it seemed like Mr. Singer had a chance to throw insults at the other X-Men films that he had nothing to do with, as well as try to close gaps between films. This all may be fine, it just seems a bit forced.
With all that said, the movie has a good pace, is solid and has a great cast from all the films, so there is that. The film does bode well for the future of the franchise, which couldn't always be said. The film simply ends, leaving the next director a lot of leeway in where they take the next film. That may be good, but with the X-Men franchise, while the films are solid, the company or studio doesn't seem how to plot the course or have a plan with where to take these films in the future, unlike The Avengers and their characters. They have a specific plan with where they go and in turn, they are able to give their films a bit more identity.
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