Mad Max: Fury Road

I couldn’t help but think of Tim Allen and his constant grunts of manly masculism on the TV show “Home Improvement” when watching the adrenaline soaked movie “Mad Max: Fury Road.”  There will be a lot of “Tool Time” grunts, as this movie has so much testosterone and adrenaline, theatres should install seatbelts and some kind of hydration system when watching the film.  Your heart will beat from excitement, suspense and pure enjoyment.  The film is go…go…GOOOOOO the whole 2 hours.  And it totally ROCKS in every way! 

I must confess, I am not big into CGI movies, the effects thereof, or their smaller counterpart “the car chase scene.”  Personally, if I don’t care about the characters or what is taking place, I don’t care what things look like in regards to action sequences.  This is what I find so troubling about the uselessness that is the “Transformers” films.  Combine this with the FACT  that the movie “Bullit,” with the legendary Steve McQueen, has the pinnacle of all car chase scene, I ask  “why bother with new car chase scenes?”  “The Fast and the Furious” series is fun, as are those “Bourne” car chase scenes, but, I don’t know…something is missing.  For me, car chases boil down to a vibe I can’t shake, the  “I swear I’ve seen this before” vibe.  So, it was with a bit of an exaggerated sigh and the knowledge that Frank Miller goes “all out in his films” that I prematurely sat down to watch and review his reinterpretation/continuation of the Max franchise.  To be blunt:  I was wrong, this movie ROCKS!

The movie is set in an apocalyptic America or country that is full of sand and little else.  Water and gasoline are vital to those that have survived.  Max is a part of this life and he has lost his family, the scars still haunting him as he wanders the wasteland.  The movie pays homage to “The Book of Eli,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars” in regards to the spiritual wasteland and the losteness of souls that have survived.  Within minutes of seeing nothing but sand and Max briefly talking, he is captured and used as a body hostage that hosts blood.  His captors are employed by a villain named Immortan Joe, who has water supplies and gasoline, which he uses  to enslave many.  This is very similar to Gary Oldman’s role in “Book of Eli,” as both men use the resources they have to enslave thousands.  Joe is “packaged” by various forms of body armor and masks in order to preserve the religion he has created, one that has him as a demi-god.

After Max is captured, Immorten Joe quickly sends his crew (“War Boys” they are called) on a typical supply, gasoline, water run in order to keep this society humming along.  However, during this trip, Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron) takes the “War Rig” truck off road, heading east.  The rest of the crew she is traveling with assumes she knows where she is going and what she is doing.  However, Immorten Joe soon finds out she is headed east because Furiosa is trying to free Joe’s five wives, who just happen to be introduced to us via classic “woman using water for car washing purposes” (a.k.a. “Cool Hand Luke”).  It is on this retrieval trip that Max is perched upon a small Volkswagen, as the driver is using his blood.  When a sandstorm causes massive collateral car damage, Max barely survives, and meets up with Furiosa and her ladies.

Max is played by Tom Hardy, a rising star that rose to prominence as the vicious villain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”  Sadly, for the first part of the film, he wears a mask, like Bane, and says very little that is understandable.  I’m unsure why Hardy is growing as an actor when he is difficult to understand.   I’m not saying he isn’t relatable or horrible, just hard to understand.  Frankly, he looks and acts a bit like Jeremy Renner (a.k.a. Hawkeye in the Avengers) is many of his roles, but I digress.   Hardy finally gets his mask off and then does little talking, so in some sense, it doesn’t matter.  Heck, the car chases are why people will go to see this.  And the car chase scenes deliver in every sense.  They are chaotic, crazy, impossible and believable all in one scene.  I am truly stunned that the cars look as believable as they do, as you know when thing are happening, there has to be CGI involved, yet it doesn’t take away from the wonderment you will experience when watching.  This film is perfect for IMAX.

While we never get to know Immorten Joe or why he has these breeders as wives, we do get a chance to know and love Furiosa.  She doesn’t steal the show, but is amazing throughout.  Critics have loved the versatility of Charlize Theron for years, as she can do so many parts well that it is hard to know where her specialty lies.   From comedy in “Arrested Development” to her well deserved Oscar, she can do it all, and now she has a huge win that falls in the “action” category.  Her eyes always exhibit calm, yet she shows tender grace to her lost family and extreme hatred towards Joe for her years of indentured service.  Her dedication to the part is commendable, as is her shaved head and lost arm. 

There are many critics that have viewed this film, enjoyed it, and seem to think that the story is ultimately a feminist story, one that empowers women and shows they are tough and can fight and “hang” with men, as they are the ones that overthrow Joe and will now rule instead.  While there are certain moments of great feminine strength and beauty, Max is always involved, as is the underrated Nick Hoult (of Beast fame from X-Men), making the story one of team work, hope and redemption.  I’m confused as to why critics must label something “feminine” or “feminist” in order to make a film great, when that has nothing to do with the overall enjoyment of this particular film.  Technically, this film was directed by Frank Miller, who did the “Sin City” franchise, one that mistreats, hurts and leaves most women in the “wait for man to save them” stage.  In this film, while the ladies have more action and freedom, the entire world revolves around testosterone and cars, which, traditionally, are male activities.  Just enjoy the film because it is a great film, with great car chase scenes, and excellent respect among the leads.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

I, like millions of Americans the past few weeks, have gone to see the biggest movie of the year, aside from the coming onslaught known as Star Wars. And i, like others, have waited with baited breath for the Avengers to fight side by side destroying another cosmic force. So, for those who haven't seen it, i offer my humble thoughts on the film, and for those who have, my humble thoughts that hopefully coincide with the movie. To keep things simple, i will review the film in the form of an interview, with big questions serving as the fulcrum to the review.
Before beginning, just know that the movie revolves around the Avengers fighting an entity known as Ultron, which is simply a program that Tony Stark created, but with humanities first encounter with Artificial Intelligence that actually grows, learns and adapts to any of its opponents. When Ultron comes alive and believes that the greatest threat to mankind is the Avengers, well, he obviously must adapt and try and destroy them in order to preserve mankind. So, Iron Man, there is a glitch in the system.

Is the movie better, worst or okay in comparison to the first?
This is the one question everyone really wants to know when going to this film. First, no one will hate this film. Some may be a bit disappointed, as it is simply missing "X" when compared to the first one, but for all the characters and action scenes, as well as a solid plot, it does a solid, albeit repetitive job when compared to the first. By "repetitive" i simply mean, action, discussion, long reflection of characters, more action, repeat.

Who are the new characters?
In some sense, the movie has and introduces too many characters. Yet, the nerd in me says, "How can that be bad?" But i digress. The movie features two very prominent characters: Scarlet Witch (who can manipulate minds and throw plasmic beams of energy at people) and her twin brother Quicksilver (who can run so fast time seems to slow down). The movie also features Vision (Jarvis in a "free" from his computer based reality into an actual body, with an infinity stone in his head) and a few others (Falcon, War Machine, etc.). While these characters start off as "bad" they come to join the fight against Ultron.

Which Avenger is the most important in this film?
In the first film, you had a build up of other Marvel films leading to the Avengers teaming up, but Captain America clearly being the guy to unite the team and really, the country. In this one, the movie does a good job poking fun at the weaknesses of the Avengers through humor, from Thor's hammer to Iron Man's pride, the movie is playful towards these weaknesses, until Ultron exposes the weaknesses for his own purposes. While Hawkeye is given moments to prove sacrifice and family are vital to team members, (as he is the only one that has these things), the movie still revolves around Captain America. As Stark stares him down, angry that his pride has been used against him yells at Cap, "You can't trust someone that doesn't have a dirty past." Captain America still has the focus of protection, sacrifice, and serving others as his main moral code, and it unites and has the respect of others. While Hulk is given screen time to struggle with his identity and ability to do good in a horrible, green, angry, body, he cannot start a relationship with Black Widow due to his fear of hurting her and others. This is the one major flaw of the movie, but you ultimately have to respect Josh Weadon for trying: He has so many fun and great characters he wants to give time to, as well as develop, it is just hard and can hurt the flow of the movie. Hulk dating Black Widow comes out of nowhere, yet you aren't upset because "Hey, this could work." At the same time this is ongoing, you have the relationships of the other characters, so there just isn't enough "room" for them all. AND, let's not forget this is all leading to the biggest Marvel plot point of all the comics: THANOS and the gauntlet! The word "HUGE" is an understatement when discussing this character and plot point that will be coming in 2017. If he is not given screen time, motive and purpose, the next films will be "big" in name only, as Thanos is a beast and has tons of "villainy" potential. James Spader does a great job as Ultron, but he must be small to whoever dons the Thanos hat. Right now, it is a toss up between several main actors, so stay tuned.

Why does Iron Man fight Hulk?
Believe it or not, Iron Man is not controlled by Ultron when he fights Hulk. It is a great action bit that does not linger into useless Transfomer action. Instead, Iron Man is trying to overcome a mystical spell that has been cast on the Hulk. Just enjoy the mayhem. Again, more fun jokes.

What's with the end of the film?
The end of the film, with the new Avengers and Vision, are VITAL to the series. Ultimately, Vision has an infinity stone in his head, one of the gems that has cosmic power in it (which Guardians of the Galaxy and first Avengers films discussed), which Thanos (a cosmic evil being) wants for his own purposes. No joke: earth is nothing when compared to these gems. Thanos wants eternal and cosmic rule over everything and the only way to get it is to have the gauntlet and gems. Obviously, that can't and doesn't happen in the comics.

Bottom Line: This movie just works for every age and sex. It isn't so action oriented that you begin to think, "Hey, this is just the Transformers with a better cast" for which i am totally relieved. Second, if you have someone in your party that isn't in to "chic flicks" or "Action" this movie has you covered. As a soon to be father, i can honestly say, "Yes, there are some dark moments, but language is tame and good guys teaming up to fight pure evil would lead me to take my 10 year old son." While you may be a bit bummed it isn't the first one, you won't leave hating or regretting the two hour run time.

7 out of 10
Nerd in me review: 10 out of 10!!!! (I have the Pez of those guys)

-to god be the glory for great things he has done!

Goals

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!

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."

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!

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

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