When I stopped posting in the end of November 2009, Kim and I had one and a half year old twins named Sean and Lukas and she was pregnant with another boy due in March.
Fast forward almost two years.
We have crazy three and a half old twins named Sean "The Defiant" and "Motormouth" Lukas, as well as their "little" brother Kaelan who is one and a half and seems like a personality cross between his old brothers so far.
In the process of going from point A to point B, we have gone from:
- wondering when the twins were going to talk more to wondering when Lukas would ever stop talking
- worrying about Lukas being too rough to worrying about Sean being too mean
- playing with fisher price pianos and plush toys to building space ships and bases with Lego
- going through hell with Kaelan's open brain surgery to going through hell with Kaelan's egg allergy (hint: EGG IS IN EVERYTHING)
- dealing with an endless stream of diapers to dealing with an endless stream of trips to the bathroom and pee aiming issues
- wondering how we were going to survive with three kids under three to wondering how we are going to survive three kids going to school / activities / parties / etc.
Don't get me wrong, it has not been a rough ride for the most part. In fact we've often had a lot of fun and we have a good handle on home life thanks to help from family and each other.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Monday, August 17, 2009
Harry Potter and the half Blood Prince
Kim and I got to the movies on Saturday and saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was good but as Kim said, it seemed not as satisfying as the previous five movies. I explained to Kim why I think that is and I'm going to repeat it here.
*SPOILERS*
Harry Potter is a seven book series and at the start each book is a standalone adventure in an overall story arc.
Book 1 introduces the characters and concepts of the world of magic.
Book 2 lays more groundwork in the mythos and ramps up the danger a bit.
Book 3 marks the triumph of good over evil as Harry is reunited with his godfather, learns of the betrayal of his parents by Wormtail, and grows closer to the memories of his parents through others.
The first three books create a first part to the whole series.
Book 4 is where things really get to take off. The world is expanded even more with World Cup Quidditch and the other schools of magic, the cast of characters on both sides of the divide expands, and we see in the end that good is soundly trounced with Harry escaping by the skin of his teeth and Voldemort resurgent.
Book 5 represents the opening salvos in the war between the good and evil sides as we see more of the inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix and the government in the form of the Ministry of Magic. It also continues the ascendancy of evil with a victory in the form of the death of Sirius, giving more angst to young Harry Potter. It also represents the public opening of the war.
Which brings us to book 6. Its become obvious that evil has more assets to command than good at this point, and has the initiative. Plus they are contrained by a moral compass that evil can disregard. In order to defeat the Deatheaters, its apparent that Voldemort must be defeated and destroyed as they fall apart without him to keep them in line.
However we have a literary conumdrum. Dumbledore is obviously more powerful than old moldy Voldy, but having him show up to save the day in Book 5 is not going to work in the end of the series. Too Deus Ex Machina. Plus this prophecy that was the object of Book 5 states that only Harry can defeat Voldemort, but Harry is at best a decent student wizard, not a match for the Dark Lord. J K Rowling can't have Harry simply overpower or outsmart his foe, she has to lay a complex quest to be the downfall of the antagonist.
This is where book 6 comes in. It sets up the events of the pinnacle of the series in book 7 by laying the groundwork of the origins of Voldemort and his dividing of his soul into the horcruxes. It gives a suggestion of the method to defeat him, and combined with the Deathly Hallows artifacts revealed in book 7 it gives the means.
So one can think of Book 6 and Book 7 as a combined work of art, a trilogy in of itself. Its worth noting that Book 7 reads like a two part novel and that it will be divided into two movies just to properly tell the story.
So yes Book 6 as a novel and movie feels a little slow and ends a little anticlimatic. That's because its not a climax, merely a (large) chapter on the way to the end of the story.
*SPOILERS*
Harry Potter is a seven book series and at the start each book is a standalone adventure in an overall story arc.
Book 1 introduces the characters and concepts of the world of magic.
Book 2 lays more groundwork in the mythos and ramps up the danger a bit.
Book 3 marks the triumph of good over evil as Harry is reunited with his godfather, learns of the betrayal of his parents by Wormtail, and grows closer to the memories of his parents through others.
The first three books create a first part to the whole series.
Book 4 is where things really get to take off. The world is expanded even more with World Cup Quidditch and the other schools of magic, the cast of characters on both sides of the divide expands, and we see in the end that good is soundly trounced with Harry escaping by the skin of his teeth and Voldemort resurgent.
Book 5 represents the opening salvos in the war between the good and evil sides as we see more of the inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix and the government in the form of the Ministry of Magic. It also continues the ascendancy of evil with a victory in the form of the death of Sirius, giving more angst to young Harry Potter. It also represents the public opening of the war.
Which brings us to book 6. Its become obvious that evil has more assets to command than good at this point, and has the initiative. Plus they are contrained by a moral compass that evil can disregard. In order to defeat the Deatheaters, its apparent that Voldemort must be defeated and destroyed as they fall apart without him to keep them in line.
However we have a literary conumdrum. Dumbledore is obviously more powerful than old moldy Voldy, but having him show up to save the day in Book 5 is not going to work in the end of the series. Too Deus Ex Machina. Plus this prophecy that was the object of Book 5 states that only Harry can defeat Voldemort, but Harry is at best a decent student wizard, not a match for the Dark Lord. J K Rowling can't have Harry simply overpower or outsmart his foe, she has to lay a complex quest to be the downfall of the antagonist.
This is where book 6 comes in. It sets up the events of the pinnacle of the series in book 7 by laying the groundwork of the origins of Voldemort and his dividing of his soul into the horcruxes. It gives a suggestion of the method to defeat him, and combined with the Deathly Hallows artifacts revealed in book 7 it gives the means.
So one can think of Book 6 and Book 7 as a combined work of art, a trilogy in of itself. Its worth noting that Book 7 reads like a two part novel and that it will be divided into two movies just to properly tell the story.
So yes Book 6 as a novel and movie feels a little slow and ends a little anticlimatic. That's because its not a climax, merely a (large) chapter on the way to the end of the story.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Review: Star Trek, Heros, Lost,
This is a rambling post that has been brewing for a while. But first the most recent.
Review of Star Trek movie: I loved it. Although there was some simple science things they got horribly wrong I was able to overlook them as not too detrimental to the whole story. The acting was better than I expected with the actor playing Kirk being the least believable and Karl Urban as Dr McCoy being spot on perfect.
I loved almost everything about the new Enterprise (only the nacelles looked a little too funky for my tastes) and the interiors had a sense of realism totally lacking in previous incarnations.
But...
But I do have one complaint. There was one big battle where 7 Federation ships go into a trap and get totally smoked. We as the viewers however completely miss that scene because we focus on the Enterprise which arrives later. I really looked forward to the fleet combat and am disappointed that it happened off screen as the rest of the movie lacked a lot of ship to ship combat which is what really gets me going.
At least the person to person combat was shown in its glory unlike the TV show Heros which has lately completely forskaen action for more boring plot dialogue and byzantine twists. In the season finale they had a chance to (finally!) show a big fight between Sylar and the Petrelli boys. Instead we are shown the hallway while the battle rages and come in after the fight is done. WHAT A RIP OFF!
For a show that started with such promise, it has increasingly gone down the "I don't know what we're doing" path and it feels like the writers have not a clue where they want to go. Its quickly fallen from my must-see of a couple years ago to should-I-bother for next year.
However, they have a chance to bring it back on track. A show that did that for me was Lost. Two years ago the show was going along, following the survivors and curious to see if they would get off the island safely. Then things started to get wierd with some new characters, bizarre fallbacks (actually forwards), time travel, and angst, plenty of angst.
I lost interest a lot. It really felt like the writers were going down the garden path and the story was collapsing in on itself and had become unable to move forward. I was almost ready to pull the plug. Fortunately, this season has turned it around, brought the focus back to the island, brought the people back together, and pushed the story into interesting paths again. With the confusing arc hopefully finished we can go into next season with the eye on the ball and a final resolution to the overall arc.
Let's hope Heros can pull out of the nosedive as well.
Review of Star Trek movie: I loved it. Although there was some simple science things they got horribly wrong I was able to overlook them as not too detrimental to the whole story. The acting was better than I expected with the actor playing Kirk being the least believable and Karl Urban as Dr McCoy being spot on perfect.
I loved almost everything about the new Enterprise (only the nacelles looked a little too funky for my tastes) and the interiors had a sense of realism totally lacking in previous incarnations.
But...
But I do have one complaint. There was one big battle where 7 Federation ships go into a trap and get totally smoked. We as the viewers however completely miss that scene because we focus on the Enterprise which arrives later. I really looked forward to the fleet combat and am disappointed that it happened off screen as the rest of the movie lacked a lot of ship to ship combat which is what really gets me going.
At least the person to person combat was shown in its glory unlike the TV show Heros which has lately completely forskaen action for more boring plot dialogue and byzantine twists. In the season finale they had a chance to (finally!) show a big fight between Sylar and the Petrelli boys. Instead we are shown the hallway while the battle rages and come in after the fight is done. WHAT A RIP OFF!
For a show that started with such promise, it has increasingly gone down the "I don't know what we're doing" path and it feels like the writers have not a clue where they want to go. Its quickly fallen from my must-see of a couple years ago to should-I-bother for next year.
However, they have a chance to bring it back on track. A show that did that for me was Lost. Two years ago the show was going along, following the survivors and curious to see if they would get off the island safely. Then things started to get wierd with some new characters, bizarre fallbacks (actually forwards), time travel, and angst, plenty of angst.
I lost interest a lot. It really felt like the writers were going down the garden path and the story was collapsing in on itself and had become unable to move forward. I was almost ready to pull the plug. Fortunately, this season has turned it around, brought the focus back to the island, brought the people back together, and pushed the story into interesting paths again. With the confusing arc hopefully finished we can go into next season with the eye on the ball and a final resolution to the overall arc.
Let's hope Heros can pull out of the nosedive as well.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Book Review: World War Z
I asked for the book World War Z for my birthday and my wonderful wife got it for me. I started reading it and had trouble putting it down, it was that good.
Written in the style of a written documentary composed by the author visiting and interviewing survivors of the zombie near-apocalypse a decade or two after the events, it is engrossing in its authentic feel and vivid stories. I was sad when it ended; I wanted more from this fictional world where everything has changed.
Overall, I give it a rare 5 out of 5 stars.
Written in the style of a written documentary composed by the author visiting and interviewing survivors of the zombie near-apocalypse a decade or two after the events, it is engrossing in its authentic feel and vivid stories. I was sad when it ended; I wanted more from this fictional world where everything has changed.
Overall, I give it a rare 5 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Mobility Increases
Damn, last posted on Feb 12th? Where did the time go!?
Well, two weekends ago we had Kim's sister, mother, and sister's roommate up for a visit and we played some Wii Mariokart and visited. Kim and I got out to a movie for my birthday as her mom watched the boys and we saw Push (mini review: 3/5 stars, felt like the second movie of a trilogy, or at least like there is a lot more to the story we don't know. Still, decent action and story).
Last week was a short week with lots of meetings and appointments, hence no blogging.
And last weekend Kim and I stayed close to home, having friends Andrew and Jennie out for a visit to see the boys and play some Wii as well, including a rousing game of Mario Party 8 in which everyone ganged up on me to prevent my domination from continuing. Curses!
As for the blog title, the past two weeks have seen a large increase in the capabilities of the boys in terms of getting around. Lukas has become an excellent army crawler getting around the whole main floor with speed and accuracy prompting this past Sunday to become gate-putting-up-day, while Sean is still not going forward but has improved his stability on two legs and has started pulling himself up on furniture. And then yesterday Lukas started the same thing.
So we figure the boys will definitely be walking by their birthday in April. In fact, exactly two months away today. Wow, time flies.
Well, two weekends ago we had Kim's sister, mother, and sister's roommate up for a visit and we played some Wii Mariokart and visited. Kim and I got out to a movie for my birthday as her mom watched the boys and we saw Push (mini review: 3/5 stars, felt like the second movie of a trilogy, or at least like there is a lot more to the story we don't know. Still, decent action and story).
Last week was a short week with lots of meetings and appointments, hence no blogging.
And last weekend Kim and I stayed close to home, having friends Andrew and Jennie out for a visit to see the boys and play some Wii as well, including a rousing game of Mario Party 8 in which everyone ganged up on me to prevent my domination from continuing. Curses!
As for the blog title, the past two weeks have seen a large increase in the capabilities of the boys in terms of getting around. Lukas has become an excellent army crawler getting around the whole main floor with speed and accuracy prompting this past Sunday to become gate-putting-up-day, while Sean is still not going forward but has improved his stability on two legs and has started pulling himself up on furniture. And then yesterday Lukas started the same thing.
So we figure the boys will definitely be walking by their birthday in April. In fact, exactly two months away today. Wow, time flies.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Last weekend Kim and I rented the comedy the Forgetting Sarah Marshall which is a story about a guy who has troubled getting over the breakup with his long time celebrity girlfriend.
I expected the typical gross out & idiot gaffes of most comedies these days, so I was pleasantly surprised when the movie turned out to be much more entertaining. Most of the funniest moments are courtesy of supporting actor Russell Brand as the new boyfriend Aldous Snow, but all the characters were amusing.
What was most unexpected was that the titular character, Sarah Marshall played by Kristen Bell, turned out to be a reasonably sympathetic and multi-dimensional character, and not a typical comedy "evil bitch".
Overall I really enjoyed the movie despite feeling like the pace was a little slow at times. This reviewer gives it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I expected the typical gross out & idiot gaffes of most comedies these days, so I was pleasantly surprised when the movie turned out to be much more entertaining. Most of the funniest moments are courtesy of supporting actor Russell Brand as the new boyfriend Aldous Snow, but all the characters were amusing.
What was most unexpected was that the titular character, Sarah Marshall played by Kristen Bell, turned out to be a reasonably sympathetic and multi-dimensional character, and not a typical comedy "evil bitch".
Overall I really enjoyed the movie despite feeling like the pace was a little slow at times. This reviewer gives it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Review: Eagle Eye
On Saturday afternoon Kim and I skipped out for a quick date and watched the movie Eagle Eye. Overall I enjoyed it. It was well paced, decently acted, and interesting. However I did have some issues with it.
WARNING: Spoilers Below
It became obvious early on what the plot was. Heck, as soon as you heard what the main character's brother was into in University courses I started to get a glimmer of the path of the story. About 20-30 minutes in, I had 90% locked up: super computer AI built to assist the government has gone power mad and decided with cold, callous logic that the government must be eliminated for the people's own good. All that was left for me to see was the details.
This is, of course, science fantasy. Its so far beyond belief that a computer built and designed to watch all information feeds across the globe to analyze for threats against America would come to the realization that the Executive branch is making poor decisions that end up hurting Americans in the long run, and thus having realized that and read and analyzed the Declaration of Independence it decides to overthrow this tyrannical government. It of course has super-ninja-access to every computer system and cell phone everywhere, not to mention every database, and uses this information and its cold logic to coerce ordinary citizens into doing its bidding that it cannot do remotely with available electronics and automated systems.
This all-knowing all-accessing all-analyzing and all-sociopathic computer, however, cannot give itself the command to actually execute its plan to execute the executive branch. A plan with all pieces except the final completely-made-up-super-powerful crystal explosive in place. Even though in the process of putting this plan in place we have witnessed the execution of at least two innocent people and threats to hurt hundreds more in the process. Not to mention the vast amount of property damage.
It strains credulity.
Anyhow, if you can turn your brain off, its a good action movie. Three out of five stars.
WARNING: Spoilers Below
It became obvious early on what the plot was. Heck, as soon as you heard what the main character's brother was into in University courses I started to get a glimmer of the path of the story. About 20-30 minutes in, I had 90% locked up: super computer AI built to assist the government has gone power mad and decided with cold, callous logic that the government must be eliminated for the people's own good. All that was left for me to see was the details.
This is, of course, science fantasy. Its so far beyond belief that a computer built and designed to watch all information feeds across the globe to analyze for threats against America would come to the realization that the Executive branch is making poor decisions that end up hurting Americans in the long run, and thus having realized that and read and analyzed the Declaration of Independence it decides to overthrow this tyrannical government. It of course has super-ninja-access to every computer system and cell phone everywhere, not to mention every database, and uses this information and its cold logic to coerce ordinary citizens into doing its bidding that it cannot do remotely with available electronics and automated systems.
This all-knowing all-accessing all-analyzing and all-sociopathic computer, however, cannot give itself the command to actually execute its plan to execute the executive branch. A plan with all pieces except the final completely-made-up-super-powerful crystal explosive in place. Even though in the process of putting this plan in place we have witnessed the execution of at least two innocent people and threats to hurt hundreds more in the process. Not to mention the vast amount of property damage.
It strains credulity.
Anyhow, if you can turn your brain off, its a good action movie. Three out of five stars.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Review: Doomsday
Last night we looked to relax with a video from the local store and I wanted some mindless action. Pickings were slim but I choose Doomsday. My expectations were low but all I wanted was action, some scenery chewing bad guys, and to turn my mind off.
Amazingly, it failed to meet even my low standards.
First off, some good things. There was lots of action, the main bad guy was definitely chewing scenery like a mad man, and.... well that's it really.
Now the things I didn't like.
First off, a lot of movies nowadays using the "jumping camera" during action sequences to make the fighting seem more intense and fast paced than traditional steady cameras with long shots do. I get that; don't like it but I accept it. But in this movie the director felt that every scene needed five or six camera angles and that the scene should flip from each one every second, even when the characters were doing nothing but sitting and talking. It drove me insane, almost to the point where I shut it off. There is no reason for that crap.
Secondly, the back story was beyond unlikely into ludicrous a lot of the time. The political side story was pathetically moronic and could have been left out entirely IMHO. The walling off of Scotland with no one ever going in was obviously unrelated to anything resembling reality. And the whole medieval society that shows up in the middle of the movie was completely off the wall. I mean, yeah, I can see people reverting to older styles of government (in this case feudal) and tehcnologies (bows and arrows, horses, etc) but actually dressing and living like they were in the 1300s? I mean, come on! Get real.
Furthermore, the nuclear fallout shelter that everyone appeared to know about but no one bothered to plunder? Sheesh, can you say plot device? And one last thing: even a devolved, barbaric, cannibalistic society knows that you don't cook people while they are still wearing their clothes. All the plastic will just poison the meat. Sigh.
Anyways, all these little things disrupted my enjoyment of the movie to the point where I wish I hadn't rented it. I wanted a simple post-apocalyptic romp and instead got a convoluted and wandering story and poorly directed camera work. Better off left on the shelves, or in the garbage bin.
Amazingly, it failed to meet even my low standards.
First off, some good things. There was lots of action, the main bad guy was definitely chewing scenery like a mad man, and.... well that's it really.
Now the things I didn't like.
First off, a lot of movies nowadays using the "jumping camera" during action sequences to make the fighting seem more intense and fast paced than traditional steady cameras with long shots do. I get that; don't like it but I accept it. But in this movie the director felt that every scene needed five or six camera angles and that the scene should flip from each one every second, even when the characters were doing nothing but sitting and talking. It drove me insane, almost to the point where I shut it off. There is no reason for that crap.
Secondly, the back story was beyond unlikely into ludicrous a lot of the time. The political side story was pathetically moronic and could have been left out entirely IMHO. The walling off of Scotland with no one ever going in was obviously unrelated to anything resembling reality. And the whole medieval society that shows up in the middle of the movie was completely off the wall. I mean, yeah, I can see people reverting to older styles of government (in this case feudal) and tehcnologies (bows and arrows, horses, etc) but actually dressing and living like they were in the 1300s? I mean, come on! Get real.
Furthermore, the nuclear fallout shelter that everyone appeared to know about but no one bothered to plunder? Sheesh, can you say plot device? And one last thing: even a devolved, barbaric, cannibalistic society knows that you don't cook people while they are still wearing their clothes. All the plastic will just poison the meat. Sigh.
Anyways, all these little things disrupted my enjoyment of the movie to the point where I wish I hadn't rented it. I wanted a simple post-apocalyptic romp and instead got a convoluted and wandering story and poorly directed camera work. Better off left on the shelves, or in the garbage bin.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
The Dark Knight Review
I admit more than a little excitement about going to see the new Batman move called The Dark Knight on Monday. Batman is, after all, my absolute favourite super hero. The last movie Batman Begins was very good so I was hopeful that this one would continue the trend of more realistic and reality based super hero fare.
I went into the movie trying to ignore all the hype surrounding it about Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker and the high ratings people were giving it. I wanted to experience the movie as if I knew nothing which is impossible, but I tried. So, on to the review.
Almost perfect.
Yep, I loved it. I loved the length which made the movie feel like a story rather than a quick collection of action scenes intersped with plot exposition. Christian Bale was letter perfect as Bruce Wayne in a way that previous actors completely failed to encompass. Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon captured the good cop in a bad place vibe., and Aaron Eckhart portrayed Harvey Dent's descent into the madness of Two-Face with scenery chewing enthusiam that still did not feel out of place.
And yes, Heath Ledger as the Joker was amazingly believable. He emanated malevolence like nothing I have seen in a long time. It was believable that 1) this guy was crazy, 2) people would follow him willingly or not, and 3) he could run rings around the police and Batman with his schemes, not with his physical prowress (side note: the latest Batman series protrays the Joker as a brawler and not as much as a schemer; needless to say I don't approve).
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Things I really liked:
- Rachel Dawes dies! AWESOME. It not only lends a motivional credence to Harvey Dent's fall from grace, it breaks the super-hero-gets-the-girl mold that is som cliche in modern movies. Loved it.
- The prisioners and civilians on the booby trapped ferries don't blow each other up despite the urge to in order to save their own lives.
- Batman's fighting abilities were realistic and conventional (for a movie).
- Joker was captured, not killed.
Things I didn't like so much:
- The super-cell-phone-sonar device? Totally over the top, and was used to find the Joker at the end where I felt Batman's Detective skills should have come into play. Didn't like it.
- Harvey Dent appears to have died. So sad.
- The Bat Bike erupts from the damaged Batmobile? Pu-leeze!
- They never showed Barbara Gordon's face (the daughter, not the mother). Obviously they wanted to leave it open to a future entry in the franchise about Batgirl without casting the part in such a bit role so soon. While not bad per say, it was distracting for me.
Overall I loved this movie and will be buying it on DVD (Bluray?) when it comes out. 5 out of 5 Bill Thumbs Up.
I went into the movie trying to ignore all the hype surrounding it about Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker and the high ratings people were giving it. I wanted to experience the movie as if I knew nothing which is impossible, but I tried. So, on to the review.
Almost perfect.
Yep, I loved it. I loved the length which made the movie feel like a story rather than a quick collection of action scenes intersped with plot exposition. Christian Bale was letter perfect as Bruce Wayne in a way that previous actors completely failed to encompass. Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon captured the good cop in a bad place vibe., and Aaron Eckhart portrayed Harvey Dent's descent into the madness of Two-Face with scenery chewing enthusiam that still did not feel out of place.
And yes, Heath Ledger as the Joker was amazingly believable. He emanated malevolence like nothing I have seen in a long time. It was believable that 1) this guy was crazy, 2) people would follow him willingly or not, and 3) he could run rings around the police and Batman with his schemes, not with his physical prowress (side note: the latest Batman series protrays the Joker as a brawler and not as much as a schemer; needless to say I don't approve).
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Things I really liked:
- Rachel Dawes dies! AWESOME. It not only lends a motivional credence to Harvey Dent's fall from grace, it breaks the super-hero-gets-the-girl mold that is som cliche in modern movies. Loved it.
- The prisioners and civilians on the booby trapped ferries don't blow each other up despite the urge to in order to save their own lives.
- Batman's fighting abilities were realistic and conventional (for a movie).
- Joker was captured, not killed.
Things I didn't like so much:
- The super-cell-phone-sonar device? Totally over the top, and was used to find the Joker at the end where I felt Batman's Detective skills should have come into play. Didn't like it.
- Harvey Dent appears to have died. So sad.
- The Bat Bike erupts from the damaged Batmobile? Pu-leeze!
- They never showed Barbara Gordon's face (the daughter, not the mother). Obviously they wanted to leave it open to a future entry in the franchise about Batgirl without casting the part in such a bit role so soon. While not bad per say, it was distracting for me.
Overall I loved this movie and will be buying it on DVD (Bluray?) when it comes out. 5 out of 5 Bill Thumbs Up.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Kim Tears Herself Away
On Saturday Kim and I left the Boys in the care of my mother and aunt and went to a movie for Kim's birthday and some shopping at the mall.
Kim wanted to see Wanted (mainly for her girl crush Angelina Jolie) and it turned out to be not too bad, lots of action, pretty decent. I expected more elaborate gunplay but it was good overall (3 out of 4 stars).
After the movie I called to see how the babysitting was going ("fine") and Kim gave me trouble because I didn't explicitly ask how the boys themselves were doing. Yeesh. ;)
While shopping I picked out some new glasses and a pair of subscription sunglasses as a splurge item (covered by work insurance, natch). Kim got some new clothes for herself and the boys upcoming dedication in a couple weeks.
Kim wanted to see Wanted (mainly for her girl crush Angelina Jolie) and it turned out to be not too bad, lots of action, pretty decent. I expected more elaborate gunplay but it was good overall (3 out of 4 stars).
After the movie I called to see how the babysitting was going ("fine") and Kim gave me trouble because I didn't explicitly ask how the boys themselves were doing. Yeesh. ;)
While shopping I picked out some new glasses and a pair of subscription sunglasses as a splurge item (covered by work insurance, natch). Kim got some new clothes for herself and the boys upcoming dedication in a couple weeks.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Difference of Opinion
On Sunday I was entertaining the boys and flicking through channels for some background distraction (after all, babies are only so exciting for so long). I tuned in to the early going of the movie Thirteen Days about the Cuban Missile Crisis back in the sixties.
I had seen it before but it was worth watching again because its such a good movie. I don't know how accurate it is but from what I've heard a lot of the White House dialogue was taken from official government transcripts and is mostly historically accurate in major events.
As I was watching the movie (5 out of 5 stars on my review scale by the way, a "must see") I was struck by several thoughts:
1) Damn there was so many roads leading to escalation of hostilities and it feels like only one road that didn't and someone they found that road through luck, perseverance, and sheer will.
2) The American military command was chomping at the bit for a shooting confrontation. I mean even if the movie exaggerated their enthusiasm for conflict 100%, they were still practically begging for the chance to blow stuff up. And the events suggests that they tried to paint the President into a corner to force him to order a shooting war.
3) While the parallels to recent years and the Iraq war against Saddam Hussein's government are weak at best, I couldn't help but think that if Dubba & co (or reasonable facsimiles) were in charge in the sixties I wouldn't be typing this right now. Instead civilization as we know it would be the remnant survivors from World War III.
I had seen it before but it was worth watching again because its such a good movie. I don't know how accurate it is but from what I've heard a lot of the White House dialogue was taken from official government transcripts and is mostly historically accurate in major events.
As I was watching the movie (5 out of 5 stars on my review scale by the way, a "must see") I was struck by several thoughts:
1) Damn there was so many roads leading to escalation of hostilities and it feels like only one road that didn't and someone they found that road through luck, perseverance, and sheer will.
2) The American military command was chomping at the bit for a shooting confrontation. I mean even if the movie exaggerated their enthusiasm for conflict 100%, they were still practically begging for the chance to blow stuff up. And the events suggests that they tried to paint the President into a corner to force him to order a shooting war.
3) While the parallels to recent years and the Iraq war against Saddam Hussein's government are weak at best, I couldn't help but think that if Dubba & co (or reasonable facsimiles) were in charge in the sixties I wouldn't be typing this right now. Instead civilization as we know it would be the remnant survivors from World War III.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
On Saturday the in-laws asked to watch the Boys while Kim and I had a quick date so we went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
It was an enjoyable movie and pretty much in line with the previous three movies in terms of believability. Instead of religious woo hoo though, it used Alien woo hoo. Its all the same really so that didn't bother me.
As long as you can put aside all of the completely unbelievable things (like the magic rain forest with flat ground for an extended car chase, ant colonies that consume entire bodies, and the incongruity that aliens would come to earth and collect artifacts from all over for its cultures like "archeologists!" Indy exclaims at one point but then destroy their collection completely when their ship takes off) you will be OK. Needless to say I had some issues doing just that.
In the end I enjoyed it despite its shortcomings and plot holes. The action sequences were enjoyable although I felt it fell down a little at the very end much like the Last Crusade movie.
Overall I give it 2.5 stars out of 5. Fun, but silly.
It was an enjoyable movie and pretty much in line with the previous three movies in terms of believability. Instead of religious woo hoo though, it used Alien woo hoo. Its all the same really so that didn't bother me.
As long as you can put aside all of the completely unbelievable things (like the magic rain forest with flat ground for an extended car chase, ant colonies that consume entire bodies, and the incongruity that aliens would come to earth and collect artifacts from all over for its cultures like "archeologists!" Indy exclaims at one point but then destroy their collection completely when their ship takes off) you will be OK. Needless to say I had some issues doing just that.
In the end I enjoyed it despite its shortcomings and plot holes. The action sequences were enjoyable although I felt it fell down a little at the very end much like the Last Crusade movie.
Overall I give it 2.5 stars out of 5. Fun, but silly.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Weekend Wrapup
This weekend Kim and I decided to stay close to home with the due date looming for the boys. This allowed me to get spring kicked off to a good start.
* * * * *
We got the BBQ working earlier in the week and we kept it going this weekend, cooking some pork chops and turkey franks for dinner on Sunday night. MMMMMMmmmmmm, BBQ!
* * * * *
On Saturday it was raining and cold outside so I stayed in and did some housework that needed to be done, mainly sweeping and mopping. I took my time; Kim was watching Biography channel (free preview weekend) and I often stopped to see what was going on.
That night we watched a couple good movies. Mr. Brooks which I really enjoyed (4/5) and Dan in Real Life that turned out to be better than I expected (4/5).
* * * * *
On Sunday the weather was clear and cool so I was able to go out and celebrate the annual Cutting of the Boxes spring festival. This spring we had not only boxes from Christmas but a large number of boxes from furniture and baby stuff for the twins. It was so bad that when I took my patio table out earlier in the weekend for BBQ duty the mountain of boxes collapsed and I was buried for three days until an international team of avalanche rescue workers from BC and five trained St Bernard dogs from Switzerland could find me and pull me out.
So there I was with my box cutter and work gloves and I got to work on the mountain swearing that no other unfortunate soul would risk life and limb to transverse it. It took a couple hours and there was a surprising amount of garbage like Styrofoam and plastic that at the time of disposal I figured I would get to later and now that it was later I was wishing I had dealt with at the time.
When I was done I had four garbage bags of debris and one organized pile of cut up cardboard. Now I need the Yard Waste facility open.
* * * * *
Today marks the beginning of our last full week as a couple with no kids. Its still hard to fully comprehend what next week will bring.
* * * * *
We got the BBQ working earlier in the week and we kept it going this weekend, cooking some pork chops and turkey franks for dinner on Sunday night. MMMMMMmmmmmm, BBQ!
* * * * *
On Saturday it was raining and cold outside so I stayed in and did some housework that needed to be done, mainly sweeping and mopping. I took my time; Kim was watching Biography channel (free preview weekend) and I often stopped to see what was going on.
That night we watched a couple good movies. Mr. Brooks which I really enjoyed (4/5) and Dan in Real Life that turned out to be better than I expected (4/5).
* * * * *
On Sunday the weather was clear and cool so I was able to go out and celebrate the annual Cutting of the Boxes spring festival. This spring we had not only boxes from Christmas but a large number of boxes from furniture and baby stuff for the twins. It was so bad that when I took my patio table out earlier in the weekend for BBQ duty the mountain of boxes collapsed and I was buried for three days until an international team of avalanche rescue workers from BC and five trained St Bernard dogs from Switzerland could find me and pull me out.
So there I was with my box cutter and work gloves and I got to work on the mountain swearing that no other unfortunate soul would risk life and limb to transverse it. It took a couple hours and there was a surprising amount of garbage like Styrofoam and plastic that at the time of disposal I figured I would get to later and now that it was later I was wishing I had dealt with at the time.
When I was done I had four garbage bags of debris and one organized pile of cut up cardboard. Now I need the Yard Waste facility open.
* * * * *
Today marks the beginning of our last full week as a couple with no kids. Its still hard to fully comprehend what next week will bring.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Damn You Braxton Hicks!
Pregnancy has been going on a long time so you think there would be experts out there by now that would give straight answers.
On Saturday after Kim got up she started feeling cramping. She has had this before and sitting down and having a drink usually eased the pain after a short while. But this time they came back after her shower and were quite painful so we became concerned.
We had heard of Braxton Hicks contractions before: they are essentially false labour pains caused by the uterus and possibly brought on by light exercise and dehydration. But we were told that those contractions occurred on a different part of the belly and that real contractions happen right near the pelvic bone. So when Kim described the pain as being low and centre, we became alarmed.
So off to the hospital we went. The OB ward was busy and the doctor's and nurses seemed quite unconcerned with our plight. We sat in the tiny, overcrowded waiting room for an hour before they had us in for diagnosis. To be fair, they were off, you know, delivering babies but that didn't give me a great comfort level.
In the end the cramping subsided and a hormone test they performed showed with 99% certainty that they were not real contractions. Braxton Hicks strikes again.
We were told to go home and relax and there was no other problems for the rest of the weekend.
So we watched movies! We do love us some flicks.
Saturday night:
Good Luck Chuck - Decent, if not uproarious. 3/5 stars
Death Sentence - Bleak, depressing, but decent action. 2.5/5 stars
Sunday afternoon:
Heartbreak Kid - It was hard to like the movie when the main character is being such an unsympathetic jerk for the last half of it. 2/5 stars
Monday afternoon:
Jumper - For a frenetic action flick, it was pretty good. I wouldn't call it stellar and it felt 30 minutes too short to me (I thought the big climatic scene at the end was only the prelude to the final fight) but I enjoyed it the most out of all the movies this weekend and give it 4/5 stars.
On Saturday after Kim got up she started feeling cramping. She has had this before and sitting down and having a drink usually eased the pain after a short while. But this time they came back after her shower and were quite painful so we became concerned.
We had heard of Braxton Hicks contractions before: they are essentially false labour pains caused by the uterus and possibly brought on by light exercise and dehydration. But we were told that those contractions occurred on a different part of the belly and that real contractions happen right near the pelvic bone. So when Kim described the pain as being low and centre, we became alarmed.
So off to the hospital we went. The OB ward was busy and the doctor's and nurses seemed quite unconcerned with our plight. We sat in the tiny, overcrowded waiting room for an hour before they had us in for diagnosis. To be fair, they were off, you know, delivering babies but that didn't give me a great comfort level.
In the end the cramping subsided and a hormone test they performed showed with 99% certainty that they were not real contractions. Braxton Hicks strikes again.
We were told to go home and relax and there was no other problems for the rest of the weekend.
So we watched movies! We do love us some flicks.
Saturday night:
Good Luck Chuck - Decent, if not uproarious. 3/5 stars
Death Sentence - Bleak, depressing, but decent action. 2.5/5 stars
Sunday afternoon:
Heartbreak Kid - It was hard to like the movie when the main character is being such an unsympathetic jerk for the last half of it. 2/5 stars
Monday afternoon:
Jumper - For a frenetic action flick, it was pretty good. I wouldn't call it stellar and it felt 30 minutes too short to me (I thought the big climatic scene at the end was only the prelude to the final fight) but I enjoyed it the most out of all the movies this weekend and give it 4/5 stars.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Movie Review: National Treasure - The Book of Secrets
Kim took me to the movies for my birthday Monday evening and we decided to see National Treasure - The Book of Secrets. We saw the first movie back when it came out and enjoyed it so we thought this one would be a solid bet for a good time.
It was ... acceptable. It did not have the sheer enjoyment of the first movie, and felt a little rushed in a lot of parts in the middle (I mean, they spent all of 20 minutes in Paris and London combined), but overall the general flow was at a good pace.
I had a hard time suspending disbelief near the end though. WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!
City of Gold? In Dakota? Olmec language? Mount Rushmore was to obliterate the land marks? The last third of the movie seemed totally bogus and off the wall, like the writers wanted to out do everything so much in the first movie to the point where they jumped the shark.
Oh and one other thing: who builds a city underground? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Mount Rushmore, yeesh. If I had been the writer, I would have had the city of gold in the rain forests of Central America and not underground, but the cynic in me suggests it was easier on the budget to film in Dakota.
Overall, 3/5 stars: the strong start makes up for some of the ridiculousnesses of the ending.
It was ... acceptable. It did not have the sheer enjoyment of the first movie, and felt a little rushed in a lot of parts in the middle (I mean, they spent all of 20 minutes in Paris and London combined), but overall the general flow was at a good pace.
I had a hard time suspending disbelief near the end though. WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!
City of Gold? In Dakota? Olmec language? Mount Rushmore was to obliterate the land marks? The last third of the movie seemed totally bogus and off the wall, like the writers wanted to out do everything so much in the first movie to the point where they jumped the shark.
Oh and one other thing: who builds a city underground? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Mount Rushmore, yeesh. If I had been the writer, I would have had the city of gold in the rain forests of Central America and not underground, but the cynic in me suggests it was easier on the budget to film in Dakota.
Overall, 3/5 stars: the strong start makes up for some of the ridiculousnesses of the ending.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Movie Review: Sunshine
Kim and I rented the movie called Sunshine on the weekend which is a science fiction story about a group of astronauts on a mission to try and restart our dying sun.
I loved it. It was amazing, science fiction at its best. Lots of tension, believable characters and reactions, and inspiring scope. I highly recommend it.
4.5/5 stars
I loved it. It was amazing, science fiction at its best. Lots of tension, believable characters and reactions, and inspiring scope. I highly recommend it.
4.5/5 stars
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Movie Review: I Am Ledgend
The movie I Am Legend starring Will Smith is based on the short classic novel of the same name by Richard Matheson which I happened to read just last year. Kim and I took in the movie Monday evening as we had a 2 for 1 coupon and it was expiring soon.
The movie was good. Not great, but as a stand alone flick it was watchable. The tension build up in one scene in particular was quite well done but failed to re-materialize fully during the rest of the movie. I wasn't fond of the last third of the movie, it was a little too pat and simplistic for me.
The movie's resemblance to the novel is passing at best. By far the novel is superior in character and ending, I'd recommend reading it before watching the Hollywood version.
* * * * *
On a related note, when I read someone earlier review of the movie they commented how Will Smith's character was another "angry atheist", the only kind of atheist that explicitly gets shown in movies it seems.
An "angry atheist" is one who has some sort of personal tragedy that makes them come to think that God doesn't exist; in other words, if bad things happen to other people its just the mysterious ways of God but if it happens to them, they take their belief and stomp away like a petulant child. For reference, Mel Gibson in Signs, Hillary Swank in The Reaping, John Cusack in 1408, and now Will Smith in I Am Legend.
Of course, the odds are stacked against these former believers as they are in movies that represent reality where God does indeed exist and events unfold that convince them that their unbelief is wrong, either subtly as in Signs and I Am Legend or very explicitly as in The Reaping and 1408.
It would be nice if there was a movie that portrayed someone who was an atheist who came to not believe through careful consideration and thought but unless the movie is supernatural to begin with, exploring character's religious beliefs or lack thereof is typically not a priority to the story. So if one got all their information from movies or TV you could be under the impression that all atheists are "angry atheists" and that are no true atheists as some religious leaders claim.
The movie was good. Not great, but as a stand alone flick it was watchable. The tension build up in one scene in particular was quite well done but failed to re-materialize fully during the rest of the movie. I wasn't fond of the last third of the movie, it was a little too pat and simplistic for me.
The movie's resemblance to the novel is passing at best. By far the novel is superior in character and ending, I'd recommend reading it before watching the Hollywood version.
* * * * *
On a related note, when I read someone earlier review of the movie they commented how Will Smith's character was another "angry atheist", the only kind of atheist that explicitly gets shown in movies it seems.
An "angry atheist" is one who has some sort of personal tragedy that makes them come to think that God doesn't exist; in other words, if bad things happen to other people its just the mysterious ways of God but if it happens to them, they take their belief and stomp away like a petulant child. For reference, Mel Gibson in Signs, Hillary Swank in The Reaping, John Cusack in 1408, and now Will Smith in I Am Legend.
Of course, the odds are stacked against these former believers as they are in movies that represent reality where God does indeed exist and events unfold that convince them that their unbelief is wrong, either subtly as in Signs and I Am Legend or very explicitly as in The Reaping and 1408.
It would be nice if there was a movie that portrayed someone who was an atheist who came to not believe through careful consideration and thought but unless the movie is supernatural to begin with, exploring character's religious beliefs or lack thereof is typically not a priority to the story. So if one got all their information from movies or TV you could be under the impression that all atheists are "angry atheists" and that are no true atheists as some religious leaders claim.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Movie Review: Hot Fuzz
For a relaxing no-thinking evening we rented Hot Fuzz for the evening.
I was unsure what to expect. British comedies often have a vastly different feel to the slapstick comedy of Hollywood, and the first hour I was on the fence if it was a good example or an average example of funny from across the pond.
The pace of the movie picked up a bit as the second half began and I definitely was interested in the outcome. Then all hell broke loose.
The last thirty minutes was gut busting in its over-the-top outrageous nods to over-the-top Hollywood police action flicks of the past twenty years. I actually had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard and I'm sitting here giggling at my desk thinking of some of the scenes. It was that funny. It was as if the first 90 minutes was mere setup for the hilarity of the last 30.
I heartily recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys smart comedy and police action flicks. 5 out of 5 stars.
I was unsure what to expect. British comedies often have a vastly different feel to the slapstick comedy of Hollywood, and the first hour I was on the fence if it was a good example or an average example of funny from across the pond.
The pace of the movie picked up a bit as the second half began and I definitely was interested in the outcome. Then all hell broke loose.
The last thirty minutes was gut busting in its over-the-top outrageous nods to over-the-top Hollywood police action flicks of the past twenty years. I actually had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard and I'm sitting here giggling at my desk thinking of some of the scenes. It was that funny. It was as if the first 90 minutes was mere setup for the hilarity of the last 30.
I heartily recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys smart comedy and police action flicks. 5 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Book Review: Harry Potter Series
WARNING: Spoilers!
While camping I finished the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was just going to do a review of it but decided rather to discuss the series as a whole.
The Harry Potter phenomenon is a touchstone for a generation, much like the Star Wars trilogy and Matrix trilogy. How could a book series, one aimed primarily at children at that, become such a cultural force? I'm sure there are many essays and articles discussing it, but I think it came down to three crucial points:
1) Reading for fun amoungst children has been degrading in the age of cable TV, DVDs, game consoles, and internet activities. Harry Potter grabbed headlines by making kids want to read for a change.
2) The story was age-appropriate for kids but also gripped the imagination of adults who picked it up.
3) The story is well written and interesting.
As people raved about it and the media ate up the hubbub, the sales rose and momentum rolled the series into history. There may have been better books written at the same time or since, but Harry Potter hit the perfect storm of being at the right place at the right time with the right stuff.
Now, what do I think about the series itself? Well, I already said it was well written and interesting but let me expand on that. Rowling's style is brisk and airy without sacrificing detail, something that appeals to today's sound-bite culture and makes the book easy to read. The setting is very unique and humourous at times, and the characters are well defined. Sometimes the characters are a bit one-dimensional, but I allow that a pass since it is a children's fantasy book. The action scenes, especially in the later books, are also well done and not glossed over but rather described in enough detail to picture what is going on nicely without getting bogged down in details.
I do have some complaints though. I was often annoyed at students and alumni of the Slytherin house at Hogwarts were almost always portrayed as cowardly, conniving, and leaning towards evil and brutality. Some alumni get redemption such as Regulus Black and Severus Snape, but the current students during the seven books are never redeemed. It frustrated me. It seemed to simplistic, black and white: the students of Gryfinndor were good, those of Slytherin bad. I would have liked a bit more nuance, something to demonstrate the good qualities of a Slytherin student. Ah well.
Overall the series is enjoyable. In order of most favourite to least, I rank them:
1. Chamber of Secrets (II)
2. Goblet of Fire (IV)
3. Order of the Phoenix (V)
4. Deathly Hallows (VII)
5. Prisoner of Azkhaban (III)
6. Halfblood Prince (VI)
1. Philospher's Stone (I)
And the series I give 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommended to anyone with a bit of imagination.
While camping I finished the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was just going to do a review of it but decided rather to discuss the series as a whole.
The Harry Potter phenomenon is a touchstone for a generation, much like the Star Wars trilogy and Matrix trilogy. How could a book series, one aimed primarily at children at that, become such a cultural force? I'm sure there are many essays and articles discussing it, but I think it came down to three crucial points:
1) Reading for fun amoungst children has been degrading in the age of cable TV, DVDs, game consoles, and internet activities. Harry Potter grabbed headlines by making kids want to read for a change.
2) The story was age-appropriate for kids but also gripped the imagination of adults who picked it up.
3) The story is well written and interesting.
As people raved about it and the media ate up the hubbub, the sales rose and momentum rolled the series into history. There may have been better books written at the same time or since, but Harry Potter hit the perfect storm of being at the right place at the right time with the right stuff.
Now, what do I think about the series itself? Well, I already said it was well written and interesting but let me expand on that. Rowling's style is brisk and airy without sacrificing detail, something that appeals to today's sound-bite culture and makes the book easy to read. The setting is very unique and humourous at times, and the characters are well defined. Sometimes the characters are a bit one-dimensional, but I allow that a pass since it is a children's fantasy book. The action scenes, especially in the later books, are also well done and not glossed over but rather described in enough detail to picture what is going on nicely without getting bogged down in details.
I do have some complaints though. I was often annoyed at students and alumni of the Slytherin house at Hogwarts were almost always portrayed as cowardly, conniving, and leaning towards evil and brutality. Some alumni get redemption such as Regulus Black and Severus Snape, but the current students during the seven books are never redeemed. It frustrated me. It seemed to simplistic, black and white: the students of Gryfinndor were good, those of Slytherin bad. I would have liked a bit more nuance, something to demonstrate the good qualities of a Slytherin student. Ah well.
Overall the series is enjoyable. In order of most favourite to least, I rank them:
1. Chamber of Secrets (II)
2. Goblet of Fire (IV)
3. Order of the Phoenix (V)
4. Deathly Hallows (VII)
5. Prisoner of Azkhaban (III)
6. Halfblood Prince (VI)
1. Philospher's Stone (I)
And the series I give 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommended to anyone with a bit of imagination.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
There was one problem with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie when Kim and I went to see it last month after camping: I had read the book. Twice in fact. And I read it again last week because I knew the movie had left so much out that I felt kind of cheated a bit after watching it.
Barely any Kreacher? No 'Weasly is our king' renditions? No St. Mungo's Hospital and Neville's parents? "They are all important!" I wailed.
Truth is the movie was quite good. The pacing was well done, the actors were decent, and the action at the climax was acceptable... except that weird cloud flying thing... was that supposed to be Apparating? If so, two huge problems: 1) apparating and disapparting is instaneous with no billowing clouds of smoke or flying, and 2) there is a charm on the Ministry of Magic to prevent apparation within its walls. It really ruined that part of the movie for me and I just know the directors and writers did it for more flash over substance. I hate it when movie directors do that. Asses. That being said, the rest of the climax was good. Seeing Dumbledore and Voldemort slug it out in a duel of master wizards was nice and satisfying.
Overall I give this movie three and a half stars out of five.
Barely any Kreacher? No 'Weasly is our king' renditions? No St. Mungo's Hospital and Neville's parents? "They are all important!" I wailed.
Truth is the movie was quite good. The pacing was well done, the actors were decent, and the action at the climax was acceptable... except that weird cloud flying thing... was that supposed to be Apparating? If so, two huge problems: 1) apparating and disapparting is instaneous with no billowing clouds of smoke or flying, and 2) there is a charm on the Ministry of Magic to prevent apparation within its walls. It really ruined that part of the movie for me and I just know the directors and writers did it for more flash over substance. I hate it when movie directors do that. Asses. That being said, the rest of the climax was good. Seeing Dumbledore and Voldemort slug it out in a duel of master wizards was nice and satisfying.
Overall I give this movie three and a half stars out of five.
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