Sunday, May 30, 2010

Summer Movie Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time


Well, here we are with probably my most anticipated movie of the summer. I was not disappointed, but I wasn't astounded either.

Plot: Dastan is an orphan who was taken in by the king as a child and raised as a prince. When his brother orders an attack on a neighboring city, Dastan discovers a dagger which turns out to have power that turns back time. His father is murdered and Dastan is blamed. Along with the Princess Tamina (of the city they attacked), Dastan must find the true person responsible for his father's death and protect the world from the possible danger the dagger could unleash.

Cast: Let's just come right out and say it. Jake Gyllenhaal is uber attractive. I think he's a fantastic actor as well, and he proved that in this film. He made his character believable even with the sometimes shotty dialogue he was given. Gemma Arterton is decent and her character is phenomenally better than the one she played in Clash of the Titans. (To know how much I hated that character please see my review of THAT movie.) She and Jake had wonderful chemistry in my opinion. The only other character that stood out to me was Sheik Amar, a man who organized ostrich races. He had the best comedic dialogue in the film. The rest of the supporting cast did well, once again considering the cheese factor of the movie.

Likes and dislikes: Dastan. I loved his character, his costumes, everything. The fight scenes were well done, though at times I found the camera work to be slightly strange. The romance was nice (I'm never opposed to a little of that!), though I would have liked a better kiss. *Wink wink* I mean, they supposedly had all this tension throughout the film and all we got was that little smooch? Pshh, come on Mr. Director, you have single women in the audience! We need something to vicariously live through. ;) Special effects were decent, borderline great, but nothing too extraordinary.

I'll be honest, I had to see this movie twice in order to really decide how I felt about it. The first time I was distracted by my extreme tiredness and pounding migraine. (That's what I get for attempting the midnight showing!) That time I left the theater a little confused by how cheesy it turned out to be. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was intentionally cheesy. So, I went to see it again with Leslee and I really really enjoyed it the second time around. It could have been due to the fact it was in the afternoon and I only had a mediocre headache and not a full on migraine. So I recommend going into the movie knowing that the dialogue and story is a tad cliche' and cheesy, but have the mindset that it's supposed to be that way. Be excited to enjoy a light, fun, action adventure! And for SURE enjoy Jake Gyllenhaal's good looking-ness! :D

My rating: 6.9 out of ten.

Next week we have Killers, staring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. But before that, I'll probably post the photos of Kevin and Jenny's wedding that I took on Monday! Be excited!!! :D Peace, my friends!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Shoes!!

I know I said my next post would be another movie review, but I just had to post a picture of the shoes I got yesterday. Are they not the cutest shoes in the world? I am in LOVE!! :D Peace!

Summer Movie Review: Iron Man 2


So, I know that I started my Summer Blockbuster List a little late and I forgot to include Iron Man 2. Well, I will now correct my mistake and give you my official review!

I heart Robert Downey Jr. I think he's absolutely spectacular. He played his part just as well as he did in the first Iron Man movie. I liked Don Cheadle as well, even though I usually hate when they replace actors playing the same character, but he made it his own and I really enjoyed him in this movie. I'm not a huge fan of Gwenneth Paltrow, but I like Pepper's character and the banter between her and Tony. RDJ and Paltrow have really nice chemistry. I downright dislike Scarlett Johansson, but her character in this movie was pretty bad-A. Though, honestly I can't give credit for her character being bad-A to her, I give it more to her stunt man. :) I'm glad they gave Sam Jackson a little more of a role in this, I like him. And he's in every other movie in the universe, why not this one! Sam Rockwell was hilarious. I especially love the orange palms that he had due to his excessive use of tanning lotion. Last but not least I'll mention Mickey Rourke. He's creepy and that allowed for a great villain. I thought he played the part well.
All in all the acting was superb with this all-star cast.

I really enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed it so much that I saw it twice! I thought the action sequences were fantastic. The birthday party scene was just a tad overdone though. A lot of people have complained about what a jerk Tony Stark was. Here's the thing. I contribute this (and maybe justify it a little, though I shouldn't) to the fact that he was going through a particular "crisis." I won't say what, just in case you haven't seen the film yet. I also contribute this to the fact that when people make sequels, they tend to take the things people liked in the first movie and times them by ten. He WAS a jerk in the first movie too, although Ken will argue otherwise. So of course he's going to be an even bigger jerk in the second movie, because that's what people LIKED about the first one, his rude, sarcastic personality!

One of my only qualms was that it was too long. They could have trimmed almost twenty minutes outta that movie, and it would have been even better.

Favorite Scene: Tony Stark discovering a new molecule. It rocked my socks.

All in all, I give this movie a solid 8 out of 10.

Next up: My review of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Until then, Peace!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Looks like it's Summer! (Only without the Sun.)

Well, as all of our beloved TV shows come to a temporary close (I don't watch that much TV....but still...) the world of entertainment fills that void with SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS!! This is my favorite time of year, I'm not going to lie. That might be pathetic, but it's true! I can't deny it!
So, my dear blog readers, be prepared for a weekly movie review! Here's a schedule of the movies coming out that I'm looking forward to seeing!* Seriously, every weekend a new movie!!!!
*Take note that just because I'm looking forward to them, does not mean I think they're going to be "good."

May 28: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - I've been looking forward to this movie for over a year. I think it's going to be in the same rank as The Mummy, kinda dumb, but SO entertaining. + The music is by Harry Gregson-Williams. How can it NOT be epic?

June 4: Killers- Now, I don't hold out much hope for this movie, but I'm a Ashton Kutcher fan and he is shirtless in one or more parts of the movie so count me in!

June 11: The A Team- Again, not holding out much hope that this movie will be good, but I have NO doubt it's going to be entertaining! And come on, Bradley Cooper is in it and he's hot.

June 18: Toy Story 3- I can't even explain the excitement I have for this movie.

June 25: Knight and Day- I love Tom Cruise. I love most of his movies, and this looks like it's one that I will add the pile.

June 30: Twilight: Eclipse- Now, I hate the first 2 and I'm no longer a big fan of the books, but I know I'm going to see it because that's what I do, watch movies.

July 2: The Last Airbender- I've never watched the Nickelodeon series this is based off of except for the last battle that Ken showed me, but I think this movie looks like it has spectacular visuals, so I'm in.

July 16: The Sorcerer's Apprentice- Despite his awful hair, I like Nic Cage, at least the Disney productions he's been in, like National Treasure. This movie looks like it will be a fun one!

Also on July 16: Inception- Face it, this movie looks crazy weird and awesome!

July 23: Salt- I am no Angelina Jolie fan, but Leslee wants to see this, which means I will probably see it as well.

And that's it for my summer line-up. I'm very much looking forward to all the popcorn and Junior Mints and overpriced concessions! :) Peace!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Socks

In the colder months, I usually sleep with socks on, because my toes are always freezing. But I hate socks and so in the middle of the night, I usually wake up (or half wake up) and slide them off. Well, last night, I hopped into bed and realized I had no socks on. This was because I couldn't find any. They'd all disappeared. Then I remembered that I had MANY socks, they just happened to be at the foot of my bed, stuffed neatly between the sheets. So I reached down to get a pair to warm my toes and I pulled one sock out.....then another, which was not a match to the first, and then another, which was no match for either the first or second.....and yet another sock after that. So here I was pulling sock after sock from the bottom of my bed. Finally I put two mismatched socks on my feet and called it a night.
And they say the washing machine eats socks................

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I need to state publicly...

That I have some really really amazing friends in my life. In ALL the past stages of life I look back on, it amazes me the luck and fortune I had in that department. From grade school to Jr. High to high school, from job to job, I have been blessed. And the luck just keeps on coming. I spent a great weekend in California with two awesome gals. Nay, who has been my friend since the third grade (minus a few years of estrangement....but we won't get into that.) and Emily who is one of my newest friends, having only hung out with her twice (yet she was so excepting of me, it was like we've been friends for much longer). We had such a good time chilling in the sun, shopping, and reading a few books together (Hunger Games, anyone?).
Other recent events have caused me to reflect on these wonderful people in my life. What's interesting, is it's mostly the contrast in certain events that's effecting me so much. There are a few people who (in my eyes) have shown their true colors and they are not pretty. These people are people who I have considered good friends, and it's really frustrating. So I get angry and I start to think that maybe everybody sucks deep down inside. But then, I come home from California and my mom tells me that Seagull Book is hiring (this story is going somewhere I promise.) So I go, and they tell me they aren't hiring, but they give me an application anyway. I text my mom, teasing her that she's a dirty liar. She writes back and tells me how she came to know of the job opening. Kyle, my old boss/good friend/awesome person, knows someone who is quitting there soon and when he saw my mom in Allens, (he's the baker there) he jumps at the chance to tell her I should apply there. My dad later tells me Kyle was excited to tell them of the job opening. I called Kyle not to long ago, just letting him know that I'd love to work a few days a week for him, because 1. I need a job and 2. I miss working with him. He told me there were no openings, but if anything did open up I'd be the first person he'd call.
The point is, Kyle heard of the job opening at Seagull Book and thought of me, a person he's seen probably three times in the past year and a half. And he was excited about letting me know, because he cares and he, for some reason I can't explain, is looking out for me.
For some reason this simple gesture just hit me like a ton of bricks, though not in a bad way, as that expression is usually used! :D
It's so nice to know that are people out there as truly good as Kyle. And he's my friend!
Anyway, super sappy, I know. But it needed to be said. So, to all you good friends of mine (you know who you are!), THANK YOU!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Jenny's Bridals

OK, I'm taking a big risk posting these. Kevin (Jenny's fiance') is under no circumstances allowed to see her dress! But let's be realistic here. Who really reads my blog? And I especially doubt Kevin will be reading it any time soon. :) Anyway, Jenny is adorable and I was so happy to take her photos. Here are just a few of my favorites (and I had a LOT of favorites, but I don't think it's "kosher" to post 70 pictures on the 'ole blog.) ((((OH my heck, I can't even decide which ones to post!!))))



I can't decide which of these I love more. I obsessed with both of them right now.








Well, peace out!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Thanksgiving Festival II

So here are some more pictures from the good 'ole Tulip Festival! :) (You're welcome, Lu! )











You would be surprised to know that this is the face that most men make when I try to kiss them. :)