The Judge- A movie review

So, Hunnybunny took me to see Robert Downey, JR and Robert Duval in "The Judge".  I had seen the trailers, and loved just about every movie that they both were in. And truthfully, Tony Stark has done wonders for RDJ's career. The role helped him branch out as an actor. And it really shows in this film.

There are no spoilers here, so don't look for me to give anything away. The family dynamics are true to form. Robert Duval plays the perfect curmudgeon. Maybe you didn't know that the title of this blog pays homage to  my former life as paralegal. I did love the law, but lawyers were another story. They were fairly abusive and narcissistic. But courtroom theatrics were not the subject of this movie.

We get to see RDJ as a lawyer, dad, husband, son, and former resident of his hometown. So, while it would have been cool to see JUST the lawyer, the other roles were far more interesting.

Hank Palmer, (RDJ) also has to face his past demons, something RDJ has had plenty of experience with this past decade.  His dad, Judge Palmer, (Robert Duval) has his own problems which come to light while Hank Palmer has been home. 

My favorite line was "I have the work ethic of the Amish!" I think I'll be stealing that one in the future. 

Anyway, go see it and prove that we can enjoy a thinking, feeling movie just as much as a "shoot 'em up". It was awesome!

Mother's Day Movie Review

My mother's day present was to go see Iron Man 2 with some friends. Usually a sequel isn't much good, but I was pleasantly surprised. Mickey Rouke certainly made a good villain. What I liked is that he was a brilliant physicist with a bent for revenge. And the funny part was that he had no reason for revenge. Don't worry....no spoilers here. If you liked Robert Downey, Jr. in the first movie, you'll like him in this. This movie gives the first appearance of War Machine. I hated that they replaced Rhody,but Don Cheadle wasn't bad, either. Gweneth Paltrow played Pepper Pots, but I didn't find her as interesting as in the first movie. I'm still getting used to Scarlett Johansson as a grown-up actress. She played Black Widow from S.H.I.E.L.D. Samuel L. Jackson is good in just about anything he plays. The Nick Fury character is no exception.
It was so awesome to get to sleep in this morning and have Hunnybunny make me pancakes! I got card from the boys, and the Pickle made me the coolest card!

Right now, I feel like I'm on vacation as my classes are over for the semester. Tuesday, however, I'm doing a mini-session for a nurses aide class I have to take. It's 4 pm to 9:00 pm, 3 nights a week for 5 weeks. I think I'll be okay, but I'm probably going to slack off on blogging for awhile.

Sherlock Holmes: A Movie Review

You're going to hear lots of bad reviews by the classic book lovers, and rightfully so. This spin is more, "if Sherlock were in our time" kind of thing. There are historical references and devices which were not in this period . You have to be forgiving of this if you intend to enjoy this film. The trick is to clear your mind of any preconceived notions of the grand gentleman of Sherlock Holmes in literature, and try to wrap your head around the flawed character of this version. The compairson has been made to Gregory House, (of House fame) and Sherlock's character. Well, since I love House, I find no fault. Highly intelligent, self-absorbed, yeah, I can see that. But as someone with absolutely no frame of reference to a Sherlock Holmes in my mind, I thought the movie was amazing! I hate to admit, I'm not now, nor have ever been, a reader of the classics. My high school never required them, and back then, you couldn't necessarily find them in paperback. So I missed the whole, "Elementary, my dear, Watson," thing. However, this new movie more than made up for the lack in my education. See it with an open mind. Below is the trailer.

Movie Review: UP

Yeah, to say I'm just a little behind on reviewing this movie would be an understatement. We actually saw this in the theater this past summer. It was so good that we bought it.

The beginning was precious, two childhood friends grow up and end up married. They have a dream that they have crossed their hearts to do one day. But, as we all know, life gets in the way of dreams. Sometimes, you have to pinch hit with new dreams until you realize that your dreams have changed. Waxing philosophical, right? Nothing gets past me, boy...

Anyway, what I loved about it was that the old guy intends to keep his promise, no matter the cost. And to make it more endearing, you have this dog, Dug. Dug apparently has a dream, too. He dreams of being loved. Dug actually talks in the movie with the help of a collar. He talks like I would expect Fiona to talk if she could. Stuff like, "I just met you and I love you!" She seems to be saying that to everyone that bravely walks through our doors.
So, bottom line: if you have kids, rent it. They will love it. You will, too.

A Mother's Day Movie Review

I guess I'm mature enough to admit that I was around when the original Star Trek made it to television. I was three, and we watched it, although it was mostly over my head. I thought the transporter room was cool, and the whole idea of having a telecomunicator to talk to anybody was really out there. We do have cell phones now, so we're at least heading in that direction.

Hunnybunny and I went with The Diva's parents, our favorite movie-going buddies. With our babysitter out of town, we resorted to asking the Legal Adult and his Sweet thing (Thing 2) to babysit the Pickle and Diva. Hollywood wouldn't need babysitting, but leaving him to his own devices wouldn't have been wise. L.A. was going to show Hollywood how to cut grass, but that didn't happen. We left the makings for spaghetti and homemade cookies. The kitchen was a wreck when we got back. Happy Mother's day to me, right?

Hunnybunny was like a kid on a first date, calling me every 20 minutes to make sure I was going to be there on time (I picked up the Legal Adult and Thing 2) . When he called the last time, I answered with,
"The package has been acquired and is being delivered, Captain. We are in route to rendezvous
He didn't find it as amusing as I did.

Honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy this movie, thinking that they would trash the long-standing characters. But that's not what happened. The story was great and believable. And of course, the special effects were wonderful. We finally saw the backgrounds of the officers, and we do get to see glimpses of that. The joke that has made it around to all Star Trek fans was that if you were in a red shirt, you'd be the guy who was going to get pasted. J.J. Abrams didn't disappoint! And that's probably as much of a spoiler as I'm going to give. The bottom line is that if you get a chance to see it, go! Even if you aren't a long-time Star Trek fan, you will enjoy it.

Doggie Update and Movie Review

Here's our doggie, Fiona, playing with the Pickle. She got pretty big since Valentine's Day, didn't she? She's already up to 32 pounds and is about to be 5 months old. The Pickle is having a time catching her, as you can see.




Fiona has this cool marking on her chest. It looks like an outline of an Aztec cartoon or something. In fact, there are two "eye" dots on her fur that I accused Hollywood of putting on with a Sharpie!






Yes, I know. She's gonna be big. But she had to grow into those huge paws.



We decided to rent Marley and Me,
mostly because it was about a crazy Labrador. Or so I thought. It is actually the progression of a family who grows up with the dog. Now, there are allot of funny scenes! The book by John Grogan tells the tale of how the "worst dog in the world" got inside the hearts of a family. John Grogan is a reporter turned columnist and Marley helps him along with content for the paper. Of course, the dog has to get old and die. And, as usual, I cried at the end. Why, I'm not really sure, but it might have to do with Fiona being so young, and we're starting the same journey with a crazy dog. See it with your kids, but keep the tissues handy.

Pink Panther 2 addicts another generation

Okay, let me be as clear as I can about this: I utterly HATE slapstick. My sweet Hunnybunny adores it, as most men do. The ads for Pink Panther 2 were popping up on Nickledeon and therefore, seen by the under 6 crowd at my house. When your five year old can do the whole "hamburger" shtick from a movie that isn't even out yet, you know you've lost. You're going to yet another movie that you didn't pick out. But you think you can stall. "We don't have to go on opening night. Surely to goodness we can wait until the reviews are out." But then you don't' know my husband. He had it all planned out and used two little co-conspirators. Hunnybunny briefly mentions that we MIGHT be going this evening, that is, provided MOM is on board with it. Oh, yeah, let's just make MOM the bad guy. You have to give the guy kudos, he knew how to work the room.
Of course I said yes. Two sets of big blue eyes looking at me, hopeful, I didn't stand a chance.
And it is funny, in that warped, man-joke kind of way. I'm sure this movie will be on the top of the weekend ratings as next week the men will (or should!) fork over the choice of the movie to their sweethearts for Valentine's Day. Diva and Pickle were mesmerized by the antics of Steve Martin. It's nice to know that in this age of worrying about what are kids watch, Steve is always around to do what he does best. Make us laugh without being crass or inappropriate. Well, at least the last couple of years it's been that way. (Cheaper By the Dozen,The Pink Panther)
I was thrown a bone....there was some eye candy for me, Andy Garcia. He just ages with fine wine. I wouldn't give it a major thumbs up from me, as I'm not a slapstick kinda gal, but according to my family, it's THUMBS UP!

Thanksgiving By The Numbers

1440 miles NOT driven by me as Hunnybunny wanted to drive.

2 different hotel stays: one down, one up. HoJo's isn't as bad as it used to be. Go and price on Hotels.com. Saved us a bundle!
1 visit with a blogging buddy in Marietta, GA. Deborah is so cool!
25 cups of coffee and/or lattes during that week.
2 Older sons not with me this year....one staying at my house because I had heat, one with his dad in Tennessee.

2 turkey dinners and both were righteous. I even learned to like dressing without cornbread in it.

4 viewings of WALL-E on Hunnybunny's laptop by the Pickle on the way down.

25 or more times asked, "Are we in Florida, yet?" by the Pickle.

3 yards of Beatle fabric (You seriously didn't think I was going to make a trip and not buy fabric, did you?) purchased at Wal-Mart in Hunnybunny's hometown.

7 extra pounds of weight due to the way I ate while gone. Diet went totally out the window.

7 copies of Women's Day read cover-to-cover as Grandma Hunnybunny keeps them until I come to town.

45-15 Florida vs. Florida State, in the pouring rain, no less. Now, that was priceless!

The Dark Knight

Well, you knew I was going, didn't you? I mean, the whole free world went, according to box office totals. We opted for the Saturday night show. Again, we went with Diva's parents, same babysitter, out to eat later...your basic parent's night out.

Here's the scoop I didn't know: he actually appeared in the movie without The Joker makeup. I guess I never noticed the scars under the red paint.
The story of how he got them changed every time he was about to off someone. That's about it on origins, though. I think two of the best lines were, "I'm like a dog chasing a parked car. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it!" and talking to Batman, "You complete me."

Heath Ledger did a great job. The story has enough subplots to keep you busy. It's a shame the guy isn't around for his kudos. He certainly deserved them.

A Double Date with Ironman

From the time Ironman was announced, Diva's dad and I talked about getting our families together to go see it. He is the consumate movie geek. The man has virtually any movie you have EVER heard of. I am an old comic book collector. I taught my then 6 year old (The Legal Adult) to read X-Men. Dick and Jane just wasn't cutting it, folks.

I hired a sitter who I knew could handle the Pickle and the Diva together. The Rock Star did ask if he could keep them and make the money, but ...Plllluuuzzzzeeee.... I can't walk out of a room without the screaming and hitting. He went to his friend's house for the night. I was also thinking that he might ENJOY the company of this young woman way to much, if you know what I mean.

My biggest worry was that they would go into their Honeymooners routine and scare the poor girl off. I promise, they act like old married people. Diva's mom and I kid about them getting married someday.

We got pizza, we gave Brit the Sitter the specifics on what they could and couldn't get away with, and we left. The movie was great! I think I liked the dialogue better than anything. Robert Downey, Jr. was really believable. And likable. But mostly, funny. Afterwards, we went to Olive Garden and had a really nice dinner. Adult conversation is something that I'm completely lacking in these days. The only time the sitter called is when the "Batman and Robin" movie couldn't be found. (I had to hide it in my unmentionables drawer or he would play it everyday.) So, I sent Brit to find it there. How embarrassing....Diva's mama thought it was funny.


My opinion? Go see it...and take a date!

Don't hate me because I met Jim Caviezel

I mean, just because YOU didn't get to meet him...hey, I'm just going on with you. I had the priveledge of meeting this nice gentleman last night as he spoke at my church, believe it or not. He spoke about stepping up and being a man. His career got off the fast track when he did the role of Jesus in Passion of The Christ.

This is Jim in Deja Vu.















As our Lord Jesus in Passion of The Christ. Hollywood pretty much blackballed him from top roles. I read where he was passed up by Bryan Singer for Cyclopes in X-Men after he played Jesus. Make no mistake, he is a true believer and stands for Christ.








And as the Count of Monte Cristo. I have always thought he was great, but after I looked into his eyes and shook his hand, I have a new perspective. By the way, his eyes? They're green, not brown. And I thanked him for doing Passion and told him I loved him in Count of Monte Cristo. Okay, so I got a little star-struck. But he's the first reknown actor I've ever met.
His latest project is a voicing gig on The Word of Promise.

Across the Universe

No, we didn't watch the Grammy's, but we watched Across the Universe. And to say it was...trippy..was understated. The music was covered well. How can you go wrong with Joe Cocker or Bono from U2? Bono certainly doesn't sound like an "Irish rock star", as he puts it in the blooper reel. But like a New Yorker. Joe Cocker actually had three roles in "Come Together" and I had to ask Hunnybunny if that was him. He looked old when he was young. But he still has the pipes.
The story had more to do with the Vietnam War and it's impact. But they tried to cover too many story lines. They covered Martin Luther King's assignation, too. And while that was important for the time period, they just had too many loose ends to tie up.





I think they were trying to actually tell a story. While the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts club band was definitely fantasy. The Rock Star asked for this for Christmas last year, and I think I've watched it a lot more than he has! I was around 11 when it was in the theatre, and a huge Bee Gee fan. Peter Frampton, who was just a kid back then, had gone triple platiunm with Frampton Comes Alive!. They did a great job covering the songs, but the story was just too out there. It was great eye candy for the rest of us, though.
The bottom line: if you don't mind the abstract, you'll enjoy it. Visually, it's a beautiful flick. But if you're looking for story content, don't bother.







I guess the boys from Liverpool will never be topped but their music will most likely outlive us all. Currently, The Legal Adult has been sporting a John Lennon look and he's so pleased when someone notices. Of course, the people that notice actually were at Woodstock. He constantly asks me, "What was it like for you to grow up listening to that music?" First of all, I was just a little tyke. I was the only 4 year old who could sing all the words to Strawberry Fields. It didn't impact my life. It was my brother (who was 10 years older) who owned the albums and the posters.
Do you think if John had lived he'd have piercings? I'm just sayin'....

I guess I'm in love again....another movie review

What is it with me and younger men? When I was younger, I wanted an older man, and now, everything is opposite. My buddy, Jane, and I went to see the chick-flick, 27 Dresses last weekend to a packed house. You might recognize this young man from Superman Returns, X-Men , and recently, Enchanted(which I haven't seen). His name is James Marsden, and what a sweet smile he has!

The story is about a lady named Jane who had been in 27 weddings. She dreamed of the day that it would be her wedding. James Marsden's character, Malcolm (or Kevin as he preferred to be called) was a writer who covered the wedding circuits and ran into Jane at one of the stories he was covering. I won't give away too many details, but the twist is she's in love with her boss, and he's in love with her little sister. Little sister is in love with herself. I'm normally not a chick-flick person as I have to wait until it comes out on dvd to see it. Hunnybunny always says, "Oh, yeah, I'll take you to see that." But usually, if it's an action, war, stupid male humor, or sci-fi, then we just have to see it. So one of my resolutions this year is not to wait around on him. If I want to see it, I'll just call Jane, or Ally, or somebody else.

And last but not least, a movie review....

Of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Of course, there were several posters to pick from, but Orlando Bloom is so handsome and adorable, I had to pick his.

We actually took the boys to a drive-in. Hard to believe they still exist, but we went with The Pickle and the Rock Star.

I had my reservations about the idea of taking two boys, in a confined space, out to a picture. Between fighting over the popcorn and drink, several "I gotta go", you know where, breaks, finally they settled down.

And the Pickle actually sat outside our car in one of those camp chairs with the Rock Star. Apparently, Pirates is a movie they could agree on.

As for the movie itself, better not get up if you can help it. They have lots of loose ends to tie up, and honey, they were 'a-tyin' them. The music was great, like the other two movies, but really loud. Could be because I was in a car. Keith Richards made his appearance as Jack's dad, and it was really funny. But there are several melancholy moments, also, when the two lovers are working it out.

While it was a great flick, I will tell you this: it just didn't end right. Don't get up and leave until AFTER the credits, or you'll miss something great.