Movie Monday – We Bought A Zoo, Eureka Syfy Series

First…a thank you to all of our armed forces and their families. Whether you have served, are currently still serving, or have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, I salute you.

Now, back to regular programming…

Last week I got a free Redbox code (I love those!) so I picked up We Bought A Zoo. It was really sweet – and the music was great. It’s pretty self explanatory but for those who don’t know, it’s about a man and his two children who buy a house that is on property with a zoo and they try to revitalize the zoo, and heal some family wounds at the same time. It was a good family friendly movie. I was worried it might be too slow but it was perfectly measured. I laughed. I cried a little once, and balled my eyes out later. (Sometimes you just need a good cry and you cry more than it really calls for.) I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys heartwarming stories or animals.

We’ve also been watching Eureka lately. An original Syfy series that started in 2006, it was something that had caught our eye but we just never managed to catch any episodes. After 5 seasons, of which the last is winding down the show is ending, we are finally checking it out, via Netflix. Actually, Don cheated and started watching it on his own on duty nights before bed, but to give him credit, I don’t think he knew I had always wanted to see it and would have watched it with him. So he made it to Season 2 without me and I’ve been catching up on Season 1 so we can start watching together. As for the show, it’s cute. A little campy, obviously not meant to be taken too seriously. It’s fun, light entertainment if you’re looking for a bit of that sort of thing and haven’t watched already.

Dr. Witicus: It’s been building since last night. It is an incredibly dangerous confluence of meteorological events.
Carter: Uhh?
Henry: A perfect storm.
Carter: Thank you.
Dr. Witicus: A spinning cyclone of instability. High up in the cryosphere.
Henry: Ice funnel of death.
Carter: Gotcha. Why don’t you people just say ‘ice funnel of death’?
~ Eureka

Movie Monday – One For the Money, New Year’s Eve, Battleship

Diablo III came out last week. All you gamers (or partners to gamers) will know what I’m talking about. It was released on Tuesday. While it was downloading, we had a conversation something like this…

Don: Do you want to stop by Redbox and get a movie? 

Jess: I thought you would be playing Diablo. 

Don: I meant, get a movie for you. 

Jess: Oh, I see. Because you’re going to be gaming. It’s my chance to watch something you don’t want to see? Sure. 

So, I picked up One for the Money. I’ve actually enjoyed a number of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich back in 2003 when I was commuting back and forth from the Seattle area to the Southern Oregon Coast where Don was assigned for his first Coast Guard duty station. At the time I agreed to work a few extra months with my employer in Washington and I drove down almost every weekend, 8 hours, to see Don in Oregon. Audio books kept me from going nutty during that much driving. The Stephanie Plum series is lots of fun; she’s a great quirky, savvy character who essentially works as a bounty hunter. The stories are a mix of mystery, humor, and romance.  I didn’t have high expectations for it to play out amazingly on screen and I was about right. It was the kind of movie I felt ok to get up and move around while watching. I wasn’t worried about missing things or having to pay close attention to anything. Maybe that was partly because I knew the story, but I think it was also because it was just one of those light, not very serious,  not very compelling movies. I’m not saying don’t watch it; it was mildly entertaining and might be more well received by someone unfamiliar with the series.

New Year’s Eve really surprised me! I am shocked by the low rating on IMDb. I LOVED it. Again, I didn’t have high expectations for it. It looked like one of those movies with a ton of familiar faces and a ton of different stories woven into a larger tapestry, which so often just doesn’t work for me. I thought it would be another Valentine’s Day, which I didn’t like. Same Director, same Writer. Two totally different experiences. New Year’s Eve just really worked for me. It was sweet. It was funny. It was sad. It’s totally worth seeing if you haven’t. I actually would like to get a copy to add to my holiday collection. I can totally see watching this over and over.

Saturday we decided to treat ourselves to a theater movie – we watched Battleship. It was GOOD. If you like that sort of thing: aliens, action, sci-fi stuff. We do. The music was great, the story, eh, it had a few arguable moments or holes (but almost every movie does), and the characters were likeable/believable. It was a little slow in the beginning for me, but Don thought it was appropriate character development. I did not know it was “based on the Hasbro game” until the credits rolled but once I did, it made complete sense and I recognized some of the parallel elements. For example, the missiles from the alien ships are shaped like the game piece pegs and they land embedded in the ship before blowing up. The creators also went to great lengths to be authentic in their portrayal of the military and we felt like they did a decent job. Again, we could criticize a few things but, I’d rather just say it was good effort and let it go. Don served on a destroyer when he was in the Navy so I think that made it more real to both of us and it can be hard to watch and imagine the many deaths that can and do take place in the line of duty. We both squirmed in our seats more than once; the action is intense. All in all, good entertainment and a nice nod to the military, and to veterans who also play a role and are recognized through the course of the film. And to top it off, our theater-goers clapped when it was over. I say that says something about it’s quality.

Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales: Let’s give the world one more day.
BIP Scientist: Who talks like that?
~ Battleship

Movie Monday – Underworld: Awakening, The Avengers

Underworld: Awakening was a pleasant surprise! It was another that I wanted to see, because we’ve seen all the previous movies, but I didn’t have high expectations for it, being a 4th movie and all. I LOVE it when I’m wrong! Wait, I should rephrase that. I love it when I’m wrong, in this regard. It was GOOD! Now, if you don’t get into vampires, werewolves, the battle between the two and the cross-battle with humans, well…then this movie isn’t for you. But if you like fantasy, if you’re a fan of the Underworld movies, then don’t miss this latest installment. And of course, they left it open for another to follow and after how much I enjoyed this one, I hope they do make another. (Side note: I’ve got to get me one of those black skin-tight outfits with knee-high boots that Kate Beckinsale wears. Not that I’d have anywhere to wear it. It would just be nice to have in the closet in case of a zombie apocalypse or other end of the world scenario.)

And we made it to the theaters on Saturday to watch The Avengers, in 3D of course. I think it would have been just as great in 2D but Don really likes 3D. I think it makes everything a little too excessive. The movie is already over the top, in a good way, with non-stop action, and it drips with testosterone. Even Don commented afterwards that there was a bit too much testosterone in one room at times. But it’s appropriate and it works. We felt a little lost at times, having difficulty remembering tidbits from the movies leading up to it, so we rented Thor afterwards to try to answer some of our questions. It helped. I think if you had time, a marathon of the Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor movies before seeing The Avengers would be helpful. With Stark present, the quick wit flies with fury and you better listen close or you’ll miss some great lines. All in all, it was great fun and we look forward to the next installments, Thor 2 in November, Iron Man 3 in May 2013, and the next Avengers which I’m sure will be not long behind.

Stan Lee: Superheroes? In New York? Give me a break!
~ The Avengers