How Movies Inspire Us

Hungry and I are creative people. We use our creative juices and energy to create ideas, stories, concepts, and so on. With creativity, comes the need for inspiration. Lately, I haven’t been as creative as I’ve once been. I’m not writing much (besides blogging) and I don’t feel that pull to create, even though I know it would be wonderful once I start. Sometimes the best way to do it is just to start, period. However, there are other ways as well.

This past weekend, we FINALLY saw the last installment of The Hobbit movie series. We were a little late on seeing it because of conflicting busy schedules and whatnot. The Lord of the Rings trilogy on both paper and screen holds an incredibly special place in our hearts and minds. Even though The Hobbit movie series isn’t as good as the book (duh) or doesn’t come close to the Lord of the Rings movies, we still appreciate and enjoy Peter Jackson’s heart and humor. How pure Bilbo can be in the face of greed, danger, and death and how brave and understanding Gandalf can be after all things.

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As I watched, I got a twang of inspiration from the whole thing as a picture. The backdrop, the setting, the story, the characters, the heart, the battles–everything. Someone had thought of all this, someone had created this entire world, this entire story. You become inspired by a hobbit’s willing to risk the worst in order to help others, to watch good triumph evil, to see what really lies beneath people’s actions. It was a wonderful stroke of inspiration that made me want to go create my own stories and my own characters.

We don’t just watch movies because we enjoy them. We don’t just go to the movies for the popcorn, candy, and drinks. We go to the movies because they inspire us. They make us appeal to greater things and strive higher to become who we want to be. This may not apply to Love Actually (though, love can be a wonderful muse) or comedies, but next time you’re at the movies, really think about it. Let yourself become open to the experience and try to draw some inspiration from the story, the characters, the setting and see what happens. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

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*Question of the Day: What movie inspires you?

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Noke being a silly sleeper

Nov112014

Big Hero 6 Review

Today, for Veteran’s Day, I was lucky enough to have off. Plus, today was Chris’ late day which meant we had the entire first half of the day together which was nice. After a fun, sleepy arms workout, we went to a morning showing of Big Hero 6, a movie we’ve been eagerly looking forward to. The movie is based on of a Marvel comic of a team of superheroes. Although the movie diverts quite a bit from the comic, it still has its roots in the comic. I had never read the comic, so that didn’t affect my movie experience. Overall, we really enjoyed Big Hero 6 and would encourage anyone to see it!

The movie starts out with a young teenager, Hiro (our leading character), his brother, and their aunt. The parents died when Hiro was three and we don’t learn much more than that. Hiro graduated high school when he was 13 (he’s a genius) and has done nothing since “bot-fighting” since then. Bot-fighting is an illegal gambling sport where two people put their small bots to fight each other for money, but Hiro is very good at it. His brother wants him to do more with his brains and takes him to his “nerd lab” where his brother and his colleagues are inventing amazing things. Hiro is inspired by all that he sees (from super-lasers to super-magnets to super-carbon and beyond), but especially so by his brother’s invention, Baymax. Baymax is an adorable health care robot trying to serve those who need help. Hiro wants to join the school so in order to be accepted, he needs to showcase something incredible. He creates an absolutely amazing invention (Chris and I don’t think people appreciated enough how epic and awesome it is) and skipping a handful of scenes, his invention lands in the wrong hands. This leads to the necessity of gathering the Big Hero 6 team together and making things right.

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I won’t spoil any more of the plot than that, but–trust me–it’s good. The cast is fantastic. Some big names include Alan Tudyk and Maya Rudolf (personal favorites) and everyone played their character so very well. I wasn’t expecting how “emotional” it was going to be. Not that I was tearing up every other minute, but that despite being a kid’s movie and a Marvel movie, it really told a true story of human attachment and loss. That was probably my favorite part of the movie and why I liked it so much. It made you understand and feel for the characters. That was a really great part of it and I’m glad they took the time to craft that delicately. The characters themselves are great (my favorite is the Aunt played by Maya Rudolf and Baymax played by Scott Adsit). Baymax is just the best–you want to squeeze him to death. The humor is spot on and you will find yourself grinning and laughing on the regular with this one.

Another great component (though not necessarily major component) of the movie is the lesson it teaches. While I was watching the movie, I kept thinking “these people are so incredibly themselves.” I believe this movie teaches kids (and adults, for that matter) to be yourself whoever that may be and thrive doing so. If you’re a crazy-about-pink-talks-miles-a-second kind of person, be that person. If you love everyone around you and are not afraid to show what you love, do that. It really encouraged everyone to just be them and not hide the brilliant fact that they are them.

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The animation and effects were wonderful, but who would suspect anything less from Disney and Pixar. Everything was beautiful and crisp. You really felt as if you were with Hiro, running and flying around to save the day. It was interesting and fascinating that they combined San Francisco and Tokyo–made for a unique setting. The sounds were spot on and kept you reeled in as the adventure unfolded. There was a plot hole that bothered us, but in the end, it didn’t really matter. Hungry and Fit give a big thumbs up on this one. Never quit being yourself and put that brain to use! As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What did you think of Big Hero 6?

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Aug082014

Edge of Tomorrow: Book vs. Movie

Though it’s no longer in theatres in most places, this is a comparison of the “Edge of Tomorrow” movie and its All You Need is Kill counterpart. I only read the book because I liked the movie so much. Which is odd because Tom Cruise is in it, and I’m really not a fan of his. Before I even start the review, the movie and book are starkly different. Sure they hold the same general idea, but completely different events occur. Let’s get into it.

I’ll start with the movie first, because that’s what we saw first. Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is a dystopic future full of a world war against the Mimics–an alien species here to destroy the humans. All the world comes together to fight this threat, creating the United Defense Forces (UDF). The Mimics basically know how the battle will go, due to their ability to communicate-time travel in the past and let them know not to do certain tactics. This makes them almost unbeatable. Almost. Even though half the world is ravaged, there is still hope.

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That hope is in the form of Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. In separate occasions, they both have the ability to “restart.” This means that if they die, they’ll simply wake up on the day before. For Tom Cruise, it happens when he gets the “blood” of a server Mimic all over him. And then he gets stuck in the loop of being in training to going to battle to dying. Over and over and over. However, the movie does an excellent job with humor and relatability which made it truly enjoyable to watch. Eventually, Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise get together once they realize they’ve been through the same thing and do a final end-all mission to destroy the Mimics forever. But I won’t spoil any more for you.

Now let’s move onto All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, the book the movie is based on. And that’s not even the original. It’s originally Japanese that has been translated into English, which, of course, changes it. The book starts with a fresh recruit in the Japanese part of the UDF (Tom Cruise was a Col., and he was American). He’s green as can be, not ready for battle but without much of a choice. Just as in the movie, he goes into battle and gets killed. But…he wakes up on the previous day! At first, he thinks it’s just a weird dream, but then it keeps going for another 160 days. The same problem still exists–Mimics are killing all humans on the planet so they can xenoform the planet. However, the book is much more crude–lots of swearing, all written in 1st person. There is a lot of focus on the loneliness that these “time-looped” people have to endure. The ending events in the book are completely different from the movie. I don’t want to say much more, but I was surprised. It was much more heavy, I guess would be the right word.

All in all, I would probably choose the movie over the book. You will rarely ever hear me say that, especially a movie with Tom Cruise in it, but I have to be honest. It could be part of the translation from Japanese to English, but the movie engaged me more. Though, I’m starting to like the book’s ending more and more as I dwell on it. There is a graphic novel of All You Need is Kill that I wish I got instead of the paperback. It would be more fitting, I think.

The concept of both the book and the movie is great–it grabs onto you and keeps you there. It’s a nail-biter and it makes you laugh. And Emily Blunt was freaking awesome. I would absolutely see the movie again and would recommend the book to anyone. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

May282014

GODZILLA Movie Review (2014)

A 29-film series that will not stop now! I think I got that number right. After all, I have seen them all countless times so that does make it easier to keep count. Oh no… wait a second, I only saw Godzilla (1998) one time and told myself I could never sit through it again. Not even the magnificent Jean Reno could save that movie for me. Oh well, let’s get back to what everyone wants to talk about… Godzilla (2014).

As a child whose Christmas List every year contained the entirety of the Godzilla franchise on VHS (I taped them off the television from a very young age), I was extremely cautious about this reboot. The initial trailer was not appealing… at all! There were no signs of other monsters and it seemed that Godzilla would again be a villain to America. My expectations were low and luckily I was wrong. I really enjoyed the movie and sharing the experience with Fit, who very kindly let me talk about the 1954 version and many of the sequels in detail for hours and hours.

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The acting was average to above average. Bryan Cranston has been on fire since Malcolm in the Middle (a little humor), Ken Watanabe is a legend in my books, and both Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen weren’t… awful. Part of me wanted Sam Worthington to play the lead but I really do enjoy the casting of “no-name actors.” It allows them to be the main character of that one movie and not Jake Sully/Perseus/that guy from the Terminator I never saw. On top of that, the star of the movie… Godzilla, was depicted SO WELL! I was extremely relieved to see this after that AWFUL creature stepped on-screen in 1998.

Now I did read a list that you can check out here and while I agree with almost everything mentioned, the first four are all aspects I really don’t care about since the star is… Godzilla! I came to watch him wreck other monsters and pile up some collateral damage and I got exactly that. If we get lucky, a crossover with Pacific Rim might happen in the near future. (Slattern was estimated to be 182 meters, compared to Godzilla’s 108 in his largest form, but don’t worry, the King of All Monsters wouldn’t lose.) SPOILER: He even used his ATOMIC BREATH. (Fit was like what the … at this point. Then I told her he can “fly.”)

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The soundtrack was fitting, the scenes were diverse enough, the editing was clean, and the plot was exactly what it needed to be. It showcased the importance of Godzilla as a symbol for the abuse of nuclear technology (we will leave it at that) and his role on Earth. He has no interest in the affairs of humans; his goal is to assert himself as the King of All Monsters and humans are often caught in the colossal wrestling matches that his reign ensues. It might seem as if he is our savior, but that’s not really the case because we aren’t worth his time. King Kong, MechaGodzilla, Mothra, Gigan, Biollante, King Ghidorah, etc. are all worth his time. We can even throw Ebirah in the mix, the list never ends anyway. That point was made, along with the point that we need to “control” our use of nuclear energy, and the point that Godzilla owns this planet.

I am looking forward to a sequel that continues to pay homage to Toho’s earlier work while wisely using our modern-day technology to make Godzilla look like he doesn’t have neck issues. Hopefully, the lead male and female can develop some more personality but it’s no necessary for me to enjoy something so close to my childhood heart.

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THE BOTTOM LINE: Whether a fan of the series or not, just go see it! These colossal monsters done right will keep most audiences entertained and are worth a $6 first show of the day ticket.

As always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Hi I’m cute

May032014

Fancy Up Your Popcorn

I am popcorn-obsessed. I blame it on my family who always has it for any tv/movie event. Like about every night. So what do I do? Any excuse there is…there will be popcorn involved. Castle tonight? Popcorn, obviously. Recorded show on Food Network? Popcorn. Show at the Cinemas? Popcorn…that I sneak in (don’t tell!). I really like popcorn. But Hungry doesn’t really like popcorn (I know, it’s almost a deal-breaker). He’ll eat it if I start giving him some, but he would never start the pop himself. So as he was leaving to walk Noke one night before we were gonna watch a new show on Food Network, he asked me to “fancy up” the popcorn. Quest accepted.

Now I’m not talking about regular fancy. I came up with Toblerone-fancy. Yes, that Swiss deliciousness was taking a visit to our bowl of popcorn. It’s incredibly easy. I learned how to make “homemade” chocolate sauces from watching my mum as she would often like to drizzle it on our homemade ice cream sundaes at home.

I totally snuck one before I melted them down

Chocolate-Drizzled Popcorn

2014-05-02 18:24:55

Serves 1

An easy way to spruce up your usual popcorn

Write a review

Save Recipe

Cook Time

5 min

Cook Time

5 min

Ingredients

1 bag of popcorn
1/2 chocolate bar (Toblerone for best results)
1/3 cup milk (can be any kind you like--we used whole)

Instructions

Pop the popcorn
Put chocolate and milk into a saucepan
Turn on medium to low heat
Stir fairly frequently at first and then let the chocolate settle into a sauce
Once a smooth texture, drizzle over the popcorn

Notes

You may have to play around with the amount of milk to chocolate ratio. You may have to add more milk or even tip some out. No worries, it will still be chocolate sauce no matter what!

By Hungry and Fit

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

There you have it. Simple, easy, and delicious. It was so good we started to eat it with a spoon! Yeah, we apparently don’t mess around. I’m looking forward to more ways to play around with our popcorn. Cinnamon and sugar sound like a good next step. Have fun when making this! And don’t forget to share! As always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Apr082014

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

As we near the end of Phase II in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron as the final two installment before beginning Phase III, Captain America: The Winter Soldier adds tons of new paths for the movies in Phase III. It gives you an insight into what Iron Man 4, Ant-Man, Thor 3, a possible Hulk with Mark Ruffalo, and most of all, Captain America 3 might have to offer. It presents tons of potential, which Marvel can take advantage of or just tie off easily. Before I talk about that and really get into some spoilers, let me say a few words about the movie.

The Winter Soldier was one of Marvel’s best movies since 2008. It had a little bit of everything that you want from a quality movie: good acting, some laughs, some tears, some nail-biting, some jaw dropping action scenes, a reliable soundtrack, some amazing effects and scenery, and some plot twists that kept you intrigued. It brought you some heroes you know and love and some new ones as well. It also introduced some anti-heroes, some villains, some super-villains (you could argue) and as I mentioned before, contributed a ton to the Marvel movie-verse.

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Overall, it lacked the romantic connection that the first Captain America created between Peggy and Cap. This is personal preference, but I care about story and I love a good romance. Therefore, what they did in Captain America 1 really worked well for me. I know this because it made me want a relationship between the two even though they never really had it. Sure, in House of M, they got married but they later divorced. That wasn’t satisfying and the closure with Peggy in this movie was as lively as a piece of cardboard, for me. He had cut all ties, she acted like she moved on, and I was not happy! But that’s a total aside, I can’t believe I went into so much depth about that so let me just cut that off now! (You can comment if you want to know how I feel about that whole situation.)

SPOILER ALERT

Now for some spoilers, so turn away, or read even closer. The movie was filled with references to characters in the Marvel universe. Rumlow, the guy who was roasted in the end (but alive) is arguably the Cap’s most consistent super-villain. As Crossbones, he is Red Skull’s henchmen and he is the person who assassinated the Captain in Marvel’s Civil War. You get the idea he’ll make a comeback since they showed his battered body… alive. Also, there is a lot more to Batroc the Leaper than the movie shows. I loved the casting of my favorite mixed martial artist, GSP, as the role. He is sort of a funny villain as he has fought everyone with his huge ego and sense of honor, leaping around ridiculously and always getting beaten. He’s great.

GSP and Cap (Image source)

When Hydra was listing all their threats, there were a few names that appeared but one stood out. Bruce Banner, Anthony Stark, Maria Hill… Steven Strange. OH YEAH! Doctor Strange was mentioned so they have to bring him in soon! I think he might help the team out in Phase III when they finally go to take on the villain of the whole movie-verse (in my opinion), Thanos. Looking forward to that. Also, for those of you who saw it and don’t know who Agent 13 is… she is Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter’s “niece” and Cap’s main love interest, period. (There is hope for the Cap/Chris Evans in this movie-verse!)

But let’s get to the real good stuff, the endings! One shows that Nick Fury has burned the secret stash of SHIELD and will chase Hydra members. (SHIELD really always comes back in the comics, so yeah.) The Winter Soldier checks out his exhibit in the Smithsonian… BUCKY! (We need him to take Cap’s place when he dies!) Cap is going with Falcon to find Bucky. Natasha is going to find herself a new identity. Agent Hill is working for Stark. Sharon is in the CIA. Oh wait, that’s all the boring stuff. Here is the good stuff!

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Baron Strucker, a Hydra big boss, acknowledges that SHIELD and Hydra are no longer powerful, basically. But he is! He has Loki’s Staff that was given to him by Thanos. (Strucker, don’t steal anything from Thanos… maybe he is working for him now!) But even more amazingly, and this was one of the best parts of the whole movie, he has Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Quicksilver, I think, is going to be in Days of Future Past. I don’t know what that means since X-Men hasn’t (unfortunately) been included in the Marvel movie-verse. And more importantly, Scarlet Witch is sort of awesome so between her and Dr. Strange being introduced, that’s just great.

END OF SPOILERS

So all in all, I think most casual movie-goers, Marvel nerds, and film critics will find enough points of greatness in this film to say it was worth the trip. And while I did not love the story, since they teased me with Cap/Peggy in the first one so much, it had enough extra laughs and references to make it worthwhile. Go see it! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

On a walk

Jan222014

The Coolest Airport in the Southern Hemisphere

Wellington, New Zealand, of course! No really, it is absolutely awesome. And that’s mostly because of Weta Workshop (which you will see in a later post), which created most of the props, weaponry and armor, and lots of the digital effects in Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the Hobbit and more. They are truly amazing. More on them later. Tolkien fans will love this airport. I think the shock factor is a big part of this airport’s coolness. You just don’t expect what you’re going to walk into. And my family did a great job not saying anything (shocker there).

So when you get past checking and get into the terminal, you are first blasted with three huge eagles with Gandalf atop one of them hanging from the ceiling. I was totally amazed. I mean these are huge props, huge. We estimate 20 feet in each direction. Yeah it was literally awesome. Side note: recent earthquake in New Zealand (as in 2 nights ago) actually knocked one of the giant eagles to the ground! Nobody was hurt but…woah.

And then you walk by more shops and restaurants, and then…boom. Gollum comes reaching in from the ceiling. And I don’t mean Andy Serkis-sized Gollum. I mean freaking huge–42-feet kind of huge! It’s Gollum’s head and arms reaching in for a fish, with bubbles about too! It’s really hard to describe how amazing it is. You have to see it in person to really feel the impact. Especially for Tolkien fans.

HE’S GONNA EAT ME

The rest of the airport is definitely unique too. All the shops are Kiwi-focused from Haka shirts to Kiwi poo to Merino wool everywhere! If you leave your shopping to the last minute, this is a perfect spot for you! Food options are also excellent, better than the average as far as airports go. Keep an eye out for awesome statues like dwarves and sheep. In addition, as far as security goes, it’s a breeze. Don’t even have to take your shoes off! Take that, America! Just kidding…kind of. Anyhow, if you’re looking for yet another reason to head to New Zealand, do not miss out on the Wellington Airport.

One of a few there…

baaa

Question of the Day: What is your favorite airport?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria kneading…always

Dec152013

Cinema Sunday: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

And so comes the second out of the three movies for The Hobbit movie trilogy. We were originally going to see the midnight release like we did last time, but we ended up having a work holiday party, so that was that. However, we went at an 8:30am showing yesterday at AMC Flatirons which has the comfy seats that turn into recliners. Awesome. PS-we are huge Tolkien fans so we have been looking forward to this for a while. We just love the world of Middle Earth. I was a bit anxious how this one was going to play out, as the Hobbit as a book isn’t long, so obviously Peter Jackson was going to have some license with the story. Turns out we enjoyed all 2 hours and 41 minutes of this outrageously fun, exciting, and witty movie. And I hope my mum and dad want to see it when we come home for Christmas because I’d love to see it again.

Let’s start off by saying that Peter Jackson has an awesome cameo within the first 3 seconds of the film. Gotta love those. Let me add that we did not see this movie in 3D. Why? Because last time we did, it was a very uncomfortable experience. The faster frame rate and the Dolby sound gave us a headache. And it’s not necessary for the Hobbit, because it wasn’t filmed in 3D. The theatre we were in definitely had a good number of fans: gasps, laughs, and squeals of delight could be heard a number of times.

In our opinion, this movie is much more complex than the first. There are parts that are certainly heavier and parts that are lighter than the first. There is more tension due to the fact that our courageous Dwarven-led party has a deadline to reach their destination. Thus, everything is weighted because their whole quest relies on getting to the Lonely Mountain at this one point. That is always in the back of your mind as you watch them struggle their way there. It also seems that the Dwarves and company run into many more problems than before (though in the Hobbit they had their fair share of obstacles). A very large part of this movie was introducing the darkness (aka Sauron) coming back into power. This is obviously because the Lord of the Rings was already created and they want to do a big tie-in to that. For example, Gandalf is rarely with the party in this movie because he is so preoccupied with this up and coming darkness and war. Another dark element of this movie is the Ring’s influence on Bilbo. It is easy to see that he is becoming more and more affected by the Ring and its power, and it is obvious that Sauron has awoken.

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh definitely decided to create some fan fiction in the Hobbit, which we don’t mind. They simply delved into the characters and stories between them in the Hobbit that were more briefly introduced by Tolkien. There was the introduction of the elves which included an old favorite, Legolas, as well as Tauriel, and Thranduil. Tauriel, the “she-Elf,” is played by Evangeline Lily, known to “Lost” fans as “Kate.” They were a great addition, serving us with some kick-butt action, typical of Legolas as we know from the Lord of the Rings. Tauriel also performed amazing stunts and moves to get rid of some Orc filth. There is a light romance triangle between Legolas, Tauriel, and one of the dwarves which brings some weight to the Elves’ purpose in this whole thing. Thranduil was absolutely epic, acting was absolutely spot on.

The introduction of the Men on Lake-town also added an interesting element. No longer are the Dwarves the only ones to suffer from Smaug, the Men on the Lake-town just near the Lonely Mountain have much to lose as well. This adds conflict for the Dwarves to actually make it to their destination as the lead Man, Bard (played by Luke Evans), wants to prevent their town from erupting into flames from the sleeping Smaug. Stephen Fry also makes a delightful appearance as the town’s corrupt mayor.

The action in this movie tops that of the last movie, at least for me. It is rip-roaring fun as in the scene of the barrels in the river or nail-biting in the fighting with “Oh Smaug the Stupendous” (as Bilbo says). Brilliant choreography, great witty lines in between, and Jackson kept up with the rivalry between Elves and Dwarves, which makes all fight scenes that much greater. Gandalf, too, gets his own action scenes which he shows the extent of his powers…pretty wicked.

The acting is flawless in this second installment, for as far as I can see. Emotions are heavier as the quest nears its destination and the characters demand more from their actors in-depth of emotion, feeling, and consequence. The stars for me this time were the Dwarves, especially Balin (played by Ken Stott). They’ve come so far, have lost so much, and have so much more to lose. Balin really shined through for me. Ian McKellen rocks it as always, but no surprise there. Thranduil also killed it as the Elven King, concerned only for his own land. And how can we forget Benedict Cumberbatch, the seductive, destructive voice of Smaug. He gets underneath your skin with his creepy, all-powerful voice. It really is something else.

Yes, it is a long review, but this movie is worthy of spending some time over. But if you want a summary: the second installment of the Hobbit plays with more complex themes, hilariously fun action scenes, develops relationships between all races, and sets the audience up for the third and final film where this quest will come to an end. The ending credits song is by Ed Sheeran and it is absolutely wonderful. A perfect guitar tribute to the Dwarves, watch it now (we have it on repeat) Hungry and Fit gives this film two thumbs up and is eagerly wanting to see it again ASAP. As always…stay hungry and fit!

Nov112013

Movie Monday: Thor II: The Dark World

This weekend we saw the long-awaited Thor: The Dark World. Movies have been “meh” for us since the summer, offering not much more than Ender’s Game. So we were excited to see Thor…a favorite character, great actors, and a fun story. I think I liked it a little more than Chris did…only because I’ve never really read comic books (sigh, I wish I did), and he’s not seeing how Marvel is tying it all together. So let’s begin.

The movie begins by explaining the history of Thor’s grandfather and his dealings with the Dark Elves (yes, Elder Scrolls-lovers, I thought of that too). The Dark Elves used to rule the universe, but were no longer in the position of power. They were fighting the Asgardians to reclaim it, to use the “aether” that would put the universe into darkness once more. Dun, dun, dunnnn. Buuut they get basically wiped out in the battle, except for the Dark Elf leader and some friends who go into space hibernation for a while.

Come to present day and find yourselves in the middle of an easy battle for Thor and his friends. It shows what Loki’s mess in the Avengers movie had done to the universe. So after much battle (around 2 years), Thor and company finally make each planet and universe right, giving balance. Yay, woohoo, celebration in Asgard (where Thor and the other Asgardians live), but big ol’ pretty boy Thor can’t commit himself to the celebration. This is because of dear Padme Amida–I mean Thor’s love interest in the previous movie, Jane Foster. After two years, he is still caught up with the mortal. So he decides to go to the Guardian (who guards the gate in and out of Asgard) and check on her. This when everything picks up and the conflict begins. I don’t like going too heavily into plot details in review, but she encounters this “aether” as the universes are converging which wakes up the big bad Dark Elves. Which thus brings a lot of trouble to Thor and his friends, so he ends up taking Jane to Asgard and so unfolds the plot, to destroy the Dark Elves and aether.

Sorry, that might’ve been a bit confusing but that’s the basic plot. Jane Foster has the aether within her and the Dark Elves can sense it. This gives a way for the Dark Elves to wreak some havoc on Asgard. Speaking of Asgard, we got to see a lot of it in this movie compared to the last. And I am very happy they chose to do that, because it was beautifully-constructed, just as a city of gods should be. So enough with the plot, I detest giving true spoilers, so don’t look for that here.

The character development and interactions within this movie were great. Our beloved Thor does wonderfully and it’s hard to hate Loki, even if he did almost destroy New York. Loki gets lots of screen time in this film as Thor needs his help with a quest. At first Loki is simply imprisoned, but that certainly changes as events unfold. I said to Chris, even if some don’t like this movie, they’ll get plenty of other viewers: the weird, “nerdy” girls who have a thing for Loki and then the normal ones for Thor. I had no idea, but there is a huge, HUGE following/obsession over Loki. Huge. And I can see reason in that…he is a wonderful “villain” who is a little too complex to label “evil” and thus he becomes loved by fans.

Anyhow, acting didn’t disappoint in this movie, at all. I was kept involved and entertained by the story and how it moved, and there were quite a few times where things happened that surprised me, simply didn’t see it coming. I like that about movies, especially fantasy action movies that can sometimes be fairly predictable. The writing also impressed me, especially all the witty lines by Loki. Though this movie has some heavy serious tones, there’s always the laugh around the corner from our beloved heroes/antiheroes. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, especially if you like any of the Marvel movies. Not necessarily in 3D, but go see it. It’s fun, it’s moving, it’s captivating. And it also motivates you to want to become a superhero which inspires you to be…hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

MEOW

Nov042013

Movie Monday: Ender’s Game

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is a book I can read over and over again. I think the first time I read it I was either in middle school or high school. The last time I read it was about four years ago, so it wasn’t too fresh in my head but also I still remembered all the main plot points. I was very excited for this movie to come out, and it seemed to take forever for it to actually release! But that’s my anticipation talking. Let’s get to the review.

This movie had a solid amount of great actors: Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield (boy from Hugo, who was brilliant in that as well), and a grown-up Abigail Breslin. If a movie has Harrison Ford in it, I’m going to get excited. Leave me alone, I’m a Star Wars nerd. However, I was slightly anxious that they would botch it up when it is such a great and captivating book. It also made me nervous that by the time we saw it, it had only 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still Fresh, but not as high as I would’ve hoped. However, I was not disappointed.

I really thought I would be, honestly. However, the movie kept me engaged the entire time. The acting was superb by all involved and they were able to show the depth of Ender’s emotions. That’s what I was worried about. A lot of the book is in Ender’s head. Of course, the same complexity isn’t there, but I wasn’t expecting it to that degree. However, it surprised me with showing all the steps that led him to the end. I think it helped that Orson Scott Card (the author) was one of the producers.

For those who haven’t read the book, the basic premise is that the International Military is recruiting children to become the next great commander to defeat the alien race that previously invaded Earth. The story centers around one boy, Ender, a “third” (third-born), who has been chosen and pushed towards what the military wants from him. However, like many action flicks, it isn’t a straight-shooter. Ender is deeply conflicted at many levels, and the movie actually depicted that. Perhaps not as well as in the book, but it certainly came across. Ender is the world’s hope.

Surprisingly enough, they hit all the major plot points I hoped for. Sure they skipped a few too many battle room scenes, but I understand. They kept it under two hours, impressively. The movie built up properly, from the beginning, until the very end. I am not one for giving spoilers, but the one of the most powerful scenes (the end battle), I feel, really captured the intensity and emotion from the book. That was what I was most concerned with.

Overall, I suggest to Ender’s Game fans to see this movie. It’s not going to be exactly as you imagined. It never is with book to movie adaptations, but this production gets close, at least for me. It gets a hearty thumbs up from me and I will most likely get it on DVD/Blu-Ray. The plot is captivating, the acting is believable, and you feel for Ender the whole way through. Use impending-doom-movies to stay hungry and fit!

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