Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Dear John...
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Ironman 2 was a BLAST!
I figured it was going to be as good as any sequel is, except for maybe "Bourne Supremacy" or "LOTR: Two Towers," but I was pleasantly surprised! More for the fact that my wife said she liked it and that she stayed awake! "But wait, there's more!" I was very happy to see Cheadle co-starring, I am a big Cheadle fan! Loved "Hotel Rwanda", "Talk to Me", "Reign Over Me", and "Traitor."
Ironman 2 follows up Stark's announcment that he is Ironman and that it is because of his efforts that there has been peace. He also states that there is no other tech out there close to what he has developed, and guess what, he's wrong...So Stark is fighting on a couple of fronts: 1. He has a new nemisis 2. His health is failing due to a toxic core 3. He is fighting to maintain his reputation. I will stop there so you can enjoy the movie if you havent seen it.
Overall, the movie was enterataining, Mickey Rourke played a believable Russian Thug Scientist, but I felt that the ending was abrupt, which by the way was my wifes favorite part. I would recommend seeing it in the theater if you can.
Oh by the way, I have been annoyed with having to carry around one dollar bills , so thank you Regal Cinemas for raising your prices to an even $10 so I don't need to carry any bills for change. Bills are so heavy and make so much noise when I put them in my pocket, just so annoying...geesh.
One thing in Ironman I wanted to further discuss was a scene where Stark is testifying in a Congressional hearing because the US government is trying to get his technology. Rebutting comments made by a legislator, Stark goes on boasting about how great he is, how he alone has helped maintain international peace, and how he is just so great. Peace, everyone wants peace and people want world peace, but peace can't be established by personkind. There is no hero among us who can unite the nations. Peace, true peace can only be found in one place. I love the bumper sticker, No Jesus, No Peace! Know Jesus, Know Peace!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Last of the Mohicans
Saturday, April 3, 2010
What is so precious about Precious !?
Matthew 25:37-46 (New International Version)
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Ultimately, we, followers of Christ are called to love the Least of These, no matter who they are.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Brothers Review
it's the end of the world for somebody. So I was curious how this would play out.
Right away I knew I was going to have a hard time watching this movie when I saw Toby Maguire playing Capt. Cahill, a marine and Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill, his military wife. Toby made an awful Spiderman and because of Toby's role as Spidey, I have lost interest in the whole franchise. He always seems to play weak characters and I thought the director could have picked a better choice for a marine.
What's up with Natalie?! She goes from queen Amidala, the other Boelyn girl and now a mom with two kids?! Not buying it! She looked like she could be her daughters' babysitter in the movie. I felt Jake, playing Tommy Cahill, Sam's brother, did a decent job but the acting awards go to the two girls who play the daughters. They did an awesome job.
My prediction about the plot was pretty close. Brothers did not focus on the build up of tension between the "death notification" and the development of the relationship between the wife and brother. As a watcher, you know right away that Captain Cahill is not dead and the romance that builds up between Grace and Tommy is slow and subtle, you even wonder if they are going to hook up. The climax is less than
climatic. You can see for your self and actually does the movie a lot of good.
Captain finally comes home, burdening a secret that he is ashamed to share and his family starts to fall apart, starting with him. An Othello like scene takes place where Sam asks Tommy if he was "@&$%#*" his wife and starts to get jealous and angry with no one able to persuade him that his family was telling the truth about what transpired between Grace and Tommy. Ultimately, Brothers was not about hot steamy
sex between bro and sis-in law, but about the domestic wars soldiers fight after they come home from battle, the loneliness, fear, loss of intimacy between wife and children, deep dark secrets buried 10,000 feet but still floating at the surface, the coming to that your world is not the same. The familiar is now foreign and the once foreign is now family. Honestly, when I think about all the soldiers and the hells they live through, as well as all the hells their families live through, my
heart breaks. Every time they deploy a part of them dies, a part of their family dies, and soon, if they let them, the relationships that are forged by sweat, blood and steel start to replace the folks back home. Out there, you are playing for keeps. Its life or death! The mechanic is your brother not because your both from NY, but he
maintains the Humvee you drive in day and night and if you can't count on him, you might as well count yourself among the dead. Your gunner is your brother, not because you both like the red sox, but he covers your 6 and you cover his. Back in Civi land, you don't have relationships like that. Your family doesn't understand but they want
to. Soldiers have dark, dark secrets that they try to bury but they fight they way to surface. Soldiers and military families face many battlefronts, abroad, state side, emotional, spiritual, and physical. My heart goes out to all soldiers and their families. Only Christ can bring that which is dead back to life! Only Christ can forgive any and all offenses and create a new person! There is hope, there is
redemption, and it is only found in Jesus Christ! Soldiers are trained for long humps with heavy packs, but some packs they can't carry alone but refuse to seek help due to pride and fear. May God remove the blinders and take away any pride that may hinder healing and reconciliation.
To God be glory forever and ever, Amen!