Quantum of Solace

We went to see the much anticipated new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. Garr had been looking forward to it a lot. He likes James Bond movies with a lot of action, and if it doesn't have much of a plot, well that's sometimes a secondary concern. I also can appreciate a good action movie, but I don't have the same penchant toward musing over how much of a stud James Bond is, nor a desire to be like him; you know the "all the girls want him, and all the guys want to be like him" mentality. I did like Casino Royal a lot, I had seen many other James Bond movies and I felt like it was somewhat of a departure from them and I found that refreshing. Quantum of Solace is a continuation of Casino Royal and it is the first time that a James Bond movie really built on another one. All the other James Bond flicks were stand-alone movies. It was kind of nice to see a continuing plot, but it didn't seem like they did enough with it. I almost wish they would have just started anew like all the other movies.

The movie was good, not necessarily a disappointment, but I left with the feeling that it could have been much better. Casino Royal had some pretty amazing action and climactic sequences, Quantum of Solace (although an entertaining movie) did not live up the the prescident that the first had made. Also the camera work was very different, it seemed as if the director was a big fan of the "Bourne" movies and he used the same shaky action camera work. For me, it was hard to tell what was going on due to the shaky camera work and because things were happening so quickly. I would have preferred some more smooth and natural shots rather than the shaking and unsteady ones. Over all, however, it was a good movie. Daniel Craig played James Bond superbly yet again, and the other supporting actors also did a good job. I would still recommend it, but would suggest seeing it at the dollar theater or getting at Redbox. I would give it a 7/10.

Ghost Town

I had heard good things about Ghost Town but also had heard that it was not doing well at the Box Office, so I waited for it to come the the dollar theater to see it. Most people that I know had not even heard of it. I liked almost everything about it. It was very funny and refreshing, Ricky Gervais who plays a wonderfully bitter dentist is absolutely perfect for the role. You may know him from the British Office, he plays the Micheal character. The plot is meaningful, but does not take itself too seriously (a good thing since it is a comedy). The supporting cast is well chosen and they play off each other with great comedic banter. It truly is at least the funniest movie I have seen this year if not longer. A few things that I disliked about it was that the name is misleading, it is not a scary movie and the generic title of Ghost Town simply does not do it justice. I also did not like that they used the "F" word at least once, obviously in pursuit of a PG-13 rating since there was nothing else in the movie that could have given it that. I definitely say that this one is worth seeing. It is hilarious and for some reason it was not marketed well so people do not know about it. It wins the prize for the unsung hero of movies this year. I give it a well deserved 8.5/10.

Flash of Genius

Garr told me about "Flash of Genius" the day before we went and saw it. I had never heard of it before, but the way Garr described it made it sound fairly interesting. It is based on the true story of a man named Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and how Ford stoled his idea. He spends a good part of his life trying to bring Ford to justice for using his patented ideas. I'm not surprised that I had not heard of this movie because I can imagine how difficult it would be to promote a movie about something so seemingly boring. For as dry as the story sounds, they do a great job of making it easy to relate to. I found myself getting caught up in the story, even if it was about something as seemingly trivial as a windshield wiper. The story does drag somewhat a times, but they do a good job of keeping up the pace for the most part.
The movie is a inspirational story about a man that took on a huge corporation with the odds stacked against him, not because he wanted revenge, acclaim, or money but because he knew that it was the right thing to do. It was a good movie, I'm glad we saw it in the dollar theater, however; it wasn't something that I'm sad that I waited to see. There were a few things that I did dislike about the movie but for the most part it was enjoyable. It deserves a 7 out of 10.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This movie is awesome! I don't recommend trying to compare this to the movies. It's not like this is the 7th best movie of all time or anything. But it is a good little animated movie that is a great start to what could be the best animated TV series of all time. You have to remember that this started off as a TV show and nothing more. And then they decided to kick it off with a movie because the series was turning out so well. So if you go in just expecting to see a long episode of an awesome animated series, like Mask of the Phantasm, then you'll be completely satisfied. This movie is action packed, funny, exciting, good for adults, and great for kids and especially girls. I recommend this movie to everyone. I'm excited to see it again and even more excited for the series. It deserves a 10/10.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

We went to see this on Saturday, and we were going to go see Iron Man again at the dollar theater afterward. I was more excited to see Iron Man a second time then to see this for the first time. After seeing The Mummy, I wished we would have just skipped it all together. It was horrible. It was definitely the worst movie I had seen all year if not longer. Garr and I were willing to give it a chance even though it had not gotten great reviews. This time all the negative reviews were completely deserved. The story was bad, the action was pointless, the jokes were not good, and the acting left something to be desired. The original actress who played Brendan Fraser's love interest (Evelyn Carnahan) did not come back for the third movie. They did not remove her character, they just replaced her with another actress. This was a huge mistake. Also there is a different actor that plays the son, and he is much too old to be Fraser's son. In real life Fraser is 40 and the actor that plays his son is 27, meaning that if they were actually father and son, Fraser would have been 13 when he was born; and it is blatantly obvious that the age difference is not large enough. They tried to do the same thing as Indiana Jones with a father/son theme, but it didn't work because the mummy movies are too new. If they wanted to make it at all believable they should have gotten a younger actor for the son and made Fraser look older; at least with some gray in the hair. Another problem with the story was that Jet Li was not needed for the role, in most of the scenes his whole body was CGI and the voice was so synthesized that you couldn't tell it was him anyway. The effects were decent, but that didn't make the move any less of a travesty. I don't remember how many times I checked my watch during this movie to see if it was over, but it was a lot. I did not enjoy it at all, a total waste of time and money. I'm glad that we were able to go and see Iron Man again after this, to help me forget how bad The Mummy was. I give this movie a 3/10, please do not go see it, see Iron Man or The Dark Knight again.

Mamma Mia

Yes, we went to see Mamma Mia. Musicals are our guilty pleasure, we are both suckers for them. We had both been looking forward to Mamma Mia, and were hoping that it did justice to the Abba songs that we grew up loving. We were not disappointed, it has a great cast and a story that keeps the movie interesting. All the songs are incorporated in such a way that they are relevant to the story. Meryl Streep is very charming, and Amanda Seyfried's Abba-esque voice works well with the songs. Stellan Skarsgard, Collin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan are the potential fathers of the bride and they play off each other well. Pierce Brosnan does sing a couple songs, which is a mistake because he does not have a good singing voice at all. Other than the fact that he cannot sing, he did a good job. We both liked Mamma Mia very much and recommend it to anyone who can appreciate a good musical. I give it a 7.5/10.

Kit Kittredge

We went and saw Kit Kittredge at the dollar theater on Friday night. It had gotten pretty good reviews, but it did not do too well in theaters. It went to the dollar theater fairly quickly, which is great for us. It's is set during the depression and is about a 9 year old girl that wants to be a reporter. It sounds pretty cheesy and overly cutesy, but it was actually entertaining and fun to watch. All the supporting actors are what made the movie. Wallace Shawn, who plays Vizzini in The Princess Bride does an excellent job as the newspaper editor Mr. Gibson. Joan Cusack also plays a great traveling librarian. I highly recommend Kit Kittredge, it is great for kids but is also entertaining for the rest of us. I give it a 7/10.

Young@Heart

Garr had heard about this movie while watching Ebert & Roeper. They gave it some excellent reviews so we decided to give it a chance. It helped that it was in the dollar theater. We went and watched it just after we saw The Dark Knight for the second time. It was nice to watch a funny documentary, The Dark Knight is amazing; but true to its name, it is very dark. Young@Heart is a documentary about a group of old people who sing rock, pop, R&B, and pretty much everything you would not expect them to be singing. The movie opens to a 93 year old British woman singing "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash. Many of their renditions may not have the energy of the originals, but what they lack in energy they make up for with hilarity. It explores the lives of some of the members of the group, and does a good job of keeping up the pace. Half way through the movie, Garr was already leaning over and telling me that we had to buy it...and he hadn't even seen the whole thing! He said "sometimes you just know." It is a funny, uplifting documentary that is not without emotion. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants a meaningful movie with a good laugh. I give it a 8.5/10.

The Dark Knight

On Friday we went to the Imax to see the Dark Knight. We would have liked to go on opening night, but we both have work and I guess we aren't as hard core as some. I had been looking forward to this movie for a long time. I would say that it was my most anticipated movie this year. I had some pretty high expectations for it and I could have been setting myself up for a major disappointment, I was really looking forward to this movie. After seeing it, I was practically speechless. I wouldn't say that the movies is completely flawless, but it is close. There is non-stop action, but it doesn't seem like too much. The story is so well crafted that all the action has a purpose and is an integral part of the story. It is a extremely intense movie, and afterword Garr commented that he didn't know if he could take seeking it again; it is that much of a ride. I guess Garr changed his mind because we went and saw a matinee showing the next day.

It is a very strong PG-13, it is not a kids movie at all; nor is it for the faint of heart. Garr and I both agreed that we could not recommend it to everyone. It was however a pretty ideal movie for us. It was absolutely packed with action, it is a superhero movie, it has a great plot, and it stays true to the real story of Batman. It was violent, but there was minimal language and zero nudity. Heath Ledger does an incredible job as the Joker, and some would say that he was a little too creepy, sadistic, and insane; but I feel that it was an extremely accurate and brilliant portrayal. Michael Caine (Alfred) , Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), Gary Oldman (Lt. James Gordon), and Christian Bale (Batman) were in Batman Begins, and they all came back for The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger's recent death and amazing portrayal of the Joker could have easily overshadowed all of their performances, but each shines in their respective roles. Aaron Eckhart gives an especially poignant performance as Harvey Dent/ Two-Face. All of the incredible supporting roles make Christian Bale's performance as Batman even better. Overall this was an amazing movie, it may not be for everyone because of the high level of intensity; but for those who can take it, I highly recommend it. I give it a well deserved 10/10.

Baby Mama

We went to see Baby Mama at the Dollar Theater over the weekend. We weren't in a big hurry to go and see it since we had not heard great things about it. It as actually pretty funny, it is a PG-13 comedy so there are bound to be some raunchy jokes; but for the most part it was a good show. The story is fairly predictable, but the interaction between Tina Fey and Amy Poehler is genius. I was pleasantly surprised that Steve Martin had a small role in the movie. He was hilarious and he made a good comedy even more funny. If you are a fan of Steve Martin, and you like Saturday Night Live then you can't go wrong with this movie. It was a decent comedy, but it does not join the ranks of my favorites, overall I would give it a 7/10.

Wall-E

Garr and I did not go to Wall-E opening weekend. We had seen the preview what seemed like a hundred times and we weren't sure if we really wanted to see it because we were so annoyed by the trailer. We ended up going 4th of July weekend anyway. Since I had heard nothing but rave reviews about it, I thought that it had to be decent. After seeing it I thought that it was ok, but I do not understand why everyone is so crazy about it. It is a kids movie, so I understand that I have to overlook some things but I thought it was not amazing and that it did not live up to all of the hype. I personally enjoyed Kung Fu Panda and Horton Hears a Who much much more. I didn't think it was horrible, it was good; but I can't recommend you to go see it in theaters. Garr, on the other hand, did not like it at all. He says that it is the most liberal movie he has seen in a while, and one of the the more depressing movies. He felt that animated movies should just be fun, and not try to incorporate some kind of political message....he disliked it much more than me. I know that this review probably will not prevent anyone from going to see it, but I just thought we should throw it out there that perhaps the 96% rating on rottentomatoes.com is not all that it is cracked up to be. I give it a generous 6/10.

And Garr felt so strongly about how much he hated it that he wrote his own review. Here it is...

There are plenty of good cartoons out there. Take Kung Fu Panda for example. Kung Fu Panda is hilarious, action packed, fun, exciting, an all around entertaining movie...all of which does not apply to Wall-E. Wall-E was the most liberal movie I've ever seen: We are apparently completely destroying the planet and too closed minded.

The President of Buy-N-Large was a total caricature of President Bush, even saying things like "We need to stay the course." It was the most offensive movie I've ever seen: Pixar believes that my future posterity is all gonna be a bunch of fat idiotic losers. It was the most depressing movie I've ever seen: This was the grimmest depiction of the future I've ever seen. The Mad Max movies, Water World, Titan A.E., and many other movies depict a grim future. The difference is those futures aren't without a little fun. I could even imagine myself fitting in somewhere. But not with Wall-E, that future makes me want to choke on my own vomit just thinking about it.

Worst script ever: "Wall-E" "Eva" "Wall-E" "Eva" "Wall-E" "Eva" Give me a break. Extremely boring: It's actually not the worst movie I've seen this year though. That prize goes to Nim's Island.

There were too many things about the movie that didn't make any sense: Why were humans from the past shown as live action and humans in the future shown animated? They should do 1 or the other. Preferably animation considering this is a cartoon. Why were humans in the future all exactly the same size? It's not like eating the same food and not exercising are the only things that effect a person's weight. And, in the 1st place, it's ridiculous to think that everyone in the future won't excise or eat right. There are plenty of people right now that are interested in health that aren't just gonna die off. Which if the people in the future were so "unhealthy" than why weren't they dying off quickly. In fact, they all seemed pretty happy. I was expecting them to be jerks to Wall-E. Instead, they were quite cheerful. It all seemed very contradictory to the message. And they all got dumber too. Then who was running the ship? The robots? If so, why didn't they just get rid of the humans a long time ago? And why was there a pool? And how come those robots have the ability to say names but not other words? Anyways, I could go on and on about all the logical mistakes. Normally I wouldn't pay much attention to logic when I'm watching a cartoon like Kung Fu Panda or Horton Hears a Who, but this movie just took itself way too seriously. I think Pixar was mad that Happy Feet beat them out for best animated picture. They made Wall-E which, in a way, is a lot like it but sadly not even as fun as Happy Feet, which is also a movie that takes itself way too seriously. In my opinion, Pixar needs to stay away from these political movies and stick to movies that are just plain fun like Toy Story and The Incredibles.

What's good about this movie... Spectacular animation, sound effects, and music. And the animated short at the beginning was hilarious! Overall, this movie sucked balls and the more I think about it, the more I hate this movie.

Get Smart

We have been watching old episodes of the Get Smart tv show on dvd. We both really enjoy the old show an we wanted to see the movie. As a fan of both Get Smart and Steve Carell I was hoping the movie would be filled with some hilarious bits and hopefully a little action. Get Smart provides both. It's not the most hilarious movie ever, and some of the humor is fairly crude since it is a PG-13 comedy. Yes it was more crude than the original show, which was a little disappointing. It was however very funny. They didn't stay completely true to the Maxwell Smart character but Steve Carell does a good job and makes the role his own is some ways. Overall it is a entertaining funny movie, and the crude humor is less than most PG-13 movies. I recommend it if you are looking for a silly lighthearted comedy, with some decent action sequences. I give it a 7/10.

The Incredible Hulk

We went and saw The Incredible Hulk on Saturday and I have to admit that I was pretty excited to see it. The Hulk is one of my favorite Comic Book characters and I wanted to know if this movie successfully portrayed him. I have not seen the previous Hulk movie that came out a few years ago, but from what I have read and heard, it is not really worth seeing. The Incredible Hulk that just came out sounds like it is much better. It makes the Hulk seem a little more realistic and not as far fetched as the previous movie made him out to be. It is really exciting, and it has a ton of action. It is a kind of dark for little kids, but for everyone else it is a great ride and I feel it is very worth seeing. I thought that most of the roles were well cast. I wasn't sure I would like Edward Norton as the Hulk, or Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good a fit they were. I highly recommend this movie to those who like some sweet action, a decent plot, and a touch of romance. I give it a 7/10.

Kung Fu Panda

We went to see Kung Fu Panda this weekend, as a fan of Jack Black I had been looking forward to this movie for a while. We were not disappointed. Obviously it is geared toward kids but it incorporates a nice mix of humor and martial arts. Jack Black does a great job voicing a fat panda, other familiar voices include Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie Chan. Since it is animated they were able to pull off some crazy kung fu moves that would look cheesy if they were done in live action. On the poster it says to "Prepare for Awesomeness" and it lives up to its claim to Awesomeness. Garr liked it too, and he said that he is glad that he saw it instead of going to see Indiana Jones again, which is a pretty high compliment from Garr. I would say that Kung Fu Panda now ranks with some of my favorite animated movies, its hard to beat Jack Black when it comes to being crazy and hilarious. I give it a 7 and a half out of 10

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

I liked the first Narnia movie a lot and I felt that this one was even better. Garr said that he liked them about equally. The new installment takes place 1 year later for the kids and about 1,300 years later for Narnia. It is probably a good idea to see the first Narnia movie before this one, but it is not essential. The reason I like this one better than the first one is because instead of just one big battle at the end, there is much more action throughout. Also the diversity of the Narnians was used better, with the griffins flying people over castle gates, and mice sneaking through as well as various other creative ways to take advantage of their diversity. It is an exciting movie, but no blood is ever shown. If your child can sit through the movie it is probably fine for them to watch. I agree with rottentomatoes.com when they said it is an entertaining adventure worthy of the standard set by its predecessor. I give it a 7/10.

Horton Hears a Who!

This movie came out in March, but we just went and saw it at the Dollar Theater. We waited a while to see it because it is a little kids movie and we didn't want to pay full price for something that might be really disappointing. After seeing it I wish we would have gone sooner. It is actually hilarious, I suppose it was made for kids but as an adult I may have enjoyed it more than the kids in the theater. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell do excellent jobs with the voice work, and Will Arnett is hilarious as Vlad the vulture. I was a little apprehensive about the fact that the movie was based off a short book by Dr. Seuss, but it actually is a really interesting story and it comes with a good message. Definitely see it with the kids or without it is a really entertaining flick either way. I give it a 8/10.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

This was probably the most anticipated movie in the Van Orden house for the last year. Garr had a count down 50 days in advance. Indiana Jones are Garr's 7th 8th and 9th favorite movies (after Star Wars of course), so Garr was anxiously awaiting the newest one (to say the least). As the blessed day finally arrived Garr and I went to the midnight showing and played Indiana Jones Monopoly while we were waiting. I had been excited to see it too, but I'm not quite as enthusiastic as Garr. Garr knew before the movie came out that he was going to like it and had already placed it as his 10th favorite movie, and I was not quite as confident.

The newest installment lives up the past Indiana Jones movies and Harrison Ford proves that he will always be Indiana Jones no matter how old he gets. Some of the movie is a little ridiculous, but you have to remember that all of the Indiana Jones movies are supposed to be over the top and are based off of graphic novels of the 30's and 40's. Going into it you should remember not to be put off my the fact that it is not entirely based in reality, and was not meant to be. The movie is based in the 50's and it incorporated things that were happening in the world at that time. If you have seen and liked the other Indiana Jones movies, this one will not disappoint. As Garr says, "It is even better the third time." For Garr's sake I give it a 10/10.

Iron Man

We had been looking forward to Iron Man for a long time since both Garr and I are big fans of comic book movies and we have some cartoons of Iron Man and we both agree that he is one of the coolest super heroes. We went opening night and we both loved it. I have to echo all the other reviews that I have read, it has to be one of the greatest super-hero movies created yet. Tony Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr. is a refreshing character that is not weighed down by the overdone sentiment that"with great power comes great responsibility." Iron Man has real flaws and is a very accessible character and Robert Downey Jr. does a great job in the role. The movie is action packed and the effects are awesome, but it doesn't try to do too much. It introduces and him effectively and explains how he became Iron Man. For those who are not huge fans of comic book movies, it doesn't matter pretty much anyone can relate to it. For those of us who are big comic book nerds, it is even more amazing. For those who are fans of Iron Man and the Avengers; stay until the end of the credits, there is an extra scene that hints at a sequel. I don't know what else to say but go and see it, I can't wait for the next one. I give it a 9 and a half out of 10.

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom is the first movie that Jet Li and Jacki Chan have made together. Jet Li is in his 40's and Jacki Chan is in his 50's but it is hard to tell with all of the amazing martial art that they do in this movie. Although the plot line is a little cheesy, the movie acknowledges it. It does not take itself too seriously and both Jacki Chan and Jet Li have some pretty funny lines. There is a plot, but lets face it, when you go to a movie like this you are not looking for an amazing plot you are looking for some sweet action sequences and this movie definitely provides them. At times it does feel seem like the plot is looking for one more reason for some more crazy martial art fights. But would you expect any less from a movie with Jet Li and Jacki Chan? Overall it is a great movie if you like exciting martial art action sequences with some humor in the mix. I give it a 6/10.

Leatherheads

We recently saw Leatherheads at the Dollar Theater. Neither of us were looking forward to it a lot, but we gave it a try anyway. Suprisingly we both actually really enjoyed it. I don't think it is necessarily for the avid football fan since the actual football sequences were not amazing. The rest of the movie was entertaining and I thought the combination of George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski was a nice choice. They all had good comedic timing with each other and they were funny to watch. The movie is set in the 1920's and has a nice historical feel to it. I found it interesting, funny and entertaining. It may not be for those who are looking for an action packed sports movie, but for those who are just looking for a solid comedy set in a historical framework this is for you. I give it a 6/10.

King of Kong: Fist Full of Quarters

King of Kong is a documentary about a guy who is trying to beat the world record for the original Donkey Kong. Sounds pretty boring and super dorky right? Well, it is actually one of the best movies I have seen in a while. Yes it is riddled with dorks and oober-nerds but that's part of what makes it so hilarious. Almost all the people are a little eccentric and it makes for great comedy. The story flows really well, and it is complete with intrigue and a villain. It does not take itself too seriously, and I completely recommend this movie. Everyone I know who has seen it has loved it, it will not disappoint. I give it a 8 and 1/2 out of 10.

Jumper

We went to see jumper opening weekend. Garr was really excited about it because it is a sci-fi/fantasy movie and it has two of his favorite actors from Star Wars: Samuel L. Jackson and Hayden Christensen. I was not too excited about it and I had fairly low expectations. Unfortunately even with low expectations I was still disappointed. The Critics' Consensus on rottentomatoes.com said that it was an erratic action pic with little coherence and lackluster special effects. I agree for the most part, the effects were fair but not worth sitting through 90 minutes of a confusing plot line. They tried to do too much with one movie, I suppose that the Jumper lived up to its title by jumping from one plot line to another with little to no explanation. I give it a very generous 4/10.

Movies

Garr and I are always going to movies and we tend to be fairly opinionated about them. Our opinions are not always the same about all the movies but it's fun to look forward to new movies coming out. Since we don't have a baby to post pictures of everyday, and our lives are fairly boring other than going and watching new movies I thought that reviewing movies on our blog would be a good way for me to keep posting. My brother Jesse suggested it and I agreed that it was a good idea. I told Garr and he said that it sounds too much like homework for him, so he will just have to deal with what I say about the movies and my opinion will rule. If he has anything he wants to add he will have to put it in here and I know he will not agree about everything. So here goes.

Graduation

I recently graduated from BYU in April. Here is a picture of Garr and I afterward.

My wonderful sister Sarah also came to my graduation, it might look like we took the picture ourselves but Garr really did.

Sledding

This was taken when we went sledding with Matt and Melissa....this was just before Melissa and I raced down the hill. I would have beat her but she totally cheated. Then I tackled her, she will think twice before cheating again in a sledding race....I showed her.

First Substantial Post

Although it was not my idea to create a blog initially, I think it will be a good way to record important events in our lives. Garr and I were married on May 25th 2006 and we have been living in Provo since then. I graduated from BYU in December with a Bachelors in Art History, Garr goes to UVU and is studying theater education, he will hopefully be finished in a couple years. While Garr is finishing school I am just working full-time. We have a pretty easy going life and things are going pretty well for us.

First Post

Well, here we are trying out this blogger thing for Sally and setting up the blog. Let's see what it looks like.