First of all, I wonder why people like this even bother seeing movies like Fantastic Four in the first place? Don’t they know that it is actually supposed to be a total cheese-fest, eye candy movie that is based on a hokie, silly, comic book? I don’t get why people are so disappointed by movies that they know they won’t like… why go see them? With that being said, James and I went and saw Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and we both really liked it.
I have to say this about the movie: if you share anything in common with the writer of that review, steer clear, because you won’t be able to just sit back and enjoy the show. Additionally, if you didn’t like the first one, again, stay clear, you won’t like this one either. While I didn’t think that it was the best movie ever, it was certainly entertaining, and I had a good time while watching it. The special effects were fun, and the Silver Surfer was amazing. I can’t wait to see what the spin-off franchise has in store for him. All in all, I would totally see it again; and I will get it when it comes out on DVD. I would have to give it between 4 and 5 stars, so I will just give it 4 
; seems fitting, doesn’t it? Again, if you don’t have the ability to just enjoy something for what it is; a special effects driven, silly, comic book, eye-candy film, this movie isn’t for you. With that being said, why waste your time watching it, and then go on to bitch about it? Go see something else. I know that there are plenty of those like me that will see it and will actually enjoy it, and we are the people the movie was made for anyway.
While I was getting the link for F4:RotSS, I totally stumbled on the page of the guy that plays the Silver Surfer, and noticed that they are currently filming Hellboy 2!!!! ROCK! I loved the first one. Can’t wait for that! I love my comic book movies; which probably stems from my rather large comic book collection that I still have from when I was younger… Either way, I love this surge in comic book movies; especially in this day and age with the special effects they can do. Anyone else say Thundercats? Yeah! We can hope, right?
Finally, I noticed that Kelly Clarkson is cancelling her tour, due to poor ticket sales, and I can’t say that I am surprised. Based on what we have heard so far, things don’t look good for our favorite Idol. I have to say, I have tried really hard to get into her new song, and I have even given the album more than a few lessons, and overall, it isn’t what I was expecting from someone who wrote such a beautiful song with Because of You. I know that she wants to “do her own thing”, but I really hope that she does listen to the professionals that are trying to help her have a long career… I don’t want to lose the Kelly that I love! Let’s hope we can put this album behind us and move back into greatly produced pop, okay? I say this, because you know how flawless you are, Kelly, you don’t need to prove anything to us! I’m routing for your Kelly!!! I won’t give up on you just yet, okay!
Hope you all have a great weekend… James and I have the twins 4 year old birthday party tomorrow before we head out to see MIKA at center stage. That is a concert I am totally excited about!!! Expect pictures in the future!!
I discovered him by randomly seeing his video for the song “Nothing Left To Lose”, and I loved the song enough to snag the CD. And after a few listens, I can say that I am in love with it. I love his voice, because it is soft and sweet to the ears; all the while maintaining a worn, harder undertone. He sounds a lot (vocally, that is) like a mix between Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Adam Duritz from The Counting Crows; but has a little bit of that hip-hop funk Jason Mraz likes to throw down (without the cockiness). His sound is sort of light pop-rock, but sometimes has an interesting blend of folk sounds with some hip-hop beats and rap-lite singing. The whole CD is definitely a good listen, and is one that I find myself craving a lot lately. A few of the songs are so infectious, I find myself waking up with them in my head. With the initial praise aside, I must say that the more hip-hop oriented songs were harder for me to get into, but after listening to this CD over and over for a few days now (I told you I loved it), I am digging the whole disc, start to finish. I was hooked on “Nothing Left To Lose”, and have been reeled into the rest, because, well, the CD is damn good start to finish. It also doesn’t hurt, that when I listen to his beautiful voice, I have a mental image of his beautiful face, and I just imagine that he is singing to me (*swoon*). All hail the hotness that is Mat Kearney; beautiful face, beautiful voice, and a great singer/songwriter to boot. I will have to see him when he comes to Atlanta, for sure. I am also going to have to pick up his first, more independent CD, because if this is his sophomore effort, who knows what gems may be on that one. I hope he gains more momentum, and gets a lot more attention, because unlike many artists today, he actually deserves it; and this CD deserves the full six out of six stars (
). Standouts: Nothing Left to Lose, Undeniable (this will get stuck in your head!!!), In The Middle, and the beautiful, What’s a Boy To Do (probably my favorite).
Since I reviewed the other Mat’s CD, I will start by saying that this Matt’s sound is a little like Mat Kearney’s sound, but without the hip-hop stuff. Also he definitely has more of a Mark Broussard quality to his music, as it is pretty upbeat, somewhat jazzy-poppy-rock (and even a pinch of country), and fun to listen to. He definitely uses more of a jazzy-rock influence to his stuff, and manages to create a mature pop-rock vibe with his stuff. There is a lot of guitar, mandolin, organ, and other great sounds on th CD, and his voice is extremely pleasant to listen to. For whatever reason, he really reminds me of someone, but I can’t put my finger on exactly who it is… I would say that he is probably a little bit Bebo Norman, Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind), and maybe a little bit of a less emphatic Gavin DeGraw; but not necessarily all of those things rolled into one. Either way, I love the slight raspyness of his voice, which really makes for some great songs on this disc. It is a little bit more rock-y than the other Mat, and definitely more pop, but that isn’t a negative thing at all. The whole CD is a good listen, and I like the ballads just as much as I like the upbeat stuff. Interestingly enough, I checked him out on allmusic.com, and he lists Jars of Clay as one of his influences, and he even started out by touring with them, doing Young Life concerts and whatnot. I find this extremely interesting, to say the least, because Jars have always been one of my favorite bands. Even though he got his start at religious concerts, I don’t think that he is a Christian singer, as he really doesn’t say anything about religion in any of his songs on this record, and, he doesn’t say one way or another on his website. Well, not that his religiousness really matters to me at all, I just thought the close connection to one of my favorite bands was definitely interesting. Overall, I liked this CD right from the first listen, and while I definitely like every song, for whatever reason, I’m going to give it a five out of six stars (
); but not because there is anything about it I don’t like, it is mainly because there are CDs that I love, and this one falls just shy of that love. Either way, no need to split hairs, because it’s definitely good, and I am glad I discovered it. Standouts: I Will Not Take My Love, With You Tonight, Capitol City, and Carolina. 
In the beginning of the movie, you start with the knowledge that baby Diego, the youngest person on the planet, has just been killed for refusing to sign an autograph. Saddened by his loss, the entire society is mourning, which leads to more violent outbursts by both activists and the government alike. Dealing with the harsh reality that he exists within this miserable and bleak world, Theo (Clive Owen), a former activist, continually struggles to get by in this daily routine, when he is contacted by his wife (Julianne Moore), who needs his assistance with her activist group. Her group needs his help getting a special person to something called the Human Project, a supposed safe haven for someone that is special like this woman. You quickly discover the reason this woman is special, it is because she is pregnant. They believe she may hold the key to saving humanity, and as a result, she is potentially the most important person in the world; and must be protected at all costs. The rest of the film is a wild roller coaster ride following Owen and the girl as they try to make their way out to sea, in order to meet a representative for the Human Project; who may or may not actually exist. 
Let me start by saying that I was really not prepared for this movie. Mainly, because I wasn’t aware that many movies could be made in such a fashion that would have you so engaged that you would actually feel like you were watching a documentary instead of a fictional thriller. As you follow Owen on his protective mission, you see the most dire and horrid living conditions and witness actions by radicals and the government alike that make you thankful our society has not gotten as bad as this film shows us it could. The movie is violent, ultra-real, gripping, and very scary; mainly because what is portrayed is something that could potentially be our future if bad choices and violence escalate. It is a movie that should not be missed. This movie is like V for Vendetta, only with a much more volatile and violent society, and of course, the fear that comes with a lack of procreation fueling much of the violence. I highly recommend this movie, and as such, give it 5 our of 6 stars (
Now, the next peice of media I will review is a game for the Wii, specifically, Warioware Smooth Moves. While I admit I was probably a bit more excited about this game than I should have been (mainly because there haven’t been too many titles coming out lately that piqued my interest… or many at all for that matter), I was not so enthusiastic as to run out and buy it; although, I probably would have if Best Buy would have had it in stock on Friday (it was a moment of weakness combined with a balance on a gift card). Well, after renting the game on Sunday with some friends, I have to say that I am glad that I did NOT buy the game. While the game is definitely a lot of fun, the word randomness doesn’t even begin to describe the game play. There are highlights, like when they explain how to hold the Wii-mote for a mini-game (which is hilarious each and every time), but there are also low points, most of the games are over before you even figure out what you are doing. I didn’t have much time to go through all of the nuances of the game, so there may be parts of the game that I would enjoy, but simply do not know about. But, with that being said, the parts that we did get through proved that it was a very easy game to play, in fact, so easy, that we beat it a few hours after we rented it. Sure, it unlocked a few more gems, but overall, it was just more of the same. While it was fun to play with friends for a few hours, I definitely think I would lose interest in this game if I bought it, but it would definitely be fun to play a friend’s house, every now and then. Or, it would be fun just to rent it if I were bored, and friends were coming over. Overall, I would give it a 4 out of 6 stars (