(TV REVIEW) FlashForward

Destiny. Freewill. Two powerful words that most people can never truly gasp the weight of. The idea that a person is destined to do something. Maybe something great, maybe something evil, or maybe just to help move the pieces where they belong. Then you have to consider Freewill. If we have a destiny, does that mean that we are in control of our lives? Are we the rudder or the ship? Do we actually make our own choices, or is it all part of a grand plan that we have no control over?

Storyline: After the entire world's population blacks out for approximately 2 minutes and 17 seconds, which in effect causes the entire world to see a glimpse of life 6 months into the future, an elite FBI task force is formed to investigate who/what caused the global blackout, whether the events foreseen were simply flashes or true events of what's to come, and whether or not it could possibly happen again. ---From IMDB

There is something that is mentioned in this show that I have heard before and I love the thought behind it. Schrodinger's Cat. This is an experiment that was designed/performed in the 1930's to describe a paradox. Basically, it talks about the possibility of two events taking place at the same time in the same place...and since we cannot see which possibility is playing out, we have to assume that BOTH are happening...thus, a paradox is created. It's truly amazing to think about.

That concept plays into this series a LOT. Because the people involved have knowledge of where they will be in 6 months. Since most of them are trying to change that outcome, they set forth on missions to change the future. The problem is that they are, in most cases, moving themselves into a position to CAUSE that future. So, until they actually arrive at the place in time that their Flashforwards takes place they are left to believe that BOTH Destiny and Freewill are at play here. A really cool and amazingly deep concept.

The only real problems that I have are with some of the character developments that take place. That and the lead actor, Joseph Fiennes, plays the part of Mark Benford so gruff that he is pretty unlikeable. While Fiennes has been in plenty of shows/movies/plays, I don't think that he was strong enough to play that part.

I think that you should check it out. It's a pretty solid show that is better than a lot that is on TV now and, for content alone, it should have gotten a second season. You can watch it for free on Netflix.

(TV REVIEW) LOST

I have a real problem with jumping on the bandwagon. Always have. I don't follow trends and, usually, I will go to great lengths to avoid a popular trend...even if it is something I want to take part in. That was how I felt about the series LOST. I did not get involved with it from the beginning and figured that it was something that people had "oversold", so I made a point to avoid it. Recently, since the series ended in 2010 and all season were on DVD, I decided to borrow them all from a friend and watch them. It took my wife and I 2 months to watch 5 years of TV....and it was worth it.

Storyline: After a mysterious and bloody airplane crash, 48 survivors are left stranded on a Pacific Island... miles off course. It soon becomes apparent that they will not have to cope only with the forces of nature, but with the island's secrets, including the Dharma Initiative, the 'Lost Numbers', the "others" (or hostiles) and the strange black smoke- to name a few. There is also much more than meets the eye, as it becomes apparent that everyone is connected in some way and that everyone has a purpose to live on the island... and for some, to die.--- from IMDB

I will admit to this. I was WAY wrong. This show was not oversold in any way. It is one of the most unique shows that I have ever watched and I am so glad that I finally decided to check it out. I LOVE shows about destiny, purpose, and all things "other worldly"...and this shows has ALL OF IT. Honestly, this is one of the better shows that I have seen. People that know me, know that I am a bit of a snob when it comes to TV. Lost managed to work it's way into my top 5 favorite shows of all time. The other 4 are some SERIOUSLY heavy hitters. So this is not a small feat.

My only regret is that I waited so long to see it. That, and that by waiting this long to see it, I will never get that feeling of anticipation of waiting for a new season to air. Sure, we missed two months of out lives because of this show, but I would do it all again in a second!

I need to add this. Claire, by herself, is one of my least favorite characters in recent history. That being said, her and Charlie's relationship is one of the more beautiful things I have seen on a TV show. I will openly admit that during that final season, when they "remember" I was in tears. Loved it!

 

(Movie Review) Something Borrowed

The only thing that is worse than a bad movie that is a typical "point by point" standard genre film, is when a good movie is a "point by point" standard genre film. By that, I mean that you already know what to expect. You know who is going to get the girl and you are secretly rooting for someone else the whole time but you KNOW, because it is the industry standard, that the other guy gets her. Why? Because movies are sometimes stupid like that and you spend 5 minutes after the movie shaking your fist at the screen and saying WHY!?!?!.....or at least I do that. 

Storyline: Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel (Goodwin) falls for Dex (Egglesfield), her best friend Darcy's (Hudson) fiancé. When another friend, Ethan (Krasinski), finds out about the feelings between the two friends, he decides to help stir the pot, stand back, and make all involved re-evaluate their feelings for each other.

Thoughts? I am going to throw some spoilers in under this, so do read too much further if you don't want to ruin the movie. But even if you do, it's ok, because the movie kinda ruins itself. This is the one time when they should have broken the protocol and said "this time the best friend gets the girl", because Dex is a GIANT piece of garbage in this movie. The film would have been better if Ethan and Rachel would have ended up together in the end. I'm pissed at this movie for following crappy movie protocol. So for that, and because it wasn't that great anyway, I would say skip it.

One shinning star, as always, is Krasinski. He makes the movie fun and i liked him a lot.

(Movie Review) Contraband

Call him what you want, Marky Mark, that guy from the Calvin Klein ad, or Donnie Wahlberg’s (from New Kids on the Block) little brother, but never make the mistake of calling him fluke. I think that people forget that Wahlberg has had an incredibly successful film career. People poke fun of him in a lot of ways. Usually this is because of his time as Marky Mark (along with the Funky Bunch). My point is that no matter where he came from, or how he became famous, Wahlberg has been in some highly successful and critically acclaimed movies in his career. While this film doesn’t live up to his performance in The Fighter, it does show that he actually deserves any success that he has garnered over his career…and that is not something that MANY in Hollywood can say about themselves.

Storyline: Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) is a man with a dirty past. That dirty lifestyle is something that he has worked very hard to get away from. When his brother-in-law gets in over his head, by following in Farraday’s old footsteps of international smuggling, the situation calls for Farraday to come to the rescue. The only way to do that is to go back to the life that he once rejected and to smuggle drugs and money into the country. When he thinks that the job is coming to an end he quickly realizes that not everyone can be trusted and that some friends are not what they seem. Chris must find a way to not only protect himself from these drug lords, but to also protect his family.

Wahlberg, as I said, turns in a great performance. However, the real show stealer in this movie is Giovanni Ribisi as a low life character named Tim Briggs. Ribisi is always great in almost anything that he touches, but he took a character that most people would have played “over the top” tough and turned it into an immoral greasy gangster with no allegiance to anyone except himself. He easily has some of the more memorable moments in the film and plays the part perfectly. While the movie would have been good without him, his presence adds something truly unique. He will not win any awards for this role, as I do not think the OSCARS have a “greasy drug dealer” category, but I do think that it is a great performance.

Worth the admission? Yes. I originally planned to watch the new Underworld film this weekend (only to see if they have properly revived that lame-duck franchise) but am really glad that I saw Contraband instead. The movie is funny, has some nice action, and ALWAYS keeps the level up suspense heightened. Take time to check it out. The Funky Bunch demands it!

Let me know what you thought of the movie

(Movie Review) Warrior

Fighting movies are awesome. FACT. There are few that you can name that did not kick serious ass when they were released. The Wrestler, Rocky, The Fighter, Bloodsport, etc. The list goes on and on! So, it is without doubt that you will like this movie. Why? Because if statistical history has anything to say about this, you are guaranteed to like the movie.

Plot: The youngest son (Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer (Nolte) returns home from war, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament -- a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his older brother (Edgerton). From IMDB.com

Thoughts: First of all, the writers/directors almost made a fatal error with me. They almost made the heroes a little too unlikeable. Tommy (Hardy) is the least likeable character that I have seen in a movie in a LONG time. Not only is he unlikeable, but he is the kind of unlikeable that almost sours the whole film. Then, with Brendan (Edgerton) the manner in which he dismisses his father, to me, is something that is uncalled for. Granted we never see how horrible Paddy (Nolte) has made life for his family in the past, we have to assume that his acts of regret and pleads for forgiveness are sincere. For a "hero" to not grant someone forgiveness is the least heroic thing they can do.

Other than that, the movie was great. Wonderful "underdog" story that really gets you involved with the story and the fights. I thought that it was a solid movie and would recommend it to anyone.

After seeing Hardy in this film, it is making me more and more excited to see him take down Christian Bale's Batman in this summer's The Dark Knight Rises.

(Movie Review) Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Origin movies. They can be tricky. You can completely flub one, like they did with Green Lantern, or you can hit the nail square on the head, like with the original Superman movie or Captain America. Either way, it is a hard thing to do. To take a story that someone already knows and say "but this is how it all started" and make it flow effortlessly, as if it were always there but just not yet seen by the rest of the world. George "the butcher" Lucas will tell anyone that keeping a consistent theme from a series of films in the 70's to releasing their origins over 30 years later is a very difficult task to complete. But the people from Rise of the Planet of the Apes made it seem effortless and for that they get my respect.

Plot: At the story's heart is Caesar (Andy Serkis), a chimpanzee who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug. Raised like a child by the drug's creator, Will Rodman (James Franco) and a primatologist Caroline Aranha (Freida Pinto), Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno. Seeking justice for his fellow inmates, Caesar gives the fellow apes the same drug that he inherited. He then assembles a simian army and escapes the sanctuary - putting man and ape on a collision course that could change the planet forever. from IMDB.com

Thoughts: The movie is a solid origin story and I enjoyed it. It's when movies like this come out that you want to go release all of the animals from the local zoo. While this movie does not completely share the same tone as those from the 70's, you can get a pretty clear picture of why the world turned out the way that it did and that, at the root of it all, we were to blame for the future enslavement of all mankind. Karma is a hell of a thing. Check it out.

(Movie Review) Cowboys & Aliens

I'm hesitant with certain movies. Why? Because the past shows me that some movies will garner an undeserved amount of praise or that they are so universally hated that my watching them, in either case, is either going to prove that everyone else is right or prove that I am odd and that I don't fit in with mainstream. Either way, it is an unsettling feeling to think that you are different from everyone else on how you view something. As far as Cowboys & Aliens...I apparently am not part of the mainstream. Where most people saw a giant pile, I thought that it was pretty entertaining.

Plot: The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been... Written by Universal Pictures

Thoughts: First of all, I didn't think that it was as boring as most people pegged it to be. It was a Western (which are typically slow paced) that also had aliens (which is usually an action filled genre). If you mix those two, you have to be prepared to expect a mix of an Action Movie and a Journey Movie. If you were not expecting that going in to the film, you obviously do not know how merging genres works. Regardless, this movie was ok. It had some action mixed with some decent characters. I thought it was a pretty good movie (for a $1 investment at redbox). Check it out.