The Hobbit: 5 Armies Battle and an Era Ends

 

This holiday seasons marks the final time we return to middle earth, at least as far as new material is concerned. Peter Jackson has taken audiences on an amazing journey and now that trip is over. The Hobbit trilogy will come to an end and hopefully for most, it’s worth the long ride.  These movies are loved by critics and audiences alike. So does the final film exceed expectations or fall short?

We pick up where the last film ends. Smaug is attacking Watertown and the dwarves have reclaimed the mountain. Jackson opens the film with a big battle sequence and the film really doesn’t slow down. The various races learn quickly that the dwarves are back in the mountain with a treasure that everyone wants a piece of. Thorin is surrounded while madness, magic, orcs, battles, and tales of things to come immediately follow and it is every bit worth the ride.

 

The conflict between the characters is played well. The love triangle that exists between elf and dwarf might not be in the novel, but it plays well on the screen. We get to see what we come to expect from Legolas. He plays a large role and considering he was not in the original story, commands a fair share of screen time. The final battle is not quite as epic as the Two Towers or Return of The King, but it is fun to watch unfold.

Peter Jackson has done an incredible job of letting us into a world that was better described on paper. People have tried live action fantasy for years, but they seldom get it right. Jackson opened a world and let all types of audience into it. The collective work is truly one of the best ever. This final film blends seamlessly with The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. The Hobbit has been a fun journey. It’s sad that it comes to end, but it is definitely a great film in a collection that will remain timeless. The trip back to middle earth is beyond worth taking #onelasttime.

Mockingjay Part Stretched Too Long To Drag Out The Franchise

 Teen novels turned into movies are capable of making big money. Twilight, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and of course The Hunger Games are box office gold. The first two movies in this series struck a chord beyond tween girls. Action, pageantry, and above all else a good story. Now the final chapter begins. Will it continue to captivate or play better in the pages of a novel?

 The film opens a few months after the last movie ended. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is now recovering in District 13 after the games and District 12 are all but destroyed. She is angry over Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), confused about whether she loves him or Gale (Liam Hemsworth), and made into a propaganda machine with the help of Effie (Elizabeth Banks) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson). Katniss must become a symbol of the rebellion and free the oppressed people of Pan Am from the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland.)

We get a good look at the world of Pan Am beyond the Capitol and it really looks like a horrible place to live. The film does a good job of painting the picture of oppression. It lacks the action the games provided, but compensates with a good cast. Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer, and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman all shine. We also get more of Gale this go around. The film is supposed to open us up to a bigger world, but for some reason it feels small. A lot of time is spent in the underground bunker of District 13 and it has a claustrophobic feel to it.

   I think this film suffers from two major problems. The over the top costumes and fun of the capitol are just not present. I am aware that the tone of the book and film are different this go around. It just needed a couple of things to bring us more than doom and gloom. The films biggest problem is the stretch for one more sequel. The majority of the visits Katniss makes to other districts could have been done in montage. We spend a lot of time going no where and it feels like the pacing is off. I know the sequel will make more money and that is all that matters in Hollywood. It's not a bad movie, but it isn't my favorite. Stretching this film into two feels like it is happening at the cost of the things we loved about the first two. The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part One is a game that doesn't play as well as it's predecessors.

Diary Of Fat Kid



So I think a lot of us go through life without realizing what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. We might show some sympathy or empathy, but the world has made us all more self-focused. I guess by writing this I am part of that group. I don’t have a good reason for writing beyond needing to release some pent up feelings.  

My job allows me to meet individuals from all walks of life. In the corporate radio world, it’s the one thing that really hasn’t changed. I have noticed that all of those walks of life seem to have similar focus. All get caught up in their own world. We get on people for judging others, but isn’t that what society does? We have become so appearance driven that we don’t always allow for individuality.

Let me elaborate. I see so many different diets and health plans out there. Some are great and others are money making schemes. It’s for you to decide which is which. I see people who have lost weight and the social media world congratulates them and rightfully so. I can’t help but wonder if some of those people feel like I do.

 I am someone who has struggled with my weight for a long time. I was close to 320lbs at my heaviest. I have lost well over 80lbs the old fashioned way. Workouts and eating better. I said better, not perfect. The people closest to me say I was happier when I was bigger, but I am not so sure.

 As a bigger person, you find clothes that still look trendy and do your best to look good before you leave the house. When you’re the life of the party, let me tell you how much more difficult that is. You squeeze into sizes you shouldn’t and tell yourself that tomorrow you’ll lose some weight. You head out, drink like a fish, increase your tolerance, and cruise Taco Bell at 2am for an extra 1000 calories before bed time.  I look back and hate that I left the house some nights. You see pictures and are sad, but never seem to be able to do anything about it.

In college, I would eat a large Papa John’s Pizza, a bucked of fried shrimp from Long John Silvers, double quarter pounder, fries, 6 piece mc nugget, milkshakes, and a foot long and a half. Not in one sitting, but I ate the same things my friends did. They just didn’t carry the same baggage. Disgusting right?

 Let’s fast forward. Bike rides, aerobics, yoga, and gym visits and that person should be a lot happier right? Not really. See the fat kid is in a new world. He still has clothes in his closet that are bigger. Are they there in case he blows up and eats a whole large pizza? Are they there as a reminder of where he never wants to be again? The truth is probably someplace in the middle.

 We are interesting creatures. I for one count calories on a daily basis and keep a food journal. I don’t think I could eat a whole pizza if I tried and I haven’t had a quarter pounder since 97. Here is where the unhappiness comes in. Every picture is scrutinized. Appearance dominates my life and in the worst way. I look at every line and shadow. I take a dozen selfies and not because I like how I look, but more because I constantly feel like I am getting fatter.

I am a smaller size than I have been since college and it’s still not good enough. Life is about enjoyment and I don’t enjoy it. While I like spinach salads, I don’t want to eat them every day. I hate feeling like a criminal for having a milk shake once in a while. It’s not fun to freak out if clothes fit a little tighter. You wonder if they shrank in the laundry or you ate that pumpkin spice donut you shouldn’t have. It sucks to criticize every photo and not to display the ones from events you’re really proud of attending. I feel like life was meant to be filled with more than that.

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to weigh less and I enjoy trying to live a healthier lifestyle. What I don’t like is the mental behavior that comes along with it. I wonder if anyone else feels like this. I wonder if people really take a long enough look at someone who is overweight might be going through? I wonder if people look a little deeper at someone who looks immaculate.

I guess in the end, I just wish I was a little more average some times.



The Maze Power Walker

 What happens when you combine the casts of Game Of Thrones, Teen Wolf, and We're The Millers? You get a group of boys trying to figure out why they are in the middle of a maze that changes nightly. That is the Maze Runner. Based off a popular teen novel and now getting the movie treatment like Divergent and The Hunger Games. Adapting teen novels is becoming as popular a movie trend as comic books. In this case, Maze Runner is ahead of the pack in some cases, but it does get a little complex. Complexity works with this one. 

Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up in an elevator and is deposited into a strange campsite type community of other boys. He's got no memory and no idea what he is doing there. He meets the rest of the group and learns that they are surviving by a set of rules. After he learns they are trapped in a maze, he begins to violate the rules in the hopes of finding a way out of their "prison." He quickly develops a rivalry with Gally (Will Poulter) and when Theresa (Kaya Scodelario) shows up the group begins to divide. Thomas believes that if they don't find away through the maze, they will all die.  

  

 The beauty of the story comes in the fact that you are as confused as Thomas is. It takes some time to figure out what is going on and that is almost the fun of it. It has several "Lord of The Flies," influences and a few that seem to borrow from ,"Divergent." Marrying these concepts work well and the film really only has a couple of flaws. The camera work during the fight scenes make it really hard to figure out what is going on. The monsters look cool , but the scenes are really busy and hard to follow. There are also a few things left unexplained and I am sure they are discussed in the book. The one issue with books being adapted is things being cut for pacing. Things get removed, but pieces are left on screen and the audience gets confused. 

  I liked the cast a lot and Dylan O'Brien is a future star beyond this and Teen Wolf. I thought it was cool that Will Poulter stretched beyond comedy, but after We're The Millers, I kept waiting for him to start singing TLC'S "Waterfalls." The movie is pretty good and like it or not, a sequel has already been green lit. I am not sure it will see the success of The Hunger Games, but it runs ahead of some of the bad movies that were released in the summer of 2014. 

Brown Rice

   Today the video of what actually happened in that casino elevator was released. Ray Rice was terminated from the NFL and opinions have begun to fly. Why did the video just now surface? Who knew about it? Why would anybody defend that type of behavior? All logical questions, but I don't know if we'll ever get the answers we want.

  The Rice issue is part of larger problems. We are a society that forgives far too easy. Regardless of how their incident began, she was never treated like the victim. He played football and made a lot of money. He could have helped to win another Super Bowl so there are those who forgive the unforgivable. Rice isn't the first. Chris Brown can sing and dance so he still has a record deal. It's more than just the two of them. Google "celebrities with domestic violence arrests," and watch how many names come up.

  The world is moving faster, technology is forcing kids to grow up faster, and we don't want to be like our parents or grand parents. There is nothing wrong with advancing ,but there are things that we shouldn't lose. How to treat people with respect being a big one. Men are physically stronger in nearly every instance. Arguments with spouses or signifigant others will happen, but men do not hit women. Most of us learn that rule fairly early in life. So why as a society have we become  so accepting of those who break it?

   Our world is dominated by our need to feed the celebrity beast. I would never say don't be entertained, but don't forget basic values for celebrities or athletes. We let them live as exceptions to rules rather than hold hem to higher standards. We forgive the unforgivable because they entertain us. What does that make us? In a word, pathetic.  The ability to score touchdowns, sing songs, or play characters on the screen do not provide entitlement to beat their spouse. Regardless of how much we are entertained, they are not worthy of our forgiveness.

   Shame on the NFL for not having stronger penalties in place. Shame on record labels for still allowing Chris Brown to have a career. Your actions are teaching the future that their actions are ok. Ray Rice will live with his actions. Millions of dollars will go away and he will be tested. He, Brown, and countless like them are cowards. A line needs to be drawn in the sand and it can only be drawn by us. The people. Stop being so accepting of things that are unacceptable. We are not immortal. We have a finite amount of time and we are wasting it. We are not leaving the right lasting impression and in many cases we are failing at simply being human while using the excuse, "I'm only human."

When The Game...Provides Movie Material

 

    Sports movies come around pretty frequently. Some are really good and others fail to live up to the ones that come before. When The Game Stands Tall is the latest to take on football. In this case, high school football. It's the story of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. He has a different style of coaching and surprisingly doesn't preach the streak, but attempts to teach his players about life. When the streak ends his players must discover where the important things in life begin. 

    The movie has it's share of drama and emotional moments. Jim Caviezel is solid as the coach who is so committed to the team that his family takes a backseat. He is joined by Michael Chiklis who looks like he was born to play some form of football coach.  The film does a great job of demonstrating the power of the legendary win streak. If you have seen Friday Night Lights, then you're aware of how big high school football is in places around the country. Kids in some programs become local celebrities before they graduate.

    The film balances football with the drama that the players deal with. Father and sons collide in moral battles. Pressure to get beyond where you live. Violence that takes people too soon and pressure to live up to the incredible winning streak.

     The football is fun to watch and the film has it's share of dramatic moments. I don't think it will ever be Remember The Titans or Friday Night Lights, but it doesn't have to be. It is a different story. A legendary streak from a coach who set out to teach his players more than the game of football. A guy who tried to create men who knew what it meant to give back to their team and there community. It's not a big summer blockbuster. It will draw plenty of comparison to similar movies, but it in the end it does stand tall enough.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Missed Opportunities

     It has been a summer filled with mostly lackluster movies. Let's be honest X-Men, Captain America 2, and Guardians are the only movies that really deserve a summer movie mention. People will argue a few more, but I am going with the undeniable winners. I don't have the hatred for Michael Bay that a lot of people do. The first Transformers movie didn't ruin my childhood. Now Bay and company tackle Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It is a tough one and I learned after watching this that not every cartoon merits live action. 

    The city of New York is being corrupted by the foot clan and the evil Shredder. The turtles fight crime in the cover of darkness until discovered by up and coming reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox). She tries to convince people of their existence only to lose her job and accidentally confide in her fathers former employer Eric Sacks (William Fichtner). She eventually discovers that the turtles were part of her fathers lab experiment and develops a friendship with the outcasts. They learn that the Shredder and Sacks plan to release a deadly toxin on the city and it is up to the turtles to stop them. 

   The heroes in a half shell have seen the big screen on four occasions. The most notable are the rubber suited classics from the 90's. The turtles are famous for immature comedy and silliness and the movie does hold true to that. They love pizza and are taught the art of the ninja from a talking rat. The movie is faithful to all of those source points. Make no mistake, the new turtles look much better.

   The redesign is the best part of the movie. The turtles are different sizes and their looks reflect their personalities. They still use their classic weapons and keep the distinctive colors intact. The fight scenes are fun and the movie has a few moments that work well. Shredder looks a bit robotic, but still better than the older movies. 

  The plot feels like a cartoon and is acted out accordingly. Fichtner isn't threatening, but it feels like it was on purpose. The movie seems to treat the audience like they are always nine years old. It never gets to intense on any level. I literally felt like I was watching a cartoon without the animation. 

  The plot is silly and simple and I am not a Megan Fox hater either, but it feels like she is the only one trying to take things seriously. Will Arnet seemed to need a pay check or has kids that he did it for. Fox seems to really try to convey emotion and it just seems even more cheesy. If they make Sharknado 3, Fox should be the lead. 

   It could have been more fun. The origin will anger fans of the original. I think the best turtle movie was the animated TMNT from a few years ago. To me, this is a franchise that really doesn't translate beyond a cartoon. It will make money and people will see it, but in the end it just lacks turtle power.