Movie Review- Risen

Follows the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection as told through the eyes of a non-believer. Clavius, a powerful Roman Military Tribune and his aide, Lucius, are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the weeks following the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and preventing an uprising in Jerusalem.

















This is by far the best Biblical-based movie I have ever seen. The filmmakers did not feel the need to over-embellish or "re-imagine" the true events in order to create an entertaining story. Instead, they filled in the details of the story and found a creative new way to tell it by using the perspective of an outsider.

This movie made me think. Seeing Clavius struggle to reconcile what he thought he knew, with what he was seeing and experiencing to the contrary was really amazing. Imagine being a foreigner who had not been immersed in Jewish history and prophecy, nor have you heard anything about this Nazarene man until you are tasked with finding his body. It is a whole new ballgame.

The setting of the movie was perfect and authentic. It was dusty, dirty, and hot, mingled with an earthy kind of beauty that was spectacular. The people were dirty, sweaty, and looked very normal. The filmmakers did not try to make the crucified bodies, or anything other bloody and dirty aspect seem neat and tidy. They showed it for what it was without being unnecessarily gory. I did wince many times when watching this film, but that was entirely appropriate given the subject matter.

The characters were solid. Clavius was a very driven individual, but he wasn't one dimensional. You knew from the very beginning that he was human. His character arc was very consistent and believable.

The disciples. Oh goodness, this is how Bible stories should be told! The disciples were adorable and hilarious. Indeed, I did not expect to laugh as much as I did when watching this film. The writers did a lovely job mingling humor with the serious events of this story. It's easy to get the impression sometimes that people in ancient times were all solemn and serious, and only focused on life and death issues. But people are people, and God gave Mankind a sense of humor. The disciples were just that, they were people living in a rough time who needed a sense of humor to brighten up their life.

This entire movie was consistent, well-rounded, and left me feeling very satisfied. I highly recommend it to believers and non-believers alike.

10 Annoying Cliches in Movies

Are you ready for another rant post? Now don't get the idea that I am constantly critiquing or that I storm about my house ranting nonstop. I find that a bit of annoyed humor about a subject that we all understand is sometimes just the thing I need to make me, and hopefully others, smile. Hopefully you can relate to at least a few of these.


Starting with the least annoying and ending at the most annoying, here are 10 Annoying Cliches in Movies.


10. Kissing At the Wrong Moment



I'm a woman, don't get me wrong, I want to see a kiss in movies, particularly movies where they have made you suffer through hours of misery. This desire for a kiss is not even just owned by my gender, there are just certain movies where everyone, man or woman, is screaming, "JUST KISS HER ALREADY!"


So while I acknowledge that I like a good kiss at the appropriate moment, let me say this, I value life more. What I mean by that is, if it is down to a kiss or running for your life, I will pick running for your life every time. Hey, just think about it like this Buster, if you both make it out you can have more life to live and you can spend a great deal of it kissing her.


The one exception I have to this is in Captain America: The First Avenger when Peggy Carter kisses Cap in the car right before he jumps onto Red Skull's flying apparatus. Considering we know how this story turned out, that was her last chance to kiss him, and in the words of Han Solo, that guy "...could use a good kiss!"


Now, the subject of kissing leads me to my next annoying cliché....


9. Missed Kiss

This missed moment usually happens before the giant chaotic hullaballoo in which the romantic leads kiss at the wrong moment. For example, back at a safe base, HQ, or underground bunker, there is always a moment in which we find our two romantic leads staring at each other. Their thoughts run something akin to this,


Hot Lead Guy- "Wow, she's gorgeous, smart, funny, she can kick rear, and somehow her makeup is still perfect. I think I'm in love, and if we get out of this, I will tell her so and make her my wife shortly following said declaration."


....and she's thinking....


Hot Lead Woman- "He's such a stud, even when he sweaty and covered with blood. He's so funny, and his eyes, the way they are staring into my soul right now. Good thing my makeup still looks perfect. I wish he would just say out loud that he loves me, and we could get married, and have six children."


They both lean in, staring into each other's eyes/souls, and, wait for it, wait for it!


When they are mere centimeters apart, the commander walks in. Or a random soldier. Or an unpaid intern. For crying out loud, it could be the dog! It doesn't matter, the moment is broken, and they both back off, looking emotionally unstable and embarrassed.

8. Women Who Look Gorgeous When In Physical Distress

Maybe this annoys me more because I am a woman, maybe guys haven't even noticed this detail, but trust me, all of womankind has noticed. Movies as a general rule (there are exceptions) create this unrealistic image of a woman who can go through a volcano, get abducted by aliens, fall off a cliff and break her spine, and still look amazing. What the heck, she actually looks all the more adorable for a bit of wear and tear, and the hero is even more endeared by her.


A lighter example of this is the idea of a "pretty faint". Ladies, take it from someone who has fainted, no, that's far too dainty a word for how horrible you feel physically, PASSED OUT is a much more appropriate term. There is no such thing as a pretty faint, it is an ideal that belongs in the world of fairies and unicorns. In reality, this is what fainting looks like.

That's right ladies, passing out makes you look like a dead, an actual dead possum. Or worse.


7. Women Running In Heels

I get it ladies, not everyone is as clumsy as I am in heels.

Me walk, no, falling in heels.

And yes, I know, heels can be very cute and feminine looking. I am not 100% against heels for all occasions.

But at what point do we question the idea that something that puts you off balance, three inches above your normal height, and does NOT conform to your natural God-created foot shape is required female footwear 24-7? Men don't wear ridiculous shoes like that, why are women expected to?

And I don't care that some people "have learned how to walk in heels" it is bad for your body and no one should be expected to run from a massive dinosaur, aliens, The Hulk, etc. while wearing heels. Really, we should applaud all women extras who still manage to escape certain death while wearing heels, it's much harder on them than it is on the men.


6. The Horse/Human Rehab Story


How many times has this same story been told over, and over, and over again. Messed up teenager who lives in the city is sent out to a ranch somewhere in hopes of becoming reformed. There is also a wild horse at said ranch who refuses to be trained or to form attachment to anyone.

I'm wild, hurt and angry, so misunderstood by the world. Much like a troubled teenager.

And then it happens. The two bond.

Wow, plot twist! Did not see that coming!

The two go on to complete some incredible feat like saving the ranch, rescuing a wild herd of horses, or winning a national competition and beating out professionals after only a few months of training.

I'm waiting to begin my life purpose. Rehabilitating a troubled city kid and going on to rise in fame and esteem. I'll get back with you a few months.

5. People Who Act Like They Have Never Watched Movies

This is probably one that is closest to how humans actually react. We are often irrational and foolish. But doesn't anybody ever watch TV? Or their own movies? You would think they would learn a thing or two about life.

Examples: Don't touch the red button, don't run when predators are watching, DO run towards shelter when dinosaurs attack, don't stand there gaping when aliens attack the city, it's always the red wire, there is probably some major corruption among your leaders so don't trust them, don't drink anything at spy parties, etc.

Sure it's pretty, so are erupting volcanoes. 

4. No One Ever Finishes Their Food

This one literally hurts. If I can't eat the food myself, I want to at least live vicariously through the person on the screen. Eat that food!


But they never do. They aren't hungry, they storm off and leave the plate untouched, they are talking the entire time, you should never have cooked that bacon and tomatoes in the first place because now the Ringwraiths know your location, etc. *Sigh* I'm gonna need a minute here.

It hurts so much...

I know why they can't say at the end credits "No food was harmed in the making of this film", because it simply isn't true. So much food is created and then sacrificed on the altar to the movie gods.

Not only is it incredibly offensive to the viewer, but it is entirely unrealistic. A person can only run off of the energy created from pure macho for so long, and even the great must eat eventually.

3. Ignoring the Obvious

This runs along the similar lines of not watching movies. Learn from past experiences people! It is so plainly obvious that he has a crush on you, the line cook is totally sabotaging your restaurant, again, the corruption in your organization likely originated in leadership. Oh my goodness! Can we just process this and get on to kicking rear already?


Love, not fear is better when it comes to handling magical powers, the toxin is air born, if you can't find the bad guy anywhere, then he is probably right behind you.

2. Not Giving Vital Information

"I love you", "I didn't call you earlier, someone else did", "Guess what I discovered when I was kidnapped and brought to the evil lair", "I have magic hair that glows when I sing", "My name is Cinderella and I live at such and such street where I am abused and kept in forced labor" "Luke, Vader is your old man".

The oversight in giving out vital information is simply an insult to human intelligence, as you can see below, can really get out of hand.

(Yes, I just did that, but you don't know where I live, so I'm ok with it)

Thanks Obi-Wan

1. Last Words

You only have a few more moments in which to say things before your time on this earth is done. Well, not really, something will work out right before you die that saves you and allows you to live happily ever after, but you don't know that at the time.

You last words, your final verbal legacy, your last chance to make an impression on the villain who is crowing over your defeat. And what do you say?

"Go to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!" Well, that's not exactly how they say it, but I at least try to keep some class.

Are you serious? You want your last words to be that? That's your final parting gift to planet earth and the race of men?

You couldn't be more creative? Or maybe use those two seconds to think of some way to get out of this. What did you accomplish other than turning a very classy death into a cheese platter? We all know the villain is headed to the eternal basement furnace, but your condemning him there will not get him there any faster.

...........................................................................................................................................................

What are some cliches in movies that drive you insane? Are there character stereotypes that you have just had enough of? Does a certain response to a crisis just bug you? Tell me your thoughts and feel free to post them in the comments or on your own blog.

Movie Review- Cinderella

When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger.


*Warning, Spoilers/Sparkles*


I just got back from Cinderella with my mom and sisters. Folks, I was not disappointed. This movie was fantastic. The writers did a spectacular job of taking this classic fairytale and keeping it magical, and yet, brought it down to earth in such a way that you felt you could relate to these people.


Magical Moments
The dress. Yes ladies, the dress was unbelievable. It was like Cinderella was wearing a waterfall. And her wedding dress? Designers have to be going nuts right now trying to design as many look-alikes as possible. The carriage? Most stunning vehicle I have ever seen. The ballroom scene? You knew each step they were going to take before they even took it, you were that caught up in the moment. The slippers? Dazzling!


The Story
The storyline kept that fairytale feeling with the fairy godmother narrating, and of course, the animals who have personalities. Oh yes, the mice, they were far more adorable in this movie than the classic animated one. They never really spoke, though, if you listened to their tiny squeaks you can make out some words, such as "Gus Gus". Very adorable.


There were some spectacular elements to this movie that were way deeper than any "follow your heart" Disney mumbo jumbo that you get in every Disney movie. This movie displayed so many moments of humanity, humility, courage, and forgiveness that were just beautiful. It's like the writers sat down and said to themselves, "We have a classic story that everyone knows and already loves, how can we use this to our advantage to tell a deeper message and bless our culture?"


The iconic Cinderella scene was completely transformed from something more akin to frosting, into something far meatier. It is a brilliantly written few moments that have the potential to teach more children some truths about good character than a whole slew of animated Disney films combined. Let me put it this way, it made my mother cry when she was describing it to my father later on. It was that good.


The Characters
The characters in this movie were beautifully written. They pulled out the best elements of the characters from the old movie, and then filled in the other characters where there were huge gaps.


Ella/Cinderella (Lily James)- Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. She was sweet, simple, and not at all conceited or ditsy. She was messy, none of the perfect hair that the animated Cinderella has in the morning, Ella needed a comb! She was kind and courageous for a reason, her promise to her now dead mother is what drove her in life. I hate it when there is a character who is constantly good for no reason. Ella was not like this, she had been nurtured and taught beautiful things as a child, and had chosen to live them for herself.


Kit/The Prince (Richard Madden)- Yes, yes, YES! Finally! Prince Charming has a voice of his own! The Prince was so very human, he was probably my favorite character. He was insanely handsome, and a prince! Yet, he carried himself with an honorable and humble dignity that was just beautiful. He was respectful, gentle, and had a sense of humor. But my favorite moments with the prince were the ones that took place between him and his father, the king. The most heartbreaking moment of the movie took place between him and his father, and for that moment, all you saw was a son who loved his daddy. It was amazing.


Stepmother/Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett)- There is no way to not make this woman beautiful, I think Cate Blanchett is one of the loveliest ladies on screen. However, despite her beauty, she fell into the role of being completely cruel and evil as easily as Ella fit the glass slipper. She did a phenomenal acting job, using her voice, facial expression, and even the look in her eyes (how did she do that) to her advantage. Well done madam, well done.


Captain (Nonso Anozie)- The Prince's right-hand man, advocate, and friend. I loved this guy, you could always see a smile hiding directly behind his eyes, his laugh was deliciously deep, and he had a heart of gold. Such a lovely addition to the story.


Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter)- Her scene was one big, long, blonde moment. She is not the wise, sweet, grandmother from the animated movie. She's probably never knitted or made a cookie in her life. She strikes you as one of those "hit or miss" type of fairies, fortunately for Cinderella, this was one of her hits. She transforms the evening for Cinderella in a magical, almost MacGyverish type fashion. Very cute.


The Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgard)- Recognize the name? Yeah, Eric Selvig from the Marvel movies. He was an antagonist in this movie, trying to undermine the Prince's intentions to marry Cinderella. I kept thinking, "Dangit, Loki got to him with his dumb staff again, quick, get an Avenger in here to knock him on the head. Oh, wait...wrong franchise."


Cinderella's Mother (Haley Atwell)- While Haley was only in this movie for about 5 minutes, she made such a huge impact on the entire story. Her sweet instructions to "have courage, and be kind" are what basically transform Ella into who she is. She may have only had 5 minutes, but she proved you don't need long to show your acting skills. She was charming.


My Favorite Moments


Ella's mother singing her a bedtime song, this song becomes the theme music for the entire movie. Oh, did I mention the music was beautiful?


Cinderella meeting Kit (the Prince). Love at first sight.


Any of the Prince's moments with his father.


Cinderella's transformation.


The ball.


The secret garden where a very iconic moment happens.


The moment when all is revealed, the classic Cinderella scene happens, and Cinderella leaves you stunned because she is far more redemptive and humble than you are.


The wedding scene. A perfect ending.

Movie Review- Big Hero 6

The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

I had the pleasure of watching this sweet movie with my family earlier this week. It was the last night it was in theaters in our area, so we pretty much had the room to ourselves. My dad informed us that he had bought a theater for our own personal use. ;)


We LOVE animated movies at our house, particularly anything that Pixar has touched. Seriously, I don't know if you noticed this, but Disney didn't really start producing phenomenal films until they bought Pixar and suddenly they were awesome. Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, you get the idea. And as for Pixar, well, they were already awesome. My dad still cries every time we watch Cars, and I know exactly where to find Nemo, he's at P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Lane, Sydney. Boom! Enough said.


Big Hero 6 had the same Pixar flavor, which means that John Lasseter had something to do with it. Everything that man touches turns to gold. This movie was incredibly sweet, had a clearly discernable message, and was just fun.


Visually, this movie is stunning! The way these animators blended and brought together the best parts of San Francisco and Tokyo was just beautiful. I wish there were a place call San Fransokyo, because I would go there in a heartbeat.


The messages in this story were easily found and beautifully portrayed. This movie dealt with how to work through losing a loved one, also, how to not choose vengeance but rather to take the high road.


The soundtrack to this movie was awesome, it was somewhat Eastern with a Japanese sound, mixed with full out superhero music. Oh yeah, did I mention that the premise of this movie is based off of an actual Marvel comic book? Yes siree! It's got a definite Marvel flavor, oh, and speaking of Marvel, be sure that if you do watch this movie you stay through to see the end credit scene. You will NOT be disappointed.


My absolute favorite aspect of this movie was definitely the characters. They were all unique, adorable, relatable, and there was not one single "annoying" one in the bunch.





Hiro Hamada- (Ryan Potter) Adorable! He somewhat reminded me of Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon, which happens to be my favorite animated movie. Hiro was a 14 year old with a VERY high IQ, so he was a lovely blend of youthful attitude and vulnerability, but he had the smarts of a very intelligent adult. He feels a lot of things in this movie, and you feel deeply for him, seriously, he's got puppy eyes that melt my heart.


Baymax- (Scott Adsit) A giant, marshmellowy, sweetie pie who becomes Hiro's best friend. It always amazes me how much emotion they can put into animated faces, but Baymax is especially impressive as he only has two eyes connected with a line. But there is so much written in those eyes that you forget they are his only feature.


Tadashi Hamada- (Daniel Henney) Hiro's college-aged brother. Super cute, super cool. He is like a mix of father and brother to Hiro, and their bond is beautiful to see.


Fred- (T.J. Miller)- I don't know how many of you have seen How to Train Your Dragon, but Miller does the voice of Toughnutt, the boy twin. His voice and mannerisms send my rascally younger brother into absolute stiches. He totally brings his personality out in Fred, who is the resident comic book nerd and has the lowest IQ of anyone in this movie. But no one cares, he is so dorkily adorable that you love him to death.


Go Go- (Jamie Chung) Tough girl, leather jacket, purple hair streaks, she doesn't waste time on words. But she's an amusing character all the same and I have to say that her hero costume was definitely my favorite.


Wasabi- (Damon Wayans Jr.) Big muscles, impressive afro, and a big softie who probably voices more concerns and fears than any other character in this movie. He was my mom's favorite, and definitely a sweet addition to the team.


Honey Lemon- (Genesis Rodriguez) Tall, slim, bubbly, and SO blonde in her personality, but not brains. She super cute and girlie and adds the sparkle that fills out this group of heroes.


Aunt Cass- (Maya Rudolph) Sweet, quirky, and uber affectionate, Aunt Cass has raised Tadashi and Hiro since their parents died. She has no idea what she is doing but she loves 'em to death and that is enough. She made a charming background scene to come home to.


Some people I know are really hard on any movie, others don't seem to appreciate animated movies at all. Speaking honestly, I think you all are boxing yourselves in a bit too much and need to lighten up! There are some amazing treasures to be found in the animated world, and sometimes, seeing something in animation can point out something in reality that we would never have noticed if it had been live action. So lighten up, have a fun afternoon and watch this movie. I don't care if you're 2 or 92, a good movie is a good movie. Enjoy!