Her perspective: C
This theater offers VIP Reserved Seating and D-Box.
We decided to go to a 3:30 pm show and wanted to try their VIP seating/service since we were so impressed with the Showplace Icon Theater in St Louis Park. We were hoping we could get a very similar experience closer to home - we were completely wrong.
Apparently, their Mezzanine (the restaurant/bar) doesn't open until 4 pm, so we were out of luck to get food/drinks delivered to us in the theater. They did give us 2 $5 vouchers for the "Mezz" but EACH one required a $20 food/beverage order so we would have had to have $40 worth of food/drinks ordered to be able to use both vouchers. We were just going to have a couple of drinks after the movie (since it was open at that point), but once we found that out from the bartender (we were not told at the box office where they were given to us), we gave the vouchers to a random couple on our way out the door.
Like I said, if you go to a matinee before 4 pm, you cannot get served in the theater, so you're not getting much for the extra money: you do get reserved seating and the seats are a bit wider than general seating.
Here are some more comparisons with the Icon:
*the seats are not bench loveseats (like at the Icon), but they do both have a fold-up armrest
*the Icon has a small table big enough for the plateware in-between each loveseat, the Paragon has a couple of slightly wider armrests in-between each loveseat with no padding for putting your plates on, which is not anywhere NEAR big enough for their plateware
*the VIP section is not a balcony or even separated from general seating in any way (Icon's is the balcony)
Also, regardless of which theater you are in, there is extremely limited space for sitting down in the lobby before your theater starts seating.
I might try to go to dinner at the restaurant, then sit in regular seating, but it's worth the drive from Lakeville to St Louis Park to go to the Icon where it is a TRULY VIP experience.
Monday, December 26, 2011
MI4: Ghost Protocol
Her perspective: A
Ethan Hunt is back, but this time, the entire IMF is disavowed due to an attack on the Kremlin that is being blamed on Ethan and his team. Now that we're done with what you could have seen in the previews...
Very action-packed and I was so drawn in that I was gasping, laughing out loud and even couldn't stop myself from making a comment in the theater (don't worry, I kept it to 1-2 words and spoke softly). The plot kept moving at a good clip - there was only one slow spot that I noticed. I am going to buy this as soon as possible. I haven't liked a movie this much since X Men: 1st Class and I think I actually liked this one better. Definitely more action and more fast paced. I can't blame 1st Class, though, it's the type of movie that requires a more thoughtful plot.
I'm not going to give anything away, so no spoilers. Suffice to say: GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND BUY IT ON DVD! :)
See my review on the theater also. It didn't fare NEARLY as well...
Ethan Hunt is back, but this time, the entire IMF is disavowed due to an attack on the Kremlin that is being blamed on Ethan and his team. Now that we're done with what you could have seen in the previews...
Very action-packed and I was so drawn in that I was gasping, laughing out loud and even couldn't stop myself from making a comment in the theater (don't worry, I kept it to 1-2 words and spoke softly). The plot kept moving at a good clip - there was only one slow spot that I noticed. I am going to buy this as soon as possible. I haven't liked a movie this much since X Men: 1st Class and I think I actually liked this one better. Definitely more action and more fast paced. I can't blame 1st Class, though, it's the type of movie that requires a more thoughtful plot.
I'm not going to give anything away, so no spoilers. Suffice to say: GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND BUY IT ON DVD! :)
See my review on the theater also. It didn't fare NEARLY as well...
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
See it in the theater.
Maryanne really enjoyed this one, I thought it deviated slightly form the feel and theme of the first movie, but it was still plenty enjoyable and it had my attention all the way through.
This is only the first week of the movie run, so I don't want to give anything away, but you can count on the now customary Holmes-like twists and long running thought processes that we saw in the first movie, things like how they have Holmes anticipating things to come and thinking a few moves ahead. Not just over the next few minutes mind you, but even one day to the next (and in one case, starting from the beginning of the movie to the near-end of it). Many characters from the first movie make appearances (though most are very brief), and couple of them are even killed off this time around. It makes for an odd way to tie two movies together, but if you assume there will be future movies in the franchise, then a regular method of removing and replacing characters from one movie to the next keeps things fresh and new I guess.
There was plenty of action, the near-trademark Holmes slo-mo thought process makes an appearance a couple times, and there is plenty of wit, intelligence and cunning sprinkled throughout. It was as I said, an enjoyable film.
I hope they make a third film in this line. I also thought they could've done more with marketing this movie.
I'm glad we caught it on the big screen, and was pleasently surprised to find that the theater we choose to see it at (Marcus Theater in Rosemount this time around) wasn't very busy at all for a Saturday evening during new movie releases.
We arrived at the theater with minutes to spare, and still had time for consessions and seats before the previews started. We were a bit annoyed at the consession stand however. Who in their right mind takes 30 minutes to cook a hotdog? What theater doesn't have all of their consession food prepared and ready to sell on the opening weekend of a big movie during prime-time hours?? Apparently, this one. We kept asking after different food items (besides popcorn, drinks and nachos) and were told repeatedly that it would be 10 minutes for this, or 15 for that, or 30 for a hotdog, that kind of thing.
That's a bit ridiculous don't you think?
Maryanne really enjoyed this one, I thought it deviated slightly form the feel and theme of the first movie, but it was still plenty enjoyable and it had my attention all the way through.
This is only the first week of the movie run, so I don't want to give anything away, but you can count on the now customary Holmes-like twists and long running thought processes that we saw in the first movie, things like how they have Holmes anticipating things to come and thinking a few moves ahead. Not just over the next few minutes mind you, but even one day to the next (and in one case, starting from the beginning of the movie to the near-end of it). Many characters from the first movie make appearances (though most are very brief), and couple of them are even killed off this time around. It makes for an odd way to tie two movies together, but if you assume there will be future movies in the franchise, then a regular method of removing and replacing characters from one movie to the next keeps things fresh and new I guess.
There was plenty of action, the near-trademark Holmes slo-mo thought process makes an appearance a couple times, and there is plenty of wit, intelligence and cunning sprinkled throughout. It was as I said, an enjoyable film.
I hope they make a third film in this line. I also thought they could've done more with marketing this movie.
I'm glad we caught it on the big screen, and was pleasently surprised to find that the theater we choose to see it at (Marcus Theater in Rosemount this time around) wasn't very busy at all for a Saturday evening during new movie releases.
We arrived at the theater with minutes to spare, and still had time for consessions and seats before the previews started. We were a bit annoyed at the consession stand however. Who in their right mind takes 30 minutes to cook a hotdog? What theater doesn't have all of their consession food prepared and ready to sell on the opening weekend of a big movie during prime-time hours?? Apparently, this one. We kept asking after different food items (besides popcorn, drinks and nachos) and were told repeatedly that it would be 10 minutes for this, or 15 for that, or 30 for a hotdog, that kind of thing.
That's a bit ridiculous don't you think?
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Cooper, St Louis Park - December 4, 2011
Her perspective: C-
We were seated right away. William ordered a coke and I ordered a mimosa, which was actually pretty good except for the pulp. William ordered the Irish breakfast with basted eggs and I ordered the Benedict Hash.
William's hash browns were tough and his eggs were overdone. He told the waitress about the hash browns and she did offer to get something else, but he didn't want anything else. My eggs were also overdone. My drink was empty for almost 20 minutes when the server came back to ask William if he wanted more coke. She never even looked at me and I still had food left (William's plate had been cleared by this time). When she came back with William's refill, he had to ask her if I could get something else to drink. I purposely asked for water in case she decided to charge us do another coke. I didn't want any more money going on the bill.
If you get Megan, ask for a different server.
We were seated right away. William ordered a coke and I ordered a mimosa, which was actually pretty good except for the pulp. William ordered the Irish breakfast with basted eggs and I ordered the Benedict Hash.
William's hash browns were tough and his eggs were overdone. He told the waitress about the hash browns and she did offer to get something else, but he didn't want anything else. My eggs were also overdone. My drink was empty for almost 20 minutes when the server came back to ask William if he wanted more coke. She never even looked at me and I still had food left (William's plate had been cleared by this time). When she came back with William's refill, he had to ask her if I could get something else to drink. I purposely asked for water in case she decided to charge us do another coke. I didn't want any more money going on the bill.
If you get Megan, ask for a different server.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Sawa Japan Steak House - Lakeville, MN
D- for poor cooking.
Noodles were good, and that is about the most I can say about our meal.
The soup starter had too much ginger in it for her, but mine was quite tasty so after I finished mine I started in on hers, and she was right to begin with. Did the soups even come from the same batch?
Salad was watery, so either it was just freshly rinsed and plated when we ordered it, or it sat in the cooler for who knows how many days waiting to be served. The dressing was weird, but had a kind of horseradishy flavor (no heat, just the taste) and I kinda liked it overall other than beaing watery at the end.
Lobster was rubbery and chewy and lacked any real flavor other than the sauce that was on it. It also didn't seem to have been prep'd and cleaned that well as it was a bit 'fatty' in a couple bits.
Fillet Mignon was cold on the plate when I received it (it was the very first bite I tried). It was one of the things I was most looking forward to since this is a steakhouse. It was bland but well cooked and tender, just cold.
Shrimp were mostly undercooked (more so for her than for me I must admit) and the ones that were well cooked were also a bit tough, almost as though they were overcooked.
Rice just tasted off (or perhaps old) and rice is an extra cost as in 'not included with the meal'. We weren't told that, just asked if we wanted white or fried rice when we ordered our food. If I had known that it wasn't included, I wouldn't have ordered it.
We had multiple coupons for this place and decided to try it. After we got home from our meal, we threw the rest of them in the trash as we won't be back here again. I'll bet we'll get more coupons in the mail as the weeks go by, and they're going into the trash as well. We were looking forward to a good Japanese steakhouse meal, and hoped we would find it at Sawa at a better price than Kami (or Ichiban for that matter). Sawa was a disappointment all the way around.
The other creepy part is how the waiter would just stand there a few feet away and watch us eat. They were not busy at all (and after tasting the food I understand why) so he didn't have a lot to do, but you don't have to stare at people trying to eat a (hopefully) decent meal in apparent quiet. It's not a personal space thing, but I just hate being watched like a lab rat when I'm eating.
You want good Japanese steakhouse cooking in this area of town? Try Kami in Apple Valley!
Noodles were good, and that is about the most I can say about our meal.
The soup starter had too much ginger in it for her, but mine was quite tasty so after I finished mine I started in on hers, and she was right to begin with. Did the soups even come from the same batch?
Salad was watery, so either it was just freshly rinsed and plated when we ordered it, or it sat in the cooler for who knows how many days waiting to be served. The dressing was weird, but had a kind of horseradishy flavor (no heat, just the taste) and I kinda liked it overall other than beaing watery at the end.
Lobster was rubbery and chewy and lacked any real flavor other than the sauce that was on it. It also didn't seem to have been prep'd and cleaned that well as it was a bit 'fatty' in a couple bits.
Fillet Mignon was cold on the plate when I received it (it was the very first bite I tried). It was one of the things I was most looking forward to since this is a steakhouse. It was bland but well cooked and tender, just cold.
Shrimp were mostly undercooked (more so for her than for me I must admit) and the ones that were well cooked were also a bit tough, almost as though they were overcooked.
Rice just tasted off (or perhaps old) and rice is an extra cost as in 'not included with the meal'. We weren't told that, just asked if we wanted white or fried rice when we ordered our food. If I had known that it wasn't included, I wouldn't have ordered it.
We had multiple coupons for this place and decided to try it. After we got home from our meal, we threw the rest of them in the trash as we won't be back here again. I'll bet we'll get more coupons in the mail as the weeks go by, and they're going into the trash as well. We were looking forward to a good Japanese steakhouse meal, and hoped we would find it at Sawa at a better price than Kami (or Ichiban for that matter). Sawa was a disappointment all the way around.
The other creepy part is how the waiter would just stand there a few feet away and watch us eat. They were not busy at all (and after tasting the food I understand why) so he didn't have a lot to do, but you don't have to stare at people trying to eat a (hopefully) decent meal in apparent quiet. It's not a personal space thing, but I just hate being watched like a lab rat when I'm eating.
You want good Japanese steakhouse cooking in this area of town? Try Kami in Apple Valley!
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Cowboys & Aliens
I... well, I kinda liked it. And I kinda didn't. Maryanne had the same type of thought.
I'd suggest waiting for a rental if your interested at all. It was entertaining, but not a new idea for a movie.
The long and short: Cowboy gets abducted. Cowboy escapes, but has lost a good chunk of his memory. Cowboy was a bad guy, so the good guys are after him.
Cowboy ends up being the only one who can lead the fight against the aliens.
Cowboy ends up being a good guy in the end.
I think I've seen that formula somewhere before, or at least one very much like it. Either way, it was all too easy, too familiar (like it's be done before) and just too... boring. Kinda. I wanted to like it, really. But it's just so BLAH.
I'd suggest waiting for a rental if your interested at all. It was entertaining, but not a new idea for a movie.
The long and short: Cowboy gets abducted. Cowboy escapes, but has lost a good chunk of his memory. Cowboy was a bad guy, so the good guys are after him.
Cowboy ends up being the only one who can lead the fight against the aliens.
Cowboy ends up being a good guy in the end.
I think I've seen that formula somewhere before, or at least one very much like it. Either way, it was all too easy, too familiar (like it's be done before) and just too... boring. Kinda. I wanted to like it, really. But it's just so BLAH.
Issues between Google and Blogger
Seems there are some issues upgrading accounts, and a number of authors have lost access. We're working to figure out what Google broke and getting our people back in.
Stick around....
Stick around....
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Contagion
Ehhh...
Wait for a Rental.
If you've seen the movie Virus, or read the book 'The Hot Zone', then you'll be very familiar with this movie.
Done in the Docu-Drama style, it's not remotely an Action-Thriller movie as it's being marketed; no real action, and not a big thrill either. It was very predicitable if you've read the Hot Zone book or know anything about how the CDC and the Gov respond to viral epidemics, and the whole story revolved around one family and then a bunch of doctors and researchers trying to figure it out. The problem is that the focus kept shifting so often you weren't sure just who things were supposed to be centered on, who to root for, and in some cases exactly why some of the stuff that was happening was really happening. There were a couple characters and subplots in the movie that made no sense and didn't seem to fit in the slightest. At points it almost felt like there were two seperate and distinct movies that somebody decided to merge together to create one product.
In our opinion it just didn't work well. Even the 'twist' at the end was no surprise to either of us. When we left the theater, we wondered how this could've been a better movie. We kinda concluded that removing one subplot and the 6 or 8 recognizable actors from the movie that were part of that subplot, and focusing much more on how people were coping with the disease and finding the cure and such, basically adding an element of urgency that (strangely) was missing throughout the whole thing would've made this a more enjoyable flick.
If you're at all interested, wait for a rental and watch it at home with a few friends. Between the movie and teh conversation of the friends trying to understand what's going on during the movie, you'll have a more enjoyable experience.
Wait for a Rental.
If you've seen the movie Virus, or read the book 'The Hot Zone', then you'll be very familiar with this movie.
Done in the Docu-Drama style, it's not remotely an Action-Thriller movie as it's being marketed; no real action, and not a big thrill either. It was very predicitable if you've read the Hot Zone book or know anything about how the CDC and the Gov respond to viral epidemics, and the whole story revolved around one family and then a bunch of doctors and researchers trying to figure it out. The problem is that the focus kept shifting so often you weren't sure just who things were supposed to be centered on, who to root for, and in some cases exactly why some of the stuff that was happening was really happening. There were a couple characters and subplots in the movie that made no sense and didn't seem to fit in the slightest. At points it almost felt like there were two seperate and distinct movies that somebody decided to merge together to create one product.
In our opinion it just didn't work well. Even the 'twist' at the end was no surprise to either of us. When we left the theater, we wondered how this could've been a better movie. We kinda concluded that removing one subplot and the 6 or 8 recognizable actors from the movie that were part of that subplot, and focusing much more on how people were coping with the disease and finding the cure and such, basically adding an element of urgency that (strangely) was missing throughout the whole thing would've made this a more enjoyable flick.
If you're at all interested, wait for a rental and watch it at home with a few friends. Between the movie and teh conversation of the friends trying to understand what's going on during the movie, you'll have a more enjoyable experience.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Moving Day coming!
William and Maryanne are moving. New home, new town, new stuff... lots of packing to do. That's partly why our reviews have been slightly sporadic for the last couple months.
We apologize for that (all of us), and Maryanne and I at least have both promised to each other that we'll start getting reviews up at least within a few days of seeing a movie or dining out, and we're prodding everyone else into getting things to us as well. Although we aren't doing much dining out lately (unless you count Dairy Queen) as we're packing, cleaning, recycling, and hauling stuff around a lot lately. Many of the friends are helping, and few of them are currently in a financial crunch.
There are a few movies coming up that some or all of us are looking forward to though. Here's the list:
Cowboys and Aliens - July 29
Conan - August 19 (not sure I'll like that one)
Sherlock Holmes & Mission Impossible - December 16
The Avengers - May 2012
Men In Black III - May 2012
Spiderman - July 2012 (this is supposed to be a reboot of the whole movie series)
The Dark Knight (Batman) - July 2012
Superman - December 2012 (another attempt to reboot the franchise)
The Hobbit, Part 1 - sometime in 2013
There may well be some other movies coming up that I'm not aware of yet, and that's fine. This is my list, not a collaboration or anything (though Conan still gives me second thoughts after seeing previews recently) and this is stuff I'd like to see.
We apologize for that (all of us), and Maryanne and I at least have both promised to each other that we'll start getting reviews up at least within a few days of seeing a movie or dining out, and we're prodding everyone else into getting things to us as well. Although we aren't doing much dining out lately (unless you count Dairy Queen) as we're packing, cleaning, recycling, and hauling stuff around a lot lately. Many of the friends are helping, and few of them are currently in a financial crunch.
There are a few movies coming up that some or all of us are looking forward to though. Here's the list:
Cowboys and Aliens - July 29
Conan - August 19 (not sure I'll like that one)
Sherlock Holmes & Mission Impossible - December 16
The Avengers - May 2012
Men In Black III - May 2012
Spiderman - July 2012 (this is supposed to be a reboot of the whole movie series)
The Dark Knight (Batman) - July 2012
Superman - December 2012 (another attempt to reboot the franchise)
The Hobbit, Part 1 - sometime in 2013
There may well be some other movies coming up that I'm not aware of yet, and that's fine. This is my list, not a collaboration or anything (though Conan still gives me second thoughts after seeing previews recently) and this is stuff I'd like to see.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Ehh.
That's about all I can say on this one.
Definitely more action, but the overall entertainment value is still a bit low. Lots of good chuckles throughout the movie, and couple minor plot twists caught my attention, but overall I see it as another failure to live up to expectations. I very much wanted to like and enjoy this movie as I like the Transformers franchise and all, but this again just felt like an average-effort film like the first one was.
The long and the short:
The Autobots get pissed off when they discover that they're USA friends haven't been sharing everything they know, namely that an Autobot ship was discovered crashed on the moon, and that's why we went to the moon... Not to beat the Russians, but to beat the Russians to the crashed alien ship.
Turns out that ship carried one of the Autobots greatest inventors/scientists (familiar voice on this guy too for you Star Trek fans out there) who was transporting a weapon, the greatest and best hope that Autobots had of winning the war.
Turns out to be not true. This weapon was being handed over to the Decepticons. Apparently a deal was struck, and the idea was that this so-called weapon (it's not) would be used to enslave all the humans on Earth, and put them to work at rebuilding Cybertron.
Well now that Autobots have to destroy the devices instead of try to recover them in order to save humanity again (which they do).
New characters are introduced on both sides of the fence, only for us to see some of them get killed off later on.
No real change to the underlying plot (good vs. evil on the giant-robot-scale), and in my mind at least they failed to actually move the overall story along. The first hour was more than boring but not by much, and they spent way, WAY too much time on the Sam kid again. I'm here to see giant alien robots do crap, not some whiny college grad complain about not being able to get a good job.
I'd almost rate this as not worth seeing, but I already hear rumors of a fourth movie, and I'll bet (at least I hope) that the fourth will build on the third and actually produce a story worth seeing.
I was not overjoyed with this movie, and my friends weren't all that impressed either as I recall. I'd advise waiting on a rental with this one. Really. Seriously. Unless you have kids that wanna see it, then of course you're at the whim of your kids.
That's about all I can say on this one.
Definitely more action, but the overall entertainment value is still a bit low. Lots of good chuckles throughout the movie, and couple minor plot twists caught my attention, but overall I see it as another failure to live up to expectations. I very much wanted to like and enjoy this movie as I like the Transformers franchise and all, but this again just felt like an average-effort film like the first one was.
The long and the short:
The Autobots get pissed off when they discover that they're USA friends haven't been sharing everything they know, namely that an Autobot ship was discovered crashed on the moon, and that's why we went to the moon... Not to beat the Russians, but to beat the Russians to the crashed alien ship.
Turns out that ship carried one of the Autobots greatest inventors/scientists (familiar voice on this guy too for you Star Trek fans out there) who was transporting a weapon, the greatest and best hope that Autobots had of winning the war.
Turns out to be not true. This weapon was being handed over to the Decepticons. Apparently a deal was struck, and the idea was that this so-called weapon (it's not) would be used to enslave all the humans on Earth, and put them to work at rebuilding Cybertron.
Well now that Autobots have to destroy the devices instead of try to recover them in order to save humanity again (which they do).
New characters are introduced on both sides of the fence, only for us to see some of them get killed off later on.
No real change to the underlying plot (good vs. evil on the giant-robot-scale), and in my mind at least they failed to actually move the overall story along. The first hour was more than boring but not by much, and they spent way, WAY too much time on the Sam kid again. I'm here to see giant alien robots do crap, not some whiny college grad complain about not being able to get a good job.
I'd almost rate this as not worth seeing, but I already hear rumors of a fourth movie, and I'll bet (at least I hope) that the fourth will build on the third and actually produce a story worth seeing.
I was not overjoyed with this movie, and my friends weren't all that impressed either as I recall. I'd advise waiting on a rental with this one. Really. Seriously. Unless you have kids that wanna see it, then of course you're at the whim of your kids.
Captain America: The First Avenger
OK, this wasn't bad, but it was very SLOOOWWW for most of the movie. If you don't know any of the history of Captain America (I know some) then the first hour of the movie is for you. Pay attention; people show up and things happen for a reason, and you'll see them again later in the film.
There were a couple funny spots that got a few chuckles from the crowd, sections of it though were almost annoying. The long montages detracted from the film for me, but they do get the point across that time is passing and things are happening and stuff. I did also note a few discrepancies within the film itself. There are times when Cap's shield deflects stuff and he doesn't even look like he felt it, and then later he's deflecting the same kind of big stuff and getting tossed around by it. Kinda seems to be a contradiction in there.
We do see how Steve Rogers ended up getting into the Army, and how he was selected for the Super Soldier program (and they spend a lot of time making all that happen). And then they spend a lot of time (and another long montage) about how Cap isn't happy with his assigned role as spokesman and entertainer. Then you actually get some action, and see something of what he can do. Then you get to see him go after the Red Skull (bad guy). Then go after him again (in another long montage), and then have a not-quite-epic-and-somewhat-boring boss battle at almost the end, where Cap than makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Make sure you stay through ALL the credits. You'll also need to see this so that the Avengers movie that comes out next year will make some sense (along with Thor, the Incredible Hulk, and perhaps both Iron Man movies).
There were a couple funny spots that got a few chuckles from the crowd, sections of it though were almost annoying. The long montages detracted from the film for me, but they do get the point across that time is passing and things are happening and stuff. I did also note a few discrepancies within the film itself. There are times when Cap's shield deflects stuff and he doesn't even look like he felt it, and then later he's deflecting the same kind of big stuff and getting tossed around by it. Kinda seems to be a contradiction in there.
We do see how Steve Rogers ended up getting into the Army, and how he was selected for the Super Soldier program (and they spend a lot of time making all that happen). And then they spend a lot of time (and another long montage) about how Cap isn't happy with his assigned role as spokesman and entertainer. Then you actually get some action, and see something of what he can do. Then you get to see him go after the Red Skull (bad guy). Then go after him again (in another long montage), and then have a not-quite-epic-and-somewhat-boring boss battle at almost the end, where Cap than makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Make sure you stay through ALL the credits. You'll also need to see this so that the Avengers movie that comes out next year will make some sense (along with Thor, the Incredible Hulk, and perhaps both Iron Man movies).
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2
I'm keeping this brief.
Lots of people rave about how great this was, fitting end to the series, etc. etc.
I'm not raving. In fact, I thought it was all a bit anti-climatic honestly. You know Voldemort is gonna lose, that's a given (Harry and friends always triumph in the end). Based on previews alone, you can see that the school is gonna get messed up, big fight and all that. I was looking forward to all that and thought it would happen based on how solemn and uneventful Part 1 was.
Well, they did have a big fight, and it was utterly predictable. There were a couple minor but interesting twists here and there, and if you weren't paying attention you'd miss them. Also a few chuckles, the (brief) return of a couple familiar faces and the like.
But really, the climax of the film was predictable at every step of the way and was far too short (and in my opinion too simple) to be a fitting end to the film series. I mean, seriously, your supposed to be beating up and defeating THE wizard of the century! Shouldn't the fight reflect that?
Still it was entertaining, and if your a die-hard HP fan then see it on the big screen while you still have time. For those interested in seeing how everything turns out but not interested enough to shell out about $20 per person to see it (ticket, food, etc.) then I'd wait for a Redbox rental or something.
I wasn't impressed with the film but I was entertained enough to not be unhappy that I spent all that money to see it in the expensive theater in our area (at least I was comfortable while watching it).
I know that Maryanne, Dean, Juliet, Mike and a few others will probably disagree with me on most of these points, but hey I'm the one writing the review, right? :) Really though, it was a pretty decent movie, I just wish they'd have done more with it since it is the final chapter and all.
Lots of people rave about how great this was, fitting end to the series, etc. etc.
I'm not raving. In fact, I thought it was all a bit anti-climatic honestly. You know Voldemort is gonna lose, that's a given (Harry and friends always triumph in the end). Based on previews alone, you can see that the school is gonna get messed up, big fight and all that. I was looking forward to all that and thought it would happen based on how solemn and uneventful Part 1 was.
Well, they did have a big fight, and it was utterly predictable. There were a couple minor but interesting twists here and there, and if you weren't paying attention you'd miss them. Also a few chuckles, the (brief) return of a couple familiar faces and the like.
But really, the climax of the film was predictable at every step of the way and was far too short (and in my opinion too simple) to be a fitting end to the film series. I mean, seriously, your supposed to be beating up and defeating THE wizard of the century! Shouldn't the fight reflect that?
Still it was entertaining, and if your a die-hard HP fan then see it on the big screen while you still have time. For those interested in seeing how everything turns out but not interested enough to shell out about $20 per person to see it (ticket, food, etc.) then I'd wait for a Redbox rental or something.
I wasn't impressed with the film but I was entertained enough to not be unhappy that I spent all that money to see it in the expensive theater in our area (at least I was comfortable while watching it).
I know that Maryanne, Dean, Juliet, Mike and a few others will probably disagree with me on most of these points, but hey I'm the one writing the review, right? :) Really though, it was a pretty decent movie, I just wish they'd have done more with it since it is the final chapter and all.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
DVD's we purchased recently
Over the last week we purchased Voyage of the Dawn Treader on Blu-ray (third Narnia movie), Tron (re-release) on DVD and Tron: Legacy on Blu-ray.
We really liked Legacy, saw it in 3D in the theater the weekend it opened (don't know if we had a review up for that or not, I can't recall and I don't have time to look). The Blu-ray doesn't disappoint either; we got the 4-disc set with all the extras. Seems there is a short film on there called The Day After where they try to piece together everything that happened from the end of the first movie up to the end of this one, and then show how the characters are moving the next day to make change for the better. They also introduce a couple new faces that I wouldn't be surprised to see in a third Tron film.
Tron we bought just because it's hard to find now. Yeah it's cheesy and campy and such, the effects aren't great by today's standards and such, but to know one you have to know the other. That and I still get a little bit of the child-like awe and wonder when I watch it (I was a child when it first came out, and like Star Wars I had to see it more than once).
Dawn Treader we missed in the theaters (our fault, got distracted with trying to buy a house and all) and since we liked the first two we figured we couldn't go wrong with just buying the third and be done with it. Mistake one - watch it before you buy it. I wasn't thrilled after seeing this movie. It seems to me that they're just retreading (no pun intended) the same style or type of story over and over. This one was very predictable, I seem to have missed the climax (or didn't realize it occurred when it did) and I kept waiting for the end (which was also predictable). I haven't read all of the books for this series so I'm not familiar with it, and yet I seem to be able to nail down within 80% or more what is going to happen in each scene with this movie series. Very disappointing that is.
That's it for the TCR Week on Disc (had to come up with a name didn't I??). We'll do more DVD and Blu-ray reviews as we see or purchase them.
We really liked Legacy, saw it in 3D in the theater the weekend it opened (don't know if we had a review up for that or not, I can't recall and I don't have time to look). The Blu-ray doesn't disappoint either; we got the 4-disc set with all the extras. Seems there is a short film on there called The Day After where they try to piece together everything that happened from the end of the first movie up to the end of this one, and then show how the characters are moving the next day to make change for the better. They also introduce a couple new faces that I wouldn't be surprised to see in a third Tron film.
Tron we bought just because it's hard to find now. Yeah it's cheesy and campy and such, the effects aren't great by today's standards and such, but to know one you have to know the other. That and I still get a little bit of the child-like awe and wonder when I watch it (I was a child when it first came out, and like Star Wars I had to see it more than once).
Dawn Treader we missed in the theaters (our fault, got distracted with trying to buy a house and all) and since we liked the first two we figured we couldn't go wrong with just buying the third and be done with it. Mistake one - watch it before you buy it. I wasn't thrilled after seeing this movie. It seems to me that they're just retreading (no pun intended) the same style or type of story over and over. This one was very predictable, I seem to have missed the climax (or didn't realize it occurred when it did) and I kept waiting for the end (which was also predictable). I haven't read all of the books for this series so I'm not familiar with it, and yet I seem to be able to nail down within 80% or more what is going to happen in each scene with this movie series. Very disappointing that is.
That's it for the TCR Week on Disc (had to come up with a name didn't I??). We'll do more DVD and Blu-ray reviews as we see or purchase them.
Limitless
Movie - Give it a B- overall.
It was interesting, thoughtful and thought provoking, but not an action flick or high drama kind of thing. I'd still try to see it in the theater before it goes away, and it's definately worth a $1 rental when the DVD comes out. Don't think I'll be buying it because to me it feels like a movie you see once in a great while. By the time it shows up on TV, I'll have forgotten enough about it to be interested in seeing it again, but probably not before.
Still, we did enjoy the film and are both glad to have seen it in the theater. I'd suggest a matinee for the theater as well.
It was interesting, thoughtful and thought provoking, but not an action flick or high drama kind of thing. I'd still try to see it in the theater before it goes away, and it's definately worth a $1 rental when the DVD comes out. Don't think I'll be buying it because to me it feels like a movie you see once in a great while. By the time it shows up on TV, I'll have forgotten enough about it to be interested in seeing it again, but probably not before.
Still, we did enjoy the film and are both glad to have seen it in the theater. I'd suggest a matinee for the theater as well.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Legacy Suites hotel
From a friend:
STAY AWAY. Front desk is not staffed at night. Rooms take forever to get cleaned. If your room key fails, or something is broke, or you really truly need assistance from someone on the staff, YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.
Our friend paid for a room, showed up at 3pm to check-in. Room wasn't cleaned yet, come back at 4.
They went back at 4, still not clean. But they can drop they're luggage in the room and go to dinner. Hours later, the room is completely clean, but there are no linens in the room.
After hours of trying to find someone to help them, they found a hotel staff person to finally get them some linens (which the people just left in the room, didn't make the beds or provide complete sets of linens or anything).
Our friend called it the worst stay ever, the equivalent of 'Hotel Nightmares'.
STAY AWAY. Front desk is not staffed at night. Rooms take forever to get cleaned. If your room key fails, or something is broke, or you really truly need assistance from someone on the staff, YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.
Our friend paid for a room, showed up at 3pm to check-in. Room wasn't cleaned yet, come back at 4.
They went back at 4, still not clean. But they can drop they're luggage in the room and go to dinner. Hours later, the room is completely clean, but there are no linens in the room.
After hours of trying to find someone to help them, they found a hotel staff person to finally get them some linens (which the people just left in the room, didn't make the beds or provide complete sets of linens or anything).
Our friend called it the worst stay ever, the equivalent of 'Hotel Nightmares'.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
RED on Bluray
Just bought this last weekend.
The Bluray is kinda disappointing. Most Bluray disc's have all kinds of extras and stuff on them. This one is very lacking.
Still a good movie Though.
The Bluray is kinda disappointing. Most Bluray disc's have all kinds of extras and stuff on them. This one is very lacking.
Still a good movie Though.
Fogo de Chão; Second Coming
Grade: C
For Valentines Day, she decided we'd go to Fogo again to give it a second chance and such.
We went on the Friday evening before Valentine's, had an 8pm reservation. We arrived quite a bit early actually, so sat in the small bar area again while we waited for our table.
They were very busy just like last time, even this late at night on a Friday.
If you've read our previous review, then not much has changed.
The salad bar was the same as before.
The meat however was better. I don't know how or why but every piece of meat of every type had such flavor! Tasty, juicy, so very tender. Until it cooled off a bit that is, then all you tasted was meat and salt. Lots of salt. The cooled or cold pieces were next to inedible they had so much salt on them. We know about cooking meat with salt and do so ourselves. The apparent difference is that we don't use a pound of salt on a pound of meat. Really, it was that bad.
We also had similar service issues as before. We asked for a wine list and after getting it we were ignored. We had to flag down a server to order a bottle. Also, she had finished her salad portion before I did (I was eating slow) so she received a new plate and started getting meat right away. When I finished, I had to wait and wait. It was when we finally made order bottle order that we had to mention that I was ready for the meat course, after which I got a new plate. 20 minutes this all took, and that's just plain ridiculous.
The other issue is that many times, when we both had our cards turned to green (meaning 'please bring me more meat'), someone would stop and offer meat to her, but not to me. This didn't happen just once, but four times. Our cards were both on the same side of the table, both plainly visible, and yet I wasn't getting any food. The other issue follows this same line as meat would come out of the kitchen and walk right past our table. Repeatedly. We had right about 15 minutes at one point where we were not offered or asked about meat, and no one stopped at our table.
Speaking of tables, why are they so very close together. There is no hope of a private conversation (see our last post about the noise; still present) and since the tables are so close, the servers and meat guys and such were persistently bumping or moving my chair all evening. Makes it hard to eat when your chair suddenly moves as your raising your fork or glass.
All and all, it was a mostly pleasant evening, and she enjoyed our dining experience. I was a little distracted by lack of food, lack of drink at one point, and constantly being bumped and shoved, but the food was still quite good.
At this point, I think Fogo will become a once or twice a year visit for us. Other places offer better service, some offer better food, etc. but the experience of Fogo is part of the draw I think, and just for that change of pace would be the only real reason I'd go back again. For this visit, I don't think it was quite worth the price for all the hassles and failures.
For Valentines Day, she decided we'd go to Fogo again to give it a second chance and such.
We went on the Friday evening before Valentine's, had an 8pm reservation. We arrived quite a bit early actually, so sat in the small bar area again while we waited for our table.
They were very busy just like last time, even this late at night on a Friday.
If you've read our previous review, then not much has changed.
The salad bar was the same as before.
The meat however was better. I don't know how or why but every piece of meat of every type had such flavor! Tasty, juicy, so very tender. Until it cooled off a bit that is, then all you tasted was meat and salt. Lots of salt. The cooled or cold pieces were next to inedible they had so much salt on them. We know about cooking meat with salt and do so ourselves. The apparent difference is that we don't use a pound of salt on a pound of meat. Really, it was that bad.
We also had similar service issues as before. We asked for a wine list and after getting it we were ignored. We had to flag down a server to order a bottle. Also, she had finished her salad portion before I did (I was eating slow) so she received a new plate and started getting meat right away. When I finished, I had to wait and wait. It was when we finally made order bottle order that we had to mention that I was ready for the meat course, after which I got a new plate. 20 minutes this all took, and that's just plain ridiculous.
The other issue is that many times, when we both had our cards turned to green (meaning 'please bring me more meat'), someone would stop and offer meat to her, but not to me. This didn't happen just once, but four times. Our cards were both on the same side of the table, both plainly visible, and yet I wasn't getting any food. The other issue follows this same line as meat would come out of the kitchen and walk right past our table. Repeatedly. We had right about 15 minutes at one point where we were not offered or asked about meat, and no one stopped at our table.
Speaking of tables, why are they so very close together. There is no hope of a private conversation (see our last post about the noise; still present) and since the tables are so close, the servers and meat guys and such were persistently bumping or moving my chair all evening. Makes it hard to eat when your chair suddenly moves as your raising your fork or glass.
All and all, it was a mostly pleasant evening, and she enjoyed our dining experience. I was a little distracted by lack of food, lack of drink at one point, and constantly being bumped and shoved, but the food was still quite good.
At this point, I think Fogo will become a once or twice a year visit for us. Other places offer better service, some offer better food, etc. but the experience of Fogo is part of the draw I think, and just for that change of pace would be the only real reason I'd go back again. For this visit, I don't think it was quite worth the price for all the hassles and failures.
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