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...
Showing posts with label recommended. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recommended. Show all posts
Monday, December 26, 2011
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?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tin Cup - July 26
Definately an A- or an A
Tin Cup closed quite a few months back, and we had eaten there once before we started doing these reviews. Suffice it to say it was dark, dark, more dark, and not worth the money for the slop you got for food.
New owners came in, did a bit of remodeling, added some much needed windows and paint, new furnishings, did away with the smallish buffet-style table thingy in the back, revamped the menu and many other changes.
Walking in this time, we wouldn't have recognized the place from our prior visit.
In short: The food was great, the service good to great, the drinks were tasty (we only had a few, but it was a varied selection on her part). We used to think Matt's Bar in Minneapolis had the best Juicy Lucy (or Jucy Lucy if your a Matt's regular) but the same burger here will easily give Matt's a run for the money. Bigger, meatier, and terribly tasty (I almost had 2, which would've also meant I'd have to be rolled back out to the car as I'd not've been able to walk). The fries are tasty, even the cheese curds were tasty (though I didn't get the ranch dressing the menu says they come with, still good without it).
The bartender was chatty, well informed, and apparently worked at Tin Cup before it closed as he knew quite a few things about the prior owners and how things were operated and such. He was friendly and outgoing and we enjoyed chatting with him.
The liquor selection seems smallish, but I'll bet that once word starts to spread about the new Tin Cup and business starts to pickup and they've got more money to spend on supplies, that selection will grow as will the menu.
The current menu is not large but is varied. They had a selection of sandwiches and wraps, 4 versions of the Juicy Lucy (try the Lucifer), and a small selection of appetizers. I also noticed upon entering that they seem to have a nightly or weekly special as a lighted sign was advertising an entree that wasn't on the menu.
We will DEFINITELY be back here again, and soon. The place looks good (a nearly 100% turn-around from our prior visit), the food was good, the service was good, the drinks were good... it was all just good! Such a pleasent experience considering the kind of garbage we usually run into at most other restaurants.
We both really do recommend you try it out at least once, and form your own opinion (I'll bet you'll give them at least a B rating).
As proof of that, here's where it is:
Google Map Link to Tin Cup
Tin Cup closed quite a few months back, and we had eaten there once before we started doing these reviews. Suffice it to say it was dark, dark, more dark, and not worth the money for the slop you got for food.
New owners came in, did a bit of remodeling, added some much needed windows and paint, new furnishings, did away with the smallish buffet-style table thingy in the back, revamped the menu and many other changes.
Walking in this time, we wouldn't have recognized the place from our prior visit.
In short: The food was great, the service good to great, the drinks were tasty (we only had a few, but it was a varied selection on her part). We used to think Matt's Bar in Minneapolis had the best Juicy Lucy (or Jucy Lucy if your a Matt's regular) but the same burger here will easily give Matt's a run for the money. Bigger, meatier, and terribly tasty (I almost had 2, which would've also meant I'd have to be rolled back out to the car as I'd not've been able to walk). The fries are tasty, even the cheese curds were tasty (though I didn't get the ranch dressing the menu says they come with, still good without it).
The bartender was chatty, well informed, and apparently worked at Tin Cup before it closed as he knew quite a few things about the prior owners and how things were operated and such. He was friendly and outgoing and we enjoyed chatting with him.
The liquor selection seems smallish, but I'll bet that once word starts to spread about the new Tin Cup and business starts to pickup and they've got more money to spend on supplies, that selection will grow as will the menu.
The current menu is not large but is varied. They had a selection of sandwiches and wraps, 4 versions of the Juicy Lucy (try the Lucifer), and a small selection of appetizers. I also noticed upon entering that they seem to have a nightly or weekly special as a lighted sign was advertising an entree that wasn't on the menu.
We will DEFINITELY be back here again, and soon. The place looks good (a nearly 100% turn-around from our prior visit), the food was good, the service was good, the drinks were good... it was all just good! Such a pleasent experience considering the kind of garbage we usually run into at most other restaurants.
We both really do recommend you try it out at least once, and form your own opinion (I'll bet you'll give them at least a B rating).
As proof of that, here's where it is:
Google Map Link to Tin Cup
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Must own, no. Would I mind owning it? I'll buy a previously viewed DVD form the local video store like we did for the fourth Indiana Jones movie ($3.99!!).
Not to spoil things, but this movie isn't the Joe's against Cobra. Cobra doesn't exist (yet) so you get to see the precursor to that.
If your familiar at all with G.I. Joe from the cartoons back in the 70's & 80's, then you'll recognize some of the character names while watching this. A number of your old favorites do NOT make an appearance in this film, but that is somewhat understandable since this isn't the whole Good Guys vs. the persistent Bad Guys yet (no Cobra).
Still, it was quite entertaining overall. I thought they did a pretty good job of bringing the franchise up to date, and found some good people to play the key roles for the most part. Some of the history has been altered, and I can kinda see why it was done that way. Those alterations do a good job of explaining why certain 'outside military' personnel were brought in to the fold, and also does a good job of setting up for future movies in the line.
To keep things short: Duke was seeing this girl, and this girl's brother was a geek assigned to his team for some operation overseas. Things went bad and the brother died. The girl went all Gothic and evil on Duke, and went to the dark side unbeknownst to him.
A few years later, Duke and his team are charged with transporting some new weapon the Gov just bought, and his ex-girl shows up to take his new toys. The Joe's show up during this fight, and Duke and his buddy end up joining them since he has some history with her.
Turns out the ex-girl is working for the really bad guy, and he has lots of other really bad guys working for him. Remember Snake Eyes from the cartoon? He has a 'brother' who's one of the bad guys, and they duke it out at the end. The head bad guy turns out to be Destro, and the dead-brother ain't so dead, and he becomes The Commander (and creates Cobra from the ashes of the other lead bad guy's remains).
Of course the movie does end there, but the writers or whoever built-in a couple spots were a sequel can show up, and I expect there will be at least one.
Overall the movie was good, entertaining and mostly well thought out. There aren't many plot twists, but they are creative and thought out. The movie ended up being mostly predictable for me, but I enjoyed many a school morning watching cartoons before heading out for the day, and G.I. Joe was one of them so I'm still pretty well versed on the history and people involved.
If some friends wanted to go see it again in the theater, I probably would. And when it comes out on video (provided there isn't some big deal alternate version or something on Blu-ray) I'll most likely stop at the video store and get a previously viewed DVD. The movie wasn't bad, but I can't see spending $40 on a Blu-ray disc for it (unlike Ironman which I bought on DVD and then later on Blu-ray, gave the DVD to my parents).
Your kids would like seeing this movie I think. It's high tech, but not so technical that young teens wouldn't understand what's going on (provided they like this kind of movie).
The special effects and overall cinematic experience can't be ignored though. If your going to see this movie, try to catch it in a good theater before the run ends. It'll make a difference.
Not to spoil things, but this movie isn't the Joe's against Cobra. Cobra doesn't exist (yet) so you get to see the precursor to that.
If your familiar at all with G.I. Joe from the cartoons back in the 70's & 80's, then you'll recognize some of the character names while watching this. A number of your old favorites do NOT make an appearance in this film, but that is somewhat understandable since this isn't the whole Good Guys vs. the persistent Bad Guys yet (no Cobra).
Still, it was quite entertaining overall. I thought they did a pretty good job of bringing the franchise up to date, and found some good people to play the key roles for the most part. Some of the history has been altered, and I can kinda see why it was done that way. Those alterations do a good job of explaining why certain 'outside military' personnel were brought in to the fold, and also does a good job of setting up for future movies in the line.
To keep things short: Duke was seeing this girl, and this girl's brother was a geek assigned to his team for some operation overseas. Things went bad and the brother died. The girl went all Gothic and evil on Duke, and went to the dark side unbeknownst to him.
A few years later, Duke and his team are charged with transporting some new weapon the Gov just bought, and his ex-girl shows up to take his new toys. The Joe's show up during this fight, and Duke and his buddy end up joining them since he has some history with her.
Turns out the ex-girl is working for the really bad guy, and he has lots of other really bad guys working for him. Remember Snake Eyes from the cartoon? He has a 'brother' who's one of the bad guys, and they duke it out at the end. The head bad guy turns out to be Destro, and the dead-brother ain't so dead, and he becomes The Commander (and creates Cobra from the ashes of the other lead bad guy's remains).
Of course the movie does end there, but the writers or whoever built-in a couple spots were a sequel can show up, and I expect there will be at least one.
Overall the movie was good, entertaining and mostly well thought out. There aren't many plot twists, but they are creative and thought out. The movie ended up being mostly predictable for me, but I enjoyed many a school morning watching cartoons before heading out for the day, and G.I. Joe was one of them so I'm still pretty well versed on the history and people involved.
If some friends wanted to go see it again in the theater, I probably would. And when it comes out on video (provided there isn't some big deal alternate version or something on Blu-ray) I'll most likely stop at the video store and get a previously viewed DVD. The movie wasn't bad, but I can't see spending $40 on a Blu-ray disc for it (unlike Ironman which I bought on DVD and then later on Blu-ray, gave the DVD to my parents).
Your kids would like seeing this movie I think. It's high tech, but not so technical that young teens wouldn't understand what's going on (provided they like this kind of movie).
The special effects and overall cinematic experience can't be ignored though. If your going to see this movie, try to catch it in a good theater before the run ends. It'll make a difference.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Melting Pot
Her perspective: A
I think this is the first time I've given out an A!
I went for Ladies Night with four friends. Apparently, they do special events the last Tuesday of every month, but it is VERY hard to get in on these nights. You need to be getting their newsletter and call for reservations as soon as you see it pop into your inbox.
I arrived at 4:30 and my friends showed up shortly thereafter. I was asked to wait in the lounge until a majority of my party had arrived. No problem, they were close behind. I went to a bar table and the bartender came right over with a sheet explaining all the specials and events for Ladies Night. They happened to have a German Riesling on special, so I ordered that. My friends all got the Love Martini when they arrived.
We then walked back up to the host stand and were seated immediately. The host advised us to be careful sliding into the booth as you can hit your knees on the heating elements under the table. Our server came over quickly to make sure we were all set with drinks and understood how everything worked. As there were 5 of us, we were allowed two choices of cheese (appetizer), two choices of broth (for cooking the meat), and two choices of chocolate (their term for dessert, but not all the choices are chocolate).
We selected the fiesta cheese, which can be adjusted according to your taste for spicyness, and the spinach/artichoke. I don't like artichokes, but you couldn't taste them and there was a lot of garlic in it, so I actually liked that one better than the fiesta cheese. We had bread, apples and vegetables for dipping.
The two broths we got were their standard vegetable broth and a carribean style broth. They were both good, but I liked the citrus of the carribean style better. The meats were shrimp, chicken and teriyaki-marinated beef. We ended up popping the meat that was left over into each of the broths to take home.
For the chocolates, we got the Bananas Foster and the Turtle. Both were flambe'd at the table. The Bananas Foster was WONDERFUL, but both could have been hotter in temperature. We had bananas, strawberries, cheesecake, pineapple and marshmallows covered in cinnamon or in chocolate. Very tasty!
We had a manager come over as we were waiting for our cheeses to ask if our server had explained everything and asked questions to make sure we understood. He was very welcoming, gave his name (Randy) and stated that if we needed anything, we could just let him know.
Our server was there every time we needed anything, checked back as appropriate without being overbearing and just made sure we were having a good time. He explained what he was doing as he was doing it - all food is prepared at the table. He even told us that we could trip any employee passing by if we needed anything and he wasn't there... :)
The bussers were exactly where they needed to be, ready to take empty plates/dirty dishes and were quick about it so they weren't in our way.
After our chocolate, we stopped Randy and had him take pictures with several different cameras. He was more than happy to oblige and made a raunchy joke without realizing it which had us just about in tears.
The only deterrent to this night was the amount of time it took to get our checks and get our payment processed. We were there for 3 1/2 hours and all of us had to work early the next morning, so we were anxious to go at that point.
However, the whole experience was very well worth it. It is fairly pricey, but we loved it. What are you waiting for?
I think this is the first time I've given out an A!
I went for Ladies Night with four friends. Apparently, they do special events the last Tuesday of every month, but it is VERY hard to get in on these nights. You need to be getting their newsletter and call for reservations as soon as you see it pop into your inbox.
I arrived at 4:30 and my friends showed up shortly thereafter. I was asked to wait in the lounge until a majority of my party had arrived. No problem, they were close behind. I went to a bar table and the bartender came right over with a sheet explaining all the specials and events for Ladies Night. They happened to have a German Riesling on special, so I ordered that. My friends all got the Love Martini when they arrived.
We then walked back up to the host stand and were seated immediately. The host advised us to be careful sliding into the booth as you can hit your knees on the heating elements under the table. Our server came over quickly to make sure we were all set with drinks and understood how everything worked. As there were 5 of us, we were allowed two choices of cheese (appetizer), two choices of broth (for cooking the meat), and two choices of chocolate (their term for dessert, but not all the choices are chocolate).
We selected the fiesta cheese, which can be adjusted according to your taste for spicyness, and the spinach/artichoke. I don't like artichokes, but you couldn't taste them and there was a lot of garlic in it, so I actually liked that one better than the fiesta cheese. We had bread, apples and vegetables for dipping.
The two broths we got were their standard vegetable broth and a carribean style broth. They were both good, but I liked the citrus of the carribean style better. The meats were shrimp, chicken and teriyaki-marinated beef. We ended up popping the meat that was left over into each of the broths to take home.
For the chocolates, we got the Bananas Foster and the Turtle. Both were flambe'd at the table. The Bananas Foster was WONDERFUL, but both could have been hotter in temperature. We had bananas, strawberries, cheesecake, pineapple and marshmallows covered in cinnamon or in chocolate. Very tasty!
We had a manager come over as we were waiting for our cheeses to ask if our server had explained everything and asked questions to make sure we understood. He was very welcoming, gave his name (Randy) and stated that if we needed anything, we could just let him know.
Our server was there every time we needed anything, checked back as appropriate without being overbearing and just made sure we were having a good time. He explained what he was doing as he was doing it - all food is prepared at the table. He even told us that we could trip any employee passing by if we needed anything and he wasn't there... :)
The bussers were exactly where they needed to be, ready to take empty plates/dirty dishes and were quick about it so they weren't in our way.
After our chocolate, we stopped Randy and had him take pictures with several different cameras. He was more than happy to oblige and made a raunchy joke without realizing it which had us just about in tears.
The only deterrent to this night was the amount of time it took to get our checks and get our payment processed. We were there for 3 1/2 hours and all of us had to work early the next morning, so we were anxious to go at that point.
However, the whole experience was very well worth it. It is fairly pricey, but we loved it. What are you waiting for?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Star Trek
This was odd for me. I'm not a huge fanboy of Star Trek or anything like that, but I've seen enough of it often enough to have a good feel for the 'universe' and history of Star Trek.
That said, they've just rewrote the book.
Lots of TV shows and stuff talked about this movie as a prequel to the rest of everything (Trek before Trek ever was I guess). It's not a prequel. Don't go into it thinking that or you'll be disappointed if you do (ask Maryanne about that).
This movie was really quite good (note: not GREAT). The writers have taken a very special opportunity (to me it seems that way) to reinvent the entire series all over again. Of course, they use time travel to set the whole thing up (seems to be a rather large crutch the writers continually fall back to) but it still works alright if you just let it be.
The interesting thing with this is that now future teams of writers can do whole new stories, create an entirely new history basically, for all of Star Trek. Hopefully, that's what everybody was thinking when they were writing and shooting this, and they'll jump on the possibility of creating a more up-to-date version of Star Trek for the movie theaters in the years to come.
I'm not dropping specific spoilers (just in case your one of the 17 people in the world that hasn't seen this yet) but it's still not the greatest movie it could've been.
Still, I'm getting this on Blu-ray when it's out.
That said, they've just rewrote the book.
Lots of TV shows and stuff talked about this movie as a prequel to the rest of everything (Trek before Trek ever was I guess). It's not a prequel. Don't go into it thinking that or you'll be disappointed if you do (ask Maryanne about that).
This movie was really quite good (note: not GREAT). The writers have taken a very special opportunity (to me it seems that way) to reinvent the entire series all over again. Of course, they use time travel to set the whole thing up (seems to be a rather large crutch the writers continually fall back to) but it still works alright if you just let it be.
The interesting thing with this is that now future teams of writers can do whole new stories, create an entirely new history basically, for all of Star Trek. Hopefully, that's what everybody was thinking when they were writing and shooting this, and they'll jump on the possibility of creating a more up-to-date version of Star Trek for the movie theaters in the years to come.
I'm not dropping specific spoilers (just in case your one of the 17 people in the world that hasn't seen this yet) but it's still not the greatest movie it could've been.
Still, I'm getting this on Blu-ray when it's out.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Rent - June 21
Her Perspective: B+
I went to see this with a couple of girlfriends of mine. I have seen this show before at the same venue and neither of my friends really knew anything about it. The last time I saw Rent, they were having horrible sound issues and I couldn't hear a word, much less be able to hear how good (or bad) the performers were.
If you don't know anything about this show, I'd advise you to at least read the story line before you go. The way it's written, there are times when several people are singing at once and you can't distinguish what each one is saying, so the story line gets a little lost. That comment came directly from one of my friends, so it's not just me. Add in the adrenaline of the performers and the band and it can really take off so fast that the audience may be left confused.
However, the Ordway usually does shows very well and they were able to keep the pace down for the most part. The stage was set up very well and allowed the action to flow well between scenes. This is very important for this particular show since it moves very fast. The lighting was great. Good effects and we had no trouble seeing anything.
The actors were fantastic! Anwar Robinson was in the role of Tom Collins. You may remember Anwar from the 5th season of American Idol (I know I remembered him). Although he was technically flawless in his singing, he wasn't very believable as a gay man. His body language kept giving him away. The actor playing Angel was awesome! He had extremely high energy, as did the rest of the cast. The actors playing Mark and Roger (the main characters) have exceptional voices that blended perfectly.
Angel's death scene was quite odd. They had him standing on a table with people sitting around him that had a white parachute over their heads and were moving their arms and heads around, making the parachute move. I suppose they were supposed to be clouds, but it all looked very weird. Honestly, that is the only criticism I have of the director.
One note: Usually I get lost in shows like this and I feel like I'm a character in the show, just watching. However, for some reason, I wasn't drawn into this show. I'm not sure why. There was nothing really wrong with it. Perhaps it's just my state of mind and stress level right now.
Overall, I would highly recommend this show. The Ordway does shows very well and it is a good choice for venue if you like the theater.
I went to see this with a couple of girlfriends of mine. I have seen this show before at the same venue and neither of my friends really knew anything about it. The last time I saw Rent, they were having horrible sound issues and I couldn't hear a word, much less be able to hear how good (or bad) the performers were.
If you don't know anything about this show, I'd advise you to at least read the story line before you go. The way it's written, there are times when several people are singing at once and you can't distinguish what each one is saying, so the story line gets a little lost. That comment came directly from one of my friends, so it's not just me. Add in the adrenaline of the performers and the band and it can really take off so fast that the audience may be left confused.
However, the Ordway usually does shows very well and they were able to keep the pace down for the most part. The stage was set up very well and allowed the action to flow well between scenes. This is very important for this particular show since it moves very fast. The lighting was great. Good effects and we had no trouble seeing anything.
The actors were fantastic! Anwar Robinson was in the role of Tom Collins. You may remember Anwar from the 5th season of American Idol (I know I remembered him). Although he was technically flawless in his singing, he wasn't very believable as a gay man. His body language kept giving him away. The actor playing Angel was awesome! He had extremely high energy, as did the rest of the cast. The actors playing Mark and Roger (the main characters) have exceptional voices that blended perfectly.
Angel's death scene was quite odd. They had him standing on a table with people sitting around him that had a white parachute over their heads and were moving their arms and heads around, making the parachute move. I suppose they were supposed to be clouds, but it all looked very weird. Honestly, that is the only criticism I have of the director.
One note: Usually I get lost in shows like this and I feel like I'm a character in the show, just watching. However, for some reason, I wasn't drawn into this show. I'm not sure why. There was nothing really wrong with it. Perhaps it's just my state of mind and stress level right now.
Overall, I would highly recommend this show. The Ordway does shows very well and it is a good choice for venue if you like the theater.
Friday, May 09, 2008
IRONMAN
If you haven't seen this yet, what the heck are you waiting for????? First really, truly good movie I've seen in a couple years. We're planning on seeing it again tomorrow!
When I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was playing Tony Stark, I was a bit worried. I've seen Downey in a couple other action-type movies (like US Marshalls for example) and was not impressed. He did ok in those, but that's about the best I could say.
He was PERFECT for Tony Stark. His style of humor delivery fit perfect, and he was believable as Stark. I was quite surprised, and happy to be.
I was a slight bit annoyed with the way Pepper was written, but it still works with this movie.
YOu have to understand that I'm a Marvel fan and I'm quite familiar with the backstory for Ironman. This script changed a few things here and there, and took a few liberties with established history of Ironman, but again for this movie it works quite well, and I found myself very engrossed throughout the entire movie (first time in years too).
Oh, if you haven't seen the movie yet, please do yourself a favor and STAY SEATED UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE DONE. Little bonus for you after the credits, which also points the way to a couple more movies in the future.
I really, really enjoyed this movie. Maryanne really enjoyed this movie (which was a bit surprising as well). All of our friends and their kids that we saw this with really enjoyed the movie. The special effects were quite good, though noticable in a few places. The story was well done, and we even get introduced to a few 'future' characters like War Machine.
This is a must see. It's also a must own. For me, it's a must see again. I really hope they get the DVD out later this year.
Go see this movie. Unless you don't like Ironman, or don't like comics, or don't like action movies, or don't like fight scenes, or don't like real character developement, then don't.
But trust me, you'll like this movie anyway. GO! Do yourself a favor and catch it in a theater before it ends its run.
When I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was playing Tony Stark, I was a bit worried. I've seen Downey in a couple other action-type movies (like US Marshalls for example) and was not impressed. He did ok in those, but that's about the best I could say.
He was PERFECT for Tony Stark. His style of humor delivery fit perfect, and he was believable as Stark. I was quite surprised, and happy to be.
I was a slight bit annoyed with the way Pepper was written, but it still works with this movie.
YOu have to understand that I'm a Marvel fan and I'm quite familiar with the backstory for Ironman. This script changed a few things here and there, and took a few liberties with established history of Ironman, but again for this movie it works quite well, and I found myself very engrossed throughout the entire movie (first time in years too).
Oh, if you haven't seen the movie yet, please do yourself a favor and STAY SEATED UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE DONE. Little bonus for you after the credits, which also points the way to a couple more movies in the future.
I really, really enjoyed this movie. Maryanne really enjoyed this movie (which was a bit surprising as well). All of our friends and their kids that we saw this with really enjoyed the movie. The special effects were quite good, though noticable in a few places. The story was well done, and we even get introduced to a few 'future' characters like War Machine.
This is a must see. It's also a must own. For me, it's a must see again. I really hope they get the DVD out later this year.
Go see this movie. Unless you don't like Ironman, or don't like comics, or don't like action movies, or don't like fight scenes, or don't like real character developement, then don't.
But trust me, you'll like this movie anyway. GO! Do yourself a favor and catch it in a theater before it ends its run.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Red Lobster, Maplewood
Her Perspective: B+
The first thing I want to say is that this restaurant was a pleasure to visit. Carol was our server and she was very attentive and personable. She even talked to the table behind me since the little boy was kicking the booth seat and she had noticed that it bothered me. She also made sure that if he started doing it again that I would tell her and she would talk to them again.
This is service as it should be in a family-style dining restaurant. We were both impressed. The food was great, all of it was the correct temperature and they even accommodated my request to have my crab legs served a few minutes after the rest of my entree to make sure they didn't get cold while I was working on the rest.
I honestly don't have any complaints and we were both very pleased. We will definitely be back and may even ask for the same server. She attemped upsells without being pushy, she was knowledgable about the menu and she was observant. That's all that we have been looking for. I would recommend this location.
The first thing I want to say is that this restaurant was a pleasure to visit. Carol was our server and she was very attentive and personable. She even talked to the table behind me since the little boy was kicking the booth seat and she had noticed that it bothered me. She also made sure that if he started doing it again that I would tell her and she would talk to them again.
This is service as it should be in a family-style dining restaurant. We were both impressed. The food was great, all of it was the correct temperature and they even accommodated my request to have my crab legs served a few minutes after the rest of my entree to make sure they didn't get cold while I was working on the rest.
I honestly don't have any complaints and we were both very pleased. We will definitely be back and may even ask for the same server. She attemped upsells without being pushy, she was knowledgable about the menu and she was observant. That's all that we have been looking for. I would recommend this location.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
St. Paul Bar & Grill - November 14, 2007
His Perspective: A
Her Perspective: B+ (not over and above, but a great standard to hold other restaurants to)
We've found our new favorite restaurant! Kincaid's has been slipping over the last few months, so we decided to try something new. Since the St. Paul Grill is right across the street (in The Saint Paul Hotel) we figured it was worth the extra minute walk.
Worth it is an understatement. Keep in mind that that everything will cost more compared to Kincaid's or Matty B's, but it is much closer to a fine dining experience (dress is business casual still).
Our steaks were perfect, our server was on the ball. The starters we ordered were tasty but not the best we've ever had (crab cake and escargot) and even the bread they offer to all tables was quite good. The soup and salad were nice though, and the sides they offer (all À la carte) are big enough for 3 or 4 people; the mashed potatoes were exactly that, no extra over powering flavors or anything.
For dessert, she had a chocolate creme brulee and I had a slice of plain cheesecake (usually offered with sour cream), both of which were excellent.
I can't think of anything bad to say about the St. Paul Grill except that it was quite loud in the dining area until just after 8pm, after that it was quite nice.
If you want a simple and excellent dining experience, you need to try the St. Paul Grill. 'Nuff said.
Her Perspective: B+ (not over and above, but a great standard to hold other restaurants to)
We've found our new favorite restaurant! Kincaid's has been slipping over the last few months, so we decided to try something new. Since the St. Paul Grill is right across the street (in The Saint Paul Hotel) we figured it was worth the extra minute walk.
Worth it is an understatement. Keep in mind that that everything will cost more compared to Kincaid's or Matty B's, but it is much closer to a fine dining experience (dress is business casual still).
Our steaks were perfect, our server was on the ball. The starters we ordered were tasty but not the best we've ever had (crab cake and escargot) and even the bread they offer to all tables was quite good. The soup and salad were nice though, and the sides they offer (all À la carte) are big enough for 3 or 4 people; the mashed potatoes were exactly that, no extra over powering flavors or anything.
For dessert, she had a chocolate creme brulee and I had a slice of plain cheesecake (usually offered with sour cream), both of which were excellent.
I can't think of anything bad to say about the St. Paul Grill except that it was quite loud in the dining area until just after 8pm, after that it was quite nice.
If you want a simple and excellent dining experience, you need to try the St. Paul Grill. 'Nuff said.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Mission American Kitchen - November 7, 2007
Her perspective: B+
I have been to this restaurant twice now for lunch and have had an excellent experience both times. The reasoning behind the rating is that there were no problems with food or service, but there was nothing "over-and-beyond" impressive about it. It's what I should be able to expect at any restaurant. I will be comparing other restaurants to this one as the standard for what should happen.
Even though I came in by myself both times, I was treated just like any other party. They did not skimp on the service just because I was the only one at the table (which happens all too often, not as high of a check, not as high of a tip, "so why should I work hard for one person?"). This is a fine dining restaurant and I can't wait to try it for dinner.
Both times I ordered the lunch sirloin, medium. It comes with a bacon hollandaise sauce, which it to die for! It is served with french fries that have a wonderful seasoning, but I couldn't quite place what it was. I usually don't eat many fries when they come with my meal, but I ate almost all of them because they were so good. The steak was always perfectly cooked and the service was impeccable both times.
I would highly recommend this restaurant based on these two visits. If you have the money, go.
I have been to this restaurant twice now for lunch and have had an excellent experience both times. The reasoning behind the rating is that there were no problems with food or service, but there was nothing "over-and-beyond" impressive about it. It's what I should be able to expect at any restaurant. I will be comparing other restaurants to this one as the standard for what should happen.
Even though I came in by myself both times, I was treated just like any other party. They did not skimp on the service just because I was the only one at the table (which happens all too often, not as high of a check, not as high of a tip, "so why should I work hard for one person?"). This is a fine dining restaurant and I can't wait to try it for dinner.
Both times I ordered the lunch sirloin, medium. It comes with a bacon hollandaise sauce, which it to die for! It is served with french fries that have a wonderful seasoning, but I couldn't quite place what it was. I usually don't eat many fries when they come with my meal, but I ate almost all of them because they were so good. The steak was always perfectly cooked and the service was impeccable both times.
I would highly recommend this restaurant based on these two visits. If you have the money, go.
Friday, August 10, 2007
thistles - August 10, 2007
4168 W Broadway Avenue
Robbinsdale, MN 55420
Her perspective: B
I went out to lunch by myself and had been wanting to try this place for a while. I entered through the rear entrance (there are two entrances) and was greeted immediately by a busy server. She bustled a bit for a minute, then seated me after asking if I wanted to sit inside or outside.
The decor was that of a very nice cafe; casual, but elegant. The service staff is in casual attire and the kitchen is actually in the same room. They do have a small bar, and, I didn't notice it at first, but there is another room. Considering the room I walked into was quite small (only about 10 tables), it makes sense.
I ordered a lemonade and looked over the menu. It was a combination of things that I would expect to see on a fine dining lunch menu - from lobster bisque to seafood dishes. It was quite reasonably priced, under $20 for entrees. I ordered the chicken fettuccine and settled in to read my book.
This dish is very tasty. The pasta and chicken were tender, the chicken had a nice crisp to it like it was sauteed. The sauce was great! It almost didn't need any seasoning, but I couldn't taste any garlic. That was a bit disappointing since I like garlic so much, but the flavor was very good even without it. There was crumbled bacon mixed in and it was garnished with shaved parmesan. Very nice! I finished every bite, which is quite uncharacteristic of me. This is the kind of food I would expect from a fine dining restaurant.
Since I was reading, the server left me alone, only stopping by for the necessary check-back on my food.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and would like to try it for dinner some night soon.
Robbinsdale, MN 55420
Her perspective: B
I went out to lunch by myself and had been wanting to try this place for a while. I entered through the rear entrance (there are two entrances) and was greeted immediately by a busy server. She bustled a bit for a minute, then seated me after asking if I wanted to sit inside or outside.
The decor was that of a very nice cafe; casual, but elegant. The service staff is in casual attire and the kitchen is actually in the same room. They do have a small bar, and, I didn't notice it at first, but there is another room. Considering the room I walked into was quite small (only about 10 tables), it makes sense.
I ordered a lemonade and looked over the menu. It was a combination of things that I would expect to see on a fine dining lunch menu - from lobster bisque to seafood dishes. It was quite reasonably priced, under $20 for entrees. I ordered the chicken fettuccine and settled in to read my book.
This dish is very tasty. The pasta and chicken were tender, the chicken had a nice crisp to it like it was sauteed. The sauce was great! It almost didn't need any seasoning, but I couldn't taste any garlic. That was a bit disappointing since I like garlic so much, but the flavor was very good even without it. There was crumbled bacon mixed in and it was garnished with shaved parmesan. Very nice! I finished every bite, which is quite uncharacteristic of me. This is the kind of food I would expect from a fine dining restaurant.
Since I was reading, the server left me alone, only stopping by for the necessary check-back on my food.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and would like to try it for dinner some night soon.
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