Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) Review

I don’t even know how I’d like to start off this entry. There’s just so much I want to say at once, and I have no idea how I’d like to go about it. Hang on, give me a second or two to think. In the meantime, here’s the poster that I think does the movie the best justice, out of all the ones that I’m aware are out.

Okay, here’s how I’ll start: I have not been taken so much by surprise by a film since Inception (2010), and it’s hard to believe that it’s only been three years since that movie, because I feel like it’s been a lot longer than that. If it were possible and if it wasn’t weird to do so, I could just kiss J.J. Abrams right now. This man has not only made a solid sequel, he has pulled off the rarity of the following: he created a sequel that’s arguably better than the original AND created something that I think lived up to and beyond the hype around it. I was in no way disappointed. It is most unusual for me to go into a movie and come out floored and angry that the blu-ray dvd is not available for my shelf right this minute. In addition, I walked in with very high expectations, and he just smashed them and raised the bar higher. I am desperate for another sequel, and if the rumors are true, there will be a third one coming in 2016. Another flipping three years, but I can wait. Oh yes I can wait, that is if J.J. Abrams stays on board and he makes something as amazing as this film. If Abrams jumps ship, the next person will have enormous shoes to fill, and the only people I can actually see up to the task is probably Christopher Nolan or Joss Whedon. Anyway, this is the longest intro I’ve allowed on this blog before the cut leading to the rest of the entry, but I think this film absolutely deserves it.

By the way, J.J. Abrams, if you’re reading this, I just want to say: I ******* love you and thank you SO MUCH for bringing back such positive feelings of nostalgia from my childhood. Trekkie FOR LIFE.

Iron Man 3 (2013) Review

I watched Iron Man 3 recently, mostly because I like the sarcastic humor Robert Downey Jr. usually brings to his roles.  Some might argue that as a result, he pretty much plays the same character every time, but personally I find that it never gets old.  At least, not yet anyway.

This is one of those movies though, where unfortunately I don’t think there’s a good movie poster that can really sum up the story well.  Usually I try to insert into my movie review entries a poster that I feel does provide a good snapshot summary, but in this case, I thought a more generic-looking one would fit the bill better.

Oblivion (2013) Review

Warning: This post will contain mild to—what some may consider—considerable spoilers for the movie, Oblivion.

This is a movie that really appealed to my inner sci-fi geek.  Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Not to say it was a bad story.  On the contrary, it was more like a story that had a lot of potential, but it ended up falling short in a lot of areas.

42 (2013) Review

I meant to get this entry out a lot sooner, but I experienced something tragic in my life recently, and so blogging has been the last thing on my mind for the past month or so.  That being said, thank you to all those who kept in touch with me over Twitter while everything was going down, and thanks also to the readers who remain loyal to the blog even in my extended, unexpected silence.

That aside, I wanted to get back into the swing of things by starting with a movie I watched recently, 42, which touches on parts of Jackie Robinson’s baseball career.

I admit to having been a little skeptical about this movie being any good, since I personally found the trailers to be so vague.  Also, I hadn’t seen a sports movie I liked since The Blindside (2009), not to mention the last baseball movie that really stuck out in my mind was The Rookie (2002).  42 was a little slow at first, but I actually ended up enjoying the film.

The Croods (2013) Review

Initially, I had no desire or interest to see this movie.  The earliest trailer I saw didn’t really pull me in.  What did get me on board was a trailer I saw about a month or so later, which I have included in this entry.

I think what honestly made me change my mind was the sloth.  Kind of like how I was drawn to Despicable Me (2010) only because of the minions.

[Book Review] The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka

Here’s another hilarious children’s book by author Jon Scieszka.  The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales.  If the title doesn’t crack you up already, the stories most certainly will.

I remembering finding this book funny when I was a kid.  Reading it again now that I’m a lot older, I found it to be rolling on the ground hilarious.  Perhaps that means my humor has gotten lamer over the years, or maybe the child in me just never grew up.

[Book Review] The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka

This is another book I liked to read over and over as a kid.  I think it’s more suited for slightly older kids, so once again in maybe the 2nd and/or 3rd grades.

It’s a story that can get little kids thinking about the concept, “there’s more than one side to any story.”

[Book Review] The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup by Rosemary Sutcliff

I’ve been on a bit of a nostalgia kick as of late, and so I’ve been rereading a small stack of children’s books I loved as a kid.  The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup was one of my most favored, so I went ahead and reread that first.

This book probably is one of the main reasons why I love fairy tales and the fantasy genre so much.  I think it’s the perfect read for a child at about the 2nd or 3rd grade reading level, and it’s definitely a very cute story.

[Book Review] Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I’ve been so incredibly busy these past few days, I haven’t really had time to write.  Of course I’ve also caught up with most of what I wanted to write about, so I don’t feel as bad about not posting.  I finally have a little time now though, so today I will be reviewing a book I recently finished, Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay.  This is de Rosnay’s U.S. debut novel, and this is one of those books I picked up because I had heard a lot about it.  The story is set in Paris, 1942, and it uses events from the Holocaust as a backdrop.

This is a sensitive subject, so I’m always a little wary about reading books that write about this point in history.  Unfortunately, despite all the praise and attention this book has been receiving, I was quite disappointed with the book.

[Book Review] Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I wasn’t all that interested in seeing the movie, mostly because it’s from a genre I don’t really like.  However, I couldn’t help but feel a little curious about the story.  (By the way, THANK YOU WORDPRESS for bringing back the previous way of uploading images.  Much less of a hassle.)

This is actually the first zombie story I’ve ever read in my life and I have to say it was…interesting.  In a very neutral way, I might add.