Go Joe!

Movie Review: G.I. Joe - The Rise of Cobra

Up front - I liked this movie! No kidding. I went in thinking, "Hey, this'll be fun. They will blow some stuff up. Some meatheads will fumble around their lines and then they will blow up some more stuff." And just so you understand this reviewer - I like that from time to time. Some times I just want to get a special effects/explosions fix and don't really need a plot or great acting to do that. But GI Joe came through in a big way.

For starters the action was great! They blended the CG and live action stuff well. The sequences flowed well and even pulled off advancing the plot unlike other many other action flicks where the plot the plot is usually the first victim when the action starts. The explosions were spectacular. The hand to hand combat was solidly choreographed and believable (mostly).

Speaking of plot, GI Joe not only had one, but it had a really robust one. The main story - deadly WMD's in the hands of the bad guys - was laid out very plausibly. But, don't order yet! There were even some really compelling subplots and story lines that managed to be woven in without convuluting the overall story ... Bravo! That takes talent and the talent reached into the writing, as well.

If you spend much time at all on the Action-Adventure aisle, you're all-too-familiar with Jug-head Heroes stumbling through their 5 minutes of dialogue and over-the-top villians who never seem to rise much above school yard bully in their character development. But, GI Joe delivers way more. All the actors delivered solid performances.

Overall, The great strength of this movie was in its self-control. George Lucas modeled this in the first Star Wars Trilogy: exploiting the current state-of-the-art techniques without letting them drive the action. This was the difference in GI Joe, too. They certainly brought the CG portions in with a bang (a lot of bang!), but they did push it so far that it weaknesses could diminish the quality of the production. Self-control also greatly helped the writing. The story lines were subtle and the writers had the reserve to let the actors and audience fill in the blanks a bit.

I like this movie. I would watch it again, and I certainly want to own it when we get a big Screen to watch it on. Go Joe!

Settling Catan

We are hooked! Have you ever heard of this game, "The Settlers of Catan"? If not you really need to experience it. A couple of months back some friends of ours, the Andersons, mentioned that they wanted to have us come over to play "Catan." "Sure" we said in that i've-got-no-idea-what-this-is-about-but-i'll-do-most-anything-to-humor-a-friend kind of way.

A couple of weeks passed and I finally was available on a weekend to hang out with the guys. We headed to Steve's house and started getting ready to play Catan. Now, I'll be honest - this game is a little on the complicated side at first (kind of like Katrina was a 'little' on the rainy side). They started throwing down the game board tiles, little monopoly looking game pieces, 2 decks of card, dice, a 'robber' (hard to explain) and partridge in a pear tree. ...Ok, no partridge but there really were a lot of things to keep up with.

The first game was a little like watch foreign films without subtitles: It was interesting and I knew something significant was happening at times but I was otherwise completely lost. But, that is about what it takes to get the hang of it. Game 2 made more sense and was actually really fun. So much so, in fact that I decided to blow a $25 Amazon gift card I'd been sitting on for over a year and buy it myself.

Cheryl was hooked almost immediately - of course, I 'let' her win that 2nd game, but she is actually pretty good at it. It must be genetic; her sister came down and won the first game she played! We've also played it with the singles group we work with at the church and my aunts and mom. So I'm not sure if we are settling Catan or if Catan is settling us!

Try the game - you'll love it!

My Review of MagLite Solitaire Key Ring Flashlight

Originally submitted at REI

This compact, take-along flashlight features a high-intensity adjustable light beam (Spot to Flood).

MagLite Solitaire Key Ring Flashlight

Old Faithful

By Happy Gear Head from San Antonio, TX on 8/2/2008

4out of 5

Pros: Waterproof, Spare Bulb, Durable, Long battery life, Stable, Adjustable Beam

Cons: Dim

Best Uses: Hiking, Backpacking, Everyday use, Day trip, Car Camping

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

If Maglite would update this to LED, it would truly be the perfect light in its class. I've carried one in my pocket for years. The AAA battery means it is easy to find replacements. The adjustable beam is more than handy. It even does the 'candle' trick it's larger 2-AA model is known for (remove the lens and light still shines - handy in a tent).

I recently had a few problems and sent it in to Maglite out of curiosity. They went above and beyond - repaired it and returned it for free within a couple of weeks. Turns out the malfunction was my fault.

When it wasn't working I bought another AAA light. While brighter (it was an LED) was heavier, bulkier and has not been nearly as dependable.

Maglite! Make this an LED!!!

(legalese)