Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

Christmas Play - He Brought the Light

It is December 1962 in Greenwood and everyone is getting ready for Christmas. For the Walker family, however, this Christmas will be like no other. On Thanksgiving, a devastating fire swept through the hills and burned down their house. The family survived without injury, but all was lost... 

I went to see the annual Christmas play at Anaheim Baptist Fellowship on December 2.   He Brought the Light has a wonderful message about God’s hope and love even when dealing with loss.  I look forward to seeing ABF’s Christmas production every year.  It is a good way to start the Christmas season.

Zootopia

Zootopia is a metropolis where predators and prey live together in harmony.  When some carnivores disappear, young rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) works with wily fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to solve the case and uncover prejudice against carnivores.

Zootopia is an enjoyable movie.  Judy and Nick are likable, and the interaction between the characters is entertaining.  The theme of a diverse society living together peacefully is a good one, although the idea of carnivores and herbivores not doing things according to their nature is rather far-fetched.  Still, the issue of prejudice is a relevant one, as is the idea of Judy being discriminated against and not being allowed to be a police officer because she is a rabbit. 

I would give this movie a 4/5.  It might be a little too intense for very young children, but older children would probably like Zootopia.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Veteran's Day

Happy Halloween

MacGyver

I've been revisiting MacGyver, a TV show I enjoyed back in the 1980s-1990s.  I'm about half way through the first season.

Admittedly by today's standards the show is a bit cheesy, but Richard Dean Anderson is likable.

MacGyver's line of work is interesting.  MacGyver is very resourceful and has a lot of scientific knowledge.  However,  he makes use of everyday objects around him to deal with his challenges and that is part of what makes the character likable.  He keeps things simple.

Cool Park

This is a pretty park not far from me.  There are some nice trees and a good play area for the kiddies.

I like the trees.

Labor Day Weekend 2017

Pretty trees and flowers-El Camino

I took some pictures of pretty trees and flowers at El Camino, where fall classes have started.

Total eclipse

I didn't go out to watch the eclipse (didn't want to try to fight the crowds), but I watched a news report on the Science Channel and watched updates on the NASA site.  I thought these pictures I found on the Internet were pretty cool.

Out and About

I checked out a local park (Alta Vista) recently.  It's a nice park with lots of trees.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has returned home after his experience with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War and begins to explore his identities as a high school student and Spider-Man.  With Tony Stark/Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr.) help, Spider-Man takes on the Vulture, AKA Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) who is stealing advanced weapons.

I don’t usually care much for sequels in a movie series, but I enjoyed Spider-Man: Homecoming a lot.  It is a typical superhero-saves-the-world film with a lot of action in some ways, but the acting is good. The theme of a young person having to choose to go his own way or do the right thing is thought-provoking.  The interaction between young Parker and Stark’s characters is entertaining.  Holland captures the enthusiastic teenager discovering his purpose very well, and Downey was born to be Iron Man as far as I’m concerned.  I’ve always loved his portrayal of Iron Man.  Michael Keaton makes a pretty good bad guy too. 

I would definitely recommend Spider-Man: Homecoming. It is worth seeing.

Busy lately...

I took care of some furry four-legged kids last week (two dogs and a cat) for some folks at church.  This week I have two-legged human kids (my niece and nephew) visiting, so I have been occupied.  I'm almost finished with a couple of movie reviews that I will post soon.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is the story of Diana, the Princess of the Amazons.  She is growing up in Themyscira, an island inhabited by a race of female warriors created by Zeus.  Diana wants to train as a warrior, but her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), won’t allow it.  However, with the help of Hippolyta’s sister, high-ranking Amazon officer Antiope (Robin Wright), Diana begins her training and becomes a skilled warrior.

Later, a grown Diana (Gal Gadot) rescues Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) when his plane crashes.  Trevor tells the Amazons about the conflict (World War 1) in the outside world.  Diana is sure Ares is behind this war and wants to find and confront him.

Diana and Steve work together to stop a plot to sell the Germans a biological weapon, and Diana confronts Ares (David Thewlis).

Wonder Woman is a very enjoyable movie.  The plot, setting, acting, cinematography and Wonder Woman’s kindness and optimism all contribute to this.  The island of Themyscira is gorgeous, and I like movies set in the early 1900s.  Diana is a strong character, but her compassion for those suffering because of the war provides balance.  Wonder Woman is more than just a warrior.  The chemistry between Diana and Steve is well done.  Ares’ statement that, although he may influence them, humans ultimately make the decision to cause violence because they are basically corrupt is an interesting concept.  I would be glad to see Wonder Woman again.

Out and About

I got a picture of this tree while I was out recently.

The Mall

These are pictures from a recent trip to the mall.  The trees are pretty..

Happy 4th of July 2017

A safe and happy July 4 Holiday to all.

Disney Movies

I watched several Disney movies released in 2016 on Netflix recently, and for the most part I enjoyed them.

Finding Dory has some amusing moments, and I like the interaction between the characters, but Finding Nemo is superior.  I don’t care about seeing Finding Dory again.

I like the remake of Pete’s Dragon, although as is usually the case I prefer the original.  Live action remakes usually won’t measure up to the animated original.  The movie was filmed in New Zealand, and the scenery is gorgeous. The beautiful setting alone makes Pete’s Dragon worth seeing.  The interaction between Pete (Oakes Fegley) and the dragon is well-done, as are the performances of Robert Redford as Meacham and Bryce Dallas Howard as Grace.  The message (don’t ruin the environment and don’t exploit living creatures) is good, but there is nothing new or outstanding here.   This movie isn’t one I’d be interested in watching more than once.

The Jungle Book retells the familiar story of the man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who is raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves.  The visual effects are very well done, and I like the interaction between the characters, specifically Mowgli (Neel Sethi), Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley) and Baloo (voice of Bill Murray and an excellent choice for the character).  However, the Disney animated film is superior. Although I did like this film, The Jungle Book isn’t a movie I’d care about seeing more than once. 

Adam West

I was saddened to hear about Adam West's passing.  I loved the Batman show from the 60s when I was a kid.

Adam West

Logan

The year is 2029, and mutants are nearly extinct.  James Howlett, AKA Logan and Wolverine, is now a chauffeur in Texas.  His healing powers are fading, and he has to deal with chronic pain.  He is also caring for Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who suffers from Alzheimer’s, which makes his telepathic powers unstable.  He is asked by Gabriela Lopez (Elizabeth Rodriguez), a nurse who works for the biotech corporation Alkali/Transigen, to take her and a young girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) to a safe haven in North Dakota.

They are attacked by mercenaries along the way, and Logan barely escapes with Laura and Professor X.  Logan discovers Laura is very much like him, and in fact has been cloned from his DNA by Alkali/Transigen.  Together, Logan, Laura and a small group of mutants battle the corporate bad guys.

I did like this movie.  Jackman’s performance as Logan coming to terms with his mortality is thoughtful.  I like the interaction between Logan and Laura, and how Logan cares for Professor X. This movie is a bit more somber than previous X-Men movies, but there is a lot of action, and the idea of biotech corporations experimenting with DNA to make clones isn’t that farfetched.    

Logan is enjoyable.

Memorial Day wishes

El Camino

A view of the El Camino College campus from the third floor of the building where my class is located.

Erin Moran

I am saddened to hear about the passing of Erin Moran.  I enjoyed watching her as Joanie on Happy Days.

Erin Moran

Cool Parks

I stopped by a couple of parks in my general area recently.  This first picture was taken at Victoria Park.

The last two pictures were taken at Alondra Park.

Happy Easter

A Lizard

Got a picture of this fella chilling out on a wall recently.

Pretty Plant

A pretty plant on the El Camino College campus.

El Camino College

The El Camino College campus where I am taking a class.

The school has a pretty campus and some nice trees.

Batman: The Lego Movie

I went to see Batman:  The Lego Movie recently and it is entertaining.  The interaction between Batman/Bruce, Batgirl/Barbara and Robin/Dick is fun, and I like Alfred a lot.  The references to the various Batman movies, the old TV series and the Justice League are amusing.

Batman being a loner because he is afraid of losing people he cares about is a good concept to work with, and so is the idea that even though Batman and the Joker are enemies, they need each other.  The idea that you have to care about someone to be able to hate them is interesting.

Batman: The Lego Movie is worth seeing.

Sherlock

I've been watching Sherlock (the BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman).  I'm sorry I didn't start watching it a little sooner; the show is extremely entertaining and well-done.  The acting is excellent, the stories are interesting, and the chemistry between Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Freeman (Dr. John Watson) is wonderful.  Sherlock's brilliant but weird character and Watson's more down-to-earth character balance each other out and make for some funny moments. The setting is in modern-day London, but there is still an "old-fashioned" feel that is consistent with the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sherlock is definitely a show I would recommend.

Fun TV Shows

I've been watching Robin Hood (the BBC show that ran from 2006 to 2009) on Netflix, and I enjoy it tremendously.  The acting is good, and I like the interaction between the characters.  It's interesting to watch the various interpretations of the Robin Hood story.  This show has a more "contemporary" feel for lack of a better way to put it, but the basic idea of the good guy becoming an outlaw and helping the oppressed is still evident.

I especially like the interaction between Robin (Jonas Armstrong) and Marian (Lucy Griffiths).

I hate the Sheriff of Nottingham's (Keith Allen) and Guy of Gisborne's (Richard Armitage) characters, and that is an indication of good acting on their part in my opinion.  It's amusing how Robin and his friends seem to always outsmart these villains and they end up looking like idiots. Robin Hood is worth watching.

I'm watching the ninth season of Dr. Who, so I'm nearly caught up.  I like the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) a lot, and I love Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman).  However, I would have to say David Tennant as the 10th Doctor is my favorite.  The various actors have all contributed to the Doctor role in their own way; it's just a matter of preference.