War for the Planet of the Apes: AKA Caesar's Revenge

The Planet of the Apes has a pretty long history.  The original series started in 1968 and ended in 1973.  There was later a remake in 2001 which got terrible reviews.  Then 2011 happened and our harry friends made their mark.  First was the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and lastly, War for the Planet of the Apes.  I have been hooked since 2011 and must say, the final movie in this trilogy did not disappoint.

Caesar has new trouble with an army of angry humans who try to attack his species.  Caesar prefers to use alternate methods than fighting to make his point so sends his new invaders back to their camp without injury, which is in hopes this will make it known he and his fellow apes can be peaceful.  Well this plan ends up backfiring in the worst way possible when not only do they come back, but they kill his wife an oldest child.  Caesar is left with his youngest and the other survivors to find a new home because it is inevitable that theirs will no longer be.  On their way to a hopeful new home, Caesar decides his anger towards the man responsible for the death of his wife and son is too powerful for him to ignore.  He leaves his group, along with a few of his faithful followers, to find this man and do what Caesar doesn't want to do, but knows he will.  Meanwhile, Mr. Ape Killer is growing a ridiculously strong army who is not only fighting a war with the apes, but also a war with another group of humans.  It appears a disease has spread that causes human to lose their human abilities and become less intelligent than the apes.  This doesn't sit well so he does everything in his power to end the apes in hopes of saving the human race.  It looks like Caesar has his work cut out for him, but will his anger blind him from making decisions that are best for his species?

I LOVED this movie!  The scenes were raw and emotional along with excellent action scenes.  You felt Caesar's anger and inner dilemma.  You also forgot these were apes as their dialogue, compassion, and intelligence was superior to the humans.  IMDB gave it an 8/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 94%.  I will raise them both and give it a 9.5/10.  It was everything I was hoping it would be and then some.  The perfect movie for a family with older kids, a date night, or movie with your friends.  Ladies, if you haven't jumped on the train yet, I am as girly as they get with most things and really liked it!

Spiders and Sharks.....Oh My!

Summer is the best time to see action films.  There is just something about warm weather that makes seeing a movie filled with suspense even better.  This week, I was entertained by two vastly different, but equally awesome flicks.

SpiderMan: Homecoming

Peter Parker is back for a 3rd reboot of Spiderman.  In this version, Peter has to prove himself to Tony Stark before becoming one of the Avengers, but he is struggling with trying to find out how he can do that.  He spends his days trying to be a teenager, but his nights are protecting the innocent.  No matter how many times Tony tells him to leave well enough alone, Peter finds himself fighting the bad guys. He gets himself into quite a pickle when he discovers a group of not-so-good guys are stealing high tech weapons that are literally out of this world.  These weapons are more than his spidey suit can handle which leaves Peter depending on his buddy of iron to save the day.  Will this ruin his chance to fight side by side with the big boys?

This movie did a great job of not repeating the other Spiderman flicks.  We know Peter's Uncle Ben died and we know how, so thank you for not showing the same story again.  This story focused more on Peter evolving into the best version of himself.  I also liked how the bad guys weren't extreme characters.  The main villain was a regular Joe who was sick of being walked on, and he didn't have any powers, just sick weapons that were meant for those not-so-earthly.  It was funny, entertaining, and had the cute guy meets girl component as well.  A definite must see. Apparently IMDB and Rottem Tomatoes agrees since IMDB gave it 8.1/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 93%.  I'd give it an 8/10 so I'll be the bad guy this time.

47 Meters Down

I need to stop seeing shark movies by myself.  The last one I saw was with Blake Lively and you don't realize how creepy these movies are until you see them by yourself.  Needless to say, I found myself alone at the theater surrounded by a dark ocean and hungry sharks.

Lisa was dumped by her boyfriend for being boring, so decides to take her sister on a trip to Mexico to prove to him how boring she can be.  The girls meet a couple of cute locals who convince them to show their adventurous sides and dive with sharks.  I know, smart girls.  Lisa and Kate decide to ignore their intuition and embrace the adventure.  This all turns quite bleak when the cage they are submerged in breaks from the boat and plummets......you guessed it.....47 meters into the ocean.  The girls are left with little air and sharks that are ready to have their 4th meal.  Was this mission for bravery really worth it?

I have to say, this was not as cheesey as I thought it would be.  Mandy Moore did an excellent job playing a girl who is fighting to break free of herself and be the adventurous girl her sister is.  The shark scenes were not too gruesome and you are at the edge of your seat most of the movie.  Just don't show up late because you won't be able to find where the seats are.....we're talking dark.  I have to say, there is a pretty frustrating plot twist at the end and you are pretty much left thinking....what the heck (or another 4 letter word).  IMDB gave it 5.9/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it 53%.  I'd give it a solid 6/10.  It was suspenseful and you didn't see the ending ahead of time.  It was what it was, a movie about two girls who want to impress boys so they dive with sharks.  So take that for what you will and just enjoy being entertained.

The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns: 2 Vastly Different Stories with A Powerful Commonality

I have to admit, I am not typically the most patriotic person.  It isn't that I don't think the country I reside in has wonderful aspects and people, but I have always been more focused on loving the planet we live on which entails taking care of it as well as all of the species living in it, humans included.  So take my patriotism and apply it to my love for humanity, being kind to all, taking care of those in need, and treating our planet like the amazing shrine that it is.  I digress.  So I found it interesting that when the 4th of July rolled around this year, I was on vacation and ended up reading two books based on Afghanistan from the 1980's through the 2000's.  Reading these books, definitely gave me perspective and I do feel fortunate to have the freedoms we have. It is always important to strive for better, but there are many countries such as Afghanistan that are in shambles and their people are treated worse then any of us can imagine.  I love when you pick up a book that changes you and I was fortunate enough to read two books that did this.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:

Amir grew up in Kabul with his father and his father's life long servant and his son, Hassan.  Yes they were servants, but Hassan and his father were also family to Amir and his dad. During this time, Amir knew it was looked down on that he was so close with Hassan based on where he was from, but that didn't stop him from spending all of his time with him.  Unfortunately, Amir was sometimes inflicted and used Hassan's failings against him such as his inability to read and his lack of knowledge of the world.  Hassan's biggest fault was that he had such unconditional love and loyalty for Amir, even when Amir didn't necessarily deserve it.  One afternoon after what should have been the best day in Amir and Hassan's lives, Amir witnessed Hassan have the worst things imaginable done to him by local bullies, and Amir just stood by in secret watching.  He never stopped the boys nor stood up for his friend and this eventually ate at him so much that he framed Hassan and made it so they had to leave Amir and his father's home.  This guilt never left Amir and as he grew up and left for the U.S., he never realized his life would eventually come back full circle and back to Kabul where it all began.

This book was a story of friendship, but also finding bravery in ourselves.  Amir evolved throughout the novel and finally in the end, became a man he could be proud of.  There were many raw images spread throughout, such as Hassan being taken advantage of by the cruelest of people, a little boy in an orphanage being sold to a leader of the Taliban with a sick temperament, people being brutally murdered just for having different beliefs, and the constant sound of bombs destroying homes and memories created.  It will definitely stay with you long after you read it, but makes you appreciative of the life you have and therefore encourages you to live it in a better way.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini:

Miriam's entire life was about challenges.  She was the daughter of a housemaid and member of high society which left her illegitimate.  She lived with her mother far into the country and only saw her father once a week where he would share stories of the life he lived, a life that really didn't include Miriam.  One day she fled to go find him and stay with him, only to be turned away.  When she came back home, her mother had killed herself thinking her daughter would never come back.  Instead of taking her in, her father gave her away to a 45 year old man, while Miriam was only 15.  She was wed and forced to a live with a man that only wanted her for one thing, a child, and a boy at that.  When she could't produce this for him, he added another, younger wife to their family.  Little did Miriam know, this new wife and Miriam would soon team together to defy the man that controlled them, beat them, and used them for his own pleasure.  They only had one another, but it was the most love and kinship Miriam ever knew.  Miriam's story was sad and her life did not end well, but she died knowing she was loved and she had loved in return.

This was my favorite of the two from this author.  I am sure it is because this was really a story about the women in Afghanistan and the constant oppression they endured.  Take Miriam who was forced into marriage, forced into sex at age 15 with a 45 year old man, beaten, and when she tried to run away, she was locked in storage for 3 days without food or water.  Her husband fed her rocks to show her how awful her cooking was.  Then add in the Taliban take-over. When the Taliban took over, they announced their rules which involved women never being allowed out of the house without a male relative, they must be fully dressed in what they called the Women's Veil which had to cover everything, literally everything, and a billion other ridiculous rules treating them as worthless beings.   As I am reading this, I am thinking of all of the choices I get to make and the marriage I get to choose and it just breaks my heart.  Miriam is a hero and after everything she went through, she still chose to live selflessly in the end.  I will never forget her story nor the images portrayed from this amazingly written novel.

This link gives you a small picture in to the world of women who must follow the rules of the Taliban. Warning: it will enrage you.

4th of July Weekend 2017 Comedies: The House VS. Cars 3

For many, the tradition on a summer holiday weekend is to head up north or venture of to the lake.  For others, they enjoy "stay-cations' and enjoy the local perks.  If you are the latter and are looking for a good summer comedy- I have two for you.  One would be great for the whole family and the other would be perfect for a date night........an adult date night.

Cars 3 was a fun experience and I am proud to say that I, with no kids, invited my friends, with three kids, to attend.  We had a blast!  It was neat to see the kids' excitement for seeing a movie and how engulfed in it they were.  Cars was about the last races of our friend Lightning McQueen who has a big decision to make.  He is being out raced by younger, more advanced race cars and needs to decide if it's time for him to say goodbye to the world he has always known and always been good at.  He is convinced he has one more race left in him so works with a great support team to make this happen.  In the end he ends up choosing between focusing on his own dream and helping someone else achieve theres. This movie was the perfect family movie with the appropriate amount of adult humor to help all stay engaged.  

The House was a hilarious movie about two parents (played by Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler) who realize they have no money to send their only child to college.  To them, if they can't afford to send her, college won't be in the cards, so they devise a plan with a down and out of his lucky friend to raise funds. Now their friend is in the middle of a divorce due to his severe gambling addition so it isn't at all surprising when the idea is to run a casino out of his home.  This seems nuts at first, but the numbers can't be argued.  Will and Amy's characters soon realize they are pretty good at this new lifestyle and take things a little to far when fingers are getting chopped off, police get involved, and scary mobsters get wind of their operations.  This movie was funny, raunchy, and packed with swearing.  Picture a mix between SNL and Parks and Rec.  I laughed out loud a ton and think you will too.

So if you are in the mood for a comedy, depending on who is tagging along, I hope one of these makes your 4th of July to-do list.