Blended: Drew and Adam are back together again!

I've never been on a blind date and have to say......thank goodness!!  I am sure they work out just fine for some people, but to me it seems like it can get pretty uncomfortable.  After all, you've never met this person, and unless you are seeing  a movie (genius!!) then you are forced into conversation with a complete stranger, face to face, with no way to get out!  

For Jim and Lauren, it goes exactly how I would imagine.  Lauren, who is obviously very type A (I mean she owns her own closet organization company.....yeah) appears to have nothing in common with Jim ( a Dick's Sporting Goods worker who drinks her beer while she uses the restroom).  This is definitely not going well for either one and matters get worse when Lauren, who assumes Jim is divorced too, tells him she doesn't blame his wife for leaving him.  he soon finds the reality of the situation is that she died of Cancer.  No worries though, this awkward date is cut short when Jim gets the fake emergency call and is off the hook.  

You wouldn't think Lauren and Jim would ever have to see one another again, but my friend that is not the case.  You see, Lauren's gal pale and co-worker decides to end it with the owner of Dick's Sporting Goods and therefore leaves their romantic vacation to Africa up for grabs.  Lauren begs her friend to let her go and take her two boys, while at the same time, Jim calls to ask his boss if he can go with his 3 girls. Neither have any ideas what the other is doing.

Once arriving in Africa, Lauren and Jim are unpleasantly surprised to see both were thinking along the same lines in this scenario.  The irony of their situation magnifies when they discover their is a blended family theme here at the resort in Africa.  They do try their best to separate their not so family vacation, but fate fights them every step of the way.

Jim wins Lauren over by being the man in her boys' lives.  Their dad has better things to do than pay attention to his offspring back home, so when Jim teaches her youngest to play baseball and her other to calm down his anger through boxing, it tears down her protective wall.  Lauren wins Jim over in a big way.  Jim's daughters are lacking a female influence in their lives.  For example, the girls dresses in khakis with tucked in Polos, get their hair cut by the barber, and are constantly getting mistaken for boys.  Luckily Lauren enters their lives and transforms them into the beautiful young ladies that they are.  Even more than this, Lauren adapts to their life in meaningful ways that you will just have to see to find out.  I can't take away the endearment of these scenes by giving you all the juicy details.  It seems like the ending is pretty predictable, but Jim starts realizing he isn't ready to move on. 

I have to be honest, Adam was hilarious when he was younger and the days of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore will always be my favorite for him, but this was a great film with an excellent message.  Blended families are very common and I think it did a great job showing what is entailed when bringing two families together.  Drew and Adam will definitely win your hearts.

X-Men Days of Future Past: Wolverine Must Go to Charles' Past to Save the Future

I always feel the need to make a disclaimer before posting anything related to comics.  I just can't have you comic guys and gals after me if I don't capture the essence of the movie correctly.  So once again, please know that I am a simple movie goer giving my thoughts.  With that said, this was seriously my favorite X-Men movie alongside First Class.

Times are dim for Charles and his fellow mutants.  The time of the Sentinels is upon us and death is eminent.  The only way mutants can be saved is for Wolverine to go back in time to where it all began.  You see, the Sentinels were created because man feared mutants due to several events, so all Wolverine needs to do is prevent a few things from happening, and boom, all is well in the mutant world........yeah, not as easy as it sounds.

Wolverine's task is tricky, Charles' younger self is wise, but hard to convince.  Young Professor X is beside himself as he is grappling with his mutation.  He sees and feels everything other mutants experience and it is all too painful.  But his powers are needed in order to prevent the implementation of the Sentinels.  Wolverine must also help Charles and Erik (later known as Magneto) work together which doesn't come easy.

It is a brutal struggle to make sure Erik and Charles work together and Raven doesn't make this easy.  Raven and Erik view mutant life different than Charles' peaceful approach.  It's hard for them to forgive the mistreatment they receive and if it were up to them, they would be the dominant species.  To make matters worse, Wolverine's well-being is on the line, his body in the future endures some extreme scenarios that make you question if he is going to make it.

In the end, Magneto surprises all and potentially causes a darker future than what already existed.  I'll leave you with that so you can see for yourself what happens.

This film was awesome.  I honestly think my favorite version of Professor X and Magneto is when they are younger. The experiences they go through give their future characters so much depth.  As much as I love Professor X, Magneto's passion and for who he is as well as the dark past he holds make his actions understandable.  The complicated Raven who only ever wanted to be loved and accepted in addition to Magneto and Charles make for one epic tale.

Million Dollar Arm: Based on a True Story

JB is a sports agent with one mission in mind…….success.  He thinks he has it when working with an NFL champ, but this all crumbles when said champ opts for another agency.  This leaves JB with no other options, that is, until his wheels start spinning another option reveals itself through an unlikely source.  

After watching a Cricket match on TV, JB seems to think Cricket players must be good at baseball.  His idea is not shared with his fellow agents or sponsor, but with a lot of convincing and his drive they all know and admire, JB is given the opportunity to prove himself.  So JB ventures off to India and holds a Million Dollar Arm contest in which contestants compete for 1st and 2nd place at the fastest pitches.  With astounding results, JB finds two young men who are about to have their entire world altered as they leave their small villages of India for LA.  JB promises to take care of them, but doesn't realize just how much of a commitment that really is.

As you can imagine, the excitement of Rinku and Dinesh's arrival poses for lots of publicity and MLB team scouts.  JB has a year to get the boys ready for the big leagues.  This is no easy fete as the boys are good at throwing, but lack any baseball knowledge.  JB also is distracted by a possible change of mind in his NFL prospect.  This lack of attention does not help the confidence of the boys which negatively influences their developing skills.  JB's plan is on a downward spiral and he slowly becomes aware of it once he is able to look past his biggest problem, himself.

With the help of the lovely lady next door, Brenda, played by Lake Bell, JB finds a way to connect to the boys and their culture.  Things seem to be looking up for them all (even Brenda and JB find a kinship that did not previously exist) until the boys do not do well for the scouts.  Whether it is the pressure or the lack of baseball skills is unknown, but they and JB feel like failures.  This along with living in foreign land and extremely different cultural norms causes heartache for the boys and homesickness.  

Just when all hope seems lost.  JB has lunch with the right person at the right time thanks to his unconventional colleague.  Will the boys be able to handle the pressure a second time?

This movie had the perfect amount of heart.  You cared for the boys and just wanted them to succeed.  JB, played by Jon Hamm, had excellent character development.  He starts as a self-involved sports agent and ends the film as a man with an alternative family situation.  A definite must see.

Neighbors: A Man, His Wife, Their Infant, and........a Fraternity

Now that I am less than a year away from 30, I have the joy of getting to see my friends get married and have children.  The constant Facebook pictures and texts of baby updates is adorable and it gets me excited for that next chapter of my life.  I have also seen the other side of parenting, especially for new parents.  It isn't a side that makes me change my mind about children, but it is a reality all parents go through. Once that baby enters your world, your world is altered.  Sleep is a privilege and an art to find a balance. Additionally, your hangout sessions with friends can change as well.  Although, I must say that I am a parent-less friend who gets it and doesn't shy away from my friends and their adorable babies.  For  Mac and Kelly Radner and their adorable little one, life is pretty sweet.  They feel like they beat the whole system of parenting when it comes to finding the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, finding ways to make love among all the "babiness" around them, and trying to hang out with friends.  They couldn't be more mistaken.  Especially with their new neighbors.

When we are first introduced to Mac and Kelly, it's quite endearing as they try to have sex with their daughter's walker turned in the other direction, and their first realization occurs that this parenting thing may be trickier than previously thought.  Then a friend begs them to go out and they think this is totally possible.  They'll just bring the baby!  After lots of back and forth loading of baby items, the couple finds themselves on the floor sleeping with the realization......they never made it past the porch.

They still have the joy of being home owners in a well to do neighborhood, that is, until the new fraternity moves in.  They want to play it cool and feel like they can still connect with the boys so they walk over and kindly tell them to watch the noise level.  Contrary to their fears, the conversation goes over really well.  Or so they think.  In the early hours of the morning they wake up to the bump bump bumping of techno tunes and laughter.  They decide to go over again and reclaim their peace.  Teddy, the leader of the frat gives his apologies and makes quick decision to befriend this young couple.  After all, if they are on his side, his partying will continue....right?  Teddy then invites them in for a blast from their past.  Beer pong, dancing, and bad decisions give the couple a night they really needed.  In fact, life seems to be pretty good.  Their fraternity neighbors adore them, they feel young again, and are on top of the world.  This is a false reality they soon discover when it's the next night and their daughter is woken up by more partying.  After several phone calls and no answer, they are forced to do what they promised they wouldn't.....call the police.

Teddy is beside himself, he trusted them and now they broke that.  So what does he do?  Seeks his revenge.  And now we have a long battle between a fraternity and young couple.  Neither realizes what they are getting themselves into as the consequences seem to grow in magnitude and in comedy for us viewers.  But all things must come to an end and soon good conquers evil when the parents develop a master plan to get rid of this dynamic group of meat heads with colorful, popped collars.

Besides obvious humor, I loved how easy it was to relate to the characters.  Mac and Kelly were going through what I am sure a lot of new parents go through when it comes to moving to that new stage of life where sleep is rare and going out is non-existent.  Even Teddy could be understood.  He had spent 4 years trying to make the most epic experiences in his frat that he forgot to focus a little attention on what occurs beyond college.  You do feel for the kid at times. 

This movie is hilarious and if you can get past Zack Effron's terrible acting and see the movie for the summer comedy that it is.  You will enjoy.  The Abercrombie standoff in the end is my personal favorite part.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is.........Amazing!

I have to say......I did not read the comics or watch the the cartoons (assuming there were cartoons?), but looooove seeing Spiderman on the big screen.  The first series with Tobey Maguire, James Franco, and Kirsten Dunst was my first experience and got me hooked.  I wasn't sure what to expect with this new crew, but when I saw the first Amazing Spiderman, they had me at the beginning.  Needless to say, I was pretty pumped to see what they had in-store for us next.  

With Uncle Ben's death, Peter Parker is left to take care of Aunt May whom grows more and more curious of her nephew's secrets.  In addition, Peter is left with the guilt of the death of his girlfriend's father whom he made a promise to stay far away from.  But how can he stay away from the girl he would die for?  Yeah, this doesn't last long as I'm sure you predicted.  Meanwhile, Peter's longtime friend Harry comes back to deal with the death of his father.  Peter and Harry reconnect and help one another during a time of need.  Then Harry reveals a secret his father hid throughout the duration of his growing up which is a disease that gives them a less than desirable look of green skin, boils, grotesque nails, and almost a lizard look and impending death.  Of course Harry will do anything to cure this and seeks the help of Spiderman....well his blood to help him self-heal.  The only problem is, Spiderman knows the danger and possible death this could cause.  So when Spiderman turns him down, Harry's desperation gets the best of him, and now he is after Spiderman's blood at any cost.  This is a hard task to complete with his father's company turning against him and basically removing him from the equation.

Harry finds help in an unlikely character.  Here is where I introduce you to Electro.  Max (Electro) is an intelligent, yet needy man working for Oscorp.  All Max really wants is to feel important to others and needed.  He is the company doormat however, and gets walked on by all. Then one day, while working late on his birthday, something goes wrong and he is propelled into a new world so to speak.  Max undergoes extreme amounts of electrical energy that completely changes him until he turns into the all-powerful Electro. Electro still has pieces of Max in him, so when Harry begs him to help, he can't seem to resist his need to feel.......needed.

Electro is a strong force to deal with for Spiderman, but as with all bad guys, he finds a way.  Unfortunately, he doesn't make it to Harry in time.  You see Harry found a way to get Spiderman's blood and once he injects himself, his story gets worse.  Harry doesn't self-heal in the way he had hoped, and now we have which will later be known as the Green Goblin.

In his attempt to kill Spiderman, the Green Goblin goes after what he knows will get Spiderman the most, his damsel in distress, Gwen Stacy.  In one of the final scenes of the climax, Gwen is thrown into the air and begins a free fall to her potential death.  Spiderman releases his web in an effort to safe her.  The question is, will he be successful?

This movie truly had my attention at every part.  My favorite scene by far was when Spiderman's web reaches to save Gwen and transform into a hand that is desperate to get to her in time.  The special effects in this scene as well as several scenes with Electro, truly capture the magic in these movies.  The action, conflicts, and love story make this worth seeing over and over again.

Brick Mansions: Fast Cars, Undercover Cops, and Paul Walker

I couldn't have picked a better movie to watch with my dad.  You see, ever since I can remember, my dad has been big on crime fighting, drug lord hustling,  badass movies.  So when debating who to see this with,  he was my first choice.  I think my favorite part was him leaning over midmovie just to tell me this was the perfect movie.   I have to admit, even though I usually am not into films such as this,  I truly enjoyed it for what it was, a good action flick.

Paul Walker plays Damien, an undercover cop sent to the ghettos of Detroit in order to disarm a bomb.  This isn't the Detroit we know today.  Detroit has succumbed to a new low by alienating the underprivileged with a wall that separates them from the rich and working class.  Schools, hospitals, and even police have been removed from the slums.  So it isn't exactly surprising that drugs and crime are all that occur here.  This makes for a tricky and dangerous task for Damien.   He does have a street smart accomplice and ex convict to help him find his way through what is referred to as Brick Mansions.  Damien is persistent as the drug lord of Brick Mansions is the one who murdered his father.  

Just when you think Damien is finally going to disarm the bomb and get the bad guy, plot twist!  Damien soon discovers that the Mayor set him up on this mission.  He wasn't sent to disarm the bomb, he was sent to activate it.  In the mayor's attempt to "clean up the city" and build brand new luxury living space and business, he plans on literally removing all of the lower class with one blow.  Now Damien must decide who to trust, who to save, and decipher what is right.

This film was a wonderful way to remember Paul Walker.  He's the actor who loved cars and played a great character in movies where the good guy is also rebellious,  yet still serves for the common good.  Some of the action scenes were a  bit cheesy with the slow motion movement, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.  So if you are in the mood for an action packed film or just want to see Paul Walker do what he has always done best,  then see this film!

The Other Woman: Girl Power at its Finest

As I get older and life experiences add up, I often find myself learning one valuable lesson after another.   When most girls are little,  they picture themselves as adults.  This cozy picture entails a handsome, sweet husband, two kids, a dog, and a white picket fence.   For some, this pretty picture will come true.   Sadly, for others,  this may not be the case.  The simple yet sad fact is, some people will marry the wrong person and get hurt.   I promise you,  I am no cynic.  I do believe in happy endings, but I also believe that people can be quite sneaky and withhold true colors until after the knot has been tied.  What I am referring to is the scenario when a husband or wife is unfaithful.  No, not one bad night unfaithful.   I am talking several affairs unfaithful.   This sad reality does occur.  Hopefully most of us never have to endure it,  but if we do.   I think it's important to remind ourselves of who will always be there.   Those people, my friends, are our best girlfriends.  The power of female bonding and kinship is truly a gift and if you are someone with a close group of female confidants,  don't ever let go of that.  Which brings us to Carly.

Carly is a lawyer who has made a name for herself.   She is beautiful,  confident, successful,  and doesn't need anyone.   Especially friends.  Carly dates casually and will often have more than one partner.  That is, until she meets Mike.  This new man in her life sweeps her off her feet and gets Carly to settle down into a monogamous relationship.   She is shocked at her new life,  but embraces it.  In fact, she even pays her lover a surprise visit dressed as a naughty plumber which seems to be a good idea until his wife opens the door. 

Meet Kate.  Kate thought she had it all.  A loving, successful,  handsome husband, a beautiful home in the suburbs, and the lifestyle her and her husband dreamed about back during much simpler times.  This all comes crashing down when her husband's mistress opens the door and changes everything.  Kate isn't stupid and even though the mistress tries to play it off, she realizes her husband is cheating on her.  So Kate does the opposite of what most women would do, she befriends her.  You have to realize, Kate has nobody, because all of her friends are Mike's.  Carly is resistant at first,  but Kate has a charming, innocent way about her that makes her hard to dislike.  Kate and Carly become the best of friends in their attempt to move on from Mike.  This turns sour when Kate falls for her deceitful husband again only to discover he is still cheating on her with Carly, or so she thinks.   Come to find out, Mike is cheating on them both.  The girls are now on a mission to find out about this mystery girl.

After following Mike to a tropical paradise,  the girls discover his other mistress is not only much younger, but the definition of perfect.   What transpires next is quite hilarious.  Carly snaps and lunges after miss perfect but Kate stops her. However, they were not as discreet as they thought and the mistress finds them out.  And now our twosome has grown to three.   The girls are now on a mission to destroy the man that destroyed them.

I have to say, this movie was the perfect chick flick.  It truly showed how much woman can count on one another in times of need.  I also appreciated the realness it showed with how hard it can be to let go of something you once loved but know isn't right.  Several scenes made me feel proud to be female and appreciate my girlfriends such as Kate letting go and throwing her ring into the ocean,  Kate and Carly trying on clothes in a wine drunken stupor of messy makeup and laughs, and how even when you have to be blunt with one another,  your girl friends can get you back on your feet.  This movie was a refreshingly excellent take on turning your back on what holds you back and embracing the idea of loving yourself enough to know you deserve better.  You need to go get your best friends together and see this movie.