James Bond Movie Review: **** Die Another Day (2002)

 James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is really in for a ride, and it is not all good.  He starts by thwarting an arms deal, with diamonds for arms, but he blows up the diamonds into the face of Zao (Rick Yune) who works for Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee) of North Korea, the son of General Moon (Kenneth Tsang).  He chases him on a boat and sees him go over a water fall.  He is presumed dead.  Bond was betrayed in this as the North Koreans were looking for him.

Bond comes upon the same diamonds in the Caribbean at a plastic surgery center where Zao is trying to have his face changed.  There Bond meets Jinx (Halle Berry) who is also after Zao.  Together they rouste him out but he gets away.  He is able to track the diamonds with their signature to Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).  Graves is in Iceland where he runs an ice hotel.  

Bond pursues them to Iceland.  Miranda Frost  (Rosamund Pike) is ordered by M (Judi Dench) to go with him.  Q (John Cleese) arms him with a sonic watch and a really cool car that can be invisible.  Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) still is infatuated with Bond, who instead pursues other ladies.  

Graves in truth is Colonel Moon who has been altered via DNA change.  Frost is a double agent, resulting in Bond and Jinx being captured.  Graves has developed a satellite weapon using the sun.  It can cause great destruction.   Of course Bond gets away and with his special car comes back.  He is able to thwart Zao who drives his car into the ocean.  Graves has directed the weapon at the ice castle which is melting and causing flooding.  JInx is in the flood but Bond crashes the care into the castle to save her.  

As the weapon becomes known to the intelligence community the Americans try to blow it up with nuclear weapon.  However the weapon destroys the rocket.   It is left to Bond and Jinx to save the day.  There is a great scene where they fight on a plane, Jinx against Frost and Graves against Bond.  

Lots of action with chases and fights.  Very enjoyable.

Movie Review: ***^ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

 This continuation is suppose to be 17 years later (14 years in actual time) with the daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris) of the Millers (Nia Vardalos and John Corbett) now preparing to graduate from high school.  She has to decide where to go to college, in New York or close to home in Chicago.  This is a concern, but not the biggest concern.  Turns out that Toula's parents were not legally married.  It was during the war and they were married quickly by a priest who wasn't really a priest.  Now father Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan) must go through several hoops before they are actually married.  

This movie captures the same spirit of the original.  

Marvel Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

 This is the Hulk before the Avenger's version of the Hulk.  Hulk/Bruce Banner (Lou Ferrigno/Edward Norton) is staying off the radar in Brazil.  Howe ver some of his blood gets into a bottle where he works, and his location is revealed.  General Ross (William Hurt) is determined to bring him back as he himself is a weapon.  As a result of this confrontation Banner decides to head north, hoping for a "cure."  He sees his girlfriend, the general's daughter Betty (Liv Tyler).  Of those trying to capture Hulk, Emil Blonsky/ Abomination (Tim Roth) is the most determined, even to the point of attempting to dupicate Hulk's results and make himself a monster.  This leads to some pretty intense fight scenes.  Hulk tried living with his girlfriend, but in the end decides he is better living alone.

Movie Review: ****My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

 I remember seeing this film in theaters in 2002 in San Jose.  It was a. very big deal that year; the surprise movie success of the year.  It was very good, and introduced me to a whole different culture I had not really considered.  Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in the movie) is floundering and getting older as her father (Michael Constantine) reminds her.  She exerts herself, going to school and working in the family tourist agency.  This leads to her meeting a man, Ian Miller (John Corbett) who is not Greek.  They fall in love and want to be married.  But a nonGreek?  This film is humorous as it probes Greek culture, with lots of people and chaos always around.  

Fun movie.  Windex cures everything.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

At the Movies: ****^Wicked: For Good (2025)

 Family night at the movies last Tuesday.  We took the entire row with all of us.  This movie is Act II of the Wicked musical.  The music and acting are great.  I had forgotten that NessaRose (Marissa Bode) was considered a wicked which.  She is Elphaba's (Cynthia Erivo) sister.  The public relations boss Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has labeled Elphaba the Wicked Witch.  Meanwhile Glinda (Ariana Grande) is labeled the good witch.  Then there are the men.  Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is Captain of the guard.  He loves Elphaba but cannot find her.  He is to arrest her for wicked deeds with regards to animal rights.  Boq (Ethan Slater) loves Glinda; but Nessarose loves him.  Nessarose casts a spell on him so he will love her, but it goes wrong and shrinks his heart.  To save him Elphaba turns him into a tin man.  At the wedding of Glinda and Fiyero, Elphaba frees all the animals the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) has in cages.  It destroys the wedding, but Fiyero discovers where Elphaba is living and puts her in a castle.   Madame Morrible causes a tornado which brings Dorothy's house to land on Nessarose.  When they are to arrest Elphaba, Fiyero saves her, but the guards turn on Fiyero and beat him up.  Elphaba changes him to a scarecrow so he will not feel pain.  Dorothy, the cowardly lion, the Tin Man and Scarecrow are tasked by the Wizard to kill the Wicked Witch.  They seem to do this, but instead the Scarecrow and Elphaba are seen crossing the desert out of Oz.  Of course Glinda and Elphaba meet before Dorothy throws water on elphaba, and sing of their undying relationship, "For Good."  This is the showstopper song and it is great to hear it.  

We really enjoyed this movie.  It is not the best movie I have ever seen, but it is good.

Christmas Music Review: Christmas with Julie Andrews

 Christmas with Julie Andrews, CBS Inc, 1982.

Julie Andrews is a tresure, and she is in this CD album.  Her voice is beutiful and she sings the high notes so clearly.  This CD features Oh Come All Ye Faithful, In the Bleak Midwinter, What Child is This?, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Away in a Manger, I Wonder as I Wander and Silent Night among others.  I really like the instrujental flute and harp on What Child is This?  This has long been one of my favorite songs since it was included in Krueger's Christmas.  

CD Music Review: Gordon Lightfoot: Gord's Gold

Gordon Lightfoot" Gord's Gold, produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Wissert, Warner Brothers, 1975.

This album includes many of Gordon Lightfoot's favorites, and his distinctive sound and voice.  I enjoy the Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Early Morning Rain, Sundown, Beautiful, Rainy Day People, If You Could Read My Mind and Carefree Highway.  In If You Could Read My Mind he is longing for something that he has lost in his relationship, "I don't know where we went wrong but the feelings gone and I just can't get it back."  Lightfoot has a very distinctive voice and this CD brings bak memories of listening to the radio when I was young.