Movie Review: ***Surf's Up (2007)

This is a movie about penguins surfing, but more importantly about reaching for your dream.  It features two penguins geared for a surf competition, Cody Maverick (Shia LeBeouf) and Tank Evans (Diedrich Bader).  Tank is the current champion.  We also have a girl interest, Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel.) and her uncle, the old surfing sage, Zeke Topanga (Jef Bridges) and a crazy chicken (Jon Heder).  Makes for a very wild ride.  The movie is often presented with a documentary type style, which I really didn't care for because it seems to get in the way of telling the story.

Movie Reviews: ****Napoleon Dynamite

****Napoleon Dynamite  This is the movie that introduces the world to Jon Heder.  Our Bishop's son had a minor part trying to break a Tupperware bowl.  He was also an assistant director.  I saw this at the movie theater, and as I left the theater I heard one women say this was the worse movie she had every seen, while another young man said it was the best thing he had ever seen.  It has a different type of humor, which grows on you the more times you see the movie.  Napoleon is fun with "his skills" which show through in the end.  I also love this movie because it shows Mormon culture without flaunting it.  It has Deseret Industries, rural Preston (which is in Cache Valley where I grew up,) dry farmed wheat, cattle butcher visiting your house, fishing for bass and horse back riding.  This are things I grew up with.

Movie Reviews: ***^Just Like Heaven

Movie Reviews: ***^Just Like Heaven;

Just Like Heaven is a 2005 Reese Witherspoon movie.  It also features Mark Ruffalo as David Abbott.  Jon Heder portrays someone with skills in talking to spirits, and adds some freshness to the movie.  Witherspoon portrays Elizabeth Martinson who is separated from her body as the result of a car accident.  Her body is in a coma, while her spirit haunts Abbott who is living in her apartment.  This leads to David finally grieving his wife's death.  A romance ensues, and they have to save  Elizabeth's body who is going to be taken off life support.  This movie has a nice theme, making us decide what is really important in life.