Movies

The third (and best !?!) film that I watched on the flight back from Germany was Balls of Fury (2007,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

A former child ping-pong prodigy is recruited by the FBI to lead them to a mysterious crime figure with an obsession for the sport.

You don't start watching a movie like this with your expectations too high, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was goofy and funny and pretty consistent throughout...never running out of gas.  Maybe it was the mood I was in, or lack of sleep, or something, but I really enjoyed it.

I give it 5 out of 5.

Another film I watched on the flight back from Germany was 3:10 to Yuma (2007,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

Desperate for money to keep his farm operational, a down-on-his-luck, 19th century rancher agrees to transport a legendary and dangerous robber to a train that will take him to prison.

I've never been a big fan of westerns, but this was enjoyable.  I didn't really like the ending, though...it seemed too sappy or something.  All in all it was good, though.

I give it 4 out of 5.

On the flight back from Germany one of the films I watched was The Beach (2000,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

A young American traveler and his two new French friends travel to a hidden island, rumored to be a tropical paradise, only to slowly discover that it might not be such an idyllic place.

I enjoyed it.  It was interesting to read on Wikipedia about differences between the book and the movie, and I think I would have preferred that some of the changes that were made hadn't been.

I give it 4 out of 5.

For movie night tonight we watched The Secret Garden (1993,G).  From Wikipedia:

The recently-orphaned Mary Lennox travels from her home in India to her uncle Archibald Craven's hundred-room house, Misselthwaite Manor, in Yorkshire, England.

I'm pretty sure I'd seen this one before, but it was enjoyable to watch with the kids.  I give it 4 out of 5.

Today I finished watching HBO's documentary Hard as Nails.  From the HBO web site:

When Justin Fatica steps to the altar, he becomes a whirlwind of energy, using a mix of professional wrestling, hip hop and Scripture to bring Jesus to his audience. An unordained Catholic minister and the founder of the Hard as Nails youth ministry, Fatica employs an intense, over-the-top approach that has connected with thousands of troubled teenagers, but also inspires resistance within his own Catholic Church. HARD AS NAILS paints an intimate portrait of this driven, charismatic man.

It was an interesting documentary.  The Hard as Nails ministry uses a lot more yelling and screaming than I'm used to hearing.  Maybe it's effective, though I guess I don't see much precedent in scripture.  Justin seems like a dedicated guy.  I like his idea of frequenting a barber shop on the black side of town and interacting with the folks there because it makes him uncomfortable.

I give it 3 out of 5.