TOP TEN: GREATEST SUPERHERO MOVIES

Here's the top ten superhero movies of all time (according to me, that is).

10. The Incredibles
A pitch perfect action-adventure, The Incredibles has something for all ages to enjoy. Written and directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant), Incredibles combines elements from spy, superhero, family drama and action flicks, deftly displaying suspense, action, family drama and a mid-life crisis. There's plenty of humor and references for a sci-fi or comic book fan to geek out about, while younger kids get a kick out of super-kids Dash and Violet taking on the bad guys.

9. X-Men
When Bryan Singer's X-Men hit theaters, it had the gargantuan task of living up to the expectations of many rabid fans. Luckily, the casting was superb, especially Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and the film stayed true to spirit of the comic enough to appease even the harshest fans. With good effects, a succinct and tight story, and great performances by Patrick Stewart (as Professor X) and Ian McKellan (as Magneto), it helped to launch a franchise and help secure one of Marvel's most successful adaptations to date.

8. Superman II
While there's no substitute for the heroics of the original Superman movie, its sequel, which came two years later, eventually became the template by which not only all superhero movies but all follow-up films would be constructed. Unlike its predecessor's origin story, Superman II found the hero contemplating deeper issues – namely what sacrifices he should make in the name of human love – against a backdrop of some truly amazing stunts: his rescue of a kid who falls over Niagra Falls seems quaint by today's standards, but in 1980 there was no more thrilling moment at the movies, while Superman's battle with General Zod (a predictably brilliant Terence Stamp) and his cronies makes for a spectacular set piece.

7. Batman
Tim Burton's imaginative big-screen interpretation of the Caped Crusader comic was an instant pop culture phenomenon. Fans had been anticipating the movie for months and the film's branding was plastered everywhere... not to mention that Prince song that got entirely too much airplay. It's interesting to watch the film now, over fifteen years later... The film definitely still holds up, even if Burton's Gotham City feels a little bit dated. Fans weren't initially sure about Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, but the actor quickly won them over with one of the best performances of his career. He was only out-acted by Jack Nicholson who delivers an absolutely sensational portrayal of Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime... the Joker.

6. Superman Returns
(This is actually my own review). Superman Returns is outstanding. It picks up from where Superman II left off, and it doesn't miss a beat. Brandon Routh does an adequate job of filling in the shoes of Christopher Reeve, but the most delightful part of the movie is Kevin Spacey's performance as Lex Luthor. He's just as good or better than Gene Hackman, and he's almost as good a super villain as Jack Nicholson in Batman (almost, but not quite). This movie is 2 1/2 hours of quality Superman action. It's classic good vs. bad superhero stuff. Plus, it's great to see Superman doing his thing outside of the cheesy Smallville series.

5. Spider-Man
Spider-Man isn't just a great movie, but the greatest comic book adaptation of all time: no other movie has better captured both the flights of fantasy and real-world context of comic superheroes as Sam Raimi's franchise-starter. Tobey Maguire, perfectly cast as the least likely guy to be made a superhero, truly embodies Peter Parker's irresistibly human combination of personal guilt and selfless nobility, while James Franco, Willem Dafoe, Rosemary Harris and an equally irresistible Kirsten Dunst expand Stan Lee's comic creations into three-dimensional characters. Oh, yeah, and there's tons of terrific action as well; but whether you're looking for a searing character study or a blockbuster-style action extravaganza, Spider-Man should be your web-slinger of choice.

4. X2: X-Men United
2003's superior sequel to X-Men starts out with a BAMF! as teleporting mutant Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) goes on a one-man rampage in the White House. The action doesn't let up from there, as the X-Men must take on military leader William Stryker (Brian Cox), who plans to use Professor Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) telepathic powers against all mutants. X2 does a great job of presenting the intolerance of non-mutants towards the X-Men and their fellow mutants, remaining realistic and entertaining.

3. Superman: The Movie
Richard Donner's take on Superman set the standard by which all superhero movies will be judged. The film featured perfect casting, from Marlon Brando as Jor-El to Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. But the standout will always be Christopher Reeve, who will forever be inextricably tied to the character of Superman. In short, Reeve is Superman to many people on the planet, and his ability to completely own a decades-old character makes the film work.Couple Reeve's spot-on performance with a balanced, delicately-paced script, an outstanding performance by Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and one of the most memorable endings in cinema, and you have one of the best superhero films ever made.

2. Spider-Man 2
This 2004 sequel brought back all the main players – director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, and even a short cameo from Willem Dafoe – and did an excellent job of presenting a new Spider-Man villain, Dr. Octopus, a.k.a. Dr. Otto Octavius (superbly played by Alfred Molina). Surpassing 2002's original Spider-Man with a better flowing storyline, more emotional depth, and a less ridiculous looking supervillain, Spider-Man 2 elevated the series to just about everything that comic fans love about the character.

1. Batman Begins
Widely considered one of the greatest comic films of all time almost immediately upon release last year, Batman Begins does everything right and gives Batman fans the film they have always demanded. Nolan is the perfect director and Bale is the perfect Batman. The film presents an exceptionally competent storyline that succeeds in explaining and justifying everything the superhero is able to achieve, something rarely seen even in the comics. It has a crossover appeal that works for the geeks, the laymen and even for the ladies. It's a truly terrific achievement and a promising start for the series to follow.

Note: most of this material came from ign.com. I think I'm satisfied with my Superhero stuff for a while. I promise I'll stop for a little while.

TOP FIVE: SUPERHEROES

I just saw Superman Returns, so I'm on this superhero bit. And as beyondfutility says, it's my blog so I can do whatever I bloody well please. If you don't like the fact that I have three superhero-related posts in a row, I'm not sorry. If you think I'm a nerd, well that's true. But I'm still not sorry. In fact, I plan on having one more superhero-related post in the next few days; maybe even two. In the meantime, here's my top five favorite superheroes of all-time:

5) The Flash
The Flash was always one of my favorites as a kid. I wish I could run that fast. That would be awesome!

4) Wolverine
Wolverine is probably the coolest and baddest on this list. You just don't mess with him or he'll jack you up.

3) Superman
Superman is more of an icon than anything. If it weren't for the fact that Superman is basically responsible for the whole superhero phenomenon, then he probably wouldn't be on my list. He's this savior figure, but he doesn't have any real human traits. It's hard to relate to Superman.

2) Batman
Anybody who can pull off being a superhero without having any superpowers is okay in my book. Not to mention the fact that Batman Begins is probably the best superhero movie of all time. Batman is dark and mysterious, and I like that.

1) The Amazing Spider-Man
Stan Lee is genius for creating Spider-Man. He's a normal guy one day, and all of a sudden he's got all these powers. If there's any superhero who fans can relate to, it's Spider-Man. "With great power comes great responsibility."

On the bubble: Professor X, Silver Surfer, The Green Lantern, The Hulk, Iceman, and Frozone (from The Incredibles)

10 LONG MONTHS...

I have to wait 10 more months to see this! It looks incredible, and most likely the best yet.

TOP FIVE: SUPER VILLAINS

5) Doomsday
A creature of immense strength, first burst onto the comics scene in epic fashion, fighting and killing Superman. Created on Krypton about 250,000 years ago, Doomsday has actually existed in various iterations, each being better than the last. His Kryptonian heritage gives him the power to hurt Superman far more than most creatures. Doomsday has also been manipulated by other Superman villains such as Brainiac, Lex Luthor and Darkseid.

4) Venom
Crazed, powerful, and maniacal all come to mind with one thinks of Venom. Venom isn’t a person per SE, rather the costume is the villain in this case. The Venom costume is a symbiotic creature that attaches itself to a host, granting super strength, speed, agility, and web slinging powers. In every instance, the prime motivation of the costume has been to take down Spider-Man. Fortunately for us, that hasn’t happened yet.

3) Magneto
The Yin to Professor X’s Yang, Magneto will not rest until humanity takes its rightful place, behind that of the world’s superior race, mutants. Magneto has been the leader of a group of mutants whose sole mission is to make a world where mutants rule and humans are left behind on the road of evolution. Adding to the fact that he is arguably one of the most, if not the most powerful super beings in the Marvel universe, Magneto is one of the greatest, tortured villains of all time.

2) Lex Luthor
Genius, ex-president, criminal mastermind, businessman, sociopath. Superman’s number one bad guy is right near the top of the list of the all-time best super villains. While Lex doesn’t have magical powers, super strength, or any of the other things that make up the common super villain, he more than makes up this with his superior intellect and utter ruthlessness. Don’t get on his bad side. If you do, you can bet you won’t last long.

1) The Joker
The Joker is mad. Maybe that is what is so appealing about this character. Pain, morality, logical thinking, and every other normal human trait go out the window when one thinks of the Joker. Combine his sanity with his penchant ability with toxic chemicals, and you have the makings of an unpredictable madman that can bring those around him to their knees.

Note: all of the writing is taken from comicbooks.about.com. Again, I didn't want to write all of this out.

TOP FIVE: CRAZY DICTATORS

THE MOST EVIL RULERS OF ALL TIME:

5. The Emperor Nero. In A.D. 59 he murdered his mother and in A.D. 62, his wife Octavia. He later married Poppaea. When half of Rome was burned in a fire (A.D. 64), Nero accused the Christians of starting it and began the first Roman persecution. In A.D. 65 there was a plot to make Caius Calpurnius Piso emperor. The detection of this plot began a string of violent deaths, e.g., of Seneca, Lucan, and Thrasea Paetus. Nero had ambitions to be a poet and artist. In A.D. 68 a series of revolts, including one by his own Praetorian Guard, caused him to commit suicide. Among his last words were, “What an artist the world is losing in me!” His memory was publicly execrated.

4. Maximillien Robespierre. Robespierre was the mastermind of the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), the dark underside of the French Revolution that perverted its lofty ideals of democracy with fanaticism and inhumanity. Robespierre, leader of the infamous Committee of Public Safety, turned France into a police state, sending "enemies of the nation" to the guillotine without benefit of a public trial or legal representation. About 40,000 French men and women were executed or died in prison, and another 300,000 were imprisoned. Only Robespierre's own beheading ended the slaughter.

3. Ivan the Terrible. On January 16, 1547, Ivan became the first czar of Russia, ruling until 1584. His early reign was primarily spent in battle in an effort to expand Russian land. His tyrannical cruelty only developed later in life, when he turned increasingly paranoid and vindictive—historians suspect mental instability. In 1570, Ivan formed a troop of personal bodyguards called oprichniki, who answered only to him and became the vehicle for massacring his perceived enemies over a seven-year period (1565–1572). The landed gentry was Ivan's particular nemesis, and he unleashed his oprichniki upon thousands of them. He was equally guilty of domestic violence, killing his son and heir, Ivan, in a state of fury, as well as several of his wives—he is believed to have had seven of them.

2. Joseph Stalin. Totalitarian leader of the U.S.S.R. from 1929–53, Stalin crushed the Soviet peoples with his megalomania and repressive version of communism. His adopted name meant "man of steel," and the term Stalinism has become the definition of a cruel, draconian socialism. He sent millions of Soviets not conforming to the Stalinist ideal to forced-labor camps, and he persecuted his country's vast number of ethnic groups—reserving particular vitriol for Jews and Ukranians. Soviet historian Roy Medvedev estimated that about 20 million died from starvation, executions, forced collectivization, and life in the labor camps under Stalin's rule. Another 20 million survived imprisonment and deportation.

1. Adolf Hitler. History's most chilling tyrant, Hitler controlled Germany from 1933–45. His fascist maneuverings for world domination, his dream of a Teutonic master race subjugating all non-Germanic peoples, led to a criminality unmatched by any leader this millennium. Responsible for the genocide of six million Jews, the slaughter of Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, Communists, and other "undesirables" and "decadents," as well as the invasion of Europe and the preposterous ambition to rule the world, Hitler defies any more sophisticated explanation than categorical evil.

On the bubble: Caligula, Tamerlane, Saddam Hussein, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Napoleon III, and Nicolae Carpathia (that last one's a joke).

Note: all of the information was taken from infoplease.com. I had no desire to research and write this on my own.

TOP FIVE: WAR MOVIES

5. The Patriot. A lot of people didn't like this one, but I did. It's the best portrayal of the Revolutionary War that I've seen.

4. The Longest Day. Old school WWII movie (1962) about the Normandy invasion with John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, and a whole lot more.

3. Glory. It's about a union black regiment in the Civil War. It's outstanding. Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman.

2. Braveheart. Mel Gibson again. I've seen this one like 10 times and it never gets old. "They may take our lives, but they will never take our FREEDOOOOMMM!!!"

1. Saving Private Ryan. This is hands down the best war movie ever. There is no equal.

On the Bubble: Memphis Belle, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Gettysburg, Patton. Band of Brothers would be on my list to replace The Patriot, but it was an HBO mini-series - not a movie.

TOP FIVE: ROCK MUSICIANS

This week I'm going to post a series of top five lists. I was inspired by my buddy Mikey in this post. I love top five lists. They're always fun.




TOP FIVE MOST INFLUENTIAL ROCK ARTISTS:

5. U2. The number 5 spot was a tough decision. I could've gone with Hendrix, Clapton, or some others. The top four, though, are pretty much non-negotiable for me.

4. Led Zeppelin. Hard rock just wouldn't be the same.

3. Elvis. The king of rock 'n roll. He made rock music popular.

2. Nirvana. Whether or not you like them, they changed the face of music forever. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a phenomenon.

1. The Beatles. I don't think I need to argue this one. It's the freakin' Beatles.

CHANGE IS GOOD: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

In a previous post I said that we as a church need to examine the way we do things and evaluate them. I compared it to a football team that watches film in order to correct mistakes. The first thing I wanted to discuss was the American church's nationalism.

It seems to me that the majority of American Christians think that the American government was founded on God's principles and that because of this God blesses us. When in fact, many of our founding fathers were deists, not Christians, and our constitution was based on the ideals of the enlightenment, namely teachings from John Locke(not to be confused with John Locke from from the ABC hit show Lost). Another thing that bothers me is that George W. Bush claims to be a Christian, therefore we get a lot of people who blindly follow him. We tend to think that if we can get a Christian in the White House then all of our problems will be solved. As we can see now, that couldn't be further from the truth.

With all of that said, I love our nation. It's a great place to live, and we have the freedom to worship Christ. After my first time out of the country, I don't think I ever want to leave again. We are so lucky, we are rich, we don't have an oppressive government, etc., etc. And as the apostle Paul said, we need to respect our government. We need to give to Caesar what is Caesar's. We should vote. We should be involved. We should pay our taxes. But where do we draw the line? My own church focuses on America during our worship service on July 4 week. Is this okay? Furthermore, do we really fight for God and Country? Or do we fight for Country? I guess my basic point here is that America does not represent God. God is holy. America is not. Sure we live in a wealthy nation and it's relatively safe, but America does not represent the values of Christ.

One thing the Christian Right wants to do is gain political power so that they can push their agenda: ban gay marriage, ban abortion, teach creationism, and so on and so on. But is this really necessary? I'm not against voting by any means, but as Christians, should it be our goal to push what we think is moral on others? For me, it's not about living a moral life. If we can make others live moral lives by law (which we wouldn't be able to do anyway), what good does that do? We're supposed to be the light and the salt of the earth. We are supposed to be Christ to people. That means we live on a daily basis ministering to those in need, those who are hurting, those who have nothing, those who can't stand on their own. I just don't see the good in pushing political agendas. Why can't we be the people of God?

In Revelation 13, the Roman Empire is depicted as a beast. It has the authority of Satan, and it is inherently evil. It is selfish and it desires worship. If you do not worship the beast, it has the power to kill. How close is America to this depiction of government? Does America desire worship? I think it's getting closer and closer to evil.

How nationalistic should we be? Do we support war in the name of democracy? Do we focus on how the government should solve problems or do we go out and be the church? Where do you draw the line? When does America overstep its bounds?

PS
In regards to the church dealing with the state, I enjoyed Shaun Groves' post about the church's dependence on government to do the dirty work in Uganda. Click here.

LAST COMIC STANDING

Wow. I laughed the entire way through this show tonight (I'm just now watching the last episode because of TiVo). If you haven't watched it yet you should. It's amazing. It's definitely my favorite reality show of all time (I don't like reality TV so much). You know the relaxation you feel after laughing too hard for too long? I totally had that. This show will keep me busy until season 3 of Lost starts up again. Yay!

My top 4 list in no particular order:
Josh Blue
Kristin Key
Chris Porter
Gabriel Iglesias

BIG MISTAKE

It all started on December 30 when I got married. Now it seems that everyone I know is getting hitched by December. Is this my fault or is there something in the air? Here's a quick list of all the people I know that are getting married over the next few months or have already tied the knot.

1 - Josh and Ashley. I played football with Josh in high school, and Ashley was a trainer for our team. Their wedding is this Friday.

2 - Charlie and Ginni. I've known Charlie since the seventh grade and Ginni since high school. They got engaged the same day Shari and I did and got married last week.

3 - Brandon and Autumn. Brandon is one of my best friends. Me and Autumn go way back. I'm particularly excited about these two getting hitched. They've been together longer than Shari and I.

4 - Jeff and Ashley. Jeff. What can I say? Congrats, man. Totally happy for ya! I don't know Ashley that well, but she seems like an awesome girl. Plus, I get to be a groomsman for this one.

5 - Jerry and Julie. What would I do without Jerry Hill? Sports writer. Youth Ministry guru. Awesome dad. Church leader. I'm so excited. These two are a perfect fit.

6 - Tony and Leah. I know Tony from the Baylor religion dept., and we'll be entering Truett together in the fall. They get married in Dec. I think.

I'm sure I'm missing someone. Seriously, though, what's up with all the weddings? At least I get a lot of cake out of this.

PS
A quick disclaimer about the title - Big Mistake. The 6 months I've been married has been the best 6 months of my life. No joke.

JAMES BOND: OVER-RATED

James Bond movies aren't good. I don't see what the big deal is. All the Bond movies I've seen are pretty boring. And they're all the same - there's a bad guy, some formulaic action, and Bond has sex with lots of girls. That's it. Why is he so awesome? Oh that's right - guys love the movies because they want to be like him. There's some kind of thrill in escaping to that kind of lifestyle, even if for only two hours. He gets lots of chicks, and he has a cool job. Well guess what? I'm perfectly content with where I am. I have an awesome job that I love to go to everyday, and I have the best wife in the world (plus she's really hot). I'm glad I don't have herpes like Mr. Bond. I'm a one woman guy. No need to fantasize.

And Chic-Fil-A is over-rated too, but for different reasons.

CHANGE IS GOOD

In my last post I noted that my church is on the verge of making some major changes. We'll be looking for a pastor and an education minister, and who knows what direction God will take us? Hopefully, we'll make the right decisions. Change is good, and I'm excited about what God is going to do not only for our church, but also for our ministers who are moving on. If our church makes the right decisions, there is no doubt in my mind that God is going to do some great things with us and with our community.

This whole episode got me thinking about change. About what I need to change in my life and what we as God's people need to change to be more like Christ. Just like my church here in Waco, I think that the American church is on the verge of a major change as well. In my next few posts, I'm going to talk about some things that I think need to change in American churches. Hopefully this can spark some conversation. I like talking about this sort of thing because it convicts me of what I'm doing wrong. Not only that, but if we don't talk about what we're doing wrong it's never going to change. It's kind of like a football team that watches film. In high school I played for a state championship football team, and we watched film of practice every morning and after the games. We didn't didn't do it so much to see what we were doing right. We did it so that we could correct mistakes. The church needs to do something similar. Instead of always trying to defend ourselves, we need to take a step back and honestly try to see where we're going wrong. There are things we need to change, and we need to do so on a large scale. What do you think? Stay tuned and join the conversation.


PS
A New Blog Has Opened. I promise you will enjoy...
Beyond Futility

PRAYER REQUEST

If you pray, please pray for the Western Heights Baptist Church. Last week our Minister of Education resigned. He does so much work with Sunday School and the administration side of things in our church. This week our pastor resigned. So, by July 16 we will only have myself, Cruz (the two youth guys), a children's minister, and a part-time music minister. Only the children's minister is full-time.

To say the least, our church will be going through some changes. We could definitely use your thoughts and prayers. Thanks and God Bless.

Disgusting

Last night was one of the most disgusting things I've seen in a while. The Mavs were absolutely pathetic. Dirk was 2-14 while D. Wade had like 30 something points. It was classic choke-it-away Maverick basketball. The only thing that was good about the Mavs last night was the effort by Devon Harris. You could tell the guy was playing lights out even though the rest of his team was somewhere else.

If the Mavs don't get it together for game 5, stick a fork in them.

Not Even Close

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Sometimes I do. Like right now. I know that I have this huge job to do. I'm supposed to be a minister of Jesus Christ to a bunch of junior high and high school students. I'm supposed to be an example for them of what it looks like to follow the God of the universe. I'm supposed to lead them in their journey with God. I'm supposed to show them what it really means to be like Jesus...

I don't even know if I know what it really means to be like Jesus. I can't swing this. I don't even come close. How am I supposed to do that? I'm too stinkin' lazy and selfish. I am a far cry from a good example of Jesus. Am I really up to this task?

Thank God for grace, and thank God for His power. If I didn't have the desire to follow God, then my situation would be hopeless. The situation I am in gives a whole new meaning to Phil. 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If I really, truly, and deeply desire to be like Christ, then God will empower me. If every fiber of my being is devoted to Him, I just might be okay. Maybe the students I am supposed to lead might see something in me. Hopefully it can catch on. Hopefully they will see how the Great and Holy God can change and work in their lives. Hopefully they desire to reach others and show in their lives what it means to follow God. My ultimate prayer for them and for myself is that God is glorified in our lives. Not me, not them. May others see the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ through our ministry, and may he receive all the credit.

"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength."

A Fun Night At The Movies

So Shari and I went to go see The Omen last night. Despite the theology (which isn't really the point of the movie anyway), it was an outstanding movie. It was really intense and that little kid freaked me out. It was much better than the original, the acting was good, the directing was good, it kept me interested, and it was pretty frightening. But my favorite thing about the movie was its cinematography. Artistically, the movie was beautiful. There was one dream sequence in particular where Julia Stiles is in an all white bathroom wearing a red robe. She shuts a mirror to see what's behind her and there's this hideous demon thing. It was so delightfully Tim Burton-ish.

The scariest part of last night, though, was not the movie itself. Shari and I actually rented out the movie theatre for 10 bucks. That's right, no one else was in there! Watching scary movies in a big theatre alone is not exactly the best way to go. The only way to keep yourself sane in that situation is to talk during the movie (preferrably tell jokes) - which we could do because no one was in there, and we could be as loud as we wanted. It was definitely one of my favorite movie experiences ever, and it was the first good movie I've seen in the theater in a while. It was great fun until we got back home and watched the Mavs choke game 3 away.

Hola Amigos!

Well, we're back, and we had an outstanding trip. Here's a few things I noticed about Puerto Vallarta, Mexico...

1. Everybody's trying to sell something there. We couldn't walk down the street for two minutes without somebody trying to sell us something, whether it be a time share (HA!), a bracelett, braids, a cruise, or whatever. I know it's how they made their money, but man it got annoying.

2. Tequila! When Shari and I ordered cokes (no Dr. Pepper there) instead of alcohol, people looked at us like we were nuts. They love their alcohol there. I think that's why everything started later in the morning than here. If you have a hangover, you don't want to start working at 8 am.

3. The beach wasn't all that great. It had really rocky sand, and it was dirty. Not to mention you couldn't relax because people would try to sell stuff. We went to Destin, FL last year and the beaches were much nicer there. It's all good though because the resort we were at had some really nice pools, and only those staying at the hotel could actually be inside the resort.

4. Drivers there are insane! We got in a taxi, and the guy would weave in and out of traffic like it was nothing. Even the busses would pass each other no more than 2 feet apart. I was amazed that we never saw any wrecks. Even though it was crazy, the drivers were really impressive.

5. The TV there is basically American TV. A lot of the channels featured American shows with American networks with Spanish subtitles. We also saw Ferris Bueller's Day Off dubbed over - that was fun. Most of the movies were American, too. The Omen was called La Profecia, and the DaVinci Code was El Codigo de DaVinci. Oh, and we also saw game one of the NBA Finals (GO MAVS).

Mexico was great fun. If nothing else, it helped me better understand and appreciate the Mexican culture. I probably wouldn't go back, but I'm glad we went. After all, we did get to snorkel.

Mexico!

To all of my adoring fans out there (all 5 of you), I'm leaving for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this weekend. My wife and I are going for our real honeymoon thanks to my parents for providing the travel and my G-ma-ma who provided the time share. It promises to be a week full of fun and beach and sun and things of the like. Needless to say, this will be my last post for a little while. But don't worry, I'll be back with more and better things to write about. Not that anybody's reading...

P.S.
Go Mavs!

Flop

X-Men was a huge disappointment. It was mildly entertaining to see all the mutants do their thing, such as Magneto demolishing the Golden Gate bridge, but other than that this movie was hard for me to get through. And I absolutely can't get enough of Superhero movies.

The plot was poorly put together, the writing was cheesy, and there was very little character development. It looked like they had to put this movie together, so they just jumbled some scenes together and made some cool special effects. It was easily the worst of the X-Men movies and in the bottom 4 of the recent string of Marvel movies. If this was some type of transitional movie for the X-Men series then I can live with it, but if that's really how they're going to end it, this movie was a massive failure. There's so much to do with X-Men, and this movie didn't even scratch the surface. Boo to X-Men 3.