Eight Below Great Family Film

Eight Below, starring Paul Walker and eight amazing dogs, is based on a true story about friendship, dedication, and survival. Forced to leave his eight sleigh dogs behind after a massive storm moves through the Antartica, Walker does everything in his power to get back the dogs and bring them home. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before Walker is able to get a flight back to the Antartica and in the meantime, the dogs are forced to survive on their own. These amazing dogs work together as a pack to stick together and stay alive in the snow. I really thought this was a great family film that teaches an important lesson about love and friendship. However, there is a somewhat violent fight scene between the dogs and a leopard seal that might frighten very small children.

Pride and Prejudice Heartwarming Love Story

Pride and Prejudice, starring Kiera Knightley, was such a cute and heartwarming love story. Granted, it is quite shorter than Jane Austin's version, I still felt that it included all of the important aspects that make it such a wonderful love story. Knightely is brilliant as the witty and sharp tongued Elizabeth Bennett, she definitely does the role justice and you just fall in love with her. The actor who played Mark Darcy was also a perfect choice for he was handsome but not too pretty and displayed just the right amount of social awkwardness. I loved the film but I must warn the ladies, you will be dying for some romance after seeing the film.

Brokeback Mountain Rather Dull

Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall, was definitely a lot less interesting than what I was expecting. Granted, it was very different from any movie I have seen and the love story is very powerful, but I felt it was very long and drawn out. I think the story behind the movie is a great concept considering the controversy surrounding a love affair between two men because it is such a unique relationship. It also shows how hard it can be to be torn apart from the one you love for no other reason than societal expectations. I think everyone should at least see it to broaden their horizons, but I warn you, it is very long and dull and it also contains a somewhat violent sex scene.

Underworld Evolution Better Than First

Underworld Evolution, starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, was definitely better than the first Underworld in my opinion. It explained so much more about the history of how the elder vampires came to be, the creation of vampires and lycans, and why the vampires wanted to rid the world of the lycans. I also felt that the action scenes were much more exciting and hardcore as Scott Speedman gets to kick a lot more butt in this film. Since there is a lot of violence and a rather risque sex scene in the film I would not recommend taking children to see it. However, I thought it was an awesome and exciting film that is sure to leave you the edge of your seat.

The Ringer Exceeded Expectations

The Ringer, starring Johnny Knoxville, certainly exceeded my expectations. Having seen Johnny Knoxville in other roles, I expected his role in this movie to simply be one of a comical jokester, which was not the case. Granted, Knoxville was hilarious in the film, but there was a really great story behind the film as well. Knoxville plays a simple hard-working man who is forced to pretend he is a mentally challenged athlete in order to rig the special olympics. While this of course is morally wrong, Knoxville's intentions are good, for he is simply doing it to help out an old friend who is in the hospital. However, once Knoxville joins the special olympics, he manages to make wonderful friends with the other athletes and falls in love with one of the volunteers. This makes Knoxville question his intentions and he begins to regret his decision. I thought the movie was great, it had just the right amount of comedy along with a heartwarming story of friendship, determination, morals. I definitely recommend the movie to all audiences.

Chronicles of Narnia Not as Good as Book

Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was enjoyable in some aspects, but it definitely did not do the book justice. It had amazing graphics, in fact there were only a few instances in which I could tell that the animals were not real, and the acting was decent. However, I felt it didn't send as powerful a message as Lewis was trying to send when he wrote the book. The battle scenes were also rather weak, with the children just standing on the battlefield rather than doing much fighting, so it almost seemed as if they did not deserve to be crowned as royalty of Narnia. While I realize that this is a children's movie, I still felt it was lacking in some needed depth. As I said though, it was enjoyable, with amazing graphics and good acting. I would definitely recommend it for children, but not for those who loved the books growing up.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Best One Yet

The new Harry Potter flick is by far the best one yet. The young wizards are finally growing up and becoming more mature, which means it's finally okay to develop small crushes on the boys, and the adventures that they experience are much more exciting and definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. As usual, I would recommend that you read the book if you haven't already because it of course goes into a lot greater detail than the movie does. I felt that the movie followed the book pretty well, there were a few changes such as how Harry obtains the Gillyweed he needs for one his tasks, but fortunately they are minute changes. I would definitely recommend this movie for both children and adults, I found it very enjoyable and the special effects are amazing.

Legend of Zorro Decent Sequel

The Legend of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, is a pretty decent sequel to the first movie. Aside from the somewhat cheesy lines, it is an entertaining film filled with action, romance, and comedy. Banderas is as hot as ever in his all black, sexy Zorro outfit and I love Zeta-Jones' character, Elena, because instead of being a weak and helpless woman, she's fiesty and knows how to defend herself. Also, the little boy who plays their son in the movie is adorable and was perfect for the part. It's definitley a family friendly film and I would recommend it for any audience.

UBC Has Lost a Dear Friend

This is a very personal and heartbreaking blog for me. This morning, my pastor and friend from University Baptist Church in Waco, passed away after he was electrocuted during a baptism. I am in complete shock and am not sure how to take this tragic news. Not only was Kyle Lake an amazing pastor and devoted father and husband, he was also an amazing human being and inspirer. I cannot even imagine what his family must be going through and it breaks my heart to think that he will not be able to watch his beautiful children grow up. Please keep the Lake family and UBC in your prayers.