Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Karate Kid" (2010)

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Karate Kid" (2010)

Dir.: Harald Zwart ("Agent Cody Banks", etc.) Starring: Jaden Smith (Dre Parker), Mr. Han (Jackie Chan)

After popular Detroit resident twelve year old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) [son of former "Fresh Prince" actor/rapper Will Smith and actress Jada Pinket ("Hawthorne")] moves to Communist China after his mom accepts a job there, he has a run-in with a bully with strong Kung Fu skills over a cute young Chinese girl. After Cheng (the bully) won't stop bothering Dre, the unhappy,picked-on boy is rescued from one beating by Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a maintenance man where Dre and his mom now live; who happens to be a secret master of Kung Fu. Han easily handles a gang of bullies from the "Flying Dragons"dojo, who live by the credo of "no fear, no pain, no mercy" instilled by their ruthless instructor. When Han accompanies Dre to the kung fu dojo of the dragons, the sensei (instructor) insists that the boy enter a kung fu competition against the kung fu adept dragons or else. Han teaches that kung fu is supposed to be for peace rather than for violence and intimidation. In a subplot, young Dre befriends a young Chinese classmate who is a dedicated musician. Perhaps not as good as the original with Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita ("Mr. Miyagi"), but I really enjoyed this movie, the location, the culture shock, the unconventional training, and especially the martial arts tournament.

P.S. This is my 364th post. I started contributing to this blog on July 26, 2008. It is hard to believe I am one post away from a year's worth of material. If I knew anything about computer graphics, I would celebrate the milestone with Virtual Fireworks or something. It took me nearly two years to reach this point. I hope to contribute more short fiction and poetry when I have the inspiration. If anyone besides myself reads this, I thank you. I hope to publish a book in the near future about saving money and budgeting.

Sci-Fi Bri's Television Picks

Sci-Fi Bri's Television Picks: Summer Shows Worth Checking Out

"Scoundrels" (on ABC) Starring: Virginia "Sideways" Madsen, David James "Jag" Elliott, etc.

After her husband gets arrested and ends up with a five year prison sentence, the matriarch (Virginia Madsen) of a family specializing in petty crime and chicanery, decides that she and her children will become law abiding citizens. Her moronic son will steal anything he can get his hands on and in the pilot episode he nearly ends up behind bars. His vacuous eldest sister can only seem to get jobs that involve removing her clothing, and his younger sister is highly intelligent, but blackmails her principal into allowing her to be truant as much as she wants. With Madsen's intervention, all three situations are nipped in the bud. This could be one of the most quotable series in recent memory. For instance, Madsen's character tells her son: "We don't break into people's homes, at least when they are home." I intend to watch this show every week, and I definitely recommend this show in its Sunday timeslot.

"Rookie Blue" (on ABC) Starring Missy Pelgrym ("Reaper") Doe-eyed police rookie Andie (Missy Pelgrym) and four other recent graduates of the police academy are fresh on the job and do their best while making their share of mistakes. In the pilot, Andie fouls up an undercover drug sting and defuses a hostage situation on her first day on the job. A routine police drama in which the love interest from "Reaper" shows she can do more than look pretty.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "City of Your Final Destination"

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "City of Your Final Destination"

Starring: Anthony Hopkins (Adam), Laura Linney, etc. Dir. : James Ivory (of Merchant-Ivory fame)

An Iranian-American graduate student named Omar travels to Uruguay at his semi-pushy girlfriend Deirdre's behest after the surviving family of a deceased writer fails to grant him approval of a biography he hopes to pen. If Omar cannot get their approval he will likely lose his job and his funding to continue his education. Soon after Omar arrives at the deceased writer's estate he is invited to temporarily stay there among the late writers' widow (Laura Linney), mistress and illegitimate daughter, plus his brother Adam ( Anthony Hopkins) and his Japanese partner/ handyman.

The writer's extended family are worthy of a book themselves. Definitely an independent film, but well worth seeing.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Prince of Persia"

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"

Characters/Actors: Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Tamina (Gemma Atherton), Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, etc.

In ancient Persia (what is now Iran), the king is so impressed by the brave boldness of a young peasant orphan boy that he adopts the lad. A decade or more later, the adopted prince leads an invasion on a peaceful rival city reputed to have a cache of knives. The city is easily conquered, but Dastan unwittingly comes to possession of a dagger which can enable its wielder to travel backwards in time and to potentially change history. Soon afterward, Dastan's older, noble-blooded brother (by Dastan's adoption if not by blood), first in line to succeed the king; bestows on Dastan a gift to give to the king which has a deadly poison. When the poison kills the king, Dastan is blamed for the assassination, and he flees with Tamina a beautiful queen or princess of the fallen city (0ne-time James Bond girl Gemma Atherton). At first the two don't get along very well, but they eventually fall for each other. Tamina reveals to Dastan that in the wrong hands the "sacred dagger" could allow an evil man to conquer or destroy the world. The king's jealous brother (Ben Kingsley) is the potential evil man who it is necessary to keep the dagger away from. By the director of such films as: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", "Donnie Brasco",etc. Similar to "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Not the greatest, but a fun, action-packed summer diversion.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Splice"

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Splice" Rated R for Nudity, Violence and Sexual Situations

Starring: Sarah "Dawn of the Dead" Polley (Elsa), Adrian "The Pianist" Brody (Clive Nikoli),

Dren (?), etc.

A married pair of genetic scientist who specialize in gene splicing new life-forms stumble onto a scientific breakthrough when they splice a human/animal clone and create a dangerous hybrid creature with a deadly barbed tail, animal instincts, and human appearance, intelligence and urges. Meanwhile, they are under pressure to deliver a profit from their scientific efforts and their lab and its funding may be shut down. A really good horror movie but even though it is unique in giving the creature a sexual dimension I personally would have preferred it was just a potentially dangerous creation. If you enjoy horror and science-fiction, you will certainly enjoy this film.

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Robin Hood" (2010)

Sci-Fi Bri's Movies: "Robin Hood" (2010)

Characters/Actors: Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe), Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett), William Hurt, Max Von Sydow, etc.

In this prequel to the "Robin Hood" we all know, in the 11th century, King Richard the Lionhearted has been off fighting in the Crusades for at least a decade. He is gradually making his way home while his ruthless but weak brother is serving as interim king, and is fighting the French en route. Richard is looking for an "honest Englishman", and the monarch said he found one in the intrepid archer Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) [the future Robin Hood]; but when Longstride is encouraged to speak his mind, he and several of his cohorts wind up in the stocks awaiting punishment. Something happens, which I won't give away; so Robin and his men go free.

After making a promise to a dying man, Robin and his men don knight's armor and head to Nottingham, England to deliver the fallen soldier's sword to his widow, Marian Loxley (later maid Marian). The sword has an inscription, which paraphrased means: Nover give up "until the lamb becomes a lion". Robin pretends to be a knight and lives under the roof of Marian and her father or father-in-law (Max Von Sydow). Meanwhile, arrogant King John demands even the poor pay tribute taxes to him.

With the help of Robin and some largely disgruntled subjects, King John manages to foil an invasion by the French King, orchestrated by a treacherous friend of the arrogant king . In spite of this, John reneges on a promise to treat his subjects fairer and declares Robin "an outlaw" for the rest of his days. This movie was like an amalgam of "Braveheart" and "Gladiator". If you've seen either of those two movies, you know what's going to happen in this one. However, due to a strong cast, in my opinion, this movie was well worth spending close to two and a half hours seeing.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio 1943-2010

R.I. P. Ronnie James Dio 1943-2010

Ronnie James Dio, former singer of the band Rainbow; a short-lived incarnation of Black Sabbath, his short-lived solo band, and most recently Heaven and Hell (made up of most members of Black Sabbath except for Ozzy Osbourne), died this week of stomach cancer. This diminutive man with a powerful voice was best known for such songs as : "Heaven and Hell" and "Mob Rules" as Ozzy Osbourne's replacement in Black Sabbath, "Holy Diver" as a soloist and many more. Most, if not all of his music dealt with good vs. evil and magic and such. He is perhaps notorious for inventing the two fingered "Heavy Metal Devil Horns " that many metal fans still use. I am a real fan of Dio and Black Sabbath. When I was in high school, for almost a year every Saturday I would listen to the entirety of Black Sabbath's "We Sold Our Soul For Rock n' Roll" album. I know that had all of Ozzy Osbourne's primarily supernatural songs, but I liked Dio's voice and songs as much as, if not more than Ozzy's music. Dio's most recent music, with the band "Heaven and Hell" was well worth purchasing. He will be missed. To quote Dio's most famous song from Black Sabbath : "The world is full of Kings and Queens, who Blind your Heart and Kill your Dreams, it's Heaven and Hell."