Captain America

Chris Evans was always going to be Captain America when you really think about it. He's built like the all-American hero and in some ways it's just not fair.
But that's really got nothing to do with the film.
The story of the 'First Avenger' is the last movie to be made before next year's Avengers movie, and if you stick around through the credits we get a taste of what to expect.
In 1942 Evans is Steve Rogers, the little man with a big heart who is desperate to join the army but keeps getting knocked back. (It's a bit weird to see how they imposed Evans's head onto a much smaller body double for the first half hour or so).
After being selected for an experimental procedure Rogers is transformed into Chris Evans as we see him on the posters, a strong, buff, perfect specimen but also enhanced in every way. He's fast, ridiculously agile but retains the heart of a little guy.
There are other areas of plot but basically he goes out on his own to rescue soldiers, including his best friend 'Bucky' Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from the clutches of Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, who can play a bad guy). We also have the token love interest in Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Attwell).
Considering this is set in World War 2 there is a lot of technology around at the time - some of which is being pioneered by Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) who happens to be the eventual father of Tony Stark, better know as Iron Man.
I think Captain America is very enjoyable, sure it is a bit corny but you'd expect that (especially when Rogers becomes chief recruiter for the army and dons a silly costume that he grows a bit fond of).
The question I had was how were they going to bring a character from the 1940s into the present day to be part of The Avengers movie, and we get than answered fairly implausibly but, hey, this is a universe of superheroes.
Can't wait for the Avengers movie in May. The Captain gets a solid 8 out of 10.

Experience

Sometimes you need to do things that aren't exactly smart or out of your comfort zone.
I get noticeably nervous, at times, when I try this.
I've accused myself of playing it too safe a lot of the time so by stepping away from the norm should, theoretically, alleviate those nerve.
So far no good though.
Now I haven't gone out and become a daredevil. Or reckless. I would never do that.
But I have become more comfortable with travelling and exploring new places and meeting new people. In those 'new people' I have met some truly awesome new friends.
Experiencing a few new things is proving to be interesting. I also don't want to regret not getting out there a bit. Sooner and hopefully rather than later I'll be less nervous in these situations.
I guess when you're used to playing it super safe for so long stretching the boundaries can be easier said than done.
But I'm doing it.

Adventures

I've tried a few things lately with mixed results.
Overall I have to say that I have learned a lot, and not only about myself.
Sometimes when you attempt to improve yourself you don't expect things to be difficult - I'm not naive enough to believe that significant change is easy but when there are chemicals involved you have to take things steady (I am talking, in part, about prescription medication).
On the plus side I've become used to heading to the gym a couple of times a week and am almost comfortable there. That is something I didn't think possible.
Also a plus is that I have noticed the difference this type of regular exercise is having.
Perhaps a bit short sightedly, I decided to try and reduce the medication and this was a shade premature I think. So I had to stop and concede that I'm not ready yet, even though in some way I am very ready.
I'm not giving up on that quest, just postponing it.
I've also been a little more adventurous lately and, among other things, finally decided to book a trip to Perth which is something I had in the 'want to do but too hard basket' for quite a while.
That's happening in November and I have a couple of trips to Melbourne coming up before then. Who would have thought a few years ago that I would become such a jetsetter!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Well, this is it....

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 hits the ground running as we rejoin Harry and co in their search for Voldemort's horcruxes.
Those who have read the books will know where the story heads so explaining the plot is redundant - especially as it is a continuation of the previous film (hence the Part 2).
As someone who hasn't read the books and didn't know how it ended I found it a satisfying conclusion to a series that has spanned 10 years on film.
Amazing, to think I can recall heading off to see the first one. Overall the eight films were very entertaining with only one or two of them being a bit below par (Half-Blood Prince was one).
When Harry finds his way back to Hogwarts, via Albus Dumbledore's brother, the final battle looms quickly. Along the way we reacquaint with several characters and find that many things have changed, particularly with Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis).
We also lose some beloved characters.
As someone who is a fan of Alan Rickman (I love his dry manner) I was pleased to get plenty of background into Professor Snape which allowed Rickman to shine.
I can't go without mentioning Helena Bonham Carter, as Bellatrix Lestrange. She's at her wacky best here and adds further class to the cast which is already pretty impressive.
We've watched Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson grow up over the last 10 years and that's one of the great things about the Harry Potter series - they had continuity of cast throughout the 8 films (aside from having to replace Dumbledore due to the actor dying).

SPOILER

The end is a little cheesy but it also wrapped things up nicely. An 8 out of 10 - Part 1 was a better movie overall I thought, but Part 2 was a very good ride.

Mr Popper's Penguins

As a huge Jim Carrey fan I was always going to see Mr Popper's Penguins but savaging reviews did make me hesitate just a little.
Then again, Jim Carrey has rarely received rave reviews which is an occupational hazard when you make as many outrageous comedies as he has.
MPP is not in the 'outrageous' category - it is not Dumb & Dumber, Liar Liar or Yes Man - it is very lightweight and family friendly (note the G rating) but it is still pretty funny.
Carrey is Tom Popper, a career obsessed businessman who is the product of a father who was never at home and communicated with him via shortwave radio from all over the world.
He's divorced and sees his two kids on alternate weekends. Just as he is about to attempt to buy a prime piece of real estate a package arrives that contains a live penguin, a bequest from his father.
A mix-up in trying to get the penguin returned sees five more arrive and they take up residence in Popper's apartment, much to to delight of his children.
As he tries to fend off a creepy zookeeper who has sinister plans for the penguins he finds their presence the key to winning back his family's love.
There's not much more to tell. The penguins are largely CGI (though apparently some scenes use real ones) and there's a funny disclaimer at the end saying 'no penguins were harmed in the making of the movie but Jim Carrey was pecked mercilessly - but he had it coming!' Nice.
It's an enjoyable, kid friendly, movie with some good clean laughs and a pretty solid cast to help it along.
Angela Lansbury pops up as Mrs Van Gundy, the owner of the business Popper is trying to buy, and Ophelia Lovibond (who looks an awful lot like Melissa George) is quite amusing as Pippi, Popper's assistant with a penchant for popping the letter 'P'.
This isn't high art but if you're a Carrey fan it's a nice distraction for a while. 7 out of 10.

Take a chance

Take a chance
Let down your guard
Try something new
Trust in a stranger
Believe in chance encounters
Satisfy a longing
Give in to temptation....almost

Misled and cheated
Confusing and messy
What to believe?
Distraction, disruption, disinterest
Picture of deceit
Shattered dream of future life
All from taking a chance

First or second

There is something to be said for knowing when you should put your needs first or consider others before yourself.
This is the dilemma du jour.
I guess I have felt this way for a while but chose to ignore, for want of a better description, the thought.
It keeps returning. Every now and then something will happen and I wonder why I don't just bite the bullet. It would require a fair bit of diligence and care to actually make that change but I have done it before, many years ago now.
I'm not in any danger of making any snap decisions about it but there is nothing wrong with keeping my options open a bit on the subject.

Wounded

I think I really hurt someone this week.
It was the right thing to do, I am certain of that, but I don't feel good about it. And don't get me wrong, I feel hurt too.
When it comes to another person's feelings there is no way to cushion a blow if it hits them right in a sensitive spot. I know this now. It was something I guess I suspected but when you don't allow yourself to expose the sensitive spot it can't get hit.
Distracted doesn't go far enough to describe how I was yesterday. I had one subject on my mind and it just wouldn't relent, it wouldn't let me go.
Even having dealt with the issue it still lingers a bit.
I get easily haunted and at the moment there is a song that is haunting me and it is somewhat related to what's been going on.
The trouble is, it is an amazing song and I don't want to stop listening to it.
I have learned a lot from the experience of this week.
I have learned about myself and I have discovered that there are things I might have to offer that I didn't credit myself for.
Still, I don't like the fact that out there in the world is someone who is feeling angry, a little I'd say, hurt and disappointed.
I couldn't help but feel cheated so that's why I took the action I did. I don't regret it because it was undoubtedly the best thing to do.
Like most lessons, this one has been learned the hard way but at the same time it has opened a door or two and that's both exciting and a bit scary.

Words and Pictures

If I were to say this isn't real it wouldn't make it true
If I tried to deny that something has changed
You could call me a liar
If I could separate thoughts from feelings
If I didn't want to take a chance
You could call me a fool
But I don't see what you can see
And you can't tell when I'm afraid
And you can't see what I see
And I can't help but wonder

What am I supposed to do when words are all I have
How do I explain it to myself let alone the whole wide world
Would a picture make a difference or would it all get confused
Are the words in my head pushing me forward or back
Would a picture tell me something I don't already know
If a thousand words are worth a picture
Then why are some things so unclear?

Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is not as bad as the reviewers will have you believe - it is just silly.
While the second film was very poorly edited, Dark Of The Moon seemed to flow a lot better but they really ramped up the corny-ness factor and very much overdid the American patriotic thing.
Anyway, we rejoin Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) as he searches for a job having finished college and been given a hero medal by President Obama (in quite a funny scene). He's also ditched, or been ditched by, Megan Fox's character from the previous two films and shacked up with Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) who is far too glamorous to make going out with Sam even remotely realistic but, hey, we're talking about a film with alien robots.
It seems the Decepticons have been in hibernation for a while as the Autobots have taken to helping America in the Middle East.
Sam finally finds a job working for the very odd Bruce Brazos (John Malkovich) and is made aware of a plan by the Decepticons to take over the world by the screwball Jerry Wang (The Hangover's Ken Jeong) who was involved in a cover up of an incident on the moon in 1969. Or something like that.
Cue the return of the Decepticons and all hell breaks loose.
This isn't Shakespeare but it is a great deal of fun. The casting helps a bit, with Frances McDormand, Alan Tudyk and Patrick Dempsey particularly good in their roles and the aforementioned Malkovich is just a genius.

It's not as witty as the first film but it does run rings around the second. So sit back, laugh and enjoy the outlandish destruction of Chicago and the probably-not final battle. (You just never know with Hollywood and their sequels). A 7 out of 10.