Thoughts While Sick
Seems the only time I find time to blog is when I'm sick. I'm home in bed for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. A cold so bad it feels like my head is going to explode. So, logically, I might as well blog. You can draw parallels between my thoughts and mucus, but that's just gross.
So here's a random assortment of things I've been meaning to blog about.....with absolutely no connecting theme!
1. Happy Feet [Caution: here be spoilers]
Happy Feet won the Oscar for best animated film over Cars, a film that I and my toddler-age nephew love with equal fervor. Christy and I finally got around to watching it this weekend while - you guessed it - we were both sick.
It's.....kinda weird. It starts with cuteness which is made all the funnier if you've seen March of the Penguins and had to listen to Top 40 radio in the late 80s-early 90s. Dancing, singing, marching penguins. I'll accept that. Then our hero, Mumble (voice of Frodo Baggins/Kevin) gets kicked out of the pack (or whatever you call a group of penguins) because he can't sing...only dance. Typical animated fish out of water who must prove his worth. Ok, fine, I can accept that if done well. The big problem Mumble has to solve is why there aren't any fish to eat anymore. And the problem turns out to be - big surprise - humans.
Early on, this is effectively presented indirectly. Mumble almost gets run over by an abandoned bulldozer in an avalanche....a character named Lovelace claims mystical powers from the fact that he has one of those six-pack plastic things around his neck. But then things just get weird. Mumble gets caught and put in the zoo and when he looks out he sees....actual human beings. I mean, not even animated human beings....but actors. This totally wrecks the reality of the movie. It's hard to suspend your disbelief about dancing, singing penguins when there's actual human beings staring at these animated creatures. It kind of freaks you out, too. And then the movie gets all preachy with something like a U.N. meeting where the human world decides to stop over-fishing.
Sure, I agree with the environmental message. But how could this awkward message film beat out the imaginative wonder that was Cars?
Oh, crap. I need to go drive, while sick, through rush hour traffic to pick up Christy from work. Because she's sick, you know.
Coming up on Thoughts While Sick (if I have time): Spider Man 3, my report on the Relient K concert, my dilemma about Blogger ads, my discovery of one of my character flaws, and my thoughts on Jerry Falwell.
If I don't have time to write about all of those, is there any one you would particularly care to hear about? "I don't really care to hear your thoughts" is a valid answer, but not a particularly nice thing to say to sick person.
So here's a random assortment of things I've been meaning to blog about.....with absolutely no connecting theme!
1. Happy Feet [Caution: here be spoilers]
Happy Feet won the Oscar for best animated film over Cars, a film that I and my toddler-age nephew love with equal fervor. Christy and I finally got around to watching it this weekend while - you guessed it - we were both sick.
It's.....kinda weird. It starts with cuteness which is made all the funnier if you've seen March of the Penguins and had to listen to Top 40 radio in the late 80s-early 90s. Dancing, singing, marching penguins. I'll accept that. Then our hero, Mumble (voice of Frodo Baggins/Kevin) gets kicked out of the pack (or whatever you call a group of penguins) because he can't sing...only dance. Typical animated fish out of water who must prove his worth. Ok, fine, I can accept that if done well. The big problem Mumble has to solve is why there aren't any fish to eat anymore. And the problem turns out to be - big surprise - humans.
Early on, this is effectively presented indirectly. Mumble almost gets run over by an abandoned bulldozer in an avalanche....a character named Lovelace claims mystical powers from the fact that he has one of those six-pack plastic things around his neck. But then things just get weird. Mumble gets caught and put in the zoo and when he looks out he sees....actual human beings. I mean, not even animated human beings....but actors. This totally wrecks the reality of the movie. It's hard to suspend your disbelief about dancing, singing penguins when there's actual human beings staring at these animated creatures. It kind of freaks you out, too. And then the movie gets all preachy with something like a U.N. meeting where the human world decides to stop over-fishing.
Sure, I agree with the environmental message. But how could this awkward message film beat out the imaginative wonder that was Cars?
Oh, crap. I need to go drive, while sick, through rush hour traffic to pick up Christy from work. Because she's sick, you know.
Coming up on Thoughts While Sick (if I have time): Spider Man 3, my report on the Relient K concert, my dilemma about Blogger ads, my discovery of one of my character flaws, and my thoughts on Jerry Falwell.
If I don't have time to write about all of those, is there any one you would particularly care to hear about? "I don't really care to hear your thoughts" is a valid answer, but not a particularly nice thing to say to sick person.
posted by Ben at
4:13 PM
2 Comments:
Oh no! Ben's going to spoil "Happy Feet" for me! Whatever shall I do? I guess continue to call Oscar a bunch of morons and not see the movie. (That is ridiculously weird about the actual humans thing -- this isn't "Mary Poppins" or "Roger Rabbit".)
For your potential blog topics, I would go with Jerry, Blogger, or possibly the character flaw thing if you want to go personal and introspective. But that's because I know we'll get a chance to bullshit about Spidey and Christian rock. That doesn't mean you'll want to deprive other readers.
By
Mike, at 5/22/2007 10:47 AM
Cars was a better movie. I think Happy Feet tried to be too many things at once, and ended up being just an average movie with decent animation and music. It lacked a tight plot, and that hurts any movie. I also had trouble connecting to the main character. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get into it.
I bought it unknowing, expecting something better. My favorite part to watch is the trailer where Robin Williams sings "My Way" in Spanish.
By
-Dave, at 5/22/2007 11:46 AM
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