Favorite Five - Movie Soundtracks

Before we continue, let me clarify things. Don't confuse the soundtrack for a movie with its score. For example... everyone is familiar with the musical score for the original Star Wars movie. However, that's not what I'm talking about here. That can be a whole different post for another time. What I am referring to are the albums that are released containing specific songs, usually by various artists, that appear in a movie.

1. Boogie Nights (and Boogie Nights 2) - This should have been released as a double CD rather than making you buy both! Despite the title of the movie (which is actually about a porn star), it's not just disco music.

2. Forrest Gump - This one is a double CD. One of the best things about it is the wide range of years the music covers, just like Forrest's life.

3. Beverly Hills 90210: The College Years - I never liked this TV show and haven't seen the movie. I only got the CD because of one specific song (before the days of iTunes and individual purchases). Fortunately the rest of the CD was good.

4. Blues Brothers 2000 - A lot of the music on this CD includes the Blues Brothers Band, but that's okay since they're quite good in their own right. Includes Blues Traveler, Erykah Badu, The Louisiana Gator Boys, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Jonny Lang, and more.

5. The Fighting Temptations - This is a fun, feel-good movie with some great music from such varied artists as Beyonce, The O'Jays, Shirley Caesar, Missy Elliott and others.

Worth mentioning: Almost Famous, Good Morning Vietnam, In the Name of the Father, Mr. Holland's Opus, The Fifth Element.



I hope I haven't blurred the line between soundtrack and score with any of my choices, especially the "worth mentioning" picks. I've included a link to Amazon for the top five so you can see what songs appear on each album.

How about you? Are there any particular movies with great songs that you want to mention?

Gerry Rafferty

I was sad when Gerry Rafferty died earlier this month. My favorite of his songs, Baker Street, made my "favorite five - songs" list that I posted last year. It was released in February of 1978 and I spent that summer studying in England. Brings back great memories!

Movie Madness

My husband loves to watch movies so it was a wonderful thing for him when he discovered Netflix. He will give most any movie a chance and it's rare he won't finish one he's started, especially now that he's not paying per movie. I'm a little more discriminating and have to weigh how much I want to see one versus anything else I might have on my agenda.

Here are a few that I opted to watch recently. Some were worth the time, some were not.


Iron Man 2 - So often sequels fall short and I heard that this wasn't as good as the first Iron Man. I heard right. It wasn't as good, but still entertaining.

Robin Hood - I hadn't intended to watch this since the Robin Hood legend has never been one of my favorites. I like Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe, however, and decided to give it a go. It was not the Robin Hood story I remembered at all. If anything, the ending set things up for a sequel more along the lines of what I expected with this one.

P2 - This is a horror movie. Definitely not my preferred genre. It sucked me in, though, and I stayed with it all the way through. There was only one scene that had me wanting to avert my eyes.

To Kill A Mockingbird - It wasn't that long ago that I read this book for the first time. Several folks told me that the movie was very good, perhaps as good as the book. I won't go so far as to say I liked it as well as the book (that's a rarity in my opinion), but I did think it was very good. A book just provides so much more detail than a movie can. It did stay true to the central theme of the story.

Date Night - This was one of those comedies that had its share of funny moments, but didn't leave any lasting impressions. I enjoyed it while I watched it, but wouldn't tell anyone it was a "must see".

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Based on a video game. I can see that it's probably a great game, but it didn't make the transition to the big screen very well. I didn't think it was very good.

Julie & Julia - This was my favorite of all the movies listed here. It's based on a book for which I've read glowing reviews. I haven't read it myself and don't think I will. I could be wrong, but I just don't think it would be as good in book format.

Sunday Stuff

Between Netflix and RedBox, we've had the opportunity to watch a good movie each of the past two nights. Totally different genres, I can't say which I enjoyed more. Friday night was Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Not what most would consider intelligent or thought-provoking, it was filled with fun, action-packed fantasy entertainment. Last night was Invictus. A wonderful "feel-good" movie with quality acting and directing (I love Clint Eastwood on either side of the camera!). Okay....so looking back I probably liked the latter best, but both were worth the time invested in watching.

During the past week our church hosted teams from OMP and sent off a group from our own congregation. This morning during worship the pastor asked all who travelled on the mission trip to stand and be recognized. Then, he asked that anyone who helped in any way with the group that came to our church to stand. Both groups were applauded. Although I helped prepare a meal one night I chose not to stand. This was in part because I hate drawing attention to myself in groups. However, I also have problems at times with the idea that we need to acknowledge every little thing folks do. Aren't we supposed to be doing it to glorify God and not to be recognized? Don't get me wrong..... I see no problem with letting the congregation know which kids (and adults) went on the trip and commending them for their service. However, I'm just not so sure about the second group. What do you think? Do I sound like a curmudgeon?

My younger daughter tried another recipe last week. She changed it around just a bit while preparing it. Although it was good, we've thought of a few additional changes that would make it better. It was submitted to Simple & Delicious by Audrey Arno of Enid, OK.

Tropical Pie

1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened crushed pineapple
2 medium firm bananas, cut into 1/4-in. slices
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
4 tsp. sugar substitute equivalent to 4 tsp. sugar
2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping, divided
1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (9-in.)
4 maraschino cherries, halved
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place sliced banana in juice; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar substitute and 1 Tbsp. reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Fold in 1/4 cup whipped topping.

Drain bananas. Arrange half of bananas in bottom of crust. Carefully spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with pineapple, remaining bananas and whipped topping. Garnish with cherries and walnuts. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Yield: 8 servings.

Odds and Ends

Check out this really fun link Tracy shared on her blog today: I Write Like. You provide a sample then it analyzes your writing and tells you which author you write like. Here are my results:

I write like
Arthur C. Clarke

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Jen shared some fun info in her blog this weekend, too. Did you know that Blogger offers stats now for your blog? Just look under Tools and Resources at the bottom of your Dashboard and click on "Blogger in Draft". Interesting to see, not that I was particularly surprised by my stats.

Life has been pretty busy since we got back from vacation. I'm behind on my magazines which, in turn, has kept me from reading books. The Book of Eli arrived from Netflix the other day and I have to say I was rather disappointed in it. The premise and previews had raised my expectations a little too high, I guess, since I thought it was slow and boring. Finally made it to a matinee showing of Eclipse, the third in the Twilight series. I thought it was much better than New Moon. More action and less angst. One of the best parts of the week was seeing our local arts center's summer musical. They did The Producers by Mel Brooks and it was a real hoot! I'm always pleased with what quality productions our community theater puts out.

Now, if I can just make myself turn this blasted computer off I might get some reading done....

Think you know what's going on?

Last month I posted a Civic Literacy quiz to test your knowledge about the U.S. government. This week I received another fun quiz in an e-mail. I did a little better on this one, scoring a 10 out of 12. (and really shouldn't have missed one of those) It's a quick test, so click the link below and see how well you do. Keep in mind it relates to U.S. politics.

Political Quiz

On an unrelated note.... I watched Bolt this afternoon. A really cute movie! The animated dog in it reminded me of our Jed. (in looks, not intelligence!)

Favorite Five - Actresses

Last month I posted "Favorite Five - Actors". Now it's time for the women, a more difficult task. I mostly drew from movies and would probably have had lots more runners up if I'd thought harder about TV shows.

1. Sandra Bullock - I liked her in Miss Congeniality , but she's also proven herself in dramatic roles.

2. Jodie Foster - Looking over her filmography, I was amazed at how many television shows she appeared in as a child.

3. Dawn Wells - "Mary Ann" and "the Professor" were my favorite characters on Gilligan's Island. You should see her in The Town that Dreaded Sundown! (said with tongue in cheek)

4. Kathy Bates - The first thing I remember seeing her in was Misery, but perhaps her funniest role was "Mama Boucher" in The Waterboy.

5. Julia Roberts - For some reason this actress use to irritate me, but the more things I've seen her in, the more I like her.

Runners up: Grace Kelly, Kathleen Turner, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sally Field, Eve Plumb (my favorite "Brady")

Favorite Five - Actors

We watched several movies over the weekend which brought to mind a good topic for a Favorite Five entry: actors.

Many actors (and actresses...which I'll save for a future post), started out in television before moving on to the big screen. I'm sure that's worked in reverse as well. Then there's theater.... an entirely different genre and one I know very little about.

When choosing your favorites, feel free to draw from whichever medium you want. That's what I did. And just for the record, this was really tough for me!

1. Tom Hanks - Talk about a versatile actor!! I think my favorite performances were Forrest Gump and Cast Away.

2. Mel Gibson - Okay, I know he's made a lot of enemies in recent years, but I still like his movies starting way back with Mad Max. Signs was one of my Favorite Five Movies.

3. Tom Selleck - He had already been around awhile by the time he starred in Magnum, P.I., but that was my first exposure to him. Quigley Down Under almost made my top five list.

4. Charles Bronson - Bronson appeared in a wide variety of movies including numerous Westerns. However, my favorite role he played was Paul Kersey in the Death Wish movies.

5. James Stewart - One of the all-time best! From everything I've read about him he was not only an outstanding actor, but also a fine person off screen. I loved him in Rear Window and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, both mentioned in my top five post.

Runners up: Harry Morgan, Liam Neeson, Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy.

As always, I know I'll think of others later that I should have included. This will have to do for now.

Westerns

My husband was flipping through the channels last night and landed on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) which was showing True Grit. It's the only movie for which John Wayne received an Academy Award and it includes one of my favorite movie lines: "I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." The next movie up was The Shootist, John Wayne's last movie and one loaded with an all-star cast. Despite the fact John Wayne is an actor many folks enjoy making fun of, he starred in well over 100 movies and made a name for himself in the world of "Westerns".

... Which brings me to wonder ... What ever happened to the Western?? Hollywood rarely puts out Westerns anymore. I can think of only two in recent years: 3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Both seemed to do well at the box office... so why haven't there been more?

Just wondering.

A new year

My husband and I welcomed in the new year in our usual way. We gathered with two other couples, ate entirely too much food, laughed, talked and played boards games. We've done it for years and years and always have a good time.

Today we slept in, had a late lunch of Black-Eyed Pea Soup and Mexican Cornbread, then headed to the movies to see Avatar. Considering my attention span is sometimes a bit short I wondered if I would enjoy an almost three hour movie. I did have to shift around in my seat and peek at my watch a couple of times, but the movie was wonderful and I really liked it!

When I finish here and shut down my computer for the evening I plan to settle in with my handwritten journal to make my annual New Year's entry. I'm not always good about writing on a regular basis throughout the year, but I always write on New Year's Day. It's my time to look back and reflect on how well I met the goals I set a year ago and to decide what I want to work on in the coming year. First, though, I'll share a few recipes from our New Year's eating.

Eggnog Tube Cake

Contributed to Simple & Delicious by Mary Ellen Severance of Biggs, CA

1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz) white cake mix

1 pkg. (3.9 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup eggnog

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tsp. rum extract

1-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp. rum extract

3 to 4 tsp. eggnog

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix. pudding mix, eggs, eggnog, oil, extract and nutmeg. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350F for 38-41 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, extract and enough eggnog to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Contributed to American Profile by Joyce Gates of Clovis NM

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 pound Polish sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

2 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas with jalapenos, undrained

1 (14 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (10 oz) can mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chilies

1 to 2 medium jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups water

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onions and cook until beef is browned, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover tightly. Simmer 45 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Mexican Cornbread

(my mother's recipe from when I was growing up)

Sift together:

1-1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Add in:

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs, one at a time

1 cup sour cream

1 (no. 2) can cream-style corn

1 cup grated cheese

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (I sub dried, chopped chives)

Bake in a greased, square glass dish at 425F about 45 minutes.

Favorite Five - Holiday Specials

I figure I'd better get in a couple of Favorite Five posts pertaining to the holiday season. I'll begin with an easy one.

I'll admit, there are lots of Christmas movies I've never seen. They air all through the holidays, but I rarely sit down and watch any of them. I prefer the shorter Christmas TV specials... the ones geared towards kids.

Here's my top five list. Bet you won't have any trouble telling me yours, either!

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Naturally this tops my list. After all, it made the cut for my "Favorite Five - Movies" entry. I noticed A&E had it on several times this past week. I saw bits and pieces, but will wait and watch it from start to finish closer to Christmas. I replaced my old VHS copy with a DVD this past year.

2. A Garfield Christmas - Jon, Odie and Garfield go home to the farm for Christmas with the parents, Doc Boy and Grandma. Silly in places, but leaves you with a warm feeling at the end.

3. Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas - This show first aired in 1987. I don't think I've missed it a single year since then. We originally taped it on VHS, then found it on DVD several years ago. Each "claymation" segment revolves around a different song. I think my favorites are "Joy to the World" and "O Christmas Tree".

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas - This one's a favorite from my childhood. (original air date: 1965) I miss it most years, but saw it scheduled for this past week and set up the DVR. I'm looking forward to watching it a little closer to Christmas. Also love the music in the show from the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

5. It's a Wonderful Life - A wonderful movie, a wonderful cast, and a wonderful message. Everyone should see it at least once in their life. It's been awhile for me. I need to remedy that.

To Kill A Mockingbird

There are a number of books that I feel like I should have read at some point in my life. You know the ones I’m talking about… the classic you somehow missed out on in school, the Pulitzer Prize winner, the novel the critics raved about. Some of them I still have hopes of reading someday. Others are actually sitting in my TBR pile, just waiting for the right time. Then again, some you really don’t care anything about, no matter how "important" others might think they are.

A good friend, who happens to be a retired English teacher, and I were discussing some of these books over the summer. She was surprised to find out I had never read To Kill A Mockingbird (by Harper Lee) or seen the movie version (starring Gregory Peck).

When my birthday rolled around in September, she gave me a copy of the book. I read it last week and really enjoyed it! In fact, I can’t imagine why I hadn’t read it before. I may have to insist my husband put the movie in his queue at Netflix soon, while the book is still fresh in my mind.

Favorite Five - Movies

I thought it might be fun to begin a series of periodic “Favorite Five” posts focusing on various things such as books, authors, TV shows, etc. I’ve chosen movies for my first entry.

Please keep in mind when I say “favorite” I mean just that. By selecting the movies posted here, I’m not at all stating I believe they are the best movies ever made. I don’t really watch movies that often and when I do, it’s for my own personal entertainment. These just happen to be the ones I’ve chosen at this time and point in my life.

Although I narrowed my list to five, there are many others I consider favorites. I’ve listed some of them as “runners up” at the bottom of the post. Take a look at the movies I’ve shared here (in no particular order), give it some thought, then leave a comment telling me what some of your favorites are.

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – My younger daughter and I watch this movie every Christmas, without fail. Definitely the funniest of all the “Vacation” movies.

2. Rear Window – Probably not most people’s pick when it comes to Hitchcock films. I love the premise, I love Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly together, and Raymond Burr makes a terrific bad guy.

3. The Fifth Element – This Sci-fi flick, filled with both action and comedy, has a fun cast which includes Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich and Ian Holm.

4. Three O’Clock High - Not exactly a well-known movie. Okay, maybe even on the “B-list”. But, hey… it always makes me laugh.

5. Signs – Once again, probably not most people’s pick when it comes to M. Night Shyamalan movies, but it’s my favorite. It has some really funny moments in it (along with a few scary ones) and I love how everything ties together at the end.

Runners up: Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Quigly Down Under, Death Wish, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Castaway, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Zulu, Gran Torino, The Lords of Flatbush, The Road Warrior, Rocky.

Early March Ramblings

Alice and Mabel have been in the house with us for two months now. I’m happy to say we’re finally seeing some progress! (I don’t think I’ve ever had this much trouble housebreaking a dog!!) Alice still has nights that she wets her box, but more often than not she doesn’t. I still watch them closely during the day, but even those incidents are fewer and farther between. With this increase in positive behavior has come an increase in time they are allowed to be in the living areas with us rather than closed off on the sun porch. Never having been denied access, the pups get on and off the living room sofas as they please. I guess this finally registered with Esther. With one swift leap she recently settled herself on the couch next to me. I was so surprised I just laughed instead of scolding her. That gave her all the reinforcement she needed to make it into a regular occurrence. My only complaint is that Esther and Betty both shed horribly, which so far the puppies don’t seem to do. Oh well…. At nine she’s getting to be a “mature woman” so I guess I’ll let her continue.

I have been having a heck of a time trying to read Marion’s blog lately!!! For some reason my browser does not like it. The rare times I can get into it, I can’t leave a comment. I can still read it from my phone, but can’t comment from there. So, Marion…. even if I’m not leaving comments, please know I’m still reading!

I heard a song on the radio this morning that brought back a rush of memories. Does anyone else remember Convoy by C.W. McCall? The song was already in progress when I flipped it to the 70s station and I recognized it in an instant. I left for college not many years after the song was released and (get ready to laugh) joined in many a conversation with truckers on my own CB radio while traveling the interstate. In this era of cell phones and OnStar, there doesn’t seem to be a need for things like CB radios, but at the time it gave me a sense of comfort and safety… even if the slang was a little cheesy!

Moving from music to movies… When our kids were young we rarely went to the movie theater. Some years the summer Disney release would be our only visit. That progressed to maybe twice a year, one in the summer then perhaps a holiday release. Here it is the first of March and I’ve already seen two movies in the theater! In January we saw Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino. Excessive foul language in a move often turns me off, but this one didn’t bother me at all. I love Eastwood and feel this might have been one of his best performances ever! In February we went to see Taken starring Liam Neeson. Great action-packed movie!!! Hmmm. Wonder what I should go see this month?

Movie Time Again!

Our younger daughter is her father’s child when it comes to movies. She loves them! When she’s home from college we tend to rent, buy and watch more movies than ever. We’ve seen quite a few during the past week. A couple of them were newer movies: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Both the kind of movie you love to pick apart, but still have fun watching. Last night we decided on the spur of the moment to go see The Day the Earth Stood Still. It was pretty good, but I thought the ending left a little to be desired.

While in the mood for “family movie viewing”, my husband and I decided to introduce her to a few of our favorite movies. First up was my all-time favorite Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Directed in 1962 by John Ford, it stars Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles and Lee Marvin. There are lots of great scenes in the movie, but my favorite is when Valance’s henchman volunteers to grab up the steak that’s been knocked to the floor and John Wayne’s character kicks him in the face. Trust me, in context it’s a very funny scene. In addition to the movie, I’ve always loved the song of the same title by Gene Pitney.

The next evening we watched Quigley Down Under starring Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman. I’ve been a big Tom Selleck fan since his Magnum PI days, but especially like him in gunslinger roles. In Quigley he’s hired to kill off wild dogs in Australia, but learns upon arrival that it’s actually Aborigines he’s expected to shoot. Naturally he refuses and ends up being the one hunted. Quite entertaining!

Finally, we watched Zulu starring Michael Caine and narrated by Richard Burton. Based on fact, it tells the story of the battle at Rorke’s Drift where approximately 100 British soldiers defended their post against 4000 Zulu warriors. Eleven Victoria Crosses (the British equivalent of our Presidential Medal of Honor) were given out as a result. The score by John Barry is fantastic and the Zulu songs and chants included are quite mesmerizing. Definitely a movie worth seeing at least once!

Movie Mania

This week we confined our movie watching to the house rather than forking out big bucks for the big screen.

• Spiderwick Chronicles - Ever since this title came up in a comment, I've had it on my brain to see it. I thought it was fun, but fairly scary for little ones.


• 1408 - I like John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, but this was pretty crappy. Maybe 5 out of 10 stars.


• Fool's Gold - I didn't watch this one, but both my husband and daughter thought it was okay.


• The Water Horse - I loved everything about this movie! I won't go into all the "whys" here since you'd only laugh, but it was one of those movies I just couldn't stop thinking about when it was over.


• Beauty and the Beast - Yes, the Disney classic from the early 90s. It's one of my daughter's childhood favorites and she has been nagging me for some time to watch it. Somehow I managed to miss out on many of the Disney movies over the years and she's determined to remedy that. We watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame over the Christmas holidays. I guess The Little Mermaid will be next.


• The Eye - This is one I picked out and it wasn't half bad. I was afraid at first it was going to be one of those pointless horror flicks, but it did end up having a decent plot.


• Bonneville - I couldn't get anyone else to watch this one with me. So.... I popped it into my computer and watched it all by myself. Their loss. It was a fun movie with a great cast and entertaining storyline. Beautiful scenery, too.

I did manage to fit in one book during the week: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. A fun premise, but I got bogged down some (as opposed to my daughter who zipped through it in about a day or two).

Another Monday Movie Matinee

Seeing The Incredible Hulk on the big screen was never in my plan. In fact, I didn't figure I'd even watch it on video. However, my daughter can be very persuasive. So.... once again we trekked to the movie theater yesterday afternoon, this time with more favorable results. Having seen the 70s TV show some, it was fun to see Lou Ferrigno in a small part (as well as a clip of Bill Bixby). All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours on a Monday afternoon.





While in WalMart yesterday, I saw a big display of their "green" shopping bags. I thought back to Quid's post from the other day and immediately felt guilty. I decided to buy a few and see just how much of my stuff I could fit into them. I think the only plastic we left with was the bag the saleslady insisted on putting my chicken in. The real test will be if I can remember to carry them back to use again next time!





With the exception of a few moments watching my favorite scene from Ben Hur (my loving husband knows to call me when that part comes on), I spent most of last evening reading. I finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and thought it was quite good. Kind of a gothic novel/ghost story. There were parts I had figured out ahead of time, but still lots of good twists.


We ate our first tomato of the season in a salad last night! We have TONS that are still green. I'm just waiting.....

Monday Movie Matinee

Movies have gotten so expensive these days that we try to catch the matinee whenever we feel the need to see one on the big screen. I've really liked most of M. Night Shyamalan's movies (especially Signs!) and was looking forward to seeing The Happening. Yesterday turned out to be a day we could head to the theatre mid-afternoon. What a disappointment!!! We all thought the movie was sorry! The acting wasn't very impressive and the quality of the film seemed lacking. I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their money on it. If you must see it.... wait for video.

Speaking of videos.... we rented a couple over the weekend. National Treasure 2 was okay. (the action was a little hokey at times) I never saw the first one so I can't compare it to that. I thought the other movie, Jumper, was better. I'm sure there will be a sequel.