Movies

Rock Band, Iron Man and Two Stoners

The moment I’ve been waiting for the last few months finally arrived this weekend. I finally managed to get my hands on Rock Band for the 360! I haven’t gotten to play much due to other things going on, but so far I absolutely love the game. This game allows me to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, which is to play the drums.

Playing drums is a curiosity that I’ve carried with me since my teenage years and I have yet to fulfill that dream. Growing up, my parents wanted nothing to do with bringing in some loud drums into the house. When I moved out, I lived in an apartment for 10 or so years, so having a drumset was out of the picture. Now that I have a house drums may be possible, but not now. So this game allows me to fulfill this dream a little bit.

I’ve also tried the vocal/mic portion of the game and its a real hoot. Trying to vocally hit the right notes can be a little troublesome sometimes, especially if you don’t know the song. Its still lotsa fun. I haven’t tried the guitar/bass yet, as I’ve played plenty of Guitar Hero III and I was busy tasting something new. I’m sure I’ll get around to trying them soon.

I give Rock Star 9 out of 10.

I managed to catch 2 movies at the theater in the last couple of weeks. It had been a while. I think the last movie I saw in theaters was Walk Hard over the Christmas break. Being an avid comic book reader, I was excited to see this movie. Though I’ve never read the Iron Man comic book, I did read some Avengers. Iron Man also has had tons of ‘cameo’ appearances in other comic books, so I was fully aware of his story.

This movie was pure fun! The story is fun and interesting without being over the top. Unlike previous Marvel movies, both the hero and the villain are ‘mere’ humans, not beings with super powers or mutants. Even though this is pure fantasy, it did bring the story to a more down to earth level. The acting in this flick was very very good, especially Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. As much as his real life has been one disaster after another, this man can really act.

If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favour and catch this flick. Just make sure you stay until the final credits have scrolled by for a little easter egg (and hopefully a sneak peak of what’s to come next!).

I give Iron Man 9 out of 10.

Last night my fiancee and I finally managed to go see the second Harold and Kumar movie, Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay. This sequel, like most sequels, wasn’t as funny as the original. Like the original, the story revolves around these 2 stoners on a quest, walking into many situations which deter them from that quest. This time around, Harold and Kumar are trying to make their way to Amsterdam so that Harold can meet up with Maria, the girl we saw him confess his attraction to at the end of the first movie.

A funny situation on the plane derails those plans, as the main characters are labeled as terrorists and sent to Guantanamo Bay prison. They manage to escape and make their way back to the U.S., where they embark on another adventure to clear their names (and make their way to Amsterdam). Along the way Kumar hooks up with the love of his life, which in itself brings its own sub-story.

Though this movie has its funny moments, and you get to know more about the 2 stoners, its not as funny as the first movie. That would be a hard feat to accomplish, as the first movie was an instant classic and a breath of fresh air for comedies. This doesn’t mean the sequel is not funny, but its not as funny. The best bits in the movie revolve around Neil Patrick Harris who returns as himself, but drugged out and heterosexual.

Its still worth catching this flick if you can. Its been out for a while and may be out of distribution in some markets. If thats the case, do yourself a favour and rent this baby when it comes out on DVD.

I give Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay 6 out of 10.

Luc "Sandman" G. May 19, 2008