Whoah where I been?

So I've been gone for a while. My bad. I've had some health issues (and am currently still trying to figure out what the #%#$ is going on with them) that have kept me from blogging.

So let's just touch bases with you on a few things. Thanks for being out there for me to blog at by the way.

1. I made a great post/rant about hating smart phones and all that etc etc. Well...ummm...my wife really wanted them so I caved and we both got Samsung Galaxy things on some great Father's day deal. I know I know, I'm a weak hypocritical fool. I've already wasted more than enough time of my life throwing birds at pigs hiding behind bricks and ice blocks.

2. Super 8 review: Jaws + Goonies + Close Encounteres = Super 8. It's classic Spielbergian cinema. J.J. Abrams is making a name for himself as an excellent director ( I loved Star Trek and the controversial Cloverfield)

3. I started grad school today. Minus my freaking out about my medical gig stuff it was pretty darned cool. The professor was hilarious and made things quite easy. I'm excited to further my education.

4. Go Mavs! I was pretty pumped to see Dirk and Jason Kidd get their rings. Heat can win next year and I'll be fine with that, but this was Dallas' year.

5. Pumped for X-men Schism. This summer the X-men are going to split up. Wolverine and Cyclops will square off (you know which side I've chosen) and the x-men will basically pick between the two. I've really loved getting back into the world of Comic Books. They have brought me so much joy.

Anyways, that's me right now. I appreciate good friends and family for pitching in and helping me with whatever the biff is going on with me physically right now (Huge shout out to Chad Durham for saving my skin in Lehi).

I'd like to continue blogging about stuff but the TV is on in the background and there's an Anaconda movie on. It is airing after the third one, so I'm guessing it's part 4, but there is not 4 in the title. It's kind of like when they ran out of Land Before Time numbers and just started giving them cool subtitles. Ok a wolf just howled in the amazon in the movie.

Cheers to all. I'll get better blogs going soon. Peace- JR

My review of X-men First Class

Much of this blog will be in response to my good friend Johnny's blog post (here) about the film.

Johnathon- I agreed with many parts of your review but I gotta say that your hang up on continuity is much like Magneto getting dragged behind that Submarine. "You have to let go or you'll die!"

I know where you are coming from. Continuity can be frustrating. You bring up many situations in the film that seem to contradict themselves in the original trilogy. However, the hang up on continuity just ruined for you what many consider to be one of Marvel's best flicks.

Sabertooth in X-men Origins: Wolverine was way different than the Sabertooth from the first X-men movie...but it was a welcome change... Just go with it and all is well.

When the hobbit is released I'm not going to walk in and say, "Gandalf said Bilbo hadn't aged a day but these are clearly very different looking hobbits!"

Nor will I bemoan the Lord of the Rings Trilogy for not simply using the eagles to fly over Mt. Doom and drop the ring in like 5 minutes into the film...would have saved us a lot of drama and great battle scenes.

Magneto helped Xavier build cerebro? That's possible and here's why: Like in the comic books, Xavier and Magneto have a love hate relationship that goes off and on fairly quickly. It is quite possible that (God Willing) in X-men first class 2, Xavier and Magneto will unite in an effort to destroy a common enemy. The comics are full of enemies that could fit the role of the "kill all mutants" mentality.

Moira McTaggert is an Irish doctor in the comics and is a CIA member in this one. It's ok to stray from the comics in this one. Remember, if we'd gone by the comics this whole time then Dark Phoenix would have had to fight the X-men on the moon with the Watcher checking the whole thing out. Sometimes it's ok to make some changes from the source material to the big screen.

Ask yourself this: If this had been the first X film and there was no earlier trilogy...would you have not loved it?

I guess in the end the point is this: X-men First Class ROCKED big time as far as action and story go. Honestly I was glad that most of the focus was on Bacon, Magneto, and Professor X. The other actors were chosen hastily (I believe Beast dropped out and they got this guy 2 weeks before shooting began or something like that) and I wanted more from them.

John...you and I both know that if Marvel wants to be serious about making the best X movie ever, they'd call us up, we'd collaborate, and Singer and Ratner would be kept far far away from our bunker.

X-men First Class gets:

A+ for action. Very cool very disturbing scenes with Magneto vs Nazis

A for acting. Some of the minor mutants were newbies, but Magneto, Bacon, and Professor were great.

B+ for special effects. Banshee vs Angel was a REALLY cool scene, however Beast looked kind of Grinch/Cat in the Hat-esque

D+ for continuity...but it's ok...just go with it.

F for not having anything at the end of the credits. BOOOOOH!

I've seen it twice and loved it both times. Ignore all continuity and you won't have the hang ups of my good friend Johnathon. Some day you'll see the both of us on the writing credits for the best X-movie ever. Til then, This one and X-2 are neck and neck...probably gotta give the edge to this one.

My parents didn't have names...they were taken from them by Pig Farmers and Tailors...