See Minions for a Laugh

Source: http://www.moviesonline.ca


“Minions” a movie created by Illumination Entertainment for Universal Pictures is full of laughs, diabolical moments and softhearted protagonists.  From the beginning to the end, I couldn’t stop smiling and cheering for the minions to find their master. There was not a dull moment in the movie, which is impressive, considering movies have lulls from time to time.

The story is a prequel to “Despicable Me” and focuses on Dr. Gru’s henchmen. The three protagonists are: Kevin, Stuart and Bob. They are creatures known as Minions and have lived since the beginning of time. The beginning scene is quite comical. The Minions, which are large in number, are searching for a master to serve.  A narrator dominates the first part of the movie, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. The narrator begins by saying that finding a master isn’t the hard part, the hard part is keeping one. The Minions can be seen following their master, a T-Rex, smiling and laughing as they prance around with their master. However, tragedy soon strikes. The T-Rex is put into a perilous situation where it is teetering on a boulder. The boulder is quickly rolling the T-Rex down a hill, where a volcano is nestled. The T-Rex manages to stop the boulder at the last second, but a Minion has somehow gotten underneath it. The minion bumps its head on the boulder and the T-Rex cries out as it is thrown into the volcano. The Minions cry, lamenting the loss of their master. Along with this master, there is a very comical scene dealing with a vampire. He is their new master and to celebrate his birthday the Minions bring a cake and open the blinds. However, the sunlight burns the vampire alive and there ends the Minions other master.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk

This movie will make you burst out laughing from its wit and comical scenes. There is one scene in particular that is my favorite. It is when the Minions, Kevin, Stuart and Bob are trying to get to Orlando. They heard that Villian-Con, a convention for the dastardly, is taking place there and that’s where they think they will find their new master. The Minions are hitchhiking, but no one seems to be pulling over, when suddenly a car stops. The door opens and two “friendly” people say, “Look these fellows are looking to go to Orlando as well!” The Minions are then put inside the car and are whisked off to Orlando. The car consists of two children and their parents. The family eventually stops the car and the dad says, “Does anyone want to stretch their legs?” The family then all put on ski masks and take out guns. They leave the car and return with a sack full of money. As the family flees the scene, police cars are chasing after them. The family eventually gets away and makes it to Villain-Con.

The movie is filled with a myriad of scenes that will make you laugh hysterically. The movie also has a “Despicable Me” feel to it. This movie takes “Despicable Me” and improves it.  The humor is the same, only a little more over the top and the characters stay true to themselves. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 because it really pulls you into the story. Near the middle you’re cheering the Minions on and hoping they succeed in the end. Adults and children will both love “Minions”. This movie is well worth seeing and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good comedy and cartoons.

Source: http://www.moviepilot.de

Hood's Obsession Book Review

Credit: www.amazon.com

Hood’s Obsession is the ninth book in Marie Hall’s Kingdom series. The book is available in eBook format and in paperback. The story is about Lilith Wolf, the daughter of the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. It is also the third book in the dark princess saga.

This book has memorable characters, a great storyline and man-eating dwarves. What more could you ask for?

Lilith made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin many years ago, when she was young and naïve. Now his butler Giles Damien has come to collect her debt. Rumpelstiltskin sends Lilith and Giles to fetch the Chalice of Hope. Rumpelstiltskin’s son is dying and the Chalice of Hope is his only chance of surviving.

However, little does Giles know that Lilith is an alpha werewolf in heat. This means that while on their journey they will face males trying to break her and make her their mate. For you see an alpha female is a rare occurrence. When one is born, she is shamed and isolated from the rest of the pack. The alpha males don’t want a female as strong as they are or even stronger. They seek power, but not in the form of an alpha female.

Throughout the journey Lilith faces many obstacles but the one that is the toughest is her falling in love with Giles. Giles is a demone, however, and they don’t typically mate outside of their species. Lilith cannot stop her feelings from growing, however, and this is her undoing.

Giles was a charming and sweet character and often confused by Lilith’s interactions with him. For example, Lilith licked his finger once and in wolf language that means she liked him. Giles seemed emotionless and unreadable at first, but like us all, he had emotions and desires. Throughout their journey, he began to fall in love with Lilith and he was baffled by these feelings. He knew that if he mated with Lilith, he would become her mate. He didn’t want to though because if a demone mated with anyone other than their own kind, they could not produce offspring. That quelled the passionate fire he had for Lilith. However, after speaking with Lilith’s fairy godmother, Danika, he realized he might be Lilith’s only salvation.

The deal Lilith made with Rumpelstiltskin when she was thirteen was that she wouldn’t mate with anyone outside of her species. If she did so, she would die. The reason she made this deal was because she was ridiculed mercilessly for her mother and father’s love. Her mother was not a wolf shifter and it was frowned upon to mate with anyone outside of their species. Lilith knew that because of her mother and father no one would accept them in any other village. They were stuck in their village and Lilith couldn’t stand seeing them suffer. She made the trek to Rumpelstiltskin’s fortress to protect her family. However, because of the deal Lilith thought she could never mate with anyone other than her own kind. There is always a loophole though. When Rumpelstiltskin asked her what type of creature she wanted to stay away from, she mentioned them all except for demone. Giles was the only one who could be Lilith’s salvation. Rumpelstiltskin would never permit her to enter his castle and look for a suitable mate. The only reason Giles was chosen was because of Danika. She knew that Lilith and him were destined for one another.

In the end Lilith and Giles become mates. The journey and hardships they faced all lead up to this point. I loved this book and I give it a 5 out of 5 because of the lovable characters and because of its descriptions. This book really does have beautiful depictions and you can actually see what the author is describing, whether it be a valley or a murderous dragon. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and romance. Once you start this book, its almost impossible to put down. The story sucks you in and when it’s done, you are left in awe. This is definitely a book worth reading.

Inside Out Will Bring You To Tears

Credit: Pixar

“Inside Out” is a movie that will not only make you marvel at its depth, but also bring tears to your eyes. The movie’s protagonist is an eleven-year-old girl named Riley. The movie doesn’t focus on her as much as it does the personality traits inside of her head.  These characters have a lot of unique characteristics to them. Joy, a happy go lucky personality, is in charge of Riley most of the time. There are other personality traits, however, such as: Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness. These personality traits don’t play as big of a role in Riley’s life as Joy does, but they are all vital to her as a person.

Riley’s life is turned upside down when she moves from her beloved Minnesota to San Francisco. Joy tries to make her see the positive side of this bleak situation. She manages to make her feel happier, but then the unthinkable happens. Joy is separated from Riley along with Sadness. With these two personality traits gone, Anger, Disgust, and Fear are left in charge of Riley. They try to keep a semblance of normalcy with Riley, but they fail miserably. Without Joy, Riley can never be happy again. Sadness doesn’t seem to be missed as much, but she plays a vital role later on in the movie.
This movie, like many other animated cartoons, has a deeper plot than originally advertised. I believe it is more of a grown-up film, than a children’s film. There are too many adult themes that a child would not understand. I’m not sure a child would enjoy the movie as much as an older child or adult. I personally loved the movie, because it was beautifully animated, emotional and focused on abstract themes.

Imagine moving to a place you’ve never been to and you’re expected to pretend everything is the same as your old home. It can’t be feasibly done, because everyone will rebel against the new place in some way.

The movie focuses on core memories, memories that cannot be forgotten and islands. These islands are like the fundamental parts that make us who we are. For example, Riley’s islands consist of: Family, Friendship, Honesty, Hockey and many more. This can be related to, because we all have metaphorically speaking, islands that make us who we are.

There are some comical events in the movie such as when a memory of a gum commercial is played in Riley’s head over and over again. Anger gets mad and says, “Not this again!” It’s funny because we can all relate to something that keeps popping up in our minds time and time again, be it a commercial or an event. Another comical part of the movie is when it changes from Riley’s mind to her mom and dad’s. The mom’s personality traits are all wearing glasses like the mom is wearing. They look like Riley’s personality traits only older. The scene depicts the mom trying to get the dad’s attention, when she notices Riley is acting strange. The movie goes into the dad’s head then and the personality traits are all wearing mustaches like the dad’s. The funny part is the dad is imagining a sports game and is not even paying any attention to the situation at hand. The dad looks at the mom confused and she is seething inside. Her personality traits say in an annoyed voice, “We should have gone with the other guy.” It then pans to a handsome man with flowing dark brown hair.
The movie makes it a point to emphasize that Joy is not the only important personality trait in Riley’s head. Sadness plays a big role in Riley’s life, because without Sadness, Joy would never have been able to be a part of Riley’s life again.

“Inside Out” will mostly make you feel sad, but there will be a myriad of emotions that will go through your head as you watch this film. I give it a 5 out of 5 because its plot and comical moments will truly resonate with memories old and new.

Pronto’s Italian Restaurant Review

4 out of 5 Stars

On 47 U.S. Hwy 380, Bridgeport, TX, a rare gem can be found. This gem goes by the name, Pronto’s Italian Restaurant. Driving into the restaurant, a sign can be seen displaying the name of the establishment and underneath it reads “Homemade Pasta & Pizza.” The front of the restaurant is a mahogany red and a green, white and red awning can be seen on the right side. A stone fountain is near the front entrance and several bright green bushes can be seen, adding to the aesthetics of the place. On the right window, a blue and red open sign flashes, inviting all who wish to enter.

Upon entering the restaurant, friendly waiters and waitresses greet you, their smiles warming your heart. Once greeted, they escort you to a table or booth and hand you a menu once you have been seated.  They have soft drinks, coffee, hot tea and ice tea available as beverages. Their menu is extensive and has a variety of dishes to order.  Italian music can be heard playing in the background, as the clatter of forks and spoons scrape against plates. Patrons can be seen in the background, enjoying their meals and laughing and talking about their days.

The dish I ordered was Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. The pasta itself was amazing. The texture was smooth, yet firm, which made for a good taste. The chicken tasted soft and rich, and you could taste the fettuccine Alfredo sauce in every bite. The sauce itself was rich in taste and was a pleasant surprise. It tasted creamy and it wasn’t too salty. I myself have had dishes that were too salty. The Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo was not one of those dishes.

However, while the Fettuccine Alfredo was good, the sweet tea did not taste right. It had an off taste, almost as if it were brewed differently than normal tea. I attempted to add sugar to it, hoping it would remedy the problem, but the off taste was still there. I ended up returning it and asking for a Coke. The Coke tasted right and I happily gulped it down.

Another dish, the Supreme Pizza, which has mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, pepperoni plus mozzarella cheese, beef, mild sausage, ham, Italian sausage and bacon bits was too salty. The taste overall was good, but it was salted too heavily. The dish was too salty to eat all at once and I ended up taking it home.

Overall I give this restaurant a four out of five, because of the poor taste of the tea and the overly salted Supreme Pizza. It is a nice place to eat at and I highly recommend it. However, go eat here and decide for yourself whether or not the food is good or not. If you are a fan of Italian food, this restaurant is a must to eat at.

Pronto's Italian Restaurant

All photos were taken by me.