http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153051/flexi-grips

The baggage fee sucks and…
I was forced to check my carry-on bag that was only 2 inches taller than their maximum height. This bag was accepted as a carry-on by multiple airlines at multiple airports. It is total garbage that something that was just barely over their limit. I barely had the money to pay the checked bag fee.

Airplane seats already aren’t roomy
The seats on the airplane are small and cramped as is. On United, they are even worse. I have never had such little elbow room in my life. My natural posture caused my elbows to encroach on the space of the other passengers. Other people that I rode with noticed this also.

At least they have peanuts/pretzels?
Nope and nope. The complimentary snacks that seem to be the most basic offering of any airline are conspicuously absent. Any snacks must be bought for insane mark-ups.

Flight delays galore
Never seen so many in my life. They are common with airline travel, but not this common.

In conclusion…
Airline travel sucks as it is. Some though provide a slightly more pleasant experience than others. Fly Southwest or Jet Blue. You will not save money by flying United – after all, hospital bills for aneurysms are pretty expensive.

http://www.luckydevils-la.com

Overview: It is hard to believe that this series is coming to a close. 10 years after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone premiered in theaters, the series wraps up with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. All of the main cast reprise their roles, with the exception of the late Richard Harris (Dumbledore in the first 2 movies). David Yates (director of the previous 3 movies) returns to direct the final film.

Expectations: It is difficult to evaluate the Harry Potter films fairly. The films cannot reasonably include all of the information from the books. It also cannot retell the information given by the previous entries. In evaluating the movies, it’s fair to ignore traditionally important elements of a good film. It is fair to not look for character development and exposition in movies like this. In the end, the studio seems to have aimed the movies at those who have read the book, and that’s the context in which this movie should be evaluated. The movie returns almost all of the cast and crew seen in previous movies, who have all matured and really became their roles. Nothing can beat the books, but the previous movies have all been pretty good. With the exposition and rising action taken care of by the previous movie, this movie should please viscerally and give a fitting conclusion to this series.

Synopsis: Picking up from where the previous movie left off, Voldemort has just taken the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s grave. Now that Voldemort is even more powerful, Harry must race to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. This finale takes him to the impenetrable vaults of Gringotts and back to Hogwarts, culminating to an ultimate showdown with Voldemort.

Strengths:
One major advantage that this movie had from the beginning is its strong source material. It was important for this movie to not leave out any important plot points or details. Minor plot points are changed in this movie, as they were in the previous movies, but that is not overly bothersome. For the most part, this movie stayed very faithful to its source material.

A seasoned cast thrives under the direction of David Yates for another movie. While initially average, the Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson have grown into their parts. Ralph Finnes is a sinister and malevolent Voldemort. Alan Rickman perfectly plays the part of Snape, able to show the complexity of the character after being an antagonist for the bulk of the series.

The visuals were as dazzling as expected given the technology available today. Spells conjured by the characters were vibrant and reasonably realistic. The visuals were also limited to maximize effect. The battles always lasted enough to dazzle and excite but never to the point of causing me to lose interest.

Weaknesses:
Even though this book was split into two movies, parts of it still felt somewhat rushed. The quest for and ultimate destruction of Hufflepuff’s Cup almost felt like a throwaway plot point, with the movie not even explaining that the cup belonged to Hufflepuff. Snape’s past, as shown in the pensive, is a fairly important plot point. The scenes of his past were rushed and flashed by far too quickly. Although this movie was intended for those who have read the book, it should have reasonably been understandable by those who have only seen the movies. The epilogue could have been slightly longer. This was the shortest film in the franchise and could have been longer without sacrificing quality.

The scene where Harry leaves for the forest to surrender to Voldemort felt awkward. While Hermione was visibly distraught and gave him a good bye worthy of a best friend, Ron shared an awkward glance with Harry. This may be a reference to the last scene of Chamber of Secrets, but it is illogical, given the fact that they have aged. Ron and Harry are guys, and it is not a societal norm for guys to be emotional with each other, but it is hard to imagine best friends who have grown up with each other to only share an awkward glance when one faces eminent death.

Verdict: With the strong source material, the entire cast from the franchise, and the director of the previous 3 movies, it would have been quite the accomplishment if this movie were anything but good. The movie does not fail to live up to the expectations. The minor issues do not take away from a thrilling and fitting conclusion to a terrific franchise.

A-

Overview: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day star as good friends Nick, Kurt, and Dale. Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and Jennifer Aniston star as their bosses. Jamie Foxx also appears as an ex-con that assists the trio in their revenge scheme against their bosses. Seth Gordon directs this star-studded cast; Brett Ratner and Jay Stern serve as producer.

Expectations: The cast is terrific and the premise is very promising. One truly concerning matter is the director. Seth Gordon was responsible for the thoroughly unfunny Four Christmases (2008). Nevertheless, the reviews have been promising. The chances are high that this film will provide many laughs and significantly less high that it will holistically be a good movie. If it can consistently make me laugh, then I will be pleased.

Synopsis: For good friends Nick, Kurt, and Dale, the only thing that stands between them enjoying life are their insufferable bosses. There’s sociopath Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), crackhead Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell), and man eater Julia Harris. A hypothetical proposal by Kurt over drinks leads the trio to want to kill their bosses. After an initial unpleasant run-in the trio find a legitimate hitman that they can’t afford. They pay him a reduced fee for him to serve as a murder consultant instead. The movie follows the ensuing hijinks as the three try to rid themselves of their bosses.

Strengths:
The movie offers consistent humor throughout its relatively short runtime. Bateman, Sudeikis, and Day consistently played well off of each other. The jokes get crude and over the top, but that is expected given the R rating. None of the humor feels annoying, such as the failed attempts in Epic Movie and all the other cinematic abortions of Friedberg and Seltzer.

The well-experienced and talented cast did not disappoint. Every actor gave a very good performance. Although some felt Jennifer Aniston was out of place as a man eater, I felt she gave a good performance. Her appearance is different from usual and matches her new role.

Weaknesses:
The movie did not give equal treatment to Jennifer Aniston’s character. The movie was structured to have 3 leads and 3 supporting characters, and Aniston was pushed aside. The resolution of her storyline, however, still felt satisfying.

The story was good but not great. It was coherent and did not suffer from apparent discontinuities or improbabilities, but it ultimately felt unsatisfying. The film was driven first by the comedy while the plot was forgettable. A better executed movie can make the plot synchronize with the comedic elements.

Verdict: From the moment Seth Gordon signed on, it was clear that the movie is not going to be a masterpiece, but rather a pleasant distraction. It simply could not rise above mediocrity under a mediocre director. That is not to say the movie isn’t worth seeing. This has been a summer full of terrible movies, and a pleasant distraction is much better than an outright terrible movie. If you want to laugh, and don’t mind dirty jokes, this is worth seeing.

C

Overview: After a disasterous (though highly successful at the box office) second movie, Michael Bay and Shia LaBeouf return to the franchise for a third movie in their same roles. Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro all reprise their roles. Eye candy Megan Fox is replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Ehren Kruger, one of the writers of the previous abortion, is credited as the sole writer of the movie. Steven Spielberg returns as producer.

Expectations: With much of the same team returning from the previous movie, I cannot reasonably expect a good movie. Megan Fox is a terrible actress, but even if Rosie is an upgrade, her character will almost certainly serve as nothing beyond eye candy. Michael Bay has admitted Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was “a mess.” Let’s hope he rectifies the mistakes (he probably won’t).

Synopsis: Unknown to many, the space race of the 1960s was caused by the end of the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Sentinel Prime, leader of the Autobots at the time, escaped with a small group and a weapon. The group crash lands on the moon, leaving all immobile. Present day, Sam is struggling to find work despite a government-paid Ivy League education. He is supported financially by his new girlfriend, Carly. The serenity of his life is disrupted when the Decepticons rise again. Megatron has a new scheme involving Sentinel Prime and the mysterious weapon.

Strengths:
As can and should be expected from a Michael Bay film, the visuals are simply stunning. The extra charge to see it in IMAX 3D is worth it. The action scenes are all reasonably well executed.

Hans Zimmer delivered a masterful score as always. The instrumentals complemented the action perfectly and coaxed an even greater reaction out of the audience. Song choices otherwise all were appropriate for the mood.

The voice acting was as strong as ever. Peter Cullen gives a third strong performance as Optimus Prime. Leonard Nimoy voices Sentinel Prime and manages to be similar to Optimus but different enough to not be a cheap imitation.

Weaknesses:
Carly was a very under-developed character. There were flashes of her life that proved intriguing, but rather than explore her, Bay and Kruger were content with treating her as pure eye candy. This would not prove problematic if it weren’t for the fact that she is passive for the entire movie then randomly plays a vital role in the resolution.

Bay’s anthropromorphizing of the robots is best limited to their actions. The previous movie went over the top by showing robot testicles. This movie continues the silliness by giving Sentinel a hobo beard.

The human element of the story was overplayed and often annoying. There was a lot of unnecessary expository information and minor storylines. These minor storylines were inconsequential because the characters were not well-developed enough to make me care about them.

Shia LaBeouf’s continued inability to act is simply intriguing. While a lot of the movie does not ask for much from him, there is a love scene at the end. The love scene was poorly acted and thoroughly unconvincing.

Michael Bay’s wacky characters continue to pollute this film. He seems unable to understand that these pollute the film. Especially bothersome is the return of Sam’s parents. The Witwickies are good for an occasional chuckle, but they are usually more annoying than funny. Rather than cram a movie full of failed comedy, Bay and Kruger should’ve concentrated comedy on a few strong moments.

Verdict: I really wanted to like this movie. It was a clear improvement from its predecessor, although that is not very strong praise. This movie succeeds often and fails due to Bay’s immense ego. With a better cast, a more coherent plot, and no wacky characters, this could have been a good summer blockbuster. As is, it is merely ho-hum.

C

1. Better Use of Comedy
The second movie had too many Michael Baysian wacky characters and situations. This continuously disrupted the tone of the movie making it way too inconsistent. The jokes were crude and proved more annoying than funny.

2. Remember that this Movie’s Focus Should be the Robots
Revenge of the Fallen had very long periods that almost relegated the transformers as pieces of the set. These moments were very boring and contained unnecessary exposition for a weak story.

3. Have a Simple but Coherent Story
Action movies are not seen for intricate plots, but they still should have coherent plots! The previous movie was both overly complex and incoherent. With Ehren Kruger returning as writer and Bay directing, I do not have confidence that they can make a movie that is both deep in plot and rich in action.

4. Moderate Action Scenes to Complement the Story Rather than to Serve as Only Noise
Michael Bay has always been known for his action scenes and special effects. He failed in the previous movie to even do the action scenes successfully. Action scenes can be over the top, but they cannot be stretched out for too long. Making them last too long causes me to lose interest.

5. Have Passable Performances From the Actors
LaBeouf and Fox both gave very weak performances in Revenge of the Fallen. While Fox serves only as eye candy, LaBeouf’s inability to act is shocking. If LaBeouf gives a passable performance and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley can actually act, this movie will be a huge improvement over its predecessor.

http://www.sambarestaurants.com/universal-citywalk/media.html

Overview: 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow is a former British gameshow that was picked up by ABC.  The show asks trivia questions to 8 contestants, giving the winner 50,000 dollars. If any contestant gets a question wrong, he or she will leave the show in  various ways, ranging from absurd to terrifying.

Strengths: The concept of the show is solid. Given the success of Wipe Out, many people enjoy watching others get potentially hurt. The ways to leave are varied and some are rather creative.

Weaknesses:
The format of the show is illogical and unfair. The show consists of two types of questions, an order-determining question and an elimination question. The order-determining question is always quantative and determines the order in which the contestants get to answer the elimination question. The elimination question is a trivia question with four possible answers. Each contestant must pick an answer among the four, with each answer only able to be chosen once. Whoever “answers” incorrectly is eliminated.

A gameshow host needs to be charming and charismatic. Sutphen is neither. He comes off as obnoxious and could not be less funny. While I commend him for mocking one contestant’s desire to use the prize money to buy Justin Bieber tickets, this is not particularly creative.

The camera work was extremely shoddy and annoying. Camera shots often did not give a complete look at everything that should be shown. The fates of the contestants are never shown after their ejections. This seems like a silly way to try to ascribe danger that obviously isn’t there. Very few can be fooled so easily.

Verdict:
This show has very few redeeming qualities. There are simply no demographics that could enjoy this show. It is hardly a bold prediction when I say this show may not even last the entire season.

F