Adjusting to Life with Three

"Please stop hugging and kissing Ruby!", "Please give Ruby some space!" and "You're too big to get in Ruby's swing with her!" are common phrases you'll hear often in our home these days. What a joy that Abby and Emma have embraced the addition of a sister to our family, but what a challenge it is in protecting little Ruby from her big sisters smothering love!

Meg and I feel blessed that the adjustment to life with three children has been fairly uneventful. We didn't know exactly what to expect as the temperaments of Abby and Emma differed so much. Ruby is a mellow little girl, only throwing fits when it's time to eat. She must have learned that from her daddy!

We are thankful to God for how the first three weeks with Ruby have gone. Meg is getting a fair amount of sleep (and some late night movie time, during feedings, to catch up on chick flicks), Abby and Emma are loving their little sis and daddy is trying to help stay on top of all the chores, as three children certainly means less "free" time to get the little things done around the house.

The hardest adjustment for us has been the balance between parenting a two and three year old, with the diligence in discipline and stamina required to keep up with them, and the parenting of a new born, which requires the constant attention and meeting of her basic needs. Separately, those are tall orders, put them together and you've got yourself a crazy adventure! Good thing we're up to the task.

Movie Review: Transformers / C+

Take one of my favorite directors, Michael Bay (The Rock, Armageddon & Bad Boys) and add one of my favorite toys growing up, Transformers, and you can't go wrong, right?

Transformers tells the story of alien robots who can take the form of everyday machines (cars, trucks, home electronics, etc.) and their visit to earth in search of the allspark, the greatest power source in the universe, something they need for their race to continue to survive. Throw in half a dozen humans whose lives intersect with the mission of the robots, and you've got yourselves a fairly interesting storyline.

What I liked: Transformers has quite possibly the best action scenes ever put on film. The fights between these huge robots is breathtaking. As they focus on each other and their battle, buildings crumbling and cars being smashed and flipped is just an after thought. I dug the transformation process the robot aliens underwent as they switched from machine to robot and back again. The sheer number of moving parts as they transformed was amazing. The lead actor, Shia Labeouf (I Robot, Disturbia), did an incredible job, just about carrying the movie single handedly. He plays the high school hero who befriends the good Autobots and helps them in their efforts to find the allspark. Another noteable performance was that of Josh Dumamel (NBC's Las Vegas) as the captain who first witnesses the arrival of the evil decepticons.

What I didn't like: For all of the incredible action, and intriguing characters and storyline, I was hoping for a better overall film. The complete package felt like a car commercial/cartoon show to me. For a Michael Bay movie, I was expecting more, as I've seen him pull off large ensemble films in the past with more passion then was on display here. I didn't like how difficult it was to connect with the robots. They tried hard to give them personalities, but I just never felt they were characters worth rooting for.

Overall: I would certainly recommend this movie for the CGI accomplishment and action sequences alone. The action is absolutely incredible, as is the performance given by Shia LaBeouf. The plot is compelling enough that you won't ever be bored, and the pace of the film moves at a rate that will keep you ingaged. It's great summer fun, as long as you're not looking for the perfect complete package.

PG-13 / 2 hours 24 minutes / Dreamworks / Released: July 3rd, 2007

Movie Review: Live Free or Die Hard / B-

The fourth installment of the Die Hard franchise is one I've been eagerly awaiting for years. It's been long rumored, and I honestly never thought it would come to be. It's a film I was hoping to love before stepping a foot into the theater as I had high expectations.

The film centers around a terrorist plot to shut down all major computer systems that run the nations most important institutions - financial, tranportation, utilities, etc. John McClane (Bruce Willis) unhappily accepts the simple errand of picking up a computer hacker (played well by the Apple commercial's Justin Long) who the FBI want to question as the takeover begins to unfold. The simple errand turns complex and before you know it, McClane is knee deep in bad guys and the chaos begins.

What I liked: Bruce Willis shows us that he's still got it. From silly one-liners to tough-guy stunts, he's in top form in what continues to be his best character to date. The chemistry between Willis and Justin Long is very good, both humerous and uncomfortable as they must work together to figure out what's going on. The pace of the movie is fast, as director Len Wiseman (Underworld, Underworld Revolution) keeps the action moving. The bad guy, played by Timothy Olyphant, is believeable and dangerous, but not because of his size and strength, but because of his brains and planning - a realistic redirection for the digital warfare that's waged this time around. It was PG-13, which meant there wasn't as much language and gore, however, it was dangerously close to an R rating, so be forewarned.

What I didn't like: Towards the end of the movie there is a scene that seems to be jammed in for the sake of adding more action. It's involves a jet fighter, and you'll know what I'm talking about as soon as the scene is under way. The relationship McClane has with his daughter is strained. It fits into the plot well but is a result of a father who hasn't been around for his daughter.

Overall: Live Free or Die Hard is a great addition to the Die Hard franchise, and I believe will not be the last. Made for $110 million, it's just about broken even at the worldwide box office after just one week in release. If you're a fan of the franchise, Bruce Willis or just looking for a fun summer movie with a solid plot, you won't be disappointed.

PG-13 / 2 hours 10 minutes / 20th Century Fox / Released: June 27th, 2007

A Note About My Movie Reviews

Ever since I was a little boy I've loved movies. I had dreams of directing movies. To date, the best job I've ever had was the few years I worked as a projectionist at the movie theater. Movies are great because they take you to places you realistically can't go, to see things that you just can't see in real life. They are a mental, entertaining vacation for a couple hours in a cool theater or in the comfort of your own living room.

As I catch movies, both in theaters and on DVD, I'm going to do my best to write reviews on them that will be listed on our blog. My hope is to keep a list of the movies I've seen, along with my grades for them so I can refer back to them, and to keep friends updated on what films I think are worth seeing. I will use a standard "A" through "F" grading system. The criteria I will use to assign a grade will be both the thoughts and feelings I have for the film once it's over and I've had a chance to think it over as well as how much I enjoyed myself during the actual viewing. I'm not a nose-in-the-air critic who picks every little detail apart. I don't care about lighting, colors or subtle undertones. That said, I can be an over analyzer at times, especially when I catch the vision a director was going for but they just fell short. My goal isn't to spoil anything about a movie for you, but to give you a quick overview along with my impressions.

I hope you enjoy my reviews and I encourage you to post your comments if you've seen the same film.