Kung Fu Panda vs. Wa Waaallleeeee

Well i'm back with my second and third movie review of the summer. This has been the year of animated feature films. It only took me a little while to come to simple realization: I LOVE ANIMATED MOVIES!!! Nothing gets me laughing, smiling, chuckling, and, yes, sometimes even crying more than a good old/new fashion cartoon. Last year Ratatouille stole my heart and this year I was desperately hoping that both Kung-Fu Panda and Wall-E would do the same.

First, let me start with Kung-Fu Panda. When rumors first hit that Jack Black would be voicing an overweight karate chopping panda, I couldn't have been more excited. I have always like Jack's work (especially School of Rock) and was very open to the possibility that Kung-Fu Panda might be the funniest movie I had ever seen. In the laughs department I must say that I was a little underwhelmed. Unlike the Shrek movies or Rattatouille, Kung-Fu Panda just didn't make me laugh. I found the dialogue in general fairly bland and uninspired. Where the film really amazed me was in its technical quality. The animation was top notch and I found my jaw dropping at the mere hint of an action sequence. I was very impressed with how real the action seemed. Of course the story was totally formulaic: an underdog overweight panda is chosen as the "dragon warrior" who is supposed to bring peace to the kingdom by defeating a vicious leopard. As expected, he is ill suited for the job but overcomes all obstacles to eventually realize his inner strength. It is the same story told in almost every animated movie and, quite frankly, Kung-Fu Panda doesn't necessarily do it any better or different. I sort of found myself liking the movie after I walked out but now, after a few weeks of reflection, I realize that I have almost completely forgotten about it. If I want great action i'll go see one of the millions of new superheroes movies coming out this summer. I see animated films for their humor and whimsy. Unfortunately Kung-Fu Panda was lacking in both!

Now what do I say about Wall-E? Simply put, I LOVED IT! When I first saw the previews for this spectacular movie I was a little put off. A movie about a mechanical trash compactor? What is cute, sweet, or funny about that? The answer is...EVERYTHING! The way the story begins is on par with some of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. You see Wall-E scooping trash into his belly and compacting it into small cubes which he eventually stacks into massive skyscrapers of garbage. Earth has been abandoned for 700 years after the humans completely trashed it to the point of being uninhabitable. Though thousands of Wall-Es were left, only one remains, dilligently trying to pick up the mess so that humans can return. At the end of each day, Wall-E returns home and watches Hello Dolly. It is here that we learn of his loneliness and desire to fall in love. To make a long story short, a female robot (EVA) is sent down to examine whether or not Earth is ready to be reinhabited. Her and Wall-E meet and one of the most charming love stories I have seen in a while ensues. We later meet the humans who are all overweight and living on an intergalactic cruise ship. Whether or not the humans will return home becomes the focus of the story but we never lose touch with the magical way in which Wall-E persues his one true love, EVA. There is a particularly enchanting scene in which Wall-E and EVA dance in outerspace (it reminded me of Audrey and I's first dance). With an enchanting story and more than a few good laughs, I highly recommend seeing Wall-E. It is everything Kung-Fu Panda could have been and more.

The Mega Update

Well, it’s been a very long time since I’ve posted on our blog. We’ve been incredible busy the last few weeks. So busy that I haven’t even had time to read everyone else’s blogs! Today is finally catch-up day, and I’m going to give you the Cliff’s Notes version of we’ve been doing the last few weeks:

We were called as nursery leaders in our ward. We haven’t spent any time in there yet, but last Sunday they showed us where the treat cupboard (fully loaded with animal and goldfish crackers), and now we can’t wait to get started!

I was called to serve in the Columbus temple! Being able to serve in the temple was one of the main things I wanted to try to do while we were out here, so I’m very excited. I work in the office on Wednesday mornings. It’s a very small temple, so we do all the administrative things. We answer the phone, send faxes, manage the patron schedule, record the work that’s done in the temple, etc. It’s just really nice to be in the temple for a long period of time each week, and I’m learning a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on. It’s really great.

Baxter and I flew to Seattle for my sister’s (Laura) graduation — he was my second carry-on item. I was really nervous to take him. I hate flying anyway, and I just imagined it would be much worse with a little puppy. It actually wasn’t too bad — thanks to the sedatives I got from the vet. We gave him a tiny little pill before we left for the airport, and by the time we boarded our plane he was pretty much passed out. Being with the family was wonderful. They all loved Bax, well, except for Ginger (the old dachshund). Baxter kept trying to get Ginger to play, but she didn’t want anything to do with him. Though occasionally they got into barking matches and Ginger did teach Bax how to go in and out of the doggy door. We all had a really great time.

I got my hair cut. It had been driving me crazy for weeks and it really needed to be cut. So, while I was in Seattle I decided to take care of it. We ended up cutting 7 inches off! I really like it. It’s so much lighter and easier for the summer. And since I cut my hair, Toren decided he wanted to shave his head. I wasn’t too thrilled, but he convinced me that it would make him much sleeker in the water during Marco Polo. So, shaved head it is!

Today, Toren and I checked out the Columbus Zoo. It was amazing. We spent 2 hours there and didn’t even get to see it all. We did see some pretty amazing things though: manatees, koalas, tigers, snapping turtles, flamingoes, and (Toren’s favorite) grizzly bears. We had tons of fun and we can’t wait to go back and see the rest of it.

Well, that’s a pretty good overview of what we’ve been up to. Life is good. We love Columbus. The summer seems to be flying by, but we’re having a good time!

Coaster Capital

Toren's office took yesterday off (they worked Memorial Day), so we all went to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. With 16 roller coasters and loads of other thrill rides, our day was guaranteed to be a blast.

We made the coasters our priority, and with ease we mastered the Raptor, the Mantis, the Millennium Force, the Mean Streak, the Iron Dragon, the Corkscrew, the Magnum LX-200, and....the Top Thrill Dragster, the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the universe.

I'll be honest, I thought I was going to die.

We climbed into the coaster train that resembled a top fuel dragster. The dragster then moved slowly up to the "starting line." The engine started and our dragster was rocketed forward, reaching 120 mph in 4 seconds!

The train zoomed straight up a 420-foot-tall hill at a 90 degree angle, curved over the coaster's apex and then free fell back to Earth. As the train raced to the ground, the track twisted an unbelievable 270 degrees!

Luckily, we survived the 17-second ride, climbed off our dragster and hoped our stomachs would drop out of our throats. It was incredible, to say the least.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Most of you probably don’t know this, but 50 years ago something incredible happened in the world: my dad was born.

Because a person only turns 50 once in their lifetime, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell my dad (and all our faithful bloggers) how much I love him.

One of my earliest memories is riding on my dad’s bike. He’d strap me into the seat on the back of the bike and ride all over our Utah neighborhood. I used to get so excited that I’d sway my body from side to side, which threw off my dad’s balance and made it nearly impossible for him to keep riding. He had to continually remind me to sit still. One time my dad stopped to talk to the neighbors. He parked the bike on the sidewalk and left me in my seat. It was only a matter of seconds before the bike and I toppled to the ground. I don’t remember crying (though I’m sure I did), but I do remember my dad running over to rescue me.

Another fond memory I have is my dad coming to my soccer games. I started playing soccer when I was about 8 years old. My dad drove this ugly, brown Toyota Corolla with furry seats. I’d climb in the front seat of the car on game day, while my dad loaded our dog, Marble, into the back. At the game, my dad would walk with Marble along the sidelines cheering for me. I was usually too happy to even focus on playing the game. He’d spend the whole drive home telling me how well I played.

I also remember playing the piano with my dad from the time I was very young. I just loved to play with him (and still do). I hated when my mom would nag me about practicing, but if my dad would play with me then I’d be willing to play for hours. He’d offer to play the left hand while I played the right. Or we would often just sit at the piano and play duets. Several times we even played our duets in church.

Over the last 50 years, many people (including myself) have become better just because they’ve been around my dad. He’s the most honest, righteous and loyal person I know. It would be nearly impossible to find a man with a firmer foundation than my dad’s. For that, I look up to him. I’m grateful for my relationship with him and for the support, love, and guidance he’s continually offered me.

I love you, Dad! Happy Birthday!

Indiana Forsberg Reviews Indiana Jones

It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to review movies. I started watching the show "Siskel and Ebert" at a very young age and was always a bit jealous that someone could be paid to watch movies and discuss them on TV. So Audrey has convinced me to spend this summer writing a review on the blog for each movie that we see. Today, I start with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Audrey and I went to a special viewing of the new Indiana Jones movie yesterday morning. I say that it was a "special" viewing because some big corporation rented out the entire theater for its employees. When we arrived a lady pulled us aside because she thought that we were part of the corporate group. When she found out that we weren't she chuckled and said while winking that she was giving us special permission to attend the private screening. We headed to the check in table and had name badges made and before we knew it were sitting down in the theater free of charge with free soda and popcorn in hand. Audrey was particularly thrilled by this.

Shortly after taking our seats the movie started and immediately I was captivated. It was like I was catching up with an old friend that I hadn't seen in a very long time. Highlights of the film include atomic bomb detinations, jeep chase scenes through the Amazon, death defying plunges down not just one...but three different waterfalls, cities made entirely of gold, and of course the mystery surrounding a crystal alien skull found in the ancient burial site of a Spanish conquistador. Like with the other Indiana Jones movies, Steven Spielberg realizes that the journey is more important than the destination. Each sensational action sequence is followed by an even more sensational action sequence. Unlike most other films of the same genre the action does not become boring simply due to the anticipation of discovering the next clue in figuring out the meaning of the Crystal Skull. I felt that the action was balanced fairly with story and dialauge as to leave me completely entranced by what was enfolding on the screen.

My one complaint with the film is the same as my complaints with previous Indiana Jones movies, the last twenty minutes is always the most disappointing. I did not feel like the payoff/explanation of the Crystal Skull was satisfying but i'll let each of you judge for yourselves.

All in all Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was better than I thought it would be. Any film that puts a permasmile on your face while watching it is worth the price of admission in my book. And Indiana Jones did just that. And just so you know, you can call me Indiana Forsberg from here on out.

A Little More Bax

We've had Bax for almost 2 weeks now, and we're absolutely loving him! I'll be honest, there have been a few days when I thought about hiring a professional trainer to turn him into a "good dog" and then give him back to me once he was.

Nonetheless, yesterday was an accident-free day and today has been so far as well, so I know he's making progress. Perhaps the only reason he's done so well is that I've been taking him outside nearly every half hour....I don't give him much time to have accidents.

Bax is a pretty funny puppy. He tries to eat EVERYTHING: grass, rocks, sticks, cigarettes, the sidewalk, paper. But headphones are his favorite; he's already destroyed 3 sets.

He's also incredible friendly. If a stranger passes by when we're outside and he doesn't get a chance to go introduce himself he gets upset.

He sleeps with us every night and he doesn't seem to mind taking up as much room as he wants. Toren's actually slept on the couch a couple nights this week because Bax was sprawling all over his side of the bed.

Well, it's been a half an hour....time for a potty break!

Marco Polo

I promised Toren a few weeks ago that I'd write a post about one of the greatest aspects of the summer for him: Marco Polo.

Before you assume you know what Marco Polo is, read on.

It's actually a hybrid version of the game you're familiar with. You know the basics: it's played in a swimming pool, one person yells "Marco," the others respond with "Polo," and the person who's IT (the "Marco") attempts to tag one of the others. The difference? The others must also try to tag the "Marco" without him tagging them at the same time. The others receive points for successfully tagging the "Marco." The first round ends when the "Marco" tags one of the others. The person tagged subtracts 3 points from their score, and round 2 begins. After the 3rd round ends the players tally their points and the person with the lowest number has a choice: become the new "Marco" or do a Nesty into the pool (a back flop). If the loser chooses to do a Nesty then they aren't penalized. However, if they chose to become the new "Marco" then they receive one Strike. If a player acquires three Strikes they are forced to do a Nesty. And that's the game.

The guys swear it's intense, and the other girls and I get a kick out of watching them play around in the pool like little boys. As long as the weather's nice and the pool's full, they'll play Marco Polo every day this summer.

They even have an official Marco Polo blog.

Oh, and did I mention that they play in Speedos? It's true. And disgusting.