Cars 2

Pixar. Pixar is a simple name that explains so much more. It is a label if nothing else. It conveys a movie at a whole different level. A movie that will appear for children but explain a moral that allows all ages to relate and enjoy.

Cars 2 does NOT disappoint. I had read a couple reviews before viewing this movie and they emphasized: too much of the story line revolving around Mater, too many questions popping up about logistics, and the voice actors being too good.

Bottom Line:
-The voice acting WAS great. A phenomenal cast that did a phenomenal job. I often find my daily car impersonations to be weak, but these actors nailed it!
-Cars main star was Lightning McQueen and although Mater does play a larger role in Cars 2, I don't think Lightning McQueen was truly diminished. Yes, Mater's role is larger. No, they didn't axe Lightning.
-This movie does raise some, ummmm, logistics issues. At one point the movie makes a point to mention dinosaurs. Which brings up so many more questions. What do they look like? Are dinosaurs animals, if so will they still be cars? Why would someone want pistachio ice cream (watch the film to understand)? This makes you to question other aspects when you really just want to focus on the film.

My opinion:
This movie doesn't fall far from the Pixar tree. I thoroughly enjoyed. The movie kept my attention and allowed for themes involving friendship to really settle in. There is a large emphasis placed on renewable resources, but I think the trials and tribulations that Mater and McQueen face truly allow this movie to shine. I wouldn't consider it my favorite Pixar film, but then again it would be terribly difficult to list the Pixar films in order of greatness.

4/5

Allusions: First of all this has absolutely nothing to do with my personal opinion of the movie. There are a couple of allusions to other Pixar films and I don't think I even caught them all, but here is what I did catch or at least I think I did.

-Mater is called the world's greatest backwards driver (Cars)
-The restaurant in Paris (Ratatouille)
-There is a board outside the movie theater in Radiator Springs that says "The Incredimobiles" (The Incredibles)

Those are the ones I remember, but I consider it obvious that there are more.

Quick Quote

"Effort without desire is like a bbq without a fire. It might look good but it will not be well done"

True on many different levels.

Science creating a better burger.

There are some times that science just astounds me with how great it is. Here is a link to how science, can create the better burger. Making America Better. ( <-- the link)

My sister (RANT)

I most likely will be doing a series of blogs to get out my frustration with my family.

Siblings have pushed each other to the brink of exhaustion for centuries. Everyone has their pet peeves and if you spend enough time with someone they are bound to cross the line. My youngest sister has reached this point too many times. It is her lack of ability to try and to request help through a tantrum that drives me nuts.

She is nine years old and can not butter a bagel. She "can't". She is incapable. She refuses to try and it is incredible frustrating. She threw a fit because she can't butter it. This was a 4 or 5 minute discussions with her screaming that resulting in inevitably my mom helping her. Saddens me that the young are so dependent. I can understand the necessity for some things, but when it comes down to simple things such as buttering a bagel I become irate.

Another thing that bothers me is when people don't try. My sister refused to even attempt this feat. She threw another feat because she can't sweep. Even after the multiple times that my parents help or show her how to do something she is still throws a fit.

IT IS DOWN RIGHT FRUSTRATING. (Notice that I used all caps, but then ended the sentence with a simple period. haha)

Fark

Have you heard of fark? I would suggest that you look into it immediately. Fark.com is a website that lists news stories. They are categorized into typical news categories but then there is a twist. Fark lists some "legit" news and it lists a lot of random news. "I can't believe I live in a country where this happens," often runs through my mind. The news may be ridiculous, but what makes it even better is the title of each article. Fark lists it own titles for each link to their news stories. There often creative and hilarious titles. For example, "Old and Busted: arrested for having sex on the beach. New Hotness: arrested for having sex on a scooter." That easily entices me to read what is going on in the world and then face palm myself due to how ridiculous it really is.

Rub some dirt in it.

"Rub some dirt in it!"

Classic phrase people used to tell young children when they got a cut in it to express how big of a deal it was in the whole scheme of things. It is true that the a minor cut isn't something that deserves an ambulance and is quite minor. However, should we be encouraging infection! Infections could be 10x more serious. Young kids are exposed to dirt every day, so they have the proper tools. Don't encourage it!

Village Inn vs IHOP

A recent debate broke out among my friends. What restaurant provides more than the other. We aren't talking just food, but atmosphere and service also come into play. I had eaten at IHOP before and considered it a decent place, but Village Inn had never crossed my mind. I knew right then that I must eat at Village Inn so that I could add my opinion in this debate.

Village Inn is way better than IHOP! The minute I walked into Village Inn I was impressed. The retro look was phenomenally pulled off. In addition there was a friendly atmosphere created by the waiters and waitresses. My waiter quickly introduced himself and asked for our drink orders. I asked for a cup of coffee and cream. Village Inn brings you the whole pot of coffee. Perfect! There is no need to anxiously wait for someone to notice that you need a refill.

I glanced over the menu and had a hard time making a decision. I eventually went a strawberry crepe combo. I was not let down. The food was phenomenal. The crepes were a bit thicker than I prefer, but still incredibly consistent. I did not like that the strawberry syrup ran onto my hash browns. It wasn't a huge issue, but it was a negative aspect. The bacon was at my preferred level of "crispy-ness". A big issue with breakfast diners like this is the coffee. Its a gamble whether it will be well made or not. In this instance I was satisfied. It wasn't my favorite coffee, but it was better than normal.

Now, I had eaten at IHOP multiple times and although I consider them both great choices in my opinion Village Inn is the superior restaurant. The quality of the food was superior, the atmosphere was superior and the customer service was phenomenal. Now, this could all be tied to a single location. If I go to a different Village Inn the customer service may be different. However, if this is true then this particular Village Inn set the bar at a high level.