@ Sherlock Homes

To begin with, wow and not in a good way.

I have always been a huge fan of the sherlock homes shows they show on TV so please don't try to say that I just don't like this type of movie because I really enjoy mysteries. I even enjoy macabre things from time to time but this was a little much. Don't laugh but it was a little too scary at points to be a good movie. I mean the hound of the baskervilles is pretty scary stuff, but usually they show that around Halloween so you're kind of prepared.

For example, it starts off with something macabre. There is waht looks like a satanic sacrifice. Yes you heard me right. A SATANIC SACRIFICE. Theres that circle and star thing and then knives and some sort of mind control going on. I am not making this up. Then Sherlock Homes and mr. watson come in and stop it which is good, but its a little too close for comfort as a pretty girl almost gets stabbed to death in the name of the Devil!

Then Watson is moving out of the townhouse that they share which is sad, but it's kind of happy too because he's going to get married.

Another thing I didn't like about this movie is how they made it all like homes was really goofy and couldn't take care of himself except for when he was fighting which he did very well might I add. That was weird. He was really good at beating people up. So much so that he did it for money in his off time. But watson was really good at fighting too and really strong with is weird.

Anyway, after they go and save the girl at the beginning the evil guy gets hung and comes back to life! I won't spoil anything for you but I have to hand it to the director that this was a really clever Idea. Just too bad there had to be so much bad stuff along the way. There were explosions too, which was weird becuase horror movies usually don't have stuff blowing up in them.

I'm just getting angry and upset writing this because I am so disappointed so I'm just going to put a list of things that should have been in the movie but werent:

The normal Sherlock Homes Hat
The phrase "Elementary my dear Watson"
A cheeky nod to Hercule Poirot
The normal sherlock homes pipe. He smokes this stupid modern looking pipe the whole time and it looks stupid.
A big magnifying glass.
Something that let you know that the scary stuff wasn't for real.

There are probably more things, and maybe I'll post some later if I think of them but for now, just take my advice and don't see this unless you are some sort of sicko.

@Avatar: More than just pure popcorn fun at the movies

I was apprehensive. I didn't really like the prospect of sitting in the same place for 3 hours with nothing to show for it but a headache and an upset stomach from the popcorn. However, though I left the theater with both of those things (for different reasons, though... don't ask) Avatar gave me an extra parting gift... the "Star Wars 1" Experience. I've always heard that audiences leaving "Star Wars 1" in 197? believed they had seen something special... something game changing. Who knows if they were right, but what I can say for sure is that Avatar is the real deal.

I had been told that Avatar was just "Dances with Wolves...in space" or at least that the plot was somewhat derivative. Who knows, but what I will say is that I found myself wishing I had an avatar and that I could run really fast and be in tune with nature on that level. At first, the Na'vi seem really woo woo and flakey, but the more you learn about their ways, the more you understand that they may be in fact wiser than we (and also several characters in the movie itself) give them credit for. The audience I saw the movie with was really sad to leave the theater and I can only imagine that when they went home, they did so with an increased appreciation of life. I certainly did.

Of course, there are going to be detractors who say that this is nothing more than the most amazing 3 hours of visual art you have ever seen. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLES. It is so much more than that. I have never seen Titanic, but if it evokes even 1/4th of the emotion that this movie does, it must be incredible. You are intended to fall in love with the planet and the Na'vi and you do. You want those in-laws. You want those friends and that wife. You want to have a direct line to every member of your species who has died.

Sure it costs 10 bucks (well a matinee here in NC costs ten beans) even if you protest that you already have Real-D glasses that you borrowed from your friend. I would gladly pay an additional 10 simoleons and 3+ hours (with trailers) to see it again.

Anyway, getting back to my point, I now know how it must have felt to see "Star Wars 1" in the theater. Maybe I should go rent it...

Coming soon: @Avatar

Hold on to your seats kidz... Grampa J is going to see Avatar. I just hope it buys my eyes dinner and a movie first!