Movie Theater Review: The Avengers

Well it wouldn't be summer without a Superhero Blockbuster, and this year it happened to be an alliance of superheroes, in The Avengers. I went with my mom this morning, at the classic Rave Motion Pictures, a place full of many movie memories. (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix). It seemed only fitting that I would later see my old friend Serge, who was with me for most of those memories. I don't go to the theaters as much as I use to, but I still always try to catch the biggest blockbusters of the year. These movies are high on budget, special effects, nonstop action, big name actors, and constant suspense. This seems to be an especially big year for blockbusters; The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, The Great Gatsby, and The Hobbit are my "must-see-in-theater-films" of the year. Yet for now, I will focus on my experience with The Avengers.

The story is quickly set in motion when the main villain, Loki, Thor's brother, infiltrates the SHIELD headquarters to steal a powerful source of energy known as the Tesseract. Nick Furry, the director of SHIELD played by Samuel Jackson, fears that the Tesseract is not safe in Loki's hands, and begins the Avenger Initiative, an alliance of superheros. With the help of his top secret agents, such as the manipulative Black Widow, he is able to round up some of the most powerful superheroes to fight against Loki. After some dramatic hesitation, Captain America, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner/The Hulk all join in on the operation. Thor also later joins them, feeling guilty that his brother has once again reeked havoc on the people of Earth. The four superheroes are joined by two super agents, The Black Widow and Clint Barton/The Hawkeye. This team of superheros is then able to give Loki and his army of mutants a fair fight, in the heart of New York City.

As a blockbuster, this movie does not disappoint, and is worth every penny to see in theater. Each character/actor brings something quite unique to their roles. Captain America, played by Chris Evans, makes for good comic relief, as an old school legend who still packs a punch. The Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr, brings his usual narcissism to the story and somehow still wins over the crowd by saving the day. Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, is ashamed of his Hulkish demeanor, yet steals the show when he finally loses control. Then there is the seductive and manipulative, Black Widow, played by the amazing Scarlett Johannson, who is always a step ahead of everybody. Thor returns with his godly persona, however is some what of a dud in this movie, as is Hawkeye. The showdown in the end, is the cliche stuff Hollywood is made of, full of action, drama, laughs, and suspense. And somehow it just doesn't get old, watching giant mutants and superheroes destroying New York City on the big screen. Loki has an army, the Avengers have a Hulk. Great stuff!

Random Spring Notes 2012

Here is my seasonal update on the state-of-things. As usual Springtime has brought forth all sorts of new inspiration, opportunities, and events. The winter was a mild one, and the Lenten Season ushered in an ambitious transition towards diet and exercise. Springtime is now fully underway, and the nicer weather and longer days are always greatly welcomed.

I reached my year anniversary working at Racer Cartage and Logistics back in February. This is a new record, the longest I've ever held a consistent job. I'm fully employed there as a contracting courier, with good days, bad days, busy days, and slow days. For the most part I'm still quite satisfied with the workflow, management, and income.

A big opportunity came from Sportvision this spring, working Minor League baseball games for the Indianapolis Indians.  This is a part-time evening job, where I track pitches on a computer in a press box for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a fairly easy gig, with a great view of Victory Field and downtown Indianapolis. The hardest part is paying attention and staying awake for the full 9 innings.

I am in great running shape, possibly the best since college. I've been training on the Monon Trail consistently since February. I try to get at least 3 to 4 runs in a week and have recently begun running in the early mornings, to begin my day. Although my times are slower, it's much nicer way to start the day. Philip inspired me to begin keeping data on my runs, which makes it all the more statistical. I have recorded two PRs this spring, in the 2-mile (13:40) and the 4-mile (28:52).

It seemed my Mini-Marathon Record of 1:43 was up for grabs this year, by either Marc, Philip, or myself. We got unlucky however on race day, being muggiest race we'd ever run, with 90% humidity. I ran a disappointing time of 1:55. Philip and myself agreed to run a redemption run, two weeks later at Geist. This time I ran a 1:46, which was far better than my Indy time. I hope to continue training this summer, through the Kekionga Sprint Triathlon (July 21st) and possibly another Half or even a full Marathon in the Fall.

Had a great time at Josh Cross and Lyndsay Sluyter's Wedding in Fort Wayne. Although I'm not very close with the bride or groom, Lauren is a good friend, and I worked for her dad, Chris, and I just couldn't pass up on Sluyter wedding. It was a fun time and I saw lot of my good college friends and some old high school friends. We're planning on going together as a group to see Dave Matthews Band in concert, Saturday June 23rd. This has been on my bucket list for a very long time, and I'm sure it will be a memorable time.

I've been going through a sudden musical rush, with new phases ranging from DMB, Coldplay's latest album (Mylo Xyloto), Paul Simon (Graceland), Led Zeppelin, Queen, and The Band. Running to music puts me in the zone, and driving to music makes the workday all the more enjoyable.

In other news, Andres is about to graduate from St. Johns New Haven, bringing an end to the 24 year family presence there. Gabriel is moving on to IUPUI, next semester. And Philip and Shawna are going to have a baby in January.