Jumper

Imagine if the director from The Bourne Identity decided to do an action/sci-fi movie about teleporters. You'd probably think it was not only going to be entertaining, but probably pretty decent too.

You'd be wrong.

Jumper was entertaining - actually, quite entertaining, but had so many plot holes and bizarre lines and ideas that it pretty much just completely fell apart. Also, when they use actors that have been completely typecast for me that doesn't help either. I couldn't get away from the impression that I was watching Anakin Skywalker run around the globe with Summer Roberts, all the while running away from Shaft.

They also decided to throw in a weird subplot involving Diane Lane, which didn't really make an awful lot of sense.

Actually, the movie didn't make an awful lot of sense period, but at least it had some cool visuals, a bit of decent action, and some humorous lines. The best character was easily Jamie Bell's character, a "more-experienced" 'jumper' who helps out Anakin along the way.

The weirdest part of the whole movie was that by the end of the movie it was fairly difficult to like Anakin. He just wasn't that likable of a character. For example, in most superhero movies, when a TV broadcast says "There are still people trapped by the flood and nobody will be able to get to them in time", that's generally the part where Superman/Spiderman/X-men/etc. will fly/swing/claw/etc. into action to rescue the people. Here? Anakin ignores the TV, goes gets some of his money, and teleports to Britain for the day.

Just a strange movie. Entertaining and fun, yes. But what I'll really remember it for was the lost potential.

Federal Budget

Interesting that Dion has immediately announced the Liberals will support the budget. Generally that would take a couple of days, anyways.

Good on them. If they're not going to oppose it, better to announce that earlier rather than drag it out for several days, providing endless speculation.

From my quick perusal of the budget itself, it seems reasonable - obviously it wasn't going to be heavy on spending.

From an election standpoint, this presumably means Dion is content to wait until late spring or early fall at the earliest for an election. With the Afghanistan motion and budget passing, it would seem as if everyone is fairly content with the state of affairs at this time.

NHL Trading Deadline

Big winner(s): Penguins (for getting Hossa for spare parts), Sharks (for getting Campbell for cheap), Stars (for getting Richards for role players and a backup goalie)

Big loser(s): Leafs (for only being able to get a few picks, and only dumping Gill, Belak and Kilger), Canadiens (for missing out on Hossa, and dealing away Huet for a goalie), rest of Western Conference (for watching the Stars and Sharks get alot better and failing to improve)

Liberals to support Conservatives on Afghanistan

Leaving aside everything else momentarily, how are we supposed to take Dion now saying that they will agree to keeping troops in Afghanistan until 2011? Was he not serious when he said that they needed to be out by 2009? Has he changed his mind? If so, why?

Surely it's not because he doesn't want an election now. Surely not.

Michael Clayton

Watched this yesterday afternoon, as an unintentional prelude to the Oscars. And I was left wondering why it got the reviews it did. An entertaining movie, sure, and well done, but nominated for 7 Oscars, including essentially all the big ones? Not so much.

If you're looking for a good legal thriller, Fracture is far better. Not sure why it missed out on the Oscar love...there was really nothing special about Michael Clayton.

A Thought From CS Lewis

If we readily accept that all physical creations have a creator, why don't we apply the same logic to the universe?