Marvel’s Avengers: Action-Oriented (with Purpose !!)

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What a Blast (literally!)  If you haven’t seen the new Avengers movie, be sure to catch it on the Big Screen.  So worth it, not just for the action sequences (that are Rather Amazing,) but all those handsome super-heroes rippling their muscles in One Movie definitely provides substantial Heart-Throbbing Eye Candy treats!  : )

From the beginning sequence this movie rocks with Action-Oriented Serious Purpose: super-heroes battling overwhelming odds as the fate of mankind rests in the balance (and so on) with a few unexpected twists (a Super-Hero fighting for the Wrong Side, what’s up with that?!?)

As Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) struggles to galvanize the Avengers Initiative into reality (uniting misfits with Big Egos & Big Abilities into a cohesive team is No Easy Task), he weaves his way in & out of secrets (that have secrets) leading S.H.I.E.L.D (the world’s largest peace-keeping organization, 1st line of defense, & spy network…)

He enlists top agent Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), to seek out scientist Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) who can (in unruly times) morph into the Hulk.  Favorite scene (!) when Natasha gets called up while ‘working’ an interrogation.  (The Black Widow definitely Throws Some Moves, even tied up in a chair!)

Meanwhile Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) goes after billionaire philanthropist Tony Stark, a.k.a. Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.)  Revived from-70-yrs-on-ice Capt. America (Chris Evans) gets his orders & shows up.  Thor (Chris Hemsworth) eventually drops in, as  does Hawkeye (Clint Barton…)

A Team? well, it takes time, but eventually (lots of intrigue, action, hopeless odds) the Avengers get their act together.  Life lesson: sometimes it takes Tough Stuff for us to Put Aside Differences & work together for a unifying goal. (ok, so maybe the fate of our planet may not always be at stake, but sometimes it is as global issues interconnect us.)

A Favorite Quote: Capt. America to Ironman: “we need a Plan of Action!”  Ironman (as he takes off out of the plane):  “I have a plan:  Action!”

oh, forgot to mention Loki (remember him in the Thor movie?) – Tom Hiddelston does a convincingly superb job as the Bad Guy egomaniac from Somewhere-Not-Around-Here. Fine Acting!

My sister had not seen the other Marvel movies (Ironman 1&2, Capt. America, Thor…) but she really enjoyed watching it (of course, if you have seen the lead-up movies, the plot makes more sense…)

Highly recommend this movie (!!) – lots of Sci-fy & Mayhem & LOADS of Fun!

Fortune Cookie Wisdom…

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Last Friday as i drove past our favorite Chinese restaurant (it was close to dinner time & i was far, far away from The Kitchen!).. suddenly Chinese Food seemed like a Good Idea.  After munching our way through the very yummy Takeaway meal (this almost empty carton the Lone Survivor), it was Fortune Cookie time(!)

“Leaders are readers.”

“Many a false step is made by standing still.”

So glad that leaders are readers (!!!)…Thinking about The Future & all those Universes left to explore, methinks standing still will not get us Out There (& all those Sci-Fy series folks always seem to be On The Move.)

Just sayin’ !

grace, peace & Fortune Cookie Wisdom

Virginia  : )

First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

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Discussing Leadership last week, when my sister sent this YouTube video on Leadership i thought it Must Be Shared… Have a Look … & consider becoming courageous First Followers (that sounds like something that could be in a Sci-Fy book!)

grace, peace & First Followers

Virginia : )

Sci-Fi Leadership Lessons?

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One of the Interesting things about reading Sci-Fi books or watching series is learning about Leadership.  So many of ‘Starfleet’ and military space forces are led by with-it characters we grow to love (& some not-so-good ones we Dislike Immensely…)

Either way, we take lessons in leadership from the writers who created these characters. Sometimes i wonder how these writers know what good leadership is… and then you find out about their real lives (Elizabeth Moon served as a Marine.. David Drake, a marine of some sort..and so on..)

But then there’s David Weber — he’s a lay Methodist pastor & i’ve searched his bio for military experience… to find nada. But Honor Harrington absolutely kicks butt as a Leader we all want to follow (!!! even on the prison planet ‘hell,’ she inspirationally leads 200,000+ prisons to freedom?!? against, like, impossible odds?)

From Basilik Station to the latest adventure, Honor Harrington LEADS… she doesn’t care (too much) if she ticks off the wealthiest man on Manticore, if doing what’s right is at stake… and so on.  Do the Right Thing (as a Leader, this is important when doing the expedient thing sometimes clouds the issue!)

wow.  I am such a huge groupie of Honor Harrington. i read the whole series while recuperating from surgery.. and then read them AGAIN (those pain meds can make things a little fuzzy!)  We have the New Book (just procured yesterday) & i can’t wait to start it (but Must Wait, as i know how easily delving into it can become an All Nighter!)

so, back to leadership.  It’s also fun watching leaders in Sci-Fi series.. currently i’m in Season 3 of Deep Space Nine …& REALLY like Capt. Benjamin Sisko & his team.  In Stargate Atlantis as Amanda Tapping takes on the leadership after Elizabeth Weir’s demise, things are a Bit Tough — but she calls it & backs up her team.

If you are into Star Trek, here’s a fun article in Forbes on Leadership from Captain Kirk:

Five Leadership Lessons from James Kirk

Give it a read & what do you think? do you agree & what lessons have you learned from sci-fi characters you like?

Monday Mayhem (at the movies) – Fast, Fast, FAST 5!!

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Last week after a few War Movie viewings, Papa (deciding to Be Nice to Mama) suggested we watch Anne of Green Gables (definitely rated “G” for Grandmama) which we really enjoyed several nights.  Unfortunately we only made it to the part where Anne leaves P.E.I. when Papa requested something a Bit More Exciting.  I put in the Fast Five DVD thinking PG (ok-for-Mama), but after the first car heisting scene (off a Moving Train), she suddenly had Things To Do elsewhere…

whew! FAST 5… i haven’t seen any of the other Fast movies (evidently there are a few, maybe 5?) but this one is Really Amazing: lots of beautiful scenery (Rio de Janeiro  & environs) brawn, brawling & Good Guys vs. Not So Good Guys vs.The Really Bad Guys (the Not So Good guys, ie, the Car Thieves, apparently are Sometimes Good in helping fight off The Bad Guys…)…. And, of course, there are a few (!!) fast cars (REALLY REALLY FAST CARS!)

The Inspiration Factor for this movie is Not Too Bad – the Rock Dwayne Johnson’s muscles can be rather Inspirational (they ripple as he bashes the heads of the Bad Guys) And there is a subtle message that maybe we shouldn’t judge – especially Vin Diesel’s character, Dom Toretto, the Head Car Thief & his sidekick Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) an FBI agent turned Thief!

The Teamwork as Dom calls in a diverse global team is my favorite part. Everyone has his or her expertise for the Major Heist (stealing from the Mr. Rich Drug Kingpin who is rather debonair when he is not having people killed!)

There is Inspiration to be found in this movie (if you look hard enough) but basically It’s  a Full On Action flick with unbelievable chase scenes, fight sequences …& fast cars (definitely a theme here! )

….oh, & a wee bit of violence…  but as Action Flicks go, this is Really Fun!!!

vrrooooom vrrrooooom!

www.fastfivemovie.com/

grace, peace & Monday Mayhem (at the Movies!)

Virginia : )

p.s. after seeing this movie in the Theater last summer, i bought the DVD as one of the those ‘merry christmas to me’ presents.  Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for Mayhem (without too much Blood & Guts! : )